County Council - Regular Meeting

real good so we'll get started. We'll call this session of the Decal County Council in order. This is Wednesday, September 24th, 2025. and we'll begin with an opening prayer by Amy Proser. Thank you. Let's all pray together. Heavenly Father, we come before you this morning and just um praise you and thank you for your goodness, your kindness, and your grace. We ask this morning that you would give us your wisdom as we go about the business for the citizens of Dub County. We thank you and praise you all in Jesus name. Amen.

Amen. Thank you, Amy. At this time, will you please stand for the pledge to

the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for it stands one nation indivisibley for all? Okay. Has everybody had a chance to look over the minutes from the The minutes aren't ready. Minutes are not ready. So, we'll come back to that. Uh we'll we won't do them until next meeting.

Okay. We'll just hold off on doing them till the next meeting. Uh let's see. We have no additionals or transfers that needs council approval. There are two uh non-approval transfers from the veterans uh and change academy there, but those do not require any action from the council. Okay, moving on to council discussion on budgets. Susan, I'm going to defer to you.

So, okay, real quick. Um, in case you guys didn't see my email early this morning. Um, Randy is not going to come in to do the airport update just because we were doing budgets, but he did submit him and Russ they did submit their update. So that is on share point and it was uploaded as well. Um well I guess I guess we just need to find out if you guys have questions. Um, I provided and printed out the budget form fours which will be signed once we adopt. Um, which we can't do that until the times listed on the agenda because they are advertised. Um after everything was said and done with all the changes that were requested, um the county general percentage came back at 31% which was more than what we had on the day that we were doing it.

But that would match what the financial advisor says we should have. Correct. Yes, they say he says 30% or 35%. 30. 30. Yeah, he always suggests 30. So, we're at least there. I did give you a one pager with the not all the detailed information, but the percentages that look like this for each fund after changes, whatnot. Um, so you're able to see those. Um, can you explain how we get that 31% reserve? What's the formula that you use to calculate that? That's 31%.

Like you want it line by line. Yeah. Just and explain it so the public understands you have 31% cash reserve. What does that mean? It

is our estimate. It is our estimate that when we end 2026 that we're going to have 31% or about 3 months worth of expenditures in case something would happen and we don't get anything. We can at least operate for three months before needing to figure out where to find money. And that's a total of $82,477. No, I think I typed that wrong. No, that's not right. It's 88 8.2 8,24797.

Oh, the zeros. I just put the Say that say that number again. Wrong spot. Okay. Just add two zeros to the end of it. But to get that, did that answer your question? Um, so I've had I've had citizens ask me, "So, are we overt taxing them by 31%." No.

So, can you explain that really well for the public so who are watching? What does that look like when we say we have a 31% ash reserve? How are we getting that if we're not overt taxing them? Well, I mean, we we used to have nothing. So, when I first came, I think we had 4% of a cash reserve, which would not get you very far. And so with the help of our financial adviser and Rick might be able to help explain better um he and other financial adviserss advised to remain and keep your 31 at least 30% so that you can still operate and function going forward. So we have our budget and then we um find all my stuff here. We

and having that cash balance will actually roll into what the actual tax rate is because that will be figured into it. You're just asking how do you get that 31%. Where where is it coming from? How do we calculate that that's 31%.

So I on that huge sheet that I gave you guys earlier. So we at the time I worked with our current balance, our current fund balances. Then I subtract any 2025 budget appropriations that haven't been spent. And then I subtract if we have any additional appropriations that I anticipate through year end. Then I add in an estimate of current year appropriations that I think won't be spent. Then I add in our fall settlement, our estimated miscellaneous receipts from July to December. And um then so the first additional was if we had additionals pending that we hadn't approved yet. Then I subtract if I think we were going to have any additional or extra additionals from the time I'm doing this that you haven't approved till the end of the year. So then I get a projected 2025 ending balance. Then I subtract what um 2026 approved by council budget total is and I add in expected spring and fall settlement estimated receipts and I add in an estimate of what of any unused appropriations that may be at the end of 2026 that weren't spent. And then you get your projected cash balance.

I think the bottom line is you never want to take your checkbook down to zero. Oh, no. You always want to you always want to have a balance. And in the past, people didn't think or quite honestly councils across the board, whether it be city or county or state, didn't consider what that um balance would be. So sometimes they had excessive amounts, sometimes they had less. I think the the perfect example is when we asked the financial advisor what we could do or where would where did we have too much and that is in the reassessment fund.

So actually for this year knowing that there's too much and we don't want to put any we're going to spend money out of that but we don't want to add any more to it. We've zeroed out that tax rate or the reassessment fund. Gotcha. So, it's constantly monitoring where your budget Well, no. I mean, I agree with you. The public needs to know. Yes. And so, constantly you're monitoring what your checkbook balance, correct?

And the other the other part is that's that's hard for people to understand. And when you join county or city government, you learn it sometimes quickly, sometimes not. Fund accounting is completely different than uh your general acrruel accounting that businesses use or that you use in your own home. Yes.

In this case, we have we have money in pockets that cannot be spent on anything other than what's designated for that particular fund. Oh, you got you got a million dollars in this pocket. You got an expense over here that you want to pay for. Well, I'm sorry. you can't use that million dollars because it's in the wrong fund. It's in the wrong pocket. So, so at the end of the day, Amy,

you end up with your estimated cash balance and you divide it into what your incoming budget total amount is and that's how you get your percentage. There's we've had a couple times over the last several years where if we didn't have cash reserves 25 30% we would have been in severe trouble. And to give you an idea we've had um one one year we had a huge increase uh unexpectedly in our health insurance midyear that we had to come up with money. We had a bridge one year that got washed out. Uh some parts of it got washed out. That was an emergency piece. I We've had some of these and we're fortunate that we've had the case reserves that we've had or otherwise we'd have been in a hole. So, it's um we're just very very fortunate to have these numbers here that we have today here because you never know. And uh Rick hit it right on the head. It's just like your own checkbook. Always try to save money. It's harder hard to save at home. It's hard to save here, but you just never know. So, good questions. Thanks, Amy. And the other um thing that I've learned with talking with my fellow auditors at Decelb, we haven't always had a lot of money that we've set set aside in our rainy day. And compared to other counties, we still don't have hardly any money in our rainy day. I mean, there's some counties that have over 8 10 million in their rainy day. And we I can tell you in one second Right.

Right now we have 2.3 million and that's only because we've been able to move. Um at the end of the year I did an audit of years past of rainy day money that could have been moved but wasn't moved. Um, so we move some extra and we continue to move as much as we can in there um to help that. So a lot of the other counties and if we I guess even if we were overt taxing then there would be a lot more money that would be sitting in rainy day but

but we have additional funds also in invested the CDs that doesn't have any that's completely different but no because that 31% sometimes that money is getting invested into those CDs right like we took some of those those in the last couple years and we invested those. Is that right? I think we had that. Yes. It's not additional. No. Yeah. No, it's it's taking that that reserve that we had at the end of the year. Some of those money is invested all year round and only only what's in the checkbook is what she needs to pay bills every month. I think Amy's asking that money and that's what we do with the treasur. Correct.

I think she's just asking where does that money come from to go into that investment? Where's that where's that pulled out of?

It all depends. Um the treasur and I work together really well and um she technically doesn't have to ask anybody. She's the investment officer. She can do whatever she wants because she's on the bank side. She does work with me because I generally know if there's projects or expenditures that are going to come out of a certain fund so that when expenses come, that fund has the money to be able to invest. So or to pay the expenditures. So there's a multitude of places that the money has come from in the certain funds to be able to do it.

And the CDs aren't just reserves. That can be operating. You have a CD for six months. No, you're not going to spend the other half of that until September. So you can put it in for the first six months of the year to to get us some interest, which is what we've really taken advantage of the last few years. Other thing that contributes to that 31% is not just it's not just tax money. It's the interest money that the treasurer has earned us that has helped us get that 31%. So, the other thing I would uh just want to state about that 31% is that was a target so that we can get the best credit rating we can possibly get for when we do have to do a bond for projects like the county highway that we originally did or future be the jail and you want to get that AAA rating for the bond. Um

and anything that we can put in as a you know there are two things that the rainy day fund might get used for. one is is uh the match on any major road project and number two it's a savings for the jail. That's the uh what the financial advisor had asked us to do to put it in the rainy day fund. It's not so heavily restricted that way that if an emergency comes up, you can't use it. But whatever we have in that fund to make a down payment on the jail is something that we don't have to borrow and a dollar amount that we do not have to borrow and pay interest on. And also on this deal, they just started this is taking the funds from the ditch taxes and put them in the uh interest so they can raise more money for ditch repair and stuff too. And that's part of that

for the drain maintenance. Yeah. Drain maintenance, everything. Susan, we're so at 2026 you're projecting 31%. We're for 2025 we're at or what do you project year end? And you may not even be touching that right now, but

um let me see. So when you guys worked so a year ago when you were working on the 25 budget the um target estimate was 42.03%. And I'm trying to think when I did this. Well that doesn't matter. Um, but after after everything was said and done in 2024, everything was paid, appropriations that weren't used stayed as cash in your fund. Then any incumbrances that came from 24 and a 25 when all that was figured, we started this year at a 54.27%.

So I won't know. I mean, I really have no way of knowing till the end. Yeah. Well, and one other point we discussed earlier, nobody knows the effect the property tax reduction is going to have. The concern was on that 2728 budget here. And we wanted to get this up. I I'm pleasantly surprised to see it's gone to the number it has there. And this is where we could see some real positives here is is down the road here as we look at that 20 especially the 2728 budgets um and the impact that property tax reductions are going to have. So this is I'm really happy you found that. So on this Oh, wait. Were you going to talk about

I was just going to say that one of the other things that that you don't know until next year is what may be left in the um reserve is any employment that's not filled. you know, we we had some of these high numbers before because we had a number of positions in the sheriff's department that were not filled. So, you weren't paying their salary, you weren't paying their PEF, their medical or any of that. And then, um any this assumes that we're going to pay our employees in the probation department with our tax dollars and we won't get a a grant. So if we get a grant then our money is left to be spent on something else because the grant money from the state will replace it. So there are things floating around like that

the um probation they always kind of get it last minute last minute for my my reasoning to be able to do numbers but they did get their um awards to know. So, I worked closely with Ryan and Michael and as much as possible, I I do have that figured like I've taken out of county general what we didn't need and um have the grants all redone. So, we have that accounted for and that does include I did put um all of the changes I'm trying to remember earlier this month. I did do all the reductions that we discussed at those meetings. I did include uh 200,000 in county general for um the HFI funding. So that is in there. Um 2 and a half% wage increase across the board. Um, I think those were the major ones. The other thing I was going to say about this page that I gave you guys, I have notes there because the um where it says CCD bridge portion, that's the 42% of um fume cap development money that gets moved at settlement time um every year to the for the bridges. and then the highway restricted. Those both show a negative percent. It's not going to end up that way. It those are hard to estimate. So like on the bridge portion um the fund 4738 he won't use everything this year um because of the timing of when his invoices and things come. Um, and when

I'm doing this, I just kind of have to estimate what I think he won't use, and I don't totally know that. So, that's not going to be an issue. And then the highway restricted, that's a whole guessing game in itself. Um, we budget in regular highway 1176 and 1173, but it's very, like I said, guessing to know whether he's going to have something that qualifies as a restricted expenditure or not. Um, so that's not going to end up being negative either. It's just kind of a guessing game. And some counties don't even budget that 1173, but it's better to budget it. And in case you don't know, um, they do their system does a very good job and the ladies at the highway, they do a very good job of tracking the number of hours each of their employees work on a project that is considered restricted. And then at the end of the year, um, we take that figure and we move, um, payroll, what would have been paid out of 1176 as payroll. We move one big amount, say like 350,000. We'll cut a check from 1173 and put it back into 1176 to replace that because those hours can be paid out of the restricted fund because they were on a restricted project.

So that 1176 is basically payroll, right? Is that is that what you said? It's payroll. No, all of it. Both 76 and 73, it's all anything like it. It's budgeted for everything, anything that they could possibly need. But the restricted fund can only be spent on specific projects like I don't remember

preservation something something. I remember talking to Ben and he calculated for me the amount that his payroll is plus insurance plus PERF. It's about $2.2 million and that must come out of that 1176. That doesn't come out of County General, right? Ben doesn't have anything that comes out of county general. Yeah. But that comes out of the restricted and the unrestricted depending on what that worker is doing that day. That's why they track their hours. Yeah. Well, which is crazy. The highway department has its own revenue sources. Yeah.

Well, I guess my point would be though that it does. Absolutely. Um but other uh departments have other funding sources as well and we have picked up and carried some of their their payroll insurance, those kinds of things. And maybe that's something that we look at for the highway department so that they can take those funds. Uh to Bill Vanise's point, some of our smaller cities are going to be lacking in some some road funds. And so maybe that's where some place that we could pick some up um picking up some of Ben's um either insurance or PERF or payroll and then that would free up some dollars for him to put on. In in previous years, doing exactly that is what got the bridge fund in trouble to begin with.

They transferred things out of highway over to the bridge fund. Well, if we're looking at a 31% though, that would give us $8 million to help us, you know, but bridges are fairly expensive. We need all of that money in there. Correct. But we have about 28 million, I think, in Is that um long-term investments? I think we went through that last time of the sheet here showing the long-term investments 28 million. But you know I think what you're talking about Amy though is going against what our financial advisor No we're doing what the financial advisor said we have%

those that's the investment that is not long that is invested as a whole that's not all long-term invested investments right now 18 months those aren't long-term a long-term investment is two to five years okay so that is not funs that we need within a year because I think earlier we said that um sometimes those are expenses that we need right away but some of these are 24 months and so those wouldn't be anything that we're looking at that we need in the same funding year. There are depends on when they come due depends on when they come due but usually they're within the same oh they're all staggered. It's staggered.

So it says it says 24 months. It may have a month left. of this $28 million we can ever spend on anything else except what we got in general. Is that what you're saying? No, not at all. That's not what I said. Okay. So, I guess I'm just We have $28 million invested over here in some long-term. I'm just looking for some place here to So, that amount of depending what those all came from. Okay, we'll say no. Depending what all what fund those all came from and how long they invested would be determined. I would have determined how long I was comfortable with them investing

x amount of dollars to when I was going to need that because of um expenditures or the budget changing increasing whatnot. So, and not all those funds have 100% of their revenue on January 1. We get receipts all throughout the year and settlement twice a year. So, some of that has to come back so that we can go into 2026 and be able to have money to spend on the budget that's being approved. It's not I don't like the word extra because it's not just extra.

Sure. the total monies which is 2.3 million that is 2.3 million that the treasurer has always invested for years that they deal with it's not in a specific fund to be able to spend. It's complete investment and the money that's invested with a new insurance with a new investment policy we just passed any interest created by money from a particular fund must go back into that fund. Cannot go into the general fund. Sure. So if it's money that was in the rainy day fund being invested, it has to go back into rainy day.

Well, that highway everything else. Yes and no. That that kind of depends because some of the money um like we have money in um lit PTRC, the property tax replacement credit fund. So if we invest that, which we have invested some of that, we don't need the interest in that fund because it won't ever go anywhere. So that interest would go back into county general. So it kind of depends on that. But I would kind of consider that county general money anyway

even though it's property tax replacement. And that's the other thing that we've got to consider because I believe in 27 or 28 property tax replacement fund is gone. We would have to re redo that one. And that's another one of the local option income tax because right now we have a very generous amount in local option income tax and property tax replacement that is keeping the property tax bills down. lower that that'll all have to be pre-ressed as we go through this SB1 issue. What money we're

I did also want to bring up um just because I asked for the numbers. Um, everyone knows that community corrections never gets to do the wage increases like the rest of the county. That is approved by the council. Um, because they don't have the grant money to be able to do that. Um, so I did ask her her meaning Shannon, I did ask her to reduce the her spreadsheet on if they would get to have the two and a half% what it would do. And um that would mean that um we would need to fund 139,326 from County General in order for them to have a full 2 and a half% increase like the rest of the county,

which I think is is probably something that we should consider because the the stronger that the community corrections program is, the less people we're going to have in the jail and um causing us other issues with space allocation, with medical bills and everything else. So, the the community corrections is a program that is of great benefit to the CE County. Oh, so they're asking for an additional 139,000 to

They did not They did not ask at all. I wanted to find out because I just don't feel it's right that they're the only department that doesn't get to have a full increase that the council has. The state cut their did they cut their grants by 9% or 11%. Was one of one and then it flipped to the other? Ours was nine but everybody else was 11. The average was 11. So ours was less. Okay. And it's a lot of that based on how strong our program is. We're also the one of the pilot counties for the 40% reimbur or public defender. Public defender.

Public defender. That's right. So, some of this money will come in and can't really figure what that is. Yeah. Which is something Susan, I have a question. You mentioned that some counties don't budget the highway restricted fund. Why would they not budget that? they do additional appropriations throughout the year as they need it. So, it's just and I prefer to budget as much as possible that I know is going to happen so that we're not paying right advertise for additionals throughout the year.

No. And Wes Bennett, who is the previous director of the DLGF, the local department of local governor finance, came to that job as a as a clerk treasurer from a major town. and he was instructing councils and commissioners and everyone throughout the years that he was there that if you are doing an excessive amount of additional appropriations, you are not doing your job at budget time. You are not looking realistically at what your expenses are. And I think if you go back and look at the number of additional appropriations that we did 10 years ago versus the number of additional appropriations we do now, that number is greatly reduced. U our department heads and our our people have done an excellent job making sure that we're fully aware of what their expenses are, what their what the issues are within their departments so that we can stay ahead of that. so people have a realistic idea, realistic vision of where we're at as a as a county financially. Um, another benefit of having that financial advisor and good people at the state in this these state positions that are doing the best they can to keep us educated. And it's they're going to have a a terrible job over this next three years with what SB1 is going to do. I mean, because it's going to change everything that we do.

Another thing about the highway restricted unrestricted funds from county to county is counties in the south wouldn't need near as much as counties in the north in one of those funds because they don't have any salt and and snow removal as nearly as much. They wanted the rules changed so they could put storm cleanup into the restricted funds and they didn't get it. Yeah. So I mean it's depends if you're in the north or the south part of the state.

One of the things that um I want to question about this form for the when we publish this when this is submitted. This is our estimate. This is what we're approving. But by the time the DLGF gets done with this, these numbers, not the not so much the adopted budget, that's not going to change, but what the adopted tax rate is may change based on the adopted budget can change. Can can they change it? They can they can change that, but the the tax rate will probably change as they review everything and consider

that could Yeah. consider what our reserves are

and that would be so the top well everything above the bottom gray line those are the funds that DGF reviews everything under where it says home ruled funds the next three pages um they do not review those at all because they're not um levy or tax rate based And what would why would they change our adopted budget? That we should probably explain that. Why

they could change it? Um because with the information that they have, they may feel that we don't have enough cash reserves in our current fund to be able to fund our next budget. And um some of that may be and I run into this a lot with lighted um is because we budget so much the commissioners budget a lot but generally don't use a lot but DLGF isn't going to know that until the end of this year to know how much we actually still have and so they have to approve something now thinking that the entire budgeted appropriations for 25 are going to be spent in full. So it may appear to them that we're not going to have it, but I know that we are going to have it just depend just as how the year has went and different on things like the commission

zero it out. No, never. We've never done that. Never. Always have money left there.

Yeah. So that is one of the bigger ones that I generally run into that with. Um, the only way to quote quote fix that would be is by midyear, which would be kind of scary to do. Um, we would have to do an appropriation reduction to that fund and be able to submit all that to the DGF. But you're talking getting that done before June 30th. So for us, it'd be what, the second week of June. And I mean a lot can happen in six months that they may spend more than what they have historically. So it's kind of it's estimating is is hard with things like that. Not so much for Susan, but just um on budget because we're going to be looking at how this plays out here in this next uh six, eight months is the uh Sunny Meadows. Any update on how that's progressing? I know we have both Lita and Bob in the room. They may know and I'm not

you may not. So, talked to Kellen Sunday night and he said uh we a couple of more three or four more moved out. We're going to be down to eight. So, it is really good. great progress and I can't speak highly enough of the consultant we hired Brenda. She's doing a fantastic job. You just each individual you have to go through all of the praise Jesus

craziness for the system to get them what they need to get so that they can qualify for places to go. And she's done that individually with all of them and down to eight. And feels like she said to Kellen evidently feels like, you know, maybe by the end of the year that would almost I mean we were I'm a little surprised that by the end of this year we'd be done. I mean we got until May, but we may even have a little bit of a more of a savings than what we thought if we're if those move out before or by the end of the year. We won't have any Sunny Meadows for next year if um I mean you've got to have staff the as long as there are people there. But will the staff be reduced as we get fewer and fewer people? You pretty skeleton crew as it is.

I asked Kellen about that just but now it's pretty thin planning and Thank you, Lita. That would be very hard. I mean, we only have like four. Yeah. Um that would be very hard to do with 24 hours and be able to have like people at night things like that. We have a few temps out there. All the shifts are covered. it it's not really going to matter how many residents you have. You still have everything to take care of. And if you cut your staff and you have someone sick or whatever, then you may have a shift no coverage.

Yeah. And you end up back with Dale doing 24 hours a day just like Angela did. So, we're trying to stay away from that issue. It's going to be a whole lot the bigger issue. The bigger issue that we're um trying or hopefully trying to prevent is those staff leaving to find other jobs before we're ready for them to leave. Correct? Because if you were working there, you would probably want to go find your next job if you knew it was closing in the next few months. So, we may need to do some kind of incentives or something to get them to the committee's meeting in the first week or two of October to discuss exactly that.

Yeah. and to be able to keep them through the end of it, which I think we're gonna be okay. But as far as um like I'll say payroll savings, the manpower employees would be the first to get

cut out and we would keep ours unless ours start leaving then we would have to have them again. But though the manpower ones would be the ones that would be cut out first and I'm I haven't had much time lately. Um but Kellen and I are going to meet also and kind of look at the budget numbers and see what could possibly be done for those that have stayed with us till the end. Um I do also want to piggyback on Bob. Um, Brenda is absolutely amazing. Um, I can't even imagine what could possibly be on my plate if she wasn't there. Um, and Lita has been amazing in assisting with getting the residents that are um, transitioning um, getting them things uh, because we have the Sunny Meadows donation fund that um, patrons have donated to. So when they need something like a bed or a chair or a dresser, um we're able to use that money and not county money, we're able to use the donation money for the residents like it was intended to be used. Um so Le and I have worked together. LED has been doing all the running and saving grace for myself as well. Um, I'm not I'm not sure I'd still be sitting here if I had to take on all of that as well. But, um, so I appreciate both of them because it's it's been a struggle, but things are looking they're looking good.

We've pretty close. Um and and it's it's we've got three two that moved together and one on his own that are in living renting apartments and to get them set up to see their faces and it just it's the countyy's doing right by how we're doing it. Um, rushing it is not a good thing. And as far as I know, everyone that has transitioned are very, very happy.

Everyone is happy, especially the ones that get their Amazon chair that and I'm hearing responses back from those residents that they are happy. So, it's it's a good thing. So, and we should have um I think there's two going to go to Sacred Heart. Um, so those should be transitioning soon. So, um, so we're making we're a lot farther ahead than I thought we would be at this time. So, their prediction of maybe by the end of the year is is pretty good at this point. It's the paperwork that's sometimes.

Sacred Heart is that just assisted living there for uh it'll be somewhat assisted. We have one that is going through cancer treatments. Um, he's going and then we have another one that's non-verbal that's going that had to give up a habit which he's doing great at. I think that I think Sacred Heart has both. They have both. Like they have a full care and then they have the assisted. Yeah. Yeah. So I worked with that facility for several years off of their building. Pretty familiar with it. Well, good thing you didn't fall through. There's a lot of people to that facility over the years.

Absolutely. I actually went through their chapel one time when it had a leak and I told one of the nuns there. Sorry. Bad joke for Catholics, but I said I said, "Oh, you got you guys put a walkthrough baptismal in here." Because it was just leaking right down on the but we got that stuff. Anybody else have any questions or anything for Lita? Lita, thanks for all your efforts out there. It's greatly greatly appreciated.

Okay. Uh moving on, a couple of items here. One, uh we have an item brought before the council here by a constituent that we need to discuss. And this is the item of of opening the council with prayer. Um we have a constituent that has uh mentioned about possibly doing a moment of silence instead of a prayer. And I would like to put this out to the council for discussion here on this here.

This is a matter of history. This is something that the Auburn City Council did um address a number of years ago when I was on the council at the request of um the public uh where we switched from a uh prayer to a moment of silence. And you know, while the I I I like the prayer and I agree with the prayer, I have no issue one way or the other. Um, you know, either you pray in public or you pray in private yourself, which I believe is addressed in the Bible.

Anybody else have any comments? I've had a lot of constituents over the years tell me they appreciate that we start with prayer as I did read that one email that we got that um address it to the other side of that. So um I would say kind of evens out more than evens out that people appreciate it in this county. But I always I've always looked at it as that's us personally praying for ourselves during the you know for the meeting that we're going to have. Um, I would I would prefer to keep it.

I would too because it's usually the the calm before the storm as we get into our budgets and and our meetings and stuff. So, and I and I I give Amy and Rick, I think they're and Bob all credit for stepping up, giving us prayers. They're usually right on. It may not solve our solutions between our dis different opinion, but it gives us a chance to think and clear our minds before we start the meeting. I'd be very disappointed if we vote to to uh decline it.

Well, I know there there's nothing in statute that says we have to, we can, or we can't. So, it's a council decision here and and I'd like to come to some kind of a resolution today whether we're going to continue one. If we're not moment of silence, modify when or how. So would like to come up with with some consensus here from the council here so we can get back to our constituent here and let them know that we did address the issue. So does anybody else have anything you'd like to add? Um can you do both like or and then just have a moment of silence before we do the pledge? There's nothing that says we can't

for private intention. That would be fine. That would be fine because I do agree. I don't think we're praying for the public when we do the prayer. We are praying for ourselves that we act in a responsible way that serves the public. So that prayer is is for us. So I think it would be as simple as just continuing as we are and the people that you asked to pray if we take a second there let's pause for a moment if I hold for 10 seconds or 15 if you want to you know do anything on your own there does that make it simple I don't know that we need to make any kind of resolution that we change it I I would lean towards as is

feel like the person who's has the ability to pray time and pray for the council as they see fit individually and that could be done with a moment of silence. Is that I I don't know that we need a moment of silence. I think it if the council wants to have that I wouldn't be opposed to that feel like it's we're not asking the public to partake in the prayer with us. It's just something that to Bill's point, it's it's a nice just take the time. Would any other work?

Let's keep it going. Disagree. She said you need prayer is what she said. Bill needs prayer. Yeah. Yeah. I'll just translate it for you. Thank you. Divine intervention hasn't heard it hasn't. Uh, okay. Um, anybody else have want to weigh in on this from the council? I think we're going to need to maybe have a vote on this. Uh, have a motion, a consensus, how we want to do it. It doesn't we can we can do it. Consensus, you know, somebody if somebody objects to that, they can say it right now, but think we just continue as is. Pardon?

I just think we continue as is. the person praying if they want to do a moment of silence instead of a prayer they're welcome to do that as well as well as anybody listening welcome to do that as well so suggestion is just leave it like it is and the person that is doing the prayer can ask for a moment of silence and continue a prayer afterwards or leave the individual or both or both or both fine do we have no I'm I'm consensus I'm agreeing with So

then you'll just you'll just be able to respond to her and say that u you know we discussed it and because that's I think that was my point is making sure we did discuss it so that that we everybody understood because we all got that email. So so very good. So thank you. Uh Rick, you had something you I have something else and I was going to let it drop for a while because Joanie wasn't here, but Sandy came into the room. So I'm gonna I'm gonna bring it up anyway. Welcome Sandy. Oh, but Joanie Joanie and Sandy are both fully aware. Okay. Because Joanie and Sandy and I have discussed this.

Okay. We were going to go for donut Sandy. Then you came to Come on up here. Come on up here. because I honestly I do not know what this entails, but it it is in one of the DLGF's memos to all of us that it is a council decision on property tax deferment.

And if if the if the council agrees to establish such a program, it's got to be administered by the treasurer. So I said, I have no idea what all is involved. I remember it coming up at the legislature. It was one of those many things that was thrown out there to do, but I don't know what the details are, how it would be done, how it'd be administered, or anything else. But it's out there available. I think we should address it. Yes, we want it. No, we don't. But the other caveat that I would like to throw in there is some of the things that they did in the last legislature is actually going to reduce the tax on some taxpayers. And when they do it, it is going to increase the tax on other taxpayers because you want you want a very broad base so that you can have very low rates. But every time they give some kind of dispensation or credit to somebody, somebody else has to pay that bill. Um, and I Okay, I'm I'm over 65, so I probably I qualify for one. Uh, they've they've reduced my property tax liability. Uh, disabled veterans, veterans, they've also disabled. You take those people out or reduce the amount they're paying, everybody else still pays. And as I pointed out during the legislative session, if they keep doing that, eventually the only person that's going to be paying any taxes is Bill Van Y as a farmer and everybody else is out.

Seems fair to me. I thought that boy was out. He already complains when he does. All right. Oh, I can't imagine. You know, I I don't understand those tear stained bills I give them that they don't understand. I can't afford this. I am financially embarrassed. Well, you rip that check out of his hand. Then she sends me Then she sends me a notice prior. Oh, you missed one. That's right. You did. He he he he insists on bringing it to you personally, huh? He won't just mail it in and letting go. It's like a semianual event in our office, let me tell you. Yes.

For the public's sake and for ours, could you help us understand what property tax deferment is? I mean, is that you can put off paying them or I have not really looked at it. I've heard it. I've I've received some information. I know Joanie has looked into it a little closer. Um, can we come back? And I'm not asking I'm not asking for any kind of a decision today. I'm just saying, hey, it's out there. Know about it. We need to at least find out what it is and okay, address it. But we don't have to pass it, right? It is optional. It's a council option to

adopt an ordinance to be able to do this. And um it would be for a specific term like you can defer one installment for x amount of months. Um I don't believe it ch it defers penalties or anything. It's it's gives you an extra opportunity I believe to to catch up

similar to a payment plan. We've not typically offered payment plans in our office because other counties have said they're a nightmare to administer. Um so I believe it's I know our treasures association is looking at this very closely and um you know will help and la as of a few months ago or at our treasures conference in August they weren't even sure they'd be able to support you know how this works. So there's a lot of things that will need to come into play to to make it happen. So, I pulled the memo up and the gist of it is, and I'm not reading this whole thing, but it says, "If a county fiscal body adopts an ordinance to establish a deferral program, a qualified individual, which and they define qualified, may defer no less than a hundred and no more than $500 of the individual's homestead property tax liability in a given year beyond the typical due date." So, we'd have to set those terms, qualifications. There's a, you know, there's a lot of holes there.

So, there's a lot that needs to be investigated to be brought back to us. Yes, absolutely.

On a treasurer side, and I'm not going to say it's auditor side, but we'll end up working together. Is that would one they would have to figure out how to track it. two, that will just be less revenue that the county is going to be getting, which will affect a multitude of things. And then depending on the patron that has deferred this, then if they just don't pay more, then we'll end up with all kinds of tax sale properties possibly. And the list could go on. Is there a limit on how long they can defer it or how many times they can defer it?

How many times? That's the other issue. Let me see what I can find. I don't think it's real clear if I remember. I don't I was going to say I don't know if it's that defined yet because depending on how many people potentially it's a whole okay's responsibility. I mean it's

it does say taxes deferred taxes become due and payable 180 days after a deferral termination event occurs. A termination event happens for a qualified individual with a qualified interest in the homestead when property taxes were deferred based on the earliest of the following dates. And it's the date the qualified individual ceases to use the homestead as their principal place of residence, the date the qualified individual no longer has a qualified interest in the homestead, or the date of the qualified individual's death. Yes, because

get the rules. We're all going a number of us are going to AIC this next week and that can be topic. Absolutely. Because there's a lot of different factors. It only defers 500. But if their property taxes are 600, they need to pay that 100. If they can't come up with it, you know, it there's a lot of different variables there. Yes. It may not it may not be worth it. the public is going to know that it's out there. Absolutely. I want to know what we're going to do about it. We'll come back to you with that.

It does also say that the county auditor, if a county auditor determines that a deferral termination event has occurred either on the auditor's own motion or as a result of filing of information with the auditor, then the auditor shall notify the county treasurer, the county recorder, and the DGF department. Um and this notice must be prov pro provided on a form prescribed by DGF. Additionally, the auditor is required to give written notice of each determination to the qualified individuals for the affected homesteads.

So we'll have to mail out yes information for those terminations. Rick, anything you'd like to add? No, I just I'd like to find out more about this and I think it's back in the treasures hands and you know if if it's something that we can use fine. If not then we deny it. But at least we've addressed. Thanks for bringing this up.

So, real quick, just because there wasn't an actual decision made, can we go back to discussing if you guys are interested in um the community corrections funding for their raises or if you're not interested only because I would need to know so I can change some values before we adopt. Anybody have anything they'd like to discuss further on that? How much are we talking?

And if you do, then the percentage just goes to 30%. Right on target. Um 139 320. I'll make a motion that we adjust the budget to um address the shortfall in the community corrections of the 139. 320. What? 139 320. And that would mean that they would get the raises within the raise structure that everybody else is getting. They would actually be able to have the full two and a half. It's not more. It's just Oh, no. The um and they're always behind and some of some have been behind a year or two already.

Right. Right. Right. But this does not include people that are qualified probation officers and there's three plus director

are qualified probation officers. And this is a debate that other counties are having right now because a number of the people that would they would answer to are demanding that the county give them a raise. But the state has said no raises for the probation officers. We're we're required to pay based on the salary schedule from the probation the state department of corrections probation department and they said no raises for 26. So those those people do not get a raise. these other people are technically are our employees and they're not getting the the standard amounts that we have set for their salary.

So other words, you're saying there's four of them out there no matter what we do will not get a raise, right? Plus, correct? But there are plus the probation office. Yeah, plus the probation office. the probation, any probation officer and prosecuting attorneys. Yeah. Um and we don't pay the judges, but the judges, they did not get an increase at all this year per the state. Okay. What now? This getting a little off tangent, but the sheriff didn't get a raise this year, right? The sheriff is based off of the prosecutor.

So, we didn't have his salary set. So, he didn't get a raise either. He's he's Yeah, because he's a he's contract based on a percentage of the prosecutors. I think he's 70%. And so that and then his deputies didn't get a raise. The fee didn't get raised. Right. But now, you know, get back to where we're at. What's their wages compared to these people who are on the other side, the uh probation officers? Are they equal? Are they less? What do you mean? You know, you said you had three probation officers out there. The probate should how are they compared to their salaries to non-probation officers or other probation?

Well, how's our employees out there compared to the probation people that's out there? It's significant lower basically the other staff. Well, I know, but it's harder to pair. They don't do I mean, they don't do the same thing. That's fine. And the probation officers um theirs depending on years of service and once you so many then it's yeah so I mean some of them could have got raised because they hit the fiveyear or whatever yeah they correct the they didn't get a inflation percentage

right they did not get an inflation percentage the the salary structure with the state stayed the same you get a certain salary for a bachelor's degree a certain certain salary for a master's degree and then based on years of service. So somebody could cross over from four years of service to five years of service and get a raise based on years only or they could get a master's degree or another certificate on top of their bachelor's degree and get a raise because of that. None of that changed. There just no inflationary raise at all. or just

so the probation officers at community corrections not the director just the three probation officers they and they're newer they're currently at 56,621 and then you have everything Michelle is she her salary is she's a probation officer she's a probation officer but she's got a lot of years of service Yeah. Yeah. She I mean I think she's at like 93,000.

My other question is why don't she does she not plan on putting raises in when she puts her budget in or she keeps it. She does but then she gets cut. The state cuts her cuts her funding. So they kept their wages the same like they did the probation officers. They didn't cut any wages. They just kept they just cut the grant. They cut the grant. Initially, she didn't put grant enough money in for grants to she did. They've been cut the last two years. She initially requested I forget what percent enough to make sure she could cover.

But then the state came back and said, "No, we're not going to fund this amount of money. You only get this amount of money." And she has to remember she has to turn that budget into the state months before we've determined what we're going to give as a raise. Well, don't she have to have it in by March? And don't that go through a board, a county board, too? I don't think it's March. April or May? It might have. It used to be. It used to be March. I think it goes through community corrections board. And they've already discussed what she should turn in. what she usually has about six different budgets

depending on where they think the numbers are going to go and she gets no direction usually from the state. I mean when it comes back then okay it's cut or it's going to be cut then you see where you can cut and you do you know version two well then it comes in and says okay we've cut you know certain percentage across the board but you're at this percent I mean there's just there are multiple budgets that she puts together to try and keep things running out there and we denied their nonprobation staff raises year year after year.

My other question we get in different is whatever happened to there was $125,000 if I recall right when we passed this grant that was not spendable was supposed to be put back. Are is that being spent too? I have no idea what you We were when we did the original bond issue. Yeah. Okay. In that budget, we said we're it's going to gather this much money. We're going to take 125,000 and put it towards our operation. No, that was allowed from from county general. No. Well, it essentially comes from the community corrections tax.

Oh, that's depend. We said we said 100 by state law, we could put a certain percentage into operation. We took that 125,000 and put into their operations. I assume she's still getting that. I think I highly doubt it. The max amount that we had said at that time was that is that the what you were talking about that at one point we said only 125,000. I don't think she's that what you were talking I don't think she's getting that anymore. Wasn't that when they first when we first started? Yeah. back before back before Michelle came. Yeah, I don't think that that's even a thing anymore. I don't Well, I'm pretty sure it's

I mean, but we've we're giving 125 plus. I mean, we're we're going over that, right? We're going over that in county general took it away, but they're talking about I guess there's 125,000 that was supposed to be coming from fund 1233, which is the um lit correctional facility money. Um that is from a tax rate. Um I'm I'm positive that she's not because I didn't Well, you'd have to do a transfer, wouldn't you? Yeah, I can tell you I have not done And I think that we need, you know, then,

however, hold that thought. However, so that money has all been paying the bond and then whatever isn't needed for the bond is adding to a pot which has been discussed to be saved for the jail, right? But when we make the original decision, that 125 was going to go to their operations. So, I think that whatever's in that pot, that would be that 125 should be moved out of that pot into her fund or into the general fund to pay these expenses. I don't think that was our agreement. I think

Did they say that they were going to give that amount? Wait, I mean, this was before my time that they were going to give that for operations and that was all that they were going to give. That was the original That was the original discuss was being before it was built, right? That was the original discussion, but we've changed that a couple of times between then and now. So, they are currently getting money out of the general fund now. So, that money should, you know, we should be getting some money out of that pot and putting it into the general. I think I think you need to look at what we passed back then because I will have to research it

because the fact is that ain't why I remember we agreed to that was supposed to be put back so we could have it towards the final payment and move on. We didn't we I don't remember calls ever changing that part. It was both. It was both Bill. It was when we did the original calculations it was going to be the bond payments the 125 and then whatever was left was to be set aside because We want the final payment so that we can move on to the jail. So, and this would have been this before Susan because wasn't Jan here when we did all of this? I would have been here, but I don't remember that part of it. I wasn't

involved in that piece of it. So, I don't remember that. I will have to do some research and I will just come back with you. I'll call for the question. Okay. We we do have a motion by Rick. Could you restate your motion, please? Um that we allocate the 139 320 320 uh for the additional raises that are needed for the nonprobation staff at community. Did we have a second? Yes. Amy Demsky. Okay. Any further Yes. Further discussion?

$139,320. Right. Yes. Right. Yes. Okay. Any further discussion hearing? None. We'll call for the question. All those in favor of the motion signify by saying I. I. Motion is carried. Okay, it's just about break time here. Um, do we have anything else right now? Susan, excuse me. Um, budget still. Sure. I guess I don't know if it's for me but sure.

When we left the last time there was still some question about monies that we were going to take out of general fund to give back to the health department or to um distribute those is that amount I I don't know that we ever I think we agreed to amount but it was still up for discussion. What where is that amount? I have 200,000 in county general and that still gives us the third 30% after the 139 we just voted on. Yes.

The other one is we are talking about the jail and using various funds save for the jail. Is that do we have to put that in a cumap fun? Is it in one? I think we did that for the highway department. Is that something that we should do or we are doing? Not sure how that works. So, that was just a question. Well, right now what we're So, some of it is in rainy day.

The 2. Yeah, if we don't have to use it for something else. Um, the rest of it right now is in 1233, the lit correctional facility fund. And that is all kind of up in the air because that's all going to go away go away next year or in 27. So I won't know but no we right now we wouldn't put it into a fund since we still have that tax enacted and that belongs in that fund. Once that goes away, will they give us another avenue to save back for that? Because I know we're limited on our rainy day, right?

I have absolutely no idea because none of that has come out. Once you're not able to keep that money that we're saving for the jail and that lit community correction or we can move it to uh rainy day fund is my understand. Are we limited on rainy day though right now? How we can put in there? Right now I think you are limited in some respects but if we designate it for something specific we might be able to do more. Yeah. We might have to create a sub fun. We may have to create a separate fund but as the financial advisor suggested

if it's in a fund specifically for the jail and all of a sudden the annex building needs some major uh repair. You cannot take it out of that fund and use it to repair the annex building or the current jail. It's it would be totally restricted. Yeah. But I I would be concerned if we max out on the rainy day fund and we don't are putting it away for the jail that it's going to get used these other places because it's going to be

Well, right now the big amount is in 1233 and it can't get used for anything else but the community corrections bond and we have plenty which council knew there would be extra in there. Um, but you said invested, but you said you didn't know how much we can transfer over to the rainy day fund yet. Check on that.

Not as in that part of it on a normal rainy day transfer at the end of the year. Um, I can do it's a whole another calculation. It's 10% of unused appropriations on the funds that the LGF looks at. Great fun. So, that part's 10%. I'm not sure on the in community corrections bond paid off. 27 or 28. Um I think it's 28. I can tell. But you're saying at this point we were able to keep it in that 1233. There's no real reason to but in a year from now we need to look at where we can put in a year from now we should have more direction from the state on what's

where we can put that happening. Yeah. Okay. Um 1231 of 28. So about two and a half years. Take a pause here. Take a break here. Uh we'll come back at about uh oh 11 or 10:58 here and if we can continue discussion we can do it at the end of our business session here because we've got hearings coming up here scheduled time. How about how about 9:58? 9:58. It's better yet. Okay. Stand in recess.

Right. Okay. Council is back in session. Next order of business is the U adoption of the airport budget ordinance. Ordinance number 2025-C9. And everybody should have a copy. It looks like this. And uh we can adopt this on second and third reading. Do we have a motion to adopt? Is this public hearing or not for airport? Not for airport. Okay. Correct. And I'll make a motion that we adopt this ordinance on second and third reading.

Do we have We Okay, we have a motion by Rick Ring and a second by Rick Collins. Any further discussion? Hearing none, we'll call for the question. All those in favor of adopting the airport budget ordinance number 2025- OCC9 signify by saying I. I. I. Oppos. I. Okay. Motion is carried. 61.

Okay. I'm going to pass this around. Um, make sure in the middle column you check yes or no for what you voted and sign it. Amy, how's your two? How is your what's your um solid waste budget you on the budget part of it.

We can That's why I left you handle frustration. Who is there?

They still have that $2 million over that $2 million for something that small. That's a lot. That ain't That's not like us. That ain't a 31% operating fee going into next year. You talk to myself and counties know if we have to set that rate next year. You know, it might be cut if it comes back to where we set the rates. You want me to read it? I sure hope I hope students that I think we all should have to vote on our own tax,

but I'd like to I'd like to see the budget. If you ever get a Thank you. Now we gota wait till public hearing. Yeah. One minute. What's this on? Fairfield. I will say Amy Fairfield. Amy, the solid waste did fix the sign out at the at the cycling dump.

Yeah, it's good as long as the tape holds up. [Laughter] Make sure your mics are on after break just so everybody's able to hear you please.

I think Will Powers got it, doesn't he? Howard, is that what his name is?

Will Powers a race car driver. I Is that really good there, Rick? I've never ate there.

What's that? All you had to do is say mayonnaise. Like an earorn. On an ear. Yeah. Yeah. Just to drop them off. Yeah, I couple times.

No, I Is this something we need to turn in? Oh, yeah. Everybody, the handbook acknowledgement things, if you sign those and send them around, I can submit them.

Employees work location courthouse, right? Be fine. Okay, it's 10:05. At this time, I would like to open the public hearing regarding the Fairfield Township public or budget. And uh this is ordinance number 2025- OCC-1.

I will go ahead and read it into the minutes. an ordinance of the kelp county council concerning Fairfield Township's 2026 budget. Whereas IC code 36-1-3 permits any county in the state of Indiana to exercise any power or perform any function necessary to the public interest in the context of its county or internal affairs which is not prohibited by the constitution of the United States or of the state of Indiana or denied or preempted by any other law or is not expressly granted by any other law to another government entity. Whereas the decalb county council is the fiscal body for the county of decelb decelb Indiana whereas IC36-1-23 provides that in certain circumstances a unit's most recent annual preparations are continued for ensuing budget year but that the executive of that unit may petition the county fiscal body for an increase in the unit's budget and property tax levies. Whereas the Decal County Council has received a petition from the Fairfield Township Trustee requesting an increase in Fairfield Township's budget and property tax levies. Whereas IC36-1-23 provides that the county fiscal body may grant or deny the petition only after conducting a public hearing on the petition. Whereas the Decal County Council has on this date conducted a public hearing on the petition pursuant to IC36-1-23 after legal advertisement of the public hearing. Now therefore be it ordered, established, resolved, and ordained by the Dub County Council as follows. The petition submitted by Fairfield Township regarding its 2026 budget pursuant to IND to IC36-1-23 is hereby approved and granted that the increase in Fairfield's Township's budget and property tax levies as provided in the proposed budget submitted by Fairfield Township with its petition is hereby approved and granted that this ordinance is effective upon its adoption and three and three readings. Do we have anyone from the public that would like to uh testify, ask questions, present any

information regarding the Fairfield Township budget ordinance number 2025- OCC-1. I did provide to you guys um the notice of the meeting, the notice of the taxpayers that they also did because Fairfield does have a meeting, but they have um Rick, is it one or two firefighters?

They have um of the three member advisory board, uh one of them is the wife of the trustee and the second one is a fireman with the fire department that Fairfield Township contracts with for fire coverage. So neither one of those two people are allowed to vote on their budget. So that's why it comes back here. And we did this this two years or three years. I think this is three now.

Do we have anyone from the public that would like to testify? Last time. Do we have anyone from the public here that would like to testify? Hearing none, we'll close the public hearing on the Fairfield Township budget. And at this time, we will call for the uh question regarding first reading only. I'll make a motion that we approve ordinance number 2025- OCC-11 Airfield Township budget. First reading. On first reading. Do we have a second? I'll second that.

Thank you, Bill. We have a motion and a second to approve the Fairfield Township budget on first reading only. Uh do we have any uh further discussion from the council? Hearing none, I'll call for the question. All those in favor of approving the budget on first reading signify by saying I. I. I. Opposed. Motion is carried. Now we're going to move have a motion uh to suspend the rules. Um we can do it on second and third reading. Do we have anyone would like to make a motion to suspend the rules for the Fairfield Township budget? Rick Collins. Yes. A second. Second.

Bob Craft. Second. Any further discussion? Okay. Hearing none, we'll call for the question. All those in favor of the motion to suspend the rule signify by saying I. I. Opposed. Motion is carried. Now we're ready to vote on second and third reading for the approval of the Fairfield Township budget ordinance number 2025- OCC-1. Do we have a motion to approve? I'll move. We have a motion by Bill Van Y. Do we have a second? Second.

Second by uh Rick Collins. Any further discussion from the council? Hearing none, we'll proceed to vote. All those in favor of approving the Fairfield Township public or Fairfield Township budget ordinance number 2025- OCC-1 on second and third reading signify by saying I. I oppose. Motion is carried. Okay. Now we've got

So I'll send that ordinance around to be passed or signed. We do have a little bit of time. We have about five minutes before we can adopt the county budget. Um I provided the um salary and hourly rate wage ordinance um to everybody and it's ordinance 2025-C12. Um if you want to do that, you can. Otherwise, we can wait until after the county budget.

What's the council's pleasure? We have a couple minutes. Do we need change anything on it or is it?

Sorry. It is not listed on the agenda. it. The agenda has nothing to The agenda is literally just something that I post because we post we use one the it doesn't have to be the advertising part is just so that I advertise that you're having a meeting and um so I mean I can read like the initial page of the ordinance everything else is line by line for the description and depending what category they're in according to WIS and what you guys had approved for the 2 and a half% increase.

So this that basically shows what they're going to get next year. It shows the highest they can get. Oh, so like for instance, everything's everything. Okay.

For instance, my one position can get paid up to $284. Um, but not anymore. But I also don't have to pay all the way up to that. And that is this is literally because the state says I have to do it so that we can pay the people. So these per hour or salary or per meeting these we these amount or these numbers then are reflected as a total number in the budget that you're getting ready to adopt.

And that's for 26 correct. same. It hasn't changed.

Let's wait for That's fine. Can I ask a question that have that salary ordinance have uh committee corrections in it. Would those change since we're able to have that? The change that we made for the full budget doesn't affect the ordinance because the Oh, they just weren't going to be able to get paid. Now they will be able there, right? If Yeah. If Michelle chooses to go all the way up there, you wouldn't change that because that has the up to, right? And they were not going to get

correct. That's Mhm. Not New York City. New York State upstate.

You won't be here on the 8th either. Be late. You'll be late. You'll be here by 11. Well, I have the department head meetings that morning. Uhhuh. Okay. It's uh uh 10:15. Um, we now need to look at adopting the county budget, which is county budget ordinance number 2025- OCC-10. This can be done in one motion on a second and third reading. Do we have anybody to make a motion for approval of the county budget ordinance number 2025- OCC10? I'll second it.

Okay, we have a motion by Rick Ring. We have a second by Bill Van Y. Any further discussion

on the paper that I provided you this morning? Um, the county general adopted amount is now 26874561. It does not change the levy or the rate. Yep. 26874561. And then at the bottom of that adopted column, this is the total of only funds that are reviewed by DGF. That total would be 46 582743.

Other numbers? Nope. Any further discussion regarding the budget? I just have a small question. Under the fund names, it has 2015 reassessment. Why does that say that's what they called it when that's how they named it when they created it. Um, and that's a state thing.

Um, DLGF and the state are working together trying to get us into one numbering system. Um, it'll be a pain at the beginning, but it is much needed. That's why on many of these home ruled ones, like if you just go to the back, like the first number 9596, that's the DLGF number, but our fund number is 8952, which the state recognizes. So there's two numbers for every single home ruled, grant, anything um and has been for years. So it's kind of a disaster

and it's not all that easy to change the name in an accounting system. Correct. Well, and like the DLGF ones, I can't change it because that's what DGF says it has to be called. Okay. Any further discussion? We have a motion in the second to approve the budget. I'm going to call for the question. All those in favor of approving the uh county budget ordinance number 2025- OCC-10 signify by saying I I oppose.

Motion is carried six to one. I would like to thank all the office holders and their office staffs for all they've done to prepare this budget. We asked them to be frugal and uh basically to flatline it and they did an excellent job and I I know it's tough and uh I know there was a lot of thought and probably sleepless nights in doing it but everybody really stepped up and did a tremendous job and uh thank you from the entire council here on on doing a great job here. So thank you. Okay, we have uh salary ordinance number uh 20 uh 25- OCC-12 for consideration. I'd like to go back and finish that.

Do we have further discussion regarding that? You want me to read the first page? Yes, please.

Okay. The Decal County Council hereby establishes the following salary and hourly wage ordinance to become effective for pay period 1214 2025 to 1227 2025 that is paid on 9 of 2026 through pay period November 29th 2026 to December 12th 2026 which will be paid on 1225 2026 for the 26 pays by weekly that we get. It is further ordained that all salaries and wages shall be paid bi-weekly, 26 pays. It is further ordained that compensation of employees and elected officials may include but is not limited to a stipen, health insurance, professional certificates, education, educational advancements, and pdiums regardless of the source of funds for which the money is paid. It is further ordained that the raises set forth in this ordinance are contingent on employment evaluations from the elected official or department head and submitted to human race resources prior to the year ending 12312025. It is further further ordained that longevity pay has been established for full-time employees to begin at fi at year five increasing every five years until 25 years of service is reached when the yearly amount will remain the same and all longevity pay will be funded from county general as the highway health central communications and community correction funds may not have sufficient funds to cover the longevity pay. Um, for 5 to nine years of service, you get $600. 10 to 14 years, 1,200, 15 to 19 years, 1,800, 20 to 24 years, 2400, and 25 plus years of service is 3,000. Longevity pay will be paid on the first check of December each year. There will not be any proration of longevity pay where it be ordained this 24th day of September that the employees will be

paid within the range of the federal minimum wage up to and not to exceed the maximum dollar amount set forth on this ordinance unless amended. And then you will um there's a list of every position and their pay up to amount Anybody have any questions for Susan? Okay. Hearing none, we'll call for the question on approval of this is salary ordinance number 2025- OCC-12.

Correct. Do we have a motion for first reading approval? Have a motion by Bob Craft. Do we have a second? I'll second. Second by Rick Ring. Any further discussion? Hearing? None. We'll call for the question. All those in favor of approving the uh um salary ordinance on first reading only signify by saying I. I oppos.

Motion is carried. Okay. Next, we need to suspend the rules. Um do we have a motion to suspend the rules? We have a motion by Rick Collins to suspend the rules. Do we have a second? Second by Bob Craft. Any further discussion? Hearing none, we'll call for the question. All those in favor of suspending the rules signify by saying I. I. Opposed. Motion is carried. Now we need a motion to approve um uh salary ordinance number 2025- OCC-12 on second and third reading. Do we have a motion? I'll move. I'll second.

We have a motion by Rick Ring, a second by Bob Craft. Any further discussion? Hearing none, we'll call for the question. All those in favor of sign of vote of sorry, all those in favor of the um ordinance signify by saying I. I. Opposed.

Motion is carried. That's the last order of business that we have before us today. Uh just a reminder, our next council meeting is uh at 8:30 on October 8th. So that'll be coming up fairly quickly in about two weeks here. Want to thank the council for all your hard work, input, and uh uh diligence here with this budget. Uh it was tough. It wasn't easy. And uh everybody dug in, and I think some of the questions that we uncovered and asked were were great questions. Uh it exhibits a lot of thought and attention to detail and everybody really stepped up here. So everybody can be proud of of the work that you've done, your constituents and everybody. But it was not easy, but we did a good job. And so thank you to all the council members here. Thank you to Don for your advice here. Uh it was it was a it was a good process. May not be exactly where everybody wanted to be, but we did it and and did it with great dignity. Appreciate it. Does anybody else have anything to further come before the council

hearing? None. Rick Collins, do we adjourn? Second. We have a motion to adjurnn and second. Do we hear? Okay, let's let's do this formal here. So, all those in favor journing signify by saying I. Hi.