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| ARF- 1730 |
Regular Agenda Item 3. A.
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| Regular BOS Meeting |
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| Information |
| Request/Subject |
| Approval of the Allocation of Gila County's Secure Rural Schools and Communities Funds for FY2012-2013. |
| Background Information |
| The Secure Rural Schools and Communities Self Determination (SRSC) Act of 2000, as re-authorized for four years in 2008 (PL-110-343) was extended for an additional year, to include Federal FY2012 funding. The SRSC Act provides assistance to rural counties negatively affected by unrealized revenues from publicly held lands. Funds generated by Title I of the SRSC Act have been used for schools and roads - to create employment opportunities, to maintain current infrastructure and to improve the health of watersheds and ecosystems. Continued funding beyond this allocation is dependent on action by the U.S. Congress. Twenty percent of Gila County's Title I allocation goes to a regional Resource Advisory Committee for distribution; the remaining 80% of the funding is allocated to the Board of Supervisors for distribution and use by Roads and School Districts. The Gila County share of Federal FY2012 SRSC Act funding for Roads and Schools in the amount of $1,499,027 was received by the Gila County Treasurer’s Office on January 25, 2013. Distribution of Gila County SRSC funds was delayed pending consideration of how to address the possibility that some portion of the funding might need to be reimbursed to the U.S. Forest Service due to Federal FY2013 mandatory spending cuts. In that regard, this recommendation proposes distributing 90% of the SRSC funds to Roads and School Districts, and retaining 10% of the funds on deposit with the Gila County Treasurer against the possibility that Gila County must reimburse some portion of the funding to the U.S. Forest Service. A recommendation regarding disposition and distribution of any remaining Federal FY2012 SRSC funds will be determined once this issue is resolved. |
| Evaluation |
In each of the past three years (2010-2011-2012), the Board of Supervisors has authorized the distribution of Title I SRSC Act funds for Gila County Roads and Schools as follows, upon recommendation of the Gila County Superintendent of Schools and County Management: $50,000 to Roads and the remainder to School Districts by a formula that provides a base amount for all districts and additional amounts based on forest acreage and student enrollment of each district.
SRSC Act Federal FY2012 funds were received by the Gila County Treasurer's Office January 25, 2013. In preparation for making a recommendation to the Board of Supervisors regarding distribution of funds in 2013, the County School Superintendent discussed this item with County Management. School Districts were advised that the County School Superintendent was recommending the use of the same distribution formula agreed to and used for the past three years. The proposed distribution schedule was provided to School Districts; feedback was favorable.
However, distribution of Gila County SRSC funds was delayed pending consideration of how to address the possibility that some portion of the funding might need to be reimbursed to the U.S. Forest Service due to Federal FY2013 mandatory spending cuts. Pending the outcome of this issue, the County School Superintendent and County Management recommend that 10% of the funds be retained on deposit with the Gila County Treasurer and 90% be distributed as detailed on the FY2012-13 Forest Fees distribution proposal (attached). A recommendation regarding disposition and distribution of any remaining Federal FY2012 SRSC funds will be determined once issues regarding reimbursement to the U.S. Forest Service are resolved. |
| Conclusion |
| Gila County School Districts, County Management and the County School Superintendent are in agreement in the proposed recommendation to the Gila County Board of Supervisors for the distribution of $1,349,124 (90%) of $1,499,027 in funds received for the FY2012-13 school year as part of the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-343), namely $45,000 to Roads and $1,304,124 to School Districts; the remaining $144,903 of total funds received will be held on deposit by the Gila County Treasurer pending further action. |
| Recommendation |
| The County School Superintendent and County Management recommend that the Board of Supervisors authorize the distribution of $1,349,124 in funds received for the FY2012-13 school year as part of the Secure Rural Schools and Communities Self Determination Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-343), namely $45,000 to Roads and $1,304,124 to School Districts. |
| Suggested Motion |
| Information/Discussion/Action to approve the allocation of $45,000 of Gila County's Secure Rural Schools and Communities Funds (SRSC - 'Forest Fees') for FY2012-13 to Roads, and to distribute SRSC funds in the amount of $1,304,124 to Gila County School Districts in accordance with the attached distribution schedule. (Linda O'Dell) |
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