HomeMy WebLinkAboutbocc.min.ws.07302002 TUESDAY, JULY 30,2002
8:30 AM ACRA BOARD MEETING—Sky Hotel
MINUTES OF WORK SESSION APPROVED BY BOCC
Date: _July 30, 2002 Meeting Start Time: 8:30 AM
Commissioners present: Commissioners not present:
Jack Hatfield X Jack Hatfield
Dorothea Farris X Dorothea Farris
X Michael Ireland Michael Ireland
X Shellie Roy Shellie Roy
Patti Clapper X Patti Clapper
WORK SESSION ITEM: —BUDGET PRESENTATION TO ACRA
Mollie Campbell opened the meeting and conducted other ACRA business before the BOCC budget
presentation. The BOCC presentation commenced at about 9:30 AM.
Shellie Roy distributed copies of the white paper, indicating they were copied at her expense, $1.25 per copy,
and explaining that County staff was restricted by law from supporting ballot issues. Mick Ireland made a
presentation to ACRA detailing the financial status of the County, and also discussed the population growth
trends, what is happening to the commercial core, and how that affects sales tax base. He reviewed the nature of
the County's financial problem, what has been done so far, and what might be at risk if a new revenue source is
not approved by the voters. The meeting then opened up for discussion. Issues raised by ACRA members
included the following:
• How much tax increase is this for businesses? Mick- About $24 per million in value for just the August
tax question.
• Businesses are faced with declining sales and increased costs also, why don't your materials reflect
impact on businesses? $35 on a$500,000 home is not realistic, doesn't show impact to business and
there aren't any$500,000 homes.
• Why aren't we looking at increasing revenues (as in sales tax revenues), instead of trying to cut costs or
increase taxes? We keep losing retail sales space downtown.
• How can we prevent the continuing loss of retail sales space downtown? We need a plan to increase
sales tax revenues downtown.
• Why can't we all work together to change the definitions in our laws so that we can impose sales tax on
the office/vacant buildings in the downtown core? Mick-some communities do impose impact fees on
empty buildings, but that is a city issue.
• It looks like your general fund is $15,000,000 for 15,000 residents, about $1000 per capita. How does
that cost compare to other counties? Mick-efficiency study did comparisons, and our costs are not out of
line.
• We need to increase our tourism base, whether that means improving the airport, adding new carriers
and planes, or other means.
• Real estate sales also bring in people who generate sales tax.
STAFF DIRECTION: No staff direction/Informational only
Adjourned at: The BOCC portion of the agenda concluded at 9:50am.
Respectfully submitted: Respectfully submitted:
Debbie Quinn,Assistant County Manager Silvia Davis, Clerk and Recorder
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