021120prmHARNETT COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS
Planning Retreat Minutes
February 11, 2020
The Harnett County Board of Commissioners met in work session on Tuesday, February 11,
2020, at the Shawtown Community Center, 645 Shawtown Road, Lillington, North Carolina.
Members present:
Staff present:
Howard Penny, Jr., Chairman
Joe Miller, Vice Chairman
Mark B. Johnson, Commissioner
Barbara McKoy, Commissioner
Gordon Springle, Commissioner
Paula Stewart, County Manager
Kimberly Honeycutt, Finance Officer
Renee Paschal, Budget Officer
Margaret Regina Wheeler, Clerk
Brian Haney, Assistant County Manager
Coley Price, Assistant County Manager
Allen Coats, Deputy Finance Officer
Ashley Deans, Community Relations Coordinator
The following agenda was before the Board:
➢ Welcome and Overview
➢ Financial Analysis
➢ Proposed Fiscal Policy Changes
➢ Financial Trends
➢ Budget Kickoff
➢ Lunch
➢ Growth Pressures
➢ Wrap-up/Adjourn
Ms. Stewart welcomed everyone and gave a brief overview of the retreat agenda, which was
rearranged due to sickness. She reviewed the draft February 17, 2020 regular meeting
agenda and commissioners reviewed applicants desiring to be appointed or reappointed to serve
on boards and committees.
Harnett County Finance Officer Kimberly Honeycutt and Budget Officer Renee Paschal
presented proposed changes to the Fiscal Policy of Harnett County. It was the consensus of the
Board to consider approval of the revised fiscal policy during their upcoming regular
meeting.
February 11, 2020 Planning Retreat Minutes
Harnett County Board of Commissioners
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Mrs. Paschal presented the following trends for Harnett County:
Historical Population Growth in Unincorporated Area and Municipalities (2010 - 2018)
Estimated 2017 Population by Township
Historical and Projected Population Growth by Age (2000 — 2039)
Annual Number of Foreclosures in Harnett County (2006 — 2019)
Harnett County Unemployment Rate (2012 — 2019)
Article Collections for First Five Months (2016 - 2020)
Register of Deeds Excise Tax by Quarter (2015 — 2020)
General Fund Operating Performance (2010 — 2018)
- General Fund Types Unassigned Fund Balance as Percent of Budgeted Expenditures
(2011 — 2018)
Revenues Per Capita in Constant Dollars (2010 — 2018)
Expenditures Per Capita in Constant Dollars (2010 — 2018)
Debt Service as a Percentage of General Fund Expenditures (2010 — 2018)
Restricted Intergovernmental Revenue Per Capita in Constant Dollars (2010 — 2018)
Sales Tax Per Capita in Constant Dollars (2010 — 2018)
- Property Tax Per Capita in Constant Dollars (2010 — 2018)
FY 2018 Per Capita Revenue Comparison for Counties 100,000+ Population
FY 2018 Per Capita Revenue Comparison for Counties 100,000+ Population Without
Utilities
Property Tax Collection Percentage (2010 — 2018)
Comparison of Effective Tax Rates (state average and surrounding counties)
Harnett County's Historic Sales Assessment Ratio
Assessed Value per Capita (2009 Actual — 2018 Actual)
2019 Real Tax Base Comparison: Harnett v. Benchmarks & State Average (residential,
commercial, industrial and other - state and surrounding counties)
- Per Capita Income (2004 — 2018)
Mrs. Paschal said she believes trends can help inform decision-making as well as helping to stay
focused on what is important. Discussions continued. Mrs. Pascal reported Harnett County's
per capita income is significantly lower than state average, ranking 82nd out of 100 counties.
However, the County's median household income ranks 30th out of 100 counties in North
Carolina because our household sizes are so large.
Mrs. Paschal also led the budget kickoff discussion.
Development Services Director Mark Locklear and Planning Services Director Jay Sikes gave a
presentation about growth pressures in Harnett County. The presentation included permitting
software update, GIS demo of new online tools, Harnett County growth as a whole, NW Harnett
growth, NW area plan implementation and US421 Corridor Study. Brad Sutton, Manager of
Building Services, and Harnett Regional Water Director Steve Ward were also present. Chris
Hawk, GIS Systems Administrator, lead the GIS demo of new online tools.
February 11, 2020 Planning Retreat Minutes
Harnett County Board of Commissioners
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The group broke for lunch. Commissioner Mark Johnson left the meeting.
Ted Cole with Davenport & Company provided a financial analysis for Harnett County
including:
Credit Rating Overview
General Fund Balance
Existing Tax Supported Debt Profile
Capital Funding Analysis
Harnett Regional Water Debt and Financial Profile
Solid Waste Debt and Financial Profile
During the planning retreat wrap-up, Mrs. Stewart distributed and reviewed a list of nine possible
goals for FY 2020-2021 to stimulate discussion among the Board. She asked that the Board set 3
to 4 goals that she could share with department heads to help provide direction going forward.
Commissioners decided on the following goals:
1) Partner with economic development boards to enhance county's economic
development program and marketing, and
2) Strengthen the Unified Development Ordinance to improve the quality of growth, and
3) Improve cooperation and collaboration with the Board of Education, and
4) Prioritize Parks & Recreation projects and work toward more reliable funding model.
Commissioner Springle moved to adjourn the meeting at 2:15 pm. Vice Chairman Miller
seconded the motion that passed 4-0.
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February 11, 2020 Planning Retreat Minutes
Harnett County Board of Commissioners
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