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UH, FOR THE[Board of Supervisors Budget Meeting on February 3, 2025.]
MACK COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISOR ON THIS FEBRUARY 3RD, 2025.AND IF YOU DO HAVE A CELL PHONE, IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY, IF YOU DON'T MIND, IF YOU NEED, PLACE IT ON SILENCE OR, UH, TURN IT OFF FOR THE DURATION OF THE MEETING, WE'D CERTAINLY APPRECIATE IT.
AND IF YOU'RE ABLE TO, IF YOU WOULD, PLEASE STAND WITH US FOR INVOCATION AND OUR PLEASURE TO LEAVE, LET'S PRAY.
DEAR GOD BLESS THIS MEETING, AND ALLOW US TO OUR WORK FOR YOUR WILL.
PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE BLY OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
I WILL SAY THAT, UH, SUPERVISOR PARKS WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE WITH US TONIGHT, AND HE WILL NOT BE AVAILABLE BY PHONE OR ZOOM EITHER AS WELL.
SO, UH, 1.5, ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA OF IT.
ALRIGHT, UH, NUMBER TWO, ONE, RECEIVE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR 26.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MIKE MASON, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
UH, BEFORE I GET INTO THE SLIDES, JUST A COUPLE OF HOUSEKEEPING MATTERS.
UM, ONE, WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU IS A HARD COPY OF THIS PRESENTATION ALONG WITH A REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT CAME IN AFTER I HAD SORT OF BALANCED THIS BUDGET OUT.
UH, IF YOU DESIRE A, A FULL BUDGET BOOK THAT IS ON, IT'S ATTACHED TO YOUR AGENDA, AND WE CAN PRINT ONE OUT FOR YOU.
JUST LET EITHER TINA OR A MEMBER OF FINANCE KNOW THAT YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE A HARD COPY AND THEY'LL, THEY'LL TAKE CARE OF THAT FOR YOU.
UM, THE ONLY BUSINESS TONIGHT, OTHER THAN TO, UM, FOR ME TO PRESENT THIS BUDGET THAT, THAT I HAD PLANNED ON WAS AT THE CONCLUSION FOR THE BOARD TO LOOK AT ITS CALENDARS, UM, AND, AND CONSIDER SETTING ASIDE SOME DATES IN THE FUTURE FOR BUDGET DELIBERATIONS.
YOUR NEXT BUDGET MEETING IS THIS WEDNESDAY, WHERE YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FROM ALL YOUR DEPARTMENTS AND AGENCIES ARE REQUESTING ADDITIONAL FUNDING, BUT AFTER THAT, WE REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY DATES SET ASIDE FOR, UM, UH, REALLY WHAT COMES DOWN TO THE DECISION MAKING PROCESS DURING THE BUDGET.
SO, UH, JUST WANTED TO PUT THOSE THINGS OUT AS GENERAL HALF HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS BEFORE WE GET STARTED.
SO, AS A COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, I'M CHARGED WITH BRINGING YOU A PROPOSED ANNUAL BUDGET EACH FISCAL YEAR.
UM, THIS BUDGET THAT I, THAT I AM PRESENTING TONIGHT INCORPORATES THE BOARD'S DIRECTION AS INCORPORATED INTO THE COUNTY'S CURRENT STRATEGIC PRIORITIES, ALONG WITH THE NEEDS THAT I HAVE IDENTIFIED, UM, ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY RESIDENTS AND COUNTY EMPLOYEES.
MUCH OF WHAT YOU ARE ABOUT TO SEE TONIGHT IS FOCUSED ON THE FINANCIAL SIDE OF, OF MACK COUNTY.
BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE, THE MACK'S BUDGET IS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT POLICY DOCUMENTS YOU WILL APPROVE DURING THE YEAR, BECAUSE IT ULTIMATELY PROVIDES THE FUNDING AND WHICH HELPS DETERMINE WHAT INITIATIVES THAT STAFF CAN PURSUE ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD.
IT'S CUSTOMARY, UM, THIS YEAR AND, AND IN PREVIOUS YEARS WHERE I TAKE A, JUST A QUICK SECOND TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE CONTRIBUTIONS OF, OF COUNTY STAFF, YOUR LEADERSHIP TEAM, ALL THE FOLKS WHO TOOK THE TIME TO PREPARE BUDGET REQUESTS FOR YOU TO CONSIDER, UM, TO, TO DEFINE INITIATIVES THEY BELIEVE WILL ADVANCE, UM, THE DEPARTMENT, UH, SERVICES FOR COUNTY RE RESIDENTS, AND CERTAINLY THE BOARD'S PRIORITIES.
UM, CERTAINLY THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT WHO SPENDS A LOT OF TIME PUTTING ALL THESE WORKSHEETS AND, AND SCHEDULES AND WHAT HAVE YOU TOGETHER.
I DO APOLOGIZE FOR ITS LENGTH.
IT, IT'S 400 SOME PAGES, BUT I MEAN, AT THE VERY END OF THIS PRESENTATION, WE'LL GIVE YOU OUR, I'LL GIVE YOU MY PROFESSIONAL OPINIONS TO WHERE MAYBE YOU WANT TO FOCUS ON AT LEAST INITIALLY.
SO THIS IS THE AGENDA, AND NORMALLY I WOULDN'T SPEND TOO MUCH TIME TALKING ABOUT THE AGENDA, BUT I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT ONE QUICK CHANGE.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I ALWAYS SORT OF START AT THE, THE VERY HIGH LEVEL WITH A VERY CONDENSED OVERVIEW OF THE BUDGET AND THEN KIND OF DRILL DOWN INTO THE INITIATIVES AS WE GO DEEPER INTO THE PRESENTATION.
BUT HISTORICALLY, I ALWAYS START WITH THE GENERAL FUND BECAUSE THAT IS THE, THE FUND THAT WE USE TO ACCOUNT FOR MOST OF THE SERVICES THAT, UH, RESIDENTS OF AKIMA COUNTY RECEIVE.
BUT, UM, TONIGHT THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF FOCUS ON THE CONSOLIDATED EMS FUND BECAUSE AS WE GET DEEPER AND INTO THE PRESENTATION, YOU'LL UNDERSTAND WHY.
BUT, UM, BECAUSE OF OF THAT ISSUE, I'M GONNA START WITH THAT ONCE WE GET INTO WHAT I'LL REFER TO AS DOWN IN THE WEEDS A LITTLE BIT.
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AT, AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL, THIS IS WHAT THE COUNTY'S BUDGET LOOKS LIKE.UM, FOR THIS YEAR, AS FAR AS WHAT I'M PROPOSING, UH, IT'S OVERALL IT'S A 6.2% INCREASE, UM, THAT IS REQUESTED.
BUT THIS IS THIS CAPITAL RIGHT HERE.
THIS IS, THIS IS ONE TIME CAPITAL INITIATIVES THAT CAN VARY QUITE A BIT FROM ONE YEAR TO, TO THE NEXT.
UH, IT SHOWS A 39.4% INCREASE.
BUT IF, WHEN WE HAVE TO CLOSE LANDFILLS, WHEN WE HAVE TO DO MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS TO DOCKS AND FACILITIES WHEN WE HAVE TO DO ANY TYPE OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT, YOU TYPICALLY SEE A PRETTY BIG JUMP HERE.
UM, AND, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE IN SOME OF THE PROPOSALS OUTLINED TONIGHT.
THINGS LIKE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANTS, THEY COST A LOT OF MONEY.
AND, AND THEY WILL CAUSE UNLESS YOU'RE DOING 'EM EVERY YEAR.
THIS, THIS SECTION OF THE BUDGET TO, TO JUMP THIS, THIS OPERATING, THIS IS PRETTY MUCH EXPENSES THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE YEAR IN AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR.
AND IT IS PREDOMINANTLY PERSONNEL RELATED AND INCLUDES THE 20 SOME MILLION DOLLARS THAT THE COUNTY PROVIDES TO THE SCHOOL AS LOCAL SHARE.
UM, IS ALSO IN, IN THAT NUMBER DEBT SERVICE FROM 25 TO 26.
UH, WE, WE, UH, HAVEN'T ISSUED ANY ADDITIONAL DEBT FOR A WHILE, AND THIS BUDGET DOESN'T CALL FOR ANY ADDITIONAL, UM, DEBT TO BE ISSUED.
MY PROPOSAL IS BALANCED AS DEFINED BY THE CODE VIRGINIA, WHICH SETS FORTH VERY SPECIFIC TERMS AS TO WHAT A BALANCED BUDGET LOOKS LIKE.
SO JUST QUICKLY ON, ON THESE, THERE'S, WE'VE GOT THREE SLIDES COMING.
UM, THIS ONE, IF, IF YOU WERE TO TAKE AND JUST LOOK AT ALL THE MONEY THAT COMES INTO THE COUNTY'S BUDGET, WHAT MAKES IT UP? THIS CARVES IT OUT INTO WHERE IT'S COMING FROM.
AND THE LARGEST PERCENTAGE IS, IS, AND, AND HAS ALWAYS BEEN AS LONG AS I CAN REMEMBER, IS GENERAL PROPERTY TAXES.
SO OUT OF ALL THE FUNDS COMING INTO AKIMA COUNTY, 55% ARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO, TO PROPERTY TAXES.
15% ARE, UM, CONTRIBUTED TO, TO, UH, COMMONWEALTH AID.
UM, AND THEN, I MEAN, YOU CAN GO OVER THE REST AT, AT YOUR LEISURE, BUT THAT'S THE MAJOR POINTS THERE.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHERE THE MONEY GOES.
UM, AGAIN, I'M, I'M BRINGING ALL THE FUNDS TOGETHER.
I'M JUST LOOKING AT WHERE DOES ALL THE, THE EXPENDITURES IN MIMA COUNTY, WHERE DO THEY, WHERE DO THEY LINK UP WITH? THE LARGEST COMPONENT IS, IS EDUCATION.
SO THAT 20 SOME MILLION DOLLARS IN PUBLIC SUPPORT FOR YOUR, UH, ACK COUNTY PRIME, UH, PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE THAT'S AT.
UM, AND THEN YOU HAVE OTHER COMPONENTS.
UM, AND WE'RE GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT EMS. 'CAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S A LARGE COMPONENT OF OUR BUDGET AS, AS WELL.
BUT WHEN YOU TAKE, AND YOU SAY, WHAT, WHERE DO YOUR LOCAL TAX TAX DOLLARS GO? UM, SO WHAT, WHAT THIS CHART LOOKS AT IS WHEN SOMEONE PAYS A GENERAL PROPERTY TAX, A REAL ESTATE TAX, A PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX, A, A BILL FOR YOUR MOBILE HOMES, WHATEVER, HOW DO YOU CARVE THAT UP? WHERE DOES IT GO? UM, AND SO JUST LIKE THE TOTAL BUDGET, THE MAJORITY OF IT GOES TOWARDS PUBLIC EDUCATION.
AND ONE INTERESTING THING THAT I, I FOUND WHEN I COMPARED THIS CHART BACK TO PREVIOUS YEARS, I USED TO HAVE IT SORT OF PUT TOGETHER WHERE IT WAS THE LARGEST PIECE AND THE NEXT LARGEST PIECE AND THE NEXT LARGEST PIECE.
UM, AND WHAT'S HAPPENED, I'VE, I'VE LEFT IT THE SAME OVER THE YEARS AS FAR AS WHAT THE NEXT COMPONENT IS.
BUT THEY'VE, IT'S WHERE WE SPEND THE MONEY HAS BEEN CHANGING.
UM, BACK IN THE DAY, WE HAD, UH, QUITE A BIT OF DEBT SERVICE WHEN WE FIRST DID A, UH, THE, THE SCHOOL BUILD OUT PROGRAM, WHICH WAS BACK IN THE NINETIES.
AND THERE WAS A LOT OF DEBT SERVICE, AND IT WAS PUBLIC WORKS AND THEN GENERAL GOVERNMENT AND THEN EMS. BUT NOW EMS HAS ROSE INTO THE POINT WHERE IT'S, IT'S ONE OF THE LARGER COMPONENT, IN FACT, ON THIS WORKSHEET AS FAR AS YOUR LOCAL TAX DOLLARS.
IT'S THE SECOND LARGEST, UM, COMPONENT, EVEN EVEN LARGER THAN, UM, LAW ENFORCEMENT.
BUT, UM, A ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS? AGAIN, THIS IS YOUR LOCAL TAX DOLLARS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT A LITTLE ABOUT, UM, WITH HOW MUCH FUNDING THAT THE COUNTY PROVIDES THE SCHOOL BOARD BASED ON A FORMULA A LITTLE BIT LATER.
BUT, BUT THIS IS HOW YOUR, YOUR LOCAL TAX DOLLARS ARE SPENT.
SO WHAT WERE THE GUIDING PRIORITIES FOR FY 26? THE FIRST ONE, AND AS ALWAYS AT THE TOP, IS FUND THE BOARD'S STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AS IDENTIFIED.
UM, THE SECOND, WE CAN'T DO ANY OF THESE PRIORITIES.
WE CAN'T IMPLEMENT THESE PRIORITIES UNLESS WE HAVE, UM, OUR QUALIFIED WORKFORCE TO DO THEM.
AND SO, ONE OF OUR PRIMARY DUTIES, ONE OF MY PRIMARY FOCUSES IS ALWAYS TO RETAIN AND RECRUIT A QUALIFIED WORKFORCE.
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THIS IS A NEW PRIORITY FOR THIS YEAR.AND THAT IS ADDRESSED THE STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE OF THE EMS FUND.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS, RIGHT NOW THE EMS FUND, WHICH IS CARVED OUT TO, TO PAY FOR EXCLUSIVELY, UH, FOR EMS SERVICES, IS, IS SPENDING WAY MORE THAN IS TAKING IN, IN, IN TERMS OF TAX DOLLARS.
AND, AND WE WILL GET INTO THAT A LITTLE, UH, DEEPER IN, IN A FEW MINUTES.
WE HAVE A LOT OF CONTRACTUAL COMMITMENTS.
WE HAVE A LOT OF AGREEMENTS, AND WE HAVE A LOT OF MANDATES THAT WE HAVE TO, UM, UH, LIVE BY.
UH, WE ALSO, PART, PART OF THIS BUDGET IS A PRIORITY, IS TO CONTINUE TO ADD TO THE RAINY DAY FUND.
UM, WE, WE'VE BEEN CONTRIBUTING YEAR AFTER YEAR FOR OVER A DECADE NOW, TRYING TO GET THAT RAINY DAY FUND TO A BEST PRACTICE LEVEL.
AND WE'RE NOT GONNA GET THERE IN THE SHORT TERM.
IT'S GONNA BE 2031 IT LOOKS LIKE BEFORE WE A ACHIEVE THAT GOAL.
BUT IT REQUIRES, UH, CONSTANT AND CONTINUED INVESTMENT AS WE GO FROM FISCAL YEAR TO FISCAL YEAR.
CERTAINLY ONE OF OUR PRIORITIES IS MAINTAIN OUR FACILITIES, OUR BUILDINGS, OUR DOCKS, OUR RAMPS, UM, THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
AND BECAUSE OF THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW IS EVERYTHING'S GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE.
AND SO THAT BLEEDS DOWN INTO EACH OF OUR COUNTY DEPARTMENTS WHERE BASIC COSTS LIKE ELECTRICITY, UM, ANYTHING THAT YOU CAN THINK OF COST ARISING.
AND, AND THESE BUDGETS REQUIRE AN INFUSION IN THE FORM OF ADDITIONAL PREPARATIONS TO COVER THEM.
SO THESE ARE BASICALLY THE PRIORITIES THAT I TOOK INTO THE, TO THE BUDGET PROCESS AND TRY TO ADDRESS.
SO HOW MUCH NEW MONEY IS THERE IN THIS BUDGET? WHAT HAVE WE BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY? SO WE HAVE 2.5 MILLION INCREASE, BUT THAT'S NOT ALL DISCRETIONARY REVENUE.
AND WHAT I MEAN BY DISCRETIONARY REVENUE IS REVENUE.
YOU CAN CONTROL WHERE IT GOES.
UM, ONE THING I'LL POINT OUT BEFORE WE EVEN GET TOO FAR IN THIS DISCUSSION, THIS DROP HERE FROM 24 TO 25, THAT IS THE ONLY REASON WE HAVE A DROP HERE, IS BECAUSE THIS IS THE ACTUAL NUMBER.
AND THEN, AND THE WAY WE BUDGET, WE DON'T BUDGET FOR GRANTS UNLESS WE KNOW WE HAVE A GRANT AWARD.
AND THEN WE GO BACK AND WE AMEND THE BUDGET, WE ASK THE BOARD TO APPROPRIATE THE FUNDS, AND WE GO FROM THERE.
SO TYPICALLY WHEN WE ADOPT THE BUDGET, THERE'S PLENTY OF GRANTS THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT WE HAVE NOT BEEN OFFICIALLY AWARDED, AND WE WILL INCREASE THE REVENUE SIDE OF THE BUDGET AS THEY ARE.
UM, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BUDGET FROM LAST YEAR TO THE BUDGET OF THIS YEAR, THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL 2.5 MILLION IN, UM, IN, LET'S CALL IT NEW REVENUE.
BUT AGAIN, SOME OF IT IS, FOR INSTANCE, STATE MATCH FOR, UH, COMPENSATION BOARD EMPLOYEE RAISES, AND, AND THAT HAS TO GO TOWARDS THOSE TYPE OF INITIATIVES.
AND WE WILL BREAK DOWN WHERE THAT'S COMING FROM IN JUST A MINUTE.
UH, THIS IS JUST A, A, A CHART THAT TELLS YOU WHERE THE MAJOR REVENUE SOURCES ARE.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, JUST LIKE I SAID A FEW MINUTES AGO, PROPERTY TAXES, UM, IN THIS CASE, REAL PROPERTY TAXES IS BY FAR THE, THE LARGEST CONTRIBUTOR OF REVENUE TO THE COUNTY.
THE SECOND ONE'S PERSONAL PROPERTY.
THE THIRD IS SALES AND USE TAX.
UH, WORTHY OF NOTE IS THIS ONE.
AND BECAUSE OF, OF INCREASES IN THE FED RATE, EVEN THOUGH THE FED HAS CUT BACK, UM, THE, THE OVERALL FED RATE A COUPLE TIMES, UM, THEY DIDN'T, THEY JUST MET THE OTHER DAY AND THEY DIDN'T CHANGE THE RATE.
BUT BEFORE THEN, THEY HAD DECREASED, UM, THE FED RATE BACK DOWN, UM, BY, I THINK IT WAS 25 BASIS POINTS.
EVEN WITH THAT SAID THAT WE, BECAUSE OF OUR INVESTMENT BALANCE, WHICH, WHICH QUITE FRANKLY INCLUDES QUITE A BIT OF FUNDS THAT THE SCHOOLS HAVE AT THEIR DISPOSAL AND HAVE NOT UTILIZED PLUS A RANGE FUNDS, UM, WE, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE WITH IMPROVED RATES TO GENERATE A LOT MORE, UH, INVESTMENT INCOME.
AND, AND ALL THAT IS, IS PRIMARY BECAUSE OF THE ACTIONS OF OF YOUR COUNTY TREASURER.
BUT THAT HAS BEEN A GROWING REVENUE.
IT'S A REVENUE SOURCE THAT WE ARE RELYING HEAVILY ON, UH, FOR FY 26 TO PAY FOR SOME OF THESE INITIATIVES.
SO WHAT'S PROPOSED TO THE BOARD TONIGHT IS AN INCREASE IN THE REAL ESTATE TAX RATE BY 5 CENTS.
UM, IT WOULD TAKE THE TOTAL RATE FROM, UH, 48, A LITTLE OVER 48 CENTS TO 53 CENTS, UM, AND SOME CHANGE RIGHT THERE.
UM, THIS ENTIRE INCREASE IS DESIGNATED FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.
AND, AND YOU ALL WILL REMEMBER THAT YOUR TAX RATE IS IS COM IS.
IT'S DIVIDED IN INTO SPECIFIC, UM, ELEMENTS OR, OR COMPONENTS.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY ARE DOWN HERE.
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I'VE SHOWN THEM, UM, YOU HAVE A, A PORTION OF THE TAX RE TAX RATE THAT'S, THAT'S DEDICATED TO FUND GENERAL FUND INITIATIVES.YOU HAVE A PORTION THAT GOES TOWARDS REPAYMENT OF DEBT, AND THEN YOU HAVE A PORTION THAT GOES EXCLUSIVELY TO PAY FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES.
UM, WHAT IS BEING PROPOSED, AGAIN, IS TO RAISE THAT PORTION FOR EMS THAT'S HIGHLIGHTED IN READ HERE BY 5 CENTS.
UM, I'LL, AND I'LL, I'LL SAY RIGHT NOW, THIS IS IMPORTANT.
IT ONLY ADDRESSES THE EMS FUND, STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE WHERE THE SERVICE COSTS EXCEED, UM, THE DEDICATED REVENUE STREAM.
AND WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT HOW THIS HAS HAPPENED OVER THE YEARS.
UM, A FEW SLIDES AND WHERE DO WE RANK THE REAL ESTATE TAX IN AKIMA COUNTY IS CURRENTLY THE 17TH OUT OF 19 OF ITS PEER MEMBER GROUP.
IN TERMS OF HIGHEST AND LOWEST.
OUR, OUR REAL ESTATE RATE IS ONE OF THE LOWEST, UM, IN, IN THE, THE COMMONWEALTH, AND CERTAINLY ONE OF THE LOWEST AMONG OUR PEERS.
AGAIN, OUR CURRENT RATE IS, IS 48.
UM, 0.4, UH, OUR PEER GROUP AVERAGE IS 61.6.
AND AS FAR AS OUR NEIGHBORS, UH, NORTH HAMPTON, UM, IS, IS A GOOD, UH, 20 CENTS HIGHER THAN WHAT OUR CURRENT RATE IS.
AND WORCESTER COUNTY, IT COMES IN AT 0.957, UM, EVEN HIGHER THAN THAT.
UH, IN, IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING, UH, 1 CENT INCREASE IN THE COUNTY REAL ESTATE TAX RATE GENERATES ABOUT $517,000.
UH, YOU, MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN ON THE BOARD FOR A FEW YEARS WHERE RECALL WHEN THAT WAS THREE OVER 400.
BUT AS REASSESSMENTS HAPPEN AND THE, AND THE VALUE OF REAL PROPERTY GOES UP, SO DOES THE VALUE OF 1 CENT OF REAL ESTATE TAX.
THERE'S NO CHANGE PROPOSED FOR PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES.
UH, THE $3 72 CENT RATE HAS BEEN IN EFFECT FOR DECADES.
UH, THE CURRENT PROPOSED STATE LEGISLATION THERE, AND, AND THIS IS JUST, UH, AN FYI, AND I HAVEN'T CHECKED ON THIS IN THE LAST COUPLE DAYS, BUT, UH, THERE IS CURRENT PROPOSED, UH, STATE LEGISLATION THAT WOULD IMPOSE CAPS ON FUTURE RATE INCREASES THAT PASSED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
AND THIS GETS INTO DISCUSSIONS ABOUT CAR ATTACKS AND WHAT'S GOING ON IN RICHMOND.
AND LIKELY THIS IS, THIS IS PROBABLY NEVER GONNA IMPACT US NO MATTER WHAT, BECAUSE THAT RATE HAS BEEN JUST FLAT OUT LOCKED IN SINCE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF ACT WAS, UH, ADOPTED SOME, SOME NUMBER OF YEARS AGO.
AS FAR AS OUR PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RANKING WE'RE EIGHT.
SO WE'RE ABOUT AT MIDDLE OF THE ROAD IN THE PEER GROUP, NOT AS LOW AS OUR REAL ESTATE TAX.
UM, SO THAT, AGAIN, NO CHANGE OR NO INCREASE IN THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RATE IS PROPOSED.
THERE IS A, A TAX INCREASE PROPOSED FOR CIGARETTES.
UM, IT WOULD INCREASE THE ACCOUNTING CIGARETTE TAX FROM 20 CENTS PER PACK TO 30 CENTS PER PACK.
SO THESE TWO SLIDES BASICALLY CAPTURE THE REVENUE ENHANCEMENTS THAT I'M, OR, OR TAX INCREASES IT'S CALL 'EM WHAT THEY ARE THAT I'M PROPOSING IN, IN THIS, THIS FY 26 PROPOSED BUDGET.
THAT'S A 5 CENT INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE FOR REAL ESTATE FOR EMS PURPOSES AND A INCREASE IN THE CIGARETTE TAX FROM 20 CENTS PER PACK TO 30 CENTS.
THIS IS JUST A, A TABLE THAT SHOWS, UM, OUR RATES AT LEAST OUR, OUR MAIN RATES, OUR MATERIAL RATES FOR A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT TAX TYPES OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS.
AND I'VE HIGHLIGHTED, OR IN RED FONT RATHER, THE DIFFERENT, UM, RATES THAT ARE, THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED TO BE CHANGED, IE REAL ESTATE AND, AND THE REAL ESTATE RATE CARRIES OVER TO MOBILE HOMES, CIGARETTES.
THE REST OF THESE TRANSCEND OCCUPANCY TAX MEALS, TAX VEHICLE LICENSE FEE, LOCAL SALES, AND USE, ALL, ALL THAT IS, IS PROPOSED TO STAY THE SAME.
MR. MASON, YOU GOT A, I HAVE A QUESTION.
DID YOU WANT ME TO WAIT? NO, MA'AM.
I DIDN'T WANNA MESS UP YOUR FLOW.
UM, I DON'T KNOW AS FAR AS OUR NEIGHBORS, AND I KNOW YOU TALK ABOUT PEER GROUPS A LOT, AND I, AND I WAS REFERENCING THE CIGARETTE TAX.
NOW, HOW DOES THAT RATE WITH OUR PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO, I DO HAVE A SLIDE A LITTLE DEEPER, BUT I'LL TELL YOU, WE FOR ONE, THE, THE TOWN OF CHEN TICK HAS A CIGARETTE TAX, THEIRS, IS THAT WHAT WE WOULD REFER TO AS THE MAX? IT'S AT 40 CENTS PER PACK.
WE'RE CURRENTLY AT 20, SO THEY'RE DOUBLE WHAT WE ARE.
UH, NORTH HAMPTON ALSO HAS THE MAX RATE ADOPTED.
AND I ALSO, I ALSO SERVE ON THE, UH, CHESAPEAKE BAY REGIONAL CIGARETTE TAX BOARD.
AND I BELIEVE THERE MAY BE ONE OTHER, BUT WE ARE THE ONLY LOCALITY IN THAT THAT'S PART OF THAT REGIONAL CIGARETTE TAX BOARD THAT DOES NOT IMPOSE A MAXIMUM RATE ALLOWED BY LAW.
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THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN.SO AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL AT THIS VERY HIGH LEVEL IN THE BUDGET TALKING ABOUT, UM, IN THIS CASE, STRATEGIC PRIORITIES.
UH, THIS BUDGET SETS ASIDE ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR WASTEWATER NEEDS AT THE NORTHERN END OF, UH, OF THE COUNTY.
IT ADDS TO THE 2.5 MILLION THAT WAS SET ASIDE LAST YEAR, UH, LIKELY WILL BE USED FOR THE COUNTY CONSTRUCTED ITS OWN FACILITY AND LEASE OUT OPERATION TO A THIRD PARTY.
WE ARE CURRENTLY GETTING READY TO ISSUE AN, UH, AN RFP, UH, TO GET A CONSULTANT ON TO HELP GUIDE US TOWARDS AT LEAST RECOMMENDATION TOWARDS A STRUCTURE WHEN WE'RE AT THE POINT WHERE WE, WHERE THE BOARD'S GONNA CONSIDER CONSTRUCTING OR FUNDING A, A WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT THAT MEET SOME OF THE NEEDS UP AT THE NORTHERN END.
UH, WE NEED SOME GUIDANCE ON WHAT MECHANISM AND HOW TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.
BUT WE KNOW IT'S GONNA BE EXPENSIVE.
AND, AND I THINK THERE WAS SOME DISCUSSION AT ONE POINT ABOUT THINKING MAYBE THERE WAS SOME WAY TO LEVERAGE NASA AND HRSD AND I, I CAN TELL YOU, I I DON'T EXPECT THAT THAT IS GOING TO, UM, THAT EITHER ONE OF THOSE ENTITIES IS GONNA BE ABLE TO HELP WITH THIS, UM, FROM A, FROM A HOUSING PERSPECTIVE.
AND, AND REALLY THE WASTEWATER IS TIED TO HOUSING.
THEY GO HAND IN HAND, HAND IN HAND HERE.
BUT, UM, THIS, THIS BUDGET CONTINUES THE DERELICT BUILDING REMOVAL EFFORTS.
THE BOARD STARTED A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO.
UH, IT PROVIDES FUNDING FOR STATE MAN MANDATED COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE, AND IT CONTINUES EFFORTS FUNDED IN FY 25 THAT AREN'T QUITE COMPLETE.
AND THERE'S SOME THINGS OUT THERE THAT, UH, ARE MULTI-YEAR PROJECTS THAT WE'RE STILL WORKING ON.
UM, FROM A, FROM A WORKFORCE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION PERSPECTIVE, THE BUDGET COST FOR A 3% COST OF LIVING INCREASE EFFECTIVE JULY 1ST, 2025 FOR FULL-TIME AND PART-TIME COUNTY POSITIONS AND STATE, UM, EXCUSE ME, STATE SUPPORTED LOCAL POSITIONS, AND THAT'S YOUR POSITIONS AND THE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS OFFICE.
UM, THE, THAT 3% ALIGNS WITH THE PROPOSED COMPENSATION INCREASE FOR STATE EMPLOYEES AND STATE SUPPORTED LOCAL EMPLOYEES.
SO WHEN I TALKED ABOUT DISCRETIONARY REVENUE A FEW SLIDES AGO, IT, IT COUNTED ON ADDITIONAL FUNDS COMING FROM THE COMMONWEALTH TO PAY FOR ITS SHARE OF THESE INCREASES.
SO AGAIN, IF, IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE A CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICER OR AN EMPLOYEE OF MUCH OF THE, THE FUNDING TO DO THESE, UH, A GENERAL COST OF LIVING INCREASE, LIKE THIS COMES FROM THE, THE STATE IN TERMS OF INCREASED STATE AID.
UH, ONE THING TO, TO, TO TAKE NOTE ON IS, UH, THAT COULD CHANGE THE, THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY IS STILL WORKING ON ITS BUDGET AMENDMENTS FOR, FOR, FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR.
AND SO 3% COULD BECOME TWO, IT COULD BECOME FIVE.
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT THE GOVERNOR'S SECOND YEAR OF THE BUDGET THAT WAS ADOPTED LAST YEAR DID INCLUDE A 3% COST OF LIVING INCREASE IN.
SO WE'VE, WE'VE TRIED TO MATCH THAT, UM, FOR REASONS I POINTED OUT BEFORE.
AND, AND, AND THAT YOU TAKE A, AN OFFICE LIKE THE, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT WHERE YOU HAVE, UH, LET 75%, MAYBE 80% OF THE POSITIONS ARE FUNDED BY THE COMP BOARD.
AND THEN, BUT WE DO HAVE LOCAL FUNDED POSITIONS THAT 100% OF THE FUNDS FOR TO, TO EMPLOY THOSE FOLKS COMES FROM THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
AND SO WE DON'T WANNA GET INTO A SITUATION WHERE THEY'RE GETTING, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, YOU'RE LITERALLY SITTING BESIDE SOMEONE, ONE'S GETTING ONE RAISE AND ONE'S GETTING THE OTHER.
SO WE TRY TO ALIGN OUR INCREASES WITH WHAT THE STATE PROPOSED.
UM, AND AGAIN, IT, DEPENDING ON WHAT HAPPENS IN RICHMOND, THIS RECOMMENDATION MAY BE, UH, IT MAY NEED TO BE REEVALUATED AT A LATER DATE.
IT ALSO PROVIDES THE LOCAL MATCH ON TARGETED 9.3% INCREASE FOR SHERIFF'S OFFICE DISPATCH, UM, PERSONNEL.
THIS WAS ANNOUNCED BY THE GOVERNOR.
THIS IS, THIS IS A COMP BOARD INITIATIVE WHERE THEY'VE IDENTIFIED THAT, UM, THE, UH, SHERIFF'S OFFICE DISPATCH PERSONNEL, UH, NEEDS, UH, THEIR COMPENSATION INCREASED.
UM, SO THEY HAVE TARGETED, UH, THOSE PARTICULAR POSITIONS WITH ADDITIONAL STATE FUNDS.
UM, AND, UH, SO WE'VE, WE'VE INCORPORATED THAT INTO, INTO THIS BUDGET.
UH, ADDITIONALLY, BECAUSE WE HAVE DIS DISPATCH PERSONNEL THAT, UM, WORK UNDER THE AUSPICE OF THE 9 1 1 COMMISSION, UH, WE HAVE THIS, THIS BUDGET PROPOSES THAT THEY ALSO RECEIVED THE 9.3%, UM, INCREASE TO THEIR, TO THEIR COMPENSATION.
BUT IT, IT DOESN'T SAY IT HERE, BUT THAT WOULD BE CONDITIONED ON A NEW, UH, AGREEMENT BETWEEN A, A NEW FOUNDING AGREEMENT THAT REPEALS
[00:25:01]
AND REENACTS THE RESOLUTION THAT CREATED THE 9 1 1 COMMISSION.AND, AND I SAY IT'S CONTINGENT ON THAT.
'CAUSE THE IDEA WAS, OKAY, LET'S USE THAT VEHICLE TO LINK COMPENSATION FOR THE VARIOUS DISPATCH PERSONNEL BETWEEN NORTH HAMPTON MACK AND, UH, AND, AND THE 9 1 1 COMMISSION, AND LET'S PUT IN PRINT THAT ALL ARE GONNA BE TREATED EQUALLY, UM, YEAR AFTER YEAR, SO THAT THERE'S NO DISPARITY BETWEEN ONE GROUP DOING THIS AND ONE GROUP DOING THAT.
UM, ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE LARGER INCREASES, UH, IN THIS BUDGET IS THE EMPLOYER SHARE OF HEALTH INSURANCE, EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE.
UH, WE STARTED THE PLANNING PROCESS IN THIS BUDGET, ASSUMING THAT WE WERE GONNA HAVE APPROXIMATELY A 20% INCREASE.
AND I'LL GET INTO THE DETAILS OF ABOUT WHY THAT'S HAPPENING.
BUT, UM, AND RIGHT NOW, AS OF A FEW DAYS AGO, IT MAY BE CLOSER TO 24%.
WE'RE, WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT OPTIONS, BUT THE BOTTOM LINE HERE IS THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO EXPERIENCE A, A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE, UM, NO MATTER WHAT DIRECTION WE GO.
AND THERE'S SOME IDEAS PERHAPS DON'T HOW TO PERHAPS CURTAIL THAT, THAT GROWTH A LITTLE BIT.
BUT, BUT IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE A, A MAJOR DRIVER IN THIS BUDGET.
DOES THAT ALSO GO TO THE EMPLOYEES SHARE? IN OTHER WORDS, WHERE OUR EMPLOYEES INCREASE BY 20%? SO IT WOULD, UM, I HAVE SOME TABLES FOR YOU IN A FEW SLIDES, BUT IF THE TOTAL PREMIUM IS GOING UP BY 80%, LET'S USE EMPLOYEE ONLY COVERAGE.
RIGHT NOW, THE COUNTY PAYS 80% OF THAT COST.
THE COUNTY WILL, THE COUNTY'S SIDE IS GONNA GO UP BY 20%, AND SO IS THE EMPLOYEES.
SO EVERYONE, THE, THE INCREASE IS GOING TO BE SHARED AMONG BOTH THE EMPLOYEE AND THE EMPLOYER UNDER THIS PROPOSAL.
SO UNFORTUNATELY, YES, USING SIMPLE MATH, IF THE FAMILY SHARE, IF THE FAMILY COST IS A THOUSAND DOLLARS, SAY A THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH OUT OF THE EMPLOYEE'S POCKET, IT'S GONNA ADD ANOTHER $200 ON TOP OF THAT, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT.
IN FACT, THIS, THE COMPENSATION INCREASE THAT'S PROPOSED IN SOME CASES WILL NOT EVEN COVER THE FULL COST OF THE INCREASE IN HEALTH INSURANCE.
THAT'S DIFFICULT DEPENDING ON IF YOU'RE, WHAT, WHAT TIER OF THAT IS DIFFICULT FOR THE EMPLOYEES HERE.
CONTINUING ON WITH THE, THE, THE STRATEGIC PRIORITIES, UM, THIS DOES EXPAND, UM, PARKS AND RECREATION OPPORTUNITIES.
IT ADDS ADDITIONAL PROGRAMMING FOCUSED ON SENIORS.
IT ALSO ADDS AN AMPHITHEATER TO RECREATION ACTIVITIES AT SAWMILL PARK.
UM, FROM AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE, PART OF THAT CAPITAL SPENDING THAT WE WERE LOOKING AT A FEW SLIDES AGO, UM, INCLUDES AN ACCESS ROAD TO BE CONSTRUCTED AT THE WILDS RESEARCH PARK TO BASICALLY ALLOW FUTURE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TO OCCUR IN THE BACK SECTION OF THE PARK, WHICH IS THE NASA OWNED PROPERTY.
REMEMBER THAT WHILST RESEARCH PARK, UM, IT HAS THREE DIFFERENT OWNERS OF PROPERTY WITHIN IT.
UM, THE COUNTY IS SORT OF WHAT YOU SEE WHEN YOU COME IN ON AEROSPACE GATEWAY.
THE BACK HALF NEXT TO THE TAXIWAY, THE 66 ACRES BACK THERE, AND THAT'S ALL OWNED BY NASA, BUT THERE'S NO CURRENT PAVED ACCESS ROAD TO GET, UM, TO ANY OF THAT LAND IF A ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROSPECT WANTED TO UTILIZE IT.
SO WE HAVE TO, AND, AND BY, BY THE COVENANTS, BY THE AGREEMENT, THE VARIOUS AGREEMENTS THAT MAKE UP THE PART, WE WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT.
MR. MASON, GO BACK TO THE HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE.
AGAIN, TALKING ABOUT A, AN EMPLOYEE WHO'S WHO HAS SINGLE SUBSCRIBER, WHAT DOES THAT COST A MONTH? I HAVE A TABLE THAT WILL COMPARE THAT AND A FEW SLIDES.
SO, SO AGAIN, I'M KIND OF TRYING TO STAY HIGH LEVEL AND THEN WE'RE GONNA DRILL INTO A COUPLE OF THESE MAJOR ISSUES, AND THAT IS A MAJOR, MAJOR ISSUE IN THIS BUDGET.
UM, O OTHER INITIATIVES, UH, WE HAVE FUNDING RIGHT NOW SET ASIDE FOR ERP SOFTWARE IMPLEMENTATION.
WE STARTED A PROJECT, UH, A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
UH, WE ACTUALLY PROGRESSED TO WHERE WE THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA BE SIGNING A CONTRACT AND, AND CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS FAILED.
THEN WE LOST SOME KEY STAFF, AND THEN WE SORT OF PARKED THE PROJECT TO THE SITE AND WAITED TO THE SITE AND WAITED TO, TO START IT UP ONCE WE GOT STAFFED UP.
BUT, UM, WHAT WE, WHAT WE REALIZED IS THAT OUR BUDGET'S TOO LATE RIGHT NOW FOR THAT.
UM, WE NEED, UM, ADDITIONAL FUNDING TO ASSIST WITH THE COUNTY'S BUSINESS CONTINUITY PROGRAM.
AND, UM, THIS, THIS BUDGET ALSO CALLS FOR SOME LOCAL INFUSION INTO THE PDC SEPTIC AND WELL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
THAT IS THE PROGRAM THAT HELPS, UM, FOLKS OUT WHO HAVE FAILING, UM, UH, EITHER WELLS OR SEPTIC SYSTEM, AND IT'S BASED ON INCOME FROM A SCHOOL DIVISION FUNDING PERSPECTIVE.
[00:30:01]
THIS, UM, PROPOSAL PROVIDES AN ADDITIONAL 314,000 TO THE AKIMA COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL DIVISION THAT ALL THAT IS DRIVEN BY A FORMULA THAT WE HAVE UTILIZED YEAR AFTER YEAR.IT, THAT FORMULA CAUSED FOR ROUGHLY 52% OF MOST OF OUR MAJOR REVENUES IN THE GENERAL FUND ONLY TO, UM, IF WE HAVE GROWTH IN THOSE, IN THOSE, UM, REVENUE STREAMS, THAT GROWTH IS SHARED WITH THE SCHOOLS BASED ON THAT 52% RATE.
AND SO THAT'S WHERE THIS 314,000 COMES FROM.
I HAVE COMMUNICATED THIS PROJECTION TO THE SCHOOLS JUST FOR THEIR PLANNING PURPOSES.
AND HERE IN THIS CHART YOU CAN SEE, UM, THE, UH, DIFFERENT APPROPRIATIONS TO THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM OVER THE YEARS.
GOING BACK TO 22, AGAIN, ONE OF THE LARGER COMPONENTS OF THE BUDGET IS THIS ONE TIME SPENDING FOR VARIOUS CAPITAL, UM, NEEDS.
UM, MOST, UH, MOST OF THE CAPITAL NEEDS THAT I'M, I I'VE LISTED ARE, ARE BEING PAID FOR WITH THE GENERAL FUNDS UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE, WHICH IS COMMONLY REFERRED TO AS SURPLUS.
AND I CAN TELL YOU THIS SURPLUS THIS YEAR, WHICH GOES BACK TO FY 24, IS ONE OF THE LARGER ONES WE'VE HAD.
AND NOT, NOT TO DIVE INTO WHY THAT HAPPENED, BUT I CAN TELL YOU INVESTMENT INCOME IS A MAJOR PLAYER IN WHY THAT THAT AMOUNT IS AS HIGH AS IT WAS.
BUT WHERE WE'RE SEEKING TO SPEND THAT IS THESE MAJOR COST CENTERS.
ONE WASTEWATER, AGAIN, ROAD ACCESS, DOCKS AND RAMPS, AIRPORT RUNWAY IMPROVEMENTS.
THE LOCAL SHARE OF A DETERS PRESIDENT REFERS, BUT YOU ALL WERE, I BELIEVE I SENT AN EMAIL TO EVERYONE.
WE HAD APPLIED FOR A GRANT, UM, TO REHAB THE, THE DETERS PRISON ACROSS THE STREET'S IN PRETTY BAD SHAPE.
AND, UM, WE WERE FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE SELECTED FOR ONE, BUT IT DOES COME WITH ABOUT A 33% LOCAL SHARE.
SO THIS, THIS BUDGET SETS THAT SIDE.
WE HAD THE, THE CLERK'S OFF THE CLERK'S OFFICE IS IN NEED OF SOME EXTERIOR REPAIRS, AND SO IS THE COUNTY JAIL.
UM, THERE'S SHERIFF VEHICLES FUNDED SOME EQUIPMENT, SCHEDULED IT INFRASTRUCTURE A REPLACEMENT.
THERE IS A, UM, THIS IS A NEW ONE, A ONETIME GRANT TO VOLUNTEER FIRE AND RESCUE COMPANIES FOR PPE.
AND SO THE ID HERE WAS TO TAKE SOME OF THIS ONETIME MONEY AND, AND TO SET IT ASIDE FOR USE TO ASSIST.
AND THIS IS GONNA BE WHAT, WHAT I'M PROPOSING IS A NEED, A NEEDS-BASED GRANT PROGRAM WHERE, UH, DPS WOULD ESSENTIALLY EVALUATE BASED ON APPLICATIONS THAT CAME IN, WHAT COMPANIES WERE IN NEED OF PPE REPLACEMENT, WHO HAD THE GREATEST NEEDS.
AND WE WOULD HAVE, I DON'T HAVE IT HERE, I'VE GOT A SLIDE THERE A LITTLE DEEPER, BUT IT'S $250,000 TO GO TOWARDS, UM, PPE, AGAIN, A ONE-TIME GRANT BASED ON NEED.
AND THEN THERE'S SOME, UH, LANDFILL EQUIPMENT ALSO BEING REPLACED.
UH, ADDITIONAL DEBT IN THIS PROPOSAL.
AND, AND WHAT I'M BRINGING FORTH TONIGHT DOES COVER, UH, MOST OF THE FUEL, UM, HEATING OIL, ELECTRICITY, AND ALL THE INFLATION DRIVEN COSTS THAT WE HAVE TO COMBAT EVERY TIME WE PROPOSE A NEW BUDGET TO THE BOARD.
IN TERMS OF POSITIONS, UH, WE HAVE 366 FULL-TIME POSITIONS OF FTE EQUIVALENTS, SO FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT.
AND I HAVE A CHART, I KEEP SAYING I HAVE IT AT THE END, WE'LL GET IT THERE, BUT, BUT IT, THERE'S 366 CURRENTLY, IT WOULD ADD TWO, ONE FOR AN ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER AND ONE FOR A MANAGER TO OVERSEE THE MS DRUG BOX PROGRAM THAT WE, WE CERTAINLY HAVE DISCUSSED A LOT.
UM, THIS, THIS BUDGET INCORPORATES SOMETHING I'VE NEVER DONE BEFORE IN THE GENERAL FUND, AND THAT IS A, A BASICALLY A, A A CHURN RATE.
UM, IT, IT, THIS IS FOR VACANT POSITIONS.
AND, AND WHAT I, WHAT I WANNA MAKE CLEAR IS WHEN I SAY THERE'S LIKE A VACANCY SAVINGS OR VA, IT'S NOT BECAUSE THIS POSITION'S BEEN SITTING OUT THERE VACANT, VACANT, VACANT, NO.
WHAT HAPPENS IS WE FILL IT AND THEN A POSITION OVER HERE BECOMES VACANT.
SOMEONE RETIRES, SOMEONE GOES OUT ON, ON FMLA, UH, THEY LEAVE THE COUNTY.
WHATEVER REASON, A NEW VACANCY IS CREATED, AND IT TAKES TIME TO, TO FILL THAT.
AND WHEN THAT TIME IS TRANSPIRING, THERE'S A BIT OF BUDGETARY SAVINGS, UM, THAT WE RECOUP FROM THAT.
I, TRUST ME, I WOULD MUCH RATHER HAVE THE FTE, BUT THERE IS SOME SAVINGS.
SO WE'VE, IN THIS PROPOSAL, I'VE ASSUMED A CERTAIN CHURN RATE.
AND, UM, SO WE'VE EMBEDDED THAT IN THE GENERAL FUND AS A, BASICALLY A REDUCTION IN THE TOTAL BUDGET.
I'VE AL I, FOR AT LEAST THE LAST FIVE YEARS, I'VE USED A CHURN RATE AND THE EMS, UM, FUNDS OR EMS FUND RATHER BECAUSE OF THE DIFFICULTIES WE WERE HAVING, GETTING TALENT
[00:35:01]
IN, UM, AND KEEPING THEM AND OR THE DELAYS WE HAD AND, AND JUST WITH THE NATURE OF THAT BUSINESS AND TRAINING PEOPLE UP AND DEPLOYING 'EM.UM, BUT I'VE NEVER, I'VE NEVER IMPLEMENTED SUCH A MEASURE IN THE GENERAL FUND, UH, IN THIS.
SO THIS IS A FIRST, AND, AND I HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WITH WHAT, WHAT BUDGETS I APPLY THAT CHURN RATE TO.
BECAUSE, UM, MANY OF YOU KNOW, IF, IF YOU'RE, IF, IF, IF A POSITION IS VACANT IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE, THEN THAT MEANS THE COMP BOARD REVENUE TO PAY FOR IT IS NOT GONNA COME IN.
I MEAN, THERE ARE SOME TECHNIQUES YOU CAN DO TO MAXIMIZE USE OF THOSE FUNDS, BUT GENERALLY SPEAKING, IF IT'S COMP BOARD FUNDED, IT'S VACANT, NO REVENUE COMES IN.
SO THERE IS NO SAVINGS WHEN YOU HAVE A VACANT POSITION ON THAT, WHICH MAKES SENSE BECAUSE IT'S REIMBURSEMENT.
THAT'S BECAUSE IT'S REIMBURSED BY THE, AND THE ONE I THINK OF MOST OF THE TIME IS, IS THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
BECAUSE EVERY ONE OF THOSE, WELL, OTHER THAN MAYBE SEVEN OR EIGHT LOCAL POSITIONS, FIVE TO EIGHT, WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS, EVERY ONE OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT, UM, POSITIONS IS REIMBURSED AT A HUNDRED PERCENT FOR, FOR, FOR COMPENSATION.
FOR THE MOST PART, THERE'S, WE PAY MORE THAN WHAT THE STATE COMPENSATION BOARD SCALE IS, AND WE HAVE TO, EVERY LOCALITY'S GOTTA PAY MORE THAN WHAT THE STATE'S, UH, SCALE IS, BUT AT LEAST UP TO THE AMOUNT THAT THE STATE RECOMMENDS, THEY PAY A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THOSE COSTS.
SO OVERALL NET STAFFING LEVEL IS TO REMAIN, UM, PRETTY CLOSE TO WHAT IT WAS, UH, THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
UH, THIS BUDGET MAKES THE NEXT CONTRIBUTION TO, UH, TO THE RAINY DAY FUND.
IT LEAVES A-P-P-T-R-A RATE, WHICH, UM, WE, IT'S, IT'S A TAX RELIEF RATE, BUT WHEN YOU START CHANGING, IT IS A, IT RESULTS IN A TAX INCREASE FOR SOMEONE.
UH, THE RATE IS STAYING AT 31%, SAME AS LAST YEAR, AND IT LEAVES ALL USER FEES UNCHANGED FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
ALTHOUGH, UM, MAYBE IN A FEW MORE MEETINGS, WE MAY HAVE JUST VERY, WE MAY HAVE ONE OR TWO USER FEES THAT WE NEED TO ADJUST JUST BECAUSE OUR COSTS ARE STARTING TO EXCEED WHAT THAT USER FEE.
AND I'M TALKING ABOUT SOME VERY MICRO TYPE USER FEES, LIKE A PLAN RESUBMITTAL FEE, UM, FOR, FOR, FOR THE PLANNING OFFICE.
SO HERE'S WHERE WE START TO GET INTO THE WEEDS A LITTLE BIT.
AND I SAID I WAS GONNA START WITH THE EMS FUND.
AND, AND, AND THE REASON IS OBVIOUS 'CAUSE THAT'S WHERE THAT TAX INCREASE ITS FOCUS.
BUT THE MS FUND WAS CREATED BY THE, A BOARD A LONG TIME AGO AS A MEAN FOR JUST CARVING OUT EMS FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
IT'S USED TO ACCOUNT FOR ALL THE EXPENDITURES ASSOCIATED WITH OUR CAREER STAFF, AND ITS REVENUE SOURCE IS REAL ESTATE AND PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX.
FOR, FOR THE MOST PART, IT IS GENERAL TAX, UH, REVENUES THAT FUND THAT, UM, THAT ARE THE SOLE REVENUE SOURCE THERE.
THE USES, IT PAYS FOR THE COMPENSATION OF APPROXIMATELY 65 FULL-TIME CAREER STAFF PLUS TWO ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS AND ALL THE REQUIRED PPE OVER 92% OF THE EXPENDITURES.
WHEN WE SAY IT'S COSTING THIS MUCH IN THE EMS FUND, 92% OF THAT IS, IS PERSONNEL RELATED.
IT'S COMPENSATION, IT'S OVERTIME, IT'S EMPLOYEE BENEFITS.
A QUICK NOTE, YOU KNOW, UM, WE CERTAINLY, WE, WE PAY FOR THOSE POSITIONS.
WE PAY FOR THEIR PPE, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO APPARATUS AND FACILITIES, IT'S THE, UH, VOLUNTEER FIRE AND RESCUE COMPANIES THAT ARE PROVIDING THAT AT THEIR EXPENSE AS, AS A WAY TO ASSIST WITH THAT, THAT OFTEN DOESN'T GET NOTED.
DURING THESE BUDGET PRESENTATIONS.
I'LL REMIND THE BOARD THAT WE DO ALLOW, UM, THE, THE, THE, UH, VOLUNTEER FIRE AND RESCUE COMPANIES TO, TO BILL FOR CALLS THAT OUR FOLKS ARE ON THAT RUN AND THEY RETAIN 100% OF THE BILLING.
UM, THAT, THAT PH THAT MODEL, IF YOU WILL, IS GONNA CHANGE, UM, PROBABLY IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE JUST BECAUSE OF CHANGES AT THE SOUTHERN END OF THE COUNTY AND HOW EMS SERVICES ARE GONNA BE DELIVERED, UM, BECAUSE OF WPR NOT RENEWING ITS EMS LICENSE IN THE COUNTY, UH, TAKING STEPS TO ACQUIRE THE AMBULANCES AND CONTINUE TO RUN THOSE CALLS, NO DIFFERENTLY THAN BEFORE.
UM, BUT THAT WILL BE A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
BUT FROM ALL THE OTHER AREAS, THE EMS, THE, THE BILLING THAT OCCURS FROM THOSE CALLS GOES STRAIGHT TO THE VOLUNTEER FIRE AND RESCUE COMPANIES THEMSELVES.
SO WHY IS OUR STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE HERE? UM, LET'S GO BACK TO FY 22.
UM, WE HAD A PRETTY ROBUST FUND BALANCE OF 5.3 MILLION, BUT AS I SAID BACK THEN, WE EXPECTED THAT TO COME DOWN QUITE A BIT BECAUSE IT WAS FY 21, I BELIEVE, WHEN WE STARTED TO OBTAIN QUITE A BIT OF INFUSION OF COVID RELATED FUNDS, UM, THAT HELPED BUILD THAT BALANCE UP.
AND THEY WERE ONE TIME FUNDS AND THERE WERE A SERIES OF ACTIONS THAT WERE APPROVED, UM, FROM 22 TO 23, AND, AND AGAIN, IN 24, THAT INCREASED THE COST OF COMPENSATION.
AND SO WHAT WE, WHAT WE HAD AT THAT POINT WAS
[00:40:01]
A STRUCTURAL, A, A SEVERELY STRUCTURALLY IMBALANCED FUND WHERE COST HAD GONE UP CON, UH, CONSIDERABLY, BUT THE REVENUE WAS STILL BASICALLY AT THE SAME AMOUNT OR EVEN IN SOME CASES DECLINING A LITTLE BIT.UM, SO IF YOU KIND OF JUST PLAY IT OUT, WE HAVE 5.3 AND A MILLION IN FUND BALANCE IN 22, IT DROPPED TO 4.8 AND 23.
SOME OF THOSE INITIATIVES KICKED IN FOR A FULL YEAR, DROPPING US TO 3.8.
THAT WAS A LOSS THAT YEAR BY ITSELF.
AT 1.7 MILLION, 2.3 MILLION IS PROJECTED FOR FY 25 AND 2.9 MILLION IS, IS PROJECTED FOR FY 26 IF THERE'S NO INCREASE IN THE REAL ESTATE TAX RATE DEVOTED TO EMS. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT INCREASING THE TAX RATE BY 5 CENTS, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS TRYING TO AVOID THIS.
AGAIN, THAT'S THE PORTION OF THE TAX RATE THAT'S DEVOTED TO EMS ALSO INCLUDED.
I MEAN, EVEN THOUGH WE, WE HAVE A STRUCTURALLY IN ON ITS FUND, WE HAVE SOME COSTS THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A 3% COMPENSATION INCREASE THAT'S INCLUDED IN THERE.
ALL THESE HAVE BEEN BUILT INTO THOSE PROJECTIONS, BUT 20% MATCH ON EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE.
UM, THE ONE FTE TO HELP MANAGE THE, UM, AND, AND ASSOCIATE COSTS FOR THE EMS DRUG BOX.
SOME PPE COSTS CONTINUE TO SKYROCKET.
UH, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE AN INCREASE IN THE COST THAT WE PAY FOR OUR MEDICAL DIRECTOR.
AND AGAIN, AS I WAS TALKING BEFORE, I DO ASSUME A, A CHURN OR A VACANCY SAVINGS, UH, OF APPROXIMATELY 600,000.
SO TECHNICALLY WHEN I ADD ALL THESE THINGS AND I MAKE THAT DEDUCTION, IT ENDS UP GOING AND IT'S NEGATIVE GROWTH IN, IN EXPENDITURES, BUT IT'S ALL BEING DRIVEN BY THAT CHURN RATE.
S SO YOU HAVE TWO CHARTS HERE.
THIS ONE IS WHAT HAPPENS WITH FUND BALANCE.
IF WE DO NOTHING, UM, AND YOU CAN SEE FROM 25 TO 26 WE'RE IN THE RED, THAT'S TWO POINT SOMETHING MILLION AND IT JUST GETS WORSE.
UM, IF YOU INCREASE THE TAX RATE BY 5 CENTS, DEDICATED SOLELY TO EMS, 26 WILL BE FINE.
27, THAT'S POSITIVE, THAT WILL BE FINE.
DEPENDING ON, UH, A, A NUMBER OF INFLATION FACTORS, YOU MAY HAVE TO INCREASE IT AGAIN BY THE TIME YOU GET TO FY 28.
BUT AT LEAST THIS INCREASE WOULD SOLVE YOUR IMMEDIATE PROBLEM OF THE NEXT TWO PHYSICAL YEARS.
MR. MASON, JUST, THIS IS A VERY, VERY SIMPLE QUESTION.
IF WE DON'T DO THE TAX INCREASE, WE HAVE TO LAY OFF PEOPLE, CORRECT? Y YOU OR YOU HAVE TO FIND SAVINGS SOMEWHERE ELSE TO COVER IT.
BUT, BUT THERE IS BE, THE SAVINGS WOULD HAVE TO BE WITHIN THE SYSTEM BECAUSE WE CAN'T TAKE THE GENERAL FUND AND DO IT.
IF, IF YOU, UM, MAINTAIN HISTOR, WHAT YOU HAVE DONE HISTORICALLY IS SEGREGATE THAT ENTIRE OPERATION, THEN YOU, YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE A COURSE OF ACTION OTHER THAN TO INCREASE THE RATE, EITHER INCREASE THE RATE OR LAY OFF EMT.
THAT'S, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T GET ENOUGH PEOPLE TO RUN THE SYSTEM NOW.
MOST OF YOUR BUDGET IS PERSONNEL, RIGHT? 92% IN THIS CASE.
SO IF WE DON'T RAISE THAT TAX, THEN WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO LAY PEOPLE OFF, CORRECT.
WELL, SO I MEAN, AND YOU JUST SUMMED IT UP THAT THAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH THE EMS FUND.
WE'VE BEEN PROJECTING THIS INCREASE FOR A WHILE NOW.
WE HAD ADVISED THE BOARD ON A COUPLE DATES THAT THIS DAY WOULD BE HERE AND IT'S HERE.
UM, AND SO, UH, AGAIN, ONE OF THE PRIORITIES OF THIS BUDGET IS TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE.
LET'S TALK ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND NOW.
SO AGAIN, HOW MUCH, WHAT, WHAT'S THE NEW REVENUE? WHAT DO WE HAVE TO WORK WITH? SO OVER HERE IS FROM OUR REOCCURRING REVENUES.
ALL OF OUR, OUR, OUR GENERAL TAXES, WE HAVE 670,000 IN ADDITIONAL, UM, EXISTING REVENUE GROWTH.
WE HAVE, UH, THE 20, THE, THE 10 CENT INCREASE IN CIGARETTE TAX PER PACK GENERATES 376,000.
AND THEN WE ARE PROJECTING ANOTHER ONE, ALMOST 1.5 MILLION IN INVESTMENT INCOME.
SO THAT GIVES US 2,000,005 TO WORK WITH THAT TO PLUG SOME OF THESE INFLATION GAPS TO HANDLE THE EMPLOYEE, UH, INCREASED HEALTH INSURANCE AND THOSE THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UM, AND THEN ON THE ONE TIME SPENDING SIDE, WE HAVE THE, UH, PRETTY SIGNIFICANT FUND BALANCE, AS I NOTED EARLIER OF 8.5 MILLION.
UH, WE ARE RE-FORECASTING OUR INVESTMENT INCOME PROJECTION FOR FY 25.
WE THINK THERE'LL BE ANOTHER MILLION THERE.
AND WE EXPECT TO USE SOME FUNDS, UM, FOR, UH, PURCHASE OF AMBULANCES.
AND, UM, ACTUALLY THIS GOES TO A, A QUESTION YOU JUST, UM, YOU JUST HAD SUPERVISOR
[00:45:01]
CROCKETT, THE EMS FUND IS NOT CAPABLE OF SPENDING 300 TO 600,000 TO PURCHASE AMBULANCE.OR IF, IF WE WERE TO DO THAT, THEN I WOULD BE PROPOSING A SIX 7 CENT INCREASE IN REAL ESTATE.
SO WE MAY HAVE TO REVERT BACK TO A ONE TIME USING SOME OF OUR GENERAL FUND SAVINGS TO PURCHASE SOME OF THESE, UM, SOME AMBULANCES.
I EXPECT NOT ALL THAT WILL BE, UH, UTILIZED.
I EXPECT SOME OTHER COMPANIES, QUITE FRANKLY, TO FOLLOW SUIT WITH GETTING OUT OF THE EMS BUSINESS.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY THIS NUMBER IS 600.
BUT ONCE YOU, YOU ADD ALL THESE TOGETHER, YOU HAVE 8.9 MILLION TO WORK WITH FOR ONE TIME INITIATIVES.
UM, AND TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, WE HAD $18.7 MILLION IN, IN REQUESTS THIS YEAR.
SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE SHOWED, I'VE SHOWED YOU SOME CHARTS.
HERE'S JUST A TABLE OF NUMBERS.
UM, HERE'S THE ADDITIONAL AMOUNT WE'RE EXPECTING FROM INCREASE IN REAL ESTATE TAXES, A MODEST INCREASE OF 1.41% FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
AGAIN, I'M NOT SHOWING ANY TAX INCREASE IN THE GENERAL FUND.
THAT'S ALL EMS. UM, WE, EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE, UH, HAD SORT OF A VALUE REBOUND ON OUR PUBLIC SERVICE CORPORATION PROPERTY, WE'RE STILL, UM, NOT UP TO WHERE WE USED TO BE.
I MEAN, BACK IN 23, WE COLLECTED 1.5 MILLION FROM PUBLIC SERVICE CORPORATION TAX BILLING.
IT DROPPED BECAUSE OF OUR ASSESSMENT.
UM, UH, THE, THE SALES RATIO THAT THE DEPARTMENT OF TRANSIT, UH, TAXATION COMPUTES, IT DROPPED THE VALUES THAT WE WERE TAXING, UM, QUITE A BIT.
UM, IT RE IT'S REBOUNDED, UM, IN FY 25, BUT IT'S STILL NOT GONNA BE AS MUCH AS IT WAS BACK A FEW YEARS AGO.
SO THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THIS NEGATIVE NUMBER, UH, PERSONAL PROPERTY, UH, 3.88% GROWTH.
LOCAL, UM, TAXES, WHICH SALES TAX, UH, TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY, UH, A MINOR CHANGE, FEDERAL AND STATE AID RELATIVELY THE SAME.
AND A LOT OF THAT IS, AGAIN, ADDITIONAL FUNDS FROM THE, THE COMPENSATION BOARD TO FUND THOSE PAY INCREASES.
I REMARKED, UM, THE BIG NUMBER IS, IS, IS THE INVESTMENT INCOME AND PROJECTION BEING INCREASED? AND SO OVERALL IT'S, IF FROM FROM 25 TO 26, IT'S A FOUR, 4.49% INCREASE.
AGAIN, YOU COULD SEE THIS CHART A LOT.
I JUST LIKE TO HIGHLIGHT THE AREAS, UM, HOW YOUR TAX RATE IS, IS COMPARTMENTALIZED AND, AND WHERE THE CHANGES ARE ARE GOING THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED TONIGHT.
AGAIN, NO INCREASE IN THE GENERAL FUND PORTION OF THAT TAX RATE'S.
PROPOSED COLLECTION RATE REMAINS PRETTY STRONG.
UM, REAL ESTATE COLLECTION IS CLOSE TO 96%.
UH, AND THIS IS JUST ANOTHER WAY OF SHOWING THAT TAX RATE CARVED UP.
AND THE TAKEAWAY HERE IS THIS PIECE OF THE PIE THAT WAS FOR EMS LAST YEAR IS NOW GETTING BIGGER, UM, BECAUSE OF WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED HERE TONIGHT.
UH, NO CHANGE IN PERSONAL PROPERTY.
THESE ARE THE SAME NUMBERS YOU SAW ON THAT TABLE A FEW MINUTES AGO.
AND, AND ALL THE INCREASED AIR IS BEING DRIVEN BY HIGHER VEHICLE VALUES, 86% COLLECTION RATE FOR PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES.
UH, AGAIN, THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF RATE IS STAYING THE SAME.
AND I, THIS IS WHAT A TYPICAL TAX BILL LOOKS LIKE, AND THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE THAT
BUT, UM, JUST REMIND, WITHOUT GOING INTO THAT, SINCE IT'S NOT REALLY CHANGING, WE GET THE, THE COUNTY RECEIVES 3 MILLION, A LITTLE OVER $3 MILLION FROM THE STATE EVERY YEAR THAT IT'S REQUIRED TO USE TO, TO LOWER, UH, TAXES ON, ON PERSONAL USE AUTOMOBILES.
AND SO WE HAVE TO STRUCTURE AND ADOPT A, A RELIEF RATE THAT IS DESIGNED TO BASICALLY EQUATE THAT NUMBER.
AND WE WERE PRETTY DARN CLOSE WITH IT LAST YEAR.
WE GOT, AGAIN, WE GET 3,000,053 MILLION, 55,209 FROM THE STATE.
AND WE, UM, THE RELIEF PERCENTAGE, WHICH WAS 31 THAT WE USED, AWARDED RELIEF IN THAT AMOUNT.
SO JUST ABOUT DEAD ON ON THAT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE NOT RECOMMENDING ANY CHANGE FOR IT, UH, THIS YEAR.
'CAUSE YOU DON'T WANT TO GET BACK TO LIKE THIS.
'CAUSE THAT MEANS YOU'RE SUBSIDIZING THE STATE'S PROGRAM, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT IT WAS DESIGNED TO DO.
UM, SAYING AGAIN, THE RATE'S NOT CHANGING SALES AND USE TAX.
I, I'LL JUST SAY THAT YOUR NEXT THREE SLIDES, SALES AND USE TAX, MEALS TAX, ANCY TAX, THEY'RE ALL PRETTY CLOSE TO LEVEL FUNDED FROM THE PRIOR YEAR.
WE ARE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'VE HAD SOME GOOD GROWTH IN THOSE, BUT WE, I, THE, THE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE THEY'RE, THEY'RE SORT OF TRENDING TO WHERE THEY'RE BASICALLY
[00:50:01]
LEVEL NOT MUCH GROWTH THERE.UH, I DID POINT OUT THAT AT ONE POINT THERE WAS SOME LEGISLATION PROPOSED IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY THAT WOULD DO AWAY WITH THE LOCAL SALES AND USE TAX.
UM, THAT WOULD THE LOCAL SALES TAX ON GROCERIES.
UM, AND IT WOULD REPLACE THAT WITH COUNTY OR STATE AID.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT'S AT RIGHT NOW, BUT THAT, THAT COULD CHANGE THINGS.
BUT, UM, IT'S, IT IS JUST A NOTE.
UM, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF DISCUSSION RICHMOND ABOUT, ABOUT, UH, TAXES ON GROCERIES AND WAYS TO ELIMINATE IT OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
AND, AND SO THERE'S STILL SOME LEGISLATION THAT'S, THAT'S MAKING ITS WAY AROUND, UM, FOOD AND BEVERAGE TAX.
WE'RE LOOKING AT A 1.5% INCREASE.
THE REASON THIS IS REVISED IS THAT THE FIRST TIME IT WAS PROJECTED, WE HAD A LIMITED DATA SET.
UM, THE SECOND TIME IT, IT CAME OUT WITH A MORE POSITIVE, UH, NUMBER.
THE, THE PROBLEM IS I'D ALREADY KIND OF PUT THIS PRESENTATION TOGETHER AND LOCKED IT DOWN.
SO WHEN, WHEN I COME BACK TO YOU AT A FUTURE ME MEETING, I'M GOING TO INCREASE THE AVAILABLE AMOUNTS IN THIS BUDGET BY THAT CHANGE.
AND I'LL, I'LL WORK THROUGH THAT AT THAT POINT.
UM, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD NEWS.
AGAIN, TRANSIENT OCCUPANCY, IT SAYS 1% DECLINE, BUT BASICALLY WE'RE, IT'S $12,000 DIFFERENCE.
WE'RE LOOKING AT, UH, BASICALLY $1.2 MILLION IN TRANSIENT O TAX WITH THE, THE LARGEST PORTION OF THAT COMING FROM THE TOWN OF SHATI.
SO CIGARETTE TAXES, THE NEXT THREE SLIDES ARE SORT OF DIVING INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT, BUT IT'S AN INCREASE OF 10 CENTS PER PACK THAT'S PROPOSED.
AND THAT, THAT RATE BECAME EFFECTIVE JULY 1ST, 2023.
THE CODE OF VIRGINIA AUTHORIZES ALL COUNTIES A LEVY ATTACKS ON CIGARETTES NOT TO EXCEED 40 CENTS PER PACK.
AND, AND THAT THAT AUTHORITY WAS ONLY GIVEN TO LOCALITIES BACK IN 22.
UM, PREVIOUS TO THAT, THE CITIES HAVE FOR DECADES HAD THE AUTHORITY TO, TO LEVY A CIGARETTE TAX.
AND, AND FINALLY, LOCALITIES GOT IT.
AND AS I NOTED BEFORE, MOST LOCALITIES WENT RIGHT AND, AND PASSED THE BY, BY LEGISLATION WHAT THE MAXIMUM RATE COULD BE.
WE FIRST WE WENT WITH 10 CENTS, THEN THEY WAS INCREASED AT 20 CENTS AND IT SAT THERE UNCHANGED LAST YEAR.
UM, CURRENTLY THE COUNTY'S RATE IS 50% LOWER THAN THE TAX CHARGE BY NORTH HAMPTON.
IT'S 50% LOWER THAN WHAT'S CHARGED BY THE TOWN OF SHIG.
AND IT'S 50% LOWER THAN WHAT MOST MEMBERS OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY REGIONAL CIGARETTE TAX BOARD ARE, ARE CHARGING.
AND, UM, ONE, ONE THING THAT I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW, WE MACK COUNTY, UM, BENEFITS FROM CIGARETTE TRACKS QUITE A BIT BECAUSE ITS LOCATION ON THE BORDER OF MARYLAND.
UM, YOU CAN SEE THAT VIRGINIA, THE STATE TAX ON CIGARETTES IS 60 CENTS PER PACK.
UM, IF, IF THE BOARD WAS TO INCREASE AS THE COUNTY'S TAX RATE TO WHAT'S BEEN PROPOSED, THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER 30.
WHAT IT IS IN MARYLAND IS $5 A PACK.
UM, AND THAT WENT UP JULY 1ST, 2024 FROM $3 AND 75 CENTS TO, TO $5 PER PACK.
SO MARYLAND IS ONE OF THE HIGHER, UM, TAXING STATES IN THE US WHEN IT COMES TO CIGARETTE TAX.
MOST OF THE HIGHER ONES ARE LOCATED IN THE NORTHERN AREAS RIGHT HERE.
SO WE DO SEE QUITE A BIT OF TRAFFIC COMING DOWN FROM SOME OF THE, UM, THE STATES, UM, NORTH OF US TO, TO BUY THEIR CIGARETTE TAXES IN, IN VIRGINIA.
AND AGAIN, AND THIS IS, THIS IS THE AVERAGE STATE CIGARETTE TAX IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY IS IS 1.97.
AND AGAIN, YOU SEE IN, IN VIRGINIA 60 CENTS INVESTMENT INCOME.
THIS TABLE JUST HIGHLIGHTS WHAT THE FEDERAL RESERVE'S BEEN DOING FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
BUT EVEN, UM, EVEN IF THE RATE CONTINUES TO COME DOWN SOMEWHAT, WE THINK OUR INVESTMENT INCOME PROJECTION IS GOOD FOR AT LEAST FY 26.
UM, AND, AND WE WILL NATURALLY SEE SOME DECREASE IN OUR INVESTMENT INCOME IF THE SCHOOLS START TO SPEND DOWN SOME OF THE VERY LARGE, UH, BALANCES OF EXCESS LOCAL APPROPRIATIONS THAT THEY HAVE.
AND, UH, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY, BETWEEN THE PLANS FOR MACK PRIMARIES RENOVATION AND TWO GYMS, THERE IS GONNA BE, UM, SOME SPEND DOWN IN THE NEXT YEAR OR SO.
SO ON ON THE SPENDING SIDE, 3.5 IS WHAT'S BEING 3.55 IS WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED FOR WASTEWATER TREATMENT IN THE NORTHERN MACK.
ANOTHER $150,000 INFUSION INTO THE DERELICT BUILDING PROGRAM, UH, 900,000 FOR THAT ACCESS ROAD AT WALLOPS.
ANOTHER 500 FOR THE ERP APPLICATION, 50,000 INTO THE A-M-P-D-C SWAT PROGRAM.
[00:55:01]
AND REC, UM, THE AMPHITHEATER AND SENIOR PROGRAM AT A TOTAL OF ONE 15, UH, AND THEN A, A SMALLER AMOUNT FOR THE COUNTY'S CONTINUITY PROGRAM.AND IF, IF YOU DON'T REMEMBER WHAT THAT IS, THAT'S BASICALLY OUR, OUR PLANS ON HOW WE CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE IN CASE OF A DISRUPTION.
AND, AND TODAY WE USE A LOT OF WORD AND EXCEL DOCUMENTS THAT WE DON'T HAVE A MASTER PROGRAM THAT BRINGS IT ALL TOGETHER AND IS EASILY RETRIEVABLE WHEN YOU NEED IT TO BE ACCESSIBLE SO THAT THAT 17,000 INVESTMENT WAS DESIGNED TO IMPROVE THAT.
UH, ON, ON THE WORKFORCE SIDE, UH, A 3% COST OF LIVING INCREASE IS 506,000.
THE INCREASE IN EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE, THE EMPLOYER SHARE IS 355,000.
UH, THE TARGETED COMPENSATION INCREASE FOR DISPATCH PERSONNEL, BOTH THE SHERIFF AND THE NINE ONE ONES, 55,000, UH, IMPLEMENTING, UH, AN ON-CALL PROGRAM FOR OUR, OUR BUILDING MAINTENANCE STAFF.
WHAT, WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE A 24 7 OPERATION, NO MATTER HOW YOU, YOU SLICE IT, BUT, UH, WE CONTINUE TO ADD FACILITIES.
THE, THE LIBRARY IS AN EXAMPLE OF 'EM.
UM, 9 1 1, ALL THESE FACILITIES, ONE RUN 24 7.
SO IF THERE'S A BURSTED PIPE, IF THERE'S A ISSUE WITH A, A TOILET, THEN YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR BUILDING GROUNDS FOLKS HAVE TO COME IN AND RESPOND TO THAT.
AND, AND IT, AND IT'S A CHALLENGE JUST TO FIND SOMEONE WHO'S AVAILABLE, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ON-CALL PEOPLE, UM, ON, ON THE WEEKEND.
SO WE HAD TO FIND SOMEONE WHO'S AVAILABLE AND, AND, AND GET THEM IN HERE.
SO THE IDEA HERE WAS TO PROVIDE A VERY MODEST, UM, ON-CALL, UM, COMPENSATION FOR SOMEONE WHO'S DESIGNATED TO BE AVAILABLE OVER A, A WEEKEND, UM, AFFILIATED ORGANIZATION, COMPENSATION AND INCREASES.
THIS IS JUST, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S, IF WE'RE PROVIDING 3% TO OUR, THE COUNTY WORKFORCE, THEN WE HAVE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT RELY ON US TO DO THE SAME FOR THEM.
SOCIAL SERVICES IS AN EXAMPLE.
UM, A LIBRARY, ALL, ALL THOSE.
IF, IF THERE'S A REGIONAL ENTITY, THIS WOULD BE NET OF WHATEVER NORTHAMPTON, WHICH REQUIRED TO CONTRIBUTE TO IT.
UM, AND, AND NOW A LITTLE BIT ABOUT EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE.
SO WHAT, WHAT WE'VE HAD HERE IS OUR, OUR CURRENT PLAN IS AN EXPERIENCED, UM, A HISTORICAL INCREASE IN LARGE CLAIMS THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR.
UM, AND THAT'S GOING TO, WE'RE A SELF-FUNDED PLAN AND THAT'S GONNA CAUSE SOME SIGNIFICANT INCREASES AND THE STOP LOSS AND AGGREGATE, UM, STOP-LOSS INSURANCE COVERAGE THAT WE HAVE.
AND TO PUT THIS INTO PERSPECTIVE, AND THE, THE ACTUARY ACTUALLY GAVE ME THIS INFORMATION, BUT TO PUT THIS INTO PERSPECTIVE, UH, THE ACTUARIAL TABLE THAT WAS USED FOR PREDICTING CLAIMS ESTIMATED THERE IS BETWEEN A ONE IN 3% CHANCE EVERY A HUNDRED YEARS OF HAVING THE INCREASE THAT WE'RE HAVING THIS YEAR.
AND YOU CAN SEE IT, THIS, THIS WAS THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF CLAIMS THAT WE HAD THAT EXCEEDED THESE AMOUNTS LAST YEAR.
THIS IS WHERE WE ARE FOR BASICALLY A HALF YEAR.
UM, SO WE'RE ALREADY EXCEEDED THE FULL YEAR LAST YEAR ON EVERY ONE OF THESE.
AND THEN YOU GET DOWN INTO THESE VERY LARGE CLAIMS, OVER 200,000, OVER 300,000, OVER 500,000.
WE HAVE CLAIMS TOTALING SEVEN THAT WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE LAST YEAR.
SO NO MATTER WHAT WE DO, WHEN WE GO OUT AND WE REBID, UM, THESE, THESE AGGREGATE AND STOP-LOSS COVERAGE, THE COMPANIES WHO BID ON THAT LOOK AT THIS HISTORICAL TRENDS AND, AND WE'LL, WE WILL DO OUR BEST TO TIE TO TRY TO EXPLAIN TO THEM THAT THIS IS, UH, AGAIN, A HISTORICAL, HISTORICALLY BAD YEAR.
BUT THE, THE DATA SPEAKS FOR ITSELF.
SO THIS GOES TO SUPERVISOR CROCKETT'S QUESTIONS A FEW MINUTES AGO.
WELL, WHAT'S THE IMPACT ON AN EMPLOYEE? SO UP HERE, THIS IS WHAT THE CURRENT, UM, UH, TABLE OF, UH, BASED, BASED ON TIER OF WHAT, WHAT OUR TOTAL PREMIUM COSTS FOR, UH, HEALTH INSURANCE IS, HOW MUCH THE COUNTY PAYS TOWARDS IT, AND HOW MUCH THE EMPLOYEE PAYS.
SO IF, IF YOU JUST KIND OF COMPARE ROW TO ROW HERE AT A 20% INCREASE, THE EMPLOYEE WHO HAS EMPLOYEE OWNING COVERAGE JUST THEMSELVES WILL HAVE TO PAY IN ANOTHER $31, UH, EVERY MONTH.
THEN THEY HAD TO PAY, UM, THIS FISCAL YEAR.
BUT THEN YOU TAKE IT TO THE EXTREME AND YOU LOOK AT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE FAMILY PROGRAM AND IT'S $150 ROUGHLY.
UM, AND AGAIN, THE COUNTY, WE PAY 80% OF THE EMPLOYEE OWNED COVERAGE.
BUT NOT ONLY DO WE DO THAT, WE PAY FOR 55% OF THE EXCESS COST.
WHEN YOU PUT DEPENDENTS OR YOUR SPOUSE ONTO
[01:00:01]
THE PLAN, UM, WE, WE PAY MORE THAN HALF OF THAT ADDITIONAL COST.BUT AGAIN, UM, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A VERY LARGE INCREASE, UM, IN, IN, IN THE COST OF, OF, OF THAT PROGRAM.
MR. MASON, HOW MANY, DO WE HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MANY WE HAVE ON THE EMPLOYEE AND FAMILY PLAN? APPROXIMATELY? I, I DON'T WANT TO SAY IT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
I CAN TELL YOU WE HAVE FAR MORE IN THE EMPLOYEE CHILDREN THAN WE DO OF THE FULL FAMILY PLAN WORKED AROUND ONCE WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE SOME CHANGES IN THE, HAVING THAT ADDITIONAL TIER WHERE AN EMPLOYEE COULD COVER MORE THAN ONE CHILD, WE HAD FOLKS MOVE FROM FAMILY DOWN BECAUSE IN MANY CASES, THEIR SPOUSE IS WORKING AND COVERED ELSEWHERE.
I'LL CERTAINLY GET IT FOR YOU TO DO THE BREAK.
AND SEND IT TO THE WHOLE BOARD SO YOU ALL HAVE THE SAME INFORMATION.
SO ONE, ONE THING JUST TO POINT OUT, IF YOU GO BACK A DECADE AGO, WE, WE, THIS 55%, WE DIDN'T EVEN CONTRIBUTE THAT.
AND, AND WE, IN ORDER TO BE COMPETITIVE, WE HAD TO START, AND IT TOOK US, TOOK YOU THE BOARD.
'CAUSE YOU'RE THE ONES WHO WHO APPROVED IT.
IT TOOK US PROBABLY SEVEN, EIGHT YEARS TO GET TO 55%, WHERE WE JUST KEPT TRYING TO PAY A LITTLE BIT MORE TOWARDS THAT COVER BECAUSE WE HAD PEOPLE, WE HAD, WE WERE RECRUITING AND THESE, THESE POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES WOULD SAY, YEAH, THE SALARY'S OKAY, BUT MY EMPLOYER PAYS A LOT MORE TOWARDS MY FAMILY PLAN.
SO WE HAD TO PIVOT IN ORDER TO BE, UH, COMPETITIVE IN OUR RECRUITING PRACTICES.
SO AGAIN, JUST WORKING THROUGH THOSE PRIORITIES THAT YOU SAW EARLIER, THESE ARE BASICALLY COMMITMENTS, AGREEMENTS AND MANDATES.
SO THE AKIMA COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL SHARE, UM, BASED ON FORMULA THREE 14, THE COUNTY'S COMPREHENSIVE PLAN UPDATE 90,000, UM, CSB, THE COMMUNITY SERVICE BOARD, THERE'S A LOCAL MATCH THAT'S REQUIRED THERE.
UM, THIS HASN'T BEEN INCREASED FOR A WHILE, BUT THE COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES ACT, WE ARE SEEING SOME PRETTY STEADY INCREASES IN THE EXPENDITURES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
AND THAT'S A MANDATE AND, AND SUPERVISOR MAJOR CAN TALK MORE TO IT THAN I PROBABLY CAN, BUT, UM, WE ARE AT A, A DISADVANTAGE WHEN IT COMES TO A CERTAIN YOUTH THAT REQUIRE RESIDENTIAL PLACEMENT, UM, AND EDUCATION SERVICES.
THOSE, THOSE CHILDREN ARE SHIPPED ACROSS THE BAY.
UM, AND, AND THAT COMES WITH QUITE A BIT OF COST, NOT ONLY IN TERMS OF THE SERVICE PROVIDER, BUT ALSO IN THE STAFF THAT HAS TO GO WITH THEM TO SUPERVISE THEM.
UM, AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF CONVERSATIONS THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, I THINK, LOCALLY ABOUT HOW CAN WE INCENTIVIZE LOCAL SERVICES.
AND I'VE STARTED TO HAVE SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR CSA COORDINATOR JUST A COUPLE DAYS AGO.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, IT'S A STATE, UH, THE LOCAL RATE IS ROUGHLY ON AVERAGE 20.
MACK IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 23% OF THE COST OF THOSE SERVICES WITH THE STATE PICKING UP THE OTHER, UM, WE HAVE HEALTH DEPARTMENT THAT WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH.
UM, UH, WE, WE HAVE CONTRACT ESCALATORS ASSOCIATED WITH SOFTWARE WHERE IT, IT RISES BY INFLATION.
WE HAVE MORE PEOPLE TAKING IN, UM, ADVANTAGE OF OUR TAX RELIEF PROGRAMS AND WE HAVE EXPANSIVE EXPANSION OF THOSE PROGRAMS IN TERMS OF SURVIVING SPOUSES AND, AND SOME NEW LEGISLATION THAT'S CAUSING IT TO, TO RESULTING IN MORE PEOPLE BEING ABLE TO QUALIFY FOR RELIEF.
WE HAVE, UM, THIS IS KIND OF INTERESTING.
THERE'S A NEW FCC CAP ON INMATE VOICE AND VIDEO CALL CHARGES.
SO RIGHT NOW, IF YOU'RE, UM, INCARCERATED IN ACK COUNTY JAIL AND YOU WANT TO USE A VOICE, MAKE A VOICE CALL OR YOU WANT TO DO A VIDEO CALL, YOU CAN, BUT THERE'S A CHARGE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT.
UH, BUT THE FCC HAS HAS ACTUALLY IMPOSED SOME MAXIMUMS ON THOSE CHARGES NOW.
SO WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO COLLECT AS MUCH ON THE REVENUE SIDE AS WE ONCE DID.
UH, THERE IS, UH, CONTINUED ESCALATION OF SOME OF, UM, OUR GENERAL ELECTION RELATED COST, UH, PRIMARILY UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE ELECTORAL BOARD AND THE REGISTRAR.
UH, WE, WE NEED, YOU MAY THINK, OH, WE, WE SHOULD ALREADY HAVE DEDICATED INTERNET FOR COUNTY FACILITIES.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY THE SCHOOLS ARE, ARE, WE SHARE THE, THE COST OF THAT WITH THE SCHOOLS BECAUSE THE LINE COMES INTO THIS BUILDING THE FIBER AND THEY ARE MOVING TO ARCADIA, WHICH LEAVES US WITHOUT, UM, WE MEANS WE'VE
[01:05:01]
GOTTA GO OUT AND PROCURE OUR OWN SERVICE.UM, SO WE HAVE TO ADDRESS THAT.
THE BEGINNING OF SOME COST YOU'RE GONNA SEE WITH A NEW RADIO COMMUNICATION SYSTEM IS THIS 52,000.
THAT'S GOT NOTHING TO DO WITH SUPPORT AGREEMENTS FOR THAT NEW SYSTEM.
IT IS REALLY, UM, ALMOST PRIMARILY ASSOCIATED WITH THE ADDITIONAL TOWERS AND LEASE OF THOSE SITES.
OF THOSE ADDITIONAL CHARGES THAT ARE GONNA BE INCURRED OUR PROPORTIONAL SHARE.
NORTH HAMPTON WILL GET, UM, BE PRESENTED WITH THEIR SHARE OF THIS.
BUT AGAIN, MORE TOWERS, MORE LEASES, MORE COMMUNICATION EQUIPMENT IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THAT OVERALL COVERAGE RATIO THAT WE WANT TO HAVE.
AND, AND THAT COMES WITH A COST.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, THERE'S AN AN A DA RELATED MANDATE THAT HAS TO DO WITH, UM, WEBSITES AND IT'S GONNA CAUSE US TO HAVE TO REDESIGN OUR WEBSITE SO THAT IT'S COM IT'S COMPATIBLE, UM, AND JUST GENERAL SOCIAL MEDIA ARCHIVING.
THAT'S FOIBLE INFORMATION AND WE HAVE TO, UH, WE NEED SOFTWARE IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO, TO ARCHIVE IT AND MAINTAIN IT SO THAT WE CAN RETRIEVE IT WHEN REQUESTED.
RAINY DAY FUND, AGAIN, 972,000, THAT'S, IT PUTS US, WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO 16.7% OF OUR REVENUE.
AND SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST KIND OF PLOTTING DOWN THAT THAT COURSE, TRYING TO GET TO A POINT WHERE WE GET TO A BEST PRACTICE AND, AND WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT THERE YET.
MAINTENANCE IN OUR FACILITIES.
UM, THAT'S THREE DIFFERENT FACILITIES, DEEP CREEK, GLADDING AND PARKER CREEK.
UH, IN, IN CASE YOU'RE WONDERING, WE HAVE 27 DIFFERENT, UM, BOATING FACILITIES.
NOT ALL OF THEM HAVE A WHOLE LOT, UH, YOU KNOW, FOLLY CREEK AND SOME OF THEM, UH, HAVE PRETTY ROBUST RAMPS AND, AND DOCKS.
AND THEN WE HAVE OTHERS THAT ARE MORE, MORE SUITABLE FOR CAR TOP CARRIERS, WHERE YOU JUST HAVE A PLACE YOU CAN PUT YOUR KAYAK IN AND PADDLE OUT.
BUT THEY TYPICALLY, WHEN WE HAVE TO REHAB 'EM ANYWHERE FROM 250 TO $350,000 AND WITH 27 OF THEM, ANYONE WHO'S LOOKED AT THESE BUDGETS OVER THE YEARS KNOW THERE'S ALWAYS TWO TO THREE, UM, VOTING FACILITY RENOVATIONS THAT, THAT ARE ON THERE.
UH, AGAIN, WE, WE HAVE SOME REPAIRS TO THE, THE CLERK'S OFFICE THAT NEED TO HAPPEN.
UM, WE NEED A NEW FUELING FACILITY AT THE AIRPORT, AND THERE'S A, A, A LOCAL SHARE TO A RUNWAY TURNAROUND THAT WOULD BE FUNDED MOSTLY BY THE FAA AND THE VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF AVIATION.
$53,000 FOR THE JAIL, WHICH IS BASICALLY PAINTING AND SOME WINDOW, UM, REPLACEMENT.
WE TALKED ABOUT SOME ORDER STORAGE, JUST BASIC FACILITY UPKEEP.
WE HAVE, UM, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, HARDWARE, UH, SERVERS, WHICH IS THINGS THAT, UM, THAT ARE AT END OF LIFE AND THEY NEED TO BE ADDRESSED.
UH, OUR COMMONWEALTH ATTORNEY, UH, IMPLEMENTED SOME NEW, UH, DIGITAL EVIDENCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM THIS YEAR THAT, THAT BASICALLY REPLACED A, A, A MANUAL SYSTEM THAT HAS A COST WITH IT.
AND THEN WE HAVE SOME VEHICLES AND HEAVY EQUIPMENT THAT I, I WON'T GO IN.
WE HAVE, UH, IN, IN, IN YOUR, THE, THE LARGE BUDGET DOCUMENT THAT'S OUT THERE ON BOARD DOCKS AND THAT WE'LL PRINT FOR YOU AT YOUR REQUEST GOES IN TO, TO TALK ABOUT ALL THESE DIFFERENT INFLATION DRIVEN COSTS WHERE IT IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S FUEL, IT'S ELECTRICITY, UM, IN SOME CASES WE HAVE, UM, CONTRACT ESCALATION.
UM, BUT YOU CAN, YOU CAN DIVE INTO TO THOSE AT YOUR LEISURE, BUT I JUST KIND OF LUMPED 'EM ALL TOGETHER AS INFLATION DRIVEN, UH, DEBT SERVICE FUND.
SO WE GOT, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THE EMS FUND, WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THE GENERAL FUND, NOW WE'RE AT DEBT SERVICE.
NOTHING REALLY HERE TO TAKE NOTE OF OUR, UM, RATE'S NOT CHANGING.
UM, IT, YOU SEE THAT FUND BALANCE IS COMING DOWN, BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS RIGHT HERE, IT'S GONNA DROP BASICALLY TO ZERO.
BUT IN FY 27, OUR DEBT SERVICE REQUIREMENTS ARE GOING TO DROP AGAIN.
SO THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE PAY AND PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST WILL GO FROM 2 7, 2 0.7, 2.8 MILLION DOWN TO MAYBE 2.1.
UH, AND SO WE WILL SEE THIS REBOUND RIGHT HERE.
IT'LL DROP TO BASICALLY ZERO AND THEN START COMING UP AND, AND THEN RIGHT IN THIS AREA, YOU'LL HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO MAYBE SHIFT A PENNY OFF OF THIS AND MOVE IT TO SOMEWHERE ELSE.
UM, WE HAVE SIGNIFICANT DEBT CAPACITY.
WE HAVE RELATIVELY LITTLE DEBT.
WE DO HAVE SOME RATIOS THAT WE PAY ATTENTION TO.
I CAN TELL YOU THEY'RE ALL VERY POSITIVE.
AND IF WE EVER, WHEN WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE NEED TO ISSUE DEBT, WE, WE HAVE THE
[01:10:01]
CAPACITY TO DO IT.UM, LIKELY THAT NEXT TIME WE NEED TO ISSUE DEBT, WE'LL HAVE TO DO WITH THE LANDFILL.
UM, SINCE YOU MENTIONED THAT LANDFILL, DO YOU SEE ANYTHING ELSE IN YOUR CRYSTAL BALL IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ISSUE DEBT BESIDES LANDFILLS OR ANYTHING THAT, UNLESS THERE WILL BE A CALAMITY OR A CATASTROPHE OR SOMETHING, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOU SEE COMING AS FAR AS BUILDINGS, COUNTY BUILDINGS, SCHOOL BUILDING, ANYTHING? THERE'S NOTHING ON THE CIP, WHICH IS THE FIVE YEAR OUTLOOK THAT I SEE THAT REQUIRES, I WANTED YOU, I I WAS TALKING ABOUT YOUR CRYSTAL BALL, NOT THE CIP.
NO, BUT YOU HAVE A GOOD CRYSTAL BALL USUALLY.
YEAH, WELL, THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF GOING ON IN THE COUNTRY RIGHT NOW, SO EXACTLY.
SO I'M NOT QUITE SURE WHAT TOMORROW'S GONNA BRING.
BUT YOU DON'T SEE ANYTHING RIGHT NOW EXCEPT THE LANDFILL FUND RIGHT NOW? NO, AND I, AND I CAN, I CAN PINPOINT THAT ONE IN THE, IN THE NEXT SLIDE OR TWO.
BUT WE HAVE ROOM, IF THE COUNTY WOULD HAVE TO DO IT, WE HAVE ROOM THAT WE CAN DO IT WITH.
THINGS LIKE DE PER CAPITA REALLY, REALLY LOW HERE, WHICH IS A GOOD THING TO ALWAYS MAKE SURE YOU MAINTAIN THAT.
SO WE CAN DO IT IF WE HAVE TO.
YEAH, I'M VERY THANKFUL THAT WHEN WE DID OUR, BACK IN THE NINETIES, THERE WAS QUITE LARGE SCHOOL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT WERE KICKED OFF.
AND I, I'M GLAD THAT THOSE SCHOOLS WERE BUILT AND RENOVATED AT THAT POINT AND TRYING TO DO IT IN TODAY'S DOLLARS.
UH, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE LANDFILL FUND.
UM, THE LANDFILL FUND IS SOLELY FUNDED BY THE TIPPING FEE.
UM, WE'RE NOT RECOMMENDING A CHANGE IN THE TIPPING FEE.
UM, AND, AND AGAIN, SORT OF LIKE THE EMS FUND, BUT ONLY LANDFILL OPERATIONS, ALL OF OUR LANDFILL EXPENDITURES ARE, ARE, ARE COVERED BY THAT FUND.
UM, HERE'S WHAT WE'RE PROPOSING AS FAR AS NEW INITIATIVES, UM, EQUIPMENT HAS TO BE REPLACED.
UM, AGAIN, EVERY TIME WE GO INTO DISCUSSION ABOUT A FUND, YOU SEE THESE COLA HEALTH INSURANCE.
'CAUSE WE'RE SPLITTING THE COST AMONG THESE DIFFERENT AREAS.
UM, GETTING INTO YOUR, YOUR QUESTION SUPERVISOR HART.
THIS IS, UH, YEARS AGO WE, WE PURCHASED THE, UM, WHAT WE REFER TO AS THE WESTERN EXPANSION AREA.
AND THIS, WE'RE CURRENTLY IN CELL SEVEN, AND THAT'S, IT'S ESTIMATED TO CLOSE IN DECEMBER OF 2028.
BUT PRIOR TO ITS CLOSURE, WE HAVE TO DESIGN, CONSTRUCT AND GET, MAKE READY TO OPEN A NEW CELL.
AND SO WE'LL HAVE TO DO ALL THAT BY OCTOBER OF 2028.
BUT THESE ARE, THIS IS THE CAPACITY WE HAVE AT THE NORTH LANDFILL RIGHT NOW.
ONCE WE'RE OUTTA SEVEN, WE CAN GO 8, 9, 10, 11.
AND EACH ONE OF THOSE CELLS HAS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, OVER FIVE YEARS OF EXPECTED LIFE.
AND I MEAN, THAT MEANS WE HAVE 20 YEARS LEFT AT THE NORTH LANDFILL.
BUT AGAIN, THAT'S SORT OF A, UM, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE, WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS IN TERMS OF MAJOR PROJECTS.
AND RIGHT NOW WE HAVE DEBT THAT WE ISSUED TO CONSTRUCT, UM, CELL SEVEN.
AND, UH, WE STRUCTURED THAT DEBT TO HAVE A TERM THAT COINCIDED WITH THE LIFE OF THE CELL.
AND SO THAT WILL BE FULLY PAID OFF IN OCTOBER OF 2028, RIGHT WHEN WE NEED TO BE GOING INTO THE NEW CELL.
UH, WE'RE GIVE YOU SOME, WE AT, AT SOME POINT WE WILL UPDATE THIS SLIDE WITH, UH, JUST A FUND BALANCE PROJECTION FROM LANDFILL.
DIDN'T, DIDN'T COMPLETE THAT IN TIME TO MAKE THIS PRESENTATION, BUT WE'LL GET THAT IN THE FUTURE.
UM, JUST KIND OF RECAPPING ON THE POSITIONS PIECE, UM, 366 FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT APPROVED LAST YEAR.
THIS BUDGET RECOMMENDS TWO, UM, AN ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER AND AN EMS DRUG BUTS COMPLIANCE OFFICER BRINGING THE TOTAL, THE 360 8 NOTE THAT THERE'S NO TEMPORARY POSITIONS INCLUDED IN IN THIS, UM, AVAILABLE FUNDING.
UM, AND THIS IS ALL IN YOUR BOOK, BUT YOU, YOU ALL WILL RECALL ONCE WE GET INTO THE, ONCE YOU GET INTO THE, THE BUDGET DECISION MAKING PROCESS WHERE YOU'RE LOOKING TO CUT BACK ON SOME APPROPRIATIONS, PERHAPS EXPAND SOME OTHERS, WE HAVE SORT OF A RUNNING TALLY ON A WORKSHEET WE KEEP ON THE WALL.
WELL, IF I WAS TO PUT THAT WORKSHEET UP TODAY, THIS IS WHAT IT WOULD TELL YOU.
THERE'S 28,000 IN AN UNASSIGNED ONE TIME FUND BALANCE THAT IS STILL AVAILABLE FOR, TO BE APPROPRIATED.
AND THERE'S 83,000 IN OPERATING FUNDS BRINGING, UH, A TOTAL OF $111,000 AVAILABLE.
AND SO, UM, AGAIN, THIS, THIS BUDGET IS BALANCED, BUT THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR MAY VIEWS THIS PROPOSED BUDGET AS NOTHING MORE THAN A CULMINATION OF MY SUGGESTIONS BASED ON THE BOARD'S COMMUNICATED PROJECTS.
UH, THE BOARD IS CERTAINLY FREE TO CHANGE WHATEVER IT DEEMS FIT, YOU KNOW, THAT, AND I DON'T TAKE IT PERSONALLY IF YOU, IF YOU CHANGE ANYTHING I PUT UP HERE.
UM, BUT THIS IS WHERE WE'LL START, UM, WHEN WE START MAKING SOME OF THOSE DECISIONS, EXCEPT I'LL BE ADDING A LITTLE BIT
[01:15:01]
MORE MONEY BECAUSE OF THAT MEALS TAX REFORECAST THAT I'LL, UH, PUT OUT THERE.UH, THIS SECTION, I JUST, ONCE WE PUT THIS PRESENTATION TOGETHER AND, AND BALANCE THIS OUT, WE DID RECEIVE SOME THINGS THAT, THAT CAME IN AFTER THE FACT THAT WERE WORTHY OR NOTE.
UM, WE, WE RECEIVED TWO REQUESTS, UM, THAT, UH, ARRIVED AFTER WE HAD PUT OUR PRESENTATION TOGETHER OR AT LEAST BOUNCE THE BUDGET OUT.
UH, WE RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM THE TOWN OF SHIG FOR THE COUNTY TO REIMBURSE THE TOWN FOR THE COST OF TWO SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.
IT CURRENTLY PROVIDES TOHIN HIGH AND SHIG ELEMENTARY.
UH, THESE TWO TOWN POSITIONS ARE CURRENTLY PAID FOR FROM A GRANT THE TOWN OBTAINED, WHICH IS EXPIRING AT THE END OF THIS SCHOOL YEAR.
UM, SO THAT, THAT CAME IN FROM THE TOWN, WE ALSO RECEIVED A REQUEST TO ASSIST WITH EXPENSES OF AN EVENT CALLED SALE TWO 50, COMING TO THE TOWN OF C**K.
UM, SO THOSE WERE TWO THINGS THAT IF, IF YOU WERE TO OPEN UP YOUR BUDGET BOOK AND YOU LOOK AT ALL THE JUSTIFICATIONS AND EVERYTHING, YOU WON'T FIND THEM BECAUSE THEY CAME IN, UM, IN THE LAST FEW WEEK OR SO.
WE DID, UH, WITH THE TIME OF SHATS REQUEST, WE DID PASS OUT THE ACTUAL LETTER WE RECEIVED FOR YOUR, UH, CONSUMPTION.
MR. CHAP, MR. MASON, CAN YOU MAKE A COMMENT ON THAT? UH, THAT LETTER WAS SENT TO, UH, CONCERNS.
REQUEST WAS SENT TO, UH, SHERIFF, UH, SHERIFF WES.
AND, UH, ONCE HE GOT THAT, HE, HE CALLED ME WITH, WITH CONCERNS OF THE REQUEST.
AND, UH, LEMME GIVE YOU SOME HISTORY OF THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, UH, IN GENERAL THAT WAS ESTABLISHED BACK IN, UH, THE NINETIES.
I WAS A SHERIFF AT THE TIME, AND WE ESTABLISHED THOSE POSITIONS WITH, UH, COPS GRANT.
AND DURING THE COPS GRANT APPLICATION, IT WAS, YOU KNEW AT THE END OF THAT CYCLE YOU HAD TO COME UP WITH MONEY EXCUSE TO FILL THOSE POSITIONS, TO KEEP THOSE POSITIONS.
UH, SO WE, WE GOT THE, UH, UH, THE POSITIONS AND DURING THAT TIME, DURING THE APPLICATION PROCESS, I BELIEVE MR. MASON, YOU WERE IN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT AT THE TIME.
WE, UH, YOU KNOW, I DISCUSSED WITH, WITH THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE WE GONNA, WHEN THESE EXPIRE, WHEN THIS THESE GRANTS, UH, RUN OUT, UH, HOW ARE WE GONNA FUND THESE POSITIONS? WELL, WHEN THEY CAME DUE, I FILLED 'EM WITH CURRENT POSITIONS.
THE CURRENT DEPUTY SHERIFF POSITIONS DIDN'T ASK THE COUNTY, THE, THE, YOU KNOW, TO BACKFILL.
AND, UH, SO WE HAD A, WE HAD A SCHOOL RESOURCE, SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER ASSIGNED TO SHTE HIGH SCHOOL FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
UH, AND THEN THE, UH, LEADERSHIP OVER AT SHTE HIGH SCHOOL DECIDED, UH, THEY DIDN'T NEED A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER.
SO WE, WE PULLED THEM, WE PULLED THE PERSON BACK.
AND ACCORDING TO THE TOWNS LETTER IN 2020, I GUESS THEY HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD WOULD'VE HAD, HAD TO HAVE BEEN WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD TO GET THE APPROVAL FOR THEM TO ENTER INTO A PROGRAM THAT THEY WOULD PROVIDE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS TO THE HIGH SCHOOL AND TO THE, AND EVENTUALLY TO THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND THEY DID, AND THEY DID IT WITH A GRANT.
SO WHEN THEY WERE MAKING THEIR APPLICATION FOR THE GRANT, THEY HAD TO BE CONSIDERING HOW WE'RE GONNA PAY FOR THESE POSITIONS ONCE THESE GRANTS EXPIRE.
AND NOW THE TIME HAS COME, UH, TO, UH, THE, THE GRANTS HAVE EXPIRED.
UH, THIS WAS A PROGRAM THAT WE WERE GET, THAT WE WERE PROVIDING THE SCHOOLS ON SHTE IT, THEY DECIDED TO, UH, WITHDRAW FOR THE PROGRAM.
IT WAS BETWEEN THE SCHOOLS AND THE TOWN OF SHTE BEING THE SHTE PD TO, UH, FOR THEM TO TAKE OVER THE PROGRAM.
ONE, ONCE YOU TAKE OVER THE PROGRAM, YOU TAKE OVER THE PROGRAM NOT ONLY PROVIDING SOMEBODY THERE, BUT PROVIDING THE FUNDING TO SUPPORT THAT PROGRAM.
AND WHEN I WAS TALKING TO, WITH SHERIFF, SHERIFF WES, ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS HE, HE SAID WAS, WELL, IF YOU PROVIDE FUNDS FOR THEIR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, YOU'RE GONNA, YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR MINE.
YOU KNOW, I'M PART OF THE COUNTY BUDGET ARE YOU'RE GONNA SUBSIDIZE THEM FOR THEIRS.
BUT I'M USING MY LAW ENFORCEMENT POSITIONS TO PROVIDE THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS.
AND, UM, SO THAT CREATES SOME DIFFICULTIES, ESPECIALLY WITH ME BEING A PR FORMER SHERIFF.
UM, AND AND WHAT THAT WOULD DO IF, IF NO MATTER IF IT'S ONE POSITION, TWO POSITIONS OR THREE POSITIONS, IT'S, IT'S THE MATTER OF SUBSIDIZING A TOWN GOVERNMENT.
WE HAVE 14 TOWN GOVERNMENTS AND WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A HISTORY ON THIS BOARD OF THREE AND ALL THE TOWNS CORRECT.
I MEAN THE SAME, NO DIFFERENT.
I UNDERSTAND THEY'RE ONLY ONES, THERE'S ONLY TWO, THERE'S ONLY TWO TOWNS CALLED INCORPORATED TOWNS THAT HAVE SCHOOLS.
WE DON'T PROVIDE A, A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER ANGIER.
SO WOULD WE THEN SEND ONE TO ANGIER? WOULD WE PAY FOR SHERIFF WESS, UM, UH, SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS THAT HE HAS NOW THAT HE HAS, HE HAS FOUR.
WE PROVIDE ONE HALF OF ONE POSITION FUNDS TO HIS FOUR POSITIONS.
[01:20:01]
AND, AND THAT WOULD, IT WOULD JUST CREATE A, A, A VERY, VERY DIFFICULT POSITION FOR THIS BOARD TO BE IN.NUMBER ONE, UH, THE TOWN GOT INTO THIS PROGRAM.
WE HAD IT, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAD IT.
WE WERE ASKED, UH, THAT WE WERE TOLD THEY DIDN'T NEED IT ANY LONGER.
THEY GOT INTO A PROGRAM WITH THE SCHOOLS, MAYBE THEY SHOULD BE TALKING TO THE SCHOOL BOARD FOR SOME EXTRA FUNDS.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE WERE PROVIDING THE POSITIONS, WHETHER IT'S ONE POSITION, TWO POSITIONS OR, OR THREE.
AND, AND ALSO IT'S THE, IT'S THE RIPPLE EFFECT.
THEN DOES, DOES THAT OPEN THE DOOR FOR OTHER TOWNS TO COME? NOT NECESSARILY FOR SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS, BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ONE IN THEIR, I KNOW TAN DEERWOOD, BUT THEY, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY DON'T HAVE ONE IN THEIR, IN THEIR INCORPORATED TOWN, BUT IT OPENS THE DOOR FOR OTHER REQUESTS.
I THINK THAT SAME REQUEST WAS MADE A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO FROM A C**K.
AND WE DENIED IT BECAUSE IT'S, IT'S SUBSIDIZING A, UM, A, A, UH, A INCORPORATED TOWN IN TALKING WITH, UH, WITH SHERIFF WES, AND, AND IF JUST SAY IF SHTE GETS OUT OF THE SCHOOL RESOURCE, RE THE SCHOOL RE RESOURCE OFFICER PROGRAM, HE SAID WITH ONE POSITION HE CAN PROVIDE THE SAME, UH, THE SAME SERVICES THAT HE PROVIDES TO THE MAINLAND.
HE CAN ASSIGN A, UH, A DEPUTY SHERIFF TO THE, UH, TO THE HIGH SCHOOL.
AND HE HAS A COUPLE OF, OF, UH, DEPUTIES, A DARE OFFICER AND A SCHOOL OFFICER THAT SERVES AS A R DEPUTY TO THE MIDDLE SCHOOLS AND ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS.
AND HE IS, HE IS, HE IS, HE IS SURE.
HE'S, HE, HE CAN HANDLE THAT IF, IF, UH, SHING AITE PULLS OUT OF IT.
BUT HE HAS CONCERNS AND I HAVE CONCERNS, AND, AND HE DOES NOT SUPPORT, I MEAN, THERE'S NO DOUBT HE DOES NOT SUPPORT, UH, PROVIDING, UH, UH, FUNDS TO THE, UH, TO THE, UH, SHT POLICE DEPARTMENT FOR A, UH, FOR TWO SCORE RESOURCE OFFICERS OR ONE OR THREE BECAUSE, UM, BECAUSE THEY GOT INTO THE PROGRAM THEMSELVES.
THEY HAD TO BE CONSIDERING, HOW ARE WE GONNA PAY FOR THIS WHEN THESE GRANT FUNDS EXPIRE, THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PRUDENT.
THEY KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING OVER THERE.
THEY HAVE TO, THEY HAVE TO BE READY FOR, FOR THESE FUNDS TO EXPIRE.
AND, AND FOR THE LAST YEAR OF THE PROGRAM, FOR THEM TO COME TO BEFORE THIS BOARD AND ASKING US TO, TO SUBSIDIZE THEIR POLICE DEPARTMENT, TO KEEP, UH, TO KEEP PD OFFICERS THERE AS OPPOSED TO USAN AND DEPUTY SHERIFF THERE, I THINK WOULD BE A, WOULD JUST BE A, A, A POSITION THAT, UH, THAT THE BOARD, UH, SHOULD, SHOULD NOT, UH, TAKE.
I'LL, I'LL, I'LL TALK ABOUT THIS MORE ON WEDNESDAY, BUT THAT'S, UM, THAT'S A BIG ASK.
ESPECIALLY, I CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH.
THEY DECIDED TO GET INTO THE PROGRAM.
THEY COMMUNICATED WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD.
THEY CAME TOGETHER WITH AN AGREEMENT.
SO WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU ENTER INTO AGREEMENT, IT'S YOURS AND ASKING US TO, UH, TO SUBSIDIZE THE, THE PRO, THE, THE PROGRAM WOULD BE A STRETCH TOO FAR.
AND, AND I HAVE HAD A COUPLE CONVERSATIONS WITH, UH, WITH TOWN MANAGER MIKE TOVER AND THE LETTER THAT HE SENT, UH, HE, HE'S KIND OF BACKED OFF A LITTLE BIT AND KNOWS THAT THERE'S NO WAY THAT THE COUNTY WOULD HELP WITH THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BECAUSE THERE'S NO RESOURCE OFFICERS ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTY ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
WHAT HE IS ASKING FOR IS SALARY ONLY FOR THE CHIN COMBINED SCHOOL.
UM, THEY PAY ALL THE BENEFITS AND ALL THE OVERTIME AND ALL THE SPECIAL SCHOOL FUNCTIONS AND ALL THAT STUFF.
JUST, JUST THE SALARY FOR THAT ONE RESOURCE OFFICER WHO'S BEEN IN THE SCHOOL NOW FOR FOUR YEARS.
THAT'S WHAT THEY'LL BE HERE, UH, WEDNESDAY TO TALK ABOUT IT.
THANK YOU, MR. THANK YOU MR. MASON.
SO LOOKING FORWARD FROM A SCHEDULING PERSPECTIVE, UM, BEFORE WE START SCHEDULING, CAN I ASK A QUESTION, MR. CHAIRMAN? ABSOLUTELY.
THE DIFFERENT, THE REQUESTS THAT HAVE COME IN SINCE, UM, YOU GOT THE BUDGET DONE.
ONE THING THAT WORRIES ME THAT I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT, ONE, UH, ARE THE VOLUNTEER FIRE AND RESCUE.
AND THIS IS NOT US ONLY, BUT ALL OVER THE STATE.
AND THAT IS, WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME, OR DID YOU, I THINK WE DISCUSSED IT AT A MEETING FOR YOU.
LOOK AT WHAT WE HAD DONE, WHAT WE HAD CONTRIBUTED, LIKE MAY A, A PICTURE BACK SO MANY YEARS, WHAT, WHAT THE DIFFERENCES HAVE BEEN, THE INCREASES AND ALL THAT.
HAVE YOU BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT? OR COULD WE GET YOU TO DO THAT FOR US? YEAH, WE, WE HAVE THE DATA.
NO, BUT I'M SAYING COULD YOU GET IT FOR US? AND THE REASON I'M ASKING IS BECAUSE WE THINK WE GIVE THE FIRE COMPANIES, OR WE THINK WE GIVE THE VOLUNTEERS A LOT,
[01:25:01]
BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT A VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANY AND THEIR ENGINE ALONE COST A MILLION DOLLARS, OUR PAID PEOPLE ARE USING A LOT OF THOSE ENGINES.THEY'RE PAYING THE FUEL WHILE OUR PAID PEOPLE DRIVE 'EM.
UH, THEY'RE PAYING THE INSURANCE, THEY'RE PAYING THE UPKEEP OF THEIR HOUSE, THEIR, THEIR, THE COMPANY.
SO I'M JUST SAYING, I'M JUST, SINCE WE'RE IN THIS SITUATION, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT EMS AND WHAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO TO EQUALIZE THAT.
I WOULD JUST LIKE US TO LOOK AT THE FIGURES ANYWAY AND AT LEAST SEE WHAT WE HAVE DONE IN THE PAST, WHAT WE HAVE DONE, JUST, JUST FOR US TO LOOK AT IT.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY OBJECTION JUST TO LOOK AT THOSE FIGURES AND GET HIM TO DO IT? IS THERE ANY OBJECTION TO THAT FOR HIM TO GET IT TOGETHER? WHAT WE CONTRIBUTE TO THE VOLUNTEERS, BECAUSE I THINK IT IS, I MEAN WE'RE, WE'VE GOT TO DO ANYTHING WE CAN TO KEEP OUR VOLUNTEERS ACTIVE.
BECAUSE IF WE START LOSING, I'M GONNA TAKE YOU NOW, IF WE START LOSING VOLUNTEER COMPANIES, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO START BUYING FIRE TRUCKS AND ENGINES AND LADDER TRUCK.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO START DOING THAT.
YOU, Y'ALL MIGHT THINK IT'S, I'M NOT TELLING YOU THE TRUTH, BUT IT'S HAPPENING ALL OVER THE STATE AND IT'S, IT'S, THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
WE ALREADY HAVE, UH, EMS COMPANIES GOING OUTTA BUSINESS.
WHAT IF YOU HAVE FIRE COMPANIES START GOING OUTTA BUSINESS? OUR PAID PEOPLE ARE EMS AND FIRE.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE TRUCKS FOR THEM TO, SO I'M JUST SAYING IF WE KEEP THOSE FIRE TRUCKS, IF WE KEEP THE VOLUNTEERS MOVING HAPPY, GIVE THEM, KEEP THINGS GOOD AND THOSE VOLUNTEERS, THEN MAYBE WE CAN PREVENT, UM, THAT, SO I JUST WANTED TO SEE THE FIGURES.
THAT'S ALL FOR THE FIRE AND RESCUE MR. HART.
WE HAVE AN EXPERT HERE AS FAR AS WHAT THE COST IS HE SERVES.
ER, WHAT AM I SAYING? ANYTHING WRONG THAT AN ENGINE COST A MILLION? ABSOLUTELY.
YOU'RE ACTUALLY, UH, AVERAGE A LITTLE LOW.
ANYWAY, SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS SINCE WE'RE LOOKING AT THE EMS SIDE, WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT FUTURE.
UH, AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL DON'T BELIEVE ME, JUST START CHECKING ALL OVER THE STATE AND YOU'LL SEE IT.
WE GOTTA DO ANYTHING WE CAN TO KEEP OUR VOLUNTEERS WHOLE COUNTRY.
YOU REMEMBER LAST YEAR WHEN WE WENT TO THE SUPERVISOR'S CONFERENCE, THAT NUMBER ALWAYS STUCK IN MY HEAD.
THAT WAS LESS THAN 10 YEARS AGO.
AND IT'S, IT'S LIKE, IT'S LIKE 40,000.
I MEAN, IT, IT IS DROPPED DRAMATICALLY.
I, I, THAT NUMBER STUCK, STUCK IN MY HEAD FROM THAT WHEN WE WENT TO THAT NUMBER ANYWAY.
SO MIKE, YOU YOU FOR OUR WORK SESSIONS, YOU'LL GET THAT TOGETHER FOR US.
SO IN TERMS OF SCHEDULING, YOU HAVE A MEETING THIS WEDNESDAY WHERE YOU'LL HEAR FROM THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENT AND AGENCIES WHO HAVE REQUESTED ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
UM, AND, AND REALLY THAT IS THE LAST SET DATE WE HAVE FOR THE BUDGET.
SO WE'RE LOOKING STAFF IS LOOKING FOR THE BOARD TO LOOK AT ITS COUNTERS AND MAYBE, UM, START TO THINK ABOUT OTHER DATES THAT, UH, WE CAN HAVE SOME DEDICATED BUDGET MEETINGS TO WORK THROUGH THE DOCUMENT.
WHAT DO YOU WHAT? I'M SORRY, MR. CHAIRMAN, MAY I ASK A QUESTION? YEAH, ABSOLUTELY.
WHAT IS YOUR, I'M LOOKING, WAIT A MINUTE.
WHEN DO WE HAVE TO, WHAT IS OUR DEADLINE AS FAR AS, UM, SAY THE PUBLIC HEARING? PUBLIC HEARING AND ADOPTION.
WHERE IS THAT? YEAH, WE WOULD HAVE WANT TO HAVE THE BUDGET WRAPPED UP BY, UM, BEFORE MARCH 14TH.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHEN IT'S GONNA BE, UM, ADVERTISED.
AND THEN, AND THEN WE HAVE THE HAVE TO HOLD A PUBLIC HEARING.
AND THEN YOU HAVE, UM, A MANDATORY IN ACTION PERIOD, UM, THAT WILL TAKE YOU TO THE EARLIEST YOU COULD, THE WAY I SEE IT RIGHT NOW, THE EARLIEST YOU'RE GONNA BE POSSIBLY ADOPTING IS MARCH 31ST.
THAT'S THE WHAT? THE EARLIEST OR THE LATEST? THE, THE EARLIEST.
UM, YOU, YOU CAN, UH, ONCE YOU START GETTING IN APRIL WITH ADOPTION, IT, IT STARTS GETTING A, A VERY TIGHT WINDOW FOR THE, THE TAX BILLS THAT GO OUT IN JUNE.
MR. MASON, I'M SORRY, I'M SUPPOSED TO START.
NO, I HAD ONE ONE TRYING TO THING.
I'M, I WAS JUST GONNA SAY TO THE BOARD, I THINK, UH, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN IN THE PAST, THIS BOARD IS VERY EFFICIENT AND VERY GOOD AS FAR AS WORKING THE BUDGET.
AND I THINK WE CAN HAVE THE BUDGET DONE BY FEB.
I THINK WE CAN HAVE IT DONE IN FEBRUARY.
I THINK WE CAN HAVE IT FINISH IN FEBRUARY TWO YEARS AND, AND WE CAN, I, THERE'S NO DOUBT I'M SAYING I'M JUST THINKING OF YEARS PAST YEP.
HOW WELL THIS BOARD HAS WORKED TOGETHER AND WE HAVE REALLY GOT DONE TO THE NITTY GRITTY AND, AND GOT IT STRAIGHT.
SO I THINK WE OUGHT TO SHOOT TO GET IT DONE BEFORE FEBRUARY'S OVER.
JUST GO DO THE LAST FEBRUARY MASON.
NO, NOT LAST YEAR WITH WE'RE MEETING WESLEY FOR THE DEPARTMENT, DEPARTMENT HEADS TO COME IN TO PRESENT THEIR BUDGETS.
[01:30:01]
WHEN DID WE MEET AFTER THAT? 'CAUSE IT ONLY TOOK ONE MEETING.THE SCHOOL BOARD, REMEMBER THERE'S THE SCHOOL BOARD'S GONNA HAVE TO MAKE A PRESENTATION, BUT THE, ANY IDEA WHEN DON'T MAKE IT THE SCHOOL, WHEN NORMALLY ON THE CALENDAR WE HAVE ALREADY ON THE CALENDARS.
WE NORMALLY TITLE TO LINE THEM UP WITH YOUR REGULAR BOARD MEETING.
THAT'S THE 19TH THOUGH? YEAH, THAT'S THE 19TH.
THAT'S THE 19TH IS WHEN THEY PRESENT.
THE SCHOOL BOARD PRESENTS AND THEN WE MEET AFTER THAT TO WORK THE, WHAT'S THE LAST TO WORK THE NUMBERS.
SOMETIMES YOU, SOMETIMES YOU MEET BEFORE AND START TO WORK ON IT.
YOU HAVE THEM COME WITH THE PRESENTATION, THEN YOU CONTINUE TO WORK.
WHAT DID WE DO LAST YEAR? I BELIEVE IT WAS THE WEDNESDAY BEFORE.
AT THAT TIME WE COMPLETED THE BUDGET.
SO SO WHY DON'T WE MAYBE SCHEDULE THE SAME THING TO, UH, AFTER WEDNESDAY'S MEETING, UH, SCHEDULE A WEDNESDAY BEFORE, BEFORE THE SCHOOL, UH, BEFORE OUR REGULAR MEETING.
BUT YOU'RE LOOKING AT YOUR CALENDAR, MIKE.
CAN THE SCHOOL BOARD YEAH, BUT CAN HAVE THE SCHOOL BOARD BEFORE THE 19TH? IS THAT WHAT YOU ARE SAYING? NO, NO.
WE WOULD MEET TO WORK THE NUMBERS OTHER THAN THE SCHOOL BOARD.
WE ALREADY KNOW WHAT THEIR NUMBER'S GONNA BE.
AND THEN WE'LL HAVE, WE'LL ALREADY HAVE THE NUMBERS FOR EVERYONE EXCEPT FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD.
AND WE KNOW WHAT IT'S GONNA BE.
IT'S GONNA 53% OF THE RENEW MONEY.
AND THEN AT THE, UM, AT THE SCHOOL BOARD, AT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING, WHEN THE SCHOOL BOARD MAKES THEIR PRESENTATION.
WHEN DID WE, WHEN DID WE, UH, ADVERTISE? IS THAT WHEN WE ADVERTISED THE BUDGET? AFTER THAT MEETING FOR THE I'D, I'D HAVE TO PULL THE WORK PAPERS BACK FROM LAST, HAVE IT READY BY WEDNESDAY, MIKE, FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING.
COULD THE, COULD THE SCHOOL BOARD COME EARLIER? I MAY HAVE THAT LIKE ON THE 12TH.
COULD THE SCHOOL BOARD COME ON THE 12TH? I, I, I THINK, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE ALWAYS PLANNED AND, AND I'VE ALWAYS SORT OF ADVOCATED THAT IT'S THE REGULAR MEETING IN FEBRUARY.
SO I THINK THAT WOULD BE A, A HEAVY LIFT FOR MARK, MIKE.
LOOK, LOOK AT LAST YEAR'S SCHEDULE AND WHEN WE MEET WEDNESDAY, LET US KNOW HOW THAT, HOW THAT LOOKS.
I JUST REQUEST THAT YOU DO NOT MEET THE LAST WEEK IN FEBRUARY.
TRY NOT TO MEET ON THE 12TH OF FEBRUARY.
I HAVE ANOTHER PRESENTATION FOR CHURCH.
ALRIGHT, WHAT ABOUT, YOU GOT ANYTHING ELSE? THE ONLY THING IS THAT THE BUDGET DOCUMENT YOU HAVE HAS ALL THESE SECTIONS IN IT.
AND I JUST HIGHLIGHTED THE ONES I THOUGHT YOU MIGHT WANT TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
BUT, UM, WE WILL, YOU CAN DO THAT IN YOUR LEISURE.
AND I AM DONE, UM, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
WHAT ABOUT SHOOTING FOR, UH, THE 20TH OR 21ST IF WE MEET ON THE 20 19TH? SHOOTING FOR THE 20TH OR THE 21ST TO ADOPT? 21ST OR THE FRIDAY, YOU KNOW.
YEAH, 20TH OF, THAT'S MY SORORITY MEETING.
IS THAT THE 20TH OF FEBRUARY? YES.
WHAT TIME? WHAT IS THE 20TH? OUR, IF YOU LOOK AT NEXT SCHEDULE, I THINK WE DID MEET LATER RIGHT AFTER OUR REGULAR MEETING.
SO DON'T WE WAIT FOR MIKE ON WEDNESDAY? YEAH.
DO WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW? I KNOW IT'S A LOT, BUT THANK YOU MIKE AGAIN AND THANK THE STAFF FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE SO FAR.
I KNOW THIS IS A EXCELLENT FIRST PRESENTATION.
AND I KNOW WE GOT MORE TO COME, BUT, UH, THANK YOU AGAIN AS YOU ALWAYS, IT'S DONE A GREAT JOB OF THAT.
CAN I THROW ONE? UM, AND JUST ONE MORE THING AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW NONE OF US WANT TO, YOU KNOW, NONE OF US WANT, ESPECIALLY IN TODAY'S WORLD, WE WANT A TAX INCREASE.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, HE'S LAID IT OUT VERY WELL FOR US.
UH, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S ALMOST A NO BRAINER UNFORTUNATELY.
UH, BUT IT, I DO LIKE TO, I ALWAYS LIKE TO SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE STILL LOWER IN OUR PEERS AND WE'RE LOWER WITH OUR NORTHERN, OUR NORTHERN PARTNERS, IF YOU WILL, AND OUR SOUTHERN PARTNERS.
AND THAT WOULD MAKE US WHOLE AS FAR AS THE BUD AS FAR AS THE BUDGET GOES.
I JUST WANNA CLARIFY ONE THING THAT I MADE SURE.
I WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S CLEAR WHEN I ASK ABOUT BMS TAX 5 CENT TAX.
AND IF WE DON'T DO THAT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO CUT STAFF IN NO WAY WAS I THINKING ABOUT CUTTING STAFF.
THAT'S WHY WE'RE, THAT'S WHY WE ARE, WE'RE GONNA RAISE IT 5 CENTS PROBABLY BECAUSE WE WE'RE NOT GONNA CUT EMS. SO I DIDN'T WANT THE MEDIA TO TAKE THAT, THAT I WAS CONTEMPLATING, UH, UH, LAYING PEOPLE OFF.
IN NO WAY, IN NO WAY WOULD I SUPPORT THAT.
UM, UH, MIKE, DO YOU KNOW THE WORKSHEETS? YOU KNOW HOW YOU HAVE THE BREAKDOWN? IS THAT WITHIN THE BIG DOCUMENT? I THINK THAT'S, YES.
I WISH YOU HAD GIVEN US A COPY OF THAT.
MA'AM, YOU GOT A CONCE PAGE? IT'S PAGE 312 OF 400.
YOU KNOW WHAT? IT TAKES A WONDER.
AND I'LL BRING MORE COPIES ON.
[01:35:01]
HOW MANY ARE INTERESTED IN THE UM, WELL, I KNOW ONE IS I AM, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW I AM.
DID YOU, DID YOU WANT TO PUT THIS? THAT'S, THAT'S I THANK YOU.
I NEED TO GO 'CAUSE I NEED TO LOOK AT CERTAIN THINGS.
YEAH, BUT IT'S, THIS IS VERY NICE.
SO OUR, OUR NEXT OUR NEXT MEETING WILL BE, UH, THIS WEDNESDAY.
WEDNESDAY AT FIVE, TWO DAYS FROM TODAY AT FIVE O'CLOCK HERE IN OUR BOARD CHAMBERS.
UH, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? IF NOT, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND PROPERLY SECOND THERE.