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CALLS ORDER[1. CALL TO ORDER]
THE FISCAL 23 BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING.THE SOLE PURPOSE OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS TO HEAR COMMENTS CONCERNING BILL NUMBER 22 DASH 0 0 9, WHICH IS THE PROPOSED ANNUAL BUDGET AND APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE FOR HARFORD COUNTY FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2023, AND ALSO RESOLUTION ZERO 16 DASH 22 REGARDING THE INTENT OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER A TAX RATE BELOW THE CONSTANT YIELD RATE AND RESOLUTION ZERO 17 DASH 22, WHICH IS THE CAPITAL PROGRAM FOR THE FISCAL YEARS ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2023 THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2028.
COUNCIL ALSO ACCEPTS AND WILL CONSIDER WRITTEN TESTIMONY SUBMITTED IN ADDITION TO, OR IN LIEU OF VERBAL TESTIMONY.
[2. PUBLIC HEARING COMMENTS]
WE ARE NOW READY TO HEAR FROM OUR FIRST SPEAKER, MS. DIXON, MR. PRESIDENT, WE HAVE THREE SPEAKERS THIS EVENING.JOHN MALAMA FOLLOWED BY EMMA PELLER.
GOOD EVENING TO YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES, PRESIDENT.
BIDEN'S NOT GOING TO BE HERE TONIGHT.
I'M ON 24 0 2 EAGLE VIEW DRIVE BEL AIR, MARYLAND.
ON A GENERAL NOTE, I WOULD ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER HOW THIS BUDGET AFFECTS THE FUTURE FINANCIAL CIRCUMSTANCES OF HARFORD COUNTY.
FEDERAL GRANTS FROM COVID FUNDING DO NOT REPRESENT A STEADY REVENUE STREAM.
LIKEWISE, THE BOOSTS AND INCOME TAX REVENUE FROM TEMPORARY CHANGES TO THE FEDERAL TAX CODE EXPIRE IN 2025.
BOTH OF THESE WILL REDUCE THE INCOME TAX REVENUES.
ON A SIMILAR NOTE, I WOULD LIKE TO REVIEW THE COUNTY COUNCIL BUDGET AND OPERATION.
IT HAS BECOME APPARENT THAT IT IS TIME FOR YOU TO REEVALUATE THE ARRANGEMENT FOR TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT PROVIDED BY THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH.
YOU PURSUE RECENT EVENTS HAVE EXPOSED SERIOUS STRAINS BETWEEN THE EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE BRANCHES, GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNING BODIES OF HARFORD COUNTY.
BOTH PARTIES HAVE CONTRIBUTED WHEN YOU DO NOT BULLY EXERCISE AND GUARD YOUR AUTHORITIES AND IGNORE YOUR RESPONSIBILITIES.
THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH WILL TAKE THOSE FOR HIMSELF.
YOU ARE NOW ATTEMPTING TO CORRECT THAT WITH A CHARTER AMENDMENT, YOU HAVE STATED THAT YOU WANT DIRECT ACCESS TO COUNTY EMPLOYEES WITHOUT RETALIATION COUNTY EMPLOYEES ARE WORKING UNDER A COUNTY EXECUTIVE WHO MAY BE PETTY, VINDICTIVE, NARCISSISTIC, AND PARANOID, BUT THEY KNOW FULL WELL THAT THEIR CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT DEPENDS ON THEIR LOYALTY TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE.
NOT YOU, ANY DISCUSSIONS THEY MAY HAVE WITH YOU COULD JEOPARDIZE THEIR CONTINUED EMPLOYMENT.
ADDITIONALLY, YOUR REQUEST FOR COUNTY EMPLOYEE SUPPORT REPRESENT AN UNFUNDED UNCOMPENSATED REQUIREMENT.
RECENTLY YOU ATTEMPTED TO PASS LEGISLATION REQUIRING SUPPORT FROM THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH FOR PARTICIPATION IN A STUDY GROUP, THAT LEGISLATION WAS VETOED AND THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE SPECIFICALLY DECIDED AT REQUEST FOR EXECUTIVE BRANCH PARTICIPATION IN THIS STUDY GROUP HAS ONE REASON.
THIS SITUATION IS MOST NOTABLE IN THAT SECTION OF THE CODE, DEALING WITH THE BOARD OF APPEALS.
YOU DEPEND ON THE DEPARTMENT OF PLANNING AND ZONING FOR TECHNICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.
I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE WELL-SERVED IN THAT ARRANGEMENT.
ANY CONTINUATION OF THESE CIRCUMSTANCES AS CONTRARY TO THE GOOD ORDER AND FUNCTIONING OF GOVERNMENT AND GOVERNANCE.
AND IT IS DETRIMENTAL TO THE RESIDENTS OF HARFORD COUNTY.
I WOULD PROPOSE THIS SOLUTION BOOST YOUR BUDGET TO FUND YOUR EFFORTS.
THE COUNTY CHARTER SECTION 5 0 4 DOES IN FACT ALLOW YOU TO PURSUE THOSE FUNDS AND DOESN'T FACT REQUIRE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO INCLUDE YOUR BUDGET REQUEST IN THAT COUNTY BUDGET.
IF THE BUDGET IS A ZERO SUM DOCUMENT, THEN DETRIMENT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE BRANCH BUDGET, THE NECESSARY AMOUNT, EXPAND YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF OR FUNDED CONTRACT FOR COMPETENT AND RESPONSIBLE ON-CALL SUPPORT.
I WOULD SAY THAT $1 MILLION WOULD BE SUFFICIENT, INCLUDE THE ZONING BOARD OF APPEALS AS WELL.
FUND YOURSELVES, CHANGE THE CODE, REDUCE YOUR DEPENDENCE ON THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION.
NOW THERE'S A MEME THAT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS MORE POWERS AND AUTHORITY THAN YOU.
HE HAS THE POWERS AND THE AUTHORITIES TO ACCOMPLISH THE JOB THAT HE IS GIVEN.
YOU HAVE EQUIVALENT POWERS AND AUTHORITIES, BUT IF YOU DON'T HOLD THEM, YOU CANNOT COMPLAIN WHEN THEY DISAPPEAR.
MA'AM I DON'T KNOW I'M AT MY PILLAR.
AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK WITH YOU.
I JUST WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE THINGS THAT STOOD OUT TO ME ON THE PROPOSED F BY 23 BUDGET.
THE FIRST THING I WANTED TO TOUCH ON IS ABOUT SALARIES.
I APPRECIATE THE 7% COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT AND THE 3% MERIT INCREASE THAT YOU HAVE ACROSS THE BOARD.
WHEN I WAS LOOKING THROUGH THE BUDGET, I NOTICED THAT FOR EVERY ELECTED OFFICIAL, THEY HAVE THAT SAME 7% INCREASE EXCEPT FOR ONE POSITION, WHICH WAS THE SHERIFF.
THE SHERIFF'S POSITION HAD A 34.7% INCREASE IN THE YEARLY SALARY OR AN INCREASE
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OF $49,794 BRINGING THE TOTAL SALARY UP TO $193,490 PER YEAR.THIS MUCH OF A JUMP FOR ONE PERSON, HOWEVER DIFFICULT AND COMPLICATED A JOB THAT THEY MAY HAVE.
IT'S HARD FOR ME TO JUSTIFY, ESPECIALLY AFTER SITTING AND LISTENING TO COMMUNITY RESOURCES LIKE THE ARC AND THE HARTFORD CENTER, SIT HERE IN FRONT OF YOU AND SAY HOW HARD THEY'RE STRUGGLING TO RAISE THEIR HOURLY RATE TO $15 PER HOUR.
I WOULD ASK THAT YOU PLEASE CONSIDER IF THAT MUCH OF AN INCREASE FOR ONE PERSON IS REALLY THE BEST USE OF THAT MONEY.
I ALSO WANTED TO SAY THAT I COULD NOT FIND THE SALARY FOR THE REGISTER OF WILLS OR CLERK OF THE COURT ANYWHERE IN MY SEARCHING.
THIS COULD BE AN ERROR ON MY PART, BUT I DID SEARCH THROUGH THE PAGES FOR QUITE A WHILE.
I HOPE THAT IN THE FUTURE, THE SALARY INFORMATION OF OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS WOULD BE MORE EASILY ACCESSIBLE TO THE AVERAGE PERSON.
I JUST WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE ABOUT EDUCATION TONIGHT AND ASK YOU TO APPROVE THE CURRENT PROPOSED FULL FUNDING REQUESTS FOR HTPS AND HARTFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
AS A FORMER STUDENT OF HTPS, I REALIZED THAT THAT MONEY IS NEEDED TO RETAIN AND ATTRACT AMAZING TEACHERS AND PARAPROFESSIONALS LIKE I HAD AND THAT OUR CURRENT STUDENTS DESERVE.
AND AS THE CURRENT HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE STUDENT, I REALIZED THE NEED TO KEEP TUITION AT THE SAME RATE.
IT DOES THAT RIGHT NOW FOR MY FIRST SEMESTER OF NURSING CLASSES.
THIS SUMMER I'LL PAY $1,600 IN TUITION ALONE.
WELL, I'M FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO BE ABLE TO AFFORD THIS.
I KNOW OTHER STUDENTS WHO WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO ATTEND IF TUITION WAS RAISED ANY HIGHER.
SO I'D JUST ASK AGAIN THAT YOU FULLY FUND THE REQUEST OF HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AS WELL AS HTPS.
VICKIE JONES IS THE LAST REGISTERED SPEAKER THIS EVENING.
I'M A LITTLE BIT, I DID NOT GET TO PREPARE LIKE I USUALLY DO.
SO THIS IS GOING TO BE SHORT, BUT I DID WANT TO SPEAK, UM, ON, IN REGARDS TO THE PARKS AND RECS LINE ITEM.
UH, SO I NOTICED THAT IT WAS A RELATIVELY LOW INCREASE, UM, AND, AND THAT CONCERNS ME GIVEN THE ENTIRE BUDGET.
UM, I KNOW THAT PARKS AND RECS ALSO CHARGES FEES FOR USAGE, BUT I JUST HOPE THAT THE COUNCIL WILL KEEP IN MIND, UM, OPPORTUNITIES FOR LOW-INCOME COMMUNITY.
SO THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OF LOWER INCOME WILL HAVE ACCESS TO THESE RESOURCES AS WELL.
UM, AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO PAY SO THAT AT LEAST THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITY FOR THOSE FOLKS TO ALSO ACCESS THESE RESOURCES.
I'M VERY PLEASED WITH WHAT I SAW FOR EDUCATION, THAT IT'S A PRIORITY OF THE COUNCIL, UM, AND YOU KNOW, HOPE THAT YOU WILL FULLY FUND THE HARTFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE AS WELL AS THE LOCAL, UM, PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM.
MA'AM THERE ARE NO MORE SPEAKERS MR. PRESIDENT, UH, WITH NO OTHER SPEAKERS SIGNED UP.
UH, THIS WILL CONCLUDE, UH, THE FISCAL 23 BUDGET PUBLIC HEARING.