9 minute read
Haywood government, schools scale back budget asks
BY CORY VAILLANCOURT S TAFF WRITER E very year around this time, local governments, community colleges and public schools are busy crafting budgets for the upcoming fiscal year that begins on July 1. In a normal year, budgeting is a year round process, however this is anything but a normal year.
“We’ve been having discussions on how COVID-19 might affect our budget request, but some of that’s unknown,” said Dr. Shelly White, president of Haywood Community College since last December.
White made the remarks during a county budget work session on May 4, where Haywood County Schools Superintendent Dr. Bill Nolte and Haywood County Manager Bryant Morehead gave presentations of their own, all tempered with caution.
Plans and projections made prior to the outbreak of the Coronavirus Pandemic are all out the window at this point, and White’s budget, her first as HCC president, asks for a small 3 percent increase over last year.
Under the proposal, salaries would grow from $1,105,700 to $1,130,120, or $24,420. Materials, supplies, service agreements, fuel and legal expenses are expected to increase from $539,168 to $545,580 or $6,412. Contracted services also require a small increase from $460,752 to $470,752, a growth of $10,000. Utility cost, based on estimates from Duke Energy, represents the largest increase, from $578,150 to $625,150 or $47,000.
The only capital request made by White is a parking lot maintenance machine needed to replace an older model, at $30,000.
“I know it’s not ideal,” said Morehead at the conclusion of White’s presentation, “but I appreciate her work on getting it to 3 percent.”
Following suit, Nolte, accompanied by new finance director Leanna Moody, presented a flat budget that only shows an increase in pay (2 percent for all positions), an increase in statemandated retirement contributions (from 19.7 percent to 21.5 percent) and an increase in hospitalization payments, from $6,306 to $6,647.
Those increases represent a total growth of almost $450,000 against a $17 million local current expense budget.
Nolte’s budget strategy was summed up in the first few lines of his budget message, “ … our primary focus points for the 2020-21 budget are (1) to recruit maintain and support employees in their passionate and productive work (2) limit expansion items in the local current expense budget and (3) adjust the budget as appropriate to account for unexpected impacts of the COVID-19 crisis.”
Some things, however, just can’t wait. Associate Superintendent Dr. Trevor Putnam presented HCS’ capital budget requests, which remain unchanged from what he asked commissioners for back in early March.
After years of budget cuts during the aftermath of the Great Recession of 2008, HCS has been playing catch-up on critical infrastructure needs like awning repairs, equipment for the maintenance department, gravel for playgrounds and new HVAC units.
Those requests total $900,000 — the same amount allocated in the current year’s budget, and an increase from $750,000 two years ago. Prior to that, HCS saw capital outlays in the $200,000 range for several years, meaning they’ve been “nursing” some equipment along well past its useful life to avoid paying the full replacement cost.
Morehead rounded out the budget presentations with a slideshow giving a “state of the county” overview tracking the activity of various county operations over the past year.
Most showed small declines compared to March 2019, including county EMS calls, sheriff service of civil process documents, county clinic visits, single-family dwelling permits issued, real estate transactions and IT helpdesk tickets. The county library, closed due to the pandemic in March, reported visitation down from about 20,000 in March 2019 to about 9,000 in March 2020.
Some categories, however, showed increases, like immunizations, the number of deed and estate transfers and the number of children in foster care. Morehead was especially concerned about the future of foster care with the assumption that people may now be more reluctant to let strangers into their homes.
On the revenue side, general fund revenue requests were just over $85 million, a small increase from the current fiscal year’s adopted projection of $83.9 million, but Morehead’s conservative recommended figure is closer to $81.3 million, including a worst-case scenario of a 25 percent decrease in sales tax revenue.
Cuts include merit pay, COLA and Christmas bonuses for county employees. More than $7 million in fund balance will be required to balance the budget at its current projection, compared to $3.6 million in fund balance used during the current fiscal year.
Morehead will spend the next week meeting with commissioners and administrators; he’s tentatively scheduled to present his recommended budget to commissioners on May 18, and the required public hearing on the budget should come on May 26. That leaves the budget ready for possible approval on June 1, with a backup approval date of June 15.
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RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL BROKER ASSOCIATE Pamela Williams
Three more COVID cases in Haywood
Haywood County Public Health received notice May 11 that three more Haywood County residents have tested positive for COVID-19. The individuals are in isolation at home.
The individuals are residents of Haywood County. One had recent out-of-state travel history; the other two had none. Haywood County Public Health nurses are identifying close contacts of these individuals. To protect individual privacy, no further information will be released. Based on the information provided by the individuals in close contact, county health officials will assess risks of exposure, determine which if any additional measures are needed such as temperature and symptom checks, quarantine, and/or testing.
The first 16 cases of COVID-19 in Haywood County are categorized as recovered. The other five remain in isolation. Haywood was also notified of a false positive COVID-19 lab test. The positive test result was received by a local provider and reported to the health department in April. Because the individual was asymptomatic, a second test was performed and came back “invalid.” Two subsequent tests were negative.
“After consultation with N.C. Department of Public Health, it is determined for us to remove a positive from our case count,” said Haywood County Health Director Patrick Johnson.
“This just points out that any test, not just the COVID tests, can give a result at times that is falsely positive or negative,” stated Dr. Mark Jaben, Haywood County Medical Director. “For this reason, any test result has to be interpreted along with the circumstances, in this case, contacts, symptoms, and health condition.”
Harkleroad to leave HRMC
Haywood Regional Medical Center announced that CEO Rod Harkleroad will step down from his role, effective June 5.
Harkleroad, who has been with HRMC since 2016, has been named CEO for Frye Regional Medical Center, a Duke LifePoint facility in Hickory.
“I am honored to have been part of HRMC and Haywood County for the last four years,” said Harkleroad. “We have a wonderful team of dedicated employees, physicians and volunteers with a genuine commitment to advancing the health of our community. I am so proud of our accomplishments and feel confident that the future is bright for HRMC.
During his tenure, HRMC received numerous accolades and achievements including a Leapfrog Hospital Safety Grade A for the past four consecutive reporting periods. HRMC was named an Accredited Chest Pain Center in 2016 and a Screening Center of Excellence by the Lung Cancer Alliance (LCA) in 2019. In 2018, Harkleroad implemented the community paramedicine program with Haywood County, and in 2019, HRMC was awarded the 2018 High Five Award by LifePoint Health, which is the highest honor a LifePoint hospital can receive.
Chris Fensterle, who has been serving as interim CEO at FRMC, will join HRMC as interim CEO in early June, and a national search for a permanent leader has been initiated.
Rod Harkleroad
Lauada Cemetery to be decorated
The Annual Cemetery Decoration at Lauada routinely scheduled for the fourth Sunday in May will be held May 24 this year.
Lauada Cemetery, known by many as the cemetery with the small white crosses on the hill west of Bryson City at Almond on U.S. 19, is home to many who were re-interred from Dorsey, Judson, Monteith, Delozier and Hyde when Fontana Lake was built. Lauada has sometimes been included as a “Northshore cemetery.” However, given that the cemetery is outdoors and there is not a specific gathering time, people are encouraged to participate as they normally do for decoration as long as they practice social distancing.
ABOVE: Sgt. Gene Williamson
HAYWOOD COUNTY CARES
We’re In This Together
After a 30year career with the North Carolina Highway Patrol, Sgt. Gene Williamson retired in 2014, but he didnʼt stay retired for long. In 2015, he joined the Haywood County Sheri's oce and has been there ever since. He is currently assigned to the Justice Center, where he supervises the Bailis.
He said that like everyone else, the use of masks, gloves, hand washing and hand sanitizers have become a common practice, but his role at the Justice Center hasn't changed. They are still there to serve the citizens.
“One of the biggest changes I've seen is that for the most part, people are focusing on the needs of others rather than themselves. We all need to remember what is really important in life. God has blessed me during my career, and I'm blessed for the opportunity I've been given to serve others in our community,” Williamson said.
