[00:00:03]
GOOD[Call to Order]
AFTERNOON, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN.THANK YOU FOR JOINING US FOR THE BORDER SUPERVISORS WORK SESSION APRIL 17TH.
AND I'VE GOT MY FINGERS CROSSED THAT THIS MAY BE THE LAST WORK SESSION BEFORE THE BUDGET IS APPROVED IN MAY.
WE CAN ALWAYS HOPE AT ANY RATE.
MADAM CHAIRMAN, YOU HAVE A QUORUM.
[1.* Fiscal Year 2026 Budget]
I AM TURNING IT OVER TO THE STAFF FOR ALL THE QUESTIONS AND THINGS THAT THEY'RE GOING TO ANSWER TODAY.SO WHAT WE WANTED TO ACCOMPLISH TODAY WAS TO KIND OF DO A BUDGET RECAP OF THE OUTSTANDING ISSUES, TALK ABOUT THE ISSUES THAT WE THINK ARE RESOLVED, AND THEN THE ONES THAT WE NEED TO FINISH RESOLVING.
AND AS, AS YOU MENTIONED, HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO THAT THIS EVENING AND GET IT DONE SO THAT THE NEXT TIME WE TALK ABOUT THIS WILL BE ON MAY 6TH.
SO WE'LL GET, WE'LL GET STARTED RIGHT NOW.
SO, JUST AS A LITTLE RECAP, UM, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE KNEW THIS IS, THIS IS ALL THE MEETINGS THAT WE'VE HAD ABOUT THE BUDGET
WE CAN SEE WE STARTED THIS BACK IN DECEMBER, AND THEN THE OPERATIONAL BUDGET WAS DONE IN MARCH.
THERE WAS A TOWN HALL SHORTLY AFTER THAT ON THE 25TH, ANOTHER TOWN HALL ON THE APRIL 3RD, THE PUBLIC HEARING, UH, MOST RECENTLY THIS WEEK, UH, WITH THE PUBLIC HEARING.
SO THEY HAD THE OPPORTUNITY, SO THE PUBLIC'S HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK AT ANY ONE OF THOSE EVENTS.
IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE TAKEN PUBLIC COMMENTS ONLINE, UH, EMAILS.
THEY'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK, UH, DURING ASSISTANCE, COMMENT PERIOD, IF THEY SO CHOSE.
UH, SO THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF INPUT.
AND AS YOU KNOW, WE SAW THIS YEAR PROBABLY THE BIGGEST CROWD, UH, WE'VE SEEN SINCE, UH, THE CHICKEN KEEPING
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, VERY NICE CROWD AND, UH, WE WERE PLEASED TO SEE EVERYONE THERE.
SO, LET THE RECORD SHOW THAT MR. RHO DID NOT COMPLAIN THIS YEAR ABOUT LACK OF PUBLIC INPUT,
SO, MARK, THIS IS, THIS IS GREAT.
I, I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES BEHIND MM-HMM
HAVING ALL THESE MEETINGS SCHEDULED.
UM, THERE'S EXPENSE ALL THERE'S ADVERTISING INVOLVED, GETTING US ALL TOGETHER, ALL THE LEG WORK, THE, THE DOCUMENTATION, SO FORTH.
I KNOW IT'S A LOT OF WORK, BUT IT IS, IT IS WORK AND TIME WELL SPENT.
EVERYBODY HERE IS DOING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE GETTING THIS BUDGET NAILED DOWN AS BEST WE CAN.
I LOOK AT SOME OF OUR, OUR PEER MUNICIPALITIES, AND, AND THEY, THEY, THEY INTRODUCED THE BUDGET AND IN A MONTH LATER THEY'RE, THEY'RE PASSING IT.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE, THIS IS, THIS IS, IT'S A LOT OF WORK, BUT IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO, SO.
AND, AND I KNOW I SAID ON TUESDAY, I, YOU KNOW, I RECOGNIZE THE FOLKS THAT WORKED ON A BUDGET, BUT IN THIS ROOM HERE ON THE WORK SESSION, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU TAKE ACCOUNT THAT THE DIRECTORS HAVE SHOWN UP FOR ALL OF THIS, SO THEY'D BE AVAILABLE TO YOU FOR QUESTIONS, ET CETERA.
SO, UH, WE APPRECIATE THAT AS WELL.
SO THIS IS WHERE WE BELIEVE WE HAVE A CONSENSUS AT THE MOMENT.
UH, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PLAN, UH, THE MOST RECENT VERSION, THE EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION OF 4% PLUS $500, THE NEW, UH, WASTE RATES, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE TRASH AND RECYCLING, AND THEN PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RATE OF $4 PER HUNDRED, AND THEN A REAL ESTATE RATE OF 78 CENTS PER HUNDRED.
SO AM I, IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT? DO WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT ANY OF THAT? ONLY THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD IN PENNY TO THAT
SO, SO WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO ABOUT THAT? AND THAT WOULD BE THREE ON TOP OF HERS,
SO I'M NOT SURE WE HAVE CONSENSUS, BUT YEAH.
MAJORITY, MAYBE, MAYBE NOT CONSENSUS, A WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY.
SO, AND THERE HAS BEEN SOME CONVERSATION ABOUT ADDING SOME NEW DEPUTIES.
YOU HAVE, UH, A NUMBER OF YOU HAVE TALKED WITH THE SHERIFF MONTGOMERY ABOUT THIS, UH, AND HIS DESIRE TO ADD TO HIS STAFF.
SO WHAT WE BELIEVE THAT OUR, OUR ESTIMATE ON THAT IS $950,000.
SO THE WAY THAT WE WOULD PAY FOR THAT IS THE SHERIFF HAS OFFERED TO TAKE A $500,000 REDUCTION IN OVERTIME IN EXCHANGE FOR THOSE FIVE DEPUTIES.
WE WOULD MOVE THE RIVERWALK STAGE TO TOURISM FUNDS.
IT HAD BEEN IN GENERAL FUND AND CASH MM-HMM
UM, AND THEN WE WOULD USE, UH, SOCIAL SERVICES FUND BALANCE.
THEY HAVE SOMETHING ON THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF SIX
[00:05:01]
TO $700,000.I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THEY HAD THAT FUND GOING.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A GREAT DEAL OF MONEY, BUT IN THIS CASE IT, IT'S HELPFUL.
SO, UM, SO WE WOULD USE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OF THAT.
AND I ALSO TALKED TO SHERIFF MONTGOMERY ABOUT A DRONE, AND HE WAS WILLING TO FOREGO THE DRONE THERE.
WE MIGHT FIND ANOTHER WAY TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN AT A LATER TIME.
BECAUSE I'M WONDERED ABOUT WHERE THAT $20,000 IS COMING FROM, AND IS IT GONNA LIMIT THE AMOUNT OF, OF DRONE USE USAGE BECAUSE OF IT? WE NEVER REALLY KNOW HOW OFTEN WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE DRONES, WHETHER A CHILD IS LOST OR THERE'S A FIRE THAT WE HAVE TO INVESTIGATE, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
AND THEY'VE BEEN VERY, VERY HELPFUL.
UM, SHERIFF MONTGOMERY, WOULD YOU MIND TALKING TO THAT IS, IS WILL YOU BE OKAY WITH OUT THIS DRONE FOR SOME PERIOD OF TIME? WELL, LIKE YOU AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT, I HAVE AN A DIFFERENT WAY THAT I CAN FUND THIS IF IT BECOMES NECESSARY.
SO WE HAVE DRUG ASSET FORFEITURE MONEY.
SO IF IT BECOMES CRITICAL BECAUSE OF THE MAINTENANCE ON IT AND, AND THE USE OF IT, THEN WE'LL FIND ANOTHER WAY TO PURCHASE IT.
SO THAT, IF, IF WE'RE GENERALLY IN AGREEMENT ON ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS, THESE ARE REALLY THE LAST TWO ITEMS TO WRAP UP THE BUDGET THAT WE NEED TO COME TO SOME CONCLUSION ABOUT.
SO WE'VE TALKED ON A NUMBER OF OCCASIONS ABOUT THE SCHOOL OPERATING CONTRIBUTION.
UM, THE CURRENT BUDGET INCLUDES A $1 MILLION INCREASE OVER WHAT WE FUNDED FOR THEM LAST YEAR.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, AND, AND I THINK, UM, DR.
SHANDEL TALKED ABOUT IT ON TUESDAY.
THERE IS STILL SOME BELIEF, UH, THAT THE STATE MAY STILL COME THROUGH WITH SOME FUNDS, BUT AS OF TODAY, THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED.
SO IF THAT STAYS IN THAT STATUS, UH, THEY WILL HAVE A SHORTFALL AND THEY WILL HAVE TO GO BACK AND MAKE SOME AMENDMENTS TO THEIR BUDGET.
SO THAT IS A CONVERSATION FOR THE BOARD IF THEY HAVE DESIRE TO, UH, SEE IF THEY COULD HELP OUT IN A PINCH.
I, I WANTED TO INTERJECT WITH ONE COMMENT.
UH, I, I WENT TO THE BREAKFAST MEETING YESTERDAY THAT THAT CHAMBER PUT ON, UH, ON SOME SEARS, UM, AS A SPEAKER, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR.
UM, AND SHE SPOKE AT LENGTH ABOUT THE EFFORTS THAT THE STATE HAS MADE, PARTICULARLY DURING, UH, GUNNAR YOUNGINS PERIOD ON IMPROVEMENTS TO EDUCATION, BOTH K THROUGH 12 PLUS, UH, PLUS THE UNIVERSITY OR COLLEGE LEVEL LEVEL, AND HOW THEY CONTINUE TO FUND THAT.
AND SHE WAS CONFIDENT, UH, WITHOUT SAYING THAT, THAT, THAT THEY'D GET THERE, BUT SHE WAS CONFIDENT THAT THIS BUDGET WOULD GET RESOLVED AND THAT, UH, SCHOOL FUNDING WAS STILL ONE OF THEIR HIGHEST PRIORITIES.
AND YOU KNOW, I THINK WE ALL KNOW IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A PLAYING CARD AND THERE ARE SOME ASKS THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS, UH, THAT HE HASN'T NECESSARILY GOTTEN THROUGH THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THAT STILL BEING DEBATED.
BUT IF YOU, IF YOU READ INTO HER SPEECH YESTERDAY, IT WAS VERY CLEAR THAT, UH, THAT WILL NOT BE MISSED.
THAT THE, UH, THE STATE WILL COME FORWARD.
SO, SO LET'S LEVEL SET ON THAT, IF THAT HAPPENS.
GREETING STORM, WE DO, WE NEED A RED LIGHT AT, UH, BALLARD AND, UH, COOK ROAD.
NO, NO, IT'S JUST TRAFFIC'S UNBELIEVABLE.
SO JUST AGAIN, JUST LEVEL SET THAT, SO IF, IF THAT COMES THROUGH, LIKE, LIKE WE HOPE IT DOES, LEMME REPEAT THAT JUST FOR TOM.
SO I WAS IN THE CHAMBER, UH, BREAKFAST YESTERDAY THAT WITH, UH, LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, RIGHT.
AND, AND SHE SPOKE AT LENGTH ABOUT THE STATE'S PRIORITIES.
WHO'S SHE? LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, MR. SEARS.
AND, UM, MADE IT VERY CLEAR THAT THAT EDUCATION IS STILL ONE OF THEIR HIGHEST PRIORITIES, UH, FOR THE STATE.
THAT THEY, THEY BELIEVE THAT THAT'S THE WAY FORWARD TO MAKING IT AN ATTRACTIVE STATE FOR BUSINESS.
UH, AND THAT THEY WILL CONTINUE TO FUND THE REQUIREMENTS OF EDUCATION IN THE STATE, BOTH AT THE K THROUGH 12 LEVEL AND COLLEGE LEVEL.
UM, BUT SHE SAID RECOGNIZE THAT IT HAS NOT BEEN CONCLUDED YET.
THERE ARE STILL ISSUES, UH, IN THE BUDGET THAT THE GOVERNOR IS WORKING THROUGH, AND I THINK WE ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS.
HE'S, HE'S HAD SOME ASKS ON THE BUDGET THAT HAVEN'T BEEN, UH, PROGRESSED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND, AND HE'S NOT WILLING TO GIVE THOSE ASKS UP WITHOUT HOLDING A CRITICAL CARD IN HIS HAND.
BUT SHE'S, SHE WAS VERY CONFIDENT THAT THIS, UH, IMPASSE WOULD GET RESOLVED,
[00:10:01]
UH, AT SOME POINT, MAYBE NOT BY THE MAY 2ND DATE, BUT AT SOME POINT OVER THE SUMMER.THAT WAS HER SUMMARY YESTERDAY OF WHERE THE, WHERE THE CURRENT GOVERNMENT IS ON THE STATE GOVERNMENT IS ON FUNDING OF EDUCATION.
SHOULD, SHOULD THAT NOT HAPPEN? WHAT'S OUR FALLBACK? WELL, THAT'S, THAT, THAT'S WHAT STEVE WAS ANSWERING THE QUESTION.
THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S WHAT I GETTING ASKED.
SO IF, IF IT HAPPENS, IT PASSES, LIKE, LIKE WE HOPE IT DOES.
AND GIVEN WHAT WE PROPOSED IN OUR BUDGET SO FAR IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, DOES THAT MEET ALL OF THE SCHOOL FUNDING'S NEED? OR THERE'S STILL A GAP TO MEET WHAT THEY'RE HOPING TO ACCOMPLISH THIS YEAR? I, I'M GONNA ASK MS. GOODWIN TO TALK TO THAT.
'CAUSE I THINK SHE'S TALKED TO, UH, FOLKS AT THE SCHOOLS MOST RECENTLY.
THE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY'S PROPOSAL WOULD HAVE CLOSED THE GAP COMPLETELY FOR THEM.
UM, WHAT THE GOVERNOR SENT BACK TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY DID NOT, IT WAS ABOUT $1.6 MILLION SHORT.
SO I GUESS IT'S ANYBODY'S GUESS WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN WHEN IT COMES BACK.
SO IT COULD BE ANYWHERE FROM ZERO THAT THEY'RE GOOD TO $1.6 MILLION, UM, OF A GAP.
I HEAR ALL THIS AND, AND YOU KNOW, WISHING ONE IS ONE THING, THE FINAL PRODUCT IS THE OTHER MM-HMM
I, I UNDERSTAND, BUT I, I KIND OF WANTED TO PLACE THAT.
I MEAN, PUT ON THE TABLE AND SAY, LET'S AT LEAST BE AWARE THAT THERE MAY BE AN OPTION THERE.
IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN ON THE TABLE FOR A WHILE.
AND I DON'T KNOW, THE, MY THOUGHTS WERE, UM, WHAT HAPPENS IF IT DOESN'T AND WHAT, WHAT, UM, CAN WE PUT IN PLACE? OKAY.
SO IF IF IT DOESN'T, WE'VE COVERED IT.
OR, OR SOME OF IT, SOME PORTION OF IT.
I DON'T THINK THE, WELL NOT, WE'RE GONNA COVER THE WHOLE THING.
THAT'S, THAT'S NOT, NOT EVEN MY UNDERSTANDING.
AND, UH, AND, UH, TALKING TO, UM, THE SUPERINTENDENT, HE UNDERSTANDS THAT.
UH, THE, THE, THE, THE ISSUE, THE CRITICAL ISSUE AT THIS POINT IS BEING COMPETITIVE FROM A FINANCIAL PERSPECTIVE FOR OUR TEACHERS.
I MEAN, THAT IS THE ONE CRITICAL JUNCTURE RELATIVE TO WHAT OUR PEERS ARE DOING IN THE OTHER
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE CRITICAL, CRITICAL STATEMENT.
SO, UM, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, YOU KNOW, THE 4% WOULD BE WONDERFUL, BUT IF YOU WANNA MAKE 'EM COMPETITIVE, YOU, YOU GOTTA MAKE 'EM, YOU GOTTA MAKE IT WHOLE IN THE SENSE THAT IF THE, THE, BASED ON WHAT WE GOT FROM MARK AND, UH, THREE PERCENTS OUT THERE, TWO AND A HALF PERCENT IS NOT BEING COMPETITIVE.
SO WE GOTTA COME UP WITH A HALF OF HALF OF A PERCENT THAT WOULD DO, THAT WOULD FILL THAT GAP.
AND SO OUR SCHOOLS, AND THAT'S, THAT'S LESS THAN THE $1.6 MILLION.
AND WE UNDERSTOOD 1% WAS ROUGHLY 800.
WELL, HE ONLY NEEDS HALF A PERCENT.
1.6% WAS, SO, SO WE, SO WE, IT SOUNDS LIKE WE NEED TO HAVE SOME TYPE OF CONTINGENCY PLAN IN PLACE WHERE THAT 600 SOME THOUSAND DOLLARS WOULD BE AVAILABLE.
AVAILABLE SHOULD THINGS GO SOUTH AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY? WELL, THERE'S A, THERE'S TWO PARTS.
THERE'S, THAT'S WHY I, OFF, I ASKED THE QUESTION ABOUT THE ALTERNATIVE TAXING OPTIONS.
BOTAX, THE CAR TAX, UM, THAT TAKES, YOU KNOW, IT DOES OBVIOUSLY REVERSES WHAT, WHAT WE DID EARLIER.
BUT THE FACT IS THAT THE BUDGET PRESENTED WAS RATHER LEAN TO BEGIN WITH.
AND, UH, AND IT, IT DID TAKE IN ALL THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT WE'VE NOW HEARD FROM ABOUT CONCERNING THE PAY FOR OUR EMPLOYEES TO PAY FOR WHAT THE SCHOOL NEEDS TO GET DONE.
SO, UM, I MEAN, TO ME, THAT'S A COURSE OF ACTION WE CAN TAKE THAT WOULD ACTUALLY GENERATE RE UM, NOT SIGNIFICANT REVENUE, BUT IT WOULD, I THINK WOULD TAKE US UP TO ABOUT 500, GET CLOSE TO 500,000 TO PUT US IN THAT AREA.
SO IT, IT'S WHAT I'M SAYING THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE A WAY OF, I MEAN, AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THE HALF PERCENT THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO GET UP TO IS FOR THE 3% OKAY.
NOW, IT'S NOT WHAT, IT'S NOT DESIRED BY THE SCHOOL, BUT IT'S SUFFICIENT TO KEEP US COMPETITIVE.
AND THE, THE COMPETITIVE ASPECT OF IT, IT'S CRITICAL.
NOW THAT DOESN'T TAKE AWAY FROM THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES, THE COUNTY, WE'VE ALREADY GOT IT IN THE BUDGET THAT'S PLANNED 4% PLUS 500 BUCKS.
AND WE'RE DOING RIGHT BY THEM.
SO WE NEED TO, I, YOU KNOW, TO ME THAT'S, TO ME, IT'S JUST THIS CRITICAL ELEMENT OF THIS, OF THIS BUDGET.
SO NOW YOU'RE LOOKING FOR ANOTHER SOURCE OTHER THAN THE REAL ESTATE TAX.
I'M, I'M NOT GONNA BACK OFF THE REAL ESTATE IF IT'S, UH, IF THAT'S THE ONLY SOURCE, IF WE CAN'T COME UP WITH ANOTHER MORE REVENUE, THEN WE GOTTA COME UP WITH SOMETHING.
AND THAT'S GONNA NEED TO PROBABLY KNUCKLE DOWN THIS AFTERNOON TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THAT OTHER SOMETHING IS.
WELL, LET ME ASK A QUESTION, WHICH WHILE WE'RE ON THIS SUBJECT, SO IF
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THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE SHORT, WHY IS THAT PINNED DOWN ON TEACHER SALARY? THAT'S WHAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND.PROBABLY THE BULK OF THEIR, OF THEIR, OF THE CONTRIBUTION FROM OUR COUNTY.
IN FACT, THAT'S NOT PROBABLY, IT IS THE BULK OF COUNTY CONTRIBUTION GOES TO SALARIES.
BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT IT HAS TO GO TO SALARIES.
THEY CAN CUT OTHER PLACES AND NOT CUT OUT OF THE TEACHER'S SALARY TO MAKE UP FOR THE TEACHER'S SALARY.
WE APPROVE THE MONEY THAT GOES TO 'EM.
AND IF THEY COME UP SHORT, JUST LIKE IF WE COME UP SHORT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CUT SOME CORNERS SOMEWHERE ALONG THE WAY, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA CUT IT FROM OUR EMPLOYEES.
WE'RE GONNA FIND WE'RE GONNA MOVE A, A STAGE OVER AND WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA FIND SOME MONEY THAT WE WEREN'T GONNA USE.
I'M NOT GONNA, I'M NOT GONNA ARGUE THE POINT.
IT CAN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN MAKE CHOICE.
THEY GET TO DO WHAT THEY WANNA DO WITH THE MONEY.
MY SENSE IS THE, MY SENSE IS AFTER ALL THE DISCUSSIONS WE'VE HAD FROM THE SCHOOL BUDGET AND ALL THE DISCUSSIONS WE'VE HAD WITH OUR COUNTY BUDGET, UM, THAT I'M SATISFIED THAT THE BUDGETS ARE MEETING, ARE MEETING THE NEEDS OF THE COUNTY EMPLOYEE, THE COUNTY SIDE AND THE SCHOOL SIDE, MINUS THE GEORGE CLARK.
UH, BUT ANYWAY, I FEEL IT THAT WAY.
THE POINT, THE POINT IS THAT, YEAH, I GOT TOO MUCH, TOO MUCH ELECTRONICS GOING ON HERE.
SO THE POINT IS, UM, I'M SATISFIED.
I'M SATISFIED THE BUDGET, I'M SATISFIED THAT THEY'VE LOOKED EVERYWHERE.
WHAT THEY'RE SIMPLY ASKING FOR US IS TO, AND, AND IS NOT THE WHOLE BUDGET PART OR ANYTHING ELSE.
IT'S JUST THAT ONE HALF OF THAT GET, GET THAT HALF A PERCENT OF A, OF THEY'RE ASKING FOR A PAY RAISE.
THAT'S ALL THEY'RE ASKING FOR.
THAT'S THE IT THAT'S PROVIDED.
THEY DON'T GET FUNDING FROM THE STATE.
RIGHT? WELL, IF THEY GET FUNDING FROM THE STATE, SEE, THE OTHER OPTION WOULD BE, OKAY, LOOK, IF THEY GET FUNDING FROM THE STATE, THEN WE DON'T THEN OUR BUDGET, WE DON'T GIVE 'EM THE MONEY.
THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE'S I'M NOT INTERESTED IN HAVING FREE MONEY FLOATING OUT THERE.
AND IT'S NOT FREE MONEY BECAUSE, SO THEY, I KNOW THE ARGUMENT WOULD BE, WELL, YOU KNOW, THE STATE DOESN'T COME THROUGH COMPLETELY.
'CAUSE WE DON'T, I MEAN, THERE'S ALL KIND OF THINGS COULD GO WRONG THERE.
UM, THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, BUT THE POINT IS WE'RE TRYING, YOU KNOW, MY INTEREST IS IN SOLVING THIS LITTLE PIECE OF THE PUZZLE.
AND IF THEY GET, THEY GET THE REVENUE FROM SOMEWHERE ELSE IN THAT, THAT MONEY COMES BACK TO THE STATE, IT COMES, WELL, NO, IT BACK TO US.
COMES TO THE COUNTY, COMES, IT PASSES THROUGH MY HAND.
IT'S GONNA PASS THROUGH THE COUNTY.
BUT THE SIGNIFICANT PART, I, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE, WE NEED A HALF A PERCENT NEED, A 3% TO BE COMPETITIVE.
LET'S GO THROUGH THE REST OF THE PRESENTATION.
HE SHOULD KNOW BETTER THAN CALLING YOU RIGHT NOW.
SO OUR, SORRY, OUR SECOND BULLET HERE IS AFTER, AFTER MS. MCKINNEY'S PRESENTATION ON THE STAFF AND COMPENSATION, WHAT YOU ASKED US TO CONSIDER WAS TO COME BACK AND DO SOME MID WHAT MIDYEAR ADJUSTMENTS, UH, TO STAFF SALARIES AND POTENTIALLY DO A COMPENSATION STUDY.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE NEED SOME CLARITY ON AS WELL, BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE TO PLAN FOR THAT AS PART OF THE BUDGET.
WELL, MS. GOODWIN HAD MADE SOME CALLS AND UNDERSTOOD THE COST OF A STUDY WAS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE ORIGINALLY STARTED WITH.
SO WHY DON'T WE REVIEW THAT? SO I THINK THAT'S WHERE WE NEED TO AGAIN, PLEASE.
UM, SO WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE OTHER LOCALITIES THAT HAVE RECENTLY COMPLETED COMPENSATION STUDIES, THEY'RE IN THE 50 TO $75,000 RANGE, LESS THAN A HUNDRED.
SO, UM, WE WERE PLEASED TO HEAR THAT, UH, WE KNOW THE COST TO IMPLEMENT IS GOING TO BE BIG, BUT WHAT, UM, THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS PROPOSING HERE IS THAT WE DO A MIDYEAR ADJUSTMENT, LIKE THE BOARD HAD TALKED ABOUT MM-HMM
COUNTYWIDE DECEMBER JANUARY TIMEFRAME AFTER WE DO THE STUDY, WHILE THE STUDY'S BEING DONE, WHAT'S BEING DONE.
SO, BECAUSE ONCE WE, THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY BEFORE YOU DO IT, BUT WE DO KNOW THAT BASED ON MS. MCKINNEY'S PRESENTATION THAT WE'RE REALLY SEVERELY BELOW MARKETS.
SO THE 4% ISN'T GOING TO GET US THERE.
A MID-YEAR ADJUSTMENT WILL HELP US NOT LOSE ANY MORE TRACTION WHILE THE STUDY'S BEING PERFORMED.
THEN WE WOULD BRING THE RESULTS OF THE STUDY BACK TO THE BOARD TO TALK ABOUT WHAT AN IMPLEMENTATION PLAN LOOKS LIKE FOR 27.
WHAT, WHAT HAS BEEN THE, UM, TIMELINE FOR THE OTHER COUNTIES WHO HAVE DONE THIS? IS HOW LONG HAS IT TAKEN TO DO THIS STUDY? IT'S TYPICALLY ABOUT THREE MONTHS.
DOES THAT SOUND ABOUT RIGHT? PER YES.
IT CAN RANGE JANUARY FROM THREE TO SIX MONTHS, JUST DEPENDING ON HOW, WHAT THE SCOPE IS THAT YOU GIVE THE VENDORS TO DO.
SO, AND IT WOULD BE COUNTYWIDE WITH PUBLIC SAFETY IN THERE TOO.
IT MIGHT BE CLOSER TO THE, TO THE SIX.
SO I DIDN'T HEAR WHAT YOU SAID.
HOW MANY? THREE TO SIX MONTHS.
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THAT'S ABOUT WHAT I WAS THINKING.BUT WHAT IS THAT STUDY GONNA SHOW US BEYOND WHAT WE CAN GO TO OUR NEIGHBORS AND LOOK UP THEIR, THEIR, THEIR HIRING RATES? WHAT ELSE IS GONNA TELL US? WELL, WHAT ELSE IT SHOWS IS WE NEED TO BE, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE COMPARING APPLES AND APPLES.
BECAUSE OUR CONSTRUCTION MAINTENANCE WORKER ONE MIGHT BE DIFFERENT THAN SOMEBODY ELSE'S CONSTRUCTION MAINTENANCE WORKER ONE.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE COMPARING THE SAME JOBS FOR THE SAME PAY.
'CAUSE IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE MISALIGNED, YOU'RE GONNA GET THE WRONG INFORMATION AND WE, AND WE WON'T PAY WHAT WE SHOULD BE PAYING.
YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE IT ON THE SURFACE TOO.
AND SO, AND WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF JOB CLASSIFICATIONS.
ARE WE ABLE TO TAKE THAT OUT OF THE CURRENT BUDGET AND COMPLETE IT BEFORE? SO COULD WE DO THAT WITH IN 25 NOW? IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? MM-HMM
HOW MUCH DOES NOT COST 75,000, 70 50 TO 75.
THAT'S JUST A GUESSTIMATE OF WHERE THE OTHER LOCALITIES HAVE.
I BELIEVE IT'LL BE LOW BELOW A HUNDRED.
I DON'T THINK HOW LONG? THREE, SIX MONTHS.
BUT WAS THOUSAND 16 WAS KIND OF A RELATIONSHIP THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.
NOT JUST A, YOU KNOW, A ONE GUY DOING SOMETHING RATHER, BUT WHAT THE JOB THAT HE'S DOING.
IF IT'S EQUAL TO WHAT OUR MEN ARE DOING, IT MIGHT BE A DIFFERENT CLASSIFICATION IF THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED TO LOOK AT.
I REACTED NEGATIVELY WHEN I THOUGHT IT WAS A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS.
I WANTED TO PUT THAT MONEY TOWARDS YES.
SO I THINK IT'S, UH, IT'S WORTH GOING FORWARD JUST SO THAT WE HAVE A VERY CONCRETE PLAN ON, ON HOW TO THEN COMPENSATE.
WILL, WILL THAT STUDY ALSO, INSTEAD OF JUST A SNAPSHOT IN TIME, HERE'S WHERE YOU'RE, HERE'S WHERE YOU'RE AT TODAY.
WHAT'LL ALSO SAY YOU A PROJECTION IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS OR WHATEVER TIMEFRAME THIS IS, WHICH YOU'LL NEED TO BE TARGETING AS OPPOSED TO GET UP TO SPEED.
RIGHT NOW YOU NEED TO DO X, BUT WE NEED, WE NEED SOME FUTURE VIEW AS WELL.
DOES THE STUDY INCLUDE THAT? IT CAN, IT ABSOLUTELY CAN.
MR. RON, AGAIN, WE GET TO DICTATE WHAT THE SCOPE LOOKS LIKE FOR A VENDOR.
HOW MUCH YOU WANT, WHETHER WE WANT THEM TO LOOK AT EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION AS IT CURRENTLY IS AND HOW WE'RE PAYING, WHETHER IT'S LOOKING AT THE STRUCTURE THAT WE CURRENTLY USE, AND EVEN FUTURISTIC WHAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE.
THEY CAN COMPARE US TO MARKET CITIES AND LOCALITIES AND COUNTIES AND TOWNS AND SEE WHERE WE STAND.
YOU CAN TELL THEM WHERE WE WANNA BE IN THAT MARKET.
SO WE WILL DETERMINE THE JURISDICTIONS TO BE COMPARED AGAINST.
OR WILL THEY OFFER THAT UP AS A SUGGESTION? OR BOTH THINGS ARE OFF, OFF POSSIBLE.
AND THAT'D BE UNDER A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
WILL IT CUT ALL OF THAT? NO, NO.
ALSO INCLUDE THE CONSTITUTIONAL SAYING THAT WE CAN GET MORE IF WE WANT TO PUSH IT OUT MORE AND IT WOULD COST US MORE.
THAT'S WHY I ASKED HER IF WHAT SHE DISCUSSED, WE WOULD GET TO UNDER A HUNDRED THOUSAND AND SHE SAID YES.
NO, WELL, NOT WHAT STEVEN ASKED.
WE CAN INCLUDE THAT IN THE SCOPE.
AND I THINK IT WOULD STILL BE UNDER A HUNDRED.
UM, WILL INCLUDE, WE'LL INCLUDE THE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS, THEIR OFFICES, LIKE THE SHERIFF AND THE OTHER, BECAUSE WE'RE, THEY'RE ALL TIED TO OUR, SEEMS TO BE TIED TO OUR PAY.
WELL, THE RPI TO OUR PAY PAY SCHEME.
SO WE DID TALK ABOUT INCLUDING PUBLIC SAFETY.
CONSTITUTIONALS WOULD BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT BECAUSE THERE'S STATE BOARD COMPENSATION THAT WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER.
WE WOULD HAVE CONTROL OVER THE COUNTY STUFF ON SIDE COMP BOARD.
WHETHER STATE PAYS FOR COMP BOARD, THAT'S WHAT WE PAY.
WHAT WE PAY AND OFFER UP IN THE CORRECT.
IN THE, UH, COUNTY OVER AND ABOVE.
WELL, I'D LIKE TO BASE IT ON SOMETHING.
COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS WOULD BE GREAT, RIGHT? MM-HMM
LIKE I SAY, WHEN IT COMES TIME, GIVE US, GIVE US OPTIONS.
SO THEN WE'LL FIGURE OUT HOW WE WANNA DIAL IT IN, OKAY? MM-HMM
SO THEN THE WAY I TAKE THAT IS YOU'RE, YOU'RE OKAY WITH THIS AND THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD PLAN IT FOR IF YES.
DO WE NEED TO GIVE YOU AN UPPER LIMIT ON HOW MUCH IT'S SPENT? WELL, NO, THAT'S WHERE THE OPTIONS, THAT'S WHERE THE
I THINK SHE, I THINK SHE ALREADY SAID THEY TALKED TO HIM AND GOTTEN A REASONABLE CASE.
WELL, AND THAT'S JUST FOR THE STUDY PIECE.
AND THEN OF COURSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING THE MIDYEAR ADJUSTMENTS.
SO IF, IF IT GETS BEYOND THAT, CERTAINLY I'LL COME BACK TO YOU JUST LIKE WE DID FOR THE STAFFING STUDY.
I'LL, I'LL NOT LEAVE YOU IN THE DARK ABOUT THAT.
SO THAT AS AN EXAMPLE, PLEASE
WELL, AND, AND ONE, ONE OTHER POINT WE USE THE SAME.
WE DID WANNA MAKE, WE'LL, NOT YEAH.
YOU KNOW, WE ARE GONNA BE OF COURSE TRACKING OUR REVENUES TO SEE IF THEY'RE COMING IN AS PROJECTED IN, IN 26.
THE MIDYEAR ADJUSTMENT PIECE IS ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT YES, WE DO, WHAT THE CURRENT SITUATION IS.
[00:25:01]
IF WE'RE NOT ABLE TO DO IT, OF COURSE WE WOULDN'T DO ANYTHING THAT WASN'T FISCALLY APPROPRIATE.THANK YOU FOR YOUR GUIDANCE ON THAT.
SO THE, THE NEXT THING WAS, THIS IS A CO THIS WAS A CONVERSATION THAT, UH, MR. SHEPHERD, IT, IT, IT WAS A QUESTION HE HAD IN TUESDAY'S MEETING.
IT WAS ALSO A QUESTION, UH, FROM ONE OF THE RESIDENTS ABOUT OTHER THINGS THAT WE CONSIDERED, UH, FOR THIS BUDGET.
SO MR. SHEPHERD, WE, WE COULD CONSIDER ALL OF THESE, UH, TO SOME DEGREE THE VAPE TAX WENT THROUGH GENERAL ASSEMBLY THIS PAST YEAR, DID NOT MAKE IT.
SO IF IT GOES AGAIN AND HAPPENS TO BE APPROVED, THEN CERTAINLY WE CAN ENTERTAIN THAT.
THE, THE MEALS TAX, UH, WE WOULD NOT HAVE AVAILABLE TO US UNTIL JANUARY, UH, BECAUSE IT'S PART OF THAT, UH, TOMMY TAX BILL.
SO ONCE THAT SUNSETS OUT IN JANUARY, WE COULD DO THAT.
HOW MUCH, DO YOU HAVE AN IDEA WHAT THAT WOULD GENERATE? WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT KIND OF HOMEWORK ON IT YET.
WE JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
SO LET ME FINISH AND I'LL OKAY.
GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION THERE.
SO MEALS TAX, THAT'S WHERE WE ARE ON MEALS TAX.
ADMISSIONS TAX IS SOMETHING NEW.
YOU'RE SEEING WILLIAMSBURG GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS RIGHT NOW.
UH, THEY'RE LOOKING AT IT FOR US.
YOU COULD ENVISION THAT ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS WATER COUNTRY, GREAT WOLF LODGE, UM, BRIAN, YOU HAD MENTIONED A COUPLE OTHERS.
WILL FLUSH THAT ALSO IS A, IS A JANUARY 26TH.
BEFORE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THAT AS WELL.
THAT WOULD NOT SAY THAT DATE AGAIN, JANUARY 6TH.
WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO IMPOSE THAT UNTIL JANUARY.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY WE, WE WENT BACK, LOOKED AT THE BOTAX THE LAST YEAR.
I THINK IT GENERATED ON AN, ON THE SCOPE OF AROUND $400,000.
AND THEN ANOTHER FEE OR TAX THAT WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE THAT MOST OF OUR NEIGHBORS HAVE, NOT ALL BUT MOST IS A STORM WATER FEE.
AND, AND THAT'S, THAT'S A REALLY BIG ONE.
SO NOW, MR. SHEPHERD, EVERY ONE OF THOSE WILL REQUIRE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND TODAY WE ARE, WE ARE TOO CLOSE TO THEIR APPROVAL DATE TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THAT, TO ADD IT TO THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.
BUT WE CERTAINLY COULD CONSIDER THESE SHOULD WE NEED SOME TYPE OF REVENUE FOR THE NEXT TAX YEAR.
I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ON THIS, SIR.
SO ON BOAT TAX, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS REMOVED ON THE BASIS OF WE FELT THAT IT WOULD IMPROVE BUSINESS AND THIS, OUR INTENT IS TO BE A BUSINESS FRIENDLY BOARD.
DO WE HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OR DO WE NEED TO GO OUT AND GET AN UNDERSTANDING ON HOW HAS BOAT TRAFFIC AND, AND UM, AND REVENUE FROM THE MARINAS IMPROVED SINCE THE BOTOX WAS REMOVED? AND AGAIN, THAT WOULD BE AFTER THIS BUDGET IS FINISHED AND WHEN THERE IS TIME TO DO IT.
BECAUSE WE YOU COULD NOT DO IT UNTIL THE FOLLOWING YEAR.
BUT, BUT I THINK IT MOVES US TO KNOW, HAS IT WORKED? YEAH.
WE, WE NEED TO DO THAT CALCULUS.
WE, WE HAVE HOMEWORK TO DO ON THAT.
IF THAT WAS SOMETHING THE BOARD WAS REALLY INTERESTED IN, WE ALSO NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS DO, NEIGHBORS ARE DOING AS FAR AS THAT.
BECAUSE ONE OF THE CONCERNS, AGAIN, THIS IS FOR MOST OF OUR TIME HERE, ONE OF THE CONCERNS WAS THAT IF WE MAINTAIN A BOAT TAX AND OUR NEIGHBORS DIDN'T, EVERYBODY WOULD TAKE AND PUT THEIR BOATS IN MARINAS THEY SIDE OF THE COUNTY.
SO NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING.
I HAVE A SENSE THAT OUR BUSINESS, OUR MARINAS HAVE FILLED BACK UP SINCE THE BOT TAX CAME OFF.
AND CERTAINLY, I THINK IT'S MILLS WAS TALKING ABOUT A RESTAURANT.
BUT WE, WHAT WE DON'T, WHAT WE DON'T WANNA DO IS THEN TO SEE EVERYBODY BINGO, RIGHT? MM-HMM
I WANNA SAY GUESSING IT'D BE BETTER TO HAVE THE STATISTICS, BUT WE, FOR FOREVER, WE RETAINED, WE RETAINED THE BOAT TAX.
OKAY? AND, AND IT WAS PRETTY CONSISTENT.
THREE, ABOUT 350 TO $400,000 A YEAR.
YOU TAKE THAT OFF AND THEN YOU END UP HAVING TO
'CAUSE I THINK IF I RECALL WHEN WE MOVED ALL THESE TAXES OFF AND ALL THAT OTHER STUFF, WE ENDED UP WITH $22,000 REMOVED OUT OF OUR BUDGET, OUR, OUR ABILITY TO RAISE REVENUE FOR OUR BUDGET.
BUT THE PROBLEM IS WHEN YOU END UP NEEDING MONEY, YOU CUT DOWN YOUR, YOUR LIMIT, YOUR RESOURCES, THE POINT, SO YOU GO, YOU'RE GONNA END UP GOING AFTER THE, UH, AFTER REAL ESTATE TAX OR PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX.
I HAVEN'T, I MEAN, WE'VE BEEN, WE'VE BEEN PUSHING THAT.
I MEAN THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO BE, WE HAVE TO THINK OF IN THE LONG TERM.
[00:30:01]
I'M JUST LOOKING FOR, I'M LOOKING FOR OPTIONS IS ALL I'M LOOKING FOR.BUT, UH, MY POINT IN ALL THIS IS THAT, UM, I'M NOT GONNA GET EMOTIONAL ABOUT IT.
I'M JUST GONNA SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, THE ACTION WE TAKE, WE GOTTA BE DAMN CAREFUL.
WE DON'T END UP, UH, YOU KNOW, HURTING US, HURTING OURSELVES A COUPLE YEARS DOWN THE ROAD LIKE WE'RE DOING NOW YOU SUSAN, YOU WERE, YOU GOT THE INFORMATION ABOUT STORM WATER MANAGEMENT FEES.
I WAS WONDERING HOW DOES THAT AFFECT OUR ENTERPRISE FUND? DOES IT HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THAT AT ALL? IF WE HAD A STORM WATER MANAGEMENT FEE, THAT WOULD MEAN LESS SUPPORT FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
SO WOULD FREE UP GENERAL FUND DOLLARS BECAUSE WE COULD USE THE STORMWATER FEE FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS IN ADDITION TO WHAT THE MONEY THAT WE COLLECT FOR THE ENTERPRISE FUND.
SO IT, WOULD WE GO TOWARDS THAT AS WELL OR WOULD WE'D USE IT FOR THE GENERAL FUND? IT WOULD HAVE TO BE USED FOR STORMWATER ONLY.
THAT'S WHERE I WAS, THAT'S WHERE I WAS COMING FROM.
AND, AND DOES THAT REALLY HELP US? WELL, REMEMBER THE MEALS TAX, HALF OF IT, 50% OF IT GOES TO STORMWATER WATER SEW A PROJECT, RIGHT? SO THAT WOULD FREE UP THE MONEY FROM THE MEALS TAX THAT'S GOING OVER TO SUPPORT THOSE FUNDS.
YOU MAY WANNA SEND IT ALL OVER TO SEWER.
UM, BUT IT WOULD POTENTIALLY FREE SOME OF THAT UP TO GO TO THE GENERAL FUND IN ADDITION TO THE MEALS TAX GOING TO STORMWATER.
WE ALSO DO, BUT ISN'T THE MEALS TAX, I MEAN, ISN'T IT DESIGNATED THE MALE STATS DESIGNATED THE SPLIT IS DESIGNATED.
THAT'S, THAT'S Y'S DESIGNATION.
WE PERMISS A THAT'S YOUR DESIGNATION, RIGHT? SO YOU CAN CHANGE THAT.
IT'S, I I THOUGHT WE GOT PERMISSION TO DO THAT, UH, WITH PERMISSION FROM THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY AND THAT IT WAS GOING TO GO, BUT THAT WAS LONG TIME AGO.
I UNDERSTAND IT TO BE BOARD POLICY.
YOU KNOW, THE STORMWATER TAX HAS A HISTORY OF BEING A REAL NERVE, A RAW NERVE.
I'VE SEEN JAMES CITY COUNTY AND A COUPLE OF THE CITIES GO THROUGH REAL TURMOIL OVER THAT.
UM, IT WASN'T A SIGNIFICANT TAX.
I MEAN, IF I RECALL IT WAS LIKE BUCK 50 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT IT WAS ENOUGH TO GENERATE A REVENUE TO GET THINGS DONE.
TO ME IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT'S A TRIP WIRE.
YOU GOTTA BE REAL, WE GOTTA BE REAL CAREFUL TO GIVE THAT SOME CONSIDERATION.
NOW THE POINT THOUGH IS, AND YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GOING BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND, IT'S AN ENTERPRISE FUND, ALL THAT WE HIRE, WE HAVE A CREW THAT OUR CREWS GO OUT AND CLEAN THOSE DITCHES.
AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU WHAT THAT IS.
LIKE THEN IN MY DISTRICT, ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES IS, UH, YOU KNOW, WE COULD USE THAT MONEY FOR LIKE STREAM RESTORATION.
I THINK WE'VE DONE THAT IN SEVERAL DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE COUNTY.
UH, IT'S A BIG DEAL BECAUSE IT KEEPS US UP IN YOUR AREA.
IT'S PART OF THE, UH, QUEENS LAKE, UH, UH, RESTORATION.
I THINK WE DID SOME UP THERE IN, UH, WAYNE'S DISTRICT ALSO ABOUT THE, UH, OR THE, UH, WHAT WAS IT? THE RAILROAD TRACK.
AND WE WERE PUTTING IN THE, TRYING TO PUT THE, THE BMPS IN THERE.
SO WE JUST HAVE TO BE REAL CAREFUL WITH THAT PARTICULAR ONE AND COME UP WITH SOME PRICES THAT MAKES SENSE.
WELL, THAT WAS JUST AN OPTION THAT WAS THROWN OUT.
AND SUSAN WENT AND GOT OF THE LIST OF THE VARIOUS COSTS RIGHT.
AND I THINK, WHAT'D YOU SAY IT WOULD, THE TAX EQUIVALENT VALUE WOULD BE 3 CENTS ON THE REAL ESTATE TAX.
THAT'S WHAT THE AVERAGE, THAT'S THE AVERAGE.
THAT'S WHAT THE AVERAGE ANNUAL STORMWATER FEE IS IN THE OTHER LOCALITIES.
EQUATES TO ABOUT 3 CENTS ON OUR REAL ESTATE TAX.
AND HOW DO THEY COLLECT IT MOST, COLLECT IT SEMI-ANNUALLY WITH THE REAL ESTATE TAX BILL.
UH, VIRGINIA BEACH AND NORFOLK COLLECT IT MONTHLY IN THE WATER BILL.
BUT MOST COLLECT IT IN THE REAL ESTATE TAX BILL.
'CAUSE YOU GOT A LOT OF BETTER CHANCE OF, AND THAT'S WHERE THE, THAT'S WHERE YOU GET A NERVE
SERIOUSLY, THAT'S, THAT'S HOW PEOPLE LOOK AT IT.
IT'S JUST ANOTHER REAL ESTATE.
YOU MIGHT, YOU JUST ADD 3 CENTS TO REAL ESTATE TAX AND SOLVE A STORM WATER FEE.
BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT, THAT THERE'S AN ISSUE AT THIS POINT.
BUT THE COMPARISON THEN THAT WE DO COUNTY TO COUNTY SHOULD INCLUDE IT.
SO WHEN, IF WE WANT TO GO THAT ROUTE, I MEAN, IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE AT ZERO AND EVERYBODY ELSE IS AT 3 CENTS, THAT'S A, THAT'S A 3 CENTS.
I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AND I, I, AND HAVING BEEN ON THIS BOARD LONG ENOUGH, I'VE SEEN WHAT'S HAPPENING WHEN YOU START TALKING TO STORM WATER FEE BECAUSE IT'S, IT, IT COMES TO IT REAL ESTATE TAX.
AND THE REAL ESTATE TAX IS ALWAYS THE ISSUE.
SO HOW YOU COLLECT IT OR WHATEVER YOU NAME IT, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, BUT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING, WHAT I THINK WE'RE SAYING IS BY NOT HAVING, HAVING A STORM WATER FEE, IT AFFECTS OUR YEAH.
WHEN I LOOK AT THAT CHART AND WHERE IT'S 78 CENTS AND EVERYBODY ELSE IS, IT'S 3 CENTS, YOU KNOW, UP OR DOWN FROM THERE.
BUT, BUT THEY'RE CHARGING AN ADDITIONAL TEXT FOR, FOR STORM WATER.
WE SHOULD BE APPLES TO APPLES.
THE CITY'S JUST CHARGING A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE CAN'T GET TO BECAUSE GENERAL ASSEMBLY WON'T LET US.
AND, AND TO BE CLEAR, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT ADVOCATING ANY OF THESE.
SO I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TELLING US, CALLING US TOMORROW, FUSSING AT US ABOUT STORM WATER FEES.
WE'RE, WE'RE NOT ADVOCATING THIS TODAY.
WE ARE GIVING YOU A LIST, A MENU SHOULD YOU NEED IT IN THE FUTURE TO LOOK AT.
SO A COUPLE OF COMMENTS ON, ON THAT.
[00:35:01]
THE, THE VAPE TAX, AS SOON AS WE'RE ABLE TO COLLECT THAT, WE SHOULD GO AFTER BECAUSE IT'S NOT A, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S NOT TOO FAR REMOVED FROM TOBACCO USE.AND THE TOBACCO USE IS BEING TAXED A DAY.
SO THERE'S AN IMBALANCE BETWEEN THOSE, THOSE COMPETITORS NOW.
SO THAT, THAT'S NOT FAIR ON THAT SCALE.
SO AS SOON AS THAT'S AVAILABLE, WE SHOULD GO UP.
AND I BELIEVE THE, THE CIGARETTE TOBACCO TAX IS, I BELIEVE THAT WHEN THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED, THAT WENT A HUNDRED PERCENT RIGHT FROM THE GET GO, RIGHT? MM-HMM
UM, I'M REALLY INTERESTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT IS THAT GETS APPLIED TO VISITORS COMING INTO THE AREA AND, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, BRING IN THE ROAD USAGE AND WHAT, WHAT HAVE YOU TOO IS NOT A BURDEN SO MUCH ON, ON COUNTY RESIDENTS AS IT IS ON, ON OUR VISITORS COMING, COMING TO THE AREA.
SO I'LL, I'M REALLY INTERESTED TO LEARN, LEARN MORE ABOUT THAT OPTION.
HOW ABOUT A, HOW ABOUT A 9 1 1 FEE? DO WE HAVE A 9 1 1 FEE? WE DO.
HOW MUCH IS IT? MR. HALL CAN TALK TO THAT, I BELIEVE.
DO YOU WANT, DO YOU NEED A QUESTION ASKED AGAIN? YES.
GO TO THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA.
THEN COMES BACK AND THEN WE GET PORTIONS OF IT BACK.
UH, THE MOST RECENT SUCCESS WAS ABOUT $70 MILLION THAT WAS SPENT DEPLOYING STATEWIDE 9 1 1.
AND THEN WE APPLY FOR GRANTS TO GET PORTIONS OF IT BACK.
HOW MUCH, WHAT'S THE PORTION WE GET? HOLD ON ONE SECOND.
IT'S JUST ANOTHER, ANOTHER OPTION.
WE GET $442,000 A YEAR TOWARDS OUR BUDGET.
HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH DOES THE COUNTY GIVE TO THE STATE? UH, WE DON'T HAVE THAT DATA.
IT COMES THROUGH THE COMMONWEALTH VIRGINIA.
IT COMES THROUGH AS A UTILITY TAX ON THE CELL PHONES.
WHAT IS IT? WHAT IS IT COMING ON OUR, YEAH, OUR, OUR, LIKE I SAID, CELL PHONE CHARGER, CELL PHONE.
RIGHT NOW ABOUT 87% OF THE CALLS, UH, THAT ARE MADE 9 1 1 IN THE COMMONWEALTH VIRGINIA GO OVER CELL PHONES.
AND THIS COMES IN THROUGH THE CELL PHONE TAX.
UH, WE'RE WORKING WITH THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA RIGHT NOW, ATTEMPTING TO GET MORE MONEY PASSED ON TO THE 9 1 1 CENTERS.
UH, AND THE REASON IS OUTTA THIS $70 MILLION WE'RE COMPLETED WITH THAT PROJECT.
NOW THE TAX HASN'T GONE DOWN ANY, SO NOW ALL THAT'S STILL GOING TO THE STATE.
SO WE HAVE GRANT COMMITTEES THAT ARE COMING UP WITH IDEAS ON WAYS THAT WE CAN GET ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR TECHNOLOGY AND OPERATIONS OF THE COMMUNICATION CENTER.
SO THE MONEY, THE 400,000 WE GET, HOW DO WE APPLY IT? WE APPLY IT DIRECTLY TO OUR OPERATING FUND.
TO THE OPERATING FUND? YES SIR.
AND IT GO, SO IT DOESN'T GO SPECIFICALLY TO 9 1 1, IT GOES SPECIFICALLY TO OUR 9 1 1.
YOUR NINE ONE OFFSET THE COST.
WHICH BRINGS UP THE SUBJECT ABOUT GRANTS AND HOW MUCH PEOPLE HAVE BEEN APPLYING FOR AND HOW MUCH IT SAVED OUR TAXES.
SO, MRS. NOLL, LAST YEAR WE RECEIVED $1.3 MILLION IN GRANTS FROM THE 9 1 1 BOARD, UH, WHEN WE DID OUR CONSOLIDATION.
AND 300,000 ADDITIONALLY TOWARDS OUR NEW CALL HANDLING EQUIPMENT THAT WE'VE JUST RECENTLY INSTALLED.
SO THAT'S A TOTAL OF ABOUT $1.6 MILLION IN, IN OUR FACILITY.
AND THAT'S LESS, THAT'S A ONE TIME KIND OF MONEY ANYWAY.
SO $300,000 WILL, UH, BE AVAILABLE TO US EVERY FIVE YEARS.
UH, THE LAST TIME WE USED IT FIVE YEARS AGO IS 150,000.
SO THERE'S AN INFLATIONARY RATE THAT GOES ONTO IT.
UH, SO THAT WE ANTICIPATE WHEN WE NEED IT AGAIN, WE'LL PROBABLY BE FIVE OR $600,000 TO HELP OFFSET THE RISING COST OF IT.
OUR BIGGEST ISSUES THAT WE HAVE FACED AT US NOW ARE SECURITY.
UH, BACK IN THE OLD DAYS WE HAD COPPER, NOW WE HAVE FIBER.
SO CYBERSECURITY IS A MAJOR ISSUE WITH US RIGHT NOW.
'CAUSE WE'RE OPENING OURSELF UP TO THE INTERNET.
SO YOU'LL SEE US IN, IN THE FUTURE TALKING ABOUT FUNDS FOR CYBERSECURITY.
AND HOPEFULLY WE'RE GONNA BE IN HERE SAYING THAT THE STATE'S GONNA PAY FOR HALF OR EVEN ALL OF IT.
I THINK SO OVERALL, THE COUNTY RECEIVED ROUGHLY $6.9 MILLION IN GRANTS AND I BELIEVE THAT WAS 2024.
THAT SAVES, THAT SAVES TAXPAYERS A LOT OF MONEY.
THAT'S WHAT I'M, I'M TRYING TO GET TO.
REALLY, TRULY, BECAUSE STAFF HAS BEEN, IT'D BE NICE TO SEE A SUMMARY OF THAT BROUGHT TWO OR MORE MEETING.
I COULD PUT IT IN A MEMO AND SEND IT TO YOU ON A FRIDAY.
DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW LATE GET ALL THE INFORMATION IN.
BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THESE OF THESE GRANTS AND THE, THE, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE PEOPLE VOLUNTEERING TIME AND ALL THAT, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY IT SAVES ON, ON, UH, THE TAXES.
[00:40:01]
MY SENSE IS FROM THIS, NONE OF THIS IS GONNA WORK FOR THIS YEAR.I GOTTA ANSWER ANY, WE WOULD HAVE TO ASK FOR.
UM, WE'D HAVE TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION BEFORE WE START TALKING ABOUT 27.
SO, UH, THE SCHOOLS WERE TABLED, ASKED TO COME BACK.
SO I BELIEVE THAT IS THE LAST ISSUE THAT WE HAVE.
SO YOU'VE, YOU'VE COME BACK TO US WITH A REDUCTION IN THE WATER COST.
AND JUST REMIND ME, WHAT WAS LAST YEAR'S FUNDING AND WHAT ARE WE DOING THIS YEAR? AND I DON'T RECALL THE LIKE 300,000, LITTLE THREE.
I CAN TELL WHAT WE, WHAT WE WATER.
WATER REALLY SHOT UP THE REQUEST THIS YEAR.
SO WATA HAD MADE A REQUEST OF THE THREE LOCALITIES, THE THREE PARTNER LOCALITIES.
AS IT TURNS OUT, THEY, THEY'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT.
THEY, THEY ARE ABLE TO GET A GRANT AND FUND MOST OF THIS.
SO THE REQUEST IS LESS SO BACK TO NORMAL.
SO THE, THE DELTA WAS THREE 330,000.
SO WE HAVE $330,000 IN OUR BUDGET RIGHT NOW THAT WE COULD APPROPRIATE TO ANOTHER ISSUE SUCH AS THIS.
OKAY, WE GOT 4 CENTS TAX RATE, PERSONAL, I MEAN, UM, AND, AND THE PERSONAL PROPERTIES, UH, WENT UP 20 CENTS TOTAL.
PROPOSED 4 CENTS PROPOSED ON THE, ON THE REAL ESTATE TAX RATE TO CLOSE THE GAP WITH THE SCHOOLS FOR THAT.
WHAT WOULD, WHAT DO WE HAVE TO DO TO ONE OF THOSE TAXES? WE NEED, WE NEED $600,000 BASICALLY.
SO YOU'RE LEFT WITH 220 LEFT TO FILL THE GAP IS RIGHT.
THAT'S WHAT WE GOTTA, SO WE NEED 220, 220 HAVE, HAVE SET ASIDE IN CASE THE STATE FUND DOESN'T COME THROUGH LIKE THEY NEED.
AND THEN WE'LL BE ABLE TO FULLY MEET.
I'M GONNA ASK THE HARD QUESTION.
WHAT IS THAT AMOUNT ON THE TAX RATE? HOW MUCH OF AN INCREASE WOULD IT BE ABOVE FOUR.
WE'RE NOT PREPARED TO GO ON TAX RATE.
TWO WHAT? 225,000 FROM WHERE? AND THAT THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT.
JUST WANNA SAY WE'LL TAKE CARE OF.
I I THINK WE JUST TAKE CARE OF IT.
THE ANSWER IS, IS WE'LL, WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT TO GET THERE.
NO, I'M JUST LIKE THE SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES.
WE, WE DID IT AND IT WAS, I JUST DON'T WANT TO DRAG THIS ON.
BUT THE PAIN WAS IN THE RIGHT PLACES.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO LOOK, BUT WE COULD, SO YOU'RE GONNA FIND A QUARTER OF 1,000,250 IF THAT'S WHAT WE NEED.
TWO 20, WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS.
ITT, TAKE IT AT DISTRICT FIVE.
I GUARANTEE WASTES DISTRICT YOU WELL THAT, SO YOUR DISTRICT AND I KNOW STEVEN'S DISTRICT SOMEWHAT SHEILA'S DISTRICT STORM WATER CLEAN OUT IS IMPORTANT.
THAT WAS A, THAT'S A CRUEL, YOU'RE NOT TAKING OUT EMPLOYEES.
SO I THINK I'VE SPENT THE LAST SIX MONTHS PROTECTING THAT.
I'M NOT GONNA GIVE THAT UP NOW.
I THINK WE'RE LOCKED INTO THE REQUEST.
WE DON'T NECESSARILY KNOW WHERE THE 200 COMES FROM.
WE FROM, WE'RE GONNA GIVE 'EM THE MONEY FOR THE, FOR THE, WE'RE GOING, WE'RE GONNA PROTECT THAT.
FOR EVENTUAL DECISION BY THE STATE.
YES OR NO ON WHETHER THEY OFFER ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
IF IT DOESN'T, IF IT COMES THROUGH THE STATE PAYS, PAYS IT.
WE GET OUR, WE DO THAT OTHER, KEEP THAT MONEY, PUT THAT MORE ORIGINAL BUDGET, WHATEVER, DECIDE WHAT TO DO WITH IT AFTER THAT.
I KNEW YOU SAY THAT AFTER SCHOOL.
SHE HAD A GRANTS MEETING AT THE JAMESTOWN COMPANY.
I THINK WE'RE PRETTY MUCH IN AGREEMENT THEN, AREN'T WE? THAT SOUNDS WONDERFUL.
I THINK THAT WILL BE VERY HELPFUL BY JOB.
I BELIEVE THAT'S WHERE WE ARE BY JOB.
SO IF WE, IF WE GET THE, IF THE MONEY COMES THROUGH, I GET THE MONEY, BUT IT'LL, WELL, IT'LL COME THROUGH IN WEIRD WAY BECAUSE IT'LL COME IN AFTER BUDGET'S.
THE STATE'S STILL SCREWING AROUND WITH THEIR STUFF.
THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN APPROVED, YOU KNOW, SOON TOO.
BUT IT'S GONNA BE IN THE JUNE.
WELL, IF YOU RECALL, THIS IS EXACTLY WHY WE PUSHED THE COUNTY'S WAIT A MINUTE, APPROVAL DATE BACK.
'CAUSE WE USED TO APPROVE IT IN APRIL AND WE PUSHED IT BACK TO GIVE THE STATE MORE TIME TO DO WHAT THEY WERE GONNA DO.
NOW WE'RE TO PUSH IT BACK TO, BUT NOW THEY'RE PUSHING BACK EVEN FARTHER BEFORE.
IT'S ALL, WE CAN'T PUSH, WE NEED SOME AGREEMENT WITH THE SCHOOLS THAT WE WILL SUBSIDIZE IT IN CASE IT DOESN'T COME THROUGH.
BUT IF IT COMES THROUGH, THEN THAT MONEY COMES.
WELL, AND WHAT WE WOULD PROPOSE IS PUTTING IN A CONTINGENCY IN THE COUNTY, AND THEN ONCE WE FIND OUT
[00:45:01]
THE RESOLUTION, IF IT'S NEEDED, WE'LL TRANSFER IT OVER.IF IT'S NOT, WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS GUARANTEED 3% FOR OUR TEACHERS.
WE GUARANTEE IT, BUT WE'LL WAIT FOR THE STATE TO PAY THEIRS BECAUSE THE THINK, SO WE HAVE TO DO THAT.
THEY ASKED FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE SUPERINTENDENT WAS FUNDING TO SUPPORT A 3% RAISE, COMPETITIVE RAISE.
THE COMPETITIVE RAISE, WHICH THEY IDENTIFIED AS AS 3% THIS YEAR.
AND DOING THIS, DOING WHAT WE'VE ALREADY PROPOSED PLUS THIS, IF THE STATE DOESN'T COME THROUGH, MEETS, MEETS THAT REQUIREMENT.
SO IF I CAN BRING UP ONE OTHER ISSUE.
NOT, NOT, NOT TO NECESSARILY DISRUPT THIS PART, BUT MY SENSE IS, AND IT IS LISTENING TODAY PARTICULARLY, UM, ABOUT THE FINANCIAL MARKETS AND THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN TERMS OF THE BUSINESSES, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SUPPORTING BUSINESSES MM-HMM
UM, IT'S, IT'S ACTUALLY AMAZING TO ME HOW QUICKLY THE TARIFF ISSUE IS HITTING BUSINESSES.
UM, AND SO WHEN THAT HITS OUR REVENUE, UH, COULD VERY POSSIBLY GO DOWN IN A SIGNIFICANT WAY.
UM, SO ALTERNATIVE TAXATION OR CUTTING, I MEAN ALTERNATIVE TAXATION IS I THINK, UH, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO REALLY GIVE SOME SERIOUS THOUGHT TO.
UM, BECAUSE WE CAN END UP WITH NOT ONLY THE BUSINESSES GOING DOWN, BUT OUR REAL ESTATE VALUE GOING DOWN.
AND THAT IN ITSELF IS GOING TO BE ANOTHER DRAG.
SO IT'S NOT GONNA BE BUSINESS AS USUAL IF WE START, IF WE START GOING INTO, I DON'T WANNA CALL IT STAGFLATION OR WHATEVER THE LATEST JARGON IS, BUT I WANTED TO, I WANT US TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS AT LEAST TWICE SINCE I'VE BEEN ON THE BOARD, WHERE ALL OF A SUDDEN, YES, YOUR MONEY DRIES UP AND PEOPLE DON'T HAVE, OR THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY DON'T, THEY LOSE THEIR JOBS.
THE THING YOU WENT TO TODAY, THEY TALKED ABOUT A THING, THE PDC MEETING YOU WENT TO TODAY, WE DIDN'T GET AT ALL.
THEY, THEY ARE REPORTING THAT WE ARE ONE OF THE HIGHEST CONCENTRATIONS OF, OF FEDERAL EMPLOYMENT IN THE NATION RIGHT HERE AND THIS.
SO WE'RE VERY VULNERABLE, VERY VULNERABLE TO, UH, CUTS AND LOSS OF JOBS.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE SOME SENSE ALONG THE WAY OF HOW WE GONNA ADDRESS THIS.
WELL, I I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT DOUG BROUGHT UP AS FAR AS HAVING A, A, A MID-YEAR CORRECTION AT THAT POINT.
IF WE, IF IT HAPPENS, UNFORTUNATELY, THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO REEVALUATE.
WE HAVE TO TAX OR WHAT? WELL, RIGHT NOW THEY GOT, WE GOT YEAH.
THE, THE BUSINESS, THE BUSINESS END OF THIS IS SENDING OUT REALLY MIXED SIGNALS.
UM, I KNOW FOR THE DAY, I THINK IT WAS THE DAY OR YESTERDAY HE CAME OUT THAT THAT UNEMPLOYMENT, UM, UNEMPLOYMENT, UH, THEY BASE HOW THEY BASE UNEMPLOYMENT ON THE REQUEST FOR PEOPLE FILING FOR IT ACTUALLY GONE DOWN.
WHICH INDICATES WE'VE GOT A STRONG EMPLOYMENT, A STRONG ECONOMY IN TERMS OF PEOPLE ARE STILL BEING HIRED.
BUT THEN YOU LISTEN TO THE REPORTS FROM THE SMALL BUSINESS SIDE OF THINGS WHERE THEY CAN NOW ARE NOT GETTING THE MATERIALS THAT THEY NEED OR THE PRODUCTS THEY NEED BECAUSE OF CHINA.
THE ISTS, CHINA CAN'T SEND THE STUFF OVER HERE BECAUSE THEY, THE COMPANIES IN CHINA WOULD GO BANKRUPT TO TRY TO EVEN BRING IT IN HERE.
AND SO THEY'RE NOT EVEN LOADING IT UP.
AND THEN THE COMPANIES THAT USE THAT SELL THE CHINESE PRODUCTS ARE, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE THERE.
SO THAT CAN EITHER DO ONE OR TWO THINGS THAT CAN END UP DRIVING INFLATION UP.
LOOK AT SOME OF THE SHOPS THAT DEPEND VERY MUCH ON PRODUCTS COMING FROM CHINA TO SELL AT A LOW PRICE THAT PEOPLE WILL BUY.
WELL, IT'S NOT JUST, IT'S NOT JUST THAT'S, IT'S NOT JUST THOSE SMALL BUSINESSES, BUT THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT REALLY CONCERN NOW BECAUSE WE GOT A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESSES IN YOUR COUNTY.
SO WHERE ARE WE? I HAVE, WE HAVE, WE MADE A DECISION ON, ON THE BUDGET, ASIDE FROM WHAT TOM HAS, HAS BEEN, HAS BROUGHT UP THAT WE REALLY NEED TO, SOMETHING WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT DURING, I THINK, I THINK WAYNE HAD ONE MORE COMMENT TO RAISE.
YEAH, SO AS I SAID, I'M, I'M NOT THERE.
UM, I THINK THAT THERE'S, UM, MORE THAT WE COULD DO IF WE HAD TIME AND OF COURSE WE'RE RUNNING OUTTA TIME AGAIN.
UM, BUT A COUPLE OF RECOMMENDATIONS I'D LIKE TO MAKE TO THE BOARD, UM, TO MAYBE HELP IN THE REGARD OF WHERE I'M AT.
WE TALKED ABOUT, UM, WE TALKED ABOUT MERIT BASED PERFORMANCE HERE IN THE BOARD, AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT INITIATED RIGHT AWAY FOR MANAGEMENT LEVEL AND UP.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THAT STARTED WHERE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR WOULD COME BACK TO US PROBABLY BY AUGUST THE FIRST WITH A PLAN ON HOW TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
AND THEN BY THE END OF THE YEAR, ALL THE TOP MANAGERS AND ABOVE WOULD HAVE THAT MERIT BASED PERFORMANCE DONE.
[00:50:01]
AND THEN NEXT YEAR I'D LIKE TO SEE IT ROLLED OUT TO ALL OF THE EMPLOYEES IN THE COUNTY.I I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE YOU WERE DONE.
I DIDN'T WANT TO INTERRUPT YOU.
YEAH, I HAVE ONE MORE THING, BUT IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING ON THAT.
UH, WELL WHAT I COULD TELL YOU IS, IS THAT, UM, I I HAD NO ISSUE WITH, UM, DOING, TALKING TO THE DIRECTORS ABOUT THAT.
I'M SURE THEY'RE UP FOR THE TASK.
I I DON'T, I DON'T SEE AN ISSUE WITH THAT.
UH, I HAVE COMMITTED TO, UH, A COUPLE MEMBERS OF THE BOARD THAT FY 27 IS A MERIT-BASED PAY YEAR BECAUSE WITH THE NEW SOFTWARE THAT WE HAVE FOR PERFORMANCE EVALUATION, EVERYONE IS EVALUATED ON THEIR ANNIVERSARY DATE OF THE JOB THEY CURRENTLY HOLD.
SO IT WILL TAKE US 12 MONTHS TO GET ALL ROUGHLY THOUSAND EMPLOYEES THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
AND ONCE WE'VE DONE THAT AND FEEL LIKE WE'VE DONE A REASONABLE JOB AT IT, I ASSUMING THE BOARD IS, UH, WILLING TO FUND IT, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT.
SO LEMME MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THAT.
SO THOSE REVIEWS WILL BE HAPPENING ALL THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
THAT'S, IT DOESN'T MAKE IT CLEAN, DOESN'T MAKE IT CLEAN, BUT IT DOES NOT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH AN ANNUAL BUDGET.
AND THE, AND SO WHAT'S THE PURPOSE OF A MERIT-BASED PERFORMANCE? IT'S, IT'S GENERALLY IT, OTHER THAN GIVING FEEDBACK, WHICH IS IMPORTANT TO THE EMPLOYEE, IT'S ALSO WHETHER YOU'RE GONNA GIVE A BONUS OR, OR SOME REWARD FOR OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE.
UH, MY EXPERIENCE IN BUSINESS IS THAT THESE MERIT, MERIT BASE WENT TO ABOUT 40% OF THE EMPLOYEES.
AND, UH, THE HIGHER UP IN THE FOOD CHAIN YOU ARE, THE GREATER THE, UH, THE, UH, THE REWARD.
I MEAN, THAT'S THE WAY IT IS IN BUSINESS.
YOU MAKE MORE, YOU, YOU KNOW, PRESIDENT OF THE BANK GETS THE, THE GREATEST NUMBER OF SHARES VICE THE CLERK.
I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT PROCESS.
BUT IT'S THE WAY IT IS RIGHT NOW SET UP.
I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE MERIT BASED UPON, UH, WHATEVER THEIR PERFORMANCE IS, BUT NOT TRACKED WITH HOW MUCH MONEY THEY MADE FOR THE YEAR.
WELL, NO, BUT, BUT THE POINT IS THEN WHEN IT COMES TO RAISES, IF, IF YOU, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A RAISE AND SOMEBODY'S WORKING, YOU'RE GONNA GIVE A PERFORMANCE.
IF YOU'RE GONNA DO IT THE WHOLE WAY ACROSS, IF SOMEBODY IN THE COUNTY'S MAKING $26,000 A YEAR VERSUS SOMEBODY THAT'S MAKING $140,000 OR $120,000 A YEAR, UH, YOU, WHAT WE DO NOW IS WE TRY TO ADD THAT 500 BUCKS BECAUSE IT'S MORE IMPORTANT TO THE PERSON AT 26,000 THAN IT IS AT THE A HUNDRED.
BUT IN, BUT THAT, BUT THERE'S A COST IN, THERE'S A COST IN DOING BUSINESS BECAUSE WHEN YOU, I'M NOT GONNA, I'M NOT TALKING AGAINST THIS, I'M JUST, IT'S A CONSIDERATION THAT MERIT BASED PERFORMANCE RATINGS ACTUALLY INCREASED YOUR COSTS.
IT CAN, BUT IT DOESN'T HAVE TO.
I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY, UM, WE WERE GONNA APPROVE A BUDGET YEAR TO YEAR.
AND PART OF THAT BUDGET IS IT'S GONNA HAVE A POT OF MONEY THAT GOES TOWARDS MERIT INCREASES AND BONUS.
AND HOW MUCH AN INDIVIDUAL GETS OUT OF THAT IS DEPENDENT UPON THEIR, PER THEIR, THEIR PERFORMANCE.
SO HOWEVER BIG THAT POT IS THAT WE DECIDE THEY'LL GET THEIR, THEIR ALLOTTED PERCENTAGE OUTTA THAT DEPENDING ON THEIR PERFORMANCE.
BUT THAT'S, YEAH, I UNDERSTAND.
THAT'S THE BA THAT'S THE BASIS FOR A MERIT.
THE MERIT, BUT IT IS NOT THE ONLY THING YOU DO IN SALARIES.
OKAY? YOU HAVE TO INCREASE SALARIES FOR SALARY RELATED COSTS, INSURANCES, AND, AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF, RIGHT? AND THEN YOU HAVE TO ALSO, UH, WE'RE GONNA DO A JOB STUDY AND THEY'RE GONNA COME IN AND SAY, THIS IS YOUR SCALE.
AND EVERY JOB IN THAT, WHEN, WHEN IT GOES UP, THEY ALL GO UP.
SO YOU'RE GONNA END UP NOT ONLY JUST A, A PAY INCREASE IN ITSELF, THEN THERE'S THIS GONNA BE, FOR LACK OF A BETTER WORD, THIS IS, CALL IT A BONUS BECAUSE YOU DID A GREAT JOB.
OKAY? SO THEN YOU, YOU FIGURE A, THE CERTAIN AMOUNT, THE, THE SUPER, UH, THE, UH, COUNTY ADMINISTRATORS GONNA LOOK AT THAT AND GO, OKAY, HOW MANY PEOPLE ACROSS OUR, UH, OUR STAFF CAN GET ANYTHING? OKAY.
AND THEN HE'S GOTTA FIGURE OUT WHAT'S WORTHWHILE.
I MEAN, IF YOU GIVE SOMEBODY AS THIS, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU GIVE SOMEBODY THAT'S MAKING A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OF A THOUSAND DOLLARS BONUS, THAT MEANS NOTHING.
YOU GIVE IT, I'LL TAKE A THOUSAND DOLLARS BONUS WANT, BUT I'M, YOU GIVE IT TO SOMEBODY THAT MAKES $50,000, THAT MEANS A LOT, RIGHT? SO, I MEAN, THERE'S A POINT.
SO YOU GOT, I'M JUST SAYING THAT I'VE SEEN MARY BASIN IN AND OUTSIDE THE GOVERNMENT.
INSIDE THE GOVERNMENT, AND YOU JUST GOT, THERE'S NOT, IT'S NOT EXACTLY AS CLEAN AS YOU THINK.
AND THE POINT IS TO, OF THE MONEY, THEN IF WE'RE GONNA SET
[00:55:01]
THAT MONEY ASIDE, THEN YOU HAVE TO CONSIDER WHEN IT'S GONNA BE PAID OUT.NOBODY'S ABOUT MONEY THAT YOU NEED TO DO THIS BECAUSE YOU GOT BUDGET, YOU BUDGET, AND THEN THAT MONEY COULD BE PAID OUT OVER THE YEAR OR HOWEVER WE WANT DO IT.
BUT IT'S, IT IS THE SAME LOT OF MONEY THAT WE ALLOCATE EVERY YEAR TOWARD EMPLOYEES COMPENSATION, 4% AND 500.
IT'S JUST A MATTER OF HOW, IT'S JUST A MATTER OF HOW WE, IT'S DIV ALLOCATE IT.
AT THIS POINT, THE PAST COUPLE YEARS, WE SAID, OUT OF THAT POT OF MONEY, EVERYBODY GETS 4% X NUMBER OF DOLLARS.
WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS SAME POT OF MONEY NEXT YEAR, BUT YOUR PERCENTAGE AND THE CASH BONUS IS GONNA BE DEPENDENT UPON YOUR PERFORMANCE.
THOSE WHO ARE PERFORMING HIGHER WILL GET A, A GREATER PROPORTION OF THAT THAN THOSE WHO ARE PERFORMING LOWER.
BUT IT'S STILL ALL WITHIN THAT SAME POT OF MONEY.
SO WHAT WE COULD DO AS PART OF THE COMPENSATION STUDY IS ASK THE COMPANY THAT DOES THE STUDY FOR THEIR RECOMMENDATION ON HOW TO ROLL THAT OUT.
YOU GOTTA HAVE IN PLACE YOUR STANDARDS FOR STANDARDS.
STANDARDS AND LAY THAT OUT IS NOT AN EASY THING.
AND THEN, AND THEN HOW IT'S EVALUATED, WHETHER IT'S GONNA BE A COMMITTEE OR IT'S GONNA BE AN INDIVIDUAL SUPERVISOR OR HOWEVER THAT'S DONE, THAT'S, AND THEN YOU GOTTA, THEN YOU GOTTA DEAL WITH THE, THERE'S THE PEOPLE THAT DON'T GET ONE CORRECT.
SO TYPICALLY WHAT'LL HAPPEN IS, UH, MS. MCKINNEY'S GONNA SEE A UPTICK IN HER BUSINESS.
RIGHT? SO THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S GOOD SIDES AND BAD SIDES TO IT.
IN, IN A, IN A COMPANY, I, IT'S PEOPLE, COMPANIES OR BUSINESSES ARE THERE TO MAKE MONEY.
THE GOOD SIDE OF IT IS THAT YOU HAVE, YOUR HIGH PERFORMERS ARE GETTING REWARDED FOR THEIR PERFORMANCE, AND YOU HAVE THE LOW PERFORMERS THAT ARE NOT GONNA GET REWARDED FOR THEIR LOW PERFORMANCE.
AND AT SOME POINT, THE PROBLEM WITH OUR EMPLOYEES AT SOME POINT ABOUT THIS TOPIC, YOU MAY HAVE TO GET RID OF PEOPLE IF THEY'RE NOT PERFORMING AND HAVE TO REPLACE THEM WITH HIGHER PERFORMERS.
THAT'S THE GOOD PART OF A MERIT BASED SYSTEM.
THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT WHAT YOU JUST SAID, BUT I WOULD ALSO TELL YOU THAT, UH, THE COUNTY HAS OPERATED WITH THE BELIEF THAT IF YOU'RE NOT A PERFORMER, YOU'RE LEAVING.
THAT JUST AS WELL, YOU DON'T NEED THERE TO DO A PROPER APPRAISAL.
BUT, BUT THE BUT, BUT THE APPRAISAL DRIVES THE MERIT.
IT ALSO DRIVES THE, IT DRIVES THE COST.
NOW, DO YOU HAVE TO HAVE, I THINK SO WELL DO, DO WE HAVE TO HIRE EITHER WAY, ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEES TO, TO HANDLE THE, UH, IN THE PERSONNEL TO BE ABLE TO HANDLE THIS? IT IS, IT IS ENTIRELY POSSIBLE THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO SEE AN INCREASE IN HR, BUT I, I WOULD WAIT AND GET A BETTER HANDLE ON WHAT IT IS WE'RE DOING, GET THE STUDY DONE.
AND IT, I DON'T WANNA BE SURPRISED BY IT'S WALKING COSTS WHEN IT COMES TO ROLLING IN, WE'LL ALL BE OPEN-MINDED ABOUT WHAT THE RESULTS ARE.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU'LL STILL HAVE THE OPTION TO DO IT OR NOT DO IT.
AND, AND WE'LL COME BACK TO YOU AND TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT.
IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT OPEN-ENDED.
AND, AND IF IT'S THE BOARD'S DESIRE, I'M, I'M COMMITTED TO DO IT.
IT, IT'S, I I'M GONNA SALUTE MARCH.
IF THAT'S YOUR DESIRE, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
WHAT I HEARD WAS WE WOULD START WITH THE DIRECTOR LEVEL AND HAVE A PLAN IN PLACE BY AUGUST.
CAN WE GO TO END OF AUGUST? CAN I GET THE END OF AUGUST? AS LONG AS YOU CAN GET A PERFORMANCE DONE BEFORE THE END OF THE YEAR, IT SAYS SO THIS AUGUST.
IS HAS HAVE, HAS THERE EVER BEEN ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT, I GUESS NORMALIZING THAT, THAT SCHEDULE INSTEAD OF EVERYBODY'S HIRE DATE? THAT'S, THAT'S WHY DON'T WE JUST, AFTER THIS, ONCE YOU GET INTO THE SECOND YEAR, IT'S THOUSAND PEOPLE AT ONE TIME.
YOU GOT SOME DIRECTORS THAT HAVE TO SIGN OFF ON DONE THAT 168 EVALUATIONS.
YOU'D HAVE TO DO IT DURING THE YEAR.
I, I THINK IF YOU TRY TO PUSH 'EM ALL TOGETHER, IT BECOMES A TASK AND THE EMPLOYEE DOESN'T GET A FAIR SHAKE.
IF, IF YOU SPREAD IT OUT AND GIVE, AND MAKE THOUGHTFUL COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS, I, I THINK IT'LL BE MORE APPRECIATED BY ALL.
BUT I DO UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM.
IT'S, YOU'RE, YOU'RE GARCIA YOU'RE ALWAYS IN A, IN AN EVALUATION MODE.
AND I, I GUESS FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, I, I'M USED TO A MIDYEAR END OF YEAR AND YOU GEAR UP FOR THOSE ACTIVITIES.
THIS IS, THIS IS ALIEN TO ME, BUT IF IT, IF IT WORKS, IT WORKS.
WELL, WE SHOULD WORK WITHIN THE SYSTEM THAT THEY HAVE.
BUT IT IS JUST CAUGHT ME OFF GUARD.
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT'S, THAT'S THE WAY THE SOFTWARE'S SET UP.
AND YOU, YOU KNOW HOW THAT WORKS.
YOUR PROCESS SHOULD BE GOING AROUND THE SOFTWARE, NOT, YOU MAKE THE PROCESS NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
I, I WOULD SAY GOOD SOFTWARE,
ARE THERE ANY, ARE THERE ANY OTHER YES, I GOT ONE MORE.
[01:00:01]
CONSIDERATIONS.UM, WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE INSTITUTED HERE AT THE COUNTY IS WHAT I WOULD CALL A REWARDS PROGRAM WHERE WE HAVE A POT OF MONEY THAT'S SET ASIDE THAT EMPLOYEES CAN COME FORWARD AND SAY, HEY, I GOT A, I GOT A BETTER MOUSETRAP.
I GOT A BETTER WAY OF DOING BUSINESS AND SAVE MONEY, COST CUTTING MORE EFFICIENCY.
WHERE, YOU KNOW HOW IT IS, THE WORKER BEES, THE PEOPLE IN THE DITCHES, THEY SEE IT A LOT BECAUSE THEY'RE IN THE DITCHES EVERY DAY.
AND UH, SOMEBODY CAN SAY, HEY, I KNOW WE JUST DID IT WITH THE IT DEPARTMENT SO WE CAN USE THIS AI.
AND THAT'S OBVIOUSLY SAVING US MONEY TO REWARD THESE, THESE EMPLOYEES THAT COME FORWARD IF THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, THERE'D HAVE TO BE A MATRIX PUT AROUND IT, YOU KNOW, SOME BARRIERS AND SOME HANDLES ON THAT.
BUT YOU PUT A POT OF MONEY ASIDE AND SAY, OKAY, WE'LL REWARD YOU IF YOU CAN BRING US IDEAS TO SAVE MONEY OR MAKE OUR JOBS MORE EFFICIENT AT ONE TIME.
THAT SOUNDS, I'M THE OLD GUY, VERY ENCOURAGING.
I'M THE OLD GUY HERE AT ONE TIME WE DID HAVE THAT.
IT'S HAPPENED SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.
CERTAINLY IN SYNTHESIZE PEOPLE TO RIGHT.
INSTEAD OF JUST GOING VIA, I COULD DO IT BETTER.
WELL, HEY, I CAN DO IT BETTER.
LET ME GO RECOMMEND IT AND PUT WHATEVER THE FORMAL PROCESS IS TO DO ALL THE DUE DILIGENCE.
AND THEN, HEY, YOU CAN GET A LITTLE SOMETHING EXTRA MAYBE OUTTA YOUR, YOUR REVIEW TIME.
MAYBE YOU GET A DAY OFF, EXTRA DAY OFF, TWO DAYS, MAYBE FINANCIAL.
MAYBE MY PROPOSAL WOULD BE THAT WOULD BE PART OF OUR MIDYEAR WELL, IT COULD BE SEPARATE.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE THE MIDYEAR.
WE HAVE TO HAVE SOME FUNDS FOR IT.
BUT THEY WOULDN BE SO OFTEN, I MEAN, IF WE HAVE A TON OF IDEAS COMING, GREAT.
AND WE CAN, WE CAN ACTION THEM.
BUT THE ACTIONABLE ONES THAT ACTUALLY WE CAN IMPLEMENT, I WOULD SAY WOULD BE SOMETHING WE COULD AFFORD WITHIN THE BUDGET.
YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T FORESEE THAT IF THEY'RE SAVING MONEY.
THAT'S WHERE THE SAVINGS COME.
MAYBE THAT'S WHERE THE POT OF MONEY GOES EVERY YEAR.
I THINK ABOUT EVERY YEAR WE GET SOME SORT OF VACO AWARDS FOR JUST THAT IDEA.
I MEAN, I OF THE FIRE DEPARTMENT GETS A LOT OF GREAT IDEAS IF COME UP OVER TIME SAVING MONEY.
AND, UH, 9 1 1 SENATOR MO AS YOU GO
YOU DON'T JUST GET A, EVERYBODY GETS X NUMBER OF DOLLARS FOR EVERY IDEA AND THEY GET X NUMBER OF DOLLARS, BUT THEN ONLY SAVE A DOLLAR.
THERE HAS TO, TO BE A MAJOR, THERE WAS GUARDRAILS ON THAT AND WE HAD THAT WERE, I DON'T KNOW, WHEN IT WENT AWAY, MY DAYS IN EXXON, WE, WHAT WAS CALLED COIN YOUR IDEA PROGRAM.
AND IT WAS A PERCENT THAT YOU WOULD GET ON ANY SAVINGS.
I THINK, I THINK THE ABSOLUTE MAXIMUM CAP YOU COULD GET WAS A $20,000 AWARD, WHICH YOU BETTER BE SAVING ME 20,000 GAS CARD.
AND I, I'M USED TO WHAT WE CALL BUG BOUNTIES IN SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT WHERE YOU FIND BUGS AND YOU BRING IT, YOU GET SOME TYPE OF ROAR FOR IT.
BUT THEN YOU GOTTA MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE AREN'T WRITE IN BUGS IN THE CODE.
SO YEAH, I THINK THAT'S, THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING.
I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO BE IN PART OF THE MID-YEAR COMPENSATION.
MR. FULLER, I'M GONNA DELEGATE THAT PROJECT TO YOU, SIR.
I'LL HAVE TO GO BACK AND DO THE ARCHIVE.
YOU GO BACK, YOU LOOK IN THE ARCHIVES.
THAT'S THE ONLY THING YOU'RE WRITING DOWN ON YOUR PAGE.
I, NO, THIS PAGE IS FULL HERE, BUT THIS IS, OKAY.
ANYTHING ELSE I CAN DO FOR YOU? I THINK WE'RE GOOD.
I THINK WE'RE, I THINK WE'RE GOOD.
I THINK NO CHANGES PICKY SWEAR, RIGHT? OH, THAT'S GOOD.
I, I THINK REALLY HATS OFF TO THE STAFF AND ALL THE WORK THAT THEY'VE DONE AND ANSWERING QUESTION, ANSWERING QUESTIONS AND THINGS AND GETTING THE INFORMATION WHEN SOMEONE RAISED.
DO YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? NO, GO AHEAD.
I, I DO HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY, BUT I'LL SAY THAT.
YOU KNOW, THIS HAS BEEN A LONG PROCESS, BUT I THINK WE'VE LEARNED A LOT IN DURING THE PROCESS AND HOPEFULLY WE DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH THIS NEXT YEAR BECAUSE I THINK THIS WAS A LEARNING YEAR.
AND, UH, I THINK THAT WITH THE 4 CENTS, UH, WE'RE THERE, IT'S NOT WHAT I WANT, BUT I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE, TO OCTOBER OR OR AUGUST IF WE NEED YOU A RE CHARGE.
UM, AND THE MONEY WITH THE SCHOOLS, IF WE PUT THAT ASIDE, WHICH WE'VE SAID WE'RE GOING TO DO, AND IF, IF, IF THE STATE COMES THROUGH THAT, THAT MONEY COMES BACK TO THE COUNTY AND THEN WE CAN REEVALUATE.
SO ARE YOU ALL IN AGREEMENT THAT, THAT THE BUDGET AS IT IS NOW WITH THE, WITH THE, WITH THE 4 CENTS IS THE BUDGET THAT WE ARE GOING TO VOTE ON IN MAY? IN MAY.
I'LL TELL YOU IN, MAY YOU TELL ME.
OH, YOU MEAN I HAVE TO HOLD MY BREATH UNTIL MAY.
[01:05:01]
VOTE IS THAT'S THE VOTERS ALL, WE DON'T HAVE A, DO WE, WE DON'T HAVE ANOTHER PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET.THIS IS, THIS IS, THIS IS OUR, THIS IS OUR LAST DISCUSSION, HOPEFULLY, WHICH IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT REASON NOT TO DISCUSS INCREASING THE TAX RATE BECAUSE THERE'S NO OPPORTUNITY FOR PEOPLE TO COME SPEAK TO US ABOUT CORRECT.
SO IT WE'RE, WE, WE'VE CROSSED WE'VE CROSSED THAT LINE.
SO I THINK WE HAVE MRS. NOEL, THE, IF I MAY PLEASE, THE TWO THINGS THAT, ACTUALLY, TWO THINGS I'D LIKE TO SAY.
SO I, I SPENT A LOT OF TIME THANKING STAFF, BUT I, I DO HAVE TO SPEND SOME TIME THANKING YOU ALL.
I KNOW THIS IS HARD AND IT, IT TAKES A LOT OF WORK.
THERE'S A LOT OF ANGST THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS WORK AND I APPRECIATE ALL THAT Y'ALL HAVE DONE THIS YEAR.
WE REALLY DO STAFF AND I VERY MUCH APPRECIATE IT.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS WE DO HAVE ANOTHER MEETING SCHEDULED, SO WE WOULD, WE WOULD NEED TO OFFICIALLY CANCEL THAT MEETING ON THE, ON NEXT TUESDAY.
SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S OKAY WITH ALL FIVE OF YOU.
I'M NOT HEARING ANYTHING TO SEE.
I DON'T, I ANYTHING ELSE? I DON'T THINK THERE'S ELSE THAT WE NEED TO GET TOGETHER ON THIS.
STILL SOME STUFF THAT WE, WE WERE GONNA CHAT ABOUT, BUT I DON'T THINK ANYTHING THAT WE NEED TO GET.
I KNOW WHAT YOU GONNA CUT THOUGH.
WOULD YOU LIKE A PHONE CALL? I DON'T CARE.
BUT EVERYBODY ELSE GONNA NEED TO KNOW WHAT YOU'RE GONNA CUT.
WELL, WE WOULD BRING THAT TO THE ANY, I WAS LOOKING AT THAT.
FIND OUT YOU A LIST YOU HAD, REMEMBER YOU GAVE US A LIST.
YOU HAD I DID GIVE YOU A LIST.
SO THE MEETING, THE MEETING THAT WE'RE GOING TO CANCEL IS THE DATE IS TUESDAY.
HEATHER'S SHAKING HER HEAD YES.
WHICH I CAN'T, COULDN'T HAVE MADE.
THE NEXT SCHEDULED MEETING IS OUR MAY 6TH MEETING.
SO NEXT SCHEDULE IS ADOPT THE BUDGET.
SO AGAIN, I APPRECIATE IT VERY MUCH.
DID YOU SAY MAY 6TH? YES, MA'AM.
IS IT SIX O'CLOCK? IT IT, IT'S IN THIS, THIS SIX.
SO WITH EVERYBODY'S, EVERYBODY'S AGREEMENT.
NOW I WILL CLOSE THIS MEETING.
WAIT A MINUTE,
I DON'T WANT, I MEAN, HALLELUJAH.
IF YOU'RE GONNA GO BACK, CUT OUT OF OUR CURRENT BUDGET.
I'M WANTED JUST TO HAVE A RE BECAUSE HERE'S HALF A CENT REDUCTION.
SO YOU'RE TALKING LESS THAN HALF A CENT.
AND MR. SHEPHERD, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A LOOK AT REVENUE AGAIN TOO.
WE'RE CONSTANTLY LOOKING AT THAT BECAUSE IF, IF WE CAN, BUT YOU GAVE US A LIST OF, OF, I DON'T, NONE OF 'EM WERE GOAL WATCHES EXCEPT FOR ONE.
AND THAT WAS THE STORMWATER CREW.
I I I HAVE A, THAT WAS 200,000.
WE NEED STORM STORMWATER AND THAT WAS LIKE THE VERY FIRST CUT.
SO I CAN KEEP HEARING WHAT I'M SAYING.
I HEAR YOU DON'T TOUCH THE STORMWATER CREWS, THAT'S WHY DEFUND YOU.
BUT, BUT IT'S ONE TIME A LOT OF THIS STUFF YOU HAD, I DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS JUST THE CIP OR NOT BECAUSE IT WAS LIKE YEAH, DEFUND THE, THE RIVERWALK STAGE.
I THINK YOU TALKED ABOUT THAT.
WELL THAT WAS TOO, I GOT MY TIME, I GOT MOVED TO TOURISM AND THAT'S GONNA HELP OUT WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
SO YEAH, I MEAN MOST LIKELY, AS I MENTIONED EARLIER, WE WOULD DO SOMETHING ALONG THE LINES THAT WE DID TO MAKE A SHERIFF'S DEPUTY AS POSSIBLE.
WE WOULD GO BACK AND USE RESERVE FUND BALANCE SOMEWHERE TO OFFSET THOSE COSTS.
OR WE WOULD SHIFT HOW SOMETHING'S GETTING PAID FOR TO FREE UP MONEY AND THE GENERAL FUND.
MOST LIKELY IT'S THAT I DON'T, IF I NEED TO TAKE SOMETHING AWAY, I'LL GIVE YOU A PHONE CALL.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS A LITTLE, I WAS A LITTLE CONCERNED WITH THE ISSUE OF US STEALING WITH THE RADIO LIFECYCLE.
UH, NO SIR, THAT'S NOT ON OUR RADAR.
WE LIKE ONE, THE FIRST THINGS YOU GUYS OFFERED UP AND UH, I VERY CONCERNED WITH THAT BECAUSE THAT GOES INTO, WITH TERRY'S, ALL THAT STUFF HAS BEEN TIED IN.
I MEAN, WHEN I FIRST CAME ON THE BOARD, I MEAN WE SPENT LIKE $8 MILLION FOR, FOR A NEW TOWER OR NINE OR WHAT IS IT? RADIO.
YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH MONEY THEY'VE SPENT OVER.
SO WE SPENT A TON OF MONEY ON THAT DEALS.
HAVE YOU DONE YOUR TOUR OF THE 9 1 1 CENTER? NO, I GOTTA GO OVER, YOU NEED TO GO OVER THERE.
ALRIGHT, WELL I I LOOKED AT THIS.
ALRIGHT, SO ARE WE READY? I'M READY.
THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED UNTIL, UH, MAY 6TH AT 6:00 PM HERE IN EAST ROOM.