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[A. FY 2026-2027 Budget Public Hearing Feedback ]
UH, FOLLOW UP MEETING AGAIN, APRIL 20TH, 2026.SO HOPEFULLY THE SECOND TIME IS THE CHARM.
AND WE DON'T HAVE TO GO TO THREE TIMES TO BE A CHARM, BUT, UM, ALTHOUGH VOTING REGISTRAR ALMOST BOOTED IS OUT, HE JUST STOLE TABLES THIS TIME.
SO APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE, EVEN THOUGH YOU STOLE OUR TABLES.
UM, HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET A FEW COMMENTS AND THEN PROCEED ON TO WHAT WE HEARD AND DISCUSS FROM, UM, THE BUDGET HEARING PROCESS.
MR. JAMESON, I KNOW YOU SENT DR. MARTIN THAT YOU WANTED TO DO A PRESENTATION.
HOW LONG DO YOU THINK THIS WILL TAKE? 'CAUSE I'M HOPING FOR IT NOT TO TAKE MORE THAN 10 OR 15 MINUTES SO THAT WE CAN, I'LL EACH GET TIME TO I, I, YEAH, I WANT EVERYBODY TO HAVE TIME FOR SURE.
WHAT I'LL DO IS EVERYBODY, EVERYBODY'S ALREADY HAD A CHANCE TO READ THE PLAN AND I'VE SENT OUT FOR SEVERAL DISCUSSION GUIDES AND THINGS LIKE THAT, SO I WON'T BELABOR WHAT'S ON THE SLIDES.
I'LL THAT I, I'LL JUST WORK THROUGH IT IN A GOOD CLIP.
AND I'LL JUST RELY ON, UH, INTERRUPTIONS TO ANSWER QUESTIONS IF, IF YOU SO DESIRE WON'T, UH, WON'T, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL TRY TO KEEP 15 MINUTES MAX.
UM, LET'S SEE, WAS IT FRIDAY? I THINK FRIDAY, UH, WE TRIED TO HAVE THIS MEETING AND I LED OFF WITH SOME, AN ANALOGY, UM, OF, OF THE, UH, WELL, OKAY, LET, LEMME START THAT.
THIS, THIS IS A PRESENTATION OF, OF SOME OPTIONS THAT I'VE PUT ON THE TABLE FOR, UH, D UH, MAN, EYES ARE SO BAD.
TAPPING RESERVE EXCESS RESERVES.
UH, RESERVE FUNDS TO REDUCE THE TAX POTENTIAL TAX RATE.
UH, SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE IS THE CASH FLOW ANALYSIS, UH, DONE BY ATLANTIC UNION MUNICIPAL ADVISORS.
AND THIS IS FIVE YEARS OF DATA.
AND, UH, THE ANALOGY THAT I HAD HAD MADE WAS THAT, UH, UH, THE ANALOGY OF DROPPING A BASKETBALL FROM THE SAME HEIGHT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND THE PURPOSE OF THAT ANALOGY WAS JUST TO DEMONSTRATE OR TRY TO CREATE A, A NOTION THAT THERE'S A REPEATING PROCESS, UH, AND IT'S, AND IT'S QUITE PREDICTABLE.
UM, SO THIS IS, UH, THIS IS A, UH, FIVE YEAR ON TOP OF EACH OTHER, UH, CASH, CASH POSITION, UM, BY CALENDAR YEAR FROM, I BELIEVE THAT'S 2020.
UH, AND SOME NOTES, UM, YOU KNOW WHAT I
I, I LEFT THE NOTES FROM, FROM UNI ATLANTIC UNION MUNICIPAL ADVISORS ON, ON THE SLIDE, UM, SO THAT EVERYONE COULD SEE.
UH, JOHN, WOULD YOU MIND READING THOSE HAVE INCREASED OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS? BALANCES IN 2025 ARE AT OR ABOVE THE HISTORIC RANGE.
TRENDS IN 2025 ARE CLOSELY FOLLOWING TRENDS SEEN IN RECENT YEARS.
AND LASTLY, OUR BASELINE FORECAST IS BASED UPON THE ACTUAL EXPERIENCE IN RECENT YEARS.
SO THIS IS JUST THE, THE DATA AS PRESENTED.
UH, WHAT, WHAT I'VE DONE IS, UH, I'VE, I'VE TAKEN THAT DATA FROM ATLANTIC UNION MUNICIPAL ADVISORS, AND I, I HAVE, UH, OVERLAID AND, AND RED DOTS, UM, ACTUAL DATA THAT'S AVAILABLE SO FAR THIS YEAR.
AND, UH, THE BEGINNING BALANCE IN JANUARY WAS, I BELIEVE, 42, 41 0.4 OR $42 MILLION.
UM, ABOUT $5 MILLION HIGHER THAN HISTORIC FOR STARTING THE YEAR.
UM, THEN THERE'S TWO MORE WITH POINTING.
THE, THE GREEN ARROWS ARE POINTING AT TWO MORE VALUES, WHICH SHOW STILL TRENDING ABOVE, UH, UH, THE, THE HISTORIC DATA.
AND THEN THAT CIRCLE THERE IS HIGHLIGHTING AN AREA WHERE THE, UH, THE FISCAL, UM, POLICY STATES THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE 15%, UH, AT THE CLOSE OF FISCAL YEAR.
AND THIS, THE NUMBER TYPICALLY IS IN THE 35 40 $5 MILLION RANGE.
UH, NOT REALLY CLOSE TO THE 15% MARK.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT REFLECTS IN TERMS OF THE, THE, THE WAY THE POLICY WAS, UH, WRITTEN AND HOW OLD THE POLICY IS.
UM, BUT THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S, THAT IS, UM, EXACTLY WHAT IT IS.
AND SO WHAT THIS GETS TO IS, UH, UH, LOOKING AT
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THE HISTORIC PATTERNS AND LOOKING AT HOW TIGHT THE PATTERN IS THAT, UH, UH, A, UM, ESTIMATE FOR THE LOW POINT, UH, FOR 2026 WOULD PROBABLY BE IN THE RANGE OF 2021 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.AGAIN, THIS IS AN ANALYTICAL APPROACH TO LOOKING AT HISTORIC DATA.
UH, AND THAT'S A, A YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S AN, NOT NECESSARILY IN LIEU OF, BUT, BUT THE, THE YELLOW ZONE INDICATES WHAT THE POLICY SAYS.
UM, THIS IS REALLY GOING A, A STEP BEYOND THAT TO LOOK AT THE, HIS HISTORY, THE ANALYTICAL HISTORY, AND, AND, YOU KNOW, TAKING ADVANTAGE OF A CASH FLOW ANALYSIS THAT WAS DONE BY ONE OF OUR CONSULTANTS.
UH, THIS BACKS THAT DATA UP SHOWING THAT, AND I BELIEVE THIS IS GONNA BE 2024 IS THE LAST YEAR, BUT THE, THE, UM, THE SWEEP COUNT NEVER WAS BELOW 22 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
NOW, WHAT I'VE DONE, UH, IN TERMS OF, I, I'VE HANDED THIS OUT, UH, TO EVERYBODY.
THERE'S, I'VE CREATED THREE SCENARIOS JUST TO KIND OF GIVE SOME, UH, UH, AN ENVELOPE OF, OF FEASIBILITY.
OF COURSE, IF $10 MILLION IS DESIGNATED AS EXCESS RESERVES, AND THAT IS DEEMED AN, AN AMOUNT OF CAPITAL THAT CAN BE USED, UH, IN PART TO DEFER, UH, IN PART TO, TO TRIM, UH, THE NECESSARY TAX INCREASE THIS YEAR FROM 10 CENTS TO 5 CENTS.
UM, BUT ALSO IN PART FOR OTHER CAPITAL PROJECTS.
'CAUSE AS WE'LL SEE IN THE TABLES, UH, IN THE, THE, UH, THE BRIDGE, THE USE OF FUNDS FOR A SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME OUT OF EXCESS RESERVES ONLY AMOUNTS TO AN ORDER OF BETWEEN 1.7 AND $2.3 MILLION.
UH, DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH EXCESS IS ACTUALLY DEEMED OR HOW MUCH RESERVES IS DEEMED TO BE EXCESS, THAT'S A JUDGMENT CALL.
UH, THIS, THIS BOARD WILL DETERMINE WHETHER THERE'S 5 MILLION EXCESS RESERVES, SEVEN AND A HALF, OR 10 OR 15.
I MEAN, IT DEPENDS HOW CONSERVATIVE OR UH, OR NOT YOU ARE.
UM, BUT THE, THE SCENARIOS GIVEN SHOW THAT SO NATURALLY IF, IF $10 MILLION OF IS AVAILABLE FOR, FOR RESERVES, THAT MEANS THAT, UH, APPROXIMATELY 1.7 TO 2 MILLION CAN BE USED DRAWN ON A BRIDGE OVER THREE YEARS UNTIL THE BOND PAYMENTS, UH, DROP BY $3 MILLION.
SO IT'S A TEMPORARY USE OF CAPITAL, UH, FOR THAT PERIOD UNTIL THE BOND PAYMENTS DROP FREEING UP CASH TO MEET THE GAP THAT IS CREATED BY RAISING ATTACKS BY 5 CENTS INSTEAD OF 10 CENTS.
OF COURSE, THE REASON FOR SHOWING THESE SCENARIOS IS THAT IF THERE'S $10 MILLION OF EXCESS RESERVES AND 1.7 MILLION WAS USED TO, UH, BRIDGE TO THE POINT WHERE THE BOND PAYMENTS ARE REDUCED SO THAT WE CAN RAISE THE EXCESS 5 CENTS INSTEAD OF 10 CENTS, THEN THE OTHER $8 MILLION IS AVAILABLE FOR NEEDED CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN DEFERRED OVER THE YEARS.
UH, NOW THESE WILL, THESE ARE, HAVE BEEN HANDED OUT SO THAT THEY CAN BE, UH, EXAMINED.
AND AGAIN, THE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETIME TO, TO LOOK AT THIS, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE GET INTO A VOTE SITUATION.
BUT THE POINT IS THAT IF, IF JUST TAKING THE BASE SCENARIO OF $10 MILLION RESERVE, AND AGAIN, THAT'S BASED ON ALMOST 22 MILLION, 21, 20 $2 MILLION, UH, AS A, AT A, AS A LOW POINT IN THE COUNTY'S, UM, CASH, THAT $10 MILLION IS ACCESSIBLE TO USE WITHOUT SUBSTANTIAL RISK, ACTUALLY A VERY LOW RISK.
UM, THE POINT OF, OF THIS TABLE THOUGH, IS TO SHOW THAT IF, IF THIS WERE TO, UH, IF THIS SCENARIO WERE TO UNFOLD, THEN A CUMULATIVE EXCESS RESERVE DRAW IN SUPPORT OF THE 5 CENT TAX INCREASE VERSUS 10 CENTS WOULD BE $1.7 MILLION.
AND THEN THE, THE FINAL COLUMN UNDER 2030, YOU CAN SEE WHERE IT SAYS CUMULATIVE CAPITAL AND ASSET REPLACEMENT.
THAT $8 MILLION IS TOTAL CAPITAL AND ASSET REPLACEMENT FROM EXCESS RESERVES.
AND THAT INCLUDES, IF YOU LOOK UNDER THE FY 2027 COLUMN, THAT INCLUDES UNDER CAPITAL PROJECTS, THE ITEMS THAT WERE, HAVE ALREADY BEEN DISCUSSED AND PRESENTED BY DR. MARTIN IN THE FY 27 BUDGET, CAPITAL ASSET REPLACEMENT OF 1.272 MILLION AND OTHER CAPITAL PROJECTS.
AND I PUT, FOR EXAMPLE, ROOF REPLACEMENT.
UM, AND THE $1.828 MILLION IS THE DELTA BETWEEN WHAT WE, UH, EXPECTED THE STATE TO, TO GIVE THE SCHOOLS AND, AND WHAT THEY, WE SUBSEQUENTLY HEARD THEY WERE GONNA GIVE THEM SO THAT WE, I WAS ASSIGNED TO CAPITAL.
AND THEN IT'S A, IT'S SIMPLY, UM, THE, THE
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FY 28, 29 AND 30 UNDER THE, THE, UM, ROW UNDER CAPITAL PROJECTS WHERE IT SAYS OTHER CAPITAL PROJECTS, THE 2 MILLION, THE ONE AND A HALF, AND THE ONE AND A HALF ARE JUST, THEY ARE ILLUSTRATIONS TO SHOW THAT $8,000,008.1 MILLION OF CAPITAL PROJECTS CAN BE FUNDED UNDER THIS STRATEGY.SO EVEN THOUGH THE, THE STRATEGY IS ORIENTED TOWARDS DROPPING A TAX INCREASE FROM 10 CENTS TO 5 CENTS, AND THE, THE, THE TOP WHERE IT SAYS ANNUAL BRIDGE GAP, THE POINT IS TO BRIDGE THAT $3.7 MILLION GAP FOR A TIME UNTIL THE BOND PAYMENTS ARE REDUCED.
AND IT CAN, IT CAN HANDLE THE PAYMENT UP, UP TO, WELL, MOST OF IT, UM, THAT GAP.
BUT BY THAT TIME THAT EITHER SOME ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OR SOME SELLING OF LAND OR, UH, A COMMUNITY BENEFIT AGREEMENT WITH ALL HEALTH, YOU KNOW, SHOULD BE IMPLEMENTED OR WE SHOULD AT LEAST TRY TO IMPLEMENT.
UM, THE OTHER SCENARIOS ARE JUST WITH LOWER RESERVES.
SO WHAT, WHAT YOU SEE IS A CONSEQUENCE JUST TO MAKE, TO MAKE THE ILLUSTRATION, IS THAT THE GAP IS THE SAME.
BUT IF, IF LOWER RESERVES ARE AVAILABLE TO DEAL WITH IT, UM, THEN THE, THE GAP TO COVER THE LOWER TAX INCREASE CAN STILL BE MET.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE CUMULATIVE CAPITAL ASSET REPLACEMENT ON THE SECOND TO LAST LINE IN FY 30, THAT NUMBER'S ONLY ABOUT 5.5 MILLION.
SO OBVIOUSLY IF THERE'S LESS EXCESS RESERVE AND, AND THE CHOICE IS MADE TO, UH, TRIM THE TAX IN THE PRESENT, UH, THEN FEWER CAPITAL INVESTMENTS WOULD BE MADE.
AND THESE NEXT TWO SLIDES ARE JUST THOSE SCENARIOS.
I DUNNO IF THIS THING HAS A LAG OR IF I NEED TO KEEP CLICKING ON IT.
UM, ANOTHER PART OF MY PROPOSAL INVOLVES, UH, PROACTIVELY ENGAGING WITH AN AGREED UPON PROCEDURES, UH, ENGAGEMENT WITH A CPA.
UM, UH, THERE IS A LOT OF CONSTERNATION ABOUT WHAT OUR SITUATION HAS BEEN WITH OUR, UH, WITH OUR AUDIT, WITH OUR DELAY.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE, UH, BEFORE THE CURRENT, UM, DELAY, PRIOR AUDITS HAVE INDICATED SOME MATERIAL WEAKNESSES THAT WE NEED TO, TO UNDERSTAND.
AND THOSE MATERIAL WEAKNESSES ALMOST CERTAINLY WILL BE APPEARING IN THE NEXT TWO AUDITS, WHICH WE'VE BEEN WAITING FOR.
UM, AN AGREED UPON PROCEDURE IS, IS A RELATIVELY LOW COST, UH, THING.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD CONTROLS THE SCOPE OF WORK FOR THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO VERY MUCH TARGET, UH, FROM AN AN ARMS LENGTH OBJECTIVE POINT OF VIEW FROM A CPA FIRM, UH, WHAT THE ISSUES ARE AND WHAT THE RESOLUTIONS ARE.
UH, MOST IMPORTANTLY, UM, A A A A FORENSIC AUDIT IS, IS FREQUENTLY AND, AND TYPICALLY, UH, USED WHEN, UM, FRAUD OR, OR CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES INDICATED.
AND I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH HERE.
UM, IT CAN ALSO BE VERY EXPENSIVE.
SO I'M, I'M ADVOCATING THE, THE BOARD, UH, BEFORE WE RAISE TAXES ON THE CITIZENS THAT WE MAKE A COMMITMENT TO, UM, FIND OUT, YOU KNOW, AT, AT, AT A, AT A VERY TECHNICAL WAY, UH, THROUGH A SCOPE OF WORK WITH AN INDEPENDENT FIRM, UH, WHAT OUR SITUATION IS AND HOW TO RESOLVE IT.
FINAL THING IN MY PROPOSAL IS A, UH, UH, BASICALLY WHAT I WOULD CALL A SORT OF A MINI AUDIT OF MEALS TAX COMPLIANCE.
UH, QUITE RECENTLY WE HAVE, UH, ENTERED INTO A A, UM, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT DISCUSSING MEALS TAX WITH THIS.
THIS IS JUST, IT'S JUST PART, IT'S PART OF MY PROPOSAL.
IT, UH, I JUST, THIS IS TAKE A MINUTE.
UM, RECENTLY THE, THE, UH, SCHOOL BOARD AND THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS HAVE, UH, ESSENTIALLY DISCUSSED IN OPEN MEETINGS, UH, WHETHER THE, THE, UM, REFERENDUM FROM 2003 SHOULD BE LITERALLY EXECUTED.
UM, IT SEEMS THAT THERE'S, WELL, THERE'S ENOUGH AGREEMENT ABOUT THAT, THAT THE TWO BOARDS HAVE HAD THEIR EXECUTIVES, UH, UH, WORKING ON, UH, AGREEMENT THAT WILL COME BEFORE THE BOARDS.
SO THAT'S WILL BE COMING BEFORE OUR BOARD.
UM, SO MY, MY, UH, PART OF MY PROPOSAL IS TO OBTAIN THIS DATA BECAUSE ALL OF THIS MONEY GOES TO THE CAPITAL PROJECTS FOR THE SCHOOLS.
AND, UH, I THINK IT'S A, A RESPONSIBILITY, UH, THAT WE CAN UNDERTAKE TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S BEEN, THAT'S BEING FULLY COLLECTED BEFORE WE RAISE FURTHER TAXES.
I HOPE THAT WAS 15 MINUTES OR LESS.
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THAT RIGHT IN PRETTY GOOD.THOUGHTS, UM, FROM OTHER, DR. MARTIN, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANTED TO ADD AT THIS POINT ON ANY OF THIS? THERE'S A LOT HERE TO DIGEST.
UM, I THINK IT'S A VERY, UM, IN MY OPINION, IT'S A CREATIVE PROPOSAL TO REDUCE THE TAXES.
HOWEVER, THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF RISK IN DOING IT.
UM, CERTAINLY NOT ANY RISK IN THAT.
WE'RE GONNA GET $3 MILLION IN 20 BECAUSE THAT'S A GIFT SHOULD EVERYTHING HAPPEN.
BUT IT'S BRIDGING THAT GAP NOW AND THEN PILOT PROGRAM BY THE, SOME OF THESE THINGS, IT COULD BE 2030, IT IS ALL MATTHEW'S PART 'CAUSE WE HAD TO MOVE TABLES
SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THAT
A MEALS TAX WILL BE A DIFFERENT, UM, I MEAN WE COULD TALK ABOUT THAT TONIGHT, BUT, UM, I THINK IT MAY BE MORE ADVANTAGEOUS BECAUSE OUR ATTORNEY HAS SOME VERY SPECIFIC ADVICE FOR THE BOARD THAT'LL BE, UH, DISCUSSED IN CLOSED SESSION ON WEDNESDAY.
THANK YOU, MS. SCOTT, ANY, ANYTHING FROM YOU BEFORE I OPEN UP TO THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS? YES.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THE PROPOSAL, DR.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE AWARE THAT WE DO HAVE CURRENTLY IN THE BUDGET THE REVENUE FROM THE USE OF MONEY THAT'S CURRENTLY BUDGETED $800,000.
AND I SEE THAT YOUR PROPOSAL HAS IN HERE, THE $900,000.
SO I JUST WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW, AND THE BOARD KNOW THAT THIS MONEY HAS BEEN, UH, INCLUDED IN THE 27 BUDGET.
I MEAN, WE COULD TALK ABOUT THE TAX RATE NOW OR WEDNESDAY.
UM, CERTAINLY I, I'D LIKE PEOPLE TO WEIGH IN ON, UM, HAVING SEEN THESE NOW, MAYBE WHAT THEIR COMFORT LEVEL MIGHT BE AND A REDUCTION OF THE, SO WE CAN JUST MAYBE HAVE AN ACTIVE DISCUSSION ABOUT THAT BECAUSE CERTAINLY STAFF, ALYSSA AND I PROBABLY TALK ALMOST EVERY DAY ABOUT, DO YOU THINK WE CAN DO THIS? DO YOU THINK WE CAN DO THIS? DO WE THINK YOU'RE GONNA DO? SO I THINK WE'RE ALL MAYBE AT A DIFFERENT COMFORT LEVEL, UM, THAT PROBABLY WE PROBABLY NEED TO SHARE WITH YOU.
UM, SO AT ONE TIME I THOUGHT THAT, UM, WE PROBABLY COULD, AND THE FIRST TIME THAT RICH SHARED THIS WITH ME, I THOUGHT, WELL, I I'M NOT SURE WE CAN GET TO FIVE, BUT WE COULD POSSIBLY GET TO SIX.
WELL, THAT HAS CHANGED FOR ME A LITTLE BIT NOW, UM, BECAUSE THERE'S SOME OTHER PIECES THAT ARE CONCERNING TO ME.
ONE IS THAT YOU'LL DEAL WITH ON WEDNESDAY, AND THAT IS SUPPORT OF THE AIRPORT HANGERS AT $1.5 MILLION, WHETHER WE, UH, BORROW THOSE DOLLARS OR WE TAKE 'EM OUT OF THE FUND BALANCE.
NOW, UH, I WILL HAVE A, A DISCUSSION, ALYSSA, AND I'LL BE TALKING WITH DAVENPORT BEFORE WEDNESDAY BECAUSE WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHAT STRINGS OR HOW WE COULD DO THE BORROWING GIVEN THAT OUR, UM, CREDIT RATING HAS, BOND RATING HAS DROPPED, AND HOW WE DO THAT.
UH, YOU ALSO SHOULD NEED TO KNOW THAT WITH DAVENPORT, IF THEY WORK THE LOAN FOR US, THERE WILL BE A CHARGE FOR HELPING US WITH THE LOAN.
SO THAT'LL BE A, A PIECE THAT WE'RE GONNA PAY FOR.
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I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH IT'LL BE A FIXED COST, DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH THAT'S GOING TO BE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE'RE GONNA BE PAYING INTEREST ON $1.5 MILLION VERSUS JUST TAKING IT OUT OF THE FUND BALANCE.OKAY? SO THE PROPOSAL THAT'LL BE IN YOUR BOARD PACKET, UH, WHICH YOU MAY ALREADY HAVE, AND THE BOARD IS, UH, THE PUBLIC IS SEEING IS, UM, THERE'S NOT A RECOMMENDATION, BUT THERE ARE TWO, UH, ANTICIPATED MOTIONS.
ONE IS TO BORROW THE MONEY, THE OTHER IS $1.5 MILLION OUT OF YOUR CASH RESERVES.
IF YOU REDUCE YOUR TAX RATE BY A PENNY TO 9 CENTS, THAT'S $750,000.
OKAY? AND IT JUST GOES DOWN FROM THERE.
SO I'M GONNA STOP THERE AND I'M GONNA PUT ALYSSA ON THE SPOT BECAUSE SHE AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT TAX RATES.
UM, AND I THINK WE PROBABLY NEED TO HEAR FROM STAFF.
UH, THEY DON'T KNOW THAT THEY'RE GONNA BE DOING THIS TONIGHT, BUT JUST THAT, WHAT THEIR COMFORT LEVEL IS BECAUSE CERTAINLY, UM, OH, MAY I SAY ONE MORE THING, UM, AS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE FUND BALANCE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT IN TERMS OF WE'D LIKE TO GET THE COUNTY ROOF SYSTEMS DONE AND THAT'S $3.4 MILLION.
SO THAT'S ONE PIECE THAT IF WE DID THAT ALL AT ONE TIME OR WHATEVER, THE OTHER THING WHICH I ASKED, AND, AND I HAVE IT IN MY OFFICE, THE NEXT THING OUT OF ROOF SYSTEMS THAT WILL COST THIS COUNTY MONEY WILL BE CHILLERS FOR OUR SYSTEMS, BOTH IN THE COUNTY AND AT SCHOOLS.
SO, UM, THERE ARE NOT A LOT OF CHILLERS IN THE COUNTY BECAUSE WE HAVE HVAC SYSTEMS. HOWEVER, BECAUSE I THINK THERE ARE TWO, IF ONE GOES DOWN, IT'S LIKE $300,000.
OKAY? WHAT I LEARNED TODAY, THREE OR 405 500 IS WHAT WE PAID LAST YEAR FOR THE ONE FOR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
OKAY? SO SHANNON, UH, SHE DOT SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL HAS TWO CHILLERS.
UM, AND THEY, WHAT I HEARD WAS WE'RE HOPING WE CAN GET BY THE REST OF THIS YEAR.
UM, BUT THEN I HEARD FROM A STUDENT THROUGH HER MOTHER THAT IT'S HOT AT SKYLINE THERE, SO THAT'S GOING TO BE ABOUT SEVEN, $800,000 FOR A REPLACEMENT OF A CHILLER.
SO I SAY THAT TO SAY THIS, THE FUND BALANCE TO ME IS THERE IN CASE THERE'S AN EMERGENCY.
AND I THINK SOMETIMES, UM, I'M PRETTY CONSERVATIVE THAT WE TAKE A RISK WHEN WE TAKE MONEY OUT, UM, THAT WE ALL FEEL COMFORTABLE IN DOING THAT, UM, BECAUSE WE NEED TO BE PREPARED FOR AN EMERGENCY.
SO I'M NOW GONNA STOP AND TURN IT TO ALYSSA.
THANK YOU DR. MARTIN FROM THE FY 23 AUDIT.
THE FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS IS A TOTAL FUND BALANCE OF 43.6 MILLION, WHICH WAS AN INCREASE OF 3.3 MILLION FROM THE PRIOR FISCAL YEAR FY 22.
SO THE MAJORITY OF THE BALANCE OF 38.7 AS STATED IN THE AQUIFER, IS AVAILABLE FOR SPENDING AT THE GOVERNMENT'S DISCRETION.
IT'S A COMBINATION OF UNASSIGNED ASSIGNED OR COMMITTED FUND BALANCE AT THE END OF FY 23.
THE UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE, WHICH THIS FISCAL POLICY APPLIES TO WAS 19.3 MILLION IN THAT SAME YEAR.
THE LONG-TERM OBLIGATIONS DECREASED BY 9.2 MILLION.
SO DURING THAT FISCAL YEAR, DEBT DECREASED BY 9.2, FUND BALANCE INCREASED BY 3.3 FUND BALANCE IN THE RESERVE IS A BOARD POLICY.
SO IF YOU WERE TO ALL AGREE THAT IS WHAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO DO, THAT IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT IS WITHIN YOUR DECISION.
HAVING OUTSTANDING FY 24 AND FY 25 AUDITS, IT WOULD BE MY RECOMMENDATION TO ONLY CONSIDER ABOUT $3.4 MILLION OF FUND BALANCE USE.
I DO RECOMMEND THAT FUND BALANCE BE USED VERY CONSERVATIVELY BECAUSE IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT USING FUND BALANCE IN ONE FISCAL YEAR, YOU COULD POTENTIALLY
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LOOK AT DOUBLING THAT FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT CONSIDERING CUTTING SPENDING AND YOU'RE NOT CONSIDERING DIVERSIFYING REVENUE OF ANY OTHER TYPE IF IT'S JUST THE FUND BALANCE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO USE.SO MY RECOMMENDATION THAT THIS POINT WOULD BE TO CONSIDER A MAXIMUM $3.4 MILLION USE OF FUND BALANCE TO BALANCE THE OPERATING BUDGET, TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THIS BUDGET DOES NOT HAVE ANY ASSET REPLACEMENT AND ANY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, WHICH ARE CONSIDERED THOSE ONE TIME COSTS.
AND I'D BE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MIGHT HAVE.
UH, I THINK YOU'VE ALREADY TOUCHED ON IT OR DR. MARTIN HAD OR WHATEVER, BUT WITHIN THE EXISTING BUDGET WE TALKED ABOUT TAKING SOME OF THE FUND BALANCE FOR THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, THE ROOFS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO DOES THAT ENCOMPASS THE 3.4 MILLION YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT? IT DOES.
SO IF WE WERE TO DROP THE 10 CENT TO 9 CENTS, SO WE WOULD REDUCE 750,000, THEN THE CAPITAL AND ASSET REPLACEMENT WOULD ALSO HAVE TO REDUCE BY 750 TO COVER THE OPERATING COSTS.
SO TO TOTAL COMBINED USE OF FUND BALANCE BETWEEN OPERATING AND ONE TIME COSTS IS 3.4.
DID I, I DON'T KNOW IF I HEARD YOU RIGHT.
DID YOU SAY THAT PART OF THAT MAY GO TOWARDS OPERATING OF THE FUND BALANCE? YES.
SO IF WE USE 750 OF FUND BALANCE BY DROPPING IT FROM 10 CENTS TO 9 CENTS AS ONE PENNY IS WORTH 750,000, THEN THAT WOULD ALSO REDUCE ASSET AND CAPITAL BY 750,000.
WHAT DO, WHAT ARE WE CURRENTLY COMMITTED? I KNOW WE'VE, WE'VE GOT SOME VEHICLES THAT WE'VE ALREADY GOT IN THE PROCESS.
SO DO WE HAVE AN IDEA OF HOW MUCH WE'RE COMMITTED SINCE THEY'RE IN A PROCESS? WE DO.
AND WHEN THOSE ARE COMING DUE, BECAUSE THAT NEEDS TO BE LOOKED AT THAT, UM, I BELIEVE THERE ARE ABOUT SIX SHIFTS VEHICLES THAT ARE COMING IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF MONTHS.
UM, AND SO THAT IS WHERE WE WANNA TAKE IN CONSIDERATION THE CASH FLOW.
UM, WHICH WAS, UH, AN EXCELLENT, UH, USE OF ANALYSIS FOR, UM, USE OF MONEY.
UM, THAT ALLOWS US TO SEE THE TIMES OF YEAR WHERE WE'RE LOW AND THE TIMES OF YEAR THAT WE GET OUR, OUR GENERAL TAX INCOME.
SO WE ARE OBLIGATED TO PAY THOSE OUTSTANDING PURCHASE ORDERS AND WE CONSIDER THOSE LIABILITIES UNTIL THEY'RE PAID.
WE DO CONSIDER THOSE ON THE GENERAL LEDGER, BUT WE DO NOT CONSIDER THOSE IN THE CASHFLOW ANALYSIS BECAUSE CASHFLOW IS A PERIOD OF TIME THAT'S ALREADY HAPPENED.
WE, THERE WAS A NUMBER, AND I'M SURE IT'S IN ONE OF THESE BOOKS, BUT IT WAS THE ROOFS IN THE RED AND THE VEHICLE REPLACEMENT.
THERE WAS SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE TOOK OUT OF THE REGULAR OPERATING BUDGET AS ONE TIME EXPENDITURES.
AND AND THAT ADDED TO A NUMBER OF, WAS IT 1.6, 1.7? DO YOU ANYBODY REMEMBER WHAT THAT NUMBER IS WITH THE, THE ROOFS THAT ARE IN THE RED, THE VEHICLES THAT ARE ON THE WAY? AND IT SEEMED LIKE IT WAS SOME OTHER LITTLE SOMETHING ELSE THAT WAS PULLED OUT OF THE REGULAR BUDGET THAT WAS PUT INTO ONE TIME EXPENDITURES.
AND WE HAD A TOTAL THOSE WERE, THOSE WERE NEW VEHICLES, NOT VEHICLES ON THE WAY.
YEAH, BUT UH, I THINK THEY WERE SHERIFF'S CARS, WEREN'T THEY? THEY THEY WERE SHERIFF'S VEHICLES.
TWO, TWO SHERIFF'S VEHICLES AND THEN THERE, AND IT WAS, I THINK IT WAS FOUR ROOFS.
'CAUSE SOME OF 'EM WERE IN YELLOW, THEY GOT SOME YEARS LEFT.
BUT I THINK IT, UM, I DON'T, I I I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
IT'S LIKE ONE POINT SOMETHING.
UM, AND I DIDN'T BRING, I CAN GO GET THAT.
UM, WELL, AT SOME POINT I'D HAVE TO KNOW IT TO, RIGHT, RIGHT.
JAMESON'S CHART SHOWS ABOUT 7 MILLION MAYBE.
UH, AND THEN ALYSSA'S INDICATED PROBABLY 3.4, BUT EITHER ONE OF THOSE NUMBERS AT 1.6 WOULD HAVE TO COME OFF FIRST 'CAUSE WE'VE ALREADY OBLIGATED THAT, UH,
AND THEN, OH, IF WE WANTED TO DO THE AIRPORT ALL A COUPLE THINGS, WE MIGHT HAVE TO, TO TIGHTEN THAT NUMBER UP TO SEE WHETHER WE WOULD BORROW IT OR PAY IT OR DO IT WOULD BE, OH, THAT WAS A VERY, VERY ROUGH NUMBER THAT MIKE SAID, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ALL BUT JUST THROW SOMETHING AT THE WALL.
HE REALLY DIDN'T, HADN'T FUNNELED THAT DOWN.
ANY, I'D BE CURIOUS IF HE HAD, HAS, HAS
[00:30:01]
HE DONE ANY FUNNELING? I HAVE A, IT'S 1.5 SOMETHING.UM, AND CERTAINLY WE CAN, UH, I'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION ONCE I TALK TO DAVENPORT ON WEDNESDAY, AT WEDNESDAY MORNING MEETING, UM, TO GIVE YOU ABOUT THAT BECAUSE I THINK YOU NEED TO CONSIDER ALL THE COSTS.
UM, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FIXED COST WILL BE FOR DAVENPORT.
I CAN'T IMAGINE IT'S EXORBITANT, BUT IT'S A ONE-TIME FEE.
WELL, I NEED, I NEED THE COST OF THE STRUCTURES AND OF COURSE DAVENPORT'S FEE.
AND THEN THE OTHER OPPOSITE SIDE OF THAT IS, DO WE HAVE ANY ESTIMATE ON THE ACTUAL REVENUE WOULD BE FOR THE HANGAR RENTALS AND THEN THERE'S ALSO A POTENTIAL MAYBE FOR SOME TAX REVENUE ON, ON THE PLANES THEMSELVES.
NOW I KNOW THE PLANES THEMSELVES WOULD BE HARD TO, YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT, HOW EXPENSIVE A PLANE OR ANYTHING.
PROBABLY HARD TO GET A, EVEN A CLOSE NUMBER ON THAT.
BUT I, I THINK THE HANGAR RENTALS, YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO GET A PRETTY, PRETTY GOOD INDICATION OF WHAT THEY SHOULD BE HOME.
WE HAVE 23 PEOPLE ON THE WAITING LIST AND I THINK THEY HAVE, I THINK THIS IS RIGHT JOHN.
UM, THEY'VE ACTUALLY PUT DOWN SOME MONEY TO HOLD THOSE.
AS OF THE LAST YEAR OR SO, THEY HAD TO PUT REAL MONEY AND HAVE SKIN IN THE GAME TO BE ON THAT WAITING LIST.
CAN SOMEBODY CLARIFY THE STATUS OF THE AIRPORT COMMISSION AND ENTERPRISE FUND? AND I BELIEVE THAT THE, THE TAX ON PROPERTY STAYS IN THAT ENTERPRISE FUND, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN.
AND I WANNA KNOW WHERE THE, IF IF THE HANGAR REVENUE'S ALSO GONNA STAY IN THE ENTERPRISE FUND? YES IT IS, SIR.
YEAH, IT'S ABOUT 25,000 CURRENTLY IF WE ADD ADDITIONAL AIRCRAFT TO THE NEW HANGERS, I BELIEVE THE QUESTION WAS WHAT WOULD THAT ADDITIONAL REVENUE BE ON TOP OF THE 25,000? WELL, MY QUESTION IS, IS IT, IS IT REVENUE TO THE COUNTY GENERAL FUND OR TO THEIR AIRPORT ENTERPRISE FUND? IT'S TO THE ENTERPRISE FUND.
NONE OF IT WILL COME TO THE GENERAL FUND.
NOT ANY GENERAL OUT OF THE HANGERS OR ANY OF IT.
THE COUNTY WOULD NOT GET A SINGLE PENNY TO THE GENERAL FUND.
IN ACCORDANCE WITH OUR, OUR POLICY FOR THE TYPES OF FUNDS THAT WE HAVE, THE AIRPORT IS DESIGNATED AS AN ENTERPRISE FUND, WHICH IS SUPPOSED TO GENERATE REVENUE TO SUPPORT ITSELF.
IT HASN'T BEEN ABLE TO SUPPORT ITSELF UNTIL FY 26.
UM, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA ASK.
SO HOW MUCH ARE WE SUBSIDIZING IT CURRENTLY THEN? ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
IN PRIOR FISCAL YEARS, WE STARTED SELLING FUEL, WE STARTED ALLOCATING ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO HANGAR RENTALS AND WE STARTED TAKING A SERIOUS LOOK AT HOW MUCH MONEY WE CAN GENERATE FROM THE REVENUE FROM THE AIRPORT TO THE AIRPORT WITHOUT USING GENERAL FUND.
IT WOULDN'T, UH, IT WOULDN'T PAY ANYTHING TO THE GENERAL FUND, BUT THE, UH, THE CALL SAVINGS WOULD BE, IT'D BE LESS SPIN OUT THE GENERAL FUND TO SUPPORT THE AIRPORT.
'CAUSE IT'S NOT COMPLETELY SELF-SUSTAINING YET.
BUT THAT NUMBER'S ONLY AROUND A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
AND IT USED TO BE SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND.
I REMEMBER ARCHIE TOLD ME THAT WHEN THE, UH, MEDEVAC HELICOPTER COME OUT THERE, IT REALLY BROUGHT, REALLY TIPPED THE SCALES BACK TO CLOSER TO A BALANCE WHERE BEFORE THAT IT WAS MM-HMM
IT WAS PRACTICALLY JUST A HUNDRED PERCENT COUNTY FUNDED.
THAT WAS A BIG PAYER THAT PULLED THE, YOU KNOW, NOT LEVEL, BUT PULLED THE SCALES BACK TO US A LITTLE BIT.
SO IF THE, OH, IF THE HANGAR RENTALS PRODUCED A HUNDRED THOUSAND A YEAR NOW TO PRODUCE THAT EASY, I DON'T KNOW THAT I SHOULDN'T EVEN HAVE SAID THAT.
BUT IF, UH, IT WOULD STILL BE A PLUS FOR UP TO ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN THE GENERAL FUND AND THEN AFTER THAT IT WOULD JUST, UH, BE MORE CAPITAL THAT THE AIRPORT COULD USE FOR ITS OWN IMPROVEMENTS AT THAT POINT.
YEAH, BECAUSE THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT IT.
JOHN, YOU HAVE TO CORRECT ME 'CAUSE I'VE ONLY ATTENDED ONE MEETING
SO THEY ARE VERY INTERESTED IN GETTING THE HANGERS IN, BUT ALSO EXTENDING THE RUNWAY AS WELL, OR DOING SOME CORRECT.
I I DON'T THINK THERE WILL BE A LENGTHENING OF THE RUNWAY, BUT THERE ARE SOME NEEDED MAINTENANCE ITEMS REGARDING THE TARMAC AND THE TAXI, TAXI WAY AND AND SO FORTH.
UM, THE RUNWAY WILL NOT GET ANY LONGER.
UM, THEY'D HAVE TO MOVE A ROAD TO LENGTHEN RUNWAY MAINTENANCE ISSUES.
UM, ONE THING I WANTED TO SAY ABOUT THE AIRPORT AND JUST LIKE THE TOPIC OF THE ENTERPRISE FUND, 'CAUSE THERE ARE CONSTITUENTS ASKING ABOUT THIS, AND WOULD YOU SPEND COUNTY $1.5 MILLION COUNTY MONEY ON THE AIRPORT WHEN IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE SELF SUFFICIENT? I CAN SEE WHY THAT RUBS SOME PEOPLE THE WRONG WAY.
WHAT I'M WONDERING IS, UM, THE WHOLE CONCEPT OF THE ENTERPRISE FUND, IS THAT MEANT FOR THEIR OPERATIONS OR ALSO CAPITAL? LIKE
[00:35:01]
IF WE INVESTED IN A CAPITAL STRUCTURE LIKE A NEW HANGAR, THAT BECOMES A, A BUILDING THAT THE COUNTY OWNS AS AN ASSET.SO I'M, I'M WONDERING IF THERE'S SORT OF LIKE AN OPEX CAPEX DIFFERENCE THERE BETWEEN WHAT IS APPROPRIATE AND NOT APPROPRIATE TO DO IN AND OUT OUT OF THE ENTERPRISE FUND.
IT IS APPROPRIATE TO DO AN INTERFUND LOAN MM-HMM
TO THE AIRPORT FUND FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
SO WHEREBY THE GENERAL FUND WOULD COME UP WITH THE 1.5 MILLION AND THE AIRPORT FUND WOULD THEN GAIN THE ADDITIONAL REVENUE FROM THIS FUEL SALES IN THE HANGAR SALES FROM THIS NEW HANGAR.
UM, IT COULD PAY THE GENERAL FUND BACK OVER A PERIOD OF YEARS TO MAKE UP THAT 1.5.
UM, AND I HAD THAT IN MIND ORIGINALLY WHEN WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UM, WHEN WE WERE FIRST TALKING ABOUT AIRPORT MONEY FOR THE HANGERS MONTHS AGO, THERE WAS A SPECIFIC GRANT THAT WAS ON THE VERGE OF EXPIRING, I THINK JUNE 30TH.
AND THAT ONE WE HAD TO COME UP WITH THE MATCH, WHICH WAS ONLY LIKE A 1% MATCH, I THINK, UM, QUICKLY TO NOT LOSE THAT MONEY.
UH, BUT THAT WAS, THAT THAT MATCH WOULD'VE BEEN LIKE A HUNDRED OR $150,000.
SO NOW THAT WE'RE AN ORDER OF MAGNITUDE HIGHER ON WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, I'M, I'M LESS COMFORTABLE WITH THE COUNTY GENERAL FUND LOANING THAT MONEY TO THE AIRPORT.
I'D RATHER SEE IT LIKE A VRA LOAN OR SOMETHING, WHICH THAT'S, THAT'S THE OTHER OPTION WITHOUT A BOND RATING IS, IS VRA AND WHETHER OR NOT DAVENPORT NEEDS TO TAKE A FINDER FEE ON THAT, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I I BELIEVE THE VRA RATES ARE NEAR TRIPLE EIGHT, UH, CALIBER RATES.
UH, AND AND MAYBE THERE'S LIKE A QUARTER POINT SURCHARGE PRETTY MUCH.
SO YES, VRA IS DEFINITELY A VERY REASONABLE OPTION.
WE ARE REACHING OUT TO VRA DIRECTLY TO ASK THEM IF THEY WOULD CONSIDER LOANING US MONEY HAVING NOT HAD THE 24 AND 25 AUDITS DONE.
GENERALLY THEY DON'T TEND TO DO THAT, BUT THERE IS FINANCIAL INFORMATION THAT I'D BE HAPPY TO SHARE IN ADDITION TO WHAT I'VE ALREADY PROVIDED TO VRA.
AS A SORT OF IN BETWEEN UNTIL THE ACTUAL AUDITS GET COMPLETED.
UM, SO WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU ON WHAT THAT RESPONSE FROM VRA IS.
THAT'S THE KEY BECAUSE THEY'RE WANTING TO SAY YEAH, BUT THERE MAY BE OTHER WHICH WOULD HAVE SOME, IF WE LOAN THE MONEY OUTTA THE GENERAL FUND, CAN THE COUNTY CHARGE INTEREST TO THE AIRPORT FUND? THAT SOUNDS LIKE A, THAT'S ACTUALLY A GOOD IDEA HERE.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, IF THEY, IF THEY CAN, THEY CAN, UH, OFFSET.
I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEIR TOTAL, WE HAVEN'T GOT THEIR REVENUE WHAT, WHAT THEY WOULD GET.
BUT IF WE'RE SUBSIDIZED 'EM A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, THEY'D HAVE TO PAY THAT FIRST.
AND THEN IF THEY WERE PAYING ON THEIR LOAN WITH SOME INTEREST, YOU KNOW, AT THAT POINT YOU COULD LOOK AT THE TAXPAYER AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE IN, YOU KNOW, PENNY SAVES PENNY EARNED.
SO IF WE'VE SAVED A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN EXPENDITURES, THAT'S THE ON PAPER, IT'S THE SAME AS EARNING A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AND THEN OH, THEY'RE GONNA PAY US THE MONEY BACK WITH INTEREST WOULD BE A WHOLE LOT, UH, BETTER SALE TO THE COMMUNITY.
I'D FEEL BETTER ABOUT IT TOO AFTER, AFTER THE WHOLE THING, YOU KNOW, SO MAYBE, YEAH, THAT MIGHT BE A WAY TO, UH, WITH THE INTEREST MAYBE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO PAY IT ANYWAY.
SO IF YOU'RE GONNA PAY INTEREST TO THIRD PARTY AND WE'VE GOT IT IN THE GENERAL FUND, WE COULD, YOU, YOU, I THINK THE INTEREST WOULD HAVE TO EXCEED WHAT WE WOULD NORMALLY GET IF IT WAS SITTING IN THE BANK, YOU KNOW, AND, AND I THINK THAT'S FAIR.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WOULD LOAN US MONEY MORE THAN WHAT THEY'LL PAY US INTEREST ON IT.
SO I, I THINK THERE'S A WAY, I THINK THERE'S A WAY TO FIT THIS IN WHERE IT'LL BEEN THAT POSITIVE FOR THE, FOR THE COUNTY AND THEN, UH, AIRPORT WOULD BE MORE SELF-SUFFICIENT.
UM, IT ALSO INDICATED AT ONE TIME THAT UH, THAT AIRPORT DOES HELP A LITTLE BIT WITH OUR TOURISM INITIATIVE TOO.
SO IT, IT MAY BE A COUPLE, COUPLE DIFFERENT FACETS THAT'LL MM-HMM
WELL I'D LIKE TO GET MAYBE STAFF ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM AND OPPORTUNITY, UM, TEACHER HAT ON THEIR TALKING IN CLASS
MAY, MAY I MAKE ONE LAST COMMENT ABOUT, UM, ON, ON THIS.
IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THE, THE HANGERS ARE A BUSINESS MODEL AND, AND IF THEY CAN PAY FOR THEMSELVES, THEN THEY'RE A PERFECT CANDIDATE TO BORROW MONEY TO BUILD.
UM, IF WE ARE USING CAPITAL, SAY TO REPLACE A FIRE ENGINE, IT'S, IT'S, WE'RE NOT GONNA MAKE MONEY ON THAT FIRE ENGINE.
THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO USE PUBLIC MONEY FOR.
UH, IF IT PAYS FOR ITSELF, I THINK IT'S
[00:40:01]
A, IT'S A CANDIDATE FOR A LOAN.UM, AND THE CAPITAL CASH IS KING.
SO I WOULD MUCH RATHER SEE CAPITAL AVAILABLE USED TO CHIP DOWN THE TAX RATE IN, IN THAT BRIDGE THAT I PRESENTED, RATHER THAN USE CASH, UH, TO BUILD HANGERS, WHICH I'M NOT DEBATING.
THEY'RE GOOD AND, AND USEFUL AND GOOD FOR THE COMMUNITY, GOOD FOR THE AIRPORT AND WE'LL MAKE THE AIRPORT MORE SELF-SUFFICIENT.
I'M JUST NOTING THAT THEY HAVE A WAY TO PAY FOR THEMSELVES, WHICH MAKES THEM ATTRACTIVE AS A LOAN CANDIDATE.
UH, AND THEN USING CASH AS KING TO DO THINGS THAT HE CAN'T DO THAT PAY FOR THEMSELVES, SUCH AS CHIPPING AWAY THAT TAX RATE FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
SO IF WE COULD GO MAYBE TO THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROOM, 'CAUSE WE STARTED THIS CONVERSATION, UM, ABOUT HOW MUCH OF THE FUND BALANCE ARE YOU COMFORTABLE IN TAKING OUT AND JUST LOOK AT THEIR FACES.
YOU'RE THE, YOU'RE THE FIRST TALK.
UH, JANE
UM, I DO THINK THAT THE MATH, SO IN LOWERING THE TAX RATE, IT'S NOT A DIRECT CORRELATION TO THE LOWERING OF FUNDS BECAUSE THERE ARE OTHER LINE ITEMS THAT ACTUALLY GO DOWN.
SO WE'D BE LOSING IF WE LOWER IT FROM 10 CENTS TO 5 CENTS CLOSER TO $5 MILLION RATHER THAN THE 3.75.
UM, BECAUSE OF OTHER LINES THAT ARE AFFECTED BY REAL ESTATE TAXES.
THAT'S A LITTLE DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND WHEN ALL THROUGH THIS PROCESS WE'RE TOLD A PENNY IS $750,000, BUT WE WAS TOLD 10 CENTS WAS $10 MILLION TOO BECAUSE OF THOSE OTHER LINE ITEMS. ANYONE ELSE OVER THERE? I TWO COUNT THE MATH JOSHUA AGREEMENT WITH MS. SCOTT AS WELL.
I THINK THAT IF YOU GO OVER THAT THREE, UM, YOUR DIPPING INTO WHAT MAY BE EXCESS AT THIS POINT, BUT THAT'S VERY FLUID.
INTEREST RATES ARE VERY COLLECTIONS ON
UM, I THINK THAT'S A BIG RISK BECAUSE AT ANY POINT THAT THAT, AND WE, WE FEEL LIKE INTEREST RATES ARE GONNA WHERE THEY ARE AT LEAST FOR THE NEXT SIX MONTHS.
UM, THAT IS WHAT MY ADVISOR HAVE.
BUT WE ALL KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT COULD CHANGE ANYTHING COULD CHANGE THAT.
UM, SO I JUST, I FEEL LIKE IF WE GO ANY HIGHER TO USE THOSE EXCESS FUNDS WITHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR 24 AUDIT BEING COMPLETED AND ACTUALLY HAVE AN ACTUAL FIGURE ON THAT, UM, I, I FIND THAT TO BE.
BUT RESPECTFULLY, MS. I AGREE WITH MS. I THINK IT'S RISKY.
CAN YOU GUYS JUST IN, BECAUSE PEOPLE WON'T BE ABLE TO HEAR YET.
I CAN, BUT IT MIGHT NOW PULL IT UP A LITTLE CLOSER PLEASE.
JUST GRAB JANE'S IF IT'S PLUGGED THERE, GRAB JAMES.
I THINK IT'S RISKY TO, UH, TO GO TOO FAR WITH THE FUNDS HE'S HIDING IN THE BACK ROOM.
I MEAN, WHAT IF WE HAD ANOTHER COVID REPEAT? I MEAN THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT CAN HAPPEN AND WE DON'T KNOW WHAT EMERGENCIES COULD COME UP.
I'D, I'D LIKE TO, TO GIVE MY COMMENTS ON MR. JAMESON'S PROPOSAL.
'CAUSE I, I SPOKE ABOUT THE AIRPORT, BUT NOT ABOUT, NOT ABOUT HIS PRESENTATION.
UM, AND JUST WITH REGARD TO THE RISKY ASPECT OF IT TOO, UM, JUST LOOKING AT THE, UH, THE CASH FLOW ANALYSIS, UH, IF IT SEEMS LIKE, UM, AT THE END OF EVERY FISCAL
[00:45:01]
YEAR THERE WAS ALWAYS 36 TO $45 MILLION SITTING THERE.AND IN THE FUND, UM, WHERE THERE'S MULTIPLE ACCOUNTS COMBINED, UM, THE FISCAL POLICY SAYS WE NEED A RESERVE OF 15 MILLION AND WE'VE GOT 36 TO 45 AT THE LAST DAY OF THE FISCAL YEAR.
SO THAT'S LIKE A CUSHION OF 21 TO $30 MILLION YEAR AFTER YEAR FOR FIVE YEARS.
UM, IT SEEMS TO ME LIKE THE FISCAL POLICY PART WE TALKED ABOUT WE COULD, YOU KNOW, AT OUR DISCRETION WE COULD WAIVE THAT POLICY, BUT I DON'T EVEN THINK THE POLICY MATTERS 'CAUSE WE'RE ALWAYS SO FAR AHEAD OF IT.
WHAT REALLY MATTERS IS, IS JUST MAY AND NOVEMBER, THOSE TWO TROUGHS IN THE, THE PEAKS AND VALLEY CYCLE WHERE WE'RE RIGHT BEFORE THE TAX COLLECTIONS COME IN AND IN MAY AND NOVEMBER WE'RE ALWAYS STILL COMFORTABLY OVER $20 MILLION.
LIKE THE WEEKLY SLEEP, WEEKLY SLEEP WAS NEVER UNDER 22 AND A HALF MILLION.
SO, AND THIS YEAR'S BEEN TRENDING REALLY WELL.
LIKE THE, UH, THE MARCH 31ST NUMBER WAS 3 MILLION ABOVE THE NORM FOR, FOR THE APRIL 1ST, UH, BANK BALANCE.
SO I, I THINK WE HAVE A RISK OF BEING TOO CAUTIOUS AND, AND TOO CONSERVATIVE.
UM, MS. SCOTT IS RIGHT THAT IF WE BORROW AGAINST THE RESERVE FUND OR NOT BORROW, BUT WE CHIP, CHIP INTO IT, THAT COULD BE A RECURRING THING FOR UP TO THREE YEARS.
BUT THE, BUT THE, THE FACT IS WE GET TO REDECIDE EVERY YEAR FOR THREE YEARS.
WE DON'T HAVE TO COMMIT, WE DON'T HAVE TO LOCK OURSELVES IN TO THIS SOLUTION FOR THREE YEARS IN A ROW.
WE JUST HAVE TO CHOOSE IT ONE YEAR AT A TIME.
UM, WHEREAS IF WE'VE RAISED THE TAXES 10 CENTS, THAT REALLY BECOMES A, A BASELINE THAT, THAT I DON'T THINK WILL GET WALKED BACK BECAUSE IT WILL GET, IT'LL GET EATEN SOMEWHERE.
UM, SO I I THINK IT'S, IT'S, I THINK WE DO HAVE THE, THE CUSHION TO, TO CUT THAT TAX INCREASE IN HALF DOWN TO 5 CENTS AND STILL SPEND SOME MONEY ON ROOFS AND THINGS AND STILL HAVE SOME KIND OF EMERGENCY, WHETHER IT'S CHILLERS OR, UM, I MEAN, WHO KNOWS IF ANOTHER COVID IS GONNA COME, BUT IF THAT HAPPENS, ALL BETS ARE OFF AND THERE'S FEDERAL MONEY THAT THAT COMES IN LIKE ARPA AND THINGS TOO.
SO YOU, YOU JUST CAN'T PLAN FOR THAT TOO MUCH.
BUT I THINK WE COULD STILL HAVE A, A MULTIMILLION DOLLAR EMERGENCY AND DO DR.
'CAUSE TO ME IT, IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE GONNA BE CAUSING AN EMERGENCY FOR HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IF WE RAISE THEIR TAXES BY 21%.
UM, I MEAN WE, TWO YEARS AGO IN 2024, WE RAISED TAXES FROM, WHAT WAS IT, 49 TO TO 53 CENTS.
AND THERE WAS NO END TO THE AMOUNT OF ANGST THAT THAT CAUSED FROM MY CONSTITUENTS.
AT LEAST I HEARD FROM MANY, MANY PEOPLE WHO WERE STRUGGLING WITH THEIR NEW MORTGAGE PAYMENT BECAUSE THEIR ESCROW WENT UP OR, UH, WE ALSO RAISED CAR TAXES THEN.
AND THEY WERE STRUGGLING WITH THAT.
AND I REMEMBER WORKING WITH INDIVIDUAL TAXPAYERS, MANY OF THEM AND TRYING TO, TO, TO GET THEM IN THE RIGHT CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU ALL TO, TO HELP THEM FIND RELIEF OR PAYMENT PLANS OR COULD THEY GET SENIOR RELIEF, ET CETERA.
UM, AND THAT WAS AT AN 8% INCREASE.
NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A 21% INCREASE, WHICH I DON'T THINK WE'VE EVER HAD AN INCREASE THAT BIG.
UM, I JUST, I JUST DON'T SEE THAT WORKING.
WE'RE, YOU KNOW, WE HEARD FROM EVERYBODY SIX NIGHTS AGO AT THE HEARING AND 95% OF THE PEOPLE WERE AGAINST, AGAINST IT.
THEY WEREN'T JUST AGAINST A 5 CENT INCREASE OR A 10 CENT INCREASE.
THEY WERE AGAINST ANY INCREASE.
AND SOME OF THEM WERE ASKING US TO ROLL BACK THE, THE ONE FROM TWO YEARS AGO.
UM, AND WE HEARD LOTS OF REASONS WHY, LIKE THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD HAVE TO SKIP MEALS OR SKIP THEIR RARE DATE NIGHT TO THE LOCAL TWO STAR RESTAURANT OR SELL A CAR OR, OR WHATEVER IT WAS.
THERE WERE A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO THOUGHT THEY WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO LIVE IN THE COUNTY ANYMORE.
UM, AND THAT, THAT RESONATES WHEN YOU HEAR THAT.
UM, SO I, I, I DON'T WANNA BE ABLE TO, TO, OR I WANT TO BE ABLE TO TELL THEM THAT WE, WE EXHAUSTED EVERY OTHER OPTION AND I I, I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE HAVE, AND I DON'T WANT DR.
JAMESON'S PROPOSAL TO GET THROWN OUT ON THE BASIS OF WHO THE MESSENGER IS OR ANYTHING ELSE LIKE THAT.
AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT'S HAPPENING, BUT, BUT I, I KNOW THAT HE DOES GET SOME AUTOMATIC, UM, CAUTION THESE DAYS.
UM, UM, I THINK WE CAN DO THIS WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT WHETHER,
[00:50:01]
UH, A, A VALLEY HEALTH COMMUNITY AGREEMENT WILL HAPPEN.I THINK WE SHOULD PURSUE IT, BUT I DON'T THINK THIS DEPENDS ON THAT.
I THINK WE CAN DO THIS WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT WHETHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GOES GANGBUSTERS.
I THINK WE SHOULD PURSUE IT, UH, WHOLEHEARTEDLY.
AND I DO BELIEVE THAT WILL BEAR FRUIT, BUT I DON'T THINK THIS DEPENDS ON THAT EITHER.
AND I THINK WE CAN DO IT WITHOUT TAKING YEARS AND YEARS TO SELL LAND.
UM, THE FACT IS ON MCKAY SPRINGS, THERE'S AN OFFER ON THE TABLE FROM THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY, AH, VALLEY BATTLEFIELDS ASSOCIATION AND IT'S A, IT'S A DECENT SIX FIGURE OFFER THAT COULD BE INSTANT MONEY IN OUR POCKETS AND IT'S AN OFFER THAT PRESERVES THE, THE WATER RIGHTS FOR THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, I DON'T SEE WHY WE WOULDN'T BE PURSUING THAT AS WELL.
UM, TO ME, I'M AT A POINT WHERE RICH HAS DEFINITELY MADE AN IMPACT ON MY THINKING AND I'M, I'M NOT ABLE TO DO, YOU KNOW, A A, A TAX INCREASE THAT'S ANYWHERE NEAR WHAT WE WERE ORIGINALLY TALKING ABOUT.
I, I THINK WE VOTED FOR A FUNDING ALLOCATION AND I SUPPORT ALL OF THOSE, THOSE IMPORTANT PROJECTS AND DEPARTMENTAL INCREASES.
BUT, UH, I I, I DO WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT BEING TOO CONSERVATIVE AND HOARDING CASH, UH, WHEN IT'S, IT'S CASH THAT THE PEOPLE HAVE PAID IN OVER THE YEARS AND NOW THE PEOPLE ARE HURTING AND WE HAVE TO DO RIGHT BY THEM.
I'M, I'M SITTING HERE LOOKING, TRYING TO GOOGLE WHAT OUR TAX RATES HAVE BEEN FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS BECAUSE, OH YOU GOT 'EM.
UM, BECAUSE ONE THING THAT YOU SAID THAT'S ONCE YOU SET A TAX RATE, IT NEVER GOES BACK WELL IN IT, IT KIND OF DOES, UM, WITH THE REASSESSMENTS AND THE, UH, EQUALIZATION BECAUSE WE WENT FROM IN 2020 TO, UH, 64 CENTS PER HUNDRED AND WE'RE DOWN TO OUR CURRENT 47, UM, NINE.
SO IT DOES CHANGE, IT'S NOT LIKE 10 CENTS IF THAT WAS WHAT WE IS GONNA BE FOREVER.
EVERY YEAR WE LOOK AT THE BUDGET AND WE LOOK AT THE TAX RATE AND ADJUST IT.
SO THAT IS KIND OF A FLUID THING.
AND UM, I TOO, I'M I'M NOT MUCH OF A RISK TAKER WHEN IT COMES TO INVESTMENTS AND THAT KIND OF THING.
AND I, I FEEL LIKE THE, THE THINGS WITH MR. JAMESON'S PROPOSAL, THEY ARE, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE REMAINING GAP AND THE THINGS THAT OTHER OFFSETS, THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT ARE UNKNOWN AND A POSSIBILITY AND I, I JUST DON'T THINK WE CAN BUILD A TAX RATE AND A SYSTEM OFF OF WHAT WE MAY GET.
UM, AND MS. SCOTT, YOU SAID THE 9 72 8 IS ALREADY BUILT IN TO, SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALREADY IN WHAT OUR CURRENT NUMBERS WITH THE 10 CENTS IS.
AND AS FAR AS SELLING PROPERTY, YOU KNOW, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT SELLING PROPERTY TO FILL A GAP IS A GOOD USE OF THE POSSIBILITIES OF PROPERTIES THAT IT FEELS LIKE A FIRE SALE.
UM, SO ARE WE GETTING THE BEST USAGE FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IF WE FIRE SELL LAND TO FILL UP A GAP IN A BUDGET AND THEN THE PILOT TAX, WHICH I, I, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU, A COUPLE OF YOU WERE ON THE BOARD WHEN I TOOK VALLEY HEALTH TO TASK.
SO I AM ALL FOR TRYING TO GET THEM TO PAY PROPERTY TAXES.
THE PROBLEM THERE IS, AND I, I RESEARCHED THIS AGAIN BECAUSE MR. JAMESON DIDN'T AGREE WITH WHAT I TOLD HIM THE FIRST TIME THAT I WAS INFORMED ABOUT PILOT TAXES.
THAT THERE ARE CATEGORIES THAT IF YOU, WHATEVER'S IN THAT CATEGORY, IF THEY ARE AGREEABLE TO A PILOT TAX, YOU CAN PULL ONE THING OUT AND YOU BOTH AGREE TO A PILOT TAX.
[00:55:01]
ONE PERSON OR ITEM OR ENTITY THAT'S IN THAT CATEGORY THAT YOU WANT TO TAX DOES NOT AGREE TO THAT, THEN YOU ARE NOW IMPOSING A TAX ON THEM.AND THEREFORE WHAT I RESEARCHED AND GOT IS THEN YOU HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING THAT'S IN THAT CATEGORY.
AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS ONE OF THE THINGS IN THE CATEGORY THAT WOULD OF THE NONPROFITS THAT VALLEY HEALTH IS IN WOULD INCLUDE CHURCHES AND OTHER THINGS OF THAT MATTER.
AT THE TIME THAT WE LOOKED AT THIS BEFORE, WE DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS PROBABLY A GOOD LOOK AND A THING TO DO TO IMPOSE TAXES ON ALL THE CHURCHES AND THE OTHER THING NONPROFITS THAT DO GOOD THINGS IN THE COMMUNITY IN ORDER TO GET VALLEY HEALTH.
NOW IF YOU CAN GET VALLEY HEALTH TO AGREE TO A PILOT, I'M ALL FOR IT.
I DON'T THINK THAT'S GONNA HAPPEN.
I WAS IN A MEETING IN A DISCUSSION WHERE MR. NANCE LOOKED RIGHT AT ME AND SAID HE NEVER WANTED TO HEAR ABOUT A PILOT TAX FROM WARREN COUNTY.
AGAIN, IF THAT'S CHANGED AGAIN, I'M ALL FOR IT.
I THINK THEY SHOULD BE PAYING TAXES.
THEY'VE GOT A LOT OF PROPERTY HERE THAT MIGHT ADD UP TO 500,000 ANNUALLY.
AND I'D BE GRATEFUL FOR EVERY PENNY OF IT.
BUT I THINK THAT WOULD BE A FIGHT AND WE WOULD END UP IN LITIGATION AND MAYBE END UP GETTING AN AGREEMENT.
BUT HOW MUCH WOULD IT COST US IN THE LONG RUN? SO THAT'S, THAT'S A RISK AND THAT'S A WHOLE BOARD DECISION ON TIME TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE THAT RISK.
BUT ALL OF THOSE ITEMS TO ME ARE POSSIBILITIES NOT INSURED REVENUE.
SO YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU ADD THOSE UP, IF WE DIDN'T COME UP WITH THAT, THAT'S ANOTHER PULL ON THAT FUND BALANCE.
AND THEN I KNOW THE CHILLER WE PUT IN AT THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT WAS OVER $500,000.
SO IF YOU'VE GOT ONE BAD AT SKYLINE AND AND THERE'S TWO THERE, RIGHT THERE IS A MILLION DOLLARS.
IF THE ONE THAT'S DOING ALL THE STRESS NOW GOES OUT BECAUSE IT'S DOING THE WHOLE LOAD.
I THINK WE HAVE ONE AT HILDA J THAT IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY IS LIMPING ALONG.
WE HAVE ONE AT A COUPLE OTHER BUILDINGS.
UM, SO RIGHT THERE YOU COULD DIP INTO A MILLION PLUS JUST ON THAT, WE KNOW THE COPPOLA ON THE COURTHOUSE IS OVER $250,000 JUST FOR THE COPPOLA.
WHEN WE LOOKED AT THAT, UM, AND THAT HOUSES THE CLOCK, WE KNOW THAT IS STARTING TO, ROT PIECES ARE STARTING TO FALL OFF OF IT AND WE ARE HAVING WATER DAMAGE IN THE MAIN COURTROOM THAT'S RIGHT UNDERNEATH OF IT THAT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN CARE OF.
THAT'S PROBABLY GONNA BE OVER A MILLION DOLLARS.
WELL WITH 250 FOR THE COPPOLA AND THEN THE REST OF THE ROOF, HOW MUCH ARE WE LOOKING AT THERE? THE REST OF THE ROOF IS ACTUALLY NOT A PRIORITY.
UM, SO ALL THAT DAMAGE IS JUST COMING FROM THE LEAKAGE.
SO DO WE KNOW, HAS ANYBODY GONE AND LOOKED AT THE RAFTERS? UM, WEST ACTUALLY MET WITH THE CONTRACTOR.
THEY, SO THE RAFTERS ARE SO GOOD BECAUSE I FIGURE IN A BUILDING THAT OLD, IF IT'S STARTING TO GET WALL DAMAGE IN THE, THE BUILDING, I WONDERED ABOUT THE RAFTERS.
OKAY, WELL THAT, THAT'S PEACE OF MIND.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, SO THERE'S MY CONCERN AND I DON'T WANNA RAISE TAXES AS A PENNY MORE THAN WE HAVE TO AND WE PAY WHAT, $11 MILLION OF DEBT EVERY YEAR.
SO I, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S JUST IS JUST, IT JUST IS VERY RISKY.
DO I WANT IT TO BE 10 CENTS? NO.
DO I THINK WE CAN GET IT DOWN TO 5 CENTS? I'M NOT SURE WE CAN.
AND STILL PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT PEOPLE EXPECT.
AND SO THERE I WOULD SAY, I KNOW EVERY DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN ASKED TO CUT TO BARE BONES AND HEARING THE PEOPLE THE OTHER NIGHT, I'M NOT SURE THEY BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE.
AND YOU KNOW, I MADE SOME NOTES.
I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF MISINFORMATION OUT THERE.
THERE WAS A COMMENT MADE ABOUT DELINQUENT TAXES AND I KNOW MS. SHANKS, YOU'VE UM, BEEN WORKING HARD ON THAT AND HAVE COLLECTED QUITE A LOT.
[01:00:01]
IT'S A PROCESS.IT'S NOT AN OVERNIGHT PROCESS.
YOU'VE GOTTA GIVE PEOPLE NOTICE AND GIVE THEM AN OPPORTUNITY AND THEN IT TAKES A WHILE.
UM, THE WATER PLANT, THAT WAS ANOTHER THING THAT WAS BROUGHT UP.
UH, WHETHER WE CAN CHARGE, I KNOW HOPEFULLY WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT GETTING THAT LOOKED INTO, UM, TO SEE IF WE CAN GET REVENUE OFF THAT.
I HOPE WE CAN, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT WE CAN.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING WE ARE GONNA LOOK INTO AS FAR AS THE MCKAY BRINGS IN THE BATTLEFIELD, I, I'VE NEVER, I KNOW MR. JAMON YOU MENTIONED IT, THE BATTLEFIELD HAS NEVER CAME TO US AND GIVEN US A PRESENTATION AND WE DON'T OWN ALL THAT LAND.
THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO BE A JOINT AGREEMENT.
AND FROM EVERYTHING THAT I HAVE EVER HAD A CONVERSATION WITH ANYONE ON THE TOWN COUNCIL, THEY ARE NOT WILLING AND NEVER GOING TO BE WILLING TO SELL OFF THEIR PART OF THAT MCKAY SPRINGS.
BUT TO SAY THAT WE HAVE BEEN PRESENTED WITH AN OPPORTUNITY THERE, THIS ENTIRE BOARD HAS NOT BEEN, NOW I'M MORE THAN WILLING TO HAVE THEM COME AND DO THAT.
UM, AND LET'S SEE HERE, GOING ON TAX, ON AG LAND IN THE INDUSTRIAL AREA, THIS BOARD MINUS G TWO 'CAUSE YOU WEREN'T ON HERE.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'S A LITTLE BIT OF A MISNOMER THERE.
THE CURRENT USE IS AGRICULTURAL IN AN INDUSTRIAL AREA.
IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO MOVE THAT WE AGREED BECAUSE IT'S AT A STALEMATE OF BEING ABLE TO GET PEOPLE TO COME IN IN THE INDUSTRIAL AREA.
THEY WANT ALL THE ZONING DONE.
THE LANDOWNER CAN'T AFFORD TO DO ALL THAT AND PAY INDUSTRIAL TAXES WHEN THEY'RE ONLY USING IT IN FOR AGRICULTURAL.
SO WHAT WE DID WAS USE A STATE ORDINANCE THAT ALLOWS THE PROPERTY OWNER TO BE CONSIDERED INDUSTRIAL TO BE ABLE TO MOVE IT AND THEN PAY BACK THE TAXES ONCE IT'S SOLD AS INDUSTRIAL AND WE COLLECT THOSE BACK TAXES.
WHEREAS IF IT WAS JUST LEFT AGRICULTURAL, YOU GET AGRICULTURAL INSTEAD OF INDUSTRIAL AND IT WOULD SET THERE PROBABLY IN OPPORTUNITY BECAUSE THE INDUSTRIAL PEOPLE WANT IT REZONED.
AND HOPEFULLY NOW THAT THAT'S DONE, WE GET SOME GOOD INDUSTRY OUT THERE THAT PROVIDES US WITH BETTER REVENUE AND GETS A LITTLE OF THIS BURDEN OFF THE RESIDENTIALS.
SO THAT, THAT WAS ONE THING THAT I MADE NOTICE OF.
UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE CAME UP ABOUT UM, THE INCREASE.
ANOTHER ONE WAS INCREASE IN PARKS AND REC.
THE AMOUNT OF, UM, BUDGET INCREASE THAT WAS, AND I BELIEVE, AND YOU CAN CORRECT ME, THAT'S BECAUSE WE MOVED PART OF THE PEOPLE THAT WERE IN PUBLIC WORKS BACK IN PARKS AND REC TO DO GROUND MAINTENANCE.
SO THAT'S WHAT MADE THAT BUMP UP.
SO WE WE'RE NOT ACTUALLY GIVING THEM MORE MONEY FOR WHAT THEY WERE CURRENTLY DOING.
WE ARE PUTTING IN A WHOLE NEW PROCESS OF PEOPLE IN THERE.
UM, CAN I SPEAK TO THE PUBLIC WORKS INCREASE? YES.
UM, HISTORICALLY WE HAVE BEEN OVERSPENDING UM, 'CAUSE WE HAVE NOT BEEN BUDGETING THE RATE AT WHICH THEY SHOULD BE BUDGETED.
UM, SO THERE'S INCREASE IN HAULING FEES, UTILITIES, THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE DO NOT HAVE POWER OVER.
UM, SO MIKE CAN'T CUT EXPENSES UNLESS WE CUT OFF ALL POWER FOR HALF OF THE YEAR.
UM, SO THAT'S WHERE THIS FY 27 BUDGET IS BUDGETED BASED OFF OF ACTUAL EXPENDITURES FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.
UM, SO IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S AN INCREASE, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE ACTUAL SPEND, IT'S FLAT AND UNFORTUNATELY FUEL AND ELECTRICITY IS WE WISH WE HAD CONTROL OVER.
UM, AND IN THE ASSESSMENT, WE DISCUSSED THIS THE OTHER NIGHT WITH MS. OURS AND YOU GAVE A A GREAT UNDERSTANDING BECAUSE WE WENT FROM EVERY
[01:05:01]
FOUR YEARS OF DOING REASSESSMENTS TO TWO.AND I'D LIKE FOR YOU TO EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE THAT ARE LISTENING CAN UNDERSTAND WHY THE TWO YEARS IS IMPORTANT WITH KEEPING THE SERVICES AND THINGS AND WHAT THAT WOULD DO IF WE WENT TO FOUR AND THEY DROP BELOW THE 70%.
OKAY, THE FOUR YEARS OUR RATIO DROPS MORE.
'CAUSE IT'S A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME.
IF IT GOES BELOW 70%, WE LOSE SCHOOL FUNDING.
NOW THE STATE PLAYS A PART IN THIS RATIO STUDY.
I JUST SENT OURS IN, IT WAS DUE THE 15TH.
SO THEY ARE WORKING ON THAT RIGHT NOW.
I HAVEN'T HEARD BACK FROM THEM WHAT IT'S GONNA DO THIS YEAR.
THE REASSESSMENT YEAR IT GOES UP, IT'S NOT RIGHT AT A HUNDRED PERCENT, BUT IT'S IN THE 90 RANGE, 90 SOMETHING RANGE.
AND THEN IMMEDIATELY THE NEXT YEAR, LIKE THIS PAST YEAR, IT DROPPED 10%.
AND THESE ARE ON THE SERVICES.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT? PUBLIC SERVICE IS ON YOUR, UM, YOUR GAS, YOUR YOUR POWER LINES, YOUR ELECTRICAL POWER PLANTS, ALL OF THAT, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, ALL THOSE TYPES OF SERVICES.
SO YOU WANT THEM TO PAY THE SAME AMOUNT PERCENTAGE WISE AS THE RESIDENTIAL PEOPLE.
BUT IF THAT RATE GOES DOWN, THEN THEIR TAXES IS BASED ON THAT RATIO AND THEN THE PEOPLE ARE PAYING FOR IT.
SO WE KINDA HAVE TO HAVE A BALANCING ACT ON THAT.
SO IF THEY DECREASE OVER FOUR YEARS AND THEY GET DOWN BELOW THE 70%, THEN THE STATE DECREASES THEIR ALLOCATION FOR SCHOOLS.
AND THEN WE HAVE TO INCREASE OUR LOCAL DOLLARS TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE BASICALLY.
I THOUGHT IT FALLS ON THE RESIDENTIAL SHOULDERS THOUGHT THE FIRST TIME IT COMMERCIAL YOU MADE IT VERY CLEAR TO ME.
'CAUSE I KNEW THERE WAS, BUT IT WAS NEVER SIMPLIFIED LIKE THAT TO MAKE, YOU KNOW, MAKE AS MUCH SENSE.
SO AS MUCH AS I WAS HOPING TO BE ABLE TO GO BACK TO BEFORE YEARS STILL PUTS MORE OF A BUR BURDEN ON THE LOCALITY TO MAKE THAT UP, WHICH WOULD MAKE US INCREASE TAXES ON PEOPLE ANYWAY.
THE OTHER COUPLE OF THINGS I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY BECAUSE IT WAS KIND OF, AND I'M JUST GONNA SAY THIS ANNOYING TO HAVE TWO FORMER COUNCIL PEOPLE GET UP.
ONE OF WHO KIND OF ACCUSED US OVER THE CIGARETTE TAX OF ALLOWING VAPE SHOPS IN TO COLLECT A CIGARETTE TAX.
MOST OF THE VAPE SHOPS ARE IN THE TOWN AND WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY CONTROL OVER THAT AT ALL.
I THINK WE HAVE TWO IN THE COUNTY AND I PERSONALLY VOTED AGAINST BOTH OF THEM.
'CAUSE I DON'T LIKE ANY OF THAT AND I WASN'T GONNA VOTE FOR IT.
SO I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY THAT.
AND I ALSO DON'T KNOW HOW ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN ON A BOARD OR A COUNCIL THINKS YOU CAN RUN A GOVERNMENT AND PROVIDE THE SERVICES AND NEVER INCREASE TAXES WHEN YOU'VE GOT INFLATION.
SO I'LL GIVE SOMEBODY ELSE A CHANCE, IF I MAY.
I THINK, UH, WHAT I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO OFFER AND, AND HOPE YOU'LL ACCEPT TO MEET, UM, TO COMPARE RESEARCH NOTES, UM, ON THE VALLEY HEALTH ISSUE.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE LEARNED IS THAT IN WINCHESTER CITY, THAT ACTUALLY IS NOT A PILOT, IT IS NOT A PAYMENT IN LIEU OF TAXES.
UM, SO THAT WAS A, A, A THING THAT I LEARNED.
UM, ALSO IN REGARD TO THE CHURCH THING, UM, THERE'S NO CHURCH IN WINCHESTER CITY THAT HAS A PILOT ATTACHED TO IT.
BECAUSE THAT WAS AN AGREEMENT THEY DIDN'T.
IT'S TOTALLY VOLUNTARY IN A DIFFERENT MATTER.
UM, SO, BUT I WOULD JUST, I WOULD SAY, UM, IF YOU'RE WILLING THAT WE COULD COMPARE OUR RESEARCH NOTES AND KIND OF SEE WHERE THE STATE OF THINGS IS.
I'M NOT A LAWYER AND I'M MORE THAN HAPPY FOR ANYBODY THAT'S GOT MORE EXPERTISE THAN ME TO, I CAN SHOW YOU WHAT I GOOGLED.
I MEAN, THAT'S JUST, THAT'S JUST WHAT I'M OFFERING IS THAT WE COULD COMPARE NOTES.
UM, UM, AND IF WE CAN DO IT MORE POWER TO US, I'D LOVE TO BE ABLE TO DO IT.
I JUST HAVE SOME INFORMATION I THINK, UM, I'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH YOU AND EVENTUALLY THE BOARD, UM, I THINK, UM, MISS MR.
[01:10:01]
UH, TAMARA DID MISSPEAK ABOUT AN OFFER ON THE TABLE REGARDING THE BATTLEFIELD FOUNDATION.UH, THEY, THEY EXPRESSED AN INTEREST AND, UH, WENT AS FAR AS GETTING A, UH, APPRAISAL DONE FOR THE PROPERTY AND HAVE BEEN ESSENTIALLY DESIRING TO PRESENT A PRE TO PRESENT WHAT THEIR OPTION IS TO, AND I THINK THE LAST, I READ THE MINUTES OF THE LAST TOWN LIAISON, UH, MEETING AND THERE WAS AN INDICATION THAT THE TOWN WOULD BE WILLING TO SIT WITH THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, GET THE BOARDS TOGETHER AND LISTEN TO WHAT THEIR PITCH IS.
SO I THINK THAT'S WHAT, WHAT IT WOULD BE A GOOD THING TO DO IS TO LISTEN TO THAT PITCH.
UM, I DO HEAR THE CONCERNS ABOUT THE, UH, SORT OF THE UNCERTAINTY OF, OF FUTURE.
UH, AND, AND PART OF THE, THE PLAN THAT I PUT ON THE TABLE EXPLICITLY RECOGNIZES THAT FACT THAT WE CAN'T KNOW WHAT ONE YEAR, TWO YEARS, AND THREE YEARS, HENCE WHAT ADDITIONAL REVENUE WE'LL HAVE, BUT THAT WE MAKE A PLAN AND COMMIT TO, TO GO AFTER IT.
THEN IF WE DON'T GET IT, WE STILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY ON A YEAR BY YEAR BASIS TO REASSESS IF WE'RE NOT GETTING THAT OFFSETTING REVENUE TO THEN APPLY THE TAX.
BUT THE, THE, THE, THE PRINCIPLE BEHIND THE GENERAL PLAN IS TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES, PURSUE THE OPPORTUNITIES TO OFFSET THAT GAP.
AND THEN IF WE CAN'T DO IT AT THAT TIME, DEMONSTRATING THE NEED TO RAISE THE TAX TO COVER THAT GAP THAN DO SO RATHER THAN RAISE THE TAX IN THE PRESENT, WHICH GETS ESSENTIALLY, UH, UM, UH, NOW BECAUSE WE CAN'T GUARANTEE THAT OFFSETTING REVENUE IN THE FUTURE.
SO IT DOES REPRESENT A BIT OF A CHANGE IN TERMS OF MAKING A PLAN AND PURSUING IT WITH GUSTO AND THEN EVALUATING THAT PLAN ON A YEAR BY YEAR BASIS AND IF NECESSARY THEN RAISE THAT TAX.
BUT THAT, THAT'S THE ESSENCE OF IT.
UH, IT'S NOT A SURPRISE TO ME.
UM, IT IS PART OF, OF WHAT I'M PROPOSING.
I I WANNA ASK A QUESTION, ESPECIALLY SINCE I GOT ALL OF YOU FINANCED OR WOMEN IN THE ROOM WHEN BARRY DUNN, UM, GAVE US THE LAST PRESENTATION AND I ASKED A QUESTION THEN IF THERE WAS BASICALLY WE SEE AN ISSUE, WE'RE GONNA TEACH YOU HOW, AND THEN THERE'S GONNA BE A TRAINING, UH, SOP MANUAL OF FUTURE SO THAT WE'RE NOT HAVING THE SAME ISSUES THAT WE'RE DOING NOW.
AND I THOUGHT THE ANSWER I GOT WAS YES.
SO ISN'T THAT KIND OF THE SAME THING? IS THIS A UP? IT IS.
SO, UM, WE HAVE WEEKLY MEETINGS AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING IS THAT AS THEY'RE, UM, SO LAST YEAR THERE WAS A LEARNING CURVE FOR THEM AS WELL TO DETERMINE HOW OUR SYSTEM WORKED.
UM, WHICH THIS YEAR GOING INTO IT, THEY HAVE ALREADY DONE ALL OF THAT.
SO THEY ARE, AS THEY GO THROUGH, THEY'RE LOOKING AT THINGS THAT WE CAN DO THAT WILL, UM, IMPROVE PROCEDURES AND PRACTICES GOING FORWARD.
SO THAT IS PART OF, OF WHAT THEY'RE DOING AS WELL.
AND THEY CAN GIVE US A REPORT THAT WE CAN SEE WHERE THEY FOUND THE, UM, WEAKNESSES.
I CAN ASK THEM TO DO A REPORT AT THE END TO GO AHEAD AND PLAN ON DOING THAT.
I'M SURE THEY WOULD NOT MIND DOING A PRESENTATION OF THAT.
WELL, I THINK IT WOULD GIVE SOME BACKGROUND IS THAT MEET WHAT MR. JAMESON IS YOU'RE RECOMMENDING WITH THIS A UP.
'CAUSE I MEAN, I DON'T FEEL LIKE IF IT'S ALREADY BEING DONE, WE NEED TO RE REDO IT AGAIN WITH SOMEBODY ELSE.
UM, SO THAT WE COULD SEE, OKAY, WHERE ARE THE WEAKNESSES? WHERE IS THE INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO FIX THOSE WEAKNESSES AND MOVE FORWARD.
AND SO THAT NEW STAFF COMING IN CAN LOOK AT THIS AND SAY, OH, OKAY, HERE'S THE, THE TRAINING MANUAL AND I UNDERSTAND THIS IS THE PROCESS AND HOW IT SHOULD BE DONE.
I RECALL WHEN YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION AND I WAS LISTENING CAREFULLY, UH, TO WHAT THEY SAID.
AND, AND, UH, I WOULD, I WOULD, UM, WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THEIR SCOPE OF WORK ANYTHING REMOTELY CLOSE, UH, TO ONE A UP IS THERE HAS TO BE A SCOPE OF WORK AND UH, I DON'T BELIEVE THEIR ANSWER, UM, ADDRESSED THAT.
AND, AND SO IF THEY HAVE A SCOPE OF WORK THAT SHOWS THAT AND THEY'RE PRODUCING A MANUAL AND THEY ARE RESEARCHING THAT AND PRODUCING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES TO FILL THOSE GAPS, THAT
[01:15:01]
WOULD BE GREAT.UM, WELL I LOOK FORWARD TO, HOPEFULLY, I WILL DEFINITELY, UM, BRING THAT TO OUR ATTENTION IN OUR WEEKLY MEETING THIS WEEK.
SPECIFICALLY ABOUT YOUR A UP AND, AND THE SCOPE OF WHAT THEY, UH, EXCUSE ME, THEY HAVE IN MIND, UM, AS THEY GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND ON THE FISCAL YEAR, UM, 25 THAT THEY'RE WORKING ON NOW.
I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE TO GO TO, UH, ITEM B ON THE AGENDA, PLEASE.
WELL, UH, ANYWAY, UH, COUPLE THINGS.
LET'S GO BACK TO THE AIRPORT REAL QUICK.
UH, THE GRANT ITSELF, THAT EXPIRES SOMETIME SOON, IS THAT CORRECT? BECAUSE I, I GET MIXED UP WITH THAT ONE.
SO IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING AND THERE, PEOPLE HERE THAT HAVE BEEN DEALING WITH THIS, THE GRANT IS GOING TO BE USED TO FINISH ALL THE FOUNDATION PIECES FOR, UH, PUTTING THE HANGERS IN PLACE.
SO THIS, UH, THE $500,000 IS GOING TO PAY FOR SIX HANGERS.
WHAT'S THE DATE GOING WHEN IT EXPIRE? IT'S GOT SOME PHASES.
'CAUSE WE'RE, WE'RE PROBABLY, UH, YOU'D HAVE TO SEE IT.
BUT I GUESS THEY'RE, THEY'RE WORKING ON ALL OF THE PHASES TO PUT IN ALL SIX OF THESE THINGS SIMULTANEOUSLY.
UH, THE BIGGEST PART WAS, UM, YOU'D HAVE TO SEE THIS PART IS THE WALL THAT THEY BUILT OUT THERE, UM, WHICH IS HUGE.
SO THEY CAN, UM, BUILD UP THE PROPERTY TO PUT THE HANGERS ON PARTS, PARTS OF, I THINK THAT'S WHERE THE FOUR ARE GOING.
AND THEN THERE ARE TWO WHICH ARE LARGER, ARE GOING DOWN ON THE FARTHER END OF THE FIELD I GUESS.
BUT IT'S ALL BEEN IN PRO TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THE GRANTS.
IT'S ALL, IT'S ALL IN PROCESS.
YOU CAN STILL PUT SOME MONEY, BUT WE STILL HAVE TO COME UP WITH 1.5.
I'M SORRY, WE STILL HAVE TO COME UP WITH 1.5.
I GUESS MY, MY, WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET AT OR WHATEVER, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS COULD BE PART OF THE OPTIONS TOO, YOU KNOW, WITH DAVENPORT WITH US AND ALONE, WHATEVER, BUT DOES THAT 1.5 HAVE TO BE PUT UP RIGHT THIS YEAR OR CAN WE KIND OF PHASE THAT IN AS WELL AS IT GOES ON? IT CAN BE PHASED IN.
UM, THE 1.5 COMPLETES THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE HANGERS AND THAT'S WHERE THEY'RE LIKE, WE'RE NOT GIVING YOU MORE MONEY TO DO THAT.
THAT'S WHEN YOU, SO IN ORDER FOR US TO ACTUALLY GENERATE REVENUE, WE HAVE TO PUT OUT THE 1.5, BUT THERE'S NOT A SPECIFIC OKAY.
WE HAVE TO HAVE IT DONE BY THE STATE.
SO THAT DOESN'T NEED TO COME OUT AS A LUMP SUM.
IT COULD BE DONE OVER A PERIOD OF TIME.
YEAH, IT COULD BE DONE BASICALLY LIKE A COUPLE HANGERS AT A TIME OR, UM, IN ORDER TO PUT UP THE HANGERS.
UM, BUT IN THE ADVANTAGE OF DOING ALL OF IT AT ONCE IS YOU START GENERATING REVENUE SOONER RATHER THAN DOING IT IN PHASES.
WELL, AND THE CONSTRUCTION PRICE ONLY ESCALATES EVERY OTHER DAY.
I'M SURE MR. HENRY CAN FILL US IN ON, ON THAT.
UM, ANYONE GETTING CONSTRUCTION? I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW HOW PEOPLE CAN AFFORD TO BUILD A HOUSE AT THE PRICES OF WHAT A STICK OF LUMBER IS ANYMORE, BUT, UM, ALSO, CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG 'CAUSE I HAVEN'T BEEN OUT THERE, WOULD THE SITE WORK THAT'S BEEN DONE NOW DETERIORATE OVER TIME IF THE BUILDINGS AREN'T ERECTED? SO IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, UM, I WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED BY THAT MYSELF.
SO THEY'RE PUTTING IN THE FOUNDATIONAL PIECES.
UM, THEY WILL BE READY TO POUR CONCRETE AND I THINK THE CONCRETE IS THE PIECE THAT POSSIBLY COULD DETERIORATE IF IT JUST SITS.
SO WE DON'T WANNA POUR THE RETE UNTIL WE'RE READY TO LET IT CURE AND THEN PUT UP THE HANGERS.
I THINK WE, I'M NOT A CONSTRUCTION PERSON, BUT IS THAT RIGHT MR. HENRY? IF, IF I WAS GONNA LET, UH, A BIG CONCRETE SLAP CONCRETE SLABS HAD EXPOSED FOR A LONG TIME, I JUST SEAL IT AND IT WAS PROBABLY LAST OKAY.
SO CONCRETE ITSELF IS PRETTY BUILT CONCRETE OR PAD AREA, WHATEVER.
SO THE ONLY OTHER PRECAUTION THAT WOULD BE TAKEN ON A SLAB FOR A CONCRETE BUILDING IS IF THEY'RE COUNTING ON THE STRUCTURE OF THE BUILDING FOR THE CROSS PROTECTION.
[01:20:01]
YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY THE SIDES, THE ENDS OF THE SLAB ARE, ARE TURNED DOWN BELOW THE CROSS LINE AND IT'S USUALLY ENOUGH STUFF IN THE MIDDLE YOU CROSS.IT'S NOT TOO BIG OF A DEAL WITH THE BUILDING SITTING ON THAT.
SO, UM, I'D HAVE TO SEE WHICH TYPE OF SLAB, WHICH CONSTRUCTION WAS.
BUT THERE, THERE IS A POTENTIAL OR SLAB GRADE WITHOUT THE STRUCTURE ON IT.
IF IT WAS TERRIBLY COLD IT COULD FREEZE AND EASE THE SLAB, UH, IN THE MIDDLE WHERE IT'S NOT CROSS PROTECTED.
BUT IT WAS COUNTING ON THE STRUCTURE TO DO THAT.
SO IT DOES AND CERTAINLY ON PROBABLY SHOULD BE LOOKED AT VERY CAREFULLY BEFORE YOU PULL IT.
SO I KNOW WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF TIME ON THE, THE HANGERS TONIGHT, BUT ON WEDNESDAY THE PRESIDENT AND THE VICE PRESIDENT ARE GONNA BE HERE.
THEY'RE GONNA DO A BRIEF PRESENTATION TO YOU, UH, ABOUT WHAT'S HAPPENING OUT THERE.
UH, THEY'LL HAVE MORE SPECIFIC ANSWERS.
WHO'S MANAGING THOSE PROJECTS AS WELL.
WELL I WILL, I WILL SAY WHEN I FIRST GOT ON THE BOARD, THERE WERE TWO THINGS THAT GAVE ME ANGST AND ONE WAS GOLF COURSE, ONE WAS THE AIRPORT BECAUSE I FELT LIKE WE WERE SPENDING A LOT OF MONEY ON HOBBY HOUSES.
I'VE COME TO REALIZE WITH BEING EDUCATED THAT UM, BOTH HAD POTENTIAL AND, AND NOW BOTH OF THEM ARE NOT COSTING US NEAR WHAT THEY WERE THEN.
UH, WE'VE RESTRUCTURED THE GOLF COURSE IS DOING GREAT WITH THE CURRENT SITUATION IS THERE AND NOT COSTING US NEAR THE AMOUNT THAT IT WAS.
UM, AND PEOPLE ARE STILL ABLE TO ENJOY IT AND THE AIRPORT IS BECOMING MORE AND MORE SELF-SUFFICIENT.
AND, UM, I STILL HAVE NOT BEEN UP IN A PLANE 'CAUSE I'M JUST PLAIN CHICKEN ON THAT TOO.
BUT IT, IT IS, I KNOW THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT PROBABLY THINK VERY MUCH LIKE ME, WHY ARE MY TAX DOLLARS GOING INTO IT? AND IT DOES HAVE POTENTIAL TO, YOU KNOW, TO DRAW PEOPLE HERE, UM, COME SPEND YOUR MONEY AND THEN GO BACK HOME AND IT, IT IS, IT'S NOT TOTALLY SELF-SUFFICIENT, BUT MUCH MORE SO.
UM, AND IT IS AN ASSET TO THE COMMUNITY AND WITH THESE HANGERS, THAT'S A RETURN ON INTEREST.
UM, THAT I THINK WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, WHEREVER WE GET THE MONEY FROM, WHETHER, AND I'M NOT ONE TO BORROW MONEY A LOT BECAUSE I, I LIKE TO PAY FOR WHAT I GET AND NOT HAVE TO OWE THAT, UM, FOR ANYTHING PERSONALLY, WHETHER WE DO IT THAT WAY OR NOT.
I DO THINK THAT BUILDING THOSE HANGERS THEY WILL PAY FOR THEMSELVES.
UM, MAY TAKE A FEW YEARS FOR THAT, BUT IT WILL HAPPEN.
AND WITH THAT WE, THERE ARE PEOPLE, IF THERE'S 23 PEOPLE, THAT MEANS 23 MORE AIRPLANES THAT WE COLLECT THE TAXES ON THOSE AS WELL AS PERSONAL PROPERTY AND THEN THEY'RE GONNA BUY FUEL.
THEY'LL BRING PEOPLE IN TO SEE THE COMMUNITY AND SPEND MONEY.
SO IT'S A TRICKLE DOWN EFFECT WITH THAT.
DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE MEDEVAC TOO.
IT'S, THEY PICKED THIS AREA FOR THE REGION.
SO, SO THERE'S A REGIONAL BENEFIT FOR THAT BEING STATIONED.
SO I MEAN I JUST PUT THAT OUT THERE FOR THE PERSON THAT MIGHT BE LISTENING AND LOOKING AND, AND WONDERING BECAUSE I WAS THAT PERSON AND I'VE HAD ALL TOTAL TURNAROUND ON THAT.
THE OTHER THING THAT WAS BROUGHT UP THE OTHER NIGHT AND UM, WAS THE BURDEN OF TAXATION ON THE ELDERLY.
AND IF WE COULD SPEAK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT IS AVAILABLE FOR THE ELDERLY AS FACT, AS FAR AS EXEMPTIONS AND SO FORTH.
MADAM CHAIR ACTUALLY WAS GONNA ASK IF I COULD SPEAK WHEN YOU FINISHED.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE RELIEF, UM, FOR REAL ESTATE, BUT WHEN, I'M SORRY, WHEN IT COMES TO PERSONAL PROPERTY, WE DON'T HAVE ANY RELIEF EXCEPT FOR A 100% DISABLED VETERAN.
AND THAT IS WHAT WE HEAR MOST.
THAT'S THE BIGGEST THING WE HEAR IN OUR OFFICE IS PEOPLE STRUGGLING TO PAY THEIR PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES.
MANY ON THE REAL ESTATE TAXES, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE AN ESCROW ACCOUNT WITH THEIR MORTGAGE AND OUR REAL ESTATE COLLECTION RATE IS 99.63%
[01:25:02]
RIGHT NOW.SO THE DELINQUENCIES ON PERSONAL PROPERTY ARE HUGE.
THAT'S WHERE MOST OF THE DELINQUENCIES ARE, ARE ARE WITH PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX.
UM, AND SHERRY AND I HAVE DISCUSSED MAYBE ASKING IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO FOR THE ELDERLY AND THE DISABLED TO TRY AND GET THEM SOME PERSONAL PROPERTY, UM, TAX RELIEF.
OF COURSE THAT AFFECTS OUR REVENUE.
SO YOU'VE GOTTA LOOK AT IT BOTH WAYS.
IF, IF YOU KNOW, YOU DO AT SOME POINT, UM, VOTE ON SOME TYPE OF PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RELIEF, THEN WE WILL, THAT WILL AFFECT THE AMOUNT OF PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX WE RECEIVE.
SO, BUT I, I DO THINK THAT AS FAR AS THE UM, PUBLIC, THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY, THAT IS THE ONE THING THEY REALLY STRUGGLE WITH A LOT WHEN THEY'RE HAVING ISSUES WITH THEIR INCOME.
THAT'S ONE THING THAT THEY JUST, THEY PUT OFF.
UM, AND BY STATUTE WE CAN COLLECT THEM FOR FIVE YEARS AND THEN THEY PURGE OFF.
SO A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE JUST LET THAT HAPPEN OVER THE YEARS.
HISTORICALLY THEY JUST DON'T PAY THEIR PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX.
AND THEN AFTER FIVE YEARS THOSE TAXES PURGE OFF.
THEY'RE NOT COLLECTIBLE ANY LONGER.
SO THAT'S, NOW DOES THAT AFFECT THEIR DRIVER'S LICENSE BY THAT? WE DO.
WE DO DMV STOPS AND THE DMV STOPS HAVE BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE.
UM, BUT NOW WITH THE DMV THEY CAN GET THEIR REGISTRATION FOR THREE YEARS.
SO WE MAY COLLECT THEIR DELINQUENTS, BUT THEN THEY'RE GOOD FOR THREE MORE YEARS BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE TO GO BACK AND GET THEIR REGISTRATION AGAIN.
BUT WE, WE HAVE BEEN VERY EFFECTIVE WITH USING DMV STOPS.
I GUESS MY MIND WAS GOING TO, HE'S, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE THAT WAS ELDERLY AND, AND THEN THEY WOULD BE BURDENED WITH THAT DMV AS AS FAR AS THAT GOES AS WELL.
UM, BUT THAT'S INTERESTING 'CAUSE I, I DON'T THINK WE'VE, OR AT LEAST I DON'T REMEMBER IT BEING THE PERSONAL PROPERTY BEING BROUGHT UP AS, IT WAS ALWAYS THE WHOLE PICTURE OF, UM, THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE EXEMPTIONS WERE.
AND I KNEW ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS BROUGHT UP, AND I DON'T REMEMBER IF IT WAS MR. CARTER OR MR. HENRY THAT THE 300,000 ON WHAT THE, YOU KNOW, THE HOME COST WAS AND HARDLY ANYTHING'S UNDER 300,000 ANYMORE.
A SHACK IS GOING FOR WAY OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
SO, YOU KNOW, I I JUST HADN'T HEARD THE PERSONAL PROPERTY BEING A, A BURDEN AS MUCH MORE SO THAN THE REAL ESTATE ON THE REAL ESTATE.
IT'S THE, UM, NET WORTH DOES NOT INCLUDE THE HOUSE VALUE OR UP TO FIVE ACRES.
SO IT DOES NOT EXCLUDE THAT VALUE.
SO 300,000 OVER A HOUSE UP TO FIVE ACRES.
THE OVER IT WOULD BE OVER THE FIVE ACRES AND OVER THE FIRST HOUSE OR, YEAH.
AND IF THEY HAD A SECOND HOUSE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THAT WOULD BE INVOLVED IN THAT, WOULD THAT, WOULD THAT INCLUDE LIKE, UH, FOUR ONE K OR ANY OTHER INVESTMENTS THEY MIGHT HAVE THAT WE INCLUDE? ALL THE INCOME.
THEY MIGHT, THEY MIGHT NEED A NEED UPDATE.
RIGHT NOW IT'S, UM, $30,000 AND BELOW GETS A HUNDRED PERCENT AND IT WENT TO A SLIDING SCALE SEVERAL YEARS BACK.
DO WE DO THAT OR TO THE STATE? NO, IT'S DONE THROUGH HERE.
UM, SOME LOCALITIES HAVE A CAP ON THE AMOUNT, LIKE MAYBE THEY WOULD ONLY ALLOW $1,500 AND THAT'S THE ONLY PART THAT THEY WOULD EXEMPT.
AND THEN OVER THAT AMOUNT THEN THEY WOULD PAY THAT.
BUT THE STATE THEN THE STATE SET THE GUIDELINES THOUGH.
THEY SET THE BASIC GUIDELINES.
THEN WE HAVE FAULT IN THAT, THE AGE AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
BUT THE INCOME LIMITS IS KIND OF SET LOCALLY.
'CAUSE THEY VARY THROUGHOUT THE STATE.
AND OUR TOP CATEGORY IS, IS 60,000.
SO WE KINDA WENT HIGH ON THAT WHEN WE WAS COMPARING TO OTHER LOCALITIES.
SO THAT'S, UM, 60,000 TOGETHER OR INDIVIDUALLY.
THAT'S 60,000 GROSS COMBINED INCOME.
THAT'S STILL A PRETTY LOW NUMBER ON THE HOUSEHOLD.
IF YOU HAD ANY KIND OF RETIREMENT WITH
[01:30:01]
SOCIAL SECURITY PLAN, IT'S PROBABLY NOT 30,000, BUT IT'S DEPENDING ON WHAT YOU PAY IN IT, SOME PEOPLE SOCIAL SECURITY WOULD POINT.AND SO THE NEXT CATEGORY DOWN IS 75% AND THEN 50 AND THEN THE LOWEST ONE IS 25.
SO WE HAVE, WE HAVE RIGHT MANY PEOPLE IN THE 25 CATEGORY, BUT, AND THEN WE HAVE OUR VETERANS, THE EXEMPTIONS HAVE EXCEEDED OUR ARE, UM, AGED TAX RELIEF AND DEFERRAL FOR, FOR TAX RELIEF EXEMPTION AND FOR THE, UM, DISABILITY.
SO YOU'RE, IF YOU'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT DISABLED, YOU'RE TOTALLY EXEMPT.
IS THAT WHAT YOU SAID? A VETERAN IS VETERAN? YES.
THAT'S NOT BASED ON INCOME OR AGE OR ANYTHING.
WHAT IF YOU'RE A VETERAN BUT YOU'RE NOT CONSIDERED DISABLED, YOU DON'T GET ANYTHING, YOU GOTTA REACH THAT AND EACH HEALTH REASON ADDS THAT PERCENTAGE.
SO IT, YOU DON'T GET IT UNTIL IT GETS THE A HUNDRED PERCENT.
COULD YOU ON THE PERSONAL PROPERTY KINDA GIVE US SOMETHING TO LOOK AT TO CONSIDER HOW WE COULD HELP WITH THAT? UM, YOU KNOW, THING, I GUESS SIMILAR TO WHAT YOU HAVE DONE WITH THE REAL ESTATE SO THAT WE COULD LOOK AT SOME OPTIONS OF POSSIBILITIES TO HELP WITH THIS.
RIGHT NOW WE HAVE AN EXEMPTION ON THE VETERANS FOR ONE VEHICLE AND ONE VEHICLE LICENSE FEE.
IF THEY HAVE SPECIALIZED PLATES.
NOW, IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD USE ANY PLATES, BUT THE WAY THE LOCAL ORDINANCE IS WRITTEN UP, IT'S ONLY THE ONES WITH THE SPECIALIZED PLATES.
AND THAT'S FOR ANY VETERAN, NOT JUST DISABLED OR THEY HAVE TO BE DISABLED.
SO I MEAN IF WE DID PERSONAL PROPERTY, IT WOULD HAVE TO BE ONE VEHICLE AND THEN WHATEVER PERCENTAGE YOU'D HAVE TO SET THAT UP.
NOW THE STATE TAX RELIEF KEEPS GOING DOWN BECAUSE AS THE POPULATION GOES UP, THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES GOES UP, THAT SPREADS OUT OVER ALL THOSE PEOPLE IN VEHICLES.
SO IT WOULD, I DON'T KNOW HOW THE REST OF THE BOARD WOULD FEEL, BUT I I, I'D KIND OF LIKE TO SEE SOMETHING OF SIMILAR TO WHAT WE'RE DOING FOR VETERANS FOR THAT ELDERLY AGE GROUP.
UM, AND IF IT'S FOR ONE VEHICLE, THEN IT, THAT'S SOMETHING ON THE VETERAN IT IT HA IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE THE VEHICLE THAT THEY USE TO GO TO DOCTOR'S APPOINTMENTS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF.
RIGHT? IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE THE ONE THAT THEY USE.
WELL, I THINK PRIMARILY FOR THAT, WELL THINK THERE ARE GUIDELINES THAT COULD BE JUSTIFIED FOR WHATEVER TO LOOK AT.
I MEAN, FAIRFAX COUNTY, UM, MAYBE FAIRFAX CITY AND ARLINGTON I THINK HAS SOME KIND OF A RELIEF ON PERSONAL PROPERTY.
SO WE CAN CHECK THAT, CHECK OUT AND SEE, I JUST, I RECENTLY, UM, SPOKE WITH SOMEONE AND, AND LOUDOUN COUNTY HAS A PERSONAL PROPERTY RELIEF PROGRAM.
SO I ASKED THEM TO SEND ME, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR, UM, HOW THEY WENT ABOUT DOING A, A COPY OF THEIR, UM, ORDINANCE AND SOME INFORMATION ABOUT IT.
SO I CAN DO THAT WITH OTHER COUNTIES AS WELL.
AND CAN I GIVE SOMETHING TO LOOK AT? 'CAUSE THAT WAS, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE HEARD.
UM, I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY JUST, TAXES IN GENERAL DIDN'T KNOW UNTIL YOU JUST SAID IT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE PERSONAL PROPERTY SEEMS TO BE MORE OF A BURDEN THAN THE REAL ESTATE.
UM, WELL THE VALUES ON THE VEHICLES HAVE GONE SKY HIGH.
THEY, THEY HAVEN'T DROPPED AT ALL.
BUT I THOUGHT WHEN WE HAD THE OTHER THING, THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX TOTAL REVENUE HAD ACTUALLY DECREASED.
WE, WE'VE STILL HAVE MORE VEHICLES AND RIGHT.
MORE PEOPLE COMING IN, BUT MAYBE THAT'S WHY I'M MISUNDERSTANDING.
I KNOW THE COST OF NEW VEHICLES ARE GOING UP.
BUT USED VEHICLES HAVE GONE DOWN.
THEREFORE OUR TOTAL REVENUE GENERATED HAS ACTUALLY DECREASED.
[01:35:01]
YOU DECREASE TAXES ONE PLACE, YOU HAVE TO MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE SOMEWHERE ELSE.AND THERE'S, YOU KINDA HAVE TO PLAN THAT OUT.
SO, AND WE HAVE ON REAL ESTATE, WE HAVE WHAT BUDGETED ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS.
WE'RE ALREADY UP TO 900 SOME THOUSAND ON DATA ENTRY ON EXEMPTIONS FOR ABATEMENT.
WELL FOR REAL ESTATE AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS BROUGHT UP THE OTHER NIGHT TOO, UM, TO LOOK AT IN-HOUSE VERSUS OUTSOURCING WHEN THE OUTSOURCING SEEMS TO BE BECOMING A BIT OF A MONOPOLY.
SO MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING TO GIVE US, UM, AN IDEA OF WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE AS WELL FOR CONSIDERATION.
THERE'S ALSO A POSSIBILITY OF GOING TO A THREE YEAR CYCLE.
IT WOULDN'T BE GOING AS FAR AS THE FOUR YEAR, SO YOU WOULDN'T TAKE THAT CHANCE TO GO DOWN CLOSE TO THAT 70%, BUT THEN IT'S BETTER THAN YOUR TWO YEAR.
YOU COULD SPREAD OUT YOUR FIGURE MORE BECAUSE WE USUALLY DIVIDE IT UP PER YEAR.
SO THE COST KEEPS GOING UP FOR THE CONTRACTOR, BUT THEN YOU'D HAVE ANOTHER YEAR TO SPREAD THAT OVER.
SO OUR NEXT ONE'S DUE IN 29, 20 SEVEN'S GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
WE COULD EXTEND IT 2030, DO IT EVERY THREE YEARS AND DO IT THAT WAY.
WHAT, WHAT ABOUT, WHAT MR. HENRY SAID THE OTHER NIGHT AND OFFSETTING DOING VINCENT FREDERICK COUNTY DOES IT IN HOUSE.
SO YES, IF YOU DID IT EVERY TWO YEARS IN-HOUSE, YOU'D HAVE STAFF THAT WAS OVERWHELMED ONE YEAR AND NOT AS MUCH YOU DID NEXT YEAR.
SO WHAT THEY DID, THEY DID COMMERCIAL ADJUST ONE YEAR RESIDENTIAL NEXT YOU WOULD DO IT IN HOUSE, YOU WOULD SPLIT IT UP, SPLIT IT SOMEHOW TO MAKE EACH YEAR'S WORKLOAD MORE EASIER.
WELL I THINK LOOKING AT ALL THOSE OPTIONS OF HOW WE CAN, AND I'M NOT BIG ON GROWING GOVERNMENT AND DOING, BUT AT THE COST OF WHAT WE'RE BEING CHARGED BY OUTSIDE, YOU KNOW, CONTRACTORS, I THINK IT'S AT LEAST SOMETHING TO LOOK AT TO, TO COMPARE AND SEE IF ANY COST SAVINGS AS THERE IN THE LONG RUN.
I ALWAYS SAY IT DOESN'T, IT DOESN'T COST ANYTHING TO WINDOW SHOP.
THAT'S WHEN YOU START GOING IN TO BUY THAT GETS YOU, YOU KNOW.
SO ANYONE ELSE ON WHAT WE HEARD THE OTHER NIGHT? AND BECAUSE COME NEXT WEEK WE'VE GOT SOME HARD DECISIONS TO MAKE NEXT WEEK, WEDNESDAY, WEDNESDAY OF THIS WEEK.
SO WEDNESDAY JUST WANNA BE SURE.
WELL TECHNICALLY WE CAN PUT IT TO NEXT WEEK.
WE, AFTER NEXT WE OR WE AFTER THIS WEEK, WE WILL MAKE A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE MANUFACTURED HOME TAX RATE AND YOU'LL ADOPT IT THEN.
ARE YOU GOING TO MOVE ALL THE TAX RATE DECISIONS TO THE 28TH? YES.
MAY I SPEAK TO THAT? IT, WE REALLY NEED THE REAL ESTATE TAX RATE SET ON WEDNESDAY SO THAT SHERRY AND I CAN THEN START OUR WORK IN ORDER TO GET THE TAX BILLS OUT ON TIME.
BECAUSE ONCE SHE HAD, ONCE THE RATE IS SET, THEN SHE HAS WORK IN HER OFFICE THAT SHE HAS TO DO BEFORE SHE CAN SEND THOSE ELECTRONIC FILES TO US, THEN WE HAVE A WEEK WORTH OF WORK IN OUR OFFICE TO GET THOSE BILLS READY TO GO TO THE PRINTER AND UPLOAD THEM.
UM, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE PERSONAL PROPERTY IS GONNA BE DELAYED, BUT IF YOU CAN SET THE REAL ESTATE TAX RATE, UM, THEN WE CAN GO AHEAD AND GET THOSE TAX BILLS OUT TO, UM, OUR CITIZENS SO THAT THEY HAVE CLOSER TO THE 30 DAYS STATUTE REQUIRES 14 DAYS, BUT THAT'S A VERY CLOSE TIME.
UM, IT, IF YOU DO DECIDE TO PUT OFF UNTIL NEXT WEEK, THEN I'M GOING TO ASK THE BOARD TO, UM, EXTEND THE PENALTY AND INTEREST DATE.
SO THAT THEY'RE NOT RECEIVING A BILL AND THEN IN 14 DAYS THEY'RE GONNA HAVE A PENALTY AND INTEREST HIT THEM.
[01:40:01]
SO, AND THERE HAS TO BE A RESOLUTION DONE FOR THAT.SO THAT'S JUST THAT, THAT'S ANOTHER CONSIDERATION TO THAT.
SO YOU DO NOT HAVE THE ABILITY TO REALLY BOOT IT TO THE 28TH EXCEPT FOR MANUFACTURED HOMES? CORRECT.
THAT ONE IS THAT WHAT I KNOW A LOT TO, SO I WOULD, I WOULD LIKE TO FINISH YES SIR.
UM, I DON'T MEAN TO KEEP JUMPING BACK THERE, BUT AS FAR AS WITH THE HANGERS AND WE TAKE YOU THAT FUND BALANCE AND WE CAN SPREAD THAT OUT OVER SEVERAL YEARS OR WHATEVER THE QUESTION IS.
AND THERE AGAIN, THAT KIND OF SEGUES INTO WHAT THE, THE, THE FUND BALANCE, THE 15% AND LIKE THAT AND WE STILL HAVE SET UP RESTRICTED AND UNRESTRICTED.
SO WHAT DO WE HAVE TO KEEP? 15% OF THE TOTAL OR JUST THE UNRESTRICTED? THE UNRESTRICTED.
SO THAT TOTAL NUMBER SHOWING FUND BALANCE DOESN'T REALLY EQUATE PER SE.
UM, AND THEN, LIKE I SAID ABOUT THE VEHICLE, THE OTHER THING TOO WAS I DON'T AGREE AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT WAS PRESENTED AND I APPRECIATE DR.
JAMESON'S, UH, PUTTING, UH, FORTH THE EFFORT WITH HIS PLAN, BUT I REALLY DON'T THINK WE SHOULD USE FUND BALANCE FOR ANY OPERATING, EVEN SHORT TERM.
'CAUSE THEN YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT UP IF YOU'RE NOT CAREFUL.
UM, THE OTHER THING TOO IS I UNDERSTAND IN 2030 THE DEBT SERVICE WILL WIND UP RECOUPING SAVING ABOUT $3 MILLION.
BUT THE OTHER THING TOO IS, AND THIS WOULD BE MORE OF A CONVERSATION AS FAR AS THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN AND WHAT'S DOWN THE ROAD.
SO I THINK UNFORTUNATELY THINGS HAVE BEEN PUT OFF, UH, WITHOUT BEING READY.
JUST LIKE THE ROOF, YOU KNOW, THE ROOF'S GONNA BE REPLACED IN FIVE YEARS, START PUTTING MONEY ASIDE FOR THAT.
HOWEVER, UM, ONE THING THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT OR BROUGHT UP WHEN I WAS ON HERE PREVIOUSLY WAS THE NEED FOR AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND THE SCHOOL POPULATION HAS ACTUALLY GONE DOWN A LITTLE BIT, BUT I THINK THERE'S, AND OF COURSE WE'VE GOT RIGHT NOW WHAT ABOUT 80 OR 90 HOMES ON HA CREEK, 36 ON RURAL LANE AND ABOUT 90 APARTMENTS.
SO WE ARE GONNA NEED AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
SO I THINK A S ROADS IS BUSTING AT THE SEAMS. SO I JUST DID SOME RESEARCH AND I ASKED MY GOOD FRIEND AI AND THEY SAID THAT IN THE STATE OF VIRGINIA RIGHT NOW THERE'S LIKE FIVE OR SIX ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS AND, AND IT RUNS ANYWHERE FROM 32 MILLION TO 55 MILLION DEPENDING ON THE SIZE, LOCATION, WHATEVER.
AND I JUST DID A QUICK THING THAT IF YOU DID 32 MILLION, WHO KNOWS WHAT THE INTEREST RATE'S GONNA BE.
BUT IF IT'S AT 6% RIGHT NOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 2.3 MILLION PER YEAR ON A 30 YEAR LOAN.
IF IT'S 55 MILLION, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT 3.9.
SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND THAT ONCE THAT DEBT GOES AWAY FOR THE EXISTING DEBT, WE MAY HAVE TO BORROW AGAIN.
AND I DO UNDERSTAND NOT WANTING TO BORROW MONEY AND STAY OUTTA DEBT, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE DID IN THE PAST, UH, WE'D BUILT THE TWO NEW HIGH SCHOOLS AT 82 MILLION, YOU WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO TOUCH A NEW HIGH SCHOOL.
PROBABLY JUST ONE HIGH SCHOOL FOR TWICE THAT.
SO AGAIN, I THINK WE NEED TO GET BACK IN THE FRAME OF LOOKING DOWN THE ROAD, NOT JUST TODAY.
UM, THE TAX RATES, THE NUMBERS, THAT'S ALWAYS SOMETHING.
'CAUSE IN THEORY YOU CAN HAVE A LOWER TAX RATE, BUT THE PERSON MAY WIND UP ACTUALLY PAYING A LITTLE BIT MORE IN TAXES.
AND ALONG THOSE SAME LINES, NEXT YEAR WE SHOULD BE LOOKING, I GUESS AT THE COMPLETION OF THEIR CURRENT REASSESSMENT.
SO WE'LL BE GOING THROUGH THAT AGAIN WITH A, I'M SURE IT'S GONNA BE AN EQUALIZATION RATE.
SO YEAH, ALL THOSE THINGS COME INTO PLAY.
SO I JUST WANNA THROW THAT OUT THERE.
AND UM, I GUESS I'LL SEE YOU ALL DAY THE 28TH.
NO, YOU DON'T GET OFF ON THE 22ND, MAN.
UM, ELSE COULD I END WITH JUST MAYBE ONE THOUGHT? YES SIR.
AND, AND THAT THOUGHT IS, IT MAY APPEAR A LITTLE STRANGE.
UM, ONE THING I'VE LEARNED IN MY CAREER AS A SUPERINTENDENT AND DEALING WITH BOARDS IS DIVERSITY OF THOUGHT IN THE DISCUSSION BRINGS STRENGTH TO THE ORGANIZATION.
SO THERE MAY NOT BE A LOT OF COMMON GROUND NOW, UH, WHO KNOWS WHAT'S, WHAT'S TO COME, BUT, BUT EACH OF US, EACH OF YOU HAVE AN OPINION.
AND EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT WHERE YOU THINK IT SHOULD BE, UM, THAT BRINGS STRENGTH TO AN ORGANIZATION, IT TRULY DOES.
[01:45:01]
WELL, I, I, YOU KNOW, EVERY, EVERYONE SHOULD BE BE HEARD IN ALL THOUGHTS.THAT'S WHY LISTENING TO THE PEOPLE THE OTHER NIGHT AND, AND COMING BACK AND JUST DISCUSSING IT AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, HOW WE, HOW WE CAN ADDRESS IT.
WE'RE NEVER GONNA PLEASE EVERYBODY.
UM, BUT JUST LETTING THEM KNOW THAT WE, WE DID HEAR THEM AND WE ARE TRYING, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME, I'VE, I'VE SEEN SOME COMMENTS OF, WE'LL, QUIT BUYING FIRE TRUCKS.
THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.
BUT WHEN YOU CALL 9 1 1 AND YOUR HOUSE IS ON FIRE, YOU REALLY ARE GONNA APPRECIATE THAT FIRETRUCK WHEN IT ROLLS UP.
SAME THING, YOU KNOW, LAW ENFORCEMENT, IF, IF YOU'VE NEVER HAD TO USE 'EM, UM, YOU DON'T REALIZE HOW MUCH YOU WANT THEM THERE UNTIL YOU DO NEED THEM.
AND A MINUTE SEEMS LIKE AN HOUR.
AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S JUST HARD CHOICES.
I MEAN, I, I SAW ONE COMMENT WHERE THE PERSON SAID, OKAY, YOU ALL SEEM TO KNOW IT ALL.
WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE? WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO DO WITHOUT? AND I, I THOUGHT, WELL, THAT, THAT IS A QUESTION OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE PEOPLE WILLING TO DO WITHOUT? AND I, I THOUGHT ABOUT THAT A LOT SINCERELY THAT, AND I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW ANYTHING THAT WE HAVE THAT I CAN CUT MUCH MORE TO AND NOT THEN STRUGGLE, YOU KNOW, WITH, ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THAT EMERGENCY CALL OR THE EDUCATION OF A STUDENT? AND I'M NOT NAIVELY SITTING THERE SAYING THERE'S NOT FAT SOMEWHERE, BUT I, I'M NOT REAL SURE WHERE I CAN COMFORTABLY SAY, CUT IT OUT TO, TO MAKE A CHOICE.
IF THERE IS SOME, THAT'S WHAT MAKES THIS SO HARD TOO.
AND, AND I'M, WHAT MY FEAR IS WITH DIPPING IN TOO MUCH INTO THAT RESERVE IS THAT WE SAVED 5 CENTS THIS YEAR AND NEXT YEAR IT'S GONNA BE 15 CENTS BECAUSE OF THE UNFORESEEN WHATEVER THAT COMES UP.
AND I THINK WE ALL KNOW FROM OUR OWN HOMES, WHEN THE REFRIGERATOR GOES BAD, EITHER THE WASHER OR DRIVER GOES BAD OR THE ENGINE IN THE CAR BLOWS UP, THEY COME IN THREES.
I WISH IT WASN'T, BUT IT JUST SEEMS TO BE THE WAY MURPHY'S LAW HITS OR LADY LUCK OR LADY UN LUCK.
AND THAT'S WHAT SCARES ME ABOUT DIPPING TOO FAR AND, AND USING UNFORESEEN PERSPECTIVE MONEY TO FILL IT.
AND A 10 CENT TAX IS ALSO REALLY HARD.
UM, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US WERE UNTOUCHED BY THE PEOPLE THAT GOT UP AND SPOKE THE OTHER NIGHT ABOUT THE HARDSHIP OF A 10 CENT INCREASE.
AND THE FACT IS, WE'RE ALL GONNA FEEL IT TOO.
SO I DO APPRECIATE EVERYONE'S TIME.
I APPRECIATE EVERYONE THAT CAME OUT THE OTHER NIGHT.
I APPRECIATE ALL THE HARD WORK THAT EVERYONE HAS DONE PUTTING THIS TOGETHER.
AND IT'S, IT'S BEEN A LONG, HARD PROCESS AND WE GOT SOME DIFFICULT DECISIONS COME UP WITH IN 48 HOURS.
I GUESS NOW MR. CARTER, WE GET TO ITEM B IF NO ONE ELSE HAS ANYTHING.
SO IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? SO MOVED.