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CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY BEAVER COUNTY.
AND I'D LIKE TO CALL THE BUDGET WORKSHOP TO ORDER.
WOULD YOU ALL RISE FOR THE PLEDGE? I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL PUBLIC NOTICE OF THIS MEETING HAS BEEN PUBLISHED, POSTED AND DISTRIBUTED IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE SOUTH CAROLINA FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT.
UM, I HAVE TAKEN ATTENDANCE AT THIS POINT IN TIME.
UH, WE DO HAVE SIX MEMBERS OF COUNCIL WHO ARE HERE OR ARE ONLINE.
UH, THE INDIVIDUALS ONLINE RIGHT NOW ARE, UH, COUNCILMAN RODMAN, COUNCILWOMAN HOWARD COUNCIL MEMBER MCKELLEN.
THE, UH, OTHERS IN THE ROOM ARE MR. HARVARD, SEAN, MR. LAWSON AND MYSELF.
MAY I HAVE APPROVAL OF OUR AGENDA? MR. HARVEY, SEAN MAKES THE MOTION.
AND MR. LAWSON MAKES THE SECOND DUALLY MOTIONED.
AND SECOND, ANY QUESTIONS SEEING NONE? THE AGENDA IS APPROVED WITHOUT A SEC.
I DO NOT SEE ANYONE IN THE AUDIENCE WHO WISHES TO MAKE A COMMENT.
UH, THERE ISN'T ANY OTHER COMMENTS FROM ANYONE.
UH, SO WE WILL TURN IT OVER TO MR. GREENWAY.
WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT A PRESENTATION FOR THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023.
I'M JUST GOING TO OPEN IT UP BRIEFLY, GIVE YOU SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THINGS THAT YOU ALL NEED TO CONSIDER.
UH, AND JUST TO LET YOU KNOW THAT WE'RE, UH, CONTINUE TO BE IN GREAT FINANCIAL SHAPE.
UH, SO WE'RE ABLE TO FUND THINGS A LOT MORE THIS YEAR WITH REGARDS TO POSITIONS THAN WE WERE LAST YEAR.
UH, THE BUDGET, UH, REQUEST CURRENTLY CONTAINS 24 NEW POSITIONS.
UM, THREE OF THOSE ARE FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS.
UM, ONE IN THE CLERK OF COURT'S OFFICE FOR FAMILY COURT, UH, TWO IN THE CORONER'S OFFICE.
UM, AND THAT IS MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN CONTACTED BY THE CORONER ABOUT THIS, UH, REGARDING A FORENSIC PATHOLOGIST AND A FORENSIC PATH OLOGY ASSISTANT.
WE HAVE ELECTED TO FUND THOSE.
THEY'LL PROVIDE A HIGHER LEVEL OF SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS HERE IN BUFORD COUNTY, APPARENTLY.
UM, RIGHT NOW, UM, AUTOPSIES HAVE TO BE PERFORMED, UH, IN ANOTHER COUNTY AND THE FAMILY HAS TO WAIT FOR THAT TO BE, UH, DONE IN ANOTHER COUNTY BEFORE THEY CAN FIND OUT THE RESULTS, UH, CORNER, UM, CASH REQUESTED THIS POSITION.
WE ARE FUNDING THE POSITION SO THAT THOSE CAN BE DONE HERE IN BUFORD COUNTY SO THAT OUR FAMILIES CAN GET RESULTS MUCH FASTER.
UH, OUR FOLKS THAT MIGHT BE DOING INVESTIGATIONS CAN GET THE RESULTS MUCH FASTER.
AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE UNDERSTAND THAT, UM, MR. OTT, AS CORONER HAS REACHED OUT TO OTHER COUNTIES AND THEY MAY BE INTERESTED IN USING, UM, OUR, THE LAB AND OUR PATHOLOGIST TO DO, UH, THEIR AUTOPSIES AS WELL.
SO AFTER PINKY COMES UP AND DOES THE PRESENTATION, UM, YOU'RE GONNA HEAR FROM, UH, OUR TREASURER, MS. WALLS REGARDING THE SURPLUSES.
UH, SHE HAS A LOT OF DATA ABOUT WHY THOSE THINGS ARE OCCURRING AND WHAT WE FEEL, UM, IS, NEEDS TO BE DONE AS A RESULT OF THAT.
UH, IF ANYTHING, UH, SHE'LL TALK TO YOU ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT.
THE OTHER THING I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT FOR YOU ALL IN ADDITION TO THE PATHOLOGIST IS THAT IF YOU LOOK AT THE BUDGET IN DETAIL, YOU WILL SEE THAT THERE ARE MANY POSITIONS BEING FUNDED THIS YEAR IN THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT.
UM, MANY OF THE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, NONE OF WHICH ARE ON HERE, BUT, UM, EXCEPT FOR COUNCIL MEMBER HOWARD HAVE EXPRESSED SOME CONCERNS ABOUT SENIOR PROGRAMMING, UH, AMBI FOR COUNTY AND THE LACK THEREOF OR THE QUALITY OF THE PROGRAMMING.
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UH, LOW COUNTRY COUNCIL GOVERNMENTS.SO YOU PROVIDE THOSE SENIOR SERVICES AND SENIOR PROGRAMMING THROUGH THE PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT.
AND WE DID RECEIVE THE AWARD FOR THAT.
SO WE WILL BE TAKING OVER, UH, SENIOR PROGRAMMING IN, UH, THIS NEXT YEAR.
WE WILL BE CONTINUING AN OPERATION.
THE SHANNON LOPER HAS MET WITH THE CURRENT SENIOR, UM, PROGRAMMING EMPLOYEES.
AND MANY OF THEM WILL BE TAKEN POSITIONS IN BUFORD COUNTY, UH, TO ASSIST WITH THAT SO THAT THE TRANSITION WILL HOPEFULLY BE SEAMLESS.
AND WE WILL USE A COURSE, OUR VEHICLES AND OUR FACILITIES ONCE AGAIN, IN A MANNER THAT IS, UH, CAN PROVIDE AN APPROPRIATE LEVEL OF SERVICE FOR, UH, OUR SENIOR CITIZENS HERE, BUFORD COUNTY.
SO THOSE ARE THE TWO MAJOR THINGS, THE PATHOLOGIST AND THE AMOUNT OF EMPLOYEES IN PARKS AND REC AND WHAT THOSE ARE FAR.
UH, WE ARE, UM, WE HAVE REACHED THE POINT IN OUR HUMAN SERVICES DIVISION, WHERE IT'S TIME FOR US TO HIRE A DEPUTY DIRECTOR, UH, FOR HR.
UM, AND WE WILL, IF THAT WERE TO BE, IF THAT WERE TO BE SOME SORT OF INTERNAL PROMOTION, THEN WE WOULD FEEL WHATEVER VACANCY POSITIONS, UH, THAT WOULD COME UP.
AND WE DO BELIEVE THAT THAT WILL BE, UM, THAT WE WILL HAVE AN INTERNAL CANDIDATE FOR THAT POSITION.
SO ANYWAY, UM, I WILL ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT PERSONNEL ISSUES BEFORE I TURN IT OVER TO PINKY, WHO WILL DO THE PRESENTATION YOU ALL, AND THEN SHE'LL TURN IT OVER TO, UM, OUR, UH, VERY CAPABLE AND WHY TREASURER, MS. WALLS, ANY QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL MEMBERS REGARDING ANY OF THE, THE PERSONNEL MATTERS THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED? NONE HERE.
I JUST LIKE TO SAY GREAT NEWS ABOUT THE SENIOR PROGRAMS. THANK YOU.
ANY OTHERS JUST QUICKLY? UM, THERE WAS ALWAYS TWO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS, UM, WITH THE SENIORS.
UH, SO THEY ALL WILL BE ON THE ONE UMBRELLA, WHICH WILL BE THE COUNTY.
UM, AND, UH, WE GOING TO TRY TO MAINTAIN SITES OR ENHANCE SITES THAT MAY NOT BE, WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO MAINTAIN THE SITES WE CURRENTLY HAVE.
NOW WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE BUFORD JASPER COMP HEALTH, UM, ALLOWS THE USE OF THEIR FACILITY ON ST.
HELENA TO BE USED FOR SENIOR PROGRAM.
AND THAT'S AN ISSUE FOR THE FOLKS THAT USE THAT CENTER.
SO I ASKED SHANNON YESTERDAY TO REACH OUT TO THE DIRECTOR THAT YOU ALL MET, UM, AT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING TO SEE IF THEY WOULD ALLOW US TO CONTINUE TO USE THAT FACILITY FOR OUR SENIOR PROGRAMMING WITHOUT WAS IT THE COUNCIL ON AGING HAS HAD A PROBLEM, OR WAS IT THE COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH SERVICES? UH, WE DON'T KNOW.
THE AGREEMENT WAS WITH THE COUNCIL AND WITH THE, UH, WITH THE GROUP THAT HAD THE CONTRACT FROM CADA BEFORE.
SO WE'RE NOT SURE WHAT THE ISSUES AND JOSH WOULD COMP HEALTH WOULD, WOULD ALLOW US TO MAINTAIN THAT SAME AGREEMENT.
WE DON'T KNOW THE DETAILS OF THAT.
SO WE'RE REACHING OUT TO TRY TO, TO TRY TO CONTINUE THE PROGRAMMING AND ALL THE EXISTING FACILITIES, BECAUSE THE FOLKS THAT USE IT, THERE'S LIKE 38 OR 40 FOLKS THAT USE THAT CENTER, UH, NEAR THE LIBRARY ON ST.
AND WE WANT TO CONTINUE THAT WITHOUT DISRUPTING WHAT THEY'RE ACCUSTOMED TO DOING.
SO WE'RE WORKING, WE'RE WORKING THROUGH THAT RIGHT NOW.
WE SENT A COPY OF THIS OUT BEFORE THE MEETING TODAY, JUST IN CASE THOSE OF YOU ONLINE WANTED TO FOLLOW ALONG, UM, APOLOGIES FOR NOT DOING THAT.
SO TODAY'S SESSION IS A LITTLE UPDATE OUT OF SOME OF THE FEEDBACK WE RECEIVED FROM THE FIRST COUNCIL WORKSHOP.
UM, AND WE'VE JUST KIND OF IMPLEMENTED SOME OF THE CHANGES THAT WE RECEIVED.
NOW TRY OR IS THAT WOULD WORK RIGHT.
UM, SO A FEW UPDATES THAT WE HAVE DONE SINCE THEN IS WE'VE INCREASED THE COLA AMOUNT TO 5% AFTER SOME CONVERSATIONS WITH ADMINISTRATION AND SOME COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, WE'VE ALSO UPDATED THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES, UM, TO REFLECT A NEW ESTIMATED VALUE OF A MILL.
UM, AS ERIC MENTIONED, WE'VE ALSO INCLUDED THE NEW PERSONNEL REQUESTS THAT HE WENT OVER THE LIST, UH, WHICH INCLUDES, UM, THE CORONER'S
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REQUEST AND TO KIND OF ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT ON THAT.WE WERE ABLE TO OFFSET THAT OFFSET THAT REQUEST JUST A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE WE WERE DOING THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, UH, FOR THE PATHOLOGY SERVICES FROM MUFC, WHICH IS WHERE WE CURRENTLY GET OUR AUTOPSIES COMPLETED FOR THE IN-HOUSE PROGRAM THAT THE CORNER'S TRYING TO ESTABLISH.
UM, WE HAVE ALSO INCLUDED THE CAPITAL AND EQUIPMENT REQUESTS.
UM, WE'RE STILL TWEAKING A FEW OF THOSE, UH, BASED ON SOME, UM, RECOMMENDATIONS FROM OUR FLEET MANAGER.
AND THEN AGAIN, UPDATES ON THE OTHER FUNDS AND TO INCLUDE THE SPECIAL REVENUE AND THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS? I CAN'T SEE EVERYBODY ON MINE, I CAN NOW FEEL FREE TO INTERRUPT AT ANY TIME.
UH, WHAT DID YOU GO? YOU SAID YOU INCREASINGLY THE CORNERS RE REQUEST INCREASE THE CORONER'S REQUESTS.
WE OFFSET IT BY MAKING A CUT TO THE PROFESSIONAL SERVICES LINE ITEMS. SO REALLY THE NET EFFECT WAS AN INCREASE OF ABOUT $142,000 IN THE CORONER'S BUDGET.
AND THAT THE, UH, ALMOST 200,000 YOU GOT INTO.
WELL, I THINK IT'S 400 FOR THE TWO NEW POSITIONS.
UM, IN CALCULATING THE ESTIMATED VALUE OF A MILL FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023, HUGE THANKS TO THE ASSESSORS, THE AUDITORS AND THE TREASURER'S OFFICE FOR HELPING US GETTING A LOT OF, UH, A LOT OF THE INFORMATION TOGETHER.
UM, I THINK GEORGE AND I HAVE BECOME BEST FRIENDS HERE, WHETHER HE WANTS TO OR NOT.
UM, OVER THE LAST FEW WEEKS, WE WERE ABLE TO DECIPHER THROUGH THE DATA AND COME UP WITH AN ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE MILL.
UM, THIS YEAR'S VALUE OF A MILL IS 2 MILLION, 248,540 FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 TWOS ESTIMATE WAS 2 MILLION, 1 31, 9 38.
UM, THIS IS AN INCREASE OF 116,000 A LITTLE OVER 5%.
SO TOTAL INCREASE IN REVENUES IS A LITTLE OVER $6.2 MILLION.
SO, UM, GREAT NEWS FOR US, OUR VALUES HAVE INCREASED.
UM, OF COURSE WE'VE ALL SEEN THE GROWTH.
SO THAT'S A REFLECTION OF THE GROWTH.
OF COURSE, THIS IS AN ESTIMATE.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE ACTUAL NUMBERS.
OUR DATA IS BASED OFF OF THE, UH, INFORMATION PROVIDED AT THE END OF MARCH.
SO WE STILL HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF THE FISCAL YEAR AGO.
DO YOU ALSO SHOW US AT SOME POINT, UM, THE, UM, THE GROWTH OF THE MILL, UM, IN THE COLLECTIONS, UH, MAYBE NOT USING THE TERMINOLOGY CORRECTLY? UM, THE REVENUES.
YEAH, BECAUSE OF THE GROWTH, YOU KNOW, THE MILL WAS SET AT A 2.1 MILL, BUT WE ACTUALLY GREW, SO HOW FAST, HOW MUCH DID WE GROW OVER A YEAR'S TIME? BECAUSE THE INCREASE IN REVENUES, I'M ASSUMING WHAT YOU'RE MEANING.
UH, WE'LL HAVE A MORE ACCURATE NUMBER AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, OBVIOUSLY, CAUSE WE'RE STILL DOING COLLECTIONS NOW, BUT A LITTLE BIT OF THE SURPLUSES, I THINK MS. WALLS WE'LL TOUCH ON YOUR SHORTLY.
COULDN'T TELL, COULD YOU SEE ANYBODY? OKAY.
I DON'T SEE ANYBODY RAISING THEIR HAND.
SO FAR, UM, AGAIN, AN UPDATE FOR THE GENERAL FUND, BIG PICTURE, WE'RE LOOKING AT PROJECTED REVENUES AS OF RIGHT NOW TO BE 145 MILLION, THREE 24,957.
UM, IT'S, UH, PROJECTED EXPENDITURES ARE 145 TO 53, 4 34.
RIGHT NOW OUR SURPLUS SHOWS AT A LITTLE OVER $70,000.
AGAIN, WE'RE FINALIZING NUMBERS BEFORE FIRST READING.
SO YOU MAY SEE THAT NUMBER CHANGE JUST A LITTLE BIT.
AGAIN, THIS IS AN UPDATE SINCE THE FIRST WORKSHOP.
UM, WE'VE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS, OBVIOUSLY WE'VE INCREASED IN SOME AREAS ALSO, UH, UH, ANOTHER INCREASE, UH, YOU'LL SEE, IT WILL BE SOME OF THE, THE PROJECTED REVENUES, UM, LITTLE BIT OF AN ADJUSTMENT IN THE LICENSES AND PERMITS.
OTHER THAN THAT, THE MAJORITY OF IT STAYED THE SAME AS THE PREVIOUS PRESENTATION.
UM, WE, WE DIDN'T TWEAK A LITTLE TOO.
WE DIDN'T TWEAK TOO MUCH IN THE OTHER, UH, AREAS OF THE REVENUES UNTIL WE GET CLOSER TO FISCAL YEAR END EXPENSES.
WE HAVE UPDATED OBVIOUSLY TO REFLECT, UH, THE UPDATES FROM THE FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOP, AND WE'VE ALSO RECEIVED UPDATED.
UM, HE'D SHOUT OUT TO THE HR TEAM FOR TURNING THIS AROUND IN A VERY QUICK MATTER OF TIME, UH, TO INCREASE THE SALARIES FOR THE 5% COLA.
SO WE WERE ABLE TO GET THE GENERAL FUND UPDATED FOR YOU GUYS TODAY.
AND ALSO WE HAVE, UM, UPDATED THE TRANSFERS OF THE GENERAL FUND TO REFLECT THE NEW ESTIMATED MALE VALUES.
YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THESE NUMBERS HAVE UPDATED SINCE THEN, ANY QUESTIONS.
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UM, TH THIS IS THE NEW FUND NEW POSITIONS REQUESTED IN FISCAL YEAR 23 FOR THE GENERAL FUND.AS ERIC MENTIONED A LITTLE WHILE AGO, UM, WE'VE COVERED THE FAMILY COURT POSITION WE'VE INCLUDED.
THE CORONER'S REQUEST IS COMPLETE REQUEST WAS ABOUT 428,000.
BUT, UM, AFTER CUTTING SOME OF THOSE EXPENSES IN HIS, UH, EXPENSE BUDGET, IT KIND OF NETS OFF TO BE A LITTLE OVER 140,000.
UM, THE OTHER POSITIONS WE HAVE APPROVED, THESE WERE PREVIOUSLY SUBMITTED.
SOME WE'VE MADE ADJUSTMENTS BASED ON ACS RECOMMENDATIONS MOVING FORWARD.
AND THE BULK OF THIS AMOUNT IS THE PARKS AND REC, WHICH IS THE PROGRAM THAT ERIC TOUCHED ON A LITTLE WHILE AGO.
AND THE TOTAL NUMBER OF POSITIONS ARE 24 TOTAL 24.
THESE ARE ALL YOUR GENERAL FUND POSITIONS.
BUT I FIGURED THAT DOES, DOES ANYONE NEED A BREAKDOWN OF THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS IN EACH OF THOSE, IF THEY HAD IT, THEY FTES NEXT TO THESE POSITION WOULD BE GREAT.
WE WILL UPDATE THE COMPLETE LIST OF THE DETAILS OF THE PRESIDENT, OF, OF THE POSITIONS TO INCLUDE FTE COUNTS AND WE'LL SEND THEM, SEND THEM OUT TO THE COUNCIL, UM, THE NEW POSITIONS, THE BUDGET DOLLARS.
DOES THAT ASSUME THAT THEY'RE FILLED ON JULY ONE? CORRECT.
I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE ASSUMING AS OF JULY ONE, WE'RE FACING OUR BUDGET STARTING JULY ONE.
WHAT WE DID, WE DID BOTH VACANCY SAVINGS INTO THE OVERALL.
IT WASN'T A REAL QUESTION AGAIN.
WE DID FUND VACANCIES UP TO 85%.
UM, WE DID NOT DO FULL CAUSE WE'RE NEVER FULLY STAFFED.
SO WE DID REDUCE, UH, BY 15% FOR VACANT POSITIONS.
HOW MANY VACANCIES DO WE HAVE AS OUR ESTIMATED RIGHT NOW? WELL, I'D HAVE TO, UM, I CAN GET THAT NUMBER FOR YOU, MS. HOWARD.
I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBER IN MY HEAD RIGHT NOW, BUT I CAN GET IT TO YOU.
I'LL ADD IT TO THE LIST OF THE NEW NEWLY REQUESTED, UM, POSITIONS.
UM, THESE ARE THE VEHICLE AND EQUIPMENT REQUESTS.
NOT MUCH HAS CHANGED SINCE HERE.
WE MADE THE ADJUSTMENTS BASED ON, UM, A COUPLE OF ACS RESPONSES.
AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO REVIEW ONE LAST TIME WITH THE FLEET MANAGER.
AND THEN, UM, CURRENTLY THESE ARE INCLUDED IN THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH IS WHY I SAID YOU MAY SEE A DIFFERENCE IN THE SURPLUS.
UH, IF THERE ARE AREAS THAT WE CAN IMPROVE ON IN TERMS OF REALLOCATING VEHICLES, LIKE ERIC MENTIONED AT THE FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOP, WE ARE, UM, UTILIZING A FLEET POOL SYSTEM HERE INSTEAD OF, UM, ASSIGNING VEHICLES TO DEPARTMENT.
SO WE'RE STILL KIND OF IMPROVING ON THAT PROGRAM.
SO SOME OF THESE REQUESTS MAY, UM, MAY GET REALLOCATED WITH OUR CURRENT FLEET.
UM, QUESTIONS, I HAVE ONE UNDER THE EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES, AND MAYBE THIS IS MORE DIRECTED TO FILL.
UM, ARE THESE REPLACEMENT AMBULANCES OR NEW REPLACEMENTS REPLACING SOMETHING THAT EXISTS? YES, SIR.
AND THERE WERE A LONG LEAD TIME RIGHT NOW, UH, AVERAGING ABOUT ANYWHERE FROM NINE TO 12 MONTHS.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ONLINE? ALL RIGHT.
JUST AN UPDATE ON SOME OF THE OTHER FUNDS.
THESE OTHER FUNDS, THE, UH, GARAGE AND SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS ALSO INCLUDE A LITTLE BIT OF AN INCREASE FROM THE LAST TIME YOU SAW THESE FIGURES DUE TO THE 5% COLA.
UM, AND ALSO THE REVENUES ARE ADJUSTED FOR THE ESTIMATED VALUE OF THE MILL.
ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT, UM, ANY ONE OF THOSE FUNDS? WE ALL UNDERSTAND WHICH, WHICH ARE OUR SPECIAL REVENUES.
SO SPECIFICALLY I JUST WANTED TO COVER OUR SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS AND, UM, WANTED TO NOTE THAT A PART OF THE REVENUES FROM THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS ARE OUR PROJECTED IMPACT PHASE REVENUES.
UM, WE HAVE BOTH JARED AND ERIC WILL ELABORATE A LITTLE BIT MORE, BUT THIS IS THE AMOUNT BUDGETED FOR REVENUES FOR FISCAL YEAR 23.
UM, WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT THAT WE ALREADY HAVE ENCUMBERED OR, UM, RESERVED, I SHOULD SAY FOR, UH, FOR PROJECTS, FOR PARKS AND, UM, NOT PARKS LIBRARIES AND RIGHT.
SO JUST FOR FISCAL YEAR 23 ALONE, WE ARE LOOKING AT A POTENTIAL REVENUE
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LOSS OF $5.6 MILLION.UM, I KNOW THAT THIS IS A BIG DISCUSSION RIGHT NOW, BUT I DID WANT COUNCIL TO BE AWARE THAT THIS IS A PART OF OUR SPECIAL REVENUE FUND BUDGET.
SO, I MEAN, UM, AS WE, AS WE MOVE THROUGH THE IMPACT FEE DISCUSSION ON THE NEW STUDY AND THE NEW IMPACT FEES, UH, YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF WHAT TYPE OF REVENUE THAT GENERATES, UH, UH, ABOUT FIVE AND A HALF MILLION A YEAR.
I WOULD SAY A LOT OF SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THAT IS IN PARKS AND REC SOUTH OF THE BROAD AND, UH, ROADS.
UM, UH COUNTY-WIDE SO A LOT OF THAT MONEY IS WHAT JARED RELIES ON TO, UM, HELPED DO TRANSPORTATION PROJECTS AROUND THE COUNTY AND THE COURTS FOR THE, WITH THE ADOPTED CIP.
UM, AND IF THAT GOES AWAY, THEN OF COURSE THE ONLY OPTION THAT YOU WOULD HAVE, UH, FOR FUNDING THAT WOULD EITHER BE TO, UH, HIT, UH, YOUR, UH, SURPLUS, UH, YOUR, A FUND BALANCE OR, UM, AVALARA TAXES, BECAUSE THERE WOULD BE ANOTHER WAY TO, UM, TO DO IT.
WE DO EXPECT THE, UH, SENATE BILL 9 84 TO BE ADOPTED, WHICH WOULD ALLOW US TO RE-INSTITUTE OUR, UH, TAG FEE TO THE FULL AMOUNT, UH, THAT'S UNDER CONSIDERATION THIS WEEK, UM, IN COLUMBIA.
SO WE COULD EXPERIENCE A SEVERE REVENUE LOSS, UM, THAT WE'VE BEEN DEPENDENT UPON, UH, IF THE NEW IMPACT FEE STUDY IS NOT ADOPTED AND, UH, STAYS IN PLACE.
ANY QUESTIONS UP NEXT? THESE ARE THE VEHICLE AND EQUIPMENT REQUESTS FROM THE OTHER FUNDS.
UM, WE HAVE, UM, A TOTAL OF 5 86.
THIS HAS NOT CHANGED SINCE THE FIRST, UM, BUDGET PRESENTATION.
SO JUST KIND OF FOLLOWING UP ON THE SAME REQUESTS THAT WE HAD PREVIOUSLY, ENTERPRISE FIVES HAVE BEEN UPGRADED TO REFLECT THE ESTIMATED VALUE OF A MILL FOR SOLID WASTE AND RECYCLING, AS WELL AS THE UPDATES FOR THE 5% COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT FOR THE OTHER THREE FUNDS AS WELL.
ALL RIGHT, MINE WASN'T TOO LONG.
I JUST ENDED A FEW UPDATES, BUT JUST SOME DATES TO REMEMBER COMING UP BASED ON THE BUDGET CALENDAR, UM, MAY 9TH, WE WILL HAVE A FIRST READING OF THE BUDGET ORDINANCE, AND THEN THE NINTH THROUGH THE 27TH, WE WILL SEND OUT A PACKET OF ALL OF THE LINE ITEM DETAILS FOR COUNCIL TO REVIEW AND ASK QUESTIONS IN FURTHER DETAIL.
UM, AND THEN WE HAVE SOME BUDGET PRESENTATIONS ON MAY 16TH FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, EL RTA, AND THE TWO FIRE DISTRICTS THAT WERE NOT ABLE TO MEET WITH THEIR COMMISSION BY THE APRIL FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING.
WE'LL BE SECOND READING AND PUBLIC HEARING.
AND WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING OUR HARDEST TO STICK TO THAT FIRST COUNCIL MEETING IN JUNE TO PASS THE THIRD AND FINAL READING OF THE BUDGET ORDINANCE QUESTIONS FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT I CAN ANSWER ANYBODY ONLINE.
IT'S JUST A QUESTION AND I APOLOGIZE FOR MISSING THE FIRST WORKSHOP, BUT WITH THE SURPLUSES WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST, AND LOOK, YOU'RE LOOKING AT NOW, ARE WE AT A POINT WHERE WE CAN MAKE A CALL ON NOT HAVING A TAX INCREASE AND ASSUMING HIM SAYING WE CAN LIVE WITH THE CURRENT GAP TAX RATES CURRENTLY WE DO NOT PROJECT A TAX INCREASE FOR NEXT FISCAL YEAR WITH THE INCREASE IN THE VALUE OF A MILL AND OUR REVENUES THAT WE HAVE PROJECTED SO FAR.
I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE WILL BE INCREASED IN MILLAGE BY ANY MEANS.
SO LOOKING HERE AT THE PUBLIC SAFETY, WE'RE LUMPING EVERYTHING FOR THE SHERIFF DEPARTMENT AT ONE CATEGORY NOW.
UM, IF YOU RECALL, DURING THE FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOP, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT HAS CONSOLIDATED ALL OF THEIR FUND, ALL OF THEIR, OR CODES INTO ONE FUND FOR FISCAL YEAR 23, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DID IN FISCAL YEAR 20 TWOS BUDGET PROCESS, WHERE WE CONSOLIDATED MULTIPLE DEPARTMENTS OR CODES INTO ONE, UM, THE SHERIFF IS NOW DOING THE SAME.
AND, UM, WITHOUT ME DOING ALL THE MATH HERE IS, UM, WHAT KIND OF INCREASE ARE YOU SHOWING ME? 225%, BUT I KNOW THAT IT'S TAKING OVERALL OVERALL.
OVERALL TO INCLUDE ALL OF THE ORGANIZATION OR COACH
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CONSOLIDATED TO A LITTLE OVER $1.6 MILLION OF AN INCREASE FOR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, 1.6 AND THAT'S IN THE PERSONNEL, OR IS THAT IN SPECIAL PROJECTS? YES, WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED THEIR COMP IN CLASS, BUT I BELIEVE THEY WERE INCREASING THEIR COST OF LIVING AS WELL.ADJUSTMENT AND TRY TO GET MORE COMPETITIVE IN THE MARKET AS FAR AS RECRUITING AND RETENTION.
I GOT THAT WHEN I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S ALL, UH, FUNDING THAT WE WILL SUPPORT AND NOT ANY SPECIAL FUNDING, UH, BECAUSE IF THERE'S SPECIAL FUNDING BECAUSE IT'S LUMPED IN THERE, UM, ONCE WE APPROVE IT, IT BECOMES FINAL FOR IMPERPETUITY.
WE'RE NOT, UM, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT'S ALL, WE'RE NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING SPECIAL WITH LEAKING OUT THE SHERIFF, UH, AND HIS, UH, FINANCE, UH, DIRECTOR COME AND PRESENT TO YOU ALL AND ANSWER QUESTIONS FOR YOU ALL, IF YOU WOULD LIKE ONLY IF THERE'S ANYTHING NEW, IT'S NOT, I MEAN, NOT, WE'RE NOT AWARE OF ANYTHING NEVER GOT OTHER THAN THE I MEAN, THEY, THEY ARE COMING TO PRESENT TO US AT SOME POINT, OR WAS THAT NOT HEARD BACK FROM TO SEE IF THEY ARE OR NOT? I CAN TRY TO REACH, I THINK THAT WE SHOULD, AND WE COMBINED EVERYTHING.
IT WAS AT OUR REQUEST TO COMBINE EVERYTHING BECAUSE THERE WAS A COUNCIL WE DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT BEFORE THAT WERE OUT THERE THAT, SO THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT, THAT OUR STAFF ACTUALLY ASKED THEM TO COMBINE IT, PUT IT ALL TOGETHER.
MY CONCERN IS THAT, UM, ONCE THE LAW, ONCE WE APPROVE OF A LINE ITEM BUDGET, YOU KNOW, WE CANNOT INCREASE IT AND THEY'VE COME BEFORE US EVERY OTHER YEAR.
SO I JUST EXPECTED THEY'D BE COMING THIS YEAR, BUT I'D MAKE SURE, BUT I WILL VERIFY WITH THE SHERIFF TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO PRESENT AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GIVE THEM AT THE MAY.
UM, ALSO YOU WILL RECEIVE LINE ITEM DETAIL OF EVERY DEPARTMENT.
UM, IT'S JUST TWO HOURS IS NOT ENOUGH TO GO OVER THE ENTIRE BUDGET, BUT EVERY, ALL OF YOU WILL RECEIVE THAT ALONG WITH THE ORDINANCE FOR BEFORE FIRST READING, YOU WILL HAVE BETWEEN MAY 9TH AND MAY 27TH TO ASK ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS REGARDING ANY LINE ITEM IN THE GENERAL FUND.
IF YOU LOOK AT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE CHART, UM, THE ADMINISTRATIVE DIVISION, YOU KNOW, JUMPED SIGNIFICANTLY LIKE $20 MILLION A GOSPEL BECAUSE OF THE CONSOLIDATION OF LINE ITEMS, THEN 4 MILLION FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES.
UM, THEN, UH, JUST A FEW HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT AND ABOUT A A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR, UM, ANIMAL SERVICES FOR, UM, I GUESS FOR SURE ENFORCEMENT THAT THEY ASSIST US WITH WITH ANIMALS.
YOU SAY THE INCREASES OF ROUGHLY ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS AND MOST OF THAT IS GOING AT YOU SALARY, CORRECT? YEAH, THAT'S GOOD.
WHAT'S DRIVING THE EMS PIECE, WHAT'S DRIVING THE EMS PIECE.
UM, AND I WILL TOUCH ON THIS, BUT PHIL IS HERE.
HE GAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A DETAILED EXPLANATION DURING THE FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOP, BUT I KNOW A LOT OF THAT IS SOME OF THE, UM, THE EMS AND THE QUICK RESPONSE VEHICLE.
AND THEN ALSO WE ARE ACTUALLY ACCURATELY BUDGETING FOR OVERTIME BUILT IN OVERTIME, AS WELL AS REGULAR OVERTIME.
UM, AS YOU KNOW, WITH SHIFT WORK, IT'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, BUT I HIT THAT PRETTY GOOD.
AGAIN, YOU WILL SEE THE LINE ITEM DETAILS FOR THIS HERE SHORTLY.
ONCE WE GET, UM, NUMBERS FINE TUNED, AND THE FIRST ORDINANCE, WE WILL SEND OUT THE ENTIRE GENERAL FUND, MR. RODMAN.
UM, RELATIVE TO YOUR QUESTION, WHAT MY STATUS WAS ON THE OTHER ELECTED OFFICIAL BUDGETS, BECAUSE WE COULDN'T CUT THE BUDGETS, BUT WE'RE NOT RESTRICTED TO APPROVING EVERY ABSOLUTE LINE ITEM.
UM, SECONDLY, I THINK IN THE PAST, THERE'S BEEN TIMES WHERE THERE ARE ITEMS IN THEIR BUDGET, WHICH ARE HIGHLIGHTED AS ONE-TIME EXPENDITURE, SO THEY DON'T AUTOMATICALLY ROLL OVER TO THE NEXT CARE.
UM, LET ME KNOW IF I'M NOT CORRECT ON THAT, BUT THAT'S KIND OF MY UNDERSTANDING FOR PRIOR YEARS.
AND OF COURSE, YOU'LL SEE THOSE LINE ITEM DETAILS WHEN WE SEND OUT THE GENERAL FUND, BUT OTHER THAN THE COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT, I'M NOT AWARE OF ANY, UM, I DO KNOW THAT THE, I STAND CORRECTED.
I DO KNOW OF A COUPLE OF CARRYOVER ITEMS DUE TO SUPPLY, UH, SHORTAGE ISSUES THAT THE SHERIFF WILL CARRYING OVER FROM FISCAL YEAR 22.
BUT OTHER THAN THAT, NO, SIR, THOSE WOULD BE THE ONE TIME.
SO MY, MY POINT IS WE MAKE SURE WE DON'T BACK OURSELVES INTO A CORNER WITH THE ELECTED OFFICIALS THINK IS ONE, ONE TIME.
[00:30:01]
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? I DO HAVE A ONE AND I MEAN, ANOTHER ONE, I'M SORRY.UM, I WANT TO, AND MAYBE, UM, DON'T, DON'T UM, HOW MUCH I'M GOING TO RAISE A CONCERN.
I'M NOT ASKING YOU TO, UM, UH, ADDRESS THIS AT THIS TIME.
UM, BUT I WANT TO LOOK AT THE ENERGY AND CARE AND THE AMOUNT THAT'S THERE.
UM, SOMEHOW DIFFERENT CHANCE FOR SEEMED TO BE.
AND I NOTICED IT IN THE BUDGET PRESENTATION, UM, UPDATE, UH, IN OUR REPORT LAST, LAST FINANCIAL COMMITTEE THAT THAT'S AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF NUMBERS.
UM, SO BUFORD JASPER COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH OVER TIME HAS BEEN DECREASED IN THEIR OUTPUT TO THEM.
AND THE HOSPITAL HAS BEEN INCREASED BECAUSE YOU GOT IT ALL EQUAL HERE.
WELL, BOTH OF THOSE BASED ON THE BUDGET ORDINANCE FROM MULTIPLE YEARS BACK ARE BASED ON A 0.4 MILS.
SO EQUAL LAST YEAR'S ALLOCATION EQUAL.
YOU CAN'T BECAUSE ALL OF A SUDDEN WE'LL GO AHEAD.
AND MS. HOWELL, I LISTENED BY, WE DIDN'T GIVE YOU FROM MEMORIAL HOSPITAL.
IF MY MEMORY IS CORRECT ANY MONEY FOR
AND THEN A FEW YEARS AGO, WE DECIDED WE JUST GAVE IT TO THE BUFORD JASPER COMP HEALTH.
AND THEN A FEW YEARS AGO, WE'D SET ASIDE THE, UM, THE, THE MILL PART OF THE MILL AND BOTH OF THEM AT BUFORD MEMORIAL FOR SEVERAL YEARS, I DIDN'T GET ANY MONEY FOR ENGINEER CARE.
AND WE RE WE RE-INSTITUTED THAT ONE AFTER A RECESSION.
I MEAN, IT WAS AFTER I HAD STARTED ON COUNCIL.
SO IN 2015 TIMEFRAME, I THINK, OR 16, UM, AND STU OR SOMEONE ELSE HE'S BEEN ON COUNCIL LONGER THAN ME MAY REMEMBER THAT WE NEVER, WE WOULD QUIT GIVING THE FRONT MEMORIAL HOSPITAL ANY MONEY FOR INTERNET CARE FOR A PERIOD OF TIME.
I'M NOT QUESTIONING THAT, UH, AT ALL IN THIS HOUSE, I'M QUESTIONING THE AMOUNT, IF YOU WANT TO, IF YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE HANDOUT THAT I GAVE YOU, WHERE YOU SEE BEFORE JASPER, RIGHT, THE COLUMN TO THE LEFT IS FISCAL YEAR 22.
YOU, YOU WILL SEE THAT THE AMOUNT FOR BOTH, WE'VE HEARD MEMORIAL BUFORD JASPER WE'RE THE EXACT SAME AMOUNT.
AND THAT AMOUNT IS BASED ON THE ESTIMATED VALUE OF A MEAL.
IF I REMEMBER THE FREE JAZZ FOR ALWAYS, WHEN WE STARTED, THEY RECEIVED $900,000.
UH, WE INCREASED LIKE MS. HOLLIS SAID, UM, THE HOSPITAL AND THAT WAS AT $600,000.
AND THEN THE ALREADY IN YEAR, UH, WE HAD ABOUT $300,000 LEFT AND IT WAS A ONE-TIME DEAL THAT PAUL RAISED THE MOTION TO GIVE THAT TO BUFORD JASPER, MAYBE FOR THE HOSPITAL.
AND IT RAISED IT UP FROM 600 TO A LITTLE OVER, PRETTY CLOSE TO $900,000.
BUT THAT $370,000 WAS JUST A ONE-TIME DEAL.
THE REST OF IT WAS BASICALLY, UH, AS IS INCREASING WITH THE MILL, BUT BEF JASPER COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH NOW USED TO RECEIVE OVER 900,000.
I JUST LOOK, LOOK AT IT HISTORICALLY.
THAT'S ALL, I'LL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO PLEASE, PLEASE.
I JUST LIKE TO KNOW WHEN THAT SWITCHED.
I CAN ONLY SPEAK TO BEING HERE FOR LESS BUDGET SEASON AND THIS YEAR.
AND I, I WOULD PROBABLY LIKE TO POINT OUT YOU ALL, IF YOU TAKE IN AND WHAT WE'RE GIVING YOU FOR JASPER COP, THEN THIS FRIEND DIDN'T CARE.
AND ALSO, UH, THE FUNDING WERE GIVEN TO HIM FOR THE DENTAL BUS AND ALL OF THAT.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE PROBABLY WELL ABOVE.
WE WERE BOUND BY THE LANGUAGE OF THE ORDINANCE.
IF IT SAYS, IF WE GET ONE, WE GET TO, IF IT'S SAYS THAT WE'D GIVE THEM BOTH WORK, THEN THAT'S WHAT WE HAVE.
DO YOU ALL CAN MODIFY THAT? NO, NO.
IT SAYS I'M GOING TO GIVE THEM BASED ON THE MILLAGE, WHICH WAS 1.4, WHATEVER THAT MILITARY SOMETHING, BUT IT NEVER SAID IT WAS EQUAL.
WHAT YOU'VE DONE IN THE LINE ITEM IS MADE IT EQUAL, CORRECT? YEAH.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S ALL MY ONLY COMMENT IS THAT THEY GOT CUT.
UM, THE HOSPITAL GOT RAISED, THEY GOT CUT.
THAT'S MORE THAN HAPPY TO LOOK INTO THAT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS SEEING NONE? UM, OKAY.
SO, UM, I JUST WANTED TO GIVE A HUGE THANK YOU TO OUR BUDGET BUDGET DEPARTMENT STAFF,
[00:35:01]
UH, SPECIFICALLY SHANNON MO ROY.IT IS HER BIRTHDAY TODAY, AND SHE HAS BEEN BUSTING HER BUTT TO HELP ME GET ALL OF THIS INFORMATION TOGETHER FOR COUNCILS.
SO IF YOU SEE SHANNON, PLEASE WISH HER A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TODAY.
UH, AND AGAIN, THANK YOU TO THE ASSESSORS AUDITORS.
AND OF COURSE MY TREASURER'S OFFICE, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO GET THIS ESTIMATED VALUE OF A MEAL FOR YOU THIS SOON, IF IT WASN'T FOR THEIR HELP.
UM, I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT SOME TALK ABOUT THE SURPLUS, UH, OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
SO, UH, WE HAD THE TREASURER HERE, UM, MS. WALLS TO GO OVER SOME OF THE REASONS WHY THAT OCCURRED.
AND, UH, IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT.
IS IT WORKING? SO I'M JUST GOING TO USE THIS FOR REFERENCE.
YOU WILL BE FAMILIAR WITH WHAT'S ON IT CAUSE IT'S OUR COUNTY.
UM, BUT FOR TAXATION PURPOSES, WE SPLIT THE COUNTY UP INTO TASKS, AUTHORITY, GROUPS, OR TAG FOR SHORT.
AND FOR THOSE ONLINE, SARAH HAS A COPY OF THE MAP.
UM, SO HOW THIS I'VE BEEN GIVING THIS PRESENTATION TO THIS SCHOOL DISTRICT SINCE THIS PAST AUGUST.
SO ALMOST A YEAR AND THE DATA HAS BEEN VERY INTERESTING.
SO IN A DISCUSSION WITH CAN WEEKS AGO, MAYBE EVEN LONGER, UM, HE, HE WAS EXPRESSING, UM, HIS COMMENTARY AND THOUGHTS ON THE SURPLUS, IN THE BUDGET AND IN OUR FINANCIAL STATEMENTS.
AND MY RESPONSE TO HIM WAS, THAT'S NOT, THAT'S NOT SURPRISING.
AND HE ASKED ME WHY, AND I STARTED PULLING UP WHAT I AM GOING TO BE SHOWING YOU TODAY.
AND IT'S NOT TO TAKE THE PLACE OF A FULL EXPLANATION OF WHY THERE'S A SURPLUS, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT LINES ON AN INCOME STATEMENT, BUT TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF HOW GROWTH HAS CONTRIBUTED TO THAT.
SO WE'RE GOING TO GET STARTED.
I FIRST NEED TO JUST EMPHASIZE, AS YOU LOOK AT THE GRASS WE'RE GOING TO GO THROUGH BECAUSE THIS ENTIRE PRESENTATION IS VISUAL.
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FISCAL YEAR, A TAX YEAR AND A CALENDAR YEAR, DIFFERENT PROPERTY TYPES AND PIECES OF FINANCIAL INFORMATION RUN ON DIFFERENT YEARS.
WE KIND OF JOKE IN THE TREASURER'S OFFICE.
WE'RE IN FOUR YEARS AT ONCE THREE TO FOUR YEARS AT ONCE IN WHICH YEAR ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? SO A FISCAL YEAR OF COURSE IS GOING TO RUN FROM JUNE TO JULY AND OF JULY TO JUNE.
AND THEN YOUR TAX YEAR BEGINS WHEN THE BILLS GO OUT TO BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER AND IT'LL RUN TO THE END OF THE FOLLOWING OCTOBER.
AND THEN OF COURSE THE CALENDAR HERE.
SO JUST, I WANT YOU TO MAKE NOTE OF THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE CYCLICAL.
SO OVERALL OVER TIME, IT DOES EVEN OUT, BUT YOU WILL SEE REFERENCES TO FISCAL TAX OR CALENDAR YEAR IN THIS PRESENTATION.
SO GRAB YOUR MAP BECAUSE WE'RE ABOUT TO GET STARTED.
SO WE'RE ALL WALKING AROUND AND DRIVING AROUND BEAVER COUNTY AND WE KNOW THERE'S GROWTH.
AND I THINK WE'RE ALL TIRED OF TALKING ABOUT COVID, BUT BACK IN THE VERY, VERY BEGINNING, WELL, I HAVE TO THANK GEORGE BECAUSE HE'S BEEN COMPILING THIS INFORMATION FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW, BECAUSE THERE'S NO WAY THAT PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO LIVE RESTRICTED.
THEY WANT TO LIVE FREE IN WHATEVER, IN A WAY THAT WHATEVER THAT MEANS TO THEM.
AND WE'RE VERY BLESSED IN BUFORD COUNTY TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT AT A GREATER EXTENT THAN SOME OF OUR AREAS OF THE COUNTRY.
SO THIS IS JUST OVERALL TOTAL REAL PROPERTY AND VEHICLE ACCOUNTS.
NOW THIS IS NOT VALUE IT'S QUANTITY, BUT FROM A TREASURER'S OFFICE PERSPECTIVE AND A POPULATION PERSPECTIVE, THIS IS SIGNIFICANT PROPERTY AND VEHICLES ESPECIALLY MEAN PEOPLE.
IT MEANS WORK AND ALL OF THAT.
SO WE'RE INCREASING SIGNIFICANTLY IN THAT AREA.
SO NOW LET'S GO INTO THE DETAIL REAL PROPERTY ACCOUNTS, AS YOU WOULD IMAGINE, DON'T INCREASE AS MUCH AS VEHICLES DO, BUT THEY ARE THE MORE HIGH DOLLAR VALUE IN THE TAXATION PROCESS.
SO WE'RE GROWING AGAIN SIGNIFICANTLY AND WE'VE BEEN GROWING.
THE DIFFERENCE IS THE TRAJECTORY.
HOW FAST ARE WE GROWING? SO WE'RE NOT JUST GROWING QUICKLY.
THE GROWTH WE'RE EXPERIENCING IS GETTING MORE AND MORE EACH YEAR, ESPECIALLY SINCE COVID BEGAN.
SO NOW LET'S LOOK BY TAG AND THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO WANT TO PULL OUT YOUR MAP.
WE ALL, WE LOOK AT THIS GRAPH AND YOU SAYING, OKAY, SIX 10 IS IN BLUFFTON
[00:40:01]
AND THAT'S A NO-BRAINER RIGHT.WE ALL KNOW BLUFFTON IS GROWING FAST.
WE ALL KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF DEVELOPMENT GOING ON IN BLUFFTON.
AND THIS INCLUDES ALL REAL PROPERTY ACCOUNTS.
SO THIS IS HOMES, APARTMENTS, COMMERCIAL PROPERTY.
ALL RIGHT, SO LET'S GO TO NEW CONSTRUCTION TAX.
YOUR 21 IS PRETTY MUCH FINISHED, BUT LOOK AT HOW WE'RE GROWING NEW CONSTRUCTION.
WE KNOW WE'RE BUILDING NEW HOUSES BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR.
I THINK THAT NUMBER IS GOING TO BE FAR GREATER THAN WHAT WE'VE EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST BECAUSE OF THE MARKET DRIVING NEW BUILDS.
SO CAN I GO BACK WITH THIS? OH YEAH.
SO TAX YEAR 2021, WHEN I DID THIS IN JULY OF LAST YEAR, WENT FROM 1593 TO 1807 AND PRETTY MUCH JUST A FEW MONTHS FOR TAX YEAR 22, WHICH THE BILLS HAVE NOT GONE OUT YET FOR THAT.
WE'RE ALREADY ALMOST WHERE WE WERE FOR ALL OF LAST YEAR FOR NEW BUILDS.
THIS WAS WHAT I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING.
AND IF YOU CAN'T TELL, I REALLY LOVE DATA.
WE ALL THINK, OH, THE GROWTH IS IN BLUFFTON.
THE REAL PROPERTY GROWTH IS IN BLUFFTON.
WHAT THIS IS SHOWING IS THERE'S NEW CONSTRUCTION HAPPENING ALL OVER THE ONE IN BLUFFTON.
YES, BUT IT'S HAPPENING EVERYWHERE.
SO YOU'RE STARTING TO SEE THAT GROWTH.
ISN'T JUST CONSOLIDATED TO ONE AREA OF OUR COUNTY, BUT ACROSS THE COUNTY.
SO PROPERTY TRANSFERS WHEN YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH NEW BUILDS, RIGHT? IF YOU DON'T HAVE ENOUGH INVENTORY, THINK OF VEHICLES, THERE AREN'T ENOUGH NEW CARS TO BUY.
WHAT DO YOU DO? YOU GO OUT AND BUY A USED CAR POEMS AND COMMERCIAL PROPERTY ARE NO DIFFERENT.
WE'RE SEEING A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF TRANSFERS.
NOW I'M, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU MY JUST PROFESSIONAL OPINION.
IF I WERE A HOME BUILDER, I'D LOOK AT THESE NUMBERS AND LOOK AT THE VOLUME OF RESALES AND THINK, OH MAN, THIS IS A PLACE I WANT TO BUILD NEW HOMES.
SO EVENTUALLY I THINK THIS IS GOING TO DRIVE THE NEW BUILD MARKET AND NEW CONSTRUCTION IN OUR COUNTY HERE WAS ANOTHER AMAZING GRAPH.
DO YOU SEE ANY CONSISTENCIES BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST IN BLUFFTON, IT'S ACROSS THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
SO AGAIN, THE CORROSION THAT WE'VE REGULARLY INCURRED IN PREDOMINANTLY BLUFFED AND OVER THE YEARS IS NOW SPREADING THROUGHOUT THE REST OF THE COUNTY.
SO NOW LET'S LOOK AT VEHICLES, VEHICLES, AGAIN IS AN INDICATOR OF POPULATION AND POPULATION GROWTH.
THOSE ARE INCREASING AS WELL, INCREASING ACROSS THE BOARD, ACROSS THE COUNTY.
AND YOU CAN SEE HERE THE DIFFERENT TAGS.
AND YOU CAN SEE ON YOUR MAP, WHERE IS THIS AND THE COUNTY.
AND AGAIN, I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT HIS V HISTORIC EXPECTATION THAT THE GROWTH IS IT'S ALWAYS IN BLUFFTON.
WE'RE SEEING THAT IT'S NOT IT'S EVERYWHERE.
SO NOW LET'S LOOK AT THESE VALUES, WHICH THE VALUES ARE, WHAT YOU WOULD MULTIPLY.
THE MILLAGE RATE AGAINST THIS IS HILTON HEAD BROKEN OUT IN THREE CATEGORIES, YOUR COMMERCIAL PROPERTY, YOUR LEGAL RESIDENCE PROPERTY, AND YOUR RESIDENTIAL NON-LEGAL RESIDENCE PROPERTIES.
SO A SECOND HOME WOULD FALL UNDER THAT CATEGORY.
AND WHAT'S INTERESTING IS I THINK WE, UM, A LOT IN THESE NUMBERS ARE GOING TO BE NOT NEW CONSTRUCTION BECAUSE THERE IS NOT VERY MUCH AREA TO BUILD IN HILTON HEAD, BUT REFURBISHMENTS UPDATES, UM, AND RENOVATIONS IN ADDITION TO COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES.
SO YOU'RE SEEING GROWTH IN HILTON HEAD LOOK AT NORTHERN BUFORD COUNTY.
THIS WAS THE FIRST GRAPH WE'VE, WE'VE DONE.
WHERE'S THE LINES INTERSECTED.
SO GOING BACK TAIL AND HEAD YOU, YOU CAN SEE NOT SECOND HOME OWNERSHIP.
NON-LEGAL RESIDENTS RESIDENTIAL.
THAT'S, THAT'S THE HIGHEST LINE.
THEN YOU HAVE LEGAL RESIDENTS.
SO PEOPLE CALLING HILTON, HEAD HOME EVERY NIGHT EXEMPTION, AND THEN YOU HAVE COMMERCIAL, WHEREAS NORTHERN BUFORD COUNTY.
SO EVERYTHING NORTH OF THE BROAD RIVER, YOU ACTUALLY SEE THIS STARTING IN TAX YEAR, 20 17, 20 18, THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES RECEIVING EXEMPTIONS, OUTPACED VALUE GROWTH TO ALL THE OTHER TWO, THE NON-LEGAL
[00:45:01]
RESIDENTS, RESIDENTIAL, MEANING MORE PEOPLE WITH VALUABLE PROPERTIES WANT TO CALL NORTH OF THE BROAD HOME THEN WHO ARE HAVING A SECOND PROPERTY HERE.AND AGAIN, I THINK IT'S GREAT.
YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE CHANGING WHEN YOU GET A HOBBY LOBBY AND BUFORD, YOU KNOW, SO YOU SEE THAT ORANGE LINE INCREASING.
THIS IS, AGAIN, IT'S NOT SURPRISING.
WE KNOW THERE'S GROWTH, BUT WHAT I THINK IS JUST SO TELLING IS THE NUMBERS IT'S DIFFERENT WHEN YOU CAN QUANTIFY SOMETHING.
SO LEGAL RESIDENTS, MAN, IS THAT SHOOTING UP IN, I THINK, IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO SHOOT UP.
AS WE CONTINUE TO HAVE NEW CONSTRUCTION AND PROPERTY TRANSFERS, THEN THE GRAY LINE, WHICH IS RIGHT UNDERNEATH YOU HAVE YOUR NON-LEGAL RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY.
AND THEN OF COURSE THE ORANGE LINE AT THE BOTTOM IS GOING TO BE COMMERCIAL.
ALL GROWING BLUFFTON IS GROWING AT A FASTER PACE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE INCLINE, THE INCLINE OF THE DIFFERENT LINES ON THE GRAPH, BUT ACROSS THE BOARD, THERE IS STILL SIGNIFICANT GROWTH.
SO THIS IS IT IN TOTALITY FOR THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
AGAIN, NOT AS NOT SURPRISING BECAUSE OF FACTORING IN HILTON HEAD, THE NON-LEGAL RESIDENTS PROPERTIES ARE THE HIGHEST VALUE.
AND THEN YOU HAVE YOUR LEGAL RESIDENCE AND YOUR ORANGE DIFFERENT BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, THE COUNTY STILL OBTAINS TAX REVENUE FROM HOMES THAT GET THE LEGAL RESIDENCE EXEMPTION.
SO THIS IS THE INCREASE OF THAT BLUE LINE DOESN'T MEAN THE SAME THING FOR THE COUNTY THAT IT WOULD FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT.
AND THEN OVERALL, THIS IS JUST AN OVERALL TAXABLE VALUE GROWTH.
SO I, THIS IS A LOT OF NUMBERS.
I'M IN DATA THAT I'M THROWING OUT TO YOU, AND I'M HAPPY TO GO BACK TO WHATEVER YOU WOULD LIKE.
BUT FROM A BILLING PERSPECTIVE, JUST FOR COUNTY OPERATIONS, LAST TAX YEAR WAS 113.4 MILLION.
AND THIS YEAR WE BUILT 117.8 THAT'S AS OF MARCH 31ST, WE ARE GROWING.
WE ARE BECAUSE WE'RE GROWING, WE'RE COLLECTING MORE.
AND IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU NEED TO TAKE A BALANCED APPROACH AND YOU DIDN'T ASK FOR MY OPINION, BUT I'M GIVING IT TO YOU.
WE, ME PERSONALLY, AS A RESIDENT HERE, I DON'T WANT TO SEE THIS LEVEL OF GROWTH GO ON IN PERPETUITY.
SO TO FACTOR THAT IN, AS IF IT'S GOING TO BE A FOREVER RATE OF GROWTH, I THINK WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE.
NOW, THIS WAS THE MAGNITUDE OF THIS GROWTH, I THINK WAS UNEXPECTED AT THE TIME THE MILITARY WAS SET LAST YEAR AND PROBABLY EVEN THE YEAR BEFORE THIS GROWTH, DIDN'T JUST START IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS IT'S BEEN GOING ON.
SO I THINK WHAT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER AS YOU WORK THROUGH THIS PROCESS WITH PINKY AND WITH MR. GREEN WAY, THESE ARE MOVING TARGETS, THEY'RE GOING TO CHANGE THE MINUTE GEORGE, WHO WAS A WONDERFULLY PROVIDED THIS DATA.
THE MINUTE HE GIVES IT TO ME, IT'S OUTDATED BECAUSE THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE IS MAKING CHANGES AS WE SPEAK THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE IS MAKING CHANGES.
SO THIS IS WHERE IT IS, BUT I THINK IT IS A VERY GOOD INDICATOR OF THE GROWTH THAT WE CAN EXPECT, UM, AT LEAST GOING FORWARD IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
SO WITH THAT, I'M HAPPY TO TAKE QUESTIONS.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR MARIA.
UH, THE SAME QUESTION I ASKED, UM, PINKY, UM, BASICALLY WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THAT GROWTH YOU THINK IS NEW GROWTH IN THE COUNTY? UM, OVER THE LAST YEAR ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, I USE IT ABOUT 20, ALMOST 26%, UH, OVER A SIX YEAR PERIOD.
UM, JUST IN TAKING THIS LAST YEAR, UH, AS WE, AS WE WERE GOING THROUGH A BUDGET PROCESS, WE WERE GOING TO SIT THE MILL.
I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY ASSESS THEIR GROWTH AND ANTICIPATE THEIR GROWTH CAUSE THIS COMING IS HERE.
UM, SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WE MAY NOT BE COLLECTING AS MUCH MONEY FROM OUR TAXPAYERS AS WE NEED BECAUSE WE GET IN A SURPLUS ON THE END.
AND I THINK WE OUGHT TO THE TAXPAYERS THAT WE CAN GIVE A RELIEF TO GIVE A RELIEF.
AND THAT'S WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW.
SO AGAIN, I THINK YOU NEED TO FIND A BALANCE.
SO FIRST OF ALL, IF YOU'RE ASKING FOR HARD, HARD NUMBERS, WELL, THAT'S WHY YOU'RE IN YOUR SEAT AND I'M OVER HERE.
UM, PINKY MENTIONED THE VALUE OF A MILL INCREASING BY 116,000 FROM GETTING THAT NUMBER.
SO 116,000, THAT THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT I WOULD IMAGINE COMPARED TO PRIOR YEAR'S GROWTH.
SO THAT RIGHT THERE IS WHAT'S GOING TO CAPTURE FOR YOU HOW MUCH OF
[00:50:01]
THAT VALUE IS INCREASING AND EFFECTING THE TAX REVENUES.SO THAT'S PROJECTED FORWARD TO LOOK BACK.
WE WENT FROM 117.8 MILLION IN BILL DOLLARS, JUST COUNTY OPERATIONS.
THIS ISN'T ALL THE MONEY WE'RE COLLECTING, BUT JUST FOR COUNTY OPERATIONS, WE WENT FROM ONE, UM, ONE 13.4 TO ONE 17.8.
NOW DO I THINK THAT'S BECAUSE THE VALUE OF THE MILL LAST YEAR WAS COMPLETELY INCORRECT? NO, I DON'T OUR VEHICLE, THE AMOUNT OF VEHICLES IN BUFORD COUNTY IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS, SINCE YOU LAST SET, THE MILITARY GREW ALMOST 10%, OKAY.
THAT THAT'S A LOT, YOU HAVE NEW CONSTRUCTION.
AND THEN THE OTHER PIECE THAT I WANT YOU TO REMEMBER IS IF YOU, WE, IF YOU OWNED YOUR HOME THIS WHOLE TIME, SINCE THE LAST REASSESSMENT, YOU HAVEN'T HAD ANY CHANGE TO YOUR VALUE, BUT I KNOW IF YOU WENT AND SOLD YOUR HOME TODAY, COUNCILMAN GLOVER, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GOING TO GET MORE FREIGHT THAN YOU PAID, RIGHT? WHEN WE GO THROUGH THIS REASSESSMENT YEAR, WE, THAT IS WHEN YOUR PROPERTY WILL BE REASSESSED.
WELL, THE BENEFIT OF HAVING, LET ME GO BACK TO IT, THE BENEFIT OF HAVING ALL A FROM A GOVERNMENT STANDPOINT, LET ME CLARIFY.
THE BENEFIT FROM A GOVERNMENT STANDPOINT IS THESE TRANSFERS.
EVERY TIME THOSE TRANSFERS HAPPEN, THE VALUE'S REASSESSED.
WELL, IF IN CALENDAR YEAR 2016, WE ONLY HAD 3,800 PROPERTIES.
THAT'S NOT GOING TO MATERIALLY CONTRIBUTE TO YOUR INCREASE IN VALUE FROM A REAL PROPERTY STANDPOINT, BUT YOU HAVE 12,462, THAT'S IT? YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT IF THAT'S ON A $10 MILLION PROPERTY THAT'S SOLD.
THAT IS A CHANGE IN THE TAX REVENUE.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PARTS.
THERE'S A LOT OF MOVING PARTS.
AND I THINK ULTIMATELY THE D THAT GROWTH RATE THAT HELPS YOU SET WHAT YOUR MILITARY, IT SHOULD BE.
THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO DECIDE BECAUSE WE ARE GROWING.
BUT AGAIN, DO YOU WANT TO, DO YOU WANT TO EXPECT THIS RATE OF GROWTH FOREVER, OR JUST A YEAR AT A TIME? IT'S A DECISION THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU, AS THE GOVERNING BODY NEEDS TO DECIDE, BUT WE ARE GROWING AND WE'RE GROWING FAST.
W WHAT I'M HERE FOR MY CONSTITUENTS IS MY TEXAS AND EVERYBODY TAXES IS CONSTANTLY GOING UP AND UP AND UP.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF WE CAN GIVE A TAX RELIEF, YOU KNOW, UM, UH, THAT'S WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW.
I THINK IF A GOVERNING BODY CAN GIVE TAX RELIEF, THAT THAT WOULD BE A WONDERFUL THING ON SET THE MILITARY.
MR. RODMAN, YOU HAD YOUR HAND UP.
UM, THE THREES, IT'S KIND OF INTERESTING FROM MY DAYS IN THE AUTO INDUSTRY AND REFLECTING ON WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT WHAT DRIVES NEW HOMES AND THE AUTO INDUSTRY HAS ALWAYS BELIEVED THAT THE RETIREMENT OLD VEHICLES IS THE LEADING INDICATOR OF THE CAR SALES JEALOUS.
I'M KIND OF INTERESTING, UM, IS EFFECTIVELY, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, UM, EVERY YEAR HAS TO DO A, A TAX ANTICIPATION NOTE, GET THROUGH ON A CASH CASES.
AND IN TALKING WITH THEM, A QUESTION CAME UP, IS THERE A WAY THAT EITHER THE COUNTY OR THE TREASURY, WE CAN LEARN THEM MONEY ON A SHORT-TERM BASIS, WHICH THEY PROBABLY ONLY NEED MAYBE 60, 60 DAYS UNTIL THE TAXES AT THE END OF THE YEAR, STARTING TO COME IN.
SO THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT AND MAYBE TALK TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ABOUT, BUT I IMAGINE THEIR CURRENT FEES AND A HUNDRED HUNDRED 50,000, YOU DO THAT, THAT NOTES.
UM, FOR, FOR THAT COUNCILMAN RODMAN, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT THROUGH MR. GREENWAY, THAT YOU DISCUSS THAT WITH THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT, UM, A SIMILAR SUGGESTION WAS BROUGHT UP LAST YEAR WITH THE TAX BILL DELAY, AND IT WAS SIGNIFICANTLY DISCOURAGED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE WHEN I ASKED THAT QUESTION.
SO, UM, I THINK IT NEVER HURTS TO KEEP ASKING QUESTIONS BECAUSE QUESTIONS DON'T HURT ANYONE.
UM, BUT I WOULD SUGGEST THAT YOU WERE THROUGH MR. GREENWAY AND THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION.
UH, AND LASTLY IT DOES NOT VARY SO MUCH YOU, BUT ONE OF THE FINANCIAL POLICIES THAT WE HAVE THERE IS MAKING SURE WE HAVE ENOUGH CASH ON HAND AS WE GO THROUGH THE HURRICANE SEASON.
SO I WOULD LIKE TO SEE AN UPDATE OF, OF HOW WE DID IN THE PAST YEAR OF A RELATIVE TO SATISFYING THAT REQUIREMENT.
BECAUSE FIRST OF ALL, WHEN WE MEASURE THE RESERVES ARE IN JUNE, AND THEN THEY CONTINUE
[00:55:01]
TO DECLINE, SECONDLY, RESERVES ON NECESSARILY REFLECT READY CASH.AND THIRDLY, I THINK THAT CALCULATION WHERE WE LEFT IT WAS REALLY TO BORROW MONEY.
SO ANYWAY, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING HOW WE DID LAST YEAR ON THAT FINANCIAL POLICY.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR KNOWLEDGE, MR. ROD, UH, COUNCILMAN RODMAN.
WE KEEP, UM, UH, FAIRLY REGULARLY ON HAND, ANYWHERE BETWEEN 5% AND 9% OF OUR TOTAL HOLDINGS IN CASH FOR THAT VERY PURPOSE.
OVERALL, OUR BANK BALANCES DO DECLINE GOING INTO HURRICANE SEASON CAUSE THAT'S OUR LOW CASH VALUE IN TIME.
AND LIKE YOU MENTIONED, WE DO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ADJUSTING FOR THAT TO ENSURE WE HAVE CASH ON HAND, MR. LAWSON.
MS. WALLACE, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE TODAY.
AND, UM, I COULD PROBABLY LISTEN TO YOU ALL DAY BECAUSE YOU TAKE THINGS THAT ARE VERY, VERY COMPLEX AND MAKE THEM SIMPLE THAT LIKE, LOOK AT THIS AND UNDERSTAND THINGS.
SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE WAY AHEAD OF ME.
SO, UM, I KNOW IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
HOWEVER, I WANT TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ON RECESSION.
OBVIOUSLY WE HAD THE RECESSION 2008 THAT WE ALL SEEM TO QUICKLY FORGET ABOUT.
AND RIGHT NOW THINGS ARE GREAT.
WE HAVE OUR MONEY AND WE HAVE ALL THOSE GOVERNMENT MONEY.
UM, HOWEVER, THIS ISN'T GONNA LAST FOREVER AND IT COULD HAPPEN THAT IT IT'S, IT ENDS BECAUSE OF INFLATION AND IN COVID MONIES, THINGS CAN HAPPEN AND HIT A DOWN SLIDE VERY QUICKLY.
WHAT DO WE NEED TO DO AS A COUNTY, AS A TREASURER TO PREPARE OURSELVES FOR AS BAD AS THINGS WERE IN 2008, AGAIN, JUST TO HAVE THINGS READY TO GO.
IF, IF THAT HAPPENS AGAIN, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU RECOMMEND? WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST? I LOVE THIS QUESTION.
I TAKE THE, I HAVE THE PERSONAL OPINION THAT GOVERNMENT SHOULD NOT HANDLE THEIR FINANCES ANY DIFFERENTLY THAN AN INDIVIDUAL TO THE UTMOST EXTENT POSSIBLE.
SO WE AM OUR HOUSE, WE USE EVERY DOLLAR AND WE FOLLOW THE DAVE RAMSEY PROGRAM.
AND SO IN THAT VEIN, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO HAVE THE LEAST AMOUNT OF DEBT AS POSSIBLE.
SO WE ARE IN A POSITION TO NOT JUST BE FINANCIALLY HEALTHY AND PREPARED FOR A DOWNTURN BECAUSE IT'S NOT A MATTER OF, OH, IF IT'LL HAPPEN, WHEN IT'LL HAPPEN, THAT'S JUST THE CYCLE OF MARKETS NOW IN THE CURRENT MARKET.
THINGS ARE, I MEAN, THE REAL ESTATE MARKET IS CRAZY RIGHT NOW AND IT'S NOT GOING TO LAST FOREVER.
BUT IF WE MIGHT, AGAIN, I PERSONAL OPINION OBSERVING WHAT IS OCCURRING, A LOT OF THIS, THE SPIKE OR THE INCREASED RATE OF GROWTH, BECAUSE WE'VE BEEN GROWING, WE'RE A BEAUTIFUL AND INCREDIBLE PLACE TO LIVE.
WE'VE BEEN GROWING, BUT THE INCREASE IN HOW MUCH WE'RE GROWING UP FAST, WE'RE GROWING.
I THINK IT'S DRIVEN A LOT BY COVID AND THE OTHER GOVERNMENTS IN THE COUNTRY'S REACTION TO COVID I THINK, I MEAN, THERE'S BEEN MULTIPLE NEWS COVERAGE OF EXODUS STATES VERSUS INCOME, YOU KNOW, UM, ENTRY STATES AND WE'RE ONE OF THEM, TEXAS IS ANOTHER FLORIDA IS ANOTHER, I THINK THAT WHATEVER DOWNTURN WOULD OCCUR COULD OCCUR IN A REAL ESTATE MARKET IS EITHER GOING TO BE REGION SPECIFIC.
OR IF IT'S NATIONWIDE, WE'RE GOING TO SEE IT IN MORE VULNERABLE AREAS.
FIRST, BEFORE WE SAW IT HERE, BECAUSE I THINK THE PAST TWO YEARS HAVE SHOWN THAT THIS IS A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE WANT TO FLEE TO NOT A PLACE THAT PEOPLE WANT TO FLEE FROM.
SO THAT'S FIRST THING IS THE DEBT.
AND THE SECOND IS HOW CAN WE PREPARE TO BE THE KIND OF PLACE WHO CAN HANDLE PEOPLE FLEEING TO US, WHETHER THAT'S ROADWAYS WITH MR. FREELUX, WHETHER THAT'S INFRASTRUCTURE CARING FOR OUR BUILDINGS.
I DON'T THINK THAT COUNTY GOVERNMENT AND ANY GOVERNMENT FOR THAT MATTER SHOULD HANDLE THEIR FINANCES DIFFERENTLY THAN A PERSON.
WE NEED TO BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE, BUT WE ALSO NEED TO ENSURE THAT WE'RE PROVIDING GOVERNMENT SERVICES AND THAT WE'RE FULFILLING.
YOU KNOW, THE REASON THAT ALL OF YOU AND EVERYONE IN THIS ROOM IS, IS HERE FOR, AND AGAIN, THAT TAKES A BALANCE, BUT I CAN SEE YOUR QUESTION.
I'VE GOT ABOUT 20 QUESTIONS YOU CAN ASK FOR.
I MEAN, THEN YOU CAN EMAIL ME THEN I'M HAPPY TO SHARE THE ANSWERS WITH EVERY, UM, CAN WE GET A COPY OF THE SLIDES? THAT'S THE FIRST ONE.
UH, THE RATIONALE FROM THE MATH AND HOW THAT'S STRONG BECAUSE I SEE A BUNCH OF DONUT HOLES AND YOU KIND OF JUST WALK US THROUGH THAT.
SO ANYTHING THAT YOU SEE ON THE MAP IS GOING TO BE AREAS OF THAT, UH, THAT ARE BEING TAXED.
[01:00:01]
IF LET'S JUST SAY THAT THERE'S A PARCEL THAT THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE HAS LINES ON.NOW, MAYBE THERE'S A MORE UPDATED MAP, BUT I GOT IT FROM THE COUNTY WEBSITE.
SO THERE MIGHT BE PARCELS THAT DIRT ON THE MAP THAT ARE MAYBE IS MAYBE ONLY VISIBLE AT LOW TIDE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
BUT THIS IS AN IDENTIFICATION OF WHERE PARK REAL PROPERTY PARCELS ARE AND RELATED PERSONAL PROPERTY.
SO I'M SURE MR. HARVEY SHINE, IF WE FOUND YOUR TAG ON THE MAP, RE YOUR HOME WOULD HA WOULD BEGIN WITH THAT PIN PREFIX, YOUR VEHICLES WOULD BE ASSIGNED THERE, AND IT'S ESSENTIALLY IT DRIVES WHAT TAX RATES FOR WHAT GOVERNING BODIES ARE APPLIED TO THE TAX BILL FOR GEORGE AND I.
THIS IS THE EASIEST WAY FOR US TO DISPLAY THIS KIND OF DATA.
IT'S NOT DRIVEN BY COUNCIL DISTRICT OR ANYTHING ELSE.
IT'S BY TAX AUTHORITY GROUP JUST PIGGYBACK ON THAT DOOR WAS SIX 10 FOR ME, SIX, 10, AND 600 IS TELLING ME THAT.
NO, ARE YOU GOING TO ASK, YOU WANT ME TO TELL YOU WHERE 6,600? OKAY.
SO SIX 10, IF YOU LOOK ON YOUR MAP IS GOING TO BE THE BLUE.
THAT IS ALMOST EVERYTHING ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE BLUFFTON PARKWAY, I THINK IS WHAT THAT IS COMPARED TO SOME 600.
IS EVERYTHING ELSE, ESSENTIALLY 600 IS SOUTH OF THE BROAD RIVER.
AND THEN TO 2 78, YOU'LL SEE THERE'S SOME POCKETS THERE.
SO SIX 10 IS WHAT IS WITHIN THE TOWN OF BLUFFTON.
600 IS UNINCORPORATED COUNTY LEFT AND RIGHT, BUT FROM, FOR YOUR ALL'S PURPOSES AND FOR ANYONE WATCHING, I'M SORRY, BLUFFTON IS BLUFFTON THAT, YOU KNOW, SO 600, I ALWAYS LOOK AT BLUFFTON AS 606 10, BECAUSE USUALLY FOR OUR PURPOSES IN THE TREASURER'S OFFICE, THERE'S THERE ISN'T ANY DIFFERENT NEED TO DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE TWO, IT'S ALL BLUFFTON, BUT FOR A TAXATION PURPOSE, IF YOU'RE IN SIX, 10, YOU'LL SEE TOWN OF BLUFFTON TAXES ON YOUR BILL.
AND IF YOU'RE IN 600, YOU WILL NOT SEE TOWN IN LEFT-HAND TEXTS ON YOUR BILL.
SO THE NEXT ONE, WHICH RELATES TO THE SLIDE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW.
UH, YOU SAID THAT VEHICLES TEND TO TRANSLATE TO PEOPLE AND JUST LOOKING AT THE GROWTH.
I MEAN, THAT'S CRAZY FOR A YES, BUT I THINK OUR CENSUS WAS A LITTLE BIT UNDERWHELMING AS FAR AS THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WE WERE EXPECTING AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT IT SHOWED AND REALIZING THAT IT WAS A WEIRD YEAR WITH COVID AND YADA YADA YADA.
BUT HOW DO YOU KIND OF THINK ABOUT THAT? I THINK THAT IT'S VERY LIKELY THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE NOT COUNTED AND THERE ARE, WHILE I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY THE PROBABLY MORE PREVALENT EXPLANATION OR MORE, MORE LIKELY EXPLANATION.
WE DO HAVE SECOND HOMEOWNERS WHO HAVE VEHICLES HERE THAT KEEP THEM HERE AND THEY'RE REGISTERED, BUT I WOULD ATTRIBUTE THOSE TWO THINGS TO THAT.
AND, AND TO ADD ON THAT, UM, I SEE IT A COUPLE OF WAYS.
THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES INCREASING IS BECAUSE SOMEBODY SOLD A HOUSE THEY'VE LEFT.
THE NEW PERSON CAME IN, THE OLD PERSON THAT LEFT HAD ONE CAR.
THE NEW PERSON THAT CAME IN HAD TWO CARS AND THE NUMBER OF FAMILIES WHO LIVE HERE, WHO NOW HAVE CHILDREN WHO ARE OF AGE TO DRIVE, SUDDENLY THE NUMBER OF CARS GO UP.
SO IT'S, IT'S A VERY DIFFICULT THING TO, YOU KNOW, EXACTLY DETERMINE WHY THE, THE INCREASES IN VEHICLES THERE ARE, BUT THAT'S WHAT USUALLY HAPPENS.
SO WITH THE, I ADD ONE MORE THING TO THAT.
REMEMBER THE LEGAL RESIDENTS, EXEMPTIONS GROWING, WHICH MEANS THAT IT'S JUST A NECESSITY IT'S IT'S IT HAS TO BE A FACT IF THE LEGAL RESIDENTS IS GROWING, IT MEANS THAT PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T LIVE HERE FULL-TIME ARE NOW LIVING HERE.
FULL-TIME WE ONLY HAVE A CERTAIN NUMBER OF REAL PROPERTY IN ORDER TO GET THAT EXEMPTION ON.
SO YOU HAVE TO ASSUME THAT A PERSON WHO DIDN'T LIVE HERE AND DIDN'T HAVE A VEHICLE NOW SELLS THEIR HOME TO SOMEONE WHO LIVES HERE FULL-TIME AND HAS A VEHICLE.
SO THAT ALSO PLAYS CAN PLAY A ROLE IN THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES INCREASING.
SO I THINK WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT WHEN WE'RE CONSIDERING THE NUMBER OF CONSTITUENTS THAT WE HAVE IN THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED, WE SHOULD TAKE THOSE TWO FACTORS INTO ACCOUNT, AS OPPOSED TO JUST OF WHAT THE CENSUS SAYS, WHATEVER.
THAT'S THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES DRIVING ON YOUR ROAD.
[01:05:02]
UM, ALL RIGHT.SO LAST ONE, UH, WE'VE HAD A HISTORIC NUMBER OF TRANSFERS AND THEY GET REASSESSED.
SO I'M CURIOUS AS TO WHAT WE, AND MAYBE THIS ISN'T A QUESTION FOR YOU.
MAYBE IT'S JUST COUNCIL AS A WHOLE, BUT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE WHEN WE GO THROUGH ANOTHER REASSESSMENT YEAR.
I, SO I THINK THAT EVERYONE SHOULD PREPARE FOR A CHANGE IN THEIR TAXES.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT THEY SHOULD, IT, THAT IT'S GOING TO BE AN EXORBITANT AMOUNT.
THAT'S GOING TO BE UP TO ALL OF YOU, BUT WHEN YOU ARE ACCUSTOMED TO NOT HAVING YOUR VALUE CHANGED.
SO VALUE DRIVE, AS GEORGIA SAYS, VALUES, DRIVE THE BUS IN TAXES, NOT THE MILITARY RATE.
SO WHEN A CUSTOMER HEARS THEM, THERE MAY BE WATCHING THERE'S NO CHANGE IN MILITARY RATE THAT'S WAS MENTIONED SHADE, WHICH IS AMAZING.
IT DOESN'T MEAN THEIR VALUE DIDN'T CHANGE.
SO THERE'S TWO PARTS ON THE TAX BILL THAT, UM, AND FORGIVE ME THAT I, CAUSE I'M SURE YOU ALREADY KNOW THIS COUNCILMAN, BUT JUST IN CASE FOR ANYONE WATCHING, THERE'S TWO PARTS IN THE TAX BILL THAT DRIVE THE ULTIMATE BOTTOM LINE, THE VALUE CHANGING AND THE TAX RATE CHANGING OF COURSE, EXEMPTIONS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
BUT THE TWO MAIN THINGS ARE VALUE AND MILITARY.
IF WE'RE GOING INTO A REASSESSMENT, WHICH YOU DON'T NEED TO BE A ROCKET SCIENTIST TO KNOW WE'RE EXPECTING HIGHER VALUES AS A RESULT OF THIS REASSESSMENT, BECAUSE WE SEE IT IN THE, IN THE REAL ESTATE MARKET.
I THINK THAT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ACKNOWLEDGING BOTH PIECES BECAUSE, UH, I, WHAT I DON'T WANT IS FOR A CUSTOMER TO MISUNDERSTAND WHAT YOU FOR COUNTY IS TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH.
AND YOU FOR COUNTY COUNCIL RAISED THEIR TAX RATE.
WHEN IN FACT IT MIGHT JUST BE A VALUATION INCREASE.
THERE ARE TWO MOVING PARTS THAT VERY OFTEN, JUST IN MY OBSERVATION, HAVING BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE, THEY DON'T GET ADDRESSED EQUALLY.
THEY DON'T GET EQUAL TIME TO EXPLAIN WHAT THEY ARE AND WHAT THE IMPACT IS.
SO I, KNOWING WHAT I KNOW I'M EXPECTING MY VALUE TO INCREASE, AND I AM EXPECTING A MILLAGE INCREASE, BUT I USE EVERY DOLLAR.
AND DAVE RAMSEY SAYS TO EXPENSE STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND IF YOU FOLLOW THE NEWSPAPER, UH, THAT PUTS OUT THE MARKET REPORT FOR WHAT IS SELLING AND YOU SEE THE NUMBERS OF PROPERTIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN, BUT THE NUMBER OF PENDING OR SALES IS FOUR PAGES LONG.
AND THE NUMBER OF SOLD IS TWO PAGES LONG.
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT, NOT A SMALL, PROBABLY A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN THE TOTAL VALUE OF THE 133,000 PROPERTIES.
AND AGAIN, BECAUSE I AM, MS. SANDERS WOULD DEFINITELY BE ABLE TO EXPOUND FURTHER BECAUSE A SALE PRICE ON A PROPERTY DOESN'T NECESSARILY EQUATE TO THE VALUE SHE'S GOING TO SET.
BUT I WAS JUST LOGICAL TELL YOU THAT IF YOU HAVEN'T SOLD YOUR HOME, YOU HAVEN'T EXPERIENCED A TRANSFER SINCE THE LAST REASSESSMENT IS VERY LIKELY YOUR PROPERTY WENT UP.
I THINK AGAIN, THE MOST IMPACTFUL PIECES DURING THIS PERIOD BETWEEN REASSESSMENTS IS WE HAD THIS INFLUX OF NEW RESIDENTS DUE TO COVID.
SO THE, BUT THE PERCENTAGE OF PROPERTIES, HISTORICALLY, THAT WE'LL SEE A LARGE INCREASE IN THAT REASSESSMENT IS GOING TO BE A LITTLE BIT LOWER JUST AS A FUNCTION OF THE NUMBER OF TRANSFERS.
WE WILL BE LIMITED TO THE PERCENTAGE THAT WE CAN INCREASE CERTAIN PROPERTIES.
IF THERE HAS BEEN NO ASSESSABLE CRAMPS FOR, UH, SINCE THE LAST REASSESSMENT, WE CAN ONLY RAISE THOSE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE.
BUT I THINK, UM, MARIA'S POINT IS THAT BECAUSE THE NEW HOUSING STOCK HAS BEEN SOMEWHAT LIMITED, THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF ASSESSABLE TRANSFERS OR PROPERTIES HAPPENING WITH EXISTING RESIDENTS.
SO THAT'S GONE TOO, RIGHT? THAT'S GOING TO TRIGGER THAT AUTOMATIC INCREASE.
AND I THINK IT JUST SAYS THAT THIS IS GOING TO BE MY THIRD, THIRD REASSESSMENT.
UM, SOMETHING TO KEEP IN MIND IS HISTORICALLY THE MAJORITY OF OUR COUNTY'S GROWTH HAS BEEN SOUTH OF THE ABROAD.
AND THAT OBVIOUSLY AFFECTS WHAT THE REASSESSMENT OUTCOME IS, HOW IT IMPACTS THE DIFFERENT AREAS OF OUR COUNTY.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE'S GROWTH AND INCREASED MARKET VALUE OCCURRING ACROSS THE COUNTY, MAYBE
[01:10:01]
HIGHER IN SOME AREAS THAN OTHERS, BUT IT IS HAPPENING ACROSS THE COUNTY.AND I, IN MY TENURE HERE, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT HAS NOT ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE.
SO THAT COULD BE A FACTOR AS WELL.
AND YOUR OTHER 16 QUESTIONS, YOU STILL, YOU HAD ANOTHER QUESTION? UH, YEAH.
UM, IT'S ALWAYS SEEMED TO ME THAT, UM, ANYBODY WHO LIVES IN THEIR HOUSE AND HASN'T MOVED DURING THE REASSESSMENT, THE 15% CAP OVER FIVE YEARS KICKS IN.
SO ACTUALLY, IF YOU HAVEN'T MOVED IN A LONG TIME RESIDENT, YOU MAY ACTUALLY SEE YOUR TAXES GO DOWN.
UM, THE OTHER PIECE, I WOULD COMMENT, I JUST FOLLOW UP ON, UH, YORK'S COMMENT.
UH, THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS IN THE COUNTY THAT EVEN THOUGH THINGS ARE REASONABLY GOOD THERE, THEY'RE STILL HURTING ALL THE INFLATION.
AND I THINK THEY WOULD WELCOME US TAKING A GOOD, HARD LOOK AT WHETHER WE COULD DO SOME KIND OF A LITTLE TAX FOR THEM.
UM, SO TO ME, I THINK IT'S SOMETHING WE OUGHT TO TAKE A LOOK AT.
I THINK THAT'S WHERE YOU WERE HEADED FOR.
PARDON ME? SAY THAT ONE MORE? UH, COUNCILMAN ROBIN, CAN YOU SAY THAT ONE MORE TIME? I DIDN'T CATCH WHAT YOU WERE ASKING.
IT SEEMS THE, UH, UM, THERE'S STILL A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE HURTING AND ARE WITH THE HIGH INFLATION THAT WE'RE SEEING, HOW THE TAXES ARE SIGNIFICANT.
I THINK WHERE YORK WAS HEADED.
IT WAS MAYBE WE SHOULD ALSO BE LOOKING AT WHETHER WE CAN CUT TAXES A LITTLE BIT.
UM, AND IN FACT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE FACT, WE WERE PROBABLY AVERAGING ONE TO 10 OR 15 OR IN SURPLUSES, UM, THAT'S ALSO A GOOD INDICATOR OR A VERY GOOD INDICATOR OF WHERE, WHERE WE ARE MAYBE HAPPENING TO US AND WHAT MONEY MAY BE AVAILABLE TO DEBATE FOR ANOTHER.
YEAH, WE WILL, WE'LL NEED TO DEBATE THAT.
UH, AT A LATER DATE, WE'LL LOOK INTO THAT, BUT, UH, I DOUBT YOU WILL SEE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION, UH, RECOMMENDING THAT THIS TIME BECAUSE WE HAVE SO MANY DEFERRED MAINTENANCE RESPONSIBILITIES AND WE HAVE DEBT THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT, UH, UH, PROBABLY GETTING RID OF, UH, IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE DISCUSSION EARLIER TODAY, BUT WE WILL EVALUATE THAT AND HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR YOU ON THE NEXT BUDGET WORKSHOP.
SO, MARIA, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THESE.
YOU BROUGHT BACK NIGHTMARES FOR ME BECAUSE WHEN YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE VARIOUS TAX YEARS, I REMEMBER RUNNING REGIONAL SCHOOL DISTRICTS WHERE MUNICIPALITY WAS ON A CALENDAR TAX YEAR AND MUNICIPALITY B WAS ON A FISCAL YEAR AND THE SCHOOL DISTRICT WAS ON THE SAME ONE.
AND I HAD TO TELL PEOPLE WHY THEIR TAXES WERE GOING UP AND DOWN IN ONE AREA AND NOT THE OTHER AREA.
SO THANK YOU FOR BRINGING BACK THAT NIGHTMARE, BUT YES, THIS IS VERY VALUABLE, HELPFUL INFORMATION.
WELL, WE UPDATE IT REGULARLY AND SO ANYTIME YOU WOULD LIKE IT, YOU JUST LET ME KNOW.
THIS WILL MAKE ANOTHER COMMENT.
I APPRECIATE THE MAP YOU HAVE BECAUSE NOW I CAN ACTUALLY VISUALIZE, UH, I GUESS SEVEN, 10 IS THE MIC.
UM, UH, YOU KNOW, I KNEW THE ANNEXATION TOOK PLACE.
I JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHERE NOW I CAN SEE WHERE IT IS.
SO JUST LET ME CLARIFY SOMETHING.
I SAID, WE DO NOT HAVE ANOTHER BLUR BUDGET WORKSHOP.
WE WILL HAVE A RECOMMENDATION FOR YOU ALL ON MAY 16TH AT THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING.
UH, ANY FURTHER, UH, TOPICS TO DISCUSS BEFORE WE ADJOURN, SEEING NONE, WE ARE ADJOURNED THE COUNTY CHANNEL IS ALSO AVAILABLE ON VIDEO, ON DEMAND, GO TO BUFORD COUNTY, SC.GOV, SCROLL DOWN TO PUBLIC MEETINGS, CLICK WATCH NOW, AND THEN CLICK THE VIDEO ON DEMAND BUTTON AND SELECT YOUR PROGRAM FROM MELISSA CALL TO ORDER IF YOU'D LIKE
[01:15:01]
A DVD OF THIS PROGRAM, CLICK ON THE LINK ON THE RIGHT AND FILL OUT THE ORDER FORM.AND THANK YOU FOR WATCHING THE COUNTY CHANNEL.
THIS IS NATALIE HEFTER AND THIS IS YOUR BUFORD COUNTY MOMENT.
INDIGO WAS INTRODUCED TO THE CAROLINAS ELIZA LUCAS AND ANDRE DIVO ARE CREDITED WITH BRINGING THE PROCESS TO FRUITION HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA, WHILE IT WASN'T INTRODUCED IN BUFORD COUNTY UNTIL THE 1750S, BY THEN, IT HAD ALREADY EXPANDED TO BE ONE OF SOUTH CAROLINA'S MOST IMPORTANT EXPORTS IN THE LATE 1740S.
ENGLAND PASSED A BOUNTY ON CAROLINA, INDIGO, WHICH GREATLY INCREASED PRODUCTION HERE.
THE PROCESSING OF INDIGO INVOLVED ALONG SEVERAL DAYS OF FERMENTING THE PLANT IN VATS OF URINE AND WATER.
ONCE THAT HAD HAPPENED, THEN THE DYE WAS LEFT OUT OF THE SOLUTION TO DRY PACKAGED UP IN BARRELS AND SHIPPED TO ENGLAND BY 1775, OVER 1 MILLION POUNDS OF INDIGO WAS EXPORTED FROM THE CAROLINAS BY 1802.
HOWEVER, THERE WAS NO LONGER AN EXPORT FOR INDIGO.
AS MOST PLANTERS HAD TURNED THEIR EYES TOWARDS SEA ISLAND COTTON.
THIS IS NATALIE HAFTAR FROM THE COASTAL DISCOVERY MUSEUM.
AND THIS HAS BEEN YOUR BUFORD COUNTY MOMENT TO SEE MORE BUFORD COUNTY MOMENTS GO TO THE BUFORD COUNTY LIBRARY HOMEPAGE AND CLICK ON THE LOCAL HISTORY TAB.
I THINK IT'S MY TURN IS CORRECT.
UM, THERE ARE SO MANY PEOPLE HERE TODAY, AND IT'S A, AS I'VE SAID TO SO MANY PEOPLE HERE TODAY, THERE'S SO MANY OF YOU WHO HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THIS.
AND AS WE GO THROUGH TODAY, WE WANT TO TRY TO RECOGNIZE AS MANY OF YOU IS AS WE CAN.
IF WE MISS ANYBODY, I WANT TO APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE BECAUSE I KNOW THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF PEOPLE THAT ARE, MAYBE WE'RE GONNA OVERLOOK, WHO DID HAD A LARGE PART IN THIS.
BUT ANYWAY, LET ME START OFF SAY GOOD AFTERNOON.
AND, UH, THANK YOU FOR COMING OUT, UH, TO THIS GRAND OPENING AND, UH, AND WELCOME TO THE LONG ANTICIPATED.
I THINK THAT'S REASONABLE LONG ANTICIPATED OPENING OF CRYSTAL LAKE PARK.
IT'S BEEN IN THE WORKS SINCE WHAT, 2005, I THINK SO IT'S LONG ANTICIPATED.
I WANT TO MAKE A FEW COMMENTS ABOUT THE HISTORY AND THE LONG VOIDS THAT MANY OF YOU HAVE MADE OR BEEN ON IN ORDER TO GET TO THIS POINT TODAY FOR THE GRAND OPENING OF THIS 25 ACRE PASSIVE PARK, THE BUFORD COUNTY HAS INVESTED ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS IN OF YOUR TAX DOLLARS.
UH, PUTTING THE, UH, THE PIECES OF THIS PARK TOGETHER TOOK, UH, OVER FIVE YEARS, UH, THE FIRST PARCEL WAS PURCHASED IN 2004, AND THAT WAS A FOUR AND A HALF ACRE PIECE, WHICH INCLUDED BUTLER MARINE.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF YOU REMEMBER BUTLER MARINE IS IT'S WHERE THAT CURRENT BUILDING IS, WAS PART OF BUTLER MARINE, BUT THAT WAS OUR, THAT WAS OUR FIRST TOE IN THE WATER OF THAT FOUR AND A HALF ACRES.
UM, AND THEN THE SECOND PURCHASE WAS FROM THE OIL PURCHASE DONATION WAS FROM THE STUART FOUNDATION.
I KNOW DICK STEWARDS HERE, THE STEWARD FOUNDATION DONATED EIGHT OF THE 12 ACRES WE GOT FROM THEM, INCLUDING THE ACTUAL LAKE ITSELF, WHICH WAS A HUGE BENEFIT TO US ALL.
UH, ANOTHER FIVE ACRES WAS PURCHASED IN 2005 FROM THE DUKE PRIEST FAMILY, UH, IN, UH, 2007, THE ROBINSON FAMILY, WE PURCHASED ANOTHER 1.2 ACRES.
AND FINALLY, IN 2009, WE PURCHASED, UH, TWO AND A HALF ACRES FROM THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF CHARLESTON, WHICH GAVE US A COMPLETE 25 ACRES, WHICH IS WHAT WE HAVE HERE TODAY.
MEANWHILE, IN 2006, THE COUNTY COUNCIL AUTHORIZED, UH, FINANCIAL AND STAFF SUPPORT FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CRYSTAL LAKE PROPERTY AS A PASSIVE PARK AND PROGRESS BEGAN IN EARNEST.
THAT WAS 2005 IN 2011, A CITIZENS COMMITTEE WAS FORMED IN COOPERATION WITH BUFORD COUNTY PLANNING DEPARTMENT TO FINALIZE PLANNING EFFORTS AND OBTAIN COMMUNITY INPUT AND FEEDBACK.
AND LET ME TAKE A MOMENT TO RECOGNIZE AT LEAST SOME OF THE FOLKS WHO WERE MEMBERS OF FRIENDS, OF CRYSTAL LAKE PARK, WHO WORKED TIRELESSLY AND MANY, MANY THANK TIME'S.
THANKS, LESLIE, TO BRING US AS BEAUTIFUL PARK THAT WE
[01:20:01]
HAVE HERE TODAY.I'M GOING TO NAME AS MANY AS I CAN, AND IF I'VE MISSED ANY, I APOLOGIZE.
UH, FRANK GIBSON WAS TREASURER.
UH, RICK KURTZ WAS INVOLVED, UH, CLARENCE WASHINGTON, UH, JOE ALLARD, MICHAEL BROCK, JIM HICKS.
UH, FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE YESTERDAY, WE BURIED HIS WIFE.
SO WE UNDERSTAND WHY HE'S NOT HERE WITH US TODAY, BUT HE WAS A HUGE PART OF THIS CREATION OF THIS PARK, MARGARET DPA, TRO, I THINK FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, LAURA LEE, UH, PAT HARVEY WITH THE, UH, WITH LIPPA AND SOME OTHER LIBERAL MEMBERS AND SUPPORTERS, FATHER, ANDREW OF, UH, OF THE ST PETER'S CATHOLIC CHURCH.
AND OF COURSE THE, UH, THE BUILDERS, UH, BUFORD CONSTRUCTION, I BELIEVE LEITH W WEBB WAS THE MANAGER AT THE TIME, UH, TO DO THE BUILDING UPGRADE.
AND, UH, STEVE PATTERSON TO PATTERSON CONSTRUCTION DID THE BOARDWALK AND ANDREW ANDREW'S ENGINEERING WAS HEAVILY INVOLVED.
AND THE ARCHITECT WAS ROBERT MONTGOMERY.
THE, UH, THE FINAL PHASE OF CONSTRUCTION, UH, THE BOARDWALK AND TRAIL BEGAN IN 2018.
AND OF COURSE THE RENOVATIONS TO THE, UH, TO THE BUTLER MARINE BUILDING WAS THE FIRST PHASE OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE BOARDWALK AND PIER.
ANOTHER GROUP THAT I WANT TO RECOGNIZE TWO GROUPS ACTUALLY ARE THE MASTER GARDENERS AND MASTER NATURALIST WHO VOLUNTEERED AND PLANTED THEM IN MAINE AND MAINTAIN THE POLLINATOR GARDENS.
SO LET ME JUST START BY ASKING HOW MANY NATURAL START WITH, UH, UH, MASTER GARDENERS, HOW MANY MASTER GARDENERS IN RAISE YOUR HAND, QUITE A FEW.
AND I KNOW EVERYONE HERE APPRECIATES THE VALUE OF POLLINATORS.
I HAVE THE LARGEST GRAPEFRUIT ORCHARD IN BUFORD COUNTY, SO I PARTICULARLY APPRECIATE THE POLLINATORS.
AND THEN WE HAVE THE MASTER NATURALIST, HOW MANY NET, NET MASTER NATURALISTS, OR IF YOU WOULD RAISE YOUR HAND BE IDENTIFIED, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR ALL THE WORK YOU ALL HAVE DONE AND CONTINUE TO DO TO MAKE THIS PARK A BEAUTIFUL PLACE.
THE, UH, BUFORD COUNTY OPEN LAND TRUST, AND THE VIEW FOR COUNTY SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION DISTRICT, UH, BEGAN OCCUPATION OF THAT BUILDING IN 2017.
AND THEY HAVE BEEN AND CONTINUE TO BE EXCELLENT STEWARDS OF THE BUILDING AND THE PARK.
THEY PROVIDE SECURITY, THEY PROVIDE ORIENTATION AND A LOT OF SERVICES FOR THE FOLKS WHO COME HERE TO SEE THE PARKS.
ALSO WANT TO GIVE A BIG SHOUT OUT TO THE BUFORD COUNTY STAFF MEMBERS PAST AND PRESENT WHO WORKED TIRELESSLY ON THIS PROJECT.
AGAIN, I MAY NOT GET THEM ALL IF I DON'T, IF I DON'T, I APOLOGIZE.
CHRIS TAYLOR WAS STANDING RIGHT THERE, WHO WAS OUR DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT FOR MANY, MANY YEARS.
AND HE WAS A VISIONARY ON THIS PROJECT AND, UH, NO TELLING HOW MANY HOURS, COUNTLESS HOURS, UH, AND SWEAT AND TEARS.
HE PUT INTO THIS, INTO THIS PROJECT.
AND TONY, I WANT TO THANK YOU.
UH, STEPHANIE, UH, JADE, WHO YOU'VE SEEN.
THERE SHE IS, UH, WHO IS OUR DIRECTOR OF PASSIVE PARKS AND WHO WAS VERY ACTIVELY INVOLVED AND WILL CONTINUE TO BE VERY ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN THIS PARK IN THE FUTURE AND OUR ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT.
WE HAD A WEST CAMPBELL AND ROB MCPHEE.
I HAVEN'T, I DON'T KNOW IF THEY HAVE THEY'RE RIGHT THERE.
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU ALL DID.
AND OUR DIRECTOR OF PROPERTIES, MARK ROSE.
NOW I KNOW HE'S HERE AND, UH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
AND ERIC GREENWAY, OUR CURRENT DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT, WHO'S ALSO PUT A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK INTO THIS, AND OF COURSE, UH, PATTERSON'S CONSTRUCTION.
I THINK I MIGHT'VE MENTIONED THEM ALREADY.
UH, THE GREEN TECHNOLOGY THAT WAS USED, UH, TO, UH, RENOVATE THE OLD BUTLER MARINE BUILDING.
I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU ALL REMEMBER WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE, BUT IT NEEDED A LOT OF HELP.
AND, UH, WE USE GREEN, REALLY GREEN TECHNOLOGY, AND THAT WAS USED, AND IT WAS SO SUCCESSFUL THAT, UH, BUFORD COUNTY IS NOW RECEIVING REFUND CHECKS FROM DOMINION ENERGY.
IT WORKS GREEN ENERGY OR GREEN TECHNOLOGY WORKS, AND YES, THAT WILL BE USED TO OFFSET YOUR TAXES.
YOU'LL SEE THE SMALL REDUCTION IN YOUR TAX BILL.
UH, AND FINALLY, UH, I THINK EVERYBODY'S AWARE OF THE DIVERSITY OF WILDLIFE THAT WE HAVE HERE.
WE HAVE EGRETS, HERONS AND DINGOES CORE MORAN'S MIGRATORY AND RESIDENT AND, AND RESIDENT SONGBIRDS, ALLIGATOR, AND DEER.
AND THAT WE KNOW OF, UH, AND WHO KNOWS WHO OR WHAT ELSE MAY MOVE IN OUT THERE.
SO WE'LL KIND OF KEEP YOU POSTED AS THAT DEVELOPS AND, UH, WHO MIGHT TAKE UP RESIDENCE IN THIS BEAUTIFUL LOCATION.
BUT AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY AND, UH, LET'S CUT THE RIBBON AND I KNOW I'M NOT GOING TO CUT IT BY MYSELF.
SO ALL THE PEOPLE, ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE MENTIONED, INCLUDING THE NATURALIST AND THE MASTER GARDENERS AND THE ENGINEER, EVERYBODY JUST COME FORWARD
[01:25:01]
FOR THIS PROCESS.THERE'S ONLY ONE PAIR OF SCISSORS, BUT YOU CAN ALL JOIN IN FOR THE PICTURE TAKEN