[00:00:03]
[Constant Yield Tax Hearing on May 07, 2026.]
OKAY, WE'RE GONNA GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.WELCOME TO THE FY 27 CONSTANT YIELD TAX RATE HEARING FOR THE TOWN OF CH.
IT IS 6:31 PM ON THURSDAY, THE 7TH OF MAY, 2026.
JOINING US THIS EVENING IS ALSO THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR DELAINE GALLOWAY AND I WILL CALL THE ROLE OF THE ELECTED COUNCIL MEMBERS, STARTING WITH THE COUNCIL MEMBER FROM WARD ONE.
I DON'T SEE COUNCIL MEMBER GARCES.
HE SAID HE WAS GONNA BE REMOTE.
WE WILL HOPE HE JOINS US SOON.
COUNCIL MEMBER FRY, ARE YOU OUT THERE? NO.
SO WE WILL WAIT ON COUNCIL MEMBER GARCE AND COUNCIL MEMBER FRY.
BUT SEEING THAT THERE ARE FIVE ELECTED OFFICIALS FOR THE TOWN OF CHEVROLET PRESENT, WE HAVE A QUORUM TO CONDUCT BUSINESS.
UH, THIS EVENING'S AGENDA CONSISTS ENTIRELY OF HOLDING THE LEGALLY REQUIRED PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE CONSTANT RATE, UH, PROPERTY TAX.
UH, WE WILL NOT IN THE NEXT HOUR WILL BE DISCUSSING SPENDING.
WE WILL BE DISCUSSING STRICTLY REVENUE AND WITHIN THE WORLD OF REVENUE, WE WILL BE STRICTLY, UH, DISCUSSING, UH, REAL PROPERTY TAXES.
LET ME START OFF BY, UH, SO, SO I'M, I'LL SAY SOMETHING AT THE TOP, THEN WE'LL HAVE PUBLIC INPUT.
PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND THE WARD YOU LIVE IN, AND THEN AFTER THE PUBLIC COMMENTS, UH, I'LL INVITE COUNSEL TO ADD ANYTHING THEY WOULD LIKE TO ADD BEFORE THE END OF THE HEARING.
AND THEN WE WILL RECONVENE AT SEVEN 30 TO HAVE ESSENTIALLY A SPENDING DISCUSSION, UH, OF THE, UH, 11 PLUS MILLION DOLLARS IN PROPOSED SPENDING FOR SYFY 27, UH, ON THE PROPERTY SIDE.
UM, STARTING WITH, UM, THE MULTIFAMILY APARTMENTS.
THE PROPOSAL AS PUBLISHED IS FOR A DOLLAR AND 3 CENTS AND FOR THE SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED HOMES, THE PUBLISHED PROPOSAL IS 62.99 CENTS FOR EVERY $100 OF ASSESSED VALUE, UH, COUNSEL, WE WILL BE ADOPTING THE TAX RATE WHEN WE ADOPT THE BUDGET ON JUNE 11TH, AND WE CAN CHOOSE TO ADOPT ANY TAX RATE UP UN UP TO AND INCLUDING THE DOLLAR THREE FOR THE MULTIFAMILY AND THE 6 2 9 9 4, THE SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED.
AND WE CAN DO ANY GRADATION DOWN TO A HUNDREDTH OF A CENT FOR ANY OF THOSE.
SO UNLESS THERE'S ANY QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME, WHY DON'T WE JUMP RIGHT IN WITH THE PUBLIC TESTIMONY.
ANYONE IN THE ROOM IS WELCOME TO APPROACH THE PODIUM NAME WARD, AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
AND I BELIEVE MS. WHITE HAS THE UNFORTUNATE JOB OF KEEPING THE TIME AND WE'LL ALTERNATE BETWEEN ONLINE AND UH, IN THE ROOM.
L GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
I'M ELAINE JOHNSON, 30 YEAR RESIDENT AWARD.
MY HUSBAND AND I DO NOT SUPPORT THE PROPOSED REAL PROPERTY TAX INCREASE FOR THE FOLLOWING REASONS.
ONE, JUST OVER A YEAR AGO, MOST OF YOU CAMPAIGNED THAT YOU WOULD NOT SUPPORT A TAX RATE INCREASE CITING CONSECUTIVE YEARS OF INCREASES, ONE IN WHICH YOU GAVE YOURSELVES A RAISE AND INCREASED TAXES BY 20%.
YOU PLEDGE TO BRING INTEGRITY, TRANSPARENCY, AND NO NEW TAXES YET HERE WE ARE.
SECOND, IT SHOULD BE THE GOAL OF EVERY ADMINISTRATION TO OPERATE WITHIN THE SCOPE OF A BALANCED BUDGET.
AND THAT'S NOT PREDICATED ON WHAT ANY ELECTED OFFICIALS DID PRIOR TO THOSE CURRENTLY SERVING.
OBVIOUSLY, DECISIONS AND POLICIES SHAPE AND IMPACT REAL TIME EVENTS.
[00:05:01]
A BALANCED BUDGET.HOWEVER, THAT DOESN'T AUTOMATICALLY MEAN RAISING TAXES.
EXCESSIVE TAXATION, COUPLED WITH THE STAGGERING RISE IN UTILITIES IS CRIPPLING HOMEOWNERS.
JUST A FEW DAYS AGO ON MAY 4TH, FOX BUSINESS NEWS REPORTED THAT FORECLOSURES HAVE NOW HIT THE HIGHEST LEVEL IN SIX YEARS AS PROPERTY TAX SQUEEZE.
HOMEOWNERS IS A COMMUNITY KNOWN FOR SUPPORTING FAMILIES AND AGING IN PLACE.
FOURTH, THE PROPOSED TAX INCREASE TO BE EFFECTIVE JULY 1ST WILL BE BASED ON PAST YEARS VALUES AND WILL NOT REFLECT CURRENT ASSESSMENTS, SOME OF WHICH THAT ARE UNDERWAY.
PROPERTY VALUES HAVE AND ARE DROPPING CONSIDERABLY, MEANING WE WILL BE TAXED AT A MUCH HIGHER UNREAL VALUE.
THESE ARE A FEW OF THE MOST IMPORTANT REASONS WHY WE DO NOT SUPPORT THE TAX INCREASE.
WE URGE YOU ALL TO GO BACK AND DO THE HARD WORK OF IDENTIFYING SUBSTANTIVE BUDGET CUTS.
THERE ABSOLUTELY SHOULD NOT BE ANY NEW LINE ITEMS IN AN ALREADY DEFICIENT BUDGET.
JUST ON THE SURFACE, MY HUSBAND AND I IDENTIFIED 155,000 IN CUTS BY ELIMINATING THE HOMETOWN HEROES, $4,000.
WE WERE TOLD THAT THE TOWN WOULDN'T BE REQUIRED TO PAY ANY FUNDS FOR THAT.
THE FOOD SCRAP PROGRAM, $45,000 COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT, $30,000 AND PRINTING NEWSLETTERS, $40,000 AS A LONGTIME RESIDENT.
WE REMEMBER WHEN TRASH WAS COLLECTED ONCE A WEEK, THAT MAY NEED TO BE REVISITED.
PLEASE IDENTIFY SUBSTANTIVE CUTS AND ACTS MORE PROPERTY TAX.
THANK YOU FOR THAT AND I WANNA ACKNOWLEDGE THAT UH, COUNCIL MEMBER GARCIA JOINED US, I BELIEVE AT 6:34 PM SO THAT WILL BE REFLECTED IN THE MINUTES OF THE HEARING.
UH, I DON'T SEE ANY COMMENTS ONLINE, SO IS THERE FURTHER COMMENT IN THE ROOM? PLEASE COME FORWARD TO THE PODIUM AND GIVE US YOUR NAME AND YOUR WARD.
PLEASE MAKE SURE THE MICROPHONE'S ON AND YOU WILL HAVE THREE MINUTES TESTING.
MY WIFE AND I HAVE BEEN CH RESIDENTS SINCE 2023.
UM, I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK BRIEFLY AS SOMEONE WHO IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE PROPOSED TAX INCREASE.
UM, I HAVE FEW IDEAS WHICH MAY HAVE, MAY OR MAY HAVE, UM, BEEN EXPLORED.
ONE IS TO MAXIMIZE THE COUNTY MU UM, MUNICIPAL TAX INFERENTIAL.
THE SECOND IS TO PURSUE STORM WATER TREE CANOPY INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS BEFORE USING PROPERTY TAXES LIKE PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY STORMWATER, UM, STEWARDSHIP GRANT PROGRAM, UM, IN WHICH THE TOWN COULD RECEIVE BETWEEN 50 AND 300 K DEPENDING ON THE TRACK.
THE THIRD THING IS REVIEW AND REBID, UM, REOCCURRING CONTRACTS.
THE FOURTH THING IS TO AUDIT FEES FOR, UM, PERMITS AND NON-RESIDENTIAL REVENUE.
UM, AND IF IT DOESN'T ALREADY EXIST, CREATE AND MAINTAIN AN AGGRESSIVE GRANT CALENDAR.
I UNDERSTAND THAT COSTS ARE RISING AND ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THE TOWN MAY BE ALREADY PURSUING MANY OF THE ALTERNATIVES THAT I HAVE, UM, ADDRESSED.
BUT I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT, UM, WHAT HAS BEEN EXPLORED, UM, WHAT OPTIONS ARE ON THE TABLE.
UM, AND IF THERE IS A WAY IF SOME OF THESE ACTIONS ALREADY BEING TAKEN THAT THEY CAN BE, UM, ACTED ON MORE AGGRESSIVELY OR CONSISTENTLY, UM, SINCE PROPERTY OWNERS HAVE ALREADY SEEN RE UM, INCREASES IN RECENT YEARS.
UM, LIKE I SAID, I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR RESIDENTS TO SEE A CLEAR EXPLANATION OF WHAT ALTERNATIVES HAVE ALREADY BEEN PURSUED, UM, WHAT SAVINGS OR REVENUES THEY PRODUCE AND WHAT GAP, UM, REMAINS.
[00:10:01]
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THAT.AND A REMINDER TO FOLKS ONLINE SUCH AS MR. MOSLEY, MR. O SULLIVAN, THAT UH, YOU WILL HAVE TO RAISE YOUR HAND IN ZOOM FOR US TO KNOW THAT YOU WANT TO SPEAK.
I'M NOT CURRENTLY SEEING ANYONE ONLINE, SO IS THERE MORE FOLKS IN THE ROOM PLEASE? YOUR NAME, YOUR WARD AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UH, MY NAME'S MINDY DANIELS AND I'VE BEEN WARD SIX, UH, RESIDENT FOR 36 YEARS.
SO I WAS CLEANING OUT MY STUFF, UM, FOR SHRED DAY AND I HAPPENED TO FIND AN OLD PROPERTY TAX BILL FROM 1993, WHICH WAS A LITTLE BIT OVER $3,000.
I CAN'T STOP WORKING BECAUSE OF MY PROPERTY TAX.
NOT TO MENTION THAT WE HAPPEN TO LIVE IN A ZIP CODE WHERE OTHER THINGS ARE VERY HIGH AS WELL, LIKE CAR INSURANCE AND UH, OTHER INSURANCE.
BUT ANYWAY, I WANT TO ECHO WHAT ELAINE SAID ABOUT ANY TAX WOULD NOT BE BASED UPON WHAT OUR PROPERTY IS, UH, WORTH.
NOW, REDFIN TOLD ME MY PROPERTY WAS WORTH A LOT MORE A YEAR AGO BEFORE DOGE AND WHEN MY PROPERTY, UH, WAS IN DEMAND.
THE OTHER THING IS THAT WE SHOULD ALL BE CONCERNED ABOUT IS HOW ARE WE GONNA SELL OUR HOUSES EASILY? WHEN I TELL PEOPLE THE PROPERTY TAX, I PAY, THEIR EYES GET BIG.
MY MOM OWNED A HOUSE IN UH, ALEXANDRIA AND OUR PROPERTY TAX WAS HALF OF WHAT IT WAS.
I APPRECIATE THE SERVICES THAT WE GET.
UM, THERE HAVE BEEN SOME SUGGESTIONS FOR MINUSING CERTAIN THINGS.
I THINK IT WOULD BE A TERRIBLE IDEA TO X OUT BULK TRASH.
'CAUSE THEN YOU CAN HAVE A TRASH PROBLEM.
IT'LL BE DUMPED IN THE WOODS OR IN OTHER PARTS OF PG COUNTY.
PEOPLE ARE NOT GONNA PAY FOR SOMETHING THAT WAS FREE BEFORE.
I JUST THINK YOU'RE ASKING FOR A PROBLEM.
UM, I THINK IT WOULD BE A GOOD IDEA TO CHARGE PEOPLE TO ADVERTISE IN A NEWSLETTER ALSO TO RAISE THE BUSINESS LICENSE FEE, WHICH IS A PITTANCE.
NOW YOU COULD RAISE THAT BY 10 TIMES AND IT WOULDN'T, UM, BE UNREASONABLE.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS, UH, I THINK THE BEST AND MOST LUCRATIVE IDEAS, THE TRAFFIC CAMS. UM, AMY REPORTED THAT SEA PLEASANT MAKES 10 MILLION A YEAR FROM THAT.
WHY SHOULDN'T WE, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF EVERY C RESIDENT GOT A TICKET TWICE A YEAR, THAT WOULD STILL BE LESS THAN PROPERTY TAX.
I MEAN, HOW CAN YOU SAY NO TO THAT? YOU'RE, AND THIS IS COMING FROM A PUBLIC DEFENDER.
UM, PEOPLE GO AND HAVING, YOU KNOW, EVEN THOSE AUTOMATIC STOP SIGNS, WHATEVER, UM, I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE TOWN CAN DO, BUT THAT'S SUCH AN EASY WAY, UH, TO MAKE MONEY INSTEAD OF PUTTING IT ON THE BACKS, UM, OF THE RESIDENTS.
AND I WOULD, MY TIME'S RUNNING OUT, I WOULD JUST ECHO AGAIN THAT I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, WHO'S BEEN LOOKING AT WHAT POTENTIAL OTHER WAYS TO MAKE UP MONEY, BUT I THINK THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE MORE DISCUSSION AND MORE INVESTIGATION BEFORE WE JUST, UM, TAX US, ESPECIALLY THE SENIORS.
UH, NOT SEEING ANYBODY ONLINE.
IS THERE ANYBODY ADDITIONAL IN THE ROOM WHO WOULD LIKE TO TESTIFY? YES, PLEASE.
YOUR NAME, YOUR WARD, AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
GOOD AFTERNOON, MAYOR AND COUNCIL.
WARD SIX IS IN THE HOUSE TONIGHT.
I JUST WANNA ECHO WHAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS SAID.
WE, I LOVE LIVING IN CHEVROLET.
WE ARE AGING AND WE'D LIKE TO STAY HERE.
UM, WE KNOW THAT THINGS ARE GOING UP.
WE WANT THE SERVICES, BUT IN TIMES OF ECONOMIC, UH, LIMITATIONS, WE HAVE TO CUT BACK.
AND I STRONGLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO LOOK AT THE BUDGETS AND FIGURE OUT WHERE WE CAN CUT BACK.
WE HAVE WONDERFUL SERVICES, BUT SOME OF THEM MAY HAVE TO BE CUT BACK, MAYBE THE TRASH ONCE A WEEK.
I HEARD THE LAST SPEAKER TALK ABOUT BULK.
MAYBE YOU COULD CHARGE A FEE FOR BULK.
UM, WHEN I GET A NEW REFRIGERATOR, I NEVER USE BULK FOR THAT.
THE PEOPLE WHO SOLD ME THE REFRIGERATOR TAKES THE OLD ONE WITH THEM.
THERE ARE OTHER THINGS PEOPLE CAN DO THAT WE DON'T NEED TO TAKE.
UM, RESPONSIBLE RESPONSIBILITY FOR.
MAYBE WE COULD CUT THE FIREWORKS MAINLY 'CAUSE I HATE THEM, BUT OTHER PEOPLE LOVE THEM
SO I MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT BIASED THERE, BUT, UM, IN TIMES OF
[00:15:01]
ECONOMIC STRAIN, WE HAVE TO CUT BACK AND WHEN THINGS GET BETTER, WE CAN BE MORE FLOURISHING.I AM STRONGLY RECOMMENDING THAT WE WATCH THE PROPERTY TAXES BECAUSE NOT ONLY IS THE TOWN TALKING ABOUT INCREASING, SO IS THE COUNTY.
AND WE PAY, UH, STATE INCOME TAX, COUNTY INCOME TAX, CHEVROLET TAX AND ALL OF THE FEES AND UTILITIES.
AND GUYS, I WANNA STAY IN CHEVROLET, BUT YOU'RE PRICING ME OUT ALSO.
AND YES, I PROBABLY COULD SELL MY HOUSE, BUT I'M NOT GONNA BE HAPPY ABOUT IT.
AND WHEN MAMA'S NOT HAPPY, AIN'T NOBODY HAPPY.
UH, STILL NOT SEEING ANYBODY ONLINE.
AND UH, SO I WILL JUST NOTE FOR THE RECORD THAT COUNCIL MEMBER FRY HAS ARRIVED.
SO I BELIEVE EVERYONE, ALL OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE PRESENT AT THE HEARING NOW.
NOT SEEING ANYBODY ELSE ONLINE WITH NOT SEEING ANY HANDS RAISED.
ARE THERE OTHER COMMENTS IN THE ROOM? GO AHEAD AND WALK FORWARD.
YEAH, YOUR NAME, YOUR WARD, AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
HEY, UH, MY NAME IS JORGE GARCIA.
UM, I LIVE RIGHT HERE IN CHEVROLET AVENUE, 26 0 4 CHEVROLET AVENUE.
I HAVE BEEN RESIDENT, UH, FOR ALMOST 26 YEARS.
AND, UM, TO BACK UP WHAT THE LADY RECENTLY SAID ABOUT MAYBE PUTTING CAMERAS, UH, IN CHEVROLET AVENUE, THAT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA JUST NOW.
THERE WAS A BIG ACCIDENT ON CHEVROLET AVENUE, UH, RIGHT NEXT DOOR TO MY HOUSE, A CAR FLYING UP THE STREET HIT A A VEHICLE.
AND, UH, THE VEHICLE THAT WAS ON THE STREET ENDED UP IN MY NEIGHBOR NEIGHBOR'S YARD.
SO THAT'S HOW FAST THEY WERE COMING.
I DON'T KNOW THE THE, THE DETAILS ABOUT THE ACCIDENT, BUT IT JUST HAPPENED.
UH, THE SAME, I LOVE CHEVROLET.
UH, BUT FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS I HAVE BEEN WORRYING ABOUT HAVING TO SELL MY HOUSE BECAUSE I PAY $12,000 IN TAXES.
I RECENTLY RETIRED AND WHEN YOU RETIRE EVERYTHING CHANGES, YOU KNOW, AND I WANT TO STAY.
I DON'T WANT TO GO ANYWHERE, BUT, UH, WHEN YOU'RE RETIRED, $12,000 A YEAR AND GOING UP, UH, IT'S CRAZY.
SO I THINK SOMETHING NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THAT.
AND, UM, THAT'S MAINLY WHAT I HAVE TO SAY.
STILL NOT SEEING ANYBODY ONLINE OR THERE.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE ROOM WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? ANYONE NOT ON LAKE AVENUE? GO AHEAD,
I'M A RESIDENT IN WARD ONE FOR 47 YEARS.
I THINK MY TAXES NOW ARE APPROXIMATELY DOUBLE WHAT MY FIRST MORTGAGE WAS.
AND, AND YOU KNOW, FOR YEARS YOU'VE BEEN DRIVING MARYLANDERS OUT.
MARYLAND'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST EXPENSIVE PLACES TO RETIRE.
I KNOW YOU DIDN'T WANNA TALK ABOUT REVENUE AND I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS, BUT WORKING FOR GEICO FOR 25 YEARS, COST CUTTING, COST CUTTING, COST CUTTING.
BEFORE YOU TALK ABOUT INCREASING CO YOUR YOUR COSTS, YOUR CUSTOMERS, YOU LOOK AT WHERE YOU CAN CUT COSTS BECAUSE WITHOUT, IF YOU RAISE YOUR COSTS, WHO'S GONNA BE LEFT BEHIND? YOU KNOW THE PEOPLE YOU LEAST WANT THAT CAN'T FIND INSURANCE ANYWHERE ELSE.
UM, WHY HAVEN'T WE DEVELOPED CHEVROLET METRO? CHEVROLET METRO IS THE ONLY METRO STATION THAT HASN'T BEEN DEVELOPED.
AND WHEN YOU DEVELOP THAT AREA WITH BUSINESSES, THAT BRINGS IN WHAT SOMETHING WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO TALK ABOUT REVENUE.
AND AS A RESIDENT FOR 47 YEARS, I HAVEN'T SEEN A COMPARATIVE INCREASE IN CUSTOMER SERVICE.
SO I THINK YOU NEED TO TAKE A HARD LOOK AT WHAT WE'RE PAYING IN PERSONNEL, BUT I DON'T WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT.
UM, BUT I DO BELIEVE THAT WHEN YOU INCREASE TAXES, YOU'RE GONNA HURT EVERYBODY ACROSS THE BOARD AND YOU'RE JUST GONNA DRIVE PEOPLE AWAY FROM CHEVROLET.
AND IT'S GONNA BE LIKE THE LADY SAID, IT'S GONNA BE LESS ATTRACTIVE, IT'S GONNA BE HARDER TO SELL.
[00:20:01]
COSTS, OUR OUR HOME VALUES ARE NOT GOING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION.SO ASK YOURSELF HARD, YOU KNOW, WHY IS THAT HAPPENING? YOU DON'T WANT CHEVROLET TOWN TAXES TO BE MORE THAN YOUR COUNTY TAXES AND YOUR STATE TAXES.
AND I ALSO, YOU SAY THIS IS A, UM, GOVERNMENT MANDATED SESSION.
SO WHY DOES THE GOVERNMENT RESTRICT US TO THREE MINUTES? YOU KNOW, I CAN TALK FOREVER.
ALL RIGHT, LET'S GO TO MR. MCGUIRE AND THEN WE'LL MISS SALT.
YOUR NAME WARD AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
OKAY, WHERE DO I START? I GUESS I'LL START THIS WAY NOW.
OKAY, SO NOW YOU KNOW THAT I KNOW THE OR CHART DID SAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REVENUE.
THIS IS BUDGET, BUT ALSO IRREGULARITY AT THE SAME TIME.
NOW I'VE BEEN HEARING THE SAME STORY OVER AND OVER, BUT YOU HEAR A STORY, THERE'S A NEED FOR REVENUE AND OBVIOUSLY LOWER COST.
NOW, YOU KNOW, I DO REMEMBER MAYBE ONE OF THREE PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE IN THE, IN THE EMPLOYEES HERE AND AND MEMBERS THAT THE AUDITOR THAT ON MARCH, 2025 DID MENTION $6,000,824.
AND THEN I AND THREE, THREE AND A HALF MONTHS LATER, THE 20, WELL THAT'D BE THE NEW 2026 COUNTY, UH, YEAR, BUT ALSO THE FINANCIAL YEAR FOR THE TOWN.
BUT I NOTICED IN A NEWSLETTER ABOUT LATE LATER IN THAT YEAR, JANUARY 1ST, THAT THE MISTAKE OR WHATEVER REGULARITY OR MISTAKE THAT THE NEWSLETTER WAS 5,000,142.
MEANING THIS IS RESTRICT UNRESTRICTED FUNDS.
THERE ARE TWO UNRESTRICTED, THERE'S ONE UNRESTRICTED, TWO RESTRICTED DEALING WITH THE BONDS, THE 30 YOUR BONDS.
SO THREE MINUTES, HUH? OKAY, SO QUESTION IS THE DIFFERENCE.
NOW I COULD THINK OF GREEN SPACE.
UH, MAYBE I DON'T, NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MAYBE A TAX CUT.
UM, SO WHAT DO YOU DO WITH 1,232,000? IF I SAY IT IS THERE, OR THE AUDITOR WAS LYING AT MARCH 25TH, MID-MARCH THAT YEAR.
MID PART OF THAT MONTH, THAT YEAR, CALENDAR YEAR 2025.
SO, BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR THE BUDGET YEAR, BUDGET YEAR 2026.
NOW I CAN DO, I WILL SPECULATE FOLKLORE OF 28 TO 30 YEARS AGO.
NOW THEY, NOT THIS ADMINISTRATOR SIR, BUT ANOTHER ADMINISTRATOR AND NOT THE PREVIOUS MAYOR OF THE PREVIOUS MAYOR EITHER, SIR.
BUT GOING BACK 20 TO 30 YEARS FOLKLORE, I SPECULATE THAT A HUNDRED THOUSAND OR A MILLION DOLLARS WENT SOMEPLACE.
BUT OUT OF THE TOWN'S PREVIEW OF SPENDING, AND I HEAR THIS EMPLOYEE WENT SOUTH, UH, FLORIDA, I THINK.
SO NOW YOU REALIZE IN A NON-RESTRICTED ACCOUNT THAT WHATEVER, 6,000,824 OR 5,000,142, IT'S EVERY PENNY IS DELY NEEDED.
NOW, OBVIOUSLY, I'M NOT GONNA SAY, OH, WE CAN'T, WE DON'T HAVE TO MODERNIZE THE WORK FOR, UH, THE WORK DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT AS EXPENDITURE NECESSARY.
BUT WHERE DO YOU FIND CUTS? AND OUT OF A $486,000 DEFICIT SHORTFALL, EXCUSE ME, SHORTFALL ABOUT 356 IS GOING TO INTEREST OF A 30 YEAR BOND.
THAT'S NOT ON YOUR, ON YOUR, OKAY.
356 OF THE 486 I ROUND OF THE DEFICIT.
AND IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE GOING TO 6 86 THOU A HUNDRED THOUSAND MINUS FROM FIVE OR 6.8 MILLION, $24 OR 5 1 42 ACCORDING ON WHO WAS MATH? GET THE AUDITOR, VERIFY WHAT I'M SAYING.
AND HAVE A TOWN MEETING AND HAVE THE, OR ZOOM OR HERE TELL THE TRUTH WHAT THE BOOKS SAY.
ALRIGHT, MS. SALT, ARE YOU ABLE TO SPEAK? OKAY.
CAN Y'ALL HEAR ME? YES, I CAN HEAR YOU.
[00:25:01]
TWO AND MINE IS A GENUINE QUESTION AND IT MAY COME FROM A LITTLE DIFFERENT DIRECTION FROM WHAT I'VE BEEN HEARING.UM, MY QUESTION IS, UM, WHEN THE PROPOSED RATE INCREASE WAS CALCULATED, IS THAT REALLY SUFFICIENT TO MEET THE REVENUE EXPECTATIONS THAT YOU THINK THAT RATE WILL REACH? AND I RAISED THIS BECAUSE I'M, I'M AWARE THAT A LOT OF RESIDENTS OF CHEVROLET ARE SENIOR CITIZENS, UM, AND SENIOR CITIZENS HAVE BENEFIT FROM THE HOMEOWNERS TAX BREAK AND THERE'S THE HOMESTEADER TAX BREAK.
AND SO MY QUESTION IS, WHEN THIS THIS RATE WAS CALCULATED, DID YOU FACTOR IN THAT A NUMBER OF PEOPLE ACTUALLY DON'T PAY THE AMOUNT OF TAXES THAT GET, YOU KNOW, SHOWN AS EXPECTED TAX REVENUE? UH, YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THAT.
I'M JUST ASKING IF HOW THE CALCULATION WAS DEVELOPED AND THAT YOU MIGHT END UP WITH A RATE THAT EVERYBODY'S CONCERNED ABOUT.
BUT IT MAY EVEN BE SHORTER IN TERMS OF REAL REVENUE THAN YOU THINK.
AND IF, YOU KNOW, IT'D BE HELPFUL TO EDUCATE FOLKS AROUND THAT ISSUE AT SOME POINT.
I'LL ADDRESS, UH, THE ACCESSIBLE BASE QUESTION AFTER THE PUBLIC INPUT IS FINISHED WHILE THE COUNCIL'S TALKING.
BUT THERE IS IT, IT IS FACTORED IN.
UM, BUT I, I'LL I'LL ADDRESS IT IN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL.
UH, THANK YOU FOR THE QUESTION.
UH, AND UH, I'LL ADDRESS IT IN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL IN A FEW MINUTES.
UH, UH, SEEING NO ONE ELSE ONLINE.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE ROOM? YES, GO AHEAD.
YOUR NAME, YOUR WARD, AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UH, MY NAME'S JAGGER NELSON AND I'M IN WARD FOUR.
UH, I WANTED TO KIND OF TAKE A SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE AND SOME OF THE OTHER, UH, COMMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN MADE TODAY IS, YOU KNOW, WE THINK A LOT ABOUT LOOKING BACK IN HISTORY AT KINDA WHAT THE HISTORY OF REVENUE AND SPENDING HAS BEEN IN CH AND THE PRICE OF HOMES AND THE PRICE OF OUR TAX BILL.
BUT I ALSO WANT TO TAKE A PERSPECTIVE LOOK OF LOOKING FORWARD.
UH, IT'S, IT IS THE CASE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE SEEN RAPID INCREASES IN THE ASSESSMENT VALUE.
AND THOSE CHANGES TAKE TIME TO PHASE INTO THE TAX BILL THAT RESIDENTS PAY.
AND THE, THE LAST THREE YEARS THERE'S BEEN SU SUCCESSIVE INCREASES IN THAT PROPERTY TAX RATE.
AND INCREASING AT FURTHER ON TOP OF A HIGHER ASSESSED VALUE IS A, IS A SUBSTANTIAL PERCENT INCREASE IN THAT REVENUE BASE.
AND THAT'S HAPPENING AT A TIME WHEN RESIDENTS WHO MAY END UP BEING PRICED OUT ARE TRYING TO SELL THEIR HOMES WHEN HOUSE PRICES IN THE AREA ARE DECLINING AND STAGNATING, MAKING IT EVEN MORE FINANCIALLY DIFFICULT FOR THEM.
IN ADDITION, IT'S GOING TO MAKE, UH, IT'S GONNA MAKE IT, UH, HARDER FOR PEOPLE TO KIND OF, TO PUT LIKE FROM A FOOD ON THE TABLE PERSPECTIVE AT A TIME WHEN INFLATION IS RESURFACING.
WE ARE SEEING EFFECTS FROM THE WAR IN THE MIDDLE EAST ON PRICES.
AND THOSE TAKE TIME TO SHOW UP.
UH, THE, THE EFFECTS OF AN INCREASE IN THE RATES WILL HAVE, UH, AN EFFECT NOT JUST IN THE IMMEDIATE NEAR TERM, ON NEAR TERM BUDGET GOALS, BUT OVER A LONG, LONG HORIZON.
THERE'S A, THERE'S A, IT'S A VERY PERSISTENT EFFECT WHEN WE TAKE THESE RATES.
SO I ENCOURAGE, I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO TAKE A LONG LENS VIEW OF WHAT THE GOALS OF THE SPENDING PROVISIONS ARE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THESE REVENUES.
UH, AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY'RE NEEDED.
MY LAST COMMENT THAT I'LL MAKE IS, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT CUTTING COSTS, BUT THERE'S ALSO BEEN INEFFICIENCY STORY.
UH, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, SUB, UH, LINE ITEMS IN THE CHS TOWN BUDGET WHERE NOT ALL OF THE BUDGETED, UH, ALLOTMENT IS SPENT IN A GIVEN YEAR.
WE HAVE A VERY HEALTHY RAINY DAY FUND.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD QUESTION TO ASK, ARE THERE NEAR TERM GOALS THAT WE COULD ACCOMPLISH BY REDISTRIBUTING FUNDS TEMPORARILY WITHIN THE TOWN BUDGET WITHOUT CHANGING RATES? AND, UH, THAT'S REALLY USEFUL FOR ONE TIME EXPENDITURES LIKE MODERNIZING THE POLICE FORCE AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
I I THINK THAT THERE'S, IT'S MAKING PERMANENT LONGSTANDING TAX POLICY CHANGES TO ADDRESS SHORT TERM NEEDS IS NOT NECESSARILY THE RIGHT WAY TO GO ABOUT IT.
ARE THERE OTHER INDIVIDUALS IN THE ROOM WHO WOULD LIKE TO COMMENT? NO, WE'RE ONLY, EVERYBODY'S GOING ONE TIME 20, 20 30.
DOES ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO SPEAK? GO AHEAD.
UH, I APOLO APOLOGIZE, UM, FOR NOT HAVING ALL OF MY THOUGHTS TOGETHER.
UM, MANY WHO HAVE SPOKEN BEFORE HAVE MADE
[00:30:01]
SOME VERY WISE, UM, UH, SUGGESTIONS AND REALLY COVERED A LOT OF THE APPEALS.BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO ADDRESS IS SOME POSSIBILITIES OR THE IDEA OF SHARING AN APPROACH.
FOR EXAMPLE, UM, LOOKING TO HOW SOME OF THESE, UM, SITUATIONS HAVE BEEN HANDLED IN THE PAST AND EFFECTIVELY HANDLED IN THE PAST.
THE FIRST THING THAT I WOULD ASK IS FOR US TO UNDERSTAND AND EDUCATE ALL OF US ON THE ROLE OF THE FUND BALANCE.
UM, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF WHAT'S GOING ON IN BUOY RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S AN EXTRAORDINARY THING WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE RAISING TAXES FROM 60 CENTS, UM, FROM 40 CENTS TO 60 CENTS.
AND THAT AMOUNT OF INCREASE IS OF EXTRAORDINARY IMPACT.
THEY HAVE DEPLETED THEIR FUND BALANCE OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS AND THEIR SUFFERING NOW THAT HAD AN, HAD AN ISSUE RELATED TO THE POLICE FORCE AND HOW THE POLICE FORCE WAS BEING FUNDED AND HOW IT WASN'T BEING FULLY UNDERSTOOD.
SO FUND BALANCES ARE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT, NOT ONLY FOR WHAT I WOULD ARGUE IS THE 25% THAT WE SHOULD BE HOLDING IN RESERVE, BUT FOR THE OPPORTUNITY FUND THAT WE NEED TO HAVE IN ORDER TO, UM, HAVE A GOOD FUTURE FOR THE COMMUNITY OVERALL.
SO WE CAN'T USE THAT TO COVER THE DIFFERENCE, YOU KNOW, DOING THAT LAST YEAR FOR THE LAST BUDGET YEAR, THAT'S GONNA BE 300,000.
IF WE PROJECT THAT INTO THE NEXT, WE'RE TALKING ANOTHER 470, YOU CAN MAKE MILLIONS OF DOLLARS DISAPPEAR IN ONLY A FEW YEARS AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA BE IN A BIG, BIG LOAD OF TROUBLE.
SO HOW DO YOU DO IT? YOU HAVE DIFFICULT CONVERSATIONS AND I'M LOOKING AT STAFF THAT DO WONDERFUL WORK HERE.
BUT YOU ASK EVERY DEPARTMENT TO COME IN WITH WHAT CAN BE CUT, HOW CAN YOU TIGHTEN YOUR BELTS? AND THAT MEANS THAT THERE IS NO GOLDEN CHILD IN THIS CONVERSATION.
EVERY DEPARTMENT, ADMINISTRATIVE, POLICE, PUBLIC WORKS NEEDS TO LOOK AT HOW YOU KEEP THE NUMBERS DOWN.
WHAT CAN YOU CUT, WHAT EFFICIENCIES CAN YOU, CAN YOU DO? IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TRASH, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR MR. BRAMAN ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT CUTTING DOWN IN WINTER TO ONE DAY A WEEK WOULD MAKE SENSE IF IT REDUCES THE LOAD ON THE VEHICLES, HOW IT AFFECTS TIPPING FEES, THESE SORTS OF THINGS.
SO, UH, THESE, THEY MIGHT BE FROM THE SMALL THINGS WE HAVE TO ADD UP THE SMALL THINGS TO GET TO THERE.
AND WE NEED TO DO THAT BECAUSE WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO SHOW RESIDENTS THAT WE FEEL THAT PAIN AND THAT WE'RE ALSO RESTRICTING AT A TOWN LEVEL WHILE FAMILIES ARE FACING NEED TO RESTRICT AT A FAMILY LEVEL.
I ALSO WOULD SAY HAVE SURVEYS, UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT, JUST LIKE BOWIE DID UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT ON COMMUNITY.
THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT IF WE DO ALL OF THIS, CUT YOUR, UM, WHAT YOU'RE PULLING FROM THE FUND BALANCE, UM, TO ONLY HALF OF THIS YEAR, UM, UH, PROPOSED, UM, DEFICIT AND DO NOT INCREASE THE TAX RATE, UM, ABOVE 0.025.
SO THAT NOT THE, THE COMMUNITY IS NOT BEARING ALL THAT BURDEN.
UH, JUST A REMINDER TO THE FOLKS ONLINE, MR. MOSLEY, MS. BIBBS BOOTH, IT'S MS. AYA, ET CETERA, THAT YOU WILL NEED TO RAISE YOUR HAND SO THAT, UH, IF YOU'D LIKE TO BE RECOGNIZED TO SPEAK, IS THERE ANYONE IN THE ROOM WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK? GO AHEAD.
YOUR NAME, YOUR WARD, AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
UM, AND I HAVE TWO QUESTIONS, UM, MORE THAN A STATEMENT TO HAVE TWO QUESTIONS.
THE FIRST ONE IS, HAS A DETERMINATION BEEN MADE AS TO WHAT WOULD BE CUT IF THE TAX RATE IS NOT INCREASED? 'CAUSE I THINK PARTIALLY THIS CONVERSATION WOULD BE AN EASIER ONE TO HAVE IF WE WERE ABLE TO BALANCE THOSE TWO THINGS, RIGHT? BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT NOT, NO ONE WANTS A TAX CUT, RIGHT? NO ONE DOES.
BUT IT'S HARD TO TALK ABOUT THAT IN THE ABSTRACT WITHOUT KNOWING THAT IF WE DON'T DO THAT, WHAT ARE WE LOSING? ASSUMING WE DON'T WANT TO USE UP OUR FUND BALANCE, ASSUMING WE DON'T WANT AND AREN'T ABLE TO HAVE A, AN UNBALANCED BUDGET.
SO THAT'S QUESTION NUMBER ONE.
AND IF THAT DOESN'T EXIST, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE A GOOD THING TO HAVE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION A LITTLE BIT MORE HONESTLY.
UM, AND, UH, WITH FULL KNOWLEDGE.
THE SECOND THING I WANTED TO ASK IS, SEVERAL YEARS AGO, I THINK IT WAS AT LEAST TWO YEARS AGO WHEN THE SAME TOPIC CAME UP, I SENT A LETTER TO THE COUNCIL AND TO THE MAYOR ASKING IF THERE WAS A WAY TO DO A PROPERTY TAX INCREASE THAT IS A LITTLE BIT MORE PROGRESSIVE.
UM, WHERE, BECAUSE I, I'M VERY UNDERSTANDING OF PEOPLE WHO COME UP HERE AND SAY, I
[00:35:01]
JUST DON'T HAVE THE MONEY.AND I'M SURE THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF RESIDENTS IN THIS CITY WHO JUST DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY AND THE TAX BURDEN SHOULD NOT BE EQUALLY ON THEM.
THAT'S NOT THE WAY THAT OUR TAX SYSTEM'S SUPPOSED TO BE SET UP.
UM, AND SO I DO WONDER, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS EVEN LEGAL WITHIN OUR STATE AND COUNTY LAWS, BUT I DO WONDER, IS THERE A WAY FOR US TO SAY, FOR EXAMPLE, THOSE WHO MAKE UNDER A CERTAIN AMOUNT, PAY A LOWER TAX PERCENT, THOSE WHO MAKE OVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT PAY A HIGHER PERCENT ON THEIR PROPERTY TAXES OR SOMETHING ELSE LIKE THAT, A LITTLE MORE CREATIVE IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE NOT, UH, PUTTING THE BRUNT OF THIS ON PEOPLE WHO JUST REALLY CAN'T AFFORD IT.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION.
IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE IN THE ROOM HERE? GO AHEAD, PLEASE.
UM, I'D LIKE TO MAYBE ASK FOR SOME INDULGENCE HERE.
NORMALLY, UM, AT THESE MEETINGS, WE DON'T ASK QUESTIONS THAT WE EXPECT ANSWERS TO RIGHT AWAY, BUT PERHAPS, UM, SOMEONE, THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR OR THE MAYOR COULD, UH, ANSWER A QUESTION OR TWO.
AND THEN I HAVE A COUPLE OF SUGGESTIONS.
UM, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING IN LOOKING AT WHAT WAS ONLINE THAT THE FY 27 BUDGET, THIS IS JUST FOR CLARITY FOR EVERYBODY, DOES INCLUDE THE 5 CENT INCREASE.
THAT'S, THAT'S A BIG QUESTION.
SO THE $11,593,000 TOTAL REVENUE PROJECTION INCLUDES THE 5 CENTS, SORRY, IT INCLUDES THE 6 2 9 9, WHICH IS A 5 CENT INCREASE ON THE SINGLE FAMILY DETACHED.
AND IT INCLUDES A DOLLAR THREE FOR THE APARTMENTS.
THAT IS HOW WE GET TO 11,000,593.
I MUST BE WORKING OFF OF SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT ONE, BUT IT'S HUNDREDS OF DOLLARS, NOT THOUSANDS.
SO WITH THAT INCREASE, WE ARE STILL PROJECTING A APPROXIMATE $300,000 DEFICIT NEXT YEAR.
IS THAT CORRECT? WELL, RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT A SPENDING PLAN THAT'S MORE IN THE 11 MILLION, $600,000 RANGE.
SO A VERY, VERY, VERY SMALL DEFICIT IF THAT SPENDING PLAN HOLDS UP.
I, AGAIN, THERE'S BEEN A NUMBER OF, UM, COUNCIL MEMBER, UM, POSTINGS ABOUT WHAT THE FUND BALANCE IS.
WHAT IT'S NOT, WHAT THE, I MUST BE WORKING OFF OF THE FUND BALANCE.
I WAS GONNA GET INTO THIS LATER, BUT I'LL JUST SAY BECAUSE IT'S A FACTUAL STATEMENT.
WE PROJECT AT THE END AT, ON JUNE 30TH, THE FUND BALANCE WILL BE APPROXIMATELY $4.7 MILLION.
THAT'S THE UNRESTRICTED RIGHT FUND BALANCE, CORRECT? NOT THE, NOT THE FUND BALANCE, THE UNRESTRICTED WHAT WE CAN YES, IT'S UN YES.
IT'S THE UNRESTRICTED FUND BALANCE.
UM, MY SUGGESTIONS WOULD BE THAT, UM, FOR CLARITY FOR THE RESIDENTS THAT PERHAPS, UH, THE TOWN PUT OUT, UM, A SERIES OF PROPOSED BUDGETS STARTING AT A 1 CENT INCREASE AND ENDING WITH THE 5 CENT INCREASE.
UM, I KNOW, UM, TONIGHT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO ONLY BE TALKING ABOUT REVENUE, BUT I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT EXPENDITURES.
I AM PLEASED TO SEE THAT YOU'VE ALREADY FROZEN SOME UNNECESSARY, UH, POSITIONS, UM, IN TOWN.
UM, SOME IN THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS RANGE.
I THINK, UM, MORE OF THAT SHOULD BE LOOKED AT.
I'M TOTALLY FOR A FULLY FUNDED POLICE DEPARTMENT, BUT I AGREE WITH, UH, FORMER MAYOR AZI THAT EVERY DEPARTMENT SHOULD BE LOOKING AT EVERYTHING AND COMING BACK WITH, YOU KNOW, $80,000 HERE, $90,000 THERE.
I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHEN WE STARTED HIRING A, UH, UH, HR CONSULTANT.
I THINK SOME OF OUR TOWN GOVERNMENT EXPENDITURES IN THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT AREA.
YOU KNOW, AGAIN, AN HR CONSULTANT.
I THINK SOME OF THESE THINGS SHOULD BE LOOKED AT VERY CLOSELY.
AS A 52 YEAR RESIDENT OF TOWN.
I HAVE SEEN SERVICES DECLINE SOMEWHAT OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS.
WE'VE LOST BACKDOOR TRASH PICKUP.
UH, THERE'S A NUMBER OF OTHER THINGS, BUT NO DEPARTMENT SHOULD
[00:40:01]
BE EXEMPT FROM LOOKING AT THESE.AND I SUGGEST YOU PUT OUT MULTIPLE THINGS.
ARE THERE NOT SEEING ANY FOLKS ONLINE, IS THERE ANYONE ELSE IN THE ROOM WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THE, UH, ON THE CONSTANT YIELD? YES MA'AM.
YOUR NAME WARD AND YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES.
MARTHA BROWN WARD, SIX 30 PLUS YEAR RESIDENT.
UM, I'M SITTING HERE AND I'M PROBABLY LOOKING LIKE I GOT TOURETTE'S AT THIS POINT.
ALL OF THE EMAILS THAT CAME IN FOR QUESTIONS TO BE ASKED TO YOU ALL, EVERYONE HARPED PREACHED ON ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY.
AND WHAT I'M HEARING FROM EVERYBODY AGAIN, 'CAUSE I GET PHONE CALLS OKAY.
IS THAT WE APPRECIATE THE FACT AND THAT YOU ALL ARE GONNA COME OUT AND COME OUT MORE WITH INFORMATION AS TO WHERE THE MONEY'S GOING, HOW IT'S GOING TO BE SPENT.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
I DON'T, I CAN'T, I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR ANYONE ELSE.
I JUST WANNA SAY ACCOUNTABILITY AND TRANSPARENCY WAS PREACHED, WAS PREACHED, WAS PREACHED, WAS PREACHED, WAS PREACHED.
AND THE MORE YOU ALL CAN, AND WE NEED TO DO OUR PART TOO, YOUR NEIGHBORS HAVE TO COME OUT, TALK TO ONE ANOTHER, TALK TO YOUR COUNCIL, PEOPLE WHO YOU PAYING THEM FOR, YOU KNOW, SO WE CAN COME TOGETHER WITH THIS.
I WAS SITTING HERE AND I JUST COULDN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE.
THANK YOU FOR THANK YOU FOR THAT.
ARE THERE OTHER, ANYONE ELSE? UH, LIKE TO SPEAK? NOT SEEING ANYONE ONLINE.
WE HAVE 14 ATTENDEES, BUT NO ONE HAS THEIR HAND UP.
NO, THIS IS NOT, IT'S NO, THE ANSWER IS NO.
WE'RE NOT DOING SIT DOWN, SIT DOWN, SIT DOWN OR LEAVE THE ROOM.
SO WE'RE SEEING NO ONE ELSE IN THE AUDIENCE, UH, DESIRING TO MAKE ANY PUBLIC CONTRIBUTIONS.
COUNSEL, DO YOU HAVE ANY COMMENTS? WELL ACTUALLY, UM, GO AHEAD.
UM, NUMBER ONE, THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR COMING OUT TO VOICE YOUR GOD GIVING.
UM, I RECENTLY JUST SENT OUT A POST TO MY WARD ONE RESIDENCE, AND I GUESS IT WENT TO THE EXCHANGE.
UM, I DON'T COMMUNICATE ON THE EXCHANGE REGARDING POLITICS, I COMMUNICATE REGARDING FURNITURE AND STUFF IN MY BOYS.
SO IF YOU DO RESPOND TO THAT, PLEASE JUST REACH OUT TO ME DIRECTLY.
I WANNA CLARIFY, I THINK WE ARE, WE HAVE TWO NEW BUDGETS THAT RIGHT? IS THAT CORRECT, MAYOR? THE ONE THAT THE, THAT WE GOT TODAY IS DIFFERENT FROM THE PREVIOUS ONE.
THERE WAS A BUDGET, UH, CIRCULATED ON THE 16TH OF APRIL.
AND THEN, UH, WE HAVE A NEW ONE TODAY WITH MOSTLY REVISED SPENDING, NOT, UM, MAYBE A TWEAK OR TWO ON THE REVENUE SIDE, RIGHT? SO I THINK THE PREVIOUS MAYOR, UM, MS. MOLEY WAS TALKING ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
SO, UH, HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET THAT OUT TO THE PUBLIC BECAUSE MY POSTING TO MY RESIDENTS, UH, HAD THE RE THE, UH, PREVIOUS ONE ON THERE IN MY POSTS.
I MENTIONED THE FACT THAT, UM, I PERSONALLY KNOW IN THE LAST YEAR OF HOW THE ECONOMY AND THE CURRENT CLIMATE HAS AFFECTED MY HOME, UM, SINCE IT WAS POSTED.
GENERAL, I, I'LL REITERATE TO YOU ALL THAT, UM, MY WIFE WHO WORKED AT USID WAS THE FIRST TO BE DOZED, UM, BY THE ADMINISTRATION OVER A YEAR AGO.
UM, AFTER 20 YEARS OF PUBLIC SERVICE, OVERNIGHT AND FOR OVER A YEAR, UM, FOR US TO TRY TO MANAGE A HOUSEHOLD, PAY OUR TAXES, RAISE OUR KIDS IN THIS BEAUTIFUL PLACE.
WE HAVE, UM, BLESSED ENOUGH TO KNOW SHE FINALLY, UH, WAS PICKED UP LAST WEEK, IRONICALLY, AND SHE'S ON TRAVEL NOW.
SO PRAY WITH MY LITTLE BOYS 'CAUSE I GOT 'EM BY MYSELF,
BUT, UM, SO I WANTED TO KNOW THAT I'M NOT SPEAKING FROM, AS AN OUTSIDER, I'M SPEAKING FROM THE LAST YEAR THAT EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR LEAVING MY HOME, I HAD TO ALLOCATE FOR LINE, LINE ITEM BY LINE ITEM.
[00:45:01]
VACATIONS, THAT'S CLUB MEMBERSHIPS, UM, FOR THE KIDS EVEN THAT'S THE SONS ASKING, UH, WHY AREN'T WE GOING TO HOTEL LIKE WE USUALLY GO, AND I KNOW THAT SEEM MODEST, BUT IF YOU HAVE SPOILED KIDS LIKE MINE, THEY'RE USED TO A CERTAIN LIFESTYLE THAT'S, THAT'S TOUGH TO SIT A A FIVE AND 8-YEAR-OLD DOWN TO DO THAT.BUT SERIOUSLY THOUGH, I KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING IN THE GROCERY STORES.
I WORK IN THE DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES FOR PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY WHERE I DEAL WITH KIDS EVERY DAY, DO NOT HAVE A MEAL TO EAT.
THEIR PARENTS ARE COMING TO ME TO ASK FOR RESOURCES BECAUSE THEY CAN'T EVEN PAY THEIR LIGHT BILLS, UTILITY BILLS.
SO NUMBER ONE, JUST FROM A UNDERSTANDING AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, BUT AS A RESIDENT AND MORE IMPORTANTLY AS A PERSON THAT HAS SEEN THIS, NOT ONLY IN MY, IN MY HOME, BUT I WORK IN THE FIELD WHEN I'M MAKING, WHEN I'M MAKING DECISIONS REGARDING, UH, YOUR TAXES, UH, FOR ALL OF US AS NEIGHBORS, I UNDERSTAND IT PERSONALLY.
UM, I ALSO, UH, STAND FROM A PLACE OF I'VE NEVER VOTED TO RAISE TAXES.
UM, SOMETHING I DO AGREE WITH EVERY, EVERY, EVERYONE HERE AS FAR AS YOU GOTTA FIND EXPENDITURES, UM, THAT YOU, UH, HAVE TO CUT.
I'M GONNA LOOK TO DO THAT, UH, CONTINUOUSLY.
UM, BUT A LOT OF TOUGH DECISIONS WILL NEED TO BE MADE.
I HEAR EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU ALL IN THIS.
'CAUSE I POSTED IT THAT THE MAIN ISSUE THAT WAS HEARD TO ME FROM THE RESIDENTS, NOT JUST FROM WARD ONE, BUT TALKING TO PEOPLE WAS PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND THAT'S, UH, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, OUR, OUR CHIEF AND OUR DEPUTY CHIEF AND THEIR STAFF HAVE REALLY TOOK A GUTTED POLICE DEPARTMENT AND MADE OUR PLACE SAFE.
AND IT HAS NOT BEEN FOR A VERY LONG TIME.
UM, WITH THAT IS A VERY, IS A HIGH BUDGET WITH THAT, IF YOU COULD LOOK AT MY POST, IT SAYS THAT.
SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT I'M NOT IN THE DIRECTION OF LOOKING AT, UM, BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE AT LEAST HAVE TO, IN MY OPINION, GIVE THEM A YEAR WITH A FULL POLICE DEPARTMENT TO SEE WHAT CAN BE DONE.
UM, BUT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT OTHER DEPARTMENTS.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT US AS WELL, WHAT WE ARE DOING HERE AS WELL.
UM, SOME CRITICS, UH, PUT OUT MIKE, UH, WARD ONE DAY.
UM, AND IT WAS A PROJECTED BUDGET OF OVER A THOUSAND DOLLARS TO BE MADE.
I CAME BACK RIGHT AFTER THAT AND SAID, THAT'S, THAT'S UNACCEPTABLE.
I CAN'T BE A HYPOCRITE AND ASK THAT, UM, MY EXPENDITURE IS FOR MY EVENT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S GIVEN BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, THAT CAN HAPPEN.
SO I AUTOMATICALLY WENT TO THE TOWN ADMINISTRATOR LIVE THE DAY, NEXT DAY AND SAID, THAT CAN HAPPEN.
THE EVENT WILL STILL HAPPEN, BUT THAT'S BEING GUTTED AND LOOKED AT.
BUT I ALSO POSTED THE FACT OF WE LIVE IN CH I TRAVELED THROUGHOUT ALL NINE COUNCIL DISTRICTS AS WELL AS 27 MUNICIPALITIES.
NO, NOT TO ANY OTHER ONES EVEN OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY.
SHOVEL IS SHOVEL FOR A REASON.
WE LIVE IN A BUBBLE AS FAR AS WHAT WE OFFER HERE.
PEOPLE REALLY LOVE LIVING HERE.
BUT ALSO THE LEVEL OF SERVICES THAT OUR TOWN PROVIDES.
WE HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO, BUT IN COMPARISON TO A LOT OF OUR NEIGHBORS AROUND, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT I I GO TO MY KIDS, GO TO THEIR ACTIVITIES, THE RESOURCES, THE, THE, THE VARIOUS ORGANIZATIONS THAT STUFF DOES COST.
SO WITH THOSE WITH NOT ONLY LOOKING AT THE DEPARTMENT, BUT I WILL CHALLENGE TO SAY THAT SOME OF THE OTHER EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES MIGHT UNFORTUNATELY BE LOOKED AT AS WELL.
I, I ALSO MENTIONED, UM, TO THE FACT OF, UM, OUR, OUR LICENSES, OUR PARKING FEES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
I, I MET WITH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, CODING DEPARTMENT, THOSE THINGS, THOSE THINGS TYPE OF THINGS MIGHT GO UP.
I KNOW WE HAD IN THE PAST WHERE, UM, PEOPLE WERE UPSET THAT THE COUNTY CAME IN AND STARTED WRITING PARKING TICKETS, WHICH I DON'T AGREE UPON.
BUT WHEN OUR, OUR, OUR ACTUAL CODE ENFORCEMENT DOES THAT AND FOLLOW THE LAW, THAT WILL ALSO HIT THE POCKET AS WELL.
'CAUSE SOMEONE MENTIONED ABOUT RAISING THE FEES FOR THAT BUSINESS LICENSES, THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WAYS TO DO THAT.
I DON'T WANNA TAP INTO THE FUND BALANCE AT ALL.
AND I DON'T WANNA RAISE TAXES.
LIKE I SAID, I'VE NEVER DONE IT BEFORE AND I KNOW HOW, HOW, UH, MUCH OF AN IMPACT THE LAST YEAR HAS BEEN TO INDIVIDUALS.
SO I'M LOOKING STILL TO WORK WITH NOT ONLY MY FELLOW, UM, COLLEAGUES HERE, BUT ALSO THE VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS, BUT ALSO YOU ALL AS RESIDENTS.
UM, I APPRECIATE YOU, UH, FOR COMING OUT TO ADVOCATE FOR YOU AND, UM,
[00:50:01]
WE ALL, WE WILL DEFINITELY MAKE IT THROUGH THIS, UM, AS A WHOLE, BUT IT'S JUST NOT US.IT IS THE COUNTY, COUNTY LEVEL.
THE MAYOR MENTIONED BOWIE, UM, I TALKED TO, I SIT ON THE BOARD FOR ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES.
THEY HAVING THE SAME EXACT ISSUE.
UM, AND PEOPLE HAVE LOST THEIR JOBS ON VARIOUS LEVELS.
SO I'M NOT MAKING EXCUSES HERE, UH, REGARDLESS.
BUT AGAIN, THAT'S MY MAIN THINGS.
BUT I AM, UM, I'M SOLUTION BASED TO DO THAT.
AND ONE OTHER THING IS THE FACT OF THE WEEKEND EVENTS OF THE OVERTIME.
UM, JUST OUT TO SAY THAT I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE, PUBLICLY, UM, LOOKING AT FLEX HOURS FOR EMPLOYEES, THE COMPANIES DO THAT TO LOOK AT THAT AS WELL TO CUT OUT AND SOME OF THOSE THINGS.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER IDEAS BETWEEN NOW AND THE TIME WE NEED TO MAKE A DECISION, PLEASE REACH OUT TO ME, UH, REACH OUT TO YOUR COUNCIL MEMBERS.
BUT THANK YOU AGAIN, UH, FOR THIS IMPORTANT ISSUE.
UH, LET ME START IN THE, AT THE, JUST SAY A COUPLE WORDS ABOUT INDIVIDUAL TAX BILLS AND THEN WE CAN TALK ABOUT THE OVERALL REVENUE FOR THE TOWN.
SO YOU ARE ALL PAYING, WE'RE ALL PAYING, UH, SOMETHING LIKE 222 CENTS.
AND WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? IT SOUNDS LIKE A NONSENSE STATEMENT, BUT WHAT IT MEANS IS THAT YOU'RE PAYING OVER 2% OF THE ASSESSED VALUE OF YOUR HOUSE EVERY YEAR.
IT'S ABOUT TWO AND A QUARTER PERCENT OF THE ASSESSED VALUE OF YOUR HOUSE EVERY YEAR TO THE GOVERNMENT.
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY COLLECTS THE MONEY.
THEY COLLECT IT FOR CH PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY EDUCATION, MARYLAND PARK AND PLANNING SEWER, AND ONE OR TWO OTHERS.
UM, AND SO THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY.
IF YOUR ASSESSMENT IS 400,000, THEN YOUR OVERALL PROPERTY TAX BILL IS OVER $8,000.
IF YOUR ASSESSMENT IS 402.2 AND A QUARTER PERCENT IS, IS WELL OVER $8,000 FOR YOUR TOTAL TAX BILL.
MAYBE YOU'RE GETTING A CREDIT BACK FROM THE COUNTY FOR LONGEVITY.
UM, SO THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THAT WOULD BE.
ON TOP, ON TOP OF THAT WOULD BE WHATEVER THE TOWN INCREASES THIS YEAR.
UM, THE TOWN IS CURRENTLY ABOUT 25 TO 28% OF YOUR TOTAL TAX BILL, AND IT'S GENERALLY GONNA BE THE SECOND LARGEST PART AFTER PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY.
PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY IS 96 CENTS PLUS ABOUT 4 CENTS EDUCATION SURPLUS.
CHEVROLET'S USUALLY GONNA COME IN AT ABOUT SECOND HIGHEST AMONG THOSE CATEGORIES.
AND AFTER THAT IS MARYLAND PARK AND PLANNING, UH, ET CETERA.
ON THE MACRO LEVEL, NEXT YEAR WE'RE GONNA COLLECT SOMEWHERE AROUND $9 MILLION IN REAL IN TAXES, TOTAL TAXES, UM, AND THEN ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS OF OTHER REVENUE.
SO JUST TO GIVE YOU THE SCALE AND, AND THE FACT THAT TAXES ALL KINDS OF TAXES ARE A HUGE COMPONENT WITH THAT'S 9 MILLION, THERE'S ONLY ABOUT TWO AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, UH, THAT WE COLLECT OTHER WAYS, UM, I'LL SAY A WORD.
UH, SO, SO MS. SALT ASKED ABOUT THE ASSESSMENT BASE AND ALL OF THESE CREDITS THAT FOLKS GET, THOSE ARE FACTORED INTO THE ASSESSABLE BASE THAT'S GIVEN, THAT'S DETERMINED BY THE STATE.
OUR ACCESSIBLE BASE, JUST FOR TRIVIA FANS OUT THERE IS CLOSE TO A BILLION DOLLARS.
AND IN THAT FIGURE IS ALREADY FACTORED IN.
THE FOLKS THAT DON'T PAY ANY, OUR, OUR WOUNDED WARRIORS AND OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE GETTING TAX ABATEMENTS, ALL THAT'S FACTORED INTO THE 960 SOME MILLION DOLLARS ACCESSIBLE BASE.
AND THEN THAT'S WHAT THOSE PERCENTAGES START CHEWING AWAY AT, UH, OUR TAX RATES.
UH, JUST A QUICK REVIEW OF, OF RECENT HISTORY.
FY 24, WE RAISED THE TAX RATE 4 CENTS FY 25.
WE RAISED THE TAX RATE 5 CENTS LAST YEAR.
WE RAISED THE TAX RATE 0 CENTS.
THERE WAS NO INCREASE LAST YEAR.
UH, THAT'S, UM, ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE ARE UNABLE TO GET OUR EXPENSES COVERED SO FAR.
AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HAVING THE, THAT'S WHY THE 5 CENT PROPOSAL AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE HAVING THE CONVERSATION.
AGAIN, IT'S NOT A FINISHED CONVERSATION, BUT WE, EVEN WITH THOSE RAISES, OUR FUND BALANCE IS WAY DOWN FROM FY 24.
UH, AT THE END OF 23, IT WAS 5.5 MILLION.
UH, AT THE END OF 25 IT WAS 5.14 MILLION.
UH, LAST YEAR, AGAIN, IN FY 26, WE DID NOT RAISE TAXES AND WE DUG INTO THE FUND BALANCE ABOUT $385,000.
WE THINK THE NUMBERS, OBVIOUSLY THE DUST HASN'T SETTLED.
THERE'S, THERE'S STILL A MONTH AND A HALF LEFT IN THE FISCAL YEAR, BUT WE'RE PROBABLY GONNA DIG INTO THAT FUND BALANCE ABOUT 3 85, 3 90.
UM, THAT'S A BIG CHUNK AND THAT'LL TAKE US DOWN TO ABOUT 4.7.
UM, THE LAST COMMENT I'LL MAKE, UH, 'CAUSE I THINK I ANSWERED EVERYBODY'S QUESTIONS, IS THAT
[00:55:01]
I DON'T THINK IT CAN BE MUCH LOWER THAN 4.7.AND AGAIN, UM, IT IS KIND OF A REVENUE POINT.
WE DON'T WANNA HAVE AN UNRESTRICTED FUND BALANCE MUCH BELOW THE MIDDLE, FOUR MILLIONS, MAYBE 4.5, BUT, UH, I'M NOT COMFORTABLE GOING MUCH LOWER THAN THAT.
SO IT WOULD REALLY BE MY PREFERENCE TO BALANCE THE BUDGET THIS YEAR AND TO OBVIOUSLY NOT TAKE ANY MONEY OUTTA THE FUND BALANCE, NOT CONTRIBUTE ANY, BUT NOT TAKE ANY AND, AND LET US GO TO THE NEXT YEAR WITH SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDDLE, FOUR MILLIONS, UM, IN THAT UNRESTRICTED FUND BALANCE.
UM, I'LL STOP THERE AND THEN I'LL YIELD TO ANY OTHERS THAT WOULD LIKE TO VICE MAYOR.
I HAVE SOME COMMENTS, BUT A QUICK QUESTION FIRST, WHICH IS, HISTORICALLY WE HAVE VOTED ON THE TAX RATE IN THIS HEARING.
IS THAT HAPPENING TONIGHT? UH, IT WILL LIKELY NEED TO HAPPEN DURING THE BUDGET DISCUSSION FOLLOWING THIS HEARING, SO IT LIKELY WILL NEED TO BE TONIGHT.
UM, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA SAY THAT, UM, OBVIOUSLY NO ONE WANTS TO RAISE TAXES AND WE'RE ALL VERY AWARE OF ALL OF THE ECONOMIC HARDSHIPS THAT ARE HAPPENING RIGHT NOW.
PART OF THE ISSUE IS THAT THINGS ARE EXPENSIVE FOR THE TOWN AS WELL, RIGHT? SO ALL OF OUR GASOLINE AND MATERIALS ARE GOING UP JUST AS EVERYONE ELSE'S ARE.
UM, I HAVE INDEED IN THE PAST VOTED TO RAISE TAXES.
UM, AND I WILL LIKELY AGAIN, VOTE TO RAISE TAXES THIS YEAR.
UM, IT WOULD BE VERY EASY FOR ME TO COME UP HERE AND SAY, I DON'T WANNA RAISE TAXES.
I'M NOT VOTING TO RAISE TAXES, BUT IT WOULD BE IRRESPONSIBLE OF ME TO DO THAT WITHOUT BEING ABLE TO POINT TO THIS BUDGET AND SAY, AND HERE'S WHERE WE'RE GONNA MAKE THAT MONEY UP.
AND I CAN'T NECESSARILY DO THAT WITH THIS BUDGET.
UM, WE TALKED, I, WE HEARD A LOT ABOUT, UM, WHAT THE TAX RATE HAS BEEN IN YEARS PAST, HOW THINGS HAVE HAPPENED IN THE PAST.
UM, AND I WANTED TO MENTION TWO THINGS ABOUT THE WAY THE BUDGET HAS GONE HISTORICALLY.
ONE IS THAT AS OTHER PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED, WE HAVE NOT HAD A FULLY STAFFED POLICE DEPARTMENT IN YEARS, YEARS AND YEARS.
HISTORICALLY, WHAT HAS HAPPENED IS THAT THE BUDGET HAS ASSUMED THAT WE WOULD HAVE A CERTAIN LEVEL OF STAFFING FOR OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THAT HAS NEVER COME TO FRUITION.
AND SO THAT EXTRA MONEY, THAT SALARY MONEY THAT WAS NOT SPENT, HELPED TO SORT OF CUSHION THE BUDGET.
UM, AND ESSENTIALLY WE WERE BUDGETING IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE WERE ALMOST RELYING ON THE FACT THAT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT WAS NOT FULLY STAFFED IN ORDER TO, UM, HAVE A REASONABLE BUDGET.
WE ARE VERY, VERY LUCKY NOW THAT WE HAVE A FULLY STAFFED POLICE DEPARTMENT, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE HEARD AND HEARD SO MUCH OVER THE PAST FEW YEARS, WAS REALLY, UM, IMPORTANT TO THE TOWN.
UM, AND WE HAVE THAT NOW, BUT THAT MEANS THAT WE CAN'T COUNT ON THIS BIG CHUNK OF SALARY THAT'S NOT BEING SPENT AT THE END OF THE YEAR TO BALANCE OUR BUDGET.
WE HAVE TO THINK NOW AND SAY THAT BUDGET IS GOING TO BE SPENT.
WE ARE GOING TO PAY A LARGE NUMBER OF POLICE OFFICERS BECAUSE WE HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF POLICE OFFICERS, WHICH IS REALLY GREAT.
IT MEANS WE CAN HAVE 24 HOUR POLICING.
UM, THE OTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION, UM, BECAUSE SALARIES ARE A VERY LARGE PART OF THIS BUDGET, UM, AND I WANTED TO REMIND EVERYONE THAT TWO YEARS AGO WE DID, UM, A SALARY STUDY AND WE LOOKED AT ALL OF THE SALARIES FOR OUR STAFF, COMPARED IT TO SALARIES FOR SIMILAR POSITIONS IN THE AREA, IN LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES THAT ARE A SIMILAR SIZE TO US IN THE COUNTY ALL OVER IN THIS AREA.
AND WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT WE WERE NOT PAYING OUR STAFF WHAT THEY DESERVED.
OUR STAFF WAS CONSISTENTLY UNDERPAID COMPARED TO OTHER MUNICIPALITIES, COMPARED TO THE COUNTY.
THERE WERE A NUMBER OF POSITIONS IN THE PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT THAT WERE NOT BEING PAID A LIVING WAGE.
SO THERE WERE FOLKS WHO WERE WORKING FOR US WHO WERE PICKING UP YOUR TRASH, FIXING THE ROADS.
I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT, WHO WOULD HAVE QUALIFIED FOR PUBLIC ASSISTANCE ON THE SALARY THAT WE WERE PAYING THEM.
AND THAT'S NOT WHAT CH DOES, RIGHT? CH LEE'S VALUES DO NOT INCLUDE
[01:00:02]
PAYING FOLKS, NOT A LIVING WAGE.UM, AND SO WE MADE A DECISION TO RIGHTSIZE OUR SALARIES SO THAT OUR STAFF WAS GETTING PAID A LIVING WAGE, THAT THEY WERE GETTING PAID WHAT OTHER SIMILAR ROLES AROUND THE AREA WE'RE GETTING PAID.
IT'S REALLY HARD WHEN YOU'RE BUDGETING, WHEN YOU HAVE A LOT OF YOUR BUDGET GOING TO SALARY BECAUSE YOU CAN'T JUST CUT THAT WITHOUT CUTTING PEOPLE.
UM, AND SO I JUST WANNA MAKE CLEAR THAT PART OF MY THINKING HERE AT LEAST IS MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE TAKING CARE OF OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY.
THAT'S OUR RESIDENTS, BUT IT'S ALSO OUR STAFF.
UM, AND IT'S HAVING A, A FULLY STAFFED POLICE DEPARTMENT.
UM, BUT AGAIN, UH, I'M, I ACTUALLY WANNA SAY THAT I AM SO THANKFUL THAT SO MANY PEOPLE CAME UP HERE WITH IDEAS, GREAT IDEAS.
USUALLY WHAT HAPPENS ON NIGHTS LIKE THIS IS THAT PEOPLE COME AND GET REALLY ANGRY, BUT DON'T ACTUALLY OFFER ANY SUGGESTIONS.
BUT WE HEARD SOME REALLY GREAT SUGGESTIONS AND I'M REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.
UM, AND SO I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THAT, BUT THAT'S ALL I GOT.
COUNSEL, ANY FURTHER COMMENTS BEFORE THE END OF THE, OF THE FORMAL HEARING? GO AHEAD.
UM, I REALLY APPRECIATE PEOPLE COMING OUT.
I TOOK AS COPIOUS NOTES AS I COULD.
UM, I DO WANNA SAY A COUPLE THINGS THAT I WANNA ECHO BACK.
I DO THINK THAT WE NEED TO FIND A WAY TO PRESENT THE BUDGET DIFFERENTLY SO THAT IT IS CLEAR WHAT CHOICES ARE BEING MADE.
IN THE LAST HEARING OR THE LAST PUBLIC MEETING, I ASKED HOW MUCH WOULD WE BE SHORT IF WE DID NOT RAISE TAXES, BECAUSE THAT NEEDS TO BE CLEAR.
IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY, IT DOESN'T ANSWER THE QUESTION WHAT WOULD BE CUT, UH, BUT IT GIVES YOU A SENSE OF SCALE.
AND THEY SAID WE WOULD BE SHORT 750,000 OR SOMETHING AROUND THERE.
AND THAT'S WHEN I REALIZED WE PROBABLY DON'T HAVE $750,000 OF SAVINGS AVAILABLE ON THE MARGINS.
YOU KNOW, NO SMALL AMOUNT IS GONNA ADD UP TO THAT.
BUT I MET WITH PEOPLE, UH, SINCE THEN, INCLUDING, UH, DEPARTMENT HEADS AND THREW EVERYTHING OUT.
I COULD, AND SOME, UH, I LEARNED, UH, WERE NOT AS TENABLE AS, AS I THOUGHT, AND I'M GLAD I HAD PEOPLE WHO, UH, COULD SPEAK TO THAT, YOU KNOW, THE DETAILS OF, OF THEIR WORK.
BUT I WAS THROWING WHAT, WHAT CAME OUT AND TO SEE WHAT, UH, WHAT DID STICK.
I DO WANNA GIVE CREDIT, AND MAYBE I DON'T, UH, TOWN ADMINISTRATOR GALLOWAY CAN SPEAK TO THIS SINCE WE LAST SAW THIS, MORE MONEY HAS BEEN SAVED.
SO WHAT WE WERE HANDED LAST TIME, UM, HAD A GREATER DEFICIT WITH, UM, WITH THE SAME PROJECTED, UH, TAX INCREASE.
SO THAT MEANS THEY WERE ABLE TO FIND MORE WAYS TO, UH, TO CUT COSTS.
UM, LAST THING I WANT TO SAY IS TO WHAT THE VICE MAYOR SAID, COSTS GO UP.
ONE OF THE THINGS I'VE COME TO APPRECIATE IS ATTRACTING PEOPLE IS DIFFICULT.
UM, THE COUNTY HAS HUNDREDS OF VACANCIES IN THEIR POLICE DEPARTMENT, RIGHT? AND SO THEY'RE ALL TRYING TO ATTRACT THE BEST OFFICERS, RIGHT? AND THE BEST STAFF.
AND SO THERE IS A, A REAL TENSION WHERE WE SAY WE CAN, WE HAVE TO STAY COMPETITIVE OR WE HAVE TO BE OKAY WITH SOME ESSENTIAL SERVICES NOT BEING FULLY STAFFED.
AND AS SOME OF MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, ALREADY SHARED, WE FINALLY HAVE A FULLY STAFFED POLICE DEPARTMENT.
AND I DO THINK WE WANT TO SEE WHAT IT IS CAPABLE OF, UM, BEFORE WE SAY, YOU KNOW, LET'S, LET'S RETREAT.
UM, AND, UH, AND DIMINISH IT AFTER WE FINALLY GOTTEN WHAT MANY PEOPLE HAVE SAID, UH, THEY WANT.
UH, LAST POINT, SOMEONE TALKED ABOUT, UH, DEVELOPMENT AROUND THE METRO.
I'VE BEEN WORKING EVERY ANGLE I HAVE ACCESS TO TO TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE GET, UH, TRANSIT ORIENTED DEVELOPMENT.
I DON'T LIKE TO CHASE STATE OR COUNTY TAX DOLLARS, UM, BECAUSE I THINK BUSINESSES HAVE TO BE VIABLE ON THEIR OWN.
BUT THE HARSH REALITY IS THAT OUR METRO WAS BUILT IN A FLOOD PLANE.
AND SO WE DO NEED TO FIND A WAY TO MAKE THE LAND, UM, EASIER TO DEVELOP BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT DOESN'T PENCIL OUT FOR BUSINESSES THAT THERE'S TOO MUCH STORMWATER MITIGATION THAT HAS TO HAPPEN.
UM, SO TRYING TO SOLVE THAT, UH, BUT I VERY MUCH AGREE
[01:05:01]
THAT, AND I'LL SAY STATEWIDE, I, I WAS LOOKING UP ALL THE TAX RATES, UM, PROPERTY TAX, UH, YOU KNOW, YEAH, PROPERTY TAX RATES IN THE AREA, DC, VIRGINIA, UH, THE COUNTY, UH, MONTGOMERY COUNTY AS WELL.AND IT'S A PRETTY, I THINK, OBVIOUS CORRELATION.
THE PLACES THAT HAVE STRONG, UH, BUSINESS ECONOMIES ARE ABLE TO MAKE MONEY OFF THEIR MARKET, NOT JUST OFF THEIR PROPERTY TAXES.
SO I THINK THAT IS ABSOLUTELY MY FOCUS TO SAY, HOW DO WE MAKE, UH, MORE COMPETITIVE BUSINESSES HERE, HIGHER MARGIN BUSINESSES, HIGHER VALUE BUSINESSES, SO THAT THEY, UH, CAN AFFORD THAT TAX? 'CAUSE THERE'S NO POINT TAXING A BUSINESS INTO OBLIVION, RIGHT? THEY, WE ALSO HAVE TO ATTRACT THEM.
AND THAT IS THE DELICATE BALANCE.
SO I'VE, I'VE SPENT SPENDING A LOT OF TIME THINKING ABOUT WHAT SECTORS ARE COST COMPETITIVE SO THAT WE CAN ASK FOR INVESTMENT IN THOSE AREAS TO INCREASE THE, UH, OTHER SOURCES OF OF REVENUE.
UM, SOMEONE DID ALSO MENTION, UH, BUSINESS FEES AND STUFF.
I DO WANNA SAY THIS, THIS WAS PUBLIC, BUT WE DID GO THROUGH ALL OF THE FEE STRUCTURES AND THAT IS SOME OF HOW SOME OF THIS HAS BEEN, UH, RECOVERED.
THAT, UM, THAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH, UH, BUSINESS LICENSE FEES AND THINGS LIKE THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE NOT JUST SITTING THERE AT THE SAME, SAME COST THEY WERE 10 YEARS AGO WHEN, YOU KNOW, WHEN OUR COSTS ARE GOING UP AS MUCH AS THEY ARE.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR COMING OUT AND FOR, FOR ALL THE POINTS YOU BROUGHT, I THINK THEY ARE, ARE VALID.
I JUST SOLD MY AWARD FOR GUY AND I TOTALLY AGREE THAT WE NEED TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT WE HAVE A GRADUATED INCREASE IN OUR PROPERTY TAXES, YOU KNOW, WE GET ASSESSED AND THEN THEY, IT GETS, UM, SPREAD OUT OVER THE YEAH.
AND I, I ACTUALLY HAVE NOT CONFIRMED THAT THAT IS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.
SO I THINK THAT'S A GREAT, A GREAT POINT.
'CAUSE THAT MEANS THE TOTAL PROJECTION IS GOING UP SOME PERCENTAGE REGARDLESS.
UM, THE QUESTION IS, IS IT GOING UP OR HOW IS IT GOING UP RELATIVE TO INFLATION? SO THANK YOU FOR THAT.
I THINK THAT WAS A WONDERFUL POINT.
SO LET ME JUST ADD, UH, ONE FACT EARLIER I SAID THE ACCESSIBLE BASE IS AROUND $940 MILLION.
IT'S ACTUALLY EXACTLY 940 SOME MILLION DOLLARS, WHICH MEANS THAT EACH PENNY THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, YOU KNOW WHAT IT COSTS YOU, WHAT IT BRINGS INTO THE TOWN IS $94,500, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
A LITTLE OVER $94,000 5 CENTS BRINGS INTO THE TOWN ABOUT $474,000.
UM, SO JUST WANTED TO BRING A LITTLE BIT MORE REALITY TO WHAT IS 1 CENT MEAN.
AND I APOLOGIZE FOR, UM, ARRIVING LATE, I WAS RUSHING FROM WORK AND T-MOBILE SUCKS, SO I WASN'T ABLE TO LOG IN AS I WAS DRIVING HERE.
UM, I DID NOT SPEED, SO I DID NOT CONTRIBUTE ANY REVENUE TO THOSE CAMERAS.
UM, BUT I WANTED TO SAY IT'S LOVELY TO SEE SO MANY PEOPLE HERE, ESPECIALLY SOME FACES I HAVEN'T SEEN IN A WHILE.
UM, I APPRECIATE FOLKS COMING OUT AND UM, FOR THE FOLKS WHO, YOU KNOW, CONTACTED ME, UH, JUST WITH THEIR CONCERNS AND THEIR IDEAS, A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS.
UM, AND I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS THERE THAT WE PROBABLY, UM, REALLY NEED TO, TO START DELVING IN BEFORE THE NIGHT AT THE CONSTANT YIELD HEARING.
UM, BECAUSE SOME OF THEM MAY TAKE A LITTLE BIT LONGER TO ACTUALLY LIKE FLUSH OUT.
I KNOW THAT IN, UM, MY EMAIL THAT I SENT OUT THE OTHER DAY, I HAD A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT IDEAS THAT I KIND OF THREW OUT THERE.
UM, THOSE CAME FROM DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONS.
I DIDN'T LIKE ALL THE IDEAS, BUT I FIGURED THE IDEAS I PUT OUT THERE, YOU MIGHT NOT ALL LIKE, SO I SHOULD PUT OUT AS MANY AS I COULD.
UM, BECAUSE INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, A LOT OF PEOPLE I SPEAK TO ARE VERY, VERY HAPPY THAT WE HAVE 24 HOUR POLICING.
BUT YOU'D BE SURPRISED I GET A RESPONSE FROM PEOPLE AS WELL WHO ARE LIKE, WE DON'T REALLY NEED THAT.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, WHILE WE ALL LIVE IN THIS SMALL COMMUNITY, I, I, YOU KNOW, OUR EXPERIENCES ARE DIFFERENT.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK THAT'S PART OF IT.
I GET SOME PEOPLE WHO SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, WHAT WE DON'T NEED TWICE A WEEK TRASH.
YOU KNOW, AND THEN I TALK TO OTHER PEOPLE WHO ARE LIKE, OH, THAT'S WHY I LIVE IN CH IS 'CAUSE WE GET TWICE A WEEK TRASH.
UM, AND SO THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO PUT AS MANY IDEAS OUT THERE.
AND ONE OF THE RESPONSES I RECEIVED, WHICH WAS KIND OF, IT WAS TRUE IN THE STATEMENT, IT WAS SAYING THAT A LOT OF MY IDEAS WERE JUST KIND OF, UM, SHIFTING THE BURDEN ON WHO PAYS THEM.
UM, 'CAUSE IT WAS KIND OF LIKE, IF YOU WANNA USE A PARTICULAR SERVICE, MAYBE YOU PAY FOR THAT SERVICE.
[01:10:01]
MAYBE THAT MAKES YOU RECON RECONSIDER WHAT YOU'RE BUYING OR WHAT YOU'RE THROWING AWAY AND YOU JUST DONATE INSTEAD.OR, UM, OR MAYBE IT'S ONCE A MONTH BULK TRASH.
I SPOKE TO SOMEBODY ELSE WHO SAID, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT PEOPLE OFFER FREE BULK TRASH.
RIGHT? 'CAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE GET HERE IN CH IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK I KNOW I TAKE FOR GRANTED AND THEN I'M JUST LIKE, OH YEAH, WE'LL JUST TOSS IT IN THE BULK TRASH.
I DON'T THINK TWICE AND THAT'S ON ME.
UM, BUT THERE, THERE ARE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT I THINK WE CAN THINK ABOUT.
UH, I LOVE THE FOOD COMPOSTING PROGRAM.
I KNOW NOT EVERYBODY WAS ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN IT.
UM, BUT THAT'S AN ADDITIONAL FEE AND I GET THAT.
UM, SO MAYBE THAT SHOULDN'T BE PAID FOR BY THE TOWN IF I WANNA USE THAT AND THE OTHER RESIDENTS IN TOWN WHO WANNA USE THAT, UM, WANNA DO IT, MAYBE WE PAY FOR IT.
AND IF WE REALIZE THAT THAT'S MORE OF A, A WANT THAN A NEED, THEN WE DON'T BUY INTO IT.
UM, AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S THE HARD CONVERSATION.
IT'S A CONVERSATION THAT I HAVE WITH MY KIDS A LOT.
I HAVE WITH MYSELF A LOT WHEN I'M, YOU KNOW, OUT SOMEWHERE AND I WANNA BUY SOMETHING, I'M LIKE, DO I WANT THIS OR DO I NEED THIS? UM, AND A LOT OF TIMES I'LL GIVE INTO THE WANT, UH, THE WANT MORE THAN THE NEED.
UM, BUT IT IS A CONVERSATION WE NEED TO BE HAVING, NOT JUST AROUND BUDGET SEASON, BUT WHENEVER ANYTHING COMES UP.
UM, BECAUSE I THINK THERE ARE SO MANY WANTS.
UM, AND THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS THAT WE JUST, I THINK COUNCIL MEMBER WAITE SAID IT TOO IS JUST CHEVROLET'S KNOWN FOR SPECIFIC THINGS.
AND WHILE A FEW FOLKS GAVE UM, FEEDBACK SAYING THAT THEY DON'T THINK THEY'VE SEEN A CHANGE IN, UH, SERVICES OR CUSTOMER SERVICE, I WOULD REALLY PUSH BACK ON THAT BECAUSE, UM, WHEN IT COMES TO SERVICES, THE EAST SIDE, NOW WEST SIDE'S NOT GONNA KNOW THIS, BUT THE EAST SIDE WE GET TWICE A WEEK TRASH ON HOLIDAY WEEKS.
'CAUSE WE USED TO NOT, IF IT WAS A MONDAY HOLIDAY, WE ONLY GOT ONCE A WEEK TRASH.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT, UM, SOMEONE BROUGHT TO MY ATTENTION WHEN I FIRST CAME ON.
AND THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE DID.
YOU KNOW, I TALKED TO MR. GALLOWAY AND MR. RAYMOND, THEY SAID, WELL LET'S FIX THAT.
UM, AND NOW WE GET TWICE AND WE TRASHED THE SAME WAY THAT THE WEST SIDE DOES.
UM, WE HAVE RESIDENT APPRECIATION DAYS THAT OUR STAFF PUT A LOT OF HEART AND EFFORT INTO BECAUSE THEY LOVE INTERACTING WITH THE COMMUNITY.
I THINK THAT'S PART OF THAT SPECIAL CUSTOMER SERVICE.
WE SEE OUR, OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS AT COMMUNITY EVENTS.
UM, THEY DON'T JUST HIDE BEHIND THE GLASS WINDOW.
UM, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, THESE GREAT YOUTH EVENTS AND WE'RE REALLY ENGAGING DIFFERENT AGES AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING.
AND ON TOP OF THAT, WE ADD THINGS TO OUR STAFF, UM, GRANTS, APPROPRIATIONS.
THESE ARE THINGS WE'VE NEVER WENT AFTER BEFORE.
IT WAS NEVER IN THEIR JOB DESCRIPTIONS 'CAUSE IT WASN'T SOMETHING WE DID.
AND WE DO THAT NOW AND THEY DO THAT WITH HEART AND A LOT OF EFFORT AND THEY, THEY, OUR STAFF BRINGS BACK MONEY.
SO WE'RE REALLY LUCKY IN THAT SENSE.
AND SO I JUST WANT US TO ALL THINK ABOUT, I DON'T, I KNOW EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US, NONE OF US WANNA RAISE TAXES.
I THINK A LOT OF US ARE FEELING THE PINCH WORKING IN THE COUNTY.
I SEE A LOT OF WHAT'S HAPPENING.
I CAN ALMOST GUARANTEE YOU THAT THAT M-N-C-P-P-C TAX IS GONNA BE GOING UP IN A COUPLE YEARS.
THERE'S STILL A STRUCTURAL DEFICIT.
UH, AND I DON'T THINK WE'RE SEEING THE REAL EFFECTS OF WHAT HAS BEEN HAPPENING WITH THE FEDERAL JOBS.
AND SO I'M WORRIED JUST PLAIN AND SIMPLE.
I'M WORRIED AND I KNOW THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, I HAVE A JOB.
MY HUSBAND HAS A GOOD JOB, BUT I'M STILL WORRIED.
AND SO WITH THIS IDEA OF A 5 CENT TAX AND THEN WITH THE IDEA OF FIGURING OUT WHAT OUR WANTS AND OUR VERSUS OUR NEEDS ARE, I JUST THINK THAT WE REALLY NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THE SPENDING, WHERE THE PRIORITIES ARE.
AND FOR ME, THE PRIORITIES ARE OUR STAFF.
IT IS MAKING SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PROVIDING A LIVING WAGE, THAT WE ARE TREATING OUR EMPLOYEES THE WAY WE TREAT OUR NEIGHBORS.
AND THAT WE ALL KIND OF HAVE THAT.
I ALSO THINK, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, GREAT SERVICES THAT WE KIND OF TAKE FOR GRANTED, MAYBE THOSE DO NEED TO BE A LITTLE MORE A LA CARTE.
UM, I'M SURE MY HUSBAND WILL PUSH BACK ON A LOT OF THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE I WANT WITH LIKE THE FOOD COMPOST.
'CAUSE HE HATES PUTTING THE FOOD IN THE FOOD COMPOST.
UM, BUT THOSE ARE, YOU KNOW, INDIVIDUAL DECISIONS WE'RE ALL GONNA HAVE TO MAKE.
AND MAYBE WHEN WE HAVE TO DO THEM A LA CARTE, WE CAN SEE JUST, YOU KNOW, WHAT IT WAS THAT WE'VE BEEN PAYING FOR IN THIS LIKE OVERALL TAX.
[01:15:02]
SO ANYWAY, I IT'S A HARD CONVERSATION.IT'S ONE, UM, I, I HAVE NOT BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO.
UH, BUT I DO APPRECIATE EVERYBODY COMING OUT AND PROVIDING IDEAS AND I ASK THAT YOU JUST CONTINUE TO, UM, NO MATTER HOW THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET TURNS OUT TONIGHT, I THINK, UM, YEAH, WE JUST HAVE TO KEEP TALKING ABOUT IT BECAUSE GUESS WHAT, NEXT YEAR I DON'T SEE IT GETTING EASIER.
OH NO, WE MIGHT HAVE TO RAISE TAXES AGAIN.
'CAUSE I THINK THAT HAPPENS EVERY YEAR.
UM, AND IF WE DON'T WANNA BE IN THAT SITUATION, THESE CONVERSATIONS JUST NEED TO BE HAPPENING THROUGHOUT.
UM, AND WITH EVERY THING, EVERY EXPENDITURE THAT WE HAVE.
ALRIGHT, COUNSEL, SHALL WE UH, CONCLUDE THE HEARING AND THEN MOVE ON TO THE BUDGET MEETING? YES.
SO I'M GONNA DECLARE AN END TO THE TAX, TO THE CONSTANT YIELD TAX RATE HEARING, UH, AT 7 47.
AND MR. GALLOWAY, I THINK YOU ARE THE FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS TO DO A BUDGET PRESENTATION FOR US, UH, STARTING WITH SPENDING.
AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK TO REVENUE AND THEN WE WILL CONCLUDE OUR EVENING TOGETHER BY VOTING ON THOSE TWO TAX RATES.