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EVERYONE.WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET OUR, UM, THIRD
[County Council Budget Work Session]
BUDGET WORK SESSION STARTED, AND WE'RE GONNA START WITH THE, UM, SPENDING AFFORDABILITY GROUP.I WANNA THANK YOU BRIAN AGAIN FOR COMING, AND THANK YOU FOR THE SERVICE THAT YOU AND YOUR TEAM PROVIDE.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WITH YOU HERE THIS MORNING? OH, THERE YOU'RE, HOW ARE YOU? UM, SO WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.
WELL, I HAVE TO ADMIT, I'M A LITTLE JEALOUS.
I DON'T HAVE ANY
I'D LIKE TO, TO ALWAYS THANK YOU ALL FOR THE, THE HEAVY LIFTING THAT YOU DO, UH, FOR ON BEHALF OF OUR NEIGHBORS BORN AND RAISED IN THIS COMMUNITY, I LOVE THIS COMMUNITY.
STARTED MY BUSINESS IN THIS COMMUNITY.
SO, UH, AGAIN, YOU HAVE MY GRATITUDE.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK OUR COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND HIS SENIOR LEADERSHIP, UH, FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
YOU ALL REMAIN IN MY DAILY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS.
MY NAME'S BRIAN KELLY, UM, AND I AM FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO CHAIR THE, UH, HARTFORD SPENDING ADVISORY, UH, AFFORDABILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
I'M JOINED HERE TODAY BY, UH, STEVE WEISSMAN, ALSO ON OUR COMMITTEE, UH, JOHN SCOTT LEE HASEN, JOHN O'NEILL, AND WAYNE GODDARD.
UH, AND I HAVE TO SAY, OUR COMMITTEE WAS, UH, WE ADDED AN ADDITIONAL MEETING, INCREDIBLY ENGAGED CITIZENS, UH, BRINGING VARIOUS VANTAGE POINTS TO, TO OUR DISCUSSIONS.
AND IT WAS JUST A REALLY HEALTHY, UH, SET OF CONVERSATIONS.
IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO SUBMIT A REPORT TO THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE WITH RECOMMENDATIONS AROUND FOUR CORE AREAS, REALLY AROUND, UH, RECOMMENDED SPENDING FOR OPERATING FUND DEBT AUTHORIZATION, A LEVEL OF UNASSIGNED FUND, BALANCED OR RETAINED EARNINGS, AND ANY OTHER FINDINGS OR RECOMMENDATIONS THE COMMITTEE CONSIDERS APPROPRIATE.
I'D LIKE TO THANK ROBERT SANDLES, OUR TREASURER, RICK PERIS, DEPUTY TREASURER, KIMBERLY SPENCE, CHIEF BUDGET AND EFFICIENCY, AND GAIL DERIO, UH, ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST.
UH, WITHOUT THEIR SUPPORT IN PROVIDING US DATA AND INFORMATION, UH, REALLY WE WOULD, WE WOULD BE AT A LOSS.
THEY DID A SUPERB JOB, AS ALWAYS.
ALSO, WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THE PERSPECTIVE BROUGHT TO US THIS YEAR BY SHANE GRIM, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING AND ZONING, RICH TRUITT, DIRECTOR OF LICENSES INSPECTION AND PERMITS.
AND KAREN HOLT, DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REALLY PROVIDED A GREAT BACKGROUND, BOTH CURRENTLY AND ALSO LOOKING OUT INTO THE FUTURE.
SPEAKING OF FUTURE, I'M ALWAYS REMINDED WHENEVER I'M ASKED ABOUT FORECASTS, UH, ONE OF MY FAVORITE ECONOMISTS, JOHN KENNETH GAL BREATH, NO RELATIONS TO MY GAL BREATH FAMILY HERE IN THE, THE COUNTY, UNFORTUNATELY, BUT JUST A BRILLIANT PERSON WHO DESCRIBED FORECASTERS NOT SO FLATTERINGLY AS TWO GROUPS.
ONE, THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, OR TWO, THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW, THEY DON'T KNOW.
I'M HERE TO TELL YOU OUR COMMITTEE'S WELL AWARE THAT WE DON'T KNOW.
NO ONE CAN REALLY CONSTANTLY PREDICT THE FUTURE.
UM, BUT I CAN TELL YOU, WE POURED OUR HEART AND SOUL AND MINDS INTO WHAT WE'RE BRINGING FORWARD TO YOU TODAY.
WE TOOK A BUDGET BASED APPROACH, AS WE DO EVERY YEAR, WHICH MANY, UH, COUNTIES, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, DO NOT TAKE.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A MORE CONSERVATIVE APPROACH WHERE WE TAKE EXISTING, UH, TAX RATES WHEN DETERMINING, UH, REVENUES.
WE WORKED HARD TO STRIVE A BALANCE BETWEEN NOT BEING TOO CAUTIOUS, AS TO ARTIFICIALLY LIMIT THE COUNTY'S ABILITY TO FUND ITS PRIORITIES.
AND I'M VERY AWARE OF THE PRIORITIES THAT EXIST BEFORE YOU, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME NOT BEING TOO AGGRESSIVE, BUT THE COUNTY IN A, IN A DIFFICULT POSITION TO COME BACK AND MAKE MID-YEAR CUTS.
THE COMMITTEE'S APPROACH FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON ABOUT 90% OF THE REVENUES, OUR PROPERTY TAX BUCKET, WHICH IS FAIRLY PREDICTABLE THROUGH ASSESSMENTS, BUT THE SECOND ONE, OUR INCOME TAX BUCKET THAT HAS BECOME MORE VOLATILE HERE TO LAKE AND ALSO A LARGER PORTION OF OUR REVENUE STREAM OVER THE PAST MANY DECADES.
BUT BEFORE I GET INTO OUR RECOMMENDATION, I'D LIKE TO BRING US BACK TO WHEN I WAS SITTING HERE THIS TIME LAST YEAR, I DON'T HAVE JET LAG, 'CAUSE I DID, I'D JUST GOTTEN BACK FROM IRELAND, BUT I DID HAVE A LAG FROM AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE.
MOST OF THE EXPERTS WERE PREDICTING, UH, A RECESSION.
UH, SOME WERE, IT WAS PROBABLY MORE IN THE MODEST CAMP.
WHY? BECAUSE THE FED WAS FIGHTING OFF INFLATION, WHICH WE ARE ALL FEELING IN OUR POCKETS, UH, THESE DAYS.
UM, BY RAISING INTEREST RATES, THERE
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WAS ALSO A LOT OF NOISE IN THE, IN THE INCOME TAX NUMBERS.MOST NOTABLY, A LARGE SPIKE THAT OCCURRED FROM A RECONCILIATION FROM 2021.
IT WAS A PARTICULARLY GOOD YEAR FOR THE EQUITY OR STOCK MARKETS, UH, WHICH MAY HAVE BEEN A CAUSE FOLLOWED BY A PARTICULARLY CHALLENGING YEAR IN 2022 WHEN THE BOTH BOND AND STOCK MARKETS WERE DOWN DOUBLE DIGITS.
THE COMMITTEE'S BELIEF WAS THAT BASICALLY THE FISCAL 24 OVERALL INCOME WOULD, WOULD STAY ABOUT FLAT WITH OUR RECONCILING AND, UH, ESTIMATED PAYMENTS COMING DOWN.
BUT WAGE PRESSURES WOULD KEEP OUR WITHHOLDINGS UP.
SO KIND OF NEUTRALIZING ONE ANOTHER.
INCOME TAX WOULD FALL ALL DIRECTIONS, BOTH RECONCILING AND ESTIMATED PAYMENTS, BUT ALSO WITHHOLDINGS THAT WE DIDN'T EXPECT TO COME DOWN.
WHY IS THE WITHHOLDING CONTRACTING? I WISH I COULD TELL YOU WITH ABSOLUTE CLARITY.
IT COULD BE TECHNICAL, IT COULD BE A CALENDAR ISSUE WITH COLLECTIONS, OR IT COULD ALSO BE THAT THE LABOR FORCE IS SHRINKING AND WAGE GROWTH IS LESSENING.
YOU KNOW, I, I THINK TO MY OWN FIRM WHERE WE NOW HAVE TWO KEY EMPLOYEES THAT DON'T RESIDE IN MARYLAND, WHERE PROBABLY FOUR YEARS AGO THAT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN THE CASE.
WHAT WE DO KNOW IS THAT YEAR TO DATE THROUGH FEBRUARY INCOME TAX AND FISCAL YEAR 24 IS DOWN NEARLY $13 MILLION FROM WHERE IT WAS IN FISCAL YEAR 23.
SO WITH ALMOST HALF OF THE CURRENT YEAR'S INCOME TAX STILL TO BE COLLECTED AND LIMITED VISIBILITY AND UNDERSTANDING AS TO WHAT TO EXPECT OVER THE NEXT 18 MONTHS, THE COMMITTEE DECIDED TO, THAT THEY FELT IT WAS PRUDENT TO TAKE AN APPROACH OF EMBRACING LONG-TERM AVERAGING.
SO WE ASKED FOR ADDITIONAL DATA, UH, AND WAS PROVIDED BY OUR TREASURER.
AS WE SEE, ONE OF THE MOST POWERFUL AXIOMS IN FINANCE IS REVERSION TO THE MEAN.
AS AN EXAMPLE, IT'S NOT TOO HARD TO PREDICT LONG-TERM GROWTH RATES ON A 10 YEAR, 15 YEAR, 20 YEAR BASIS, BUT FOR YEAR TO YEAR, I WON'T FIND MANY ECONOMISTS THAT'LL GET IT RIGHT YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT, IF EVER.
SO WE LOOKED AT FIVE AND 10 YEAR ROLLING PERIODS OF TIME SO AS TO NOT GET STUCK ON A PARTICULAR DATA POINT.
UH, OVERALL I LIKE TO THINK OF THIS AS WEATHER FORECASTING VERSUS CLIMATE FORECASTING.
SO PREDICTING THE WEATHER WE ALL KNOW IS KIND OF DIFFICULT.
IT'S GOTTEN A LITTLE BETTER WITH TECHNOLOGY, BUT STILL RATHER DIFFICULT.
BUT IF YOU LIVE IN MAINE IN THE WINTER VERSUS FLORIDA IN THE WINTER, YOU HAVE A PRETTY GOOD IDEA WHAT KIND OF CLOTHES YOU'RE GONNA NEED.
THE COMMITTEE PROVIDED WITH DATA GOING BACK TO 1980 WITH TAKING OUT SOME OF THE OUTLIERS, THE ANOMALIES THAT EXISTED CAME UP WITH ABOUT A THREE AND A HALF PERCENT AVERAGE.
OVERALL, THE COMMITTEE BELIEVED THAT IT WAS PRUDENT THAT APPLYING THREE AND A HALF PERCENT TO THE REMAINDER MEANT OF 24 AS WELL AS PHYSICAL 25 GOING FORWARD.
SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? IT MEANS THAT THE FISCAL YEAR IS EXPECTED TO COME IN AT ABOUT 306.6 MILLION WITH A $4.4 MILLION DEFICIT UNDER BUDGET.
AND FOR NEXT YEAR INCOME TAXES PROJECTED AT 317.3 MILLION, WHICH IS ABOUT 6.3 MILLION MORE THAN FISCAL YEAR 24.
I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO EMPHASIZE IN LIGHT OF THE CURRENT YEAR DATA AND REVENUE SHORTFALL, THE LIKELIHOOD THAT WE ARE BEING TOO OPTIMISTIC IS PROBABLY, PROBABLY GREATER THAN THAT.
WE ARE BEING TOO PESSIMISTIC OR SAID ANOTHER WAY.
OUR DOWNSIDE RISK IS BIGGER THAN OUR UPSIDE RISK.
SO I'D JUST LIKE TO KEEP YOU ALL TO KEEP THAT IN MIND AS WE GO FORWARD.
OVERALL REVENUE GROWTH FOR THE NEXT YEAR'S PROJECTED AT 3.65% OVER THIS YEAR'S ADJUSTED BUDGET, WHICH TAKES OUT THE FUND BALANCE.
SO THIS GROWTH RATE IS ABOUT CURRENT YEAR REVENUES, NOT NECESSARILY THE BUDGET, WHICH WILL BETER DETERMINED BY HOW MUCH FUND BALANCE IS USED.
THAT'S THE GAP BETWEEN PLANNED REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES.
FUND BALANCE IS ANOTHER AREA OF THE COMMITTEE SPENT A LOT OF TIME IN DISCUSSING REALLY THE PAST COUPLE YEARS.
IN FISCAL YEAR 23, THE COUNTY APPROPRIATED 90 MILLION OF THE FUND BALANCE AND LAST YEAR, 75 MILLION.
THAT LEVEL OF APPROPRIATION IS NOT SUSTAINABLE, EVEN IF THE AMOUNT OF THE FUND BALANCE THE COUNTY ACTUALLY USES IS LESSER THAN THOSE AMOUNTS.
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SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR RATING AGENCIES AND IN ORDER FOR THE COUNTY TO MAINTAIN ITS AAA RATING, WHICH HELPS US TO KEEP OUR INTEREST COSTS DOWN, OF COURSE, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE VERY PROUD OF DUE TO A LOT OF THE FISCAL, UH, RESPONSIBILITY THAT'S BEEN DISPLAYED HERE AT ABOUT $150 MILLION.THAT INCLUDES THE 5% RAINY DAY FUND, AS WELL AS A 20 MILLION THAT'S AVAILABLE AND OR UNASSIGNED IN FUND BALANCE.
I EQUATE FUND BALANCE TO, AT AN INDIVIDUAL HOUSEHOLD LEVEL AS EMERGENCY SAVINGS, HELPING YOU TO SMOOTH CONSUMPTION DURING SOME OF THOSE DIFFICULT TIMES AS WELL AS AS UP TIMES.
AND FINALLY, OUR COMMITTEE LOOKED AT OUR COUNTY'S DEBT AFFORDABILITY OVERALL BY ALL STIPULATED METRICS, DEBT AFFORDABILITY RATIOS ARE FAVORABLE, BUT THE COMMITTEE IS CONCERNED AROUND THE POTENTIAL OF INCREASING DEBT LEVELS, PARTICULARLY AROUND FUTURE DEBT ISSUANCE.
WE WERE WELL AWARE CONSTRUCTION COSTS ARE GOING UP SIGNIFICANTLY.
INTEREST RATES HAVE, AT LEAST FOR THE TIME BEING BEEN GOING UP AND INCREASED BOND ISSUANCE IS PROBABLY INEVITABLE.
THE COMMITTEE ADVISES THE COUNTY TO BE MINDFUL OF ITS DEBT AND REALIZE THAT HARD DECISIONS ON NEW PROJECTS WILL HAVE TO BE MADE.
I'D LIKE TO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR TIME THIS MORNING IN GIVING ME THESE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE UPON OUR FORMAL REPORT.
IF I MAY, I'D LIKE TO ASK FOR A COPY OF THE COMMENTS THAT YOU MADE HERE THIS MORNING TO GO ALONG WITH THE COMMENTS THAT WE HAVE IN THE FOLDER OR IN THE BINDER.
ALSO, WANNA RECOGNIZE MR. GODDARD JUST WALKED IN THE ROOM.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO THE COMMITTEE, MR. GODDARD, ALONG WITH MR. WISEMAN AND THE OTHERS.
UM, AND I BELIEVE I REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, MR. PENMAN, THANK MR. PRESIDENT.
MR. KELLY, THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOUR COMMITTEE AS WELL BECAUSE, UH, VERY DIFFICULT PROCESS, VERY DIFFICULT, UH, TO PUT INTO WORDS, KIND OF JUST LIKE YOU SAID, THE FORECAST OF EVERYTHING.
AND I THINK SOMETHING THAT YOU MENTIONED ABOUT BEING TOO CAUTIOUS VERSUS BEING TOO AGGRESSIVE IS THE KEY TO THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION.
ALRIGHT? AND PEOPLE HAVE DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON THAT.
UM, AND THAT'S BECAUSE IF YOU'RE TOO, UH, AGGRESSIVE ON, YOU KNOW, MAKING SURE WE HAVE A HIGH FUND BALANCE AND THERE'S A COST, THERE'S A COST TO PUBLIC SAFETY AND THERE'S A COST TO LIBRARIES AND THERE'S A COST TO EDUCATION, UH, VERSUS, YOU KNOW, SPENDING IT ALL, THEN WE COULD BE IN TROUBLE TOO.
SO WE JUST HAVE TO BALANCE THAT.
AND, AND I KNOW THAT'S A DIFFICULT TASK FOR YOUR COMMITTEE TO RECOMMEND.
AND I, I JUST APPRECIATE THAT AND I JUST HAVE SOME QUESTIONS, UM, UM, JUST TO KIND OF HOW YOU CAME UP TO SOME OF THOSE CONCLUSIONS OR THAT THOUGHT PROCESS.
AND JUST TO KIND OF LEARN MYSELF IF YOU, IF YOU, IF I MAY.
UM, BUT I DO WANNA JUST POINT OUT A COUPLE THINGS THAT MYSELF AND, UH, CITIZEN BUDGET ADVISOR BROOKE SCHERER HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING WITH THAT YOU NOTED HERE.
AND I APPRECIATE YOU NOTING IT.
UH, AND YOU, YOU REFERENCED IT IN YOUR COMMENTS ABOUT THE STATE DISTRIBUTION VERSUS, UM, THE ACTUAL INCOME TAX COMING IN.
LIKE WHAT IS THAT RATIO? HOW MUCH ARE THEY HOLDING BACK? AND IT'S HARD TO FORMULATE WHAT WE'RE GETTING IF WE JUST DON'T KNOW.
AND I THINK YOU NOTE THAT IN HERE VERY WELL, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, BUT SOME OF THE, UM, THE ESTIMATIONS AS FAR AS THE FUND BALANCE, I THOUGHT I, BECAUSE THEY WERE UPDATED AND I WONDER IF YOUR REPORT WAS UPDATED, UM, TO, TO COME UP WITH A FINAL CONCLUSION.
UM, IT, IT WAS REFERENCED THAT IN FY 24 THERE WAS 74.1 MILLION OF THE FUND BALANCE USED.
BUT WHEN, UH, I LOOKED INTO THE ACTUAL OVERVIEW, IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, THAT NUMBER HAS DECREASED, UH, TO AROUND 25 OR 26.
SO I JUST WANTED TO KIND OF SEE, UM, WHAT THAT DISCREPANCY WAS.
'CAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE THE REVENUE WAS, CAME IN AT 2 97 LATER ON IN THE REPORTER MENTIONS 2 94, BUT IT CAME AT 2 97 BASED OFF THIS, UM, UH, BUDGET HERE.
SO I KNOW THAT'S A FAR CRY FROM SEVEN FOUR.
I JUST KIND OF WANNA SEE HOW THAT WAS, HOW THAT 74 CAME TO LIGHT.
SO THE, THE NUMBER THAT I'M QUOTING IS AGAIN, THE, WHAT WAS THE STRUCTURAL NUMBER THAT WAS TO BE TRANSITIONED BUT NOT NECESSARILY USED.
SO I'LL, I'LL, I'LL DEFER OVER TO MR. SANDLES AROUND WHAT WAS ACTUALLY USED VERSUS THE, WE NEED A MICROPHONE, MYLA, WE NEED SOME MICRO A MICROPHONE.
AND, AND SO JUST TO KIND OF KEEP IN MIND, THERE'S A, THERE'S, WE'RE, WE'RE ALSO KIND OF TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MULTIPLE, MULTIPLE YEARS.
SO IN FISCAL YEAR 23 WHERE WE APPROPRIATED THE $90 MILLION, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE, UM,
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YOU KNOW WHAT WE ACTUALLY PROBABLY ENDED UP USING, UM, THE FUND BALANCE WAS, WAS DRAWN DOWN BY ABOUT $35 MILLION.THAT'S HOW WE WENT FROM THE TWO 11 FUND BALANCE TO THE 1 75 THAT WE ENDED WITH LAST YEAR.
YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR WE DID 75, AND I THINK WE'RE GONNA GET DOWN TO, SO INSTEAD OF USING ALL 75, IF YOU WILL, UM, WE'LL, WE'LL TAKE IT DOWN TO THAT ONE 50 MARK.
AND YOU HAVE THIS, AGAIN, A LOT BECAUSE WE HAVE, UM, NOW THIS YEAR REVENUES ARE PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE TO THE GOOD, BUT IN LAST YEAR, REVENUES WERE CERTAINLY TO THE GOOD.
REMEMBER WE HAD THAT REAL BIG INCOME TAX DISTRIBUTION IN JANUARY.
WE TALKED A LOT ABOUT ALSO THE COUNTY MADE SOME, UM, MID-YEAR BUDGET CUTS, IF YOU WILL, BUDGET REVERSIONS.
YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE SOME OF THAT MORE ON THE, UM, SPENDING SIDE TRYING TO HOLD THE SPENDING.
UM, AND THAT'S ALWAYS KIND OF THE WAY, THE WAY THAT IT IS.
AND I THINK IT GETS TO THE CHAIR'S COMMENTS OF YOU.
WE UNDERSTAND WE'RE, YOU KNOW, 90 MILLION, 75, HOPEFULLY YOU DON'T, HOPEFULLY YOU DON'T HAVE A BUDGET WHERE YOU SPEND EVERY DOLLAR YOU APPROPRIATED AND YOUR REVENUE COMES IN EXACTLY WHERE IT WAS.
BECAUSE IF THAT WERE THE CASE, THEN YES, WE WOULD'VE GONE DOWN 90,000,075.
UM, BUT WE ARE HAVING A DOWNWARD TRAJECTORY THAT, THAT WE KNOW 2 11, 1 75, 1 50, AND THE ONE 50 MARK IS KIND OF AGAIN, WHAT THE RATING AGENCY SHARED WITH US THIS YEAR TO SAY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE YOU SHOULD ATTEMPT TO BE.
AND I SHOULD POINT OUT THAT ONE 50 IN INCLUDED IN THAT ONE 50 IS 52 OR $53 MILLION THAT WE ARE APPROPRIATING FOR NEXT YEAR.
NOW, AGAIN, HOPEFULLY WE DON'T USE ALL OF IT AND WE USE 25 OF IT, OR 30 OF IT, OR 40 OF IT.
UM, BUT AS WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT, I THINK IT'S GONNA BE HARDER.
SOME OF THOSE SAVINGS, UM, MIGHT BE HARDER TO REALIZE BECAUSE WE HAVE MADE A LOT, A LOT OF CUTS IN THE, THE, THE PORTION OF THE BUDGET THAT GENERATES THOSE SAVINGS.
'CAUSE REMEMBER, IF IT GOES TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM OR THE LIBRARY, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY, THEY, UM, THEY KEEP A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THEIR FUNDS.
SO THE PORTION THAT GOES STAYS WITH THE COUNTY IS GETTING A LITTLE BIT SMALLER.
AND AS THE CHAIR SPOKE TO ON THE REVENUE SIDE, THIS IS THE REAL BIG CONCERN, AND HOPEFULLY WE'RE WRONG, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, IF IF INCOME, IF WE'RE TOO AGGRESSIVE ON INCOME TAX, THEN THAT ALSO MEANS THAT THAT, THAT, THAT PUTS PRESSURE ON THAT FUND BALANCE AS WELL IN THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION.
SO THAT, UH, KIND OF BRINGS ME TO THE QUESTION.
IF, IF WE'RE ONLY USING 25 OF FUND BALANCE, WHY ARE WE USING 74 IN THE ACTUAL REPORT? I KNOW IT WAS PROJECTED, I JUST, THAT THE, THE 74 WAS THE AMOUNT THAT WAS, THAT WAS PROPOSED BUT NOT USED.
IT'S OUTSIDE OF THE NUMBERS THAT WE EVEN LOOKED TO.
YEAH, YOU NEED TO BACK OUT THE, THE APPROPRIATED FUND BALANCE AND, AND WE DO THAT FOR THE BUDGET COMPARISON.
SO YOU TAKE THE CURRENT YEARS BUDGET, YOU BACK OUT THE FUND BALANCE TO GET YOUR REVENUE NUMBER AND, AND THEN GOING FORWARD, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE TALKING THAT, THAT THAT NUMBER'S GROWING.
SO YOU, IT'S, YOU JUST NEED TO BACK OUT THE FULL AMOUNT THAT'S APPROPRIATED SO THAT, SO THAT YOU CAN COMPARE, OKAY, THIS IS HOW MUCH WE THINK REVENUES ARE GONNA BE, AND THIS IS HOW MUCH FUND BALANCE WE ARE GONNA BE.
BUT YES, YOU KNOW, THE ACTUAL, YOU KNOW, FUND BALANCE, BUT WE WON'T KNOW THAT FUND BALANCE AT THE TIME OF THE BUDGET.
WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH A REVENUE NUMBER.
YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH A, WITH A FUND BALANCE NUMBER TO BALANCE OUT THE BUDGET.
UM, AND YOU REALLY WON'T KNOW IF YOU WERE RIGHT OR WRONG UNTIL, YOU KNOW, THE YEAR'S UNDER THE YEAR'S UNDERWAY.
SO JUST SO I'M CLEAR THAT 74 SHOULD BE 25 WHEN IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE.
YEAH, I THINK THAT THE NUMBER WILL BE SOMETHING IN THAT, YOU KNOW, 25, 30 RANGE.
AGAIN, THOUGH THE INCOME TAX, WE'VE GOT INCOME TAX, WHICH IS, WHICH IS COMING IN NEGATIVE RIGHT NOW, AND WE'RE SAYING INCOME TAX IS GONNA COME IN AT THREE POINT A HALF PERCENT IN MAY, JUNE AND JULY.
THAT, THAT I THINK IS THAT BIG CONCERN BECAUSE IF IT DOESN'T, THEN INSTEAD OF 25, IT COULD BE 35, 40, YOU KNOW, AND NOW THE FUND BALANCE GOING INTO NEXT YEAR IS 140 OR 130 INSTEAD OF 150.
UM, MR. KELLY, THANK YOU, MS. SANDLES.
UM, AND I JUST WANT TO KIND OF YOUR OPINION, UH, YOUR EXPERTISE.
UM, I KNOW THERE WAS A DECREASE IN, IN 24 OF 2.4%, AND I THINK THAT'S THE 4.4 MILLION YOU REFERENCED.
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA WHY IT'S DECREASED? AND THEN OBVIOUSLY THE PROJECTION OF 3.5 HAS TAKEN OVER A 20 YEAR SPAN.
I, I GET WHERE YOU GET THAT NUMBER.
UH, SO WE, UH, THE COMMITTEE WENT TO LOOKING AT ROLLING AVERAGES TO, TO, UM, TO, TO WITNESS THE IMPORTANCE OF WHAT WE'RE BRINGING TOGETHER HERE AS FAR AS COUNTY PROGRAMS BEING TOO AGGRESSIVE VERSUS BEING TOO CONSERVATIVE AND NOT LETTING THE HIGHS GET TOO HIGH AND THE LOWS GET TOO LOW.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE LOOKED AT A KIND OF A MEAN LEVEL, UH, TO BE SUPPORTIVE IN THAT WAY.
IT'S, IT'S, IT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A RISKY WAY, BUT I, I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHY THE, THE NUMBERS COULD BE NEGATIVE, I ALLUDED TO JUST MY OWN LITTLE LOCALIZED EXAMPLE.
WE HAVE 21 EMPLOYEES AND WE HAVE TWO NOW THAT RESIDE OUTTA STATE AND MARYLAND AND HARTFORD COUNTY GET NO TAX REVENUE FROM THOSE FOLKS.
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SO HELP US RECRUIT LOCAL PEOPLE.UM, MY NEXT QUESTION, UH, DEALS WITH THE FUND BALANCE AGAIN, UH, AND KIND OF, UM, BEGINS ON PAGE 74.
UM, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT THERE'S AN, THE 150, UH, BENCHMARK THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED TO US, AND A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT WAS PROVIDED TO THE SPENDING AFFORDABILITY COMMITTEE WAS, UM, IT WAS REFERENCED TO, WAS MADE AWARE.
I JUST WONDER, WAS THERE REPORTS GIVEN FROM THE AAA BOND RATINGS, FROM THE BOND RATINGS TO THE SPENDING AFFORDABILITY? IT SAYS, IT JUST SAYS WE WERE MADE AWARE.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WAS A REPORT OR YOU WERE JUST IN INFORMED, WE WERE INFORMED ABOUT, ABOUT THE, UH, THE 150 MILLION FROM THE ADVISORS, UM, TO, TO THE COUNTY.
UH, MR. SANDLES, IS THERE A REPORT THAT THE BOND RATING, UH, PRODUCED? I, I HAVE THE FITCH REPORT, WHICH, YOU KNOW, UM, KIND OF CONFLICTS WITH A LITTLE BIT OF, OF THE DISCUSSION POINT, BUT IS THERE A REPORT THAT THEY PRODUCE AND IS THAT REPORT SHAREABLE? SO THEY ARE NOW PRODUCING WHAT THEY CALL THEIR SCORECARDS.
UM, AS I SAID BEFORE, THEY'RE, THEY ARE TRYING TO MAKE THINGS MORE TRANSPARENT.
UM, I CAN SEE IT WHEN GETTING COPIES OF, OF THAT, A LOT OF HOW, BUT THIS IS, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE MORE OR LESS JUST KIND OF STARTED DOING THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF, YOU KNOW, GOING IN THIS MUCH MORE TRANSPARENT WAY.
UM, AND THEN, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS SHARED WITH US DURING THE, THE, UM, UM, DURING, DURING THE CREDIT RATING PRESENTATION, UM, AND I HAVE PROVIDED BACKUP FROM DAVENPORT, OUR FINANCIAL ADVISOR, SAYING, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT FITCH IS SAYING, THIS IS WHAT, WHAT, UM, THE OTHER ONES ARE ARE SAYING.
AND THAT'S, THAT WILL BE INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKETS OF INFORMATION THAT WE'RE COLLECTING.
UM, BUT AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE OVERALL THINGS I CAN, UM, WORK WITH DAVENPORT TO KIND OF GET COPIES OF THEIR, UM, THEIR, THEIR SCORECARDS IN, IN GENERAL.
AND REMEMBER TOO, YOU KNOW, THESE ARE KIND OF LIKE YOUR, YOUR PERSONAL CREDIT RATING SCORES.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY ARE, THEY'RE KIND OF GUIDELINES.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT FACTORS.
IT'S NOT A OKAY, IF YOU HAVE THIS, YOU'RE TRIPLE A, AND IF YOU DON'T, YOU KNOW, BUT IT'S, IT'S A BLENDED, IT'S A BLENDED APPROACH.
AND WHEN WE LOOK AT THAT $150 MILLION, WHAT THAT REPRESENTS IS ABOUT 20% FUND BALANCE.
AND WHAT FITCH HAS TOLD US IS THAT, YOU KNOW, 20% IS THE MIDPOINT.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE TO TALK TO SOME OF THESE PEOPLE, THEY WOULD, SOME OF THESE CREATING CREDIT RATING AGENCIES WOULD BE LIKE, WE THINK YOU SHOULD HAVE 30 OR 35%.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THEN THEY'LL ALSO SAY, WE UNDERSTAND POLITICALLY THAT THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE.
UM, BUT THAT'S REALLY WHAT THEY WOULD PREFER TO SEE SOMETHING MUCH, MUCH MORE.
SO YOU'RE TRYING TO STRIKE THAT BALANCE, YOU KNOW, HOW, HOW CLOSE, HOW CLOSE TO THE, UM, THE OUTER GUIDELINES DO YOU, DO YOU WANT TO GET? RIGHT.
AND THAT, THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE BIG QUESTION BECAUSE, AND YOU KIND OF LED TO WHERE I WAS GOING, UH, THE MINIMUM WAS 5% RESERVE, RIGHT? BASED OFF OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE HAVE TO HAVE WITH THE STAB SUSTAINABILITY, UH, FUND.
AND, BUT IN THE REPORT IT SAYS 5% PLUS $20 MILLION, WHICH IN MY ESTIMATION, MAYBE MY ALL IS, THAT'S ABOUT $58 MILLION, RIGHT? SO, BUT THAT'S, AND THAT'S JUST, THOSE ARE AGAIN, UM, SUB GUIDELINES THAT WE TALKED ABOUT WITHIN THE COMMITTEE TO SAY, ALL RIGHT, YOU KNOW, YOU SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE THAT 5% AND YOU SHOULD HAVE THAT $20 MILLION JUST FOR KIND OF THE ROUTINE THINGS.
THE, THAT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF, YOU KNOW, THE REFRIGERATOR WENT OUT, YOU KNOW, YESTERDAY I GOT A FLAT TIRE, IT'S NOW GETTING FIXED.
THAT'S NOT PART OF MY WEEKLY BUDGET.
UM, GOTTA FIND OUT, FIND OUT HOW MUCH, WHETHER I GOTTA TAP INTO MY SECONDARY RESERVES OR FIRST LEVEL RESERVES FOR THAT
AND, BUT THAT'S WHAT THAT $20 MILLION IS ALL ABOUT THERE.
UM, AND HOPEFULLY YOU ADDRESS IT THERE BEFORE YOU HAVE TO GO INTO THAT 5%.
BUT THEN AS A PART OF THAT, WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS ALL OF THOSE THINGS, PLUS THE OTHER PLACES WHERE WE HAVE MONEY SET ASIDE FOR, YOU KNOW, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'VE MADE CHOICES TO HAVE IT IN STORMWATER.
WE'VE MADE CHOICES TO HAVE IT FOR LANDFILL, BUT THEY'RE SAYING, AND, AND THEN ALSO INCLUDING HOW MUCH OF THE FUND BALANCE WE'RE GONNA USE NEXT YEAR.
SO THAT $50 MILLION THAT WE'RE USING IN THE BUDGET, THAT'S A PART OF THAT 1 52.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S ALSO INCLUDED THERE AS WELL.
SO THAT WAS GONNA BE, AND I THINK YOU ALLUDED TO EARLIER, I JUST DON'T KNOW HOW WE GOT FROM 58 MILLION BASED OFF THE 20 MILLION TO 38 MILLION IN THE FISCAL STA STABILIZATION FUND TO ONE 50.
HOW DO WE GET TO ONE 50 BASED OFF OF THE 5% AND 20 MILLION ON TOP? BUT YOU'RE SAYING THAT'S WHAT YOU PROJECT TO BE USING FROM THE FUND BALANCE NEXT YEAR OF $50 MILLION? WELL, WHAT I'M ALSO SAYING IS THAT'S ALSO WHAT THE, THE A HUNDRED, WHICH REPRESENTS 20%, WHICH DOES INCLUDE THE 50 MILLION THAT WE'RE USING.
SO, AND THIS IS ALL IN THE BUDGET BOOK, YOU'LL SEE IT'S GOT THE, WE GOT THE STABILIZATION FUND, WE GOT THE, THE MONEY IN THERE FOR STORM WATER, WE'VE GOT THE MONEY IN THERE FOR LANDFILL.
WE'VE GOT A COUPLE OTHER LITTLE THINGS, AND THEN WE HAVE THE MONEY THAT WILL BE A PART OF NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, AND THAT'S AROUND $50 MILLION.
UM, SO THAT'S LIKE, KIND OF WHEN WE TALK ABOUT YOU, YOU HAVE $150 MILLION.
UM, WHAT'S LEFT RIGHT NOW IS ABOUT $3 MILLION, SO NOT 20.
SO IDEALLY, I THINK THE COMMITTEE WOULD'VE LIKED TO IT TO HAVE BEEN AROUND $20 MILLION.
[00:25:01]
YOU KNOW, WE, WE TRIED TO STICK $20 MILLION ALSO A NUMBER.WE WERE KIND OF USING THE PREVIOUS ADMINISTRATION AS WELL.
UM, SO, UM, AND YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT KIND OF HAS, HAS, UH, TRANSCENDED, UH, UH, THE YEARS.
ALRIGHT, I'VE CLOSE WITH THAT, BUT THAT, THAT 2 MILLION IS JUST, YOU JUST, IT'S ALLOTTED TWO DIFFERENT LINE ITEMS, SO WE CAN MAKE THAT 2 MILLION, 10 MILLION, 15 MILLION IF, IF WE WANTED TO.
UM, SO ONE KIND OF OPINION QUESTION, AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE, MR. KELLY.
UM, IF WE ARE, YOU KNOW, ON A DECLINE TO, SO TO SPEAK, UM, WHAT IS YOUR RECOMMEND, UH, RECOMMENDATION FOR GROWTH IN THIS COUNTY? HOW, HOW, HOW DO WE COME OUT OF THAT? SO WHAT TYPES OF ACTIVITIES CAN, CAN, UH, WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST A SMALL BUSINESS PERSON, BUT I, I THINK OF, YOU KNOW, OUR TWO PRIMARY RESOURCES ARE PROPERTY TAX AND OUR INCOME TAX.
SO ON THE PROPERTY SIDE, THAT WAS VERY HELPFUL AT UNDERSTANDING THE ABILITY FOR US TO CONTINUE TO GROW OUR TAX BASE.
SO IT BECAME VERY APPARENT WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THE ROLLING DATA, UH, TO SEE THAT WE'RE A MATURING ECONOMY.
AND I THINK THAT THAT REQUIRES, UM, AN AN ENHANCED LOOK, UM, UH, AT HOW WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL DECADES THAT ARE GONNA BE VERY DIFFERENT THAN THE, THAN THE PRIOR.
SO THAT CLIMATE HAS EVOLVED, UH, A BIT BECAUSE WE BENEFITED FROM A TAILWIND OF TREMENDOUS DEVELOPMENT AND ENHANCEMENT OF OUR PROPERTY TAX BASE.
AND ON THE INCOME SIDE, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK HARFORD COUNTY, AND I THINK YOU ALL DO A WONDERFUL JOB OF SUPPORTING, UH, SMALL BUSINESS AS A SMALL BUSINESS OWNER, SOMEONE WHO STARTED WITH, YOU KNOW, I CALL IT UNEMPLOYMENT, UM, ZERO EMPLOYEES TO WHERE WE ARE TODAY AND SOME OF OUR OTHER FRIENDS AND COLLEAGUES AROUND.
UM, I ALWAYS FEEL SUPPORTED, UH, BY, BY OUR GOVERNMENT AS FAR AS OPEN TO CONVERSATIONS AND SO ON.
I'M NOT IN A TYPE OF BUSINESS THAT I HAVE TREMENDOUS NEEDS, UH, BUT I'VE REDEVELOPED, UM, TWO HISTORIC BUILDINGS AS OUR OFFICES AS AN EXAMPLE.
AND WE RECEIVED TREMENDOUS SUPPORT, UH, FROM THE STATE AND COUNTY VIA TAX CREDITS, UH, TO HELP WITH, WITH THAT.
NOT ONLY THAT, BUT LOCAL EXPERTISE, UM, AS, AS WELL.
SO I THINK CONTINUING TO LISTEN TO YOUR SMALL BUSINESS FOLKS LIKE YOU'RE DOING RIGHT NOW, I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT, UH, ASKING THESE THOUGHTFUL QUESTIONS THAT YOU'RE ASKING AND ALLOWING US TO BE PART OF THE PROCESS, WHICH IS WHAT ATTRACTS ME TO THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
I KNOW WE'RE JUST ADVISORY IN NATURE, BUT IT'S, I THINK WE'RE A STRONGER COMMUNITY WHEN WE BRING GOVERNMENT AND PRIVATE ENTERPRISE, UH, TOGETHER IN A THOUGHTFUL WAY.
AND THAT'S WHY I'M SITTING HERE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMITTEE TOO.
IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE REFERRING TO, UH, BRIAN WHEN YOU SAID ADAPT TO THE BIG CHANGES UNDERWAY IN HOW PEOPLE LIVE, WORK, AND SHOP AND PLAY IN OUR COUNTY? I THINK THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT, UH, MR. VINCENTIA TO CONSIDER AND, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WE THINK A LOT ABOUT IT.
WE'RE A LOCAL, I, I CALL IT, PARDON THE EXPRESSION, BELLY TO BELLY BUSINESS.
HOWEVER, WHEN I REALLY THINK ABOUT IT, WE HAVE TWO HIGHLY SKILLED FOLKS, UH, ONE WHO CHOSE TO MOVE FROM THIS AREA, UM, TO A DIFFERENT, DIFFERENT PLACE.
NOW WE'RE HIRING LOCALLY, WE'RE FINDING TALENT LOCALLY.
UM, WE'RE INVOLVED WITH K 12 AS WELL AS THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AS WELL AS OUR STATE UNIVERSITY SYSTEM TO FOSTER THE NEXT GENERATION.
UM, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE I THINK COMING TOGETHER AS A COMMUNITY AND FOSTERING THESE CONVERSATIONS CAN REALLY MOVE US, UH, FORWARD.
YOU KNOW, MY FAMILY'S BEEN HERE SINCE THE 17 HUNDREDS.
I DON'T WANNA BE THE ONE WHO DROPS THE BALL.
UM, I, I KNOW YOU GUYS SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THIS, UH, CERTAINLY APPRECIATE IT IN IN THE NUMBERS.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS I DID FIND OUT THROUGH A FORTUNE 500 COMPANY THAT I, I'VE RELIED ON BEFORE, THEY, THEY COLLECT ABOUT 40, 45 MILLION A MONTH IN, UH, PAY, UH, PAYROLL OF THAT ABOUT 3.6 MILLION IS PAYROLL TAXES, I'M TOLD SO FAR THROUGH THE FIRST QUARTER.
UM, THEY'RE UP 25% THIS YEAR COMPARED TO LAST YEAR AND GROWING.
EXACT MOST OF THEIR BUSINESS IS BLUE COLLAR, UH, CONSTRUCTION, UH, MANUFACTURING, UM, ALL, ALL ACROSS THAT, NOT SO MUCH OFFICE, BUT, BUT THEY'RE STILL COLLECTING, YOU KNOW, UPWARDS OF 40 MILLION A MONTH IN THAT.
NOW, I DON'T KNOW, THE INCREASE ON THE LOWER END OF THE, OF THE MINIMUM WAGE SCALE, THAT NOW EVERYTHING IS 15, HOW MUCH THAT'S AFFECTING IT.
BUT I AM SEEING FROM WHAT THEY'RE TELLING ME, AN INCREASE OF 25% ON PAYROLL TAXES, WHICH I HAVE TO MAYBE THEN DISAGREE WITH.
WE, WE SEE A DECREASE OF 2.4% ON, UH, FOR THIS YEAR MOVING, MOVING FORWARD.
[00:30:01]
THAT'S MY, MY BIGGEST QUESTION IS I'M GETTING REAL TIME DATA SAYING, HEY, WE'RE UP 25% AND GROWING, UH, COMPARED TO THIS TIME LAST YEAR.ARE AND ARE THOSE ALL MARYLAND THOUGH? YES.
OR IS THAT IT'S JUST MARYLAND AND NOT, AND NOT ANY OTHER STATES? YES, JUST, JUST MARYLAND, STRICTLY MARYLAND.
AND I SPECIFICALLY, I'VE ASKED THAT QUESTION LAST YEAR.
I ASKED THIS QUESTION THIS YEAR.
SHE PULLS THE REPORT AND, AND BACK FOR THAT.
SO IT, AND IT'S A FAIRLY LARGE NUMBER FOR THEM.
THEY'RE A FORTUNE 500 COMPANY, SO IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, A SMALL COMPANY.
I MEAN, THEY'RE COLLECTING, LIKE I SAID, 40 MILLION, 40 MILLION A MONTH OF THAT, ABOUT 3.6 MILLION IS, IS GOING TO PAYROLL TAXES.
SO, SO THAT, THAT'S THE ONLY THING I WANNA SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, SMALL BUSINESS LIKE YOURSELF, I EMPLOY PROBABLY 15 PEOPLE NOW.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARD TO, TO GET SOMEBODY, WE, WE'VE HIRED SOME OTHER PEOPLE AND TRAIN HIM, YOU KNOW, HOW, YOU KNOW, IT TAKES A COUPLE YEARS TO GET SOMEBODY TO THE POINT.
UM, SO I'M SEEING A LOT OF SMALL BUSINESSES OPENING.
I I SEE SOME CLOSING, BUT I SEE OTHER ONES FILLING, FILLING, MAYBE NOT THE SAME BUSINESS.
UH, I'M SEEING A LOT OF RESTAURANTS OPENING UP, UH, FILLING THE VOID OF MAYBE SOME OF THE CHAINS THAT ARE GOING OUT AND, AND A CONSTANT OBAMA.
SO I, SO I DO SEE A LOT OF, A LOT OF BUSINESSES THAT ARE OPENING, I SEE A LOT OF BUSINESSES THAT ARE GROWING, PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR HELP.
THAT'S, THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THAT I SEE IS THAT CAN'T FIND, YOU KNOW, UH, SKILLED HELP, YOU KNOW? UM, AND SOME OF THE LOWER LEVEL PEOPLE, THEY'RE, THEY CAN'T GET 'EM TO COME IN THE DOOR TO, TO WORK THE WORK ETHIC, YOU KNOW, IF THEY CAN FIND THEM, THEY'RE WILLING TO PAY 'EM, THEY'RE WILLING TO TRAIN 'EM.
SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT'S JUST WHERE I'M AT WITH, WITH MY THING.
I, I, AND I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU GUYS ARE.
I JUST WANTED TO BRING THAT POINT UP, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S ALL I APPRECIATE.
I APPRECIATE YOUR REPORT SURE.
AND, AND THE EFFORTS OF YOUR, OF YOUR GROUP VERY MUCH.
THANK YOU, MR. JAN AND MR. BENNETT.
AND THANK YOU MORNING AGAIN, MORNING FOR BEING HERE ON PAGE 53 OF THE, UH, BUDGET.
UM, THERE'S THE PROJECTIONS OUT FOR FUTURE BUDGETS, UH, CREATED BY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND HIS STAFF.
UM, I WAS CURIOUS IF YOU ALL AS, UH, AS A GROUP LOOKED OVER THOSE PROJECTIONS AND, AND IF YOU DID, WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ARE ON IT.
UH, FOR INSTANCE, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW WE'RE ALL LOOKING AT THE FY 25 BUDGET, BUT THEY PROJECT FOR FFY OR FY 26 TO SPEND ABOUT 20, UH, $29 MILLION MORE THAN THIS YEAR COMING UP.
UM, AND THEN FY 27 TO GO ABOUT $26 MILLION MORE.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS IF YOU LOOK AT THOSE PROJECTIONS AND, AND IF THOSE PROJECTIONS ARE, UM, SUPPORTED BY, UH, YOU ALL AND, UH, SPENDING AFFORDABILITY, UM, AND, AND JUST WHERE YOU, UH, AS A, AS A, A GROUP FEEL ON THE FEASIBILITIES OF THOSE PROJECTIONS.
LIKE, ARE THOSE PROJECTIONS ROSE COLORED? ARE THOSE PROJECTIONS JUST PLACEHOLDERS? YOU KNOW, HOW SHOULD WE LOOK AS A COUNCIL? HOW SHOULD WE LOOK AT THOSE PROJECTIONS AS WE'RE PLANNING, YOU KNOW, THE CONTINUED SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS OF OUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT AND ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS WE FUND? SURE.
UH, WELL, WE'RE LOOKING AT HISTORIC NUMBERS AND TRYING TO EXTRAPOLATE THAT INTO THE CURRENT YEAR TO, TO GIVE OUR, OUR BEST PRESENTATION AS FAR AS GUIDANCE AND A TOOL THAT WE KNOW IS USED THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY AND AN ADVISORY AND INDEPENDENT CAPACITY.
SO WE, WE REALLY, I HAVEN'T REVIEWED THOSE, THOSE NUMBERS.
UM, SO I, I SHOULDN'T REALLY COMMENT, I WOULD SAY, UH, ON THAT.
UM, MR. ZALES, WOULD YOU HAVE ANY ANSWERS TO YEAH, I MEAN, I, I WOULD SAY THAT THEY ARE, THAT, THAT THEY ARE GENERALLY JUST KIND OF, UM, UH, KIND OF GENERALITIES, YOU KNOW, I I SOMEWHERE PROBABLY BETWEEN A A, A BEST, A BEST GUESS, AND A, AND A AND A PLACEHOLDER.
UM, BUT I, YOU KNOW, I DO THINK THAT THAT MIGHT BE ONE OF THOSE, THOSE AREAS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, AS A COUNTY, YOU KNOW, WE MAY NEED TO, TO, TO START LOOKING AT A MORE LONG-TERM APPROACH, YOU KNOW, AS WE DO WITH CAPITAL, UM, YOU KNOW, ON OUR, ON OUR, UM, YOU KNOW, OPERATING EXPENDITURES AND OPERATING REVENUES.
BECAUSE I THINK THAT REALLY DOES GET TO THE WHOLE IDEA OF THIS, OF THIS STRUCTURAL DEFICIT, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, EVENTUALLY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, YOU DO START RUNNING OUT OF FUND BALANCE, AND IT JUST, IT, IT, YOU CAN, ONCE YOU START PUTTING THAT FUND BALANCE ON ONGOING EXPENDITURES, AND ONCE IT, ONCE THE, THE RATE OF EXPENDITURE GROWTH REALLY DOES START TO TAKE OFF FROM, UM, THE RATE OF REVENUE GROWTH.
YOU KNOW, IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG BEFORE YOU HAVE A A TRUE PROBLEM.
YOU, YOU, YOU'VE ACTUALLY JUST RUN OUT OF MONEY.
YOU HAVE NO ADDITIONAL FUND BALANCE.
SO I'D LIKE TO FOLLOW UP ON, UH, MM-HMM.
AND YOU'RE ASKING, PROJECTING, WE DID PUT IN OUR REPORT OUR CONCERN OF A GROWING STRUCTURAL, WHAT I CALL A STRUCTURAL DEFICIT, AND WE'RE FUNDING OPERATING THROUGH THAT VERSUS CAPITAL PROJECT.
SO I THINK THE COMMITTEE, I CAN SPEAK TO THAT AS, AS WE
[00:35:01]
DID PUT IN WRITING THAT WE ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT POSSIBILITY.'CAUSE YOU CAN'T SPEND TO ZERO YOUR FUND BALANCE.
UM, AND, AND I GUESS TO A, DO THOSE PROJECTIONS TYPICALLY WORK OUT TO BE MORE CONSERVATIVE OR LESS CONSERVATIVE THAN OUR CURRENT YEAR MODEL? YEAH, I MEAN, I WOULD PROBABLY SAY IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, THE, THE REVENUES, UM, HAVE, THEY'VE BEEN, THEY'VE BEEN TOO CONSERVATIVE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, FISCAL YEAR 21, OUR INCOME TAX WENT UP 21%.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND EVEN, AND THEN IN, IN, UM, LAST YEAR, AGAIN, UM, INCOME TAX CONTINUED TO BE STRONG.
YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR, IF YOU WERE TO GO BACK THOUGH, AND WE'LL LOOK AT OUR, AT OUR PROJECTIONS, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WOULD'VE BEEN OFF AS, AS THE, THE CHAIR SAID, YOU KNOW, WE, WE MISSED OUR MARK THIS YEAR.
UM, AND THAT IS THAT VOLATILITY OF, OF, OF THE REVENUES, PARTICULARLY THE INCOME TAX.
YOU KNOW, PROPERTY TAX IS A MUCH MORE STABLE REVENUE.
UM, IT KIND OF GOES UP AND THEN IT KIND OF PLATEAUS AND IT GOES UP.
UM, BUT INCOME TAX, PARTICULARLY AS WE GET MORE AND MORE OF OUR INCOME TAX IS BEING DERIVED FROM HIGH INCOME INDIVIDUALS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHO OFTENTIMES HAVE TO MAKE, ARE MAKING FAMILY DECISIONS ON WHAT TO DO WITH THEIR MONEY OR ESTATE PLANNING DECISIONS OR, YOU KNOW, BUSINESSES ARE BEING BOUGHT AND SOLD AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND YOU'RE JUST GETTING A LOT MORE VOLATILITY, UM, THAN, YOU KNOW, THAN YOU NORMALLY DO.
AND THAT'S KIND WHAT WE SAW THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
THAT'S WHY THOSE ESTIMATED PAYMENTS, THERE'S RECONCILING PAYMENTS.
A LOT OF THAT WAS, I DON'T WANNA GET TOO MUCH IN THE WEEDS, BUT BECAUSE OF THESE PASS THROUGH ENTITIES AND SOME CHANGES THERE, UM, BUT TYPICALLY WHAT WE WOULDN'T SEE WAS THE CHANGE IN THE WITHHOLDING, UM, OR, OR I I SHOULD SAY, A DECLINE IN THE WITHHOLDING.
THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S WHAT WAS SO KIND OF SHOCKING THIS, THIS TIME AROUND TO SEE THAT CHANGE IN WITHHOLDING OVER TWO CONSECUTIVE QUARTERS.
AGAIN, HOPEFULLY WHEN WE GET, WHEN WE GET OUR NUMBERS AT THE END OF, UM, AROUND MEMORIAL DAY, UM, MAYBE HOPEFULLY WE'LL SEE A REVERSAL OF THAT.
UM, BUT, BUT THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S CONCERN AROUND THE STATE ABOUT THAT DECLINING WITHHOLDING, UM, AND I, LAST QUESTION, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, THINKING ABOUT, AS WE LOOK AT THE FY 26 PROJECTED BUDGET, IT'LL BE ABOUT 29 MILLION, A LITTLE OVER $29 MILLION MORE THAN THE FY 25 BUDGET.
AND WE'RE ALSO TRYING TO LAND THE AIRPLANE AS FAR AS THE STRUCTURAL DEFICIT GOES AND GET TO A POINT WHERE WE'RE NO LONGER SPENDING MORE THAN WHAT WE HAVE, UM, SO THAT WE DON'T GO TO ZERO WITH FUND BALANCE, BUT IN ORDER, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE CURRENTLY SPENDING OUT OF FUND BALANCE ABOUT $25 MILLION A YEAR, IF YOU'RE TRYING TO BUY FY 26, YOU KNOW, LET'S JUST SAY BE AT ZERO, UH, WE'RE NOT SPENDING MORE THAN WHAT WE HAVE, AND, BUT WE'RE ALSO GONNA BE INCREASING THE OVERALL BUDGET BY 29 MILLION.
THAT WOULD MEAN AN INCREASE IN REVENUE FOR FY 26 OF ABOUT $54 MILLION TO NO LONGER HAVE A STRUCTURAL DEFICIT AND INCREASE THE OPERATING BUDGET BY $29 MILLION IN THAT PROJECTION FOR FY 26.
WHERE DOES THAT $54 MILLION COME FROM? WHERE, HOW DO WE GET THERE? AND, AND, YOU KNOW, AS, UM, AS A BUDGET TEAM, HOW DO YOU FEEL COMFORTABLE IN PLACING THAT $29 MILLION AS OUR PLACEHOLDER FOR FY 26? WELL, I THINK THAT THE PROPERTY TAX WILL PROBABLY GROW BY 5% BECAUSE THE WAY PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENTS ARE PHASED IN OVER THREE YEARS, AND YOU HAVE THE 5% HOMESTEAD TAX CREDIT, UM, UM, ALL OF WHICH SHOULD, SHOULD HOPEFULLY MEAN THAT THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS WE SHOULD HAVE AROUND 5%.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, YOU COULD ALSO HAVE SOME WEIRD PROPERTY TAX CORRECTION AND THEN, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S GETTING APPEALS AND THIS AND THAT.
UM, THEN ON THE INCOME TAX, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE, YOU KNOW, UM, YOU KNOW, WE MAY NOT GET THERE IF, IF THIS THREE AND A HALF PERCENT IS, IS, IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE SEE IT TRENDING.
AND AGAIN, PROBABLY IN THE LONG TERM, THREE AND A HALF PERCENT MAKES SENSE.
NEXT YEAR, THREE AND A HALF PERCENT, IT MIGHT BE 7%, IT MIGHT BE NEGATIVE ONE.
UM, BUT YOU, I I DO THINK THAT, THAT WE, WE PROBABLY NEED TO START LOOKING AT REVENUES GROWING, YOU KNOW, ON AVERAGE, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING IN THE RANGE OF 4%, FOUR AND A HALF PERCENT, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, PROBABLY GOING, GOING FORWARD.
UM, AND AGAIN, MAYBE WE'LL GET FORTUNATE AND, AND THE INCOME TAX WILL GROW.
UH, BUT WE'VE ALSO SEEN CONSIDERABLE DOWNTURN IN OUR, SOME OF THOSE SMALLER REVENUES, THE TRANSFER TAX, THE RECREATION, WHICH WE USE FOR DEBT SERVICE.
I DO THINK THAT THE INTEREST INCOME, WHICH HAS BEEN A BLESSING THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS, IS STILL GONNA BE STRONG.
I DON'T THINK YOU'RE, THEY'RE GONNA, BUT, BUT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE'RE GETTING OFF OF INTEREST NOW IS LESS, UM, THE, THE YIELD IS LESS THAN IT WAS A FEW MONTHS AGO.
AND I, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK YOU WOULD PROBABLY KNOW BETTER IF, IF, IF, IF YOU THINK THAT THE, THE, UM, THE INTEREST RATES THAT WE CAN GET OFF OF MONEY MARKETS AND, AND TREASURIES AND ALL IS GONNA, IS GONNA GROW OR, OR NOT GROW FROM HERE.
BUT WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS THAT IT'S DROPPED COUPLE MONTHS.
SO I, I WOULD THINK IT'D BE MORE LIKELY THAN NOT BASED ON WHAT YOU'RE SHARING, THAT OUR ACTUAL FY 26 BUDGET, UH, WILL BE MORE LIKELY SMALLER THAN WHAT'S PROJECTED, THAN LARGER THAN WHAT'S
[00:40:01]
PROJECTED IN THE BUDGET.IS THAT FAIR TO SAY? I, I THINK THAT GOES BACK TO WHAT WE WERE SAYING BEFORE, IS THAT WE THINK THAT THE, THE DOWNSIDE RISK IS PROBABLY HIGHER THAN THE UPSIDE RISK RIGHT NOW.
AND MAYBE IN THE FUTURE WHEN WE DESIGN THAT PROJECTION, WE COULD LEAN TO BEING MORE, YOU KNOW, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE OUTSIDE ENTITIES, I'M SURE LOOK AT THOSE PROJECTIONS THAT ARE LISTED IN THE BUDGET AS THEY'RE WORKING TOWARDS THEIR LONG-TERM PLANS FOR BUDGETS.
YOU KNOW, AS IT SAYS, AN FY 26, WE INCREASE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM BY THIS AMOUNT.
WE'RE GONNA COMPLETE THE HAR THE HARTFORD CENTER BY THIS AMOUNT, PUBLIC SAFETY BY THIS AMOUNT.
UM, YOU CAN BUILD AROUND THOSE NUMBERS, BUT IF THEY'RE, UM, UH, TOO, UH, AGGRESSIVE, THEN THAT COULD DO HARM TO THOSE OUTSIDE ENTITIES THAT ARE, UH, ACCOUNTING ON BEING ABLE TO PREDICT WHAT'S GONNA COME THEIR WAY.
SO MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL AS A TEAM COULD LOOK AT, IS BEING A PART OF THAT CONVERSATION FOR FUTURE PLANNING OF WHAT ARE WE DOING BY FY 30 FY 31, UM, SO THAT WE HAVE GOOD, A GOOD PLAN AND NOT JUST A HOPEFUL PLAN AS FAR AS WHAT'S COMING AHEAD.
MR. RILEY? YES, MR. KELLY, I AGAIN, WANNA THANK YOU AND YOUR, UH, COMMITTEE, UM, AND ALSO THE GOVERNMENT STAFF THAT PUT THIS TOGETHER.
I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS, UH, FOR YOU OR FOR, UH, MR. SANDLES, BUT IF YOU LOOKED AT YOUR REPORT LAST YEAR, HOW WOULD YOU SAY THAT IT FARED OUT, UH, AS TO WHAT YOU PROJECTED OR WHAT YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS WERE? IF, I THINK IF YOU LOOK AT AT, AT THE PRIOR YEAR, WE WERE TOO, TOO OPTIMISTIC BECAUSE THE INCOME TAXES ACTUALLY DECLINED, UH, OVER THE PRIOR YEAR.
AND THAT, AND HENCE THAT'S WHY YOU'RE, YOU'RE SEEING, UH, US BEING, UM, TALKED THROUGH THE ESTIMATED QUARTERLY PAYMENTS AND THE, UM, RECONCILIATION PAYMENT VERSUS THE, THE WAGE GROWTH.
WE DIDN'T GET THE WAGE GROWTH THAT WE WERE EXPECTING.
NOW THERE CAN BE SOME NOISE IN THIS DATA COMING FROM THE STATE.
SO HOPE, HOPEFULLY, AS WE SEE THIS COME THROUGH, I'LL BE VERY INTERESTED IN THE REPORTS IN THE COMING MONTHS, UH, AS TO WHAT ACTUALLY OCCURS.
AND MR. SANDLES, COULD YOU, UH, OPINION ON THAT? YEAH, I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S RIGHT ON.
WE, WE, WE, WE EXPECT THAT LAST YEAR FOR INCOME TAX TO BE, TO BE FLAT.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE KNEW THAT WE GOT ALL THAT MONEY IN JANUARY FROM THOSE RECONCILING DISTRIBUTIONS.
WE'RE LIKE, ALL RIGHT, THAT'S GONNA GO BACK TO THE NORM.
BUT WE REALLY DID THINK THAT WITH THE WAGE PRESSURE, THAT THE QUARTERLY DISTRIBUTIONS, THE WITHHOLDING WAS GOING TO GROW BY, YOU KNOW, BY ABOUT 5% OR SO, AND IT WAS GONNA THEN JUST EVEN OUT.
BUT THEN, UM, THE, THE RECONCILING WENT DOWN AS EXPECTED, THE ESTIMATED PAYMENTS WENT DOWN AS EXPECTED, BUT THEN WHEN THOSE WITHHOLDINGS DIDN'T GROW BY FOUR OR 5%, AND INSTEAD THEY DECLINED BY 1%, WE FOUND OURSELVES IN A, IN A HOLE.
AND NOW WE'RE, WE'RE, EVEN IF WE DO HAVE POSITIVE GROWTH, WE'RE WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA BE LESS THAN WHAT THAT ORIGINAL TRAJECTORY WAS.
YOU KNOW, EVEN A FEW SHORT MONTHS AGO, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF GO BACK TO NO, NOVEMBER, WE SAW THE, WE SAW WITHHOLDING DOWN, WE TALKED TO THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE, AND THEY'RE LIKE, WELL, WE THINK IT'S A CALENDAR ISSUE.
AND THEN WE CAME BACK IN FEBRUARY AND IT WAS LIKE, HMM, SOMETHING ELSE IS HAPPENING HERE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT EVERYBODY, YOU LOOK AT ANY OTHER COUNTY'S INCOME TAX DISTRIBUTION, UM, THEIR, WHAT THEY'RE BUDGETING FOR NEXT YEAR, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S, EVERYBODY SAW THAT, THAT, THAT DECLINE EVERYBODY IS, HAS LOWERED THEIR INCOME TAX DISTRIBUTION, UM, THE STATE AS WELL AS EVERY COUNTY.
AGAIN, I APPRECIATE THE REPORT LAST YEAR.
I KNOW YOU GUYS GOT BEAT UP, UH, OVER IT, UM, BECAUSE EVERYBODY THOUGHT YOU WERE TOO CONSERVATIVE.
AND SO I THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND, UH, I THINK IT'S, UM, A GOOD REPORT.
MR. KELLY, YOU MENTIONED NOISE, AND ROBBIE, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE, AND I SEE IN HERE WHERE YOU HAVE A COMMENT ABOUT, UH, NEW SOFTWARE PROGRAM AT THE COMP CONTROL'S OFFICE.
DOES THAT REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE? IS THAT REALLY SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE CONCERNED ABOUT? WE, WE, WE DON'T KNOW.
THEY, UM, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, WE HAVE A CPA HERE IN, IN, IN, IN, IN, UH, WITH, UH, UH, STEVE WISEMAN AND, YOU KNOW, HE CAN PROBABLY ATTEST TO SOME OF THE ISSUES THAT, THAT, THAT, UM, FILERS AND ALL HAVE EXPERIENCED THIS, UM, THIS YEAR IN GETTING NUMBERS IN.
AND WE KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN FROM THE COUNTY PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, THERE WERE TIMES WHERE WE COULDN'T, UM, GET OUR NUMBERS IN AND, AND THINGS WERE OFF.
UM, SO WE'RE HOPING THAT THAT'S THE CASE.
THEY HAVE TOLD US THAT, THAT THEY DON'T THINK IT'S ANYTHING SIGNIFICANT.
SO IF YOU TAKE THEM AT THEIR FACE, YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY, WHAT THEY'RE SAYING TO US, THAT, THAT IT SHOULDN'T BE, BUT IT, IT COULD HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF, OF IMPACT.
BUT I DON'T THINK ANYTHING WHEN IT COMES TO THE BIG FILERS, YOU KNOW, THE, THE DODS AND THE SOCIAL SECURITIES AND THE STATE OF MARYLAND AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
MR. WISEMAN, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD TO THAT? UH, I THINK IT'S PROBABLY MORE OF A TEMPORARY THING.
[00:45:01]
UM, ANYONE ELSE SEEING NO ONE ELSE? UH, MR. KELLY, AGAIN, WE WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM, UH, FOR ALL THAT YOU DO.PLEASURE TO BE WITH YOU ALL THIS MORNING AND WITH YOU.
BEST LUCK DURING THIS PROCESS,
WE ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO THIS EIGHT MORE CHICKEN
ARE THESE NEW CHAIRS? THEY'RE VERY NICE.
UH, MAYBE, NO, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE NEW THIS YEAR OR NOT, I THINK LAST YEAR.
AND IF I MAY, BEFORE YOU START, I WANNA RECOGNIZE A FORMER COUNTY EXECUTIVE IN THE AUDIENCE TODAY, MR. GLASSMAN.
ALRIGHT, WELL, CAN YOU HEAR ME? YES, MA'AM.
I'M TRYING TO KEEP A STRAIGHT FACE HERE.
THEY DEVELOP PRE-LITERACY AND SKILLS, UM, SORTING AND ALL THOSE THINGS THAT GO OUT ON OUR TRAVELING LIBRARY FLEET.
WE HAVE FOUR VEHICLES THAT WE PURCHASED.
UM, THEY ARE HOLDING THE, HOLDING THE SPACE UNTIL WE CAN GET THAT ROLLING READER, SILVER READER, FULL-SIZE VEHICLES READY AND UP AND RUNNING.
UM, BUT THESE ARE HOUSED AT THE BEL AIR LIBRARY AND OUR OLD ASSISTANT BRANCH MANAGER'S OFFICE.
SO, UM, IF YOU'RE EVER THERE, FEEL FREE TO STOP BY AND ASK THE STAFF TO SHOW YOU WHERE THEY'RE HOUSED BECAUSE IT'S QUITE IMPRESSIVE.
WE HAVE SLEDS, WE HAVE ALL SORTS OF THINGS.
SO WE, WE BROUGHT IN AN ASSORTMENT FOR YOU.
AND, AND, AND NO, PAT, YOU CAN'T HIT HIM WITH YOUR ROLLING PIN
AND YOU GOT THE ROLLING PIN BECAUSE YOUR UNCLE'S BAKERY.
WHICH YOU OWE ME THE GINGERBREAD RECIPE.
WELL THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO DO.
IF WE CALL YOU TEXT, YOU COME TO OUR EVENTS AND, AND THE STAFF AND I REALLY DO APPRECIATE IT, YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, WE KNOW THAT YOU SUPPORT US WITH ME TODAY.
I HAVE KATHY KOGER, OUR CFO, DARIA PERRY, OUR, SO COO WE HAVE LESLIE GREENLEY SMITH, LESLIE RAISE YOUR HAND, OUR DIRECTOR OF MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS.
WE HAVE AMBER SCH ROSE, OUR DIRECTOR OF PHILANTHROPY AND DEVELOPMENT.
AND UH, DID I LEAVE CHARLES JEN? OH AND JEN? YES.
JEN JEN BUTTON WHO'S UM, MAKES MY LIFE REALLY EASY.
SHE IS THE EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE CEO AND CHARLES IS SUPPOSED TO BE HERE AHEAD OF HR, BUT I BELIEVE HE'S IN TRAFFIC FROM BALTIMORE AGAIN TOO.
UM, THANK YOU FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY AND I WILL BE BRIEF BECAUSE I KNOW YOU HAVE A LONG DAY AHEAD OF YOU.
UM, WAGE PARITY REMAINS A TOP PRIORITY FOR LIBRARY STAFF.
AND AGAIN, TO SAY THAT OUR STAFF IS DISTRAUGHT TO NOT RECEIVE WAGE PARITY WITH COUNTY EMPLOYEES OR TO BE INCLUDED IN THE 1% $1,000 SALARY INCREASE THAT HAS BEEN PROPOSED FOR COUNTY EMPLOYEES IS AN UNDERSTATEMENT.
THAT ALSO DOES NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THE PROPOSED INCREASES FOR OTHER COUNTY AGENCIES IN MARYLAND COUNTY.
PUBLIC LIBRARIES ARE REPORTING PROPOSED SALARY INCREASES FOR THEIR EMPLOYEES AND HARTFORD WILL FALL EVEN FURTHER BEHIND THE LACK OF WAGE PARITY FUNDING FOR OUR WONDERFUL, AND I DO MEAN WONDERFUL LIBRARY EMPLOYEES WILL PRESENT US WITH SOME DIFFICULT CHOICES GOING FORWARD, WHICH COULD INCLUDE THE REDUCTION OF SERVICES TO OUR COUNTY FAMILY AND CUSTOMERS.
IF THIS CONTINUES, WE HAVE ALL FELT THE PRESSURES OF INCREASED INFLATION FOR ENERGY SUPPLIES AND BUILDING MAINTENANCE OF WHICH THE LIBRARY DOES PAY FOR FAILURE TO FUND PREVENTIVE MAINTENANCE AND GENERAL UPKEEP OF OUR FACILITIES WILL ONLY BE EXASPERATED WITHOUT ADDRESSING CAPITAL NEEDS.
A SMALL EXAMPLE IS THAT THE LIBRARY HAS BEEN ASKED TO PICK UP THE EXPENSES FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SPRINKLER SYSTEMS IN ALL OUR BUILDINGS THAT HAVE SPRINKLERS AS WELL AS WATER CONDITIONING COSTS.
NOW THESE ARE SMALL PRICE TAGS, BUT THE BUILDINGS ARE OWNED AND MAINTAINED BY THE COUNTY.
AND SHIFTING THE COST TO THE LIBRARY WITHOUT THE FUNDING FOLLOWING IS DISTRESSING.
NOT TO MENTION THE QUESTION OF HOW THE FUNDING SET ASIDE FOR COUNTY BUILDING MAINTENANCE IS BEING USED, IF NOT FOR COUNTY BUILDING MAINTENANCE.
THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING BILL FOR MARYLAND LIBRARY'S ENABLING LEGISLATION HOUSE BILL, HOUSE BILL 6 0 9 WAS SIGNED ON APRIL 25TH BY THE GOVERNOR AND HAS AN EFFECTIVE DATE OF JULY 1ST, 2024 IF OUR EMPLOYEES DECIDE TO GO THAT ROUTE.
AND OF COURSE WE WOULD SUPPORT THEM IN THAT MOVEMENT.
IT WILL CLEARLY MEAN AN INCREASE IN ADMINISTRATIVE COST.
IT DOES HOLD HARMLESS LOCAL GOVERNMENT FROM ANY REQUIREMENT TO FUND INCREASES IN SALARY AND BENEFITS, BUT WILL PUT THE LIBRARY IN A PRECARIOUS POSITION.
THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION NOTIFIED THE DELEGATION DURING THE STATE CA STATE CAPITAL BUDGET PROCESS THAT IT WOULD NOT BE ACCEPTING THE ALREADY APPROVED $5 MILLION CAPITAL
[00:50:01]
GRANT FOR THE BEL AIR LIBRARY PROJECT.SUBSEQUENTLY, ALTHOUGH OUR DELEGATION ATTEMPTED TO KEEP A PLACEHOLDER FOR SOME FUNDING, IT WAS REMOVED AS A HARFORD COUNTY GRANT AND REMOVED FROM THE STATE LIBRARY CAPITAL BUDGET COMPLETELY.
THE COUNTY'S BACKING OUT OF THE PROCESS WILL NO DOUBT BRING THE END TO FUTURE LIBRARY CAPITAL GRANTS FOR SOME TIME.
WE ARE CONTINUING TO WATCH BUDGET DEVELOPMENTS IN THE STATE LEVEL AS WE ALL SAW SOME OF OUR OTHER PARTNERS IN HARTFORD COUNTY, INCLUDING THE COLLEGE HAVING TO OPPOSE CHANGES IN FORMULAS OR LOCAL SHARES DURING THE STATE BUDGETING PROCESS.
ALRIGHT, ROBBIE, THIS IS, THIS ONE'S FOR YOU.
GOOD THING I'VE GOT THIS MICROPHONE.
THERE, THERE HAS BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT SPENDING DOWN FUND BALANCES AND LET ME PROVIDE SOME CLARIFICATION FROM THE LIBRARY PERSPECTIVE.
AS OF JUNE 30TH, 2023, THE LIBRARY HAD A FUND BALANCE OF $12,970,000.
BUT A PORTION 3.373 IS RESTRICTED FOR ITEMS INCLUDING PREPAIDS, SUCH AS THE CARE FIRST JULY BILL THAT IS PAID IN JUNE, HEALTHCARE CONSORTIUM FUNDS WITH THE COUNTY AND ENCUMBRANCES OR OPEN PURCHASE ORDERS CARRIED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 25.
THE FUND BALANCE IS ALWAYS INCLUDED IN THE ANNUAL AUDIT AND IS A REAL NUMBER AND AVAILABLE FOR FULL REVIEW.
THIS LEAVES 9.23 3000 AS A SPENDABLE GENERAL FUND BALANCE OF THAT AMOUNT.
WE HAD ALLOCATED 7.5 MILLION TO LIBRARY CAPITAL PROJECTS 'CAUSE WE DO FUND MANY OF OUR OWN CAPITAL PROJECTS.
AND THIS INCLUDED THE FOUR, $4 MILLION OF STATE MATCHING FUNDS FOR THE BEL AIR RENOVATION THAT WE WILL MATCH THOSE FUNDS AND MOVE FORWARD WITH A RENOVATION PROJECT TO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITY.
AND WE HAVE ALLOCATED THAT FOR THE BEL AIR RENOVATION.
OUR PLANS IN FISCAL YEAR 25, INCLUDING RESTORING 13 TEEN PAGE POSITIONS WITH A BUDGET ALLOCATION OF 100,000, AND THAT WILL BE FOR NINE HOURS PER WEEK MINIMUM WAGE, ENABLING THE LIBRARY TO PROVIDE ENHANCED SUPPORT FOR PATRONS AND PROVIDE WORK EXPERIENCE FOR SOME OF OUR MOST VULNERABLE TEENS IN OUR COUNTY.
OUR PROPOSED BUDGET WAS DESIGNED TO ADDRESS THE INFLATION ISSUE THAT HAS IMPACTED OUR MATERIALS BUDGET, OUR BUILDING BUDGETS, OUR OPERATIONAL BUDGETS, AND TO SUPPORT OUR EARLY AND PRE-LITERACY SERVICES ALONG WITH STEM THAT ARE THE CORNERSTONE OF PRESCHOOL LEARNING AT THE LIBRARY AND PART OF THE BLUEPRINT INITIATIVES.
IN CLOSING, THE LIBRARY IS COMMITTED TO SERVING AS AN ECONOMIC FORCE IN THE COUNTY AND FOSTERING LIFELONG LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES FOR ALL.
AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT FOR THE LIBRARY AND ALL YOU DO FOR YOUR COMMUNITIES.
YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS LIKE QUOTES AND IT'S NOT WALT DISNEY THIS TIME, BUT IT IS FROM SAM BOWMAN, AUTHOR, BLOGGER, COACH AND PUBLIC SPEAKER.
LIBRARIES DO MORE THAN BUILD COMMUNITY.
THEY ARE THE COMMUNITY RATHER THAN A SYMBOL OF THE PAST.
LIBRARIES ARE ACTIVE SOCIAL ENTITIES THAT HELP PEOPLE LEARN AND PREPARE FOR THE FUTURE BY PROVIDING ESSENTIAL ACCESS TO RESOURCES AND INFORMATION, LIBRARY SUPPORT, EDUCATION AND LITERACY, WHILE SERVING AS A CRITICAL COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACE.
AND AS ALWAYS, YOUR PASSIONS EXTREMELY EVIDENT.
UM, YOU MAY HAVE ANSWERED THIS AND I JUST MAYBE NOT HAVE CAUGHT IT, BUT USERS, HOW MANY USERS DO YOU HAVE ACROSS THE COUNTY IN YOUR LIBRARIES? HOW MANY CITIZENS USE THE LIBRARIES WE HAVE, UH, AND WE'RE VERY GOOD ABOUT PURGING OUR DATABASE, THAT THAT'S DARIA'S JOB.
SO, UM, WE REALLY DO ELIMINATE, ANYONE HAS NOT USED THE LIBRARY IN, I THINK IT'S TWO TO THREE YEARS.
UM, SO WE HAVE A TOTAL OF, LET'S SEE, WELL, WE HAVE OVER 300,000 WIFI USERS.
WE HAVE A HUNDRED AND 150 ACTIVE LIBRARY CARD HOLDERS AT THIS MOMENT.
AND THIS WAS AS A FISCAL YEAR OF, UH, JUNE 30TH OF LAST YEAR.
SO MORE THAN HALF OUR POPULATION.
HOW MANY USERS THERE? HOW COME YOURS ISN'T IN COLOR? OH, OKAY.
SO THE BEL AIR LIBRARY HAS A POPULATION OF 76,000.
UM, IT CIRCULATED, THIS IS JUST ONE MONTH, 59,000 ITEMS. IT DOES ABOUT 25% OF OUR, ALL OF OUR BUSINESS LEVELS AND FOR LIBRARY CARD HOLDERS.
DID YOU PRINT THIS ONE OUT, KATHY? NO, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE IT HERE.
WAIT, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER FOR YOU, BUT THEY DO, DO CONSISTENTLY 24 TO 28% OF OUR TOTAL BUSINESS.
AND IT IS THE HUB OF THE COMMUNITY.
[00:55:01]
OR MR. MCCORD, EITHER ONE, CAN YOU, UH, GIVE US AN EXPLANATION ON WHY THE COUNTY DID NOT SUPPORT THAT GRANT OR WOULD NOT ACCEPT THAT GRANT OF THE GRANT REQUIRED, YOU KNOW, A SUBSTANTIAL, UM, COUNTY BOND EXPENDITURE AS A, AS A, AS A MATCH FOR THAT? UM, SO I MEAN, ULTIMATELY IT COMES DOWN TO A QUESTION OF, OF, UH, JUST OUR, OUR OVERALL, YOU KNOW, WHERE, WHERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE GONNA PUT THE, THE COUNTY BONDS.AND AGAIN, THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF VERY GOOD PROJECTS THAT SOMETIMES WON'T, WON'T MAKE THE CUTS.
BUT I THINK PARTICULARLY WITH, UM, SOME OF THE GROWING COSTS OF SOME OF THE SCHOOL PROJECTS AND SOME OF THE OTHER, OTHER, OTHER AREAS, UM, AND UNFORTUNATELY IT DOES, IT KIND OF GETS TO THAT DEBT AFFORDABILITY ISSUE.
IT STARTS CROWDING OUT, UM, OTHER, OTHER TYPES OF PROJECTS.
JUST TO ME, YOU TALKED ABOUT EDUCATION, IT JUST SOUNDS TO ME LIKE THE LIBRARY AND EDUCATION GOES HAND TO GLOVE.
SO, UM, COUNSEL, MR. BENNETT, UM, JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT LAST QUESTION, DID THE ADMINISTRATION TAKE INTO ACCOUNT HOW THIS WOULD IMPACT LONG TERM, THE LIBRARY SYSTEM'S ABILITY TO GET ON THAT LIST FOR GRANT FUNDING FROM THE STATE? NOW WE TURNED DOWN MONEY ONCE.
WHAT DOES THAT DO TO YEARS TO COME WHEN WE TRY TO GET MONEY IN THE FUTURE? WAS THAT PART OF THE EQUATION IN MAKING THAT, THAT DECISION TO WRITE A LETTER SAYING, WE DON'T WANT THE MONEY? WELL, I MEAN, I THINK THAT ANYTIME THERE ARE, UH, THE POTENTIAL FOR SOME TYPE OF, OF MATCHING GRANTS, AND WE DO, WE, WE, WE DO GENERALLY LOOK AT THOSE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU ARE IN, IN ESSENCE, UM, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE THE ABILITY TO LEVERAGE, TO LEVERAGE SOME RESOURCES.
YOU KNOW, I THINK IN THESE CASES THOUGH, YOU WE'RE, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, SO THE, THE, THE BULK IS LOCAL FUNDING AND THE AMOUNT OF OF, OF STATE FUNDING, YOU KNOW, IS A, IS, IS IS THE MINORITY PORTION OF THE, OF, OF THE OVERALL, OF THE OVERALL PROJECT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THERE'S A LOT OF REALLY GOOD PROJECTS OUT THERE.
UM, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST WITH THE LIBRARY THAT, THAT WE HAVE HAD TO, THAT WE'VE HAD TO CUR CURTAIL.
UM, YOU KNOW, SO WE, YOU KNOW, WE DO TRY TO WEIGH, WE DO TRY TO WEIGH ALL THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO KNOW THAT THE, THE LIBRARY HAS USED SOME OF THEIR OWN, UM, THEIR OWN THUMB BALANCES ON SOME OF THESE PROJECTS AS WELL.
UM, YOU KNOW, WHICH IS A, A PROPER USE OF, OF ONETIME OF, OF ONETIME MONEY.
NOW AGAIN, I THINK WE'RE UP AGAINST, UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF CROWDING OUT, YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY WHEN WE LOOK AT, AT, AT SOME OF THE OTHER AREAS OF THE BUDGET THAT ARE, ARE, ARE, UM, YOU KNOW, FROM A STATE MANDATED PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO, WE NEED TO PUT THOSE RESOURCES IN THOSE AREAS.
AND, AND NOT, UM, TO INTERRUPT, BUT I JUST, NOT SURE IF MY QUESTION WAS ANSWERED, BUT DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU GUYS TOOK INTO ACCOUNT PROPERLY HOW THIS WOULD IMPACT, UM, THE ABILITY FOR HARTFORD COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY TO, TO GET ON THAT LIST AND GET THAT MONEY TWO YEARS FROM NOW, THREE YEARS FROM NOW? UM, OR IS IT THE ADMINISTRATION'S OPINION THAT IT'S A BAD DEAL FOR US? 'CAUSE THE COUNTY HAS TO PAY A PORTION OF IT AND, AND MATCHING COSTS AND THEREFORE WE DON'T WANNA BE ON THAT STATE LIST FOR GRANT FUNDING FOR OUR LIBRARY CAPITAL PROJECTS? AGAIN, I THINK IT'S, I THINK IT'S WEIGHING OF THE PRIORITIES.
UM, YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING THAT THAT MIGHT, I WILL SAY THE, THE, THE, THE HARPER COUNTY LIBRARY HAS DONE VERY WELL AT, AT GETTING STATE GRANTS, UM, FROM THIS PROGRAM.
AND I REMEMBER WHEN THIS PROGRAM STARTED, AND I THINK IT, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, IT WAS $5 MILLION STATEWIDE.
AND, AND HARPER COUNTY WAS CONSISTENTLY GETTING MORE THAN, MORE THAN ITS FAIR SHARE OF, OF, OF THE OVERALL, UM, UH, OF THE OVERALL POT OF, OF STATE FUNDS.
UM, BUT IT STILL IS A, IT'S A RELATIVELY LIMITED AMOUNT OF, OF, OF STATE, OF STATE DOLLARS.
UM, AND AGAIN, YOU'RE HAVING TO, TO BALANCE THAT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH RESOURCES DO YOU GO AFTER A LIMITED AMOUNTS OF STATE DOLLARS? YOU KNOW, UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S ALL BENEFICIAL TO HAVE THOSE DOLLARS COME TO THE, COME TO THE COUNTY, BUT IT'S NOT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT DOES HAVE TO BE SIGNIFICANTLY MATCHED WITH, WITH ADDITIONAL COUNTY RESOURCES.
I MEAN, IT'S A PART OF THE, IT'S A PART OF THE, IT'S A PART OF THE CONSIDERATION.
IT'S A PART OF THE, UM, ALL OF THAT.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, THERE, THERE, WE JUST RUN OUT OF, WE, YOU KNOW, WE JUST RUN OUT OF THE ABILITY TO JUST ADD MORE AND MORE BONDED PROJECTS TO OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS, TO OUR CAPITAL BUDGET.
I MEAN, WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO GUESS.
I MEAN, YOU CAN, YOU KNOW, PUT RESOURCES IN, UM, YOU KNOW, THOSE FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE DONE A LOT.
I MEAN, THE, THE, THE, THE, THE AMOUNT OF SPENDING OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE'VE ADDED SEVERAL BRANCHES, YOU KNOW, TO, UM, YOU KNOW, TO THE LIBRARY.
AND IT IS, IT'S, WE'VE, WE'VE DONE SOME SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'RE JUST KIND OF AT THE POINT NOW WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE RUNNING UP AGAINST SOME, SOME TRUE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF DEBT AFFORDABILITY ISSUES.
IS THAT IT, MR. BENNETT? YEAH.
I, I JUST HAVE TO SIT ON IT FOR A MINUTE.
IT'S ALL, ALL OF THIS IS ALL DEFINITELY.
I COULD HEAR THE WHEELS TURNING FROM HERE, MS. SOS.
[01:00:01]
UNDERSTAND.SO THE STATE WAS OFFERING TO GIVE $5 MILLION TO OUR LIBRARIES, AND WE'RE NOT ACCEPTING IT, BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT, IT REQUIRES OF SUBSTANTIAL COUNTY.
UM, AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THE, THE, THE DOLLARS WERE FROM THE COUNTY, BUT IT'S ALSO PREVAILING, WHICH IS ANOTHER FACTOR TOO, WHICH IS A FACTOR OF HOW MUCH, SO YEAH, I MEAN, ANYTIME THAT, ONCE WHEN YOU DO TAKE THE, THE STATE DOLLARS MAKES THE OVERALL PROJECT MORE EXPENSIVE BECAUSE OF, BECAUSE OF PREVAILING WAGES YOU HAVING USED THOSE, THOSE UNION, UNION WAGES FOR, UH, UM, FOR CONSTRUCTION.
SO THAT DOES ADD, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD PROJECTS SIMILAR ON THE, THE SWIM SIDE AS WELL.
FIRST OF ALL, THANK, THANK YOU FOR THE, UM, IT PROBABLY WAS THE WORST THING THAT YOU GUYS COULD HAVE EVER DONE IS GAVE ME THE STUFF.
'CAUSE I'M JUST HAVING A BLAST PLAYING WITH THIS GUY.
WELL, I KNOW THEY'RE TAKING IT BACK.
THEY BACK FOR YOU OWE ME MONEY, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M KIND OF, I'M KIND OF LIKING IT.
SO I, I APPRECIATE YOU, YOU GUYS DO A LOT OF WORK.
I, I APPRECIATE BEING IN THE VIDEO.
UM, THE, UH, OH OH SEVEN VIDEO FOR, FOR THE LIBRARY GALA.
THAT WAS A, THAT WAS A GREAT HONOR.
I, I DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE COMING FOR, UH, THE READING.
UM, I, I LIKE GETTING DRESSED UP.
NOW, MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, WHO DROPPED OFF THE PLAQUE AND DIDN'T GIMME A NAME? SOMEBODY DROPPED OFF SOMETHING, A PLAQUE WITH ME IN THE, IN THE WIG AND EVERYTHING.
BEL AIR LIBRARY WAS FIRST LIBRARY I WENT TO.
I USED TO READ MAGAZINES ALL THE TIME, CAR MAGAZINES.
I PROBABLY WOULD GO THROUGH 20 OF 'EM.
AND THEN ABINGDON LIBRARY OPENED RIGHT ACROSS THE STREET FROM MY, MY PARENTS.
AND I REMEMBER BEING IN THERE WHEN IT SNOWED, READING THE, THE CAR MAGAZINES.
YOU KNOW, THE BIGGEST THING IS YOU DON'T HAVE THE MAGAZINES, YOU KNOW? UM, AND I KNOW THEY DO 'EM ONLINE, BUT THERE'S NOTHING LIKE SITTING IN THE LIBRARY.
UH, AND, UH, I'M DISAPPOINTED.
UH, I UNDERSTAND WHERE, WHERE ROBBIE'S TALKING ABOUT WHERE PREVAILING WAGES WE HAVE TO USE UNION DO THAT.
UM, I'VE SEEN THE BEL AIR LIBRARY GROW A COUPLE DIFFERENT TIMES.
UM, I WENT IN THERE TO DO RESUMES YEARS AGO, AND THE LIBRARIANS WERE ALWAYS BIG HELP, UH, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT PROJECTS.
AND, AND I KNOW NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY, A LOT OF TIMES DURING COVID, I THINK PEOPLE WENT IN AND USED THE LIBRARY'S WIFI FOR, FOR THE KIDS.
SO THAT WAS, THAT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT.
UM, I, I WISH WE COULD FIND A WAY, UM, YOU KNOW, TO, WE DIDN'T HAVE TO USE THE PREVAILING WAGES FOR THE, YOU KNOW, HAVING, BEING FORCED TO USE, UM, LABOR U UH, LABOR UNIONS TO BUILD THAT.
UM, BUT, UH, ANYTHING I CAN DO TO HELP SUPPORT THE LIBRARY, UM, BIG ADVOCATE.
UM, YOU KNOW, I LOVE COMING DOWN TO, UH, MAKO AND, AND SEEING YOU GUYS AND PLAYING WITH EVERYTHING.
SO I, I THINK YOU GUYS SEE I'M FULLY IMMERSED IN IT.
UM, BUT I, I THINK IT, IT'S REAL IMPORTANT.
THERE'S A LOT OF, THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE THAT THE LIBRARY DOES, UM, THAT IS INTEGRAL PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, UH, WE THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF AND EVERYTHING AND, AND LOOK FORWARD TO, UH, TO READING NEXT YEAR.
SEE WHAT MY, AND I BROUGHT MY OWN BOOK,
NOW MOP TOP WAS MY OWN BOOK, SO, UM, I'VE GOT ANOTHER BOOK, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF I CAN USE THAT ONE OR NOT, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL SEE.
FIRST OF ALL, YES, WE CAN'T SCARE THE LITTLE GIRL AGAIN,
REALLY, TRULY ALL OF YOU PARTICIPATE IN EVERYTHING WE'RE DOING.
UM, AND, AND THE BEL PROJECT IS, IS HEARTBREAKING.
I, YOU KNOW, WE SPENT YEARS, YEARS WORKING ON THAT GRANT AND WORKING WITH THE COUNTY AND WORKING WITH EVERYONE AND, AND PREVAILING WAGE.
THE SCHOOLS PAY PREVAILING WAGE.
THE COLLEGE PAYS PREVAILING WAGE.
UM, AND THE PREVAILING WAGE IS ABOUT SEVEN 10%.
UH, WE GOT THE STATISTICS FROM THE STATE.
UM, SO IF YOU DO THE MATH AT THE END, THE COUNTY IS STILL MAKING OUT.
UM, AND WE DID PUT MORE THAN 4 MILLION OF OUR FUND BALANCE TOWARD IT, UM, TO HELP SWEETEN THE POT, SO TO SPEAK.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH SOME PART OF IT WITHOUT THE STATE MONEY.
THE HARD PART, THEY DID TAKE IT OUT THE OVERALL 700, SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION.
NORMALLY, IF A LIBRARY HAS TO TURN IT BACK, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT UNUSUAL, OTHERS HAD, IT GOES BACK TO THE GENERAL POT AND YOU GET THE PHONE CALL FROM IRENE'S OFFICE SAYING, YOU'VE GOT A SHOVEL READY PROJECT.
CAN YOU USE ANOTHER HALF A MILLION? OR WHATEVER.
THEY PUNISHED THE STATE LIBRARY TOO AND TOOK IT ALL AWAY.
AND THAT, THAT'S REALLY HEARTBREAKING.
UM, GOOD NEWS IS OUR VIDEO FROM THE GALA, WHICH MANY OF YOU ARE FEATURED, IS WINNING AN AWARD.
SO WE'LL BE RECEIVING THE AWARD THE END OF NEXT WEEK DOWN IN CAMBRIDGE.
UM, IT'S THE MARYLAND LIBRARY ASSOCIATION MARKETING AWARD.
AND KUDOS TO AMBER AND TO LESLIE, AND TO EVERYONE WHO STARRED
[01:05:01]
IN IT.UM, BECAUSE, UM, WE THOUGHT IT WAS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT, SO WE ENTERED IT AGAIN THIS YEAR.
SO CONGRATULATIONS, ALL OF YOU FROM STARS.
ROBBIE, WHAT IS THE ACTUAL MATCH NUMBER THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT? WE'LL, WE'LL HAVE TO GET THAT, THAT TO YOU.
I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE, I DON'T HAVE THE, UM, THE ORIGINAL REQUEST.
UM, THE LIBRARY FUND, UH, THE MATCH WAS $4,096,909.
UH, FISCAL YEAR FUNDING IN 24 FROM THE STATE CAPITAL GRANT WAS $3,593,000.
FISCAL YEAR 23 WAS $1,414,000.
UM, WE ALREADY TOOK CARE OF THE ROOF AND ELEVATORS.
UM, THAT WAS NOT PREVAILING WAGE.
THAT WAS DONE, UM, NOT WITHIN USING THE, THE LIBRARY CAPITAL GRANT FUNDS.
UM, SO, UM, YEAH, THAT'S THE NUMBER.
AND THEN THE LIBRARY WOULD PICK UP THE FURNISHINGS ABOUT $2 MILLION.
SO THE AMOUNT FUNDING NEEDED WAS $9 MILLION TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT PROJECT.
NOW, AND THAT WOULD BE WITH THE NEW ENTRANCE AT STREET LEVEL ON PENNSYLVANIA AND HICKORY.
9 MILLION OF WHICH YOU WERE PROVIDING 4 MILLION OF WE WERE PROVIDING, NO, THAT'S, THAT'S AN SEVEN OF TWO.
SO, SO WE GOT FIVE FROM THE STATE, FOUR FROM OUR RESERVES, AND WE NEEDED NINE MORE.
CAN YOU CONFIRM THAT FOR ME, ROBBIE? I MEAN, IT, IT WOULD, IT WOULD BE THEIR REQUEST.
SO, YEAH, I MEAN, BUT, BUT IF THAT'S WHAT THEY SUBMITTED, THEN I THINK THAT WOULD, THAT WOULD BE, THANK YOU.
AND THEN IN THE FUTURE, WILL YOU SPEAK INTO THE MIC? OH, I'M SORRY.
UH, MARY, THANK YOU, UM, FOR YOU AND YOUR TEAM.
YOU GUYS HAVE A, A GREAT PROGRAM.
UM, AND I APPRECIATE ALL YOU DO, UH, FOR THE COMMUNITY.
AND I'M JUST KIND OF A LITTLE BIT DUMBFOUNDED, UM, ON THE FACT THAT WE WOULDN'T TAKE ADVANTAGE OF A STATE GRANT, UH, BECAUSE OF THE CAPITAL DEBT.
UM, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CAPITAL DEBT, WE'RE ALREADY DOING IT FOR A JEOPARDY COMMUNITY CENTER.
AND I WOULD ARGUE THAT THE, THE LIBRARY IS A COMMUNITY CENTER, UH, OAKDEN PARK, YOU GOT THE AVAMAR PROJECT.
SO I JUST DON'T KNOW WHY CERTAIN THINGS ARE MM-HMM.
ARE CHOSEN AND OTHERS ARE LEFT OUT, UH, WHEN YOU HAVE THIS, YOU KNOW, STATE FUNDING, UH, FOR COMMUNITY NEED.
UM, SO, UH, THAT ANSWERED ONE OF MY QUESTIONS THAT I WAS GONNA TALK ABOUT, UM, KIND OF THE MATCHING FUNDS AND WHAT WAS GONNA BE NEEDED.
UH, BUT I DO WANNA RUN THROUGH, UM, YOUR FUND BALANCE.
AGAIN, I, I KNOW YOU, YOU THREW THOSE NUMBERS OUT, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT I CAUGHT ALL OF THOSE.
UH, BECAUSE I, I WANT TO CIRCLE BACK ON ONE, UH, PEOPLE, UH, YOU HAVE TO INVEST IN, IN YOUR, IN YOUR WORKFORCE.
AND THAT'S GONNA COME OUT OF THERE.
UH, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, GONNA BE A REOCCURRING THEME TODAY.
'CAUSE SCHOOLS ARE GONNA BE NEXT WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT'S A DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO, UH, BECAUSE THE COUNTY DOESN'T WANT TO USE IT FOR REOCCURRING COSTS, BUT WANTS YOU TO USE IT FOR REOCCURRING COSTS.
SO CAN YOU WALK, UH, THROUGH THAT FUND BALANCE AGAIN? ABSOLUTELY.
AND THIS, IF, IF WE DO NOT RECEIVE ANY, UH, FUNDING FOR SALARY INCREASES, THIS WILL BE A THIRD YEAR.
WE'VE HAD TO DIP INTO THE FUND.
UM, BALANCE FOR SALARY INCREASES FOR STAFF.
UM, YES, IT WAS AS OF JUNE 30TH, 23, OUR FUND BALANCE WAS $12,970,000 OF THAT AMOUNT, $3,373,000 IS RESTRICTED.
THAT'S FROM THE HEALTHCARE CONSORTIUM, UM, INCLUDING, AND THAT GOES TO THE PREPAIDS OF CARE, FIRST JULY BILL, UM, THAT TYPE OF THING.
UM, AND THAT LEFT NINE POINT 233, 230 $3,000 AS A SPENDABLE GENERAL FUND BALANCE OF THAT AMOUNT.
WE ALLOCATED 7.5 MILLION TO LIBRARY CAPITAL PROJECTS.
UM, AS I MENTIONED INTO THE MIC, MARY, OH, I'M SORRY.
UM, WE ALLOCATED 7.5 MILLION TO THE LIBRARY CAPITAL PROJECTS, AND THIS INCLUDED 4,097,000 OF STATE OF FUNDS TO MATCH THE STATE GRANT FOR THE BEL AIR RENOVATION.
SO IF MY MATH IS RIGHT, YOU'RE LOOKING AT $1.52 MILLION LEFT OVER.
UM, TO DEAL WITH EMPLOYEE'S, UH, SALARY AND WAGE PACKAGES.
UM, AND ON THE, YOU KNOW, WHEN COLLECTIVE BARGAINING IS, HAS JUST BEEN PASSED WHERE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO SIT DOWN AND NEGOTIATE, UH, RIGHTFULLY SO FOR A FAIR, FAIR WAGE PACKAGE.
SO DO YOU HAVE AN ESTIMATION ON WHAT THAT'S GONNA COST? NOT AT THIS TIME, NO.
THIS, WE'RE NEW TO THIS, SO WE DO NOT HAVE AN ESTIMATION.
UM, BUT IT ALSO HAVE TO COVER FOR ANY OF THE INFLATION COSTS FOR OPERATIONS, GAS AND ELECTRIC, UH, GAS IN OUR VEHICLES, MATERIALS, ALL THOSE THINGS WILL HAVE TO COME OUTTA THAT.
UM, ONE AND A HALF, 2 MILLION.
DO YOU HAVE AN ESTIMATION ON WHAT
[01:10:01]
A 1% COLA WOULD COST FOR YOUR EMPLOYEES? OH, THANK YOU.AND FOR THE THOUSAND DOLLARS, UH, WHAT, WHATEVER WE'RE CALLING THAT, IT'S NOT A BONUS.
I GUESS INCREASE WOULD BE 227,586.
AND THEN KATHY ALSO CALCULATED, IF WE DID A THREE, YOU NORMALLY WOULD DO A 3% RAISE.
THAT WOULD BE $405,154, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
SO, PROJECTING THOSE, UH, 1% I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS, UH, AND I KNOW I'M SURE YOU WILL, UM, GIVE THEM SOME SORT OF PAY INCREASE.
UM, YOU'RE, YOU'RE LEFT WITH NEARLY NOTHING LEFT IN YOUR FUND BALANCE CORRECT.
UM, I, I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHAT YOU'RE GONNA DO.
SO, UM, I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT 3 MILLION FOR THAT HEALTH CONSORTIUM, UH, SHOULD STAY IN THE HEALTH CONSORTIUM, UM, AND COMBAT SOME OF THE RISING HEALTH COSTS THAT YOUR EMPLOYEES MAY ENDURE.
UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE SCHOOL BUDGET AS WELL.
SO, UH, I'LL DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO ADVOCATE FOR INCREASED FUNDING FOR YOU AND YOUR EMPLOYEES, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I BELIEVE WE HAVE TO INVEST IN OUR PEOPLE.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE IN YOUR PRESENTATION.
MR. BENNETT, UM, A FEW MORE THINGS FOR, UH, ROBBIE AND YOUR STAFF.
AND THEN ONE MORE QUESTION FOR YOU ALL, BUT AS FAR AS WITH THE STATE GRANT FUNDING, WHAT COMMUNICATION TOOK PLACE BETWEEN THE COUNTY EXECUTIVES ADMINISTRATION AND THE PUBLIC LIBRARY BEFORE THAT LETTER WAS SENT OUT SAYING, WE DON'T WANT THE MONEY ANYMORE? WHAT, WAS THERE COMMUNICATION OR A DIALOGUE OVER WHAT THAT IMPACT WOULD BE, OR WHAT THE RATIONALE WAS? OR WAS IT DONE FULLY INDEPENDENT WITH NO COMMUNICATION TO THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES ABOUT THAT? YEAH, I MEAN, I, I, I, I CAN'T, I CAN'T RECALL HOW THAT, I MEAN, I, I WASN'T A PART OF, OF MR. MCCORD.
DO YOU KNOW, I CAN'T RECALL IF THAT COMMUNICATION WAS MADE.
UM, WE WERE THERE AT THE HEADQUARTERS LOOKING AT THE HEADQUARTERS BUILDING A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
WE WERE THERE, UM, THE BOARD OF ESTIMATES DEALING WITH THE, THE ROOF AND THEN DEALING WITH THE, UM, THE, THE OTHER PROJECTS THAT THEY WERE DOING FOR THE LIBRARY.
AND MS. HASSLER, DO YOU KNOW IF THERE WAS ANY COMMUNICATION BEFORE THAT LETTER WAS SENT OUT OF WHAT THEIR RATIONALE WAS OR WHY THEY WERE MAKING THAT DECISION OR NO, WE, WE WERE NOT MADE AWARE, BUT I WAS NOT COPIED ON THE, ON THE, UH, LETTER THAT WAS SENT DOWN TO OUR ESTATE DELEGATION.
UM, IN FACT, I HAVE NOT BEEN FORMALLY TOLD WE'RE NOT MOVING IT FORWARD, OTHER THAN I DO HAVE A COPY OF THAT LETTER.
I DID REQUEST IT FROM OUR DELEGATION, AND TO BE HONEST WITH YOU, I PUT THEM IN A VERY AWKWARD POSITION, UM, BECAUSE THEY WERE WORKING VERY HARD TO RETAIN THAT MONEY AND TO KEEP THE PROJECT MOVING FORWARD.
AND I JUST THINK FROM A FUNDAMENTAL COMMUNICATION LEVEL, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED.
THERE SHOULD HAVE BEEN, HEY, THIS IS THE NEW STAMP OF THE, THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT, AND WE WANNA MAKE SURE YOU'RE INFORMED OF THAT AS YOU'RE MAKING YOUR PLANS.
I THINK THAT'S A VERY BASIC ASK BEYOND MONEY OF JUST HOW WE OPERATE AS A GOVERNMENT.
UM, AS FAR AS THE NOW THE COST OF THINGS LIKE SP SPRINKLER SYSTEMS BEING PUT UPON THE LIBRARY SYSTEM, WHAT'S JUST THE RATIONALE AND REASONING FOR THAT? AND ARE WE GONNA TAKE ANY OTHER FOR STEPS TO TAKE CURRENT COSTS THAT ARE ON OUR END AS THE COUNTY AND PUT IT ONTO THE LIBRARY SYSTEM? BEYOND THINGS LIKE THE SPRINKLERS, IS THERE ANY PLANS FOR ANYTHING ELSE TO BE ADDED ONTO THE LIBRARIES? I'M NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING ELSE.
WE DON'T HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE HAD LAST TIME.
UM, AND THEN, ALL RIGHT, LAST QUESTION, UH, FOR MS. HASSLER AND HER STAFF, WHAT IS THE GAP? SO WE JUST HAVE IT ON RECORD BETWEEN YOUR ASK AND WHAT YOU'RE RECEIVING.
I'LL GET MY BEAN COUNTER TO GIVE YOU THAT NUMBER SO IT'S ACCURATE.
THAT'S A, A 9.65% INCREASE, AND WE RECEIVED NOTHING.
WELL, IT WILL BE A LITTLE BIT OF A CUT TOO, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T RECEIVE FUNDING FOR ANY OF THE SALARY INCREASES OR ANYTHING.
[01:15:02]
I THINK JUST FROM A, YOU KNOW, TO ECHO WHAT MR. BENNETT'S SAYING WITH A STRATEGIC OUTLOOK, YOU KNOW, WITH A 401K, WHEN AN EMPLOYEE GETS A OFFERING A MATCH FROM THE COMPANY, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALMOST FOOLISH NOT TO CONTRIBUTE UP TO THE AMOUNT REQUIRED TO GET THE MATCH.AND IN THIS CASE, THAT WAS 55% OF WHAT WE HAD TO COME UP WITH.
UM, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY, AND I UNDERSTAND THE LONG TERM DEBT COSTS, BUT TO PASS UP ONE 55% FREE MONEY FROM THE STATE, AND I DON'T MEAN FREE 'CAUSE WE'RE PAYING FOR IT AS TAXPAYERS, BUT TO LET THAT GO WILLY-NILLY, I THINK WAS A BIG MISTAKE.
UH, ROBBIE, I'M CURIOUS, YOU MENTIONED EARLIER THAT THE REASON, UH, DEC OR YOU MADE A DECISION BASED, UH, TO NOT GO AFTER THE STATE FUNDED GRANT, UH, BECAUSE I GUESS OF COMPETING PRIORITIES, UH, YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF FUNDING, CAN YOU GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHAT SOME OF THE OTHER COMPETING PRIORITIES MIGHT BE TO THAT MIGHT OVERRIDE THE COUNTY FROM GOING AFTER THIS TO PUT UP FUNDS? WELL, I, I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE'VE TRIED TO DO IS, IS, IS TO HAVE A, ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS OF, OF BONDS, UM, YOU KNOW, BUDGETED THROUGHOUT THE, THROUGHOUT THE CIP.
UM, AND SO KIND OF THROUGH THAT WAY, AND THEN WITH MORE OR LESS WITH THE IDEA THAT HALF OF THAT MONEY WILL GO TO THE SCHOOLS.
SO THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WE KIND OF WORKED THROUGH WITH THE SCHOOLS, UM, KIND OF AT A STAFF LEVEL, IS TO TRY TO GIVE THEM A MARK OF, OF, UH, YOU KNOW, $50 MILLION, UM, YOU KNOW, ON AVERAGE, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THINGS, THINGS JUMP UP AND DOWN, UM, TO HAVE IT THAT WAY.
AND THEN, SO ONCE YOU, ONCE YOU START BREAKING IT DOWN FROM, YOU KNOW, BEYOND THAT, UM, THAT OTHER $50 MILLION, THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER PLACES IT'S GOING.
THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, AND WE DID TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE, SOME OF THE, UH, COMMUNITY CENTERS.
THE STORMWATER PROJECTS ARE A BIG, ARE A BIG PLACE WHERE, WHERE WE DEFINITELY WE'RE, WE'RE MANDATED BY GOVERNMENT, UM, YOU KNOW, BY THE, BY THE EPA AND THE MMEA, UM, TO DO THAT.
SO AGAIN, IT KIND OF GETS INTO ALL OF THOSE AREAS.
IT'S NOT SAYING THAT THESE AREN'T, THAT THESE PROJECTS DON'T HAVE, THAT THEY DON'T HAVE MERIT, BUT THAT WE, WE, WE MAY NOT BE UP AGAINST THE SAME TYPE OF, OF KIND OF GOVERNMENT MANDATES IN ORDER.
AND, YOU KNOW, WITH A LOT OF THE SCHOOL PROJECTS, OF COURSE, AND OF COURSE WE'LL GET INTO THIS NEXT SESSION, UM, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS TRY TO FUND THOSE PROJECTS, WHICH ARE STATE FUNDED, UM, YOU KNOW, AT A, AT A VERY, YOU KNOW, AND, AND GENERALLY YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, SEVERAL MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THERE TOO.
UM, YOU KNOW, ULTIMATELY YOU, THERE'S, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH MONEY TO, TO, TO GO AROUND AND, AND THERE AGAIN, THERE, THESE ARE, THESE ARE HARD DECISIONS.
UM, BUT WE HAVE DONE A LOT FOR THE LIBRARY IN THE PAST, PAST SEVERAL YEARS, AND WE'VE OPENED UP, THERE'S BEEN, YOU KNOW, NEW BRANCHES OPENED UP, THERE'S BEEN AN EXPANSION.
UM, AND THAT'S WHERE, UM, YOU KIND OF GOING BACKWARDS, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE, WE, WE'VE MADE A LOT, UM, A A SIGNIFICANT COMMITMENT TO, TO THE LIBRARY.
UM, AND WE WEREN'T ABLE TO DO SO, UM, IN AN ADDITIONAL ONE THIS YEAR.
BUT THAT DOESN'T, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL PAYING OFF ALL THAT DEBT FROM THOSE PRIOR YEARS FROM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE LIBRARY BRANCHES THAT WERE BUILT, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.
ANYONE ELSE? ALRIGHT, MARY, THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
WHEN DO I COLLECT MIAMI
IT'S THE THIRD MOVIE I WAS IN.
I MEAN, I, I COULDN'T GET MY SAG PART
AND YOU'RE ALL WELCOME TO IF YOU WISH.
IT'S FRIDAY MORNING, UH, A WEEK, UH, A HALF FROM NOW.
SO IF YOU'RE AROUND, LET ME KNOW.
AND YOU'RE WELCOME TO COME AND RECEIVE THE OSCAR YOURSELF.
I WANT OSCAR WOULD EVEN BETTER.
WE'RE GONNA SWEEP THROUGH AND JUST THROW EVERYTHING IN THE BAG.
AND THAT'S AN HONOR OF YOUR, YOUR OWN.
UH, YEAH, I JUST HAVE, TURN ON.
[01:20:02]
SAM, CAN YOU GO UPSTAIRS AND GET MY DOOR WORK? I CAN'T, NO.I'M IN MY OWN LITTLE WORLD HERE.
GOOD MORNING, PRESIDENT VINCENTI, MEMBERS OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL.
I'M AARON POINTIN, PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
TODAY I AM JOINED BY SUPERINTENDENT DR.
SEAN BOLSON, AN ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR BUSINESS SERVICES, MS. DEBORAH JUDD.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO RECOGNIZE A FEW PEOPLE SITTING BEHIND ME, ERIC CLARK, CORNELL BROWN, AND MEMBERS OF THE BOARD OF EDUCATION WHO ARE JOINING US TODAY.
VICE PRESIDENT HAN, DR. MUELLER, MR. SEWELL, AND MS. STRAUSS.
TO BEGIN OUR DISCUSSION, I'D LIKE TO ADDRESS THE BUS, THE BUDGETS THAT WERE PASSED BY THE BOARD OF EDUCATION.
THE BOARD APPROVED THE SUPERINTENDENT'S CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BUDGET REQUEST ROUNDED TO $120.2 MILLION.
THIS INCLUDED 49.4 MILLION REQUESTED FROM THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
CURRENTLY, THE PROPOSED STATE AND LOCAL COMBINED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT BUDGET STANDS AT 65 MILLION, A LITTLE, LITTLE OVER ONE HALF OF THE AMOUNT REQUESTED.
THEN IN FEBRUARY OF 2024, THE BOARD APPROVED THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET, RAISING IT FROM 613.5 MILLION IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR TO 660.9 MILLION IN FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025, WHICH REPRESENTS A 7.7% INCREASE BETWEEN FISCAL YEARS 24 AND 25.
WHILE THE STATE'S CONTRIBUTION INCREASE BY 17.3 MILLION, REPRESENTING A 6.2% INCREASE, MY FOCUS TODAY WILL BE ON THE LOCAL INCREASE REQUESTED.
THE LOCAL INCREASE REQUESTED WAS AT 40.1 MILLION, OR A 12.7% RISE FROM 24 TO 25.
LET ME BREAK DOWN THE KEY DRIVERS FOR THIS INCREASE.
FIRST, EMPLOYEE SALARY AND WAGE ADJUSTMENTS.
THIS IS THE LARGEST PORTION OF THE INCREASE AT APPROXIMATELY $18 MILLION.
IT ADDRESSES COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS FOR OUR DEDICATED EDUCATORS AND STAFF IN LINE WITH THE BLUEPRINTS MANDATE FOR MINIMUM SALARIES FOR NEW TEACHERS.
IT ALSO INCLUDES A STEP INCREASE TO RECOGNIZE EDUCATORS FOR THEIR ADDITIONAL YEARS OF SERVICE.
THIS MANDATORY OBLIGATION REQUIRES OVER 7 MILLION IN INCREASES IN PENSIONS AND HEALTH INSURANCE REFLECTED THE INCREASED COST OF ENSURING OUR EDUCATORS FUTURE IN HEALTH.
THIRD TRANSFER OF EXPIRING FEDERAL GRANTS.
THE MAJORITY, THE MAJORITY OF THESE POSITIONS ARE CLASSROOM BASED OR DIRECTLY SUPPORT CLASSROOM SERVICES.
WITH APPROXIMATELY $8 MILLION IN CO FEDERAL GRANTS EXPIRING THE RESPONSIBILITY TO MAINTAIN THESE 76 CLASSROOM POSITIONS.
WOULD NOW FALL ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD THEY CONTINUE.
AND FOURTH, FINALLY, INVESTMENT IN SPECIAL EDUCATION.
DUE TO AN INCREASE IN OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION POPULATION, WE MUST INCREASE THE SUPPORT FOR THESE STUDENTS.
THIS WOULD ADD 48 ADDITIONAL FTES AT APPROXIMATELY $2.8 MILLION.
WE MUST SERVICE THESE STUDENTS AND IT'S MORE COST EFFECTIVE TO MANAGE THEM IN OUR SCHOOL SYSTEM THAN IT IS TO OUTSOURCE THESE SERVICES.
GIVEN ALL OF THESE FACTORS, WE REQUESTED AN ADDITIONAL $40 MILLION FROM THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT THIS YEAR.
THIS INCREASE WOULD ALLOW US TO OPERATE THE SAME SCHOOL SYSTEM NEXT YEAR THAT WE POSSESS THIS YEAR.
ON APRIL 15TH, AFTER EXTENSIVE AND COLLABORATIVE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH, THEY RELEASED THE BUDGET FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, WHICH MAINTAINS FLAT FUNDING FOR LOCAL SUPPORT IN 2025.
THIS WAS DUE TO LOWER THAN EXPECTED INCOME REVENUE AND A DESIRE FOR THE BOARD TO USE ITS UNRESTRICTED FUND BALANCE OF APPROXIMATELY $51 MILLION.
[01:25:03]
THE BOARD NOW FACES A FUNDING GAP AND MUST CONSIDER THREE LEVERS TO CLOSE THIS GAP.FIRST, CUTTING PERSONNEL AND PROGRAMS. THIS IS NEVER AN EASY DECISION AS IT IMPACTS OUR ABILITY TO DELIVER A QUALITY EDUCATION.
THE BOARD INTENDS TO MINIMIZE THESE CUTS, ESPECIALLY FOR CLASSROOMS AND DIRECT SUPPORT OF CLASSROOMS. FURTHERMORE, IF THERE ARE ANY PERSONNEL REDUCTIONS, THE BOARD INTENDS TO HANDLE THEM THROUGH ATTRITION.
WHILE ALWAYS A GOAL, THERE ARE LIMITS ON HOW MUCH CAN BE ACHIEVED THROUGH EFFICIENCY ALONE.
ADDITIONALLY, EFFICIENCIES TAKE TIME TO IMPLEMENT SUCH AS TECHNOLOGY, WHICH WOULD REQUIRE CAPITAL INVESTMENTS.
THIRD USE OF THE FUND BALANCE.
THE BOARD CURRENTLY MAINTAINS APPROXIMATELY $51 MILLION IN FUND BALANCE.
THIS FUND BALANCE COULD ELIMINATE OR HELP CLOSE THE GAP, BUT IT PRESENTS RISKS.
USING THIS FUND BALANCE SETS A PROBLEMATIC PRECEDENT, POTENTIALLY COMPOUNDING FUTURE BUDGET PROBLEMS IN THE FUTURE.
AS THESE FUNDS ARE NON-RECURRING AND CAUSE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO CONTINUE OPERATING IN A STRUCTURAL DEFICIT IN THE COMING WEEKS, THE BOARD WILL CONDUCT AN OPEN WORKING SESSION TO DECIDE TO DECIDE THE BEST WAY TO MOVE FORWARD, WHICH WILL LIKELY INVOLVE AN OPTION, UH, UH, ALL THREE, A MIX OF ALL THREE OF THESE OPTIONS OR LEVERS.
LASTLY, THE BLUEPRINT MANDATE WILL CONTINUE TO PUT PRESSURES ON OUR FUNDING NEEDS IN THE YEARS AHEAD.
THE BLUEPRINT'S UNSUSTAINABLE FINANCIAL BURDEN IS BEING TRANSFERRED TO COUNTIES, WHICH MAY FORCE THE BOARD TO CUT CRITICAL PROGRAMS TO MEET THE NEW MANDATES.
THIS TRANSLATES TO REDUCE FUNDING FOR SAFETY AND SECURITY, SPECIAL EDUCATION MAGNET SCHOOLS, CLASS SIZES, WORLD LANGUAGES, ARTS AND MUSICS MUSIC, ATHLETICS, AND EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES, NONE OF WHICH ARE ADDRESSED IN THE BLUEPRINT.
AND ALL PROGRAMS THAT ARE VALUED BY OUR COMMUNITY AS WE SIT HERE TODAY IS CLEAR.
THE SCHOOL SYSTEM WILL NOT RECEIVE THE FULLY FUNDED REQUEST BY THE BOARD.
THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE BOARD HAVE HELD LISTENING SESSIONS WITH THE COMMUNITY AND STAFF OVER THE PAST FEW WEEKS TO GATHER IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO BEST CLOSE THIS FUNDING GAP.
WITH THIS FEEDBACK IN MIND, I'VE ASKED THE SUPERINTENDENT TO PROPOSE SOLUTIONS FOR CLOSING THE GAP WE ANTICIPATE NEEDING NEXT YEAR.
I LOOK FORWARD TO YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT AND GUIDANCE AS WE WORK THROUGH NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.
SEAN BOLSON FOR HIS RECOMMENDATIONS.
AND IF YOU, IF I MAY, I'D LIKE A COPY OF YOUR COMMENTS I SENT TO MS. DIXON, IF YOU DON'T MIND.
ALRIGHT, GOOD MORNING EVERYONE.
UM, OKAY, I'M GONNA RUN THROUGH A FEW SLIDES TO KIND OF JUST GIVE YOU A SET, TELL A LITTLE BIT OF STORY WHERE WE ARE WITH THE BUDGET, AND I'LL CLOSE WITH SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW WE MIGHT CLOSE THIS GAP IF IT COMES TO THAT.
SO THE, THE BOARD HAS, I THINK, COMMUNICATED OVER TIME, UH, ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT, SAFE WORK ENVIRONMENT, CLASS SIZE ARE DEFINITELY PRIORITIES.
AND THESE ARE THINGS WE THINK ABOUT AS WE'RE, AS WE'RE DEVELOPING A BUDGET.
THIS IS A SLIDE YOU'VE SEEN BEFORE.
UM, SO DESPITE ALL THE RHETORIC AROUND EDUCATION FUNDING IN THE DISTRICT, IT IS NOT THE DRIVER OF, YOU KNOW, COUNTY COSTS.
UH, THAT I THINK THE STORY'S TAKEN SHAPE THAT, UH, THAT, THAT, THAT SOMEHOW THE SCHOOL'S FAULT FOR THE, SOME OF THE FINANCIAL CHALLENGES OF THE COUNTY.
IF YOU LOOK AT LAST YEAR IN PARTICULAR, UM, COUNTY REVENUE DID INCREASE, UH, AT A GREATER RATE THAN THE REVENUE GOING TO THE SCHOOLS.
UM, AND SO JUST WANTING TO ENSURE THAT THE COUNCIL KEEPS THAT IN MIND.
SO I WANT TO TURN THE CORNER AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BLUEPRINT.
PUTIN'S, UH, COMMENTS ABOUT THE BLUEPRINT.
ONE OF THE THINGS WE FOUND IS, SO IN THE SCHOOLS, WE'RE IN KIND OF A SORT OF MIXED FEELINGS ABOUT IT.
ONE IS DOING GOOD THINGS, EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION.
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION AS OUR KINDERGARTNERS ARE COMING BETTER PREPARED IF THEY'VE HAD A CHANCE TO BE IN PRE-K AND, YOU KNOW, ALL AROUND THE DISTRICT, WE'RE HEARING, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPAND PRE-K UM, WE SEE THE BENEFITS IN
[01:30:01]
THE SCHOOLS THAT ARE BENEFITING, THAT ARE HAVING THOSE EXPANSIONS IN TERMS OF ELEVATING EDUCATORS.UH, THE SECOND PILLAR OF THE BLUEPRINT, A GREAT DEAL OF FUNDING HAS GONE TOWARD THIS.
UH, IT'S BEEN THE DRIVER OF OUR, UM, COST OF LIVING INCREASES BECAUSE WE'VE NEEDED TO GET THE BASE SALARY FROM GETTING TEACHERS UP TO $60,000.
THAT'S BEEN A BLUEPRINT PRIORITY, AND IT IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN DRIVING OUR SALARY PACKAGES, OUR WAGE PACKAGES.
UM, ADDITIONALLY, ONE OF THE THINGS, THE BLUEPRINT IS PROVIDING MORE FUNDS TO TEACHERS, PARTICULARLY THOSE EARNING NATIONAL BOARD CERTIFICATION.
SO GENERALLY, THE IDEA OF PROVIDING MORE FUNDING TO TEACHERS, I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT MOST PEOPLE SUPPORT.
UH, AND WE, WE SEE IT AS A GOOD THING FOR THE SCHOOLS.
THAT BEING SAID, UH, EXACTLY HOW IT WAS DONE ISN'T SOMETHING THAT WE, UH, WE WOULD'VE DONE THE SAME WAY.
UH, OUR NORTH STAR INITIATIVE, WHICH IS THE CAREER AND COLLEGE READINESS FOCUS, WE'VE SEEN INCREASED COSTS FOR DUAL ENROLLMENT.
ONE OF THE THINGS REQUIRED BY THE BLUEPRINT, AGAIN, THIS IS ACHIEVED GREAT THINGS FOR OUR STUDENTS.
WE'VE HAD MANY STUDENTS ACCESSING COLLEGE COURSES WHO NEVER WOULD'VE ACCESSED THEM BEFORE.
BUT OF COURSE IT'S A, IT'S A BILL THAT WE HAVE TO PAY EACH YEAR.
IT'S A GROWING BILL EACH YEAR BECAUSE OUR ENROLLMENT IN DUAL ENROLLMENT, UM, HAS GONE UP GREATLY.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THE BENEFITS TO THE STUDENTS, IT WAS CAREER COACHING FROM SUSQUEHANNA WORKFORCE NETWORK, THAT WAS SOMETHING REQUIRED OF THE BLUEPRINT, REQUIRED US TO SEND ESSENTIALLY $2.3 MILLION TO SUSQUEHANNA WORKFORCE NETWORK THIS YEAR.
UH, THOSE SERVICES HAVE KIND OF ROLLED OUT A LITTLE BIT SLOWLY.
WE'RE, WE'RE STARTING TO SEE THE BENEFIT OF THOSE IN THE SCHOOLS.
BUT AGAIN, THAT'S MONEY THAT LOOKED LIKE IT APPEARED IN OUR OPERATING BUDGET, BUT ACTUALLY WAS A PASS THROUGH STRAIGHT TO TO THEM STUDENT SUPPORTS.
THERE'S ADDITIONAL FUNDING COMING IN FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS, ENGLISH LEARNERS AND STUDENTS ON FREE AND REDUCED MEALS.
AGAIN, THESE ARE ALL GOOD THINGS THAT THE BLUEPRINT'S DONE.
IT'S JUST THE COST FOR THEM IS NOT SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN ENTIRELY SUSTAINABLE, NOR IS IT SOMETHING THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN FUNDED FOR SEPARATELY IN THE DISTRICT.
SO, JUST A LITTLE, I HOPE THIS HELPS YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THE, THE BLUEPRINT IS DOING TO THE FUNDING.
ONE OF THE THINGS, WHEN THE BLUEPRINT WAS INITIALLY, UM, DEVELOPED, THE LEGISLATORS SPOKE OPENLY ABOUT THE BLUEPRINT BEING SOMETHING THAT WOULD ESSENTIALLY FORCE LOCAL JURISDICTIONS TO INVEST MORE IN PUBLIC EDUCATION.
AND THAT HASN'T REALLY BEEN THE WAY IT'S PLAYED OUT.
IN FACT, IN MANY DISTRICTS WE'VE SEEN FLAT FUNDING FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS.
AND, BUT WE ARE ALSO SEEING DISTRICTS BEGIN TO STRUGGLE WITH HOW TO MEET SOME OF THE NORMAL SERVICES THAT THEY'VE PROVIDED OVER TIME.
UH, ON THE, ON THE SAME LEVEL OF FUNDING.
WHAT YOU SEE HERE ON THE SCREEN UNDER THE BLUEPRINT NOW, THE STATE CALCULATES WHAT THE STATE FUNDING SHOULD BE.
AND WE'VE SEEN THAT, AND THAT'S ACTUALLY BEEN INCREASING FOR THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE BLUEPRINT.
BUT IN THE DARK PART OF THE, THE SLIDES YOU SEE THERE, THE, THE BOTTOM HALF THOSE BARS REP REPRESENT OUR ENTIRE LOCAL FUNDING.
BUT THE DARK PART OF THE, OF THE BARS REPRESENTS WHAT THE STATE CALCULATES WE SHOULD BE SPENDING ON THE BLUEPRINT INITIATIVE.
AND WHAT YOU SEE THERE, WITHOUT GOING TOO DEEP INTO THE NUMBERS, IS EVERY YEAR THE BLUEPRINT PORTION OF HOW WE SHOULD BE SPENDING OUR LOCAL FUNDING IS GOING UP.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS THE LIGHTER BLUE AREA, UH, WHICH ESSENTIALLY EQUATES TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE BLUEPRINT FUNDING AND, AND THE REST OF WHAT WE GET FROM THE COUNTY.
THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE HAVE DISCRETION TO SPEND ON THINGS THAT AREN'T SUPPORTED IN THE BLUEPRINT.
AND YOU SEE OUR DISCRETIONARY AREA, UH, SHRINKING A LITTLE BIT.
SO IF YOU GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THERE'S ONE OTHER DETAIL IN THE DISCRETIONARY THING THAT WE HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT.
SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING, FOR EXAMPLE, IS SOMETHING THAT IS CALCULATED AT THE STATE LEVEL.
IN FACT, THE STATE, WHEN YOU COMBINE THE STATE SHARE AND WHAT THEY CALCULATE WE SHOULD BE USING IN THE BLUEPRINT OF THE LOCAL MONEY, THE STATE CALCULATES THAT WE SHOULD BE USING ABOUT $54 MILLION FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION FUNDING.
WE SPENT, WE ANTICIPATE SPENDING ABOUT 116 MILLION THIS YEAR IN OTHER, WE HAVE A $62 MILLION GAP BETWEEN WHAT THE STATE CALCULATES SPECIAL ED SHOULD COST AND WHAT WE'RE PAYING.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS, IF YOU TAKE THE 62 AND YOU TAKE THAT OUT OF OUR DISCRETIONARY FUNDS, WHAT WE HAVE FOR DISCRETIONARY PURPOSES IS ACTUALLY PRETTY MINIMAL WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE LOCAL FUNDING.
AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS AS BLUEPRINT LEADERS AND STATE LEADERS SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, DISTRICTS ARE GIVING ENOUGH, THEY'RE GIVING ENOUGH TO COVER THE BLUEPRINT INITIATIVES, BUT THEY'RE NOT PROVIDING ENOUGH WITH, BY COVERING THE LOCAL SHARE TO ACTUALLY FUND THE MANY THINGS THAT THIS COUNTY AND OTHER COUNTIES REALLY RELY ON IS CENTRAL TO PUBLIC SCHOOLING.
[01:35:01]
SO WE'LL GO.POINTIN REFERENCE MANY OF THESE THINGS.
CLASS SIZE, SAFETY AND SECURITY, ARTS AND MUSIC PROGRAMS, WORLD LANGUAGE ATHLETICS, EXTRACURRICULARS, CLUBS, UH, FIELD TRIPS, INCLUDING PLACES LIKE HARTFORD, GLEN, UH, HISTORICALLY SMALL SCHOOLS.
UH, IN OTHER WORDS, THOSE, THE SMALLER SCHOOLS THAT, UM, ARE A LITTLE MORE COSTLY TO RUN TRANSPORTATION.
TRANSPORTATION OTHER THAN SPECIAL ED TRANSPORTATION.
IT ISN'T REQUIRED IN STATE LAW.
UM, ONE-TO-ONE TECHNOLOGY AND THEN EMPLOYEE BENEFITS.
ALL OF THESE THINGS ARE NOT NECESSARILY PROTECTED IN THE BLUEPRINT.
AND SO AS OUR DISCRETION, UM, IN TERMS OF WHICH THINGS WE FUND AT THE LEVEL WE'VE BEEN FUNDING THEM, AS THAT CONTINUES TO DIMINISH, THESE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING TO CONTINUALLY COME UNDER SCRUTINY AS TO WHICH ONES WE CAN AFFORD AND WHAT WE CAN'T AFFORD.
UM, SO I'M GONNA PAUSE FOR JUST A SECOND HERE AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT FUND BALANCE.
'CAUSE THAT'S BEEN A DISCUSSION.
I'M SURE THERE'LL BE QUESTIONS.
ON THE 12TH OF APRIL, WE ANTICIPATED HAVING APPROXIMATELY $35 MILLION IN UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE.
OUR BUDGET SHOWS OUR TOTAL FUND BALANCE AT $99 MILLION.
WE HAVE MANY THINGS THAT HAVE ASSIGNMENTS.
AND SO WHAT WE HAVE AVAILABLE FOR UNASSIGNED WAS 35 MILLION.
NOW, ONE THING THAT HAPPENED ON THE MORNING OF APRIL 15TH IS THE COUNTY INITIATED A TRANSFER OF OUR, UH, RATE STABILIZATION FUNDS IN THE AMOUNT OF $16.1 MILLION, WHICH IS CONSISTENT.
UM, ALL OF US IN THE, UH, HEALTHCARE CONSORTIUM HAVE ACCESS TO RATE STABILIZATION FUNDS.
WE'VE NEVER HAD THOSE FUNDS DISPERSED TO US, UH, WITHOUT A REQUEST.
AND WE HAD AN ADDITIONAL 16.1 MILLION IN THE RATE STABILIZATION.
SO ON THE MONDAY THAT THE BUDGET WAS ROLLED OUT BY COUNTY GOVERNMENT, UM, THEY INITIATED A TRANSFER THAT WE DIDN'T REQUEST TO, UM, TO MOVE THAT MONEY TO OUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE.
SO WHEN YOU ADD THE 35, WE WERE EXPECTING, AGAIN, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 30 AND 35 AT THE END OF THIS YEAR TO THE 16.1 THAT WAS SENT TO US.
WE ANTICIPATE HAVING $51 MILLION IN AN ASSIGNED FUND BALANCE.
BUT OF COURSE, OUR RATE STABILIZATION FUND NOW SITS AT THE MINIMUM REQUIREMENT.
UM, AND SHOULD WE, SHOULD WE SEE CALLS AND THINGS LIKE THAT IN THE FUTURE FOR, FOR HEALTHCARE, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO REPLENISH THAT.
UM, AND SO THAT, THAT LEAVES US IN KIND OF AN INTERESTING SITUATION.
SO AS WE'VE SAID, AND WE'VE BEEN IN OUR, IN OUR PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT MEETINGS, WE'VE INDICATED WE HAVE $51 MILLION IN UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE.
AND AS I'VE SAID, UH, AND THINK, IN FACT, I THINK THE COUNTY QUOTED ME ON THIS ON SOCIAL MEDIA, THAT $51 MILLION IS ENOUGH TO COVER THE GAP IN THE, THE BUDGET REQUEST WE HAVE, WHICH IS APPROXIMATELY $40 MILLION.
BUT ALSO, AS YOUR BUDGET ADVISORS WILL TELL YOU, AND AS ANY OF YOU, UM, WHO ENGAGE IN EVEN PERSONAL FINANCE BUDGETING USE OF ONE-TIME FUNDS FOR RECURRING COSTS LIKE THIS IS, IS NOT A GREAT IDEA.
AND FRANKLY, AND I WANT TO PREEMPT NEXT YEAR'S TALKING POINTS, YOU KNOW, SHOULD WE FIND OURSELVES IN A SITUATION TO USE ESSENTIALLY THE EQUIVALENT OF $40 MILLION TO, UM, TO BRIDGE THIS GAP AND THUS NOT ASSUME, YOU KNOW, SIGNIFICANT DAMAGING CUTS TO BRIDGE IT.
WE WILL BE BACK IN FRONT OF YOU NEXT YEAR, THE PROPOSAL THAT I'LL BE MAKING NEXT DECEMBER OR JANUARY TO THE BOARD, WE'LL START WITH A $60 MILLION ASK.
AND I'M NOT TRYING TO BE ALARMIST, YOU KNOW, OUR SALARY PACKAGES HAVE AVERAGED JUST UNDER $20 MILLION.
IF WE USE $40 MILLION IN FUND BALANCE, THAT MUST BE ROLLED FORWARD INTO THE ASK BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A REVENUE SOURCE TO REPLACE IT.
SO WE COME TO YOU WITH 60, WITH A $60 MILLION REQUEST NEXT YEAR.
UM, I CAN PICTURE THE TALKING POINTS, WE'RE IRRESPONSIBLE, WE'RE INEFFICIENT, WE'RE UNREASONABLE, UNREALISTIC TO ASK FOR A NUMBER THAT LARGE.
BUT ACTUALLY IF YOU GO BACK TO THIS SLIDE, THIS ONE, THE THREE, IF YOU LOOK ACROSS THE TOP OF THESE BARS, FY 23, OUR FUNDING WAS $324 MILLION.
NOW FOR TWO YEARS WE'VE BEEN FUND, WE, WE, WELL, LAST YEAR WE WERE FUNDED $10 MILLION BELOW THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
AND THIS YEAR WE'RE AGAIN RECOMMENDED TO BE FUNDED $10 MILLION BELOW THAT.
AND OVER THESE TWO YEARS SINCE THE FY 23 BUDGET CAME OUT, WE'VE PROBABLY EXPERIENCED SOME OF THE GREATEST INFLATIONARY TIMES THIS COUNTRY'S SEEN IN
[01:40:01]
DECADES.SO TO SUGGEST THAT WE CAN MAKE DUE, UM, WITH, WITH NO ADDITIONAL FUNDING IS, UH, IS PRETTY UNREALISTIC.
SO SPENDING DOWN OUR SPENDING DOWN OUR RESERVES, I UNDERSTAND IS A KIND OF AN EMERGENCY MEASURE WE MIGHT TAKE.
BUT AGAIN, WHAT WILL BE THE ANSWER WHEN WE SIT BEFORE YOU WITH A $60 MILLION REQUEST NEXT YEAR ABOVE AND BEYOND OUR CURRENT FUNDING? UM, LIKE I SAID, I'VE, I'VE SEEN THE SCRIPT PLAYED OUT TOO MANY TIMES AND IT CONCERNS ME.
SO I WILL GO TO THE LAST SLIDE.
YOU MAY HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE.
HERE'S HOW WE CALCULATE OUR BUDGET.
THE VERY BIGGEST PORTION OF OUR BUDGET IS PEOPLE, UH, 10 TEACHERS A LITTLE OVER $900,000.
SO I MEAN, YOU CAN, IF YOU WANNA ROUND UP, IT'S ABOUT 10 TEACHERS PER MILLION DOLLARS.
IF WE NEED TO CUT $40 MILLION, UM, JUST MULTIPLY BY 10.
NOW WE'RE GONNA FIND CUTS IN OTHER PLACES.
BUT AGAIN, THE ONLY PLACE IN OUR BUDGET WHERE WE EVEN HAVE ENOUGH RESOURCES TO SUSTAIN SEVEN AND EIGHT DIGIT CUTS IS IN OUR STAFFING.
UH, MOST NOTABLY IN OUR TEACHING POSITIONS, WHICH ARE THE SORT OF THE LARGEST PORTION OF OUR STAFFING.
UM, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT, AGAIN, MILLION AND $10 MILLION CUTS, THIS IS REALLY WHERE THE IMPACT IN THE END WOULD HAVE TO BE.
UH, THESE NUMBERS ARE BASED ON OUR CURRENT ENROLLMENT IN OUR SCHOOLS.
AND SO IF WE WERE TO INCREASE CLASS SIZES ON AN AVERAGE BY ONE, WHICH MEANS MOVING UP THE RATIOS AND THE FORMULAS WE USE FOR STAFFING OUR CLASSES, THESE ARE ACTUAL NUMBERS, UH, BASED ON OUR CURRENT ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS, UM, WE COULD FORGET THE BOTTOM 'CAUSE THAT'S, IF WE HAD ADDITIONAL MONEY TO SPEND, WE COULD REDUCE CLASS SIZES.
BUT IF YOU GO ALONG THE TOP, UM, IF WE NEED TO SAVE JUST UNDER $7 MILLION, WE'D INCREASE OUR AVERAGE CLASS SIZES ACROSS THE DISTRICT BY ONE.
AND SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING INTO CUTS OF TENS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS, SO I'LL CLOSE HERE, SERVICE REDUCTIONS, UM, FLAT FUNDING EQUATES TO SERVICE REDUCTIONS.
THERE'S NO OTHER WAY AROUND THAT.
UM, WELL, THERE IS ONE OTHER WAY.
UM, AND THAT MAY BE THE SOLUTION.
WE HAVE ALREADY CANCELED SUMMER SCHOOL FOR ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS EXCEPT FOR OUR SPECIAL EDUCATION IN, UH, UH, EXTENDED SCHOOL YEAR.
AND WE LEFT IN OUR, OUR, UM, CREDIT RECOVERY FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS.
BUT THE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WILL NOT HAVE TRANSPORTATION TO SUMMER SCHOOL.
AGAIN, OTHER OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES, SOME OF THAT HAS TO DO WITH, UH, WE'RE COMBINING SOME POSITIONS, UH, MOVING OTHER POSITIONS, UH, INTO SOME OF THE RESTRICTED BLUEPRINT FUNDS WHERE, WHERE WE CAN, CAN ACT WHERE WE'RE ALLOWED TO DO THAT.
UH, FEWER NON-SCHOOL BASED POSITIONS.
WE'VE IDENTIFIED ABOUT 10 POSITIONS IN OUR CENTRAL OFFICE.
THAT WILL BE THEIR VACANCIES, BUT WE'LL BE COMBINING PEOPLE'S WORK.
UM, PROPOSING THE ELIMINATION OF MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS.
MIDDLE SCHOOL SPORTS HAS BEEN A FANTASTIC THING.
WE'VE BEEN EXCITED TO OFFER THAT THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
BUT IT, IT, I'M KIND OF THINKING OF THIS AS LAST IN FIRST OUT.
IT'S A, IT'S A MINIMAL AMOUNT OF FUNDING.
IT'S ONLY ABOUT A QUARTER MILLION DOLLARS.
UM, BUT THAT WILL GROW OVER TIME.
AND SO THE QUESTION IS, ARE WE AT A PLACE WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO SUP SUPPORT? THINGS LIKE THAT.
SAFETY LIAISONS, WE WERE LOOKING, THAT'S SOMETHING WE'VE ADDED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.
UH, SAFETY IN OUR SCHOOLS HAD, HAS BEEN A CHALLENGE SINCE RETURNING FROM THE PANDEMIC FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS.
WE HAVE, WE ADDED A LITTLE OVER A MILLION AND A HALF WORTH OF TOTAL POSITIONS OF THE LAST THREE YEARS.
UH, WE'RE PROPOSING REDUCING THOSE POSITIONS BY JUST THE VACANCIES.
UH, I THINK WHEN WE WROTE THIS, WE HAD TWO, I'M NOT SURE HOW MANY WE HAVE TODAY, SOME NURSES, WE HAVE NURSES, UH, THAT ARE, WOULD BE MOVING OVER FROM THE GRANT FUNDING.
WE'RE FORTUNATE TO HAVE MORE THAN A NURSE FOR EVERY SCHOOL.
MOST DISTRICTS DON'T HAVE THAT.
UM, WE HAD 3.4 ADDITIONAL NURSES IN GRANT FUNDING THAT, UH, AGAIN, WE CAN, UH, REDUCE THOSE THROUGH ATTRITION.
ATHLETIC TRAINERS IS SOMETHING THAT WAS MUCH DISCUSSED IN THE DISTRICT.
UM, WE HAVE $200 MILLION, SORRY, $200,000 IN THE BUDGET, UH, BUDGETED FOR ATHLETIC TRAINERS.
THE CHALLENGES, THE, THE, THE CONTRACT CAME IN WAY ABOVE THAT.
WE ACTUALLY, IF WE DON'T ELIMINATE THE ATHLETIC TRAINER SERVICES, WE ACTUALLY NEED TO INCREASE OUR BUDGET BY 300,000 TO ACTUALLY PAY FOR ALL THE ATHLETIC TRAINER SERVICES WE HAVE NOW.
AND THAT GETS US TO THE LAST TWO ITEMS, FAR AND AWAY, UM, THE LEAST FAVORABLE THINGS TO BE ADDRESSING IN, UH, IN THE BUDGET.
THE LAST THINGS WE WANT TO CUT, BUT WHEN YOU START LOOKING AT WHERE THE RESOURCES LIE IN OUR BUDGET, IT'S IN CLASS SIZE.
[01:45:01]
IS AN EMPLOYEE SALARIES IN THE, IN THE SALARY PACKAGE.OUR SALARY PACKAGE IS AROUND $18 MILLION.
YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE TO REDUCE THAT BY ANY PERCENTAGE, PICK A QUARTER PICK A HALF.
UM, THAT WOULD TELL YOU WHAT THE REDUCTIONS COULD BE.
SO THESE ARE THE SUGGESTIONS ON THE TABLE.
UH, I THINK THE FEEDBACK AND THE COMMUNITY BUDGET SESSIONS HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, SHARING, YOU KNOW, DOING SOME OF THESE CUTS AND, AND DOING SOME FUND BALANCE.
AGAIN, ANY USE OF FUND BALANCE WILL JUST GO RIGHT INTO NEXT YEAR'S ASK.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THE FIRST FEW CUTS ON HERE, MAYBE WE'D YIELD THREE TO $4 MILLION, BUT WHEN WE GOTTA GO TO 40, WE GOTTA GO TO THOSE LAST TWO BULLET POINTS.
AND I WILL STOP THERE FOR QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE,
UM, APPRECIATE YOUR PRESENTATION AND THE FACT THAT YOU'RE HERE TODAY.
UM, AND AS YOU KNOW, UH, WE HAVE ALWAYS PLACED, UM, EDUCATION AS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY IN THE COUNTY.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT.
AND I KNOW SOMETIMES IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE, BUT THERE ALWAYS SEEMS TO BE A LITTLE WIGGLE ROOM.
UM, JUST NOT SURE WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO FIND, IF ANY.
BUT, UH, MR. BENNETT, YOU WANNA LEAD OFF? SURE.
UM, AND UH, I JUST WANNA START OFF AS YOU KNOW, UM, MY NUMBER ONE THING IS STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT.
AND THAT'S, I, IT MATTERS TO ME 'CAUSE I THINK ABOUT THE LONG TERM WELLBEING OF THE CHILD.
UM, AND IT'S AN INVESTMENT IN THEIR FUTURE WHEN WE CAN ENSURE ALL CHILDREN ARE ABLE TO SUCCEED.
AND, YOU KNOW, SPEAKING ABOUT PRE-K EXPANSION, AS A KINDERGARTEN TEACHER THIS YEAR, FIRST YEAR I EVER TAUGHT KIDS WHO WENT TO, TO FULL DAY PRE-K AND I'M USED TO HAVING TO HOLD MY BREATH TILL THANKSGIVING BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL FALLING ASLEEP AFTER LUNCH OR HAVING MELTDOWNS.
AND, UH, THIS YEAR, 'CAUSE THE KIDS HAD ALREADY BEEN THROUGH A YEAR OF FULL DAY SCHOOL, IT WAS THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL AND AFTER LUNCH I SAID, WAIT A SECOND, I CAN KEEP TEACHING UNTIL THE BUS COMES.
UH, THAT WAS A WHOLE NEW EXPERIENCE.
SO WE TALK ABOUT THE ADDED TIME TO, UH, INSTRUCTION FOR OUR KINDERGARTEN TEACHERS THANKS TO INITIATIVES LIKE THAT, THAT'S HUGE.
AND THINKING OF CLASS SIZE INCREASES, THERE'S THE OBVIOUS TO THE COMMUNITY OF MORE CHILDREN IN THE ROOM.
SOMETIMES CLASSES HAVE MORE CHILDREN THAN DESKS.
UM, THE OVERCROWDING, THE STUFFINESS OF IT ALL.
BUT FROM A WORKLOAD PERSPECTIVE, YOU KNOW, IN A MIDDLE SCHOOL WHERE THERE MIGHT BE 45 KIDS TAKING WORLD LANGUAGE NEXT YEAR UP IN NORTH HARTFORD, FOR INSTANCE, 45, 50 KIDS IN A CLASSROOM, THAT WORLD LANGUAGE TEACHER IS NOW HAVING TO SPEND SO MUCH MORE TIME GRADING ASSIGNMENTS THAT THEY HAVE SO MUCH LESS TIME TO PREPARE INSTRUCTION.
BOLSON, YOU'VE SHARED IN THE PAST ABOUT HOW MUCH TIME DO WE SPEND WEIGHING THE SHEEP VERSUS FEEDING THE SHEEP.
AND WHEN WE PUT OUR, UH, EDUCATORS IN A SPACE WHERE THEY'RE SPENDING SO MUCH TIME WEIGHING AND SO MUCH LESS TIME FEEDING, UM, THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT ACHIEVEMENT.
I KNOW, UM, THAT WHEN YOU HAVE LESS MINUTES TO PLAN INSTRUCTION, YOU'RE MORE LIKELY TO PRINT OUT SOMETHING FROM TEACHERS, PAID TEACHERS AND CALL IT A DAY OR SAY, WE'RE GONNA PLAY JEOPARDY AGAIN.
OR WE'RE GONNA, UH, JUST READ THIS ARTICLE AND MOVE ON BECAUSE THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH TIME IN THE WORLD.
AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, PEOPLE ARE PEOPLE AND WE'RE NOT EXPECTING OUR PEOPLE TO SPEND THEIR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AND MIDNIGHTS PREPARING.
SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE HOW THE BUDGET IMPACTS, UM, ACHIEVEMENT IN A MORE PERSONAL WAY WITH THAT.
UM, AND THEN JUST LOOKING AHEAD, I, I WASN'T SURE IF YOU WERE IN THE ROOM OR NOT WHEN WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION, BUT YOU KNOW, ON PAGE 53 OF THE COUNTY'S PROPOSED BUDGET, IT TALKS ABOUT FUTURE PLANNING PROJECTIONS.
AND EVEN IN THAT MOST, UM, AGGRESSIVE PROJECTION OF HAVING $29 MILLION MORE IN THE BUDGET NEXT YEAR FOR THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT, THEY'RE ONLY EXPECTING TO SPEND BETWEEN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, $10 MILLION MORE NEXT YEAR THAN THIS YEAR.
UM, AND THAT, THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE HOW THAT WOULD BE SPLIT BETWEEN THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
BUT I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTICE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS GAP AND, AND AS WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HOW IS THAT GAP BUDGETARILY GONNA BE FILLED, THE, THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT HAS NO PLANS OF FILLING A $60 MILLION GAP FOR NEXT YEAR.
THAT IS NOT IN THE BUDGET, OR EVEN FEASIBLY, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY WOULD TO GET THERE FOR NEXT YEAR.
UM, SO I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE.
AND I KNOW LAST WEEK DURING THE BUDGET HEARINGS, WE TALKED ABOUT, WELL, HOW DO YOU FILL THAT GAP? AND MR. SANLI SHARED THAT, UH, IT'S THE, AT LEAST HIS POSITION AS THE, AS, UM, THE TREASURER FOR THE COUNTY THAT HAS TO COME THROUGH.
UH, I THINK WHAT THE TERM WAS, STAFFING EFFICIENCIES, WHICH I THINK WE KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, IN A LESS FRIENDLY TERM THAT MEANS THE CUTTING OF INSTRUCTIONAL POSITIONS.
SO I JUST THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE HAVE AN OPEN JUST PLAYING GROUND TO BEGIN THE CONVERSATION.
'CAUSE I KNOW THERE'S BEEN, WELL,
[01:50:01]
THERE'S MONEY FOR RIGHT NOW, BUT AS YOU'RE LOOKING TOWARDS NEXT YEAR, TWO YEARS FROM NOW, THREE YEARS FROM NOW, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU ALL AS AN INSTITUTION TO RECOGNIZE THAT'S WHERE THE CONVERSATION'S, UH, BEEN.UM, I DID WANNA ASK, UM, AND MAYBE I SHOULD HOLD IT 'CAUSE IT'S ABOUT CAPITAL PROJECTS.
UM, AND DO YOU WANT PAT OR, UH, DON'T YOU ASK NOW WHILE YOU'RE SPEAKING? OKAY.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF CONVERSATION WITH THE DEVELOPMENT IN ABERDEEN AND HAV DE GRACE THAT EVENTUALLY WE'RE GONNA NEED ANOTHER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN BETWEEN, UH, HAV DE GRACE AND ABERDEEN TO SERVICE THOSE GROWING COMMUNITIES.
I, THEY'RE ALREADY HUGE AND, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WHAT IT'S LIKE INSIDE THOSE CLASSROOMS, IN THOSE TWO AREAS AS IT IS.
UM, HOW WILL THAT IMPACT OUR CURRENT, UH, PROJECTIONS FOR THE CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WE HAVE LAID OUT FOR SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION? AND, UM, AND, AND WHERE DO WE STAND ON OUR, OUR, OUR PROJECTIONS FOR SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION? UM, I'LL TAKE A CRACK AT THIS.
I KNOW, UH, MR. BROWN, OH, HE'S RIGHT HERE.
UM, SO WE HAVE ADDITIONAL ELEMENTARY CAPACITY COMING ON, BUT OBVIOUSLY THAT'LL BE, UM, UP AT THE EMAR PROPERTY.
AND SO MORE CENTRAL IN THE, IN THE COUNTY AT THAT TIME.
WHEN WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS OF FILLING THAT SCHOOL, OF ASSIGNING STUDENTS TO THAT SCHOOL, THERE WILL HAVE TO BE ABOUT, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER BALANCING ENROLLMENT.
AND SO WE'LL HAVE A SENSE OF WHERE WE'LL HAVE A BETTER SENSE OF WHERE OUR CAPACITY LIES.
UM, ALSO AS THE TIME, AS WE HAVE A LITTLE MORE TIME BETWEEN HERE AND THERE, WE'LL HAVE A SENSE OF HOW MANY OF THESE PROPERTIES ARE ACTUALLY PRODUCING SCHOOL AGED CHILDREN.
BECAUSE THAT'S ALWAYS A QUESTION.
YOU NEVER KNOW QUITE HOW MANY.
UM, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CALCULATE NOW I'M GONNA PREEMPT MR. BROWN AND MAYBE LET HIM SAY THE SAME THING AFTERWARDS.
REALLY WHAT WE, WE SHOULD BE DOING, UM, SOMETIME THE NEXT FEW YEARS IS ACTUALLY A COMPREHENSIVE ANALYSIS OF OUR BUILDING CAPACITY AND OUR, THE ABILITY OF OUR FACILITIES TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE SCHOOLS.
WE, WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT IN QUITE SOME TIME AND IT, IT MAY NOT PROVIDE, UH, INFORMATION THAT PEOPLE ARE EXCITED TO ADDRESS, BUT IT, YOU KNOW, WE HOPE THAT WOULD BRING FORTH THE REALITY OF WHAT WE'RE FACING IN TERMS OF WHAT WE MAY SEE IN TERMS OF GROWTH.
WE SEE A LOT OF BUILDING GOING ON AROUND THE COUNTY.
WE JUST DON'T KNOW HOW MANY, UH, CHILDREN WILL BE YIELDED FROM, UH, FROM THOSE EXPANSIONS.
MR. BROWN, ANYTHING YOU WANNA ADD? YES.
CORNELL BROWN, ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT FOR OPERATIONS.
SO, CURRENTLY IN OUR, UH, CAPITAL PROGRAM, UH, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE HOMESTEAD WAKEFIELD COMING ONLINE, UM, NEXT YEAR.
SO WE'RE BUILDING SOME ADDITIONAL CAPACITY THERE.
UM, FOLLOWING, UM, THAT PROJECT WE HAVE THE HARTFORD ACADEMY, UH, PROJECT THAT'S SCHEDULED TO COME ONLINE WITH AN ADDITIONAL 600 SEATS, UM, THAT WE'RE GONNA BUILD IN.
UM, FOLLOWING THAT WE HAVE THE OLD POST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL PROJECT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S ON THE, UM, OPPOSITE END OF THE COUNTY WHERE WE, UM, NEED CAPACITY, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY THERE, UM, TO ADDRESS THAT.
SO WITH THE, UM, BALANCING ENROLLMENT EFFORT THAT WILL TAKE PLACE AT HARTFORD ACADEMY AND THEN WITH OLD POST COMING ON BOARD, WE FOLLOW UP WITH, UM, THE BEL AIR MIDDLE SCHOOL PROJECT, WHICH IS ALSO ANOTHER CAPACITY, UM, PROJECT THAT'S BUILT INTO OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM.
SO WE HAVE SOME OPPORTUNITY TO LOOK AT WHERE OUR SEATS ARE, UH, MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS BEFORE WE GO AFTER BEL AIR MIDDLE SCHOOL, WHERE WE WILL BE, UM, ASKING THAT WE ADD ANOTHER CAPACITY PROJECT.
UM, AND THAT GIVES US SOME TIME TO LOOK AT THE GROWTH, UM, IN THE ABERDEEN H GRACE AREA.
UM, 'CAUSE WE WOULD EXPECT THAT, UM, H GRACE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, UM, WE'LL BE LOOKING TO BUILD SOME CAPACITY THERE.
'CAUSE THAT'S A SCHOOL THAT WE ARE GONNA BE LOOKING AT.
AND, UM, IN OUR ADEQUATE PUBLIC FACILITIES, UM, ADVISORY MEETINGS, WE'VE BEEN HAVING SOME CONVERSATIONS ABOUT LAND BANKING.
UM, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AROUND THE COUNTY TO SEE IF WE CAN IDENTIFY, UM, PROPERTY THAT WE CAN SECURE, UM, SO THAT WE CAN, AFTER WE SEE WHAT TYPE OF RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT GROWTH OCCURS, UM, IF WE NEED TO PURCHASE ADDITIONAL PROPERTY FOR AN ADDITIONAL SCHOOL IN THAT AREA, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'LL WORK WITH OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT TO, YOU KNOW, SEE HOW FEASIBLE THAT IS.
SO MORE, MORE LIKELY THAN NOT, WE'RE NOT TALKING IN THE NEXT 10 YEARS OF SEEING ANYTHING IN REGARDS TO, UH, ABERDEEN HAV GRACE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL BEING ADDED ON? NO, IT WOULD BE AFTER THE BEL AIR MIDDLE SCHOOL PROJECT AND OUR CURRENT, UM, CAPITAL PROGRAM.
[01:55:01]
PROJECTS ARE THE BOARD'S, UM, NUMBER ONE, UM, PRIORITY.SO BASED ON THE, UM, THE GROWTH THAT WE ACTUALLY SEE ONCE THOSE RESIDENTIAL UNITS COME ON, UM, BOARD, UM, EVERY YEAR WE GO BACK TO THE BOARD AND SAY, OKAY, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE SEEING.
WE NEED TO MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE TO WORK WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT, WORK WITH STATE GOVERNMENT, UM, TO OBTAIN THE FUNDING TO MOVE FORWARD.
UM, WHILE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SCHOOL BUILDINGS, I KNOW ONE OF THE SLIDES TALKED ABOUT HISTORICALLY SMALL SCHOOLS.
COULD YOU BREAK DOWN FOR US AS A COUNCIL, HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO OPERATE THOSE SCHOOLS? AND WHAT COULD BE THE PLAN AS FAR AS HOW COULD A, A BUDGET CRUNCH THIS YEAR, NEXT YEAR, THE YEAR AFTER IMPACT THOSE HISTORICALLY SMALL SCHOOLS? SO WE, WE CAN SEND YOU, UM, THE COST PER PUPIL BY SCHOOL.
THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE.
UM, AND OUR, SO OUR COST PER PUPIL RANGES BETWEEN ABOUT $14,000 PER STUDENT AT A SCHOOL LIKE HOMESTEAD WAKEFIELD OR YOUTH BENEFIT UP TO NEARLY $38,000 PER STUDENT AT DARLINGTON.
UM, NOW SEPARATE FROM THAT HARTFORD ACADEMY, THE STUDENTS THERE, BECAUSE OF THE UNIQUE NEEDS, WE SPEND ABOUT $110,000 PER STUDENT.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE RANGE, EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN, UM, RUNNING SMALL SCHOOLS IS EXPENSIVE AND NOT VERY EFFICIENT.
UM, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE DO HAVE, PARTICULARLY AT THE ELEMENTARY END, WE HAVE CAPACITY ISSUES.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, CLOSING A SCHOOL MAY, MAY NOT MAKE A LOT OF SENSE, BUT IT'S ALSO HARD WHEN YOU THINK GEOGRAPHICALLY ABOUT A PLACE LIKE DARLINGTON, IT'S HARD TO SEND A LOT OF KIDS THERE ON BUSES.
SO HOW WE MIGHT USE A BUILDING LIKE THAT MORE EFFICIENTLY, I THINK IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD REQUIRE MORE ANALYSIS.
UM, SO WE, WE HAVE TO BALANCE THIS, THE OVERALL NEED FOR CAPACITY WITH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T MOVE OUR BUILDINGS AND TO, TO MAKE THEM SORT OF SERVE, YOU KNOW, WHERE OUR STUDENTS ARE LIVING.
S BUT AGAIN, LOOKING AT A SCHOOL COSTING $38,000, UH, PER STUDENT IS, UM, YOU KNOW, WE COULD, WE COULD ALMOST ABSORB THOSE STUDENTS INTO ANOTHER SCHOOL, BUT IF WE WERE TO DO THAT, UM, THAT WOULD REQUIRE BUS RIDES.
SO WE HAVE TO DECIDE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH AS, AS A COUNTY.
AND ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT THE REALITIES OF SPENDING MORE PER STUDENT IS SOMETHING THAT WE MAY DECIDE WE HAVE TO ABSORB.
BUT IT'S AGAIN, NOT THE TYPE OF THING THAT THE BLUEPRINT TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION.
MR. ELLIS, YOU WERE GONNA SAY SOMETHING? SO JUST TO GET ON TO THE, UH, TO THE LAND ACQUISITION PROCESS.
SO THE COUNTY HAS A SEPARATE PROJECT FOR SITE ACQUISITION, UM, THAT WE HAVE IN THE GENERAL SECTION OF THE, OF THE CAPITAL BUDGET WHERE WE PURCHASE ALL TYPES OF LAND, YOU KNOW, REGARDLESS OF, UNLESS IT'S SPECIFIC FOR SAY, LIKE A PARK OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
'CAUSE THEN WE USE, UH, UH, PROGRAM OPEN SPACE.
UM, BUT WHILE WE MAY NOT BE READY TO, UM, START PUTTING SHOVELS IN THE GROUND ON THIS ABERDEEN, UM, HA, GRACE, UH, POTENTIAL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, YOU KNOW, WE ARE IN, IN OUR MINDS, YOU KNOW, STARTING THAT PROCESS IMMEDIATELY BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT MAKING MORE LAND.
UM, AND, AND EACH EACH, EACH NEW DEVELOPMENT COMES ON BOARD.
IT MAKES IT HARDER AND HARDER TO, TO BE WHERE YOU WANT TO BE.
SO OUR OUR INTENT IS THAT WE SHOULD HAVE ADEQUATE APPROPRIATION IN THAT, IN THAT FUND, AND THAT WE CAN START TRYING TO IDENTIFY, UH, A PARCEL THAT WILL, THAT WILL MEET THE SCHOOL'S, SCHOOL'S NEEDS.
ARE YOU GETTING READY TO SAY SOMETHING? UH, OKAY.
APPRECIATE, I, I, I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE A HARD, HARD TIME AHEAD OF YOU ASKING FOR THE, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL FUNDS AND LOOKING THROUGH THE BUDGET.
UM, OF COURSE, YOU KNOW, WE GET IT.
WE DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME TO, TO REVIEW THAT, BUT THERE IS SOME THINGS THAT I SEE JUST HAVE QUESTIONS ON INCREASES FROM 22 TO 25.
UM, GOING BACK THROUGH, LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE, UM, I SEE LEGAL SERVICES WENT FROM 3 72 IN 22 TO 5 29.
I SEE EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATION WENT FROM 2.2 MILLION 2022 TO 4 MILLION.
THAT'S A, THAT'S A 1.85 MILLION INCREASE.
UM, I DID GO THROUGH AND LOOKING THROUGH SOME OF THESE.
THERE'S, UM, THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE IN HERE.
EQUITY AND PROFICIENCY DEPARTMENT IN 22 WAS, IT WAS 292,000, AND NOW IT'S DOUBLED TO ALMOST 578,000.
UM, I LOOKED THROUGH HERE TO, TO GET A DEFINITION LOOKING THROUGH THAT.
UM, SO I, I SAW A LITTLE, BUT, AND THEN THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE HERE.
THERE'S, UH, ORGANIZATION OR DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT, AND THERE WAS, IN 2022, THERE WAS NO BUDGET FOR IT.
2025, IT'S PROJECTED TO BE 617.
SO IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, IT'S A MILLION.
[02:00:01]
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO SOMETHING THAT DOESN'T SHOW UP THIS YEAR, BUT IT'S GONNA SHOW UP NEXT YEAR.IT'S TALENT MANAGEMENT DEPARTMENT OF 1.2 MILLION IN FISCAL YEAR 25.
UM, SAME THING FOR STAFF RELATIONS DEPARTMENT.
IT, THAT'S GONNA BE 993 MILLION IN 2025.
UM, LET'S SEE, SAFETY AND SECURITY WENT FROM, UH, 802,000, BUT IT'S PROJECTED TO BE 2.3 MILLION 1.56.
I DON'T WANNA SEE THE TEACHERS CUT JOBS ANYWHERE, BUT IF I'M LOOKING AT CUTTING SOME THINGS, MM-HMM,
UM, YOU KNOW, WE, WE CERTAINLY KNOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF, LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GONNA SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, YOU'RE CUTTING THIS PROGRAM, YOU'RE CUTTING MY TEACHERS.
BUT I, BUT I LOOK AT SOME OF THESE OTHER OTHER THINGS HERE.
AND JUST LOOKING AT NUMBERS AND THEN LOOKING AT SOMEBODY, UM, DESCRIPTIONS THAT SOME OF THESE THINGS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS WRITE 'EM UP AND I, BUT I DO HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE, UH, OBVIOUSLY, AND I THINK THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE THAT HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE.
SO, UM, HERE'S ONE OR TWO MORE THINGS TOO, BUT I, I THINK YOU GET THE GIST.
AND DEBORAH, I WANT TO THANK YOU, UH, FOR, FOR SITTING DOWN WITH ERIC AND MYSELF AND GOING THROUGH SOME OF THE STUFF.
AND THIS WAS NOT STUFF THAT I SAW BEFORE, SO, SURE, THAT'S FINE.
AND I DIDN'T GET EVERYTHING THAT YOU LISTED, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT SOME OF THE, UM, FOR INSTANCE, EXECUTIVE ADMINISTRATION, WE DID SOME REORGANIZATION AND WE SHUFFLED DEPARTMENTS.
SO DEPARTMENTS THAT EXISTED PREVIOUSLY WOULD HAVE SHOWN SOMEPLACE ELSE IN THE BUDGET, AND NOW THEY'RE REFLECTED IN THAT AREA.
UM, SO THAT'S A GOOD BIT OF WHAT YOU REFERENCED HERE.
SO THEY'RE NOT NEW OVERALL, THEY'RE JUST NEW IN THE AREAS, OR WE'VE RETITLED A DEPARTMENT.
SO IT'S NEW WITHIN THE SYSTEM AS FAR AS A DEPARTMENT, BUT THE POSITIONS EXISTED, BUT PERHAPS, YOU KNOW, ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT USED TO BE UNDER CURRICULUM INSTRUCTION AND ASSESSMENT.
SO NOW THAT'S BEEN BROKEN OUT AND IT'S A SEPARATE DEPARTMENT, BUT IT'S NOT NEW PEOPLE WITHIN THE BUILDING.
SO, UM, WE CAN GO THROUGH EACH OF THOSE WITH YOU AND PROVIDE THE EXPLANATION FOR EACH ONE OF THOSE.
UM, I FIRST JUST WANT TO TALK, UH, JUST ABOUT SOME OF THE IMPACT THAT I, I, I SEE IF THIS BUDGET IS GONNA PROCEED, UM, AS SUGGESTED.
AND I JUST WANNA QUALIFY THAT BEFORE I DO.
SO, UM, MYSELF AND I WANT TO GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO, UH, WADE SOWELL FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD REPRESENTING DISTRICT B, HAVE VISITED EVERY SCHOOL IN, UH, DISTRICT B.
UH, ALONG WITH, JUST TO KIND OF COMPARE AND CONTRAST, UM, EDGEWOOD MIDDLE JOB OF TOWN, HIGH DEERFIELD ELEMENTARY, THAT KIND OF SEE THE ISSUES, UH, THAT COULD TAKE PLACE IF THIS BUDGET WERE TO BE PASSED.
AND I TELL YOU, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE WITNESSED ARE, UH, SPACE CLASSROOMS, AVAILABILITY, UH, AND THE PORTABLES THAT HAVE TO BE ADDED CLASSROOM SIZES.
I THINK IN, UM, EMERTON ELEMENTARY, THERE IS A THIRD GRADE CLASS THAT'S GOT 33, UH, CHILDREN.
IT'S, IT'S TOUGH TO TEACH, UH, CLASS WITH 33, UH, CHILDREN.
UH, EDGEWOOD MIDDLE SCHOOL, UM, YOU HAVE ROUGHLY 60 TEACHERS AND A THIRD OF THOSE 22 OF 'EM ARE NOT CERTIFIED.
AND THEN ANOTHER THIRD OF THOSE ARE NON-TENURED.
SO YOU HAVE OVER 40 TEACHERS THAT ARE RELATIVELY NEW TO THE PROFESSION.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, UH, I'D ADVOCATE AND CONTINUE TO ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE SUPPORT SYSTEM NEEDED TO MAKE SURE, UH, THAT THOSE TEACHERS, UM, ARE TRAINED, UM, SO THEY CAN EDUCATE, RIGHT? UH, BECAUSE REALLY IN THE SUM OF THINGS, UM, CLASSROOM SIZES AND, UH, TEACHERS TRAINING REALLY EQUAL WHAT THE SCORING AND THE EDUCATION QUALITY OF PRODUCT THAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM PUTS OUT.
SO I'M CONCERNED THAT WITH THESE CUTS, A LOT OF THIS IS GONNA BE AFFECTED, WHICH IS GONNA CIRCLE BACK TO KIND OF THE FUND BALANCE QUESTION.
AND I'M GLAD THAT WHEN WE SPOKE ABOUT THE FUND BALANCE, UH, WHEN YOU SPOKE ABOUT THE FUND BALANCE, DR.
POLSON, YOU MENTIONED, 'CAUSE I THINK THERE WAS SOME MISINFORMATION ON KIND OF WHAT THAT IS AS FAR AS, UM, WHAT IS AVAILABLE ON ASSIGNED.
UM, NOW I WANT TO GET TO THAT 16 MILLION, BUT ASIDE FROM THAT 16 MILLION, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU SAID 35 MILLION OF UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE, UH, AND WITH ABOUT 40 MILLION REQUIRED, RIGHT? MOST OF THAT IS IN WAGE PACKAGE.
I CAN TELL YOU, UM, WHICH I, I BELIEVE IN PEOPLE.
I BELIEVE IN MAKING SURE THAT WE INVEST IN OUR WORKFORCE, UM, AND THAT
[02:05:01]
18 19 MILLION IS CRITICAL IF WE WANT TO RECRUIT NEW TEACHERS.AND YOU'RE ALREADY SEEING THAT ISSUE BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO HIRE THE, UH, THE NUMBER OF, UH, ON CERTIFIED TEACHERS JUST TO BE ABLE TO PUT CLASSROOMS AND EDUCATORS IN CLASSROOMS, I SHOULD SAY.
SO, UM, THE WAY I SEE IT, BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE THAT YOU SHOULD BE USING THIS 16 MILLION, AND I'LL GET TO THAT POINT HERE IN A SECOND, THAT 35 MILLION IS NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO COVER WHAT IS NEEDED FOR THE SPECIAL EDUCATION, THE GRANT FUNDING, THE PENSIONS, AND THE, THE WAGE PACKAGE THAT'S, THAT'S NEEDED.
SO, UM, I, EITHER WAY THESE CUTS ARE GONNA HAPPEN, BUT I DON'T SEE HOW 35 MILLION GETS YOU 40.
I JUST, I DON'T, I DON'T SEE IT.
SO, UM, I JUST, YOU KNOW, WE COULD CUT, THE CLASSROOM SIZES ARE GONNA GO UP FROM 33, UM, WHICH IS IT GONNA BE A DRASTIC EFFECT.
UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T EXPECT YOU, UH, I THINK YOU ALREADY COVERED THE POINT.
THAT'S JUST SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE SEEN.
UM, THE SECOND POINT I WANNA MAKE IS THAT $16 MILLION RATE STABILIZATION FUND, UM, THAT IS TAKEN FROM THE EMPLOYEE'S MEDICAL CONTRIBUTIONS.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW ONE, THAT WE CAN TRANSFER $16 MILLION OVER INTO THE SCHOOL BUDGET.
I KNOW WE HAVE MORE FLEXIBILITY IN THE FOURTH QUARTER OF A FISCAL YEAR, BUT HOW LEGALLY ARE WE ABLE TO TRANSFER $16 MILLION OVER TO THE SCHOOL BOARD? ANSWER THIS, LETS GO THE, THE, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, LIKE THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
UM, WE ARE ALL, AND THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND THE LIBRARY, WE ARE ALL SELF-INSURED.
SO THE WAY THAT YOU COME UP WITH, UM, MORE OR LESS THAT HOW, HOW YOU RUN THE SELF-INSURED PROGRAM IS YOU COME UP WITH A PREMIUM AMOUNT FOR, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH YOU THINK, YOU KNOW, ON A PER PER, UM, PER EMPLOYEE BASIS.
AND OF COURSE, IT VARIES WHETHER IT'S SINGLE, UM, COUPLES OR, OR, OR FAMILY, FAMILY BASIS.
YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH MONEY YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SPEND THAT, UM, THAT YEAR ON, ON HEALTH INSURANCE.
AND THEN ALL OF THOSE PREMIUM NUMBERS ARE SUBJECT GENERALLY TO NEGOTIATIONS WITH HOW THE SPLIT, UM, IS, IS DONE.
AND FOR MOST OF BOTH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT AND ALL, IT'S A VERY GENEROUS SPLIT.
THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS GENERALLY FUNDING, YOU KNOW, WELL IN EXCESS OF 90% OF, OF THE, THE TOTAL COST.
AND IN SOME CASES AS HIGH AS 97% DEPENDING ON WHEN YOU WERE, WHEN YOU WERE HIRED.
NOW YOU DO KEEP, BECAUSE YOU ARE SELF-INSURED AND IT'S ALL BASED UPON ACTUAL CLAIMS. SO MAYBE ONE YEAR YOU HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF CLAIMS AND ONE YEAR YOU DON'T HAVE A WHOLE BUNCH OF CLAIMS. SO YOU DO WANNA KEEP A RESERVE IN PLACE.
UM, BECAUSE IF THERE IS A CALL AT THE END OF THE YEAR WHERE THEY'RE LIKE, HEY, YOU KNOW, YOU THOUGHT YOU WERE GONNA HAVE $20 MILLION IN MEDICAL, UM, MEDICAL EXPENDITURES, BUT YOU GOT $21 MILLION IN MEDICAL EXPENDITURES, YOU WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE, UM, RESERVES IN PLACE.
NOW WE HAVE THIS CONSORTIUM WHERE WE, WHERE WHERE WE HAVE CERTAIN, UM, KIND OF GAPS IN, I MEAN, I'M SORRY, CERTAIN, YOU KNOW, STOP GAP, UM, INSURANCES IN PLACE.
AND WE HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, KIND OF SOME ASSURANCES THAT IF WE HAVE A CALL THAT THEY WILL BE, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT IT, UM, THAT IT WOULDN'T BE MAYBE THE ENTIRETY OF, OF, OF THE CALL THAT IT'S, IT'S, UM, IT'S KIND OF A CAPPED AT ABOUT 5%, UM, THAT THE CALL, UM, IN ORDER TO COME UP WITH ADDITIONAL MONIES IS ABOUT 5%.
SO WHAT WE HAVE SEEN OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS IS THAT ALL ALL ENTITIES, WE'VE HAD GOOD YEARS ON OUR HEALTH INSURANCE.
SO THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT, UM, HAS BEEN SAVED, IF YOU WILL, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN TO THE GOOD, UM, HAS ACCUMULATED.
UM, AND SO ALL ENTITIES HAVE, YOU KNOW, HAVE SEEN SOME ACCUMULATION, UM, SOME ACCUMULATION OF, OF FUNDS.
NOW, AGAIN, YOU NEED TO KEEP SOME OF IT BEHIND AND BACK FOR, UM, IN CASE YOU DO HAVE A CALL.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU WOULDN'T SPEND IT ALL.
THE QUESTION IS, IS HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH ABOVE THAT 5%, UM, SHOULD YOU KEEP, YOU KNOW, AND YOU KNOW, WE, UM, WORKING WITH THE ACTUARIES AND THE HEALTH CONSULTANTS WE'RE LIKE, OKAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, YOU WITHIN THE CONSORTIUM, WITHIN THE CONSORTIUM WHERE THE COUNTY IS HOLDING THE MONEY, WE SHOULD HOLD, YOU KNOW, UM, 150% OF THAT CALL, OR INSTEAD OF 5% 7.5.
NOW THIS DOES NOT MEAN THAT ANY OTHER ENTITY, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM CANNOT HOLD THOSE, UM, HOLD ADDITIONAL FUNDS WITHIN THEIR OWN, THEIR OWN FUND BALANCE.
IT'S JUST A QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT THE COUNTY HOLDS.
AND THE REASON WHY WE ARE RETURNING THE MONEY IS ACTUALLY, YOU KNOW, DUE TO CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR OWN, UM, EXTERNAL AUDITORS, IS THAT THERE'S GAS BS OUT THERE THAT STATE THAT IF WE ARE HOLDING EXCESS FUNDS, IT PUTS THE COUNTY IN THE POSITION OF BEING A, UM, INVESTMENT BROKER.
UM, AND SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE SHOULDN'T BE HOLDING, YOU KNOW, MORE THAN, THAN EXCESS FUNDS.
YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE PROPER AMOUNT OF FUNDS? YOU KNOW, AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW, BUT WE, WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN WORK WITH HERE FROM, FROM THE ACTUARIES.
UM, BUT THAT DOES NOT MEAN, OF COURSE, THAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM CAN CHOOSE TO ASSIGN THOSE FUNDS AND HOLD ONTO TO THEM THEMSELVES.
SO, YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE'RE GONNA HOLD 7.5%, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY OF COURSE COULD DECIDE TO HOLD, UM, TO HOLD A PORTION WITHIN THEIR OWN FUND BALANCE.
JUST A QUESTION OF WHETHER OR NOT TO COUNT THE IN THE CONSORTIUM IS GONNA HOLD THOSE, UM, THOSE FUNDS.
[02:10:01]
NOW, I WILL HEAR A LOT ABOUT HOW, YOU KNOW, THESE FUNDS ARE, ARE EMPLOYEE, ARE, ARE EMPLOYEE MONIES, AND MAYBE AT SOME LEVEL, UM, WHATEVER PORTION OF THE, UH, UM, THE PREMIUMS ARE PAID FOR BY THE EMPLOYEES, YOU COULD MAYBE MAKE SOME TYPE OF AN ARGUMENT.BUT I WOULD, I WOULD ARGUE THAT REALLY NONE OF THOSE ARE EMPLOYEE FUNDS.
THE COUNTY IS THE ONE OR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT ABSORBS THE RISK.
WE COME UP WITH A PREMIUM AMOUNT.
WE SAY, OKAY, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE 95%, YOU KNOW, WE PAY 95%, YOU PAY 5%.
UM, IF WE'RE TO THE SHORT, WE DON'T COME IN AND SAY, WELL, YOU HAVE TO MAKE UP THAT MONEY.
UM, SO YOU NOW, IN THE PAST, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, WHEN THEY'VE ACCUMULATED THOSE FUNDS, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE GIVEN IT BACK A PORTION TO THEIR, TO THEIR EMPLOYEES IN THE FORM OF PREMIUM HOLIDAYS AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY, WE HAVEN'T DONE THAT.
BUT THIS YEAR, WHAT THE COUNTY DID IS, YOU KNOW, WE HELD RATES FLAT.
SO IN, IN ESSENCE, YOU KNOW, WE KIND OF ATE IN, YOU KNOW, TO TO THOSE PRIOR YEAR, UH, TO THOSE PRIOR YEAR, UM, UH, TO THOSE PRIOR YEAR SAVINGS.
BUT AGAIN, ONLY A VERY SMALL PORTION OF THE TOTAL PREMIUM COST IS REALLY BORNE BY THE EMPLOYEES.
THE OVERWHELMING PORTION IS BORNE BY BY THE EMPLOYER.
UM, AND THAT'S WHERE ALL OF THE RISK UL ULTIMATELY IS.
BUT AGAIN, KIND TO GO BACK, THIS IS JUST A QUESTION OF HOW MUCH THE COUNTY CAN HOLD.
UM, IT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM CANNOT CHOOSE TO HAVE AN ASSIGNMENT, UM, UH, TO, TO HAVE A, YOU KNOW, AN EXTRA BUFFER, UH, JUST AS THEY CHOOSE TO HAVE ASSIGNMENTS FOR IF THE PRICE OF FUEL GOES UP OR IF, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
MR. PENMAN, IF I MAY, ROBBIE, CAN YOU ALSO SPEAK TO WHY WE DIDN'T SEE THE TRANSFER HERE TO COUNCIL? 'CAUSE TYPICALLY WHEN MONEY'S TRANSFERRED, UH, WITHIN THE BOARD, THERE'S, BUT IT'S NOT WITHIN THEIR BUDGET.
I MEAN, THIS IS, THIS IS, THESE WERE JUST, THESE ARE JUST FUNDS THAT HAVE JUST ACCUMULATED, UM, WITHIN THE CONSORTIUM.
UM, THESE WERE JUST, THESE ARE JUST COUNTY, UM, THESE WERE JUST SCHOOL SYSTEM FUNDS THAT WE WERE HOLDING ONTO.
IT'S THEIR MONEY, IT'S NOT OUR MONEY.
AND WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY CAN'T HOLD ONTO, HOLD ONTO THEIR MONEY BEYOND THE, THE, UM, A, A REASONABLE AMOUNT.
AGAIN, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE PAST THOUGH? I MEAN, IN THE PAST WE HAVE GENERALLY SEEN THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, YOU KNOW, WOULD, WOULD REQUEST FUNDS, YOU KNOW, FROM US, BUT ALSO THESE AMOUNTS HAVE ALSO GROWN CONSIDERABLY.
UH, YOU KNOW, IF YOU WERE TO GO BACK FIVE YEARS, THESE NUMBERS WERE, UM, WELL ACTUALLY FIVE YEARS AGO, WE, WE OFTENTIMES WERE, WERE RUNNING LOSSES.
IT'S ONLY BECAUSE KIND OF DURING THE COVID PERIOD WE SAW A REAL, UM, UH, NOBODY WAS GOING TO THE DOCTOR.
SO YOU SAW A LOT OF SAVINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT IN THOSE COUPLE OF YEARS.
UM, SO THIS IS KIND OF AN ATYPICAL SITUATION.
WE NORMALLY DIDN'T HAVE THESE LEVELS, YOU KNOW, UM, HISTORICALLY, UM, THAT HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO ACCUMULATE BEN.
UM, SO LEGALLY, THIS IS MY FIRST QUESTION.
I THINK THE COUNT, UH, COUNCIL PRESIDENT WAS ALLUDING TO TOO LEGALLY, UH, CAN IT BE TRANSFERRED TO ALLOW THEM TO SPEND IT, UH, FOR THEIR GENERAL FUNDS OR FUND BALANCE, UM, WITHOUT THE COUNCIL APPROVAL OR THE BOARD OF ED APPROVAL? YEAH, THEY WOULD NEED TO APPROPRIATE IT.
JUST LIKE OUR FUND, YOU KNOW, JUST LIKE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT OUR FUND BALANCE OR THEIR FUND BALANCE, IT'S JUST MONEY THAT'S ACCUMULATED FROM PRIOR YEAR, UH, YOU KNOW, PRIOR YEAR SAVINGS, PRIOR YEAR REVENUE.
BUT YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN ONLY SPEND IT ONCE EITHER.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM PASSES THEIR BUDGET OR IN THIS CASE, OR THE COUNTY COUNCIL PASSES THE BUDGET.
UM, AND THAT ENABLES US TO SPEND, TO SPEND UP TO THAT AMOUNT.
SO YES, THIS IS NOT, THIS IS THIS JUST, THIS JUST MONEY IS, UM, THEY CAN, THEY COULD CHOOSE TO DO WHATEVER.
THEY COULD CHOOSE TO HOLD IT AS A RESERVE.
THEY COULD CHOOSE TO APPROPRIATE IT, BUT IF THEY CHOOSE TO APPROPRIATE AND USE IT, JUST LIKE IF WE CHOOSE TO APPROPRIATE AND USE ANY FUNDS ON OUR END, THAT WE THEN HAVE TO HAVE THAT BUDGET PASSED BY, UM, YOU KNOW, OUR BOARD, I DON'T THINK YOU'RE GIVING THEM MUCH OPTION OF APPROPRIATING IT AND USING IT BECAUSE THEY'RE, THEY'RE UNDER, THEY'RE 35 WITHOUT THE 16 TO NOT EVEN GET THEM TO, TO, TO 40.
JUST HANG ON ONE SECOND PLEASE.
UM, AND AT ONE POINT I WANTED TO MAKE, THAT JUST GOES BACK TO THE OVERALL ARGUMENT OR DISCUSSION, NOT ARGUMENT THAT WE'VE HAD IS, UH, HOW MUCH ABOVE THE 5% SHOULD WE ACTUALLY KEEP IN FUND BALANCE? THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE REFERRING TO FOR THEM.
AND THEN WHEN WE DISCUSS IT IN, IN A COUNTY, IT'S A DIFFERENT STORY.
I JUST, I DON'T, I THIS, WELL, AGAIN, THIS IS 5% IN THIS CASE JUST FOR, JUST FOR, UM, FOR, UH, MEDICAL CLAIMS BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S THE NUMBER THAT WE HAVE WITHIN THE CONSORTIUM THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT YOU NEED TO MAINTAIN AT LEAST OF 5%.
AND WHAT WE SAID IS, OKAY, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE WILL MAINTAIN 7.5%.
ANY, ANY ARGUMENT ONCE YOU START GETTING INTO HOW MUCH FUND BALANCE SHOULD YOU KEEP AND HOW SHOULD YOU SPEND IT, UM, IS ULTIMATELY A QUESTION OF, OF YOUR, YOUR RISK PROFILE.
AND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS DEALING WITH IT IN THE SAME WAY THAT WE ARE, YOU KNOW, MEAN THEY NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT, OKAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT IF WE DO HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF MEDICAL CLAIMS OR WHAT IF WE DO HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, SNOW OR AGAIN, WHAT IF WE DO HAVE, UM, A SIGNIFICANT REVENUE, REVENUE SHORTFALL? AND THIS, THIS KIND OF GOES BACK TO, TO ALL OF US, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH FUN BALANCE IS, IS PRUDENT, YOU KNOW, DO YOU HAVE JUST AT THE ABSOLUTE
[02:15:01]
MINIMUM OR DO YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE? NOW, I AM GONNA ARGUE THAT THIS, THAT THE COUNTY NEEDS MORE FUND BALANCE IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM BECAUSE OF TWO FACTORS.THAT IS THAT WE HAVE REVENUE VOLATILITY MATTER, THAT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT OUR REVENUES ARE UNTIL THEY ACTUALLY COME IN.
UM, AND THAT WE ALSO HAVE, WE HOLD ALL THE DEBT.
SO WE NEED TO ASSURE THE, THE INVESTMENT COMMUNITY, THE INTERNATIONAL INVESTMENT COMMUNITY, THAT WE HAVE RESERVES IN ORDER TO DO THAT.
HOWEVER, THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM DOES NOT NEED A FUND BALANCE OR THE LIBRARY OR THE, OR THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
BUT YOU, WE GO BACK TO ALL OF IT, AND THIS IS, I'M SURE THEY'RE GONNA AGREE WITH US, IS THAT THIS, THE, THE, THE FUND BALANCE IS ONE TIME, ONE TIME MONEY, AND WE'RE ALL TALKING ABOUT ONGOING EXPENDITURES AND ALL OF US HERE AND INCLUDING THIS COUNTY GOVERNMENT'S BUDGET WHERE WE'RE USING 50 52 50 $3 MILLION, UM, WE, WE ARE, IN AN IDEAL WORLD, ALL OF US WOULD BE USING OUR FUND BALANCE FOR ONE-TIME EXPENDITURES.
THAT'S HOW, THAT'S REALLY HOW IT WOULD WORK.
UM, WE ARE NOT IN, WE DON'T HAVE THAT POSITION.
SO BECAUSE WE HAVE ONGOING EXPENDITURE PRESSURES, WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS THAT JUST LIKE WE'RE DOING, YOU MAY NEED TO KIND OF USE IT AS A BRIDGE, BUT IT'S NOT A LONG-TERM SOLUTION.
AND THEY'RE A HUNDRED PERCENT RIGHT WHEN THEY COME AND THEY SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT IF THEY DO SPEND THEIR FUND BALANCE, THEY'RE GOING TO NEED TO TO BE BACK HERE IN, IN THE FUTURE.
AND THEN ULTIMATELY IT'S A, IT'S, IT'S EITHER FIXED ON THE REVENUE SIDE OR IT'S FIXED ON THE ONGOING EXPENDITURE SIDE.
UM, AND THAT'S, AND EITHER WAY IS A TOUGH, IS A TOUGH DECISION.
SO, UM, THEIR FUND BALANCE, OUR FUND BALANCE, NONE OF THIS STUFF SOLVES, SOLVES IT, BUT IT, IT COULD AT LEAST BRIDGE IT SO THAT WE CAN COME UP WITH SOME SOLUTIONS AND HOPEFULLY THE REVENUES TURN AROUND A LITTLE BIT.
LEMME JUST GO BACK TO THE UTILIZATION OF THE $16 MILLION THAT IS MEDICAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND WHETHER, YOU KNOW, IT'S A SMALL OR A LOT OF PERCENTAGES THAT CAME OUT FROM EMPLOYEES PAYCHECKS, RIGHT? I HAVE A HARD TIME UNDERSTANDING WHY WE SHOULD REQUEST THEM TO USE THAT FOR FUND BALANCE.
UM, YOU MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE, IF IF IT'S SHORT, WE HAVE TO COME BACK TO YOU.
BUT ESSENTIALLY WE DO BECAUSE WE HAVE TO RAISE OUR, UH, OUR BENEFIT COST CONTRIBUTIONS ON, ON, UH, MEDICAL EXPENSES.
AND I, I WOULD CHALLENGE THAT THAT $16 MILLION SHOULD BE USED, UM, TO ABSORB ANY MEDICAL INCREASE ON COSTS PER EMPLOYEES GOING FORWARD, RIGHT? IT'S THEIR MONEY, THEY DIDN'T USE AS MUCH OF IT, BUT INSTEAD WE'RE ASKING THEM TO APPLY IT TO A FUND BALANCE TO PAY FOR TEACHERS' SALARIES TO PAY FOR SPECIAL EDUCATION TO PAY, UH, FOR THE GRANT POSITIONS, RIGHT? UM, AND I JUST, I JUST THINK IT'S, IT'S A TERRIBLE PRECEDENT TO SET.
UH, AND I KNOW THIS IS, I THINK IT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT I, THAT WAS INSTRUCTED TO ME THAT THIS IS HAPPENED THIS WAY, AND I JUST DON'T KNOW WHY, UH, WHY THIS IS SUDDENLY GIVEN OVER TO PROJECT THAT THEY, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS THIS, UH, INCREASED FUND BALANCE WHEN REALLY, REALLY, THEY, THEY DON'T, AND THEY'RE GONNA EXHAUST IT, UH, WHICH COULD HAVE CATASTROPHIC EFFECTS GOING FORWARD.
AND I COULD TELL YOU SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS THAT ARE GONNA BE CUT, UM, YOU, YOU KNOW, UM, IN AREAS OF FALLSTON THAT ARE MORE AFFLUENT, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY THESE PARENTS CAN HAVE HEALTHY DIFFERENT, UH, UH, OUTREACH PROGRAMS THAT THEY CAN PUT THEIR KIDS INTO.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU ALONG THE, UH, 40 CORRIDOR IN THE PRIORITY AREAS, THEY DON'T HAVE THOSE RESOURCES, RIGHT? AND, AND I, WHAT I'M SCARED FOR IS THESE KIDS GETTING INVOLVED IN UNHEALTHY PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES, AND THAT'S GONNA HAVE A COMPOUND EFFECT ON THE BOTTOM DOLLAR FOR HARTFORD COUNTY, RIGHT? UM, INCOME GOING FORWARD, UH, THE, THE SOCIAL ASPECT OF THE COST.
UM, SO I, I JUST THINK SOME OF THESE, THESE CUTS, UH, COULD BE CATASTROPHIC FOR OUR COUNTY.
AND I'LL JUST CLOSE WITH ONE POINT.
I KNOW I'M KIND OF MONOPOLIZING THINGS.
UH, WE HAVE THE AVAMAR PROPERTY THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD WITH, IT LOOKS LIKE FROM ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES.
SO, AND NOW WE HAVE A SHUCKS ROAD PROPERTY OF I THINK NEARLY A HUNDRED ACRES.
UM, SO THAT IS IN THE HANDS OF THE PUBLIC SCHOOL, RIGHT? SO I THINK IF WE WANT TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF OUR, UH, DEVELOPABLE PROPERTY, THAT WE NEED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ON WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO WITH THAT PROPERTY, AND CAN WE SELL THAT PROPERTY? CAN WE GIVE AUTHORIZATION FROM THE SCHOOLS TO THE COUNTY TO SELL THAT PROPERTY? UM, SO IT CAN BE AN ASSET FOR THE COUNTY.
AND THAT WOULD BE MY FINAL QUESTION.
VOLSON? I GUESS
UM, ANY SURPLUS OF THE PROPERTY WOULD REQUIRE GOING THROUGH THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION ALSO.
SO THEY WOULD KIND OF GET THE FINAL SAY, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO ESSENTIALLY MAKE THE CASE TO THE STATE BOARD THAT THAT PROPERTY ISN'T REQUIRED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES.
NOW, WE JUST HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT
[02:20:01]
CAPACITY AND THINGS LIKE THAT.SO THAT WOULD LEAD TO A QUESTION, UM, AS TO HOW EFFECTIVELY COULD, WE COULD MAKE THE CASE THAT WE DON'T NEED A PROPERTY FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES.
UH, SO THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY THE FIRST BARRIER TO IT.
QUIN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WANT TO ADD TO THAT, BUT I THINK YOU ADDRESSED IT.
SO AGAIN, UH, THE QUESTION ABOUT CAPACITY COMES UP AND WE'RE HAVING CONVERSATIONS ABOUT OUR FUTURE NEEDS, UM, TO ADDRESS THAT OF THE PROCESS THAT, UH, WE ALL KNOW, UM, WE HAVE TO COMPLY WITH, UM, SCHOOL SYSTEM.
WE'RE NOT AUTHORIZED TO ACQUIRE OR DISPOSITION PROPERTY.
UM, SO WE WOULD, UM, NEED TO GO BACK TO OUR BOARD FOR THE SHUCKS ROAD PROPERTY, UM, WHICH IS 30 SOMETHING ACRES.
AND THERE'S ANOTHER PLOT THAT'S 30 FOR THE STRUCTURAL PROPERTY THAT WE OWN, UM, FOR SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION THAT WE INITIALLY INTENDED TO USE FOR, UM, THE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND, AND FOR HARTFORD ACADEMY, UM, IS ONLY LIKE 32 ACRES.
ALRIGHT? AND ADJACENT TO THAT, YOU HAVE THE PARKS AND REC PARCEL THAT WAS DEVELOPED AND IS CURRENTLY BEING USED FOR PARK AND REC SERVICES.
UM, SO WE WOULD NEED TO GO TO OUR BOARD THEN, UM, GO THROUGH OUR STATE GOVERNMENT TO GET AUTHORIZATION FROM THE, UM, STATE SUPERINTENDENT OF, OF SCHOOLS TO SURPLUS THE PROPERTY BACK TO, UM, LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
AND THEN LOCAL GOVERNMENT WOULD THEN, UM, MOVE FORWARD TO, UM, DISPOSITION OF PROPERTY.
UM, AND THAT WILL BE A DECISION THAT THE, UM, THE BOARD WOULD NEED TO MAKE.
BUT AGAIN, UM, WE ARE, UM, DESPERATELY IN NEED OF, UM, ACQUIRING PROPERTY.
SO WE DON'T KNOW FURTHER DOWN THE LINE IF, UM, WE WOULD, UM, YOU KNOW, BE AUTHORIZED TO UTILIZE THAT PROPERTY FOR SCHOOL PURPOSES.
SO I WOULDN'T, THIS CORNELL WOULDN'T GO TO THE, UM, SUPERINTENDENT TO RECOMMEND THAT WE WOULD SURPLUS THE PROPERTY.
BUT AGAIN, THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT WE ALL NEED TO HAVE, UM, FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF THE COUNTY.
I, I KNOW THAT THE, UH, COUNTY ADMINISTRATION WAS OFFERING THAT PIECE OF PROPERTY, UH, TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE FOR A POTENTIAL PRECINCT THERE.
AND I JUST, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT CONVERSATION WAS HAPPENING.
IF THESE OTHER STEPS, HOW COULD WE OFFER FOR A POTENTIAL ISSUE OR A, A, YOU KNOW, A CAUSE IF, IF FIRST IT NEEDS TO GO THROUGH YOU, I JUST, THAT THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO HAVE TO LEVERAGE A PIECE OF PROPERTY BEFORE IT'S EVEN AVAILABLE.
YOU, ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME HERE? YEAH, I'M FOLLOWING YOU.
BUT, UM, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO I WAS MADE AWARE THAT THERE WAS A, UM, DESIRE TO, TO GO THROUGH THAT PROCESS.
UM, BUT AGAIN, WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION TO DETERMINE IF THAT'S THE NEED.
THEN WE WOULD TAKE THOSE STEPS TO GO TO OUR BOARD TO GO TO THE STATE, THEN TO SURPLUS THE PROPERTY, UM, BACK TO THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
UM, JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THIS WHOLE CONVERSATION, AND YOU KNOW, AGAIN, LOOKING AT OUR FORWARD PLANNING FOR BUDGETS TO COME, I'M JUST REALLY DEEPLY CONCERNED THAT IT SEEMS LIKE THE ONLY SOLUTION TO CLOSING THE GAP AND MAKING BUDGETS WORK IN THE FUTURE IS DEEP, DEEP, DEEP CUTS TO SERVICES.
WHETHER IT'S GONNA MAKE OUR LIBRARIES A FIVE DAY A WEEK SERVICE, OR IT'S GONNA BE, UM, YOU KNOW, PUTTING THIRD GRADERS IN, UH, AUDITORIUMS TO BE TAUGHT, OR IT'S GONNA MEAN THAT IT TAKES FIVE DAYS TO GET YOUR ROADS PLOWED WHEN IT SNOWS.
IT SEEMS LIKE THE ONLY SOLUTION THAT WE HAVE BEING PRESENTED TO US BY THE ADMINISTRATION IS TO TAKE THESE THINGS THAT WE ALL ENJOY AND TAKE PRIDE IN AS A COMMUNITY AND CUT THEM DOWN TO THEIR BAREST ESSENTIALS.
UM, AND I JUST HOPE THAT THROUGHOUT THIS BUDGET SEASON, WE CAN GET A PLAN PRESENTED TO US OF WHAT'S GONNA CHANGE THAT AND NOT MAKE THAT THE CASE.
'CAUSE IT'S VERY HARD FOR ME TO SUPPORT A BUDGET THAT ISN'T GOING TO LEAD TO LONG-TERM VIABILITY OF THE COMMUNITY IF THERE ISN'T A PLAN, A PLAN FOR NEXT YEAR, TWO YEARS FROM NOW TO MAKE THIS WORK.
UM, SCHOOL SYSTEM IS WHERE IT'S MOST EVIDENT 'CAUSE IT'S OUR BIGGEST THING THAT WE FUND.
BUT I MEAN, IT GOES ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE, THE SMALLEST OF DOLLARS THAT WE HAND OUT.
I DON'T SEE THE PLAN TO MAKE THIS WORK, AND IT, IT'S REALLY THE ADMINISTRATION'S RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE THIS WORK LONG TERM.
AND I HOPE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU ALL ARE SERIOUSLY TALKING ABOUT.
'CAUSE I KNOW I CAN SPEAK FOR MY COMMUNITY.
NOBODY WANTS TO SEE THE LOSS OF SERVICES THAT WE'VE HAD OUR ENTIRE LIFETIMES.
FIRST I'LL ANSWER MY COLLEAGUE FROM DISTRICT F.
IT'S NOT REALLY ONLY THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE ADMINISTRATION.
YOU COULD ALSO ADVOCATE RAISING TAXES.
IF YOU THINK THAT'S A, THAT'S A, UH, PLAN THAT YOU WANT TO GO, UH, I WON'T
[02:25:01]
SUPPORT THAT, BUT I'LL ASK MR. UH, BOLSON, DID YOU, WHEN YOU HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, DID YOU HAVE ANY SOLUTION AS TO HOW TO GET THAT $40 MILLION THAT YOU SAY YOU NEED? UH, FRANKLY, WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT WHERE THE REVENUE MIGHT COME FROM.UM, I MEAN, THROUGHOUT THE CONVERSATIONS, I SLIDE IT TO THE MICROPHONE HERE.
THROUGHOUT THE CONVERSATIONS, MY UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, I HAD SOME DIRECTLY, UH, MS. JUDD AND STAFF HAD OTHERS WITH STAFF AT THE COUNTY.
I THINK EARLY IN THE YEAR THEY STARTED SAYING THAT, YOU KNOW, WE COULD EXPECT, YOU KNOW, 5% INCREASE.
WE SHARED THAT THAT PROBABLY WASN'T GOING TO BE ADEQUATE.
AND, UM, AND THEN, I DON'T KNOW, FEBRUARY WE LEARNED THAT THE 5% INCREASE WASN'T EVEN GOING TO BE POSSIBLE.
SO, NO, I MEAN, I DON'T THINK THERE'S BEEN ANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW TO, HOW TO INCREASE THE REVENUE.
UM, BUT I, I DO THINK TAKING A CLEARER LOOK AT THE REVENUE THAT'S BEING REPORTED IN THE BUDGET IS, WOULD BE A PLACE TO START.
UM, BECAUSE THAT IS SOMETHING THAT, UM, THERE'S SOME DISCRETION OVER AND THERE IS, THERE'S SOME STRATEGY IN, AND, AND THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE INFLUENCE IN.
UM, WE HAVE SEEN THE COUNTY GROW AT A FASTER RATE THAN THE BUDGET'S GROWN IN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
AND SO I, YOU KNOW, BUT AGAIN, COMING UP WITH A REVENUE ISN'T NECESSARILY OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
WE'D BE HAPPY TO TALK ABOUT IT IF IT'S SOMETHING WE WERE ENGAGED IN, BUT THAT'S NOT A PART OF THE CONVERSATION WE'VE HAD.
WELL, CAN'T YOU ENGAGE IN A CONVERSATION WITH ME? HOW WOULD YOU PROPOSE TO, UH, COME UP WITH THE $40 MILLION OR THE COUNTY TO COME UP WITH IT? AGAIN, I'D FIRST GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE REVENUE IN THE COUNTY ALSO, KNOWING THAT, UM, I MEAN, YOU'VE, I CAN'T SPEAK TO ALL THE ELEMENTS OF THE COUNTY'S BUDGET, UM, BUT WE DO SEE A DIMINISHING PERCENTAGE OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM BUDGET OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS.
AND SO, YES, COUNTY DOES NEED TO MAKE DECISIONS.
I THINK IT PROBABLY SHOULD START THINKING ABOUT TURNING THAT TREND AROUND.
UM, AND SO IT'S EITHER INCREASING REVENUE OR LOOKING AT THOSE ITEMS IN THE BUDGET THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, OVER TIME HAVE INCREASED WHERE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAS, HAS DECREASED IN TERMS OF THE OVERALL REVENUE.
SO BE HAPPY TO ENGAGE IN CONVERSATIONS AROUND THAT.
UM, BUT THAT HASN'T BEEN THE INTEREST.
I MEAN THE, THE COLLABORATIVE CONVERSATIONS WE HAD ABOUT THE BUDGET, WE TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT THINGS LIKE SHARING SERVICES AND THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE WORTHWHILE ENDEAVORS.
UM, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO CLOSE THE FINANCIAL GAP THAT WE SEE RIGHT NOW.
UM, BUT THERE, THERE'S NOT BEEN A DEEP LOOK AT BOTH ENTITIES, BUDGETS, REALLY JUST OURS.
AND SO IF PEOPLE WANNA ENGAGE IN THAT, I THINK THAT'S THE WORTHWHILE THING TO SPEND OUR TIME ON.
MR. RILEY, ONE, ONE EXCEPTION FOR THE RECORD, WE DID ENGAGE WITH THE ADMINISTRATION AND WITH THE COUNCIL ON THE, UH, IMPACT FEES, UH, TO SUPPORT GROWTH IN THE COUNTY.
THAT'S THE ONE EXCEPTION, I BELIEVE.
MR. TIPS, YOU KNOW, AS WE LOOK ACROSS THE VALUED SERVICES WE SEE HERE, TRANSPORTATION IS ONE.
HAVE YOU LOOKED AT THE, I KNOW WE PUT INTO A NEW TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM, I GUESS YOU MIGHT SAY, IN THE LAST FEW YEARS.
I STILL SEE BUSES WITH 5, 6, 7 STUDENTS ON IT.
HOW CAN WE LOOK AT THAT? UH, I, I KNOW THAT THE TRANSPORTATION BUDGET MUST BE PRETTY LARGE, AND I HAVEN'T HAD ANY FIGURES TO KNOW WHAT IT ACTUALLY IS, BUT TO ME, DOWN THE FUTURE, THAT WOULD BE ONE WAY TO CUT SOME OF THE COSTS OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
SO CURRENTLY, UM, FOR OUR GENERAL ED TRANSPORTATION SERVICES, WE EXPEND SOMEWHERE AROUND 31 30 $2 MILLION.
UM, THEN THE BALANCE OF OUR, UM, BUDGET IS FOR OUR SPECIAL ED TRANSPORTATION SERVICES.
SO WHEN YOU START, AND THAT'S BEEN A CONVERSATION WE'VE HAD OVER THE LAST 10 OR 15 YEARS ABOUT, UM, RIDERSHIP.
UH, WE TR WE TRANSPORT, UM, OF OUR 38, 30 9,000 STUDENTS, AROUND 30 OR 32,000 STUDENTS, UM, RIDE OUR BUSES ANNUALLY NOW SEASONALLY, UM, ESPECIALLY IN HIGH SCHOOL, UM, BECAUSE OF THE AFTER SCHOOL, UM, PROGRAMS, YOU MIGHT HAVE STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT, UM, RIDING THE BUSES DURING FOOTBALL SEASON, UM, BECAUSE THEY ARE BEING TRANSPORTED FOR THEIR AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAM.
[02:30:01]
FOOTBALL SEASON IS OVER, THEN THEY'RE BACK ON THE BUSES.SO WE MAINTAIN FOR THOSE STUDENTS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR TRANSPORTATION, UM, A SEAT ON THE BUS, UM, 'CAUSE THEY COME AND GO DEPENDING ON THEIR ACTIVITIES.
UM, AND I WOULD ARGUE THAT, UM, FOR THE MOST PART, UM, WE HAVE ONE OF THE MOST EFFICIENT, UH, TRANSPORTATION PROGRAMS, UM, IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND AND THE, UM, 400 OR SO, UM, BUSES THAT WE USE, UM, FOR GENERAL ED, UM, TRANSPORTATION, UH, THROUGH OUR CONTRACTED, UH, BUS SERVICES, UM, YOU KNOW, PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT WE NEED FOR THOSE STUDENTS THAT ARE ELIGIBLE FOR TRANSPORTATION.
I, I, I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM THERE, AND I APPRECIATE THAT FACT.
BUT WHEN I LOOK OUT MY WINDOW ON A CERTAIN MONDAY MORNING OR TUESDAY MORNING, AND I SEE ONE BUS GOING DOWN THE ROAD AND I SEE THE SECOND BUS COMING DOWN THE ROAD AND I SEE THE THIRD BUS COMING DOWN THE ROAD WITHIN A FIVE MINUTE PERIOD OF TIME, WHY IS THIS HAPPENING? THE, WE HAVE ROUTES, SO THE BUS MIGHT BE COMING DOWN THE ROAD TO PICK UP STUDENTS OR THEY DROPPED OFF STUDENTS.
SO IT JUST DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU ARE ON A PARTICULAR ROUTE OF TIME.
BUT, BUT ONE BUS WILL STOP AND THE NEXT BUS WILL STOP.
WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS WE'RE TRANSFERRING PRECON, I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THE AGE OF THE STUDENTS, BUT SOME KIDS ARE STANDING HERE WAITING FOR THE SECOND BUS, WHILE THE FIRST BUS WENT PAST.
AND, AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT IT DEPENDS ON THE PROGRAMS THAT THEY'RE, UM, ATTENDING.
UM, WE HAVE, UM, BUSES THAT ARE TRANSPORTING, UM, STUDENTS TO THEIR, UM, LOCAL SCHOOL OR TO THEIR MAGNET SCHOOL PROGRAM OUTSIDE OF THEIR ATTENDANCE AREAS.
SO WITHIN, UM, A PARTICULAR, UM, ATTENDANCE AREA, YOU MIGHT HAVE DIFFERENT SERVICE LEVELS.
THEY'RE NOT ALL GOING TO, I'M JUST GONNA SAY C ME, WRIGHT HIGH SCHOOL.
WE COULD BE PICKING UP STUDENTS WHO LIVE IN THE C ME WRIGHT ATTENDANCE AREA AND TRANSPORT THEM TO, YOU KNOW, NORTH HARTFORD OR EDGEWOOD.
SO, BUT COULD WE TRANSPORT THEM TO, UH, SEE MILTON WRIGHT FIRST HAVE A BUS COME TO SEE MILTON WRIGHT THEM UP AND TAKE THEM? SO WE, WE HAVE, UM, WE DO THAT, WE HAVE DEPOTS.
SO FOR ALL OUR MAGNET PROGRAMS, UM, WHAT WE DID, WE TRANSITIONED A, A FEW YEARS AGO TO ALL THE STUDENTS WHO ARE ATTENDING, UM, LET'S JUST SAY THE SCIENCE AND MATH ACADEMY AT ABERDEEN.
IF THEY LIVE IN A C MILTON WRIGHT ATTENDANCE AREA, THEY ALL GO TO C MILTON WRIGHT.
WE TAKE A BUS TO PICK 'EM UP THERE, THEN WE TAKE 'EM TO ABERDEEN.
SO WE HAVE A VERY COMPLEX, UH, TRANSPORTATION PROGRAM SYSTEM.
I KNEW THAT IT'S VERY COMPLEX.
BUT WE DO HAVE THOSE DEPOT STOPS WHERE WE'RE NOT GOING, UM, INTO THE, UH, COMMUNITY TO PICK UP HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS TO TAKE THEM TO THEIR MAGNET PROGRAMS. THEY'RE GOING TO SEE MILTON WRIGHT, THEY'RE GOING TO EDGEWOOD, THEY'RE GOING TO NORTH HARTFORD.
THEN WE HAVE BUSES THAT PICK 'EM UP THERE AND THEN TAKE THEM TO THEIR MAGNET PROGRAMS. SO I'D ADD, I'D ADD TWO THINGS.
ONE, RIDE TIMES ARE PART OF THE CALCULUS ALSO WHEN WE, WE SHOOT FOR 45 MINUTES OR UNDER.
UM, BUT DEPENDING ON WHERE KIDS ARE GOING.
AND SO EVEN, YOU KNOW, DOING THE THING WHERE YOU DROP 'EM OFF AT A DEPOT AND SOMEWHERE ELSE, YOU COULD BE ADDING, YOU KNOW, IT COULD BE HOURS FOR SOME KIDS.
OUR SPECIAL ED BUSES ARE LIKELY TO HAVE FEWER STUDENTS ON THEM BECAUSE THE UNIQUE SERVICES TO THOSE KIDS.
BUT IN TERMS OF, IF YOU WANTED TO BE SORT OF FORWARD LOOKING AROUND THIS, ONE OF THE, ONE OF OUR NEARBY JURISDICTIONS, UH, RECENTLY INVESTED IN A FLEET OF VANS AND SMALLER VEHICLES.
UM, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT THE LAW JUST RECENTLY CHANGED AROUND THAT.
BUT I, I STARTED THAT WITH, THEY INVESTED IN, UM, YOU KNOW, TRANSITIONING TO A WHOLE DIFFERENT FLEET OF VEHICLES THAT OVER TIME COULD BE MORE EFFICIENT, IS SOMETHING WE COULD EXPLORE.
BUT THAT REQUIRES AN INITIAL INVESTMENT.
AND, UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY AT LEAST IN THIS BUDGET SITUATION, NOT IN A PLACE TO, TO MAKE SUCH AN INVESTMENT.
SO IF WE WANTED TO STEP BACK AND THINK ABOUT DOING THAT OVER LONG TERM, THAT'S SOMETHING WE COULD DO ALSO.
MR. SCHERZER MORE OF A STATEMENT, EXCUSE ME.
SORRY, MORE OF A STATEMENT THAN A QUESTION.
I THINK THIS GETS BACK TO A BIGGER ISSUE.
EVERYONE KEEPS REFERENCING, UM, AGAINST RAISING TAXES AND IN A CONSERVATIVE COUNTY.
I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE FOR THE MAJORITY.
HOWEVER, THE IRONY OF WHAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW, WE'RE NOT EVEN INTO A RECESSION YET.
STAGFLATION IS NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN CUT YOUR WAY OR FEE YOUR WAY OUT OF.
AND AS A CONSERVATIVE COUNTY, I FIND IT IRONIC THAT WHENEVER A GROWTH OPPORTUNITY APPEARS, WE ATTACK THAT OPPORTUNITY, UH, OVER THE LAST YEAR, THAT HAS BECOME A VERY DIVISIVE TOPIC, WHICH IS LAND RIGHTS AND LAND USE.
SO WHEN YOU DESTROY LAND AND PROPERTY RIGHTS, YOU CAN'T THEN QUESTION WHY THERE'S NO NEW PROPERTY TAXES, THERE'S NO NEW PAYERS, AND THERE'S NO INCOME INCREASES.
UM, SO IF WE'RE REALLY GONNA HAVE AN HONEST DISCUSSION ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING AS A COUNTY,
[02:35:01]
THAT'S WHERE I WOULD START.AND I WOULD STOP USING TAXES AS A FEAR TACTIC OR SCHOOL BUDGETS OR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE OR OTHER LARGE TICKET ITEMS THAT WILL NOT COST LESS TO NEXT YEAR.
UH, WHETHER WE'RE IN A RECESSION OR NOT, WAGES ARE HERE TO STAY MANDATED.
MINIMUM WAGES IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND ARE NOT GONNA STAY AT 15.
THEY'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO RISE.
UM, SO IF WE DON'T COME UP WITH A LONGER TERM SOLUTION FOR GROWTH, NOT JUST TAXES, UH, WE WILL BE HAVING THESE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS, MR. BENNETT, FOR A LOT LONGER THAN NEXT YEAR.
I'M JUST GONNA PIGGYBACK RIGHT OFF OF THAT BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE MR. CHURCH ARE ON THE SAME PAGE TODAY.
I JUST WANNA THANK, I LISTENED TODAY.
I DIDN'T WANT TO COMMENT AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH EACH ONE, SO I'M GLAD THAT, UH, MARY'S STILL HERE.
UM, AND THANK YOU TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AS WELL.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE IN HERE TALKING ABOUT, A FLAT FUNDED BUDGET THAT MAKES, IT WAS MORE THAN AN HOUR OF TALKING ABOUT NO MONEY INCREASES, WHICH IS, THAT'S SAD TO BEGIN WITH, BUT THIS BUDGET HAS INCREASES ALL THROUGH IT, JUST NOT HERE, NOT ANYWHERE YOU SEE A FUND BALANCE.
AND THAT IS BECAUSE THEY WANT YOU TO SPEND YOUR FUND BALANCE.
THAT'S, NO, NOBODY CAN TELL ME THAT THAT'S NOT THE CASE.
SO WHEN WE DO SPEND THE FUND BALANCE, I GOING BACK TO WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT AN HOUR AGO, YES, YOU'LL HAVE THIS ADVISOR HERE AND PROBABLY OTHER ADVISORS THAT WILL SAY, YEP, WHEN YOU KEEP A BUDGET THAT YOU WERE TRYING TO SHORT BY, I THINK 30 MILLION LAST YEAR BEFORE WE GOT 10 BACK, MAYBE SOMEWHERE AROUND THE NAME.
STILL SHORT FROM THE YEAR OVER.
WE, WE WERE OKAY WITH KIND OF COMING BACK TOWARDS SOMEWHERE THE NORMAL FOR THAT YEAR.
AND THEN WE SEE THE FIRST, THE 5% COMMENT.
WE KNEW THAT WAS GONNA BE CONFRONTATIONAL, BUT THEN WE DID BE FLAT.
IS, UM, A SITUATION THAT FOR SOMEBODY THAT HAS BEEN AROUND THIS FOR 10 YEARS NOW, CANNOT UNDERSTAND, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU SEE OTHER COUNTIES GIVING INCREASES AND WE'RE SAYING, OH, IT'S DOWN.
REVENUES ARE DOWN ACROSS THE STATE.
I'VE WORKED WITH OTHER COUNTIES.
I'VE NOT SEEN, UH, TO WHERE THE SKY'S FALLING.
WE'VE SAID WE HAVE TWO CONSECUTIVE QUARTERS WHERE IT HASN'T COME IN AT A PROJECTION.
SO WE'RE, I'M NOT READY TO TAKE A VICTORY LAP WITH THE SPENDING AFFORDABILITY, UH, GROUP UNTIL WE GET THE AUDIT DONE IN AUGUST.
SO WE'LL, WE'LL CHAT ON THAT IN AUGUST WHEN WE SEE WHAT THE ACTUAL WILL BE.
'CAUSE I KNOW THE ONE THING WE LEAVE OUT OF THAT CONVERSATION EVERY TIME IS PROPERTY TAXES.
SO I BROUGHT THAT UP THE OTHER DAY, AND THAT'S A SITUATION WHERE WE'RE IN, SO THIS MONEY, THIS INCREASE IS GOING SOMEWHERE.
WE CAN HAVE THE CONVERSATION OF WHERE IT'S GOING, BUT WHEN THE FUND BALANCE IS DOWN AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE TO SAY EXACTLY WHAT MR. CHURCH JUST SAID, WE'RE NOT GONNA RAISE TAXES IN THIS CONSERVATIVE COUNTY, WELL THEN WE HAVE TO GET A LOT MORE CREATIVE WITH OUR REVENUE.
AND, AND EVERY TIME THAT QUESTION'S BEEN ASKED BY MR, UH, COUNCILMAN PENMAN OR ANYBODY ELSE, THERE HAS NOT BEEN AN ANSWER.
THERE'S BEEN NO ANSWER FROM ANYBODY THAT SAID, THIS IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO TO RAISE REVENUE.
SO AS A CITIZEN BUDGET ADVISOR, WHICH IS THE SIT THE SEAT THAT I'M IN, IS, UM, SOMEBODY BETTER FIND THAT ANSWER BECAUSE THEY'RE ASKING FOR IT.
EVERY OTHER DEPARTMENT THAT HAS SOME SORT OF FUND BALANCE OR UNION, LET'S JUST SAY UNION, THAT THEY HAVE TO ANSWER TO, JUST LIKE YOU DO, ARE GONNA ASK THAT SAME QUESTION.
SO I'M NOT SITTING HERE TO SAY, LET'S HAVE THE CONVERSATION TODAY, BUT WE GOTTA START HAVING IT AT SOME POINT IN TIME, BECAUSE IF YOU REALLY BELIEVE REVENUE PROJECTIONS ARE GONNA GO UP NEXT YEAR, AND THAT'S WHAT WE JUST SAID, YOU KNOW, WE HOPE THEY GO UP NEXT.
WHAT, WHAT IS GONNA CAUSE THE DIFFERENCE FROM THIS YEAR TO NEXT YEAR TO MAKE YOU THINK THAT THAT REVENUE'S GONNA GO UP? SO I'M GONNA LEAVE IT AT THAT, EXCEPT FOR THE FACT THAT I THINK THAT, UM, THE COMMUNICATION THAT WE'RE SEEING THIS YEAR IS, UM, IT'S A SHAME.
I I DON'T THINK THAT ANYONE IS TALKING, I THINK COUNCILMAN BENNETT BROUGHT IT UP A FEW TIMES.
NONE OF US THAT PAY TAXES IN THIS COUNTY ARE ASKING FOR YOU GUYS NOT TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT COMMUNICATION STARTS.
TO ME, IT STARTS WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, BUT I'M NOT GONNA SIT HERE AND SAY THAT'S THE, YOU KNOW, IS THERE WAYS TO CUT BUDGETS? I THINK EVERYBODY WOULD SAY, YEAH, WE'RE DOING THAT.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I KNOW, AND I'VE WORKED WITH THE BOTH OF YOU FOR A LONG, LONG TIME.
BOLSON ON A HUNDRED PERCENT IS REVENUE ISN'T A HUNDRED PERCENT HIS PROBLEM, IT'S OURS, THIS SIDE.
SO TO LEAVE IT THERE, I, I THINK THAT THE COMMUNICATION'S BEING HEARD, AND I WANT IT TO BE HEARD ALL OVER WHOEVER WANTS TO LISTEN TO THESE HEARINGS AT THE END OF THE DAY.
BUT THE REAL PROBLEM IS, IS THAT THIS BUDGET'S GONNA GO THROUGH AND WE'RE GONNA GO SOMEWHERE WITH THIS BUDGET IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS.
BUT THE CONVERSATION FOR NEXT YEAR SHOULD HAVE STARTED PROBABLY SIX MONTHS AGO.
ANYONE ELSE? SEEING NO ONE ELSE? UM, I JUST WANNA MAKE, UH, JUST NOTE OF THE, UM, I THINK THE GOOD WORK THAT MR. BROWN DOES, UH, DURING THE A PFO MEETINGS THAT WE HAVE KEEPS US ABREAST OF WHAT'S GOING ON.
YOU TALKED ABOUT LAND BANKING, WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT FOR QUITE SOME TIME.
UH, MR. RILEY BROUGHT UP IMPACT FEES.
UM, MR. UM, SANDLES HAS DONE A, A GREAT JOB IN PUTTING TOGETHER AN IMPACT FEE STUDY PROGRAM WORKING WITH TISHLER BUYS.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, UH, WE'VE GOT PEOPLE WANTING TO DO ABOUT
[02:40:01]
A PFO NUMBERS.UH, WE'RE WAITING FOR A PROPOSAL RIGHT NOW FROM SMITH AND I CAN'T REMEMBER THE SECOND NAME, BUT, UM, SO HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE THAT TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT TO COUNCIL, UH, MOVING FORWARD.
SO WE ARE TAKING STEPS AND STRIDES TO TRY TO LOOK AT OUR CAPACITY ISSUES.
AND, UH, AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
UH, THANK, UH, THE MAJOR PART OF THE SCHOOL BOARD BEING HERE TODAY.
UM, THANK ALL OF YOU BEING IN HERE THIS AFTERNOON, AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO MANY CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN NOW AND THE DAY THIS BUDGET'S PASSED.
UH, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND RECESS NOW AND THEN COME BACK, UM, AT TWO O'CLOCK.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START OUR AFTERNOON SESSION OF THE WORK SESSION.
UM, PLEASED TO WELCOME MR. TRUITT AND MR. BOLEY FROM, UH, DI GOOD AFTERNOON.
AFTERNOON AND WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.
OKAY, WE'RE GONNA START ON PAGE 360 6.
THIS IS THE DIRECTOR OF DI'S, UM, ACCOUNT CALL CENTER.
THE DIRECTOR OF DI'S ACCOUNT INCREASES 2 58 5 75.
IT'S THE RESULT OF MAINLY PERSONAL SERVICES OF 226,856.
WE HAD TWO TRANSFERS OF POSITIONS THAT CAME INTO THIS DIVISION.
ONE WAS WITHIN, UM, THE DEPARTMENT OF DLP, AND THE OTHER ONE CAME FROM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
UM, THE FISCAL YEAR 24 COLAS INCLUDED AT 16 789 AND THE 25 COLA AND $1,000.
UM, MERIT FOR ALL EMPLOYEES IS 17 740.
THE COST OF THE TRANSFER OF THE PENS COMING IN IS 2 48, 5 59.
AND THEN THERE WERE ADJUSTMENTS, UM, FOR PENSION WORKERS' COMP AND SO FORTH.
UM, BASED ON ACTUALS OVER TIME, WE DID INCREASE AT $2,700.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S BASED ON ACTUALS.
CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASES 1,500 AND THIS IS TO PROVIDE FOR THREE NEW IPADS.
SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS DECREASES 300 TO $300, AND THAT'S, UM, JUST BASED ON ACTUALS FOR UNIFORM AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT.
BUSINESS AND TRAVEL INCREASES 28,120.
UM, WE HAD INCREASED FUNDING FOR, UH, VEHICLE MAINTENANCE, FUEL, MEALS, AND LODGING, AS WELL AS SOME TRAINING SEMINARS AND COURSES.
AND THIS IS FOR RE-CERTIFICATION AT 3,700.
MISCELLANEOUS INCREASES 2,400, AND THIS IS TO PROVIDE STIPENDS TO THE TOWING BOARD AND BOARD OF APPEALS.
ON PAGE 360 8, YOU'LL SEE THE START OF BUILDING SERVICES.
IT INCREASES 1 49 6 24, TURN THE PAGE AND YOU'LL SEE THAT THAT'S MAINLY PERSONAL SERVICES, AGAIN AT 1 42 34.
THE COLA AT 22, EXCUSE ME, 24 22 1 69.
THIS IS WHERE, UM, TRANSFER OF AN INSPECTOR ONE, UM, CAME INTO THIS DIVISION AT 83, 2 31, AND THAT CAME FROM HOUSING.
UM, AND THEN THERE WERE ADJUSTMENTS TO PENSION, WORKERS' COMP AND HEALTH BENEFITS BASED ON ACTUALS.
AND THEN OVERTIME HERE INCREASES $4,000.
CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASES 3,750.
AND THIS IS FOR GPS MONITORING.
FOR ALL THE, ALL THE VEHICLES UNDER THIS DIVISION.
SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS INCREASES 4,200 AND THAT'S FOR SAFETY EQUIPMENT.
AND THEN BUSINESS AND TRAVEL INCREASES $1,440.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS FOR CERTIFICATIONS AND DLLR, REG REGISTRATION RENEWALS FOR STAFF.
AND AGAIN, MOST OF THAT'S IN PERSONAL SERVICES.
THERE'S A NET INCREASE THERE, 46 1 61.
THE 24 FY 24 COLA IS $16,074 AND THE 25 COLA AND $1,000 MERIT IS 14 871.
WE DID INCREASE TEMPORARY SALARIES BY 5,600.
AND THIS IS FOR CONTRACTUAL SUPPORT TO SUPPLEMENT INSPECTION BASED ON STAFFING AND WORKLOAD AS NEEDED.
ALSO, OVERTIME WAS INCREASED $2,800 AS WELL AS ADJUSTMENTS FOR PENSION, WORKERS' COMP AND SO FORTH.
BASED ON ACTUALS, CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASES $1,500.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS FOR THE GPS MONITORING OF THE VEHICLES WITHIN THAT DIVISION.
SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS, A THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR SAFETY EQUIPMENT, BUSINESS AND TRAVEL.
AGAIN, THIS IS FOR TRAINING AND SEMINARS FOR RECERTIFICATION AND DLLR REGISTRATION AND RENEWAL.
[02:45:02]
INCREASES $560 AND THIS IS FOR, UM, THE BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS FOR MONTHLY MEETINGS.IF YOU TURN TO PAGE 3 74, THIS IS ELECTRICAL SERVICES.
THERE'S AN INCREASE THERE OF 83,458.
UM, NO, SORRY, THAT'S NOT AN INCREASE, THAT'S A DECREASE.
IF YOU TURN THE PAGE ON 3 75, YOU'LL SEE THE PERSONAL SERVICES DECREASES 89 0 58.
AND THIS IS THE, UM, POSITION THAT WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE DIRECTOR OF GIL.
SO YOU'LL SEE A REDUCTION THERE OF 95 TO FOUR 12 OFFSET BY INCREASES FOR THE 24 COLA OF 14,552 AND THE FISCAL YEAR 25 COLA OF THE 1% AND 1000 AT 12,758.
WE ALSO INCREASED, UM, CONTRACTUAL SUPPORT THERE FOR $5,600.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S ON WORK BASED ON WORKLOAD AND STAFFING.
AND THEN OVERTIME WAS INCREASED 2,700 CONTRACTUAL SERVICES AGAIN FOR THIS DIVISION.
UM, FOR THE VEHICLES THERE, UH, AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE SAFETY EQUIPMENT FOR THAT DIVISION OF $1,000 INCREASE.
AND THEN BUSINESS AND TRAVEL INCREASES 2100.
UM, THE INCREASE OF $1,200 FOR DIGITAL ONLINE ACCESS TO NFPA CODES.
AND THEN, UM, $900 FOR RE-CERTIFICATION AND DLLR REGISTRATION FOR EMPLOYEES.
AND THEN BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, AGAIN, INCREASE $560.
GOOD AFTERNOON AGAIN, MR. FOLEY.
I ARE PLEASED TO BE HERE IN FRONT OF YOU.
UM, BASICALLY MS. KI WHAT MS. KIM SPENCE, WHILE WHENEVER'S BUDGET MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT AND INSPECTORS ARE BEING TRANSFERRED INTO THE DEPARTMENT FROM OTHER AGENCIES.
AND THEY'RE GONNA HELP SUPPLEMENT, UH, THE DEPARTMENT'S EFFORTS.
UH, THE MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT POSITION WILL BE WORKING WITH THE BUSINESS LIAISON BUSINESS NAVIGATOR AS ESTABLISHED BY THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, AND THEN ALSO WORK WITH OUR STAFF ALONG WITH ALLIED AGENCIES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE EFFICIENCIES IN GETTING PERMITS ISSUED, ADDRESSING CLIENT'S CONCERNS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
UH, THE LIVABILITY INSPECTION OR THE INSPECTOR WILL BE BROUGHT OVER TO HELP WITH ENFORCEMENT OF LABILITY CODE.
THAT LEGISLATION WILL BE BEFORE YOU VERY SHORTLY.
IT'S THE INTENT OF THE ADMINISTRATION TO MOVE ENFORCEMENT OF CHAPTER 1 62 UNDERNEATH THE DEPARTMENT OF INSPECTIONS.
AGAIN, AS MS. SPENCE SAID, WE HAVE INVESTMENTS IN TRAINING AND EDUCATION AND WORKFORCE STABILITY AND FUNDING FOR CON CONTRACTUAL EMPLOYEES SO THAT WE CAN ASSURE THAT INSPECTIONS ARE BEING FORMED WHEN WE DON'T HAVE SUFFICIENT STAFFING LEVELS.
OVER THE YEAR PERMITS, UH, BASICALLY WE'VE HAD ABOUT A 3.7% INCREASE IN PERMITS.
HOWEVER, THAT IS REALLY REFLECTIVE IN, UH, RESIDENTIAL COMMERCIAL ACCESSORY ADDITIONS AND ALTERATIONS.
WHAT THAT MEANS IS WE'RE NOT SEEING THE NEW CONSTRUCTION.
UH, I THINK YOU HEARD, YOU KNOW, SOME COMMENTS TO THAT WITH SPENDING AFFORDABILITY THIS MORNING.
UH, WE'RE SEEING INVESTMENTS IN, IN SMALLER PROJECTS, UM, REINVESTING IN EXISTING STRUCTURES.
UM, ALL FOR ALL COMMERCIAL PERMITS HAVE DECREASED ABOUT 22% FROM THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
THIS TIME AND RESIDENTIAL PERMITS, WE'VE SEEN ABOUT A 6.33% INCREASE.
HOWEVER, ONE IN TWO FAMILY DWELLINGS, THERE'S BEEN ALMOST A 15% DECREASE IN THOSE PERMIT TYPES.
WE ARE FOCUSED ON TRAINING AND EDUCATION CODES THAT ARE ENFORCED, CONTINUE TO BE MORE COMPLICATED AND WITH MORE PROVISIONS BEING, UH, PASSED ON TO LOCAL JURISDICTIONS, NOT ONLY FROM THE STATE, BUT THROUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, ESPECIALLY WITH DOE FUNDING FOR THE ENERGY CODE THAT IS ENFOR, UH, REQUIRING ENFORCEMENT BY LOCAL JURISDICTIONS IN ORDER TO GET THAT FUNDING.
THAT'S, UH, THE STATE IS GOING FOR.
LAST THURSDAY, THE DEPARTMENT, UH, HELD A TRAINING OPPORTUNITY, UH, FOR OUR NEW CODES THAT BECOME EFFECTIVE MAY 29TH.
WE HAD OVER 300 INDIVIDUALS ON A VIRTUAL TRAINING, UH, CONTRACT CONTRACTORS, BUILDERS, OTHER LOCAL JURISDICTIONS.
WE HAD FIVE STATES ACTUALLY REPRESENTED AS FAR AS WAYS, CALIFORNIA ON THAT TRAINING.
WE DO HAVE SUCCESSION PLANNING.
MR BALLING AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING ON SUCCESSION PLANNING WITH THE TWO RETIREES IN THE DEPARTMENT, THE CHIEF ELECTRICAL INSPECTIONS AND BUILDING INSPECTOR THREE.
THERE ARE TWO VERY KEY POSITIONS THAT, UH, WE ARE WORKING TO, UH, FA PLAN TO ACTUALLY FILL THOSE POSITIONS ONCE, UH, JULY 1ST HITS.
WE CONTINUE TO UTILIZE ENTER GOV TO LEVERAGE ITS, UH, TECHNOLOGY TO INCREASE EFFICIENCIES.
DEPARTMENT OVER THE PAST YEAR HAS WORKED WITH I-C-T-I-C-T, WHICH IS A, YOU KNOW, AN IMPERATIVE DEPARTMENT AND AGENCY FOR US TO BE ABLE TO WORK AS EFFICIENTLY AS WE DO TO WORK ON HEALTH DEPARTMENT TECHNOLOGY UPGRADES.
WE'VE BEEN SPEARHEADING THAT WITH ICT AND TO CONTINUE TO IMPLEMENT ONLINE CAPABILITIES.
SO FAR THIS YEAR, IT'S, UH, THE INTERACTION BETWEEN STATE, COUNTY AND MUNICIPALITY AND ALLIED AGENCIES, UH, THROUGH THE PERMITTING PROCESS IS ABOUT AS BEST AS I HAVE SEEN IN MY 30 YEAR CAREER.
SO WE'RE REALLY WORKING EFFICIENTLY TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR CUSTOMER BASES ARE
[02:50:01]
ADDRESSED AT THIS TIME.I WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF OUR BUDGET AND WILLING TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
I APPRECIATE, UM, ALL THAT YOU, AND, AND, UH, ALL OF EVERYONE IN YOUR DEPARTMENT DOES, UH, YOU MENTIONED WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
UM, I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT, UH, YOU'RE WILLING TO PICK THE PHONE UP AND WALK US THROUGH LEGISLATION AS IT'S BEING PROPOSED AND BEING DEVELOPED AS A PART, AS OPPOSED TO BRINGING IT AT THE END.
SO, UM, ALLOWS US TO BE A PART OF IT AS WE'RE MOVING FORWARD.
AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT, UM, TO KEEP THAT, UH, WORKING RELATIONSHIP.
I WANNA THANK YOU FOR THAT, UH, COUNSEL.
SO RACHEL, I WANT TO THANK YOU AS WELL.
UM, YOU'VE BEEN A GREAT ASSET.
UM, BOTH YOU AND IT, BOTH OF YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN, BEEN EXCELLENT.
PICK UP THE PHONE, UM, HAVE ISSUES.
I KNOW YOU SHOWED UP AT A HEARING I HAD TOO, AND I, I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE SEEN A LOT OF UNLICENSED CONTRACTORS AND TRYING TO, UH, TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE, MAKE THAT BETTER.
AND I KNOW YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT ENFORCEMENT, YOU, WHAT WAS THAT SECTION? SOMETHING ABOUT CHAPTER 1 62, WHICH IS LIVABILITY CODE FOR THE COUNTY SO THAT ENFORCEMENT WILL COME UNDER.
SO IT'S, IT'S RENTAL HOUSING, A MINIMUM STANDARD FOR RENTAL HOUSING IN THE COUNTY, WHICH IS MANDATED BY THE STATE.
SO THAT ENFORCEMENT WILL COME UNDERNEATH THE DEPARTMENT ONCE WE GET THE LEGISLATION.
AND I KNOW THE ENFORCEMENT ALSO OF THE, OF THE FIRE LANES THAT WE JUST APPROVED IS GONNA COME ON UNDER YOU GUYS, WHICH CORRECT.
WHICH I WAS ADAMANT ABOUT, BUT COULDN'T DO ANYTHING, UH, PRIOR BECAUSE THE WAY IT WAS SET UP WITH THE FIRE MARSHALS BEING THE ONES TO APPROVE THE FIRE LANE.
SO I'M, I'M GLAD WE, I I, I SINCERELY APPRECIATE THAT, UM, LEGISLATION THAT YOU WORKED ON AND PUT THROUGH.
I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT AND I'M A HUNDRED PERCENT BEHIND THAT.
SO I, UM, THAT WAS, THAT WAS GREAT.
AND YOUR KNOWLEDGE JUST, YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, UH, YOU KNOW, I, I LISTENED TO YOU.
I ABSORB JUST LITTLE, LITTLE BITS AND PIECES, BUT I CERTAINLY DO APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, I HEAR MOSTLY 90% GOOD ABOUT, UM, PERMITS, UM, BETWEEN US AND SOME OTHER COUNTIES ABOUT GETTING THE PERMITS DONE.
AND I AS WELL, APPRECIATE YOU GUYS WORKING WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
UM, UH, APPARENTLY I'M INVOLVED IN A, A LOT OF RESTAURANTS AND TRYING TO GET THEM OPEN AND THERE'S ALWAYS, THERE'S ALWAYS SOME KIND OF, SOME KIND OF ISSUE.
SO, UH, I, I COULDN'T BE HAPPIER AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SO, UH, I, I DO JUST WANNA LET YOU KNOW, I I APPRECIATE THAT EVERYTHING.
MR. TRUITT, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO, UH, GREAT RESOURCE.
UH, TO ME WHEN I HAVE QUESTIONS, IT'S VERY TECHNICAL STUFF.
UM, SO TO BE, TO HAVE YOU TO LEAN ON IS, UH, IS REALLY, REALLY HELPFUL.
UM, I DID HAVE, UH, SOME CONCERNS ABOUT THE DROP IN, UH, REQUEST 22% IN COMMERCIAL AND 15% IN RESIDENTIAL.
DID I HEAR THOSE NUMBERS RIGHT? YEAH, THOSE PERMITS, THEY'RE ACTUAL PERMIT NUMBERS FROM THIS TIME LAST YEAR? YEAH.
UM, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU KIND OF THINK THE REASON IS THAT, THAT THERE'S A DROP IN IT? UH, I THINK YOU'VE HEARD A LOT OF IT SO FAR.
ONE, IT'S THE ECONOMY, UM, INTEREST RATES BEING HIGHER.
UH, DEVELOPABLE LAND IS, YOU KNOW, IT, THE DEVELOPMENT ENVELOPES SHRINKING UP.
SO WE'RE GONNA START TO TRANSFORM INTO NOT AS MUCH NEW CONSTRUCTION, BUT RECONSTRUCTION, UM, AND REDEVELOPMENT OF, AND REVITALIZATION OF AREAS.
THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA START TO SEE THOSE PERMITS COME IN.
SO I THINK WE'RE IN THAT TRANSITION PERIOD RIGHT NOW.
UH, I THINK WE'RE JUST KIND OF HITTING A, A, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE THINGS THAT ARE NOT FAVORABLE TO THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, WITH INTEREST RATES WHERE WE ARE DEVELOPMENTAL WISE IN THE COUNTY.
AND AS WE TRANSITION THROUGH THAT, THEN I THINK YOU'RE GONNA SEE THOSE NUMBERS GO, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY LEVEL OFF, UH, AT BEST AND, AND LOOK MORE TOWARDS THE ADDITIONS, THE ALTERATIONS, TENANT OCCUPANCY TYPE STUFF TO REVITALIZE THOSE ALREADY EXISTING AREAS.
REVITALIZATION IS, IS, UH, SUPER IMPORTANT.
UM, YOU KNOW, AS WE, AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THOSE NUMBERS ARE GONNA HAVE AN IMPACT ON OUR BOTTOM LINE FOR OUR COUNTY.
SO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT A WAY, UM, TO MAKE SURE WE GAIN THAT REVENUE.
UM, AND THEN ALSO, UM, KIND OF, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB AS FAR AS LEGISLATIVE, UH, COUNCILMAN GEO AND ANO MENTIONED ABOUT THE, THE, UH, FIRE LANES AND THEN ALL THE OTHER LEGISLATION THAT YOU'VE, UH, INTRODUCED AND WELL INTRODUCED GOING FORWARD.
I KNOW YOU GUYS PUT A LOT OF WORK IN THAT.
UM, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE THERE, THERE ARE TWO MORE POSITIONS HERE ON YOUR STAFF, UM, TO LOOKS LIKE $248,000 FOR THEM.
UH, CAN YOU WALK ME THROUGH, I KNOW YOU MENTIONED IT BRIEFLY, KIND OF THE NEED FOR THOSE POSITIONS.
UH, COULD YOU TELL ME WHO IS IN THOSE POSITIONS AND, AND JUST KIND OF RE-EXPLAIN THE PURPOSE OF THEM.
[02:55:01]
THE ONE POSITION MANAGEMENT ASSISTANT IS, UH, MR. KRT.HE WAS ALREADY TRANSFERRED, UH, TO THE DEPARTMENT FROM OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND HE, HE SERVES AS THE BUSINESS NAVIGATOR, UM, POSITION THAT THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE ESTABLISHED.
SO HE IS WORKING WITH LOCAL BUSINESSES, TOUCH POINTS WITH THEM TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE GETTING THROUGH THE PERMIT PROCESS, IF THERE'S ANY HOLDUPS HANGUPS THAT MAY BE OCCURRING.
AND IT WAS A MORE LOGICAL PLACEMENT FOR HIM TO BE IN THE, IN OUR DEPARTMENT, BECAUSE HE NOW HAS ACCESS TO ALL OF OUR INFORMATION.
UH, A LOT OF INFORMATION IS FUNNELED RIGHT THROUGH DI SO HE'S GONNA BE A FRONT POINT FOR THAT.
SO, MR. BOLEY AND I ARE LOOKING AT HOW TO BEST UTILIZE HIM MOVING FORWARD, UH, WITH THIS BUSINESS NAVIGATOR POSITION.
HE'S GONNA BE LOOKING AT, UH, PUBLIC EVENTS, AND HE IS ALSO GONNA BE LOOKING AT STATISTICS FOR US, UNDERSTANDING, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE CHOKE POINTS IN THE PERMITTING PROCESS ARE, LOOKING AT THAT, UH, PROJECT MANAGEMENT TYPE, UH, WORK TO BE ABLE TO HELP US REFINE OUR PERMITTING SYSTEM AND MAKE IMPROVEMENTS.
SO, MR. CROWDER IS, UH, GONNA BE A GREAT RESOURCE TO YOU.
UM, I JUST, WHAT, WHAT IS HIS BACKGROUND IN DEPA? UH, INSPECTIONS, LICENSE AND PERMITS.
I KNOW HE WAS A LIAISON FOR BUSINESSES IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
I'M JUST KIND OF, KIND OF GO WHERE I'M, YOU KNOW, UH, KIND OF LUD WHERE I'M GOING TO.
I THINK ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS SUPER IMPORTANT DIVISION WITHIN HARTFORD COUNTY, AND I THINK IT SHOULD BE AN, UH, SOMETHING THAT'S, UH, INVESTED IN, UH, AND TO BE TRANSFERRING OUT WHILE IT PROVIDES A GREAT SERVICE TO YOUR DEPARTMENT.
WELL, I MEAN, WHEN WE WERE ASKED ABOUT, UH, LOOKING AT THAT POSITION COMING INTO DE I THOUGHT IT WAS A GREAT RESOURCE FOR THE DEPARTMENT AND STILL LOOKING AT IT AS AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, UH, ASSISTANCE.
YOU KNOW, IN YEARS PAST, OVER MY TENURE WITH THE COUNTY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE SEEN IS, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOUGH THAT INDIVIDUAL'S POTENTIALLY WORKING IN OFFICE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THERE IS STILL A DISCONNECT BETWEEN THE OTHER AGENCIES.
DI SEEMS TO BE LIKE A HUB FOR, YOU KNOW, ALL THE AGENCIES TO COME WORK TOGETHER, HEALTH DEPARTMENT, DPW PLANNING AND ZONING, EVERYTHING KIND OF CIRCLES AROUND AND EVOLVES AROUND THE BUILDING PERMIT PROCESS, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, THROUGH THE PERMITTING AND LAND DEVELOPMENT PRIOR TO THAT, OR EVEN TO GET TO A CERTIFICATE OF OCCUPANCY.
SO, MR. KRT, HAVING THAT FIRSTHAND KNOWLEDGE IN OUR DEPARTMENT, HAVING RESOURCES OF STAFF THAT'S IN THE DEPARTMENT, TO BE ABLE TO ANSWER THOSE QUESTIONS AND NAVIGATE HIM TO THE CORRECT ANSWERS, I THINK IS GONNA BE A TREMENDOUS ASSET TO THE COUNTY.
AND THEN THE OTHER POSITION WAS THERE ONE OTHER, THE OTHER POSITION COMES FROM COMMUNITY SERVICES THAT'S CURRENTLY FILLED, AND THAT POSITION IS CURRENTLY ENFORCING CHAPTER 1 62, THE LIVABILITY CODE.
SO IT'S JUST A TRANSFER OVER TO DI UH, TO PUT ENFORCEMENT UNDERNEATH OUR DEPARTMENT.
UH, AND, AND THAT AGAIN, ALIGNS MORE WITH THE, THE, THE NATURE OF THE DEPARTMENT.
YOU KNOW, WE DO ENFORCEMENT OF THE BUILDING CODE.
THIS IS GONNA BE VERY SIMILAR.
UM, SO WE HAVE THE RESOURCES, WE HAVE THE TECHNICAL, UH, EXPERTISE, YOU KNOW, WITH OUR, UH, PERMITTING SYSTEM AND ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM TO BE ABLE TO FOLD THIS IN AS WELL AND TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THOSE OPTIONS.
AND WHAT'S THE NAME OF THAT PERSON? IT'S A VA.
SO AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE'VE ALREADY SPOKEN TO, UM, HUMAN RESOURCES THAT WILL BE, PERSON WILL BE HIRED AS A BUILDING INSPECTOR, BUT THE CHALLENGE, THE CHANGES ARE GONNA OCCUR THAT WE ARE GONNA REQUIRE THEM ALL NEW BUILDING INSPECTORS HAVE INTERNATIONAL PROPERTY MAINTENANCE CODE CERTIFICATION, WHICH IS THE CODE THAT THE LIVABILITY CODE WILL EVENTUALLY BE BASED UPON.
UM, BUT, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME.
I'M VERY EXCITED FOR THE LIVABILITY CODE.
I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT WITH JUST, I HAVE TENANTS WHO REACH OUT WHO ARE IN NIGHTMARE SCENARIOS AND SITUATIONS, UH, BAD RENTAL SITUATIONS.
AND I'M GLAD THAT WE'RE STRENGTHENING OUR ENFORCEMENT OF MAKING SURE EVERYBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO LIVE IN A QUALITY SPACE.
UM, COULD YOU TALK TO ME ABOUT, IT SEEMS LIKE THE, UM, UH, SORRY, I JUST LOST IT.
THERE'S THREE POSITIONS THAT ARE, UH, BEING ADDED.
THREE POSITIONS THAT ARE BEING ADDED.
BUT THE DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF DILP IS GOING FROM TWO TO ONE IN THE BUDGET, UH, WHERE LAST YEAR IN FY 24, WE HAD BUDGETED FOR TWO DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF DILP.
AND THIS YEAR IT'S AT ONE, UH, WHAT PAGE ARE YOU ON, ON PAGE SIX? UH, 360 7.
I WAS JUST TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHY THAT POSITION WAS GOING FROM TWO TO ONE.
IS IT JUST A RECLASSIFICATION OF A JOB? UH, COUNCILMAN BENNETT, UM, I, I BELIEVE WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT IS A CUSTOMER SUPPORT ANALYST TWO, THE LINE RIGHT ABOVE IT, DEPUTY DIRECTOR'S STILL ALWAYS BEEN HIS ONE.
AND MAYBE IT'S A MISTAKE IN, UH, IN MY BUDGET SHEET, BUT I SEE MINISTRY OF SECRETARY THREE, THAT'S ONE POSITION.
[03:00:01]
CUSTOMER SUPPORT ANALYST ONE THAT WENT FROM ZERO TO ONE, AND THEN, UH, OH, YOU'RE