Remarks by David Lowery
340 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 10 of 14
- Play at 1:18:37
“Okay, copy. I just want to verify, because literally right now, if we did the 4.25 budget, we literally have a flex of 151.1K. That one incident would wipe out our entire budget.”
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 1:19:47
“So actually a pretty good example of just money, but it comes out of a different pot of money than what we're talking about here. But the cost, the impact, one incident, boom, there's $169,000 fine or a 200, what'd you say, city manager, $34,000? $254,656. Yeah, so either way, significant. All right, Commissioner Ward, the floor is yours, sir.”
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 1:34:27
“So long-term, I have spoken to two of our Bay County commissioners fairly extensively. The Bay County Animal Shelter is currently going through their own internal operations. Sorry. The Bay County Animal Shelter is going through their own extensive retooling. They're working with local rescues to re-fix theirs, particularly on the cat side of the house. But as the city manager, or excuse me, the county manager's letter directly stated, they're not in a position now to merge with us. Long term, if there is a way to take care of our animals and continue the amazing work that our animal shelter…”
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 1:36:44
“You're clearly not happy. I get that. I'm not happy.”
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 1:36:48
“But we're talking about our budget tonight.”
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 1:36:51
“And funding the animal shelter. They've already said their house is not in order. They're fixing their own processes, and they will re-engage at a later time. So what is it that you exactly want us to do here?”
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 1:37:31
“For clarification, my social media post, if you're referring to me, came out after that letter came out. I literally posted that letter. That was my first social media post. where the county manager said, we are not looking to merge with you at this time. So I don't know what else you're referring to. There was a lot. We had protests out here. They had one of the top 10 highest kill shelters in the entire state.”
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 1:37:58
“That was all over the headlines. That was what people were protesting about. That was your pushback. If that's what you're talking about, that's what you're talking about. Neither here nor there now. So what is it, just for clarification, what is it you want to do with this budget?”
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 1:38:27
“Now, your second or third to last slide, and Harold, you can bring it back up, Commissioner Warrick's slide deck. It's either the second or the third last slide, in blue at the bottom. You said, I will not vote for this budget until something is addressed. So let's pull that back up.”
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 1:39:17
“Okay. So we have three people and a whole squad of volunteers doing amazing work. They are. Every day, day in, day out. Like I said, I've been there three hours this week and paid $130 out of my own pocket donating kitten kibble food for them because that's what they needed. Twenty-four of their 30 cats are kittens right now. I literally spent time with the workers, the volunteers, they're doing amazing work. We don't have an effective consolidation option at this time. Long-term, whatever takes care of those three amazing, the functions that those three amazing city employees do as the…”
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 1:40:54
“OK. So we are on 4B. We've had a whole doctoral-level dissertation by Commissioner Warwick now, which informed us very good information that we are unique.”
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 1:41:15
“Doctoral dissertation. That's a formal doctoral level presentation.”
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 1:43:58
“Commissioner Tender, you got any thoughts?”
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 1:44:04
“Yep. All right, well, so with 4B, we have that and we also have, this is, it looks like the only two sticking points we had was the animal shelter, which there is no viable alternative to consider at this point. So it really is moot. And I will say for future record, There are a lot of things I want to re-look at moving forward. Once we get past this budget, realizing regardless of whether Amendment 3 passes or not, we have a massive debt that we have to pay off. We're going to be paying off for the next six, seven years. We cannot continue with a starvation diet long-term. We recognize that…”
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 1:48:50
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 1:54:21
“Yeah, understood. An open question that we can't answer today is what happens if Amendment 3 passes in November? Thank you. Sorry about that. What I said was one question we don't know at this point is if Amendment 3 passes in November, what that does to our CRA long term for both Bay County and for Lynnhaven. And none of us can answer that today. So where are y'all at then with 4B here? I'm just trying to gauge a consensus. We've talked about 50%. We've talked about 70%. Commissioner Peebles talked about even 60%. We need to kind of set a pace here and move forward.”
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 1:55:30
“Copy that. Commissioner Peebles, any final thoughts on this?”
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 1:58:50
“Well, and were you asking at a later date, Commissioner Tender, as in our next meeting to finalize, as in the mill rate, or...”
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 1:59:28
“okay so tonight we're just doing the military so this part is on the budget itself the only two sticking points we seem to have was the animal shelter and the cra so we're walking through both of those to try to get everybody to a consensus so that we can vote on this tonight after we hear from the folks and get their input so we're going to motion mayor sir go ahead sam so”
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 2:00:52
“Thank you, gentlemen. We have a motion and a second to fund the CRA at 75% and the animal shelter at 100%.”
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 2:01:06
“The budget with those two hot topic items as such, 75 and funding the animal shelter. 75 for the CRA and the full funding for the animal shelter.”
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 2:01:36
“Okay, so what we have is a motion from Commissioner Peebles. We have a second from Commissioner Pernod. And now, City Manager, you need to read? You need to read?”
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 2:01:49
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 2:04:37
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
Commission · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 2:07:49
Not quoted here: it may name a member of the public. Hear it at the meeting.
Commission · Sep 8, 2026