[00:00:08]
SPECIAL COMMISSION MEETING OF THE STUART CITY COMMISSION, OUR SECOND BUDGET WORKSHOP FOR THE
[ROLL CALL]
25TH OF AUGUST, 2025. ROLL CALL PLEASE. MAYOR RICH HERE. VICE MAYOR COLLINS HERE.COMMISSIONER CLARK HERE. COMMISSIONER GIOVI HERE. COMMISSIONER REID HERE. PLEASE STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. AND 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. WOULD YOU LIKE TO BEGIN THE PRESENTATION, MR. MARTELL? OR
[1. BUDGET PRESENTATION]
SHOULD WE JUST GO RIGHT TO JOLIE? I WILL START WHILE HE'S SPINNING US UP. AT OUR LAST MEETING, WE DISCUSSED. THE BUDGET AND THE BALANCE AND WHERE WE WERE IN THE PUTS AND TAKES, AS THEY SAY, IN THE DIRECTION FROM THE COMMISSION, WAS TO COME BACK TO THIS MEETING WITH A PROPOSED BUDGET WITH A MILLAGE RATE OF 4.75, WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE DONE, THE BUDGET YOU'RE GOING TO GET WRITTEN WILL BE PRESENTED, IS COMPLETELY BALANCED AT 4.75.AND I WILL SAY THERE'S ONE OTHER THING THAT HAPPENED BETWEEN THE LAST MEETING AND THIS MEETING THAT CAUSED MY PHONE TO RING A LITTLE BIT, AND THAT WAS THAT. THE TAX BILLS ALSO WENT OUT DURING THE TIME. AND WHAT I DID LEARN WAS THAT MOST OF THE PEOPLE THAT CALLED ME HAD NO IDEA HOW TO READ THE TAX BILL. 3 OR 4 OF THEM DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THEY DIDN'T LIVE IN THE CITY OF STUART, AND THAT'S WHY THERE WERE NO STUART TAXES ON THEIR TAX BILL. BUT WE GOT TO THE BOTTOM OF THAT AND WE TALKED ABOUT MS-DOS AND OTHER THINGS. BUT OVERALL. I THE CONVERSATIONS I HAD WITH THEM WERE PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD. MOST PEOPLE THEN UNDERSTOOD IT. I DIDN'T HAVE ANY. COMPLAINTS AT ALL, BOTH FOR OR AGAINST OR ANYTHING ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. AND THOSE PHONE CALLS, IT WAS MORE OF JUST INFORMATIONAL. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? AND FOR A QUICK REFERENCE, IF YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE RECEIVED YOUR TAX BILL AND YOU HAPPEN TO HAVE LOOKED AT YOUR TAX BILL, THERE WAS SOME LINES AND IT SAID IF THE COMMISSION DOESN'T TAKE ANY ACTION AT ALL, THIS IS WHAT YOUR TAXES ARE GOING TO BE.
AND ALTHOUGH WE ADVERTISED THE FIVE MILLS AS THE NO. NOT TO EXCEED, THEY SHOWED TWO TAX BILLS. THEY SHOWED WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE AT FIVE MILLS. AND THEY ALSO SHOWED WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE AT 4.7014, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. MILLS. 4.704 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
AND AND THAT WAS. WHAT YOUR TAXES WOULD HAVE BEEN IF YOUR HOUSE DID NOT APPRECIATE AT ALL.
SO THE BASIC VALUE OF APPRECIATION OF THE HOUSES WAS ABOUT 3% FOR THOSE THAT HAD THE APPRECIATION. SO THE 4.70 NUMBER THAT YOU SAW IN THE TAX BILL WAS WHAT'S CALLED A ROLLBACK NUMBER ROLLBACK THAT WOULD KEEP THE REVENUE AMOUNT TO BE IDENTICAL TO THE AMOUNT THAT WAS PAID THE YEAR BEFORE, NOT BASED UPON THE VALUE, BUT BASED UPON THE ACTUAL REVENUE NUMBER. SO AS THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY WENT UP, IN THEORY, IF YOU'RE GETTING 10% ON $100, IT'S $10. IF NOW YOU HAVE $200, YOU HAVE TO GET 5% TO GET $100. AND THAT'S WHERE THE THAT 4.7014 NUMBER CAME FROM. IT DID ADVERTISE US AT FIVE MILLS FOR THE THING, BUT IT WAS NOT TO EXCEED. SO THIS BILL OR THIS BUDGET WE HAVE TODAY WILL NOT EXCEED OR DOES NOT EXCEED 4.75 MILLS AND IS BALANCED. AND I THINK WITH THAT, I'LL LET JOLIE HAVE AT IT. YEAH. YES, SIR. AND BASICALLY WE TOOK THE ESSENTIALLY THE SAME WORKSHOP WE HAD LAST TIME. AND UPDATED THE SLIDES AND REMOVED SOME OF THE SLIDES THAT WE'D ALREADY GONE OVER. THAT WAS NO PURPOSE IN CONTINUING TO REHASH STUFF THAT WE'D ALREADY ADDRESSED. YOU'LL SEE AS WE GO FORWARD.
YES, SIR. SO ON THAT NOTE ABOUT THE TAX BILL, HAVING SPOKEN TO HUNDREDS OF RESIDENTS
[00:05:01]
PERSONALLY ON THE PHONE OVER THE YEARS AND IN PERSON AT CITY HALL, I FIND THAT A LARGE NUMBER OF RESIDENTS LOOK AT THE BOTTOM OF THEIR TAX BILL AND SAY, THIS IS WHAT I PAY IN TAXES. AND I SEVERAL YEARS AGO WE DID A TAX INITIATIVE AND MY DIRECT TELEPHONE NUMBER WAS PRINTED ON THE TAX BILL. SO I GOT 600 CALLS OR MORE DIRECTLY AT MY DESK. AND I HAD A CHANCE TO TALK WITH A NUMBER OF CITIZENS. AND THERE WAS ONE PARTICULAR I ALWAYS USE AS THE EXAMPLE. AND HER TAX BILL WAS $400. BUT I HAD HER LOOK DOWN SO MANY LINES ON THE BILL, SHE WAS ONLY PAYING $12 TO THE CITY OF STEWART. THE REST WAS MARTIN COUNTY, THE SCHOOL BOARD, FLORIDA INLAND NAVIGATION DISTRICT CHILDREN'S SERVICES COUNCIL, AND SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST LOOK AT THEIR TAX BILL AND SAY, I'M GIVING THE CITY OF STEWART $400. YOU'RE ACTUALLY GIVING THE CITY OF STEWART $12, AND THE REST IS GOING TO THESE OTHER AGENCIES. SO, YOU KNOW, IF ANYONE COULD HELP GUIDE THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND AND READ THE TAX BILL TO FIND THE ONE LINE ON THERE, THAT'S US. THAT'S ALWAYS HELPFUL. SO WHERE WE ARE OH, LET ME GET TO THAT. SO STATUS UPDATE SINCE THE SINCE THE LAST HEARING, THE STATE OF FLORIDA AND I JUST CHECKED MOMENTS AGO STILL HAS NOT RELEASED SOME OF THOSE STATE REVENUES TO US. I THINK BECAUSE OF THE EXTENDED LEGISLATURE THIS YEAR, THEY'RE GOING TO BE VERY LATE IN POSTING THOSE REVENUES. SO THIS BUDGET IS STILL USING MY PROJECTIONS OR THE CURRENT 2025 NUMBER FOR SEVERAL REVENUES. ALSO, THE MANAGERS MADE THOSE NECESSARY ADJUSTMENTS TO BRING ALL FUNDS OF THE BUDGET INTO BALANCE. SO EVEN THOUGH GENERAL FUND IS ALWAYS IN THE SPOTLIGHT HERE, BECAUSE AS I'VE SAID SEVERAL TIMES, THE COMMISSION REALLY JUST CONTROLS THE VALOREM TAX, THE MILLAGE RATE, AND THAT THAT'S THAT'S THE MAIN SERVICE PROVIDER TO THE CITIZENS. THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS ARE REQUIRED BY THEIR VARIOUS BOND DOCUMENTS TO CHARGE ENOUGH MONEY TO MAKE SURE THEY COVER THEIR EXPENSES AND THEIR BUDGETS. SO WE DON'T REALLY TALK A LOT ABOUT THE ENTERPRISE BUDGETS, BUT THOSE ARE IN BALANCE AS WELL AS WELL AS THE CRA. AND AS THE MANAGER LED OFF WITH THE THE GENERAL FUND AND CRA BALANCES ARE CURRENTLY BASED ON A 4.75 MILL RATE. SO BECAUSE WHAT WE CHARGE IN MILLAGE AFFECTS WHAT THE GENERAL FUND PAYS THE CRA AND VICE VERSA, WE HAVE THAT SYMBIOTIC RELATIONSHIP WITH THEM AND THEN PERSONNEL BUDGETING. YOU KNOW, I GUARANTEE YOU RIGHT NOW, THE BUDGET THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT TODAY AND SHOWING YOU IS ALREADY NOT RIGHT, BECAUSE SOMEBODY HAD A CHILD, SOMEBODY GOT MARRIED. SOMEBODY'S BENEFITS HAVE CHANGED SINCE THE LAST TIME WE UPDATED THE BUDGET. BUT YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T JUST CONSTANTLY KEEP UPDATING IT EVERY DAY. THE NUMBER WOULD YOU WOULD NEVER HAVE A FINAL NUMBER TO VOTE ON. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'VE UPDATED THE PERSONNEL BUDGETING AGAIN SINCE THE LAST CUT, TOOK INTO ACCOUNT SOME EMPLOYEES WHO MAY HAVE REACHED A CERTAIN CERTIFICATION LEVEL OR CHANGE THEIR BENEFITS, AND I'M NOT GOING TO CHANGE IT AGAIN FOR THE REST OF THIS POINT. SO WE KNOW ON TEN ONE THERE'LL BE SLIGHT ADJUSTMENTS FOR REALITY OF WHAT'S HAPPENED DOWN IN THE HR OFFICE. THAT SAID, HERE IS THAT STATE OF FLORIDA LOCAL GOVERNMENT, THEY'RE STILL, SAY EXPECTED AUGUST 2025. THEY HAVE ESSENTIALLY FIVE DAYS LEFT UNLESS THEY'RE GOING TO ROLL IT TO SEPTEMBER NOW. SO SO THOSE ARE THINGS THEY'RE THEY'RE NOT THAT CONSEQUENTIAL TO BALANCING THIS BUDGET. WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE THE ADJUSTMENTS NECESSARY WITHOUT THAT. SO THIS IS THE SAME SLIDE AS BEFORE. WE HAD ALREADY THAT THAT CALCULATION DOESN'T CHANGE. SO THE NET DIFFERENCE BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, TAKING OFF A QUARTER MIL KNOCKED OFF $913,950 IN BUDGETARY AD VALOREM NUMBERS. WE ARE REQUIRED BY TRIM TO BUDGET AT LEAST 95%. AND THAT AND WE DO THAT. I DON'T MANIPULATE THAT NUMBER UNLESS DIRE CIRCUMSTANCES. AND THAT ALSO ALTERS WHAT THE GENERAL FUND PAYS US HERE. SO THE NET HIT TO GENERAL FUND WAS 761,646.IN A REDUCTION OF REVENUES, THE NOT TO EXCEED RATE WAS ADVERTISED ON THE DOOR FOR 20 IS FIVE MILLS. ONLY BECAUSE WE HAD A TIGHT DEADLINE TO MEET THAT TRIM TIMING YOU, THE COMMISSION IS FREE TO ADOPT ANY MILLAGE UP TO FIVE, WITHOUT DOING ANY EXTRA ADVERTISEMENTS OR JUMPING THROUGH ANY SPECIAL HOOPS. IF YOU WANTED TO EXCEED FIVE, THAT WOULD BE A DIFFERENT STORY. THE CITY CAN ADOPT WHATEVER THE WHATEVER THEY WANT. NOW UP TO THAT AND ALL THE CURRENT NOTICES ARE TAKEN. THIS WAS THE EXAMPLE BILL THAT I DID LAST TIME AS AS THE MANAGER SAID, WE TOOK ALL SUPERFLUOUS INFORMATION, ORGANIZED A LITTLE MORE. SO BASICALLY THIS IS WHAT THE SAVINGS WOULD BE DISTRIBUTED OUT TO THOSE TAXPAYERS IN THE NONRESIDENTIAL GROUP EXAMPLES AND HIGHEST TAXPAYERS. THE MANAGER COMMENTED THAT THE SLIDE WAS KIND OF SOMEWHAT HARD TO UNDERSTAND. AND ALREADY THERE'S UPDATES TODAY BECAUSE I GOT A NEW CUT OF DATA. SO WHAT THIS IS TELLING YOU IS THE BLUE LINE IS TELLING YOU THE NUMBER OF
[00:10:05]
PARCELS. AND THAT'S ON THE LEFT SIDE OF THE THING. IT GOES FROM 200 UP TO 1600. SO THAT'S A COUNT OF PARCELS. ON THE RIGHT SIDE IS THE AMOUNT RESIDENTS WOULD PAY. IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN FIVE MILS AND 4.75 MILLS. THIS IS HOW THAT SAVINGS TO THE TAXPAYERS WOULD BE DISTRIBUTED. AND SO THE BLACK NUMBERS, THE NUMBER OF PARCELS. AND THE RED NUMBER IS AN ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF REVENUE. HOWEVER, I KNOW TODAY IN RUNNING THE NUMBER THERE'S NOW 300. AND GIVE ME A MOMENT. THERE ARE. CLICKING OVER TO THE OTHER SIDE. 325 PARCELS THAT ARE COMPLETELY EXEMPT IN THE NON RESIDENTIAL GROUP. SO THAT 141 RIGHT THERE IS NOW 325. SO THE RED NUMBER IS THE AMOUNT OF THAT CATEGORY WOULD SAY THAT RIGHT. WELL IF IF THE PROPERTY IS VALUED AT ZERO TAXABLE VALUE NOW THEY DON'T GET ANY SAVINGS ON A TAX BILL. THEY DON'T PAY.RIGHT. AND NOW THAT'S UP TO 325. SO THIS THIS IS HOW THAT I ALWAYS DO THIS WITH THE INVERSE AND THE. SO NORMALLY I'M SHOWING YOU HOW THE TAX OF 4.75 MILLS IS COLLECTED. THIS IS SHOWING YOU HOW THE 0.25 DIFFERENCE IS DISTRIBUTED. AND IF I CAN JUST COMMENT TO YOU ON WHAT THAT CATEGORY IS WHEN HE SAID IT'S UP TO IN THE COMMERCIAL, COMMERCIAL WOULD BE 5013 EXEMPT ORGANIZATIONS. I KNOW THAT WHEN MARTIN MEMORIAL HOSPITAL WAS A COMMUNITY HOSPITAL, THEY HAD SEVERAL BUILDINGS THAT WERE TAX EXEMPT. CLEVELAND CLINIC IS NOT SO.
THEY'RE NOT TAX EXEMPT. BUT YOU HAVE CHURCHES AND 500 1C3 LIKE SAFE SPACE AND THE PROJECT LIFT PROGRAM AND OTHER THINGS LIKE THAT THAT BECOME THAT ARE TAX EXEMPT, THAT FALL INTO THOSE CATEGORIES. RIGHT. AND AS I SAID, YOU KNOW, THIS THESE KIND OF GRAPHS CAN GET CRAZY. IF I WENT DOWN TO LIKE, HOW MANY PEOPLE ONLY PAY $10 IN TAXES, YOU KNOW, BASED ON THEIR TAXABLE VALUE AND SO ON. SO HERE WE ARE. HERE'S THE PROGRESS SINCE THE THE AUGUST 11TH HEARING. CITY MANAGER NOW REFLECTS THE BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS PREVIOUSLY IDENTIFIED AS POSSIBLE ADJUSTMENTS ONE THROUGH FOUR. AND ADJUSTED BUDGETS ACROSS ALL FUNDS ARE NOW BALANCED. THIS IS WHERE THIS IS HOW WE'VE TRAVELED THIS YEAR SO FAR. THIS IS THE TALE OF THE TAPE. SO I STARTED THE BUDGET PROCESS AT THE CURRENT YEAR MILLAGE OF FIVE MILLS. THE 2025 ORIGINAL ADOPTED BUDGET WAS 40 FOR GENERAL FUND WAS 48,000,001 64 078. THE DEPARTMENTS REQUESTED 48,000,005 22 538 AT FIVE MILLS. THAT LEFT US $3.9 MILLION OUT OF BALANCE, BECAUSE IT'S THE REVENUES THAT WERE DIFFERENT. AND GIVEN THAT A LOT OF THE NEW A LOT OF THIS YEAR'S REQUEST IS NOT CAPITAL, IT WAS OPERATING EXPENSES AND SOME ADDITIONAL STAFF THAT HAD BEEN ADDED IN THE PRIOR YEAR. THE EVEN THOUGH THOSE TWO NUMBERS ARE VERY CLOSE TO EACH OTHER, THE NATURE OF THE EXPENSE IS VERY DIFFERENT. I CAN'T, YOU KNOW, PULL IN IMPACT FEES TO PAY FOR, YOU KNOW, COPY OR LEASES, THAT KIND OF THINGS. SO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN USE IMPACT FEES AND SMART FINANCING FOR CAPITAL REQUESTS OR, YOU KNOW, INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS, BUT NOT FOR OPERATING AND PERSONNEL. AND THEN AT, YOU KNOW, AT OUR BUDGET HEARINGS, WE HEARD, OKAY, WE WANT TO DO 4.75 MILLS. AND AFTER THE LAST PUT AND TAKE SESSION, I THINK IT HAD GROWN TO 49 MILLION IN NEW REVENUES, YOU KNOW, REVENUE ADJUSTMENTS AND EXPENDITURE ADJUSTMENTS BECAUSE THERE'S ALWAYS PUTS AND TAKES EVERY YEAR. SO THE HEALTH INSURANCE HAD GONE IN WITH THIS 22% INCREASE. FRS WENT IN. YOU KNOW FOR EXAMPLE THERE WAS A 7% INCREASE ON PUBLIC SAFETY, FRS AND THEN VARIOUS OTHER PUTS AND TAKES THAT WENT IN. HOWEVER, FOLLOWING OUR LAST MEETING, THE MANAGER IMPLEMENTED THOSE POSSIBLE CUTS ONE THROUGH FOUR TOTALING 2,000,023 448. NOT ALL OF THOSE ARE CUTS AND EXPENSES.
SOME ARE ADDITIONS AND REVENUES, BUT THE NET CHANGE IS 2,000,023 AND THE. REMEMBER DURING THE MEETING LAST TIME DURING THE WORKSHOP FOR HAD A4A AND A4B, AND WE SAID FOUR B IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 0 AND $917,000 OR WHATEVER THE NUMBER WAS, 8 OR 8, 38, 71, EIGHT, 71. AND SO THERE'S NO FOUR A AND FOUR B ANYMORE BECAUSE THEY'RE THEY REALLY AREN'T SEPARATE. IT'S THOSE COMBINATIONS. AND SO WHAT WE'VE DONE NOW IS COMBINED FOUR A AND B INTO THE TOTAL NUMBER
[00:15:01]
TO ACCOMMODATE IT. SO NOW GENERAL FUND AS A BALANCED BUDGET IS SITTING AT 47,000,004 58 477. THIS IS THE MAKEUP. YOU'LL SEE THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING I ALWAYS WANT TO I ALWAYS KNOW, BUT I DON'T MENTION IT. AND THEN TODAY I THOUGHT I'D BRING IT UP. SO AGAIN, I HAD SHOWN LIKE REVENUE SOURCES. AND SO IN YOUR PERSONAL LIFE, YOUR JOB IS MORE THAN LIKELY 100% OF YOUR INCOME. SOME PEOPLE MAY SAY, OH, I GET INTEREST ON SOME CDS I'VE GOT IN STOCKS AND BONDS, BUT TYPICALLY THE JOB YOU WORK IS 100% OF YOUR REVENUE FOR GENERAL FUND, 30% OF OUR REVENUE IS PROPERTY TAX, AND THE OTHER 70%, WHICH IN A $48 MILLION BUDGET WAS BASICALLY 18 MILLION IN TAXES. WE HAD TO FIND 30 MILLION ELSEWHERE. AND ALL THOSE REVENUE SOURCES ARE SINGLE DIGIT AMOUNTS, LIKE 1% HERE, 2% HERE. THESE ARE GROUPED BY CATEGORY UNDERNEATH THAT, LIKE IN INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVENUES AT 9.8%, IS A BUNCH OF 1% AMOUNTS IN THERE OR LESS THAN 1%. SO THAT WE WE LITERALLY SCRAPE TOGETHER 70% OF OUR REVENUES FROM OTHER SOURCES TO MAKE UP THE TOTAL. SINCE ONLY 30% COMES FROM PROPERTY TAXES. IF THAT'S JUST A AN INDICATOR THERE. SO THAT THAT'S HOW THE BREAKDOWN WENT.AND THEN HERE YOU HAVE THE BREAKDOWN OF FUNCTIONS THAT THE CITY PROVIDES AND WHERE THAT IS.
SO JUST AS AN EXAMPLE ALSO THAT I ALWAYS HARP ON, I KNOW I SOUND LIKE A BROKEN RECORD, BUT THERE'S ALWAYS AT LEAST ONE NEW PERSON SITTING IN THE AUDIENCE. THE 17 MILLION IN AD VALOREM VERSUS THE 24 MILLION IN PUBLIC SAFETY. SO ALL THE PROPERTY TAXPAYERS IN THE CITY OF STUART, EVERYONE FROM MRS. JONES TO BEST BUY, GIVES US $17 MILLION. OUR PUBLIC SAFETY IS 24 MILLION.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S BEFORE WE'VE PAID THE COMMISSIONERS. THAT'S BEFORE WE'VE TURNED ON A LIGHT AT THE BALL FIELD. THAT'S BEFORE WE'VE, YOU KNOW, MOWED A BLADE OF GRASS. SO WE, WE I THINK THAT WE DO A PHENOMENAL JOB OF COMING UP. SO SOME OF OUR COMPETITORS LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO A COMMISSION ASKED ME ABOUT JUPITER ISLAND. 98% OF JUPITER ISLAND'S BUDGET IS AD VALOREM TAXES. SO THEY THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE TO DO MUCH SCROUNGING FOR THE OTHER 2%. SO WE DO A LOT OF A LOT OF WORK HERE IN STUART TO MAKE THE ENDS COME TOGETHER. SO THAT'S THAT'S HOW WE MET THIS CHALLENGE THIS TIME TO COME UP WITH THIS. SO WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE GO FROM HERE. SINCE NONE OF YOU ARE ASKING QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT, MAYBE YOU'RE HOLDING THEM ALL TO THE END. OUR NEXT STEP WOULD BE OUR FIRST TRIM HEARING, WHICH STANDS FOR TRUTH IN MILLAGE. AND THAT IS FOR FLORIDA STATE STATUTE THAT WE HOLD A PUBLICLY ADVERTISED MEETING. NOW, THE DATE AND TIME OF THAT MEETING APPEARED ON EVERYONE'S PROPOSED TAX BILL THAT THE MANAGER STARTED OFF THE MEETING REFERENCING. SO ON THAT TAX BILL THAT PEOPLE RECEIVED, IT SAID THAT WE WOULD MEET ON SEPTEMBER 8TH AT 5:15 P.M. HERE AT CITY HALL. AT THAT MEETING, YOU WILL ANNOUNCE THE TENTATIVE MILLAGE AND THE TENTATIVE BUDGET. AND THAT BASICALLY LETS EVERYONE KNOW WHAT YOUR INTENT TO ADOPT IS SO THAT FIVE IS WHAT YOU ADVERTISED AS NOT TO EXCEED. AT THE SEPTEMBER 8TH MEETING, YOU COULD ADVERTISE YOUR FIRST PASS IT. HERE'S OUR TENTATIVE MILLAGE FOR THE YEAR. THIS IS WHAT WE INTEND TO DO. AND THEN THAT GIVES THEM THAT TWO WEEKS IN BETWEEN TO APPROACH THEIR ELECTED OFFICIALS. COME IN, YOU KNOW, WRITE WHATEVER OPINIONS THEY WANT TO WRITE, THAT KIND OF THING. AND THEN FOLLOWING THAT MEETING ON THE EIGHTH, WE WOULD HAVE OUR SECOND HEARING FOR THE FINAL MILLAGE AND THE FINAL BUDGET ON SEPTEMBER 22ND. THAT'S THE ONE THAT I WILL ADVERTISE IN THE NEWSPAPER OF LOCAL CIRCULATION AND PUT ON THE WEBSITE. AND THAT IS HOW YOU WILL ADOPT THE FINAL BUDGET ON SEPTEMBER 22ND. WITH THE FINAL MILLAGE AND FINAL BUDGET ADOPTED AMOUNTS. AND AS ALWAYS, THE BUDGET IS A LIVING, BREATHING DOCUMENT AND YOU CAN DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT, YOU KNOW, OCTOBER 1ST, FIRST DAY OF THE YEAR. YOU COULD SAY WE FORGOT SOMETHING, BUT JUST, YOU KNOW, TO COMPLY WITH THE FLORIDA STATE STATUTES, THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IS ADOPT A BALANCED BUDGET FOR THE NEW FISCAL YEAR. AND THOSE ARE THE TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE. IT WAS SHORT AND SWEET, BOSS, I MEAN, WE YOU KNOW, SO I I'LL, I'LL, I'LL FOLLOW UP ABSENT DIRECTION FROM STAFF OR FROM THE COMMISSION WERE AT 4.75 AND THE BUDGET WILL BE BALANCED AND WE'LL MOVE FORWARD. IF THERE'S DIRECTION FROM THE COMMISSION TO CHANGE THAT, THEN OBVIOUSLY WE WILL MAKE STEPS TO TOWARD THOSE CHANGES. THE INTENTION AT THIS POINT OR THE WAY THE PROCESS WORKS. AND JULIE JUST MENTIONED IT, THE THE FINANCE DIRECTOR JUST MENTIONED IT ON SEPTEMBER 8TH AT 515. IT'S A STATUTORY LANGUAGE THAT IT HAS TO BE AFTER 5 P.M. SO WE ALWAYS ADVERTISE IT AT 515. WE WILL
[00:20:05]
ACTUALLY INTERRUPT THE MEETING IF WE HAVE TO TO DO THIS SPECIAL THING. AND WE READ THESE. IT IS A SCRIPT. IT IS A SCRIPT. AND WE READ THESE SCRIPTS. THE ONE IS THE 4.75.THE OTHER ONE IS THAT THE ROLLBACK WOULD BE 4.70142 OR WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS. AND THEN WE READ THE TENTATIVE BUDGET AT FIRST READING, AND THEN WE BRING IT BACK AGAIN ON SEPTEMBER 28TH, 22ND. IT'S WHATEVER THE MEETING IS. WE SCHEDULED IT WITH THE REGULAR MEETING FOURTH MONDAY IN SEPTEMBER, AND AT THAT POINT IT WILL BE OFFICIAL AND HAVE TO ACTUALLY BE ADOPTED AND IS NOT SUBJECT TO ANY ADDITIONAL CHANGES ONCE THE COMMISSION ADOPTS IT. TODAY'S MEETING IS OBVIOUSLY A WORKSHOP. IN LIGHT OF THE FACT THAT JOLIE HAS BEEN WORKING NONSTOP WITH ME AND HAS GOTTEN THE BUDGET ESSENTIALLY BALANCED, I DO NOT ANTICIPATE THE NEED FOR ADDITIONAL WORKSHOPS UNLESS YOU AS A BOARD, WANT TO HAVE ADDITIONAL WORKSHOPS. MY THOUGHT WAS ANY TWEAKS THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE TODAY WE COULD ACTUALLY ADDRESS POTENTIALLY TODAY, OR I CAN BRING BACK ON SEPTEMBER 8TH ON THAT TRIM DATE AND JUST ADOPT IT. UNLESS IT WAS JUST A COMPLETE, YOU KNOW, POLICY CHANGE, THAT EVERYTHING HAD TO CHANGE OR BE CHANGED OUT OR WE'RE ISSUING BONDS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT, BUT I DON'T ANTICIPATE THAT. SO SCHEDULING WISE, I THINK THAT THERE'S WE'RE RIGHT ON SCHEDULE.
EVERYTHING'S NOW IT WILL BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF THE STATE GIVES US THE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE BY SEPTEMBER, BUT THAT'LL BE THE FIRST TIME WE'VE EVER HAD THAT PROBLEM.
AND IN FACT, IN 20 YEARS, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I EVER REMEMBER. IT'S NEVER BEEN THIS LATE. YEAH, IN 30 YEARS, WE'VE NEVER BEEN. I'VE NEVER SEEN IT LIKE THIS. IS THERE A REASON WHY YOU THINK. I WOULD THINK IT'S THE EXTENDED LEGISLATURE THIS YEAR? PUT EVERY ONE LIKE EVERY THOSE COMMITTEE PEOPLE THAT DO ALL THOSE. THEY'RE NUMBER CRUNCHERS IN TALLAHASSEE.
ALL HAD A LATE START BECAUSE THE LEGISLATURE WAS EXTENDED LATE ON THEIR BUDGET. RIGHT.
AND LATE ON EVERYTHING. SO THEY WERE LATE ON EVERYTHING. AND I THINK TRYING TO ROLL THOSE IMPACTS INTO THEIR MODELS AND EXCEL IS TAKING A LITTLE LONGER TO TO THE MANAGER'S POINT ON SEPTEMBER 8TH, IF IF THERE WERE ANY CHANGES AND WE'D START OUT SIMILAR TO THIS, I'D GIVE YOU A SUMMARY OF WHAT'S CHANGED BETWEEN WHATEVER ACTION YOU TAKE TODAY OR WHATEVER DIRECTION YOU GIVE TODAY, AND THAT SEPTEMBER 8TH BUDGET DOCUMENT WOULD SAY, HERE'S WHAT CHANGED BETWEEN THERE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. HOW WOULD HOW WOULD THAT WORK? HYPOTHETICALLY, IF THEY'RE NOT DONE BY THE TIME WE HAVE OUR SECOND MEETING, DO WE POSTPONE IF WE ESTIMATE. NO, IF WE ESTIMATED THAT THAT THEIR NUMBER IS GOING TO BE $300,000.
RIGHT. AND THEIR NUMBERS $200,000, THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT AT SOME POINT AND COME BEFORE YOU AND SAY, WE HAVE TO EAT $100,000, WE WOULD HAVE OUR BUDGET. WE'RE GOING TO ADOPT OUR BUDGET ANYWAY BECAUSE WE HAVE TO BY LAW, WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE. WE HAVE TO WE HAVE THEY HAVE TO PUBLISH THE BILLS AND START COLLECTING THEM, AND THEN WE'LL END UP HAVING TO COME BACK AND DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT TO OR THE SHORTFALL, WHATEVER THE NUMBER IS. I MEAN, IF IT'S OFF BY $25,000, AT SOME POINT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COME BACK AND AMEND THE BUDGET TO REFLECT WHAT THAT NUMBER WAS, BECAUSE WE'RE GUESSING AT THE NUMBER. AND IT COULD BE IT COULD BE MORE IT'S NOT NECESSARILY A SHORT COULD GO HIGHER. IT COULD GO HIGHER. HE COULD. JOLIE NORMALLY IS FAIRLY CONSERVATIVE ON THOSE ESTIMATES.
SO IT COULD BE MORE. YOU MENTIONED THAT ANTICIPATE IF THEY SAID WE'RE I BELIEVE COMMISSIONER REID HAS. YEAH. BUT EVEN IF IT'S EVEN IF IT'S THE OTHER WAY, IF WE ANTICIPATED IT AT 100,000, IF WE SAID 100,000 AND THEY SEND US $200,000, SO IT'S MORE MONEY, WE'D STILL HAVE TO COME BACK AND DO A BUDGET AMENDMENT BECAUSE OUR NUMBER SAYS 100 AND NOW IT'S 200. I'M MORE CONCERNED IF THEY'RE SENDING LESS. BUT BASICALLY WE'RE ALWAYS. ANTICIPATING IT. IT'S IF I HAD BEEN OFF TARGET REALLY BAD, I PROBABLY STILL WOULDN'T BE SITTING HERE. SO YEAH, I'VE BEEN PRETTY ON TARGET FOR 30 YEARS. AND HE HE'S REALLY CONCERNED ABOUT IT BUT ANTICIPATE PRETTY CLOSE RIGHT. DEPENDING WHAT. IT DOESN'T AFFECT THE FLOW OF MONEY. AND IT'S ALSO IT'S ALSO NOT A HUGE IT'S NOT GOING TO BE ZERO. SO I MEAN LIKE THERE'S GOING TO THE THE NUMBER IS GOING TO BE CLOSE. SO IT'S NOT GOING TO AFFECT DAY TO DAY OPERATIONS AT ALL. BUT ON THE DAY TO DAY OPERATION RIGHT NOW THEY'RE LATE IN WITH THE MONIES DON'T COME FROM THE STATE. DOES THAT AFFECT THE MONIES? WE WOULD JUST IF THE STATE NEVER SENT US ANY OF THE MONEY, WE WOULD BE USING OTHER MONEY TO COVER THOSE EXPENSES.
I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT. WE'RE NOT GOING TO SAY THAT THEY'RE NOT. OKAY. THANK YOU.
COMMISSIONER. YEAH I JUST JOLIE ON THAT ONE SLIDE YOU HAD I GUESS WE'RE MULTIPLE PARCELS
[00:25:05]
DON'T PAY ANYTHING. IT WENT FROM 140 TO 300 AND SOMETHING. IS THAT NORMAL TREND TO SEE OR IS THAT JUST A. YEAH. THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH HOMESTEAD. THAT'S IT DOES HAVE HOMESTEAD AND JUST PROPERTY VALUES. JUST COULD BE COULD BE THERE. THE YOU KNOW SOMEBODY QUALIFIED FOR HOMESTEAD THAT DIDN'T PREVIOUSLY YOU KNOW OR IT'S ALSO IT WAS IT WAS A SECONDARY HOME. AND NOW THEY'VE GIVEN UP THE SNOWBIRDING AND THEY LIVE HERE PERMANENTLY HOMESTEADED. COULD JUST BE THAT IT'S I COMMUNICATE WITH THE PROPERTY APPRAISER'S OFFICE.THEY GET PRETTY SICK OF ME DURING THIS PROCESS. SO, YOU KNOW, WE WE SEND EMAILS BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN STAFF AND MY STAFF. LIKE MIKE SAID, MY MOTHER IN LAW WAS SELLING A CONDO IN MONTEREY YACHT AND COUNTRY CLUB, WHICH IS ACTUALLY CALLED KING MOUNTAIN OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT ON THE TAX BILL. BUT SHE WAS WANTING TO MOVE TO ALABAMA, WHERE HER DAUGHTER LIVES, AND SHE WANTED TO MOVE BY JUNE. AND SHE LISTED HER CONDO LAST YEAR FOR $101,000 IN THAT PROJECT, AND NONE OF THEM SOLD IN IN APRIL ON UNIT IN THERE SOLD FOR $65,000. SO THAT UNIT THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN WORTH $100,000 THE YEAR BEFORE SOLD FOR $65,000. THE PERSON THAT BOUGHT IT FOR $65,000 WALKED RIGHT INTO THE PROPERTY APPRAISER'S OFFICE AND SAID, THIS IS WHAT THE GOING RATE IS IN THESE UNITS, AND NOW IT'S BELOW 75,000. SO IT'S GOING TO GET HOMESTEADED AT $65,000. AND THEN IF YOU TAKE $65,000 AND YOU 65 AND I TAKE TIMES 1.03, IT'LL GO TO 66 IN 1 YEAR TIMES 1.032 YEARS, TIMES 1.033 YEARS TIMES 1.034 YEARS. TIMES 1.035 YEARS. SO IT'LL BE SIX YEARS BEFORE THAT $65,000 CONDO CAN EVEN REACH $75,000 TO EVEN BE AT THE TAXABLE THRESHOLD RIGHT NOW, NO MATTER WHAT. IF THEY HOMESTEAD IT BECAUSE THEY FREEZE IT, IT DOESN'T GET TO APPRECIATE IT. THE VALUE OF WHATEVER THE APPRECIATION IS, IT'S CAPPED AT 3% NO MATTER WHAT. AND AND THE OTHER THING IS THAT'S IF EVERYTHING GOES UP IN VALUE EVERY YEAR. WHAT WE FOUND IS A LOT OF THE CONDOS DIDN'T GO UP IN VALUE BECAUSE OF THESE INSPECTIONS, BECAUSE OF ASSESSMENTS AND, AND, AND INSURANCE COSTS. SO YOU'RE GOING TO SEE NEXT YEAR THAT 341 NUMBER IS PROBABLY GOING TO JUMP TO 6 OR 700, BECAUSE THOSE VALUES WILL ALL CATCH UP. THE SALE THAT HAPPENED A COUPLE MONTHS AGO FOR THE 65 WON'T BE ON THESE NUMBERS. IT'LL BE ON NEXT YEAR'S NUMBERS. AND IF YOU GO LOOK AT ANY OF THE 55 AND OLDER COMMUNITIES, YOU'LL FIND THAT THERE'S AN ONSLAUGHT OF UNITS FOR SALE RIGHT AT THAT VALUE. OF THE $75,000 THAT THOSE SAME UNITS MAY HAVE BEEN ASSESSED AT $130,000 TWO YEARS AGO, OR IN 2018, THEY MIGHT HAVE BEEN ASSESSED AT $150,000.
AND SO THOSE PRICES HAVE ALL ADJUSTED DRAMATICALLY, AND IT'S SIMPLY PART OF THE MARKETPLACE THAT MAKES SENSE. AND I ALSO I WANTED TO UPDATE THE PUBLIC TOO. SO I KNOW IT'S A BUDGET WORKSHOP. SO I CAN EITHER SAY IT HERE OR AT THE REGULAR COMMISSION MEETING. BUT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET ANSWERS FROM FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE SINCE OCTOBER OF LAST YEAR REGARDING BRIGHTLINE, AND IT'S BASED OFF OF TWO THINGS TRACK MILES THROUGHOUT YOUR CITY OR COUNTY AND THEIR TAX RETURNS. SO FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE FINALLY RESPONDED ABOUT THREE WEEKS AGO, AFTER I CALLED THE FLORIDA ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE TO LET THEM KNOW THAT THEY'VE BEEN DODGING ME, AND I WAS TOLD IT WOULD BE ONLY TWO WEEKS FOR AN ANSWER. LAST OCTOBER, WHEN I WAS NEWLY ELECTED, AND THEY IGNORED EMAILS. I WOULD CALL THEM ON THE PHONE. THEY WOULD IGNORE THAT AS WELL. BUT MY POINT IS, FOR THE FORT LAUDERDALE STATION, IT WAS SIX MILES OF TRACK AND THEY WERE ONLY PAYING $26,000 IN TAXES TO THERE, AND THAT WAS ABOUT A $60 MILLION PROJECT. THE CITY OF STUART WAS 45 MILLION BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE COUNTY MAXIMUM, AND IT WAS ONLY TWO MILES OF TRACK, TO PUT IT IN PERSPECTIVE. BRIGHTLINE WOULD BE PAYING IT. BUT I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT DURING THE BUDGET WORKSHOP, WHETHER IT'S RELEVANT OR NOT, I THINK THEY SHOULD KNOW. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE EVER USED ANY TAX REVENUE IN ANY OF THE REQUESTS FOR PROPOSALS OR THE PROJECTIONS OR ANYTHING I WAS JUST MENTIONING. OKAY, I DIDN'T GET ANSWERS SINCE LAST OCTOBER, AND I WAS TOLD IT WOULD TAKE
[00:30:05]
TWO WEEKS. ALMOST A YEAR LATER, I'M SURPRISED THEY'RE GIVING TO IT, GIVING IT TO YOU AT ALL. I WAS ASKED BY COMMISSIONER KRAUSKOPF YEARS AGO TO FIND OUT WHAT WALMART PAYS, AND THEY TOLD ME THAT WAS PROPRIETARY INFORMATION. THEY THEY WOULDN'T ALLOW THAT OUT. BUT I THINK BECAUSE BRIGHTLINE IS TAKING PUBLIC BONDS, IT'S IT'S ALLOWED THEIR INFORMATION TO BE PUBLIC BASED OFF OF FLORIDA STATUTE. BUT THEY WOULDN'T GIVE ME OBVIOUSLY THEIR TAX RETURNS, I DIDN'T. YEAH. SO THE BRIGHTLINE DOESN'T OWN ANY OF THE TRACKS. CORRECT. IT'S THE FEC. IT'S CALLED CENTRALLY ASSESSED PROPERTY. YES. SO BRIGHTLINE'S PAYING IT AS A TENANT, JUST LIKE WE MAKE OUR TENANTS PAY A PASS THROUGH AMOUNT IN THE TAX. REGARDLESS, IT WASN'T A LARGE AMOUNT FOR WHAT THEY WERE BORROWING FROM TAXPAYERS. THAT WAS MY COMMENT. AND THEN I ALSO HAD ANOTHER QUESTION ON AND THIS IS MORE FOR THE BOARD. JOLIE, I KNOW YOU HAD A SLIDE UP HERE ON I DON'T KNOW WHAT NUMBER IT WAS BECAUSE WE DON'T WE DON'T GET THIS EMAIL TO US.BUT IT MENTIONED WHERE THE CUTS WERE RIGHT HERE. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE CONSENSUS IS FROM THE BOARD IS IF IT'S PERSONNEL OR IF IT'S ADJUSTING THE FLEET MANAGEMENT, DEFERRING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, CAPITAL FLEET REPLACEMENT, RESERVE FUNDING OR MANAGER ADJUSTMENTS, REVENUE AND OPERATIONS. THERE'S OBVIOUSLY FOUR CATEGORIES THERE. I JUST WANTED TO MENTION JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT THOSE CATEGORIES ARE FOR THE SOLE PURPOSES OF DESCRIBING IT TO YOU UNDERSTAND THE CUTS ARE NAME IT, IT'S IN THERE. I MEAN, WE'VE CUT PENCILS, THERE'S PERSONNEL, THERE'S ELECTRIC BILLS, THERE'S LAWN SERVICE, THERE'S LIGHTS. I MEAN, YOU, THERE'S ADJUSTMENTS IN EVERYTHING. SO IT'S NOT LIKE THERE'S AN ITEM THAT WE CAN SAY THIS DOESN'T APPLY. YEAH. IT'S A IT'S A GLOBAL APPROACH OF OPERATING THE CITY. SO SUMMARIZING IT AND WRITING THOSE WORDS WAS JUST TO TRY AND GROUP IT TOGETHER. I, I UNDERSTAND IT 600 PAGES, BUT AS LONG AS THE PUBLIC UNDERSTANDS IT AS WELL. YEAH, THERE'S THERE'S WE I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER, I WAS JUST ADDING. OKAY. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A STATEMENT. I'M SORRY. THE VICE MAYOR. NEXT. SORRY. I'M FINISHED. I THOUGHT YOU FORGOT TO PUT YOUR PHONE DOWN. SORRY.
SO FOR ANYBODY THAT WAS WONDERING WHY I HAVE A BAND-AID ON AND A FAT LIP JUST TO CLEAR THE AIR, I WAS SAVAGELY BEATEN BY MY SURFBOARD THIS WEEKEND. I WANTED TO I WANTED TO THANK YOU GUYS BECAUSE I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN WORKING HARD TO GET THIS DOWN TO 4.75. I KNOW IT WAS NO EASY TASK, AND THE LAST WEEK. KIND OF HASHING IT OUT BETWEEN MIKE AND VINCE, I THINK THERE IS A BIT OF AN OPPORTUNITY HERE. SO I WANTED TO THROW A LITTLE BIT OF A WILD CARD AT YOU GUYS. YOU KNOW, NOW THAT WE'RE AT 4.75, WE'RE BASICALLY, LIKE YOU SAID, AT THAT ROLLBACK RATE, BUT WITH FIRE. AND THIS IS TO YOUR COMMENTS LAST TIME, THE OVERTIME IS AN ISSUE. SO IN TALKING TO VINCE. I DON'T THINK HE GETS ENOUGH CREDIT WITH YOU GUYS BECAUSE HE WAS GOING TO BAT FOR YOU PRETTY RELENTLESSLY. WE STARTED AT 11 STAFF AND THEN SEVEN. AND FINALLY, AFTER ARGUING ENOUGH THREE PLUS THE ONE VACANCY. BUT IF IF WE COULD BASICALLY SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE, YOU KNOW, IN WHATEVER THAT WOULD COST WOULD BE MY, MY PITCH TO YOU GUYS TO WHERE YOU HAD ONE PER STATION AND THEN THAT VACANCY TO WHERE YOUR OVERTIME WOULDN'T BE AS BIG OF A DEAL. AND, YOU KNOW, IDEALLY IN TALKING TO THE UNION GUYS AND TALKING TO JOHN, YOU KNOW, AT LEAST HAVING THREE HUMAN BEINGS ON AN ENGINE FOR SAFETY, IF I COULD JUST CHIME IN TO AND WE TALKED ABOUT THIS A FEW DAYS AGO IN THE EDIFICATION FOR THE REST OF THE BOARD. CURRENTLY, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT HAS HAS SHIFTS A, B AND C SHIFTS. AND THEY HAD ESSENTIALLY 12 PEOPLE PER SHIFT. BUT THERE WAS ONE SHIFT THAT HAD 11 PEOPLE AND IT ACTUALLY WAS. AND I HAD SPOKEN WITH VINCE EARLY ON ABOUT IT. AND THEN ALSO JOHN HATCH, THE. PRESIDENT OF THE UNION, ABOUT AT SOME POINT DURING THE BUDGET CYCLE, ADDING THAT ONE PERSON, WHEN WE ENDED UP WITH ALL THE CUTS, I WASN'T IN A POSITION, I DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY, BUT THAT ONE, THE ONE POSITION THAT COMMISSIONER COLLINS IS REFERENCING, IS TO MAKE THAT EACH SHIFT BE THE BALANCE.
NUMBER ONE SHIFT IS ALWAYS SHORT A PERSON NO MATTER WHAT, JUST BECAUSE THE WAY IT'S CURRENTLY SCHEDULED, THE OTHER THREE POSITIONS THE COMMISSIONER. COLLINS OR VICE MAYOR COLLINS IS REFERENCING IS THAT LAST YEAR WE TRIED A PROGRAM AND IT WILL WORK. IT'S
[00:35:01]
JUST WE HAD A TSUNAMI LAST YEAR OR THE PERFECT STORM, AS THEY CALL IT, OF OTHER ISSUES. BUT THE THEORY IS A, B AND C SHIFT BACK AGAIN GOING BACK TO THOSE SHIFTS. IF YOU HIRE THE ONE PERSON, THAT'S TO BALANCE IT SO THAT EVERYBODY HAS 12, THEN THAT'S THAT. NOW YOU HAVE BALANCE SHIFTS, BUT THEN IN A, B AND C SHIFT, IF YOU IF YOU ADDED THREE MORE. FIREFIGHTERS, THEY WOULDN'T NECESSARILY BE ASSIGNED TO STATION ONE OR STATION TWO OR STATION THREE.THEY'D BE ASSIGNED TO A, B OR C SHIFT. AND SO IF SOMEBODY WAS OUT ON PTO AT STATION ONE, THEN AND IT WAS AN A SHIFT PERSON THAT WAS OUT, THEN ONE OF THESE PEOPLE THAT THEY'RE REFERRING TO AS A FLOATER WOULD GO FILL THAT GAP AND NOT HAVE AN OVERTIME COME IN, AND THEN THE SAME THING WOULD GO FOR THE OTHER TWO, MEANING FLOATERS. NOW THE OTHER THING THAT THE THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DID DISCUSS AND IT IS OR YOU JUST EXCUSE ME, ARE YOU SUGGESTING WE ADD THREE AT FOUR, SEVEN, FIVE. SO WHAT I'M SUGGESTING IS WE BASICALLY WOULD SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE ON THE NET. SO YOU WOULD COME IN AT SOMETHING HIGHER THAN FOUR, SEVEN, FIVE WITH THE SAVINGS THAT WE DO HAVE. WHAT I'M ASSERTING IS THERE'S A BUFFER THERE TO POTENTIALLY STILL COME IN UNDER FIVE. MAYBE IT'S FOUR NINE. I DON'T YOU GUYS WOULD BE ABLE TO YEAH. YOU GUYS WOULD FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT NUMBER IS. BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE COULD DEAL WITH THAT. AND I ACTUALLY WOULD I, I COULD TELL YOU WITH. PERSONNEL I MY CALCULATION WHEN I SAY MINE, THE NUMBER THAT JOLIE TOLD ME GOING WITH THAT IS AND THIS INCLUDES SOUP TO NUTS. SO IT'S NOT I DON'T WANT TO DISCUSS THEIR SALARIES LIKE EVERYTHING BUT UNIFORM, BUT BUT EVERYTHING INVOLVED. A BRAND NEW PERSON IS ABOUT 88, AND SO THAT INCLUDES THEIR FRS CONTRIBUTION. THAT INCLUDES SOCIAL SECURITY CONTRIBUTION, FICA CONTRIBUTION, HEALTH INSURANCE CONTRIBUTION. ALL ALL OF THE STUFF FOR ONE BRAND NEW GUY NOW A YEAR ONE YEAR ONE. WELL THAT'S I WAS GOING TO SAY.
SO WHEN YOU SAY THE FILLING THE GAP, IF WE FILL THAT GAP THIS YEAR AND I SAY LET'S SAY IT'S FOUR PEOPLE, WHAT'S THE MATH ON FOUR PEOPLE RIGHT NOW? CAN YOU GIVE A COMPUTER? I WOULD I WOULD NEVER CONTRADICT ANYTHING YOU SAID, BOSS. BUT 88 ISN'T THE NUMBER. OKAY. WHAT IS IT, 350 IT'S NO 96, 501 IS A IS THE. BUT THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE T SHIRT AND THE HAT THAT THEY GET.
SO THAT THAT I DON'T. WELL THAT I DIDN'T DO. BUT THAT IS A LOT OF T SHIRTS. YEAH. THAT IS TAX TAG AND TITLE OUT THE DOOR FOR WHAT AN AVERAGE FIREFIGHTER IS RIGHT NOW. SO 96 5013 8604 SO OKAY. SO 386 004 WOULD BE THE COST OF FOUR PEOPLE. THAT'S FOR YEAR ONE, DAY ONE, NEXT YEAR, DAY ONE NEXT YEAR. WHEN WE DID THE LAST WORKSHOP WE TOLD YOU THAT THE 0.25 MILLAGE REDUCTION WAS ESSENTIALLY $917,000. HOWEVER, FROM THE $917,000, IF YOU COLLECT THE $917,000, YOU HAVE TO PAY $152,000 OF THAT TO THE CRA UNDER THE CRA MATH. SO IT DROPS THAT NUMBER DOWN TO 707 61, $761,000. SO IF YOU TAKE 761 -386, YOU GET WHATEVER THE THE GAP IS. BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE 386 IS NOT A STATIONARY NUMBER. IT'S CONTRACTUALLY THEY HAVE TO MEET.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S PARAMEDIC OR EMT, BUT THEY HAVE TO MEET CERTAIN CRITERIA WITHIN THREE YEARS IN ORDER TO REMAIN EMPLOYED. AND WHEN THEY MEET THOSE DIFFERENT LEVELS, THEIR PAY ACTUALLY GOES UP AS WELL. SO WHEN I LOOK AT THE BUDGET, I'M I'M NOT LOOKING AT NEXT YEAR, I'M LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S IT GOING TO BE LIKE FOUR YEARS FROM NOW, FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, SIX YEARS FROM NOW? HOWEVER, FROM THE STANDPOINT OF YOUR GUYS'S CONVERSATION, IF YOU WERE IN, IF YOU WANTED TO. CONTINUE TO HAVE A REDUCTION, I WOULD SIMPLY AND HIRE THE EMPLOYEES. I WOULD SIMPLY INSTRUCT JOLIE TO SUBTRACT 386 FROM 761 TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT NUMBER IS, WHICH IS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, 290 OR WHATEVER, 280, AND THEN WHATEVER THAT NUMBER NEEDS TO BE REDUCED FROM FIVE MILLS WOULD BE WOULD IT BE SO IT'D BE 4.93 OR 4.94, WHATEVER IT IS RIGHT TO MEET THE NUMBER IF THAT'S WHAT YOUR DIRECTION WAS. I WANTED TO ASK IF VINCE, IF YOU WOULD SPEAK TO THAT, NEED A LITTLE BIT IN THAT DEFICIT FROM FIRES PERSPECTIVE.
[00:40:06]
WELL, SO THE, THE, THE NEED IS IS VERY LEVEL. RIGHT. SO WE HAVE OVERTIME IS A BIG THING THAT EVERYBODY HITS RIGHT AT THE VERY BASICS. YOU YOU NEED MORE PEOPLE TRAINED AND QUALIFIED SO WE CAN GET THEM TO THE POINT WHERE THEY'RE USEFUL SO WE CAN REDUCE THE OVERTIME.RIGHT. AND THAT'S NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT TRYING TO STAFF VEHICLES. SO FOUR WOULD HELP US MOVE IN THAT DIRECTION. BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE YOU KNOW, THE END ALL BE ALL IF THAT HELPS. BUT IT'S BETTER THAN NOT HAVE ABSOLUTELY ABSOLUTELY ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU SEE OUR OVERTIME. SO THAT'S I MEAN EVERYBODY HERE CAN SPEAK FOR IT BECAUSE WE'VE WE'VE BEEN OPERATING AS A SKELETON CREW FOR A LONG TIME. SO WE JUST GOTTA INCREMENTALLY CHIP AWAY AT THIS. I ALSO I DO WANT TO HAVE ONE OTHER COMMENT. PUBLIC SAFETY IS VERY DIFFERENT THAN REGULAR EMPLOYMENT. LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, IF I TOOK TOMORROW OFF. NO ONE'S GOING TO NEED TO SIT IN MY CHAIR ALL DAY. BUT WHEN A FIREFIGHTER OR A POLICE OFFICER TAKES THE DAY OFF, WE MUST PUT SOMEONE ELSE IN THEIR SHOES AND HAVE THEM THERE TO FILL THAT POSITION THE ENTIRE TIME THEY'RE OUT. SO WHEN PEOPLE ARE OUT ON PTO OR OUT ON WORK COMP OR OUT, WHATEVER IT IS, WE CAN'T JUST SAY, OH, LET'S JUST LET THEIR WORK WAIT FOR THEM TO GET BACK NEXT WEEK. THEY CAN CATCH UP OVER TIME. IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY. THE WORK DOESN'T WAIT FOR THEM. THEY HAVE TO GO AND IT HAS TO BE THAT DAY. SO YOU HAVE THESE MINIMUM STAFFING REQUIREMENTS. AND I KNOW THE MAYOR OR VICE MAYOR COLLINS MADE THE COMMENT ABOUT HAVING THREE PEOPLE ON THE ENGINE AND THREE PEOPLE ON THE AMBULANCE, NOT ON THE AMBULANCE ENGINE. OKAY, MY MY THING ON IT IS, IS I DON'T SO WE DIDN'T OPEN UP THE UNION NEGOTIATIONS OR DO ANYTHING. SO MY POSITION ON IT WOULD BE THAT I, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THE DIRECTION OF THE COMMISSION IS WHATEVER WE'RE GOING TO FOLLOW. I JUST WANT TO BE CLEAR THAT WE'RE NOT CHANGING ANY PROTOCOLS OR CHANGING ANY MINIMUM STAFFING. IF IT TURNS OUT THAT WE HAVE. AND BY THE WAY, SINCE I'VE BEEN AT THE CITY OF STEWART, I DON'T THINK THIS HAS EVER HAPPENED. BUT IF IT TURNS OUT THAT WE HAVE 100% ATTENDANCE IN A SHIFT ONE DAY, THEN GREAT. WE CAN HAVE AS MANY PEOPLE ON EVERY AS YOU CAN. BUT IF YOU ACTUALLY REALLY START GETTING INTO THE WEEDS AND THE WAY THE FIRE SCHEDULE WORKS IS EVERY THIRD WEEK, THE FIREFIGHTERS HAVE WORKED 24 HOURS MORE THAN THEY SHOULD HAVE. SO THEY GET A KELLY DAY, WHICH IS A COMP DAY THAT THEY TECHNICALLY DON'T GET PAID FOR. BUT THEY ALSO DON'T WORK THAT DAY BECAUSE IF YOU WORK 24 HOUR SHIFT AND YOU WORK A SECOND 24 HOUR SHIFT, YOU WORKED 48 HOURS. WELL, THAT'S EIGHT OVER THE FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT NUMBER. AND THEN EVERY THREE WEEKS YOU'VE GOT EIGHT PLUS EIGHT PLUS EIGHT EQUALS 24 BUILT UP HOURS. THAT NEEDS TO BE ERASED. SO THEN THEIR NEXT DAY THAT THEY'RE SCHEDULED TO WORK, THEY DON'T GO TO WORK TO WASH OUT THAT 24 HOURS. BUT WHEN THEY DON'T GO TO WORK THAT DAY, SOMEBODY ELSE NEEDS TO BE THERE. BUT WE DON'T HAVE EVERYBODY TAKE KELLY DAY ON THE SAME DAY. BUT IF YOU HAVE 12 PEOPLE IN A SHIFT AND YOU HAVE FOUR WEEKS A MONTH, THERE'S AT LEAST THREE PEOPLE ON EACH SHIFT THAT'S GOING TO BE OUT ON ONE OF THOSE DAYS, ONE OF THOSE WEEKS FOR KELLY DAY, JUST BECAUSE THAT'S HOW IT WORKS TO SPREAD THEM ALL OUT.
SO NO MATTER WHAT, THERE'S NEVER GOING TO BE 12 PEOPLE THERE. AND THEN IF SOMEONE TAKES A SINGLE DAY OFF, IT GOES FROM 12 TO 11 AND THEN SOMEONE TAKES A DAY OFF. NOW IT'S DOWN TO TEN. AND THEN IF SOMEONE GETS HURT AND THEY'RE OUT ON WORK COMP NOW IT'S DOWN TO NINE.
AND THEN IF SOMEONE GETS CALLED INTO ACTIVE DUTY, NOW IT'S DOWN TO EIGHT. AND THEN IF SOMEONE IS PREGNANT OR JUST HAD A BABY, NOW IT'S DOWN TO SEVEN. AND EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM, I'M SURE CAN VERIFY FOR YOU THAT THAT'S EVERY DAY. IT'S NOT LIKE AN ANOMALY. WE WE SAW THAT THIS YEAR IN IN NUMBERS THAT WE HADN'T SEEN IN A LONG TIME. AND IT EBBS AND FLOWS. I DON'T EXPECT IT TO BE THE PERFECT STORM LIKE WE HAD THIS YEAR. AND LAST YEAR WE STARTED THIS FLOATER THING AS KIND OF A, A AN IDEA TO TRY AND SOLVE IT. AND WE HAD NEGOTIATED WITH THE
[00:45:01]
UNION AND WE SAID TO THEM, LOOK, IF THIS WORKS MOVING FORWARD, WE'LL PUSH FOR ADDITIONAL TO DO IT. NOW, THE ECONOMY DIDN'T PUT ME IN A POSITION THIS YEAR TO PUSH TO DO IT, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THE LIKE WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE REAL ESTATE MARKET PUT ON THE BRAKES. I MEAN, THERE WAS THERE'S NOT A LOT OF TRANSACTIONAL STUFF LIKE THAT. WE HAD OTHER REVENUES DOWN IN STUART AND AND AS A RESULT AND INTEREST RATES WENT WAY UP. SO WE DIDN'T REALLY PUSH THE THE HIRING OF THESE POSITIONS. HOWEVER, WITH THAT BEING SAID, IN ALL CANDOR, I THERE'S NEVER BEEN A TIME THAT THE CHIEF CAME TO MY OFFICE AND DIDN'T SAY, WE NEED THESE GUYS.HE JUST STOPPED SAYING IT AS LOUD WHEN I SAID TO HIM, I NEED A PRIVATE JET, YOU KNOW, BUT I DON'T HAVE THE MONEY. I'M NOT GETTING ONE EITHER WAY. AND SO HE HE STOPPED ASKING FOR IT BECAUSE HE KNEW THAT, THAT I COULDN'T PROVIDE IT. BUT IT WAS ALSO OUR INTENTION IN THE FUTURE TO KIND OF SHIFT TOWARD THAT MODEL AND TRY AND FIGURE THAT OUT. COMMISSIONER CLARK.
OH, HI, JULIE. COULD YOU I DON'T I DON'T THINK I MIGHT NEED YOU, CHIEF. OKAY. DID YOU PUT UP THAT THING WITH THE FLEET MANAGEMENT? THE THREE, THE FOUR AREAS WHERE THE REDUCTIONS HAPPEN? YEAH, I KNOW THAT WE HAD BOUGHT THE QUINT AND SOME OTHER NEW EQUIPMENT IN OUR FLEETS FOR THE FIRE THAT'S STILL COMING. OKAY. THAT'S COMING. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WHEN'S IT COMING, MIKE? IT'S GOING TO BE HERE SOMETIME. HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE? THEY SEND US A PICTURE EVERY SO OFTEN. I THINK IT'S A PHOTO OF SOMEONE ELSE IN WISCONSIN. YEAH. THE LADDER TRUCK. SUPPOSED TO BE DONE IN APRIL, SO THAT'S HUGE. AND THEN WE SHOULD GET OUR AMBULANCE IN JUNE. AND THEN THE FIRE ENGINE SHOULD BE THE FOLLOWING APRIL. THEY'RE RUNNING ABOUT 36 MONTHS.
BE A GOOD BUSINESS TO BE IN APPARENTLY. YEAH. AND OUR REGULAR DID WE HAVE TO CUT CORNERS ON OUR REGULAR REPLACEMENT FOR FOR VEHICLES THAT ARE ON THE ROAD? YES.
POLICE VEHICLE. YES. WHEN YOU SAY CUT CORNERS, I DON'T WANT THAT. I'M SORRY. I MEAN, WELL SO YES WE DEFERRED WE DEFERRED THE PURCHASING OF NEWER VEHICLES. WE DEFERRED THE RETURNING OF SOME LEASE VEHICLES. WE DEFERRED THE REPLACEMENT OF SOME LARGE LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE GUYS THAT DRIVE BY YOUR HOUSE AND PICK UP THE LAWN EQUIPMENT OR THE THE LAWN STUFF, THE GRAVEL TRUCK THING THAT REACHES THAT ARM OUT, GRAB STUFF OUT AND PUTS IT IN THE BACK. WE HAVE A 2013 GRAVEL TRUCK THAT WAS $250,000. IT'S OPERATING PRETTY WELL. WE CAN PUT ABOUT $30,000 INTO IT, AND IT WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE, AND WE PROBABLY GET TWO MORE YEARS OUT OF IT RATHER THAN SPENDING THE $250,000 THIS YEAR ON IT. SO YES, THAT'S AN ITEM THAT WE MADE THE DECISION IN ORDER TO BALANCE THE BUDGET, TO DEFER. IT'S NOT TO SAY THAT WE'RE NEVER GOING TO GET ANOTHER GRAVEL TRUCK, BECAUSE I CAN PROMISE YOU IT WILL WEAR OUT AND WE WILL ULTIMATELY NEED TO GET ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE TRUCKS. IT'S JUST THAT THE COST RIGHT NOW WAS THAT IN ORDER TO MEET THE BUDGET CONSTRAINTS AND AND DO WHAT WE NEEDED TO DO, THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT TOOK PLACE. AND THERE'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM IS THERE'S STAFFING. AND SO, YES, THE THE NUMBER OF FULL TIME EMPLOYEES AT THE CITY OF STEWART TODAY WILL BE DIFFERENT THAN THE NUMBER OF FULL TIME EMPLOYEES IN THE CITY OF STEWART NEXT YEAR AT THIS TIME. BECAUSE A LOT OF THINGS WILL ALSO BE BY ATTRITION. ALSO, ATTRITION DROP AND OTHER THINGS. WELL, SO ATTRITION AND DROP ARE THE SAME THING TO THE EXTENT THAT YES, IT'S ANTICIPATED THAT. SOME PEOPLE WILL RETIRE OR LEAVE OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT TEN MONTHS. THE WAY I LOOKED AT IT IS THERE'LL BE A REDUCTION OF ROUGHLY 16 FULL TIME POSITIONS. EIGHT OF THOSE WILL BE IMMEDIATE OR ALREADY IN PLACE. AND THEN OUT OF THE OTHER EIGHT, ROUGHLY FOUR WILL HAPPEN BEFORE OCTOBER 1ST, MAYBE EVEN FIVE, AND THEN 2 OR 3, MAYBE FOUR COULD BE THROUGH ATTRITION, THROUGH, SAY, NEXT JUNE, JULY. SO YOU YOU
[00:50:04]
MENTIONED ABOUT THE SEATS. SOMEBODY HAD TO BE IN A SEAT, WHETHER IT'S THE POLICE OR FIRE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE ESSENTIAL ROLES. SO FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAD TWO PEOPLE AND I'M GOING TOWARDS CONSOLIDATION OF ROLES NOW, IF YOU HAVE ONE COUNTING GREEN SHIRTS AND ONE COUNTING BLUE SHIRTS, WE'RE JUST GOING TO GET ONE PERSON TO COUNT BOTH THE GREEN AND THE BLUE SHIRTS.SO WE'LL STILL HAVE THE SAME WORK BEING DONE. WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO CONSOLIDATE SOME THINGS.
SO SO THAT THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION BECAUSE WHEN WHEN THIS EXERCISE STARTED, IT OBVIOUSLY WAS DIFFICULT FOR ME BECAUSE I'VE, I'VE BEEN HERE A LONG TIME AND SO I, I, I KNOW EVERYBODY'S IT'S NOT JUST POSITIONS TO ME. I KNOW THEIR FAMILY, I KNOW THEIR SPOUSE, I KNOW THEIR KIDS, I KNOW THEIR PARENTS, YOU KNOW, THINGS LIKE THAT. SO IT I DIDN'T WANT IT TO BE EMOTIONALLY INVOLVED. SO I INTENTIONALLY REMOVED ALL PAY AND I INTENTIONALLY REMOVED ALL THE NAMES FROM EVERY SINGLE POSITION THAT I WAS REVIEWING. AND THEN I WAS GOING THROUGH AND I WAS SAYING, OKAY, IF THIS AND I LITERALLY I STARTED AT THE FIRST POSITION, I SAID, IF THIS POSITION IS REMOVED FROM THE CITY, WILL THE CITY NEED TO HIRE SOMEBODY BACK TO FILL THIS JOB IN THE NEXT 24 MONTHS? AND SO WHEN I GOT TO CITY MANAGER, I WAS LIKE, NO, THEY DON'T NEED A CITY MANAGER, SO I'LL JUST PUT A LINE THROUGH THAT AND SAY THAT. AND I LAUGHED, BUT IT WASN'T ME, BUT I SINCE I WAS MAKING A LIST, I THOUGHT I WOULD LEAVE MYSELF OFF OF IT.
BUT THE THE THE TRUTH OF IT IS I WENT THROUGH AND IT WAS POSITIONS THAT EITHER, YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT COUNTING SHIRTS, BLUE SHIRTS AND RED SHIRTS. OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T HAVE THAT POSITION. WELL ANOTHER ONE AND I'M, I USED IT AT THE LAST WORKSHOP. GARBAGE TRUCK DRIVERS.
THERE'S NO GARBAGE TRUCK DRIVERS THAT ARE BEING ELIMINATED. THE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE THE GARBAGE TRUCK DRIVERS, IF I HAD A GARBAGE TRUCK DRIVER QUIT TODAY, I WOULD NEED TO HIRE ANOTHER GARBAGE TRUCK DRIVER TOMORROW TO GET SOMEBODY BACK OUT THERE COLLECTING THE GARBAGE, BECAUSE I COULDN'T HAVE THAT POSITION, NOT OPERATE WITHOUT THEM.
SOMEBODY IN THAT SEAT, WHETHER THE PERSON I HIRED TOMORROW WAS MORE QUALIFIED THAN THE PERSON THAT WAS WORKING TODAY, OR LESS QUALIFIED THAN THE PERSON THAT WAS WORKING TODAY, HAD NO BEARING ON MY DECISION. IT WAS IS THIS POSITION ESSENTIAL FOR THE OPERATION OF THE CITY NOW IT GETS IT'S MORE COMPLICATED THAN JUST SAYING THAT BECAUSE YOU MIGHT HAVE. I'M GOING TO USE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT. WELL, I MIGHT HAVE AN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT THAT WORKS IN DEVELOPMENT. I MIGHT HAVE AN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT THAT WORKS IN WATER AND UTILITIES. WELL, I CAN'T SAY. WELL, I CAN JUST HAVE ONE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT DO BOTH JOBS BECAUSE THAT DOESN'T WORK. ONE HAS TO BE OVER HERE. ONE HAS TO BE OVER HERE. SO IT'S NOT JUST PICKING A NAME. AND THAT SOUNDS LIKE THERE'S TWO OF THOSE SO I CAN GET RID OF ONE OF THEM. IT WASN'T THAT IT WAS MUCH, MUCH MORE COMPLICATED. IT WAS, I MEAN, TO TELL YOU HOW MANY, HOW MANY NIGHTS I WAS UP TILL 3 OR 4:00 IN THE MORNING, GOING THROUGH IT, GOING THROUGH IT, LOOKING AT IT, TRYING TO ADJUST, TRYING TO FIGURE OUT. AND YOU KNOW, AND I'M MET WITH ALL THE DIRECTORS AND TALKED TO THEM AND WE WENT THROUGH THE BUDGET, WENT THROUGH EVERY SINGLE PERSON'S NAME IN EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT. AND WHAT DO THEY DO AND WHAT DON'T THEY DO? AND HOW CAN THEY DO IT? AND WHERE WOULD THEY DO IT? YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING. AND IT REALLY CAME DOWN TO NO MATTER WHAT, IF I HAD $1 TRILLION, IT'D BE GREAT.
I COULD SAY EVERYBODY HAS THEIR JOB, AND IF WE HAVE TOO MANY PEOPLE, SO WHAT? WE'LL JUST ALL BE HAPPY AND THE WORK WILL GET DONE AND IT WON'T MATTER. BUT THAT WASN'T THE SITUATION. IT WAS. THIS JOB NEEDS TO GET ACCOMPLISHED. WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO KEEP IT THE WAY IT IS NOW. AND QUITE FRANKLY, THAT WAS THE CASE. JOHN HATCH AGAIN, THE YOU GUYS MIGHT NOT KNOW HIM PERSONALLY, BUT HE'S THE PRESIDENT OF THE FIRE UNION. HE AND I REGULARLY MET ALL YEAR LONG. AND WAY BEFORE WE GOT INTO THESE BUDGET NEGOTIATIONS. I'M TALKING ABOUT LAST JANUARY OR FEBRUARY. I WAS SAYING TO JOHN, THE ECONOMIC WINDS ARE BLOWING. THIS IS NOT GOING TO BE THE SAME NEGOTIATIONS AS LAST YEAR. WE ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY MONEY NEXT SUMMER. I'M DOWN IN EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT. AS FAR AS REVENUE IS CONCERNED. THE REAL ESTATE MARKET HAS LITERALLY GONE INTO REVERSE. THE INTEREST THAT WE WERE GETTING ON OUR
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INVESTMENTS HAS DROPPED BY ALMOST TWO POINTS. I MEAN, LIKE, I COULD JUST SEE IT HAPPENING.AND SO I WOULD TELL JOHN AND EVERY ONE OF OUR MEETINGS, I'M NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY MONEY THIS SUMMER. SO I KNEW THIS WAS COMING. AND SO AS POSITIONS LEFT OR SOMEBODY LEFT, WE WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, DON'T FILL THAT POSITION BECAUSE I MIGHT NOT BE ABLE TO THAT MIGHT BE ONE OF THOSE POSITIONS THAT WE CAN USE FOR, YOU KNOW, TO, TO ADJUST THIS. AND SO I'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT A CONVERSATION THAT STARTED IN JUNE AND THAT I JUST STARTED LOOKING AT IT. IT'S A CONVERSATION THAT STARTED THE DAY AFTER WE ADOPTED THE BUDGET LAST YEAR. AND I'VE BEEN WATCHING IT AND TALKING ABOUT IT AND LOOKING AT IT AND TRYING TO MAKE SURE WE'RE SUSTAINABLE GOING FORWARD. AND OBVIOUSLY THE DAY AFTER THE BUDGET LAST YEAR, MY GOAL WAS WE WE NEED TO HAVE A BUDGET THAT DOES NOT INCREASE TAXES. AND I KNEW THAT THAT WAS GOING TO REQUIRE REDUCTIONS. AND AND IT DID. AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, AND I CAN TELL YOU GUYS MOVING FORWARD, IT'S IT'S WE UNLESS WE FIND A NEW ECONOMIC ENGINE THAT IS CONTINUED, THAT IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO BE THE CASE. YOU'RE GOING TO YOU'RE GOING TO FIND THAT. AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, THE CHARTS NOT UP THERE. AD VALOREM IS ONLY 36% OF THE BUDGET. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT ALL THOSE OTHER THINGS, ALL THOSE OTHER NUMBERS GO DOWN TO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE TALK ABOUT BUSINESS TAX RECEIPTS. WELL, IF THE ECONOMY GOES DOWN AND PEOPLE AREN'T OPEN AND BUSINESSES GUESS WHAT? BUSINESS TAX RECEIPTS ARE GOING DOWN TOO. AND IF PEOPLE AREN'T OPENING BUSINESSES AND THE ECONOMY IS GOING DOWN AND WE'RE AT BUILD OUT, SO THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANY CONSTRUCTION. SO ALL THOSE PERMITTING NUMBERS ARE GOING TO BE GOING DOWN, AND THEN ALL THOSE JOBS ARE GOING TO BE GOING DOWN. AND THERE'S NO NEW VALUE ON THOSE THINGS BECAUSE THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE ANY NEW TAXES. SO THE ONLY AD VALOREM INCREASES WE'RE GOING TO HAVE ARE PASSIVE APPRECIATION RATHER THAN ACTIVE APPRECIATION. SO HISTORICALLY, WHEN YOU KNOW, WHEN THE INDIGO GOT BUILT, THERE WAS $60 MILLION IN ACTIVE APPRECIATION BECAUSE A BUILDING THAT WAS A VACANT LOT TURNED INTO A $60 MILLION TAXABLE EVENT. WELL, THERE'S NO MORE VACANT LOTS, SO THERE'S NOT GOING TO BE A BUNCH OF $60 MILLION TAX EVENTS THAT HAPPEN IN OUR FUTURE. IT'S GOING TO BE BASICALLY THE SAME AS WE ARE. AND SO IN ANTICIPATING THAT, WE'VE BEEN GOING THROUGH AND LOOKING AT THE BUDGET AND AND FOLLOWING IT AND SAYING, OKAY, WHAT CAN BE STREAMLINED AND AND I PROBABLY SHOULDN'T SAY THIS BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S LIKE EVERYONE'S GOT THIS FEAR OF IT, BUT THERE'S THIS MACHINE LEARNING IS IS CREATING LOTS OF EFFICIENCIES THAT OVER TIME, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF MUNICIPALITIES THAT ARE HAVING, YOU KNOW, I TAKE A LOT OF THE PERSONAL STUFF OUT OF SERVICE AND HAVING IT BEING DONE, YOU KNOW, AS IN AN AUTOMATED FASHION. AND I'M NOT I'M NOT SAYING THAT THE CITY OF STUART IS GOING TO TURN INTO A POLICE PRESS SEVEN PLUS NINE. I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY WE WANT TO PROVIDE A COMMUNITY AND SERVICE, BUT WE'RE LOOKING EVERY DAY TO AUTOMATE AS MUCH AS WE CAN. AND I CAN TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, JOLIE, OVER THE COURSE OF THE LAST YEAR AND A LOT OF YOU KNOW ABOUT IT, BECAUSE WHEN WE IMPLEMENTED THE NEW SOFTWARE AS IT RELATES TO BUSINESS TAX RECEIPTS AND RESETTING UP THAT SYSTEM, WHEN WE COMPLETELY SWITCHED OVER AFTER 25 YEARS IN A DIFFERENT SYSTEM, THE PHONE RANG OFF THE HOOK. WITH PEOPLE FRUSTRATED WITH RESETTING UP AND GETTING INTO THE SYSTEM. BUT WE'RE ALREADY MORE THAN $100,000 AHEAD PER YEAR IN COLLECTION OF BUSINESS TAX, AND I'M ANTICIPATING THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO GO UP TO CLOSE TO 200,000 BY NEXT YEAR. AND THEN IF YOU, YOU KNOW, FOR TEN YEARS, THAT'S $2 MILLION IN REVENUE INCREASE, THAT THOSE SHORT TERM HEADACHES GENERATED FOR THE CITY. BUT BUT OVERALL, ALL OF THOSE NUMBERS ARE SUBJECT TO RECESSIONS AND AND ADJUSTMENTS.
AND SO AS WE STAND HERE, YES, THERE WAS PERSONNEL CUTS THAT HAD TO GET US TO 4.75. BUT THAT'S YOU KNOW, THAT'S HOW IT WORKS. I MEAN, IT CAN'T DO IT OTHERWISE. YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. YES. YES. OKAY. SO CAN YOU PUT BACK UP THAT PICTURE THAT HAS THE
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AVOCADO GREEN CHART IN THE. THE TALL ONE, THE VERTICAL VERTICAL ONE. I'M NOT SURE IF. YEAH. SO FOR THE RESIDENTS WHEN THEY HEAR OR WHEN WE APPROVE SOMETHING COME SEPTEMBER AND WITH HOMESTEAD AND OTHER THINGS WHAT WOULD BE THE AVERAGE. WHAT IS THAT NUMBER THAT IT'S GOING TO BE THE MAGIC NUMBER THAT SAYS THERE. THIS IS NOT WHAT THEY'RE SAYING. ON THAT PROPERTY VALUE A LITTLE. YEAH, I MIGHT HAVE MISSED IT. AND THE MORE THAT YOU PAY, THE BIGGER YOU PAY. DID I MISS SOMETHING. HE'S GOT HE'S GOT AN EXCEL SHEET. YEAH. THERE'S THERE'S YOU KNOW THAT'S A THAT'S DECEPTIVE BECAUSE YOU SEE. SO LIKE IN THE SECOND COLUMN FROM THE RIGHT THE LEFT, IT SAYS THE TOTAL SAVINGS IS, OH I CAN'T READ THAT 9000. WHAT 687 OKAY.THAT'S DIVIDED AMONG 1400 PEOPLE. RIGHT, RIGHT. YEAH. WE'RE TALKING INCREMENTAL.
THAT'S RIGHT. SO IF I TAKE WHAT THE EXCEL SHEET. SO IF I TAKE THE WEALTHIEST WEALTH, THE BIGGEST DEVELOPMENTS ARE SAVING. THOSE TEN ARE SAVING. EIGHT, EIGHT, SIX EIGHT, SEVEN. SO THE SECOND COLUMN IS I THINK IT SAYS $0.14 .149. THAT ONE. YEAH. YEAH. WELL I MEAN, ALSO I MEAN, INVERSELY, THOSE ARE THE LARGEST TAX CONTRIBUTORS AS WELL. SO YOU KNOW, I MEAN THAT'S WHAT KEEPS, YOU KNOW, OF THE 17 OR 18 MILLION OR WHATEVER TODAY IF WE'VE CHANGED THE MILLAGE AGAIN, WHATEVER THE NUMBER IS, THESE PEOPLE PAY, THE OVERWHELMING PREDOMINANCE OF THAT MILLAGE. IF WE'RE A LOT CLOSER TO FIVE, IT'S. THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH. YEAH. THAT CHARGE IS GOING TO SHRINK A LITTLE. AND AND THESE PEOPLE. RIGHT. THEY PAY TO PLAY. I MEAN OF COURSE THEY HAVE THE LARGER PORTION OF THE SAVINGS, BUT THEY'RE THE LARGER TAXPAYERS TOO, YOU KNOW. SO THEY, THEY, THEY'RE PAYING $288,000 IN TAXES. AND YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE THEM A $14,000 BREAK, BUT THEY THEY PAY $288,000 IN TAXES. SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO PAY TO PLAY. GROWTH DOESN'T PAY FOR ITSELF. AND HERE WE'RE GIVING THIS BIG THESE BIGGEST MULTIFAMILY. IT SURE AS HECK IS NOT GOING TO PAY FOR ITSELF IF WE GIVE THEM THE BIGGEST TAX BREAK ON MY OWN TAXES I WAS GOING TO SAVE. NOW, WITH YOUR NEW BUDGET, I'LL SAVE ONE HALF OF 1%. THAT'S HOW MUCH I'LL SAVE $2 A MONTH. THAT'S WHAT I'LL SAVE. I'M NOT SURE IT'S WORTH IT. JULIE, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THAT CHART? YES, THIS THIS IS A GOOD ONE. SO YOU'RE TELLING ME FOR THE OTHER ONE, THE EXCEL 1 TO $43 MILLION TAXABLE VALUE. THEY PAY 219,000 A YEAR IN THAT FORM. IF YOU DIVIDE 43 MILLION BY 1000 AND THEN MULTIPLY BY FIVE, THAT'S WHAT YOU GET. SO THE MILL IS 19,000 A YEAR 219. IMAGINE IF WE SPENT 45 MILLION ON BRIGHT LINE. IF WE ONLY GOT 10 TO 15,000 A YEAR. I AGREE WITH VICE MAYOR COLLINS THOUGH. SO YOU'RE YOU'RE CUTTING THE MILLAGE, BUT YOU'RE GIVEN FOR FIREFIGHTERS NOW IS THAT THREE FOR ABC SHIFT AND THEN ONE FLOATER. AND THAT SHOULD HELP YOU OVER TIME. NO IT'S IT'S ONE TO BALANCE THE SHIFTS AND THREE FLOATERS THREE. YEAH THAT'S RIGHT. AND THEN WHEN SEWALL'S POINT COMES UP NEGOTIATION THAT WOULD HELP IN 2028 2028 THAT'S THREE YEARS. THEN MY NEXT QUESTION IS DOES THE POLICE UNION LOCK IN THEIR CONTRACT FOR THREE YEARS, OR IS IT ALWAYS UP FOR NEGOTIATION? EVERY FISCAL YEAR, BOTH CONTRACTS ARE SIGNED AS THREE YEAR TERMS, BUT BOTH CONTRACTS UNDER UNION RULES HAVE THE ABILITY TO HAVE WHAT THEY CALL OPENERS. AND BOTH CONTRACTS INCLUDE SALARIES AS OPENERS. AND DOES THE COUNTY HAVE THAT AS WELL? JUST SO I'M FAMILIAR. YES. SO. THE COUNTY DIDN'T OPEN THEIR CONTRACT THIS YEAR, BUT THEIR THIRD YEAR. I THINK THIS IS THE THIRD YEAR THEY OPENED NEXT YEAR, I BELIEVE. LADIES FIRST. YOU CAN GO. OKAY. SO ONE THING I DO WANT TO SAY, AND I THINK IT WAS LOST OVER AND YOU HAD BROUGHT IT UP THE LAST BUDGET MEETING. THERE WERE STILL CUTS TAKING PLACE EVEN IF WE STAYED AT. NO. THERE WERE STILL CUTS FROM RIGHT ACROSS THE LINE. SO THE 4.75 JUST
[01:05:07]
ADDED ADDITIONAL. SO IT'S NOT THAT I JUST THINK THAT SOME PEOPLE THAT I'VE SPOKEN TO THINK THAT IF WE'D STAYED AT FIVE, THERE'D BE NO CUTS. AND THAT'S NOT REALLY TRUE. THERE WERE CUTS ANYWAY. I ALSO WANT TO GO GREAT JOB. THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE AND THE CITY MANAGER ALSO, YOU WORK HARD ON THESE BUDGETS. THEY'RE NEVER EASY AND I THINK WE ALL RECOGNIZE ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL OR ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL. IT IS DIFFERENT. I WANT I DON'T KNOW WHOSE IDEA IT WAS ABOUT THE FLOATER, BUT I THINK IT WAS YOURS, MIKE. AND I THINK THAT THAT WAS A REALLY GREAT WAY TO GO FOR ESSENTIAL PERSONNEL, UTILIZING FLOATERS AND TRYING TO CUT ON SOME OF THE OVERTIME. AND I WANT TO COMMEND THE VICE MAYOR, BECAUSE IT WAS REALLY HIS FORESIGHT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE REALLY NEED TO PULL BACK ON THE BRAKES A BIT. AND I THINK THAT THE CITY MANAGER CONFIRMED THAT TODAY WHERE EVERYTHING IS GOING DOWN, REAL ESTATE'S GOING DOWN, ALL OF THAT, AND WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED FOR THAT. AND I'D RATHER BE PREPARED FOR IT ON AN ONGOING BASIS EACH YEAR WHEN WE LOOK AT IT, RATHER THAN TWO YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, WE'RE CUTTING BACK LIKE 4% OF THE MILITARY TRYING TO SAVE MONEY AND TRYING TO TO RUN THE CITY BASED ON THIS. THIS GIVES US A TOOL TO BE ABLE TO RUN THE CITY AS IT SHOULD BE. BUT CUTTING BACK WHERE WE CAN AND BEING PROACTIVE AS TO THE WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS AND HOW THE ECONOMY WORKS, HOW THE REAL ESTATE GOES, ALL OF THAT REALLY HUNDRED THOUSAND HERE. IT DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU DO RIGHT NOW, THE BUDGET THAT'S PRESENTED TO YOU IS AT 4.75, AND IT'S GOT A, COLLINS SAID. IF YOU IF YOU WELL THEN IF YOU BUT YOU HAVEN'T DONE THAT YET. CORRECT. SO I MEAN I AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S FOUR OR 7 OR 11 WOULD COME TO LIKE NINE, NINE OR SOMETHING. IF IT'S FOUR EMPLOYEES YOU'RE CUTTING BASICALLY JUST SHIFTING MONEY. RIGHT? RIGHT. YOU'RE STILL YOU'RE STILL TAKING IT WOULD BE WHAT, FOUR. YOU'RE REALLY CAN YOU DO THAT MATH. WE'VE REDUCED THE BUDGET BY $761,000, AND WE'RE INCREASING IT BY 386. SO WHAT YOU HAD ALREADY REDUCED BY A MILLION? WELL, 917 WAS THAT 450 TO 4.75 WAS $917,000 REDUCTION. YOU HAD REDUCED FIVE. WELL, THAT'S JUST AD VALOREM, RIGHT? AS COMMISSIONER GIOBBI POINTED OUT, WE ALSO HAD OTHER REDUCTIONS IN OTHER COSTS. SO THERE WERE WHEN YOU GOT THE REQUEST, WE WE CAME INTO IT $3.9 MILLION OUT OF BALANCE, RIGHT? RIGHT. AT FIVE, BECAUSE REVENUES WERE DOWN RIGHT. EXPENSES ARE ONLY GONE UP. YOU HAD OTHER CUTS OTHER THAN AD VALOREM. ESSENTIALLY, THEY WERE NOT OUR CHOICE TO CUT THEM.THEY WERE CUT FOR US BY PEOPLE NOT SPENDING AS MUCH OR THE REAL ESTATE MARKET DRYING UP.
MACRO ECONOMIC EVENTS. RIGHT, EXACTLY. SO I'M JUST SO I WAS SHOCKED AT HOW FEW PEOPLE REALLY UNDERSTOOD THEIR TAX BILL. AND THIS IS THE TAX BILL. OKAY. AND TYPICALLY ONLY ABOUT A QUARTER OF THAT BILL IS PAID TO THE CITY. SO IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT. AND I DID DO THE CALCULATION FOR MYSELF. NOW WE'VE LIVED IN OUR HOUSE FOR 30 YEARS. SO WHAT CONFUSES PEOPLE IS IT'S SO OUT OF WHACK WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS BECAUSE YOU KNOW, YOUR HOME HAS AN APPROXIMATE VALUE BASED ON REAL ESTATE TRANSACTION, YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, AND THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE MARKET VALUE ACCORDING TO THE TAX ROLLS. AND IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ASSESSED VALUE. IN MY CASE, THE ASSESSED VALUES ARE JUST BARELY 25% OF WHAT THE ACTUAL VALUE OF MY HOME IS. SO REDUCING IT BY A QUARTER JUST TO GO THROUGH THIS, MY TOTAL TAX BILL IS $3,985 PROPOSED. 1060 OF THAT GETS PAID. WHAT'S YOUR ASSESSMENT? MY ASSESSED VALUE IS 212,000. ASSESSED VALUE IS 255, NOT THE TAXABLE. BUT I GET IT THAT WAY. NOBODY'S PAYING TAXES ON THEIR REAL ESTATE VALUE. NO, NO. BUT IT'S CONFUSING TO PEOPLE. VERY. YEAH.
WHEN THEY LOOK AT IT. YEAH. MINE'S LIKE THEY GO MY NEIGHBOR JUST SOLD FOR 800,000 AND IT SAYS HERE BUT HE'S NOT PAYING TAX. PEOPLE TRY TO OFFER YOU THAT. NO, NO, I UNDERSTAND THAT.
I UNDERSTAND THAT JENNY FIELDS WILL BE BY SOON TO. SO MY TAXES MY TAXES BEFORE THIS REDUCTION,
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MY OVERALL TAXES WOULD GO DOWN BY 1.32%. NOW MY TAXES WOULD STILL GO UP. THEY WOULD STILL BE HIGHER. AND THAT'S WHAT I WOULD SEE. OKAY, BECAUSE OF THE COUNTY'S TAXATION AND THE SCHOOL'S TAXATION AND THE CHILDREN'S SERVICES COUNCIL AND THE SOUTH FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT. BUT NOW MY TAXES WOULD GO UP BY. I'M JUST GUESSING IF WE SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE $2 A MONTH, $24 A YEAR. AND SO FOR $24 A YEAR, WE WANT THE PARKS TO BE LESS WELL TENDED. WE WANT THE BALL FIELDS TO BE LESS. WELL, I DON'T THINK ANYONE WOULD. YOU JUST ALLOW ME TO FINISH MY REMARKS? THANK YOU. SO I'M ACTUALLY CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE CATEGORIES, PLEASE? DR.LEE, IN TERMS OF VALUATIONS. SO WE SEE IT'S THE BAR GRAPH REALLY. OH SO I'M IN THE I'M IN THE 255 CAT. SO I'M UP TO 300,000 WHICH IS WHERE IS THAT 41,000. YEAH. YOU KNOW IT'S IT'S NOT THE LARGEST CATEGORY BUT IT'S RIGHT AFTER THE LARGEST CATEGORY. SO MY FRIEND WHO LIVES OVER ON PITTMAN. HER TOTAL TAXES ARE SHE'S LIVED IN HER HOUSE FOR 300. SHE GOT OFFERED $500 FOR 500,000 FOR IT. HER TAXES ARE $299. SHE WILL SAVE 65 $0.65 A MONTH. SHE'S IN THE SINGLE LARGEST CATEGORY. HER ASSESSED VALUE IS 100 GRAND, 100,000. SHE'S IN THE 16,001, 73 DIVIDED BY 37. SO HER TAXES WILL STILL GO UP. ALL SHE'LL SEE IS HIGHER TAXES. HER TAX FOR CITY TAXES ARE ONLY 25% OF HER OVERALL TAXES. SO, MADAM, HOW MANY EMAILS HAVE WE GOTTEN FROM INDIVIDUALS ASKING THAT WE LOWER THE MILLAGE? THAT WE LOWER? I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY. NOT A SINGLE PERSON HAS ASKED ME TO EVER ASK ME TO LOWER THEIR TAXES. YOU KNOW WHAT THEY ASKED ME? GET MILTON OVER HERE TO FIX THIS. COME PICK THIS UP. MOW THIS MEDIUM. I CALLED THE CITY.
I COULDN'T GET A CALL BACK. THEY WANT SERVICES. WE ARE NOT A POOR COMMUNITY. WE ARE A COMMUNITY THAT IS PROSPEROUS AND IS ABLE TO PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL OF SERVICE. AND FOR $0.50 A MONTH, MY 82 YEAR OLD FRIEND. WANTS TO KNOW THAT SHE CAN RELY ON THIS CITY TO TAKE CARE OF HER STREET, TO TAKE CARE OF OUR COMMUNITY AND WHAT WE'RE REALLY DOING HERE, THIS IS, IS WE'RE GOING TO CREATE RESENTMENT FROM THE BETWEEN THE RANK AND FILE AND PUBLIC SAFETY IS GOING TO SAY THE ONLY ACCOMMODATION THAT WAS MADE WAS FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND FOR NONE OF THE REST OF US.
AND I REALLY WORRY ABOUT THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S JUST WHEN THEY'RE DYING OF A HEART ATTACK.
THAT'S JUST HUMAN NATURE, MUCH MORE THAN THEY'LL CARE ABOUT MILTON COMING OUT WHEN THEY'RE DYING. ARE YOU FOR REAL? REALLY? PUBLIC SAFETY IS BY FAR THE LARGEST PART OF OUR BUDGET.
WHAT IS YOUR POINT? THE POINT IS, LET'S JUST KEEP IT AT FIVE. AND JUST TO CONCLUDE. SO COMMISSIONER CLARK AND I WENT UP THE FLOOR LEAGUE OF CITIES. AND THEY'RE OBVIOUSLY TALKING ABOUT THOSE ELEMENTS. THE STATE IS DOING EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO MAKE IT MORE DIFFICULT FOR CITIES TO RUN THEIR OWN AFFAIRS. AND THERE'S TWO WAYS THEY DO THAT. ONE IS THROUGH SB 180, THROUGH LIVE LOCAL ACT. BUT THE OTHER IS LIMITING THE ABILITY OF MUNICIPALITIES TO RAISE FUNDS. BY THE WAY, REPRESENTATIVE OBERDORF IS GOING TO BE HAVING A HEARING HERE IN TOWN. I THINK IT'S THE NINTH. DOES SOMEBODY KNOW SEPTEMBER 9TH? YOU CAN ATTEND THAT. HE'S HEAD OF THAT COMMITTEE. I'M SURE HE'LL ANSWER QUESTIONS. SO THERE ARE FIVE REFORMS THEY'RE CURRENTLY TALKING ABOUT. ONE IS REQUIRING A REFERENDUM ON THE QUESTION OF ELIMINATING PROPERTY TAXES ON HOMESTEAD PROPERTY. NEW 5000 HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION AND 1 MILLION HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FOR 65 AND OLDER AND 30 YEAR OWNERSHIP. I HAVE NO IDEA HOW THAT WOULD IMPACT THE CITY. IT WOULD IMPACT THE CITY, AND POSSIBLY QUITE DRAMATICALLY ALLOW LEGISLATURE TO INCREASE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION TO ANY VALUE. MODIFYING THE ASSESSMENT.
INCREASE LIMITATIONS 3% EVERY THREE YEARS AND 15% EVERY THREE YEARS. NON HOMESTEAD. THAT
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WOULD HAVE A DRAMATIC IMPACT ON THE CITY'S REVENUE. AND FINALLY AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE THIS ONE CAME FROM, BUT ELIMINATING FORECLOSURES ON HOMESTEAD PROPERTY DUE TO TAX LIEN. NOW THEY DON'T KNOW IF ALL OF THOSE ARE GOING TO PASS. THEY DOUBT BUT THEY KNOW SOME OF THEM ARE GOING TO PASS AND THOSE ARE GOING TO IMPACT OUR REVENUES. IF WE IT'LL BE REMARKABLE IF WE ARE ABLE TO RUN THIS CITY AND HOLD IT AT FIVE MILLS. SO WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS. I THIS IS THE MOST COUNTERINTUITIVE LOGIC I'VE EVER HEARD. IT'S LIKE A FIRE IS COMING FOR OUR CROP. LET'S BURN SOME OF IT DOWN OURSELVES FIRST, SO THAT WE KNOW WHAT A BURNT. I MEAN, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT. I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE NEED TO START REDUCING OUR REVENUES WHEN THEY ARE BEING REDUCED BY FOR US, BY EXTERNAL EVENTS. CORRECT? 65% OF THE PROPERTIES IN THIS CITY PAY. WHAT IS IT, $100 OR LESS? AND 20 WE DID. WHEN WE DID THE FIRE ASSESSMENT IN 2014, WE DETERMINED THAT 6500 PARCELS OUT OF 10,000 PARCELS PAID $100 OR LESS IN TAXES. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT NUMBER STILL HOLDS, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THE VALUES OF PROPERTIES HAVE CHANGED SINCE 2014, BUT I THINK JOLLY WELL. SO RIGHT NOW ALL THE STUDIES THAT WE DO IS ONLY ALL THEY'VE RELEASED IS THE 2024 FINAL CERTIFIED TAX ROLL. SO THIS 2025 TAX ROLL IS STILL IN FLUX.THAT'S WHY THE NUMBERS I'M TELLING YOU ARE CHANGING ON THE GRAPH BY THE, YOU KNOW, BY THE DAY. SO THE LAST TIME I LOOKED AT IT THE NUMBER WAS I WAS LOOKING AT TOTAL PROPERTIES.
THERE'S 9683 PARCELS IN THE CITY. AND YOU KNOW, 4800 OF THEM WERE UNDER $100. SO, YOU KNOW, JUST ABOUT HALF I MEAN, THIS IS A BENEFIT FOR THE BIGGEST MULTI-FAMILIES WE COMPLAIN ABOUT ALL THE TIME, THE BIGGEST, SOME OF THE BIGGEST COMPANIES IN THE UNITED STATES. AND THE WEALTHIEST. AND WHAT HAPPENS TO THE REST OF US IS JUST A DEGRADATION IN THE QUALITY OF SERVICES THAT THE CITY IS ABLE TO PROVIDE. I DON'T SEE THE NEED FOR IT AT ALL, AND I WOULD HOPE WE COULD JUST STAY AT FIVE. COMMISSIONER. I'M SORRY, MR. VICE MAYOR. SO TO THE POINT I MADE LAST TIME, THE THE CITY COMMISSION, RIGHT. WE CANNOT TELL OUR CITY MANAGER EXACTLY WHERE TO CUT AND WHAT TO CUT. THE ONLY REAL LEVER THAT WE HAVE TO PULL IS MILLAGE.
AND IT'S CLEAR THAT WHAT WE OFFERED, YOU KNOW, BRING US A FOUR, SEVEN, FIVE BUDGET.
ACCOMPLISH THAT. YOU YOU WENT THROUGH EVERYTHING AND YOU LOOKED AT IT AND YOU SAW WHERE THERE WAS OPPORTUNITY TO CUT SPENDING. AND YOU DID THAT. AND THE SECOND HALF OF, YOU KNOW, WHAT I BROUGHT UP TONIGHT IS WITHIN THAT BUFFER, PRIORITIZING PUBLIC SAFETY, SPECIFICALLY FIRE, AS THEY'VE BEEN DOING THE SKELETON CREW THING FOR A WHILE. THERE'S THERE'S LIKE A BIT OF COGNITIVE DISSONANCE GOING ON. IT'S LIKE WE CAN RECOGNIZE THAT THERE'S LESS INCOME COMING IN. AND TO YOUR EXAMPLE, IF YOU HAD A FARM, RIGHT, AND YOU HAD STAFF THAT WAS HELPING YOU AND YOU'VE GOT A LESS PRODUCTIVE CROP AND YOU KNOW YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO SELL AS MUCH OF THAT CROP, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE AS MUCH INCOME. YOU NEED TO START LOOKING AT WHERE YOU CAN STREAMLINE STAFF AND PERSONNEL SO THAT YOU DON'T GO IN THE RED AND HAVE TO CLOSE DOWN THE WHOLE THING. FROM YOUR OWN LIPS. MAYOR, YOU'VE ADMITTED CLEARLY IT LOOKS LIKE WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE AS MUCH INCOME COMING IN. SO THE ONE THING THAT THIS COMMISSION CAN DO, THE ONE LEVER WE CAN PULL IS TO SAY, CITY MANAGER, BRING US BACK A BUDGET THAT CUTS SPENDING. AND WE DO THAT BY ASKING THE MILLAGE TO BE DECREASED. HERE'S THE ALTERNATIVE. MAYBE THIS IS COUNTERINTUITIVE FOR YOU. IF YOU DON'T CUT SPENDING THIS YEAR AND YOUR INCOME CONTINUES TO DECREASE, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RAISE TAXES. AND MAYBE THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU. BUT AS A RED BLOODED AMERICAN CONSERVATIVE MAN, THAT'S NOT
[01:20:01]
OKAY WITH ME. SO WHEN YOU'RE FACING LESS REVENUE COMING IN, YOU CUT SPENDING SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO RAISE TAXES. AND IF WE DON'T START A NEW TRAJECTORY NOW, MY CONCERN IS WE'VE BEEN RIDING FIVE MILLS FOR SO LONG THAT THE NEXT STEP IS GOING TO BE RAISING TAXES.SO I APPRECIATE THE WORK YOU GUYS HAVE DONE IN BRINGING US A 4.75 BUDGET. I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT KIND OF MOTION I WOULD MAKE TO SEE A 4.75 BUDGET PLUS FOUR. AND FIRE RESCUE, AND THEN YOU WOULD COME BACK AT THE TRIM MEETING AND TELL US EXACTLY WHAT THAT MILLAGE LOOKS LIKE FOR APPROVAL. JUST TO BE CLEAR, WE WERE $3 MILLION IN THE RED, AND HE DID CUT. SO WHY YOU WANT TO PUT HIS $4 MILLION IN THE RED? BECAUSE THAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND. BECAUSE WITH THAT 0.25, HE WAS ABLE TO FURTHER CUT SPENDING. DOES THAT NOT MAKE SENSE? NO IT DOESN'T.
WE WERE ALREADY IN THE RED. HE HAD ALREADY CUT SPENDING. WE'VE KEPT IT AT FIVE. NOW, IF YOU'RE FACING LESS REVENUE NEXT YEAR, YOU'LL HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A BUFFER TO ME. JUST ROUGH MATH.
AND MY MATH IS I'M BACKING IT IN BASED ON 761, SO I DON'T TAKE THE CRA INTO IT. BUT IF I DIVIDE 761 BY 0.025 DOING THE MILLAGE RATE, THEN I GET AN ASSESSED VALUE OF 304 400,000.
AND THEN IF I MULTIPLY THAT BY 0.001232, I GET THE $375,000 THAT'S LEFT OVER BETWEEN THE COST OF THE FOUR FIREFIGHTERS AND THE COST OF 761,000, BECAUSE IT WAS 761 FIREFIGHTERS WERE 386. MULTIPLYING THAT, I GET ROUGHLY 375 TO EQUATE TO 375. IT'S 0.001232. BUT THAT DOESN'T TAKE INTO THE CRA MATH. BUT YOU'RE LOOKING AT CLOSE TO A .011 NUMBER, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. RIGHT. SO THEN I WOULD MOVE REDUCTION OR IT WOULD BE IT WOULD BE YOU'D END UP WITH 4.889897. THE EXACT NUMBER BOSS WITH THE CRA IS 4.8733. THERE YOU GO. OKAY. BUT I THAT'S A REALLY CLOSE HAIRCUT. THOSE THOSE T SHIRTS AND HATS STILL HAVE TO COME OUT TOO. AND AND I WILL TELL EVERYBODY IN THE ROOM. NEXT YEAR THE BUDGET WILL EXCEED IT BECAUSE THE CONTRACT HAS EXPENSES BUILT INTO IT THAT WILL GO UP HIGHER THAN THAT. AGAIN, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT OTHER CUTS DOESN'T HAPPEN OR THAT THERE'S OTHER REVENUE THAT BALANCES OUT. PROPERTY TAXES GET CUT IN THE STATE SETS UP A NEW ARRANGEMENT. THERE'S GOING TO BE A LOT TO FIGURE. WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT FOUR FIREFIGHTERS DON'T COST $386,000. PERPETUALLY. THEY THAT PRICE IS IS IT GOES UP. RIGHT. AND SO I JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT TO COVER THOSE PUBLIC SAFETY EXPENSES, PEOPLE NEED TO ANTICIPATE THAT THE FOLLOWING TO THE POINT OF OVERTIME. RIGHT. AND WE AND IT COULD BE THAT WE HAVE A REDUCTION IN OVERTIME THAT DOESN'T PLAY INTO THAT. SO THERE'S A LOT OF UNKNOWN VARIABLES THAT THAT WILL PLAY A ROLE IN THIS THAT I WILL NOT HAVE THE ANSWER TO UNTIL NEXT YEAR AT THIS TIME. INTEREST RATE. SO IT COULD BE I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION, ASK A QUESTION. CERTAINLY, COMMISSIONER CLARK. SURE. THANK YOU VICE. SO JUST TO BE CLEAR. MR. MARTELL, CAN YOU TELL THE PUBLIC THAT WE'RE NOT ELIMINATING ONE DEPARTMENT OR ANY DEPARTMENTS AT ALL? WE'RE ONLY MAKING CHANGES AND ADJUSTMENTS IN EACH DEPARTMENT THROUGHOUT THE CITY. YEAH, I, I DID NOT CANCEL PUBLIC WORKS OR OR ANY, ANY DEPARTMENTS. ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS STILL EXIST. HE WANTED TO GET RID OF FINANCE A COUPLE TIMES BECAUSE HE DIDN'T LIKE MY ANSWER, BUT THAT WAS ACTUALLY CANCELED. THERE WERE SEVERAL TIMES I TRIED TO CANCEL COMMISSIONERS, BUT THEY SAID I COULDN'T DO THAT EITHER. SAID WE COULDN'T DO THAT ONE EITHER. THERE YOU GO. BUT BUT THERE IS NO SINGLE DEPARTMENT BEING CANCELED. AND HONESTLY, I DIDN'T GO INTO THE EXERCISE EVEN LOOKING AT A SINGLE POSITION, I DIDN'T I DIDN'T SAY, I THINK THIS POSITION NEEDS TO GO WALKING INTO IT. I LITERALLY STARTED AT THE VERY FIRST POSITION, AND JOLENE KNOWS BECAUSE HE WAS THE SOUNDING BOARD FOR MOST OF IT, BECAUSE WE WENT THROUGH THE BUDGETS
[01:25:01]
WITH THE DIRECTORS OF EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT AND EVERY SINGLE POSITION. SO BEFORE THE BUDGET MEETING WITH THE DIRECTOR, I WOULD TALK TO JOEY ABOUT IT. DURING THE BUDGET MEETING WITH THE DIRECTOR, I WOULD TALK TO JOEY ABOUT IT, AND THEN AFTER THE BUDGET MEETING WITH THE DIRECTOR, I WOULD TALK TO JOEY ABOUT THOSE POSITIONS AND BOUNCING STUFF OFF OF HIM, NOT ASKING HIM TO DO IT, JUST ASKING HIM, WHAT'S THIS OR WHAT'S THAT? OR RUN THIS MATH FOR ME, OR RUN THAT MATH FOR ME. AND AND SO ALL OF IT WAS NONE OF IT WAS BASED ON, YOU KNOW, LOOKING FOR JOY. IT WAS ALL ECONOMIC AND COMPLETELY THIS IS GOT NO EMOTION IN IT AT ALL. DOES THIS CITY OF STUART HAVE THE ABILITY TO OPERATE WITHOUT THIS POSITION, AND IF SO, HOW AND WHAT NEEDS TO BE DONE TO MAKE UP FOR IT? THERE'S, THERE'S AND IT'S, IT'S IT'S NOT A I DON'T HAVE A LIST WRITTEN DOWN OF PEOPLE'S NAMES OR ANYTHING ANYWHERE. I'VE NEVER DONE THAT. THAT'S NOT IT'S NOT EVEN AND IT'S NOT EVEN FINAL BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE THE FINAL NUMBERS FROM YOU GUYS YET. SO AFTER TODAY'S MEETING THERE, THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL ADDITIONAL REVIEWS AND ADJUSTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT IT MEETS ALL THE CRITERIA. BUT THERE WAS NO THERE WAS NO POSITION THAT WAS IMMUNE AND THERE WAS NO POSITION THAT WAS IDENTIFIED AS BEING TARGETED. I APPRECIATE THAT IT CHIPS AWAY AT SOME OF THE HYSTERIA THAT THE TRASH WILL BE LEFT OUT. YEAH, THAT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN. AND THE TOILETS MIGHT BACK UP. WELL, THAT COULD HAPPEN, BUT THAT'S NOT GOING TO BE OUR FAULT. YEAH.SO I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE HAVE COMING BACK TO US AT THE TRIM MEETING THAT FOUR, SEVEN, FIVE BUDGET, BUT AMENDED WITH FOUR ADDITIONAL FIRE RESCUE THAT WOULD HAVE US LOOK AT A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT MILLAGE TO BE DETERMINED FOR THE NEXT MEETING. SO THAT MOTION SECOND, YOU, COMMISSIONER CLARK, WE HAVE A MOTION BY THE VICE MAYOR AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CLARK. WE WE CAN GO TO PUBLIC COMMENT. WE HAVE GREEN CARDS. MADAM CLERK. I HAVE NO GREEN CARDS. MAYOR, I HAVE ONE. OKAY. HI, ELLEN. MISS MCBRIDE. THANK YOU. I WILL SAY MISS MCBRIDE HAS BEEN IN MORE BUDGET MEETINGS THAN I HAVE. YES, THAT'S RIGHT, I HAVE. YOU WERE.
YOU WERE IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL WHEN I MOVED HERE. FOURTH GRADE. DON'T YOU FORGET IT. NO, I JUST I HAVE TO GET THAT LITTLE GET IN THERE. AS I SAID, MISS MCBRIDE, THIS WON'T BE TAKEN FROM YOUR TIME TO SPEAK. OKAY. THANK YOU. HELEN MCBRIDE AND FLAMINGO AVENUE. AS MIKE SAID, I'VE LIVED HERE FOR 52 YEARS. I'VE BEEN PAYING TAXES FOR 52 YEARS. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S SUCH A WONDERFUL CITY BECAUSE WE HAVE THE SERVICES AND I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU'VE DONE WONDERS WITH THE 5%. BUT TO ME, WITH THIS BUDGET, YOU'RE YOU'RE GOING TO HURT THE SENIORS, THE LITTLE PEOPLE, THE YOUNGSTERS. NOW, SOME OF YOU DO COME TO THE 10TH STREET REC CENTER. AND SOME OF YOU, I'VE NEVER SEEN YOU OVER THERE. THAT'S A FANTASTIC PROGRAM. IT'S BEEN A LIFESAVER TO ME. AFTER I LOST BOB TO GO OVER THERE. WE MEET EVERY DAY. WE HAVE WE HAVE FOOD, BUT WE HAVE THE SPEAKERS, WE HAVE DANCING. AND THEN EVEN WHILE WE'RE THERE AND THE OTHER ROOMS, THERE'S ACTIVITIES GOING ON. I MEAN, WE LOST THE CHILDREN, WHICH BROKE OUR HEARTS, BUT NOW IT'S ALL FOR THE ADULTS. BUT YET I, I'M LIKE THE MAYOR. YEAH. THE MAYOR. MY TAXES AREN'T GOING UP THAT MUCH. I MEAN, YOU'RE NOT BRINGING ME DOWN ANY. LIKE YOU SAID, IT WAS ONLY A COUPLE OF DOLLARS, BUT I'M WILLING TO PAY THAT FOR THE SERVICE I RECEIVED. I MEAN, NO MATTER WHO YOU TALKED AT. AND, YOU KNOW, I LIVE ON FLAMINGO AVENUE AND A COUPLE OF YOU COMMISSIONERS LIVE ON FLAMINGO AVENUE. BUT LIKE I SAY TO THE THE CITY WORKERS AND THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, I CAN'T UNDERSTAND WHY THEY'RE NOT KNOCKING ON YOUR DOOR ABOUT HAVING SOMETHING DONE. AND THEY'RE KNOCKING ON MY DOOR TO ASK ME IF I COULD DO SOMETHING.
AND NO ONE'S EVER IN THE CITY OF ALL THE WORKERS HAVE NEVER REFUSED TO HAVE SOMETHING DONE FOR MY NEIGHBORS. SO LEAVE IT. I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS YOU YOU WANT TO BRING IT DOWN? I MEAN, MAYBE IF YOU'RE RUNNING FOR REELECTION, IT'S GOING TO LOOK GOOD BECAUSE YOU CAN SAY, OH, I BROUGHT THE TAXES DOWN. BUT THINK OF THE PEOPLE, THE SENIORS, THE THE, THE HOUSEWIVES EVEN AND THE VETERANS. WE HAVE A LOT OF VETERANS AT OUR 10TH STREET REC CENTER. BUT PLEASE DON'T ATTACK JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE YOUNG AND YOU'RE YOU'VE GOT A PROFESSION AND YOU'RE GETTING ALL THAT MONEY COMING IN. WE SENIORS AREN'T. AND THE PARENTS WHO
[01:30:05]
HAVE YOUNG CHILDREN, THEY'RE NOT GETTING IT. BUT PLEASE JUST TRY TO THINK, IS IT WORTH THAT MUCH TO CUT ANY DEPARTMENT OR TO CUT THE SERVICE? MEMORIAL PARK. NOW, ONE OTHER THING. AND I WHEN I TALK TO PEOPLE, YOU WANT TO PUT A SKATEBOARD PARK OVER THERE ON 10TH STREET, BUT WHO'S GOING TO MAINTAIN IT? WHO'S GOING TO CUT THE GRASS, WATER THE GRASS, FIX ANYTHING THAT'S BROKE? IT'S GOING TO BE A CITY WORKER. BUT BECAUSE IT'S THE CITY COMMISSION WANTS IT DONE, IT'LL GET DONE. BUT THEN THE REST OF US LITTLE PEOPLE, IT WON'T GET DONE. THANK YOU.HERE, OFFICER. THANK YOU. MARK BRECHBILL, 406 SOUTHEAST FINNEY DRIVE, STUART, FLORIDA. 34996.
I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I'VE MADE THIS COMMENT BEFORE, BUT I'M GOING TO MAKE IT AGAIN. I THINK ACTUALLY THAT VICE MAYOR COLLINS HAS GOT THE RIGHT APPROACH FROM THE STANDPOINT OF HOW WE SHOULD APPROACH THIS TO GET A BETTER RESULT FROM FROM WHAT IS NOT NECESSARILY A REAL ESTATE TAX CUT, BUT A COST CUT. WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO PROVIDE, I THINK, IS A COST CUT FOR EVERYBODY. AND I THINK THAT MISS MCBRIDE HAS MENTIONED THAT YOU KNOW, IT. FOR MOST OF THE PEOPLE IN THIS COMMUNITY, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A BIG IMPACT IF WE STAY IN THE REAL ESTATE MARKET, IF WE GET OVER INTO THE SERVICES AREA. NOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING THAT CAN MAYBE HAVE AN IMPACT. $12 ON YOUR MONTHLY SERVICES IS A BIGGER DEAL THAN $12 ON YOUR REAL ESTATE TAXES. RIGHT. AND AND ALSO, THERE'S PEOPLE WHO WOULDN'T BE GETTING ANY BENEFIT ON THE REAL ESTATE TAXES. AND THEY ARE GETTING THE BENEFIT OFF OF A SERVICE CUT. PLUS, A SERVICE CUT IS A ONE YEAR THING. WE CAN ADJUST IT NEXT YEAR IF THE NUMBERS CHANGE. BUT AS FAR AS THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THESE PEOPLE ON WE GET THE SAVINGS ON THIS FLOATING IDEA AND THAT'S A GREAT IDEA. BUT NEXT YEAR THAT SAVINGS HAS GONE AWAY BECAUSE A LITTLE BIT OF IT'S GONE AWAY. AND EVERY YEAR A LITTLE BIT OF IT'S GONE AWAY BECAUSE THE CUT IS NOT A CUT CUT, IT'S JUST A REDISTRIBUTION INITIALLY. AND THEN IT'S GOING TO THE GROWTH'S GOING TO CATCH UP. SO I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND FOR THAT TYPE OF THING. BUT BUT I THINK THAT IF WE IF WE KEPT THE MILLAGE AT FIVE, MAKE THE CUTS WE'RE STILL LOOKING AT, BUT PUSH THOSE CUTS BACK LIKE THE VICE MAYOR WAS SAYING, PUSH THOSE CUTS BACK INTO UTILITIES AND AND THE FIRE FEE THAT PEOPLE PAY AND SOME THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT WOULD PUT MONEY IN PEOPLE'S POCKETS. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD HELP. THEY WOULD SEE THAT. PLUS IT'S NOT ON THE BUDGET. IT'S NOT ON THE BILL. I THINK THE MAYOR MENTIONED THAT, YOU KNOW, THE BILL IS GOING TO STILL SHOW A BIG NUMBER, RIGHT? BUT IF WE'RE ACTUALLY GIVING PEOPLE A CUT THAT SHOWS UP ON A BILL THEY GET EVERY MONTH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN BE REALLY WORTHWHILE AND PEOPLE COULD SEE A BENEFIT FROM THAT. SO I WOULD JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. WE DO NEED SOME TIME. IT'D BE NICE IF SOME OF THESE CUTS ARE TEMPORARY, WHICH IS NOT PERSONNEL. YOU KNOW, IT'S BE NICE IF SOME OF THESE CUTS WERE TEMPORARY SO THAT WE CAN SEE WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. AND WHEN WE DO SEE WHAT, WHAT'S HAPPENING, THEN WE CAN MAKE THE PERMANENT CUTS THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO MAKE. BECAUSE I AGREE, I THINK THAT WE'RE PROBABLY AT SOME POINT HERE GOING TO SEE A BIG REVERSAL. WE'VE ALREADY HAD A PROBABLY A 30% REDUCTION IN REAL ESTATE VALUES. SO THAT'S GOING TO HAVE A BIG NUMBER, BIG EFFECT ON BUDGET. SO ANYWAY, I JUST ENCOURAGE YOU THAT. AND AND JUST REMEMBER AS A CPA ALWAYS LEARNED IT'S YOU CAN'T CUT YOUR WAY TO PROSPERITY. IT'S ALL ABOUT REVENUE. AND THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO AFFECT US IN THE LONG RUN. IT'S ALL ABOUT REVENUES. WHAT'S AFFECT US THIS YEAR? WHAT'S AFFECT US IN THE NEXT YEAR. ALL WE DO IS TAX. THANK YOU. NO FURTHER COMMENTS.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS ON THE COMMISSION COMMISSIONER I WOULD SAY MOTION. YEAH. AS FAR AS FIRE INSPECTIONS, IT'D BE NICE IF THEY DID ALL OF THE BUSINESSES AND NOT JUST CERTAIN BUSINESSES IF WE HAD A FIRE INSPECTOR AND I CAN SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THAT PERSONALLY. MY PRESCHOOLS GET DONE EVERY YEAR AND SOME OF OUR OTHER BUSINESSES, WHETHER THEY'RE IN MY FAMILY OR MY COUSINS, THEY DON'T GET DONE CONSISTENTLY. YES, I'M TELLING ON MYSELF, BUT I KNOW IT DOES NOT GET DONE CONSISTENTLY. AS FAR AS THE BUSINESS TAX RECEIPT, I SIGNED IN AND I GAVE UP, AND I WALKED DOWN TO THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT AND PAID THE BUSINESS TAX RECEIPTS IN PERSON BECAUSE THE SYSTEM WAS WAY TOO COMPLICATED. LIKE MIKE HAD SAID EARLIER, AND I GAVE UP. AFTER A MINUTE, I CAN WALK DOWN TO MARTIN COUNTY TO PAY MY BUSINESS TAX RECEIPT
[01:35:02]
AND CUT THAT PORTION OFF AND BRING THEM A CHECK AND BE IN AND OUT WITHIN 2 TO 3 MINUTES.ABSOLUTELY. AND I JUST FIGURED OUT, WELL, IT'S NOT THAT I COULDN'T FIGURE IT OUT. TIME IS MONEY. SO I COULD SIT ON THE WEBSITE AND CHECK ALL THESE CHECK BOXES AND GO THE DISTANCE.
BUT MY TIME IS SOMETIMES IS MORE VALUABLE. SO I DON'T THINK IT'S EFFICIENT IN MY OPINION.
SO. YEAH, I MEAN THAT'S A GOOD POINT. IT'S, IT'S YOU KNOW, THIS IS POLITICS AT ITS WORST.
WE AT WE HAD THE SKATE PARK 500,000. WE'RE TOLD THEY'RE GOING TO RAISE THE MONEY. WE'RE TOLD THEY DIDN'T RAISE A SINGLE DIME. AND THE COST ACTUALLY COMES IN AT CLOSER TO 650 TO 700,000. DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH THAT? WE HIRE WE HIRE AN ENVIRONMENTAL ATTORNEY. THAT'S A GREAT COMMITMENT TO MAKE THAT. WE TALK TO HER AT ALL ABOUT WHAT HER EXPECTED COSTS ARE. NO, SHE'S HER HER COST IS NOT JUST 165 HER SALARY. SHE IT'S GOING TO COST $250. IT'S GOING TO COST EVERY BIT OF THAT $300,000 THAT WE HAVE ALLOTTED TO HER FOR HER TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THAT POSITION. SO WE CAN PRETEND WE CAN ADD THIS, WE CAN ADD THAT. OH, AND WE CAN CUT YOUR TAXES. WE'RE NOT ACCEPTING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DECISIONS WE'RE MAKING. THAT'S WHAT I SEE. AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, A SOURCE OF REGRET FOR ME. BUT ROLL CALL PLEASE.
COMMISSIONER GIOVI. YES, COMMISSIONER. CLARK. YES, VICE MAYOR COLLINS. YES, COMMISSIONER. REED. YES. AND MAYOR RICH. NO. SO MIKE WILL GO FORWARD AND CONSIDER THIS AND BRING IT BACK. WHAT? WHAT I'M PLANNING TO DO IS TO RETURN HERE ON SEPTEMBER 8TH WITH A BALANCED BUDGET. AND THE SCRIPT THAT HAS THE NEW MILLAGE RATE AT 4.87775 FOR WHATEVER IT WAS.
NO, NO, TAKING INTO ACCOUNT WHATEVER IT COSTS FOR THE FOUR. AND THEN WE WILL ADD TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY BECAUSE DON'T FORGET WITHIN THE BUDGET THERE'S 12 SUB BUDGETS. SO THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET IS GOING TO GO FROM WHATEVER AMOUNT IT'S TOTAL COSTS ARE NOW TO WHATEVER THE NEW AMOUNT IS WITH THE FOUR EMPLOYEES IN IT. AND THEN I'M GOING TO SHIFT THE REVENUES THAT COME FROM THE INCREASE FROM 4.75 TO 4.9 INTO THE PUBLIC SAFETY REVENUES TO BALANCE THAT BUDGET AMOUNT AS WELL, ULTIMATELY RESULTING IN A BALANCED BUDGET. THANK YOU.
[COMMENTS BY CITY COMMISSIONERS]
MIKE. OKAY. WE HAVE COMMENTS BY CITY COMMISSIONERS. NOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO START COMMISSIONER? SURE. OKAY. THE ONLY COMMENT I HAVE IS THAT BUDGET TIME IS DIFFICULT FOR EVERYONE IN ANY MUNICIPALITY, EVEN IN CORPORATE AMERICA. BUT WE'RE A SMALL CITY, AND I THINK THAT WE REALLY DO NOT NEED TO PORTRAY DOOMSDAY TO THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE AND THINK THAT THEY'RE WORRIED ABOUT LOSING SERVICES TO THE RANK AND FILE, IT IS NOT NECESSARY. IT REALLY IS NOT TO DO A DOOMSDAY. PEOPLE ARE GOING TO THINK THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GET ANYTHING, BUT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GET ANY SERVICES FROM CERTAIN DEPARTMENTS. IT IS UNNECESSARY. AND IT IS JUST UNCONSCIONABLE. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER REED. MAYOR RICH, I UNDERSTAND YOU SAID WE'VE NEVER HAD ANY COMMENTS FOR ANYONE WANTING TO REDUCE THEIR TAXES. I CAN'T SEND YOU AN EMAIL OR CALL YOU AND TEXT YOU. THAT'D BE A SUNSHINE VIOLATION. BUT I WILL TELL YOU, NO, I JUST ASK. I UNDERSTAND THAT AND I CAN'T, I JUST ASKED, OKAY, WELL, I'M JUST LETTING YOU KNOW I WOULD LIKE FOR MY TAXES TO GO DOWN. PERSONALLY, I WORK ANYWHERE FROM 4 TO 6 MONTHS OUT OF THE FISCAL YEAR JUST TO PAY TAXES, WHETHER THAT'S INCOME TAX, PROPERTY TAX, SALES TAX, THE WHOLE NINE YARDS. SO YOU'RE WELCOME. MR. CLARK, DO YOU HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL COMMENTS, MR. VICE MAYOR, SIR? WHAT? NO, SIR. NO, I HAVE NONE. I WE REALLY NEED TO HAVE APPROVAL OF THE[APPROVAL OF AGENDA]
AGENDA. OH YEAH. AND WE HAD COMMENT. ARE THERE ANY ADDITIONAL APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA, MADAM CLERK? WHAT SHE WANTS YOU TO GO THROUGH. OKAY. CAN I GET A MOTION FOR APPROVAL? SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION BY THE VICE MAYOR. SECOND, BY COMMISSIONER CLARK. ANY PUBLIC COMMENTS? SEEING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ARE THERE ANY OTHER MADAM CLERK COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? NO, I HAVE NO FURTHER COMMENTS. OKAY* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.