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order. I need a gobble. Um, call the meeting to order. Um, we'll do the pledge. might as well flagg 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. Okay. The Bvard County Adjustment Board is officially called to order. Uh I we do have a quorum. Do we need to call
roll? No, we have a quorum. And u the uh first item on our agenda is determine the amount of the petitioner's filing fee for the 2026 tax cycle and all other matters property property matters
brought before the VAB. Do we have a motion or any discussion? Any recommendations on the fee? Um what are our choices? Council anywhere from anywhere from zero to $50 per petition. So 0 to 50
and I would recommend against zero. It's been 15 for about 40 years. Okay. President, we're at 15. It's been 15 for 40 years. And um I think you gave us a little briefing. You can probably kind of give us the spread of what other some of the other counties are doing and
and why. Sure. Yeah. Since the last meeting, most perhaps all of the other uh VABs have set their filing fees. I know there's a list that the clerk has prepared uh listing several that have come out uh since the last meeting. They're all at
50. I can inform the board last week Valuchia went with 30 for this year, 25 indicated they'd be going up to 50 next year. Uh St. Lucy, I believe, was 30 as well. Broward was zero,
which it, you know, that's their choice. I don't know how that happened, but more or less I would say 90 plus percent of the VABs have gone with $50 filing fees for at least for next year. This year there's been a little bit of a a range. Some
wanted to step up, you know, go kind of halfway. It's entirely up to the board. There is no wrong answer. It's just really a business decision. I have a question. Okay. Question. Yes. Question. Um, so if we currently
right now with 15, what percentage of our expenses does that cover? Uh, we did send out the the numbers. I don't have them at my fingertips, but it was it was 10 or 20% small. Yep. So, just so um, everybody knows, I went
to many of the agencies and entities that are in line with this, including mine. That's what I asked to do, just go back. And um Dr. Indel and the others um that I spoke to were in favor of if we moved all the way up to 50, they're they're okay with that. Um I didn't know
if there was any concerns or anything and that's why I asked to go back. But to move to 50, we're good with that. So just so you know, no hold back on our end. Question. Um where does the money go? VAB. it directly uh goes to the VAB to
reduce uh the expenditures or credit against the expenditures. And what are what typically are are expenditures that the biggest are the special magistrates uh okay paying them their their hourly rate for the hearings and preparing recommendations. Uh then other than the
staff of course the next one would probably be myself and then just you know day-to-day things like meeting notices and office supplies things like that. Are we uh are we allowed to buy donuts with the money? I don't know. Get get a legal. Well, we won't pay for
a legal opinion for that. So, um the the $15 that we're charging, are we covering all of our expenses? So, we're having to taxpayers are having to supplement that. Yeah. The the way it works, anything not covered by the filing fees is paid three-fifths by the county, two-fifths
by the school board. Okay. By statute. Well, that does change the picture a little bit. So, it has been supplemented. Um what percentage of um appilies don't show? Some people just don't show, right?
I I do not know. I I really would be guessing, but 10 or 20% maybe because they've met with the property appraiser and they've worked it out or maybe they see they don't have a case so they just withdraw. But there's still I guess we still incur
cost prepping for that and reviewing. Oh yes. Okay. That's helpful. I'll commit to buying the donuts myself. Maybe that's something we do. Take turns. Take turns. Yes, sir.
May I speak? Jason Arthur, chief deputy clerk's office. Uh clerk sad off wanted to be here to address the board if you had any questions for for her. Uh unfortunately she has a family member in the hospital. this morning. So that's why she's not able to be here. So I just want to let the board know that that's that's why
the clerk is not here. If you had any questions, if you have any questions for me, I'd be more than happy to answer any that you have. Well, we appreciate you being here and wish her well and prayers to her family. Um I assume we have to supplement some of
your expenses as well. the the clerk's office does get a a um a budget from the county commission and the county and that includes the clerks for the VAB as well. Okay. All right. So, I think we're open
I was going to say I don't I don't have So, it was it's been 15 for 40 years or something. The idea of stepping up for me going in increments is always always feels better than a a jump. But if we're only covering Yeah.
10 to 15% of of what we need and that's coming out of the county chunk of it's coming out of the county budget, right? Yeah. What is the overall budget? I I don't have it at my fingertips. I'm sorry. Does anybody
Does anyone remember what it was? Um I I I don't know what the budget is for the VA. I could pull it. Uh it's not a big deal. I just think when you start talking about the taxpayers are paying a large portion of it, 80% of it and there's incred.
It's not like we're stepping up a huge amount, another $35, you know what I mean? So, my my thought process was when I looked at it and I talked to this superintendent, um they were all in favor of going to the maximum amount at $50 if we needed to because that's going to relieve a little
bit the school board a little bit of the county. We're Yeah, we're tight. It would probably have to be several hundred for it to make to cover the entire budget. Yeah. I mean, that's that's a range, but it would have to be much more than 50. Yeah.
Yeah. So yeah, I'm doing chairman, if I if I may. I'm sorry. I apologize to interrupt you. Um I just asked that if if you do increase the fee that that takes effect starting the next
VAB cycle. So even I know we're the 12th was the last day for this, but there may be some good good cause filings or whatnot. So, I'd ask that that take effect next next meeting. That is the agenda item. Okay. Yeah.
So, I did a little quick Google um uh $15 uh in 1985, 40 years ago, is equivalent in purchasing power to approximately $45 today.
So, if we went to $45, that's basically the same fee as we had 40 years ago. So every time we increase his fees, everybody else's fees, we're incurring more. And we've been doing that for 40 years. And now we're at a point where we might be able to recoup some of that. And I
think that's again, not much, but some. Right. Right. Small amount, small fraction of it. So it's up to the I'm going to support whatever the board comes up with. I'd like to make a motion that we move the
um amount for the petition filing to $45 and it's effective at the next VAB M meeting. Is that what we just discussed? Next tax cycle. Next tax cycle. There's a motion. Is there a second? Second. There a second.
Okay. Any discussion? By the way, $4516. So, we're a little bit below. Oh, by the way, um I don't know if this is appropriate. Can the board ask the staff
to maybe do an analysis of how the costs to the county are incurred once once the petitioner says, "Okay, here's my 50 bucks and here's here's my petition." It's it's it turns on the big machine,
right? And maybe Perhaps they could do an analysis of this is the county's outofpocket cost and and then up to the hearing, I guess, right? And and and then we know what the magistrate is and that kind of stuff
because right now we're kind of we just don't know what it costs, right? We could probably figure out per filing and then per hearing, which is in a lot of ways. Well, and the key is the key is is at least in my head is um
part of this increase I I would hope would def defer the people that don't show up, right? The no-shows. So, at least we know this is how much every time you don't show, this is how much we've just
burned. Can we do that? It should it it should be pretty easy to do that. I don't know if we would use our budget people to do that or if it would be the uh clerk. Uh it's an amount that we appropriate.
It should be easily accessible. Oh, the numbers available some. Yes. Yeah. It shouldn't be hard. Total number divided by what the county and school board make when it I mean it's not hard. It's just a Yeah. Yeah. Total number divided by how many there are. And yeah, that' be how interesting. It would be um
I I know I think I mentioned this in one of the previous meetings and maybe my memory is just not right. I could have sworn that we used to reimburse the $15 if they won their appeal. Not not now. I don't
might be an idea. Yeah. What's that? Might be an idea thing. Yeah. Yeah. For some reason I thought that was the case. It might be, but it was a long time ago. It was 40 years ago. believe it or not.
Okay, great. There's a motion and second to uh adjust the fee for filing for an appeal to the property racial adjustment board to $45. It is u any debate. Uh all in favor signify by saying yay. Yay.
Opposed. No opposition passes unanimously. I think that's the only item on our agenda, isn't it? That's it. We have reports. Yes, sir. I do have a a short board report. Uh, as the board knows. Oh, you you had given us the filing fees
here. Yes, sir. I asked that question. I see it. Thanks. Sorry about that. No problem. Um, there there was a petitioner or has been a petitioner who filed a lawsuit against the VAB from last year appealing her uh denial from
2024. Uh, the VAB is not a proper party to that. It's kind of like suing the judge when you appeal. You don't you don't do that. You just sue the other party on appeal. So, I filed a motion to dismiss that was granted a couple weeks ago. Um
with prejudice, meaning they can't put us back into the lawsuit. That's over. Um the period for rehearing and appeal will be over in a few weeks, meaning it's truly final. She may appeal. I don't know. I don't really have any doubt that it was the right decision. Uh
the real the only question I have for the board at this point um before moving to dismiss I filed a motion for sanctions because this is a completely frivolous type of lawsuit. That's the only mechanism that we have
available to potentially recover the legal fees incurred in this litigation. It is up to the board whether we pursue that or not. Uh it if we're going to the legal fees are are small. I would say
$1,500 or so at this point uh maybe less. Not that much for litigation. Um and I don't even know whether this individual uh Miss Velasquez is collectible. So my question for the board is whether the board would like me
to pursue that motion uh and seek to recover legal fees or or even just a judgment for those legal fees against this petitioner. And I don't have any precedent to site to the board. This hasn't come up in the uh 10 or so years I've been here. It's
completely discretionary. I guess my only two cents is it would probably cost another thousand or two to get that judgment. And in general, uh, looking at the the economics of the of the underlying, uh,
property, it seems at least uncertain whether it's collectible. So, I don't want to waste money and I don't want to pursue a taxpayer for no reason. But do you do you feel that because we don't do that more will come or no? because
that's on our schoolboard side. We sometimes grind it out just to let people know that we will not be letting them go. You know what I mean? That's all. It's it's really tough to say because in the whatever 10 or so years I've been here, this is the I believe the first
lawsuit we've had. So, it's not a big problem and the law is extremely clear. So, um in other counties when I've had these kind of lawsuits, this is the first time I've even had to argue that motion. usually I can get through to the taxpayer and they understand this isn't
the right way to pursue this in court. So I can't characterize it as a big problem that needs to be discouraged. So to recover $1,500 we might have to spend another thousand. Yeah. And and you could theoretically get that back as well, but again I don't know if that's likely or not.
My gut feeling is just let it lay. Me too. Understood. Use that time for something else. Yes, sir. And that's all. And it's big government against an individual. I don't think we did just raise the filing fees to
save people money, taxpayers money. Oh, right. But I can help pay for I will u I don't see any motion to appeal for attorney fees or file for attorney fees. So we we won't do that.
Yes, sir. That's all I have for my reports. Okay. uh my report only I have a question our next meeting do we need to schedule that today I think it's already tenatively scheduled is it not
general idea when would that be when would it once a homeowner gets through a hearing and then they decide that they're not happy with that the new um recon consideration
procedures that we set in place. But the hearings don't even start until October 20th and then after their hearing, they have 10 days, right, Aaron? Yes. to ask to decide if they want a reconsideration
hearing or not. And so from that point, we don't know if we'll get any. So to set a hearing now for something that we don't know. Yeah. just a general idea when that may be. Um, our final hearing is usually in the
end of March and so we won't meet again until March unless we have to if we have reconsiderations. Okay, that gives us a general idea. All right, cool. Thank you. And that's the only report I have. I have no report.
No report here. None. No report. Okay, good. Well, thank you so much. It's good to see you guys. We really appreciate enjoy our our meetings and uh look forward to maybe meeting in March and next year.
Definitely. Yeah. Meeting. Thank you.