Northampton County finalizes budget workshop adjustments; approves EMS billing contract, health MOU, elections grant and budget amendments

Northampton County commissioners met in a final budget workshop before the June public hearing and approved several routine actions, including an EMS billing contract, a memorandum of understanding for child case-management coverage, a Board of Elections grant acceptance and two budget amendments.

County Manager Julian F. Phillips told commissioners the budget session was intended to be the last workshop unless the board called a special meeting before its June 2 hearing. Phillips presented three small adjustments to the general fund: a $12,115 personnel swap between the tax department and register of deeds, a $7,000 increase in ambulance billing costs tied to a change in the vendor reimbursement rate, and a $10,000 annual lease estimate for a Cooperative Extension van. Phillips said the three items “wash” overall and do not change the annual ordinance materially. He also described proprietary-fund changes including a roughly $35,000 required environmental/permit analysis for the county solid-waste landfill and a $137 correction to a debt-service line for the Garysburg Water and Sewer account to match the debt instrument at $24,003.48.

Phillips summarized totals presented in the packet: beginning the process at roughly $43,000,006.01 and arriving at $43,000,006.35 after the stated adjustments. He reminded the board the budget public hearing is scheduled for June 2 and the adoption is set for June 16, with the fiscal year beginning July 1.

On action items, the board unanimously approved a memorandum of understanding with Albemarle Regional Health Services to provide temporary CMERC (child management/case management for children 5 and under) coverage while the county coordinator is on 12 weeks of family medical leave. Miss Vick of the Northampton County Health Department said ARHS has covered these services before during local vacancies and that the county’s coordinator will be on maternity leave from June through August; the board approved the MOU by voice vote.

The board also approved a new three-year EMS billing services agreement with EMSMC. The vendor’s commission rate increases from 5.2% to 5.9% under the new contract, which includes updated hardware (10 tablets) and an EMS patient-charting training for providers. The county’s EMS representative said the higher rate covers new hardware, software and provider training.

In other actions, the board authorized the acceptance of a Board of Elections grant of $42,100 to upgrade election software, and it approved two budget amendments (amendments 35 and 36). Amendment 36 incorporated several newly received revenues for the sheriff’s department (insurance proceeds of $35,846 for vehicle damage) and multiple health-department items, including $10,774 for investment and performance management, $3,000 in ARPA funds for addressing lead in schools, $1,263 for child-fatality case-reporting, and a $1,250 Blue Cross Blue Shield donation for medical supplies. The board approved both amendments by voice vote.

Votes at a glance: all named action items were approved by voice vote with no recorded roll-call dissent. The meeting recessed and later reconvened to the regular meeting; a motion to enter closed session under N.C. General Statutes §143-318.11(a)(6) was approved later in the evening.

Commissioners were paced through the remaining calendar items; the manager and staff confirmed the schedule leading to the June 2 public hearing and the June 16 adoption.

Ending: The board recessed at the close of the work session and scheduled the regular meeting to start at 6:00 p.m. The evening concluded with motions to proceed to closed session for personnel matters.