Remarks by Cole Stanley
414 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 16 of 17
“Okay, so we revenue this year $10 million that we haven't spent, right, in sales tax?”
“Well, assuming we're running budgets and we're balanced and we're serving the public and meeting all of our obligations, we're exceeding our sales tax projections. Nobody's come to us and said, hey, you're over budget. We're going to need that sales tax. So now we've got $10 million at the end of this year, and you guys are pushing it all forward into CIP projects of, what, $13 million? Yes, that's part of that $13 million calculation.”
“And so if we've got an ongoing comfort, we've got some other revenues. Would you mind going up to the top? So when you get the breakdowns on the 271, you know, you've got all of those. Additional business fees licenses stuff like that. We were asking about I think it was five million But it was down from six and a half million or so. So I'm still gonna advocate that I think We would need to look at even E&I I THINK WE NEED TO BE PERSONNEL HEAVY IN HOW WE BALANCE THIS BUDGET. SO WE'RE GOING BACKWARDS. I UNDERSTAND COUNCILMAN TIPS TALKING ABOUT FRUSTRATION. SO ESSENTIALLY, WHAT WE'VE DONE, WHAT…”
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
“Mm-hmm. Can you go down a little further? So that $287 million, if you take that $5 million out of it, right, which is general construction or whatever, you'd be at your balanced budget roughly, right? What you're projecting. What are we bringing in? $283 million up at the top? I can't remember. $280 million. Okay, well, I feel like we represented a scenario where the tax rate now has become an issue of like, well, we didn't understand when this calculation that it wasn't just a positive 700K you could vote for, you would actually have to vote... if you held the no new revenue rate, you would…”
“So we didn't raise taxes even though we raised the rate. Well, we didn't raise revenue. We're keeping revenue flat. Keeping the rate flat.”
“Councilman Simpson, are you still thinking about tax relief?”
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“Okay. So I'm just reading this at face value, right?”
“I mean, appraised values in 26 were $25,000. 25.7 billion. Taxable values are down to 20.9 billion, right? So everybody's tax values went down.”
“Okay, so everybody should assume that their rate would have to adjust up for them to pay the same amount in property taxes?”
“But then they're proposing the rate at the no new revenue rate to be below our 43 cents down to 42 cents. But they're representing that we have a $5 million depreciation in overall values. And then they're representing that the rate would only go up to 0.44”
“Okay. Yeah, I think I just need some time going through the math problem, and then I want to reach out to the state. So comptroller's office would be a good one. And it is what it is, right? But, I mean, I don't think we can go and do an on-camera interview for our media personnel based on this lack of understanding that we have. I don't think that I can explain to my constituents that – you know, we would run a $3.4 million deficit if we just kept their tax rate flat. And that if I increase their rate, I actually did not increase their taxes. And so, like, what we're saying is I would be in…”
“Yeah, what I'm proposing is just some time outside of this discussion to get acquainted with this and that I'm always good to ask for help and education. I feel like I've been miseducated, not to any of y'all's fault, but in the way that this works at the state level. And so I need a little bit better education before I'm going to want to do an on-camera interview.”
“OKAY. SO LET ME MOVE THE CONVERSATION FORWARD. WE DON'T RUN THE CITY ON PROPERTY TAXES. SO NEED EVERYBODY TO HEAR THAT. WE'RE PROPOSING A 280 PLUS MILLION DOLLAR BUDGET OF WHICH 61 MILLION IS COMING IN IN PROPERTY TAXES. AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHAT, THREE, THREE AND A HALF MILLION DIFFERENCE UP OR DOWN? SO THAT MEANS 90, 91 MILLION IS COMING IN IN SALES TAXES. AND THEN THE REST OF IT IS COMING IN IN BUSINESS FEES, USER FEES, USAGE. So we don't run the city on your property taxes. So we can say we want property tax relief. Okay, that's helpful, right? Or we can say, let's just hold the…”
“Councilman, were you done with that question? Yes. Did you have a question of not factored into the budget? Is there a question of whether that 1.2 is factored in?”
“So it is up for consideration? Everything is. OK. Council, on item 4.2 here, do we have other questions, concerns, or direction that can be offered? Let me give one direction. I have always voted for the budget as a whole. I know that the budget language is important, the way we register the votes, that we raise our hands, we state it. I think with this budget and us working very diligently and me hearing a pretty diverse council that's considering a lot of options, I'd like to propose the budget to be voted on broken down in segments. Now, how we break that down, I'm not quite sure, but I…”
“I think if we get maybe legal to give a little guidance on since how we'll have to propose that, that way it's not anything we're trying to do last minute. AND THEN LET'S GIVE EVERYBODY THE UPDATE. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING WHEN FOR THE FIRST READING, THE 22ND?”
“SO WE HAVE SOME HOMEWORK TO DO OURSELVES BETWEEN NOW AND SEPTEMBER 8TH, BUT I'M NOT HEARING COUNCIL NEEDS ANY FURTHER MEETINGS BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.”
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“We'll see what else we can do. Thank you.”
“Thank you. Do I have anyone else here who'd like to offer public comment today? All right. We're going to go ahead and move forward. That concludes Section 5. We'll move into Section 6, Consent Agenda. Council, do I have anything you'd like to pull off? for consideration.”
“Do I have anything else on that item? Council, anything else you want to discuss or pull off? Would request a motion.”
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.