City Council - Regular Meeting

to our mayor, to our city treasurer, to our clerk in our absence, our city attorney, chief of staff, uh to our chief judge of the 34th district court, administrative staff here in the council chambers. Today is Monday, April 13th, and this is the city of Romulus City Council special meeting study session. This meeting is to discuss the proposed 26 27 fiscal year city budgets for the 34th district court and Romulus Public Library. At this time, we'll have roll call. Councilwoman Abdo here. Councilman Bullock here. Councilman Jones here. Councilwoman Rosco here. Councilwoman Tally here. Councilman Wodsworth here. And Councilman Wilhy here.

Madam Chair, we have a quorum for tonight's special meeting. Thank you. The special meeting agenda is as follows. Number one, roll call. Two, agenda. Three, discussion. The proposed fiscal year 2627 city budgets 34 district court and Rhless Public Library. Number four is public comment. And number five is adjournment and a motion will be in order to accept tonight's special meeting agenda as presented. So move support motion by Mr. Jones supported by Miss Rosco for the approval of the special meeting agenda. Mr. Jones, yes. Miss Rosco, yes. Mr. Wilhigh, yes. Miss Abdo, yes. Mr. Bullock, yes. Mr. Wsworth, yes. Chair votes, yes. Motion approved.

Thank you, city council. We are now in discussion. to start off the discussion will be the presentation of their proposed uh 2627 fiscal year budget the 34th district court. Good evening all. Good evening. Good evening.

You can tell he used to work for us. You recognize um I'm going to make it really I think I'm going to make it really quick tonight. Um, so short numbers, our budget went up 7.1%, our case load went up 7.9%. Um, which is good. Uh, mayor and I have been talking about for ever since co actually, you know, when are the numbers going up? And they're actually they're trending that way. So the 7.1% increase translates to just under $275,000. And the two big items we've got are about 250,000. That's our MRS, dental, you know, the stuff that we have no control of. Your merge probably did the same thing. Our went up 8.9% this year. And then wages and and salaries. We're going to have to hire some bodies and we're going to give raises again this year. So that's 250 to 274 275. So I got all my team here. If you got any detail number, you know, detail questions about the numbers, we got them. But the big, you know, a 30,000 foot overview is case load's up and the budget's up less than the case load is. And this year we're on track to spend less than the budget by 135,000. So we underspent last year's budget. We'll probably underspend this year.

I'm sorry, you said under 135 under budget, which is pretty much I mean the average or little bigger than normal. A little bigger than normal. But if you have, like I said, if you have any specific questions, the numbers people are behind me. I'm the big picture guy. Thank you. Um, madam here, judge. So, you're saying that we're turning more revenue in than we had in the past? I Yeah, because part of that that 7.9% increase is everything. That's across the board. Okay. And really, the only thing we make money on is traffic tickets. You know, we don't make money on felonies or misdemeanors. Um, we certainly don't make much money on the civil cases. That's just a filing fee.

Okay. Fine. And and Mr. Dreal could tell you he's seen more traffic stuff later. Thank you. Not just Rhynos. Okay. You can eat that. Yeah. I got a I got a couple questions. Uh how you doing? Good. I'm a I'm a freshman at this. So, um um I was looking through this that you you sent through us and the the direct city um direct city of Ramulus funding. Um, it doesn't say anything on here where it went or there was 455,000 that came from the city, right? Could you explain that to me? I don't understand this. Yeah, you guys are responsible for all our operating expenses, right? So,

if we didn't bring in a dollar, you'd have to pay the whole thing because you're our host community. I get that. So, but where did that where does that money go into as it drops down into the the rest of the um I'm getting choked up here. Um let me let me answer that. Okay. So, the car is our outside.

Okay. So, this direct city funding is when we were really struggling and we didn't have enough money coming in to cover our our invoicing and um the city of Rhymus had to send money over to us to cover our expenditures. That is no longer necessary. That was only briefly happening um during fiscal year June 30th, 2024. And now we're now we're trending back upwards. So, that's not an issue anymore. So, that line is still there because there's still a number the fiscal year ending 24. Okay. So it doesn't um so you're not getting any anything direct city funding at this point

that represents checks that came over from the city of Renless. That no longer happens. What we're doing is holding back what we need to pay our expenditures from money we are giving to city of Rentless. Okay. All right. So then so then on that same line um you have 262,721 that will that was in 2024 correct? Yes. So from not from right now that has not been a requirement. So I do not expect it to be as we are trending upwards. So not unless we have a major I shouldn't say that another call.

Right. All right. So my other question was um how many people do you have working at the court? What's called 42? 42. 42. Okay. And then my other question was the fringe benefits. It doesn't really say what it is. Um could you explain that to me? None of your business. The bottom line. Well, the biggest the biggest part of that is the is the MS. Our MS is at 48.44%. So, and we have no control over that. That's determined. You guys aren't controllable to give our people. Well, I get that. I get that. But and and the, you know, don't get pissed off or not. No, I'm not. I'm just But it's like, you know, I'm a big picture guy.

Yeah. But details aren't on the table tonight. This is a line. This is not a line of budget. Well, I'm just trying to I'm just trying to learn this, Brian. I understand that, Mark. But either the council approves the number or you don't. You don't get to tell us how we spend that number. You just approve it over. Well, and and I you know, I didn't know that you'd get hostile on this, but but I'm just saying that I'm just saying that people take my blood for hostility. We're all supposed to be working together here for for a common good here. We got the executive branch, the legislative branch, and the judicial branch. Sounds great, too.

Yeah. Well, and I'm just saying that I'm just asking questions cuz I'm new at just answering and none of your business. That that's the bottom line. That's the big picture. The details of what we spend our money on is not this body's perview. You guys don't We're not a department head. It's not This isn't the building department where you get to say no, no, no, no, no. All you have to do is say yes or no to the bottom line we're asking for. That's the only thing you can do is say yes or no. Okay. Any other questions?

Okay. We'll close it now. Thank you, representatives of 34 district court and judge Oakley. So, next under discussion will be uh the proposed fiscal year 2627 uh city budget for the Romulus Public Library. Good evening everyone.

Hello. Um I'm Patty Graden, library director. I'm going to walk you through a little bit uh about our budget for next year. Um, if you recall, we had a study session on January uh 12th where we went through the situation that happened to the library with the penal fine with the penal fines going away. Um, that uh resulted in a reduction of our revenues of about 22%. Which is huge. Um so what we had requested at the time was that council approve a one mil um levy uh that's up from.7 mil and so that is what the budget that I prepared for you includes. Um there's a couple other things I wanted to mention uh with regard to our uh revenues. Um there's one item that is has been added that's the qualified heavy equipment rental PPT. We never had that before. So now we're getting a little bit of income from that. Um don't ask me what it is. Maria can probably answer that. Um and then uh uh just wanted to point out that our state aid revenues are up slightly which is good news for us. We are not expecting any penal fine revenues whatsoever. We did not get our penal fine check for 2025 which normally comes around August or September. Um I have been in contact with other libraries uh about their penal fines and none of them um none of the libraries who uh had a reduction in their revenues because of penal fines got their penal fine check. So it's not just us. um that was slated to be approximately 37 or $38,000 that we did not get. So I don't expect to get

it this year either. Um we have had no communication with Wayne County on this at all. So I we don't know what's going on. And our plan is to meet with attorney Greco Sue to talk about I'm sorry I couldn't hear you. Our uh plan is to meet with attorney Greco. Okay. to discuss um future plans for that, how we should move forward if at all.

Um but it does include uh our budget does include um the 20% audit uh auditor recommended fund balance. So that's good. We're very close to that. Um we try to stay within 17 to 20% and we're right about 20% for our fund balance with this budget. So that's good. There's uh on the expenditure side, there's a couple of counts accounts that um went up just as um the judge mentioned that are beyond our control. Utilities always go up. Healthc care went up quite a bit. Our payments to for city services and a few other things um went up. Uh but basically everything is uh on track. Um there were a couple accounts uh this year that went down for various reasons just slightly but you know downs down. Um we're back on track with our public uh computer replacement plan. We had to um put that on pause last year due to the uh the um downfall in uh revenues. Um we also plan to apply for available grants and stipens this year. Again, some of those were not available. For example, from the Library of Michigan, they halted their um available grants and stipens last year. Um but this year, they've brought them back. So, we plan to apply for those. Any questions? Any questions? Council,

I have a question. Oh, okay. Mark. Um, so when we talked earlier and we talked about are you putting you you say you have some in the fund balance? Yeah, if you look at the bottom line there, our fund balance um comes out with this budget at 244100 which is just about 20% of expenditures which the audit auditor recommended amount. Okay. And my other my other question, you know, we've had we had the discussion and we talked about um here on township

um they represent 30% of the people that come to the the library. No, not that much. No, their population is much less than Romulus. Um and I would say about 18 or 19% of that population uh is from here. Trying to find it my notes because we were talking about that. Um and and you know what my problem is? My problem is um you know they pay 30,000 they don't you know and then it comes down to you're asking me to ask the taxpayers. What about is have you looked into anything with them and

we have a meeting um planned to meet with them again? We usually meet with them about once a year and we're planning on meeting with them in May soon as we can get on their schedule through the chair. May just to clarify, I think you guys were off on I think you were asking how what is the percentage of patrons we have for our library that are from Hiron or I've heard that number before was right around 30% not based on their population but yes if I'm correct about 30% of the people who attend your library are from Huron or is that an incorrect number? No, it's about 18 or 19%. 18 to 19%. Gotcha. Okay. Yeah. Madam Chairman, Mr. Wsworth,

if I can to the chair, you're on Township has been part of the library since it was first made back in 1970. And any income we get from them, and we've gone back and forth when I was there, and we argued about how much they should or shouldn't pay, but they do pay and they've got a right to use to the library. Yeah, they agreed this year to an additional 5%. Well, that's good. I'm glad to hear that. Not much, but at least it's going up. And they know they know the situation. We discussed it with them. And and the only the only thing that I'm saying though through the chair.

Oh, sorry. Through the chair. I put up my finger. Okay. I didn't see you. My hand was over there. So, madam chairman, I wasn't quite done. Oh, you Wait a minute. Wait a minute. You all out of stomach. go back to to the chair again. On a matter of what they pay, it's an advantage for us because I don't believe that that they use as much as they pay. That's that's an opinion of mine. I'm done. Okay. Mr. Will through the chair. Thank you. Uh my my only question is um you're asking us to go to the taxpayers of Romulus to for 0.0.3 0.3 to get it up to a one mil correct from 7.

Correct. And I guess um my question is is it's why isn't anything done for any more done with them? You want me to ask the taxpayers as a rookie freshman um city councilman, you want me to tell them that I'm upping their their taxes and it's minimal and I get that it's minimal. 14 bucks a year. Yeah. Well, manager, but it's a situation where I don't it doesn't seem like uh we're getting a fair end of the deal with

I agree. I agree. All I can say is we're working on it. We're going to meet with them again in May and hopefully we can make some more headway. Okay, we done. Okay, Mr. Wise, if I if I can back to the chair, we were given the right to do this without a vote of the people when we went from a Wayne County library to a municipal library. And when it was first when it first was brought up, cuz I was there, we were told that we could go up to one mill. Correct. without the request of the taxpayers and that's and that's what we're doing. Okay, that is correct. Thank you, M. Was anybody other comments?

Okay, I guess I should have finished my thought. If we if we want to go above 1 mil, then we have to go to the taxpayers, right?

Okay, I'm I'm done through the chair. I I understand. Oh, go. Was it me or you? Um, I understand that we can go we can levy up to a one mil for the for the library. I'm just saying that, you know, the way that the way that things are coming out, the way looking at this, I'm just saying that if Heron Township is a part of it, I want them to pay their fair share. But I want to make sure that we're doing the right thing by going to the taxpayers that may not even be using the the library and we're going to up their taxes because of we got money from the county and we've used it up and I just I I have a problem I have a problem with voting to up the mills, you know.

Do you have something, Mr. G? Okay. We we we could go up to 1 mil and we right at 7.7 right now, right? Mhm.

So, if we have to go up one mil, uh how do my question is how do we explain to the taxpayers, okay, we going up this one, this.3% But is that fair to the taxpayer? Even though we don't have to say nothing to them, but shouldn't we be able to explain exactly? You know, we know Hiron has a part of it. But we got to be able to tell the taxpayers because first day they going to say, "Well, what about Hiron? Why we got to go up 3%." Even though and me personally don't tell I don't accept the fact well I really don't have to tell you anything you know and coming for us to say that that doesn't really

I understand it's frustrating for us as well um and you know as I said we're going to meet with Huron we're going to do our best they have a new supervisor that just started there last year or November I guess of the year before. So she she hasn't even been there a year and a half. And so there was a bit of a learning curve for that. Um the other a couple of things that you we can let the taxpayers know. One thing is um the library has not requested an increase in uh the levy for nine years. So we've been running on the same amount for nine years. That's a long time. Before that, council was generous enough to increase it, I think, three times in about eight years. Um, just to keep us going and to be able to handle the increased costs that we have to pay. We lost 22% of our revenues. If we don't make that up somehow, we're going to have to change what we do. We're going to have to close the doors. We're going to have to change our hours. We're going to have to lay off staff. We're going to, you know, we'd have to make choices like that that are very difficult. And I think that would be a disadvantage to the residents and I don't want to I don't want to do that to them

through the chair that I think what people have to realize is that most of this mess is caused by the county when they screwed up our penal fines. Yes.

If that hadn't been screwed up and we're not getting them now, we wouldn't be in this position. So hopefully when Patty meets with our lawyer, we're going to figure something out. They haven't even been paying the penal fines to them. They gave us a huge bill and they've screwed. We've asked them to have an outside auditor and the county hasn't moved on it at all. So, it isn't that we're trying not to do something. But if it hadn't been for the penal fine mess, we wouldn't be here asking this. Okay. I Okay, Mr. Wilhot, did you have something? You're way more important. Go right ahead. I'll go next. You go ahead. No, I'm serious. Go ahead.

Go ahead. All right. And coming with So, in the past nine years, you've been getting more money from the county than you got prior to that. Correct. Correct. Okay. So, and that's one of the reasons why you never had to go up is because you were getting more money for the county. That's part of the reason. Was any of that money put in a rainy day fund or was it smoke them if you got them and spend it as you get it? No, it we maintained a a a good fund balance throughout that whole time. Okay. We used some of the money to renovate the library which people were asking for. They wanted study rooms. They wanted

uh expanded meeting room space. They wanted a nice place to to come where they can sit and relax and read and work and play. And so we were able to do some upgrades with some of that money. So So before you got the money from the county, the How much did it go up? I mean, you you got it. It depended on the It depends on the year. Um what did you get prior to the the getting more? You were getting like

It depends on the year. We we generally would budget between 200,000 and 225,000 a year from them. Sometimes we get more than that, but it depends on the year. Okay, Stacy.

Thank you. Um, so if council decides to um support um that increase, um I do want to say I'm 100% on board with communication because our department gets the phone calls and our taxpayers are do explanation. I don't know how much I would get into the, you know, the Wayne County thing, but at the end of the day, we could talk about the services and what the library does provide. Um, because there is a lot of benefit to that. Um, but in no way, shape, or form would I not share that with our residents because they're entitled to that. Mhm. And yeah, and I agree just so just for just for the record, um our library is an essential part of this community. I'm just saying. And then secondly, you know, I hear you Mark about, you know, some people don't utilize it. They increase their tax and they don't utilize it. Um they they can they can it's a lot of people. I I used to go in that library all the time. It was stuff. I didn't have a computer at home. I had to go to the library to get stuff done. I see kids in there doing their schoolwork in the library. We have seen Patty come before us year after year after year after year and we show our support for the library. Great job, Patty. Good job, Patty. Thanks for what you're doing, Patty. Um, year after year after year after year. And for us to have to maybe explain $16 or whatever that is, I I think it's worth it. I think it's worth it. We all know what we went through before with the library. We all know. And everybody don't have to use the library like some people do. I see them kids in the library doing schoolwork, homework. I see the little kids with the programs that's going on and all the money, whatever they got, it was poured back into the library. Everything it was poured back into the library. So, all I'm saying,

we was talking about supporting each other earlier at a previous uh meeting, supporting, you know, when times get rough, sometimes we have to support. They can go up to one meal. And I'm not saying it's $16. This is talking about a library that people was fighting for tooth and nail to make sure that it got back it was open. That she comes here every year. Every year. and we're giving her kudos on her presentation regarding the library. And I'm not saying that people don't uh uh don't get an explanation, then I think we can feel those call. I don't mind feeling them calls because I think it's worth it for our community. So, I'm just saying that's my take. If anybody else got to say anything, please do so. Mr. Wsworth,

if I can just expand on on what you talked about, this this library was shut. The doors were locked. the utilities were about to be turned off and we as a council with the public came to us said they wanted a library and this is what we did and this library is one of the positive things for Romulus in our city that's a positive thing for Romulus and I don't think it's necessary to try to turn this into some negative thing now I know there's some people that are going to say you know I I don't go to the library so I don't want you know pay the $14 but this is a positive thing for our town there is nothing negative about that building. Thank you to the chair. Miss Abdel,

I agree with everything you said, but one something else I want to point out when I'm in the library, I see many adults there that come there to use the internet because they can't afford the internet at home. And I've also seen the librarians help them with stuff they need to do. You know, if they get stuck on the internet, they they go right up and say, "I'm" and help them out. So there's always a handful of adults there that need the internet to do whatever jobs, copies, getting stuff over to employers, a whole bunch of stuff that is needed for this library to the chair. Yes, Mr. Chair,

just one quick comment and I know we there's ancillary benefits to having that library and they have something where families can go and we all pay tax for police and fire and hopefully we don't use them. Uh but you have to have them in place. I look at the library as that. So, it's an essential part of the community. However, I agree with Councilman Wilhyde and saying we and I've talked to you Patty about this. We really need to look at Hiron's lease. If it cost us $1.2 million annually to run that library and they are about 20% of the business that goes through there and we charge them $30,000 a year, good on your end. Let them build a library and we'll pay them 30 grand a year to use in their library. I mean, what's next? We we plow the roads for them too for 20 grand a year. I mean, where do we draw that line? Business is business and they are getting extreme benefit out of having a great library and we're looking at a possible $1.4 million debt over our head. Is here going to pony up and help with that? Those are all questions I ask for council as a resident. So, we just need to keep watching that. Patty, again, if you're negotiating with Heron, I'll be more than happy to help or do whatever we can on our end.

We'd appreciate that. But, uh, you have my full support of them because I think they should be Annieing up. Yes, they should. Just my two cents.

And then two cents for me, too. Um, we can't pick and choose stuff we're going to support or not support when people are in a crisis. That's all I'm saying. I'm just going to say that to the record right now. Um, just things we do in our city where we pick and choose and when people need help, we do it and other people we want to do push back. So, for the record, I'm supporting the library and if we can get something from here, I'm fine. But whether we do or not, this is a library. This is a place. We don't have a grocery store. We got this is a place where people can go and meet up and you know a place where we can have some fellowship and like we said the amenities. So again we need to be consistent. We need to be consistent as a city on what we do and talk about supporting different entities in our community that needs help. Consistency. I'm done. I'd like to say one more thing through the chair.

Through the chair. I'm taking a whipon today. Um I'm not against the library. I'm not I I I think it's definitely a benefit. I I have a a library card. Um, my thing is it's hard for me to being new and I'm looking at I'm looking at it from fresh eyes just

um fair's fair and I and you know if we get Stand by a second stand by if we if we got an exorbitant amount of money from the county and we've used that not prepared preparing for if something happened and they said, "Hey, we gave you too much money for 10 years, you're going to have to pay it back." Now, my whole thing is too, if they gave it to us too much money over 10 years, then they should give us 10 years to pay it back if we have to. I don't know what's going to go on with that, but I'm just saying that fair is fair and here in township should be picking up their their end also. I don't have a problem with the library. How many employees do you have there?

13. 13 employees. Okay. I'm not saying that I I'm looking to cut anything. I'm just I want us to look at it realistically and Yeah, let's do that. Yeah. Yeah, let's do that. How many times you been to the library? How many times have I been to the library? Through the Police, Fire and Safety Commission, we use their facility to do the FEMA classes. Powerful. And my wife occasionally gets books out of there. How thin is that? I have enough. Uh um how many to the library for the FEMA? Uh since I've gotten elected and I have to read this. Mhm. Not often.

Okay. Okay. Thank you. Anybody else got any questions or comments? Okay, John. All right. So, if there's no more discussion, number four is public comment. This is the portion of the agenda for those in the audience who would like to address the city council regarding tonight's special meeting agenda. It looks like we don't have anybody for public comment. So, let's close that out. Thank you, Madam Chair. Number five, Mr. German. Time is 6:36. So, it's been motioned by Mr. Wadsworth, seconded by Mr. Jones for the German of this meeting. Mr. Wsworth. Yes. Mr. Jones. MDO.

Yes. Miss Rosco, yes. Mr. Bulock, yes. Mr. Wilh, yes. Chair votes, yes. We are judged. What's that? All right.