[Music] What are you doing? Well, I wish I didn't ask [Music] [Music] She said, "I found it. [Music]
I love it still. Good job. [Music] [Music] All right. Ready to get started. Father, we thank you. Just being able to rise in our sleeping cup.
We thank you for your goodness and your worship all the week. come now to try to work out county business. We thank you. Bless your name being in a country where we can discuss. Father, we come right now with open
hearts, open minds to hear the truth. Nothing but we thank you. Father, we realize we don't take none of this personal, but it's about business of this county and this country. We thank you for what you've done thus far. Where you brought
us from, where you car us to. We thank you. Help us not as we go from one good degree to another. These blessings and all other blessings we ask in Jesus name. Amen. 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. [Music] everyone to our third budget workshop.
It's Thursday, July 24th, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. We have a conference line set up. Number there is 1 19179001022. Access code 32347 pound. This is not a toll-free number. He may be subject to longdistance
charges according to your long distance plan. When the chair person member of the meeting for public comment, please follow the below instruction. If you wish to speak, please dial star 5. The moderator will unmute your line when it's your turn to speak and notify you by announcing the last four digits of your telephone number. Please announce
your name and address. You will be allowed to speak for three minutes. Any person wishing to address the board regarding an attended will be given three minutes for comment. The comment may only speak one time for each agenda item.
With that said, we'll move on to item three, the board to continue the whole budget workshop to discuss all aspects of fiscal year 2025 2026 budget priorities. So Anna prepared a little couple little
sheets on the general fund and MST fund if you want to start there just kind of summarizing what we talked about at this point. Uh just a reminder that Tuesday at 5:30 we'll be setting the final not the final but the tenative mill rate. So once you set that you will not be able to go higher than that. You can only go
you can adopt that or a lower rate. Um, so that that will be done at the meeting on Tuesday at 5:30. And of course, you have until the final meeting in September to adopt the final budget. So you can make changes to the budget up
until that time. [Music] So, um just an overview for the general fund um that we've discussed throughout this time is a reminder the health department reduced an additional 10,000.
um with discussions being reducing the sheriff's office request um of their increase the 28644, reducing their um current year budget amount by 200,000 and then reducing the
work squad amount of 120. Um we'll make the sheriff's office budget request be 8,933498. then adding that 120 back into one of the county departments for the work squads. The property appraiser emailed
me and they have an amended do budget that reduced an additional amount of 8,985. So when we started the expenditures at the beginning of the budget time it was 24 million 901186
and so taking out the 10,000 the 28644 the 200,000 the 120 and then I just showed that you add the 120 back in because you have to account for it somewhere um and then taking out the 8985
that makes their current expenditures be 24 million 396157 7. Um, the current revenue is 24,79811, which makes there be an excess in the general fund of 313654.
You can add back in um the $1,500 for my travel expense. I won't be using that. Okay. If I need to go somewhere, I'll pay for it myself. That's another 1,500. [Music]
So the 313 would be rolled into the reserve fund. Is that what we budget travel on myself? Yes, I believe every commissioner has travel. That would make it 31654.
And then for the MSTU, um Wanda and I have talked um this week and she'll be reallocating 50% of one of the code enforcement salaries to the boat ramps. He does all his time on the boat
ramp stuff, picking up the deposits, um the citations and stuff like that. and with the increase um of the boat ramp fees that's going to happen. Um so that would make the expenditures so I'll have to adjust this a little bit but just
ensure that the expenditures at the beginning of the budget were 3,65986 and then reducing it by 10,000 would make it be 3,64986 and then with the revenue that still shows the deficit at 228447
but we were just sitting here talking um so this was already prepared um if she increases the building permit fees by 21% that would cover the
expenses for the building department and planning department. So it's $42,000. If she can do that, that would bring the deficit down to 18647. So, so the $42,000 is whatever is
currently not accounted for as far as revenue in the building and planning department that has to come out of the MSDU. So, if the building and planning permit fees are increased by 40 by 20%, that should net the 42,000 and then that
department would be self-sufficient. What would that make the the permits? I don't know yet. I I haven't had time to to do the calculations. That's just a rough estimate because we've only had a couple days to work on it.
So where just for curiosity, how did you come up with 21%. So if you take the the difference between the the estimated revenue for
building and planning from building permit fees and for building permit fees and then the city's um portion as well and you subtract it from the expenses for those departments. The balance is
the 42,000 and then that's if you just look at $200,000 revenue in building permit fees that's the 21%. Okay. I have another question. If and does it come out of the general fund or
the MSTU? The MST for the for the um security that we have at the boat ramps because that that Oh, that cost or does that come out of the boat ramp fee boat fees money? Okay. Is there any other way that
is there anything else that we would need that? Well, I I would say Danielle, do you know how much we have in the sinking fund? So, if you reduce that cost, all you'd really do is is add that to the sinking
fund, right? Do you mind pull the mic up? Okay. So, if you move those funds, you're only going to add to the syncing fund. It's not going to help anything in in the general fund or such, right? I do know there's there going to be
projects that I mean, we've talked about that the fee change, but the if the permits increase 20%, it generates 42,000 and and balances the building department, the building and planning department.
So, we would not have to have that offset from the MSG. Not that reduces the deficit to 187. It would reduce it would reduce it to 186 to 447.
Oh, sorry. Looking around 18. So, Commissioner Pigle, to answer your question or to try to answer your question, we have $361,000 in the thinking fund, which is the reserve designated for boat ramps.
So, if that security were not provided, then that would go into that sinking fund as Commissioner Newman said. So, that would be could be used for future maintenance or projects at the boat ramps. Right. Yes. Right. So in our syncing fund is how much right
now? 361 where the revenue for the sinking fund come from rank and decals and those funds are going to obviously be changing with the different rates
from our variation. Are there any other places that we can draw from to um reduce this 18644 to7? The only other potential
and I I just have no idea what it could be is if our if we reduce um the you know property insurance or um premiums which you know as we know
that's out for proposal right now. I just don't know that I would anticipate that to be a honestly. Um, we may I mean we may save some money, but I I just have no idea what that could be. But it I don't think it's going to be that much unanimous to you.
I don't think it that would shock me. Okay. If we were to cut back on the days that the rolloffs were open, um that would reduce this amount right here. No, you got a solid waste assessment for
that. That's all in a separate fund. So I mean there would be a cost savings um if we reduce um but it would only be in in you know your labor cost your personal services
um for the hours that the sites will be closed. The tipping fees would be the same. Everything else would be the same. It's not going to obviously it's not going to slow down the amount of of garbage that goes to the rolloff sites but it would be a decrease in our personal services. Well, and and there
how much how much is that? I think the last time I looked, if we closed every site for one day a week, um just a rough estimate, I believe it was over $50,000. So, if you closed it two days a week,
that would be a hundred. I'll go back and do the math. I think I can do a rough estimate real quick. this budget want to go back and yeah I mean it won't help this budget at all this MCU but so bear in mind when you go
to when you do start cutting I'm not really really against it but I just want to warn when you do go to cutting some of the hours back probably to those employers you may find that they look at it as not worth it for them to come out
there just for the amount of hour that you may offer just for some employees. You know, I could see that. I think it would, but I think um in other ways it would help when we're when we're short staffed. I mean, it can go one way or the other very
quickly just depending on on our pool of attendants. And we've had some issues with shortages. Um, other than that, especially in my district, um,
well, I think that I think that the citizens, if you closed it two days a week, it makes make sure that you had it open on the key days, just like the gentleman said the other, you know, in you don't certainly wouldn't want in Keon Beach, you
wouldn't want to close those on on the weekend. that's what it's um especially right now more used. But um I just think that would be a cost savings to us all around and I think that's what we're
trying to do is cut our cost. I think we'd be better served to focus on solid waste outside of the budget session because we can change those hours. It's not going to impact the MSTU. It's not going to impact the general fund. And I think for the sake
of this meeting, we would be better served to look into these um funds. So in my view um as I understand it, our solid waste fund is is not facing any deficits.
Not currently, not unless they were not through money to continue to go forward since we've did the work to level the fees and so to deal with capital purchases, right, as well as everything inside that fund.
So, as of today, I'm not aware of any looming catastrophes that we purchased a new rolloff truck with the one set funding. We'll be purchasing two this year, the additional. Yes, I think we have about $230,000
in reserves currently, which isn't a huge amount, but it's it's helpful. And um I mean, I certainly feel like we have plenty to get through the fiscal year and then next year if we fund at the same level,
then what is not expended could be we could continue to try to shore up our reserves. um or maybe not be dependent on the 1 cent sales tax if we if we ever wanted to get away from that. We can bring this topic back to any
particular workshop and still work through these issues and not affect say that again. I think we got it on. I think you could focus on on the solid waste department after our budget session and still seek ways of
efficiencies and allow ourselves to look into the budget issues at hand today. It's just that I think that my responsibility is to page by page and
I've done that to look for any ways that we can cut spending. I think that's what this is all about. I'm certainly okay with waiting until we do have that workshop when we talk about solid waste.
But again, my responsibility to the citizens of this county is to to uh cut spending. Well, that's great. And I think we can do that uh throughout the year. But I think for today, we're still faced with
a deficit even in the sense of agreeing to uh the permit fee possible increase of a $186,000 deficit in the MSTU. Is that correct?
I think it was in the last meeting. We did discuss bringing back the potential further increases. So if we do increase, we do still have that $186,000 that I thought we had look and everyone
nodded heads that we would that would be balanced with one. The majority nodded heads that we were balancing that with the one money due to the minimal options so to speak to cut any
cost in that funding. I need to go ahead and talk about the 1 cent um you know are we going to take it back like we previously discussed? That's where that's where I lean to is is taking the 1% back and if we have to
change the ordinance or whatever we have to do. Yeah. And now I think the you know if the hospital say for instance has got something that's critical uh and I won't I would like to have but a a critical need then certainly we could look at that.
Yeah. I I think we pretty well not we noted across the board that that's what we would do. I don't for me I don't I the biggest change here is you know the property appraiser did
come in with additional savings uh staff come in with permit fee increases so to speak to help out with the MSTU fund and if you don't want to commit to that you know during this process we can we
can I mean we can bring that back at a later time So if you don't want to commit to increasing the permit fees without actually seeing what that would look like, you don't have to commit to that today. We I just wanted to, you
know, provide the number of potential the amount you could potentially um take out of the MSTU revenue. I think we need to go ahead with the increase in permit. Okay. Myself, I would agree.
I concur. Okay. took it to 18 to balance with the one set or the rest. I mean, I'm really just not looking to go backwards. I think we discussed everything across the board
in pretty detail. I would like to speak to if I could, Mr. Chairman, when you're done, let me know, please. Yeah, you go ahead. I think I'm just looking to go backwards and then we do I if you're done there I'd like to speak to I think I want to thank our folks
with finance for some u clarification with these proposed reductions and I and I'd just like to say we're considering a rollover of over $313,000 into the reserve fund with this proposal
as it sits. Correct. And I'd like to speak to that in respect to before we made these reductions. And and the reason I'd like to do that is I don't want it to be confusing. And so I'm glad we have this this piece of
paper that shows what these deductions are at, where they're at, and and what we will be working towards. But I'd also like to ask this question. Before we made this um proposal or before the majority made this proposal,
believe our deficit at the general fund was 81,000 or so dollars somewhere in that ballpark. So let's just say the deficit there was less than $90,000.
191375. Well, I'm going on our last meeting when the sheriff's office proposed a $100,000 reduction with the health department's reduction. I believe that amount was around $81,000.
So, the reason I bring those things to to this board and this meeting is I believe if we could find a way to fund that difference that would balance. Is that not true with that request and agreement? the general fund.
In other words, there's only a $81,000 shortage with what to fund the general fund as as we discussed. Not speaking to this $313,000 into the reserves.
[Music] So, you're saying if you take the original deficit of $191,000 Yes, ma'am. you back out the $10,000 reduction from the Department of Health and the $100,000 reduction from the
sheriff's office original request that would bring us to a deficit of $81,000 something dollars. Yes, ma'am. Right. I mean, that's that's the way I understood that. So, I'm just trying to make for sure I understand that if we
were able to secure $81,000, then we could fund those requests without creating all these changes in the work squads and all these other potentials. And the reason I bring that to to this board is that also could be
paid through three different ways. through the reserves, through the 1 cent funding or through the millillage consideration, right? But so so if this board agreed to pay $81,000 out of the 1 cent money,
that would balance the that proposed budget without moving these responsibilities and and all of this consideration. Is that that was my understanding because Marty, I don't want to speak for you, but
at the last workshop, I believe you said that the $100,000 reduction would not affect any services whatsoever. Correct. So, so the reason I'm saying these things is I think if we could come to an
agreement with the $81,000 and not have to reduce the services, then I think it's certainly worth that conversation. I'm not trying to go backwards, Mr. Chairman. I I just want to look at this amount. We're talking uh less than $82,000
that we could use out of the 1 cent funding. If we don't want to change the millage and keep all that constant, then then we could act, you know, come to that agreement. That's that's why I wanted that. No, I appreciate your comments. I just
really would just say real quick kind of where as far as not that makes a lot of sense. Yeah. Really to me. Which way? The way you just explained it. funding
the 80 cent reserves the one cent funding. So so and the reason I say that is so we've already made these statements that the one cent sales tax everybody pays right it's not just the millillage
or or just one certain group and I and I believe that's what Mr. was saying at our last workshop is that it made sense that everybody could could pay and take a part with the 1 cent funding. I just wanted to make sure that I was understanding that right. I know that's
this was not that part of that consideration and I say that upfront but if we had that consideration and and everybody at the same time shared in funding this deficit in the general fund as well as the at this point the uh 186
in the MSTU then we I believe we could find a way that we all could agree out of the onecent funding everybody is is equally sharing And it would it create a greater burden
on increasing the millage rate than just those folks that are paying on the lower side. Mr. Chair, so if we did what he's talking about and his goal I I think is to um take away some of these reductions from the
sheriff's department. That's what I read into it um for some reason. Uh and so um but if we did that and we and we took the the deficit and took it out of the one sales tax that reduces then the one
cent sales tax right off the right off the top. And so when when needs come up that the hospital or whoever needs something and we reduce this 1 cent that's just less that we'll have and up until now the one cent sales tax has
been allocated every year. Uh you know the sheriff's office buys all of his vehicles and all that stuff from it. the hospital has equipment and so to go ahead and take off the top of the one set to me would not be the best way to
move forward. We have a plan right here that works and if we can come up with um $316,654 ahead that's that's good because I promise you something will come up during the year that we'll we will need
that for. Well, I wanted to say that I want to go back to we asked everyone to reduce their budgets across the board and and saying
that we reduced our budget $100,000 that's just reducing an increased budget request. That's not reducing the overall budget at all. So, everyone
decreased their budget like we asked. And, you know, I just I just can't see, you know, going backwards on you changing what we did. And and not to mention the $316,000,
we still got some other areas that that money is likely going to get spent could get spent. That's right. Cuz we have some we have some insurance proposals out there that that's still not completed that's coming in that some of that $316,000
that's not really a real number, right, at this point, right? So, you know, for me, and I don't want to sound really not picking on anyone, but I just think we asked across the board for everyone to cut and most these these budgets
were, you know, a million or less and and some most of these budgets and they came in at anywhere from 80,000 to over $100,000 decreases. So, I don't think it's asking a whole
lot to be to for a $200,000 reduction. I mean, it's a shame that we had to do it on our own. Just go pick a number out of a hat, but I mean, I just I don't think it's a whole lot. I don't think it's a too much to ask for a $200,000 reduction out of a $9.2 million budget.
I concur. I concur with you. And as I went back over the last couple of days, if you average the reductions that these people worked very hard to make in their budgets, um the average of the five
constitutional officers was was about 7.5% reduction. And I think that um everybody should share in this pain that we're going through. Why would one department be exempt?
Uh and and you know, they stated from the very first day that they were here, not going to cut our budget. So that tells me that I don't know how hard they worked on cutting the budget, but their statement was
not cutting our budget. Take the jail, emergency management, and this mowing right here. I mean, that's that's punishment to to pay that to to to to give the mowing contract back to us. It
doesn't save the citizens of this county any money. I see it as punishment because of what we've been through. But that's okay. We can live with that and we can gladly take this back. We can take the jail. We can take emergency management. And I am prepared to do
that. I talked with our administrator and she's uh very capable and very willing to to take these on if that's where where we end up. Um if somebody doesn't want a department, give it to us. That's fine.
Chairman, if I could, I'd just like to say my goal is to balance this budget with a minimization of the effects of having to cut or reduce services. And when we see
uh it's not this slide because that's the MSTU, but the previous um projections, there's there's no way that we're not going to have a reduction in services. So, my goal, as it was alluded to
earlier, is to find a way to be effective and efficient with all our funding and and minimize the consequences of that being um the fewest reduction of services and impacts that it has on our residents. And my focus on
that is I continue to have conversations with folks that tell me, "Don't cut my services. Don't cut my safety. don't put me in a place of greater peril or or greater need. And so that's the effort that I'm taking up here uh I thought throughout this whole budget process.
But certainly that's why I want to bring that to the board's attention in respect to we're within basically and in this general fund consideration $82,000 to balance. We can fund that in a way
that's that's not going into reserves. It's not robbing your savings. It's not because the millillage is $82,000 out of the one cent funding that everybody pays that this board has spoke about that it seemed the fairest. And I'm not
disagreeing with that. I'm just looking into this concept to come to a place to not reduce services and to be effective with the funding that we have that everyone contributes. They're all tax
dollars. So it it's not an effort. We've got to come to a point I know we're having a special meeting in the workshop to set the millillage and we can maintain that it can stay constant and then we can agree to being able to fund
these deficits with the 1 cent funding to not increase the millillage and to balance our budget without these services being cut or reduced or moved to places. And you know that that's basically my
focus is if we can come to that agreement to um fund these these revenues and um not have to cut services and and that's because that's what I continue to be told that
our folks continue to want these services. That's the same way my schedule just brought it to me. They don't want services cut. They do not want services cut, you know, and they understand we in a bind, but they don't want services
cut. Now, that's nine out of 10 of them. That's where I've talked to and I've talked to a lot of people in my district. Well, I continue even through this week to to talk with folks and explain where we're at and what's being proposed and and also explain where
moving these different services, you know, are going to have different effects and to clearly try to communicate that to the public. And again, we come back to that same um statement, don't reduce my services. So, it's not uh to try to um go off on a
wild venture. It's really to to sincerely take to heart what our residents are saying. Mr. Chair, I think that the statement that nobody wants their services cut, I think that's a true statement.
Okay? Because if somebody's used to something, of course, they don't want any of that taken away. That's just like, you know, at home, if you have the money and you you can spend it um on things that you would like, you don't
necessarily have to have, but um things that you would like, then you don't want to give that up because you're used to that. But we're in different times now. And I do want to say this. You know, we have people to come here on
Tuesday not scared. Somehow another, it's been relayed to them that we may not have a deputy and Steve had where did that come from? Where did that come from? All the people that are calling me and saying, um, oh my god, we don't want
if we call uh for a deputy, we want somebody to come. So they've been led to believe that the only way that the sheriff's department can operate is to cut deputies fact. And you know I went through this book and there's been
several citizens in town that have I have shared my book with and I consider these business people to be uh pretty smart and they've gone through this and some of and they have plenty of questions about the sheriff's office. There's a lot of rumors out there and I
don't know if it's true or not, but you know, Marty, do y'all pay your chaplain or is he volunteer? His chaplain is volunteer. However, he is a counselor that's paid for by a grant. His chapter, I can't hear you. His chaplain services are free to both
the city and the county deputies and city police officers. However, through a mental health grant, he is paid a salary to do counseling with inmates and other individuals. How much does he get paid? Uh I think the grant is fully grant funded. Um I I I don't know
the salary set by the grant. I don't know it off the top of my head. I don't know how much he's paid. M the director finance director asked him for something right off the top of his head, Miss Beagle. And no, I mean we didn't bring that with us. Well, that was that was one of the several But again, that has nothing to do with
the budget. It's 100% grant fun grant funded through the the mental health agency that does all this. has nothing to do with how much we asked for an increase in a budget or didn't ask that grant funded stuff is not included. Just just that was one of the questions
that was brought to me by citizens. The other thing um I have several here about however I I want to point out this. I think that mental health is a very very important thing right now especially with our deputies especially with any emergency service worker. So, if you're
insinuating that we shouldn't have mental health counseling or we shouldn't have a counselor on on staff even though it's grant funded. I I don't know why you're laughing. I It's a serious matter. I don't know where you came up with that from cuz I never said anything about I didn't even
Well, you're asking Well, you're asking if we're paying the guy help wasn't important. You brought that up and that's why I laugh because I never It's always a challenge to But that's okay. I don't have a problem. I don't have a problem. If you don't like the questions that I ask, I'm
sorry. These are citizens. I don't These are citizens questions right here. Strictly from the citizens that have a lot of questions about your your department. Another one that came up. You have uh from what I'm told, you have
a uh drug task force employee that also serves as your IT director. Is that true? There is a company and he doesn't own the company. His son owns the company and yes, they do have it. Commissioner, I had surgery yesterday. I'm not going to sit here and yell so
that you can hear. Okay. His son owns the company. Yes. And he does that company does provide the IT services for the sheriff. So you have an employee that you that that owns a company? No, ma'am. That's not what I said. his
son owns the company. Okay. Because the question was, if you had an employee that was hired as a as a deputy and then you used his company, how does he get paid for this uh IT stuff?
Um I don't pay him directly. I pay the company 91 I pay the company 911 computers directly each month. Um they have their own company and their own amp. I pay a company. So this IT director gets paid out of
your budget, right? Yes. Yes, ma'am. Okay. And he also serves as a deputy, right? Okay. Got it. Okay. Um let's see. The SER program.
It's my understanding or this is came from some of the citizens that the sheriff's office gets money for every Iowa volunteers work with the cert program. Is that right? No ma'am. So you don't get anything from the state
or anything for these volunteers that work? No ma'am. Not for the volunteers. We are in the middle of a grant cycle right now where there are three employees at the emergency management office that are paid 100% by a grant from the state that
ends unless they extended it. It ends on the 31st of this month. Again, had nothing to do with budget. It was being able to hire some folks to help with after storm work and things like that and some surveys uh to help us
and emergency management. Grant, I'm sorry, the displaced worker grant. Yes, that ends that ends next Friday, I believe. And just understand that these are some of the questions that's coming to me as a commissioner of people that want to
have answers. Okay, Marty, I'm not trying to So, send them to our office right here with you. I'm I'm just asking you questions and I I was hoping that you wouldn't be offended because this is just questions that need to be answered because the citizens if they ask you a question and you can't
answer it, I have not had a single one of these citizens come to the office. All you have to do is refer them to our office. We'll be more than happy to show them and answer their questions. Why can't I ask the question? You can, but you're saying it's the citizens. So if the citizens have that question, why not have them come and
find out? Well, and also Mr. Figle, we would be happy to answer them if you want to send them to our office, but I mean right here on the spot with nothing in front of us, it some might be complicated to answer unless I know what off my head. Okay. for contractual services of $550,000
in your in your budget. You've got law enforcement for $262,257. What is that for? What is that specific amount for? Because um I mean again to be honest, kind of like as I was saying, I don't have it in front of me, but I mean I do know some
of its IT services. I know there's radio contracting like licensing you have to pay for every year. Um and again I don't want to continue commenting especially on the record without it in front of me. Can you come back with specifics of what that's for? Absolutely happy to. Yeah it's 262,257
is a line item in your budget. Yes ma'am. Okay. Your incentive to pay is state selected, right? For incentive. Um there is a a state pay, but there is also incentive pay that's determined by FDLE depending on the person's training
or uh degree of education. And that is actually not funded by the state. That is funded by your but it's mandated by law that you fund it. Yes, ma'am. Okay. And so what that is and I'll just give you an example. If you have an associates degree, you get an extra $60 a month. If you have a master's degree,
you get an extra $120 a month. If you have um career development courses such as you go and you take radar classes, you take um crime scene investigation, you take all these other additional um uh instructor courses or
anything like that, the state attaches an amount to that career development course that you have to pay the deputy. Um I I get an incentive pay. I think mine's not maxed out. It maxes out atund $20 a month.
120 I think is what it maxes out at. I think I get like4 or $50 a month for the classes I took, but they are mandated and they audited every year to ensure we're paying all the officers. And again, I'm not picking on y'all. No, I'm just citizens concerns and there's a lot of other concerns and I'm
not even going to go into that because, you know, that there's no value to that right now. And and I and I want to say that I appreciate what our law enforcement does. I appreciate those deputies that go out
there and put their life at risk and do what they do. And I will have to say that every time that I have have uh needed a deputy, they've responded. So I don't have anything against our deputies. I want our deputies to have everything that they can get. The same
as our firefighters. It's the same thing with them. They put their life on the wrist. They sacrificed a lot. So, I'm not in no way, shape, form, or fashion that I want to cut any deputies out. But, we all know that in budgets that
there's places to cut. And we saw that from our other four constitutional officers. They found it because they they they wanted to they wanted to help out. So, I think that we should stay with where
we are. That's um right here with the 316,654. I think that's a good plan. Take the ones that sell those tax back. We need it more than anybody else right now. I promise you. Yeah. I just want to point out again that we
are the only department besides the fire department and we run three separate divisions 24 hours a day, seven days a week. There's unscheduled overtime. There's all kinds of things that go into a budget. And I understand it's a big budget. It is the biggest budget you have. We understand
that. Not arguing that. But doing what Commissioner Newman said, you fund it at the level uh then nothing gets disrupted. And we've been told that those are threats. These are this. They're not threats. It's not a threat
to you. It's a reality. If you cut that much, then we have to cut where it's not as critical. A deputy on the road is certainly more critical than me having a work squad person. I don't know how else to explain it. Me having a dispatcher to dispatch these
folks is more important than having a work squad. And and that's just the reality of things. We're going to fund the work squad anyway. I mean, it's got to be funny because we just got to we got to do it, too. I'm sorry. I said we're going to fun the work. We got to fund the works squad anyways. I
mean, if the the works squad part, they're just going to shift over to the public works side and that's going to get funded. So, I mean, for me, I mean, really talking about a 9.2 million budget was simply ask for a decrease. It's really not my job to go find the money. It's
really not I I really shouldn't have to go in and just pick a number out of a hat to go to to to reduction in this budget. But yet, you did. We were short $81,000, but you chose to cut the budget $200,000. You walked out of the meeting the other
day and said you were done with it and told us to do what y'all want to do and you'll do what you need to do. So, we did what you asked really. So, I'm just saying we asked to cut the budgets. We did. Uh, you know, we didn't ask for the work squad back. That was to me that probably
more of a you know, a threat, so to speak. But that's fine. It don't It's no big deal. We'll take It's not a threat. Well, I mean, it don't reduce the budget. So, I mean, really, it is. So, so it don't really It may reduce your budget for sure. Maybe it look maybe it sounds good to you guys, but it don't really reduce the
overall budget and because we're still going to shift that money over here. And yes, and I'll just say they didn't say they would give emergency management back. I said we'll just take that back as well. We'll discuss that at an August meeting, you know, in an August meeting.
We'll discuss that further. So, uh, you know, for me, I don't think it's a too much to ask for a $200,000 decrease out of a $9.2 million budget. So, you know, I just I concur the plan that we have in
place that I would say that that's what we should move forward with because I mean, yes, the look is we have an excess of over $300,000 in the general fund, but we still have some proposals from insurance to come in that's likely going to increase. We still got the uh EMS
bids out that's likely going to increase. So that money is very likely going to get allocated as well before it's over with. So uh so anyway, I just say that I'm I concur today with the plan that we have in place. Come on,
sir. Thank you. Mel, could you tell me what is the balance in the reserves for the general fund? Come on, Commander. We can we can walk you down at the same time. So the balance that I'm estimating for
2026 is 12 million 12 million24,000 and that's only an increase of 117,000 over the current year. So So if this proposal went forward that would be 12,300,000
in the reserves. Am I understanding that right? Yes. That would be an estimate until I recalculate after everything. Yes. So, um, Mr. Chairman, I believe in the other expenses that may come up out of that 12 million that we probably could
look to that for funding if it was necessary. I just think and I'm sorry, Commander, you're standing and I try to come, but I feel like we can come to a point and that's that's understanding um that the proposal is not to take the
funding from our general fund reserves. The proposal is to take the funding from the 1 cent funding and and so everybody shares those costs equally being the sales tax funded. So just wanted to make that sorry holding
you up sir. Thank you. I'm Shelley Jefferson and I'm also the uh I'm reset. I'm also, as I said before, most of you know me, I'm also the commander for the American Legion in District 3 in the
state of Florida. I concur with you first, Mike, and what you're pushing. Um, and what we're trying to do, I'm up here simply for right now. You know, I was always taught
in my life, you you address one thing at a time. Uh, my important thing to address is the sheriff's department. And I know how a lot of people in here feel about it right now. And sometimes this in here becomes a
little bit hostile with our commissioners and statements that's made from time to time that uh I feel like some of them are not necessarily true. Uh we don't have by the way Miss Eagle people in
Steam Hatche is saying that we're not going to have sheriffs. That's not what we're saying. We're saying if we're not careful with our budget being 40 miles away from
the hub of our sheriff's department, medical and other important parts of what it takes to make this thing work. That's where our concern falls. Now,
I would like to say this that the county is just like anybody else. We try to make our county as attractive as we possibly can because we want business to come in. That creates revenue that makes us money.
There's three intrical parts to the county in my opinion that we need to take take note of. Very important. One of them being our medical, our ambulance service.
When businesses come to this town, three things they look for. Medical, ambulance service, fire department, and they look at your sheriff's department. They want to know that their business is going to be protected, their homes and
their families going to be protected. They're going to have the proper medical service. And if the house and their business catches on fire, are you going to be able to handle it and take care of it? When you start cutting those three entities, then you're throwing the baby
out with with a bath. We do not need to take this lightly. We need to understand that our sheriff's department is one of the most important intrical parts of our community to make
this thing work. I don't want to know that when a sheriff calls me, he's going to be there 40 miles away. I know we got sheriffs that aren't there. Like to make sure they stay there. But you can say all these things and you
can talk about the budget being cut. You can talk about this and you can talk about that. But let's look at tomorrow and on down the road. Steve Hatche is a very important part of the revenue that comes into this county and it's our
disabled veterans, our elderly veterans, our widows that live not only in Steam Hatch but in outline areas throughout this entire county, Katon Beach. We need to make sure we protect them.
So, I I ask y'all to please take a stronger look at this and reassess how you're thinking. And I concur with you, Mike. And I support our sheriff's department 100%. And I think it's dangerous to do it in any way, f shape,
fashion, or form. You can smile. That's how I feel. Thank you. I appreciate it. I've been listening to this, sir. I've been listening to this regard budget session. They only ask every constitutional
officer to bring back a reduction in their budget. That's all they asked for. Now, four of them came back with some reduction. The fifth did not. Now, the the rabbit rousing we've been
hearing, I've been hearing up here and all of that, I take it to heart. Now you and I both know when GP left here, not a soul sent a letter to GP and ask him to stay or to explain why. When
West Frasier left here, nobody asked that. But yet we are going to buy GP stuff. You know what I mean? In West somewhere selling lumber, we going to buy us too. But we do have a reduction and it is a responsibility of the commissioners to
ask for a reduction. I the number I heard what $400,000 $200,000 is not too much out of a $9 million budget. Now people do get real real smaller than
they're thinking. They want to know where we get uh 250 trucks from running up and down the road. They also want to know where do we get them from going to different people's houses, you know. So you you can tell me that
you won't do it is you won't do it or you can't do it or is it feasible to do it? There is some things coming up and down down this road. Look like it's going to be some weary days ahead. If you don't
start now and you can't be contained now, what gonna happen later? May I respond to his comment? Sure. I understand exactly what you're trying to say, but if I'm at my home and my home is just like a business and the
county is a business and I have to cut my budget at my house, that don't mean I have to cut the electricity off to be able to maintain I have to look at other areas. That's right. And I see sheriff's department as my
electricity. So I think they're important. I think the the uh EMS, our ambulance service, our medical service, and our fire department is very important and we need to reassess. Just let's take some time.
Let's look at the whole how much money do we have that's still coming in from FEMA? Do we still have money coming in from FEMA? I understood we did. That's not considered revenue. That would be to Doesn't that go into our reserves to be allocated?
No. None of that. Of what we had to pay upfront to fix them, right? Okay. So, that's specifically allocated for that. Do we have any other monies that's coming into the county a month from now, 6 months from now? From FEMA?
No. From anywhere? We we budget for our revenue. our revenue has already shown in our budget. I 100% though most certain respect exactly what you're saying and I see it. I know this countyy's been through a
lot. We've lost a lot, but we're also a people that will come back. We've done it stain hatching too many times already and we'll continue to do it and so will the citizens of this county all over. I believe that because we have the ability
to come together, right, wrong, or indifferent, and make it happen. But let's just think about this thing a little more. That's that's why I haven't said much. I've been observant. Yes, sir. And I've been here a long time. Yes, sir. I've heard I've heard a lot and I
observed a lot. I'm telling you that if you got $9.2 $2 million budget and they didn't they didn't even put a pig on it, but they said bring us back a cut or something. Every other officer done that and I'm
not bad bad mouthing anybody, but it's when you instructed to do something, somebody need to act it too. That's all I'm saying. Okay, as far as Yeah. They tell me my budget. I know about budgets. M I've been in his
world long enough to know by George when I was working I might have made $90,000 but since I heard that is less than 40 or less than 50 so well I didn't propose Go ahead I'm sorry there is there is some fat on the budget and we need to look at I'm not
advocating to hire fire h fire anybody but when you listen when you look at the news in this world right now everybody's talking about cutting the budget everybody And that's all we asking. Well, let's mix a little prayer in there with it, too. Yeah. Goes a long way.
Go what? A prayer. Hey, I my devotional reading this morning be thankful. That's right. Amen. But I do going back. I do concur with you, Mike. I think that
your your uh your thinking on this budget and handling it uh yes is a more practical way to take a look at this and and see what we can do about making this happen for our our county
and our citizens. So, thank you and I appreciate you. Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir. I think he hit the nail on the head when he said talking about his own budget. And you got to cut, you don't cut your electricity out. And it's the same thing
with the sheriff's office. When you got to cut, you don't cut your debies out. It's the same thing. You find another place to cut. And Commissioner uh Dimps had quite a few conversations with a lot of people this week. They are asking
about do the deputies all take their cars home at night? Why don't they leave them and come back when it's their shift and get them? Does Marty do you drive your uh deputy squad car to Mayo to your personal job over there?
I drive my vehicle as directed by the sheriff and he says I have to have my vehicle with me. I can't hear anything you're saying. You can roll your head if you want to. I can't hear you. I've said that the sheriff requires that I drive my vehicle anywhere within a 100 miles.
And why is that? In case I got to get back here with something. And you can't get back here in your regular cart. I'm just telling you what the sheriff requires. See, that's another thing where there's excessive spending in my opinion. Why would we pay for somebody who works for
one works for the county to drive the squad car to their personal job? that that's that doesn't seem right to me. You know, I don't quite understand that. So, you're talking about fat. There's fat. But yet, they want to come and say,
"Only thing we can do is cut deadies." Then you get these people that get really afraid. And I don't blame them. I would be afraid too if I thought I lived in uh 45 miles away and I was not going to have law enforcement. But you see
that works sometimes. It scares people and it works. But we know better. What happens if he leaves Mayo and he's got to go to Steam Hatch instead of coming up here? Is he supposed to drive all the way up here and get it uh
sheriff's car and then drive all the way back to Steen Hatch? That doesn't make sense either, does it? Please don't. Why would it matter? I I'm I'm a 24-hour a day employee. I I have to respond. It doesn't matter what time. So, and by the way, I buy the gas for the
vehicle for that. So, it it's not being charged to the citizens. Yes, ma'am. Can you buy the tires and the oil and all that? And all the miles that you put on it. So, next year y'all have to have another 20 or 30 new cars.
Just ask them. This is citizens citizens questions here. So, Go ahead, sir. In that vein, where's the sheriff's uh deputy get their gas? They gas up at county pump or they buy it on the economy?
It depends on where they are. Sometimes if they're not on the south end and they need gas, they're instructed to get it at the county yard. However, if they're on the south end and they're running short of gas, then yes, they buy it on the WEX card, which is a state credit card that they use for their gas. Seems
to me they save money if you ask enough at the county phone. Well, that would be great, Mike, except for the fact that if you got a call down in Steen Hatchee and you're out of gas, you can't come to the Flipping County Yard to get it to respond to the call. Well, you can take that attitude with me
all you want to, Mr. Tomkins. I just asked the question. I don't appreciate sarc I'm explaining what the situation is. They don't have time to come to the county yard. We don't have county. You can explain it without being aggravating. All right. So, all right.
So, we Yeah, we have a I think we pretty well included this work this worksheet in front of us. I think we pretty well understand what we're doing. I think if I
I take from this meeting right now where we're at right now on these particular funding that we pretty much are where we were from the last meeting so to speak. We did have property appraiser uh
put in an additional reduction. Uh we maybe there's an increase in the permitting fees. So that kind of reduced what once that money would balance out in that MSTU fund and then we have
uh we have to do a uh maybe an ordinance change on the one cent money moving forward. So I think we kind of can conclude that part. I mean we can sit here and go back and forth all day long. We're not gaining nothing. So I think at this point I feel like that's kind of where
the majority of that. So, we want to move on with what's the next. Is there any other topics that you guys have in particular? Is there any other topics that the board may have in particular? Go ahead. I I had a constituent ask me about the
$12,300,000 in reserve. They want to know exactly where that money come from. Did you answer that? I can. So, that money comes from your carry forward. So, I look at what the
balance is and I take out designated money and I take out um what's allocated and I get a balance and what's left is what goes into the reserves. Other words, that's comes from all the
taxpayers and all the revenue that comes in. It's all the revenue. So you take all the revenue and all the estimated expenditures for the rest of the year and you get an amount and then I take out the designated things and the allocated
things that have to be that's constituent those county money what you're saying um it's not all taxes but yes I mean it would be all revenue any of that none of that's grant money they're
no grant money that we get in is the exact thing for No, that's what that money is. But that's what I'm saying is that's the people's money that 12,300,000 and they say, you know, why are y'all
going to cut services or talk about cutting services when when my money's already been put out there if I get bills? And I said, you know, let me ask that question. I'm not sure exactly where all that money come from. the reason I'm asking you and that's that's
what I wanted y'all to hear that I don't know if y'all answer that or not. I mean I didn't know the complete answer to it and I wanted to do that but that is the people county tax money and revenue that's come in cities and everything
else and they feel like their service if that's their money their service should be paid. They go use that money year over year when it gets gets low and gets gone when a rainy day comes then that's it. Right.
We don't have a 12 million running a day. Yeah. That's like respons a long time. You know, it's increased probably every year. This year it only increased 100,000 100,000 over last year. So it was actually 12 million last
year also. Um but that's you and what we do is we put that in for reserve for capital projects. So you can spend that on capital projects you know anytime you you choose to do that. Also our auditors um have made statements before that that
is within that is a healthy within a healthy um reserve to have. So you know it's not too much and it's not too little. It's it's a good healthy amount to have for the for the budget that we have. But but again I want to remind you that what
typically what we do every year is we when you see these numbers this minus 81,000 or this you know minus and whatever it was we ended up there in the um 186 or whatever we ended up there in MSTU.
What we try to do every year is we try to reserve recurring expenditures with recurring revenue. And so what that does is that just ensures that you've got the money to do it every year. Now it doesn't mean you can't use your your reserves to balance that. For instance,
if you're balancing the MSTU theund and what was that 86 that we're at right now? 186. If and you're balancing that 1 cent sales tax, next year if everything stayed the same, you had the same revenue, same expensure, that number is going to double. Yeah. And then you're going to be funding
twice that. Now hopefully that's not going to happen. Hopefully we're going to have some more revenue next year to help make up that and we don't have to get that into that again. But that's how that's typically what we do. We try to try to balance those reoccurring revenues or reoccurring expenditures and in the past the board has done exactly
that. They have balanced with reserves in the next year got some more revenue and we have to do it again. So I mean it's we we've done that before and we can certainly do that again and it's up to you this board on how you want to do that. So 100,000 156,000 one year is not going to
hurt anything, you know, but we just have to know that that we need to it's not something we need to let compound, you know. So money and they want to be paid that should be part of it. I think I take it
all. Uh, so I think the difference is if you wanted to use a portion of the reserve and the one cent money, you can certainly make that combination to not have as deep impact on your reserve. That's why I say if you just looked at the one cent money which is generated by
the sales tax and everybody benefits from the services then everybody's also contributing to the sales tax. You can say it's an equal contribution for the services that you're trying to to extend and not reduce those reserves and
something emergency comes up and hey we had to use this reserve funding. You still you still have that reserve healthy. Our auditor should be happy and it wouldn't reduce that potential if there was an an emergency that had to be
funded. And another thing is the 1 cent sales tax money. Could we use the reserve at any time to to just like we use the 1 cent sales tax if we needed it? We could use it for the hospital or the sheriff's department or
the prior as long as long as you change your ordinance. Yes. Because we have about $3 million in reserves right now. Is that what your cash your cash for? Yeah. So
3.4 $3.4 million in reserves and 1 cent sales tax. And then we also have budgeted $2.6 million. So what's currently funded just out of the the revenue is $48,000
for EMS and around 1.1 million for capital. So you have $1.1 million in revenue for next year that's not even tied to the reserves. And then um Danielle, do you have a designated amount set aside in reserves
for for storms? Okay. Do you recall how much we have we we utilized for Adelia? Was it about a million dollars? It was over a million dollars for Adelia and Helen was probably more because so
far um I don't know that we've expended a lot for Helen. We have a lot in comfort. Okay. So we haven't actually spent a lot for Helen. Did we get a million for Ronda Santis when he come down to Steen Hatching?
That was I think for the coastal damages. Yes sir. That was paid for those business owners that ran all that was allocated through the FWC grant. Yes sir. And we have been very very fortunate in that the state has funded the majority
of our debris removal and our cleanup almost all of it. Um but I don't know that we can you know always count on that. I mean hopefully the state will continue um to fund debris removal if it comes up
but that that comes at a very hefty price tag and we have been very very fortunate. And that's what some of that $12 million reserve would have to be uh that would have to be used for in the event that they pushed back and didn't want to really fund it. I mean, we would go we would
have to fund it and then go with our hat in our hand and say, "Could you please reimburse us for this?" Well, and they're they're very you have to provide GPS for every pickup. You have to provide before and after pictures and they go through every
single one. It is very very complicated. That could potentially be an unknown expense that could come on the county that we don't want. But then we have to go ask for it back with a hat in our hand and hope that we could
I can't even fathom how much the I don't know the total cleanup for Hela. I it's hard for me to even imagine what what that cost the state of Florida. But even in the event because I mean I know they were on edge in some of this cleanup and ready to be done because they had not spent so much money on it.
So we were there was even Yeah, they would I I would say they would clean up the bulk of it, but that's not saying they're not going to go ahead and pull out stop early and then we still got to go spend a million dollars on the rest of the cleanup out of the county budget. That's just it could happen. I know and
I tell you there was a fear that they was pretty well cut it off was coming. I I recall, but we I mean we worked very closely with FDOT and FDM and to try to make sure that you know
everything that they could they they could remove that they did they were very I mean they were wonderful partners but I I just I guess what I'm saying is I can't predict um what the state will fund or won't fund. We were we were very fortunate with Helen.
Yeah. Sure. But couldn't you also say we can't I depend on meteorologists to tell us about hurricanes and disasters. Sometimes those happen and they have in the last few years. Sometimes they don't. But what we know is a certainty of what we're trying to fund in this
budget. And those are the things that I'm trying to come to. The things that that we see that we can fund, the reductions that have have been forthcoming and we're grateful for those. So certainly there could be more disasters. I pray that they are not.
I was just I'm just say in respect to all the assistance that we've gotten from our state and federal partners exponentially great. Yeah. So that's what I'm trying to look at here understanding the the funds that
we see and certainly it does take years for those to accumulate and I respect that. I think that's responsible. But I also understand this consideration with the reductions that we've had in in our um real properties as well as these mill
closures. Um this is a situation that isn't um normal so that we have to look at different ways, creative ways to try to come up with this funding so that we don't see this reduction of services and
and that's my goal. Sorry, Mr. Clerk. Please. Yeah, I don't have anything else other than Yeah, I think we got a good plan in place. I mean, moving forward, I don't really have anything else. Keep going back and I think we have a pretty good plan in place right now. Um,
I had to put in business. So, I think [Music] I'm good where they are. Yeah. I would like to say too, let's not lose sight of the $900,000 extra that we that we got this year. And there's no um
we don't know if that's going to be recurring or not. and and thank God we've gotten that this year. But if you watched the news yesterday and read the paper, the governor has a new CFO and he
has took a strong stance with Doge and he says that every city, every county needs to cut their budgets. And um examples were uh Gainesville and I think
um Broward Broward County where they're sending people in to look specifically at their budgets where there's superolous spending and they're going to be made to do what's right. And with
Gainesville, they, you know, Gainesville's budget has increased so much and their population has decreased and so they're looking hard at those
cities and counties that have not really tried to cut their budgets. Uh, I thought that was pretty impressive. um his presentation yesterday and I could certainly relate back to us. Oh yeah.
If I could I'd just say I have spoken with the folks with the government efficiencies and in those municipalities I don't believe they're fiscally constrained and I don't believe that they're over 30%
grant funded. So, we're not the same and and I respect all the governor's decisions to be as effective and and efficient as possible. Um, but I don't think that we're working with the same budgets as Elachu County or Gainesville
or Broward County. So, um, again, I hope we can come to a place to see this this funding come to pass and, you know, not see these type of reductions in our services. Sounds like we need some funding for the
sounds. [Music] All right. So, is there anything else we need to I don't have anything? So, there's no other items. And uh
on that item three there we can move on to administrator item four administrator to discussformational items. I don't have anything to nothing else. So we'll go the meeting. [Music]
It might be this one over here. I just turned it off. Yeah. I'm not sure. Let me turn it back on. See if it doesn't certainly can relate. Thank you.
Hot to be doing that, too. [Music] Thank you, man. [Music] I'm good. Found out he ain't going to talk down to me anyway.