Good. How are you? Yeah, we have Hello. actually Excuse
me, Mr. Excuse me. Not on my watch and not on the clock. Oh. Oh, wow. We got to wait one minute according to Yeah. Yeah. Well, sign up for public forum, sir. If they got to get up and leave, please pause. Speaker, I can't I can't make another commissioner
stop. I understand where you're coming from. Yeah, but yeah, I understand. But that's Yeah, I was You can You can address it at the podium if you have an issue with it, but I I can't regulate in other commissioners what they do. So, I think I understand. Okay. I hear an agent working. All right. Where's the thing I have to read? Okay. Good evening everyone and welcome to our uh second budget meeting September 23rd, 2025. It's 501. Uh please turn your cell
phones to the vibrate silence or offsetting. The board of county commissioner allows any person to speak regarding of an item on the agenda. The speaker is limited to three minutes unless otherwise determined by the chairperson to allow sufficient time for all speakers. Speaker shall refrain from any abuse or profane remarks, disruptive outbursts, protests, or other conduct which interferes with the orderly conduct of the meeting upon completion of the public comments period. Discussion is limited to the board members and questions raised by the board. Um, we'll go ahead and start and have a moment of silence. If you wouldn't mind standing with me,
please bow your head for just a minute and Okay. Thank you. Commissioner Stroberger, will you do the pledge? Yeah. Please join me for the pledge of allegiance. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.
Okay. Uh Elena, do we have proof of publication? Mr. Chairman, the second public hearing for consideration of the final budget for fiscal year 2025 2026 was advertised in the Pensacola News Journal on September 18th, 2025 in the board's weekly meeting schedule. The notice of proposed tax increase and the budget summary for fiscal year 2025 2026 were advertised in the Pensacola News Journal on September 19th of 2025. And the 502 and 503 PM public hearings were advertised
in the Pensacola News Journal on September 10th of 2025. Okay. Thank you very much. Uh board, do I have a motion to adopt? So move, Mr. Chairman. All right. Please vote. Motion passes 5. Thank you very much. Okay. Okay, we're at board action 501. We have one speaker. It's public hearing for consideration of the final budget for fiscal year 2526. Wes, would you like to do your stuff and then we'll have public speakers come up? Sure. Okay. Mr. Chairman, commissioners, this is the second of two required public hearings for the board
to adopt the fiscal year 2526 budget. At his first public hearing held September the 9th, 2025, the board of county commissioners adopted the tenative millage rates and budget for fiscal year 2526. The law requires that prior to to consideration of the final budget and an explanation of the roll back rate be provided and entered into the records. The roll back rate is a computed millage rate that would generate the same amount of adalorum tax dollars as a prior fiscal year based on proposed year's tax role excluding new construction. The millage
rates tenatively approved by the scammy county board of county commissioners on September 9th, 2025 are 6.6165 for the countywide millage rate 3590 for the library municipal services taxing unit and 6850 for the sheriff's law enforcement municipal municipal services taxing unit. The aggregate of these millage rates proposed for fiscal year 2526 is 4.83% 83% above the roll back rate of 7.1312 certified by the property appraiser. This represents percentage increase
in property taxes tentatively adopted by the board. Staff has recommended one amendment to the fiscal year 2526 tenative budget. This amendment is for an increase of 44,41,563 is for recommended adjustments to the tenative budget. The revised budget will result in a balanced unified budget of $868,481,713, which is 8.7% more than the adopted fiscal year 2425 budget of 798,672,479,000.
Thank you. U Mr. Administrator, we do have one speaker for 5-1. Mary Kenopka, you're up. Hi, I'm Mary Kopka and I'm here to oppose such an increase in our taxes. The millage rate, there's just I don't see a reason for it. We've had a lot of growth in the county and that new growth should subsidize new infrastructure. Um, but it probably won't because we have such
substandard wastewater stuff going on and holding ponds. So, I wish that y'all would talk about it. tighten up a little bit, get everyone involved like the developers. Um so that we don't have to that the taxpayer doesn't have to be the one to suffer over this. That's all I have to say. We need a roll back on the millillage. Thank you, Mary. Um Mr. Marino,
we're at 52 on the community partner discussion if you would like to proceed with that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Commissioners, we are requesting that the board make a final determination tonight regarding the funding amount to be allocated to each of our community partners. This funding determination is necessary to prepare the fiscal year 2526 community partner funding agreements and to issue the associated purchase orders in a timely fashion. These purchase orders will come before the board for formal approval in October of 2025. Thank you, Mr. Administrator. There are five speakers on five desk on the community
partner discussion. Our first speaker will be Pastor Joseph Marshall. If you're out there, please come up to the microphone. You're able to speak. And Andrea Rollsteads on deck. Hello. Greetings, Mr. Chairman, as well as all of the other um district representatives. It is a privilege and a pleasure to be here today um to have this opportunity to speak concerning the community partnership specifically speaking concerning the Jazz Fest. Uh Mr. Banks happens to
be one of my members um as I've served as senior pastor of St. John Divine Baptist Church as well as the vice president for the Florida General Baptist Convention for the state of Florida. And I want to cite some numbers that I'm certain that all of you have in front of you or that was emailed if you will. and that is concerning the Jazz Fest. As far as the economic impact, there were 3,986 individuals that attended the Jazz Fest this past weekend starting Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. There was also 68% of visitors who came from outside of Escambia
County. There was also 3,530 rooms that were occupied a during this time as well. As far as an economic impact, there was nearly $2.1 million economically as well as more than $1.3 million that was spent here in Escambia County. Last but not least, 27,7 27,228 was spent in tax revenue. What I've just cited certainly is the science of the Jazz Fest. I
want to speak by way of practicality because after preaching on Sunday I had the opportunity my wife and I to go down to the jazz fest and again that's the science but I want to speak of something that does not show up in this research that was conducted by way of that which was quantitative. I want to talk about that which was qualitative because I had the opportunity to run in one of my frat brothers from New York City who was at the Jazz Fest. also had an opportunity to run into one of my friends who was here from Detroit, Michigan who was at the Jazz Fest. Ran into individuals
from California who was here at the Jazz Fest. I saw black folk, I saw white folk, I saw Hispanic, Latino, you just name it. There was all kinds of folk. And everyone was having a darn good time. There was so many smiles. There was so much line dancing. There was people with fans popping them and all of that sort of thing. Me being a pastor, if I had a fan, I think I would have popped it as well. Um, however, because I knew members were watching, I decided to remain pastoral
and keep my composure. However, uh, my wife got out there, but um, regardless, I just wanted to stand and express my support for the Jazz Fest and what Cadilllet Banks has been doing. And I also want to thank the city for your support by way of the past years. This city has been quite gracious um to brother Banks and I appreciate that and pray that you would consider um voting in favor of him continuing the jazz fest. Thank you so much. Thank you, Pastor Marshall. Thank you, pastor. I I miss
church, but I didn't miss the jazz festival. So, and get to church, Lumen. You need it. They only serve wine in church. I drink beer. All right. Our next speaker is Andrea Rollstead. Thank you, Andrea. And Tamika Harper's on deck. It's your time, ma'am. Thank you, sir. Good afternoon, good evening, fellow commissioners. I appreciate the short opportunity to speak.
The reason I'm here is I was very dismayed at the TDC meeting last month. Um, Commissioner Hoffberger, I know you sat at that meeting and you and I have had discussions on other topics when you first took office at the end of the year. I'm very passionate about this. I want us to try and find a way that we can get support to keep this jazz fest going not only in
2026 but in out years well beyond that Cadillac and I and as you may have seen I've sent the commissioners an email about three four hours ago I have raised my hand and stepped forward and had two conversations in the last week with Cadillac and I am committed to help him and his team look at new ways that we can partner together not only with the city, county, the various chambers so we
can get the support through volunteerism and other means. So, I'm asking now that we've heard what the economic impact has been over the weekend that we try and get some assistance so we don't have to shut this down next year. Thank you. Thank you for your comments, ma'am. Tama Harper, are you out there? Okay, Tama, come on up. And then Mr. Banks, William Banks, you're on deck.
Good evening, commissioners. Uh, I'm in support of y'all voting for us to continue the uh, jazz festival because I'm now resident of uh, Escambia County. I was in Santa Rosa County some years ago. When I first moved to uh, Santa Rosa County to Escambia County, there was nothing going on. We had to go all the way to Panama City to enjoy jazz. And I would rather spend my dollars in Escambia County than going all the way to Panama City to give my money. So,
I vote in favor of f for f further funding for the jazz festival here to stay right here in Pensacola, Scambia County. Thank you for your comments, M. William Banks. Mr. Banks, I thought I saw you out there. Come on up. And then Andrea uh Roberts, you're on deck. Good evening, commissioners. My name is William Banks. Most of y'all know me by Cadillac. Um,
I miss church, too. Um, trying to produce this thing. I'm sorry, pastor. We're gonna have another moment of silence for you. First of all, I want to thank this board and as I look back, let me look at my time. As I look back, um, this board has always supported the Jazz F. I remember when we first started, it was nothing. It It was like pulling teeth to try to get people to come here. Now we have people um coming in from all over the country, from overseas. It's a great event. That little thing with TDC, I mean,
I I don't really want to relitigate that. Um what what I'm here for now is asking for the 250 so we can do the 10th year anniversary. Um this past weekend, we had a flyover, surprisingly fly over by the Blue Ancient. I had nothing to do with that. Okay. People have been calling me. That was not me. Um, I didn't know where they came from, but they did a little maneuver over the park. It It is a It's a great event. And And I would And every time I come up here,
I try to invite this board to come see. I mean, I know it's some kind of things that y'all can't do, but you can come and observe. You know, it's not like you I'm giving you tickets or anything. You can come and observe and see what type of what the dollars are really being spent on. and and that's that's where I'm at with this. Thank you very much. Can I ask you a question? Yes, sir. So, obviously you've been working hard to get this saw a lot of emails and and I've got a lot. Um, thank you. You said that's that's what you should do. I called the chairman of the TDC and I just want to
bounce this off you since I know we're going to get conversation here in a little bit, but do you need 250 or do you need something a little less because I was told you need a little bit less to make it go. What's the actual number? Cadillac. What what happened? How that 250 came about was for this year cuz we created a extra day. That's where that come from. So if it's a little less, you know, we can probably live with 200 if it's if it's possible. Commissioner Chairman, I just had a question because I I called the chairman of the TTC. I was kind of I was kind
of just wondering how how it didn't get through. So and so we had a conversation. I just wanted to hear your position. I could I I could live with that, you know. Um I can Okay. Commissioner May, do you have a comment? Thank you, Mr. Chairman. And Kell, if you just sit there for a second. So, Mr. Chairman, is there a number in your head in Kell? Let's talk about the ROI. Uh what's the impact uh on heads and beds on on the numbers? So, if there's a reduction in 200, what does that look
like? If there's a reduction, I don't know. Or if it's level funding, uh what does that look like? And if it's a little less, how does that look? Well, I think based on the the the the dollar amount, the dollar amount, you have to start from the beginning looking. It's all about the talent. So, if you want the best of the best talent cuz we not the only one that have a jazz festival. Um, you know, they all they done popped up all over the country now. So, my job is to try to get the best of the best when I could get them. Sometime in seem like that number just go up. they want
to add 10,000 here. All of them little numbers just go up. So what we just had this past week, you know, we was lucky to get that. I'm already talking with the booking agencies now about how many jazz festivals going to be on top of us. That's very important that we get on top of the game for other jazz festival get on top of us and take up all the artists. I'm trying to get the artist to Pensacola. So that's basically the 200. I mean, maybe I would have to um drop off one or two headliners, you know, I mean, to make it work, but we'll make it
work. We'll get these people back to Pensacola, and that's the whole the whole purpose of this thing is to make them come here. Okay. And and the reason I say that, Mr. chairman. I mean obviously um you know I'm going to support the jazz festival kell as as I always have uh trying to figure out the happy medium of where we are recognizing that we do have a tourist development council that for whatever reason and I have a colleague who sits on that board and and would love to hear from her rejected it. Um so Kell when we talk about heads and beds and where this money's come from
uh I heard some stats from the pastor but can you just briefly give the stats of the results of what happened in terms of the survey that we hold everyone else and hold on like one second and so and then do a comparative analysis to the other events that we fund and how the does your event compare to heads in bed sales tax during other events according to the survey and you know and I didn't do the survey, but just reading the survey and based on the numbers that came from the survey, I think it was 35 or 600 room night 35 or 3600 room nights for that for this festival this
year. Um, thank you Stephan. I can always count on you. And according to this, if we go back and look at these numbers, yeah, that is correct. Um, it actually it said it actually attracted 3,986 unique visitors to Escamia County and that 68% were visitors from outside of Escambia County. But as to the bed nights, it goes on from what I'm seeing is that it attracted, let me get my
paper right. Uh, where is it? It was um 3,530 room nights were generated um by this festival. Stephan, how does that compare to other events that we fund in terms of return on investment? Commissioner, um I would say that it it certainly is comparable. It's been a successful event uh since since the county has contributed to uh Jazzfest over the years. Um, every event is going
to have different room nights, different economic impacts, but typically what you would hear, let's say, the chairman of the TDC is we're trying to grow different types of events to have more things going uh in the off season, if you will, so so that we keep our heads in beds, we keep generating TDT dollars ultimately that come back to the county and get reinvested. So, um, in my opinion, I think he's got, uh, decent, uh, metrics for the type of event that he has. Um,
certainly, uh, Martyra is going to have something a little bit different. Um, it just depends. Every each of our events that we fund is certainly unique uh, in its in its own way. I know the TDC um and uh Commissioner Hoffberger have been looking at what is a good metric, what is something that we can measure against each one. What makes sense? Um I think that we are actively working on that staff as far and with the TDC to to make what is going to be
um a a good comparison to to apply to each of our uh partners that receive TDT funding. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, Commissioner Hopper, do you have your light on? I do. So, I did go through and I pretty much divided up the number of rooms by their ask. So, how much are we spending per night to get someone in a hotel room? So, based on the numbers that Mr. Banks just gave, that would be about $70 a night that we're paying to get someone here. The Pensacola Yacht Club program
that we sponsored, we're paying about $48 a night to get someone here. And for the Pensacon event, we're paying $58 a night to get someone here. So that is still significantly higher. Based on the numbers that he turned in for the application process, he was expecting 2,700 room nights with a goal of 2,800 ticket sales. So I think that might be a little bit off, but with those numbers, it would have been $92 a night. Is that why um is that why you believe the TDC rejected it? I wasn't
there. So that was part of it. We are looking for how how much are we paying to get people here per night? So essentially what is the ask divided by the number of room nights? Um and then there were also some questions with your application. And when we went through and asked those questions, you got really defensive and we were unable to get some of those answers. Okay. So, Commissioner Hawberger, so what's the range? What's the lowest ROI? I I heard you say 90 and then 58 and Kell
hits at about 70. So, what's the range of the ROI in terms of the TDC dollars that you guys analyze? Um, so the 90 was initially on what he submitted for the application, what we actually funded. Um, the Pensacola Yach Club event, we're at $48. Um, and then the Pensacon event, we were at $58. That's just my matrix. That is how I kind of do a quick glance over things. I don't know how the other board does it like Stephan mentioned. Absolutely. We're working on a way to be more consistent, but there are more events, correct, than those just those three. So, I mean, I'm I'm
just trying to figure out Yeah. You What's the mode, the medium? Great question. We did mix the funding on quite a few events. Um, so we have the Pensacon event that we're still doing, Fourth of July events, and what's the Marty? What's the cost per unit on that on those events? Fourth of July, Pentacon. What are those? I don't have those. I can go through and get them, but I can tell you most of the rooms downtown and on the beach are booked out for both of those holidays. Right. Can
I ask a quick question? And and the only thing I would say Oh. I I'd love to see that just because in all fairness to to Mr. Banks and so you know we want to meet a resolution uh in terms of rather if I'm funding the Blue Angels and it cost me $3,500 to live on the beach versus am I funding in the middle of the end of September when it only cost me $112. Fund Blue Angels. Well what that's not what I'm I'm saying. It would be a good spendo what I'm saying I I'm not saying we're funding it. I'm saying that room rates differ depending on the time of year. Right. Right. And and so there
has to be a multiplier. Not only room rates, I mean things that benefit this community are sales tax. I can just tell you, I don't have the numbers. Well, I would love to have them, but I can just tell you that I frequently visit all of downtown and I've talked to restaurant owners uh and they're from Jackson's restaurant to Five Sisters to all of downtown. Um this weekend, all of them had great numbers. And so, I mean, if we're going to do a comparative analysis, we have to be in all fairness to what the TDC board does. We need to see what his real
economic impact is. And we're I'm not going to sit there and compare it to two events. We have to compare it to every event. And if there's not an ROI, thumbs up. But if it is, I mean, there's a cultural event. I mean, culture tourism is is is I mean, bad word culture, but it is important. I just took the two smaller events. So, but if we could find other events, I would feel better to have that analysis than to X someone out without knowing exactly laying out all of the matrix of every number of every event because he has to be compared to every single event that we fund. So,
so the other events are much larger events. I just took the smaller, more niche events because I felt like that would have been a bit better comparison. And with the TDC board, the point that you just brought about the whole economic impact that was actually brought up to the board, but what refills the pot of money for TDC or the room nights. So whereas economic impact is really important and it is part of what we consider the biggest part that we consider is how are we going to refill that money to make sure that we can fund events in the future and board we're still in public form. I don't mind if we keep doing this at No, I don't want to debate and I only did that but
I do the question and Mr. K was up there and she made that statement. So I have two questions and I actually think events make our community better. So you know I I I think they they make us see things in a different lens that often times helps us as a community. I found two things I want to just know because I don't know Cadillac. Are you a non-alcoholic event? People bring whatever they want. I just can't bring any glass containers. I do not sell alcohol. Okay. that I'm not saying you should, but I know a lot of things I don't like selling it because then you become liable
if somebody leave there and have a wreck. That's on the So, that's true. I just didn't know that. And then the second thing on ticket prices, do you have a migration of your ticket prices? Have they collectively went up over the years or they've stayed stagnated? Well, they kind of go up each year. They might go up $10 or $5 each year. You in this market, you cannot you cannot because the problem we have is ticket master with those feeds. So, you got to you got to think about the fees when you start pricing your event. If you price it too high, I don't care what artist you got here,
they're not coming. So, you have to take that in consideration. Now, you could ease it up5 or $10 every year, but you can't hit them across the head with 25, 30 or $40, $50 on a ticket what they pay maybe $100 for the following year. That's how you have to do it. I just was curious. Yes, sir. Yes, sir. All right, Commissioner Chairman, we'll keep trucking on here. Yeah. Yeah. Well, hold on, Mr. Chairman. I mean, because this is obviously the amount of attention that's been brought to this event is critical uh to our community. Uh just one more question, Cadillac,
and I was in the TDC meeting. Um and so, and I believe other you are for-profit or not for profofit when you receive uh public dollars, I mean those public dollars, you know, have to be acknowledged. Um have you shared your 990s and and have you shared your 990s with the TDC and to or your tax return, your 99 your tax return or your balance sheet. Has that been shared? Well, it was a question about whether I can turn it, whether I would have to do a financial statement, which would cause you to get an accountant, which could cause you to spend5 or $10,000,
or can I turn in my tax? I talked with the county budget office said, "Turn in your tax returns." And you've turned in your tax three years of tax returns. But for some own unknown reason, at the first TDC meeting, Patel was saying, "Well, I only got one page." At the second meeting, they were saying, "Well, we only got three pages." But and that's fine. I I don't want to go back into what you did, Tennessee. But have you turned them in? Is just Yeah, I turned them in. That's all we need to know. They're turning in correct, Stefan.
Yes, sir. What? Cell is correct. Thank you, sir. Thank you. Okay. Calac, I don't know. You may want to sit up here after we get done with public form. There may be more questions, but just I appreciate you taking the time to answer the board. Thank all y'all on this board for cons reconsidering it. Okay, we're still in public forum. Thank you, Kadillac. Andrea Roberts is up next. Is Andrea out there? And then uh Jerry McIntosh is on deck. Good evening. Andrea Roberts. I'm the managing attorney with Legal Services of North Florida.
We historically have received your support in the past for our services and I'm just here in terms of if anyone has any questions for our organization. Commissioner May, is your light on or Okay, I guess there's no questions. Thank you for coming and and asking for support, ma'am. Thank you, Jerry McIntosh. Jerry, Mr. chairman, board members, um I think this is one of the greatest events on this in this area
um that I've went to and I've gone to many jazz uh festivals around the country uh from Chicago to New Orleans to the Seab Breeze to uh New York. And for the price and as a taxpayer here, I would rather spend my money where I live. And I think this is the greatest event, one of the greatest events that's been put on in this in uh this area in Escamia County. So I'm here to
uh ask you to support and continue to support um Mr. Banks on what he's doing uh because we are supporting him as well by participating in these events and just want to thank you and just say, you know, continue to support this event. Thank you, Mr. McIntosh. Uh, Brian Wire, I see you were an add-on. Oh, they Hey, Brian, come on up. Hello, commissioners. I just wanted to talk speak personally about the jazz festival this weekend. I
attended all three days. I was there from 11:00 to 9:00 at night at the events. I sat next to people from the event that came from New York, Texas, Louisiana. the people that I talked to who are visiting in town, they love Pensacola so much actually bought a house here so they can come and visit back and forth and economic impact to people in our local community is very great from that event. From the vendors that are selling food and selling uh items, they make money for the event from the people that attend the area locally and be able to uh bring in their food and drinks for
Cadillac's events. And if you went to the event, you'll see it was completely packed. I mean, the whole area was packed. It was 88 degrees, feels like 99 degrees. People were there the whole entire time for six hours looking at it. Um, from thinking from a chamber comype type type perspective, the economic impact locally for the small businesses, for the people in the community that went out to have food, say the Airbnbs, it's really hard to calculate a lot of those numbers because I didn't see a lot of surveying going on to survey the people that were there. But the experiences from talking with them one-on-one from talking to the artists, these are international
artists that are coming in out of town to be here and perform. And they spoke about how they love Pensacola. It's one of their favorite venues looking out at the bay and seeing the crowds attending attending the event. It was really phenomenal. I hadn't really been for three full days before in the past. It's my first time coming for three days and it was just exciting. We had 12 people there ourselves personally there. They came from Texas, they came from Louisiana, and they also came from the uh Mississippi to come to the event with us as a family. And the the fellowship that we spent was invaluable. But the economic impact was truly remarkable. People bought wagons,
they bought tents, they bought all the supplies in the area to help support the community. And those things are very hard to calculate, but if you ever go to the event and see it in person, you'll be astonished on how well it's done, how professional it is, how there was no fighting or arguing. there. People just had peaceful times and they stayed there the entire day and really enjoyed it. So, I would definitely support or from any perspective that you can help support the event. It brings a lot to our community and removing it from our community would definitely be a bad thing for the support of our local community here involved in the area. So, I just want to
say thanks again Cadillac for put on an amazing event. Had a wonderful time and looking forward to hopefully being there next year as well. Thank you, Brian. I appreciate your comments. All right. I just wanted to make sure administratively we're on track here. So, we're we don't have to vote on 5152 right now. So, we'll go into public forum and um board. We have six speakers. Our first speaker is Martha Bunting. Is Martha out there? And Tim Myers is on deck.
Good evening, commissioners. Ma'am, will you pull? Yeah, thank you. We can't hear you. Martha Budging. I'm a native Pensacolian. I support what you're trying to do and I want our firefighters to have the equipment and buildings they need and our citizens to have access to a nearby fire station. I believe you've not really considered the consequences of this budget proposal. How is it efficiency in government if your budget proposal endangers the most vulnerable
citizens to potentially lose the title to their homes, have their credit affected, and maybe have nowhere to go. These are not just numbers on a page. This proposal has real world implication. If our credit is affected, how can we find other affordable housing? There's insufficient affordable housing here. Consider that seniors have way more expenses than are younger people. We need more frequent eyeglass prescriptions, more medications,
expensive hearing aids, mobility equipment, and Medicare and supplements are very expensive. Also, my teacher friend clued me into the fact that there are many grandparents raising grandchildren. But once our title and credit are affected, what is your remedy for us? What if the housing authority is overrun with requests for help? What if there's no available public housing? Now, I'm not an Escambia County Commissioner, but I have a solution. I would ask
that you prioritize the fire projects, schedule only one project per fiscal year, which bring would bring down the nonadville tax figure. But let me be clear, if once even one citizen loses their housing, the title to their housing due to your unwillingness to implement another solution, then one is too many. And this is not servant leadership. So this does not jive with your oath
of office to support and protect Escambia County citizens. Thank you. Thank you ma'am for your comments. Tim Meyers. Is Tim out there? And then uh Jacob Rockwell's on deck. Hi Tim. Thank you. Hey you guys. Hello everyone. Can you hear me? Yes sir. Okay. Okay, I guess the last time I didn't speak good. Um, all right.
Good everyone. Regarding the firefighter tax increase, this is a $10.7 million increase proposal that didn't pass the sniff test coming right out of the envelope. It's simply Trojan unicorn shell game with our taxes. Mathematically and financially impossible to quantify, Mr. Hall. Specifically, the entire board is about to commit the largest tax fraud scheme we've seen in our county. Fact, Scami County general budget was 375 million last year and received an
increase in tax revenue into the general fund from all new developments just last year alone of $50 million. You can budget from that. The money's always been there, paid for us by our yearly property taxes and new developments. It's incumbent on you to steward it wisely. If one penny of our stated tax freeze goes anything other than the firefighters pay, it's defrauding the citizens. It may incur criminal charges. At the last budget meeting, uh
I'm I recommend you all uh take this back to your desk and rethink it. At the last budget meeting, unbelievable. I'm glad I left when I did. It was an epic disgraceful disrespect of the entire board ignoring all 30 speakers and that offends all of us. You had your mind made up before we even came here. All right. They have had a raise in the last 11 years, and I'll get into that here in a minute. Whoops, I skipped a page. Okay. The proposed firefighting budget requested is going from 31
million this year to 34 million next year. That's only a $3 million increase, not 10.7 million. This is fid fidiciary irresponsibility. Mr. uh Mr. Hall, you need to fact check me because I did your job and fact checked you. Mr. Stroberg, I told you your last meeting not to lie to me. You blew that. I'll continue to investigate this matter to conclusion. The facts are, Miss Miss Hoffberger, you claim the tax raises only for the firefighter raise in pay. In fact, as of last week, I has to sign up $1,549 an hour. But that equates to $43,000 salary a year. That's
10. That's a $10 million in your general budget you're putting into the firefighter funds. Guess what? If we double it, they go to $86,000 a year salaried. Working two days a week, five days off in the last year alone. One fire structure per station per month. That was all that was worked if you average it out. Not hard to figure out if the text. Yeah, I just said that. Destin makes $51,000
a year starting. Milton 38,000. That's simple demographics. In Destin, they have a lot higher uh Mr. M final wrap up your thoughts, please. Oh, I'm sorry. Now, I'd like to caution the board here. 25 seconds. Uh Paradise Beach never had a fire station by any insurance definition. Verified fact. They had an unmanned firet truck garage. So, this board is putting everyone there claiming
ISO insurance rating reduction for fire services can have their fire their home insurance revoked for insurance. Mr. Myers, you're going to have to wrap up. I'm sorry. I gave you enough time. Jacob Rockwell, I gave you more than your time. I can't give everyone that. We got to be fair. Jacob, you're up next back and the USA doesn't even use ISO rating. Tim, thank you for your comments. I appreciate it. So, at the end of the day, you guys put that out there that it was a fire state. Jacob, you're up. Tim, you have to you have to leave the mic. I know you don't want to,
but you're going to have to. Get this together here. So, Diana Wrestler is up next after Jacob. I can donate it to the fire station. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Myers. Jacob, you're up. Thank y'all. Y'all probably aren't going to like what I have to say. I'm here to talk about 4 to one. the 4 to1 majority that Republicans have on this council. As a Republican voter, I got to tell you, it doesn't feel like we have a 4 to1 Republican conservative majority. Feels like we have a swamp
creature majority. We should be able to advance a conservative agenda in this county uninhibited, but we aren't. So why not? Why does the budget keep growing exponentially more than the rate of inflation? Why do local property taxes keep going up? Why are we hosting a drag queen Christmas? We can't Why can't we get a Charlie Kirk Boulevard? I'll tell you why. The Republican majority on the BCC is being afraid to call an ist, a racist, a fascist, a Nazi. The left marched in here
last week, called y'all racist, slandered Charlie Kirk as racist, and the four of y'all folded like China made lawn chairs. Not one of them offered an actual quote, and I'd bet my bottom dollar that not a single one of them have ever listened to a second of Charlie Kirk outside the CNN sphere. As a matter of fact, Dr. Alvida King put out videos in support of Charlie Kirk, saying anyone who despares the man is not displaying good Christian values and that he was in fact a great man. So, seeing the four of you capitulate to the left in the face of the lies and slander while you
continuously give your constituents like me the proverbial middle finger on every issue is very telling. We are watching the way you vote. But there is hope. I'm here to tell you that no matter what you do, the left will always call you an ist. Dehumanizing you is their only go-to. It's their entire brand. It's really difficult to have middle ground with people who just call you a racist or a bigot or a Nazi or a threat of democracy anytime they don't get their way. The same people that will call you anist are the same people that will look at you with a straight face and tell you
that Jimmy Kimmel getting a three-day suspension from his private employer was a bigger attack on free speech than Charlie Kirk being assassinated. All while they danced on his grave. The cognitive dissonance is really remarkable. I mean, it's almost to the point we don't live in the same reality. And you're worried about community division. That ship has sailed. So if you with a 4 to one majority bow down every time someone comes in here and screams ist at you, you will not inspire much confidence in your voters. But if you stand for what you ran on, conservative values,
we will stand behind you and support you. We just don't want we want Republicans with fangs. We want representatives who will show their teeth. And if you are too afraid of the name calling to push the conservative platform in this county, do us all a favor and resign so the voters can elect somebody who will. Because as it stands, Miss Hoffberger is the only one of you that has shown any real grit even though those votes are going 5-0. So we are going to be watching y'all's response over this drag queen Christmas debacle because y'all fumbled the
ball on Charlie Kirk. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Rockwell. Diane Wrestler and Mark Hills on deck. Good evening. Good evening. Good evening, ma'am. I just wanted to say that I don't want y'all to double that fire insurance. I'm struggling now to pay the 125 now. And I don't know what I'll do if you double it because if I don't pay it, you're gonna take my home. I've been there 50 years and
now I worry about it being taken from me. And I don't think y'all got that right because y'all don't pay my mortgage. You don't pay my homeowners insurance. And you don't pay my repairs on my house. So y'all have no right to take my home because I can't afford to pay fire insurance. I worry all the time about paying it. So, I'm hoping y'all do not double it, please. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Russell, for your comments. Mark Hill,
if you're out there. Okay, Mark, come on up. And then Mike um Citager, I'm assuming I'm saying that right. Mike Citiger, if I'm saying it wrong, you're up next. Go ahead. Thank you, commissioners. My name is Mark Hill. I live in District One. Uh just a little bit about myself. I'm a retired firefighter paramedic um with roughly 30 plus years on the job. Um
I am pro- fire rescue. Some of my time was actually spent here in Escambia County. Um I did roughly 13 years with the county in EMS. And I will say that I am for firefighters getting paid and being paid correctly. But I'm not supportive of the taxing of the way you're doing it. I think there's a better way. I think there's another way you can do it. And I don't think you've figured
that out yet. And I think you're shooting from the hip. Maybe trying to just save the grace. Okay. So, I know pretty much you're all going to vote for it because you've been pushed to do that. And I've got a few questions that I want answers to. Everybody here probably wants them, too, but they probably haven't thought about them. What are we getting for what we're paying you? What are you going to give us? The status quo, or are we going to raise the bar? Are we going
to increase the quality of service that we're that we're paying for? Are you going to put full ALS engine companies at every fire station and put an ambulance in every fire station to sacrif uh to to reduce our response times or EMS and fires response times and get better coverage for the people that are paying those taxes. That's what we want. If you're going to raise it, you better raise the bar because if you're not, you're not giving us our bottom dollar of what we want. Okay? I mean, that's my expectation of all of you. Okay. Um, what about requirements?
I know where there's across the board. There's a standard fire certification you got to have. I've got it. Okay. But are you going to require upper echelon, lieutenants, captains, battalian chiefs? Are they going to be required to have bachelor's degrees to get payraises? Are they required now to have that? Same thing with the fire chief. Most cities this size, they require their fire chief to have a minimum of a master's degree and a minimum of an EFO or a CFO through the National
Fire Academy. Desires have that. I don't know. I know some of the guys on the department. I've worked with them. I've even worked with the chief. I've taught with him before as a fire instructor. The other thing is incentive pays. I know that the state where I the department that I worked at before I retired, each merit badge that you got, whether you were a hazmat or whether you were a lieutenant or fire officer one, fire officer two, you got a certain amount of money that
was allotted to that department through the state and then the county or the the district or city or have to wrap up your thoughts would match that. Is that being done? Okay. And the last thing that I've got for you is the statement that Cadillac made earlier. I think it was profound that when he said, "You can't just hit them with it all at once. Don't hit us with it all at once." Okay. You should have never done that. Thank you, Mark. I appreciate your comments. Mike Steer or
Sitiger. I don't know. Am I saying it wrong, sir? Please. I butchered it the first time. Okay. Well, you help me out. Educate me on how to say your last name. Oh, I'm here to talk about the uh tax increase. I'm opposed of it. I think it's ridiculous. I mean, I watch my homeowners insurance go up and then I look at the taxes at the end of the year to pay and I think it's crazy. I think it's absolutely crazy. I got a question, a few questions. There was a sidewalk that was poured from Wet up Longleaf all the way down all the way through to uh um Kemp and goes
all the way up camp to where where camp stops. There's nothing there. The kids don't even walk on that sidewalk. It's there. What was it? Just something to do to to pour money into a area with there's no there's no housing in there. A few houses up along camp and a church and that's it. And I got another one. The sheriff's department. I've called the sheriff's department numerous times. I walk my dog, my wife, my wife and I walk our dog every morning. We go down. We go up
Chicago to Christopher from Christopher to Ferris. And we got people that fly down through there. And there's kids along that road that are waiting for the bus. And they fly down that road. It seems like I'm on a snowball derby a lot of times. I almost got hit twice on that road with my dog. And I've called the sheriff's department numerous times. Sometimes I'd get a recording and sometimes I would talk to somebody. Yeah, we'll put you on a list. I saw one squad car come through. One. And
that was at 9:00 in the morning when I told them specific times when these people come through. And it's it's crazy. It's absolutely crazy. I want something done about that that since they uh got a good budget, I guess this year. Thank you. Thank you, sir. Atha, welcome. You're up next. You're going to like what I got to say. Hey, Mr. McCay wants you on his radio show. I don't know why, but you need to reach out to him. All right. All right. And I see you using my time now. No,
I haven't started the clock. Don't do that to me. Go ahead. Uh just a friendly reminder of the um the homeless veteran standown that's going to take place uh Friday at 9:00 at the Brownsville Community Center. Just a friendly reminder. Also, and I just want to piggyback off uh since I do have plenty of time left on uh Cadillac Banks uh jazz festival. That festival benefits so many
people. You even have and I have to um support my veterans. You have handicapped veterans that uh take part in this uh jazz festival. They enjoy the jazz festival. It's so convenient for them and we rather bring our money here to Pensacola instead of having to drive out of the area. So, I would appreciate if you all truly take that in consideration because it is a safe a safe event and is right at home. So, please take that in consideration and I do appreciate everything
that you guys are doing. Thank you. I'll see you Friday. I already made my commitment to your friends out there. So, look forward to seeing you. Oh, you got it. You got in a few seconds, so you better get your last I just wanted to let you know that we do have the chairperson here, uh, Mr. Joe Herren and our FSO um Verona Watson. Thank you. Thank you, Artha. All right, board. Um that's it for public forum. Before we go into board actions, do we want to have some discussion or u because after I read it, we it's up to you if you want to make any changes. Mr. Chairman, um the only thing
that I I see is left out if there's other board discussion is uh this will include staff and our TDC dollars too when we move this. Correct. So, Commissioner, um I am looking for direction on the our TDT community partners um as well as our general fund, LOST and our one allocation and our solid waste fund. So, Mr. Chairman, um hold on. Repeat that again if you don't mind us. I think we got everything except for outside agencies, correct? Yes, sir. I just need some direction on what we're going
to fund. uh next year's community partners. Yeah, confirmer. I I think we're going to move everything except for outside agencies. Correct, Wes? On on on this motion. And if we're going to do that, Mr. Chairman, I'm going to move to support Cadillac banks. Uh although um TDC did not recommend it, I'm going to move uh that we fund him at the tune of $200,000 uh to his budget. Okay. And so we'll have to separately vote on each one of these, I believe. Right, Alison? No, we take only one. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Yeah. Yeah. We don't have to vote
on them separately. No, we don't have to vote on them. We can take it all at once. You're going to add all four. Okay, guys. I'm adding a I'm adding a friendly amendment to give Mr. Banks $200,000 uh for the jazz festival as a just a friendly amendment. Mr. Chairman, if there wasn't a second, I second that. It's uh I mean, you know, I'm much more comfortable funding it now than I was eight or 10 years ago. you know, at the at when we first started working with it, uh, you know, I I don't think there was a lot of history and um, you know, I you know, I don't sit on the TDC,
so not privy to the, you know, not privy to some of the internal data that the board had to uh to make their determination, but regardless, um, the, uh, the room stays are substantial. That's a that that's a good number. Um, and if you when you go to uh when you go to compute the per night, you know, the pernite buy, um, if you take, you know, if you take 20% off of it, that's going to be a reduction. Uh, that's going to be a reduction in the in the per night buy just from uh just from that. It's going to get it much closer in line to a couple of the other
events that Commissioner Hoffberger mentioned. Um, and you know, years ago there was it was just kind of a trust factor, you know, with uh with Mr. Banks. He said, "Well, if I do it, I think people will come." And now we now we do have some you know some verified uh you know some verified heads and beds that are coming that are quantifi quantifiable data. Um he's provided the tax returns that are required and those things. So I second it. I don't have an issue funding it and uh you know having that be uh an amendment to the outside agency funding as in the budget. Thank you Mr. Chair. I think we we're fortunate we had we'd had you know Commissioner Stroberger second and
then Commissioner Barry. So I I my motion stands as is. Uh uh and so and accept that second. Okay. So we have a motion second to fund uh the Jazzfest for 200,000. Um is any other com you have? Yeah. Okay. I'm sorry. I didn't see it. So what all are we moving forward? Just the Jazzfest? No, we're moving all four. We're moving everything outside agencies. Okay. So on the community partners, we're moving the community partners forward. Uh we're moving 501 We're moving everything forward.
Okay. So, I I do have a Yeah, we still I Allison, I think we need to vote on this one because we still have two speakers on the millage rate, which I can't do without We haven't We haven't gotten to the rate. I know. That's what I'm saying. Yeah. This is th this is for for the budget office to know what official agreements are going to be coming back to you at your October board meetings for your outside partners. So, make the motion to include I think you did, but I think we focused on
uh the jazz fest, but you mean all the community? I didn't focus on jazz fest. I just offered a friendly amendment to move uh all vote on that, but I think we're at a place where we should vote unless you have a separate question. I I do. So, I mean, if we want to move I mean, if we want to withdraw that item and vote on that separately, I mean, I guess someone can make a motion, but I offered a friendly amendment to pass all four items. And so, that's the motion. It's been seconded. It's on the floor. So, we should vote it up or we should vote it down. I just want to let her comment and Okay, we come. Yeah. I mean, the motion's already there. We got to vote it up or we got to vote it down. She has a the right to talk before we Right. Yeah. I don't have a problem
with that. But, I mean, we can't Are we not going to discuss any of the other community partners? I Or is now the time to do that is what I'm asking. I mean, unless there's changes that are required or necessary. I mean there I think the majority of them the board had you know kind of accepted through our workshops and through the first uh first budget hearing but okay one of the things that I had mentioned to Allison and Wes is the keep Pensacola beautiful you guys do great work. I think we should keep you on but I would like to see that go as a actual item in the budget as an
expense from a vendor because we do also have a contract with them. So it is a little confusing that we have a contract with keep Pensacola beautiful which they do amazing work. they're awesome for us, but then we're also giving them money as a nonprofit. So, I've been told that it's because they do above and beyond, which is fine. I would just rather see that as part of the contract to be more transparent with the community instead of a tip added on as a community partner. Good, good point. Because we raised their budget last year. Why is that, Stefan, that we have two different line items? Because all I want is Charles to get the west side cleaned up. So,
whatever you got to do, do it. And the beaches, we appreciate that. Thank you. But why why do we have it on two different ones? So they actually participate through a procurement process with our parks department and um uh our neighborhood and human services department. So um if they win you know uh or win the bids or win that procurement uh then they perform that service for us. So this particular allocation uh which we do draft a contract for um outlining what services
they will provide to us. These are outside of our regular county departments. These are things that they do for us countywide which is this community partner piece. So there is a difference. This is uh just an allocation of our board. Um it's not limited to a CRA or a TIF area. It's um basically wherever this is needed. um if they're do performing a service for parks, it's going to be at in our parks in our local parks. Um or it's going to be around our community centers if it's neighborhood and human services. So, that's kind of the difference.
Well, kind of difference. I still don't understand why we can't just have it as one item. I mean, you kind of tap dance there a little bit. stuff on commissioner. I think what we're saying is sub uh outside the contract with parks, outside the contract with the neighborhood services, we have other areas of the county where we provide routes for trash pickup and litter debris pickup and that's what this allocation would cover. So why isn't that just part of the contract? Because we just voted on that contract last meeting or the meeting before. And again,
you guys do amazing work. We want to keep you on, but I think it would be more transparent to the I think it would be a separate contract from parks and separate contract from NSD. I mean, there's nothing saying we couldn't go out. You're saying you need two separate. So, Commissioner Hoffberger, this is something that's come up previously. The board has raised. It may not have been when Commissioner I mean when administrator Moreno was on was uh in the seat, but it's an it's an issue that the board had raised a couple of times over the years about they receive uh you know they receive money as a nonprofit and then they also compete for
uh for work, you know. Um and it's been at multiple budget hearings or or workshops where we've discussed it, the board has uh has left the arrangement as is. So there's I mean there's it's a it's a very decent question. It's one I've asked myself a couple of times, but um there's been there hasn't been an appetite to make a change to that. But is it all coming out of general fund? No. So the the solid waste the solid waste fund is I don't know the percentage
but it's funding a pretty healthy percentage of it. Commissioner, may you have another comment or you you just No, I just wanted clarification. So some of it comes out of waste management. Does any of it come out of human services or does it come out of general fund the remainder? And can it not all come out of waste management, right? Is that what was that your next question? Can it not all come out of waste management? No, I mean I'm just trying to get a point of clarification from where it is coming. I think clarification of why they are, you know, making it separate contracts. Based on some previous budget discussions, I think we're taking everything for waste from 401 that we
can. I I believe so the majority of it comes from waste management. Yes, sir. So none comes from any of our CRA dollars. I would defer to Clara on that. While I know a great deal about the budget, um she would be best suited to answer the question. So I don't know if it's coming out at at some point we have had and unfortunately we've made a motion, Charles, so I don't think you can talk. Uh but at some point we've had had some money that has come out of CRA for CRA cleanups that gone to Pensacola beautiful and some comes out of parks and wrecks right Mike I
know the parks and wrecks contract uh addresses beach accesses on P key in some of those areas parks actually athletic parks around the county that's what the parks and recck contract addresses with keeping skill beautiful that's that's so if they're picking up on the beach actually is that coming out of Santa Ros Island authority or are we paying for No, they pick up on the Purto Key Beach accesses. Oh, they're picking up on Purto. Yes. They're not picking up on Pensacola Beach. Not on Pensacola Beach. No. I just feel like if they're providing a service for the county
and we're paying them to do something in the capacity of a vendor, we should have an actual contract for that. It shouldn't be under the nonprofit donation list. Yeah. And Commissioner, I don't necessarily disagree with you. I don't know that the second budget hearing is the is the time to hash to hash it out, though. I mean, I think it's a that's a that's really a workshop item in June, you know, July, August item. I I don't know that or even a first budget hearing. I don't know that it's you know fair to our and and you know then Charles is certainly able to advocate on his own behalf but whether it's Charles or somebody else I I don't know that
uh you know that it's fair to come to this meeting and then uh you know kind of a require a change in the in the operational way that the and he's only been in that position for you know a relatively short period of time but the organization has been a partner for 20 years give or take. Um, so well I had asked Allison and Wes and they told me to bring it up at this meeting. Well, I mean, but we were but we were together two weeks ago as well and you know and and are together relatively frequently. So I mean there there are there have been opportunities to bring it up. I can stf
I I just want to respond to my colleague and I'm sorry Mr. Chair. I mean so if we're taking out waste management which is basically an enterprise account. I mean, the military has already said as as my colleague has said, I mean, if we alter these numbers in too many ways, I mean, we're probably going to have to have hours and hours of discussion that we're going to have to go into because they've kind of put what we're going to put in reserves and what we've allocated to the other constitutionals plus what we've allocated to other departments. And to change those numbers, we're going to have to change some other numbers as well. Am I valid in saying what I'm saying,
Stephan, if we start moving numbers or is that Well, yes, sir, Commissioner. These are moving numbers. Um but uh certainly for Commissioner Hoffberger. So um and and possibly the county attorney could could uh add to this conversation, but we can only do certain things with our waste services fund uh by by ordinance. So, um, this is one of those things that we can expend those type of enterprise funds on for the benefit of the county and cleaning up the county where they pick
up multiple tons of garbage and trash all across the county. not direct department activities but outside the scope of our direct uh departments um where these particular this particular funding source can legally be used to do this to help uh us keep our county clean. So if we do it through a contract like the regular procurement process, can we not use those dollars for that? Yes, we could.
So would your would would your idea actually be I mean because I say we could take all that waste management money and go tear down Baptist hospital and don't pick up any paper. I mean because that's what the mayor was asking for for us to take it out of the waste management. So stop the pain. Maybe that's maybe maybe that's an option. But are you just trying to make it competitive where you want to go out to bid or because I I think that the sole solicitation is that what Charles does is a unique service where there's probably not anyone else that competes with that service.
But if I'm hearing you that you would want to go through the procurement process, I mean, I'm not saying I'm against that. I'm saying is that what you're saying versus soul sourcing it out to that organization? Well, more or less because right now we're doing it as a community partner. So it's as a donation. So we're donating money and then they're performing a service. So I just feel like that's a very blurry line and probably not something we want to set a precedent of doing. If they're performing a service, I think that it should go through the regular procurement
process because then where do we draw the line of just bringing people in and giving their nonprofit money and expecting them to perform a service for us? You guys do great service. I want to continue the contract. That's not what this part is about. And they did win the contract that we had for the other cleanup areas. Stfan, what's your recommendation for the board this year? Because I see both issues on this side. What do you what would Listen of Commissioner Hoffberger's concern, what do you recommend? So, I think I can make this easy for the board. So, um this particular allocation um can still be the allocation. However, if the board would prefer that we do
uh a competitive process, it's it's still going to be this part of the budget. it doesn't change the budget. Um, this is the amount that we'll have to work with and we can go through a competitive procurement. Alison, do you have a comment? Yeah, I mean that is one way to get there. There there are two pieces to this as Commissioner Barry has indicated. This is an issue that has come up at least a couple times before. There's one piece where parks and recck does a full procurement and they have been on contract through that method. We separately do contribute through a Meliss
miscellaneous appropriations agreement which I believe is funded by the solid waste fund as a community partner wi because they've done great work. We've we've basically donated but they do in turn do roadside litter pickup for that but that has not gone through the full procurement process. that's an option. But in the past, the board has fallen on, you know, just having this dual headed arrangement with with them. I think it makes more sense to keep it consistent and and all under the
procurement process versus the community partner. And honestly, I feel like we need to do a good a better job of weeding out some of the community partners. People have spoke tonight about paying higher taxes and not knowing where those are going for. I don't want the appearance that we're cherry-picking charities when in reality we're paying a really good firm to do a really good job, but it doesn't look like that because they're not going through the procurement process. So, I just think the optics aren't great. Okay. So, Allison, it there's two things on the table. Commissioner
May made a motion to add $200,000 for Jazzfest for the for the um community partners. We had we had second that. I think we need to finalize that if you want to add something else to this, right? First, if we want to go through to other other issues. That was No, I'm I I I moved all four of the items for now. If you if you want to pull I mean, if someone want to make a motion, pull that back, pull it back. I mean, that's Well, that's what I'm saying. Commissioner Hoffber, can we move forward or that's where we're at? Make a motion, make a second, take a vote. I mean,
it doesn't matter to me. Would you consider an amendment to move that to the procurement process? So your motion and then move the allocation from solid waste to the procurement if if that's I mean if you're interested in that. If not I understand. I mean if that's the consensus of the board I kind of feel as you my colleague it's it's still money that's coming out waste management and I just don't know what a difference it's going to make. I mean I think looking forward commissioner that's something you could do. I just don't know what impact it would make other than making us change a bunch of numbers. Mr. Chairman, why don't we why don't we vote on Commissioner May's allocation for
Jes Commissioner Hoffber's idea stand on its own and see what to see what happens. Gotcha. Okay, there's a motion and second on Commissioner May's um amendment to fund um Jazzfest at 200,000. Please vote. Four in favor. Any opposed? So, is that the only thing we just voted on? One opposed. No, I voted for it. I I know she voted against I'm saying is that the only thing that's going on? All right. Well, I was holding my hand up. And I'm fine. I mean, but point of order. I mean,
that's motion was incorrectly carried. I mean, but it was fine to bring that item and have it talked about. Well, I want to single that one out by design because I think she wanted I mean, but I mean I mean we we we do go by Raj's rule of order in parliamentary procedure in which a motion was made. You could have easily pulled that out, but that's fine. That's where if that's where we are, that's fine. We'll be here all night discussing that. That was out of order. All right. So then just make a motion for the rest of the community partners and we can move forward. Well,
if Commissioner Hoffber wants to make or unless she wants an amendment. You're right. Do you want to make an amendment? I would like to make an amendment to move that to the procurement process and then move everything else forward. So, Mr. Chairman, M. So I I did not with all due respect I mean what he's done for me when I was at city council. The reason I did not say that I would hear from Charles because there was a motion on the floor and so there was deliberation among the commissioners which would not allow for public input. Now that that motion has passed there is an opportunity for public input. So I would say that Mr. Barrett should be allowed the opportunity to
present his case since we've moved the item and had we moved it forward he would not have been allowed to talk. But by parliamentary procedure, he is allowed to talk now. So I would say that he technically I made a motion, but it's fine. I'll withdraw. He hadn't been second though and so we hadn't deliberated. So Charles, do you want to make a comment? I mean, I'll allow that if you want. You don't have to. I don't want to put you on the spot. I mean, that's just the edge of his seat. Okay. It's not what I expected tonight, so I'll just tell you right now. Um, I just wanted to
give you a a It's a challenge for me, too. Okay. So, we have a three-year contract with the county to do what we call the litter barrel contract. Okay? That means we go to I think it's 81 parks and boat ramps across the county. We empty the trash cans. So, we check every trash can, we empty the can, we get paid by the the can. It's like $587 a can. We're in the third year of that contract. Um, we did not compete the last time because we're a nonprofit. We didn't have to compete because the state law says that we don't have to compete. So, I mean, it wouldn't be
terrible if we went to a contract. However, the way we've been funded with a solid waste fund, there's nobody else that gets money from that. And I feel like what we're doing is something that as a nonprofit, we would continue to do even without the contract. The contract is something that I have not always wanted to do. I can tell you that right now. And we've been back and forth based on staffing. It's very, very difficult because it's seven days a week during the summer. So that's completely separate. But I just wanted to give you some idea that like roadside litter,
which is the biggest part of what we do for our allocation. Okay. Last year we did 61,850 lbs, which was more than what we had thought we were going to do. This year we've done 165,000. We did 12 tons of roadside litter just in August. So we are doing something. And granted, it is a service and we are providing a service, but I think it's under the the idea that we are a nonprofit that's able to provide a service. I think there are other community partners that provide services. I haven't studied the entire list, but I think what you're getting is a nonprofit that's willing to do
this. And I understand that there's some idea that maybe we should merge these two things, but I work very hard to keep these things separate. And you don't know how difficult that is to make sure that we're tracking mileage, we're tracking payroll, we're tracking every expense we do, which I can tell you was not always done before I got here. You know, there were trash bags that were bought. We didn't know what they were used for, whether they used for roadside, the contract, or whether it was used for our allocation. But I can tell you that what we're spending on the allocation, it's not an overflow or anything. They're completely separate items. And I feel like the
number of years we've done this as an allocation that we have shown you that we are good stewards of the money. And I I don't know who else would do this. Um you know and if you want to stop roadside litter when we don't have a contract I mean you can do that but I can tell you it's going to pile up especially in district two. Oh I know. Um we are we have switched to getting bulky waste now. We were doing lots of bagged waste and because of what was happening mainly in district two and even district four and five one and and three all have this situation. We are taking truckloads to
the landfill and I have exact numbers. These are exact numbers because what we're taking landfill and we are doing a service that I think no one else really can do. If you want to test the water and see if someone else is willing to do it, that's one thing. But I don't think what you're getting is I think you're what you're getting is what you need. Um, we also do the adopt a spy program through this. We do educational efforts as well with our allocation. So, we are doing nonprofit related things, not just the service. Um, it all kind of ties together. So, Charles, I have a question. Do you do do you do metric weekly reports or monthly reports? I I
never get any of them. I'm not doubting what you do because I call you and Dorothy calls you and you always are very responsive. Um, but I think that maybe would be helpful. I'm not trying to make more work on you, but you already rattled off all kinds of numbers. I think it'd be good if you sent them over to Wes and he could forward them to us or something. We do a quarterly report which is required of all community partners. I would be happy to do a monthly so you can see what's happening in your district because we track it by district when it comes to roadside. So you part of me I I kind of understand what you're trying to do, Commissioner Hoffberger,
but I also think that we have been good stewards of the money. We are a nonprofit. We are working hard to do things in this community that make a difference and going to a competitive process makes me a little bit nervous because we're already doing that with the other and you don't really have to go through a competitive process when you're working with a nonprofit anyway. So, I'm not exactly sure why we would do that and we do pretty much have a contract with the county already community partner and we don't we don't just get a b big chunk of money. It's all reimbursement based anyway. And I can tell you between your budget staff here and the clerk's
office, man, there's not a thing that's missed in there. So, I don't think you have anything to worry about. So, Charles, can I ask you a question? So, in in in line, because I know I see where where my colleague is going. If you're the only one that's doing the service and and it was a competitive bid. Would there be anybody even to compete against you? I mean, would you I I don't know. And and you don't even have to do a competitive bid. Like I said, the last time we got the contract from parks and wreck for the litter barrel, they didn't even have to put it out to bid because we are nonprofit and state law allows us to not have to compet compet be competitive. So,
how many tons do you pick up in like the CRA in low income areas? Sean, um well, we participate in like those neighborhood cleanups and like this year so far, we've collected 37,000 pounds um in neighborhood cleanups, which is something the county does in the CRA areas. tires. We pick up lots of paint cans, chemicals, uh propane tanks, things of that nature. You pick up bulk like furniture and those types. We pick up tons and tons of furniture. We're running on Thursdays. We're doing about two tons of furniture every Thursday is what we're picking up. And how
how neighborhoods determine we we make sure that we're doing districts. We do it by district. And then we have a pretty active staff because we're doing we also have the contract. We see where trash trash is accumulating. Plus, we have people like Commissioner Kohler who keep an eye out for it. And if if his office calls me, we go get it. So, the same thing for all of you. Yeah, I'm sure. Actually, I am because District pick three. I bet you do. Believe it or not, Lumin,
I care a lot about your area. So, basically, upon request, yes. Plus, we're proactive about it as well. We know the the hot spots, you know, we do an annual litter survey, so we know which is something that's required by keep America beautiful so we can maintain our status with them. With you when we picked up trash at Myrtle Grove and I think Lexington and Terrace, I mean, you do great work. I'm I'm not I don't have an issue with that. I just I think we got into uh an interesting conversation here, but Commissioner Hogber. Yeah, you do great work 100%.
My concern is our process of procuring you to do that work, not the status of your work. I think we all agree that it's spectacular and we don't want to lose that. Um, can you educate me on what if we go through the procurement process what the unintended consequences of that might be? Well, it depends on whether we get the status that we do with the other contract. if we're given the status as a nonprofit, you know, and I I think the funding source is one thing we've talked about too because with the contract, we're funded by LOST and non LOST, so I guess it's just general
revenue. This one comes out of a specific fund. We're the only ones that really get any money from this. So, um I don't think it would be a problem, but I I think you already have a contract. I mean, based on the community partner, it's not like you just give the money and just let them let us go. I mean, every month we have to submit the numbers. We have to do quarterly reports. We have to sign a contract pretty much. So I don't I don't see as much different. I mean if you want to put your procure procurement people through doing that I I don't have a huge problem with that. Um I
don't want I think we're in a good rhythm where we know where the trash is and we are actively working. I'd hate to see that getting interrupted because that's what we started as a roadside litter organization and we've had a long-standing partnership with the county in doing that. Right. And we we do appreciate that. Um, thank you so much for that. Are you doing or do you do you use all volunteers or you use paid staff? We use paid staff. We we can't get volunteers to do that type of thing, especially it's dangerous on the roadside. Uh, you know, insurance is probably one of our biggest things that we pay for. You also use court-ordered people who need volunteer hours,
too. Is that We do not currently do that because we had a lot of bad experiences with that. We had some threatening people and some we had some real problems with them being with our drivers and it just got to be too hard to screen them to make sure they'd be acceptable. Okay, that makes sense. So now since you said you do all paid people, two things, Charles, I I I got to figure out when the last time you were on Johnson Avenue in Ensley because that was a request. So if you'd put that on your list on on Johnson Avenue. Okay. What What do you pay the people that are picking up the paper? Um, it's in our budget documents, but it's $18 an hour is what we're paying our services
crew. Wow. It's pretty good. Well, it's it's hard to find good people. I'll tell you that right now. And I think the same thing. You'll hear me talk about custodial staff and uh support staff should all be paid livable wages where they can afford to take care of their families and pay their rent. I'm a big supporter of that. Charles, I'll tell you, you know, from my standpoint, you know, I'm working with everyone I can to clean up blight everywhere. And you have helped and it's been noticed in District 2, I you know, listening to this and listening to the my fellow commissioners,
I I'm more apt to stay where we're at. Um, but with it coming out of the um waste management budget, Stefan, what what tell me what your absolute recommendation is to do it like we are now or or change it. I I I'm not I'm not against my colleague. I just would like to hear your position. No, I'm just gathering information. So, it's not like I've got to pick something. No, I just want Well, ultimately that that's the board's decision. Certainly, we've used the community partner process for a very long time to provide these services and the cleanup. Again, it is not limited to a particular department or a particular area. And that's the benefit of
this. Um he is a not for-p profofit or that or this organization is a not for-profit. uh typically most of our competitive uh bid process, you know, these are vendors that are there to make money. So So how does that work with them being a nonprofit? Does do they have a like a leg up on the anybody else since or do they not have to go through the procurement process? So I am not a subject matter expert on procurement. Um, what was it? Procurement.
If a nonprofit has an advantage over a regular vendor, that's a non Lindsay's coming up. She's coming up. It's The question is is what's the advantage of a nonprofit over another vendor? A nonprofit is exempt from the procurement process. So, they don't even have to compete. Like how Michael has his, he contacted me. We went through all the paperwork. Their W9 and their Sunbiz says they're nonprofit, so we were able to get a contract directly from legal. Okay. So,
essentially, we could just move this to a contract and not have to go through the procurement process. Yes, ma'am. Okay. Wonderful. I would love to do that. And but what would be the difference in doing that other than taking it out of waste management? It's where we probably have the most funding still comes out of waste management. Okay. What would be the point of moving parks? Wes might some not for parks and recrecks. No, but for the community to pick up what we're talking about, it comes out of solid waste. Parks comes out of their own separate account, right? Yeah. Could actually I'm just trying to do what would be the benefit of moving it to if if it's a non-compete,
you can soul source it uh without having them go through the procurement process. What would be the difference in moving it? I mean, what would be the purpose? So, in full transparency, I think we need to look at removing the charities that we support because I think that the general cry from the community is stop spending my taxpayer dollars on things that aren't specifically for the government. When we put it I feel like when we put it on this chart as community partners, it's like a donation to a charity. Not that we're paying them for a service when in actuality we are paying
them for a service. So, I feel like it provides more transparency to the community. I realize it's the same dollars, but the transparency level to the community, I feel like would be much better if we had an actual contract and it was not just a charity that we were supporting. Well, and and and listen and and and so Ashley, if that's where you want to go, I want to support it. I was a slippery slope. So, whether it's dollars or rather it's property. So when we started funding CHDOS, when we start pro funding giving property to nonprofits in terms of property, when we start giving uh ship subsidize to not forprofits and choosing to have to fall under the same guidance
and so if we go there, I mean that's fine with me, but it needs to be consistent across the board. So when we start talking about outside agencies, I mean we're talking about a lot of partnerships in terms of how we give out property, how we allocate usage of our facilities. I mean that's a lot that we're going to do. That's a slippery slope. Uh and so I mean we could set a bad precedent. But if that's where we're going, that's fine. But then further when we get to all these outside agencies, you know, whether it be Brace, whether it it be Chambers, whether it be Florida West, I mean, all
these not for profofits are going to have to quite frankly fall on the same criteria if we do that. I would just say be careful with that. Commissioner, I'm sorry, Commissioner Barry. Go ahead. For whatever for whatever it's worth, I would rather leave it like it is tonight. Okay. And I mean, I'm not opposed to something being changed long term. I'm not going to put, you know, this is not, this specific discussion is not something that's that's that's been brought up amongst uh amongst us as a whole. And I'm not going to ask, you know, there are a lot of people in the audience here for our budget, for our broad budget. I'm going to ask Stephan and Wes and Allison to to sit
here and give me the other side of the equation because I know that there I know that there is one and there will be unintended consequences of of making a change. not opposed to it necessarily, but I don't know that it's necessary or I'm not going to support it tonight, I guess, is what I'm saying. Steve, Commissioner May, that's all I was saying. There there could be some unintended consequences if we made that decision tonight. That's all. And so, I'm not opposed to it, Ashley. But I'm saying there there's more than just this that we decided to make this action. Well, I'll say this. You have a second public hearing so you can have these discussions and whoever wants to have them, I'm going to let them have them. But I do have a question for you on
um the wa the coming out of the waist fund. Could all of it that parks and reccks pays, could that come out of the waste management as well or no? No sir. This uh because waste manage mana waste management by its sheer nature that is where all of our garbage gets dumped, you know, if you will is the county and this is local garbage going to our local landfill. And Mike, that is something the board has asked over the years. We we want every penny that's possible to come out of solid waste, but that we, you know, we've been talking I'm with you now that
I heard that. That was my question. So, yeah, I was just hoping you'd give me a clean, you know, a little bit of ray of light there, but it didn't work out. So, um, I'll drop it. I understand there's not support and I'll work with Charles and maybe we can come up with a better game plan for going forward for next year because you do do great work. Again, this was not about you or your organization. We sincerely appreciate you keeping Pensacola beautiful. Okay, good. Thank you. So, do we need to make a motion on the rest of community partners? Will someone make one?
Yes. Yes. Um, we we have one we we had the one change adopting that one change into it. I move the slate of community partners. Is there a second? Second. All right. Please vote. Motion passes 5-0. Thank you, board. Very healthy discussion. I'll go on and move to board action item continued 71 which there I'll read the what I have to read and then we'll have a handful speaker speak. Uh the board adoption of the final millage resolution for fiscal year 2526.
I request the board adopt the final millage resolution for fiscal year 2526. The chair will entertain a motion to adopt the final mill resolution presented in the agenda backup millage rates presented are countywide millage rate at 6.6165 6165 mills. Library MSTU at 3590 mills. Sheriff's law enforcement MSTU at 6850 Mills. We have three speakers. Lisa Rogers, you're up first.
Mary, you're on deck. Good evening, commissioners. I won't be long. Um, can't talk hardly at all anymore. Um, I'm just up here asking you to roll back the millage rate. I I would like to see um the commissioners take a hard look at what our needs and our wants are and where our efficiencies can be done at and where we can cut the budget. We had lots and lots of folks come up here on the MSBU fire last time talking about
how they're being hurt. And I'm looking at the piece of paper and I don't know if I've read it right, but it shows that this is an 8.7% increase above what was done in 2425. I don't know about you, but there's not very many people in this county that got 8.7% increase. And I think the um social security um is going to be getting what 2.5 2.7 and then Medicare is going to probably go up and take it. So I don't know where the if fixed um income individuals are going to uh get the extra
funds. So I just ask you implore you to take a look at where you can cut or can ask the agencies within um to be able to where they can ch possibly cut on their budgets. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Rogers. Mary Kenopka, you're up. And then I Josh Robersonson, are you in the audience? Okay, Josh, you're up after Mary if Oh, I see you. Okay. I thought I didn't Yeah. Well, my littleists,
um, you have a job to do. We elected you to think about us, not just yourselves or not just a few people here and there. Your job is to to do the best you can for the most people. And think about when you come up with an idea, think about what's the primary consequence,
what's the secondary consequence, is there a tertiary consequence to this? Bad idea. Yeah. With a developer. Anyway, um I like to remind you and I'll show you if you don't know anybody. I'm going to give you a perfect example of somebody you all know well.
Sally Casey, she was good wife. She didn't work. She took care care of everything at home. Larry DS bought her chickens. I knew that. To help her cuz she couldn't afford them. But that's a double-edged sword because now Sally doesn't have
a routine in the morning and she doesn't have a routine at night. These taxes are going to really hurt her. She's one of my best friends. You know, she didn't call me to tell me that Jesse had passed cuz she didn't want to upset me. She Jesse and I were neighbors for a long time.
around Hogan's Pit, which surprises me that nobody knew that that used to be a landfill because he and I knew. He didn't want anybody to drive his tractor, but he let me. And he helped me dig sewage lines. He made my porch, my steps. Good. And she didn't want to upset She didn't want to upset me.
And she has relatively nothing. You know what would be great is if people whose median income is much higher than the Pensacola income would be great to anonymously go and pay her taxes. Thank you, Mary. Uh Josh Roersonson, you're up next.
Hey, good evening. How is everyone? So, uh, last time I came up, I, uh, came up with some emotion and some things going on, and there were some words I spoke, uh, to two, District 1 and District 4, and I went on and I apologized online, but, id said it out loud here, so I do apologize. There were words I used. This is the queen and the king, right? So, you two are new on the board, and I'd apologize for that reference. Okay? Say it out loud. I use that first 30 seconds for that. Second, I'll start off like everyone else. I'm retired. I live on a fixed income,
raising the taxes. You want to take care of your constituents, and you I hear you every time, uh, District Three, Mr. May, you talk about losing houses, and you want to save the people's houses, and you want to save it from, you know, the investor coming up here and getting it back on, you know, getting the taxes waved. You have an opportunity right now to take a roll back rate and support county employees by the firefighters. You three right here. I watched your emotions when you you voted the first time right off the bat with the uh Aalorum taxes and you were
like you saw I saw the pain in your face. You could take the road back. Mr. Mareno, I will yield some of my time. Please read how much percentage we're over the roll back rate. You read it already. Can you just give that percentage again? You can't. It's your time, John. Okay, that's fine. I just asked. He already read it. He can't read it again. 4 point what percent. Take that off. Make it work within the budget. We have to make our budgets work. Financial analysts, financial specialists, can't you make it work? That's all we're asking. That's it.
I give and give and give to the community. You do, too. That's why you're here. That's why you fought so hard for this job. Show our constituents. You guys talk about your constituents here. Here's your constituents. You're us. Take the roll back rate. Supplement the firefighters with our money. You guys are using our money to fund the four items you just passed through. TDC didn't pass the Jazzfest. I'm not here to argue about that. Ashley, you did not vote for the Jazzfest. You
guys turned around and gave our money to the Jazzfest. The TDC did not give their money, but you did. That's all. Take the roll back rate. Thank you, Josh. Okay, board. That's all of our speakers for 7.1. I've read it. Is there a motion to move it forward? Stand by. I got something to say about Okay. Commissioner Stroberger, please. So, I've had discussions with Stephen and Wes yesterday in a car ride and I wanted to uh I don't know if anyone thought about
these things about the tiff rate. I don't know if that's even a discussion item anymore. I'd asked if we could cut the county budget by two and a half%. You're telling me that we already have? Yes, sir. We did. We removed the the 10.7 million and our budget has gone up how much? $70 million this year.
Is that right? Yeah. It's gone up $70 million. When I I came back to Pensacola, you tell me if I'm wrong about this. In 201920, the county budget was $478 million. In six years, it's gone up $390 million. That sounds like a lot, a lot.
So out where I live, you guys remember this, there was an MSBU that was imposed on my neighbors and me. And that's kind of what sparked my interest in running for office. We had people out there uh widows live on the water, bought properties, and uh I I know one lady who she had to go back to work. She outlived two husbands. she had to go back to work to pay for her MSBU. And there were others there were others like that,
too, that it was a strain. They're living on fixed incomes. Like I said, they're they're widows. And and I I understood that. I mean, I came here. I I came here on a fixed income, too. It wasn't going to hurt me like it was going to hurt them, but I wanted to help them. And I think that we should consider a partial roll roll back at the very least. We've already talked about
putting uh this Gambia Children's Trust on the ballot next year and let letting the uh the voters decide whether they want to incur that $25 million cost. And I had also proposed reducing our community partners by about 25% except for the healthcare and defense. Apparently that's not a big impact, but it's something. And and we've heard a lot of people talk about the fire MSBU. I'm I'm not giving that one away.
We need that. We need that. and we've needed it for a long time. I know that it's, you know, this I can't believe we're talking about $101 that it's it's impacting everyone so much. We should have been applying this gradually and we should be doing that and we need to uh uh probably reattack this MSBU in every couple of years or three or four years or something like that, whatever it's going to take to make sure that it's properly funded.
It's not the fire MSBU though. It's everything, right? It's it's FPL going up. It's our property taxes going up because our millillage is the same, but our values are going up. Sounds like a great thing until you have to pay your taxes. The school board has got a taxi children's trust. They've decided not to do anything more than what they're doing. And then again, we got the fire MSB. I I think that the county can do more. 70 million bucks
more this year is every I I mentioned it on the phone. It seems like we've always got another truck. We're always buying more stuff and uh I think that we could probably extend the life of some of the things that we're using now. Um, households are all making sacrifices and they're going to find a way to survive this. Some of them, maybe they won't all survive,
but I know at the county we can help them by rolling back the millillage, at least a partial roll back along with the ect. I'm I'm hopeful that that will be on the ballot next year. Um, I'll make the motion in the spring and voters will reclaim that money. I think the library MSTU, we talked about rolling that back. That's going to happen next year, too. We've got an agreement with the city, so we've got to work on that. I think there are a lot of things we can do to make it
easier on our taxpayers, and I don't think we're doing enough. I ran for this office to run to uh to reduce the burden on taxpayers and I'm not I'm failing at it. I'm failing. So I'd like to succeed. That's all. So Mr. All right. One at a time. Commissioner Barry had his first and then you're up. Commissioner. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Um, and you know, when you look at the, you know,
the $70 million increase, I mean, the majority of that is going to be the carry forward of balances that weren't spent during the year. It's not, I mean, that that's, and you know, we've had speakers that have mentioned, you know, a $300 million increase in the total budget over, you know, an eighty year, nyear period. A large portion of our budget is is balances now that didn't exist eight or 10 years ago that do exist currently that continue carrying forward. I mean the out of the $70 million increase the revenue increase is 15 16 million what what's the
I mean give or take it's the it's the minority I know that I mean I don't know the exact percentage Steph right commissioner if I could add to that so the local provider particip participant fund which is I call it our hospital MSBU process uh the county is a pass through for roughly 127 million 3. So that increase um 47 million. Correct. It's it's 47 million of the roughly 79 million between
last year. That that is the main increase in the budget. The general fund compared to last year is up about 4.8 million. Right. So and I mean that's that's where our actual property tax revenues come from. So it's not, you know, it's said that, you know, numbers don't lie, but people do, and they can certainly be mis and numbers can be misrepresented. Um, even if even if numbers are always, you know, scientifically true, they can certainly be misrepresented. Um, so, you know, the the budget increase might look like
seven or eight million. That is that's that's not additional revenue that's coming to this board. um when we start you know the departments start putting budgets together in March and if we're going to deploy even a partial rolled back rate in my opinion we need to have the administrator tell the budget you know tell the administrator so that he can you know push the message downhill that there's going to be a you know even a partial roll back rate this coming year so you're going to have
to have reduced budgets is mean it's a six-month process for our directors to uh to implement. Um and I hypo I I can be supportive of that next year. Steve, you want to do a partial roll back rate? And I understand the passion when people come and speak to us. I I just I I hope they're at our other, you know, at our sister agencies with the same passion where you actually do have a millage rate increase that's being adopted. um not just an increase due to values being increased,
but you have a millage rate increase being adopted. That's I I would see that as much more problematic than what we're doing. And you know, and and the fact that other other things are happening that's not it is our concern, but it's not our responsibility. You know, we don't have any authority over any of the other uh you know, any of the other agencies. Um, and really I feel like the authority that we have over our own agency needs to be deployed in a way that's
more fair to the 1,800 employees that do directly work for the county. And if that, you know, a portion of a portion of the budget reduction would probably be the elimination of positions. Okay. Um, you know, a portion of it may be the elimination of programs. Okay. But we need to give our people the opportunity to prioritize and say, "Okay, you know, if you go into I won't even name a department, but you go into department A and you tell them you're going to, you know, we're going to have a 15%, you know, reduction in in your in your operating budget this year, how how are you
going to handle that?" They, in my opinion, they need time to work with these directors to be able to do that. And, you know, I don't I just I don't think the second budget hearing in September is the time is the time to do it. if uh you know if you want to you know try to make a commitment that there's going to be you know that you're going to support and you feel like the majority of the board is going to support some uh some some roll back of millage next year. Commissioner Sherburgger I'm I'm okay with that but it takes I mean it does take time it's it's you know it takes
time to expect our employees to implement these changes that we can kind of say on a whim up here. Um so underneath starting in just a few months if that's the direction that the board wants to give that we are that we are going to be looking at a partial roll back rate to try to relieve some pressure okay but let's be more I think we can be more diplomatic in the way that we deploy that to our you know or it's 1,800 is probably not accurate maybe we have 2,000 employees now but whatever the number is exactly I think that we can be more diplomatic in our communication to them of
that and um and and then I'm good with that and then the other things that were mentioned you putting the the children's sh on the ballot. I'm supportive of that. The library MSU I think we're I think you know I think we can now it's very healthy. I think we can work without that. So I think there are a lot of things that we can do to to uh to alleviate things going forward. Um All right, Commissioner May and then Commissioner Sher if you don't mind if I make comment and then um I want No, you're up next. Commissioner B, thank you. Thank you for your leadership. Uh,
and like Commissioner Barry, I could be supportive if if you were to give a directive tonight uh to tell the administration that you want to see those 2% cuts of that4.7 million overage. I mean, I could be very supportive of that. Um, I take, you know, I have a lot of reservations with, you know, what we've done in terms of increasing taxes, whether it's for fire or whether it's for whatever, because when people are living paycheck to paycheck, $100 matters. $200 a year matters. And so I think that you're on the right track. Um I do uh agree with Commissioner Barry that maybe,
you know, there's a directive that comes from you, you know, from this conversation uh to say, you know, let's look at it in in 90 days, look at her in 20 days. We want the administration to start making cuts so we can be prepared because what I don't support is just cutting the county. I mean, uh the tax dollars come in from all constitutionals across the board. And so it would be unfair to our directors, unfair to our staff uh to say tighten your belt, which I believe we have to in these days. I I I think the citizens expect for us uh to tighten our belt and to be more efficient and be and and great stewards. I think we could leave that,
you know, in the next couple months showing how we are cutting back and to hold all of the constitutionals as accountable as we are. But I do applaud you for what you're saying because what you're saying is exactly right is what I'm hearing from citizens. I mean, I hadn't heard I mean, our first public hearing on the budget, I've been here with Commissioner Barry for almost 12 years, and that was the first public hearing that we probably spent two and a half hours uh listening to the constituents because many constituents are hurting. uh and not only just constituents who uh
live below the property guidelines, but many uh investors and developers who are trying to uh put their properties back on the line and and and and do development um taxes and impact fees and all those things are certainly uh a great burden on them. Um I, you know, until tonight when Stephan just said, you know, of $70 million, $47 million is unfunded mandates. I'm really afraid of what's going to happen uh with uh property taxes and the legislators. I'm really afraid
of what's going to happen to CRAAS in the next session knowing that we're going into an election cycle. Uh but I think leadership is exactly what you just said that we figure out a way to cut this budget. So th those are my thoughts and I can be supportive of you, Commissioner Stroberger. Commissioner Stroberger. Well, you know, we we I know it's a long process, but it's not a long process for those folks out there. they're they're going to have to make budget cuts themselves right away. And so I I I can't believe there's nothing we can do. They're just finding out that they're
getting a tax increase and we're just telling them um over the course of a couple of meetings. See, we have 4.7 and he said surplus. Could it redirect the staff to cut that and and come back to us every 90 days and start to reduce it so we can live with it and then cut the mill? Can can I show some data? So, we make decisions based on facts because I I really I really think that Okay. I three of us were at the fact conference last last week. I I sit on the finance tax and
administration board. Mike, can you can you put up slide three? I'm going to go through some data here so we understand where we are where we are versus just value and taxable value so that we know we're we're one we're in the lower third in millages in the state of Florida. First of all, we're not over we're everyone feels like they're over tax, but I also agree with Commissioner Stroberger. Did you Mike, are you in the back? Who's in the thing? Okay. Yeah. Okay. So, team I know this is small to read, but if you look at the mandates from the state, this board has no
control over those mandates. We have to pay those no matter what. We have to pay those. Stefan, our our advorum that we have control of, I think is about $213 million. Is that correct? Uh advalorum for uh I'm sorry, bear with me just a moment. So advalorum does not count lost dollars, right? Correct. This is the general fund. So um Avalorum is around 217 million. Okay. So,
it's a little off. Mike, go to slide five because I think this is this is the this is uh that slide. Okay. And then we'll push forward. So, when you look at taxable values in the state, you got to look at what your just value is across the board and what your actual uh ratio is. And across the state, as you look at here, our taxable rate from 2020 to 204 has went down about 7%. I'm going to push forward. Go to go to um slide 16.
We in Escambia County, as you can see, if you were to look here, our just versus value tax is still on the negative side. That's you don't want to be there, right? You want to be above. If we were to roll it back, we'd be even in a worse situation. If you look at our counties close, just look at Walton, they're 10% below. You look at Santa Rosa, they're 4.82% below. You look at Okaloosa, they're 4.21% below. We're at a sweet spot right now, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't do more. Please go
to slide six um go to slide uh 17 because I think this is important factor when you talk about predictability and non-predictability in taxes. If you look at Escambia County, what who's paying property taxes? Almost 6 uh8% of our citizens are nonhomestead citizens. These are people that are paying taxes that have a second home. Think about that. The majority of our taxpayers in Escambia County are not homesteaded citizens. Think about that when you vote to get rid of property tax
because that is a big elephant. All right, push up to 69. might just move that point. Well, I think that's why we have to have this conversation with actual numbers. So, if we could go to slide 69 and all this data, I challenge everyone here for every single county in the state. Florida Association of Counties has put this out there and it sounds good to get rid of property taxes, but do you know what some of the things are on the table? Well, it's a 4% uh when you buy your first house. I don't know
how many people are going to support that. an increase in two and a half% on sales tax impact fees that they're going to make us do. Um it we don't know where we're going to land, but I will tell you from the from the recommendations from the people at the Florida Station of Counties, this is not getting rid of property taxes. If anyone in this room thinks you're getting rid of property tax, it's a transfer tax and it'll hurt some of the poorest people worse. sales taxes, people that have to pay more on their first home, all those things are going to hurt
people more than what the people that are more predictable. I'm not saying it doesn't hurt, but here's what I'd like to say. If you look, and I agree with Commissioner Stroberger, we got to look at how to make this more lean for the citizens of Escambia County, and I've been with both uh the county administrator and and Stfan multiple times. Stfan will tell you I've went into his office multiple times. ECT, absolutely. I don't They do some great things. I don't think it's a fair tax. I asked him to review the what we call in the Navy the authorized manding document. Billets that basically are unfilled to see how we can look at that at every
director's level to save that money. We have a lot of billets in the county that we can't really get rid of. They're just hard to fill like in public works and correctional officers. But that doesn't mean some of those billets shouldn't go off what I call your AMD. The life cycle. In the military, we used to have a life cycle. And this is one of the things that came up every every single year. Well, if the microwave's seven years, we got to get a new microwave. Well, if the microwave's still working, keep using the microwave, right? And it's the same thing with this. If we have vehicles that are still working, we don't need to get new vehicles. So, I've challenged Wes on that. The MSTU on the library. Um, I looked at that. The problem is Allison, you tell me that that
we have an interlocal agreement with the city. So, I don't want to get the county libraries get less than the city libraries. So, can you look at see if they'd be willing to negotiate that interlocal? We we can absolutely talk about their buy into the MSTU. Yeah. But I I don't want I want ours and the cities the same. Not ours less. Understood. Yeah. I'm not interested in that. And then tiffs. Every 5% that we lower in a CRA tiff. It puts about I'm just going to say 650,000. Is that fair to fund back in the general fund? I hate doing that because that helps our poorest communities
in Escambia County, but I' I'd be willing to negotiate a little bit, but not much on the tiff. And then community partners. I agree with comm uh Commissioner Stroberger. If we're all hurting, everyone's got to get a skin of flesh. It's not one sizefits-all. I would be willing to look at that and revise those as well. But the concern I have with the state legislature going into session in January, not knowing where we're going to land for us to take a huge leap at this point would be
all recommendations are no. I'm just telling you all recommendations are no because uh we could be in a much worse situation come next March. And I I think we really need to see what the state legislaturator is going to do. It could be we could be in a really bad situation. And that's just my two cents. That's all I have. Commissioner Huffberger, you have a comment. I I do. And I have a question. Commissioner Stroberger, were you recommending a two and a half% roll back? No. No, not a two and a half% roll back. No, I was I was re I I think I'm recommending my numbers are are
wrong because I thought we were at 824 million and I was thinking about a 2% roll back at that point. So that we were talking about 13 instead of 26 million. That's what I was looking at. So I don't have a number. Where would where would we what what would get cut if we took 26 million? Stefan, you got to lay it on the table. Is it going to be is it going to be is county employee raises? Is it where it's going to be employee pay raises? Is it going to be programs? Is it going to be what don't
you want to do anymore? What services do you not want to provide anymore? I agree with Commissioner Barry on this. We should have this conversation in the workshop, not now because this this is a big big ask. Huh? I mean, you I I Commissioner Stoer, I totally understand what you're getting and I I know, but we have a little bit of time to see what the I understand the fiscal reality and and Bubba Peters said that we're we're looking at maybe 0 to 2% next year. So, a roll back is risky. It's
risky, right? I understand that. But uh man, it just sucks for some folks. It really just sucks. And we are giving ourselves a 3% raise. So what's your ask? Yeah. What's the ask? Cut the beion. What do you recommend? So I'm open. I'm open to recommendations. We definitely should do that.
That's a definite I want to support. But Commissioner Stroberger, do you need it today or can we set the guidelines for the next fiscal? I think we need it. Well, we I think that that maybe cow in January. Well, we have to prove that help some of these folks that I got to pay their taxes right now. It's that's my big concern. I have I have that damn MSBU is 101 bucks and I've already as I've already told a few people I'll pay the damn thing for them. My wife's going to kill
me if I keep paying everybody's MSBUs. I can't do that. Well, so how do we know that the 101 is the actual number that we need for the MSBU? Why can't the MSBU be $75? I mean, well, you're done. It's too late. See, I mean, all you can do is make that that horse has left the barn. I mean, I will say it's pointless to have a budget meeting if we can't change anything. That's just crap. This is really a preuncter I mean, this is really a prefuncter meeting. I mean, the budget meetings were July. Well, when I brought up giving more money to nonprofit in July,
you told me to wait and have that conversation at the budget hearing. So, that happened too. Was your recommendation a two and a half%? Yes. I would like to second that. and and just because I own a company and when we are losing revenue, we can find two and a half percent somewhere. I mean, if we're going to cut that, so let's go back. I mean, listen, I want I want on the table what we're going to cut. So, it's not just it sounds Let's cut every constitutional. Let's cut.
Can either one of you explain what you mean by two and a half%. We do. Let's just be clear. What What What What 2 and a half% are we talking about? two and a half percent of the county budget, two and a half% of the general revenue, two and a half% of our millage rate. What are we cut? What are we cutting? Two and a half percent. Well, I want a partial millage rate uh roll back, but I still think we can find more fat to cut in our budget. I know we can find more. And see, and that's where me and you hit that I support you and would be very supportive of you saying and directing West to cut back and come in six months and we get we can get a greater roll back millage
rate in the beginning. But it's almost a game in a way that we're going to increase people's uh tire fire attacks and then reduce the military and think that it's all going to equate out. I think that you are right where you're going and you know you guys are Republicans conservatives probably more than I I agree with you. We need to figure out how we can cut something back. But once you I've been on this board where we've rolled back the millage rate uh once you roll back that millage rate you can't go forward. I mean we can always adjust our budget as Commissioner
Barry said we can cut our budget uh anytime that we want. You could direct uh Stefan and Wes say you want to see 2% reduction across expenditures and revenues and figure out what programs you want to cut and come back. I got I got an email back. I got a lot of red read in the email. Well, you can direct them now with the support of your colleagues. I mean, were you saying they told you they wouldn't do it? No, we got something back from Stfan. So, well, I mean, I can get it back, but I mean, you can direct that, Steve. I mean, you have that ability and I think that you have
full support from your board. I just don't want to rubber stamp this because that's what I felt like I was doing all along is just rubber stamping the budget without really m and it's taken me this long to get my arms around it to kind of understand it. It's complicated. It's a complicated budget and I know it's a lot of work. I know it's a lot of work, but I think it's worth it. I think it's worth the work. Um, and Steve, I agree with you. Steve, here's here's here here's problematic what we could find ourselves in that we have to be stewards. I agree with you. I mean,
you know, listen, I I didn't even bring the fire tax. I mean, you know, I I'm I'm supportive of our colleagues because that was important uh to many of you that's on this board because quite frankly, I probably would not have have have landed there. Uh but cutting the miller rate, I agree with you. We need to give the taxpayers some type of relief. But the problem is we can direct and have it cut now. see what happens in the legislature in February and March to see exactly what the delegation says. I'd rather lead on that because those guys are I don't know what kind of shenanigans you know but if they cut if you roll back Hold on Mike Mike let me respond. Mike, let
me respond please. If you roll back this millage rate and I would say this to to the both of you. you roll back the miller rate and then they cut property taxes and then we still have unfunded mandates and then what you really gonna do is hurt poor people because sales tax is not going to go up two cents it's going to go up seven cents and we're going to be a California and a New York or somewhere like that. So, I mean, I think that you have full support to say to the administrator, "Cut it. Come back in 90 days and tell me your cuts. Come back, you know, in March and tell me what your other cuts were." And then as you we're going right back in the budget cycle in March when
you're going into the legislature, we will have known what the legislators are going to do. And that's what I would hope that you do. But, you know, I believe in where you're going. I mean, I want I want to help you, but I'm trying to find the compromise that makes sense. Commissioner, I agree with that. But I would just say this. If you say cut two and a half% that's like throwing a grenade out. You got to say where you're going to cut, you know, and so is it going to be the staff uh um increase? Is it going to be out of the tiff? Is it going to I don't know either. I don't know what that means. I mean, we got to define it's got to come from all of those. It's got to come from
the tip. The tip's not going to What is it like 650,000? That's only 7030. But I'm just saying if it was at 70, right? There's a lot of different options here. I mean, yeah, but but but Steve, I think what Mike is saying, and I agree. I'm I'm listen, I've said since I've been on this board, and Commissioner Barry will vouch. I've always said that we we have to tighten our belt, but okay, we're going to cut employee salaries. Are we going to put the people that make over $100,000 and cut them 3% and cut the people that make $15 3%. Or I mean, who who are we going to
cut? I need to know what that would amount to. Yeah. I mean, so I mean, I'm not going to support cutting somebody that makes less than $25,000, less than $30,000. I'm not going to cut them the same amount that I'm going to cut somebody that makes $100,000. You know, so commissioner, 40% of the total county budget is the general fund. 60% is all the other funds at the county. All the other funds can only be spent on very particular things. Those are considered special revenue funds, enterprise funds, restricted funds. Uh legally, they have specific uses for
those dollars. So if if you tell or direct staff to cut those budgets, those dollars can still only be spent on the things that they are appropriated for currently. So it would just simply be we do that cut, but then that those dollars are still there and to Commissioner Barry's point, they roll forward and they still have to be spent on exactly the legally allowable use of those funds. So if you're going to do a cut that is meaningful in any way, it could only be in the general fund.
So, we're close to the sweet spot. We would be in the negative spot. And that's what that's what I was trying to share with what came out of the fact and and I get that, too. But that's also saying suck it up. That's what it's that's what you're telling everybody else. Our our military rate is low. Suck it up. I think that's good enough. No, I know you're not saying that, but that's what it sounds like. That's what it sounds like. It it's really low now, and I get it. But we're a poor c We're a poor county. We are a poor county and there are more
poor people here that are going to be hurt by this than some of those other counties. Um I I talked to folks at Fact 2 and they're all planning a partial a lot of them. A lot of them I don't know how many. Um I know Okaloosa is uh partial roll back. I don't know why we can't do the same thing, Steve. And I'm and and so as you know, Madame council and and and my colleague to my right has said, you know, obviously we've we've passed the MSBU, the fire tax. So, let me just someone house
who floods. We probably spent more LC dollars and money on people who houses flooded. I mean, we probably have more people who are displaced from flooding than we do fire. So, I I think that, you know, you almost have to do a desk audit of of of the critical needs. And I think one thing that we've missed, you know, and we've not had this in in a committee as a whole, what's our long-term strategic plan for this county? And I agree with you, uh, that it has to reduce the tax burden, but we got to look at revenue versus resources and how do we fulfill those needs. And what's critical, I mean, you know, we I can just tell you right now in many of my districts, you know, people are
still flooding. I mean, people still don't have uh sewer to septic. I mean although you know fire is important, we probably don't have as many fires in our neighborhood as we we do have flooding. So I mean there are still some real critical needs. I agree with you. We got to tighten the belt. I think you are in a position of leadership to work with the administration to say cut it. And if not, you know, you're going to be there in March to be able to sound like it makes a difference if we we cut anything. Um, but $390 million over the last six years, you think we'd solved a lot of stuff,
you know, but we're still flooding. We still got roads that are crumbling. I I don't know what the answer to that is, but I think that we need to we're not spending our money the right way, and we're not actually spending it on the right things either. So, we got to I I think we got to I think there's a lot of soulsearching we need to do about this. And and like households are doing, they're making their uh they're balancing their budgets. I think that we can do a better job of balancing ours and and make the cuts that we need to, just like Ashley's going to have to
do in her business if there's a a downturn in her business or anybody else's business. So, you guys made a motion in the second. I just I'm Commissioner B. I'm going to be supportive. I I would hope that you would maybe amend it to ask staff and the administrator to to make those cuts uh to come back and make some cuts and come back with you with something that allows for us to really give a real significant uh roll back rate to the citizens without with the uncertainties.
And you know, that's my that's my only concern on rolling back the mill. I agree with with cutting. I mean, let's figure out what to cut and how to cut it. I mean, you cut something. Well, you made a motion and there's a second. I'll force the vote. I just don't I need clarity on what 2 and a half% is. Uh yeah, commissioners, I just need to gently remind you the item that you need to vote on is the final millage rate. The that is what the item is. It you're going to have to be crystal clear about what you are doing because this has huge ramifications.
So two and a half% of what I mean the the the question is are you adopting or not adopting the final millage rate that's here under 71. That is the item. I'm not sure what the two and a half percent 2 and a half% of what is what the Well, I don't know that either. That's why we're the I I would I'm trying to nudge you back to adopting the final millage rate. It it is the whole purpose really of this hearing tonight. Steph 6.6165 6165 is give or take. Is it about
$5,400 per 10,000th of a mill? Is that Do we know? Say that again, please. $5,400 per 10,000th of a mill. Is that Is that right? Or do we What? How How do you have the revenue broken down over there when you're just back of Napkin number per hundth of a mill, per thousandth of a mill? Absolutely. Basically, it's $6 per per thousand 6.61 $6 and you know per thousand dollars of value for I'm not
looking at value. I'm I'm taking the millillage versus our revenue because what we're I mean I I'm presuming what Commissioner Starberger would like to do is something that reduces revenue which would be a cut in which would be which would be trimming some mills off the off the mill rate. And that's what I'm getting at. And I I backed the napkin that per 10,000th of a mill would be about $5,400 of revenue. So, what I was that's what I was going to say is
if we if we did trim just a little bit off of the mills to I mean it's not it's not like 6.5. What do you think of Commissioner Barry? No, I was like I'm just adding six I mean 6.6 or Yeah, I get it. I'd do something really small that would probably affect it. Yeah. I mean, we can we can absorb that. It's it's a you know that add up to that's and and that's what I was trying to probably get out of but commission what commissioner Barry had made
a a great compromise to you could still direct the next administration to make cuts and then you still roll back the miller rate of what you were trying to accomplish. So if we went to 6 point if if we were 6.6 flat would that be about a million dollar reduction give or take? That's a good that's a good wiggle room to see what the legislature does. I think that's and then we come back and and we and again we still are in an environment where ECUA's raised rates like raised the rate part. The school board has raised the rate part not just the
value part. I get it. But we're but if if well well I mean you've indicated an an appetite to support this as well. So I'm trying to No, I get it. That we can that we can all live with. I'm not I'm not It's less than that. It's only about half a million, isn't it? But it's so correct. It's about $546,000. If we went six flat, I mean 65 6.6 66 flat from 6.6165 to 6.6 is $546,000.
So, Steve, that's about the lowest I would go to roll back is is is where Commissioner Barry is for the simple reason, you know, I'm not comfortable with rolling back anything with the uncertainties at the legislature. But I think I mean, I'm I'm very supportive of saying we got to tighten our belt and look to our administration. But if that's the where Commissioner Barry and you can commission and we can go, I can be supportive of that. Let me just commit it. We can get beat up every week, but the school board has tremendously raised their millage rate and ECUA continues to raise their rates. Uh the utilities continue to raise their rates. Uh and I mean,
the cost of doing business is just the cost of doing business. I mean, and so I'm certainly want to give relief. Um but I'm not going to tag somebody on a fire tax and then come back and say I'm going to reduce their millage rate. That just doesn't make a lot of sense to me. And Stephan, I apologize. I I was I wasn't pulling out the carry forward balance. I was I was leaving the balance in there when I my back of the napkin number. But Commissioner Barry, if I can make a comment, I I actually think what you said is very fair because it lets it it's it's a minimal roll back and then we can come back and give the staff direction for March. And and and I
and Commissioner Stroberger, I I really think after being at practice last week, we really need to see what the state legislature is going to do. I I I can't express that enough. We could literally be in a pickle come April if we got too crazy here. And everyone's saying that it's just not Commissioner Kohler. It's every single county in the state. So I I'm willing to go with what he Yeah. And I'm willing to go with Steve. I mean, Commissioner Rober, Commissioner Barry, I'll support that. In an ideal world, Mike, I'm with you. I don't really want because here's what's going to happen. You roll it back and we got more homelessness. We got more people hungry. We got
more people paying rent. HUD is being reduced by $90 million. Ship funding may be drying up. We still are going to have the burden of taking care of the less fortunate, the poor, the homeless, and all those things that we can only take care out of a general fund. So, I can go with the 6.6 and say cut fat, tell West to do that, but to say to go way down, not knowing what the legislator is going to do, that's not the appetite I got. Steve, 5.9 would be about a million. 5.9. 5.9 would be a lot more than a million dollar cut. Yeah. I'm sorry. I mean 6.59 is
what I meant. Yeah. Comm Mr. Chairman. 6.6. And And you know, we have not been in an environment in a number of years where Well, I got to before we go there, these guys had a motion in a second. I need someone to retract that before I go to your separate. I did have a motion and I need somebody to do my math and Stephan you're the really good one at that. Um so where I got the two and a half% from if we flip back to the front page and something Josh brought up um the fiscal year 2025 2026 is 4.83% above the roll back rate. So if we instead of going 4.83% if we only did 2
and a.5% above the roll back rate what would that equal? Several several million So actually ask may I ask a question when you're saying that roll back. So when you want to do this roll back is this going to apply to all the constitutionals? So everybody's going to have to reduce their budgets and go back. I mean it won't. No, their budgets are set. We eat this. We eat this. We'd have to wait till next year for the constitution. So well that's unfair. I mean so the constitutionals being the the clerk we have the tax appraiser, the tax collector, the property appraiser. I mean,
you mean tell me that we're just gonna put it all on the backs of of of us if we can't spread it across I mean, I'm completely out, commissioner, if we can't spread it across the board. We need to let Stefan put the word out to all the constitutionals they have to cut back next year. That would be so unfair. I mean, yeah, we're asking all what this number equals because I a constituent brought it up and I think we deserve to at least explore it. If Stephan can going to 5.9. Commissioner um Stroberger is about 20 23 million.
Is that how much? 23 million. I I meant to I I misspoke. I I meant to say 6.59. Well, while you're speaking, but did you agree that we should cut it across all constitutional amen? Yeah, I do. Well, we can't. You can't do that. That I Well, all we do is direct the staff to cut and then we come back and then we do it in March. I mean, and that's and that's why I said we we pass what we have and we put the word out that there's going to be changes next year. I mean,
that's I think you'd be making a good faith ever cut, but I'd like to get out of here this evening. So, if it's 66 is that if that's what gets us out of here, they got to roll back their two and a half. That's what we got a motion in a second. I want I don't think there's support for two and a half. I mean, Commissioner, you know, I support you. I support it being cut across all the constitutional until until we can do that, it's going to be hard for me to vote for any millage roll back. I mean, because I I I can't say lay off our custodial staff or lay off our support staff. Lay off building inspectors. I mean, what happened? We got a jail that we're spending $300
million. Hey, Tim, lay off an inspector where we can't do good inspections. How do I do that? And then I don't say anything to the other constitutionals. I mean, I just don't know how that exists, you know? All right, we got two questions. Commissioner Strober's and then Commissioner Hoffberers and then at that point I need you to decide if we want to vote on your 2 and a half% mclarity. So Commissioner Stroberger so at the 6.59 that would be about 877,000.
And for Commissioner Hoffberger that's a little more complicated. I've actually got to play with a Department of Revenue spreadsheet to try to get that to work. It's not super easy to do that. Okay, then I will retract that motion based on the information that you gave because I do agree we need to make an educated decision. Um, and the 6.59 is a reduction of some sort and I think that our first meeting in January will be how are we going to make these reductions across the board in our cow. So, if that makes you comfortable, you didn't make the motion. He did. So, he has I
thought I made it. I'm sorry. I'm very apparently trying I'm so sorry. I thought I made it. it. But um Commissioner Strober, do you want to retract your motion and and u and can we have maybe a different motion? Mr. Chairman, I mean, Commissioner Strober could could do whatever he wants to do with the motion, but we could make this motion on the military and then we could come back and make any directive that that you want to do, but that's not what's on the like Steve said, retract his motion. I will I will retract my motion and I'll make a new motion to um roll back the miller's rate to 6.59. If you're going to make it make it where you lay out the
countywide make the amendment all three of them if you're Steve I mean Steve can you go with the 6.6 that Commissioner Barry recommended because I I'd like to support it all three. Okay. Commissioner, Commissioner Roberry, before you make the motion, I mean, would you consider what Commissioner Barry said before you make because I I would like to for us to, you know, have a consensus vote, but I mean, if that's not the vote, that's fine. I mean, it's I'm I'm I'll be very supportive. Library, MSTU, and the sheriff and I mean, but you got to read the millages for each one. All right,
commissioners, if I could please. So, um, I would like some additional direction, please. So, we freezing raises or something? What are we doing? I don't know where it's going. I mean because I mean what are you going are you going to So that is the question. I have to have some direction. If you're going to reduce something then I need you to tell me what we're going to take out. I mean because you're going to have to freeze raises and then you know Steve doesn't want to be here all night but we're going to be here all night when we're going to freeze the raises for people that's making 12 13 $14 an hour. We're not going to and we're going to give people that make six figures. What is 1% in the raise? If we went to 6.61 we could just reduce the amount that
that's being dedicated to reserves with no other impact. If we went to 6.61 61. We could because we could absorb that so easily, we could just reduce the amount that's allocated for reserves. It wouldn't have any other impact. And that's a that's a if that's a and I think that you're fair, but I mean, we we just raised a fire taxes. We're not paying our firemen properly, but some people can't find CDL drivers. I mean, some people can't find people to clean the building. And and so the first thing we're going to do is we are going to, you know, we're going to cut personnel and those at the lowest level are going to people the people that are going to be impacted the most. I mean,
if there's something where you can take it out of reserves, that's fine. Or if we're going to look at raises for people who make a lot more money. What I would say is if if we went to 6 point if if we just went to 6 point 6.6 flat, then all we would all we would be impacting is the allocation to reserves. It wouldn't be impacting anything else. The rest of the budget would stay the same. All right. That Commissioner Stroberger just in the interest of time retract his original motion. Anyone can make a motion now. M Mr. Chairman, I'll make a motion uh make a motion to adopt
the final millage resolution that are indicated countywide millage rate of 6.6 mills, 6.60 mills, library MSTU.359 mills, sheriff's law enforcement MSTU.685 mills with direction to staff that the uh the reduction of revenue be a reduction in allocated reserves for the year. Okay, there's a motion. Is there a second? Second. All right. Any further discussion? Please vote. Motion passes.
5-0. Point of clarification. Commissioner Barry. So, you did say 6.6 or 6.61. 6.6. 6.6. 000. 6.67. Well, actually, I would like to follow up with Commissioner Stroberger, what he said. I still think there's a lot of opportunity come next year that we could look at. We've already thrown out ECT. We've thrown out cycle. We have the attorney looking at the M uh the the the
library tax. Um I don't think we're not listening to this to the people. And so I I you can see how hard this is and what we're having to do. We are listening to you. We're trying to ma manage the county interest with all the things that you want. But this is not easy. It's not easy. So, I just want I think when we come back maybe later this fall or early in January, we should have a cow before to talk about this. But I mean, it's a budget. Commissioner Oberger wants to, you know, because we're in a public meeting where he's not oneonone when he said he
didn't get back what he wanted from Stefan or, you know, he's tried to get reductions. I mean, this is the time to say it and get and get support of what you expect in terms of reductions. And I could be supportive of you, man. Mr. Mr. Chairman, do we have more need to talk more with step? We have speakers on the next one. Oh, okay. Do we have a speaker on item two? Uh, no. Actually, let me read that and then we can move on. So, are we good on that, folks? Okay. So, let's move to board 7.2 board action of supplemental budget amendment resolution that the
board adopt the resolution approving supplemental budget amendment. I was told I had to read this. amended the fiscal year 2526 tenative budget in the increased amount of 44 million41,563 that would mean general fund and these numbers I'm the general fund will change Stefan right of what we just decided so I I don't know what the actual number will be on that so general fund TBD M&A state state funds 13,254 local provider participant funds 47,27 47,27,311
Tourist promotion funds 3 million $33,40,921 library fund 97,164 misdemeanor probation fund 25,948 opioid abatement fund 22,335 protection fund 2,32,532 community redevelopment fund 116,511 Building Inspection Fund 39,873 internal service fund 435,00 397. Do you know what the general fund should be, Stefan? I I probably have to announce that
it's going to be 8 million something. I don't know. So, the budget adjustment that is in front of you, I think you're safe to read that number. That that is the budget adjustment. So, the general fund that I have in front of me is $8,89,683. Folks, I made that motion. Mr. Chairman, there's a motion, a second. Please vote. Okay, motion passes 5-0. We're at 73. This is for the final budget resolution for 2025 2026.
No, not on this one. So, uh the final the final 868,000 is not the correct number, right? The final budget will be different. I am working on that right now. Okay. I need a minute so I can announce the final number. I was told I have to read that numbers. You don't I mean we I don't think we have to have the exact numbers. We could have made a plethora of changes that couldn't be
calculated on the fly. All right. I was told by him, but if you're saying also we don't, we'll push on. I'm only doing what I was told. The the number in the resolution will be adjusted accordingly. That's fine. We'll move forward with that previous. So the ch the chair will entertain a motion to adopt the final budget resolution which was attent initially $868,481,713. It'll be amended by uh the fiscal department for 2526. Do I have a motion? Second. Okay. Please vote. Motion passes 5-0. Okay. We're now at three different things. Uh we're Mary,
you're up. This is on the Moral Grove redevelopment plan. You're our first speaker on number four. Would you like to come up and speak? How many? We only have two more. Um, who made that plan? The Myrtle Grove CRA. Who physically went out and counted all these dilapidated? Max Rogers. Max Rogers did and neighborhood services.
Okay. And does FD do know about um these two state roads that go through that area? I mean, is it just like a wish that oh, F dot we're going to have to get with them and you know, they're going to have to help us do that. Mary, this is a CRA that FDOT wrote a totally different subject. I saw F DOT mentioned in there. It's just a redevelopment plan. It's a redevelopment
plan for for a community that's 10,000 below the median income in Escambia County. I think it's a really good thing. Um but you know, I I don't know where you land on it. I was just cur I I read the agenda online. It doesn't even look like the agenda that was at the counter when I came in. And a lot of us were confused about that. It has nothing to do with El Mary. We we've had two public hearings over at Myrtle Grove um at Wesco and Max put there's a whole on our website there's
a whole PowerPoint on it if you go to my Scambia. I was just worried about you know it's hard to get FD dot to respond. I mean like with Sarrento Road you know and how many years is it going to be? So I was just curious. Yeah. This has nothing to do with that dot. So, okay, that's cool. So, board, I have no speakers for 502, 503. Can Can we move them all at one time? Can we? No. Okay. Can I get a motion for 502? 502. Uh, my motion stands. Okay. And your second? Okay. Please vote.
502 passes unanimously. 503. I'll move 503, Mr. Chairman. Okay. Is there a second? Second. Okay. Commissioner Barry, please vote. Motion passes 50. I'll move six. I'll move six too. Okay. Motion. Uh second. Okay. Uh there's a motion to second. Please vote. Number six passes. We are now um I think actually team I think we can go through. Do I have any other speakers? Okay. I don't have any other speakers on the other item. So we can move through. Move the balance. Okay. Second. All
right. Please vote. Motion passes 5-0. All right. I just have one thing. I know we're meeting next week. Commissioner May, um, as we get ready to adjourn, do you have a cow item on that you're No, I I I would like to uh put on the cow if you have a report, Stefan, for economic development, job growth. Okay. Florida. Is that good, Stefan? Can you help us with that for uh October? See if we can have Florida West predict on job growth and economic development for committ. I apologize. I'm still trying to get our budget and mill resolution. Would you do it for for the next cow?
Can we do uh economic development and job growth Florida West to present? Okay, good. All right, team. Good meeting. This meeting is adjourned. Thank you very much, everyone. Got a little back in the fight.