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UM, UNFORTUNATELY WE DON'T HAVE A FORUM.
UH, MR. FS IS OUT WITH SOME HEALTH ISSUES, AND MR. CHRISTIE IS OUT OF TOWN ON, UH, AN EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY WITH HIS COMPANY.
SO, UH, WE WON'T HAVE ANY VOTES OR ANYTHING, BUT, UH, LET'S MOVE ON TO THE UPDATE COURT PROJECTIONS.
MR. CHAIR MEMBERS OF, OF THE COMMITTEE, UH, WE HAVE ONE ITEM ON THE AGENDA FOR DISCUSSION TODAY, AND THAT'S OUR THIRD QUARTER PROJECTIONS.
AS YOU KNOW, THE, UH, THE BOARD'S OPERATING POLICY CALLS FOR QUARTERLY UPDATES OF OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES BE PROVIDED TO THE BOARD, UH, IN YOUR PACKET, HAVE A PROJECTION OF FISCAL YEAR 24 GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES THROUGH THE THIRD QUARTER.
CURRENTLY, WE ESTIMATE THAT WE WILL BE AT $93.6 MILLION OF REVENUE, WHICH IS ABOUT $4.5 MILLION HIGHER THAN THE AMENDED BUDGET THAT WAS APPROVED.
UH, THE INCREASE IN THIS IS PRIMARILY DUE TO TWO FACTORS.
ONE IS HIGHER THAN EXPECTED PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX COLLECTIONS AND THE INTEREST EARNINGS ON BANK DEPOSITS.
AS YOU KNOW, WE ALWAYS BUDGET CONSERVATIVELY, UH, WITH A DECREASE IN THE TAX RATE.
UH, WE FELT PRUDENT TO, UM, FACTOR THAT INTO, BUT AN INCREASE OF NEW VEHICLES COMING INTO THE COUNTY OFFSET THE DECREASE IN THE RATE ON THE, UH, CURRENT VEHICLES.
AND THE SAME THING WITH INTEREST EARNINGS.
WE, UH, UH, FELT PRUDENT TO ESTIMATE A DECREASE IN, IN INTEREST RATES THAT HAD NOT YET OCCURRED.
OPERATING EXPENDITURES FORECAST BE ABOUT 78.8 MILLION, UH, WHICH IS ABOUT 1.7 MILLION BELOW BUDGET.
UH, OVERALL, THEREFORE, UH, OPERATING REVENUES WILL EXCEED OPERATING EXPENDITURES BY ABOUT 14.8 MILLION.
UM, OF THAT, A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THAT IS TRANSFERRED OVER TO CIP AS YOU KNOW.
SO THAT'S NOT, UH, NOT IT'S AN OPERATING SURPLUS, BUT IT IS ALLOCATED FOR ALREADY.
SO WE WOULD EXPECT THE FUND BALANCE WILL GROW BY THAT $2.6 MILLION.
UM, IN, UH, IN JULY, UH, WHEN BE A BUDGET IS CLOSED OUT, THE, I WOULD MAKE THE POINT THAT THAT IS A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT DECREASE FROM THE TRANSFER WE DID LAST YEAR, WHICH IS CLOSER TO $9 MILLION.
SO WE ARE SEEING A, A DECREASE IN THE AVAILABLE REVENUES WE HAVE TO US FOR OUR CLP PROJECTS, UH, COMING UP.
UM, NO UP AND, UH, MOVE TO THE PUBLIC COMMENTS.
YEAH, I OPEN ABOUT THE, UH, LET'S OPEN UP THE, UH, SESSION FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
ANY, ANY COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? WELL, SINCE I'M NOT COMMITTEE MEMBER, BUT I DID HAVE QUESTIONS.
THIS IS SO PIECE OF PUBLIC TOO, PART PUBLIC.
UM, DO WE HAVE A MEANS OF PROJECTING THIS DECREASE AND TRANSFER TO THE CIP? 'CAUSE I, I SHARE THE SAME CONCERN THAT WE WE'RE STILL IN THE GOLDEN ERA OF
I MEAN, WE GOT THE 25 YEAR CIP AND IT'S WHAT, SIX 38 MILLION OVER THE NEXT 25 YEARS.
AND I, I UNABASHEDLY DON'T WANT TO BE THE GUY THAT SAYS, I MOVED TO INCREASE THE TAX RATE FROM RIGHT TWO.
AND, AND SO ARE, ARE THERE THINGS THAT, HOW FAR OUT CAN WE, THAT WE'RE CAST TO WHERE WE GET TO THE POINT WHERE UNTIL WE GET THOSE DATA CENTERS IN, UH, WEST CREEK AND, AND THE ADDITIONAL REVENUES, UH, WHAT WE, WHAT WE HAD DONE IS FOR THE 25 YEAR CIP WHEN WE UPDATED IT, MOST RECENTLY, WE PUT IN A FIVE YEAR FUNDED CIP AND THAT FUNDED CIP IS BASED ON REVENUES THAT WE FEEL COMFORTABLE, WHICH IS LOOKING AT, AT WHERE OUR GROWTH IN, UH, REVENUES, GROWTH AND EXPENSES AND WHAT THAT LEAVES US IN AVAILABLE, UM, SURPLUS IF WANT TO USE THAT TERM, THAT COULD BE ALLOCATED FOR CIP.
AND THEN WE ADJUSTED THE CIP TO REFLECT THE MONEY WE THOUGHT WOULD HAVE AVAILABLE, WHICH RESULTED AS TAKING ITEMS OFF OF CIP OR DELAYING ITEMS ON THE CIP SEVERAL YEARS.
SO WE ARE KEEPING IT BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE OUTCOMES THAT STAFF AND BOARD MEMBERS WERE CONCERNED ABOUT IS WE HAVE AN UNFUNDED CIP AND IF WE'RE ON A, A RAINBOW PATH OF, OF THINGS ARE GONNA BE WONDERFUL.
UH, SO WE WANTED TO REALLY LOOK AT IT.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DEVELOPED, UM, UH, GREAT THANKS TO, UH, MISS CAVE AND AND KA AND EVERYONE, UM, IS, IS A MODEL, A FORECASTING MODEL THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, TO REALLY LOOK AT
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AND TWEAK THE IMPACT TO OUR BUDGET BY, UH, BY PAY RAISES, BY EXPENSES IN, IN VARIETY OF ANYTHING.I MEAN, THE WHOLE MODEL IS THERE TAX RATES, UH, PROPERTY ASSESSMENTS GOING UP, GOING DOWN.
SO IT REALLY GIVES US AN ABILITY TO, TO KIND OF, UH, PUSH THOSE LEVERS SO WE'RE ABLE TO, TO LOOK AT IT AND ANTICIPATE THREE YEARS IN THE FUTURE, WHAT IS THAT GONNA DO TO US? AND, AND THAT GIVES US A LEVEL OF COMFORT.
NOW OBVIOUSLY MY COMFORT GOES DOWN YEAR TO YEAR, SO I'M MOST COMFORTABLE FOR, FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
AND THEN THE SECOND YEAR I'M COMFORTABLE, BUT IT GETS AND SO ON.
SO FIVE YEARS, WE'RE STILL PRETTY COMFORTABLE.
WE FEEL COMFORTABLE AT THIS POINT? YES, SIR.
UH, AND AGAIN, I HAVEN'T GONE THROUGH AS WE ALL HAVE THE BUDGET HERE, I KNOW THAT PUBLIC SAFETY AND SCHOOLS CONTINUE TO BE, UM, A JUSTIFIED OR AT LEAST A, A FULLY EXPLAINED REASON FOR INCREASES ON THE EXPENSE SIDE.
AND I, UM, I'M OPTIMISTIC THAT WE CAN GROW THE TAX BASE ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE.
I JUST DUNNO HOW IT MIGHT AFFECT THAT.
THAT'S DISCUSSION FOR ANOTHER TIME.
BUT I I, I FULLY EXPECT THAT WE'RE GOING CONTINUE TO SEE INCREASED REQUESTS ON PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND MY RULE OF THUMB, IT'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS PER NEW EMPLOYEE IN FIRE RESCUE AND IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
AND, UM, AT SOME POINT IT'S GONNA BE, WE DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO TRANSFER TO CIP AND THEN HOW DO WE TAKE CARE OF HVC GROUPS PARKING LOTS? UM, ABSOLUTELY SPOT ON.
YEAH, WE HAD THAT DISCUSSION LAST YEAR AS WELL, AND THAT WAS OBVIOUSLY PART OF THE DISCUSSION WITH LOWER THE TAX RATE WAS THE IMPACT IT WOULD HAVE ON US AS WE HAD ANTICIPATED.
AND, AND WE, WE AFFECTED THAT IN, IN THE MODEL.
AND IT, AGAIN, WE SEE A DECREASE IN REVENUE, EVEN THOUGH WE DID NOT, UM, EVEN THOUGH WE BROUGHT IN MORE THAN WE BUDGETED, IT WAS STILL SIGNIFICANT LESS THAN WE BROUGHT IN THE YEAR BEFORE.
SO, SO THERE, SO THE REVENUE WAS LOWER REVENUE, NO REVENUE CAME IN HIGHER THAN BUDGETED, BUT IT WAS LOWER THAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR AS FAR AS, UM, GROWTH.
I MEAN, IT'S, WE'RE MAKING SAUSAGE.
I'D BE GLAD TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND PLAY WITH THAT MODEL.
YOU KNOW, IT, IT, IT, IT, IT'S A NEAT DOC.
IT'S NOT, IT'S BIG SPREADSHEET, BUT IT'S, IT'S, UH, IT'S A NEAT, IT'S NEAT ITEM TO LOOK AND SEE.
SO I ACCEPT, I THOUGHT YOU WOULD, ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM THE PUBLIC? YES, MA'AM.
ONE, I WOULD LIKE TO TRY TO UNDERSTAND THE, HOW THE MONEY THAT, THAT, THAT IS PAID OUT TO THE CIP, UH, ACTUALLY WORKS, UM, AS FAR AS GETTING IT IN THE AREA IN WHICH IT WAS DESIGNATED.
UM, AS FAR AS, THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF, OF CIP FUNDING THAT'S, THAT'S FOR PROJECTS THAT ARE IN DISTRICT FOUR MM-HMM.
UM, AND I'M TRYING TO WRAP MY LITTLE HEAD AROUND, UM, WHERE THE CIP MONEY GETS ACTUALLY APPLIED TO DISTRICT FOUR, AND THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF MY NEIGHBORS ARE, ARE ASKING, AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW.
YOU KNOW WHAT, AND I CAN GIVE YOU A VERY QUICK ANSWER, BUT I WOULD ALSO, UM, BE GLAD TO SIT DOWN WITH YOU AND TO SPREAD THE WHOLE CIP OUT AND KIND OF GO OVER IN GREAT DETAIL EACH PROJECT WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM AND HOW IT GETS ALLOCATED TO THAT.
UM, THE, THE SHORT ANSWER THOUGH IS THAT THE CIP THAT WE OPERATE OFF OF IS ONE THAT HAS BEEN BUILT OVER A NUMBER OF YEARS OF PROJECTS, SOME OF WHICH, UM, ARE FUNDED BY, FOR EXAMPLE, THE BOND REFERENDUM, RIGHT? THAT'S IN THE CIP AND THE VOTERS APPROVE THAT.
WE JUST STARTED ADDING THE EXTERNAL PROJECTS THAT ARE NOT REALLY FUNDED BY THE COUNTY, LIKE THE TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS.
THEY HAVEN'T BEEN INCLUDED IN OUR CIP, BUT WE'RE PUTTING THEM THERE NOW IN ORDER, IN PART TO SHOW THAT THAT EFFORT IS BEING MADE IN CERTAIN AREAS, EVEN IF IT'S, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY WHAT, UM, UH, YOU MAY SEE IN A DISTRICT ONE, YOU SEE SOMETHING DISTRICT DIFFERENT IN DISTRICT FOUR.
UM, BUT THE, THE MECHANISM FOR CREATING THE CIP GOES BACK TO THE BOARD MEMBERS AND THEIR DISCUSSIONS.
AND EVERY YEAR WE UPDATE THAT.
AND SO, UH, DISTRICT FOUR, DISTRICT FIVE ARE, ARE TWO DISTRICTS THAT HAVE MADE IT CLEARLY SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, THAT, THAT THERE IS DESIRE TO SEE, UH, OTHER, CAN THE COUNTY BE MORE VISIBLE AND MORE ENGAGED WITH RESOURCES IN THAT PART OF THE COUNTY.
SO I WOULD EXPECT TO SEE, THEY'LL START HEARING CONVERSATIONS COMING ABOUT
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THE CIP AND AND, AND THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY.WHAT'S APPROPRIATE, I, RIGHT NOW, I THINK THERE'S A COMMUNICATION, EXCUSE ME, UM, A DISCONNECT, UM, BETWEEN THE, UM, KNOWLEDGE THAT THE CITIZENS HAVE, UM, ABOUT EVEN WHAT A CIP IS.
I'M WORKING VERY DILIGENTLY TO TRY TO BRIDGE THAT KNOWLEDGE GAP.
I STAFF WOULD LOVE TO SIT DOWN ON THAT ISSUE AND, AND DO THAT.
AND, AND I DO WANNA POINT OUT, IT'S JUST NOT A FORMAL OFFICIAL MEETING THAT'S NORMALLY, I, I WOULD JUST SAY TALK TO ME AFTER THE MEETING AND, BUT, UM, BECAUSE WE'RE NOT FORMALLY MEETING, THAT'S WHY I'M GETTING INTO GREAT DETAIL WITH YOU.
I'D LOVE TO SIT DOWN THOUGH WITH, WITH YOU AND, AND ANYONE ELSE.
WELL, I, WE HAVE A NEW ESTABLISHED GROUP.
AND ARE ANY OTHER COMMENTS ON THE FINANCE PART? WELL, THE FINANCE PART, YES, LEANS INTO IT BECAUSE, BECAUSE PEOPLE WANNA KNOW WHERE THEIR, HOW THEIR MONEY IS BEING SPENT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SEEING THEIR, UM, TAX, UM, TAXES GO UP EVEN THOUGH THE RATE DOESN'T GO UP, THEIR VALUE ON THEIR PROPERTY IS GOING UP.
AND THEY'RE VERY ENGAGED IN MY, UH, COMMUNITY, YOU KNOW, WHICH HAPPENS TO BE IN DISTRICT FOUR.
SO I'M WIDE OF THE STAFF WOULD BE VERY HAPPY TO DO THAT.
I'M JUST TRYING TO, TRYING TO BRING IT TO YOU.
THIS TRIGGERED A REAL SIMPLE THING, A NUMBER OF MEETINGS BEFORE YOU DISCUSSED, UH, PERHAPS PUTTING SOMETHING ON TAX BILLS WITH A PENNY OF, UH, TAXES.
AND WHAT PORTION OF THAT PENNY WENT TO WHATEVER.
I WONDER IF THAT EVER WENT ANY FURTHER.
WELL, IT, IT, IT WOULD BE IN THE NEXT ROUND.
ONCE, ONCE NOW THAT THE BUDGET IS DONE.
SO IT WOULDN'T BE TILL THE DECEMBER BILLS GO AFTER.
AND THEN IT'S STILL UP TO THE TREASURER.
ULTIMATELY, SHE HAS TO AGREE TO IT ALL.
AND IF FURTHER COMMENTS, I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT TO GET NEXT DOOR RIGHT NOW, SINCE WE DON'T HAVE A, A FORM OR ANYTHING FURTHER.
DID YOU WANT TO ADD ANYTHING? ANYBODY ELSE? ALRIGHT.