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WELCOME EVERYONE. WE'RE GOING TO START OUR MEETING. ROLL CALL. SUSIE. MAYOR BRUNER HERE. VICE
[ROLL CALL ]
MAYOR RICH HERE. COMMISSIONER CLARK HERE. COMMISSIONER COLLINS HERE. AND COMMISSIONER MCDONALD HERE. EVERYONE RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS. ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENTS FROM ANY OF OUR COMMISSIONERS? IF NOT, WE'LL MOVE RIGHT ALONG. ANY COMMENTS FROM OUR MANAGER, I'LL SAVE[APPROVAL OF AGENDA ]
THOSE FOR THE REGULAR MEETING. OKAY. CAN I HAVE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA? MOVE APPROVAL SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION FOR APPROVAL A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR? SAY I. I ANY COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? I SEE NONE. OKAY, WE WILL GO. WELCOME. NICE TO SEE YOU HERE. THIS EVENING. THANK YOU. YES.[1. FISCAL YEAR 2025 BUDGET WORKSHOP 1 ]
THE FINANCE DIRECTOR TO GIVE A INITIAL, BUDGET REVIEW OR PRESENTATION. BUT FOR CLARIFICATION, I NEED TO POINT OUT THAT LAST YEAR WE HAD THIS MEETING ON JULY 18TH, WE'RE A LITTLE BIT EARLIER THIS YEAR, BUT I MOVED IT UP ONE MEETING BECAUSE I WAS ASKED BEING ASKED QUESTIONS AND THINGS, BUT LAST YEAR, ON JULY 18TH, WHEN WE HAD THE MEETING, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE STATE REVENUE NUMBERS YET. SO WE DON'T HAVE THE STATE REVENUE NUMBERS FOR THIS PRESENTATION.WE ALSO DON'T HAVE, FINAL UNION NUMBERS FOR EITHER, POLICE OR FIRE. AND SO, ESSENTIALLY THE FINANCE DIRECTOR HAS BEEN WORKING WITH ME AND PUTTING TOGETHER A PROPOSED BUDGET, BASING PRIMARILY THE NUMBERS ON PROJECTIONS FROM LAST YEAR. AND THEY'RE ESSENTIALLY ESTIMATES AND THEY'RE NOT REAL. UNTIL WE GET THE ACTUAL FINAL, FINAL NUMBERS FROM THE STATE, HOWEVER, HE DOES A PRETTY GOOD JOB OF FORECASTING THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. SO, WITH THAT, I WILL LET JOLIE TAKE IT FROM FROM THERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU SIR. AM I IS THE MIC ON? OKAY, GOOD. AFTERNOON, EVERYONE, HERE WE ARE AGAIN TODAY. AS THE MANAGER SAID WHEN I PULLED UP TO MAKE THE PRESENTATION, IT SAID WE DID JULY 18TH LAST YEAR. SO, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE EARLIER THIS YEAR, BUT EARLIER ISN'T ALWAYS BETTER. AND TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THAT WHAT WE ARE TODAY, AS WE'RE LETTING YOU KNOW THE STATUS OF WHERE WE'RE AT, THIS IS NOT THE MANAGER'S BUDGET. HE IS NOT PRESENTING HIS BUDGET TO YOU TODAY. BALANCED OR OTHERWISE. THIS IS SIMPLY A STATUS UPDATE OF WHERE WE'RE AT IN THE PROCESS. WE TOOK THE SIX MONTH NUMBER FROM THE END OF MARCH INTO APRIL. WE ASKED THE DEPARTMENT HEADS TO BEGIN INPUTTING THEIR NUMBER REQUESTS THROUGHOUT THE END OF APRIL AND MAY. AND THIS IS WHERE WE ARE NOW. WHAT WE HAVE DONE IS, AND I THINK IT'S IN THE PRESENTATION, THE MANAGER AND I HAVE MET WITH EACH OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND ALLOWED THEM AN OPPORTUNITY TO DESCRIBE WHAT SOME OF THE REQUESTS ARE, I'VE BEEN IN THE GAME A LONG TIME, BUT EVEN THEY STILL ASK FOR SOME THINGS SOMETIMES. I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS. SO THEY THEY TOLD US WHAT THEY ARE AND SOME OF THEIR PRIORITIES INTERNALLY SO THAT WE KNEW POSSIBLY WHAT WAS A MUST HAVE VERSUS WOULD LIKE TO HAVE. AND SO THAT'S WHERE WE COME ON THIS, LET ME SEE PAGE. SO ALREADY THIS YEAR, THE STATE OF FLORIDA MOVED INTO A NEW OASIS SYSTEM, WHICH IS THE NEW WAY OF DOING TRIM THE TRUTH IN MILLAGE LEGISLATION THAT REQUIRES US TO FOLLOW A PRESCRIBED PROCEDURE FOR BUDGETING, PROPERTY TAXES AND REPORTING THAT, OUR CERTIFICATION DATE IS STILL JULY 1ST, EVEN THOUGH WE RECEIVED THE NUMBER SOMEWHAT EARLY THIS YEAR.
AND, FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T FAMILIAR, WE TAKE THE TAXABLE VALUE AS PRESENTED TO US BY THE PROPERTY APPRAISER. DIVIDED BY 1000, WHICH IS WHAT A MILL REPRESENTS, IS THE DOLLAR PER THOUSAND. AND THEN TIMES OUR MILLAGE RATE, WHICH I USED THE EXISTING MILLAGE RATE THE CURRENT YEAR MILLAGE RATE. AND THEN FOR TRIM COMPLIANCE, WE DO PER 95, 95. AT LEAST SOME GOVERNMENTS, YOU KNOW, WOULD IN THE PAST HAD MANIPULATED THE NUMBER. SO NOW IT'S AT LEAST 95 TO ALLOW FOR THE EARLY DISCOUNT PAYMENT. AND POSSIBLE NON-PAYERS SO YOU CAN BUDGET LESS, YOU CAN BUDGET, YOU HAVE TO BUDGET AT LEAST 95. YOU CAN BUDGET MORE IF YOU WANT TO TRY. AND, YOU KNOW, PLAY THAT GAME. BUT THERE'S NOT ALWAYS THERE'S ALWAYS SOME PEOPLE WHO SEEM NOT TO PAY THEIR TAX BILL. AND, THAT NEXT STATEMENT, I BELIEVE IN REPETITION. HOPEFULLY ONE OF THESE YEARS THAT EVERYONE GETS THE IDEA WE ARE REQUIRED TO BUDGET ON THE DOCTOR FOR 20,
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WHICH IS WHAT'S RELEASED JULY FIRST. AFTER ALL THIS IS DONE, WE HAVE ALL OF OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS. WE HAVE ALL OF OUR MEETINGS. THE VALUE ADJUSTMENT BOARD MEETS, AND YOU'LL HAVE WHAT IS THE FINAL CERTIFIED TAXABLE VALUE WHICH COMES OUT ON THE DOCTOR FOR 22. SO WHEN WE GET THE NEW YEAR FOR 20, THE PROPERTY APPRAISER WILL ANNOUNCE THAT CITY OF STUART TAXABLE VALUE WENT UP 11. I SAY IT WENT UP 12 FOR BUDGETARY PURPOSES. SO LAST YEAR'S DOCTOR FOR 20 TO THIS YEAR'S DOCTOR FOR 20 WAS A 12% INCREASE, WHICH GENERATED $1.8 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL AD VALOREM REVENUE. NOW THIS IS THE HISTORY OF WHAT THE CITY'S TAXABLE VALUES HAVE BEEN. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, IF YOU'RE FOLLOWING ALONG, HERE WE ARE. THIS STUDY GOES FROM 2001 TO THE CURRENT TAXABLE VALUE IS GIVEN TO US. AND YOU CAN SEE HERE, AS WE'VE TALKED TO MANY TIMES, THIS IS OUR PREVIOUS HIGHEST VALUE AT 2.3 BILLION. AND IT DIPPED THROUGH THE GREAT RECESSION OR THE HOUSING BUBBLE BUST HERE IN FLORIDA. AND WE DID NOT REGAIN THAT VALUE UNTIL 2022. SO IT TOOK US THAT LONG TO GET BACK TO WHERE OUR TAXABLE VALUE HAD BEEN IN 2008. THIS ONE IS WHERE OUR MILLAGE HAS BEEN. SO FROM 2001, AGAIN, THE SAME NUMBER SAME YEAR TO NOW. OUR MILLAGE RATE IN 2001 WAS 4.0134 MILLS TODAY IN THE CURRENT YEAR. AND WHAT I'VE PRESENTED IN THIS BUDGET IS FIVE MILLS. BLESS YOU. SO I THINK IT'S KIND OF, NICE TO PRESENT THAT IN A SPAN OF 24 YEARS, THE CITY OF STUART DOES NOT INCREASE THE MILLAGE. A FULL MILL. WE HAVE NOT GONE UP ONE FULL MILLAGE IN 24 YEARS. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD SOME HIGH SPOTS AND SOME LOW SPOTS ALONG THE WAY. BUT BASICALLY OVER A 24 YEAR PERIOD, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, TOWED THE LINE AND KEPT THE MILLAGE THERE. NEXT IS WHAT THE BUDGETED AD VALOREM REVENUE WAS. NOW THE IMPORTANT THING HERE IS IT LOOKS VERY MUCH LIKE THE TAXABLE VALUE GRAPH THAT I SHOWED YOU JUST A MOMENT AGO.HOWEVER, IT SHOULDN'T HAVE LOOKED THAT WAY BECAUSE RIGHT, THE REVENUE, IF YOU REMAINED AT ROLLBACK REVENUE WOULD HAVE GONE HERE ALSO. SO DURING THOSE YEARS WE ACTUALLY TOOK IN SOME TOTAL OF 22% CUT IN REVENUES TO THE CITY. AND YOU KNOW, AND LIKEWISE, WE DID YOU KNOW, WE CUT SERVICES, WE DID ALL KINDS OF OTHER THINGS TO DO THAT RATHER THAN GOING WITH ROLLBACK RATE, WE KEPT OUR MILLAGE THE SAME, WHICH IN THOSE YEARS MEANT A REDUCTION IN TAXES RATHER THAN KEEPING THEM THE SAME. NOW THIS IS A THIS IS THE GRAPH OF WHAT OUR TAXABLE VALUE HAS CHANGED BY. SO THIS IS THE PERCENT CHANGE FROM YEAR TO YEAR. AND AS YOU'LL NOTICE YOU KNOW WE WERE CLIMBING VERY HIGH HERE WITH THESE LARGE INCREASES IN THOSE YEARS DURING THE HOUSING BOOM TIME. AND THEN AS THOSE HOUSING BUBBLE BUSTED, WE ACTUALLY DROPPED DOWN INTO NEGATIVE AND THAT'S WHY I SAID ALL THESE NEGATIVE DECREASES IN VALUE ACTUALLY ADDED UP TO 22% DECREASE IN VALUE. AND THEN HERE WE ARE. NOW WE'VE CLIMBED OUT OF THE HOLE. WE ACTUALLY BECAME NET ZERO AGAIN. AND THEN BACK POSITIVE. SO NOW THE LAST TWO YEARS WE HAD SOME PRETTY SOME PRETTY NICE INCREASES. AS I ALWAYS SAY, IF THE TAXABLE VALUE OF THE CITY APPRECIATES AT A FAIR PACE EACH YEAR, THEN THERE'S NO NEED TO INCREASE THE MILLAGE OR LOOK FOR OTHER REVENUE SOURCES BECAUSE IT KEEPS PACE WITH EXPENDITURE INCREASES AS WELL. NOW WHAT'S INTERESTING, THIS YEAR IS THE END OF THIS GRAPH. SO NOW WHAT YOU'LL SEE. AND I ZOOM IN. IT'S ACTUALLY BEEN THE INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR HAS DECLINED. SO WE STILL DID HAVE AN INCREASE BUT NOT ALONG THE SAME SLOPE. SO THE CITY'S TOTAL TAXABLE VALUE IS TURNING DOWNWARD IN INCREASES AND NOT MAINTAINING THAT UPWARD INCREASE. THE THING TO KEEP IMPORTANT HERE IS THAT THESE NUMBERS ARE BASICALLY 18 MONTHS BEHIND. SO THE PROJECTS THAT CAME ONLINE AND WERE CODE BY 1231, YOU KNOW, TWO YEARS AGO IS IN THIS TAXABLE NUMBER. THAT'S WHY THIS IS YOUR 2024 TAX ROLL.
EVEN THOUGH WE'RE GOING INTO THE 2025 YEAR. SO WHAT HAS BEEN DONE OR NOT DONE IN 2024 STILL IS YET TO COME. OKAY, SO ANY PROJECTS WE DID OR DID NOT DO STILL COMES IN. THE WILL BE COMING TO US THROUGH THE NEXT TWO TAXABLE VALUES OKAY. SO AND THAT'S WHAT IT IS. YOU'RE SPREADING THAT EXPENSE BURDEN AND THAT TAX OVER WHAT'S THERE. SO LAST YEAR WE HAD A 16% INCREASE. THIS YEAR WE
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ONLY HAD A 12% INCREASE STILL AN INCREASE. BUT NOW IT'S SLOWING. IF WE REMAINED FLAT LET'S SAY IT DIDN'T GO ANYWHERE. WELL EXPENSES AREN'T GOING TO REMAIN FLAT. BUT THE REVENUE WOULD. SO AS THOSE NEW EXPENSES COME IN AND AS I ALWAYS SAY, WE WOULD NEVER MATCH ONE TIME REVENUE SOURCES AGAINST ONGOING EXPENDITURES, RIGHT? I MEAN, YOU CAN'T FIND A $100 BILL ON THE GROUND AND THEN SAY, OH, I'M GOING TO TAKE ON A $50 A MONTH INTERNET BILL FROM THIS $100 BILL I FOUND ONCE. RIGHT. YOU HAVE TO HAVE AN ONGOING REVENUE SOURCE TO MATCH AN ONGOING EXPENSE. THE CRA VALUE. SO THE CRA INCREASED 22.9. AGAIN, LAST YEAR'S DDR4 20 TO THIS YEAR'S DDR4 20. AND THE BASE VALUE NOW FROM AND WE HAVE FOUR DIFFERENT BASE VALUES, BUT ESSENTIALLY A $299 MILLION BASE VALUE IS NOW $883 MILLION. BASE VALUE. AND THOSE THAT GENERATES APPROXIMATELY 2.7 MILLION TO THE CRA FROM GENERAL FUND, WHICH IS 500,000 MORE THAN LAST YEAR. SO OUT OF THE AD VALOREM THAT THE CITY COLLECTS IN THE GENERAL FUND, WE THEN WRITE A CHECK TO THE CITY CRA FUND, SO WE WILL BE WRITING A CHECK FOR 2.7 MILLION OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND TO THE CRA, WHICH IS $500,000 MORE THAN WHAT WE WROTE THE CHECK FOR LAST YEAR. EVERYONE OKAY, I'M JUST QUESTIONS ARE WELCOME ALL ALONG THE WAY. AND I'M SAYING TO THEM, WELL, COULD YOU EXPLAIN THAT? BECAUSE ON THE FACE OF IT, IT'S YOU'RE LOOKING AT 300 TO 8, ALMOST 900. THAT'S ALMOST A 300% INCREASE. I'M SORRY SIR, SAY THAT AGAIN. IF YOU LOOK AT THE CRA VALUE, THE BASE VALUE WAS INCREASING ALMOST 300. AND YET WE'RE ONLY GETTING AN INCREASE BUDGETARILY OF 22.9. OUR $3 MILLION TAXABLE VALUE DIVIDED BY 1000 TIMES FIVE EQUALS OUR 17 MILLION. SO THAT DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 883 MILLION AND 229 MILLION, YOU DIVIDE BY A THOUSAND AND MULTIPLY BY FIVE.SO IT'S A MULTIPLE FACTOR SMALLER THAN THAN THE GENERAL FUND. SO YES. SO, JULIE, THE, THE $299 MILLION FIGURE, THAT'S, THAT'S THE BASE VALUE FOR WHEN EACH PHASE OF THE CRA WAS ESTABLISHED. CORRECT YES, SIR. SO, SO THE INCREASE IS OF THE 883 IS OVER. THE DIFFERENT YEAR FROM THE DIFFERENT YEAR BASE YEARS. SO ALL FOUR OF THE ALL FOUR OF THE DIFFERENT. RIGHT.
EVERY EXPANSION OF THE CRA, WHATEVER THE BASE VALUE WAS THERE. SO THAT'S SO WE'VE SEEN IN THE HISTORY OF THE CRA, WE'VE SEEN IT, GO UP, WHAT, TWO AND A HALF TIMES, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
YES, ALMOST THREE TIMES. ALMOST THREE TIMES. ALMOST THREE TIMES. ALMOST THREE TIMES. SO AND WHILE THAT IS GOOD NEWS, IT ALSO HAS ITS OWN EFFECT BECAUSE IT'S VERY BITTERSWEET. RIGHT? WE ARE RESTRICTED THAT IT IT RESTRICTS THOSE CRA FUNDS TO THE CRA. AND SO THAT MONEY THAT WOULD OTHERWISE HAVE GONE TO THE GENERAL FUND IS RESTRICTED TO THE CRA, WHICH IS WHAT THE FINANCE DIRECTOR WAS JUST TALKING ABOUT. BRIEFLY, JULIE, I KNOW THIS PROBABLY ISN'T A QUESTION FOR YOU, BUT DO YOU KNOW WHEN THE, WHEN THE CRA EXPIRES? WE DID THE 39. WE DID THE LAST 40 YEAR THING. I WANT TO BE A COMMISSIONER IN 40 WHEN WE HAVE THAT WINDFALL. YEAH YEAH, EXCEPT FOR THAT SAME YEAR, WE WILL LOSE ALL OF THE FUNDING THAT COMES FROM THE COUNTY CRA PORTION, WHICH IS WHEN IT'S THE CRA NUMBERS ARE BASED ON OUR MILLAGE RATE OF FIVE. THE COUNTY'S MILLAGE RATE IS ABOVE SIX AND A HALF. SO THE PORTION OF THE COUNTY CONTRIBUTES TO THE CRA IS MORE THAN 50% OF THE FUNDING. AND THAT WILL GO TO ZERO THAT YEAR. RIGHT OKAY, SO MUCH FOR YOUR WINDFALL. I KNOW. WELL, I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT, GENERAL FUND. IT ENDS WILL MEET VERY EASILY IN GENERAL FUND. BUT, YOU KNOW, THE PROJECTS WOULD COME TO A HALT. SO, SO CAN WE QUESTION MAYOR? YES. IS IT POSSIBLE TO END A CRA BEFORE THAT SCHEDULED DATE? YOU COULD.
YES BUT. BUT YOU WOULD BE GIVING UP MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. I UNDERSTAND, BUT IF YOU KNOW, 2.7 MIL IS GOING TO CRA FROM GENERAL, MAYBE THERE'S A POINT WHERE YOU WOULD RATHER HAVE THAT IN THE GENERAL AND JUST SACRIFICE THE AMOUNT THAT COMES FROM THE COUNTY. HOW MUCH IS COMING FROM THE COUNTY RIGHT NOW? IT'S LIKE A 6040 SPLIT. SO LAST YEAR THEY PAID US 3.4 MILLION. SO WHATEVER THEIR MILLAGE LANDS AT THIS YEAR WILL BE SIGNIFICANTLY MORE. SO IF IT'S 2.4 MILLION, THAT'S GOING LIKE RIGHT HERE, YOU SEE $517,000 MORE THAT WE'RE PAYING
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TOWARD THE CRA, THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BE PAYING ABOUT $750,000 MORE TO THE CRA, TO THE CRA, AND I THINK I SAID THIS AT A CRA MEETING. I POPPED IN ONE TIME UPON ALL, ASKED ME TO SHOW UP THE CITIZENS OF STUART PAY THE COUNTY'S GENERAL MILLAGE. SO THEY PAY OUR MILLAGE AND THEY PAY THE COUNTY'S GENERAL MILLAGE, WHICH IS MORE THAN SIX AND A HALF. SO THIS IS MONEY.THIS COMES OUT OF MONEY THAT STUART CITIZENS PAID TO MARTIN COUNTY. AND THEY GET SOME OF IT BACK, AT LEAST INTO THE CRA. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD LOTS OF ARGUMENTS OVER THE YEARS ABOUT WHERE THEY SPENT IMPACT FEES OR WHERE THEY SPENT OTHER DOLLARS IN IN THE CITY OF STUART. THIS IS A DIRECT CORRELATION TO MONEY THAT CAME OUT OF A CITIZENS POCKET. WE'RE AT LEAST GETTING SOME OF IT BACK INTO THE CRA FUND. NOT TO BEAT THIS TO DEATH. MY SENSE IS JUST AT SOME POINT, YOU KNOW, LIKE, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC SAFETY IS ALWAYS A BIG CONCERN. SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT CAN'T MONEY CANNOT BE SPENT ON IF IT'S TIED UP IN THE CRA. AND THEN WE'RE ENDED UP FOCUSED ON UNDERGROUNDING POWER LINES OR SOMETHING THAT. MAYBE TO SOME PEOPLE MIGHT SEEM LESS IMPORTANT, BUT JUST THINKING OUT LOUD. YES SIR, ANY MORE QUESTIONS? OKAY, I'LL GO FORWAR.
PROCEED, SO NOW TO KEEP THE EXPECTATIONS REAL, WE'D HAVE TO SAY THAT 1.8 MILLION IN NEW AD VALOREM FROM THE 12% INCREASE, LESS THE EXTRA 500 NEW ADDITIONAL MONEY TO THE AREA MEANS I REALLY ONLY GET 1.3 MILLION IN NEW AD VALOREM REVENUE. OKAY, SO THAT'S WHAT WE GET FROM THERE. THE CURRENT BUDGET AS IT STOOD. AND I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, I HAVE A LOT OF SAYINGS I'VE COME UP WITH OVER 30 YEARS. FIVE MINUTES AFTER I PRINT THIS, IT'S WRONG, RIGHT? BECAUSE SOME EMPLOYEE, YOU KNOW, REACH THEIR REACHES, THEIR MERIT, YOU KNOW, ANNIVERSARY DATE, OR WE FILL A POSITION OR SOMEONE HAS A CHILD AND CHANGES THEIR, THEIR INSURANCE COVERAGE TO FAMILY. SO, YOU KNOW, THESE NUMBERS ARE ALWAYS MOVING. IT'S A LIVING, BREATHING DOCUMENT. IT IS NOT 1,000,002 OUT OF BALANCE AT THIS VERY MOMENT. IT WAS A MILLION TWO THE OTHER DAY WHEN THE MANAGER AND I FIRST FINISHED OUR MEETINGS, WE WERE $2.3 MILLION OUT OF BUDGET. AND I JUST TELL EVERYONE LIKE DOPE, YOU KNOW, TAKE A DEEP BREATH, DON'T PANIC.
YET. IT'S A LONG PROCESS TO GET THERE. SO BUT AS FAR AS WE HAVE TO PUT SOMETHING IN WRITING BY A DATE TO MEET THE AGENDA DEADLINE, IT WAS $1.2 MILLION THAT DAY. OUT OF BALANCE, AND THE OTHER ONES, JUST AS YOU CAN SEE THERE, AS THINGS COME AND G, WE'LL WE'LL SMOOTH OUT THE EDGES. YOU CAN SEE THE UTILITY FUNDS ARE VERY, VERY CLOSE TO REACHING THE FINISH LINE, THE CRA PANEL AND I HAVE TO GET TOGETHER AND TALK ABOUT REIMBURSEMENTS FROM CDBG. SOME OTHER THINGS. SO AGAIN, I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO, YOU KNOW, GULP AT THESE NUMBERS. BUT THIS IS WHERE WE ARE. AND THAT 1.2 MILLION AS OF THAT DAY, PRETTY MUCH ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS HAD SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT I WANT. THIS IS MY REQUEST. AND WE DON'T WIPE THOSE OUT. SO OF COURSE I'M GOING TO SHOW WHAT THE MANAGER HAS TO DO TO GET TO THE FINISH LINE TO BALANCE THIS.
BUT BUT THAT'S WHERE WE WERE THE DAY THAT WE FINISHED OUR OUR MEETINGS WITH THE DEPARTMENTS.
SO SOME FACTORS OF WHY WE'RE OUT OF BALANCE. AND I PUT A NOTE HERE. THIS IS ALMOST THE EXACT SAME SLIDE AS LAST YEAR. THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IS THE STATE IS NOT POSTED ANY REVENUES YET.
LAST YEAR WE HAD AT LEAST A COUPLE. BY JULY 18TH. SO THE MANAGER HAS NOT MADE ANY CUTS YET. HE HAS NOT REDUCED ANYTHING. BUT WE DID MEET WITH THE DEPARTMENTS, WE ARE STILL GOING THROUGH WHAT CAN BE FUNDED WITH IMPACT FEES, WHAT CAN BE FUNDED WITH, GRANTS AND OTHER OPPORTUNITIES. THE GRANTS ADMINISTRATORS ARE MEETING WITH EACH DEPARTMENT TRYING TO SEE WHAT'S AVAILABLE AND WHAT CAN BE IDENTIFIED IN TIME TO MAKE IT TO THE FINAL ADOPTED DOCUMENT. OF COURSE, IF A GRANT OPPORTUNITY COMES UP LATER, WE WOULD DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT. YOU KNOW, IF IT DOESN'T MAKE IT TO THE PRINTED DOCUMENT IN TIME. AND THEN AS THE MANAGER STARTED TODAY'S MEETING WITH, WE DO NOT CURRENTLY HAVE, SOLID AGREEMENTS WITH EITHER OF THE BARGAINING UNITS. SO IF AND PBA ARE STILL AT THE NEGOTIATING TABLE. SO WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT'S GOING TO WIND UP YET. AND THEN, JUST TO SO THE STATE OF FLORIDA FOR, MANY, MANY YEARS WOULD DELIVER THEIR STATE REVENUE PROJECTIONS BY MARCH. AND THEN THEY PUSHED IT TO APRIL, THEN THEY PUSHED IT TO JUNE. AND THEN I ALWAYS SAY, NEVER LET A GOOD DISASTER GO TO WASTE. WHEN COVID CAME ALONG, THEY SAID, WELL, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THE REVENUES UNTIL AUGUST. NOW SO, YOU KNOW, IT USED TO SAY JULY. NOW IT SAYS JULY, AUGUST. SO I'M SURE WE WON'T HAVE THE STATE NUMBERS UNTIL AUGUST, THEY'VE NOW THEY NOW UTILIZE THAT TIME TO PENCIL SHARPEN A LITTLE MORE. I'M SURE THEY'RE DOING WHAT WE DO. THEY DON'T WANT TO PUT OUT A BAD NUMBER AND HAVE TO MAKE A LOT OF
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ADJUSTMENTS. BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, ALL OF THE MAJOR REVENUE SOURCES THAT WE GET FROM THE STATE ARE NOT THERE. THIS BUDGET THAT I'M SHOWING YOU WITH 1,000,002 INCLUDES MY OWN REVENUE PROJECTIONS FOR SOME OF THE NUMBERS THAT WE TYPICALLY GET FROM THEM. HERE'S WHAT WE DO KNOW. GENERAL, LET'S SEE. OH. I'M SORRY. ALL RIGHT. I'LL JUST SHOOT IT. OUR GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE WENT UP 5.3. THAT'S BEEN INCORPORATED INTO THE BUDGET. THAT WAS ABOUT $165,000 ACROSS ALL FUNDS. SO THAT WAS NOTHING. WE TOOK A LARGER HIT LAST YEAR. THIS YEAR, LUCKILY, WE HAD SOME BETTER EXPERIENCE. WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY STORMS COME THROUGH, ESPECIALLY WHEN THEY PREDICT A REALLY BAD HURRICANE SEASON AS THEY DID LAST YEAR. AND THEN WE DON'T HAVE IT. IT, YOU KNOW, IT CAUSES FOR A LARGER INCREASE THIS YEAR. WE DIDN'T, HEALTH INSURANCE IS ONLY UP 5, WHEREAS ACTUAL DENTAL AND VISION AND THE OTHERS HAD NO INCREASE FOR THE CITY. WE ARE COST SHARING THAT WITH THE EMPLOYEES. THIS YEAR. SO WE ARE PASSING ON A SMALL PERCENT OF THAT INCREASE TO THE EMPLOYEES AS WELL AS OURSELVES. AND THEN THIS IS A CORRECTION AND I WILL GIVE THIS TO THE CLERK'S OFFICE. I ACTUALLY KIND OF INVERTED THAT SENTENCE. ELECTED OFFICIALS AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT HAD NO INCREASE, BUT THERE WAS ONLY A 0.06% INCREASE ON GENERAL EMPLOYEES AND A 0.12% INCREASE ON PUBLIC SAFETY. SO AGAIN, TO MY SURPRISE, THE STATE OF FLORIDA FRSE WENT UP. I'M TALKING WE MAY BE EIGHT $8,000 IN ADDED EXPENSE. COMMISSIONER ROB MCDONNELL. HEY JULIE, I SEE HEALTH INSURANCE IS ONLY UP 5, SO IT LOOKS LIKE HIS HEALTH INSURANCE STABILIZED BECAUSE I REMEMBER TEN YEARS AGO WE WERE WE WERE SEEING 20 AND 3,040% INCREASES IN HEALTH INSURANCE. SO WELL AGAIN YES SIR. YOU'RE CORRECT. THAT DID HAPPEN. THE HOWEVER IT'S A THING BETWEEN OUR TPA CARRIER CARRIER AND YOU KNOW ROSS AND AIR AND MYSELF. WE DO A LOT OF FINAGLING AND HAGGLING AND OUR TPA DOES A LOT OF FIELD WORK. THEY DEAL WITH A LOT OF THE LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, AND THEY TRY TO GET LARGE DISCOUNTS FOR US, EVEN THOUGH WE'RE INSURED, WE'RE SELF-INSURED SEPARATELY. THEY STILL TRY TO PASS ON THOSE KIND OF GROUP DISCOUNTS BECAUSE THEY HANDLE THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE COUNTY AS WELL. SO THEY DID A REALLY GOOD JOB. WE HAD SOME GOOD EXPERIENCE, BETTER EXPERIENCE. LAST YEAR. THE CLINIC OBVIOUSLY OFFSETS A LOT OF THIS. SO THE CLINIC THAT WE SHARE WITH THE MARTIN COUNTY SHERIFF OFFSETS A LOT OF OUR HEALTH INSURANCE EXPERIENCE. HOWEVER, YOU KNOW, I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW, WE DO SEEM TO HAVE SOME LARGE CLAIMS COMING THROUGH. SO, YOU KNOW, I'M WIRING LOTS OF MONEY BACK UP TO CIGNA RIGHT NOW AT THE MOMENT. BUT WE'LL SEE IF IT FALLS OUT. THEY ALWAYS HAVE TO LOOK AT IT AND SAY IF IT'S A BIG CLAIM, BUT IT'S A ONE TIME EXPENSE THAT WON'T CHANGE YOUR THING. IF IT'S SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, ONGOING OR SOME KIND OF, YOU KNOW, LIFESTYLE ILLNESS, THEN THAT MIGHT DRIVE UP OUR EXPERIENCE. BUT THIS YEAR WE'RE VERY LUCKY TO ONLY GET FIVE. YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I WAS ACTUALLY THINKING, BECAUSE I JUST REMEMBER BACK IN 15, 16, I THINK ESPECIALLY WAS EXCEPTIONAL. WE GOT HIT EXCEPTIONALLY HARD. OH, WE'VE BEEN HAND-TO-MOUTH GREAT. AND THAT'S WHEN WE CREATED THE CLINIC AND SEVERAL OTHER THINGS WE ENGAGED, I THINK THE GEARING GROUP, I'M NOT SURE WE STILL USE THEM. YES. YEAH. I WAS JUST TRYING NOT TO. I GUESS IF THEY WANT FREE PRESS, THE, THE TPA I KEEP REFERRING TO AS GEARING GROUP. SO YEAH. YEAH, THEY'VE ALWAYS DONE A GREAT JOB FOR US I THINK SO, BUT ANYWAYS, NO, IT'S GOOD TO SEE THAT, THAT THAT NUMBER IS UNDER CONTROL. SO AND AS I SAID, WHATEVER THE ACTUARIAL ASSUMPTIONS ARE AT THE STATE OF FLORIDA, THIS IS ACTUALLY INVERTED. IT WAS ZERO ON THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND SENIOR MANAGEMENT. AND MINIMAL ON THE REGULAR EMPLOYEES AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND I'LL SUBMIT THAT CORRECTION TO THE CLERK. SO IT FRS INCREASE WAS MINIMAL. NOW WHAT WE DO NOT KNOW ARE THE UNION NEGOTIATIONS AND THE STATE REVENUES, AS I SAID. SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE, NEW POSITIONS NOW.AS YOU KNOW, THE COMMISSION ADOPTED THIS STRATEGIC PLAN AFTER OUR, YOU KNOW, WORKSHOP DOWN AT THE FLAGLER CENTER. AND WE DEVELOPED WHAT WAS GOING TO BE THE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR STUART GOING FORWARD. OUR PRIOR FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN WAS, VERY SUCCESSFUL AS FAR AS WHAT WE WANTED TO ACCOMPLISH. WE'VE IMPLEMENTED THE NEW ONE AND PER THOSE STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVES, YOU COULD SEE THAT IN THIS BUDGET ALONG WITH SOME OTHER SMALL ITEMS HERE AND THERE IN VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, SPREAD OUT FOR SUSTAINABILITY. AND SOME OF THE OTHER INITIATIVES IN THAT STRATEGIC PLAN. THE POLICE HAVE REQUESTED THREE POSITIONS AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS, AT LEAST THE CHIEF. SORRY, THE CHIEF HAS SUBMITTED REQUESTING THREE ADDITIONAL POSITIONS. AND THE FIRE DEPARTMENT CHIEF HAS SUBMITTED REQUESTING 12 ADDITIONAL POSITIONS AND SO, HOWEVER, THOSE POSITIONS ARE BUDGETED AT THE BASE SALARY, THE STARTING SALARY OF YEAR ONE, AND THE ASSUMPTION THAT THEY ARE EMPLOYEE ONLY INSURANCE COVERAGES AND WHAT HAVE YOU. SO
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THIS DOESN'T INCORPORATE ANYTHING THAT THE UNION WOULD NEGOTIATE AT THIS POINT. BUT THAT WAS FOUR THAT WE NEEDED FOR NEW POLICE OFFICERS. OH IS IT IS IT FOUR. WELL IT'S THREE PLUS A DISPATCH. OH YEAH. THREE PLUS A DISPATCH. YEAH OKAY. THAT'S WHAT I SAID. THREE OFFICERS. YES.THREE PLUS A DISPATCH. OKAY AND THE TOTAL NUMBER FOR FIRE, LIKE THE AS WE'VE POINTED OUT SEVERAL TIMES THERE IS NOT A CONTRACT BETWEEN POLICE AND THE CITY OR FIRE IN THE CITY. THE PROJECTION OF 12 IS WHAT, THE CHIEF AND I HAVE COME UP WITH IN DISCUSSING THE FUTURE OF THE DEPARTMENT. I BELIEVE THE FIREFIGHTERS. AND THEY PROBABLY MET WITH SOME OF THE COMMISSIONERS, BUT THEY WERE INITIALLY SEEKING I BELIEVE, 31 OR 31, 31 NUMBER HASN'T BEEN FINALIZED. YEAH. THIS IS THIS IS WITH THE CURRENT PAY PLAN AND THE CURRENT RATE OF PAY IN THE SYSTEM. AND AS I SAID, THE STARTING SALARY AND EMPLOYEE ONLY BENEFITS. SO WHATEVER COMES OUT OF THE UNION NEGOTIATIONS WOULD ALSO OBVIOUSLY CHANGE THE VALUE OF THESE 12 POSITIONS AS WELL. AND IF THEY, YOU KNOW, ADD ANY MORE THAN 12 TO THE ASK. BUT THE BUDGET THAT I GAVE YOU IN THE POWERPOINT THAT'S OUT BY 1.2 MILLION CURRENTLY INCLUDES 12 POSITIONS. AT THIS RATE OF PAY. AND SO I DON'T WANT IT TO BE LOST ON YOU THAT THE 1.3 MILLION IN NEW NET REVENUE I GOT FROM AD VALOREM. THIS ADDS UP TO 1.3 MILLION. SO THANK THANK YOU JULIE. YEAH THAT WAS KIND OF AN IMPORTANT PIECE TO NOT MISS, SO WHAT ARE OUR NEXT STEPS HERE. SO THE MANAGER HAS MET WITH ALL THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS LIKE I SAID, WE GOT SOME PRIORITIZATION. YOU KNOW, I'VE HEARD A LOT OF, YOU KNOW, BEGGING AND PLEADING OVER 30 YEARS AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE, OKAY, IF YOU GOT TO CUT SOMETHING, DON'T CUT THIS. SO THAT'S KIND OF THE TALKS THAT WE'VE HAD, WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR ANY CORRECTIONS. WE DID FIND, YOU KNOW, SOME DEPARTMENTS HAD ASKED FOR SOMETHING THAT THEY DIDN'T NEED TO ASK FOR. IT WAS DUPLICATED BETWEEN TECHNOLOGY SERVICES DEPARTMENT AND THEIR DEPARTMENT, SOME THINGS WHERE THEY HAD, YOU KNOW, FORGOT TO DELETE AN ITEM FROM LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, YOU KNOW, AND STILL HAVE IT AS A REQUEST. SO WE'VE GONE THROUGH AND TRIED TO LOOK FOR AS MANY, SIMPLE, YOU KNOW, EASY, LOW HANGING FRUIT CORRECTIONS ALONG THE WAY THAT WE COULD, WHEN WE DO GET SOME OF THE REVENUE POSTINGS FROM THE STATE OF FLORIDA, I WILL CHANGE MY PROJECTIONS TO INCORPORATE THOSE. AS I SAID, WE'RE STILL LOOKING FOR SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES AND POSSIBLE APPROPRIATIONS FROM THE STATE. AND THEN THE MANAGER, OF COURSE, WILL DIRECT FINANCE ON WHAT AREAS TO ADJUST, WHICH WE ALL KNOW THAT MEANS CUT. SO, WE WILL I THINK LAST YEAR I CAME IN WITH A FLAT TOP AND SOMEONE NOTICED IT. AND I SAID YES, BECAUSE WE HAD TO CUT EVERYTHING TO GET THE BUDGET IN. SO I'M SURE WE WILL DO THAT AS WELL. AGAIN NOW, ALONG WITH THAT. SO AS FAR AS WHAT THE GROWTH IN THE AD VALOREM AND WHAT OUR, WHAT OUR EXPENSES MEAN ALONG WITH THE STATE, AND I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, I KNOW I SEE JODI'S IN THE ROOM AND SOME OTHER PEOPLE, THEY HAVE THESE POPULATION NUMBERS THAT THEY GET AND THEY SAY, HERE'S WHAT THE POPULATION IS. I ONLY CARE WHAT THE STATE OF FLORIDA SAYS. OUR POPULATION IS, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT DETERMINES OUR HALF-CENT SALES TAX, COMMUNICATION SERVICE TAX, ALL THE ALL THOSE TAXES THAT ARE BASED ON POPULATION. SO I WENT BACK THROUGH FROM 2001. AND SO, YOU KNOW THIS IS THEIR THEY LOOK AT THE POPULATION FROM THE PRIOR YEAR ALSO. SO OUR 2025 BUDGET IS BEING BASED ON WHAT THEY CALL THE 2024 POPULATION. SO IN 2001, WHICH TIES BACK TO THE SAME GRAPHS AT THE BEGINNING WHERE WE LOOKED AT TAXABLE VALUES AND BUDGET REVENUE, THE CITY OF STUART, ACCORDING TO THE STATE OF FLORIDA, HAD A POPULATION OF 13,007 61. IN 2012, IT WAS 15,005 69. WE ACTUALLY LOST POPULATION AND IT DROPPED. AND NOW TODAY, AS FAR AS THIS BUDGET IS CONCERNED, FOR REVENUE PURPOSES AND EVERYTHING ELSE, WE HAVE A POPULATION OF 19. 245 AS I ALWAYS INCLUDE, THAT IS LESS ABOUT 28 INMATES, WHICH ARE SUBTRACTED FROM OUR NUMBER. SO THOSE 28 INMATES THAT SEEM TO RESIDE IN THE JAIL AND THE CORNER THAT'S IN THE CITY PROPERTY, THEY SUBTRACT THEM. SO THEY THAT'S AN ABSOLUTE TRUE STORY. THEY LISTED RIGHT THERE IN THE REPORT. YEAH. SO, AND TO THAT, THAT MEANS THAT WE HAVE AVERAGED, 228 PEOPLE HAVE BEEN ADDED TO STUART POPULATION OVER THAT TIME FROM 2001 TO 2025, WHICH IS AN AVERAGE OF 1.4%
[00:30:03]
POPULATION GROWTH OVER THAT TIME. AND I, YOU KNOW, IN BIG NUMBERS 13 TO 19, IT WAS 5428, I THINK WAS THE NUMBER OF TOTAL POPULATION GROWTH IN THAT 20 PLUS YEAR SPAN. THE. YEAH. HERE WE GO. 5482 NOT 2882 I'M TRANSPOSING THINGS TODAY, THERE WAS ONE POINT FOR YEAR FOR AVERAGE 228, WE DID LOSE AS I SAID. AND SO RIGHT NOW, I THINK THE LAST NUMBER I HEARD DURING ONE OF THE DEVELOPMENT PRESENTATIONS WAS OUR BUILD OUT NUMBER IS 23,900. SO THAT GIVES US 20 YEARS OF GROWTH IN POPULATION. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY TIED TO DEVELOPMENTS OR OR WHATEVER. JUST THE ACTUAL NUMBER OF POPULATION COUNTED BY THE STATE OF FLORIDA TO REACH THAT BUILD OUT. NUMBER THAT, AS I'M ALWAYS CONCERNED, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE ATTRIBUTED TO CITY OF STUART DRIVES OUR REVENUE NUMBERS. GO AHEAD. COMMISSIONER, I JUST THINK IT'S WORTH PAUSING HERE AND LOOKING AT THIS BECAUSE OF ALL THE ISSUES WE CONFRONT AND ALL THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE TO ADDRESS, THE IDEA THAT THE MOST PRESSING PROBLEM IS OUT OF CONTROL GROWTH FOR THE CITY OF STUART JUST IS NOT REFLECTED IN THE FIGURES WE SEE. THIS IS AS CLOSE TO ZERO ALMOST AS YOU CAN GET. AND IF WE PROJECT THE GROWTH TO 19, TWO, 45, OVER 20 YEARS, THAT ACTUALLY IS A GROWTH RATE OF JUST UNDER 1.2. SO DO WE REALLY WANT THE CITY TO NOT GROW AT ALL OR ARE WE WILLING? AND DOES IT MAKE FISCAL SENSE FOR OUR POPULATION TO BE ABLE TO GROW? BY THE WAY, THIS INCLUDES BIRTHS. SO THIS INCLUDES FAMILIES. ADDING CHILDREN. I THINK WE WANT THE CITY TO BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE A VERY MODEST 1.4 AVERAGE ANNUAL GROWTH RATE TO ALLOW US TO CONTINUE TO THRIVE AND PROSPER AND HAVE BUSINESSES THAT CAN BE SUCCESSFUL. SO I JUST WOULD WANTED TO POINT THAT OUT. TRAFFIC, TRAFFIC COMMISSIONER, TRAFFIC COMMISSIONER. CLARK, WHAT WAS IT? WHAT DID YOU SAY? TRACK ONE MORE TIME. TRAFFIC OH, TRAFFIC. TRAFFIC OH, TRAFFIC NUMBERS OF PEOPLE. OKAY. AND I WAS GOING TO ASK, JULIE AND PROBABLY, OUR PLANNING PERSON, BECAUSE WE'RE LOOKING AT PROPERTY TAXES AS BEING A BIG PART OF THIS. AND DEPENDING ON WHETHER YOU HAVE MULTIFAMILY OR SINGLE FAMILY PLUS A COMMERCIAL, I THINK WE STILL DO HAVE. I KNOW THAT YOU'RE SAYING THAT THERE'S NO REAL GROWTH AND NO ROOM FOR GROWTH. THAT'S PROBABLY ON THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE. WE STILL HAVE SOME VACANT COMMERCIAL THAT CAN BE DEVELOPED AND THOSE BRING IN TAXES, THOSE BRING IN TAX DOLLARS. SO WE DO HAVE SOME COMMERCIAL, BUT IN TERMS OF HAVING, YOU KNOW, A WHOLE SINGLE FAMILY, DEVELOPMENT WITH 30 OR 40 OR 100 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES PAYING INDIVIDUAL TAXES, THAT'S NOT IN THE FUTURE OF THE CITY OF STUART UNLESS WE CHANGE THE BOUNDARIES OR SOMETHING ELSE HAPPENS. AND EVEN IF WE CHANGE THE BOUNDARIES, I DON'T THINK THERE ARE ANY CLOSED AREAS OF THE CITY THAT HAS A LOT OF VACANT LAND THAT COULD BE DEVELOPED LIKE THAT. SO IN THE FUTURE THAT 2030 OR EVEN UP TO THAT 23,000, WHICH IS LIKE OUR BUILD OUT, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF THINGS I WANT TO ASK YOU ABOUT.MAYBE YOU CAN DECIPHER WHAT I'M SAYING, SINCE I CAN'T DECIPHER IT MYSELF, THE ACTUAL NUMBERS.
AND WHEN DOES THE GROWTH WILL STOP OR STABILIZE OR OR JUST KIND OF LEVEL OFF? BUT WE HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF PROPERTY PAYING TAXES INTO THE SYSTEM. AND SO THERE WAS A QUESTION THAT SAID SOMETHING ABOUT THE CRA AND WHAT THE BENEFIT OF THE CRA IS. AND WHEN THE CRA COULD BE SUNSET BEFORE 2030 OR WHATEVER THE TIME FRAME IS, IS THERE AN OPPORTUNITY AND MAYBE THIS IS WHAT THE CRA FOLKS, THAT IF WE DON'T SUNSET THE CRA, IF WE CHANGE THE BOUNDARIES AND PUT YOU KNOW, MAKE IT SMALLER IF WE NEED TO, IF WE SAY THAT THAT'S WHAT WE WANT AND HAVE IT IN A CERTAIN IN CERTAIN OTHER AREAS THAT QUOTE UNQUOTE, NEED THE REDEVELOPMENT. BUT I THINK WHAT HAPPENS IS THAT WHEN THE AREAS NEED THE REDEVELOPMENT, IF YOU CUT OFF SOME AREAS FROM THE CRA
[00:35:05]
AND SAY, OKAY, THEY'VE BENEFITED FOR THE PAST 30 YEARS, LET'S CHANGE THAT, THEN THAT'S WHERE THE MONEY WAS COMING FROM. THAT GOES THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CRA. SO THAT CREATES A PROBLEM. ALSO OKAY. I'LL TRY TO YEAH. THERE WAS A COUPLE. YEAH, THERE WAS A COUPLE THERE. SO WITH THE CRA THERE ARE, THERE ARE FOUR DISTINCT AREAS THAT IT STARTED AS. OKAY AND THE PUBLIC SAFETY ADDITION CONTRIBUTES NOTHING. SO DON'T POLICE AND FIRE. DON'T TRY TO TAKE A BOW, WHAT HAPPENS IS THE MONEY IS COLLECTED OFF THE TOTAL TAX INCREMENT AND THEN YE, CAN BE SPENT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE CRA. SO WE HAVE HAD SECTIONS OF THE CRA IN THE PAST THAT DID NOT APPRECIATE IN VALUE AT ALL. SO THEY THEY DIDN'T ADD ANY TIF MONEY INTO THE FUND, BUT BECAUSE THE OTHER SECTIONS OF THE CRA DID INCREASE IN VALUE, THOSE DOLLARS WERE AVAILABLE TO BE SPENT IN THE ALL THE SECTIONS OF THE CRA. AND SO IF I COULD JUST INTERRUPT FOR ONE SECOND TO AVOID CONFUSION, MARTIN COUNTY, I BELIEVE, HAS UP TO SEVEN CRAS OR SIX. THE CITY OF STUART HAS ONE CRA. THERE IS NO NORTH CRA SOUTH CRA EAST STUART CRA DOWNTOWN CRA. IT'S ONE CRA. SO IF A DOLLAR IS GENERATED WITHIN THE CRA, IT CAN BE SPENT ANYWHERE WITHIN THE CRA. IT JUST CAN'T BE SPENT OUTSIDE OF THE CRA. CORRECT? I KNOW WE WANT TO. I WOULD ECHO THAT. SO THEN TO YOUR I THINK THE OTHER PART OF THE QUESTION YOU WERE ASKING DOES THE REVENUE DO IT? SO ON MY FIRST SLIDE I WAS SAYING, WOW, YOU SHOULD CONGRATULATE YOURSELVES. IN 24 YEARS YOU HAVEN'T EVEN ADDED ONE MILL, ONE FULL MILL TO OUR TAX RATE, RIGHT? BUT THAT'S DUE TO THE GROWTH IN THE TAX BASE, BECAUSE THE LEVEL OF SERVICE YOU PROVIDE IN THE EXPENSE OF THAT COST IS WHAT IT COST. I MEAN, LIKE I SAID, THE TAX BASE IS SINGLE FAMILY HOMES AND COMMERCIAL. IT'S COMMERCIAL, IT'S SINGLE FAMILY. IT'S THE WHOLE MIX. EVEN EVEN, YOU KNOW, INDUSTRIAL, ALL THAT. SO THAT THAT WHOLE TAX BASE HAS GROWN IN THE 24 YEARS, SUFFICIENTLY SO THAT KEEPING A LESS THAN ONE MILL INCREASE ON OUR TAX RATE HAS GENERATED ENOUGH VALOREM ALONG THE WAY TO DO IT. NOW, AGAIN, AS WE ALWAYS SAY, AD VALOREM IN THIS BUDGET IS 30. I MEAN, WE DON'T COLLECT ENOUGH. WE DON'T COLLECT AS MUCH AD VALOREM AS WHAT POLICE AND FIRE COST US. SO WE DON'T COVER THE COST OF THE GOVERNMENT WITH PROPERTY TAXES. IT IT'S 30% OF THE PIE. SO THEN, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO MAKE UP THE REST THROUGH HALF CENT SALES TAX, COMMUNICATION, SERVICE TAX, FRANCHISE FEES WITH FPL, ELECTRIC UTILITY FEES AND THE POINT IS, MANY OF THOSE OTHER REVENUES ARE DRIVEN BY OUR POPULATION. AND SO A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WITH DAVID DYAS, WE WERE DOWN TO A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. AND THEN THEY AMENDED THE POPULATION NUMBER. AND THAT POPULATION NUMBER INCREASE GAVE ME LIKE 95,000 MORE DOLLARS WHEN I WAS LOOKING FOR LIKE 150. SO THAT'S ALSO IMPORTANT AS TO THE REVENUES THAT WE SHARE WITH MARTIN COUNTY AS TO WHAT PERCENTAGE OF TOTAL MARTIN COUNTY POPULATION WE ARE. AND SO, AS I'VE WARNED YOU ON MULTIPLE OCCASIONS, THERE'S GOING TO COME A TIME WHERE OUR SHARE OF THE POPULATION, WE BECOME A SMALLER PERCENT OF MARTIN COUNTY, AND WITHOUT DOING ANYTHING WRONG, WE WILL COLLECT LESS REVENUE SIMPLY BECAUSE WE'RE A SMALLER PIECE OF THE TOTAL POPULATION PIE. AND THAT'S JUST GOING TO HAPPEN, RIGHT? WE KNOW WE AT 20 I'M IMAGINING LIKE 23,900. WE JUST, YOU KNOW, WE TURN OFF EVERYTHING LIKE YOU CAN'T PUT ANY MORE STUFF. NOW THERE MIGHT BE REDEVELOPMENT AFTER THAT. BUT YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL IMAGINING SOME POINT WHERE WE JUST FREEZE IN TIME WHEN WE SAY WE CAN'T GET ANY BIGGER, WE CAN'T DO ANYTHING ELSE. WHEN THAT DAY COMES, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOME SOME TOUGH CHOICES. AT THAT POINT. COMMISSIONER COLLINS, IT'S A DIFFERENCE OF HOW MUCH YOU SAID 95,000 OR 100,000 IS WHAT I'M SAYING. I WAS GIVING YOU HOW MUCH MONEY IS COMING IN FROM THE HALF-CENT SALES TAX. IT'S BASED ON POPULATION. THAT'S THE SALES TAX IS ABSOLUTELY BASED ON POPULATION. HOW MUCH DO WE RECEIVE CURRENTLY? OH, 1,000,007. ALMOST TWO. SO AND THAT THAT'S JUST PASSIVE REVENUE AS A SO FOR THOSE OF YOU IN THE ROOM HAVEN'T HEARD SALES TAX IN FLORIDA IS NOT DISTRIBUTED ON WHERE IT'S COLLECTED. IT'S DISTRIBUTED BASED ON POPULATION.SO IT DOESN'T MATTER IF THEY BOUGHT IT IN DOWNTOWN STUART INDIANTOWN GETS A PIECE OF IT.
AND YOU KNOW OCEAN BREEZE GETS A PIECE OF IT AND EVERYBODY GETS A PIECE OF A SALE IN DOWNTOWN STUART. SO THE SALES TAX DOESN'T GO WHERE IT WAS COLLECTED. AND SO AGAIN, IF I HAVE THE MIC THE STATE CHARGES $0.06. THEY TAKE FIVE AND A HALF AND THEY SEND A HALF BACK TO US. THAT'S WHY IT'S LITERALLY CALLED THE HALF CENT SALES TAX. BECAUSE ONLY A HALF COMES BACK TO MARTIN COUNTY. AND
[00:40:02]
THEN THAT HALF GETS DISTRIBUTED TO THE INCORPORATED AREAS. AND UNINCORPORATED AREAS BASED ON PERCENT OF POPULATION. AND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHEN THE NUMBERS CHANGE WAS $100,000 OR A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. AND SO THE 228 PEOPLE IS THE AVERAGE GROWTH FOR EACH YEAR. IF ONE PERSON MOVES INTO STUART, THE NEEDLE MOVES. BUT IT'S SO SMALL. COMMISSIONER, YOU AND I CAN'T SEE IT ON MY EXCEL SHEET LIKE IT'S. I GUESS I'M ASKING BECAUSE IT SEEMS LIKE IF WE'RE AT BUILD OUT ALMOST, YOU KNOW, UNLESS WE'RE GOING TO DO EVERYTHING AT FOUR STORIES AND UP AND DO A LOT, YOU KNOW, MORE DENSE DEVELOPMENT. ARE WE PREPARING FOR LOSING THAT MONEY? ARE WE ON A GLIDE PATH DOWN FOR NOT RECEIVING THAT RELATIVE TO THE REST OF FLORIDA? THAT'S WHY SOMETHING WITHIN. THAT'S WHY I RUN A TIGHT SHIP AROUND HERE. OKAY. WELL, YOU KNOW, AND SO, LIKE THE CRA IS DEBT FREE. SO BACK TO YOUR QUESTION ABOUT THE CRA. THERE'S BEEN A COUPLE QUESTIONS ABOUT THE CRA IN THAT KIND OF 6040 SPLIT BETWEEN US AND THE COUNTY. IF THE CRA WERE TO ISSUE DEBT, ONE OF THE UPSIDES TO THAT IS THE COUNTY PAYS 60% OF THE PAYMENT AND WE PAY 40% OF THE PAYMENT. SO IF YOU WERE GOING TO BOND THE CRA FUNDS AND SAY, WE KNOW THAT'S A GUARANTEED REVENUE SOURCE, AT LEAST OUT TO THE YEAR 2040, AND THIS COUNTY IS GOING TO PAY SIX, I DON'T EXPECT THE COUNTY TO REDUCE THEIR MILLAGE BELOW OURS. BUT, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS THE COUNTY IS PAYING 60 AND WE'RE PAYING 40% OF THAT BILL, THEN WE'RE DEBT SHARING WITH THE COUNTY ON ANY KIND OF BONDING THAT WE WOULD DO IN THE CRA. SO THOSE ARE THOSE ARE A FEW BENEFITS OF SOME OF THE VARIOUS QUESTIONS I HEARD ALONG ALONG COMMISSIONER COLLINS COMMENTS.THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT EVERY CONVERSATION THAT JOLIE AND I HAVE, WE HAVE THAT FORECASTING CONVERSATION. AT WHAT POINT DO WE GET TO THE POINT THAT THE CITY IS, YOU KNOW, WE GET TO 23,900 PEOPLE, WHICH REALISTICALLY IS NOT THAT FAR AWAY. AND YOU SAY, OKAY, THE CITY'S NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY NEW MARKET OR NEW REVENUE, AND YOU SAY, OKAY, THIS IS IT. THIS IS THE MAGIC NUMBER THAT'S GOING TO BE THE TOTAL NUMBER. THAT'S AVAILABLE TO SUSTAIN THE OPERATIONS OF THE CITY. THE ONLY WAY TO MEET THOSE NEEDS, IF THE NEEDS CONTINUE TO GROW, WILL BE TO INCREASE TAXES. SO YOU WILL BE IN A POSITION THAT THE STAFF IS BEING OR THE COMMISSION IS BEING REQUIRED TO CUT STAFF, CUT SERVICES, CUT BENEFITS, CUT WHATEVER ELSE IT IS IN ORDER TO MEET THAT THOSE THOSE ENDS, BECAUSE IT WILL NOT BE SUSTAINABLE WHEN YOU KNOW, HISTORICALLY WE'VE YOU KNOW, WE SHOWED THOSE GRAPHS AND IF YOU GO BACK, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THAT GRAPH THAT SHOWED THE TIP WHERE IT DROPPED OFF AT THE END? IF YOU GO BACK RIGHT THERE, YOU CAN SEE THAT UP UNTIL 2023, ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE GREAT RECESSION, AS THEY CALLED IT, YOU CAN SEE IT FALLS OFF LITERALLY OFF A CLIFF IN ONE YEAR. BUT WE LOST YOU KNOW, 30% OF THE STAFF IN THAT YEAR. WE CLOSED THE FLAGLER CENTER. WE CLOSED, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS NO TRAVEL. THERE WAS NO THERE WAS A LOT OF SERIOUS CUTS. BUT THE VALUATION AND GROWTH HAS BEEN A PRETTY STEADY CLIMB RIGHT BACK UP. WHAT WE SEE NOW IS THAT FROM 2022 FORWARD, IT STARTS TO LEVEL OFF AND THEN ACTUALLY STARTS TO DROP TO REFLECT ON WHAT'S HAPPENED OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS IN THE FACT THAT WE HAVEN'T HAD ANY APPROVALS IN 24, HAVEN'T HAD ANY APPROVALS IN 23, AND HAD ONE APPROVAL IN 22, MEANS THAT THE STUFF THAT WAS IN THE PIPELINE HAS CONTINUED TO CO AND RENT AND GENERATE INCREASES IN REVENUES FOR THE CITY AND INCREASE IN MARKET VALUE, BUT THAT'S GOING TO COME TO AN END PROBABLY THIS YEAR, OR IT LOOKS LIKE IT MAY HAVE ACTUALLY SLOWED DOWN ENOUGH LAST YEAR TO SHOW IT START TO FALL OFF. AND IT'S GOING TO GO BACK INTO THAT SLOPE THAT YOU SEE BACK IN LIKE 2007, WHERE IT STARTS TO DROP GRADUALLY MARKET FORCES MORE THAN OUR 2007 WAS MARKET FORCE. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT LIKE IF YOU LOOK AT LIKE INDIGO, THE INDIGO, DEVELOPMENT HAD AN ASSESSED VALUE OF ABOUT $1 MILLION AND ITS NEW ASSESSED VALUE IS $60 MILLION. SO THE AMOUNT OF NEW MARKET THAT CREATED IS AN ENORMOUS CHUNK OF MONEY. SO WHEN YOU HAVE NEW DEVELOPMENT AT A VALUATION THAT'S CURRENT MARKET RATES, IT'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF NEW MONEY. NOW THAT WAS ALL PART OF THE COMP PLAN. IT WAS IN IT AND IT WAS KNOWN THAT THE, YOU KNOW, THESE DIFFERENT PLACES WERE INTENDED TO BE DEVELOPED. THEY'RE THEY'RE HISTORICALLY THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT SAID, WELL, IF YOU ANNEX THAT'S CONSIDERED SPRAWL. WELL, IN THEORY THAT WOULD MEAN THAT ANYTHING OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS DIDN'T GET DEVELOPED RIGHT THEN
[00:45:01]
IT MIGHT BE SPRAWL, BUT THE TRUTH IS, WHERE YOU GO SOUTH ON INDIAN STREET, ON KANNER HIGHWAY, IT DOESN'T TURN INTO AGRICULTURE AND FARMS. IT STILL CONTINUES TO BE DEVELOPMENT AND RESTAURANTS AND HOUSING AND OTHER THINGS. BUT ALL OF THAT NEW DEVELOPMENT ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING HERE FOR THE 4TH OF JULY AND THAT ARE GOING TO BE ON THE DOCKS, AND THEY'RE GOING TO REQUIRE THE POLICE AND THE FIRE SERVICES. BUT THEY'RE NOT PAYING THE TAXES INTO THE TILL TO PAY ANY MONEY TOWARD THE CITY'S OPERATIONS. SO THE BALANCE IS THAT AT SOME POINT WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO FIND THE NUMBER THAT WE RECOGNIZE. WE ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE THAT CONTINUED INCREASE IN MARKET VALUE. AND THIS IS IT. AND WHAT IS IT THAT WE ARE GOING TO BALANCE OR REMOVE TO DO IT.AND I YOU KNOW, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT LIKE THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES WHEN YOU TALKED ABOUT, WELL, WHEN I SEE EMPLOYEES, I DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT THIS YEAR, IT MEANS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. WHAT I LOOK AT IS, OKAY, WELL, WHAT ARE THOSE EMPLOYEES GOING TO COST IN 15 YEARS? BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE AN INCREASE IN OPERATIONAL COSTS BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO BE PAID MORE, THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE MORE EXPERIENCE, MORE TRAINING, ETC. AND WHAT'S THE CITY'S REVENUE LOOK LIKE IN 15 YEARS? AND WHAT ARE WE GOING TO DO THEN? SO JULIE AND I HAVE HOURS OF CONVERSATION ON THIS FRONT. SO AND I TO DOVETAIL OFF THE MANAGER'S ANALOGY LIKE, OH, BUT THOSE PEOPLE CAME IN, SAW FIREWORKS AND PAID HALF CENT SALES TAX. WE NOW KNOW THAT YOU DON'T COLLECT ALL SALES TAX. WHAT YOU THINK YOU COLLECT. AND I'M QUITE SURE THAT INDIAN TOWN AND EVERYONE ELSE IS VERY HAPPY THAT WE HAVE A SPECTACULAR FIREWORKS SHOW BECAUSE THEY GET PART OF OUR SALES TAX. SO THE SQUEEZE THAT WE'RE RUNNING INTO IS IF YOU DID, IF YOU FROZE YOUR REVENUES, YOU'D SAY, HEY, CITY OF STUART'S TAXABLE VALUE IS GOING TO STAY AT 3 TRILLION.
WE'RE HAPPY WITH THE 19,000 PEOPLE WE HAVE. WHATEVER. SO YOUR YOUR AD VALOREM WOULD REMAIN THE SAME. BUT OUR SHARE OF THE POPULATION WOULD DECLINE AS THE REST OF THE AREAS AROUND US GREW. SO OTHER REVENUE SHRINK, EVEN THOUGH YOU DON'T DO ANYTHING, DO YOU THINK THAT EXPENSES ARE GOING TO STAY FLAT WITH US? THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THIS TALK EVERY YEAR, LIKE, OKAY, WE ALREADY SEE THAT. JUST ASKING FOR, YOU KNOW, SOME ADDITIONAL PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERS ALREADY.
AND THIS IS NOT LIKE A PREPARED MAGICIAN SHOW WHERE THERE'S A TRICK I PUT IN NUMBERS AND I PUT IN THE OTHER NUMBER, AND THEN THEY COME UP LIKE, OH, THAT EQUALED 1,000,003. AND THAT EQUALED BECAUSE I DID THE SAME THING. THAT'S WHY I WANTED YOU TO NOTICE IT TOO. LIKE THE MILLION THREE NET NEW REVENUE WE GOT IN PROPERTY TAX IS EQUAL TO WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR. AN ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS AND COPS AT THE BOTTOM. THAT'S SO THEN WHATEVER THEIR UNION NEGOTIATES, WHATEVER THEIR COLA IS NEXT YEAR, WHATEVER THEIR ADVANCES, THEY BECOME CERTIFIED. THEY BECOME A FIRE MEDIC. THEY BECOME A SERGEANT. WHATEVER THOSE THINGS, YOU HAVE TO HAVE A REVENUE INCREASE TO KEEP PACE WITH THEM. AND SO IF THE PROPERTY APPRAISER SAYS, OH, THE CITY OF STUART HAD DEVELOPMENT OR REDEVELOPMENT OR PROJECTS AND YOUR PROPERTY TAX GREW BY 12, AND THE UNION SAID THEY WANT 11, OH, HEY, THAT'S GREAT. I MEAN, THEY'RE NOT EXACTLY EQUAL, BUT THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. WE WANT REVENUES TO GROW AT A PACE TO KEEP TRACK WITH THAT SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT AND SUDDENLY GO TO THE CITIZEN, LIKE, REALLY TODAY, IF WE HAD NOT GROWN OUR TAX BASE RIGHT, THE CITIZENS TODAY WOULD BE PAYING SEVEN MILLS OR EIGHT MILLS TO GENERATE THE SAME AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT WE DID OFF THE POPULATION AND THE DEVELOPMENT THAT WAS HERE IN 2001. SO THAT THAT'S THE THAT'S THE POINT I'M TRYING TO MAKE, IS THAT WE SHOULD CELEBRATE WHAT WE'VE DONE. WE'VE DONE GROWTH. IF WE'RE UNHAPPY WITH TRAFFIC, THAT'S A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION. WHAT I'M SAYING ON AS FAR AS WHAT IS A MATTER OF ABSOLUTE PUBLIC RECORD, THE STATE OF FLORIDA SAYS THAT'S WHAT OUR POPULATION IS. THEY SAID THAT'S WHAT IT'S GROWN BY, AND THAT'S WHAT OUR TAXABLE VALUE IS GROWN BY. AND WE SHOULD CELEBRATE THAT. WE HAVEN'T EVEN ADDED ONE MILL. OUR SURROUNDING GOVERNMENTS CAN'T SAY THAT. THEY CAN'T SAY THAT. AND, IN ORDER TO KIND OF WRAP UP, BECAUSE WE'RE PROBABLY GOING A LITTLE BIT OVER WHERE WE WERE, THE PLAN MOVING FORWARD IS THAT OBVIOUSLY WE NEED THE STATE REVENUE NUMBERS.
WE NEED TO COMPLETE THE UNION NEGOTIATIONS. AND, IT'S MY INTENTION TO RETURN TO THE COMMISSION IN AUGUST WITH A MANAGER'S BUDGET. THAT'S ACTUALLY BALANCED WITH FINAL NUMBERS. SO THE COMMISSION CAN GO THROUGH IT. AND THEN IN SEPTEMBER, THE COMMISSION HAS TO HAVE TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS. AFTER 5:00, ALL THE LEGAL REQUIREMENTS TO ACTUALLY ADOPT THE BUDGET.
BUT THAT WILL BE A FULL MONTH AFTER I RETURN IN AUGUST FOR WITH THE BUDGET. HOWEVER, BETWEEN NOW AND AUGUST, WE COULD DO IT TONIGHT OR I CAN DO IT ON JULY 22ND. BUT PRIOR TO AUGUST 1ST, THE COMMISSION NEEDS TO SET THE TENTATIVE MILLAGE RATE AND THAT IS THE DO NOT EXCEED
[00:50:01]
NUMBER. THAT IS NOT TO SAY THAT IT'S GOING TO BE THE MILLAGE, BUT IT'S TO SAY THAT IT WILL BE NO HIGHER THAN AND I ASKED JOLIE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE MILLAGE WOULD BE TO BALANCE THAT BUDGET THAT YOU JUST SAW, AND THAT'S IT'S ROUGHLY 5.36 WOULD BE THE MILLAGE RATE TO BALANCE THAT BUDGET WITHOUT THE ADJUSTMENTS IN IT. YOU DON'T HAVE TO DO IT TODAY. I WOULD RECOMMEND, THOUGH, THAT WHEN YOU DO DO THE TENTATIVE BUDGET THAT YOU ACTUALLY DO A 5.36, BECAUSE IF A HURRICANE CAME OR IF SOMETHING HORRIBLE HAPPENED, YOU'D HAVE THE DISCRETION TO DO WHATEVER YOU NEEDED. IF YOU PICKED FIVE, YOU COULDN'T ACCOUNT FOR ANYTHING. AND IF IT WAS UPSIDE DOWN, YOU'D BE IN A DIFFICULT SITUATION. ULTIMATELY, AND THIS IS WHAT YOU DID LAST YEAR, I THINK YOU DID 5.25 LAST YEAR, AND THEN STUCK IT AT FIVE EVEN AND KEPT THE MILLAGE WITHOUT MOVING UP AT ALL. BUT YOU ADOPTED A NOT TO EXCEED RATE OF 5.25 LAST YEAR, SO I'M HAPPY TO BRING IT BACK TO YOU ON JULY 22ND. I PROBABLY WON'T BE AN AGENDA ITEM. I'D BE MORE DURING COMMISSIONER COMMENTS OR CITY MANAGER COMMENTS. I'LL ASK YOU TO SET THE RATE OR YOU CAN DO IT TONIGHT. MADAM MAYOR, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD WAIT AND DO IT NEXT MEETING. AND MAYBE JOLIE CAN. OR MIKE CAN GIVE US A, JUST HOW THE BUDGETS ARE SHAPING UP IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS. JUST JUST THIS IS WHERE WHAT THE. I'M NOT LIKELY TO HAVE THE STATE NUMBERS BY NEXT MEETING, BUT WE'LL JUST.I THINK WE SHOULD WAIT TILL NEXT WEEK TO DO IT. THAT'S JUST MY OPINION, COMMISSIONER CLARK.
YES. I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT WHETHER OR NOT WE ACCEPT, OR PROPOSE THAT I WILL NOT BE HERE FOR THE NEXT BUDGET HEARING. I'VE ALREADY TOLD THE CITY MANAGER ABOUT TWO MONTHS AGO THAT I WON'T BE HERE AT THAT TIME IN JULY. ALL RIGHT, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY, I KNOW WE'RE WORKING ON A BUDGET, AND NONE OF US WANTS TO RAISE OUR TAXES, AND, I JUST WANT TO PUT A PLUG IN FOR OUR OFFICERS AND OUR FIREMEN AND THAT AS WE GO DOWN THE ROAD THAT WE DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN. I WANT TO ASK THE CITY MANAGER, WILL THE, FIRE DEPARTMENT BE PRESENTING TO US OR EACH DEPARTMENT HEAD WILL BE PRESENTING TO US AT THE NEXT BUDGET WORKSHOP SO WE CAN FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THOSE 12 NEW FIREFIGHTERS. I MEAN, I COULD DO THAT. IT DIDN'T IT. WE'VE DONE THAT IN THE PAST. DAVID TRIED THAT TWO YEARS IN A ROW AND TOOK ALL THE DIRECTORS HERE AND HAD THEM STAND HERE FOR OVER AN HOUR, AND TWO OF THEM SPOKE, BUT I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT. THE PROBLEM WITH IT IS, IS, FOR EXAMPLE, ON JULY 22ND, THERE ISN'T A BUDGET MEETING SCHEDULE.
BUT WHEN I COME WITH THE MANAGER'S BUDGET IN IN AUGUST, WHEN IT'S COMPLETE, IT'S GOING TO BE BASED UPON THE UNION'S RECOMMENDED CONTRACTS THAT IN, WE HOPE, ARE AGREED UPON. SO IF, IN FACT, THE COMMISSION WERE TO WANT TO HEAR FROM IT, IT WOULD IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR THE DIRECTOR OR THE CHIEF TO DEVIATE FROM IT, BECAUSE IT'S GOING TO BE BASED UPON THE UNION CONTRACT, IF IN FACT IT EXISTS. I'M HAPPY IN AUGUST TO DO THAT PROCESS WHERE YOU ASK ABOUT IT, BUT I ALSO WOULD RATHER SAY TO YOU, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BETWEEN NOW AND AUGUST, IT'D BE A LOT BETTER FOR ME TO KNOW WHERE YOU STAND IN JULY, RATHER THAN TO FIND OUT IN THE END OF AUGUST, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO BE RUNNING OUT OF TIME. WELL, AND WE'RE AND WE'RE FREE TO MEET WITH THEM. SURE OH, YEAH. ABSOLUTELY. OKAY. IS THAT THE IT OR THROUGH? DAN, THANKS FOR QUESTIONS. YEAH. COMMISSIONER COMBS YEAH I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY I KNOW WE LIKE HAVING THAT CUSHION, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT AT FIVE AND JUST GO FROM FIVE AND STAY AT FIVE. I LIKE IT TO WE ALL LIKE IT ANYWAY. OKAY. BUT I DID WANT TO SAY ONE MORE THING, COMMISSIONER COLLINS, WHEN YOU MENTIONED THE TRAFFIC AND THEN WE'LL END IT. DO YOU MEAN THAT THE TRAFFIC WILL STOP IF WE STOP GROWING? I MEAN, CLEARLY WE HAVE TRAFFIC FROM ALL AROUND THAT'S IMPACTING US LOCALLY, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO BE HONEST AND SAY SOME AMOUNT OF THIS IS SELF-INFLICTED. AS WE CONTINUE TO, APPROVE DEVELOPMENT. LESS SO LATELY, THANKFULLY. BUT IT SEEMS AS THOUGH WE'RE CONSTANTLY CHASING, TRYING TO COME UP WITH ENOUGH MONEY AND THE TONE HERE TONIGHT HAS ALSO BEEN HOPING THAT, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPMENT WILL DO THAT, BUT THE LACK OF INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE HAVE FOR TRAFFIC, I THINK IS AND IN LIGHT OF RECENT TRAFFIC ACCIDENTS AND SERIOUS INJURIES, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO REALLY START THINKING ABOUT TRAFFIC AND IT CAN'T JUST BE ABOUT MONEY. WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT IF WE NEED TO RUN A LEANER GOVERNMENT AND HAVE LESS PEOPLE ON PAYROLL OR WHATEVER. WE HAVE TO DO. BUT TRAFFIC AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND BEING ABLE TO
[00:55:06]
NAVIGATE THE CITY SAFELY AS POSSIBLE FOR PEOPLE HAS TO BE THAT TO ME, THAT, THAT HARD LINE VERSUS JUST, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO COME UP WITH MONEY. THANK YOU. SIR. THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.