Davidson Town Manager Leamon Brice and Finance Director Eric Hardy will present their proposed 2010-11 budget at the Town Board’s regular monthly meeting Tuesday night. The $8.4 million plan proposes new fees and cost cuts, as well as dipping into reserves, to provide a $2 million subsidy to the town-owned MI-Connection communications system. Read the full story

Updated 11:44 a.m.
The MI-Connection communications system has delivered its 2010-11 budget to the towns of Mooresville and Davidson and scheduled a May 27 public hearing on the proposal.

As presented to the towns, which own the system, the plan includes two scenarios: a “base” plan that would require a $6.5 million subsidy from the towns and a so-called “community” budget with more aggressive growth targets that would reduce the subsidy by about $649,000. Read the full story

Mayor John Woods (third from right) and Town Board members at Tuesday meeting. (David Boraks/DavidsonNews.net)

Davidson will need to raise taxes, cut expenses further, dip into its reserves or come up with some other way of raising the $2 million it needs to subsidize the MI-Connection communications system in the coming fiscal year. Town officials talked about their options at a meeting with citizens Tuesday night, but said they won’t divulge their plans until the town manager formally presents his budget on Tuesday, May 18.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: The following article by Davidson’s town manager is reprinted with permission from the Spring 2010 Town Message. which was published on Feb. 26, 2010.

By LEAMON BRICE
Davidson Town Manager

Those of you who have lived in the Lake Norman region for some time will recall when cable TV service was provided by Lake Side. At the time, we received only three or four more channels than we could pick up on a regular antenna and we paid as much as those in the region who received many more channels. Read the full story

By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

MOORESVILLE – Directors of the MI-Connection communications system agreed unanimously Friday to ask Davidson and Mooresville for a cash infusion of up $6.4 million in the fiscal year beginning July 1 to cover a projected shortfall in revenues.

That figure was the more conservative of two budget scenarios the board agreed to send the towns at a meeting Friday in Mooresville. A second proposal – with more aggressive and optimistic customer growth targets – would reduce cash needed by more than a half-million dollars, but could be harder to reach. Read the full story

Updated Thursday, May 6, 2010, 2:53 p.m.
The MI-Connection communications system board of directors has scheduled a special meeting Friday, May 7, to review a fiscal 2010-11 budget that will be sent to the towns of Davidson and Mooresville. The meeting, which will be by conference call, begins at 9 a.m. at the system headquarters, 420 S. Academy St., Mooresville.

Also, at its regularly scheduled board meeting a week ago, the board reviewed quarterly results and elected a new treasurer.
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By DAVID BORAKS
DavidsonNews.net

Monday was a somber day in town offices as the town manager unveiled a layoff and restructuring plan that employees have been dreading for weeks.

At least 19 of the town’s 54 full- and part-time employees got layoff notices, though Town Manager Leamon Brice said those employees are being invited to reapply for new positions created in the restructuring. Other staff members – including the planning director – are being reassigned or will see their job descriptions and duties change. And one – the Parks & Recreation director – plans to leave later this year.

The plan takes effect with the new budget year July 1 and will shrink the town staff by a net 7 full- and part-time positions and save $243,400 next year. And it will bring some surprising personnel changes in Town Hall. [Update: Town officials have since said the actual savings is 2 full-time equivalent positions, in part because of the need to hire additional part-time firefighters this year.]

Mr. Brice said his goal is to have all new positions filled and
the reorganization complete by June 30.
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Box shows operating results from the quarter ending March 31, 2010. Click image to download a PDF.

The MI-Connection cable system lost more money in the first three months of 2010 than the same period a year ago, but strong sales of its telephone and high-speed internet services helped boost revenues 9.4 percent from a year earlier. The company’s chief told Davidson Town Board members at their monthly work session Tuesday that the company is seeing results from recent marketing campaigns, including a referral rewards program and its “Operation Outreach,” a promotion tied to donations to local nonprofits.

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