Commissioners review special appropriations requests, ask staff to check legal duty to fund community college site

County staff presented a range of special appropriation requests at the April 22 Swain County budget work session and told commissioners they would research statutory obligations related to county funding of a local community-college site.

Cali, the county staff member presenting special appropriations, walked the board through several requests. Southwestern Community College (SCC) requested a total of $354,000 this year for the county-local site: about $198,000 for operating expenses (utilities, supplies, service contracts) and roughly $156,000 for capital needs including replacement of multiple HVAC units and septic system repairs. The county provided roughly $150,000 in the prior year for SCC local-site expenses.

Cali told the board there is a "general statute that states that we have to fund community colleges as well," and commissioners asked staff to research the statute’s specific requirements and whether the county must provide the maintenance, utilities or building upkeep for the SCC facility located in Swain County. "We would have to look at that. Just read it a little bit more in detail to see what it states we have to provide for them," Cali said.

Other appropriations reviewed included mental-health and senior services passthroughs: a Viya/ABC rehab estimate of about $6,000 (a monthly remittance tied to beverage-container proceeds) plus a $20,000 county appropriation to maintain local services; transit and nutrition allocations tied to DOT and Medicaid pass-throughs; and two new part-time positions requested by local senior services (one part-time kitchen staff and additional transit operating funds). Staff presented that last year they approved $88,545 of $102,824 requested for transit-related items and the county now faces a $237,038 total request for certain aging-services and transit items.

Swain County Safe, a nonprofit serving victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, requested a modest increase to $35,000 from $30,000 last year. The agency’s program director provided county-impact figures: 803 clients served in total, 638 in-county clients, 305 court accompaniments, 109 assistance with protection orders and 1,929 shelter nights, according to the figures presented to staff.

Staff also noted other longstanding appropriations such as county support for the North Carolina Forest Service (requested as roughly $80,000, including a local contribution to a district ranger smoke-chaser and permit/ban enforcement), Southwestern Commission regional planning funding, and a small line the county has historically budgeted for humane-society spay/neuter assistance that appears unused this year.

Commissioners did not vote on any special appropriations. They asked staff to return with a clearer statement of what the general statute requires for SCC, verified dollar breakdowns for major requests and updated revenue projections before finalizing the budget.

Ending: Staff will research statutory obligations regarding SCC, confirm appropriation requests and present revised numbers at upcoming budget sessions.