Remarks by James E. McDonald
121 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 2 of 5
- Play at 1:49:40
“And we're hearing the chief say, based on the experience of the police department, this is where we should move them to because they haven't, the results where they currently are haven't demonstrated the need, so he's giving us a recommendation to move them. I think we should listen to the chief's recommendation.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 2:03:27
“No, it hasn't been in Canada. It could have been Houston.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 2:03:32
“You're right. I did. I sent it to you when it was in Houston. You've never been to Canada? No, not recently. OK, I was going to say. You said Houston. OK. traffic down, especially when they're turning in and out of the streets. It's a safety issue for people on bicycles.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 2:05:00
“Yeah. Correct. OK, so. The idea is a good one, a race crosswalk. It's a safety issue. Right.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 2:08:34
“I think that's a great, a crosswalk rather. I think it's a good step in the right direction to see how these work because I can see application in the future in this town of having raised crosswalks for safety, life safety issue for walkers and bicycles.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 2:09:32
“Very much, very much awake. There's a Mozart concert where they have dancing, ballet. I went there years ago. I can't remember the name of it. It's a touristy thing, but it's great.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 2:26:06
“So 8.2 increase in expense. In the coming budget, the current millage rate that you're proposing would allow us an 8.2 increase in expenditures. That would be new expenditures? New expenditures.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 2:26:24
“So that would give us the option of, if we didn't spend that kind of money, we could stick that into reserves for a potential with this homestead exemption nonsense that's going on. In other words, we'd be able to save 8.2%?”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 2:26:46
“So that includes the 2.0%? Everything. Oh, OK. I got it. Correct.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 2:40:55
“To go to 2.503, which is our current rate.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 2:51:09
“It looks like we're between the old rock and a hard place here. We've got a legislature that passed this rollback of the elimination of homestead exemption in one day, no consideration whatsoever. And then, of course, they throw the ball at us. So it seems we could keep the millage rate of 2.503, which was last year, and hope for the best. Hope for the best. Or we can raise it to 26041 and say, because these yo-yos in Tallahassee did this without any consideration, so we're going to have to raise our millage rates for the coming year, in effect, as sort of a semi-insurance that we're going to…”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:02:21
“People move here, people live here because of the service that they get from our government, Pinecrest government, the things we've done in the last 30 years.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:09:20
“Is what Ken just said, the difference between 2.503 and 2.6041, $800,000? Yeah. Can you bring up the chart that has the different millage rates?”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:09:48
“I came into this thinking, and I'm still thinking that way, but go with the manager's recommendation. Then as I think it more, I think what we're in this position because of these people that we send to Tallahassee who that is totally irresponsible with no input other than the governor dictating to them. And they've passed it. And they're about to try to gut our town and every other city in this village in this state, which is lousy government at its worst. I mean, it's just terrible. So one way of trying to hedge a little bit is to raise the village by a tenth, which is nothing, really. But…”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:11:37
“I just remember the vociferousness of all the stuff that was going on.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:11:42
“Loud and, yeah, whatever. Believe me, I know. I knocked on doors for two months against that thing. So I would say, though, that I would go with the manager's rate recommendation of 2.503. And then this village will deal with whatever happens in November.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:18:02
“Yeah, so I'm clear. So what we're talking about is for discussion purposes, we're going to set it at 2.6041. which is just for discussion purposes. And then when we get finished with our budget workshops, and then in September, we'll decide what the permanent rate is going to be. Yes, sir. OK. So this is merely for discussion purposes. Total discussion purposes. Whatever shakes out during our workshops in August.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:21:40
“I'm for this tonight so we can have that discussion. And if it raises discussion within the village, I think it's going to be important for people to understand why we did it and that we are reacting to what the legislature did, what was potential coming down the pike. So as a responsible government, we look at... for discussion purposes. And I think that's good. And if people come in screaming and yelling, then it might be a way to educate them on what their legislature has done to us and every other city in the community.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:26:14
“We had like four people show up. Well, Joe remembers, and Ken, you were saying the same, and Cindy out there, years ago we had these budget hearings, and Yossi, on our final second reading or whatever, even during, we'd have two or three people out there in the front row that was hit. And I think the reason was we always kept the military low. We never, we fought to keep it down there. And it still is there.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:30:33
“That's okay with me. Are you anticipating a long budget? I'm trying to remember back. Did we have long budget? I don't know.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:32:06
“I get that part. That's usually, we think of it as Scottish. Except all my people came over from Scotland, Ulster, and they dropped the A 150, 200 years ago. Whatever. I see you got the green pants on, though.”
Village Council · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 12:16
“Yeah, to the manager. So this is at the... at Red Road and 120 where Chapman Field, no, Moss Ranch comes in. Correct. And we used to have the Pinecrest, welcome to Pinecrest, sort of in the median. I mean, that's been taken down and it's been pushed back, I guess, toward what, that would be the south.”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 13:00
“Ah, okay. Okay. So what's, is there anything going in as you come around Moss Ranch? and you make that turn to go south on?”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 13:14
“Landscaping. So this goes in the island there?”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026
- Play at 14:42
“I would say we're mischaracterizing it as a bench. It's a low wall. To me, that's not a bench.”
Village Council · Jun 11, 2026