[00:00:02]
GOOD EVENING EVERYONE AND WELCOME TO THE SPECIAL BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, UH, WORK SESSION FOR MARCH 19TH, 2026.
[Additional Item]
AND I WOULD LIKE TO ADD A COUPLE OF ITEMS TO THE AGENDA.UH, WE NEED TO DO THE BARRY DUNN PROPOSAL AND WE NEED TO DO THE CONTRACT RENEWABLE OF EARTH DRIVER LLC FOR TOURISM WEBSITE.
SO IS THERE A MOTION? UM, WILL I MAKE THE MOTION? IS THERE A SECOND TO ADD THOSE TO THE AGENDA? SECOND.
MR. HENDERSON, WILL YOU DO ROLL CALL PLEASE? DR.
SO FIRST UP, UM, IS THE BARRY DUN PROPOSAL AND MS. SHANKS HERE IF ANYONE HAS ANY QUESTIONS.
I DIDN'T REALLY GET A CHANCE TO START.
ANY GENTLEMEN? ANY QUESTIONS? NO QUESTION.
MR. CARTER GETS UP HERE AND THEN THANK YOU.
ANY QUESTIONS? UH, ABOUT THE VERY DUMP PROPOSAL? NO.
IS THERE A MOTION? MADAM CHAIR? I MOVE THAT THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BE AUTHORIZED TO EXECUTE A CONTRACT FOR SERVICES BETWEEN WARREN COUNTY AND BARRY DUNN MCNEIL AND PARKER, LLC AND A NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT OF $200,000 ON SUCH TERMS AND CONDITIONS AS MAY BE APPROVED BY THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR IN CONSULTATION WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY.
ALRIGHT, THE SECOND IS CONTRACT RENEWAL FOR EARTH DRIVER LLC FOR TOURISM WEBSITE AND I BELIEVE THAT'S MS. MEADOWS.
DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? MS. THE 1495? CORRECT.
AND IS THAT, UH, IS THAT YEARLY? IT SAYS ANNUAL RECURRING 'CAUSE IT WAS SOME CONFUSION.
OKAY, WELL THAT'S NOT TOO BAD.
IF NOT ANY OTHER DISCUSSION AT THIS POINT? IS THERE A MOTION? MADAM CHAIR? I MOVE THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS APPROVE THE AMENDMENT NUMBER TWO FOR THE AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE COUNTY OF WARREN, VIRGINIA AND EARTH DRIVER LLCI FURTHER MOVE THE BOARD, AUTHORIZE THE CHAIR AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, EITHER OF WHOM MAY ACT TO EXECUTE ALL NECESSARY DOCUMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY THE COUNTY ATTORNEY.
[A. Presentation - Warren County FY 2027 Budget]
DR. MARTIN, YOU'RE UP PRESENTATION OF THE WARREN COUNTY 2027 BUDGET AND I'M NOT SURE IF MR. JONES CAN HEAR ME, BUT SOMEBODY JUST SENT ME A MESSAGE THAT WE'RE NOT AIRING ON THE NETWORK.WE'RE NOT, I'M AWARE I MIGHT TEXT THE COURT WORKING ON IT NOW.
DO YOU WANT TO POSTPONE THE PRESENTATION,
SO GOOD EVENING, MADAM CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, UH, AT YOUR PLACES TONIGHT.
YOU SHOULD HAVE THREE PIECES OF INFORMATION REGARDING THE FY UH, 2027 BUDGET.
FIRST IS A HARDBOUND COPY AND, UM, I'M KIND OF DISAPPOINTED WE'RE NOT ON AIR BECAUSE WE WILL HAVE COPIES OF THIS IN THE ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE FOR, FOR THE PUBLIC TO CHECK OUT IF THEY WANT TO SEE THE DETAIL.
THEY CERTAINLY WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT TONIGHT.
WHAT THE PUBLIC IS RECEIVING IS THE ONE PAGER SUMMARY, UM, OF THE ESSENTIAL POINTS.
AND THE OTHER DOCUMENT THAT YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU IS THE POWERPOINT THAT I'LL GO THROUGH TONIGHT AND TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET.
UM, I'D ASK THAT YOU HOLD THE DETAILS OR YOUR QUESTIONS UNTIL THE END BECAUSE THEY DO NOT KNOW THIS YET, BUT JANE AND ALYSSA ARE GONNA COME UP AND THEY'RE ALL THREE
[00:05:01]
OF US ARE GONNA ANSWER QUESTIONS.NO, NO, YOU DON'T HAVE TO COME NOW,
SO, UM, DOLLY PARTON, AND THE REASON I PICKED KIND OF THIS TREE IS STORMS MAKE TREES TAKE DEEPER ROOTS.
AND THERE'S A LITTLE MEANING BEHIND THAT BECAUSE I THINK THAT WARREN COUNTY HAS, UH, REALLY BEEN THROUGH SOME STORMY TIMES.
BUT I LEARNED IN EDUCATION THIS PHRASE, YOU HAVE TO STORM BEFORE YOU NORM.
SO YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH THE STORMING AND NOW I THINK YOU'RE READY TO START NORMING ABOUT MOVING FORWARD.
I ALSO FOUND, UM, THIS ON THE INTERNET, AND THIS WAS MY FIRST EXPERIENCE AT FINDING SOMETHING AI HAD GENERATED EVEN AT MY AGE.
SO I'D LIKE TO READ THIS FOR YOU BECAUSE I THINK IT ALSO EPITOMIZES WARREN COUNTY A LITTLE BIT DEEP IN THE EARTH WHERE NO ONE CAN SEE OUR ROOTS GROW STRONG, THEY TWIST AND TURN IN SILENT, MIGHT ANCHORED, STEADY HOLDING TIGHT UP ABOVE THE BRANCHES, REACH WIDE SHELTERING, ALL WITH ARMS OF PRIDE, LEAVES LIKE VOICES, FRESH AND BRIGHT, WHISPER DREAMS IN MORNING LIGHT.
THE TRUNK STANDS FIRM THROUGH SUNSHINE AND RAIN.
ITS STRENGTH EMANATES ACROSS THE TERRAIN, BUILT ON PILLARS, DEEP AND TRUE LIFTING HIGH, THE SKYWARD VIEW.
BUT WHAT IS SEEN IS NOT THE HOLE FOR UNSEEN HANDS STILL GUIDE THE SOIL THROUGH WINDS THAT HOWL AND SEASONS LEAN, THE TREE ENDURES ROOTED, SERENE.
SO, AND YOU MIGHT NOTICE I HAVE A COMPANION HELPING ME TONIGHT.
THIS IS, UM, UH, GEORGE WASHINGTON.
AND AS I LOOKED, UM, HE'S GONNA BE SILENT TONIGHT EXCEPT FOR, UH, I HAVE SOME QUOTES THAT I ALSO THINK, UH, REPRESENT WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO TONIGHT IN THIS BUDGET.
UH, YOU HAVE ONLY WAY TO CONVINCE OTHERS, AND THAT'S TO LISTEN TO THEM.
SO MY JOB IS TONIGHT IS HOPEFUL THAT YOU'LL HEAR ME, AND I'M GONNA TRY TO CONVINCE YOU THAT THIS HAS AN APPROPRIATE BUDGET.
99% OF FAILURES COME FROM PEOPLE WHO MAKE EXCUSES.
LEADERSHIP IS NOT ONLY HAVING A VISION, BUT ALSO HAVING THE COURAGE, THE DISCIPLINE AND THE RESOURCES TO GET YOU THERE.
AND THE LAST ONE, WHEN THERE IS NO FISHING, THERE IS NO HOPE.
SO, UM, WHY WE'RE HERE TONIGHT? WELL, THIS IS IN THE CODE OF VIRGINIA.
THIS IS PART OF MY JOB UNDER YOUR DIRECTION TO PRESENT TO YOU, UH, AND SUBMIT A BOARD PROPOSAL FOR AN ANNUAL BUDGET FOR THE COUNTY.
SO AFTER TONIGHT, THIS BECOMES YOUR BUDGET.
UM, AND I THINK NEXT WEEK WE WILL HAVE, UM, MARKUP MARK DOWN.
HAVEN'T BEEN THROUGH ONE OF THOSE WITH YOU, BUT I'LL HAVE A SPECIAL OUTFIT THAT I'M PLANNING TO WEAR JUST IN CASE.
SO I WANNA DO SOME REALITY CHECKS.
I HAD THIS, UM, LAST WEEK, BUT I WANT TO JUST REMIND THE PUBLIC THIS WAS MY REALITY CHECK WHEN I CAME TO WARREN COUNTY EDA.
THAT'S PRETTY, UH, THAT'S PRETTY MUCH A DARK PAST FOR THIS COUNTY.
UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I SEE A REBIRTH OF THAT KIND OF GOING AWAY.
UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I WANT TO BE SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THERE ARE NO FUNDS IN THIS BUDGET TO PAY BACK THE DEBT TO THE ED TO THE BANKS ON BEHALF OF THE EDA.
THAT'S NOT OUR JOB IN THIS BUDGET.
UM, WE'RE NOT PAYING THEM BACK ANYTHING IN TERMS OF AUDITS.
UM, EVERY DAY I GET GOOD NEWS ABOUT AUDITS.
AND, UM, ALYSSA, SHE'S PROBABLY GONNA SHAKE HER HEAD.
WE WERE LOOKING FOR A FUND BALANCE LATE THIS AFTERNOON FOR THE 24 AUDIT.
AND THEN, UH, THE 25 AUDIT, THEY WERE AT MAY YESTERDAY, UH, OF RECONCILIATION.
SO WE'RE EXCITED THAT WE ARE MOVING FORWARD, UM, IN THAT PROCESS.
BUT THERE'S A DOWNSIDE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE THE AUDITS.
WE LOST A BOND RATING, AND WE MAY BE LOSING ANOTHER ONE UNTIL WE CAN PROVIDE THE INFORMATION THAT THEY WANT, WHICH MAY BE FINISHING ONE OF THESE AUDITS AND PUTTING THAT FORWARD.
WHAT'S A, WHAT'S THE DOWNSIDE FOR THIS COUNTY? AND THAT IT'S GONNA BE HARD FOR YOU TO BORROW MONEY TO GET THINGS DONE.
[00:10:01]
SO WE HAD THE ADVANCE, AND IN THAT ADVANCE, UH, WE HAD SOME PRIORITIES.NOW, UH, I WAS CORRECTED BY AN ESTEEM MEMBER OF THIS BOARD THAT I DIDN'T PUT ALL YOUR PRIORITIES UP.
UM, WELL I TOOK SOME, UH, INTERIM COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR LATITUDE.
UM, BUT YOU WILL SEE IN THIS BUDGET THERE ARE BASICALLY TWO PRIORITIES.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, I BELIEVE IS ON THE WAY.
THERE COULD BE AN ANNOUNCEMENT IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
UM, I THINK WE HAVE A GREAT DEAL, UH, THANKS TO JANE FOR WHAT SHE'S BEEN DOING WITH THE TOURISM BOARD.
AND THAT'S WHY GEORGE IS HERE.
THIS, THIS IS ACTUALLY A DATE FOR JANE LATER.
I MEAN, SHE REALLY, SHE, SHE HAS THIS THING FOR GEORGE WASHINGTON.
SO AS WE LOOK AT THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT CALENDAR OR PROCESS, AND WE DID THIS BEFORE, UM, ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS AND CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS SUBMITTED WHAT THEY WANTED IN THE BUDGET FOR CONSIDERATION.
UM, WE WENT THROUGH THAT WITH THEM.
WE DEVELOPED A BUDGET LAST MONDAY.
UM, JANE, ALYSSA AND I MET WITH EVERY DEPARTMENT HEAD INDIVIDUALLY, AND WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT'S IN THE BUDGET AND WHAT'S NOT IN THE BUDGET.
NOW ALSO DURING THAT PROCESS, UH, WE FOUND OURSELVES, UM, NEGOTIATING AND LOOKING AT OUR OWN PRIORITIES WITH THEM.
AND THERE WERE SOME CHANGES MADE, UH, AND WHAT WE HAD IN THE BUDGET BASED ON CONVERSATIONS WE HAD WITH THEM.
SO IT WASN'T JUST HERE'S THE BUDGET, DEAL WITH IT.
WE WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THEY ACTUALLY THOUGHT ABOUT IT.
SO WE'RE PRESENTING THE BUDGET TONIGHT AND YOUR MARKUP MARKDOWN PROCESS IS NEXT TUESDAY.
AND THEN WE'RE HEADED TOWARDS THE BUDGET ADOPTION.
SO GUESS WHAT? SO THE LAST TIME I TALKED TO YOU ALL, A PENNY WAS WORTH 700,000.
NOW IT'S WORTH MORE 750,000 AS WE'VE LOOKED AT THIS.
LET ME ALSO SHARE WITH YOU, UH, MY THANKS TO, UH, THE COMMISSIONER AND THE TREASURER.
WE SPENT AN AFTERNOON, FIVE PEOPLE IN THIS ROOM HERE, AND WE WANTED TO GET IT RIGHT.
NOW, I HAVE TO TELL YOU A STORY ABOUT THE COMMISSIONER BECAUSE SHE SAYS, YOU KNOW, I GOT, I CAN FIND SOME MORE MONEY.
WE HAVEN'T ENTERED EVERYTHING.
AND I SAID, SHERRY, WE'VE GOT TO CUT THIS OFF.
WE'VE GOTTA PUT A BUDGET TOGETHER.
SO IF YOU FIND MORE MONEY, THAT'LL BE A GOOD THING.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TO DO THIS BUDGET BASED ON WHAT YOU HAVE.
AND, AND TRULY IT WAS NICE TO SEE ALL OF US TRYING TO PUT THIS TOGETHER.
UM, THERE, THERE ARE NO SECRETS IN THIS BUDGET.
SO I THINK YOU COULD ASK ANY ONE OF THE FIVE OF US AND WE COULD HELP YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HERE AND WHAT'S NOT HERE.
SO I, I APOLOGIZE TO THE PEOPLE IN THE BACK IF YOU'RE SEEING THIS.
WE TRIED TO MAKE THIS, BUT I WANTED TO DEMONSTRATE.
THIS IS, UH, ANOTHER PIECE THAT WE SHARED WITH YOU LAST TIME.
AND IF YOU WILL NOTE, WE ARE, I THINK THE LOWEST AS YOU LOOK AT THIS.
AND I DON'T HAVE MY GLASSES, BUT I THINK WHEN WE PUT THIS TOGETHER, UH, BUT THAT'S IN YOUR HANDOUT.
SO HERE'S, HERE'S THE BIG HITCH IN THE GET ALONG.
REAL ESTATE TAXES WE'RE PROJECTING TO GO UP 10 CENTS.
AND I THINK WE CAN JUSTIFY THAT.
AND WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS PAGE HERE, YOU WILL ACTUALLY SEE, UH, THE THOUGHTFUL WORK OF JANICE AND SHERRY AS WE WENT THROUGH COUNTING EVERY DOLLAR.
THE ONES IN RED YOU WILL NOTE, UM, WE'RE NOT GETTING AS MUCH AS WE DID LAST YEAR.
AND THEN YOU ALSO WILL NOTE THE CIGARETTE TAX, WE PUT THAT IN IF APPROVED.
NOW LET ME SAY IF THAT'S APPROVED, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY WANTS A PIECE OF IT.
IT'S GONNA BE ABOUT, UM, 980,000.
I THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE 990, BUT IT'S GONNA BE THAT I WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT HOW THAT MONEY CAN BE SHARED, PARTICULARLY AFTER THE DISCUSSION LAST NIGHT WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE MEALS TAX.
SO THE EDUCATION PIECE, IF EDUCATION GETS THE MEALS TAX, THERE HAS TO BE A WAY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO GET A PIECE OF THIS CIGARETTE TAX THAT NEEDS TO BE SHARED.
BECAUSE AS I'VE SAID BEFORE IN THIS BUDGET, THERE ARE THREE GROUPS THAT THOSE ARE OUR PRIORITIES
[00:15:01]
BECAUSE I BELIEVE IN THIS COMMUNITY AND LIKE MANY OTHERS, THE WARREN COUNTY COMMUNITY EXPECTS CERTAIN SERVICES, FIRE SAFETY, SHERIFF, AND A GOOD EDUCATION FOR THEIR CHILDREN.THOSE ARE THE PRIORITIES IN THIS BUDGET.
OKAY? SO HERE FOR THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE THAT'S GOING TO BE RAISED, SCHOOLS ARE PROBABLY, WE ESTIMATE WE WILL GET 54.76% OF EVERY NEW REVENUE.
AND YOU CAN SEE SHERIFF IS 2.17 FIRE AND RESCUE AND IT GOES ON AND ON AND ON.
BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT, UM, NEW REVENUES COMING IN OF $9,918,000, $6 AND 76 CENTS.
THAT'S WHERE THE ESTIMATE IS NOW.
SO PROBABLY IF YOU ASKED US TOMORROW AND THE POSTING THAT'S CURRENTLY DONE, THAT WAS DONE TODAY, IT'S GONNA BE DIFFERENT BECAUSE THEY'VE REALIZED MORE REVENUE.
SO THAT'S WHY THIS IS A FLOATING DOCUMENT.
WE WILL BE HAPPY TO UPDATE THESE REVENUES AS YOU GO FORWARD BEFORE THE ADOPTION BECAUSE WE CERTAINLY WANT YOU TO HAVE ACCURATE NUMBERS BEFORE THE ACTUAL ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET.
SO, UH, SO WHAT DOES 10 CENTS ON THE REAL ESTATE MEAN? I SHOWED YOU THIS THE LAST TIME.
SO ON A $350,000 HOME AND THAT'S THE LARGEST GROUP THAT OWNS HOMES IN WARREN COUNTY, BETWEEN $300,000 AND 399 UH, THOUSAND, THAT WOULD MEAN $175 EACH SIX MONTHS.
EVERY SIX MONTHS ON A $350,000 HOME THERE WILL BE AN INCREASE OF $175.
SO LET'S TALK ABOUT OUR PRIORITIES.
SO IN WORKING WITH THE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT, UM, AND JUST LET ME NOTE, UH, THE SCHOOL ASK, IF YOU'LL REMEMBER, WAS ONE AT 1.8 0.5 MILLION.
UM, SO THIS IS HOLDING THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, UH, NEUTRAL IN TERMS OF THEIR INSURANCE INCREASE OF 23.7%.
SO WE HAD TO BE ABSOLUTELY SURE THAT THE RAISE THEY PLANNED TO GIVE TEACHERS 3% AND A AND A STEP WOULD EQUAL TO THE PAYMENT OF THAT INSURANCE.
SO WILL THEY BE MAKING MORE MONEY? NO, THEY'LL PROBABLY BE MAKING THE SAME.
I THINK DR. WRIGHT, THERE'S ONE OR TWO PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA MAKE LESS OF YEAR AND IT'S LIKE $92 FOR THE YEAR IF, IF MY MEMORY SERVES ME CORRECTLY.
SO AS WE LOOK AT THIS AND PUTTING, UM, 200,000 IN THE TEXTBOOK FUND AND ALSO KNOWING FOR THE PUBLIC THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS PAYS ALL OF THEIR DEBT SERVICE, THEY'RE PAYING ALL THE MORTGAGES ON ALL THE SCHOOLS THAT HAVE LOANS, YOU HAVE TAKEN ON THAT RESPONSIBILITY.
BUT EVEN AT THAT WITH THE TAX RATE THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW, UM, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WOULD BE RESPONSIBLE FOR 7.24 CENTS INCREASE ON THE REAL ESTATE TAX IN ORDER TO HOLD THEM WHOLE WHERE IT'S 7 CENTS.
SO LET'S LOOK AT FIRE AND RESCUE.
UM, THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THOSE WHERE, UM, THANK GOODNESS THEY DID A REPORT BECAUSE IT WAS VERY HELPFUL AS WE LOOKED AT STAFFING.
NOW I CAN TELL YOU, UM, THAT JIMMY AND JERRY ARE NOT GONNA LIKE THIS, UM, BECAUSE I CAN'T, WE CAN'T DO EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE.
SO WE'RE LOOKING AT THREE, UH, FIRE OPERATIONAL POSITIONS.
ONE, FIRE MARSHAL, UH, A VEHICLE, A FIRE STATION ENHANCEMENT AND CANCER PROTECTION.
NOTICE THAT THE FIRE MARSHAL VEHICLE FIRE STATION ENHANCEMENT AND UM, A CANCER PREVENTION ARE COMING OUT OF A FUND BALANCE CARRYOVER FROM FY 24.
I ALSO WANT YOU TO NOTE THE FIRE MARSHAL VEHICLE, AND THIS IS PROBABLY GONNA BE TRUE AS WE GO FORWARD, THAT WE HAVE TAKEN OUT CAPITAL OUTLAY AND ASSET REPLACEMENT.
AND I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A STRATEGY TO USE YOUR FUND BALANCE ONE-TIME FUNDS TO MEET THESE CAPITAL NEEDS SO YOU CAN KEEP THE TAX RATE DOWN.
[00:20:01]
SO TWO DEPUTIES, A FOIA CLERK, I THINK, UH, CRYSTAL MADE A PRETTY COMPELLING CASE OF WHY SHE NEEDS A FOIA PERSON.NOT EVERYBODY CAN DO THAT WITH THE TRAFFIC CAM STUFF THAT HAS TO BE REVIEWED FOR CASES, UH, CALL HANDLING EQUIPMENT AND SHERIFF VEHICLES, UH, SEVEN SHERIFF VEHICLES.
YOU WILL ALSO NOTE THE CALL HANDLING EQUIPMENT AND THE SHERIFF'S VEHICLES ARE GOING TO COME OUT OF YOUR FUND BALANCE.
THEY ARE NOT IN THIS BUDGET AS A TAX INCREASE.
AND WITH THAT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WILL BE RESPONSIBLE 0.286 ON THE TAX RATE.
SO LET'S LOOK AT SOME GENERAL THINGS.
THERE'S SOME GENERAL THINGS, UH, ONE OF WHICH IS IT.
UM, YOU HEARD FROM, UM, THE REGISTRAR FOR ELECTIONS THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A SPECIFIC A DA VOTER EQUIPMENT.
UH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE BELIEVE HAS TO HAPPEN.
UM, THERE HAVE TO BE ELECTION SERVICE CONTRACTS.
IF YOU ALSO REMEMBER THAT PRESENTATION WHEN THEY HAVE PEOPLE COME IN, UH, JUST LIKE THE SCHOOLS AND SOME OTHERS, THE UH, MINIMUM WAGE IS GONNA GO UP.
SO WE HAVE TO PREPARE NOW FOR THAT MINIMUM WAGE TO GO UP SO HE CAN PAY HIS VOLUNTEERS AND FANTASY LAND REPLACEMENTS.
AND IF YOU WILL ALSO NOTE EVERY ONE OF THESE WE'RE PLANNING TO PULL OUTTA THE FUND BALANCE CARRYOVER FOR 24.
WE HAVE LOOKED THROUGH AND WE'RE GONNA BE PULLING MONEY AS MUCH AS WE CAN OUT OF THIS BUDGET AND FUND.
SO HERE'S SOME FINAL THOUGHTS.
UM, VIRGINIA REQUIRES THAT YOU KEEP 15% OF YOUR BUDGET TOTAL IN RESERVE.
AND I NEVER THOUGHT I'D BE SAYING THIS TO YOU, BUT WE HAVE A LOT MORE THAN THAT AND THAT'S WHY I FEEL EXTREMELY COMFORTABLE MAKING THE RECOMMENDATION THAT WE'RE GOING TO PULL ONE TIME COSTS FOR ASSET, UH, ASSET REPLACEMENT AND ONE TIME CAPITAL COSTS AND PULL THAT OUT OF YOUR FUND BALANCE.
OKAY? NOW DON'T GET EXCITED YET 'CAUSE THERE'S MORE.
UM, I ALSO LEARNED THAT WARREN COUNTY HAS NOT HAD A TAX INCREASE IN TWO CALENDAR YEARS.
UM, WHICH MEANS, UM, I'LL GO TO THE LAST ONE HERE 'CAUSE I HEARD THIS FROM MANY OF YOU.
HOW MUCH LONGER CAN WE AFFORD TO KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD BEFORE WE DO SOME THINGS? SO HERE'S THE DO SOME THINGS I WOULD LIKE FOR YOU TO CONSIDER USING THE FUND BALANCE NOW TO REPLACE THE COUNTY BUILDINGS WITH ROOF ISSUES.
YOU HAVE THE MONEY, YOU HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT.
NOW ONCE THE AUDITS ARE DONE FOR 24 25, WE BELIEVE THAT THERE IS GOING TO BE EXCESS MONEY.
AND AT THAT POINT I AM RECOMMENDING THAT YOU GO AHEAD AND REPLACE ALL THE ROOFS ON ALL THE SCHOOLS.
IT'S A $7.1 MILLION ASK AND YOU'LL HAVE THE CASH TO DO IT.
NOW, AS A FORMER SUPERINTENDENT, I CANNOT TELL YOU IF THESE ROOFS ARE LEAKING IN SCHOOLS, FIRST OF ALL, IT IS GOING TO COMPROMISE THE INTEGRITY OF THE BUILDING AND ITS STRUCTURE.
BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, 'CAUSE I'VE HAD THIS HAPPEN NOT HERE, UM, WHERE THE M WORD COMES UP MOLD AND NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HEALTH ISSUES FOR STUDENTS AND STAFF.
AND THAT IS NOT A GOOD PLACE TO BE IN.
SO BEFORE ANY OF THAT HAPPENS, UH, I THINK YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY, UM, TO REPLACE THE ROOFS AND AS A PRIORITY.
UM, AND THEN THIS CAN THAT WE KEEP KICKING DOWN THE ROAD, UM, NO LONGER BECOMES A KICKED CAN, BUT MAY BE FULL OF SOMETHING ELSE YOU CAN CELEBRATE WITH POP OR SOMETHING.
UM, SO THOSE, THAT IS A QUICK LOOK AND NOW IS THE APPROPRIATE TIME.
'CAUSE I KNOW MR. SANDMEYER HAS QUESTIONS.
HE'S BEEN WRITING THEM DOWN THE WHOLE TIME, UH, FOR ALYSSA AND JANE TO COME UP.
I JUST CAN'T TELL YOU HOW GOOD IT IS TO WORK WITH PEOPLE THAT WOULD SAY, DR. MARTIN, THAT'S NOT RIGHT.
YOU'RE NOT THINKING ABOUT THAT.
[00:25:01]
A LITTLE BIT.AND THAT'S A REALLY GOOD PLACE TO BE.
ALRIGHT, MR. SAMAYA, YOU GO FIRST.
UH, YOU GUYS DID A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK, UH, IN THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS AND ESPECIALLY IN THE PAST FEW DAYS.
UH, AND, UH, IT'S NO, IT'S NO SMALL TASK TO PULL OFF WHAT YOU DID.
UM, MY FIRST QUESTION IS REGARDING THE, UH, THE ONE PAGER WHICH I LOVE, BY THE WAY.
THIS IS A GREAT SUMMARY DOCUMENT.
UM, THE TOP NUMBER ON THERE IS, UH, THE REAL ESTATE ADDITIONAL REVENUE, WHICH LOOKS LIKE TO BE 10.28 MILLION OFF A 10 CENT INCREASE.
UM, I'M TRYING TO SQUARE THAT WITH THE IDEA THAT 1 CENT EQUALS 750 K.
I WOULD THINK THAT 10 CENTS WOULD BE 7.5 MILLION, BUT THIS SAYS 10.28 MILLION
SOLVE THE TOTAL VALUE OF THE PROPERTY.
SO THAT'S WHAT YOU WANNA MULTIPLY IT OFF OF.
SO, SO JUST TO GIVE JANE THE SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION, IT'S UM, $8,087,837,500.
THAT'S NOT GONNA DO ME ANY GOOD FOR THAT TONIGHT.
SO THAT'S THE TOTAL ASSESSMENT OF ALL THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY OKAY.
AND THEN YOU TAKE THAT, YOU MULTIPLY IT BY THE 47, UH, 0.9 MM-HMM
AND THEN YOU, UH, I'M SORRY, IF YOU WANNA LOOK AT THE 57.9 MM-HMM
YOU NEED TO TAKE AWAY $1 MILLION FOR TAX RELIEF MM-HMM
AND THEN YOU NEED TO MULTIPLY IT BY THE TAX COLLECTION RATE, WHICH IS 97.73 FOR REAL ESTATE.
OKAY? AND THAT TAKES AWAY $447,883 OKAY.
TO GET YOU TO YOUR REVENUE OF 45 MILLION.
OKAY? SO THAT ALL THAT IS BAKED IN AND YES, IT'S OKAY.
UM, MY SECOND QUESTION, DO YOU MIND IF I JUST GO ROLL WITH BUDDY? YOU'LL HAVE ME COVERED TIME.
YOU GUYS IN HERE? I'LL, DO YOU HAVE ON I DON'T HAVE, I DON'T HAVE THAT MANY.
I DON'T HAVE THAT MANY, BUT, UM, I, I SAW THAT PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX LOOKS TO BE DOWN 2 MILLION THAT I, I THOUGHT LAST TIME WE DISCUSSED IT, IT WAS PROBABLY IN A FLAT TERRITORY.
AM AM I JUST MISREMEMBERING THAT? AND IT ACTUALLY WAS PROJECTED TO BE DOWN THAT MUCH.
WHILE WE GOT A SECOND, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO EMAIL THE EXPLANATION YOU JUST GAVE TO HIM? ABSOLUTELY.
I NEED TO SEE, I NEED TO SEE IT ON PAPER.
SHERRY DO YOU NEED WANT HIM TO REPEAT THE QUESTION? YEAH, I HEARD IT.
WE SENT IN OVER 33,000 VEHICLES TO BE ASSESSED.
THERE WAS MAYBE 20 TO 50 THAT INCREASED.
SO THAT'S THE DATA THAT I HAVE IN THERE NOW BECAUSE HE CUT ME OFF.
HE SAID I COULDN'T GIVE ME ANYTHING ELSE.
HE HAD THE, HAD THE FIGURES NOW.
SO THAT'S COMING FROM JD POWER OR SOMEBODY AND THAT'S YES.
THANK YOU PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE WILL BE HAPPY ON THAT.
UM, I WANTED TO DOUBLE CHECK, UH, THE, UH, THE BUDGET INCLUDES A, A COLA AND MAYBE SOME MERIT.
AND I WAS WONDERING IF YOU COULD JUST REMIND US THOSE NUMBERS, THE EXACT DOLLAR NUMBERS.
UM, NOW IT'S A LITTLE FURTHER BACK, BUT IT, SO IT'S A 3% COLA, WHICH IS, UM, WHAT WE ARE ANTICIPATING BASED OFF OF THE STATE.
AND THEN THE STEP, WE BUDGET A 2%, UM, POTENTIALLY FOR ALL EMPLOYEES.
AND THAT DOES VARY AS BASED OFF OF THEIR ANNUAL EVALUATIONS.
UM, BUT THE ACTUAL DOLLAR AMOUNT, SO FOR, I THINK I HAVE THIS RIGHT UHHUH,
I MEAN, WE WANT EVERYBODY TO SUCCEED AND GET A MERIT BONUS, BUT WE LOOKED AT HOW MUCH WAS THERE.
UM, AND WE ACTUALLY REDUCED SOME LINES IN THE BUDGET.
UM, I'LL GO THROUGH THIS AND IF I HAVE MORE DETAIL QUESTIONS ON THAT DETAIL, I'LL LET YOU KNOW.
UH, THE INCREASES, IT LOOKS LIKE 2 MILLION OF THE INCREASE GOES TO OTHER OPERATIONAL INCREASES AND I KNOW WE'VE SEEN ALL THAT IN THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS, BUT I'M WONDERING IF YOU CAN JUST PUT SOME FLAVOR ON THAT.
YEAH, ESPECIALLY FOR THE PUBLIC.
[00:30:01]
GONNA SEE IN THE PUBLIC WORKS MM-HMMDEPARTMENTS, THERE WAS OVER A MILLION DOLLARS, UM, CLOSER TO A MILLION AND A HALF.
AND THAT WAS DUE TO US UNDER BUDGETING FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.
UM, SO WITH THE INCREASE IN THE FEES FOR ACTUALLY, UM, DISPOSAL OF TRASH WHEN WITH PAGE COUNTY, UM, WE HAD THE BUDGET ABOUT $500,000 UNDER WHAT WE WERE ACTUALLY SPENDING MM-HMM
SO THIS YEAR'S BUDGET IS BASED OFF OF THE ACTUALS FROM 24 25 AND THE AMENDED FOR 26.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT, YOU'LL SEE WHERE IT'S MUCH MORE ALIGNED.
SO IT'S ACTUAL NUMBERS INSTEAD OF, UM, US UNDERESTIMATING AND THEN OVERSPENDING.
AND THEN WITH UTILITIES, THERE'S CERTAIN FIXED COSTS THAT REALLY THERE'S NO FLEXIBILITY ON.
AND WE WERE UNDER BUDGETING THEM MM-HMM
HISTORICALLY, AND NOW WE'RE ACTUALLY TRYING TO ACCURATELY BUDGET THEM.
SO IT LOOKS LIKE A HUGE INCREASE, BUT THERE'S ACTUALLY NO INCREASE TO SERVICE.
UM, IT'S SIMPLY THE COST IS WHAT IT IS.
UM, LASTLY, I WAS JUST WANTED TO ASK, UM, IF YOU COULD EXPLAIN MORE ABOUT THE IDEA OF HITTING THE GENERAL FUND FOR SOME OF THESE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION THAT UNTIL THE AUDITS ARE DONE, WE CAN'T REALLY TOUCH THAT BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH WE HAVE.
AND SO I'M, I'M GLAD TO HEAR THE AUDITS ARE PROGRESSING, BUT I, IF WE'RE GOING 7 MILLION FOR ROOFS, WHICH I, I AGREE.
WE NEED TO PROTECT OUR BUILDINGS AND, AND NOT HAVE MOLD.
BUT I, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE SOME CONFIDENCE ABOUT THAT FUND BALANCE.
YOU ALREADY HAVE MONEY IN THE BANK BEYOND THE 15% REQUIRED.
YOU ALREADY HAD THAT MONEY IN THE BANK.
UM, SO I NEST I WAS GIVEN WAS BETWEEN 10 AND 15 MILLION CUSHION.
SO IF YOU DO THE COUNTY ROWS, THAT'S 3 MILLION SOMETHING MM-HMM
AND WE'RE PULLING ALL OF THESE THINGS OUT FOR, UM, YOU ARE WELL WITHIN THAT, WE, WE DID IT VERY CONSERVATIVELY.
NOW ANOTHER CONVERSATION HAS TO OCCUR ONCE THOSE AUDITS ARE DONE, BECAUSE CERTAINLY WE DON'T WANT YOU TO STRETCH, WELL, YOU CAN'T GET INTO THAT 15% MM-HMM
SO IF IT DOESN'T MATERIALIZE, YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE DOING THOSE THINGS.
UM, AND WE CERTAINLY WOULD RECOMMEND WE DON'T WANT YOU GETTING CLOSE TO THAT 15%.
WE'RE, WE'RE AT A COMFORT LEVEL NOW TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE THINGS WE'VE SUGGESTED.
AND THIS, I'VE GOTTA LOOK AT JANICE NOW 'CAUSE WE WERE, WE HAD ALL OUR HEADS TOGETHER ON THIS ONE.
AND UM, JANICE PUT HER FOOT DOWN WITH ME.
OF COURSE I DON'T CONTROL CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS AND I FOUND THAT OUT VERY QUICKLY.
UM, MY LAST QUESTION AND THEN I'LL SEE THE FLOOR
IS, UH, CAN YOU JUST CONFIRM ON THE REAL ESTATE, UH, ASSESSMENTS ARE STAYING FLAT? IS THAT CORRECT? OR IS COEN DOING LIKE A, A COMPUTER BASED, UH, STEP UP IN ASSESSMENTS THIS YEAR? NEXT YEAR WE HAD ABOUT 34 MILLION IN VALUE ADDED FOR BUILDING PERMITS FOR NEW HOMES.
SOME NICE HOMES, NEW CONSTRUCTION.
BUT THE TIME YOU MULTIPLY THAT OUT, IT'S NOT THAT MUCH IN THE DOLLAR AMOUNT.
IT LOOKS GOOD IN THE, IN THE VALUE.
BUT, BUT SO EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM AND EVERYONE ELSE, WHEN THEY GET THEIR TAX BILL THIS YEAR, THEIR ASSESSMENT WILL BE THE SAME AS IT WAS LAST YEAR UNLESS THEY BUILT A NEW HOME.
OR THE DOE OF COURSE THEN WE HAD THE DEALS GO OUT BEFORE THE BOE AGREED.
SO YOU'RE GONNA SEE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS, BUT EVERYTHING SHOULD BE BASICALLY THE SAME EXCEPT FOR THE NEW CONSTRUCTION.
GOOD SUBDIVIDED, LOTS SPLIT OFF, STUFF LIKE THAT.
I JUST WANTED TO VERIFY THAT THAT WAS MY EXPECTATION AND I'M, I'M HAPPY TO HEAR THAT.
SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE AND I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS GIVING ME THE FIRST CRACK OF IT.
MR. CARTER, DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? UH, COUPLE.
YEAH, I WAS GONNA QUESTION THAT TOO AS FAR AS THE 10 CENTS SEQUIN, WHATEVER, AND I FIGURED IT HAD TO DO WITH INCREASED VALUE, SO I'M GLAD THAT WAS CLEARED UP.
AND JUST TO, UH, DOUBLE CHECK, I KNOW ON THE BACK PAGE IT TALKED ABOUT THREE TOTAL, FOUR FOR FIRE AND TWO MORE FOR THE SHERIFF.
SO WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT A TOTAL OF ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEES OF SIX.
UM, AND THERE AGAIN, I KNOW YOU LOOK BACK AT IT AND YOU ALWAYS DO DIFFERENT THINGS WITH NUMBERS AND THE TAX RATE MAY NOT HAVE GONE UP, BUT PEOPLE STILL MAY HAVE SEEN INCREASE IN WHAT THEY PAID.
FOR INSTANCE, YOU HAVE TO START OFF WITH THE EQUALIZATION
[00:35:01]
RATE AND BRING IT DOWN AND, AND WHATEVER.SO IF YOU KEEP THE RATE THE SAME, SOME PEOPLE MAY PAY LESS BECAUSE OF THE ASSESSMENT, SOME PEOPLE MAY PAY MORE.
UM, THE OTHER THING I GUESS ALONG THOSE LINES, UH, AND ACTUALLY I THINK THAT WAS IT AS FAR AS TAX RATE NOT INCREASED.
AND THE OTHER THING AS FAR AS THE FUND BALANCE, AND IT MAY HAVE CHANGED, UM, BUT I DON'T, I DIDN'T RECALL THAT IT WAS A REQUIREMENT OF THE STATE.
WHAT I REMEMBER IT BEING WAY BACK WHEN WAS IT WAS A REQUIREMENT FOR YOUR BOND RATING AND YOU HAD TO KEEP IT 15%.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF, IF IT'S A COUNTY'S FISCAL POLICY.
SO YOU'RE RIGHT, IT'S NOT A STATE POLICY, IT'S COUNTY POLICY.
THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT BECAUSE WE ADOPTED THAT.
'CAUSE WE WANTED TO KEEP THE 15 TO KEEP OUR DOUBLE DAY BOND RATING.
UM, AND THERE AGAIN, I WAS ALWAYS A LITTLE BIT CLOUDY ON, UH, WHAT WAS 15% OF, WAS 15% OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET OR THE TOTAL AMOUNT THAT WE PUT OUT OUTTA LOCAL MONIES.
'CAUSE A BIG CHUNK OF THAT MONEY TOO COMES FROM THE WHAT, WHAT GOES TO THE SCHOOL.
SO IF YOU CONSIDER THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF THE COUNTY'S REVENUE, UH, PLUS THE SCHOOL BEING A DISCRETE COMPONENT OF THE COUNTY AS WELL AS DSS, I USUALLY CONSIDER A HUNDRED MILLION AS OKAY.
SO IS THAT'S ALL DON'T TEND TO CONSIDER SCHOOLS AND DSS? YEAH.
SO THAT'S ALL THE EXPENDITURES, WHETHER IT COMES FROM LOCAL MONEY, STATE MONEY, FEDERAL MATCH OR WHATEVER.
AND THE ONLY OTHER THING I THINK I HAVE, UH, AND AGAIN, WHAT I RECALL, YOU HAD THE FUND BALANCE, WHICH WAS RESTRICTED, WHICH WAS FOR DEBT SERVICE FOR SCHOOLS, FOR INSTANCE.
AND THEN YOU HAD THE UNRESTRICTED, WHICH WAS FOR ONE TIME EXPENDITURES, UH, FOR ROOF REPLACEMENT AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
UH, AND THE ONLY THING I KNOW, I THINK IT WAS, AND THE ONE THING YOU DID NOT WANT TO DO, WE DO NOT WANT TO DO, AND I THINK SHANAN OR COUNTY MAY HAVE DONE IT LAST YEAR.
YOU DON'T DIP INTO YOUR FUND BALANCE TO PAY YOUR ANNUAL OPERATION COST.
ALL FOUR OF YOU TOGETHER SAY THAT NO, NO, YOU DO NOT WANNA DO THAT BECAUSE THEN YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT UP THAT ADDITIONAL MONEY THE NEXT YEAR.
SO THAT, THAT'S NOT, PERSONALLY, I DON'T THINK THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO GO.
BUT THERE AGAIN, IF WE KEEP THE 15 AND THERE AGAIN, I DON'T KNOW IF IT DIFFERENTIATES BETWEEN RESTRICTED AND UNRESTRICTED OR IT'S JUST A TOTAL FUND BALANCE, BUT AS LONG AS WE KEEP THAT, HOPEFULLY ONCE WE GET ALL THE AUDITS COMPLETED, WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UH, GO BACK AND GET, GET THE, UH, BOND RATINGS, WHICH WILL BE BENEFICIAL.
ANYWAY, I APPRECIATE ALL YOU'VE DONE AND UH, I THANK YOU.
MR. HENRY, YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? UH, YES.
OH, WHICH ONE TO ASK FIRST? WHAT, WHAT DID, WHAT DID YOU ACTUALLY BUDGET THE CIGARETTE TAX FOR? UM, WE'RE DUE TO GET 0.02 980,000.
I ORIGINALLY THOUGHT IT WAS GONNA BE LIKE 990, BUT DID AS, AS FAR AS WHAT YOU'RE, THE REASON WHY I'M ASKING THE QUESTION, MAYBE THAT'D HELP A LITTLE BIT.
OH, POTENTIALLY THE TOWN COULD DO THEIR OWN.
SO I THINK IT WOULD BE FAIR THAT WE SAY WHAT IT'S SPENT ON AND IT SHOULD BE DEDICATED TOWARDS STUFF, UH, THAT HELPS BOTH TOWN AND COUNTY, YOU KNOW, LIKE FIRE AND RESCUE OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT.
UM, SO YOU'VE KIND OF HOPEFULLY DELEGATED TO THAT AWAY WHEN YOU'RE OR THAN THE BUDGET.
BUT Y ALL HAVEN'T PASSED THAT YET, SO.
OH, AND THEN, UH, DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH WAS LEFT FROM LAST YEAR? 'CAUSE WE HAD ONE NUMBER AND THEN THAT, THAT WAS OFF.
AND THEN, UH, WHAT NUMBER, WHAT NUMBER ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? YOU HAD SIX, NINE, THEN IT WAS DOWN TO ONE EIGHT.
SO WHAT IS THE ACTUAL, DID WE ACTUALLY GET SOME CLARIFICATION ON THAT? WE DID.
SO WE STARTED OUT WITH, UM, 9.6 AND IF YOU'LL REMEMBER, THE SIX WAS THE CIGARETTE TAX.
AND THEN, UM, SHERRY WAS IN MY OFFICE THE VERY NEXT MORNING WITH THE LOOK OF HORROR THAT I HAD MISLED THE PUBLIC, UM, BECAUSE WE FAILED TO TAKE OUT SOME THINGS, UH, TO MAKE THAT SIX DOWN TO 1.8 AND NOW WE'RE AT A DIFFERENT LEVEL.
SO I WILL TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THAT.
THAT WAS THE RELIEF THAT WE GET AS REVENUE FROM THE STATE.
[00:40:01]
TO $4.5 MILLION.SO I'VE TAKEN THAT INTO CONSIDERATION, UM, NOW FOR PERSONAL PROPERTY.
AND SO THE INCREASE TO PERSONAL PROPERTY, UH, WITH THE VALUATION OF 24 MILLION AT A TAX RATE OF 4.28, UM, TAX RELIEF AT 4.1 MILLION, THE REVENUE FOR PERSONAL PROPERTY IS $16,668,589.
AND THAT IS CONSIDERING A COLLECTION RATE OF 81.82%.
SO WE HAVE UPDATED THOSE FIGURES IN THIS BUDGET BOOK.
MAY I ASK ALSO TO HAVE A PAID COPY OF WHAT YOU'RE READING FROM? YES, I HAVE CHARTED THIS ALL OUT AND I'LL BE HAPPY TO SHARE IT WITH YOU.
UM, ONE OTHER CONCERN THAT I HAD WHEN YOU WERE FIGURING UP, YOU KNOW, HOW WE'RE PAYING OUR DEBT SERVICE BACK, OH, WITH OUR AUDITS NOT BEING COMPLETE, MAYBE OUR BOND SERVICE OH, RATING BEING DROPPED.
DOES THAT AFFECT OUR INTEREST RATE AND DOES THAT CHANGE OUR PAYMENT? ARE THEY LOCKED IN AS FIXED THINGS OR ARE THERE VARIABLE OR IF YOU GOT A BAD CREDIT SCORE, THE INTEREST COULD GO UP AND COST YOU MORE IF IT WAS A PERSONAL.
SO WE WILL WORK WITH DAVENPORT CONTINUOUSLY TO, UM, MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THEM THE BOND RATING COMPANIES, S AND P, FITCH AND MOODY'S, ANY TYPE OF DRAFT FINANCIALS THAT THEY WOULD NEED AND ABLE IN ORDER TO HOLD OUR RATINGS.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE BONDS AND WE WILL NOT LOSE THOSE BONDS AND THOSE RATINGS, BUT IT WILL PROHIBIT US FROM TAKING OUT ANY NEW DEBT AS IT RELATES TO THOSE RATING AGENCIES.
IT WON'T RAISE PAYMENT ON THE OLD GUY? NO.
IT WILL NOT RAISE THE PAYMENT ON, ON THE OUTSTANDING DEBT THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
DO I MAKE ONE QU COMMENT ON THAT? SURE.
UM, AND, AND THEN THERE, AND THAT'S WHAT I KIND OF FIGURED THE CURRENT BOND IS THE INTEREST RATES YOU THINK.
AND THE THING OF IT IS, I KNOW IT WAS POINTING OUT SOMETIME THAT, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY'S IN A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLAR DEBT AND THAT WENT TOWARDS SCHOOLS THAT WENT TOWARD REPUBLIC SAFETY, PUBLIC HEALTH, ALL THOSE THINGS.
UM, AND WE HAD THE DAVENPORT, WHICH I, DAVENPORT, WHICH IS OUR BOND COUNCIL, WHICH I THINK YOU ALL STILL USE.
UM, AND IT SEEMED THERE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME THEY WERE COMING TO US, IT SEEMED LIKE EVERY SIX MONTHS SAYING, HEY, THE BASIS POINTS WENT DOWN 25 POINTS, 50 POINTS, AND WE WOULD REFINANCE.
THEY CHARGED A LITTLE BIT, BUT OVER THAT TIME, BY REFINANCING WE PROBABLY SAVED FIVE OR 6 MILLION IN DEBT SERVICE.
SO WE STAYED ON TOP OF IT AND, AND YOU KNOW, ONCE WE GET THIS BOND RATING BACK, I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE CAN REEVALUATE, SEE WHAT THE MARKET'S DOING, THE WHOLE THING AND LOOK, LOOK AT BE AGGRESSIVE AFTER.
BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE, WE'RE OKAY.
WE, WE DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT IT GOING UP.
NO, WE DID DO THAT A ABOUT A YEAR AGO THEY CAME IN AND MM-HMM
WE ACTUALLY, UH, ALMOST REFINANCE, BUT THINGS WERE JUST A FEW BASIS POINTS AWAY FROM THE BREAK EVEN.
BUT WE, UH, WE'LL PROBABLY DO TO LOOK AT IT AGAIN, UM MM-HMM
SO MAYBE THE INTEREST WILL CREEP DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND YEAH.
I WAS JUST GONNA ADD THAT, AND THEY'LL ALSO BE HERE ON THE SEVENTH TO GIVE A DEMONSTRATION, A PRESENTATION TO THE BOARD AS WELL.
SO THEY'LL BE JUST WHO'S CERTAIN AND AS, AND AS FAR AS OUR DECK GOES, IT IT, I I KNOW WHEN IT PAYS OFF, IT'S NOT A, A SMOOTH LINE.
IT'LL 'CAUSE IS ANY OF THOSE, UH, CLOSE TO BEING PAID OFF IN THE NEXT YEAR OR THREE THAT WILL GET SOME SIGNIFICANT DROP.
UH, I THINK IT'S THREE OR FOUR YEARS, YOU SHOULD REALIZE $3 MILLION THAT BUREAU DON'T HAVE TO PAY TOWARDS THE DEBT.
I WAS HOPING THAT WAS A YEAR OR TWO.
I I HAVE NOTHING ELSE, MR. MOORE.
SO I'LL START, UH, WHERE THEY WERE, UH, MR. HENRY LEFT OFF THE DEBT PAYMENT.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS I NOTICED IN THAT DEBT BOOK IS THAT WE'RE PAYING LIKE 70% OF OUR DEBT WITHIN 10 YEARS.
THAT'S THE PAYMENT SCHEDULE WE'RE ON.
AND, AND THE, THERE'S A, WHEN THEY, WHEN THEY MADE THAT GRAPHIC, THEY SAID THAT THE NORMAL, YOU KNOW, THE NORMAL, UH, OR MEDIAN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT IS FI IS A, IS UM, 50%.
SO, SO IT INDICATES THAT OUR, OUR WE'RE BEING PRETTY AGGRESSIVE AT OUR, AT OUR PAYMENTS AND WE DON'T REALLY HAVE A CHOICE.
IT'S ON A AMORTIZATION AMORTIZATION SCHEDULE.
SO WE JUST PAID THE BILLS ON TIME AND WE'RE ABLE TO, IT JUST TIES IN WITH WHAT MR. CARTER JUST SAID ABOUT WATCHING THE REFINANCING OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE IF YOU CAN REFINANCE, PUSH DOWN PAYMENTS WHEN YOU NEED CASH, YOU SOMETIMES HAVE TO PUSH IT OUT.
AND SO THEY'LL BE HERE PRETTY SOON.
AND, AND THEY DO KEEP AN EYE ON THE MARKET FOR US.
UM, WE DO PAY A $10,000 FEE EVERY YEAR TO KEEP THEM ON A RETAINER.
SO THEY DO PROVIDE THE SERVICE IN TERMS OF KEEPING AN EYE ON THE MARKET, MAKING SURE THAT THE COUNTY IS GETTING, UM, THE BEST RATE YEAH.
WITH THE BONDS THAT WE HAVE OUTSTANDING.
THAT IF THE COUNTY WANTED TO CONSIDER TAKING OUT ANY NEW DEBT IN THE FUTURE.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, UM, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE ACCURATE FINANCIALS SO THAT YOU UNDERSTAND HOW MUCH DEBT WE'RE PAYING OFF AND WHEN THOSE DIPS
[00:45:01]
HAPPEN.UM, NOTHING WAS MENTIONED OF A PILOT, A VALLEY HEALTH PILOT AND THAT'S BEEN DISCUSSED A LOT AROUND AMONGST BOARD AND AMONGST THE PUBLIC.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT A TIMETABLE WOULD BE FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE A, UH, A COMMITMENT FOR THE BOARD TO CONSIDER WHAT KIND OF REVENUE THAT MIGHT PRODUCE AND WHETHER OR NOT TO DO THAT FAIRLY, LIKE, WELL, LIKE WE COULD EVEN DO IT BEFORE THE START OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
I MEAN, UM, SO I WOULD LIKE TO, I DON'T JUST LIKE THAT TO BE ON THE RADAR SCREEN.
BUT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO DO IT WITH THIS BUDGET.
HOWEVER, I DO HAVE THE AGREEMENT FROM WINCHESTER CITY WITH VALLEY HEALTH THAT WAS DONE YEARS AGO.
UM, AND I JUST NEED TO MAKE AN APPOINTMENT TO GO TALK TO SOMEONE.
UM, AND I PROBABLY WILL ASK THE ADVICE OF OUR ATTORNEY BEFORE I MAKE THAT CALL.
I JUST THINK IT SHOULD BE, WE SHOULD BE APPRISED OF THE TIME IT WOULD TAKE TO DO THAT AND HAVE ITS OPTION TO, TO EVALUATE IT AND MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHETHER WE DO OR DON'T WANT TO DO THAT AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.
AND I CAN GET THAT FROM THE ATTORNEY 'CAUSE OKAY.
I'M, I DON'T KNOW, THIS WILL BE MY FIRST RODEO.
UM, ANOTHER THING WASN'T MENTIONED WAS THE PROPERTY SALE ON THE, IN PARTICULAR, YOU KNOW, WE'VE ASKED, OR I'VE ASKED MANY TIMES FOR LIKE HOW MUCH PROPERTY COUNTY OWNS AND IT'S LIKE A HUNDRED ACRE SITE AND IT 107 107 ACRES.
I BELIEVE IT'S UH, UH, ON THE GIS IT'S $20 MILLION I THINK.
DO I SEE THAT RIGHT? OR TWO? IS IT 2,000,020? IT WAS, IT WAS A NON-TRIVIAL NUMBER, UH, IN TERMS OF VALUATION.
BUT THAT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE I THINK WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT.
IF WE HAVE AN ASSET AND WE'RE NOT USING IT AND WE NEED OTHER ASSETS THAT WE SHOULD BE BRINGING THAT TO THE TABLE.
SAY WHAT IS IT WORTH? CAN WE SELL IT AND TRADE ASSETS, TRADE LAND FOR SOMETHING THAT WE NEED, AGAIN, NOT ON OUR OPERATIONAL BUDGET, BUT AS A CONTRIBUTION TO CAPITAL.
SO STAFF HAS PROVIDED ME, UH, COPIES, GIS COPIES, UH, PAPER COPIES OF ALL THE PROPERTY OWNED AND THE ASSESSED VALUE RIGHT NOW.
UH, SO I PLAN TO COME TO THE BOARD AT SOME POINT AND GIVE YOU A RECOMMENDATION, UM, WHICH PROPERTIES.
UM, I'D LIKE TO GO VISIT THESE PROPERTIES.
I'VE BEEN ON THE 107 ACRES AND I CAN TELL YOU, WELL, I'M NOT GONNA TELL YOU WHAT I THINK OF THE 107 ACRES.
UH, THERE'S A WATER TOWER UP THERE.
SO IF WE SOLD THAT PROPERTY, WE HAD CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE TO PUT THAT IN THE DEED SO YOU HAVE AN EASEMENT AND ACCESS TO THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
BUT THERE ARE LOTS OF PROPERTIES AROUND, I'VE BEEN VERY SURPRISED OF WHAT YOU OWN, UH, WHAT'S VACANT, UM, AND WHAT COULD PROBABLY ADD SOME MONEY TO YOUR COFFERS IF YOU'RE NOT PLANNING TO USE 'EM LONG TERM.
I'M HAPPY TO GIVE YOU THE LIST AND IF YOU HAVE A, A CERTAIN ONE THAT YOU WANT ME TO LOOK AT, I CERTAINLY CAN DO THAT.
CAN I ASK A QUESTION REAL QUICK ABOUT THE PROPERTIES? THE PROPERTIES YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE COUNTY OWNS THAT IS EXCLUSIVE OF WHAT THE EDA OWNS, CORRECT? CORRECT.
BECAUSE IT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE A, A COPY OF THOSE PROPERTIES AS WELL.
THANK YOU TO, TO JUMP OFF OF HIM, I, I HAD ASKED FOR A MAP ONE TIME.
I HAVE A MAP TO WHERE WE ACTUALLY COLOR CODED EDA SCHOOL TOWN COUNTY.
SO MR. HENRY, WE ARE TRYING TO FUND OUR BUDGET.
UH, WE'RE GONNA SELL THESE MAPS FOR $25 A PIECE.
SO, UH, I JUST THINK THAT NEEDS TO BE A MATTER OF PRIORITY BECAUSE, UH, IT'S STUFFING WE OWN AND WE NEED TO OWN OTHER THINGS.
UM, THE QUESTION IS, IS WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE FUND BALANCE, THE TERM USED HERE IS FUND BALANCED CARRYOVER FY 24.
IT'S THE FY 24 AUDIT THAT WE DON'T HAVE.
W WHAT, WHEN WE TALK, WHEN WE'RE SITTING HERE TONIGHT TALKING ABOUT FUND BALANCE, FIRST I HEARD, I HEARD 10 TO 15 MILLION, WHICH IS THE THRESHOLD OR THE AMOUNT OVER THE 15% THRESHOLD.
THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING WHAT HAS BEEN SAID THEN I HEARD YOU SAY IF IT MATERIALIZES, SO I'M, WHAT CAN, IS THIS THE CORRECT TERM FUND BALANCE CARRY OVER FY 24? 'CAUSE WE DON'T HAVE AN FY 24 AUDIT.
SO THE SAME, WE HAVE TWO OUTSTANDING AUDITS.
SO THE ADDITIONAL MONEY IN THE BANK WOULD BE CASH ON HAND THAT THE AUDIT WOULD VALIDATE THAT THAT IS ADDITIONAL CASH FROM FY 24 AND FY 25.
SO ONCE THOSE ARE VALIDATED, THEN WE'D BE COMFORTABLE OKAY.
HOWEVER, SINCE IT IS A CARRYOVER, WE DON'T WANNA SPEND IT ON SOMETHING THAT IS A RECURRING LOSS.
SO THE 10 TO 15 MILLION IS A PRETTY BIG SPREAD.
[00:50:01]
WE DO WE KNOW WHAT THE NUMBER IS? WHY, WHY ARE WE SAYING 10 TO 15 MILLION? DO YOU WANNA SPEAK TO THAT? SO ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, I WANNA BE SURE I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU SAID, DR.JAMESON, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE 24 BUDGET, THAT REALLY DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE FUND BALANCE OF 15%.
NO, NO, NOT WHERE YOU SAID 10 TO 15 MILLION.
WHAT'S CARRY OVER THAT? WELL, THE, THE, THE TERM USED ON THE SHEET IS FUND BALANCE CARRY FY 24.
SO I JUST, THAT'S VERY SPECIFIC
SO THE OVERAGES WITH THE BANK BALANCES, SO EVERY MONTH YOU GET, YOU GET A LIST OF ALL THE WEALTH MANAGEMENT BANK BALANCES.
THE FUND BALANCE IS NOT THE BANK BALANCE.
SO, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT WHERE YOU ARE WITH THE BANK BALANCES AND YOUR WEALTH MANAGEMENT, YOU LOOK AT YOU WANNA KEEP A $15 MILLION, UM, YOU MEAN 15%? WELL, YOU WELL IT'S NOT HUNDRED MILLION.
WELL, BECAUSE OUR BUDGET'S A HUNDRED MILLION.
OKAY, SO YOU'RE 15% IS ABOUT 15 MILLION.
SO WHAT IS OVER THAT 15 MILLION IN RESERVES AND, AND WHAT'S THAT AMOUNT? THAT'S WHAT YOU, YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT IT EVERY MONTH.
SO YOU'RE SAYING IT'S END OF, AT END OF JANUARY IT WAS ABOUT 40 MILLION AND IT'S 38 MILLION THE END OF FEBRUARY.
ALL I'M CONFUSED NOW BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 10 TO 15 MILLION ABOVE THE 15 MILLION.
THAT'S OUR FUND, THAT'S OUR POLICY TO RESERVE.
THAT WAS A CONSERVATIVE AMOUNT THAT THE 10 MILLION, A CONSERVATIVE AMOUNT THAT OVER THE 15.
BECAUSE WHAT I, UM, WHEN I WAS TALKING TO DR. MARTIN ABOUT IT, WHEN THE TAX PAYMENTS COME IN, IT SAID IT'S HIGHEST.
SO AFTER JUNE, AFTER DECEMBER, YOU'RE GONNA BE AT YOUR HIGHEST PEAK.
AND THEN WE USE THAT DOWN UNTIL THE TIME THAT THE TAXES ARE COMING BACK.
SO EACH MONTH IS DIFFERENT ON THOSE WEALTH MANAGEMENT BALANCES.
AND YOU DON'T EVER WANNA COMPLETELY USE UP YOUR RESERVES.
YOU HAVE OPERATIONAL BUDGETS, OPERATIONAL BANK BALANCES, AND YOU HAVE RESERVES.
SO THAT WAS A CONSERVATIVE FIGURE WHEN HE ASKED.
OKAY, 10 IS CONSERVATIVE AND IT COULD BE 15, BUT THAT'S THE BASICALLY THE AMOUNT THAT THAT, THAT WITHOUT THE AUDIT YOU THINK IS A HIGH QUALITY NUMBER.
BUT THE, THE AUDIT WILL COME IN AND WE'LL SEE WHETHER THAT'S, THAT WILL SHOW THE FUND BALANCES.
I'M ABLE TO SPEAK TO THE BANK BALANCES.
YEAH, BUT I, I DON'T, THE THE FUND BALANCE IS THE TERM THAT KEEPS GETTING USED HERE.
UM, OH, THE, THE, I DON'T THINK THIS IS GONNA BE YOUR QUESTION, BUT THE STATE I UNDERSTAND IS DELAYED IN, IN UH, UH, UH, DECIDING LIKE HOW MUCH MONEY IS, IS GONNA BE GIVEN TO RELATIVE TO THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM.
SO WHEN IS THAT, WHEN WHEN WILL, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE EVERYTHING IN THIS IS BASED ON THE, THIS LAST YEAR WE GOT X DOLLARS FROM THE STATE AND, AND THAT THAT'S A, EXCUSE ME, IT'S A STRAIGHT CARRYOVER IN THIS BUDGET, RIGHT? THAT THAT'S, YEAH.
AND, AND THE SCHOOL BOARD BUDGET SAYS, AND WHEN THE STATE NUMBER WAS THERE, THEY SAID LAST YEAR IT WAS THIS.
SO WE'RE JUST GONNA BRING THAT OVER AND ASSUME IT'S THE SAME THAT'S HAPPENED LAST YEAR.
I MEAN, IN HER, IN HER CURRENT BUDGET, WE DON'T, THAT'S THE ASSUMPTION NUMBER IS FROM THE STATE, IN OTHER WORDS.
UM, SO DR. WRIGHT IS HERE, BUT GOING FROM THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET USUALLY COMES OUT IN JAN, UH, DECEMBER, AND THEN THE NEW GOVERNOR COMES IN AND THEN THERE IS, UM, A GOVERNOR'S BUDGET AND THEN THERE'S A PERIOD OF CROSSOVER.
BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, DR. WRIGHT, THEY'RE ON VACATION, AREN'T THEY? THAT'S CORRECT THOUGH.
I MEAN, WHEN WILL WE KNOW, IS THERE AN AN AND AND IS THERE ANY BASIS FOR THINKING YOU'RE GONNA, THE STATE IS GONNA CONTRIBUTE LESS OR MORE AND YOU KNOW, ANOTHER HOW SAFE IS THAT CARRY? HOW SAFE IS THAT FLAT NUMBER? I THINK THAT 3% IS PRETTY CONFIDENT WITH THE SCHOOLS THAT THEY'RE GONNA PROVIDE 3% MORE THAN LAST YEAR COMPENSATION.
THAT'S FOR COMPENSATION, CORRECT.
I I THOUGHT THEY, THE ASSUMPTION WAS THE STATE NUMBER WAS GONNA BE CARRIED OVER.
IS THAT OTHER THAN COMPENSATION, A LOT OF THESE FUNDS ARE BASED UPON, UH, THE STUDENT ENROLLMENT.
SO DR. WRIGHT, UM, IS VERY SMART.
DO NOT OVER PROJECT STUDENT ENROLLMENT.
[00:55:02]
AND THEN IT'LL A SURPRISE IF WE GET, IT'LL BE A SURPRISE WHEN THE COUNTY GETS EXTRA MONEY AND THEY'LL COME BACK TO YOU FOR THAT APPROPRIATION.BUT YOU DON'T WANT TO OVEREXTEND THE BUDGET INITIALLY BECAUSE IF IT DOESN'T MATERIALIZE, THEN IT'S NOT GOOD.
SO THE ANSWER IS WE DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THE STATE'S GONNA BE CONTRIBUTING CORRECT.
UNTIL LATE APRIL OR, BUT IS THAT AN LATE APRIL? IS THAT AN IMPORTANT NUMBER FOR YOU AS A BOARD OF SUPERVISOR MEMBER TO KNOW IN LOOKING AT THIS BUDGET? UM, KNOWING THAT WE HAVE BEEN CONSERVATIVE WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO PROJECT THESE NUMBERS? NO, THAT'S GOOD TO BE CONSERVATIVE.
BUT IF, IF THE STATE CAME ALONG AND SAID HE, UH, HERE'S AN HERE'S $3 MILLION MORE FOR EDUCATION, THEN WE WOULD LET YOU KNOW THAT OBVIOUSLY.
BUT THEN IT COULD IMPACT, IT COULD IMPACT OUR ALLOCATION.
IN OTHER WORDS, WOULD IT JUST BE 3 MILLION MORE GETS OUTTA THE BUDGET OR WOULD IT BE WELL NOW WE CAN, WE CAN SHIFT.
IT COULD BE CATEGORICALLY SPECIFIC.
FOR INSTANCE, UH, AS YOU MIGHT KNOW, UM, UM, HILDE JAY AND THE THREE BUSES, UH, AT ONE POINT, UM, AND IT'S ON THE SLIDE, UM, DR. ROY TOLD ME THAT THE STATE WAS GONNA PICK THAT UP, WHICH WAS ABOUT 1.2 MILLION LAST NIGHT.
HE SAID THAT MAY NOT HAPPEN AND THAT'S WHY YOU SAW ON THE SLIDE, YOUR MEALS TAX WILL GO FOR THAT.
'CAUSE WE'RE PLANNING FOR THAT.
ACTUALLY, YOU JUST TRIGGERED A QUESTION FOR ME.
SO SOME OF THE THINGS WE TALKED ABOUT LAST NIGHT THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD ASKED FOR WITH THOSE MOUS OR MOAS, UM, ARE THOSE BAKED INTO THIS, UH, NUMBER SO THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THOSE THINGS FOR THE SCHOOLS? LIKE THE, UM, THE MEALS TAX AGREEMENT AND THE, UH, THE CARRYOVER, UH, AGREEMENT? I HOPE YOU DO THEM.
IT GIVES THEM MORE FLEXIBILITY.
UM, REMEMBER YOU, YOU DON'T, UM, YOU DON'T WANNA SITE-BASED MANAGE THEM, BUT YOU NEED TO PROVIDE OVERSIGHT.
AND SO THAT WAS THE, THE, UM, LUMP SUM INSTEAD OF CATEGORICAL FUNDING.
BUT, BUT THE OTHER TWO WERE MORE, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, CARRY OVER BALANCE.
GOING INTO TAX CAPITAL AFFECTS THEIR, THEIR, UM, ABILITY TO, TO SPEND ON, ON VARIOUS THINGS.
SO THIS BUDGET HERE THAT GIVES THEM THE FIVE POINT, WHATEVER IT WAS, DOES THAT PRESUME THAT WE ARE GOING TO ALSO PASS THOSE OTHER TWO THINGS AND THAT THEY WILL GET THEIR CARRYOVER MONEY BACK AT THE END OF THE YEAR FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS? WELL, YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE, UH, A MOTION FOR THAT TO HAPPEN.
AND ACCORDING TO OUR ATTORNEY, AND HISTORICALLY MY MEMORY, YOU HAVE TO DO THAT EVERY YEAR.
IT'S NOT JUST AN ONGOING THING.
WHATEVER MOU YOU PASS WITH THE SCHOOLS, IT HAS TO BE DONE ANNUALLY.
SO YOU JUST DON'T SET THAT FOREVER.
YOU, IT, IT IS A SAFEGUARD IF, 'CAUSE YOU'RE, YOU'RE, YOU ALL ARE GONNA CHANGE AND IT MAY MIGHT BE THE WILL OF THE NEXT BOARD TO DO THOSE THINGS.
SO IT'S KIND OF A SAFEGUARD TO DO THAT.
UM, AS I SAID LAST NIGHT, I AM A HUGE PROPONENT OF LUMP SUM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, UH, I THINK YOU NEED TO MAYBE PUT SOME STRINGS ON, AS THEY SAID LAST NIGHT, TEXTBOOK FUND AND CAPITAL OUTLAY.
SO YOU CAN MONITOR THAT BECAUSE THOSE ARE BIG DOLLARS.
UM, I DON'T THINK YOU WANT TO KNOW HOW MANY KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS THEY ARE AND WHAT LEVEL THEY ARE.
THAT'S TRYING TO MANAGE, UM, SOMEBODY ELSE'S BUDGET.
AS, AS FAR AS, UH, THE SURPLUS FUNDS, AGAIN, WHAT WE DID IN THE PAST, THE SCHOOL BOARD WOULD'VE TO COME TO US AND SAY, WE GOT THIS MUCH LEFT OVER AND THEN WE WOULD TURN AROUND AND GIVE IT BACK TO THEM WITH THE PRO PROVISO THAT IT WOULD GO FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT.
WE, I DON'T BELIEVE WE EVER HAD AN M-O-U-M-O-A MI IN MY CASE.
TYPICALLY THERE'S, UH, I'VE BEEN IN PLACES WHERE THERE HAS BEEN.
BUT, UH, AND I DON'T WANNA SAY GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT 'CAUSE THAT THAT'S KIND OF LIKE A BACKDOOR, BUT, UM, IF THEIR RELATIONSHIP IS ESTABLISHED RIGHT.
WELL, I THINK TOO, IT'S AN UNDERSTANDING IT'S BEEN DONE HISTORICALLY FOR YEARS AND YEARS AND YEARS.
BUT I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE WAS A TIME HERE TWO TO THREE YEAR, FOUR YEARS AGO THAT YOU GAVE THEM MONEY AND THEY DID NOT DO WHAT THEY SAID THEY WERE GONNA DO WITH IT, WHICH THEN NECESSITATED CATEGORICAL FUNDING.
BUT I THINK, I MEAN, THAT'S THE LONG AND SHORT OF IT.
I MEAN, UM, AND DR. WRIGHT AND I HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT.
UM, AND I THINK IT'S A MATTER OF ESTABLISHING TRUST AGAIN WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY I THINK THE, UM, THE, UM, THE BOOKS AND UH, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS REALLY, UH, IS A HEALTHY PLACE TO
[01:00:01]
START.WELL, I WAS GONNA SAY, I THINK I MAY BE MISTAKEN THAT, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I THINK YOU, UH, TOUCHED ON IT, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE AN MOU WOULD MINE A FUTURE.
AND THEY COULD CHANGE IT AT THE WHIM SO THEY COULD CHANGE IT.
BUT REMEMBER, IT'S ONLY GONNA BE GOOD FOR A YEAR.
THE ONLY OTHER THING TOO, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD IMPRESS AMONGST OUR, OUR DEPARTMENTS, THAT IF THEY WIND UP WITH A SURPLUS, WE COULD TURN IT BACK TO THEM AGAIN WITH PRE PROVISO THAT IT GOES TO SOME TYPE OF CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT AND THAT GIVES THEM INCENTIVE, UH, TO, TO, TO WATCH THE PENNIES OR WHATEVER KNOWING THAT THEY'LL GET IT BACK.
SO THAT WAS SOMETHING I'D LIKE TO MAYBE HAVE THE, THE BOARD WE, WE KIND CURRENTLY DO THAT.
UM, I THINK I MENTIONED TO YOU BEFORE.
I I'VE CERTAINLY SEEN THAT WITH THE SHERIFF AND FIRE AND RESCUE.
SO IN 2023 WE TOOK THE SPECIAL PROJECTS FUND AND WE SPLIT IT INTO THE ASSET REPLACEMENT FUND AND THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUNDS, LARGER PROJECTS, ROOF REPLACEMENTS, ASSET REPLACEMENT FUNDS, SMALLER LIKE VEHICLES, THAT TYPE OF THING.
WE HAVE IT IN OUR BUDGET ADVERTISEMENT IN OUR RESOLUTION THAT ANY FUNDS NOT SPENT ON A PARTICULAR PROJECT GET AUTOMATICALLY CARRIED OVER YEAR, OVER YEAR UNTIL THE FUNDS OR THE PROJECT IS DONE.
UM, AND SO IT DOES STAY WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.
SO EACH OF THE, UH, PROJECTS ARE FUNDED PER THE DEPARTMENT AND THE ASSET REPLACEMENT AND CIP FUNDS.
SO THEY DO STAY WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT, SO TO SPEAK, IF THERE'S ANY FUNDS LEFT OVER AND THE PROJECT IS COMPLETED.
SO WE CAME IN UNDER BUDGET, SO TO SPEAK.
THOSE FUNDS CAN BE A RE-APPROPRIATED BY THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.
UM, I LIKE THAT THE CIGARETTE TAX WOULD BE UNDER PUBLIC SAFETY.
'CAUSE I DO SEE THOSE AS BEING, UM, EQUALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, SAFETY, UH, PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES.
QUESTION ON, UM, BECAUSE MR. KLEIN AND I ARE ON THE BUILDING COMMITTEE MEETING AND WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT METAL ROOFS VERSUS, UH, SHINGLES OR ARCHITECTURAL SHINGLES.
AND WHEN YOU LOOKED AT THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT, WAS THAT TO COMPARE WHERE WE WERE? IT'S FOR SHINGLES.
I LOOKED AT THE, UM, REPORT GIVEN TO ME BY THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND ONE WE HAVE HERE IN THE COUNTY.
AND, UM, NOW WE CAN GO LOOK AT AS, YOU KNOW, A METAL ROOF.
UM, I GUESS IT DEPENDS ON HOW MUCH BALANCE YOU HAVE.
UM, WELL, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, FLAT ROOFS, YOU'RE NOT GONNA PUT CHIN UH, METAL ON FLAT.
WELL, I MEAN, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE ME DON'T YOU HAVE MEMBRANE ROOFS AT A LOT OF OUR BUILDINGS, UM, AND THEY'RE LONG OVERDUE.
EVERY TIME YOU WALK UP THERE TO CHANGE SOMETHING, IT COMPROMISES THOSE MEMBRANE ROOFS.
UM, I DON'T LIKE FLAT ROOFS PERSONALLY.
I HOPE WHATEVER GETS BUILT IN THE FUTURE HAS A PITCH ROOF SO WE CAN I, I SEE THOSE AS PROBLEMS. UM, THE OTHER THING THAT I PERSONALLY WOULD LIKE, UM, AND I THINK YOU OFFERED IT AT ONE TIME, IS TO GO THROUGH AND HELP ME UNDERSTAND SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN ON THE SCHOOL BUDGET SIDE, HOW THEIR BUDGET WORKS.
AND, UM, THE ONE QUESTION I'VE ALWAYS HAD, AND I DON'T GET A, A REALLY GOOD ANSWER, IS THE LOTTERY MONEY AND HOW MUCH WE GET FROM THE LOTTERY AND HOW IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE SET.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THE LOTTERY, EVERYBODY'S, WELL, NOT EVERYBODY, BUT THAT'S SUPPOSED TO GO TO SCHOOLS.
AND I, I'VE JUST ALWAYS WONDERED WHERE IS IT? I NEVER HEAR THE WORD LOTTERY MONEY USED ON BEHALF OF DR. RYAN, MYSELF, WE WILL HAVE A CLASS AND WE WILL INVITE YOU ON LOTTERY FUNDS.
WELL, THE WHOLE BUDGET BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT IS, SOME OF IT, I, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S VERY SIMPLE.
BUT THEN WHEN YOU START PUTTING THE STATE AND FEDERAL AND ALL THAT, IT JUST, I THINK IT WOULD HELP US UNDERSTAND HOW THAT WORKS.
SO IT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T MIND, UM, GIVING SOMETHING IF YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE GIVING IT.
YOU KNOW, AND IT'S HOW IT'S BEING USED.
SO, UM, OH, WE HAVE A PINCH HIT
SO CHECK OUT EXHIBIT 13 ON THE FY 23 AQUIFER.
UH, THE AUDIT, UH, THAT LISTS OUT ALL OF THE, UH, ON THE AUDIT.
[01:05:01]
AUDIT, EXHIBIT 13 THAT LISTS OUT ALL OF THE, UH, STATE FUNDING, THE COMMONWEALTH FUNDING TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.AND IT DOES PROVIDE A, A DETAIL OF THE LOTTERY FUNDING, BUT WE, UM, AS THE SCHOOLS ARE A DISCRETE COMPONENT OF THE COUNTY, WE DO GO THROUGH AND LOOK AT THE CARDINAL REPORT THAT WE DO A QUARTERLY AND WE COULD RUN A REPORT FOR YOU TO LET YOU KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH LOTTERY MONEY WAS RECEIVED OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS.
AND THEN THE SCHOOLS CAN PROVIDE A DETAIL ON WHERE THAT MONEY WAS SPENT.
I THINK THERE'S SOMETHING, UM, THAT MOST PEOPLE DON'T THINK OF IS LOTTERY MONEY.
UM, SO I, I'VE ASKED IT BEFORE AND JUST DIDN'T GET A CLEAR ANSWER AND I THOUGHT, WELL, I'LL ASK IT AGAIN.
I WAS TELLING MR. HENRY ABOUT IT AND HE WAS, HE DIDN'T REALIZE EITHER.
ARE WE, ARE YOU DONE? UM, YEAH.
UM, DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BEFORE WE ADJOURN? THANK YOU.
UM, AND TRULY WE ALL STAND READY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS.
SO, UH, YOU WILL EXPECT, UM, SOME ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
I CAN PUT THAT IN TOMORROW'S OF WHAT, WHAT ALYSSA'S BEEN ASKED TO PROVIDE.
I CAN PUT THAT IN YOUR FRIDAY MEMO SO EVERYBODY WILL HAVE IT.
UM, SO THOSE QUESTIONS WILL BE ANSWERED FOR YOU.
WELL, I APPRECIATE, I KNOW YOU ALL HAVE SPENT A LOT OF HOURS LEAVING OVER THE WEEKEND, AND I THINK MR. HENDERSON WAS ON THAT TOO.
I DON'T WANNA LEAVE HIM OUT OF IT IF HE WAS HERE.
UM, MR. HENDERSON WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN, UM, PUTTING THIS TOGETHER AND, UM, ASKING ME, WHY DO YOU WANNA DO THAT AGAIN? WHY DO YOU WANNA DO IT THIS WAY AGAIN? WELL, THANK YOU ALL.
JUST, JUST AS A RECAP, I KNOW YOU, WE, YOU SAID, UM, ON TUESDAY, UH, CORRECT.
RIGHT NOW, BASED ON WHAT YOU SAID BEFORE, JUST TO PROVE TO YOU THAT I WAS LISTENING, IT IS NOW OUR BUDGET.
SO ON TUESDAY WE TALK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT YOU PROPOSE AND CUT IT HERE, CUT IT THERE, WHATEVER.
SO THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN TWO AT FIVE O'CLOCK.
AND THEN THE NEXT STEP IS THE ADVERTISEMENT.
UNLESS WE NEED TO GO DO A FURTHER CORRECT LOOKING AT IT, BUT THE ADVERTISEMENT WILL BE WHEN MR. ANDERSON, THE AUTHORIZATION TO ADVERTISE HAS BEEN GRANTED, BUT THE OFFICIAL DATE WAS REMOVED IN CASE THERE HAD TO BE ANY MORE MODIFICATIONS.
IF THERE DOESN'T NEED TO BE ANYMORE, THEN THE PUBLIC HEARING WILL BE ON APRIL THE 14TH.
I NEED TO HAVE I TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT'S WHEN THE PUBLIC AT THIS POINT, APRIL 14TH WILL BE THE ACTUAL AT FIVE OR AT SEVEN? PROBABLY SIX.
WELL, I CAN MAKE IT TIME, BUT PROBABLY SIX.
THAT'LL BE THE, THAT'LL BE THE BUDGET.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO WAIT SEVEN DAYS.
SO THE 21ST WOULD BE THE DATE THAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY ADOPT THE BUDGET.
CAN I MAKE A VERY, VERY STRONG RECOMMENDATION.
CAN WE ALL SIT AROUND THE SAME TABLE AND TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET WOULD YES.
BECAUSE, UH, IT'S, IT'S NOT UNCOMFORTABLE, BUT WE WANT YOU TO GET ALL THE INFORMATION RIGHT.
WE WANT TO HAVE IT IN FRONT OF US.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT SOMETIMES TO HAVE IMMEDIATE RECALL.
WE'D JUST LIKE TO SIT AROUND THE TABLE WITH YOU AND TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET.
I, I WAS, THAT WAS GONNA BE MY NEXT QUESTION TO YOU.
'CAUSE I DON'T LIKE DOING IT UP HERE.
SO WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PUT SOMETHING AROUND HERE, UM, AND MAKE IT WORK.
BUT IF YOU'RE WILLING, THEN WE'LL EXPLORE THAT.
'CAUSE THAT FEELS LIKE WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER AS A GROUP INSTEAD OF HIERARCHY UP HERE.
YOU KNOW, I JUST, I'VE NEVER LIKED WORK SESSIONS LIKE THIS.
I LIKE TO BE AT THE TABLE WHERE WE'RE ALL EQUAL.
WELL, THE LAST THING I'LL SAY IS YOU HAVE NO IDEA THE STAFF BEHIND ME PLUS JANICE WHO'S SITTING DOWN.
UM, THE, THE LEVEL OF EXPERTISE, UM, CAMARADERIE, BULLHEADEDNESS AND I COULD GO ON AND ON, THAT EACH OF US PROVIDED IN A DISCUSSION GROUP AND IT WAS PRETTY REMARKABLE.
IT DIDN'T TAKE US LONG ONCE WE GOT OVER, YOU KNOW, ALL OF, UM, JANE'S BULLHEADED US OUT.
[01:10:01]
IF NOTHING ELSE, IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED.THANK YOU EVERYONE HAVE A SAFE TRIP HOME.