032510sHarnett County Board of Commissioners
Minutes of Special Session
Thursday, March 25, 2010
The Harnett County Board of Commissioners met in special session on Thursday, March
25, 2010, in the Commissioners Meeting Room, County Administrative Building, 102
East Front Street, Lillington, North Carolina.
Members present: Timothy B. McNeill, Chairman
Beatrice B. Hill, Vice Chairman
Dan B. Andrews, Commissioner
Jim Burgin, Commissioner
Member absent: Gary House, Commissioner
Staff present: Scott Sauer, County Manager
Dwight W. Snow, County Attorney
Sylvia Blinson, Finance Officer
Gina Daniel, Acting Clerk
Kimberly Honeycutt, Budget Analyst
Cathy Ryals, Projects /Grants Finance & Accounting Specialist
Guest present: Phil Ferrell, Harnett County Superintendent
Chairman McNeill called the meeting to order at 3:00 pm.
A report regarding financing for school construction was prepared and presented by the
County's financial advisor Davenport & Company LLC. The presentation included
project cost and timeline, projected debt service, six case scenarios of affordability and
the following proposed next steps:
• Continue working with Senator Hagan's office to request Mission Support.
• Continue to evaluate alternative funding options with and without Mission
Support.
• Be aware of potential Rating Agency and Local Government Commission views
on alternative funding options.
• Pursue the adoption of Financial Policies to provide guidelines when analyzing
and executing potential funding options.
• Continue to monitor refinancing opportunities with existing debt.
• Further explore funding options during construction.
Chairman McNeill asked that the report also be shared with Congressman Bob Etheridge
and the U.S. Department of Defense.
Commission Burgin stressed that he would not support a tax increase. Commissioner
Burgin moved to continue to advance the school financing with a request to Senator Kay
Hagan's Office for $50 Million and to make application to the USDA Rural
Development. The Board was assured that these funds are non - binding and would
require further approval by the governing body. Vice Chairman Hill seconded the motion
which passed unanimously.
At 4:00 pm the commissioners, along with some elected officials from the Town of
Erwin, the Town of Coats and the Harnett County Board of Education, participated in a
live and interactive 2 -hour Ethics for Local Elected Officials webinar. This webinar
fulfilled the legal requirement of SL 2009 -403 which requires the members of governing
boards of all cities, counties, local boards of education, unified governments, sanitary
districts, and consolidated city- counties in North Carolina to receive a minimum of 2
hours of ethics education within 12 months of being elected or appointed to the board,
and within 12 months of each subsequent reelection or reappointment.
The meeting adjourned at 6:10 pm.
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