County Commission - Special Meeting

All [Music] right. Do you see the one that says meeting cuz it's not roll call's the old one. This was I looked at you. You sure it ain't the roll call? Roll call's the old one. That's the old one. That's the old one, right? Mine won't even connect. Thought it was supposed to say needy. Thought it was right in here. Is this Franks? Yes. one that says meeting manager. Maybe roll call meeting manager. No, no, that's the old one. Were you in it earlier today? I came over here today and it was Was it Is it meeting manager here? Oh, there it is. How did I not see that? I'm so sorry. Oh, I thought it was red. Oh, right here. Okay, there we go. That's why it looks Sorry, I got a million notes. Sorry.

just

[Laughter] Who is he? I'd like to call this meeting to order. The Jefferson County Board of Commissioners special call meeting

and uh we'd like to call the role, please. Oh, you need some numbers. I mean, how many people you got present? Okay. 14 15 present, six absent. 15 present, six absent. Would everyone please stand for the prayer led by Mr. Marcus Reed and remain standing for the pledge led by Mr. Sammy Solomon. God, our creator, we come before you with a grateful heart thanking you for the county that we live in. And more as I look around this courtroom, I see some of the finest employees that you can find anywhere in this state that represent every spectrum of the ones who serve the citizens of this county. I thank you for the sheriff's department, for the police department, for all the emergency services, 911, fire, ambulance. Lord, I thank you for the volunteers that represent all things that help bring us together as a county and to keep us safe. I thank you for those who work within the offices within the court system. Lord, as a commission, we're so blessed to have the caliber of people that work for us and take care of us and serve us and serve our citizens and help us to remember, God, that we need also to take care of them as we make decisions that we need to reflect upon what we're doing. God, a special request to you is to protect our men and women who are serving in uniform overseas. Lord, I know what it's like to be on

edge, to be waiting for that moment. I pray that you will keep them safe. I pray I for our country, Lord. And Lord, as Americans, help us to understand that we need to be prepared. Lord, that we can't pay everything for everybody. Help us to stay strong. Help us to come together as a nation, Lord. Lord, you've done so much for us and you've called up those who believe to serve you. And I'm so grateful, God, that I'm an American. And I live in Jeff County. I thank you with all my heart for the people that are up here with me. Leaders of our county, help us to take it serious. Help us to examine ourselves with every decision that we make. Help us to walk upright before you, God. If we truly believe in you, we will want to serve you and we will take the moral courage to do what's right. And as always, Lord, I thank you for your grace and mercy. Without it, so many of us would be lost. These saints, I pray for your precious son, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, your unique son. And I pray for peace in Jerusalem, Lord. These things I lift up in your holy name. Amen. Additional salute. I aliance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Like to welcome everyone out this evening. Uh next we have appearance of citizens. I haven't received any requests to speak. Is there anyone here that would like to address the commission? Not hearing any. We'll move right along.

We have before you uh notaries and bonds for approval. We need to move forward. Next. Hang on just a second here. We got a little ditch and bonds. Mhm. Should be in the next in your note. There it is. should put it up for a vote. Discuss vote. Hit vote. Put it on vote. Don't want to do that. There we go. I have to hit discuss first and vote. question or comment. Not hearing any. We will proceed to vote. We got to get vote. 15 yes, zero no passes. Next we have new business. There is none. Next we have resolutions. First resolution 2025-24 appropriations nonprofit organizations FY2025 2026. We have a motion on the floor by Austin Brooks, a second by Ransom Douglas. Zero

request to speak. We will proceed to vote. 14 yes, zero no one abstain pass. Whoops, wrong spot. Next we have resolution 2025-25 appropriations various departments FY2025206. We have a motion on the floor been properly seconded. We will vote. Jimmy Dale. We have 15 yes, zero no passes. Next we have resolution 2025-26 fixing the tax levy at $149. FY2025 2026 zero request to speak. We'll proceed to vote. 13 yes no passes. Next we have resolution 2025-27 lease of business machines 2025 2026 we have a motion on the floor been properly seconded we'll proceed to vote 15 yes zero no passes next we have budget amendments budget committee chairman all these pass

in the budget committee We had five at What's the pleasure of the commission? You want Yes. There's As long as there's no fund balance. And in a couple of them. Okay. You going to have to pull them out. Which ones are they? So noted. Okay, here's what we got to do. You will be voting on fund 10113, 10114, 1141 together. And that it will be the first three and 131 number four is what you'll be voting on. We have a motion on the floor been seconded. Proceed to vote. 15 yes, zero no passes. Next we have 116 number three. We'll be taking it by itself. Does that's not hit fund balance. I don't know how you're going to do that. Here we go. proceed to vote. 150 and last we'll have 207

number five. Proceed to vote. We have 15 yes, zero nos. Passes. Next we have school amendments fund 141 number 17 there's just four so we'll take them each one none of them use okay we can take them all together that works proceed to vote 150 passes. Okay. And announcements, just be sure to remember that we will be advertising the new schedule for July. And uh pay attention because there won't be a work session. Sir Austin, you first. I was just going to make the announcement that the Chestnut Hill Fire Department has their charity horse show this Friday and Saturday night. All right. Anyone else? Ask Marcus if he don't care and if it's appropriate. Um, an officer I work with is landing in the hospital uh fighting for his life right now. I was going to see if we could do a prayer for him before we leave. Sure. His name's Dalton Swinger. He was hit in the head by a brick um on duty and he's in critical care right now. Would you care to do a prayer for us? Prayer. Yeah. What's his name again? Dalton Swinger. Have to put that in the minutes. Father from what I know. I come to you quite frequently for people that I care about,

people that I love. People at this point, I pray for them. Lord, I pray for this man. Lord, you know exactly where he's at in his life. Because I believe, Lord, God, that you ordain our life and you put every step in front of us, that you guide us through every path, the good as well as the bad. And I pray that that it's in your will, God, that you would completely heal him and he would have no disability from what has happened. But God is when your son Jesus prayed in the garden and he prayed so hard because he didn't want to do what he knew he had to do. But he follow your will completely. So I pray that it is your will to heal this person and I pray that you would be with the family and give them strength and understanding and they go through that oral. We just trust in you God for everything. There's nohere else to go but to you. God. Thank you. Thank you all. That concludes this meeting. Does anyone have anything? Mr. Jim, sorry. Yeah, let me re read this. Just just a couple of comments. I'm really surprised it was as quiet as it was here tonight. But overall, it seems this increase for the third year in a row was unavoidable uh to some level. Uh we knew last year's increase would barely cover this year's budget cost and needs uh let alone any increase for colas, wages, insurance, or just general cost of goods and services was typically 3% increase annually. I guess I I would have liked to have seen

our budget committee dig in a little deeper on the on the 101 rather than just pass it almost seems blindly without any questions any in-depth review at least take an opportunity to get what can be what can be got what can be got but uh anyway that part's pretty disappointing. Um now coming up uh we've got um find some reduction opportunities. go. We're absolutely going to be up against another tax increase next year. So with this increase, we're going to have about a net gain of $157,000 beyond what we're going to spend. If you consider a COLA increase at 2.5%, that's another about another $500,000 increase. You take another 3% increase of general cost of goods and services and you throw in some insurance which is about 15% increase for this fiscal year. We're going to be in the whole another $500 to $700,000 starting out next year. So there's two ways to to cover that. One is just I would request everyone look as hard as you can to reduce cost or spend money to avoid future cost. So that may be some capital investment to head off cost over the next three to five year period. And certainly we got to increase revenue. We need to be as a county commission group extraordinarily focused on getting the short-term rental policy pushed through which could cover a significant amount of those increase. Those aren't things we can avoid what I mentioned. Those are things we must do as a bare minimum. And we also probably need to take another look at the mineral tax as well. We need revenue. Okay. And the longer term project is our whole reasonzoning efforts too to make it more businessfriendly for this county in order to generate revenue. Thank you Sammy.

Sure. This has to do with our next meeting since it's different. Can I ask a question about that? Sure. Here. Okay. One. So we usually get our packets on Friday which our meeting our voting meeting will be the following Monday. So question will we still get our packets on Friday or will they be available earlier since that doesn't even leave a full business day if we need to research something. So, I guess I'm requesting is there any possibility we could get that earlier and also so because I know several citizens request that too because it doesn't give them time really to see what's on our agenda either. And I don't really know how this will work. Will we go straight into voting or will we have a discussion first like a work session first before the voting session? Just a couple questions. Mayor, do you want to address off the top of my head? However, you can suspend the rules and add something to the agenda at this meeting. So, about doing that. So if something comes up, you can suspend the rules and not have a work. I'm not really sure. I started to break that. I don't have may have on your computer do not have a work session. I think it's business. My understanding the paperwork will be

turned in from department heads at the same time that it has been Yeah, usually right there we have those guidelines. Whatever your rules say, unless you change what your rule is that rules of procedure, what is that? Rules of procedure. It defines if you have a special if you have work. And to answer your question about during the meeting, it can be the vote can be put off as long as you have it in that time of that meeting. So you can have a conversation about something and put it later on in the meeting for vote. We'll cover that. Yeah. Anyone else? Mr. Solomon has made a motion to adjurnn. Got a second. has made. [Music]