* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
           
          [00:00:02]
GOOD EVENING EVERYONE, AND WE'LL CALL THIS BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WORK SESSION, UH, FOR MARCH 24TH, 2026 IN ORDER. 
          UM, AGAIN, I HAVE AN ADJUSTMENT TO THE AGENDA, IF YOU DON'T MIND. 
          WE NEED TO, UM, AMEND IT WITH A CLOSED SESSION AT THE END AND THEN COME OUTTA THE CLOSED SESSION FOR ADJOURNMENT. 
          SO ITEM D WOULD NOW BE CLOSED SESSION. 
          WHAT'S THE TOP? UM, MR. CARTER HAS THE CLOSED SESSION. 
          UM, READ THAT WHEN WE GET READY TO GO IN, RIGHT? YES. 
          UM, BASICALLY WITH LOCATED WINCHESTER ROAD. 
          SO IF, UM, THERE'S A MOTION TO ADD THE CLOSED SESSION. 
          SO SECOND, SECOND. 
          AND MR. HENDERSON, ROLL CALL PLEASE. 
          UH, DR. JAMES. 
          AYE. 
          MR. HE, AYE. 
          AYE, AYE. 
          [A. Discussion - FY27 Health Insurance Rates]
OKAY. 
          SO FIRST ON THE, UM, I'M GONNA TURN THIS OVER TO DR. MARTIN TO START THE DISCUSSIONS OF WHILE WE'RE HERE TONIGHT. 
          AND THE FIRST ONE IS GONNA BE HEALTH INSURANCE RATES. 
          YES. 
          SO WE HAVE KAYLA WITH US TONIGHT WHO'S GONNA TALK OVER THE HEALTH INSURANCE RATES. 
          YES. 
          GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. 
          THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME TONIGHT. 
          SO, WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD THIS EVENING OUR PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR 2027, HEALTH INSURANCE RATES, UH, AS PREVIOUSLY PRESENTED, OUR RENEWAL WITH ANTHEM TLC IS A 12.6% INCREASE. 
          UM, THIS INCREASE HAS ALREADY BEEN BUILT INTO THE FISCAL YEAR 27 BUDGET, AND WE DO NOT ANTICIPATE ANY ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL IMPACT BEYOND WHAT HAS ALREADY BEEN PLANNED FOR. 
          THERE ARE NO CHANGES TO THE PLAN, DESIGN OR COVERAGE OPTIONS. 
          WE ARE MAINTAINING THE TWO 50 AND $1,000 DEDUCTIBLE MEDICAL PLANS, THE COMPREHENSIVE AND PREVENTATIVE DENTAL PLANS, AND THE EXISTING VISION PLAN. 
          WE ARE ALSO NOT MAKING ANY CHANGES TO THE COVERAGE TIERS. 
          THEY'LL REMAIN EMPLOYEE ONLY, EMPLOYEE PLUS ONE, OR EMPLOYEE FAMILY. 
          UH, THIS IS STRICTLY A RATE ADJUSTMENT TO MAINTAIN OUR CURRENT LEVEL OF BENEFITS. 
          HISTORICALLY, WE HAVE OFFERED A FREE EMPLOYEE ONLY PLAN FOR THE $1,000 DEDUCTIBLE AND THE PREVENTATIVE DENTAL PLAN. 
          THESE UPDATED RATES WERE CALCULATED. 
          WITH THIS IN MIND, THE REMAINING PLANS REFLECT INCREMENTAL INCREASES FROM A COST SHARING STANDPOINT. 
          WE HAVE MAINTAINED OUR CURRENT STRUCTURE WITH PREMIUM COST CONTINUING TO BE SHARED BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES. 
          OVERALL, THIS KEEPS US ALIGNED WITH MARKET TRENDS WHILE CONTINUING TO OFFER A COMPETITIVE AND AFFORDABLE BENEFITS PACKAGE TO OUR EMPLOYEES. 
          SO, INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET AND ALSO PRINT IT OFF IN FRONT OF YOU IS THE RATE, UM, WITH THE PROPOSED FISCAL YEAR, 2027 RATES, AND THEN THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR RATES AS WELL. 
          AND WITH THAT, I'LL BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. 
          YOU MAY HAVE QUESTIONS ON THE INSURANCE. 
          ARE THESE, UH, THESE RATES ARE PER MONTH OR PAY, OR PER PAYCHECK PER MONTH. 
          OKAY. 
          I THINK YOU SAID IT AND I MISSED IT, BUT WHAT, WHAT WAS THE, UM, FINAL PERCENTAGE INCREASE? 12.66. 
          ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON INSURANCE? I THINK WE GOT OFF LUCKY COMPARED TO A LOT OF PLACES. 
          YES. 
          THAT IT WAS ONLY THAT MUCH OF A INCREASE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT TO EVERYONE. 
          [B. Discussion - FY 26-27 Tax Rates]
ALL RIGHT. 
          NEXT IS THE 26 27 TAX RATE. 
          UM, MADAM CHAIRMAN, UM, HERE WE ARE. 
          AND SO I'VE WORN THIS SHIRT TONIGHT JUST IN CASE. 
          WELL JUST LET ME SAY JUST IN CASE. 
          SO I THINK IT MIGHT BE BEST. 
          UM, YOU'VE HAD OUR PROPOSED BUDGET, UM, AND STAFF IS HERE SITTING AROUND THE TABLE. 
          WE'RE ANXIOUS TO SEE WHAT YOUR QUESTIONS ARE, WHAT YOUR PRIORITIES ARE, IF THEY'VE CHANGED ANY AND ALL. 
          UM, SO WE'D LIKE TO HEAR, OR I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM EACH ONE OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY SO WE KNOW, UH, WHERE WE'RE MOVING FORWARD OR NOT MOVING FORWARD. 
          UM, ALYSSA IS HERE TONIGHT WITH HER LAPTOP. 
          SO WE HAVE IT ALL KEYED UP ON THE BUDGET. 
          SO IF YOU'RE SUGGESTING A CHANGE OF ANY KIND, WE WANT TO BE SURE THAT YOU, WE CAN TELL YOU 
          [00:05:01]
WHAT THAT CHANGE WILL BE BECAUSE WE HAVE TO GO FORWARD WITH A BALANCED BUDGET. 
          SO WE PROBABLY NEED TO TALK ABOUT THAT, UM, IF YOU'RE SUGGESTING ANY SORT OF CHANGES. 
          BUT SHE'LL BE DOING THAT ON THE FLY TONIGHT. 
          UM, AND SO WE'RE ANXIOUS TO HEAR FROM YOU. 
          AND I'M NOT SURE WHO WANTS TO GO FIRST, BUT, UH, MR. HENRY LOOKS LIKE HE'S JUST ANXIOUS. 
          WELL, IF HE WON'T PUT ME ON THE SPOT, THE NEW GUY, I'M OKAY. 
          , I'M OKAY WITH THAT. 
          OH, A LOT OF READING. 
          OH, I DISCUSSED WITH YOU A, A LITTLE SIMPLER SHEET TO, UH MM-HMM. 
          MORE OF A BALANCE SHEET WOULD BE, UH, MORE MARKETABLE TO THE PUBLIC. 
          OH. 
          AS WE GOTTA KIND OF TRY TO SELL THIS. 
          UH, AND THEN IF I, IF I HANDED THE PUBLIC THIS BOOK, ALL, IT WOULDN'T DO ME MUCH. 
          GOOD. 
          AND THEN THIS SHEET WAS A GOOD START, BUT IT'S NOT, NOT REALLY A GOOD EXPLANATION OF THE, THE WHOLE BUDGET. 
          UM, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE CHANGED ON THAT? I'M JUST CURIOUS, UM, WHAT WOULD MAKE THAT SHEET MORE UNDERSTANDABLE? WELL, IT'S JUST LIKE IF YOU GO THROUGH THE GLOSSARY OF THIS, YOU GOT ALL THE DIFFERENT LINE ITEMS, RIGHT. 
          AND IF IT WAS PUT IN THE SHEET WHERE YOU HAD THAT NUMBER BESIDE IT AND IT GOT TO THE BOTTOM AND IT ADDED UP TO BE THE BUDGET. 
          GOT IT. 
          AND THEN WHEN YOU, UH, LOOK AT ALL THE SCHOOLS, FOR INSTANCE, IT DOESN'T, THAT'S OUR BIGGEST EXPENDITURE AND IT'S KIND OF HEAD UNDER OTHER, ANOTHER, UH, TRANSFERRED FUNDS OR SOMETHING. 
          RIGHT? OH. 
          AND I GET IT'S AN OUTSIDE AGENCY, BUT THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT BIG AND SOMETHING THAT IMPORTANT, OH, I'D LIKE TO HAVE IT SAME LINE AND NOT BE MIXED IN WITH SOME OTHER TRANSFERRED FUNDS. 
          AND THEN, UH, AND I AIN'T SO SURE THAT I WOULDN'T PRODUCE THE LIST. 
          AND, UH, IN OTHER WORDS, IF I'M DOING MY OWN BUDGET ON A JOB, RIGHT, I PUT THE HIGHEST NUMBER STUFF AT THE TOP 'CAUSE IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT. 
          AND THEN IT AFFECTS THE, THE OUTCOME THE MOST. 
          AND THEN IF YOU GET DOWN TO THE BOTTOM, YOU KNOW, THE NICKEL DIME STUFF, YOU GOTTA LOOK AT ALL OF IT. 
          BUT IT'S, IT'S NOT AS SIGNIFICANT. 
          ALL. 
          AND THEN, UH, YOU KNOW, WITH THE BIGGEST SHARE OF THE INCREASE BEING, UH, FOR THE SCHOOLS, UH, IN THEIR HEARTBREAKING, UH, HEALTH INSURANCE INCREASE, UH, I MEAN THAT'S, I MEAN, NOBODY SAW THAT COMING. 
          UH, I MEAN, EVERYBODY KNEW IT'S ALWAYS AN INCREASE, BUT I WAS A LITTLE FLOORED BY THE NUMBER. 
          UH, SO IF THAT WAS AT THE TOP AND NOT MIXED INTO TRANSFERRED FUNDS, AND, AND THEN I, YOU KNOW, EXPLAINING TO A TAXPAYER, SAY, HEY, HERE, HERE'S, HERE'S THE, YOU KNOW, I CAN SHOW YOU THIS, BUT IF THIS WILL GET YOU CLOSE, AND THEN, UH, I'LL IMMEDIATELY THROW MY COUNTERPART ON THE SCHOOL BOARD UNDER THE BUS AND PUT THE BLAME BLAME ON HIM AT THAT POINT. 
          SO, UH, THAT WOULD BE A FACT. 
          . 
          FAIR. 
          FAIR ENOUGH. 
          SO, UM, MR. HENRY, UH, WE PASSED OUT TONIGHT THAT THIS IS A ONE PAGER ABOUT THE SCHOOLS MM-HMM . 
          THAT DENOTES, UM, REVENUE EXPENDITURES. 
          UM, IF WE INCLUDED THAT ON THE SHEET, DO YOU THINK THAT'S MORE, UH, EXPLANATION? WELL, IT'S A BREAKDOWN OF THE SCHOOLS. 
          I DON'T NECESSARILY NEED THE BREAKDOWN. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT I, I NEED TO HOLD, IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN I ADD THOSE NUMBERS UP, IF OUR BUDGET'S ARE $103 MILLION, I SHOULD BE ABLE TO GO DOWN THAT LIST. 
          IT'D BE 103 MILLION OR WHATEVER, OR 99. 
          I KNOW WE GOT TOO MUCH THAT'S GOTTA GO TO GOT IT. 
          ALL FUND BALANCE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. 
          ALL. 
          OKAY. 
          SO I THINK THAT, UM, I THINK WE CAN MAKE THAT HAPPEN. 
          OKAY. 
          I I, THAT, THAT DOESN'T CHANGE THE NUMBERS, BUT IT RIGHT. 
          OH, MAKES IT MORE SO YOU CAN SEE IT. 
          YEAH. 
          YOU WON'T, YOU WON'T HAVE TO BE HOURS OF STUDYING FOR, UH, THE GENERAL PUBLIC. 
          IT WOULD BE A MORE TRANSPARENT FEEL. 
          OKAY. 
          UH, GOOD SUGGESTION. 
          A COUPLE THINGS FOR ON THE REVENUE SIDE, THAT MAY OUGHT TO BE, UH, FINAL DOUBT BEFORE WE ACTUALLY VOTE ON A BUDGET. 
          UH, NOT SAYING WE CAN'T ADVERTISE WHAT WE GOT ALL AND JUST AS WE GO, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, IF WE ADVERTISE 10 CENTS, WE CAN ALWAYS GO DOWN. 
          WE JUST CAN'T GO UP. 
          SO, UH, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK ANYTHING WOULD HOLD THAT PROCESS UP. 
          BUT, UH, IF THE SCHOOL'S GOING TO, UH, KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THEY'RE GONNA GET FROM THE STATE IN WEEKS TO COME, ALL NOT OVERLY OPTIMISTIC, BUT I CAN STILL WISH THAT THE STATE WILL KICK IN A LITTLE MORE. 
          MAYBE I'LL GET LUCKY. 
          UH, 'CAUSE I FEEL LIKE WE'RE SHORT IN A COUPLE, COUPLE AREAS. 
          WE, UH, PART OF THE REASON WHY WE'RE IN A FIX WE'RE IN ON, UH, REVENUE IS 'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T DONE A GOOD JOB ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          UH, I KNOW THAT EDA THING HAS BEEN HAUNTING US FOR YEARS AND NOW WE'RE, WE'RE PAYING IT. 
          UH, 'CAUSE WE HAVEN'T, UH, 
          [00:10:01]
UM, AND I DON'T, WILL BE CRITICAL OF A PREVIOUS BOARD. 
          AND FROM TWO, THREE BOARDS AGO, I KNOW IT WAS A TERRIBLE TIME. 
          AND THEN ALL, WE HAVEN'T MAYBE BEEN IN A GOOD PLACE TO RESOLVE IT, BUT I THINK WE'RE GETTING THERE NOW. 
          UH, 'CAUSE THAT'S, SOME OF THAT STUFF'S RESOLVING ITSELF. 
          BUT IF WE DON'T GET SOME MONEY IN A FUNCTIONAL EDA, WE'LL BE IN, WELL, NOT THIS BAD A SPOT NEXT YEAR, BUT OH, THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE, UH, WE'RE UPSIDE DOWN IN HOUSE. 
          THAT'S GOT KIDS IN IT. 
          AND THEN COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL, THERE'S ALWAYS SOME OVERAGE TO OFFSET A RESIDENTIAL TAXPAYER. 
          SO I DON'T, I DON'T THINK WE'VE DID A GOOD JOB SELLING OURSELVES THAT WAY. 
          NOW. 
          WE JUST, WE JUST GOT SOMETHING THROUGH A, A BIG SECTION ZONED INDUSTRIAL. 
          AND, UH, IT NEEDS TO BE MARKETED. 
          I KNOW THE, UH, OWNERS ARE WORKING WITH STATE EDA BOARDS AND REAL ESTATE PEOPLE TRYING TO, UH, TRYING TO GET SOMETHING GOING THERE. 
          BUT IT, UH, IF WE HAD THE RIGHT GUY TO HELP THEM TO HELP US, SO TO SPEAK, UH, TO GET TO GET THE RIGHT, YOU KNOW, WE WANT THE RIGHT BUSINESSES. 
          YOU KNOW, I THINK WE WANNA MIX, USE, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING DOESN'T HAVE TO BE WAREHOUSE DISTRIBUTION. 
          EVERYTHING DOESN'T HAVE TO BE MANUFACTURING. 
          YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT, WE NEED SOME, YOU KNOW, I WANT A LITTLE BIT OF, WELL, IF YOU, AND THEN IF YOU PICK ONE, YOU KNOW, IF WE DID NOTHING BUT WAREHOUSE DISTRIBUTION, SOMETHING GOES WRONG IN THERE, YOU LOST YOUR REVENUE. 
          SO IF YOU GOT MIXED USES OF, UH, INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL TO BRING THAT REVENUE IN, I'LL, SO WE NEED TO PUT SOME MONEY TOWARDS THAT. 
          WE DIDN'T PROBABLY ALLOW ENOUGH IN HERE. 
          ALL, I DON'T WANT TO SAY WE GOTTA STEAL IT FROM SOMEWHERE, BUT, UH, IF WE DID GET A LITTLE MORE FROM THE STATE OR FEDS FOR THE SCHOOL, UM, I DON'T THINK NECESSARILY DROP THE RATE, BUT WE'VE GOT SOME OTHER NEEDS THAT WE COULD, COULD PULL BACK FROM SCHOOLS IF WE, IF WE GOT A LITTLE MORE FUNDING. 
          AND THEN FOR SOME SMALLER STUFF. 
          AND THESE ARE, UH, THESE ARE SMALL ANTS. 
          THEY, THEY'RE NOT REALLY BIG ENOUGH NUMBERS TO REALLY CHANGE THE, THE BIG PICTURE HERE. 
          BUT, UM, I KNOW WE FELL A LITTLE SHORT ON BUILDING INSPECTION. 
          UM, THEY KIND OF GOT MOVED DOWN 'CAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE THE, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST NOT IN THERE. 
          BUT, UH, I THINK DAVID BEMAN INDICATED THAT WE MAY BE A LITTLE SOFT ON FEES. 
          UH, SO IF WE LOOK AT THAT, WE GOTTA COMPARE OURSELVES TO OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTIES. 
          AND IF WE ARE A LITTLE BEHIND, UH, MAYBE IF WE GOT THOSE FEES GOING, IT MIGHT NOT BUY HIM A VEHICLE. 
          BUT, OH, LIKE THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS, IF HE WAS A GOOD STEWARD OF HIS MONEY AND HE GOT A LITTLE MORE FEE MONEY AND AT THE END OF THE YEAR HE HAD BUDGET LEFT, I WOULD DEFINITELY PUT IT BACK TOWARDS HIS ASSET REPLACEMENT. 
          AND, UH, IT MIGHT NOT GET HIM A CAR THIS YEAR, BUT IF WE HAVE A REALLY BUSY YEAR, UH, AND I THINK WE DO FROM MY SIDE ON THE CONSTRUCTION SIDE, I FEEL LIKE WE'VE GOT A GOOD YEAR COMING. 
          AND THEN IF WE GET SOME NEW INDUSTRIAL COMING IN, THOSE PERMITS PAY A LOT. 
          SO IF WE GET A GOOD RATE IN PLACE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, MAYBE THAT WOULD GIVE HIM THE OPPORTUNITY TO GET A VEHICLE AND, AND THEN NOT BE ON A TAXPAYERS. 
          AND THEN, UH, THE ONLY OTHER SMALL ONE FOR SOME REVENUE IS, UH, LOOKING AT, UH, WE DO A LOT OF WORK IN THE SANITARY DISTRICTS. 
          UH, SOME OF THE RATES ON EQUIPMENT AND STUFF THOUGHT WERE KIND OF SOFT A LITTLE BIT. 
          THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT HUGE NUMBERS, BUT UH, YOU KNOW, WE GOT A HUNDRED HORSEPOWER TRACTORS AND TRUCKS AND STUFF THAT REMOVES SNOW. 
          UM, I KNOW IT'S KIND OF A BALANCE THERE. 
          WE WANT TO HELP THE PEOPLE IN THE SANITARY DISTRICT. 
          'CAUSE SOMETIMES THEY CAN'T GET SERVICE. 
          BUT THEN AT THE SAME TIME, ALL IT, THEY ARE PRIVATE SUBDIVISIONS. 
          UH, SO I DON'T THINK THEY SHOULD BE ALL TAXPAYER FUNDED OR RIGHT. 
          YOU KNOW, OFFSET THAT AWAY. 
          SO, UM, AND AS A CONTRACTOR, YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE TO BID AGAINST YOUR COUNTY, UH, IF THEY'RE GONNA WORK EXCESSIVELY CHEAP. 
          UH, SO IF WE'VE GOT EQUIPMENT IN MEN, UH, WORKING IN THESE PLACES, I DEFINITELY WANT 'EM. 
          I THINK COUNTY DEFINITELY NEEDS TO CHARGE MARK. 
          I DON'T WANNA OVERCHARGE 'EM, BE UNFAIR. 
          BUT IF A, UH, ANOTHER EXCAVATING COMPANY OR SOME OTHER CON WHATEVER THEY'RE DOING RIGHT, IS, UH, INHERITANTLY A LOT MORE MONEY. 
          YOU NEED TO LOOK AT YOURSELF. 
          MAYBE, MAYBE YOU'RE NOT CHARGING WHAT IT'S WORTH. 
          UM, I DON'T THINK THEY'LL, I DON'T THINK THEY'LL SAVE US A PENNY, UH, ON THE TAX INCREASE. 
          BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, A FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AT THE END OF THE YEAR WOULD, WOULD FIX AN EDA CRISIS. 
          UH, OR MAYBE BUY THAT ONE MORE VEHICLE OR HIRE THAT ONE MORE STAFF SOMEWHERE FOR PUBLIC SAFETY OR SCHOOL OR WHATEVER. 
          UM, BUT I DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING. 
          WE NEED TO CUT THIS AND MOVE THIS HERE. 
          I DIDN'T SEE ANYTHING WAY OUT OF A LINE. 
          THERE MAY BE SOME SMALL ADJUSTMENTS IN THERE THAT WE CAN DO, BUT I DIDN'T, I PERSONALLY DIDN'T FIND ANYTHING. 
          THIS IS TERRIBLE. 
          YOU KNOW, SCRAP THIS IDEA. 
          WE NEED TO GO A DIFFERENT DIRECTION. 
          SO, SO 
          [00:15:01]
JUST LET ME THANK YOU PUBLICLY FOR THE CONVERSATION YESTERDAY BECAUSE IT GAVE ME TIME TO DO SOME WORK ON, ON WHAT YOU HAVE SUGGESTED. 
          AND SO THE FIRST THING, UM, LET'S TALK ABOUT THE, UH, SANITARY DISTRICTS. 
          UH, I TALKED TO MIKE THIS MORNING, WHO'S IN THE AUDIENCE AND HE IS GONNA, WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT SOME THINGS IN TERMS OF EQUIPMENT TIME ON TASK MINIMUMS MAYBE. 
          BUT WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THAT. 
          UM, THAT'S NOT ANYTHING THAT'S GONNA IMPACT OUR BUDGET RIGHT NOW, BUT MOVING FORWARD IT WILL, COULD POSSIBLY HAVE SOME IMPACT. 
          BUILDING INSPECTION. 
          GLAD YOU MENTIONED THAT. 
          I HAD A GREAT CONVERSATION, UH, WITH DAVID BEAM THIS MORNING ABOUT THAT. 
          AND HE IS GOING TO SEE HOW WE FARE AROUND US FIRST, UM, AND BRING SOME RECOMMENDATIONS FORWARD. 
          SO THAT PROBABLY WILL BE OUT OF THE BUDGET PROCESS AS WELL. 
          UM, 'CAUSE IT DOESN'T NEED TO BE THERE, BUT I THINK WE CAN MOVE THAT FORWARD LATER. 
          UM, SO HE'S WORKING ON THAT RIGHT NOW. 
          UM, THE OTHER, UM, IN TERMS OF INCREASED STATE FUNDING, UM, BASED ON MY EXPERIENCE, I'M NOT SURE YOU'RE GONNA SEE A WHOLE LOT OUT OF THE STATE. 
          HOWEVER, UH, I THINK IT WOULD BE INCUMBENT UPON US TO REPORT TO YOU PRIOR TO THE ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET. 
          IF THERE'S A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE, THEN WE NEED TO CERTAINLY SHARE THAT WITH YOU. 
          AND I KNOW DR. WRIGHT WILL SHARE THAT WITH US. 
          UM, 'CAUSE THAT COULD MAKE A DIFFERENCE. 
          BUT TRADITIONALLY IT, IT'S NOT A WHOLE LOT. 
          IT'S TYPICALLY A WASH. 
          UM, AND IT'S PROBABLY PRIORITIES OF INDIVIDUAL GENERAL ASSEMBLY PEOPLE THAT MAKE IT INTO THE FINAL, THE FINAL PIECE. 
          SO LET'S TALK, UM, EDA FOR JUST A MINUTE. 
          UM, IF THERE, IF THERE IS, UM, UM, IF THERE'S INTEREST IN MOVING THIS FORWARD, UM, AND, AND I SAY THIS AND DR. WRIGHT, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU COULD THROW AT ME RIGHT NOW? NOT RIGHT NOW. 
          . 
          OKAY, GOOD. 
          UH, SO I'M, I'M THINKING IF THE, IS INTERESTED IN MOVING SOMETHING FORWARD, THERE'S NOT ANY THERE RIGHT NOW. 
          THERE'S NO MONEY IN, UM, OUR BUDGET FOR MOVING EDA FORWARD. 
          AND WHEN I SAY EDA, IT'S NOT THE, IT'S NOT EDA AS WE KNOW IT. 
          CORRECT. 
          AS THIS COUNTY KNOWS THAT EDA, IT'S POSSIBLY BRINGING SOMEBODY IN HERE THAT WOULD WORK ON BEHALF OF THE COUNTY AND POSSIBLY THE TOWN TO ANSWER THE PHONE IF THERE'S AN INQUIRY ABOUT COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES AND SET ALL THOSE SORTS OF THINGS THAT SHOULD BE DONE. 
          SO THAT MIGHT MEAN LOOKING AT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND A HALF A CENT OR A CENT, UH, DEPENDING ON WHAT, HOW MUCH YOU NEED TO FUND TO GET A PERSON IN TO GET THE OFFICE ROLLING, UM, AND MAKE THAT HAPPEN. 
          UM, TO ME THAT'S AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE. 
          AND I SAY THIS NOW, HE'S REALLY GONNA THROW SOMETHING AT, BECAUSE EDUCATION IS AN INVESTMENT IN THE FUTURE. 
          I THINK EDA WILL BE A HUGE INVESTMENT IN THIS COMMUNITY. 
          IF YOU CAN FUND IT. 
          I THINK YOU NEED TO FUND IT. 
          AND WE NEED TO LOOK AT WAYS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN AND NEEDS TO BE PART OF OUR BUDGET. 
          UM, SO I I WOULD WELCOME ANY OTHER CREATIVE WAYS TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. 
          I, I HAVE A QUESTION THAT MIGHT TIE INTO THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, IN THIS BUDGET BOOK ON, UH, THE NON-DEPARTMENTAL EXPENDITURE BUDGET, UH, LOOKING AT PAGE 180 2, THERE IS, UH, TWO NUMBERS THAT I WONDERED IF COULD BE ADJUSTED TO HELP PAY FOR THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          UM, THOSE BEING THE CONTINGENCY RESERVE AND THE COMPENSATION RESERVE ONE. 
          I KNOW WE NEED, UH, PAGE 180 2, ABOUT TWO THIRDS DOWN. 
          CAN I LOOK AT THE VERSION OF IT? YEAH. 
          180 2. 
          SO THERE'S ANOTHER COLUMN THAT'S NOT ON THERE BECAUSE WE DID ADJUST ONE OF THEM. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UM, SO HISTORICALLY THE COMPENSATION RESERVE AND THERE'S A MERIT RESERVE AND COMPENSATION RESERVE, AND THE TWO OF THEM HAVE BEEN ADMINISTERED SEPARATELY. 
          UM, ONE IN JULY, THE COMPENSATION RE RESERVE, THAT'S THE COLA. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UM, BUT THE MERIT RESERVE, 
          [00:20:01]
WE'VE WAITED UNTIL OCTOBER TO ADMINISTER IT IN ORDER TO BASICALLY SAVE MONEY. 
          SO IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENS. 
          UM, SO I THINK WE BUDGETED, SO IT WOULD BE ADMINISTERED IN OCTOBER. 
          SORRY. 
          UM, THAT WAY THERE IS SOME IN THE BANK, UM, THAT WE'RE ABLE TO USE IN OTHER PARTS OF THE BUDGET. 
          UM, SO THE CONTINGENCY, UNFORTUNATELY WE'VE RUN INTO EMERGENCIES THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. 
          THE HEATING SYSTEM AT THE PSB. 
          YEAH. 
          WE USE THE FULL AMOUNT THIS YEAR. 
          I THINK WE'RE TRENDING TO USE THE FULL AMOUNT. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT, OKAY. 
          UM, AND I WASN'T, UH, HINTING AT TOUCHING THE MERIT RESERVE, BUT THE, UH, THE, UH, COMPENSATION RESERVE. 
          YES. 
          THAT'S THE COLA. 
          THAT'S COLA MM-HMM . 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          AND THAT'S A PULLED ACCOUNT. 
          YES, THAT'S RIGHT. 
          CAN YOU EXPLAIN IT? BECAUSE I, MY QUESTION WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THIS WAS MM-HMM . 
          WHEN WE LOOK AT A LINE ITEM FOR SAY FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES OR WHATEVER, AND THERE'S A NUMBER IT SALARY SAY THAT IS, DOES THAT NOT INCLUDE THE NO, IT DOESN'T INCLUDE ANY POTENTIAL RAISES FOR THEM. 
          IT IS THEIR CURRENT SALARY AS THEY ARE HIRED. 
          'CAUSE THE COLA THIS, WE KEEP IT SEPARATELY BECAUSE IF THAT POSITION BECOMES VACANT, IT DOESN'T GO INTO THAT POSITION. 
          SO IT'S BASICALLY, ONCE THEY SPEND THROUGH THEIR CURRENT BUDGET FOR SALARY AND THEY NEED TO BACKFILL IT, THEN THE FUNDING WOULD BE TRANSFERRED FROM THE COUNTY TO THAT DEPARTMENT. 
          UM, AND THAT'S BASICALLY, SO THE MONEY STAYS IN THE BANK, UM, RATHER THAN IT GOING TO THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS COLA I MEAN IT'S COST OF LIVING IN RIGHT? IT, CORRECT, YES. 
          OKAY. 
          AND WE TYPICALLY FOLLOW THE STATE STANDARD FOR THAT. 
          SO WHATEVER THE STATE GIVES SINCE ABOUT A LITTLE LESS THAN I GUESS 50% OF THE COUNTY STAFF. 
          AND THEN THE MAJORITY OF THE SCHOOL STAFF ARE STATE FUNDED EMPLOYEES. 
          I'M STILL NOT CLEAR HOW WHEN WE LOOK AT A BUDGET AND, AND WE LOOK AT THE BOTTOM LINE FOR A DEPARTMENT, AND THERE ARE STAFF IN THERE AND THERE'S A, THERE WAS AN FY 25 AMENDED AND THEN THERE'S AN FY 27 NUMBER. 
          THE NUMBER FOR THAT STAFF IS, DOES NOT INCLUDE THE 3% COST OF LIVING THAT'S GIVEN, CORRECT? NO, NO, NO. 
          THAT IS STILL IN THE CONTINGENT. 
          SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE ACTUAL NUMBERS, THOSE DO, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE YEAR, IT'S BASICALLY SHIFTED. 
          SO THAT DEPARTMENT KNOWS WHAT THEIR TRUE SPEND WAS. 
          UM, BUT THE AMENDED, I'M NOT SURE IF WE'RE DOING IT QUARTERLY, UM, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED WHETHER TO DO IT AT THE END OF THE YEAR OR WHETHER TO SHIFT THE FUNDS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, UM, FOR THE COLAS. 
          SO THE FY 27 PROPOSED IS THE NUMBER THAT STAFF THANK YOU. 
          THE FY 27 PROPOSED IS THE DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT STAFF HAS CURRENTLY PAID AS OF FY 26. 
          SO THAT IS AFTER THE, THE COLA TRANSFER AND THE MERIT TRANSFER. 
          ANY APPLICABLE MERIT TRANSFER. 
          SO THE 26TH AMENDED IS THE BUDGET, 27 PROPOSED IS THE ACTUAL 27 SALARIES, IF THAT. 
          SO THEY'RE BOTH SEVEN 60, RIGHT? ON ONE AT PAGE 180 2. 
          YES. 
          THE COMPENSATION RESERVE, UM, 27 PROPOSED IS 20, UH, SEVEN 60 AND 26 AMENDED IS SEVEN 60. 
          WE HAVEN'T MADE THE TRANSFER FROM UH, 26. 
          I THINK IT'S A, A BETTER PICTURE. 
          IF YOU LOOK AT 24, OF COURSE 24 SAYS, I'M LOOKING AT THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT 'CAUSE IT WAS THE FIRST ONE I FLIPPED TO, UM, THE 2024 ACTUAL, SO GOING TO THE 2025 ACTUAL IS SHOWS THE COLA IN THAT. 
          YEAH. 
          SO THAT'S THE ACTUAL EXPENDITURES. 
          SO IT DOES SHOW THE COLA IN IT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE THE TRANSFER OF THE BUDGET. 
          SO THE, THE 25 AMENDED BUDGET WOULD BE REFLECTED IN THAT TRANSFER. 
          SO IT'S THE BUDGET MOVEMENT OF BUDGET. 
          SORRY IF I SEEM DENSE ABOUT THIS, BUT, BUT IF A, IF, IF, IF A, IF A, IF A PAY, IF A SOMEBODY'S PAY IS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AND THAT'S SHOWING, THAT'S GONNA SAY YOU'RE SAYING THAT'S GONNA SHOW UP ON THE LINE ITEM IS A HUNDRED. 
          IF IF, AND IN OTHER WORDS IT WAS, IF IT WAS 120 FY 26 AND AND THEY'RE GETTING A 3% RAISE, IT'S NOT GONNA SHOW UP AS 103 ON, ON THE LINE ITEM. 
          NOT FOR FY 26 AMENDED IS NOT NO, BUT FOR FY 27 IS IT, IT'S 26 ACTUALS FOR 27? NO, NO, I'M JUST ASKING. 
          SO I'M JUST ASKING 26 ACTUALS. 
          YEAH. 
          THE NEXT YEAR, 27 NUMBER ACTUAL GONNA BE 103 IN THE BUDGET. 
          IT WOULD, YES. 
          OKAY. 
          AND 
          [00:25:01]
IF THAT'S TRUE, THEN THAT SOUNDS LIKE THE COLA NUMBER IS ALREADY IN IT. 
          IT'S IT'S NOT IN IT, IT'S IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET AND, BUT IT'S IN THAT SEPARATE LINE ITEM AND THEN IT GETS ADDED TO THE SALARIES FOR THE NEXT YEAR. 
          YEAH. 
          SO THAT'S WHERE THE NUMBERS ARE STILL THERE. 
          THEY'RE JUST IN TWO SEPARATE LINES. 
          ONE'S SALARY AND ONE'S THE, UM, COLA OR THE CON THE COMPENSATION POOL. 
          AND THEN IT GETS SPLIT UP BETWEEN THE EMPLOYEES AND IT GOES AS PART OF THEIR SALARY. 
          AND THEN A NEW POOL IS FOR THE NEXT YEAR'S COLA BECAUSE IT HAPPENS IN OCTOBER OF 2027. 
          I'M SORRY, 2026 FOR 27 BUDGET. 
          SO IT JUST SHIFTED FROM ONE LINE TO A DIFFERENT LINE. 
          WE'RE NOT COUNTING TWICE IF THAT HELPS. 
          THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION WAS YES. 
          THE, THE, THE, THE, SO SAY ON THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND MM-HMM . 
          THE EXTRA 3000 IS ON THE LINE ITEM. 
          SO IN DO THEY HAVE THE DRILL DOWN TO THE ITEMIZED IN CLEAR GOV? SO IF YOU LOOK AT SALARIES ON THE CLEAR GOV WEBSITE, YOU CAN DRILL DOWN AND SEE THE EMPLOYEES. 
          UM, YOU CAN SEE WHERE THEY HAVE EARNED YEAR OVER YEAR. 
          SO YOU'LL SEE A TREND AND THE SALARIES ARE GOING UP BECAUSE THEY'RE COLA. 
          SO EVERY YEAR IT'S GONNA GO UP. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, SO IT'S NOT GONNA SAY A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS EACH YEAR. 
          IT'LL SAY A HUNDRED, 103, RIGHT. 
          OR, WELL THAT'S, THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME. 
          BUT, BUT MM-HMM . 
          BUT, WELL, THE WAYS I'M ASKING IS IT SEEMS TO BE ON THAT LINE AND ON THIS LINE RIGHT HERE, UH, FOR THIS, FOR THIS PERSON. 
          BUT IT'S ALSO BACK HERE ON PAGE 180 2 AS A WHOLE $700,000. 
          SO THAT'S THE BUCKET KIND OF STAYS THE SAME BECAUSE, AND THE AMOUNTS DO VARY BASED OFF OF THE TOTAL NUMBER OF POSITIONS AND THE VALUE OF THE POSITIONS AND, AND WHAT WE PUT IN THERE. 
          SO IF WE PUT 2%, 3% BASED OFF OF THE STATE'S RECOMMENDED INCREASE, DID YOU SAY IT HAPPENS IN OCTOBER? THE COLA IS NORMALLY JULY 1ST. 
          THE MERIT WE DO IN OCTOBER. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, AND SO THOSE RATES WILL CHANGE, BUT THEY MAY STAY SOMEWHAT THE SAME. 
          IT DEPENDS ON BASICALLY THE TOTAL COMPENSATION. 
          SO AS WE ADD POSITIONS, WE'LL START TO SEE FLUCTUATIONS. 
          OKAY. 
          AND WE ALSO MADE SOME, I'M GONNA MAKE IT EVEN MORE COMPLICATED, ADDING DSS INTO THE POOL TOO. 
          UM, I TOLD THEM, YOU'RE JUST NOT ALLOWED TO GET RAISES. 
          UM, 'CAUSE IT'S VERY COMPLICATED. 
          THEY MAKE IT WAY MORE COMPLICATED THAN WE DO. 
          UM, BUT I WAS LIKE, OH, JOHN, WE'LL WE'LL MAKE IT HAPPEN. 
          IT'S COMPLICATED . 
          SO I GUESS IF YOU ALL HAVE ACCESS, ACTUALLY EVERYBODY HAS ACCESS TO CLEARCUT MM-HMM . 
          AND THAT'S WHERE YOU SEE THE MAJOR DETAIL. 
          THIS DOCUMENT, IF WE PUT ALL THAT IN HERE MM-HMM . 
          IT WOULD BE PRETTY BIG. 
          THIS IS LIKE A SUMMARY SORT OF MM-HMM . 
          BUT, UM, IF YOU NEED SOME HELP ACCESSING OR LOOKING AT CLEAR GOV, UM, DON'T ASK ME, BUT ASK JANE AND ALYSSA. 
          'CAUSE I'M NOT A CLEAR GOV PERSON. 
          UH, I'M MORE THE BIG PICTURE. 
          UM, SO THAT FRUSTRATES THEM. 
          'CAUSE THEY'LL SAY, WELL, DR. MARTIN, IF YOU'LL JUST GO TO CLEAR GOV. 
          NO, NO, I JUST NEED TO KNOW BIG PICTURE STUFF. 
          I'M IN THE LINE WITH YOU. 
          I I CAN'T NAVIGATE CLEAR GOV. 
          UM, SO, BUT THAT'S WHERE THE SPECIFICITY IS. 
          I THINK YOU'RE SEEKING OBJECTION. 
          WELL, WE STARTED WITH MR. HENRY, YOU DID A PRETTY GOOD JOB. 
          I DIDN'T HAVE TO BLOW MY WHISTLE AT YOU. 
          ARE YOU GONNA DO SOMETHING IN THE FUTURE THEN? I'LL HAVE TO, THE DAY'S NOT OVER. 
          SO I, I UNDERSTAND THAT. 
          UH, SO SHOULD WE JUST GO RIGHT DOWN THE LINE SHY? SURE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, SO JUST TO PICK UP WHERE I LEFT OFF, I, I DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO FIND A WAY TO HIRE AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR. 
          UH, I'M, I'M HOPING IT DOESN'T HAVE TO COME FROM THE SCHOOLS. 
          I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT CAN COME FROM BECAUSE MY, MY ONE IDEA FOR THAT JUST CRASHED AND BURNED. 
          UH, BUT, UM, IT'S SOMETHING TO KEEP LOOKING FOR. 
          UM, I DO HAVE SOME OTHER COMMENTS, UH, AND, AND MAYBE ONE OR TWO OTHER ASKS, UH, I WANNA START JUST WITH THE SANITARY DISTRICTS AND, AND POINT OUT, I DON'T THINK THERE'S A PROBLEM HERE, BUT I, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE MESSAGE MESSAGED PROPERLY. 
          UH, IT SHOWS THAT SHENANDOAH FARMS BUDGET GOING UP FROM 900,000 TO 1.38 MILLION. 
          [00:30:01]
WHERE ARE YOU IN THIS BOOKLET? UM, OR ARE YOU IN CLEAR GOV? UH, I GOT IT OUTTA CLEAR GOV, BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S JUST IN MY NOTES. 
          OKAY. 
          SO I CAN'T REFER YOU TO THE PAGE. 
          UM, SO YOU SAID SHENANDOAH? YEAH, SHENANDOAH FARMS. MY, MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THAT'S NOT AN ACTUAL CHANGE. 
          IT'S A CARRYOVER AMOUNT THAT THEY'VE, UM, THEY WANT TO USE ON CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. 
          UM, BUT IT, TO ME, IT LOOKED ON, ON THE PAPER LIKE THEY'RE GETTING A BUNCH OF FREE MONEY, WHICH IS NOT, NOT THE RIGHT, UH, INTERPRETATION. 
          I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S CLEAR WHENEVER WE PUBLISH THE, THE BUDGET ADVERTISEMENT. 
          UM, AND UH, I DON'T KNOW IF, UH, IF THERE'S QUESTIONS ON THAT EITHER. 
          UH, MR. BERRY MIGHT BE ABLE TO SPEAK TO THAT OR, OR ALYSSA ACTUALLY, UM, WE HAVE A MOCKUP OF THE ADVERTISEMENT ALREADY, SO ZACH COULD TELL YOU WHAT THAT COME LOOKS LIKE. 
          HE THOUGHT HE WASN'T GONNA BE ABLE TO, HE WASN'T GONNA TALK TONIGHT. 
          MADE A MOCKUP OF LIKE A ROUGH DRAFT OF THE BUDGET AD, WHICH DOES INCLUDE THE SANITARY DISTRICT RATES. 
          AND IT'S USUALLY JUST PER LOT OR IMPROVED LOT OR UNIMPROVED LOT. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UH, SOME OF THEM HAVE MORE INFORMATION THAN OTHERS, BUT THAT'S BASICALLY JUST WHAT IT IS RIGHT NOW. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AND THAT'LL BE REFLECTIVE IN THE NEW AD ONCE IT'S BEEN FINALIZED. 
          'CAUSE RIGHT NOW THE CURRENT RATES ARE THERE BECAUSE THE AD HAS WHAT IT'S CURRENT AND WHAT THE PROPOSED IS MM-HMM . 
          AND LIKE A DOLLAR AMOUNT OF CHANGE IF THERE'S ANY. 
          OKAY. 
          AND THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT IT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT THE RIGHTS HAVE NOT CHANGED. 
          I HAVEN'T GOTTEN ANY NUMBERS. 
          DO YOU WANNA COME UP? HE'S HE'S NODDING HIS HEAD SO I FIGURED HE NEEDED TO SAY SOMETHING. 
          I HAVE NOT SEEN ZACH'S AD, BUT THE RATE FOR SHENDO FARMS HAS NOT CHANGED. 
          THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. 
          I'M NOT A CLEAR GOV FAN EITHER. 
          UM, BUT I'M TRYING TO PUT EVERYTHING IN CLEAR GOV. 
          UM, SHENDO FARMS, THE ADVISORY BOARD CAME IN, REPORTED TO YOU. 
          AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'VE CONTINUED TO DO IS PUT $500,000 ANNUALLY IN CAPITAL, UM, TO DO INTERNAL PROJECTS. 
          SO WHAT I ATTEMPTED TO DO, I FEEL PER INSTRUCTION, IS TO TRY TO GET EVERYTHING IN CLEAR GOV THAT MANY OF US DON'T LIKE. 
          AND SO THE BUDGET FOR THE YEAR, WHAT, WHAT THEY WANT TO DO ACTUALLY MAKES MY LIFE EASY IS STAY AT THE EXACT SAME RATE, EXACT SAME NUMBER WITH THE FACT THAT WE WANT TO SPEND $500,000 AND CONTINUE TO IMPROVE THE ROADS THAT WE HAVE SAID THIS IS OUR PRIORITY LIST. 
          SO THE BUDGET SHOULD BE, WHICH FOR MAKES MY JOB EASIER. 
          I DON'T HAVE TO COME IN HERE 10 TIMES TO TELL YOU WHAT THEY WANT TO DO. 
          THEY SAY, HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE WANT TO DO. 
          WE ALREADY HAVE THE MONEY. 
          WE'RE NOT CHANGING OUR RATE. 
          WE WANT TO GET THIS DONE. 
          SO SIMPLY STATED, IT SHOULD, SHOULD SAY THREE 50 IN THE NEWSPAPER FOR UNIMPROVED AND IMPROVEMENT. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          I'M GLAD THAT YOU SAID SOMETHING MR. MEYER, BECAUSE THAT IS NOT HOW IT IS REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET. 
          SO IT ISN'T REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET AS A RATE INCREASE, NOT FOR THE RATE ITSELF, BUT FOR THE REVENUE THAT THAT RATE WOULD BRING IN REGARDLESS OF THE RATE STAYING THE SAME OR CHANGING. 
          OKAY. 
          SO IT DID JUMP FROM THE 900,000 TO, UM, A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE AND IT 1.3 MILLION DOES NOT REFLECT A CARRY OVER FUND THAT MAKES UP THAT DIFFERENCE. 
          SO I'M GONNA WORK WITH MR. BARRY TO ADJUST THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT REVENUE IS REFLECTED TO THE ACTUAL REVENUE THAT IT'S EXPECTED AND THAT DIFFERENCE IS COMING FROM THE USE OF FUND BALANCE OR CARRYOVER FUNDS FROM  FARMS AND NOT THE GENERAL FUND. 
          OKAY. 
          THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. 
          YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          UM, 
          [C. Discussion - FY 2027 Budget Board of Supervisors Final Mark Up / Mark Down]
ANOTHER POINT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE, UH, AGAIN, I HAVE, I HAVE THE MARKUP PART. 
          I DON'T HAVE THE MARKDOWN PART . 
          SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO SAY IS, UM, REGARDING ADDITIONAL STAFF FOR FIRE AND RESCUE, UM, I THINK HAVING PLUS THREE HEADCOUNT IS, UH, A GOOD FIRST STEP. 
          UM, BUT THAT REALLY COVERS WITH THREE SHIFTS THAT COVERS ONE PERSON. 
          UM, AND TO, UH, TO BE ABLE TO GO OUT ON A CALL, AT LEAST ON AN EMS CALL, YOU NEED AT LEAST TWO PEOPLE. 
          SO WHILE THAT THREE PEOPLE, I'M SURE IS APPRECIATED BY THE, BY THE DEPARTMENT, UH, I THINK IF IT WAS SIX PEOPLE, IT WOULD HAVE A LOT MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK. 
          UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE WOULD FUND THAT. 
          UM, I WAS THINKING THAT WE COULD NOT, NOT HAVE THE FIRE MARSHAL HIRE, BUT, UH, I'VE HEARD THAT THAT'S VERY MUCH NEEDED AS WELL. 
          SO THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY AN OPTION. 
          UM, BUT, UH, AGAIN, I DON'T WANNA MICROMANAGE IN THAT DEPARTMENT, BUT 
          [00:35:01]
I, I THINK IF WE COULD GIVE THEM ENOUGH MONEY TO GET SIX HEADS, THAT WOULD BE, UM, A MEANINGFUL IMPROVEMENT. 
          WHEREAS THREE HEADS, UH, MIGHT NOT MOVE THE NEEDLE THAT MUCH BECAUSE THEY CAN'T, IT DOESN'T CREATE ENOUGH BODIES TO GO OUT ON A CALL. 
          UH, SO THAT'S AN ASK WITHOUT, WITHOUT FUNDING FOR IT. 
          UM, AND IF YOU, IF YOU DECIDED TO DO SOMETHING ELSE WITH THE FIRE MARSHAL, UH, UM, THAT ALSO TAKES SOMETHING OUT OF CAPITAL BECAUSE THEY NEED A TRUCK. 
          YEP, YEP. 
          AS WELL. 
          UM, A COMMENT I HAD, UM, I KNOW IT'S, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY IN THE, IN THE LINE ITEMS OF THE BUDGET BOOK, BUT IT'S IN, IT'S IN YOUR INTRODUCTORY COMMENTS, UH, REGARDING THE ROOFS. 
          OKAY. 
          YEAH. 
          SO, UH, THAT'S A, UH, A CAPITAL NEED. 
          UM, 7 MILLION FOR SCHOOL ROOFS AND ABOUT 3.8 MILLION FOR COUNTY BUILDING ROOFS. 
          SO NEARLY, NEARLY 11 MILLION TOTAL. 
          UM, TWO THINGS ON THAT. 
          ONE IS, UM, THE FUND BALANCE. 
          I, I HAD QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT AT OUR PRIOR MEETING. 
          UM, I WANT TO THANK THE TREASURER FOR SENDING OUT THE FUND BALANCES, UH, JUST EARLIER TODAY AS OF FEBRUARY 28TH. 
          UM, WHICH WERE A GOOD CHUNK, UH, BIGGER THAN THEY WERE THE LAST TIME I SAW THEM, UH, IN DECEMBER. 
          SO, UH, THE DECEMBER NUMBER WAS, WAS, UH, ONLY AS OF OCTOBER, UH, WHICH WAS BEFORE TAXES CAME IN. 
          SO IT'S NICE THAT I DO SEE NOW HOW YOU COULD DO THAT, HOW YOU COULD FIND THE MONEY. 
          UM, BUT ALSO THINKING OF THE EBB AND FLOW, IF WE WENT, IF WE WERE DOWN AT THE OCTOBER LEVEL AND WE TOOK OUT 11 MILLION FOR ROOFS, WE WOULD PROBABLY BE VERY CLOSE TO THAT, THAT, UH, THRESHOLD THAT WE NEED TO BE AT. 
          YEP. 
          UM, SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT IS DONE WITH THE BEST NUMBERS IN HAND AND EYES WIDE OPEN. 
          UM, AND SECONDLY, BECAUSE IT'S SUCH AN ASTRONOMICAL AMOUNT, UH, 11 MILLION FOR ROOFS, AND I'M, I'M NOT DENYING THE NEED. 
          AND I, AND I RECOGNIZE THAT IF YOU PROTECT YOUR BUILDINGS STARTING WITH THE ROOF, UH, YOU, YOU DEFER OR NOT, NOT DEFER, YOU AVOID A LOT OF EXPENSES, UH, FROM WATER DAMAGE AND MOLD. 
          UH, SO IT IS A NECESSITY, BUT I WOULD, I WOULD JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS, UH, COMPETITIVELY, UH, PUT OUT TO BID, UH, WITH A FULL RFP PUBLICLY ADVERTISED SO THAT WE CAN GET BIDS FROM ALL OVER THE PLACE AND, AND MAXIMIZE THE EFFECTIVE COMPETITION TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THE BEST BANG FOR OUR BUCK ON THOSE ROOFS. 
          UM, THAT'S MY POINT ON THAT. 
          CAN I, UH, MAKE A COMMENT BECAUSE, UH, DR. WRIGHT AND I HAD A, UM, AN ACTIVE CONVERSATION THIS MORNING AND HE REMINDED ME THAT THE ROOFS FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THEIR CAPITAL PLAN, AS YOU LOOK DOWN, SOME OF THOSE ROOFS STILL HAVE SOME LIFE LEFT IN THEM. 
          SO YOU COULD DELAY SOME OF THAT BECAUSE, UM, THERE'S LIKE SIX OR SEVEN YEARS IN SOME OF THOSE ROOFS MM-HMM . 
          UM, SO IT MAY NOT BE ALL OF THE 7 MILLION ALL AT ONCE, BUT IT COULD BE A GRADUAL THING. 
          YEAH. 
          I DON'T THINK THAT EXISTS FOR THE COUNTY ROOFS. 
          I THINK WE'RE IN NEED OF THAT HAPPENING AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. 
          POINT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE GOOD IF WE COULD STAGGER THEM. 
          YES. 
          UH, AND ANOTHER BENEFIT WOULD BE IF WE DID ALL OF THEM AT ONCE, THEN WE'RE SETTING UP A TIME BOMB FOR OH YEAH. 
          25 OR 50 YEARS FROM NOW WHEN THEY ALL COME, COME LEAKY AGAIN. 
          SO THAT WOULD BE GOOD IF WE COULD STAGGER SOME OF THEM STILL WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION AT SOME POINT ABOUT METAL ROOFS. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, SO AS FAR AS THE PRACTICAL THAT STUFF AFTER, UH, SO THEY, ON A BUILDING COMMITTEE MEETING FOR WHAT THEY WERE WANTING TO DO AT THE LINDEN FIRE STATION, THERE WAS SOME KIND OF, WHAT'S THE THREE LETTER ALPHABET THAT WE HAVE TO BID EVERYTHING THROUGH THAT MAKES THINGS COST A LOT MORE? UH, SPIT THAT EVA. 
          HUH? EVA? EVA. 
          OH YES. 
          WE'VE GOTTA TO GET OUT THAT. 
          I THOUGHT THEY WERE CONCRETE AND A WHOLE LOT DOWN THERE. 
          THEY'RE JUST DOING TO PAD IT IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING. 
          RIGHT. 
          THEY'RE PRO PROPOSING 200 AND SOME THOUSAND DOLLARS WORTH OF WORK FOR SOMETHING. 
          IT SHOULD COST ABOUT 80. 
          SO WE'VE GOTTA GET OUT, IF THAT'S WHAT'S DRIVING THAT COST. 
          STOP. 
          RIGHT. 
          YOU YOU'RE, I WAS GONNA SAY, I DIDN'T KNOW EVA, YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO THROUGH EVERYTHING. 
          THEY DON'T DO THE QUOTES. 
          THAT'S JUST FOR BIDDING. 
          THAT'S A ENGINEERING QUOTE. 
          YEAH. 
          WELL, I, I DON'T CARE WHO DID THAT, BUT IT THERE I COULD, WE'RE NOT DOING THAT. 
          IT'S GOTTA BE A BETTER WAY. 
          I TOLD, ASKED JERRY TO SEND THAT STUFF TO ME 'CAUSE I THINK I COULD DO A WHOLE LOT BETTER, UH, FINDING SOMEBODY TO DO THAT. 
          AND WHAT, OH, AFTER A LITTLE BIT MORE RESEARCH ON THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE TISH DURING THAT COMMITTEE MEETING 'CAUSE IT BOTHERED ME THEN. 
          BUT I WAS LIKE, WELL I DON'T KNOW THE CIRCUMSTANCE, BUT, UH, UM, DEFINITELY NEED TO, UM, SEE WHAT THE BEST, 
          [00:40:01]
UM, PRICING WE CAN GET. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UH, IT'S AVAILABLE. 
          SURE. 
          UM, SO ON THE ROOFS, JUST SO WE'RE, UM, WE CAN EXPLORE, UM, NOT TAPPING OUT THE FUND BALANCE, BUT MAYBE LOOKING AT THE COUNTY FIRST AND STAGGERING, UM, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ROOFS, UH, ONCE THE AUDITS ARE DONE AND THE FUND BALANCES HAVE BEEN FINALIZED TO REPLENISH SOME OF THE FUNDS WE'RE USING. 
          NO. 
          OKAY. 
          GOOD. 
          GOOD. 
          THANK YOU. 
          UH, THEN COMING BACK AROUND TO THE, UH, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT A LITTLE MORE, UM, I JUST REALIZED, I, I DIDN'T MENTION EARLIER, I DID SEE IN THE EDA BUDGET, UH, ON PAGE ONE 70 IN THIS BOOK, UM, IT DID LOOK LIKE THERE WAS SOME MONEY IN THERE FOR AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR. 
          UH, IT STILL HAD THE 65,000 FOR A FULL-TIME, UH, HEADCOUNT AS WELL AS 35,000 FOR A CONSULTANT. 
          UM, SO THAT COMBINED IS A HUNDRED, WHICH MAY NOT BE ENOUGH TO, TO GET THE TALENT WE WANT, BUT IT'S A START. 
          UM, SO DEPENDING ON THE REMIT OF THAT ROLE AND HOW IT INTERACTS WITH TOURISM, I WAS WONDERING IF MAYBE A LITTLE BIT COULD BE BORROWED FROM THE 360,000 TOURISM BUDGET, UH, TO HELP ATTRACT THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THAT ROLE. 
          JUST A THOUGHT. 
          UM, LET ME KNOW WHEN YOU'RE READY. 
          I'LL MOVE ON TO ANOTHER TOPIC. 
          WELL, I, I'M KIND OF WONDERING 'CAUSE WE HAVE THE, UM, IT'S BECOMING LIKE A CHINESE MENU,  ONE FROM COLUMN A, TWO FROM COLUMN B OR WHATEVER. 
          SO, UM, CERTAINLY, UH, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO RIGHT NOW, IT'S YOUR BUDGET, BUT WE MAY NEED ANOTHER BUDGET MEETING MM-HMM . 
          'CAUSE WE NEED TO PULL ALL THIS TOGETHER AND COME BACK TO YOU. 
          HERE'S WHAT WE FOUND OUT, HERE'S WHAT WE CAN DO. 
          THIS MAKES A BALANCE. 
          HERE'S OPTION ONE, HERE'S OPTION TWO. 
          AND, UM, I THINK THAT'S HOW WE REACH CONSENSUS. 
          MM-HMM . 
          YEAH. 
          UM, I DON'T THINK WE'RE GONNA, WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHAT YOUR NEEDS ARE TONIGHT AND THEN COME BACK AND SCHEDULE ANOTHER MEETING, IF THAT'S OKAY. 
          I MEAN, I SEE THAT AS BEING PRODUCTIVE. 
          YEAH. 
          WITH THE FUNDING FOR TOURISM MM-HMM . 
          AS LONG AS THE FUNDING IS HELPING TO GUIDE OR PROMOTE TOURISM YEAH. 
          IT CAN BE USED FOR THAT. 
          UM, HOWEVER, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE LOOKING AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TOURISM, NOT JUST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          RIGHT. 
          'CAUSE IT'S VERY EASY TO SEPARATE THE TWO AND MOST LOCALITIES DO SEPARATE THE TWO, UM, BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO HAVE ONE PERSON DO BOTH. 
          RIGHT. 
          UM, BUT I THINK GIVEN KIND OF WHO YOU ALL HAVE BEEN SPEAKING WITH, THAT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION MM-HMM . 
          IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WOULD BE GOOD. 
          GOOD. 
          UH, MOVING ON. 
          I I JUST HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THE AIRPORT. 
          UH, AS FAR AS I CAN TELL, THERE'S NOTHING IN THIS BUDGET FOR IN T HANGER CONSTRUCTION. 
          CORRECT. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I'M JUST WONDERING IF THAT COULD BE SOMETHING WE CAN TRY TO, TO AT LEAST FIND ENOUGH TO KEEP THE GRANT MONEY ON THE TABLE. 
          SO I'M GONNA LOOK AT MIKE, THAT'S 1.5 MILLION, CORRECT? THAT'S WHAT I'M LOOKING FOR. 
          THAT'S WHAT I HAVE $563,000 THAT I DON'T WANNA LOSE. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT IT'LL TAKE 1.5 MILLION TO PULL DOWN AND SAVE YOURS. 
          CORRECT. 
          THAT'S ENGINEER ESTIMATE. 
          WE HAVEN'T PUT IT UP TO BID YET. 
          OH. 
          THE, THE, I, I KNOW, I KNOW IT'S NOT FEASIBLE RIGHT NOW 'CAUSE OF THE AUDIT DELAYS, BUT, UH, A PROJECT LIKE THAT, IF WE WERE IN A POSITION WHERE WE COULD BORROW MONEY, I THINK THAT THOSE, UH, HANGAR RENTALS WOULD PAY THE BILL AND IT WOULD LITERALLY BE AT NO ADDITIONAL COST THAT IT WOULD, IT WOULD RETURN ON INVESTMENT FROM THE RENTAL NOTICE WOULD, WOULD PAY THE LOAN AND THEN AT SOME TIME, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE CLEAR, CLEAR REVENUE. 
          BUT, UH, WE'RE NOT AT THAT POINT YET. 
          SO I I, I'D HOPE NOT TO LOSE IT EITHER, BUT I, I DON'T SEE A 1.5 FLOATING IN HERE UNLESS WE CAN BORROW IT OR UNLESS DON'T SHOOT ME. 
          I'LL BLOW MY OWN WHISTLE. 
          YOU ADD TWO MORE CENTS AND THAT'S 1.5. 
          WHEN AM I SUPPOSED TO RING THIS BELL ? YEAH, I DON'T, SO THAT'S, I DON'T THINK I COULD GET, YEAH, I MEAN, TOTAL SUPPORT FOR TWO MORE CENTS. 
          I'D BE LUCKY YOU CAN ALWAYS COME DOWN, BUT I'M JUST SAYING IF THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU REALLY WANT AND YOU DON'T WANNA LOSE THE MONEY, UM, OR YOU WANT MY STAFF AND I TO GO BACK THROUGH HERE AND TO 
          [00:45:01]
FIND 1.5 MILLION, I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO THINK THAT IT WAS 1.5 MILLION IN IT, BUT THEN I'D BE CRITICAL OF YOU FOR FINDING IT. 
          WELL, SO I JUST WANT TO BE SURE. 
          SO THIS BUDGET WAS DESIGNED WITH THREE PRIORITIES. 
          PUBLIC SAFETY, FIRE AND RESCUE, AND THE SHERIFF AND EDUCATION. 
          THAT'S HOW WE'VE PUT THIS TOGETHER. 
          OKAY. 
           1.5 MILLION IS A BIG ASK RIGHT NOW. 
          I AGREE. 
          UNDERSTOOD. 
          THAT'S WHY I WOULD, THAT'S WHY WE BORROW IT IF I DO. 
          YEAH. 
          BECAUSE I THINK THE RETURN ON INVESTMENTS THERE NOW, IF YOU WANT, BORROW THAT FROM THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, THE SUPERINTENDENT'S HERE AND HE CAN CERTAINLY, UM, PROBABLY WRITE YOU A CHECK  AND YOU GIVE A BREAK. 
          UH, MY LAST QUESTION WAS, UH, JUST CONFIRMING AGAIN, UH, NOTHING IS CHANGING WITH THE TIPPING RATES FOR THE TOWN. 
          IS THAT, IS THAT CORRECT? AS FAR AS WE KNOW, I HAVEN'T. 
          NO FEES CHANGE. 
          JUST CURIOUS. 
          NO INDICATION. 
          THAT'S CHANGING. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, THANK YOU O OVERALL, I, I THOUGHT THIS IS A, A GOOD BUDGET. 
          UH, AND I'M SUPER APPRECIATIVE OF THE, THE WORK THAT WAS PUT IN BY ALL OF YOU. 
          UH, UM, I AM STRUGGLING WITH THE IDEA OF A A 10 CENT TAX INCREASE. 
          IT, IT JUST SEEMS HIGHER THAN WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST. 
          UH, AND YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS AGO WE HAD, I DON'T KNOW, MAYBE A 5 CENT INCREASE AND THERE WAS A LOT OF, UH, WAILING AND GNASHING OF TEETH OVER THAT MOUNT. 
          AND THIS IS TWICE AS BIG OF A, OF AN INCREASE. 
          UM, SO I, WE, WE ARE GONNA HAVE TO, TO BE ABLE TO JUSTIFY THIS REALLY WELL. 
          UM, I'M NOT SURE IF THERE'S REALIZING I'VE ALREADY PUT OUT A BUNCH OF MARKUPS AND GIVEN YOU VERY FEW OPTIONS THAT MIGHT BE VIABLE TO MARK DOWN. 
          UM, I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S ANY WAY TO JUST LOOK THROUGH THIS AGAIN IF YOU HAVE TIME AND, AND LOOK FOR LITTLE THINGS THAT CAN BE CUT HERE AND THERE. 
          UM, IF, IF WE COULD HAVE JUST A NINE INCREASE INSTEAD OF 10 CENTS, I THINK IT, IT GETS AROUND TWO PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIERS. 
          UM, ONE IS THAT A, A 10 CENT INCREASE IS NEARLY 21%. 
          UM, SO YOU'RE IN THE 20% HANDLE RANGE. 
          IF YOU INCREASE ONLY 9 CENTS, THE, THE INCREASE IS UNDER 20%. 
          IT'S, IT'S UNDER 19%. 
          UH, SO THAT'S PSYCHOLOGICALLY DIFFERENT. 
          UH, I THINK YOU MIGHT GET LESS PUSHBACK. 
          UM, BUT IT'S ALSO A SINGLE DIGIT NUMBER OF PENNIES INCREASE INSTEAD OF TWO DIGITS, WHICH IS ANOTHER PSYCHOLOGICAL BARRIER, UH, THAT WE COULD MAYBE STAY ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF. 
          BUT OF COURSE, I JUST ASKED FOR A PENNY AND A HALF FOR AIRPORTS, AND NOW I'M TRYING TO TAKE A PENNY AWAY. 
          SO I, I REALIZE I'M TRYING TO HAVE MY CAKE AND EAT IT TOO. 
          UH, THE, THE ONLY QUESTION IS IF, IF WE'VE DONE EVERYTHING WE CAN TO, TO LOOK FOR LITTLE THINGS IN HERE, HERE AND THERE, THAT CAN BE CUT. 
          UH, AND, UH, I'LL HAVE TO TRUST YOU GUYS ON THAT. 
          SO. 
          WELL, AND JUST LET ME SPEAK TO THAT JUST A LITTLE BIT ABOUT CUTTING. 
          I'M NOT COMFORTABLE GOING THROUGH AND ARBITRARILY CUTTING SOMETHING. 
          WHAT I AM COMFORTABLE WITH IS GOING OUT TO THE DEPARTMENTS AND SAYING, OKAY, WE GOTTA FIND SOME MORE MONEY IF YOU NEED TO LOOK THROUGH HERE. 
          I, AND I HESITATE GIVING THEM A PERCENTAGE, UM, BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY KNOW THEIR BUDGETS MORE THAN ANYONE AND JUST ASKING THEM, CAN YOU LOOK THROUGH HERE AND SEE IF THERE IS ANYTHING, NO MATTER HOW SMALL IT IS, UM, FOR US TO TAKE SOME MONEY OUT OF HERE. 
          UM, AND I GUESS WE DO THAT FOR THE, AS THE SCHOOLS, WHICH IS, UM, I DON'T WANT PEOPLE TO THINK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO PROTECT THE SCHOOLS. 
          ACTUALLY, I THINK WE ARE IN SOME INSTANCES BECAUSE WE HAVE TO, THIS IS DAVID MARTIN BECAUSE EDUCATION'S MY BACKGROUND. 
          WHEN TEACHERS FEEL LIKE THEY'RE NOT APPRECIATED BY A, UM, A SALARY INCREASE OR THE SALARY THEY TAKE HOME, AND NOW WE MAY BE TAKING SOMETHING AWAY FROM THEM LIKE HEALTH INSURANCE BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD IT, THEY WILL GO ELSEWHERE. 
          AND WHEN THEY GO ELSEWHERE, UM, THEY'RE GONNA MAKE MORE MONEY. 
          YES. 
          BUT THE TRAGEDY IN THEM GOING ELSEWHERE, WE CAN SEE BECAUSE THERE'S NO CONTINUITY OF INSTRUCTION TO THE KIDS, NOW WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH A WHOLE NEW THING FOR KIDS. 
          [00:50:01]
UM, AND IT'S JUST NOT GOOD. 
          SO I, I WANT TO PROTECT, UM, THE INCREASE FOR TEACHERS SO THEY CAN HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE AND THEY'RE NOT GONNA MAKE LESS. 
          SO, HAVING SAID THAT, DR. WRIGHT, AND HE HAPPENS TO BE ALMOST ON THE FRONT ROW, UM, WE'LL ASK THE SCHOOLS, SCRUB YOUR BUDGET. 
          LIKE, WE'RE GONNA ASK ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU CAN DO FOR US? UM, AND IF YOU'RE CUT BY, UM, A HALF A PENNY OR PENNY OR OR 4 CENTS, WHATEVER, UM, WE KIND OF NEED TO WORK TOGETHER. 
          UM, I'VE SAID THIS QUITE A BIT TO STAFF. 
          WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. 
          I, I DON'T LIVE HERE, BUT I AM VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT MAKING THIS BUDGET WORK FOR THE CITIZENS OF, OF WARREN COUNTY. 
          I MEAN, THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE. 
          UM, AND JUST LET ME, I'M NOT GONNA GET ON A SOAPBOX MUCH, BUT I WORRY ABOUT FIRE AND RESCUE. 
          I WORRY ABOUT THE SHERIFF BECAUSE THERE ARE THINGS THAT EVERY CITIZEN SHOULD COME TO EXPECT FROM THEIR GOVERNMENT. 
          AND THAT IS A SAFE AND SAFE ENVIRONMENT, JUST HANDS DOWN. 
          UM, THAT'S WHY YOUR PRIORITIES ARE FIRE, SAFETY, SHERIFF, AND EDUCATION. 
          I MEAN, WE GOTTA LOOK AT THAT. 
          UM, AND WHILE I'M ON MY SOAPBOX, CAN I JUST TELL YOU ONE THING THAT CONCERNS ME, AND I DIDN'T MENTION THIS WHEN I PRESENTED MY BUDGET, BUT JOHN'S IN THE AUDIENCE TONIGHT AND HE'S FROM SOCIAL SERVICES. 
          AND IF YOU WILL REMEMBER SOMETHING HE SAID WHEN HE PRESENTED HIS BUDGET, HE HAS EMPLOYEES AT SOCIAL SERVICES WHO ARE PROVIDING SERVICES TO HELP FAMILIES, BUT HE ALSO HAS EMPLOYEES THAT QUALIFY FOR THE SAME SERVICE BECAUSE THEY MAKE SO MUCH LESS THAN THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO. 
          AND I WANNA APOLOGIZE TO YOU, JOHN, FOR NOT PUTTING THAT PUBLICLY OUT THERE, BECAUSE I WILL TELL YOU THAT HIT HOME REALLY HARD FOR ME. 
          WE HAVE EMPLOYEES TRYING TO HELP FAMILIES WHEN THEY THEMSELVES QUALIFY FOR THE SAME SERVICE. 
          AND, AND IT'S JUST, WELL, UM, AS WE LOOK AT LIVING HERE IN YOUR DISTRICT, IT'S, THERE ARE LOTS OF NEEDS AND WE'RE TRYING TO MEET 'EM, BUT I'M OFF THE SOAPBOX. 
          I'M NOT GONNA USE THE WHISTLE, BUT I, UM, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO SCRUB AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE GONNA DO AS MUCH AS WE CAN, BUT, AND DO WE HAVE A CELL JOB TO DO WITH THIS BUDGET? YES, WE DO. 
          ABSOLUTELY. 
          I KNOW 10 CENTS DOESN'T GO DOWN EASY. 
          AND IT WAS VERY HARD. 
          YOU CAN ASK MY STAFF WHEN WE, WHEN IT WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT, I SAID, NO, NO, NO, WE HAVE TO GET IT. 
          WE GOTTA GET IT LOWER. 
          SO WE'LL GO BACK. 
          YEAH. 
          AND I DIDN'T MEAN TO ADDRESS YOU SPECIFICALLY, BUT, UM, NO, I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          AND YOU'RE IN A VERY ROUGH SPOT. 
          NO, IT'S NOT ME. 
          I THINK WE ALL ARE. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, BECAUSE WE WANT TO GET THINGS DONE. 
          UM, THIS ECONOMIC DIRECTOR PERSON, UM, YOU KNOW, I CAN SEE THAT THAT'S, UH, THAT'S MORE OF A LONG TERM BENEFIT, BUT WE GOTTA BITE THE BULLET NOW IN ORDER TO REALIZE THAT DOWN THE ROAD YEP. 
          WE REALLY HAVE TO DO THIS. 
          YEP. 
          AGREED. 
          AND WE DEFINITELY NEED TO HIRE THAT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR. 
          UM, I'M ALL ALSO OFF MY SOAPBOX NOW. 
          I THINK I'VE, I'VE DOMINATED TOO LONG, SO I WANNA SEE THE FLOOR. 
          SO WHILE YOU WEREN'T AS LONG AS MR. HENRY, DID YOU WANNA SAY ANYTHING ELSE, MR. HENRY? NOT YET. 
          . 
          . 
          SO I GUESS, UH, WE'RE GOING AROUND THE TABLE. 
          MR. CARTER, WILL THIS BE SERMON ON THE MOUNT? OBJECTION. 
          YES SIR, I DO. 
          OKAY. 
          NO, IT IS WHAT, UM, MR. HENRY SAID TOO, AS FAR AS HAVING SOMETHING THAT'S A, UH, A LITTLE BIT EASIER, BUT YOU GAVE THAT ONE SHEET. 
          YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY TOUCHED ON THAT. 
          I MEAN, YOU HAD THE ONE SHEET ON THE, ON ON IT, IT SHOWS, IT HAS A BREAKDOWN ON HOW MUCH THE PROPOSAL IS FOR THE, THE SCHOOLS. 
          YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 3.9 MILLION FOR COMPENSATION BENEFITS, POSITION ENHANCEMENTS, ET CETERA. 
          ON THE FLIP SIDE OF THAT, IT BREAKS IT DOWN AS FAR AS FIRE AND RESCUE, UH, THREE OPERATIONAL POSITIONS, FIRE MARSHAL, UH, FOR THE SHERIFF, TWO DEPUTIES, FOIA CLERK, 
          [00:55:01]
AND THEN THE GENERAL IT, AND THEN SOME OF THAT TOO, I THINK, UM, I DON'T SEE IT THERE. 
          I KNOW IT'S HERE SOMEWHERE, BUT AS FAR AS THE COLA AND THE MERIT FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, INCREASED BENEFITS, I DON'T KNOW THAT'S, THERE'S SOMEWHERE HOW MUCH THAT TOTAL AMOUNT ACTUALLY IS. 
          UM, BUT YEAH, I MEAN IT'S ALL THERE AND IT, IT IS, I REALLY DIFFICULT TO FIND SOMETIMES AND IT NEEDS TO BE BROKEN DOWN A LITTLE BIT SIMPLER IF POSSIBLE. 
          NO, IT'S A GOOD JOB. 
          IT WAS DONE, BUT JUST, UH, A MATTER OF HAVING THAT DONE. 
          UM, AND THERE AGAIN, THAT'S, I'LL JUMP ALL OVER THE PLACE TOO. 
          UM, THIS MIGHT BE AN EASY ONE. 
          WE TALKED ABOUT IT BEFORE. 
          YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE 1.5 MILLION FOR THE AIRPORT AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE TIMEFRAME IS AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT, BUT THERE'S A, A, UM, I THINK IT'S A $4 MILLION GRANT OR SOMETHING FOR ROCKLAND PARK. 
          AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE ARE ON THAT AS FAR AS IN, IN, IN, UH, UH, POSSIBLY LOSING IT IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING. 
          AND I'M NOT EVEN EXACTLY SURE WHAT THAT, UH, ENTAILED. 
          MAYBE ADDITIONAL PLAYING FIELDS AND STUFF LIKE THAT. 
          BUT YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THAT WOULD BE A ONE TIME THING ANYWAY, WHICH WOULD COME OUT OF THE, UH, AND THEN THAT MAY NOT BE THIS, UH, UH, THE UH, UH, ACTUAL PLACE TO DISCUSS THAT, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING WE WANNA KIND OF KEEP ON THE RADAR IF WE WANNA PROCEED WITH THAT. 
          AND I'D HATE TO LOSE THAT MONEY. 
          I KNOW THERE'S A MATCH AND MM-HMM . 
          ALL THOSE THINGS. 
          SO, SO THAT, THE ORIGINAL DATE FOR THAT WAS IT NEEDED TO BE COMPLETED BY SEPTEMBER OF 2027. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, THE, THE PROJECT MANAGER HAS SAID WE CAN GET A TWO YEAR EXTENSION FOR THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          SO IT GIVES US A LITTLE MORE TIME. 
          YEAH. 
          SHE UNDERSTANDS KIND OF THE SITUATION WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW. 
          OKAY. 
          SO SHE SAID THAT BASICALLY WE HAD, WE WOULD APPLY FOR IT ABOUT A COUPLE OF MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACTUAL DEADLINE AND THEN THEY WOULD EXTEND IT FOR AN ADDITIONAL TWO YEARS. 
          OKAY. 
          'CAUSE I DO REMEMBER YOU SAYING THAT NOW. 
          MM-HMM . 
          THAT THAT THING. 
          UM, UH, I THINK TOO, TO SOME EXTENT, AND THAT'S A DIFFICULT THING, AND I'LL JUST TOUCH BASE BRIEFLY ON THE POWERPOINT THAT WAS GIVEN, UH, SHOWING SURROUNDING LOCALITIES TAX STRUCTURE. 
          UM, AND THERE AGAIN, I THINK THE EASY MISTAKE, I THINK THEY SHOWED IT THE TOWN'S TAX RATE WAS 68 CENTS AND I THINK THE DECIMAL POINT GOT PUT IN THE WRONG PLACE. 
          I THINK THE TOWN'S TAX RATE IS BASICALLY 6.8. 
          UM, AND SOME OF THESE THINGS, I KNOW WE'RE LOOKING AT THE SNAPSHOT TAKEN TODAY, BUT I WAS LOOKING AT LIKE, UM, CHAT OR COUNTY, THEY JUST WENT THROUGH A REASSESSMENT, SO THEY HAVE TO GO BACK TO AN EQUALIZATION RATE. 
          THE OTHER THING IT APPEARS, AND I DON'T KNOW, UH, I THINK I'VE ASKED, BUT I'M NOT SURE IF I GOT THE ANSWER OR UNDERSTOOD THE ANSWER, BUT AS FAR AS, UH, OUR CURRENT TAX RATE IS 4 47 0.90 CENTS, I BELIEVE, UH, AND IT LOOKS LIKE IT, IT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS IN 2024 53 CENTS. 
          BUT THAT GOES BACK TO EQUALIZATION RATE AND, AND, AND DROPPING BEHIND. 
          SO I'M NOT SURE IF WE'VE ACTUALLY INCREASED THE TAX RATE. 
          AND THERE AGAIN, IT'S MAINLY KIND OF SEMANTICS. 
          I MEAN, YOU CAN NOT TO INCREASE, YOU DON'T HAVE TO INCREASE THE TAX RATE TO ACTUALLY INCREASE THE TAX BILL THAT SOME PEOPLE SEE. 
          AND JUST LIKE WITH THE, UM, THE REASSESSMENT, I KNOW SOME PEOPLE WITH THE REASSESSMENT, IT KIND OF WENT DOWN FROM THE AVERAGE. 
          SOME PEOPLE WENT UP. 
          SO THE WHOLE THING. 
          UM, BUT I DO, I THINK WE ARE PLAYING SOMEWHAT CATCH UP, UH, WOULD MAKE, MAKES IT THAT MUCH MORE DIFFICULT. 
          UM, THE, THE TOURISM, WE HAVE THE MONEY, I THINK SITTING IN THE TOURISM BUDGET ROUGHLY 350,000 AND I THINK THE TOWN'S DOING A GREAT JOB PROMOTING TOURISM. 
          AND THERE AGAIN, UH, WE HAVE THE, THE FUNDS TO HIRE A, UH, TOURISM DIRECTOR AND I WOULD HOPE THAT THEY WOULD WORK IN TANDEM WITH THE TOWN'S DIRECTOR. 
          AND AS FAR AS THE MONEY GOES, UH, WE CAN LET THE TOWN OR WHATEVER WITH THE AIR BLESSING DECIDE WHAT BEST WAY TO MARKET IT. 
          BUT WE DO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SIGN ON ON IT, WHICH, UH, KIND OF PLAYS INTO WHAT MR. STAN MEYER SAID. 
          UH, AS FAR AS HAVING AN ECONOMIC DIRECTOR, IT'S A LOT TO DO WITH JUST ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AS WELL AS, UH, TOURISM. 
          AND I KNOW IT WOULD BE KIND OF NICE IF WE COULD USE THE TOURISM MONEY FOR THAT, BUT I'M AFRAID THEN IT KINDA GETS CO-MINGLED AND IF SOMEBODY WANTS TO AUDIT, THEY 
          [01:00:01]
SAY, WELL, YOU SPENT 50,000 ON THE ECONOMIC DIRECTOR. 
          SO I GOOD IDEA, BUT I'M JUST NOT SURE IF IT WOULD BE FEASIBLE. 
          BUT I DO THINK WE NEED AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR TO FOCUS PRIMARILY ON THAT. 
          AND OBVIOUSLY THEY WOULD WORK IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TOURISM, BUT, UH, YOU'RE PROBABLY TALKING WITH A DIRECTOR AND EITHER FULL-TIME, PART-TIME STAFF BENEFITS, YOU'RE PROBABLY TALKING ABOUT 202 AND A QUARTER. 
          BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO GET THAT, UM, SO WE CAN START BRINGING IN ADDITIONAL BUSINESSES AND, AND, AND DO THAT. 
          UM, SO THAT'S JUST A THOUGHT THERE. 
          UM, AND WHERE DO WE GET THE MONEY? UM, DO WE TAKE IT OUTTA THE EXISTING, WHICH I THINK WE PROBABLY COULD. 
          'CAUSE YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ROUGHLY A THIRD OF A PENNY. 
          UM, AND THERE AGAIN, WITH THE, LIKE I SAID WITH THE SCHOOLS, AND THE SAME THING WITH OUR EMPLOYEES. 
          WE DON'T WANNA GIVE 'EM A COLA AND THEN THEY WIND UP TAKING HOME LESS IN THEIR NET PAY. 
          UM, LET'S SEE ON, ON THE, NOT TO CUT IN, BUT UH, I HAD SAID BEFORE, UH, YOU KNOW, LETTING THE TOWN DO MORE OF THE TOURISM THING WITH SOME OVERSIGHT AND THEM GIVING US SOME EDA MONEY BACK. 
          IF WE TOOK OUR TOURISM DOLLARS AND GIVE THE TOWN A LITTLE BIT FOR TOURISM, COULD THEY IN TURN GIVE US SOME MONEY BACK FOR EDA? I THINK THEY WOULD HAVE TO SPEND IT ON TOURISM PERIOD. 
          AND I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND I THOUGHT THAT SAME THING THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE KICK IN AND HELP HIM OUT WITH TOURISM, THEY COULD TURN AROUND SOMEWHERE OR THE OTHER AND HELP US OUT WITH AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE IT WOULD BE, UH, FOR THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY. 
          RIGHT NOW, BOTH THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY, THEY HAVE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BOARDS. 
          I THINK WE'RE DOWN TO FOUR MEMBERS. 
          THE TOWN MAY HAVE FIVE, AND THEY'RE ALL GOOD PEOPLE, BUT THEY'RE NOT REALLY GETTING ANY COMPENSATION PER SE. 
          AND THE OTHER THING TOO IS THERE'S NOT REALLY ANYBODY ON STAFF THAT CAN ANSWER THE PHONE. 
          AND AGAIN, BACK IN THE DAY, WE RE WE, WE, WE LOOKED AT THE FUNDING FORMULA FOR THE EDA AND IT WAS BASICALLY A 72 28 SPLIT, WHICH TURNED OUT TO BE EQUITABLE FOR THE TOWN CITIZEN LIVING IN THE COUNTY, PAYING THEIR COUNTY SHARE AND THEIR TOWN SHARE. 
          AND THEY'RE GETTING THIS, GETTING TOO MUCH IN THE WEEDS. 
          BUT THEN WE COULD ALSO HAVE A SEVEN PERSON, UH, BOARD WHERE THE TOWN WOULD CHOOSE TWO AND THE COUNTY WOULD CHOOSE FIVE. 
          AND I THINK WHAT HAPPENED, MAYBE 2011 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THE TOWN KINDA LOOKED AT IT AND SAID, WELL, ALL THE DEVELOPMENT'S GOING OUT IN THE CORRIDOR AND WE'RE NOT GETTING ANYTHING OUT OF IT. 
          BUT THE TOWN DOES HAVE PROPERTIES LOCATED WITHIN TOWN LIMITS THAT CAN BE DEVELOPMENT. 
          IE AVTEC, IE, THERE'S STILL SOME ADDITIONAL, UH, PROPERTY, UH, HAPPY CREEK, UH, INDUSTRIAL PARK AND ALL THOSE THINGS. 
          WHAT HAPPENS IN THE TOWN BENEFITS THE COUNTY. 
          AND IF IT BENEFITS THE COUNTY, IT BENEFITS THE COUNTY TAXPAYER WHO LIVES IN TOWN. 
          SO IT, IT, IT'S NOT THAT COMPLICATED, BUT IT JUST NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT. 
          BUT NO, I'M IN AGREEMENT THAT IF WE GO AHEAD AND CHIP IN WITH, UH, THE, UH, WHAT I'M, YEAH, WE CHIP IN AND HELP 'EM OUT TREMENDOUSLY WITH, UH, TOURISM. 
          THEY COULD COME AROUND AND HELP US OUT IN SOME FASHION WITH FUNDING THE ECONOMIC DIRECTOR. 
          AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING TOO, I THINK, UH, I HAD MENTIONED THAT WE HAD OUR RETREAT, OUR ADVANCE, UM, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. 
          AND I THINK WE SHOULD SOONER THAN LATER SIT DOWN WITH THE TOWN COUNCIL AND LOOK AT THINGS. 
          WHAT THINGS CAN WE DO TO DUPLICATE, UH, THAT ARE DUPLICATION? WHERE COULD WE HAVE SOME SAVINGS? I KNOW THE ONE THAT'S BEEN KICKED AROUND HAS BEEN MAYBE 9 1 1. 
          I KNOW RIGHT NOW IF I UNDERSTAND THE WAY IT USED TO BE ANYWAY, IF SOMEBODY IN THE TOWN CALLS 9 1 1, IT GOES TO THE SHERIFF. 
          AND, AND FORGIVE ME IF I'M WRONG ON THIS, BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN VERY OFTEN ANYWAY. 
          THE, UH, THEY CALL INTO THE SHERIFF AND IF IT'S IN TOWN, THEY HAVE TO TRANSFER IT. 
          SO THAT CAN BE A, A PORT, YOU KNOW, 30 SECONDS COULD MEAN A BIG DIFFERENCE. 
          BUT THAT'S JUST ONE ISSUE. 
          THE OTHER ISSUE WOULD BE TOO, UM, FOR THEIR PLANNING DEPARTMENTS TO TALK WITH EACH OTHER. 
          'CAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF, UH, LOOKING AT UPDATING OUR, UH, FISCAL IMPACT MODEL, WHICH I DON'T THINK HAS BEEN, UH, UPDATED SINCE 2018. 
          AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, THEY GOT A, A BALLPARK COST OF 60 TO 70. 
          THE TOWN'S ALSO WORKING ON THAT, AND I THINK THEY'RE TRYING TO DO IT IN HOUSE, WHICH I GIVE 'EM ALL THE CREDIT IN THE WORLD, AND I THINK THEY'RE VERY CAPABLE OF DOING THAT. 
          BUT AGAIN, IT'S GONNA TAKE THEIR TIME. 
          THAT'S SOMETHING, ANOTHER ITEM THAT WOULD BENEFIT BOTH LOCALITIES AND MAYBE SHARE THE COST. 
          BUT HAVING SAID THAT, THE TOWN'S ALSO GOING THROUGH SOME FISCAL ISSUES TOO. 
          I MEAN, I HEARD THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE LOOKING AT, UH, ELECTRIC GOING UP 11%. 
          WATER AND SEWER MAY BE GOING UP, MAYBE TRASH PICKUP. 
          SO IT REALLY GETS TO BE, UH, DIFFICULT. 
          UM, BUT THOSE ARE THINGS, IT'S AN ONGOING PROCESS. 
          BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO TALK. 
          'CAUSE I THINK, I'M NOT SURE, I THINK THE 
          [01:05:01]
TOWN'S DUE FOR AN, UH, UH, ELECTION FOR THEIR COUNCIL CAME COMING UP IN NOVEMBER. 
          AND WHAT HAPPENS A LOT OF TIMES, WHETHER IT'S THEIR BOARD, AIR BOARD, YOU GET NEW BOARD MEMBERS AND IT TAKES 'EM A WHILE TO GET ACCLIMATED ON HOW THINGS WORK, AND THEN YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE FOR THE NEXT YEAR. 
          AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER ELECTION AND IT'S ALMOST LIKE STARTING OVER. 
          SO, I MEAN, YOU NEED TO GET SOME CONTINUITY. 
          UM, THE OTHER, LIKE I SAID, PLAYING CATCH UP IS ONE THING. 
          THE OTHER THING IS, UM, THERE'S SOME UNKNOWNS OUT THERE RIGHT NOW. 
          AND THIS IS THIS, THIS WILL IMPACT PROBABLY, PROBABLY THE SCHOOLS MORE, BUT IT'LL ALSO IMPACT OUR COUNTY. 
          AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY'S GONE TO THE GAS PUMP LATELY, BUT RIGHT NOW IT'S AROUND FOUR BUCKS A GALLON. 
          SO THAT'S GONNA BE AN ADDITIONAL COST THAT WE'RE ALL GONNA HAVE TO PAY AND HOPEFULLY THAT THE, UH, THE PRICES WILL START COMING DOWN AND NOT GO ANYMORE. 
          BUT THAT, THAT, I MEAN, I WENT AND FILLED UP MY JEEP THE OTHER DAY AND IT WAS LIKE 75 BUCKS. 
          IT HAD BEEN LIKE 45 OR SOMETHING. 
          SO THAT IMPACTS PEOPLE. 
          UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO ADD ADEQUATELY COMPENSATE OUR STAFF BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES THAT CARRY OUR POLICIES. 
          THEY'RE THE ONES THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, RESPOND TO A FIRE, RESPOND TO A MEDIC ISSUE, RESPOND TO, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY BREAKING INTO SOMEBODY'S HOUSE. 
          UM, YOU ALSO GO INTO, NOT SO MUCH WITH THE COUNTY, BUT IT STILL COMES FROM, UH, STATE FUNDS, VDOT, OUR ROADS, OUR SCHOOLS. 
          I KNOW PEOPLE SAID, WELL, I DON'T HAVE ANY KIDS IN SCHOOL. 
          WHY SHOULD I PAY? WELL, MORE THAN LIKELY THOSE SAME PEOPLE WERE IN SCHOOL WHEN SOMEBODY ELSE PAID AND DIDN'T HAVE KIDS. 
          SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S MEANT TO HELP THE, THE, THE COMMON GOOD WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO IT. 
          UM, AND THE ONLY OTHER THING I'LL THROW OUT THERE, AND I GUESS I DUNNO IF, IF THAT'S ON THE TABLE FOR DISCUSSION, UH, TONIGHT OR NOT, BUT YOU KNOW, THE OTHER THING WE'RE LOOKING AT IS, UH, TO INSTITUTE A CIGARETTE TAX. 
          AND I THINK INITIALLY WHEN IT WAS KICKED AROUND, IT WAS TALKED ABOUT, UM, PRIMARILY FOR THE, UH, REPLACED FIRE DEPARTMENT EQUIPMENT. 
          UM, THEY GOT A LADDER TRUCK 15, 20 YEARS AGO, 800,000. 
          UM, AND NOW I THINK THE GOING PRICE IS LIKE 2.2 MILLION AND THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING WE COULD REPLACE THOSE FUNDS WITH. 
          UM, THE ONLY THING IS, AND THERE AGAIN, I KNOW PEOPLE WOULD LOOK AT IT FROM A STANDPOINT, WELL, A FIRETRUCK'S ONLY 12 YEARS OLD. 
          FIRETRUCK'S NOT USED THAT OFTEN, BUT WHEN IT'S USED, YOU NEED IT. 
          AND IT'S ALSO A VERY HIGH END, UM, UH, SERVICE TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE THINGS. 
          AND THEN SOMETIMES IF IT'S A 12 OR 15-YEAR-OLD VEHICLE, THEY MAY NOT MAKE PARTS FOR IT ANYMORE. 
          SO YOU HAVE TO KEEP YOUR EQUIPMENT UP TO SPEED. 
          UM, AND THERE AGAIN, I KNOW, AND THERE AGAIN, I COULD SEE THE, THE CIGARETTE TAX GO TWOFOLD. 
          EITHER WE TAKE OUT FROM THAT FOR EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT OR IN GOOD TIMES, HOPEFULLY THAT'S AROUND THE CORNER, WE GET OUR BOND RATING BACK AND WE CAN USE THAT TO FLOAT A BOND TO REPLACE SOME OF THIS ON A MORE, UH, FREQUENT BASIS. 
          AND, UH, AND, AND THERE AGAIN, THE, THE AMOUNT I THINK IS 980,000 OR SO THAT WE WOULD GENERATE. 
          THE ONLY THING IS IF THE TOWN DECIDED TO PUT THEIRS IN, I THINK WE GET AROUND 500,000. 
          AND I GUESS WE NEED TO TALK TO ANOTHER THING TO TALK TO THE TOWN ABOUT. 
          BUT THE OTHER THING IS, I THINK IT, IT WOULD BE MORE PALATABLE TO THE TOWN IF THEY KNEW THAT THIS MONEY WAS GOING FOR FIRE EQUIPMENT, FIRE EQUIPMENT ONLY BECAUSE THAT'S GONNA BENEFIT EVERYBODY LIVING INSIDE OR OUTSIDE OF TOWN. 
          IF WE START, AND I'M NOT TRYING TO PICK ON THE SHERIFF, BUT WE START USING IT FOR OTHER PUBLIC SAFETY, WHICH IS IMPORTANT. 
          THE TOWN MAY JUST SAY, WELL, WAIT A SECOND, YOU'RE DOING THAT AND WE'VE GOT OUR OWN POLICE FORCE. 
          WE'LL GO AHEAD AND INSTITUTE IT TOO. 
          HOPEFULLY I DIDN'T GIVE ANYBODY AN IDEA WITH THAT STATEMENT. 
          BUT LIKE I SAID, THAT'S SOMETHING JUST TO CONSIDER AS WE CONTINUE THESE, UH, DISCUSSIONS. 
          AND I THINK I'M GONNA STOP NOW BEFORE THE DR. MARTIN BLOWS WHISTLE. 
          SO ANYWAY, UM, SO NOTED THE CHAIRMAN HAS A BAIL. 
          AH, OKAY. 
          YOU DIDN'T CLASSIFY EXACTLY WHEN I WAS SUPPOSED TO USE THAT, BUT IF I MAY, THERE WAS ONE OTHER THING I WANT TO TOUCH BRIEFLY ON. 
          AND THERE AGAIN, I'M NOT EXACTLY SURE OF THE, THE NUMBERS, BUT BALLPARK, I THINK THE LIBRARY'S ASKING FOR 1.2. 
          I THINK THE LAST TIME THEY WERE IN THE BUDGET WAS LIKE 1.024 OR SOMETHING. 
          AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE COULD MAYBE TWEAK A LITTLE BIT. 
          BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE FUNDED SUFFICIENTLY SO THEY'RE ABLE TO GET THE STATE AND FED'S MATCHING FUND. 
          SO THAT MAY BE A 
          [01:10:01]
LITTLE BIT OF SAVINGS THERE. 
          AND THERE AGAIN, A LITTLE SAVINGS HERE, A LITTLE SAVINGS THERE. 
          WE MAY BE ABLE TO DO SOME OF THESE OTHER THINGS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. 
          SO THANK YOU MADAM CHAIRMAN, DO YOU WANT THE LAST WORD OR DO YOU WANT, UH, YOU CAN GO TO MR. JAN. 
          I'LL BE LAST. 
          I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S INSIGHTS. 
          UM, TRY TO MAKE NOTES, TRY TO COMBINE 'EM WITH MINE SO I DON'T BE ENTIRELY REDUNDANT. 
          UM, I THINK WE GOT A SHEET HERE THAT GAVE A LITTLE BIT, GIVE SOME INSIGHT INTO MAYBE A LITTLE MORE MONEY THAT'S GONNA BE COMING FROM THE SCHOOL TO THE SCHOOLS. 
          UM, AND I WOULD SAY GIVEN THE, IF AS LONG AS THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO MOVE THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IF, IF THEY'RE GONNA GET ANOTHER, SAY IF THIS TURNS OUT TO BE $1.8 MILLION FROM THE STATE, UM, GIVEN THEY HAVE SO MANY SAY ROOF CAPITAL NEEDS, IF THEY'RE ABLE TO WORK THAT SO THAT THEY CAN USE THOSE FOR THOSE CAPITAL NEEDS ULTIMATELY TO ALL FUNGIBLE, WE'RE GONNA PAY OUT OF THE COUNTY BUDGET EVENTUALLY OR ELSE ELSE THEY'RE GONNA PAY, IT'S GONNA BE DONE SOME TIME. 
          SO, UM, I WOULD GENERALLY SAY PROBABLY JUST WHATEVER, IF SOMETHING MORE COMES FROM TO THE, TO THE SCHOOLS THAN WAS EXPECTED, JUST LEAVE IT THERE. 
          UM, AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE GOT THIS MOA, UM, SUGGESTED THAT THEY HAVE, UH, NON CATEGORICAL FUNDING, BUT THERE WAS A CATEGORY FOR CAPITAL. 
          SO JUST, JUST WANNA SAY, I THINK AS LONG AS THAT GETS DIRECTED TOWARDS ONE OF THOSE, THOSE URGENT NEEDS, I'D SAY JUST LEAVE THAT ALONE RATHER THAN TRY TO TRY TO REDUCE THAT IN ORDER TO TAKE SOME BACK, UM, ON, UH, THE TOURISM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FRONT. 
          UM, I THINK THESE THINGS ARE VERY MUCH RELATED. 
          UH, I HAVE, I HAVE THE POINT OF VIEW THAT, UM, THE, THE, AND I HAVE FOR A LONG TIME AND I'VE BEEN WRITING ABOUT IT AND TALKING TO PEOPLE ABOUT IT, UM, NEED A UNIFIED TEAM, UM, IN THIS ARENA. 
          AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO WHEN WE, WHEN WE TAX, AND ESPECIALLY WHEN WE RAISE TAXES, IS WE HAVE TO HAVE A GOOD JUSTIFICATION. 
          WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO DEMONSTRATE A PR A, A PROPER, I MEAN A RESPONSIBLE USE OF THE FUNDS. 
          AND I THINK, UM, IN MY OPINION, IF, IF THE COUNTY STAFFS A FULL TOURISM DEPARTMENT, WE GOT TWO STAFFS, TWO WEBSITES, TWO SOCIAL MEDIA CAMPAIGNS, TWO MARKETING BUDGETS, UM, YOU KNOW, TO THE, THE TOURISM MANAGER, UH, IN THE TOWN, THE FORMER MANAGER IN THE COUNTY, A DEPARTMENT BUDGET IN THE COUNTY OF $255,000. 
          UM, I THINK THAT THERE IS A, IT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A LOT OF TALK ABOUT IT, BUT IT NEEDS TO ACTUALLY HAPPEN, UH, WHEN WE HAVE A JOINT TOURISM COMMITTEE CHAIRED, UM, BY OUR CHAIRMAN AND THEY CAN WORK ON AN MOA. 
          BUT MY, MY RECOMMENDATION IS TO, UH, ESSENTIALLY TAKE THAT FUNDS THAT WOULD TOURISM MANAGER HIRED BY THIS COUNTY WOULD REPRESENT AND PUT THOSE IN A POOL, UH, FOR A MARKET, A DIGITAL MARKETING FUND THAT IS OVERSEEN BY THE JOINT TOURISM COMMITTEE WITHIN MOA SO THAT THERE'S RESPONSIBILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY FOR PERFORMANCE OF THAT MARKETING FUND. 
          MAYBE IT COULD BE DISPENSED ON A QUARTERLY BASIS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          SO THAT ESSENTIALLY OUT OF THAT $260,000 AS A STARTING POINT WOULD BE AN EARMARKED $105,000, UH, DIGITAL MARKETING BUDGET FOR TOURISM FOR BOTH THE COUNTY AND THE TOWN. 
          NOW, I'VE BEEN TOLD SO BY SO MANY PEOPLE THAT OUTSIDE OF A 30 OR 40 MILE, UH, RANGE OF, OF THIS COUNTY AND COUNTY, THERE'S NO DISTINCTION BETWEEN FRONT ROYAL AND WARREN COUNTY. 
          IT'S JUST, IT'S JUST FRONT ROYAL. 
          I MEAN, UH, AND THEY HAVE AN EXCELLENT SITE. 
          I'VE SEEN SOME STATISTICS, WHICH I CAN'T CALL TO MIND RIGHT NOW, BUT THEY'RE, I THINK THEY HAVE MAYBE IF MIGHT TENS OF THOUSANDS OF FOLLOWERS ON FACEBOOK. 
          UM, MAYBE I'M OVERSTATING THAT, BUT IT'S CERTAINLY A BIG NUMBER. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THE WHOLE IDEA OF TWO PARALLEL ACTIONS GOING ON IN A LOCAL GOVERNMENT. 
          AGAIN, OUR CITIZENS DON'T NECESSARILY PERCEIVE THAT, WELL, THAT'S THE TOWN, THAT'S THE COUNTY. 
          THEY'RE, IT'S JUST THE GOVERNMENT AND, AND THEY GET TAXED BY THE TOWN. 
          THEY GET TAXED BY THE, THE, THE COUNTY. 
          SO, UM, NOW WITH THE, WITH THE BALANCE OF THAT THREE $60,000 BUDGET, I CONSIDER THAT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE, UH, AVAILABLE FOR ECONOMIC TOURISM DEVELOPMENT, CAPITAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR TOURISM. 
          AND THIS SORT OF SEGUES INTO THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FUNCTION. 
          UM, THERE IS A BUDGET THERE. 
          OH, BY THE WAY, UM, 
          [01:15:01]
I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE A FAIRLY LARGE ACCRUED AMOUNT OF MONEY FROM 26 FOR THE TOURISM BUDGET. 
          'CAUSE THERE WAS NO STAFF. 
          UM, AND I KNOW MS. MEADOWS DID A LOT OF WORK IN THE AREA, SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT WAS SPENT, BUT I THINK THERE'D BE SOME ACCRUED FUNDS THERE. 
          UM, AND JUST TO TOUCH BRIEFLY, AGAIN, THIS IS A SEGUE INTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, BUT THE ROCKLAND PARK GRANT IS MANY, MANY YEARS OLD. 
          UM, UH, IT, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE COST HAS AT LEAST DOUBLED FROM THE ORIGINAL AT SOME POINT. 
          NOW THEY'VE GIVEN US TWO YEARS, BUT FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE NEEDED $2 MILLION TO MATCH THE GRANT, OUR BOARD WAS ABLE TO ALLOCATE $200,000 TO IT. 
          I MEAN, IT'S JUST BASICALLY NOT GONNA HAPPEN. 
          AND WE, THIS, IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES THIS COUNTY'S IN, WE'RE NOT GONNA COME UP WITH $2 MILLION TO BUILD FIELDS. 
          IT'S JUST, I THINK IT'S, WE MIGHT AS WELL GIVE IT UP BASICALLY NOW WE DON'T HAVE TO BECAUSE THEY'VE ALREADY DONE THE WORK AND THEY'VE ALREADY GOT THE EXTENSION. 
          UM, BUT I THINK THAT, AND BACK TO SING INTO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THERE ARE MUCH BIGGER POSSIBILITIES THAT SHOULD BE STUDIED IN, IN FORT ROCKLAND PARK IN TERMS OF SPORTS TOURISM AND COMPETITIVE TRAVEL SPORTS AND, AND, AND, UH, AMATEUR COMPETITIVE SPORTS, UM, WHICH IS A HUGE BUSINESS. 
          UM, THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BUDGET, UH, THERE IS A NOMINAL BUDGET IN THERE. 
          IT'S $111,000, $65,000 FOR A MANAGER AND A DEPARTMENT BUDGET OF ABOUT $46,000. 
          UM, SO, SO ON THE TOURISM, UH, BUDGET, MY MY PROPOSAL IS TO NOT HAVE A STAFF TO TAKE A, UH, THE, THE, THE MONEY THAT WOULD'VE BEEN SPENT ON STAFF AND PUT IT IN A, A POOL, UH, WITH THE TOWN. 
          AND THE, THE IDEA OF THE TOWN IS THAT THEY ARE FUNDING STAFF, THEY'RE SPENDING SIGNIFICANT MONEY ON STAFF AND WHATEVER LEVEL OF MARKETING THEY'RE DOING, AND I THINK THEY'RE DOING A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF IT. 
          UM, THEN WE GET TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. 
          OH, SO BA I'M SORRY FOR, FOR, UH, FOR BEING SCATTERED, BUT THE POINT IS THAT I WOULD MAKE NO CHANGE TO THE TOURISM BUDGET. 
          UM, WE HAVE MONEY THAT'S RECEIVED FROM, UH, DESIGNATED TAXES THAT MUST BE SPENT ON THAT. 
          SO THERE'S NO, NO MOTIVATION TO TRY TO REDUCE THAT BUDGET. 
          IT'S JUST THAT HOW RESPONSIBLY WILL WE SPEND IT, UH, THE, THE, UH, IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FRONT, A GREAT DEAL AND, YOU KNOW, A GREAT DEAL OF TOURISM, OR EXCUSE ME, A GREAT DEAL OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS TOURISM. 
          UM, AND THE, I THINK IT'S CORRECT TO BE A LITTLE BIT CONCERNED ABOUT, UH, CONFLATING NUMBERS, SAY TAKING SOME TOURISM MONEY AND SPENDING IT ON AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SALARY. 
          DON'T THINK WE NEED TO DO THAT. 
          UM, I THINK THAT THE, THE, THE MONEY, UH, THE TOURISM MONEY THAT'S NOT USED IN A JOINT MARKETING, UH, MOA, UM, WITH THE, WITH THE JOINT TOURISM COMMITTEE OVERSEEING IT, UM, CAN BE SPENT IN TOURISM RELATED CAPITAL PROJECTS. 
          UM, AND SPEAKING OF STAFFING, I HAVE A, I DO PROPOSE THAT WE BUDGET A $300,000, UH, BUDGET FOR THAT DEPARTMENT. 
          I THINK, UH, IT'S, YOU KNOW, AS I'VE SAID MANY TIMES, IT'S TIME TO GET GOING. 
          UH, WE HAVE TO MAKE THAT COMMITMENT. 
          NOTHING'S GONNA HAPPEN IF WE DON'T TAKE THAT STEP. 
          UM, SO THAT IS A, THAT'S ACTUALLY 108 80, ALMOST 189,000 DELTA OVER WHAT'S ALREADY IN THERE AT A HUNDRED ELEVEN, TWO HUNDRED THIRTY. 
          UM, UH, SO AGAIN, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ENCOMPASSES TOURISM. 
          UH, THERE'S A COUPLE OF CATEGORIES OF TOURISM, UH, AND I THINK THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WOULD FUNCTIONALLY FOCUS WHERE, UH, CAPITAL PROJECTS ARE, ARE. 
          AN EXAMPLE OF THAT WOULD BE FOR WHAT COULD, COULD POTENTIALLY HAPPEN AT ROCKLAND PARK, BUT IT WOULD BE NECESSARY FOR A, AN EXPERIENCED ECONOMIC DEVELOPER TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THE, THE STEPS TO ANALYZE THAT, STUDY IT, DO ALL THE, THE REQUISITE PRELIMINARY, UM, UM, WORK TO DETERMINE WHETHER THAT'S A FEASIBLE THING OR NOT. 
          AND IF IT IS, THEN START LOOKING AT, AT FUNDING MECHANISMS, UH, AS WE'RE BUILDING UP, UH, FUNDS FOR, FOR CAPITAL TOURISM CAPITAL PROJECTS. 
          THAT'S THE KIND OF THING, UM, THOSE COULD GO FOR. 
          UM, SO THAT IS A, THAT ACTUALLY IS A NET, UH, INCREASE IN FUNDING REQUIRED OF 188, ALMOST $189,000, UH, COMING TO THE FIRE AND RESCUE, UH, DEPARTMENT. 
          YOU KNOW, I, I, I ALWAYS, I FREQUENTLY REFER TO THE 2009 STUDY AND, UH, AND WHEN I CAME ONTO THE BOARD FINDING THAT, UH, IT HAD MADE RECOMMENDATIONS AND MANY, MANY YEARS AGO THAT WERE STEAD, YOU KNOW, READILY AND STEADILY 
          [01:20:01]
IGNORED, UH, OR, OR AT LEAST NOT TAKEN UP. 
          AND I THINK THAT HAVING JUST SPENT, UH, MORE THAN A YEAR AND, AND $70,000 ON AN EXTENSIVE, VERY DATED DRIVEN STUDY, UH, OF WHAT THIS COUNTY NEEDS, NOT JUST IN THE LONG RUN, BUT FRANKLY, RIGHT NOW, UH, THEY, THEY QUANTIFIED GOALS. 
          UM, AND, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE GOALS RELATE TO MONEY AND RELATE TO STAFFING. 
          SO THE GOAL THAT WE CAME UP WITH WAS 10 MINUTES, UH, TITLE RESPONSE TIME FOR RURAL SIX AND A HALF FOR, FOR, UH, FOR SUBURBAN. 
          AND, UH, WE'RE NOT EVEN CLOSE TO THE STAFF THAT WOULD MEET THAT GOAL. 
          SO IF, IF WE WANTED EVEN MORE AGGRESSIVE GOALS, IF WE WANTED SOMETHING LIKE EIGHT MINUTES RURAL AND FIVE MINUTES SUBURBAN, THEN WE'D BE, UM, WE'D BE FACING EVEN MORE NEED FOR, FOR FIREFIGHTERS. 
          SO THAT WAS BY, BY CONSENSUS AND BY PRAGMATIC PRAGMATISM. 
          I TAKE IT, UH, WHAT THE STUDY CAME UP WITH, UH, I'VE, I'VE READ IT, YOU KNOW, MADE NOTES ALL OVER. 
          IT'S VERY THOROUGH. 
          AND, UM, MY OPINION IS THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS THE SYSTEM AS A WHOLE, UM, DRIVEN BY THE DATA THAT, THAT CAME OUT OF THIS THING. 
          AND IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, ME REFER, REFERRING TO THE 2009 STUDY AND OBSERVING 15 YEARS LATER, UM, THAT DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE BEEN, UM, ACTED ON ON A CONSISTENT BASIS OVER THAT PERIOD OF TIME, OR ELSE WE WOULDN'T BE SO SHORT. 
          NOW, I THINK NOW IT'S INCUMBENT ON US TO PICK, TO, TO, TO TAKE A STEP, TAKE A, YOU KNOW, AS BIG A CHUNK OF IT AS WE CAN. 
          THEY'RE ASKING FOR 12. 
          I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S, UH, YOU KNOW, I'D LOVE TO RECOMMEND 12, BUT I AM RECOMMENDING SIX, UH, SIX FIREFIGHTERS, NOT THREE. 
          AND, UH, I, I FEEL, YOU KNOW, I DO, I DO RECOGNIZE, YES, IT'S, IT'S AN, IT'S A, IT'S A BITE OF MONEY. 
          IT'S A, IT'S AN EXPENSE. 
          BUT AGAIN, I'M REF YOU KNOW, WHAT DR. MARTIN HAS REFERRED TO FREQUENTLY PUBLIC SAFETY AND EDUCATION. 
          UM, SO I'M, I'M ADVOCATING TO GET THE SIX HEADS IN THERE, UH, NOW. 
          AND THAT IS A, AN INCREASE OF, WELL, ACTUALLY, I HAVE TO SAY THIS AND, AND, UM, APOLOGIES TO THE ASSISTANT FIRE CHIEF AND FIRE MARSHAL JOINT POSITION, BUT I'M, I'M, ONE OF THE, THE RECOMMENDATIONS I'M MAKING IS TO FORESTALL THE HIRING OF THE FIRE MARSHAL, UM, AND USE THAT MONEY INSTEAD TO BUMP THE, THE FIREFIGHTERS FROM FOUR TO, FROM THREE TO FOUR. 
          UM, I HAVE A, UM, SO, SO IF I PUT THREE POSITIONS OF FIREFIGHTERS IN THAT, THAT IS A PROPOSED $660,000 EXPENSE, UH, THAT IF I USE ONE OF THE FIRE MARSHALS BUDGET FOR ONE OF THOSE, THAT'S THE $200,000 DELTA. 
          SO THAT'S A 390, ALMOST $390,000 INCREASE IN ASK. 
          UM, THAT I'M, I'M ACTUALLY PROPOSING IF IT IS DONE IN THIS WAY, IF IT IS DONE IN A WAY THAT, UH, DOESN'T CREATE A REDUNDANT TOURISM STAFF TO THE TOWN AND, AND ACTUALLY INVESTS IN MARKETING, UH, WILL GET A MUCH BIGGER RETURN ON A DIGITAL MARKETING BUDGET THAN A REDUNDANT STAFF, UH, WITH AN OPERATING EXPENSE. 
          THAT, THAT'S JUST MY OPINION. 
          UM, IN TERMS OF HOW TO COME UP WITH THE FUNDING FOR THAT, UM, PERIOD, $89,000, UM, MY FIRST RECOMMENDATION IS TO LOOK AT THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S BUDGET. 
          UM, I HAVE MADE A PRESENTATION BEFORE AND THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION ABOUT THE FACT THAT, UH, SOMEBODY WAS TALKING, THINKING I WAS TALKING ABOUT EXPENDITURES WHEN I WAS ACTUALLY TALKING ABOUT BUDGETS. 
          UH, BUDGETS ARE SOME APPROXIMATION OF EXPENDITURES, UH, BUT AUDITS ARE REQUIRED TO KNOW WHAT THOSE ACTUAL EXPENDITURES ARE. 
          UM, WHEN I ASKED ABOUT THIS, UM, THE RESPONSE WAS, WELL, WE HAD A THING CALLED THE EDA SCANDAL. 
          AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAD A LOT OF ATTORNEY INVOLVEMENT AFTER THAT. 
          I THINK THAT THAT'S ABOUT SIX YEARS AGO NOW. 
          AND, UH, AS A, AS A PERCENTAGE OF OUR TOTAL OPERATING BUDGET, SO AS A PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL OPERATING BUDGET, WARREN COUNTY SPENDS DOUBLE, UH, OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTIES APPROXIMATELY ON LEGAL, ON OUR LEGAL BUDGET. 
          UM, SO I UNDERSTAND WE HAVE AN EMPLOYEE WHO'S A PARALEGAL, VERY USEFUL. 
          UM, BUT WE HAVE A $300,000 COUNTY ATTORNEY BUDGET AND PROPOSING TO CUT THAT TO $200,000 AND GET THIS COUNTY BACK IN LINE WITH THE NORMAL WAY THE COUNTIES USE, UH, LEGAL SERVICES. 
          COULD YOU REPEAT THAT? UM, I'M PROPOSING A, A, A BUDGET OF $200,000 FOR THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, UH, WHICH IS A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, UM, REDUCTION. 
          AND THE OTHER, THE OTHER SOURCE THAT I'M TRYING, I'M COMING UP WITH TO TRY TO, TO BALANCE 
          [01:25:01]
THE 389 380 9,770 INCREASE IN ASK, UM, THAT I'VE ASKED FOR IS AT THE REMAINING REQUIREMENT IS 289,070 70. 
          AND THE ONLY PLACE THAT I'M UNDERSTANDING THIS IS GONNA BE, UH, DIFFICULT TO TAKE, BUT, UH, I AM PROPOSING THAT COMES OUT OF THE MERIT RESERVE, UM, THAT IS 55, THAT WOULD LEAVE 55% OF THE MERIT RESERVE IN PLACE. 
          UM, SO THAT THE NET EFFECT IS THAT THERE WILL BE FEWER OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S LOWER BONUSES OR BONUSES FOR FEWER PEOPLE. 
          IT BASICALLY IS A TRADE OFF TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE LIKE THE IDEA OF MERIT PAY, BUT IN THIS CASE, UH, WE HAVE A NEED FOR THREE MORE FIREFIGHTERS. 
          AND SO MY, MY PROPOSED TRADE IS WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE SOME, YOU KNOW, 290,000, 45% OF THE MERIT RESERVE POOL AND, UH, A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OUT OF A COUNTY ATTORNEY BUDGET, WHICH IS A CONTRACTED, UH, SERVICE, WHICH WOULD BRING US INTO LINE WITH OUR, WITH, UH, FREDERICK SHENANDOAH PAGE IN TERMS OF THE, UH, BUDGET AS A PERCENTAGE OF OPERATING BUDGET THAT WE SPENT ON ATTORNEY'S FEES, NOT PARALEGAL. 
          UM, SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S MY OPINION. 
          THAT'S WHAT I'VE LOOKED AT GOING THROUGH THIS WHOLE BOOK. 
          I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU'VE DONE. 
          I KNOW THAT WE ORIGINALLY TOLD THE TAX INCREASE IF EVERYBODY, UH, YOU KNOW, GOT THE ORIGINAL SUBMISSION WOULD'VE BEEN A HUNDRED PERCENT TAX INCREASE. 
          SO, UH, WE ALL KNOW THAT NEVER WAS GONNA HAPPEN. 
          UM, SO I THINK THAT, UH, AT SOME POINT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AS, AS LUCKY REPRESENTATIVES, WE BE, HAVE TO ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE MONEY, UH, JUSTIFY HOW WE SPEND IT. 
          AND I THINK THAT, UH, THE RES YOU KNOW, DEMONSTRATING WE GONNA SPEND IT RESPONSIBLY, UH, ESPECIALLY AVOIDING WASTE AND AVOIDING REDUNDANCY AND, UH, PROMOTING THE, AND FOLLOWING THROUGH. 
          BASICALLY, IF WE, IF WE SPEND A YEAR AND $70,000 ON A, ON A DETAILED DATA-DRIVEN FIRE SYSTEM STUDY, THEN WE SHOULD, UM, MAKE A COMMITMENT TO, TO FOLLOW UP THROUGH ON IT AND AS, AS MUCH AS WE CAN. 
          THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIRMAN. 
          I FEEL OBLIGATED BECAUSE, UM, I TOO AM CONCERNED ABOUT LEGAL FEES. 
          UM, AND I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH ON THIS. 
          UM, I THINK, UH, WITH OUR CURRENT ATTORNEY AND HIS FIRM, THEY HAVE A VERY COMP COMPETI COMPETITIVE HOURLY RATE. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, BUT I WANTED TO DIG ALONG AND DIG, DIG DEEPER. 
          UM, AND SO I ASKED A PARALEGAL TO KIND OF LOOK THROUGH, UM, WELL, LET ME START OVER WITH THIS A LITTLE BIT. 
          UM, NORMALLY IN, LIKE IN A SCHOOL SYSTEM OR IN A COUNTY AT LEAST, UM, ACCESS TO THE COUNTY ATTORNEY OR THE SCHOOL ATTORNEY NEEDS TO GO THROUGH, UH, A SINGLE PERSON. 
          SO WE CAN JUDGE HOW THAT'S GOING TO BE. 
          AND TYPICALLY THAT'S THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR. 
          UM, 'CAUSE IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE ANSWERED LOCALLY, WE DON'T HAVE TO ACCESS, UH, THE COUNTY ATTORNEY. 
          UM, SO, AND, AND I'M AWARE WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, UM, ACCESS TO OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY IS, UH, OUR CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS HAVE ACCESS TO THE COUNTY ATTORNEY. 
          UM, EVERY DEPARTMENT HEAD, UH, HAS ACCESS TO THE COUNTY ATTORNEY AND AS WELL AS EACH ONE OF YOU BEING ON THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS. 
          SO, UH, WITHOUT GETTING IN THE WEEDS TOO DEEP, I ASKED THE QUESTION TO OUR, UH, PARALEGAL. 
          SO CAN, LET'S JUST START WITH THE BOARD. 
          TELL ME HOW MUCH BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ACCESSED THE COUNTY ATTORNEY AND, AND IS THERE A WAY FOR YOU TO DETERMINE WHAT THAT PRICE IS GOING TO BE LONG TERM? SO I HAVE THAT INFORMATION, UM, I'D LIKE TO SHARE IT. 
          I, I THINK, UM, TO JUSTIFY COMMENTS MADE, THAT'S FINE. 
          UM, I THINK IT MIGHT BE NOTEWORTHY TO SAY THAT, UM, LIT AND SITE, I BELIEVE ARE ATTORNEYS UP AND DOWN THE, THE VALLEY FOR MULTIPLE, UM, LOCALITIES. 
          AND I THINK I HAVE ASKED BEFORE, I THINK THE RATES ARE ALL 
          [01:30:01]
FAIRLY COMPARABLE. 
          SO, UM, LET ME START WITH TONY. 
          SO, UH, FROM, UH, NOVEMBER 25 TO FEBRUARY 26, UH, $1,259 AND 6 CENTS, UM, Q FROM OCTOBER 16TH TO FEBRUARY 2ND, 1000 $451 AND 63 CENTS. 
          AND JOHN FROM NOVEMBER 12TH TO FEBRUARY 10TH, UM, $2,266 AND 31 CENTS. 
          AND CHERYL FROM, UH, SEPTEMBER 30TH, 24 TO MAY 15TH, 26, $7,435 AND 88 CENTS. 
          AND RICH, AND THIS WAS, I'M TOLD, DURING THE SAMUEL'S LIBRARY DISCUSSIONS, UH, THE BILL WAS $82,374 AND 41 CENTS, AND THAT WAS FROM FEBRUARY 2ND OF 26, GOING ALL THE WAY BACK TO 9 27 24. 
          AND THERE WERE SOME OTHER DA TIMES FROM, UM, JANUARY 1ST OF 23 TO, UH, MIDSECTION OF 25. 
          SO, YEAH, I, I DOUBT THAT ACTUALLY I, I WOULD VERY MUCH NEED TO SEE THAT DATE. 
          OKAY. 
          AND I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THIS. 
          SO, BUT MY POINT IS, IN SHARING ALL OF THIS, I WOULD CAUTION THIS BOARD TO, UM, CUT ANY SORT OF LEGAL FEES BECAUSE WHEN YOU NEED THEM, YOU NEED 'EM. 
          AND WE HAVE TO BUDGET APPROPRIATELY SO WE'RE NOT SCRAMBLING TO FIND LEGAL FEES. 
          UM, AND I'VE HAD SOME EXPERIENCE, YOU KNOW, WHEN, WHEN, WHEN THE SKY'S FALLING, YOU WANT TO HAVE REPRESENTATION AND YOU DON'T WANT SOMEBODY THERE. 
          UM, AND I JUST THINK MAYBE AN APPROPRIATE APPROACH, YOU HAVEN'T ASKED, BUT IF WE CAN, UM, SOMEHOW HAVE A CONDUIT, A PERSON OR PERSONS, SO IF YOU'RE GONNA CALL THE ATTORNEY, UM, THERE'S AN ACCESS POINT. 
          NOT SAYING YOU CAN'T, BUT IF SHERRY, IF YOU WANTED TO CALL THE ATTORNEY AND YOU WOULD SAY TO ME, DAVE, I NEED TO CALL BECAUSE DO DA, DO DO GO FOR IT, BUT SOMEBODY'S JUST NOT PICKING UP THE PHONE ALL THE TIME. 
          AND THEN THERE'S ONE SOURCE. 
          AND THEN AS YOUR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, I CAN SAY TO YOU, 'CAUSE YOU DON'T KNOW, I COMMUNICATE WITH YOU ON A EVERY FRIDAY BASIS, I CAN SAY, SO UHOH, THIS WEEK, THE COUNTY ATTORNEY WAS CONTACTED X NUMBER OF TIMES BY SO AND SO, SO NOW WE ALL KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE, AND AND THE FUNDS THAT ARE BEING EXPENDED AT A COST OF, I THINK IT'S $295 AN HOUR. 
          I THINK THAT'S WHAT I ASKED HIM. 
          I THINK THAT'S RIGHT. 
          I THOUGHT HE SAID ONE 90 AT ONE POINT. 
          IT'D HAVE TO BE MORE THAN THAT. 
          THAT'D BE A DEAL, I THINK. 
          HMM. 
          YEAH, MOST PRIVATE ATTORNEYS ARE MORE THAN THAT. 
          I THINK I UNDERSTAND THAT. 
          BUT I THINK I, I HEARD, AND I COULD BE MISTAKEN THAT I THOUGHT JASON HAD SAID SOMETHING'S 190 AN HOUR. 
          THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT I HEARD. 
          AND I, AND THIS HAS BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE BEEN A SUPERINTENDENT, BUT I HAVE PAID $495 AN HOUR. 
          IT'S CLOSE TO $500 AN HOUR FOR ATTORNEY FEES. 
          AND THAT'S BEEN SOME TIME AGO. 
          BUT THAT WAS A LAW FIRM OUT OF, UM, RICHMOND THAT REPRESENTED A LOT OF SCHOOLS AT THE TIME. 
          THAT COULD BE A, UH, ANOTHER DISCUSSION. 
          BUT I'VE BEEN ON, I'VE HAD HAD IT BOTH WAYS AS FAR AS WHERE WITH THE TOWN AND THE COUNTY, WE HAD A A, AN ATTORNEY ON STAFF AND THAT WORKED OUT OKAY. 
          THE ONLY, ONLY THING WITH THAT IS WHEN HE'S RIGHT DOWN THE HALL, IT'S A TENDENCY TO GO REASK THEM. 
          ANY, NOT THAT ANY, NO, NO. 
          NOT THAT ANY QUESTION IS NOT IMPORTANT, BUT JUST TO GO IN AND DO THAT. 
          RIGHT. 
          BUT I DO LIKE THE CONCEPT OF, UH, MAYBE HAVING A, A, A CENTRAL PERSON BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AND THEN I DON'T WANNA GET TO THE POINT WHERE I CALL 'EM UP TO ASK A SPECIFIC QUESTION AND THEN CHERYL CALLS HIM UP AND ASKS THE SAME THING AND IT SHOULD BE A LITTLE BIT QUICKER BECAUSE HE HAVE THE ANSWER. 
          BUT THAT WOULD BE DUPLICATION. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UM, AND, AND THERE AGAIN, WE CAN DISCUSS IT LATER, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT THE, WELL THE ADMINISTRATOR WOULD BE APPROPRIATE, JUST SO, LIKE I SAY, IF THEY COME TO YOU, SOMEBODY COMES TO YOU AND 
          [01:35:01]
SAYS, I WANNA CALL THE ATTORNEY AND ASK HIM ABOUT THIS. 
          SOMEBODY ALREADY CALLED HIM, HERE'S YOUR ANSWER. 
          AND DO IT THAT WAY. 
          AND I MEAN, IF IT'S NOT GONNA BE THE IN, UH, THE ADMINISTRATOR, AND I'VE TRIED THIS BEFORE AND I'LL TRY IT AGAIN, BUT I WOULD RECOMMEND, IF NOT THE ADMINISTRATOR BE ROGER. 
          BEING KEENY WOULD BE THE POINT, MAN, WHO'S THAT? ? OH MY, NO, , I, YOU COULDN'T MAKE IT THROUGH THE WHOLE MEETING WITHOUT THAT, BUT NO, BUT NO, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD LEGITIMATE POINT TO BRING UP. 
          I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          OKAY, I GUESS I'M NEXT, LEMME TURN THE PAGE THREE PAGES OF NOTES SO FAR. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, AND I DO APPRECIATE, I KNOW EVERYONE HAS PUT A LOT OF TIME INTO THIS AND, UM, GOD BLESS YOU FOR DOING THAT BECAUSE, UM, YOU, YOU MUST BE TIRED OF CRUNCHING THESE NUMBERS AND I, I FEEL LIKE I'M BACK WHEN I FIRST GOT ON THE BOARD, AND OF COURSE YOU GET ON THE BOARD AND THE FIRST THING YOU'RE DOING IS GOING INTO A BUDGET AND LEARNING THAT WHOLE PROCESS AND THEN BAM, COVID HIT. 
          AND THE WORLD JUST WAS ABSOLUTELY CRAZY. 
          AND WE DIDN'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES ARE SHUTTING DOWN AND SCHOOLS ARE SHUTTING DOWN AND, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO WORK THROUGH, OKAY, HOW DO YOU COLLECT REVENUE WHEN BUSINESSES ARE SHUT DOWN AND WHAT, YOU KNOW, HOW ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO PAY YOUR STAFF? UM, YOU KNOW, TEACHERS WERE NOT TEACHING, BUT THEN REMOTE TEACHING, SO YOU HAD BILLS TO PAY, THE ELECTRIC BILLS, THE HEAT BILLS, UM, THE WORLD WAS IN A TAILSPIN, BUT YOU STILL HAD TO PAY YOUR BILLS. 
          AND I REMEMBER THE CONVERSATION AMONGST US OF WHAT CAN WE PUT ON HOLD UNTIL WE GET TO THAT, IF WE WERE GONNA SEE THE END AND WHEN WAS THE END, BUT THE FALL REVENUES AS WELL. 
          AND WE DID PUT A LOT OF THINGS ON HOLD AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN THE NUMBERS CAME IN AND WE COULD GO BACK AND RETRO ACT THINGS WE DID. 
          AND SO I KIND OF FEEL LIKE WE'RE AT THAT POINT, AT LEAST FOR ME, AND LOOKING AT, SO, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN SITTING HERE, I'VE LOOKED AT IT AND THERE'S, THERE'S NOT AN EASY PLACE TO CUT ANYTHING. 
          THERE JUST ISN'T. 
          UM, SO, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IS GONNA BE PAINFUL TO SOMEBODY. 
          IT JUST IS. 
          AND I AGREE. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOLS, THE KIDS ARE OUR FUTURE AND THEY DESERVE A GOOD EDUCATION. 
          I ALWAYS SAY, IF YOU DON'T PUT THE MONEY IN THE SCHOOLS AND THE CHILDREN, YOU'RE GONNA PUT IT IN THE JAILS AND THE PRISONS, BECAUSE NOT EVERY KID IS GONNA GO BAD, BUT A LOT OF KIDS, THE BEST PART OF THEIR LIVES ARE IN A SCHOOL ROOM WITH, WITH PEOPLE THAT THEY FEEL SAFE WITH AND THAT GET THEM AND MAYBE THE ONLY POSITIVE THING THEY HAVE IN THEIR LIFE. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CAN'T KEEP KICKING THE CAN ON THE SCHOOLS AND GOODNESS KNOWS IF THE ROOFS AND THE ROOFS ARE IN BAD SHAPE, THEY'RE, THAT'S JUST A FACT. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, PULLING THE, THE MONEY FROM THE ROOFS AND PULLING TOO MUCH MONEY OUT OF THE SCHOOLS, I DON'T SEE HOW WE CAN DO IT WHEN FOR SEVERAL YEARS THEY'VE, THEY'VE BEEN LEVEL FUNDED. 
          JUST A FACT. 
          IT HAS, LIKE EVERYONE'S SAYING, UM, MY HUSBAND BOUGHT DIESEL I THINK YESTERDAY AND IT WAS OVER $5 A GALLON. 
          UM, SO YOU, YOU ARE LOOKING AT YOUR SCHOOL BUSES AND WHO KNOWS WHAT THAT FUEL'S GONNA BE BY THE TIME OF THIS, YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOL YEAR'S OVER AND BEGINNING OF THE NEXT SCHOOL YEAR. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, I, I'VE ALWAYS WORRIED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, DO WE CALCULATE ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, PUBLIC WORKS, ALL OF OUR PEOPLE, THE SCHOOLS, UH, FIRE AND RESCUE, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU BUDGET WHEN YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT THE COST OF SOMETHING'S GONNA BE? YOU CAN'T GO TOO HIGH AND YOU CAN'T GO TOO LOW. 
          SO THAT'S AN UNKNOWN VARIABLE THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO DEAL WITH. 
          UM, DSS WITH THIS, UH, NEW BILL, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IS IN IS IF THEY GO OVER A PERCENTAGE OF ERROR, AND IT'S VERY EASY TO DO BECAUSE YOU'RE GIVEN THIS COMPLICATED LIST OF, UH, CALCULATIONS 
          [01:40:01]
OF HOW MUCH YOU CAN GIVE SOMEBODY. 
          AND IF YOU'RE OFF A FEW CENTS, THAT'S CONSIDERED AN ERROR. 
          SO YOU GO ABOVE THAT PERCENTAGE, THEN THEY'RE GONNA START PENALIZING. 
          AND WE STILL DON'T KNOW BECAUSE AS GOVERNMENT IS, NOBODY'S REALLY DECIDED, OKAY, THIS IS A FEDERAL THING, SO IS THE STATE GONNA MAKE ALL THE LOCALITIES WHOLE AND NOT PUSH THAT COST DOWN? AND NOW LET'S SAY IN OUR DSS AT THIS POINT, I THINK HAS BEEN, IF NOT A HUNDRED PERCENT, VERY CLOSE TO THAT, A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT LET'S SAY IT HAS A TURNOVER IN STAFF AND YOU GET SOMEBODY NEW AND THEY MAKE MISTAKE, IT'S HONEST TO DO THAT, IS THE STATE GONNA SAY, OKAY, NOW YOU OWE US $300,000 IN PENALTIES HERE BECAUSE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT JUST SAID YOUR ERROR RATE'S TOO HIGH. 
          HOW DO YOU PLAN FOR THAT? SO THOSE ARE THE THINGS I'M LOOKING AT AND WE'RE BARE BONES AND I DON'T KNOW HOW WE GO BACK AND, AND SAY, OKAY, CUT SOME MORE WHEN YOU'VE GOT SOME OF THAT KIND OF STUFF HANGING OVER TOP OF YOU. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, I AGREE. 
          I'VE HEARD IT SAID GOING AROUND THE ROOM, UM, THE FIRE MARSHAL, I THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN WAIT ANOTHER YEAR. 
          WE HAVE A PART-TIME, WE HAVE STAFF THAT ARE TRAINED TO DO THAT. 
          WE STILL HAVE ASSISTANT CHIEF MANCO. 
          SO IT'S, AND THAT IS A STATE FUNCTION TOO, SO IT'S NOT LIKE IF WE DON'T HIRE THAT WE HAVE NO ONE TO DO THAT SPECIFIC DUTY. 
          SO I THINK THAT IS ONE THAT WE CAN DROP OFF. 
          UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE FIRE STUDY, THE 2009, YOU KNOW, NOPE, THAT WAS PRETTY MUCH A LOT OF STUDIES GETS PAID A LOT OF MONEY FOR AND STUCK UP ON THE SHELF AND NOT DONE. 
          SO IF WE DON'T DO EVERYTHING ACCORDING TO THIS FIRE STUDY, IT WOULD NOT BE THE FIRST TIME. 
          AND I THINK IT WOULD BE JUSTIFIED THAT WE JUST CAN'T AFFORD TO DO WHAT WE WANNA DO, WHAT WE KNOW WE NEED TO DO, BUT WHERE'S THE MONEY COMING FROM TO DO IT? SO I, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THAT, BUT OKAY, WE HAVEN'T EVEN MENTIONED THE THREE PEOPLE FOR THE TWO OR THREE PEOPLE THE SHERIFF'S NEEDS. 
          UM, AND THAT'S ANOTHER EMERGENCY RESPONSE THAT AT ANY GIVEN TIME, I MEAN, THEY'RE DEPLETED AS WELL, SO, AND THEY, YOU KNOW, DON'T EVEN HAVE ENOUGH VEHICLES TO GO AROUND. 
          UM, AND THERE'S ANOTHER ONE, THEY GO DOWN A VEHICLE FROM HITTING A DEER OR WHATEVER BECAUSE OF THE ROADS THEY'RE OUT ON TOO. 
          THEN WE'VE GOT DEPUTIES, WE DON'T HAVE VEHICLES TO PUT 'EM IN. 
          SO THERE'S ANOTHER AREA. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT GONNA BE POPULAR. 
          I'M NOT POPULAR NOW BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE THINGS THAT ARE NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART AND I AM THE FIRST PERSON THAT I'VE HAD TO CALL THE RESCUE SQUAD. 
          AND IT SEEMS EVEN IF THEY GET THERE IN THREE MINUTES, IT SEEMS LIKE FOREVER. 
          IT JUST DOES. 
          UM, AND I WANT, I WANT THEM TO GET THERE AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. 
          I'VE ALL, WE, I'VE SAID SINCE THE BEGINNING, YOU KNOW, MY FAMILY HAS BEEN VOLUNTEERS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE A UNIFORM FAMILY STRAIGHT UP AND, BUT I CAN'T DO WHAT I CAN'T DO WHEN I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY AND I CAN'T, I CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHERE TO GET IT FROM TO, TO FIX ALL THESE PROBLEMS. AND I'M LOOKING AT, AND I'VE, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA BRING IT UP AND I'M NOT EVEN GONNA LOOK BACK THERE BECAUSE I ALREADY KNOW YOUR SENTIMENTS. 
          BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN, BECAUSE WE DO NEED AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MOVEMENT IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION TO BRING IN BUSINESSES TO HELP FUND THESE ACTUAL THINGS THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY FOR TO GET THE TAX BURDEN OFF THE BACKS OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY THAT CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY THIS. 
          I WORRY ALL THE TIME, SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, WE ARE, WE'RE DOING DIFFERENT THINGS. 
          I, I DON'T, I FIXED FOOD AND I'VE BROUGHT HERE FOR OUR MEETINGS AND THINGS. 
          SO WE DON'T ORDER OUT ON THE TAXPAYERS DOLLARS FOR MEETINGS THAT YES, WE'VE BEEN HERE ALL DAY, WE, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA BE ABLE, BUT I WORRY THAT PERSON HAS PAID THEIR TAXES BUT NOW MAY NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD A DECENT MEAL OR MEDICINE THEY NEED. 
          THAT'S WHAT I WORRY ABOUT ALL THE TIME. 
          SO 
          [01:45:01]
IF I HAVE TO PUT FALL ON THE SWORD OF HARDSHIP OF LET'S HOLD OFF ON HIRING MORE FIREMEN THIS YEAR AND HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO GET SIX OR 12 NEXT YEAR, IF WE CAN GET IN A BETTER PLACE, GET THIS DAG ON AUDIT DONE, KNOW EXACTLY HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE AND MAY HAVE, AND, UM, A SURPLUS, IF THAT'S WHAT, FOR LACK OF BETTER WORD TO SAY RIGHT THIS SECOND. 
          'CAUSE WE'RE SHOOTING IN THE DARK HERE ANYWAY, BECAUSE NOT HAVING DARN AUDIT DONE, WE SPENT AN OUTRAGEOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY TRYING TO GET THAT DONE THAT WE SHOULDN'T HAVE HAD TO DO. 
          BUT IT'S A FACT. 
          WE JUST, WE GOTTA EAT IT AND MOVE ON. 
          AND I REALIZE THE CHESTER GAP AGREEMENT IS GONNA BE DEAD IN THE WATER. 
          BUT WHEN I LOOK AT FOR 200,000, I CAN GET 24 7 AND A FIREHOUSE FULL OF EQUIPMENT VERSUS 330 THAT GETS ME THREE MEN WHO'S ALREADY BEEN SAID, THAT'S ONE PERSON PER SHIFT AND NO EQUIPMENT EXTRA. 
          AND THAT WOULD LEAVE US $338,507 IF WE TOOK OUT THE SHARE'S FOIA OFFICER, WHICH I KNOW SHE NEEDS THAT. 
          BUT THERE AGAIN, WAIT ANOTHER YEAR AND HOPEFULLY PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY CAN STOP WITH THE DAG ON FOIAS FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND SAVE YOURSELF A LITTLE MONEY OUT THERE FOLKS. 
          UM, AND THEN USE THAT MONEY TO HIRE THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PERSON OR PUT IT IN SURPLUS FOR FUEL FOR THE DSS IF WE END UP HAVING, YOU KNOW, FOR THAT UNKNOWN, I, THAT'S MY 2 CENTS WORTH AND I'LL FALL ON THAT SWORD. 
          I DON'T LIKE IT, BUT I, I JUST CAN'T FIGURE OUT HOW, HOW ELSE TO GET THIS, A LITTLE BIT OF SAVINGS THERE. 
          CAN I SAY ONE THING ABOUT ACTUAL SAVINGS? UM, IN OVERTIME, WHAT WE'VE BEEN SPENDING ACTUAL OVERTIME FOR 24 WAS $1.1 MILLION. 
          FOR 25, IT WAS $1.23 MILLION. 
          WE HAVE IT BUDGETED FOR THE CURRENT YEAR AT $727,000. 
          AND THEN FOR 27 WE HAVE BUDGETED OVERTIME OF $680,000 IN CHANGE. 
          WHEN WE HIRE SOMEONE AT A SALARY, WE DO LOWER OVERTIME. 
          SO ONE THING THAT ADDITIONAL POSITIONS CAN DO IS IMPACT THAT LOW, UH, OVERTIME COST. 
          SO WHEN WE'RE DOUBLING OUR SPEND MM-HMM  SIMPLY BECAUSE OF OVERTIME, WE DO NEED TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THAT. 
          UM, 'CAUSE WE MAY NOT ACTUALLY BE SAVING MONEY IN THE LONG RUN FOR THE TAX PAYERS AND I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          WHAT'S, WHAT'S THAT CALCULATION FOR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT? FOR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT FOR WHICH YEAR OR FOR THIS YEAR? FOR ANY OF THEM. 
          I MEAN IF WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT, I WANNA DO COMPARISONS BECAUSE SHE NEEDS STAFF TOO. 
          AND THEN SHE'S TAKEN A HIT TOO. 
          SO FOR 27 THE REQUEST IS $350,000 FOR OVERTIME AND FOR FIRE AND RESCUE IT'S 152,000. 
          UM, THE ACTUALS, WHICH IS PROBABLY THE NUMBERS THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE MORE RELEVANT FOR 25, IT WAS 270,000 FOR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND FIRE AND RESCUE IT WAS $753,000 IN OVERTIME ONLY. 
          NO, I KNOW THIS, NONE OF THIS IS EASY. 
          NONE. 
          I'M, AND I'M, I'M JUST THROWING OUT A SUGGESTION. 
          I, I DON'T LIKE IT, BUT I HOPEFULLY WE A A WINDFALL COMES FROM SOMEWHERE. 
          SO I GUESS WE'RE AT THE POINT, UM, WE, I THINK STAFF HAS TAKEN LOTS OF NOTES. 
          UM, SO THE NEXT STEP IS DETERMINE WE NEED TO COME BACK WITH A PLAN, A STRATEGY CUTS, WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT AT SOME POINT. 
          UM, SO I WOULD ASK THE BOARD'S INDULGENCE, WHEN CAN WE DO THAT? WE'RE GONNA NEED SOME TIME TO DO THIS. 
          IT'S, THIS IS NOT GONNA, IT WAS A QUESTION. 
          HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU WANT? WELL, UM, SO COULD THIS BE, UM, A WEEK FROM THURSDAY RIGHT BEFORE WE GET OUT FOR GOOD FRIDAY? THE 26TH? THE SECOND. 
          OH THE SECOND. 
          SECOND. 
          [01:50:01]
OKAY. 
          I THOUGHT YOU MEANT A WEEK FROM, WHAT DOES THAT DO TO OUR OF TOMORROW ADVERTISEMENTS? THE BUDGET HAS BEEN AUTHORIZED FOR ADVERTISEMENT, BUT IT WAS DONE WITH NO SPECIFIC DATE IN MIND. 
          UM, THAT WAS CHANGED WHEN IT WAS ORIGINALLY APPROVED. 
          I TO BE THE WORLD'S BIGGEST DEVIL'S ADVOCATE HERE, I DON'T THINK HAVING IT ON THE 14TH WOULD BE PRACTICAL IF WE'RE GONNA, IF IT'S UNTIL NEXT THURSDAY AND I STILL HAVE TO ADVERTISE IT TWICE AND THE SECOND AD CAN'T BE AFTER APRIL 7TH. 
          AND IF WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE OUTCOME OF THAT MEETING IS GONNA BE, THEN WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE AD'S GONNA LOOK LIKE YET. 
          WHAT IF WE MET ON MARCH 31ST TUESDAY, A WEEK FROM TODAY? I WON'T BE HERE. 
          OKAY. 
          BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN'T HAVE THE MEETING. 
          I CAN MEET WITH STAFF AND DO ALL THIS STUFF BEFOREHAND. 
          UM, AND YOU SAID STAFF NEEDS TIME TO LOOK AT ALL THESE THINGS AND PULL IT TOGETHER? UH, YES. 
          I MEAN, UM, I'M LOOKING AT MY, UH, FOUR COMPADRES AND WE'LL HOPEFULLY START TOMORROW. 
          IS IS IS, YOU SAID NEXT THURSDAY, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE REST OF THIS WEEK? I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'LL GIVE YOU TIME. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF IT WORKS. 
          PEOPLE SCHEDULED EVEN SATURDAY. 
          I DON'T KNOW. 
          WELL, LET ME ASK THIS QUESTION. 
          DO WE ALREADY HAVE A MEETING SCHEDULED FOR NEXT TUESDAY? UH, NO. 
          NO, WE ONLY MEETING SCHEDULED. 
          UM, DOES THAT, THAT MIGHT NOT BE ENOUGH TIME. 
          I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT, BUT IF I COULD, I ACTUALLY FORGOT SOMETHING I WANT YOU TO ADD TO YOUR NOTES. 
          OH, LET ME GO TO YOUR LIST. 
          , WE HAVE A NUMBER OF THINGS IDENTIFIED AS COMING OUT OF, UH, FUND BALANCE AND I JUST WANTED TO ADD ANOTHER ONE. 
          I THINK THE TOTAL OF THOSE WAS 1.27 MILLION OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. 
          LET'S SEE, 1.27, 2 MILLION. 
          UM, AND I THINK WE JUST GOT A SHEET THAT SHOWED FUND BALANCE IN LIKE THE $25 MILLION RANGE. 
          UM, AND THE TOTAL OF ALL ROOFS, WHICH WE JUST AGREED PROBABLY ARE NOT GONNA BE DONE AT ONCE. 
          SO THERE'S GONNA BE STAGGERING THERE. 
          UH, I WOULD ADD A $550,000 SET ASIDE FOR THE QUARTER OF A PAYMENT ON ONE OF THE FIRE APPARATUSES THAT WAS IN THE ASSET REPLACEMENT BUDGET AS A REQUEST. 
          THAT'S A SUGGESTION. 
          THANK YOU. 
          SO I'M KIND OF LOOKING AT STAFF AND THEY'VE ALWAYS BEEN HONEST WITH ME, SO I'M JUST GONNA SUGGEST THIS. 
          DO YOU THINK WE CAN MEET FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK AND IF THE BOARD WILL INDULGE A MEETING ON SATURDAY JUST SAYING I'LL BE OUT OF 10 SATURDAY. 
          OKAY, BUT WHO WOULD WE COULDN'T DO NEXT TUESDAY. 
          I WON'T BE HERE. 
          OH, THAT'S RIGHT. 
          YOU WON'T BE HERE. 
          OKAY. 
          YOU'LL BE GONE ALL WEEK NEXT WEEK. 
          I'LL BE BACK THURSDAY. 
          AND WHO WAS OUT THAT THURSDAY? WHY, WHY COULDN'T BUT THURSDAY THE UH, UH, EMPLOYEES HAVE WITH THE TIMETABLE, IF WE HAVE A MEETING A WEEK FROM THURSDAY, IT DOES THINGS TO YOUR TIMETABLE OF ADVERTISEMENTS. 
          IF WE HAVE ONE ON A, IF WE HAVE A MEETING ON APRIL 2ND, CORRECT? I DOUBT IT. 
          NO, BECAUSE THE AD WOULD HAVE TO BE DONE THE NEXT DAY AND FRIDAY IS GOOD FOR TUESDAY. 
          IT'S ONLY ONE AD IT HAS TO BE ADVERTISED TWICE. 
          GOT IT. 
          DR. WRIGHT CAN, WHEN IS YOUR YOUR DROP DEAD DATE TO GET YOUR CONTRACTS OUT? WE WOULD SHOOT, WELL THERE'S NO DROP DEAD DATE, BUT IF THEY'RE NOT OUT BY THE SECOND WEEK OF MAY, THEY'RE GONE. 
          TEACHERS WILL BE DROPPING US AND GOING SOMEWHERE ELSE. 
          . 
          RIGHT. 
          AND AND THAT'S WE'RE, SO I THINK WE WANNA GET 'EM OUT. 
          WE ARE, WE ARE LOOKING TO GET THOSE OUT THE FIRST WEEK OF MAY. 
          SO WE COULD HAVE 'EM OUT EARLY IN THE SECOND WEEK. 
          THAT WOULD BE REALLY PUSHING. 
          OKAY. 
          THAT'S 'CAUSE WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THIS DONE SO THAT YOU CAN GET THOSE OUT. 
          SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE TRY TO DO TOO. 
          EXCUSE ME. 
          DON'T BLOW YOUR WHISTLE. 
          UM, SO LET ME ASK STAFF AGAIN IN A DIFFERENT WAY. 
          I DON'T WANNA ROAR ANYBODY'S, COULD WE DO THIS AND HAVE A MEETING THIS FRIDAY AT FIVE O'CLOCK? I THINK THAT WOULD BE PREFERABLE. 
          AND IF THE TAX BILLS HAVE TO GO OUT AS WELL, WE HAVE TO KEEP THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. 
          SO WE WANNA REALLY STICK TO THE APRIL 22ND AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN ANY LATER THAN THAT. 
          WE'RE GETTING, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE . 
          SO WITH THE BOARD'S INDULGENCE, THAT GIVES YOU ENOUGH TIME TO ADVERTISE, CORRECT? 
          [01:55:01]
UM, IT SHOULD. 
          I MEAN I'LL PROBABLY BE ABLE TO DO, IF THE AD CAN BE COM IF EVERYTHING IS COMPLETELY DONE MONDAY, I CAN PROBABLY DO A FRIDAY AND TUESDAY AD. 
          BUT ADVERTISING OUR MEETING FOR FRIDAY AFTERNOON AT FIVE O'CLOCK. 
          OH, HERE WE CAN CALL THAT AS A SPECIAL MORNING. 
          IT'S JUST A SPECIAL MEETING. 
          I AND THAT WOULD BE ENOUGH TIME? I THINK SO. 
          I THINK SO. 
          I'M NOT POSITIVE. 
          WELL, UM, I'LL IT SHOULD BE, BUT I'LL DOUBLE CHECK WITH JASON IN THE MORNING. 
          OKAY. 
          I THINK, YOU KNOW, IT CAN EVEN BE CALLED AN EMERGENCY SPECIAL MEETING OR SOMETHING AND YEAH, THERE'S, GET THAT DONE. 
          THERE'S, THERE'S WAYS YOU CAN STILL DO AND THAT WOULD BE FINE. 
          SO THAT MEANS THAT WE WILL, STAFF WILL BE WORKING VERY HARD. 
          I'LL LET YOU KNOW HOW THIS IS GOING, UM, BUT WE HAVE LOTS OF NOTES TO LOOK AT AND WE WILL COME BACK TO YOU WITH OPTIONS. 
          ONE OTHER THING JUST AS FAR AS THE PROCESS AND THERE AGAIN, I REMEMBER TOO THAT WE ALWAYS TRY TO GET THE, AT LEAST THE SCHOOL BUDGET COMPLETED PRIOR TO, UM, MAY ONE. 
          SO THEY COULD, UH, LET THE CONTRACTS. 
          BUT I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY. 
          HOPEFULLY EVERYTHING WORKS OUT WHEN WE MEET FRIDAY. 
          THAT WILL BE BASICALLY A SPECIAL MEETING BECAUSE ARE WE GONNA BE APPROVING, WE HAVE TO APPROVE THE ADVERTISEMENT, SO WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE A VOTE TO GO FORWARD FOR AT LEAST THE ADVERTISEMENT, WHICH DOES NOT MEAN THAT THAT'S THE BUDGET. 
          THAT MEANS WE'RE JUST ADVERTISING IT. 
          THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE 14TH AND THEN, SORRY, THE ADVERTISEMENT'S ALREADY BEEN APPROVED OR THE AUTHORIZATION TO ADVERTISEMENTS HAS BEEN APPROVED. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND ON THE ORIGINAL COVER SHEET IT DID SAY APRIL 14TH, BUT WITH THE AMOUNT OF QUESTIONS AND CHANGES WE HAD, IT WAS APPROVED WITHOUT THAT DATE. 
          SO THE AUTHORIZATION'S ALREADY BEEN TAKEN CARE OF. 
          IT'S JUST A MATTER OF MAKING SURE THE AD IS COMPLETELY CORRECT AND WHAT EVERYBODY WANTS. 
          RIGHT. 
          BY THE TIME IT GOES TO THE PRINT IN THAT AMOUNT OF TIME. 
          BECAUSE THE AD WILL SHOW EVERYTHING, THE THE YEAH. 
          AS MUCH DETAIL AS POSSIBLE. 
          YES. 
          AND SO WE WOULD NEED TO HAVE THAT FRIDAY BY THE END OF OUR DISCUSSION PRETTY MUCH. 
          RIGHT. 
          OKAY. 
          MAY I ASK A QUESTION? I, I HEARD THE, THE, THE MEETING WAS GONNA BE AT WARREN COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL OR SCHEDULED FOR WARREN COUNTY SCHOOL? UH, YES, THERE WAS A WHERE DID, HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT? THAT CAME ABOUT BECAUSE THE LAST TIME THERE WAS A 10 CENT INCREASE, THIS ROOM WAS FULL PASS CAPACITY. 
          UM, SO IN TRYING TO NAVIGATE THAT, I THOUGHT IT BEST TO AT LEAST, UM, HAVE THAT AS AN OPTION TO GIVE EVERYONE, UH, THE ABILITY TO SPEAK WITHOUT BEING CRAMMED OUT IN THE HALL AND, AND MAKE THAT MORE OF A SECURITY PROBLEM. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, WITH PEOPLE PACKED IN HERE AND PACKED IN THE HALLWAY, IS THE, ARE WE GONNA HAVE OUR PEOPLE BE ABLE TO DO THIS LIVE STREAMING THE SAME WAY WE ALWAYS DO EVERYTHING? YES. 
          YES. 
          UH, WE'VE TALKED TO THIS SCHOOL ABOUT, UM, YOU KNOW, SETTING UP LIKE THEY DID AT DIVERSIFIED MINDS. 
          OKAY. 
          DR. MARTIN, THE ONLY CONCERN THAT I WOULD HAVE WOULD BE IF THERE WOULD BE ANY CONFLICTING THINGS THAT THE BUDGET WOULD NEED TO DEMONSTRATE THAT WAS DISCUSSED HERE TONIGHT. 
          UM, IN THE SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE NEED TO, TO ACCOMPLISH THAT. 
          SO THAT'S MY ONLY CONCERN FOR FRIDAY. 
          FOR FRIDAY. 
          OKAY. 
          AND IT'S FIVE, RIGHT? LIKE 5:00 PM I'M MAKING A NOTICE. 
          UM, IS FIVE GOOD OR YOU WANNA DO IT EARLY IN THE AFTERNOON? UH, FOUR OR THREE. 
          I THINK PROBABLY FIVE WOULD BE BETTER. 
          I HATE TO HAVE YOU STAY OVER, BUT THAT WOULD, IF WE HAD IT EARLIER IN THE DAY, IT KIND OF CUTS YOUR TIME. 
          YEAH. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          I'M JUST NOT GONNA, I'M GONNA MAKE A SPECIAL MEETING NOTICE WHEN EVERYONE'S IN CLOSING. 
          OKAY. 
          SO IS FIVE GOOD FOR EVERYONE? UM, IS THAT, AND ARE WE BEING PRAGMATIC HERE? CAN CAN STAFF REALLY IN TWO DAYS OR DO THAT LOOK AT THEIR FACES? WELL LOOK AT THE COMPETENCE IN THIS ROOM. 
          , THAT'S KIND OF WHY I EXPRESSED MY CONCERN. 
          . 
          YEAH, BECAUSE, UM, THERE ARE DIFFERENT PRIORITIES. 
          WE HAVE THE, THE THREE MAIN PRIORITIES, BUT I'M CONCERNED IF THERE WOULD BE A REDUCTION TO, UM, THE PROPOSED RATE, WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE HAD WE MADE ALREADY ADJUSTMENTS IN OTHER AREAS. 
          IT'S DIFFICULT 
          [02:00:01]
TO TAKE A LOOK AT IT HOLISTICALLY RIGHT NOW. 
          UM, SO WE, WE DO HAVE A COUPLE OF DAYS TO KIND OF, FOR LACK OF BETTER TERMS, PLAY WITH WHAT WE HAVE, UM, ESTABLISHED AND CLEAR OF. 
          BUT THE CONCERN WOULD BE IF THERE WAS A PRIORITY THAT WAS CONFLICTING AGAINST A DIFFERENT PRIORITY, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. 
          WELL DO YOU, I I SAID THIS LAST YEAR, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA SAY IT, NO ONE WANTS TO SAY A NUMBER HIGHER THAN WHAT YOU THINK YOU NEED. 
          WE ALL KNOW 10 CENTS IS PAINFUL, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S BARELY GETTING US WHERE WE NEED. 
          SO IF YOU LOWER THAT FOR OPTICS, YOU'RE, YOU'RE CUTTING YOURSELF SHORT AND YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T GET TAKE IT BACK UP. 
          BUT IF YOU START HIGH, YOU CAN DROP DOWN. 
          SO IF WE SAY 10 CENTS KNOWING THAT THAT'S NOT REALLY GETTING US WHERE WE NEED TO, BUT YOU, WE, WE JUST CAN'T DEAL WITH MORE AND THE PUBLIC COMES AT THE PUBLIC HEARING AND REVOLTS AND SAYS NO WAY. 
          THEN WE CAN COME DOWN IF WE HAVE TO. 
          HOW, WHAT SERVICES ARE GONNA GET HIT ON THAT? YOU KNOW, BUT THE COMMUNITY GETS THEIR SAY IN, IF WE EDUCATE PEOPLE, ANSWER THE QUESTIONS HONESTLY AND THEY SEE, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS IS JUST REALITY. 
          AS HARD AS IT IS, I THINK IT'S A, YOU KNOW, FOR ME AT LEAST IT WOULD BE EASIER TO TAKE THAT WE JUST DIDN'T COME UP WITH A NUMBER AND WE DIDN'T TRY OR DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, MAKE EVERY EFFORT TO GET THAT AS LOW AS WE POSSIBLY COULD. 
          AND THEN THERE'S, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GONNA BE PEOPLE THAT DON'T CARE ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. 
          THEY'RE JUST UPSET OVER IT. 
          AND, UM, AND I GET THAT TOO. 
          WE WILL DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN. 
          THAT'S ALL WE CAN DO TO MEET THE DEADLINE OF FRIDAY. 
          UM, AND AGAIN, WE'LL JUST HAVE A VERY OPEN AND HONEST CONVERSATION OF, OF PRIORITIES AND, UH, FUNDING. 
          THAT'S ALL WE CAN DO. 
          GOING THROUGH SOME OF MY OWN NOTES AS TO MEETING HAS PROGRESSED SOMETHING THAT HAD OCCURRED TO ME. 
          LITTLE NUMBERS AGAIN, BUT UH, LITTLE NUMBERS ARE BETTER THAN THEIR NUMBERS AT THIS POINT. 
          UH, WHEN WE WERE DOING OUR AGREEMENT WITH THE LIBRARY AS FAR AS MAINTENANCE AND STUFF, HAVE WE UTILIZED PUBLIC WORKS TO SEE WHAT ADJUSTMENTS WE COULD GET THAT AWAY YET? GOT MR. HENRY, DO YOU GET IN MY HEAD AND WALK AROUND A LOT? ? MAYBE. 
          I DON'T KNOW. 
          I KEEP SOME PEOPLE AWAKE. 
          I DON'T, I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT  I HAVE. 
          UM, CERTAINLY THERE ARE TWO ISSUES FOR THE LIBRARY THAT I'VE ASKED. 
          ONE I'VE ASKED MIKE ABOUT, ABOUT LOOKING AT UH, HELPING THEM WITH THEIR MAINTENANCE AND THE OTHER IS I'VE HAD A CONVERSATION WITH MIKE AND BRIAN AND THE SCHOOLS AND THE SUPERINTENDENT ABOUT, UM, DOING THEIR MOWING. 
          SO I I'M TRYING TO FIND WAYS THAT WE COULD HELP THEM OUT AND REDUCE THEIR BUDGET. 
          I MEAN THAT'S YEAH. 
          IF WE CAN DO IT FOR 'EM CHEAPER, CORRECT. 
          YOU KNOW, ABSOLUTELY. 
          IT'S ABSOLUTELY. 
          AND THAT REDUCE IT LITTLE. 
          I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE NUMBERS BUT, BUT THAT REDUCES THEIR BUDGET A LITTLE BIT. 
          YEAH. 
          YOU KNOW, 10,000, 50,000, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER TRANSLATES TO. 
          UM, THAT, THAT WAS NOTHING BIG. 
          NOTHING. 
          WELL, I READ A LITTLE BIT HELPS. 
          AND THE OTHER THING WE CAN DO IS, UH, BOARD MEMBERS BRING YOUR CREDIT CARDS ON FRIDAY AND UH, WE'LL RUN 'EM UM, TO MAKE UP SOME DEFICITS. 
          PROBLEM WITH MY CREDIT CARD. 
          CLOSED SESSION. 
          ALRIGHT, I THINK IF THERE'S NOTHING MORE TO BEAT ON THIS, UH, MR. CARTER, YOU HAVE THE CLOSED SESSION MOTION. 
          IF YOU WOULD READ US IN THE CLOSED SESSION, I'D APPRECIATE IT. 
          UH, YES MA'AM. 
          UH, I MOVE THE BOARD ENTERED INTO A CLOSED MEETING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF SECTION 2.2 DASH 3 7 1 A FIVE OF THE FREEDOM OF THE VIRGINIA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT FOR THE DISCUSSION CONCERNING A PROSPECTIVE BUSINESS FOR INDUSTRY, FOR EXPANSION OF AN EXISTING BUSINESS FOR INDUSTRY WHERE NO PREVIOUS ANNOUNCEMENT HAS BEEN MADE 
          [02:05:01]
OF THE BUSINESSES OR INDUSTRIES INTEREST IN LOCATING OR EXPANDING ITS FACILITIES IN THE COMMUNITY. 
          THE PROPERTIES ARE LOCATED AT ZERO WINCHESTER ROAD FROM IDENTIFIED ON TAX MAP IDS ONE TWO N DASH 1 1 2 N DASH DASH 2 1 2 N DASH DASH THREE. 
          SIR. 
          SECOND. 
          SECOND. 
          ROLL CALL MR. HENDERSON. 
          DR. 
          JAMISON AYE. 
          MR. HENRY AYE. 
          MADAM CHAIR? AYE. 
          MR. CARTER? AYE. 
          MR. STAN AYE, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.