* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.
          [00:00:06]
          ALL RIGHT, I WILL GO AHEAD AND CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER. 
          UM, YOU MAY BE ABLE TO VIEW THIS MEETING LIVE AT, UH, UH, VA GLAND COUNTY DOT CIVICS PLUS.COM/ 1 1 5 4. 
          PLEASE CHECK THE GLAND WEBSITE FOR ANY UPDATES REGARDING THIS MEETING. 
          UM, APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES BOARD. 
          CAN I GET A MOTION TO APPROVE THE MINUTES FOR THE REGULAR MEETING OF DECEMBER 2ND, 2025 AT 3:00 PM SO MOVED SECOND. 
          ALL RIGHT. 
          ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          AND CAN I HAVE A MOTION FOR THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FOR THE CIP WORK SESSION ON DECEMBER 19TH, 2025 AT 2:00 PM SO MOVED. 
          SECOND. 
          ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE. 
          YEAH. 
          AYE. 
          AYE. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          AND NOW I WILL TURN IT OVER TO DR. 
          RALEY FOR HIS PRESENTATION. 
          OKAY. 
          WELL, GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO OUR GUESTS WHO ARE HERE THIS EVENING AND THOSE WHO ARE WATCHING ONLINE. 
          UM, REALLY, REALLY PROUD, UH, TO HAVE A FEW MOMENTS TO SPEND WITH YOU THIS EVENING AND, AND SHARE THE HIGHLIGHTS OF A RECOMMENDATION TO YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION TONIGHT. 
          UH, BEFORE I DO THAT THOUGH, I WANNA MAKE A, A FEW INTRODUCTIONS AND RECOGNIZE A FEW FOLKS TOO. 
          SO, TODAY WE HAD OUR DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, OUR NEW DIRECTOR OF FINANCE, DENISE SANDLIN, WHO STARTED ON DAY ONE, AND SHE'S HERE FOR THE BUDGET PRESENTATION TONIGHT. 
          SO, DENISE, WELCOME. 
          THANK YOU . 
          UH, DENISE COMES TO SERVE ON OUR TEAM WITH MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN IN COUNTY GOVERNMENT, MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT, STATE GOVERNMENTS, UH, SCHOOL SIDE, COUNTY SIDE, FIRE RESCUE, LAW ENFORCEMENT. 
          SO A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF EXPERIENCE THAT SHE'S BRINGING TO OUR TEAM AND REALLY GLAD THAT SHE'S HERE. 
          UM, BOARD MEMBERS. 
          THE WORK THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE TONIGHT IS REALLY A COMPILATION OF MANY, MANY MONTHS OF WORK. 
          AND THIS IS JUST ONE OTHER MILESTONE ON A JOURNEY THAT ULTIMATELY WILL END ON MAY 5TH WHEN YOU ADOPT YOUR BUDGET FOR THE 2027 FISCAL YEAR. 
          SO THIS IS REALLY A PROCESS THAT KICKED OFF BACK IN SEPTEMBER WHEN WE HAD OUR VERY FIRST CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT WORK SESSION, AND REALLY CONTINUED THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE FALL AS WE WORK TOGETHER WITH STAFF TO IDENTIFY THE TRUE NEEDS OF OUR ORGANIZATION AND ULTIMATELY GET A PRESENTATION READY FOR YOU TODAY. 
          UM, I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THE WORK OF DAVE WILSON WHO JUMPED IN, UH, IN NOVEMBER AND REALLY HAS BEEN A STEADFAST LEADER AND SUPPORTED ME GREATLY BY MY SIDE EVERY STEP OF THE WAY AS OUR INTERIM DIRECTOR OF FINANCE. 
          SO DAVE, I'M TRULY GRATEFUL FOR YOU AND THE SUPPORT THAT YOU'VE PROVIDED TO ME. 
          THANK YOU, SIR. 
          THANK YOU. 
          APPRECIATE THAT. 
          UM, BUT YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN OUR TEAM, IT'S BEEN DEPARTMENT HEADS WHO HAVE REALLY MADE SOME, UH, SOME COMPROMISES ALONG THE WAY. 
          UH, WE'VE BEEN CHALLENGED TOGETHER TO FIND NEW WAYS TO DO SOME THINGS, AND IT'S REALLY BEEN A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE BEING ABLE TO ROLL OUR SLEEVES UP AND WORK SIDE BY SIDE WITH SOME REALLY TALENTED DEPARTMENT HEADS. 
          YOU HAVE IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING, BOARD MEMBERS A, A, A BINDER THAT INCLUDES AN EXECUTIVE SUMMARY AS WELL AS MY PRESENTATION TO YOU TONIGHT. 
          AND YOU ALSO HAVE TABS INCLUDED IN THE BINDER WITH PROPOSED REVENUE, PROPOSED EXPENDITURES, NOT ONLY FROM A GLOBAL STANDPOINT, BUT ALSO AT THE DEPARTMENTAL LEVEL. 
          SO YOU HAVE A LOT OF GREAT DETAIL THAT'S IN THERE, AND ULTIMATELY THIS IS A STARTING POINT FOR US AS WE WORK THROUGH THE NEXT SEVERAL MONTHS, ULTIMATELY AS WE LEAN IN TOWARDS MAY. 
          UM, SO HUGE THANKS TO THE TEAM AND JESSICA KRONBERG HAS BEEN A GREAT ASSISTANCE TO ME TOO. 
          SO JESSICA, THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HELP. 
          SO REALLY PROUD OF THE BALANCED BUDGET THAT I'M GONNA PRESENT TO YOU THIS EVENING. 
          THIS IS TRULY A NEEDS-BASED BUDGET, A BALANCED BUDGET THAT ULTIMATELY INCREASES GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES AND GENERAL FUND REVENUES TO THE TUNE OF 3.7%. 
          AND YOU'LL SEE AS WE GO THROUGH THIS BUDGET PROCESS THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF, A LOT OF HARD WORK AND A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE TO REALLY CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO. 
          UH, LOOK AT EACH AND EVERY BUDGET LINE AND SAY, HOW ARE WE USING THOSE DOLLARS AND ARE WE USING THOSE DOLLARS IN THE MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO ACCOMPLISH ULTIMATELY OUR STRATEGIC GOAL? UH, SO REALLY EXCITED TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT THIS AS SOME HIGHLIGHTS TO YOU TODAY. 
          UH, THIS IS A NEEDS-BASED BUDGET THAT'S FOCUSED ON REVENUE AND ULTIMATELY THE RESOURCES THAT WE NEED IN ORDER TO CONTINUE OUR JOURNEY, JOURNEY TOWARDS EXCELLENCE. 
          IT PRIORITIZES OUR PEOPLE AND RECOGNIZES THE HARD WORK THAT WE DO AS A TEAM IN SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY EVERY DAY. 
          AND, UH, ONE THAT CERTAINLY RECOGNIZES ALL OF THAT HARD WORK. 
          AND WE'LL HIT SOME OF THOSE HIGHLIGHTS AS WE GO THROUGH THE CONVERSATION TODAY. 
          SO HERE'S OUR AGENDA FOR TODAY. 
          UH, 
          [00:05:01]
ULTIMATELY FOCUSING ON WHAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TOWARD OUR JOURNEY TOWARDS EXCELLENCE. 
          WE'RE GONNA START WITH REVENUE. 
          TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT STRATEGIC ABANDONMENT AND RECOMMENDED OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESOURCE ALLOCATION, PROPOSED EXPENDITURES, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT INVESTMENTS. 
          SPEND SOME TIME SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT THE UTILITY BUDGET AND THEN ULTIMATELY TALK ABOUT NEXT STEPS. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, MY BACKGROUND AND IN ATHLETICS, OFTENTIMES YOU PUT A HIGHLIGHT VIDEO TOGETHER THAT CELEBRATE THE GREAT WORK OF THE TEAM AND THE WINS THAT THE TEAM HAS ACCOMPLISHED. 
          AND SO I WANTED TO GET US KICKED OFF TODAY WITH A HIGHLIGHT VIDEO THAT REALLY PROVIDES THE FOUNDATION FOR OUR WORK AS WE PRIORITIZE OUR PEOPLE AND ULTIMATELY THE SERVICE WE PROVIDE TO OUR COMMUNITY. 
          SO A VERY STRONG AND SUCCESSFUL TEAM, AND THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE DO IN SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY THAT THE AVERAGE, UH, CITIZEN DOESN'T KNOW. 
          AND ULTIMATELY THIS IS A BUDGET THAT'S DESIGNED TO CONTINUE THAT STRONG TRAJECTORY AND THE STRONG WORK THAT WE'RE DOING IN SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY. 
          UM, SO LET'S DIVE IN A LITTLE BIT AND TALK ABOUT THE PROPOSED REVENUE AND WANNA PRESENT THIS TO YOU IN TWO DIFFERENT FORMATS. 
          ONE IS OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUE, AND THEN AFTER THIS I'LL TRANSITION INTO OUR ALL FUNDS REVENUE. 
          UH, BUT WANTED TO START HERE BECAUSE ULTIMATELY THIS IS WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER AS OUR OPERATIONAL BUDGET, AND THIS INCLUDES COUNTY ADMINISTRATION. 
          THIS ALSO INCLUDES LAW ENFORCEMENT, FIRE AND RESCUE. 
          UH, IT INCLUDES DSS. 
          THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY SORT OF UNASSIGNED FUND BALANCES. 
          THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE UTILITIES, BUT THIS IS ESSENTIALLY OUR OPERATING BUDGET. 
          AND SO THE FY 27 PROPOSED BUDGET OVER THE FY 26 BUDGET INCLUDES AN INCREASE OF $3.82 MILLION OR 3.3 OR 3.7% OVERALL. 
          AND AS YOU CAN SEE IN THIS GRAPHIC, AS WE DISCUSSED IN PAST WORK SESSIONS, THE OVERALL AMOUNT OF PROPERTY TAX REVENUE THAT WE EXPECT TO RECEIVE IS $78.8 MILLION OR NEARLY THREE QUARTERS OF OUR OVERALL REVENUE COMES FROM THAT REVENUE STREAM. 
          LOOKING AT THIS A DIFFERENT WAY, UH, LOOKING AT THIS THROUGH A BAR CHART GRAPHIC, THE NUMBER IS STILL THE SAME. 
          IT'S 3.82%, 3.3 $0.82 MILLION OR 3.7% INCREASE OVER THE FY 26 ADOPTED BUDGET. 
          SO IF WE ZOOM OUT AND WE LOOK AT ALL OF OUR FUNDS, UH, THAT IS AN OVERALL REVENUE STREAM OF $170.1 MILLION. 
          BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE HERE, BOARD MEMBERS THAT OUT OF THAT $170.1 MILLION INCLUDES POTENTIAL FOR $16.9 MILLION IN BOND PROCEEDS TO FUND THE RIDGEFIELD BOOSTER PUMP STATION. 
          AND THIS IS A PROJECT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT AT PREVIOUS WORK SESSIONS AND ULTIMATELY IS TRULY A NEEDED PROJECT THAT'S GONNA PROVIDE THE SUPPORT THAT WE NEED FOR OUR UTILITY INFRASTRUCTURE ON THE EAST END OF OUR COMMUNITY. 
          SO $170.1 MILLION IS A LARGE NUMBER AS WE KNOW, BUT ULTIMATELY WITH THAT CONTEXT, IF YOU WERE TO BACK OUT THAT $16.9 MILLION, IT'S A GENERAL, IT'S AN OVERALL FUND INCREASE OF $4.5 MILLION OR 3.1% WITHOUT THAT PROPOSED DEBT SERVICE. 
          WE'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY IN THE PAST TO TALK ABOUT ASSESSED VALUE AND WE DISCUSSED THIS, THIS AT OUR JANUARY WORK SESSION. 
          AND MARY ANN DAVIS, OUR ASSESSOR, HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE SOME BACKGROUND TO YOU AT YOUR LAST BOARD MEETING. 
          AND SO STEADILY OVER TIME ASSESSED VALUE OR COMMERCIAL ON OUR, ON OUR, UH, RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY HAS INCREASED OVER TIME. 
          UH, IN JANUARY, 2025, THE OVERALL ASSESSED VALUE WAS $9.6 BILLION. 
          AND THIS PAST JANUARY, JUST A MONTH AGO, UH, THOSE VALUES WERE SENT TO OUR RESIDENTS AND OVERALL VALUES INCREASED TO $10.3 BILLION OVERALL, WHICH IS 8% HIGHER THAN THE JANUARY, 2025 NUMBER. 
          IT INCLUDES BOTH COMMERCIAL AND RESIDENTIAL INCREASES AND THE VARIETY OF FACTORS FOR THAT INCREASE, INCLUDING CONSTRUCTION COSTS, UH, LACK OF IMPROVED PROPERTIES FOR SALE, AND ULTIMATELY BEING A SELLER'S MARKET AS WE DISCUSSED IN JANUARY. 
          ULTIMATELY, THIS BUDGET INCLUDES A PROJECTION THAT WE NEED TO FORECAST FOR COLLECTIONS THAT WILL TAKE PLACE IN JUNE OF 2027. 
          AND WE'RE FORECASTING A 4% INCREASE IN THE VALUES IN JANUARY, 2027 THAT WILL BE USED IN THE JUNE 27 COLLECTIONS. 
          [00:10:01]
WHEN WE WERE LAST TOGETHER IN JANUARY, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW IT'S A CHALLENGE RIGHT NOW. 
          HERE WE ARE IN FEBRUARY TO FORECAST REAL ESTATE REVENUE 18 MONTHS IN ADVANCE KNOWING THAT WE HAVE JANUARY VALUES. 
          NOW FORECASTING 4% VALUES JANUARY OF 2027 AND HOW WE'RE COLLECTING OVER A FISCAL YEAR. 
          THAT INCLUDES, UH, TWO DIFFERENT COLLECTIONS WITH TWO DIFFERENT VALUES. 
          SO, UH, I PRESENTED ON THIS SLIDE FOR TRANSPARENCY WITH THE TAXABLE VALUE IS NOW BASED ON JANUARY, 2026 DATA. 
          AND THAT IS, UH, WHAT WE WILL COLLECT IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE NEW FISCAL YEAR IN DECEMBER OF 2026, AND WE'RE FORECASTING $54.9 MILLION IN REVENUE THERE. 
          THEN ALSO FORECASTING A 4% INCREASE IN VALUES AS OF JANUARY, 2027, WHICH WILL BE COLLECTED IN JUNE, 2027. 
          SO THE $10.3 BILLION TIMES 1.04 GETS YOU CLOSE TO $10.8 BILLION. 
          AND THEN YOU DO THE CALCULATION AT 53 CENTS ON THE HUNDRED. 
          WHEN WE LAST MET, WE TALKED ABOUT THE INDEX BASED ON COLLECTIONS AND OTHER ECONOMIC FACTORS. 
          AND AS WE WORK TOGETHER WITH OUR TEAM, ULTIMATELY HAVE MODIFIED THAT SLIGHTLY TO AN INCREASE OF, UH, 98.5% VERSUS THE 97 POINT 90.7% THAT WE SHARED WITH YOU PREVIOUSLY. 
          AND ULTIMATELY, BASED ON THESE CALCULATIONS, WE'RE FORECASTING REAL ESTATE REVENUE TO BE $55.2 MILLION IN THE NEW FISCAL YEAR. 
          LOOKING AT THAT YEAR OVER YEAR, IT'S A PROPOSED INCREASE OF $2.8 MILLION IN REAL ESTATE REVENUE OR A 5.4% INCREASE IN REAL ESTATE REVENUE YEAR OVER YEAR. 
          WE ALSO DISCUSSED IN JANUARY SOME OTHER MAJOR REVENUE STREAMS, AND CERTAINLY THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE ALL OF THEM. 
          ALL OF YOUR REVENUE STREAMS ARE INCLUDED IN YOUR PACKET FOR YOUR FUTURE CONSIDERATION. 
          BUT WANTED TO HIGHLIGHT A FEW OF THESE. 
          AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID AS A TEAM IS WE REALLY LOOK CLOSELY AT ACTUAL COLLECTIONS FOR BOTH SO TO 2024 AND THE 2025 FISCAL YEAR. 
          AND WE FORMED A GROUP TO REALLY WORK CLOSELY TOGETHER TO LOOK AT WHERE WE HAVE BEEN COLLECTIONS THROUGH THE HALF FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR. 
          AND THEN WE ALSO LOOKED AT ECONOMIC VARIABLES AS WELL AS NEW CONSTRUCTION THAT MAY BE COMING DOWN THE ROAD. 
          AND SO WE WORKED TOGETHER WITH JENNIFER BROWN, OUR COMMISSIONER REVENUE, PAM JOHNSON, OUR TREASURER, WE COLLABORATED WITH MARY ANN DAVIS. 
          SARAH WORLEY WAS A PART OF THAT CONVERSATION, AS WAS OUR FINANCE TEAM. 
          AND, UH, WE ALSO HAD ELIZABETH MCDONALD AS A PART OF THE CONVERSATION. 
          SO WE WORKED TOGETHER TO LOOK AT HOW WE FORECAST SOME OF THESE OTHER REVENUE STREAMS. SO IT WAS TRULY A TEAM EFFORT. 
          AND SO IF YOU CAN SEE HERE, YOU KNOW, WE ADJUSTED SOME OF THESE THINGS BASED ON ACTUAL COLLECTIONS OVER TIME, SOME TREND LINES THERE FOR BUILDING PERMITS. 
          SPECIFICALLY, WE TOOK OUT THE AMAZON COLLECTIONS IN FY 25 AND LOOKED AT A FIVE YEAR HISTORICAL AVERAGE TO GET TO THE $1.9 MILLION. 
          UH, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER MAJOR REVENUE STREAM IS THE PERSONAL PROPERTY AND BUSINESS EQUIPMENT. 
          AND WE LOOKED AT THE MEDIA COLLECTIONS THERE AND THEN ALSO FORECASTED INTEREST ON BANK DEPOSITS AND SOME OTHER DMV REIMBURSEMENTS. 
          UH, BUT AGAIN, ALL THIS DETAIL IS IN YOUR PACKET, BUT THESE ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF SOME OF THE WORK THAT WE WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU TODAY. 
          SO THAT WAS A HIGH LEVEL SUMMARY OF PROPOSED FY 2027 REVENUE. 
          BUT BOARD MEMBERS, I WILL SHARE THAT AS WE GO THROUGH OUR WORK TOGETHER IN THE COMING YEARS. 
          THERE ARE SOME OPPORTUNITIES, I THINK, TO MAYBE TAKE A LOOK AT OTHER REVENUE STREAMS POTENTIALLY. 
          I'M NOT RECOMMENDING ANY CHANGES TO YOU AT THIS POINT IN TIME IN OTHER FEES, UH, THAT WE WOULD CHARGE FOR SERVICES, BUT ULTIMATELY THERE MAY BE SOME THINGS FOR US TO POTENTIALLY CONSIDER IN THE FUTURE. 
          AND LIKE ANY OTHER DECISION, THERE ARE PROS AND CONS OF EACH OF THOSE. 
          BUT AS WE LOOKED AT ALL OF OUR REVENUE STREAMS, WE STARTED TO IDENTIFY SOME POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR ADDITIONAL REVENUE RELATED TO FEES FOR PARKS AND RECREATION, COST RECOVERY FOR COUNTY SERVICES, FEES FOR CONVENIENCE CENTER SERVICES AND SOME OF THOSE THINGS. 
          BUT AGAIN, NOT RECOMMENDING ANY TO YOU TONIGHT, BUT ULTIMATELY THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WE CHOOSE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT IN THE FUTURE. 
          I'M REAL PROUD TO SHARE WITH YOU THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE WITH THE TEAM RELATED TO STRATEGIC ABANDONMENT AND RESOURCE ALLOCATION. 
          AND SO EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE SPEND ULTIMATELY SHOULD BE STRATEGICALLY ALIGNED WITH THE BOARD'S CORE GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. 
          AND ULTIMATELY, IF WE'RE SPENDING A DOLLAR THAT IS NOT, NOT ALIGNED WITH THAT STRATEGY, THEN WE QUESTION WHY ARE WE USING THOSE DOLLARS THAT WAY AND COULD THERE BE A MORE EFFECTIVE, MORE COST EFFECTIVE SOLUTION TO USE THOSE DOLLARS TO ACCOMPLISH THE STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE? AND YOU'LL SEE THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE NEXT FEW SLIDES THAT WE REALLY WERE ABLE TO REDUCE SOME EXPENDITURES BASED ON THE WORK WE DID AS A TEAM TO CHALLENGE THE STATUS QUO AND LOOK AT EACH AND EVERY BUDGET LINE AND SAY, WHY OR WHY ARE WE USING THOSE DOLLARS AND ARE WE GETTING THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT THAT TRULY OUR TAXPAYERS DESERVE? AND SO I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT WE WERE ABLE TO DEFINE $3.4 MILLION IN STRATEGIC ABANDONMENT AND UTILIZE THOSE RESOURCES TO REALLOCATE 'EM TOWARDS STRATEGIC NEEDS THAT I'LL SHARE WITH YOU ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE OF THE HOUSE. 
          AND SO WE LOOKED AT HOW WE'RE PAYING FOR COPIERS AND WE RE RENEGOTIATED OUR COPIER LEASES. 
          WE LOOKED AT THE CONTRACTED AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES STUDIES, CONTRACTED SUPPORT THAT WE HAVE FOR MANY OF OUR DEPARTMENTS, 
          [00:15:01]
INCLUDING COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR'S OFFICE, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS PLANNING IT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, PARKS AND RECREATION. 
          AND THROUGH A STRATEGIC ANALYSIS, WE'RE ABLE TO REDUCE THOSE COSTS IN THE NEW YEAR BY $237,000. 
          REAL PROUD OF WHAT DAN DID. 
          UH, DAN SAID, HEY, I THINK THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO COMBINE SOME THINGS, CONSOLIDATE SOME THINGS LOOK DIFFERENTLY, AND HOW WE'RE UTILIZING OUR SOFTWARE AND OUR CONTRACTED SERVICES AND HOW WE'RE PURCHASING OUR TECHNOLOGY AND OUR EQUIPMENT. 
          AND BASED ON HIS WORK, WE ARE ABLE TO RECOMMEND THE SAVINGS TO YOU TONIGHT AT $282,000, UH, EACH TO EVERY DOLLAR ADDS UP SO WE CAN REDUCE OUR PRINTING COSTS. 
          SOME OF THE WORK THAT JESSICA HAS DONE TO LOOK AT DIFFERENT VENDORS AND HOW WE'RE PRINTING OUR COMMUNITY GUIDES RESULTS IN A SAVINGS OF $6,200. 
          UH, WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH FIRE AND RESCUE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AND ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS TO SAY, WHAT VEHICLES DO WE TRULY NEED? WHAT IS THE MILEAGE OF EACH VEHICLE? WHAT ARE THE YEARS ON EACH VE VEHICLE? HOW MANY MILES ARE WE USING ON AN ANNUAL BASIS? AND CAN WE POSTPONE THE PURCHASE OF SOME OF THOSE VEHICLES TO ANOTHER YEAR? AND SO RECOMMENDING A REDUCTION IN SOME VEHICLE AND EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT TO THE TUNE OF NEARLY $700,000 AS A RESULT OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE'VE HAD AT STAFF LEVEL, LOOKING AT OUR FACILITIES AND RENOVATIONS AND ALTERATIONS THAT WERE MAYBE RECOMMENDED FOR SOME OF OUR OPERATIONAL LINES. 
          TRIMMING NOSE BACK TO THE TUNE OF $123,000, UH, LOOKING AT WHAT IS CALLED EMPLOYEE SERVICES IN A BUDGET LINE THAT HAD BEEN PREEXISTING IN A BUDGET, PROVIDING A MORE SUSTAINABLE STRUCTURE FOR THAT AND SAVING NEARLY $19,000 THROUGH THAT REVISED STRUCTURE. 
          AND, UH, YOU KNOW, CANCELING SOME FURNITURE PURCHASES AND LOOKING AT WHAT WE'RE DOING FROM AN EQUIPMENT STANDPOINT, UH, WITH THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE COUNTY'S ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, CANCELING THAT OUTSIDE CONTRACT WITH OUR COUNSEL FOR PROCUREMENT SAVING $36,000. 
          UH, LOOK CLOSELY AT CIP AND THE DOLLARS THAT ARE BEING SPENT IN THE COUNTY'S CIP CURRENT YEAR AND FORECASTING THE TRUE NEEDS NEXT YEAR. 
          AND WE'RE ABLE TO SAVE NEARLY $1.6 MILLION AND REDUCE CIP APPROPRIATION FOR OUR COUNTY PROJECTS. 
          LITTLE BIT OF SAVINGS AND INTEREST ON DEBT SERVICE, REDUCING SOME CONTINGENCY LINE ITEMS AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS REDUCTIONS THAT INCLUDE NEARLY $200,000. 
          REALLY PROUD OF TOM CO WHO SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO USE OUR DOLLARS DIFFERENTLY AND STRATEGICALLY ABANDON SOME APPROACHES SO THAT WE CAN USE SOME RESOURCES TO MEET OUR PARKS AND RECREATION NEEDS. 
          AND THE RECOMMENDATION IS TO MINIMIZE THE NUMBER OF CONCERTS FROM SEVEN TO FOUR, SOME OF THE RACES THAT WE'RE DOING, RE REDUCING SOME SUPPLIES FOR EVENTS AND CANCELING SOME EVENTS THAT WE HAD. 
          UH, AND THEN HE TOO ALSO LOOKED AT CONTRACTED SERVICES PROGRAMS AND OTHER COSTS AND SAVED OVER $50,000 AS A RESULT OF THE WORK THAT HE'S DONE. 
          SO BOARD MEMBERS, ALL IN ALL, AS A RESULT OF THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE TO LOOK REALLY CLOSELY AT EACH AND EVERY BUDGET LINE AND IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO CONSERVE AND USE THOSE DOLLARS FOR OTHER STRATEGIC OBJECTIVES, WE'RE LOOKING AT $3.4 MILLION IN OVERALL REDUCTION. 
          I BELIEVE THERE'S MORE. 
          I BELIEVE THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT WE CAN DO, MAYBE NOT IN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS AS WE FINISH BUILDING THIS BUDGET, BUT AS WE LOOK TO THE FY 28 BUDGET AND A YEAR FROM NOW, I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT OUR FLEET MANAGEMENT. 
          NOT ONLY THE COSTS THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR SERVICES, BUT SOME OF THE STRUCTURES THAT ARE CURRENTLY IN PLACE FOR HOW WE'RE USING STAFF TIME THERE. 
          LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES FOR BULK PURCHASING AS A COUNTY WHEN IT COMES TO OFFICE SUPPLIES, JANITORIAL SUPPLIES, SOFTWARE. 
          I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CONTINUE OUR COLLABORATION WITH THE COUNTY AND LOOK AT OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO HAVE SOME JOINT PROCUREMENTS POTENTIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO MECHANICAL SERVICES, MOWING, LANDSCAPING, UH, SOME OTHER THINGS THERE WHERE WE HAVE COMMON NEEDS. 
          I THINK THERE'S SOME TREMENDOUS OPPORTUNITIES THERE. 
          AND THEN ULTIMATELY LOOKING COUNTYWIDE AT HOW WE'RE PURCHASING UNIFORMS AND OTHER WORK RELATED APPAR. 
          SO I THINK THERE'S STILL SOME MORE OPPORTUNITIES AT THIS TIME NEXT YEAR. 
          I'M STANDING IN FRONT OF YOU WITH ADDITIONAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR STRATEGIC ABANDONMENT, BUT WE NEED SOME TIME TO WORK ON THAT. 
          SO WE'RE MAKING, UH, SOME GOOD LONG-TERM DECISIONS THERE. 
          SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PROPOSED EXPENDITURES IN THIS BUDGET BUDGET. 
          AND WANNA START WITH SAYING THAT EACH AND EVERY DOLLAR THAT I'M RECOMMENDING TO YOU AND FY 27 IS DIRECTLY ALIGNED WITH YOUR FIVE CORE GOALS, WHICH INCLUDE EFFECTIVE AND EFFICIENT, TRANSPARENT GOVERNMENT EMPHASIS ON CUSTOMER SERVICE EXCELLENCE, MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE EXCELLENCE IN FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT, THAT WE HAVE HIGH QUALITY CORE SERVICES AND EDUCATION, PUBLIC SAFETY AND HEALTH, AND ULTIMATELY A POSITIVE WORK ENVIRONMENT WHERE FOLKS WANT TO COME TO WORK EVERY DAY. 
          UM, SO THIS IS WHERE I WANTED TO JUST PAUSE FOR A MOMENT AND CONTINUE TO RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE OUR TEAM. 
          YOU KNOW, WE DO THAT EVERY MONTH, UH, BUT I THINK THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO, FOR JUST THE PUBLIC WHO MAY NOT HAVE A CHANCE TO ATTEND THOSE MEETINGS JUST TO RECOGNIZE THE WORK THAT TEAM GLAND DOES EVERY DAY IN SUPPORT OF OUR COMMUNITY. 
          AND SO I HAVE A FEW SLIDES HERE WHERE I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT, YOU KNOW, JUST THE GREAT THINGS THAT FOLKS FROM THE REGISTRAR'S OFFICE AND PARKS AND REC AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THE TREASURER'S, OFFICE COMMISSIONER REVENUE, ARE DOING DAY IN AND DAY OUT TO MAKE A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION TO OUR COMMUNITY. 
          UM, 
          [00:20:01]
WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE WORK THAT FIRE AND RESCUE IS DOING AND HOW THEY'RE ULTIMATELY, YOU KNOW, A LEADER ACROSS THIS NATION WHEN IT COMES TO PROVIDING SERVICES TO OUR COMMUNITY, SPECIFICALLY WITH THE WHOLE BLOOD PROGRAM. 
          COME ON, IT'S HANGING UP ON ME. 
          THERE WE GO. 
          UH, CERTAINLY PROUD OF OUR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT TEAM AND, UH, THE ATTRACTION OF NEW BUSINESSES THAT ULTIMATELY IS GONNA CONTRIBUTE TO OUR BOTTOM LINE AND FUTURE REVENUE STREAMS IN THE FUTURE, AS WELL AS OUR ANIMAL CARE AND PROTECTION TEAM. 
          AND RESPONDING TO OVER 2000 CALLS FOR SERVICE DURING THE 2025 FISCAL YEAR, AS WELL AS GREAT WORK FOR OUR PARKS AND RECREATION TEAM AND PROVIDING, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITIES FOR 15,000 RESIDENTS TO COME TOGETHER AT DIFFERENT EVENTS DURING THE COURSE OF THE YEAR. 
          UH, AND SO THIS IS JUST SOME, A FEW TESTIMONIALS FROM OUR COMMUNITY AND, AND, AND OUR END USERS WHO HAVE HAD SOME REALLY POSITIVE THINGS TO SAY ABOUT TEAM GLAND AND THE EXPERIENCES THAT THEY'VE HAD. 
          SO ULTIMATELY, WE SERVE THIS COMMUNITY AND THE DOLLARS THAT I'M ABOUT TO DIRECT COMMEND TO YOU ALLOW US TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL OF SERVICE TO OUR COMMUNITY IN ALIGNMENT WITH YOUR GOALS. 
          SO WHEN WE WERE TOGETHER IN JANUARY, UH, THE SHERIFF HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AND WHAT HE FORECAST HIS TRUE NEEDS AS HE HAS CREATED A FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC FINANCIAL PLAN. 
          UH, AND SO IN THE NEXT THIS FISCAL YEAR, HE WAS RECOMMENDING, UH, TWO NEW COMMUNICATIONS OFFICERS AS WELL AS AN IT DIRECTOR. 
          AND HE SHARED WITH US IN THAT SETTING HOW THINGS IN LAW ENFORCEMENT ARE CERTAINLY CHANGING WITH THE COMPLEXITIES OF THE SOFTWARE PROGRAMS THAT ULTIMATELY THEY SUPPORT WITH BODY CAMERAS AND, UH, OTHER CAMERAS THAT ARE IN VEHICLES AND JUST A VARIETY OF THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN LAW ENFORCEMENT EVERY DAY. 
          UH, SO THIS WAS HIS REQUEST AT THAT TIME. 
          AND THEN WE ALSO HEARD FROM CHIEF FERGUSON WHO SHARED THE CALL VOLUME CONTINUALLY INCREASES. 
          AND YOU CAN SEE ON THIS CHART HOW IT HAS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY FROM 2021 WITH 3,800 CALLS TO LAST YEAR WHERE THERE WERE 5,100 CALLS, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE OVER TIME, INCLUDING EMS TRANSPORTS, WHICH THE AVERAGE CITIZEN DOES NOT HAVE, HAVE VISIBILITY ON. 
          UH, AND THEN HE ALSO SHARED WITH US HOW CALL VOLUME IS DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE DIFFERENT STATIONS IN OUR COMMUNITY AND HOW THERE HAS BEEN BACKFILLS AND HOW EACH STATION CERTAINLY IS WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT ARE NEEDED TO OUR COMMUNITY. 
          AND SO THIS BUDGET RECOMMENDATION BOARD MEMBERS DOES INCLUDE, UM, THE RECOMMENDATION FROM THE SHERIFF OR AN IT DIRECTOR AS WELL AS TWO DISPATCHERS. 
          UH, THIS ALSO INCLUDES INCREASING THE STARTING SALARY FOR THE DISPATCHERS TO A COMPETITIVE 54 2 67. 
          AND WHEN CHIEF FERGUSON PRESENTED, UH, AT THE JANUARY WORK SESSION, HE TALKED ABOUT THE NEED OVER TIME FOR 11 FIREFIGHTERS PER YEAR. 
          UH, AND ALTHOUGH THIS BUDGET INCLUDES THREE EMTS AND FIREFIGHTERS FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO THINK ABOUT IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL RESOURCES THAT COME TO PLAY, HOW WE MAY BE ABLE TO CONTINUALLY MOVE TOWARDS THAT GOAL OF 11 PER YEAR. 
          THIS BUDGET RECOMMENDATION ALSO INCLUDES A STIPEND FOR THE COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE, WHAT CURRENTLY ARE PAID STIPENDS, BUT, UM, THOSE STIPENDS DO NOT GET THE BENEFIT OF VRS AND UH, ULTIMATELY, UH, ARE DONE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS. 
          AND SO RECOMMENDATION FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION OF MOVING THOSE STIPENDS TO A SALARY. 
          UH, AND THIS INCLUDES ALSO INCREASING THE PART-TIME HOURLY RATE FOR OUR VETERINARIANS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY. 
          THIS BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES A 3% RAISE FOR EMPLOYEES WITH A SUMMATIVE PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF EITHER PROFICIENT OR BETTER. 
          UH, AND SO THE $1 MILLION THAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN IS THE COST FOR THE 3% RAISE ONLY WHEN YOU FACTOR IN FICA RELATED TO THE 3% RAISE AND SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WE MADE IN OUR CURRENT BUDGET THAT WERE NOT REFLECTED IN WHAT YOU ADOPTED AS A FAR TO THE REORGANIZATION, THERE'S SOME INCREASED COSTS THERE TO THE TUNE OF ONE POINT MILLION DOLLARS. 
          I'M ALSO RECOMMENDING BOARD MEMBERS THAT WE ABSORB THE COST OF A 10% HEALTH INSURANCE INCREASE SO THAT ULTIMATELY THERE'S NO OUT-OF-POCKET INCREASE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES. 
          SO SHOULD THEY RECEIVE A 3% RAISE, EVERY DOLLAR WOULD GO TO THEIR BACK, BACK POCKET AND NOT BE OFFSET BY ANY SORT OF COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE. 
          THE BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES $871,000 FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT CAREER DEVELOPMENT AND SOME PART-TIME PAY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS. 
          WE HAVE TO ACCOUNT FOR THIS ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE OF THE HOUSE, BUT A MAJORITY OF THIS WILL COME BACK TO US IN THE FORM OF A GRANT THROUGH A LAW ENFORCEMENT GRANT THAT THE SHERIFF IS ABLE TO GET AND $112,000 FOR OVERTIME ACROSS DEPARTMENTS AND INCREASE PAY FOR ELECTION WORKERS. 
          SO ALL IN ALL, WHEN IT COMES TO THE INVESTMENT IN OUR EMPLOYEES, THIS IS NEARLY $5 MILLION OF AN INVESTMENT RECOMMENDED FOR FY 27. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS I WANTED TO PROVIDE VISIBILITY ON TODAY IS THE INCREASING COSTS OF REFUSE COLLECTION AND MOVING THAT TRASH TO REPUBLIC LANDFILL. 
          UH, AND SO THIS GRAPH, UH, 
          [00:25:01]
IS ONE THAT I THINK TELLS A STORY IN AND OF ITSELF AND THE FACT THAT OUR COSTS HAVE INCREMENTALLY GONE UP OVER TIME WITH A LITTLE BIT OF A DIP. 
          BUT ULTIMATELY IN 2025, WE EXPERIENCED THE COST IN OUR LANDFILL HAULING OF OVER $700,000. 
          AND OUR CURRENT BUDGET JUST DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR THAT. 
          I THINK THE CURRENT BUDGET WAS ROUGHLY $450,000. 
          SO THIS BUDGET BOARD MEMBERS DOES INCLUDE A RECOMMENDATION FOR $150,000 IN ADDITIONAL BUDGET TO ACCOMPLISH THE NEEDS THAT WE HAVE WITH LANDFILL, MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ACCOMMODATING FOR THAT INCREASED COST OVER TIME. 
          THE BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES SOME ADDITIONAL VOTING MACHINES FOR OUR REGISTRAR, RECOGNIZING THAT GLAND'S GOING THROUGH A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT, SIGNIFICANT BIRTHDAY AND CELEBRATION FOR OUR COURTHOUSE. 
          AND SO, UH, SPENDING A FEW DOLLARS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE RECOGNIZE THAT HISTORIAN IN OUR, IN OUR COMMUNITY BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES SOME FUNDING FOR FINANCE AS WE PREPARE FOR THE UPCOMING AUDIT AND THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO DO TO MAKE, MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PREPARED FOR GASB ADDITIONS AND, AND OTHER THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA FACE IN FINANCE, SOME DOLLARS FOR THE ANIMAL SHELTER AS WELL AS REPLACING A GENERATOR FOR STATION ONE. 
          UH, SOME RESOURCES FOR OUR BUILDING INSPECTIONS TEAM, SOME OTHER SOFTWARE SUBSCRIPTION INCREASES FOR PUBLIC SAFETY AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE ON TOP OF THINGS WHEN IT COMES TO INNER GOV AND MAKING SURE THE PROCESS REFINEMENTS AND IMPROVEMENTS ARE PROVIDING A BETTER CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE FOR OUR END USERS. 
          THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF STRATEGIC ABANDONMENT, ALTHOUGH THIS IS AN INCREASED COST, THOSE DOLLARS WILL SAVE 453 HOURS OF LABOR FOR OUR GROUNDS CREW THAT WE CAN THEN DEPLOY AND USE ACROSS OUR COUNTY TO MEET STRATEGIC PARKS AND RECREATION NEEDS. 
          SO BY EXPENDING 17 SEVEN, WE'RE ABLE TO SAVE OVER 453 HOURS OF LABOR. 
          AND THE TRUE COST OF THAT 17 SEVEN ALSO WILL BE SHARED WITH OUR GOSA AND OUR GYAA COLLEAGUES. 
          SO ULTIMATELY THAT WILL PAY THAT ON THE FRONT END, BUT WE'LL GET SOME REIMBURSEMENT ON THE BACK END IF IN FACT THAT'S WHERE WE GO FORWARD. 
          FIREWORKS ARE GOING, UH, TO BE MORE EXPENSIVE ON JULY 4TH, UH, WITH THE COST OF TARIFFS AND A VARIETY OF THINGS WE NEED TO ACCOUNT FOR THE COST OF FIREWORKS, ALTHOUGH OUR IT TEAM WAS ABLE TO STRATEGICALLY ABANDON SOME OF THEIR RESOURCES. 
          ULTIMATELY THERE IS A NEED FOR SOME INCREASED COSTS WHEN IT COMES TO SOME OF THEIR SOFTWARE MAINTENANCE CONTRACTS, OFFICE OF CHILDREN'S SERVICES. 
          THOSE COSTS CONTINUE TO GO THROUGH THE ROOF. 
          AND SO THERE'S SOME MANDATED COSTS THAT WE NEED TO ACCOUNT FOR AS WELL AS SOCIAL SERVICES AND SOME OTHER MISCELLANEOUS ADJUSTMENTS. 
          SO ALL IN ALL, WHEN IT'S NOT SALARY RELATED OR PERSONNEL RELATED, IT'S AN INCREASE OF $2.2 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL RECOMMENDED EXPENDITURES. 
          UM, THE BOARD IS, UH, YOU KNOW, HAS SUPPORTED IN THE PAST THIRD PARTY ORGANIZATIONS THAT WE WORK WITH. 
          THIS BUDGET AT THIS TIME AS PROPOSED DOES NOT INCLUDE AN INCREASE OR DECREASE IN FUNDING FOR OUR PARTNER AGENCIES FROM THE APPROVED FY 2026 BUDGET. 
          AND AT THIS TIME, UH, THE GLAND COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS PROPOSED LOCAL TRANSFERS, 31,429,000. 
          UH, THE OVERALL PROPOSED APPROPRIATION IS 46 AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS. 
          AND ULTIMATELY, AS WE WORK TOGETHER WITH OUR FRIENDS FROM THE SCHOOL AND WE SEE WHAT IS HAPPENING IN THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY, THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO CONTINUE TO ENGAGE IN CONVERSATION AS WE PROGRESS TOWARDS THE MAY 5TH APPROVAL. 
          SO WE LOOK AT ALL FUNDS EXPENDITURES, IT IS AGAIN, $170.1 MILLION. 
          AND THIS BOARD HAS ALWAYS PRIORITIZED PUBLIC SAFETY IN SCHOOLS. 
          AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THAT IS STILL THE CASE HERE WITH 48% OF THE OVERALL ALL FUNDS EXPENDITURES GOING TOWARDS THOSE MAJOR EXPENDITURE EXPENDITURE CATEGORIES. 
          AND THEN WE LOOK AT THE GENERAL FUNDS BUDGET AND WE COMBINE SCHOOLS AND PUBLIC SAFETY, CIP FOR BOTH THE COUNTY AND SCHOOLS. 
          IT'S, UH, CERTAINLY OVER HALF OF EVERY DOLLAR THAT IS GOING TO THOSE MAJOR EXPENDITURE CATEGORIES. 
          AND AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT AN INCREASE OF 3.7% IN EXPENDITURES YEAR OVER YEAR IN OUR GENERAL FUNDS. 
          SO BOARD MEMBERS, THIS IS A BALANCED BUDGET. 
          AND SO ULTIMATELY, UH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE APPROVED FY 26 GENERAL FUND REVENUE AND THEN YOU THROW, AND THEN YOU ADD IN THE INCREASE IN REAL ESTATE TAX REVENUE OF $2.8 MILLION IN OTHER REVENUE STREAMS IN OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET, NEARLY A MILLION DOLLARS GETS US TO 107,000,760. 
          AND SO THE EXPENDITURES, IF YOU START OFF AT THE SAME LEVEL AT $103.9 MILLION AND YOU ELIMINATE THOSE COSTS THROUGH STRATEGIC ABANDONMENT TO THE TUNE OF 3.4 AND ADD IN PERSONNEL COSTS AND OTHER NON PERSONNEL COSTS, IT IS A BALANCED BUDGET WHERE OUR PROPOSED REVENUES AND OUR PROPOSED EXPENDITURES MATCH. 
          I WANTED TO SHARE WITH YOU AS WELL, THINGS THAT ARE NOT IN THIS BUDGET, BUT WERE REQUESTED FROM OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS. 
          'CAUSE I WANTED TO HONOR THE WORK OF OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS WHO WENT THROUGH A PRETTY RIGOROUS PROCESS TO DETERMINE THEIR DEPARTMENTAL NEEDS. 
          AND SO THERE WERE $2.2 MILLION IN NEEDS FROM DEPARTMENT HEADS FOR SERVICES, SUPPLIES, MATERIALS AND VEHICLES THAT WERE, THAT WERE NOT RECOMMENDED 
          [00:30:01]
TO YOU TONIGHT FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. 
          AND SO THERE WERE VEHICLES AS WELL, INCLUDING FIRE AND RESCUE, GENERAL SERVICES, ANIMAL CARE AND CONTROL, PARKS AND RECREATION BUILDING INSPECTIONS AND ENVIRONMENTAL THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS RECOMMENDATION TONIGHT. 
          AND THERE WERE SEVERAL PERSONNEL REQUESTS AS WELL. 
          UH, AND SO THIS IS A LIST OF ALL THOSE REQUESTS FROM THOSE DEPARTMENT HEADS, AND THESE ARE THE ONES THAT ARE NOT IN MY RECOMMENDATION TO YOU TONIGHT FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. 
          I ALSO TOOK A MOMENT TO SHARE THAT IF THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR AN INCREASE IN REVENUE OR TO MAKE ADDITIONAL ADJUSTMENTS IN EXPENDITURES, WHAT WOULD POTENTIALLY BE THE PRIORITIES THAT WE WOULD CONSIDER AS WE PROGRESS TOWARDS MAY 5TH. 
          AND ULTIMATELY, THESE ARE LISTED IN PRIORITY ORDER, AND THAT WOULD BE TO INCREASE THE LOCAL TRANSFER FOR THE SCHOOLS AND ALSO INCREASING FUNDING FOR CAREER AND TECHNICAL EDUCATION. 
          CERTAINLY HIS SUPPORT HAS BEEN A STRONG SUPPORTER OF THAT, SO I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS A PRIORITY LISTED AT THE TOP. 
          AND THEN FULLY FUNDING, UH, OR MOVING CLOSER TO FUNDING THE REQUESTED 11 POSITIONS FOR FIREFIGHTER AND EMT. 
          UH, THERE CONTINUED TO BE SOME INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY REQUESTS THAT WERE NOT FUNDED, INCLUDING A PUBLIC DASHBOARD. 
          AND, UH, SOME THINGS FOR FINANCE AND HR THAT ARE, ARE NOT IN THIS RECOMMENDED BUDGET. 
          WE NEED TO ACCOUNT IN THE FUTURE FOR SOME THINGS HAPPENING AT THE STATE LEVEL, PARTICULARLY RELATED TO THE ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTOR ROLE. 
          AND, AND ULTIMATELY PREPARING FOR THAT IN THE FUTURE WILL PUT US IN A MUCH STRONGER POSITION AS THINGS CHANGE IN RICHMOND AND IN DC THIS BUDGET DOES NOT INCLUDE AN ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTOR. 
          THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY IN THE FUTURE TO CONTINUE TO INVEST IN OUR TEAM AND PROVIDE PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR TEAM. 
          UH, SOME OPPORTUNITIES THERE I THINK WOULD EVEN STRENGTHEN US FURTHER LOOKING AT INTERNAL ALIGNMENT AND SOME REQUESTS THAT WE HAVE FROM THE TREASURER'S OFFICE THAT WERE NOT FUNDED AS WELL AS CONTINUALLY FUNDING BOTH THE COUNTY AND THE SCHOOL'S CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT REQUESTS, FUNDING FOR THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT, AND SOME OPPORTUNITIES FOR US TO PROGRESS TOWARDS UPDATING OUR STRATEGIC PLAN AND DEDICATING SOME DOLLARS TOWARDS THAT WORK. 
          WE TALKED AT ONE OF OUR PAST WORK SESSIONS ABOUT SOME OF THE STRUCTURES OF OF THE CVTA BUDGET. 
          AND YOU KNOW, AUSTIN TYPICALLY COMES TO YOU AND MAKES A REQUEST TO TRANSFER MONEY FROM THE CVTA BUDGET INTO OUR BUDGET SO THAT WE CAN USE 'EM FOR STUDIES AND BE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH SOME OF OUR TRANSPORTATION GOALS. 
          THAT'S INEFFICIENT. 
          THAT REQUIRES OUR STAFF TO CREATE A BUDGET ITEM, GET IT READY IN LISA'S OFFICE, PRESENT IT TO YOU IF YOU CALCULATE ALL OF THAT TIME AND THE NUMBER OF TIMES THAT HAPPENS IN A MONTH, THAT THAT'S TIME THAT CAN BE USED FOR SOMETHING ELSE. 
          SO ALTHOUGH NO DOLLARS ARE TRULY SAVED HERE, THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF STRATEGIC ABANDONMENT WHERE WE'RE BEING A LOT MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE WITH OUR TIME, TALENT, AND RESOURCES. 
          SO, AND THE STRUCTURE OF THE BUDGET INCLUDES MONEY THAT'S IN THE CVTA BUDGET WHERE WE ALREADY PAY SALARY OUT OF THAT BUDGET. 
          AND SO THOSE DOLLARS ARE THERE AVAILABLE TO USE AND CERTAINLY ULTIMATELY WE CAN LET THE BOARD KNOW HERE'S A RECOMMENDATION AND WE USE THOSE DOLLARS, BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO COME TO THE BOARD AND HAVE AN OFFICIAL VOTE TO DO THAT. 
          SO IT SAVES SOME TIME ALONG THE WAY. 
          IT'S JUST A STRUCTURAL ADJUSTMENT WE THINK'S GONNA SAVE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME AND BE MORE EFFICIENT. 
          AND SO ANOTHER THING THAT IS INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET RECOMMENDATION IS THE INTEGRATION OF OUR GROUNDS MANAGEMENT BUDGET INTO OUR PARKS AND RECREATION BUDGET. 
          SO AS YOU FLIP THROUGH AND YOU LOOK AT THE DETAIL AND DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS, YOU'LL SEE THAT ALL OF THEM ARE COMBINED. 
          NOW THE DOWNSIDE IS IT'S GONNA BE, IT'S GONNA BE A CHALLENGE TO LOOK AT HISTORICAL EXPENDITURES OVER THE PAST BECAUSE IT'S BEEN A SEPARATE GROUNDS BUDGET AND A SEPARATE PARKS AND RECREATION BUDGET, BUT THEY'RE INCLUDED IN ONE NOW. 
          BUT ONE TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO THAT. 
          AND YOU ALSO SEE WITHIN PLANNING, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, ENVIRONMENTAL AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THERE ARE INCREASES AND DECREASES AND SOME OF THOSE INCREASES AND DECREASES ARE SIGNIFICANT IF YOU LOOK AT THEM FROM A PERCENTAGE STANDPOINT. 
          THAT'S AS A RESULT OF TRUING UP WHAT WE DID THROUGH THE REORGANIZATION DURING THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR. 
          SO I JUST WANTED TO BRING YOUR ATTENTION TO SOME OF THAT AS WE RECONCILE THE BUDGET. 
          SO LET'S TALK FOR A MOMENT ABOUT PROPOSED CAPITAL INVESTMENTS. 
          AND THESE ARE THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION FOR THE NEW FISCAL YEAR. 
          AND, UH, THESE HAVE BEEN PAIRED DOWN FROM A REQUEST IN THE PAST FOR A TOTAL OF $2.6 MILLION, INCLUDING AN AMBULANCE AND A VARIETY OF HVAC UPGRADES ACROSS THE COUNTY. 
          AND MOST OF THOSE BEING HERE FOR THIS BUILDING, IT DOES INCLUDE $143,000 TO UPGRADE THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WEAPONS AND, UH, SOME OTHER THINGS FOR PARKS AND RECREATION AS WELL, AND INCLUDES THESE PROJECTS FOR THE SCHOOLS TO THE TUNE OF $1.76 MILLION. 
          UH, THIS IS A PRIORITIZED LIST I HAVE RECEIVED FROM THE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION. 
          THIS FUNDING DOES NOT INCLUDE THE SCHOOL DIVISION'S REQUEST FOR THE CTE ADDITION TO GLAND HIGH SCHOOL. 
          THESE ARE OTHER PROJECTS THAT I WANTED TO OUTLINE FOR YOU TONIGHT. 
          UH, AS WE DISCUSSED BACK IN SEPTEMBER AND AGAIN IN DECEMBER, THE COUNTY DOES HAVE A LOT OF DEFERRED NEEDS. 
          AND SO ULTIMATELY AS WE LOOK BEYOND THIS FISCAL YEAR INTO THE FUTURE THREE YEARS, UH, THERE'S A LOT OF PROJECTS THAT, UH, WE 
          [00:35:01]
WILL HAVE TO WORK THROUGH TOGETHER. 
          SOME OF THOSE BEING SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS INCLUDING THE COURTHOUSE, THE CTE ADDITION, EMERGENCY COMMUNICATIONS STATION SEVEN, UH, AND A VARIETY OF OTHER THINGS THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'VE, WE'VE DISCUSSED IN THE PAST. 
          SO JUST WANTED TO SHARE THE FORECAST FOR THE FUTURE. 
          AND ULTIMATELY WHAT YOU SEE ON THE SCREEN DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY PROJECTS THAT MAY RESULT FROM THE WORK OF THE PARKS AND RECREATION MASTER PLAN. 
          SO LET'S TRANSITION AND TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT UTILITIES. 
          UH, UTILITIES IS ITS OWN BUDGET, BUT ULTIMATELY IT SITS IN OUR ALL FUNDS BUDGET. 
          AND SO THE PROPOSED UTILITY BUDGET BOARD MEMBERS IS $43.5 MILLION. 
          AND AGAIN, THAT INCLUDES A FORECAST FOR PROPOSED BOND PROCEEDS TO THE TUNE OF NEARLY $17 MILLION FOR THE RIDGEFIELD BOOSTER PUMP STATION. 
          LOOKING AT THIS A DIFFERENT WAY, THE ORANGE SHOWS THE DEBT SERVICE FOR THE PROPOSED FY 27 BUDGET IN THE GREEN ARE OTHER SOURCES OF REVENUE. 
          AND THEN ULTIMATELY WHAT ELIZABETH DID IS SHE TOOK, WENT BACK AND TOOK A LOOK AT SOME OF THE PAST WORK THAT WAS DONE IN 2024 FOR A RATE STUDY. 
          UH, LOOKED AT WORK THAT WAS DONE IN FY 25 FOR A RATE STUDY AND THE WORK THAT WAS MOST RECENTLY DONE IN FY 25 DID NOT CONSIDER THE FULL COST OF THE RIDGEFIELD BOOSTER PUMP STATION. 
          THAT RATE STUDY ONLY ACCOUNTED FOR TWO THIRDS OF THE AMOUNT OF THE PRESENT PROJECTED NEED. 
          AND SO THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT ULTIMATELY WE HAD TO GO BACK AND TAKE A LOOK AT PAST ASSUMPTIONS AS WE CREATED THIS PROPOSAL FOR YOU TONIGHT. 
          SO BASED ON THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE IN THE LAST COUPLE MONTHS, WE ARE PROPOSING AT THIS POINT IN TIME A 3% YEAR OVER YEAR INCREASE FOR THE RESIDENTIAL BASE RATE FOR WATER AND SEWER, AS WELL AS A 3% INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR FOR THE COMMERCIAL RATE AND A 2.5% INCREASE IN CONNECTION FEES. 
          AND SO BASED ON THIS, THIS DOES ACCOUNT FOR THE PROJECTED NEEDS THAT WE HAVE IN ORDER TO FUND THE RIDGEFIELD BOOSTER PUMP STATION. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT WAS THE COMPETITIVE NATURE OF THESE RATES. 
          AND IF WE ARE TO INCREASE OUR RATES 3% FOR RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL CUSTOMERS, HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO WHAT OTHERS HAVE EXPERIENCED? AND YOU CAN SEE ON THE FAR LEFT HAND SIDE OUR RATE STRUCTURES COMPARED TO OTHERS AND WHAT THEY'RE RECOMMENDING AT THIS POINT IN TIME. 
          AND THEN YOU COMPARE THAT TO THE BOTTOM WHERE WE HAVE THE STATEWIDE UTILITY RATE INCREASE, IT'S CERTAINLY IN LINE WITH THE STATEWIDE INCREASE IN LESS THAN OUR COMPETITORS IN THE REGION. 
          AND SO AGAIN, THIS IS A BALANCED RECOMMENDATION REGARDING OUR UTILITY BUDGET WHERE OUR EXPENDITURES AND REVENUE MATCH AT THE TUNE OF $43.5 MILLION. 
          AND SO IN ADDITION TO THE OPERATIONAL NEEDS OF THE TEAM, UM, THIS IS A RECOMMENDATION FOR INCLUDING THREE FTES FOR OUR UTILITY TEAM, INCLUDING TWO SUPERINTENDENTS, ONE FOR MECHANICAL REPAIRS AND ONE FOR FIELD REPAIRS, AS WELL AS AS A CONSTRUCTION INSPECTOR. 
          AND SO ULTIMATELY WHAT WE DID HERE BOARD MEMBERS, WAS WE CONTRASTED THE COST OF THESE POSITIONS COMPARED TO WHAT WE'RE PAYING A CONTRACTOR TO DO THIS WORK NOW. 
          AND THIS ULTIMATELY IS NET NEUTRAL FOR US WHEN WE FORECASTED THOSE SALARIES COMPARED TO THESE CONTRACTOR COSTS. 
          SO, UH, ULTIMATELY WE CAN ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS WITH, UH, NEGLIGIBLE INCREASE IN ANY SORT OF EXPENDITURE FOR UTILITIES. 
          UTILITIES ALSO HAS SOME OTHER INITIATIVES THAT ULTIMATELY ARE FOCUSED ON CUSTOMER SERVICE, INCLUDING SOME EASEMENT CLEARING, UH, SOME, UH, SOME PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR OUR TEAM AS WELL AS SOME CUSTOMER SERVICE ENHANCEMENTS ULTIMATELY WILL ALLOW OUR CUSTOMERS TO HAVE BETTER ACCESS TO THEIR USAGE AND, UH, THEIR, THEIR UTILITY INFORMATION ONLINE. 
          AND YOU CAN SEE AT THE VERY BOTTOM, CONTINUING TO UPCA UP TO FORECAST OUR RATES AND MODEL OUR SYSTEM RATES INTO THE FUTURE AS WELL. 
          WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THESE CAPITAL NEEDS AS WELL, INCLUDING THE OPERATING FUND FOR UTILITIES AND THE AIR STRIPPING SYSTEM FOR THE GLAND COURTHOUSE ELEVATED TANK, UM, THE PUMP CONDITION ASSESSMENT, AS WELL AS THE VALLEY VIEW LANE PUMP STATION AND FORCE MAIN UPGRADE IN THE DEBT SERVICE THAT I'VE DISCUSSED WITH THE RIDGEFIELD BOOSTER PUMP STATION. 
          SO THAT'S A LOT . 
          AND ULTIMATELY THIS IS JUST ONE STEP ALONG THE WAY. 
          UH, YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AS BOARD MEMBERS TO HEAR FROM OUR PUBLIC AND, AND ULTIMATELY DELIBERATE ON WHAT YOU WANT TO, UH, HAVE INCLUDED IN THE ULTIMATE BUDGET THAT YOU'LL CONSIDER BACK IN MAY. 
          BUT THE NEXT STEPS IS IN MARCH 3RD YOU'LL HAVE A PRESENTATION BY THE SUPERINTENDENT, UH, TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEIR REQUEST AS WELL AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO SET SOME TAX RATES. 
          UH, WE ALSO HAVE A WORK SESSION SCHEDULED WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD, AND THEN WE HAVE A JOINT COUNTYWIDE TOWN HALL MEETING, AND WE'RE WORKING ON A DATE FOR DISTRICT FIVE, WHICH I BELIEVE WE JUST SOLIDIFIED TODAY, BUT I DON'T WANNA SHARE THAT PUBLICLY UNTIL I'M CONFIRMED ON THAT WE HAVE GREAT OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE WITH OUR PUBLIC HERE IN THE COMING MONTHS. 
          OPPORTUNITIES FOR PUBLIC HEARING, UH, AND THEN ULTIMATELY A CHANCE TO SET THE TAX RATE AND BE BACK IN FRONT OF YOU TO MAKE BUDGETARY DECISIONS AT YOUR 
          [00:40:01]
MAY 5TH BOARD OF SUPERVISORS MEETING. 
          SO BOARD MEMBERS, THAT WAS A LOT OF INFORMATION. 
          I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE AND PROVIDE ANY CLARITY, UH, TO ANY OF THE THINGS I'VE SHARED WITH YOU THIS EVENING. 
          DR. 
          LEY, I JUST HAD ONE AND IT WAS, DO YOU KNOW WHY THERE WAS SUCH A LARGE JUMP IN THE LANDFILL HAULING COSTS VERSUS THE TONNAGE? YEAH, I THINK THAT IT'S, IT'S THE RATES THAT ULTIMATELY WERE BEING CHARGED, UH, BY REPUBLIC AS WELL AS THE USAGE. 
          I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US IN THE COMING MONTHS TO SIT DOWN AT A TABLE AND NEGOTIATE WITH REPUBLIC ON THAT. 
          UM, THE CURRENT CONTRACT IS COMING UP TO A SUNSET. 
          AND SO AS WE WORK TOGETHER WITH THEM, I THINK THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO MAYBE LOOK AT SOME RATE STRUCTURES THAT COULD BE TO OUR BENEFIT. 
          SO KEEP KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED ON THAT. 
          ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. 
          WELL, I'LL JUST MAKE SOME COMMENTS. 
          UM, SO THANK YOU TO YOU, YOUR TEAM, CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS, THE DIRECTORS FOR THE DEPARTMENTS. 
          UM, THERE'S A LOT TO LIKE ABOUT THIS BUDGET, UM, SUCH AS THE STRATEGIC ABANDONMENT I'VE NOT SEEN IN MY SEVEN YEARS, THAT TYPE OF AGGRESSIVE LOOKING AT HOW CAN WE CUT COSTS. 
          UM, SO THAT IS JUST AMAZING. 
          SO I I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          UM, SO I THINK THAT'S GREAT. 
          UH, I LIKE THE FIVE YEAR LOOKS INSTEAD OF THE, JUST LOOKING AT NEXT YEAR. 
          I THOUGHT I KNOW WHY WE DID IT IN THE TIMES THAT WE DID IT, IT, BUT I THINK THIS JUST A GIVES US A MUCH BETTER LOOK. 
          UM, I I THINK IT'S CHALLENGING WHEN WE SEE A LIST OF SO MANY THINGS THAT WE AREN'T ADDRESSING THAT HAVE BEEN ASKED FOR. 
          UM, BUT THAT BEING SAID, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE THINGS I, I DON'T LOVE ABOUT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THAT WHEN WE LOOK AT HOW MUCH WE, WE SAY THE BUDGET'S ONLY GOING UP 3.4%, BUT REALLY WHEN YOU ADD BACK IN THE WHAT WE'VE ABANDONED, WE'RE REALLY SEEING INCREASES OF COST OF CLOSE TO $8 MILLION. 
          SO I'M NOT SURE YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO CLAW BACK ANOTHER $4 MILLION NEXT YEAR. 
          SO HOW DO WE ACCOUNT FOR THAT? AND THEN I'M PROBABLY GONNA STEAL MY, MY, UH, COLLEAGUE'S THUNDER HERE, BUT I ONCE HEARD HIM SAY MORE THAN ONCE, IF, IF GOVERNMENT GETS THE MONEY, THEY'RE GONNA SPEND IT. 
          AND LO AND BEHOLD, SINCE 2001, OUR ASSESSMENTS HAVE GONE UP 68% AND OUR, WHAT WE'RE SPENDING HAS GONE UP 64%. 
          SO WE GET IT IN AND WE SPEND IT AND I JUST GOTTA FIGURE OUT, WE GOTTA FIGURE OUT, WE GOTTA GET THESE PROJECTS ONLINE MM-HMM . 
          GET THE COMMERCIAL GOING. 
          SO GREAT JOB BY THE ECONOMIC AND THE THINGS WE'RE HEARING, UH, JUST EXCELLENT WORK THERE. 
          SO JUST, UH, JUST I'LL LEAVE IT THERE WITH, UH, MY COMMENTS. 
          THANK YOU MR. SPOON. 
          HOWER AND I, I PROBABLY FAILED TO MENTION ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT PARTS, IF NOT THE MOST IMPORTANT PART IS THAT THIS RECOMMENDATION IN FRONT OF YOU THIS EVENING DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY INCREASE IN REAL ESTATE TAX RATES OUT VALOREM TAX RATES OR PERSONAL PROPERTY TAX RATES. 
          GO AHEAD. 
          FREE FOR ALL. 
          FREE FOR ALL. 
          I I DO WANT TO MAKE A POINT THOUGH, JUST TO DOVETAIL INTO WHAT YOU WERE SAYING, THAT YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT. 
          BUT WHAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING IS THE INCREASE IN THE COST OF GOVERNMENT THAT OVER WHICH WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF CONTROL BECAUSE A LOT OF THINGS INFLATIONARY AND, UH, AND SO FORTH ARE GOING UP. 
          AND SO WE'VE BEEN MAKING A POINT OF THAT. 
          AND I THINK THIS, UH, IS REFLECTIVE OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN SEEING. 
          AND FORTUNATELY THE, UM, THE ASSESSMENT AMOUNT HAS GONE UP TO COVER THAT IN THAT SORT OF EXPLODING COST OF GOVERNMENT MM-HMM . 
          UM, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THAT'S GOING TO CONTINUE, WHICH IS WHY WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO THINGS LIKE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE SOURCE OF REVENUE COMING FROM BUSINESSES. 
          UH, AND YOU KNOW, BUT ULTIMATELY IF WE DON'T GET THAT, WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, UH, PUT PRESSURE ON THE TAX RATE. 
          SO I COMMEND YOU AND STAFF, YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB. 
          I I, I LOOKED AT THIS AHEAD OF TIME AND I I CAN'T FIND FAULT IN IT. 
          UM, JUST A GREAT JOB AND KUDOS TO EVERYBODY. 
          YEAH, THANK YOU. 
          TEAM EFFORT. 
          NO DOUBT. 
          UM, I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT ONE OF THE MOST APPEALING ASPECTS TO ME OF YOUR, OF THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION WE DID AROUND THE BUDGET WAS A FIVE YEAR LOOKOUT. 
          UM, MR. HOWER REFERENCED IT, BUT 
          [00:45:01]
I THINK THAT GIVES US A LOT OF ACCOUNTABILITY THAT REQUESTS LOOKED AT JUST IN A, UM, VACUUM OF A SINGLE YEAR, DOESN'T DO. 
          SO, YOU KNOW, THAT FIVE YEAR LOOKOUT HOPEFULLY TIES THOSE DEPARTMENTS SUCH AS FIRE AND RESCUE AND THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND OTHERS TO, ARE THESE THE REAL NEEDS? AND, YOU KNOW, WILL THESE MEET THEM OVER TIME? AND THIS BUDGET AS PROPOSED IMMEDIATELY FALLS SHORT IN SOME OF THOSE NOT, I MEAN, IT, IT'S BALANCED. 
          MM-HMM . 
          THAT'S GREAT. 
          BUT I WOULD JUST STRESS TO MY COLLEAGUES, WE DO HAVE TWO MONTHS TO SHARPEN THE PENCILS AND TRY AND FIND THE WAYS TO MEET A FIVE YEAR PLAN THAT I'VE GONE TO THE SHERIFF, I'VE GONE TO THE, UH, CHIEF, UM, TO DISCUSS AND JUST SAY, IF WE GET TO THESE PLANS, WILL YOU BE HAPPY WITH WHERE WE ARE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE FUTURE? AND I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK 'EM IN THE EYE AND HAVE THAT DUAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND, UM, IT'S, IT'S GREAT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE NO LONGER I GUESS KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROADS, THE WRONG LOOK. 
          BUT I FEEL LIKE WE'VE ALWAYS HAD A, YOU KNOW, WRESTLING MATCH AROUND THESE NUMBERS FOR STAFFING. 
          NOW WE ACTUALLY HAVE A WAY TO LOOK AT 'EM AND SAY, OKAY, WE'RE IN LINE AND I WANT TO GET IN LINE IN YEAR ONE IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. 
          SO, UM, THEN BEYOND THAT I THINK, OH, I, STRATEGIC ABANDONMENT IS GREAT. 
          I SEE A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE DOING AS JUST MAKING GOVERNMENT MORE EFFICIENT. 
          SO I WOULD JUST IMPLORE YOU TO WHERE IT IS ABANDONMENT, CALL IT ABANDONMENT, WHERE IT'S YOU DOING A GOOD JOB AND PUTTING THE TAX DOLLARS TO WORK IN THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY POSSIBLE. 
          LET'S CALL IT SOMETHING OTHER THAN ABANDONMENT. 
          'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT IT IS. 
          AND, UM, WE'RE SEEING OWN DEPARTMENT OF DOGE . 
          YEAH. 
          IT'S GOOD GOVERNMENT. 
          IT'S GOOD GOVERNMENT AND MAYBE WE LABEL IT SIMPLY AS THAT, YOU KNOW, UH, BUT ANYWAY, I WOULD TELL ANY CONSTITUENT, WE'VE STILL GOT TWO MONTHS TO GO AND WE KNOW WE CAN DO A LOT IN TWO MONTHS AND WE'VE GOT THE ABILITY TO, UM, DIG IN THIS DEEPER AND SEE WHAT WE CAN DO. 
          THANKS. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I'D LIKE TO JUST KIND, I, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU SAID. 
          I THINK WE HAVE MORE THAN TWO MONTHS THOUGH. 
          I THINK WE HAVE A BUDGET, AND I REALLY, I THINK I STRESSED THIS LAST TIME, AND I PROBABLY SAY IT IN EVERY MEETING. 
          I WANT A, I WANT US TO GET TOGETHER A LIST SO THAT WHEN SOMETHING COMES ONLINE AND WE GET, YOU KNOW, A $4 MILLION BUILDING PERMIT CHECK, WE KNOW WHERE THAT $4 MILLION IS GOING. 
          RIGHT? ANOTHER FOUR, . 
          YEAH. 
          . 
          YEAH. 
          DR. BAILEY, UM, I, I, UH, I I SO MUCH APPRECIATE, UH, YOUR PRESENTATION VERSUS ONE I SAT THROUGH ABOUT THIS TIME LAST YEAR. 
          UH, THE LEVEL OF DETAIL IS, UH, UH, MORE THAN RESPECTABLE. 
          I MEAN, IT, IT, IT'S WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. 
          UH, YOU SHARED WITH ME THE DRAFT FROM FEBRUARY 3RD, AND I SHARED WITH YOU PRETTY MUCH A ONE WAY SERIES OF EMAILS ASKING YOU ABOUT, UM, PROBABLY 112 SPECIFIC LINE ITEMS IN THERE. 
          AND, UH, IT, IT CAME TO MY ATTENTION THAT THAT FEBRUARY 3RD DRAFT HAS CHANGED DRAMATICALLY OR, OR SIGNIFICANTLY. 
          I DON'T KNOW HOW DRAMATIC. 
          OKAY. 
          UM, I, I HAVE AND, AND WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT GOVERNMENT AS, UH, THE, I DON'T WANNA CALL IT UNNECESSARY EVIL, BUT IT IS TO PROVIDE, I THINK, CORE SERVICES THAT AS INDIVIDUALS WE WOULD BE HARD PRESSED TO DO. 
          FOR ME, THAT'S PUBLIC SAFETY. 
          MM-HMM . 
          UH, EDUCATION BECAUSE IT'S IN THE STATE CONSTITUTION, UH, TRANSPORTATION. 
          AND THE ONE I'VE ADDED RECENTLY IS ELECTIONS. 
          UH, WE ARE FINDING OURSELVES WITH, UH, UN ASKED FOR FROM OSELIN, UH, INCREASED COSTS IN RUNNING OUR ELECTIONS. 
          BUT I BELIEVE THAT WE NEED TO START WITH ELECTION EFFICIENCY AND SECURITY AND CONFIDENCE BECAUSE IF FOLKS DON'T HAVE CONFIDENCE THAT, UH, THEIR ELECTIONS ARE FREE, OPEN AND FAIR, UH, GOVERNMENT IS NOT GOING TO HAVE WORKED. 
          SO, UH, WE ARE HAVING SEVEN OR 
          [00:50:01]
EIGHT ELECTIONS A YEAR NOW, IT SEEMS THAT'S A BIT OF AN EXAGGERATION, BUT WE HAVE MULTIPLE ELECTIONS AND WE HAVE 'EM FOR 45 DAYS. 
          AND ALL OF THOSE COSTS ARE NOT SOMETHING WE REQUESTED. 
          BUT I, I WILL ADVOCATE STRONGLY THAT WHATEVER THE REQUIREMENTS FOISTED UPON US ARE COVERED MM-HMM. 
          BY THIS BUDGET. 
          BECAUSE ELECTION INTEGRITY IS, IS JUST, JUST, JUST PARAMOUNT. 
          UH, TO THAT POINT. 
          I, I, I DID SOME BACK OF THE, WELL, IN MY NOTEBOOK MATH, UH, THE $16 MILLION FOR UTILITIES, UH, I WAS ASKED, WELL, WHO'S GONNA PAY FOR THAT? I BELIEVE THAT MONEY WILL BE PAID FOR OUT OF UTILITY REVENUES. 
          IT IS NOT A COUNTYWIDE OBLIGATION. 
          IS, AM I CORRECT? IT, IT PAID FOR BY UTILITY REVENUES? YES, SIR. 
          WITH 3% YEAR OVER YEAR RATE INCREASE. 
          AND, AND, AND SO SOMEBODY LIKE MYSELF ON A SEPTIC AND WELL, UH, I'M NOT GOING TO BE, UH, COVERING THE, UH, DEBT SERVICE AND, AND, AND, UH, ALSO, UH, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS THERE. 
          CORRECT. 
          WITH THE HEALTHCARE, UM, I THINK IT'S, UH, REASONABLE OR AT LEAST UNDERSTANDABLE THAT THE COUNTY WOULD SAY, WE'RE GONNA COVER THAT. 
          AND IT WAS $900,000. 
          AGAIN, MY MATH IS GOING TO BE APPROXIMATE, NOT PRECISE, BUT THAT'S ABOUT ANOTHER 2.5% INCREASE. 
          'CAUSE IF YOU AVOID AN EXPENSE, IT'S MONEY YOU HAVE THAT YOU OTHERWISE WOULD HAVE TO SPEND. 
          SO THE 3%, UH, AND I WANNA GIVE CREDIT, I SUPPOSE TO, UH, RECOGNIZING THAT, COVERING THAT $900,000 IS ANOTHER TWO AND A HALF PERCENT, UH, THAT THE, UH, EMPLOYEES ARE GETTING MM-HMM . 
          THE FLYING, THE OINTMENT, IF YOU WILL, IS NOT EVERY EMPLOYEE IS UTILIZING, UH, THE COUNTY INSURANCE. 
          SO IN SOME RESPECTS, WE'RE WEIGHTING THIS IN FAVOR OF THE PEOPLE WHO DO USE COUNTY, UH, INSURANCE TO THE DETRIMENT, SOMEWHAT OTHER PEOPLE WHO DON'T. 
          UM, THAT'S PHILOSOPHICAL. 
          UH, I DON'T KNOW THAT I'M IN OPPOSITION TO THE COUNTY ABSORBING THOSE INCREASES, BUT I I, I DID THINK FOR ME IT WAS IMPORTANT TO RECOGNIZE THAT THAT 900,000 IS ANOTHER TWO, 2.5% INCREASE IN IN EMPLOYEE BENEFITS. 
          MM-HMM . 
          IN, IN COMPENSATION. 
          YEP. 
          UH, I, I DID AGAIN, SOME ENVELOPE MATH. 
          SO THE COUNTY IS CONTRIBUTING 31 MILLION TO THE SCHOOLS, BUT THEIR TOTAL, I BELIEVE YOU PHRASED IT, GOVERNMENT ALLOCATION OR RECEIPTS IS 46. 
          SO THERE'S 15 MILLION THAT WILL BE COMING FROM OTHER SOURCES, WHICH I AM GUESSING IS EITHER THE STATE AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OR MAGIC. 
          I, I MEAN IT, BUT IT, IT WILL BE 15 MILLION FROM SOURCES OTHER THAN THE COUNTY. 
          DO I HAVE THAT APPROXIMATELY RIGHT? CORRECT. 
          YEAH. 
          THAT WOULD BE FROM OTHER, OTHER SOURCES BEYOND THE LOCAL COUNTY TRANSFER. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          AND THEN ON SLIDE 51, I WAS LOOKING AT THE REVENUES, UM, OH, LET'S SEE, 51 AND, AND THIS IS ON THE UTILITIES MM-HMM . 
          SO I WAS BACKING OUT WHAT THE, UM, THE DEBT IS. 
          WE HAVE ADOPTED REVENUES SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER FOR THIS CURRENT YEAR. 
          PREVIOUS YEAR. 
          WHAT, WHY WERE UTILITY COSTS SO MUCH LOWER AND THEY'VE REALLY JUMPED UP SIGNIFICANTLY FOR NEXT YEAR. 
          YEAH. 
          I, I THINK I KNOW, BUT I DON'T WANNA PROVIDE YOU A FALSE ANSWER, SO I WANT TO WELL, I APPRECIATE THAT. 
          I WANT TO, I WANT TO RESEARCH THAT A LITTLE BIT WITH OUR, OUR DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC UTILITIES AND MAKE SURE THAT MY ASSUMPTIONS ARE CORRECT. 
          IT HAD SOMETHING TO DO WITH, UH, ONE YEAR I BELIEVE WAS, UH, RECEIVED A LOT MORE REVENUE THAN MAYBE WAS, WAS BUDGETED, BUT I, I DON'T WANNA SPEAK OUT OF TERM, MR. LYLE, LET ME, LET ME GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT. 
          OKAY. 
          I MEAN, IT, IT'S A BIT OF AN OUTLIER. 
          YEAH. 
          AND, AND IT JUST STRUCK ME AS, GOSH, EVEN WITH, UH, WITHOUT THE DEBT, WE'RE STILL PROJECTING THAT, UH, OUR REVENUES AND, AND I GUESS THAT WOULD REALLY BE THE COST OF PROVIDING THAT YEP. 
          IS, IS GONNA GO UP SIGNIFICANTLY. 
          UM, WITH BUILDING PERMITS. 
          WE'RE SHOWING, UH, WE'RE PROJECTING A HALF MILLION DOLLARS. 
          AND IN MY EMAIL I ASKED, UM, HOW MUCH OF THAT IS COMMERCIAL AND HOW MUCH AS RESIDENTIAL? AND I ASK THAT BECAUSE UNABASHEDLY I'M NOT INTERESTED IN SEEING US CONTINUING TO GROW THE POPULATION BASE IN THE COUNTY AT THE CURRENT RATES BECAUSE WE'RE NOT ABLE TO PROVIDE THE NEEDED SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          MM-HMM . 
          WE'RE ALREADY FINDING THAT WE NEED 11 MORE OR BEING REQUESTED FOR 11 MORE FIREFIGHTERS, AND THAT'S FOR THE POPULATION HERE TODAY. 
          RIGHT. 
          AND SO IF WE CONTINUE TO GROW OUR POPULATION BASE, AT LEAST MY SIMPLE LOGIC IS THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED MORE FIREFIGHTERS, MORE DEPUTIES. 
          SO YOU, YOU WERE KIND ENOUGH TO SHARE THE BOOK UPSTREAM. 
          YEAH. 
          SO LET'S GO UPSTREAM AND SAY, LET'S CLOSE SLOW THE RATE OF POPULATION GROWTH SO WE AREN'T INCREASING 
          [00:55:01]
THE DEMANDS ON THESE SERVICES AND, AND, AND LET US CATCH OUR BREATH, CATCH UP AND, AND THEN REALLY PROVIDE, CONTINUE TO PROVIDE, I THINK, THE EXCELLENT SERVICES AT THE LEVEL THAT, UH, ALL OF OUR CITIZENS REQUIRE. 
          SO OF THE 500,000 HALF MILLION, OR I MAKE SURE I GOT MY NUMBERS RIGHT. 
          YOU'RE CORRECT. 
          YES, SIR. 
          I WAS ABOUT THAT A ZERO, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN SCARY. 
          , UH, HOW MUCH IS COMMERCIAL BUILDING PERMIT AND HOW MUCH IS RESIDENTIAL? YEAH, THE VAST MAJORITY, AND I CAN'T ATTRIBUTE A TRUE PERCENTAGE TO THAT, BUT THE VAST MAJORITY IS GOING TO COME IN THIS RECOMMENDED INCREASE FROM COMMERCIAL REVENUE, COMMERCIAL, YOU KNOW, PROJECTS THAT WE KNOW ARE EXPECTED TO COME ONLINE AND REQUESTING THE BUILDING PERMITS IN THE NEW FISCAL YEAR. 
          SO, UH, YOU KNOW, THERE ARE HOUSING DEVELOPMENTS THAT HAVE BEEN APPROVED, THERE ARE HOUSES GOING UP IN, IN DIFFERENT PLACES, BUT THIS INCREASE IS BY AND LARGE WITH COMMERCIAL, UH, BUILDING PERMITS THAT WE EXPECT TO COME ONLINE IN THE NEW YEAR. 
          WELL, THAT'S REASSURING. 
          I APPRECIATE, I LIKE THAT, THAT TO ME IS A HAPPY ANSWER. 
          YEAH. 
          UH, THERE WERE SOME OTHER ITEMS AND, AND I'VE NOT GONE AND LOOKED AT WHAT THE REVISED IS, BUT I, THERE WAS AGAIN, JUST THINGS THAT WE SAW BONUSES IN THERE FOR SOME THINGS. 
          WE SAW $600,000 IN THERE FOR PART-TIME, UH, SALARIES IN THE, IN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. 
          MM-HMM . 
          AND I JUST AM NOT SAYING I'M OPPOSED TO 'EM, I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND THEM. 
          SURE. 
          AND, AND SO AS, AS MY COLLEAGUE, UH, MR. VADERS OBSERVED WE GOT SOME TIME. 
          MM-HMM . 
          BUT, UM, LAST YEAR I ASKED YOUR PREDECESSOR WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IF WE HAD A BUDGET WITH A ONE PENNY DECREASE, WHICH WOULD'VE BEEN ABOUT A 900,000 DECREASE IN, IN, UH, TAX REVENUE, REAL ESTATE, TAX REVENUE. 
          AND, UH, HE ACCOMMODATED ME. 
          AND, AND IT REALLY WAS NOT SOMETHING THAT WAS GOING TO MOVE THE NEEDLE EITHER WAY, OTHER THAN PHILOSOPHICALLY IT WAS GOING TO SEND A MESSAGE THAT GOVERNMENT DOES NOT HAVE ACCESS TO UNLIMITED FUNDS. 
          AND AS YOU HAVE DEMONSTRATED, IS ABLE TO EXPLORE STRATEGIC ABANDONMENT, IS ABLE TO EXPLORE EFFICIENCIES. 
          AND YOU DID SOMETHING THAT I WOULD'VE LOVED TO HAVE SEEN MY PREVIOUS BUDGET PRESENTATION, BUT THANK YOU FOR DOING IT THIS YEAR BECAUSE, UH, IT IS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. 
          BUT IT STILL WILL NOT UPSET ME IF WE SAW A TAX CUT. 
          UM, THERE'S COMMENTARY DOWN AT THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY ABOUT THE CAR TAX THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE STUDYING HOW TO GET RID OF IT. 
          BUT THE REALITY IS THIS BOARD TOMORROW OR IN THE PROCESS COULD MOVE OUR TAX, OUR, OUR, OUR CAR TAX RATE TO A PENNY INSTEAD OF 2 99. 
          I MEAN, IT IS WITHIN OUR PURVEY IF WE SO CHOSE TO ELIMINATE THE CAR TAX RIGHT HERE AT THE COUNTY LEVEL. 
          MM-HMM . 
          I DON'T HAVE A SOLUTION AS TO WHAT WE WOULD DO TO FILL THAT REVENUE GAP. 
          YEAH. 
          BUT WE DO HAVE THE POWER OF THE PURSE. 
          WE ARE ABLE TO SET A TAX RATE, WE ARE ABLE TO ELIMINATE TAXES. 
          AND THAT SPEAKS STRONGLY TO MY THOUGHT THAT, AS MY COLLEAGUE SAID, IF WE GIVE MONEY TO GOVERNMENT, IT WILL SPEND IT. 
          AND SO I LIKE THE IDEA, NOT SPENDING MONEY, BUT INVESTING IT. 
          AND SO WE'RE GONNA INVEST FOR THE PUBLIC GOOD. 
          AND AGAIN, MY BIG FOUR IS PUBLIC SAFETY, EDUCATION, TRANSPORTATION, AND, AND FREE, FAIR, HONEST, OPEN ELECTIONS. 
          SO THIS IS A GREAT START. 
          YEAH. 
          UH, I WILL BE ASKING ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS. 
          YES. 
          UM, AND I CAN DO IT THROUGH EMAIL. 
          BUT, UH, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU'VE DONE. 
          IT IS A HUGE BLESSING DAY. 
          THANK YOU FOR STEPPING INTO THE LURCH. 
          UH, YOU, UH, YOU CAME INTO, UH, A ROOM FULL OF ROCKERS AND YOU WERE A LONG TAILED CAT . 
          YOU WERE NERVOUS, BUT YOU MANAGED TO, UH, GIVE US, I THINK A REALLY, REALLY GOOD STARTING PLACE. 
          SO, UH, MY HOPE IS THAT WE'LL FIND A CONDITION, CONTINUED DEFICIENCIES, AND WE'LL FIND EVEN ADDITIONAL SAVINGS AND REDIRECT THOSE SAVINGS TO AREAS THAT I THINK ARE CORE TO WHAT GOVERNMENT'S RESPONSIBILITY IS. 
          SO YOU GO, GUY, THANK YOU. 
          GOOD JOB. 
          THANK YOU. 
          BOARD MEMBERS. 
          I KNOW THIS IS A LOT. 
          AND YOU'LL HAVE QUESTIONS UPON REFLECTION, SOME THINGS THAT HIT YOU WHEN YOU'RE IN YOUR QUIET TIME. 
          UM, CERTAINLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THE ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS SO THAT ULTIMATELY WE CAN PROGRESS IN THE APPROPRIATE WAY TOWARDS MAY. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE ALL THAT DETAIL. 
          SO HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE BEYOND TONIGHT. 
          I DO. 
          I JUST WANNA HIGHLIGHT A COUPLE THINGS. 
          UH, ADDITIONALLY, SLIDE 54 IS AN ANALYSIS THAT I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH BECAUSE IT COMPARES US TO OUR OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AROUND HERE, WHICH I DON'T THINK WE DO NEARLY ENOUGH OF. 
          WE ARE LOWER IN OUR RATES FOR UTILITIES THAN ALL OF THESE OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AROUND US AS WE GO TO HEALTHCARE. 
          AND YOU SHOWED THIS AND ON A PREVIOUS BUDGET PRESENTATION, YEAH. 
          WE ARE PROVIDING MORE TO OUR EMPLOYEES WITH THAT HEALTHCARE BENEFIT THAN OUR 
          [01:00:01]
NEIGHBORING MUNICIPALITIES. 
          UM, ADDITIONALLY, IF WE LOOK AT IT IN REGARDS TO TAX RATES, WE ARE ALREADY LOWER THAN THE MAJORITY. 
          I THINK I, I HESITATE TO SAY ALL, BUT I THINK WE ARE, UH, ALMOST ALL OF OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTIES. 
          THAT IS A SIGN THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE BEING GOOD STEWARDS FISCALLY. 
          UM, AND I'M JUST GONNA GIVE A QUICK, YOU KNOW, STRESS THIS 'CAUSE IT CAN NEVER BE STRESSED ENOUGH. 
          THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT IS WHO CREATES INFLATION. 
          WE DO NOT CREATE INFLATION. 
          IF WE WANNA MAINTAIN A LEVEL OF SERVICES AND INFLATION IS 5%, THE COST TO DELIVER THAT GOES UP 5%. 
          WE CANNOT IMAGINE THAT WE WILL STAY IN AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE CAN KEEP COSTS FLAT WHEN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SPENDS MONEY THE WAY IT DOES. 
          WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THESE SERVICES AND I THINK A CONTINUALLY IMPROVING LEVEL OF SERVICES TO OUR CONSTITUENTS, GIVEN THE OUTSIDE FACTORS. 
          BUT IF WE, IF WE LOOK AT OUR NEIGHBORING, UM, YOU KNOW, US COMPARED TO NEIGHBORING MUNICIPALITIES, WE ARE IN A GOOD POSITION. 
          IF WE LOOK AT OURSELVES IN WHAT WE'RE DOING WHEN THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS ARE HEAPING A BUNCH OF CRUD ON US, WE ARE DOING A GREAT JOB. 
          AND I CAN'T HIGHLIGHT THAT ENOUGH. 
          AND WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO DO BETTER BECAUSE LAST I CHECKED, DC AND RICHMOND AREN'T HELPING US OUT VERY MUCH. 
          SECOND. 
          UM, SO WITH THAT, DOES ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY, ANYTHING ELSE? I, I, I JUST FEEL THE NEED TO REITERATE SOMETHING. 
          'CAUSE I TELL YOU WHAT PAINS ME OR WHAT TROUBLES ME. 
          AND, UH, THOSE OF YOU WHO'VE SEEN ME IN FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE MEETINGS, YOU KNOW, I QUESTION OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR AND WE'VE GOT A NEW FINANCE DIRECTORS AND I'M GONNA PROBABLY BE QUESTIONING THIS, YOU KNOW, UM, CAN, CAN WE SUSTAIN THIS IN THE FUTURE? SO I I REALLY, YOU KNOW THIS AS, AS, AS MR. SPOON HOUR SAID, YOU KNOW, THE STRATEGIC ABANDONMENT MAY NOT BE THERE NEXT YEAR TO THE EXTENT IT IS THIS YEAR. 
          HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE. 
          BUT YOU'VE GOT A LOT OF UNFUNDED REQUESTS HERE THAT ARE NOT GOING AWAY. 
          I, I MEAN, I WAS LOOKING AT IT. 
          I, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THEY'VE GOTTA BE FUNDED AT SOME POINT PERHAPS. 
          AND SO, UM, CAN WE SUSTAIN THIS? WE KNOW SALARIES ARE GOING TO GO UP EVERY YEAR. 
          WE KNOW HEALTHCARE IS PERPETUAL INCREASE. 
          YEAH. 
          UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST REALLY WANNA LOOK TO THE FUTURE. 
          AND NOW WE'RE GOING, HOW MUCH CAN WE ABSORB AND, AND SO FORTH. 
          UH, MR. WINFREY, IT'S A, IT'S A VERY GREAT POINT. 
          ULTIMATELY WE NEED TO BALANCE FUTURE BUDGETS WITH COMMERCIAL GROWTH AS WELL. 
          AND THIS BOARD HAS BEEN COMMITTED TO THAT. 
          AND YOU STARTED IN JANUARY OF 2024 AND, AND CONTINUED THAT EMPHASIS. 
          AND WE HAVE A LOT OF THINGS THAT ARE IN THE PIPELINE RIGHT NOW, ELI, LILLY, AMAZON, AND OTHER THINGS THAT DON'T ALWAYS GET A WHOLE BUNCH OF ATTENTION. 
          UH, SO ULTIMATELY WHEN THOSE THINGS START TO COME ONLINE, THAT WILL BE VERY HELPFUL TO OUR REVENUE STREAMS AT THIS POINT IN TIME. 
          THEY'RE NOT ONLINE, SO WE CAN'T ACCOUNT FOR THAT. 
          BUT IT'S BEYOND JUST NEXT YEAR. 
          WELL, IT'S, IT'S ALSO LOOKING DOWN THE ROAD FURTHER IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS AND WHAT OTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT CAN BE BROUGHT TO GLAND TO HELP US GET TOWARDS THE SPLIT THAT WE WANT FROM, YOU KNOW, 70 30 AND WORKING TOWARDS THAT ULTIMATE GOAL. 
          BUT IT'S, IT'S CONTINUED EFFORT. 
          I THINK WE'RE MAKING REALLY POSITIVE PROGRESS, BUT WE CAN'T LOSE SIGHT OF THAT. 
          WE GOTTA KEEP OUR FOOT ON THE GAS PEDAL AND KEEP GOING. 
          I MEAN, I, I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S PROPER OR NOT, BUT I, MAYBE WE SHOULD BUDGET IN THE FUTURE FOR A SURPLUS  SO WE HAVE SOME WIGGLE ROOM. 
          WE HAVE A CUSHION. 
          WE, UH, BECAUSE IT'S NOT MUCH CUSHION IN THIS, UM, I THINK YOU'LL ADMIT YOU, YOU KNOW, I COMMEND THE STAFF FOR TIGHTENING THE BELT AND, UH, REALIZING AND ACCEPTING PERHAPS THAT THEY'RE NOT GONNA GET THESE REQUESTS. 
          BUT LIKE I SAID, THEY'RE NOT GOING AWAY. 
          SO JUST KINDA WANNA JUMP IN HERE, UM, AND MAKE IT A REQUEST. 
          I THINK WE'VE GOT A, A MEETING COMING UP JOINT SESSION WITH THE EDA SOON MM-HMM . 
          SO I, I REALLY DON'T WANT TO TEASE OUT WHAT MR. LYLE SAID BECAUSE, UM, I STRUGGLE WITH THE FEAR AND YOU USE THE WORD FEAR INTENTIONALLY BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE ANY DATA TO SUPPORT IT EITHER WAY. 
          THAT IF WE DON'T HAVE PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO LIVE, HOW DO WE EXPECT ALL OF THESE COMMUNITIES TO COME HERE? SO I WOULD LIKE FOR EDA SESSION TO MAKE A REQUEST THAT SOMETHING IS DONE THAT SAYS, YOU KNOW, WHERE IS THAT IN THE THOUGHT PROCESS OF A 
          [01:05:01]
BUSINESS THAT'S LOOKING TO RELOCATE OR TO BUILD IN GLAND? WHAT IS OUR STRATEGY? WHAT IS OUR TACT BY DISTRICT? WHAT DO WE, WHAT ARE OUR TARGETS FOR GROWTH IN EACH DISTRICT, BOTH IN RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL? NOW THAT MAY ALL GET BLOWN TO HELL IF SOME OF THIS LEGISLATION GOES THROUGH AND WEST CREEK BECOMES NOTHING BUT APARTMENTS. 
          SO I'M, I'M HOPING, I KNOW WE'RE WATCHING THAT PRETTY CLOSELY, BUT I'D LIKE TO HAVE A, BE ABLE TO HAVE A STRATEGY SO THAT WE CAN KNOW SPECIFICALLY, YES, THIS TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT DOES NOT HELP US INCREASE COSTS, BUT THIS TYPE OF DEVELOPMENT IS WHAT WE NEED TO SUPPORT COMMERCIAL. 
          YEAH. 
          AND, AND DO WE NEED IT AND INCLUDE OUR NEIGHBORS? IS HENRICO BUILDING ENOUGH, UH, IN CHESTERFIELD, I GO THEY BUILDING ENOUGH AND WE'RE HAPPY? OR WILL WE BE HAPPY THAT OUR WORKERS THAT WORK HERE WON'T JUST, WON'T LIVE HERE? YEAH. 
          AND MAYBE WE WILL. 
          YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. 
          AND WE'RE KIDDING OURSELVES IF THAT, UM, DIDN'T COME UP IN ELI LILLY SELECTING TO CHOOSE GLAND. 
          SO I MEAN, I JUST, ANYONE WHO WOULD SAY OTHERWISE, I'D JUST SAY THAT'S WRONG. 
          WELL THEN I'LL SAY THAT'S, OTHERWISE I THINK ELI LILLY LOOKED REGIONALLY. 
          UH, THEY ARE, THEY THEY DID CHARLIE, UH, THEY LOOKED AT THE REGION AND, AND THERE IS, WE HAVE 13% OF THE COUNTY THAT WORKS IN THE COUNTY. 
          AND, AND SO OUR RESIDENTS WORK ELSEWHERE. 
          AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AS I HAVE FOR HENRICO AND CHESTERFIELD, MOST COMMUNITIES EXPORT WORKERS, THEY DON'T HAVE 80% OF THEIR RESIDENTS WORKING THERE. 
          UM, ONE OF THE THINGS WHEN I TOOK THE COM PLANNING COMMISSION COURSE AT VCU IS TO LOOK AT THINGS REGIONALLY. 
          THAT'S WHY I'M THRILLED TO BE ON THE R-R-T-P-O AND I APPRECIATE MRS. SPEYER'S EFFORTS WITH THE CBTA TRANSPORTATION RESIDENCES. 
          UH, ALL OF THAT IS REGIONAL. 
          THERE'S NOTHING MAGICAL ABOUT TUCKAHOE CREEK, WHERE IF YOU LIVE ON THE WEST SIDE OF TUCKAHOE CREEK, YOU GOTTA WORK ON THE WEST SIDE OF TUCKAHOE CREEK. 
          WHAT'S IMPORTANT IS THAT WE HAVE A QUALITY OF LIFE AND THE QUALITY OF EMPLOYER THAT WILL BRING PEOPLE TO THIS COUNTY. 
          BUT THERE'S NO WAY A THOUSAND AMAZON EMPLOYEES ARE ALL GONNA LIVE IN GLAND COUNTY. 
          SO WHAT'S IMPORTANT, I BELIEVE, IS THAT WE HAVE GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR ADJOINING COUNTIES, THAT WE CAN SIT DOWN WITH OTHER SUPERVISORS IN OUR ADJOINING COUNTIES AND HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW DO WE COOPERATE, HOW DO WE COLLABORATE FOR THE GREATER GOOD? THE RISING TIDE LIFTS ALL BOATS. 
          SO I I, I DON'T THINK WE CAN DO IT OURSELVES. 
          WE CANNOT BUILD ENOUGH HOUSES IN GLAND TO SUPPORT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE EMPLOYMENT BASE THAT WERE HERE. 
          DID LILY LOOK AT THE REGION? OF COURSE THEY DID. 
          DID THEY LOOK AT, UH, GLAND? THAT'S PART OF THE REGION, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S INCUMBENT UPON GLAND COUNTY. 
          THEY HAVE A HOUSE FOR EVERY PERSON THAT WOULD WORK AT CAPITAL ONE, CARMAX, ELI LILLY, AMAZON, OR ANY OF THE OTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GROUPS THAT WE'RE ATTRACTING TO THE COUNTY. 
          SO, CHARLIE, I SAID IT, I DON'T THINK IT'S A MIX. 
          YOU NEED TO HAVE IT. 
          IT'S A, IT'S A MIX. 
          IT, IT IS A MIX, BUT IT'S NOT ONE SIDED. 
          YOU KNOW, I PERSONALLY WOULD LOVE TO SEE ALL 600 OF THOSE, UH, HIGHLY PAID POSITIONS THAT ELI LILLY'S GONNA BRING. 
          I'D LOVE TO SEE 'EM LIVE IN GLAND COUNTY AND I THINK MAYBE THAT'S A GOAL TO ATTRACT, PROVIDE FOR AS MANY OF 'EM AS WE CAN. 
          THAT'S A GOOD THING. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          ALRIGHT. 
          IS EVERYBODY DONE? HASHING IT OUT. 
          . 
          SO WITH THAT, I WILL ADJOURN TO, UH, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS WILL ADJOURN AS FOLLOWS. 
          UH, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 25TH, 2026 AT 6:00 PM FOR THE JOINT WORK SESSION OF THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY AND CONFERENCE ROOM TWO 70. 
          THE MEETING IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND FOLLOWING THAT WILL BE THE MARCH 3RD, REGULAR AFTERNOON MEETING AND REGULAR, UH, PUBLIC HEARINGS IN THE EVENING. 
          AND IT, WHICH WILL ALSO BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC MEETING ADJOURNED. 
          ALRIGHT.
* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.