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WE ARE, UH, FIRST AND[CALL TO ORDER ]
FOREMOST, GOOD MORNING AND, UH, I WELCOME EVERYONE TO THE WEDNESDAY JULY 8TH, UH, BUDGET ESTIMATE REVIEW, OUR[1. 26-1810 A Presentation of Fiscal Year 2026-2027 Budget Estimate.]
FIRST OPPORTUNITY FOR, TO REALLY GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT NEXT YEAR'S GONNA LOOK LIKE.UH, I WANT TO THANK THE MANAGER OFF THE BAT AND HIS INCREDIBLE STAFF WHO ARE WORKING ON THIS OVER THE LAST FEW MONTHS.
UH, I KNOW IT'S BEEN A ROLLERCOASTER AS A RESULT OF WHAT WE'RE POTENTIALLY SEEING IN TALLAHASSEE OVER THE NEXT YEAR AND A HALF.
UH, BUT I WANT TO THANK YOU AND YOUR STAFF AND EVERYONE WHO'S HERE TODAY WHO PLAYED AN INTEGRAL PART IN PREPARING THIS TODAY.
UH, THIS IS A PROCESS THAT'LL TAKE A FEW MONTHS, UH, AND IT'S A PROCESS WHERE WE WANT SOME INPUT AND GUIDANCE FROM THE COMMUNITY, BOTH THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND BOTH OUR RESIDENTS.
UH, THERE'S MANY OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE.
YOU CAN EITHER WRITE US AN EMAIL, YOU CAN EITHER COME IN PERSON OR YOU CAN ENGAGE VIA ZOOM IN ONE FORM OR ANOTHER.
BUT WE'RE JUST GRATEFUL THAT WE STARTED THIS PROCESS AND WE LOOK FORWARD, UH, TO PUTTING TOGETHER A BUDGET THAT IS, AGAIN, COMPREHENSIVE AND REALLY ADDRESSES ALL OUR NEEDS HERE IN THE CITY.
AS WE CONTINUE TO EVOLVE ON A DAILY BASIS.
SO, THANK YOU, UH, MADAM DIRECTOR IN ADVANCE FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
PAULA RODRIGUEZ, DEPUTY FINANCE DIRECTOR.
UM, I'D LIKE TO ECHO THE MAYOR'S SENTIMENTS AND, UM, FIRST OF ALL, THANK THE MAYOR AND THE COMMISSION, THE CITY MANAGER, AND THIS, UM, DEPUTY CITY MANAGER AND A CM FOR THEIR GUIDANCE.
AS WE, UH, GO THROUGH THIS PROCESS EACH YEAR AND SET THE PRIORITIES, UM, FOR WHAT WILL BE FUNDED, UM, I WANNA THANK MY STAFF.
'CAUSE REALLY THEY'RE THE ONES THAT MAKE ME LOOK GOOD.
THEY DO ALL THE HARD WORK BEHIND THE SCENES, AND I WANNA THANK ALL OF THE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS AND THEIR STAFF BECAUSE THIS REALLY IS A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT.
UM, KNOWING THAT THERE WAS A LOT OF UNCERTAINTY AS WE CAME INTO THIS BUDGET SEASON, UM, THEY REALLY TOOK THE DIRECTION TO HEART AND THEY ALL UNDERSTOOD THAT, UM, THIS YEAR WOULD BE A YEAR WHERE WE WOULD ASK THEM TO ASK FOR WHAT THEY NEED, BUT TO PLEASE BE CONSCIENTIOUS OF THE UNCERTAINTY AND TO REALLY, TO KEEP IT AS, AS MINIMAL, AS AN EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE.
AND THEY REALLY, UM, THEY REALLY DID THAT.
THEY REALLY TOOK THAT TASK TO HEART AND THEY MADE OUR JOB MUCH EASIER.
SO I THANK THEM ALL FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION AND THEIR PART IN THIS.
UM, IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I DO ALONE.
UM, SO, UM, TODAY'S MEETING IS, UM, IS THE FIRST, UH, BUDGET PRESENTATION FOR THE BUDGET.
THAT WAS, UH, THE JULY ONE BUDGET THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THE COMMISSION AND GIVEN TO THE CITY ON JULY ONE AS REQUIRED BY CHARTER.
UM, OUR END GOAL FOR TODAY IS TO PASS A RESOLUTION THAT WILL SET THE PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE AND ALLOW US TO SUBMIT THAT RATE TO THE COUNTY.
AND THAT IS THE RATE THAT WILL GO ON YOUR PROPERTY TAX BILLS ON THE CITY'S PROPERTY TAX BILLS.
UM, AND SO, UM, AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS THE, THIS RATE IS THE RATE THAT WILL GO ON THE BILLS AND TO INCREASE THIS RATE WOULD BE, UM, A LITTLE BIT DIFFICULT.
UM, SO TYPICALLY, UM, THIS IS THE RATE THAT ENDS UP IN OUR SEPTEMBER BUDGET.
SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME ON THAT.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND START THE PRESENTATION.
I KNOW WE WERE ALL HERE LATE LAST NIGHT, SO I WILL, UM, TRY AND BE AS BRIEF AS POSSIBLE.
AND SO YOU'RE ALL FAMILIAR WITH OUR BUDGET CALENDAR.
I AM PRESENTING, I DON'T KNOW IF CABLE TV, ARE YOU GOING OFF OF MY ZOOM OR ARE YOU GOING OFF OF THE PRESENTATION ON YOUR SCREEN? IF YOU COULD SHARE MY ZOOM PLEASE.
SO THIS IS THE BUDGET CALENDAR.
AS THE MAYOR SAID, WE START THIS PROCESS VERY EARLY.
WE, UM, ACTUALLY STARTED EARLIER THIS YEAR KNOWING THAT WE HAD A LOT TO THINK ABOUT.
UM, HOWEVER, THE DATES ON HERE START WITH OUR FIRST CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COMMISSION.
AND SO IN MAY WE BRING TO THE COMMISSION CONVERSATIONS ABOUT OUR CAPITAL PRIORITIZATIONS.
WE, WE MEET WITH EACH ONE OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY.
UM, AND THEN ON JUNE ONE, WE RECEIVED OUR PROPERTY VALUES, OUR PRELIMINARY PROPERTY VALUES FROM THE PROPERTY APPRAISER.
UM, WITH THAT WE PREPARED OUR JULY ONE ESTIMATE.
WE HAD A BUDGET WORKSHOP TO REVIEW CAPITAL PRIORITIES.
AND THOSE CAPITAL PRIORITIES ARE WHAT ARE INCLUDED IN THIS JULY ONE BUDGET.
TO THE EXTENT THAT WE WERE ABLE TO FUND THEM, LUCKILY WE WERE ABLE TO FUND MOST OF THEM.
UH, JULY ONE, WE RECEIVED, UH, REVISED BUDGET ESTI, I'M SORRY, ON JULY ONE WE RECEIVED, UH, REVISED PROPERTY VALUES.
UM, I WILL PROVIDE THOSE NUMBERS TO YOU IN JUST A MOMENT.
AND WE ALSO SUBMITTED THE BUDGET ESTIMATE BASED ON THE JUNE ONE PROPERTY VALUES TO THE COMMISSION.
AND HERE WE ARE JULY 8TH, UM, HAVING OUR BUDGET PRESENTATION, UM, OF THE BUDGET ESTIMATE THROUGHOUT THE SUMMER, WE WILL CONTINUE TO REFINE REVENUES, PRIMARILY REVENUES THAT WE, UH, REVENUE ESTIMATES THAT WE RECEIVE FROM STATE SHARING, UM, FUNDS SUCH AS SALES TAX.
UM, AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK
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AT OTHER CITY REVENUES TO MAKE SURE THAT OUR TRENDS HAVEN'T CHANGED FROM OUR JULY ONE ESTIMATE.ON AUGUST 1ST, WE'RE REQUIRED TO CERTIFY OUR TAX RATE, WHICH IS WHAT WE ARE SETTING TODAY.
AND THE, THOSE DOCUMENTS WILL BE SENT TO THE PROPERTY APPRAISER.
UM, SEPTEMBER 15TH WILL BE OUR FIRST BUDGET HEARING WHERE WE WILL ADOPT THE BUDGET ON FIRST HEARING.
AND ON SEPTEMBER 29TH WILL BE THE SECOND BUDGET HEARING WHERE WE WILL FINAL ADOPT.
WE WILL HAVE FINAL ADOPTION BY ORDINANCE OF OUR BUDGET.
SO THIS IS A SUMMARY OF OUR BUDGET ESTIMATE.
OUR OPERATING REVENUES ARE 299 MILLION.
THAT INCLUDES ABOUT $1.5 MILLION OF DEBT SERVICE.
UM, AND IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE HAVE TRANSFERS FROM RESERVE.
AND SO THIS YEAR FOR FISCAL YEAR 27, WE ARE BRINGING IN FIVE POINT, JUST UNDER 5.5 MILLION FROM GENERAL CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND, 7.8 FROM THE GENERAL FUND, FIVE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY SIX, FIVE HUNDRED EIGHTY 7,000 FROM ART AND PUBLIC PLACES, 522,000 FROM THE GENERAL CAPITAL IMPACT FEE FUND, $2.8 MILLION FROM THE GENERAL FUND BUILDING RESERVE FIRE INSPECTIONS, WERE BRINGING IN 171,000 FROM THE FIRE INSPECTION RESERVE, PRIMARILY FOR CAPITAL ITEMS FOR THE COUNTY.
ONE OF THE FEES THAT WAS IMPLEMENTED AS PART OF THE COUNTRY CLUB WAS, UH, UH, HISTORIC PRESERVATION FEE.
AND SO WE HAVE NOW COLLECTED ABOUT 197,000 FROM THAT FEE.
AND WE ARE REINVESTING IT BACK INTO THE COUNTRY CLUB.
AS IN, IN CAPITAL ROADWAY IMPROVEMENT FUND, WE ARE BRINGING IN 108,000 FROM THEIR RESERVE PARKING FUNDS, 664,000 AND STORMWATER UTILITY FUND, 815,000 FOR A TOTAL OF $19.2 MILLION.
AND SO THESE RE FUNDS THAT ARE BROUGHT INTO THE RESERVE ARE GENERALLY USED TO FUND ONE-TIME ITEMS. SO WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE AGREED ON A PRACTICE IN THE CITY THAT WE USE ONE-TIME MONEY FOR ONE-TIME ITEMS. IT IS NOT OUR PRACTICE TO USE ONE-TIME FUNDS TO FUND RECURRING FUNDS.
SO OUR TOTAL BUDGET IS, OUR TOTAL REVENUE BUDGET IS $318,445,014.
AND SO WE HAVE TO HAVE A BALANCE BUDGET.
OUR EXPENDITURE BUDGET THIS YEAR IS $252,277,167.
OUR CAPITAL BUDGET THIS YEAR IS $51,066,090.
AND OUR DEBT SERVICE IS $10,564,436 FOR A TOTAL OF $313,907,693 ARE TRANSFERS TO RESERVE.
SO FUNDS THAT WE ANTICIPATE TRANSFERRING REVENUE OVER EXPENDITURE TO CERTAIN FUNDS AT THE END OF THE YEAR.
UM, THE CITY CLERK SPECIAL REVENUE IS ESTIMATED TO HAVE $9,833 TRANSFERRED TO RESERVE THE PARKING FUND RESERVE FOR CAPITAL DEBT.
THIS IS THE DEBT THAT WE HAVE BEEN TRAINING THE PARKING FUND TO ABSORB FOR MOBILITY FOR THE MOBILITY HUB, WHICH YOU ALL VOTED ON YESTERDAY.
AND SO, UH, WE PLAN TO TRANSFER $4.2 MILLION AT THE END OF NEXT FISCAL YEAR, UH, FOR THAT DEBT.
SANITARY SEWER FUND, $327,420 FOR A TOTAL OF 4.5 34 $4,537,321.
AND OUR TOTAL EXPENDITURES, AS YOU CAN SEE, WE HAVE A BALANCE BUDGET IS 318, 440 $5,014.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE IS A BREAKDOWN OF REVENUES BY SOURCE.
AND SO OUR INTERN VERY KINDLY PRESENTED, UH, PARTIALLY THIS YESTERDAY.
UM, AND SO YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT OUR REVENUE, AND I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT THIS YEAR TO SHOW THIS SLIDE.
UM, OUR REVENUES ARE PRIMARILY MADE UP OF PROPERTY TAXES.
UM, SO THIS IS OUR OPERATING REVENUE OF $297 MILLION.
OF THAT 146 MILLION COMES FROM OUR PROPERTY TAXES, 49.2%.
SO, UM, CHARGES SUCH AS, UM, BTRS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE ARE ABOUT 50 MILLION, UH, 50.7 MILLION.
LICENSES OF PERMITS ARE 19.7 MILLION.
OTHER REVENUES ARE 21.3 MILLION.
INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVENUES ARE 9.6 MILLION.
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UM, STATE SALES TAXES, UM, FUNDS THAT WE RECEIVE, UM, FOR INSTANCE FROM THE JPA, THE JOINT PARTNERSHIP AGREEMENT THAT YOU APPROVED YESTERDAY.THOSE THAT WE KNOW ARE COMING AND WE ARE ABLE TO BUDGET FOR RECREATION FEES ARE 11.7 MILLION, AND INVESTMENT IN EARNINGS IS ABOUT 9 MILLION.
AND SO YOU CAN COM SEE A COMPARISON FROM YEAR TO YEAR OF THE PERCENTAGE THAT THOSE REVENUES PLAY IN OUR TOTAL BUDGET, OUR TOTAL OPERATING REVENUE BUDGET OF $297 MILLION.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IT WENT UP ABOUT $20 MILLION THIS YEAR, EXPENDITURES BY FUNCTION.
SO SIMILAR SLIDE THAT WAS SHOWN YESTERDAY ARE EXPENDITURES BY FUNCTION ARE $313.9 MILLION.
AND THIS IS A BREAKDOWN OF OUR EXPENDITURES BY FUNCTION AS KIND OF A FINANCE, UM, TERM.
UM, BUT I'LL BREAK DOWN A COUPLE OF THEM.
SO, PUBLIC SAFETY REPRESENTS ABOUT 36.2% OF OUR BUDGET AT A HUNDRED AND JUST UNDER 114 MILLION.
PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT PRIMARILY INCLUDES PUBLIC WORKS FUNCTIONS IS ABOUT 18% AT $57.4 MILLION.
ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT IS $3.1 MILLION.
SO THAT INCLUDES MOST ADMINISTRATIVE DEPARTMENTS, INCLUDING, UM, THE COMMISSIONER'S OFFICE IS $70.5 MILLION, UH, 22% OF OUR BUDGET TRANSPORTATION, YOU CAN IMAGINE THAT INCLUDES OUR ROADWAYS.
UM, AND, AND THE TROLLEY SERVICE IS ABOUT $29 MILLION AT 9% OF OUR BUDGET AND CULTURAL RECREATION, OUR FOUR, UH, $40 MILLION, ABOUT 12.8% OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET, OF OPERATING BUDGET OF 313,000,900, $7,693.
YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT OUR TOTAL BUDGET WENT UP JUST SLIGHTLY.
UH, I KNOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN MILLIONS, BUT FROM 309 MILLION TO 313 MILLION.
AND SO IN THE SPIRIT OF KEEPING THIS BUDGET, UM, AS TIGHT AS POSSIBLE AND CONTINUING TO OPERATE LEAN, THERE'S BEEN MUCH CONVERSATION ABOUT THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS THAT WE ADD EACH YEAR.
THIS YEAR, WE ARE ONLY ADDING ONE FULL-TIME POSITION, AND THAT POSITION IS BEING CONVERTED BY THE ELIMINATION OF PART-TIME POSITIONS.
UH, A MUCH NEEDED POSITION IN OUR COMMUNICATIONS DIVISION.
UM, I'D JUST LIKE TO REITERATE IT AND MEMORIALIZE, I KNOW THAT PEOPLE DON'T LIKE TO GO IN THE PAST, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE DID IN THE PAST, SO WE DON'T MAKE THOSE MISTAKES MOVING FORWARD.
UH, 2028, I'M PRETTY CERTAIN THAT THIS REFERENDUM WILL PASS AND YOU'LL SEE, UH, MANY CITIES BE IN SIGNIFICANT TROUBLE.
UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID HERE THAT I COMPLETELY AND UTTERLY DISAGREED WITH, AND I KNOW THE VICE MAYOR ALSO DISAGREED WITH, WAS IN ONE YEAR, I THINK WE BROUGHT IN ABOUT 20 OR SO EMPLOYEES.
UM, AGAIN, WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO OUR EMPLOYEES, THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
BUT THAT IS NOT THE WAY TO MANAGE A BUDGET, OKAY? THE, THE WAY TO MANAGE A BUDGET IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR IS YOU DON'T BRING IN 20 EMPLOYEES IN ONE YEAR UNLESS YOU SEE A HUGE SPIKE IN REVENUE OR CLIENTS.
AND YOU NEED TO ADDRESS THOSE CLIENTS.
WE HAVE THE SAME AMOUNT OF CLIENTS.
WE HAVE 51,000 CLIENTS IN THE CITY.
SO WE, I WANT TO JUST GO BACK AND MEMORIALIZE AND PUT IT ON THE RECORD.
HOW MANY EMPLOYEES DID WE HIRE UNDER AMOS ROJAS HERE AS CITY MANAGER THAT ONE YEAR? I DON'T HAVE THAT EXACT NUMBER.
MY UNDERSTANDING WAS IT'S ABOUT 20 OR SO.
I DON'T HAVE THAT EXACT NUMBER IN FRONT.
IN THAT BUDGET, IN THAT BUDGET, IN THAT BUDGET, IN THAT BUDGET, UM, WE ADVOCATED TO BE VERY FISCALLY SOUND TO NOT MAKE THAT MISTAKE.
BESIDES THE COLA, BESIDES THE RAISES TO THE COMMISSION, WE'RE VERY CLEAR, WE'RE GONNA BE PAYING FOR THIS FOR THE NEXT YEARS BECAUSE EMPLOYEES ARE HERE FOR 30 YEARS, 25 YEARS.
THESE ARE POSITIONS THAT WE ARE NOT ELIMINATING.
BUT AS WE NOW FORESEE WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN IN 2028, WE HAVE TWO ALBERT TRUSSES AROUND OUR NECK.
THAT WOULD'VE GIVEN US A LOT MORE, A LOT MORE WIGGLE ROOM IN REGARDS TO HOW WE'RE GONNA DEAL WITH THIS WITH A SHORT, WITH A SHORT SIX OR $7 MILLION THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT POTENTIALLY FROM THESE TAXES.
NUMBER ONE, IF WE DIDN'T HAVE THE COLA, WE WOULD'VE $2 MILLION LESS AND I WOULD BE CONTRIBUTING THOSE $2 MILLION TO YOUR RETIREMENT.
SO INSTEAD OF PUTTING SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS ADDITIONAL GRAVY ONTO THAT, ONTO THAT PENSION PAYMENT, I WOULD'VE PUT NINE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS THAT WE DID THE YEAR BEFORE.
AND ALSO AT ADDITIONAL 20 EMPLOYEES.
EVERYONE HERE UNDERSTANDS IT VERY CLEARLY.
IT'S NOT JUST THE SALARIES FOR THOSE 20 EMPLOYEES, IT'S THE BACKEND TAIL THAT COMES WITH IT.
AS YOU CAN SEE, OUR DCM, OUR A CM AND OUR MANAGER ARE SHAKING THEIR HEAD BECAUSE WE HAVE TO MAKE
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CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE PENSIONS.WE HAVE HEALTHCARE OBLIGATIONS.
BY THE WAY, HEALTHCARE WENT UP THIS YEAR.
AND CORRECT ME IF I'M A 23%, AM I CORRECT IF I WRONG? YES.
I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE BECAUSE I SAY THAT I DON'T GET MY FACTS CORRECT.
SO ALL OF THIS HAS A COMPOUNDING EFFECT, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT UNION NEGOTIATIONS.
SO I HATE TO SOUND LIKE, UH, JIM CASON AND RAUL VAL FALI AND PEOPLE WHO CAME BEFORE ME, BUT THEY WERE VERY ADAMANT ABOUT US BEING VERY CAREFUL AND VERY THOUGHTFUL IN HOW WE CONDUCTED OURSELVES DURING BUDGET SEASON.
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF ME SITTING DOWN WITH A MANAGER AND THE DCM AND THE A CM AND TELLING THEM, WE HAVE NEEDS IN CERTAIN AREAS, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA HIRE PEOPLE.
WE'RE NOT GONNA DO WHAT WE WANT TO DO BECAUSE WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL AND PREPARE OURSELVES WITH WHAT'S COMING OUT IN 2028.
THERE WAS A WALL STREET JOURNAL ARTICLE THAT CAME OUT TODAY.
I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY WAS ABLE TO SEE IT, AND I WOULD HOPE THAT YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO SEE IT.
AND IT TALKS ABOUT HOW CITIES ARE PREPARING FOR THE 2028 REFERENDUMS, THE CUTS THEY'RE GONNA BE TAKING WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT DEVELOPMENT.
AND WHEN PEOPLE TALK ABOUT ISSUES ABOUT OUR DOWNTOWN AND THE BUILDINGS, THAT IS WHAT, AGAIN, IS MINIMIZING THE IMPACT OF THIS TAX REFERENDUM THAT IS FORTHCOMING.
BECAUSE REMEMBER, COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES ARE NOT SEEING THE BENEFIT OF THIS REDUCTION.
SO WE HAVE TO ALWAYS GO BACK TO WHAT, TO THE DECISIONS THAT WE MADE, WHICH AGAIN, WILL HAVE IMPLICATIONS FORTHCOMING TO THE MAYOR.
SO I'M GONNA ADD ANOTHER PIECE OF THAT.
'CAUSE THIS WAS PART OF THE PRESENTATION THAT WAS DONE, WHAT WAS IT, TWO YEARS AGO NOW? YEP.
IN ADDITION TO THE TAIL THAT YOU HAVE AS FAR AS LONG, LONG-TERM EXPENSES FOR MOVING PART-TIME EMPLOYEES TO FULL-TIME EMPLOYEES, YOU ALSO LOSE OUT ON THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS.
YOU KNOW, ONE-TIME EXPENDITURES THAT WE COULD HAVE DONE THAT WOULD'VE PAVED MORE ROADS OR FIXED MORE POTHOLES OR FIXED MORE DRAINAGE ISSUES THAT WE COULD HAVE FIXED WITH ONE-TIME EXPENDITURES MOVE FORWARD, MORE HISTORIC PRESERVATION, THINGS OF THOSE NATURE.
BECAUSE THE MORE YOU INCREASE YOUR GENERAL BUDGET WITH EMPLOYEES, THE LESS YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO PUT INTO ONE-TIME EXPENDITURES OF THAT NATURE.
SO THAT IS WHY I WAS, YOU KNOW, PREACHING.
LET'S BE CAREFUL HOW MANY PEOPLE WE MOVE FROM PART-TIME TO FULL-TIME.
BECAUSE ANYTIME YOU DO ANYTHING IN A WHIPLASH MANNER, THERE IS GONNA BE AN AN AFTERSHOCK FROM IT.
UM, I SAT DOWN AND SPOKE WITH SOME COMMISSIONERS FROM OTHER AREAS, AND THEY'RE SUFFERING FAR GREATER THAN WE ARE BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE A CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT.
THEY DON'T HAVE THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES TO HELP SHORE UP, UH, WHAT'S HAPPENING.
AND THE NEED FOR TAX CUT IS THERE.
'CAUSE THE DYNAMIC THAT YOU, YOU'RE SEEING IN THE RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY IS THAT THE YOUNG PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD TO STAY HERE MOVING OUTTA STATE.
AND THE OTHER END OF THAT DYNAMIC IS WHEN YOUR FAMILY MOVES AND YOUR, THOSE FAMILIES START TO GROW ELSEWHERE AND YOU WANT TO BE WITH YOUR GRANDCHILDREN, THEN YOU ALSO HAVE YOUR ELDERLY POPULATION MOVING.
SO IT HITS BOTH ENDS OF THE SPECTRUM.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT'S THE VISION THAT WE WANT FOR OUR CITY OR THE VISION THAT WE WANT FOR OUR STATE.
SO THAT'S WHY I'VE SUPPORTED THE TAX REDUCTION.
WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO ADJUST, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO RECALIBRATE, BUT IT'S NECESSARY.
AND IF YOU MAY, JUST, I, BEFORE THE END OF THE MEETING, IF YOU WOULD CLARIFY IN THE 20, 24 NUMBERS, I HAVE IT IN.
'CAUSE I KNOW THAT WE ALSO HAVE POLICE AND FIRE INCREASES, BUT I'M NOT ADDING THOSE TO THAT.
I'M TALKING ABOUT OUTSIDE OF THOSE.
I THINK IT WAS, IF YOU INCLUDE THOSE, IT WAS OVER 40 EMPLOYEES THAT WE ADDED IN ONE YEAR.
I CAN ACTUALLY SHOW YOU ON THE SCREEN, PLEASE.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE IS THE ONE THAT'S ON THE SCREEN NOW.
UM, AND SO THAT REFLECTION IS THE CHANGE BETWEEN 2024 AND 2025.
SO AS THE MAYOR, UH, MENTIONED IN POLICE OFFICERS AND IN FIREFIGHTERS, WE ADDED FIVE.
THAT WAS THE, UM, SECOND OF THREE YEARS OF ADDING, I'M SORRY, THE, UM, THE LAST OF THREE YEARS OF ADDING FIVE POSITIONS.
SO NOT COUNTING THAT IN GENERAL EMPLOYEES, YOU SEE FROM 2024 TO 2025, WE WENT FROM 5 48 TO 5 84.
BUT FROM THAT 5 84, WE HAVE TO REMOVE THE 20 THAT WE ADDED IN BUILDING THAT CAME FROM THE BUILDING REVENUE FUND.
AND SO WHEN YOU REMOVE THAT, THE DIFFERENCE IS 26.
SO 26 POSITIONS WERE ADDED IN THAT FISCAL YEAR.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE LAST 13, 14 YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, UH, WE'VE NEVER HAD MASSIVE NUMBER LIKE THAT.
AGAIN, I WANNA PUT IT ON THE RECORD BECAUSE HOPEFULLY ONE DAY THE FUTURE ELECTED OFFICIALS WILL CALL BILLY AND ASK FOR A PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST FROM THE CLERK AND THEY'LL SAY, HEY, HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? HOW DID WE MAKE A $2 MILLION
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COLA PAYMENT FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS, $20 MILLION? HOW DID WE INCREASE ALL THESE EMPLOYEES IN ONE YEAR? AND THE REASON WHY I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE THE MANAGER WILL PROBABLY GET A GOOD LAUGH OUTTA THIS BECAUSE WE'VE HAD MANY CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS.WE ALWAYS GO BACK AND TRY TO FIND IN THE, IN THE ORDER OF OUR PENSION PAYMENTS WHERE WE MISSED THE PENSION PAYMENT LIKE 20 SOMETHING YEARS AGO.
'CAUSE WE'RE TRYING TO FIND OUT HOW WE GOT INTO 50% FUNDED, LIKE WHEN I GOT HERE.
AND THAT'S A NUMBER THAT WAS MISSING.
AND WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT THAT.
HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? HOW DID THAT HAPPEN HISTORICALLY? I WANNA PUT IT ON THE RECORD AND BE VERY CAREFUL SO THAT IN THE FUTURE, IN THE FUTURE, UM, JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE 40 PLUS EMPLOYEES IN ONE, IN ONE YEAR, AGAIN, I WOULD LOVE NOTHING MORE TO HIRE MORE PEOPLE.
THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS THAT I WOULD LOVE TO TACKLE.
UM, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, WHEN IN, IN MY OWN OFFICE, WE LOWERED, WE LOWERED SALARIES, I THINK BY $30,000, UH, LAST YEAR.
SO WHEN YOU LOOK, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS, THAT'S WHERE THE PROOF IS.
THE NUMBERS IS HOW MUCH WEIGHT AND HOW MUCH TAIL DO WE HAVE TO DEAL WITH OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS? AND I KNOW NOBODY WANTS TO TALK ABOUT THAT BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT'S NOT A PLEASANT CONVERSATION JUST LIKE THE COLA.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, AT THE END OF THE DAY, THAT IS A TREND THAT WE NEED TO KEEP AN EYE ON BECAUSE THE MORE EMPLOYEES WE ADD, THE MORE STRESS WE PUT ON THE SYSTEM.
SO WHAT I'M SEEING HERE, DIFFERENCE FROM 2023 TO 2024 IS 22 EMPLOYEES.
AND FROM 2024 TO 2025 IS 46 EMPLOYEES.
AND WE SHINE A LITTLE MORE LIGHT ON THAT.
MY HUSBAND WOULD TELL YOU THAT WE CANNOT DO MATH WITHOUT OUR EXCEL SPREADSHEET.
SO MY STAFF IS GOING TO DOUBLE CHECK BECAUSE THERE WERE CHANGES TO POSITIONS MADE IN BETWEEN.
THEY'RE GONNA DOUBLE CHECK THAT NUMBER AND WE'RE GONNA COME BACK TO YOU AND GIVE YOU THAT NUMBER.
OKAY? BECAUSE THAT'S A, BUT IT WAS A SIGNIFICANT, THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT DIFFERENCE.
EVEN IF YOU TELL ME, WE HIRED 20 MORE EMPLOYEES IN THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT, 20 EMPLOYEES, NO MATTER WHAT DEPARTMENT IT IS OR IF IT'S RESTRICTED FUNDS, IT IS 20 EMPLOYEES.
SO GOING BACK TO WHAT THE MAYOR IS SAYING, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO BUCKLE OUR BELTS.
BUT SOME OF THESE DECISIONS WE MADE WERE NOT WHO YOU'RE BLAMING.
SO LET'S, LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT, TALK ABOUT THAT.
SO BEFORE YOU GOT HERE, WE HADN'T RAISED, UM, THE AMOUNT OF THE, THE FIREFIGHTERS ADVOCATED EVERY MONTH, EVERY DAY FOR NEW POSITIONS.
OKAY? AND WE HIRED 15 NEW FIREFIGHTERS AND 15 NEW POLICE OFFICERS.
WHAT YOU SEE IS AN INCREASE IN THOSE POSITIONS IN REGARDS TO PUBLIC SAFETY, NUMBER ONE.
NUMBER TWO, I KNOW IN AN EFFORT TO CONFUSE, YOU MAY NOT HAVE YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT, BUT LET ME EDUCATE YOU AND I'LL HAVE STAFF AND I'LL HAVE STAFF EDUCATE YOU.
WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE EMPLOYEES, WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE EMPLOYEES THAT WERE BROUGHT IN IN REGARDS TO THE PERMITTING DEPARTMENT, THOSE EMPLOYEES ARE PAID FOR FROM WHERE MR. MANAGER FROM THE ENTERPRISE FUND PUBLIC, UH, DE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES ENTERPRISE FUND.
SO THOSE ARE NOT COMING FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
AND WHY DO WE DO THAT? WE DID THAT FOR TWO REASONS.
NUMBER ONE, BECAUSE WE WANNA HAVE, WE WANT TO HAVE WORLD CLASS PERMITTING.
WHICH IS SOMETHING YOU'RE VERY FAMILIAR WITH AS A PERMIT EXPEDITER.
YOU WANT TO HAVE THE BEST PERMITTING DEPARTMENT IN SOUTH FLORIDA.
SO WE'LL CONTINUE TO INVEST, BUT IT'S NOT COMING FROM GENERAL FUND, IT'S COMING FROM THE ENTERPRISE FUND, WHICH BY STATE STATUTE, MR. MANAGER, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, YOU CANNOT SPEND THAT MONEY FROM THE ENTERPRISE FUND.
IT HAS TO BE SPENT ON THE PERMITTING DEPARTMENT, CORRECT? UH, YES IT DOES.
MARY CANNOT GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND, CANNOT NOT GO INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS IF WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS OUTSIDE OF PUBLIC SAFETY AND WE'RE MAKING DECISIONS WHERE THERE'S A ENTERPRISE FUND, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM SPENDING THAT MONEY ON THOSE ISSUES BECAUSE YOU HAVE A DEDICATED REVENUE STREAM.
JUST LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU'RE SPENDING MONEY ON A BOND ISSUANCE OR THE MOBILITY HUB, AND YOU HAVE A DEDICATED REVENUE STREAM, WHICH IS THE MONEY THAT'S COMING FROM PARKING REVENUE.
BUT THE PROBLEM HERE IS THE AMOUNT OF EMPLOYEES THAT WERE, THAT WERE BROUGHT IN DURING AMOS ROJAS, WHICH EVERYONE HAS TO ADMIT, WAS A CATASTROPHE.
AND IF YOU DON'T, THEN YOU GOTTA GET YOUR EYES CHECKED.
UM, BUT WE SHOULD HAVE NEVER IN OUR LIVES BROUGHT IN THE AMOUNT OF EMPLOYEES THAT WE BROUGHT IN IN THAT ONE YEAR WITHOUT A DEDICATED REVENUE STREAM.
AND WHAT IS THAT? THE ENTERPRISE FUND.
SO WE CAN GO BACK AND FORTH AND, AND SAY THAT, BUT THE FACTS ARE THE FACTS AND YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S PRETTY CLEAR.
AND, AND THE PROOF IS IN THE NUMBERS TO THE MAYOR.
I DON'T, I DON'T THINK YOU'RE UNDERSTANDING WHAT'S IN FRONT OF YOUR EYES RIGHT NOW.
[00:25:01]
GO AHEAD AND REVIEW THE MATH A LITTLE BIT, JUST SO YOU UNDERSTAND IT.OKAY? THERE'S A DIFFERENCE IN 2020 4, 22 EMPLOYEES, 2020 5, 46 EXTRA EMPLOYEES.
I WENT BACK TO THE 25 BUDGET BOOK, JUST SO TO CONFIRM, BECAUSE SOMETIMES CHANGES HAPPEN IN BETWEEN.
SO IN FISCAL YEAR 25, WE ADDED 26 POSITIONS TO THE TOTAL HEAD COUNT, UM, FULL-TIME POSITIONS.
AND SO THAT INCLUDED FIVE POLICE OFFICERS AND FIVE FI FIREFIGHTERS.
SO THE TOTAL INCREASE TO HEAD COUNT WAS 16.
AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR IN 25, WE ADDED 20 POSITIONS TO THE BUILDING FUND.
THE BUILDING FUND IS A PROPRIETARY FUND THAT CAN ONLY FUND ITS, UM, ITS SERVICES, RIGHT? THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE FLORIDA, UM, BUILDING CODE.
THE ONLY OTHER FUNDS THAT WORK IN THAT NATURE ARE THE SANITARY SEWER AND THE STORMWATER FUND.
THOSE ARE THE ONLY OTHER FUNDS THAT CANNOT REALLY GO BETWEEN ANY OTHER FUND.
AND SO THE DISCUSSION IS, IS THAT THOSE POSITIONS DID NOT AFFECT ANY OTHER DECISIONS CITYWIDE AS TO WHAT COULD BE FUNDED WITH THOSE RECURRING REVENUES.
I UNDERSTAND THAT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE POSITION COUNT STILL WENT UP BY 46, BUT THE CONVERSATION OF INCREASING HEAD COUNT REALLY REVOLVES AROUND HOW DO WE, HOW DO WE ALLOCATE THOSE RECURRING FUNDS, WHETHER WE INCREASE THE OPERATING COSTS CITYWIDE OR WE ARE ABLE TO USE THAT, UM, IN FOR OTHER RESOURCES.
SO MY POINT IS, MY POINT IS THAT YOU INCREASE EMPLOYEES BY 16 THAT DON'T HAVE A DEDICATED REVENUE SOURCE.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE YEARS PRIOR INCREASE WAS TWO EMPLOYEES, THREE EMPLOYEES, ONE EMPLOYEE.
UH, AT THE END OF THE DAY, VERY SIMPLE.
THE NUMBERS ARE THERE THAT THE DIRECTOR JUST EXPLAINED IT.
MR. MANAGER, YOU WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING? YES, THANK YOU, MAYOR.
UH, WE DID ADD, AT THAT TIME, 1515 POLICE OFFICERS OR DOWNTOWN UNIT.
THE IDEA OF THE DOWNTOWN UNIT WAS TO BE ABLE TO PATROL THE, UH, DOWNTOWN WITHOUT EXTRACTING PEOPLE FROM, FROM THE NEIGHBORHOODS AND THUS PROVIDING A BETTER SERVICE OVERALL FOR THE RESIDENTS.
WE ALSO HAD TO ADD 15, UH, FIREFIGHTERS BECAUSE WE HAD FIRE STATION FOUR, AND WE HAVE DEMAND FIRE STATION FOUR.
UH, SO THOSE WERE, THOSE WERE, UH, THOSE TWO, THE POLICE AND FIRE WERE, WERE ADDED FOR ENHANCED SERVICES TO, TO OUR RESIDENCE.
AND THE 20 POSITIONS THAT WERE ADDED TO THE BUILDING DEPART COME FROM THE ENTERPRISE FUND OF THE, OF THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT, WHICH DO NOT AFFECT AT ALL.
AND OUR, OUR GENERAL FUND IS THAT MONEY IS, IS NOT ADDED TO A YOU FUND AND IT'S IN A SEPARATE, UH, ENTERPRISE FUND THAT CAN ONLY BE USED FOR THAT, FOR ENHANCEMENT OF THE BUILDING APARTMENT.
WHO DICTATES WHAT? IT CAN BE USED FOR THE STATE, THE STATE OF FLORIDA, CORRECT.
AND THAT'S, AND, AND THAT IS AS A RESULT OF PERMIT REVENUE, CORRECT? THAT IS CORRECT, MAYOR.
SO I JUST WANNA BE CLEAR, THIS IS WHAT I'M TELLING YOU.
THERE HAS TO BE A DEDICATED REVENUE SOURCE.
IF IT'S OUTSIDE OF PUBLIC SAFETY, I'D LIKE TO SEE A DEDICATED REVENUE SOURCE, WHICH IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE ALWAYS SAID.
CASE IN POINT, THE MOBILITY HUB, I THINK IS SOMETHING IMPORTANT.
SO YOU HAVE 16 EMPLOYEES THAT WERE ADDED IN ONE YEAR, THAT WILL HAVE AN IMPACT ON THE BUDGET BECAUSE AGAIN, ADDITIONAL SALARIES, ADDITIONAL IMPLICATIONS IN REGARDS TO THE PENSION, THE HEALTHCARE THAT GOES UP BY 23% WILL HAVE, WILL HAVE AN ADDITIONAL COST IN REGARDS TO THE EMPLOYEES.
YOU LOOK AT THE BREAKDOWN YEAR OVER YEAR.
ONE EMPLOYEE, TWO EMPLOYEES IS A MAXIMUM WE ADDED EVERY SINGLE YEAR.
AND WE'RE VERY THOUGHTFUL AND VERY CAREFUL HOW WE CURATED THAT.
WE DIDN'T JUMP UP BY 16 EMPLOYEES IN ONE YEAR.
SO WAY YOU WANNA SKIN IT, ANYONE, ANY WAY YOU WANNA HIDE IT.
ANYONE, ANYWHERE YOU WANNA, YOU KNOW, YOU WANNA PLAY THE GAME BACK AND FORTH.
BUT THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT WE NEVER, AND I'M GONNA ASK PAULA, MADAM DIRECTOR, HAVE WE EVER ADDED 16 EMPLOYEES IN ONE YEAR? LIKE WE ADDED LAST YEAR? NO, NOT IN THE 10 YEARS I'VE BEEN HERE.
SO IT'S VERY CLEAR, VERY CLEAR.
I DON'T WANNA, I DON'T WANT TO HAVE THIS BACK AND FORTH GAME ANYMORE.
THIS IS, THAT'S THE TYPE OF DECISIONS THAT ARE DETRIMENTAL TO OUR BUDGET.
IF YOU KEEP ADDING EVERY SINGLE YEAR, 16 POSITIONS, 16 POSITIONS, 16 POSITIONS, YOU'RE GONNA HURT YOURSELF BECAUSE EVENTUALLY YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GUESS WHAT? LET GO OF POSITIONS.
IF THERE'S A DOWNTURN IN REVENUE, THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TELLING YOU.
LET'S BE VERY CAREFUL AND BE VERY THOUGHTFUL AND NOT PUT OURSELVES BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL.
OKAY? THROUGH THE MAYOR, PAULA, I JUST, I WANNA GO AHEAD AND PUT THIS LIKE VERY CLEAR.
OKAY? UM, 2024, IT SAYS 22, BUT LET'S GO AHEAD AND REMOVE THE FIVE FIREFIGHTERS AND THE FIVE POLICE OFFICERS AND LET'S GO AHEAD AND REMOVE THE FIVE FIREFIGHTERS FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR AND THE FIREFIGHTERS.
SO LET'S SUBTRACT BOTH OF THEM BY 10, BECAUSE THEY SEEM TO BE THE SAME.
'CAUSE THAT'S WHAT WE'RE INCREASING, CORRECT? IF WE REMOVE 10 FROM 22, THAT'S 12 EMPLOYEES, CORRECT? CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG.
YOU'RE, YOU'RE LOOKING AT 2022, 2024.
[00:30:01]
2024 WHERE, I'M SORRY.FROM 2023 TO 2024, YOU CAN SIMPLY LOOK AT THE GENERAL EMPLOYEE COLUMN.
AND SO IN THAT YEAR, OTHER THAN POLICE AND FIRE, WE WENT UP FROM 5 36 TO 5 48 THROUGH THE MAYOR.
UH, DO YOU HAVE 1 0 2 2 TO, UH, 9 48? THAT'S 40, 46 EMPLOYEES THAT YEAR.
WE ADDED FIVE FIREFIGHTERS AND FIVE POLICE OFFICERS, WHICH, WHICH IS 36, WHICH, UH, BRINGS THAT DOWN TO 36.
WE ADDED 2020 POSITIONS TO, FOR, TO, UH, TO, UH, THE, UH, DEVELOPMENT SERVICES OR TO THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT THROUGH THE ENTERPRISE FUND.
THAT'S 20, SO 20 MINUS 36 IS 16.
SO 16 IS THE AMOUNT OF POSITIONS THAT WERE ADDED.
AND, AND THE YEAR PRIOR, IT WAS, UH, WE 12, WE YES, BUT FIVE, FIVE POLICE OFFICERS AND FIVE FIREFIGHTERS.
WE WERE ADDING, UH, FIVE FIREFIGHTER, FIVE FIREFIGHTERS, AND FIVE POLICE OFFICERS EVERY YEAR TO GET TO, TO, CORRECT.
IT WAS, IT WAS 15 FIREFIGHTERS AND 15 POLICE OFFICERS.
OVER A THREE YEAR PERIOD, WE'RE ADDING FIVE, FIVE AND FIVE.
I THINK WE UNDERSTAND THAT THAT MEANS BOTH YEARS, WE HAVE TO SUBTRACT 10 FROM EACH YEAR, CORRECT? RIGHT.
SO IF IT'S 22 EMPLOYEES, IN REALITY, IT'S 12 SUBTRACTING POLICE AND FIRE.
AND THEN IN 2025, SUBTRACTING 10 IS 16 EMPLOYEES.
IF YOU'RE SUBTRACTING THE 20, YOU CONTRACTED FOR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
AM I CORRECT? 20 FOR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES.
IS MY MATH WRONG, PAULA? IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE FROM 24 TO 25, THE UH, NUMBER THAT WAS ADDED IN 24 TO 25 OTHER THAN POLICE AND FIRE WAS 16, THE NUMBER THAT WAS ADDED FROM 23 TO 24 OTHER THAN POLICE AND FIRE WAS 12.
I'M LOOKING TO THE BUDGET BOOK TO SEE WHAT THOSE 12 CONSISTED OF.
UM, IN MANY CASES WE CONVERTED, UM, PART-TIME POSITIONS.
LET ME JUST SEE IF I CAN GET TO THAT.
SO THAT I CAN RE UM, BRING TO, I BELIEVE AT THAT TIME, UH, FLEW MAYOR.
I BELIEVE AT THAT TIME WE ADDED SOME ADDITIONAL CODE ENFORCEMENT.
WHICH, WHICH THE, WHICH WE WERE, UH, WE WANTED TO INCREASE OUR CODE ENFOR, OUR CODE ENFORCEMENT, AND WE DID SUBSTANTIALLY INCREASE CODE ENFORCEMENT AT THAT TIME.
SO WHO PAYS FOR CODE ENFORCEMENT? WHERE DOES IT COME FROM? UH, UH, WHAT WE DID IN, IN THOSE, IN VARIOUS OF, OF THOSE POSITIONS, MAYOR, UH, WE HAD CODE ENFORCEMENT BUILDING, DEPARTMENT, CODE ENFORCEMENT.
SO, UH, MORE THAN HALF OF THOSE POSITIONS WERE THROUGH THE ENTERPRISE FUND.
SO WE CAN, WE CAN KEEP GOING IN CIRCLES AND TRY NOT ONE UP EACH OTHER.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I JUST WANT YOU TO TAKE OWNERSHIP OF LAST YEAR'S BUDGET, WHICH YOU VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE VICE MAYOR, AND I VOTED AGAINST IT.
SO YOU FOLLOWED THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF AMOS ROJAS, A PERSON WHO LED THE CITY FOR ONE YEAR AND HAD NEVER HAD THE EXPERIENCE OF LEADING THIS MANY AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT YOU SEE IN THIS ROOM.
IMAGINE LEADING A THOUSAND PEOPLE IN A CITY.
SO MY POINT IS THAT THIS CITY, ONCE I'M GONE AND WHOEVER'S LEFT UP HERE, WILL PAY THE CONSEQUENCES FOR ADDING 16 POSITIONS BECAUSE YOU WILL FEEL THE STRESS ON THE SYSTEM AS A RESULT OF THE INCREASES IN HEALTHCARE, INCREASES ON THE PENSION SYSTEM.
LET'S PRAY TO GOD THAT WE CONTINUE TO SEE AN UPSWING AS LIKE WE'VE SEEN, UH, IN REGARDS TO, UM, THE STOCK MARKET.
WE CAN KEEP GOING ON THIS, BUT THE NUMBERS ARE THE NUMBERS.
UM, SO TWO POINTS OF CLARIFICATION.
I DON'T WANNA BELABOR THE CONVERSATION, BUT JUST SO THAT IT'S CLEAR FOR THE RECORD AND FOR THOSE THAT ARE WATCHING.
SO ALSO IN, UH, FROM 23 TO 24, SEVERAL OF THE POSITIONS THAT WERE ADDED WERE IN THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT.
AT THAT TIME, WE HAD JUST MOVED, UM, TO THE NEW SYSTEM AND WE HAD JUST MOVED TO, UH, THE NEW BUILDING.
AND SO AT THAT TIME, WE ADDED A MECHANICAL INSPECTOR, A PLUMBING INSPECTOR, A BUILDING INSPECTOR, UM, A BUILDING REVIEWER.
I DON'T KNOW IF I SAID THAT ALREADY.
AND THEN, ALTHOUGH NOT A SWORN POSITION, WE ALSO CONVERTED TWO PART-TIME BACKGROUND INVESTIGATORS AND POLICE TO FULL-TIME BECAUSE WE WERE TRYING TO ADDRESS THE RECRUITMENT ISSUES THAT WE HAD IN THAT YEAR.
UM, SO OTHER POSITIONS LIKE THE, UH, CODE ENFORCEMENT THAT THE MANAGER MESH MENTIONED AND, UH, POSITION IN STORMWATER, WHICH IS ALSO, UH, SELF-FUNDED.
SO THERE'S A COUPLE MORE, BUT I, SO TO MAKE A LONG STORY SHORT, SHE'S MENTIONED ABOUT NINE OUT OF THE 12.
UM, THE TWO THAT WERE POLICE OBVIOUSLY ARE PUBLIC SAFETY.
[00:35:01]
THEY WERE REQUESTS OBVIOUSLY FROM, FROM THE POLICE CHIEF WHO WE CAN IN REGARDS TO PUBLIC SAFETY.BUT AS YOU CAN SEE, A MAJORITY OF THE POSITIONS, I WOULD SAY 80% OF THE POSITIONS PROBABLY LED US TO MAYBE TWO OR THREE NEW POSITIONS.
WERE ALL FROM AN ENTERPRISE FUND.
SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR CLARIFYING THAT.
UM, I DON'T WANNA CONTINUE THIS, THIS CONVERSATION.
WE'VE BEEN ON THIS FOR 20 MINUTES AND WE HAVEN'T MADE ANY PROGRESS.
BUT, UH, AN ADDITIONAL POINT OF CLARIFICATION, THERE WERE ALSO PARKING RELATED POSITIONS, WHICH ARE GEN, UH, REVENUE GENERATING POSITIONS.
UH, THE OTHER ISSUE WE HAD WAS WE WERE DEALING WITH MAJOR ISSUES IN PUBLIC WORKS WHERE TRASH PICKUP WAS NOT TAKING PLACE, UH, BECAUSE OF, UM, LACK OF PERSONNEL IN THAT DEPARTMENT.
THOSE ISSUES HAVE SINCE BEEN ADDRESSED.
SO, UM, THEIR POSITIONS THAT AT THE TIME WERE DEEMED NECESSARY, WE CAN GO BACK AND FORTH ON WHETHER, UH, THE CITY MANAGER WAS A, A GOOD CITY MANAGER OR NOT.
HE WAS THE US MARSHAL FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED BY THE CHAIR OF THE BOARD OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI, WHO WAS THE FIRST PERSON TO CALL ME AFTER WE APPOINTED HIM AND CONGRATULATING US FOR MAKING AN EXCELLENT DECISION ON A NEW CITY MANAGER.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN BE HERE ALL DAY.
UH, I THINK WE SHOULD JUST MOVE ON.
UM, FIRST AND FOREMOST, I THINK PUTTING IT ON THE RECORD AND BEING VERY CLEAR ON THE RECORD, EVEN THOUGH I KNOW MAYBE SOMEONE LIKE YOURSELF DOESN'T WANT TO PUT THINGS ON THE RECORD, I UNDERSTAND THAT, AND I AGREE BECAUSE DECISIONS WERE MADE THAT EMBARRASSES CITY, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE'RE HAVING A CONSTRUCTIVE CONVERSATION.
TO BE VERY CLEAR, UM, OUTSIDE OF STEVE MARIN, WHO WAS THE PERSON THAT RECOMMENDED THIS POSITION TO ARIEL FERNANDEZ, I DON'T KNOW OF ANYBODY THAT CALLED ME AND SAID THAT THE SMARTEST THING THAT WE DID WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A COMMISSION MEETING, BASICALLY WAS HIRE A MANAGER WITHOUT EVEN HAVING A RESUME.
I THINK THAT WAS PROBABLY ONE OF THE FOOLISH AND PROBABLY MOST HAPHAZARD THING WE'VE EVER SEEN HERE HAPPEN IN THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES.
'CAUSE NOBODY IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WOULD EVER, WOULD EVER, EVER, WOULD EVER IN A LARGE CORPORATION IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR HIRE SOMEBODY OFF THE STREET WITHOUT EVEN REVIEWING A RESUME OR UNDERSTANDING WHO THAT PERSON WAS.
THEY WOULD, AT THE END OF THE DAY, HAVE A PROCESS.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE CALLED FOR.
SO I'M HAPPY YOU BROUGHT THAT UP BECAUSE IT GIVES ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUT THAT ON THE RECORD.
I'M GONNA GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO THE NEXT SLIDE IS ONE THAT WAS REQUESTED SEVERAL YEARS AGO.
AND SO WE PRESENTED EACH YEAR, THIS IS A PRESENTATION OF, UM, SALARIES FOR EACH DEPARTMENT COMPARED TO THEIR TOTAL EXPENSE AND WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THEIR, UH, DEPARTMENT IS, UM, IS PERSONNEL COST.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE HERE, UM, THE LIST STARTING WITH THE CITY COMMISSION.
UM, THIS WOULD BE THE TIME FOR ME TO NOTE THAT THE CITY COMMISSION SALARIES INCREASE EACH YEAR BY CPI.
AND SO THIS YEAR'S CPI, THAT'S INCLUDED IN THE JULY ONE ESTIMATE IS JUST OVER 3%.
THIS IS BASED ON THE CPI THAT'S AVAILABLE TO US.
WE WILL REFINE THAT NUMBER, UH, SOMETIME AT THE END OF AUGUST WHEN WE GET THE CPI THROUGH JULY, WHICH IS THE CPI THAT WE BASE THE BUDGET ON, UM, BASED ON OUR CODE.
UM, AND SO YOU CAN SEE HERE THAT SALARIES, UM, ARE GENERALLY 80% OF THE OPERATING BUDGET.
UM, AND JUST GOING DOWN THE LINE OVERALL, IT IS 63% OF OUR DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET, WHICH MAKES SENSE BECAUSE OUR CITY IS A SERVICE CITY.
AND SO IN ORDER TO, UM, PROVIDE SERVICES, WE REQUIRE LABOR.
UM, IT IS ALSO A TESTAMENT THAT DEPARTMENTS KEEP THEIR BUDGETS, THEIR OPERATING BUDGETS VERY, VERY LEAN.
AND SO WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF, UM, EXTRA FUNDING WITHIN OUR OPERATING BUDGETS.
YOU CAN SEE IN DEPARTMENTS LIKE PUBLIC WORKS OR IN COMMUNITY RECREATION, THE PERCENTAGE OF THEIR SALARIES TO THEIR OPERATING BUDGET IS A LITTLE BIT LOWER BECAUSE THEY CARRY A HIGH OPERATING COSTS, SUPPLIES, UM, DIFFERENT MACHINERY THAT THEY USE IN THEIR, IN THEIR SERVICE.
AND SO, UM, THAT IS THE CHART.
IF THERE'S NO QUESTIONS, I'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
SO WE HAD THIS MEETING ON JUNE 3RD.
UM, THE NEXT FEW SLIDES ARE THE CAPITAL FUNDING THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET.
UM, AS NOTED FOR A TOTAL OF, OOPS, I'D HAVE TO REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS, $51 MILLION.
SO I'LL JUST GO THROUGH THE CATEGORIES.
YOU'VE ALL HEARD THESE PROJECTS, WE PRESENTED THEM ON JUNE 3RD.
UM, SO THE PUBLIC WAS ABLE TO HEAR THEM AS WELL.
IF THERE'S ANY SPECIFIC PRO, UM, QUESTIONS, I CAN GO THROUGH THEM.
SO, 4.6 MILLION IN CAPITAL EQUIPMENT, JUST OVER 6 MILLION FOR FACILITY PROJECTS.
9.3 MILLION INVESTMENT INTO HISTORICAL FACILITY PROJECTS, 4 MILLION, JUST OVER 4 MILLION IN THE REPLACEMENT AND RENEWAL OF OUR MOTOR VEHICLE FLEET.
PARKING PROJECTS, JUST OVER A MILLION DOLLARS PARKS AND RECREATIONS.
[00:40:01]
INCLUDES THE COUNTRY CLUB OF JUST UNDER $5.3 MILLION.PUBLIC SAFETY IMPROVE IMPROVEMENTS JUST UNDER $2.6 MILLION.
TRANSPORTATION AND RIGHT OF WAY OF $10.8 MILLION.
THIS DOES INCLUDE FUNDING THAT WE ARE RECEIVING FROM THE COUNTY.
UM, THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY OF THE APPROPRIATIONS THAT WERE, UH, RECENTLY APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR.
THOSE WILL BE, UM, INCLUDED IN OUR SEPTEMBER BUDGET.
AND I'LL, I CAN GO THROUGH THOSE UTILITY REPAIR IMPROVEMENTS, $11.3 MILLION FOR A TOTAL CAPITAL BUDGET OF $55 MILLION.
4 MILLION OF THAT IS FLEET REPLACEMENT, WHICH IS ACTUALLY IN THE OPERATING BUDGET.
AND AS I MENTIONED, THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE THE APPROPRIATIONS THAT WERE RECENTLY APPROVED BY THE GOVERNOR.
THAT WILL BE INCLUDED IN OUR SEPTEMBER ESTIMATE.
AND THOSE INCLUDE 900,000 FOR ENVI REMEDIATION OF OUR DEBRIS SITE.
450,000 FOR GRAVITY, GRAVITY, SANITARY SEWER PIPE REHABILITATION, 400,000 FOR TRAFFIC CALMING AND SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, 225,000 FOR THE DOWNTOWN DRAINAGE FLOOD MITIGATION, AND 225,000 FOR THE PONDS CORRIDOR WATERWAY FLOOD MITIGATION, UH, FOR A TOTAL OF $2.2 MILLION.
YOU'LL RECALL THAT A COUPLE OF ITEMS WERE NOT APPROVED.
UM, I'M SORRY, THAT IS NOT WHAT WAS INCLUDED.
THOSE ARE THE ITEMS THAT WERE SUBMITTED.
ALRIGHT, I GOT THROWN OFF A LITTLE BIT WITH THE PRIOR DISCUSSION, SEE IF THE ITEMS THAT WERE APPROVED, I'M SORRY, THE TRAFFIC ITEM WAS, UH, VETOED BY THE MAYOR.
SO THE 400,000 FOR TRAFFIC CALMING WAS NOT APPROVED.
THE, UM, THE WATERWAY AND THE DOWNTOWN DRAINAGE AND FLOOD MITIGATION WAS NOT APPROVED FOR 225,000.
THE MAYOR DOESN'T HAVE VETO POWER HERE IN THE CITY OF CORAL GABLE.
THE GOVERNOR JUST WANNA MAKE SURE BECAUSE HE THE GOVERNOR THAT'LL MAKE IT ONTO THE BLOGS TOMORROW.
MAYBE I'M MAKING PREDICTIONS THE GOVERNOR
YOU KNOW, WE, WE HIT, WE HIT THE HIGHEST NUMBERS WE'VE HIT IN THREE YEARS, SO YES, GOOD POINT.
AND I WANT TO CONGRATULATE OUR STAFF.
LIKE I SAID YESTERDAY, WELL DONE.
SO MY INTERN DID NOT SHOW UP, BUT SHE DID A GREAT PRESENTATION YESTERDAY.
THIS WAS GOING TO BE HER PRESENTATION SLIDE.
SHE WAS, UH, VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN ASSISTING US IN PREPARING THIS PRESENTATION THIS YEAR.
UM, SHE DID AN AMAZING JOB OF LEARNING ABOUT THE MILLAGE AND HOW THAT'S CALCULATED.
SO I AM IMPRESSED BY HER ABILITY TO, UM, TAKE ON DIFFICULT INFORMATION SO QUICKLY THROUGH THE MAYOR.
WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE WHEN YOU BRING THIS, UH, SLIDE BACK UP IN, IN SEPTEMBER, COULD YOU BREAK THOSE, UH, THOSE COLUMNS UP INTO WHAT'S, UH, MUNICIPAL, WHAT IS, UM, A SCHOOL BOARD AND WHAT IS, UH, UH, COUNTY? BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR RESIDENTS TO REALIZE THAT'S NOT JUST US.
AND HOW MUCH THE SCHOOLS AND THE COUNTY GET FROM THEIR TAXES.
AND WHAT A SMALL PORTION, REALLY SMALL PORTION THE MUNICIPAL, UH, TAX, UH, LEVY IS ON, ON THE RESIDENTS.
WE DO HAVE, UH, TWO SLIDES FROM NOW.
WE DO HAVE AN EXAMPLE OF THAT FOR OUR CITY.
UM, SO AS YOU CAN SEE HERE, THIS IS A COMPARISON OF ALL, UH, MIAMI-DADE COUNTY CITIES AND THEIR TOTAL MILLAGE TO THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES.
LAST YEAR WE WERE 12TH LOWEST.
THIS IS THE ADOPTED MILLAGE FOR LAST, FOR THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR.
WE WILL UPDATE THIS NEXT YEAR WITH THE WHAT, WITH WHAT'S, UM, ADOPTED THIS YEAR.
UM, AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT KI BISCAY CONTINUES TO REMAIN THE LOWEST MILLAGE OF THE FULL SERVICE CITIES, UM, PROVIDING POLICE AND FIRE SERVICES.
UM, WE ARE, UH, SECOND TO THE FULL SERVICE CITIES.
UM, AND THEN YOU HAVE, SO THE FULL SERVICE CITIES ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN BLUE SURFSIDE MIAMI BEACH.
UH, YOU HAVE MIAMI BEACH AND MIAMI AND HIALEAH.
UM, AND WE STILL CONTINUE TO BE SECOND IN THAT LIST.
THE NEXT SLIDE IS GOING TO PROVIDE YOU A COMPARISON OF JUST THE CITY MILLAGE FOR THOSE FULL SERVICE CITIES.
UM, AND SO CORAL GABLES MILLAGE, THE MILLAGE THAT WE ARE PROPOSING
[00:45:01]
TODAY IS 5.559 FOR THE 12TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR.UM, THE ESTIMATED CITY PORTION OF PROPERTY TAXES FOR THE AVERAGE HOMESTEADED VALUE OF $1,012,564 WOULD BE $5,629.
IF A RESIDENT WAS TO HAVE THAT SAME PROPERTY IN THE CITY OF MIAMI, WHOSE MILLAGE IS 7.3616, THAT ESTIMATE WOULD BE, UH, JUST OVER $7,400 AN IN, UH, INCREASE OF $1,800 TO THE CITY.
TO OUR CITY'S MILLAGE, MIAMI BEACH, THEIR OPERATING MILLAGE IS 6.113 OR THEIR CITY MILLAGE IS 6.113.
THEIR ESTIMATED, UM, PROPERTY TAX FOR THE SAME AVERAGE VALUE IN THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES WOULD BE JUST OVER $6,200, $582 OVER OUR RESIDENCE IN HIE E THE MILLAGE RATE, THE CITY MILLAGE RATE IS 6.3018.
THE, UM, AVERAGE PROPERTY VALUE ON THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES WOULD PAY JUST OVER $6,300 FOR $752 DIFFERENCE TO CITY, TO CITY OF CORAL GABLES RESIDENCE.
AND IN CBI GAIN, THEIR MILLAGE RATE IS 2.8846.
THEIR, UM, THE SAME VALUE WOULD PAY $2,900 JUST UNDER $3,000 FOR A DIFFERENCE OF $2,708 LESS THAN THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES TO THE MAYOR.
UM, QUESTION OF THESE OTHER CITIES THAT YOU'RE DOING A COMPARATIVE, DO ANY OF THEM, UM, I'M GONNA USE THE WORD SUBSIDIZE, ALTHOUGH IT'S PROBABLY NOT CORRECT, THE GARBAGE FEE? OR IS IT BILLED SEPARATELY? TOTAL? UM, SO I BELIEVE, I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT MIAMI BEACH BILL SEPARATELY, UM, I BELIEVE CSCA ALSO PAYS SEPARATELY, UM, NOT FAMILIAR WITH ALIAS, UM, PRACTICE.
AND I BELIEVE MIAMI ALSO HAS A SEPARATE SOLID WASTE FEE.
I DON'T KNOW IF THEY SUBSIDIZE IT.
WE CAN FIND THAT OUT FOR YOU OR IF THEY, UH, BILL THE TOTAL COST.
YEAH, BUT, BUT IF YOU WERE GONNA ACTUALLY COMPARE APPLES TO APPLES, YOU WOULD HAVE TO HAVE AN EFFECTIVE MILLAGE RATE BASED UPON THE AMOUNT OF SUBSID SUBSIDY THAT WE DO PROVIDE FOR, UM, RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES HERE.
SO 5.5590 IS NOT ACTUALLY WHAT THEY'RE CHARGED BASED UPON THE AMOUNT OF SUBSIDY.
YEAH, TO THAT POINT AS WELL, THERE ARE CITIES THAT HAVE VOTED DEBT.
UM, WE DON'T, WE HAVE CHOSEN NOT TO HAVE VOTED DEBT.
SO THEY ARE CITIES THAT HAVE A SEPARATE DEBT, DEBT SERVICE MILLAGE, AND THEY FUND CAPITAL WITH A SEPARATE MILLAGE.
SO THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPARISONS THAT WE WOULD NEED TO MAKE TO MAKE IT APPLES TO APPLES, BUT CERTAINLY THE SUBSIDY OF SOLID WASTE AND WHETHER THEY FULLY COVER THAT, UM, WOULD BE A, A GOOD COMPARISON AS WELL.
SO WE CAN FI CAN FIND THAT OUT FOR YOU AND BRING THAT TO YOU.
'CAUSE SOMETIMES, UM, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT SOME OF THE FEES THAT ARE CHARGED BY OTHER CITIES EXPLAIN WHY THEIR MILLAGE RATE IS LOWER.
THERE ARE OTHER FACTORS LIKE THEIR PENSION LIABILITY AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE TOO.
OF COURSE, THAT, THAT IS A GOOD POINT.
IF THERE'S NO OTHER QUESTIONS, I'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THIS SLIDE PROVIDES A VIEW OF THE CORAL GABLES PROPERTIES BY TYPE.
AND SO WE'VE MENTIONED THIS IN THE CONVERSATION ABOUT THE, UM, THE VOTE FOR THE HOMESTEAD, UM, THE CHANGE TO THE HOMESTEAD.
UM, 54.1 OF OUR, UH, PROPERTIES CONTINUE TO BE HOMESTEADED RESIDENTIAL.
UM, SO THAT'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE.
UM, 31.8 IS NON HOMESTEADED RESIDENTIAL, AND THEN 8.7 IS COMMERCIAL, AND 5.4 IS ALL OTHERS.
YOU'LL NOTICE A SMALL DECREASE IN HOMESTEAD RESIDENTIAL, BUT IT, I BELIEVE IT'S OFFSET BY THAT NON-HOMESTEAD RESIDENTIAL SLIGHT INCREASE.
AND, UM, SO PROBABLY THEIR NEW RESIDENTS AND IT'LL TURN OVER NEXT YEAR WHEN THEY ARE ELIGIBLE FOR HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.
UM, SO THIS IS AN IMPORTANT FACTOR TO CONSIDER WHEN WE'RE CONSIDERING THE VOTE THAT'S GOING TO, UM, THAT'S GOING TO OUR RESIDENTS, UH, TO INCREASE THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION FROM 50,000 TO 150,000 AND 250,000 IN THE SUBSEQUENT YEAR.
WE'VE TALKED A LITTLE BIT ABOUT IT.
UM, WE'RE NOT FOCUSING ON IT IN THIS PRESENTATION BECAUSE THIS, UM, IT WILL NOT AFFECT THIS BUDGET, ALTHOUGH WE ARE CONSIDERING IT AS WE PLAN THIS BUDGET.
UM, WE'RE ESTIMATING A DECREASE IN PROPERTY TAX REVENUE OF ABOUT $5.7 MILLION NEXT YEAR.
[00:50:01]
AND, UM, AND ALMOST DOUBLE THAT FOR $11.4 MILLION IN THE SUBSEQUENT YEAR.WE, UM, HAVE BEGUN SPEAKING INTERNALLY AND I KNOW THAT WE'VE SPOKEN WITH SOME OF YOU ABOUT THE DIFFERENT APPROACHES THAT WE WILL LOOK AT TO, UM, TO BE ABLE TO, UM, I'M NOT GONNA SAY ABSORB, BUT TO BE ABLE TO WEATHER THAT, UM, AND TO CHANGE THE WAY WE DO THINGS.
AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS, UM, INTERNALLY AND WITH EACH OF YOU AS WE APPROACH NEXT FISCAL YEAR'S BUDGET.
BUT I IMAGINE THAT OUR BUDGET PROCESS WILL LOOK A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT AND WE'LL BE BRINGING TO YOU OUR IDEAS OF HOW, UM, OF HOW WE'LL ADDRESS THOSE, UH, DECREASES IN REVENUE.
UM, LIKE, UH, IN THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET, AND I DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IT IN THE CAPITAL SECTION, WE MADE SURE, WHICH IS A PRACTICE THAT WE STARTED SEVERAL YEARS AGO, BUT PARTICULARLY IN 2023 WITH THE GUY, WITH THE, UM, THE GUIDANCE OF THE CITY MANAGER'S OFFICE IN THIS COMMISSION OF TAKING RECURRING REVENUE AND PUTTING IT INTO CAPITAL BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THAT RECURRING REVENUE IS BEING USED NOW FOR ONE-TIME ITEMS. UM, AND SO THOSE ONE-TIME ITEMS COULD, AND I'M GONNA USE THE WORD VERY LIGHTLY, EASILY BE REMOVED, RIGHT? SO FOR INSTANCE, IN THIS BUDGET CYCLE, UM, I KNOW THAT ABOUT $6.3 MILLION OF PROJECTS ARE ONE TIME ARE REALLY ONE TIME IN NATURE.
FOR INSTANCE, THE ALEJANDRA WATER TOWER ALONE IS, UM, ALMOST 1.8, $1.75 MILLION.
SO THAT WILL NOT BE A REOCCURRING COST IN OUR CAPITAL NEXT YEAR.
AND WE CAN COUNT ON IT TO HELP BALANCE OUR OPERATING BUDGET IF WE NEED TO.
THERE WILL, THERE WILL BE, UM, SUBSEQUENT CAPITAL NEEDS THAT WE'LL NEED TO FUND, BUT WE KNOW THAT AT LEAST IT'S ALMOST LIKE A SAFE KEEPING THAT WE ARE USING RECURRING FUNDS FOR ONE TIME ITEMS. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO REMOVE ALL OF THE 6.3 MILLION, BUT IN THE, IN THE EFFORT OF IMPACTING SERVICES AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE FOR OUR RESIDENTS WHILE HAVING A BALANCED APPROACH TO FUNDING CAPITAL IMPACT, I THINK THAT, UH, WE WILL BE ABLE TO COME UP WITH A GOOD PLAN OF HOW TO GET THERE AND NOT, UM, COMPLETELY IMPACT ALL OF OUR SERVICES.
WHILE IT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT I'M ADVOCATING FOR, BUT IT'S STILL, UM, WAYS FOR US TO CONSIDER HOW TO GET THERE.
MR. MANAGER, I KNOW, I KNOW THIS MAY NOT BE THE RIGHT OR APPROPRIATE TIME TO DISCUSS THIS, BUT I'M GONNA TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY THAT WE'RE IN THE SUNSHINE HERE WITH MY COLLEAGUES.
UM, I'M GONNA BE CALLING FOR THE NEXT COMMISSION MEETING.
I'M GONNA BE REQUESTING TO PUT IT ON THE AGENDA AFTER I SPEAK WITH YOU.
I HAVEN'T EVEN HAD A CHANCE TO EVEN SPEAK TO YOU WITH IT.
UM, AND GET YOUR GUIDANCE ON IT.
UM, I LIKE TO BUILD A BLUE RIBBON PANEL WITH EACH MEMBER OF THE COMMISSION ALONG WITH THE MANAGER, CITY ATTORNEY, CITY CLERK, UM, HAVING A MEMBER, UM, WHO IS WELL VERSED IN FINANCE PERSON WHO REPRESENTS THE COMMUNITY, UH, TO REALLY DIGEST AND WORK WITH STAFF TO REVIEW ON YOURSELF, TO REVIEW OUR BUDGET.
AND LEMME TELL YOU WHY, WHY I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA.
I THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA BECAUSE IT WILL ALLOW THIS BLUE, BLUE RIBBON PANEL TO START JUST LIKE WE DID WHAT WE DO EVERY 10 YEARS NOW, NOT EVERY EIGHT, EVERY 10 YEARS, UH, WITH OUR, OUR CHARTER REVIEW.
THE CHARTER'S PRETTY SIMPLE IF YOU LOOK AT IT.
BUT WHAT I, WHAT I THINK THE CHARTER REVIEW PROCESS REALLY DELIVERS IS ENGAGING IN THE PUBLIC, MAKING THE PUBLIC UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS AND BEING VERY TRANSPARENT, HAVING MULTIPLE MEETINGS ENGAGING, GETTING PUBLIC INPUT.
SO I THINK THAT THE BLUE RIBBON PANEL WOULD SERVE AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO START EDUCATING A LOT OF THE RESIDENTS WHO ARE HIGHLY EDUCATED, WHO ARE VERY AFFLUENT AND VERY HIGHLY EDUCATED COMMUNITY, BUT TO ENGAGE THEM IN THE CONVERSATION OF WHETHER THERE MAY BE POSSIBLE CUTS AND WHAT ARE THE RAMIFICATIONS FROM YEAR ONE TO YEAR TWO, AS YOU'VE SEEN, 5.7 TO ALMOST $12 MILLION.
SO I, I LIKE TO SEE IF THAT'S, THERE'S AN APPETITE FOR THAT.
I'M GONNA BRING IT UP IN THE NEXT COMMISSION MEETING.
UM, SO WE CAN HAVE REAL CONVERSATIONS, HAVE PEOPLE REALLY DIGEST, REALLY DELVE INTO THE BUDGET.
AND WE CAN HAVE LIKE PUBLIC MEETINGS AND MAYBE TWO OR THREE PUBLIC MEETINGS SO WE CAN HAVE CONVERSATIONS AND WE CAN TALK ABOUT SIMPLE THINGS.
LIKE WE CONTINUE TO FUND SOMETHING THAT WE STARTED EIGHT YEARS AGO, WHICH IS THE SEA LEVEL RISE INITIATIVE FOR $4 MILLION A YEAR.
UH, DO WE CONTINUE TO, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE, WHAT ARE CONVERSATIONS? I DON'T EVEN WANNA BRING UP CERTAIN THINGS HERE BECAUSE BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, UH, THERE'LL BE AN ARTICLE ON IT TOMORROW, YOU KNOW THAT I'M AGAINST BACK, YOU KNOW, GARBAGE PICKUP IN THE REAR OR, OR, OR UH, OR POT OR THE, UH, TRASH PITS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
THAT'S NOT WHAT, WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
TRYING TO FIND WAYS TO BALANCE A BUDGET WITHOUT AFFECTING SERVICES, CONTINUING THAT.
BUT IF WE CUT FROM CAPITAL, WE'RE CUTTING OUR NOSE IN SPITE OF OUR FACE, WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL,
[00:55:01]
JUST LIKE WHAT WE DID WHEN WE ACCEPTED THE COOP AND WE CUT OUR NOSE IN SPITE OF OUR FACE BECAUSE WHAT WE DID WAS, INSTEAD OF KEEPING IT AT A NINE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLAR PAYMENT, AND I KNOW NOBODY LIKES TO HEAR THAT, BUT I LIKE TO REPEAT IT OVER AND OVER AGAIN SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THAT, TO NEVER MAKE THAT MISTAKE AGAIN.NOW WE'RE MAKING A SEVEN AND A HALF MILLION DOLLAR PAYMENT.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S IT'S VERY EASY TO POINT FINGERS AT YOU.
THE FUNNY THING IS, YOU SENT OUT EMAIL.
YOU RECOGNIZED ME, BUT YOU IN NO, I DID NOT.
OKAY, LISTEN, YOU SHOULD WORRY BY YOURSELF.
THAT'S WHY, THAT'S WHY IT'S VERY CLEAR YOU SHOULD WORRY ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHY I'M BEING, DID I MENTION YOUR NAME? I DIDN'T MENTION YOUR NAME.
I DIDN'T, YOU DID IN AN EMAIL.
SO MY POINT IS, STOP INTERRUPTING ME.
COMMISSIONER, CONTROL YOURSELF.
YOU'RE VERY, VERY CONCERNED ABOUT ROBERT'S RULES AND ALL KINDS OF THINGS, BUT YOU SEEM TO NOT KNOW HOW THE MEETING IS RUN.
OKAY? SO LET ME EXPLAIN TO YOU ONCE AGAIN, WHEN YOU CUT $2 MILLION FROM A CO, WHICH IS A VERY SIMPLE THING TO DO, YOU ONLY EXTEND THE PAYBACK PERIOD.
MY GOAL WAS TO WHOEVER'S LEFT THAT FROM GUN IS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE $25 MILLION AT YOUR DISPOSAL THAT YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO USE TO PAY DOWN THE UNFUNDED.
SO THAT'S WHY WE TIGHTEN OUR BELTS AND WE MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS AND WE DON'T DO THE SIMPLE THINGS THAT GENERATE VOTES.
WE MAKE THE TOUGH DECISIONS THAT MAKE SURE THAT WE SHORE UP THIS SHIP AND IT CONTINUES TO SAIL MOVING FORWARD.
SO AT, AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK THAT PUTTING TOGETHER A BLUE RIBBON PANEL TO DISCUSS EVERY OUT WOULD ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY AND ALLOW 'EM TO SAY, HEY, LISTEN, I THINK WE NEED, WE SHOULD SPEND $4 MILLION ON SEA RIDES.
OKAY? THEN WHERE ARE WE GONNA CUT THE MONEY FROM? 'CAUSE IF WE CUT CAPITAL, YOU'RE GONNA BE CUTTING WHAT YOU'RE SPENDING ON TO MAKE SURE THAT HISTORICAL PROJECTS CONTINUE TO BE TOP CLASS.
WHAT ARE WE GONNA SPEND IN REGARDS TO PICKLEBALL, COURTS AND TENNIS COURTS? AND, YOU KNOW, THE YOUTH, THE YOUTH CENTER, WHICH WE'RE NOT SPENDING MONEY ON THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT THERE'S A LITANY OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT REQUIRE ATTENTION.
SO THIS IS GONNA BE A VERY TOUGH, TOUGH PROCESS.
UH, AND WE CAN TAKE, WE CAN TAKE THE MONEY FROM AREAS THAT SEEM VERY, VERY SIMPLE, BECAUSE THEY MAY SEEM BENIGN.
OH, WE JUST CUT FROM THE UNFUNDED LIABILITY A MILLION DOLLARS HERE.
YOU'RE ONLY HURTING YOURSELF BY DOING THAT.
YOU UNDERSTAND? BUT WE HAVE TO BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL.
UM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT IT PAINS ME TO, PAINS ME TO SAY IT, LIKE I'VE SAID BEFORE, ONE OF THE FEW ITEMS THAT I, THE ONLY ITEM THAT I HAVE ON THE AGENDA, EXCUSE ME, ON THE BUDGET, WHICH I'VE ADVOCATED EVERY SINGLE YEAR AS MY OWN, MY ONLY PET PROJECT IS THE $500,000 THAT WE'VE HAD FOR LAND ACQUISITION.
AND I'VE BEEN THE FIRST ONE TO SAY, CUT IT.
I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO FACE IS THE $4 MILLION, BECAUSE IT'S A ONE, IT'S A BIG LUMP SUM AMOUNT FOR SEA LEVEL RISE.
WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY IN THAT ACCOUNT.
HOW MUCH DO WE HAVE ALREADY IN THAT ACCOUNT? 32.
AGAIN, I KNOW THAT WE CAN'T USE THAT MONEY BECAUSE IT'S AN ENTERPRISE FUND.
BUT MAYBE WE DON'T FUND THAT ANYMORE.
AND THAT GETS US PROBABLY 70% OF THE WAY.
UM, OF COURSE, THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF DIVERSITY OF OPINION.
THERE'S GONNA BE A LOT OF DIVERSITY OF OPINION ON ALL, ALL THESE ISSUES, WHICH IS, SO THE MEMBERSHIP ON THIS PARTICULAR COMMITTEE MIGHT NEED TO BE A LOT BROADER THAN JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU MIGHT WANT TO TAKE YOUR, YOUR CURRENT FOLKS THAT ARE SERVING ON THE BUDGET BOARD AND HAVE ADDITIONAL FOLKS APPOINTED, OR FROM EACH DISCIPLINE SO THAT IT CAN HAVE A ROBUST DISCUSSION ON YEAH, WHERE DO WE MAKE THESE CUTS? SAID, AND I WELCOME THAT FEEDBACK.
AGAIN, AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE A, IT'S GONNA BE SOMETHING THAT GONNA BE THIS COMMISSION'S RESPONSIBILITY.
AND IF YOU READ THAT WALL STREET JOURNAL ARTICLE THAT CAME OUT, YOU CAN SEE THAT PEOPLE ARE BRACING AND WE'RE BLESSED, LIKE THE VICE MAYOR SAID OF OUR CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT.
BUT IF WE DIDN'T HAVE A CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT, YOU HAVE SOME CITIES THAT, IN THAT ARTICLE, THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT 30, 40% CUTS IN THEIR BUDGET.
AND THAT WOULD BE A TSUNAMI IN THIS COMMUNITY.
UH, WE'VE BEEN FORTUNATE THAT WE'VE RUN, RUN A VERY LEAN OPERATION FOR A LONG TIME.
WE EXPECT THE $5.7 MILLION TO GO IN 28, ANOTHER $5.7 MILLION TO GO IN 29, A TOTAL OF 11.4 MILLION.
WE'VE HAD, UH, WE'VE ALREADY HAD A NUMBER OF SCENARIOS THAT THAT, THAT WE'VE BEEN LOOKING AT TO SEE WHERE, WHERE THIS FUNDING CAN, CAN, CAN TAKE PLACE.
ALSO GONNA BE A FUNCTION OF WHAT OUR PROPERTY VALUES ARE AT THAT TIME ALSO.
BUT THERE'S A LOT OF VARIABLES HERE, UH, THAT WE, THAT, THAT WE HAVE, I THINK, UH, A COMMITTEE WOULD BE, WOULD BE VERY GOOD TO, SO, SO THAT, UH, WE CAN HAVE, UH, RESIDENT INPUT INTO, INTO WHAT WE DO.
OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR, OUR FEELING IS CUT IS CUT.
[01:00:01]
DO NOT CUT.SERVICES DO NOT CUT SERVICES DO NOT CUT CAPITAL.
AND I THINK THAT, UH, WITH VARIOUS SCENARIOS THAT WE HAVE, I THINK WE CAN GET THAT DONE.
UH, IT'S, IT'S GONNA, IT'S GONNA TAKE OTHER THINGS.
UH, WE'VE SUBSIDIZED TRASH FOR A LOT OF MONEY.
UH, SO SHOULD WE CONTINUE SUBSIDIZING AT, AT THAT LEVEL? YOU MENTIONED THE, UH, THE, UH, THE, UH, UH, FUND, THE SEA LEVEL RISE FUND, THAT'S $4 MILLION.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF AREAS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT, THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THAT ARE NICE TO HAVE.
BUT, UH, DO WE REALLY NEED, NEED, UH, THREE.
WE, WE SUBSIDIZED TRASH BY $3.6 MILLION A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
SO, UH, THAT, THAT'S QUITE A BIT OF MONEY ALSO.
SO I, I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF SCENARIOS THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT AND, UH, AND THERE'S A LOT OF VARIABLES THAT, UH, ARE GONNA TAKE PLACE.
WE'VE ALREADY LOOKED AT VARIOUS SCENARIOS IN THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET.
WE'VE ASKED OUR DIRECTORS TO BE AS LEAN AS POSSIBLE, UH, TRYING TO GET READY FOR WHAT WE BELIEVE WHAT WE BELIEVE IS COMING, WHICH IS $5.7 MILLION REDUCTION IN OUR, IN, IN OUR FUNDING.
I WANNA BE CLEAR MR. MANAGER ON THAT POINT.
AND THAT IS, I HAVE FULL FAITH AND CONFIDENCE IN OUR FINANCE TEAM.
I TELL 'EM EVERY SINGLE DAY ALONG WITH YOUR OFFICE.
BUT I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY JUST TO GET PEOPLE TO REALLY UNDERSTAND, TO REALLY ENGAGE.
'CAUSE THEY'RE GONNA GO OUT AND VOTE.
MAYBE WE USE IT AS A TOOL TO EXPLAIN, HEY, WHERE YOU GO AND CAST THAT VOTE.
I'M NOT SAYING YOU TO VOTE IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.
I BELIEVE THERE SHOULD BE TAX CUTS, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN RETIRED AND BEEN PAYING THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR, THEIR, THEIR HOMES FOR SO MANY YEARS.
RETIREES IN THIS COMMUNITY DESERVE A TAX CUT.
UM, WE'LL FIRMLY SAY THAT OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
AND I ALSO THINK THAT PEOPLE WHO ARE FIRST TIME HOME BUYERS DESERVE A TAX CUT.
SO THEY CAN AFFORD TO LIVE IN THIS COMMUNITY FOR A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME, MAYBE FOUR OR FIVE YEARS.
BUT THAT'S NOT THE CONVERSATION TODAY.
I THINK THE PURPOSE OF, OF THAT, OF THAT, OF THAT BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE OR WHATEVER THE COMMITTEE IS, IS JUST TO EDUCATE AND SAY, LISTEN, THIS IS WHAT'S COMING.
'CAUSE I DON'T THINK PEOPLE REALLY, THEY, THEY READ IT, BUT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND THE IMPLICATIONS IN THEIR OWN CITY.
AND I JUST, ONE OF THE PURPOSES OF THE REDUCTION AND THE GARBAGE FEE WAS TO HELP THOSE OUT WHO NEEDED HELP THE MOST.
IT WAS A WAY OF GIVING A REDUCTION IN TAXES THAT DIDN'T HELP THE WEALTHY THE MOST.
IT HELPED THOSE WHO ARE STRUGGLING THE MOST.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS I'D LIKE THE COMMITTEE TO LOOK AT, AND I'D LIKE OUR STAFF TO LOOK AT IS, UH, IS THERE A WAY TO GEAR THE, THE GARBAGE FEE WHERE THERE'S AN APPLICATION PROCESS? ARE WE MIRROR WHAT THE COUNTY'S DOING TO GIVE A REDUCTION TO THOSE WHO NEED IT THE MOST? THOSE WHO ARE STRUGGLING, THOSE WHO ARE UNDER A CERTAIN INCOME LEVEL, WHETHER IT'S 50,000, UH, OR ANOTHER NUMBER THAT CAN BE DEBATED AMONGST THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AS THE APPROPRIATE LEVEL AT WHICH, UH, THE SUBSIDIES SHOULD APPLY.
YOU DO AN APPLICATION, YOU HAVE A SWORN AFFIDAVIT THAT UNDER PENALTY OF PERJURY, YOU ONLY RECEIVE THIS MUCH INCOME.
SO, UH, THAT'S SOMETHING I, I THINK THAT WE COULD DO AND HELP FILL SOME OF THE GAP THAT WE'RE GONNA BE FACING.
SO WE CAN, WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT THAT OPTION.
I'VE TAKEN A NOTE OF THAT SO THAT WE CAN CONSIDER IT IN, IN THAT PROCESS.
AND I APPRECIATE THE MAYOR'S AND THE COMMISSION'S OPENNESS TO LOOKING AT VARIOUS IDEAS, BECAUSE THAT IS EXACTLY THE APPROACH THAT THE MANAGER AND STAFF HAS TALKED ABOUT, IS THAT, UM, THIS IS NOT, YOU KNOW, IT WOULD BE EASY TO SAY, CUT ALL OF IT FROM ONE AREA OR JUST CUT A BUNCH OF POSITIONS OR JUST CUT A SERVICE.
AND THAT'S NOT THE APPROACH THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
AND I AGREE THAT ENGAGEMENT WITH OUR CITIZENS AND WITH THE COMMISSION, UM, ON THE DECISIONS THAT ARE MADE TO GET THERE, WILL BE A VITAL PART OF THIS PROCESS.
UM, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, THIS IS YOUR CITY.
AND SO WHATEVER SERVICES THEY PAY FOR IS, UM, IS REALLY THEIR, IS REALLY BASED ON THEIR INPUT, RIGHT? SO WE REPRESENT THE, YOU ALL REPRESENT THE CITY AND WHAT THEY WANT AND WHAT THEY ARE WILLING TO PAY FOR, WHAT THEY'RE WILLING TO, WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY EXPECT FROM, FROM OUR, UM, FROM THEIR GOVERNMENT.
AND SO I APPRECIATE THE MAYOR'S SUGGESTION TO ENGAGE THE CITIZENS BECAUSE I THINK THAT IT'S GONNA BE A BIG PART OF MAKING THESE DECISIONS FOR THEM AS TO WHAT, WHAT WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE, WHAT WILL GET CUT, WHAT MIGHT GET REFINED, UM, AND THE MORE PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE ENGAGED IN THAT CONVERSATION, AND THE MORE INPUT, I THINK THE BETTER, UH, OF A PLAN WE'RE GONNA COME OUT WITH THE MAYOR.
SO, UM, I LOVE THIS IDEA, YOU KNOW, AS A, AS A GENERAL CONCEPT.
UM, I'M NOT JUST, WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THE, THE CONVERSATION OR THE DEBATE TODAY REGARDING IT, BUT I'M NOT PARTICULARLY IN FAVOR OF A, UM, BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE FOR THE SAKE OF JUST BEING INCLUSIVE AND LARGER.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THEN, THEN, THEN I THINK WE'RE, WE'RE YIELDING TOO MUCH TO, UM, UH, POTENTIALLY TOO MANY DIFFERING VOICES,
[01:05:01]
RIGHT? UH, WHAT I'D LIKED IS THE WAY THAT THE MAYOR HAD TEED IT UP FIRST, RIGHT? YOU FIRST MADE, UH, REFERENCE TO THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE.NOW YOU'RE REFERRING TO A FORM OF LIKE A BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE, AKIN TO THE CHARTER REVIEW COMMITTEE COMPRISED OF INDIVIDUALS WHO HAVE A, A PARTICULAR EXPERTISE IN FINANCE.
NOW, I REITERATE WE HAVE BAR NONE, THE FINEST FINANCE TEAM IN THE LAND.
UM, BUT HAVING REPRESENTATIVES WHO ARE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY VOLUNTEERING THEIR EXPERTISE, BUT DIVERSE ENOUGH, IN MY VIEW, DIVERSE ENOUGH TO REPRESENT AT LEAST APPOINTEES AKIN TO THE CRC FROM THE COMMISSION, UH, AND THE CITY MANAGER AND, UH, THE CITY ATTORNEY, YOU KNOW, SO THAT WE CAN MAYBE HAVE A, I'M JUST SUGGESTING MAYBE A VERSION OF THE CRC IN TERMS OF NUMBER AND REPRESENTATIVE.
AT LEAST THE FOCUS SHOULD BE THERE BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN SELECTED FOR THIS TYPE OF A BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE.
UM, WE HAVE TOWN HALLS, WE HAVE THESE BUDGET MEETINGS THAT THE, I MEAN, WE CAN SEE WE HAVE A VERY FULL GROUP TODAY HERE.
I THINK THERE'S AMPLE OPPORTUNITY FOR THE RESIDENTS TO PROVIDE THEIR THOUGHTS, THEIR VIEWS, EACH OF US HOLDS.
WELL, WE HAVE OFFICE HOURS, UM, BUT I THINK A BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE LASER FOCUSED ON PEOPLE WHO BRING THAT PARTICULAR EXPERTISE IS WHAT I'M MORE IN FAVOR OF, NOT OVER-INCLUSIVE.
UM, I ACTUALLY, I THINK THERE, THERE COULD BE A FUSION BETWEEN BOTH IDEAS.
I, I, I DO LIKE THE, THE VICE MAYOR'S CONCEPT OF HAVING DIFFERENT OPINIONS ON SPECIFIC AREAS BECAUSE THERE ARE PROJECTS THAT MAYBE THE, THE, UH, THOSE ARE IN FINANCE DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND.
UM, BUT MAYBE THERE'S A WAY TO HAVE A SPECIFIC MEETING WHERE YOU CAN HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE OF EACH OF OUR ADVISORY BOARDS THAT WOULD HAVE AN AREA OF EXPERTISE, AND THEY CAN BE PRESENT FOR ANY QUESTIONS THAT, UH, THIS, UH, A BLUE RIBBON PANEL WOULD HAVE.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, I THINK IF YOU EXPAND IT TOO MUCH, IT MAY BECOMES EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR IT TO ACCOMPLISH ITS GOAL.
UH, AND REALLY, AS THE MAYOR SAID, THE GOAL WOULD BE THE FINANCE OF THE CITY.
SO IT SHOULD BE INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE EXPERTS IN THAT AREA, UH, WHO COULD REALLY GIVE THE COMMISSION, UH, SOME SOUND ADVICE, UH, BUT OPEN IT UP FOR THEM TO HAVE THE RIGHT PEOPLE IN THE ROOM TO ANSWER QUESTIONS THAT THEY MAY HAVE.
MY COMMISSIONER AL SAID, UM, AGAIN, WE'RE NOT GONNA FIGURE THIS OUT TODAY.
I JUST BROUGHT IT UP FOR MY COLLEAGUES TO THINK ABOUT IT.
UM, THE CLERK, UH, REMINDED ME CORRECTLY THAT WE HAVE A BUDGET REVIEW COMMITTEE, WHICH AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE COULD, WE COULD USE THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHO, AGAIN, GIVE UP THEIR TIME ALREADY IN REGARDS TO THE CITY, BUT THE INTENT OF WHATEVER, WHATEVER'S THE WILL OF THE COMMISSION, I'M MORE THAN WILLING TO DO.
I JUST THINK THAT EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE PERSON NAMED TO THAT COMMITTEE THAT IT SHOULD BE BASED AROUND, AGAIN, BUDGET AND THE FORTHCOMING TAX IMPLICATIONS.
MY ONLY INTENT, WE'LL BRING IT UP AT THE NEXT COMMISSION MEETING AND, UM, WE'LL HAVE A CONVERSATION AND WE'LL MAKE A DECISION ON THAT POINT.
THANK YOU, MADAM DIRECTOR, MY SCREEN, PLEASE.
AND SO THIS, UM, I WENT AHEAD AND I WENT TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THIS SLIDE IS THE SAME INFORMATION JUST REPRESENTED IN DOLLARS.
SO THIS IS PROPERTY TAX REVENUE BY PROPERTY TYPE.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THAT APPROXIMATELY SE JUST UNDER $72 MILLION COMES FROM OUR HOMESTEADED RESIDENTIAL CURRENTLY IN THE, IN THIS FISCAL YEAR BUDGET, 37.5 FROM NON HOMESTEADED, 25.5 FROM COMMERCIAL, AND 11.8 FROM ALL OTHERS.
THIS ACTUALLY REPRESENTS THE UPDATED, UM, PROPERTY VALUES, UM, GENERATING $146 MILLION IN PROPERTY TAX REVENUE.
UM, OUR JUNE ONE, UM, ESTIMATE INC, UM, I'M SORRY, OUR JULY ONE PROPERTY VALUES.
HOWEVER, THE BUDGET ESTIMATE IS BASED ON THE JUNE ONE VALUE.
SO THIS IS A LE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT'S IN YOUR BOOK, BUT IT'S THE UPDATED INFORMATION.
SO NOT A HUGE INCREASE FROM THE VALUES THAT WE RECEIVED ON JUNE ONE TO JUNE, UM, TO JULY 1ST.
THIS IS PROPERTY, SAME INFORMATION, PROPERTY TAX REVENUE BY PROPERTY TYPE.
UM, THIS IS JUST DEPICTED IN A PIE CHART.
AND THEN THIS IS THE SLIDE THAT WE WERE REFERRING TO, UH, TENDS TO BE A FAVORITE DISCUSSION ITEM BECAUSE IT IS VERY REPRESENTATIVE OF WHAT GOES ON WITH OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE.
AND SO AS, UM, AS THE MAYOR HAS HIGHLIGHTED EACH YEAR, AND AS COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ UH, MENTIONED TODAY, UM, YOUR, THE, UM, PROPERTY TAXES PAID BY THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES RESIDENCE DOES NOT ALL GO TO THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES.
AND SO THAT IS A CONCEPT THAT MANY PEOPLE DON'T KNOW.
UM, AND SO, UM, THIS PIE CHART REFLECTS FOR YOU BASED ON JUST THE CITY'S MILLAGE OF 5.559, WHICH IS WHAT WE SET TODAY.
UM, FOR THE PROPOSED MILLAGE TO GO ON THE TAX BILL, THE CITY RECEIVES 31 CENTS PER TAX DOLLAR OF THE TAXES THAT OUR RESIDENTS PAY.
[01:10:01]
ON THE, UM, AVERAGE, UM, HOMESTEAD TAXABLE VALUE IN, UM, THIS, THEY COUNTY RECEIVES 30 CENTS PER TAX DOLLAR REGIONAL, WHICH IS PRIMARILY THE STATE, RECEIVES JUST 2 CENTS PER TAX DOLLAR PAID BY OUR RESIDENTS.AND THE SCHOOL BOARD ACTUALLY RECEIVES 37 CENTS PER TAX DOLLAR.
UM, SO YOU CAN SEE VERY CLEARLY HERE HOW THE, UM, HOW THE PROPERTY TAXES ARE DIVVIED UP FROM THE DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS.
UM, IT DOES NOT ALL GO TO THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES, HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THAT OUR RESIDENTS WOULD AGREE THAT THE MAJORITY OF THEIR SERVICES ARE PROVIDED BY THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES.
UM, AND SO THIS IS A VERY TELLING SLIDE TO THE MAYOR.
SO THIS IS WHY I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IT ON THE OTHER ONE, SO YOU, IT CAN BE COMPARED.
AND PERHAPS ON THAT ONE, UH, UH, WHAT THE VICE MAYOR WAS MENTIONING ABOUT THE GARBAGE FEE, MAYBE YOU CAN, UM, MAYBE AN INTERN CAN TAKE ON THIS PROJECT, BUT MM-HMM
ADDING REVENUE FROM DIFFERENT FEES AND OTHER MUNICIPALITIES AS WELL, BECAUSE WE MAY END UP BEING NUMBER ONE FOR ALL WE KNOW, UH, BECAUSE OTHERS MAY HAVE ADDITIONAL FEES THAT ARE MAKING UP THE DIFFERENCE OF WHAT THEY'RE NOT COLLECTING ON THE MILLAGE.
UH, SO WE CAN HAVE A REAL ACCURATE, UH, EXAMPLE OF HOW MUCH REVENUES COMING IN FROM THOSE ADDITIONAL FEES.
THAT IN OUR CASE, AS THE VICE MAYOR WAS MENTIONING, WE ARE COVERING THAT FROM THE GENERAL FUND.
SO WE WILL TRY AND MAKE THAT ADJUSTMENT TO THAT TABLE.
MY ONLY CONCERN AS I THINK ABOUT IT, IS THAT TABLE, UM, IS VERY BUSY ALREADY.
SO IT MAY BECOME, BUT WE'LL, BUT WE'LL SEE IF THERE'S A, IF THERE'S A CLEAN WAY FOR US TO MAKE TO HIGHLIGHT TOP 15.
YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO GO ALL THE MUNICIPALITIES ALL ALREADY, BUT IT'LL, IT'LL SHOW US WHERE WE ARE IN THE, IN THE, IN THOSE TOP ONES.
AND THEN JUST THE COMPARISON OF THE FEES.
UM, MANY CITIES HAVE DIFFERENT TYPES OF FEES, SO, WE'LL, AND IT GETS A LITTLE BIT TRICKY AND, UM, IT'S ALMOST LIKE IN, YOU KNOW, IN OTHER AREAS.
UH, BUT WE'LL, WE'LL TRY AND COME UP WITH A COMMON LIST OF FEES AND SEE IF WE CAN, UM, GATHER THAT INFORMATION, UH, BEFORE THE SEPTEMBER HEARING.
I THINK I HAVE, UH, THREE SLIDES LEFT.
SO THIS IS THE ANNUAL PENSION CONTRIBUTION.
UM, SO THIS CHART SHOWS YOU EACH YEAR THE FLUCTUATION BETWEEN THE, UM, ANNUAL REQUIRED CONTRIBUTION TO PENSION, THE EXTRA PENSION PAYMENT, AND, UM, THE PAYMENT TO FRS AND 4 0 1.
AND SO, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE IN 2027, THE BUDGET IS, UH, $24.9 MILLION FOR THE REQUIRED PAYMENT, SLIGHTLY LESS THAN LAST YEAR'S REQUIRED PAYMENT.
UM, WE ALL KNOW THE REASON THAT LAST YEAR INCREASE OF SU SUBSTANTIALLY WE WAS BECAUSE OF THE RETIRE COLA.
UM, ALSO BECAUSE OF, UM, SOME NEW ITEMS TO UNION AGREEMENTS AND SOME, UH, USUAL PENSION, UH, CHANGES.
UM, FOR INSTANCE, THE FUNDING OF THE LOWERING OF THE ASSUMPTION RATE.
UM, AND SO THIS YEAR IT HAS SLIGHTLY GONE DOWN.
UM, THIS YEAR WE ARE ALSO ABLE TO INCREASE THE EXTRA PAYMENT AMOUNT TO 8.6 MILLION, STILL ALMOST $1 MILLION LESS THAN IN 2025.
UM, IN 2026, WE DID HAVE TO DECREASE IT BECAUSE OF THAT, UM, COLA, UM, THE, UH, APPROVAL OF THE COLA FOR THE PA FOR THE RETIREES.
UM, BUT THIS YEAR, EACH YEAR WE APPLY A 1.25% INCREASE TO HOW MUCH WE FUND TOWARDS PENSION.
AND SO PARTIALLY BECAUSE OF THAT, WE WERE ABLE TO FUND ADDITI, UH, AN ADDITIONAL AMOUNT TO THE EXTRA PENSION PAYMENT.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE THAT OUR FRSF FO, UH, 4 0 1 PAYMENTS, UM, SLIGHTLY DECREASED FROM LAST YEAR.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE PARTICIPATION IN THE PLAN HAS INCREASED EVERY YEAR SINCE 2019, WHICH HELPS TO LOWER OUR PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS.
SO THIS SLIDE IS SAME INFORMATION SA SAME PLAN, UM, DIFFERENT INFORMATION.
SO THIS IS THE FUNDING RATIO OF OUR PENSION PLAN YEAR OVER YEAR.
AND SO FOR FISCAL YEAR 27, IS THIS RIGHT? THIS CHART DOESN'T LOOK RIGHT.
UM, IT'S PROJECTING 76% FUNDED IS THE INFORMATION, RIGHT? I, I'M SORRY.
THIS IS FOR THE 25 YEAR, SO THIS IS FOR FISCAL YEAR 27.
WE WILL BE FUNDED AT 76.2% AND 23.8%.
[01:15:01]
THIS IS JUST BASED ON THE ACTUAL ACTUARIAL YEAR.AND SO THE GENERAL FUND RESERVE ANALYSIS.
AND SO, UM, WE HAVE A POLICY OF, UH, FUNDING 25% OF OUR TOTAL OPERATING BUDGET.
AND SO AT THE END OF FISCAL YEAR 25, WE ARE, UM, WE ARE FUNDING THE, UM, REQUIREMENT FOR THE 26 BUDGET, AND WE WILL BE FUNDED AT $64 MILLION.
AND SO EACH YEAR, THAT INCREASES AS OUR BUDGET INCREASES BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO FUND AT LEAST THREE MONTHS OF OPERATING EXPENSES IN ORDER TO BE ABLE TO RECOVER AFTER A MAJOR CATASTROPHE.
UM, AND SO THAT IS, UH, THE FUNDING RATIO FOR EACH YEAR.
I'M SORRY, PAULA, WOULD YOU MIND IF YOU CAN RECALL, GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS SLIDE, THE FUNDING OF THE, UH, PENSION PLAN, THE ANNUAL PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS, COUPLE OF SLIDES BACK ONE MORE WHERE IT GOES THROUGH 2027, RIGHT? YES.
SO, UM, BASED ON WHAT OUR INVESTMENT MANAGERS ARE PREDICTING AND PROJECTING AND GIVEN IF WE MAINTAIN, UH, CONTRIBUTIONS WHERE WE'RE MAKING THE EXTRA PAYMENT, CAN YOU TELL US A COUPLE THINGS? LIKE NUMBER ONE, WHEN IS IT ESTIMATED, THEN THERE WILL BE FULLY FUNDING, I'M GONNA DEFER TO OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR, DIANA GOMEZ.
SO, UM, AT THE LAST MEETING THAT WE HAD WITH THE, UM, PENSION BOARD AND THE JOINT MEETING, UM, THEY DID PRESENT THAT INFORMATION.
AND IF THE ACTUAL INVESTMENT RETURNS ON THE MARKET VALUE OF ASSETS MEETS THE REQUIRED RATE, UM, THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE, WHICH IS 6.95%, THE PLAN IS EXPECTED TO BECOME PRETTY MUCH A HUNDRED PERCENT FUNDED BY, OR IT SAYS 98% FUNDED BY 10, 1 31, AND OVER A HUNDRED PERCENT BY 10, 1 32.
SO BY 10, 1 31, WE WILL BE ESSENTIALLY FULLY FUNDED.
SO THAT'S IF, IF EVERYTHING HOLDS RIGHT? CORRECT.
WE, WE, WE CERTAINLY CAN'T PREDICT WITH THE CRYSTAL BALL, BUT THESE ARE SOME OF THE SMARTEST PEOPLE IN THE ROOM.
THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE GIVING US.
A AS I WOULD SAY, A REASONABLE OR CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE.
SO IN 20 THIR TOWARDS THE END OF 2031, RIGHT? CORRECT.
SO WHAT IMPACT WOULD THAT HAVE THEN ON, UH, ARE AVAILABLE IF FUNDS, UH, WITH HAVING BEEN RELIEVED OF HAVING TO MAKE THE EXTRA PAYMENT? CAN YOU JUST KIND OF, THIS IS FOR, YOU KNOW, SURE.
UM, THE RESIDENTS TO GET A SENSE OF LIKE, WHEN YOU TIGHTEN YOUR BELT, YOU MAKE THOSE EXTRA PAYMENTS, YOU, YOU HOPE FOR THE BEST.
WHAT, WHAT, WHAT IS THE POT OF GOLD IF THERE IS AT THE END OF THAT RAINBOW? SURE.
SO THE NORMAL COST OF THE PLAN IS THE COST TO FUND THE EVERYDAY, UM, PLAN BENEFITS.
UM, ASSUMING NO UNFUNDED LIABILITY IS ABOUT SIX AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS.
SO, UM, AND THAT CHANGES EVERY YEAR DEPENDING ON, UM, BENEFITS PROVIDED AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO LET'S, IF WE ARGUE BASED ON THE LAST REPORT, IT'S ABOUT SIX AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS, THEN THE DIFFERENCE FROM THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF PAYMENTS THAT WE MADE.
UM, SO AT THIS, YOU KNOW, SOMEWHERE AROUND $25 MILLION, $24 MILLION WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR OTHER USES.
UM, ONCE WE HAVE NONE, NO OTHER UNFUNDED LIABILITY.
WELL, THAT'S A REMARKABLE NUMBER.
THAT WE DON'T HAVE NOW, BUT WE WILL HAVE AVAILABLE IF WE MAINTAIN THIS SORT OF FISCAL RESPONSIBLE WAY OF HANDLING UNFUNDING LIABILITY.
YOU KNOW, THINK, THINK ABOUT WHAT WE CAN DO FOR THE CITY WITH THAT ADDITIONAL MONEY THAT WE DON'T HAVE NOW.
AND, UM, AND IN LIGHT OF, UH, THE RATHER DRASTIC AND MATERIAL CHANGES THAT ARE GONNA BE COMING OUR WAY WITH RESPECT TO, UH, REVENUE, WE, WE DEPEND ON, UH, BASED ON PROPERTY TAXES.
[2. 26-1811 A Resolution of the City Commission setting the Proposed Operating Millage Rate of 5.559 for the Fiscal Year 2026-2027; to be submitted to the Miami-Dade County Property Appraiser in the form required by Section 200.065, Florida Statutes.]
THE RESERVE SLIDE IS MY LAST SLIDE.UM, SO THE ITEM THAT IS BEFORE YOU TODAY IS TO PASS A RESOLUTION, UM, AUTHORIZING, UH, THE CITY MANAGER AND STAFF TO SUBMIT THE MILLAGE RATE OF 5.559, WHICH IS 6.94, 6.9399999999999995% ABOVE THE ROLLBACK MILLAGE OF 5.1982.
SO FOR THOSE WHO ARE NOT FAMILIAR, THE ROLLBACK MILLAGE RATE WOULD BE THE MILLAGE RATE, UM, THAT WOULD GENERATE APPROXIMATELY THE SAME AMOUNT OF REVENUE AS WE ARE GENERATING THIS FISCAL YEAR IN NEXT
[01:20:01]
FISCAL YEAR.UM, SO 5.1982 IS THAT ROLLBACK RATE.
THE ROLLBACK RATE THAT WE ARE PROPOSING IS THE SAME, IS MAINTAINING THE 5.559, WHICH ALLOWS US TO, UH, FUND THE BUDGET ESTIMATE PROPOSED TO YOU TODAY, WHICH IS 6.9399999999999995% ABOVE THE ROLLBACK RATE.
MR. MANAGER, DO YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER COMMENTS OR ANYTHING YOU'D LIKE TO ADDRESS IN REGARDS TO THE ESTIMATED BUDGET? WELL, I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT WE, THIS IS ABOUT THE 12TH YEAR THAT WE'VE MAINTAINED THE SAME 5.559% TWO YEARS PRIOR TO THAT.
WE WERE HIGHER ACTUALLY WHEN YOU WERE HERE, AND YOU, YOU ACTUALLY LOWERED THE, UH, MILLAGE RATE.
SO WE, WE ARE, UH, THE POST TRIAL FOR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACCORDING TO WHAT THE STATE TELLS US.
HOWEVER, WE HAVE BEEN CAUGHT IN THIS AWASH OF TAX REDUCTION, UH, BECAUSE OF VARIOUS OTHER, UH, COUNTIES AND, AND MUNICIPALITIES.
BUT I, I DO BELIEVE THAT, UH, THE, UH, FACT THAT WE'RE GOING WITH OUR 12TH YEAR WITH THE SAME MILL RATE AND THE FACT THAT WE HAVE A VERY, A VERY SOUND BUDGET, A VERY SOUND CITY, UH, I BELIEVE THIS IS, UM, A, A GOOD BUDGET AND I, UH, CERTAINLY RECOMMEND ACCEPTANCE.
THANK YOU TO THE MAYOR, MADAM VICE MAYOR.
UM, MY TRIPS THIS YEAR, AND I MADE I THINK THREE, I MEAN, CHELSEA WOULD REMEMBER BETTER THAN I WOULD HOW MANY TROOPS WE MADE TO TALLAHASSEE.
WHAT I HEARD FROM, FROM OUR ELECTED LEADERS IN TALLAHASSEE IS THEY WERE VERY PLEASED WITH THE CITY OF CORAL GABLES.
THEY WERE NOT UPSET BY OUR MILLAGE RATE.
WHAT THEY WERE UPSET AT WERE OTHER CITIES THAT RAISED THEIR MILLAGE RATE.
OTHER CITIES THAT, UM, WERE DOING THINGS LIKE HAD HAPPENED IN OUR CITY IN THE PAST WHERE THERE'S RAISES OR ELECTED OFFICIALS WHERE THERE'S, YOU KNOW, OUR ALLOWANCES AND OTHER EXPENDITURES THAT THEY FELT WERE EXCESSIVE AND NOT IN SERVICE OF THE RESIDENTS.
SO I'M, I'M CONFIDENT THAT THIS, UH, ADOPTING THIS MILLAGE RATE IS IN KEEPING WITH WHAT, UM, OUR LEADERS IN TALLAHASSEE WOULD BE HAPPY WITH.
AND OUR EFFORTS TO TIGHTEN OUR BELT ON EXCESS EXPENDITURES IS, IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY WANT TO SEE OTHER CITIES DOING.
AND WE'RE, WE ARE SETTING THE EXAMPLE FOR SURE, THROUGH THE MAYOR.
YES, I PROPOSED SOMETHING LAST YEAR.
IT WAS THE POINT 25 FOR CONSECUTIVE YEARS.
I'M NOT GONNA BE PROPOSING THAT THIS YEAR, BUT I AM GOING TO BE PROPOSING AT LEAST SOME REDUCTION.
SOMETHING DOES NOT GOING TO AFFECT THE BUDGET MUCH, BUT SHOWING A POINT THAT, HEY, WE CARE.
OKAY, THIS, UM, HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION IS NOT GONNA TAKE EFFECT RIGHT NOW.
AND I THINK RIGHT NOW WE CAN SHARE OR SHOW THE PEOPLE THAT WE ACTUALLY CARE.
NOW WE INCREASE BY 46 EMPLOYEES COMPARED TO LAST YEAR.
MY QUESTION IS, WHO PAYS THE PENSION FUND FOR THE BUILDING EMPLOYEES? THE PENSION, UH, FUND DOES THE BUILDING FUND DOES.
ALL THE COSTS THAT ARE BORN BY EACH OF THE PROPRIETARY FUNDS, UH, ARE PROPORTIONATELY CHARGED TO THEM.
SO SANITARY SEWER AND STORMWATER ALSO PAY THEIR PROPORTIONATE COST OF THE PENSION FUND.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT I ALSO WANT TO MENTION, THE, THE MAYOR KEEPS ON TALKING ABOUT THIS COLA RIGHT.
AND KEEPS ON POINTING FINGERS ARE FROM WHAT I COULD REMEMBER TO ACCEPT THIS COLA, WE NEEDED FOUR VOTES, DIDN'T WE? WE DID, RIGHT? CORRECT.
AND WHO WERE THE FOUR PEOPLE THAT VOTED FOR THIS COLA? AS I RECALL, THE ONLY ONE WHO DIDN'T VOTE WOULD BE THE MAYOR.
SO YOU'RE TRYING TO TELL ME THE VICE MAYOR ANDERSON VOTED FOR THIS COLA.
I VOTED FOR THIS COLA FOR THE RECORD WOULD REFLECT, I VOTED FOR THIS COLA COMMISSIONER MENENDEZ VOTED FOR THIS COLA AND COMMISSIONER ARIEL FERNANDEZ VOTED FOR THIS COLA.
SO JUST KEEP IN MIND THAT WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE COLA, YOU'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT THE VICE MAYOR.
AND IT'S NOT TO SAY ANYTHING NEGATIVE, BECAUSE I STAND BY OUR DECISION.
SOME PEOPLE HERE DON'T RUN BUSINESSES, EVEN THOUGH THEY SAY THEY RUN BUSINESSES OR THEY SAY THEY ARE AND THEY ACTUALLY GET FIRED.
BUT FOR A PERSON THAT DOES RUN A BUSINESS, RETENTION IS VERY IMPORTANT, ESPECIALLY FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO WHEN YOU RAISE A COLA, IT WAS A VERY SMART DECISION AT THAT POINT WHEN WE HAD MORE THAN 30 VACANCIES IN PUBLIC SAFETY, THAT'S TAKING CARE OF THE SAFETY OF THIS COMMUNITY.
SO WHEN YOU KEEP ON BRINGING COLA AND COLA AND TRYING TO POINT FINGERS, BECAUSE WE TOOK 2 MILLION FROM AN EXTRA PAYMENT TO TO, TO FUND THE PENSION, THINK
[01:25:01]
ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A LITTLE MORE.OKAY? BECAUSE THE SAFETY OF THIS COMMUNITY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.
MADAME FINANCE DIRECTOR, MAY I ASK YOU A QUICK QUESTION? WHAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION AT THE TIME OF THE RECORD THROUGH WHAT WAS THE RECOMMENDATION? THROUGH THE MANAGER.
SO THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE FINANCE DIRECTOR, 'CAUSE THAT'S ONE PART OF THE, UM, HEARING THAT WE HAVE, IS, UH, MY RECOMMENDATION WAS TO NOT GRANT THE COLA BASED ON THE FACTORS THAT WERE IDENTIFIED IN THAT MEMO FROM THE TIME.
SECOND, UM, I DID NOT VOTE FOR THAT COLA I STAND DID NOT VOTE FOR THAT COLA.
AND NOW YOU'RE SEEING THE REPERCUSSIONS.
IT ONLY HURT THE EMPLOYEES, THE CURRENT EMPLOYEES.
LET ME EXPLAIN TO YOU WHY, BECAUSE THE COMMISSIONER FAILS TO EITHER UNDERSTAND OR SHE PREFERS TO, I HOPE SHE UNDERSTANDS IT, BUT SHE MAYBE PREFERS TO NOT SAY THE WHOLE TRUTH.
OKAY? INSTEAD OF ATTACKING ME ABOUT SOME RIDICULOUSNESS, WHICH IS NOT TRUE.
UM, REALLY QUICK IN REGARDS TO THE COLA, WHEN WE GRANTED THAT COLA, WHO BENEFITED FROM THAT COLA, DID THE CURRENT EMPLOYEES BENEFIT FROM THAT EMP, FROM THAT COLA? NO.
SO YOU UNDERSTAND, MR. MAYOR, IF I MAY, IT'S A SUBSET OF RETIREES.
UNDERST, I'M GETTING, IT'S NOT ALL THE RETIREES I'M GETTING, IT'S ONE.
I'M GETTING, I'M GETTING THERE, I'M GETTING THERE, I'M GETTING THERE.
SORRY, MAYOR, LET ME JUST, LET ME, YOU'RE, YOU'RE STEALING, YOU'RE STEALING MY THUNDER.
LET'S JUST PUMP THE BRAKES, NOT ATTACK PEOPLE PERSONALLY.
LET'S ATTACK, LET'S ATTACK THE ISSUES, RIGHT? I'M NOT HERE ATTACKING ANYBODY PERSONALLY.
AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ISSUES HERE.
VERY PROUD TO KNOW HOW TO VOTED FOR THAT COLA.
IT WAS A HUGE MISTAKE THAT STAFF EVEN SAID NOT TO VOTE FOR.
BUT ALL OF YOU THAT ARE EMPLOYEES DID NOT BENEFIT FROM THAT COLA.
AM I CORRECT? YES OR NO? UH, THAT IS CORRECT.
NOW LET'S SAY, HEY, MAYBE ALL OUR PAST EMPLOYEES BENEFIT FROM THAT COLA.
IS THAT TRUE? ALL OUR PAST EMPLOYEES BENEFIT FROM THAT COLA? NO.
IF I MAY RECALL, IT WAS ABOUT 700 OR SO INDIVIDUALS, CORRECT? IT'S ABOUT, CORRECT.
BUT IT'S A SUBSET OF THE TOTAL, ROUGHLY 900 SOME RETIREES THAT WERE, THAT THIS WAS DERIVED FROM A SETTLEMENT PROCEEDING, CORRECT? YES.
THIS CODE IS GONNA COST THE CITY $20 MILLION FOR THE NEXT 10 YEARS.
THESE ARE INDIVIDUALS THAT I'M GRATEFUL THAT THEY WORK FOR THE CITY, BUT THEY'RE RECEIVING THEIR RETIREMENT AND MANY OF THEM ARE ALSO RECEIVING SOCIAL SECURITY.
SO, AND MANY OF THEM RECEIVE 1 75 MONEY AND 180 5 MONEY AND DROP MONEY TO THE TUNE OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS.
SOME FIREFIGHTERS, AS I WROTE IN MY LETTER AS MR. DAVID PARIS, WHO'S SITTING IN THE BACK, CAN TELL YOU, LEAVE THE CITY WITH $1.5 MILLION IN CASH AND THEIR AVERAGE OF $77,000 A YEAR.
SO WE PAY OUR EMPLOYEES HANDSOMELY FOR THE WORK THAT THEY DO.
IF YOU LOOK AT THE FIREFIGHTERS, SO I LIKE TO USE AS AN EXAMPLE, THEY AVERAGE $117,000 AVERAGE PAY HERE.
THEY HAVE THE BEST FACILITIES IN MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, IF NOT THE STATE OF FLORIDA, ALL BRAND NEW FACILITIES.
AND WHEN I GOT HERE, MR. PARIS WALKED ME THROUGH OUR FACILITIES, AND I MADE A COMMITMENT THAT I WOULD RENOVATE OR BUILD NEW FACILITIES, AND I KEPT MY PROMISE.
WHAT I WON'T DO IS JEOPARDIZE THE FUTURE OF THE CITY BY GRANTING ABSORBENT COLAS OR GRANTING EXORBITANT PENSION CONTRACTS, WHICH WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE REASON WHY I SELECT TO HAVE TO POINT THE FINGER AT COMMISSIONER CASTRO IS SHE'S RUNNING FOR REELECTION.
AND THE, I'M BEING VERY CANDID, AND THE PEOPLE WHO ARE VOTING IN THIS COMMUNITY NEED TO UNDERSTAND YOU DIDN'T SUPPORT AN IG, YOU VOTED FOR A $2 MILLION COLA.
SHE GAVE HERSELF A PERSONAL 101% RAISE.
SHE GAVE HERSELF A CAR ALLOWANCE, SHE GAVE HERSELF AN EXPENSE ACCOUNT.
SHE VOTED IN AN OPPOSITION OF A NOVEMBER ELECTION.
OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
WE CAN CONTINUE TALKING ABOUT THIS.
AT ONE POINT WE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT SPENDING OUR RESERVES DIPPING INTO OUR RESERVES, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY RECKLESS, JUST LIKE ACCEPTING A COLA.
SO WITHOUT, WE'RE TALKING FACTS HERE, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT PERSONAL MATTERS HERE.
THERE'S NO NEED TO BRING PERSONAL ISSUES.
[01:30:01]
THE MAYOR, YES, MADAM VICE MAYOR.SO IF WE'RE GONNA RECOUNT WHAT HAPPENED DURING THAT COLA MEETING ACCURATELY, MR. CASTRO WAS PUSHING FOR AN 8% COLA.
HOW MUCH WAS IT AT STRIPPED FROM OUR BUDGET? UM, GIMME ONE SECOND.
IT WOULD'VE BEEN ROUGHLY A $27 MILLION.
UM, UH, UH, MAYBE A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THREE AND A HALF MILLION DOLLARS PAYMENT EVERY YEAR.
OVER 10 YEARS WOULD'VE BEEN DEVASTATING, WOULDN'T IT? MM-HMM
OKAY, MR. CASTRO, I'M GONNA GIVE YOU THE FOLLOWING SUGGESTION.
REDUCING THE MILLAGE RATE HELPS THE RICH THE MOST.
WORKING OUT SOMETHING WITH STAFF TO WHERE THERE CAN BE AN APPLICATION PROCEDURE FOR REDUCTION IN GARBAGE FEES GOING FORWARD, IT'S NOT GONNA BE THIS YEAR, IS THE BEST WAY TO HELP THOSE WHO ARE STRUGGLING.
AND THAT'S ULTIMATELY WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO, IS HELP THOSE WHO ARE STRUGGLING, WHO HAVE DIFFICULTY PAYING FOR THESE FEES, IT'S GONNA GIVE MORE TAX RELIEF TO THOSE WHO ARE STRUGGLING THAN ANY TWEAKING OF THE CULT OF THE MILITARY EVER COULD DO.
THAT'S WHERE YOU CAN HELP PEOPLE THE MOST.
THE OTHER SOUNDS SEXY, BUT IT DOESN'T DELIVER THROUGH THE MAYOR.
WELL, SINCE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT RUNNING FOR ELECT REELECTION, YES, I AM RUNNING FOR REELECTION.
THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE SHOULD BE TALKING ABOUT, BUT LET'S GO AHEAD AND TALK ABOUT IT JUST A TAD BIT.
ARE YOU NOT RUNNING FOR REELECTION? YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER.
SO LET'S BE A LITTLE TRANSPARENT HERE.
YESTERDAY, WE WERE VOTING ON A DEVELOPMENT, BE VOTING ON U UN.
UM, GAVE THE PACK GAVE THE MAYOR'S PACK $25,000, OKAY? THAT CRYSTAL DEVELOPMENT PROJECT, WHICH IS CRYSTAL, THE CRYSTAL DEVELOPER, GAVE THE MAYOR $10,000 THE DAY AFTER QUALIFICATION.
OKAY, LET'S GO A LITTLE FURTHER.
THERE'S A PROJECT COMING IN MERRICK PARK FROM A BRAZILIAN DEVELOPER WHO ALSO GAVE THE MAYOR $25,000.
SO LET'S JUST BE A LITTLE MORE TRANSPARENT.
THESE ARE PROJECTS, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THAT WE ARE VOTING ON RIGHT NOW.
THE MAYOR'S RUNNING FOR REELECTION.
HOW DOES THAT LOOK? THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
UM, WOULD MY COLLEAGUES IN THE COMMISSION LIKE TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE THAT IS GOOD FOR THE ORDER HERE? UH, YES, MR. MAYOR, I ACTUALLY HAVE A QUESTION.
SO WE TAKE THREE VOTES IN THE MILITARY, CORRECT? WE TAKE ONE TODAY, AND THEN WE TAKE TWO IN SEPTEMBER.
IS THAT HOW IT IS? SO THIS IS THE ONE THAT THE PROPOSED MILLAGE RATE THAT WILL BE SENT TO THE, UH, PROPERTY APPRAISER.
AND THIS IS THE ONE THAT WILL GO ON THE TRIM NOTICE, RIGHT? SO, AND THEN THERE WILL BE TWO BUDGET HEARINGS IN SEPTEMBER, UM, WHERE THE TENTATIVE MILLAGE WILL BE APPROVED AT THE FIRST, AND THEN OBVIOUSLY YOU FINALLY APPROVE AT THE SECOND BUDGET HEARING.
OKAY, I JUST WANTED CLARIFICATION ON THAT.
RIGHT? SO THE, UH, MILLAGE THAT'S GOATED ON TODAY IN ORDER TO INCREASE IT AFTER IT GOES ON THE, ON THE TAX BILL, REQUIRES ADDITIONAL NOTICING AND WOULD ESSENTIALLY PROBABLY COST THE CITY MORE THAN WE WOULD LOSE REDUCING THE MILLAGE.
UM, SO, AND THEN WE VOTE ON THE BUDGET IN SEPTEMBER.
ALRIGHT, THANK YOU COMMISSIONER ALANA, ANYTHING FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER BEFORE WE TAKE ON THIS RESOLUTION? I, I ALSO HAVE A QUESTION FOR THE CITY ATTORNEY.
IS IT A QUASI-JUDICIAL PROCEEDING WHEN WE'RE CONVENING TO DISCUSS MATTERS INVOLVING, FOR EXAMPLE, CRYSTAL PROJECT, THE CRYSTAL PROJECT INVOLVED QUASI-JUDICIAL ITEMS, THE, THE PAD AND YES.
AND THE SITE PLAN IS A QUASI-JUDICIAL ITEMS. SO I DON'T KNOW IF, AND THE ZONING CHANGES IF YOU AS THE CITY ATTORNEY SHOULD CAUTION ANYBODY ON THE DAES WHEN THEY'RE EXPRESSING A PERSONAL OPINION PREJUDGING, I WOULD SAY THE ISSUE BY SAYING THAT IF, UM, ENTITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THE CRYSTAL PROJECT ARE MAKING DONATIONS TO A PAC, THAT THAT IS CONSIDERED BY THAT COMMISSIONER TO BE AN EXPRESSION OF PREJUDGING ISSUES SITTING IN A QUASI-JUDICIAL CAPACITY THAT COULD GIVE RISE TO RECUSAL.
I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU THINK YOU, YOU, YOU WOULD NEED TO CAUTION PEOPLE FROM REVEALING THAT YOU CONSIDER MAKING A CONTRIBUTION,
[01:35:01]
UH, A MATERIAL, UH, HAVING A MATERIAL, UH, IMPACT, UH, PRIOR, PRIOR TO THE, UM, THE, THE CONTINUED HEARINGS ON THESE MATTERS.SO, AS A GENERAL MATTER, OF COURSE, EACH OF YOU HAS TO MAKE A DETERMINATION THAT YOU ARE, YOU KNOW, AND THAT YOU ARE FREE FROM BIAS AND YOU CAN BE IMPARTIAL IN DETERMINING OR CONSIDERING A QUASI-JUDICIAL MATTER.
AND OF COURSE, THAT MATTER'S NOT HERE BEFORE US TODAY.
SO WE SHOULD NOT BE DISCUSSING THAT MATTER.
NO, I, I COULD NOT AGREE WITH YOU MORE.
THAT'S WHY I'M, I'M, I'M MENTIONING THAT THERE, THERE MAY BE CAUSE TO CAUTION, UH, AS THE CITY ATTORNEY, MAYBE EVEN TO CAUTION COMMISSIONERS FROM EXPRESSING A CLEAR BIAS FROM MY CHEAP SEATS HERE, CLEAR BIAS THAT THE COMMISSIONER CASTRO IS AGAINST THE CRYSTAL, UH, PROJECT FOR THE REASONS SHE JUST STATED HERE ON THE RECORD FOR THE MAYOR.
I THINK THE ONLY, IF, IF YOU MAY, I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY.
SO AGAIN, AS I'VE, I'VE, YOU KNOW, INSTRUCTED EACH OF YOU IN THE PAST, WHEN WE CONSIDER THE QUASI DIGITAL MATTERS, IT IS UP TO EACH OF YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU CAN BE, REMAIN FREE FROM BIAS AND CONSIDER THE APPLICATION BEFORE YOU, UM, IMPARTIALLY AND BASED ON THE EVIDENCE AND THE HEARINGS THAT, THAT, THAT OCCUR, UM, AT A PUBLIC, A PROPERLY NOTICED MEETING THROUGH THE MAYOR.
IF THERE WAS ANY BIAS HERE, IT WOULD BE THROUGH THE MAYOR THAT'S GETTING FUNDED BY DEVELOPERS.
OKAY? NOT BY THE PERSON THAT IS READING SOMETHING THAT IS A PUBLIC RECORD.
IT'S INFORMATION FOR EVERYBODY THAT EVERYBODY HAS ACCESS TO.
SO IF THERE'S A BIAS HERE, NUMBER ONE, YOU GET TO DECIDE FOR YOURSELF IF IT'S A BIAS.
BUT IF THERE WAS A BIAS, I WOULD SAY IT WOULD BE THE MAYOR'S BIAS.
HE WOULD BE BIASED THROUGH THE MAYOR.
IT'S NOT FOR YOU TO DECIDE, OR ANY ONE OF US DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT A BIAS EXISTS.
THE RECORD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF, AND I WOULD NOT WANT YOU, AND MY RECOMMENDATION TO THE CITY ATTORNEY IS TO AVOID LEADING YOU INTO CLEAR ERROR BEFORE THE NEXT MEETING.
BECAUSE TO ME, WHEN YOU SAID WHAT YOU SAID CLEARLY ON THE RECORD EXPRESSES CLEAR BIAS.
I, IF IT WERE UP TO ME, I WOULD SAY YOU NEED TO RECUSE YOURSELF.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW YOU COULD POSSIBLY WALK BACK YOUR STATEMENTS UNLESS YOU'RE NOT BEING HONEST OR GENUINE OR GENUINE.
SO, UM, ANYWAY, JUST TRYING TO KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR YOU AND FOR THE REST OF MY COLLEAGUES IN THE DAAS.
UH, NUMBER ONE, THE REASON WHY I DIDN'T RESPOND TO THE COMMISSION IS BECAUSE AGAIN, UM, YOU'RE TREADING ON, ON SOME VERY THIN ICE THERE.
AND I WANNA AVOID THAT CONVERSATION HERE IN THE PUBLIC, UH, BECAUSE I THINK THERE'S NO PLACE FOR THAT.
NUMBER ONE, NUMBER TWO, MADAME CITY ATTORNEY WAS ACCEPTING ANY CONTRIBUTION AMID A BIAS.
IT DOES NOT, UM, CONSTITUTE A VOTING CONFLICT.
THE BIAS QUESTION IS ALWAYS UP TO EACH OF YOU IN THE QUASI-JUDICIAL MATTERS, BUT THERE'S NO, UM, FINANCIAL VOTING CONFLICT.
I BRING THAT UP BECAUSE I OBVIOUSLY LIKE TO HEAR FROM THE PROFESSIONALS IN REGARDS TO THESE MATTERS.
UH, BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, IT'S BEEN THE SAME TACTICS FOR THE LAST THREE AND A HALF YEARS.
SLANDER DESTROY THE END OF, THEY LACKING ZERO FACTS, THE ISSUES NOT LEADING.
BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, UH, WE HAVE A RESOLUTION HERE OF THE CITY COMMISSION THAT MADAM CITY ATTORNEY, WILL YOU READ INTO THE RECORD, PLEASE? SO WE CAN VOTE? YES, SIR.
IT'S A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COMMISSION SETTING, THE PROPOSED OPERATING MILLAGE RATE OF 5.559 FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, 2026 TO 2027 TO BE SUBMITTED TO THE MIAMI-DADE COUNTY PROPERTY APPRAISER IN THE FORM REQUIRED BY SECTION 200.065 FLORIDA STATUTES.
MAY I HAVE A SECOND, PLEASE? I'LL SECOND.
MR. CLERK, DO YOU HAVE ANY PUBLIC COMMENT? NO, MR. MAYOR, I'LL CLOSE THE PUBLIC COMMENT.
I WAS HOPING THAT, AND IF I MAY, BEFORE WE TAKE A VOTE ON THIS, I WAS HOPING THAT OUR NEXT MEETINGS THAT WE COULD HAVE SOME PUBLIC COMMENT, I'D LIKE TO SEE THE PUBLIC, ESPECIALLY THE RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL AREAS, ESPECIALLY THE COMMERCIAL AREAS, WAS WE ALWAYS HAVE THE RESIDENTS WHO COME HERE, BUT WE DON'T REALLY HAVE COMMERCIAL AREAS.
THEY'RE GONNA PLAY SUCH A MAJOR ROLE IN HOW OUR BUDGET DEVELOPS, ESPECIALLY WITH THESE TAX REFERENDUMS THAT ARE FORTHCOMING.
I'D LIKE TO SEE, UH, THE DOWNTOWN, ESPECIALLY AS, AS WE EMBARK ON CERTAIN PIECES OF LEGISLATION AND, UH, PROJECTS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR SUCH A LONG TIME, ONE OF THOSE BEING THE CLEANLINESS PROJECT THAT WE'RE GONNA BE BRINGING FORWARD THAT CURRENTLY IS BEING REVIEWED BY THE MANAGER AND THE PROCUREMENT TEAM.
ALSO, SOME OF THE AMAZING, UM, PROJECTS THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR OVER 10 YEARS.
FOR EXAMPLE, THE MEDIANS ON A STREET, EXCUSE ME, ON NOT A STREET, A STREET AND PONDS.
WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT FOR YEARS.
AND EVERY TIME THAT I TALK TO THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY, THEY'RE SUPER EXCITED.
SO, UH, WE'RE INVESTING IN OUR DOWNTOWN, WE'RE MAKING SURE WE ADDED THOSE ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICERS 15, UM, TO REALLY FOCUS IN ON PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE DOWNTOWN AND NOT ROBBING TO PAY PETER PAUL.
[01:40:01]
AT THE END OF THE DAY, WE WERE HAVING ISSUES, IF THERE WAS AN ISSUE IN THE DOWNTOWN, WE WERE ASKING THE POLICE OFFICERS TO COME FROM THE RESIDENTIAL NEIGHBORHOODS.NOW WE HAVE A DEDICATED POLICE FORCE JUST IN THE DOWNTOWN.
SO I'D LIKE TO HEAR, BECAUSE THESE ARE MAJOR DECISIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING, AND I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM A, AT A MINIMUM, THE CHAMBER SHOULD BE HERE.
UM, AND I'D ALSO LIKE TO HEAR FROM SOME OF THE BUSINESS OWNERS, ESPECIALLY BUSINESS OWNERS ON MIRACLE MILE BUSINESS OWNERS ON HIRA, UH, BUSINESS OWNERS IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS DISTRICT.
I'D LIKE TO HEAR FROM YOU BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA BE CARRYING A LOT OF THE WEIGHT IN THESE BUDGETS, NOT ONLY HERE LOCALLY, UH, BUT THROUGHOUT THE STATE AS WE SEE SOME SERIOUS, UH, TAX CHANGES COMING ON 20 22 8, 20 28 AND 2029.
SO, MR. CLERK, CAN WE HAVE A VOTE? VICE MAYOR ANDERSON? YES.
I'LL BE VOTING YES, BUT I'M ALSO PUTTING ON THE RECORD, MY PLAN IS TO MAKE THIS A LITTLE LOWER.
COMMISSIONER FERNANDEZ? YES, COMMISSIONER LADA.
I, I ECHO THE, THE, THE MAYOR'S, UM, OBSERVATIONS OF THE IMPORTANCE AND THE NEED.
UH, I WOULD SAY TO HAVE NOT ONLY MORE RESIDENTS COME SPEAK DURING THE BUDGET MEETING, BUT WE REALLY NEED TO SEE, UM, THE, UH, THE, THE COMMERCIAL, UH, BUSINESS OPERATORS IN THE CITY APPEAR BECAUSE NOT ONLY ARE THEY, UH, IMPORTANT IN ANY GIVEN YEAR, UH, SINCE THEY ARE, UH, VITAL TO THE TAX BASE AND THE CONTINUED, UM, UH, SUCCESS OF THE CITY, WHETHER YOU LIVE OR YOU WORK, OR BOTH HERE, OR YOU VISIT.
NOW, GIVEN THE CHANGES THAT WE THINK ARE GONNA BE COMING DOWN FROM TALLAHASSEE, AFFECTING OUR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE, UM, THEY ARE MOST IMPORTANT, UH, DURING, UH, DURING THESE, THESE CONVERSATIONS INVOLVING THE BUDGET.
SO I AGREE WITH YOU, MAYOR, THAT WE HOPE TO HEAR MORE FROM THEM, UH, SINCE THEY PLAY AN INCREASINGLY VITAL ROLE.
SO MY VOTE IS YES, MAYOR LOCK.
UH, AND AT THAT POINT, SOMETHING THAT WE MENTIONED, UH, YESTERDAY IN THE COMMISSION MEETING I BROUGHT UP TO THE MANAGER THIS MORNING, I WENT EARLY IN THE MORNING AROUND FIVE O'CLOCK.
I TOOK THOSE PICTURES FOR YOU.
UH, LAURA IN MY OFFICE IS WORKING ON PUTTING TOGETHER THE MEMO.
I'M GONNA SEND IT TO THE COMMISSIONER SO YOU CAN SEE.
AND I GOT, ACTUALLY, IT WAS VERY FORTUNATE TO ACTUALLY SEE WASTE MANAGEMENT IN THE PROCESS OF OPENING THE DOOR.
SO I TOOK PICTURES AS THEY WERE ROLLING OUT THE CANS, SO YOU CAN SEE HOW, HOW THE ACTUAL STRUCTURES LOOK INSIDE.
UM, AND AGAIN, I BRING THAT UP NOW BECAUSE THESE ARE SIMPLE THINGS THAT COULD PLAY A SIGNIFICANT BEAUTIFICATION ROLE, MAINTENANCE ROLE IN THE DOWNTOWN.
WHICH AGAIN, AS REVENUES BECOME TIGHTER, AS REVENUES BECOME TIGHTER AND LESS, UM, THIS COULD BE AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MORE BEAUTIFICATION AND IT COULD BE SOMETHING SO SIMPLE THAT PAYS HUGE DIVIDENDS.
SO, UM, MY VOTE IS YES, UH, TO ADOPT A MILLAGE, UM, MOVING FORWARD.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE WE ADJOURN? ANYTHING ELSE? NO, SIR.
WELL, I'D LIKE TO THANK STAFF, UH, FOR THIS FIRST OF THREE MEETINGS.
UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR HARD WORK.
UH, THANK YOU FOR, FOR, YOU KNOW, PUTTING TOGETHER THIS, THIS BUDGET ESTIMATE.
UH, WE'RE BEYOND GRATEFUL FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
UH, AND WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THE NEXT FEW MONTHS AND HOPEFULLY IN THE NEXT MEETING WE'LL HAVE A BETTER TURNOUT IN REGARDS TO THE PUBLIC.
AND MAYBE, UM, MR. MANAGER, THROUGH YOUR LEADERSHIP, YOU CAN WORK WITH, UH, MARTHA INE TO MAYBE PUT SOMETHING OUT THERE SO WE CAN ENGAGE, UH, MORE OF THE COMMUNITY.
WE'LL, WE WILL DO THAT, MAYOR.
MAY I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN? I, I HAVE A MOTION.