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[County Council Budget Work Session]
EVERYONE.UM, TODAY STARTS OUR FIRST, UH, BUDGET WORK SESSION FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 27 BUDGET.
UM, I'M HAPPY TO SAY THAT, UH, MOST OF MY COLLEAGUES ARE HERE ON THE DAY THIS MORNING.
HOPEFULLY THEY'LL SHOW UP LATE.
I WANNA THANK OUR CITIZEN BUDGET ADVISORS, UH, FOR ATTENDING AS WELL.
AND, UH, MR. KELLY, I WANNA THANK YOU AND YOUR GROUP FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING.
AND BRIAN, WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.
GOOD MORNING EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU FOR HAVING APPRECIATE BEING THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE.
UH, BEFORE I, BEFORE I BEGIN, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE THE INDIVIDUALS WHO CONTRIBUTED TO THIS YEAR'S REPORT.
I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE AND MANY ARE HERE TODAY AS WELL.
I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF SERVING AS CHAIR OF THE SPENDING AFFORDABILITY ADVISORY COMMITTEE, ALONGSIDE A THOUGHTFUL AND DEDICATED GROUP, DANIEL GRIFFITH, WAYNE GODDARD, JOHN O'NEILL, JOHN SCOTT, LEE PAYSON, AND STEVEN WISEMAN.
THIS GROUP THAT BRINGS NOT ONLY EXPERIENCE, BUT A GENUINE COMMITMENT TO THE LONG-TERM FISCAL HEALTH OF HARPER COUNTY.
I'D ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE COUNTY STAFF, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE, AND HIS ENTIRE TEAM, AND EACH OF YOU, OUR COUNTY COUNCIL FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AND YOUR SUPPORT.
WE RECOGNIZE HOW IMPORTANT THIS REPORT IS AS A TOOL FOR YOU AND OTHERS.
OUR GOAL IS TO OFFER GROUNDED FRAMEWORK FOR SUPPORTING OUR DECISIONS.
I'D LIKE TO BEGIN WITH A LITTLE REFLECTION, IF I MAY, IF, IF YOU'LL ALLOW.
I GREW UP IN DARLINGTON AND I STILL LIVE THERE TODAY ON A SMALL FARM SURROUNDED BY THE SAME KIND OF COMMUNITY THAT'S SHAPED ME.
I'M ALSO A PRODUCT OF THIS COUNTY, HAVING GONE THROUGH PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND NOW SEEING THAT CONTINUE WITH MY OWN FAMILY.
IT'S A PLACE OF FARMS, SMALL BUSINESSES AND PEOPLE WHO TAKE PRIDE IN DOING THINGS THE RIGHT WAY, EVEN WHEN NO ONE'S WATCHING.
AND THAT KIND OF COMMUNITY, YOU LEARN EARLY THAT STEWARDSHIP MATTERS, WHETHER IT'S LAND OR BUSINESS OR RELATIONSHIPS, BECAUSE YOU'RE NOT JUST MANAGING FOR TODAY.
YOU'RE CARING FOR WHAT'S BEEN ENTRUSTED TO YOU.
AND AS I SIT HERE BEFORE YOU TODAY, I'M ALSO MINDFUL OF THE RESPONSIBILITY EACH OF YOU CARRIES AND THE DECISIONS YOU MAKE ON BEHALF OF SO MANY ACROSS OUR COUNTY, OUR GREAT COUNTY.
I HOLD THAT RESPONSIBILITY IN HIGH REGARD, AND YOU REMAIN IN MY THOUGHTS AND MY PRAYERS EACH DAY.
SO TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO CONTRIBUTE IN A SMALL WAY AND THAT SAME SPIRIT OF STEWARDSHIP FOR OUR COUNTY IS SOMETHING DEEPLY PERSONAL AND THAT I'M GRATEFUL FOR.
I THINK I WAS MENTIONING TO OUR TREASURER, MR. SANDLES, I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST THOUGHTFUL REPORTS WE'VE PUT TOGETHER SINCE BEING ON THE COMMITTEE.
I'M GONNA TRY TO GO WITHOUT THESE.
I'M, I'M IN DENIAL A LITTLE BIT, SO PARDON ME IF I HAVE TO GO BACK
UM, BUT I'M GONNA TRY NOT TO READ IT 'CAUSE I'M SURE EACH OF YOU HAVE READ IT.
UM, AND THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN THIS COUNTY AND THIS STATE, AND IN THIS WORLD.
CERTAINLY THE COMMITTEE HAS CONCLUDED THOUGH THAT WE'RE BLESSED HERE IN HARTFORD COUNTY.
OUR ECONOMY REMAINS STRONG AND RELATIVELY RESILIENT, EVEN IN THE FACE OF BROADER ECONOMIC HEADWINDS.
ON A BUDGET TO BUDGET BASIS, REVENUES ARE PROJECTED TO GROW AT 8.3% OR APPROXIMATELY $63 MILLION.
HOWEVER, IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT 70% OF THAT GROWTH HAS ALREADY OCCURRED IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
THAT MEANS THE TRUE FORWARD LOOKING GROWTH RATE IS CLOSER TO ABOUT 2.5% OR ABOUT 19 MILLION, DRIVEN PRIMARILY BY PROPERTY TAXES.
THIS DIVERGENCE IS DRIVEN LARGELY BY INCOME TAX, PARTICULARLY RECENT OVER PERFORMANCE AND EXPECTED NORMALIZATION GOING FORWARD, WHICH I'M GONNA TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT.
PROPERTY TAX, WE SEE A LOT OF STABILITY IN IT HAS BEEN STRONG AND A STABILIZING SOURCE OF OUR REVENUE GROWTH HAS BEEN DRIVEN BY REASSESSMENTS FOLLOWING A PERIOD OF ROBUST CLIMATE FOR OUR HOUSING MARKET, LARGELY COMING OUTTA COVID.
THESE PHASED IN INCREASES WILL CONTINUE TO SUPPORT NEAR TERM GROWTH, THOUGH APPRECIATION HAS KIND OF LEVELED OFF AND FUTURE GROWTH WILL, WILL CERTAINLY MODERATE RATE.
WHEN I THINK OF THAT, I THINK OF THE WORD VOLATILITY, WHICH IS SOMETHING
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I DEAL WITH IN MY DAY JOB EVERY DAY.INCOME TAX HAS BEEN THE PRIMARY AREA OF FOCUS FOR OUR COMMITTEE.
OVER THE PAST 25 YEARS, INCOME TAX HAS GROWN AT APPROXIMATELY 6% ANNUALLY.
IN FISCAL YEAR 2025, IT EXCEEDED 15% AND REMAINS STRONG INTO THE CURRENT YEAR.
HOWEVER, HARTFORD COUNTY HAS LIKELY BEEN OVER DISTRIBUTED INCOME TAX REVENUE.
THIS MEANS REVENUE INTENDED FOR THE STATE AND POSSIBLY OTHER COUNTIES WAS DISTRIBUTED LOCALLY TO US, THIS WILL BE CORRECTED, RESULTING IN LOWER FUTURE DISTRIBUTIONS AND A NORMALIZATION OF GROWTH.
AND WHAT'S BEHIND THE NUMBERS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2027, THE BUDGET REFLECTS APPROXIMATELY $829 MILLION IN ONGOING REVENUES.
MUCH OF THIS REFLECTS PRIOR GROWTH ALREADY REALIZED, RATHER THAN THE NEW FORWARD MOMENTUM, THIS REPRESENTS A RESETTING OF THE BASELINE AFTER AN UNUSUALLY STRONG PERIOD OF TIME.
A PRACTICAL WAY TO THINK ABOUT THIS, AND I HAVE TO GIVE MR. SANLI CREDIT FOR THIS METAPHOR.
IF YOU THINK OF THE COUNTY, LIKE A HOUSEHOLD, YOU HAVE ONE PERSON IN THE HOUSEHOLD, A SPOUSE, MAYBE THEY HAVE A CONSISTENT PAYCHECK, THEY GET PAID EVERY FRIDAY, REGARDLESS, THEY'RE GONNA GET THAT CHECK.
THEN YOU HAVE THE MORE, UH, ENTREPRENEURIAL SIDE OF THE HOUSEHOLD WHO MAY WORK ON STRAIGHT COMMISSION.
AND WHEN THEY HIT IT BIG, THEY HIT IT BIG.
BUT THAT DOESN'T HAPPEN EVERY WEEK OR EVERY MONTH, OR MAYBE EVEN EVERY YEAR.
SO THERE'S GONNA BE GREATER VARIABILITY, BUT OVER TIME, YOU SMOOTH THAT OUT TO A MEAN OR TO AN AVERAGE.
AND THE COMMITTEE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AROUND THOSE TYPES OF DATA ANALYTICS.
SPEAKING OF MEAN REVERSION, AS A FRAMEWORK, OVER TIME, INCOME TAX GROWTH RATES HAVE AVERAGE 6% PLUS OR MINUS DEPENDS ON WHAT DATA POINT YOU CHOOSE TO INTERPRET.
BUT RATHER THAN ATTEMPTING TO PREDICT YEAR TO YEAR OUTCOMES, WHICH IS NOT FEASIBLE ON A CONSISTENT BASIS, IN OUR OPINION, THE COMMITTEE ANCHORS ITS THINKING TO LONGER TERM TRENDS AND RESPONDS WHEN RESULTS MOVE MEANINGFULLY AWAY FROM THAT BASELINE.
IT'S A WAY OF STAYING GROUNDED WHEN THE NUMBERS TRY TO PULL US.
OTHERWISE, AS ONE OF MY MENTORS USED TO SAY, BRIAN, DON'T LET THE HIGHS GET TOO HIGH, OR THE LOWS GET TOO LOW.
IT'S AS SIMPLE AS THAT RECOMMENDATION, SOMETHING CALLED REVENUE SMOOTHING.
AND THIS LEADS INTO THE THOUGHT OF MEAN REVERSION.
AND, AND WE TAKE, UH, KIND OF A CHAPTER FROM THE STATE OF MARYLAND IN THIS REGARD.
WHEN INCOME GROWTH EXCEEDS THAT MEAN, LET'S SAY 6% BY MORE THAN 3%, WE SUGGEST CONSIDERING SETTING THAT ASIDE FOR A RAINY DAY OR A TIME WHERE TIMES MIGHT NOT BE AS ROBUST.
WHEN REVENUE FALLS BELOW 3% GROWTH, THAT MIGHT BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAP INTO THOSE DOLLARS THAT WE'VE PUT ASIDE.
THE GOAL IS STABILITY OVER TIME, NOT PRECISION YEAR TO YEAR FROM A RESERVES PERSPECTIVE.
FROM SUPPORT THE 5% RAINY DAY FUND, THE TWO AND A HALF PERCENT UN UNASSIGNED RESERVES, AND 150 MILLION TOTAL FUND BALANCE.
THESE LEVELS ARE CRITICAL TO MAINTAINING THE FINANCIAL STRENGTH OF OUR COUNTY.
UNDER DEBT CONSIDERATIONS, THE COUNTY REMAINS WITHIN ITS DEBT GUIDELINES.
HOWEVER, WITH RISING CONSTRUCTION COSTS, AND I KNOW I'M SPEAKING TO THE CHOIR, YOU SEE THIS EVERY DAY AND HEAR ABOUT IT EVERY DAY AND CAPITAL NEEDS, THEY WARRANT CONTINUED PRUDENCE GOING FORWARD.
AND BEFORE I CLOSE, I I, I MUST ACKNOWLEDGE SOME INSIGHTS THAT WE RECEIVED THIS YEAR AND EXTEND OUR APPRECIATION TO THOSE WHO PROVIDED SOME VALUABLE, UM, PERSPECTIVES TO OUR COMMITTEE.
IN PARTICULAR, OUR DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PERMITS AND PLANNING AND ZONING, WHOSE PERSPECTIVES REALLY HELPED FORM SOME OF OUR BELIEFS.
AND THEN FROM THE OUTSIDE OF OUR COUNTY, WE WERE FORTUNATE THANKS TO MR. SANLI AGAIN, TO ENTERTAIN DR. ANDREW BAUER FROM THE FEDERAL RESERVE SYSTEM, WHICH THE COMMITTEE SPENT SEVERAL HOURS WITH.
IT WAS A, A TRUE PLEASURE, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS VERY HELPFUL TO GIVE CONTEXT TO OUR WORK.
WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THEIR TIME, EXPERTISE, AND WILLINGNESS TO ENGAGE US AS A COMMITTEE.
IN CLOSING, THE COUNTY IS IN A VERY STRONG POSITION, BUT NOT ALL RECENT STRENGTH IS PERMANENT.
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AND WE THINK IT'S ULTIMATELY ABOUT MANAGING STRENGTH WISELY, WHICH I KNOW EACH OF YOU WILL WORK HARD TO DO FROM YOUR OWN LENS.AND THANK YOU, BRIAN, WE, WE THANK YOU AND YOUR TEAM ALWAYS, UH, FOR YOUR, UM, GUIDANCE, UH, FOR YOUR INFORMATION THAT YOU PROVIDE US FOR YOUR EXPERTISE AND YOUR PROFESSIONALISM.
SO, UM, COUNSEL, ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? MS. MOFF? I JUST HAVE A, A I GUESS MAYBE A BASIC QUESTION.
WHAT WOULD BE THE REASON FOR OUR OVER DISTRIBUTION VERSUS OTHER COUNTIES FROM THE STATE? WELL, I WILL DO MY BEST AS A LAY PERSON AND VOLUNTEER OKAY.
SO HOW I HEAR THAT, AND THEN I'LL, WE'LL LOOK OVER TO A LIFELINE TO MAYBE GET MORE TECHNICAL, BUT, UH, THE STATE OF MARYLAND HAS IMPLEMENTED A NEW CAPITAL GAINS TAX RATE, AS AN EXAMPLE FOR HIGH, HIGH EARNERS.
SO THAT'S BROUGHT IN ADDITIONAL, UH, FUNDS.
AND WE DON'T HAVE A REALLY GOOD BREAKDOWN BETWEEN WAGE DATA AND CAPITAL GAINS DATA, UH, AS WELL AS OTHER SOURCES OF INCOME.
AND THAT'S NOT A POKE AT THE STATE.
UM, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO BALANCE WHAT KIND OF HARDSHIP THAT WOULD PUT ON, UH, CITIZENS TO PROVIDE THAT INFORMATION.
SO THEY'RE USING ESTIMATES THAT ARE BASED ON HISTORY.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE TIMES OF EXTREME CAPITAL GAINS AS AN EXAMPLE, MAYBE ONE COUNTY HAS A GREATER REPRESENTATION IN THAT MARKET AS ANOTHER.
AND THEN OF COURSE, WITH THE, THE ENHANCED TAX RATES, UH, THEY'RE STILL USING THAT BASIC ALLOCATION FROM YEARS BACK AND NOT CONSIDERING THAT MARYLAND IS PARTICIPATING IN THAT, AND WE ARE NOT.
SO, MR. SANDLES, DID I? YEAH, I THINK THAT'S, THAT, THAT IS IN, IN LARGE PART, UM, CORRECT.
THE, THE WAY THAT THE STATE DISTRIBUTES OUR INCOME TAX IS THEY DON'T KNOW NECESSARILY THAT, THAT WHEN A HARTFORD COUNTY RESIDENT HAS MONIES WITHHELD OR SENDS AN ESTIMATED PAYMENTS OR WHAT HAVE YOU, THAT THAT IS A HARTFORD COUNTY RESIDENT.
IT JUST KIND OF JUST COMES INTO THE BIG POT.
AND THEN WHAT THE STATE DOES IS SAYS, OKAY, BASED UPON LAST YEAR'S TAX RETURNS, HARTFORD COUNTY GOT 4% OF THE, OF, OF, OF THE POT.
AND SO WHEN, WHERE THEY'RE GONNA GET 4% OF THIS POT.
BUT BECAUSE THERE'S BEEN SO MUCH VOLATILITY IN THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS WITH A LOT OF THE CAPITAL GAINS CHANGES, BUT ALSO THE, THE BACK IN 21, THEY MADE THIS CHANGE TO ENABLE SOME OF YOUR HEAVY HITTERS, UM, TO GET AROUND THE SALT TAX CAP AT THE FEDERAL LEVEL.
UM, THESE ARE YOUR PASS THROUGH ENTITY LLCS.
UM, IT'S A LOT OF MONEY AND IT REALLY SKEWS THINGS.
AND IT LOOKED LIKE THE STATE DIDN'T, UM, BECAUSE A LOT OF THOSE PEOPLE ALSO FILE LATE.
UM, SOME OF THE INCOME THAT WE THINK WAS, WAS MEANT FOR MONTGOMERY COUNTY KIND OF GOT DISTRIBUTED OUT TO THE OTHER COUNTIES.
SO WHEN THE STATE WENT LOOKED BACK, THEY FOUND OUT THAT THERE WERE, THERE WERE FIVE COUNTIES THAT WERE UNDER DISTRIBUTED, WHICH WAS LARGELY BALTIMORE COUNTY AND MONTGOMERY COUNTY, AND THEN 19 THAT WERE, UM, OVER DISTRIBUTED.
SO AGAIN, IT'S KIND OF ALWAYS THAT MOVING TARGET OF, OF, UM, YOU KNOW, THE MONEY'S COMING IN.
AND BECAUSE THE STATE DOESN'T WANNA JUST WAIT TO THE VERY END TO SAY LIKE THREE YEARS LATER, LIKE, ALRIGHT, HARFORD COUNTY, HERE'S YOUR MONEY.
'CAUSE, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE WE NEED THE MONEY NOW IN ORDER TO MM-HMM
UM, AND SO BECAUSE OF THAT, THEY ARE MAKING SOME CHANGES.
YOU KNOW, THEY ARE PUTTING IN NEW SYSTEMS AT THE, AT THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE, WHICH HOPEFULLY SHOULD HELP THIS.
THEY'RE ALSO NOW GONNA CHANGE.
THEY USED TO ALWAYS MAKE THE CHANGE IN NOVEMBER, LIKE WHAT OUR SIZE OF THE PIE WAS THIS YEAR.
UM, THEY'VE NOW DECIDED TO START MAKING THAT CHANGE IN FEBRUARY, WHICH WILL ENABLE THEM TO GET MORE OF THOSE LATE FILERS IN.
UM, SO HOPEFULLY THAT WILL REDUCE, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THAT VOLATILITY, BUT IT'S PROBABLY NEVER GONNA GO AWAY.
SO IT'S MAINLY BASED OFF OF ESTIMATES FOR THE MOST PART.
LARGELY ESTIMATES, BUT ALSO CHANGES IN STATE POLICY.
YOU KNOW, AS, AS, UM, MR. KELLY WAS TALKING ABOUT, THE STATE OF MARYLAND ENACTED A, UM, CAPITAL GAIN SURTAX THIS YEAR.
SO IF YOU MAKE, I BELIEVE IT'S $350,000 OR MORE, AND YOU HAVE CAPITAL GAINS, NORMALLY CAPITAL GAINS IN MARYLAND ARE TAXED AT THE SAME RATE AS OUR REGULAR INCOME.
SO AT, FROM A COUNTY LEVEL AT 3.06 AND AT A STATE LEVEL AROUND 5%.
NOW, WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS THAT THOSE CAPITAL GAINS AT THE STATE LEVEL ARE GONNA BE TAXED AT MORE OR LESS AROUND 7% OR SO.
SO WHILE THE STATE DIDN'T UPDATE THEIR PIE FORMULA, IF YOU WILL, THEY KNOW THAT A LOT OF THAT MONEY THAT WAS COMING IN, BECAUSE A LOT OF MONEY STARTED COMING IN LATE IN THE YEAR, UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE SENDING IN MONEY, UM, ESTIMATED PAYMENTS LATE IN THE YEAR.
THEY THINK A LOT OF THAT IS STATE MONEY.
SO IT'S A COMBINATION OF THAT BEING STATE MONEY AND THEN ALSO FROM THE PASS THROUGH ENTITIES PROBABLY BEING MORE IN MONTGOMERY COUNTY, BALTIMORE COUNTY MONEY.
SO MORNING YOU WERE SAYING A DECREASE, AND OBVIOUSLY HE WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT.
DO WE KNOW WHAT THAT PERCENTAGE MIGHT BE, OR THAT'S PROBABLY, THAT'S PROBABLY THE SAME, THAT SAME FORMULA.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO KNOW THAT WE'RE WHAT THEY'RE GONNA TAKE BACK FROM US AT THIS POINT OR ANYTHING.
SO WE RECCE, AND THIS WAS ACTUALLY AFTER THE COMMITTEE, UM, STOPPED MEETING.
WE HAD A, A MEETING WITH, WITH, UH, THE COMPTROLLER'S OFFICE AND, UM, CHIEF DEPUTY COMPTROLLER, ANDY SHUFFLE, AND HE PROVIDED A LIST THAT SAID THAT HARTFORD COUNTY, AS OF RIGHT NOW WAS OVER DISTRIBUTED BY 11.6, ALMOST $12 MILLION.
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KIND OF KNOWN FROM THE OTHER COUNTIES.WE DON'T REALLY KNOW YET WHEN IT COMES TO THE, AT THE, AT THE STATE LEVEL.
SO FROM A FORECASTING PERSPECTIVE, WHAT WE DID IS THE PAY, THE INCOME TAX HAS TWO MAIN, TWO MAIN DRIVERS.
YOU HAVE YOUR QUARTERLY DISTRIBUTIONS THAT ARE WITHHOLDING AND ESTIMATED PAYMENTS, AND YOU HAVE THESE RECONCILING DISTRIBUTIONS.
UM, AND THE RECONCILING DISTRIBUTIONS LAST YEAR WERE FAR AND AWAY THE BIGGEST THAT THEY'VE EVER BEEN.
AND THEY WERE ALSO, THIS YEAR THEY'VE BEEN TRACKING ALSO TO BE JUST AS BIG.
I THINK LIKE TYPICALLY WE'RE AROUND 40 OR 50 MILLION.
WE WERE AT 65 MILLION FOR THESE RECONCILING DISTRIBUTIONS.
SO WHAT WE DID AS A COMMITTEE WAS SAY, OKAY, LOOK, WE NEED TO GET THAT, THAT RECONCILING WE KNOW IS GONNA BE SMALLER BECAUSE WE'RE OVER DISTRIBUTED.
SO WE JUST TOOK THE LONG TERM AVERAGE, UM, THE SEVEN YEAR AVERAGE, AND SAY RECONCILING ARE GONNA EQUAL TO SEVEN YEAR AVERAGE.
UM, WE MIGHT BE BEING OVERLY OPTIMISTIC WITH THAT.
UM, I DON'T THINK WE'RE BEING TOO OPTIMISTIC.
I THINK WE'RE, IF ANYTHING, WE'RE PROBABLY MAYBE NOT BEING PESSIMISTIC ENOUGH.
UM, SO THAT, THAT PART WE DO KNOW.
AND WE ALSO KNOW THAT AT LEAST FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DISTRIBUTIONS, THAT OUR SHARE OF THE PIE HAS BEEN RECALCULATED AND IT'S GONNA BE A LITTLE BIT LESS.
UM, AND THAT'S WHY AS A COMMITTEE, WE SAID, OKAY, LET'S, LET'S TAKE THE RECONCILING BACK TO THE, UH, LONG-TERM AVERAGE AND LET'S LOWER THE GROWTH RATE ON, UM, THOSE QUARTERLY DISTRIBUTIONS.
LIKE THE LAST TWO QUARTERLY DISTRIBUTIONS WE RECEIVED FOR THE FOURTH AND THE THIRD QUARTER, WERE DOUBLE DIGITS.
YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS WHERE WE'RE LIKE, AGAIN, WE THINK THE ECONOMY'S DOING WELL.
WE THINK IT'S RESILIENT, BUT IT'S NOT.
15% KIND OF IS KIND OF STRONG, LIKE THE, AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE LIKE, YEAH.
SO WE TOOK, UM, WE ADOPTED THE STATE'S LONG, UH, THE STATE'S INCOME TAX PROJECTION OF 2.4% SAID, OKAY, THOSE QUARTERLY DISTRIBUTIONS ARE GONNA GROW BY 2.4%.
AGAIN, THAT MIGHT BE, AGAIN, BEING OVERLY OPTIMISTIC.
UM, BUT WE JUST, WE JUST DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, IT WAS KIND OF THE LONG ANSWER OF A LOT OF THESE THINGS IS THAT WE DON'T REALLY KNOW, BUT WE KNOW WHERE THE TRENDS ARE AND WE KNOW BASED UPON LIMITED INFORMATION THAT WE SHOULD BE RECEIVING LESS INCOME TAX, UM, FUNDING NEXT YEAR BECAUSE OF THE RECONCILIATION THAN WE DID THIS YEAR.
AND THEN YOU MIGHT KNOW THIS, BUT ARE WE LOSING A LOT OF THE BIG HITTERS IN HARTFORD COUNTY THAT ARE MOVING SOUTH AND TAKING ALL THEIR MONEY WITH THEM? AND IS THAT IS, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT.
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FIND THE ANSWER TO THAT, BUT I DO KNOW I'VE HAD, IN MY WORLD, I'VE HAD PEOPLE FLEE AND MOVE TO, YOU KNOW, NORTH CAROLINA, SOUTH CAROLINA, FLORIDA, TO, AND TAKE EVERYTHING WITH THEM, MEANING THEIR ASSETS.
SO THAT, THAT, UH, MY COMMENTS WILL BE ANECDOTAL VERSUS DATA DRIVEN.
BUT THERE WAS A, A RECENT ARTICLE IN THE WALL STREET JOURNAL, AND I THINK MARILYN WAS IN THE TOP FIVE IN THAT CATEGORY.
AND, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GET DATA FROM DIFFERENT SOURCES, I'M SURE TO CONTRADICT THAT.
BUT I WILL SPEAK FROM OUR FIRM WHERE WE SERVE OVER A THOUSAND HOUSEHOLDS HERE, PREDOMINANTLY IN HARTFORD COUNTY.
WE ARE SEEING, UH, A TRANSITION AND WE ARE SEEING BUSINESS STRATEGIES AROUND THAT.
UH, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S ANECDOTAL.
BUT MOST RECENTLY, WITHIN THE PAST COUPLE WEEKS, I'VE JUST READ MORE ARTICLES AROUND SUPPORTING THAT KIND OF, UH, UH, PREFACE.
I MEAN, ULTIMATELY, UM, TAXES WILL DRIVE SOME TO MAKE DECISIONS, UH, TO, TO MOVE.
I, I READ RECENTLY WHERE SOUTH CAROLINA'S MOVING TOWARD TOWARDS A ZERO INCOME TAX, BUT IF THEY MEET CERTAIN GUIDELINES, AND YOU'RE HEARING, OF COURSE, OTHER STATES IMPLEMENTING AND RE REPERCUSSIONS FROM THOSE.
SO, UM, INCENTIVES AND FINANCE DRIVE A A LOT OF ACTIVITY ACROSS THE BOARD.
I THINK ANOTHER ANECDOTAL COMMENT I'LL MAKE, BUT I, AND I THINK THIS IS WHY IT'S WONDERFUL TO HAVE A A, A DIVERSE SET OF BACKGROUNDS ON THE COMMITTEE.
UH, WE SEE ON THE PERSONAL HOUSEHOLD LEVEL, RECORD CAPITAL GAINS, HITTING TAX RETURNS.
UH, WE'VE HAD ROBUST MARKETS, UH, WE'VE HAD ALL TIME HIGH CAPITAL GAINS FROM A FIRM, UH, PERSPECTIVE, UH, LAST YEAR, WHICH WAS SIGNIFICANT.
UM, SO I, I'M SURE SOME OF THAT IS HITTING THESE, THESE NUMBERS AND A REASON FOR PAUSE.
BUT WHAT GIVES ME A, A GREAT DEAL OF COMFORT BEING A CITIZEN HERE IS THAT WE ARE USING ROLLING DATA SETS AS WE'RE LOOKING AT NUMBERS VERSUS GOING FROM ONE YEAR TO THE, TO THE NEXT TO TRY TO SMOOTH THAT OUT.
SO I, I, I CAN SAY THAT THE COMPRAS OFFICE IS VERY INTERESTED IN THIS, AND THEY, THAT'S, UH, THEY'VE BEEN PUTTING OUT A LOT OF DIFFERENT STUDIES AND THIS, THIS, UM, THIS MIGRATION OUT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT THEY ARE GONNA BE DOING A MORE IN-DEPTH STUDY ON.
WE KNOW THAT MARYLAND HAS LOST PEOPLE DOMESTIC MIGRATION, UM, REALLY SINCE, SINCE COVID HARTFORD COUNTY AND THE EASTERN SHORE AND WESTERN MARYLAND HAVE ACTUALLY GAINED A LITTLE BIT OF, OF, OF POPULATION.
SO I THINK WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THAT WE ARE NOT TAKING ON THE SAME ECONOMIC HEADWINDS AS MAYBE THAT BALTIMORE WASHINGTON CORRIDOR, UM, THAT'S
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WHAT WE'RE SEEING.BUT WHAT WE DON'T KNOW IS WHAT ARE THOSE PEOPLE? ARE THEY, ARE THEY ENTREPRENEURS COMING IN HERE THAT ARE MAKING $300,000 A YEAR? ARE THEY RETIREES THAT ARE MAKING 30,000? WE JUST DON'T, THAT WE DON'T KNOW.
AND UNFORTUNATELY, THE STATE DATA OFF OF THE INCOME TAX IS SO LAGGING THAT, YOU KNOW, BY THE TIME YOU REALLY GET GOOD NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, IT'S LIKE FIVE YEARS OLD.
AND FIVE YEARS AGO NOW, IT MIGHT AS WELL BE 50 YEARS AGO,
WE WILL GET A DISTRIBUTION AT THE END OF THE MONTH OF MAY.
AND SO THE STATE'S NOT GONNA BE CLAWING MONEY BACK.
THEY'RE JUST GONNA BE REDUCING THE DISTRIBUTION.
THE THERE, UM, THAT DISTRIBUTION IS JUST FOR THE FIRST QUARTER, UM, WHICH IS, UM, THE FIRST QUARTER OF THE TAX YEAR, WHICH IS, UH, JANUARY, FEBRUARY, AND MARCH.
THERE IS NO RECONCILING DISTRIBUTION, BUT OUR SHARE OF THE PIE RELATIVE TO LAST MAY WILL BE SMALLER.
SO IF ALL OF THE COUNTIES, LET'S JUST SAY GROW BY 5%, YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT VERY WELL ONLY GROW BY THREE AND A HALF PERCENT OR SOMETHING LIKE SOMETHING LIKE THAT, UM, THEN WE WILL RECEIVE OTHER DISTRIBUTIONS, UM, THE SECOND QUARTER, APRIL, MAY, AND JUNE'S KIND OF SPLIT UP INTO THREE DIFFERENT PARTS.
WE'VE RECEIVED SOME OF THAT AT THE END OF JUNE, SOME OF IT AT THE END OF JULY, AND SOME OF IT AT THE END OF AUGUST.
SO WE ACTUALLY GO ALL THE WAY INTO AUGUST BEFORE WE END THIS FISCAL YEAR.
UM, WE ALSO GET SOME BIG, UM, RECONCILING DISTRIBUTIONS, UM, ALSO AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
SO WE'LL BE KEEPING AN EYE ON THOSE AS WELL.
THE BIG RECONCILING DISTRIBUTION THOUGH THAT WE'RE GONNA BE WATCHING, WHERE WE THINK THAT'S $11.6 MILLION IS LARGELY GONNA BE, UM, A FACTOR IS OUR, UM, OUR NOVEMBER DISTRIBUTION.
UM, AND THAT'S ALWAYS WHAT MAKES ALL OF THIS SO MUCH FUN.
AND IT IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE A DECISION NOW ON WHAT INCOME TAX IS GONNA DO.
WE'VE ONLY RECEIVED HALF OF IT FOR THE CURRENT YEAR AND, AND BY THE, WE'RE ALWAYS KIND OF, UM, YOU KNOW, BEHIND, UH, BEHIND THE DATA, IF YOU WILL.
I'M TRYING TO, UM, READ BETWEEN THE LINES AS I LOOK AT OUR FUND BALANCE AND HEARING YOU USE THE WORD VOLATILITY IN YOUR REPORT.
WAS IT THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDATION TO THE COUNTY TO CREATE THE NEW CATEGORY IN OUR FUND BALANCE FOR REVENUE VOLATILITY OF 19 POINT A HALF MILLION DOLLARS? WHAT WE TALKED, WE SPOKE OF IN OUR REPORT IS APPROACHING WHERE WE'RE SEEING GROWTH.
THIS IS MORE OF A FUNDAMENTAL LONG TERM ITEM FOR CONSIDERATION, WHERE OUR MEAN IS AROUND 6%.
SO IF IN A PARTICULAR YEAR YOU GROW AT 10%, UH, AND WE WOULD CARVE OUT ANYTHING OVER 9% TO A, TO A FUTURE RAINY DAY FUND.
AND THE, THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE WHEN WE UNDERPERFORM.
SO IT WOULD BE NOT FOR, FOR ONE YEAR.
AND, UH, YOU CAN APPLY THE PERCENTAGES, UH, FOR ONE YEAR, BUT IT'S JUST KIND OF A, ALMOST LIKE THE UTILITY SMOOTHING.
UH, UH, WE DIDN'T USE UTILITIES 'CAUSE THEY'VE KIND OF BEEN TAKING ENOUGH PRESS LATELY.
UH, BUT UH, WE TRIED TO USE AN EXAMPLE OF THAT VOLATILE HOUSEHOLD.
AND SO MAYBE TO ASK MY QUESTION IN DIFFERENT WORDS, IS THE CREATION OF THE REVENUE VOLATILITY CATEGORY IN THE FUND BALANCE AND ATTEMPT TO, UM, MEET WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING WE SHOULD DO? AND MAYBE ROBBIE, YOU COULD ANSWER THAT.
I, I THINK THE ANSWER IS, IS, IS YES.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE LIKE WITHIN FUND BALANCE, YOU HAVE A LOT OF THINGS WHERE YOU'RE LIKE, HEY, IN THE FUTURE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS AS, SO, LIKE, WE SET MONEY ASIDE FOR LANDFILL CLOSURE COSTS, OR WE'VE ALWAYS SET MONEY ASIDE FOR THE REVENUE, LIKE THE STABILIZATION FUND, WHICH IS LIKE, HEY, MAYBE IF WE HAD A REALLY BAD, YOU KNOW, HURRICANE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT AND WE NEEDED TO TO ACT, THIS IS INTENDED TO BE, YOU KNOW, UM, ANOTHER, UM, ASSIGNMENT IN FUND BALANCE AND ASSIGNMENTS IN FUND BALANCE ARE KIND OF DETERMINED AT THE MANAGEMENT, UM, AT THE MANAGEMENT LEVEL TO SAY, HEY, WHEN WE HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF, OF THIS EXCESS REVENUE, WE SHOULD KIND OF PLAN ON NOT SPENDING IT.
UM, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT, LIKE WHEN WE LOOKED OVER THE LAST 25 YEARS, AGAIN, THE AVERAGE WAS 6% GROWTH.
UM, BUT WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT ABOUT HALF OF THOSE YEARS WAS LESS THAN 3%, AND A QUARTER OF THOSE YEARS WAS MORE THAN 9%.
AND WE'RE JUST TRYING TO SAY IS LIKE, OKAY, WHEN WE'RE ABOVE 9%, YOU KNOW, JUST KIND OF LIKE HAVING A, YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE A BUSINESS HAVING A REALLY GOOD YEAR, OR IF YOU'RE A FARMER HAVING A REALLY GOOD CROP, YOU KINDA LIKE, OKAY, LET'S PUT SOME OF THIS ASIDE BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THERE'S GONNA BE A YEAR, MAYBE, MAYBE IT'S NEXT YEAR, MAYBE IT'S TWO YEARS, THREE YEARS WHEN WE'RE ONLY, WHEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE NEGATIVE GROWTH OR WE'RE ONLY GONNA BE 1% GROWTH, THEN WE CAN USE THAT FUND BALANCE IN THE BUDGET TO KIND OF SMOOTH THINGS OUT.
BECAUSE IDEALLY, YOU KNOW, WE WANT TO USE THE FUND BALANCE.
IN A, IN A PERFECT WORLD, YOU WOULD USE THE FUND BALANCE REALLY ONLY FOR ONE TIME EXPENDITURES.
HEY, WE HAD EXTRA MONEY, LET'S FIX THE ROOF, LET'S FIX THE, UM, YOU KNOW, LET'S REPAVE THE ROAD.
UM, BUT BECAUSE THIS REVENUE VOLATILITY IS SO TOUGH AND SO MUCH OF OUR, OF OUR, OF OUR, UM, EXPENDITURES,
[00:25:01]
YOU DON'T REALLY HAVE THAT LUXURY.LIKE WITH SCHOOL FUNDING AND MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT, WE DON'T, YOU DON'T HAVE THAT, THAT LUXURY.
SO WE'RE SAYING, OKAY, WHEN WE HAVE THOSE BIG YEARS, THAT WAY WHEN WE'RE IN A DOWN YEAR, WE DON'T HAVE TO SAY, OKAY, NEGATIVE GROWTH, WE HAVE TO MAKE A WHOLE BUNCH OF CUTS.
WE CAN, WE CAN RELEASE SOME OF THAT AND, AND USE IT FOR ONGOING EXPENDITURES.
WHEREAS MOST FUND BALANCE, AGAIN, YOU DON'T WANNA USE FOR THOSE ONGOING EXPENDITURES.
WELL, AND I GUESS MY QUESTION IS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THE LANDFILL CLOSURE COSTS, VERY EASY TO UNDERSTAND.
THAT'S FOR IF WE HAVE TO CLOSE THE LANDFILL, UH, YOU KNOW, STORM WATER MANAGEMENT COSTS VERY EASY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT, WHERE THAT MONEY GOES TO IF WE NEED TO USE IT.
BUT I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT'S THE FUNCTIONAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FISCAL STABILIZATION FUND AND THE REVENUE VOLATILITY FUND? IT SEEMS LIKE BOTH ARE THERE IN PLACE IF THERE'S, UH, SOME SORT OF, UH, FISCAL, UH, BAD NEWS THAT REQUIRES US TO POOL.
AND AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT PART IS, THAT PART IS CORRECT.
I THINK WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'VE NEVER REALLY HAD TO TAP INTO THAT FISCAL STABILIZATION FUND.
THE REASON WE REALLY HAVE THAT IS TO ASSURE THE BOND HOLDERS, HEY, LOOK, IF SOMETHING EVER DOES BAD, WE'VE GOT MONEY IN ORDER TO, TO, TO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN TAP INTO THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN PAY OUR, THAT WE CAN PAY OUR DEBT.
UM, ALSO JUST FROM A CITIZEN STANDPOINT, IF WE HAD A REALLY BAD INCIDENT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, WE CAN ADDRESS IT.
THIS IS NOT INTENDED TO BE A LONG-TERM RESERVE.
THE IDEA HERE IS THAT WE KNOW THAT THE REVENUES FLUCTUATE A WHOLE LOT.
SO LIKE WE, YOU KNOW, YOU SHOULDN'T SEE, YOU KNOW, THIS REVENUE OR THIS FUND BALANCE CONTINUING TO GROW INDEFINITELY.
YOU SHOULD SEE IT, YOU KNOW, THEN THE GOOD YEARS SPIKE AND THEN THE BAD YEARS, YOU KNOW, DIP DOWN.
SO IT'S THE BEST WAY WE KNOW TO TRY TO, HOW TO SMOOTH OUT REVENUE.
AND IT'S KINDA WHAT THE STATE DOES.
YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY TAKE ANY X NOW FOR THEM, THEY'RE ABLE TO DO IT ON CAPITAL GAINS.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT DATA, SO WE CAN JUST SAY, WELL, WHEN WE HAVE REALLY STRONG GROWTH, WE, WE RESERVE IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT THEY, THEY'VE BEEN DOING.
SO THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS THEY'VE ACTUALLY BEEN DOWN A LITTLE BIT.
THEY'VE BEEN DIPPING INTO THAT, UM, IN, INTO THAT MONEY.
AND SO IT'S MUCH MORE OF A SMOOTHING THING.
WHAT WE DON'T WANNA DO IS WE DON'T WANNA SAY JUST SMOOTH IT BY, UM, YOU KNOW, CHANGING OUR FORECAST.
SO LIKE WHEN WE, WE PUT OUT A REVENUE FORECAST, WE'RE SAYING, LOOK, THIS IS, THIS IS OUR BEST GUESS FOR WHAT WE THINK THIS REVENUE'S GONNA DO, BUT WE KNOW IF THAT REVENUE IS INSUFFICIENT, UM, REALLY TO MEET ALL OF OUR ONGOING OBLIGATIONS BECAUSE WE'VE PUT MONIES ASIDE, WE CAN RELEASE IT AND, AND I THINK USE IT IN GOOD CONSCIENCE AND GOOD FAITH ON ONGOING THINGS AS OPPOSED TO SAY NO, THAT CAN ONLY BE USED FOR ONE TIME.
UM, AND I APOLOGIZE, ROBBIE, I KNOW YOU'RE COMING UP LATER IN THE DAY, BUT SINCE YOU'RE ANSWERING MY QUESTION RIGHT NOW, LIKE LET'S JUST SAY NOVEMBER COMES IN, IT'S LOWER THAN WE ANTICIPATE.
ARE YOU PULLING FROM THE REVENUE VOLATILITY FUND OR ARE YOU PULLING FROM UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE TO I THINK WE WOULD HAVE TO, WE WOULD, WE WOULD PROBABLY THEN LOOK AND SEE, OKAY.
YOU KNOW, AND IT MIGHT NOT BE UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR, UM, AS TO HOW FAR IT WOULD GO IF IT WOULD PROBABLY BE IN LINE WITH WHAT WE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE EXPECT IT TO BE DOWN, BUT WE BUDGETED THE NUMBER TO BE DOWN YOU.
SO SOME OF THAT WOULD DEPEND ON, YOU KNOW, JUST HOW FAR IT WOULD ALL GO DOWN SO IT COULD COME OUT OF UNASSIGNED.
AND IT IS TOUGH BECAUSE ALL OF THESE THINGS, YOU KNOW, UNASSIGNED ISN'T JUST INCOME TAX, ALTHOUGH THE LAST YEAR IT'S LARGELY BEEN ABOUT INCOME TAX.
IT'S ALSO ABOUT ALL TYPES OF OTHER THINGS.
YOU KNOW, INTEREST INCOME WAS UP OR, OR, OR YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS, THIS, THIS REVENUE WAS UP OR THIS, WE HAD THIS, THIS SALARY SAVINGS.
UM, SO IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A, UM, NOT, YOU KNOW, NOT FOR SURE.
BUT IF WE, BUT IF WE SEE THAT THE, THE REVENUE AGAIN IS LESS THAN 3%, THAT'S GONNA BE THE TRIGGER.
SO IF IT'S LESS THAN 3%, UM, LESS THAN 3% GROWTH, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, WE'RE GONNA RELEASE THAT IN ORDER TO USE IT IN A, IN A FUTURE BUDGET OR IN THE CURRENT BUDGET, DEPENDING ON IF, IF WE NEED THE MONEY NOW OR TO USE IT IN A FUTURE BUDGET.
FIRST OFF, UH, BRIAN, THANK YOU.
AND YOUR TEAM, UH, MY FOURTH YEAR HERE, AND YOU GUYS HAVE BEEN ON POINT EVERY, EVERY YEAR, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, BUT TO YOU, ROBBIE, I UNDERSTAND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REVENUE, BUT WE ALSO GOTTA TALK ABOUT WE DON'T KNOW THE UNEXPECTED AND, AND WE ALL KNOW IT'S COMING NEXT YEAR.
THE STATE IS IN, IN DIRE NEED OF MONEY, AND SO THEY'RE GONNA PUSH THINGS DOWN TO THE COUNTY.
ARE, IS ANY OF THAT FUND THAT WE ARE SPEAKING ABOUT GOING TO BE USED FOR UNEXPECTED THINGS THAT THE, THE STATE'S GONNA YEAH, I MEAN TO, TO SOME EXTENT, YES.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, AT THE, THE, THE WAY THE BUDGET PROCESS ALWAYS WORKS IS SPENDING AFFORDABILITY TRIES TO COME UP WITH WHAT THE, THE REVENUE IS GOING TO BE.
JUST THE, THE ONGOING, YOU KNOW, THE ONGOING REVENUE OR IF THEY, THEY DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS LIKE, THEY KNEW ABOUT A PARTICULAR ONE TIME REVENUE, THEY COULD ALSO NOTE THAT IN THEIR, IN THEIR DEAL.
THEN WE HAVE OUR FUND BALANCE, AND THEN WHAT THE COUNTY DOES IS WE TAKE THAT THE ONGOING REVENUE, AND THEN WE'RE LOOKING AT ALL THE THINGS WE HAVE TO DO, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE THINGS WE HAVE TO DO BECAUSE
I MEAN, WE COULD ALWAYS USE THAT MONEY, BUT IT KIND OF GETS INTO THE SAME THING WHERE VERY
[00:30:01]
SELDOM DOES THE STATE COME IN NOW AND SAY THIS IS A ONE-TIME THING.NOW, THERE MAY BE SOME EXCEPTIONS TO THAT.
I WOULD SAY THE BIGGEST EXCEPTION TO THAT MIGHT BE WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO PAY.
IF YOU ARE WRONGFULLY INCARCERATED IN THE STATE OF MARYLAND AND THERE IS A SETTLEMENT THAT SAYS YOU NEED TO BE COMPENSATED FOR BEING WRONGFULLY INCARCERATED, THE STATE IS NOW SAYING YOU NEED WE THAT WE'RE GONNA SPLIT THAT COST, THAT SETTLEMENT COST WITH THE COUNTIES.
SO THAT PROBABLY IS A TRUE ONE TIME, HEY, WE GOT IT THIS YEAR, BUT MAYBE NOT FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER ONE.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT TEACHER PENSION COSTS, PRIVATE PRE-K, STATE DEPARTMENT OF ASSESSMENTS AND TAXATION, UM, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THESE COSTS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ONGOING.
SO IF YOU USE THAT MONEY, YOU STILL GOTTA COME UP WITH AN WITH, UM, WITH A, WITH A LONG-TERM SOLUTION BECAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU NEED TO, UM, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO FUND, FUND ALL OF THAT.
I THINK WHAT WE'RE MOSTLY AFTER HERE WITH THIS REVENUE VOLATILITY IS TO SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, IF WE KNOW THAT, THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE YEARS WHERE THE INCOME TAX IS DOWN, BUT YOU CAN'T JUST CUT THINGS SUPER EASY.
SO THIS WOULD ENABLE THINGS TO KIND OF SMOOTH OUT MORE OR LESS OUR, OUR ONGOING THINGS.
THE STUFF, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE LIKE, WE'RE ELECTRICITY'S GONNA GO UP, YOU KNOW, OUR FUNDING, OUR FUNDING FOR MOST OF OUR AGENCIES IS GONNA GO UP, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS GONNA, OUR HEALTH INSURANCE ALWAYS GOES UP.
LIKE WE ALWAYS HAVE TO HAVE SOME, SOME AMOUNT OF MONEY TO JUST MAKE THAT HAPPEN.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT THIS REVENUE VOLATILITY IS MORE ABOUT, ABOUT JUST SMOOTHING SOME OF THOSE ONGOING EXPENDITURES.
AND SO WHAT IS OUR PLAN FOR WHEN THEY DO HIT US NEXT YEAR WITH, YOU'RE NOW GOING TO TAKE ON, I, I THINK THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S DECIDED NEXT YEAR, YEAR.
AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE TRY TO, UM, NOT OVEREXTEND OURSELVES.
AND BY NOT HAVING A LOT OF ONGOING, YOU KNOW, TRY TO SAY LIKE, THIS IS PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA OF THE SCHOOLS, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE ONCE YOU GIVE FUNDS TO THE SCHOOLS, NOW IT'S PART OF THE MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT AND YOU REALLY CAN'T CALL THAT BACK.
SO BECAUSE THERE IS SO MUCH UNKNOWN, THAT'S PART OF THE REASONS OF, OF NOT MAKING ALL THESE ONGOING COMMITMENTS.
AND YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU DO HAVE, HAVE, UH, ONE-TIME REVENUES USING 'EM FOR ONE-TIME THINGS AND NOT OVEREXTENDING YOURSELF, WE ARE MOST DEFINITELY GOING TO GET HIT WITH MORE STATE COSTS.
THE VERY MINIMUM YOU'RE GONNA HAVE MORE PENSION COSTS.
UM, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALSO SO MANY OTHER THINGS THAT THEY ARE CONTINUING TO LOOK AT, UM, ALL THE TIME.
MARYLAND IS PROBABLY AT THE POINT NOW WHERE I DON'T KNOW IF THEY CAN INCREASE THEIR TAXES ANYMORE BEYOND WHAT THEY'VE DONE.
YOU KNOW, THEY INCREASED SOME OF THE HIGHER INCOME EARNERS, THEY'VE DONE THE CAPITAL GAINS STAR TAX IN ORDER TO PROBABLY DO WHAT THEY WOULD NEED TO DO, THEY WOULD PROBABLY HAVE TO LOOK AT THE SALES TAX OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE, IF THEY'RE GOING TO DO THAT OR PUSH MORE DOWN TO THE COUNTY.
AND BECAUSE THE COUNTY, WHEN THEY CUT TO THE COUNTY, THEY DON'T REAL, THEY'RE NOT REALLY CUTTING.
THEY'RE NOT SAYING, WELL, WE'RE NOT GONNA DO THIS.
THEY'RE JUST SAYING SOMEBODY ELSE HAS TO PAY FOR IT NOW.
CAN WE, IF WE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, CAN WE PUSH 'EM TO BRIAN, UH, SO THAT WE CAN MOVE ALONG? UH, ROBBIE'S GONNA BE UP HERE.
WE'LL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME WITH ROB.
ALRIGHT, GOOD MORNING, COUNCIL PRESIDENT AND COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'D LIKE TO ALSO ECHO MY THANKS WHILE WE'RE ALL HERE TO THE COMMITTEE, UH, BRIAN AND, AND THE REST OF THE COMMITTEE FOR THE EXCELLENT WORK THEY'VE DONE, UH, EVERY YEAR.
UH, I KNOW IT'S, THEY, THEY GET PAID A LOT, SO WE DESERVE THAT.
BUT
SO, GOOD MORNING COUNCIL MEMBERS.
I'M, I'M PLEASED TO PRESENT MY FISCAL 2027 BUDGET.
UH, THIS BUDGET FULFILLS MY PROMISE TO HARDWORKING FAMILIES THAT THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT CAN LIVE WITHIN OUR TAXPAYERS MEANS AND STILL MAKE RECORD LEVEL INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC SAFETY AND EDUCATION AND ENHANCE OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.
UH, BUT GETTING HERE HAS NOT BEEN EASY AND IT'S NOT GONNA BE EASY TO SUSTAIN IT EITHER.
UH, BASED UPON WHAT YOU JUST HEARD AND THE UNCERTAINTY FROM THE STATE.
WHEN I CAME INTO OFFICE FOUR YEARS AGO, THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT WAS SPENDING MORE THAN IT WAS TAKING IN, LEAVING MY ADMINISTRATION WITH A $90 MILLION STRUCTURAL DEFICIT.
WHAT, UH, WE, THAT'S HAPPENED BECAUSE THE COUNTY HAD RELIED ON ONE TIME FUNDS TO INCUR ONGOING EXPENSES.
JUST THE POINT THAT ROBBIE WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT.
UH, TODAY, THAT DEFICIT HAS BEEN ELIMINATED AND WE'RE ON A SUSTAINABLE PATH WHERE SPENDING ALIGNS WITH ANTICIPATED REVENUE GROWTH.
AND ONE-TIME FUNDS ARE BEING USED FOR ONE-TIME EXPENDITURES.
WE JUST, WE CAN'T OVEREMPHASIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT AS WE, AS WE LOOK AT FUND BALANCES AND THE LIKE, AND USING ONE TIME GROWTH, ONE TIME, OR UNCERTAIN FUNDS FOR ONETIME EXPENDITURES.
SO WE DID THIS IN PART BY RESISTING DEMANDS TO CONTINUE SPENDING AT THE SUGAR HIGH LEVELS OF THE COVID
[00:35:01]
AND TI PANDEMIC AND THE FEDERAL STIMULUS STIMULUS YEARS.THIS INCLUDES DEMANDS FROM THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, WHICH DID USE ONE TIME COVID WINDFALL, UH, PROVIDED BY THE COUNTY FOR NEW ONGOING EXPENSES, AND THEN DEMANDED THAT THE COUNTY ASSUME THOSE ONGOING EXPENSES AT A MUCH HIGHER LEVEL, UH, AND THE BURDEN OF THOSE COSTS.
UH, WE DID THIS EVEN AFTER LEARNING ONE MONTH, UH, INTO MY TERM, THAT THE VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE SERVICE WAS NO LONGER GONNA BE VIABLE AND WE HAD TO, UH, QUICKLY STAFF AND EQUIP 17 AMBULANCE UNITS COUNTYWIDE.
SINCE THEN, WE'VE REDUCED RESPONSE TIMES AND WE'RE SAVING LIVES EVERY DAY.
WE ALSO HELD THE LINE ON THE 25% OF THE COUNTY'S GENERAL FUND BUDGET THAT OPERATES UNDER MY DIRECT ADMINISTRATION OF CONTROL WITH AN INCREASE OF ONLY 1% EXCEPT FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
THIS RECORD STANDS IN SHARP CONTRAST TO THE BUDGET INCREASES OF THE OUTSIDE AGENCIES THAT CONSUME THE MAJORITY OF OUR BUDGET, AND WHICH I HAVE NO ABILITY TO COMPEL FROM, WHICH I HAVE NO ABILITY TO COMPEL FISCAL DISCIPLINE.
I NOTE THAT THOSE OUTSIDE AGENCIES ROUTINELY GET A PASS IN THIS COUNCIL, UH, WHICH YEAR AFTER YEAR EXPENSES VERY CLOSE INTEREST IN THE ONE QUARTER OF THE BUDGET, WHICH THIS COUNTY GOVERNMENT ACTUALLY CAN CONTROL AND DEMAND FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, FISCAL DISCIPLINE, FISCAL DISCIPLINE, PROCEED PROCUREMENT SAVINGS AND GREATER EFFICIENCIES.
AND THOSE ARE THE TOOLS OF GOOD GOVERNANCE THAT HAVE HELPED US, UH, UH, DIRECT RECORD LEVELS OF FUNDING TO THE 75% OF THE BUDGET THAT FUNDS OUR PRIORITIES OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND EDUCATION, PARTICULARLY ON OUR, UH, VOLUNTEER AMBULANCE OR AMBULANCE AND OUR VOLUNTEER FIRE SERVICE.
UH, AND, AND, AND MAINTAINING THE FUNDING FOR THE POLICE.
IF CITIZENS DON'T FEEL SAFE, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS.
THAT'S WHY MY TOP PRIORITY CONTINUES TO BE PUBLIC SAFETY THROUGH HIGHLY TRAINED AND EQUIPPED AMBULANCE SERVICE, ROBUST VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES AND HIGHLY COMPETITIVE SALARIES FOR OUR SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES, ALONG WITH THE STANDING UP OF 17 AMBULANCE UNITS WITH LIFESAVING EQUIPMENT FOR CITIZENS WHO ARE SICK OR INJURED.
WE ALSO INVESTED IN IMPROVED SERVICE, UH, WITH LIFESAVING INTERVENTIONS, INCLUDING THE INFUSION OF A WHOLE BLOOD SYSTEMS AND THE ABILITY TO, UH, UH, OPEN A PATIENT'S AIRWAY USING THE PROCEDURE CALLED RAPID SEQUENCE INNOVATION.
THOSE ARE BOTH INVESTMENTS IN OUR BUDGET.
OUR VOLUNTEER FIRE COMPANIES THAT SERVE US WITH TIRELESS DEDICATION ON THIS BUDGET WILL RECEIVE RECORD LEVEL FUNDING AND SUPPORT FOR THEIR CRITICAL MISSIONS AND TO STRENGTHEN LAW ENFORCEMENT.
WE'RE AGAIN INVESTING IN SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES OF HEAD OF BUILDINGS.
AND EACH YEAR MY ADMINISTRATION DEPUTIES HAVE RECEIVED SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES TO ALIGN WITH THE DEPUTY SALARY STUDY.
AND NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET PROVIDES FUNDING TO RAISE THE AVERAGE DEPUTY'S DEPUTY SALARY TO 113,700 BEFORE OVERTIME MAKING HARTFORD HIGHLY COMPETITIVE AMONG AREA JURISDICTIONS.
THIS IS POSSIBLE AGAIN, BECAUSE WE FOLLOW THE RECOMMENDATIONS, THE SHERIFF'S OWN STUDY THAT RECOMMENDED AGAINST BUILDING A NEW ABODE PRECINCT THAT WOULD'VE COST 6 MILLION ANNUALLY JUST TO OPERATE MY BUDGET.
ALSO INVEST IN STATE-OF-THE-ART VEHICLES AND EQUIPMENT FOR DEPUTIES WHO PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE TO PROTECT US.
OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS, OPERATING FUNDING FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS INCREASED BY 25.6%.
ALL OF THIS, THE 17 NEW AMBULANCE CREWS, THE SUPPORT FOR FIRE COMPANIES AND LAW ENFORCEMENT SALARIES WAS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART BY MY DECISION TO FOCUS ON PEOPLE WHO ARE SAVING LIVES INSTEAD OF BUILDING NEW BUILDINGS.
THIS BUDGET ALSO SUPPORTS PUBLIC SAFETY BY PROVIDING RECORD LEVEL FUNDING IN THE COURT FOR COURT SYSTEMS AND THE STATE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TO HELP KEEP CRIMINALS OFF OF OUR STREETS.
FUNDING IS ALSO PROVIDED BY BUDGET FOR SCHOOL SAFETY MEASURES THAT HAVE BEEN REQUESTED BY THE SCHOOL BOARD.
K THROUGH 12 EDUCATION WILL RECEIVE RECORD LEVEL FUNDING THIS YEAR, THE SECOND HIGHEST DOLLAR INCREASE IN COUNTY HISTORY, AND DOUBLE THE INCREASE FROM THE OPERATING FUNDING THAT HCPS WILL RECEIVE FROM THE STATE IN THE NEXT, IN THE NEXT YEAR.
MY BUDGET INCLUDES FULL FUNDING FOR INSTRUCTIONAL SALARY INCREASES REQUESTED BY THE SCHOOL BOARD, INCLUDING THE $60,000 STARTING SALARIES FOR NEW TEACHERS REQUIRED BY THE STATE.
HARTFORD PROVIDES LOCAL PER PUPIL FUNDING IN LINE WITH OUR PER CAPITA INCOMES, PEERS LIKE CARROLL AND BALTIMORE COUNTIES.
AS THE STATE CONTINUES TO SUPPORT ITS RUNAWAY SPENDING BY PUSHING SOME COSTS ONTO THE COUNTIES, WE CONTINUE TO ABSORB THESE UNEXPECTED COUGH SHIFTS, WHICH INCLUDE 3 MILLION MORE IN PRIVATE PRE-K AND TEACHER PENSIONS NEXT YEAR.
CAPITAL PROJECTS FOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS, INCLUDING NEW ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, THE NEW HARTFORD ACADEMY AND NEW ROOF FOR HALLS CROSSROADS ELEMENTARY, NEW HVAC SYSTEMS FOR EDGEWOOD MIDDLE, AND MANY MORE.
SCHOOL CAPITAL CON CONSTRUCTION NEEDS WILL CONTINUE TO ESCALATE DUE TO AGING SCHOOLS.
WE PUT PEGO FUNDING TOWARDS THIS, BUT MUCH MORE WILL BE NEEDED IN COMING YEARS TO PREVENT A CRISIS.
OUR SCHOOLS CANNOT CONTINUE DOWN THE PATH OF DEFERRING MUCH NEEDED MAINTENANCE AND, AND RENOVATIONS IN FAVOR OF THEIR INSATIABLE DEMANDS FOR OPERATING EXPENSE INCREASES.
WE MUST STICK TO A RIGID SCHEDULE OF SCHOOL MAINTENANCE AND RENOVATION OR RISK FINANCIAL CRISIS
[00:40:01]
AS MUCH NEEDED.UH, IMPROVEMENTS MAKE SCHOOLS NON NON-FUNCTIONAL.
HARFORD COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY WILL RECEIVE RECORD LEVEL FUNDING AND THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE OPERATING BUDGET REQUEST IS FULLY FUNDED.
FUNDING IS ALSO PROVIDED FOR THE COLLEGE'S NEW WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CENTER.
QUALITY OF LIFE IS IMPORTANT AND DESPITE STATE CUTBACKS, MY ADMINISTRATION CONTINUES TO INVEST IN SCHOOLS, PARKS AND ROWS AND INCLUDING FUNDING SET ASIDE SO WE CAN ACT QUICKLY.
WHEN LAND BECOMES AVAILABLE TO BUILD TURN LANES AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS, IT HELPS TRAFFIC SLOW AND TO HELP TRAFFIC FLOW AND, UH, IMPROVE SAFETY.
INVESTMENTS IN PARKS AND RECREATION FACILITIES INCLUDE NEW FIELDS IN FALLSTON, IN GIPA TOWN PARKS IN NORRISVILLE AND EDGEWOOD AINES ACTIVITY CENTER AND PARK.
IMPROVEMENTS IN IN IA MILL JUS MILL ROAD, MARINER POINT, AND OUR CROWN JEWEL PENINSULA PARK SYSTEM.
THAT'S A SUMMARY OF WHAT'S WHAT'S IN THIS BUDGET.
NOW I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOMENT TO DISCUSS EXTERNAL PRESSURES THAT MAY ARISE DURING THESE BUDGET HEARINGS.
DESPITE A 9.2% INCREASE IN COUNTY FUNDS FOR HCPS, WE LIKELY HEAR CALLS FOR THE UNION OPERATIVES FOR EVEN MORE.
HCPS ALREADY RECEIVES HALF OF THE COUNTY'S GENERAL REVENUE.
ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDINGS WOULD CUT DEEPLY INTO PUBLIC SAFETY OR NONPROFIT FUNDING, OR COUNTY DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE ALREADY OPERATING WITH MINIMAL FUNDING.
SPECIFICALLY HCPS HAS ASKED FOR $15 MILLION MORE.
PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, 15 MILLION WOULD WIPE OUT OUR ENTIRE DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION, OUR SENIOR PROGRAMS AND OUR SUPPORT FOR HUMANE SOCIETY.
KEEP IN MIND THAT AN ADDITIONAL 15 MILLION THIS YEAR WOULD ALSO INCREASE OUR STATE REQUIRED MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT MOVING FORWARD.
MEANING AN EXTRA 60 MILLION WILL BE REQUIRED OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS JUST TO STAY EVEN FORCING A REALLY JUST FOLKS THIS WOULD FORCE THE TAX INCREASE THAT THE UNIONS ARE ADVOCATING FOR.
THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT WHILE EDUCATION IS A PRIORITY, SUCH AN OUTSIZE INCREASE WOULD BE DEVASTATING TO OUR CITIZENS' OVERALL QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE SECOND MOST TAX STATE IN THE NATION.
IT REQUIRES STRENGTH TO STAND UP FOR TAXPAYERS INSTEAD OF GOING ALONG TO GET ALONG.
IN CLOSING, I WOULD FIRST LIKE TO THANK OUR TAXPAYERS, THANKS ALSO TO MY BUDGET TEAM AND ALL THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES FOR THEIR OUTSTANDING WORK ON BEHALF OF THE CITIZENS WE SERVE.
UH, COUNSEL, ANY QUESTIONS? MS. MOFF? I KNOW WE'LL KIND OF GET DOWN TO IT.
YOU OBVIOUSLY BROKE DOWN A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE ARE FUNDING AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
THERE'S OBVIOUSLY SOME OUTLIERS THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT.
AND WHILE YOU'RE HERE, I WANTED TO ASK, UM, THE HUMANE SOCIETY FOR ONE.
UM, THERE'S CONCERN ABOUT THEIR ABILITY TO MAINTAIN THEIR SERVICES FOR YEARS TO COME MOVING FORWARD, AND THEY ASK FOR MORE THAN IS BUDGETED FOR THEM.
IS THERE A REASON, KNOWING THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE TO FOLD IN THE COMING YEARS? I THOUGHT WE MET THEIR BUDGET DEMANDS.
SO WE, WE INCREASED THE HUMANE SOCIETY, I BELIEVE FROM, UH, 1.3 MILLION TO 1.9 MILLION.
UM, SO WITHIN THE 1.9 MILLION, UH, 1.8 MILLION IS FOR JUST GENERAL OPERATING.
AND THEN WE INCLUDED ANOTHER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AS A, UM, CONTINGENCY.
UM, FREQUENTLY THEY GET, YOU KNOW, UH, COURT MANDATED SEIZURES OF ANIMALS THAT, UM, MAYBE, UH, THAT THEY CAN'T ABSORB WITHIN THEIR, THEIR OPERATIONS VERY EASILY.
UM, SO THAT EXTRA A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IS TO ADDRESS THOSE SITUATIONS AS THEY ARISE.
UH, BUT OVERALL, UM, YOU KNOW, THE, THE INCREASE OF, UM, YOU KNOW, CLOSE TO $600,000, UH, ABOVE LAST YEAR'S OR THIS YEAR'S BUDGET OF 1.3 IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE.
AND, AND THE BIGGEST ISSUE THAT THE HUMANE SOCIETY BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION WERE THAT REALLY BLOWS THEIR BUDGET ARE THESE CA BY LAW ENFORCEMENT, WHICH THEY HAVE NO WAY TO PREDICT.
AND SO WHAT MY POSITION, WHAT I'VE TOLD THE HUMANE SOCIETY IS THEY SHOULDN'T BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY OF THAT.
SO WE'VE BUDGETED 200, A HUNDRED RIGHT NOW, A HUNDRED THOUSAND, A HUNDRED THOUSAND CURRENTLY BUDGETED.
BUT IF THAT GOES OVER, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL BECAUSE THAT SHOULD BE, UH, THAT'S PART OF LAW ENFORCEMENT.
THAT'S, AND, AND SO IT'S NOT FAIR.
SO WHAT I'VE TOLD THEM IS WHEN YOU GET HIT WITH THAT, YOU NEED TO PUSH THAT OVER TO THE COUNTY.
SO WE, WHAT THEY WERE DOING IS THEY WERE FIGHTING THOSE BATTLES THEMSELVES.
THEY WERE GETTING, THEY'RE SPENDING $40,000 ON THIS GROUP OF SEIZED ANIMALS AND THEN THEY WERE PURSUING THE LEGAL.
YOU NEED TO GIVE US THE BILL, BILL THE COUNTY FOR THAT MM-HMM
WE WILL PAY THE BILL AND THEN WE, OUR LAW DEPARTMENT WILL PURSUE THE PERSON WHO THE OWNER FOR THE, FOR THE, FOR THE, UM, THE, THE, THE RE REIMBURSEMENT.
AND I THINK THAT ALLEVIATE A LOT OF THEIR CONCERN.
'CAUSE THAT THEY'RE BIG, THEY'RE BIG, THIS VOLATILITY AND THEN HAVING TO PAY LAWYERS TO GO AFTER IT.
IT'S LIKE, NO, THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE.
WELL, I THINK THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE COUNTY SAYS, THAT THE COUNTY IS LIABLE FOR ANY
[00:45:01]
SEIZURE COSTS ARE WE PAID UP TO DATE.SO I, I BELIEVE THE, THE, THE MEMORANDUM WITH THE COUNTY, UM, SAYS THAT THE HUMANE SOCIETY CAN ASK THE COUNTY TO COME UP WITH, WITH THOSE FUNDS.
IT DOESN'T REQUIRE THE COUNTY TO, OH, BUT WE HAVE A GOOD RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM IN THE PAST WHEN THEY'VE HAD THESE SORT OF UNBUDGETED LARGE SEIZURES, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WANNA WORK WITH THEM AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND AS THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL WORK WITH THEM IF WE HAVE TO COME BACK TO THE COUNCIL AT SOME POINT WE MAY, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST, THERE'S NO WAY OF OF KNOWING WHETHER, WHETHER THEY WILL HAVE THOSE ISSUES IN THE COMING FISCAL YEAR.
AND IF, AND IF SO, THE EXTENT TO WHICH THEY HAPPEN.
AND, AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHY WE HAVE THE UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE.
WHEN YOU HAVE THOSE, YOU KNOW, OCCASIONAL THINGS THAT HAPPEN, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR, BUT MAYBE NOT NEXT YEAR, AND THAT WE'RE ABLE TO TAKE IT BEFORE COUNSEL AND, AND TRANSFER THOSE FUNDS.
BUT AGAIN, THEY WERE, THEY WERE WAITING UNTIL THE END.
THEY NOW YOU'RE 40 GRAND, WE WANNA SEE THIS MONTH TO MONTH, LET US PAY IT MONTH TO MONTH AND THEN LET OUR LAWYERS BE GOING INTO COURT INSTEAD OF, I MEAN THEY WERE TAKING ON ALL THE BURDEN OF THIS, RIGHT? SO GOING INTO COURT AND SAYING, JUDGE, WE GOT THESE ANIMALS.
YOU JUST POSTPONED THE CASE ANOTHER MONTH.
THAT SHOULDN'T BE THEIR BURDEN.
OUR LAW, OUR LAWYERS SHOULD BE IN THERE SAYING, WE JUST PAID THE INVOICE AND JUDGE, YOU NEED TO NOT PUT ANOTHER DELAY.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO PULL ALL THAT BURDEN OFF OF THEM.
SO, AND I KNOW THAT UNCERTAINTY, THEY HAD MAJOR SEIZURES THIS PAST YEAR.
HAVE WE COVERED THOSE COSTS? I KNOW WE'VE PAID A LOT OF THOSE.
OUR INTENT, MY DIRECTION WAS TO PAY THOSE COSTS.
SO I CAN'T TELL YOU WHETHER EVERY INVOICE HAS BEEN PAID, BUT WE'RE COVERING THOSE COSTS.
UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING TO BE WITH US THIS YEAR.
UM, MY FIRST QUESTION, YOU KNOW, I REPRESENT DISTRICT F, WHICH INCLUDES SUSSNA HOSE COMPANY AND I KNOW CHIEF HEARST HAS REACHED OUT TO YOU IN, IN MULTIPLE DIFFERENT, UH, AVENUES TO TRY AND CONTACT YOU ABOUT HOUSE FOUR.
UM, HOUSE FOUR IS IN DESPERATE NEED OF REDESIGN AND REMODEL, NOT JUST TO KEEP UP WITH MODERN DEMANDS IN FIRE RESPONSE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES, BUT ALSO THEY HAVE A MAJOR MOLD PROBLEM AND THERE'S PEOPLE SLEEPING THERE OVERNIGHT AND THEY DON'T HAVE PROPER, UH, YOU KNOW, GENDERED BATHROOMS AND BUNKING AND, UM, YET AGAIN, THIS IS THE THIRD YEAR THEY'VE ASKED ABOUT HOUSE FOUR TO JUST SPLIT THE FUNDING ON DESIGN WORK OVER ACROSS TWO YEARS AND TO MOVE IT FORWARD.
AND THIS IS THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW.
HOUSE FOUR HAS NOT BEEN MOVED.
SO I'M ASKING SPECIFICALLY, 'CAUSE I KNOW CHIEF HURST HAS REACHED OUT TO YOU AT LEAST TWICE TO ASK ABOUT THIS.
AND I KNOW MR. MCCORD CAME OUT TO HOUSE FOUR WITH ME AND WE HAD A MEETING WITH CHIEF HURST AND I KNOW, UM, UH, I JUST WANNA HEAR WHAT'S YOUR INTENTIONS WITH HOW ITS FOR SURE.
SO CHIEF FIRST REACHED OUT LAST WEEK, I THINK THURSDAY OR SO.
UM, WE'VE DRAFTED A LETTER, THE LETTER'S IN STAFF TO RESPOND TO HIM.
I REALIZE SOME FOLKS WANNA RESPOND LIKE FIVE MINUTES AFTER THEY REACH OUT TO YOU.
THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN THIS COUNTY.
UM, BUT IN A NUTSHELL, ON ON CAPITAL, WE LET THE VOLUNTEER, THE ASSOCIATION DRIVE THE CAPITAL PROJECTS.
WHAT WE CAN DO IS IF YOU GOT A $10 MILLION PROJECT AND WE CAN'T FUND THAT, BUT UNDERNEATH THAT IS A COUPLE OF HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS PROJECTS.
SO WE COULD SAY, WELL, WE CAN'T DO THE 10 MILLION, BUT IF YOU WANNA SLIDE THESE UP, WE CAN DO A COUPLE OF THESE, BUT I CAN'T DO YOUR 10 MILLION RIGHT NOW SO THAT THAT MAY INTERFERE, INTERFERE WITH THE ORDER.
BUT WE, WE TRY TO LIMIT OUR, OUR CAPITAL EXPENDITURES TO ABOUT A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR.
WE'VE BEEN EXCEEDING THAT CONSISTENTLY.
AND THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE ONCE YOU INCUR THE DEBT, NOW YOU HAVE TO PAY THAT DEBT AND THAT ADDS TO THE OPERATING EXPENSE IN THE ONGOING YEARS.
SO IF WE, IF WE DON'T CONTROL OUR CAPITAL OUTLAYS AND MANAGE THOSE, THOSE OPERATING EXPENSES ARE GONNA GET AWAY FROM US OR THE, THE, THE, THE BURDEN, THE DEBT BURDEN IS GONNA GET AWAY FROM US.
THE, THE ONE BIG TICKING THAT, WHEN WE LOOK AT THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURES, THE ONE BIG CHALLENGE WE HAVE AS A COUNTY THAT THAT, THAT REALLY KINDA KEEPS ME TROUBLED IS OUR SCHOOLS.
WE BUILT ALL THESE SCHOOLS IN THE EIGHTIES AND IN THE NINETIES, NOW THEY'RE 50 YEARS OLD.
THIS IS A POINT THAT THE LAST SUPERINTENDENT AND I DISCUSSED REPEATEDLY, AND HE MADE A REALLY GOOD POINT ON IT, THAT WE GOTTA BE, WE, WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO KICK THE, THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD ON ALL THOSE SCHOOLS.
WHAT WE DO, WE REPEATEDLY KICKED THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.
UM, AND WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY REACHING CRISIS POINT WITH LEAKING ROOFS.
UM, BUT YOU CAN'T EXPECT AN HVAC SYSTEMS AND ROWS THESE MAJOR SYSTEMS IN THE SCHOOLS TO GO BEYOND 50 YEARS.
WE'RE AT 50 YEARS AND, AND, UH, SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO EITHER BUILD NEW OR RENOVATE.
UM, SO, YOU KNOW, I I GOT IT THAT WHEN, WHEN WE, WHEN WE LOOK AT CAPITAL PROJECTS, IT'S NOT JUST THE FIRE SYSTEM, IT'S EVERYTHING ELSE.
SO WHAT HAVE WE DONE? WELL, THEY, THEY'RE PRIORITIES.
[00:50:01]
WE BUILT THE BELL CAMP.WE'RE BUILDING, WELL, WE DID THE, WE DID THE OTHER HOUSE, HOUSE ONE, I GUESS IT WASN'T HAVE GRACE.
THEN WE DID BELL CAMP, NOW WE'RE DOING WHITEFORD.
AND NOW THEIR NEXT BIG PROJECT IS, IS, IS IS HOUSE FOUR.
UM, LOOK, HE'S GOTTA FIT IN WITH THE OVERALL CAPITAL BUDGET SCHEME.
UM, WHERE MY PROPOSAL TO THEM IS WE'LL MOVE FORWARD THIS YEAR WITH A FEASIBILITY STUDY THAT'LL IDENTIFY BIG, BIG ISSUES, UM, THAT WE CAN POSSIBLY ADDRESS.
BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, TO TRY TO, I CAN'T BUMP THEM AHEAD OF THE NEW SCHOOL.
AND, AND, UH, SO WE WANT TO WORK WITH THEM.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S, WE GOTTA BE FISCALLY CONSCIOUS RESPONSIBLE HERE.
AND IT'S ALL THESE PRIORITIES, THEY'RE COMPETING PRIORITIES AND I GOT IT.
BUT WE, WE WERE GONNA HAVE TO, AND I, I KNOW ALLOCATE, I KNOW CHIEF FIRST IS TRYING TO RECOGNIZE THAT FISCAL PRESSURE BY SAYING YOU CAN REDUCE THE AMOUNT FOR, UH, DESIGN WORK FROM A MILLION DOLLARS TO $800,000 SPLIT OVER TWO YEARS.
BUT THEN, BUT HERE'S THE PROBLEM IS YOU DO THE DESIGN AND THEN YOU DELAY THE CONSTRUCTION AND NOW YOUR DESIGN DOESN'T INCLUDE THE LATEST CONSTRUCTION OR THE LATEST COST.
SO YOU WANNA DO DESIGN CONSTRUCTION.
AND SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS FEASIBILITY STUDY DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, BUT BREAKING THIS OVER SEVERAL YEARS, UH, IT'S, IT'S REALLY THE BIG NUT IS THE CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
THAT'S YOUR, THAT'S YOUR BIG NUT THAT YOU GOTTA LOOK AT.
AND WHEN DOES THAT COME IN? IF I CAN'T DO THAT WITHIN THE YEAR AFTER THE PLANNING AND EVERYTHING GOES IN AND I SAY, WELL, I CAN'T DO IT THEN 'CAUSE I GOT THIS SCHOOL TO COMPLETE.
AND, AND, AND THE NEW SCHOOL IS REALLY, IT'S THE PIG GOING THROUGH THE PYTHON.
IT'S A, I'M NOT TRYING TO DENIGRATE CALL THE SCHOOL A PIG.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT'S, THAT THE IMPACT OF THE COST OF THAT NEW SCHOOL ON THE CAPITAL BUDGET, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, DROPPING A BIG ROCK IN THE POND, NOT A PEBBLE.
SO WE'RE, WE'RE HAVING TO ADJUST SOME STUFF AND I APPRECIATE THAT, THAT, THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO MOVE THINGS ALONG.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK WITH THEM, UH, WE'LL CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE AND, AND, AND THEN WORK WITH FOLKS.
I GUESS I UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING YOU'RE SAYING RIGHT NOW.
I THINK WHAT MAKES, UM, NOT TO SPEAK FOR CHIEF HEARST, BUT I THINK THE REASON HE HAS SO MUCH HEARTBURN OVER THIS ISSUE IS IT'S HIS UNDERSTANDING THAT, UH, MEMBERS OF THE ADMINISTRATION IN THE PAST HAVE SAID, WHY DOES HANNITY GRACE HAVE FIVE HOUSES? I'M THE, I'M THE MEMBER OF THE ADMINISTRATION THAT MATTERS.
I'VE WENT PERSONALLY GONE OVER THE, UH, SEVERAL MONTHS AGO AND SAT WITH, WITH CHIEF HEARST IN HIS FIRE STATION AND SPENT, I DON'T KNOW, AN HOUR TWO.
I DON'T, IT WAS A LONG TIME OVER THERE.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO HEAR FROM YOU THAT YOU SUPPORT ALL FIVE HOUSES IN THEIR PLACE THAT HAVE YEAH, WHEN WE CAN WE'RE OUR, OUR INTENTION IS TO MOVE FORWARD, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THEIR DECISION.
SO, UM, AND THEN I WANTED TO ASK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, AND THIS PROBABLY WILL BE MORE SO A QUESTION FOR UM, ROBBIE LATER, BUT WHILE YOU'RE HERE, YOU KNOW, I THINK BASED ON ME REACHING OUT TO ALL THE DIFFERENT, UM, AGENCIES THAT WE FUND, THAT IF EVERYBODY WAS TO, YOU KNOW, THE HUMANE SOCIETY, THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, THE LIBRARIES, UM, THE SCHOOLS, IF EVERYBODY WAS TO RECEIVE WHAT THEY ASKED, IT'D BE SOMEWHERE AROUND $25 MILLION MORE THAN WHAT'S LISTED IN THE BUDGET.
AND GOING THROUGH OUR FUND BALANCE, YOU KNOW, OUR TOTAL ESTIMATED FUND BALANCE AS OF JUNE 30TH, 2026 IS $214.7 MILLION.
THAT'S AN INCREASE COMPARED TO JUNE 30TH, 2025 OF 55.7 MILLION.
AND THEN EVEN WHEN YOU ADD IN THE STABLE OR THE VOLATILITY FUND OF 19.5 MILLION, OUR UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE ON JUNE 30TH, 2026 IS AN INCREASE OF $38.2 MILLION, UH, AS COMPARED TO JUNE 30TH, 2025.
SO I GUESS I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND THE ADMINISTRATION'S, UM, STRATEGY OR, UM, DESIRE AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY YOU DON'T WANNA SEE THE ESTIMATED UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE SHRINKING YEAR OVER YEAR, BUT HOW MUCH DO YOU WANT IT TO BE GROWING YEAR OVER YEAR? UM, BECAUSE LIKE THE OTHER SIDE OF FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY IS YOU DON'T WANT TO BE UNDERSPENDING WHEN YOU HAVE NEEDS, LIKE KEEPING THE HUMANE SOCIETY UP AND RUNNING.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THIS IS A QUESTION THAT, THAT ROBBIE AND, AND BRIAN SORT OF ANSWERED HERE BEFORE, WHICH IS WE'RE AT THE LEVEL THAT WE WANT TO BE.
THAT WAS AT THE LEVEL THAT THE SPENDING AFFORDABILITY COMMITTEE RECOMMENDED.
THAT THE FUND BALANCE BE THE FUND.
YOU, YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, THE COLLEGE SOMETIMES RUNS A FUND BALANCE.
THE SCHOOLS RUN A FUND BALANCE, BUT THEY DON'T NEED A FUND BALANCE BECAUSE ONCE WE ALLOCATE THE MONEY TO THEM, IT'S GOOD.
UH, WHO NEEDS THE FUND BALANCE? WE, WE DO,
[00:55:01]
BECAUSE WE'RE THE FAIL SAFE FOR EVERYBODY.WE'RE THE INSURER FOR ALL OF THAT BILLION DOLLARS OUT THERE.
WE'RE THE INSURER THAT IF SOMETHING, IF THE MONEY'S NOT THERE, THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT, IT HAS TO PRODUCE IT.
RIGHT? AND SO, UH, TO SAY, WELL, THE VOLATILITY ONLY THIS, ONLY THE TREASURER FACES THE RISK OF THAT VOLATILITY.
UH, AND RIGHT NOW I GOT A STATE THAT'S LOOKING AT, UH, UH, UH, FOR NEXT YEAR.
UM, I MEAN, I DON'T CLEARLY THEIR NUMBER ONE SOLUTION IS GONNA BE DUMP MORE TO THE COUNTIES.
THIS IS GONNA BE O'MALLEY, THIS IS GONNA BE ANOTHER O'MALLEY HERE.
THIS IS GONNA BE, WE CAN'T AFFORD IT.
THAT'S GONNA BE VERY HIGHLY DISRUPTIVE TO US.
WE, WE, WE HAVE TO FULLY EXPECT A REALLY BAD YEAR.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE HIDING IT THIS YEAR.
BUT EVEN THE DEMOCRATS AND THE REPUBLICANS ALIKE ARE SAYING, WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR.
BECAUSE THE, THE, THEY'RE NOT.
AND THEY BEING LIKE, I THINK WE'RE NUMBER ONE OR TWO ON THE O MOST TAX STATES IN THE COUNTRY, RAISING TAXES IS NOT GONNA BE MUCH OF A POSSIBILITY AT THE STATE LEVEL.
THEY'RE GONNA DUMP, DUMP, DUMP TO US.
UM, AS THEY'VE CONTINUED TO DO, AS THEY'VE, YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT HIGHWAY USER REVENUE.
IF WE WERE GETTING, IF, IF HARFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT WAS GETTING THE PERCENTAGE OF HIGHWAY REVENUE, USER REVENUE, THE GAS TAX THAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GET WHEN THE BILL FIRST CAME OUT, WE WILL BE GETTING 40 MILLION RIGHT NOW PER YEAR FOR OUR THOUSAND MILES A ROW.
WE'RE GETTING ABOUT ONE OR 2 MILLION, OR I'M SORRY, TWO OR 3 MILLION.
SO THIS IS, THAT JUST SHOWS YOU THE LEVEL THAT THE STATE HAS PULLED BACK AND DUMPED ONTO COUNTIES WITH THESE UN IT'S ANOTHER UNFUNDED MANDATE.
SO WE HAVE TO FULLY EXPECT THAT.
JUST, UM, TRY AND GET YOUR ANSWER TO A POINT THAT IS CLEAR TO ME.
YOU'RE SAYING THAT RIGHT NOW WHERE OUR FUND BALANCE IS, IS APPROPRIATE OR THE RATE OF GROWTH OF THE FUND BALANCE, LIKE, SO IN FY 20 EIGHTS BUDGET, SHOULD I ANTICIPATE SEEING THE FUND BALANCE CONTINUE TO GROW BY $55 MILLION? OR ARE YOU THINKING, UH, I THINK FROM WHAT I JUST HEARD, THAT YOU WOULD NOT, AND, AND, AND THE, THE, THE ISSUE IS AS WE LOOK AT ADJUST AT THESE VARIOUS ADJUSTMENTS, WHAT WILL THAT FUND BALANCE BE NEXT YEAR? RIGHT? AND, AND YOU FIND OUT NEXT YEAR, IF YOU, IF YOU FIND OUT THAT THE, THE RATE STABILIZATION IS JUST THAT PURPOSE WHERE, UM, IF, IF YOU, YOU HERE'S YOUR FUND BALANCE.
IF YOU CONTINUE TO HAVE THIS, YOU KNOW, CONSISTENTLY HIGHER, THEN OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN ADJUST FOR, FOR ONGOING REVENUE.
BUT YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T ACCEPT A ONE TIME UPLIFT AND SAY, OH, ONGOING REVENUE, LET'S, LET'S RAISE.
RIGHT? I AGAIN, UH, SO JUST TO AGAIN, TRY AND PUT A PIN ON IT, YOU'RE SAYING THE TOTAL FUND BALANCE WHERE WE ARE TODAY IS THE APPROPRIATE AMOUNT YOU WOULD HOPE TO SEE US AT? WELL, I CAN'T SAY FOR THE FUTURE.
'CAUSE REMEMBER, THEY, THEY DEVELOP THIS FUND BALANCE EVERY YEAR DEPENDING ON WHAT OUR EXPOSURES ARE, WHAT THE, WHAT OUR REVENUES AND EXPOSURES ARE.
SO I, I'M, I CAN'T SAY WHAT IT WOULD BE NEXT YEAR.
I MEAN, THEY ADJUSTED EVERY YEAR.
I MEAN, AGAIN, I THINK YOUR TOTAL FUND BALANCE, IF WE LOOK AT WHAT, SAY MOODY'S AND THE, LIKE SAYS FOR TOTAL FUND BALANCE, THEY'RE LOOKING AT SOMETHING AROUND 20 20% OF, OF, OF YOUR GENERAL FUND REVENUES FOR FUND BALANCE.
AGAIN, ALL OF THESE ARE, UM, KIND OF, YOU KNOW, GUIDE GUIDEPOSTS.
AND I THINK THE REAL DIFFICULT PART IS LIKE, AGAIN, KIND OF GOING BACK TO THE, THE, THE, THE ANALOGY WE HAD BEFORE OF, OF, WE GOT TWO BIG IN INCOME SOURCES, YOU KNOW, ONE'S PRETTY STABLE.
AND THE OTHER ONE IS VERY VOLATILE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU HAVE THOSE VOLATILE REVENUES, LIKE IT AGAIN, JUST LIKE IF YOU'RE A PERSON WHO'S IN SALES OR WHATEVER, YOU HAVE A REALLY GOOD, YOU HAVE A REALLY GOOD YEAR.
YOU KNOW, DO YOU GO OUT AND BUY, YOU KNOW, A A, A NEW BOAT, A NEW CAR, A BIGGER HOUSE? YOU KNOW, OR DO YOU SAY, WELL LET'S, LET'S FIX THE ROOF OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
IF YOU KIND OF GO BACK TO THE, THAT IDEA ABOUT $25 MILLION MORE, IF THIS WERE JUST ABOUT LIKE ONE TIME EXPENDITURES.
IF WE WERE, UM, UH, IN A SITUATION WHERE WE'RE LIKE, HEY, WE GOTTA AIR CONDITION THE SCHOOLS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, THEN WE CAN HAVE, I THINK IT'S A DIFFERENT KIND OF AN ARGUMENT OR A DIFFERENT KIND OF DISCUSSION I SHOULD SAY ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, OKAY, MAYBE WE CAN LIVE WITH WITHDRAWING DOWN THE FUND BALANCE A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN WE WERE EXPECTING BECAUSE WE'RE ONE-TIME EXPENDITURES.
BUT ONCE YOU COMMIT TO ONGOING EXPENDITURES, OKAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO NEXT YEAR AND THE YEAR AFTER IF YOU KNOW THAT YOUR REVENUES ARE GOING TO BE, UM, ARE, ARE, ARE GOING TO BE LESSENING OR, OR EXPECT IT TO BE, TO BE LESSENING.
SO AGAIN, HOW DO YOU JUST, HOW DO YOU LET EVERYBODY TRY TO GROW TOGETHER SO THAT YOU'RE NOT SCRAMBLING TO MAKE CUTS? UM, WHEN THE REVENUES, WHEN THE REVENUES CHANGE AND WE KNOW ONE THING, THE REVENUES WILL CHANGE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, THE OLD CHUCK ECKER FROM, FROM HOWARD COUNTY, YOU KNOW, I, YOU KNOW, THE, THE ONLY THING I KNOW ABOUT THESE REVENUE ESTIMATES IS, IS, IS THAT THEY'RE, IS THAT THEY'RE WRONG.
I JUST DON'T KNOW BY HOW MUCH.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO, TO, TO DEAL WITH.
AND THAT'S THE IDEA ABOUT USING FUND BALANCE TO TRY TO SMOOTH OUT SOME OF THESE THINGS SO WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE THOSE HARSH CUTS YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN OUR BUDGET.
THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PAYGO ITEMS IN THERE.
THESE ARE ITEMS, YEAH, WE GOT THE, WE WE'RE COMFORTABLE THAT WE HAD SOME EXTRA ON THE, SOME EXTRA CASH.
BUT WHAT WE DON'T KNOW IS, WILL WE, WILL WE HAVE THAT
[01:00:01]
LONG TERM, RIGHT? SO YOU USE IT FOR PEGO, YOU PAY THOSE ONE TIME EXPENSES WITH THAT, AND THEN IF, IF NEXT YEAR YOU, YOU, YOU DON'T HAVE THAT EXTRA MONEY, WELL YOU'RE, YOU'RE IN GOOD PACHE 'CAUSE YOU JUST PUT AN AIR CONDITIONING IN A SCHOOL OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.SO THOSE ARE THE, IT'S THE PERFECT SOLUTION HERE BEFORE YOU RELY ON THAT, HEY, WE GOT YOU, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LONG TERM STREAM OF REVENUE IN THE SHORT TERM.
THAT WAY YOU'VE ELIMINATED DEBT, YOU'VE GOT SOME SHORT TERM THINGS.
IF IT CONTINUES TO GO UP, THEN YOU SAY, OBVIOUSLY WE CAN GROW OUR, WE CAN GROW OUR BUDGET.
LET'S START, LET'S START EXPANDING.
SO, AND THEN I GUESS MY LAST QUESTION FOR THE ADMINISTRATION IS, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THERAN.
YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU, AND AS AN ADMINISTRATION HANDLED, UH, INHERITED A REALLY TOUGH SITUATION WITH THE TRANSITION TO FULL PAID EMS, AND WE MADE IT THROUGH THAT SUCCESSFULLY.
AND THAT IS A, UH, A BRIGHT SPOT IN THE PAST FEW YEARS OF HOW THAT HAS MOVED.
UH, BUT THE QUESTION IS, HOW ARE WE PREPARING TO HANDLE THE TRANSITION TO PAID FIRE? WHAT IS THE ADMINISTRATION'S CURRENT PLAN TO PHASE IN AND BRING ON PAID FIRE AS THE NEED GROWS TO SUPPORT OUR, OUR VOLUNTEER COMPANIES? SURE.
SO, UM, FIRST OF ALL, IF YOU LOOK AROUND THE STATE, SORT OF THE MODELS, WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT? UM, AND WE'VE DONE A LOT OF THAT.
WHO'S, WHO'S SUCCESSFUL? IT SEEMS LIKE THE MODEL, LIKE CARROLL COUNTY IS GOOD, BALTIMORE COUNTY, WHERE THEY HAVE A BLEND BETWEEN PROFESSIONAL AND VOLUNTEER.
SO LOOKING AT THAT AS SORT OF THE, THE EVENTUAL VISION HERE, UH, OUR FIRST GOAL IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T BREAK THE VOLUNTEERS.
THAT'S, THAT ADDRESS THEM FIRST.
BECAUSE IF YOU, THE VOLUNTEERS WERE BROKEN, THAT'S WHY WE'VE, WE'VE, OUR FUNDING FOR VOLUNTEERS ARE GONNA FOUR AND A HALF MILLION, AND THAT'S JUST DOLLARS.
THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE, I MEAN, THAT'S JUST LIKE DOLLARS TO THEM.
THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE ALL THAT WE'RE SPENDING.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE DOING A LOT MORE OF THEIR MAINTENANCE, UH, UH, UH, COMPUTERS, UH, UH, SUPPLIES AND ALL THAT.
SO IF YOU ADD ALL THAT IN, IT'S, IT'S EVEN MORE THAN THAT.
SO OUR FIRST GOAL WAS, LET'S, LET'S MAINTAIN, MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE CORRECTED ALL THE CHALLENGES THE VOLUNTEERS FACE.
SO WE DID, WHEN I CAME IN, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS THEY, THEY TOLD ME WAS TRAINING.
WE CAN'T GET TRAINING BECAUSE THE TRAINING THROUGH MIRY IS GIVEN MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, LIKE NINE TO FOUR.
AND MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, NINE TO FOUR, I'M WORKING MY FULL-TIME JOB.
SO WE BROUGHT ON OUR OWN TRAINERS, WE PROVIDED THEM WITH TRAINING IN THE EVENINGS AND ON WEEKENDS SO THAT IT'S WHEN THE VOLUNTEERS ARE AVAILABLE.
NOT, NOT WHEN THE PROFESSION, YOU KNOW, THE, THE STATE TRAINERS ARE AVAILABLE.
UM, WE'VE WORKED WITH THEM TO ASSUME MORE, MORE RESPONSIBILITY FOR, FOR, FOR THEIR VEHICLES AND MAINTAINING IT.
UH, THEIR AMBULANCES MAY BUYING AND MAINTAINING THOSE.
UH, SO WE TRY TO PULL A LOT OF THOSE BURDENS OFF OF OUR VOLUNTEERS.
AND WE'RE, WE, THERE'S A, THINGS ARE A LOT BETTER.
WE, WE, WE DID, UM, COUNTYWIDE RECRUITMENT, RATHER THAN HAVING EACH COMPANY DO THEIR OWN LITTLE RECRUITING EFFORT, WE DID A STANDARDIZATION.
WE, WE, WE PRINTED UP THE PROGRAMS, WE DID THE RADIO SPOTS, WE DID ALL THOSE THINGS.
SO IT WAS COUNTYWIDE, SO WE COULD DO A LOT CHEAPER, MORE EFFECTIVELY.
UM, BUT LOOKING FORWARD, UH, IF YOU LOOK IN THE, IN PAST YEARS, UH, FOR FOREVER, WHEN A VOLUNTEER COMPANY WANTED A NEW STATION, THE COUNTY SAID, OKAY, WE'LL PAY FOR IT.
THE STATION IN, IN, IN BE CAMP STATION, THAT'S A COUNTY BUILDING.
IT'S, IT'S, I MEAN, WE HAVE AN MOU WITH ABINGTON FIRE COMPANY FOR THEIR USE OF IT.
SAME THING WITH WHITEFORD, THAT'S A COUNTY BUILDING THAT IS NOT THE LAND AND THE BUILDING.
SO THAT GIVES US THOSE KIND OF OPTIONS.
UM, AND, UH, AS, AS YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD, WE'RE, WE'RE WE'RE DISCUSSING WITH, WITH THE VOLUNTEERS ABOUT CAPITALIZATION AND HOW THEY PURCHASE THEIR VEHICLES AND, AND, AND, AND SUSTAIN ONGOING OPERATIONS.
UH, BUT LOOK, MAKE NO MISTAKE, OH, AND, AND THE OTHER THING THAT THIS, THE, WHILE THE AMBULANCE SERVICE IS DOING VERY WELL, WE'VE LEARNED A WHOLE LOT.
AND WE'RE STILL LEARNING BECAUSE WE DIDN'T HAVE AN OPERATION LIKE THAT FOREVER UNDER COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
SO WE'VE LEARNED A LOT OF JUST HOW WE DEAL WITH THEM FINANCIALLY AND SUPPLIES AND HR AND ALL THAT STUFF.
SO THAT'S SETTING, THAT'LL SET US.
ALL THOSE EXPERIENCES ARE SETTING US UP VERY WELL LONG TERM AS WE WADE INTO THE, INTO THE, THE, THE A PAID SERVICE.
UM, WHAT I SAY IS, HERE WE ARE TODAY, WE'RE ALL VOLUNTEER.
AND IT'S A MIX OF VOLUNTEER AND BLEND.
WHAT'S THAT TIMELINE LOOK LIKE? UH, IN PART IT'S FINANCIALLY DRIVEN.
WE, YOU LOOKING AT OUR FINANCIAL PICTURE RIGHT NOW, IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE FLUSHING CASH.
SO, UM, WE'RE GONNA ALL HAVE TO LOOK, BUT WE'RE LOOKING, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING CAREFULLY AT THIS, YOU KNOW, DO YOU GROW? DO YOU JUST LIKE, BRING ON ONE ONE? YOU KNOW, DO YOU JUST HAVE SAY, HERE'S ONE HOUSE IS GONNA HAVE ONE, ONE SHIFT.
DO YOU HAVE, DO YOU GO AND SAY, WELL, WE'LL WE'LL TAKE YOU 365 24 7, 365
[01:05:02]
IN A SHIFT.DO WE GROW INTO THIS SLOWLY? SO WE'RE LOOKING, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE WATCHING THE FINANCIAL PICTURE, WE'RE WATCHING ALL THESE THINGS.
WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT, IN THE MEANTIME, WE'RE BRIDGING THE GAP BY PROVIDING WE, WE'VE GOT SOME FUNDS.
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES WE FACED WAS THAT VOLUNTEERS WOULD SHOW UP AT THE HOUSE, AND GUESS WHAT? THERE'S NO DRIVER.
SO YOU GOT THREE PEOPLE SITTING THERE READY TO FIGHT A FIRE AND THEY'D JUST GO HOME.
SO, UH, WE'VE PROVIDED SOME GRANTS TO ENABLE THEM TO, TO PUT THEIR DRIVERS IN.
SO WHEN THE VOLUNTEERS SHOW UP, YOU GOT DRIVERS.
WE'RE MOVING, WE'RE MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE JUST RECENTLY SLAYED THE, THE, THE AMBULANCE, UH, DRAGON THERE.
AND, AND WE'RE LOOKING, BUT I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE A TIMELINE FOR YOU RIGHT NOW.
BUT WE ARE, WE'RE DEFINITELY SETTING THE STAGE LEARNING.
WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT OTHER COMPANIES, OTHER COUNTIES.
SO OUR MIND IS THERE, BUT WE HAVEN'T ESTABLISHED THAT TIMELINE.
AND, UH, AS FAR AS PLANNING FINANCIALLY FOR ESTIMATING THE COST OF TAKING ON CAREER FIRE OR WE LOOKED AT THAT AND IT'S SUBSTANTIAL.
AND THAT'S WHY WHEN YOU LOOK AT THESE ONGOING EXPENSES, UH, LOOK, I, IS THIS A, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK 10 YEARS OUT.
ARE WE LOOKING FIVE YEARS OUT IF WE'RE LUCKY, UM, ARE WE LOOKING LESS THAN THAT? I CAN'T SAY, YOU KNOW, THE AMBULANCE THING, WE WERE GIVEN ALL OF ONE MONTH.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT AGAIN.
I DON'T WANNA SAY, OH, WELL TOMORROW YOU HAVE TO STAND UP A VOLUNTEER, A PAID FIRE COMPANY.
UM, BUT WHATEVER WE DO IN THIS, THE LONG TERM BUDGET IMPLICATIONS ARE VERY SERIOUS.
AND SO AS YOU LOOK AT FUND BALANCES AND THE LIKE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE WATCHING THOSE TRENDS.
AT WHAT POINT DO WE, ARE WE CONFIDENT THAT WE'VE GOT THE REVENUE STREAM THAT WE CAN DEDICATE TO A PAID COMPANY? RIGHT? AND ARE WE LOOKING AT A BLIP AND, AND ADDRESSING THESE ISSUES WITH THE SCHOOLS? I MEAN, THE BLUEPRINT IS STILL THROWING US FOR ABSORBING THE BLUEPRINT IS STILL A MAJOR HIT.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THAT'S GONNA BE A MAJOR HIT NEXT YEAR.
THERE'S JUST SO MANY, YOU KNOW, BALANCING ALL THESE PIECES.
IT'S, IT'S BEEN A REAL CHALLENGE.
YOU AND I BOTH UNDERSTAND HOW IMPORTANT OUR FIRE AND EMS SERVICES, WE TALK ABOUT IT ALL THE TIME.
WE'VE JUST LEARNED THAT WE'RE LOSING 70 PLUS YEARS OF INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE AT THE DEPARTMENT OF EMERGENCY SERVICES BETWEEN OUR DIRECTOR AND DEPUTY.
MY QUESTION TO YOU IS, UH, ALONG THE PROCESS OF FINDING A REPLACEMENT, WERE YOU INVOLVED THIS BODY? UM, YEAH.
I MEAN, LOOK, I, I'M, I WHAT I, WHAT I PUT OUT TO THE ASSOCIATION THE OTHER DAY WAS YOU GOT IDEAS, CALL ME, EMAIL ME.
AND, AND IF PEOPLE HAVE SUGGESTIONS AND HOW WE RESOLVE THAT, I'M HAPPY TO, TO LISTEN.
UM, THESE ARE CRITICAL POSITIONS.
UH, I DON'T, I, I, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S NO REASON TO LIKE, MAKE THIS A POLITICAL OR A OVERT OR A AN UNNECESSARILY FORMAL PROCESS.
UM, YOU KNOW, DROP AN EMAIL, GIMME A TEXT, GIMME A CALL.
UH, I'VE GOTTEN SOME, I MEAN, I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, I HAVE BEEN TALKING TO SOME FOLKS, UH, PEOPLE WHO, HEY, YOU SHOULD TALK TO THIS GUY.
RIGHT? SO I'M JUST SAYING, I, I'D RATHER HAVE, UH, A, A, A PIECE IN THE ACTION OF TRYING TO DECIDE WHO IT'S GOING TO BE, RATHER THAN IT COME ACROSS HERE AT THE LAST MINUTE AND INSPECT THE COUNCIL.
YEAH, WE WILL, WE'LL, WE'LL TELEGRAPH THAT ONE SO THAT PEOPLE UNDERSTAND WHERE WE'RE GOING.
UM, IT, UH, I, I GUESS THE QUESTION IS THEN, YOU KNOW, ARE WE LOOKING, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE HAVE, YEAH, THERE, THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT OPTIONS OUT THERE, BUT I APPRECIATE MORE, UM, IT'S CRITICAL POSITIONS, UH, UH, TO, TO PHIL.
AND THOSE ARE, UH, UM, I'VE BENEFITED TREMENDOUSLY FROM BOTH RICK AND MIKE.
THEY'RE THE ONLY CALLS I WOULD, ONLY PEOPLE I WOULD TALK TO A TOY I, OTHER THAN MY WIFE WOULD BE THEM.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU GET TO BE PRETTY GOOD FRIENDS WHEN YOU'RE DEALING WITH THAT STUFF AND LIFE AND DEATH, AND THEY CALL YOU ON SOME SERIOUS STUFF.
SO YOU GET TO BE A PRETTY GOOD TEAM.
I, I'M, I'M DISAPPOINTED, BUT THE, AS I PUT BACK TO THEM, I'LL BE THE LAST GUY TO SAY, OH, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE INDISPENSABLE.
'CAUSE I'M NOT GONNA BE THE ONE GOING BACK TO SUSAN AND SAY, WELL, YEAH, I KEPT HIM FOR ONE MORE YEAR AND, AND NOW HE'S GONE
SO YOU COULD HAVE ONE MORE YEAR WITH HIM, RIGHT? I'M NOT GONNA YOU, NO, IT'S TIME.
AND THEY DECIDE THAT ON THEIR OWN.
I WAS PERFECTLY HAPPY TO KEEP BOTH OF THEM, OR EITHER ONE OF THEM.
UH, AND, UH, HEY, PUT, YOU KNOW, LIFE, LIFE CALLS, LIFE BECKONS AND I GOTTA RESPECT THAT.
AND THEY HAVE VERY GOOD FAMILY REASONS FOR DOING WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
AND SO JUST, I WISH 'EM THE BEST.
AND WE'LL WORK OUR BUTTS OFF TO GET, UH, EQUALLY IF, YOU KNOW, QUALIFIED PEOPLE IN THERE.
ANYONE ELSE IN THE COUNCIL? MR. GERTA? GOOD MORNING MR. CALEY.
[01:10:01]
WERE TALKING ABOUT THE STATE PUSHING STUFF ON US.WELL, IS THAT GONNA HAPPEN WITH THE ROADS TOO? YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE ROADS, ROADS, I'M SORRY, A LOT OF OUR ROADS ARE, ARE STATE ROADS.
AND YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU HEAR FROM PEOPLE ABOUT THE CONGESTION ON THEM AT CERTAIN TIMES.
AND, AND I KNOW YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, HEY, IF WE GET SOME MORE MONEY WITH OUR ROADS, WE CAN, YOU KNOW, FIX SOME OF THE THINGS.
BUT IS THE STATE GONNA TRY TO PUSH MAINTAINING OR FIXING THE STATE ROWS ON US? THEY'RE ALREADY DOING IT TO SOME EXTENT.
I MEAN, ON, ON THE SIMPLE EXAMPLE, THIS IS A REALLY SIMPLE PIECE.
WE HAVE TO CHECK AS, AS YOU'RE LEAVING ON 22, THE MEDIAN ON 22 GOING OUT OF TOWN, GOING OUT OF BEL AIR AND DOWN THROUGH, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE BEING FORCED TO PICK UP ON THAT PIECE.
'CAUSE WE CAN'T, IT LOOKS TERRIBLE, RIGHT? IT'S JUST, AND, AND, AND A GRASS FALLING IN.
BUT ON A, ON A, ON A HIGHER LEVEL, THE, THE, THE, THE PROJECT AT, UM, UH, UH, GRAFTON SHOP AND 23, UH, THE, THE, THE STATE'S PIECE OF THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD PUT IT IN THE C-P-T-C-T-P AND THE STATE JUST WOULDN'T MOVE.
'CAUSE THEY SAID, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO FUND IT.
I SAID, WAIT A SECOND, WE'LL FUND IT.
I'M, THIS IS IMPORTANT TO OUR CITIZENS.
I KNOW WE SHOULDN'T, WE SHOULDN'T HAVE TO, BUT I GOT PEOPLE DYING OVER THERE.
SO THE COUNTY WILL ALLOCATE THE MONEY.
UM, SO AS WE'RE WORKING WITH THEM, WE, WE HAVE, WE HAVE A GREAT RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR, WITH THE HIGHWAY, WITH, WITH THE STATE HIGHWAY ENGINEER, BUT THEY DON'T DECIDE THE BUDGET, RIGHT? WE WORK REALLY WELL WITH THEM.
UM, UH, SO WE'RE GOOD AT COORDINATING, BUT WE, WE NEED TO INVEST IN THINGS LIKE TURN LANES, RIGHT? JUST BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T PULL OVER BEFORE YOU TURN YOU BACK, ALL THE TRAFFIC UP.
AND WE ALL KNOW THAT TRAFFIC INGESTION IS JUST, IT DEGRADING OUR QUALITY OF LIFE.
SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR IS, UM, THOSE PIECES OF PROPERTY WHERE IF WE GO TO THE STATE AND SAY, LOOK, IF IF, IF WE BUY THIS PIECE OF PROPERTY, WILL YOU BUILD THIS PROJECT? AND IF THEY SAY YES, THEN WE'RE TRYING TO BUY THE PIECE OF PROPERTY.
MEANING YOU'LL, YOU'LL, YOU'LL EXPAND THE INTERSECTION, YOU'LL MAKE THE INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS.
UH, 'CAUSE BY THE TIME THE STATE WILL GET AROUND TO IT, ALL FOUR CORNERS WILL HAVE SEVEN ELEVENS ON 'EM.
WE'RE LIKE, OKAY, MAKE SIMPLE TO WAWA, BUT YOU SHOULD BE BACK A LITTLE BIT AND NOT RIGHT ON THE CORNER.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO BUY THOSE RIGHT OF WAYS.
AND THEY'RE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, SO MANY OF THESE AREAS.
SO WE CAN BOTH FUNCTIONALITY, UH, FROM, FROM A SAFETY AND FROM A JUST SIMPLY, UH, TRAFFIC CONTROL PIECE.
THE, THE BIG ISSUE THAT I HAVE WITH THE STATE IS TRYING TO GET THEM TO APPROVE, UH, ARROWS FOR TURNS.
AND THEY KEEP COMING BACK AND SAYING, WELL, IT COSTS TOO MUCH MONEY TO DO A, A, A STUDY, BUT IT COSTS TOO MUCH MONEY FOR US TO KEEP HAVING THESE ACCIDENTS.
AND, AND YOU KNOW THAT MY OTHER DAY JOB, AND I SEE THIS, I MEAN, I'VE GOT TONS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING IN THESE ACCIDENTS BECAUSE THE STATE DOESN'T WANT TO PUT A TURN ARROW ON ON A ROAD, YOU KNOW, LIKE ON MOORES MILL ROAD OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, GETTING ON THERE.
AND, AND THAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE.
AND WE WENT BACK WITH THEM AS WELL ON THAT ONE.
BUT YOU'RE GONNA SEE WE'VE GOT MONEY IN THE BUDGET FOR, FOR LAND PURCHASES.
AND THOSE ARE, THAT'S VERY MUCH, UH, THE INTERSECTION AT SEVEN AND, AND, AND 1 36.
YOU'VE GOT, YOU GOT LAND, IT'S UN UN IT'S, IT'S FARMS RIGHT THERE.
YOU KNOW, WE SHOULD BE PURCHASING ANOTHER 20 FEET ON EVERY SIDE.
SO YOU'VE GOT LEFT TURN RIGHT TURNS THROUGH LANES AND THE, AND THE LIKE.
SO WHEN WILL THEY DO IT? THEY'LL, AFTER SOMEBODY DEVELOPS A PROPERTY, THEN THEY'LL GO AROUND AND DO IT.
BUT YOU CAN'T DO IT THEN, RIGHT? BECAUSE THE GUY'S ALREADY GOT HIS, HIS BUSINESS ON THERE.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO SAY, LET'S STEP IN AND, UH, WORK WITH THE STATE.
IF THEY'LL COMMIT TO DO A PROJECT THERE, IF WE BUY IT, CAN THEY INVEST IN IT? THEY'LL COME BACK.
AND IN SOME CASES WE CAN GET THAT BACK.
SOME CASES WE CAN GET THAT BACK.
BECAUSE IF THEY'LL, IF THEY'LL, IF THEY GET A STATE PROJECT AND THEN THEY CAN REIMBURSE US OUT.
THEY SAY, WELL BUY IT FROM US AT A, AT JUST THE MARKET PRICE THAT WE PAID FOR IT.
SO THOSE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS WE'RE TRYING TO DO TO ELIMINATE, ELIMINATE, I'M SORRY, ALLEVIATE SOME OF THESE, THESE, UH, BOTTLENECKS AND, AND, AND DANGER POINTS ON A ROADS, WHICH WE ALL SEE WAY TOO FREQUENTLY.
AND YOU CAN, YOU CAN SIT, IT'S NOT THE ROCKET SCIENCE.
YOU CAN SIT AND SAY, WHY ISN'T THE RIGHT TURN LANE HERE? WHY IS THAT GUY'S MAKING A RIGHT TURN ON THIS VOLUME? THEY SHOULD BE MOVED OVER OUTTA THE TRAFFIC.
'CAUSE NOW YOU'VE JUST LET FOUR FEWER CARS THROUGH THE LIGHT WAITING FOR THEM TO TURN.
IT, IT, IT, IT IS, IT'S FRUSTRATING.
I I MEAN I, IT TOOK ME SIX YEARS TO FINALLY GET THEM TO PAVE THIS ROAD OUT HERE, WHICH IS ME KEEP COMPLAINING.
SO THANKFULLY THAT THAT'S GONE.
UM, AND I GUESS THEN MY NEXT BIG CONCERN IS, IS THE TRAFFIC THAT MIGHT COME ABOUT.
BECAUSE IF THEY EVER BUILDED THAT COSTCO DOWN THERE AND ALL THE INTERSECTIONS OF, OF WHAT THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO DO, UM, AND I KNOW THEY HAVE A NEW TRAFFIC STUDY THAT I DON'T KNOW IF THAT DONE OR NOT.
I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT STANDS ON THAT, BUT THAT'S MY BIG CONCERN IN, IN BEL AIRS.
WHERE'S THAT GONNA, WHERE'S THAT GONNA COST US WHAT THAT TRAFFIC IS? ALL I IS, I WE CANNOT GRIDLOCK EITHER 24 OR 9 24.
[01:15:01]
HALF THE COUNTY ON THIS SIDE AND EVERYBODY UNDERNEATH THE 95 GRIDLOCKING, EITHER ONE OF THOSE IS COMPLETELY UNACCEPTABLE.AND WE WILL, ANY PROJECT THAT GOES IN MUST BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE FULLY THE TRAFFIC FLOW.
I HEAR FROM PEOPLE THAT, UH, YOU KNOW WHAT USED TO TAKE 'EM 15 MINUTES TO GET TO 95 AND THAT TAKES 'EM 30 MINUTES TO GET TO 95.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS I SAW, AND I'M HOPING, AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS STANDS WITH THE STATE, BUT AN EXTRA TURN LANE ON THE BYPASS ONTO, ONTO 24, UM, GOING DOWN.
WASN'T THERE SOME TALK ABOUT THAT WITH THE STATE THAT WAS STILL IN THERE? YEAH, IT'S STILL IN THERE.
ARE WE STILL WAITING FOR THE STATE TO COME BACK AND, AND FUND THAT? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IF THEY DON'T DO, I MEAN, I CAN'T IMAGINE HOW MUCH MONEY THAT WOULD COST FOR.
SO WE, ON THE CTP, WE, UH, I SAID, LOOK, WE DON'T WANT THIS TO BE A WISHLIST.
WE WANT THIS TO BE SOMETHING IF, LOOK, IF THE STATE HIGHWAY ISN'T INTERESTED IN A PROJECT, IT JUST BECOMES A WISHLIST, RIGHT? SO WE'RE LIKE, NO, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE A WISHLIST.
WE WANT, WE WORK WITH THE STATE ENGINEERS AND SAY, IS THIS SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD SUPPORT? IF THEY SAY YES AND IT GOES ON THE CTP AND THEN NOW THEY CAN'T CONTROL FUNDING, RIGHT? AND THEN WE, WE PRIORITIZE THEM BOTH IN WHAT THE COMMUNITY WANTS, BUT ALSO WITH WHAT STATE HIGHWAY SAY HIGHWAY'S NOT, THEY'RE NOT GONNA SUPPORT IT.
THE GOVERNMENT'S NOT GONNA DO IT.
IT'S NOT GONNA GET IN THE, IT'S NOT GET IN THE BUDGET.
OUR GOAL IS TO GET UP IN THE BUDGET.
WE DON'T MAKE POLITICAL POINTS.
WE GONNA BE IN THE BUDGET AND, AND, AND, AND GOING FORWARD.
AND, AND, AND SO NOT EVERYTHING IN THERE'S GONNA GET FUNDED, BUT AT LEAST YOU KNOW THAT ONCE IT MOVES TO ANNAPOLIS THAT THE STATE HIGHWAY IS NOT SAYING WE DON'T LIKE THAT PROJECT ANYWAY.
I FEEL CONFIDENT IN THAT, THAT THEY'RE SAYING, WELL IF YOU COULD FUND THOSE, CAN YOU FUND THEM? BUT, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN'T.
BUT WE'RE NOT FIGHTING OUR OWN DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION OR HIGHWAYS.
UM, A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ROADS TOO.
I, I DID HAVE A STATE HIGHWAY, UH, STUDY DONE ON THE, UH, ROUTE SEVEN AND JO OF FARM ROAD, IN WHICH EVEN WITH, WITH THERE WAS AN ACCIDENT THAT INVOLVED THE DEATH, THEY FELT THAT THAT WAS, UM, THERE WAS NO CAPABILITY OF DOING ANYTHING WITH THAT ROAD.
AND, AND, AND, AND I SAW THAT.
AND HONESTLY, THAT'S ONE OF THOSE LOTS WHERE THAT CORNER, THE, THE TIP LOT THERE MM-HMM
AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, THEY TRIED TO UP ZONE THAT TO PUT HIGH DENSITY RESIDENTIAL THERE.
LIKE, MY GOD, TALK ABOUT WHAT A CRISIS.
SO LOOK, THAT'S ONE OF THOSE LOTS WHERE WE SHOULD JUST BUY THAT AND THEN MAKE IT A NORMAL LOOKING INTERSECTION.
SO THAT CRAZY COCKAMAMIE BACK AND FORTH.
UM, AND, AND, AND JUST MAKE THE WHOLE THING SAFER.
BUT THAT'S WHEN WE TALK ABOUT IT'S TIME TO START INVESTING IN SOME OF THESE THINGS.
'CAUSE WE JUST KNOW THE STATE'S NOT GONNA DO IT.
IT JUST, WE KNOW THAT ALREADY.
NOT, DON'T WISH IT SO TIME FOR THE COUNTY JUST TO SAY, WE'LL START INVESTING IN THESE THINGS.
AND I'LL, WE DID ONE OVER, UM, JUST LIKE WE DID, WE BOUGHT THAT LITTLE SPOT ON, UH, UH, WHAT'S IT NOT CARS MILL? THE, THE COMING, UH, BETWEEN YEAH, LIKE VAIL, THERE WAS A LITTLE BUILDING THAT WAS SORT OF, THAT'S HARD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROADS.
THERE WAS A REAL, A WEIRD QUIRK IN THE ROAD AND IT CAME UP ON THE MARKET.
WE WERE ABLE TO GO AND JUST BUY THAT LOT AND A, A REAL, A WEIRD QUIRK IN THE ROAD THAT EVERYBODY HAD TO GO AROUND FOR 200 YEARS.
RIGHT? YOU JUST, IT WAS A, A CHEAP LITTLE PARCEL AND WE HAD TO AVAILABLE BASE.
THESE ARE THE KIND OF THINGS WE GOTTA START INVESTING IN AND JUST MAKING THINGS A LITTLE MORE PALATABLE FOR THE, FOR THE, THE CITIZENS.
I'D LIKE TO DEFINITELY SEE THAT HAPPEN.
UM, AND I'M, I'M ALSO, UM, QUESTIONING, UH, THE JAPA DOWN JAPA TOWN COMMUNITY CENTER.
I THINK, UH, MY CONSTITUENTS THOUGHT THAT THERE WAS GONNA BE AN ONGOING PROCESS.
LIKE THIS YEAR WAS ALSO GONNA BE SOME MONEY GOING INTO THERE AND A CONTINUATION OF THE BUILDING PROCESS.
WHERE DOES THAT STAND? 'CAUSE I DON'T SEE IT IN FY SORT OF MY, MY RESPONSE TO COUNCILMAN BENNETT'S QUESTIONS ON THE H HOUSE FOUR, UM, YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO ALIGN THINGS.
THE, THE ONE UP RIGHT NOW IS ABERDEEN AND I SPACE THAT WE JUST CAN'T DO COMMUNITY, STANDARD COMMUNITY.
YOU KNOW, YOU JUST HAVE TO, WE GOTTA SPACE THINGS OVER TIME, JUST LIKE FIREHOUSES SPACE 'EM OVER TIME SO THAT WE DON'T, I MEAN, SCHOOLS, YOU KIND OF GOTTA DO IT, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT JUST, THEY GOTTA BE IN THE SCHOOL.
UM, THAT KIND OF TAKES A PRIORITY.
UM, BUT THESE OTHER THINGS, WE JUST WE'RE WORKING RIGHT? SO, AND I'D LIKE YOU TO CONTINUE TO WORK BECAUSE YOU KNOW, WE'RE THE ONES THAT WE YEAH, WE'RE, WE'RE, YEAH.
WE DON'T HAVE A MUNICIPALITY TO GIVE ANY, ANY ADDITIONAL FUNDING FOR THAT, WHERE ABERDEEN DID.
BUT ALSO I DO WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR THE GUNPOWDER RIVER DREDGING PORTION IN THERE BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON WITH RIDGELEY RESERVE AND ALL OF THOSE ISSUES.
UM, UNFORTUNATE TO SEE, LIKE THE BUSH RIVER ONE IS BEING PUSHED OUT TOO.
IS THERE A REASON FOR THAT? IT LOOKS LIKE BUSH RIVER DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING COMING TO FY 28 PARKS AND REC WILL BE IN HERE, PLEASE.
YOU WANT ME TO ASK THEM
[01:20:02]
MR. JAN.I WANT TO THANK, UH, YOU AND YOUR, YOUR, UH, TEAM, THE ACCESS TO PLANNING AND ZONING AND D AND EVERYTHING.
WHEN YOU HAVE A QUESTION, YOU NEED HELP.
IT'S GREAT TO BE ABLE TO TALK TO THEM, GET ANSWERS, HAVE THEM CALL YOU BACK.
DIDN'T HAVE THAT THE FIRST, MY FIRST TERM.
UH, THIS, THIS SECOND TERM, IT'S BEEN A GODSEND.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY BUSINESS OWNERS CALL ME AND SAY, HEY, CAN YOU HELP ME? I'M, I'M GETTING STUCK.
I'M, I'M DEALING WITH ONE NOW.
I TALKED TO, UH, UH, PLANNING AND ZONING YESTERDAY.
MATT LOOKED AT SOMETHING, SAID IT'S GREAT.
I TALKED TO, UH, HAROLD AT, UH, YOU KNOW, DI YOU KNOW, WORKING FOR THAT.
SO I'VE GOTTA SAY TO EVERYBODY, WE, WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT.
I MEAN, WE HAD A FIGHT FOR A BILL TO TALK TO THE DEPUTY DIRECTORS AND DIRECTORS AND, AND IT'S BEEN REALLY HELPFUL AND THE CITIZENS APPRECIATE THAT.
YOU KNOW, I THINK WE CAN CALL SOMEBODY AND BE ABLE TO GET AN ANSWER FOR THEM AND, AND IT'S JUST, IT REALLY IS, UH, NO SECRETS WE'RE, YEAH, IT'S, IT'S A GODSEND SERVE THE CITIZENS.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE TO GET A, A STUDY THAT WOULD SHOW US WHERE ALL THE EXISTING FIREHOUSES ARE IN THE COUNTY AND THE POPULATION THAT THEY SERVE? I KNOW MR. BENNETT TALKED ABOUT THERE ARE FIVE FIREHOUSES IN SUSQUEHANNA.
I DON'T KNOW OF ANY OTHER METROPOLIS JURISDICTION THAT HAS FIVE FIREHOUSES.
I KNOW THE POPULATION IN THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY CERTAINLY WOULDN'T DICTATE HAVING FIVE FIREHOUSES.
BUT IF WE COULD ACTUALLY LOOK AT A CIRCLE OF ABINGTON HAS THREE FIREHOUSES, THE POPULATION OF ABINGTON THAT THEY SERVE AS X, Y, Z, THAT MIGHT HELP US UNDERSTAND THE FUNDING FORWARD, NOT MAYBE THIS YEAR, BUT IN THE NEXT YEARS OF HOW WE WILL TRANSLATE THAT INTO THE HYBRID OF PAID FIREMEN AND VOLUNTEER FIREMEN LIKE WE'VE DONE WITH THE, UH, AMBULANCE SERVICES.
AND, AND LOOK, WE'LL BE HAPPY TO, I'M, I'M SURE I SHOULDN'T SPEAK FOR DES, BUT I'M, IT SOUNDS LIKE SOMETHING THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO PRODUCE FAIRLY READILY.
I MEAN, THAT'S HOW WE DETERMINE CALL BOXES AND ALL THAT.
SO, UH, UH, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE WE CAN DO THAT.
I, I THINK THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR US TO, TO BE ABLE TO RECONCILE, BUT YOU HAVE TO APPRECIATE THAT NOT ALL.
AND THIS IS, SO WHEN YOU GET A, YOU KNOW, WE, WE GAVE THESE DRIVERS GRANTS TO, TO ABINGTON AS OUR STARTER.
AND THE REASON IS, AND, AND THIS ISN'T A MATTER OF BEING FAIR, IT'S THAT ABINGTON IS A REALLY TRANSIENT COMMUNITY.
YOU DON'T HAVE, I MEAN, THE, THE, THE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE IN THERE AS A STARTER HOME IN AND OUT, UH, IT MAKES IT TOUGH WHERE YOU GOT, YOU GOT FIREHOUSES IN SOME COMMUNITIES WHERE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN A MEMBER OF THE FIREHOUSE OVERWHELMINGLY 30 AND 40 YEARS, YOU KNOW, OTHER COMMUNITIES WHERE IT'S, IT'S A QUICK TURNOVER.
AND SO THAT, THAT THAT COMMITMENT, AND PARTICULARLY IF IT'S A YOUNGER, YOU KNOW, AND THEN YOU GOT THE YOUNGER FAMILIES WHERE THEY'RE ALL BUSY TAKING THE KIDS TO SCHOOL AND THAT KIND OF STUFF.
SO YOU CAN'T, IT'S AGAIN, AS YOU LOOK AT THESE, JUST AS A WORD OF CAUTION, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, COMPARING APPLES TO APPLES.
IT'S NOT, I'M 25 YEAR RESIDENT OF ABINGTON, SAME HOUSE.
BUT, UM, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT IT IS A TRANSIENT AREA, BUT IT WOULD STILL HELP US UNDERSTAND ABSOLUTELY THE POPULATION.
BECAUSE WHETHER THE POPULATION LIVES THERE TODAY OR THEY SELL THEIR HOUSE TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION, THERE'S STILL GONNA BE THE POPULATION THERE THAT THEY SERVE.
ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU, MR. CAST.
Y'ALL HAVE A GREAT DAY, MR. MCCO.
UM, WITH YOUR PERMISSION COUNSEL PRESENT, I MAYBE JUST GO OVER, UM, KIND OF THE, A REFRESHER ON THINGS THAT WE'LL SEE ACROSS ALL THE BUDGETS JUST FOR A MINUTE.
UM, AND THEN WE'LL DO THE ADMINISTRATION.
SO, UM, FOR EACH DEPARTMENT, I'LL WALK US THROUGH THE CHANGES FOR FY 27 COMPARED TO THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
UH, AS I SAID, THERE'LL BE A LOT OF REPETITION, PARTICULARLY ON THE PERSONNEL SIDE.
SOME THINGS WE WILL SEE ACROSS EVERY DEPARTMENT.
FIRST IS THE FY 27 WAGE PACKAGE, AND THAT IS A COLA OF 3%.
AN AM MERIT INCREASE OF $2,000, WHICH IS PROVIDED TO ALL ELIGIBLE COUNTY EMPLOYEES FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CORRECTIONS DEPUTIES.
THEY'RE RECEIVING A 3% COLA, A 3% MARKET ADJUSTMENT, PLUS A MERIT STEP INCREASE.
UH, WHEN PROVIDING THE COST OF THE WAGE PACKAGE FOR EACH DIVISION, UH, WE WILL INCLUDE NOT JUST THE SALARY COSTS, BUT ALSO THE COSTS THAT ARE TIED TO THE COSTS THAT ARE TIED TO SALARY.
SO THAT'S PENSION, FICA, AND WORKERS' COMP.
[01:25:01]
OF THE WAGE PACKAGE ACROSS THE ENTIRE BUDGET IS APPROXIMATELY $13 MILLION.AND THAT WORKS OUT TO AROUND $7 MILLION FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE EMPLOYEES AND $6 MILLION FOR EVERYONE ELSE.
AND AS I GO THROUGH THE BUDGETS, I WILL NOTE ANY OTHER CHANGES IN SALARIES, UH, BY DIVISION DUE TO TURNOVER, PROMOTIONS AND TRANSFERS.
UH, THE BENEFIT RATE CHANGES, UH, BY EACH DIVISION.
SO PENSION RATE INCREASES BY ONE PERCENTAGE POINT FOR MOST POSITIONS TO 14% OF SALARY LAW ENFORCEMENT DEPUTIES PENSION INCREASES TO 40% OF SALARY.
AND THE SOPP, THE, UH, SHERIFF'S OFFICE PENSION PLAN FOR CORRECTIONAL DEPUTIES, UH, STAYS FLAT AT 35% OF SALARY.
UH, THE, UH, HEALTH AND DENTAL INCREASES BY 5% UP TO 21,775 PER BUDGETED POSITION.
WORKERS' COMP, EXCUSE ME, WORKERS' COMP RATES HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED, UM, BASED ON JOB CATEGORY.
UM, SO THAT'S THE PERSONNEL, UH, THINGS THAT YOU'LL SEE ACROSS EACH DIVISION.
AND THEN I, AS I GO OVER THE, UH, OPERATING NUMBERS, AFTER I GET DONE THAT, I'LL OPEN IT UP FOR QUESTIONS, UH, AS WE ALWAYS DO.
AND THEN FOR DEPARTMENTS WITH CAPITAL, CAPITAL PROJECTS, WE'LL GO OVER THOSE.
UM, AFTER ANY QUESTIONS ON THE OPERATING SIDE AS WE HAVE IN THE PAST, UM, NOTE THAT AS ALWAYS, WE INCLUDE EACH INDIVIDUAL LINE ITEM IN THE COUNTY'S OPERATING BUDGET BOOKS, UM, IN THE LAST TAB OF YOUR BOOKS.
AND THEN FINALLY, AS IN THE PAST, UH, IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OR REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION THAT REQUIRE FOLLOW UP, WE'RE TAKING DOWN ALL THOSE INQUIRIES.
UH, STEVE'S HERE TO DO THAT, UH, MAKE SURE WE, WE KEEP TRACK OF ALL THOSE.
UM, AND WE'LL PROVIDE A PACKET TO THE COUNCIL AND THE BUDGET ADVISORS AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE WORK SESSIONS.
UM, SO WE'LL GO TO ADMINISTRATION, AND THAT BEGINS ON PAGE 1 54.
THIS DEPARTMENT HAS THREE DIVISIONS ALL FUNDED BY THE GENERAL FUND.
THERE'S A TOTAL BUDGET FOR FY 27 OF 1,743,487 FOR AN INCREASE OF 97,826 OR 5.9%.
UH, THE DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION BEGINS ON PAGE 1 59.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 598,367 IS AN INCREASE OF 18,641.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASE IS 39,560.
THAT'S A RESULT OF SALARY ADJUSTMENTS OF $918.
THE FY 27 COLA OF 3% AND MERIT OF 2000 AT A COST OF 21,788 PENSIONS INCREASED 4,054.
HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASED 3,305.
RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASES 9,400.
AND THERE'S NO CHANGE IN CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS OR BUSINESS AND TRAVEL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT BEGINS ON PAGE 1 62.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 203,177 IS AN INCREASE OF 11,757.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASES 11,757.
THAT'S A RESULT OF SALARY ADJUSTMENTS OF 1000.
THE FY 27 COLA AND MERIT TOTALING 7,373 PENSION INCREASES 1,479, HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASE 1,400, AND THEN THE RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASES 519, AND THERE'S NO CHANGE IN CONTRACTUAL SERVICES.
AND THEN, UH, FINALLY, THE, UM, OFFICE OF BUDGET AND MANAGEMENT BEGINS ON PAGE 1 65.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 8 75 19 IS AN INCREASE OF 46,509.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASES 46,000 5 0 9.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF THE FY 27 COLA AND MERIT, TOTALING 33,432 PENSIONS.
HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASE, 7,000 WORKERS' COMPENSATION DECREASE IS 391.
AND THEN, UH, OTHER, OTHER POST-EMPLOYMENT BENEFITS AND RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASES 888.
AND THERE'S NO CHANGE IN CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS OR BUSINESS AND TRAVEL.
UM, AND WITH THAT, WE'LL OPEN IT UP FOR ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE ADMINISTRATION BUDGET.
I PLAN ON ASKING THIS, UM, THROUGHOUT THE FOUR DAYS, JUST TO HELP BRING PUBLIC CLARITY TO THIS PORTION OF THE BUDGET.
BUT ON PAGE 1 61, WHERE IT TALKS ABOUT TEMPORARY SALARIES IN, UH, FY 26, WE ADDED $113,851 FOR TEMPORARY SALARIES UNDER THE DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION.
AND IT APPEARS THAT THAT GOT THE COLA AND, AND $2,000
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MERIT.CAN YOU IDENTIFY WHAT, HOW MANY PEOPLE FALL UNDER TEMPORARY SALARIES ON THIS PAGE, UH, AND WHAT THEIR JOB TITLES ARE AND WHAT THEY DO? UM, YOU SAID 1 66.
IT'S UNDER THE DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION.
THAT IS, THAT IS THE LEGISLATIVE COORDINATOR.
AND THAT'S ONE ONE, AND THAT'S STEVE OVER BAY? NO, THAT'S, UH, MR. RICHARDSON, LARRY RICHARDSON.
AND HE, WHAT'S HIS DUTIES? WHAT DOES HE DO AS LEGISLATIVE COORDINATOR? IS IT JUST FOR ANNAPOLIS? UH, ANNAPOLIS, HE'S, HE DOES OUTREACH TO A NUMBER OF OTHER, UH, IN COUNTY ORGANIZATIONS SUCH AS THE HUMANE SOCIETY, UH, AND A NUMBER OF OTHERS AS WELL.
WHERE DID HE FALL BEFORE FY 26 IN THE BUDGET, I BELIEVE HE WAS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND THAT WAS UNDER TEMPORARY, OR WAS THAT A PEN? THAT WAS UNDER TEMPORARY.
UH, SO WE MOVED HIM TO ADMINISTRATION TO MORE ACCURATELY REFLECT WHAT HIS, UH, JOB DUTIES WERE.
AND THAT'S THE 119,000 IS JUST HIM.
UM, MR. RU, IT'S BEEN, I, I REALLY APPRECIATE HOW THIS IS BROKEN DOWN, SIR.
WE DON'T HAVE THAT FOR THE SCHOOLS.
IS THAT SOMETHING YOU GUYS DO? OR WE GOTTA PRESS THE SCHOOLS TO DO THAT? YEAH, YOU'LL HAVE TO GET THAT FROM THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
HAVE YOU GUYS EVER PRESSED THE SCHOOLS FOR THAT? BECAUSE I'VE BEEN HERE FOR FOUR YEARS AND IT'S BROKEN DOWN.
WE CAN SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN WHAT POSITION AND WHAT THEIR SALARIES ARE.
THE SCHOOL, WE JUST THROW 'EM A BUNCH OF MONEY AND, AND WE HAVE NO IDEA WHO'S, WHO'S WHAT.
YEAH, WE, WE HAVE PERIODICALLY, UM, YOU KNOW, ASKED THEM FOR A LIST OF, YOU KNOW, THEIR POSITIONS, SALARIES, TITLES, THAT AND, AND SO FORTH.
UM, WE TYPICALLY ASK FOR THAT EACH YEAR.
SO DO YOU HAVE THAT INFORMATION THAT I CAN GET? YEAH, I, I HAVE THE, THE MOST RECENT, UM, VERSION THAT THEY PROVIDED US.
IT WAS A NUMBER OF MONTHS AGO.
YEAH, WE CAN, WE CAN PROVIDE THAT TO YOU AS A PUBLIC DOCUMENT.
OH, UM, ROB, LET ME ASK YOU THIS, AND, AND I, IT SLIPPED MY MIND.
I SHOULD HAVE SAID SOMETHING TO, UH, MR. CASTLEY.
BEN, YOU JUST TALKED ABOUT THE COLA AND THE MERIT ALL ACROSS THE BOARD.
WE KNOW THAT OUR EMS PROVIDERS ARE OVERWORKED, EXTENDED FAR FURTHER THAN THEY SHOULD BE EACH AND EVERY DAY.
WAS THERE ANY CONSIDERATION TO GIVE THEM ANY MORE OF A, UH, SIGNIFICANT, UH, COLA OR MERIT FOR THE SERVICE THEY PROVIDE US? SO WE ALL TALK, AND I, I SAY, WE ALL TALK ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT THEY ARE AND THE LIVES THAT THEY SAVE EVERY DAY.
AND WE KNOW THAT THE RETIREMENT PACKAGE, I THINK THEY GOTTA SERVE 30 YEARS IN A MEDIC UNIT BEFORE THAT KICKS IN.
AM I NOT RIGHT? THEY'RE, THEY'RE IN THE SAME RETIREMENT PACKAGE AS ALL THE OTHER EMPLOYEES WITH THE EXCEPTIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AND CORRECTION OFFICERS.
WE KNOW THEIR BODIES ARE NOT GONNA STAND UP FOR 30 YEARS JUMPING IN AND OUT OF THE BACK OF THAT BOX.
SO MY QUESTION IS, HAS THERE BEEN, OR WILL THERE BE ANY CONSIDERATION TO LOOK AT OUR EMS PROVIDERS? I'D SAY THAT, YES.
WE, UM, WE'RE CURRENTLY, UM, IN THE MIDDLE OF A, UH, PAY STUDY FOR COUNTY EMPLOYEES.
IT'S BEEN A COUPLE OF DECADES SINCE ONE HAS BEEN DONE.
SO IT'S LOOKING AT EVERY POSITION, LOOKING AT THE JOB RESPONSIBILITIES, LOOKING AT THE COMPENSATION, COMPARING IT TO, UH, SURROUNDING JURISDICTIONS, UM, AND THE MARKET FOR THOSE SPECIFIC SPECIFIC JOB CLASSIFICATIONS, UM, THAT WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO, UM, YOU KNOW, IMPLEMENT IN THE NEXT YEAR OR TWO.
UM, SO WILL THAT STUDY IN TERMS OF EMS, UM, GOOD.
THERE IS A, UM, A INCENTIVE PROGRAM THAT, UM, PROVIDES THEM WITH A BONUS.
IT'S AFTER, IS IT FIVE 10? AND IT'S FIVE 10 AND 15, 5 10 AND 15 YEARS.
UM, SO AN EMS, UH, PARAMEDIC OR EMT, AFTER FIVE YEARS WITH THE COUNTY, THEY GET AN INCENTIVE AFTER 10 YEARS WITH THE COUNTY, THEY GET ANOTHER INCENTIVE.
AND THEN THE SAME AFTER 15 YEARS.
UM, AND THEN IN TERMS OF THE COLA AND MERIT, UM, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR WE'RE PROVIDING THE SAME ACROSS THE BOARD.
I MEAN, BECAUSE FROM WHAT I'M HEARING FROM PEOPLE, UH, INSIDE IS THAT WE'RE LOSING PEOPLE.
SO WE NEED SOMETHING AS A RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION TOOL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO KEEP THESE PEOPLE HERE THAT ARE PROVIDING THE SERVICE THAT THEY PROVIDE.
AND MY QUESTION IS, IS YOUR STUDY GONNA LOOK AT, UH, EMERGENCY SERVICES SEPARATE FROM EVERY OTHER BODY, EVERY OTHER PERSON IN THE COUNTY AS AN EMPLOYEE? WELL, I MEAN, THEY, BECAUSE I THINK THEY PROVIDE A SERVICES TOTALLY DIFFERENT.
I MEAN, THEY LOOK AT, THEY LOOK AT EACH JOB SEPARATELY.
UH, SO THEY LOOK AT EMS IN THE CONTEXT OF EMS. SO THEY COMPARE PARAMEDICS IN THIS COUNTY TO PARAMEDICS IN OTHER COUNTIES LOOKING AT AGAIN, UH, COMPENSATION, UM, YOU KNOW, HOURS, WORK
[01:35:01]
SCHEDULES, THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.SO IT IS AN APPLES TO APPLES COMPARISON.
UM, ONE THING THAT WE DID ASK THE PAY STUDY TO LOOK AT IS, YOU KNOW, THE OVERALL PAY STRUCTURE SPECIFIC TO PARAMEDICS AND EMTS.
SO YES, THAT IS BEING LOOKED AT, UM, SPECIFICALLY TO THAT JOB CATEGORY.
UM, AGAIN, ANYONE ELSE? BUDGET ADVISORS.
YOU, YOU'VE ALREADY HAD, NOW IT'S A LITTLE BIT SKIP TREASURY.
LET'S GO TO THE NEXT S GO TO THE NEXT DEPARTMENT.
UH, TREASURY BEGINS ON PAGE 180 2.
THIS DEPARTMENT HAS FOUR DIVISIONS, THREE OF WHICH ARE GENERAL FUND AND ONE WHICH IS IN THE WATER AND SEWER FUND.
THERE'S A TOTAL BUDGET FOR FY 27 OF 6 MILLION 492 149 FOR AN INCREASE OF 294,315 OR 4.7%.
THE OFFICE OF THE TREASURER BEGINS ON PAGE ONE 90.
THE DIVISION HAS A BUDGET OF 819,064, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF 39,333.
AND, UH, THIS DIVISION IS IN THE GENERAL FUND.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASE IS 39,133.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF THE FY 27 COLA AND MERIT, TOTALING 28,664.
HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASE 5,600.
UH, OP E DECREASES BASED ON FY 27 ACTUARIAL, UH, AT A SAVINGS OF 2008 54.
AND THEN RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASE IS 1,556.
CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASES $50 FOR TELEPHONE SERVICE, SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS, INCREASES $100 FOR COMMERCIAL PRINTING BUSINESS AND TRAVEL INCREASES $450 FOR MEALS AND PARKING.
PARTIALLY OFFSET BY DECREASES IN MEMBERSHIP FEES AND DUES BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSE HISTORY.
AND THEN INTERGOVERNMENTAL DECREASES $400 FOR FLEET POOL CARS, UH, BASED ON ACTUALS, THE BUREAU OF ACCOUNTING BEGINS ON PAGE 1 93.
THE DIVISION HAS A BUDGET OF 2,333,711, AN INCREASE OF 3,791 AND IS IN THE GENERAL FUND.
PERSONAL SERVICES DECREASES 14,959.
THAT'S A RESULT OF TURNOVER, SAVINGS OF 25,398, PARTIALLY OFFSET BY SALARY ADJUSTMENTS OF 7,656, THE FY 27 COLA AND MERIT TOTALS 84,473.
UH, THERE WAS ONE ACCOUNTANT TWO POSITION TRANSFERRED TO, UH, THE BUREAU OF REVENUE COLLECTIONS IN FY 27 FOR A REDUCTION TO THIS DIVISION OF 130,863 PENSIONS INCREASE IS 10,125.
HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASE IS 22,400.
OP E INCREASES 4,869 AND, UH, RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASE IS $14,024.
CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASES 19,800 FOR AUDIT RELATED COSTS.
PARTIALLY OFFSET BY DECREASES IN OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS DECREASES $1,000 FOR COMMERCIAL COMMERCIAL PRINTING.
THERE'S NO CHANGE IN BUSINESS IN TRAVEL AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL DECREASES $50 FOR FLEET POOL CARS.
REVENUE COLLECTIONS BEGINS ON PAGE 1 97.
THE DIVISION HAS A BUDGET OF 1 MILLION 795 7 21, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF 1 96, 1 53, AND IS IN THE GENERAL FUND.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASES 200,303.
SAVINGS OF 10,846 PARTIALLY OFFSET BY SALARY ADJUSTMENTS OF 3,229, THE FY 27 AND MERIT TOTALING 66,520.
UH, THERE WAS ONE, THE ACCOUNTANT TWO POSITION TRANSFERRED IN FROM THE BUREAU OF ACCOUNTING FOR AN INCREASE TO THIS DIVISION OF 1 0 7 2 59.
HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASE 16,800.
AND THEN RHS RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASE IS 11,431.
CONTRACTUAL SERVICES DECREASES 1,900 FOR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS DECREASES 2000 FOR GENERAL OFFICE MAILING.
[01:40:02]
BUSINESS AND TRAVEL DECREASES $50 FOR PROFESSIONAL BOOKS AND PERIODICALS.AND THEN INTERGOVERNMENTAL DECREASES 200 FOR POOL CARS.
AND THEN FINALLY, THE WATER AND SEWER AND COUNTING DIVISION BEGINS ON PAGE 200.
THE DIVISION HAD TO, HAS A BUDGET OF 1 MILLION 543 653, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF 55,038 AND IS IN THE WATER AND SEWER FUND.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASE IS 92,943.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF SALARY ADJUSTMENTS OF 9,353.
THE FY 27 COLA AND MERIT TOTALING 40 2046.
HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASE 12,600.
OPE INCREASES 2,121 AND THEN RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASES 19,749.
CONTRACTUAL SERVICES DECREASES 19,925 FOR COSTS RELATED TO THE AUDIT.
PAR PARTIALLY OFFSET BY A SLIGHT INCREASE IN LEGAL SERVICES, SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS DECREASES 21,695 FOR GENERAL OFFICE MAILING AND COPIER SUPPLIES.
UM, DECREASES BASED ON ACTUAL EXPENSE HISTORY, BUSINESS AND TRAVEL INCREASES.
3,765 FOR TRAINING SEMINARS AND COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH TRAVEL BASED ON ACTUALS.
AND THEN INTERGOVERNMENTAL DECREASES $50 FOR FLEET POOL CARS.
AND WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING TREASURY'S BUDGET.
SO GOOD MORNING, MAYOR ROBBIE.
UM, ONE THING THAT STOOD OUT AT ME RIGHT AWAY, AND I'M SURE YOU HAVE A RE AN ANSWER FOR IT, BUT IN HER BUDGET AND BRIEF, I NOTICED THAT MISCELLANEOUS EXPENSES WERE UP $21 MILLION.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S LIKE A HUNDRED PERCENT.
YEAH, SO MISCELLANEOUS IS, IS LARGELY PAYGO.
SO WE ARE TRANSFERRING, UM, MONIES TO THE, UH, REALLY TO TWO PLACES TO THE CAPITAL BUDGET, UM, TO PAY FOR INSTEAD OF USING BONDS TO USE, UH, TO PAY FOR CASH.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS IN THERE FOR THINGS LIKE STATE ROADS AND SCHOOL PROJECTS AND THE LIKE.
THE OTHER BIG ONE IS WE ARE TRANSFERRING AROUND $5 MILLION FOR, UM, THE STORMWATER FUND.
YOU KNOW, FOR A LONG TIME, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A DEDICATED REVENUE FOR OUR, UM, UH, STORMWATER NEEDS.
OUR, OUR WATER QUALITY NEEDS, UM, THE RECORDATION FUNDS, BUT IT'S NOT SUFFICIENT BECAUSE WE HAVE TO DO SO MUCH IN ORDER TO COMPLY WITH STATE OF MARYLAND AND, UH, FEDERAL EPA, UM, REGULATIONS.
UM, AND SO WE ARE ALSO TRANSFERRING A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN $5 MILLION.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE ONES WE'VE HAD RESERVED IN THE FUND BALANCE.
YOU WILL SEE THIS NUMBER KIND OF START TO GO DOWN AS WE, UM, UH, PULL INTO IT.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE IT'S A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER.
UM, CAN WE GET A, A LIST OF THOSE? YEAH, I THINK IT'S EVEN IN THE BUDGET THAT SHOWS WHAT THE, UM, THE, THE, THE, THE TRANSFERS.
WE'LL, WE'LL LOOK UP THE PAGE AND YEP.
AND THEN IN YOUR CAPITAL BUDGET, YOU'LL, YOU'LL NOTICE THOUGH, ANYTIME IT DOES SAY IT DOES, IT DOES SAY PAYGO.
UM, AND IT GETS KIND OF A LITTLE CONFUSING HERE 'CAUSE IT'S GENERAL FUND PEGO, THERE'S HIGHWAYS FUND, PEGO, THERE'S WATER, AND SO PEGO, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING.
SO IF YOU JUST PUT A LIST TOGETHER FOR US, I THINK IT'D BE MUCH EASIER TO LOOK AT.
UM, ANYONE ELSE? MR. BEN? HELLO.
I, I'LL TRY AND WRAP UP ALL MY NUMBER QUESTIONS WITH YOU THIS MORNING.
UH, UNLESS MORE COME UP THROUGHOUT THE NEXT FOUR DAYS.
BUT, UH, FIRST QUICK QUESTION, EASY QUESTION.
PAGE 180 6, UH, TEMPORARY SALARIES IN YOUR DEPARTMENT IS $35,000.
IT'S THE SAME AMOUNT AS LAST YEAR.
IS THAT BECAUSE IT'S NOT PAYING FOR SOMEONE WHO'S WORKING 12 MONTHS SO THEY DON'T GET A, WE, WE, WE'VE USED THAT FOR, UH, INTERNS.
WE'VE ACTUALLY BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL OVER THE YEARS AND, AND WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HIRE, UM, I THINK LIKE FIVE OR SIX INTERNS, UM, WHO, WHO, WHO WENT ON TO, UM, UH, TO WORK FOR THE COUNTY.
NOT ALL OF 'EM HAVE STILL STAYED ON, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF 'EM KIND OF, UM, WORKED FOR US FOR A COUPLE YEARS, BUT THAT'S ALL JUST, JUST INTERNS.
BUT WE DON'T ADJUST THE HOURLY RATE FOR THOSE INTERNSHIPS.
YEAH, I THINK WE'VE BEEN DOING AROUND $20, UM, AN HOUR AT ONE POINT.
IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN 15 AND THEN WE, I SOMETIMES I HAD, IT DEPENDED ON LIKE HOW MUCH EXPERIENCE THEY HAD, BUT IT'S IN THAT GENERAL, IT'S IN THAT, THAT, THAT GENERAL RULE.
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES WITH, WITH INTERNS, WHEN I WAS AN INTERN BACK IN THE NINETIES, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES INTERNS WERE UNPAID.
UM, WE, WE FOUND IT MORE SUCCESSFUL, UM, IN ORDER TO, TO KIND OF, UH, PAY THE INTERNS, UM, OH WAGE.
UH, AND THEN I'M GONNA ASK, 'CAUSE I WAS LOOKING AT, UM, OUR FY 26 BUDGET.
SO THIS IS PAGE 1 38 OF THE FY 26 BUDGET ON OUR ESTIMATED, UM, REVENUES AND EXPENSES FOR THE FY 26 BUDGET.
AND THEN COMPARING THAT TO THE FY 27 BUDGET.
SO THIS IS PAGE 57 OF THE FY 27 BUDGET.
UH, THIS TIME LAST YEAR, LOOKING AHEAD TO THE BUDGET, WE'RE ABOUT TO FINISH UP, WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO RECEIVE
[01:45:01]
766 MILLION IN REVENUES, BUT NOW WE'RE SAYING WE'LL HAVE RECEIVED $817.6 MILLION IN REVENUES.SO THAT WAS AN UNDERESTIMATE OF $51.6 MILLION.
SO, AND AGAIN, ALL OF THAT IS AGAIN, BECAUSE OF, BECAUSE OF THE INCOME TAX.
SO A COUPLE THINGS HAPPEN WHEN WE GO BACK TO THIS TIME LAST YEAR, OUR QUARTERLY INCOME TAX, YOU KNOW, I THINK WAS, UM, WAS UP AROUND LIKE 5% OR SO.
UH, AND WHAT HAPPENED IN THE SECOND HALF OF FISCAL YEAR 25 IS THE FIRST QUARTER, WHICH CAME IN MAY, AND THEN THE SECOND QUARTER WE'RE UP DOUBLE DIGITS.
AND WE ALSO RECEIVED A LOT OF MONEY FROM, UM, THIS, THIS OTHER, THIS OTHER STATE DISTRIBUTION CALLED UNALLOCATED.
AND UNALLOCATED IS TYPICALLY AROUND $10 MILLION LAST YEAR CAME IN AT AROUND $20 MILLION.
AND UNALLOCATED IS WHEN SOMEONE IS, WHEN THE STATE WITHHOLDS TAXES AND IT'S SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T, UH, END UP FILING RETURNS AND THEN THEY DISTRIBUTE IT OUT.
AND THAT COULD BE ANYTHING FROM SOMEBODY MOVED AWAY TO THEY'RE UNDOCUMENTED OR WHAT HAVE YOU.
AND SO THAT WAS A, A HUGE INCREASE.
SO WE REALLY DID SEE A SIGNIFICANT JUMP IN OUR INCOME TAX.
WE TALKED ABOUT INCOME TAX BEING UP 15%, BUT MOST OF THAT GROWTH REALLY KIND OF CAME UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, AFTER, AFTER MAY, WE LOOKED INTO THE FIRST TWO QUARTERS OF THIS ONE.
SO WHAT WE RECEIVED IN NOVEMBER AND IN DECEMBER, UM, THOSE NUMBERS WERE, WERE ALSO VERY STRONG.
UM, AND NOW THAT WE KNOW THOUGH THAT WE, WE WERE OVER DISTRIBUTED, THAT THAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE EXPECTED TO COME BACK DOWN.
AND SO LONG STORY SHORT IS YES, UM, INCOME TAX GREW FAR MORE THAN EXPECTED.
NOT JUST IN THIS COUNTY, BUT IN EVERY COUNTY ACROSS ACROSS MARYLAND.
WE'VE ALL BEEN STRUGGLING WITH TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, YOU KNOW, WHERE INCOME TAX IS GROWING, WHY IT'S MOVING THE WAY THAT IT IT IS, UM, AND HOW MUCH OF THAT IS ONE TIME VERSUS ONGOING.
AND THEN, UM, ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES LAST YEAR ON, WE SAID WE WERE GONNA BE SPENDING $816.5 MILLION.
BUT NOW TODAY WE'RE SAYING AS THIS, UH, FISCAL YEAR BEGINS TO WRAP UP THAT WE'RE ESTIMATING WE'LL HAVE SPENT $780 MILLION.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT FROM THE CURRENT, LIKE WHEN WE, WHEN WE PLACE IT FOR WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SPEND IN THE UPCOMING YEAR, THAT IS, AGAIN, BASED UPON LARGELY WHAT THE BUDGET IS.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE SAYING, YOU KNOW, WE ARE APPROPRIATING THIS FUND IN THE BUDGET.
SO TO THE EXTENT THAT ONCE YOU ARE IN THE YEAR, YOU KNOW, YOU MAY HAVE SOME THINGS BECAUSE OF, UM, YOU, YOU HAVE POSITION TURNOVER, SO YOU HAVE SOME VACANCIES, YOU MIGHT HAVE SOME THINGS THAT YOU DIDN'T, UM, YOU DIDN'T HAVE TO FULLY TRANSFER.
YOU KNOW, ANOTHER, SOMETIMES WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE ONLY MOVE OVER A, LIKE, LIKE A GRANT TRANSFER IF WE ACTUALLY HAVE RECEIVED THE GRANT.
YOU KNOW, SO YOU, YOU, YOU, YOU'LL HAVE SOME EXTRA FUNDS THERE.
SO OFTENTIMES, YOU KNOW, THAT'S ALL PART OF THAT IDEA THAT WE DON'T HAVE THAT USER TO LOSE IT MENTALITY FROM A BUDGET STANDPOINT.
WE SAY, LOOK, THIS IS HOW MUCH WE'RE BUDGETING.
THIS IS HOW MUCH WE EXPECT TO SPEND, BUT WHEN IT COMES, WHEN THE KIND OF THE RUBBER HITS THE ROAD, WE DON'T, WE DON'T SPEND ALL OF THAT, NOR DO WE ENCOURAGE OUR PEOPLE TO SPEND ALL OF THAT.
THAT'S WHY WE SAY, YEAH, YOU WORK FOR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, THEY'RE LIKE, ALL RIGHT, WHAT ARE WE BUYING? UM, HERE? WE'RE LIKE, YOU KNOW, UNLESS YOU REALLY NEED IT, DON'T GO OUT AND BUY IT.
WELL, AND I GUESS, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU ACCOUNT FOR THAT $816 MILLION WE'VE BUDGETED TO SPEND A GOOD PORTION OF THAT.
I KNOW WE DON'T LITERALLY WRITE CHECKS AND HAND A CHECK TO HARTFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE, THE HUMANE SOCIETY, BUT WE SAY WE'RE GONNA GIVE HARTFORD COMMUNITY COLLEGE X DOLLARS.
WE GIVE THEM X DOLLARS THAT, SO THEN THE FLUCTUATION ONLY HAPPENS WITHIN THE HOUSE OF HARTFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT, AND IT SEEMS LIKE THAT $36.7 MILLION WE CAME UNDER IS ABOUT 10% OF WHAT WE BUD 10% UNDER WHAT WE BUDGETED TO SPEND ON HARTFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT EXPENSES.
SO, I MEAN, I WOULD HAVE TO LOOK AT, AT THOSE.
I MEAN THERE, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE, WE DO HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, COSTS THAT ARE, THAT ARE UNDERSPENT AGAIN, BECAUSE OF POSITION VACANCIES OR BECAUSE OF GRANT MATCH OR, OR THINGS ALONG, THINGS ALONG THOSE LINES.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S 36 MILLION TYPICALLY, LIKE IF, IF I WERE TO SAY WHAT IT WAS AT THE END OF, UM, AT THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 25 FOR THIS PURPOSE, WE OFTENTIMES WILL JUST USE A, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF A HISTORICAL THING AND WE'LL JUST KIND OF LOOK AT WHERE THE, THE, THE, THE REVENUES ARE SPENDING RIGHT AT THIS MOMENT, AND THEN TRY TO EXTRAPOLATE IT.
UM, BUT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE, WE DON'T HAVE THAT USER TO LOSE IT MENTALITY.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE, UM, UNSPENT, BUT 30 30, WE'LL HAVE TO GET BACK AND RECONCILE THE 36.
I KNOW THAT'S PROBABLY, THAT CERTAINLY IS ON THE, UM, AT LEAST AS FAR AS FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR, I THINK ON THE, ON THE HIGH SIDE.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE TALKED A LOT EARLIER THIS MORNING ABOUT THE NEW CATEGORY AND THE FUND BALANCE REVENUE VOLATILITY, WHICH IT SOUNDS LIKE THAT IS THERE TO
[01:50:01]
SOLVE THE ISSUE OF IF THE COMPTROLLER COMES BACK TO US AND SAYS, LOOK, I, WE OVER, UH, DISTRIBUTED, SO WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE ADJUSTMENTS INTO THE NEXT FOUR QUARTERS, OR HOWEVER THAT WORKS.UM, BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN I LOOK AT FROM FY 25 THROUGH FY 26 ON OUR REVENUE SIDE, REVENUES GREW BY $70.7 MILLION.
I THINK THAT THAT IS PROBABLY, THAT, THAT FISCAL YEAR 25 THROUGH THE FIRST HALF OF FISCAL YEAR 26 IS WHEN WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, RECEIVED THIS HUGE INCREASE IN OUR INCOME TAX.
THAT WAS LARGELY, LARGELY UNEXPECTED.
AND I THINK THAT A GOOD PORTION OF THAT IS GOING TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SOME OF IT'S GONNA LIKE WORK ITSELF ITSELF OUT.
YOU'RE PROBABLY NOT GONNA SEE A, YOU KNOW, INCOME TAX DROP BY $40 MILLION, BUT INSTEAD OF HAVING INCOME TAX GROW BY 6%, 6% IT, IT'LL GROW BY 15%, AND THEN IT MIGHT COME DOWN BY 2%, AND IT MIGHT BE 3% YEARS FROM NOW, WE'LL BE ABLE TO LOOK AT IT AND PROBABLY FROM A MORE LINEAR APPROACH AND BE LIKE, YEAH, IT'S AROUND SIX PER, IT'S AROUND 6%.
UM, BUT IT HAS BEEN A, A FRUSTRATING PERIOD TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND THIS.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, YOU CAN COME TO ANY, UH, OF THE MAKO BUDGET AND FINANCE AFFINITY GROUPS, AND YOU'LL FIND ALL OF THE COUNTIES STRUGGLING WITH, OKAY, WE NOW KNOW THIS, WE KNOW THAT 19 OF US WERE OVER DISTRIBUTED.
TO WHAT EXTENT ARE WE EXPECTING THIS TO DROP OFF BOTH AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, WHICH IS UNFORTUNATELY, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE WE'RE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, WE'LL, WE'LL, WE'LL KNOW WHAT MAY IS DOING.
UM, AND, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, BEFORE THE BUDGET IS, IS ADOPTED, UH, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA KNOW OF ANY OF THE OTHER PARTS REALLY UNTIL AFTER THE BUDGET'S ADOPTED.
UM, SO IT HAS BEEN, IT'S BEEN, IT'S BEEN ATYPICAL BECAUSE THE STATE'S COMING IN AND SAYING LIKE, OKAY, YOU KNOW, WE EXPECT INCOME TAX TO GROW ON OUR END BY, YOU KNOW, TWO, THREE, 4%, AND THEN WE SEE 15%.
AND AGAIN, WE THINK THE ECONOMY'S RESILIENT.
WE THINK THE ECONOMY IS STILL DOING WELL, BUT 15% IS LARGELY BECAUSE SOME OF FUTURE GROWTH, IF YOU WILL, KIND OF GOT PUSHED UP AND CREATED VOLATILITY.
AND LOOKING AT FY 26 TO FY 27, WE'RE ONLY ANTICIPATING REVENUES TO INCREASE BY $11.5 MILLION.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE SAYING ESTIMATED REVENUES OF 829 MILLION, WHEREAS RIGHT NOW FOR FY 26, 800 17 MILLION, YEAH.
THAT, AGAIN, THAT'S ON THE GROWTH.
THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT THE SPENDING AFFORDABILITY TALKED ABOUT BECAUSE SO MUCH OF THE INCOME TAX GROWTH KIND OF HAPPENED IN FISCAL YEAR 25 AND THE FIRST HAIR OF FISCAL YEAR 26.
AND IF IT GOES DOWN ON A YEAR BY YEAR BASIS, YOU'RE NOT GONNA SEE AS MUCH GROWTH.
NOW, THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT YOUR REVENUES DROP OFF, BUT AGAIN, YOU'RE TRYING TO, YOU'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH OF THE REVENUE THAT YOU'VE ALREADY REALIZED IS, IS, UM, TO WHAT EXTENT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE GROWTH OFF OF THAT.
AND I GUESS WHAT I'M GETTING TO, 'CAUSE IT REALLY, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU'RE SAYING OUR ESTIMATE IN GROWTH IS ADJUSTING FOR THAT POTENTIAL OF THE COMPTROLLER COMING FORWARD AND SAYING, CORRECT.
HEY, WE, SO THEN AREN'T WE ESSENTIALLY SETTING ASIDE IN OUR ESTIMATES WHAT THAT REVENUE VOLATILITY FUND IS DESIGNED TO DO? BECAUSE YOU'RE SAYING, BUT WHERE IT'S GONNA COME INTO THE, WE'RE GONNA, WHERE YOU'RE SAYING WE'RE GONNA ADJUST OUR ANTICIPATE GROWTH TO ANTICIPATE THE COMPTROLLER COMING AND SAYING WE OVER DISTRIBUTED, BUT THEN WE'RE ALSO ON TOP OF THAT SETTING ASIDE $19.5 MILLION IN CASE THE COMPTROLLER COMES TO US AND SAYS, WE OVER DISTRIBUTED.
WELL, IT'S, IT'S NOT SO MUCH IN CASE WITH THE, THE, THE, IF THE COMPTROLLER COMES AND, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, WE ARE BUILDING THAT INTO THE REVENUE ESTIMATE, IT'S MUCH MORE ABOUT NEXT YEAR WHEN IF OUR BUDGETED NUMBER IS GOING TO SHOW A SIGNIFICANT DROP OFF FROM, UM, FROM THIS YEAR'S BUDGET BECAUSE OF, BECAUSE OF NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, OR EVEN NOT EVEN A SIGNIFICANT DROP OFF, EVEN IF LIKE WE ONLY EXPECT 2% GROWTH, WE KNOW THAT WE CAN RELEASE SOME OF THE, THOSE FUNDS SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THE EQUIVALENT OF 3% GROWTH.
AND THAT'S KIND OF MORE OR LESS WHAT WE'RE HOPING TO DO IS TO SAY, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT HALF OF THE YEARS WE HAVE LESS THAN 3% GROWTH, WE CAN RELEASE THAT MONEY.
SOMETIMES YOU MIGHT HAVE TO RELEASE A LOT OF IT IF YOU ENDED UP WITH NEGATIVE 3% GROWTH, BUT IF YOU WERE AT 2% GROWTH INSTEAD OF 3% GROWTH, THAT WAY WE CAN STILL MAINTAIN ALL OF OUR COMMITMENTS TO THE SCHOOLS AND TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY WITHOUT HAVING TO MAKE THOSE, THOSE, UM, THOSE BIG CHANGES.
THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE CHALLENGE OF KIND OF BUDGETING WHEN YOU HAVE A VOLATILE REVENUE YEARS AGO WAS ALL DRIVEN BY PROPERTY TAX.
AND PROPERTY TAX IS JUST A LOT EASIER TO, TO, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, TO MANAGE AND TO FORECAST.
AND YOU CAN JUST SIT THERE AND SAY, OKAY, YOU KNOW, HEY, WE'RE ALL GONNA GROW BY, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN THREE AND 5% AND IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE GREAT WHEN YOU HAVE THAT REVENUE VOLATILITY FROM INCOME TAX.
YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU BEST, HOW DO YOU BEST GO ABOUT THAT? UM, AND WHEN YOU HAVE ON THE HARD PART IS BECAUSE WE HAVE ONGOING SPENDING COMMITMENTS, MOST OF OUR SPENDING IS ONGOING, THE SCHOOLS IS ON BECAUSE IT'S MOSTLY PEOPLE.
SO YOU REALLY CAN'T JUST SAY, OH,
[01:55:01]
WELL WE'RE JUST GONNA FUND IT AT THIS LEVEL AND THEN CUT IT BACK THE NEXT YEAR.YOU CAN DO THAT A LITTLE BIT WITH ONE TIME THINGS.
SO LIKE IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, WE ARE USING MORE PAYGO, SO WE ARE FUNDING THINGS FOR STATE ROADS OR FOR SCHOOL SITE IMPROVEMENTS, UH, RELATED TO SECURITY.
YOU KNOW, WE ARE USING SOME OF THAT MONEY FOR THAT KIND OF STUFF.
BUT WE'RE ALSO SAYING LIKE, LOOK, WE KNOW THAT THAT REVENUE NUMBER IS PROBABLY GOING TO START, START TAILING OFF, AND WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN STILL MAINTAIN OUR COMMITMENT SO THAT WE CAN STILL PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, RAISES TO OUR EMPLOYEES.
OR WE CAN STILL SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, WE CAN COVER THE INCREASING IN, IN HEALTH INSURANCE.
UM, BUT IT SOUNDS, MY UNDERSTANDING IS WE'RE KIND OF ON THE LOW END OF ESTIMATED GROWTH TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM THE POSSIBILITY OF THE BUBBLE BURSTING ON INCOME TAX GROWTH.
AND WE'RE ESTABLISHING A FUND TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM INCOME TAX COMING BACK IN THE BUBBLE BURSTING.
AND I WOULD SAY THE FUND IS, IS IN LARGE PART, THERE MUCH MORE FROM A BUDGET TO BUDGET BASIS, WHEREAS THE HOW WE PROJECT REVENUE IS MORE ON AN ACTUAL BASIS.
YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW THE INCOME TAX ON A BUDGET TO BUDGET BASIS IS UP BY 10% OR SO.
SO WE ARE OKAY ON A BUDGET TO BUDGET BASIS.
NOW, IF WE WERE TO FIND OUT THAT WE DIDN'T HIT OUR, OUR NUMBER, THEN YEAH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO TACK INTO THOSE, INTO THOSE FUNDS.
BUT WE COME BACK NEXT YEAR AND IF WE'RE NOW SAYING, YOU KNOW, HEY, WE, WE ONLY EXPECT REVENUE TO, WE EXPECT INCOME TAX TO BE FLAT, WE CAN RELEASE, YOU KNOW, THE EQUIVALENT OF 3% SO THAT WE CAN SAY, LOOK, WE CAN STILL MAINTAIN SOME OF THESE, THESE GROWTH CHANGES.
AND THIS IS WHAT'S OFTENTIMES TOUGH WITH, WITH GOVERNMENT IS THAT WE'RE TRYING TO, YOU HAVE BUDGETED REVENUES AND BUDGETED EXPENDITURES, WHAT WE'RE ALL TRYING TO SET RIGHT NOW, AND THEN WELL AFTER THE FACT, WE ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT THE ACTUAL EXPENDITURES ARE, YOU KNOW, UM, AND AGAIN, THE OTHER AGENCIES DON'T REALLY HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THIS IN THE SAME WAY BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY WHAT IT IS THAT WE APPROPRIATED TO THEM.
WE KIND OF HAVE TO WAIT TO THE END TO BE LIKE, OKAY, HOW DID IT ALL SHAKE OUT? AND I, I THINK I'VE PICKED UP ON YOUR, UM, FISCAL PHILOSOPHY OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS AND, AND GROWN TO UNDERSTAND IT SOME, AND YOU WOULD PROBABLY ON A PERSONAL NOTE, SAY YOU COULD NEVER HAVE TOO MUCH FUND BALANCE BECAUSE IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THAT FISCAL SECURITY.
BUT DO WE HAVE AN ESTABLISHED PLAN OF WHERE WE WANT THE FUND BALANCE TO BE? YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE THE UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE IS GROWING FROM 58.2 MILLION TO 96.5 MILLION.
UH, LIKE WHERE WOULD YOU SAY WE'RE TRYING TO GET THAT NUMBER TO? SO THE, THE UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE, YOU KNOW, FOR YEARS WE WOULD, WE WOULD SAY $20 MILLION.
AND, AND THIS YEAR WE SAY, REALLY WE, RATHER THAN HAVING A FLAT DOLLAR AMOUNT, WE SHOULD REFLECT IT IN, IN A, UH, PERCENTAGE OF BUDGET, WHICH IS AROUND TWO POINT A HALF PERCENT.
UM, OF, AND THAT'S IN ORDER TO TAKE CARE OF, AGAIN, SOMETHING COMES UP WITH THE HUMANE SOCIETY, WE ENDED UP WITH SOME COST FROM THE STATE THAT WE WEREN'T EXPECTING ALL OF ALL OF THAT.
THE TOTAL FUND BALANCE, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE CREDIT RATING AGENCY HAVE SAID TO US, YOU KNOW, IS AROUND $150 MILLION.
BUT WHAT THAT REALLY TRANSLATES INTO IS AROUND 20%.
NOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT OUR TOTAL FUND BALANCE, A GOOD PORTION OF IT THOUGH IS STUFF THAT WE ARE USING, AND THIS IS WHAT'S ALWAYS TOUGH WITH FUND BALANCE, BECAUSE YOU'RE KIND OF SAYING, WHERE DO WE EXPECT TO FINISH YEAR END ON JUNE 30TH? BUT ON JULY 1ST WE GO AND WE TRANSFER, WE TRANSFERRED $56 MILLION OF FUND BALANCE AS PART OF THE BUDGET.
I BELIEVE IT WAS 60, 67 SOMETIMES THE YEARS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE ARE USING, YOU KNOW, OF THAT, OF THAT FUND BALANCE, 67 MILLION.
WE ARE, WE ARE USING IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET LARGELY TO GO TO THE CAPITAL BUDGET FOR PEGO AND THEN TO GO TO, UM, UH, STORMWATER.
BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S STILL SOME, UM, IT ALSO STAYS WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND AS AS WELL.
AND SO YEAH, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE WANT TO BE AROUND THAT, THAT 20% MARK.
NOW, AGAIN, IF YOU GO OVER IT OR YOU GO UNDER IT, IT'S MUCH MORE ABOUT TRENDS.
AND THIS IS WHAT'S A, A CHALLENGE WHEN YOU HAVE YOUR INCOME TAX GROW BY 15% IN A YEAR, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T JUST, YOU KNOW, INSTANTANEOUSLY EQUATE IT.
NOW AGAIN, IF WE WERE ALL GONNA JUST DO THIS ON ONE TIME EXPENDITURES, IT'D BE A LITTLE BIT EASIER, BUT MOST OF THE REQUESTS AND AND THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH ARE NOT ONE-TIME EXPENDITURES.
SO HOW DO YOU MANAGE ONGOING EXPENDITURES, YOU KNOW? AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT I, THAT'S THAT'S WHAT WE STRUGGLE WITH AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT OVEREXTENDING OURSELVES ON ONGOING THINGS.
AGAIN, IF THIS IS A HOUSEHOLD THAT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I'LL USE MY OWN PERSONAL, YOU KNOW, I GET PAID EVERY TWO WEEKS.
MY WIFE'S IN SALES A COUPLE YEARS AGO, SHE WAS SELLING TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
IT WAS PRETTY, IT WAS SOME PRETTY GOOD YEARS.
THIS WAS BEFORE SHE BECAME MY WIFE.
THEN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DID NOT HAVE, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY JUST STOPPED BUYING, YOU KNOW, ON, UH, LESS UNDER THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION.
YOU KNOW, HAD WE GONE OUT AND, AND SAY PURCHASED A NEW HOME AND PURCHASED NEW
[02:00:01]
CARS AND ALL OF THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD'VE BEEN OVEREXTENDED, YOU KNOW? SO IDEALLY IT WAS LIKE, OKAY, STOCK THAT MONEY AWAY.LET'S, YOU KNOW, LET'S, YOU KNOW, WE REDID THE KITCHEN.
UM, AND THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I THINK WE, WE, WE KIND OF NEED TO DO HERE, TRY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S OUR ONGOING REVENUE AND THEN OUR ONE-TIME REVENUE, HOW DO WE ADDRESS THAT ON ONE-TIME NEEDS? AND I THINK WE'VE DONE A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF IT IN THIS BUDGET, IN, IN TRYING TO ADDRESS, UM, SOME ONE-TIME NEEDS FOR STATE ROADS, FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR, UM, STORMWATER.
AND SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE SHOULD BE ABOUT HALF OF WHAT THE FISCAL STABILIZATION FUND IS? YEAH.
THE FISCAL STABILIZATION FUND'S 45, IT SHOULD BE 22.5.
AND THAT'S KIND OF WHERE, YES, WHERE, WHERE, BECAUSE 20 MILLION WAS, WAS ALWAYS A, UM, YOU KNOW, THE PROBLEM IS IS THAT, YOU KNOW, A DOLLAR TODAY IS NOT WHAT A DOLLAR WAS A FEW YEARS AGO, RIGHT? SO WHEN YOU HAVE FLAT DOLLAR AMOUNTS, IT GETS, IT GETS FUZZY.
SO THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE SAY, YOU KNOW, TWO AND A HALF PERCENT IS, IS IN THAT SAME BALLPARK, AND THAT ENABLES US ENOUGH OF A CUSHION THAT WE CAN DEAL WITH YOU.
IDEALLY, I DON'T WANNA USE THAT FISCAL STABILIZATION, YOU ALMOST THINK OF THAT, THAT FI THAT 5% FISCAL STABILIZATION IS LIKE, WE JUST GOTTA BE REALLY BAD BEFORE WE TACK INTO THAT.
UM, THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, BUT THE UNASSIGNED, YOU'RE LIKE, OKAY, THAT'S KIND OF THE MONEY WE CAN WORK AROUND WITH.
THAT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE NOT TAPPING INTO THE RETIREMENT PLAN.
WE'RE TAPPING INTO JUST LIKE OUR BASIC SAVINGS ACCOUNT BECAUSE THE REFRIGERATOR WENT UP.
AND EVEN WITH THE CREATION OF THIS NEW CATEGORY OF REVENUE VOLATILITY, THAT NINE, AND I WOULD LIKE TO ASK YOU IN JUST A SECOND ABOUT HOW DID YOU LAND ON 19.5 MILLION BEING THE NUMBER FOR THAT CATEGORY, BUT BEFORE I DO, EVEN WITH THE CREATION OF THAT CATEGORY, WE'RE ALMOST $7 MILLION ABOVE THAT, UH, $22.5 MILLION IN UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCE THAT YOU WOULD CONSIDER TO BE REASONABLE.
AND AGAIN, I THINK IT, BECAUSE WE DON'T, YOU KNOW, IF IF WE HAD A BUDGET THAT WE EXACTLY KNEW WHAT OUR REVENUES WERE, YOU KNOW, I THINK YOU COULD, YOU COULD JUST SIT THERE AND SAY LIKE, OKAY, MAKE IT EXACTLY THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT POINT, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THAT.
YOU'RE ALWAYS GONNA HAVE SOME, SOME FLU FLUCTUATION.
HOW DO WE GET TO THE NINE? AND IT'S NOT SO MUCH THE NUMBER OF 19 MILLION, BUT WE, WHEN WE LOOKED AT, AT FISCAL YEAR 25, THE YEAR THAT JUST CLOSED, AND WE SAY WE WERE AT 15% GROWTH, WE TOOK THE EQUIVALENT OF, OF, SO WE SAID, LOOK, A, ANYTHING BETWEEN, UH, ABOVE 9% GROWTH IS WHAT WE RESERVED.
UM, WITHIN THAT, WITHIN THAT, THAT SPACE, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THIS YEAR, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAVE 5% GROWTH, WE'RE NOT GONNA ADD ANYTHING TO IT.
YOU KNOW, IF WE HAD 6%, 7%, 8%, WE'RE NOT GONNA ADD ANYTHING TO IT.
UM, THIS IS LARGELY THERE TO ADDRESS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, AND, AND AGAIN, DO I KNOW WE'RE GONNA HAVE A YEAR THAT'S, THAT'S DOWN? NO, BUT I KNOW THAT IN THE LAST 25 YEARS, HALF OF THE YEARS WERE LESS THAN 3% GROWTH AND A QUARTER OF 'EM WERE MORE THAN 9% GROWTH.
SO, UM, YOU, THE PLAN IS, IS TO RESERVE THAT.
AND INSTEAD OF COMING BACK AND SAYING, HEY, WE CAN ONLY USE THAT FOR, YOU KNOW, HEY, WE SHOULD ONLY USE, UM, FUND BALANCE FOR ONE TIME REVENUES.
WE ACKNOWLEDGE THE WAY INCOME TAX WORKS IN THIS STATE.
AND WE SAY, OKAY, WE'RE NOT ALWAYS GONNA HAVE THAT LUXURY, BUT WE KNOW WHEN WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD YEAR, GENERALLY WITHIN A YEAR OR TWO, WE HAVE A PRETTY BAD YEAR.
SO HOW CAN WE MAKE SURE THAT WHEN WE HAVE THAT, THAT THAT DOWN YEAR THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO JUST MAKE A BUNCH OF, A BUNCH OF CUTS AND WE'RE ABLE TO RELEASE IT AND STILL KIND OF GROW, AT LEAST AT A MODEST LEVEL, IT'S NOT GOING TO, YOU KNOW, CHANGE THE WORLD.
WELL, AND I GUESS TO WHAT YOU JUST SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A SMALL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 22.5 AND AND 29.1.
I MEAN, THAT'S 30% DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE TWO NUMBERS.
AND JUST LIKE I WAS ABLE TO REFLECT IN OUR ESTIMATED REVENUES AND EXPENSES FOR THIS BUDGET VERSUS WHAT IT'S TURNING OUT TO ACTUALLY BE, YOUR OFFICE IS VERY GOOD AT CONSERVATIVELY BUDGETING SO THAT WE NEVER FIND OURSELVES OVEREXTENDED.
SO IT SEEMS TO BE 30% ABOVE THE GOAL LINE OF 22.5 IS AN OVER AN, UH, AN OVERABUNDANCE OF CAUTION WHEN YOU'RE ALREADY BEING CAUTIONED ABOUT GROWTH, YOU'RE ALREADY ESTABLISHING THIS NEW, UH, FUND BALANCE FUND, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE, WE'RE IT'S LAYERS AND LAYERS OF CAUTION WHERE, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALMOST LIKE WRAPPING YOUR KID UP IN BUBBLE WRAP TO, TO PUT THE SEATBELT ON.
AND I WOULD SAY, LOOK, IS IT, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE WE ING ON THE SIDE OF, OF, OF CAUTION? YES.
UM, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE WANNA MAINTAIN THAT AA BOND RATING BECAUSE WE KNOW THE VERY REAL REALITY IS, IS THAT MARYLAND HAS CONTINUED, THE STATE OF MARYLAND HAS CONTINUED TO PUSH MORE AND MORE COSTS ONTO US.
I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ABOVE, ABOVE $10 MILLION.
WE ACTUALLY PROBABLY GET MORE BILLS NOW FROM THE STATE OF MARYLAND THAN WE ACTUALLY RECEIVE MONEY FROM THEM, YOU KNOW, SCHOOL SYSTEM, COMMUNITY COLLEGE, YOU KNOW, THEY RECEIVE, YOU KNOW, LARGE DISTRIBUTIONS FROM THE STATE.
WE HIGHWAY USER REVENUE AND POLICE AID IS PRETTY MUCH WHAT WE GET, AND WE'RE PROBABLY NOW PAYING THEM MORE THAN WE'RE, THAN WE'RE GETTING BACK, AT LEAST AS FAR AS THE GENERAL FUND GOES AND
[02:05:01]
THE HIGHWAYS FUND.UM, I THINK IF WE HAD SOME, LIKE, IF, IF, IF WE WERE TO SAY, HEY, LOOK, THERE'S SOME ONE-TIME EXPENDITURES THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS, THEN, THEN YOU, I THINK YOU COULD HAVE THAT DEBATE IF WE WERE SAYING LIKE, YOU KNOW, HEY, YOU KNOW, IS THERE SOMETHING ON THE ONE TIME SIDE THAT WE COULD USE SOME OF THESE FUNDS FOR? YEAH, PERHAPS WE COULD, YOU KNOW, WE COULD LOOK INTO THAT.
THE ONGOING IS WHAT CREATES THE ISSUES, BECAUSE ONCE, YOU KNOW, PARTICULARLY WITH THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, BUT REALISTICALLY WITH EVERYBODY, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GOING, WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE NOT IN MANY, MANY, MANY YEARS DONE LIKE A RIF OR ANY TYPE OF LAYOFFS, YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS WANNA TRY TO AVOID THAT.
BUT ONCE, SINCE WE MOSTLY ARE TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE, ONCE YOU COMMIT THAT TO PEOPLE, WHETHER THAT'S THEIR, THEIR SALARIES OR THEIR ACTUAL JOBS, YOU KNOW, IT'S VERY HARD TO KIND OF DIAL THAT BACK.
SO YOU KIND OF WANNA GROW IT AT A MORE SUSTAINABLE LEVEL.
UH, AND THAT'S, THAT'S ULTIMATELY WHERE I THINK WHERE, WHERE WE ARE, UM, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ONE-TIME EXPENDITURES, I THINK THERE'S MORE ROOM FOR, YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S MORE ROOM FOR DEBATE.
ANYONE ELSE? BUDGET ADVISORS? YEP.
UH, JUST GOING BACK TO PEGO, JUST I GUESS, CLARIFICATION ON SOME OF THIS STUFF.
SO WE, I MEAN, PEGO IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THIS YEAR THAN IT'S BEEN IN THE PAST GOING FROM, YOU KNOW, IN THE HIGH THIRTIES, UP TO 93 MILLION THIS YEAR.
UH, AND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THERE'S A ONETIME COST THING SINCE IT'S, BECAUSE I GUESS WE'VE HAD A, A MAJOR REVENUE INCREASE THAT WE DIDN'T EXPECT.
WELL, THAT'S JUST IT BECAUSE, UH, LARGELY BECAUSE OF THE INCOME TAX COMING IN, AND WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF THAT IS, IS TRULY, YOU KNOW, SUSTAINABLE.
UM, ALTHOUGH WE'VE ACTUALLY BUILT MOST OF IT TO BE, YOU KNOW, TO BE SUSTAINABLE.
BUT WE HAD AN INCREASE IN THE FUND BALANCE AND WE'RE LIKE, OKAY, THIS IS DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, WHAT SHOULD WE DO? WE, WE NEED TO GROW THE BUDGET, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO REINVEST IN THESE ONE-TIME THINGS.
SO IF YOU GO THROUGH THE CAPITAL BUDGET AND ANYTIME YOU'LL, YOU'LL SEE PAYGO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S LARGELY GOING TO BE FOR ONE-TIME EXPENDITURES, THINGS LIKE, UM, UH, YOU KNOW, NEW, NEW EQUIPMENT OR, UM, TECHNOLOGY, BUT ALSO, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, UM, PAVING AND ROADWAY RESURFACING AND ALL OF THESE THINGS.
AND THAT FUND BALANCE THAT GOT US TO BE ABLE TO DO THIS BIG PAYGO ISN'T JUST BECAUSE OF LAST YEAR'S REVENUE AND STUFF.
I WOULD SAY IT'S, IT'S, IT'S LARGELY, WELL, IF YOU LOOKED AT OUR OVERALL FUND BALANCE, YOU KNOW, OVER THE PAST, YOU KNOW, OVER THIS ADMINISTRATION, THE OVERALL FUND BALANCE WAS GOING DOWN.
SO THE, THE, THE KIND OF THE BEGINNING FUND BALANCE WAS, UM, FOR THE, AT THE END OF FISCAL YEAR, UH, 22, UH, WAS 213 MILLION, THE FUND BALANCE WENT DOWN TO A HUNDRED SEVENTY FIVE, A HUNDRED FIFTY, AND THEN BACK UP TO, YOU KNOW, UM, BACK UP TO 1 75.
SO WE WERE SPENDING MORE THAN WE WERE, THAN WE WERE BRINGING IN.
AND, YOU KNOW, PART OF, PART OF THAT, THAT, THAT TURNAROUND IS THAT WE DID HAVE, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF FORTUNATE THAT THE INCOME TAX CAME IN STRONGER, STRONGER THAN IT DID.
SO WE KIND OF MADE THAT, THAT GLIDE PATH A LITTLE BIT EASIER TO ACHIEVE.
AND ONCE WE RECEIVED THOSE FUNDS, WE'RE SAYING, OKAY, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE MAKE SURE WE DON'T FALL INTO THE SAME TRAP OF GETTING OVEREXTENDED? AND SO WE'RE SAYING, OKAY, LET'S, LET'S USE A GOOD CHUNK OF THOSE FUNDS FOR ONE TIME THINGS RATHER THAN ONGOING.
SO THE IDEA OF BEING, EVEN IF SOME OF THESE PROJECTS WOULD BE ELIGIBLE FOR A CAPITAL BOND, LET'S SAY INSTEAD OF DOING THAT, WE'RE GONNA DO A ONE TIME PAYMENT, GET IT DONE YEP.
AND NOT BOND IT OVER A SERIES OF YEARS.
AND THE CHALLENGE WE'RE HAVING NOW WITH THE BONDS, AND THIS REALLY GETS INTO THAT HARTFORD ACADEMY PROJECT, YOU KNOW, IS THERE, IS THERE AN, LIKE ALL OF THESE THINGS, THERE'S NO EXACT NUMBER FOR, YOU KNOW, THIS IS EXACTLY HOW MUCH WE SHOULD BE, WE SHOULD BE, UM, WE SHOULD BE BONDING, BUT WE KNOW THAT WE, WE, WE PAY OFF LIKE AROUND $40 MILLION A YEAR, AND FOR A LONG TIME WE WERE SELLING ABOUT 40 OR $50 MILLION A YEAR.
SO WE WERE KIND OF, YOU KNOW, HOLD HOLDING, HOLDING TRUE.
ONCE THE CONSTRUCTION COST ALL STARTED GOING UP, WE HAD TO START BONDING MORE, YOU KNOW, SO WE, LIKE THIS YEAR WE SOLD, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.
I THINK FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, IT'S GOING TO BE AROUND A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE BUDGETING.
AND THAT, THAT, LIKE, THAT HARTFORD ACADEMY PROJECT, THAT'S $175 MILLION PROJECT 50 MILLION IS GONNA COME FROM THE STATE, WHICH MEANS 125 FROM US.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE DIALING BACK THE BONDING, BUT IT'S, IT'S LIKE, I THINK YOU HAVE SOME OF THESE REALLY BIG PROJECTS LIKE, LIKE THE HARTFORD ACADEMY, UH, PROJECT.
AND THEN WE'RE SAYING, BOY, IF WE STILL WANNA BE ABLE TO DO SOME OF THESE OTHER THINGS, LIKE, HEY, LET'S, LET'S, LET'S KNOCK OUT SOME OF THESE PAVING OR THESE, THESE PARKING LOTS AT THE, AT THE, AT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, OR LET'S ADDRESS SOME OF THESE, UM, YOU KNOW, STORMWATER DAMS. WE'RE LIKE, OKAY, WELL LET'S USE CASH FOR THAT SO WE CAN USE OUR BONDS ON THESE BIGGER, ON THESE BIGGER PROJECTS.
AND ALONG WITH THAT TOO, JUST, UH, I GUESS CLARIFICATION AGAIN ON THAT PAY GO, IT'S PAGE 6 65, YOU WANTED TO LOOK AT IT, BUT THE, WE TALKED ABOUT HIGHWAY IMPROVEMENTS, BUT THE HIGHWAY PEGO IS ACTUALLY GOING DOWN GENERAL FUNDS GOING UP WATER AND SEWER FUNDS GOING UP.
SO WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE, YEAH, SO THE HIGHWAYS FUND IS A COMPLETELY SEPARATE, UM, SEPARATE FUND, AND IT IS FUNDED BY
[02:10:01]
PRIMARILY PROPERTY TAXES THAT ARE ASSESSED ON, UM, THOSE PROPERTIES THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THE THREE MUNICIPALITIES.AND IT'S ALSO THE, THE HIGHWAY USER REVENUE, WHICH IS AROUND $5 MILLION A YEAR.
AND OF THAT, THAT'S HOW WE PAY FOR ALL THE ROADS AND BRIDGES THAT ARE NOT INSIDE THE THREE TOWNS.
AND THE IDEA IS LIKE IF YOU LIVE INSIDE THE THREE TOWNS, YOU'RE PAYING TOWN TAXES AND THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF TATA, THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF THOSE, THOSE ROADS.
UM, AND THE COUNTY'S TAKING CARE OF WHEEL ROAD AND GRAFTON SHOP AND ALL OF THOSE, UM, THAT FUND, BECAUSE THERE'S NO INCOME TAX, IT HASN'T REALLY SEEN THIS, THIS REBOUNDING OF, UM, OF, UM, OF, OF, UH, OF ITS FUND BALANCE.
ITS FUND BALANCE HAS KIND OF JUST CONTINUED TO KIND OF GO DOWN.
SO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THINGS IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE THE SAME RAISES TO THOSE EMPLOYEES, BE ABLE TO PAY FOR, YOU KNOW, OPERATING EXPENSES LIKE SNOW AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
WHEN WE WERE DOING THE, THE CAPITAL BUDGET THIS YEAR, WE LOOKED AT THE EQUIPMENT BUDGET AND WE SAID, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY WE WERE USING CASH TO PAY FOR THAT.
UM, BUT IN ORDER TO MAKE EVERYTHING WORK, WE DECIDED TO BOND THAT BECAUSE THIS IS SOME, YOU KNOW, HEAVY DUTY EQUIPMENT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, NOT THE KIND OF STUFF THAT LASTS FOR FIVE YEARS, THAT LASTS FOR A GOOD LONG TIME.
SO WE'RE SAYING, OKAY, WE'RE GONNA BOND THIS, BUT LONG TERM, YEAH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT HAVE TO LOOK AT, AT THE REVENUE SPLIT FOR SOME OF THESE, UM, SMALLER FUNDS, HIGHWAYS FUND AND THE STORMWATER FUND TO SAY, HOW DO WE GET, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE REBALANCE REVENUES? SO MAYBE THEY HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE REVENUE AND THEN SOME OTHER FUND HAS A LITTLE BIT LESS REVENUE.
UM, BUT THAT'S A, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S A MUCH MORE LONGER PROCESS.
ANY OTHER BUDGET ADVISORS? ROBBIE, ONE LAST QUESTION IN THE BUDGET.
WE HAVE A LAND SITE ACQUISITION AND WE HAVE $48 MILLION THERE TO START.
SAYS THAT 38 MILLION OF IT HAS ALREADY BEEN, I GUESS, SET ASIDE AND THEY'RE ASKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL 10.
IS THAT HOW I READ THAT? UM, I HAVE TO LOOK AT THE, THE PROJECT.
THERE'S PROBABLY, I MEAN, IT PROBABLY HAS ABOUT, ABOUT THAT MUCH MONEY THAT'S BEEN, UM, UH, YOU MIGHT HAVE A $48 MILLION BUDGET IF, IF, IF YOU HAVE ABOUT $38 MILLION HAS ALREADY BEEN SPENT OR ENCUMBERED, UM, THAT WOULD'VE BEEN JUST WHENEVER WE, WE PRINTED THESE DOCUMENTS.
SO IT MIGHT VERY WELL BE, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER THINGS THAT ARE, THAT ARE GONNA HIT THERE.
AND THEN THIS WOULD ADD TO THAT, THAT FUNDING.
THIS IS ONE OF THOSE PLACES THOUGH WHERE, YOU KNOW, COUNTY EXECUTIVE TALKED ABOUT, LIKE IF THERE'S STATE OBLIGATIONS, WE HAVE TO BUY LAND OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
OR IF THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARISE THAT WE CAN USE, YOU KNOW, USE THOSE FUNDS, USE THOSE FUNDS FOR STEVE, CAN I GET A LIST OF THE ONES THAT ARE ALREADY BEEN SET ASIDE? OKAY, THANKS.
UM, ROBBIE, I GUESS THAT'S IT.
OKAY, I'LL GO BACK OVER THERE.
THE WONDERFUL MS. DIXON IS NEXT.
I'LL JUST GO THROUGH THE NUMBERS, UH, FOR COUNTY COUNCIL.
UH, SO THAT BEGINS ON PAGE FOUR 90.
THE DEPARTMENT HAS FIVE DIVISIONS ALL FUNDED BY THE GENERAL FUND.
THERE'S A TOTAL BUDGET FOR FY 27 OF 5 MILLION 785 104 FOR AN INCREASE OF 340,426 OR 6.3%.
THE COUNTY COUNCIL OFFICE BEGINS ON PAGE 4 95.
THE DIVISION HAS, HAS A BUDGET OF 2 MILLION 2 76, 1 70 FOR AN INCREASE OF ONE 17.
360 1, UH, PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASES 1 17 360 1.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF SALARY ADJUSTMENTS OF $71, THE FY 27, UM, ELECTED OFFICIAL CPI AND THE COLA AND MERIT, UM, THAT THOSE TOTAL 69,973 PENSIONS INCREASE IS 12,215.
WORKERS' COMP INCREASE, OR I'M SORRY, DECREASES 1,783 HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASE, UH, 25,200.
RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASE 8,817, AND THEN OPE INCREASES, UH, 2,862.
AND THERE'S NO CHANGE IN CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS, BUSINESS AND TRAVEL OR CAPITAL OUTLAY.
THE OFFICE OF THE COUNTY AUDITOR BEGINS ON PAGE 4 99.
THE DIVISION HAS A BUDGET OF 6 84 7 13, AND THAT'S AN INCREASE OF $29,009.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASES $29,009.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF THE MERIT TOTALING 20,315.
PENSIONS INCREASE 3005 49, HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASE 4,200.
AND THEN RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASE IS 1,556.
UH, THERE'S NO CHANGE IN CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS, BUSINESS AND TRAVEL OR CAPITAL OUTLAY.
THE BOARD OF APPEALS AND REZONING BEGINS ON PAGE 5 0 2.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 3 0 6 5 72
[02:15:01]
IS AN INCREASE OF 9,583.THAT'S THE RESULT OF THE COLA AND MERIT, TOTALING 6,416.
PENSIONS INCREASE 1087, HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASE 1,400, AND THEN OPEP INCREASES 756.
AND THERE'S NO CHANGE IN CONTRACT CONTRACTUAL SERVICES, SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS, OR BUSINESS AND TRAVEL.
THE OFFICE OF COUNSEL, ATTORNEY AND PEOPLE'S COUNSEL BEGINS ON PAGE 5 0 5.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 1 MILLION 295 22 IS AN INCREASE OF 27,399.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASES 27,399 COLA AND MERIT COST IS 14,842.
HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASE 2,800.
AND THEN RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASES 519.
AND THERE'S NO CHANGE IN CONTRACTUAL SERVICES OR BUSINESS AND TRAVEL.
AND THEN FINALLY, HARTFORD TV BEGINS ON PAGE 5 0 8.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 1 MILLION 227 1 27 IS AN INCREASE OF 1 57 AND 74.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASES 45,912.
THAT'S A RESULT OF SALARY ADJUSTMENTS TOTALING 3058.
THE AND MERIT TOTALING 30,323 PENSIONS INCREASE, 5,339 HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASE.
7,000 WORKERS' COMP DECREASES 1,342.
AND THEN RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASES 2075.
CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASES 2008 12 FOR, UH, SOFTWARE LICENSES, TELEPHONE SERVICE, OPERATING EQUIPMENT SERVICE AND SECURITY SYSTEMS. SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS INCREASES 8,003 50 FOR COMPUTER SOFTWARE AND BOTTLED WATER.
THERE'S NO CHANGE IN BUSINESS AND TRAVEL.
AND THEN CAPITAL OUTLAY INCREASES 100,000 FOR REPLACEMENT OF STUDIO LIGHTING IN THE HARTFORD TV STUDIO.
WITH THAT, I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MILO.
UH, JUST WANTED TO RECOGNIZE, UH, THANKS FOR HAVING US ALL HERE TODAY.
AND THIS IS KIND OF UNIQUE 'CAUSE THIS WILL BE OUR LAST BUDGET TOGETHER AS A, AS A GROUP.
SO, UM, JUST WANNA THANK YOU GUYS, THE TEAM, THE STAFF, EVERYBODY THAT PUTS US TOGETHER TO MAKE IT HAPPEN BEHIND THE SCENES.
UM, MEGAN DON'T KNOW WHERE WE WOULD BE WITHOUT MEGAN
CRYSTAL, UM, WHO AM I FORGETTING? I ALREADY DID MEGAN.
SO ANYWAY, AS BEN NOTED, UM, THERE ARE NO LINE ITEM CHANGES IN OUR BUDGET OTHER THAN WHAT YOU SEE WITH MERITS AND COAL INCREASES.
UM, HARTFORD TV HAD A FEW MINOR CHANGES, UM, WHICH WERE EITHER DUE TO ACTUAL EXPENDITURES OR RECOMMENDATIONS, RECOMMENDATIONS FROM TREASURY.
UM, THE ONLY OTHER INCREASE, AGAIN FOR THAT, UH, WAS THE CAPITAL OUTLAY FOR KELLY'S, UM, STUDIO, STUDIO THAT IS IN MUCH NEED OF SOME UP UPDATING.
UM, OTHER THAN THAT, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, NOT SO MUCH QUESTIONS FOR ME, BUT, UH, JUST, UH, ACCOLADES FOR THE JOB THAT YOU DO EACH AND EVERY DAY ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US AND THE CITIZENS, UH, WE CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE BOTH MEGAN AND MARY KATE.
UH, MARY KATE BEING OUR NEWEST ADDITION TO THE COUNCIL.
UM, I THINK SHE FILLED A GREAT VOID THAT, UH, WE NEEDED, UH, ON THIS SIDE OF THE STREET.
UM, WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY HAD AN OUTSTANDING JOB DRAFTING LEGISLATION AND ANSWERING QUESTIONS, UH, FOR BOTH SIDES OF THE STREET.
UM, OUR, UH, KELLY, OBVIOUSLY THE SERVICE THAT YOU PROVIDE HERE AT THE COUNCIL OFFICE, UH, WITH HARVARD TV AND HOW YOU SERVICE THE CITIZENS, UH, ACROSS THE COUNTY, UH, WITH THE STUDIO, IT'S A MUCH NEEDED ADDITION THERE.
UM, AND I THINK THAT ALL OF US, AND I'M SURE EVERYBODY'S GONNA SPEAK, BUT ALL OF US APPRECIATE THE, THE GREAT WORK THAT OUR STAFF DOES EACH AND EVERY DAY.
UM, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS SAY OUR PHONES ARE ALWAYS ON, OUR DOORS ARE ALWAYS OPEN, AND IT'S TRUE.
UH, YOU MAY THE OTHER DAY THOUGH, I, I DID HAVE A CONSTITUENT UPSET WITH ME BECAUSE I DIDN'T ANSWER MY PHONE, BUT I HAD TO TELL HER I WAS ON THE MOWER ALL DAY,
UH, BUT I DID GET AHOLD OF HER LATER THAT NIGHT.
UM, BUT NO, WE APPRECIATE ALL YOU DO.
AND I THINK THE BIGGEST THING THAT I WANNA MENTION AGAIN THIS YEAR
[02:20:01]
IS THAT THE COUNCIL BUDGET HAS ALWAYS BEEN EXTREMELY CONSERVATIVE.ONLY LAST YEAR WAS IT INCREASED BY, UH, FRIVOLOUS LAWSUITS, UH, THAT WE HAD TO DEFEND OURSELVES ON, BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY TREASURY AND THE ADMINISTRATION WANTED US TO DO.
THEY WANTED US TO TAKE THAT MONEY OUT OF OUR OWN BUDGET.
THAT WAS THE INCREASE THAT YOU SAW.
UM, AND IT'S UNFORTUNATE, EXTREMELY UNFORTUNATE.
UM, WITH THAT, ANYONE ELSE, MR. BENNETT? UH, GOOD MORNING.
THANK YOU FOR BEING WITH US AND THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO EVERY DAY.
THANK YOU TO CRYSTAL FOR BEING THAT PERSON IN THE BACK OF THE ROOM THE NEXT FOUR DAYS.
WE'RE GONNA MISS HAVING YOU NEXT YEAR 'CAUSE YOU ARE SO GREAT WITH HELPING US DECIPHER WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US.
UM, AND JUST TO ASK YOU, 'CAUSE I'M GONNA ASK EVERYONE THE $13,000 IN TEMPORARY SALARIES, THAT'S INTERNSHIPS, RIGHT? NO, I BELIEVE THAT IS A SPLIT IN SALARIES FOR, I THINK THE, THE AMOUNT IS INTERN FOR MY OFFICE.
6,000 IS, UH, WHICH DEPARTMENT DOES THAT FALL UNDER? OKAY.
AND THEN YOU SAID THERE'S ANOTHER SIX MM-HMM
IS IT UNDER COUNSEL? IS THAT GONNA BE, UM, OKAY.
THERE, THERE IS CUSH THERE IS A LINE ITEM THERE FOR THE INTERN THAT WE HAVEN'T UTIL WE HAVE UTILIZED IN THE PAST, BUT HAVE NOT, I BELIEVE THE PAST THREE SUMMERS.
ANYONE ELSE? MR. GINGER? DOWN.
SO CRYSTAL, THANKS FOR, UH, FOR SEVEN YEARS OF, UH, KEEPING US STRAIGHT OR KEEPING ME STRAIGHT UP HERE.
I HAVE MADE MISTAKES AND YOU'VE CAUGHT 'EM, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.
UM, AND MYLA, THANKS FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
AND MEGAN AND MARY, KATE, THANK YOU AS WELL.
UM, CERTAINLY APPRECIATE ALL YOUR EFFORTS.
UM, IT, IT TAKES A TEAM TO DO ALL THIS.
SO, UM, THANKFULLY WE HAVE A GOOD TEAM, SO THANKS.
ANYONE ELSE, MS. MOFF? I JUST WANNA ECHO IT.
UM, THERE ISN'T, UH, A DAY OR A WEEK THAT GOES BY WHERE I'M NOT ASKING ONE OF YOU FOR SOMETHING.
UM, AND YOU GUYS ARE PROMPT AND PROFESSIONAL AND I JUST APPRECIATE IT SO MUCH.
AND THEN, UH, BEFORE WE GET OFF THE COUNCIL, UH, OBVIOUSLY, UH, CRYSTAL HAS BEEN, UH, ON THE FRONT BURNER HERE, UH, FOR THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS AS WE LOOK FOR A REPLACEMENT FOR HER.
THE PERSONNEL COMMITTEE DID INTERVIEW A PERSON, UH, POSSIBLY FOR THE SPOT.
UH, BUT WE HAVE NOT HAD A LOT OF PEOPLE SIGNING UP, I HAVE TO TELL YOU THAT.
AND THAT JUST SPEAKS TO THE IMPORTANCE OF THAT POSITION, UH, WHAT IT ALL ENTAILS AND WHAT IT ALL INVOLVES AND, UM, THE RARITY OF IT.
SO, UM, WE'LL SEE WHERE WE GO.
WE'RE STILL, WE'RE STILL ON THE HUNT.
MS. HOPE WHILE SHE'S COMING UP, I'LL JUST GO THROUGH THE NUMBERS.
UH, SO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BEGINS ON PAGE SIX 20.
THE DEPARTMENT HAS THREE DIVISIONS ALL FUNDED BY THE GENERAL FUND.
THERE'S A TOTAL BUDGET FOR FY 27 OF 5 MILLION 5 91, 5 77, WHICH IS AN INCREASE OF 301,000, 1 96 OR 5.7%.
THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BEGINS ON PAGE 6 25.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 2 MILLION 3 21 6 97 IS A DECREASE OF 328,772.
PERSONAL SERVICES DECREASES 211,927.
ADJUST ADJUSTMENTS OF $65,006, PARTIALLY OFFSET BY TURNOVER, SAVINGS OF 27,932, THE COLA AND MERIT, TOTALING 52,747.
THERE'S A DECREASE IN TEMPORARY SALARIES OF 257,700 PENSIONS DECREASE OF 4,595.
WORKERS' COMP DECREASES 2,453.
HEALTH BENEFITS DECREASED 10,340 AND THEN RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS DECREASED 4,688 AND FICA DECREASE, UH, DUE TO REDUCTION IN TEMPORARY SALARIES OF 20,703.
CONTRACTUAL SERVICES DECREASES 2,800 FOR OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, PARTIALLY OFFSET BY AN INCREASE
[02:25:01]
IN OTHER ADVERTISING FOR MUSIC LICENSE FEES, SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS INCREASES 12,175 FOR COMMERCIAL PRINTING.GENERAL OFFICE SUPPLIES, OTHER SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS AND SPECIAL PURPOSE MEALS.
BUSINESS AND TRAVEL INCREASES 29,280 FOR MEMBERSHIP FEES AND DUES DUE TO, DUE TO A REALLOCATION OF GVC MEMBERSHIP FEES FROM OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, AS WELL AS FOR TRAINING, SEMINARS, COURSES AND MEETINGS.
AND THEN MISCELLANEOUS DECREASES 155,500 DUE TO A ONE-TIME FY 26 EXPENSE.
AGRICULTURAL SERVICES BEGINS ON PAGE 6 29.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 4 84 6 39 IS AN INCREASE OF 16,392.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASES 15,542.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF THE COLA AND MERIT, TOTALING 5,314.
7,200 HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASE.
UH, 1,400 CONTRACTUAL SERVICES DECREASES 49,500 DUE TO THE REALLOCATION OF HOMEGROWN HARTFORD MAGAZINE AND A ONE TIME, UH, FY 26 COST FOR, UH, MEAT PROCESSING FACILITY STUDY.
AND THAT'S PARTIALLY OFFSET BY AN INCREASE IN TELEPHONE SERVICE.
SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS INCREASES 35,750 FOR COMMERCIAL PRINTING.
REALLOCATION FOR HOMEGROWN HARTFORD, AND FOR SENIORS.
FARMERS MARKET FUNDING, REALLOCATED FROM CONTRIBUTIONS AND THERE'S NO CHANGE IN BUSINESS AND TRAVEL AND MISCELLANEOUS INCREASES.
15,000 FOR STARTUP AND EXPANSION GRANTS AND SPONSORSHIPS PARTIALLY OFFSET BY A DECREASE FOR CONTRIBUTIONS.
AND THEN FINALLY, TOURISM BEGINS ON PAGE 6 31.
THE DIVISION BUDGET OF 2,785,241 IS AN INCREASE OF 613,176.
PERSONAL SERVICES INCREASES 334,176.
THAT'S THE RESULT OF THE COLA AND MERIT, TOTALING 16,167.
THERE WAS ONE MARKETING COORDINATOR TRANSFERRED FROM PARKS AND REC AT A COST TO THIS DIVISION OF ONE 19,451.
AND ONE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TRANSFERRED FROM PARKS AND REC AT A COST TO THIS DIVISION OF 88,972.
AND YOU'LL SEE THE COURT CORRESPONDING DECREASES IN PARKS AND REC, UH, IN THAT, UNDER THAT TAB FOR THESE TRANSFERS, TEMPORARY SALARIES INCREASE SE 76,200 PENSION INCREASES 10,597.
HEALTH BENEFITS INCREASE 8,330.
RETIREMENT HEALTH SAVINGS INCREASES 8,000 8 37 AND THEN FICA INCREASES 5,829.
CONTRACTUAL SERVICES INCREASES 117,500 FOR MARKETING FIRM SERVICES, PHOTO AND VIDEO SERVICES AND SOCIAL MEDIA SERVICES, SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS INCREASES 117,000 FOR AV SUPPLIES FOR PILOT OUTDOOR KIOSK WITH RELATED HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE AT A COST OF 50,000.
COMMERCIAL PRINTING FOR PROMOTIONAL MATERIALS AT A COST OF 30,000.
OTHER SUPPLIES AND MATERIALS FOR FOUNDATIONAL PIECES AND EXHIBITS OF 25,000.
AND THEN SPECIAL PURPOSE MEALS FOR TOURISM AND COMMUNITY EVENTS AT 12,000.
BUSINESS AND TRAVEL INCREASES 14,500 FOR TRAINING AND SEMINARS, MEMBERSHIP FEES AND DUES AND COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH TRAVEL.
AND THEN MISCELLANEOUS INCREASES 30,000 FOR TART GRANTS REFLECTING ANTICIPATED INCREASES IN HOTEL TAX REVENUE.
AND WITH THAT, WE WON'T ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
KAREN, UH, THE MEAT PROCESSING STUDY, HOW'S THAT COMING ALONG? UM, SO THE STUDY DID PROVE FEASIBILITY FOR, UM, HARTFORD COUNTY, UM, AND PARTICULARLY FROM REGIONAL IMPACTS AS WELL.
UM, THE NEXT STEP OF THAT IS, UM, ACQUIRING PROPERTY, UM, TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT COMMITMENT.
AND WE HAVE CONTRACTED WITH, UM, AN ADVOCACY GROUP TO HELP SOLICIT THAT PROCESS FOR THIS SHERIFF.
IS THAT SOMEONE, A GROUP FROM INSIDE THE COUNTY? UM, IT'S AN OUTSIDE CONSULTANT.
AND THEN THE TOURISM DOLLARS, WHAT, WHAT IS THAT COMING IN AT NOW? HOW MUCH ARE WE GENERATING NOW IN TERMS OF TAR? YEAH, WHAT THE, WHAT THE REVENUE IS? I KNOW IT'S, IT'S AROUND, IT'S AROUND 3 MILLION.
LEMME JUST PULL IT UP HERE REAL QUICK.
AND AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST THE COUNTY PORTION.
THAT WOULDN'T INCLUDE THE MONEY THAT GO DIRECTLY TO ABERDEEN, INHABITED GRACE AS, AS FAR AS THEIR SHARE.
SO THAT'S AN INCREASE OF WHAT WE HAD FROM IN THE PAST.
YEAH, I THINK WE'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'VE HAD SOME FLUCTUATION IN THIS, IN THIS, UM, THIS REVENUE, ESPECIALLY DURING THE KIND OF THE COVID YEARS.
WE'VE CLEARLY KIND OF REBOUNDED FROM THAT.
[02:30:01]
COUPLE OF NEW HOTELS OVER, OVER THAT TIME AS WELL.UM, SO NOW WE ARE, YOU KNOW, CLOSER TO THAT, TO THAT 3 MILLION.
I KNOW FOR A WHILE WE WERE PROBABLY MORE LIKE, YOU KNOW, TWO, WELL, DURING THE COVID YEARS WE WERE UNDER TWO AND THEN WE WERE STILL LIKE AROUND 2.1, 2.5.
SO I THINK WE DO NOW HAVE A HIGHER LEVEL OF REVENUE ONGOING, WHICH IS WHY I THINK WE'RE ABLE TO DO SOME ADDITIONAL, UM, UH, FUNDING FOR THE, UH, THE, THE TARC GRANTS.
ARE WE PAYING FOR THE TOURISM OFFICE OUT OF THE TARC GRANTS? THE TARC IS, IS DESIGNATED FOR, ITS, ITS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE GRANTS THAT ARE ALLOCATED TO NONPROFITS.
SO I SEE ON THE TOURISM, UH, HI KAREN.
HOW ARE YOU? SO I SEE ON THE TOURISM, UM, THERE'S TWO NEW POSITIONS.
UH, ONE IS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, ONE IS MARKETING COORDINATOR, IS THAT CORRECT? CORRECT.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT NEW POSITIONS.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE TRANSFERRED FROM PARKS AND REC, THEY'RE EXISTING POSITIONS.
WHAT DID THEY DO AT PARKS AND REC THAT THEY'RE NOW DOING IN TOURISM? PRETTY MUCH THE SAME THING.
SO THESE TWO POSITIONS WERE BASED AT, OR, AND STILL ARE BASED AT, UH, SWAN HARBOR FARM.
UM, THE, THE EVENT AND WEDDING AND SO FORTH FACILITY, UH, THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE FELT LIKE IT WAS BETTER TO HAVE MORE OF A FOCUS ON MARKETING THAT FACILITY THAT REALLY IS THE KIND OF THE CROWN JEWEL, THE CHESAPEAKE IN, YOU KNOW, BROADER THAN THE HARTFORD COUNTY AREA.
SOMETHING TO DRIVE FURTHER, UH, HOTEL STAYS IN THE COUNTY.
SO IT JUST MADE SENSE TO MOVE THEM TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FROM PARKS AND REC, BUT THEIR POSITIONS WERE NOT BACKFILLED IN PARKS AND REC.
I'LL LET SOMEBODY ELSE IN THEN.
UM, FIRST I WANT TO COMPLIMENT THE BUDGET TEAM BECAUSE THE FISCAL NOTES ARE SO MUCH MORE CLEAR THIS YEAR THAN THEY'VE EVER BEEN BEING ABLE TO TRACK, UM, WHERE MONEY OR POSITIONS HAVE MOVED AND WHAT HAS CHANGED AND, AND BRINGING SOME CLARITY TO TEMPORARY SALARIES, UM, LIKE THIS IS SUCH A HUGE IMPROVEMENT.
YOU KNOW, THE DEPARTMENT IS NOW 10 INSTEAD OF EIGHT.
AND I THINK I'M UNDERSTANDING THAT THE INCREASE OF TWO IS BECAUSE OF THE MOVE OF TWO POSITIONS FROM PARKS AND REC.
BUT I NOTICED THAT, YOU KNOW, IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, THERE'S NO LONGER AN AG ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE AND NO LONGER A DATA ANALYST BUDGETED AND NO LONGER A SENIOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE IN THE BUDGET.
SO CAN YOU KIND OF EXPLAIN WHAT'S THE SHIFT IN POSITIONS AND HOW THE ROLES THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY FILLED BY THOSE POSITIONS IS BEING FILLED NOW? SO YOU'LL SEE THE, UM, CHANGE FROM AG ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE TO AG COORDINATOR.
SO THAT WAS JUST A, A, A TITLE CHANGE FOR, UM, KIMMY DORIN LYONS, WHO IS OUR AG COORDINATOR.
UM, THE DATA ANALYST WAS A POSITION THAT ENDED UP BEING COMBINED.
SO THAT POSITION WAS NEVER ACTUALLY FILLED.
AND THEN THE SENIOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE IS ACTUALLY, UM, A COMBINATION OF, UM, STEVE JOINING OUR DEPARTMENT AS AN ADMINISTRATOR.
SO THAT POSITION IS NOW EMPTY AS WELL.
AND THEN I HAD TWO QUESTIONS ABOUT TEMPORARY SALARIES.
MY FIRST IS THAT UNDER TOURISM, WE'RE HAVING THE TOURISM MANAGER AND SPECIALIST POSITIONS BE LISTED AS TEMPORARY SALARIES.
DOESN'T SEEM THAT THE TOURISM DEPARTMENT IS SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE A TEMPORARY, UH, THING IN YOUR OFFICE IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
AND IT ALSO DOES NOT SEEM LIKE THOSE ROLES ARE GOING TO BE TEMPORARY IN NATURE.
SO WHY ARE WE NOT MAKING THOSE PINS? I MEAN, THE, THE, I WOULD JUST SAY GLOBALLY ACROSS ALL THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT, THAT'S ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, THAT A DISCUSSION WE HAVE IS FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE BETWEEN PERMANENT POSITIONS, WHICH AS THE NAME SAYS IS PERMANENT.
YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, WE'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE IN THE, ON THE COUNTY BOOKS, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE VERY DIFFICULT TO GET, TAKE OFF THE COUNTY BOOKS AND TEMPORARIES.
UM, THAT'S NOT TO SAY THAT IN THE FUTURE WE WOULD MAKE THE DETERMINATION THAT THE SPECIFIC POSITIONS YOU MENTIONED WOULD BE TRANSFERRED INTO A PERMANENT PIN.
UM, I THINK BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL KIND OF FINDING OUR FEET IN TERMS OF THE TOURISM OFFICE, IT JUST MAKES SENSE TO, IT'S EASIER TO SORT OF REALLOCATE AND, UM, YOU KNOW, REPURPOSE DIFFERENT POSITIONS IF THEY'RE ON A TEMPORARY BASIS.
BUT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE, YOU KNOW, MANAGEMENT LEVEL DETERMINATIONS THAT WE, THAT WE MAKE EVERY YEAR AS WE LOOK AT THE BUDGET.
UM, AND THEN ONE OTHER QUESTION ABOUT TEMPORARY SALARIES.
LOOKING AT, UM, THE OFFICE OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEMPORARY SALARIES, WE DECREASED, UH, BY $257,700 FOR THE FUNDING OF AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE.
[02:35:01]
HAD BUDGETED $427,000 FOR THAT ONE POSITION AND NOW IT'S 178,000.THERE WAS, THERE WAS MULTIPLE POSITIONS IN THAT 400.
UM, ONE OF IT WAS WAS, UM, MR OVER BAY, UM, THAT WE, AS KAREN JUST MENTIONED, MOVED.
WE MOVED HIM INTO A PERMANENT PIN.
UH, SO WE WERE ABLE TO SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASE OUR TEMPORARY SALARIES.
ALSO, I BELIEVE THERE WAS, UM, SOME ASSISTANCE THAT WE HAD WITH REGARD TO A PG AND THE FEDERAL INSTALLATION THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, THAT, THAT THAT HAS RUN ITS COURSE AND WE WERE ABLE TO, UH, REDUCE THAT SIGNIFICANTLY AS WELL.
SO THAT 178,000, DOES THAT REPRESENT ONE POSITION? NO, THAT'S, THAT'S TWO POSITIONS.
SO AN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE AND AN ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST.
AND THEN THERE'S ALSO SOME MONEY IN THERE FOR INTERNS.
UM, JUST 'CAUSE THE FISCAL NOTE ONLY MENTIONS THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPEC ASSOCIATE.
I KNOW THAT, UM, THE, THE, IN THE AUDITOR'S QUESTIONS, THEY ASK FOR A LIST, UH, SORT OF MORE, MORE SPECIFIC BY TEMPORARIES.
WE'RE WORKING ON THAT AND WE'LL MAKE SURE THAT WE GET THAT TO EVERYBODY.
'CAUSE IT'S, I REALLY DO APPRECIATE THE FISCAL NOTES.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THEY'RE ACCURATE AND DESCRIPTIVE.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, IT, IT LOOKS LIKE IF YOU'RE JUST LOOKING AS AN OUTSIDER LOOKING IN THAT WE'RE SPENDING 178,000 ON ONE POSITION.
SO I'M GLAD TO KNOW THAT'S GOING ELSEWHERE.
UM, AND THEN MS, COULD YOU DESCRIBE, 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, I KNOW MR. OVER BAY IS THE PERSON WHO COMES AND COORDINATES WITH US TO HELP US COMMUNICATE WITH THE ADMINISTRATION.
HOW MANY HOURS A WEEK IS, IS THAT HIS DUTY? AND THEN HOW MANY HOURS A WEEK ARE HIS DUTIES WITHIN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT? I WOULD SAY THE POSITIONS ARE DEFINITELY SPLIT.
UM, HE, HE HAS A VERY INTEGRATED ROLE BETWEEN, UM, SERVING AS A LIAISON LEGISLATIVELY AND ALSO SERVES IN A SUPERVISORY ROLE FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM.
AND WHAT DOES THAT LOOK LIKE WEEK TO WEEK? UM, IT'S MAN LOOKING AT PRIORITIES TIED TO OUR STRATEGIC ACTION PLAN, MAKING SURE WORKLOADS, PROCESSES FOR, UM, APPROVALS AND THINGS ARE HAPPENING AT THE ADMINISTRATIVE LEVEL.
UM, OVERSEEING OUR STRATEGIC PLAN, UM, BEING ABLE TO LOOK AT VARIOUS, UH, INITIATIVES THAT ARE BE TIED TO, UM, PROJECTS, UM, THE CON COLLABORATION WITH, UM, EXECUTING THE WORKFORCE, UM, THE WORKFORCE FACILITY THAT WE'RE IN THE PROCESS WITH.
SO THERE IS SOME OVERLAP IN TERMS OF HOW THINGS TOUCH LEGISLATIVELY AND WITHIN OUR DEPARTMENT.
UM, CAN I GET A LIST OF THE TRANSFERRED POSITIONS FROM, UM, SWAN HARBOR? I THINK IT WAS INTO, INTO TOURISM.
GOING BACK TO THE TOURISM, UH, THE TRANSFER OF THE, THOSE POSITIONS IN THERE, WHERE DOES THAT MONEY COME FROM? IS THAT COMING FROM THE, UH, THERE'S A BUNCH OF THEM THERE.
WHO, WHO'S PAYING THAT NOW? WHERE'S THAT COMING FROM? SO, SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE GENERAL, THE, THE POSITIONS ARE GENERAL FUND.
NOW, THERE ARE OTHER THINGS AS THEY RELATE TO SPECIFIC, YOU KNOW, UPGRADES TO THE FACILITY AT SWAN HARBOR AND OTHER IMPROVEMENTS ON THE OAKINGTON PENINSULA.
IT, THERE IS A SPECIAL REVENUE FUND SORT OF OVERSEEN BY PARKS AND REC.
UH, SO WHERE THE MONEY THAT COMES IN FOR EVENTS AND WEDDINGS STAYS DEDICATED TO THAT FACILITY AND THE SURROUNDING AREA.
SO THEN THE TWO POSITIONS THAT COME OUT OF PARKS AND REC ARE NOT BEING FILLED AND THAT WE WILL SEE A DECREASE ON THAT ON THE BUDGET SIDE? YES.
UM, SECOND THING, HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO HAVE A PERSON BE FULL-TIME WITH BENEFITS AS OPPOSED TO BEING TEMPORARY AND DOESN'T HAVE A PIN? WHAT'S THE A AVERAGE A UH, COST FOR A FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE? THERE'S NO CHANGING, THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE IN COST? NO, THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE IN COST.
THERE'S NO DIFFERENCE IN COST.
NO DIFFERENCE IN THE BENEFITS.
DO THEY GET BENEFITS AS A TEMPORARY? YES, WE'RE REQUIRED TO, IF THEY, I BELIEVE IF IT'S OVER, UM, IF THEY WORK OVER 500 HOURS IN A YEAR, WE ARE REQUIRED TO, UM, PAY FOR THEIR PENSION.
AND THEN I THINK IF IT'S OVER 30 HOURS A WEEK, WE HAVE TO PROVIDE HEALTH BENEFITS REGARDLESS OF WHETHER THEY'RE PERMANENT OR NOT.
ALL THE, ALL THE SAME, ALL THE SAME, ALL THE SAME COSTS.
SO JUST MORE FLEXIBILITY PROBABLY IN LIKE GOTCHA.
I'VE BEEN TEMPORARY MY 20 YEARS WITH HARTFORD COUNTY GOVERNMENT NAME CECIL.
AND, AND I ALSO DO WANNA SAY THANKS, UH, TO YOU AND, AND YOUR TEAM WORKING WITH, WITH YOU GUYS ON SOME OF THESE PROJECTS OF GETTING FUNDING FOR BUSINESSES.
UM, I CERTAINLY GO OUT AND TALKED TO A LOT OF THEM, LET THEM KNOW THE COUNTY HAS MONEY.
A LOT OF PEOPLE DID NOT KNOW THAT.
UM, I WENT AND TALKED TO A LOT OF THE FARMERS.
[02:40:01]
SO, YOU KNOW, UP TO THE $200,000.SO, SO THEY WERE APPRECIATIVE.
I SAID, LOOK, REACH OUT, WE'VE GOT MONEY AVAILABLE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW, YOU KNOW, STEVE WORKING WITH HIM BEFORE, PRIOR WHEN HE WAS IN ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ALONG WITH LEN OVER THERE, THEY WERE GREAT ASSETS TO DEAL WITH BEFORE, UH, ESPECIALLY DURING COVID.
UM, LEN WAS A BIG HELP, UM, BACK THEN WITH GETTING COVID MONEY OUT TO ALL THE PEOPLE.
AND, AND STEVE'S A BIG HELP TOO, ON, ON SOME, UH, ECONOMIC STUFF.
UM, QUICK QUESTION, UH, YOU MENTIONED TOURISM AND THE 2.8 MILLION AND GRANTS.
UM, I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, UM, WHAT NONPROFITS ARE, IT SOUNDS LIKE THE NONPROFITS ARE APPLYING FOR THE GRANTS, GETTING THEM AND DOING THE, THE ACTIVITY OR TOURISM ACTIVITY.
CAN YOU GIVE ME A LIST OF WHAT NONPROFITS ARE, UM, APPLYING AND WHAT, UH, THE ACTIVITY IS THAT IS COMING BACK TO THE COMMUNITY? AND I ASK THIS 'CAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF THE HOTELS AND I'M HOPING THAT A LOT OF THAT MONEY IS TRICKLING FOR TOURISM ACTIVITIES TO BE GOING IN OUR COMMUNITY.
SO JUST, JUST TO CLARIFY, YOU'RE ASKING FOR THE LIST OF THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR THAT WE'VE, THAT COUNTY PROVIDED? YES.
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THAT'S WHAT HASN'T HAPPENED YET.
YEAH, WE CAN GIVE THAT TO YOU.
ANYONE ELSE? BUDGET ADVISOR ON PAGE, UM, 6 32.
UM, I BELIEVE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SWAN HARBOR.
UM, AND SO IT LOOKS LIKE THERE IS, UM, A MARKETING COORDINATOR, UM, AND THEN AN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT.
AND THEN THE TEMPORARY SALARY, I'M ASSUMING THE TEMPORARY SALARIES ARE FOR THE EVENT REPS WHO WOULD BE MONITORING THE EVENTS.
BUT THE EVENTS AREN'T 12 MONTHS BECAUSE THE FACILITY IS NOT AVAILABLE FOR 12 MONTHS BECAUSE THEY TAKE THE TENT DOWN.
SO IN, IN, IN TOURISM, IT'S NOT JUST WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE POSITIONS THAT WERE TRANSFERRED IN THOSE TWO POSITIONS, THOSE ARE THE TWO RELATED TO SWAN HARBOR.
BUT THIS DIVISION ALSO HAS THE COUNTY'S TOURISM MANAGER AND, AND STAFF JUST TO DO TOURISM BROADLY, NOT, NOT SPECIFIC TO SWAN HARBOR.
AND, UM, THE, THE SERVICES, UM, ARE, UM, SORRY, I GOT THAT YOU'RE SPENDING $30,000 FOR PRINTING AND $25,000 FOR OTHER, FOR PERHAPS PIECES FOR EXHIBITS.
AND THEN, UM, THE AUDIO VISUAL KIOSK, WHERE WILL THAT BE? SO WE ARE LOOKING TO PILOT HAVING A KIOSK AVAILABLE IN THE ABERDEEN COMMUNITY, UM, NEAR RIPKIN STADIUM FOR ACCESS WITH LITTLE LEAGUE AND OTHER PIECES.
AND IT IS OUR HOPE THAT WE CAN CONTINUE TO EXPAND FOR OTHER LOCATIONS, BUT THAT WOULD BE OUR PILOT LOCATION.
KAREN, CAN YOU, CAN YOU TELL US, UM, OUT OF THE TOURISM MONEY THAT'S COLLECTED, I KNOW THAT HDY, GRACE AND ABERDEEN, UM, AND I THINK JOPPA MAYBE GET THE BIGGEST PIECE OF THE PUZZLE, UM, BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES THAT ACTUALLY HOUSE THE HOTELS.
WELL, I MEAN, I, I DON'T KNOW IF IT, IT ACTUALLY MOST OF THE HOTELS ARE, ARE IN YEAH.
IN, IN ABERDEEN OR IN, IN BELL CAMP.
THAT'S PROBABLY WHERE, WHERE THE MAJORITY OF THE, UM, OF, OF THE HOTELS ARE.
THE, THE INTENT THOUGH HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT, THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE USING THESE KIND OF COUNTYWIDE FOR COUNTYWIDE TOURISM, UH, FOR COUNTYWIDE TOURISM, TOURISM PURPOSES.
I MEAN, WE DO TRACK, YOU KNOW, WHERE THE, WHERE THE INDIVIDUAL REVENUES AND ALL COME FROM.
UM, BUT THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN, I THINK THE, IN THE INTENT ON HOW THAT IS, THOSE FUNDS ARE, ARE, ARE ALLOCATED, AGAIN, LARGELY BASED ON A KIND OF A COMPETITIVE PROCESS, UM, THAT, THAT IS LARGELY DRIVEN BY GETTING, YOU KNOW, HOTEL STAYS.
THAT IS KIND OF A FOCUS OF EACH OF THE PROGRAM IS TRY AND GET HEADS IN BEDS.
I, I THOUGHT WHEN, WHEN THE BILL WAS WRITTEN AND PASSED THAT THERE WAS A SPECIFIC PERCENTAGE THAT WENT TO THE THREE PLACES THAT ACTUALLY HAD THE HOTELS.
ONE BEING HAPPY GRACE ABERDEEN AND ABERDEEN BELL CAMP SLASH AND MAYBE JAPA IN SOME SENSE.
AND THAT, THAT EQUALED LET'S SAY 50% OF THE POT AND THEN THE OTHER 50% WAS WHAT NONPROFITS COULD APPLY FOR, FOR TOURISM GRANTS.
UM, COULD SHE'S REFERRING TO THE MUNICIPALITY FUNDING? WELL, THE MUNICIPALITY FUNDING COMES OFF THE TOP.
AND SO, UM, YOU KNOW, ABERDEEN, HALF GRACE DOESN'T REALLY HAVE A LOT OF, OF IN, I THINK HAVE ONE OR TWO.
[02:45:01]
THOUGH, I, SO WHEN, WHEN WE GET, UM, A DOLLAR FROM A, FROM AN ABERDEEN HOTEL, WE JUST TAKE 50 CENTS OF IT AND IT GOES STRAIGHT TO ABERDEEN, IT DOESN'T EVEN RUN THROUGH ANY OF THESE NUMBERS.AND THE SAME IS TRUE WITH THE TWO HOTELS IN, IN H GRACE.
UM, SO THIS IS THEN WHAT'S LEFT, LEFT OVER FROM, YOU KNOW, IN ESSENCE THE COUNTY SHARE, WHICH WOULD BE 50% OF ANY HOTEL IN, IN THE, UM, THE MUNICIPALITIES AND A HUNDRED PERCENT OF ANY HOTEL OUTSIDE OF THE MUNICIPALITIES.
UM, AND THE OTHER THING IS THE REVENUE FROM SWAN HARBOR.
IF I GO TO SWAN HARBOR AND I HAVE MY WEDDING THERE, WHERE DOES THAT REVENUE SHOW THAT, THAT SHOWS IN THAT SEPARATE FUND, WHICH WE THEN USE TO, JUST TO GO BACK INTO MAINTAINING THAT FACILITY.
IT'S NOT NECESSARILY USED, YOU KNOW, FOR PEOPLE.
IT'S USED FOR KIND OF MAINTAINING THE FACILITY, YOU KNOW, ITSELF, WHEN WE HAVE TO MAKE REPAIRS AND, AND ALL THAT.
WE HAVE A, A SPECIAL REVENUE FUND FOR LIKE A LOT OF THESE, THESE, UM, SMALLER ENTITIES, LIKE ALSO KIND OF ONE FOR THE EMERTON TENNIS BARN AS AS WELL, IN ORDER TO TRY TO KEEP THOSE, THOSE REVENUES FOR THOSE, YOU KNOW, SPECIFIC, UM, ENTITIES.
YOU'LL FIND THAT ON PAGE ONE 16 OF THE OPERATING BOOK ONE 16.
UM, AND ALSO DOES THAT STILL, LIKE FOR DEPARTMENT OF RECS, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU PAY TO SIGN UP FOR A YOGA CLASS, THAT'S A REVENUE STREAM THAT IF IT RUNS THROUGH THE REC COUNCILS, THAT ALSO KIND OF RUNS THROUGH THERE AND THEN IT STAYS, IT STAYS IN THERE.
YOU KNOW, IF IT'S STUFF THAT'S DONE AT THE SENIOR CENTER, IT'S A LITTLE, LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
AND THE SENIOR CENTER, WE, WE, YOU KNOW, WE STILL RECOGNIZE THAT REVENUE AS, AS GENERAL FUND REVENUE, BUT WE WORK WITH AGING TO SAY LIKE, ALRIGHT, THIS IS HOW MUCH WE'RE BRINGING IN, THIS IS HOW MUCH WE'RE GONNA ALLOCATE FOR, UM, YOU KNOW, FOR, FOR A SPECIAL FUND.
WE, WE DON'T ALWAYS HAVE THE LUXURY.
I MEAN, IT JUST CREATES A LOT OF ADMINISTRATIVE STUFF WHEN YOU START CREATING SEPARATE FUNDS ALL THE TIME.
UM, I THINK SWAN HARBOR IS A LITTLE BIT GRANDFATHERED IN FROM, FROM, FROM KIND OF YEARS AGO.
UM, BUT, BUT WE ALWAYS THOUGH DO WITH ANY OF THESE THINGS, WE KIND OF LOOK AT LIKE, OKAY, HOW MUCH MONEY ARE YOU GENERATING? THAT'S HOW MUCH YOU CAN, YOU, YOU CAN SPEND.
WE'RE GENERALLY NOT MAKING ANY, YOU KNOW, VAST AMOUNTS OF MONEY ON THE, ON THE PROGRAMS IN A NET SENSE.
AND JUST ON, UH, SWAN HARBOR, I KNOW, UH, CYNTHIA, YOU MENTIONED THAT IT'S KIND OF ONLY USED FOR PART OF THE YEAR.
I THINK ONE OF THE REASONS THAT WE WANTED TO MOVE IT OVER TO THOSE TWO POSITIONS OVER TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT WAS TO MAKE IT A TRUE YEAR-ROUND DESTINATION AND TO TRY TO DRIVE ADDITIONAL VISITORS AND ADDITIONAL HOTEL STAYS AND SO FORTH.
SO THAT'S JUST ANOTHER REASON WHY IT WAS MOVED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.
I MEAN, IF IT COULD BE A YEAR ROUND FACILITIES, I MEAN, ROCKFIELD CERTAINLY MADE THEIR FACILITY MORE YEAR ROUND BY ENCLOSURE, IF THAT WOULD BE A PLUS FOR THE COUNTY.
ANYONE ELSE? MR. PARISH? UH, I GUESS FIRST, UH, JUST A STATEMENT.
UM, TOURISM OBVIOUSLY IS COMING UP A LOT AND I THINK, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT'S HARD FOR, FOR A LOT OF US TO GRASP IS WHERE THE SAVINGS HAS BEEN SINCE IT'S COME BACK INTERNAL.
'CAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE A, THERE'S A LOT MORE MONEY BEING SPENT IN TOURISM THAN IT WAS WHEN WE HAD A THIRD PARTY OUTSIDE AGENCY THAT WE WERE, THAT WE WERE FARMING A LOT OF THAT OUT TO.
SO THAT'S NOT REALLY A QUESTION.
UH, MORE OF A STATEMENT, JUST THAT WE CAN'T SEE THAT WHERE, WHERE THAT'S COMING IN.
UM, FOR A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THOUGH, UM, ONE OF THE TOURISM PIECES THAT CAME OUT RECENTLY, UM, SAID THAT WE HAD 2.8 MILLION VISITORS FROM OUTSIDE THE COUNTY WHO STAYED FOR MORE THAN 45 MINUTES.
HOW DO YOU COLLECT THAT DATA? SO WE USE THE TECHNOLOGY CALLED PLACER AI, AND IT ALLOWS US TO ACTUALLY DO SOME GEOCACHING TO IDENTIFY WHERE FOLKS ARE COMING FROM FOR EVENTS.
AND LYNN, TO YOUR EARLIER COMMENT, THAT ACTUALLY SUPPORTS, UM, HOW WE'RE ABLE, WHEN MAYBE YOU CAN'T MEASURE THE SAVINGS FOR US, BUT WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO IS EMPOWER A LOT OF NONPROFITS THAT DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THESE MARKETING TOOLS, UM, TO BETTER MANAGE AND TARGET THEIR MARKETING BECAUSE WE CAN SHOW THEM WHERE THOSE VISITORS ARE COMING FROM AND WHERE THEY CAN DO THEIR OUTREACH.
NOT ALL OF THEM CAN HAVE ACCESS TO THAT TYPE OF SOFTWARE.
WE'RE ABLE TO RUN THOSE REPORTS AND CUSTOMIZE 'EM FOR OUR NONPROFITS TO SPECIFICALLY SUPPORT THOSE FESTIVALS.
DEFINITELY GOVERNMENT WATCHING YOU.
EVERYBODY'S WATCHING YOUR PHONE.
THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION WAS IS WATCHING YOUR PHONE.
UM, THE OTHER QUESTION I HAD, UH, JUST IN GENERAL, I KNOW YOU JUST DID THE ECONOMIC FORECAST, SO CAN YOU JUST GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF IDEA OF KIND OF WHAT, WHERE THE COUNTY'S BEEN THE LAST COUPLE YEARS WITH JOB GROWTH AND CAPITAL EXPENDITURE AND WHERE YOU SEE IT IN THE NEXT YEAR? SURE, SURE.
I THINK THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, IT, IT'S POSITIVE.
WE HAD AN ECONOMIC INSIGHT UPDATE, UM, AND SOME OF THE MESSAGING COMING FROM TOWSON UNIVERSITY WAS A LITTLE TOO GLOOM.
UM, LOCALLY THOUGH, I THINK WE HAVE A REALLY GOOD STORY TO TELL.
WE WERE, UM, WITH THE HARFORD LEADERSHIP ACADEMY YESTERDAY, UM, REALLY SHARING THAT OUTLOOK.
UM, YOU KNOW, OUR BREAD AND BUTTER REALLY IS OUR EXISTING SMALL BUSINESSES AND THE ABILITY FOR THEM TO CONTINUE TO GROW IN PLACE.
IT'S OUR ACCESS TO A REGIONAL WORKFORCE THAT, UM, OUR EMPLOYEES MAY NOT ALL HAVE A HARFORD COUNTY ZIP CODE,
[02:50:01]
BUT OUR EMPLOYERS KNOW THAT THIS IS, UM, UH, A WORKFORCE CENTER AND THAT WE CAN ACCESS 13 JURISDICTIONS IN THREE STATES THAT HAVE A SKILLED WORKFORCE THAT CONTINUE TO INVEST HERE IN HARTFORD COUNTY.UM, IN THIS ADMINISTRATION, WE HAVE, UM, ADDED 1,007 NEW JOBS AND APPROXIMATELY $357 MILLION OF CAPITAL INVESTMENT.
UM, I THINK THAT, UM, THE INSIGHT WITH REGARD TO BIG BOX DISTRIBUTION, UM, WAS A SAVING GRACE.
WE ARE SEEING A LOT MORE INTERACTION WITH REGARD TO PROSPECTING TIED TO MANUFACTURING.
THE DESIGNATION OF, UM, A TECH HUB FOR THIS GREATER BALTIMORE REGION HAS BEEN A REAL ASSET, UM, STANDING UP BIOMANUFACTURING LOOKING AT ADVANCED MANUFACTURING OPPORTUNITIES, THE RECENT SALE OF THE FORMER BATEL FACILITY, UH, TO A LOCAL DEFENSE CONTRACTOR THAT'S ADDING 125 JOBS TO THE HUNDRED THEY'RE BRINGING TO THAT SITE AND SOME ACTIVE PROSPECTING ON A COUPLE OF OUR LARGER FACILITIES THAT HAVE A MANUFACTURING COMPONENT.
SO OVERALL, WE'RE PRETTY PLEASED.
AND THEN, UH, ON TOP OF THAT, DO WE KNOW HOW MANY JOBS WE'VE LOST AT A PG TO OTHER JURISDICTIONS? WE HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO IDENTIFY A SPECIFIC NUMBER, BUT WHAT WE HAVE BEEN TOLD IS THAT BECAUSE OF THE MISSION SETS AT A PG LETHALITY AND MILITARY READINESS, WE DID NOT TAKE HITS LIKE OTHER FEDERAL AGENCIES LIKE NIH AND SOME THAT TOOK ACROSS THE BOARD.
UM, WE DID MEET THE GOALS OF BIG ARMY FOR A 10% REDUCTION, BUT THAT WAS PRIMARILY DONE AT A PG THROUGH ATTRITION, THROUGH RETIREMENT AND THE DEFERRED RETIREMENT PROGRAM.
IT DID NOT REQUIRE A RIF TO MEET THAT 10% GOAL.
SO THAT'S THE 2300 PEOPLE THAT I HEARD ABOUT THAT? THAT'S CORRECT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ONE QUESTION.
YOU NEED IT? YOU NEED THE MIC.
KELLY, WHAT'S THE NAME OF THE AI TOOL THAT YOU'RE USING? IT'S CALLED PLACER AI.
CAN YOU JUST SPELL THAT OUT? P-L-A-C-E R.AI.
UH, IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS, THEN THIS WE'LL CONCLUDE THE MORNING SESSION AND WE WILL RETURN AT, UH, TWO O'CLOCK WITH, UH, THE LIBRARY.
ARE YOU GROWLING?
WELL, GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.
WE'LL START OUR AFTERNOON, UH, SESSION TODAY.
UH, AND I'M SURE OUR OTHER COLLEAGUE WILL BE HERE SHORTLY.
UH, TWO O'CLOCK WE'RE GONNA BE STARTING WITH THE LIBRARIES.
MS. HASLER, HOW ARE YOU? I SEE YOU HAVE YOUR FRIENDS.
I'LL JUST, I'LL JUST, UH, WALK YOU THROUGH A QUICK, UH, SURE.
BUDGET NUMBERS, THEN I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MARY.
SO LIBRARIES BEGIN ON PAGE 5 72.
THERE'S TOTAL FUNDING OF 22,849,790 FOR AN INCREASE OF 1,337,706 OR 6.2%.
THE INCREASE IS THE RESULT OF AN ADDITIONAL $900,000 FOR AN EQUIVALENT MERIT INCREASE FOR LIBRARY SYSTEM EMPLOYEES.
A 5% INCREASE IN HEALTHCARE COSTS TOTALING 178,140, INCREASE IN FUNDING FOR COLLECTION AND DIGITAL RECORDS OF 150,000 FUNDING FOR BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS OF 30,000, INCREASE FUNDING FOR SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE AND SUPPORT OF 20,000.
AND THE INCREASED FUNDING FOR UTILITY BILLS OF 8,834, AN INCREASE OF 4,261 FOR THE LIBRARY'S OBLIGATION TO THE SELF-INSURANCE FUND PER ACTUARIALS.
AND THEN FUNDING FOR THE STATE MANDATED COST SHIFT OF LIBRARY EMPLOYEE PENSIONS, TOTALING 46,471.
AND THEN THERE IS ONE CAPITAL PROJECT, UH, FOR THE LIBRARIES FOR TECHNOLOGY IN THE AMOUNT OF 200,000.
AND I'LL TURN IT OVER TO MARY.
SO, YES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR, UH, THIS OPPORTUNITY.
WE, WE DID BRING OUR TOYS WITH US, AND OF COURSE, I HAVE KATHY KOGER, OUR CFO, AND THIS IS IBU, OUR ORIGINAL AI PUPPY.
AND THIS IS HIS BABY SISTER ESPRESSO, AND SHE'S ABOUT A YEAR OLD AND HE'S, I GUESS, CLOSE TO SIX YEARS OLD NOW.
SO, UM, THEIR BRAINS DEVELOP AS WE INTERACT WITH THEM.
SO, UM, THEY WANTED TO COME ALONG TOO AND ENTERTAIN YOU.
UM, BUT FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL TO THE HARTFORD COUNTY EXECUTIVE AND TO THE HARTFORD COUNTY COUNCIL THIS YEAR FOR FULLY FUNDING OUR FISCAL YEAR 27 OPERATING REQUEST.
I THINK IT'S THE FIRST TIME THAT I CAN
[02:55:01]
REMEMBER.AND, UH, WE ARE VERY, VERY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
AND YOUR SUPPORT ENSURES THAT WE CONTINUE DELIVERING ESSENTIAL SERVICES THAT STRENGTHEN OUR COMMUNITY, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT.
IT'S ABOUT OUR FAMILIES, OUR FRIENDS, OUR COMMUNITY, AND HELPING EACH OTHER.
SO, JUST A FEW NUMBERS, BECAUSE YOU ALL KNOW, I'M, I'M A NUMBERS NERD.
OUR IMPACT IN FISCAL YEAR 26, WE HAD OVER 800,000 PEOPLE WHO WALKED THROUGH OUR DOORS.
WE CIRCULATED, OR PEOPLE BORROWED 3.1 MILLION ITEMS. WE HAD 7.8 MILLION DIGITAL VISITS.
WE HAD 540,000 PLUS PROGRAM ATTENDEES, AND WE ANSWERED MORE THAN 383,000 REFERENCE QUESTIONS.
AND WHY DO WE DO THIS? WELL, SEVERAL OF OUR PRIORITIES THIS PAST YEAR AND ONGOING INCLUDE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT.
WE DO RESUME AND CAREER SUPPORT.
WE DO TECHNOLOGY TRAINING AND DIGITAL ACCESS.
WE DO SMALL BUSINESS OFF, UH, REF RESOURCES THAT WE OFFER.
WE DO ONLINE LEARNING AND CERTIFICATION TOOLS.
WE HAVE HOLD WORKSHOPS AND PROGRAMS THAT SUPPORT AND COMPLEMENT THE COUNTY'S ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVES.
WE HAVE PROGRAMS THAT HIGHLIGHT CURRENT TRENDS AND ISSUES TO KEEP OUR RESIDENTS AND OUR COMMUNITIES INFORMED.
WE ALSO FOCUS ON EARLY LITERACY AND PRE-LITERACY SKILL BUILDING THROUGH OUR EARLY LITERACY LEARNING CENTERS AND MORE SUMMER READINGS, GETTING READY TO KICK OFF.
AND I HOPE TO SEE ALL OF YOU AT OUR OPENING DAY EVENT.
WE ALSO HAVE FAMILY ENGAGEMENT FOR LIFELONG LEARNING, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT LIBRARIES ARE ABOUT.
YOU DON'T STOP ONCE YOU GRADUATE FROM HIGH SCHOOL.
YOU DON'T STOP WHEN YOU GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE.
OF COURSE, WE DO HELP OUR STUDENTS WITH HOMEWORK HELP AND RESEARCH SUPPORT.
WE HAVE SAFE AFTERSCHOOL SPACES.
WE ARE OPEN 24 7 FOR OUR STUDENTS, AND ALL THEY NEED TO DO IS HAVE A LIBRARY CARD AND THEY HAVE ACCESS TO A WORLD AMOUNT OF RESOURCES AND SERVICES.
HE'S, SHE'S GONNA BITE MY HAND NAIL.
UM, WE HAVE MORE THAN 59,000 ONLINE LEARNING PARTICIPANTS THIS YEAR.
THAT'S AN AMAZING NUMBER FOR OUR SENIORS.
WE HAVE OUTREACH THROUGH OUR SILVER READER.
WE HAVE TECHNOLOGY TRAINING, AND WE ALSO PROVIDE A LOT OF SOCIAL ENGAGEMENT OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW RESEARCH SHOWS THAT ONE OF THE WORST THINGS FOR OUR SENIORS IS ISOLATION.