[A. Call to Order and Pledge of Allegiance of the United States of America]
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GOOD EVENING EVERYONE, AND WELCOME TO THE APRIL 9TH, 2024 SPECIAL MEETING.
UM, IF I COULD HAVE EVERYONE STAND AND WE'LL SAY THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, PLEASE.
THE LIFE OF THE UNITED STATES, STATES OF AMERICA, AMERICA TO THE REPUBLIC BEFORE WHICH IT STANDS.
ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDI WITH LIBERTY, LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
[B. Adoption of Resolution to Set Percentage of Tax Relief for Personal Property (Motor Vehicles) for 2024 Tax Year]
AND THE FIRST, UM, ON OUR AGENDA IS THE ADOPTION OF RESOLUTION TO SET THE PERCENTAGE OF TAX RELIEF FOR PERSONAL PROPERTY MOTOR VEHICLES FOR THE 2024 TAX YEAR.AND I BELIEVE MRS. SOWERS IS HERE.
ARE YOU PRESENTING THAT OR DR.
UM, THE, UM, RESOLUTION THAT YOU HAVE, UH, IS SET.
EACH YEAR WE CALCULATE THE PORTION THAT WILL BE PAID BY THE PROPERTY TAX RELIEF FOR 2023.
AND FOR THIS NEXT YEAR, WE RECOMMEND 30% QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD FOR EITHER DR.
CAN YOU, UH, JUST, JUST CLARIFYING THAT, THAT RELIEF PERCENTAGE IS ON THE FIRST 20,000 OF VALUE? YES, SIR.
WOULD YOU JUST EXPLAIN THE WHOLE THING IDEA BEHIND THAT, PLEASE? WELL, IT WAS A, IT WAS ANOTHER STATE CON JOB, SIR, IS WHAT IT WAS, UH, 20 YEARS AGO.
IN FACT, LONGER THAN THAT, UM, THE STATE SAID THEY WOULD ELIMINATE THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX BY FUNDING IT THROUGH THE STATE, AND THEY AGREED TO FUND 70% OF IT AND THEN THEY DIDN'T DO IT.
AND INSTEAD, THEY ARE NOW DOWN TO WHERE THEY FUND 30% AND WE RECEIVE $4,500,000 FROM THE STATE THAT IS USED TO OFFSET EACH INDIVIDUAL'S BILL UP THROUGH THE FIRST 20,000 OF THE BILL OF THE VALUATION, NOT THE TAX.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IS THERE A MOTION? I'M NOT SURE WE HAD A MOTION SHEET ON THIS.
UM, I TAX 30% THAT IS ANTICIPATED TO EXHAUST PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX COUNTY.
[C. Public Hearing FY 24-25 Tax Rates ]
MOTION PASSES PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE 24 25 TAX RATES.UM, THIS IS NOT A PUBLIC HEARING.
WE WON'T BE VOTING ON OUR BUDGET TONIGHT.
THIS IS JUST TO SET TAX RATES.
AND JUST TO CLARIFY THAT I DO THIS ALL CORRECTLY.
I OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING AND THEN EVERYONE DOES THEIR PRESENTATIONS.
PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN AND TO READ YOU THE PUBLIC SPEAKING CONDUCT, ALL THE COMMENTS WILL BE DIRECTED TO THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, NOT TO THE AUDIENCE.
BE CONSIDERATE OF YOUR FELLOW SPEAKERS.
THERE SHOULD BE NO APPLAUSE, BOOING OR OTHER AUDIBLE DISRUPTION TO THE PROCEEDINGS.
THROUGH A SHOW OF HANDS, THE CHAIRMAN MAY ASK FOR A SHOW OF SUPPORT FOR COMMENTS MADE BY SPEAKERS.
PLACARDS, POSTERS, AND OTHER VISUAL DISPLAY OF COMMENTS WILL NOT BE PREVENTED IN THE BOARD MEETING ROOM.
THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE INFORMATION ON MATERIALS DUE AS PART OF A FACTUAL PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD AT THE HEARING.
THE BOARD WILL NOT TOLERATE PERSONAL ATTACKS BY ANYONE ON ANY OF THE PARTICIPANTS IN THE PROCEEDING.
AND ANYONE WHO VIOLATES THE GUIDELINES MAY BE ASKED TO LEAVE
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BY THE CHAIRMAN.SO WHO IS WHO YOUR FIRST UP ON THE PRESENTATIONS THEN? I MA'AM.
EACH OF YOU HAVE A SHEET LIKE THIS THAT CONTAINS A SERIES OF ITEMS ON THE ONE SIDE THAT NEED TO BE FUNDED AND SERIES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF VARIOUS TAX RATES AND THE GENERATE AMOUNT THAT THEY GENERATE.
THE BUDGET TOTAL IS 93 MILLION IN EXPENDITURES AND 91 MILLION IN REVENUES AT THIS POINT.
SO WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THAT BUDGET.
WE ARE WITHIN 3% OF THE BUDGET, AND WE WILL CLOSE THAT GAP AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION FROM THE STATE.
UH, THE REASON WE ARE HERE TONIGHT IS BECAUSE THESE ITEMS THAT YOU HAVE ON THE SHEET ARE NOT IN THE BUDGET.
AND WHAT YOU SEE RIGHT THERE ARE NOT IN THE BUDGET.
THERE'S THE INCREASE IN THE CHILDREN'S SERVICES ACT, FIRE AND RESCUE EMS NEEDS.
SHERIFF'S OFFICE NEEDS THE SCHOOL'S REQUEST FOR A SUPPLEMENT, THE ASSET REPLACEMENT FUND AND THE PAY FOR PERFORMANCE POOL.
UH, WE HAVE NOT INCREASED TAX SINCE 2019.
AND AT LAST YEAR WE WENT FROM 65 AND A HALF TO 49 BASED ON THE REASSESSMENT PERSONAL PROPERTY RATE WAS SET LAST IN 2009 AND TWO YEARS AGO WE REDUCED IT 20% FOR THE PURPOSE OF, UH, VALUES INCREASING.
AND THEN WE RAISED IT BACK TO THE SAME $4 LEVEL.
DURING THAT TIME OF, SINCE JULY OF 2019, WE'VE SEEN AN ALMOST 20% INCREASE IN THE COST OF LIVING.
OUR, WE HAVE USED CASH FOR VARIOUS PROJECTS AT THE TIME.
IN THAT TIME WE USED IT FOR SCHOOL RENOVATIONS FOR NEW SCHOOL BUSES, THE SENIOR CENTER AND THE STUDENT UNION, THE COURTHOUSE AND FIRE STATION RENOVATIONS, THE TRANSFER STATION AMBULANCES AND FIRE ENGINES, AND THE COUNTY SHARE OF OLD OAK FOUR.
SO THE DEBT HAS BEEN REDUCED IN 2019, OUR DEBT WAS 150,000 104 9 702 3 AND 2 76.
AND IT'S BEEN REDUCED BY 34,000.
SO THAT AS OF JUNE 30, 23, THAT DEBT WAS 115 5 3 5 6 3 7 9 7.
UH, WE HAVE ABSORBED THE EDA FALLOUT OF LEGAL FEES AND BANK LOANS.
WE HAVE PURCHASED EIGHT SCHOOL BUSES.
WE REPLACED THE TECHNICAL CENTER ROOF AT BLUE RIDGE TECHNICAL CENTER.
WE APPROVED THE CONTRACT FOR RENOVATIONS AT E WILSON MORRISON.
AND WE'VE PUT 800,000 OF OUR 4.2 MILLION INTO LFK, ALL OF LFK BEING FUNDED WITHOUT TAX INCREASES OR DEBT.
THE BANK LOANS AT THE EDA, THERE'S STILL THE FALLOUT THERE.
THERE'S THE POLICE STATION INTEREST, WHICH THE EDA AND THEREFORE THE COUNTY SINCE WE PAID THE BILL, IS OWED 641,000.
AND THE LEACH RUN PARKWAY, WE ARE OWED 235,000.
SO THAT'S 875,000 THAT WE CONTRIBUTED TO THAT.
AND THEN WE MENTIONED THE LEGAL FEES OF $9,080,000.
OUR DEBT SERVICE, YOU CAN SEE HOW IT HAS REDUCED EACH YEAR FROM 1 49 OR ONE 50 TO 1 48, AND THEN A DROP TO 1 36 TO 1 27 DOWN TO ONE 15.
THE BOARD HAS WORKED HARD ON THAT.
UH, THE CHILDREN'S SERVICES ACT IS ONE OF MY FAVORITE CON JOBS.
THIS WAS ENACTED BY THE COMMONWEALTH IN 1991, AND IT IS A SMORGASBORG OF CHILD EDUCATIONAL FOSTER CARE AND RELATED SERVICE PROGRAMS. AND WHAT IT DOES IS, PRIOR TO THIS, PRIOR TO 1990, THE COUNTY AND ALL LOCAL GOVERNMENTS PAID BETWEEN FIVE AND 20% OF EACH OF
[00:10:01]
THESE PROGRAMS. AND THIS SHIFTED THE COST, WHICH WAS BORN THE 80% BORN BY STA SALES AND INCOME TAXES TO THE PROPERTY TAX BECAUSE THEY HAVE INCREASED OUR SHARE TO 39% OR 38.5.AND THAT WAS JUST, THAT WAS ONE OF THE BIG SCAMS BACK, UH, 30 YEARS AGO.
UH, WE HAVE 80 PARTICIPANTS IN 2024.
THIS HAS DOUBLED SINCE 19, SINCE 2020 WHEN WE HAD 39.
AND IT REPRESENTS A 99.37% INCREASE IN THE COUNTY COSTS FROM 605,000 TO 1,206,000.
UH, THE COUNTY SHARE IS ESTIMATED TO INCREASE AN ADDITIONAL MILLION FOR NEXT YEAR.
SO IN THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE WORKING ON THERE IS THE BASE 1, 2 0 6, THE MILLION DOLLARS HERE IS IN THE BOX.
UH, YOU CAN EXPECT CONTINUED UNFUNDED MANDATES TO COME FROM THE STATE.
AND WITH THAT, I'M GONNA TURN IT OVER TO CHIEF ANO.
UH, SO, UH, WHAT IS BEFORE YOU IS A PER CAPITA COMPARISON OF OF THE REGIONAL NEIGHBORS WE HAVE IN FIRE AND RESCUE.
UH, IT'S PRETTY SELF-EXPLANATORY.
IF THERE'S ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, I'LL BE GLAD TO ANSWER THEM.
BUT THE SLIDES SHOWS A PER CAPITA SERVICE LEVEL.
IT DOES NOT DEMONSTRATE THE NFPA 1720 MOBILIZATION CAPABILITIES OR THE LACK THEREOF.
AND IT ALSO DOESN'T TALK ABOUT THE LACK OF RESILIENCY IN THE SYSTEM.
AND AGAIN, UM, OPEN-END QUESTIONS AS IT RELATES TO THAT.
WHAT IS, BEFORE YOU HEAR IS A FIVE YEAR DAILY STAFFING LEVELS AND STATION DISTRIBUTION OF WARREN COUNTY FIRE AND RESCUE.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE MADE SOME STEADY HEADWAY THANK YOU BOARD FOR SUPPORTING OF THIS IN THIS ENDEAVOR.
WE HAVE CAREER STAFFING TO ASSIST, UM, OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN THE VOLUNTEER SIDE OF THE HOUSE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE SHENANDOAH SHORES COMMUNITY.
AND THAT IS IN MY BUDGET REQUEST FOR SIX POSITIONS FOR THAT FIREHOUSE ITSELF.
SO THIS IS JUST A FIVE YEAR, UM, SERVICE COMPARISON, AND IT'S OUR FIRE AND OUR EMS RESPONSE.
ROUGHLY THE DIFFERENTIATION IS 80%, UH, EMS RUNS, WHICH IS PRETTY MUCH THE WAY IT IS NATIONWIDE TO ABOUT 20%, UM, FIRE AND RESCUE CALLS.
AND THAT'S NOT JUST STRUCTURE FIRES, BUT A WHOLE BUNCH OF PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, ALARM BELLS, ET CETERA.
WITHIN THAT, UM, EMPHASIS TO THIS IS SOMETHING WE'VE DONE, NOTABLY THAT I'M VERY PROUD OF THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THE INSTITUTION, IS WE HAVE BOLSTERED OUR, UH, A LS SIDE OF THE HOUSE, OUR PARAMEDIC SIDE OF THE HOUSE, TO ENSURE THAT ON AVERAGE WE HAVE PARAMEDICS IN ALL THE STATIONS ON ALL THREE SHIFTS.
WE INCREASED THAT FOR ABOUT ALMOST JUST SHY OF 40%.
UM, THE MEN AND WOMEN DO GREAT WORK.
UM, A COUPLE CONCERNS WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS, AND I I BRING THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION, IS THE, UH, THE CALL IF WE RUN IN THIS JURISDICTION BECAUSE OF RESPONSE TIMES, AND FRANKLY JUST SICK FOLK, YOU, YOU NEED TO EMPLOY THE SKILLSET WHEN YOU'RE ON THE SCENE.
SO IT'S USUALLY NOT THE WELL WORRIED THERE, THERE ARE FOLKS THAT ARE VERY SICK SOMETIMES REQUIRING PRIMARY INSTITUTIONS OR SPECIALTY SUBSETS TO INCLUDE WINCHESTER, UM, TRAUMA, UM, AND OR CATHETERIZATION NEEDS FOR MYOCARDIAL INFARCTION AND OR HEART ATTACK STROKE CENTERS, ET CETERA.
UM, THOSE AREN'T HANDLED BY WARREN MEMORIAL, NOR ARE THE OBSTETRIC CALLS.
SO AGAIN, INCREASING RESPONSE TIME, TIME IS TISSUE.
THAT'S THE ONE OF THE WORDS OR BUZZWORDS IN THE BUSINESS, BUT IT'S DEFINITELY A FACT AND SOMETHING TO BE CONCERNED WITH.
SO OUR INTENT, UM, IS TO CONTINUE TO GROW THE A LS SIDE OF THE HOUSE, THE PARAMEDIC SIDE OF THE HOUSE TO ENSURE SAFETY TO OUR CITIZEN BASE.
AND FINALLY, THE LAST SLIDE BEFORE YOU IS THE, UH, JUST, UH, FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES, WHAT WE'VE ASKED FOR, SPECIFICALLY SIX NEW POSITIONS.
AND THEN SHE SHORES FIRE STATION FIVE.
I'VE ASKED FOR THREE ADDITIONAL POSITIONS IN THE FLOATING CONCEPT.
UM, IF WE'RE NOT FLOATING OR BACKFILLING VACANCIES, WE WOULD ASSIGN THEM FOR, UM, TO INCREASE OUR MANPOWER AND OUR STRENGTH ACROSS THE STREET AT FIRE STATION ONE.
UH, ALSO IN THE ASSET AND CAPITAL REPLACEMENT PLAN, WE HAVE THE CASCADE SYSTEM.
THAT'S THE SYSTEM THAT NEEDS TO BE REPLACED TO
[00:15:01]
FILL OUR SELF-CONTAINED BREATHING APPARATUS, UM, ON STRUCTURE FIRES.AND JUST, UH, A SHOUT OUT AGAIN TO THE MEN AND WOMEN, THE INSTITUTION, THE BOARD MEMBERS.
WE'VE MADE SOME HEADWAY WITH THE CANCER PREVENTION AND SOME OF THE PROTECTION MEASURES IN THE STATION.
UM, WE'RE CONTINUE TO, UM, INSTALL OUR PRIME EVENT SYSTEM, OUR, UM, DIESEL EXHAUST DIRECT CAPTURE SYSTEM.
UM, WE'RE WORKING ON GEAR ACQUISITION FOR OUR SECONDARY SETS AND IT'S BEEN A SUCCESS.
AND I 1582 AND 1583 PHYSICALS, WE FOUND SOME, UH, THROUGH PREEMPTIVE WORK, IF YOU WILL, LAB AND, AND SOME OF THE CLINICAL STUDIES, WE FOUND SOME OF OUR MEMBERS TO BE DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER IN EARLY STAGES.
AND WITH GOD'S GRACE, I THINK WE'LL HAVE A GOOD OUTCOME.
SO WITH THAT, I THINK THAT IS MY PIECE.
ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS FOR CHIEF MANZANO? YES.
UH, CHIEF, COULD YOU GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE THAT SHOWS THE, UH, THE NUMBER OF CALLS? THIS, THIS ONE RIGHT HERE? YES, SIR.
UH, I NOTICED THAT BETWEEN 20, UH, 20 AND 21 THAT THERE WAS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE.
SO, UH, THAT, AND THAT, AND THEREIN LIES THE ANOMALY.
BUT AS YOU SEE IT TREND DRASTICALLY, TO YOUR POINT, MR. BUTLER, UM, IT DOESN'T FALL AS DRASTICALLY IN 22 AND 23.
AND AS WE LOOK AT THE NUMBERS THIS YEAR, WE'RE ON PAR TO EXCEED THE, THE, THE MARK HERE FOR 23 BY AT LEAST 20, 25%.
SO OUR CALL VOLUME NOW, UH, SO JUST FOOD FOR THOUGHT, NOT, NOT THAT THAT WILL HAVE ANY IMPACT ON, YOU KNOW, I, I, UM, I JUST, I WAS JUST KIND OF CURIOUS TO SEE THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, CHIEF BONANO, THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
COULD YOU, UM, JUST DESCRIBE BRIEFLY A FEW WEEKS AGO WITH THE WILDFIRES, WHAT WAS YOUR STATUS WITH, UH, ASSETS AND WITH, UH, WITH HUMAN ASSETS THAT COULD BE DEPLOYED TO TYPICAL BUSINESS AS USUAL CALLS? THANK YOU, MR. STAN MEYER.
SO, UM, JUST I GUESS THE READERS DIGEST AS WE HAD NOTHING LEFT.
UH, WE HAD NO ASSETS LEFT AND WE HAD NO PERSONNEL LEFT.
AND THAT WAS AFTER EXHAUSTING THE TWO SHIFTS THAT WERE OFF DUTY, THAT CAME BACK IN.
AND ALL OF OUR VOLUNTEER MEMBERSHIP, UM, REAL SHOUT OUT TO THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.
EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, IF THEY DIDN'T HAVE A RAKE IN THEIR HAND, THEY HAD A HOSE IN THEIR HAND.
UM, PRIVATE CONTRACTORS, MR. KLEIN IN THE BACK, AS AN EXAMPLE, CAME TO HELP CUT FIRE BREAKS FOR OUR PEOPLE.
IT WAS JUST, IT SAID A LOT ABOUT THE COMMUNITY, BUT IN ALL DUE RESPECT, IT WAS A FRIGHTENING TIME.
'CAUSE IT WAS ALL THE HARD WORK AND WE DIDN'T LOSE ANY STRUCTURES AND WE DIDN'T LOSE ANY HOMES.
WE DIDN'T LOSE ANY LIVES, BUT WE LOST SOME STRUCTURES.
AND, AND THE PREVAILING WINDS, I THINK, HAD A PART OF THAT.
UM, BUT IT WAS, UH, IT WAS DIFFICULT TO, TO SAY THE LEAST.
UM, I'M VERY PROUD OF, UH, THE MEN AND WOMEN OF WARREN COUNTY ADMINISTRATION.
EVERYBODY STEPPED UP AND HELP IN THE COMMUNITY.
BUT IN ALL DUE RESPECT, WE NEED TO BE IN A BETTER PLACE.
AND FRANKLY, AND THIS IS NOT A SOUNDBITE, IT'S A FACT.
WHILE THAT WAS THE ANOMALY, I WOULD SAY THAT TYPE OF CALL, IF YOU GET A STRUCTURE FIRE IN THIS INSTITUTION, IN THIS COUNTY, YOU HAVE NO RESOURCES LEFT.
NOW, YOU MAY HAVE MUTUAL AID REQUESTS AND IT MAY BE FILLED, BUT SUFFICE TO SAY, IT'S GONNA BE A LONG TIME COMING.
SO THAT IS A REALITY REGARDLESS OF THE CALL TYPE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, SIR? THANK YOU.
CHIEF, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN YOU SAY A STRUCTURED FIRE, SAY LIKE A HOUSE FIRE, UH, AND YOU SAY THAT, UH, IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.
HOW, WHAT, WHAT IS THE AVERAGE TIME FROM THE TIME A, A FIRE STARTS UNTIL THAT STRUCTURE IS PRETTY MUCH CONSUMED? UH, IT, IT'S, IT'S LITTLE TO NONE.
AND THERE'S A LOT OF, THERE'S A LOT OF CONTRIBUTING FACTORS.
UH, LACK OF REPORT GETTING OUT THE DOOR.
THE MEN AND WOMEN OF THIS PLACE GET OUT THE DOOR QUICK.
AS SOON AS COMMUNICATION DROP THE BELLS, THEY GO OUT THE DOOR.
THE DILEMMA IS, THAT'S A STATIC MODEL.
SO SUFFICE TO SAY, IF EVERYBODY'S IN THEIR FIREHOUSES AND THEY GO OUT THE DOORS, IT'S A GOOD PLACE TO BE.
BUT THAT'S SIMPLY NOT THE CASE.
SO A GOOD PERCENTAGE OF THE TIME, THEY'RE NOT WHERE THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE.
HENCE, FURTHER THAN DRIVING THAT FACTOR OF RESPONSE TIME.
THE, THE REASON I I I'M ASKING IS BECAUSE, UH, WE HAD SOME FRIENDS THAT, UH, THEY LOST THEIR HOUSE ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS AGO.
AND FROM THE TIME THAT THE, HE, HE WAS, HE WAS, HE HAD A, UM, WHAT DO YOU CALL IT? UM, A CHARCOAL, UM, GRILL.
BUT HE HAD IT UP ON THE DECK AND, UH, SOMETHING HAPPENED.
IT'S THE DECK STARTED ON FIRE FROM THE TIME THAT THEY, THAT THEY REALIZED THAT THE HOUSE WAS ON FIRE UNTIL THE HOUSE WAS CONSUMED WAS LESS THAN 20 MINUTES.
THE, THE INTERESTING THING IS, AND I CAN ONLY CONTRAST IT TO WHAT I KNOW, UM, AND WHILE I SAW A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF STRUCTURE FIRES IN MY PREVIOUS, UM, CAREER, I'VE NEVER SEEN IT LIKE OUT HERE.
AND THE, AND I, AND I ANECDOTALLY PERPETUATE
[00:20:01]
THAT SIMPLY BECAUSE OF RESPONSE TIME AND PRE BURN FACTORS, UM, A LITTLE BIT OF OXYGEN.AND THEN NOT HAVING THE STAFFING YOU NEED TO GO TO WORK, UM, ALONG WITH APPARATUS, COMING FROM A LONG WAY, FURTHER PERPETUATES THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, I'VE SAID THIS TO Y'ALL BEFORE, BUT JUST FOR REFERENCE, THE MEN AND WOMEN GO TO WORK REGARDLESS.
SO FRANKLY, AT UNSAFE, THEY SHOULDN'T BE DOING WHAT THEY'RE DOING, BUT THEY DO IT SIMPLY BECAUSE THEY KNOW IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
IF SOMEBODY HOMES ON FIRE AND THERE'S A THREAT TO HUMAN LIFE, THEY'RE GONNA RUN A HAND LINE, THEY'RE GONNA DO A SEARCH, THEY'RE GONNA DO WHAT'S RIGHT.
THEY SOMETIMES DON'T HAVE THE FOLKS ON THE OUTSIDE TO GET THEIR BACK IF IT GOES UPSIDE DOWN.
AND WHILE I LAW THAT, IT CONCERNS ME AS YOUR FIRE CHIEF BECAUSE IT'S SIMPLY UNSAFE.
SO THEREIN LIES MY BIG REASON FOR ASKING FOR THE FOLKS I AM.
THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND, AND YOUR SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY AND ALL THE FIREMEN BACK THERE ON THE BACK.
THANK YOU, SHERIFF KLEIN, YOU'RE NEXT.
THANK YOU CHAIR AND FELLOW SUPERVISORS FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.
UM, I DO NOT HAVE A, UM, POSITIONAL, UM, ISSUE.
UM, I AM NOT ASKING FOR POSITIONS.
UH, IT IS HARD ENOUGH FOR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT FIELD TO FIND GOOD PEOPLE THAT WANT TO BE COPS ANYMORE.
UM, MY PROBLEM WITH THAT IS I NEED TO FIND, UM, THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX IN ORDER TO GET CERTIFIED OFFICERS AND DEPUTIES AND, UM, TO APPLY AND TO FILL OUR STAFF.
SO THAT, THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ARE WORKING ON.
BUT THE BIGGEST FOCUS THAT WE HAVE THIS YEAR IN THE WARREN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE BUDGET IS VEHICLES.
UM, I, THIS TABLE HERE IN PARTICULAR IS, UM, IN OUR DIFFERENT DIVISIONS.
WE HAVE CURRENT STAFF THAT IS ASSIGNED VEHICLES, AND I BROKE THEM OUT SO THAT YOU CAN SEE THEM.
I ALSO BROKE IT OUT TO THE PEOPLE THAT WE ALREADY HAVE IN PLACES THAT AREN'T, UM, QUITE ASSIGNED A VEHICLE YET.
WE HAVE A CERTIFIED DEPUTY THAT JUST CAME ON BOARD THIS WEEK.
HE WILL BE IN A MODIFIED FTO PROGRAM AND HE WILL BE NEEDING A VEHICLE IN ONE WEEK.
WE ALSO HAVE A, UH, ANOTHER DEPUTY THAT WILL BE OFF OF FTO IN THREE WEEKS.
UH, WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE HAVE HIRED, UM, DEPUTY TWYMAN GRIMM AND GAZAR, WHO IS ONE OF OUR COMMUNICATIONS OFFICERS.
UM, THEY WILL BE ATTENDING THE ACADEMY ALONG WITH, UM, WE HAVE SIX OTHERS THAT ARE IN THE BACKGROUND PHASE WHEN THEY'RE, THEY'RE DOING TESTING, SO THEY COULD POSSIBLY BE GOING TO THE ACADEMY AS WELL.
WE DO NOT HAVE VEHICLES FOR ANY OF THEM.
WE DON'T HAVE ANY VEHICLES FOR ANY CERTIFIED OFFICERS THAT WERE TO APPLY, UM, THIS WEEK.
AND WE DO THE BACKGROUND AND TO PUT THEM OUT ON THE ROAD AND TO PUT THEM IN A VEHICLE.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, OUR DEFICIENCY IS 16 VEHICLES RIGHT FROM THE GET-GO.
AND THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE WEAR AND TEAR OR THE MILES THAT ARE ON OUR EXISTING FLEET.
UM, SO JUST KEEP IN MIND ON THE, THE 16 VEHICLES, THIS IS 16 POSITIONS THAT I'M APPROVED FOR THAT I CANNOT PUT A DEPUTY IN A VEHICLE.
CURRENTLY WE HAVE FOUR VEHICLES THAT ARE OUT OF SERVICE, UH, TWO WITH THE TRANSMISSION ISSUES, WHICH INCLUDES VEHICLE NUMBER NINE, WHICH IS ONE OF OUR NEW 23 FORD EXPLORERS THAT WE JUST GOT THIS YEAR, 1800 MILES.
AND WE HAVE A TRANSMISSION ISSUE.
UM, IT'S UNDER WARRANTY, WHICH IS GOOD NEWS FOR THE COUNTY.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE PUT THAT SERGEANT IN VEHICLE NUMBER 44 WITH 128,000 MILES.
THE REASON THAT IS, UM, IMPORTANT WHEN YOU SEE THE YELLOW WITH THE MILEAGE IN THOSE VEHICLES IS THAT TYPICALLY, UM, THE STANDARD IS AT A HUNDRED THOUSAND MILES, ESPECIALLY 120, YOU START LOOKING FOR NEW VEHICLES, 120,000 MILES, YOU RETIRE THE VEHICLES RIGHT HERE, WE HAVE NINE RESERVE FLEETS FOR WHEN VEHICLES GO OUT.
UM, OR THEY NEED SERVICING OR THERE, THERE'S SOME ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT THAT ARE ALL OVER 120,000 MILES.
THIS IS WHAT WE'RE PUTTING OUR DEPUTIES IN THAT ARE FIRST RESPONDERS.
THE ONES THAT ARE GOING FROM BENTONVILLE OR BROWNTOWN ALL THE WAY TO JUDY LANE THAT TAKES 'EM 35, 45 MINUTES, UM, TO GET THERE.
WE CERTAINLY DON'T NEED ANY OF THESE HIGH MILEAGE CARS BLOWING ENGINES OR ANY OTHER ISSUES, TRANSMISSIONS, ET CETERA.
BUT THAT IS A DEFINITE POSSIBILITY.
WE HAVE LIMITED DEPUTIES ON THE ROAD ANYWAYS AND TAKING ONE OUT FOR MECHANICAL ISSUES.
[00:25:01]
UM, IT, IT'S UNACCEPTABLE.WITH THAT BEING SAID, ALSO IS I, AND I'LL JUST TELL YOU, EVEN JUST THIS WEEKEND, UM, JUST THIS WEEKEND, AND IT'S ACTUALLY THE PICTURE ON THE, ON THE RIGHT IS TRANSMISSION ISSUES, UM, IN A PATROL VEHICLE, IT NEEDS TO GET TOWED.
IT GOT TOWED TO THE BUS BARN, AND IN THE MIDDLE OF ALL OF THAT, A CALL COMES OUT ON REMOUNT ROAD WITH, UM, ENTRAPMENT AND VEHICLE AND ACCIDENT AND IT'S SHUT DOWN.
AND WE ARE NOW OUT A DEPUTY IN A CRUISER BECAUSE IT HAS, HAS BROKEN DOWN.
UM, AND HE WAS ABLE TO GO INTO, UH, 2011.
YOU'LL SEE UP THERE THAT THE THREE VEHICLES THAT WE ARE UTILIZING RIGHT NOW ARE BACK WHEN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WAS ON 23 EAST JACKSON STREET.
AND SINCE THAT TIME, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT MOVED INTO 23 EAST JACKSON STREET, AND WE BOTH HAVE NEW BUILDINGS.
THAT'S A LONG TIME AGO FOR A FIRST RESPONDER VEHICLE TO BE OUT ON THE ROAD AND TO BE RESPONDING TO THESE CALLS.
UM, I GO BACK, I KNOW I, I I, I JUST WANT TO HONE IN ON THIS.
THE FIVE REMAINING VEHICLES WE HAVE, TWO OF THEM AREN'T SET UP FOR PATROL.
IT IS A SPARE ANIMAL CONTROL VEHICLE THAT IS A FORD EXPLORER THAT WE SET UP.
AND THEN ONE IS A SPARE CANINE, UM, EXPLORER, AND IT IS NOT SET UP FOR PATROL.
THEY CANNOT TRANSPORT ARRESTEES.
THE OTHER THREE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 2013 FOUR TAURUSES IN 2014, CHEVY IMPALAS WITH A LOT OF MILES ON 'EM.
THEY DO NOT HAVE IN-CAR CAMERA SYSTEMS. THEY DON'T HAVE RADARS IN THEM.
UM, THEY DO, WE CAN TRANSPORT, UM, PEOPLE THAT WE ARREST, BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT IDEAL FOR THE TYPE OF WORK THAT WE DO.
SO IN, IN SUMMARY, UM, I DID PUT A LIST THERE FROM HIAS MILEAGE THAT WE HAVE ON OUR FLEET THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO USE.
UM, WE HAVE 53 ASSIGNED VEHICLES TO THE CURRENT STAFF THAT WE HAVE.
WE HAVE NINE IN OUR RESERVE FLEET, WHICH WE ARE USING FOR RIGHT NOW FOR A TOTAL OF 62.
WE HAVE 16 POSITIONS WITH SOME ALREADY HIRED THAT ARE WITHOUT VEHICLES THAT WE CAN ASSIGN TO THEM CURRENT VEHICLES OVER 120,000 MILES.
RIGHT NOW, TODAY, THAT LIST IS 20.
OUT OF THOSE 62, I WAS BEING VERY RESPECTFUL AND VERY PRUDENT OF TAXPAYER MONEY AND THE DECISION THAT HAS TO GO BEFORE YOU.
BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, IS I NEED 36 VEHICLES RIGHT NOW.
SO WHAT I DID ASK FOR IS 15 VEHICLES.
IT'S LESS THAN HALF OF WHAT IS ACTUALLY NEEDED FOR THE DEPARTMENT.
AND I, I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE BEEN HAPPENING IN THIS COMMUNITY.
AND, UM, I THINK NOT RAISING TAXES OR TRYING TO HELP THE COMMUNITY, I NEED THE COMMUNITY TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHEN WE KEEP ON KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD, WE GET TO A POINT WHERE NOW I'M ASKING FOR 36 VEHICLES AT 75 TO 80,000 A POP TO FULLY OUTFIT.
BUT I DO ASK THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THIS BOARD AND THE CHAIR TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THE RESPONSE IN, IN WHAT WE'RE DOING.
WE, EVERY DAY OUR JOB IS TO GO TO ROBBERIES AND TO DOMESTIC ASSAULTS AND, UM, ACCIDENTS WITH ENTRAPMENT AND INJURIES AND, UM, WILDFIRES, UM, ANYTHING THAT HAPPENS IN A DAY AND HAVE TO HAVE A WAY TO GET THERE.
SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT YOU CAN'T RAISE TAXES, WELL THEN WE CAN'T PROVIDE THE SERVICES EITHER.
WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME ISSUES.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD ON THAT, BUT I'LL, I'LL CONTINUE ON.
SO, UM, I'VE HEARD OVER AND OVER ABOUT THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES THAT HAVE BEEN PURCHASED IN THE LAST FIVE FISCAL YEARS.
SO THESE ARE THE ONES, AND I, I AM AN OPEN BOOK AND I GAVE AN AUDIT, UM, MS.
SO IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS, YOU CAN SEE IN THE TOP LINE THERE THAT THE PURCHASED VEHICLES IN 19 THROUGH THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, UM, THERE WERE THREE VEHICLES, SIX VEHICLES, SEVEN VEHICLES, FOUR VEHICLES AND FIVE VEHICLES THAT WERE PURCHASED.
BUT IN THAT SAME TIME PERIOD, UM, THE NET VEHICLES IS MINUS 11 IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
UM, THIS WAS BEFORE MY ADMINISTRATION, BUT WHEN YOU PURCHASE SIX VEHICLES, BUT YOU DISPOSE OF 17, THAT MEANS WE DO NOT HAVE ENOUGH VEHICLES.
WE'RE NOT BREAKING EVEN ON THAT.
[00:30:02]
UM, WE HAVE NOT TO FURTHER TO EXACERBATE THAT IS DURING THAT SAME TIME PERIOD, THE BOARD ALSO APPROVED FIVE POSITIONS FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WITH FIVE NEW POSITIONS, WHICH I'M NOT ASKING FOR THIS YEAR.UM, THEY DON'T HAVE VEHICLES AND THEY WEREN'T GIVEN THE VEHICLES FROM WHEN THOSE POSITIONS WERE APPROVED.
THE SECOND, UM, TABLE THERE IS THE PURCHASED VEHICLES.
WHERE ARE THEY? YOU KNOW, ARE THEY PATROL VEHICLES? ARE THEY INVESTIGATIONS, VEHICLE? UM, WHAT ARE THEY? SO I OUTLINED THERE THAT, UM, 1920 BUDGET THAT PATROL RECEIVED THREE VEHICLES.
2021, THERE WAS ONE ANIMAL CONTROL VEHICLE, FOUR INVESTIGATIONS, AND ONE ADMIN VEHICLE.
ALL OF THOSE WERE USED VEHICLES.
EIGHT OF THE VEHICLES YOU SEE IN THAT BOTTOM, UM, CHART WERE USED, WHICH PUTS US BEHIND IN VEHICLES AS WELL.
UM, AND THEN 21, 22, YOU SEE FOUR, ONE AND TWO, UM, 22, 23, THERE'S ZEROS THERE.
19 MONTHS AGO, UH, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE ORDERED 4 20 23 FORD EXPLORERS.
WE HAVE YET TO SEE THEM ON OUR LOT.
WE DO NOT HAVE THEM 19 MONTHS.
I KEEP ON BEING PROMISED MAYBE THIS MONTH, MAYBE NEXT WEEK, I, AND, AND WE DON'T HAVE 'EM ORDERING THE VEHICLES.
WE TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, CONTRACT DEADLINES.
UM, WE DO NOT HAVE THE VEHICLES.
YOU WILL SEE IN FISCAL YEAR 23, 24 THAT THERE ARE FIVE VEHICLES THERE.
AND HOW IS THAT, THAT WAS A CANCELED CONTRACT AT A DEALERSHIP.
UM, THEY WERE ACTUALLY FOR FIRE DEPARTMENT ADMIN VEHICLES.
UM, AND WE WERE ABLE TO TAKE, UM, THOSE VEHICLES RIGHT AWAY.
WE DID, UM, REPAINT FOUR OF THEM INTO OUR, OUR STRIPING FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
ONE DID REMAIN, UM, BURGUNDY, WHICH IS THE ADMIN VEHICLE.
UM, AND WE WERE ABLE TO PUT THOSE OUT ON THE ROAD FAIRLY QUICK.
UM, THE 15 VEHICLES I'M ASKING FOR IN THIS TIME PERIOD.
I DON'T KNOW WHEN THEY'RE COMING.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S GONNA TAKE SEVEN MONTHS, 10 MONTHS, 19 MONTHS, 24 MONTHS, 36 MONTHS, I DON'T KNOW.
BUT WHAT I DO KNOW IS DURING THAT TIME PERIOD, YOU SEE THOSE 20 VEHICLES THAT HAVE OVER 20, 120,000 MILES ON 'EM, THAT IS GOING TO EXPAND.
AND WE ARE GONNA BE HAVING FIRST RESPONDERS IN A VEHICLE THAT HAS 180 200,000 MILES ON IT.
AND I DON'T KNOW, UM, ABOUT YOU, BUT I DON'T, I PERSONALLY DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE WITH THAT.
UM, ON THE OTHER ASSET REPLACEMENT REQUEST, UM, I HAVE TWO OTHERS.
ONE IS FOR POLICE EQUIPMENT AND ONE IS FOR RADIO EQUIPMENT.
THE POLICE EQUIPMENT, IT IS FOR OUR BALLISTIC VEST.
THEY HAVE A FIVE YEAR, UM, LIFESPAN.
WE CAN CANNOT AND SHOULD NOT WEAR VESTS PAST THE FIVE YEARS.
IT'S A HUGE LIABILITY TO THE COUNTY.
IF THERE IS ANY LINE OF DUTY DESK, THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST THING THAT, UM, ANY FAMILY MEMBER OR LOVED ONE WOULD GO AFTER IS THE COUNTY THAT IS IMPERATIVE.
UM, IT'S ALWAYS BEEN ON A FIVE YEAR ROTATION.
WITH THAT BEING SAID, 15,000, UM, THERE ARE APPROXIMATELY $900 A PIECE AND WE TRY TO SPREAD THEM OUT THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.
YOU ARE GONNA SEE BALLISTIC VESTS BEING PURCHASED EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
THERE WAS A BALLISTIC VEST GRANT, UM, WHICH GIVES YOU 50% OF THE VEST BACK THAT, UM, WAS LOST THROUGHOUT THE LAST FEW YEARS.
UM, WE'RE HOPING HOPEFULLY BY MAY WE WILL HEAR SOMETHING BACK.
HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET THAT GRANT AND BE ABLE TO GET THAT BACK UP AND RUNNING.
THE 242 5, UM, THAT IS TO REPLACE THE L THREE INCAR CAMERA SYSTEM.
WE CURRENTLY UTILIZE THE WATCHGUARD SYSTEM, WHICH, UM, IS UPDATED SOFTWARE, BUT IT, UM, IT INTEGRATES WITH A, A WHOLE LOT OF OUR OTHER SYSTEMS, THE L THREE INCAR CAMERA SYSTEMS. UM, THEY ARE CAN NO LONGER BE SERVICED.
THERE IS NO MAINTENANCE SURFACE CONTRACT ON THEM.
WE HAVE 15 IN VEHICLES RIGHT NOW AND HALF OF 'EM DO NOT OPERATE.
UM, THE OTHER HALF THEY DO NOT RECORD AUDIO.
AND THE VIDEO, WE HAVE VIDEO ON ON MOST OF THE HALF THAT ARE WORKING.
BUT WE HAVE A PROBLEM WITH RETRIEVING THOSE ON THE SERVER.
THESE ARE USED FOR CASES AND, UM, CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS.
IT'S ALSO A KIND OF A TRANSPARENCY ISSUE TOO, WITH THE FOIAS AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT.
WE, THAT WE ARE REQUESTED IS, YES, WE ARE SHOWING IT THAT IT'S ON THIS, UM, VEHICLE SHEET, WHICH I HAVE PROVIDED YOU.
UM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE FOOTAGE AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE LIKE, YOU KNOW, QUESTION THAT
[00:35:01]
I I WE NEED THE VEHICLES AND THE EQUIPMENT IN ORDER TO DO OUR JOB AND TO DO OUR JOB EFFECTIVELY.THE RADIO EQUIPMENT, IT IS NOT FOR RADIOS.
IT IS NOT FOR YOUR PORTABLES OR YOUR MOBILES IN THE, IN THE CAR.
THIS IS FOR THE INFRASTRUCTURE.
THIS IS FOR MOVING THE RADIO SYSTEM FROM ANALOG TO DIGITAL.
AND THAT ASSET REQUEST IT ASSET REPLACEMENT REQUEST IS THE FINAL THANK GOODNESS PAYMENT.
SEVEN OUTTA SEVEN PAYMENTS THAT WE HAVE MADE.
THIS IS THE FINAL AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT IS DUE TO PAY OFF TO MAKE THOSE UPGRADES.
THAT IS, UM, THAT IS A RESPONSIBILITY THAT, THAT WE HAVE TO PAY.
IT'S A BILL THAT WE, WE HAVE TO PAY.
SO THAT IS IT FOR THE ASSET REPLACEMENTS AND MY REQUEST.
AND I AM OPEN, UM, FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
I HAVE PROVIDED YOU A COPY OF THE VEHICLE AUDIT THAT WE PERFORMED LAST MONTH.
I ALSO GAVE YOU A LIST OF ALL OF OUR VEHICLES THAT WE HAVE ASSIGNED AND WHAT THE MILEAGE IS ON THEM AND WHETHER THEY HAVE AN IN-CAR CAMERA SYSTEM AND WHICH SYSTEM THAT THEY'RE ON.
I ALSO PROVIDED, UM, WHAT IT COSTS TO PURCHASE THE VEHICLE AND OUTFIT IT SINCE I DID THE ASSET REPLACEMENT.
THE COSTS HAVE GONE UP ACTUALLY A COUPLE TIMES WHERE I HAD ORIGINALLY, UM, PUT IN THAT THEY COST BETWEEN 65 AND 69.
THEY'RE, I GAVE YOU THE FIGURES, UM, AND YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT, BUT IT IS SKYROCKETED PAST THAT AND IT'S ONLY GONNA GET MORE EXPENSIVE AS WE MOVE INTO THE FUTURE.
SO I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME ON THIS.
UM, I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS.
UM, ALL MY GUYS AND GALS BACK THERE, UM, I WANT THEM TO GO HOME EVERY NIGHT AND ACCIDENTS HAPPEN.
WE'VE HAD TWO, UM, DEPUTIES THAT HID DEER ONE ON THE INTERSTATE AND, UM, YOU WANT THIS STUFF, BUT, UM, THEY'LL GO HOME AND THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING FOR AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO DEMAND.
I KNOW THAT DOESN'T SEEM RIGHT, BUT, UM, I THINK THEY DESERVE IT.
AND, UM, I REALLY WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THAT QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS.
THANK YOU, SHERIFF KLEIN, YOU MAKE A COMPELLING PRESENTATION
UH, I RECALL SEVERAL WEEKS AGO WHEN YOU WENT THROUGH YOUR BUDGET REQUEST AND YOU COVERED THE 15 VEHICLES, YOU CHARACTERIZE SOME OF THEM AS MORE URGENT OR IMMEDIATELY PRESSINGLY URGENT.
AND I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD REVISIT THAT A LITTLE BIT OR MAKE ANY COMMENTS ABOUT THAT, UH, ON THE VEHICLES THAT WE NEED TO REPLACE? YEAH, YEAH.
UM, LIKE FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, WE HAVE DEPUTIES THAT ARE APPROVED WITHOUT VEHICLES, OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S HIGHLY NECESSARY AND I THINK ALL OF IT IS NECESSARY, BUT AS YOU ALSO ACKNOWLEDGE, WE HAVE LIMITED ABILITY.
BUT, UM, I, I THINK THOUGH, OUT OF THE 15, YOU CHARACTERIZE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF THEM AS MORE IMMEDIATELY URGENT.
AND I'M WONDERING IF YOU COULD, IF YOU RECALL WHAT YOU SAID OR IF YOU COULD REVISIT THAT A LITTLE BIT.
SO IT WAS THE, SO IN THE PATROL AND SROS AND, AND MORE THAN LIKELY THEY'RE GONNA BE RUNNING CODE AND GOING TO THESE CALLS AND WE HAVE EIGHT PATROL AND SRO VEHICLES ON THE ROAD THAT ARE OVER 120,000 MILES.
UM, THOSE ARE THE MOST PRESSING, YES, WE ALWAYS HAVE TO HAVE A RESERVE FLEET.
USUALLY WHAT HAPPENS, UM, IS WHEN A VEHICLE GETS UP TO THE A HUNDRED AND A HUNDRED THOUSAND, 120,000 IS THAT IT GOES, YOU KIND OF RELAY IT, IT GETS PUSHED TO INVESTIGATIONS OR INTO ANOTHER DIVISION BECAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'RE PATROL, FIRST RESPONDERS, HIGH RISK, YOU KNOW, CALLS.
YOU WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO GET THERE.
SO THERE, THERE IS EIGHT IN OUR PATROL AND SRO DIVISION THAT IS OVER 120,000 MILES.
BUT WHEN SOMETHING GOES BAD, WE'RE PUTTING 'EM IN VEHICLES THAT ARE 164,000 MILES, UM, 149,000 MILES.
UM, YES, THOSE WOULD BE THE MOST PRESSING, BUT THOSE ARE JUST ON OUR EXISTING STAFF.
SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE OUR LOW STAFF, UM, WHICH IS QUITE FRANKLY, UM, THEY'RE WORN OUT, UM, WORKING EIGHT, NINE DAYS IN A ROW, 12 HOURS, YOU KNOW, NIGHT SHIFTS.
I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG YOU CAN SUSTAIN THAT.
WE ARE WORKING REALLY HARD TO GET PEOPLE IN THE DOOR AND, AND WE HAD A CERTIFIED DEPUTY START LAST WEEK.
WE HAVE A CERTIFIED ANIMAL CONTROL DEPUTY THAT IS STARTING NEXT WEEK.
UM, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE A VEHICLE FOR THE ANIMAL CONTROL.
ALL FOUR ANIMAL CONTROL VEHICLES WE'RE DISPOSED OF IN, IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS.
AND SO WE SET UP A, AN EXISTING FORD F-150 WE TRUCK TO TRY TO MAKE IT WORK FOR AN ANIMAL CONTROL VEHICLE.
[00:40:01]
AND, UM, AND I BELIEVE IT HAS HIGH MILEAGE ON IT AS WELL.SO I, I JUST DON'T, I DON'T KNOW.
UM, I HAD TO PUT ANYBODY'S VEHICLE OVER ANOTHER BECAUSE OVERALL IT'S JUST, UM, I THINK IT'S AT AN EMERGENCY POINT.
NO, I APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND, UM, ONE THING THAT I'VE SAID EVER SINCE BEING ON THE BOARD IS, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY, BOTH FIRE AND EMS AND, AND LAW ENFORCEMENT.
WE'VE GOT TO GIVE YOU THE EQUIPMENT TO DO YOUR JOB SAFELY.
AND YOU KNOW, MY SON BEING, UM, A DEPUTY IN FREDERICK COUNTY, I SAW THE BENEFIT OF HAVING A QUALITY CAGE IN THE VEHICLE.
IT SAVED HIS LIFE WHEN HE HAD A, UM, AN ACCIDENT ON 81, HE WAS ABLE TO WALK OUTTA THAT WITH MINOR INJURIES WHEN EVERYONE WHO RESPONDED TO THAT THOUGHT THEY WERE GOING TO A DEAD OFFICER.
SO, UM, I, I, I UNDERSTAND THE NEED FROM A PERSONAL POINT OF VIEW.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
I DON'T HAVE THE LIST TO GO DOWN, SO I'M LOOKING AT WHO'S IN THE ROOM.
I, UH, WANTED TO REVIEW WITH YOU, EXCUSE ME, MY ASSET REPLACEMENT ACCOUNTS, UH, FOR THE IT DEPARTMENT.
UH, THE IT DEPARTMENT BREAKS DOWN ITS ASSET REPLACEMENT INTO THREE CATEGORIES.
UH, ONE IS COMPUTER EQUIPMENT, THAT'S BASICALLY REPLACEMENT COMPUTERS.
THE SECOND IS SERVER AND NETWORK HARDWARE, AND THE THIRD IS SECURITY EQUIPMENT.
SO I'M JUST GONNA BRIEFLY GO OVER WHAT THE NEEDS ARE AND TELL YOU WHAT OUR PLANS ARE SPECIFICALLY FOR THIS YEAR.
UM, THE, UH, COMPUTER SYSTEMS WITH THE COUNTY HAVE KIND OF A LOOSE FOUR YEAR REPLACEMENT SCHEDULE.
SO WHEN APPROPRIATE, UH, WE WILL REPLACE A COMPUTERS WITHIN FOUR YEARS.
SOME OF THE COMPUTERS, LIKE THE COMPUTERS AT THE PAYMENT CENTER, DO THE SAME THING EVERY DAY, AND WE CAN GET MORE TIME OUT OF THEM.
OTHERS LIKE A GIS COMPUTER THAT PUTS, DOES HIGH CAPACITY, YOU KNOW, WORK, IT SOMETIMES HAS TO BE REPLACED MORE QUICKLY, BUT WE TRY TO FOLLOW A FOUR YEAR SCHEDULE.
UM, CURRENTLY THE, UH, COMPUTER SYSTEMS ARE, ARE ALL FAIRLY NEW AND HAVE BEEN, UH, UPGRADED SINCE THE HALF NAME ATTACK AND WE'RE IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE.
WE'VE REQUESTED 15 DESKTOP COMPUTERS.
WE AVERAGE OUT THOSE AT ABOUT $1,500 EACH, 15 LAPTOP COMPUTERS.
UM, AND, UH, SOME DETAILS ABOUT THOSE, UH, COMPUTER REPLACEMENTS VERY CRITICAL FOR AN IT DEPARTMENT.
UM, IT, UH, ALLOWS US TO HELP PEOPLE WHEN THE NEW PEOPLE COME ON BOARD OR TRANS TRANSITION TO NEW POSITIONS AND DO DIFFERENT THINGS.
UM, THE EMPLOYEE CHANGE AND TRANSITION AND ROLLOVER HAPPENS MORE THAN YOU WOULD SUSPECT.
AND SOMETIMES WE JUST USE THE SAME COMPUTER FOR THE NEW PERSON.
SOMETIMES WE HAVE TO PUT A NEW SYSTEM IN.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS THAT SEVERAL OF THESE SYSTEMS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT REPLACING, UM, HAVE, UH, ARE INCAPABLE OF UPGRADING TO WINDOWS 11.
YOU'VE HEARD THAT FROM THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
THE WINDOWS 11 COMPUTER, THE WINDOWS 11 OPERATING SYSTEM REQUIRES A HARDWARE CHIP CALLED A TPM CHIP.
AND WE HAVE PROBABLY LESS THAN 20 COMPUTERS THAT DO NOT HAVE A TPM CHIP IN THEM.
SO WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF REPLACING THOSE, AND THAT'S PART OF THIS AS WELL.
I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT HERE IN A MOMENT.
UM, SO THE, THE, UH, THE, UH, SECOND PART IS UNANTICIPATED CAPITAL HARDWARE.
UM, WE TRY REALLY HARD TO NOT HAVE, UM, UNANTICIPATED CAPITAL HARDWARE.
WHEN WE FIRST STARTED OUT HERE WITH THE IT DEPARTMENT TWO OR TWO AND A HALF YEARS AGO, WE PAID VERY CLOSE ATTENTION TO WHAT WAS GOING ON, BUT IT WAS HARD TO KEEP UP WITH CERTAIN THINGS.
WE CAME ON BOARD AND WHILE MOST OF THE COMPUTERS HAVE BEEN UPGRADED TO WINDOWS 10 OR WINDOWS 11, THE SERVER SYSTEMS WERE ALL OUTDATED.
WE'VE REPLACED NEARLY EVERY SINGLE SERVER OPERATING SYSTEM SINCE WE CAME ON BOARD.
WE'VE ACTUALLY DEPLOYED SYSTEMS THAT ALLOW US TO MINIMIZE THE COST ON THOSE SERVER REPLACEMENTS RATHER THAN BUYING WHOLE NEW BOXES.
WE USE VIRTUAL MACHINES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
UM, BUT IT'S HARD TO KNOW WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW.
AND SO WE HAVE KIND OF A BUFFER IN THERE, IF YOU WILL, UM, TO TRY TO, UH, COMPENSATE IN CASE WE, YOU KNOW, HAVE A SITUATION WHERE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON.
UM, SOME THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED RECENTLY THIS YEAR, FOR INSTANCE, OUT OF THE COURTHOUSE, THEY HAD A DESPERATE NEED FOR BETTER INTERNET ACCESS AND WIRELESS INTERNET ACCESS.
SO WE DEPLOYED 16 ACCESS POINTS IN THE, UH, COURTHOUSE SO THEY COULD USE THEIR COMPUTERS IN THE COURTHOUSE.
AND ALONG WITH THAT REQUIRES NETWORK SWITCHING CABLING, SOMEONE TO INSTALL THE EQUIPMENT.
SO THAT'S THE KIND OF UNANTICIPATED CAPITAL HARDWARE EXPENSE THAT WE RUN INTO SOMETIMES.
UM, UH, ALSO IN THE PRE IN PREVIOUS YEARS THAT UNANTICIPATED CAPITAL HARDWARE ACCOUNT IS PAID FOR, UM, REPLACEMENT SERVER OPERATING SYSTEMS AND SERVER HARDWARE AS WELL.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UM, IN THE SERVER AND NETWORK CATEGORY, A GIS SERVER REPLACEMENT.
[00:45:01]
THIS IS THE LAST SERVER THAT HAS AN OPERATING SYSTEM ON IT.THE OPERATING SYSTEM ON IS CURRENTLY 2012.
UM, A GIS SERVER IS A COMPLICATED THING TO UPGRADE.
THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO UPGRADE THAT, WHETHER WE USE CLOUD SERVICES, WHETHER WE USE A VIRTUAL MACHINE.
UM, THE SYSTEM IS SIGNIFICANTLY OUTDATED WITH THE ESRI SOFTWARE THAT, THAT'S ACTUALLY THE GIS SOFTWARE.
IT'S VERY OUT OF DATE, AS WELL AS THE FACT THAT THE SERVER ITSELF AND THE SERVER OPERATING SYSTEM'S OUT OF DATE.
SO WE ARE, WE'RE ANTICIPATING THAT TO THAT.
THAT'S A BIG NEED FOR US TO GET THAT SERVER REPLACED.
SPECIFICALLY, UM, THE CURRENT GIS SERVER, ALSO THE CURRENT GIS SERVER THAT WE HAVE IS ALSO ON SQL 2012 BECAUSE IT'S ON THAT SQL SERVER VERSION.
WE ARE UNABLE TO UPGRADE THE ESRI SOFTWARE.
ESRI SOFTWARE'S ABOUT TO END OF LIFE ON THE VERSION WE'RE ON MAKING IT SO THAT WE DON'T GET UPDATES AND SECURITY UPDATES AND THINGS LIKE THAT BECAUSE OF THE FACT THE OPERATING SYSTEM IS SOLD.
SO IT'S, IT'S A VERY NECESSARY PIECE OF HARDWARE THAT WE NEED TO REPLACE.
WE'RE ACTUALLY GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS OF RESEARCHING AND TRYING TO FIND THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT.
THAT, UM, THAT, YOU KNOW, $35,000 MAY GO TOWARDS A PHYSICAL BOX.
IT MAY GO TOWARDS SETTING, STAYING UP A VIRTUAL MACHINE MAY GO TOWARDS A CLOUD SERVICES, BUT THE POINT IS IT'S TO REPLACE SPECIFICALLY, UM, THE GIS SERVER.
SO WE ALSO HAVE A STORAGE ARRAY.
WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT IN THE PAST WHERE WE HAVE TWO STORAGE ARRAYS, ONE AT ONE LOCATION, AND ONE HERE REDUNDANCY, FOR INSTANCE, WHERE WE CAN STORE DATA IN TWO PLACES WHERE THE DATA THAT'S IN THIS BUILDING IS STORED AT ANOTHER BUILDING AND VICE VERSA.
UM, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT AND WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH THAT.
UM, ALSO THE, THE BIG THING IS ADDITIONAL NETWORKING SWITCHING.
SO WE HAVE THREE BUILDINGS ARE AT CAPACITY RIGHT NOW.
WE HAVE NO MORE PORTS LEFT IN THIS BUILDING.
SO IF I NEED TO PUT ANOTHER NETWORK DROP SOMEWHERE IN THIS BUILDING, I DON'T HAVE A WAY TO CONNECT THAT CABLE TO A NETWORK SWITCH.
AND WE CAN DO SOME MAGIC AND MANIPULATE THINGS AND CHANGE THINGS AROUND PROBABLY AND GET A COUPLE MORE OUT OF IT.
WE'RE AT CAPACITY, UM, AT THE COURTHOUSE AS WELL.
THAT IS A VERY COMPLICATED SITUATION.
THEY'RE COMPLETELY TAPPED OUT ON, ON THEIR SWITCHING EQUIPMENT.
AND WE ALSO ARE, UM, AND CAPACITY, WHAT'S THE OTHER LOCATION? UH, WHAT PUBLIC SAFETY? YEAH, YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.
SO THE POINT IS THAT, UM, WE, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO PURCHASE NEW ADDITIONAL SWITCHING.
SOME OF THESE SWITCHES SOMETIMES COST UPWARDS OF $10,000 A SWITCH FOR A 48 PORT SWITCH.
THEN THERE'S LICENSING ON TOP OF THAT.
OUR LICENSING FEES FOR OUR EXISTING NETWORK HARDWARE ARE IN EXCESS OF $75,000 EVERY THREE YEARS.
SO IT'S NOT, THIS IS NOT CHEAP EQUIPMENT UNFORTUNATELY, BUT IT IS SECURE.
AND THIS IS EQUIPMENT THAT STAYS ON 24 7, 365.
UM, SO WE DO NEED TO HAVE A BUFFER IN THERE, IF YOU WILL, FOR ADDITIONAL NETWORKING EQUIPMENT.
UM, UH, ALSO I'VE SKIPPED OVER, I'M SORRY, MDTS SPECIFICALLY.
SO MDTS ARE THE VEHICLE, THE, UH, COMPUTERS THAT ARE IN POLICE CARS AND, AND FIRE AND RESCUE VEHICLES.
I BELIEVE FIRE AND RESCUE USES MOSTLY IPADS.
THESE ARE SPECIFICALLY MOBILE DATA TERMINALS FOR POLICE CARS OR SHERIFF'S OFFICE CARS.
UM, WE ESTIMATE THOSE TO BE A REPLACEMENT COST OF ABOUT $5,000 EACH.
ONE THING WE'RE TRYING TO DO WITH THAT IS INCORPORATE A TABLET SITUATION AND A SEPARATE TABLET WITH A KEYBOARD SO THAT THERE'S LESS OF A FOOTPRINT IN THE CAR FOR, FOR SAFETY AND, AND MAKING SURE THAT YOU CAN SEE WHAT'S IN THE CAR AND THROUGH THE WINDSHIELDS AND THAT TYPE OF THING.
UM, THE CURRENT SYSTEMS WE HAVE, UM, ARE LATITUDE 54 FOURTEENS.
THE RELEASE DATE FROM LL ON THOSE WAS NOVEMBER, 2016.
QUITE FRANKLY, WE HAVE A LOT MORE MDTS THAN 10 THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED, BUT WE'RE STARTING WITH THESE AND ALL 10 OF THESE ARE, UM, ARE UNABLE TO UPGRADE TO WINDOWS 11 ALSO.
UM, WE'RE ALSO LOOKING AT USING, UH, SYSTEMS THAT CGIS HAS MADE NEW SECURITY REQUIREMENTS, UM, FOR THESE COMPUTER SYSTEMS REQUIRING FINGERPRINT READERS, SMART CARD READERS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THE EXISTING COMPUTER SYSTEMS CAN'T BE UPDATED THAT WAY.
THEY ALSO HAVE THINGS LIKE SPINDLE DRIVES IN THEM.
SPINDLE DRIVES FAIL AFTER A NUMBER OF YEARS 'CAUSE OF THE MOVING PARTS.
SO THE MDTS ARE VERY NECESSARY TO KEEP, YOU KNOW, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE ON THE ROAD, IF YOU WILL.
UM, THEN IN SECURITY EQUIPMENT, WE HAVE, UH, CAMERA SYSTEMS. UH, WE HAVE A CAMERA SYSTEM WE SPECIFICALLY USE BY A COMPANY CALLED UNIFY.
THE CAM, WE'VE DEPLOYED CAMERA SYSTEMS OVER AT, UM, THE 15 15TH STREET HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES BUILDING.
WE HAVE 'EM OVER AT THE SKATE PARK OR, OR THE SOCCER PLEX.
UM, THOSE SYSTEMS, BY THE TIME WE BUY THE CAMERA, PAY SOMEONE TO PUT IT IN AND SERVER EQUIPMENT CONDUIT.
UM, ETHERNET CABLE RUN, THEY ACTUALLY RUN BETWEEN 800 AND A THOUSAND DOLLARS PER CAMERA FULLY DEPLOYED.
[00:50:01]
THAT WOULD ALLOW US ROUGHLY 20, 25, UM, CAMERAS IF YOU LEFT THAT $20,000 IN THERE.AND THEN WE HAVE $5,000 FOR ACCESS CONTROL SYSTEMS, THAT'S DOORS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND THEN, UM, UNANTICIPATED SECURITY EQUIPMENT AT $5,000.
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING I HAVE.
ANY QUESTIONS? QUESTIONS? THANK YOU.
SO THIS PAGE IS A SYNOPSIS OF EVERYTHING THAT WE'VE GONE OVER TONIGHT AND OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
UH, $140,000 IS NEEDED IN THE VOTER REGISTRAR FOR BALLOT SCANNING EQUIPMENT.
THIS IS FOR ENHANCED SECURITY, 730,000 FOR THE PATROL VEHICLES.
UH, IF YOU'LL SEE THE SPREADSHEET THAT I EMAILED OUT EARLIER TODAY HAD 600,000.
THERE WAS A SHIFT IN THE 130,000 TO THE PATROL VEHICLES FOR A TOTAL OF 730,000.
WE'RE REPLACING 16 BALLISTIC VESTS IN CAR CAMERA AND BODY-WORN CAMERAS FOR A TOTAL OF $257,500.
AND THE FINAL PAYMENT FOR THE ANALOG TO DIGITAL RADIO SYSTEM IS $190,000.
SO CHIEF TOUCHED ON THE CANCER PREVENTION FOR FINE RESCUE FOR $250,000.
THE MAIN, UH, STAY OF THAT IS THE PLY FENCE SYSTEM, WHICH IS THE EXHAUST SYSTEM THAT TAKES THE EXHAUST OUT OF THE STATIONS AND THE SCUBA, THE SELF-CONTAINED BREATHING APPARATUS FOR $50,000.
AND THEN TODD JUST WENT OVER HIS, UH, HIS, UH, NEEDS AS WELL FOR THE SERVER NETWORK REPLACEMENT COMPUTER EQUIPMENT AND SECURITY EQUIPMENT.
IS THERE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE ASSET REPLACEMENT QUESTIONS? YEAH, THE ONLY ONLY COMMENT THAT I JUST WANNA PUT OUT THERE IS THAT, SO THAT TOTAL IS THE $1.2 MILLION FOR ASSET REPLACEMENT.
WELL, IS ARE THE, ARE THE PATROL VEHICLES, ARE THOSE DOUBLE COUNTED? BECAUSE I'VE GOT, UH, A LIST HERE THAT SAYS, OH, THAT'S BECAUSE THAT, UH, FOUR SHERIFF OF VEHICLES 300,004 SHERIFF OF VEHICLES, 300,000, SO THAT'S 600,000 THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
AND THEN RIGHT BELOW THAT WE HAVE OTHER ASSETS AS 1.2 MILLION.
SO WOULD THAT, IF YOU, IF YOU COMBINE THOSE TWO, THAT'S THIS 1.8? YES.
WOULD REMIND THE BOARD THAT THE, UH, 140,000 THERE FOR THE VOTER REGISTRAR FOR THIS SECURITY UP THERE, THAT'S ANOTHER UNFUNDED STATE MANDATE.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, MA'AM.
THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT.
BALLINGER IS UNABLE TO BE HERE.
HE'S OUR SUPERINTENDENT AND I AM ROB BALLANTINE, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE.
SO I'VE BEEN ASKED TO PINCH HIT FOR HIM.
AND, UH, FIRST OF ALL, I'D LIKE TO BEGIN BY JUST THANKING YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT OF, UM, AND WORKING WITH OUR SCHOOL DIVISION, YOUR PARTNERSHIP WITH OUR SCHOOL DIVISION WHEN DR.
UH, DALEY MENTIONED A LITTLE EARLIER IN THE MEETING ABOUT OUR, UH, WHAT ALL THE MAJOR CAPITAL PROJECTS HAVE BEEN DONE OVER THE YEARS.
UM, IT WAS OBVIOUS A LOT OF THOSE WERE FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND BENEFIT THE CHILDREN IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
AND I THINK WHAT'S REALLY AMAZING ABOUT THAT IS THAT, AS HE MENTIONED, YOU WERE ABLE TO DO THAT WITHOUT ONE RAISING TAXES OR TWO TAKING ON ADDITIONAL DEBT.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S REMARKABLE AND JUST SHOWS HOW WHEN WE WORK TOGETHER, A LOT OF GOOD THINGS DO, DO HAPPEN, UM, FOR OUR COMMUNITY, OUR STUDENTS AND, AND ALL AROUND.
SO, UH, WHAT I'M REALLY HERE FOR THOUGH TO TALK ABOUT IS IN THE BUDGET THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVED THE PROPOSED BUDGET, THERE'S AN APPROXIMATE, UH, $2.6 MILLION INCREASE IN COUNTY FUNDING.
SO WHAT IS DRIVING THAT, UH, THAT INCREASE IN OUR BUDGET? AND I'LL GO DOWN THROUGH THESE BULLET POINTS HERE AND JUST BASICALLY GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW AND, UH, AT THE END I'LL BE GLAD OR WHENEVER YOU WOULD WANT TO ASK AND TRY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU HAVE.
OUR HEALTH INSURANCE IS GOING UP 7.9% THIS YEAR.
WE'VE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE FOR ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE YEARS NOT TO HAVE INCREASED OUR HEALTH INSURANCE TO OUR EMPLOYEES.
WE WOULD LIKE TO CONTINUE THAT TREND AND THAT ADDS ABOUT 600 OR NOT ABOUT, IT ADDS $604,032 TO OUR BUDGET TO, UH, HOLD OUR EMPLOYEES HARMLESS ON THE INCREASE, WHICH IS 7.9%.
WE'VE RECEIVED OUR RENEWAL, OUR
[00:55:01]
JANITORIAL SERVICE CONTRACT.WE CONTRACT OUT WITH A THIRD PARTY TO PROVIDE JANITORIAL SERVICES FOR ALL OF OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS.
UM, THERE IS AN INCREASE IN IT GOING INTO NEXT YEAR, UM, MAINLY DRIVEN BY THEIR LABOR COSTS OF 135,000.
WE'RE ASKING FOR REQUESTING IN THE BUDGET, UH, REPLACEMENT COMPUTERS AND DEVICES IN, IN THE AMOUNT OF APPROXIMATELY $625,000.
WE ARE WHAT'S CONSIDERED A ONE TO ONE SCHOOL DIVISION, WHICH MEANS EACH STUDENT HAS ACCESS TO A DEVICE OF SOME SORT.
MOST OF 'EM ARE CHROMEBOOKS, BUT THERE ARE OTHER DEVICES, UM, PARTICULARLY AT THE LOWER GRADES THAT THAT ARE USED.
WE NEED TO REPLACE THOSE ON A REGULAR BASIS AS, UH, AS YOU KNOW, AS THEY AGE OUT.
AND THEN ALSO THERE ARE SOME COMPUTERS WHERE THE OPERATING SYSTEM WILL NO LONGER BE SUPPORTED AFTER I THINK IT'S NEXT FALL.
AND WE NEED TO, UH, REPLACE SOME OF THOSE COMPUTERS.
THERE'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A K EIGHT MATH SCREENER AND IT ALSO MONITORS THE PROGRESS OF STUDENTS AND ALSO PROVIDES REMEDIATION.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT AFFECTS ALL CHILDREN OR ALL STUDENTS, RATHER.
IN K THROUGH EIGHT, WE THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE 200,000 BECAUSE WE WERE GONNA NEED A READING PROGRAM TO DO THE SAME, THE STATE'S CHIPPING IN AND GONNA PROVIDE THAT FOR ANOTHER YEAR.
SO WE MAY BE COMING BACK TO YOU NEXT YEAR SAYING INSTEAD OF THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND FOR THE MATH, IT MAY BE FOR READING.
OUR SUBSTITUTE COSTS HAVE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE PAST THREE OR FOUR YEARS.
UH, PROBABLY A NUMBER OF FACTORS FOR THAT.
BUT, UM, IT, AND RIGHT NOW WE ARE CONTRACTING OUT THE SUBSTITUTE, UH, UM, RESPONSIBILITIES TO A THIRD PARTY.
THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS PUT OUT AN RFP TO SEE IF THERE ARE OTHER COMPANIES OR WHICH WAY MIGHT BE, UH, THE MOST COST EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT AND PRODUCTIVE.
AND ALSO WE'LL LOOK AT WHETHER WE BRING THAT BACK IN HOUSE OR NOT.
THE SCHOOL BOARD'S LOOKING AT THAT.
BUT BASED ON THE NUMBER OF ANTICIPATED VACANCIES, WHICHEVER ROUTE WE GO, IT LOOKS AS THOUGH WE'RE GONNA NEED APPROXIMATELY 653,000 MORE DOLLARS NEXT YEAR.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TO REPLACE ON A REGULAR BASIS IS THE PLAYGROUND MULCH.
UM, AND IT'S SOMEWHAT EXPENSIVE BECAUSE IT HAS TO BE A CERTAIN TYPE OF MULCH, UM, ON THE PLAYGROUNDS FOR SAFETY PURPOSES THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE SOME CUSHIONING AND ALL FOR, FOR CHILDREN SHOULD THEY FALL.
WE DO HAVE IN THERE $300,000 FOR TWO SCHOOL BUSES AND A VEHICLE OR TWO FOR THE REPLACEMENT FLEET.
THE COOLING TOWER AT HJB HILDE, J BARBER ELEMENTARY HAS REACHED THE END OF ITS LIFE.
AND, UH, WE WERE ABLE TO FIND A WAY, ORIGINALLY IT WAS GONNA BE AROUND A HUNDRED THOUSAND I BELIEVE, AND WE WERE ABLE TO FIND A WAY WHERE THEY CAN REFURBISH ONE AND IT'S, IT'S, THEY SAY IT'S JUST AS GOOD AND WILL COST ABOUT $40,000.
UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT ALTERNATIVE, BUT DO HAVE THAT AS A DEFINITE NEED.
UM, WE HAVE INCREASED OUR SCHOOL MATERIALS FOR EVERY SCHOOL, UM, BY A TOTAL COST OF $70,000.
WE HAVE CUT OVER THE YEARS, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT'S AVAILABLE TO EACH SCHOOL TO BUY THE PAPER, THE PENCILS, PAY FOR THE COPIERS, DO ALL THOSE TYPE OF THINGS.
AND, UH, IT HAS CAUGHT UP WITH US AND WE REALLY NEED, UH, EACH SCHOOL HAS COME TO US WITH THEIR NEEDS DOING A ZERO BASED BUDGET.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY WOULD NEED.
AND OF COURSE, 80% OF OUR BUDGET IS, UM, SALARIES AND BENEFITS.
UM, WHAT IS PROPOSED IN THE BUDGET IS A 3% PLUS STEP INCREASE FOR OUR TEACHERS AND INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS AND FOR ALL OTHER EMPLOYEES, A 3% INCREASE.
SO IN THE STATE BUDGET THAT LOOKS LIKE IT MAY END UP BEING THE BUDGET, UM, EVENTUALLY THERE IS A 3% INCREASE IN THERE AN INCENTIVE THE STATE IS OFFERING FOR SCHOOL EMPLOYEES.
AND JUST TO EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT, THE 3% PLUS STEP, WE HAVE SALARY SCALES.
ALL OF OUR TEACHERS ARE ON A SCALE, BUT THEN THERE ARE WHAT WE CALL STEPS ON THAT, WHICH EQUATE THE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE.
SO AS SOMEONE PROGRESSES, THEY WOULD RECEIVE A RAISE BASED ON THEIR LONGEVITY AND THEIR, THE EXPERIENCE THEY HAVE GAINED.
UH, SO FOR TEACHERS AND INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS, THEY WOULD NOT ONLY GET THAT STEP INCREASE, BUT 3% ADDED TO THAT STEP, THEY'RE GOING TO.
AND THE DIFFERENTIAL VARIES BETWEEN THIS, UH, THE DIFFERENTIAL BETWEEN THE STEPS VARIES BETWEEN THE DIFFERENT, UH, SCALES THAT WE HAVE.
BUT FOR TEACHERS, I KNOW IT'S 1.3% THAT NUMBER STICKS IN MY MIND.
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SO BASICALLY A TEACHER WOULD GET 1.3 PLUS THREE, 4.3%, THE OTHERS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN ONE POINT HALF AND 2%, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.BUT AGAIN, ONLY TEACHERS INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS WOULD GET THAT.
SO THAT ADDS UP TO, UH, JUST OVER, WELL, $65,652,000, UM, IS A TOTAL OF THAT COST IN OUR BUDGET.
AND AS I MENTIONED, THAT'S ABOUT 80% OF OUR BUDGET.
THERE ARE SOME NEW POSITIONS IN OUR BUDGET.
UM, THERE, THERE IS AN INITIATIVE BY THE STATE ON READING SPECIALISTS.
WE'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE READING SPECIALISTS BASED ON THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS WE HAVE, AND ALSO WE NEED TO HAVE FOUR READING SPECIALISTS.
UM, THERE'S A PATHWAY IN CONNECTIONS COORDINATOR POSITION, THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVED JUST RECENTLY, UM, THAT WE WOULD NEED TO ADD TO CONTINUE THAT TO OUR BUDGET.
AN ELEMENTARY TEACHER, I BELIEVE WOULD BE AT RUSTY JEFFRIES ELEMENTARY.
THAT IS ACTUALLY OUR SECOND LARGEST SCHOOL IN THE DIVISION.
AND IT'S WHERE WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF GROWTH.
AND THEN, UM, THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS ASKED FOR A COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR.
UH, WE, I DON'T, I SUSPECT YOU FOLKS ARE TOO, ARE INUNDATED WITH FOIA REQUESTS AND JUST INFORMATION TO KEEP THE PUBLIC INFORMED ABOUT WHAT WE'RE DOING AND PROVIDE TRANSPARENCY.
SO THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS ASKED TO, UH, INCLUDE AN ADMINISTRATION THAT IN OUR BUDGET.
SO THOSE WOULD BE THE ADDITIONAL POSITIONS THAT WE WOULD LOOK FOR GOING INTO NEXT YEAR FROM THIS YEAR.
AND I WILL BE GLAD TO TRY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
I HAVE A NUMBER OF 2,000,800, MAYBE 3000 TO CHANGE THAT.
WHEN, WHEN WHICH YOU HAVE WAS 2, 8, 9, 4.
AND, AND WHAT HAPPENED WAS WHEN THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVED A BUDGET, THEY ADDED SOME OF THESE POSITIONS THAT I JUST MENTIONED IN, AND THAT ADDED A LITTLE, THAT ADDED THE 200 AND SOME THOUSAND TO IT, SO THAT, THAT'S CORRECT.
THAT IS THE CORRECT ASK AT THIS POINT BASED ON WHAT THE SCHOOL BOARD ADOPTED AS THE PROPOSED BUDGET THE OTHER WEEK.
OTHER QUESTIONS, MADAM CHAIR? I HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
UH, THE, UH, THE FIRST ONE WAS, I, I SEEM TO RECALL THAT Y'ALL MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT A COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR LAST YEAR, DIDN'T YOU? WE DID, BUT WE WERE NOT ABLE TO SUSTAIN THAT IN THE BUDGET THAT WAS ADOPTED FOR THIS YEAR.
SO, UM, THE POSITION HAS NOT BEEN, UM, CREATED YET BY THE SCHOOL BOARD.
SO WE WOULD LIKE TO DO THE, WE WOULD LIKE TO, TO DEFINITELY DO THAT NEXT YEAR.
DOES THAT MEAN THAT Y'ALL, Y'ALL GOT AUTHORIZATION TO DO IT LAST YEAR, BUT YOU DIDN'T? SO I CREATE ANOTHER, I DON'T BELIEVE WE GOT THE AUTHORIZATION LAST YEAR TO DO IT, BECAUSE I THOUGHT, I THOUGHT THAT Y'ALL DID WELL.
SO HOW MANY POSITIONS, HOW MANY POSITIONS DOES THE, DO THE SCHOOLS DO? THE WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, DO YOU HAVE THAT ARE, ARE NOT FILLED? I DO NOT KNOW THAT NUMBER RIGHT OFFHAND.
I, I'D BE AFRAID TO THROW OUT A NUMBER.
UM, WE CAN, I CAN GET THAT AND GET IT BACK TO YOU.
IT OBVIOUSLY VARIES FROM DAY TO DAY.
WE, IN SOME OF OUR RANKS, WE HAVE MORE TURNOVER, UM, BUS DRIVERS IN SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS THAN OTHERS.
UM, I'LL BE GLAD TO CHECK AND, AND, AND, UH, LET DR.
DALEY KNOW SO HE CAN SHARE THAT INFORMATION.
WELL, SO THE, THE REASON I'M ASKING IS BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I I I'M SEEING THAT YOU WANT TO ADD SEVEN, SEVEN NEW POSITIONS, AND IF YOU'VE GOT A NUMBER OF POSITIONS THAT ARE SAY, LIKE TEACHERS POSITIONS OR THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT ARE NOT FILLED, WOULD IT BE, UH, WOULD IT BE A, UH, AT LEAST A, A FINANCIALLY WISE THING TO DO TO COME IN AND SAY, OKAY, THESE ARE NOT FILLED.
HOW ABOUT IF WE GOING AHEAD AND REPURPOSE THESE AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND FILL 'EM THAT WAY? YEAH, AND, AND WE HAVE DONE THAT THROUGH THE, THE SCHOOL BOARD'S DONE THAT THROUGH THE YEAR.
THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, REPURPOSED SEVERAL POSITIONS WHERE WE COULDN'T FILL 'EM.
THE, THE PROBLEM WE RUN INTO, EVEN THOUGH WE MIGHT HAVE A MATH POSITION AT A HIGH SCHOOL THAT WE CAN'T FILL, THE NEED STILL EXISTS.
SO WHAT WE END UP DOING, HAVING TO DO IS PAY A TEACHER.
OUR TEACHERS AT THE HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL HAVE TEACH THREE COURSES, AND THEN THEY HAVE A PLANNING PERIOD BY LAW.
SO IF WE ASK THEM AND THEY'RE WILLING TO TAKE THAT PLANNING PERIOD AND TEACH A CLASS, UM, WE HAVE TO PAY THEM FOR THAT, A, A FOURTH OF THEIR SALARY ADDITIONAL.
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THOUGH THE POSITION'S VACANT AND WE'RE NOT PAYING A PERSON SPECIFICALLY, WE'RE PROBABLY PAYING TWO OR THREE TEACHERS TO COVER THAT EXTRA.AND OUR HOPE WOULD BE COME THIS SPRING HIRING SEASON, WE WOULD BE ABLE TO FIND THAT MATH TEACHER IF THAT WERE THE VACANT POSITION AND SATISFY IT THAT WAY.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I, I TALKED ABOUT OUR SUBSTITUTE COSTS HAVE GONE UP CONSIDERABLY, AND I THINK THERE ARE A MYRIAD OF REASONS WHY, BUT I THINK PART OF IT IS OUR, OUR FOLKS ARE, YOU KNOW, WORKING A HIGHLY STRESSED SITUATION TODAY WITH WHAT THEY'RE DOING AND WHEN WE HAVE TO CALL ON THEM, AND THEY'RE, AND THEY'RE, A LOT OF 'EM WON'T SAY NO CALL ON THEM TO DO THESE EXTRA DUTIES LIKE THAT, TEACH THAT FOURTH BLOCK AND ALL.
I THINK THAT TAKES A TOLL ON FOLKS.
I MEAN, IT TAKES A, A, A TOLL ON FOLKS HEALTH, THEIR WHATEVER, WHEN THEY HAVE TO DO THAT.
AND THEN WHEN WE DON'T HAVE THAT TEACHER AND THERE'S NO ONE ABLE TO DO AN ADDITIONAL PERIOD TO COVER IT, THEN WE HAVE LARGER CLASS SIZES.
AND THAT CREATES, YOU KNOW, DIFFICULTIES FOR OUR TEACHERS TOO.
SO, UM, I, I REALLY DON'T BELIEVE THERE ARE ANY POSITIONS IN THERE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE OPEN AND THINK, GOSH, IT'D BE GREAT IF WE COULD FILL 'EM.
THEY'RE ALL THE, THE NUMBERS AND THEIR STUDENTS SIGNED UP FOR COURSES THAT, THAT WE NEED THOSE FOLKS.
BUT YOU, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT, SO, SO YOU'VE GOT, LET'S SAY THAT YOU HAVE A, UH, A MATH TEACHER POSITION THAT IS NOT FILLED MM-HMM.
AND, UH, THEY, THEY TEACH FOUR CLASSES, UH, A DAY.
SO THEN YOU, YOU COME ALONG AND YOU GET FOUR OF THE TEACHERS, AND THEY'RE GONNA FILL IN FOR THAT, THAT VACANT TEACHER POSITION, SO THAT THAT COVERS YOU, YOU KNOW, THE ADDITIONAL SALARY THAT YOU'RE PAYING THESE TEACHERS WILL PROBABLY COVER ANY, WHAT WE'RE 75 TO A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THE SALARY THAT YOU'RE PAYING THAT TEACHER, BUT NOT THE BENEFITS.
SO THE, SO THE BENEFITS, AND THAT'S A BIG PORTION OF THAT.
SO, SO, SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I'M COMING BACK AND I'M LOOKING AT THESE, THESE POSITIONS OVER HERE, THE, THE SEVEN, I'M SAYING, OKAY, WELL, WITH THAT ADDITIONAL MONEY THAT, THAT YOU'RE NOT SPENDING ON THE, UH, FOR THAT ADDITIONAL TEACHER THERE BECAUSE YOU JUST CAN'T FILL THE POSITION.
BUT THE PROBLEM, UM, AS I SEE IT IS, AS I SAY, THE NEED IS THERE FOR THOSE TEACHERS.
AND, UM, IF WE TAKE, IF, YOU KNOW, OUR HOPE IS WE CAN HIRE THOSE TEACHERS COME THIS YEAR, AND, AND WE WILL DO OUR, OUR VERY BEST TO HIRE TO RECRUIT.
AND SO, SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I'D LIKE TO FIND OUT IS HOW MANY, HOW MANY POSITIONS DO YOU CURRENTLY HAVE VACANT? YEAH.
AND WHAT IS THE AVERAGE NUMBER OF POSITIONS THAT YOU HAVE VACANT? OKAY.
I WILL, I, I DON'T KNOW THAT OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
AND AS I SAY IT CHANGES, BUT, UM, AS OF TOMORROW MORNING, I WILL GET WITH OUR HR DEPARTMENT, GET THAT NUMBER, AND I'LL SHARE IT WITH DR.
DALEY SO THAT HE CAN GET THAT TO YOU.
AND WHAT I THINK I'M HEARING, HEARING IS WHAT IS THE VACANCY AS OF TODAY, AND WHAT HAS THE AVERAGE, SO TO SPEAK, BEEN YEAH.
OVER THE COURSE OF THE SCHOOL YEAR.
WILL THAT, WILL THAT HELP YOU? YEAH, THAT, THAT, THAT'LL BE HELPFUL BECAUSE THE, UH, I'M JUST TAKING A LOOK AT THIS AND, AND, AND SEEING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT THERE'S SOME, SOME ECONOMIES.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT, THAT, THAT THIS IS, THAT THIS IS THE WAY THAT, UH, UH, WARREN COUNTY SHOULD, SHOULD DO BUSINESS, BUT LET'S, LET'S DO THE, THE RIGHT THING AND LET'S DO IT THE RIGHT WAY.
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST, UH, JUST BE SMART WITH THE PUBLIC MONIES INSTEAD OF COMING ALONG AND SAYING, WELL, I'VE GOT 15 POSITIONS THAT, UH, THAT I'VE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FILL.
UH, WE'VE GOT THAT IN THE BUDGET, BUT I WANT TO ASK FOR SEVEN MORE PEOPLE.
AND, AND I'M GOING, OKAY, WELL, IS THAT, IS THAT USING PUBLIC FUNDS WISELY? I, I, I UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT.
APPRECIATE YOU COMING TONIGHT.
I, I DO HAVE ONE OTHER QUESTION.
I THOUGHT THAT WE WERE GONNA PUSH THAT, UH, THE, UH, THE 625,000 FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF COMPUTERS.
I THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA PUSH THAT TO NEXT YEAR.
WELL, IT, I MEAN, IT, IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT I, I, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THERE, UM, WITH THE OPERATING SYSTEM, THE WINDOWS OPERATING SYSTEM, THAT THE, UM, PROCESSOR, CHIP OR WHATEVER IN OUR COMPUTERS WON'T HANDLE THAT NEW SYSTEM.
AND IF WE DON'T GO TO THE, THE, WITH
[01:10:01]
THE NEW COMPUTERS, UM, ERRORS WON'T BE SUPPORTED, AND THERE'LL BE SECURITY ISSUES AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS, AND I'LL, I'LL DOUBLE CHECK ON THAT TOO AND, AND SHARE THAT BACK THROUGH DR.
DALEY, UM, ON THE EXACT DATES AND TIMES AND THINGS, BUT I, I DO KNOW THIS.
WE NEED TO REPLACE OUR, UM, OUR TABLETS AND OUR, UH, CHROMEBOOKS AND THINGS THAT OUR STUDENTS HAVE ON A REGULAR REPLENISHMENT, UH, CYCLE SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY CONTINUE TO OPERATE.
AND, AND, UH, MUCH AS, UH, MR. JONES MENTIONED WITH THE COMPUTERS THAT, THAT YOU HAVE, YOU NEED TO HAVE A, A REPLENISHMENT CYCLE.
DO I DO HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION.
ON THE INCREASED SUBSTITUTE COSTS IS, DOES THAT 653,000, DOES THAT COVER STRICTLY THE SUBSTITUTE TEACHER COSTS IT? WELL, WHEN YOU SAY THE SUBSTITUTE TEACHER, IT ALSO INCLUDES SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS, INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS, AND OUR CLERICAL STAFF.
NOW, NOT ALL CLERICAL STAFF REQUIRES A SUBSTITUTE, BUT YOUR RECEPTIONIST AT THE SCHOOL, IF THEY'RE OUT A DAY, YOU NEED SOMEONE THERE TO, TO RECEIVE VISITORS AND TAKE CARE OF THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO IT DOES INCLUDE THOSE TEACHERS, INSTRUCTIONAL ASSISTANTS.
AND, UH, WHO, WHO DO YOU HAVE WHO'S, WHO'S REACHING OUT TO THOSE SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS AS FAR AS GETTING THEM TO WORK? OR IS, UH, WELL, WE HAVE A THIRD PARTY THAT WE CONTRACT WITH, UM, CALLED ESS.
AND THEY PROVIDE THAT SERVICE FOR US.
ARE, ARE THEY DOING THAT AT, AT A PRETTY REASONABLE RATE OR THAT WE'RE GONNA FIND THAT OUT? UM, AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE AN RFP OUT RIGHT NOW, SO WE WILL GET COMPETING PROPOSALS, UM, TO SEE WHERE THOSE PROPOSALS COME IN.
AND, UH, A NUMBER OF YEARS AGO, WE HANDLED THAT IN, IN-HOUSE.
THE DECISION WAS MADE BY PREVIOUS BOARD TO GO WITH THE, UH, OUTSOURCING.
SO WHAT THE SCHOOL BOARD'S ASKED TO DO IS GO OUT AND SEE WHAT ALL OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE IF WE OUTSOURCE, AND THEN WE'VE CREATED A MODEL THAT IF WE WERE TO BRING IT BACK IN HOUSE AND THOSE SUBSTITUTES, UH, BE WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL EMPLOYEES, AND THEN WE WOULD MANAGE THE PROGRAM, WHAT THE COST WOULD BE.
AND, AND I THINK ALSO WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS THE SERVICE LEVEL, THE FILL RATE, WHAT WE THINK WE COULD DO AS FAR AS, UM, THE FILL RATE, BECAUSE, UH, ON ANY GIVEN DAY, WE HAVE MORE VACANCIES THAN WE DO AVAILABLE SUBSTITUTES.
AND AGAIN, THAT CREATES THAT STRESS OF HAVING TO PULL PEOPLE AND HAVE PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR PLACE DOING THINGS AND LIKE THAT.
I, I, I CAN'T SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, IF YOU'VE GOT A TEACHER THAT, UH, THAT IS PLANNING THAT THEY'VE, THEY'VE GOT A PLANNING PERIOD, OR LET'S SAY THAT THEY WANT TO TAKE LUNCH, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN AT THE, AT THE, THE 11TH HOUR, SOMEBODY REACHES OVER AND SAYS, HEY, CAN YOU TEACH THIS? AND THEY, YOU KNOW, AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA SAY, NO, NO, THAT'S, YEAH.
AND THE, UH, AND SO THEY, UH, I CAN IMAGINE THAT THAT DOES CREATE STRESS FOR THEM.
SO THESE LAST TWO SLIDES COME FROM, UM, MAY COUNTY.
THEY DID A SURVEY OF THE AREA, AND WE SEE THE REAL ESTATE TAX IN FRONT OF YOU, THE BLUE BEING EVERY, ALL THE JURISDICTIONS PROPOSED WHAT THEY'VE ADVERTISED.
AND THE BROWN THERE IS, OR ORANGE GROUND IS WHAT THE CURRENT RATE IS.
AND SEE, WE'RE KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE.
THERE'S A LARGE NUMBER THERE TO GO UP TO 60 AND THEN TO 73 AND COUPLE OUTLIERS THERE.
AT OUR RATE CURRENTLY IS DOWN THERE SIMILAR TO FRANK'S RATE.
AND ON PERSONAL PROPERTY, YOU SEE A NUMBER OF THEM BETWEEN FOUR AND FOUR 50.
SO ON THE END ARE LOWER IN THE SMALLER, PRIMARILY THAT OUR, IT'S IN THAT RANGE OF 4, 4 50.
UM, SO HAVING HEARD FROM EVERYONE, UM, WE WILL BRING THE BUDGET BACK TO YOU AS WE GET MORE INFORMATION FROM THE STATE.
AND YES, THE EXPENDITURES ARE LARGER THAN THE REVENUES, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE.
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FROM THE TAX RATE IS AGAIN, ABOUT WHAT'S IN THE BOX REQUIRED.CHILDREN'S SERVICE ONE REQUEST.
DALEY AT THIS POINT? OKAY, MR. HENDERSON, IS ANYONE, UH, SIGNED UP TO SPEAK? UH, YES MA'AM.
AND WHEN YOU COME UP, IF YOU COULD SAY YOUR NAME AND THE DISTRICT YOU LIVE IN, PLEASE.
I LIVE IN THE FORT DISTRICT OF WARREN COUNTY.
I'M HERE TONIGHT TO VOICE MY SUPPORT FOR THE PROPOSED FIRE RESCUE BUDGET FOR THIS COMING YEAR.
I MIGHT BE SOUND A LITTLE NERVOUS UP HERE, BUT STAFFING IN THIS FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS A HUGE CHALLENGE, AND THE REQUESTED POSITIONS NEED TO BE FUNDED.
AS ALL OF YOU KNOW, AND POINTED OUT IN RECENT FIRE RESCUE BUDGET PROPOSAL MEETINGS, THIS SYSTEM IS GROSSLY UNDERSTAFFED AND UNDERFUNDED.
A FEW OF YOU ALSO REFERENCED A RECENT FIRE IN TOWN AND RIGHTFULLY PRAISED THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND UNDERSTOOD THAT IF THIS FIRE WOULD'VE NOT LUCKILY OCCURRED DURING SHIFT CHANGE, WHEN STAFFING WAS DOUBLE THE DAILY AMOUNT, THE OUTCOME MAY HAVE BEEN COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING, THE NEXT FIRE WILL NOT HAPPEN AT SHIFT CHANGE.
I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THE OUTCOME WILL BE DIFFERENT.
WHAT WILL THAT OUTCOME BE? THE DEATH OF A CHILD, A FIREFIGHTER BEING INJURED.
THE CITIZENS CANNOT RELY ON LUCK.
THEY CAN RELY ON YOUR FIREFIGHTERS.
YOUR FIREFIGHTERS LOVE THIS COUNTY AND THEY LOVE THEIR JOBS.
THESE MEN, MEN AND WOMEN ARE SOME OF THE BEST IN THE BUSINESS.
THEY DESERVE TO HAVE THE PROPER STAFFING LEVELS SO THEY HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF MAKING IT BACK TO THEIR HOME AND THEIR FAMILIES.
THE FIRE CHIEF AND HIS ADMINISTRATION HAVE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB KEEPING THE MEN AND WOMEN HERE WORKING IN WARREN COUNTY.
WE LIVE IN A WORLD WHERE COMPETITIVE SALARIES AND STAFFING FIRE STATIONS ARE JUST A FEW MILES AWAY.
THOSE AMENITIES ARE VERY ENTICING, BUT HE HAS KEPT 'EM HERE.
CHIEF BONNO AND HIS ADMINISTRATION DESERVE YOUR, YOUR FULL SUPPORT.
TO PUT STAFFING INTO PERSPECTIVE, THE FIRE STATION RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET NEEDS A MINIMUM OF EIGHT FIREFIGHTERS A DAY TO BE ADEQUATELY MANNED TODAY.
RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE FIVE SHORT OF THAT.
I WORK FOR A FIRE DEPARTMENT EAST OF HERE THAT HAS BEEN THROUGH A SIMILAR STAFFING CRISIS.
WHILE THIS PROBLEM WASN'T FIXED OVERNIGHT, IT WAS UNDERSTOOD AND FUNDED BY THE BOARD THROUGH THE RAISING TAXES.
I'VE ALWAYS BEEN TAUGHT TO HAVE A SOLUTION FOR ANY PROBLEM.
I VOICE IF RAISING THE TAXES IS WHAT'S GONNA BE THAT SOLUTION, THERE SHOULD BE NO QUESTION RAISE THEM.
OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS DEPEND ON THIS FUNDING.
I KNOW BEING ON THE BOARD ISN'T AN EASY JOB, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I WOULD RATHER BE KNOWN AS A BOARD MEMBER THAT RAISED TAXES THAN A BOARD MEMBER.
THAT'S LACKED OF LACK OF FINANCIAL SUPPORT, WAS A DIRECT RESULT IN THE LOSS OF LIFE.
NEXT, NEXT UP IS DENNIS DAVID, MR. DAY, IF, IF YOU COULD COME BACK THE OTHER WAY BECAUSE OF THAT TV IN THE WAY, I APOLOGIZE.
ANYONE ON THIS SIDE OF THE ROOM? IF YOU COULD COME THIS WAY, THAT TEAM.
UH, DENNIS DAVID, 3 0 5 KENDALL COURT FRONT ROYAL VIRGINIA.
I ORIGINALLY CAME PREPARED TO TALK ABOUT TAXES, BUT THEN I REALIZED THIS MIGHT NOT BE APPROPRIATE TONIGHT, AND I WAS GONNA DEFER TO THE FUTURE MEETING WHEN WE WOULD BE TALKING MORE ABOUT, UH, REAL ESTATE TAXES.
BUT SHERIFF KLEIN'S REMARKS PROMPTED ME TO COME UP AND TALK ABOUT THE SECOND POINT I WANTED TO MAKE WHEN I DO MAKE THE SPEECH, AND I'LL MAKE IT TONIGHT.
UM, IF A PERSON HAS, IF ANY OF US HAVE FIVE MINUTES AND ACCESS TO THE INTERNET, THEY CAN GO UP ON THE WARREN COUNTY WEBSITE UNDER GOVERNMENT SLASH TREASURER, AND THEY'LL SEE TWO PDFS THAT CAN BE DOWNLOADED.
THE FIRST PDF IS THE DELINQUENT TAX BASE, AND IT IS 28 PAGES WITH 53 ENTRIES ON EACH PAGE OF DELINQUENT TAXES.
THE SECOND ONE IS THE TOP 10 DELINQUENT TAXES IN THE COUNTY, WHICH IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE, THE 28 PAGES.
SO IT'S IN ADDITION TO THE TOP 10
[01:20:01]
AMOUNT TO TWO $1,216,500.I THINK THAT IF WE, IF THE COUNTY WOULD PURSUE MORE AGGRESSIVELY AT COLLECTING THESE TAXES, IT WOULD GO A LONG WAY TO HELPING SHERIFF KLEIN MEET HER SHORTFALLS.
I'LL TALK ABOUT THAT FIRST POINT THE NEXT TIME.
THIS IS THE HEARING ON THE TEXT.
THIS IS THE HEARING ON THE TEXT.
SO YOU, SOMETHING YOU SAY ABOUT THAT.
POINT NUMBER ONE, MOST OF YOU KNOW, I'M RETIRED.
UM, I DON'T HAVE ANYONE TO GO TO TO GET A RAISE.
SO WHEN PRICES GO UP, I HAVE TO CUT MY DISPOSABLE INCOME.
I HAVE TO TAKE OUTTA MY DISPOSABLE INCOME.
I REALIZED THAT THE LAST SLOT, THE LAST SLIDE YOU SHOWED WAS IT, HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH THOSE INCREASES, BUT THE DISCRETIONARY SPENDING.
I THINK IT'S TIME FOR THE COUNTY TO REALLY LOOK HARD AT CUTTING OUR, I MEAN, WE ALL HAVE TO CUT, WE ALL HAVE TO CUT BACK.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S A HARD THING TO DO.
IT'S A HARD THING TO GO TO PEOPLE WHO HAVE LEGITIMATE REQUESTS FOR, UH, MONEY, UH, TO TURN THEM DOWN.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE ALL HAVE TO CUT BACK.
MY NAME IS AMY MOYER AND I LIVE AT 2 74 LOWER VIEW ROAD.
IT'S MY HOPE TONIGHT THAT THE NUMEROUS FIRES THAT OCCURRED WITHIN AND AROUND WARREN COUNTY IN MARCH ARE STILL FRESH IN EVERYONE'S MINDS.
THOSE FIRES HAD THE POTENTIAL TO DESTROY PROPERTY AND MOST IMPORTANTLY LIVES.
THANKFULLY, THERE WAS MINIMAL LOSS IN WARREN COUNTY, BUT ARE WE GONNA BE SO LUCKY NEXT TIME? THE MEN AND WOMEN OF WCFR WORKED TIRELESSLY DAY IN AND DAY OUT, BUT MARCH 20TH HAD TO HAVE BEEN ONE OF THE MOST EXHAUSTING DAYS OF THEIR CAREERS AS THEY SPENT THE ENTIRE DAY TRYING TO CONTAIN THE FIRES AND STILL RESPOND TO OTHER CALLS.
BUT ON THAT DAY, SPECIFICALLY, THEY WERE BUSIER THAN USUAL.
WCFR WAS STRETCHED SO THIN EVEN AFTER HOLDING PEOPLE FROM PREVIOUS SHIFTS AND CALLING BACK STAFF ON THEIR DAY OFF, THAT THERE WERE SOME CALLS THAT COULD NOT BE RESPONDED TO.
THAT MEANS THAT THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO NEEDED ASSISTANCE WHO EITHER HAD TO WAIT, DRIVE THEMSELVES TO THE ER, OR WORSE.
WHAT IF THAT WAS YOU OR YOUR LOVED ONE THAT NEEDED IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE, BUT WERE TOLD THAT 9 1 1 WAS TOO BUSY, EVEN FOR THE MOST PATIENT PERSON IN THE WORLD WHO WANTS TO BE PATIENT WHEN YOU CALL 9 1 1 FOR A TRUE EMERGENCY, THINK ABOUT HOW INFURIATING IT WOULD BE TO KNOW THAT THERE IS NO ONE LEFT IN THE STATIONS BECAUSE EVERYONE IS ON CALLS.
9 1 1 DOESN'T GET TO TAKE A DAY OFF, AND WE SHOULDN'T SET THEM UP TO BE TOO BUSY EITHER.
THIS IS WHY WCFR NEEDS MORE STAFFING.
SOME MAY ARGUE THAT WE JUST NEED MORE VOLUNTEERS.
THE VOLUNTEERS CAN SOLVE THIS ISSUE AND THEY'RE FREE, AS SOME MAY SAY, AND THEY'D BE RIGHT.
VOLUNTEERS CAN FILL THE VOID IN THE STATION WHEN THE CAREER STAFFS ARE BUSY.
HOWEVER, THEY'RE JUST THAT VOLUNTEERS WHO HAVE JOBS AND LIVES OF THEIR OWN, WHO MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DROP EVERYTHING AND RUN A CALL WHEN A CRISIS HAPPENS OR AN EXTRA CALL GOES OUT.
THANK GOODNESS FOR THE VOLUNTEERS THAT CAN, AND THE ONES THAT DO.
BUT IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE TO DEPEND ON VOLUNTEERS.
OUR COUNTY CANNOT AFFORD FOR WCFR TO BE UNSUSTAINABLE.
ANYONE, BOARD MEMBER OR CITIZEN, UH, THAT PREACHES FOR VOLUNTEERS TO STEP UP INSTEAD OF ADDING MORE CAREER STAFF AND SAVE MONEY SHOULD PROBABLY STEP UP THEMSELVES AND BECOME TRAINED OR GO PUT IN HOURS.
A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL SAY THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO VOLUNTEER YET.
WELCOME TO THE ISSUE OF ASKING PEOPLE TO DO SOMETHING FOR FREE.
I UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYTHING COSTS MONEY, BUT PLEASE LET MARCH 20TH BE AN EYEOPENING EXAMPLE OF WHY WCFR NEEDS MORE STAFFING TAX INCREASE OR NOT.
THEY NEED ALL NINE POSITIONS THEY'RE REQUESTING AT MINIMUM, I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT WCFR ASKS FOR THINGS THEY DO NOT NEED OR THINGS THAT THEY DEEM UNNECESSARY.
SO WHEN THEY ASK FOR STAFFING, IT'S BECAUSE IT'S A NEED, NOT JUST A NEED FOR THE DEPARTMENT, BUT THE NEED FOR THE COMMUNITY.
THE STAFFING THEY'RE ASKING FOR IS GOING TO BE PUT INTO STATIONS AND RUN CALLS EVERY SINGLE DAY, NOT JUST EXTRA PEOPLE TO TWIDDLE THEIR THUMBS WAITING FOR A CRISIS.
IT'S PROVIDERS THAT WILL BE OUT IN OUR COMMUNITY HELPING STAFFING IS LIKE AN INSURANCE POLICY.
INSURANCE THAT WE HAVE THE COVERAGE NEEDED TO HANDLE A CRISIS WHEN IT HITS ON MARCH 20TH.
WARREN COUNTY DIDN'T HAVE A BIG ENOUGH POLICY TO PROTECT ALL OF OUR CITIZENS.
I BET NONE OF YOU WOULD LEAVE YOUR HOUSE OR CAR UNINSURED BECAUSE THE LIKELIHOOD OF SOMETHING HAPPENING IS SMALL.
SO WHY WOULD YOU UNDER INSURE OUR COUNTY AND POTENTIALLY LEAVE CITIZENS AT RISK? PLEASE HELP ENSURE THAT THE CITIZENS IN WARREN COUNTY ARE SAFE AND PROTECTED WHEN THEY NEED IT.
IF YOU'RE CLOSE, YOU CAN FINISH.
[01:25:01]
THE INCREASE OF SING WITHOUT A TAX INCREASE? OBVIOUSLY, BUT WE CANNOT PUT THE COST OF SAFETY ON OUR CITIZEN, BUT WE CANNOT PUT A COST ON THE SAFETY OF OUR CITIZENS.PLEASE GIVE WARREN COUNTY FIRE RESCUE ALL NINE POSITIONS THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR.
I'M BILL LONG, AND, UM, I LIVE IN SHENANDOAH DISTRICT.
UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF YOU GUYS KNOW ME, DON'T KNOW ME.
UM, I WORK WITH A LOT OF THESE GUYS BACK HERE.
UM, MY STEVE RAYMOND BACK THERE AND A BUNCH OF GREAT GUYS.
RAYMOND AND I AND PROBABLY SOME OF THE OTHER GUYS.
I'VE, I'VE, NO, I'VE RUN MORE THAN 24 CALLS IN 24 HOURS ON ONE OF MY SHIFTS.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, AT FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING ON MY 23RD CALL, UM, HOW GOOD AM I? UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY EXHAUSTING.
SO, YOU KNOW, WHO LIKES TAXES? NOBODY LIKES TAXES.
BUT WHEN YOU DIAL 9 1 1, UM, YOU REALLY LIKE IT IF SOMEBODY'S GONNA SHOW UP.
UM, I ALSO WORKED FOR ANOTHER FIRE DEPARTMENT AT ONE TIME AND I WAS AN EMPLOYEE FOR WARREN COUNTY.
I WORKED FOR NORTHERN OR METROPOLITAN WASHINGTON AIRPORTS AUTHORITY FOR TWO YEARS AT BOTH REAGAN AND DULLES.
AND YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE'RE NOT NORTHERN VIRGINIA, BUT IT'S GOING THAT WAY WITH VOLUNTEERS GOING BY THE WAYSIDE.
I WAS A VOLUNTEER ACROSS THE STREET AT FRONT ROYAL FOR 15 YEARS BEFORE I GOT HIRED.
UM, AND GOT TO LIVE MY DREAM, JOHN GAGE AND ROY DESOTO.
BUT DOWN THERE THEY STAFF EQUIPMENT.
SO LIKE I'D BE THE MEDIC ON A PUMPER ONE DAY OR FOR ONE TOUR, OR THE MEDIC ON THE AMBULANCE, OR I WAS REALLY NEVER ON THE TRUCK.
AND SOMETIMES I WAS A CRASH TRUCK WHEN I HAD AN EXTRA DAY OR SOMETHING OVER HERE.
SO YOU GOT TWO GUYS THAT HAVE A TRUCK, A HEAVY SQUAD, WHICH IS SPECIALTY PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, A PUMPER, MULTIPLE MEDIC UNITS.
UM, AND THEY'RE RUNNING THEIR BUTTS OFF.
IF WE JUST LIKE CHIEF MANZANO, UM, WARREN COUNTY WITH OUR STAFFING LEVEL, WE ARE WAY BUSIER THAN I EVER WAS AT THE AIRPORT.
I GOT TO SLEEP A LOT AT THE AIRPORT, EITHER AIRPORT, DULLES OR REAGAN HERE, YOU'RE UP ALL NIGHT AS A MEDIC, YOU'RE UP ALL NIGHT RUNNING CALLS.
SO REALLY THEY NEED MORE THAN NINE PEOPLE.
THEY NEED NINE PEOPLE RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND I'M A I OWN BUSINESSES HERE IN TOWN.
I GOT REAL ESTATE HERE IN TOWN.
UM, I'M THINKING ABOUT GOING BACK TO VOLUNTEERING AGAIN BECAUSE OF SITUATIONS LIKE WHAT HAPPENED THE OTHER DAY.
UM, AND MY BUSINESS IS RIGHT DOWN FROM COMPANY 10, SO I'M THINKING ABOUT DOING THAT.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, JUST, YOU KNOW, NINE IS MINE IS EASY AND THEY NEED THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ACTUAL NUMBER WOULD BE IF YOU STAFFED EVERYTHING PROPERLY, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW WE CAN'T JUMP TO THAT RIGHT AWAY, BUT WE DEFINITELY NEED TO BE GOING THAT DIRECTION.
AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS FOR OVER THE 20 YEARS.
UM, YOU KNOW, JERRY AND I USED TO RUN CALLS TOGETHER.
UH, DEPUTY CHIEF, UH, I'M REAL PROUD OF HIM.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, UH, THAT'S ONE, ONE WORD, ONE GUY WROTE IT LIKE THAT ONE TIME.
WE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE, AND THEY, THESE GUYS ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, JUST WONDERFUL.
I MEAN, AND IT'S AMAZING THAT THEY GET DONE WHAT THEY GET DONE.
AND WE HAVEN'T KILLED ANYBODY, ANY OF OUR PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, I, I LEFT 10 YEARS AGO AND SINCE THEN THERE HAVE BEEN A FEW MAYDAY, WHICH IS MAYDAY, WHERE FIREFIGHTERS IN TROUBLE.
AND THANK GOD THAT, UM, IT WASN'T REAL EXTREME.
'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE PEOPLE THERE TO RESCUE OUR FIREFIGHTERS IN THE BURNING BUILDING.
'CAUSE EVERYBODY'S AT WORK, EVERYBODY'S FIGHTING THE FIRE.
SO NINE IS A, IS A, IS A, A GREAT NUMBER.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS ME, I'D BE ASKING FOR LIKE 30 PEOPLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND IT'S JUST TO BE SAFE.
I LIVE IN THE SOUTH RIVER DISTRICT.
UH, I WANTED TO START OUT BY SAYING THAT I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT HERE FOR 37 YEARS.
I'M A TRANSPLANT FROM LOUDOUN COUNTY.
I MOVED HERE WHEN I WAS IN EARLY TWENTIES.
AND, UM, I'VE SEEN SOME BIG CHANGES IN, UH, THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF AND FIRE AND RESCUE, UM, AND GOOD CHANGES.
AND I THANK THE BOARD FOR STEPPING UP AND DOING A LOT OF POSITIVE THINGS.
UM, AND I'VE REALLY SEEN SOME BIG CHANGES SINCE.
UM, UH, CHIEF BONANNO COME ON BOARD.
UM, A LITTLE BACKGROUND BEING, UH, THE CHIEF WORKED TOGETHER FOR MANY YEARS, UH, AT OUR METROPOLITAN FIRE DEPARTMENT DOWN IN THE CITY.
AND, UM, GOT TO KNOW, UH, CHIEF BON OWNER REALLY WELL.
HE WAS A MEDIC AND I WAS A FIREFIGHTER DRIVING THE, THE AMBULANCE.
AND WE, HE HAD A LOT OF GOOD TIMES TOGETHER.
AND, UM, AT NO POINT, UM, DURING, DURING ANY CALLS, DID I EVER THINK IS SOMETHING WE COULDN'T HANDLE.
AND I CONTRIBUTE THAT TO CHIEF BONANO AND HIS KNOWLEDGE AND HIS, UM, INTEGRITY AND HIS CHARACTER.
AND, UM, THAT'S ALL I'M GONNA SAY ABOUT HIM.
'CAUSE I THINK OF THE WORLD OF, OF THAT MAN, AND I BELIEVE HE'S GOOD FOR THIS COUNTY.
[01:30:01]
UM, WITH THAT SAID, UM, COMING HERE TONIGHT, I WASN'T QUITE AWARE OF, AWARE OF A LOT OF THE ISSUES THAT, UH, THIS COUNTY FACES AND THIS BOARD FACES.UM, SHERIFF KLEIN, UH, OPENED MY EYES TO SOME THINGS THAT I NEVER THOUGHT ABOUT BEFORE.
UM, UM, NOT ONLY WHEN YOU HIRE AN OFFICER, YOU HAVE TO BUY A CAR, YOU HAVE TO BUY A PATROL VEHICLE.
AND, UM, WOW, THAT'S A, THAT'S A HUGE EXPENSE, THAT'S FOR SURE.
AND SO, UM, I CERTAIN TO CERTAINLY SUPPORT, UM, THE EFFORTS OF THE BOARD AND, UM, OUR LEADERS IN PUBLIC SERVICE.
UM, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RAISE TAXES.
I'M A CITIZEN AND I DON'T KNOW MORE WHEN TO PAY ANY MORE TAXES THAN ANYONE ELSE.
BUT WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY, WHEN IT COMES TO MY SAFETY, MY GRANDCHILDREN, WHEN THEY COME TO VISIT MY PARENTS WHO ARE IN THEIR EIGHTIES AND THEY COME TO VISIT, UM, I, I'VE THOUGHT THAT OVER MANY TIMES, AND I'M GOING TO LOAD 'EM INTO CAR AND I'M GONNA TAKE TO THE HOSPITAL.
I DON'T KNOW THAT I'M GOING TO WAIT AROUND FOR BENTONVILLE TO GET TO MY HOUSE IF COMPANY ONE OR TWO OR FOUR ARE OUT.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S SOME OF, THAT'S HARD TO FATHOM, BUT THAT'S A REALITY.
I THINK THAT, UM, RIGHT NOW THAT WE, THAT WE ARE FACED WITH, UM, I PERSONALLY, IN 37 YEARS OF BEING A RESIDENT HERE, HAVE NEVER, UH, CALLED FOR FIRE RESCUE OR, UH, THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF TO COME TO MY HOUSE.
BUT THAT DOESN'T, THAT DOESN'T TAKE AWAY FROM THE FACT THAT I, UH, MAY NEED THEM AS I GET OLDER.
AND, UM, AS THIS COUNTY GROWS, WE'RE GOING, WE HAVE THE GROWING PAINS, UH, THAT, UM, BACK IN THE DAY IN THE EARLY EIGHTIES WHEN ME AND CHIEF FINALLY WERE IN ANOTHER JURISDICTION, THEY FACED THE SAME ISSUES AS YOU GUYS FACE TODAY.
AND, UM, AND PEOPLE ARE LIVING LONGER AND THAT MEANS, YOU KNOW, MORE HEALTH ISSUES AND DIFFERENT THINGS.
SO I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND, UM, UH, KEEP FIGHTING THE FIGHT.
HEY GUYS, HOW YOU DOING? UM, THANKS FOR HAVING ME HERE.
YOUR NAME, PLEASE, MATTHEW PURDY.
I THOUGHT HE SAID IT, BUT 'CAUSE IT WAS KIND OF LOW.
UM, SO I DON'T WANT YOU GUYS TO RAISE THE TAXES A SINGLE CENT, NOT THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX, NOT THE PROPERTY TAX.
EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU RAISE THE TAXES, MORE PEOPLE SUFFER.
IT'S HARDER FOR THEM TO GET BY.
FOOD COSTS TWICE AS MUCH AS IT DID JUST YEARS AGO, JUST YEARS AGO.
YOU LOOK AT THE, UH, WHAT'S UP FRONT, ROYAL, AND YOU GOT PEOPLE EVERY SINGLE DAY LOOKING FOR JOBS, LOOKING FOR ADDITIONAL SOURCES OF INCOME.
SOME PEOPLE WORKING THREE JOBS.
YOU GOT FAMILIES HERE WITH 8, 9, 10, 13 KIDS.
UM, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE HAVING A REALLY HARD TIME GETTING BY.
BUT I KNOW THAT WE DEFINITELY NEED MONEY FOR EMS, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE.
MY PROPOSAL IS THAT WE CUT THAT FROM WHAT THE EDUCATION PORK HAS BECOME.
IF YOU LOOK AT 10 YEARS AGO, THE AMOUNT OF STUDENTS THAT WERE ATTENDING THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM WAS 5,400.
AND HOW MUCH MORE MONEY HAS THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM RECEIVED? $18 MILLION OF OUR MONEY.
AND MORE PEOPLE ARE SUFFERING EVERY DOLLAR.
THAT MEANS SOMEONE HAS TO USE THAT MONEY FOR SOMETHING THAT THEY WOULD OTHERWISE USE TO SURVIVE, TO GET BY.
AND THE PEOPLE THAT STRUGGLE THE MOST IS THE LOWER CLASS.
SO MY QUESTION IS, HOW MANY PEOPLE NEED TO GET HURT, NEED TO DIE FROM FENTANYL? OVERDOSES NEED TO DIE BECAUSE THEIR T****Y GOES OUT, BECAUSE THAT MONEY IS GOING TO A PLACE, A SYSTEM THAT WE KNOW IS WASTING MONEY.
WE KNOW THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HERE IS WASTING THAT MONEY MASSIVELY.
AND WE KNOW THAT THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE YOU GUYS HAVE GIVEN THEM MONEY AND SAID, USE IT FOR THIS, AND IT'S GONE TO SOMETHING OR SOMEONE ELSE, ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
[01:35:01]
THE MONEY.THE STUDENT POPULATION'S GONE DOWN BY ABOUT 7%.
CUT THE BUDGET FOR THE SCHOOLS BY ABOUT 7%.
THEY'VE GONE WAY OUTTA HAND OVER THE PAST DECADE.
THERE ARE LIVES ON THE LINE EVERYWHERE IN THIS ROOM.
GOOD EVENING, MADAM CHAIR AND THE BOARD, UH, GEORGE KLEIN, UH, FOURTH DISTRICT.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I, I WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS FOR SOMETHING THAT, UM, YOU GUYS HAVE DONE THIS YEAR.
YOU'VE BEEN EXTREMELY TRANSPARENT WITH THE BUDGET.
UM, IT'S BEEN AVAILABLE BY VIDEO TV.
UM, IT'S KIND OF DISAPPOINTING TODAY TO LOOK OUT AND SEE EMPTY SEATS.
BUT, UM, NONETHELESS, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
IT'S BEEN A TREMENDOUS ASSET FOR ME.
UM, I'VE ATTENDED ALMOST EVERY MEETING YOU GUYS HAVE HAD.
I'M SHOOTING FOR THE COFFEE CUP TOO, BY THE WAY,
BUT I'VE ATTENDED MOST OF ALL THE MEETINGS AND I GOTTA SAY THEY'VE BEEN A TREMENDOUS EYE OPENER.
UM, WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE TO GO THROUGH, WHAT THESE DEPARTMENTS NEED, UM, IS REAL, IT'S EXTREMELY REAL.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT NEEDS HELP.
I CAN'T TALK A LOT ABOUT THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT FOR A PERSONAL REASON, BUT, UM, THEY DO NEED AUTOMOBILES.
AND, UM, I FEEL LIKE THEY, ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, TODD AND EVERYONE, I I, I DID MISS THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT ONCE, BUT I THINK THEY'VE DONE A GREAT JOB ARTICULATING VERY SPECIFIC NEEDS.
AND I THINK IT'S, IT'S IMPORTANT, UM, TO REMEMBER THAT.
UM, I, I ALSO IN ALL, IN THESE LEARNING EXPERIENCES THAT I'VE HAD IN THE LAST TWO MONTHS, UM, ALSO HAD THE PLEASURE OF HELPING THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND BOY, WHAT AN EYE OPENER THAT WAS.
UM, BE SOMETHING I'LL NEVER FORGET.
UH, I WAS VERY HONORED THAT THEY CALLED.
BUT WHAT I REALIZED THAT DAY IS THESE GUYS NEED HELP AND THEY NEED HELP IN A BAD WAY WITH THE FIREHOUSES BEING EMPTY.
AND TO REALIZE THAT WE WERE ONE CALL AWAY FROM POSSIBLE, ANOTHER CATASTROPHE, A DEATH, A HEART ATTACK, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
SO, HAVING SAID ALL THAT, IN MY OPINION, UM, I FEEL THAT THE COUNTY OVER THE LAST, WELL, BASICALLY SINCE 19, HAS KICKED THE TAX CAN DOWN THE ROAD.
AND INSTEAD OF INCREASING OUR TAXES A LITTLE AT EACH TIME TO KEEP UP WITH THE INFLATION AND, AND WITH JUST TECHNOLOGY IN ITSELF, THINGS GET MORE EXPENSIVE.
WE'VE, I KNEW I WASN'T GONNA MAKE IT, BUT, UM, WE'VE GOT, UM, NOW WE GOTTA MAKE A BIG MOVE.
WE'RE BEHIND AND WE NEED TO CATCH IT UP.
AND I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU THAT I, I SUPPORT WHATEVER TAX INCREASE WE NEED, I DON'T CARE WHAT IT'S, BUT WE NEED TO GET OUR DEPARTMENTS UP TO SPEED.
ALL OF THEM, ALL OUR CORE SERVICES.
THE ONLY ONE THAT I DO NOT, IT'S NOT THAT I DON'T SUPPORT IT, BUT I THINK IT, THERE NEEDS TO BE EARMARKS ON IT.
UM, I DO BELIEVE THAT IF YOU'RE GONNA GIVE THEM THE MONEY, IT NEEDS TO BE VERY SPECIFIC.
I'D LIKE TO SEE THE TEACHERS GET IT, NOT THE ADMINISTRATION.
BECAUSE RIGHT NOW I THINK THE ADMINISTRATION HAS SOME INTERNAL ISSUES ALONG WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD.
AND WHEN THEY GET THEIR STUFF TOGETHER, YOU CAN REVISIT THAT.
BUT I THINK IF YOU'RE GONNA GIVE 'EM SOMETHING, PLEASE EARMARK WHERE IT'S GOING TO GO.
[01:40:03]
FRANCE.UH, I APOLOGIZE TO THESE PEOPLE IF I SMELL LIKE FISH.
I WAS FISHING WITH THE GRANDKIDS CATCHING TROUT DOWN IN HAPPY CREEK.
BUT, UH, REASON WHY I'M HERE, MY GOOD FRIEND JIM BONANO ASKED ME, JUST COME IN HERE AND SAY A WORD OR TWO.
COULD YOU GIVE US YOUR NAME AND DISTRICT? OH, I'M SORRY.
UH, HE ASKED ME TO SAY A WORD OR TWO.
UM, ONE THING I WILL SAY TO YOU FOLKS, WHEN HE GETS UP HERE AND STARTS THROWING SOME BIG WORDS OUT ON HIS RAMPAGE, MAKE HIM SPELL 'EM.
IF HE CAN'T SPELL 'EM, DON'T LET HIM USE IT.
BUT ANYWAY, I JUST WANT TO RUN, UH, WHAT THESE GUYS DO IN THE BACK EVERY DAY.
UH, A COUPLE YEARS AGO, HOUSE NEXT TO ME WAS ON A FIRE, FIRE TRUCK FROM CHESTER GOT PULLED UP, TWO PEOPLE ON IT.
ONE GUY PUMPED THE ENGINE, ONE GUY PULLED THE HOSE AND MY ASSISTANCE WENT IN AND PUT OUT THE FIRE.
TWO PEOPLE IN A CITY, YOU HAVE 20 PEOPLE AT LEAST THERE ON A MEDICAL CALL.
LET'S JUST EXAMPLE, TAKE SOUTH RIVER.
TWO PEOPLE GO OUT IN AN AMBULANCE.
IF THE PERSON'S NOT BREATHING UNCONSCIOUS, THEY'VE GOTTA QUICKLY ASSESS THIS PERSON.
THEY GOTTA CARRY IN AN OXYGEN BAG, AN OXYGEN BOTTLE, UH, A LIFE PACK OR A EDA DRUG BOX.
AND THEN THEY'VE GOTTA GO TO WORK WITH ON THIS PERSON.
WHAT IS HE BREATHING? IS HE NOT BREATHING? IS HIS HEART BEATING? IS IT NOT BEATING? IF NOT ONE PERSON HAS TO GRAB THE AIRWAY BAG, TAKE OUT A BAG, VALVE MASK, START BREATHING FOR THAT PERSON, THE OTHER PERSON HAS TO HOOK UP THE DEFIBRILLATOR OR THE HEART MONITOR TO THIS PERSON WITH THE DEFIBRILLATOR PADS.
AND IF HE'S NOT, DOESN'T HAVE A HEARTBEAT, HE'S GOT A SHOCK.
NOW, THIS IS TWO PEOPLE DOING ALL THIS WORK.
AND THEN IF THERE'S STILL NO UNITS, UH, ON SCENE, THEY'VE GOTTA START LOOKING AT TRYING TO INTUBATE THIS PERSON.
THEY GOTTA START LOOKING AT TRYING TO DO AN IV ON THIS PERSON.
AND IT'S A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK IN A VERY, EXTREMELY STRESSFUL SITUATION.
SO IT'S DEFINITELY WHAT THESE SHADOWS DO BACK HERE.
THEY'RE DOING A TREMENDOUS, TREMENDOUS JOB.
UM, WE, AND, AND WHAT JIMMY SAID, CRITICAL THING, TIME IS CRITICAL.
FOUR MINUTES WITHOUT OXYGEN TO YOUR BRAIN CAN CAUSE BRAIN DAMAGE.
YOU, YOU BRING YOUR HEART BACK, YOU MIGHT NOT BRING YOUR BRAIN BACK.
SO THAT'S A REALLY, THAT'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
UM, AND ROBERT PAYNE SAID, THESE ARE TIMES TO TRY MEN SOULS.
I DON'T WANT, I WOULDN'T, I DO NOT CRAZY ABOUT RAISING TAXES, BUT I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY WAY OUT.
THERE'S NO MONEY TREE TO GRAB, GET THIS MONEY FROM.
IT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT HAS TO BE DONE.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE TAX INCREASE THAT YOU TALKING ABOUT, YOU'RE ONLY TALKING MEAN 10 CENTS WAS 10 CENTS, 10 CENTS ON THE, UH, ONE PROPERTY AND THEN WHATEVER.
WE'RE NOT TALKING THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS.
UM, YOU CAN, YOU CAN FINALIZE IF YOU'VE ONLY GOT A FEW MORE COMMENTS.
SO I, I, I, YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA GET THESE PEOPLE WHAT THEY NEED.
I'M ALL FOR INCREASING THE TAXES A LITTLE BIT.
AND, UH, I THINK WHAT WE CAN TRY TO HOPEFULLY CONVEY TO OUR COMMUNITY IS THAT EVEN THOUGH YOU MIGHT NOT HAVE KIDS, YOU KNOW, IN SCHOOL, OR YOU MIGHT NOT KNOW THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, YOU NOT MIGHT KNOW THE SHERIFF, YOU MIGHT NOT BE INVOLVED WITH THIS.
IT AFFECTS YOUR NEIGHBORS AND IT AFFECTS YOUR COMMUNITY, AND IT'S A BENEFIT TO YOU TO GET THESE FOLKS EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED TO PROPERLY CARE FOR FOR THE REST OF US.
SIR, WE NEED TO GET BACK TO ME.
GET AWAY FROM THE ME BRING BACK THE WE.
NEXT, THAT'S ALL I HAVE, MA'AM.
WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME? IF YOU'D LIKE TO SPEAK AND YOU WANT TO MIGRATE TO THIS SIDE, THEN UM, WE'LL TAKE YOU IN TURN, EVERYBODY.
SCOTT LLOYD ON THE, THE HAPPY CREEK DISTRICT.
I JUST WANT SAY A FEW WORDS ON THE PROPOSED TAX INCREASES.
UM, I OPPOSED THE TAX INCREASES.
I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF, UH, TROUBLE WITH THE WAY THAT THIS, UM, DISCUSSION HAS BEEN FRAMED AS THOUGH IT'S A CHOICE BETWEEN, UH, GIVING POLICE VEHICLES THEY NEED OR, OR FIRE THE EQUIPMENT THAT THEY NEED AND THE TRAINING THAT THEY NEED AND RAISING TAXES.
I MEAN, I THINK THAT YOU CAN SUPPORT GIVING THE PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING DANGEROUS JOBS, WHAT THEY NEED WITHOUT RAISING TAXES.
[01:45:01]
THE HARD, UH, WORK OF, UH, COMING THROUGH THE BUDGET, IDENTIFYING OF PLACES WHERE YOU CAN SAVE MONEY.UM, ALL OF US ARE EXPERIENCING THE SAME INFLATIONARY AND WHATEVER ELSE, UH, PRESSURES THAT WE'RE, THAT THE COUNTY IS FACING, UH, IN OUR PRIVATE LIVES.
UM, I'M A, I'M A BUSINESS OWNER.
I HAVE, I HAVE EIGHT KIDS, UH, SORRY.
BUT, UH, YEAH, WE, WE HAVE EIGHT KIDS.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, YOU GOTTA MAKE TOUGH CHOICES.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S, UH, THAT, THAT THOSE TOUGH CHOICES MEAN THAT YOU HAVE TO SAY NO TO THINGS THAT YOU WANT OR THAT YOU FEEL THAT YOU NEED.
AND THAT'S THE REALITY FOR EVERYBODY, ALL THE WAY UP AND DOWN PUBLIC SERVICE, UH, PRIVATE.
AND, UM, WHEN I'M LOOKING FOR A, WHEN I'M LOOKING AT WHO I'M GOING TO CHOOSE AS A PUBLIC SERVICE, I KNOW THAT I'M SENDING THEM TO DO A DIFFICULT JOB.
AND SO, UM, WE ALL KNOW THAT IT'S A DIFFICULT JOB.
AND WHAT WE'RE ASKING YOU TO DO IS TO DO THAT DIFFICULT JOB AND IDENTIFY THOSE SAVINGS AND SAYING NO, WHERE, WHERE THE ANSWER IS, IS NO.
UH, PLEASE DO NOT PUT THE BURDEN OF FUNDING OUR, UH, OUR FIRE FUNDING, OUR, OUR, UH, POLICE AND EVERYTHING ELSE BACK ON THE CITIZENS.
UH, IDENTIFY THE PLACES WHERE THE COUNTY SPENT, WHERE IT DIDN'T NEED TO.
I CAN THINK OF SOME, SOME SPECIFIC ONES, UM, WITHOUT GOING, UH, LINE BY LINE THROUGH THE BUDGET.
I'D BE HAPPY TO DO THAT OFF TIME.
BUT ONE EXAMPLE IS, IS THE TOURISM, UH, BUDGET THAT WE'VE, WE'VE DECIDED TO EMBARK UPON.
THAT'S HOW MANY VESTS? I THINK THAT'S 10 VESTS, UH, BY THE MATH AT LEAST.
SO THAT'S JUST ONE EXAMPLE OF, UH, SPENDING THAT DOESN'T NEED TO HAPPEN.
UH, THAT CAN DISAPPEAR FROM THE BUDGET AND GO TO SERVE THE OTHER PRIORITIES THAT WE NEED.
SO IF WE'RE GOING TO PRIORITIZE SAFETY, FIRE, POLICE, EVERYTHING ELSE, THEN WE'VE GOTTA FIND OTHER PLACES TO DEPRIORITIZE.
THAT'S A HARD JOB TO DO, BUT THAT'S WHY WE HIRED YOU FOR THE JOB THAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND SO I'M ASKING YOU TO PLEASE, PLEASE DO NOT FURTHER BURDEN, UH, YOUR CITIZENS, UH, WITH THE, WITH THE, UH, HIGHER TAX RATE.
MY NAME IS LEE MEADOWS AND I'M A RESIDENT OF THE HAPPY CREEK DISTRICT AND AN EMPLOYEE OF THE WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
I'M HERE TONIGHT TO EXPRESS MY THANKS TO MY SUPERVISOR FOR TAKING THE INITIATIVE TO PROPOSE THE NEW TAX RATES, WHICH ARE UNDER DISCUSSION HERE TONIGHT.
I HAVE WATCHED FROM AFAR LISTENED ONLINE TO MEETINGS AND READ THE COMMENTS THAT SO FREQUENTLY END UP ON SOCIAL MEDIA, LAMBASTING THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT FOR VARIOUS THINGS.
I TRULY UNDERSTAND THE DIFFICULT TASKS THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU, BUT I URGE YOU TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR WARREN COUNTY AS A WHOLE AND INCREASE THE TAX RATE TO A POINT WHERE THE REQUESTED BUDGETS FROM FIRE AND EMS AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATION AND THE SCHOOLS CAN BE FULLY FUNDED.
I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE BEEN VIGOROUSLY WORKING BEHIND THE SCENES TO MAKE THEIR REQUESTS REQUESTED BUDGETS AS LEAN AS POSSIBLE, REMOVING AND TRIMMING AND GOING BACK AGAIN AND CUTTING EVEN MORE.
I HAVE TO BE HONEST, THIS CONCERNS ME.
I HEAR TALK OF PASSING ON INCREASES OF INSURANCE COSTS TO COUNTY EMPLOYEES INSTEAD OF THE COUNTY COVERING THOSE COSTS.
I HEAR OF NEEDED POSITIONS IN THE COUNTY AND IN THE SCHOOLS GOING UNFILLED OR BEING CUT OUT OF BUDGET REQUESTS COMPLETELY.
AND I HEARD OUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR IN A BOARD MEETING REMIND THE BOARD THAT THE WARREN COUNTY REVENUES ARE THE SAME AS THEY WERE YEARS AGO, NOT JUST POST COVID, BUT YEARS AGO.
I ASK, HOW WAS THAT POSSIBLE? WE HAVE EXPERIENCED EXPLOSIVE REAL ESTATE VALUES AND POPULATION GROWTH, A 1.7% INCREASE BETWEEN APRIL OF 2020 AND 2022.
AND IT CONTINUES TO GO UP AN EXPONENTIAL GROWTH IN REQUESTS FOR PERMITS TO TURN HOMES INTO SHORT TERM RENTALS, WHICH TELLS ME PEOPLE AREN'T LIVING IN THOSE HOMES.
THEY'RE INVESTMENT PROPERTIES AND SHOULD BE TAXED ACCORDINGLY, OR AT LEAST PAY FEES THAT WOULD MAKE THEM AN ASSET TO THE COUNTY INSTEAD OF A BURDEN.
ACCORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND STATISTICS, THE HIGHEST INCOME BRACKET FOR FRONT ROYAL, THE 29% OF THE POPULATION EARNS BETWEEN 75 AND 149,000 A YEAR.
AND ACCORDING TO THE US CENSUS BUREAU, WE HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE TRAVELING OUTTA WARREN COUNTY FOR JOBS AND BRINGING HOME A MEDIAN INCOME OF OVER $79,000.
WE HAVE INDUSTRY, WE HAVE JOBS WE CAN AFFORD TO PAY MORE TAXES TO ENSURE THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS WHAT WE WANT IT
[01:50:01]
TO BE, INSTEAD OF HAVING THE CHEAPEST TAX RATES AROUND AND WEAKENING OUR COMMUNITY BY STRANGLING ITS INFRASTRUCTURE.WARREN COUNTY IS NOT THE SAME COMMUNITY WITH A STRONG INFRASTRUCTURE FROM THE PAST, BUT A GROWING SUBURBAN AREA HEAVILY INFLUENCED BY NORTHERN VIRGINIA.
FOR BETTER OR WORSE, WE CANNOT APPROVE POSITIONS IN THE, UH, SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND NOT FUND THEM.
WE CANNOT EXPECT TO PROVIDE A 21ST CENTURY EDUCATION TO OUR CHILDREN WITHOUT SECURITY SECURING, EXCUSE ME, HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS AND SUPPORT STAFF TO FULFILL THAT NEED.
WE CANNOT MAINTAIN THE STATUS QUO AND EXPECT NOT TO BE LEFT BEHIND.
WE CANNOT UNDERFUND OUR FIRE AND EMS AND EXPECT THEM TO RESCUE US WHEN WE NEED THEM.
DON'T BE THE BOARD THAT STRANGLED OUR COMMUNITY BY REDUCING TAXES SO MUCH THAT WE HAVE NO ROOM TO ACCOMMODATE INCREASED NEEDS AND PROVIDE COMPETITIVE SALARIES THAT WOULD ATTRACT AND RETAIN HIGHLY QUALIFIED STAFF.
WE HAVE ASSURANCES IN PLACE TO PROVIDE REDUCTIONS FOR THOSE IN OUR COMMUNITIES THAT CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY INCREASED TAXES.
SOCIAL SECURITY HAS PROVIDED INCREASES FOR THOSE ELDERLY, AND THE COUNTY OFFERS PROGRAMS TO ASSIST WITH FINANCIAL NEED.
NO ONE TRULY WANTS TO PAY MORE TAXES AND A TAX INCREASE IS AN EASY THING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT, BUT RESIDENTS WILL BE WILLING TO PAY IT IF IT MEANS THAT WE HAVE STAFF PROGRAMS AND FACILITIES THAT MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY AND THAT WARREN COUNTY WILL CONTINUE TO BE A PLACE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO LIVE AND WORK.
UM, FOR THE LAST 30 YEARS, I'VE BEEN A RESIDENT OF WARREN COUNTY.
ABOUT 25 OF THOSE YEARS I COMMUTED TO WORK IN, IN ARLINGTON COUNTY.
AND PEOPLE USED TO ASK ME, WHY DO YOU DO THAT? IS IT WORTH IT? AND I TOLD 'EM IT WAS WORTH IT.
IT WAS A GREAT PLACE TO RAISE MY FAMILY.
IT WAS, THEY HAD SAFE STREETS, WE HAD GOOD SERVICES.
UH, I'M GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE I'M NOT SO SURE IT'S WORTH IT ANYMORE.
UM, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 35 YEARS, I WAS ABLE TO AFFORD A NEW VEHICLE, AND THE PROPERTY TAX IN THAT VEHICLE WAS HIGHER THAN I EXPECTED, AND IT'S KIND OF HIGH.
UM, MY HOUSE HAS GONE UP IN VALUE A A BIT IN THE LAST 30 YEARS.
I'VE STILL OWE QUITE A BIT ON IT, BUT THAT MEANS THE TAX HAS GONE UP ON IT.
ALSO, THE TAX HAS GONE UP ON IT SUBSTANTIALLY SINCE WHEN I FIRST MOVED HERE.
UH, I UNDERSTAND THINGS GO UP, BUT THAT'S WHERE I ELECT OFFICIALS TO MAKE HARD DECISIONS.
UH, AND THE DECISION BEFORE YOU NOW IS NOT TO RAISE TAXES, BUT HOW TO MANAGE THE MONEY THAT WE'VE GIVEN YOU SO THAT THE SHERIFF CAN HAVE THE PROPER STAFF THAT THEY NEED SO THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CAN HAVE THE PROPER STAFF THEY NEED.
THE MOST RECENT MCCOY FIRE WAS LESS THAN A THOUSAND YARDS FROM MY HOUSE.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT USED EVERY SINGLE PERSONNEL THEY COULD TO SAVE DOZENS OF HOMES.
UNFORTUNATELY, IF YOU HAD A PROBLEM ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COUNTY, YOU'RE OUTTA LUCK.
SO WHAT DO WE DO? WE NEED TO SUPPORT OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.
WE NEED TO SUPPORT OUR SHERIFF.
THERE'S A LOT OF PROGRAMS THAT WE HAVE, AND I WORKED FOR ARLINGTON COUNTY GOVERNMENT FOR 32 YEARS.
I'VE SAT THROUGH DOZENS OF THESE BUDGET HEARINGS.
I KNOW HOW GOVERNMENT CAN WASTE MONEY.
THEY, THEY WASTE A LOT OF MONEY.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS I DON'T LIVE IN ARLINGTON, IS BECAUSE I DON'T WANT MY MONEY WASTED.
I DON'T MIND PAYING TAXES IF IT'S GOING TO THE RIGHT STUFF.
PLEASE MAKE SURE YOU PUT THE MONEY WHERE IT BELONGS.
THIS BOARD IS CONSIDERING RAISING THE REAL ESTATE AND PERSONAL PROPERTY RATES BY 10% AND 9% RESPECTIVELY.
ALR ONE OF THE BOARD MEMBERS RECENTLY SAID THAT REVENUES WERE GOING DOWN AND INFLATIONARY PRESSURES WERE INCREASING.
BUT SINCE REAL ESTATE ASSESSMENTS AND PERSONAL PROPERTY VALUES GREW OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, RESULTING IN HIGHER TAX BILLS, REVENUE SHOULD HAVE BEEN HIGHER WHILE INFLATION DID TEMPORARILY RISE TO 9%.
IT HAS COME DOWN NOW TO UNDER 3%.
I DOUBT THAT MANY OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS ARE GETTING NINE OR 10% RAISES THIS YEAR.
SO MAYBE GOVERNMENT OUGHT TO BE FOCUSING ON ACHIEVING IMPROVED EFFICIENCY
[01:55:01]
WITH EXISTING RESOURCES RATHER THAN GROWING GOVERNMENT.WOULDN'T HURT TO DO MORE PRIORITIZING OF SERVICES, ALSO TO BETTER FUND CRITICAL NEEDS AND REDUCE GOVERNMENT SERVICES WHERE THERE IS LESSER RETURN ON INVESTMENT.
I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A FIRE AND RESCUE REQUEST FOR NINE ADDITIONAL STAFF.
I THINK IT WASN'T TOO LONG AGO THAT GRANT MONEY WAS OBTAINED TO FUND SIX NEW POSITIONS, AND WHEN THAT FUNDING EXPIRED, LOCAL MONEY WAS FOUND.
SO WE ALREADY HAD MEANINGFUL STAFF GROWTH THERE RECENTLY.
WHAT ARE THE CRITICAL NEEDS NOW THAT JUSTIFY SUCH FURTHER STAFF EXPANSION? WELL, PUBLIC SAFETY'S IMPORTANT.
IT CAN'T BE A SACRED COW THAT CONSUMES MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF PUBLIC RESOURCES TO THE DETRIMENT OF EVERYTHING ELSE.
ALSO, OUR EXISTING RESOURCES BEING APPROPRIATELY USED.
I THINK THERE ARE SIX FIRE STAFF ASSIGNED AT THE FORT VALLEY VOLUNTEER STATION, AND THAT HAS TO BE ONE OF THE LOWEST CALL VOLUME STATIONS IN THE COUNTY.
MAYBE FIRE AND RESCUE COULD DO A BETTER JOB OF ASSIGNING THE STAFF THEY ALREADY HAVE BEFORE ASKING FOR MORE.
OVER A DECADE AGO, AN OBJECTIVE CONSULTANT RECOMMENDED THAT FORT VALLEY AND RIVERMONT STATIONS BE CONSOLIDATED.
MAYBE IT'S TIME WE RESPECT THE ADVICE WE PAID FOR.
I ESCAPED TO WARREN COUNTY IN 2005 FROM FAIRFAX AND HAD TWO GOALS IN MIND FOR MY NEW GOVERNMENT.
FIRST MANAGED GROWTH, SO THE OPEN SPACES DIDN'T BECOME HIGH DENSITY NEIGHBORHOODS, AND TWO, KEEP A LIMITED GOVERNMENT.
IN RECENT YEARS, WE'VE HAD BOARDS THAT HAVE MET BOTH OF MY GOALS.
RAISING TAX RATES BY NINE AND 10% MAY NOT DEMONSTRATE THAT YOU'RE COMMITTED TO MAINTAINING A LIMITED AND CONSERVATIVE GOVERNMENT IN WARREN COUNTY.
YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT, UH, SPENDING MORE, BEING WILLING TO SPEND MORE MONEY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
WELL, IF YOU WANT GREAT PUBLIC SAFETY, MOVE TO FAIRFAX OR LOUDOUN.
PEOPLE DON'T COME OUT HERE TO GET FULL PUBLIC SAFETY.
IT'S A RISK IS INHERENT IN LIFE.
THANK YOU FOR, UH, LISTENING AND FOR YOUR SERVICE.
I LIVE IN THE HAPPY CREEK DISTRICT.
UM, I JUST WANNA START OFF BY SAYING, UM, I'M EXTREMELY GRATEFUL FOR THE WORK THAT OUR FIREFIGHTERS DO FOR, UM, WHAT THE WARREN COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE DOES.
UM, I I DO WHOLEHEARTEDLY AGREE THAT WE SHOULD HAVE PERMANENT POSITIONS, UM, RATHER THAN HAVING TO RELY ON VOLUNTEERING.
UM, BUT I'M ABSOLUTELY OPPOSED TO ANY INCREASE IN TAXES, INCLUDING PROPERTY TAXES AND PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES.
UM, I THINK A SLU AN AN ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION HAS ALREADY BEEN PRESENTED OF LOOKING AT WHERE WE'RE ALREADY, UM, LOCATING OTHER FUNDS, UM, WHERE FUNDS ARE BEING ABUSED, ESPECIALLY WITH THE WARREN COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL WHO HAS A HISTORY OF ABUSING FUNDS AND, AND PERHAPS LOOKING INTO, UM, THE FUNDING THERE.
I JUST WANNA SAY I GOT A PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX BILL FOR MY CAR BACK IN DECEMBER.
UM, AND I ONLY HAD THE CAR SINCE APRIL.
AND THE, THE BILL WAS OVER A HUNDRED DOLLARS MORE THAN MY ACTUAL MONTHLY CAR PAYMENT, AND THAT WAS ONLY FOR EIGHT MONTHS.
UM, I HAVE A VERY GOOD, UM, FRIEND FROM MY CHURCH.
UM, SHE'S AN 81-YEAR-OLD ELDERLY WIDOW.
SHE MARTYRS HERSELF EVERY DAY FOR PEOPLE IN IN HER COMMUNITY WHO NEED HER HELP.
UM, AN INCREASE IN HER TAX RATE WOULD DEFINITELY CRIPPLE HER ABILITY TO GET BY.
UM, SHE WOULD HAVE TO PAY MORE IN HER CAR, UH, FOR HER CAR.
UM, REGULAR PEOPLE WOULD SUFFER, INCLUDING THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO HELP HERE WITH THE, WITH THE FIREFIGHTERS AND, AND THE, UM, SHERIFF'S OFFICE EMPLOYEES.
SO, UM, I'M JUST, UM, ASKING THE BOARD TO CONSIDER INSTEAD OF INCREASING TAXES AND, UM, SUBJUGATING PEOPLE TO, TO THE EFFECTS OF THAT TO PLEASE CONSIDER ALL THE OTHER ALTERNATIVES LIKE, UM, LOOKING INTO WHERE WE'RE, UM, MISAPPROPRIATING OUR CURRENT FUNDS.
UM, AND I, AND I DON'T THINK THAT IT'S A, A GOOD ARGUMENT TO SAY THAT, OH, WE HAVEN'T INCREASED TAXES SINCE 2009 BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE ALREADY BEING SUBJUGATED BY TAXES BACK THEN.
AND, UM, THE WAY THAT THE THINGS CURRENTLY STAND PRESENTLY, PEOPLE WERE ALREADY FINDING IT VERY HARD TO GET BY.
SO, UM, THAT'S JUST MY 2 CENTS.
WOULD ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME? HEY GUYS, HOW YOU DOING? MY NAME'S TOM SHALIN.
I LIVE IN, UH, NANDO DISTRICT.
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP IN THIS OUT.
[02:00:01]
THE ODD PERSON.I FEEL TAXES IS WHAT WE PAY TO LIVE IN THIS SOCIETY.
THAT'S WHY WE LIVE IN WARREN COUNTY.
SO I DO NOT CARE IF YOU RAISE MY TAXES.
I WANT FIRE, I WANT RESCUE, I WANT SCHOOLS.
IF THAT TAKES ME TO PAY MORE TAXES, THEN SEND ME THE BILL.
I WANT THOSE PEOPLE TO BE THERE WHEN I NEED THEM AND I WANT IT DONE.
ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME? YOU, JERRY, MIA, TACO, UM, SOUTH RIVER DISTRICT.
UM, I WANT TO THANK THE BOARD COUNTY STAFF AND AND THE MEMBERS ON THIS FRONT ROW FOR YOUR, UH, EXTREMELY HARDWORKING DILIGENCE IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET CYCLE.
UH, TO LOOK AT THE, THE STRESS ON EVERYBODY'S FACES.
I KNOW IT DOESN'T GO IN VAIN ON THE, THE CONSIDERATIONS THAT YOU HAVE TO MAKE.
UM, YOU'VE HEARD A LOT ABOUT FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICES, LAW ENFORCEMENT SERVICES, EDUCATION SERVICES.
UM, WHAT YOU HAVEN'T HEARD IS PERSPECTIVE, RIGHT? AND TO SEE THE HARD WORK OF OUR MEN AND WOMEN, UM, FROM BOTH PUBLIC SAFETY SECTORS, FIRE AND RESCUE, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND THE CHALLENGES THAT THEY COME TO WORK AND FACE EVERY DAY, UM, TO MAKE IT WORK.
WE DO NOT HAVE A LARGE TURNOVER RATE IN OUR FIRE AND RESCUE SYSTEM.
WE HAVE SOME OF THE MOST DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS IN THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY.
UH, AND THAT WAS APPARENT TO OUR MOST RECENT WILDFIRE EVENT.
UH, WE HAD VOLUNTEERS SHOWING UP WHILE THEIR WIFE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL.
WE HAD VOLUNTEERS SHOWING UP WHILE THEY WERE ON MEDICAL LEAVE, UH, BECAUSE OF THE NECESSITY AND THE NEED FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE.
UH, I'VE BEEN BEFORE THIS BOARD IN, UH, SEVERAL DIFFERENT BUDGET INCREASES AND PROPOSED TAX INCREASES.
AND, AND MY MESSAGE HAS ALWAYS BEEN SIMPLE AND CLEAR.
IF THE DECISION YOU MAKE TODAY PROVIDES A BETTER QUALITY OF LIFE FOR MY FAMILY THAN MAKE IT IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, I HAVE CHOSE TO LIVE HERE.
I VERY WELL COULD MOVE OUT OF THE COMMUNITY AND SEEK BETTER SERVICES.
AND I OFTEN TELL PEOPLE THAT WHEN I GOT OUTTA HIGH SCHOOL, I SAID, THE FIRST THING I'M GONNA DO IS MOVE OUT OF THIS TOWN.
WELL, GUESS WHAT? I'M STILL HERE.
I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND WHEN WE PRIORITIZED THE PARKS AND REC SYSTEM, THE WALKING TRAIL OVER TOP OF FIRE AND EMS SERVICES, GUESS WHERE WE WERE AT LAST NIGHT? EATING ICE CREAM ON THE WALKING TRAIL, RIGHT? IT'S ABOUT COMMUNITY, RIGHT? WE UNDERSTAND THAT YOU HAVE TO MAKE THOSE HARD, TOUGH DECISIONS.
I JUST DO WANNA SPEAK TO ONE OF THE SPEAKERS AS FAR AS REPRIORITIZING STAFF AND RELOCATING STAFF.
MY FAMILY, I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN THE FORT SMITH RESPONSE DISTRICT AND MY FAMILY STILL LIVES THERE AS PART OF THE FORK DISTRICT.
WHY ARE THEY LESS IMPORTANT THAN ANY OTHER MEMBER OF THIS COMMUNITY? THEY DESERVE THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICE AS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE PROTECTED BY THE FRONT ROYAL FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE SOUTH RIVER FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND I NOTICED THAT WHEN WE REAPPROPRIATE STAFF, WE REAPPROPRIATE STAFF.
NOT WHERE I LIVE, RIGHT? OR THAT SPEAKER LIVED, BUT IN OTHER AFFECTED AREAS.
THE PROPOSAL THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU FOR FIRE AND RESCUE PROVIDES EQUAL LEVEL OF SERVICES ACROSS THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
AND AS YOU HEARD, THAT'S JUST THE STEPPING STONE.
ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK AT THIS TIME? HELLO, MY NAME'S AUSTIN.
SOME OF YOU PROBABLY RECOGNIZE ME.
UM, INTERESTINGLY, ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE.
YOU WANNA KNOW WHAT KEEPS ME UP AT NIGHT? UM, I NEVER WOULD'VE THOUGHT THAT THIS WOULD'VE BEEN ME, BUT I LAY UP AT NIGHT AND I'M LIKE, I HEAR RIVERMONT GO OUT AND I THINK, WELL, I'VE GOT A 2-YEAR-OLD AT HOME.
WHAT DO I DO RIGHT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS TO HER BECAUSE RIVER VERMONT'S OUT.
WHAT DO I HAVE COMING? RIVER FRONT ROYAL, I'M SURE IS OUT RIVER VERMONT'S OUT, WHAT DO I HAVE COMING THE COMPANY FROM FORT VALLEY OR FORT SMITH THAT ISN'T AS IMPORTANT? YOU KNOW, I ASK THAT YOU LOOK AT IT FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE OF, YOU KNOW, WE NEED THE STAFFING ACROSS THE BOARD.
WHETHER THAT'S JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, TWO PEOPLE HERE, TWO PEOPLE THERE.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE OVER 80 PEOPLE BEHIND WHERE WE SHOULD BE.
WE SHOULD BE, WE SHOULD BE ASKING FOR A 80, A HUNDRED PEOPLE JUST TO BE AT MINIMUM WHERE WE SHOULD BE BY, BY STANDARDS.
WE'RE SO FAR FROM WHERE WE SHOULD BE,
[02:05:01]
AND YET WE'RE ONLY ASKING FOR NINE.I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU GUYS ARE IN A PREDICAMENT.
UM, I'D BE FOOLISH IF I SAID I DIDN'T UNDERSTAND, AND I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK THAT YOU DON'T LOOK AT THAT AND REPRIORITIZE AS YOU NEED IT.
I'M SURE THAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE YOUR DUE DILIGENCE.
IF YOU'RE NOT WILLING TO RAISE TAXES, THEN ALLOW PEOPLE TO BUILD, ALLOW THE GROWTH, ALLOW THE DEVELOPMENT.
YOU'RE NOT GONNA GET MONEY IN FROM, NOT FROM RAISING TAXES OR FROM, FROM LEAVING THE TAX WHERE THEY'RE AT.
ALLOW THE BUILDING, ALLOW THESE COMPANIES TO COME IN WITH HIGHER TAX REVENUE THAT WE'RE GONNA GET FROM IT.
SO I ASK YOU TO KEEP THAT INTO CONSIDERATION.
ANYONE ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK? THIRD AND FINAL, WE WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND COMMENTS FROM THE BOARD.
WELL, WE JUST WENT THROUGH, UM, OUR PRESENTATION OF HOW WE GOT HERE, AND I AGREE JUST BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T PAID TAXES OVER 10 YEARS THAT ALL OF A SUDDEN WE NEED TO RAISE TAXES.
BUT, UM, I, I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS FOCUS WHAT'S AHEAD OF US.
YOU CAN'T GO BACK AND CHANGED THE PAST.
YOU KNOW, WE, YOU KNOW, AS DR.
DALEY WENT THROUGH OF THINGS, WHAT WE'VE, WHAT WE'VE USED TAX DOLLARS AND, UM, WE, WE DIDN'T MAKE THE ADJUSTMENTS AS WE WENT ALONG.
I'M JUST GONNA BE HONEST, THROUGH, THROUGH WHAT, 10 YEARS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THIS HAS GONE THROUGH.
UM, ON TOP OF IT IS, IS OUR DEBT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE HAD A LITTLE PRESENTATION ON OUR DEBT AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, I'M SORRY,
UM, ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD, YOU KNOW, LIKE DR.
DALEY POINTED OUT, YOU KNOW, UM, UNPLANNED EXPENDITURES AND, UM, PROJECTS, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE COURTHOUSE, WE HAD THE MOLT ISSUE AND THAT COST MONEY AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO, UH, I HAVE DONE A LOT OF, I HATE USING THE WORD, BUT, YOU KNOW, DUE DILIGENCE.
I'VE GONE THROUGH EVERY PIECE OF DOCUMENT AND I'VE HAD TO ASK MYSELF, HOW DID WE GET HERE? AND IT WAS JUST A LOT OF INCREASES IN SPENDING OVER, I DUNNO, 10 YEARS, 20 YEARS, THAT WAS NOT ADJUSTED IN OUR REVENUE, REVENUE FORECASTS.
SO, UM, I CAN SAY WHAT WE KEEP TALKING THAT'S IN THE BOX, THE UNFUNDED AMOUNT, AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S A QUITE A BIT OF MONEY.
IT'S $7.5 MILLION UNFUNDED ASS.
AND I KEEP LOOKING AT AS HOW DO WE MINIMIZE THIS ASK WITHOUT A BIG TAX BURDEN ON THE COMMUNITY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I, I DID MY HOMEWORK.
YOU KNOW, UH, UH, AS FAR AS OUR DEMOGRAPHICS AND, YOU KNOW, FOR SENIORS, OH, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN THE AGES OF 50 AND 64, THAT'S 21% OF OUR POPULATION.
SO I DON'T WANNA PUT A BIG BURDEN ON OUR SENIORS.
FOR SENIORS THAT ARE OVER THE AGE OF 65.
IT'S ALMOST 18% IN OUR COUNTY.
SO MY POSITION GOING FORWARD, YOU KNOW, WITH, TO SHARE WITH MY COLLEAGUES IS HERE IS, UM, YEAH, WE'RE SHIFTING OUR PRIORITY FROM OTHER PAST BOARD BOARDS PRIORITIES, RIGHT? YOU KNOW, OTHER BOARDS PRIORITIES WAS, YOU KNOW, BUILDING HIGH SCHOOLS.
AND IN FACT, I CAN JUST GO THROUGH A QUICK EXAMPLES.
WHAT IN TWO 20, UH, 2014 WAS LEACH RUN PARKWAY.
THAT WAS, YOU KNOW, 4.1 MILLION WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL, AND 2014 WAS 13.9 MILLION.
SO THESE WERE PRIORITIES OF FORMER BOARDS.
SO NOW WE'RE MAKING A SHIFT, AND NOW WE'RE REALIZING PUBLIC SAFETY IS VERY IMPORTANT NOW BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN LEFT BEHIND.
AND SO NOW WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE CATCHING UP.
AND I'VE SEEN THE BUDGET, I'VE SEEN WHAT THAT THE DEPARTMENT'S BUDGETS, AND WE'RE CUTTING.
[02:10:01]
WE ARE AT THE BARE MINIMUM.AND, UM, AND, AND I, I THINK THAT WE COULD PROBABLY CUT A LITTLE BIT MORE, AND I KNOW WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO CUT A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT THAT'S FOR OUR BUDGET HEARINGS, RIGHT? THIS IS ABOUT SETTING THE TAX RATE.
SO I AM, I JUST WANNA SHARE WITH MY COLLEAGUES, AND I KNOW WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THIS, IS THAT I KNOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO INCREASE TAXES.
AND THEN OUR PRIORITY IS PUBLIC SAFETY AND GETTING, YOU KNOW, UH, AND THE QUALITY OF LIFE OF OUR CITIZENS.
BUT I WANNA BALANCE THE TAX INCREASE.
I WANNA MINIMIZE IT THIS $7.5 MILLION.
I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD BE FUNDING INCREASING TAXES TO PAY FOR THIS UNFUNDED AMOUNT OF $7.5 MILLION.
I THINK WE NEED TO, UM, LOOK AT IT AND, AND, AND CUT IT DOWN TO WHERE THE TAX INCREASE DOES NOT PUT A HUGE BURDEN ON OUR PEOPLE.
AND SO, UH, THAT'S BASICALLY WHERE I AM.
AND, UM, OH, THAT'S ALL I REALLY WANTED TO SAY, MADAM CHAIRMAN.
JAMESON, ANY COMMENTS? UM, THIS IS A, A SURREAL SITUATION.
UM, I FIND MYSELF IN, BECAUSE, UM, I WAS ELECTED.
I SAID, AND, AND I, I SAID THAT I AM A LIFELONG CONSERVATIVE.
UM, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S QUITE INTERESTING WHEN YOU, UM, ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF EV EVERYTHING AND SEE EVERYTHING AND ASK QUESTIONS OF EVERYBODY AND HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO, THERE'S NO QUESTION I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO ASK, UM,
UM, I, I EMPATHIZE WITH EVERY, EVERY PERSON WHO IS AGAINST DEAD SET AGAINST RAISING TAXES.
'CAUSE I, I, I AM THAT PERSON, UH, BUT I DIDN'T CAMPAIGN TO NEVER RAISE TAXES.
I CAMPAIGNED TO PRIORITIZE COUNTY GOVERNMENT WORKING WITHIN ITS MEANS TO MANAGE TAXES.
I, SO I'M HERE, I'M ON A TEAM TASKED WITH DOING A JOB.
AND, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY SAID, WELL, WE HIRED YOU TO DO THE JOB, SO DO IT.
AND IN FACT, I'M TRYING TO DO IT.
I'VE BEEN, I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE JANUARY 1ST, WHAT IS THIS? APRIL 9TH FOR MONTHS.
AND I WANNA REMIND EVERYBODY, UM, AND MAYBE SOME PEOPLE ARE WATCHING THIS THAT HAVEN'T BEEN WATCHING EVERY OTHER, EVERY SINGLE BUDGET VIDEO THAT'S STREAMED LIVE AND AVAILABLE TO GO WATCH, AND EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT HEAD COMING UP AND GOING THROUGH EVERY LINE OF THEIR BUDGETS, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY BOOTS THEY NEED, HOW MANY UNIFORMS THEY NEED, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S SO COMBING THROUGH THE BUDGETS IS EXACTLY WHAT WE'VE DONE COMBING THROUGH 'EM WITH A FINE TOOTH COMB FOR THE LAST FOUR MONTHS, THREE MONTHS.
SO, UH, PRIOR TO GETTING INTO THIS, THIS ROLE, I, I WOULD NOT BE, I WOULD NOT BELIEVE IT.
SATION IS, IS THERE'S, THERE'S, IF IT'S GOVERNMENT, IT'S, IT'S L IT UP.
WELL, I'M, I'M TESTIFYING THAT, THAT IT'S NOT LARDED UP THE COUNTY IS LEAN.
I'M NOT SAYING IT'S, IT'S CUT TO THE BONE.
AND I'M NOT SAYING I'M, I'M FULLY SATISFIED WITH EVERY ASPECT OF IT.
UM, I ESPECIALLY HAVE SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE, THE WAY THAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS FINANCED AND THE ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY OF THAT BUDGET PROCESS.
THERE'S A VERY, VERY BIG CONTRAST TO WAY ALL FIVE OF THESE SUPERVISORS HAVE SAT HERE THROUGH MONTHS,
[02:15:01]
GONE THROUGH EVERY DEPARTMENT AND COMBED THROUGH THEIR BUDGETS.AND BY THE WAY, THE ASKS AT THE BEGINNING WERE, WERE, I THINK I'M, I'M GOING FROM MEMORY, BUT SOMEWHERE IN THE $18 MILLION RANGE.
AND BASICALLY, WE, WE CUT IT ALL.
WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SUPPORTING IS WHAT WE CALL IN THE BOX, THIS, THIS HERE, THIS ON THIS PAGE WHERE WE HAVE TO DECIDE WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO, TO FUND.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, LEST ANYONE THINK I'M, I'M NAIVE ABOUT FINANCING.
I MEAN, HAVE BEEN A BUSINESSMAN FOR, FOR 30 PLUS YEARS.
I MEAN, I, I UNDERSTAND MONEY AND I, I ALSO UNDERSTAND PEOPLE AND I UNDERSTAND SLACK.
UM, AND I FRANKLY EXPECTED TO FIND A GOOD BIT OF IT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I'M, I'M GOING TO LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN A BIT BECAUSE I'M, I'M NOT GONNA CLAIM HERE, THIS IS THE IDEAL OPTIMIZED OPERATION.
I CAN'T, I CAN'T APPRECIATE THOUGH, UM, THE, THE STAFF IN, IN, IN TERMS OF THEIR ATTITUDES ABOUT COSTS AND ABOUT PEOPLE.
AND, UM, IT'S A GOOD ATTITUDE.
AND, AND AGAIN, I'M, I'M TESTIFYING WITH MY THREE MONTHS OF EXPERIENCE, WHICH I THINK IS, IS WORTH A, A FAIR AMOUNT, UM, THAT THE, THE PEOPLE PRESENTLY RUNNING THE COUNTY CARE ABOUT THE COUNTY.
THEY WANT THE COUNTY TO THRIVE.
THEY WANT THE COUNTY TO BE HEALTHY.
UM, IT, THERE, THERE ARE NOT, UH, I DON'T MEAN THIS IN, IN A BAD WAY, BUT, UM, THERE AREN'T PEOPLE HELP PEOPLE AT THE RUNNING THIS COUNTY THAT ARE JUST WAITING TO GET THEIR NEXT JOB IN, IN THE, IN THE NEXT COUNTY EAST.
THEY'RE CITIZENS HERE THAT, THAT WANT THE COUNTY TO THRIVE, THAT THAT MEANS SOMETHING.
UM, AND, AND IF YOU'RE IN A, IF YOU'RE ME, PRIOR TO BEING, UH, BASICALLY SUCKERED INTO RUNNING FOR, FOR, FOR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, UM, THEN I'M WITH YOU.
LIKE, THERE, THERE'S, THIS IS A, THIS OPERATION.
THERE'S NO WAY THIS COUNTY DOESN'T HAVE THAT.
WELL, GUESS WHAT? UM, WE CAN'T PRINT MONEY.
SO IF, IF WE COULD, IF WE COULD BE A, YOU KNOW, NATIONAL GOVERNMENT, UM, WE COULD JUST PRINT THE MONEY WE NEED AND, AND MAKE EVERYBODY THINK THAT WE, WE CAN FULFILL EVERY NEED.
NOW, SOMEBODY STOLE MY, MY, MY SAYING HERE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I SAW WAS A STUDY 15 YEARS AGO.
IT WAS 15 YEARS AGO THAT IT WAS IDENTIFIED THAT THIS IS NOT, IT NO LONGER IS ABLE TO BE SUPPORTED IN A SAFE WAY BY AN ALL VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT OR A MOSTLY VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AND THERE'S REALLY WASN'T ACTED UPON IN A, IN A MEANINGFUL WAY AS FAR AS I KNOW, UNTIL LAST YEAR WHEN THEY FINALLY, WHEN THEY STARTED A HIRING PROCESS, UM, THAT'S CALLED KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.
AND MY OBSERVATION THAT I WROTE IN MY NOTES WAS, IT'S NOT A CAN.
IT'S A 55 GALLON BARREL FULL OF WATER.
THERE'S NO KICKING IT DOWN THE ROAD.
UM, AND I DON'T, I DON'T THINK I, I, AGAIN, THIS IS ME BEFORE I GOT INTO THIS OFFICE, NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING ON COUNTY YET.
DO I KNEW THERE WAS A, DID I KNOW THERE WAS A SCANDAL? YES.
DID I KNOW $20 MILLION WAS, WAS EMBEZZLED? YES, I KNEW ALL THAT.
SO WAS MY, WHAT WAS MY IMPRESSION? WELL, JUST GENERALLY NEGATIVE.
WELL, THERE, FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, IT'S BEEN MENTIONED, THERE HASN'T BEEN A TAX INCREASE, BUT, BUT THERE WAS A CUSHION.
EVERY COUNTY SHOULD HAVE A, A FINANCIAL CUSHION.
I MEAN, DEALING WITH EDA LEGAL FEES, SCHOOLS, CAPITAL ABSORBING 20 FIRE AND RESCUE POSITIONS, FIRE TRUCKS AND AMBULANCES STANDING UP A TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT, WHICH THE COUNTY DIDN'T EVEN HAVE, UM, COURTHOUSE IMPROVEMENTS THAT WERE NECESSITATED OUT OF MOLD.
UM, YOU KNOW, NEW PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS, SCHOOL REQUEST, CAPITAL NEEDS.
I MEAN, THIS HAPPENED BY DRONING DOWN THE SAFETY CUSHION.
SO THERE'S NO SAFETY CUSHION THERE.
THERE SHOULD BE, BUT THERE'S NOT.
SO, UM, THE, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S A, A TO ME, AN UN A VERY UNCOMFORTABLE SITUATION.
[02:20:02]
BUT THERE ISN'T AN, AND, AND I'VE HEARD VERY VALID COMMENTS IN TERMS OF, UH, CONCERNS ABOUT MISAPPROPRIATION AND ABUSE.AND, UH, I DO HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT ACCOUNTABILITY.
AND THAT RESIDES PRINCIPALLY WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO, TO SEE IN THAT SYSTEM.
UM, SO THAT'S AN UNKNOWN FOR ME.
IT'S ONE THAT NEEDS MORE INFORMATION, MORE JUSTIFICATION.
UH, BUT TO THE, TO THE BLANKET STATEMENT THAT JUST COMB THROUGH THE BUDGET AND FIND THE CUTS, YOU KNOW, A MILLION DOLLARS FOR, FOR FIREFIGHTERS, I MEAN, UM, OKAY, UH, LET'S GO THROUGH WITH THAT COMB AND FIND, UM, A $200,000 LINE ITEM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT I DON'T THINK WE NEED, BUT THREE OTHER PEOPLE THINK WE DO NEED.
YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S AGGRAVATING THE SITUATION WE'RE IN.
BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS, THIS, I THINK WHAT I, WHAT I SAID WAS TO DEAL WITH THE PAST RESPONSIBLY AND MANAGE, NO, WHAT DID I SAY? MY, I HAD A CAMPAIGN SLOGAN, I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER IT NOW, BUT DEAL RESPONSIBLY WITH THE PAST AND, UM, PLAN RESPONSIBLY FOR THE FUTURE.
SO, UH, AND, AND THE OTHER AGGRAVATING THING HERE IS THAT WE CAN'T MAKE RADICAL, WE CAN'T TURN 180 DEGREES.
WE CAN'T PIVOT HERE, UH, AND GO THE OTHER DIRECTION IN CERTAIN AREAS.
UH, MAYBE IT'S, MAYBE IT'S NOT QUITE THAT BIG, BUT WE CAN'T PIVOT 90 DEGREES.
SO TO A CERTAIN EXTENT, WE ARE TRYING TO MODERATE, WE'RE TRYING, WE'RE NOT JUST NOBODY ON THIS BOARD.
I, I'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW ALL THESE PEOPLE.
THEY'RE ALL PEOPLE OF GOODWILL.
THEY'RE ALL PRETTY CONSERVATIVE PEOPLE.
UM, EVEN IF, YOU KNOW, IN YOUR PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCE, YOU'RE, YOU'RE UNWILLING TO GRANT THAT IT'S A CONSERVATIVE PERSON WHO IS INTENDING TO PRIORITIZE GOVERNMENT, WORKING WITHIN ITS MEANS CAN ACTUALLY VOTE TO RAISE TAXES.
I, I, AGAIN, I I'M GONNA REPEATEDLY SAY, THAT WAS ME SIX MONTHS AGO.
OKAY? UM, I WAS ELECTED TO DO THE JOB, AND IF THE JOB ENTAILS MAKING THAT, YOU KNOW, UNCOMFORTABLE MOVE, THEN I HAVE TO DO IT.
'CAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T, THIS FIRE CAME UP AND IT, AND IT OPENED A LOT OF PEOPLE'S EYES.
UM, EVERY PERSON WHO HAS SAID AGAINST RAISING TAXES WAS CAREFUL TO SAY THEY DO SUPPORT THE FIRE AND, AND SHERIFF DEPARTMENT.
SO WE HAVE TO FIND $4 MILLION OF, OF BOOTS AND COMPUTERS AND, AND OTHER STUFF TO COMB THROUGH AND, AND CUT OUT.
SO IT JUST, IT DOESN'T ACTUALLY WORK.
AND THE, THE FACT THAT THIS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S INTEREST NOW, AND I, AND THIS MAY BE THE FIRST YEAR, I'M NOT SURE IF THIS HAS BEEN STREAMED LIKE THIS.
EVERY SINGLE BUDGET MEETING, EVERY DEPARTMENT HEAD, EVERY LINE OF THEIR BUDGET UNDER SCRUTINY, ASKING QUESTIONS FROM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU'VE WATCHED, WE'VE ALL ASKED QUESTIONS.
UM, SO EVERYONE CAN COMB THROUGH IT.
IF YOU'RE NOT HAPPY THIS YEAR, COME NEXT YEAR AND HELP US COMB THROUGH IT AND GET UP AT THE PODIUM AND SAY WHICH LINE ITEM YOU'RE, YOU'RE AGAINST BEFORE WE GET HERE.
NOW, UM, I APOL I APOLOGIZE TO EVERYBODY NOW FOR SOUNDING SO, SO BITTER, IF THAT'S WHAT I SOUND LIKE IF I SOUND BITTER.
UM, BECAUSE THIS, IT'S A, IT'S A LIFE CHANGING EXPERIENCE TO BE IN ELECTED OFFICE ALL OF A SUDDEN AS A CONSERVATIVE, SOCIALLY AND FISCALLY, AND THEN SIT IN A POSITION WHERE ACTUALLY, YEAH, THIS IS WHAT I NEED TO DO.
UH, THE QUESTION OF A MODERATION, YES, THERE'S PRIORITIZATION GOING ON.
I'M GONNA POINT OUT THAT, THAT THE, THE GAP IS SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
WELL, BY LAW, WE CAN'T EVEN RAISE THAT MUCH MONEY.
WE ADVERTISED RATES THAT ARE NOT ENOUGH TO DO THIS WHOLE GAP.
SO THERE WILL BE SOMETHING THAT'S NOT FUNDED THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.
UM, I THINK I'M AT A POINT OF RUNNING ON HERE.
[02:25:01]
THAT'S IT.THAT'S, THAT'S MY, MY PLEDGE IS TO DO WHAT'S RIGHT.
IT, IT WAS, IT WAS IN RELATION TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, IT'S NOT ON OUR MINDS ALL THE TIME.
I'VE NEVER, THERE'S NOT EVEN BEEN A FIRE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
I'VE LIVED IN FOR 12 YEARS, NOT SO MUCH AS A FIRE.
I'VE SEEN A COUPLE AMBULANCES HERE AND THERE.
UM, IF THERE, IF THERE IS, OR IF, YOU KNOW, IF A AN UNNECESSARY DEATH, THAT KIND OF THING, IT'S NOT A SCARE TACTIC, IT'S A REALITY.
UM, THEN AS A, YOU KNOW, JUST MONEY ISN'T AS VALUABLE AS LIFE.
AND I'M NOT, I'M NOT, I'M NOT ANYBODY'S SIDE WITH THIS, BUT I AM COGNIZANT OF THE FACT THAT THIS WAS A RURAL COUNTY.
WE ALL WANT, I I'M, I, I WON'T SAY WE ALL WANT.
I WANT, AND MANY PEOPLE WHO I SPOKE WITH AND ON THE ELECTION, ON THE CAMPAIGN TRAIL WANT THIS TO REMAIN A COUNTY WITH A RURAL CHARACTER.
THEY DON'T WANT TO SEE IT LOOK LIKE THE, THE, THE FREDERICK BLOWOUT.
THEY DON'T WANT TO SEE IT LOOK LIKE LOUD OR PRINCE WILLIAM.
THEY DON'T WANT DATA CENTERS POPPING UP ALL OVER THE PLACE.
ALL OF THAT IS MONEY, MONEY, MONEY, MONEY FOR THE COUNTY.
WE DON'T HAVE A REALLY GOOD COMMERCIAL BASE.
WE NEED A GOOD COMMERCIAL BASE.
I'M VERY LOOKING FORWARD TO WORKING ON ECONOMICS.
UM, THE FIRST THING I GOT DROPPED INTO IS THIS, THIS BUDGET DELIBERATION AND OBTAIN THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HATED BY EVERYBODY.
I ACTUALLY DON'T, I DON'T MIND BEING HATED BY EVERYBODY.
UM, I DIDN'T DO THIS FOR TO BE LAUDED.
SO I, I INTEND TO FULFILL THAT CALL.
I'M SORRY IF IT WASN'T ELOQUENT, BUT THANK YOU, SIR.
UM, I'LL TAKE THE, UH, THE, THE, THE SAME APPROACH THAT, UH, DR.
JAMESON DID, EXCEPT I WON'T BE AS LOQUACIOUS AS HE WAS.
SO THE, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, TO ME, OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IS PUBLIC SAFETY.
YOU KNOW, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, THE, UH, THE, UH, OUR FIREFIGHTERS, YOU KNOW, THE, UH, UH, AND, UH, WE DO HAVE OTHER PRIORITIES, BUT THAT'S OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
AND I BELIEVE THAT, UH, MANY OF THE BOARD MEMBERS HERE, IF NOT ALL, FEEL THE SAME WAY.
UM, I DON'T WANNA RAISE TAXES, BUT, YOU KNOW, IN THE, IN THE LAST, UH, UH, COUPLE OF YEARS, WE HAVE EXPERIENCED, UH, INFLATION.
AND I MEAN, IT IS JUST, IT'S A FACT OF LIFE.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, UH, BECAUSE OF THAT INFLATION, THE, UH, UH, WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO RAISE TAXES OF WHAT, WHAT ARE THE AREAS THAT, UH, THAT WE'RE GOING TO ADDRESS AND NOT ADDRESS.
SO I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE AT A LATER TIME, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, WHEN WE SIT DOWN AND, AND TALK ABOUT THE, THE FINAL BUDGET.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, I CAN TELL YOU THAT, UH, OUR PRIORITIES ARE THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND THE, UH, AND THE, THE FIREFIGHTERS.
UM, THE, UM, SO, UM, THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
UM, FIRST I WANT TO, I WANNA THANK EVERYONE WHO CAME AND SPOKE TONIGHT.
UH, WE HEARD A DIVERSITY OF OPINIONS, AND IT WAS HELPFUL AND, UH, THINK ALL OF US READ A NUMBER OF EMAILS AND SUBMISSIONS THROUGH VARIOUS WEB, UH, CHANNELS AS WELL.
AND, UH, HAVE A PRETTY GOOD READ ON, ON THE PULSE HERE.
UM, WHAT, UH, WHAT RICH SAID, UM, I'M, I'M IN THE SAME BOAT AS RICH.
I'M NEW SUPERVISOR, YOU KNOW, DROPPED INTO THIS, UM, LITERALLY THE DAY AFTER THE ELECTION, WE STARTED, UH, PARTICIPATING IN, IN COUNTY MEETINGS, AND, UH, REALLY GETTING IMMERSED IN IT.
UM, AND, UH, WITH THIS BUDGET PROCESS OVER THE LAST, UH, SEVERAL MONTHS, WE'VE GONE THROUGH LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF LINE ITEMS, UM, LOOKING, AND I JUST, LIKE RICH SAID, I CAME IN, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, RED, WHITE AND BLUE REPUBLICAN EXPECTING TO FIND WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE UNDER EVERY ROCK.
AND, UM, WAS PLEASANTLY SURPRISED THAT THAT WASN'T THE CASE.
UM, THIS COUNTY AND I, I MOVED HERE FROM NORTHERN VIRGINIA.
AND BEFORE THAT, I WAS, UH, EVEN CLOSER INTO DC.
[02:30:01]
SEEKING THE QUALITY OF LIFE AND, UH, A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE COUNTRY THING.AND, UM, KIND OF GETTING AWAY FROM THE, THE, THE LEVIATHAN BIG GOVERNMENT.
AND, UH, BUT I STILL THOUGHT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, MOVED HERE.
AND THEN THE EDA SCANDAL BROKE, UH, UH, BASICALLY A YEAR AND A HALF LATER.
IT'S, IT'S, YOU KNOW, NOW WE HAVE THE DUKES OF HAZARD, AND IT'S, IT'S EVEN WORSE, YOU KNOW? WELL, THIS COUNTY HAS REALLY CLEANED UP ITS ACT SINCE 2018.
WE HAVE DIFFERENT PEOPLE IN PLACE.
WE ARE MAKING BIG CHANGES TO FINALLY STOP THE BLEEDING OF THE EDA AND PUT THAT BEHIND US, UM, AND FOCUS ON THE FUTURE.
UM, BUT AS RICH SAID, THE, THE CUSHION HAS BEEN CONSUMED, YOU KNOW, IN THE WAKE OF THE EDA.
AND I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE REASONS FOR KICKING THE CAN FOR SO MANY YEARS AFTER A, A SCANDAL LIKE THAT.
IT'S REALLY HARD TO RAISE TAXES.
UM, THE, JUST THE PUBLIC SUPPORT IS NOT THERE.
UM, AND OVER, THOUGH, THE, THE YEAR SINCE 2019, WE'VE HAD ZERO TAX INCREASES.
UM, YES, INFLATION IS BACK DOWN TO NORMAL LEVELS, MORE OR LESS, BUT THE CUMULATIVE EFFECT IS STILL 20% OR MORE.
THINGS ARE COSTING 20% OR MORE, UH, MORE THAT NOW THAN THEY DID IN, IN 2019.
AND THIS COUNTY HAS JUST BEEN LEVEL FUNDED THE WHOLE TIME.
AND THERE'S, THERE'S SOME CONFUSION OUT THERE.
DID WE HAVE A BIG TAX INCREASE? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, LAST YEAR ASSESSMENTS WENT UP BETWEEN 30 AND 40%.
UM, BUT THEY LOWERED THE RATE TO COMPENSATE, AND IT WAS REVENUE NEUTRAL.
IT WAS ACTUALLY $40,000 LESS TO THE COUNTY.
ON TOP OF THAT, WE INCREASED TAX RELIEF FOR SENIORS AND FOR VETERANS.
AND THAT RELIEF HAS CUT INTO OUR REVENUES BY OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
UM, IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
UM, WE HEAR TONIGHT ABOUT SENIORS WHO ARE ON FIXED INCOMES, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, BUT, UH, THERE ARE AVENUES FOR RELIEF FOR SOME OF THAT.
UM, AND REGARDING THE CAR TAX AS WELL, UH, JUST TONIGHT WE INCREASED THE, UM, THE RELIEF ELIGIBILITY FOR THE FIRST $20,000, UH, TO BE PAID FOR BY THE STATE FROM 25 TO 30%.
SO THAT, THAT'S A 5% TAX BREAK THERE IF YOUR CAR'S WORTH LESS THAN $20,000.
UM, AND ON TOP OF THAT, VALUATIONS OF CARS HAVE PROBABLY COME DOWN 5% IN THE LAST YEAR OR SO.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER 5% OFF ON YOUR CAR TAXES.
SO EVEN IF WE RAISE CAR TAXES, 10%, YOUR BILL IS PROBABLY GONNA BE THE SAME UNLESS YOU'RE DRIVING SOMETHING PRETTY NICE.
UM, AND THAT'S NOT THE PEOPLE THAT AREN'T PUTTING FOOD ON THE TABLE.
UM, I, I DON'T WANT TO RAISE TAXES.
UM, AND JUST LIKE RICH, IF YOU TOLD ME SIX MONTHS AGO I WAS GONNA COME IN HERE AND RAISE TAXES, I, I WOULD'VE LAUGHED AT YOU.
UM, NOW I'M MORE LIKELY TO CRY AND, UH, MAYBE I'M THE PAT.
HE GOT PUT IN JUST SO I COULD RAISE TAXES AND GET AND VOTED OUT.
UH, AND I, I DON'T WANT TO BE HATED, BUT I ALSO, UH, DON'T WANT TO BE HATED IF SOMEONE'S, UH, CHILD DIES.
'CAUSE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT COULDN'T GET THERE.
UM, AND, UH, UM, I'VE MET THIS FIRE DEPARTMENT.
I'VE, I'VE MET, UH, THE, THE SHERIFF AND HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS WITH CRYSTAL.
THE MEN AND WOMEN OF BOTH, UH, DEPARTMENTS THERE, UM, ARE DOING THE LORD'S WORK.
UM, AND FRANKLY, THEY GET PAID LESS THAN NEIGHBORING COUNTIES, UM, SIGNIFICANTLY.
AND THEY STAY HERE BECAUSE IT'S A LABOR OF LOVE.
THEY LIVE HERE, THEY HAVE SKIN IN THE GAME, THEY'RE ASKING FOR A TAX INCREASE, AND THEY'RE GONNA BE PAYING IT JUST LIKE THE REST OF US.
UM, SO THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT DRIVING IN FROM LOUDOUN TO WORK HERE.
UM, AS RICH POINTED OUT, WE STARTED SOMEWHERE IN THE RANGE OF 18 TO 20 MILLION WAS THE, THE SUM OF THE ASKS, UH, COMING IN ACROSS DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, WE HAD A LOT OF DEPARTMENTS COME IN WITH JUST A REQUEST FOR LEVEL FUNDING.
WE EVEN HAD AT LEAST ONE OR TWO DEPARTMENTS COME IN WITH A REQUEST FOR LESS MONEY THAN LAST YEAR BECAUSE THEY ADMITTED THAT THEY DIDN'T NEED AS MUCH THIS YEAR.
THEY HAD MADE IMPROVEMENTS, THEY HAD MADE INVESTMENTS, AND THOSE WERE ONE-OFFS, AND THEY DIDN'T NEED TO REPEAT THAT PROCESS THIS YEAR.
UM, SO THESE ARE PEOPLE THAT HAVE THE BEST INTEREST OF THE TAXPAYER AND OF THE COUNTY AT HEART.
THEY ARE NOT COMING IN SAYING, I HAVE TO USE UP MY ENTIRE BUDGET SO THAT I CAN GET THE SAME AMOUNT AGAIN.
THEY ARE, THEY'RE BEING EFFICIENT.
AND I WAS, I WAS TRULY SURPRISED BECAUSE I THOUGHT THERE WAS JUST MORE EDA TAINT ON
[02:35:01]
EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE, AND IT'S NOT THE CASE.AT DALEY AND, AND MS. SCOTT AND MS. MEADOWS HAVE DONE A GREAT JOB, UM, WORKING WITH THE, THE GENERAL FUND AND THE DEPARTMENTS AND, AND NEGOTIATING WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND GETTING THAT 18 TO $20 MILLION DOWN TO WHERE IT IS NOW, WHICH IS SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION.
AND AS RICH POINTED OUT THE RATES THAT WE AUTHORIZED A WEEK OR TWO AGO THAT WE ADVERTISED, THEY DON'T COVER THAT 7.5 MILLION IF WE DO THE MAXIMUM RATES TONIGHT.
AND I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT WILL EVEN HAPPEN.
THAT ONLY COVERS 5 MILLION OUT OF THE 7.5 MILLION.
SO WE ALREADY DELIBERATELY AS A BOARD, AS A GROUP, DECIDED THAT WE ARE GOING TO CUT ANOTHER THIRD OFF.
WHAT IS A VERY WELL PEELED ORANGE, FOR LACK OF A BETTER, UH, METAPHOR.
UM, AND, UH, AS I MENTIONED, WE'RE IN A, WE'RE IN A SITUATION WITH DECLINING WE REVENUE DUE TO, UM, DUE TO, UM, THE TAX RELIEF THAT WAS EXTENDED RECENTLY.
UM, WE HAVE UNFUNDED MANDATES COMING FROM RICHMOND.
THIS CSA THING IS, IS ONE EXAMPLE, POTENTIAL MILLION DOLLARS THAT IS OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL.
UM, WE HAVE POTENTIAL INCREASING COSTS WITH, UH, THE LANDFILL AND THE, THE TIPPING FEES FOR THERE IT IS OUTSIDE OF OUR CONTROL.
UH, WE HAVE TO EXPORT OUR TRASH.
I DON'T KNOW IF EVERY, EVERYONE KNOWS THAT OUR, OUR LANDFILL IS FULL.
SO WE EXPORT OUR TRASH TO BATTLE CREEK LANDFILL.
THEY ARE GOING TO BE INCREASING THEIR COSTS.
WE ARE TRYING, AND THEY WANT TO DO IT SIGNIFICANTLY.
WE ARE TRYING REALLY HARD, THOUGH, TO NEGOTIATE ON THAT AND LOOK AT OTHER OPTIONS, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
UM, OTHER THINGS ARE, ARE COMING DOWN THE LINE THAT WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER, UH, WITH THE DRUG BOXES THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, UH, HAS, THERE IS POTENTIAL MANDATE FROM RICHMOND THAT WILL CHANGE HOW THAT WORKS.
IT'S GONNA BE MORE MONEY THAT'S NOT EVEN IN THIS BUDGET.
BUT WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER A LOT OF THESE THINGS.
WE ARE PRICE TAKERS FROM RICHMOND.
SO IT'S GOOD TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS HERE, BUT ALSO WE HAVE A, WE HAVE DOLORES OATES NOW IN RICHMOND.
PLEASE CALL HER YOU, YOU KNOW, TOO, BECAUSE WHEN RICHMOND PASSES THINGS AND THEY TRICKLE DOWN TO THE COUNTIES, THEY DON'T THINK ABOUT WHAT IT DOES TO HERE.
AND WHAT RICH SAID IS TRUE, WE CAN'T PRINT MONEY.
VIRGINIA DOES HAVE AN INCOME TAX.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS AN INCOME TAX AND THEY CAN PRINT MONEY.
ALL WE REALLY HAVE IS THE CAR TAX AND THE REAL ESTATE TAX.
AND THERE ARE SOME OTHERS THAT ARE SMALL AND THAT WE'LL LOOK AT.
UM, BUT THE CAR TAX AND THE REAL ESTATE TAX ARE THE BIG TWO.
UM, AS RICH POINTED OUT, WE NEED MORE OF A CORPORATE BASE HERE.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS RI UH, WIN, UH, WINCHESTER AND FREDERICK HAVE, IS THEY HAVE A BIT MORE OF AN INDU INDUSTRIAL BASE THERE.
UM, WE ARE TRYING TO, TO BUILD OUT OUR INDUSTRIAL CORRIDOR.
THAT'S, THAT'S ACTUALLY A CHALLENGING PROCESS IN AND OF ITSELF FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS.
UM, WE WANT TO INCREASE THE BUSINESSES HERE.
UM, WE DON'T, I THINK IT'S, IN GENERAL, MOST OF US PROBABLY DON'T WANT THIS TO BECOME THOUGH NORTHERN VIRGINIA, WE DON'T WANT IT TO BECOME DATA CENTER ALLEY.
UH, WE DON'T WANT IT TO BECOME, YOU KNOW, CENTERVILLE OR MANASSAS.
UH, THERE IS SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT SEEING TREES AND MOUNTAINS AND, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WE CAN'T BE LOUDOUN.
AND THE THE FUNNY THING IS, LOUDOUN COUNTY, THEY HAVE HUNDREDS OF DATA CENTERS, AND THAT'S JUST FREE MONEY FOR THEM.
AND THEY STILL HAVE A, A TAX RATE THAT'S FAR, FAR HIGHER THAN WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
IF YOU LOOK AT LOUDOUN COUNTY, FAIRFAX COUNTY, THEIR REAL ESTATE TAXES ARE SOMEWHERE AROUND 87 CENTS OR A DOLLAR 14 PER A HUNDRED DOLLARS.
SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAYBE GOING FROM 49 CENTS TO 54 CENTS.
AND, UM, WE ARE STILL THE LOWEST AROUND, EXCEPT WILL BE, WILL BE JUST A NOTCH, MAYBE HIGHER THAN, THAN FREDERICK, WHICH, UH, I DON'T LIKE THAT.
BUT, UM,
BUT THIS YEAR THOUGH, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.
UM, THESE WILDFIRES, AS RICH POINTED OUT, WE WE'RE EYEOPENING WHEN CALLS ARE BEING TURNED DOWN AND 9 1 1 CAN'T COME.
UM, AND YES, THAT WAS AN ANOMALY TO HAVE WINDS LIKE THAT AND LOW HUMIDITY LIKE THAT, BUT IT COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE ALSO.
AND, AND WHO'S TO SAY IT CAN'T HAPPEN AGAIN? UM, YOU KNOW, UM, I, I'VE, I'VE SEEN FIRES.
UM, THE HOUSE I LIVE IN NOW HAD A FIRE UNDER THE PREVIOUS OWNER.
AND, AND THIS FIRE DEPARTMENT DID GREAT WORK TO, TO SAVE THE HOUSE.
UM, UH, I'VE ALSO SEEN A LOT OF FIRES AND HOUSES
[02:40:01]
GO DOWN.SOME, SOME NEAR ME, LIKE IN SHANNON DOE DISTRICT OVER ON LOOP DRIVE, UH, FIRES JUST, UH, OFF MORGANS FORD THREE WEEKS AGO, FIRE, UM, AND, YOU KNOW, EVACUATED HOMES.
UH, SO THIS, THIS IS A REAL ISSUE.
UM, I'VE HAD CONSTITUENTS CALL ME ABOUT CONCERN ABOUT GANG ACTIVITY, AND THEY WANT MORE POLICE ON THE STREET.
UH, YOU KNOW, THEY SEE GRAFFITI WHERE THEY DIDN'T SEE IT BEFORE, OR SOMEONE WEARING GANG BANDANAS EVEN ON MAIN STREET IN, IN ONE OF THE ESTABLISHMENTS.
UH, SO, UH, AND THAT'S TOWN, BUT IT'S COME UP, YOU KNOW, RECENTLY IN, IN PUBLIC DISCUSSIONS ABOUT MARY SHADY LANE AND ON THE COUNTY PART OF IT AND ALL THAT.
SO WE, WE, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO, TO HAVE THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND THE, UM, FIRE DEPARTMENT GROW, NOT JUST GROW WITH OUR POPULATION, BUT CATCH UP FROM WHERE THEY SHOULD HAVE BEEN YEARS AGO.
UM, SO, UH, YEAH, I, I, I'M GONNA HAVE TO VOTE FOR SOMETHING THAT I, I DON'T WANT TO DO, BUT, UM, IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
I UNDERSTAND HAVING CHILDREN AND PUTTING FOOD ON THE TABLE.
I'M, I'M BLESSED TO HAVE, UH, A WELL-PAYING JOB, BUT THAT COULD GO AWAY AT THE DROP OF A HAT.
AND, UH, I, I KNOW THAT, UM, UM, BUT FOR THE TIME BEING, I, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT OVERALL SAFETY IS, IS, IS A THING HERE.
UM, I, I AGREE WITH RICH, THAT THE TRANSPARENCY WE NEED WITH THE SCHOOLS IS, IS NOT ALL THERE.
AND, UH, THAT'S THE ONE PLACE WHERE I'M NOT AS CONFIDENT ABOUT, ABOUT THE LEAN NATURE OF OUR COUNTY.
SO WE HAVE MORE WORK AND MORE DISCUSSION AROUND THAT TO HAPPEN.
BUT WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO GET SOME OF THIS, THIS, UH, BOX AS, AS DR.
DALEY LIKES TO CALL IT, CLOSED AND, UH, AND, UH, START MOVING FORWARD SO THAT, UM, THAT WE CAN HAVE THE SERVICES WE NEED.
AND WE'RE, AND WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE SERVICES LIKE LOUDOUN OR FAIRFAX OR, UM, PRINCE WILLIAM, BUT, BUT WE'RE ALSO NOT GOING TO BECOME THOSE COUNTIES WITH, UH, WITH, UH, SOME OF THEIR PROBLEMS. AND, AND JUST THE WAY OF LIFE THAT, THAT'S DIFFERENT IN, IN DATA CENTERS AT EVERY CORNER AND, AND HIGH DENSITY HOUSING EVERYWHERE YOU LOOK, WE'RE GOING TO STAY, UM, WITH THE SMALL TOWN CHARM AND, AND RURAL, UH, WITH, WITH MANAGED SMART GROWTH AND, AND START BRINGING IN THE RIGHT BUSINESSES AND, AND CREATING MORE LOCAL JOBS HERE, UM, AND GROWING THE REAL ESTATE, UH, BASE IN A SMART WAY.
UH, AND, AND WE WILL GET, GET THERE.
UM, BUT, UH, RIGHT NOW THAT WE, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TO MAKE THIS BUDGET WORK AND, UH, IT, IT PAINS ME, BUT WE HAVE TO.
UM, I'M JUST GONNA ADD A FEW, FEW COMMENTS AND ANSWER.
DALEY, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I GET THIS WRONG.
UM, RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT ADDS TO OUR, OUR COST.
IT DOESN'T PAY THE BILLS BECAUSE IT INCREASES SCHOOLS AND NEED FOR MORE FIRE AND RESCUE AND MORE LAW ENFORCEMENT.
IF YOU PUT ONE CHILD IN THE SCHOOL, YOU HAVE SURPASSED THE COST OF WHAT YOUR TAXES ARE UNLESS YOU HAVE AN EXCEPTIONALLY LARGE HOUSE, BECAUSE THE COUNTY CONTRIBUTES OVER $5,000 PER STUDENT.
SO IF YOU HAVE ONE CHILD IN THE SCHOOL TO BALANCE, EVEN WITHOUT ANY OTHER SERVICES, YOU WOULD HAVE TO BE PAYING $5,000 IN TAXES.
OKAY? UM, WE DID, WHICH WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO, INCREASE TAX RELIEF FOR THE ELDERLY AND THE VETERANS, WHICH EVEN THOUGH IT WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO, THE FORESEEN, I CAN'T SAY IT WAS UNFORESEEN, IT WAS FORESEEN CONSEQUENCE THAT IT WOULD CUT INTO OUR REVENUE.
UH, IT STILL WAS THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
UM, AGAIN, I WANT YOU TO CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
TOURISM DOLLARS ARE DOLLARS WE HAVE TO SPEND ON TOURISM.
WE CAN'T USE THAT MONEY FOR ANYTHING ELSE.
AND WE'VE DONE WAY FINDING SIGNS.
UM, RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE USED, I'M NOT SURE IF WE USED ANY OF THOSE FOR MORGAN'S FORD BRIDGE.
BUT THE, UM, INDIAN HOLLOW BOAT LANDING, WHICH IS ACCORDING TO DEPARTMENT OF WILDLIFE RE RESOURCES IS THE MOST USED BOAT LANDING IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA.
I DON'T KNOW WHY ANYBODY WOULD REALLY WANT TO USE IT, BECAUSE IT WAS IN SUCH, UM, YOU COULD HAVE A BEAUTIFUL TRIP DOWN THE RIVER, AND WE HAD
[02:45:01]
A LADY BREAKER LEG GETTING OUT AT THE, UH, BOAT LANDING.SO WE GOT A GRANT, UM, THE DUPONT GRANT OF $210,000, I BELIEVE MRS. MS. BENNETT 2, 2 40, 2 20 MOST.
AND I DON'T KNOW AT THIS POINT THAT WE'VE USED ANY TOURISM DOLLARS, BUT WE COULD USE THAT TO OFFSET IF WE, FOR WHATEVER REASON GO OVER THAT.
BUT TOURISM, IT USED TO BE AGRICULTURE AND TOURISM DROVE AND AVTEX DROVE THIS COUNTY, THAT, THAT WAS THE REVENUE SOURCES.
AGRICULTURAL, UM, HAS DWINDLED, BUT WE STILL HAVE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT.
AND TOURISM IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT.
AND I CAN TELL YOU PAGE COUNTY, OUR NEIGHBOR IS BLOWING IT OUT OF THE PARK.
WE'RE LOSING A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT.
THEY GET ON THREE 40 OR THEY COME OVER TO 11 AND THEY GO TO PAGE COUNTY.
WE'RE MISSING OPPORTUNITIES BY NOT PROMOTING THE ASSETS THAT WE HAVE HERE.
SO TO SAY TOURISM DOLLARS ARE NOT BEING WELL SPENT, WE'RE NOT THERE YET TO WHERE I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THOSE DOLLARS, BUT WE CAN'T IGNORE THEM.
AND WE, AND WE CAN'T USE 'EM FOR ANYTHING ELSE.
SO THE COUNTY RECEIVES APPROXIMATELY $600,000 A YEAR FROM THE LODGING TAX OF THAT AMOUNT.
360,000 MUST BE USED FOR TOURISM OR RESERVE.
SO WHEN WE PUT 200,000 UP FOR THE TOURISM BUDGET, THAT'S REQUIRED.
AND IN EXCHANGE FOR THAT, WE GET APPROXIMATELY 240,000.
THAT GOES BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND.
I, I DIDN'T SAY THAT I WOULD NEVER RUN TA UH, RAISE TAXES.
I SAID I WOULD NOT VOTE FOR A TAX INCREASE UNTIL I KNEW THAT WE WERE USING THE REVENUE THAT WE WERE GETTING AS EFFICIENTLY AS WE COULD.
AND I THINK IF YOU ASK ANY OF THE STAFF HERE THAT HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH ME OVER THE LAST FOUR, UM, FOUR YEARS AND FOUR MONTHS THAT I TURN, I DRIVE THEM CRAZY AND I WON'T APOLOGIZE TO IT.
AND THEY'VE BLESSED THEM FOR PUTTING UP WITH ME.
BUT I, IF I ASK FOR A RAISE OF HANDS, I GUARANTEE ALMOST EVERY PERSON IN HERE THAT STAFF WOULD RAISE IT, THAT I HAVE ANNOYED THEM TO THE N OVER.
DO WE NEED TO SPEND IT? YOU TOLD US.
THE REST OF 'EM ARE LIKE, I'M NOT GONNA BE THE ONE.
SO THANK YOU,
DALEY OF I, YOU KNOW, AGREEMENT, DISAGREEMENT ON THAT.
UM, SO I, I KNOW THAT WE ARE, WE HAVE DONE AS DILIGENT, UM, AS WE IT CAN BE.
AND WE'RE STILL, WE'RE STILL CUTTING.
I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S JUST A, THE WAY IT IS.
UM, I THINK THAT THIS YEAR, I, I FELT LIKE WE WERE AS TRANSPARENT AS WE COULD BE.
I, I KNOW IT WAS A BIT OF A PAIN TO SET THE ROOM UP TO VIDEO, BUT IT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME TO DO THAT.
BUT THINK, UM, TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY.
AND I THOUGHT FOR THE PUBLIC TO BE ABLE TO SEE THE PROCESS WE GO THROUGH AND HOW WE DETAIL IT DOWN FOR EVERYBODY.
NOW, IF YOU DIDN'T AVAIL YOURSELF FOR THAT, THAT'S YOUR OWN FAULT.
THEY'RE TIME CONSUMING BECAUSE WE WERE HERE 19 DIFFERENT MEETINGS.
SO IT IS A LOT OF INFORMATION, BUT IT'S THERE.
AND I CAN TELL YOU AS SOON AS WE GET, AND I'M NOT GONNA TAKE UP THE TIME TO PULL IT OUT, THAT BUDGET DONE, IT WILL BE UP AND YOU CAN COME, YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME IN NOW AND SEE IT.
WE CAN'T PRINT COPIES 'CAUSE WE CAN'T AFFORD IT.
THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER COUPLE OF CENTS TO RAISE THE TAXES TO COVER THE PAPER.
BUT YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME IN, SIT I, AND, AND LOOK AT THE PAPERS HERE UNTIL WE GET IT DONE TO PUT IT OUT ON THE WEB.
[02:50:01]
AND NOT THROWING.'CAUSE MR. VALENTINE, YOU ALWAYS, WHATEVER WE ASK FOR, IF YOU CAN GIVE IT, YOU DO.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT YOU'RE AN HONEST MAN WHO DOES A WONDERFUL JOB AND I APPRECIATE YOU FOR THAT.
BUT WE HAVEN'T GOTTEN A CLEAR UNDERSTANDING OF THE SCHOOL BUDGET.
SO THAT HASN'T BEEN TOTALLY WORKED IN TO OURS, BUT WE'RE PUTTING OFF THE BUDGET UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE.
SO THE SCHOOLS KNOW WHAT THEY GET FROM THE STATE.
WE KNOW WHAT WE GET FOR THE STATE STATE, AND WE HOPE IT'S NOT SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER TILL WE GET IT.
UM, SO THAT WE CAN THEN FIGURE OUT IF WE GET A LITTLE EXTRA REVENUE SOMEWHERE, HOW WE CAN OFFSET IT.
BUT THE PRIORITIES HAVE TO BE OUR CORE SERVICES.
AND RIGHT NOW, THE TWO CORE SERVICES THAT ARE HURTING THE MOST ARE FIRE AND RESCUE AND, AND THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
IT'S JUST A FACT OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, I'VE GOT A LIST AND BECAUSE WE'RE AT NINE O'CLOCK, I DON'T WANNA READ OFF ALL OF THEM, BUT WE HAVE, AND YOU'RE WELCOME.
WE'LL PUT IT OUT ON THE WEB SO YOU CAN SEE IT.
WE HAVE DONE A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT WITHOUT BORROWING MONEY AND WITHOUT RAISING TAXES.
AND PART OF THAT WE, WE NEED TO REMEMBER WAS COVI MONEY THAT WE WON'T GET.
AGAIN, THAT WAS ONE, ONE TIME MONEY AND IT WAS SPECIFIED FOR CERTAIN THINGS THAT YOU COULD USE IT FOR, BUT BY OFFSETTING THAT WE COULD TAKE WHAT WE COULD USE THAT MONEY FOR AND REVERT THE OTHER MONEY INTO OTHER DIRECTIONS.
SO WE, WE DID THE BEST WE COULD WITH THAT.
AND THAT'S WHY WE WERE ABLE TO DO SO MUCH WITHOUT BORROWING MONEY AND RAISING YOUR TAXES.
UM, AND WE, WE JUST CAN'T CONTINUE TO IMPROVE UPON THE SERVICES THAT WE'VE ALREADY BUILT.
UM, COMPLETION OF RIVERMONT FIRE STATION FACILITY UPGRADES NORTH ONE, UH, TO INCLUDE THE NEW ROOF INTERIOR PAINTINGS, UH, RESURFACING THE BAY FLOOR BECAUSE IT WAS SLICK AND PEOPLE COULD FALL ON IT.
SO IT HAD TO HAVE A NEW SURFACE TYPE PUT DOWN, UM, DIRECT CAPTURE OF THE EXHAUST.
WE, AS YOU'VE, AS YOU'VE HEARD, UM, WITH THESE FIREMEN GET INVOLVED WITH ON A DAILY BASIS OF WHATEVER FIRE OR WHATEVER, THEY ARE THROWN INTO A LOT OF CIRCUMSTANCES OF CARCINOGENIC EXPOSURES AND THE EXHAUST IS ONE OF THEM.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING THAT.
UM, WE'VE ORDERED, DON'T THINK WE'VE GOTTEN 'EM ALL IN THE VEHICLE IS GETTING VEHICLES IS RIDICULOUS.
UH, FIVE AMBULANCES AND CHIEF, WE'VE GOT, HAVE WE GOTTEN THREE YET? WE DIDN'T MARYLAND, RIGHT? THEY WERE, THEY'RE NOT HERE YET, BUT AT LEAST THEY'RE IN MARYLAND, WHICH IS CLOSED FOR THEM.
THEY WERE BEFORE, UM, TWO FIRE ENGINES.
UM, LET'S SEE, WATER RESCUE BOAT FOR SOUTH RIVER, REPLACEMENT OF VEHICLES, UM, TANKER REPLACEMENTS.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAD TO LITERALLY DEMOLISH SHENANDOAH FARMS. THAT WAS, I WAS ASKED TO GO DOWN THERE AND GIVE MY OPINION ON ITS SAFETY.
I LOOKED UP AND SAW A TWO BY FOUR AND A PLASTIC BACKBOARD HOLDING UP THE ENTIRE HVAC SYSTEM FOR THAT.
AND I WAS LIKE, HOLY SMOKES, I NEED TO GET OUT FROM UNDERNEATH THIS.
AND SO MY OPINION WAS ASKED, DO WE PUT SOME MONEY IN THIS BUILDING OR WHAT DO WE DO? AND I SAID, HIRE A BULLDOZER AND BULLDOZE IT DOWN.
AND WE MOVED THEM UP TO AN AUXILIARY BUILDING.
AND THAT'S WHERE, WHERE THEY'RE STATIONED NOW.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO BUILD A NEW FIRE DEPARTMENT, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S IN THE FUTURE PLANS.
ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT CAME UP THAT, UM, LIKE OUR, IT, UH, WELL, WE DIDN'T, I CAN'T CALL IT, IT'S A, IT CRASH, BUT WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE A TRUE IT SYSTEM.
WE DID, WE DIDN'T HAVE A SYSTEM.
NO, BUT WHAT WE HAD CRASHED, WHICH ANYBODY THAT HAD TO TRY TO MAKE PAYMENTS HELICOPTER, HELICOPTER OR GETTING OUR BILLS OUT, THAT WAS A DISASTER IN AND OF ITSELF.
WE HAD TO BUILD THAT WHOLE SYSTEM.
AND WHEN I LOOK AT THE BACKUP, UH, SERVER, IF THAT KEEPS US FROM HAVING TO GO THROUGH THAT MESS AGAIN, THAT'S GOTTA BE A PRIORITY TOO.
I, I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WANT, NUMBER ONE, THE MESS, BUT THEN THE CONCERN THAT YOUR INFORMATION GOT OUT AND IF THIS BUILDING WERE TO BURN AND THE SERVERS ARE HERE, YES, THE INFORMATION'S IN THE CLOUD, CORRECT.
BUT YOU CAN'T GET IT OUTTA THE CLOUD UNTIL YOU BUILD A NEW SERVER.
SO YOU MIGHT AS WELL BE PROACTIVE INSTEAD OF REACTIVE.
AND I THINK THAT'S OUR PROBLEM.
[02:55:01]
WE WERE REACTIVE.DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT UNTIL THE MOLE POPS UP AND THEN YOU WHACK IT AND HOPE IT DOESN'T SHOOT UP IN ANOTHER HOLE.
BUT HISTORICALLY, THAT'S, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED.
UM, I, YOU KNOW, I TOO DON'T WANNA RAISE TAXES AND IT WORRIES ME ABOUT THE YOUNG FAMILIES THAT HAVE CHILDREN, THREE OR FOUR CHILDREN OR ONE CHILD.
IT DOESN'T MAKE HOW MANY CHILDREN YOU HAVE IF YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE LIVING PAYCHECK TO PAYCHECK, THAT CONCERNS ME.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIX IT FOR, FOR THE YOUNG PEOPLE.
WE, WE'VE TRIED TO NEGATE, NEGATE THE IMPACT TO THE ELDERLY.
UM, BUT THE FACT IS, YOU'RE RIGHT.
ONE, ONE CHILD, AND I'VE BEEN THERE, I, MY DAUGHTER AT THREE AND A HALF YEARS OLD HAD A POST TONSILLECTOMY HINDRANCE AND WE CALLED 9 1 1.
I DID WHAT I COULD DO AT HOME.
AND WE ACTUALLY GOT IN THE CAR AND TOLD THEM WE WOULD MEET THEM.
WE WOULD HAVE THE FLASHING LIGHTS ON AND MEET 'EM DOWN THE ROAD BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S HOW WORRIED I WAS THAT WE WERE KILLING TOM, WAITING FOR 'EM TO GET TO MY HOUSE IN BENTONVILLE FROM, UM, 'CAUSE COMPANY THREE WAS NOT STAFFED 24 7 AT THAT TIME.
I'VE HAD TO DO CPR ON TWO UNCLES.
UM, AND THE RESCUE SQUAD CAME, BUT YOU KNOW, THEY DID NOT MAKE IT.
THEY MAY NOT HAVE MADE IT, EVEN AT THE RESCUE SQUAD WAS FIVE MINUTES AWAY.
BUT THE FACT IS, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT RESPONSE TIME AND WE DON'T HAVE A, A GREAT RESPONSE TIME.
UM, WE ARE NEVER GONNA HAVE ENOUGH STAFF.
THE YOUNG MAN SAID WE NEED A HUNDRED FACT IS ON THAT FIRE THE OTHER DAY, ALL 100 OF YOU WOULD'VE BEEN OUT ANYWAY, WHICH WOULD'VE STILL DEPLETED OUR COMPANIES.
WE'RE NEVER GONNA HAVE AN OPTIMAL LEVEL.
WE WERE JUST BLESSED THAT DAY THAT NO ONE HAD A HEART ATTACK AND NO ONE WENT INTO LABOR.
THREE BIG THINGS THAT I THOUGHT OF OFF THE HAND AS SOON AS I REALIZED WE WERE TOTALLY DEPLETED, BUT PLEASE GOD, DON'T LET ANYBODY HAVE WE THE THREE OF THOSE THINGS, WHILE WE ARE SO DEPLETED AND AS MANY CAUSE AS WE HAD THAT WE COULDN'T HANDLE, UM, FOR LIFT ASSIST AND THOSE KIND OF THINGS, AT LEAST WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYBODY DIE BECAUSE WE COULDN'T GET TO THEM ON THE EMS SIDE OF THINGS.
SO I, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S MY INPUT.
AND LIKE I SAID, ANYBODY WANTS TO SEE WHAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY'RE GONNA BE GOING OUT.
UM, I DO APPRECIATE ALL OF YOU AND AS LAW ENFORCEMENT AS WELL.
AND I GUESS WE'RE AT THE POINT, WILL WE HAVE TO HAVE A MOTION ON THIS, THIS RATE? WELL, MADAM CHAIR, BEFORE WE MAKE A MOTION, CAN I JUST THROW A COUPLE OF THINGS OUT THERE FOR SOME DISCUSSION? YOU KNOW, THE, UH, RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE TAKING A LOOK AT, UH, WE'VE GOT ABOUT, UH, SEVEN, WHAT IS IT, $7.5 MILLION THAT, UH, THAT WE'VE GOT HANGING OUT THERE THAT HAVE TO BE FUNDED.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE, AT THE, THE PRIORITIES THAT WE'VE GOT, WHICH IS THE FIRE AND RESCUE, THE, UH, THE, UM, THE SHERIFF, UH, AND SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, OTHER ASSETS ALONG WITH OTHER THINGS, IT, UH, COMES UP TO, TO, UH, ROUGHLY, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE AROUND, UH, UH, ABOUT FOUR, FOUR TO $5 MILLION.
OKAY? AND I'M, I'M JUST GONNA THROW A A NUMBER OUT THERE LIKE THAT.
BUT, UH, SO I, I'M, I WAS THINKING THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IF WE, UH, IF WE TOOK A LOOK AT, UM, UH, AT FUNDING AT LEAST 4 MILLION OF THAT, YOU KNOW, THROUGH A TAX INCREASE, AND THAT WOULD BE 53 CENTS FOR THE, UH, FOR THE REAL ESTATE, THAT WOULD GIVE US 2.4 MILLION OF THE, UH, AND THEN, UH, RAISING THE PERSONAL PROPERTY, UH, FROM $4 TO $4 AND 28 CENTS, THAT GIVE US ANOTHER MILLION AND A HALF.
AND THEN THE, UH, UH, WITH THE, I GUESS THE MACHINE TOOLS, UH, UP TO $2 AND 17 CENTS, THAT WOULD GIVE US A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
AND, UH, AND I, I DID SOME, SOME JUST CURSORY, YOU KNOW, TAKING A LOOK AT THIS, UM, UH, ON A, ON A $500,000 HOUSE, UM, YOU'D BE, UM, UH, RAISING TAXES.
LEMME THINK, UM, LEMME SEE HERE.
[03:00:01]
ABOUT $250 A YEAR WITH, WITH THAT INCREASE AND OUTTA $25,000 CAR, YOU'D BE RAISING TAXES BY ABOUT $70 A YEAR.SO THE, UH, AND THOSE, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE JUST SOME FIGURES THAT, THAT I, I, I, I SAID, OKAY, YOU KNOW, THE, I I OWN A, A, A 2013 PRIUS IS PROBABLY WORTH LESS THAN $10,000.
BUT YOU KNOW, THE, A LOT OF FOLKS, UM, I I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE NICE CARS AND, AND SO I'VE, I'VE PICKED A FIGURE OUT OF 25,000.
SO I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE FOR DISCUSSION BEFORE WE, WE, UH, UM, BEFORE WE, UH, HAVE A MOTION, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU THINK, ADAM CHAIR? THOUGHTS ON? WHAT WAS THAT PERSONAL PROPERTY? PERSONAL PROPERTY WAS $4 AND 28 CENTS.
IF I CAN MAKE A COMMENT, I, I THINK, AGAIN, AS I SAID EARLIER, THAT I WOULD LIKE TO LOOK AT THIS 7.5 AND REDUCE IT WHERE IT MINIMIZES THE TAX BURDEN ON, ON THE PEOPLE.
I MEAN, GRANTED, WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO DO IT, AND I THINK GOING, UM, INCREASING THE TAXES TO COVER $4 MILLION, I THINK IS TOO HIGH.
I CAN LOOK AT MAYBE CUTTING IT IN HALF THE 7.5 AND REDUCING IT TO AROUND THE 3 MILLION INCREASE IN REVENUE, UM, TAXES FOR THAT, BUT NOT, NOT AN ADDITIONAL MILLION DOLLARS.
I DON'T, I THINK THAT'S GONNA BE TOO BIG OF A BURDEN.
AND ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE STILL HAVE CUTTING TO DO.
SO I THINK WHAT I'VE HEARD IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL WAITING FOR INFORMATION, YOU KNOW, FROM THE SCHOOLS AND, YOU KNOW, OTHER QUESTIONS.
DALEY, YOU KNOW, HAVE SAID THAT WE'RE STILL WORKING ON REDUCING THE BUDGET.
UM, THE DEPARTMENT BUDGET BUDGETS RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE NUMBERS WAS THAT WHAT, UH, OUR BUDGET IS, WHAT EXPENSES IS 93 MILLION AND WE'RE TRYING TO REDUCE IT DOWN TO 91 MILLION.
SO, BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S JUST MY, MY OPINION OF, OF HOW WE WANNA, UM, PUT A TAX INCREASE ON OUR, ON OUR CITIZENS OTHER THOUGHTS.
SO WE UNFORTUNATELY DON'T HAVE ALL THE INFORMATION.
AND I THINK YOU COMMENTED TO ME EARLIER, IT'S IT A LITTLE BIT LIKE HAVING THE CART IN FRONT OF THE HORSE, BUT BECAUSE OF THE WAY THE LEAD TIME IS FOR THE TAX BILLS AND, UH, TO GET THE BILLS OUT ON TIME, UM, AND TO GET THE REVENUE IN ON TIME, WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING TODAY.
AND, AND THEN WE DO STILL HAVE MORE WORK TO DO OVER THE NEXT SIX WEEKS OR SO WITH, WITH THE BUDGET.
MM-HMM,
DALEY, UH, GOING FROM 93 TO 91, THAT'S A NET CUT, UH, OVER FY 24, RIGHT? SO THE CURRENT, UH, BUDGET AS YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT RIGHT NOW FOR THE DRAFT IS 93 MILLION, AND THAT IS 1.7 MILLION BELOW THE 24 AMENDED BUDGET.
THE BUDGET THAT YOU'RE WORKING IN TODAY.
AND THEN IT IS TWO AND A HALF MILLION MORE THAN THE ANTICIPATED REVENUES BECAUSE AS THE BOARD TALKED EARLIER, WE'RE SEEING A DROP IN THOSE REVENUES, OKAY? UH, BOTH REAL ESTATE AND PERSONAL PROPERTY.
AND SO WE WILL TAKE TWO AND A HALF MILLION OUT OF THAT AND WE'LL LOOK AT REVENUES ALSO THERE, AND WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME UP WITH A MIXTURE THERE THAT'S GONNA BRING THAT BUDGET BACK TO ELIMINATE THAT TWO AND A HALF.
AND THEN THE MAXIMUM YOU CAN DO HERE IS 5 MILLION.
SO YOU'RE GONNA TAKE SOMEWHERE BETWEEN TWO AND A HALF AND, UH, MRS. COOK SAID 3.733 MILLION.
SO YOU'LL TAKE BETWEEN TWO AND A HALF AND FOUR AND A HALF OUT OF HERE.
AND THAT'LL HAVE TO COME FROM THIS SIDE BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA TAKE ANOTHER TWO AND A HALF ON THE OTHER SIDE.
REMEMBER, YOU STARTED WITH 18 MILLION AND YOU'RE DOWN HERE UNDER 10.
UM, AND IF, YOU KNOW, I REALIZE WE HAVE TO MAKE A
[03:05:01]
DECISION TONIGHT.YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, KICK THIS CAN DOWN THE ROAD.
I, I I REALIZE THAT I'M, YOU KNOW, MY POSITION IS JUST TO MINIMIZE THE TAX BURDEN.
I MEAN, UM, I I, YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD SOME MORE CITIZENS SAYING THAT WE GOTTA TIGHTEN OUR BELT, AND I, AND I, AND I I DO.
AND, AND, AND THE, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THE TAX INCREASE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS TO COVER THIS $7.5 MILLION.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THIS IS, THIS IS ALL ABOUT, I DON'T THINK IT, WE, ANY OF US ANTICIPATE THAT WE'RE GONNA COVER 7.3.
BUT THE POINT IS THAT THAT'S WHAT THE TAX IN OUR DISCUSSION IS ON THE TAX INCREASE IS TO HELP, UM, FUND THESE UNFUNDED ITEMS. AND YEAH, WE CAN'T, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO RAISE TAXES TO COVER AT ALL.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THIS DISCUSSION IS ABOUT BECAUSE, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IF WE DIDN'T HAVE ALL OF THESE, THIS 7.5 MILLION ASKS, THEN WE WOULD JUST BE FLAT IN A PERFECT WORLD.
SO THAT DEPENDS UPON YOUR MOTION.
THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE DOWN HERE IN THE MOTION, THE IDEA OF NUMBER FOUR THAT YOU SAY YOU WANT IT TO GO TO THESE PROJECTS THAT ARE ON THIS IN THE BOX.
YOU DO NOT HAVE TO SPECIFY HOW MUCH YOU WANT TO PUT IN EACH ONE, BUT IF YOU VOTE THAT THE MONEY GOES INTO THE BOX, WE'RE GONNA PUT IT IN THE BOX AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK OVER HERE WITH THE BIG BUDGET AND WE'LL WORK THAT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOWN AS IT IS, AND MAYBE SOME REVENUES THERE LOOKING AT SANITATION AND SOME OTHER THINGS.
BUT THAT'LL BE ON THIS SIDE IF YOU PUT THIS MONEY IN THE BOX.
WELL, AS LONG AS EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT YOU'RE GONNA BE MAKING REALLY HARD DECISIONS BECAUSE IT'S GONNA COME DOWN, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT SCHOOLS NEED AND, AND MAYBE THAT CAN BE TRIMMED FROM 2.8 MILLION, 2.9 2.894.
UM, SO THEN YOU DECIDE WHAT YOU'RE GONNA KNOCK OUT.
DO WE NOT DO THE SIX FIREMEN? DO WE, YOU KNOW, KNOCK OUT THE MERIT POLE? DO WE KNOCK OUT THE SHERIFF'S CARS? YOU KNOW, SOMETHING? IT'S, IT'S GONNA GO MADAM, AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED.
YOU KNOW, YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE, UH, AT THE RESCUE, THE SHERIFF'S REQUEST, I THINK THAT YOU MADE THOSE
SO I JUST, TO ME, I AGREE WE NEED TO FIND OTHERS.
I DON'T DISAGREE, BUT YOU, YOU'RE NOT GONNA DO THAT WITH $3 MILLION.
UM, AND I, WELL, WE HAVE, WE HAVE THREE HERE AND FOUR THERE.
AND I, I, I DON'T, I'M NOT, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO LOSE THE FLEXIBILITY, UM, THAT REMAINS OPEN AS WE GO THROUGH FINALIZING THE BUDGET.
I DON'T WANNA, NO, I'M NOT, NO.
I'M JUST REFERRING TO WHAT DA DR.
UM, I THINK, I THINK WE'RE LOOKING FOR QUANTITIES THAT WE ARE COMFORTABLE WORKING WITH, AND THEN WE WILL, WE'LL MAKE THOSE, THOSE BUTTON MM-HMM.
THIS, I JUST FEEL WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT HAVE IT'S BEEN SAID TONIGHT THAT WE'VE, WE'VE SHOT OURSELF IN THE FOOT BY GOING TOO LOW BEFORE MM-HMM.
AND I JUST WANT IT AS A CONSIDERATION.
I'M, I'M OPEN FOR THE MOTION OF YES, SIR.
JUST A REMINDER, YOU CAN FUND C-S-O-A-C-S-A HOWEVER YOU LIKE, BUT IT IS A STATE MANDATE AND YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO COME UP WITH THE MONEY.
AND IF YOU DON'T BUDGET IT OR HAVE A BUDGET RESERVE FOR IT, I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GONNA GET IT.
SO YOU HAVE TO KEEP THAT IN YOUR PLAY ALONG WITH PUBLIC SAFETY.
THAT, THAT IS A NON-NEGOTIABLE MANDATE.
SO TALK TO YOUR DELEGATES ABOUT, SO, SO IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT MADAM CHAIR, IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE,
[03:10:01]
UH, AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY, THE OTHER ASSETS, AND THEN THE, THE, THE, THE MAYOR POOL THAT COMES OUT TO BE 4.6 MILLION.AND I, I THINK THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU KIND OF MASSAGE THAT A LITTLE BIT AND, UH, THEN TRY AND MEET SOME OF THE, UH, UH, SOME OF THE REQUESTS FROM THE SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, WITH, UH, AS FAR AS WHAT, UH, DR.
DALEY WAS SAYING, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, TAKING A LOOK AT THE BUDGET AND SEE IF WE CAN SQUEEZE THAT DOWN A LITTLE BY ANOTHER 2 MILLION.
AND I KNOW THAT, THAT, UH, OF, UH, SUPERVISOR COOK THAT YOU DO NOT WANNA RAISE TAXES, YOU KNOW, ABOVE 3 MILLION, BUT I'M, I'M SUGGESTING THAT THE, THE 4 MILLION AND UH, UH, WHERE THE RAISING TAXES TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN, WE CAN GET THAT 4 MILLION AND THEN SEE HOW WE CAN ADJUST THAT UH, BUT TO ME THE PRIORITIES, THE, THE, THE ONES THAT, THAT WE, WE ABSOLUTELY MUST FUND ARE THE, UH, OF COURSE THE CSA THAT'S A GIVEN, UH, THE FIRE AND RESCUE AND THE SHERIFF.
AND, UH, THEN JUST, YOU KNOW, GO FROM THERE AND SEE WHAT ELSE WE CAN DO.
WELL IF YOU, I MEAN THE NUMBERS RIGHT NOW, I MEAN, WHAT WE'RE TALKING HERE AND I, WE'RE TALKING, WE'RE NEGOTIATING A BUDGET RIGHT NOW.
YOU KNOW, I MEAN, AND I JUST DON'T FEEL THAT THIS IS THE PURPOSE OF OUR MEETING.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE TAXES AND GOING BACK TO WHAT JOHN, YOU KNOW, IT'S THE CART BEFORE THE HORSE, YOU KNOW, AND I KNOW IT MAKES IT VERY DIFFICULT.
YOU'RE NOT NEGOTIATING THE BUDGET, YOU'RE NEGOTIATING THE BOX, THE BOX AND THE TAXES TO PAY THE WHAT'S IN THE BOX.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE NEGOTIATING THE BOX.
SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT, IT'S JUST, I THINK THERE'S SOME THINGS IN THIS BOX THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW THAT CAN BE REDUCED AND, AND YOU KNOW, MY POSITION IS THAT HOW I LOOK AT IT, I THINK WE CAN REDUCE IT TO BE, YOU KNOW, CLOSE TO $3.1 MILLION.
IS, HM, IS THERE A MOTION FOR, MR. BUTLER HAS SUGGESTED 4.28 FOR PERSONAL PROPERTY.
I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A MOTION FOR REAL ESTATE AND THAT IS A MOTION.
IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU MADAM CHAIR, I WILL MAKE A MOTION AND THEN WE CAN JUST GO FROM THERE, SEE WHERE IT GOES FROM THERE AND, AND YOUR COUNTY ATTORNEY WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE Y'ALL USING THAT FORM SINCE THERE'S A LOT OF NUMBERS TO PUT IN THERE.
SO, MADAM CHAIR, FOR 2024, I MOVED THE BOARD, SET THE REAL ESTATE AND MANUFACTURED HOME TAX RATE AT, UM, 53 CENTS PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUATION AND THAT THE TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY AND BUSINESS PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RATE BE SET AT $4 AND 28 CENTS PER HUNDRED DOLLARS OF ASSESSED VALUATION.
I FURTHER MOVE THAT THE BOARD SET THE TAX RATE FOR QUALIFYING PERSONAL PROPERTY OWNED OR LEASED BY VOLUNTEER FIRE AND EEMS AGENCY MEMBERS AND AUXILIARY MEMBERS AND AUXILIARY POLICE OFFICERS AT $2 AND 18 CENTS PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUATION.
TWO, I FURTHER MOVE THAT THE BOARD SET THE TAX RATE FOR MACHINERY AND TOOLS AND CONTRACT CARRIERS AT $2 AND 17 CENTS, UH, PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUATION.
I FURTHER MOVE THE BOARD SET THE TAX RATE FOR AIRCRAFT AT 75 70 5 CENTS PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUATION AND THAT THE SANITARY DISTRICT RATES BE APPROVED AS ADVERTISED AND REQUESTED BY THE DISTRICTS.
IS THERE A SECOND BEFORE WE GO TO THE SECOND? SO ALL CAN, CAN WE? YES SIR.
I THINK UNDER THE PERSONAL QUALIFYING PROPERTY FOR VOLUNTEER FIRE AND RESCUE, SIR.
OKAY, THAT SHOULD BE ONE HALF.
SO IF YOU GO AT 4 28 IT SHOULD BE TWO 14.
SO ALL THESE INCREASES EQUIVALENT TO $4 MILLION IN REVENUE.
YES, BECAUSE IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT IT, UM, WITH THE 53 CENTS, THAT'S 2.4 MILLION.
THEN YOU COME DOWN TO THE, UH, THE $4 AND 28 CENTS.
WELL THAT GIVES YOU, UH, 3.940 MILLION.
AND THEN YOU ADD IN THE MACHINERY
[03:15:01]
AND TOOLS.THAT PUTS YOU RIGHT OVER 4 MILLION.
AND THAT CONCLUDES, UM, OUR MEETING.
IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED.
THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING TONIGHT AND SAFE TRAVEL HOME.