* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          BOARD OF SUPERVISORS 
          [00:00:01]
PHYSICAL YEAR 20 25, 26 
          [Board of Supervisors Budget Meeting on March 24, 2025.]
BUDGET, AND 2025 TAX, UH, RATES, PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS, UH, MONDAY, MARCH THE 24TH OF 2025. 
          UH, AND IF YOU WOULD PLEASE, IF YOU HAVE A CELL PHONE, AND, UH, IF YOU WOULD PLACE IT ON SILENT OR TURN IT OFF FOR THE DURATION OF MEETING, I'D CERTAINLY, WE'D CERTAINLY APPRECIATE IT. 
          AND IF YOU WOULD, AND YOU CAN, AND YOU CAN PLEASE STAND FOR OUR INVOCATION AND OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. 
          LET'S PRAY. 
          DEAR GOD BLESS THIS MEETING. 
          ALLOW US TO OUR WORK FOR YOUR WILL. 
          AMEN. 
          I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG 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. 
          THANK YOU. 
          1.3 IS CONSIDERED ALLOWING REMOTE PARTICIPATION. 
          AND WE DO HAVE, UH, TONIGHT SOMEONE'S DOING THAT. 
          SO YOU GIMME A SECOND HERE. 
          SUPERVISOR TARR NOTIFIED ME EARLIER TODAY THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EVENING'S MEETING REMOTELY BECAUSE HE'S IN FLORIDA. 
          OUR ADOPTED REMOTE, UH, PARTICIPATION POLICY REQUIRES THAT ALL REQUESTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS TO, UM, REMOTELY PARTICIPATE IN A PUBLIC, UH, MEETING MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE CHAIR IN WRITING ON OR BEFORE THE DAY OF THE MEETING. 
          AND SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE BOARD, I CAN ATTEST THAT THE REQUEST TO PARTICIPATE REMOTELY WAS RECEIVED BY ME IN WRITING ON 3 21 MARCH 21ST, 2025. 
          IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT SUPERVISOR TAR IS CURRENTLY, UH, CONNECTED BY ZOOM TO THIS MEETING. 
          SUPERVISOR TAR. 
          CAN YOU HEAR ME? I CAN, SIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY, FOR THE RECORD, SUPERVISOR TAR, WOULD YOU STATE THE REASON YOU WISH TO PARTICIPATE REMOTELY AND THE EXACT LOCATION FROM WHERE YOU'RE PARTICIPATING? YES, SIR. 
          I AM AT 8,800 VISTA LANE, ORLANDO, FLORIDA, AND JUST NOT ABLE TO BE THERE THIS EVENING. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, SINCE WE HAVE A QUORUM PHYSICALLY ASSEMBLED HERE TONIGHT, WOULD SOMEONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ALLOW SUPERVISOR TAR TO REMOTELY PARTICIPATE IN A TONIGHT'S MEETING IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR BOARD ADOPT REMOTE POLICY? UH, WE, IT'S MADE AND SECONDED. 
          OKAY, MS. MAY. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WE HAVE A, UH, MOTION AND PROPERLY SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          ALL OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          WELCOME, MR. TARR. 
          UH, 1.4 ADOPTION, THE AGENDA. 
          SECOND. 
          WE HAVE A MOTION PROPERLY. 
          A SECONDED, UM, TO ADOPT THE AGENDA. 
          ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. 
          ALL OPPOSED? THAT MOTION CARRIES. 
          SO THIS TIME WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START THE PUBLIC HEARING. 
          AND, UH, MR. MASON, I'LL TURN THINGS OVER TO YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. 
          GOOD EVENING, MIKE MASON, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR. 
          BEFORE WE GET STARTED IN TONIGHT'S STAFF PRESENTATION, JUST A COUPLE OF HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS BECAUSE THIS IS A DIFFERENT VENUE THAN YOU NORMALLY CONDUCT YOUR HEARINGS OR YOUR, YOUR HEARINGS OR YOUR MEETINGS IN. 
          UH, FIRST THING IS YOU HAVE WIRELESS MICS IN FRONT OF YOU. 
          UH, WE ASK THAT YOU KEEP THEM OFF UNTIL YOU'RE READY TO SPEAK. 
          AND WHEN YOU'RE READY, PUSH THE BUTTON, THE LIGHT WILL TURN GREEN AND, AND SPEAK DIRECTLY IN THE MIC SO THAT THE AUDIO PICKS YOU UP, UM, CORRECTLY. 
          UH, SO THAT, THAT IS, UM, ONE OF THE ITEMS, UH, THAT, UH, ONE TO COVER UNDER HOUSEKEEPING TWO. 
          UM, TONIGHT IS THE FIRST OF TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT HAVE BEEN SCHEDULED ON TWO DIFFERENT DATES. 
          UM, WE'RE GONNA BE GOING THROUGH TWO HEARINGS TONIGHT, BUT THERE ARE ACTUALLY TWO DIFFERENT DATES ON WHICH THIS PRESENTATION'S GONNA BE MADE. 
          SO TONIGHT IS THE FIRST HEARING, MARCH 24TH, 2025. 
          WE HAVE ANOTHER HEARING, UM, THAT HAS BEEN ADVERTISED FOR APRIL 7TH, 2025 AS WELL. 
          AND JUST REMEMBER, AGAIN, IT'S TWO HEARINGS TONIGHT. 
          ONE IS ON THE FY 26 BUDGET, AND THE OTHER IS ON THE PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX RATES AND THE CIGARETTE TAX. 
          AND, UH, THEY'RE THE ONLY TWO, UH, TAXES THAT ARE PROPOSED FOR CHANGE THIS YEAR. 
          SO, WITH THAT, UH, JUST A COUPLE OF, UH, PRECURSORY, UH, REMARKS. 
          THIS, UM, THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR, 2026 COUNTY BUDGET AND 2025 TAX RATES WERE ORDERED PUBLISHED BY THE BOARD IN THE EASTERN SHORE POST ON FEBRUARY 19TH, 2025. 
          THE ASSOCIATED ADVERTISEMENT RAN IN THE EASTERN SHORE POST ON MARCH 7TH, UM, MARCH 21ST, AND IT'S SCHEDULED TO RUN THIS FRIDAY, MARCH 28TH. 
          THE CODE OF VIRGINIA REQUIRES THAT THE COUNTY HOLDS SEPARATE PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET AND APPROVAL OF TAX RATES WHEN THERE IS A TAX RATE INCREASE. 
          AND THAT IS WHAT IS BEING, UM, PROPOSED IN IN THIS YEAR'S, UH, BUDGET AND, AND, AND TAX RATES. 
          UH, THIS PRESENTATION THAT I'M GIVING NOW SERVES AS THE STAFF REPORT FOR BOTH OF THE TONIGHT'S HEARINGS. 
          SO, UH, PUBLIC HEARING NUMBER ONE 
          [00:05:01]
STAFF'S REMARKS. 
          UH, THIS IS THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE, ON TAX RATES FEES INCLUDING THE PROPOSED INCREASE OF THE, UH, REAL ESTATE TAX AND THE CIGARETTE TAX. 
          WHAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU IS A TABLE THAT HIGHLIGHTS MOST OF OUR, WELL, OUR MAJOR TAX RATE AND FEES HERE IN ACK. 
          THE ONES THAT HAVE A RED FONT, THEY ARE, THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED FOR INCREASE. 
          FIRST THING I'LL CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO IS THAT, UM, THE PROPOSED INCREASE TO THE REAL ESTATE TAX DOES NOT IMPACT THOSE, UM, PROPERTY THAT'S LOCATED ON SHIG ISLAND. 
          ALL OTHER AREA LOCATIONS, IT DOES IMPACT. 
          AND THAT'S BECAUSE, UH, THIS IS, UH, AN INCREASE IN THE EMS TAX RATE AND THE SHIG PROVIDES ITS OWN EMS SERVICES. 
          SO THEY DO DO NOT PAY INTO THAT EM TAX FUND. 
          UM, THE SECOND, UH, INCREASE THAT'S PROPOSED IS, IS IN THE CIGARETTE TAX THAT IS PROPOSED INCREASE FROM 20 CENT PER PACK TO 40 CENT PER PACK. 
          AND WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE MORE ABOUT EACH ONE OF THESE AS WE GET DEEPER INTO THE PRESENTATION. 
          BUT ALL OTHER TAX RATES AND FEES ARE, ARE UNCHANGED. 
          THE PROPOSED REAL ESTATE TAX INCREASE IS 5 CENTS. 
          THAT'S ROUGHLY AT 10% ON, ON THE TOTAL PROPOSED RATE. 
          ALL REVENUES GENERATED FROM THIS INCREASE IF APPROVED, WOULD BE DEPOSITED IN THE, TO THE COUNTY EMS FUND AND USED EXCLUSIVELY TO PAY FOR EMS SERVICES. 
          I, I WANNA EMPHASIZE THAT THIS TAX RATE INCREASED DOES NOT EXPAND SERVICES. 
          IT ONLY ADDRESSES THE MS FUND STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE. 
          AND WHAT DO I MEAN BY THAT? I MEAN, RIGHT NOW THE SERVICE COSTS, THE COST OF PROVIDING MS SERVICES ARE EXCEEDING THE REVENUE THAT'S COLLECTED FROM THE MS TAX AND USED TO PAY FOR THEM. 
          AND THAT IS THE, THAT IS THE SOLE REVENUE SOURCE FOR THE EMS FUND. 
          AMAZING. 
          COULD, WHEN YOU USE THE E EMS, COULD YOU ALL SAY AM ALSO SAY AMBULANCE? YEAH, YEAH. 
          FOR, FOR PURPOSES MY COMMENT, UH, WHEN, WHEN I SAY EMS THINK OF IT SYNONYMOUSLY AS AMBULANCE SERVICES, UM, ALTHOUGH OUR FOLKS RUN BOTH AMBULANCE AND FIRE CALLS STILL. 
          BUT, SO WHAT YOU HAVE HERE, UM, THESE TWO TABLES, THE FIRST TABLE IS WHAT I REFER TO AS A DECONSTRUCTED COUNTY TAX RATE. 
          'CAUSE IT, IT, IT SHOWS YOU THAT OUR CURRENT RATE IS, IS A TOTAL OF 48, UH, 0.484 PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUE. 
          AND WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED IS A, A 5 CENT INCREASE TO THAT, OR 53.4. 
          BUT THIS OTHER INFORMATION BREAKS DOWN THAT TAX RATE INTO WHAT IT'S BEING LEVIED FOR. 
          AND YOU CAN SEE THERE'S NO INCREASE PROPOSED FOR THE RATE, THE PORTION OF THE RATE THAT, UM, REFER THAT, THAT'S COVERED BY THE GENERAL FUND OR THE DEBT SERVICE FUND. 
          THEY'RE THE SAME AS THEY WERE LAST YEAR. 
          AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S BEING PROPOSED AGAIN, WHERE THE INCREASE IS BEING PROPOSED IS FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES SLASH AMBULANCE SERVICES. 
          UM, AND THAT IS THE ENTIRE 5 CENT INCREASE. 
          UH, FOR COMPARISON PURPOSES, WE OFTEN GET ASKED WHAT, HOW'S OUR TAX RATE COMPARED TO OTHER AREAS? UM, AND WE HAVE A, ABOUT AN 18 GROUP PEER GROUP THAT WE MAKE CONTINUOUS COMPARISONS TO. 
          THAT'S WHAT THIS TABLE IS ABOUT. 
          AND SO THIS, THIS TABLE IS LISTED IN ORDER OF THE HIGHEST RATE AT THE TOP. 
          SO WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU GO DOWN, YOU GET DOWN TO AAC, THAT'S THIRD LOWEST FROM THE BOTTOM. 
          UM, THAT OBVIOUSLY MEANS THAT OUR RATE IS, IS ALMOST AT THE BOTTOM OF, OF OUR PEER GROUP AND ONE OF THE LOWER RATES, UM, FOR SIMILAR COUNTIES IN THE COMMONWEALTH VIRGINIA. 
          SO I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE PRUDENT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THE EMS FUND IS AND WHY IT'S STRUCTURALLY IMBALANCED. 
          UM, BECAUSE THAT IS REALLY ONE OF THE MAIN, UH, ISSUES, UH, THAT I THINK IS GENERATING DISCUSSION ABOUT THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND THE, AND THE TAX RATE FOR THIS YEAR. 
          SO WHAT IS THIS COUNTY EMS FUND? SO THE COUNTY, JUST AS YOU COULD SEE WITH THAT TABLE THAT WAS JUST BEING DISPLAYED, LEVI, THESE ATTACKS ON REAL ESTATE AND PERSONAL PROPERTY FOR ALL EMS AMBULANCES AND, UH, SERVICES IN COUNTY AREAS. 
          BUT THE TOWN OF SHETTI, AND I EXPLAINED WHY IT, IT'S NOT LEVI IN THE TOWN OF SHETTI, ALL THE PROCEEDS FROM THIS TAX ARE DEPOSITED IN, INTO THIS EMS FUND AND USED EXCLUSIVELY TO PAY THESE SERVICES. 
          UH, IT PAYS FOR THE COMPENSATION OF APPROXIMATELY 65 FULL-TIME CAREER STAFF PLUS TWO ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS AND ALL THEIR REQUIRED PPE. 
          SO I OFTEN TELL FOLKS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN, IF IF WHEN YOU CALL AN AMBULANCE AND, AND OUR, OUR FIRST RESPONDERS SHOW UP, A LOT OF TIMES, WELL ALL THE TIME THAT YOU WILL SEE ON THE SIDE THAT AMBULANCE, IT'S GONNA SAY VOLUNTEER FIRE, FIRE DEPARTMENT OF A C**K, OR MAYBE IT'S, IT'S IT'S, UM, PAINTER OR, OR WATCH ARICK OR, OR OR WHATEVER IT MAY BE. 
          [00:10:01]
BUT 90% OF THE TIME THE FOLKS THAT GET OUTTA THAT VEHICLE ARE COUNTY EMPLOYEES. 
          AND THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE 65 FULL-TIME CAREER STAFF. 
          UM, OVER 92% OF THIS FUND IS USED FOR EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION. 
          UM, AND THE FUND IS DESIGNED TO BE SELF-SUSTAINING. 
          UM, AT LEAST UP UNTIL LATELY, THE REVENUE FROM THAT EMS TAX IS SUPPOSED TO COVER THE COST OF ALL EMS AMBULANCE SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE COUNTY. 
          UM, AND THAT IS CURRENTLY NOT THE CASE AND WHY A TAX INCREASE IS BEING PROPOSED THIS YEAR. 
          SO THE LOGICAL QUESTION IS WHY IS IT STRUCTURALLY IMBALANCED? AND THERE'S TWO MAJOR REASONS, UH, AND, AND WHY THE AND EXPENSES ARE EXCEEDING OUR REVENUE STREAM. 
          THE FIRST ONE IS, GOES BACK TO FISCAL YEAR 2022. 
          UM, AFTER CONDUCTING A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE ISSUE BACK THEN THE BOARD ADDED 12 NEW EMS RELATED POSITIONS TO THE COUNTY BUDGET WITHOUT INCREASING THE TAX RATE. 
          THESE POSITIONS WERE USED TO SUPPLEMENT CURRENT EMS AMBULANCE OPERATIONS AND TO ADD TO THE GREEN BLACKVILLE FIRE COMPANY, UH, ADD THAT COMPANY TO THE LIST OF VOLUNTEER STATIONS STAFFED BY COUNTY PERSONNEL IN, IN LIEU OF INCREASING THE TAX RATE AT THE TIME THE BOARD ELECTED TO USE ACCUMULATED EMS FUND BALANCE TO PAY FOR THE COST OF, OF THIS ACTION. 
          UM, BACK DURING THAT PUBLIC HEARING, THE BOARD WAS INFORMED THAT THE MS FUND BALANCE WAS SUFFICIENT TO COVER THIS ACTION FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS UP UNTIL FISCAL YEAR 2026, WHICH IS WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW. 
          UH, IT A YEAR LATER IN FISCAL YEAR 2023, THE BOARD APPROVED SOME TARGETED PAY INCREASES FOR ALL OF OUR DPS FIRST RESPONDERS IN ORDER TO IMPROVE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION, UH, OF THESE POSITIONS. 
          UM, AGAIN, IN LIEU OF INCREASING THE EMS TAX RATE, AT THAT TIME, THE BOARD ELECTED TO USE THE ACCUMULATED THUMB BALANCE, UM, TO PAY FOR THE COST OF THIS ACTION. 
          AND AGAIN, THAT HAS REPERCUSSIONS DOWN THE ROAD HERE IN FY 26. 
          SO THIS IS SORT OF, THERE'S TWO CHARTS HERE. 
          UM, THE ONE TO THE LEFT SHOWS YOU WHAT WE PROJECT THE FUND BALANCE FOR THAT EMS FUND TO BE IF NO ACTIONS TAKEN. 
          SO YOU, YOU SEE BACK, UM, IN 2023, THERE WAS CLOSE TO $5 MILLION IN THE FUND. 
          AND THEN IT'S, IT'S DROPPED PRETTY RAPIDLY SINCE BECAUSE OF SOME OF THESE ACTIONS. 
          BUT, UM, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL POSITIVE CASH, UH, FOR, UH, FY 25, BUT NEXT FISCAL YEAR, IF, UH, IF ADDITIONAL RESOURCES AREN'T PROVIDED THIS FUND, WE'RE GONNA BE, UM, IN A DEFICIT SITUATION TO THE TUNE OF ABOUT $2 MILLION. 
          UM, AND THAT THAT DEFICIT CONTINUES TO GROW BECAUSE OF, UH, THE, THE, THE REVENUE STREAM IS JUST NOT SUFFICIENT TO PAY FOR THOSE COSTS. 
          UM, THE RIGHT HAND SIDE SHOWS YOU THE IMPACT OF WHAT HAPPENS IF THE TAX RATE IS INCREASED BY 5 CENTS. 
          AND SO THAT S SURES UP 2026, IT PRETTY MUCH PUTS US AT BREAK EVEN IN FISCAL YEAR 2027. 
          BUT IF, IF, IF SERVICE COSTS CONTINUE TO GROW LIKE THEY HAVE BEEN, WE'RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT HAVING TO READDRESS THE TAX RATE BY FY 28. 
          AND THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT IMPACT THAT PROJECTION, VACANCY SAVINGS, TURNOVER RATES. 
          BUT AT THIS CASE, BASED ON OUR CURRENT INFORMATION, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE. 
          SO WHAT'S THE IMPACT OF THIS TA PROPOSED TAX INCREASE TO A A PROPERTY OWNER? WELL, THE EASIEST WAY TO SORT OF QUANTIFY IT IS FOR EVERY A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN PROPERTY VALUE THAT YOU HAVE, IT RESULTS IN A $50 INCREASE IN YOUR ANNUAL TAXES. 
          IF WE LOOK AT IT A DIFFERENT WAY AND WE, WE LOOK AT, UM, ALL THE TAXABLE PARCELS IN AKAMAK AND WE NARROW IT DOWN JUST TO THOSE WHO, UM, THAT, THAT HAVE IMPROVEMENTS ON THEM. 
          AND THEN WE TAKE THE MEDIAN OF THAT, THAT LIST, THEN WHAT, WHAT YOU FIND IS THE, THE MEDIAN VALUE OF TAXABLE PARCELS IS ABOUT $151,000 IN AKIMA. 
          AND IF YOU APPLY, UM, IF YOU COMPARE THE OLD RATE TO THE PROPOSED NEW RATE AND LOOK AT THE DIFFERENCE IN TAXES, IT'S ABOUT A $75 INCREASE ANNUALLY BASED ON THE MEDIAN. 
          AND, AND, UH, OF COURSE, FEEL FREE TO STOP ME AT ANY TIME DURING THE PRESENTATION. 
          I SHOULD HAVE SAID THAT, UH, AT, AT THE VERY BEGINNING. 
          BUT GLAD TO TAKE QUESTIONS AS AS I GO. 
          IF, IF IF NEED BE EB MR. MASON, THE 5 CENT INCREASE REPRESENTS HOW MANY ACTUAL PHYSICAL DOLLARS OF NEW MONEY TO THE COUNTY. 
          IT'S A, IT'S ABOUT $2 MILLION. 
          $2 MILLION. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO, UH, CIGARETTE TAXES IN ADDITION TO PROPOSING AN INCREASE IN THE REAL ESTATE TAX, WHICH AGAIN, I'VE SAID IT MULTIPLE TIMES BUT I'LL SAY IT AGAIN, IS TOTALLY EARMARKED TO COVER EMS AMBULANCE SERVICES. 
          THERE'S ALSO A, A PRO PROPOSED INCREASE IN CIGARETTE TAXES. 
          AND THAT PROPOSED INCREASE IS, UH, TO GO FROM 20 CENT PER 
          [00:15:01]
PACK TO 40 CENT PER PACK. 
          AND UNDER VIRGINIA CODE, ALL COUNTIES, UM, IT VIRGINIA CODE AUTHORIZES ALL COUNTIES TO LEVY ATTACKS ON CIGARETTES NOT TO EXCEED 40 CENTS PER PACK. 
          SO THIS WILL TAKE YOU TO THE MAXIMUM, UH, CIGARETTE TAX THAT'S ALLOWED BY LAW. 
          AND, AND FOR COMPARISON PURPOSES, UH, THE CURRENT COUNTY RATE IS 50% LOWER THAN THE TAX CHARGE BY NORTHAMPTON COUNTY, THE TOWN OF CHINE, AND MOST MEMBERS OF THE CHESAPEAKE REGIONAL CIGARETTE TAX BOARD, WHICH AKIMA COUNTY IS, IS A MEMBER. 
          UM, AND, AND AGAIN, THIS, THIS TABLE SHOWS YOU THE IMPACT BY PER PACK AND, AND BASED ON A CARTON. 
          UM, ONE THING I THINK IS, IS WORTHY OF, UH, A BIT OF COMMENT IS PER CAPITA CIGARETTE SALES. 
          AND MACK IS EXTREMELY HIGH, AND IT'S NOT BECAUSE, UM, WE HAVE MORE, UM, SMOKERS THAN ANY OTHER AREA. 
          IT'S BECAUSE OF OUR LOCATION. 
          UH, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS, THIS, WHAT THIS IS, IS A MAP, AND IT'S A MAP THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, AND IT SHOWS YOU WHAT THE AVERAGE STATE CIGARETTE TAXES, UM, IN, IN, IN THE US. 
          AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NORTH NORTHEAST PORTION OF, OF THE COUNTRY AND AND FURTHER NORTH THAN THAT, YOU SEE THAT VIRGINIA'S 60 CENT, UM, STATE TAX IS MUCH, MUCH, MUCH, MUCH LOWER THAN MARYLAND, WHICH IS AT $5 PER PACK IN TAX PENNSYLVANIA AT $2 AND 60 NEW YORK $5. 
          SO THERE IS, UM, UH, FOLKS DO COME TO, TO VIRGINIA, PARTICULARLY THE EASTERN SHORE IN DUBAI CIGARETTES QUITE OFTEN. 
          AND SO IT, IT BOOSTS THE SALES UP HERE. 
          SO AGAIN, THE FOCUS OF THIS FIRST PUBLIC HEARING WAS REALLY ON THE PROPOSED REAL ESTATE TAX RATE AND THE CIGARETTE TAX. 
          UM, MY REMARKS NOW GO REALLY INTO WITH THE SECOND PUBLIC HEARING. 
          AGAIN, I'M GONNA GIVE ALL THESE REMARKS AT ONE POINT, CAMERON. 
          YES. 
          COULD I ASK MR. MASON SOME QUESTIONS CONCERNING THIS FIRST PRESENTATION HE HAS UP TO THE BOARD? UH, MR. MASON, WHEN, WHEN THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS BACK, IT WAS, IT WAS ON AUGUST 18TH, 2021 IS WHEN WE ADDRESSED A PROBLEM THAT WE HAD IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF THE COUNTY, WHICH WOULD BE GREEN V AND CAPTAINS COVE AREA IN ALL AREAS OF THE COUNTY. 
          WE WERE MEETING OUR RESPONSE TIME METRICS BY 90% EXCEPT FOR GREENBACK V AND CAPTAIN S COVE AREA, CORRECT? THAT'S RIGHT. 
          THAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THAT MEETING TO ADDRESS THAT? THAT'S CORRECT. 
          AND AT THAT TIME, STAFF MADE A PRESENTATION THAT THEY BELIEVE WOULD CORRECT THAT, AND THAT CONSISTED OF A TOTAL OF, UH, 12 POSITIONS, CORRECT? CORRECT. 
          SOLELY TO ADDRESS THE, THE PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE IN THE NORTH END ACCOUNT, NORTHEAST END ACCOUNTING. 
          SO THOSE POSITIONS WERE APPROVED THAT, UM, AT THAT MEETING AND, AND I BELIEVE MR. HARD AND MYSELF WERE ONE OF THE LOUDEST SPEAKERS IN SUPPORT, IN SUPPORT OF THAT. 
          UM, BUT WE FOUND OUT A YEAR LATER THAT WE WERE HAVING MAJOR PROBLEMS WITH RETENTION AND RECRUITING, CORRECT? YES. 
          AND ON AUGUST THE 17TH, 2022, WE HAD A MEETING TO ADDRESS THAT ISSUE AND THE STAFF MADE A PRESENTATION AND BROUGHT A PLAN TO CORRECT THAT. 
          WE FOUND THAT OUR SALARIES FOR OUR EMS STAFF WERE NOT COMPETITIVE. 
          WE WERE LOSING CURRENT EMPLOYEES TO OTHER JURISDICTIONS, AND WE WERE HAVING VERY HARD TIME IN FILLING THOSE POSITIONS. 
          SO STAFF MADE A PRESENTATION, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS VOTED TO APPROVE THAT, AND BOTH THINGS INCREASED THE EXPENDITURES ON THE MS, UH, SIDE OF THE BUDGET, CORRECT? THAT'S RIGHT. 
          AND AT THOSE, AT BOTH OF THOSE MEETINGS, ESPECIALLY THE FIRST MEETING WHEN WE INCREASED THE STAFF, YOU MADE IT VERY, VERY CLEAR THAT IN FY 26 WE WERE GONNA HAVE TO RAISE TAXES TO ADDRESS THAT BECAUSE THE $5 MILLION RESERVE FUND WOULD BE EXPENDED. 
          EXPENDED, CORRECT? CORRECT. 
          AND NOW HERE WE ARE LOOKING TO ADDRESS THAT. 
          JUST SOME ROUGH FIGURES THAT I, I'VE COME UP WITH ROUGHLY. 
          IT'LL COST BETWEEN EACH EMPLOYEE. 
          EACH EMS AMBULANCE, UH, CREW PER PERSON WILL COST BETWEEN 90 AND A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A YEAR. 
          THAT'S SALARY EQUIPMENT AND SO FORTH. 
          IF WE DO NOT FILL, IF WE DO NOT PLUG THIS HOLE OF THIS $2 MILLION DEFICIT, IT'S SIMPLE MATH, THAT'S 20 POSITIONS. 
          SO WE COULD POSSIBLY FACE, WE CUT IN 20 POSITIONS FROM THE 65 THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE. 
          IT'S SIMPLE MATH, CORRECT? THAT'S RIGHT. 
          MR. CHAIRMAN, COULD I ASK MR. PRUITT TO COME HERE JUST FOR A SECOND? SURE. 
          MR. PRUITT CORRECT. 
          ADD YOU TO MY AUTHOR? THAT'S A GOOD IDEA OR NOT, MR. PRUITT? IF YES SIR, IF WE DON'T FILL THIS, ALRIGHT, 
          [00:20:01]
SUPPOSE WE FILL THIS FOR ONE YEAR WITH ONE TIME FUNDING AND KICK THIS CAN DOWN THE ROAD AND HAVE TO ADDRESS IT A YEAR FROM NOW, WHAT KIND OF MESSAGE WOULD THAT BE SENDING TO CURRENT POSITION TO CURRENT EMPLOYEES ON THE MS STAFF? IF THEY'RE LOOKING DOWN A YEAR FROM NOW THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE OUR POSITIONS WILL BE CUT, IS THAT GONNA HELP YOUR RE UH, RECRUITING? UH, NO, SIR. 
          IS THAT GONNA HELP YOUR RETENTION? UH, NO SIR. 
          IF WE HAD TO CUT 20 POSITIONS, IT'S ALMOST ONE THIRD OF WHAT YOU HAVE ON STAFF NOW MM-HMM . 
          WHAT DOES THAT DO WITH COVERAGE? HOW DOES THAT AFFECT COVERAGE? WE CUT 20. 
          RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN A PROCESS DOING INTERVIEWS AND WE HAVE 12 VACANCIES, SO WE WOULD NOT HIRE THEM. 
          AND THEN I WOULD GET RID OF THE OTHER EIGHT. 
          I WOULD GET, TAKE A PAINTER, I WOULD TAKE A STAFFING PAINTER, I'D TAKE A STAFFING AT GREENVILLE. 
          SO YOU WOULD HAVE NO COVERAGE IN GREEN BLACKVILLE AND IT WOULD HURT YOU QUITE A BIT IN, IN, AND YOU WOULDN'T MAKE YOUR KIND OF RESPONSE PLAN. 
          THEY'RE THE HARD FACTS, CORRECT? YES, SIR. 
          THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. 
          THANK YOU MR. MASON. 
          THANK YOU MR. BRUT. 
          UM, ANYONE ELSE ON THE BOARD LIKE TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS? YEAH, MR. CHAIRMAN, MR. WASHINGTON? UM, YEAH, THANK YOU, UH, CHAIRMAN. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UM, JUST LISTENING TO IT, UM, THE FIGURES AND THE HARD FACTS, UM, THAT'S BEING PRESENTED TONIGHT. 
          AND, UH, TO ME IT JUST SOUND LIKE THIS IS A NO BRAINER. 
          UM, THIS SOUND LIKE SOMETHING THAT WE CANNOT AFFORD TO DO BASED ON, ON WHAT WE HAVE IN FRONT OF US. 
          SO I JUST WANNA MAKE THAT COMMENT TONIGHT. 
          IT JUST SOUNDS LIKE A NO BRAINER TO ME. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          MR. CHAIR? YES, MR. MASON. 
          DO THOSE, DO YOUR ESTIMATES HERE, ASSUME, UH, THE EMS STAFF ARE FULLY FUNDED THROUGHOUT? SO, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THAT AS CHIEF PRUITT JUST SAID, WE'VE HAD ISSUES IN HIRING THOUGH. 
          SO WERE THERE COST SAVINGS FROM THAT OR IS THIS AN ASSUMPTION BASED ON FULLY FUNDED POSITIONS? WE HAVE AN ASSUMPTION ON VACANCY SAVINGS BUILT INTO THESE NUMBERS. 
          AND, AND, AND BY THE WAY, THE VACANCY RATE THAT WE USE FOR EMS IS ONE OF THE HIGHER ONES THAT WE USE. 
          WE, AND, AND BY THE WAY, WE HAVE THAT VACANCY RATE BUILT INTO OUR GENERAL FUND POSITIONS TOO. 
          SO, TO ANSWER YOUR QUE QUESTION DIRECTLY, NO, WE'RE NOT ASSUMING 100% FUNDED ALL THE TIME WE'RE, WE'RE BUILDING IN THE VACANCY RATE. 
          SO THE SHORT TOO MANY BUTTONS, UH, THE SHORTFALL THAT WE'RE SEEING TOOK INTO ACCOUNT, IT WAS TOOK INTO ACCOUNT THE SHORTAGES THAT WE'VE HAD SINCE I THINK MR. CROCKETT SAID 2021 WHEN THIS WAS INITIATED. 
          YES. 
          IS THE EMS FUND, AS IT'S CALLED, 'CAUSE I THINK TO, THAT'S KIND OF CONFUSING TO ME. 
          IS THAT A SEPARATE FUND OF THE BUDGET OR IS THAT JUST THE CONTAINER THAT WE ARE USING FOR THESE FUNDS? IT'S SEPARATELY APPROPRIATED AND SHOWN ON DISCREETLY IN ALL OF OUR FINANCIAL REPORTS AND IN OUR BUDGET DOCUMENTS. 
          ARE WE IN ANY WAY PROHIBITED FROM PUTTING GENERAL FUND MONEY TO THE EMS FUND? BECAUSE I THINK, AS EVERYONE SAID, WE CLEARLY NEED THIS SERVICE AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE WE MAINTAIN ALL THOSE POSITIONS. 
          YOU ARE NOT PROHIBITED FROM USING GENERAL FUND DOLLARS TO FUNNEL INTO THAT, THAT EMS FUND. 
          OKAY. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          GOING THE OTHER WAY. 
          YOU WOULD BE, BUT UM, RIGHT. 
          AS YOU LE YOU'VE LEVIED THAT TAX FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, BUT OKAY. 
          BUT THAT'S THE ONLY RESTRICTION, I GUESS I'M TRYING TO, SO IT WAS SET UP THROUGH, THROUGH THE BODY AS A SPECIFIC FUND IN THAT WAY. 
          SO THAT'S KIND OF OFF TO ITS SIDE IN ITS OWN. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          ANYONE ELSE? MR. MASON, YOU WANNA CONTINUE? SO NOW WE'LL GO INTO PUBLIC HEARING NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS THE FISCAL YEAR 2025, 2026 PROPOSED COUNTY BUDGET, WHICH THE RATES THAT WE JUST DISCUSSED, THOSE REVENUE STREAMS ARE, ARE DESIGNED TO, TO FUND, UM, SO QUICKLY THE BUDGET AT A GL AT A GLANCE. 
          THIS IS HOW OUR BUDGET, THAT CURRENT PROPOSED ONE FOR FY 26 STACKS UP AGAINST THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET. 
          UM, OVERALL, IT'S A 6.8% INCREASE. 
          4.4 OF THAT IS JUST REOCCURRING OPERATIONAL EXPENSES. 
          39% INCREASE IN CAPITAL EXPENSES. 
          SO THOSE ARE ONE TIME EXPENSES FOR THINGS LIKE DOCKS AND RAMP INFRASTRUCTURE, WASTEWATER IMPROVEMENTS, ROAD CONSTRUCTION, THOSE KIND OF THINGS. 
          AND WE ACTUALLY LIST, UM, THESE THINGS OUT AND A FEW MORE SLIDES. 
          BUT, BUT THOSE, AGAIN, ARE, ARE ONE TIME, UM, EXPENDITURES OF THE COUNTY. 
          AND THEY TYPICALLY DO VARY QUITE A BIT. 
          YOU COULD JUST AS EASILY SEE A DECREASE OF 39% INCREASE NEXT YEAR, UM, AS, AS YOU WOULD AN INCREASE. 
          THEY'RE QUITE, UM, VOLATILE WHEN YOU COMPARE THEM FROM ONE YEAR TO THE OTHER. 
          OUR DEBT SERVICE IS RELATIVELY THE SAME, UM, THAT WE ARE NOT ISSUING ANY NEW DEBT IN THIS BUDGET. 
          AND ALL THIS DEBT SERVICE IS, I, I SHOULDN'T SAY ALL. 
          I I WOULD SAY GREATER THAN 75% OF IT IS 
          [00:25:01]
ATTRIBUTABLE TO DEBT THAT WAS ISSUED TO CONSTRUCT PUBLIC SCHOOLS, UM, A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO. 
          UH, THE BUDGET IS BALANCED, UH, AS REQUIRED BY THE CODE OF VIRGINIA. 
          UH, WE DON'T HAVE, UM, THE OPTION OF PASSING A BUDGET THAT IS IN TOTAL, UM, SHOWS A DEFICIT. 
          SO AGAIN, IN ORDER TO MEET THE CODE REQUIREMENT, UH, THIS BUDGET IS BALANCED. 
          SO THESE ARE JUST A COUPLE OF SLIDES. 
          WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT TOTAL BUDGET AND YOU LOOK AT WHERE THE MONEY IS COMING FROM ALL FUNDS, I DON'T, I DON'T WANNA GET, I DON'T WANNA GET, UM, SPECIFIC TO THE EMS FUND OR ANY OTHER FUND, JUST THE ENTIRE, ALL THE COUNTY COFFERS, WHERE'S THE MONEY COMING FROM? WELL, 55% OF THE, OF, OF THE REVENUE STREAM, UH, IS COMING FROM PROPERTY TAXES. 
          AND THAT'S NOT UNLIKE, UM, MOST LOCALITIES IN VIRGINIA WHO RELY HEAVILY ON PROPERTY TAXES BECAUSE, UM, THEY DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO LEVY AN INCOME TAX. 
          UM, ON, ON THE, WHERE THE REVENUE GOES SECTION, UM, WE, AGAIN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT ALL THE FUNDING COMING IN, 25%, UM, IS GOING TOWARDS PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          AND THEN 26 TOWARDS, UM, THE LARGEST IS, IS EDUCATION. 
          BUT WHEN YOU DROP A LITTLE BIT LOWER ON YOUR ANALYSIS AND YOU SAY, OKAY, I DON'T WANNA LOOK AT ALL THESE OTHER REVENUE TYPES. 
          I JUST WANNA LOOK AT WHERE DO MY LOCAL TAX HOURS GO? WHERE, WHEN I, WHEN I COME INTO THE TREASURER'S OFFICE AND I PAY MY PROPERTY TAXES, UM, HOW DOES THAT, HOW DOES THAT DOLLAR THAT I'M, I'M PAYING GET SPLIT UP? WELL, AGAIN, THE LARGEST COMPONENT IS EDUCATION AT 37.6%, AND THEN IT'S PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          UM, AND WHEN I SAY PUBLIC SAFETY, I DON'T MEAN JUST AMBULANCES AND EMS I'M TALKING, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY ALSO INCLUDES LAW ENFORCEMENT AND, AND, UM, SOME DEPARTMENTS LIKE THAT, A DEBT SERVICE IS, ARE RELATIVELY SMALL BECAUSE WE ARE NOT A, A COUNTY WHO HAS, UH, HISTORICALLY ISSUED A LOT OF DEBT. 
          AND THEN IF YOU ROLL EVERYTHING ELSE UP, JUDICIAL ADMINISTRATION, GENERAL GOVERNMENT, UM, YOU NAME IT, IT ALL ROLLS TOGETHER INTO THIS 28.9%. 
          UM, BUT BY FAR, EDUCATION AND PUBLIC SAFETY MAKE UP OVER 60% OF, OF HOW LOCAL TAX HOURS ARE SPENT. 
          SO, UM, REGARDING SPENDING, UM, AGAIN, THESE ARE SORT OF JUST, UH, SPELLED OUT HERE. 
          WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT 4.4% INCREASE IN OPERATIONAL COST. 
          AND WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT WHAT, WHAT THE MAJORITY OF THOSE ARE. 
          UH, 39% AND ONE TIME SPENDING. 
          THERE IS, UM, INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET, A $972,000 TRANSFER TO THE RAINY DAY FUND. 
          AND I, I PUT A LITTLE MARK ON HERE, UM, THAT, THAT, THAT TRANSFER IS NEEDED. 
          'CAUSE THE RAINY DAY FUND IS CURRENTLY IN A UNDERFUNDED STATE. 
          MEANING, UM, IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT BEST PRACTICES ARE OUT THERE, WE'RE, WE'RE NOT QUITE AT A BEST PRACTICE LEVEL AS FAR AS HOW MUCH MONEY HAS BEEN SET ASIDE. 
          SO A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, WE KIND OF EMBARKED ON A, ON A PLAN TO GET THAT UP TO WHERE IT NEEDED TO BE OVER ABOUT A 10 YEAR PERIOD. 
          AND WE'VE HAD TO PUSH IT OUT A LITTLE BIT. 
          RIGHT NOW, WE'RE NOT EXPECTING IF WE CONTINUE THE, THE ANNUAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO IT, WE PROBABLY WON'T HIT IT UNTIL 2031. 
          BUT THAT, AGAIN, THAT IS TO GET TO WHAT IS CONSIDERED A BEST PRACTICE FOR A LEVEL OF, OF, OR AN AMOUNT IN A RAINY DAY FUND. 
          AND THERE IS NO ADDITIONAL DEBT IN THIS, UM, IN THIS BUDGET. 
          SO FOLKS SOMETIMES ASK, OKAY, WHERE DID THE, WHERE DID THE INITIATIVES THAT ARE BEING FUNDED IN THIS BUDGET COME FROM? WHAT WAS THE, THE GUIDANCE THERE? AND SO THIS, UM, THIS, UH, THIS GRAPHICAL VIEW OF OUR PRIORITIES WAS PUT TOGETHER TO SORT OF ANSWER THAT, THAT QUESTION. 
          SO THE, THE VERY TOP ONE IS, IS FUND STRATEGIC PRIORITIES AS IDENTIFIED BY THE BOARD. 
          THE BOARD PERIODICALLY GETS TOGETHER AND DISCUSSES WHAT IT'S, ONCE ITS STRATEGIC GOALS TO BE, AND THEN STAFF TRIES TO PACKAGE THOSE AND BRING THEM BACK FOR THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION DURING THE BUDGET SO THAT WE CAN ADVANCE THEM. 
          UM, ANOTHER GOAL IS TO RETAIN AND RECRUIT A QUALIFIED WORKFORCE. 
          IT IS SO DIFFICULT TO GET AND KEEP THE RIGHT KIND OF TALENT, UM, THESE DAYS. 
          AND, AND WE HAVE HAD TO RESORT TO A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT, UM, STRATEGIES TO HELP DO THAT. 
          I MEAN, IF, IF YOU WERE TO GO BACK FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, WE DIDN'T HAVE, UH, A RECRUIT SCHOOL FOR, UH, EMS, UH, AMBULANCE, UM, FOLKS IN WHO WORK IN, IN DPS AND WE, WE'VE HAD TO ACTUALLY, UM, BUILD AND HAVE OUR OWN SCHOOL CREDENTIALS SO THAT WE CAN BRING IN RAW TALENT, DEVELOP IT, AND PUT IT OUT IN, IN THE FIELD. 
          AND, AND WE'RE, WE'RE SEEING, UM, THE FRUIT OF, OF THAT LABOR. 
          UH, WELL, IN A FEW MORE WEEKS WE'LL HAVE A FEW MORE FOLKS WHO ARE COMING ALMOST, 
          [00:30:01]
ALMOST A YEAR'S WORTH OF TRAINING REQUIRED TO GO THROUGH ALL THE COURSES IN ORDER TO BE DEPLOYED OUT THERE IN, IN THE, THE VOLUNTEER FIRE AND RESCUE STATIONS WHERE WE KEEP OUR STAFF. 
          UM, AND, AND SO FAR, UH, AS, AS FAR AS RECRUITING FOR THE NEXT SCHOOL THAT WILL BE STARTING, WE, WE'VE HAD PRETTY POSITIVE NUMBERS IF THEY ALL STICK IN, BUT MM-HMM . 
          MASON, JUST ONE MORE QUESTION, FOLLOW UP QUESTION CONCERNING THE BUDGET, OVERALL BUDGET AND YOUR COMMENT ABOUT JUST ABOUT EMS. UM, AND MAYBE I SHOULD RE UH, SEND A, A QUESTION TO MR. PRUITT. 
          MR. PRUITT, I UNDERSTAND THAT FINALLY WITHIN A COUPLE OF WEEKS, GREENBACK STATION, WHICH COVERS CAPTAINS COVE, WILL BE FULLY 24 7, CORRECT? YES. 
          APRIL 3RD. 
          FOR THE FIRST TIME. 
          FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE WE, UH, APPROVED, UH, YOUR, YOUR PLAN, THE STATUS PLAN AND THE SALARY PLAN, IT SU WE SUCCEEDED. 
          YES, WE SUCCEEDED. 
          AND THEY'LL BE FULLY STAFFED WITHIN A COUPLE WEEKS, CORRECT? 24 7, 13. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO, UH, ANOTHER, UH, PRIORITY WAS, AGAIN, WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT ADDRESS, THE STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE OF THE MS FUND. 
          UH, CONTINUING AROUND THE CIRCLE HERE, HONOR OUR CONTRACTUAL COMMITMENTS, AGREEMENTS, AND MANDATES. 
          WE HAVE A LOT OF, UM, MULTI-YEAR COMMITMENTS. 
          WE HAVE FUNDING FORMULAS FOR, FOR, FOR INSTANCE, HOW MUCH LOCAL SHARE GOES TOWARDS, UH, PUBLIC EDUCATION. 
          THERE, THERE'S JUST A WHOLE HOST OF, OF DIFFERENT, UM, AGREEMENTS AND, AND MANDATES THAT WE HAVE TO COVER AND, AND MANDATES BEING THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE NO OPTION ON THAT THE COMMONWEALTH USUALLY HAS, HAS DICTATED THAT WE MUST EITHER A SERVICE WE PROVIDE OR A COST WE MUST INCUR IN ADDITION TO THAT. 
          BUT, UM, SO THAT WAS ONE OF THE PRIORITIES MAKE, CONTINUE WITH OUR SCHEDULED DEPOSITS TO THE RAINY DAY FUND, WHICH WE HAVE DONE, UM, INCREMENTALLY OVER THE PAST NUMBER OF YEARS. 
          BASICALLY GOING BACK TO THE GREAT RECESSION, UH, WHEN WE FOUND OURSELVES TERRIBLY LOW ON, ON FUND BALANCE, UM, ANOTHER PRIORITY WAS TO MAINTAIN OUR, OUR FACILITIES, OUR BUILDING, OUR EQUIPMENT, OUR INFRASTRUCTURE, UM, TO AN ACCEPTABLE LEVEL. 
          UH, OTHER COSTS IN THIS BUDGET. 
          UH, WE'RE NOT UNLIKE ANY OTHER EMPLOYER ON THE EASTERN SHORE IN THAT WE'RE ALL DEALING WITH HIGHER INFLATED, UM, COSTS FROM, UH, I MEAN, YOU CAN THINK OF A VARIETY OF EXAMPLES, BUT INFLATION HITS COUNTY DEPARTMENT SERVICE COSTS, JUST LIKE IT DOES ANY OTHER OPERATION. 
          UM, SO, SO THOSE ARE BASICALLY THE BUCKETS, IF YOU WILL, THAT, UM, KIND OF ENC ENCAPSULATE THE INITIATIVES THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THIS FY 26 PROPOSED BUDGET FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER. 
          SO KIND OF BREAKING THEM DOWN, LIKE THE PRIORITY ONES, THE STRATEGIC PLAN PRIORITIES, WHAT'S IN THIS BUDGET IS, IS, UM, SEED FUNDS FOR OUR WASTEWATER NEEDS IN NORTHERN MACK. 
          UM, THAT ADDS ON TO SOME FUNDS THAT WERE SET ASIDE LAST YEAR. 
          IT CONTINUES THE VOLUNTARY DERELICT BUILDING REMOVAL PROGRAM. 
          LAST MONTH, THE BOARD AWARDED A DERELICT BUILDING REMOVAL GRANT, UM, AND, AND DID, SO AGAIN, THIS, THIS MONTH, UH, IT, IT CONSTRUCTS A WATTS RESEARCH PART REAR ACCESS ROAD. 
          WE'VE HAD SEVERAL INQUIRIES, UM, ABOUT POSSIBLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE REAR PART OF THE WATTS RESEARCH PART. 
          RIGHT NOW, THERE IS, UM, AEROSPACE GATEWAY, UM, COMES RIGHT INTO THE PARK, UH, BUT THE REAR PARCELS THAT ARE OWNED BY NASA, BUT PART OF THE PARK THAT, AND LEASED BY THE COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE ROAD ACCESS. 
          SO IN ORDER TO DEVELOP THAT AREA, WE'RE GONNA NEED TO GET A ROAD BACK THERE. 
          UM, IT ADDRESSES THE PLAN, ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PLANNING, APPLICATION, PRICE ESCALATION. 
          IT PROVIDES A LOCAL SUBSIDY TO THEIR, UM, UH, THEIR SWAP PROGRAM, WHICH IS THEIR SEPTIC WELL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM. 
          IT EXPANDS PARKS AND REC OPPORTUNITIES TO UNDERSERVED POPULATIONS, RELYING HEAVILY ON USE OF OUR PARK, UH, THE SAW MILL PARK, AND ENHANCES OUR COUNTY CONTINUITY PROGRAM AS FAR AS THE PRIORITY TWOS, UM, WHICH ARE, UM, MAINTAINING AND, AND RE MAINTAINING, UH, AND RECRUITING A QUALIFIED WORKFORCE. 
          IT COVERS EMPLOYERS SHARE OF THE ESTIMATED INCREASE AND EMPLOYEE HEALTH INSURANCE FOR, UH, FY 26. 
          IT PROVIDES A 3% COST OF LIVING INCREASE EFFECTIVE JULY ONE, UH, FOR ALL COUNTY AND STATE SUPPORTED POSITIONS. 
          THE COST OF THAT WAS LISTED IN YOUR BUDGET DOCUMENT, BUT JUST NOTE AS PARTIALLY FUNDED BY STATE FUNDS, AND THOSE STATE FUNDS ARE USED OR LOSE. 
          SO, UM, AS MANY OF YOU KNOW, THE COMPENSATION BOARD PROVIDES, UH, A HUNDRED PERCENT OF FUNDING FOR INCREASES. 
          UH, MOST, MOST POSITIONS THAT, UH, THAT ARE UNDER THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, WITH A FEW EXCEPTIONS 
          [00:35:01]
OF SOME LOCALLY FUNDED POSITIONS, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, THEY'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT FUNDED BY, BY THE COMPENSATION BOARD. 
          SO WHEN I'M, WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT STATE FUNDS COMING IN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE SOURCE I'M REALLY TALKING ABOUT. 
          BUT, UM, AGAIN, YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU CANNOT REAP THOSE FUNDS IF YOU DON'T AGREE BY THE STATE'S TERMS. IT PROVIDES THE LOCAL SHARE OF TARGETED COMPENSATION INCREASES. 
          UH, PART OF THE STATE, UH, THE, THE COMMONWEALTH'S, UH, PROPOSED BUDGET, WHICH I, I DON'T BELIEVE HAS BEEN SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR YET, BUT IT DOES CONTAIN A PROVISION IN THERE ABOUT INCREASING, UH, THE SALARIES OF SHERIFF DISPATCH STAFF. 
          UM, SO, UH, AGAIN, THAT'S SORT OF A MANDATE AND ANY LOCAL COSTS ASSOCIATED THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE BORNE BY, UH, BY THE COUNTY. 
          UM, THE, THE COUNTY DOES TAKE THE INITIAL STEP OF SPREADING THAT LOGIC OVER TO THE 9 1 1 COMMISSION STAFF, WHICH IS ALSO DISPATCHERS, UH, AND IT ALL, AND FINALLY, IT IMPLEMENTS AN ON-CALL PROGRAM FOR, FOR PUBLIC WORK STAFF. 
          SO, PRIORITY THREE, UH, WE'VE, WE'VE TOUCHED ON THE STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE ISSUE. 
          I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO THAT ANYMORE. 
          UH, CON CONTRACTS, COMMITMENTS, AGREEMENTS, UH, WE HAVE $800,000 IN INCREASES JUST TO, TO MEET, UM, THE, THE WHAT'S SPELLED OUT IN THOSE DIFFERENT DOCUMENTS. 
          AND THAT INCLUDES OUR REVENUE SHARE FORMULA THAT WE USE FOR MACK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
          THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL 209,000 ROUGHLY, UM, IN THIS PROPOSED BUDGET AND NEW FUNDS FOR, UH, MACK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 
          AND, AND I'M SORRY, UM, WENT TOO FAR THERE. 
          UH, THIS CHART TO THE RIGHT SHOWS YOU WHAT THE, UH, LOCAL CONTRIBUTION TO PUBLIC EDUCATION IS, AND YOU CAN SEE IT'S, UM, NOW WITH THIS, IF, IF THIS AMOUNT IS IS ADOPTED, IT WOULD BE, UH, UH, GETTING CLOSE TO $23.5 MILLION ANNUALLY, ANNUALLY FOR, FOR PUBLIC SCHOOL. 
          UM, PRIORITY FIVE, WE'VE, WE'VE ALREADY TOUCHED ON, UM, THE RAINY DAY FUND CONTRIBUTION PRIORITY SIX, UH, MAINTAINING THE COUNTY'S INVESTMENT IN THIS BUILDING'S, EQUIPMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          THIS IS THE ONE, MOSTLY ONE TIME FUNDING I WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT'S DRIVING THAT, THAT, UM, UH, CAPITAL BUDGET UP THIS YEAR. 
          WE'VE GOT A NUMBER OF BOATING FACILITIES THAT NEED REPAIRS. 
          UM, WE HAVE COUNTY BUILDINGS AND, AND INFRASTRUCTURE THAT HAVE REOCCURRING MAINTENANCE NEEDS. 
          WE HAVE OUR INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE IS ON A REGULAR REPLACEMENT CYCLE. 
          WE NEED TO ADDRESS THOSE, UH, A FEW VEHICLES AND HEAVY EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT AND THEN SOME LANDFILL EQUIPMENT IS ALSO EMBEDDED IN, IN THIS, IN THIS BUDGET. 
          UM, AND THEN JUST AS A SUM, THERE'S ROUGHLY $257,000 WORTH OF INCREASES THAT ARE JUST DEALING WITH INFLATIONARY PRESSURE ON, ON PARTICULAR SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE. 
          YOU MAY ASK HOW MANY NEW POSITIONS ARE IN, IN THIS BUDGET. 
          UH, WELL, LAST YEAR THAT TOTAL FTE COUNT THAT WAS APPROVED BY THE BOARD WAS 366 POSITIONS. 
          AND THAT'S, THAT'S, YOU CAN BE ENTIRELY FUNDED BY A GRANT, ENTIRELY FUNDED, UM, BY THE COMPENSATION BOARD REPORT TO A CONS, UH, CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICER, IT DOESN'T MATTER. 
          ALL THOSE POSITIONS ARE ROLLED UP AND IT'S TOTAL OF 366, UM, FTES. 
          THERE IS AN ADDITIONAL 4.5, UH, OF SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICERS PROPOSED IN THIS BUDGET THAT WOULD BRING THE TOTAL NUMBER OF SRO POSITIONS IN THE COUNTY TO SEVEN, SIX WOULD BE OUT OF THAT SEVEN, SIX ARE UNDER THE DIRECT CONTROL OF THE SHERIFF. 
          AND ONE HAS BASICALLY BEEN OUTSOURCED TO THE TOWN OF KOTE, WHERE THE COUNTY WOULD BE PROVIDING THE FUNDING FOR THE TOWN TO, TO HIRE THAT POSITION AND, AND PLACE THEM. 
          UM, AT, ON KOTE. 
          THERE'S ALSO ONE COMPLIANCE OFFICER FOR A MANDATED EMS DRUG BOX PROGRAM, AGAIN, THAT WE'RE MANDATED. 
          IT IS NOT BY MISTAKE. 
          THIS WAS FEDERAL REGULATION CHANGES THAT ARE, ARE FORCING THE COUNTY TO CHANGE HOW IT HANDLES, UM, THE DRUG BOXES THAT ARE IN THE BACK OF OUR AMBULANCES. 
          AND SO WE NEED, UM, AN FTE TO MANAGE THAT. 
          UM, BUT THAT'S, UM, IN TOTAL IT'S 5.5 FTE INCREASED, WHICH BRINGS THE TOTAL PROPOSED TO, UH, 371 AND A HALF. 
          SO, JUST QUICKLY, I, I DID WANT TO HIT ON, ON SOME OF THE OTHER REVENUES AND JUST SHOW YOU SOME COMPARISONS FROM YEAR TO YEAR. 
          UM, WE'RE EXPECTING A SIX POINT 0.6 INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAX COLLECTIONS, AND THAT'S INCLUDING, UM, THE, THE FIVE, THE, THE IMPLICATIONS, THE IMPACT OF INCREASE IN TAXES BY 5 CENT, THE TAX RATE. 
          UM, THE, THE BIG NUMBER THAT STICKS OUT, STICKS OUT AT IS RENT OR INVESTMENT INCOME. 
          THAT'S ALL INVESTMENT INCOME. 
          UM, BECAUSE OF THE FED RATE, UH, CHANGES OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS, OUR INVESTMENTS HAVE BEEN DOING BETTER. 
          UM, AND WE CONTINUE BASED 
          [00:40:01]
ON, ON, ON THE CURRENT FED POSTURING, UM, TO, TO REAP SOME OF THE AWARDS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. 
          UM, THAT IS GONNA BE A CONCERN IN, IN YEARS FORWARD AS THE FED RATES START TO COME DOWN. 
          UM, SO, BUT A, A, A TOTAL OF 6.5% OVERALL AND TOTAL REVENUE ESTIMATE, UM, ESTIMATED FOR FY 26, INCLUDING, AGAIN, THE PROCEEDS FROM BOTH THE CIGARETTE TAX AND FROM THE, THE REAL ESTATE, UM, TAX INCREASE. 
          AND THIS IS JUST, UM, KIND OF ZEROING IN ON THE GENERAL FUND FOR A SECOND. 
          WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT THE EMS FUND, BUT THIS IS JUST THE REVENUE FOR THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH PAYS FOR JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE. 
          UM, THIS IS A LITTLE HARD TO READ, UM, BECAUSE OF THE COLOR THAT CAME OUT ON THIS CHART, BUT THE IDEA HERE IS JUST TO DEMONSTRATE, UH, AGAIN, HOW RELIANT COUNTIES, NOT, NOT JUST MACK, BUT COUNTIES ARE IN GENERAL ON PROPERTY TAXES WITH YOUR, YOUR, YOUR TWO LARGEST, UM, HIGHEST OR LARGEST LINES, THE RED HERE AND THIS GRAY BEING PERSONAL PROPERTY AND REAL ESTATE TAX. 
          AND THEN, UH, LOCAL SALES AND USE TAXES A DISTANT THIRD. 
          SO AGAIN, MOST LOCALITIES RELY ON PROPERTY TAXES TO FUND MOST OF, UH, ITS CITIZEN SERVICES. 
          AGAIN, UM, ZERO GOING FROM THE CHART INTO LIKE A TABLE, JUST TO SEE THE NUMBERS AGAIN, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE GENERAL FUND, YOU LOOK AT PROPERTY, UH, REAL PROPERTY TAXES, YOU'RE NOT SEEING, UM, A, A VERY LARGE INCREASE FROM 25 TO 26. 
          'CAUSE AGAIN, THAT ENTIRE PROPOSED REAL ESTATE TAX INCREASE IS BEING USED BY THE, UH, CONSOLIDATED EMS FUND. 
          UM, SO THE, THE GENERAL FUND DOESN'T BENEFIT FROM THAT. 
          UM, AND HERE IS THE INCREASE FROM RAISING THE CIGARETTE, UM, TAX, WHICH THE CIGARETTE TAX IS BUDGETED TO COME IN GENERAL FUND. 
          AND IT HAS BEEN LINKED TO INCREASED FUNDING FOR VOLUNTEER FIRE AND RESCUE DEPARTMENTS IN ACAC. 
          SO FROM A TIMETABLE, THE BOARD IS PROHIBITED FROM ADAPT ADOPTING THE ADVERTISED BUDGET TONIGHT, OR THE TAX RATES FOR THAT MATTER. 
          UH, THE ADVERTISED BUDGET CANNOT BE APPROVED BY THE BOARD PRIOR TO APRIL 14TH, 2025, UM, PER CODE. 
          AND SO WHEN, WHEN THE BOARD COMES BACK TOGETHER, AND IDEALLY ON APRIL 14TH, I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT YOU'VE SAID IN YOUR SCHEDULE, IF THE BOARD WAS TO JUST TAKE ANY ACTION TO INCREASE THE RATE ABOVE WHAT'S BEEN ADVERTISED, THAT WOULD REQUIRE A, A PUBLIC HEARING, YOU CAN CERTAINLY DECREASE THE RATE WITHOUT HAVING TO ARRANGE FOR ANOTHER HEARING, BUT YOU CAN'T INCREASE IT. 
          UM, THE PURPOSE OF THIS SLIDE IS JUST TO REMIND THE BOARD AND FOR THE PUBLIC THAT MATTER THAT NO ACTION CAN OCCUR TONIGHT. 
          IT IT IS GOING TO BE, UM, APRIL 14TH BEFORE THOSE TYPE OF DECISIONS ARE MADE. 
          AND SO THAT CONCLUDES MY REMARKS. 
          UM, YOU CAN GET MORE INFORMATION ON, ON, ON WHAT'S BEEN PRESENTED HERE TONIGHT. 
          IT'S ATTACHED TO OUR, OUR PAPERLESS AGENDA SYSTEM, BOARD DOCS. 
          AND IF YOU FOLLOW THIS LINK, YOU CAN DOWNLOAD ANY OF THE, UH, PRESENTATION SLIDES THAT WERE SHOWN TONIGHT TO THE BOARD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK, THANK YOU, MR. MASON. 
          ANY QUESTIONS? YES, JUST ONE QUESTION. 
          IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WOULD STOP US FROM CONSOLIDATING EMS INTO THE GENERAL SERVICE? JUST MAKING IT LIKE FIRE AND EVERYTHING ELSE? NO, THAT'S, THAT WE HAVE THE POWER AS THE BOARD TO DO. 
          THANK YOU. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, BOARD MEMBERS? MR. CHAIR? OKAY. 
          YES, MR. UH, MR. MASON, FIRST QUESTION FOR MR. MASON IS THE, IS THAT DOCUMENT AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC FROM THAT LINK FROM THE BOARD DOCS LINK? THIS PRESENTATION THAT I JUST DID? YEAH. 
          MM-HMM . 
          OKAY. 
          SO, BUT THAT THE, SO THEY CAN ACCESS BOARD DOCS AND THEY CAN ADD AND DOWNLOAD THIS FROM THE PUBLIC SIDE. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT, THAT CLARIFICATION. 
          UM, THE, IF I MAY, IF I CAN GO BACK TO THE, UM, UH, THE QUESTION OF THE EMS FUND, THE, UH, $2 MILLION, WHICH YOU, YOU STATED IS NEEDED TO MAKE US WHOLE, IS IT 2 MILLION TO MAKE US WHOLE OR PRESUMING, UH, TO TWO TO 2027? IS THAT INCLUDING NO, NO. 
          HOW'S THAT GO? SO TWO, TWO, YOU WOULD NEED 2 MILLION. 
          LET'S, LET'S USE THE TERM DEPOSITED INTO THE EMS FUND IN ORDER TO KEEP IT FROM GOING NEGATIVE AND FY 26 ALONE, FY 27, YOU STILL HAVE THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM AS IT'S STRUCTURALLY IMBALANCED. 
          SO YOU, YOU CAN, YOU CAN GET BY ON ONE YEAR, BUT THE ISSUE THAT'S CONTRIBUTING HAS GOTTA BE SOLVED, UM, IN MY OPINION. 
          SO WE ARE PAUSE MR. CHAIR, IF I CAN CONTINUE. 
          SO, UM, WE'RE BASICALLY SAYING THAT IT'S STRUCTURALLY UNSOUND, LOOK AT IT, 2027, THIS IS A STOPGAP TO GET US 
          [00:45:01]
TO MAKE IT BALANCE THAT FUND. 
          AND WE'RE GONNA BE LOOKING AT A SIMILAR SITUATION AGAIN IN TWO YEARS. 
          WELL, FRANKLY, I HAVEN'T, I HAVEN'T, OTHER THAN LOOK AT A GENERAL IMPACT OF WHAT HAPPENS IN THOSE OUT YEARS. 
          WHAT I CAN TELL YOU, YOU'RE NOT LOOKING AT THE TYPE OF INCREASE YOU'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW. 
          UM, THIS, IF, IF THE, IF THE BOARD APPROVED THAT 5 CENT, IT ADDRESSES THE LARGE PORTION OF THE ISSUE. 
          BUT WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW IS INFLATIONARY PRESSURE ON THAT FUND, AND IT'S DRIVING THOSE COSTS UP IN THE OUT YEARS. 
          AND SO, UM, THERE COULD BE THINGS THAT, UH, ASSIST THE COUNTY IN NOT HAVING TO INCREASE IT, REASSESSMENTS, THINGS OF THAT NATURE, UM, COULD HAVE AN IMPACT DEPENDING ON HOW THE BOARD ADJUSTS THE TAX RATE. 
          THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS, BUT, BUT, BUT WHAT I CAN TELL YOU IS THAT WE KNOW THAT THAT FIVE, THE 5 CENT INCREASES PROPOSED THIS YEAR WILL AVOID A DEFICIT IN FY 26. 
          IT SHOULD AVOID A, A A A DEFICIT IN FY 27. 
          AND THEN, UM, YOU COULD POSSIBLY BE LOOKING AT HAVING TO TAKE OTHER MEASURES IN, IN FY 28. 
          I GUESS WHAT I'M ASKING IS, IF WE TOOK $2 MILLION OUTTA THE GENERAL FUND AND MADE IT WHOLE THIS YEAR, WHAT DOES THAT DO? DOES THAT STILL GET US TO 2027 WHERE WE'RE HAVING TO RE-LOOK AT IT AGAIN? IT, IT GETS YOU TO 2020. 
          IT GETS YOU TO FY 27 WITH A, A PROJECTED OVER $2 MILLION DEFICIT FOR THAT YEAR. 
          SO YOU WOULD HAVE TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT YEAR AFTER YEAR AFTER YEAR IF YOU WERE GONNA TRY TO SHORE IT UP, RIGHT? AND THAT, THAT WOULD BE OKAY. 
          AND IT STILL DOESN'T ADDRESS THE STRUCTURAL ISSUES. 
          AND I, AND CERTAINLY WE NEED, WE'VE IDENTIFIED THAT WE NEED TO MAINTAIN THE REQUIREMENT. 
          I, I WOULD JUST OFFER THAT. 
          BUT IN THIS YEAR, WE CAN MEET ALL THOSE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES AND WE DO HAVE A LINE ITEM THAT HAS ENOUGH FUNDING TO, TO, TO MEET THAT REQUIREMENT FOR THIS YEAR. 
          UH, AND, AND I THINK THE BOARD SHOULD CONSIDER THAT MS. CHAIRMAN. 
          IN OTHER WORDS, KICK IT, KICK IT, KICK A CAN DOWN THE ROAD. 
          ALRIGHT? IF WE, IF WE WAIT A COUPLE YEARS, JUST SAY WE TAKE $2 MILLION AND PLUG THIS HOLE ONE TIME FUNDING NEXT YEAR WE DO THE SAME, PLUG THAT HOLE. 
          WELL SUPPOSE WHEN, WHEN THE BOARD AND THE STAFF REVIEWS IT TWO YEARS OR THREE YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, WE WOULD NEED TWO TWO, UH, A 2 CENT INCREASE ON TOP OF THAT. 
          SO YOU'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT A 5 CENT TAX INCREASE, THEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A SEVEN TAX CENT TAX INCREASE. 
          I MEAN, IT JUST, THIS THING JUST KEEPS ADDING, ADDING AND ADDING. 
          AND, UM, I'M GONNA USE AN ANALOGY THAT I'VE USED QUITE OFTEN, AND, AND MR. WASHINGTON HAS, HAS REMINDED ME OF THIS A MANY TIME. 
          AND, AND IT WAS SHARED WITH ME YEARS AGO WHEN I WAS SHERIFF AT A MEETING OUT IN THE RICHMOND AREA. 
          WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH AN ISSUE THAT HAS TO BE ADDRESSED THAT YOU CAN, YOU CAN USE THE ANALOGY OF A CAT AND A CAT'S TAIL, THE THAT HAS TOLD YOU THAT, THAT CAT'S TAIL NEEDS TO BE CUT OFF RIGHT UP TO THE BUTT. 
          YOU CAN DO IT ONE OF TWO WAYS. 
          YOU CAN DO IT INCH BY INCH BY INCH KNOWING THAT EVERY TIME YOU SLICE THAT, YOU'RE GONNA GET, EXCUSE MY LANGUAGE, ONE HELL OF A SCREAM. 
          BUT IF YOU SLICE IT ONE TIME RIGHT UP TO THE BUTT, YOU GET ONE SCREAM AND IT'S OVER WITH. 
          SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT IN FRONT OF US, THAT'S WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US RIGHT NOW. 
          DID WE DECIDE NOW OR DO WE DECIDE LATER? AND, AND ON TOP OF THAT, WHAT KIND OF MESSAGE DOES THAT SEND TO THE CURRENT EMPLOYEES? WE, THE WORK THAT WE HAVE DONE, THAT THIS BOARD HAS DONE OVER THE YEARS TO HELP STAFF RECRUIT AND RETAIN EMS PERSONNEL IS WORKING. 
          SO WHAT DOES THAT TELL EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE NOW AND FUTURE EMPLOYEES THAT WE COULD HAVE? WELL, WE HAVEN'T DECIDED THIS, THIS ISSUE YET. 
          WE DON'T KNOW WHETHER WE'RE GONNA INCREASE TAXES OR CUT STAFF. 
          IS THAT GONNA HELP RECRUITING? IT'S GONNA KILL RECRUITING AND IT'S GONNA CAUSE PEOPLE TO, PEOPLE TO LEAVE AND, AND SEEK OTHER JOBS. 
          SO, SO, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO, UH, ADDRESS IT, UH, ADDRESS IT LIKE IT SHOULD BE ADDRESSED AND NOT, AND NOT, UH, PUSH IT DOWN TO, UH, TO NEXT YEAR, TO YEAR AFTER AND, UH, AND CREATE MORE PROBLEMS. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU, MR. CHAIRMAN. 
          THANKS. 
          SUPER PRESIDENT. 
          ANYONE ELSE? MR. CHAIR? IF I MAY? YES, ONE MORE. 
          I I THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S A STRAW ARGUMENT. 
          IT'S A GOOD ARGUMENT. 
          I LIKE THE ANALOGY, THE POOR CAT. 
          I, I TERRIBLE THING TO TALK ABOUT. 
          BUT, BUT I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER OR ANYONE UP HERE TO SAY THAT THE, THE DECISION POINT IS WHETHER TO REDUCE STAFF. 
          THE DECISION POINT I'M ENTERTAINING IS WE ARE FUNDING THE NORTHERN AKIMA COUNTY WATER PROJECT AT A RATE THAT COULD BE, DOES NOT HAVE TO BE THAT HIGH. 
          AND THERE'S ENOUGH FUNDING THERE TO DO THIS. 
          SO I DO THINK THAT NO MATTER WHAT WE DO, BASED ON THE TESTIMONY WE'VE HEARD TONIGHT, WE ARE POTENTIALLY LOOKING AT TAX INCREASES OVER THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS. 
          WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE, WHAT THE REAL ESTATE ASSESSMENT WILL BE NEXT YEAR. 
          THE MARKET IS CURRENTLY FLAT. 
          WE'RE DEALING THIS YEAR IN THE HIGHEST INFLATION IN A LOT OF PEOPLE'S LIFETIMES AND HIGH EXPENSES. 
          WE COULD TALK ABOUT EGGS, WHICH BY THE WAY, I GOT PLENTY IF FOOD MY NEEDS, ANY, I'LL GIVE IT SOME, UM, WE CAN TALK ABOUT EGGS OR WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE COST OF GROCERIES. 
          [00:50:01]
IS THIS THE YEAR TO HIT THIS 5 CENT TAX INCREASE AGAINST THE PEOPLE WHO WERE OUR PRIMARY BILL PAYERS IN THE COUNTY? AND ALSO REALIZING THAT OUR ONLY REAL ASSET WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO COMPETE FOR POSITIONS IN THE AREA AGAINST MARYLAND IS OUR LOWER TAX RATE. 
          WE ARE PROBABLY GONNA BE LOOKING AT A TAX RATE OVER THE INCREASE OVER THE NEXT TWO OR THREE YEARS PLUS WE ALL KNOW THERE'S INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS COMING DOWN THE, THE PIPE THAT MAY ALSO GENERATE A NON EMS FUND TAX INCREASE. 
          SO WE COULD DO IT THIS YEAR, BUT WE MAY BE SITTING HERE HAVING THE SAME DISCUSSION SAYING, WOW, WE DIDN'T KNOW THAT WAS COMING. 
          WE CAN SAVE THE PEOPLE THIS YEAR, SPEND THE MONEY THAT'S IN THE BUDGET, NOT DO A TAX INCREASE AND ASSESS AND HOPEFULLY GENERATE GREATER REVENUE SOURCES, WHICH IS SOMETHING I THINK THE BOARD'S GOTTA CONSIDER, CONTINUE TO LOOK AT WAYS TO BRING IN MORE REVENUE. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU MR. MASON. 
          UM, BEFORE I OPEN THE, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT, UH, TIME, UH, MS. PROCTOR, CAN WE HAVE THE RULES OF THAT PUBLIC HEARING? YES, SIR. 
          THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD. 
          THE, THE RULES FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING ARE AS FOLLOWS. 
          ALL PERSONS WISHING TO SPEAK SHOULD SIGN THE REGISTER PERSONS ADDRESSING THE BOARD SHOULD STA STAND BEHIND THE LECTERN PERSONS ADDRESSING THE BOARD SHALL BE LIMITED TO FOUR MINUTES. 
          AND I WOULD POINT OUT, SINCE WE ARE COMBINING PUBLIC HEARINGS, THAT SHOULD BE EIGHT MINUTES PER SPEAKER. 
          PERSONS SIGNS AND PLACARDS ARE NOT ALLOWED INSIDE THE MEETING ROOM. 
          ANY PERSON WHOSE BEHAVIOR IS DISRUPTIVE SHALL BE ASKED TO LEAVE THE MEETING ROOM. 
          PERSONS MAY NOT QUESTION INDIVIDUAL SUPERVISORS OR STAFF MEMBERS WITHOUT UNANIMOUS CONSENT OF THE BOARD PERSONS ADDRESSING. 
          THE BOARD SHALL LIMIT THEIR COMMENTS TO THE ISSUE OF THE PUBLIC HEARING. 
          A SPEAKER MAY RESERVE THEIR TIME, BUT SHALL NOT DESIGNATE THEIR TIME TO ANOTHER SPEAKER. 
          AN ATTORNEY'S REPRESENTING CLIENTS WILL BE LIMITED TO 10 MINUTES. 
          THE CHAIR HAS THE RIGHT AND DUTY TO MAINTAIN PROPER ORDER IN ACCORDANCE WITH THESE RULES. 
          THANK YOU, MS. PROCTOR. 
          SO AS, AS TIME OPEN UP THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD FOR THIS PUBLIC HEARING, AND WHAT I'M GONNA, WHAT WE'LL DO IS WE'RE GONNA ROLL BOTH THE PUBLIC HEARINGS INTO ONE OF COURSE PUBLIC HEARING. 
          ONE WAS FOR THE PROPOSED CON, UH, CALENDAR YEAR, 2025 TAX RATE AND FEES, WHICH, UH, PERTAIN TO REAL ESTATE TAX AND CIGARETTE TAX, AND ALSO THE PUBLIC HEARING NUMBER TWO, WHICH IS THE PROPOSED 25 26 COUNTY BUDGET. 
          I HAVE ONE, UM, ONE SIGNATURE ON BOTH, IF YOU WILL. 
          AND, UH, SO IF AT THIS TIME I'D LIKE TO CALL MISS OUR LOCAL POST REPORTER GOOD. 
          I I JUST DID THAT JUST IN CASE. 
          OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          WELL WE ANSWERED ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS, . 
          THAT'S GOOD. 
          THAT'S EXCELLENT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO, UH, IF THERE'S NO ONE ELSE HERE PRESENT WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK, IF YOU PLEASE APPROACH THE, THE PODIUM PLEASE. 
          UH, CAN I HAVE WE HAVE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS PLEASE FOR THE RECORD? SURE. 
          MY NAME'S WILLOW GALE. 
          I'M AT 25 1 38 FOLLY CREEK CLUB LANE. 
          AND I DIDN'T INTEND TO SPEAK, BUT I JUST HAD A FEW QUESTIONS ABOUT THE PRESENTATION IF I COULD ASK. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, ONE IS THAT I BELIEVE I READ IN THE PAPER THAT THE COUNTY PLANS BUYING TWO AMBULANCES, AND I WONDERED IF THAT MONEY WAS INCLUDED IN THE EMS FUND OR THE GENERAL FUND, MR. MASON. 
          IT'S COMING OUT OF GENERAL FUND. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, AND YOU SAID EARLIER THE CIGARETTE TAX INCREASE IS GOING INTO THE GENERAL FUND. 
          RIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          CORRECT. 
          UM, I ALSO, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S A TEACHER SHORTAGE EVERYWHERE, I JUST WONDERED WHERE THE COUNTY STANDS IN TERMS OF TEACHER POSITIONS. 
          THAT'S THE QUESTION. 
          THAT'S THE SCHOOL BOARD QUESTION. 
          OH, OKAY. 
          IT REALLY IS. 
          YES. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UM, YES, AND WE KNOW, WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT YES, WELL, THAT'S A SCHOOL BOARD QUESTION. 
          OKAY, THANK YOU. 
          UM, AND ONE LAST QUESTION. 
          UM, I HAVE A CONCERN ABOUT LOSING FEDERAL FUNDING AND I WONDER, I SAW THAT IN THE CIRCLE WITH THE SOURCES OF FUNDING, THERE WAS A SECTION THAT SAID FEDERAL FUNDS AND I WONDERED IF THAT, IF LOSS OF THAT FUNDING IS BEING CONSIDERED OR PREPARED FOR I KNOW THAT'S A WEIRD ADDRESS THAT OR NOT. 
          UM, OKAY. 
          OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I GUESS MR. CHAIR, MS. MS. JOHNSON? YES. 
          I JUST WANTED, I'LL LET YOU KNOW THAT TOMORROW NIGHT IS SCHOOL BOARD MEETING. 
          THERE YOU GO. 
          HERE AT SIX. 
          RIGHT HERE? YES. 
          AT SEVEN. 
          AT 6 0 6. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT IT'S FAIR TO SAY, TO OUR KNOWLEDGE, NONE OF OUR FEDERAL FUNDING IS AT RISK AND THAT'S AS OF AS OF RIGHT NOW. 
          YES, THAT'S CORRECT. 
          YES, YOU'RE RIGHT. 
          SO, ALRIGHT, I CLOSE THE, UH, PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD, UM, FOR THIS PUBLIC HEARING. 
          UM, AND, UM, I THINK MR. MASON, I THINK YOU'VE ALREADY ADDRESSED THE 3.1. 
          WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FUTURE, UH, UM, BUDGET MEETINGS, WHICH WE'VE 
          [00:55:01]
ALREADY JUST DECIDED. 
          THE SEVENTH WILL BE OUR SECOND PUBLIC HEARING, UM, WHICH WILL BE HERE AS WELL. 
          AND THEN THE AFTER THAT WOULD BE THE 14TH, WHICH WOULD BE THE FOUR 14TH WOULD BE THE FIRST TIME WE CAN, AND THAT WILL BE BACK IN THE BOARD CHAMBERS ON THE 14TH. 
          SO IF THAT'S IT, THEN UH, I WILL, UH, ENTERTAIN 4.1. 
          WE WILL ADJOURN. 
          I'LL HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO ADJOURN. 
          THAT'S NON DEBATABLE, BUT ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. 
          ALL OPPOSED? MEANING AS ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.