HANK DEWALD /HERALD STAFF WRITER

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HALIFAX - Roanoke Rapids Graded School District Maintenance Director Douglas Miller went before the Halifax County Board of Commissioners Monday seeking $92,000 to pay for a chiller replacement at the high school.

He left with the money but the funding came only after the school district agreed to drop other spending plans to offset the new expense.

The discussion started with Board Chairman Gene Minton listening to Miller's plea and responding with a question of his own.

“This is in addition to what we have already agreed to fund for you this year, is that right?” asked Minton. He was referring to four projects the county had already agreed to fund for the district in the 2008-2009 school year that totaled more than $243,000.

The additional $92,000 Miller was seeking had already been spent by the district for the emergency replacement of a chiller unit on the high school auditorium that had to be replaced just days before the graduating seniors received their diplomas on the auditorium stage.

Miller told the board the district was fortunate enough to have had the money in an emergency fund balance that was kept just for such emergencies.

To make matters worse for Miller, the printed meeting agenda also listed the district as asking for an additional $56,600 for paving a parking lot at Chaloner Middle School, which was one of the four previously listed projects.

What the agenda should have shown was the district informing the board that the previously agreed to paving project was going to cost $1,600 more than the $55,000 previously listed, with a request for the additional money to cover the extra expense.

“So you are asking for more money, in addition to what the board has already given you, is that right?” Minton asked. “Yes, sir,” said Miller. “You had to spend money out of your fund balance and you're asking us to replace it out of our fund balance, is that right?” Miller said yes, to which Minton said, “Well, I'm inclined to say no.”

Commissioner James Pierce asked Miller if the air conditioning had been out before the district made their special needs requests earlier this year, would this replacement have been on that list instead of one of the others. “Without a doubt,” replied Miller.

“I think you have to understand our goal when we adopted our budget this year,' Minton said. “We asked each school system to come in and ask us for items that were extra expenses, in addition to what they expected.”

“So I think what I hear the board saying is that you need to request that we re-allocate the funds you requested to cover this expense,” Minton told Miller, “Is that what I'm hearing the board say,” Minton asked, looking around the table. Most of the commissioners nodded approval.

At that point Miller asked the board if he could use this opportunity to drop the district's fourth priority request and replace it with a request for the $92,000 chiller replacement, and in so doing, not have to come back before the board at the next meeting to request the same funding.

“We have already empowered the county manager to grant that request, so I think it would be a simple matter to communicate directly with him exactly what you are going to do with those funds and he'll let us know what you did.” Miller thanked the board as he was leaving.