Guilford County Budget Analysis Quannah Jackson-Brown Daniel Lassiter Ted Podlesni Amanda Wise

Departments General Government: Board of Elections Public Safety: Law Enforcement Human Services: Social Services

Social Services Mission Statement Guilford County’s Department of Social Services mission is to use a holistic approach to assure safety, promote self-sufficiency and permanency in the lives of adults, children and families through collaboration and partnership within the community. The objective of the Department of Social Services is to work in partnership with the community toward the empowerment of individuals and families, eliminating poverty and family violence. 4 Primary Divisions Economic Services Child Welfare Services Aging & Adult Services Administration

Board of Elections Mission and Objective The Mission and Objective of the Board of Elections is to provide all qualified citizens with the opportunity to vote in fair, accurate, open elections, according to Constitutional and Statutory rights and requirements. Voter registration services are provided to all eligible county citizens and the registration file for the county is maintained. The Board of Elections files candidates for office, provide campaign finance reporting services, and conduct all elections for county and municipalities in the county. Functions Voter RegistrationIn-Person Absentee Absentee By MailElection Day Campaign Finance Petitions

Law Enforcement Mission Statement and Objective Our Primary concern is the well being and safety of the citizen's of Guilford County. It is the objective of the Guilford County Sheriff's Office to enhance the quality of the citizens life by reducing crime and the fear of crime. We are proactive in our approaches to crime using innovative, resourceful, and aggressive methods to assure the quality of life of our citizens. We invite and solicit the public to become an involved participant in reaching our goals. We will, at every opportunity, pursue ways to streamline and remove barriers that are typical in bureaucracies. We will work with the public and private sector to become a facilitator of exemplary public service and better quality of life for all citizens who rely on our assistance.

Law Enforcement Departments

Breakdown of Costs The total budget is $53.8m, requiring net county funds of $49.7m Law Enforcement generates little revenue, only $4m or 7.5% of its total budget. 53.9% of the entire Law Enforcement budget goes to salaries. Detention services salaries make up 26.8% of the total budget; Patrol Salaries make up 11.9%. Detention services is the largest department in law enforcement, and grew to be 53% of the total Law Enforcement budget by The creation of a new prison fueled the growth of Detention Services. The department shut down alternative prison programs during this time period.

Impacts of Revenue

Human Services operates with revenues exceeding expenses.....it is consistently the second largest expenditure for Guilford County (FY over $179 million)

Human Services as an Expenditure of the General Fund 10% decrease from 2 fiscal years prior... Why?

Why the Change? "Medicaid-Sales Tax Swap" legislation approved by the General Assembly effective 07/01/09 or Medicaid Relief Legislation. Under this legislation... o Counties ceded a portion of their sales tax to the state as a trade off for no longer paying a portion of expenses for Medicaid eligible clients. Rationale: historically Medicaid expenditures have grown faster than sales tax revenues. Human services also eliminated 86 positions in FY because of the Vacancy Committee reductions and the spring Reduction in Force action.

Medicaid... By FY Human Services represented a little over $161 million in expenditures... Medicaid (personnel services, minor operating expenses...) was a little over $6 million or 3.7% of the Human Services Expenditures and about 1% of overall expenditures which totaled over $569 million in FY Greatest portion of Medicaid revenues generated from federal and state funding.

Budget Changes An Overview of the Guilford County Budget FY 09-11

Changes in Revenue Property taxes have remained relatively unchanged Federal and state funds have nominally increased Sales taxes have decreased over 9% over each year between FY09 and FY11 Investment Earnings and Transfers have decreased dramatically over the same time period

FY 11 Expenditures- Percentage of Total Appropriated Funds The largest decrease is for capital outlay because of a decrease in the General Fund transfer to the capital building fund. Operating expenditures are decrease by $5.5 million (-1.9%) Personnel services will fall by $1.6 million (-.9%). Net reduction of 65 positions from FY10’s adopted budget

Capital Outlays are by far the largest decrease in expenditures (63%) Fiscal restraints kept the county from money to the capital fund prior to FY10 FY10 was a “catch up” year Other services declined slightly Debt payments were the only service to increase 2008 voter approved bonds began to mature

Change by Service The only item that grew is debt services (9%) Support Services include IS, Facilities, Fleet Operations, Property Management and Capital Outlay The biggest reduction came from Property Management Community Services include Planning, Solid Waste, Soil and Water, and Cultural Development The biggest reduction came from Solid Waste

Case Studies Board of Elections Budget changes due to changes in work load (number of elections) FY 09- Presidential Election FY 10- Municipal Primary, Municipal General, Mid-term Primary FY 11- Mid-term General No changes in missions or objectives

Case Studies-Continued Law Enforcement Changes occurred primarily in the detention center services Medical services saw the largest changes as expenditures grew by $266,000 Law Enforcement also laid off 4 employees Two gang prevention due to lack of grant revenue Two school officers due to outsource to city of High Point Eliminated three vacant positions Two inspection positions due to decrease in new construction One Court Alternatives due to decrease in inmate-staff ratios

Case Studies-Continued Social Services Reorganized staff to eliminate 27 positions Economic changes have significantly increased the demand for food stamps and Medicaid programs Decrease in the need for services in other areas such as Work First employment and financial assistance

Real Changes in Revenue

Performance Measures

Board of Elections

Law Enforcement

Social Services

Recommendations & Conclusion