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APRIL 14TH.[Board of Supervisors Budget Meeting on April 14, 2025.]
MEETING TO DELIBERATE THE, UH, ON THE FINANCIAL, UH, YEAR OF 20 25, 26 COUNTY BUDGET AND THE 2025 TAX RATE.IF YOU WOULD PLEASE, IF YOU HAVE A CELL PHONE, IF YOU DON'T MIND, IF YOU NEED TO TURN IT OFF OR SILENCE IT.
AND IF YOU WOULD, STAND WITH US FOR INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
YOUR GOD BLESS US, ME, AND ALLOW US DO OUR WORK THROUGH YOUR WILL.
OUR 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.
CONSIDERING ALLOWING REMOTE PARTICIPATION, WE DO HAVE ONE TONIGHT.
UH, SUPERVISOR DEJA, UH, IS, IS IN, IN BY PHONE.
SO, SUPERVISOR DEJA NOTIFIED ME EARLIER TODAY THAT HE WOULD LIKE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS EVENING'S MEETING REMOTELY BECAUSE HE'S AT HOME.
OUR ADOPTIVE REMOTE POLICY, UH, PARTICIPATION POLICY REQUIRES THAT ALL REQUESTS FROM BOARD MEMBERS TO REMOTELY PARTICIPATE IN A PUBLIC MEETING MUST BE RECEIVED BY THE CHAIR IN WRITING ON OR BEFORE THE DAY OF THE MEETING AND SUBJECT TO APPROVAL BY THIS BOARD.
I CAN ATTEST THAT THE REQUEST TO PARTICIPATE REMOTELY WAS RECEIVED BY ME IN WRITING ON 4 14 20 25.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT SUPERVISOR DE GEORGE IS CURRENTLY CONNECTED VIA ZOOM TO THIS MEETING.
GEORGE, WOULD YOU STATE THE REASON YOU WISH TO PARTICIPATE REMOTELY AND THE EXACT LOCATION FROM WHERE YOU'RE PARTICIPATING? UH, I'M UNDER MEDICAL DIRECTION AND MY ADDRESS IS 3 3 4 5 SALTY WAY GREENBACK, BILL VIRGINIA.
MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, SINCE WE HAVE A QUORUM PHYSICALLY ASSEMBLED HERE TONIGHT, WOULD SOMEONE LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION TO ALLOW SUPERVISOR GEORGE TO REMOTELY PARTICIPATE? TONIGHT'S MEETING, WE HAVE A MOTION.
ITEM ONE FOUR, ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA.
WE HAVE A MOTION PROPERLY SECONDED TO ADOPT THE AGENDA.
MR. MASON, WOULD YOU LIKE TO START OFF WITH 2.1? THANK YOU.
CHAIRMAN PHILLIPS, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, MIKE MASON, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, UH, STAFF DOESN'T HAVE A PRESENTATION FOR YOU TONIGHT.
UH, ESSENTIALLY YOU CONDUCTED, UH, PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET AND TAX RATES, UH, SEVEN DAYS AGO.
SO NOW IF IT'S A BOARD'S PREROGATIVE, YOU ARE PAST, UM, THE, THE, UH, TIMEFRAME FOR WHICH YOU CAN'T ACT.
UM, THIS IS THE FIRST DAY YOU CAN, SO IT'S UP TO THE BOARD.
WE CAN STAFF IS PREPARED TO PROVIDE, UH, THE SAME WORKSHEETS AND, AND OTHER ASSORTED ITEMS RELATED TO THE BUDGET FOR THE BOARD'S CONSIDERATION.
UM, STAFF HAS ALSO PREPARED A RESOLUTION SHOULD YOU DECIDE TO ADOPT THE, UH, BUDGET AS PRESENTED, INCLUDING THE PROPOSED TAX RATES.
UH, STAFF WILL STAND DOWN NOW AND, AND WAIT FOR THE BOARD'S DECISION AS HOW HE WANTS TO PROCEED.
ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR MR. MASON? ALRIGHT, IF NOTHING THEN WE WILL, WE WILL CONTINUE TO 2.2.
UH, CONSIDER APPROVING THE PROPOSED MACK COUNTY PHYSICAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET CALENDAR, YEAR 25, TAX RATES 26 DASH 30 CIP AND THE APPROPRIATE PHYSICAL YEAR 26 FUNDS.
BECAUSE I WORK FOR MACK COUNTY, I HAVE A PERSONAL INTEREST IN THE APPROPRIATE APPROVAL OF THE FY 26 BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS.
TO THE EXTENT THAT THEY CONCERN COUNTY EMPLOYEE SALARIES AND BENEFITS, I UNDERSTAND THAT I'M ABLE TO PARTIC PARTICIPATE IN THESE MATTERS UNDER VIRGINIA CODE SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 1 1 12 B ONE.
BECAUSE I'M A MEMBER OF A PROFESSIONAL OCCUPATION OR A GROUP OF THREE OR MORE PERSONS AFFECTED BY THESE TRANSACTIONS, I AM ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS TRANSACTIONS FAIRLY OBJECTIVELY AND IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST.
UM, WHAT'S THE PLEASURE TO THE BOARD, MR. CHAIRMAN? I HAVE A MOTION.
WE APPROVE THE ATTACHED RESOLUTION ADOPTING THE FY 26 COUNTY BUDGET, CY 25 TAX RATE, AND CY 26 DASH 30 CIP EITHER AS ADVERTISED OR AS ADVERTISED OR AMENDED.
I HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR DISCUSSION.
UM, ALL IN FAVOR CALL FOR DISCUSSION.
REAL QUICK, QUICKLY, IF YOU, UH, MR. CHAIR? YES.
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UM, AND, AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UH, I, WE'VE, I I WANT TO CONGRATULATE THE, UH, THE STAFF AND THE BOARD ON THIS PROCESS.UM, WE'VE HAD A PRETTY VIGOROUS DEBATE, WHICH HAS GENERATED SOME STRONG FEEDBACK.
UM, I THINK THAT'S A POSITIVE THING FOR THE COUNTY WHEN WE CAN HAVE A DISCUSSION LIKE THAT WHEN WE GET MORE INFORMATION OUT.
UM, AND, UH, FOR THAT DEBATE, I'VE OFTEN BEEN, UH, UH, PRETTY MUCH ISOLATED DOWN HERE, BUT THAT'S FINE TOO.
UH, WE'VE HEARD STORIES OF CATS WITH NO TAILS AND VERY THIN BUDGET COURSES, UH, IN THE PAST.
UM, AND, UH, AND, AND OTHER THINGS AS FAR AS PARTICIPATION.
SO I JUST WANT TO ONE MORE TIME THOUGH, ADD THAT, UH, WE ARE HERE TO REPRESENT, AS YOU ALL KNOW, NOT TELLING YOU WHAT YOU DO, BUT WE REPRESENT OUR CONSTITUENTS ON THIS SO THEY DON'T HAVE TO BE HERE.
UM, I REPRESENT MY CONSTITUENCY AND, UH, WHEN WE HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO, UM, FUND OUR EMS STAFF, WHICH, WHICH THE SORT OF DAMES THESE NOT TO HANG OVER OUR EMS STAFF THAT HAS BEEN INSTITUTIONALIZED INTO THIS COUNTY.
THE FULL-TIME EMS STAFF IS A SUCCESSFUL PROGRAM AND IT, IT'S NOT GOING ANYWHERE.
IT NEEDS TO BE A PRIORITY OF FUNDING, WHATEVER THAT VEHICLE LOOKS LIKE, WHETHER IT'S THIS FUND OR ANOTHER FUND.
BUT I, UM, I KNOW THERE'S A MOTION ON THE FLOOR, UH, AND, UH, I WOULD OFFER THAT WE AMEND THAT MOTION TO NOT DO THE TAX INCREASE AND FUND IT OUTTA THE EXISTING FUNDS.
UH, GOING FORWARD, WE, WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE BOARD ON THE TABLE AND A SECOND.
SO WITH THAT, UM, ALL IN FAVOR? GO AHEAD.
DO WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO DO, HAVE DEAL MOTION.
WE HAVE TO SEE IF HE GETS A SECOND FOR, OR IF THE PERSON WHO MADE THE MOTION WILL ACCEPT IT.
SO WE HAVE A, WE HAVE A SECOND MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
MOTION TO AMEND THE PRIMARY, THE MOTION TO AMEND.
DO WE THERE A SECOND? I KNEW, BUT I COULDN'T.
IS THERE A SECOND? DO WE HAVE A SECOND? THERE WOULD BE NO SECOND.
SO WE WILL GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL MOTION CALL FOR CALL FOR THE VOTE.
O SO THAT MOTION CARRIES SEVEN TO TWO.
YOU NEED A SECOND? UM, THE SECOND MOTION.
CONSIDER APPROVING AN INCREASE IN THE CIGARETTE TAX EFFECTIVE JULY 1ST, 2025.
WHAT'S THE PLEASURE OF THE BOARD, MR. CHAIRMAN? I HAVE A MO I HAVE A MOTION.
MR. CHAIRMAN, I MOVE THAT WE APPROVE THE ATTACHED ORDINANCE INCREASE IN THE CIGARETTE TAX FROM 20 CENTS TO 40 CENTS FOR EACH PACKAGE CONTAINED IN 20 CIGARETTES AFFECTED JULY 1ST, 2025.
OKAY, WE HAVE A MOTION ON THE FLOOR.
ALL OPPOSED? THAT MOTION CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY.
SO ONLY THING I HAVE LEFT ON MY AGENDA IS 3.1.
SO MOVE ALL IN FAVOR? A ALL OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES.
THAT'S THE RECORD MEETING IS CLOSED.