[00:00:01]
I WOULD LIKE TO CALL[1. CALL TO ORDER]
THE CAUCUS MEETING OF MONDAY, JANUARY 24TH, 2022.TO ORDER, PLEASE, IF YOU WILL ALL RISE FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, WHICH WILL BE CONDUCTED BY COUNCILMAN DAWSON.
I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF AMERICA.
THIS IS A HYBRID MEETING FOR MEMBERS OF COUNTY COUNCIL, OUR ONLINE THAT IS MR. DAWSON.
MR. , MR. HARVIS, SEAN AND MR. MCKELLEN, UH, THE OTHER SEVEN MEMBERS ARE IN ATTENDANCE.
PUBLIC NOTICE OF THIS MEETING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, POSTED AND DISTRIBUTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.
UM, I WOULD ASK A MEMBER OF COUNCIL TO MAKE A MOTION TO
[4. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA]
APPROVE THE CAUCUS AGENDA.MR. RODMAN MAKES THE MOTION THAT MR. SUMMERVILLE MAKES THE SECOND.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION? THE CAUCUS AGENDA WILL BE APPROVED WITHOUT ANY OBJECTIONS AND NO OBJECTIONS ARE NOTED.
[5. AGENDA REVIEW]
UH, THE REVIEW OF THE COUNCIL AGENDA.UM, I WOULD, UH, UH, HAVE PEOPLE LOOK AT THE FOLLOWING ITEMS BEFORE WE DISCUSS THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ITEM, NUMBER 12, WE'D BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS NUMEROUS TIMES.
WE DO KNOW THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL COUNCIL MEMBERS WHO ARE OPPOSED TO THIS.
IT IS NOT WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT IN THIS PARTICULAR AGENDA ITEM IS WHERE IS THE MONEY COMING FROM? IF YOU ARE VOTING, YES, YOU ARE SAYING YOU WILL TAKE THE MONEY FROM OUR SURPLUS FUNDS.
NO YOU'RE SAYING WE WOULD PREFER TO USE TAG FUNDS.
SO THAT'S THE ESSENCE OF ITEM NUMBER 12, ITEM NUMBER 14, THIS WAS MOVED FROM THE FINANCE COMMITTEE FOR RECOMMENDATION FOR COUNTY COUNCIL TO TAKE ACTION.
IN BETWEEN TIME, WE KNEW THAT THERE WAS GOING TO BE A MEETING HELD WITH THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE.
THAT MEETING WAS HELD AFTER THAT MEETING.
THIS ITEM IS NO LONGER NEEDED.
SO WE WILL AMEND THE AGENDA TO EITHER PULL THE ITEM FROM THE AGENDA OR TAKE ACTION TO SAY NO TO THIS ITEM, BECAUSE IT HAS BEEN RESOLVED THAT THEY CAN DO WHAT THEY WANT TO DO WITH THE EXISTING FUNDS WITHIN THEIR BUDGET, BUT COME TO US AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS WITH THE COMPLETE PACKAGE OF, AND THEN FINALLY, ITEM NUMBER 25 IS THE CITIZENS ADVISORY COMMITTEE.
WE WILL HAVE TO HAVE A DISCUSSION ABOUT TIMELINES, DEADLINES, HOW WE GO ABOUT GETTING THESE PEOPLE, THE WINS, THE WARES IN THE HOUSE BEFORE WE TAKE SOME ACTION.
SO, UM, ANY COMMENTS ABOUT THOSE THREE ITEMS, MR. RON? YEAH, I THINK IT'D BE USEFUL TO TALK BRIEFLY ABOUT THE, THE DEFENDER ONE, WHETHER WE DO IT IN CAUCUS OR AT THE, THE MAIN MEETING, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH PULLING IT.
WELL, WE CAN CERTAINLY TALK ABOUT IT.
UH, BUT FIRST BEFORE WE DO THAT, LET'S GO THROUGH THE REST OF THE AGENDA BECAUSE WE DO HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT IS GOING TO TAKE WHEREVER YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT.
IT'D BE USEFUL TO TALK ABOUT IT SOMEPLACE.
UM, THE CONSENT AGENDA DOES, UH, HAS EVERYBODY HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THAT? MAKE SURE THEY UNDERSTAND THE ITEMS THAT ARE ON THE CONSENT AGENDA.
ANY OF THE OTHER ITEMS ON THE AGENDA THAT ANYONE HAS A CONCERN ABOUT? OKAY.
UH, SEEING, UM, MR. RODMAN REGARDING THE, UM, PUBLIC DEFENDER IN ITEM NUMBER 14.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS CAME FORWARD TO US BECAUSE WE WERE LOOKING AT THE SOLICITOR'S BUDGET AND THEN THIS GREW OUT OF THAT DISCUSSION.
UM, AND THERE WAS SOME OPEN ISSUES ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT ENOUGH INFORMATION FROM THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE.
SO I DID ASK HIM FOR THE INFORMATION AND HE WAS KIND ENOUGH TO SEND A SHEET THAT THEY HAD COMPILED WHAT THE AMOUNT OF REVENUES AND EXPENSES WERE WITH A GOOD BREAKDOWN, UM, OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS, WHICH I SUMMARIZED IN A SHEET THAT I THINK YOU PROBABLY HAVE BEFORE YOU, UM, FOR THOSE THAT ARE, THAT ARE HERE.
UM, AND, AND ESSENTIALLY, UH, IT, IT, IT PROVIDES SOME INSIGHT AS TO WHERE THE MONEY
[00:05:01]
THE REVENUES CAME FROM AND WHERE THEY WERE GOING.SO, FOR EXAMPLE, ON THE REVENUE SIDE, THERE'S ABOUT OVER SIX YEARS, ABOUT 10 MILLION CAME FROM BUFORD COUNTY, ABOUT 9 MILLION FROM THE STATE, ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MILLION FROM THE OTHER FOUR COUNTIES IN THE CIRCUIT.
AND ABOUT 2 MILLION FROM VARIOUS, UH, FEES AND PROGRAMS THAT THEY HAVE, UM, THE EXPENSES SORTED DOWN ABOUT 16 MILLION FOR BUFORD IN THE CENTRAL OFFICE, ABOUT 8 MILLION FOR THE OTHER COUNTIES AND, UH, ABOUT HALF A MILLION EACH FOR PROGRAMS AND MATCHING GRANTS.
UM, AND, UH, SO WE DON'T NEED TO DO ANYTHING, BUT SINCE IT HAD BEEN ASKED, UH, I THOUGHT IT WAS, IS IT USEFUL, GREAT INFORMATION FOR US TO HAVE, AS WE DEVELOP BOTH OF THE BUDGET.
AND I, AND I THINK WE, YOU KNOW, WE PROBABLY NEED A SIMILAR TYPE OF RECAP IN SOME FORM FROM THE DEFENDER.
CAUSE WE, I'M NOT SURE WE DIDN'T HAVE MUCH KNOWLEDGES.
I DON'T AS TO, UH, WHAT EVERYBODY ELSE IS CONTRIBUTING.
WHAT'S COMING FROM THE STATE, WHAT KIND OF PROGRAMS THEY HAVE.
UM, THE, THE OTHER THING I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH DUFFY ABOUT THE, UM, UM, THE PAY LEVELS CAUSE THAT'S IMPORTANT.
AND HE SAID, WHAT THEY DO AT THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE IS THEY USE THE SAME PAY SCALE AS, AS THE, UH, UM, SOUTH CAROLINA ATTORNEYS, THE FEDERAL ATTORNEYS USE BECAUSE HE WAS LOSING PEOPLE TO THOSE.
AND SO I SAID TO HIM, WOULD IT BE LOGICAL TO HAVE THE SAME CASE SCALE FOR THE DEFENDERS? SO EVERYTHING WAS EQUAL.
AND HE SAID, YES, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE GOOD.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE, WHERE THEY FALL ON THAT.
UM, AND THEN THE, IF, IF IN FACT YOU'D ENDED UP DOING THAT, THEN THE QUESTION WOULD BE, HOW MANY DO YOU NEED? SO IF YOU WERE COMPARING THE DEFENDER'S OFFICE TO THE SOLICITOR'S OFFICE, UM, OBVIOUSLY, UH, UH, SOME CASES THEY HAVE THEIR OWN LAWYERS.
SO YOU HAVE PROBABLY ABOUT 70% HERE, 80% NATIONALLY, WHERE THE PUBLIC DEFENDER IS INVOLVED AND THE PROSECUTORS, YOU KNOW, PROBABLY HAVE MORE EFFORT PER CASE BECAUSE SOME CASES LIKE GRAND JURIES AND ONES THAT AREN'T INDICTED ARE HELD OVER FOR COURT, THE DEFENDER'S NOT INVOLVED IN, IT'S PROBABLY EASIER TO, UH, CATCH UP AND DEFEND.
THEY PROBABLY DON'T, THEY PROBABLY DON'T PUT AS MUCH TIME IN.
SO ANYWAY, IT'S LONG-WINDED, BUT I DO THINK THAT IT'S WORTH TAKING A LOOK AT MAKING SURE THAT WE HAVE PARODY BETWEEN THE TWO, UM, BECAUSE WE WANT TO HAVE EQUAL JUSTICE FOR EVERYBODY.
SO, UM, UH, THE, THE OTHER PIECE THAT CAME UP WHEN, UH, LARRY AND I WERE TALKING, UM, WAS WHETHER OR NOT THEY HAVE, WHETHER ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE THE ABILITY TO GO AHEAD AND SET THINGS LIKE THEIR OWN SALARIES.
SO W WHAT I SAID TO HIM, UH, WAS THAT MY SENSE IS THAT THEY'VE, THEY'VE GOT A FAIR AMOUNT OF FLEXIBILITY TO DO WHAT IT IS THEY WANT TO DO, BUT THEY'RE ALSO INTELLIGENT ENOUGH TO KNOW THAT, UM, TH TH THEY DO IT AT BUDGET TIME SO THAT THEY'RE NOT DOING IT IN A VACUUM, AND THEY KNOW THAT WE'VE APPROVED THE BUDGET.
SO I TH I DON'T KNOW WHETHER THE DEFENDER FALLS IN THAT CATEGORY OR NOT, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO GET IN A POSITION WHERE THEY GO AND MAKE A COMMITMENT THAT THIS IS A COMMITMENT TO PEOPLE AND PEOPLE'S LIVES ON SOMETHING THAT WE HAVEN'T APPROVED.
SO I'M KIND OF INTERESTED IN, UM, KIND OF WHAT THE DEAL IS THAT, UH, THAT THEY THINK THEY'RE OKAY FOR THE REST OF THE YEAR, LIKE CAPTURE THAT, RIGHT.
AND IF, COULD I, IF I COULD JUST PICK A MOMENT AS THE CHAIRMAN AND CLARA, SHE THINKS FROM CLARIFICATION ON THAT.
AND IF YOU COULD POINT THAT WAS WITH REGARD TO WHETHER APPOINTED AND ELECTED OFFICIALS HAVE THE ABILITY TO SET THEIR OWN PAY SCALE.
SO OF COURSE, IN HIS BUDGET SUBMISSION PAY REQUEST MONEY.
AND I SUPPOSE THAT IN THE MONEY THAT COMES IN FOR THE BEGINNING OF EVERY FISCAL YEAR, THE BUDGET THAT COMES IN THERE ARE SCALES THAT ARE SET.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW, HOW SALARIES CAN BE ADJUSTED IN THE MIDDLE OF A FISCAL YEAR WITH MONEY THAT WAS ALLOCATED FOR ONE PURPOSE.
UH, THAT PURPOSE HAS BEEN FORWARDED.
SO INSTEAD OF NOT SPENDING IT ON THE PURPOSE, IT WAS ALLOCATED FOR IT'S BEING INCORPORATED INTO, UM, RAISES FOR EMPLOYEES IN THAT DEPARTMENT.
AND I'M CURIOUS TO KNOW IF WE COULD CLARIFY FOR ME WHOSE RESPONSIBILITY IS IT TO SET THE SALARY SCALES FOR PEOPLE WITHIN THE COUNTY? IS THIS SOMETHING THAT THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATIVE DOES? IS THIS SOMETHING THAT THE DEPARTMENT HEADS DO? AND IF THAT'S THE CASE AND DEPARTMENT HEADS HAVE THE ABILITY AND MIDSTREAM TO GIVE PEOPLE RAISES WHY CAN'T EVERYBODY GIVE PEOPLE RAISES IN MIDSTREAM? I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE I THINK IF THESE RAISES ARE PROVIDED IN THE MIDDLE OF A FISCAL YEAR, WHEN THE NEW
[00:10:01]
FISCAL YEAR STARTS GOES, RAISES WILL HAVE ALREADY BEEN MEMORIALIZED INSTITUTIONALIZED SO THAT WE WILL BE GETTING A BUDGET THAT WILL INCLUDE THOSE RAISINGS THAT NOBODY'S AUTHORIZED, UNLESS IT WAS JUST THE DEPARTMENT HEAD.SO I'M SEEKING CLARITY HERE ON WHO HAS THE ABILITY TO CONTROL WHO GETS PAID WITHIN THE COUNTY.
UH, WHEN WE HAVE A DEPARTMENT ON THAT, ON THAT MATTER IS ANOTHER THING I'M CONCERNED ABOUT.
IT APPEARS THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE, AND WE NEED TO HAVE THE VERY BEST WE CAN GET FALL OUTSIDE THE PURVIEW OF GETTING COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS.
AND, UM, I'M CONFUSED ABOUT THAT.
AND I'M, I'M RAISING THE QUESTION BECAUSE I'D LIKE TO KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY OTHER DEPARTMENTS WITHIN THE COUNTY THAT DON'T GET COST OF LIVING RAISES WHEN COUNTY EMPLOYEES GET THEM, BECAUSE WHO, WHO ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WORKED AT THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE? ARE THEY, ARE THEY ON CONTRACTS? ARE THEY STATE EMPLOYEES? ARE THEY COUNTY EMPLOYEES? AND IF THEY'RE COUNTY EMPLOYEES, HOW CAN THEY NOT RECEIVE THE COAL IS WHICH WOULD KEEP THEM, UM, UM, MORE OR LESS, EVEN WITH EVERYONE ELSE IN THE COUNTY, WHO'S GETTING A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT, NOT, I THINK THE LAST ONE I RECEIVED WAS SIX YEARS AGO, AND THAT'S JUST NOT FAIR.
SO THERE'S A LOT ABOUT ANSWERING QUESTIONS I HAVE, AND I'M NOT SURE WHO'S IN CHARGE OF THIS, AND WHO'S IN CHARGE OF PAYROLL.
WHO'S IN CHARGE OF SETTING SALARIES AND WHO HAS THE AUTHORITY TO DO THAT WITHOUT THE AUTHORITY OF COUNTY COUNCIL APPROVING IT.
THAT SOUND, IS THAT, IS THAT A CONFUSED, WAS THAT A RAMBLING AND CONFUSING STATEMENT? NO, NO, NO.
MR. GREENWAY WILL MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THAT MICAH, IN AN ATTEMPT TO ANSWER THE PART ABOUT, UH, THOSE EMPLOYEES THAT COME UNDERNEATH THE RESPONSIBILITY, ACCOUNTING COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
SO DEPARTMENT HEADS AND THOSE UNDERNEATH THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR CANNOT GIVE RAISES TO EMPLOYEES MID YEAR.
AND IT HAS TO BE A PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS.
IF YOU ALL RECALL, WHEN WE DID THE BUDGET, WE HAD YOU ALL ALLOCATE RAISES TO THE EMPLOYEES IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE COMMON CLASS STUDY BY EVERGREEN.
AND THEN WE BROUGHT THAT STUDY BACK FOR YOU ALL TIRED.
SO YOU VOTE ON IT AND APPROVE.
AND THAT IS THE STUDY THAT BINDS US TO THAT, THAT DOES NOT APPLY TO ELECTED OFFICIALS.
UH, IF YOU'RE GOING TO ASK ME UNDERWATER AUTHORITY, STATUTORY AUTHORITY THAT APPLIES, UH, DEFER TO OUR LEGAL TEAM ON THAT.
AND THEY MAY HAVE TO LOOK THAT UP AND RESEARCH THAT AND COME BACK WITH AN ANSWER SINCE WE DIDN'T HAVE ADVANCED KNOWLEDGE OF THIS QUESTION, AND ALSO THE SAME WOULD BE WITH THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE.
THERE ARE SOME NON, UM, THERE ARE SOME GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATIONS THAT ARE NOT REALLY COUNTING EMPLOYEES THAT WE HANDLE PAYROLL FOR AND THINGS LIKE THAT, THAT FALL OUTSIDE AGAIN OF THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION.
SO I'LL DEFER TO KURT, UH, AND LET HIM DESIGNATE WHOEVER HE WANTS FROM THE LEGAL TEAM.
THAT'S HERE THIS EVENING, TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
I'M GOING TO TAKE A CHANCE, TAKE A CHANCE HERE ON MY MEMORY.
BUT AS I RECALL, UH, CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS, ELECTED OFFICIALS, SUCH AS THE, UH, PUBLIC DEFENDER AND MANY OTHERS SALARIES ARE SET BY WAIT A MINUTE.
WHAT, WHAT CATEGORY IS WHERE, WHAT IS THE PUBLIC DEFENDER FLOW ELECTED OR CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICER POINTED? I THINK THE OFFICER APPOINTED, THEY'RE NOT ELECTED.
THE ANSWER TO THAT LISTENER IS ELECTED.
I BELIEVE THAT SOLICITOR IS CLEARLY ELECTED.
THERE WAS A PUBLIC DEFENDER QUAL BEFORE YOU USE, UH, GO INTO YOUR MEMORY BRANCH.
CAN I JUST DEVELOP THAT QUESTION A LITTLE FURTHER? IF, IF THE PUBLIC DEFENDER IS PERMITTED TO GIVE RAISES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR WITHOUT COUNTY COUNCIL AUTHORITY AND DOESN'T NEED IT WHAT'S TO PREVENT ONCE THAT PRECEDENT IS SET TO HAVE THE OTHER FIVE OR SIX ELECTED OFFICIALS ALSO JUST GIVE EVERYBODY A RAISE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR.
I THINK SUBJECT TO BEING CORRECTED, THAT WHEN WE APPROVE THEIR BUDGET, THEY HAVE THE RIGHT TO MOVE THINGS AROUND WITHIN THAT BUDGET.
AND I THINK THEY CAN GIVE RAISES DURING THE YEAR, AS LONG AS IT'S WITHIN THEIR BUDGET.
I DON'T SEE ANY REASON WHY THEY CAN'T NOW THAT'S PAUL SOMERVILLE'S OPINION.
SO, OH, TIM, THE BUDGET, BECAUSE THERE ARE VACANCIES IN EVERY DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THERE'S RECRUITING AND RETENTION PROBLEMS. SO IT MAY BE THAT EVERYBODY HAS SOME EXTRA MONEY.
SO THEN ARE THEY THEN WHAT THE ROCK TO JUST DISPERSE IT AS THEY SEE FIT? I THINK SO.
ONE, ONE, UH, SO A COUPLE OF THINGS HERE WE WILL, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LENGTHY EXECUTIVE SESSION THAT WE'VE GROWN TO COVER SEVERAL THINGS.
[00:15:01]
A TIME IN ACCOUNTING ADMINISTRATION TO THOROUGHLY RESEARCH, ALL OF THESE QUESTIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ASKED, AND WE WILL PROVOKE.WE WILL PROVIDE AN UPDATE AT THE APPROPRIATE COMMITTEE, PROBABLY THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AT THE NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
WE WILL HAVE AN ANSWER, A VERY DETAILED ANSWER ON LAY OUT ALL OF THIS FOR YOU ALL FOR OUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS AND COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR, UH, EMPLOYEES AS WELL, SO THAT WE CAN ANSWER ALL OF THOSE QUESTIONS FOR YOU ALL IN A THOROUGH MANNER.
IT WILL BE APPOINTED OFFICIALS.
THAT WOULD BE ANOTHER GROUP OF INTERESTS.
AND WHILE YOU'RE DOING ALL THAT RESEARCH, COULD YOU ALSO HAVE SOMEONE JUST GIVE ME A BRIEF OVERVIEW, NOT TONIGHT, BUT IN THE FUTURE ON WHAT THE CAR PURCHASE PROGRAM IS WITHIN BUFORD COUNTY, WHEN THE COUNTY IS BUYING THINGS, WE WILL.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER ITEMS TO DISCUSS BEFORE WE GO INTO THE EXECUTIVE SESSION? JUST TO WRAP THAT ONE UP, AM I ASSUMING CORRECTLY THAT WE, AS A COUNTY HAVE NOT GIVEN APPROVAL TO A PAY RAISE FOR THE DEFENDER AT THIS POINT? CORRECT.
WELL WHAT, WHOA, I THINK WE HAVE, NO, WE HAVE TO THINK THAT I THINK SHE'S GOING BACK AND IT'S GOING TO GIVE EVERYBODY 6% RATE.
YOU'RE NOT REQUIRED AT THIS POINT.
YOU'RE NOT REQUIRED TO APPROVE, PAY RAISES FOR THE PUBLIC DEFENDER.
AND WE'VE MET WITH HER AND WE'VE EXPLAINED TO HER, HER PERSONNEL VACANCY SAVINGS.
AND SHE HAS, SHE NOW UNDERSTANDS THAT SHE HAS THAT MONEY AVAILABLE TO HER CURRENTLY TO DO WHAT SHE HAD AN ISSUE REQUESTS FOR THE REMAINDER OF THIS BUDGET YEAR.
RIGHT? SO YOU ALL DON'T HAVE TO APPROVE THAT BECAUSE SHE'S NOT ASKING FOR ANY MORE MONEY FROM YOU ALL FOR HER BUDGET SO THAT EVERYBODY CAN DO THAT AS MY POINT, THE WAY, THE WAY, THE WAY BUFORD COUNTY HAS OPERATED IN THE, UH, WITH THOSE POSITIONS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS, THEN YES, YOU ARE CORRECT.
THAT FITS IN THOSE CATEGORIES.
IF I MIGHT INTERJECT MRS. CHAIRMAN.
UM, MY RECOLLECTION OF IT IS FAIRLY CLOSE TO PAUL'S, BUT NOTE THAT DUFFY STONE PUBLIC DEFENDER, UM, AND POTENTIALLY OTHER OFFICERS IN THE AREA HAVE, ARE NOT WITHIN THE COUNTY JURISDICTION.
AND SO WHAT THEY DO WITH THEIR DOLLARS, THAT WE, WE APPLIED TO THEIR BUDGET, IT'S THEIR BUDGET.
AND SO THEY CAN BUY CARS, THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT WHEN THEY COME BACK.
NEXT YEAR, WE START WITH A BASELINE FOR BUDGETING PURPOSES.
WHAT WE GIVE IT GAVE THEM LAST YEAR, IT'S CALLED MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT.
AND SO WE GIVE START WITH THE SAME AMOUNT AND THEY TRY TO JUSTIFY TO US WHY THEY MAY NEED MORE MONEY FROM BUFORD COUNTY THAT DOES NOT APPLY TO COUNTYWIDE JURISDICTIONAL OFFICER, SUCH AS THE SHERIFF, THE CLERK OF COURT, THE TREASURER, THE AUDITOR, UM, UH, I THINK THAT'S IT, MAYBE THERE'S ONE MORE IN THOSE, THOSE PEOPLE, UM, JUSTIFY THEIR BUDGETS AND THEY ARE PART OF OUR PAY SCALE.
THEY CAN ONLY HIRE AS MANY PEOPLE AS WE HAD PREVIOUSLY SAID WITHIN THE BUDGETARY AMOUNT THAT WE GAVE THEM.
THEY CAN'T, THEY CAN'T SUDDENLY PAY PEOPLE.
UM, FIVE TIMES THE EX EXPECTED LEVEL.
THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO FUDGE A LITTLE BIT HERE AND THERE AND BE ABLE TO JUSTIFY IT WITH HR IN ORDER TO FILL ALL THE SEATS.
BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO STAY WITHIN THE LIMITS OF THE BUDGET THAT WE'VE AUTHORIZED AND KEEP SOME KIND OF PARODY WITH OTHER COUNTY EMPLOYEES THAT ARE NOT WITHIN THEIR JURISDICTION.
AND I'M FAIRLY SURE THAT'S A, CODAFIDE THAT AT LEAST I READ A, UM, AN OPINION FROM THE ATTORNEY GENERAL ABOUT IT.
UM, I WOULD ASK A MEMBER OF COUNTY, MR. CUNNINGHAM.
UM, I DON'T KNOW A LOT OF YOU GUYS SAW, BUT THE LIBRARY FINISHED UP IN BLUFFTON.
I SPENT THIS WEEK GOING OVER, LOOK AT SOME OF THE REMODELS AS WELL.
UM, I JUST HAD A QUESTION TO SEE IF WE HAD AN UPDATE ON THE OTHER LIBRARY STATUS AT NEW RIVERSIDE.
UM, YES, WE DO HAVE AN UPDATE ON THAT.
IT'S WHAT I'M NOT ABLE TO SHARE PUBLICLY THIS EVENING.
WE WILL GIVE YOU THAT AT THE NEXT NATURAL RESOURCES COMMITTEE MEETING THE FIRST MONDAY OF FEBRUARY.
SO WE, WE AL WELL, WE DO HAVE A STATUS OF THAT.
I WOULD ASK A MEMBER OF COUNCIL TO MAKE A MOTION, TO GO INTO
[EXECUTIVE SESSION]
EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR ITEMS EIGHT, NINE, AND 10 ON THE AGENDA, WHICH IS TO DISCUSS THE OPIOID OF, OF LITIGATION.[00:20:01]
CLAIM, UM, OF MYRTLE PARK AND THE EXTENSION OF THE TIME TO APPLY FOR THE SPECIAL PROPERTY TAX ASSESSMENT RATIO EMOTION, PLEASE.MS. HOWARD MAKES THE SECOND ANY DISCUSSION.
THIS WILL BE APPROVED WITHOUT OBJECTION.
WE WILL BE BACK BEFORE SIX O'CLOCK.
WE ARE IN RECESS FROM OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION.
UH, DURING THE EXECUTIVE SESSION, THERE WERE THREE ITEMS. WE WERE ONLY ABLE TO DISCUSS TWO OF THOSE ITEMS. THE THIRD ITEM WILL BE DISCUSSED THIS EVENING.
THEREFORE, WE'RE NOT GOING TO ADJOURN THE CAUCUS MEETING.
WE'RE GOING TO RECESS THE CAUCUS MEETING AND TAKE IT UP AFTER THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING.
SO AT THIS TIME DURING NO OTHER ACTION, THE CAUCUS MEETING WILL BE IN RECESS UNTIL THE CLOSE OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING.