[1. Call to Order]
[00:00:03]
TODAY IS THURSDAY THE 16TH OF APRIL, 2026, AND I CALL THIS SPECIAL BUDGET MEETING.
TO ORDER ONLINE WITH THIS, THIS EVENING IS THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR, THE TOWN ACCOUNTANT, AS WELL AS THE PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR, UH, THE DEPUTY PUBLIC WORKS DIRECTOR AND THE ASSISTANT CHIEF OF POLICE.
I WILL NOW CALL THE ROLE OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS IS THE COUNCIL MEMBER FROM WARD ONE.
PRESENT PRESENT, COUNCIL MEMBER WARD TWO.
COUNCIL MEMBER FROM WARD THREE, PRESENT.
SEEING SIX OF THE TOWN, SEVEN ELECTED OFFICIALS PRESENT, WE HAVE A QUORUM TO CONDUCT BUSINESS.
UH, THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS IS 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.
COUNCIL, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GARCES IS NOT ABLE TO JOIN US TONIGHT.
IS THERE A MOTION TO EXCUSE HIM? MOTION TO EXCUSE COUNCILMEMBER GARCES.
THE MOTION IS MADE BY COUNCIL MEMBER FRY AND SECONDED BY THE VICE MAYOR.
ANY DISCUSSION, HEARING KNOWN? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? THE MOTION PASSES.
COUNCIL MEMBER GAR IS EXCUSED.
[3. Approval of Agenda]
DO WE HAVE AN AGENDA FOR THIS MEETING THAT WE NEED TO APPROVE? THERE IS AN AGENDA AND ITEM THREE SAYS, APPROVAL OF AGENDA.SINCE WE'RE ON ITEM THREE ON THE AGENDA, IS THERE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA AS PRINTED? MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA.
THE MOTION WAS MADE BY VICE MAYOR BRENER AND SECONDED BY COUNCIL MEMBER FRY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION OF THE MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA? HEARING NONE.
ANY OPPOSED? ANY ABSTENTIONS? THE MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO, AND WE HAVE AN AGENDA FOR THIS MEETING.
[5. Departmental Budget Review]
I WILL NOW PASS THE MICROPHONE TO THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR, DELAINE GALLOWAY, WHO WILL INTRODUCE, UH, THE BUDGET ITEM TO BE DISCUSSED, AND I THINK PROMPTLY TURN THE DISCUSSION OVER TO THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I HOPE YOU ALL ARE DOING WELL TODAY.
WELL, IT IS THE TIME OF THE YEAR THAT WE ALL LOVE, OF COURSE, IS BUDGET SEASON.
UM, I SAY THAT JOKINGLY BECAUSE WE HAVE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS TO MAKE IN THIS, IN, IN THIS BUDGET YEAR.
WE'VE MADE A LOT OF TOWN STAFF AND I'M SATISFIED WITH THE PROGRESS THAT WE'VE MADE, BUT WE WILL NEED GUIDANCE FROM YOU ALL AT A CERTAIN POINT.
UH, TONIGHT, UH, WE WILL HAVE THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT PRESENT THEIR DEPARTMENT FOLLOWED BY, UH, THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT.
THAT MEANS, UH, THE GENERAL CONTRACTUAL GOVERNMENT, THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL BUDGET, THE GENERAL ADMINISTRATION AND COMMITTEE AND DEBT SERVICES.
WE WILL THEN HAVE A BRIEF OVERVIEW OF REVENUE, UH, FROM DIANE MOCK, AND THEN WE WILL MAKE A RECOMMENDATION FOR, UH, WHAT THE RATE SHOULD BE SET AT AND RECOMMENDATIONS FOLLOWING ABOUT THE FUND BALANCE.
SO, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WILL, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME RIGHT NOW? OKAY.
WELL, WITH ALL FURTHER ADO, I WILL TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO, UH, DIRECTOR BRAMAN AND THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT.
GOOD EVENING, MR. MAYOR, TOWN, COUNCIL TOWN OF, UM, WE HAVE A POWERPOINT, AND I BELIEVE GISELLE WAS GOING TO UPLOAD FOR US, AND THEN WE'LL DIG INTO THE NUMBERS AFTER THE POWERPOINT.
ARE YOU ABLE TO GET THAT UP AND RUNNING?
[00:05:08]
MADAM CLERK? WE DON'T SEE YOUR SCREEN SHARING IF YOU'RE TRYING TO SHARE.UH, AJA IS SUPPOSED TO BE, UM, SHARING IT.
UM, MS. PROM, ARE YOU ABLE TO SHARE A SCREEN? PARDON MY CONFUSION ON THAT? LET ME SEE.
YOU COULD FULL SCREEN THAT, PLEASE AND PUT IT IN THE PRESENTATION MODE.
WELL, LET ME GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THE FY 27 BUDGET BUDGET PRESENTATION FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF UH, PUBLIC WORKS.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, THIS IS ACTUALLY THE, UH, TRUCK THAT WE, UH, WERE ABLE TO OBTAIN, OR THAT'S OUR MOST RECENT TRUCK.
UM, SO WE'RE NOT ASKING FOR ONE OF THOSE THIS YEAR.
IN FACT, OUR CAPITAL, UH, OUR CAPITAL, UH, REQUESTS ARE, ARE, ARE VERY LOW.
UM, BUT WE WANTED TO SHOW THAT THAT IS OUT ON THE STREETS.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S WORKING GREAT.
AND, UH, WE, WE THANK YOU FOR, UH, FOR YOUR SUPPORT ON THAT.
SO, WHAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO IS ALIGN STAFFING, TRAINING AND PREPAREDNESS, UM, WITHIN THE BUDGET AND OF COURSE WITHIN FUNDING PARAMETERS.
UH, THIS YEAR IS A, UH, TIGHT YEAR.
UM, SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE ARE, ARE TWO AREAS, UH, THAT WE, UH, ARE, ARE FOCUSED ON.
AND OF COURSE, RESPONSIVENESS IS ALWAYS SOMETHING THAT WE, UH, LOOK TO STRIVE TO ACHIEVE, AS WELL AS IMPROVE, UM, OPERATIONAL INVESTMENTS.
UM, WE, WE ARE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, BALANCE THE ROUTINE SERVICES, UH, AS LONG WITH, WITH CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
I WOULD POINT OUT THE, UH, THE TRUCKS, THE TRASH TRUCKS THAT YOU'VE BEEN SUPPORTIVE OF OVER THE YEARS HAS ALLOWED US, UH, TO, UH, UH, TO HAVE MORE RELIABLE STARTS IN THE MORNING.
UM, JUST SO YOU KNOW, THERE WERE MANY TIMES WE WERE JUGGLING, UH, MULTIPLE TRUCKS, UH, UH, BEING OUT AT THE TIME.
THE INFRASTRUCTURE OR THE INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS LARGELY ARE, UH, UH, TIED TO THE HIGHWAY USER REVENUE, UM, WHICH WE HAVE SOME YEARS BACK.
BUT, UH, WE'VE ALREADY STARTED SPENDING THOSE DOWN.
AND AS I'VE UH SAID BEFORE, WE'RE SPENDING A LOT OF THOSE DOWN ON THE EAST SIDE.
UM, I'LL GET INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE, UH, DETAIL ON THAT.
UM, FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP AND GRANTS.
WE'VE BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL I THINK OVER THE PAST COUPLE YEARS WITH OBTAINING SIGNIFICANT AMOUNTS OF, UH, UH, LET'S SAY, UH, OUTSIDE MONEY OR OTHER PEOPLE'S MONEY, UH, TO ASSIST WITH VARIOUS THINGS.
AND WE'RE GONNA TOUCH UPON THAT HERE IN A MINUTE.
LAST YEAR, OR, UH, SHOULD I SAY THIS YEAR, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO COMPLETE SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT WE'RE PROUD OF.
THE, UH, THE BOYD PARK GATE IS NOW UP AND RUNNING, AND WE HAVE A PICTURE OF IT THERE.
AND SO THAT NOT ONLY IMPROVES THE SAFETY, UH, UM, UM, OF THE PARK, BUT WE THINK THAT ALSO, UH, HELPS OUT WITH THE PARK ITSELF AS WELL AS, UH, THE RESIDENTS AND VISITORS.
THE BOYD PARK PLAYGROUND ACTUALLY OPENED IN FY 26 AS WELL.
WELL, THAT WAS DUE TO THE COMMUNITY PARKS AND PLAYGROUNDS GRANT, WHICH WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT I RECALL US GOING AFTER THAT GRANT.
AND WE WERE SUCCESSFUL AT GETTING THAT.
UM, THAT'S EVEN AFTER WE WERE TOLD WE PROBABLY WOULD NOT.
UM, AND SO WE'RE GRATEFUL FOR THAT.
AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR DECISION ON THE SURFACING ON THAT.
AND OF COURSE, UH, THE 62ND PLACE SIDEWALK INSTALLATION, THIS WAS A LONG, UH, OUTSTANDING REQUEST FOR ACCESS, UM, AND WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS, UH, WITH HIGHWAY USER REVENUE.
WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THOUGH IS, IS THAT WE DID LEVERAGE, UH, COUNTY PROJECT MANAGEMENT WITH ACTUALLY SOME ENGINEERS AND, AND SOME OTHERS THAT, UH, SIGNIFICANTLY HELPED OUT, PARTICULARLY WITH THAT RETAINING WALL.
BUT I'M QUITE PROUD THAT WE WERE ABLE TO PUT UP WHAT I THINK IS A PRETTY GOOD LOOKING WALL, UH, CONSIDERING THE, UH, THE ENDEAVOR.
UM, UH, THIS WAS A COMPROMISE WITH THE COUNTY, THOUGH.
MY FIRST REQUEST WAS FOR THEM TO HELP US OUT WITH THE KILMER, A DA, UH, ACCESS, UH, RAMP.
UM, THAT'S A MUCH LARGER PROJECT.
IF WE COULD GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, THOUGH.
[00:10:01]
UPCOMING PROJECTS AND PLANNED INVESTMENTS.UH, SO WE HAVE ROAD PROJECTS THAT ARE CURRENTLY UNDERWAY RIGHT NOW.
UM, I'VE BEEN TALKING FOR SOME TIME ABOUT, UH, COMBINING OUR ASPHALT ON THE EAST SIDE WITH THE TASK ORDER 2 0 1 ASPHALT AND OVERLAY.
WE'VE COORDINATED EXTENSIVELY WITH THEM.
UM, WAYNE PLACE HAS ALREADY, UH, BEEN, UH, PATCHED UP WITH BASE PATCHING AT THE MILLING AND, UH, RESURFACING.
I BELIEVE IT'LL BE COMPLETED NEXT WEEK, 63RD AVENUE.
WE ALREADY HAVE CURB AND GUTTER WORK, UH, THAT'S ALSO GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF APRON WORK, UH, DONE ON IT.
UM, AND WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING SOME FEEDBACK, BUT THAT HAS STARTED.
AND I JUST WANT EVERYONE TO KNOW THAT'S A VERY BUSY ROAD.
WE'RE GONNA DO OUR BEST TO, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE FLYERING THEM AS WELL AS TRYING TO INTERACT WITH, UH, INDIVIDUAL HOUSES, TRYING TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE THE, THE LEAST AMOUNT OF IMPACT AS POSSIBLE.
BUT THERE WILL BE, THERE WILL BE IMPACTS, BUT IT'LL BE HOPEFULLY, UH, QUICK AND OVER WITH.
AND THEY'RE GONNA HAVE, THAT'S GONNA BE A COMPLETELY REBUILT ROAD, LAUREL AVENUE AND INWOOD STREETS.
UM, THERE'S AREAS THAT WSCC ARE DOING, AND THERE'S AREAS THAT WE ARE DOING, SO WE'RE LOOKING TO, UH, TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE AS MUCH OF THOSE AREAS, UH, PAVED OVER AS WELL WITH, UH, NEW ASPHALT AND OVERLAY.
UM, ADDITIONALLY TOO, WE HAVE A BRIDGE.
UM, I WOULD ALWAYS RECOMMEND MUNICIPALITIES NEVER OWN A BRIDGE, BUT WE DO OWN A BRIDGE.
AND THAT'S OVER, UH, THE, UH, 64TH AVENUE.
UM, WE GET A, UH, UH, BIANNUAL OR EVERY TWO YEARS, A BRIDGE INSPECTION.
UM, THIS YEAR WE, WE DO NEED TO MOVE ON SOME BRIDGE MAINTENANCE.
UM, OUR BRIDGE IS IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE, BUT WE'RE GONNA BE USING HIGHWAY USER REVENUE FOR THAT AS WELL.
AND THEN THE ONE, UH, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT TIED TO PROGRAM OPEN SPACE THAT WE'LL BE PROPOSING IS TO COMPLETE THE WALKING TRACK.
AND WHILE WE HAVEN'T, OR I GUESS YOU COULD, THERE A LITTLE BIT OF IS, IS OPEN AT THIS POINT, BUT, UH, AS PART OF THE ELY BUILDING, A SIGNIFICANT PORTION, UH, JUST UNDER HALF OF THE TRACK, UH, WAS PUT IN WITH A, UH, RUBBERIZED, UH, SURFACE, MAKING IT A, UH, UH, A MUCH BETTER TRACK THAN WHAT WAS THERE BEFORE.
UM, WE'RE GONNA BE PROPOSING, TRYING TO CONNECT THAT ALL THE WAY AROUND, UM, THE, UH, TOWN PARK FIELD.
WE CAN GET INTO THAT IN A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL.
UM, IF WE CAN GET THIS VIDEO GOING, THESE ARE STILL THINGS.
SO THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE, SEPTEMBER 20TH, 2020 ON PARKWAY, PARKWAY AND FOREST.
UM, AN AMAZING VIDEO THERE WHERE YOU FIND THAT CARS ARE ACTUALLY FLOATING.
UM, WHILE WE HAVE DONE, AND WE CAN MOVE ON AFTER THAT PLACE TO THE NEXT SLIDE, BUT, UM, WE USE THAT AS, AS AN, AS A PRIMARY, UH, CONCERN OF MOVING FORWARD WITH THIS FEMA PROJECT.
UM, WE'RE STILL WORKING TO GET THROUGH THE HOOPS WITH THIS, UH, FEMA PROJECT, BUT, UM, THAT DID BRING US, UH, $1.668 MILLION, AND WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE A MATCH THROUGH CIS AND THE CLEAN WATER PARTNERSHIP.
SO THAT'S ABOUT $2.2 MILLION IN, IN, UH, OUTSIDE MONEY THAT'S COMING IN.
UM, IT'S NOT FOR CONSTRUCTION, IT'S FOR DESIGN, BUT IT IS GOING TO STUDY OUR STORM WATER MANAGEMENT, UH, SYSTEMS, UH, THROUGHOUT TOWN, PARTICULARLY THE STORM DRAINS.
AND SO WHY I SHOWED THAT VIDEO IS 'CAUSE I THINK WE DID GET SOME IMPROVEMENTS TO THAT INTERSECTION THAT HAS NOT HAPPENED AGAIN, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO LEVERAGE THAT EVENT, AND SO WAS A TRAGIC EVENT.
THERE'S OTHER AREAS, TOO THAT WERE, YOU KNOW, HIT PRETTY HARD, LIKE NEWTON, UM, AND, AND SOME OF THAT.
BUT WE'RE U WE'VE USED THAT TO TRY TO LEVERAGE THIS.
AND, UH, I, I THINK THIS IS GONNA GIVE US A LOT OF INFORMATION FOR US TO MOVE FORWARD WITH EITHER, UH, UH, SOME OF OUR OWN PROJECTS WITH, UH, UH, LARGER PROJECTS OR POTENTIALLY POINTING THE COUNTY TO WHERE THEY NEED TO IMPROVE THEIR OWN STORM.
UH, UH, UH, THEIR STORM DRAIN SYSTEM, THE LOWER BEAVER DAM, UH, CREEK WATERSHED IS A, IS A GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED, UM, FOR A HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.
UM, WE NEED TO GET THIS JUMP STARTED.
THIS IS THE, UH, THE STUDY OF THE EROSION AND THE FLOODING ALONGSIDE, UH, FOREST ROAD, UH, PAST TOWN HALL, UM, UH, AND UP AGAINST ROUTE 50.
AND SO WE'RE ONBOARDING, UH, THE LOW IMPACT DEVELOPMENT CENTER, UM, EMILY AND CHARLIE TO, UH, HELP US JUMPSTART THIS IN CONJUNCTION WITH ECHO SITE.
ECHO SITE IS, UH, THEY'VE ALREADY DONE SOME WORK ON THIS, BUT ECHO SITE WORKED WITH US ON THE CREST LAWN PROJECT.
SO, UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE, UH, HOPE TO, UH, BE BRINGING MORE INFORMATION TO YOU AND THE NOT TOO DISTANT FUTURE.
BUT THIS IS, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE JUMP STARTING ON THIS PROJECT.
UM, TWO OTHER PROJECTS THAT I'D LIKE TO, UH, LET MS. PROM DESCRIBE, OR I THINK, UH, POPULAR PROJECTS AS WELL.
WELL, WELL, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
SO, STARTING OFF WITH THE CHEVROLET TO ANACOSTIA RIVER TRAIL BIKE PATH, WE ARE AWARDED
[00:15:01]
$400,000 FROM THE MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION THROUGH THE KIM PHE BIKEWAY GRANT.WE ALSO RECEIVED A 20% MATCH FROM THE PG PARKS COUNTY DIVISION OF M-N-C-P-P-C.
THE SCOPE OF THE WORK WILL INCLUDE BARRIER STRIPING AND SIGNAGE FOR A MINOR RETROFIT, BEGINNING AT HOSPITAL HILL, GOING DOWN LIDDELL, WHICH YOU CAN KIND OF SEE IN THIS MAP HERE.
SO THAT'S THE DEVELOPING HOSPITAL HILL AREA.
THIS IS HOSPITAL HILL ROAD GOING DOWN LYDELL, AND THEN IT'LL CONNECT ONTO KENNELWORTH AVENUE HERE, CROSSING OVER TO 52ND AVENUE, AND THEN ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE END OF 52ND ONTO THE DIRT ROAD.
FROM THERE, IT WILL LET INTO THE ANACOSTIA RIVER TRAIL FROM THE SOUTHERN ACCESS GATE, WHICH IS JUST BELOW BLADENSBURG WATERFRONT PARK.
THE NEXT PROJECT I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS IS THE BOYD PARK RESURFACING GRANT THAT WE RECEIVED FROM C-D-B-G-D-A-C, UH, DHCD, AS IN THE DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT GRANT.
THIS GRANT COVERS APPROXIMATELY $178,000 WORTH OF RESURFACING WORK TO BE DONE AT BOYD PARK ON ALL THREE COURTS.
WE'RE LOOKING TO DO UPGRADES TO THE TENNIS COURT WITH THE ADDITION OF A PICKLEBALL, PICKLEBALL LINES ON THE COURTS, THE RESURFACING OF THE BASKETBALL COURT, AND THE ADDITION OF A SOFT SURFACE COURT ON THE MULTIPURPOSE COURT, WHICH HAS BEEN AN ONGOING REQUEST FROM THE COMMUNITY.
SO I CAN THINK OF A COUPLE OF RESIDENTS WHO ARE GONNA BE VERY EXCITED ABOUT THAT FEATURE.
WE'LL BE PROVIDING UPDATES ON THAT ITEM IN PARTICULAR AT THE NEXT WORK SESSION.
SO PLEASE BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THAT IN APRIL.
UM, SO, UH, SOME OF THE PROGRAMS, COMMUNITY SERVICES.
SO WE DID INCORPORATE IT INTO THIS BUDGET, THE, UH, UH, FOOD COMPOST PROGRAM AND BRINGING IT UP TO ABOUT, UH, UH, 125 PARTICIPANTS.
AND THAT IS FULLY FUNDED, UM, BY THE TOWN, WHICH IS IN, UH, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH THE PILOT PROGRAM.
AND A DECISION THAT, UH, WAS, WAS, UH, MADE EARLIER THIS YEAR.
UM, SUSTAINABILITY AND EFFICIENCY.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO MAINTAIN OUR SUSTAINABLE MARYLAND AND OUR LAST DESIGNATION, SILVER DESIGNATION.
SO I JUST WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO THAT.
UM, WE, UH, WE RETAIN, UH, THE TREE CITY USA DESIGNATION.
UM, I WANTED THIS IN THERE BECAUSE I WATCHED YOUTUBE FOR MY NEXT TRIP, AND I SAW SOMEBODY WAS PROMOTING, THEY'VE BEEN A TREE CITY USA FOR 11 YEARS, AND I WAS LIKE, WHERE HAVE THEY BEEN? BUT, UM, SO 29 YEARS, WE'RE DOING WELL WITH THAT.
AND THEN AT THE LAST TOWN MEETING, UM, I WAS SURPRISED THAT PEOPLE DON'T KNOW THIS, BUT WE HAVE SOLAR PANELS ON TOP OF ELY AND ON TOP OF THE, UH, UH, COVERED PARKING.
AND SO THAT, UH, COMES UP TO 190,000 WATTS OF SOLAR POWER WE HAVE ON TOP OF THE BUILDING THERE.
I THINK THAT'S GONNA SIGNIFICANTLY REDUCE OUR ELECTRIC, UH, BILL.
UM, WE ALSO DO COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT.
WE'VE WORKED WITH, UH, SEVERAL EAGLE SCOUT PROJECTS.
AND WITH RESPECT TO THE, UH, THE, THE CHESS TABLE, I, I AM QUITE AWARE THAT WE HAVE A SECOND CHEST TABLE TO LOCATE, BUT I JUST NEED TO GET YEARLY FINISHED FIRST, UM, UH, TRAFFIC WALKS, UH, LAKE AVENUE, FOREST ROAD, CREST AVENUE, WERE SOME OF THE MOST RECENT ONES.
UH, THESE TRAFFIC WALKS LEADING TO CONSENSUS ON SOME SPEED HUMPS.
WE ALSO DID, UH, DID ONE ON 63RD, UH, AVENUE, UH, NOT TOO LONG AGO.
WE WORK HAND IN HAND A LOT OF TIMES WITH CNPP, PARTICULARLY ON THE 57 0 1 LANDOVER ROAD PARK THAT THE, UH, TOWN IS DEVELOPING.
AND THE GARDEN CLUB, THE GARDEN CLUBS LOVE, LOVES TO, UH, DONATE BENCHES TO US.
UM, AND THEY HAVE AN OUTSTANDING REQUEST TO GET A BENCH LOCATED AT ELY AS WELL.
WE'RE JUST ASKING FOR SOME PATIENTS UNTIL WE CAN GET THE BUILDING OPEN AND FIND A GOOD PLACE FOR THAT.
SO WE ALSO DO A LOT OF TOWN EVENT AND COMMUNITY SUPPORT AND, UH, UH, STAFF WENT OVER IT.
AND SO WE'VE SUPPORTED OVER A HUNDRED EVENTS IN THE PAST, UH, PAST YEAR.
THIS IS JUST A SAMPLING OF THEM.
UM, WE'VE INCLUDED, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING, BUT, UH, JUST, JUST WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT WE ARE OUT THERE, UH, SOMETIMES BEHIND THE SCENES.
BUT, UH, WHETHER IT'S SETTING UP, TEARING DOWN OR ACTUALLY, UH, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, STAFFING THE EVENT ITSELF.
UM, EVERYTHING FROM ARBOR DAY TO BLOOD DRIVES TO NATIONAL NIGHT, OUT TO, UH, JUNETEENTH, UM, SANTA SLEIGH RIDE.
SO THERE'S, THERE'S MANY THINGS THAT WE DO.
WE ALSO HAVE A WEEKEND PARK MAINTENANCE.
AND SO IN SPRING, SUMMER AND FALL, UM, WE GET DOWN AND DO, UH, UH, PATROLS OF TOWN PARKS TO, UH, PICK UP THE TRASH AND MAKE SURE THE TRASH CANS AND, UH, IN THE LITTER IS PICKED UP AND THE PARKS ARE PRESENTABLE.
[00:20:01]
NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.AND SO, UH, I BELIEVE IN PAST YEARS, I'VE SAID WE WERE GONNA RAMP UP OUR, UH, STAFF TRAINING ON REGULATORY COMPLIANCE.
WANNA GIVE A SHOUT OUT TO MS. CRUZ.
SHE'S BEEN, UH, UH, VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN NOT ONLY OBTAINING, BUT, UH, BUT GETTING THESE STAFF THROUGH THESE ONLINE TRAININGS.
AND SO WE'VE COMPLETED A HOST OF, UH, SAFETY TRAINING, UM, UH, UH, THAT, UH, IS REQUIRED.
BUT, UM, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT HAS, YOU KNOW, BROUGHT US, UH, CLOSER OR, OR IN, IN THE COMPLIANCE WITH THESE TRAINING THINGS.
THE LAST ONE HERE, BATTLE MOTORS UNIVERSITY CERTIFICATE.
WHAT'S INTERESTING IS THE LAST TRASH TRUCK THAT WE, UH, PURCHASED, THE CHASSIS ACTUALLY FROM BATTLE MOTORS, AND THEY HAVE, HAVE A UNIVERSITY, SO THEY ENCOURAGE YOU TO TAKE THE UNIVERSITY.
AND WE HAD OUR, UH, UH, UH, MECHANIC AND, UH, ASSISTANT MECHANIC, UH, TAKE THESE.
UM, WHAT IT DOES IS IT GIVES A, A HEADS, UH, YOU KNOW, HEAD TO TOE, UH, UM, BATTLE MOTORS, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, UH, UM, WHAT DO I WANNA SAY? UM, UH, UH, COURSE ON ALL THE INNER WORKINGS OF, OF THE TRUCK.
AND SO THIS, I WANTED TO POINT THIS OUT 'CAUSE WE'VE NEVER HAD SUCH A, UH, UH, INTEGRAL, UH, TRAINING, UH, THAT WENT ALONG WITH, UH, BUYING A, BUYING A TRASH TRUCK OR OTHER TRUCKS.
YOU KNOW, THEY SHOW UP, THEY SHOW US HOW THEY WORK, THEY DON'T HAVE SOMETHING THAT ACTUALLY GETS INTO, INTO DEPTH LIKE THIS.
UM, AND SO WE CONTINUE TO TRY TO DO, UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BENEFITS, UH, UM, WITHIN, NOT ONLY TO, UH, HELP WITH OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES, BUT STAFF MORALE AND ADAPTABILITY.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, WE, UH, WE, WE HAVE MAINTAINED THE, UH, THE BUDGET LINE ITEM.
IT'S FLAT, BUT, UH, THIS WILL ALLOW US TO, UH, UM, CONTINUE OUR COMMITMENT TO TRAINING.
SO SOME OF THE FOCUSED AREAS, UH, THAT YOU'LL SEE THAT ARE ADS TO THE BUDGET, UM, AT LEAST THE FIRST ONE ARE THE, UH, THE ELY BUILDING.
AND THAT IS, UH, MAINTENANCE AGREEMENTS FOR THE LARGE EQUIPMENT.
SO LIKE SOLAR AND HVAC AND SOME OTHERS.
UM, I THINK I HAVE ABOUT 35,000 IN MAINTENANCE AGREEMENTS THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO IMPLEMENT IN ORDER TO HAVE THE MAINTENANCE DONE ON THESE, SO THAT WE CAN KEEP OUR WARRANTIES INTACT.
UM, ADDITIONALLY TOO, SOME OF THESE LARGE EQUIPMENTS, WE DON'T, WE DO NOT HAVE THE IN-HOUSE, UH, EXPERTISE, UM, AS WE, UH, UH, FULLY UTILIZE, UH, UM, THE ELY BUILDING.
WE'RE GONNA BE DEVELOPING STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES AND ALSO TRYING TO LEARN EFFICIENCIES WITH THE GARAGE OPERATIONS.
LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, I CAN'T PROMISE IT YET, BUT I HAVE MENTIONED BEFORE, WE DO HOPE TO HELP THE POLICE OUT AND EVENTUALLY SIGNIFICANTLY WITH MAINTENANCE ON, ON THEIR VEHICLES, BUT I DON'T THINK THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CASH IN ON, UH, IMMEDIATELY AT THIS POINT.
AND OF COURSE, CUSTODIAL EVENT STAFFING NEEDS, UM, THIS IS A LOT OF ADDITIONAL SQUARE FOOTAGE THAT WE'VE ADDED TO, UH, TO, TO THE TOWN'S, UH, FACILITIES.
SO, UM, WE'VE LOOKED TO ADDRESS THAT AS WELL.
AND THEN WE, UM, WE DO WANT TO, UM, OVER THE, UH, FIRST COUPLE YEARS DETERMINE A BASELINE BUILDING OPERATING COST, UM, WITH THE, UH, WITH RESPECT TO UTILITIES AND OTHER COSTS.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO, UH, UH, QUANTIFY THAT, UM, OVER TIME.
AND I BELIEVE, IS THAT THE LAST SLIDE? YES.
SO IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS POINT, IF NOT, I'M READY TO DIVE INTO THE NUMBERS.
COUNSEL, ANY QUESTIONS? STEVE? I THINK YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND OKAY.
SO IF, IF WE COULD HAVE THE FIRST, UH, TAB.
WHERE AM I DOING THAT? GISELLE? NO, I'M SORRY.
WELL, WOULD I, UM, WHEN, WHEN IT GETS PULLED UP, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE SALARY LINE ITEM IS GOING UP APPROXIMATELY $12,000.
UM, AND THE REASON, THE REASON FOR THAT IS, IS WE FROZEN ADDITIONAL TWO POSITIONS.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL RECALL, BUT WE'VE HAD FOUR FROZEN LABORERS FOR SOME TIME, AND WE'VE BEEN LEANING ON, UH, TEMP LABOR TO HELP OUT WITH THAT.
UM, I ACTUALLY APPROACHED THIS BUDGET ORIGINALLY, HOPING TO FREE UP TWO OF THOSE BECAUSE I DO THINK OVER TIME WE DO NEED TO GET BACK INTO HAVING, UM, REGULAR STAFF, UH, OVER, UH, TEMPS.
BUT, UM, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT WE NEEDED TO LOOK AT DOING MORE THIS YEAR TO HELP BALANCE THE BUDGET.
[00:25:01]
SO WE HAD, WE FROZE AN ADDITIONAL LABOR AND AN ADDITIONAL, UH, CDL EQUIPMENT OPERATOR.UM, AND SO WE THINK WE CAN GET BY IT, BUT I JUST, UH, DO WANT TO, UH, EMPHASIZE THAT.
AND WE'VE TAKEN SOME PROACTIVE STEPS THAT IS ALMOST A THIRD.
IT'S OVER 25% OF OUR STAFF RIGHT NOW.
AND SO, UM, BUT YOU CAN SEE THOUGH THAT EZRA, YOU WANTED ME TO HIGHLIGHT, WE'RE MAINTAINING THE OVERTIME AND, BUT THE OVERTIME IS CRITICAL HERE.
'CAUSE WE DO WHAT THE EVENTS AND WITH THE, UH, THE STAFF, UM, WE, WE DO NEED THE OVERTIME.
UH, I, I DID TALK TO MY STAFF RECENTLY, WHETHER WE ARE BURNING THEM OUT, THEY ACTUALLY WANNA WORK THE EXTRA HOURS.
AND YOU MAY KNOW THAT, THAT THE, WITH THE, UH, TAX CHANGES, THE FIRST $12,000 OF, OF OVERTIME, I THINK IS TAX FREE NOW.
SO, UM, THEY'RE, THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE EAGER TO, UH, TO, TO WORK FOR THE, THE TOWN.
UM, BUT IN THIS AREA WITH THE, THE BENEFITS, I THINK ALL OF THAT WAS TIED TO VARIOUS FORMULAS THAT, UM, MS. MAKA PLUGGED IN THERE.
UM, AT THE BOTTOM THOUGH, WITH THE CONTRACTUAL TEMPORARY LABOR, WE DID BUMP THAT UP FROM ONE 70 TO $200,000.
UM, AND THE REASON IS, IS BECAUSE, AGAIN, WITH THE FOUR FROZEN LABORERS, AND ADDITIONALLY, UM, UH, THE, UH, FREEZING OF FIFTH LABOR AND THE CDL EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, YOU KNOW, OUR CDL EQUIPMENT OPERATORS DO NOT ALWAYS OPERATE.
WE HAVE SEVERAL CDL DRIVERS, WE NEED THAT FOR BACKUP, BUT AT TIMES WE ONLY HAVE ONE TRUCK, OR AT TIMES WE HAVE THREE TRUCKS.
SO, UM, AND, AND, UH, WE ACTUALLY, UH, TRIED TO CONTAIN THE AMOUNT OF, UH, UH, TEMPORARY LABOR.
WE WERE HOPING TO, UH, GO A LITTLE HIGHER, BUT WE, WE ROUNDED IT DOWN.
UM, AND SO THIS GIVES US ABOUT THREE, THREE AND A HALF, UH, POSITIONS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.
WE HAVE TO MANAGE THAT, UH, THROUGHOUT THE YEAR WITH LIKE LEAF SEASON, WE'LL HAVE MORE.
BUT, UH, IN BETWEEN THOSE SEASONS, WE, WE WON'T HAVE AS MANY THE TRAVEL AND TRAINING AND, UH, HAS REMAINED, UH, FLAT AUTO INSURANCE IS SOMETHING CALCULATED BY, UH, LEGIT.
YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'VE, UH, TWEAKED DOWN THE MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES.
MISCELLANEOUS, UM, IS REMAINING FLAT SUBSCRIPTIONS IT HASN'T HIT YET ARE, UH, OUR MEMBERSHIPS TO, UH, UM, THE AMERICAN PUBLIC WORKS ASSOCIATION.
UM, OUR UNIFORMS, IF WE CAN SCROLL DOWN A LITTLE BIT INTO THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, OUR, OUR UNIFORMS ARE STAYING THE SAME.
LOT MAINTENANCE, I THINK MIGHT BE LEAVING MY BUDGET.
UH, UH, I BELIEVE NOW, BUT NOW WE HAVE ALL ZERO.
SO AT SOME POINT, I THINK THAT LINE ITEM WILL LEAVE THE SECURITY SYSTEM.
WE, UM, WE, WE ARE GONNA BE IN OCCURRENCE SOME ADDITIONAL COSTS, NOT ONLY WITH OUR, UH, THE SECURITY SYSTEM FOR ELE, BUT ALSO FOR, UH, THE CAMERAS REALLY.
SO WE THINK $10,000 CAN, CAN COVER THAT, UM, KEPT THEIR, UH, RADIO REPAIR FLAT, UM, THE BUILDING FACILITIES AND YARDS.
UH, WE'RE GONNA BE GETTING BACK TO WHERE WE HAVE TO CONFORM WITH OUR SWIFT, UH, PROGRAM, WHICH IS THE STORM WATER, UH, UH, POLLUTION PLAN PREVENTION PLAN.
AND SO $5,000 FOR MATERIALS SUCH AS GUTTER BUDDIES AND OTHER THINGS THAT ARE REQUIRED TO CONTAIN ANY, UH, DEBRIS, SEDIMENT OR, UH, IF, IF WE HAVE DRIPS OF OIL AS WELL.
UM, AS WE GO DOWN FARTHER, YOU DO SEE IN THE, UH, NEW BUILDING, UH, CONTINGENCIES.
NOW, THESE LINE ITEMS HAVE BEEN USED FOR OTHER THINGS THROUGHOUT THE ELY BUILDING OR, OR BUILDING THE ELY BUILDING, THE ELY BUILDING.
SORRY ABOUT USING THAT WORD TWICE IN ONE SENTENCE.
BUT, UM, WE HAVE THE $35,000 IN MAINTENANCE AGREEMENTS THAT I SPOKE ABOUT BEFORE, UM, ARE THERE.
AND SO WE HAVE, UH, A LITTLE BIT OVER THAT FOR SOME UNEXPECTED, UH, COSTS, UH, THAT, THAT WE ANTICIPATE INCURRING, UM, AS A NEW BUILDING IN ITS FIRST YEAR.
UM, AND I THINK ON THIS PAGE, THAT'S BASICALLY THE NEW STUFF.
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP EVERYTHING ELSE FLAT, I BELIEVE THE GRANTS WE HAVE TAKEN OUT UNTIL WE REALIZE THE REVENUE IS, UH, I, I THINK THE STRATEGY.
AND SO, UH, THE PUBLIC WORKS, UH, UM, BUDGET HAS FLUCTUATED BETWEEN THESE NUMBERS OVER THE YEARS BASED UPON A LOT OF THE ELY FUNDING.
UM, BUT WHEN I USE THE BOTTOM LINE NUMBER HERE AND WHICH WE'RE GONNA GO OVER, IF WE COULD GO TO THE NEXT PAGE, I ESTIMATE THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY ABOUT 37% OF THE BUDGET, THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET AT LEAST.
UM, STREET REPAIR, WE'VE, UH, MAINTAIN MAINTAINED THAT TO BE FLAT SNOW AND ICE REMOVAL FLAT, TRYING NOT TO OVERREACT FOR, FROM, UH, FROM THE, UH, SNOW CREEK STORM, UM, TRAFFIC CONTROL.
SO HERE WE ARE, UH, REMAINING FLAT.
[00:30:01]
IS, UH, TIED TO WHAT THE STATE TOLD US.UM, AND SO, UH, THAT'S RECOGNIZED THERE.
AND SO REALLY, THE, THE, UH, UH, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE, UH, TWEAK IS.
UH, I DID, UH, MAINTAIN, UH, $50,000 IN GENERAL FUND MONIES IN ASPHALT AND CONCRETE.
UM, I'M A PROPONENT OF US ALWAYS CONTRIBUTING TO THE ASPHALT AND CONCRETE, BUT ADDITIONALLY TOO, WE DO FIND SOMETIMES THAT WE MIGHT FIND SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS THAT DOESN'T EXACTLY FALL INTO HUR.
AND SO HAVING SOME FLEXIBILITY WITH SOME GENERAL FUND MONEY IS HELPFUL TO US.
THE, UH, THE STREETLIGHT, UH, UTILITIES IS REMAINING FLAT.
UM, I BELIEVE WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE STREETLIGHT, UH, UH, UH, CONVERSIONS, UH, LATER ON IN THE, UH, CIP IF WE SCROLL DOWN FURTHER, THESE MANY OF THESE LINE ITEMS, UH, YOU KNOW, ARE, ARE NO LONGER ACTIVE.
BUT AGAIN, THE STORMWATER MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES, UM, THAT IS TO HELP OUT WITH THE YARD AND IN OTHER AREAS IN THE TOWN AS WELL.
AND THAT DID TWEAK UP A LITTLE BIT, UM, WITH RESPECT TO, UH, FROM 5,000 TO, UH, 10,000, WE HAVEN'T SPENT IT YET.
AND SOME OF THAT TIED TO ELY BECAUSE WE HAVE NOT, UH, TAKEN CONTROL OF THE, UH, OF THE SITE AT THIS POINT.
AND SO, UM, WE, WE HAVE NOT, UH, SPENT ANYTHING ON THAT THIS YEAR.
UM, TREE SERVICES, WE TWEAKED THAT DOWN, UH, FROM TWO 20 TO 200.
UM, PARK SUPPLIES, WE DID TWEAK UP, UH, SLIGHTLY.
UM, AND PARKS TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT, WE MAINTAINED FLAT.
UM, AND POS, THIS IS WHERE, UM, WHAT I'M PROPOSING IS THAT 1 25 REPRESENTS, UH, AN ESTIMATE TO COMPLETE THE TRACK AROUND THE TOWN FIELD.
AND SO WITH A PROGRAM, OPEN SPACE MONEY, YOU, IT'S, UH, A, UH, 75 25 SHARE.
SO 25%, UH, WOULD BE, UH, GENERAL FUND MONIES AND 75% WOULD BE, UH, PROGRAM OPEN SPACE MONEY.
AND I BELIEVE IS THAT EXECUTIVE, NO, NO, WE GO DOWN INTO SOME DIVISIONS IF WE CAN CON, CONTINUE DOWN.
SO WE'VE, UH, WE'VE MAINTAINED OUR AUTO OUTSIDE SHOP AUTO REPAIR, BUT, UH, WE DID TWEAK DOWN THE AUTO PARTS.
UM, IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO SEE THESE, THESE TWO, UH, LINE ITEMS CAN, CAN SORT OF INTERACT, BUT WE HAVE A REDUCED THAT DOWN.
BUT WE, AGAIN, DEVELOPING WHAT OUR BASELINE COST IS FOR THE BUILDING AND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT THE ENTIRE TOWN FLEET.
THIS, THIS MAY BE, UH, SOMETHING TO WATCH OVER OVER THE YEARS.
UM, GARAGE TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT, UH, TWEAKED UP SLIGHTLY, UH, THAT IS 'CAUSE WITH THE NEW GARAGE, THERE ARE GONNA BE SOME ADDITIONAL THINGS THAT I THINK WE NEED THAT ALONG WITH THE, UH, GARAGE CONSUMABLES AS WELL.
SO, FOR INSTANCE, JUST FILLING UP OUR, OUR FIRST RESERVE TANKS OF OUR, OF OUR, UH, UH, UH, LUBE DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM.
UM, TIRES AND TUBES ARE REMAINING FLAT.
THE VEHICLE DATABASE, UH, WE ARE ADDING A ANOTHER DATABASE.
UM, AND THE GAS OIL AND GREASE IS, IS, IS REMAINING FLAT LANDFILL DISPOSAL FEES.
WE'VE TWEAKED THOSE DOWN SLIGHTLY.
THE ORGANIC, UH, MATERIALS, THAT'D BE OUR, OUR MULCH.
UM, WE'RE KEEPING THAT THE SAME AT, UH, 20 EVERYTHING.
UM, COMPOST RAIN BARRELS, WE'VE TWEAKED DOWN.
WE HAVE SOME IN, IN STORAGE NOW.
UM, EVERYTHING ELSE IS REMAINING FLAT, BUT WE DID ADD, AND THIS IS NEW, UM, IT SAYS HERE FOR 130 HOMES, SO I MIGHT'VE BEEN MISTAKEN, BUT, UH, $45,000 TO FULLY FUND THE, UH, FOOD SCRAP PROGRAM.
AND SO I THINK THE 1.4 MILLION AT THE BOTTOM THERE AND THE 2.7 MILLION ON, ON THE, UH, OTHER SIDE IS, UH, IS, IS WHAT, WHAT, WHAT I CALCULATED TO, UH, UM, WHAT I HAD SAID BEFORE TO TO, TO, UH, BE APPROXIMATELY 37 40% OF THE BUDGET.
BUT I THINK THAT'S, UH, PUBLIC WORKS.
MAYBE THIS IS A GOOD PLACE TO STOP TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS.
COUNSEL, DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UH, AT THIS TIME ON THE PUBLIC WORKS BUDGET? SO, I MEAN, STEVE, I THINK IT'S, IT'S MOSTLY FLAT, IS THAT RIGHT? I MEAN, IT'S, YES, SIR.
IT'S ALWAYS HARD TO TELL BECAUSE SOME OF THE NUMBERS ARE DISTORTED.
UM, LIKE THE OVERALL BASELINE NUMBER IS OBVIOUSLY, YOU KNOW, DISTORTED.
SO IT'S, BUT WOULD YOU AGREE THAT IT IS KIND OF FLAT FROM, FROM 16, FROM 26 AND 25? UM, YES SIR.
I WOULD, I MEAN, YOU'RE RIGHT WITH THAT FLUCTUATIONS, WE'VE HAD ARPA INPUT.
YEAH, WE'VE HAD THE ELY INPUT, WE'VE HAD
[00:35:01]
THE THE CARES ACT INPUT.ALL, ALL OF THESE THINGS HAVE, HAVE, HAVE TWEAKED THAT.
BUT YES, SIR, I WOULD, I WOULD SAY THAT IT IS, UH, UH, FLAT COUNSEL.
ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NOT FOR ME.
YEAH, I MEAN, I WOULD JUST SAY GENERALLY THAT'S GREAT.
UM, WE'RE PROBABLY NOT REALISTICALLY GONNA BE ABLE TO BUDGET, LET'S SAY FOR, FOR $75,000 OVER THE ACTUAL 20 FIVES FOR GARAGE AND EQUIPMENT, RIGHT? SO WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA HAVE TO COME IN AND HOOVER UP SOME OF THAT BUDGET.
UM, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT TONIGHT.
UM, YEAH, THAT WOULD BE MY OLD COMMENT.
UM, AND AGAIN, I'M NOT PICKING ON THE GARAGE.
I MEAN, I KNOW IT'S IMPORTANT, I'M JUST PICKING ON IT 'CAUSE IT'S ON THE PAGE THAT I TURN TO, BUT, YOU KNOW, GENERALLY, LIKE THAT'S AGAIN, PICKING ON THE GARAGE FOR NO, NO GOOD REASON.
THAT'S, THAT'S A 50% BUDGET INCREASE OVER THE 25 ACTUALS.
I MEAN, THAT'S NOT GENERALLY A PLACE THAT WE CAN BE FOR ANY DEPARTMENT ON ANY, YOU KNOW, SUBSET.
UM, I THINK WHAT I WOULD POINT OUT WITH THE ACTUALS THOUGH, WE HAVE NOT BEEN USING A GARAGE FOR SOME TIME.
AND, AND SO WHILE WE HAVE CODED SOME EXPENSES TO THAT, WE HAVE AN ANOMALY HERE WITH NOT BEING IN A BUILDING, DOING SOME, BEING ABLE TO DO SOME MAINTENANCE ON OUR VEHICLES, BUT NOW HAVING TO GET BACK INTO A BUILDING.
AND SO WE'VE DONE OUR BEST TO KEEP THAT COST LOW, BUT I'M NOT SURE THAT THE ACTUALS, PARDON, AGAIN, FOR MULTIPLE WORDS ACTUALLY REPRESENT WHAT WE'RE LIKELY TO RUN INTO.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS AT THIS TIME BEFORE WE MOVE? UH, BEFORE WE THANK MR. BRAMAN AND MOVE TO GENERAL GOVERNMENT, I THINK IS NEXT.
I WAS JUST GONNA ASK MR. GALLOWAY IF HE WANTED ME TO GO OVER CIP.
UH, MR. GALLOWAY, DO YOU WANNA KICK OFF THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT OR ARE WE GOING TO MS. MA? OH, YEAH, I'LL KICK OFF WITH GENERAL GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES AND DIVISIONS, AND MS. MO IS HERE AND SHE CAN PROVIDE COMMENTARY AS WELL.
SO, GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I HOPE YOU ALL ARE READY FOR THIS BUDGET PRESENTATION CONTINUATION.
UM, SO AS WE GET STARTED WITH THE CONTRACTUAL CONSULTING SERVICES, AND YEAH, I, I HAD A PRESENTATION, UH, TONIGHT BEFORE THE BEST INTEREST OF TIME.
I'M JUST GOING TO GO STRAIGHT TO THE NUMBERS.
EVERYBODY OKAY WITH THAT? YEAH.
UM, SO THIS FIRST SECTION, IT INCLUDES THE AUDITORS, THE ATTORNEYS COMPUTER SUPPORT, THE ENGINEERS AND HR CON, UH, CONSULTANT.
UM, AND THAT IS A TOTAL OF, OF PROPOSAL OF 373,000, WHICH IS LESS THAN WHAT THE ADOPTED BUDGET WAS LAST YEAR.
NON-DEPARTMENTAL, NON-DEPARTMENTAL MISCELLANEOUS.
UM, YOU KNOW, I I, I, I HAVE THE PLEASURE OF HAVING THE OLDEST, UH, BUILDING TO, UH, PROVIDE MAINTENANCE ON.
SO THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING SUPPLIES AND MAINTENANCE.
I'VE INCREASED IT BY 5,000 JUST CONSIDERING THAT SOME OF THE MAINTENANCE THAT WE'VE HAD TO PUT IN OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS AND ANTICIPATING, UH, CERTAIN THINGS.
UM, BUT THAT THIS ALSO HAS ALL OF THE TOWN'S, UTILITIES AND THE RED LIGHT AND SPEED CAMERA.
AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE BUDGETING FOR AN EXPENDITURE OF $897,000.
ANY QUESTIONS WITH THAT RIGHT NOW? OKAY.
AS WE WALK ON DOWN TO THE ANIMAL AND INSECT, UH, PROGRAM, WE ALWAYS TRY TO BUDGET AT LEAST $4,000 IN THE EVENT THAT THE TOWN NEEDS TO GET STUFF THERE.
YOU ALL CALL ME EVERY TIME AROUND THIS TIME OF THE YEAR BECAUSE THEY'RE EITHER REAL BAD BEEHIVES SOMEWHERE OR, YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA TAKE CARE OF SOMETHING INSECT RELATED.
SO WE KEEP THAT THERE, UH, FOR THIS REASON.
SO IT'S NOT THE MOSQUITO SPRAYING, IT'S JUST SO THE TOWN CAN HAVE ACCESS TO GOING AND GET AND TAKING CARE OF WHATEVER INSECT PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE.
[00:40:01]
THAT THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL, UH, WANTED TO MOVE FORWARD WITH A FEW YEARS AGO, AND THAT WAS A TOTAL OF $5,000.THAT'S THE TRAP, NEUTER AND RELEASE, UH, THAT WAS FOR THE, UH, STRAY CATS THAT, UM, AN ORGANIZATION GOT ON AND ADVOCATED FOR.
AS OF NOW FOR THIS YEAR, WE HAVEN'T SPENT ANY MONEY FOR THAT.
SO JUST AS AN FYI MAYOR COUNCIL, AS WE GO DOWN TO THE CABLE TELEVISION GOVERNMENT, UH, AND, AND THE CHANNEL AND COMMUNICATIONS, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO DO WAS JUST PUT COMMUNICATION ALL TOGETHER FOR ITSELF.
AND I WANTED TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, SPELL THIS OUT FOR YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE.
WELL, PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, WE HAVE OUR, OUR AV SERVICES AND A SL AND UP UNTIL THE END OF FEBRUARY, WE'VE SPENT $34,660.
WELL, WE'RE PROJECTED TO SPEND AROUND 65,000 FOR THE UPCOMING YEAR, AND THAT'S JUST, THIS IS THE LINE THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN THERE.
THE TWO NEW, THE, THE THREE NEW LINES ARE DIGITAL COMMUNICATION.
I MOVED NEWSLETTER AND PRINTED COMMUNICATION FROM THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL SECTION SO THAT IT'S HERE UNDER COMMUNICATION AND STREAMING SERVICES.
SO LET ME BREAK DOWN EACH LINE FOR YOU.
THE DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS ENTAILS, UH, ANYTHING CIVIC PLUS, UH, CIVIC PLUS, THE CCL FIX, THE MUNI CODE ARCHIVE, SOCIAL, UH, THE ACCESSIBILITY FUNCTION, ANY AND ALL THOSE ARE OUR ANNUAL FEES FOR THE, UH, CIVIC PLUS.
AS IT RELATES TO THE NEWSLETTER.
THE NEWSLETTER IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN, AND WE HAVE THIS CONVERSATION EVERY YEAR.
IT CAN RANGE BETWEEN 38 TO 48,000, 40,000 IS WHAT WE'VE SPENT, UM, PRETTY CONSISTENTLY A LITTLE OVER.
SO I'M GOING TO BUDGET FOR 40,000.
UH, AND THEN FOR STREAMING SERVICES, THIS MEANS THE SWAG, IT, AND THE ZOOM.
UM, JUST SO THAT YOU KNOW WHAT SWAG IT IS.
SWAG, IT IS THE VENDOR THAT PUT OUR LIVE MEETINGS ON OUR TOWN WEBSITE.
SO WE HAVE TO PAY A YEARLY FEE FOR THAT.
AND WE ALSO HAVE TO PAY A YEARLY FEE FOR ZOOM, AND THAT'S WHERE WE ARE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS UP UNTIL THIS POINT? UM, I HAVE A QUESTION.
SO I THINK THE MIX OF GENERAL GOVERNMENT HAS PROBABLY CHANGED BECAUSE THE ACTUAL FOR 25 WAS 1.9, AND THE BUDGET IS 1.4.
SO I LOVE IT WHEN THE BUDGET FALLS, BUT WHY WAS THERE SOMETHING TAKEN OUT AND MOVED SOMEWHERE ELSE? OH, THE CAPITAL OUTLAY, MAYBE THAT'S WHERE THE BIG DIFFERENCE IS.
AND YOU'RE ONLY, YOU'RE ONLY BUDGETING 8 97.
ALL RIGHT, I THINK I FIGURED IT OUT.
ALRIGHT, SO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL, WE'LL GO INTO THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL BUDGET.
HOW ABOUT THAT? SO MAYOR AND COUNCIL, UM, GO AHEAD.
YOUR SALARIES, YOUR RETIREMENT, YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE NUMBERS THAT ARE BASED OFF OF THAT TOP LINE, YOUR OFFICIAL EXPENSE.
THESE ARE THINGS THAT IF YOU WANTED TO SEND CARDS OR FOOD OR FLOWERS, UM, UH, TO SOMEONE, THIS IS WHERE THE, THAT MONEY COMES FROM, FROM THAT $3,000 LINE ITEM.
SO THIS IS YOUR CONSTITUENT SERVICE SLASH STRATEGIC PLAN.
YOU NORMALLY HAVE A RETREAT, UM, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, OR SOMETIMES THIS IS KIND OF WHERE WE PULL THAT MONEY FROM FOR PLANNING PURPOSES.
AND MR. GALLOWAY, YOU ALSO SOMEWHERE HAVE YOUR OWN OFFICIAL EXPENSES FOR THINGS LIKE FUNERAL FLOWERS, THINGS LIKE THAT, OR IS THAT ALL HERE? YES.
WE HAVE A MISCELLANEOUS THAT WE COULD PULL FROM AS WELL OUT OF THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT.
THESE MIGHT BE TWO CATEGORIES THAT WE STRIKE, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO DO IT TONIGHT.
YOUR, YOUR, YOUR TRAVEL AND TRAINING.
I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT WHAT THIS ENTAILS.
UM, THE OCEAN CITY MML CONFERENCE.
[00:45:01]
THE FALL MML CONFERENCE, BUT, UM, I THINK THAT THIS IS PREDOMINANTLY, UH, FOR THE MML, UM, AND A FEW OTHER THINGS IN BETWEEN YOUR PUBLIC OFFICIALS LIABILITY THAT'S DETERMINED BY THE INSURANCE PROVIDER.UH, LAST YEAR WAS AT 17 ONE, SO WE JUST BUDGETED FOR 18,000 MATERIAL SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT.
WE HAVE YOU DOWN AT 3000 SOMETIMES YOU ALL LIKE TO COME AND PRINT OR GET OR GET THINGS, UH,
AND THEN IT, THIS IS WHERE THAT COMES FROM.
AS I'VE INDICATED, THE NEWSLETTER WAS MOVED TO THE COMMUNICATION SECTION, AND WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR $7,000 FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION.
WHAT IS THAT? I DON'T, THAT IS, THAT, THAT IS WHEN WE HAVE TO PUT OUT NOTICES FOR, UM, CHARTER AMENDMENTS.
AND LAST, BUT NOT, WELL, NOT LAST.
UH, THE SUBSCRIPTIONS AND MEMBERSHIPS.
UH, THIS IS THE PUBLIC OFFICIAL ASSOCIATION.
THAT'S YOUR MML AND P-G-C-M-A DUES.
AND LA LAST BUT NOT LEAST ARE THE ELECTIONS.
NOW WE, WE BUMPED THIS UP 13,000 ANTICIPATING, UM, IT BEING AN ELECTION YEAR, BUT ALSO, UM, WANTED TO LOOK AT GETTING THE VOTING MACHINES FOR THE UPCOMING ELECTION.
UM, AND THIS WOULD ALSO PAY FOR THE JUDGES, SUPERVISORS, AND FOODS.
THIS PRICE, I THINK ALSO INCLUDES, UH, GETTING AN ADDITIONAL BOX, UM, SO THAT WE COULD GO AHEAD AND GET TWO MORE BOXES FOR THE AREAS LOCATED OUTSIDE OF THE OUTSIDE OF TOWN.
SO I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN DISCUSSION ABOUT WANTING TO GET A BOX AND PUT IT AT CH STATION AND GETTING A BOX AND PUT IN THAT, UM, IN WARD ONE ACROSS 2 95.
WELL, UH, I THINK WE, WE PUT THE MONEY IN HERE TO GO AHEAD AND MOVE FORWARD.
WE'VE TRIED TO MOVE TOWARDS THAT GOAL.
ANY QUESTIONS THERE, MR. GALL? WHAT'S THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH PUTTING A BOX IN WARD ONE AGAIN, JUST TO BREAK DOWN OF THAT, DO YOU HAVE THAT LINE ITEM? I DON'T HAVE THAT ACTUAL COST IN FRONT OF ME RIGHT NOW.
IF YOU CAN'T GET THAT TO ME, UM, FOR THE GREATER GOOD OF IT, I KNOW WE DON'T A TIGHT BUDGET.
THAT MIGHT BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN, UM, SCRATCH.
I'LL TALK TO THE RESIDENTS ABOUT THAT.
BUT IF YOU CAN GET THAT TO ME, I'D REALLY APPRECIATE IT.
IF THERE ARE NO OTHER QUESTIONS, WE CAN MOVE TO THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT ADMINISTRATION.
UM, SO MAYOR AND COUNSEL, JUST LOOKING AT THE ADMIN SALARIES AND WAGES, UH, THE, THE, THESE SALARIES AND WAGES INCLUDE A SALARY FOR, UM, THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR, THE TOWN CLERK, THE TOWN COMMUNICATION DIRECTOR SLASH HR, UM, ASSISTANT, AND THE OFFICE AID SLASH YOUTH COORDINATOR.
ALONG WITH THE CODE COMPLIANCE, UH, UH, SPECIALIST, UM, WE HAVE FROZEN THE ASSISTANT TO THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE FULL YEAR AND PART-TIME CODE COMPLIANCE JOB FOR THE FULL YEAR.
JUST SO THAT YOU ALL KNOW, THE TOWN CODE IS RESPONSIBLE.
I MEAN, THE CODE COMPLIANCE OFFICER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR IMPLEMENTING THE TOWN CODE AGAINST ANY, ANY TYPE OF NUISANCES IN TOWN.
THE TOWN CLERK IS RESPONSIBLE FOR, UH, ALL THE FILES AND THE DOCUMENTS AND PRETTY MUCH SERVE AS THE SUPERVISOR OF THE FRONT OFFICE.
THAT TOWN CLERK IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR, UH, DOING ALL THE MINUTES AND RESPONDING TO ANY AND ALL MPIA REQUESTS.
UH, THE OFFICE AID AND THE YOUTH COORDINATOR IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY AND ALL THINGS YOUTH, UH, CUSTOMER SERVICE AND THE TOWN CALENDAR AND SCHEDULING OF THE, UM, OUTDOOR FACILITIES.
THE HR SLASH COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST IS RESPONSIBLE FOR ONBOARDING AND OFFBOARDING TRAINING, UH, PAYROLL
[00:50:01]
AND ALL THINGS COMMUNICATION.SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE WITH THAT.
WE WILL GO DOWN, UH, THE LIST.
SO I THINK THAT IN PERSONNEL SERVICES, UH, LET ME KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS BECAUSE, UH, OF COURSE THAT LINE ITEM WENT DOWN 54,000.
BUT, UM, ONE THING THAT WE INCREASED, OF COURSE, WAS THE UNEMPLOYMENT BECAUSE IT, IT HAS INCREASED, UM, AS OF FEBRUARY OF 28.
SOME OTHER THINGS THAT I DO AND WOULD LIKE TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO WOULD BE THE, UM, STAFF DEVELOPMENT TUITION ASSISTANCE.
UH, FOR A LONG TIME THERE, WE HAD BEEN ADVOCATING FOR STAFF TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF TUITION ASSISTANCE.
AND I THINK THE YEARS OF ADVOCATION HAS FINALLY PLAYED OFF BECAUSE STAFF HAS BEEN TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF, UM, THIS TUITION ASSISTANCE SO MUCH TO THE POINT.
WE HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE ENROLLED IN COLLEGE FOR THE BETTERMENT OF THE TOWN.
WE'VE INCREASED THIS NUMBER OF $45,000.
THIS IS FOR THE WHOLE TOWN, CORRECT? THIS IS FOR THE ENTIRE TOWN, YES, SIR.
AS WE CONTINUE TO GO DOWN, THE INSURANCE COSTS ARE WHAT THEY ARE.
WE WILL, UH, PREPARE TO OFFBOARD THIS BECAUSE WE NO LONGER HAVE A A VEHICLE.
WE'LL PASS IT RIGHT TO THE POLICE.
THANK YOU, CHIEF, I KNOW YOU'RE ON HERE,
UM, THE COMMODITIES, WE'VE STAYED FLAT.
SOME OF THE OTHER CHARGES, UM, WE'VE INCREASED BECAUSE OF THE INCREASED FEES FOR, FOR ORGANIZATIONS.
BUT ALSO, UH, AS YOU ALL KNOW, WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF, OF PUTTING OUT AN RFP FOR PAYROLL.
AND THIS IS ANTICIPATING THAT A PROVIDER MAY BE A BIT MORE EXPENSIVE.
UH, BUT IT'S NOT JUST FOR PAYROLL HERE.
AND, UH, THE TOWN ACCOUNTANT, UH, MS. DIANE MOCK.
AS WE CONTINUE TO MOVE DOWN THIS LINE, WE HAVE REMAINED FLAT WITH EVERYTHING ELSE EXCEPT FOR THE PRICE OF POSTAGE.
UM, WE DO HAVE TO SEND A LOT OUT FOR EITHER THE POLICE OR FOR EITHER FOR, UH, CODE COMPLIANCE AND THOSE POST-ITS FEES ARE HERE AND EVERYTHING ELSE HAS REMAINED FLAT WITH CODE COMPLIANCE.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS BEFORE TURNING TO THE NEXT PAGE? COUNSEL? ANYTHING? I MEAN, I, I WILL JUST SAY THIS IS BASICALLY EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE ACTUALS FOR 25.
I KNOW IT'S A LITTLE BIT, IT'S NOT EXACTLY APPLES TO APPLES, BUT IT'S VERY, VERY, VERY CLOSE TO THE ACTUALS.
OKAY, AS WE GO, I HAVE COURSE I HAVE A STATEMENT MORE THAN QUESTION.
YEAH, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU.
UH, I KNOW THE HARD WORK, UH, TO GET TO WHERE WE ARE NOW, LIKE, LIKE THE MAYOR SAYS, THE ACTUALS OF LAST YEAR.
SO, UM, I KNOW HOW DIFFICULT THAT IS IN, ESPECIALLY IN A DIFFICULT BUDGET SEASON.
SO COMMEND YOU AND YOUR STAFF FOR THAT.
IT'S BEEN A TEAM EFFORT,
SO LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET TO THE, UH, COMMITTEE AND DEBT SERVICES MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I DID INCREASE THE CHEVROLET DAY, UH, LINE FROM 16 TO 20 FEW REASONS WHY I DID THAT.
THE COST OF THE, UH, FIREWORKS WILL GO UP THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THE, THE, THE REQUESTS FOR THE SPECIALIZED FIREWORKS THAT HAVE BEEN REQUESTED FOR.
BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT INCURRED THE COST OF THE, THE, THE GOLF CARTS.
I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO PULL THE GOLF CARTS FROM THIS LINE HERE, UH, SO THAT THEIR COMMUNITY OUTREACH CAN REMAIN THERE AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO PULL THAT MONEY THERE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, WE'RE GONNA SPEND ABOUT 16 OR A LITTLE OVER $16,000 FOR THE, FOR THE FIREWORKS, BUT I THINK THE, THE REST SHOULD GO TOWARDS THE GOLF CARTS.
[00:55:01]
OR ANY QUESTIONS? MAKES SENSE TO ME.SO THIS INCLUDES, JUST SO EVERYBODY'S CLEAR, 'CAUSE THIS COMES UP A LOT.
SO THE 20,000 WILL PAY FOR THE GOLF CARTS AND THE FIREWORKS, THE TOWN PAYS FOR BOTH OF THOSE, AND IT COMES OUT OF THE 20 K.
AND THEN ANYTHING THAT'S NOT SPENT OUT OF THAT, THE COMMITTEE CAN GET REIMBURSED BY THE TOWN FOR EXPENSES FOR CHEVROLET DAY.
I'LL BE HONEST WITH YOU, I THINK THAT BETWEEN THE TWO, THAT'S GOING TO BE $20,000.
I JUST, I WANNA SET EXPECTATIONS.
THAT THERE MAY NOT BE ANY REIMBURSEMENTS COMING THIS YEAR, BECAUSE THIS IS GONNA BE PRETTY CLOSE TO THE GO AHEAD.
UM, AND AS WE CONTINUE TO GO DOWN, UM, YOU KNOW, UH, THERE, THERE WILL BE SOME ADDITIONAL, UH, COSTS COMING OUT OF THE YOUTH.
I WANT TO DEFINITELY KEEP THAT FLAT WITH A LOT OF THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING.
UM, THE GRANTS, UH, HAVE REMAINED FLAT AT 15 THREE.
THE COMMUNITY MARKET USES THEIR, THEIR GRANT ON A ANNUAL BASIS.
UM, SO THAT TOTAL OF 65,100, AND THEN WE GO DOWN TO DEBT SERVICES.
WELL, THIS IS PRETTY MUCH BASED ON THE SCHEDULE THAT WAS PROVIDED TO US AT THE BEGINNING OF THE BOND.
UH, BASED ON THAT SCHEDULE, WE'RE GOING TO BE PAYING $536,000, UH, $536,000 FOR, UH, THE COST OF THE ELY PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING.
WHY DOES HOMETOWN HEROES NEED FOUR GRAND? OH, YEAH.
WHEN THE BANNERS ARE FUNDED BY THE FAMILIES.
THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP.
ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I WANTED TO PUT THAT THERE IS WE'VE ALSO FACTORED IN FOR, UM, THIS ON THE REVENUE, UH, WE PUT $3,000 IN AND THE MISCELLANEOUS FUND FOR THIS, AND THIS WOULD CANCEL OUT EVERYTHING EXCEPT FOR $1,000.
THAT $1,000 WOULD BE THE COST OF THE BUCKET TRUCK THAT WE HAVE TO RENT ONE TIME TO, UM, TO, UH, INSTALL THE, UH, BANNERS.
SO THIS IS FOUR BUCKET TRUCK RENTALS? NO, NO, NO.
WE HAVE TO PUT THIS THERE BECAUSE THE, THE TOWN HAS TO PAY FOR THIS UPFRONT.
AND, AND BECAUSE WE HAVE TO PAY FOR IT UPFRONT AS FAR AS THE, THE HOMETOWN HERO BANNERS, WE HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING HERE TO SHOW THAT IS, IS BEING PAID FOR.
ON THE REVENUE SIDE, WE'VE PUT IN THE MONEY TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT.
SO IT'S JUST GOING, SO THE FAMILY'S PAYMENTS, THE FAMILY'S PAYMENTS GO, ARE, ARE NOW A REVENUE LINE ITEM AS WELL? CORRECT.
UM, SO THERE'S 15,300 IN GRANTS.
UM, EVERYONE ELSE THAT'S LISTED HERE DOESN'T QUALIFY FOR THOSE GRANTS, RIGHT, RIGHT.
SO LIKE COMMUNITY MARKET GETS FIVE GRAND, THEY DON'T ALSO GET PART OF THE 15.
SAME THING WITH CH DAY, THEY HAVE.
MY LAST QUESTION, AND THEN I'LL GO TO THE VICE MAYOR.
VICE IS MAY AND CAN COUNCIL MEMBER, WADE CAN COME IN AFTER, BUT IS THE REC COUNCIL REALLY ONLY SPENDING $600 A YEAR OR GETTING REIMBURSED $600 A YEAR FROM THE TOWN VICE MAYOR? GO AHEAD.
WELL, TO AN DO YOU WANT ME TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION OR? SURE.
WELL, AS OF LAST YEAR, YES, THAT WAS THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THEY, UH, GOT REIMBURSED OR DIDN'T, OR THEY HAVEN'T REQUESTED ANY FUNDS AS OF YET.
I DO KNOW THAT THEY'VE REQUESTED ACCESS TO THIS, BUT THERE HAVE BEEN SOME THINGS GOING ON INTERNALLY WITH THE REC COUNCIL THAT I THINK THEY NEED TO TAKE CARE OF.
UM, I KNOW WE HAVE TRIED TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE AND WILL CONTINUE TO, BUT AS FAR AS THE EXHAUST, THE 4,500, UM, THEY HAVE FULL EX, YOU KNOW, THEY, THEY CAN EXHAUST IT ANYTIME THAT THEY NEED TO.
[01:00:01]
OKAY.UM, FIRST OF ALL, I JUST WANT TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION, UM, FOR HOW THOUGHTFULLY THIS BUDGET WAS APPROACHED, I THINK, AND ALL THE HARD WORK THAT HAS GONE INTO IT, UM, FOR BOTH PUBLIC WORKS AND GENERAL GOVERNMENT.
UM, I KNOW THAT IN MY HOME, MY BUDGET IS LOOKING PRETTY DIRE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE THE COST OF EVERYTHING HAS JUST INCREASED SO MUCH.
SO THE FACT THAT WE'RE ABLE TO KEEP THINGS RELATIVELY LEVEL IS REALLY REMARKABLE.
ONE, UM, IS MAYBE SOMETHING WE WILL TALK ABOUT AT THE NEXT WORK SESSION OR A FUTURE WORK SESSION, WORK SESSION.
UM, BUT HOW ARE WE ACCOUNTING FOR COSTS OF THE TOWN SUPPORTING COUNCIL MEMBER EVENTS? UM, DEPENDING ON HOW THAT KIND OF SHAKES OUT IN TERMS OF NUMBER OF EVENTS AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT COULD BE, UM, A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER.
UM, AND THEN MY OTHER QUESTION WAS WHETHER, UH, FOR CHEVROLET DAY, PICKING UP ON YOUR POINT MAYOR, UH, ABOUT REIMBURSEMENT STUFF, UM, HOW THEY ARE DOING IN TERMS OF THE THINGS WE'VE DISCUSSED AROUND FUNDRAISING AND, UM, LIKE DONOR OUTREACH AND STUFF LIKE THAT, AND, UH, WHETHER THERE ARE WAYS THE COUNCIL CAN SUPPORT IN THOSE EFFORTS? OKAY.
SO TO ANSWER YOUR FIRST QUESTION, ONE OF THE REASONS, AND I, AND I HAD THIS CONVERSATION BRIEFLY EARLIER, THAT, UM, I OPTED NOT TO PUT ANYTHING IN THE MAIN COUNCIL SEC SECTION JUST FOR THE FACT OF WE DON'T HAVE A POLICY IN PLACE AS OF RIGHT NOW, UM, AS IT RELATES TO THE, UM, THE EVENTS FOR, UH, SPECIAL EVENTS FOR MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
AND WHAT I INDICATED WAS WE MAY HAVE TO APPROACH THAT IN A DIFFERENT WAY TO WHERE, YOU KNOW, YEAH.
AS FAR AS THE POLICY, THAT WOULD BE A SEPARATE POLICY DISCUSSION.
BUT I'M SURE THAT THERE COULD BE SOME WAYS THAT IF A COUNCIL MEMBER AND VOLUNTEERS NEEDED TO DO SOMETHING FOR THEIR SPECIAL EVENT, THEY CAN LET THEMSELVES IN AND THEIR, THEM AND THEIR VOLUNTEERS CAN PULL OUT THE TABLES AND CHAIRS AND HOST THE EVENT.
HOWEVER, ONCE ONE OF THESE EVENTS BECOME SPONSORED BY THE TOWN, OR IT'S, OR IT'S AN OFFICIAL TOWN EVENT, WE ACCEPT LIABILITY.
SO I HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE HERE.
BECAUSE I, I, I'M THE ONE THAT HAVE TO MANAGE LIABILITY, RIGHT?
SO, SO THERE, I, I THINK THIS IS A DEEPER POLICY DISCUSSION THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE AND ONE OF THE, THAT'S THE REASON WHY I DIDN'T PUT ANYTHING THERE.
IF THE OTHER THING I WOULD SAY, SORRY TO CUT YOU OFF, I WOULD JUST ADD, I MEAN, THERE'S PROBABLY $16,000 ON THAT PAGE THAT ARE NOW, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S ENOUGH, IF WE WERE TO ADOPT A POLICY, BUT I MEAN, THERE'S 3000, THERE'S 10,000, THEN THERE'S ANOTHER 3000 THAT ARE KIND OF GENERIC AND COULD BE USED TO REIMBURSE THE TOWN FOR COUNT FOR ELECTED OFFICIAL SPONSORED EVENTS IF WE WENT DOWN THAT ROAD.
SORRY, DID I, MR. GALLOWAY, DID I CUT YOU OFF? NO, YOU, YOU'RE FINE.
AND I, AND I'LL SAY FOR YOUR SECOND POINT, UM, COUNCIL, VICE MAYOR BRIER, UM, I'M NOT SURE WHERE, WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW AS FAR AS FUNDRAISING, UH, WITH THE CH DAY COMMITTEE.
WE MOST DEFINITELY WILL TOUCH BASE WITH THEM JUST TO GET A STATUS CHECK.
UM, AND WE CAN PROVIDE AN UPDATE AT A LATER DATE.
BUT RIGHT NOW I AM UNAWARE OF, OF, OF WHAT THE FUNDRAISING EFFORTS HAS BEEN AND WHAT THEY HAVE RECEIVED.
I'M SURE JOHN CAN HELP US FACILITATE THAT, UM, MAYBE NEXT MONTH.
UH, IF THERE ARE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS ON PUBLIC WORKS OR GENERAL GOVERNMENT NOT SEEING ANY, I THINK, GO AHEAD.
I KNOW YOU WANTED TO DO A, A, A, A TOUCH POINT ON REVENUES AGAIN.
YEAH, I WAS GONNA TURN TO DIANE BEFORE, YOU KNOW, AND NOT, AND NOT MAKE YOU HAVE TO DISCUSS THAT.
MS. MOCK, HOW ARE YOU AND CAN WE STOP SHARING, UH, SO THAT WE CAN SEE? THANK YOU.
UM, I WAS GONNA GO OVER THE REVENUE SECTION BE BECAUSE IT'S, UH, WE'VE, UH, WORKED ON THAT QUITE A BIT.
UM, SO IF, UH, GISELLE, IF YOU COULD PUT UP THAT PARTICULAR AREA, THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
[01:05:02]
AND I'LL HAVE TO THANK MS. MOCK BECAUSE THIS HAS BEEN, OF COURSE, A BUSY TAX SEASON, SO SHE HAS FLEXED A LOT OF TIME AND TO HELPING USI, AND, AND MAYOR COUNCIL, I DO HAVE TO LET YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE HAVE HAD TO GET REALLY CREATIVE WITH THIS.
UM, AND BEFORE MS. MOCK GOES INTO THIS, I DO WANNA REMIND THE COUNCIL THAT FOUR YEARS AGO, I THINK I LAID OUT A PLAN FOR THE MAYOR COUNCIL TO BALANCE A BUDGET.
AND DURING THAT TIME, IT WAS, UH, A 5 CENT, 5 CENT, 4 CENT TAX INCREASE.
WELL, I THINK WE DID ONE YEAR, 4 CENT, ONE YEAR, 5 CENT LAST YEAR WE DIDN'T DO ANY CENT.
UM, AND WE PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE TO KEEP UP WITH INFLATION, BUT WE DIDN'T.
SO THIS IS WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, AND I'M GOING TO KICK IT OVER TO MS. MOCK AND THEN WE'LL MAKE A RECOMMENDATION OVER.
SO, AS DELAINE SAID, THE FIRST LINE ITEM THAT'S ON THE LIST IS REAL ESTATE TAXES.
SO THAT CONSISTS OF YOUR, UH, APARTMENTS AND YOUR REAL ESTATE.
SO THAT HAS, UM, WE'VE GONE UP TO 6,000,375, AND THE WAY THAT PARTICULAR NUMBER HAS GROWN IS WITH A 5% IN, EXCUSE ME, A 5 CENT INCREASE IN REAL PROPERTY TAXES.
SO YOU'VE WE'RE SUGGESTING GOING TO FROM 5 7 9 9 TO 6 2 9 9.
SO SIX, UH, 0.6299 PER, UM, FOR, UH, THE PROPERTY TAXES.
THE OTHER PIECE IN THERE IS THE APARTMENT, UM, COMPLEX.
AND AS YOU RECALL FROM OUR LAST DISCUSSION, UM, THE ASSESSED VALUE OF THE PROPERTY, UH, THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES WENT DOWN SIGNIFICANTLY.
UH, YOU'RE CURRENTLY CHARGING 75 CENTS PER 100, UH, DOLLARS OF ASSESSED VALUE.
THE CONSTANT YIELD TO GET YOU BACK TO WHERE YOU WERE PREVIOUSLY WOULD BE 90.9, UH, 98 CENTS PER $100 OF ASSESSED VALUE.
SO WHAT WE'RE SUGGESTING THERE IS THAT YOU MOVE THE APARTMENT RATE FROM 75 CENTS TO A DOLLAR THREE.
SO WHERE THE DOLLAR THREE COMES FROM IS THE CONSTANT YIELD RATE OF 98 CENTS, PLUS A 5 CENT INCREASE, JUST LIKE YOU'RE DOING ON REAL PROPERTY.
SO WITH THOSE TWO INCREASES, WHICH YOU'RE DOING IS ADDING 470,000 IN REVENUE FOR THE REAL PROPERTY, AND $123,000 IN REVENUE FOR THE APARTMENT COMPLEX OVER THE RATES THAT YOU WERE CURRENTLY HAD IN FY 26.
SO THAT'S 470,000 INCREASE AND 123,000, THAT'S A $593,000 INCREASE, UM, OVER LEAVING THE RATE AT POINT 57 OF 57 CENTS PER $100.
SO THAT'S THE FIRST LINE ITEM.
THE NEXT TWO LINE ITEMS ARE THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAXES.
THIS IS FOR YOUR BUSINESSES AND YOUR PUBLIC UTILITIES THAT ARE IN TOWN.
AND, UH, THEY, UM, ARE CURRENTLY BEING CHARGED AT A DOLLAR 10 CENTS PER, UH, $100 OF EXCESSIVE VALUE.
WE ARE SUGGESTING THAT THIS RATE BE INCREASED TO A DOLLAR 45.
UH, WE DID A LITTLE BIT OF ANALYSIS EARLIER TODAY OF OTHER MUNICIPALITIES NEARBY YOU AND, UM, THEY'RE, IT'S A WIDE RANGE OF NUMBERS.
UM, SOMEWHERE AS HIGH AS $2 AND 50 CENTS AND SOMEWHERE BELOW A DOLLAR.
YOU HAVE NOT RAISED THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RATE IN, UM, WE THINK MANY YEARS.
WE, WE REALLY DON'T KNOW HOW FAR BACK IT GOES.
SO WITH THAT PARTICULAR 35 CENT INCREASE, THAT ADDED
[01:10:01]
$175,000 MORE TO THOSE TWO LINES IN TOTAL.SO THIS WOULD PICK US UP BETWEEN THE TWO.
UM, SO WE GOT FOUR SEVENTY, FOUR SEVENTY, A HUNDRED TWENTY THREE, AND THEN ANOTHER 175.
THIS IS GIVING US AN APPROXIMATELY $768,000 INCREASE FOR THE FIRST THREE LINES IN REVENUE.
THE REMAINING LINES LOCAL INCOME TAX.
WE, WE HAVE NOT FOOLED WITH THAT SINCE YOU'VE LAST LOOKED AT THAT.
WE'RE STILL HOLDING THAT AT ONE POINT.
UM, 3 MILLION, UH, HOTEL AND MOTEL TAX AT ONE 10 HIGHWAY USERS.
THEY DO PROVIDE US THAT NUMBERS AT 363,000.
SO THIS WOULD GIVE YOU A TOTAL OF TAXES AT $8,873,000 UNDER LICENSES AND PERMITS.
UH, THE BUDGET LAST YEAR WAS 184,000.
THE NEXT SECTION IS INTERGOVERNMENTAL.
THIS IS, UH, MONEY THAT YOU'RE RECEIVING FROM OUTSIDE SOURCES.
UM, THE PROGRAM OPEN SPACE, UH, IS BEING BUDGETED FOR REVENUE AT 93,000.
UH, AS STEVE MENTIONED EARLIER, UH, HE HAS IN HIS BUDGET 125,000 IN EXPENSE, UH, BECAUSE YOU WOULD NEED TO FUND THAT PROJECT, UH, 25%.
SO THIS IS, WOULD, HE WOULD ANTICIPATE RECEIVING FROM PUBLIC, UH, PROGRAM OPEN SPACE, UH, IF HE SPENT $125,000.
THE OTHER NUMBERS ARE HOLDING, UH, PRETTY SIMILAR TO PRIOR YEARS.
THERE WAS THE POLICE PROTECTION, UH, GRANT WAS FLAT, AND THE DISPOSAL FEE REBATE HAS BEEN CONSTANT FOR MANY YEARS.
UH, WE DID NOT BUDGET FOR ANY OTHER GRANTS UNTIL SUCH TIME THOSE GRANTS ARE AWARDED TO YOU.
THEN WE CAN ADD THEM TO THE BUDGET ALONG WITH THE APPROPRIATE EXPENDITURES UNDER SERVICE CHARGES.
UM, THIS IS VERY A SMALL SECTION.
IT'S YOUR PARKING, YOUR LOT MAINTENANCE AND PAVILION FEES.
UM, THESE HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED TO BE CLOSER TO ACTUALS FOR THE LAST COUPLE YEARS.
SO WE'RE AT $2,800 IN THAT SECTION.
UNDER FINES AND FORFEITURES, THIS IS WHERE YOUR RED LIGHT CAMERA AND SPEED CAMERA REVENUE, UH, IS BEING PRESENTED.
UM, THIS IS INDICATING A SLIGHT INCREASE TO SPEED CAMERA BECAUSE IT IS TRACKING HIGHER, UH, AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME IN THE FY 26 BUDGET, IT IS TRACKING A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.
SO WE PUSH THIS ONE UP SLIGHTLY.
UH, THE MARKET HAS GONE FLAT A LITTLE BIT MORE, PLUS YOU DO NOT HAVE THE ARPA MONEY ANY LONGER OR OTHER EXCESS THOSE EXCESS FUNDS TO EARN THE INTEREST.
SO WE'VE MADE THAT 85,000 UNDER MISCELLANEOUS.
NOW, THIS AREA CAN FLUCTUATE, JUST, IT ALL DEPENDS ON ACTIVITY DURING THE YEAR.
BUT, UM, BASICALLY, UM, YOU HAVE, UH, IF YOU SELL ANY ASSETS, WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF MISCELLANEOUS INCOME THAT COMES IN, LIKE, UH, UH, DELAINE MENTIONED ABOUT THE, UH, FLAGS THAT IS IN THAT MISCELLANEOUS LINE ITEM.
UM, OTHER POLICE REVENUES COME IN, INSURANCE REIMBURSEMENTS THAT FLUCTUATES TREMENDOUSLY FROM YEAR TO YEAR, DEPENDING UPON WHOLE ACCIDENTS.
OTHER ITEMS THAT MIGHT HAPPEN.
UM, THE W-M-A-T-A OVER TIME, THAT IS A REIMBURSABLE.
SO THE CHIEF HAS IN HIS, UH, BUDGET.
THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT, THE EXPENDITURE SIDE.
SO THAT IS A, UH, A REVENUE NEUTRAL, MEANING IT DOES NOT PROVIDE ANYTHING REALLY TO THE BOTTOM LINE.
YOU GET MONEY AND YOU SPEND MONEY.
SO THE BOTTOM LINE HERE IS THE REVENUE TOTALS $11,459,000.
ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS OR ANY AREAS THAT YOU'D LIKE ME TO GO INTO FURTHER DETAIL? UH, MS. MACH, YOU SAID 6 2 9 9, 103 CENTS
[01:15:02]
FOR THE MULTIFAMILY.DID YOU SAY A DOLLAR 35 FOR UTILITIES? A DOLLAR 45.
AND DID YOU SAY A BUSINESS NUMBER? UH, IT, OH, EXCUSE ME.
WE'RE WE'RE, UH, TREATING THEM ONE IN THE SAME BUSINESS.
PUBLIC UTILITIES WOULD BE AT A DOLLAR 45.
COUNCIL MEMBER LELO, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, UH, FOR THE PRESENTATION.
SO I GUESS, CAN YOU SORT OF EQUATE THIS TO A SORT OF CONCRETE NUMBER THAT I COULD SORT OF TURN AROUND TO EXPLAIN TO SOMEBODY? SO HOW DOES THIS NUMBER EQUATE TO SOMEBODY, YOU KNOW, HOW CAN I SAY TO THEM, HOW MUCH IS THIS GOING TO COST THEM? OKAY.
WE HAVE A, UM, ANOTHER LITTLE SCREEN.
GISELLE, DO YOU HAVE THAT AVAILABLE OR SHOULD I JUST SAY IT VERBALLY? YEAH, IF YOU COULD SAY IT VERBALLY.
SO THE, UM, IN YOUR QUESTION IS AT 62 CENTS, IF YOUR TAX, UM, BILL WAS 20, UH, WE'RE BASING THIS ON A $500,000 HOME.
UM, AND YOUR TAX RATE WAS 57 99, UM, 0.5799, YOUR, YOUR TAX BILL WOULD BE $2,900.
AND YOUR TAX BILL, PARDON ME, YOUR CH TAX BILL? YES.
YOUR CH TAX BILL WOULD BE $2,900.
IF YOU RAISE THAT UP TO, UM, 62.99, THEN YOUR TAX BILL WOULD BE, UM, LET ME MAKE SURE THIS IS PRESENTING A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN 501, 2, 3, UM, POINT, WHAT DO WE SAY, 6 2 9 9? YOUR TAX BILL WOULD BE, UM, THREE $3,150.
I DIDN'T USE MY CALCULATOR, WHICH WAS A MISTAKE.
UM, SO, AND WHERE YOU SAID THAT WE HAVE NOT INCREASED OUR, UM, BUSINESS AND UTILITY TAXES, WHERE IS THERE A REASON THAT WE ARE NOT? SO, AND I, AND YOU SAID THAT WE HAVE, WE DID AN ANALYSIS OF OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN THE REGION, AND ARE WE BRINGING THAT OUR NUMBER CLOSER TO THE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES IN THE REGION? WELL, WE FOUND THERE WAS A BROAD VARIETY, UM, UH, DELAINE, DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT, WHAT HYATTSVILLE WAS? THAT WAS, UH, I I THINK THERE WERE 62.
IS THAT WHAT WE SAID DELAINE AS AS FAR AS FOR THE BUSINESS? NO, I THINK WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED, I THINK HYATTSVILLE 62 CENTS.
BUT, BUT AS FAR AS THE VILLE BUSINESS, THEY'RE AT 1.63.
WE, UH, I THOUGHT, UM, EXCUSE ME.
I THOUGHT YOU WERE REFERRING TO THE, UH, PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RATE.
UM, YEAH, SORRY, JOHN DID ASK ABOUT THAT.
SO WE KIND OF LOOKED AT HYATTSVILLE, WE LOOKED AT, UH, SEAT PLEASANT, UM, UH, AND, AND JUST WE DID A QUICK ANALYSIS.
WE DIDN'T DO AN IN DEPTH STUDY AT, BY ANY MEANS, BUT JUST TO MAKE SURE WE WEREN'T, UM, GETTING OUTTA LINE.
AND, UM, AND WE FOUND THAT, YOU KNOW, YOUR R RATE WAS NOT AT A DOLLAR 45 WOULD NOT BE OUTTA LINE WITH THE CORRESPONDING, UH, TOWNS OR CITIES NEARBY.
AND THEN FINALLY, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THERE IS, THERE IS NOTHING TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS.
THAT WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING OBVIOUSLY.
AND THAT WELL, YEAH, I MEAN, JOHN, I THINK THAT'S PART OF THE NEXT CONVERSATION IS LIKE, OKAY, WELL WHAT IF YOU DON'T, WELL, IF WE DO THIS, IF WE TAKE THIS RECOMMENDATION, HOW CLOSE DOES THAT GET US TO BALANCE? AND IF WE'RE NOT BALANCED, HOW OUT OF BALANCE DO
[01:20:01]
WE FEEL COMFORTABLE BEING? I THINK THAT'S A GREAT CONVERSATION.I JUST THINK WE MIGHT BE 10 MINUTES AWAY FROM THAT.
JOHN, WERE YOU SAYING SOMETHING THAT WAS, I WILL WAIT FOR MY QUESTION.
YEAH, I MEAN, MY QUESTION IS, UH, KIND OF SIMILAR.
SO I JUST, I SAW WHAT WAS ON THE PREVIOUS PAGE IN THE CORNER AND IT SAID CURRENT TAX RATE AND CONSTANT YIELD RATE.
UM, AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTOOD THAT.
'CAUSE I THOUGHT I DID, AND NOW I'M NOT SURE I DID, BECAUSE IT HAS THE CURRENT TAX RATE WOULD GIVE US MORE MONEY, UH, THEN THE CONSTANT YIELD RATE.
SO THE, THE QUESTION IS WHAT'S THE GAP? UM, BECAUSE THOSE, THOSE NUMBERS ARE IN COMPARISON TO EACH OTHER, IT SEEMS, IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE IN COMPARISON TO WHAT WE NEED.
SO THAT MIGHT BE IN 10 MINUTES.
BUT I, I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A LITTLE, I MEAN, IT'S GOOD TO KNOW THAT WHAT 1 CENT AND 2 CENTS AND 5 CENTS WILL DO, UM, AT A PER UNIT, UH, AMOUNT.
BUT I'M, I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND WHAT, UM, I'M TRYING TO PUT IT IN CONTEXT AND RIGHT NOW, I, I NO LONGER KNOW THAT I CAN, SO MAYBE THAT'S IN 10 MINUTES.
UM, I JUST WANTED TO KNOW, I MISSED IN SOME, IN SOME NUMBER THAT'S ALREADY THERE.
LET ME TRY TO UNTANGLE IT A LITTLE BIT, DAVID.
I THINK THIS, THIS IS WHERE THIS GOES.
BUT, SO IF WE DON'T CHANGE THE TAX RATE AND WE LEAVE THE TAX RATE AT 5 7, 9 9, WE WILL GET MORE INCOME IN 27 FROM SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED HOUSES THAN WE GOT IN 26 BECAUSE OF RISING ASSESSMENTS.
EXACTLY THE SAME IS NOT TRUE FOR THE MULTIFAMILY.
IF WE DO NOT ADJUST THE MULTIFAMILY RATE, WE WILL ACTUALLY COLLECT LESS IN 27, THEN WE COLLECT 26.
SO I GUESS WHAT'S CURIOUS TO ME IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE A KEEP TO CURRENT TAX RATE FOR SINGLE FAMILY USE, CONSTANT YIELD RATE FOR APARTMENTS.
SO WE COULD DO THAT AND THAT WOULD GET, THAT WOULD ALLOW US OVERALL TO COLLECT MORE IN 27 THAN 26.
BUT I THINK THE SEGUE THAT THAT CREATES IS THAT THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
'CAUSE WE COLLECT MORE IN TAXES.
WE JUST DON'T COLLECT ENOUGH MORE TO
I MEAN THAT'S THE, THE, THE GAP THAT I WANNA DISCUSS.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE BROUGHT THAT UP BECAUSE MY PERSONAL OPINION IS, AND MAYBE THIS IS POORLY REASONED, IS THE REASON THEIR TAX ASSESSMENT WENT DOWN SO MUCH IS BECAUSE OF THE CHANGE IN, UH, RENTAL POLICY.
AND THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THEY'RE GONNA MAKE ANY LESS MONEY IN THE COMING YEAR.
SO IT MEANS THAT THE CURRENT TAX RATE, UH, DOESN'T, UH, ISN'T BURDENSOME.
IT'S NOT LIKE THAT THOSE ARE NECESSARILY TIED TO THEIR ABILITY TO DRAW RENTERS.
AT LEAST FOR NOW, COMPOUNDED IT MIGHT BE A PROBLEM, BUT IN ONE YEAR IT SHOULDN'T BE.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF US ARE CONCERNED, HAVE ANY CONCERN.
I DON'T WANNA SPEAK FOR DIANE, BUT NONE OF, I DON'T THINK ANY OF US ARE CONCERNED THAT AT 103, THE COMPARTMENTS SOMEHOW BECOME, UM, YOU KNOW, NOT COMPETITIVE AS A LANDLORD.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE, THAT THERE IS SUCH THING AS A HYBRID OF THOSE TWO LINES.
AND IT WOULD TAKE, IT WOULD LAND US IN A NUMBER THAT WAS A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND MORE THAN WE COLLECTED IN 26, BUT STILL A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND AWAY FROM BALANCE.
AND JUST TO QUANTIFY IT FURTHER FOR YOU, SO THAT IT WOULD, YOUR REAL PROPERTY TAX RATE IF YOU REMAIN CONSTANT, WOULD INCREASE OVER 26 BY 264,000 AND YOUR APARTMENTS WOULD DECREASE BY 103.
SO THE NET EFFECT WOULD BE YOU'D HAVE $161,000 POSITIVE NUMBER, UH, TO INCREASE OVER FY 26.
UH, IF RE REMAINING CONSTANT, IF WE KEPT IT AT THE 57 99 AND THE, UM, 75 CENTS, YOU WOULD'VE HAD ABOUT $161,000 INCREASE OVER, UH, 2026.
AND IF WE DID MY BLEND OF THE TWO, WE'D HAVE 5, 8, 8, 4, 5, 6, 9.
SO WE COULD GET ABOUT ANOTHER HUNDRED.
AND WHAT'S THAT? ARE YOU RAISE THE APARTMENT?
[01:25:01]
I'M SAYING IF WE DID CONSTANT YIELD RATE, SO RAISE THE RATE FOR THE APARTMENTS, BUT KEEP IT THE SAME FOR SINGLE FAMILY, WE CAN GET ABOUT ANOTHER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OUT OF THAT, WHICH MIGHT NOT BE ENOUGH.'CAUSE WE'RE ABOUT TO GO OVER THAT NUMBER.
BUT I, THAT, I'M JUST QUANTIFYING THAT IF WE, BASICALLY, IF WE ADD THE, THE LARGER OF THOSE TWO NUMBERS, THE 5, 4, 5 1 8, 3 5 FOR THE NON APARTMENTS AND THE 4 3 2 7 3 4 FOR THE APARTMENTS.
THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING.
I'M JUST TRYING TO SAY THAT WE HAVE A, A THIRD OPTION.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S SOME WEIRD LEGAL REASON WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THAT, BUT MY GUESS IS NOT, SINCE WE JUST DECLARE, DECLARE THE RATES FOR EACH CATEGORY.
WE'RE ALLOWED, WE'RE ABSOLUTELY ALLOWED TO SET THE RATE ANYWHERE YOU WANT.
IT DOESN'T HAVE TO END IN A NINE NINE, THAT'S JUST A HISTORICAL WEIRDNESS.
IT CAN, IT CAN BE WHATEVER YOU WANT IT TO BE.
HEY, MAYOR, I JUST WANNA SAY I CONCUR WITH, UH, COUNCILMAN TANZI ABOUT KEEP, UH, MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE RATE STAYING THE SAME FOR SINGLE APARTMENTS AND INCREASE OF THE, UH, UH, SINGLE HOUSES.
UM, AND THEN THE, UM, SINGLE HOMES IN INDIA, INDIA FOR THE APARTMENTS.
NO, I THINK THAT, UH, DELAINE AND DIANE CAN RUN THAT NUMBER, UM, OR THEY CAN FURTHER EXPLAIN THE NUMBER.
THE OTHER TWO NUMBERS I'LL THROW OUT AND THEN I'LL GO TO THE VICE MAYOR IS THAT IN, IN JOHN'S EXAMPLE OF THE $500,000 ASSESSMENT, WHICH WE HAVE A FEW OF IN TOWN, UM, EVERY PENNY COSTS THAT HOMEOWNER.
BY THE WAY, EVERY HOMEOWNER IN CHEVROLET IS PAYING ABOUT 222 CENTS, UH, EVERY YEAR IN PROPERTY TAXES, UM, TO THE, TO OVERALL, RIGHT? SO YOU'RE PAYING MORE THAN 2% OF YOUR HOUSE'S ENTIRE VALUE EVERY SINGLE YEAR TO THE COUNTY, THE STATE, THE TOWN, WSSC, TRANSIT COMMISSION, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, ET CETERA.
I THINK, UM, THE LAST NUMBER I'LL THROW OUT IS THAT EVERY PENNY, UH, OF OUR TAX RATE RIGHT NOW IS, I BELIEVE WORTH 90, SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 94 AND $95,000.
UM, DELAINE MIGHT HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER, BUT IT'S, LET'S CALL IT, NOT, LET'S ROUND DOWN AND CALL IT NINETY FOUR, NINETY FOUR AND $5,000 AS, AS YOU'RE RIGHT ON THE NOSE.
94, 90 4,000 VICE MAYOR BRIER.
ONE IS THAT I'M GLAD WE'RE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION 'CAUSE I KNOW THAT, UM, HISTORICALLY THERE HAVE BEEN TIMES WHERE WE'VE LOOKED AT ALL OF THESE BUDGET NUMBERS AND AGREED THAT THEY'RE ALL GOOD, UM, AND THEN DECIDED NOT TO RAISE TAXES EVEN THOUGH THAT WAS WHAT THE BUDGET INDICATED.
AND SO, I'M GLAD WE'RE TALKING MORE EXPLICITLY ABOUT THE TAX RATE NOW.
UM, OBVIOUSLY INCREASING THE APARTMENT TAX RATE AND STAYING AT OUR CURRENT TAX RATE FOR SINGLE FAMILY HOMES IS NOT GOING TO CLOSE THE GAP THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
UM, I DON'T THINK, AND OBVIOUSLY IT'S BEEN A WHILE, I DON'T THINK I'VE EVER BEEN PART OF SERIOUS DISCUSSIONS ABOUT RAISING THOSE OTHER TAX RATES THAT MS. MOCK MENTIONED.
AND SO I'D LOVE TO TALK MORE ABOUT THAT, WHY WE DON'T REGULARLY TALK ABOUT DOING THAT AND WHAT THE PROS AND CONS ARE OF SOME OF THOSE.
O ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THAT CAME ABOUT WAS JUST HAVING GENERAL DISCUSSION HEREM STAFF AND THEN ASKING, UM, MS MOCK IF, IF, IF, IF, IF THIS WAS POSSIBLE.
AND AFTER FINDING OUT THAT THIS WAS POSSIBLE AND THAT WE COULD RAISE IT, BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT THIS WAS A RATE THAT WAS SET BY THE STATE, NOT A RATE THAT THE MUNICIPALITY COULD, COULD SET.
SO NOW THAT WE KNOW THAT THIS IS AN OPTION, UM, YOU KNOW, WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE REVENUE.
OVER THE PAST SEVEN YEARS, WE'VE NEVER INCREASED THIS, UM, TPP UTILITIES OR TPP BUSINESSES, AND AS YOU ALL KNOW, THIS IS ATTACKS ON THE UTILITIES INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT ALSO WHAT'S INSIDE OF THE BUILDING.
SO THEY, SO EACH BUILDING OR PROPERTY OWNER HAS TO RELEASE WHAT, WHAT MAKES THEIR BUSINESS WORK, IF YOU WILL, ALL THE HARDWARE.
SO DIDN'T REALIZE THAT WAS AN OPTION.
UM, SO WE HAD, WE, WE'VE HAD SOME INTENSE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THAT AND KIND OF DID THE COMPARISON, AND THAT'S KIND OF HOW WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE NOW.
THAT I, I DON'T THINK THAT THIS HAS BEEN, IT IS PROBABLY BEEN 15 YEARS BEFORE THIS WAS EVEN TOUCHED.
JUST GOING BACK AND LOOKING, JUST DOING A QUICK, QUICK GLANCE.
I DON'T THINK THAT THERE WAS EVER A RATE THAT WAS, UH, UH, ADJUSTED WITH,
[01:30:01]
UM, AT LEAST FROM WHAT I CAN TELL, I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANYWHERE WHERE THERE'S BEEN A CHANGE IN IT.SO DOES THIS CURRENT, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW, DOES THAT INCLUDE INCREASING THOSE TWO RATES OR YES.
WILL WE BE TALKING? IT DOES ALREADY.
DI DIANE, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT A PENNY IS FOR THE APARTMENT? FOR THE SURE.
LEMME LOOK AT THE APARTMENT'S ASSESSED VALUE.
JUST, JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I DO WANT TO SET SOME REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS.
THERE'S NO WAY THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO YEAH, GO AHEAD.
TO RAISE THE MULTIFAMILY UNIT NUMBER BASED OFF OF WHAT THEIR VALUATIONS ARE, NUMBER ONE, BUT NUMBER TWO, I, IT, IT, IT IS JUST NOT REALISTIC.
WELL, IT'S, IT'S, I THINK YOUR POINT, DELAINE, I DON'T WANNA PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH, BUT I MEAN THAT TURNIP ONLY HAS SO MUCH BLOOD IN IT.
AND IT'S GOT LESS BLOOD IN IT THAN IT DID A YEAR AGO BECAUSE OF THE DECLINING ASSESSMENT.
IT ONLY MEANS, UH, ONE PENNY IS ONLY, UM, $4,400 OOF
NOW I WILL ALSO SAY IF WE WERE TO GET, LET'S SAY, HAVE A PIECE OF LAND THAT WAS ANNEXED INTO THE TOWN AND THEN, UH, AT SOME LATER POINT MULTIFAMILY BUILT ON IT, THIS NEW RATE WOULD APPLY TO THAT NEW, THAT BUILDING ONCE IT WAS PHASED IN.
I'M GLAD YOU SAID THAT, MICAH, BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO CONSIDER.
UM, YEAH, THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO CONSIDER.
AND AGAIN, ANY, ANY, WHEREVER YOU SET THE SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED, I THINK WILL APPLY TO ANY TOWNHOUSES THAT MAY OR MAY NOT AT SOME POINT BE BUILT IN THE TOWN OF CHEV.
IS THAT CORRECT, MR. GALLOWAY? CORRECT.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME? BECAUSE I HAVE A KIND OF A MACRO QUESTION, BUT DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE A QUESTION ON MS. MOCKS PRESENTATION OR THE, THE, THE COMBINED RECOMMENDATION? ALRIGHT, MY QUESTION THEN, FIRST TO MR. GALLOWAY IS, OKAY, LET'S SAY WE APPROVE THE TOOLS, WE GIVE YOU THE TOOLS TO ACTUALLY COLLECT 11 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN FY 27.
CAN YOU GET THE SPENDING ON THE, ON THE SPENDING SIDE? AND THIS IS NOT AN EASY QUESTION.
I I I'M NOT TRYING TO BE FLIPPANT.
CAN YOU GET THE SPENDING TO BALANCE? IN OTHER WORDS, CAN YOU SQUEEZE ENOUGH SPENDING OUT OF THE BUDGET TO MAKE IT TO 11 AND A HALF MILLION? I WOULD'VE TO REVIEW THIS WITH CANCEL I WITH MS. MOCK AND, AND THE TEAM.
BUT YES, I, I I I, I WOULD LIKE TO REVIEW THAT WITH THEM FIRST BEFORE I ANSWER THIS QUESTION,
IT'S, SO, IT'S, SO, YEAH, THAT'S, THAT'S WHY WE WE'RE GONNA HAVE ANOTHER BUDGET MEETING, I THINK.
UM, THAT LEADS TO MY NEXT QUESTION, WHICH IS, UM, UM, IF YOU, UM, NOW I'VE FORGOTTEN WHAT THE QUESTION IS.
IF YOU WERE TO COLLECT THAT MUCH MONEY, UM, COULD YOU, UM, GET THE, UM, OH, RIGHT, THE FUND BALANCE.
UH, SORRY, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GONNA ASK ABOUT.
SO, MR. GALLOWAY, I BELIEVE THAT YOU ARE, YOU AND MS. MOCK, I SHOULD ASK, BOTH OF YOU ARE STILL PREDICTING FOR FY 26 A DEFICIT OF SOMETHING LIKE $350,000, WHICH WOULD LAND US SOMEWHERE IN THE $4.7 MILLION RANGE ON JUNE 30TH.
I'LL TURN IT OVER TO, UH, MSM.
WELL, OKAY, SO FOR THE BUDGET DEFICIT FOR FY 26, WE HAVE TWO ISSUES.
ONE IS, UM, THAT WAS A YEAR THAT YOU BUDGETED FOR A DEFICIT.
AND THEN WE HAVE HAD TWO, UM, UH, OR ONE EXPENDITURE OR TWO, TWO OTHER MAJOR ITEMS THAT HAVE HURT THAT BUDGET.
THE FIRST ONE WAS THE LOSS REVENUE FROM THE APARTMENTS.
YOU HAVE BEEN HIT IN FY 26 WITH A LOSS OF REAL ESTATE TAXES OF 204,000.
THEY, UH, DECREASED THAT BY 102, AND YOU LOST THE FY 25 WHERE THEY DID NOT PAY
[01:35:01]
YOU.THEY REFUNDED THE, UH, APARTMENT COMPLEX 102.
SO IN FY 26, YOU'RE GETTING HIT WITH A LOSS OF REAL ESTATE TAXES OF $204,000.
SO WE HAVE THAT PARTICULAR NUMBER TO OVERCOME.
THE NEXT NUMBER WE HAVE HAD DIFFICULTY WITH IS THE RETIREMENT WE BUDGETED FOR, UH, RETIREMENT FUNDS.
AND THEY HAVE COME IN AT $266,000 MORE THAN WHAT WAS BUDGETED FOR.
SO THE COMBINATION OF THE LOST REVENUE AND THE EXTRA EXPENDITURE IS $470,000.
I AM WORRIED THAT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE UP ALL THAT WITH THE REMAINING, UH, YEAR.
SO, UH, INITIALLY WE THOUGHT WE, WE HAD A BUDGET DEFICIT OF 384.
THAT'S WHAT IT WAS BUDGETED FOR.
BUT NOW WE HAVE THESE OTHER TWO PARTICULAR ITEMS THAT COULD, UM, UNLESS THERE'S AREAS OF LESS SPENDING OR MORE REVENUE THAT WE'RE NOT ANTICIPATING THAT 470,000 COULD AFFECT THE BOTTOM LINE.
NOW, IN THE PAST, HISTORICALLY, UM, YOU HAVEN'T, WE'VE HAD, UH, WE HAVEN'T QUITE, UM, WE'VE HAD MORE, UH, LEMME SO START OVER AGAIN.
YOUR BOTTOM LINE HAS BEEN POSITIVE OVER WHAT WE HAD ANTICIPATED.
SO THE 384, 380 $4,000 DEFICIT, THAT'S WHAT YOU BUDGETED, BUDGETED FOR, BUT PROBABLY WOULDN'T HAVE COME IN THERE.
YOU KNOW, WE, WE USUALLY ARE COMING WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE REVENUE AND A LITTLE LESS EXPENSE, BUT THE, THAT'S, SO THOSE THAT, THOSE TWO OTHER NUMBERS ARE VERY WORRISOME.
UM, SO IT'S HARD FOR ME TO TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT THAT FUND BALANCE IS GOING TO BE AT THE END OF 2026.
AT THIS MOMENT IN TIME, YOU DO HAVE, UM, THE FUND BALANCE NET OF THE 384,000 COMING INTO 26 WAS 4.7.
SO, UH, IF YOU WERE TO NOT MAKE UP ANY OF THAT $470,000 FROM LOST REVENUE AND MORE EXPENSE, THEN YOUR FUND BALANCE WOULD BE AT 4.3 MILLION AT THE END OF 26.
AND MAYOR AND COUNSEL, PLEASE KNOW EVERYTHING THAT, UH, MS. MOCK JUST INDICATED THAT WAS BEYOND THE TOWN'S CONTROL AS FAR AS THE MARYLAND STATE RETIREMENT FIGURES.
UM, EVERY YEAR BEFORE WE
AND, UM, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T HELP THAT.
UH, ROSS MANAGEMENT WENT AND HAD THEIR PROPERTY REASSESSED AND THEY ENDED UP GETTING THE REBATE OF THEIR, OF THEIR TAX.
SO THAT IS, THOSE, THOSE TWO THINGS ARE BEYOND OUR, OUR CONTROL.
AND THEY WERE, AS YOU JUST MENTIONED, THE, THE RETIREMENT, UH, NUMBERS WERE TOTALLY, UH, DIFFERENT PRIOR YEAR DELAYING.
YEAH, NO, I MEAN, I, I, I DON'T THINK, YEAH, NONE OF US BLAME YOU TWO.
I THINK IT'S JUST, IT, THE PROBLEM FOR US AS DECISION MAKERS IS WE'RE 42 WEEKS INTO THE FISCAL YEAR, AND WE'RE NOT EVEN SURE WHICH A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
LIKE, LIKE, LIKE WE CAN'T EVEN SEE THE RUNWAY LIGHTS, AND WE'RE ONLY AT A MILE AWAY FROM THE AIRPORT.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? LIKE, THAT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR US.
WELL, I MEAN, RIGHT NOW, UM, THE NUMBERS THAT WE HAVE HERE, UM, WE HAVE THE ACTUAL THROUGH FEBRUARY HERE, AND WE DO HAVE SOME, UM, ON THE, ON THIS REPORT THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
UM, SO WE, WE DO HAVE, I, IT LOOKS AS I I MENTIONED PREVIOUSLY, MOST OF THE REVENUES ARE TRENDING, UH, TRENDING WELL.
SO I REALLY AM NOT CONCERNED WITH THE REVENUES OTHER THAN, UM, THEN REAL ESTATE TAXES AND, UM, LET'S SEE, 76, 10, 8, 1, 5 7.
[01:40:02]
AND SOME OF YOUR EXPENDITURES ARE TRACKING, UH, BELOW THEIR, UH, AMOUNTS.UM, THANK MR. GALLOWAY FOR KEEPING THE EXPEND FOR, FOR HAVING THE EXPENDITURES TRACK, UH, BELOW THEIR TARGETS.
SO I MEAN, I THINK AT THE END, UM, AT THE END OF APRIL, WE COULD GIVE YOU A MUCH BETTER SENSE BECAUSE THEN WE COULD PROJECT OUT THE LAST TWO MONTHS.
I MEAN, THERE ARE PROGRAM THAT YOU DO SPEND IN MAY AND JUNE THAT MAYBE YOU HAVE TO REALLY LOOK AT.
SO LET ME ZOOM OUT FOR A MINUTE, UM, AND ASK, OKAY.
PUTTING ASIDE FFY 26, FY 27, WE'RE NOW, WELL, I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.
'CAUSE I THINK IT'S ABOUT MAKING THE EX THE ARGUMENT OF, OF WHY, LIKE, HOW DO WE EXPLAIN WHY WE WE'RE A TOWN OF 6,000 PEOPLE, BUT WE'RE AN 11 AND HALF MILLION DOLLAR CORPORATION? THAT'S A SEPARATE QUESTION I THINK WE CAN ADDRESS LATER.
I THINK MY QUESTION IS FOR AS, AS FINANCIAL PROFESSIONALS, IF WE'RE AN 11, IF WE HAVE AN 11 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS BUDGET NOW, WHAT WOULD YOU VIEW AS THE MINIMUM FUND BALANCE OR THE RESPONSIBLE, THE LOWER END OF RESPONSIBLE, UH, FUND BALANCE? SURELY IT'S NOT A MILLION, IT'S NOT $2 MILLION.
IT'S GOT TO BE MUCH HIGHER THAN THAT.
WELL, WE'LL, WHERE WOULD YOU PEG IT? YOU KNOW, UH, UH, THROUGH THE YEARS, I'VE SET A RULE OF THUMB FOR MOST MUNICIPALITIES.
IT, IT DOES VARY QUITE SIGNIFICANTLY BECAUSE, UM, A LOT OF MUNICIPALITIES DO A LOT OF ASSIGNMENTS OF THEIR FUND BALANCE.
BUT IF YOU'RE JUST REFERRING TO THE UNASSIGNED, UNBALANCE, THE RULE OF THUMB HAS BEEN FOUR TO SIX MONTHS EXPENDITURES.
AND THE THOUGHT PROCESS THERE IS, WELL, WHY THAT? WELL, IN CASE OF, UM, WHATEVER, CLOSING UP THE TOWN, YOU'RE GONNA CLOSE THE TOWN THAT WOULD GIVE YOU THAT OPPORTUNITY TO WIND UP YOUR AFFAIRS IN THAT, UH, IN THAT PERIOD OF TIME.
AND SO YOUR $4 MILLION FUND BALANCE IS IN THAT, OR THAT $4.7 MILLION FUND BALANCE IS, IS WELL WITHIN THAT RANGE.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S HELPFUL.
UH, I COUNSEL, IT'S ANOTHER THING TO THINK ABOUT.
I'M NOT SUPER COMFORTABLE WITH GOING BELOW 4.7 MILLION, BUT IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF AN ARBITRARY FIGURE, BUT IT FEELS LIKE IT'S KIND OF IN THE BALLPARK, UH, ALMOST A ROUNDING ERROR FROM WHERE I THINK WE WOULD BE GETTING INTO THE IRRESPONSIBLE ZONE.
UM, I COULD MAYBE BE CONVINCED OF SOMETHING NORTH OF 4 MILLION, BUT IT'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT BECAUSE IF YOU WANT, YOU KNOW, IF WE WANT 4 MILLION, FOUR AND A HALF MILLION, THEN WE NEED TO BALANCE THIS BUDGET BECAUSE THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE ON DAY ONE OF THIS BUDGET IS FOUR AND A HALF MILLION IN, IN FUND BALANCE.
SO IF, IF YOU'RE COMFORTABLE GOING LOWER THAN THAT, THEN THIS BALANCE, THIS BUDGET CAN BE IN DEFICIT A HUNDRED THOUSAND 200 300.
IF YOU DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE, UH, THEN THE BUDGET HAS TO BE BALANCED.
AND THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO FIND MORE, FIND SAVINGS IN SPENDING, AND WE HAVE TO HIT THE CORRESPONDING REVENUE TARGET COUNCIL MEMBER, LALO AHEAD.
I UNDERSTAND THE RATIONALE OF KEEPING A FUN BALANCE IF THE TOWN HAS TO SHUT DOWN, BUT I MEAN, HISTORICALLY THAT, I MEAN, I WOULD SAY THAT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
SO I MEAN, I THINK IT WOULD BE OKAY FOR US TO DIP DOWN IN THESE, YOU KNOW, EXTRAORDINARY TIMES IN ORDER FOR US TO PRESERVE A, THE LEVEL OF SERVICES THAT OUR TOWN HAS COME TO EXPECT.
AND WITH THE HOPE AND UNDERSTANDING THAT, YOU KNOW, THESE EXTRAORDINARY CIRCUMSTANCES WILL NOT LAST FOREVER.
SO THAT WE CAN LOOK FORWARD TO FY 28 WHEN WILL HOPEFULLY START TO GET BETTER, THAT WE CAN SORT OF WRITE THE SHIP AND BEGIN TO LOOK FORWARD TO BETTER TIMES AHEAD.
THANK YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER TANZI, MY, MY OPINION THERE.
SO I, UH, I DON'T HAVE A REALLY STRONG OPINION ABOUT WHAT IS THE RIGHT NUMBER.
UM, BUT I THINK ABOUT IT A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.
[01:45:01]
DEFICIT SPENDING IN ANY SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT BECAUSE IT MEANS WE'RE SETTING UP A FUTURE DEFICIT.AND THE CURRENT GAP DOESN'T REALLY SEEM TO BE FROM ANY, UH, CLEAR SINGLE FACTOR.
SO I DON'T SEE THINGS JUST MAGICALLY GETTING BETTER NEXT YEAR.
YOU KNOW, PROPERTY VALUES MIGHT NOT BE GOING UP AS MUCH AS THEY WERE, BUT WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE AFFECTED BY GOVERNMENT, UM, CUTS.
BUT THAT'S NOT REALLY REFLECTED IN OUR REVENUE.
OUR REVENUE IS BASED OFF YOUR PROPERTY VALUE, AND WE'RE STILL GETTING THAT MONEY.
AND SO I, I DON'T WANT TO BASE OUR BUDGET OFF OF SOME HOPEFUL THINKING THAT MORE MONEY WILL BE COMING IN.
I THINK THESE, THESE ARE THE NUMBERS AND WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO, TO MAKE IT WORK SUSTAINABLY.
AND IF THERE ARE SHORT TERM COSTS, THINGS THAT WE THINK ONLY EXIST FOR A COUPLE YEARS BECAUSE OF THE TRANSITION INTO THE PUBLIC WORKS BUILDING OR WHATEVER, THEN THAT'S THE TYPE OF THING I'D SAY I DON'T MIND DEFICIT SPENDING, UM, ENABLING THAT BECAUSE THAT'S NOT AN INFLATION OF R GENERAL SERVICES.
ANYTHING THAT WE THINK IS A CONTINUING SERVICE PROVIDED BY THE TOWN NEEDS TO FIT IN THE BUDGET EITHER WITHIN OUR CURRENT TAX STRUCTURE OR WITH WHAT WE CONSIDER TO BE A, A REGULAR, UH, PATH OF INCREASE.
AND I, I MEAN, TO BE HONEST, I'M STILL A LITTLE BIT SHOCKED THAT THERE IS AN IDEA THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUALLY INCREASE RATES SINCE VALUATIONS GO UP.
AND SO WE GET MONEY WHEN VALUATIONS GO UP, AND I UNDERSTAND VALUATIONS GO UP KIND OF WITH INFLATION AND OUR COST GO UP KIND OF WITH INFLATION.
UM, BUT I WOULD HOPE THAT THOSE BALANCE OUT MORE THAN, UM, THAN HAVE IT CREATE A REALITY WHERE THE ASSUMPTION IS WE ARE JUST PERPETUALLY INCREASING THE, THE TAX RATE.
UH, I THINK, UM, YEAH, I MEAN, AT SOME POINT, UH, WE HAVE TO REACH A SUSTAINABLE TAX RATE, AND MAYBE IT IS IN THE MID SIXTIES, MAYBE IT'S THE LOW SIXTIES, MAYBE IT'S THE HIGH FIFTIES, MAYBE IT'S, UM, I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT IT CAN'T GO UP 5 CENTS EVERY YEAR, UH, BECAUSE THAT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE.
AND I, AGAIN, I'LL REMIND FOLKS THAT IT'S NOT OUR FAULT.
UH, IT'S ONLY OUR FAULT FOR ABOUT 36% OF THEIR TAX BILL.
64% OF YOUR PROPERTY TAX BILL IS NOT OUR FAULT.
IT'S THE FAULT OF THE COUNTY AND THE OTHER FOLKS THAT, THAT GET PAID THAT HAVE TO GET PAID NEVER, PERIOD.
THE IMPACT ON FOLKS IS THAT EVERYBODY'S PAYING MORE.
I THINK I'M PAYING 222 CENTS THIS YEAR, UH, ON MY ASSESSMENT.
I SUSPECT ALL OF YOU ARE TOO, BECAUSE YOUR RATES ARE THE SAME AS MINE.
UM, AND SO THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY, AND THAT'S A REALITY OF LIVING IN CH AND IN, UM, PRINCE GEORGE'S.
WE CAN'T CONTROL THE GROWTH IN THE OTHER 36, 30 4%, BUT, UH, WE CERTAINLY HAVE TO FIND A SUSTAINABLE RATE FOR OUR PORTION OF THE BILL.
OUR PORTION OF THE BILL IS, IS OUR, IS IS THE SECOND LARGEST PORTION OF YOUR BILL.
WE'RE A GOOD, I THINK WE'RE A GOOD VALUE, BUT NEVERTHELESS, THE BURDEN IS REAL ON FOLKS.
AND THE BURDEN IS NOT 62 CENTS, IT'S 222 CENTS, AND WE'RE A PART OF THAT.
AND THAT'S THE CONTEXT IN WHICH WE ARE ASKING PEOPLE TO PAY.
UM, I THINK, UM, YEAH, SO I, THAT WOULD BE MY RESPONSE TO THAT.
I, TO MY RESPONSE TO COUNCIL MEMBER LEG LOIC WOULD BE, YEAH, I MEAN, THE PROBLEM WITH THIS FY 27 BUDGET IS THERE'S NOTHING EXTRAORDINARY IN IT, RIGHT? IT'S THE SAME OLD BOND PAYMENT THAT WE'RE GONNA BE MAKING.
IT'S, IT'S 24 HOUR POLICING, WHICH WE'VE ASKED FOR.
UM, THERE'S NOTHING, THERE'S NO ONE OFF IN HERE WHERE I COULD GO, WELL, THAT MILLION DOLLARS IS NOT GONNA COME BACK.
UM, THAT'S, THAT'S ONE OF THE, YOU KNOW, I I, WHICH, WHICH WAS IT A LITTLE BIT EXTRAORDINARY FOR ME TO GET MY MIND AROUND THAT SOMEHOW WE'RE AN 11 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS OPERATION.
I THINK THE CHALLENGE FOR US AS ELECTED OFFICIALS TO, IS TO EXPLAIN WHY OR HOW WHAT THE TOWN OF DELIVERS TO OUR 6,000 RESIDENTS COSTS 11 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
AND WE JUST NEED, YOU KNOW, I NEED TO GET BETTER AT THAT.
I THINK ALL OF US PROBABLY NEED TO CLEARLY EXPLAIN THAT THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT EACH COST OVER $4 MILLION.
[01:50:01]
I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT UNTIL TONIGHT.THAT'S A STAGGERING AMOUNT OF MONEY WHEN WE USED TO BE A $3 MILLION TOWN.
UM, MAYBE I'M GETTING OLD, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S, YOU KNOW, WE, WE NEED TO EXPLAIN THAT TO PEOPLE THAT THAT'S, THAT, THAT THE, THE SERVICES THAT THEY DEPEND ON THAT WE'RE COMMITTED TO DELIVERING COST THIS, UM, SEEMINGLY VERY LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY.
I THINK SOMETHING YOU JUST SAID, AND I'M NOT GONNA PICK ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT I'LL USE IT AS AN EXAMPLE.
FOR THE, AND YOU HAVE MADE A DECISION, YOU HAVE MADE A, A BUSINESS DECISION TO DO THIS.
BUT AS YOU JUST POINTED OUT, AND I I THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT, IN 24, THEIR BUDGET WAS 2.4 MILLION IN 27, THEIR BUDGET IS 4.2 MILLION.
SO IF YOU REMEMBER ABOUT OUR, OUR PENNY AND PROPERTY TAXES, YOU, YOU NEEDED TO GET A MILLION DOLLARS MORE
SO IT IS, IT IS, YOU'RE, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT IN YOUR ASSESSMENT THAT THOSE, THOSE AREAS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE FLAT.
THEY DID NOT BUDGET MUCH, AND IT INCREASES, BUT THE PROBLEM IS THE INCREASES HAVE OCCURRED OVER THE YEARS, AND THE RATES, YOUR, YOUR RATES JUST AREN'T COMING UP FAST ENOUGH TO KEEP UP WITH THOSE PARTICULAR JUMPS.
YEAH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT ALSO TO FRAME IT NOT JUST AS A, THE SERVICES THAT YOU EXPECT COST MORE, BUT THAT THE SERVICES YOU EXPECT COMBINED WITH THE VALUES THAT WE'VE ALL DECIDED ARE IMPORTANT AND PART OF THE TOWN ARE WHAT COST MORE.
BECAUSE WE DID DO THAT STUDY THAT SHOWED THAT WE WEREN'T PAYING SOME STAFF A LIVING WAGE.
UM, AND IN CORRECTING FOR THAT, THAT INCREASES THE COST OF THOSE SERVICES WITHOUT A NOTICEABLE INCREASE IN THE SERVICE ITSELF.
BUT WHAT IT DOES IS IT ALLOWS US TO LIVE OUT OUR VALUES AS A TOWN.
THAT'S A LOT HARDER TO ARTICULATE, I THINK.
UM, AND I THINK ONE OF THE RESULTS OF THAT IS THAT WHEN WE'RE MAKING SMALLER DECISIONS, BECAUSE WE'RE RIGHT THAT THERE ISN'T ONE BIG POT WHERE WE CAN SAY, WELL, WE DECIDED TO SPEND THIS $200,000, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, THAT'S NOT REALLY NECESSARY.
I MEAN, IT MEANS THAT WE NEED TO BE MAKING MICRO DECISIONS WITH THAT IN MIND, CAN I, CAN I JUMP IN HERE AS WELL? YEAH.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I, WHEN WE FIRST, UM, DID THE BUDGET BACK IN 2020, MAYOR, YOU WERE ON THAT COUNCIL ALONG WITH COUNCIL MEMBER FRY AND COUNCIL MEMBER, UH, VICE MAYOR BRIER.
UM, I DID ASK ABOUT BALANCING THE BUDGET BACK THEN,
BUT, UM, AND THE BACK, I THINK OF EVERYONE'S MIND WAS DURING THAT TIME, WE COULD, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WOULD BE OUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT.
AND FOR A WHILE THERE, WE COULD PRETTY MUCH ADOPT DEFICIT BUDGETS AND RELY ON THE SALARIES LINE ITEM AND THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AND OTHER THINGS IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT TO KIND OF GET US THROUGH.
WELL, ALSO IN 2024, I THINK WE GOT DOWN TO FOUR POLICE OFFICERS,
AND NOW WE'RE FULLY STAFFED IN THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS, I MEAN, MAYOR AND COUNCIL, UH, YOU ALL ASKED FOR 24 7 POLICE, UM, AND WE GAVE YOU, UH, 24 7 POLICE.
I MEAN, WE HAVE THE BEST OF THE BEST.
SO MUCH TO THE POINT TO WHERE THE COUNTY IS TRYING TO GET OUR OFFICERS, OTHER MUNICIPALITIES ARE TRYING TO GET OUR OFFICERS.
IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE HIRING ANYBODY FROM THE JV TEAM.
WE GOT ALL VARSITY PLAYERS, UM, RIGHT.
AND EVEN OUR BENCH WARMERS ON THE VARSITY PLAYERS CAN GO SOMEWHERE ELSE AND START.
SO, YOU KNOW, AND THE, THE, THE WAY THAT I KIND OF THINK ABOUT THAT IS, YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE THAT ACROSS THE BOARD FROM THE, FROM THE ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF TO THE PUBLIC WORK STAFF.
UM, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN TRYING TO POACH MY, MY STAFF FROM OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I PAINT THE PICTURE THERE.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU ALL WANTED US TO DO WAS TO PROVIDE, TO INCREASE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES.
AND I THINK WE'VE DONE A GOOD JOB OF
[01:55:01]
DOING IT ACROSS THE BOARD.HOWEVER IT COST IT, DOES IT COST, AND, YOU KNOW, AND, AND CARRYING OUT THAT, THAT MISSION OR THAT GOAL BY THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL, THIS IS KIND OF WHERE WE GOT TO WHERE WE ARE.
UH, SO COUNSEL, I THINK, UH, WE HAVE A LOT TO CONSIDER.
UM, I WILL CERTAINLY BE WRITING THE 5 CENTS INTO MY NEWSLETTER, UH, POST FOR MAY.
UH, I'LL BE TURNING THAT INTO THE, TO THE TOWN STAFF HOPEFULLY TOMORROW OR SATURDAY.
UM, AND UM, DID YOU, SORRY, DID YOU WANT TO COME IN, MR. GALLOWAY? I DID WANT TO COME IN JUST FOR THE POINT OF WE DO HAVE TO ADVERTISE FOR A CONSTANT YIELD HEARING AND A MEETING.
A PUBLIC MEETING FOR A TAX INCREASE.
AND WE DO HAVE TO GET STUFF OUT.
AND WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, MAKE SURE, MAYOR, THAT YOU GO OVER THAT IF YOU CAN.
WE HAVE TO GET OUR, OUR STUFF IN BY MONDAY SO THAT IT CAN BE IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, I THINK ON MAY THE SEVENTH IS WHEN WE ARE SCHEDULED TO HAVE THE, THE PUBLIC HEARING.
AND, UM, I THINK ON THAT DAY AS WELL, WE WERE GOING TO TRY TO SQUEEZE IN ANOTHER BUDGET MEETING.
UM, SO JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THAT REMINDER.
VICE MAYOR BRIER, UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE GREAT IF ANYONE WHO IS PLANNING TO NOT VOTE FOR A TAX INCREASE IN THIS BUDGET TO PRESENT AN ALTERNATIVE SORT OF APPROACH TO THE BUDGET.
UM, BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE SOMETIMES PEOPLE JUST VOTE NO ON THE TAX INCREASE, SO THEY CAN SAY THEY VOTED NO, BUT DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER IDEAS FOR WHAT TO DO DIFFERENTLY.
UM, I DON'T MEAN TO MAKE THAT A FORMALITY, I JUST WANTED TO PUT THAT OUT THERE.
UM, WELL, YEAH, I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF NUMBERS TO CONSIDER.
AGAIN, I THINK YOU, YOU NEED TO CONSIDER WHAT YOU CONSIDER, WHAT YOU BELIEVE THE BAIT, THE MINIMUM FUND BALANCE IS.
AND THEN AGAIN, IF YOU'RE GONNA, IF YOU'RE GONNA SPEND ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THAT THIS YEAR, THEN WHAT DO WE DO NEXT YEAR? OKAY.
AND THEN, UM, OR, YOU KNOW, I, I, I, THE OTHER THING I CAN PROMISE YOU IS THAT MR. GALLOWAY IS GONNA GO BACK FOR THE BUDGET AND LOOK FOR SAVINGS.
A LOT OF THAT SAVING IS, IS GONNA BE THREE GRAND HERE, FIVE GRAND HERE.
IT'S NOT USUALLY BIG NUMBERS, BUT SOME OF IT IS IMPORTANT, CERTAINLY FROM THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL SECTION.
I WILL LOOK FOR SAVINGS THERE.
BUT, UM, THAT'S MORE ABOUT A STATEMENT OF VALUES THAT'S NOT REALLY GONNA MAKE A, ANYWAY, WE'LL SEE WHAT KIND OF DEBT WE CAN MAKE IN 11 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
UM, UH, IT MAY NOT MAKE A BIG ONE.
IT, IT MAY MAKE SOME DENT TO HELP US GET THERE.
I THINK, UM, YOU KNOW, I THINK IF WE'RE GONNA RAISE TAXES, WE OUGHT TO GET A BALANCED BUDGET OUT OF IT.
LIKE THAT OUGHT TO BE PART OF THE BARGAIN.
UM, AND SO THAT MAY BE A HARD LIFT.
UM, I WOULD ALSO SAY MR. GALLOWAY DIDN'T MENTION THIS PART, BUT, UH, HE'S PLANNING ON, OR HE IS BUDGETING FOR COST OF LIVING INCREASES THAT FR FRANKLY PROBABLY DON'T COVER INFLATION, UH, DEPENDING ON WHO YOU ASK, BUT THEY WILL AT LEAST GET US A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO BEING COMPETITIVE, UH, AT, WITH OTHER DEPARTMENTS AND A LITTLE BIT A LITTLE CLOSER TO PRESERVING THE BUYING POWER OF OUR STAFF'S, UH, PAYCHECKS.
UM, ALRIGHT, I'LL COME BACK IN ON THE RATE IN A SECOND.
LET'S GO TO COUNCIL MEMBER TANZI FIRST.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, I WOULD LIKE SOME VERY CLEAR KIND OF IF THEN STATEMENTS, IF WE KEEP THINGS, IF WE KEEP CONSTANT YIELD, HOW SHORT ARE WE, SORRY, IF WE KEEP THE PROPOSED BUDGET IN CONSTANT YIELD, HOW SHORT ARE WE, IF WE DO CONSTANT RATE, HOW SHORT ARE WE IF WE GO TO, YOU KNOW, 1 CENT, 2 CENT, ET CETERA.
I JUST THINK THE CHOICES SHOULD BE CLEAR.
AND I THINK SOME OF THIS SPEAKS TO, UH, VICE MAYOR BINDER'S POINT THAT I THINK WE SHOULD BE CHOOSING FROM A LIST OF OPTIONS RATHER THAN, UH, A VERY COMPLICATED DOCUMENT THAT DOES NOT PRESENT ITSELF IN THAT WAY.
UM, SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN CONSTRUCT THOSE IN ROUGH TERMS, UH, RIGHT NOW, BUT I DO THINK THAT BEFORE WE HAVE ANY KIND OF PUBLIC HEARING ON THIS, THOSE NUMBERS NEED TO BE THERE.
AND I PERSONALLY THINK THEY SHOULD BE AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC SO PEOPLE CAN UNDERSTAND THIS IS IF WE KEEP THE BUDGET AS PROPOSED, WHICH HAS ALREADY BEEN,
[02:00:01]
UH, LOOKED OVER THOROUGHLY BY OUR TEAM, UH, WE WOULD BE SHORT THIS MUCH IF WE CHANGED NOTHING.UM, AND THEN START SHOWING WHAT OUR, OUR DIFFERENT OPTIONS ARE AND WHAT THE CURRENT, UM, FUND BALANCE IS.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO PROVIDE ALL THE CONTEXT IN THE WORLD, BUT WE, WE WANT PEOPLE TO KNOW THAT THERE'S NOT AN UNLIMITED POT TO PULL FROM, UM, IN PERPETUITY THAT, UH, THAT, THAT MOST OF WHAT IS PROPOSED IS CONTINUING EXPENSES.
SO ANYWAY, I WOULD, I WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THOSE NUMBERS SO THAT I'M NOT SITTING HERE, UH, PULLING UP MY CALCULATOR, TRYING TO MAKE SURE I'M, I'M DOING THE MATH RIGHT FOR EVERY SCENARIO.
I THINK WE CAN ADD, ANSWER SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS FOR YOU RIGHT NOW.
SO JUST TO GET THE ELEPHANT OUT OF THE ROOM, UM, YOU'RE CURRENTLY THIS BUDGET THAT HAS BEEN PRESENTED TONIGHT, I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA REMOVE THE CAPITAL OUTLAY OUTTA THAT NUMBER DELAINE THE $120,000 CAPITAL OUTLAY NUMBER FOR SAKE OF THE DISCUSSION.
IS THAT OKAY FOR YOU FOR SAKE OF DISCUSSION? YEAH, IF YOU CAN, YEAH.
IT'S 175,000 DEFICIT WITH THE INCREASES WE HAVE PROPOSED.
OR $175,000 DEFICIT WITH THE INCREASES.
SO WHAT YOU'RE ASKING THEN IS, OKAY, WELL WHAT IF, UM, AS I THINK YOU JUST STATED, IF OKAY, WHAT IF WE STAY AT, UM, JUST THE NORMAL, THE NORMAL RATES CORRECT.
SO IT, IT'S REALLY, UM, ARE YOU, ARE YOU INTERESTED IN, UM, NOT RAISING THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RATE? LET'S START WITH THAT OR, OR JUST ARE YOU JUST MORE CONCERNED WITH THE REAL ESTATE TAX? UH, MOSTLY THE REAL ESTATE TAX, WELL, ALL OF IT, BUT THE REAL ESTATE TAX IS WHAT PEOPLE TEND TO TALK ABOUT.
'CAUSE EVENTUALLY THEY GET THEIR ESCROW ANALYSIS AND IT CHANGES, BUT YEAH.
SO, UM, SO LET'S JUST FOCUS ON THE REAL ESTATE.
SO RIGHT NOW THE REAL ESTATE IS AT 3 MILLION, AND I LIKED ROUNDS 3 MILLION, 3 75 WITH THAT INCREASE THAT WE DISCUSSED.
AND SO IF WE WERE TO LEAVE IT AT, UH, THE CURRENT RATE, SO THAT WOULD LEAVE THE APARTMENTS AT 75 CENTS AND THAT WOULD LEAVE THE, THE, THE REAL PROPERTY TAX AT, UH, 57 99.
UM, YOUR REVENUE WOULD BE 5 MILLION 7 81.
SO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THOSE NUMBERS, 6, 3, 7, 5, 5 7 8 IS $594,000.
SO NOW AGAIN, THE BUDGET WOULD REMAIN, THE EXPENDITURES REMAIN THE SAME.
YOU WOULD BE AT A DEFICIT SPENDING OF 769,000 IF WE, SO THAT MEANS THAT WE WOULD HAVE, EXCUSE ME.
YEAH, WE'D, WE'D HAVE TO CUT THE EXPENDITURES TO BE AT A FLAT BUDGET BY $769,000.
TO GET TO A FLAT BUDGET AT, IF REMAINED AT 57, 99 AND 75 CENTS.
YEAH, THAT'S, SO THAT'S WOULD QUANTIFY THAT FOR YOU.
SO THAT'S USEFUL, RIGHT? SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE NUMBER THAT EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW.
AND IT'S ALSO USEFUL BECAUSE I THINK IT WOULD BE RECKLESS TO TRY TO PULL THAT AMOUNT OUT OF THE, UM, EMERGENCY FUND.
THE UNELECTED FUND, BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN SUSTAIN THAT.
YOU CAN DO THAT ONCE AND YOU KNOW, YOU DO IT A COUPLE MORE TIMES.
AND, AND YOU'RE NOW REALLY BEING IRRESPONSIBLE WITH YOUR MONEY.
UM, BUT THAT'S USEFUL BECAUSE I THINK IT MAKES IT MUCH HARDER FOR, TO THE VICE MAYOR'S POINT TO, TO SAY WITH A STRAIGHT FACE THAT THAT'S AN ACCEPTABLE NUMBER.
UM, SO THEN IT'S, WE HAVE DIFFERENT OPTIONS TO FIND THE MONEY.
SOME OF THOSE ARE PROPERTY TAX RATES, SOME OF THOSE ARE ALL THE OTHER ONES WE LISTED.
UM, AND I THINK, I THINK THIS WAS ALSO, UH, THE VICE MAYOR'S POINT THAT WE DO HAVE TO HAVE A PROS AND CONS.
'CAUSE LIKE HYATTSVILLE IS GREAT TO, TO COMPARE TO, BUT HYATTSVILLE CAN PROBABLY ALSO ARGUE TO ITS BUSINESSES THAT IT PROVIDES A COMPETITIVE VALUE THAT DOES NOT YET EXIST IN CHEVROLET.
SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE ARE NOT MAKING CHEVROLET UNAPPEALING TO OUR, OUR COMMERCIAL, YOU KNOW, TENANTS.
[02:05:01]
THAT, THAT IS THE NUMBER I NEEDED TO, TO KNOW, UH, BECAUSE 1 75 WITH THE PROPOSED INCREASES IS A NUMBER, BUT THAT YOU COULD ABSORB MAYBE FROM OUR, UH, YEAH.BUT 7 69 IS A WHOLE NOTHER NUMBER.
NO, I MEAN, THE, I MEAN THE, THE, THE REAL MEAT OF THE SANDWICH HERE IS, IS SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED PROPERTY TAXES.
UM, IS ANYBODY ON THE COUNCIL HAVE ANY REAL INDIGESTION ABOUT A A A 1 0 3 FOR THE APARTMENTS AND A DOLLAR 45 FOR THE, FOR THE TPP? OR CAN WE JUST WRITE THAT DOWN? OKAY.
SO MR. GALLOWAY, WRITE THOSE DOWN AND LET'S PLAN TO DO THOSE, UH, IN THE NOTICE.
I THINK THIS THE LAST, OH, VICE MAYOR, UH, SORRY.
UM, I DON'T LOVE SUCH A HUGE INCREASE.
UM, HOWEVER, UNDERSTAND IT, I, I DEFINITELY WANTED TO HEAR FROM COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, GARZAS THOUGH, SINCE, YOU KNOW, UM, A MAJORITY OF THAT AREA IS HIS, I DON'T SEE HIM BEING COMPLETELY OPPOSED TO IT PER SE.
UM, AND I THINK THERE YEAH, THAT'S FINE.
I THINK WE CAN PENCIL IT IN FOR NOW.
I THINK IT WOULD ALSO MAKE THEIR PAYMENT ROUGHLY THE SAME, RIGHT? BECAUSE THEIR ASSESSMENT DROPPED.
SO, I MEAN, BUT I JUST BECAUSE HE'S NOT HERE, SO I DON'T WANNA PEN ANYTHING IN WITHOUT HAVING HEARD FROM HIM.
SO PENCILING IT IN, I'M, I'M PRETTY SURE HE'LL BE ON BOARD WHEN HE HEARS THE REASONING AND EVERYTHING BEHIND IT.
UM, BUT JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT HIS VOICE IS HEARD BEFORE WE'RE, UM, MAKING ANYTHING A HUNDRED PERCENT.
I, I THINK, I THINK RIGHT NOW WE'RE PENCILING THINGS IN FOR PURPOSES OF THE HEARING NOTICE, UH, WHICH TAKES ME TO THE THORNIER ISSUE OF WHAT DO WE PENCIL ON? WHAT DO WE WRITE ON THAT NOTICE FOR? UH, WELL, I'LL CALL IT THE FIFTY SEVEN NINETY NINE RATE.
THE, THE SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED.
HOW'S THIS? ARE WE, ARE WE OKAY WRITING 62 99? DO YOU WANNA WRITE SOMETHING DIFFERENT? I MEAN, WE NEED CONSENT.
WE NEED TO GIVE THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR DIRECTION ON WHAT TO PUBLISH ON THE NOTICE.
NONE OF THAT IS LEGALLY BINDING.
HOWEVER, I BELIEVE WHAT WE PUBLISH, LET ME QUALIFY BY THAT, BY SAYING IF WE PUBLISH A NUMBER, WE CAN'T GO HIGHER THAN THE NUMBER, I THINK.
IS THAT RIGHT, MR. GALLOWAY? THAT'S CORRECT.
SO IF, IF YOU PUBLISH 58, OKAY, THEN YOU COULD DO 57 99 OR 56 OR 58, YOU CAN'T DO 58 AND A HALF BECAUSE YOU PUBLISHED THE 58.
SO IS THERE A, ANY COUNCIL MEMBER WHO WANTS TO PROFFER ANYTHING BESIDES 62.99 FOR THAT NOTICE? CAN I, CAN I CHIME IN HERE? SURE.
I KNOW WE MADE THE RECOMMENDATION OF, OF THE 5 CENTS, BUT YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE IMPACT THIS RATE MUCH MORE, THEN WE REALLY GOTTA START THINKING ABOUT WHAT SERVICES DO WE WANT TO ELIMINATE? UM, DO WE REALLY WANT 24 7 POLICING? DO WE REALLY WANT TWICE A WEEK TRASH PICKUP? SHOULD WE BEGIN LAYOFFS? SO I THINK THAT THIS IS A REAL THING TO CONSIDER.
AND I, YEAH, I WOULD, THE ONLY OTHER THING I WOULD ADD IS I DON'T WANT THE COUNCIL TO FEEL LIKE THEIR HANDS ARE TIED BY THIS ANNOUNCEMENT, EXCEPT IN THE NARROW LEGAL SENSE THAT YOU CAN'T GO HIGHER THAN THE ANNOUNCEMENT.
UM, I KIND OF FEEL LIKE THEIR HANDS ARE TIED.
I MEAN, I THINK THE TOWN WOULD BE PLEASANTLY SURPRISED IF YOU ADVERTISE A 6, 2, 9 9 AND YOU DECIDED TO GO WITH SIX TWO.
YEAH, I DON'T KNOW WHY YOU PICKED SIX TWO, BUT IF YOU HAVE A MATHEMATICAL JUSTIFICATION, I COULD BE CONVINCED.
UM, YOU KNOW, I'M, BUT YOU DON'T, YOU, YOU FEEL DIFFERENTLY, MR. GALLOWAY? NO, I MEAN, I, I I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE'VE MADE THE, THE BEST PROFESSIONAL RECOMMENDATION THAT WE CAN FOR OPERATIONAL PURPOSES WITH WHAT WE HAVE COMPARED TO REVENUES AND THE DEMAND OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I, I THINK THAT THE NUMBERS OF THE NUMBERS UNFORTUNATELY, AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BASED OFF OF THIS, WE STILL GOT GROUND TO MAKE UP BECAUSE WE'RE STILL AT A NEGATIVE $296,000 DEFICIT.
RIGHT? AND ON, ON TOP OF THAT, THAT INCLUDED THE CAPITAL OUTLAY OF THE $120,000 FOR THE FIVE VEHICLES THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT DESPERATELY
[02:10:01]
NEEDS.OH, BECAUSE WE GOT A FEW VEHICLES IN THE SHOP RIGHT NOW THAT ARE GETTING FIXED FOR $7,000 A BOP AND A, AT A CERTAIN POINT, WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO INVEST IN VEHICLES THAT'S GOING TO COST MORE THAN ONE VEHICLE.
SO I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, AS I INDICATED AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THIS, THESE ARE SOME HARD DECISIONS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, I GOTTA TURN IT OVER TO THE COUNCIL.
I, IF NO ONE'S GOING TO RECOMMEND SOMETHING DIFFERENT THAN 62 99, THEN WE'RE GOING TO PUT 62 99 IN THE NOTICE.
I MEAN, YOU CAN RECOMMEND 63 9 AND THEN ARGUE IT AT THE TOWN, AT, AT THE PUBLIC HEARING.
MAN, I, I, INTERESTING TACTIC.
I I WAS JUST GONNA SAY THE EXACT SAME THING TO BE HONEST WITH YOU BECAUSE YOU WERE, IT, WE, AS MR. GALLOWAY JUST MENTIONED RIGHT NOW, I SAID WE WERE 175,000 IN THE WHOLE WITH THE BUDGET AS PRESENTED, BUT THAT DID NOT INCLUDE THE 120,000 THAT THEY'D LIKE FOR POLICE CARS.
SO IF YOU ADD THAT YOU'RE AT TWO 90, 290,000, BUT REMEMBER, A PENNY EXTRA IS 94,000.
SO TO GET RID OF THE 175,000 DEFICIT WITHOUT TOUCHING ANY OF THE EXPENDITURES WOULD COST YOU APPROXIMATELY TWO PENNIES.
UM, AND THAT WOULD NOT STILL BE FUNDING THE CARS.
SO EVEN IF YOU PUBLISHED, UH, I'LL BE, I WOULD SAY IF YOU PUBLISHED THE 63 99 OR THE 64 99, THIS BUDGET WOULD BE BALANCED AT 64 99.
COUNSEL, WHAT'S YOUR PLEASURE? I MEAN, I DON'T, MY PERSONAL OPINION IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 62 9 AND 63 99 IS, YOU KNOW, 0.01.
UH, SO I DON'T KNOW THAT IT MATTERS WHICH ONE WE, UH, PUT IN.
UM, AND GIVEN THE CONSTRAINTS, MAYBE IT'S, UH, WORTH PUTTING THAT IN.
I THINK IT WOULD BE DIFFERENT IF IT HAD SOME OTHER CLEAR SYMBOLISM, RIGHT? LIKE HAVING CROSSED OVER SOME NUMBER.
BUT GOING FROM 62 TO 63, I DON'T THINK IS, UM, GOING TO FEEL SO DISTINCT.
UH, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS.
UM, AND, UH, YEAH, I'M NOT SURE HOW TO, HOW WHAT ELSE TO PROVIDE THE PUBLIC SO THEY CAN COME IN WITH MORE THAN JUST, YOU KNOW, WHY DOES THIS COST SO MUCH? DO WE HAVE A HISTORY OF THE, THE RATE INCREASES IN THE PAST? I, I WAS JUST TRYING TO FIGURE THREE YEARS, JUST GONNA TRY TO FI FIGURE OUT IF I CAN DO IT PART ON THAT.
YOU, YOU ASKING ME HOW MUCH WE'VE RAISED AT THEM? YEAH, YEAH.
WE RAISED THEM 4 CENTS AND 24 5 CENTS AND 25 0 AND 26.
THAT'S MY, THAT'S WHAT MY HANDWRITTEN NOTES SAY.
SO, UM, I THINK IT'S, WELL ANYWAY, WE'LL GO TO VICE MAYOR.
MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE TO DO, UH, WHATEVER MR. GALLOWAY AND MS. MOCK RECOMMEND AND WHAT PROVIDES THEM THE MOST FLEXIBILITY BECAUSE THEY ARE THE ONES WHO ARE IN THE BUDGET AND WORKING WITH THE BUDGET.
SO I THINK IF THEIR RECOMMENDATION IS TO GO A CENTER TWO HIGHER, THEN I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD DO.
I GUESS I WOULD SAY THERE'S NO CHANCE THAT WE'RE GOING TO ACTUALLY ADOPT A 6 CENT TAX INCREASE, RIGHT GUYS? I MEAN, YOU'RE THE ONES VOTING, BUT YOU'RE NOT REALLY GONNA VOTE FOR 6 CENTS, ARE YOU? I DON'T SEE MYSELF VOTING FOR 6 CENTS.
SO I MEAN, WE, WE COULD, SORRY, JOHN.
I WOULD RATHER NOT, I MEAN, OKAY.
DOES ANYONE OBJECT TO JUST ADVERTISING THE FIVE AND TYING OUR HANDS TO THE FIVE, SO THE 62 99, KNOWING THAT THAT'S GOING TO GO INTO THE THAT'RE GOING TO PULL FROM THE FUND BALANCE? WELL, OR WE'RE GONNA CUT SPENDING, I MEAN, THOSE ARE THE TWO OPTIONS THAT WE WOULD BE LEFT WITH BECAUSE WE WILL NOT HAVE, YOU KNOW, TO YOUR POINT, WE WOULD NOT HAVE, WE WOULD AT BEST HAVE $11,459,000 IN INCOME RE IN REVENUE.
[02:15:01]
WE WOULD HAVE TO FIND EITHER SPENDING CUTS OR BORROW FROM, OR, OR TAKE, I SHOULDN'T SAY BORROW TAKE FROM THE FUND BALANCE VICE.I DID SOME BACK OF THE NAPKIN MATH, WHICH COULD BE COMPLETELY WRONG.
UM, BUT IT LOOKS LIKE OUR COSTS FOR PERSONNEL, SALARIES AND BENEFITS AND TEMPS, UM, IT'S LIKE 65% OF OUR BUDGET.
UM, SO I JUST WANTED TO MENTION THAT IT SOUNDS ABOUT RIGHT FOR THE SMALL, FOR, FOR A, FOR A GOVERNMENT OR A ACTUALLY REALLY ANY ORGANIZATION.
UH, LET'S GO WITH 62 99, AND THAT'LL BE THE ADVERTISEMENT.
WE'LL HAVE A HEARING ON THE SEVENTH, WHICH IS ALREADY A, WHICH WE'VE ALREADY SCHEDULED, I BELIEVE.
AND THEN I BELIEVE THAT HEARING COUNSEL IS NOT GONNA BE SUFFICIENT FOR THIS CONVERSATION.
TO CONCLUDE, BECAUSE WE NEED TO INTRODUCE A COHERENCE BUDGET ON MAY 14TH.
MR. GALLOWAY, WHAT TIME IS THE HEARING ON THE SEVENTH? SIX 30.
SO LET US HAVE THE HEARING AT SIX 30.
UM, AND THEN AFTERWARDS, I'LL LET YOU PICK THE INTERVAL.
45 MINUTES LATER, AN HOUR LATER.
LET, LET'S HAVE A FINAL BUDGET REVIEW, UH, ALL DEPARTMENTS AND REVENUE.
UM, DOES THAT SOUND OKAY? COUNSEL? THAT WOULD BE MY LAST USE OF AIR QUOTES FOR THE EVENING.
SO WOULD WHERE IN THAT SCENARIO WOULD WE BE ACTUALLY VOTING ON THE TAX RATE? UM, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
UH, CERTAINLY WE DON'T NEED TO VOTE DURING A HEARING, BUT PERHAPS IT SHOULD.
PERHAPS WE SHOULD VOTE ON THE TAX RATES BECAUSE WE ALL, WE HAVE IN RECENT HISTORY, I'M THINKING OUT LOUD NOW, HAD A SEPARATE VOTE AND, AND THAT PRECEDED THE FIRST READER OF THE BUDGET.
AM I RIGHT ABOUT THAT? I THINK I'M RIGHT ABOUT THAT.
I FEEL LIKE LAST YEAR WE VOTED AT THE END OF THE HEARING, BUT THAT WAS LIKE
YEAH, LET, LET, LET'S PLAN TO VOTE ON THE SEVENTH AND, BUT I THINK TO THE VICE MAYOR'S POINT, LET'S MAKE CLEAR ON THE MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT, LIKE WHAT HOUR THAT'S HAPPENING IN AND IN WHAT, IN WHAT KIND, WHATEVER YOU WRITE ON THE AGENDA, WE WILL STICK TO, AS FAR AS THE PROCEDURE SO THAT IT'S CLEAR.
UM, UM, BECAUSE LAST YEAR WE DIDN'T RAISE THE RATE, BUT I FEEL LIKE IN THE PREVIOUS YEARS WHEN WE'VE RAISED THE RATE, THERE HAS BEEN A VOTE AND IT WASN'T AT THE FIRST READER.
IT WAS BEFORE THE FIRST READER.
UM, AND I DON'T WANNA HAVE ANOTHER MEETING,
SO WE ARE TAKING, WE ARE TAKING OFF APRIL 30TH.
UH, WE ARE MEETING NEXT THURSDAY, OF COURSE FOR THE WORK SESSION.
AND THEN THIS WILL BE ON THE SEVENTH, AND THEN THE TOWN MEETING WILL BE ON THE 14TH.
UH, TOWN OF THAT LOOKS, THAT LOOKS GREAT.
AND THEN JUST, WE'LL JUST PICK WHICH, WHEN WE SAY WE'RE GOING TO VOTE, UH, WHETHER IT'S DURING THE SIX 30 SESSION OR THE SEVEN 30 SESSION, I HAVE NO GREAT OPINION COUNSEL, IS THERE ANYTHING FURTHER YOU WOULD LIKE TO DISCUSS TONIGHT? VICE MAYOR IS YOUR HAND UP.
YEAH, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE BECAUSE IF WE'RE VOTING AND THEN HAVING OUR LAST BUDGET REVIEW, BUT TOWN STAFF DOESN'T KNOW HOW WE'RE GONNA VOTE, SO HOW DO WE KNOW WHAT BUDGET WE'RE GONNA REVIEW? I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT SURPRISING STAFF IN SOME WAY WHERE THEY LIKE PREPARE A BUDGET FOR A CERTAIN RATE AND THEN WE VOTE AND IT'S NOT THAT RATE.
AND NOW WHAT DO WE DO? UM, SO I DON'T KNOW MR. GALLOWAY, I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S WORKED IN THE PAST OR I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ALLOWING FOR DO YOU HAVE AN OPINION, MR. GALLOWAY? YEAH, I, I THINK WE CAN, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO COORDINATE WITH THE COUNCIL COLLECTIVELY TO TRY TO UH, UH, CREATE A BUDGET THAT WOULD BE REFLECTIVE OF THE TAX OF, OF, OF THE PROJECTED VOTE.
SO YEAH, I THINK THAT, I THINK THAT OUR TASKING TO MR. GALLOWAY AND, AND MS. MOCK IS TO
[02:20:01]
IDENTIFY EXPENDITURES, UH, THAT WILL LAND PRETTY, PRETTY MUCH AT 11,000,459.AND THEN IF WE ARE, IF WE ON THE SEVENTH YOU ALL ADOPT, WE ALL ADOPT A DIFFERENT TAX RATE, I THINK WE MIGHT BE EFFECTIVELY THEN WE WOULD BE DECIDING, OKAY, WE'RE ASKING YOU TO DIG INTO THE FUND BALANCE OR WE'RE ASKING YOU TO GO BACK AND IN THE NEXT SEVEN DAYS FIND ADDITIONAL CUTS OF X AMOUNT OR A BLEND OF THE TWO.
SORRY, THAT WAS A LITTLE MEANDERING, BUT DID THAT MAKE SENSE? CORRECT.
I, I THINK I DID HEAR MOST, UH, OF THE COUNCIL IS, UH, OKAY WITH THE PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX INCREASE.
IS THAT SO THAT COULD STAY, THAT WOULDN'T BE A, UH, A FLEX NUMBER, CORRECT.
ALRIGHT, WELL THEN, YEAH, AND THEN I THINK WE WANT TO HEAR FROM COUNCIL MEMBER GARCE.
SO PERHAPS, UM, UH, WELL BEFORE THE SEVENTH CONVERSATIONS WILL BE HAD WITH COUNCIL MEMBER GARCI PERHAPS NEXT THURSDAY, UH, TO GET HIS TO PULSE HIM ON THE, ON THE, UH, 103 CENTS.
AND THEN, UM, THAT WILL CLOSE THIS, THAT WILL CLOSE THE CIRCLE ON THE 103 FOR THE MULTIFAMILY.
TO PIGGYBACK OFF, UH, VICE MAYOR, UH, ARE WE SEEING THAT WE WOULD MAKE THE FINAL, UH, DECISION ON TAX INCREASE THE SAME EVENING AS THE MOST REVISED, UH, PRESENTATION THAT WE'LL HAVE OR THAT'S, THAT'S PRESENTED TO US, OR WE HAVE A TIMEFRAME AFTER THAT TO MAKE A DECISION? I THINK THAT, UH, WHAT WE ARE SAYING, WHICH YOU DON'T HAVE TO AGREE WITH, BUT UH, WHAT WE ARE SAYING IS THAT, UH, BETWEEN NOW AND THE SEVENTH STAFF WILL WORK TO GET THE EXPENDITURES TO 11,000,459, AND THEN ON THE SEVENTH WE WILL ADOPT THE TAX RATE.
UM, AND IF WE ADOPT THE TAX RATE AT 62 99, THEN WE HAVE A BALANCED BUDGET.
AND IF WE ADOPT A DIFFERENT TAX RATE THAT'S LOWER THAN 62.99, THEN WE WILL HAVE TO INSTRUCT STAFF TO IDENTIFY CUTS OR DIG INTO THE FUND BALANCE OR A MIXTURE OF THE TWO.
AND SO THERE WOULD NOT BE, THERE WOULD ONLY BE ONE MORE NIGHT OF BUDGET DISCUSSIONS BEFORE THE FIRST READER, UH, ON THE 14TH.
IS, DOES THAT SOUND OKAY TO YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER? ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT YOUR, GO AHEAD.
NOT AS, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THING IS JUST, UH, COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND, UH, BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE RESIDENTS HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO FULLY UNDERSTAND, NOT ONLY UNDERSTAND, BUT VIEW TO DISCUSS AND THEIR CONCERNS REGARDING THE BUDGET.
SO MY INTENTION, UH, ESPECIALLY FOR THIS YEAR SINCE WE WE'RE, CLEARLY THIS IS A SPECIAL YEAR FOR THE BUDGET.
I WOULD SAY THIS, OBVIOUSLY THE HEARING ON THE SEVENTH, UM, WILL BE SPECIFICALLY TO DISCUSS THESE PUBLISHED RATES, A DOLLAR 45, 103 CENTS AND 62.99.
UM, THAT WILL BE A PUBLIC HEARING.
I THINK THERE'S ALSO BE, UH, WE WILL TREAT THE PUBLIC INPUT AT THE SEVEN 30 HERE MEETING, LIKE A WORK SESSION.
UM, AND THEN OF COURSE THERE'LL BE PUBLIC INPUT ON THE FIRST READER AND THE SECOND READER LIKE THAT.
I THINK AS A, AS A BODY, WE DON'T WANNA HAVE A LOT OF MESSINESS STILL UNRESOLVED BY THE 13TH, 14TH.
WE WANT TO HAVE A FIRST READER.
AND WHILE WE'RE STILL GETTING, YOU KNOW, THAT WE'RE AT LEAST COMFORTABLE WITH, OF COURSE WE CAN CHANGE OUR MINDS.
THAT'S THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS.
VICE MAYOR, I JUST WANNA REFRAME WHEN WE'RE SAYING, WELL, IF WE DON'T WANNA RAISE THE TAX RATE, THEN WE ASK STAFF TO GO BACK AND FIND MORE PLACES TO CUT.
I THINK IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE USING THE TAX RATE THAT STAFF RECOMMENDS, THEN COUNCIL NEEDS TO BE THE ONES THAT ARE IDENTIFYING THE PLACES WHERE THEY BELIEVE THINGS SHOULD BE CUT.
UM, I MEAN OBVIOUSLY IN CONCERT WITH STAFF AND STAFF MAKES RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL, BUT I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TAKING OWNERSHIP OF, IF WE BELIEVE THAT THESE NUMBERS SHOULD BE DIFFERENT, WE NEED TO BE THE ONES TO SAY, HERE'S HOW THEY SHOULD BE DIFFERENT AND NOT JUST SORT OF SAY, I WANT THESE NUMBERS
[02:25:01]
TO BE DIFFERENT, PLEASE JUST MAKE IT HAPPEN.YEAH, I, I APPRECIATE THAT AND I THINK, UM, THANK YOU FOR THAT.
AND I'LL, LET ME JUST PICK ON JOHN, FOR EXAMPLE, IF JOHN SAYS JOHN COMES UP AND HE SAYS, UH, WELL, I THINK THE TAX RATE SHOULD BE 60 99, I THINK 62 99 IS TOO MUCH.
OKAY, JOHN, YOU NEED TO FIND $188,000 WORTH OF CUTS IN ORDER TO BALANCE IT.
OR YOU HAVE TO EXPLAIN WHY YOU BELIEVE IT'S RESPONSIBLE TO DIG $188,000 OUT OF THE, THE FUND BALANCE OR A MIXTURE OF THE TWO.
IT'S A LITTLE EASIER FOR ME TO SAY BECAUSE I'M NOT VOTING, BUT I MEAN, I THINK IF YOU'RE GONNA COME TO THE TABLE AND SAY, HEY, I'D LIKE, I'D LIKE 60 90, I PREFER 60 99.
OKAY, WELL THEN WE'RE 188,000 SHORT OF WHAT YOU WANT.
ARE YOU GONNA FIND THAT IN THE FUND BALANCE? ARE YOU GONNA FIND THAT ARE IN A CUTS HALF AND HALF, 60 40? UM, I THINK THAT'S A USEFUL FRAME, UM, AS WELL.
AND I I WILL TRY TO DO THE SAME.
I'M NOT, YEAH, I'LL TRY TO DO THE SAME.
CAN I, CAN I JUMP IN HERE AS WELL? YES.
AND THEN TWO AREAS WHERE YOU THINK, AND, AND TRUST ME, I HAVE WENT OVER EACH LINE ITEM WITH, WITH, UH, DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS WITH THE CHIEF OF POLICE, UH, WITH MS. MOCK SEVERAL TIMES.
AND ANYTIME YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT CUTTING CERTAIN LINES, LET'S HAVE A CONVERSATION BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU WHAT SERVICES ARE GOING TO GET CUT OR WHAT LIABILITIES ARE GOING TO INCREASE DUE TO MANDATORY TRAININGS.
UM, OR, OR, OR, OR THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
SO LET'S, BEFORE YOU COME HERE AND SAY WE NEED TO CUT THIS, THIS, AND THIS JUST BECAUSE YOU THINK THAT IT'S, IT'S IT'S LOW HANGING FRUIT, I WANT YOU TO KNOW WHAT THE REPERCUSSIONS COULD BE OR WILL BE IF YOU DO THAT.
THAT, UH, COUNSEL, ARE YOU AGREED NOT TO HAVE THIS ON THE AGENDA NEXT THURSDAY? CORRECT.
I DON'T WANT TO ADD BUDGET TO IT, BUT MAYOR, CAN I ASK A QUESTION? YES, SIR.
UH, MR. GALLOWAY, WHAT IS THE BEST WAY YOU WOULD LIKE COUNSEL TO, AGAIN, I'M NOT THIS, I DIDN'T, I KNOW BUDGET, I WORKED IN INVESTMENT BANKING, BUT THIS IS NOT MY CURRENT JOB.
SO WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO PRESENT TO YOU POSSIBLE CUTS? SO WE JUST SHOULD SEND YOU AN EMAIL AND SAY, WHAT ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR SERVICE OR, UH, PROJECT AND THE BUDGET? IF YOU CUT THAT, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE AND HOW MUCH MONEY WILL BE SAVED? WHAT'S THE BEST WAY FOR YOU, UH, FOR US TO, UH, AS INDIVIDUALS TO UH, SEND THAT TO INFORMATION, GET THE INFORMATION TO YOU? I'LL, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL TELL YOU WHAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN DO 'EM IN GROUPS OF TWO OR THREE, UM, WE'D BE WILLING, THE CHIEF, UH, DIRECTOR BRAMAN, UM, WE'LL LOVE TO HAVE YOU COME OVER AND WE CAN, WE CAN GO THROUGH ANY AND ALL OF YOUR CONCERNS AND GIVE YOU A FULL RUNDOWN OF WHAT THE ISSUES ARE.
UM, AND, AND TO PROVIDE A FULL EXPLANATION, WE CAN, I MEAN, YES, WE CAN BE AS DETAILED AS WE NEED TO BE TO, UH, PROVIDE YOU WITH THE TOOLS THAT YOU NEED TO COMMUNICATE TO THE COMMUNITY.
SO, UM, I DON'T THINK THE CHIEF OR DIRECTOR RAYMOND, UH, WILL HAVE ANY OBJECTIONS TO THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST PLEASE EMAIL ME, LET ME KNOW.
WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GET SOMETHING SCHEDULED.
UM, BUT YEAH, I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M DEFINITELY OPEN TO DOING THAT COUNCIL MEMBER WADE, AND JUST TO RESPOND.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT, UH, IN-PERSON MEETING WITH, UH, ONE TO THREE INDIVIDUALS TO, UM, ON THE COUNCIL TO MEET WITH? YES.
SO A PRIOR, A PRIOR EMAIL SAYING THESE, THESE ARE THE, THESE ARE MY IDEAS.
'CAUSE THE VICE MAYOR MENTIONED IF YOU DON'T HAVE A SOLUTION, YOU DON'T WANT THE, UH, THE RATES TO BE WHAT THEY ARE, THEN COME UP WITH YOUR OWN SOLUTIONS.
SO THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING THIS QUESTION.
SO SHOULD I SEND SOMETHING TO YOU IN, UH, WRITING PRIOR TO THAT MEETING? YEAH, THAT, THAT WOULD BE GOOD.
BECAUSE IT GIVES US A CHANCE TO PROVIDE YOU, UM, UH, THE FEEDBACK THAT YOU NEED AND DESERVE.
SO ABSOLUTELY, IF YOU CAN JUST PROVIDE US AN UPDATE, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND SCHEDULE IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE IN PERSON.
IT CAN BE A ZOOM MEETING AS WELL.
BUT JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE THE INFORMATION THAT YOU NEED.
I THINK IT'S TO YOUR, TO THIS, I MEAN, I, COUNCIL MEMBER WADE RAISED A REALLY GOOD POINT THAT I WOULD MAKE.
AND THAT IS, IT'S NOT HELPFUL FOR MICAH TO SHOW UP
[02:30:01]
WITH A LIST OF STUFF THAT HE THINKS SHOULD BE CUT.I MEAN, THAT'S A LITTLE, THAT'S TARDY TO THE PARTY THAT'S NOT EFFECTIVE BECAUSE WE'LL BE SITTING HERE ALL NIGHT AND I'LL BE TRADING DAVID 5,000 FOR JOHN'S 10,000 FOR THIS.
AND, UM, IT'S ULTIMATELY NOT EFFECTIVE AND IT'S NOT TRANSPARENT AND IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, THOUGHTFUL.
UM, SO YOU KNOW, YOU REALLY NEED, UH, WE NEED TO, WE NEED YOU, WE, THIS, EACH OF THE SEVEN ELECTED OFFICIALS NEEDS TO HAVE THIS BUTTONED UP.
I THINK B BEFORE THE SEVENTH, UM, WIS WITH MR. GALLOWAY, AND IF NECESSARY WITH MS. MOCK OR DEPARTMENT HEADS.
COUNSEL, ANYTHING ELSE, UM, THAT YOU WOULD LIKE? COUNCIL MEMBER? WADE, IS YOUR HAND BACK UP? NO, IT'S NOT, SIR.
UH, IF THERE'S NO OTHER, UH, QUESTIONS FOR MS. MOCK OR MR. GALLOWAY OR THE DEPARTMENT HEADS COUNSEL, IS THERE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? MOTION TO ADJOURN.
THANK YOU VICE MAYOR AND COUNCIL MEMBER TANZI WITH THE SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DEBATE? HEARING NONE? ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE.
UH, ANY ABSTENTIONS? THE MOTION PASSES FIVE ZERO.
WE WILL RECONVENE AT SEVEN 30 A WEEK FROM TONIGHT FOR THE WORK SESSION.
THANK YOU STAFF FOR ALL OF YOUR HARD WORK ON THIS.