[1. CALL TO ORDER]
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EVENING CHAIR CALLS TO ORDER A PUBLIC HEARING FOR BILL 23-0, 14 AND RESOLUTION 0 24 23 THANK YOU ALL FOR COMING OUT TONIGHT. UM I HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF BUSINESS. WE'RE GONNA TAKE CARE OF FIRST.
THE PURPOSE OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS TO HEAR COMMENTS CONCERNING BILL NUMBER 23-0 14, WHICH IS A PROPOSED ANNUAL BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS ORDINANCE FOR HARVARD COUNTY FOR FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30TH 2024 RESOLUTE ALSO RESOLUTION 0 24-23 REGARDING THE INTENT OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL TO CONSIDER A TAX RATE. IN EXCESS OF THE CONSTANT YIELD TAX RATE HAS ESTABLISHED BY THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF ASSESSMENTS AND TAXATION. IN BOTH THE INCORPORATED MUNICIPALITIES AND UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTY. AND RESOLUTION 0 25-23, WHICH IS THE CAPITAL PROGRAM FOR THE FISCAL YEARS ENDING JUNE 30TH 2024 JUNE 30TH 2029. THE COUNCIL ALSO ACCEPTS AND WE'LL CONSIDER WRITTEN TESTIMONY SUBMITTED IN ADDITION TO OR IN LIEU OF VERBAL TESTIMONY. THE FINAL TAX RATE WILL BE ADOPTED BY THE COUNTY COUNCIL, THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION ON TUESDAY. JUNE 13TH 2023 AT 7 30 PM TO BE HELD IN THE COUNTY COUNCIL CHAMBERS, LOCATED AT 2 12, SOUTH BOND STREET, BELLAIRE. UM. AGAIN AS A LOOK AROUND THE ROOM THIS EVENING. I SEE SOME UNFAMILIAR FACES, SO I JUST WANT TO LET EVERYONE KNOW THAT OUR RULES AND PROCEDURES WILL ALLOW EACH OF YOU THREE MINUTES TO SPEAK. I WANT YOU TO ALL BE RESPECTFUL OF ONE ANOTHER AND YOUR TIME. AND NO APPLAUDING, NO LOUD BURST AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO ROLL THROUGH THIS AND LISTEN TO EACH OF YOUR CONCERNS AND COMMENTS THIS THEN YOU IS FOR YOU. JUST FOR THAT REASON THIS IS ONE OF THE FEW OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE. YOUR VOICE IS
[2. PUBLIC HEARING COMMENTS]
HEARD WITHIN COUNTY GOVERNMENT. UH, MISS DIXON. OUR FIRST SPEAKER THIS EVENING IS TAYLAN KITE, FOLLOWED BY DAVID BAUER. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE 554 DOT FIELD COURT. ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING. I COME TO YOU AS A SECOND YEAR KINDERGARTEN TEACHER AT PROSPECT MILL. MY TWO YEARS IN HCPS, DESPITE BEING TOLD THAT THIS COUNTY IS THE GREATEST TO BE IN HAVE BEEN TURBULENT IN TERMS OF FUNDING. I STARTED MY CAREER AT SWAN CREEK AS A VIRTUAL KINDERGARTEN TEACHER, AND I LOVED IT. YOU MAY HAVE SEEN ME ON THE HCPS, TWITTER PAGE AND MY RAINBOW CUBICLE. TOUTING THAT I WAS A VIRTUAL STUDENTS FROM FIRST TO 12TH GRADE MYSELF. BUT WHEN THAT POSITION WAS CUT, I WAS TO BE MOVED TO VIRTUAL THIRD GRADE.WELL OF COURSE, FUNDING CUTS MADE THAT POSITION UNAVAILABLE. TO WHICH I HAVE NOW BEEN MOVED TO AN IN PERSON KINDERGARTEN CLASS THIS YEAR. SINCE THE PROPOSED BUDGET WAS RELEASED. MY TEAM MEMBERS HAVE TOLD ME TO START LOOKING AT OTHER COUNTIES AND PREPARED TO HAVE MY POSITION CUT. THERE ARE WHISPERS AND WORRIES BEHIND CLOSED DOORS. AND YET I STILL SHOW UP FOR MY KIDS.
IN FACT, SOMEONE ASKED ME TODAY IF I THOUGHT MY POSITION WAS SECURE FOR NEXT YEAR. AND WHICH I RESPONDED. I DON'T KNOW. OH, AND DID I MENTION I'M ALSO THE ASSISTANT COACH FOR THE WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL TEAM AT HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE. IT'S BEEN COUNTLESS HOURS IN THE GYM ON THE BUS, WORKING WITH STUDENT ATHLETES TO GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO STUDY AND PLAY AT A HIGHER LEVEL. WITH THIS PROPOSED BUDGET TUITION INCREASES WILL CAUSE MANY OF OUR STUDENTS TO NOT BE ABLE TO AFFORD SCHOOLING. WE ARE UNIQUE AND PROVIDING MANY STUDENTS WITH GROWING PERIOD THAT FULLY EQUIPPED THEM FOR A LARGER UNIVERSITY, THE WORKFORCE OR WHATEVER OTHER BIG DREAMS THEY HAVE. AND SO I WANT TO LEAVE YOU WITH THIS. AS YOU'VE HEARD, MANY OTHERS SPEAK ABOUT WHY YOU SHOULD VOTE NO TO THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND YOU'LL LISTEN TO MORE NOW. I WANT YOU TO HEAR DIRECTLY FROM MY STUDENTS. WE HAVE A BIG PROBLEM. SOME PEOPLE THINK SCHOOL IS NOT IMPORTANT. SCHOOL IS THE GREATEST PLACE OF LEARNING ON EARTH. I LOVE SCHOOL BECAUSE I LOVE MY TEACHER. YOU SEE IN OUR COUNTY SHOWS IN CURRICULUM. WE TEACH OUR STUDENTS TO WRITE ABOUT PROBLEMS IN THEIR WORLD AND THE TOPIC OF SCHOOL. BEING IMPORTANT CAME UP IN THEIR DISCUSSION. THIS BUDGET , EVEN IN A WATER DOWN KINDERGARTEN TYPE OF WAY IS A PROBLEM. AND WHAT KIND OF TEACHER WOULD I BE IF I DIDN'T COME UP HERE AND SPEAK ABOUT THE PROBLEM? AS SOMEONE WHO FOUGHT THEIR ENTIRE ACADEMIC CAREER FOR FUNDING. I KNOW FIRSTHAND THAT WHILE YOU THINK THAT STUDENTS DON'T FEEL THE STRESS AND FEAR OF SOMETHING THAT SEEMS SO MUCH BIGGER THAN THEM, THEY DO. SO TAKE IT FROM A KINDERGARTNER SCHOOL IS IMPORTANT AND WITHOUT
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QUALITY TEACHERS WHO SHOW UP DAY IN AND DAY OUT, THEY WON'T LEARN AND THEIR LOVE FOR LEARNING WILL DIMINISH. PLEASE VOTE. NO, THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING. I'M DAVID BAUER. 29 52 KIRK WILL COURT ABINGDON. I STRONGLY OPPOSED THE COUNTY EXECUTIVES PROPOSED BUDGET. I BELIEVE IT IS PROBLEMATIC VARIETY OF WAYS. YOU ALL HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT ONE. YOU ALL UNANIMOUSLY PASSED A RESOLUTION ASKING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO RESTORE FUNDING FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, CENTRAL PRECINCT AND TRAINING ACADEMY. I THANK YOU FOR THAT. WITH RESPECT TO WHAT YOU CAN DO DIRECTLY. I BELIEVE THAT STATE LAW GIVES YOU THE AUTHORITY TO RAISE REVENUES SPECIFICALLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF FUNDING OUR PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. THE MARYLAND EDUCATION ARTICLE SECTION 5-104. HAS THE SECTION THAT SPECIFICALLY AND CLEARLY SAYS IT OVERRIDES COUNTY CHARTERS. AND LET'S BE CLEAR. HCPS NEEDS THE FUNDING. A SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS EXPLAINED IN DETAIL WHAT THEY NEED THE FUNDING FOR NOW SOME PEOPLE SAY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT NEEDS TO CONTROL ITS SPENDING. I LOOKED AT THE ACTUAL NUMBERS AND I EMAILED YOU ALL SOME GRAPHS. IN EVERY YEAR EXCEPT. FOR ONE FOR AT LEAST THE LAST DECADE OR SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS HAD A LARGER OPERATING BUDGET INCREASE PERCENTAGE, THEN THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS UNRESTRICTED BUDGET. THE RESPONSE FROM THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION IN GENERAL HAS BEEN TO MISLEAD TO PUT IT NICELY. THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION MADE A CLEAR ERROR IN THEIR ANALYSIS OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS. FINANCIAL SITUATION. AND I'VE SEEN NO ACKNOWLEDGEMENT FROM THEM OF THAT ERROR. MR CASTELLI HAS CONTINUED TO SAY THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HAS $90 MILLION IN FUNDING BALANCE THEY CAN USE DESPITE HAVING RECEIVED THE ACTUAL FACTS REPEATEDLY. DURING THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS PRESENTATION TO THIS COUNCIL, THE COUNTY TREASURER SAID THAT IF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ONCE MORE MONEY IT EITHER HAS TO COME FROM THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS FUND BALANCE FOR THE COUNTY IS FUN BALANCE. AS IF HE WASN'T AWARE OF THE OPTION OF RESTORING OUR PREVIOUS TAX RATE. AND ACTUALLY FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE BUDGET WOULD HAVE BEGUN WITH ENDING LAST YEAR'S TAX CUT. MR CASTELLI HIMSELF EVEN TAUNTED YOU ALL ABOUT THAT TAX CUT DURING HIS PRESENTATION. HE CALLED IT 100 AND $60 MILLION THAT YOU ALL WON'T HAVE OVER THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS. QUOTE UNLESS WE'RE GOING TO BE THE TAX AND SPEND COUNCIL INCLUDE NOTICE. HE DIDN'T SAY COUNTY, HE SAID COUNCIL THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE IS PUSHING THE BURDEN OF DOING THE RIGHT THING ON YOU ALL. SO PLEASE DO THE RIGHT THING AND FUNDER SCHOOL SYSTEM. THANK YOU.THANK YOU, SIR. JOSIE COST GROWTH, FOLLOWED BY ARAVINDA HILL, OMARI.
GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS. PLEASE JOSIE COSGROVE TO GET IN HER PLACE ADDINGTON.
MY NAME IS JOSIE COSGROVE AND I'M A PARENT EDUCATOR IN THIS DRIVE PROGRAM AT WILL YOU, MISS JAMES? STRIVE PROGRAM IS FOCUSED ON OFFERING HIGHLY SPECIALIZED INSTRUCTION TO OUR YOUNGEST KINDERGARTEN STUDENTS AND TO OUR 21 YEAR OLD ADULTS. ITS FOCUS IS TO PROVIDE SPECIALIZED SERVICES TO INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE SIGNIFICANT COGNITIVE COMMUNICATION AND BEHAVIOR CHALLENGES. IN MY CLASSROOM. WE HAVE ONE TEACHER AND I AM ONE OF FOUR CARE EDUCATORS. ALL THE EDUCATORS IN MY CLASSROOM WORK SIDE BY SIDE, TEACHING ACADEMICS, COLLECTING DATA AND MANAGING BEHAVIORS. IF YOU WERE TO WALK IN OUR CLASS, SHE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DIFFERENTIATE WHO THE TEACHER IS FROM THE PAIR EDUCATOR. ALL OF US ARE REQUIRED BY LAW TO PARTICIPATE IN RIGOROUS TRAINING CERTIFICATIONS AND ONGOING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT. THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR, WHICH EXCEEDS THAT OF A GENERAL OR SPECIAL EDUCATION PARA EDUCATOR. IN ADDITION TO HAVING COMMUNICATION AND BEHAVIOR CHALLENGES, SOME OF MY STUDENTS HAVE DIFFICULTY PROCESSING THE SENSORS AROUND THEM. WHAT THIS LOOKS LIKE IN MY CLASSROOM IS THAT WE COULD BE SINGING AND ANOTHER STUDENT WILL BE PLACING HER FINGERS IN HER EARS. I TURNED OFF THE LIGHTS FOR MORNING GROUP ONLY TO FIND THAT A STUDENT WANTS THEM OPEN OR OPENS THE BLINDS. THIS
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HAPPENS FREQUENTLY THROUGHOUT THE DAY. AND WHEREAS YOUR I MAY BE ABLE TO IGNORE THESE ANNOYING , ANNOYING STIMULI, THESE CAN LEAD TO ONE OR MORE STUDENTS EXPERIENCING SEVERE ANXIETY, WHICH MAY RESULT IN THE STUDENTS YELLING RUNNING, HITTING THEMSELVES OR OTHERS. MY COWORKERS, AND I NEED TO CONTINUE TO TEACH IN THE CLASSROOM WHILE AT THE SAME TIME DEALING WITH ANY DISRUPTIVE BEHAVIORS. ANOTHER COMMENT SCENARIO THAT OCCURS AS ONE OF THEM WORKING WITH THE STUDENT AND THE STUDENT BECOMES FRUSTRATED. BECAUSE OF THE LIMITED COMMUNICATION SKILLS TO TELL ME THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE MATERIAL OR THEY NEED A BRIEF BREAK. I'VE GOTTEN SPITTING THAT SLAPPED IN THE FACE PUNCHED, KICKED OR HAVE SOMETHING THROWN AT ME. OR THEY JUST SOMETIMES RUN OUT OF THE WORKSPACE AND BECOME DISRUPTIVE TO THE ENTIRE CLASS. I DID SUFFER A CONCUSSION WAS OUT OF WORK FOR TWO WEEKS BECAUSE OF A STUDENT BECOMING FRUSTRATED. PROBABLY WORSE THAN GETTING INJURED MYSELF IS HELPLESSLY WATCHING A FRUSTRATED STUDENT INTENTIONALLY INJURE HIMSELF BY PULLING OUT THEIR HAIR. POUNDING THEIR FISTS IN THEIR FOREHEAD ARE SLAMMING THEIR HEAD INTO THE DESK OR FLOOR. SINCE I MET AT ELEMENTARY LEVEL I HAVE TAUGHT STUDENTS THEIR ABCS, 12 THREES AND HOW TO WRITE OVER THE COURSE OF TIME THEY HAD PROGRESSED TO BECOMING READERS BECOMING ABLE TO ADD AND SUBTRACT COUNT MONEY, TELL TIME AND DEVELOP AND WRITE SENTENCES. A FEW OF THEM HAVE BEEN ABLE TO JOIN THERE APPEARS IN THE JOURNAL EDUCATION, CLASSROOMS OR SOME OTHER ACADEMICS, ORCHESTRA AND EVEN CHORUS. DESPITE WHAT I ENDURE. I LOVE WHAT I DO. I UNDERSTAND MY STUDENTS, INDIVIDUALITY AND SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN IN STRIDE , AS WELL AS OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION PROGRAM DESERVE QUALITY CARE AND ADDITIONAL SUPPORT AND RESOURCES TO MEET THEIR NEEDS. I URGE YOU TO REJECT PODCAST, PLEASE BUDGET AND SEND HIS TEAM BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD. HIS BARE MINIMUM BUDGET DOES NOT ADEQUATE SUPPORT ESSENTIAL SERVICES. OUR STUDENTS DESERVE BETTER. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. ARAVINDA PILLOW, MARI. CALL YOUR NEXT SPEAKER ROD , FOLLOWED BY MELISSA ROMANO.GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. DOUGLAS TWO OR FOUR. STEED LANE, BEL AIR MARYLAND. WHENEVER YOU'RE READY. 29 YEARS AGO, I MOVED TO BEL AIR MARYLAND FOR THE FIRST JOB OF MY CAREER IS THE ONLY JOB OF MY CAREER. I WORK AND SERVE AS A MIDDLE SCHOOL COUNSELOR AT BELL OR MIDDLE SCHOOL. BRING THAT UP BECAUSE THE PLAN WAS COME TO BEL AIR. TAKE MY FIRST JOB GET 10 YEARS. GO TO GREENER PASTURES. SOMETHING WONDERFUL HAPPENED THAT FIRST YEAR I FELL IN LOVE WITH THIS COMMUNITY. I FELL IN LOVE WITH THE KIDS THAT I SERVED AND THE FAMILIES THAT I WORK WITH EVERY DAY. FOR YEARS. I'VE LISTENED TO THE COMMENTS OF GREAT BANG FOR YOUR BUCK COME TO HARFORD COUNTY. YOU KNOW, WE HAVE THE FELT THE EXCUSE ME. WE HAVE THE FUNDING 24TH IN THE STATE. LOOK AT THE BANK FOR WE LOOK WHAT WE ACCOMPLISHED WITH OUR KIDS FOR THE MONEY THAT WE SPENT. THINGS BEGIN TO UNRAVEL. YEAR AFTER YEAR. FUNDING IS AN ISSUE. AND WE SIT AROUND WE GO.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. I THINK WE DO. IF WE DON'T FUND OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM, IT BECOMES A HUGE PROBLEM. BEFORE I BECAME A SCHOOL COUNSELOR. I HAD DREAMS OF BECOMING A HISTORY TEACHER. I WANT TO REMIND YOU OF A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN OUR PAST. ABOUT 200 YEARS AGO.
THERE'S SOMETHING WRITTEN CALLED THE CONSTITUTION. SEE WE BROKE AWAY FROM ENGLAND. EVERYBODY KNOWS THE STORY. BECAUSE IT WAS A DICTATORSHIP. AND WE KNEW THAT THE POWER COULDN'T REST WITH ONE PERSON. WE BUILT INTO THE CONSTITUTION. CHECKS AND BALANCES. EXECUTIVE BRANCH JUDICIAL BRANCH LEGISLATIVE BRANCH. YOU GUYS HAVE THAT POWER TO BE THE CHECKS AND BALANCES FOR THIS BUDGET THAT'S PROPOSED BY MR CASTLE E. IT IS NOT APPROPRIATE. SHERIFF'S. COUNTY EMPLOYEES, PUBLIC LIBRARIES, PUBLIC SCHOOLS, HCC I DON'T KNOW. VERY MANY PEOPLE THAT ARE HAPPY WITH THE UNDERFUNDING THAT IS TAKING PLACE. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE YOU LOOK THIS COUNTY IS LOOKING FOR LEADERSHIP. AND I BELIEVE YOU FOLKS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE THE CHECKS AND BALANCES THAT CAN RIGHT THE WRONGS THAT ARE TAKING PLACE. PLEASE TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION. YOU HAVE THE POWER. TO DO WHAT IS BEST FOR OUR COMMUNITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. ROMANO 12 CORNFLOWER CIRCLE KIND OF WINDOW, MARYLAND. THANK YOU. COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS FOR HEARING ME SPEAK TODAY. MY NAME
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IS MELISSA ROMANO AND I DEDICATED 24 YEARS OF MY CAREER AT HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS SUPPORTING SPECIAL EDUCATION OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES BIRTH TO EACH 21. IMPORTANT CURRENTLY THE COORDINATOR OF SPECIAL EDUCATION FROM BIRTH TO FIVE PROGRAMS. THIS WOULD BE CONSIDERED A CENTRAL OFFICE POSITION MY OFFICES AT HORFORD ACADEMY AND I AM IN SCHOOL, SUPPORTING TEACHERS, CHILDREN AND SUPPORT STAFF. CURRENTLY I OVERSEE PROGRAMS FOR 1129 CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES IN THE COUNTY SIMILAR TO THIS SIZE , THERE ARE 2 TO 3 PEOPLE, PEOPLE IN MY ROLE COORDINATING THE SUPPORTS AND SERVICES FOR THIS NUMBER OF CHILDREN. I JUST WANT TO NOTE THIS AS THERE IS A MISCONCEPTION THAT WE HAVE TOO MANY CENTRAL OFFICE STAFF. THIS IS NOT ACCURATE, EACH ONE OF THE CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES WE SUPPORT HAVE EITHER AN INDIVIDUAL FAMILY SERVICE PLAN OR AN INDIVIDUAL EDUCATION PROGRAM. EACH ONE OF THESE DOCUMENTS IS A LEGAL BINDING DOCUMENT. FAMILIES CAN EXERCISE THEIR PARENTAL RIGHTS, INCLUDING ISSUING A STATE COMPLAINT, MEDIATION OR DUE PROCESS. THESE PROCESSES ARE FINANCIALLY BURDENSOME. EMOTIONALLY EXHAUSTING AND TIME CONSUMING FOR BOTH FAMILIES AND SCHOOLS.WE MUST HAVE THE FUNDING NECESSARY TO SUPPORT OUR STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES. THIS INCLUDES PROVIDING SUFFICIENT NUMBER OF TRAINED STAFF, RESOURCES, MATERIALS AND TRANSPORTATION. IN FEBRUARY, HARFORD COUNTY PRESENTED TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION DATA HIGHLIGHTING THE INCREASING NUMBER OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES WITH COMPLEX NEEDS, ESPECIALLY YOUNG CHILDREN. TO EXPAND ACCESS TO HIGH QUALITY SAFE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT.
HARFORD COUNTY HAS BEEN EXPANDING, SUPPORTS AND SERVICES THAT ARE DESPERATELY NEEDED FOR THE COMPLEX NEEDS OF OUR CHILDREN WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES. THIS YEAR WE NEED WE PROPOSED ADDITIONAL TEACHING AND SUPPORT STAFF TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN WITH AND WITHOUT DISABILITIES, ESPECIALLY WITH SOCIAL, EMOTIONAL AND BEHAVIORAL NEEDS. WE ARE WE ARE LOOKING AT SUPPORTING STUDENTS. AND. WITH GROWING HEAT, ESPECIALLY CHILDREN WITH TRAUMA , AND WHEN CHILDREN HAVE TRAUMA , THEY OFTEN HAVE REACTIONS OF FLIGHTS OF LIGHT. SO WE'VE HAD A GROWING NUMBER OF CHILDREN THAT ARE COMMUNICATING THROUGH PHYSICAL AGGRESSION AND ELOPING.
WE NEED TO ADDRESS THE NEEDS OF OUR CHILDREN, AND WE NEED THE SUFFICIENT FUNDING TO DO THAT.
AND IF WE DO NOT, IT'S GOING TO NEGATIVELY IMPACT. OUR COMMUNITY. OUR CHILDREN, OUR FAMILIES. AND OUR STAFF. OUR STAFF ARE GOING TO BE WE'RE NOT . AND OUR FAMILIES AND CHILDREN HERE. CONSIDERING WE ARE PROPOSING ADDITIONAL STAFF TO SUPPORT THE GROWING NEEDS OF CHILDREN. IT IS UNFATHOMABLE TO ME THAT WE WOULD NEED TO CONSIDER CUTS. I EMPLOY YOU TO NOT APPROVE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVES BUDGET OUR CHILDREN AND STAFF NEED THIS FUNDING WITH OUR GROWING NEEDS IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SAFE EQUITABLE AND EFFECTIVE PROGRAMS FOR ALL OF OUR CHILDREN. THANK YOU, MA'AM. MISTAKES IN CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE SPEAKER PRIOR TO ARAVINDA. PILLOW, MARI. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS. EVENING. THANK YOU. MY NAME IS ARVIND APPAREL. AMERO 7 12 SOUTH SHAMROCK MILLER. THANK YOU SO MUCH. SORRY I WAS LATE. I AM ALSO, UH, COMING TO EXPRESS MY SUPPORT FOR FULLY FUNDING HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS AS WELL AS OTHER IMPORTANT PUBLIC SERVICES, SUCH AS PARKS AND RECREATION, LIBRARIES, SEAT SERVICES FOR SENIOR CITIZENS, PUBLIC TRANSPORT IT PUBLIC TRANSIT AND HEALTH. UM ALL OF THESE ARE EXTREMELY IMPORTANT AND WE WILL ONLY I MEAN, IT'S EASY TO TAKE THEM FOR GRANTED.
SPEAKING FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE, UM UNTIL ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO, I WAS IN AN INTERNATIONAL JOB AND I'VE I'VE TRAVELED A LOT AND ONLY YOU KNOW WHEN I WHEN I BECAME AH, YOU KNOW, AFTER THE PANDEMIC AND BECOMING HOME BASED, I COULD HAVE LIVED ANYWHERE. HOWEVER I WENT TO HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS MYSELF AND, UM, YOU KNOW, MY PARENTS ALSO RETIRED, COULD LIVE ANYWHERE. THEY STILL LIVE HERE. I CHOSE TO LIVE IN HARFORD COUNTY. MY DAUGHTER ALSO GRADUATED FROM ABERDEEN HIGH SCHOOL, AND, UH, WHAT MAKES THIS A GREAT PLACE TO LIVE IS THAT WE HAVE QUALITY OF LIFE. GOOD PUBLIC SERVICES. WE HAVE OPEN SPACES ARE OUR KIDS HAVE OPPORTUNITIES AND IF, IF ONLY BY BEING A PLACE THAT THAT YOUNG FAMILIES WANT TO MOVE TO CAN
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HARFORD COUNTY BE A GROWING THRIVING ENVIRONMENT? UM, WHERE , YOU KNOW, EVEN EVEN IF MY DAUGHTER ISN'T IN SCHOOL ANYMORE , I WANT TO SUPPORT THE SCHOOLS. I WANT THE SCHOOLS TO BE STRONG.I WANT A THRIVING COMMUNITY AROUND ME. AH AS YOU KNOW, AS I HOPEFULLY, ONE DAY MAY BE ABLE TO RETIRE. I DON'T WANT TO FEEL THAT THIS IS A THIS COMMUNITY IS GETTING DESERTED AND I SHOULD LOOK FOR GREENER PASTURES. I THINK THIS HAS TO BE A GOOD COMMUNITY FOR ALL GENERATIONS.
AND I THINK WE SHOULD. WE SHOULD NOT LOSE WHAT WE HAVE. WE SHOULD NOT UNDERVALUE IT. IF ANYTHING, UH YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY, WHEN I WAS TRAVELING AROUND THE WORLD, UM I, UH YOU KNOW, MY DAUGHTER WAS HOME SCHOOL. WE HAD A 1 TO 1 STUDENT TEACHER RATIO, THE KIND OF WORK THAT TEACHERS ARE DOING WITH THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS THEY HAVE IN THEIR CLASS IS IT'S JUST STRETCHING THE LIMITS AND WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT EASING THOSE LIMITS. I HAVE SEEN THE IN FACT IN THE PREVIOUS BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING I WAS I HAD ACTUALLY TAKEN, UM, INITIATIVE TO COLLECT. STATEMENTS FROM STUDENTS FOR TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK TO WRITE A CARD AT THE END OF THE YEAR. AND THESE ARE INCREDIBLY MOVING STATEMENTS AND THE KIND OF THINGS THAT ARE POSSIBLE IF WE PROVIDE TEACHERS. IS THIS THE KIND OF SUPPORT THEY NEED THE STAFF? UM YOU KNOW, THE PUBLIC TRANSIT ALL THE THINGS THAT GO INTO MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS TO SHINE AND IN MY FROM MY EXPERIENCE, I WOULD SAY VERY HIGH ON THAT LIST IS HAVING ADEQUATE STAFF. UH WELL QUALIFIED, WELL PAID HAVE A GOOD RATIO OF TEACHERS TO STUDENTS SO THAT STUDENTS HAVE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO ASK QUESTIONS. HAVE THOSE HAVE THOSE MOMENTS THAT ALLOW THEM TO GRAPPLE WITH WHATEVER IS BOTHERING THEM, WHICH IS JUST IMPOSSIBLE WHEN THERE'S NO TIME IF WE CAN GIVE THE GIFT OF TIME , THEN WE WILL BE INVESTING IN THE FUTURE FOR HARFORD COUNTY.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU. JENNY YOUNG, FOLLOWED BY MARC PERALTA. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. MY NAME IS JENNY YOUNG AND I MAY ADDRESS IS 5 63 KIRKCALDY WAY. HELLO I AM HERE TO SPEAK AS A CONCERNED HARPER COUNTY CITIZEN PARENT. THREE HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS AND AS A TEACHER FOR HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOL. ENSURING THAT COUNTY FUNDS IN EXCESS OF THOSE REQUIRED FOR IMMEDIATE NEEDS ARE INVESTED IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE COUNTY IS THE DUTY OF THE HARTFORD COUNTY EXECUTIVE OUTLINED IN THE COUNTY CHARTER. OUR CHILDREN, OUR GREATEST ASSET. AND FULLY INVESTING IN THEIR EDUCATION IS IN THE BEST INTERESTS OF OUR COUNTY. AS THE FISCAL YEAR 24 BUDGET PROPOSAL STANDS, IT MEETS THE STATE MANDATE FOR MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT. IN OTHER WORDS, IT MEETS THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS. IT IS DISHONEST TO PROCLAIM THE BUDGET. THE PROPOSED BUDGET FULLY FUNDS HCPS WHEN IN REALITY , IT REDUCES THE FUNDS PROVIDED TO HCPS FROM THE FISCAL YEAR 23 BUDGET. AND FAILS TO FULFILL THE AMOUNT REQUESTED BY HCPS FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 24 BUDGET MR CATHOLIC, CONTINUES TO EMPHASIZE THE INCREASE IN STATE FUNDING FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 24. AND NOTE THAT COMBINING THAT AMOUNT WITH THE PROPOSED FUNDING AND HCPSS SURPLUS OF FUNDS WILL FULLY FUND THE HCPS BUDGET. HOWEVER THE INCREASE IN STATE FUNDING IS INTENDED TO SUPPLEMENT NOT SUPPLANT EXISTING FUNDS AS SCHOOLS MOVE FORWARD WITH THE MARYLAND'S BLUEPRINT FOR EDUCATION IMPLEMENTATION. ADDITIONALLY MR CASTELLI GROSSLY OVERINFLATED HCPSS SURPLUS OF FUNDS. THE BUDGET PROPOSAL AS STANDS WILL FORCE A HCPS TO MAKE CHANGES THAT WILL DIRECTLY IMPACT STUDENTS. IN THE BUDGET PROPOSAL. IN THE COMMENTS CONCERNING THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, MR CASTELLI EMPHASIZES THAT TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN AND MAINTAIN THE BEST LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL, WE MUST OFFER COMPETITIVE SALARIES. THE SAME IS TRUE FOR EDUCATORS AT A TIME WHEN THE NATION IS FACING A CRITICAL TEACHER SHORTAGE. HCPS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN HIGHLY EFFECTIVE TEACHERS IF THEY CANNOT OFFER COMPETITIVE SALARIES. BEYOND MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE FISCAL YEAR 24 BUDGET PROPOSAL. I AM DISHEARTENED BY MR KATHLEEN'S LEADERSHIP STYLE. PUBLICLY ATTEMPTING TO DISCREDIT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND ITS LEADERSHIP FOSTERS A CONTENTIOUS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE HARTFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND AMONGST HARTFORD COUNTY CITIZENS. NO ONE WINS IN A BLAME GAME. IN THE WORDS OF JOHN F. KENNEDY LEADERSHIP AND LEARNING ARE INDISPENSABLE TO EACH OTHER.
WITH THIS IN MIND, INVEST TIME AND LEARNING ABOUT HCPS. SEEK TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH HCPS LEADERS. EDUCATORS AND STUDENTS USE THESE RELATIONSHIPS TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE UNDERSTANDING OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS NEEDS AND DESIGN A BUDGET THAT FULLY FUNDS THOSE
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NEEDS SO THAT ALL HCPS STUDENTS RECEIVED THE QUALITY EDUCATION THEY DESERVE. AND TO THOSE OF YOU THAT HAVE SPENT THE TIME TO BUILD THOSE RELATIONSHIPS. THEY ARE NOTED, AND VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. MARK PEARL BROUGHT. MEGAN FITZGERALD, FOLLOWED BY EVA FITZGERALD. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING.MY NAME IS MEGAN FITZGERALD AND MY ADDRESS IS ON FILE. I NEED YOUR ADDRESS, MA'AM. 3913 LONGLEY ROAD. ABINGTON 21009. THANK YOU, MA'AM. UM GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS. COUNCIL PRESIDENT VINCENTI. I'M ASKING YOU TO FULLY FIND THE HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS BUDGET PROPOSED BY THE SUPERINTENDENT, DR BOLSON THERE ARE SEVERAL REASONS WHY OUR CHILDREN AND EDUCATORS DESERVE A FULLY FUNDED BUDGET. OUR STUDENTS WILL THRIVE WITH FULL IMPLEMENTATION OF THE HCPS BLUEPRINT. OBVIOUSLY THE BLUEPRINT IS EXPENSIVE, BUT EVERY BIT WORTH IT. HARFORD COUNTY STUDENTS NEED MORE THAN JUST READING, WRITING AND MATH. THEY ARE LIVING IN A WORLD WITH UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES. WE HAVE A 24 7 ECONOMY AND A CONSTANT INFLUX OF MEDIA, SOCIAL AND OTHERWISE. OUR HISTORICALLY UNDERREPRESENTED POPULATIONS. OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS . NEED THE WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT ARE MANDATED BY THE BLUEPRINT. AND OUR EXCELLENT EDUCATORS DESERVE TO HAVE A COMPETITIVE SALARY. AS AN HTTPS PARENT AND MOST RECENTLY IN HCPS EMPLOYEE UM YOU KNOW? I HAVE TWO CHILDREN IN THE IN THE SYSTEM. THEY'RE BOTH AUTISTIC. AND WHEN THEY STARTED IN KINDERGARTEN. I MADE IT MY BUSINESS TO KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT HOW TO GET THEM THE BEST. POSSIBLE EDUCATION EVERY SUPPORT EVERY SERVICE AVAILABLE TO THEM. AND THEN THAT LED ME INTO THE T A AND SERVING AS PRESIDENT OF THE PIZZA. I MEAN, I EAT, BREATHE AND LIVE SCHOOL FOR MY KIDS TO THE DEGREE THAT THIS YEAR I JUMPED RIGHT IN STARTED GETTING PAID FOR SOME OF IT. UM SO THERE'S THAT. BUT WHAT I'M HERE TO TELL YOU IS THAT IN THAT JOURNEY. I'VE WATCHED HE'S AMAZING PEOPLE PUT FORTH SO MUCH FOR OUR KIDS, AND I WATCHED THEM BE STRETCHED. SO THIN. THERE'S NOT ENOUGH. THERE'S NOT ENOUGH RIGHT NOW. YOU KNOW, I CAME IN ON THE SUBSTITUTE TEACHER RIGHT NOW AND WE'RE STRETCHED WERE SO STRETCHED AND. YOU KNOW, I'M VERY GRATEFUL FOR THE EDUCATION THAT MY CHILDREN GET TO RECEIVE RIGHT NOW. BUT I ALSO KNOW THAT I'M IN A VERY PRIVILEGED POSITION WHERE I'VE BEEN ABLE TO SEEK ALL OF THOSE SERVICES AND ALL OF THOSE SUPPORTS. UM YOU KNOW OTHER FAMILIES IN HARFORD COUNTY WITH KIDS WITH SPECIAL NEEDS, THEY DESERVE TO KNOW THAT THOSE SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE AND CURRENTLY WITHIN THE SPECIAL EDUCATION SYSTEM. THERE'S NOT, THERE'S NOT ENOUGH PEOPLE TO DO THE WORK WITH THE KIDS. AND MAKE SURE THAT THE FAMILIES ARE FULLY SUPPORTED DESPITE THE FACT THAT EVERY I E P HAS IT WRITTEN IN THERE. THAT PARENTS RECEIVE EDUCATION AND COUNSELING AND TRAINING ON HOW TO WORK WITH THEIR WITH THEIR NEURODIVERGENT CHILDREN. WE DON'T HAVE IT. SO PLEASE, PLEASE CONSIDER FULLY FUNDING. THE BUDGET. AND IT'S MY BIRTHDAY. IT'S THE ONLY PRESENT THAT I'M ASKING FOR. THANK YOU, MA'AM FUND THE BUDGET. THANK YOU. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. MY NAME IS. MY NAME IS EVA FITZGERALD. MY ADDRESS IS 3913 ABINGDON 21009. GOOD EVENING COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS. AS A STUDENT WHO RECEIVED SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES. I FIND THIS PROPOSED
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BUDGET DEVASTATING I AM BAFFLED BY HOW NARROW SIGHTED COUNTY EXECUTIVE CASTLE IS BEING. THAT MUCH MONEY GETS CUT. WE WILL HAVE A HUGE FINANCIAL LOSS AND OUR TEACHERS WILL LEAVE. US STUDENTS. WE WILL SUFFER GREATLY. AS A STUDENT WHO RECEIVES SPECIAL EDUCATION SERVICES. MY BIGGEST NEED IS SOCIAL SKILLS SUPPORT. AND AT SCHOOL. IT IS MY TEACHERS THAT PROVIDE THIS I GET TO MEET WITH MY SPECIAL EDUCATOR 1 TO 1 EVERY WEEK. THIS BENEFITS ME BECAUSE I AM TREATED LIKE A VALUED HUMAN AND SHE GIVES ME THE ROOM TO BLOSSOM. SHE HELPS ME PRACTICE CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE SHE'S HELPING ME REBUILD MY SOCIAL SKILLS EVER SINCE THE PANDEMIC.IF THE BUDGET IS NOT FULLY FUNDED, SOMEONE AS WONDERFUL AS SHE IS, WOULD NOT GET TIME OR MATERIALS NEEDED TO SUPPORT OUR NEURODIVERGENT STUDENTS. WORTH SHE MAY QUIT DUE TO THE LOW SALARY. WHO WOULDN'T THIS WILL MAKE ME FEEL UNNOTICED AND DESPERATELY ALONE. ATTENTION OF MIDDLE SCHOOL IS HIGH AND NOT HAVING THE ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE EFFECTIVELY WITH MY PEERS WILL BRING SERIOUS NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCES. WHAT COUNTY EXECUTIVE CASTLE IT IS SUGGESTING IS TO BE $19 MILLION LESS THAN OUR LAST BUDGET AND $39 MILLION LESS THAN THE BUDGET WE NEED. THAT IS SALT TO THE ACHING WOUND. WE ALREADY DID NOT HAVE ENOUGH TO SUPPORT ALL THE NEEDS WE REQUIRE, AND HE'S ONLY TAKING AWAY MORE OF OUR RESOURCES. YOU CANNOT PASS THIS BUDGET. PLEASE. FULLY FUND OUR SCHOOLS. THANK YOU, MA'AM. ROSE MARTINA, FOLLOWED BY SARAH OLSON. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING, ROSE MARTINO 17 27 PLEASANTVILLE ROUTE. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL PRESIDENT AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TONIGHT. MY NAME IS ROSE MARTINO AND I AM THE PROUD PRINCIPLE OF ROY WILLIAMS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I AM. WE STAND IN SOLIDARITY WITH OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT PARKS AND REC AND PUBLIC LIBRARY. WE ALL WORK HARD EVERY DAY TO SUPPORT THE GROWTH, DEVELOPMENT AND SAFETY OF OUR CHILDREN. I KNOW YOU HAVE HEARD AND SEEN THE FRUSTRATION AND OUTRAGE OF EVERY HCPS STAFF MEMBER ACROSS THE COUNTY THAT CANNOT ACCEPT THE CURRENT BUDGET PROPOSAL THAT CUTS HCPSS CURRENT OPERATING BUDGET. BY $19 MILLION AND DOES NOT PROVIDE THE ADDITIONAL $20 MILLION REQUESTED. SO TONIGHT I CHOOSE TO SHIFT THE LENS A BIT TONIGHT. I CHOOSE TO HIGHLIGHT THE AMAZING THINGS THAT ARE OCCURRING IN OUR SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTY, BUT SPECIFICALLY AT ROY WILLIAMS ELEMENTARY, LOCATED IN THE BEAUTIFUL ABERDEEN AND HEAVENLY GRACE COMMUNITIES THAT WE SERVE I'D LIKE TO BEGIN WITH THEIR INSTRUCTIONAL COACH, CHRISTIE HORN, WHO WORKS WITH 19 YEAR TEACHERS AND WILL ALSO SUPPORT TENURED TEACHERS BECAUSE SHE CARES ABOUT OUR TEACHERS AND STUDENTS, AND IT'S WHAT SHE DOES . ONE OF OUR KINDERGARTEN TEACHER SPEAKS HIGHLY OF MRS HORN AND SHARED THAT MRS WARREN'S POSITION HAS GIVEN OUR STAFF ACCESS TO PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN SO MANY AREAS. WHILE HER FOCUS IS NEW STAFF, WE HAVE ALL BENEFITED FROM HER EXPERTISE AND SUPPORT. OUR SPECIAL EDUCATOR. STAND UP MRS PRITCHARD AND SECOND GRADE TEACHER MRS COX STAND IT UP ARE ALSO HERE THIS EVENING AND WOULD LIKE YOU ALL TO KNOW THAT THEY HAD A STRUGGLING READER WHO LACKED CONFIDENCE AND WAS BEING CLOSELY MONITORED BY OUR STUDENTS SUPPORT TEAM THAT STUDENT GIRLS A READER THIS YEAR FROM THE BEGINNING OF OUR FIRST GRADE LEVEL TO A BEGINNING OF A SET OF THIRD GRADE LEVEL DUE TO BEING IN A CO TAUGHT CLASSROOM WITH THESE TWO AMAZING EDUCATORS. WHERE THEY PROVIDED SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION ONE ON ONE SUPPORT. AND INTERVENTIONS THAT OCCURRED CONSISTENTLY IN DAILY THIS CHILD NOW VOLUNTEERS TO READ ALOUD DAILY WITH CONFIDENCE WE'VE NEVER SEEN BEFORE. ANOTHER STUDENT WHO HAD SELECTIVE MUTISM AND STRUGGLE TO FORM RELATIONSHIPS FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR, CAN NOW BE SEEN RAISING HIS HAND DURING WHOLE GROUP LESSONS, PLAYING WITH HIS PEERS AT RECESS AND TELLING ABOUT HIS WORK PROUDLY DUE TO THE CARING ENVIRONMENT THAT THESE TEACHERS HAVE CREATED. MRS JANISZEWSKI STAND UP, IS OUR GT TEACHER AT OUR SCHOOL AND IS A HUGE PROPONENT OF OUR CHECKING CONNECT PROGRAM . THIS IS A SCHOOL BASED PROGRAM FOR A TIER THREE STUDENTS THAT NEED AN ADULT VOLUNTEER MENTOR TO SUPPORT THEM THROUGHOUT THE DAY TO MAKE GOOD CHOICES. THESE ADULTS IN THE BUILDING, DEVELOP STRONG RELATIONSHIPS WITH THESE STUDENTS AND GOALS ARE TAILORED TO EACH STUDENT'S NEEDS. ONE STUDENT WHO STRUGGLES WITH MANAGING HIS EMOTIONS WOULD OFTEN MISS OUT ON AT LEAST 60 MINUTES OF INSTRUCTION A DAY DUE TO BEHAVIORS HE DISPLAYED WHEN
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FEELING FRUSTRATED AT TIMES HE WOULD LEAVE THE CLASSROOM, RIP UP HIS WORK AND SCREAM AT HIS TEACHERS. THIS TEACH STUDENT HAS NOW BUILT GENUINE RELATIONSHIPS WITH HIS TEACHERS AND CLASSMATES. AND HAS LEARNED TO MAKE CHOICES WHEN HE IS UPSET. PROFIT GROWTH HAPPENED JUST THE OTHER DAY WHEN HE WAS UPSET AND WANTING TO STORM OFF AND HE SAID, PLEASE MAKE A CHOICE FOR ME BECAUSE I CAN'T DO IT RIGHT NOW. HE WAS ABLE TO SPEND FIVE MINUTES IN THE PEACE CORNER AND THEN TRANSITIONING EASILY BACK TO HIS WORK. MRS MASSOUDA, PLEASE STAND UP THE TEACHER HERE THIS EVENING THAT HAS TAUGHT IN ROYAL WILLIAMS FOR 24 YEARS WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL THAT SHE HAS A STUDENT CURRENTLY IN SECOND GRADE, WHO STRUGGLED WITH READING ALL THROUGH FIRST GRADE. HE THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. HI MA'AM. NAME. NAME AND ADDRESS. PLEASE. OLSON 995 BURNED DRIVE IN HYPER GRACE. SO I AM A RESIDENT OF HAMBURGERS, BUT I'M ALSO 1/4 GRADE TEACHER WITH HCPS AND I WROTE YOU GUYS AN EMAIL A FEW WEEKS AGO, DEALING MY CONCERNS ABOUT THE IMPACTS OF THIS BUDGET WILL HAVE, ESPECIALLY AS IT RELATES TO CLASS SIZES, SO I WANTED TO THANK THE COUNCIL MEMBERS. MEMBERS WERE TAKING THE TIME TO READ MY EMAIL. AND FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO DID, IN FACT RESPOND TO THAT EMAIL. I APPRECIATE IT. I DID WANT TO TAKE THE TIME TO REITERATE THOSE CONCERNS IN FRONT OF THE MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL AS WELL. FREDDIE PARENTS WHO MAY BE IN ATTENDANCE TONIGHT. THE CUT. STAR COUNTY BUDGET IMPACT A WIDE RANGE OF PUBLIC SERVICES, ALL OF WHICH ARE VALUABLE AND NECESSARY TO THE FUNCTIONING SOCIETY. I CURRENTLY HAVE 30 STUDENTS IN MY CLASS. MY GRADE LEVEL COLLEAGUE RECENTLY RECEIVED HER 31ST STUDENT. TO BE CLEAR. THAT MEANS THERE ARE 31 STUDENTS IN HER CLASS WITH ONE TEACHER WHO MONITORS EVERYTHING. IMAGINE THAT. THIS HALF OF THE ROOM WAS YOURS ALONE. COULD YOU MONITOR WHAT EVERY PERSON IN THIS ROOM IS DOING EFFECTIVELY? HERE'S MORE SPECIFIC BREAKDOWN OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE INSIDE OF A LESSON. I HAVE 60 MINUTES PER DAY FOR A MATH LESSON. 15 OR 20 OF THOSE MINUTES ARE SPENT WITH WHOLE GROUP INSTRUCTION, TEACHING SOMETHING NEW WITH ME AT THE BOARD AS WE'VE ALL SORT OF EXPERIENCED. THAT LEAVES 40 MINUTES FOR ME TO MEET MEET WITH EACH STUDENT SLIGHTLY OVER ONE MINUTE PER CHILD TO ASSESS WHETHER THEY UNDERSTOOD THE SKILL DIAGNOSED ANY MISCONCEPTIONS AND RETEACH THE SKILL SO THAT THEY DO UNDERSTAND. IF THEY WERE SICK THE DAY BEFORE. I NEED TO FIT YESTERDAY'S ENTIRE LESSON INTO THE SPAN OF THAT ONE MINUTE. WITH THIS LOOMING BUDGET CUT CLASS SIZES WILL INCREASE FURTHER. IF YOUR CHILD'S CLASS CURRENTLY HAS LESS THAN 30 STUDENTS. THAT'S AWESOME. BUT CONSIDER HOW CLASS SIZE LIKE MINE WOULD IMPACT YOUR CHILD'S LEARNING. IF YOUR CLASS LOOKS SIMILAR TO MINE, THE NEWS IS WORSE. OUR CLASS SIZES WILL LIKELY GET EVEN BIGGER. WOULD WE ASK A DOCTOR TO ASSESS DIAGNOSE AND TREAT PATIENTS IN UNDER A MINUTE? WOULD THAT BE EFFECTIVE? I'M HERE TO SPEAK ON MY EXPERIENCE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS, BUT I HAVE ALSO UTILIZED THE COLLECTIONS OF THE LIBRARY TO HELP TEACH MY STUDENTS. I'VE ENJOYED TIME IN OUR PUBLIC SPACES, AND MY STUDENTS TALKED ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY ENJOY THEIR TIME AND EVENTS HOSTED BY THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. THESE SERVICES ARE VITAL CUTTING THE BUDGET. THIS SIGNIFICANTLY WILL IMPACT PEOPLE AND SPECIFICALLY THE CHILDREN OF THE COUNTY AND AN EQUALLY SIGNIFICANT WAY. FOR EVERY ACTION. THERE'S AN EQUAL AND OPPOSITE REACTION. AND IN THIS CASE, THE REACTION WILL COST US THE FUTURE SUCCESSES OF OUR CHILDREN. WHETHER WE CHOOSE TO SPEND THE MONEY NOW ON THE PROACTIVE BETTERMENT OF OUR CHILDREN, OR SPEND IT LATER ON REACTIVE SERVICES LIKE POLICING AND WELFARE. BE ASSURED THAT THIS MONEY WILL BE SPENT AT SOME POINT EITHER WAY. IT MAKES SENSE TO INVEST IN A POSITIVE FUTURE THROUGH EDUCATION AND OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL SERVICES. WE ALL WANT SUCCESS FOR THE CHILDREN AND FOR OUR COUNTY. I KNOW THAT THIS DECISION IS A DIFFICULT ONE FOR YOU ALL TO MAKE. THIS BUDGET DID NOT COME FROM YOU. AND I DO NOT ENVY THE POSITION THAT YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF IN. I SURE WOULDN'T WANT TO BE THE PERSON TASKED WITH THIS DECISION. SO I HOPE THAT YOU CAN FIND A WAY TO REWORK OR REJECT THE BUDGET IN A MANNER THAT WILL NOT IMPACT OUR COUNTY SO DRASTICALLY. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MA'AM . FILL MONTAIGNE ERI, FOLLOWED BY MELISSA WILLIAMS. GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. MARY 18. OH, ONE FALSTAFF ROAD, BEL AIR. UM I AM , UH, FOR MR CASTILE'S BUDGET AND ENCOURAGED THE COUNCIL TO VOTE YES, AS PRESENTED UM BOB CASTLE WAS ELECTED OVER 2 TO 1 TO BE A FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE PERSON WITH OUR TAX DOLLARS. 2 TO 1. TO ME, THAT'S A MANDATE. I HAPPENED TO WATCH LAST WEEK'S LOAN LINE, MEETING OR MEETING ONLINE. EXCUSE ME. HEARD AND SAW A LOT OF THE HAND WRINGING, TEETH GNASHING AND INCENDIARY EMOTING. I DIDN'T HEAR ANY FACTS , LOGIC OR CRITICAL THINKING JUST A LOT OF OVER THE TOP AND PASSIONATE EMOTING. I WAS SURPRISED NO ONE CLAIMED THE COUNTY EXECUTIVES BUDGET WOULD INCREASE GLOBAL WARMING. HOPEFULLY THE COUNTY MEMBERS COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS SEE THROUGH THIS, TOO. WELL NEGATIVE. COMMENTATORS NOTED THE BUDGET WOULD AFFECT THE KIDS. IT[00:40:01]
SEEMED AS I WAS WATCHING IT THAT, UH, LOT OF COMMENTS ALWAYS TURNED TO TEACHERS RAISES STEP INCREASES AND RETENTION. I'M NOT SAYING WE DON'T HAVE GOOD TEACHERS. WE DO BUT HOPEFULLY THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS RECOGNIZE THIS TOO. I BELIEVE A GENTLEMAN NAMED TODD PENNINGTON SAID THAT THE REAL PROBLEM WITH THE SCHOOL BUDGET HAS TO DO WITH HOW AND WHAT THE SUPERINTENDENT'S DOING WITH HIS 90 MILLION EXCESS ON THE BANK. IF YOU HAVE THAT MUCH, YOU DON'T NEED MORE. IF THINGS ARE AS DIRE AS SOME OF THESE TEACHERS CLAIM, THROWING MORE MONEY AT IT WILL NOT FIX ANYTHING. IT SOUNDS LIKE THE PROBLEM IS WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE TEACHERS UNION. FINANCIAL PROBLEMS, ESPECIALLY WITH HIS LARGE RESERVE ARE ALWAYS THE FAULT OF TOP MANAGEMENT. IN FACT, IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY CAN GO WITH LESS. ONE OF THE COMMENTS I HEARD ALSO WAS THE CLASS. UH, IF THE BUDGET IS NOT IF THE BUDGET IS APPROVED, CLASS SIZE WAS GOING TO INCREASE. HOW DOES THAT WORK? DO WE PHYSICALLY REMOVE CLASSROOMS OUT OF A BUILDING WITH A SMALLER BUDGET? AH, THERE'S A BUILDING ACTUALLY SHRINK. WHERE DO THESE UNUSED CLASSROOMS GO? DO THEY GO UP IN THE CLOUD? AND CLOSING. I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT I'VE TALKED TO A LOT OF PARENTS. SOME HAVE CHILDREN IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. SOME HAVE ALREADY GOTTEN OUT THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. MOST OF THEM DO NOT WANT TO SEE AN INCREASE IN TAXES. AS WE ALL KNOW, WITH THE ECONOMY THE WAY IT'S BEEN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. MANY MANY PEOPLE HAVE NOT GOTTEN ANY INCREASES IN THEIR SALARIES. A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE HURTING INCREASING TAXES IS GOING TO IMPACT. EVERYBODY. IN CLOSING. AS FOR THOSE WHO DON'T SUPPORT MR CASTILE'S BUDGET WHEN YOU GET YOUR ANNUAL TAX BILL FEEL FREE TO PAY MORE THAN YOU ARE BEING CHARGED. SENDING HIS MUCH OVER THAT AMOUNT AS YOU WANT. PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS. THE REST OF US SAY THANKS I'M BILL MONETARY. I APPROVE THIS MESSAGE. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING. MY NAME IS MELISSA WILLIAMS WON SEVEN TO TOUCH OF GOLD DRIVE HABIT OF GRACE. GOOD EVENING, PRESIDENT VINCENTI COUNTY COUNCILOR. DISTINGUISH COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS MELISSA WILLIAMS, THE VERY PROUD PRINCIPLE OF JOPPATOWNE HIGH SCHOOL AND THE FIRST VICE PRESIDENT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE UNION KNAPSACK. FIRST I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TONIGHT. RESPECTFULLY I STAND BEFORE YOU AS A RESIDENT AND EDUCATOR IN HARFORD COUNTY. FOR 29 YEARS, AND I'M PROUD PARENTS OF A HARVEST YOUNG PUBLIC SCHOOLS GRADUATE. DURING MY 29 YEAR TENURE OF EXPERIENCED A WIDE VARIETY OF ECONOMIC TIMES, THE GOOD AND THE BAD. WITH FULLY FUNDED BUDGETS AND WITH BUDGET DEFICITS, BUT NEVER HAVE I SEEN A PROPOSED BUDGET LIKE THE ONE PROPOSED BY MR CASTELLI. THANKFULLY FOR THE PAST FEW YEARS AS A SYSTEM WE'VE RECEIVED SUPPORT FROM YOU, THE COUNTY COUNCIL AND MR GLASMAN AFTER THE 11 YEAR DROUGHT OF BUDGET SHORTFALLS EXCITED TO SAY THAT WE WERE MAKING SIGNIFICANT FORWARD PROCESS PROGRESS. EVEN WITH THE COVID SETBACK. THIS YEAR, WE FINALLY HAD A LOT OF THE NECESSARY RESOURCES. BUT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVES PROPOSED BUDGET WOULD NOT ONLY BRING THIS PROJECT PROJECT PROGRESS TO A SCREECHING HALT. THE LACK OF FUNDING WILL SIGNIFICANTLY HINDER OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM'S ABILITY TO MEET THE DIVERSE NEEDS OF OUR LEARNERS. THERE'S IMMENSE SETBACK WILL BE ILLUSTRATED IN THE DEVASTATION OF OUR STUDENTS. SURROUNDED BY 30, PLUS PEERS IN A CLASSROOM TAUGHT BY LESS QUALIFIED EDUCATORS. AS A PRINCIPAL. I HAVE WATCHED TEACHERS STRUGGLE UNDER THE LOAD OF INCREASED CLASS SIZES. THE IMPACT COMES BEYOND THE SCHOOL DAY WHEN ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS NEED TO BE COLLECTED. ASSESSED THE DATA ANALYZED. AND RESPONSIVE INSTRUCTION DEVELOPED. PLEASE NOTE OUR EDUCATORS WILL NOT LEAVE HARTFORD COUNTY. DO DO DO TO THIS INCREASED WORKLOAD. BUT BECAUSE OF ITS EFFECT ON THEIR ABILITY TO DO WHAT THEY SIGNED UP FOR PROVIDE RIGOROUS QUALITY INSTRUCTION TO OUR STUDENTS.THEY WILL LEAVE IN SEARCH OF A COUNTY OR A SYSTEM THAT CLEARLY SUPPORTS THEM. AND PRIORITIZES EDUCATION. JUST LAST WEEK, I SPOKE TO AN ASPIRING TEACHER WHO SHARED WITH ME WITHOUT HESITATION. THAT HE WOULD NOT CONSIDER TEACHING IN HARTFORD COUNTY. BECAUSE THE COUNTY DOES NOT PRIORITIZE EDUCATION. PLEASE SEND THE PROPOSED BUDGET BACK TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO
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ILLUSTRATE TO THIS YOUNG MAN AND TO OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY THAT HARFORD COUNTY DOES VALUE EDUCATION. OUR STUDENTS NEED HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS IN OUR CLASSROOMS. THAT HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHER. THAT CLASSROOM IS JUST A ROOM. WE NEED HIGHLY QUALIFIED TEACHERS IN THOSE CLASSROOMS AND WE ALL NEED A BUDGET THAT WILL SUPPORT FORWARD PROGRESS AND NOT REGRESSION. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM NICOLE BUYERS, FOLLOWED BY LEE BONDRA ALL.NAMES AGAIN, PLEASE NICOLE BUYERS, FOLLOWED BY LEE BONDRA, ALL CALL YOUR NEXT SPEAKER.
CYNTHIA POPE ER, FOLLOWED BY NADIA GARCIA. EXCUSE ME. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM NAME AND ADDRESS.
UM 638 AIRLOCK PLACE IN BEL AIR. I WEAR MANY HATS. UM, THE MOST IMPORTANT OF WHICH IS MOM. I HAVE TWO CHILDREN IN OUR DISTRICT. AND I LEFT ARIZONA. SO THAT THEY WOULD HAVE A BETTER EDUCATION. SO THAT THEY WOULDN'T BE HELD HOSTAGE TO DE FUNDING IN THE WAY THAT THIS DISTRICT HAS STARTED TO DO. SO I AM VERY DISAPPOINTED. IN THE WAY THAT THIS COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS DECIDED. TO FIND OR I'M NOT FUND OUR BUDGET. I AM A TEACHER. 27 YEARS. I HAVE BEEN IN HARTFORD COUNTY FOR EIGHT OF THOSE AND I'M A PROUD ENGLISH TEACHER AT EDGEWOOD HIGH SCHOOL. I HAVE MY NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION. I HELPED INTERNS FROM COLLEGES. GET EXPERIENCE IN THE CLASSROOM.
AND THE PROBLEM IS GOING TO BE THAT PEOPLE WHO HAVE THEIR CHILDREN ARE NOT GOING TO STAY IN OUR DISTRICT. AND OUR SCHOOLS. WE'LL END UP FURTHER DEFUNDED. AND HE WILL CREATE THE CRISIS THAT HE IS. PREDICTING. I WANT TO KNOW WHY WE ARE 10TH. IN THE STATE OF COUNTIES FOR WEALTH. AND YET WE ARE 24TH. IN COUNTIES FOR PER PUPIL PER PUPIL SPENDING. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW.
WHY. THERE IS SUCH A SPREAD OF MISINFORMATION. I CONTINUALLY HEAR ABOUT THE FUND BALANCE, AND YET NO ONE MENTIONS THE COUNTY'S FUND BALANCE. NO ONE MENTIONS. THAT THERE IS OVER. 50. MILLION DOLLARS IN OUR FUND BALANCE THAT IS ALREADY ALLOCATED TO OTHER PROJECTS. THE AMOUNT IS NOT REALLY THERE, AND IT'S THE MISINFORMATION. FOR ME. THAT IS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM. AND THE UNDERFUNDING IS NOT JUST THE 39 MILLION THAT HAS BEEN SPOKEN OF . IT'S ACTUALLY OVER 70. IF YOU COUNT THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT ARE ALSO BEING DEFUNDED IN THIS BUDGET. AND IT'S NOT JUST EDUCATION. ALL OF THE PUBLIC SERVICES PUBLIC SERVICES. THAT IS WHAT THIS COUNTY SHOULD BE ABOUT. THAT IS WHERE THE MONEY SHOULD GO. EDUCATION IS THE FOUNDATION SAFETY IS A FOUNDATION. ALL OF THE LIBRARIES ARE PUBLIC GOOD. THIS IS WHERE OUR MONEY NEEDS TO GO. PLEASE REJECT THIS BUDGET AND DO THE RIGHT THING FOR THIS COUNTY. THANK YOU, MAN. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE . CYNTHIA POPPER, 952 ANGEL VALLEY COURT. EDGEWOOD. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL PRESIDENT, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN OF THE COUNCIL AGAIN, I HAVE TO APOLOGIZE FOR YOU TAKING THE BLAME FOR THE ACTIONS OF ANOTHER. YOU HAVE ALL PATIENTLY AND POLITELY SAT AND LISTENED TO THE PUBLIC. WHILE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE CONTINUES TO ESPOUSE HIS BARE MINIMUM TRUTHS AND CLAIMS THAT HE IS BEING ATTACKED BY THOSE THAT ARE UNHAPPY WITH HIS BARE MINIMUM BUDGET FOR OUR PUBLIC SCHOOLS. LET'S TALK ABOUT THOSE ACTUAL FACTS. HARFORD COUNTY IS BUDGETING 53.4% OF ITS BUDGET ON EDUCATION. BUT THE EDUCATION SECTION OF THE BUDGET DOESN'T JUST COVER HCPS. BUT HARVARD COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARIES AND HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
HTTPS IS BUDGETED TO RECEIVE ONLY 40.2% OF THE COUNTY BUDGET FOR ITS OPERATIONAL BUDGET. AND SINCE 2015 COUNTY REVENUES HAVE INCREASED BY 55.2. THE HCPS PORTION OF THE COUNTY REVENUES, HIS ONLY INCREASED BY 36.3% DURING THAT SAME TIME. IN 2021 HCPS WAS 22ND OUT OF 24 IN PER PUPIL OVERALL COST NOT SPENDING COST MAKING HCPS, ONE OF THE MOST EFFICIENT DISTRICTS IN THE
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STATE. WE KNOW HOW TO SQUEEZE EVERY DROP OUT OF A DOLLAR AND HAVE BEEN DOING IT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS. LET'S TALK ABOUT FUN BALANCE HCPSS UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE IS NOT 90 MILLION. AS IS CONTINUALLY BEING FALSELY TOUTED , BUT 36 POINT 8,000,055 MILLION OF THE 90 MILLION IS ASSIGNED AND OF THAT 59 MILLION 24.7 MILLION ISN'T EVEN TAXPAYER MONEY BUT EMPLOYEE HEALTH CARE PREMIUMS. FOR THE HEALTHCARE RATE STABILIZATION FUND, AND STUDENT AND PARENT FUNDS RAISED FOR STUDENT ACTIVITY FUNDS. BUT HCPS ISN'T BEING AFFORDED THE LUXURY OF NOT SPENDING DOWN.IT'S FUN BALANCE IN THE SAME WAY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE WON'T SPEND DOWN THE COUNTY FUND BALANCE.
APPARENTLY ONLY BARE MINIMUM. BOB CAN FOLLOW GENERAL AND STANDARD ACCOUNTING PRACTICES.
MANY SPEAKERS ARE LINKING THE BUDGET TO CURRENT TEST SCORES BY COMPARING THEM TO TEST SCORES OF THE PAST. ARE STANDARDIZED TESTS HAVE CHANGED THREE TIMES IN THE LAST SEVEN YEARS. THREE DIFFERENT TESTS TWO DIFFERENT SETS OF DELIVERY METHODS AND THREE DIFFERENT SETS OF STANDARDS. NO WAY TO ACCURATELY COMPARE THEM. DO WE RECOGNIZE THE TEST SCORES COULD BE BETTER.
SURE. ARE WE PREACHING DOOM AND GLOOM FOR OUR STUDENTS? ABSOLUTELY NOT. AT SOME POINT YOU NEED TO APPLY THE OLD ADAGE. YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR, AND HARFORD COUNTY HAS BEEN DWINDLING AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PER PUPIL EXPENDITURES FOR DECADES. IMAGINE THE DIFFERENCE.
ADEQUATE FUNDING MIGHT MAKE WE NEED TO DO BETTER FOR OUR KIDS AND OUR SCHOOLS. PLEASE REJECT THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND DEMAND THAT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE DO BETTER FOR THE CHILDREN OF HARTFORD COUNTY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS. PLEASE DADDY GARCIA 202 TRIALS COURT ABINGDON. GOOD EVENING, COUNTY COUNCIL PRESIDENT AND ALL MEMBERS. MY NAME IS NADIG GARCIA . I HAVE BEEN WORKING AS A READING PARA EDUCATOR FOR THREE YEARS AT ABINGTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I WORK WITH. LOWEST PERFORMING READERS FROM KINDERGARTEN THROUGH FIFTH GRADE BY PROVIDING DAILY READING INTERVENTION IN 30 MINUTES BLOCKS OF TIME THROUGHOUT THIS READING. NOW I AM GOING TO COMPARE THE EFFECTS OF STUDENTS ACADEMIC GROWTH FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR. LAST YEAR, I WAS REPEATED COVER AS A SUBSTITUTE TEACHER, AND THIS YEAR I'M ABLE TO HAVE ALL THE STUDENTS WITH READING INTERVENTION. LAST YEAR, I WAS PULLED 48% OF READING INTERVENTION TIME TO COVER FOR THE TEACHERS IN THE BUILDING.
THERE WAS NO INSUFFICIENT NUMBER OF SUBSTITUTE TO COVER THE NEED FOR THE TEACHERS. BEING PULLED AS A SUBSTITUTE RESULTED IN ME HAVING TO CANCEL MY DAILY READING INTERVENTION, AND THOSE STUDENTS SUFFER BY NOT RECEIVING. INSTRUCTIONS THEY NEEDED AND DESERVED. NOT RECEIVING THE READING. INTERVENTION SERVICES IMPACT TEST FORCE. READING GROWTH OVER TIME. AND CONFIDENCE IN ALL SUBJECT AREAS. THIS YEAR, WE WERE GRANTED ADDITIONAL SUBSTITUTES. I HAVE BEEN PULLED ONLY TWO TIMES FOR OTHER CLASSROOM TEACHERS. THEREFORE I'M ABLE TO MEET WITH MY READING INTERVENTION GROUPS PERSISTENT. STUDENT DATA SHOWS INCREASING MASTERY OF PHONICS AND COMPREHENSION SKILLS AS COMPARED TO LAST YEAR. LAST YEAR, I WAS NOT ABLE TO FINISH TEACHING PHONICS SKILLS AND INCOMPREHENSION SKILL SET THOSE STUDENTS NEEDED. THIS YEAR. I HAVE TAUGHT THE STUDENTS ARE PASSED ALL THOSE SKILLS. NOT ONLY THAT I HAVE MOVED INTO THE NEXT LEVEL OF PHONICS AND HIGHER LEVEL. COMPREHENSION SKILLS. AS YOU SEE THOSE LOWER PERFORMING LEADERS NEED READING INTERVENTION TIME TO SHOW CONSISTENT GROWTH IN READING AND OTHER STUFF THERE. IF THE PROPOSED BUNCH OF THIS PAST THERE WILL BE A LACK OF FUNDING TO PROVIDE COVERAGE IN THE BUILDING AGAIN, I WILL MOST LIKELY BE PULLED TO SUBSTITUTE THEN THE STUDENT WILL NOT RECEIVE THE READING INTERVENTION SERVICES THEY NEED AND DESERVE. PLEASE CONSIDER FALLING FUNDING OUR SCHOOLS FOR THE SAKE OF OUR STUDENTS ACADEMIC SUCCESS. I WAS STUDENTS ARE HARMFUL COUNTY'S FUTURE LEADERS. THANK YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU, MA'AM. CHRISTINA TABLER, FOLLOWED BY ANDREW CASSILLY.
GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. MY NAME'S CHRISTINA TABLER AND I LIVE ON
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10 21 YOUNG AVENUE IN BEL AIR. I AM IN FAVOR OF FULLY FUNDING THE EDUCATION BUDGET. I'M HERE BECAUSE I BELIEVE THE NEEDS OF FAMILIES ARE CENTRAL TO HARFORD COUNTY. THERE'S BEEN LOTS OF DISCUSSION AND DEBATE. BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE NEED TO REMEMBER THAT IT IS OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES THAT ENABLE ALL CHILDREN TO SUCCEED. COMMUNITY SERVICES SUCH AS SCHOOLS, LIBRARIES AND PARKS ALL MAKE A COUNTY WORTH LIVING IN BY PROVIDING CHILDREN AND FAMILIES WITH RESOURCES AND ENRICHMENT. THE M S. D E S DIVISION OF ASSESSMENT, ACCOUNTABILITY AND PERFORMANCE RELEASED A REPORT THIS MARCH. UNFORTUNATELY THE LARGEST CLASS SIZE AVERAGE IN THE STATE FOR ELEMENTARY, MIDDLE AND HIGH SCHOOL ALTOGETHER. GOES TO HARFORD COUNTY WITH AN AVERAGE OF 26 STUDENTS. WE ALSO HAVE THE HIGHEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CLASS SIZE AVERAGE WHEN COMPARED TO ALL OTHER COUNTIES IN MARYLAND, 33 STUDENTS FOR A CLASSROOM IN AN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. I'M SOMEONE WHO GREW UP IN HARTFORD COUNTY. I GRADUATED FROM C. MILTON WRIGHT HIGH SCHOOL IN 2015 WITH A 4.1 G P A WHILE TAKING SEVERAL AP COURSES , JOINING THREE DIFFERENT HONOR SOCIETIES AND SEVERAL CLUBS AND PERFORMING AS A FIRST CHAIR CLARINETIST IN THE MARCHING BAND AND CONCERT BAND. WITH ALL THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT HCPS WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE ME WITH. I WAS ABLE TO RECEIVE A FULL SCHOLARSHIP TO HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE AS A FIRST GENERATION COLLEGE STUDENT. THROUGHOUT MY FOUR YEARS OF COLLEGE, I STAYED IN HARFORD COUNTY EARNED A SPOT ON THE ALL MARYLAND ACADEMIC TEAM AND EVEN RECEIVED A NATIONAL AWARD FROM COCA COLA FOR MY ACADEMICS, LEADERSHIP AND SERVICE TO THE COMMUNITY. WHAT ABOUT FIVE YEARS AGO? WHEN I WENT TO GO TRY TO, YOU KNOW, GET MY FIRST JOB. START MY CAREER AS A TEACHER. THAT WAS WHEN WE LOST 200 TEACHING POSITIONS. IT DIDN'T MATTER. THE EFFORT THAT I PUT IN THE PAST FOUR YEARS HOW MUCH I WANTED TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY THAT HAD GIVEN SO MUCH TO ME. BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY THEY COULDN'T RETAIN THE TEACHERS THAT THEY ALREADY HAD. SO I WENT TO BALTIMORE COUNTY FOR A FEW YEARS. GOT SOME MORE EXPERIENCE AND LIKE, HEY, I'M READY TO GO BACK TO THE PLACE THAT I GREW UP IN THE PLACE THAT I LOVE. AND NOW HERE WE ARE. SEVERAL YEARS LATER. SEEING A SIMILAR SITUATION HAPPEN. THERE'S SO MANY BRIGHT AND TALENTED INDIVIDUALS WITHIN THIS COMMUNITY. EVERYONE DESERVES ACCESS TO THE RESOURCES THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BENEFIT FROM. WE ARE ALREADY DOING A HUGE DISSERVICE TO FAMILIES IN HARFORD COUNTY BY PLACING OUR CHILDREN IN OVERCROWDED AND UNDERFUNDED CLASSROOMS, ESPECIALLY AT THE ELEMENTARY LEVEL FOR OUR YOUNGEST STUDENTS. HIGH QUALITY EDUCATION IS A NEED FOR ALL CITIZENS OF HARFORD COUNTY, AND WE DESERVE SO MUCH MORE THAN THE BARE MINIMUM FOR ALL OF OUR COMMUNITY SERVICES. I'M URGING YOU TO SAY NO TO THE CURRENT BUDGET AND REVISE IT SO THAT CHILDREN AND FAMILIES CAN SUCCEED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MA'AM. GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. GOOD EVENING COUNCIL FOR THE RECORD. ANDREW CASTELLI. 17 37 DEATHS BOARD ROAD HAVING GRACE, MARYLAND. THANKS FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK THIS EVENING. YEARS AGO, I FEARED MY OWN CHILDREN WOULD MOVE OUT OF OUR STATE TO AVOID THE NEVER ENDING TAX INCREASES. AT THE SAME TIME, LARRY HOGAN LAUNCHED HIS CAREER OR HIS CAMPAIGN FOR GOVERNOR. MANY PEOPLE SAID THAT A REPUBLICAN COULD NEVER WIN IN A STATE THAT WAS CONTROLLED BY DEMOCRATS. BUT AS IT TURNS OUT, THE VOTERS WERE MORE CONCERNED ABOUT THE CONTINUAL TAX INCREASES AND GROWING DEBT BY THE FORMER SPEND HAPPY GOVERNOR.LAUNCHING HOGAN INTO OFFICE. BACK WHEN HOGAN TOOK OFFICE, HE APPOINTED A WHOLE NEW SET OF DEPARTMENTAL LEADERS TO OVERSEE EDUCATION, LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OTHER AGENCIES. HIS NEW UNIFIED TEAM SHARED HIS VISION OF FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND ROOTING OUT DEPARTMENTAL INEFFICIENCIES.
THIS COMMON GOAL AND PURPOSE LED TO HIS SUCCESS OVER THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS. WE WERE ABLE TO TIGHTEN THE BUDGETS OF STATE AGENCIES AND REDUCE WASTED SPENDING. THIS STRATEGY ALLOWED US TO CLIMB OUT OF THE MORE THAN $300 MILLION DEFICIT AND BUILD A SURPLUS IN OUR STATE COFFERS WITHOUT INCREASING TAXES. TODAY OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE FACES THE SAME CHALLENGE OF PRODUCING A RESPONSIBLE BUDGET, BUT WITHOUT THAT SUPPORTIVE TEAM, IN CONTRAST TO HOGAN, OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS AN INHERITED THOSE AT THE TOP OF THESE LOCAL AGENCIES WITH THEIR OWN POLITICAL AGENDAS, MAKING DISINGENUOUS ATTACKS AND EVEN TAKING THE EXTREME POSITION. BUT
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IF YOU DON'T GIVE ME ALL THE MONEY I WANT I'VE BEEN DEFUNDED. THIS IRRESPONSIBLE VIEW OF VISIONARY SPENDING. WHERE YOU WORRY ABOUT THE BILL LATER IS IMPACTING A WHOLE NEW GENERATION OF FOLKS ENTERING THE WORKPLACE . DO WE REALLY WANT TO SADDLE THEM WITH ADDITIONAL TAXES? THE YOUNG EDGEWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL TEACHER WHO SPOKE TO YOU LAST WEEK WAS RIGHT. TODAY'S TEACHER SHORTAGE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THEIR SALARIES AND EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THE HOSTEL CLASSROOM ENVIRONMENT DUE TO DISRUPTIVE AND DISRESPECTFUL STUDENTS AND A LACK OF SUPPORT. OUR SUPERINTENDENT IS DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE POLICIES, RESULTING TEACHERS LEAVING THE PROFESSION. THIS ISSUE CANNOT BE SOLVED BY THROWING MONEY AT IT. BALTIMORE CITY HAS PROVEN THAT WE LIVE IN AN AGE WHERE WE CAN NO LONGER RELY ON VOLUNTEERS TO FILL THE RANKS OF OUR MEDICAL FIRST RESPONDERS. WE WOULDN'T DREAM OF ASKING THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT TO RELY ON VOLUNTEERS. SO BUILDING R E M S MUST TAKE PRIORITY. AND PHASING IT IN IS REALLY NOT AN OPTION.SO WHEN THE DUST SETTLES, YOU FIND YOURSELF IN THE SAME PLACE AS THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE. DO YOU APPROVE THIS BUDGET, OR DO YOU CAST IT ASIDE FOR MORE VISIONARY APPROACH? WHERE BASICALLY WE MAY BE INCREASING TAXES. THE DECISION IS YOURS TO MAKE. BUT MAKE NO MISTAKE. OUR CITIZENS WILL FACE THE CONSEQUENCES OF YOUR DECISION. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, SIR. CRYSTAL ROOF, AN ACT, FOLLOWED BY ELSA MADE. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. AT 700 HESTON COURT, BEL AIR MARYLAND. UM I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK TONIGHT IN RESPONSE TO EXECUTIVE ASHLEY'S BUDGET UPDATE. UM THAT WAS RECENTLY PUBLISHED AND SOME OTHER SOCIAL MEDIA CLAIMS JUSTIFYING HIS BUDGET DECISIONS. UM HE CLAIMS THAT THIS IS A RESPONSIBLE BUDGET THAT MAINTAINS ESSENTIAL SERVICES. WE ARE IN FISCALLY CHALLENGING TIMES. IT'S IMPORTANT TO SAY NO TOO EXCESSIVE AND UNNECESSARY SPENDING AND THAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON NEEDS VERSUS WANTS. THE REALITY IS THE COMBINED CUT OF OVER $70 MILLION TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION REQUEST WILL NOT ALLOW HTTPS TO MAINTAIN ESSENTIAL SERVICES. HE MENTIONS THE HARTFORD COUNTY SPENDING AFFORDABILITY COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT HE'S NOT RESPONSIVE TO CITIZENS QUESTIONING NUMBERS AND PROJECTIONS BASED ON DATA FROM OTHER EXPERTS. HE DOESN'T PROVIDE EXPLANATION AS TO THE REQUEST FROM THE BOARD OF EDUCATION THAT HE PERCEIVES TO BE A NEED VERSUS THE ONE. HE JUST SIMPLY STATES THAT THE BOARD OF ED REQUEST IS EXCESSIVE AND UNNECESSARY. HE CLAIMS HE'S BEING ATTACKED AND THAT HE'S STANDING FIRM AGAINST AN ONSLAUGHT. THE CRITICS ARE ASKING. HE INCREASED TAXES OR PRETEND WE WILL SEE DRAMATIC GROWTH FROM TAX REVENUE. HE ISN'T BEING ATTACKED. CITIZENS ARE QUESTIONING. HOW IS PROPOSED BUDGET IS SO FAR OUT OF ALIGNMENT FROM HIS OWN STATED VALUES AND THE VALUES OF HARFORD COUNTY CITIZENS. THE MAJORITY OF HIS CRITICS AREN'T ASKING FOR TAX INCREASES OR EXPECTING DRAMATIC NEW GROWTH. WE DISAGREE WITH HIS ASSESSMENT. OUR COUNTY IS IN A PRECARIOUS SITUATION WITH REVENUE AND THAT WE WILL SEE SUBSTANTIALLY WORSE FISCAL DECLINE THAN OTHER AREAS OF THIS STATE AND NATION. IN RESPONSE TO CLAIMS ABOUT OUR SUPERINTENDENT. IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING OUR SUPERINTENDENT DOES LIVE HERE IN HARTFORD COUNTY. BUT EVEN IF HE DIDN'T HARTFORD CITIZENS ARE NOT SIMPLE MINDED ENOUGH TO BELIEVE SOMEONE LIVING IN ANOTHER COUNTY TRANSLATES TO INABILITY TO SERVE WELL. WE'VE HAD EXECUTIVE LEADERS IN THE SYSTEM WHO HAVE LIVED HERE, THEIR WHOLE LIVES WHO HAVE NOT SERVED US WELL. THE $90 MILLION FUND BALANCE NUMBER IS NOT CORRECT AS IT RELATES TO DISCRETIONARY SPENDING, WHICH IS HOW EXECUTIVE CASTLE IS PRESENTING IT. HE POSTS DETAILS ABOUT THE COUNTY FUND BALANCE AND TALKS ABOUT HOW FUNDS SHOULD BE USED. IT'S OUR DUTY TO MAINTAIN A CERTAIN LEVEL OF THAT FUND BALANCE, AND THEN HE SUGGESTS WE DRAIN THE FUND BALANCE AND SUGGEST THAT WE SPEND IT ON ITEMS THAT HE SAYS SHOULD NEVER BE SPENT OUT OF A FUN BALANCE, SUCH AS REOCCURRING COSTS LIKE SALARIES. HE CLAIMS THE STATE HAS MANDATED MORE AND NOT PROVIDED FUNDING AND IT'S NOT NEXT BREATH. HE TALKS ABOUT HOW THERE'S AN INCREASE IN STATE FUNDING AND IMPLIES ITS DISCRETION AREAS HE FAILS TO SEE THOSE FUNDS ARE EARMARKED FOR SPECIFIC EXPENDITURES. HE HAS A LOT TO SAY ABOUT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, BUT HE DOESN'T SPEAK TO ANY OF THE DATABASE FACTORS. MOST INFLUENTIAL JUST DO THAT ACHIEVEMENT. THE BOARD OF ED REQUEST IS NOT AMBITIOUS. IT'S NOT FRIVOLOUS, AND IT DOES NOT PROVIDE SUFFICIENT FUNDING AS HE CLAIMS. THE $22 MILLION MORE. THIS YEAR NUMBER IS INCORRECT. IT'S BASED ON ESTIMATES HE DID NOT UPDATE AS YOU KNOW, PREVIOUSLY, EXECUTIVES HAVE UM, HE CLAIMS HE'S BEING ATTACKED BY THOSE ADDICTED TO UNSUSTAINABLE GROWTH. AND HE CLAIMS THAT THE GLASSMAN ADMINISTRATION AND THOSE OF YOU WHO SERVED ON THIS COUNCIL WENT ON A SPENDING SPREE. PLEASE
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BRING YOUR COMMENTS TO CLUES. ENCOURAGE YOU TO VOTE NO TO THIS BUDGET AND SEND IT BACK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. ELSA MADE. ANDREW MATAN, FOLLOWED BY JOY CLARK. GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. ANDREW MADE IN 19. OH, SIX CASTLE ROAD, FOREST HILL. UM I'M HERE TODAY AS A REPRESENTATIVE FOR EMC, A THE UNION FOR HARPER COUNTIES, GENERAL GOVERNMENT. UM YOU KNOW? AND OUR MAIN POINT IS THAT AH, YOU KNOW THE BUDGET CLAIMS TO ONE PROVIDE RETENTION INCENTIVE.AS WELL AS INCREASING, UM PUBLIC SAFETY AND PUBLIC HEALTH. UM. WHAT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE HAS OFFERED AS A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT OF 1.5. UH EFFECTIVE IN JULY ON JULY 1ST AND THEN MAYBE ONE MORE 1.5% IN JANUARY. THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT RETAINS EMPLOYEES. UH YOU KNOW COST OF LIVING IN HARFORD COUNTY OVER THE PAST YEAR HAS INCREASED BY 5.3. UM AND YOU KNOW THE WAY THINGS ARE GOING, IT COULD PROBABLY GO GO HIGHER. UM YOU KNOW, I ALSO WANTED TO TAKE THIS TIME TO THANK ALL THE TEACHERS IN THE ROOM. UM YOU KNOW, I MY PARENTS MOVED US HERE FOR THE EDUCATION. UH YOU KNOW, FROM REISTERSTOWN TO HARTFORD COUNTY. UM, WENT TO HICKORY WENT TO SOUTHAMPTON WENT TO SEE MOM RIGHT, AND THEN WENT TO HARVARD COMMUNITY COLLEGE. UM SO YOU KNOW, WE STAND BEHIND YOU. YOU KNOW, I THINK WHEN CASTLE E, UH , YOU KNOW, MADE THE CLAIM THAT HEY, IF THIS IS THE BUDGET THAT YOU WANT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RAISE TAXES BY $500. IT WAS A TRANSPARENT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THE PUBLIC PUBLIC EMPLOYEES AGAINST YOU KNOW THE PUBLIC AND DRIVE A WEDGE BETWEEN THE TWO. UM, BUT HE CAN'T THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN. THE PUBLIC PUBLIC EMPLOYEES ARE THE PUBLIC. UM THIS IS YOU KNOW THE COUNTY TO LIVE IN BECAUSE OF THE INVESTMENT PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATIONS HAVE MADE IN THE PUBLIC SECTOR. UM AND THAT THAT KEEPS THE WHOLE THING GOING. UM SO AGAIN, YOU KNOW, CALLING US CALLING M C A FOR SUPPORT. WE HAVE YOUR BACK. UM BECAUSE YOU KNOW, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WHETHER, FOR BETTER OR FOR WORSE , UH, I'M YOUR FAULT. SO THANKS. THANK YOU, SIR. YOU MEAN MA'AM NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. HI IT'S JOY CLARK FOR 18 CRISFIELD DRIED OF ABINGDON. GOOD EVENING. UM. TO ALL THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME SPEAK. SO I AM THE VICE PRESIDENT FOR EMC, A COUNCIL 6 10 HERE IN HARVARD COUNTY. AND THIS YEAR I SAT DOWN WITH OUR TEAM TO, UM PREPARE FOR NEGOTIATING AND COLLECTIVE BARGAINING WITH THE WITH THE COUNTY THIS YEAR, SO I WAS A LITTLE BIT WELL, I THINK WE WERE ALL A LITTLE BIT DISHEARTENED AND DISAPPOINTED. WHEN WE FOUND OUT THAT OUR, UM. OUR NEGOTIATING WAS NOT ACTUALLY NEGOTIATING AT ALL BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T EVEN WANT TO DISCUSS THE BUDGET WITH US WHAT THEY DIDN'T WANT TO HAVE ANY DISCUSSION ABOUT. WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN FOR A COST OF LIVING FOR OUR EMPLOYEES. OR FOR OUR MAYOR INCREASES THAT WE WERE TO GET ANYTHING LIKE THAT. WE WEREN'T EVEN ALLOWED TO NEGOTIATE THAT WE WERE TOLD IT'S GOING TO BE THIS 1.5% SO TO BEGIN WITH THEM VERY DISAPPOINTED THAT WE WEREN'T ABLE TO NEGOTIATE THIS YEAR AT ALL. AND THAT WAS KIND OF SHUT OUT BY THIS BUDGET. UM, WE SPEAK ON BEHALF OF 413 EMPLOYEES. HELL ARE BARGAINING MEMBERS FOR US? AND SOME OF THOSE EMPLOYEES ARE OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT TEACHERS. THANK YOU SO MUCH, ALL OF YOU TEACHERS, BUT WE ARE 911 DISPATCHERS WERE PARAMEDICS. WE ARE PARKS AND REC EMPLOYEES. WE ARE WATER AND SEWER EMPLOYEES. WE HAVE ALL THE OTHER JOBS IN THE COUNTY THAT CONTINUE TO BE DONE EVERY DAY.
WE STILL SERVE EVERY EMPLOYEE, EVERY COUNTY CITIZEN THAT LIVES HERE WHEN YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WHERE YOUR WATER WON'T COME ON, YOU PICK UP THE PHONE AND YOU CALL WATER AND SEWER. WHEN YOU NEED AN AMBULANCE TO YOUR HOUSE, YOU PICK UP THE PHONE AND YOU CALL 911 AND WE SEND THE AMBULANCE AND PARAMEDICS THERE. SO THOSE SERVICES ARE STILL VERY MUCH NEEDED AND TO JUSTIFY JUST A 1.5% COLA. WHEN THE COUNT WHEN THE YOU KNOW THE COUNTY AS AN A MUCH LARGER BUDGETARY PROBLEM WITH SPENDING UM YOU KNOW YOU YOU CAN'T GO TO THE GROCERY STORE WITH YOUR 1.5% COLA AND
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STILL, BY ALL OF THE THINGS THAT YOU WERE BUYING, YOU'RE PAYING MORE FOR ELECTRICITY. YOU'RE PAYING MORE FOR GAS. YOU'RE PAYING MORE FOR YOUR HOUSING IF YOU ARE A RENTER. I'M VERY SORRY FOR YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE PAYING TONS MORE FOR THAT RENTAL THIS YEAR. EVERYTHING IS MORE APPAREL CLOTHING. PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, MEDICAL CARE, EVERYTHING COSTS MORE AND THE 1.5% EVEN IF THERE IS GOING TO BE AN ADDITIONAL, WHICH HASN'T BEEN PROMISED TO US AT ALL, LATER, WILL NOT COVER ANY OF THOSE EXPENSES. UM I AM JUST REQUESTING THAT YOU PLEASE SEND BACK THIS BUDGET AND HAVE IT REWORKED. HOWEVER THAT NEEDS TO BE DONE SO THAT YOU CAN TAKE CARE OF THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES THE WAY THAT THEY NEED TO BE TAKEN CARE OF BEFORE THEY DECIDE THAT THEY NEED TO LEAVE HARFORD COUNTY AND GO SOMEWHERE ELSE WHERE THEY MIGHT BE TAKEN CARE OF. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM.HEATHER ARMATURE FOLLOWED BY DANCING. I'M SORRY, DAISY SHOOK . CALL YOUR NEXT PIERS. DAISY SHOCK. RYAN BURBEY, FOLLOWED BY CHRIS FRIEDMAN. GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.
HI AS MOST OF YOU KNOW, MY NAME IS RYAN BURBEY NOW LIVE AT 17 01 MOUNTAIN ROAD. AARON HERE, MY REP NOW, UM. I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO GET INTO A LOT OF DISCUSSING THE COUNTY EXECUTIVES. UTTER PUKING DISPLAY OF STUPIDITY THAT HE CALLS BUDGET. UH REVENUES ARE ARE SLASHED AND NOT ACCURATE.
YOU CAN ADD IT UP. YOU HAVE AIDS TO FIGURE THAT OUT. THE FUND BALANCE FOR HCPS IS NOT $90 MILLION, AND I KNOW THAT BECAUSE FIVE YEARS AGO I MADE THEM SPEND VIRTUALLY ALL ALL THEIR FUN BALANCE JUST TO HONOR THE CONTRACT THEY NEGOTIATED WITH US AFTER WE GOTTA COMPROMISE BUDGET FROM THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE. AH! THAT NONSENSE ABOUT THE SUPERINTENDENT. IT'S PROBABLY THE BEST SUPERINTENDENT IN THE STATE, HE WALKED INTO A HUGE FIGHT BETWEEN EVERY SINGLE GOVERNMENT ENTITY AND HAS DONE THE BEST THAT ANY SUPERINTENDENT HAS TO MAKE ALL THE NEEDS OF EVERYONE MET. AH! I'M GOING TO MAKE A FEW PROMISES. ONE. I NO LONGER REPRESENTING ONE WHAT MYSELF? SO I DON'T HAVE TO PLAY NICE IN SANDBOX. NO MORE. SO IF YOU THOUGHT I WOULD RULE WAS RUTHLESS BEFORE RELENTLESS BEFORE I ASSURE YOU THERE'S A DECIDED CHANGE. I'VE BEEN VERY ILL IS WHY YOU HAVEN'T SEEN MORE OF ME. BUT ANYONE WHO VOTES FOR THIS BUDGET I ASSURE YOU YOU WILL HAVE A PRIMARY CHALLENGER IN YOUR PARTY. I ASSURE YOU AND DION YOURS WILL BE HIGHLY ORGANIZED AND WILL BE ABLE TO BEAT YOU, MR BURBEY. I ALSO ASSURE YOU THIS. YOU DON'T HAVE TO LOOK AROUND TO SEE THE DO ANYTHING BUT LOOK AT THE DEMOCRAT DEMOGRAPHICS TO SEE THE IMPACT THAT YOU WILL MAKE BY NOT FUNDING THIS BUDGET PROPERLY. THERE'S A DEARTH OF TEACHERS BETWEEN MY AGE AND ABOUT 30 BECAUSE THEY ALL LEFT. WE FOUGHT THIS FIGHT FOR A DECADE. WE CAN'T HANDLE IT AGAIN. NEVER BEFORE HAS ANYONE PROPOSED SPENDING LESS? LESS. THEN THE PREVIOUS YEAR. THAT IS INSANE. I MEAN, IT'S BEYOND THE PALE. DAVID CRAIG DID SOME CRAZY STUFF. BUT IN HIS WILDEST. ON LUCID STATE DREAMS. HE NEVER CAME UP WITH A BUDGET THAT FUNDED US AT LESS. IT'S JUST DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE. I'M NOT GOING TO ADVOCATE AGAINST THE OTHER ORGANIZATIONS BECAUSE THE SHERIFF'S HAVE BEGINNING TO SHAFT FOR THE ENTIRE SCOPE OF THEIR EXISTENCE. AS HAVE THE COUNTY WORKERS. YOU NEED COLLECTIVE BARGAINING. COUNTY WORKERS TALK TO YOUR STATE REPRESENTATIVES. I AM GOING TO SAY THIS. I AM GOING TO SAY THIS. IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT WASTE. IN ANY BUDGET. FIRST PLACE YOU LOOK IS OVER TIME.
THERE'S NOT A SINGLE TEACHER THAT GETS OVER TIME. THERE'S NOT A SINGLE ADMINISTRATOR THAT GETS OVER TIME. EXCLUDED EMPLOYEES CAN WORK OVERTIME FOR FREE. THAT MEANS COMMAND STAFF ADMINISTRATORS. ANYBODY WHO IS AN EXCLUDED EMPLOYEE INSTEAD OF AN HOURLY EMPLOYEE. THAT'S WHERE YOU MAKE UP BUDGET SHORT. PLEASE BRING YOUR COMMENTS TO CLOSE. MR BURBEY, PLEASE. DON'T SWIM IN THE SLIME TRAIL THAT YOU'VE BEEN GIVEN. THANK YOU DO THE RIGHT THING. THANK YOU. CHRIS FRICK,
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HMAN. FOLLOWED BY JAMES RAMSEY. HMM. GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE JAMES RAMSEY AT 309 SOUTH PARK STREET APARTMENT. A NINE ABERDEEN. I'VE HEARD SOME BAD REASONS FOR THE PROPOSED UNDERFUNDING AT THE SCHOOLS. TEST SCORES ARE LOW. OKAY SO WILL THEY GET BETTER WITH LESS FUNDING? ISN'T THAT A BIT LIKE SAYING THAT MEETINGS WILL CONTINUE UNTIL MORALE IMPROVES.SUPERINTENDENT SALARY IS TOO HIGH. OKAY EVEN IF WE GRANT THAT'S TRUE UNDER FUNDING, THE SCHOOLS IS NOT GOING TO FIX THAT. STATE MONEY WILL COMPENSATE FOR THE SHORTFALL WE'VE HEARD HEARD SOME OTHER PEOPLE TALKING ABOUT THAT. TO THE EXTENT THAT STATE MONEY IS AVAILABLE, IT'S EARMARKED FOR SPECIFIC THINGS. AND I THINK I REMEMBER WADE SEAWORLD, MENTIONING THAT IF IT'S USED FOR OTHER THINGS, HARFORD COUNTY MAY LOSE THAT FUNDING IN THE FUTURE BECAUSE IT'S ONLY SUPPOSED TO GO TO YOU CERTAIN THINGS LIKE THE BLUEPRINT PROJECTS INSIDE. WE CAN RATE THE RAINY DAY FUNDS TO THE EXTENT THOSE FUNDS ARE EVEN AVAILABLE. THERE FOR EMERGENCIES AND DEALING WITH UNFORESEEN PROBLEMS USING THEM FOR MAINTENANCE COST OF LIVING INCREASES. AND SO ON. WELL, THAT'S BEEN DONE IS LAST GUY MENTIONED, BUT IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE. AND ULTIMATELY, IT MAKES THE SCHOOLS LESS PREPARED FOR DEALING WITH THE UNITED EXPECTED WE CAN KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD FOR GOING REPAIRS AND LIVE WITH DETERIORATING FACILITIES LIKE ABERDEEN HIGH SCHOOLS AND USABLE FIELD TRACK. AGAIN THIS IS ALSO NOT SUSTAINABLE, AND IT'S LIKELY TO BE EVEN MORE EXPENSIVE THAN LONG RUN THAN FIXING THINGS NOW THAT CURRENTLY NEED FIXING. WHILE I DON'T EXPECT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE TO BE A RUBBER STAMP FOR THE BOARD OF EDUCATION, I DO EXPECT HIM TO LISTEN TO THEM AND TAKE THEIR KNOWLEDGE ABOUT THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND THEIR NEEDS INTO ACCOUNT. THAT DOES NOT SEEM TO BE HAPPENING. SO YEAH, REJECT. CASTILE'S BUDGET. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MICHAEL KINI, POWERED BY RACHEL RACHEL DELAUGHTER. GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. MICHAEL KINI. 71 27 RUTHERFORD ROAD. WINDSOR MILL, MARYLAND. SO THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME TONIGHT. MY NAME IS MICHAEL KINI ON THE LABOR RELATIONS SPECIALIST FOR THE MARYLAND CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION, JUST HEARD ONE OF OUR MEMBERS. JULIE CLARK, WHO WORKS FOR DS AND MY COLLEAGUE AND HER MAIDEN. SO I'LL BE REAL BRIEF. FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU AGREE THAT HARFORD COUNTY CITIZENS OR EXTREMELY BLESSED YOU HAVE THE MOST TALENTED PEOPLE. NO. I TRAVELED ALL OVER THE STATE. AND I SEE A LOT OF WORK FORCES. BUT YOU GUYS ARE REALLY BLESSED. BECAUSE THESE GUYS DO A GREAT JOB. THEY'RE DEDICATED. AND THEY'RE UNDERPAID. BUT THEY WORK HERE ANYWAY. SO AGAIN. YOU KNOW FUND SCHOOLS. FIND THE SHERIFF AND FUNDED GENERAL WORKFORCE. WHEN YOU CALL 911 YOUR BABY IS TURNING BLUE. YOU BETTER HAVE SOMEBODY ON THE OTHER HAND TO HELP YOU. SO I HAVEN'T SAID THAT . PLEASE SEND IT BACK TO MR CASTLE E. AND TELL HIM TO NEGOTIATE IN GOOD FAITH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. YEAH. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM NAME AND ADDRESS. RACHEL DELAUGHTER 770 SHALLOW RIDGE COURT IN MARYLAND. I'M NOT A FINANCE PERSON, BUT I FEEL LIKE BOB CASSILLY IS EITHER GIVING FALSE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL BOARD BUDGET ON PURPOSE. OR HE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND SIMPLE, FUNDAMENTAL FACTS THAT EVEN SOMEONE LIKE MYSELF. THERE WAS NO BACKGROUND IN FINANCE CAN MANAGE TO GRASP. HE'S EITHER DELIBERATELY LYING TO THE CITIZENS OF HARFORD COUNTY OR GENERALLY DOESN'T UNDERSTAND THE JOB HE'S BEEN ELECTED TO DO. BOTH ARE EQUALLY TERRIFYING TO ME. HE SAID HARFORD COUNTY SCHOOLS WILL BE GETTING 22 MILLION. I BELIEVE I COULD BE WRONG ON THAT NUMBER. MONEY BUT THAT MONEY IS SPECIFICALLY EARMARKED TO BE SPENT ON SPECIFIC PROJECTS. AND IF HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS DO NOT SPEND THAT MONEY ON THOSE SPECIFIC PROJECTS, THE STATE EARMARKED IT FOR WE WON'T GET THAT MONEY IN THE FUTURE YEARS, BUT WE WILL STILL HAVE TO CONTINUE TO PAY FOR THOSE PROJECTS THAT ARE LEGALLY REQUIRED WERE ALSO LEGALLY REQUIRED IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS TO START PAYING OUR TEACHERS A SALARY OF $60,000 A YEAR AND GOOD THEY DESERVE THAT THEY DESERVE MORE AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED. OUR TEACHERS AND STAFF ARE AMAZING. BUT IF WE DON'T FIND THE BUDGET, HOW ARE WE GOING TO PAY THEM? WE'RE GOING TO HAVE 40 KIDS TO A CLASSROOM AND YOU KNOW WHAT
[01:20:03]
HAPPENS WITH OVERCROWDING IN OUR CLASSROOMS. GOOD TEACHERS LEAVE BECAUSE WHY WOULDN'T THEY GO SOMEWHERE WHERE THEY GET PAID MORE, HAVE LESS STUDENTS AND ARE RESPECTED AND HONORED THE WAY THAT THEY SHOULD BE. WHAT HAPPENS TO OUR CHILDREN? WE END UP WITH OVERCROWDING IN THE CLASSROOMS. PEOPLE ARE WORRIED ABOUT TEST SCORES BEING LOW. WHAT DO YOU THINK IS GONNA HAPPEN WHEN WE LOSE GOOD TEACHERS, AND WE HAVE OVERCROWDED CLASSROOMS PEOPLE WORRY ABOUT. OH YOU DIDN'T FUND THIS. YOU DIDN'T SPEND THAT? WELL, IF WE DON'T FUND THE INFRASTRUCTURE OF OUR BUILDINGS, THEN YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A PROBLEM GOING TO HAVE ROOF COLLAPSES ON A BUNCH OF KIDS, AND THAT'S A LAWSUIT. COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS GO DOWN.PARENTS CAN'T GET THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED IN A TIMELY MANNER. IN CASE OF EMERGENCY. WHAT HAPPENS IF OUR VIDEO SECURITY SYSTEM STOPPED WORKING, AND WE CAN'T AFFORD TO PAY TO FIX THEM? AND THERE'S A SHOOTING BECAUSE SECURITY SYSTEM WASN'T FIXED. YOU HAVE TO FULLY FUND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. EVERYONE SAYS THAT EDUCATION IS THE TOP PRIORITY AND THAT OUR KIDS ARE THE TOP PRIORITY. I'M ASKING YOU TO PROVE IT AND VOTE, NOTED BOB CASTLES BUDGET IT'S ALSO TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK AND THE HARTFORD COUNTY FACEBOOK WEB PAGE HAS ASKED EVERYONE TO SAY THANK YOU TO OUR TEACHERS, AND I THINK LIKE MYSELF, MOST PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC OR TIRED OF POLITICIANS AND THEIR EMPTY WORDS, DON'T THANK THEM WITH WORDS. IT'S HIS EMPTY AND MEANINGLESS HIS THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS AT THIS POINT, THANK THEM BY FUNDING THE BUDGET.
THANK YOU, MA'AM. DEREK NOISE, FOLLOWED BY CHERYL ADAMS. GOOD EVENING, SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. MY NAME IS DEREK NOISE AND THE JUSTICE 11 03 JEFFREY TERRACE. LIVE IN BELO IN MARYLAND. SO I COME HERE TODAY WITH THE RATIONAL MIND BUT ALSO SENSITIVE HEART BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND ALL OF THE FRUSTRATIONS HERE REGARDING THE EDUCATION BUDGET AND EVEN THE PUBLIC SAFETY. HONEST AND EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE CHILDREN ARE THE FUTURE. BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE ALSO CAN'T ABANDON UH, PRINCIPAL IN PURSUIT OF FASHION. WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THERE ARE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT'S SPENT IN OUR ECONOMY, LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL. WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT NO BUDGET IS ABOVE THE LAW OF ECONOMICS.
AND IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE ECONOMY RIGHT NOW, THE FED IS RAISING INTEREST RATES.
INFLATION CONTINUES TO RISE. AND YET THE ECONOMY HAS A CERTAIN YOU HAD TO CAUSE OR FOR MORE SPENDING. IT'S NEVER LESS AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE REMEMBER THAT AUSTERITY MEASURES ARE CRITICAL. IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE BALANCE OUR BUDGET DURING TIMES OF UNCERTAINTY, BECAUSE I'M ALREADY DOING THAT AND A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE WE TALK ABOUT HOUSING COSTS HEALTHCARE COSTS IF THE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO BE BUDGET AND THEIR COSTS AND SHOW AND SO SHOULD THE GOVERNMENT. THEY ARE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE ELECTORATE . THEY SHOULD BE CUT IN THE BUDGET JUST AS MUCH AS WE ARE, AND IT'S TIMES LIKE THESE WHERE AUSTERITY MEASURES ARE NECESSARY AND IT'S YOU HAVE TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS OF. FORTUNATELY WE PUT OURSELVES IN THIS POSITION. WITH ALL OF THIS INFLATION. WE'VE BEEN THROWING MONEY AT THE ISSUE FOR SO LONG. I THINK THE ANGER IS MISDIRECTED. WE TALK ABOUT ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING, BUT YET THE COUNTY HAS BEEN GETTING INCREASED FUND FOR SO LONG. SO THE REAL QUESTION IS WHY WHAT IS GOING ON WITH THE FUNDING THAT'S CURRENTLY BEING ALLOCATED? IS IT BEING MISAPPROPRIATED? IS IT BEING MISUSED? WHERE IS IT BEING ALLOCATED? SO THAT TELLS ME THAT IT'S BEING APPROPRIATED TOWARDS INAPPROPRIATE FUNCTIONS. IT'S NOT BEING APPROPRIATED PROPERLY. WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT THE GOVERNMENT UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S WHY THE D M V IS SO SLOW. THEY'RE NOT MOTIVATED TO PERFORM BETTER. BECAUSE THERE'S NO PROFIT LOSS MECHANISM. THOROUGH MONOPOLY. THERE'S NO COMPETITION. AND SO THEREFORE THERE'S NO INCENTIVE TO IMPROVE . I THINK THE IDEA THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS THE ONLY WAY TO FIND EDUCATION IS A VERY DOGMATIC IN CLOSED MINDED POSITION TO TAKE. WE HAVE TO REMEMBER. THERE ARE ALTERNATIVES . WE HAVE HOME SCHOOLS. WE HAVE PRIVATE SCHOOLS. WE HAVE VOUCHERS. THERE'S SO MANY DIFFERENT OPTIONS AND THE ARGUMENT THAT AFFORDABILITY WELL , THE AVERAGE PERSON THAT'S HOME SCHOOL AND I BELIEVE IT'S $65,000 A YEAR. IT DOESN'T TAKE A RICH PERSON TO DO THIS. IT IS POSSIBLE IF YOU'RE WILLING TO MAKE SACRIFICES AND BUDGET BECAUSE THAT IS A PART OF PARENTS AND YOU HAVE TO MAKE SACRIFICES. AND THERE ARE OTHER WAYS THAT YOU CAN BE FUNDED. BUT WHEN THERE IS THE MAN, THE MARKET WILL SUPPLY THERE'S ALL THIS TALK ABOUT 400 PLUS TEACHER JOBS BEING LOST, THE MARKET WILL SUPPLY AND SO I THINK WE HAVE TO LISTEN TO REASON AND REMEMBER THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THERE WILL BE CONSEQUENCES FROM THE GLASMAN ADMINISTRATION IF WE DON'T FOCUS ON CUTTING OR SPENDING SO I URGE CONSISTENCY FROM THE COUNCIL AND ALSO URGED CONSISTENCY FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE SHERIFF BECAUSE I CAN'T TELL WHO WAS MORE ENTITLED ASKING FOR FUNDING , SO PLEASE VOTE FOR THIS BUDGET AND ENSURE THAT WE HAVE SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH IN THE FUTURE FOR THE COUNTY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. GOOD EVENING.
CHERYL ADAMS, 2025 COLGATE CIRCLE FORREST HILL. UM I'M HERE AGAIN, UM, TO ADD MY VOICE TO
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THE MANY OTHERS WHO UM. SHARE MY FEELING OF DISPLEASURE AT THE LACK OF FUNDS THAT ARE BEING ALLOCATED TO HCPS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2024. AT A TIME WHEN PUBLIC EDUCATION IS SO DESPERATELY NEEDED BY THE CHILDREN OF HARFORD COUNTY, CUTTING THEIR BUDGET. IS UNCONSCIONABLE.BETWEEN THE DEMANDS REQUIRED BY THE STATE AND RECOVERING FROM A GOLD. A GLOBAL PANDEMIC. NOW IS NOT THE TIME TO TAKE SUCH DRASTIC MEASURES TO DO SO SENDS THE MESSAGE THAT PUBLIC EDUCATION IS NOT A PRIORITY IN HARTFORD COUNTY. THE IMPACT OF SUCH ACTION WILL NOT EASILY BE OVERCOME ANYTIME SOON AND WILL SET US ON A COURSE WE DO NOT WISH TO TRAVEL. I ALSO WANT TO SAY THAT AS A PARENT WHO HAS HAD KIDS THAT CAME THROUGH SCHOOL. I HAVE NO INTEREST IN HOME SCHOOLING. I NEVER DID. THANK YOU TEACHERS. I THINK I THINK OUR OUR TAX DOLLARS ARE MUCH BETTER SPENT ON PUBLIC EDUCATION , GIVING THE EDUCATORS THAT ARE EXPERIENCED THAT UNDERSTAND THE CURRICULUM AND KNOW HOW TO TEACH, DO IT. I THINK WE GET WAY MORE BANG FOR OUR BUCK THAN ANY OF THESE OTHER ALTERNATIVES, AND I THINK THAT CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR PUBLIC EDUCATION IS THE WAY TO GO. I ALSO WANT TO ADD MY VOICE TO THOSE WHO ARE ADVOCATING FOR, UH, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE ACADEMY AND FOR PARKS AND RACK, UM THESE ARE IMPORTANT. FOUNDATIONS OF ANY HEALTHY COMMUNITY. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND ATTENTION. I LOOK FORWARD TO A REWORKED BUDGET TO INCLUDE THE FUNDS REQUESTED BY HCPS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. TINA GRAPH, FOLLOWED BY HEATHER MORRIS. EXCUSE ME. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS. TINA GRAPH. 17 32. BUCKS WROTE FIRST HILL. HAPPY TEACHER APPRECIATION AND NURSES WEEK. MY NAME IS TINA GRAPH AND I AM THE SCHOOL SAFETY LAYERS ON AT AUSTIN HIGH SCHOOL WHERE I'VE BEEN WORKING, UH, FOR THE PAST 15 YEARS FIRST, I WANT TO THANK MR PENMAN FOR ATTENDING OUR BOARD MEETING BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING ON MONDAY NIGHT. ALTHOUGH YOU'RE NOT OUR SCHOOL, UH, LIAISON. I AM SINCERELY GRATEFUL FOR YOUR INTEREST AND YOUR PRESENCE. PRESIDENT INCENTIVE. THANK YOU FOR ACKNOWLEDGING TEACHER APPRECIATION WEEK LAST NIGHT DURING YOUR PUBLIC COMMENT. I ALSO WANT TO THANK MR BENNETT FOR HIS PUBLIC COMMENTS, CITING NUMEROUS MISTAKES THAT OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE PERPETUATING WE MAY NOT ALWAYS AGREE WITH EACH OTHER, BUT I TO EXPECT HONESTY, TRANSPARENCY AND INTEGRITY WHEN SCROLLING THROUGH A SOCIAL THREE GOVERNMENT SOCIAL MEDIA SITE AND DIRECT EMAILS TO ME. PROBABLY SPEND HALF MY DAY AS A SCHOOL SAFETY LAYERS ON DEALING WITH DRAMA. WHO SAID WHAT ABOUT WHO? SCREENSHOT SNAPCHAT AIRDROPS IN GENERAL, TEENAGE IMMATURITY AND I EXPECT IT. I DO NOT, HOWEVER, EXPECT A GROWN MAN TO BEHAVE THAT WAY. BUT I WATCHED OVER THE PAST MONTH ON HARTFORD GOVERNMENT, SOCIAL MEDIA SITES AND FROM MISTER CASTELLI'S ACCOUNT IS AS OFFENSIVE AND PAINFUL AS ANY OF THE TEENAGE DRAMA THAT I DEAL WITH EVERY DAY. IF THIS WAS TRULY A FINANCIAL ISSUE, I MAY BE MORE INCLINED TO SUPPORT THIS BUDGET, BUT IT'S NOT. COUNTY EXECUTIVE DOES NOT SUPPORT PUBLIC EDUCATION. CAN'T EXECUTIVE DOES NOT AGREE WITH THE BLUEPRINT. COUNTY EXECUTIVE THINKS LIKE SOME OF THE PUBLIC THAT WE'RE INDOCTRINATING THEIR CHILDREN. BELIEVE ME, I CAN'T TURN YOUR GATE YOUR KID GAY JUST AS I CANNOT GET THEM TO COME TO SCHOOL ON TIME. THE COMMENTS YOU MADE ABOUT OUR BUDGET HAVE BEEN INACCURATE AND STILL HAVE NOT BEEN CORRECTED. MR CUSSLER HAS MADE CHEAP SHOTS AT OUR SUPERINTENDENT INCLUDE INCLUDING WHERE HE LIVES AND NOT HAVING A PERSONAL STAKE IN OUR LOCAL ECONOMY. HE WAS INSERTED HIMSELF IN SITUATIONS WHERE HE DOESN'T BELONG IN PUBLICLY POSTED ABOUT OUR SCHOOLS TO INCITE DIVISION AND AS MUCH AS I AM DISHEARTENED TO SEE THESE NEFARIOUS SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS, I'M HOPEFUL TO SEE THE PUBLIC SUPPORT SHOWN FOR OUR SCHOOLS. I WILL LET MY COMMENT AS I USED TO DO WHEN I SPOKE AT THESE MEETINGS BY EXTENDING AN INVITATION TO ALL OF YOU TO VISIT MY SCHOOL, A FORMAL CAT FORMER COUNCILMAN TOOK ME UP ON MY OFFER LAST YEAR. BUT HE DIDN'T VISIT ANY OF OUR STUDENTS OR STAFF TO SEE WHAT GREAT THINGS WE DO EVERY DAY. YOU ONLY WANTED TO VISIT OUR LIBRARY TO FIND PORN. HE FOUND NONE. PLEASE COME AND VISIT MY SCHOOL OR ANY OF OUR SCHOOLS AND FULLY SUPPORT ALL OF US AND WHAT WE DO FOR OUR CHILDREN. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MA'AM. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM NAME AND ADDRESS. HEATHER MORRIS 561 CHRISTIE ROAD, BEL AIR MARYLAND.
GOOD EVENING, EVENING COUNTY COUNCIL PRESIDENT AND COUNCIL MEMBERS. I AM THE LITERACY SPECIALIST AT RAY WILLIAMS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL. THE CHALLENGES OF THE PAST FEW YEARS HAVE AFFECTED INNUMERABLE CHILDREN. ONE OF THOSE CHILDREN IS 1/5 GRADER AT ROY WILLIAMS. WHEN COVID HIT. HE WAS A SECOND GRADE STUDENT THAT WAS READING HALF YEAR BELOW GRADE LEVEL.
WITH THE CHALLENGES OF ONLINE EDUCATION. HIS READING GAPS GREW. BY THE BEGINNING OF FOURTH GRADE HE WAS READING TWO YEARS BELOW GRADE LEVEL. TRADITIONALLY CORE INSTRUCTION AND FOURTH
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GRADE IS FOCUSED ON COMPREHENSION. WITH THAT IN MIND , TEACHING THE SAME WAY AS IN PAST YEARS WAS NOT GOING TO BE SUFFICIENT ENOUGH TO CLOSE THE GAPS. OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT TWO YEARS. HE HAD SMALL GROUP INSTRUCTION AND INTERVENTIONS THAT FOCUSED ON BOTH GRADE LEVEL EXPECTATIONS, AS WELL AS THE REMEDIAL PHONICS INSTRUCTION THAT HE HAD MISSED.THE EXTRA SUPPORT THAT HE NEEDED HAD TO COME FROM MANY DIRECTIONS. HIS INSTRUCTION HAD TO BE INTENTIONAL, INTEGRATED AS WELL AS SUPPLEMENTAL. HE NEEDED STRONG, EXPERIENCED EDUCATORS THAT WORKED WITH KNOWLEDGEABLE AND DEDICATED SPECIALISTS AND INTERVENTIONISTS. WHILE THIS STUDENT HAS NOT YET MADE GORILLA GRADE LEVEL PROFICIENCY IN FIFTH GRADE, HE'S HEADING INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL, HAVING OVERCOME SOME SIGNIFICANT READING DEFICITS. IS OUR GREAT HOPE THAT BY TRULY BY FULLY FUNDING THE HCPS BUDGET REQUEST, OUR MIDDLE SCHOOLS WILL BE ABLE TO RETAIN THEIR EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCED EDUCATORS THAT WILL HAVE CLASS SIZES SMALL ENOUGH THAT THEY'RE ABLE TO TAILOR THEIR INSTRUCTION TO HIS EDUCATIONAL NEEDS, SO THE GAPS CREATED BY COVID CAN BE FURTHER CLOSED. THE TEACHERS THAT ROY WILLIAMS AND ACROSS THE COUNTY WORK HARD FOR OUR CHILDREN. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THE STUDENTS ARE PROVIDED WITH THE BEST EDUCATION AND SUPPORTS IN ORDER TO BE SUCCESSFUL WHEN THEY GRADUATE. AS EDUCATORS. WE ARE ALL ABOUT THE CHILDREN, AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE ELSE IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS WITHIN HARVARD COUNTY ALSO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CHILDREN AND OUR FUTURE. OUR CENTRAL LEADERSHIP TEAM HAS DONE AMAZING JOBS THINKING CREATIVELY TO SUPPORT OUR SCHOOLS. BUT THE TIME HAS COME TO EXPECT MORE SUPPORT FROM OUR COUNTY LEADERSHIP. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE MANY EDUCATORS HERE TONIGHT. AND I'M PROUD OF OUR STAFF AT ROY WILLIAMS, BUT THEY HAVE SACRIFICED THEIR TIME WITH THEIR FAMILIES TO BE HERE TONIGHT. WE ARE ALL HERE TONIGHT TO RESPECTFULLY COMMUNICATE THAT WE AS EDUCATORS ARE TIRED OF HAVING TO FIGHT FOR WHAT IS NEEDED FOR OUR CHILDREN OF HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS. WE ARE TIRED OF BEING DISRESPECTED BY THE CURRENT COUNTY COUNTY COUNTY EXECUTIVE WITH INACCURATE AND DEMAND DEMEANING SOCIAL MEDIA POSTS. WE ALL WORKED VERY HARD AND WE DON'T MIND AS WE KNOW WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE. PLEASE MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR US. PLEASE SHOW YOUR RESPECT FOR OUR PROFESSION AND ENSURE WE ARE FUNDED AT THE AMOUNT THAT WAS ACCURATELY AND RESPECTFULLY PRESENTED TO THIS COUNCIL. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MA'AM. D'ALENE LEWIS, FOLLOWED BY RICHARD METZGER.
GOOD EVENING, MA'AM NAME AND ADDRESS. LEWIS 27 14 PEMBERTON RICH. THANK YOU, EVERYONE FOR YOUR ATTENTION TONIGHT. I JUST WANT TO START BY SAYING, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE A LOSING ARGUMENT WHEN YOU HAVE TO TROT OUT BALTIMORE CITY. APPROACHING THIS PROCESS WITH HONESTY IS CRITICAL. WE CANNOT ANALYZE OR COMPROMISE UNLESS WE'RE ALL USING THE SAME DATA. SO I URGE YOU NOT TO TAKE THE INFORMATION FROM THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AT FACE VALUE. AS A BASIC PREMISE, HE HAS STATED THAT THE STATE IS FUNDING THE SCHOOLS. SUCH THAT WE ARE 22 MILLION OVER OUR CURRENT FUNDING LEVELS. THIS IS A $20 MILLION MISTAKE HE HAS MADE BECAUSE HE HAS RELIED UPON PROPOSED FUNDING DATA INSTEAD OF UPDATING TO ACTUAL FUNDING AMOUNTS. THAT'S SOME PRETTY SLOPPY WORK. THEN IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT MUCH OF THE STATE FUNDS ARE TIED TO MANDATES AND ARE NOT AVAILABLE FOR GENERAL OPERATING EXPENSES. THEN WHEN DISCUSSING THE HCPS FUND BALANCE, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE SELECTS A NUMBER THAT INCLUDES FUNDS THAT ARE ALREADY ALLOCATED. THE ACTUAL FUND BALANCES CLOSER TO 36 MILLION, NOT THE 90 OR 92, HE SAYS. AND IS INTENDED FOR ONE TIME EXPENSES. AND SINCE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM SELF ENSURES FOR THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE, THE FUNDS IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN A REASONABLE AMOUNT IN THE FUND BALANCE TO HELP WITH ANY UNEXPECTED EXPENSES OR COSTS THERE. UM HMM. WHEN THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE JESUS TO SPEAK ABOUT HIS FUND BALANCE FOR THE COUNTY HE DOESN'T USE THE ORIGINAL FUND BALANCE OF 211 MILLION. HE TALKS ABOUT UNALLOCATED AMOUNTS WHICH ARE CLOSER TO ABOUT 25 MILLION RIGHT NOW. SO HE'S SELECTIVE IN THE LANGUAGE THAT HE USES. IN THE SITUATION THAT HE'S IN AND WHAT IT DOES IS IT CONFUSES PEOPLE. WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF PEOPLE COME UP AND TALK ABOUT
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THE $90 MILLION. IT'S EFFECTIVE , RIGHT? SO I THINK THE SCHOOL SYSTEM'S NOT DOING A GOOD JOB.MM. THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE RECENTLY. BELITTLED A FUN BALANCE TRANSFER REQUEST OF ABOUT 22 MILLION. THAT INCLUDED THINGS LIKE A DOCK AT HARTFORD, GLENN INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON THE OVER SIX MILLION THAT WAS IN THAT REQUEST. THAT WAS FOR CRITICALLY THIS CRITICALLY NEEDED TO REPLACE BATTERIES THAT ARE PART OF THE I T SYSTEMS, THE TECHNOLOGY DIRECTOR DESCRIBED THE SYSTEM AS FIVE YEARS BEYOND ITS LIFE EXPECTANCY AND THAT THE BATTERIES ARE SWELLING AND SMOKING. THIS SYSTEM IS NOT JUST FOR LIKE INTERNET ACCESS. IT SUPPORTS SECURITY SYSTEMS, PHONE SYSTEMS, AND IT'S INTEGRAL TO THE SAFE OPERATIONS OF THE ENTIRE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. SO YOU KNOW, ONCE AGAIN. YOU KNOW, CHOOSING HOW HE FRAMES IT TO BELITTLE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON SERIOUS PROBLEMS THAT ARE IMMINENT. MA'AM PLEASE BRING YOUR COMMENTS TO A CLOSE ANYWAY. PLEASE REJECT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVES BUDGET AND FULLY FUND HARFORD COUNTY CULTURE. GOOD EVENING, SIR. GOOD EVENING, RICHARD METZGER. 24 OH, FIVE EDWARDS MANOR DRIVE. FOR US TO MARYLAND. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I STAND BEFORE YOU THIS EVENING TO ADDRESS A DIRE ISSUE THAT IS CURRENTLY PLAGUING HARFORD COUNTY. AND THAT IS THE PROPOSED SLASHING OF THE SCHOOL BUDGET. THIS IS A MATTER THAT AFFECTS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US IN THIS COMMUNITY, AND IT IS HIGH TIME THAT WE TAKE A CLOSER LOOK AT THE ROOT CAUSE OF THIS PROBLEM. MANY OF US HAVE BEEN LEFT BEWILDERED AND DISMAYED BY THE RECENT ACTIONS OF MR CASTLE LEE AND HIS POLITICAL CRONIES WHO HAVE BEEN PUSHING FOR SIGNIFICANT CUTS TO THE SCHOOL BUDGET. IN DOING SO, THEY HAVE SHOWN A COMPLETE DISREGARD FOR THE WELL BEING AND THE FUTURE OF OUR CHILDREN WHO RELY ON PUBLIC SCHOOLS. I OWN A MORTGAGE COMPANY, AND I'VE BEEN RAISED IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS. PUBLIC EDUCATION IS IMPORTANT TO ME AND MY FAMILY . SO WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? WHY ARE OUR POLITICAL LEADERS SEEMINGLY MORE INTERESTED IN PLAYING GAMES AND SCORING POLITICAL POINTS THAN IN DOING WHAT IS RIGHT FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND OUR CHILDREN? THE ANSWER LIES IN THE FACT THAT OTHER POLITICAL PRIORITIES HAVE TAKEN PRECEDENCE OVER THE NEEDS OF OUR SCHOOLS. MR CASTLE LEE AND HIS ALLIES ARE MORE INTERESTED IN ADVANCING THEIR OWN AGENDAS. AND UM, PUSHING THEIR POLITICAL IDEOLOGIES RATHER THAN INVESTING IN THE EDUCATION OF OUR CHILDREN . THEIR ACTIONS ARE NOT ONLY SHORT SIGHTED, BUT THEY'RE DAMAGING TO THE REPUTATION AND THE FUTURE OF HARFORD COUNTY. WE ARE A COMMUNITY THAT HAS ALWAYS PRIDED OURSELVES ON OUR COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION, INNOVATION AND PROGRESS. AND WITH THESE PROPOSED CUTS TO THE SCHOOL BUDGET, WE RISK LOSING ALL OF THAT. MR CASTLE IS POLITICAL GAMESMANSHIP IS POORLY REPRESENTING OF THE BEST OF WHAT HARFORD COUNTY HAS TO OFFER AND WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO ALLOW HIS ACTIONS TO DEFINE US AS A COMMUNITY IN CONCLUSION. LET US REMEMBER THAT OUR SCHOOLS ARE THE FOUNDATION OF OUR COMMUNITY.
THEY ARE NOT PLACES WHERE CHILDREN THERE ARE PLACES WHERE OUR CHILDREN LEARN, GROW AND THRIVE. THEY ARE NOT JUST AN EXPENSE. SO I'M ENCOURAGING THE COUNCIL TO PUSH BACK ON THIS, AND AT THE SAME TIME, I'M ASKING FOR A LEVEL OF LEADERSHIP, MATURITY AND INABILITY FOR ALL SIDES TO SIT DOWN AND KNOCK OFF THE GAMESMANSHIP. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU, SIR. BERNA WHITE, FOLLOWED BY JOHN MILAM. OH, HMM. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. NAME IS VERNA WHITE. I LIVE IN BALDWIN, MARYLAND. HARFORD COUNTY RESIDENT FOR 72 YEARS, UH , TAXPAYER OF 50 PLUS YEARS. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, THE HARFORD COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND THE COUNCIL FOR TREATING LIFELONG TAXPAYERS 40 YEARS OR MORE AND VETERANS DESERVING OF OUR APPRECIATION WAS SLIGHT REDUCTION. OUR LAND STATE TAXES, IT HELPS US PAY. IS THIS BUDGET
[01:40:07]
DOES SEEM TO HAVE REDUCED THE DEFICIT AND WE'RE SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW. WITHOUT RAISING TAXES.I WAS HOPING EVERY TAXPAYER IN HARFORD COUNTY SHOULD TAKE NOTICE. FIND YOUR 2022 IS STATE TAX NOTICE? SEE HOW MUCH THERE IS OVER THREE YEARS OF AN INCREASE IN BUILDINGS LAND, ETCETERA. SEE WHAT YOU PAY AND PAY AND WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY. CALL EMAIL. RIGHT. WOULD YOU FEEL ABOUT THESE TWO, THESE SEVEN ELECTED CHOSEN COUNTY COUNCIL MEMBERS? THEY REPRESENT ALL OF US. ALL OF US WHO PAY TAXES. HARFORD COUNTY HAS ALWAYS EXCELLED IN QUALITY EDUCATION.
MONEY SPENT TO TEACH AND PREPARE FOR SUCCESS. I DON'T WANT CREATION OF SPECIAL INTERESTS SHOULD NOT HAVE THE SAY TAXPAYERS SHOULD IF YOU PAY YOU HAVE A SAY I JUST WANT TO KNOW WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO? AND EVERY TAXPAYER SHOULD ASK THIS QUESTION. THE STATE MANDATES FOR EDUCATIONS BLUEPRINT FOR MARYLAND. IF THE MONEY DOESN'T EXIST, HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY MANDATED? ARE YOU GOING TO PAY IT? HARFORD COUNTY NEEDS TO STAY ABOVE BALTIMORE COUNTY, BALTIMORE CITY AND NOT GO TO LOW WAY DOWN. WE DON'T WANT THE WORDS EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM. WE HAD THE BEST AND WE STILL HAVE IT. HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS HAVE THAT FUN BALANCE OF 92 MILLION AND UNSPENT TAXPAYER MONEY DO THEY NEED MORE? IF IT'S TRUE, DO THEY? I AM NOT TAXPAYERS WOULD UNDERSTAND THE NEED IF EDUCATIONAL SALARIES WERE PUBLISHED IN PUBLIC REVIEW.
THE SUPERINTENDENT. SALARY SHOULD BE PUBLICIZED. I DON'T MIND PUTTING MIND FOR RETIREMENT. YOU'RE WELCOME TO IT. IF YOU POST YOUR SALARY, AND THEN THE PUBLIC CAN SEE WHERE THE MONEY FLOWS. I START SAVING FOR MY LAND TAXES IN JULY AS SOON AS I PAID THAT YEAR.
RETIREES DO NOT USUALLY GET RAISES OR SALARIES, LIKE SOME EMPLOYEES. TAXPAYERS START POSTING YOUR REAL ESTATE TAX PAYERS, THE INCREASE IN VALUE OF BUILDINGS, ETCETERA. AND WE NEED TO POST THE TOP GUYS AND EDUCATION OR ELSEWHERE AND SEE HOW THEY COMPARE. LET US ALL KNOW IF YOU EVEN PAY HARFORD COUNTY OF THOSE PEOPLE EVEN PAY HARFORD COUNTY AND STATE TAXES.
LET'S DISCUSS THE NEED FOR ANY INCREASE IF THERE IS A NEED FOR IT. MAYBE WE NEED SOME MONEY FOR ROAD REPAIRS. GETTING REALLY BAD LATELY. THE TRAFFIC SO BAD THAT SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE COME TO HARVARD COUNTY. I CAN'T EVEN GET OUT OF MY DRIVEWAY. PLEASE HELP THE QUALITY OF LIVING IN HARFORD COUNTY. WE DON'T NEED BUMPER TO BUMPER TRAFFIC. IF IT'S SO BAD. WHY IS EVERYBODY COMING HERE? UM, SCHOOLS. I USED TO BE A TEACHER TALKED FOR ALMOST 20. SOME YEARS I HAD TO RETIRE BECAUSE OF MEDICAL BUT I HAVE A MASTERS OF B S. MY SON SAYS, AND MY OTHER FAMILY MEMBER SAYS I HAVE A DOCTOR TO BE S I THINK YOU'RE WONDERFUL. I'M NOT CRITICIZING YOU. I'M JUST SAYING THAT CERTAIN PEOPLE ARE GETTING CERTAIN ADVANTAGES THAT MAYBE YOU'RE NOT GETTING YOUR THE WORKFORCE. I JUST WANT TO KNOW. PLEASE SHOW ME THE MONEY FLOW. WHERE DOES THE PROPERTY TAX MONEY GO? IF IT'S USED FOR? GOOD, GOOD, THAT'S FINE WITH ME. I ALSO WANT TO BLESS THEM.
SINGER COMMENTS STILL CLOSE THANK YOU FOR KEEPING SENIORS AND EVERYONE ELSE SAFE. AND I WANT TO THANK YOU GUYS. YOU DESERVE A RAISE, LISTENING TO US. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.
SIR GOOD EVENING TO YOU AND YOUR COLLEAGUES. JOHN PEMA LHAMO 24 02 EAGLE VIEW DRIVE, BELLAIRE, MARYLAND AS I READ THE CURB THE CURRENT BUDGET PROPOSED BUDGET IS ADOPTED. WHETHER YOU VOTE YES. NOWHERE WITHHOLD THE VOTE. YOU CANNOT INCREASE IT HAVE LIMITED AUTHORITY TO DECREASE OR DEEPLY DIATOMS. IF THAT'S THE CASE, THIS HAS BEEN GREAT THEATER. PLEASE STOP GRANDSTANDING. THE BUDGET YOU STILL GET TO MARCH ON THE FOURTH OF JULY PARADE. LOOKING AT THE TWO MOST RECENT ADMINISTRATIONS , MR CRAIG CAME INTO OFFICE IN THE MIDST OF A ROBUST DEVELOPMENT BOOM. MONEY FROM NEW DEVELOPMENT INCREASED REVENUES, UNDERUTILIZED FACILITIES HELD EXPENDITURES CONSTANT AS FACILITY HIT CAPACITY, NEW PROJECT AND ASSOCIATED PERSONNEL COMPENSATION. INCREASED EXPENDITURES. THE BUDGET CONSTRUCT MR CRAIG INHERITED MISTAKENLY PROJECTED A STEADY FUNDING STREAM OF INCREASING REVENUES. THE BOTTOM FILL OUT THE STATE PASSED TEACHER PENSIONS BACK TO THE COUNTIES. STATE HIGHWAY CUT FUNDING FROM 16 MILLION TO VIRTUALLY NOTHING GROWTH WENT TO NOTHING. TAX REVENUE FELL, PEOPLE IN PROGRAMS WERE CUT BUDGET GUIDANCE WAS SIMPLE. CUT BUDGET DEPARTMENT BUDGETS, NO NEW PROGRAMS. NO PAY RAISES THE SCHOOL BOARD BUDGET TODAY 2% REDUCTION IN PAY FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES. MR CRAIG INTERVENE TO STOP THAT STATUTORY PAY RAISES WERE ELIMINATED. ALL COUNTY EMPLOYEES WERE REQUIRED TO TAKE AN UNPAID LEAVE EVERY MEMBER BUT ONE OF THE CITY COUNCIL VOLUNTARILY GAVE UP EQUIVALENT AND PAY. REMEMBER THAT, MR GUTHRIE? YOU WERE THERE . IN SPITE OF ALL THIS. THE COUNTY SECURITY TRIPLE A BOND RATING AND ADOPTED BUDGETS TO FUND OPERATIONS. MR CRAIG PASSED ON A BUDGET CONSTRUCT THAT REFLECTED ECONOMIC REALITIES, CONSERVATIVE REVENUE PROJECTIONS
[01:45:03]
AND EXPENDITURES RECALL THAT IN THE FIRST FEW YEARS OF HIS MINISTRATIONS, MR GLASSMAN PRODUCED CAUTIOUS BUDGETS. CONSTRUCTION ON HAVING GRACE HIGH SCHOOL WAS DELAYED, THEN BEGAN ACCRUING BUDGET SURPLUSES , MAINLY FROM THE TAX CUTS AND JOB ACTS REVIVED PROPERTY TAX REVENUES, COVID AND ECONOMIC STIMULUS, DIFFERENT DISTRIBUTIONS AND AN INABILITY TO ACCURATELY PROJECT REVENUES. MR BAT GLASSMAN PASSED ON BUDGET CONSTRUCT PROJECTING REVENUES CONTINUING FROM THESE FACTORS. THAT WAS EGOTISTICAL, IMMATURE, IRRESPONSIBLE, RECKLESS AND IGNORED ECONOMIC RESPONSIBILITIES, REALITY. THE ECONOMIC FUTURE IS CLOUDED AT BEST RECESSION. INFLATION REDUCED DEFENSE BUDGET TAX CUT AND JOB ACTS, ENDING ECONOMIC STIMULUS AND COVID DISTRIBUTIONS , ENDING HOUSING MARKET TURMOIL AND RISING INTEREST RATES. I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT. NEITHER DOES ANYONE ELSE. HARFORD COUNTY LURCHES FROM ONE EXTREME TO THE OTHER, NEVER FULLY RECOVERING FROM PREVIOUS DISTURBANCES AND NEVER LEARNING.MOSTLY BUDGETS, FUND PROJECTS OR PEOPLE. NOT BOTH. I DOUBT THAT MR CASTELLI WILL BE ABLE TO REDUCE THE COST OF GOVERNMENT. HIS CHALLENGE IS TO MANAGE COST GROWTH. PERHAPS YOU COULD BOTH DEVELOPED CRITERIA TO FORMULATE BUDGET CONSTRUCTS FUNDING NECESSARY PROJECTS AND ADEQUATE PERSONNEL COMPENSATION. PLEASE CONSERVE THIS BUDGET A TRANSITION A GLIDE PATH TO STABILITY RATHER THAN A CLIMB TO THE NEXT DISASTER. GOODNIGHT. THANK YOU, SIR. THERE ARE NO MORE SPEAKERS, MR PRESIDENT LAST NIGHT. WITH. NO OTHER SPEAKERS
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.