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WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, SIR. CHAIR CALLS TO ORDER. FISCAL YEAR 25 BUDGET. PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR RESOLUTION 008 25. ADOPTION OF PROPERTY TAX RATE. RESOLUTION 009 DASH 25. FISCAL YEAR 26.
CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM BILL 20 5-005. ANNUAL BUDGET APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE. GOOD EVENING. THE SOLE PURPOSE OF THIS PUBLIC HEARING IS TO HEAR COMMENTS CONCERNING BILL NUMBER 25, DASH 20 OR 0 ZERO FIVE, WHICH IS THE PROPOSED ANNUAL BUDGET APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE FOR HARFORD COUNTY FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2026, AND ALSO RESOLUTION 008 25, WHICH PROPOSES TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENT TAX RATE AND RESOLUTION 009 25, WHICH IS THE CAPITAL PROGRAM FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2026 THROUGH JUNE 30TH, 2031. THE COUNCIL ALSO ACCEPTS AND WILL CONSIDER WRITTEN TESTIMONY SUBMITTED IN ADDITION TO OR IN
[2. PUBLIC HEARING COMMENTS]
LIEU OF VERBAL TESTIMONY. WE ARE NOW READY TO HEAR FROM THE FIRST SPEAKER. MISS DIXON, DO WE HAVE ANYONE SIGNED UP? YES, MR. PRESIDENT, WE HAVE SIX THIS EVENING. I WOULD REMIND EACH OF THE SPEAKERS THAT YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES. AND GO AHEAD AND CALL YOUR FIRST SPEAKER. PAM KABOT, FOLLOWED BY WENDY MCPHERSON. YOU GUYS ARE GOOD. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE.PAMELA COBO, 2007 GREENWOOD DRIVE, BEL AIR, MARYLAND, TWO 1015. WHENEVER YOU'RE READY, MA'AM. ALL RIGHT. JUST WANT TO VERIFY. I'M HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE BUDGET ALLOCATION FOR THE HUMANE SOCIETY. I DIDN'T HEAR THAT SPECIFICALLY. IT'S PART OF THE BUDGET, MA'AM. OKAY. VERY GOOD. I'VE BEEN A HARFORD COUNTY RESIDENT SINCE 1974. PROPERTY OWNER SINCE 1978. I WAS A SHELTER VOLUNTEER FROM 2016 TO 2023, AND A DOG LOVER SINCE BIRTH. SO I'M HERE BECAUSE THE HUMANE SOCIETY BUDGET IS PART OF WHAT WE'RE DISCUSSING TODAY. MY MAIN ISSUES ARE THAT FUNDS SHOULD BE APPROVED CONTINGENT OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT OVERSIGHT. NEITHER SHELTER MANAGEMENT NOR THE SHELTER'S BOARD SHOULD PROVIDE THIS OVERSIGHT. THERE NEEDS TO BE SOMEBODY AWAY FROM THERE LOOKING AT WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE MONEY. THE SECOND THING I WANT TO TALK ABOUT IS THAT CONTINGENT ON FUNDING SHOULD BE A REVIEW OF HOW VOLUNTEERS HAVE BEEN TREATED AT THE SHELTER. AND SO MY WHOLE PURPOSE HERE IS THAT IF YOU WANT TO, IF YOU WANT TO HAVE THE MONEY FROM THE COUNTY TAXPAYERS, THEN YOU NEED TO TREAT THE COUNTY CITIZENS WHO ARE VOLUNTEERING THERE DECENTLY, WHICH IS NOT GOING ON. THERE HAVE BEEN FOUR VALUABLE LONGTIME VOLUNTEERS WHO DONATED THOUSANDS OF HOURS CARING FOR SHELTER DOGS. THEY'VE BEEN TERMINATED, BASICALLY BECAUSE THEY SPOKE UP REGARDING THE CARE OF SHELTER DOGS. THESE TERMINATIONS HAVE IMPACTED THE CARE SHELTER DOGS SPECIFICALLY. THE DOGS ARE NOT GETTING OUT OF THEIR KENNELS FOR WALKS AND MUCH NEEDED SOCIALIZATION. I DO NOT FEEL COMFORTABLE HAVING MY MONEY, MY TAX DOLLARS, GOING TO AN ORGANIZATION THAT IS NOT DOING WHAT IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE ANIMALS IN THEIR CARE. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. I DO WANT TO TURN THIS IN THIS PAPERWORK TO. THAT'D BE FINE. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. MA'AM. Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? IF YOU JUST WALK AROUND THAT WAY, THAT'LL BE FINE. NO, MA'AM. THERE WON'T BE ANY QUESTIONS. OKAY. CALL YOUR NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. WENDY MCPHERSON, FOLLOWED BY JEAN SALVATORE. GOOD EVENING. MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. HELLO, THIS IS WENDY MCPHERSON. I LIVE AT 1727 CHRIS IRA COURT, FOREST HILL, MARYLAND. THANK YOU, MA'AM, AND I'M ECHOING THE VOLUNTEERS. I WAS A VOLUNTEER AT THE HUMANE SOCIETY. AND LET ME PUT THIS DOWN AND. THERE SEEMS TO BE, AT LEAST FROM THE STAFF, I WOULD LIKE THE COUNCIL TO TRY AND INVESTIGATE WHAT WAS WHETHER IT'S RUMORS OF WHAT HAPPENED TO THE FORMER DIRECTOR. I WAS I HAD A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WHEN I WAS FOSTERING WITH HIM, AND IF THERE IS A PROBLEM, IS THE COUNCIL INVESTIGATING? YOU KNOW, THERE WAS YOU PROBABLY KNOW OF SOME FINANCIAL ISSUES THAT SEEM TO BE AT LEAST ACCUSED OF. SO IT WOULD LIKE I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF YOU'RE INVESTIGATING THAT OR WHAT BECAUSE THAT CAN AFFECT THE BUDGET. IF THERE WAS A SHORTFALL AND IT WASN'T BECAUSE SOMEONE MISMANAGED MONEY, I'D LIKE TO KNOW THAT. AND THAT ALSO APPLIES LIKE THERE'S A PHOENIX FUND FOR
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ANIMALS THAT HAD SOME ISSUES THAT THEY NEEDED, LIKE SURGERIES OR SOMETHING. AND WE WOULD LIKE SOME ACCOUNTABILITY ON THAT AND HOW THAT MONEY WAS SPENT. AND TO MAKE SURE THAT IT WASN'T DIPPED INTO FOR, FOR SOME OTHER REASONS. AND LET'S SEE IN A MINUTE. I'M FRIENDS WITH SOME OF THE VETERINARIANS THAT HAVE HELPED AT THE HUMANE SOCIETY. SO I'VE GOT THAT BACKGROUND THAT YOU'RE NOT HEARING FROM OTHERS. AND I LISTENED TO WHAT THE HUMANE SOCIETY SAID AT THE MEETING, AND IT SEEMS LIKE THAT'S A LITTLE MISREPRESENTING WHAT'S ACTUALLY HAPPENING. SO I IF THE COUNCIL CAN FIGURE THAT OUT BEFORE THEY JUST GO AHEAD AND GIVE THE MONEY, I WOULD LOVE FOR THEM TO HAVE MORE MONEY. WE JUST WANT THEM TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO SO WE KNOW WHAT IS THE MONEY IS BEING SPENT ON. MAKE SURE IT'S BEING SPENT ON THE ANIMALS AND NOT ON OTHER THINGS. THANK YOU MA'AM, AND I CAN ASSURE YOU THAT MY COLLEAGUES AND I WILL BE LOOKING AT EVERY CATEGORY IN THE BUDGET TO INCLUDE HUMANE SOCIETY. THANK YOU. CALL YOUR NEXT SPEAKER, PLEASE. JEAN SALVATORE, FOLLOWED BY DAVID BAUER. GOOD EVENING, MA'AM. NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. HI, I'M JEAN SALVATORE. I LIVE AT 2007 ROBERTS MILL ROAD IN BEL AIR. TWO 1015. AND I'M ALSO HERE TO SPEAK ABOUT THE BUDGET, PARTICULARLY IN AS AS REGARDS THE HUMANE SOCIETY, I DID LISTEN TO THE BUDGET SESSION LAST WEEK. AND TO ECHO WHAT OTHER PEOPLE PEOPLE HAVE SAID, THE REASON I'M AGAINST FULL FUNDING AT THIS TIME, WITH NO CONDITIONS, IS THAT I DIDN'T HEAR ANYTHING SPECIFIC AS TO WHY THEY WANT THE SAME AMOUNT FROM LAST YEAR, PLUS $500,000 WOULD REALLY HELP THEM, WHICH IS LIKE A 40% INCREASE. I DIDN'T HEAR ANY STATISTICS, ANY DATA. I DID NOT HEAR WHAT IS GOING ON AT THE SHELTER THAT REQUIRES THIS LEVEL OF FUNDING. WE ALL KNOW WE NEED A MUNICIPAL SHELTER. WHAT WE WANT IS ONE THAT IS COMPASSIONATE, THAT IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC IN TERMS OF TRANSPARENCY AND ACCOUNTABILITY, AND THAT'S NOT WHAT WE'RE HEARING. THAT'S WHY SO MANY PEOPLE HAVE COME TO TALK TO THE COUNCIL, BECAUSE WE'RE CONCERNED FOR THE ANIMALS AND FOR OUR TAX DOLLARS AS WELL. SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT, AND I APPRECIATE, MR. VINCENT, THAT YOU SAID YOU'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT EVERYTHING. WE DON'T HAVE THAT KNOWLEDGE. IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE COULD HEAR FROM THE COUNCIL, FROM THE BOARD, NOT JUST VAGUE THINGS LIKE COSTS ARE UP, SO WE NEED MORE MONEY. PEOPLE COMPLAIN ALL THE TIME. SO, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T KNOW WHY VOLUNTEERS ARE COMPLAINING OR RESCUES LIKE ONE THAT I RUN ARE NO LONGER WORKING WITH US BECAUSE WE'VE TOLD THEM TO GO AWAY. THERE NEED TO BE SOME ANSWERS SO WE CAN ALL BE COMFORTABLE THAT WHAT WE HAVE IS A REALLY GOOD, COMPASSIONATE, EFFECTIVE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC SCRUTINY SHELTER. NO ONE IS ASKING THAT THE COUNCIL GIVE OVERSIGHT FOR DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS. NO, THAT WOULD BE RIDICULOUS. BUT WE DO EXPECT THAT THE MANAGEMENT BE HONEST, THAT THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS BE FORTHRIGHT AND TELL US WHAT DO YOU NEED FROM US, WHAT'S WORKING? HOW CAN WE HELP YOU BETTER IF WE REALLY WANT TO TAKE CARE OF THE ANIMALS? WELL, AND THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE IN HARFORD COUNTY THAT WANT THAT, THEN WE NEED TO HAVE BETTER ANSWERS, MORE ACCOUNTABILITY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU MA'AM. GOOD EVENING SIR. NAME AND ADDRESS PLEASE.GOOD EVENING. I'M DAVID BAUER, 2952 KIRKWELL COURT, ABINGDON. I'VE SPOKEN AT THESE MEETINGS BEFORE PRIMARILY TO SUPPORT EDUCATION FUNDING THIS EVENING. MY COMMENTS ARE LESS ABOUT ASKING FOR PROPER FUNDING THAN REQUESTING HONEST LANGUAGE. IN DISCUSSING THE COUNTY BUDGET, THE COVER LETTER TO THE PROPOSED BUDGET TALKS ABOUT, QUOTE, DIALING BACK GOVERNMENT SPENDING ACROSS THE BOARD, END QUOTE. BUT THAT ISN'T WHAT HAS HAPPENED DURING THE CASSELLI ADMINISTRATION. INSTEAD, SOME GROUPS HAVE GOTTEN BIG INCREASES, WHILE OTHERS HAVE GOTTEN BIG CUTS. APPROXIMATELY A QUARTER OF THE LINE ITEMS IN THE GENERAL FUND INCREASED BY MORE THAN 20% BETWEEN FY 23, AND THIS PROPOSAL. OPERATING FUND INCREASED ONLY BY ABOUT 7%.
PARKS AND RECREATION IS DOWN 2% FOR THE SAME WINDOW. THE HUMANE SOCIETY AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
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HAD BIG CUTS. HARFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE IS FLAT, WHICH MEANS A CUT WHEN ACCOUNTING FOR INFLATION. SO FOR THE BIGGEST SINGLE ITEM, THIS BUDGET REPRESENTS A SERIOUS CUT FOR A SCHOOL SYSTEM 160 POSITIONS CUT. THE FACT THAT IT WAS DONE IN ADVANCE, INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR THE FINAL BUDGET, DOES NOT ABSOLVE THE COUNTY OF RESPONSIBILITY. MR. CASSILLY MADE IT CLEAR HE WOULD NOT ADEQUATELY FUND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. THE SCHOOL SYSTEM ACTED ON THAT. CONCERNING THE SECOND BIGGEST ITEM, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE SAYS THAT THE BUDGET FULLY FUNDS THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, BUT THE SHERIFF HAS WRITTEN AN OP ED SAYING THAT THAT IS NOT TRUE. SADLY, OUR UNDERFUNDED LIBRARY SYSTEM AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS APPEAR TO LACK THE SAME LEVEL OF VISIBLE ADVOCACY. CONSIDERING OUR SITUATION WITH THE HEADS OF OUR FEDERAL EXECUTIVE BRANCH SEEMINGLY TRYING TO CRASH THE ECONOMY, I FEEL RELUCTANT TO ASK FOR MORE FUNDING, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW IT IS NEEDED. INSTEAD, I'M HERE TO ASK FOR HONEST LANGUAGE.THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS NOT BEING ADEQUATELY FUNDED. FUNDING IS INSUFFICIENT OR DOWN FOR THE LIBRARY SYSTEM. THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND PAY GO ACROSS MANY DEPARTMENTS. BE HONEST, SAY WE KNOW THIS IS NOT ADEQUATE, BUT WE FEEL IT IS THE BEST WE CAN DO UNDER THE PRESENT CIRCUMSTANCES.
THAT DOESN'T COST ANY MONEY. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU SIR. KAYLA YOUNG, FOLLOWED BY JANE ROBINSON. MISS YOUNG BAR. CALL YOUR NEXT SPEAKER. JANE ROBINSON.
HELLO. MY NAME AND ADDRESS, PLEASE. JANE ROBINSON, 609 LONG BAR HARBOR ROAD, ABINGDON, MARYLAND, 20 1009. I JUST FOUND OUT ABOUT THIS ABOUT AN HOUR AGO, SO I'M ILL PREPARED. I'M HERE IN SUPPORT OF THE LOCAL AREA RESCUES CONCERNING THE HARFORD COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY.
I'D PREVIOUSLY WRITTEN A LETTER TO MY COUNTY OR TO MY COUNTY REPRESENTATIVE REQUESTING OVERSIGHT CONCERNING THE HARFORD COUNTY HUMANE SOCIETY. CURRENTLY, WE HAVE A LIAISON BETWEEN THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE'S OFFICE AND THE HUMANE SOCIETY. THAT'S IT FOR OVERSIGHT. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL QUESTIONS FROM LOCAL VETERINARIANS CONCERNING ANIMAL WELFARE, AND TODAY I FOUND OUT THAT THEY'VE CUT TIES WITH A LOCAL RESCUE THAT IS JUST DOES INCREDIBLE WORK WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. AS A TAXPAYER, AS SOMEBODY WHO DONATES MONEY TO THIS PRIVATELY RUN NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION, IT CONCERNS ME, AND I'M ASKING FOR MORE TRANSPARENCY. I'M ASKING FOR OVERSIGHT, POSSIBLY IN THE FORM OF AN ADVISORY PANEL, SOMETHING AKIN TO WHAT ZONING HAS MAYBE SOME TYPE OF FORENSIC FORENSIC ACCOUNTING GOING INTO AUDIT. WHAT IS GOING WHAT IS GOING ON IN OUR HUMANE SOCIETY. THEY'VE REQUESTED 500,000 MORE DOLLARS. AND IF YOU'RE CUTTING OFF RESCUES THAT RELY ON YOU AS A LIFELINE FROM THE COMMUNITY, WHY SHOULD WE GIVE THEM MORE MONEY? YOU'RE RESCUES DO SO MUCH GOOD FOR YOUR COMMUNITY AND TO CUT THEM OFF. I MEAN, IT COULD BE MY RESCUE TOMORROW. THAT'S WHY I'M HERE FOR SHADOW CATS TODAY. I DON'T KNOW WHAT GOES ON IN THE DAILY OPERATIONS OF THE HUMANE SOCIETY. THEY'VE ACTUALLY BEEN VERY GOOD TO MY RESCUE. BUT ARE WE NEXT? I DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON. AND THEY'RE NOT GIVING ANYONE ANY ANSWERS. ALL YOU SEE IS THESE SUGAR COATED POSTS ON THEIR SOCIAL MEDIA, AND YOU'RE NOT GETTING ANY ANSWERS. PEOPLE ARE ASKING QUESTIONS. THE COMMUNITY IS ASKING QUESTIONS, AND NO ONE IS GETTING ANSWERS.
BUT YET OUR COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS HANDING THEM MONEY EVERY YEAR BECAUSE WE HAVE NO SHELTER. WE
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RELY ON A PRIVATE NONPROFIT TO HOUSE AND TAKE CARE OF OUR ANIMALS, AND WE HAVE TO TAKE EVERYTHING THAT THEY SAY FOR WHAT THEY SAY. WE DON'T HAVE ANY ANY THING TO OVERSEE THAT. AND IT'S EVENTUALLY GOING TO TRICKLE DOWN INTO THE COMMUNITY BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE THOUSANDS OF CATS. IF SHADOW CATS ISN'T AROUND TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR STRAY CATS, AND NOBODY WANTS 300 CATS IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. BUT I'M JUST SAYING IT WOULD BE GREAT TO HAVE SOME FORM OF AN OVERSIGHT, WHETHER IT BE AN ADVISORY PANEL, SOMEBODY TO SOMEBODY MORE THAN A LIAISON.YOUR TIME'S UP. THANK YOU. THERE ARE NO MORE SPEAKERS, MR. PRESIDENT. THIS WILL CONCLUDE THE SPEAKERS FOR THIS EVENING. THE PUBLIC HEARING WILL CONTINUE THURSDAY, MAY 15TH. SO, MA'AM, IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING ELSE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD THAT YOU WERE NOT PREPARED FOR THIS EVENING, WE'LL BE HERE THURSDAY EVENING AS WELL AT 7 P.M. IN THESE CHAMBERS. SO PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE OR CALL THE OFFICE FOR MORE INFORMATION. ON VIEWING ANY PUBLIC PARTICIPATION.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.