* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.

[00:00:21]

GOOD EVENING,

[Call to Order]

LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR THE MARCH 15TH, 2022 BORDER SUPERVISORS MEETING THE MEETING WILL NOW COME TO ORDER AND WE CAN HAVE THE ROLL CALL PLEASE.

MR. .

MRS. NOLE.

YES.

MR. GREEN, MR. RONAN.

YEAH.

MR. SHEPHERD.

YEAH, MADAM CHAIRMAN.

YOU HAVE A QUORUM.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THE INVOCATION TONIGHT WILL BE GIVEN BY PASTOR WALTER C. JOHNSON, ZION PROSPECT BAPTIST CHURCH ASTER.

WE'RE SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU WITH US.

THAT IS FREY ETERNAL AND GRACIOUS FATHER.

WE THANK YOU FOR LIFE AND ABUNDANCE OF LIFE.

WE THANK YOU GOD FOR HOW YOU HAVE BLESSED US.

AND WE COME NOW ASKING THAT YOU WILL CONTINUE TO ALLOW YOUR WILL TO BE DONE THROUGH US.

WE THANK YOU FOR THESE BOARD MEMBERS.

WE ASK YOUR BLESSINGS UPON THEM.

WE PRAY THAT YOU WOULD GUIDE ON DIRECTORS AND ALL THAT WE SAY AND DO FATHER.

WE DO PRAY FOR THOSE THAT ARE IN WAR TORN COUNTRIES.

WE ASK YOUR BLESSINGS UPON THEM AND WE PRAY, LORD GOD, THAT YOUR WILL WILL BE DONE.

KEEP US NOW, LORD.

AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO GIVE YOU A NAME TO GLORY BECAUSE YOU ARE WORTHY TO BE PRAISED FOR HIS GLORY, HIS NAME WE PRAY.

AMEN.

AND THEN THANK YOU.

WE PLEASE ALL STAND FOR THE PREJUDICE OF LESIONS AND MR. ROME.

WELL, TONIGHT WE

[A Proposed FY2023 Budget Presentation. Receive presentation from County Administrator. ]

HAVE A BIG PRESENTATION.

IT'S GOING TO BE, IT'S A PROPOSED BUDGET FOR 2023 AND I CALLED THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.

NEIL MORGAN, PLEASE, SIR, YOU'RE ON DECK, UH, GOOD EVENING.

AND THANK YOU.

UH, TONIGHT IS THE NIGHT I WILL BE PRESENTING, UH, MY AND THE STAFF'S RECOMMENDED BUDGET FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR.

UH, THIS IS THE BEGINNING OF THE PROCESS, WHICH THE BOARD WILL UNDERTAKE TO REVIEW AND, UH, HOPEFULLY ACT ON THIS, UH, BUDGET IN MAY AT THE END OF MY PRESENTATION, I'LL GO OVER THE SCHEDULE FOR, UH, UH, THE REST OF THE PROCESS.

SO AS EVERY YEAR, AS WE PUT THE BUDGET TOGETHER AND CONSIDER ALL OF THE MANY VARIABLES AND ALL OF THE ISSUES THAT WE HAVE TO BALANCE, WE ALWAYS TRY TO LOOK THROUGH THE LENS OF THE BOARD'S STRATEGIC PRIORITIES.

AND I BELIEVE WHEN YOU STUDY THIS DOCUMENT, YOU WILL SEE THAT A LOT OF THE AREAS OF EMPHASIS, UH, ON OUR EXPENDITURE PLAN, UH, RELATE TO THE SIX PRIORITIES, UH, THAT, UH, HAVE BEEN ESTABLISHED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS FOR SOME TIME.

SO IN SUMMARY, UH, THE, UH, OF COURSE THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET IS THE LARGEST PORTION OF THE BUDGET, THE PART, UH, WHERE THE REVENUE COMES FROM GENERAL TAX SOURCES.

UM, AND WE TEND TO TALK ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, BUT WHAT YOU SEE IS A SNAPSHOT HERE OF THE ALL FUNDS BUDGET, UH, WHICH, UH, EXCEEDS A QUARTER OF A BILLION DOLLARS FOR F Y 23 OKAY.

SO SOME OF THE, ON THE REVENUE SIDE, SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS, SOME OF THE BUDGET DRIVERS, UH, ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE AND SOME OF THE CONCERNS, UH, BECAUSE MORE THAN HALF OF OUR REVENUE COMES FROM REAL ESTATE, THE BI-ANNUAL REASSESSMENT IS ALWAYS A, A BIG VARIABLE IN THE BUDGET, AND IT IS THIS YEAR WE'VE REPORTED ON THAT PREVIOUSLY.

AND I'LL, I'LL HAVE A LITTLE MORE DETAIL MOMENTARILY.

ANOTHER THING THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IN OUR LAST WORK SESSION, WHICH WE NEED TO KEEP IN MIND IS WE'RE IN A DIFFERENT INFLATIONARY ENVIRONMENT THAN WE HAVE BEEN IN THE PAST.

IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF CHALLENGE FOR ALL OF US BECAUSE WE LOOK AT YEAR TO YEAR NUMBERS AND WE HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND THAT SOME OF THE CHANGE WE'RE LOOKING AT IS, IS NOMINAL AND NOT A REAL, UM, AND THAT KIND OF AFFECTS BOTH THE EXPENDITURE AND THE, AND THE REVENUE SIDE.

UM, ANOTHER IMPORTANT THING, UH, ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE THAT I FEEL VERY GOOD ABOUT.

AND I KNOW THAT YOU DO TOO, IS, UH, THAT WE ARE, UH, IN OUR BUDGETS CONTINUING TO,

[00:05:01]

TO FUND THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, UH, AT A REALISTIC LEVEL.

WE'LL, WE'LL REMIND EVERYONE ABOUT SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS, UH, BUT BOTH ON THE DEBT SIDE AND THE CASH CAPITAL SIDE, WE HAVE A REALISTIC PLAN TO FUND OUR CIP GOING FORWARD.

OUR SCHOOL CONTRIBUTION IS SIGNIFICANT AS IT ALWAYS IS FROM LOCAL FUNDS.

ALTHOUGH I WILL SAY AS A PROPORTION OF OUR OVERALL REVENUE, IT'S RELATIVELY MODEST THIS YEAR, UH, BECAUSE, UM, WHEN WORKING WITH THE SCHOOLS, THEY, UH, ARE RELATIVELY OPTIMISTIC THAT THEIR REVENUE FROM THE STATE WILL BE PRETTY HEALTHY THIS YEAR.

UM, THERE IS AN EMPHASIS ON PUBLIC SAFETY POSITIONS.

I'LL DETAIL THAT HERE IN A MINUTE, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE, UH, BUT THERE ARE A TOTAL OF, UH, 14, UH, FIRE AND SHERIFF'S DEPUTY, UH, POSITIONS RECOMMENDED IN THIS BUDGET AND THE OTHER, UH, BIG ITEM.

IT'S ALWAYS A BIG ITEM.

UM, IS THE COMPENSATION FOR STAFF IF YOU ANALYZE ANY LOCAL GOVERNMENT BUDGET BY FAR, THE BIGGEST EXPENDITURE IS FOR PEOPLE.

UH, WE'RE A PEOPLE INDUSTRY, VERY LABOR INTENSIVE, ALMOST EVERYTHING WE DO.

AND, UM, UM, IN THIS PARTICULAR YEAR, UH, NOT ONLY DO WE NEED, UH, A GOOD TOTAL COMPENSATION PACKAGE TO RETAIN AND ATTRACT OUR EMPLOYEES, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO BE SENSITIVE TO THE, UH, INFLATIONARY ASPECT OF, UH, THEIR INCOMES AS WE CONSIDER, UH, THIS BUDGET IN ITS ENTIRETY.

AND MORE IN THE CONCERN SIDE, SORT OF, UM, AS YOU ALL ARE WELL AWARE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY HAS ADJOURN WITHOUT FINALIZING THE BUDGET SO THAT, YOU KNOW, ADDS TO MY TREPIDATION.

THIS, THIS BUDGET'S GONE TO PRINT WITH VARIOUS HEROIC ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT WHERE THE STATE IS GOING TO DO.

AND, UH, IT'S ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT TRICKY AND WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE UNCERTAINTY THERE THAN USUAL.

I DO ASSUME THAT, UH, THE LOCAL GROCERY TAX REVENUE WILL EITHER BE RETAINED IN OUR BUDGET OR THAT THE STATE AND SOME COMPROMISE COMPROMISE WILL PROVIDE ALTERNATIVE REVENUE TO COVER IT, WHICH I THINK IS A REASONABLE ASSUMPTION, BUT THERE'S NOT A GUARANTEE.

AND IF THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN LATER IN THE BUDGET PROCESS, WE'LL HAVE TO REVISIT WHAT THAT MEANS.

AND FINALLY, I MENTIONED THIS IN THE BUDGET LETTER, IN THE, IN THE BUDGET DOCUMENT, THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED TO YOU TONIGHT, UH, AS WE WERE PUTTING THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON THIS BUDGET, OF COURSE, THE RUSSIAN INVASION OF UKRAINE STARTED SEEMS LIKE YOU CAN'T HAVE A BUDGET AROUND HERE WITHOUT SOME, YOU KNOW, WILD VARIABLE THAT, THAT MAKES YOU WONDER, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT.

SO, UH, JUST SORT OF A CAUTIONARY COMMENT, YOU KNOW, THAT ECONOMISTS CALL THAT A BLACK SWAN, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, MAY ALTER ALL OF YOUR ASSUMPTIONS AND, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW YET.

UM, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT LOOK TOTALLY DIFFERENTLY IN A FEW WEEKS, BUT THAT WOULD SORT OF BE A CAUTIONARY COMMENT ABOUT ALL OF OUR REVENUE ASSUMPTIONS, YOU KNOW, AS WE GO INTO NEXT YEAR.

SO EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE VALUES HAVE BEEN GOING UP ALL AROUND THE COUNTRY.

THIS SLIDE, AGAIN, NOT TO BE CONFUSED WITH OUR REASSESSMENT.

THIS IS WHAT, UH, THE COMMERCIAL FIRMS, ZILLOW REPORTS AS THE ONE-YEAR INCREASE IN RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE PRICES.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WHILE DIFFERENT COMMUNITIES AROUND HERE HAVE DIFFERENT AVERAGE PRICES THAT, YOU KNOW, THE TREND IS VERY SIMILAR FOR ALL OF THEM.

I GUESS THE OTHER POINT OF THIS SLIDE IS, YOU KNOW, I KNOW FOLKS WERE ALWAYS CONCERNED.

THEY GET A, UH, AN ASSESSMENT NOTICE AND THE VALUE GOES UP.

BUT I THINK WHAT THIS ILLUSTRATES IS WE BY NO MEANS HAVE HAD A SUPER AGGRESSIVE IN A CRAZY REASSESSMENT.

OUR AVERAGE RESIDENTIAL ASSESSED REASSESSMENT FOR A TWO YEAR PERIOD WAS 7%.

AND ACCORDING TO ZILLOW IN THE LAST YEAR, RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES HAVE GONE UP BY ALMOST 14.

SO WE WERE, UH, I BELIEVE OUR ASSESSOR HAS BEEN, UH, PRETTY CAUTIOUS.

AND OF COURSE, UH, AT LEAST PHILOSOPHICALLY, I THINK THAT'S THE ROLE OF A GOVERNMENT REASSESSMENT PROCESS TO KIND OF SOFTEN THE EDGES.

IT DOESN'T GO UP AS FAST AND IT DOESN'T GO DOWN AS FAST AS WHAT, YOU KNOW, MIGHT BE EXPERIENCED IN REAL TIME, YOU KNOW, IN THE PRIVATE MARKET.

SO TAX RATES ARE ALWAYS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE FOR THE CITIZENS, FOR, AND FOR YOU ALL.

AND, UH, I AM PLEASED TO TELL YOU THAT I AM RECOMMENDING A REAL ESTATE RATE REDUCTION FROM THE CURRENT, UH, 0.795 PER $100 OF VALUE TO 0.78.

[00:10:01]

UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT WITH, UM, SOME DYNAMIC TRENDS IN OUR NON REAL ESTATE REVENUE, IN ADDITION TO, UM, RETAINING SOME OF THE REASSESSMENT REVENUE ON THE REAL ESTATE SIDE, UH, THAT WE CAN AFFORD THAT AND STILL ACHIEVE OUR, OUR PRIORITIES ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE OF THE BUDGET.

UM, I'M EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO RECOMMEND THAT AND, UM, THE PERSONAL PROPERTY RATE, UH, I AM NOT MAKING ANY RECOMMENDED CHANGE.

AND AS YOU'LL SEE IN AN UPCOMING SLIDE, WE DO HAVE ONE OF THE LOWEST PERSONAL PROPERTY RATES IN THE REGION GOT TO SHOW THIS SLIDE EVERY YEAR.

UM, AS YOU KNOW, OUR VISION FOR YOUR COUNTY IS TO REMAIN THE LOWEST TAX FULL SERVICE MAJOR, UH, LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN HAMPTON ROADS.

AND WHILE THERE'S OTHER TAXES, THE REAL ESTATE RATE IS BY FAR THE, THE SINGLE BIGGEST INDICATOR AND THE 0.78 SHOWS, UH, WHERE WE COMPARE, UH, TO OUR NEIGHBORS, CAN'T SAY FOR SURE WHAT THE OTHERS ARE DOING.

UH, BUT I BELIEVE THAT, UH, THIS BUDGET RECOMMENDATION LEAVES US SQUARELY IN THAT SWEET SPOT, UH, WHERE WE HAVE BEEN AND WHERE WE WANT TO REMAIN.

SO I MENTIONED, YOU WANT US TO ASK QUESTIONS AS WE GO ALONG A LITTLE SHELTER? YES.

WOULD YOU LIKE US ASK QUESTIONS AS WE GO ON? OH, LET HIM FINISH HIS PRESENTATION AND WE'LL ASK QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU.

YEAH, THE, UM, UH, THIS IS, UH, THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX, JUST AS A REMINDER, THIS IS A LITTLE STATISTIC THAT SHOWS YOU WHAT INFLATION LOOKS LIKE COMPARED TO WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED IN RECENT YEARS.

NOW, I WANT TO GO DOWN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ON THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET.

SO AS I MENTIONED, UH, THE CONSUMER TAXES BY CERTAINLY NOT AS, UH, LARGE IN SCALE AS REAL ESTATE AND PERSONAL PROPERTY HAVE PERFORMED, UH, PRETTY STRONGLY, THEY DID NOT GO DOWN VERY MUCH DURING THE PANDEMIC.

UM, YOU CAN SEE THERE WAS A LITTLE BIT OF A SLOWDOWN THERE, AND PARTLY BECAUSE OF THE, UH, THE STATE ALLOWING US TO COLLECT A SALES TAX ON INTERNET PURCHASES.

THAT'S ONE OF THE MAJOR REASONS WHY, UH, WE DID NOT GET HIT BY THE PANDEMIC AS MUCH AS WE MIGHT OTHERWISE HAVE.

THIS IS A, A MORE GRANULAR SLIDE FOCUSING JUST ON THE LAST YEAR OF SALES TAX.

NOW THOSE MONTHLY PERCENTAGES SHOW, UH, SALES TAX GROWTH RELATIVE TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

SO YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE LAST YEAR, WE'VE HAD STRONG SALES TAX GROWTH ALMOST EVERY MONTH AS COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

AGAIN, I DO HAVE TO CAUTION THAT AN A COMPONENT OF THAT IS INFLATION.

SO THOSE ARE NOMINAL DOLLARS, NOT INFLATION ADJUSTED DOLLARS.

SO GOING TO THE REVENUE SUMMARY, THIS ILLUSTRATES THAT THE REAL ESTATE TAX FOR MOST LOCALITIES IN VIRGINIA, AND CERTAINLY FOR YOUR COUNTY IS THE BIG KAHUNA IN TERMS OF THE BASE OF OUR BUDGET.

UH, YOU SEE SOME OF THE, UH, PROJECTED, UH, TRENDS AND OTHER IMPORTANT REVENUES.

ONE I'LL MENTION IS THE PUBLIC SERVICE CORPORATION, WHICH OF COURSE INCLUDES DOMINION POWER.

AND AS YOU KNOW, THAT'S BEEN TRENDING DOWNWARD IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.

AND OVER TIME, WE STILL HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT, UH, THE OIL REFINERY CLOSING IN ABOUT ANOTHER YEAR.

UH, BUT IT HASN'T DROPPED OFF AS MUCH AS WE THOUGHT IT WOULD.

AND WE BELIEVE AS YOU KNOW, WE DON'T COLLECT THAT TAX DIRECTLY.

WE BASICALLY GET TOLD BY THE STATE HERE'S YOUR NUMBER, BUT WE BELIEVE THAT'S BECAUSE DOMINION HAS BEEN REINVESTING IN THEIR INFRASTRUCTURE IN THE COUNTY.

SO THIS IS PARTLY REFLECTED IN ALL THE NEW, UH, YOU KNOW, POWER LINES, UH, AND THE TRANSFORMER IMPROVEMENTS THAT WE'VE SEEN GOING ON AROUND THE COUNTY OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, UH, THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX, AS YOU ALL HAVE READ, UM, IS, IS DOING WELL.

AND THAT'S, THERE'S SORT OF A RACE BETWEEN, ON THE ONE HAND, THERE'S A SHORTAGE OF NEW VEHICLES.

SO MAYBE SOME PEOPLE AREN'T BUYING AS MANY NEW VEHICLES, BUT THE VALUE OF RELATIVELY NEW USE VEHICLES IS GOING UP SIGNIFICANTLY.

AND THAT PRETTY MUCH EXPLAINS THE TREND THERE.

WE BELIEVE, UH, YOU SEE THE OTHERS THERE.

THE OTHER ONE I'LL MENTION THAT I THINK WE SHOULD ALL FEEL PRETTY GOOD

[00:15:01]

ABOUT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE MEALS TAX, ALTHOUGH IT LAGGED A LITTLE BIT DURING THE PANDEMIC, UH, YOU KNOW, BOUNCE BACK VERY NICELY AND, UH, CONTINUES TO PERFORM WELL.

AGAIN, THESE ARE NOT INFLATION ADJUSTED NUMBERS.

AND THEN, UM, THE ONE NEW SOURCE OF REVENUE, WHICH IS PROVING TO BE PRETTY DYNAMIC SO FAR, DON'T WANT TO ENCOURAGE ANYBODY TO SMOKE.

BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS, UM, FOR THE PARTIAL YEAR, RECALL THAT, UH, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ALLOWED US TO IMPOSE THIS TAX AND WE DID.

AND, UH, IT'S PERFORMING ABOVE WHAT WE BUDGETED FOR THIS PARTIAL YEAR AND PROJECTING THAT OUT FOR NEXT YEAR.

UM, THAT LOOKS LIKE A PRETTY FAVORABLE SOURCE OF REVENUE.

SO THIS IS A BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, FEDERAL STATISTIC THAT WE WANTED TO SHOW YOU AS WE TALK ABOUT, UM, THE FACT THAT WE'RE A LABOR INTENSIVE ORGANIZATION AND A LOT OF OUR MONEY NEEDS TO GO FOR TOTAL COMPENSATION.

UH, YOU CAN SEE THE LAST STATISTIC WAS, THIS IS THE, AN EMPLOYER COST PER EMPLOYEE AND HOW MUCH IT WENT UP.

THESE ARE BASED ON NATIONAL STATISTICS AND, UM, A YEAR AGO THAT NUMBER WAS 4%.

AND OF COURSE WE DON'T HAVE THE FINAL DATA FOR THE YEAR THAT THIS BUDGET IS GOING INTO, BUT CLEARLY IT'S GOING UP FROM THERE.

OUR GUESTS WOULD BE SOMETHING LIKE 6%.

SO DID WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT, YOU KNOW, IN THE INTERNAL PROCESS OF BUDGET MAKING, THERE'S A LOT OF WHAT YOU MIGHT CALL SAUSAGE MAKING THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT TO THE TOP LINE ABOUT WHAT, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT WITH THE BOARD OFTEN.

UH, BUT I DID WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS WE HAVE DONE ON THE COST CONTAINMENT COST AVOIDANCE SIDE.

NOW, NOT EVERY YEAR, CAN YOU DO SOMETHING DRAMATIC? UH, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR RECALL, UH, WE HAD A SIGNIFICANT ONGOING SAVINGS, UH, WHEN WE CLOSED CROSSROADS AND THAT WAS $400,000 A YEAR ONGOING.

AND WE, THAT SAVINGS CONTINUES IN THIS BUDGET THAT THAT IS NOT ON THIS LIST, CAUSE THAT WAS REALLY AN ACTION FROM LAST YEAR.

UM, BUT SOME OF THE THINGS WE ARE, YOU SEE IN THIS BUDGET, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT ONES IS, IS DEBT MANAGEMENT, THE TIMING OF WHEN YOU GET TO THE MARKET, UM, AND THE, WHEN YOU CHOOSE TO USE CASHFLOW AND A WAY TO BORROW MONEY, UH, THAT CAN, UH, SAVE YOU SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, UH, IN AN ANNUAL BUDGET.

AND I FEEL LIKE, UH, THE BIG THING WE'VE DONE IN THAT AREA THIS YEAR IS WE'RE GOING TO MARKET ON THE COUNTY DEBT.

UH, BUT FOR THE, THE SIGNIFICANT SCHOOL DEBT, WE'RE GOING TO HOLD OFF A FEW MONTHS AND THAT'LL SAVE US A YEAR'S WORTH OF DEBT SERVICE IN THE BUDGET WITHOUT REALLY SLOWING ANYTHING DOWN.

AND I THINK THERESA AND THE FINANCE TEAM FOR, FOR HELPING US SEE HOW TO DO THAT, I'M SORRY, MATE, WAVE A MAGIC WAND.

SO THERE'S, THERE'S JUDGMENTS ALL THE WAY ALONG WHEN YOU GO TO THE MARKET, HOW FAST A PROJECT IS GOING TO SPEND MONEY.

AND, AND BASED ON THE TIMING OF SCHOOL PROJECTS, THEIR, UM, THEIR BIG EXPENDITURES ARE IN THE SUMMER.

SO WE THINK THAT WE CAN, YOU KNOW, WAIT ANOTHER YEAR TO MAKE THAT, UH, MAKE THAT BORROWING THOSE SHIFT TO HYBRID VEHICLES.

WE'VE BEEN EXPERIMENTING WITH HYBRID VEHICLES FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS AND, UM, THE, THE SUPPLY AND THE QUALITY OF HYBRID VEHICLES FOR, FOR GOVERNMENT PURPOSES HAS IMPROVED.

SO IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, ESSENTIALLY ALL OF THE NEW LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES WILL BE HYBRIDS.

AND WE MADE THAT DECISION, UH, IN OUR RECOMMENDED BUDGET ABOUT THREE MONTHS AGO.

AND RIGHT NOW THAT'S LOOKING LIKE A PRETTY GOOD DECISION BASED ON, UH, FUEL PRICES.

UM, OVERTIME ANALYSIS IS ANOTHER THING LAST YEAR, YOU ALL MADE A DECISION, UH, THAT IN CONJUNCTION WITH SOME ADDITIONAL SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES IN THE CREATION OF THE YORKTOWN PATROL DISTRICT, WE WERE ABLE TO CUT OVER TIME BY A COUPLE OF HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS ON AN ONGOING BASIS.

AND, UH, THE FINANCE AND BUDGET STAFF HAVE IDENTIFIED ABOUT ANOTHER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN OVERTIME SAVINGS IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.

AND THEN ON THE BUDGET PROCESS SIDE, AGAIN, THIS IS THE SAUSAGE MAKING.

WE ALWAYS LOOK AT CONTRACTS.

FOR EXAMPLE, SOMETIMES THERE WAS MAINTENANCE, UH, AGREEMENTS THAT DON'T KICK IN IN THE FIRST YEAR, UH, THAT GENERATES SOME SAVINGS.

UH, THE OVERTIME ANALYSIS I MENTIONED AND,

[00:20:01]

UH, VACANT POSITION MANAGEMENT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE LARGER YOUR ORGANIZATION, UH, THE MORE VACANT POSITIONS YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE AT ANY ONE TIME IN THIS BUDGET INCLUDES AN ASSUMPTION THAT WE WILL NOT SPEND $900,000 IN SALARIES, UH, BASED ON JUST THE INERTIA OF PEOPLE LEAVING AND THE TIME LAG, UH, AS WELL AS IN SOME CASES WE, WE CONSCIOUSLY HOLD POSITIONS VACANT, UM, WHILE WE'RE ANALYZING, UH, THE NEED FOR A PARTICULAR JOB ON THE EXPENDITURE PRIORITY SIDE.

UM, MOST OF THESE THINGS ARE THE THINGS YOU USUALLY SEE IN BUDGETS.

UM, AGAIN, A 1.8 MILLION IN SCHOOL FUNDING ON THE LOCAL SIDE, UH, THAT IS GOING TO BE DWARFED BY WHAT THE SUPERINTENDENT BELIEVES HE'S GOING TO GET ON THE STATE SIDE THIS YEAR, WHICH IS WHY WE CAN BE A LITTLE BIT MORE MODEST THAN WE HAVE BEEN IN SOME OTHER YEARS.

THE CASH CAPITAL TRANSFER IS ONE OF THE IMPORTANT ELEMENTS OF FUNDING, OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN.

AND AGAIN, ON THE COUNTY SIDE, APPROXIMATELY 50% OF OUR CIP IS CASH FUNDED, WHICH IS QUITE SIGNIFICANT AND COMPARES FAVORABLY TO MOST OF OUR, OUR PURE LOCALITIES.

THE COMPENSATION PACKAGE THAT I'M RECOMMENDING IS OBVIOUSLY THE SINGLE LARGEST LINE ITEM.

AND WHEN YOU SEE THE BUDGET BY FUNCTION HERE IN ANOTHER SLIDE, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THAT TRANSLATED IN A DIFFERENT WAY BECAUSE THE MONEY IS ABOUT THE PEOPLE.

UH, AND IN PARTICULAR, WHAT I'M RECOMMENDING IS A 5% INCLEASE INCREASE PLUS AN ANNUAL AS $1,500.

AS YOU ALL KNOW, I HAVE TENDED TO RECOMMEND A MIXTURE OF A PERCENTAGE SO THAT THE RANGES MOVE, UH, BUT ALSO AN ANNUALIZED DOLLAR AMOUNT, WHICH SCREWS, SKEWS THE INCREASE TOWARD THE LOWER PAID PART OF THE WORKFORCE.

AND, UM, I FEEL LIKE BASED ON WHAT I KNOW ABOUT WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS ARE DOING, UM, THIS WOULD AT LEAST KEEP US, UH, WE WOULDN'T LOSE GROUND, UH, WITH OUR NEIGHBORS IN TERMS OF COMPENSATION, THE, UM, HEALTH INSURANCE, WE BRIEFED ON THAT AT THE WORK SESSION.

UM, THE SINGLE LARGEST INCREASE WOULD BE IN THE FAMILY RATE, $50 A MONTH.

THAT'S OF COURSE THERE'S TWO PAYCHECKS, THERE'S PAYCHECK EVERY TWO WEEKS.

SO IT'D BE, UM, ABOUT $25 EVERY TWO WEEKS.

SO WE STILL BELIEVE OUR HEALTH INSURANCE IS A VERY GOOD VALUE COMPARED TO MANY OF OUR PEERS, UM, AND JUST LIKE CASH CAPITAL.

THE OTHER THING THAT WE'VE GOT TO BUDGET FOR IN OUR OPERATING BUDGET, IF WE'RE SERIOUS ABOUT OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN IS THE DEBT SERVICE.

AND, UM, THE 1.3 MILLION IS FOR NEW POSITIONS, UH, PRIMARILY IN PUBLIC SAFETY, WHICH I'LL DETAIL HERE IN JUST A MINUTE, IN FACT, ON THE NEXT SLIDE.

UM, SO I AM RECOMMENDING, UH, 10 FIREFIGHTERS.

I BELIEVE YOU ALL AN INFORMAL CONVERSATION OF I'VE HEARD THIS BEFORE, UH, EIGHT OF THOSE WOULD BE TO STAFF 24 7, UM, MEDIC UNIT AT NEW FIRE STATION NUMBER SEVEN.

AND TWO OF THOSE WOULD GO TOWARD OUR INCREMENTAL PLAN TO, UH, GROW THE, UH, THE FIREFIGHTER WORKFORCE ON OUR, ON OUR HEAVY UNITS, WHICH IS AN INCREMENTAL THING THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.

UH, THERE IS A TOTAL OF FOUR SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES RECOMMENDED IN THIS BUDGET, TWO GENERAL PATROL DEPUTIES AND, UH, TO ADDITIONAL SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, WHICH WOULD PUT US IN A POSITION OF HAVING AN SRO, UH, AT EVERY HIGH SCHOOL AND EVERY MIDDLE SCHOOL.

UM, THE COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEYS MADE A PERSUASIVE CASE, UH, THAT SHE NEEDS A PARALEGAL, UH, TO HELP KEEP UP WITH, UM, THE GROWTH AND THE LAW ENFORCEMENT WORK IN HER OFFICE.

AND, UH, THE CLERK OF CIRCUIT COURT HAS A SIMILAR NEED, UH, WHICH I AM RECOMMENDING.

THERE ARE TWO, UH, FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT POSITIONS THAT I'M RECOMMENDING THAT ARE NOT PUBLIC SAFETY.

ONE IS, UH, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE OPENING OF THE EXPANDED AND MODERNIZE YOUR ACCOUNT LIBRARY.

UM, THE LIBRARY DIRECTOR'S NUMBER ONE PRIORITY WAS FOR A NEW YOUTH SERVICES LIBRARIAN, AND I'M RECOMMENDING THAT POSITION.

AND FINALLY, I'M RECOMMENDING A MANAGEMENT ANALYST POSITION IN OUR PLANNING DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, UH, WHICH IS TRANSITIONING, UH, AN OUTSTANDING MANAGEMENT INTERN.

WE HAVE CURRENTLY, UH, INTO A FULL-TIME POSITION.

[00:25:01]

THIS BREAKS DOWN, UM, THE EXPENDITURES OF THE TOTAL NEW MONEY IN THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET BY FUNCTION.

AND OF COURSE THERE'S A DETAILED STORY IN EVERY ONE OF THOSE, BUT THE, IF YOU WERE GOING TO MAKE ONE GENERALIZED OBSERVATION, IT IS THAT, UM, MOST OF THAT INCREASE IS RELATED TO, UH, EITHER THE POSITIONS OR THE COMPENSATION INCREASES.

THAT'S THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE GROWTH IN THAT ALL OF THOSE FUNCTIONAL AREAS, THE EXCEPTION BEING CAPITAL OUTLAY, WHICH IS OBVIOUSLY RELATED TO THEM CIP.

SO THAT WAS ALL GENERAL FUND.

UH, WE DO HAVE SIGNIFICANT NON-GENERAL FUND PROGRAMS, UM, SEWER, REGIONAL RADIO, SOLID WASTE.

I AM NOT RECOMMENDING ANY FEE CHANGES IN ANY OF THOSE.

WE HAVE, UM, SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, UH, THAT ARE EXISTS FOR VARIOUS REASONS, MOSTLY TIED TO STATE LAW AND SITUATIONS THAT HAVE BEEN CREATED OVER THE YEARS.

ONE OF THE MORE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES THAT I FEEL VERY GOOD ABOUT AND ALSO RELATES TO ONE OF YOUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES IS WE HAVE COMBINED, UH, THE TOURISM FUNCTION AND THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUNCTION.

AND SO WHEN YOU REVIEW THE DETAILS OF THE BUDGET, YOU WILL SEE THOSE FUNCTIONS COMBINED.

UH, THE OTHER ONES I THINK ARE MOSTLY SELF-EXPLANATORY.

SO THIS WAS A POSITIVE, THE ONE AREA DURING THE PANDEMIC THAT CLEARLY WAS HIT HARD.

AND, YOU KNOW, IT DID PRETTY MUCH LIVE UP TO OUR FEARS, WAS THE CRASH IN THE LODGING TAX FOR OBVIOUS REASONS.

UH, WE HAVE BEEN SEEING A RECOVERY.

SO FOR THE YEAR YOU'RE IN, WE'RE IN, YOU SEE THE BLUE RED LINE COMBINED THAT SHOWS FOR THE PARTIAL YEAR WE'RE IN, WE'VE ALL MOST MADE IT TO THE TOTAL AMOUNT WE GOT LAST YEAR.

SO WE APPEAR TO BE ON TRACK TO GET BACK TO, SHALL WE SAY NORMAL WHEN IT COMES TO THE LODGING TAX, IF WE DON'T GET, YOU KNOW, SOME SURPRISE, UH, YOU KNOW, NEW COVID VERY, VERY IN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

INTERNAL SERVICE FUNDS ARE WHERE WE CHARGE OURSELVES, UH, AND OR OUR EMPLOYEES FOR, UH, IMPORTANT, UH, SERVICES OR PROGRAMS. UH, FLEET IS ONE OF THEM, WHICH WE DO A VERY GOOD JOB OF, UM, COVERING THE COST OF KEEP OUR FLEET MODERNIZED INFORMATION.

TECHNOLOGY IS ONE OF OUR NEWER ONES.

AND BY THE WAY, THIS FUND, UH, WHEN, WHEN THE PANDEMIC STARTED, BECAUSE WE HAD THIS FUN, WE WERE WELL POSITIONED TO DEPLOY A LOT OF, UH, TECHNOLOGY SO THAT PEOPLE COULD WORK AT HOME.

SO THAT REALLY PAID OFF WORKERS' COMP OF COURSE, IS A TRADITIONAL ONE IS AS, IS A HEALTH AND DENTAL.

AND YOU RECEIVED A BRIEFING ON THE HEALTH AND DENTAL, UH, FUND AT THE LAST WORK SESSION.

SO THE WAY WE DO THE BUDGET, UH, THE CIP, THE CAPITAL BUDGET IS EMBEDDED IN THE OPERATING BUDGET THAT YOU END UP CONSIDERING AND VOTING ON IN MAY, UH, ALL THE, YOU HAVE RECEIVED AND GONE OVER THE CAPITAL BUDGET IN GREAT DETAIL, UH, BACK IN DECEMBER.

UM, IT HAS ALSO BEEN, UH, REVIEWED BY THE PLANNING COMMISSION AND THEY HAVE PASSED A RESOLUTION, UH, IN THAT IT'S COMPLIANT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.

UM, MANY PEOPLE STRUGGLED TO UNDERSTAND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE OPERATING BUDGET AND THE CAPITAL BUDGET, AND THE SIMPLEST WAY TO SAY IT IS THAT IF IT'S A FAMILY BUDGET, UM, IF YOU PUT STUFF ON THE CREDIT CARD, WHICH IS YOUR CAPITAL BUDGET, YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE.

AND THE OTHER PART OF THE BUDGET, YOU HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY OFF YOUR CREDIT CARD BILL.

SO OUR CIP, UH, IN OUR SIX-YEAR PLAN, UH, IS ACHIEVING THE INVESTMENT IN OUR FACILITIES THAT HONESTLY, I THINK WE HAD FALLEN PRETTY FAR BEHIND ON OF COURSE THE SIGNATURE PROJECT IS NEW LAW ENFORCEMENT BUILDING.

UM, THERE ARE OTHER, UH, PROJECTS AND, UH, MAJOR PIECES OF EQUIPMENT THAT YOU SEE LISTED THERE.

AND, UM, WE DON'T TALK ABOUT, OF COURSE THE SCHOOL DIVISION IS A MAJOR PART OF OUR CIP AND THEY'RE RIGHT NOW GETTING UNDERWAY, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY THE COMPLETE RECONSTRUCTION

[00:30:01]

OF SEAFORD ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, WHICH WILL HAPPEN OVER THE NEXT 18 MONTHS.

AND THEY HAVE OTHER SIGNIFICANT REINVESTMENTS IN THEIR PHYSICAL PLANT.

AND BECAUSE IT'S NOT GENERAL FUND, WE DON'T TEND TO TALK ABOUT IT AS MUCH, BUT WE HAVE, UH, MAJOR, UH, INVESTMENTS AND REINVESTMENTS IN BOTH SEWER AND STORM WATER, UH, THAT ARE REFLECTED IN THIS, UH, CAPITAL PLAN AS WELL.

SO PROCESS-WISE, UH, WE HAVE, UH, CURRENTLY ON OUR SCHEDULE A WORK SESSION, UH, ON APRIL 5TH, WHERE WE WOULD BE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET.

WE HAVE SOME THINGS IN MIND THAT, UH, WE WOULD PROBABLY WANT TO TALK ABOUT, BUT OF COURSE, WE'RE ALSO, UH, OPEN TO WHAT THE BOARD MIGHT WANT TO DELVE INTO A LITTLE DEEPER IF NECESSARY.

WE CAN SCHEDULE ADDITIONAL WORK SESSIONS.

UH, THE PUBLIC HEARING, WHICH IS IN THE PROCESS OF BEING ADVERTISED WOULD BE ON APRIL 19TH.

AND, UH, HOPEFULLY, UH, ON MAY 3RD, WE WILL ADOPT THE BUDGET.

AND ALSO HOPEFULLY BY THEN WE'LL KNOW WHAT THE STATE'S DOING.

SO, UM, MADAM CHAIRMAN, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION.

THANK YOU NEIL, VERY MUCH.

UH, IT'S QUITE A PRESENTATION AND, UH, WE'RE JUST BEGINNING TO WORK ON IT.

NOW, YOU ALL WORKED OUT FOR A LONG TIME NOW IT'S UP TO THE BOARD TO WORK ON IT.

AND WITH THAT IN MIND, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE'D LIKE TO ASK? YEP.

A COUPLE OF WE ALL WE ALL ON THE BOARD RECEIVED AN INTERESTING EMAIL THIS WEEK, MAYBE IT WAS FRIDAY OF LAST WEEK, A CONCERN TAX-PAYING CITIZEN TO THE COUNTY.

HE HAD RECEIVED HIS TAX ASSESSMENT, UH, AND HE WAS, UH, KIND OF, UH, HE THOUGHT HE KNEW, UH, SOMETHING ABOUT MATHEMATICS.

AND SO HE QUICKLY TOOK THAT TAX ASSESSMENT, MULTIPLY IT TIMES OF 79 CENTS PER $100 WORTH OF REAL ESTATE VALUE AND CAME UP WITH WHAT HE THOUGHT WAS A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN HIS TAX.

AND SO I SENT A, A, A MESSAGE TO THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR INFO TO THE BOARD, AND I SAID, UH, UM, NEIL, WOULD YOU PLEASE EXPLAIN IN LAYMAN'S TERMS, UH, WHAT THE GENTLEMAN WAS TRYING TO GET AT AND WHAT WAS HE OVERLOOKING? AND I THOUGHT YOU DID A YEOMAN'S JOB OF THAT.

SO WOULD YOU SHARE THAT WITH US HERE? YO, THANK YOU, MR. ZIMMERMAN, BUT, UH, YEAH, SO, UM, THE FORM THAT WE SEND OUT AS PART OF THE ASSESSMENT, IT'S THE STATE, EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE IMPOSES SOME MANDATE ABOUT WHAT INFORMATION WE HAVE TO PUT ON THAT FORM.

AND WE PROBABLY NEED TO LOOK AT, UH, THE NEXT TIME WE DO IT, SEE IF WE CAN MAKE IT CLEARER.

UM, SO WHEN WE LOOKED AT STATEMENT, UM, THE, AT THE LAST, UH, ROW ON THAT FORM, IT HAS A PERCENTAGE INCREASE FROM 2018 TO 2020, AND A PERCENTAGE INCREASE FROM 20 TO 22.

AND HE LOOKED AT THAT AND THOUGHT THAT WE WERE SAYING THE REAL ESTATE RATE WAS GOING FROM 2.6% TO SIX POINT SOMETHING PERCENT.

WHEN IN FACT THE RATE IS ACTUALLY BELOW 1%.

AND WHAT, WHAT THAT FORM WAS TELLING HIM IS THAT, UH, HIS BASE, UH, TAX OR HIS BASE VALUE AND HIS BASE TAX WAS GOING TO GO UP A LITTLE BIT LESS THAN 7%, BUT THAT WAS 7% ON A BASE UNDER 1%, NOT 6% OF, UH, OF A HUNDRED DOLLARS PER, YOU KNOW, PER A HUNDRED.

AND I REALLY APPRECIATED HIS RESPONSE.

YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE WHEN THEY'RE UPSET, YOU GIVE THEM THE ANSWER AND THEN THEY MOVE ON, BUT HE TOOK THE TIME TO, TO TELL YOU ALL THAT HE APPRECIATED THE ANSWER AND I APPRECIATED HIM, UH, DOING THAT.

NOW I HAVE A QUESTION OF MY OWN.

MY THINKING FOR 27 YEARS I'VE BEEN ON THIS BOARD IS I KNEW SOMETHING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, TAX ASSESSMENTS, TAX INCREASES AND SO ON.

UM, BUT I I'M QUESTIONING MYSELF NOW AS TO WHETHER OR NOT TO DO AS MUCH AS I THOUGHT IT DID.

RIGHT.

BUT I THOUGHT THERE WAS A, UH, EITHER STATE OR FED, BUT I THINK WOULD HAVE TO BE STATE STATUTE THAT SAYS SHORT OF THE CITY COUNCIL OR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVING A RATE INCREASE IF MY ASSESSMENT GOES UP X DOLLARS.

UH, AND WHEN YOU MULTIPLY BY THE TAX RATE, IF THAT SHOWED AN INCREASE IN MY TAX SHORT OF THIS BOARD, APPROVING THE INCREASE, THE, THE, UH, MUNICIPALITY WOULD HAVE TO LOWER THE TAX RATE.

SO THERE'S NO INCREASE IN TAX TO THE TAX PAYING CITIZEN, BUT WHAT DID I MISS UNDERSTANDABLE? YEAH.

SO THE CURRENT LAW REQUIRES WHEN WE PLACE AN AD FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET TO SAY WHAT THE EFFECTIVE TAX RATE IS.

SO WE WOULD IDENTIFY WHAT THE NEW RATE WOULD HAVE TO BE IF THERE WAS GOING TO BE NO CHANGE IN WHAT YOU PAID.

RIGHT? SO OUR AD WILL SAY THAT.

AND, UH, I THINK THE NUMBER, IT WOULD HAVE

[00:35:01]

TO GO DOWN FROM 79 5 TO, I THINK, 74, WHICH WOULD, UH, REDUCE THE BUDGET I'M RECOMMENDING BY FOUR OR $5 MILLION, WHICH WOULD NOT BE TENABLE IN MY VIEW.

SO WE DID OF COURSE TAKE IT.

WE'RE RECOMMENDING TAKING YOU DOWN FROM 79, 5 TO 78.

SO ALL OF WHAT THE LAW REQUIRES IS THAT YOU EXPLAIN ALL THAT IN AN AD, WHICH OF COURSE, TRYING TO EXPLAIN ALL THAT AND AN AD IS ITS OWN SET OF ISSUES.

UM, AND I BELIEVE THERE, YOU KNOW, SOME STATES HAVE THINGS MORE LIKE WHAT YOU DESCRIBED, AND I THINK THOSE KINDS OF THINGS HAVE BEEN PROPOSED IN VIRGINIA, BUT WHAT THE LAW SAYS CURRENTLY IS WHAT I JUST DESCRIBED.

YEAH.

AND, YOU KNOW, IN THAT MAY SESSION, WHEN WE VOTE ON THE BUDGET, ANY QUESTIONS RELATIVE TO TAX INCREASES AND SO FORTH WILL BE APPROVED OR NOT, BUT APPROVED BY THIS BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

SO IF YOU HAVE AN ISSUE WITH YOUR BOARD OF SUPERVISOR, YOU KNOW WHERE TO TURN IT, IF YOU'RE STILL NOT SATISFIED, BUT I THOUGHT THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR DID A GREAT EXPLANATION OF AT LEAST THIS GENTLEMEN CONCERNS.

ONE LAST QUESTION.

AND THAT IS, UH, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS THING CALLED THE PANDEMIC FOR THE LAST, WHAT, TWO YEARS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

AND THE GOOD OLD FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS THROWN MONEY AT EVERYTHING THEY CAN THINK OF.

LIKE THERE WAS NO TOMORROW.

OKAY.

AND WE RECEIVED SOME MONEY.

I DON'T KNOW, TO WHAT EXTENT WE RECEIVED THAT.

WELL, MY QUESTION WOULD BE, AND I KNOW WE'VE ADDRESSED THIS PERIODICALLY OFF AND ON DURING THE PANDEMIC, UH, YOU'RE PROPOSING A 5% RAISE INCREASE IN TERMS OF COMPENSATION FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, FOR US TO $1,500.

TAGALONG UH, BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO KNOW WHAT, IF ANY OF THAT, THAT BILL BACK BETTER PILE OF MONEY THAT WAS THROWN IT OUT, RESULTED IN EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION DURING THE PANDEMIC YEARS, ANY WAY OF DETERMINING THAT? YEAH.

I MEAN, WE PROBABLY DIDN'T WANT TO GO BACK AND GATHER UP SOME OF THE REPORTS WE'VE SENT OUT IN SOME OF THE PRESENTATIONS TO GIVE YOU A COMPLETE ANSWER.

A SHORT ANSWER WOULD BE, UM, THERE'VE BEEN SORT OF THREE FEDERAL ACTIONS OF SIGNIFICANCE, THE CARES ACT AND, UH, ARPA.

I FORGET WHAT THE ACRONYM STANDS FOR.

UH, THOSE TWO, UH, INVOLVE SENDING MONEY TO STATES, LOCALITIES, AND MANY OTHER THINGS CHECKS TO INDIVIDUALS AND VARIOUS OTHER PROGRAMS. AND THEN THE, UH, BUILD BACK BETTER THING, I THINK IS THE NAME OF THE SO-CALLED INFRASTRUCTURE LEGISLATION, WHICH HAS BEEN APPROVED, BUT ALL OF THE RULES AND ALL OF THE, HOW THAT MONEY IS GOING TO FLOW IS STILL PENDING THAT FOR THE MOST PART, WON'T COME THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WE WILL BENEFIT FROM, UH, ROAD PROJECTS AND THINGS LIKE THAT IN THE FUTURE.

PROBABLY A LOT OF THAT'S GOING TO BE 2, 3, 4 YEARS FROM NOW IN TERMS OF THE, UM, THE TWO POTS OF FEDERAL MONEY THAT, YOU KNOW, CAME THROUGH FEDERAL LEGISLATION THAT WERE INTENDED TO BENEFIT STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT.

UH, THE FIRST BENEFIT WE HAD WAS A LOT OF THE MONEY THAT WENT TO INDIVIDUALS AND BUSINESSES SENTENCE HELPED KEEP THE ECONOMY PERFORMING MORE STRONGLY THAN WHAT WE THOUGHT.

SO, PART OF WHAT I WAS SAYING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SALES TAX, DIDN'T GO DOWN IN MEALS TAX, YOU KNOW, DIDN'T GO DOWN.

A LOT OF THE EXPLANATION FOR THAT, UH, PROBABLY WAS, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THAT MONEY KIND OF JUICE THE ECONOMY IN A PERIOD WHERE IT WOULD HAVE OTHERWISE BEEN GOING DOWN IN TERMS OF THE MONEY WE GOT, UM, USING BOTH THE CARES ACT AND THE ARPA MONEY WE DID PROVIDE, UH, SOME ONE-TIME BONUSES, UH, FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.

THERE WERE TWO DIFFERENT ROUNDS OF THAT.

HONESTLY, I'D HAVE TO GO BACK TO TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT THEY WERE.

UM, BUT KEEP IN MIND, IN ONE OF THOSE YEARS, IN THE FIRST YEAR OF THE PANDEMIC, WE TOTALLY FROZE OUR BUDGET AND WE DID NOT.

WHEREAS A LOT OF OTHER LOCALITIES AROUND HERE, UH, WENT AHEAD AND GAVE RAISES.

WE DID NOT.

SO EITHER THE BONUSES WE GAVE TO SOME DEGREE MADE UP FOR THAT, BUT OF COURSE, FOR OUR EMPLOYEES THAT DIDN'T ADD ONTO THEIR BASE, THAT DIDN'T ADD ONTO THEIR RETIREMENT, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS.

UM, AND THEN THE OTHER WAY THAT THAT MONEY HAS BENEFITED US IS UNDER THE RULES.

WE WERE ALLOWED TO, UH, CLAIM SOME OF THAT MONEY TO BASICALLY REIMBURSE OURSELVES.

SO, UH, WHAT THAT DID WAS ALLOW OUR SURPLUSES, OUR YEAR-END PERFORMANCES DURING THE PANDEMIC TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER THAN THEY WOULD OTHERWISE BE.

AND WE WERE ABLE TO DO THINGS LIKE, UH, FULLY FUND FIRE STATION, NUMBER SEVEN, WITH CASH, WHICH WAS REALLY INDIRECTLY THAT FEDERAL MONEY, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO ASSIST THE SCHOOLS WITH THEIR BIG REMOTE TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM.

WE GAVE THEM $2 MILLION.

UM, WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, INVEST $1.5 MILLION IN BUILDING HIGH-SPEED

[00:40:01]

FIBER IN THE NORTH COUNTY, WHICH IS A PROJECT WHICH IS CURRENTLY UNDERWAY AND THEN THE ARPA MONEY, THE LAST SLUG, AS FAR AS I KNOW, UM, WE RECEIVED THE FIRST HALF OF IT LATER, THIS FISCAL YEAR WE'LL RECEIVE THE SECOND HALF OF IT.

AND THIS BOARD IS PRETTY MUCH GIVEN DIRECTION ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO USE IT.

AND WHEN I THINK IS A REALLY WISE WAY, 80% OF THAT MONEY, WE'RE INVESTING IN CAPITAL PROJECTS ONE TIME NOW WE'RE PROBABLY, SO WE ARE USING IT FOR INFRASTRUCTURE IN YOUR COUNTY.

SOME COMMUNITIES ARE COMING UP WITH LOTS OF PROGRAMS AND THINGS.

UH, AND I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, SINCE MONEY'S GONNA RUN OUT, I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU START A BUNCH OF PROGRAMS AND YOU DON'T HAVE THE SOURCE TO CONTINUE THEM.

SO I THINK, UH, OBVIOUSLY SINCE I RECOMMENDED A FAIR AMOUNT OF IT, I THOUGHT THE WAY WE'RE DOING IT AS THE WAY TO GO.

AND SO A LOT OF THESE THINGS IN THE CAPITAL BUDGET THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, IF YOU LOOK DOWN AT THE SOURCE OF FUNDS, ONE OF THE REASONS THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF CASH FUNDING IS BECAUSE WE'VE TAKEN A LOT OF THAT FEDERAL MONEY AND DOING THINGS WITH CASH RATHER THAN BORROWING MONEY.

THE MOST OF THAT MONEY WAS ONE-TIME MONEY.

YES, SIR.

ALL OF IT, BASICALLY.

YEAH.

THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, SIR.

THANKS TO MR. MORGAN.

OH, AND I'M GOING TO READ, THIS IS, UH, THIS IS THE BUDGET IS THREE, ALMOST 300 PAGES.

UH, I'LL BE GOING THROUGH THAT, UH, UM, LIKE THAT WE'RE GIVEN THE CITIZENS A TAX CUT.

I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT TAX CUT A FULL 2% AND ALSO HAVE CONSUMED CONCERNS ABOUT THE EMPLOYEES, ESPECIALLY AT THE LOWER END OF THE PAY SCALE AND, UH, THE EFFECT OF INFLATION.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S ANY WAY THAT A, I LIKE THE IDEA THAT YOU GIVE THE CASH BONUSES, BUT I'D LIKE TO SEE MAYBE IF WE COULD DO A LITTLE BIT BETTER THAN 1500 ON THAT CASH BONUS.

SO IF YOU COULD SHARPEN YOUR PENCIL, IF IT CAN BE SHARPENED AND, UH, UH, LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING BACK FROM YOU, JUST ONE CLARIFICATION THAT IS NOT THE 1500 IS NOT A BONUS.

AS I PROPOSE IT IS A $1,500 ANNUALIZED AMOUNT.

SO THE WAY THAT WOULD PLAY OUT, IF YOU WERE A $30,000 A YEAR EMPLOYEE, THE 5% PLUS THE 1500 WOULD BE A 10% SALARY INCREASE.

THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S WHAT I LIKE TO HEAR.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, THE HIGHER UP THE PAY SCALE, YOU GO THE LOWER THE PERCENTAGE, BUT STILL MEANINGFUL.

THANK, THANK YOU, STEVEN, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH.

A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON THE, UM, ON THE, ON THE NEW POSITIONS THAT YOU WENT OVER IN SLIDE 17 AND 18, THE, UH, THE PARALEGAL WITH THE COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY AND THE DEPUTY CLERK FOR THE CORPORATE COURT ARE THOSE, WERE THOSE VACANT POSITIONS BEING FILLED? ARE THESE STAFF ADDITIONS? SO THESE ARE NEW POSITIONS, RIGHT? DOES THE STATE HELP US OUT ANY WITH THE SALARY FOR THOSE POSITIONS? UM, I'M GOING TO HAVE TO GET FINANCE TO CHECK BEHIND ME ON THIS, AND MAYBE WE CAN SEND YOU A MEMO.

THE, THE ANSWER IS, UM, THE STATE ONLY THROUGH THE COMP BOARD PROCESS FUNDS PART OF THE SALARY OF SOME POSITIONS, BUT THEY ONLY FUND A NUMBER OF PHYSICIANS.

THAT'S ALL YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS WOULD TELL YOU AS WELL, FULLY INADEQUATE.

SO I AM SURE WE'RE ALREADY OVER THE NUMBER OF PHYSICIANS THAT THE STATE PAYS FOR.

SO THIS WOULD BE A LOCALLY FUNDED POSITION.

OKAY.

AND IN WHAT I JUST SAID IS NOT CORRECT.

SHE SAYS IT'S CORRECT.

OKAY.

ALL RIGHT.

DID THE YOUTH SERVICES LIBRARIAN AT THE YORK TIME LIBRARY? I THINK THAT'S A NEW, NEW, NEW POSITION.

WE HAVEN'T HAD THAT BEFORE.

YES.

SO WHAT, WHAT KIND OF DUTIES? UM, MAYBE WE COULD GET, UM, MR. SMITH TO GIVE US A LITTLE, UH, MEMO ON THAT.

SO THE, UM, ONE OF THE SIGNATURE FEATURES OF THE, OF THE DESIGN OF THE NEW LIBRARY IS A, IS A MAJOR NEW CHILDREN'S AREA.

AND, UH, HE JUST FEELS LIKE WE CAN'T DO JUSTICE TO THE, TO THE PROGRAMMING, THE SPACE THAT WE'RE CREATING.

IF WE DON'T HAVE A PERSON, YOU KNOW, FOCUSED ON THAT, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, I'M NOT AN EXPERT ON, ON LIBRARIES, BUT IT, IT WOULD BE ANALOGOUS TO THE KIND OF PROGRAM WE HAVE AT TAB.

OKAY.

ALL RIGHT.

AND NOW I'M ALSO CURIOUS WHEN YOU SAY YOUTH, ARE WE TALKING, YOU KNOW, PRE-TEENS TEENS, BOTH.

AND SO IF HE PUTS ON THAT VETERAN AND MAYBE HOW THAT CAN BE USED IN OTHER LIBRARIES AS WELL.

UM, IF THE NORMAL QUESTIONS I'M GOING TO OPEN UP FOR

[CITIZENS' COMMENT PERIOD]

SUSAN'S COMMENT, NOBODY HAS SIGNED UP, BUT IF ANYBODY WOULD CARE TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME, PLEASE STEP FORWARD.

ALL RIGHT.

SEEING NONE, I WILL CLOSE THE CITIZENS' COMMENT PERIOD, AND I'LL TURN TO THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR

[COUNTY ATTORNEY REPORTS AND REQUESTS]

FOR HIS REPORT, JIM.

UM, THANK YOU.

UM, AS MR. MORGAN INDICATED, UM, AND AS YOU PROBABLY ALREADY KNOW THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADJOURNED OVER THE WEEKEND, LEAVING A NUMBER OF BILLS, UH, UNADDRESSED OR, UM, OR UNRESOLVED.

UM,

[00:45:01]

AND SO SOME CONFERENCE COMMITTEES HAD BEEN APPOINTED FOR SOME OF THEM AND, AND A FEW WERE ABLE TO BE TAKEN CARE OF BEFORE THE SESSION ENDED WITH SOME DOT OF THE GOVERNOR HAS INDICATED A DESIRE TO, TO CALL THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY BACK INTO A SPECIAL SESSION, BUT THERE'S NO DATE INDICATED AS TO WHEN THAT MIGHT BE.

I, I GATHER IN THE SHORTER RATHER THAN THE LONGER TERM.

UM, BUT ANYWAY, JUST TO TOUCH BASE ON A COUPLE OF ITEMS THAT HAD BEEN OF INTEREST TO THE BOARD, ONE IS THE GAS TAX.

THERE WERE THREE BILLS THAT EITHER WOULD HAVE SUSPENDED FOR A YEAR OR ROLLED BACK FOR A YEAR.

UM, THE GASOLINE TAXES, WHICH COULD HAVE IMPACTED, UM, UH, TRANSPORTATION FUNDING, NONE OF THOSE BILLS MADE IT THROUGH.

HOWEVER, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE GOVERNOR IS STILL INTERESTED IN DOING SOMETHING ABOUT GAS TAXES.

SO WE'LL HAVE TO KEEP OUR EYES OPEN AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS IN A SPECIAL SESSION, OR TO SEE IF SOMETHING HAPPENS WITH THE BUDGET, WHICH IS ALSO AN UNFINISHED TO SEE IF THEY ADDRESS IT THAT WAY.

UH, IN TERMS OF THE GROCERY TAX, THERE ARE TWO BILLS.

UM, UH, ONE OF WHICH, UH, WOULD CUT THE STATES GROCERY TAX, BUT ALLOW THE LOCALITIES TO RETAIN THEIR 1% OPTION AND ANOTHER BILL, WHICH WOULD ELIMINATE THAT 1% OPTION, BUT WOULD PROVIDE SOME KIND OF A SCHOOL SUPPLEMENT IT'S CALLED, UM, BECAUSE NEITHER OF THEM PASSED BOTH HOUSES IN THE SAME FORM.

THEY ARE BOTH IN, IN A CONFERENCE COMMITTEE AND THAT WAS NOT RESOLVED AS, AT THE TIME OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADJOURNED.

SO, I MEAN, THOSE ARE PROBABLY THE TWO ITEMS THE MOST, I WILL MENTION, HOWEVER, WITH RESPECT TO, UH, WALK THROUGH ALL TWO OTHER ITEMS, UM, NO MARIJUANA SALES BILL MADE IT THROUGH THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

I BELIEVE THAT MEANS THAT THERE WILL NOT BE A NEED, UM, FOR A LOCAL REFERENDUM ON WHETHER OR NOT SALES WOULD BE, UH, RETAIL SALES THAT WOULD BE ALLOWED LOCALLY.

THAT'S MY READ.

I'LL INVESTIGATE FURTHER AND SEE IF I'M CORRECT ON THAT.

AND THEN, UM, UH, MR. RON HAD ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT, UH, SENATE BILL 78, I THINK WAS YES.

BOARD OF EDUCATION DRIVER EDUCATION PROGRAMS, INCLUDING A MINIMUM 90 MINUTE PARENT STUDENT DRIVER EDUCATION COMPONENT IN ALL A DRIVER EDUCATION PROGRAMS STATEWIDE.

THERE ACTUALLY ALREADY HAS BEEN THAT REQUIREMENT IN NORTHERN VIRGINIA.

THIS WOULD MAKE IT STATEWIDE.

IT DID PASS I'LL INDICATE.

AND BY THE WAY, I STILL DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT MEANS, EXCEPT THAT EXCEPT THAT OUTSIDE OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA, THE PARTICIPATION BY PARENTS CAN BE REMOTE.

AND I DON'T THINK IT NECESSARILY HAS TO HAPPEN IN THE SCHOOL.

I THINK IT COULD HAPPEN IN AN INDEPENDENT DRIVER'S TRAINING PROGRAM, BUT I'LL TRY TO FIND MORE ABOUT THAT, BUT THAT YOU HAD ASKED ABOUT THAT BILL ONCE BEFORE AND IT, AND IT DID PASS.

SO, UH, WE'LL JUST HAVE TO FIND OUT, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S NOT REINVENTING THE WHEEL NORTHERN VIRGINIA HAS BEEN DOING IT HAD BEEN MANDATED FOR A FEW YEARS.

SO I'LL SEE IF I CAN GET MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE.

IF, IF YOUR MAIN INTEREST IN IT, I DON'T WANT TO GO DEEPER INTO A GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

LET'S, YOU KNOW, GET A SENSE OF WHERE THEY'RE HEADED WITH, UH, WITH POST ADJOURNMENT ACTIVITIES, UM, BEFORE WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WE STAND ON ANY OF THIS LEGISLATION.

SO UNLESS YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS AND THAT'S MY REPORT, ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH.

ONE OF THE GOVERNORS, UH, PLATFORMS THAT, UH, GOVERNOR JENKIN YOUNG KING WAS, UH, HE INTENDED TO BAN ANY ASPECT OF CRITICAL RACE THEORY BEING TAUGHT IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM.

YOU KNOW, THE, THE TWIN PILLARS OF, UH, UH, SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL LEARNING AND CULTURAL COMPETENCE, ET CETERA, ET CETERA, AMANDA BATON, UH, OUR LOCAL DELEGATES HERE, UH, INTRODUCED A BILL SHE'S SHE SPONSORED.

AND A COUPLE OF HER DELEGATES SPONSORED, UH, IN THE HOUSE IS THAT WOULD ESSENTIALLY, IF, YOU KNOW, IF IT WORKED ITS WAY THROUGH THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, UH, THE SENATE THAT PASSED THE GOVERNOR WOULD SIGN, YOU KNOW, THE STATUS OF THAT BILL, BECAUSE I KNOW THERE WAS A DRAFT THAT AT ONE TIME WAS, WAS, UH, MADE AVAILABLE TO VARIOUS, UH, JURISDICTIONS IN THE COMMONWEALTH.

THERE WERE, THERE WERE AT LEAST TWO OF THOSE BILLS THAT I'M AWARE OF.

I DON'T BELIEVE EITHER ONE OF THEM PASS HOUSE BILL 7 87.

UM, WHAT IF, UM, UH, PROHIBITED, UM, DIVISIVE CONCEPTS AND THERE WAS A DEFINITION OF THAT, BUT IT, IT DIDN'T MAKE IT THROUGH THE HOUSE.

BILL 10 68 AGAIN HAD, UM, WOULD HAVE PROHIBITED OR RESTRICTED INHERENTLY DIVISIVE CONCEPTS.

THAT ONE, I THINK WAS JUST SIMPLY LEFT IN COMMITTEE.

THE FIRST ONE I TALKED ABOUT WAS, UM, PASSED THE HOUSE WITH SOME FLOOR AMENDMENTS, BUT THEN, UH, GOT TO SENATE EDUCATION AND WAS PASSED BY INDEFINITELY.

SO I DON'T

[00:50:01]

THINK EITHER OF THOSE SPONSORED BY AMANDA BED, UH, NOT THESE TWO, I'M SORRY.

I DID NOT BRING MY ENTIRE 80 SOME PAGE LIST OF BILLS WITH ME TO LOOK THROUGH THE WALL.

I'LL LOOK THROUGH, I'LL SEE IF I CAN FIND IF THERE WERE ANY OTHER BILLS THAT WE'VE EVER LOOKED AT THAT WENT IN THAT DIRECTION.

I'M NOT AWARE THAT ANY OF THEM PASSED.

HOWEVER, IF THEY PASS THE HOUSE AND I THINK THOSE BILLS ARE INTRODUCED TO THE, PRIMARILY IN THE HOUSE, THEY DIDN'T GET THROUGH THE SENATE.

OKAY, GREAT.

THANK YOU.

AND YOU, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR REPORT,

[COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR REPORTS AND REQUESTS]

JUST ONE THING I JUST WANTED TO ACKNOWLEDGE, UH, THE FINANCE AND BUDGET STAFF THAT WORKED ON THIS BUDGET THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU HAD TONS OF WORK, GOES INTO IT, AS YOU ALL KNOW.

SO THERESA, GREG, KIM AND AMY, THEY'RE ALL HERE.

SO THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH.

YES.

THAT'S YEOMAN'S DUTY.

I MEAN, THAT'S REALLY SCRUBBING ALL THE NUMBERS AND THAT CAN BE VERY, VERY TEDIOUS.

SO HATS OFF TO YOU.

YOU'VE DONE A TERRIFIC JOB I SHOULD DO EVERY YEAR.

I APPRECIATE THE WORK.

OKAY.

UH,

[MATTERS PRESENTED BY THE BOARD]

MATTERS PRESENTED BY THE BOARD.

ANYBODY HAVE ANYTHING AT THIS POINT THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO QUICKLY DO BEFORE TOM? YEAH, JUST VERY QUICKLY.

UH, TODAY I HAD, UM, UH, PARTICIPATE AS ONE OF THE MEMBERS OF THE HAMPTON ROADS, UM, COUNTABILITY COMMISSION, UH, FINANCE COMMITTEE.

I SPENT THREE HOURS GOING THROUGH, UM, UH, PREPARATION FOR BUDGETS AND CONTRACTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

AND I WANTED TO, UH, KIND OF, UH, FOOT STOMP SOMETHING THAT THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR JUST TALKED ABOUT.

AND WHEN I MADE THE COMMENT ABOUT THE MAGIC WAND, THE RESPONSE WAS, YES, THIS IS GOING TO BE HOW YOU, HOW YOU MANAGE THE MONEY.

AND, UH, UM, WITH THE HR TECH FINANCE, UH, OF THESE MAJOR MULTI-MILLION BILLION DOLLAR PROJECTS, A SMALL CHANGE IN THE TECHNIQUE REPRESENTS HUGE SAVINGS.

AND IF, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, UH, THEY HAVE A THING CALLED VAN, WHICH IS THE NOTE THAT YOU SEND OUT AND THEN PEOPLE BUY THEM.

UH, BUT THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE LIMITED TIME THEN THERE'S THING CALLED THE TIFIA LOAN, WHICH IS A FEDERAL PROGRAM.

AND USING JUST A SMALL, VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE CHANGE IN THAT, UH, CAN SAVE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.

IT WAS JUST, IT WAS AMAZING HOW MUCH, AND YOU HAD THE SMART FOLKS, JUST LIKE WE HAVE THIS SIT THERE.

AND, UH, THAT, THAT WE, THAT WE HIRED JUST TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT, TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO TAKE, UM, HOW YOU MANAGE MONEY AND GET YOUR PROJECTS DONE.

AND IT WAS, IT WAS PRETTY AMAZING TO SEE THAT I THINK, UH, THAT WE SAW SOMETHING TO THE TUNE OF AROUND $350 MILLION SAVINGS, UH, BECAUSE OF THAT MANAGEMENT.

AND SO WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE, FOLKS, SO IT'S VERY COMPLICATED, BUT IT'S VERY EFFECTIVE IN HOW YOU GET THINGS DONE.

UM, AND GOING TO, UH, I THINK SOMETHING WALT WAS HITTING ON.

AND, UH, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE BILLS IN, UH, THAT ARE, THAT ARE BEING PRESENTED, UH, IN OUR GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

AND I'VE MENTIONED THIS BEFORE WE IN HAMPTON ROADS, AND I SAW THIS IN THE COMMITTEE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD TO USE $93 MILLION, $93 MILLION, OKAY.

TO COVER, HELP COVER OUR BUDGET REQUIREMENTS THAT WAS PROVIDED BY THE STATE STATE, WANTED TO TAKE THAT MONEY.

AND WE SAID, NO, WE JUSTIFIED IT.

AND WE REALLY JUSTIFIED IT DOWN TO JOHN TO EVERYTHING.

I MEAN, IT WAS PRETTY WELL, UH, THE MANDATED IN AND HOW WE GOT IT OR JUST FIGHT.

BUT THEN WE END UP STILL WITH $160 MILLION SHORT.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAUSES A PROBLEM IS IF YOU'VE POLITICALLY, YOU GO UP TO THE STATE AND YOU GO, OH MAN, I AM GOING TO BE THE POWER OF THE PEOPLE.

AND I'M GOING TO START SAVING YOU TAXES OUT THERE, LEFT AND RIGHT NUMBER STARTED CUTTING THIS STUFF LEFT, AND RIGHT, GUESS WHAT, FOLKS, YOU DON'T GET ROADS, YOU DON'T GET, YOU DON'T GET THE SERVICES YOU ASK FOR.

AND SO WE GOT PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO THAT.

AND IT WERE A COUPLE FOLKS FROM OUR REGION, HAMPTON ROSE, AND WENT UP THERE, NEWLY ELECTED WITH A BRIGHT IDEA THAT THEY WERE GOING TO ELIMINATE THE MEALS TAX.

THEY WERE GOING TO ELIMINATE GAS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

AND WE HAVE THESE HUGE PROGRAMS IN HAMPTON ROADS THAT WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT WE'RE ON THE HOOK FOR IT.

IF YOU SCREW AROUND WITH THOSE THINGS, IT ENDS UP COSTING YOU IN THE LONG RUN.

AND I GET A LOT OF CITIZENS COMPLAINING ABOUT, WELL, WE DON'T GET OUR ROADS, OUR, OUR, OUR, UM, UH, THE SIDES OF THE STREETS MOWED AND STUFF LIKE THAT.

WELL, THAT'S A GREAT IDEA THAT SOMEBODY WANTED TO CUT TAXES.

SO WHAT DO WE END UP DOING IS THAT WE HERE IN, IN YOUR COUNTY HAVE TO BUY A CREW TO GO OUT AND DO THE JOB THAT VIDOT USED TO DO.

OKAY.

SO WE PAY CLOSE ATTENTION UP HERE TO THESE THINGS.

AND SO I GET PRETTY IRRITATED WHEN I HEAR THIS.

I'M NOT GONNA, I DON'T WANT IT I'M TO, I'M GOING TO SAVE YOUR TAX MONEY, BUT THEN TURN AROUND AND ASK THE DEMAND FOR GREATER SERVICES.

IT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.

THANKS.

THANK YOU, MR. SHEPHERD.

VERY MUCH.

IF THERE'S NO MORE QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT, YOU'LL QUICKLY REAL

[00:55:01]

QUICK.

I HAVE TWO DAYS REAL QUICK.

I JUST WANT TO SHARE THAT TOO.

DAYLIGHT'S COMING UP SOON.

THE, UM, THE YOU'LL PLANT, YOUR KIND OF YOUTH COMMISSION ARE, IS LOOKING FOR APPLICANTS.

AND THE DUE DATE FOR THAT IS MARCH 25TH AT 5:00 PM.

UM, FOR THE 20 22, 20 23 SESSION.

AND ALSO THAT FOR OUR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS FOR OUR COLLEGE GRADUATE, UH, THE 2022 GOVERNANCE FELLOWS PROGRAM, UH, THAT DUE DATE IS MARCH 27TH FOR ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO APPLY FOR THAT, OR KNOW SOMEBODY THAT WOULD BE A GOOD APPLICANT FOR THAT.

IT WILL BE A REPRESENTATIVE TO OUR COUNTY.

SO THOSE DATES ARE COMING UP.

AND, UM, KEEP THAT IN MIND, PLEASE.

THANK YOU.

UH, REAL QUICK, MISS KNOLL, UH, WENT TO THE WILLIAMSBURG TOURISM COUNCIL MEETING TODAY.

GOOD NEWS ON THE TOURISM FRONT.

UH, WE STARTED $11 MILLION AD CAMPAIGN THIS FEBRUARY, AND WE'RE ALREADY SEEN IN THE, IN THE NORTHEAST MARKETS IN NEW YORK, WE'RE ALREADY SEEN AN INCREASE.

5% OF THE VISITORS ARE COMING FROM NEW YORK.

UH, BOSTON HAS SHOWN, UH, ALMOST A 3%, UH, INCREASE IN VISITORS COMING.

AND, UH, WE'RE GOING TO DO A VERY AGGRESSIVE AD CAM CAMPAIGN IN THE, THE BUS STATIONS, THE SUBWAYS UP THERE.

SO ALL GOOD NEWS, UH, LAST YEAR, AND THIS IS 2021 FOR EVERY DOLLAR WE SPENT ON TOURISM, THE TOURISM COUNCIL, $66 WAS BROUGHT TO THE REGION AND SPENDING.

SO THAT'S A RETURN ON INVESTMENT OUTSTANDINGLY.

HUGE.

SO, UH, GOOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN TOURISM.

UM, ROOM OCCUPANCY RATES ARE, ARE UP.

THE ROOM OCCUPANCY, UH, IS IMPROVING.

SO EVERYTHING'S LOOKING GOOD ON THE TOURISM FRONT.

LAST THING, PLEASE PRAY FOR THE PEOPLE.

UKRAINE, PRAY FOR PEACE.

THANK YOU, MRS. REBA.

YOU AND I'LL WAIT UNTIL AFTERWARDS BECAUSE

[RECESS]

I'VE GONE.

TAKE A BREAK NOW.

THAT'S ALL RIGHT WITH YOU.

THANK YOU.

SO WE'LL TAKE A FIVE MINUTE BREAK.

THANK YOU.

NOW IT'S

[1 Application No. YVA-47-22, Robert Andrade. Consider adoption of proposed Resolution R22-47 to approve a Yorktown Village Activity application to authorize a tourist home within an existing single-family detached dwelling at 215 Nelson Street. ]

TIME FOR THE PUBLIC HEARINGS.

AND THE FIRST ONE WE HAVE IS PROPOSED RESOLUTION OUR 22 DASH 47, UH, ROBERT ANDROIDS REQUEST TO APPROVE A TOURIST HOME AT TWO 50 NELSON STREET, EARL.