* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. I SEE YOU BACK THERE IN THE [00:00:01] BACK. . I'M THE SIXTH ONE. THE SIX MEN. YES, [1. Introductory Remarks] SIR. YES, SIR. WELCOME TO OUR SPECIAL CALL MEETING, AND, UH, WE'RE GONNA START OFF TONIGHT WITH OUR INVOCATION FOLLOWED BY THE PS OF ALLEGIANCE. IF YOU WOULD PLEASE STAND, LET SAY THE LORD'S PRAYER. I FATHER WITH YOUR HEAVEN, THANK KING TO COME. THOU WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. GIVE US THIS DAY OUR PRAY AND GIVE US OUR TRESPASSES AS WE, WE GIVE THOSE TO TRESPASSED AGAINST US. WE NOT TEMPATION, BUT DELIVER OUR EVIL FOR TH'S, KINGDOM POWER, GLORY FOR HEAVEN AND AMEN. I PLEDGE ALL ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. [4. Approval of Agenda] FIRST ON OUR AGENDA IS OUR APPROVAL OF TONIGHT'S AGENDA. UM, DO I HAVE A MOTION? WE APPROVE TONIGHT'S AGENDA. SO MOVE. CHAIRMAN, I GOT A MOTION FOR COUNCILMAN RICHARDSON. SECOND. SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN COKER. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED? AND MOTION CARRIES. [5. Agreement] NEXT WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT, UM, BETWEEN CLAN COUNTY AND THE CITY OF MANNING TO PROVIDE BOND COURT HEARINGS FOR THE CITY OF MANNING CASES. DO I, WE HAVE ANY DISCUSSION ON THAT? NO, IT'S PRETTY WELL ONGOING. I THINK WE MR. CHAIRMAN. I CAN EXPLAIN IF YOU NEED ME TO. THANK YOU. UNDERSTAND, HUH? YEAH. UM, GO AHEAD. A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, UH, MYSELF, UM, MOST OF THE MAGISTRATES AND THE CITY OF MANNING ADMINISTRATOR AND THE CITY OF MANNING CITY JUDGE MET, AND AS Y'ALL KNOW, THIS THING HAS BEEN BEING BANTERED BACK AND FORTH FOR QUITE SOME TIME NOW. UM, AND THEY REACHED AN AGREEMENT WHERE OUR MAGISTRATES WOULD CONTINUE TO PROVIDE BOND COURT SERVICES IN EXCHANGE FOR, UM, IT'S BASICALLY A THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH, $12,000 A YEAR TO BE PAID FROM THE CITY OF MANNING TO CLARENDON COUNTY TO COVER THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH HOLDING THOSE BOND COURTS TWICE A DAY, SEVEN DAYS A WEEK. UM, I THINK ALL PARTIES ARE OKAY WITH THAT AGREEMENT. AND IF COUNSEL IS, UM, SO OBLIGED, IF YOU WILL, IF YOU'LL APPROVE AN AGREEMENT, THEN WE WILL EXECUTE IT AND PUT IT IN THE MOTION. I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND MOTION. COUNCILMAN COKER. SECOND. COUNCILMAN RICHARDSON. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES. THANK GOODNESS THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A LITTLE WHILE. GLAD TO GET THAT ONE BEHIND US. [6. Ordinance 2026-05] NEXT IS ORDINANCE ORDINANCE 2026 DASH OH FIVE. UM, CONSIDERATION OF THE SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE 2026 DASH OH FIVE AND ORDINANCE AMENDING THE CLAR COUNTY UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE REGARDING ADMINISTRATIVE APPROVAL OF MANUFACTURED HOMES WITHIN THE PERFORMANCE ZONE AND OTHER MATTERS RELATED THERE TOO. I THINK WE, MR. TABATHA HAS ALREADY EXPLAINED THIS TO US AND I THINK EVERYBODY KNOWS. SO, MOTION CHAIR. I HAVE A MOTION FOR COUNCILMAN RICHARD. SECOND FOR COUNCILMAN COKER. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. [7. Ordinance 2026-08 (TITLE ONLY)] NEXT WE HAVE ORDINANCE 2026 DASH OH EIGHT, CONSIDERATION OF THE FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE 2026 DASH OH EIGHT AND ORDINANCE AMENDING THE RENTAL FEES AND CHARGES FOR WELD AND AUDITORY AND OTHER MATTERS RELATED THERE TO, IF YOU WILL, PLEASE EXPLAIN THAT. WELL, UH, MR. CHAIRMAN, UM, WE ARE READING THIS TONIGHT BY TITLE ONLY. WE DIDN'T HAVE THE, ALL THE LANGUAGE FOR THE ORDINANCE IN TIME TO GIVE IT TO YOU BEFORE THE MEETING. UM, I JUST GOT IT ABOUT THREE 30 THIS AFTERNOON. UM, WE ARE ABOUT READY TO OPEN WELDING BACK UP FOR EVENTS AND RENTALS. UM, WHEN WE GOT BACK LOOKING, IT APPEARED THAT THOSE FEES HADN'T BEEN UPDATED IN YEARS AND THE WAY THE FEE STRUCTURE WENT, UM, WE WERE PRETTY MUCH LOSING MONEY EVERY TIME WE RENTED THE THE SPACE OUT. SO WE GOT A GROUP TOGETHER, WE LOOKED AT THE FEE STRUCTURE, WHAT PEOPLE WOULD NEED. UM, WE IN ESSENCE, LEFT THE FACILITY CHARGE THE SAME. SO YOU WOULD PAY THE SAME TO RENT THE BUILDING AS YOU USED TO PAY TO RENT THE BUILDING. BUT ALL OF THE OTHER STUFF THAT USED TO BE INCLUDED, YOU KNOW, THEY USED TO PROVIDE STAGE HANDS, LIGHTING DIRECTORS, SOUND DIRECTORS, ALL THIS LABOR THAT WENT ALONG WITH IT, WHICH THEN ATE INTO THE COUNTY'S ABILITY TO ACTUALLY PAY FOR THE COST OF THE RENTAL. [00:05:01] SO NOW WE'RE SETTING IT UP LIKE A MENU. IF THEY WANT ALL THESE ADDITIONAL ITEMS, THEY, THEY CHOOSE THEM, BUT THEY HAVE TO PAY FOR ALL THE ADDED SERVICES. UM, AND THAT'S HOW WE'LL HAVE IT STRUCTURED. WE'LL HAVE YOU THE FULL LANGUAGE, THE UPDATED CONTRACTS AND THE UPGRADED FEE SCHEDULES PRIOR TO SECOND READING ON MAY 11TH, WHERE WE WILL INCORPORATE THE TEXT INTO THE ORDINANCE AND YOU'LL HAVE THAT AHEAD OF TIME. YEAH, UH, GO AHEAD. MR. A USED SAID THAT, THAT ON YOUR, YOUR BASIC RENTAL, YOU KNOW WHAT COMES WITH IT. THAT'S, THAT'S NOT ADDITIONAL TO SOMETHING YOU HAVE TO BUY. CORRECT. UM, SO THE BASIC RENTAL, IF YOU RENT THAT AUDITORIUM, LET'S SAY FOR 12 HOUR RENTAL, YOU HAVE ACCESS, YOU CAN USE THIS, WE'LL TURN THE SOUND SYSTEM ON, WE'LL PROVIDE MICROPHONES, WE'LL TURN THE LIGHTS ON. BUT IF YOU HAVE, LET'S SAY YOU'RE HAVING A PLATE AND YOU NEED A LIGHTING DIRECTOR TO CHANGE LIGHT COLORS, MOVE THE LIGHTS AROUND, WHATEVER, THAT'S ADDITIONAL BECAUSE LABOR, WE HAVE TO HIRE SOMEBODY TO BE THERE AT THAT EVENT AND PAY THEM ADDITIONAL MONEY. RIGHT. SAME THING WITH THE SOUND. YOU KNOW, WE WILL, IF YOU JUST HAVE A BASIC RENTAL, WE TURN THE SOUND ON, YOU GET SO MANY MICROPHONES, SO MANY STANDS, I WANNA SAY IT'S FIVE. UM, BUT WE WORK WITH YOU AHEAD OF TIME. WE TURN IT ON, WE SET THE VOLUME TO WHATEVER LEVEL YOU WANT. BUT IF YOU NEED A TECHNICAL DIRECTOR TO BE THERE AND CUT THAT MIC ON AND CUT THAT MIC OFF AND SWITCH BACK AND FORTH AND CHANGE THE VOLUME UP AND DOWN, WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY SOMEBODY TO SIT IN THAT CHAIR DURING YOUR ENTIRE TIME. IF YOU NEED THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE, THEN YOU, YOU HAVE PAY, THEN THAT'D BE ADDITIONAL JOB. OR YOU CAN PROVIDE YOUR OWN PERSON, EITHER ONE. RIGHT. OKAY. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT IT'S CERTAIN THINGS COME WITH IT. YES. OKAY. YES. THE, UH, THE, THE THING THAT ACTUALLY BROUGHT THIS TO EVERYONE'S ATTENTION, UM, COUNCILMAN WAS, UH, IF SOMEBODY WAS RENTING IT FOR A DATE, WHICH WOULD BE 12 HOURS, UM, THEN WE HAD TO SUPPLY LABOR FOR THE ENTIRE 12 HOURS. AND WE WOULD, WE WOULD HAVE PEOPLE SITTING AT THE WELDING FOR TWO TO THREE HOURS THAT WE WERE PAYING AND NOBODY WOULD COME IN UNTIL A CERTAIN TIME. 'CAUSE YOU KNOW, THEY'RE RENTING IT BY THE DAY, THEY DON'T REALLY. RIGHT. SO, SO WE'RE TRYING TO KIND OF NARROW THAT DOWN A LITTLE BIT WHERE WE WE'RE NOT PAYING PEOPLE JUST TO SIT THERE TO DO NOTHING. UM, YEAH. AND MR. CHAIRMAN, I WILL SAY, UM, THAT I THINK THERE'S BEEN SOME CONFUSION. WE HAVE CURRENTLY HAVE A CONTRACT IN PLACE WITH THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT THEY GET 12 ANNUAL USAGE USAGES OF WELDING AT NO CHARGE. UM, AND THEN AFTER THOSE 12, THEY GET A DISCOUNTED RENTAL RATE. UM, THE REASON THAT WAS PUT IN PLACE IS OUR RECREATION DEPARTMENT USES THEIR FACILITIES A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT. THEIR FOOTBALL FIELDS, THEIR, THEIR GYMS BASKET FOR BASKETBALL, WE DO SOCCER, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. SO IT'S KIND OF A, WE'RE TRADING FACILITY USAGES BACK AND FORTH. MM-HMM . IT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. UM, AND, AND THAT'S REMAINED IN PLACE. OKAY. OKAY. BUT THE RATES WILL NOT SET RIGHT NOW WE'RE GONNA DO THAT ON THE SECOND READING. YES, SIR. WE JUST, YES, SIR. I HAVE 'EM DRAFTED UP, BUT I DIDN'T GET IT. I DIDN'T GET IT BACK UNTIL ABOUT THREE 30 THIS AFTERNOON, SO I DIDN'T GET A TIME TO, TO GET IT TO YOU. I'LL MAKE A MOTION TO APPROVE. SECOND, I GOT A MOTION FOR COUNCILMAN COKER. SECOND. COUNCILMAN RICH. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL OPPOSED. MOTION CARRIES. NEXT [8. Presentation – Nelson Gibbons, Finance Director] WE HAVE OUR PRESENTATION FROM THE ONE AND ONLY MR. NELSON GIBBONS, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR THERE. MR. CHAIRMAN, MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, I THINK THERE'S A BRICK IN FRONT OF EACH ONE OF YOU. IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, JUST FEEL . I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF PRINTOUTS, I'LL GIVE YOU ALL. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR, SO MUCH. ALRIGHT. THANK Y'ALL VERY MUCH. AND, UH, IT IS GOOD TO BE BACK WITH Y'ALL AGAIN. I GUESS IT'S BEEN TWO WEEKS NOW SINCE WE'VE BEEN WITH EACH OTHER, SO I HOPE, UH, HOPE Y'ALL HAVE HAD A GOOD COUPLE OF WEEKS. WE HAVE BEEN WIDE OPEN. SO, UM, ANYHOW, BEFORE WE GET INTO THIS, UH, FOR OUR, OUR BUDGET WORKSHOP TONIGHT. SO I JUST GOTTA SAY, FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK, UM, I WANNA THANK ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS. THEY'VE DONE A REALLY, REALLY GOOD JOB THIS YEAR. UM, IT'S, IT'S BEEN A GROUP EFFORT. I WANNA THANK OUR ADMINISTRATOR, MR. WALT ACKERMAN, FOR ALL HIS INSIGHT. AND, UH, FINALLY, MS. BETTY PHILLIPS, OUR BUDGET ANALYST, SHE HAS MS. BETTY NEEDS A HAND. [00:10:02] WHAT'S THAT? SO MS. BETTY NEEDS A HAND. SHE DOES NEED A HAND. YEAH. UH, MS. BETTY, SHE'S OUR, SHE'S OUR BUDGET ANALYST AND SHE'S BEEN ABSOLUTELY INSTRUMENTAL IN THIS. UH, WE'VE BEEN WORKING HARD ON IT FOR THE LAST SEVERAL WEEKS, AND SHE'S PUT IN A LOT OF HOURS. AND, UM, SO I, I, LIKE I SAID, THIS HAS BEEN A FULL GROUP EFFORT. WE'RE, WE'RE PROUD OF WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. IT'S STILL WORKING PROGRESS, BUT, UM, WE'RE GONNA STEP RIGHT INTO IT AND, UH, AND SHOW YOU KIND OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW AND WHAT OUR PLAN IS GOING FORWARD. OKAY? SO, UH, THE MAIN OBJECTIVE OF TONIGHT IS, UH, WE WANT TO CLEARLY COMMUNICATE THE FULL STORY BEHIND THIS BUDGET. OKAY? WE WANNA TALK ABOUT HOW WE'VE APPROACHED THIS, UH, WHAT DETAILS GOES INTO THE PREPARATION FOR A BUDGET. IT'S NOT ALWAYS AN EASY TASK, UH, BUT WE WANNA GIVE YOU THE FULL PICTURE OF KINDA WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING WITH, WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON, AND OUR PLANS GOING FORWARD. OKAY? SO TO START THIS OFF, WHENEVER WE APPROACH A A, A BUDGET, UH, WE START BY STUDYING HISTORICAL DATA AND WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH SOME OF THAT. BUT, UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE GO THROUGH OUR CURRENT FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET. WE TRACK WHERE WE ARE, WE TAKE A LOOK AT SOME CONDITIONS THAT WE'RE FACING RIGHT NOW, AND THEN FROM THERE WE START TALKING ABOUT, OKAY, WHAT DO WE NEED GOING FORWARD? WE, UH, WE TOOK A LOOK AT ALL OF OUR EXPENDITURE REQUESTS FROM ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS. WE TAKE ALL OF THOSE AND WE'VE BEEN PRIORITIZING WHAT WE HAVE AS, AS FAR AS NEEDS THAT ARE RIGHT NOW, CURRENT NEEDS AND WHAT WE CAN, WHAT WE CAN PUSH FOR IN THE FUTURE. OKAY? AND THEN ULTIMATELY, ALONG WITH THIS BUDGET IS WE ARE WORKING ON OUR LONG-TERM GOALS. WE'RE WORKING ON OUR LONG-TERM GOALS, OUR 10 YEAR PLAN FOR THE COUNTY. SO I KIND OF WANNA GIVE YOU SOME BACKSTORY ON SOME OF THAT TONIGHT AS WELL. UH, BUT ULTIMATELY WE WANNA SHOW YOU PRETTY WELL HOW WE HAVE GOTTEN TO WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. OKAY? SO TOPICS WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH. WE'RE GONNA START WITH, UH, A COUPLE OF REFRESHERS HERE. WE'RE GONNA GO THROUGH THE DIFFERENT FUN TYPES THAT WE HAVE AND THE RESTRICTIONS THAT WE HAVE ON THOSE FUND TYPES. OKAY? WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT, UH, WE WENT OVER THIS, UH, IN DETAIL AT THE, AT THE RETREAT, THE COUNCIL RETREAT THAT WE HAD, THE COUNTY RETREAT. WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT OUR UNRESTRICTED FUND BALANCE, WHAT THAT MEANS AND THE DEFINITION BEHIND IT. AND THEN WE'RE GONNA TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT OUR CURRENT BUDGET STATUS, THE PROJECTIONS WE HAVE. WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT SOME VICTORIES THAT WE'VE HAD THE LAST SEVERAL MONTHS AND WEEKS. AND THEN FROM THERE WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE, UH, THE CHALLENGES AND THE CURRENT PROPOSAL THAT WE'VE GOT FOR 27. AND THEN TO WRAP THINGS UP, WE'RE JUST GONNA KIND OF FILL YOU IN A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE CHANGES THAT WE MADE COMING INTO THIS, THE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE AND, AND WHAT OUR PLAN IS GOING FORWARD. OKAY? SO TO GET STARTED WITH THE FUND TYPES, UH, FOR OUR GENERAL FUND, THAT IS THE MAIN FUND, WHICH HOUSES THE BULK OF ALL OF OUR OPERATIONS, OKAY? WE HAVE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS. OUR SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS ARE FUNDED BY A SPECIFIC SOURCE OF INCOME. AND THAT REVENUE IS TO BE USED FOR THAT FUND'S SPECIFIC PURPOSE. SO EXAMPLES OF THAT, ACCOMMODATIONS TAX, OUR FIRE RESCUE, HOSPITALITY LIBRARY, THOSE ARE ALL EXAMPLES OF SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, OKAY? OUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS, WE'VE GOT WATER AND SEWER AND WELDING. THOSE ARE OUR BUSINESS TYPE FUNDS. THOSE ARE THE FUNDS THAT ARE DESIGNED TO GENERATE THEIR OWN REVENUE. AND THAT REVENUE IS USED TO SUPPORT ITS OWN OPERATION. AND THEN FINALLY, WE'VE GOT OUR FIDUCIARY FUNDS, OUR FIDUCIARY FUNDS FOR THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, MUNICIPALITIES, PROBATE. THAT'S WHENEVER WE ARE JUST HOLDING MONEY, WE ARE HOLDING MONEY FOR THOSE ENTITIES THAT ARE NOT NECESSARILY A PART OF OUR GOVERNMENT. WE ARE THE MIDDLEMAN FOR THEM. OKAY? ALRIGHT. SO THE RESTRICTIONS THAT WE FACE ON OUR GENERAL FUND, NO RESTRICTIONS, GENERAL FUND MONIES, UH, THAT COME IN. THEY CAN BE USED OR TRANSFERRED TO ANY OTHER FUND THAT WE HAVE. IT IS OUR UNIVERSAL DONOR. IT IS OUR O NEGATIVE OO NEGATIVE. IT IS OUR O NEGATIVE BLOOD TYPE, OUR GENERAL FUND. NOW FOR THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, LIKE WE SAID, THOSE REVENUES ARE GENERATED, BUT THEY MUST BE USED EXCLUSIVELY FOR THAT FUND'S PURPOSE, OKAY? SAME THING WITH THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS. THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS ARE, ARE BUSINESS TYPE FUNDS. THOSE FUNDS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE USED TO SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS OF THAT ENTERPRISE ITSELF. AND THEN FINALLY, FIDUCIARIES NOT OUR MONEY, OKAY? NOT OUR MONEY. SO WE'VE ALREADY STEPPED THROUGH THE FUND TYPES, THE RESTRICTIONS THAT WE'VE GOT. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE UNRESTRICTED FUND BALANCE, OKAY? UNRESTRICTED FUND BALANCE, THAT IT ONLY EXISTS IN OUR GENERAL FUND, IT ONLY EXISTS IN OUR GENERAL FUND. IT'S SIMILAR CONCEPT TO A SAVINGS ACCOUNT. SO I KIND OF WANT YOU TO THINK ABOUT THIS. LIKE OUR, OUR [00:15:01] PERSONAL FINANCES. WE GET PAID AND WE'VE GOT A MORTGAGE COMING UP. WE'VE GOT POWER BILL COMING UP, WATER CELL PHONE AT WHATEVER. AND YOU PLAN FOR THOSE EXPENSES COMING FORWARD IN THE EVENT. SOME OF THOSE BILLS COME IN LESS THAN WHAT YOU WERE BUDGETED FOR, WHAT YOU HAD PLANNED ON, YOU GOT SOME MONEY LEFT OVER. SO THE MONIES THAT'S LEFT OVER, THAT WOULD BE YOUR UNRESTRICTED FUND BALANCE, ESSENTIALLY. NOT NECESSARILY, BUT IT'S A GOOD ENOUGH EXAMPLE. SO THE UNRESTRICTED FUND BALANCE, YOU GOT MONEY LEFT OVER, IT CAN BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE THAT YOU DEEM NECESSARY. OKAY? YOU WANNA GO ON VACATION, YOU GO ON VACATION. PERSONAL FINANCES. NOT THE COUNTY FUND. NOT THE COUNTY COUNTY MONEY. NOW NEXT THING WE'RE GONNA TAKE A LOOK AT IS WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. SO WE'RE PREPARING FOR OUR 27 BUDGET. WE'RE KIND OF GO THROUGH WHAT WE HAD LAST YEAR, WHAT WAS THE PLAN LAST YEAR. WE TAKE A LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW AND WE ARE PROJECTING WHERE WE SHOULD END UP AT THE END OF THE YEAR. WE USE THAT INFORMATION TO BUILD THIS BUDGET, OKAY? SO THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES, WE'LL START HERE RIGHT NOW. YOU TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE HAD BUDGETED IN THAT FIRST COLUMN LAST YEAR WE HAD BUDGETED $32 MILLION. NOW OUR PROJECTION THROUGH MARCH OF THIS YEAR, AND THEN WE PROJECTED THE FINAL THREE MONTHS OF APRIL, MAY, AND JUNE WE'RE PROJECTING 30,000,500. WELL, THAT LOOKS A LITTLE SHORT, BUT I WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE VERY BOTTOM VER UH, WORD RIGHT THERE. THE UNRESTRICTED FUND BALANCE BOX. LAST YEAR WE HAD BUDGETED $1.5 MILLION OF OUR SAVINGS, OUR UNRESTRICTED FUND BALANCE. WE HAD BUDGETED $1.5 MILLION IN REVENUE. SO ESSENTIALLY WHAT THAT MEANS IS OUR EXPENDITURES LAST YEAR EXCEEDED THE REVENUES THAT WE WERE BUDGETING FOR BY 1.5 MILLION. SO WE WERE PLANNING LAST YEAR TO USE A MILLION AND A HALF OUT OF FUND BALANCE. NOW HERE WE ARE IN MARCH AND OUR PROJECTIONS THROUGH THE END OF THE YEAR, WE'RE NOT GONNA TOUCH IT. WE DON'T NEED TO USE IT. SO WHEN YOU SEE RIGHT THERE THAT IT'S SHOWING OUR PROJECTION IS 1,000,474 SHORT OF WHAT WE HAD BUDGETED LAST YEAR, IT'S ACTUALLY A GOOD THING. WE ARE NOT PLANNING TO USE THE UNRESTRICTED FUND BALANCE THAT WE HAD BUDGETED LAST YEAR. OKAY? SO MOVING FROM THE GENERAL, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT THE FIRE RESCUE FIRE RESCUE FUND BUDGETED LAST YEAR, 9,566,000. WE ARE PROJECTING RIGHT NOW, IT'S GONNA FINISH OUT SOMEWHERE AROUND JUST OVER $10 MILLION. BIG WIN. NOW, GOING BACK, LOOKING AGAIN AT THAT GENERAL FUND IS, IS SHOWING A NEGATIVE OF 1.5, BUT THAT'S 'CAUSE WE WERE PLANNING ON USING FUND BALANCE. FIRE RESCUE WAS NOT. SO FIRE RESCUE WE'RE PROJECTING RIGHT NOW, IT'S KIND OF STILL UP IN AIR. THERE'S SOME VARIABLES IN THERE THAT WE GOTTA TAKE INTO ACCOUNT, BUT ULTIMATELY IT'S LOOKING TO BE PRETTY GOOD. REVENUES CAME IN. WELL, SAME THING FOR THE LIBRARY. LIBRARY'S THE SAME WAY. BUDGETED $804,000. OUR PROJECTIONS THROUGH THE END OF THIS YEAR ARE LOOKING AT $844,000. SO FIRE LIBRARY, BOTH OF THOSE ARE PROJECTED TO FINISH OUT ABOVE WHAT WE HAD BUDGETED. SO WHAT CAUSES THAT? IT IS A FEW DIFFERENT FACTORS. THIS IS GONNA BE THE FIRST ONE PROBABLY IN THE UNITED STATES RIGHT NOW. SOUTH CAROLINA IS NUMBER ONE FOR TOP 10 STATES FOR GROWTH. NOW, THAT DOES TAKE INTO ACCOUNT A FEW DIFFERENT FACTORS. IT'S POPULATION GROWTH, NET MIGRATION, AND UNEMPLOYMENT. OKAY? SO NETTING ALL THOSE TOGETHER, RIGHT NOW WE'RE SITTING AT NUMBER ONE. WE ARE WINNING SOMETHING. SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS PEOPLE ARE COMING HERE MORE PEOPLE THAT ARE COMING HERE. WE GOT, WE'RE SHARING IN SOME OF THAT LOVE. WE'RE SHARING IN LOVE. WE GOT PEOPLE COMING INTO CLATON COUNTY ALL THE SAME. SO, UM, ANOTHER FACTOR TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT BESIDES JUST FOLKS MOVING HERE, IS GOING TO BE OUR MILL VALUE. SO THE MILL VALUE GROWS EVERY YEAR. ON AVERAGE IT'S SOMEWHERE AROUND 4%, SOMEWHERE AROUND 4%. NOW, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT EVERY YEAR THE GENERAL FUND CAN JUST BUDGET AND EXPECT AN EXTRA 4% OF REVENUE, NOT NECESSARILY BECAUSE WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT OUR PROPERTY TAXES RIGHT HERE, OKAY? THAT, THAT TAKES UP JUST OVER 50% OF OUR REVENUES. SO WHEN THE MILL VALUE INCREASES, ON AVERAGE ABOUT 4%, THAT DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEAN THAT WE NEED TO PLAN TO GET 4% MORE IN REVENUES NEXT YEAR. WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE PROPERTY TAXES. SO WE GOT FOLKS MOVING HERE AND ON TOP OF THAT, THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MOVING HERE, OUR MEAL VALUE IS GOING UP. ANYHOW, THAT'S JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT PLAY INTO IT. NOW, TALKING ABOUT THE EXPENSES, TALKING ABOUT THE EXPENSES THAT WE'VE GOT THROUGH NINE PERIODS OF OUR FISCAL [00:20:01] YEAR. I GOT ALL THESE SUMMARIZED UP THAT WAY. IT, IT COULD ALL FIT ON THE SCREEN, BUT FOR THE GENERAL FIRE AND LIBRARY, THIS IS WHERE WE ARE. SO OUR PROJECTION FOR THE GENERAL FUND RIGHT NOW IS JUST UNDER $30 MILLION. JUST UNDER $30 MILLION WE HAD BUDGETED LAST YEAR, 32. NOW, 1.5 OF THAT WAS, WAS FUND BALANCE. UH, FIRE'S GOING, RIGHT NOW WE'RE PROJECTED ABOUT $608,000 UNDER BUDGET. AND SAME THING FOR LIBRARY, SAME TRENDS. $80,000 UNDER BUDGET. SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE NOW. I'M JUST LIKE IT, THERE'S STILL SEVERAL FACTORS THAT PLAY INTO THAT. YOU KNOW, WE'RE KIND OF CHEATING A LITTLE BIT OFF OF LAST YEAR. WE'RE CHEATING OFF OF THE, THE LAST THREE PERIODS OF OUR FISCAL YEAR 25. WE USE SOME OF THAT DATA AND THEN WE'RE ALSO KIND OF USING WHERE WE ARE SO FAR THROUGH THIS FISCAL YEAR. BUT THINGS CAN STILL HAPPEN IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS. SO SOMETHING STILL MAY COME UP THAT'S GONNA CHANGE THESE FACTORS. BUT WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, WE FEEL PRETTY COMFORTABLE AS FAR AS THE, THE PROJECTIONS THAT WE HAVE. OKAY, SO WHAT LEADS TO THIS? HOW ARE WE FINISHING OFF? SO GOOD AS FAR AS THE EXPENSES GO, UH, VERSUS OUR LAST YEAR'S BUDGET. I GOT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT I'LL, I'LL BRING UP AND THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF EXAMPLES. THESE ARE JUST SOME REALLY GOOD ONES THAT HAVE RECENTLY HAPPENED. SO SOME RECENT SUCCESSES THAT WE'VE HAD IN THIS BUDGET RIGHT NOW, WE'LL START WITH OUR SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, UH, THROUGH THIS FISCAL YEAR HAS REDUCED THEIR EXPENSES ENOUGH THAT IT GAVE US THE ABILITY TO PURCHASE $170,000 OF, I THINK IT WAS THE SECURITY CAMERAS THAT GO IN THE CARS. YEP. WELL, NOT SECURITY CAMERAS, NOT SECURITY, BUT INCAR CAMERAS. THEY WERE OUT OF DATE. WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A METHOD TO PURCHASE 'EM OVER THE NEXT THREE YEARS. AND WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH THE SHERIFF, ACTUALLY REDUCE DOWN CURRENT YEAR EXPENDITURES. GO AHEAD AND BUY ALL THE CAMERAS IN THIS CURRENT YEAR. AND THOSE ARE IN THOSE 26 PROJECTIONS THAT HE JUST PUT UP. MM-HMM . THOSE WERE INCLUDED IN THE PROJECTIONS. NOW THAT EXPENSE WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNED TO BE SOMETHING OVER SEVERAL YEARS. IT WAS GONNA BE A MULTI-YEAR PURCHASE. SO LITTLE VICTORY THERE, WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE IT HAPPEN RIGHT NOW. UM, FIRE DEPARTMENT, ANOTHER BIG BUDGET WE GOT, WE, I THINK IT WAS TWO WEEKS AGO, THREE WEEKS AGO, WE GOT A TIP OFF AND UH, SHERIFF WE PURCHASED FROM THE SHERIFF. YEAH. AND UH, AND WE PURCHASED TWO USED AMBULANCES, UH, ON AN OPTION. NOW WE HAD A NUMBER. WE SAT DOWN, CAME DOWN TO THE WIRE, AND I'M TALKING ABOUT TO THE MINUTES. WE WERE DOING A EXPENSE PROJECTION THROUGH THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR TRYING TO PROJECT WHERE THEY WERE GONNA END UP. AND, UH, WE WERE TRYING TO COME UP WITH A NUMBER OF WHAT WE WERE COMFORTABLE WE COULD GET THE AMBULANCES FOR. 'CAUSE WE KNEW WHAT THEY WERE WORTH. THEY'VE GOT JUST OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND MILES ON 'EM AND THEY'RE IN GREAT SHAPE. UM, TELL 'EM WHAT WE PAID. I THINK WE GOT 'EM FOR LIKE $47,000. TWO OF 'EM. NO, NO, NO. TOGETHER WE GOT BOTH OF THEM. SO THAT WAS A HUGE WIN BECAUSE HONESTLY WE WERE LOOKING AT IT THE OTHER DAY WHENEVER WE WERE GOING OVER OUR, OUR FLEET, OUR CURRENT FLEET, AND THE PROJECTIONS WE GOT FOR THE FUTURE. OUR CURRENT FLEET, WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AMBULANCES ALONE, WE NEED ABOUT ONE EVERY 1.2 YEARS. JUST CALL IT ONE AMBULANCE EVERY YEAR. WE NEED ABOUT ONE PER YEAR. SO TO BE ABLE TO SNAG TWO OF THOSE AT A REAL STEEL, THOSE TWO UNITS GOING IN GIVES US, I MEAN, HIGHER QUALITY USED UNITS TO ADD TO OUR AGENT FLEET, BUT ULTIMATELY ACTS IN THAT FUTURE EXPENSE IS GONNA SAVE US ABOUT $300,000 OVER THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS. SO, BIG WIN ON THE FIRE. GOT A FOLLOW UP ON THAT ONE. COULD YOU TELL 'EM HOW MUCH A NEW COST? WE TALKED ABOUT IT A LITTLE BIT. I DON'T DON'T, I DON'T WANNA REALLY MAKE ANYBODY CRY TODAY, BUT, UM, I CAN TELL YOU RIGHT NOW THAT THE, WE WERE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT PROJECTIONS FOR FUTURE EXPENSE ON ALL THE FLEET LOOKING AT AMBULANCE AND FIRE TRUCK. AND UH, TELL YOU THE ONE THAT WE GOT RIGHT HERE THAT WAS PARKED IN FRONT OF THE PARKING LOT TODAY, OR I THINK THEY JUST MOVED THAT THE FIRE TRUCK? YEAH, THE FIRE TRUCK. THAT WAS $687,000. CHIEF, YOU WANNA HELP ME ON THE AMBULANCE? SO THE ENGINE WAS NOT TOED THAT PRICE. SO WHAT IT IS THAT INCLUDED RADIOS AND EQUIPMENT. SO THE IO BUT WE ALSO DO THAT. SO WE 500 INSTEAD OF BUYING EQUIPMENT, PAYING TAXES AFTER GET INCLUDED IN SAVE MONEY THERE, THAT TRUCK IS JUST A LITTLE UNDER 600, RIGHT AROUND 600 FOR ALL THAT YOU SAW SITTING OUT THERE WAS A BRAND NEW AMBULANCE FOR A POWER LIFT SYSTEM FOR A STRETCHER WITH ABOUT 4 85, 4 85 FOR BRAND NEW AMBULANCE. AND Y'ALL PAID 20 SOMETHING. YEP. HEY, WE GOT ONE FOR 21 AND ONE FOR 24 AND THEN WE HAD SOME EXTRA FEES ON THERE. YEP. WE CAN USUALLY GET ABOUT 200,000 MILES OUT OF AN AMBULANCE. SO WITH THESE ONE HAD 121,000, ONE HAD 119,000. SO WE'RE GONNA GET ABOUT 80,000 MILES OUTTA EACH ONE OF THOSE AMBULANCES, [00:25:01] WHICH IF YOU RUN IT OUT OF THE COST PER MILE, WE'RE GONNA SAVE ABOUT $300,000 OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS TO OFFSET BECAUSE OF THAT AMBULANCE. SO I MEAN IT'S, THAT'S A MAJOR HOME RUN. AND Y'ALL, I DON'T KNOW HOW THE SHERIFF CAME ACROSS HIM. HE WAS OUT THERE SCROLLING AND LOOKING AND HE CALLED US UP AND WE DROPPED EVERYTHING WE WERE DOING AND IT WAS A, IT WAS ON, WE ONLY HAD HOURS LEFT TO DO ALL THESE CALCULATIONS AND ALL THE THINGS WE NEEDED TO DO. SO I WAS TICKLED THAT OPPORTUNITY. MAY NOT, IT MAY NOT EVER COME AROUND AGAIN. YEAH, WE MAY NOT, WE WE'RE NOT GONNA HAVE MANY OPPORTUNITIES LIKE THAT, BUT IT WAS A BIG WIN. AND UM, WE MIGHT HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF HIGH FIVES OVER IT, I DON'T KNOW. BUT ANYHOW, SO THAT'S A COUPLE MORE VICTORIES THERE. AND AGAIN, THAT'S ON THE, THAT'S ON FUND 62, THAT'S ON THE FIRE RESCUE FUND. BUT I GOT A COUPLE MORE IF WE, UH, TALK ABOUT GOING BACK TO THE GENERAL FUND. SO F FACILITIES, TOM BARO, WE GOT, HE'S GOT A A A A, A CONSTANT REVOLVING LIST OF, OF NEEDS FOR REPAIRS. AND ONE THAT'S BEEN ON OUR LIST, UH, HE'S BEEN KIND OF, HE TABLED IT BECAUSE HE WAS, HE FELT CONFIDENT THAT HE COULD FIND SOME WAY TO SAVE SOME MONEY. HE DID SOME RESEARCH AND HE FOUND SOME NEW EQUIPMENT AT HIS GOING TO DO THE EXACT SAME JOB, BRAND NEW. AND UH, IT'S GONNA SAVE US ABOUT $33,000 IMMEDIATELY. AND ON TOP OF THAT IT'S GONNA HAVE SOME, UM, ELECTRIC UTILITY SAVINGS AS WELL BE A LITTLE MORE EFFICIENT. SO THOSE ARE JUST A FEW EXAMPLES. UM, HONESTLY, ACROSS THE ENTIRE BOARD IT'S BEEN A GROUP EFFORT AND I REALLY GOTTA, YOU KNOW, COMMEND EVERYBODY BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WHENEVER YOU GO TO SET A BUDGET, IT IS NOT THE EASIEST THING IN THE WORLD. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TAXPAYER DOLLARS. AND SO EVERYBODY IS, HAS BEEN WORKING HARD TO, TO FIND THEIR WAY TO REDUCE THESE EXPENDITURES. AND SO THAT'S A GOOD THING. 'CAUSE WHENEVER WE DO THAT, WE'RE ABLE TO TURN AROUND AND PAY CASH FOR A FIRE TRUCK THAT WE WERE ORIGINALLY PLANNING ON FINANCING THE TRUCK THAT WAS SITTING OUT FRONT, WE CUTTING THE CHECK FOR, UM, I GOT THE INVOICE ON MY DESK AND UH, CHIEF WANTED ME TO HAVE A CHECK TODAY AND I I TOLD HIM WE WERE GONNA PRINT 'EM ON THURSDAY . SO IT'S BEEN A GROUP EFFORT. IT'S BEEN GREAT. SO WE'VE, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SO FAR, UH, THE FUND TYPES. WE GOT OUR UNRESTRICTED FUND BALANCE, SOME WINS THAT WE'VE HAD THIS YEAR AND WHERE WE ARE. SO WE TAKE ALL THAT. LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE GOT RIGHT NOW FOR OUR 27 BUDGET. WE'VE GOT SOME CHALLENGES THAT ARE IN FRONT OF US AND UH, ON TOP OF THAT WE'VE GOT A FEW, WELL, MORE THAN JUST CHALLENGES. WE'VE GOT A LOT OF FACTORS THAT PLAY INTO US. SO I KIND OF WANNA FILL YOU IN ON ALL THAT AND GIVE YOU THE FULL BACKSTORY. SO FIRST ONE EVERYBODY FEELS IT IS THE INFLATION RATE. SO WE WENT BACK TO 20 21, 2, 3, 4, AND FIVE. AND THESE ARE THE INFLATION RATES FOR THOSE FIVE YEARS. AND JUST BECAUSE THE BAR'S GOING DOWN, NOW WE GOTTA REMEMBER THAT THAT'S THE INFLATION RATE. SO WHENEVER YOU SEE IN 24 AND 25 IT DROPS. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE EXPENSES ARE DROPPING. THAT MEANS THAT THEY'RE, THE PACE THAT THEY WERE INCREASING BY DROPPED A LITTLE BIT. SO COST IS GOING UP EVERY YEAR. WHENEVER WE FEEL THOSE COSTS. I MEAN IT'S NOT JUST IN THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT, IT'S EVERYBODY IN THEIR POCKETS ACROSS THE WHOLE NATION. SO THAT'S A BIG FACTOR WE GOTTA TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHEN, IF WE LOOK AT OUR EXPENSES, WE, WE ALWAYS HAVE TO PROJECT FOR THE FUTURE INFLATION AND THE RISE OF THAT COST. AND I'LL LET YOU TAKE A LOOK AT A COUPLE OF THESE RIGHT HERE. SO THE, THE IMPACT THAT HAD JUST ON ELECTRICITY ALONE, LOOK AT THE JUMP WE HAD FROM 22 TO 23 TO 24 AND THAT KIND OF CAME DOWN JUST A LITTLE BIT IN 25. AND WE'RE RIGHT BACK UP THERE IN 2026. THAT'S OUR PROJECTION FOR OUR UTILITY OR OR ELECTRIC EXPENSE THROUGH THE END OF THIS YEAR. SO THAT INFLATION TURNS RIGHT BACK AROUND AND IT HITS THE GENERAL FUND, HITS THE FIRE FUND LIBRARY ALL THE WAY DOWN. NOW ANOTHER GOOD EXAMPLE RIGHT HERE IS HEALTH INSURANCE. HEALTH INSURANCE FROM 2022, WE WERE JUST OVER $2.5 MILLION THIS YEAR IT'S GONNA BE RIGHT AT $2 MILLION MORE $4.5 MILLION. THAT'S OUR PROJECTION THROUGH THE END OF THIS YEAR. SO WE HAVE TO BE THINKING ABOUT THOSE THINGS GOING FORWARD. HOW DO WE MAKE ALL THIS WORK WITH OUR 27 BUDGET? HOW DO WE MAKE IT WORK WITH OUR 10 YEAR PLAN THAT WE'VE GOT? HOW DO WE TAKE THAT AND UH, AND PUT TOGETHER A BUDGET PROPOSAL. SO TAKING A LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, THIS IS WHAT WE ARE CURRENTLY BUDGETING FOR OUR FISCAL YEAR OF 27. THE GENERAL FUND, WE ARE HAVE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF A REDUCTION THERE ON THE, UH, THE REVENUES AND I'LL FILL YOU IN ON THAT. PART OF IT IS THE REDUCTION OF FUND BALANCE USAGE. SO IF YOU JUST AUTOMATICALLY TAKE OUT 1.5 MILLION VERSUS LAST YEAR, THAT NUMBER WOULD DRASTICALLY DROP. WE DO HAVE INCREASES IN THERE SO THAT IT ALSO ACCOUNTS FOR THE INCREASE IN THE MILL VALUE, WHICH LIKE I SAID, IT'S [00:30:01] NOT GONNA BE JUST A FULL 4%, 4.2% THAT JUMPS IN THE GENERAL FUND TOTALLY BECAUSE IT ONLY ACCOUNTS FOR ABOUT HALF OF OUR BUDGET, JUST OVER HALF OF OUR BUDGET. BUT WE'VE ACCOUNTED FOR THE INCREASE IN THE, UM, MILL VALUE. WE'VE ACCOUNTED FOR THE, UH, REDUCTION IN FEDERAL REVENUES FOR HOUSING INMATES AND WE ACCOUNTED FOR THE REDUCTION IN OUR VOTE TAX. SO THAT'S A PART OF IT. YES SIR. I WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE INCREASE IN THE MILL VALUE, THAT IS NOT OUR TAX RATE. WE ARE NOT LOOKING AT ANY SORT OF TAX INCREASE. THE VALUE OF MILL INCREASING COMES FROM ALL THESE PEOPLE WHO ARE MOVING INTO OUR COUNTY PURCHASING HOMES THAT WERE LOCKED IN UNDER THE MILLAGE RATE CAP FROM A LONG TIME AGO. AND THEY BUY THAT HOME. NOW YOU HAVE THAT ACCESSIBLE TRANSFER OF INTEREST. YOU HAVE PEOPLE BUILDING NEW HOMES, UM, PEOPLE PURCHASING PROPERTY THAT USED TO BE VALUE, IT WAS IN THE SAME FAMILY FOREVER. SO THAT VALUE WAS LOCKED IN AND NOW THEY BUY WHAT WAS ON OUR BOOKS FOR $3,000 AND THEY'RE PAYING $30,000 FOR THAT ACRE OF LAND. THAT'S WHERE OUR MILL VALUE IS INCREASING. WE'RE REAPING THE BENEFIT OF THAT MILL VALUE BY NOT HAVING TO INCREASE PROPERTY TAXES TO PAY FOR ALL OF THIS INFLATION. CORRECT. SO, YOU KNOW, ANOTHER PART OF IT TOO, WHENEVER WE WERE LOOKING BACK AT WHERE WE ARE CURRENTLY IN THIS YEAR, AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE, THE REVENUES THAT WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PLANNING FOR AND WHAT FEEDS INTO THAT, WE GOTTA REMEMBER TOO, WE DO WANNA BE A LITTLE BIT CONSERVATIVE. SO WE DO NOT WANT TO OVER BUDGET OUR REVENUES. 'CAUSE THAT'S A, THAT'S A RECIPE FOR DISASTER. SO WE DO HAVE TO BE A LITTLE BIT CONSERVATIVE. YOU WANT TO GET IT RIGHT, BUT ULTIMATELY THE END GOAL IS, UH, WE WANNA HAVE, WE WANNA PRODUCE A BALANCED BUDGET. SO THE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE FACING FOR THIS YEAR, WE KNOW THAT WE ARE NO LONGER GONNA BE HOUSING THE FEDERAL INMATES THAT REDUCTION $630,000 OFF THE BAT. OUR PROPOSAL TO Y'ALL IS TO GO AHEAD AND REDUCE THE BOAT TAX ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE, TO THE 6% FLOOR THAT IS GONNA HAVE ANOTHER REDUCTION OF $140,000. NOW WE HAD ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR THE FIRST YEAR STEP. THIS IS THE ADDITIONAL TWO STEPS. THIS IS TAKING IT ALL THE WAY DOWN. SO WE WERE ALREADY ACCOUNTING FOR THE FIRST YEAR THAT 140,000 WOULD BE DROPPING IT DOWN. RIGHT NOW YOU'RE GOING AHEAD AND YOU'RE, YOU'RE PLANNING FOR THE, THE NEXT TWO YEARS DROP. OKAY? ON TOP OF THAT, THE EXPENSE CHALLENGES WE'VE GOT. SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MONEY COMING DOWN ON THE REVENUES NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MONEY GOING UP ON THE EXPENSES ON TOP OF THE INFLATION THAT WE WERE ALREADY LOOKING AT. WE GOT A LIST OF CAPITAL NEEDS, A LONG LIST OF CAPITAL NEEDS. AND ON TOP OF THAT, WE KNOW THAT WE STILL HAVE OUR SALARY STUDY THAT'S PENDING. SO GOING BACK TO THAT, THAT INFLATION RATE IS ALSO AFFECTING, LIKE I SAID, OUR CITIZENS IS AFFECTING OUR EMPLOYEES AS WELL. AND WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO MEET THE SALARY STUDY. SO A PART OF THIS BUDGET THAT YOU SEE, WE HAVE ACCOUNTED FOR THAT. WE KNOW THAT WELL, WE HAVE AN IDEA THAT THE, THE PERCENTAGE IS GONNA BE SOMEWHERE AROUND PROBABLY 15%, 15% THAT WE'RE BEHIND ON OUR SALARIES. SO WE'VE GOT A PLAN GOING FORWARD FOR THAT. UH, RIGHT NOW THE SALARY INCREASE WAS 720,000, 7 2700, $20,000 IN THE GENERAL FUND. WE'VE TAKEN THAT INTO ACCOUNT FOR FIRE AND FOR LIBRARY. EACH OF THESE FUNDS IS ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR A RIGHT NOW 5% INCREASE. BUT WE KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT GONNA BE ENOUGH GOING FORWARD. SO THAT'S THE PLAN RIGHT NOW. THAT'S SOME EXPENSE CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE FACING. SO WHERE WE ARE FOR THE GENERAL FUND, WE'RE CURRENTLY AT A DEFICIT OF $405,000. SO RIGHT NOW, THE REVENUES THAT WE'RE PROJECTING WITH THE REDUCTION THAT WE HAVE AND THE INCREASE IN THE EXPENSES THAT WE KNOW WE'RE GOING TO FACE, WE'RE AT A REDUCTION OR EXCUSE ME, A DEFICIT OF $405,000. SO WE STILL HAVE SOME WORK TO BE DONE ON THE GENERAL FUND FOR FIRE AND THE LIBRARY. THOSE BUDGETS ARE BALANCED AS YOU SEE THEM RIGHT THERE. SO THE EXPENDITURES FOR FIRE AND THE LIBRARY ALREADY ACCOUNTING FOR THE INCREASE OF INFLATION AND ALREADY ACCOUNTING FOR THE WAGE STUDY THAT'S COMING BACK, THOSE BUDGETS ARE BALANCED AND SO WE HAVE TO GIVE THEM SOME CREDIT AS WELL FOR, FOR HELPING TO REDUCE THEIR BUDGET. SO FROM HERE GOING FORWARD, WHERE WE ARE FOR THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES ARE AT 31.4 AND WE STILL GOT A LITTLE BIT OF WORK TO DO ON THAT. UH, FIRE RESCUE 9.9 AND LIBRARY 844,000. SO I'VE GOT FOR Y'ALL, AND I WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THIS, UH, THE [00:35:01] PRINTOUTS THAT I GAVE YOU. SO ON THAT GENERAL FUND, THAT'S THE FIRST PAGE THAT YOU GOT RIGHT THERE. I GOT A COUPLE THINGS HIGHLIGHTED, I COULDN'T GET 'EM ON THE, ON THE POWERPOINT UP HERE. BUT IF YOU TAKE A LOOK, UH, ON THE LEFT HAND COLUMN YOU SEE FEDERAL REVENUES AND UNRESTRICTED FUND BALANCE, THOSE ARE HIGHLIGHTED. I WANTED YOU TO SEE THAT THAT'S WHERE THAT $665,000 REDUCTION FOR OR WELL, IT SAYS $665,000 REDUCTION TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE FEDERAL INMATES AND SOME MORE. UH, THAT'S THE REDUCTION FOR THE FEDERAL, THE REDUCTION FOR THE UNRESTRICTED FUND BALANCE THAT WE DO NOT PROJECT TO USE AT THIS TIME WOULD BE 1.5 ME. WE, WE WERE PLANNING TO HAVE IT LAST YEAR. RIGHT NOW WE'RE TRYING NOT TO. WE'RE WE'RE STILL, WE'VE STILL GOT SOME WORK TO DO. NOW IF YOU LOOK DOWN AT NON-DEPARTMENTAL, YOU SEE WHERE THAT DEPARTMENT'S BUDGET RIGHT NOW IS SHOWING AN INCREASE OF $585,000 TO LAST YEAR. THAT RIGHT NOW IS WHERE WE ARE HOUSING THE SALARY INCREASE. SO THAT DEPARTMENT, THE REASON WHY IT'S LOOKING SO MUCH HIGHER RIGHT NOW IS $720,000 OF THAT IS THE SALARY INCREASE. SO ULTIMATELY THE NON-DEPARTMENTAL BUDGET WAS DECREASED AS WELL. THAT'S JUST WHERE IT'S HOUSING IT FOR RIGHT NOW UNTIL THE SALARY STUDY COMES BACK. ONCE WE GET THAT, WE'LL MOVE ALL THOSE SALARIES INTO EACH DEPARTMENT. SO IT'LL, IT'LL SPREAD ACROSS. AND THE DOWN AT THE BOTTOM, I STILL GOT IT HIGHLIGHTED. THE, THE CURRENT DEFICIT ON THE GENERAL FUND. OKAY, NOW ANOTHER THING THAT'S ACCOUNTED FOR HERE, IT'S YOUR SECOND PAGE THAT IS OUR CAPITAL REQUEST. OUR CAPITAL EXPENSE BUDGET. THESE ARE ABSOLUTE MUST-HAVES RIGHT NOW. AND WE HAVE . SO RIGHT HERE, WE'VE GOT $468,000 OF CAPITAL NEEDS RIGHT NOW. AND THAT IS ALREADY INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET. SO WITH THE CAPITAL NEEDS THAT WE'VE GOT 468 REALLY AND TRULY, THAT'S PRETTY WELL WHAT PUT US AT THE DEFICIT. UH, IF WE COULD PUSH THOSE THINGS OFF, WE WOULD, BUT RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TO HAVE THOSE. SO JUST TO KIND OF GIVE YOU A LITTLE MEASURE THERE, THAT GENERAL FUND DEFICIT OF 4 0 5, IT'S GOT $468,000 OF CAPITAL. WE'VE GOT SOME HVAC UNITS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED. UM, WE'VE GOT SOME SOFTWARE THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE. WE'VE GOT SOME VEHICLES, WE HAVE TO, WE HAVE TO IMPROVE A LOT OF OUR FLEET. BUT THE ONES THAT WE ABSOLUTELY NEED TO DO RIGHT NOW ARE IN HERE AS WELL. AND THEN WE'VE GOT A, WE'VE GOT $130,000 THERE FOR OUR, OUR TELEPHONE SYSTEM THAT'S, WE'VE GOT UPDATE AS WELL. SO WANTED Y'ALL TO SEE THAT WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW, BIG CHUNK OF IT. AND THE REASON FOR THAT DEFICIT IS, IS THE CAPITAL EXPENSES THAT WE NEED. SO FLIPPING OVER, I WANT YOU TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE FIRE WITH ME. SO THAT'S YOUR NEXT PAGE ON FIRE. THAT BUDGET IS BALANCED DOWN AT THE VERY BOTTOM. THE ONLY THING I WANT YOU TO SEE RIGHT THERE IS THE PROPOSED SALARY INCREASE THAT DOES INCLUDE ALL THE FRINGE BENEFITS. THAT IS WHERE THE FIRES INCREASE IN SALARIES IS RIGHT NOW. SO THAT $325,000, THAT'S IN ADDITION TO THE STEP THAT WE ALREADY DO, THE LONGEVITY STEP THAT WE ALREADY DO. BUT, UH, THAT'S WHERE THAT'S HOUSED. SO EVEN WITH THAT FIRE IS BALANCED. OKAY. AND THEN LAST ONE I WANT YOU TO LOOK AT THERE IS LIBRARY LIBRARY'S THE SAME DOWN AT THE VERY BOTTOM. THAT SALARY INCREASE IS INCLUDED AND, AND IT'S HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW FOR YOU. THAT BUDGET IS ALSO BALANCED AS WELL. SO FROM HERE GOING FORWARD, OUR APPROACH FOR THIS BUDGET, WE WERE TO ANSWER THE CALL. WE ARE, WE DO NOT WANT TO INCREASE TAXES. THIS DOES NOT HAVE A MILL INCREASE ON THE GENERAL FUND AS YOU SEE IT RIGHT NOW. THERE IS NO MILLAGE INCREASE AND WE DO NOT PLAN TO INCREASE THE MILLS ON THE GENERAL FUND. IN ADDITION TO THAT, UH, HERE IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE IMPLEMENTED AND I, LIKE I SAID, I'VE GOTTA GIVE CREDIT TO ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS. IT'S BEEN A COMMU IT'S BEEN AN ENTIRE GOVERNMENT WIDE EFFORT. UM, WE ASKED FOR EVEN MORE DETAIL THIS YEAR WITH ALL OF THEIR DEPARTMENTAL REQUESTS. SO WE TOOK A LOOK AT A FULL BREAKDOWN. I'M TEAM TO THE DOLLAR FOR EVERY EXPENSE THAT THEY REQUESTED. FOR EVERY LINE ITEM THEY REQUESTED FOR. WE HAD A BACKUP FOR EVERY DOLLAR THAT MADE UP FOR THAT LINE ITEM. WE TOOK ALL OF THAT AND, AND EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS WE DID REDUCE THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET. WE DID REDUCE THE REQUEST BECAUSE WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE. WE HAVE GOT, I USED THE METAPHOR THE OTHER DAY WHENEVER WE WERE IN OUR DEPARTMENT HEAD, UH, MEETING, TOLD 'EM. RIGHT NOW IT FEELS LIKE WE'RE, WE'RE ON A BEACH, WE'RE HAVING A PICNIC. AND IT IS OUR JOB TO KNOW THAT THERE'S A STORM ON THE HORIZON. THERE'S A STORM OUT THERE. WE GOTTA KNOW WHEN TO DROP WHAT WE'RE HAVING AT THE PICNIC AND RUN INSIDE SOME THINGS GOTTA BE LEFT RIGHT NOW. SO WE DID HAVE TO CUT SOME THINGS OUT OF THE DEPARTMENTAL REQUESTS, BUT EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THE [00:40:01] REASON WHY IS THAT STORM THAT'S OUT ON THE HORIZON. WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE A REDUCTION IN THE FEDERAL REVENUES. WE KNOW THAT WE HAVE A REDUCTION IN THE BOAT TAX OR WE ARE PROPOSING FOR THAT. AND ON TOP OF THAT, WE KNOW THAT WE'VE GOT INFLATION, WE KNOW WE GOT CAPITAL NEEDS. AND THAT'S NOT EVEN ALL OF 'EM THAT YOU SAW ON THE OTHER PAGE. WE KNOW THAT THERE IS A STORM THAT IF WE DO NOT GET PREPARED FOR, IT'LL GET US. SO WE USED THE DETAILED REQUEST FROM ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS AND WE VETTED IT AND WE PRIORITIZED THE NEEDS. AND FROM THERE, UH, WITH THE CURRENT BUDGET AND THE APPROACH THAT WE HAD AND THE PLANS WE GOT GOING FORWARD, WE TOOK A LOOK AT ALL THE REVENUE REDUCTIONS WE GOT. WE TOOK A LOOK AT ALL THE CAPITAL NEEDS, NOT JUST WHAT'S ON YOUR LIST RIGHT HERE, BUT OUR, OUR REALLY OUR FIVE 10 YEAR PLAN, OUR FLEET NEEDS. AND, UH, WE MEASURED ALL THAT ALONG WITH THE INFLATION AND THE, AND THE PENDING SALARY STUDY THAT WE HAVE. SO WHERE WE ARE, A LOT OF FACTORS ARE PLAYING INTO IT AND IT'S GOT, WE'VE STILL GOT WORK TO DO ON IT. BUT FROM HERE THE PLAN GOING FORWARD IS BY THE SECOND READING YOU'LL HAVE A BALANCED GENERAL FUND BUDGET. WE WILL HAVE A BALANCED GENERAL FUND BUDGET FOR YOU. LIBRARY AND FIRE IS GOOD RIGHT NOW. EVERYTHING'S STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS. THINGS ARE GONNA CHANGE. WE KNOW THINGS ARE GONNA COME UP, OUR PROJECTIONS ARE GONNA CHANGE, BUT UH, WE FEEL REALLY, REALLY GOOD ABOUT WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. AND LIKE I SAID, THE KEY TAKEAWAY THAT WE REALLY WANT TO EMPHASIZE IS NO MILL INCREASE, NO MILL INCREASE ON THEIR TAXPAYERS. AND WITH THAT WE HAVE ALREADY ACCOUNTED FOR ALL THE INCREASES AND, AND THE INFLATION AND SALARIES THAT WE NEED. AND UM, ULTIMATELY THE CAPITAL EXPENSE THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE RIGHT NOW, THAT'S WHAT'S GOT US AT A DEFICIT. SO WE ARE COMFORTABLE, EVEN THOUGH WE ARE AT A DEFICIT, WE ARE COMFORTABLE KNOWING WHY WE ARE AT THE DEFICIT. SO MR. NELSON, IF I COULD JUST ADD, UM, IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT THIS CAPITAL LIST, WHAT YOU WON'T SEE ON HERE IS VEHICLES FOR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. UM, WE HAVE BUDGETED FOR SEVEN REPLACEMENT VEHICLES IN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IN OUR, IN OUR CAPITAL FUND, IN OUR, UM, CAPITAL PROJECTS FUND. THE INTENT RIGHT NOW AS IT STANDS WOULD BE TO FINANCE THOSE, THOSE REPLACEMENT VEHICLES GOING FORWARD THROUGH THE YEAR. YOU SAW THE PROJECTIONS FOR 2026. IT LOOKS LIKE THAT SOME OF THESE COST CUTTING MEASURES THAT WE'VE ALREADY PUT INTO PLACE IS GONNA REAP SOME BENEFITS IN OUR CURRENT BUDGET, WHICH WOULD, IF WE DO NOTHING WITH IT, ADD TO OUR FUND BALANCE, ADD TO OUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT. WHAT OUR HOPE IS, AND I KNOW WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO AT LEAST PART OF IT, THE CAPITAL ON THIS LIST CAN BE PAID FOR OUT OF THAT FUND BALANCE OUTTA THAT SAVINGS ACCOUNT. YOU DON'T WANT TO USE YOUR FUND BALANCE TO PAY FOR ONGOING NEEDS SUCH AS ELECTRICITY COSTS AND HEALTH INSURANCE AND AND SALARIES. BUT ONE TIME PURCHASES SUCH AS CAPITAL CAN BE PAID FOR IF YOU HAVE EXCESS FUND BALANCE OR EXCESS SAVINGS. IF WE HAVE ENOUGH LEFTOVER FROM 2026 AND IT'S GONNA BE VERY CLOSE, WE WOULD ALSO RECOMMEND USING THAT FUND BALANCE TO PAY FOR THE SHARE'S VEHICLES INSTEAD OF FINANCING THEM IN THE FUTURE WITH THE ULTIMATE GOAL TO BE ABLE TO REDUCE OUR DEBT MILLAGE INSTEAD OF INCREASING IT, ACTUALLY DO A DEBT MILLAGE REDUCTION IN THE GENERAL FUND. AND IF THINGS PLAY OUTRIGHT, WE WON'T KNOW YET FOR A WHILE BY BEING ABLE TO PURCHASE THAT FIRETRUCK THAT YOU GUYS SAW BEFORE THE MEETING BY BEING ABLE TO PURCHASE THAT WITH CASH, WE MAY BE ABLE TO DO A SLIGHT MILLAGE REDUCTION IN THE FIRE DEPARTMENT DEBT MILLAGE AS WELL. SO IF WE CAN, IF WE CAN MAKE THESE THINGS HAPPEN AND WE WON'T KNOW PROBABLY UNTIL SOMETIME IN JUNE, UM, WE MAY BE ABLE TO MAKE THAT STUFF HAPPEN. UM, IT'S A VERY, VERY GOOD CHANCE OF IT RIGHT NOW. BUT I COULDN'T LAY MY HAND ON THE BIBLE AND SWEAR TO YOU THAT IT'S THAT IT'S GONNA HAPPEN. 'CAUSE WE ARE SO FAR BEHIND, UM, IN OUR REPORTING, THE WAY OUR SYSTEM WORKS AND THINGS LIKE THAT. YOU KNOW, WE'RE AT THE END OF THE MONTH BUT WE ONLY GOT INFORMATION THROUGH MARCH 31ST RIGHT NOW. SO, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SOME STRIDES IN THAT AS WELL. RIGHT? AND ALSO THERE'S SOME OTHER FACTORS THAT PLAY INTO IT. UH, I'VE MENTIONED WE'VE GOT A 10 YEAR PLAN. A BIG PART OF THAT IS GONNA BE OUR FLEET. WE HAVE GOT AN AGING FLEET AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING, UH, PRETTY HARD HERE LATELY. WE'VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS, UH, TAKING A LOOK AT OUR FULL FLEET, TAKING A LOOK AT OUR MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR COSTS, TAKING A LOOK AT HOW MUCH OIL THESE USED AND, AND HIGH MILEAGE VEHICLES [00:45:01] DRINK, HOW MUCH GAS THEY, OR HOW MUCH LESS MILES PER GALLON THAT THEY GET. SO THAT'S ANOTHER BIG FACTOR THAT'S THAT WE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT WHEN, IF WE TALK ABOUT THIS 10 YEAR PLAN, WE'VE GOT A LOT OF DIFFERENT MEASURES THAT WE'RE, WE'RE LOOKING AT PUTTING INTO PLACE TO REDUCE THE EXPENDITURES OVER THE COMING YEARS. WE SAT DOWN THE OTHER DAY AND WE HAD A 10 YEAR PROJECTION, UH, JUST ON THAT CATEGORY ALONE, JUST LOOKING AT OUR, OUR FLEET. AND NOW WE GOTTA REMEMBER WE TALK ABOUT GOING BACK TO THAT SLIDE WHERE PEOPLE ARE MOVING TO OUR COUNTY. WE ALSO CAN'T FORGET WE ARE GROWING, BUT WE NEED TO BE PREPARED TO GROW WITH IT BECAUSE IF OUR COUNTY GROWS FASTER THAN THE MEANS THAT WE BUDGET TO COVER IT, WE'LL FALL SHORT ON THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE. WE KNOW THAT WE GOTTA GET THE WAGES UP. WE UNDERSTAND THAT AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT WE'VE HAD SOME, WE'VE HAD SOME STRUGGLES, UH, WHERE WE HAVE BEEN LOSING SOME FIRST RESPONDERS AND WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T AFFORD THAT. SO ALL OF THOSE HAVE BEEN PLAYED INTO THIS BUDGET AS WELL AS THE 10 YEAR PLAN THAT, THAT WE'RE PUTTING TOGETHER. AND LIKE I SAID, THERE'S, WE'VE STILL GOT WORK TO DO RIGHT NOW ON WHERE WE ARE, BUT I'M PROUD, WE'RE PROUD WE, WE FEEL REALLY GOOD ABOUT IT AND UM, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO, LOOKING FORWARD TO GETTING TO THE SECOND READING, HAVING IT BALANCED FOR YOU, GIVING YOU MORE DETAIL. WE'LL HAVE ALL BY DEPARTMENT PAGES FOR YOU AS WELL. AND, UM, AND THEN GOING FORWARD FROM THERE, WE'LL WE'LL GIVE YOU A LITTLE MORE INSIGHT ON WHAT THAT 10 YEAR PLAN LOOKS LIKE, SOME CAPITAL NEEDS AS WELL THAT ARE IN THAT 10 YEAR PLAN. AND, UM, ULTIMATELY, UH, THE, THE GOAL GOING FORWARD RIGHT NOW WHAT'S IN FRONT OF US, WE ARE NOT TRYING TO RAISE TAXES AND WE ARE NOT GONNA DO IT. OKAY. SO DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW THAT, THAT I CAN ADDRESS AND HELP WITH WE CAN ADDRESS IN THAT WAY? YEAH. UH, MR. GIBBONS, I GOT ONE FOR YOU. YEAH. UH OH. YOU, THE GRAPH THAT YOU HAD UP YES SIR. LOOKED LIKE WE UH, AVERAGE ABOUT ALMOST 4% GROWTH PER YEAR ON THE, ON THE MILLAGE, RIGHT ON THE MILL VALUE, YOU'RE RIGHT, UH, ON YOUR REVENUE SIDE. MM-HMM . DID YOU INJECT ANY OF THAT, UH, PARTICIPATION GROWTH INTO YOUR FIGURES? CORRECT? YES SIR. THEY ARE THE, THE AVERAGE. NOW WE, WE DO WANT TO BE A LITTLE CONSERVATIVE WITH THAT, BUT WE'RE ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE, THE, THE PROPERTY TAX PORTION. SO I'M GONNA, I'LL FLIP ALL THE WAY BACK TO IT. I WANNA, I HAVE MY REVENUE PROJECTION ON THIS ONE. NO, LET ME JUMP BACK TO IT FOR YOU. SO LEMME GET BACK RIGHT HERE ON THAT GENERAL FUND PROJECTION AND I THINK I ACTUALLY HAD THE FULL DETAIL FURTHER BACK RIGHT HERE ON THAT REVENUE PROJECTION WHERE YOU SEE FY 26 MM-HMM THAT IS WHAT WE ARE PROJECTING FOR THE REST OF THIS YEAR. TAKING THAT INTO ACCOUNT. THAT IS CORRECT. AND THEN ALSO THE PROJECTION THAT WE HAVE FOR FISCAL YEAR OF 27. I'M TRYING TO SKIP TOO QUICK. OUR ADMINISTRATOR GIVES ME A HARD TIME ABOUT JUMPING THROUGH MY SLIDES. , THAT BUDGET RIGHT THERE ALSO DOES TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT AS WELL. BUT WE GOTTA REMEMBER IT'S NOT ALWAYS GONNA BE EXACTLY A 4% INCREASE, RIGHT? THAT GENERAL FUND TOTALS. 'CAUSE IT ONLY ACCOUNTS FOR JUST OVER HALF OF, OF THAT REVENUE THAT YOU SEE RIGHT THERE MM-HMM . BUT ALL THAT HAS BEEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT. BUT LIKE I SAID, ANOTHER SLIPPERY SLOPE YOU GOTTA BE CAREFUL WITH IS WE DO WANNA BE A LITTLE BIT CONSERVATIVE WITH THOSE. SO WHERE WE MIGHT HAVE AN AVERAGE OF, OF 4%, WE MAY NOT TOTALLY BUDGET FOR THE FULL 4%. WE MAY BE A LITTLE CONSERVATIVE ON THAT JUST TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE BECAUSE WE DON'T WANNA OVERESTIMATE THOSE, THOSE REVENUES, RIGHT? YEAH. BUT WE DO TAKE THEM INTO ACCOUNT. YEAH. TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BETTER PERSPECTIVE, MR. BILLY PUT SOME NUMBERS ON IT. IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT INFLATION RATE INFLATION OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS HAS AVERAGED 4.2%. NOW OUR MILL VALUE IS A LITTLE OVER 4%, BUT THAT'S ONLY HALF OF OUR REVENUES. SO IT'S REALLY ONLY A 2% INCREASE IN REVENUES TRYING TO OUTPACE A 4% INCREASE IN INFLATION. THAT DOESN'T WORK. SO WE HAVE TO BE VERY STRATEGIC AND REDUCE EXPENDITURES WHERE WE CAN REDUCE EXPENDITURES. YOU CAN'T ATTACK IT FROM, FROM ONE SIDE. THIS IS NOT A ONE-SIDED PROBLEM. WE HAVE TO REDUCE EXPENDITURES AND, AND LIVE ON THE GROWTH THAT WE CAN LIVE ON AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. AND IF WE EXPERIENCE HIGHER LEVELS OF GROWTH SO MUCH THE BETTER. BUT IF THAT GROWTH IS NOT AS ROBUST AS IT HAS BEEN, WE HAVE TO BE A LITTLE CONSERVATIVE IN OUR PROJECTIONS, RIGHT? SO WE CAN'T PROJECT 4% TAX GROWTH. WE, WE HAVE TO PROJECT 2% TAX GROWTH JUST TO BE A LITTLE SAFE. MM-HMM . OKAY. THANK YOU. YES SIR. YES SIR. ALRIGHT, IF THAT'S, UH, IF THAT'S ALL THE QUESTIONS WE GOT FOR TONIGHT, THE PLAN, LIKE I SAID [00:50:01] GOING FORWARD IS AT THE SECOND READING, I'LL HAVE ALL THE PAGES. IT'S GONNA BE A, A THICK BINDER FOR YOU, BUT IT'LL HAVE ALL, EVERY LINE ITEM FOR EVERY DEPARTMENT ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE WHOLE GOVERNMENT. UH, WE'LL BALANCE THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET. WE KNOW WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW ON OUR DEFICIT 400, $5,000. WE KNOW HOW MUCH OF THAT IS CAPITAL. WE KNOW IT'S HOW MUCH OF THAT'S FOR THE SALARY INCREASES AND WE KNOW WHAT'S COMING UP AHEAD OF US. BUT THE PROJECTIONS THAT WE HAVE AND THE 10 YEAR PLAN THAT WE HAVE WILL FILL YOU IN ON THAT AS WELL BECAUSE WE KNOW WE GOTTA HAVE A PLAN GOING FORWARD FOR NOT JUST THE RISING AND THE INFLATION. UH, BUT WE ALSO WILL TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE GROWTH OF THE MILL VALUE AND THE SALARY INCREASES THAT WE'RE GONNA NEED TO DO BECAUSE WE'VE GOTTA GET 'EM UP. WE KNOW THAT WE GOTTA GET 'EM UP. MM-HMM . OKAY. OKAY. THAT'S ALL I GOT FOR TONIGHT. THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH. AND PLEASE KNOW IF YOU THINK OF SOMETHING OR IF YOU DO HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, DON'T HESITATE. YOU CALL ME. OKAY? AND, UH, AND, UH, I'LL BE HAPPY TO TO HELP YOU WITH ANY QUESTIONS YOU GOT, OKAY? OKAY. THANK YOU. ALRIGHT. THANK Y'ALL. THANK YOU. AND MR. CHAIRMAN, I WANNA THANK NELSON AND HIS CREW. UM, WHAT HE JUST DID BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IS ONE OF THE MOST DIFFICULT PARTS OF BEING THE FINANCE DIRECTOR IS PREPARING ALL THIS INFORMATION AND THEN PRESENTING IT IN A CLEAR AND CONCISE MANNER. THAT WAS A FANTASTIC FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOP EVER PRESENTATION. UM, GOOD JOB. THANK YOU, SIR. THANK YOU SIR. BEFORE WE GO INTO THE NEXT THING, I HAVE A, A PAPER HERE I'D LIKE TO, TO READ IT SAYS, UH, CLAREDON COUNTY BAR ASSOCIATION AND THE COUNTY OF CLATON COURSELY INVITE YOU TO PORTRAIT UNVEILING AND RETIREMENT CEREMONY, HONORING THE HONORABLE EULOGY ROBERTS ON MAY 21ST, 2026 AT 4:00 PM AT THE CLATON COUNTY COURTHOUSE, AND THE RECEPTION WILL FOLLOW AT LAND PARKER WELCH COURTYARD. IF YOU DON'T KNOW MS. ULA , YOU DEFINITELY NEED TO BE AT THIS BECAUSE, UH, MS. BULA IS WHAT I LIKE TO CALL A TRUE SOUTHERN LADY. IF YOU EVER LISTEN TO HER TALK, SHE SOUNDS LIKE SHE'S STRAIGHT OUT OF A MOVIE, YOU KNOW, UM, VERY, VERY NICE LADY. AND, UH, IF YOU GOT TIME, TRY, TRY AND SHOW UP FOR THIS, UH, PORTRAIT UNVEILING IN RETIREMENT CEREMONY. [9. Executive Session] NEXT UP, UM, WE HAVE AN EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR A CONTRACTUAL MATTER. DO I HAVE A MOTION WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION? MAKE A MOTION. SECOND. MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN COKER, SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN RICHARDSON. ALL IN FAVOR A AYE. ALL OPPOSED, WE SHALL RETURN PRETTY QUICK. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.