At this time, uh, board of county commissioners, Bradford County, Florida, it's September 10th, 2025 5:30. Uh, this is the public hearing to adoption of the fiscal year 2025-2026 tenative millage rate and tenative
budget. Uh, at this time I'm going to ask Commissioner Spooner to open us up with prayer and flag salute. >> All standing bow your heads. Heavenly Father, we thank you for the privilege and the honor to serve you. Heavenly Father, we ask that your blessing upon each and
everyone who has come today, those who may share and Lord, we thank you for this board. Lord, we ask that you help us to show love and kindness towards one another, respectfulness toward one another. Dear Lord, may we always have
civility. Heavenly Father, we ask your kind blessing and comfort to the family of the persons who were shot today in um Utah. And Lord all of the violence that we that's country and the communities
have experienced Lord help it to tone down and help us to understand that we must show civility love towards one another and choose nonviolence to resolve our issue. We pray the Lord for
this meeting that it be productive and that we make the decision that is in the benefit of our community and in pleasing with you. In Jesus name we pray. Amen. >> Amen. I >> pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the
republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. >> All right. This time we'll call the meeting to order. Um second item is um I'll turn it over to uh our financial
director, Dana. Good afternoon board. >> Afternoon. >> The 10.00 mills needed to fund the budget is greater than the rolled back rate of 9.4660 by a margin of 5.6412%.
10.00 00 mills is expected to generate adalorum tax revenue of approximately 15,516,590. This is an increase from the prior fiscal year of 1,471,255. This is due to an increase in property values.
>> Okay. At this time, we'll call for public comments on the tenative mill rate. Um I I do have two comment cards up here. Tanya Hast. >> Okay. Uh Julia Hast please please um when I and and for this
public comment this is going to be open for any anybody and when you if you will just come up to the mic state your name and address and please just speak into the microphone please. >> Okay. My name is Julia Hasten. I live at 12917 Southeast 21st Avenue in Stark, Florida.
My taxes is going up $700 from last year. I would like to know why. Nothing's changed. >> You'd have to go to the property appraisers office and ask. >> Well, I did and they just told me that that's what it was.
I I don't know why it would go up that much. I don't know, ma'am. >> I said that that would be a question for the property appraiser. >> Okay. >> Thank you very much. >> Yes, ma'am. Thank you. Is there any other public comments
and Mr. Sure. Just to keep us in conformance with the statute, it sounds kind of repetitive, but we actually do have to state that it's the Bradford County, that this is the taxing authority. Um, and we also do need to explain that the purpose for the increased millage is to continue to
provide for the provision of safety services um for health, safety, well-being, which is the public purpose on the increase, and that the cost of providing those services has actually increased over the past year. So even though there's an increase in the property values, the cost at which the county has to provide those services has
similarly increased and that's the reason for the increase. Thank you. Okay. If if there's no other public comments, um then I'm going to ask for commissioner comments
on the tened mill rate. Okay. Hear no comments. I'll turn it back over to uh Dana. This is the presentation of a resolution adopting the tenative mill rate of 10.00 mills for fiscal year 2526. And I will
now read the title of the resolution into the record. A resolution of the Bradford County Board of County Commissioners adopting the tentative leving of advalorum taxes for Bradford County for fiscal year commencing on October 1st, 2025 and ending on September 30th, 2026 and
providing an effective date. >> Okay. >> At this time, I'll call for a motion to adopt the resolution as presented. >> I'll make a motion to adopt the resolution as read. >> I have a motion by Commissioner Daltry. >> Second. Second by Commissioner Spooner.
Any other questions? All in favor by sign of I. >> I. >> I. >> I. >> Motion carries 40. >> This is a presentation of the tenative budget for fiscal year 2526. Excuse me. The total operating tenative
budget including inter fund transfers and bond reserves for fiscal year 2025 to 2026 is 89 million541,034. >> Okay. At this time, do we have any public comments on the tenative budget for fiscal year 2025 through 2026?
Hi, my name's Bo Hast, actually Tanya, but I don't go by that. Never went by this meeting today. Where did y'all advertise at for the residents of Bradford County? Because here's the paper from last week. We're not to the one for this week and it's I didn't see
it in here. Could somebody find it for me? Where do y'all advertise these meetings at for the residents, the taxpayers, for the county? >> It's put on the trim notices that the U property appraisers office mails out. I haven't received any notice from the
property appraiser and I mean like the last meeting September the 2nd my letter stated u September the 5th and I did go into the court uh manager she was just in here the little lady brought y'all water and I asked her about that why I
didn't receive a letter that was stating the right date and uh she said well we got a stack about this thick mailed back to us but yet my cousin that lives right beside She only got a letter on the second for the second. So,
what about people that don't have computers to look at what you're talking about or they don't receive a letter that you're that's being said that it's being sent out to people? How is people supposed to know they're working? Just like now you're having this meeting. This meeting isn't on your schedule. Uh
the 25th is your next scheduled meeting. And then this one, I wouldn't have known unless I wouldn't if I had asked. I mean, it's like you're trying to sneak things in. People are working. People are just getting off work now, driving home. They don't even know about this
meeting of that budget that you're fixing to pass that I skipped that meal that the fire chief told me to skip for that tax for the fire assessment. I mean, he stated some stuff in that meeting that was just, to be honest,
quite outrageous about $400,000. I don't have a $400,000 home. And I'm sure after this meeting and me speaking cuz I'm doing a live post now to let people be aware of what's going on because I did skip that meal and I went to the library and I downloaded y'all's budget. And uh
there's a lot of questions in there. I know you don't get much time in here to speak. Um, that's why I did the live stream. I didn't get to finish it because I was real tired after an hour or so. And yes, people in Bradford County have called Doge. Uh, they're
probably not going to do nothing. And I'll tell you why I'm doing this. Because I'm probably going to lose everything for speaking. But I don't fear man. I fear God. Because I live in a fifth wheel on family property, which you're not supposed to because y'all pass that
ordinance. You're not allowed to do that. You got to go to that old campground over there in Keystone. You know, the one that they're the only ones y'all heard last week when uh you went from 500 square feet to 300 square ft for them. And the only difference
between me and them is a slab of cement. I have a permitted power pole. I guess I'm to quit, right? >> Next subject. We'll get back. >> Thank you. Is there any other public comments? Yes,
sir. Come on. >> J, please come up to the microphone. Just state your name and address. >> My name is Sam Henderson. I live at 15225 Southeast County Road 100 A. I'm in District 3. I'm out on the loop. Are the questions are going to be asked
going to be answered? >> Just if I can >> because the other night at the meeting, three minutes, no debate, no discussion. Say what you're going to say, you're done. Uh, from what I'm to understand, you guys had already made the vote and
made your decision on this assessment before the meeting. Is that correct? >> No. >> Yes. >> When was the decision made? >> That night when we had a motion and a second and we voted on it. >> Okay. Um, is is there no other alternative routes
for this financing for the fire and EMS? Sir, we've we have looked at everything that y'all mentioned from the sales tax, every possible avenue to >> But y'all went over to the budget. Y'all went over the budget that I'm looking at on my computer. Y'all went over that
budget. There's no other alternatives. There's no other avenues to go to to acquire this funds. >> No, sir. The the only other avenue is just like Chief Carter presentation um two meetings ago, three meetings ago where he did the 10% cut. Um there's
there's no doubt we could get within our means, but if we do that, and I'm not throwing out a scare tactic. I'm just telling you the facts. If if you go back to the YouTube video, you can watch it for yourself. Um we would definitely have to cut stations and the Brooker station would be totally out. You you
could not build that. >> Well, again, with the salary budget, is there not a cut in the salary budget, >> sir? the the salary budget will be up for renegotiation in 2026 and at that time that's it's a union contract and at that time that's
when we're going to >> so the residents are going to have to pay for the salaries and all of this stuff until 2026. >> Yes sir. And I don't know what the cut will be back in in 2026. I'm just saying that's when we do renegotiate the union contract. >> So there will there will be an opportunity to reassess this.
>> Not not the assessment. >> No, not the assessment but the salary budget. >> Right. Yeah. >> Why? Why can we not? Why not? Why can we not do something about this assessment? >> You can't. It's a union contract >> with who? >> With the firefighters and the uh EMS.
>> So, they made a decision to up this assessment to 167. >> No, no, no, no, no. That that was all done through the consultant. We had a consulting company come in, look at the budget, look at what we needed, and this is what they come in come up with. >> So, some of that assessment is going to be paying for the salary of the consultant as well. No,
>> no, this is all going to the whatever comes in will be going to the firefighter for fires. >> With the understanding of all that, my main issue is you guys threatened me with my property. >> Now, you said if I do not pay this
session additional assessment that you will levy a fine or you'll levy a certificate of lean on my property. That's a threat to me. Now, I I don't know about you and you guys' home, but I work really hard on my home, just like
happened. Well, I'm going to say most all the residents here in Bradford County, they spent 20, 30, 40 years in their residence. >> Yes, sir. >> And because they don't want they they don't feel and again, my thing is I feel that y'all could have taken a different avenue for this 167 instead of imposing it on the
on Bradford County. Yes. >> But there's a lot of folks in Bradford County that are that are on they're on social security. They're only making 1,200 getting 12 maybe 15. >> I I'll just make this real quick cuz we we've already made the provisions if if you can't afford it to come up here and
we made provisions for you to fill out the paperwork and if you can't afford it, you don't have to pay it. If if you're under the poverty level, we we've already made that very very clear. And um you know, so right now if if you want one firet truck for the whole county, sure, the county could do it in our
budget. But if you want firet trucks and adequate protection, then this is what it's going to cost. And that that's the bottom line. >> Question I got for you. >> Well, there's no more questions. So, I do appreciate it though, >> Mr. Chair. Just just so that we're clear. >> Sure. >> This is a public hearing that's required
by statute. This is for the tenative budget. So, this isn't the final adoption. Um, but with that tenative budget, as it's kind of outlined, this just make sure we're we're not voting on the assessment at this point. This is just the budget for We don't have to vote on the test because it's already
been voted in against the people's will, >> right? Yes, sir. So, this is just set in the tenative budget right now. >> Okay. >> Okay. Thank you. >> Okay. >> Can I make that up on >> If you have a public comment, please.
Like I was saying, I know they're coming after me cuz I made waves with our state representative about a bill because he wouldn't answer my call. Kind of like Miss Andrews got called out for not answering her phone and never returning
calls. And um I don't care, but I'm telling you, Doge ain't going to help us, but I'm going to skip some meals like that fire chief told me to. And I'm going to start copying all this because I was asking There she is right there. the county manager, the little lady,
she's real nice. Don't get all her answers, but she's real nice because when I first went in, I'd seen a post on Facebook with these salaries. Did Did y'all y'all y'all approve these salaries like 2024, 2025? Does the salaries go through y'all
>> of people of the executives? >> Yes, ma'am. >> Okay. Well, let me ask you a question. I'm just going to go to the one year, >> ma'am. Again, that's on the on the firefighter salaries. This >> No, this is this is county elected public officials. This has nothing to do with the fire department right here.
>> Okay. >> Okay. 2425 school superintendent got a raise of 25.2%. >> Ma'am, I I don't >> a total of $31,000.
But if you're approving stuff like that, >> what else did he get? schools. Yes, we're not just just so we're clear. >> We have nothing to do with a school board. >> Okay. What about the tax collector? >> I have nothing to do with a tax collector salary. >> The school district's a separate body. This board does not set that salary. And
when you talk about the salaries for the constitutional officers, those are set by statute, not by this board. And they're set by population of each county. >> Yeah. We're at 28,000 residents. >> Yes, ma'am. I'm just telling you this board does not approve those salaries.
Just so so it's clear. >> Who who does approve that? >> The legislature sets the salaries for constitutional officers by statute. The school board sets the salary for the superintendent. And the school board's its own separate taxing district, which is the whole reason why we're having our
meeting now is we cannot have our meeting at the same time that the school district goes through the same type process where they adopt their own millillage and they have their own budget. >> Okay. Well, why wasn't this meeting advertised? People aren't even aware of it. It wasn't in the paper. I have the paper. Show it to me. I mean, you know,
you you say it's on one spot, but not everybody sees that, sir. >> Clerk answered that the the meeting was advertised. >> Yes. >> Where? >> And we're and the member just tenative. We'll have the final at another time. >> So, this ain't the final tonight. >> No, ma'am. >> But it's got to be passed by the the
30th, right? >> So, the 25th meeting is when you're going to pass all this or are we going to have another surprise meeting nobody knows about? >> No, ma'am. Thanks. Okay. All right. Thanks. Any other public comments?
Okay. Hear none. Okay. Moving on. Dana, >> this is the pre this is the presentation of the resolution adopting the tenative budget of 89 541034 for fiscal year
2526. I'll now read the title of the resolution into the record. A resolution of the Bradford County Board of County Commissioners adopting the tenative budget for Bradford County for fiscal year commencing on October 1st, 2025 and ending on September 30th, 2026,
providing an effective date. >> At this time, do I have a motion to adopt the resolution as presented? >> I make a motion to adopt it. >> Motion by Commissioner Andrews. >> Second. >> Second by Commissioner Spooner. Is there any other questions?
All in favor by sign of I >> I >> I. Motion carries 40. >> Okay. The last thing I have is I need to announce the date for a public hearing to adopt the final millage rate and budget for fiscal year 2025 to 2026. It
will be on Tuesday, September 23rd, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. here in the commission meeting room. Okay. >> Thank you, board. >> Everybody got that? Tuesday, September 23rd at 5:30 right here. >> I just I just told you what the date is.
>> This will be advertised in the telegraph. Um the first tenative hearing is always advertised on the trim notice that the property appraisers office sends out which they sent that out on August 15th. I can't speak to them. Y'all will have to talk with them, but I can at least tell you that this final
hearing that's on me to have to advertise and I will be doing that in the paper. >> Okay. All right. All right. Meeting a journal.