Remarks by Richard Chervony
409 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 5 of 17
- Play at 37:33
“Basically, my question, and it's really for the second budget workshop meeting, is the following. If potentially in November the voters approve the bill, In other words, they get the 60%. And we must use the rollback rate of whatever we approved this year. We have to be totally aware that what our rate based on this year's taxes are to cover our basic next year.”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 38:12
“So for the next workshop, hopefully we have... A clear understanding of what that figure is and how it affects us, because we may have to juggle, because that's the meeting where we have to officially set the millage rate, correct?”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 39:44
“Our budget, for whatever reason, is divided into the general budget and debt service, which is all tied into our ad valorem taxes. But there's another tax that all residents receive, which is a monthly utility bill that includes irrigation, water, sewer, stormwater, sanitation, and germ fee. That's also another tax, except it's done... 12 months out of the year instead of being a lump sum in November when we get the tax bill. And we differentiate our union members as to where the funding comes from. Basically, all this is a tax and we should not differentiate and all departments are equal and…”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 41:14
“I believe that everybody at Village Hall should be treated equal. My personal recommendation is a 3% COLA increase across the board to all employees because all employees deserve a raise. All employees have been for a year without the raise. And we had spoken also about giving the police back their full shift hours, a four-hour differential. So I'd like to see the reworking of all the sheets. where the police have the extra four hours and everybody gets a 3% COLA increase, which I understand that 3% COLA increase will have an effect on FRS withholding and FICA. So I don't know if we're ready…”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 42:38
“It's there, but what's not there is the utility employees or the enterprise employees are all scheduled to get merit, COLA, and longevity. While other non-union, I mean, union members, but non-sworn officers would only get the COLA. And that's where the difference is. We need to either agree everybody gets longevity, merit, and COLA, or everybody just gets COLA, or everybody, you know, we have to agree on what the figures are.”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 43:31
“Yeah, it's on the screen right here. Remove the utility here. The merit and longevity on all enterprise employees. It comes from the utility payments. which I am in favor of removing and just leaving it at the 3% COLA, is not shown in any of these figures.”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 44:22
“I understand, but I need the commission to be acutely aware that, for instance, when we're saying the cost to restore the police patrol officers to the right hours and the 3% COLA to all, will be offset tremendously by the merit and longevity that's being offered to the utility employees.”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 44:50
“This increase that we're talking about... I understand. ...will be offset by the...”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 45:00
“because they're paying i don't disagree but what i'm saying is when you start looking at what the impact is on the millage”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 45:49
“I will have maybe a little bit higher tax bill in November, but I will have a lower tax bill on a monthly basis, which equals out. It's still taxes are paying.”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 46:27
“Our utility is our cash cow. Our cash cow has fleas. we have to disinfect the cow. Let's be realistic. The last budget amendment that was done to water, sewer, and et cetera, et cetera, was done in 2021. For the last five years, we have been paying from general fund, the revolving loan payments that we need to adjust whatever, whatever.”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 47:04
“If we have the revolving loan payments reimbursed to the general fund from the utility reserves, our cash cow is no longer a cash cow. And we should get it back. And that will be also a lowering of the general fund budget. And we have to increase it whether we privatize garbage, whether we do not privatize garbage. I mean, that utility bill is gonna fluctuate as well. I mean, it's all part of our budget. The way we're departmentalizing the budget has to be done, but I want everybody to have a clear picture of the budget.”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 48:11
“If we refund the roughly $100,000 to $200,000 a year for five years that we've paid for the revolving loans.”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 48:21
“It's a million dollars towards the general fund. So it does affect the millage. We decided to do it that way. There's big ifs. That's for us to decide here.”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 48:40
“I'm using the utility fund for something that should have been used originally since 2021 that has not been done.”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 48:49
“So it is a factual use of the utility fund that we're going to do from this point forward. If we paid it from the general fund, we should be allowed to repay the general fund for what we did.”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 58:55
“Well, I know we've got a project for $12 million. You have right now the value of what $10 million has cost in debt pillage that you have to pay in interest. So you base another $10 million on the same amount. That would be a logical way of calculating it. If you get it at the same interest rate or a better interest rate, it lowers it a little bit, but it's not going to lower it that much. No.”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 1:01:46
“Is there any way that we can convert the $20 million borrowed or credit line or call it whatever you want to call it, because it's a credit line, it's not a geobond right now, into a geobond to be paid off in 20 years at a lower rate?”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 1:03:27
“The first $10 million, we borrowed it when? Roughly. Two years ago? Two years ago. And we borrowed it for three years. So we have one year longevity on that one. We're borrowing another $10 million. So we're going to have $20 million that we owe next year, depending for how long you get the $10 million for. If you get it for five years, we have next year one that's due the $10 million, one One year and the new 10 million, the interest on that one. I would suggest that we look into creating the geo bond for whatever amount that we borrow. You know, break up the bond in two.”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 1:05:05
“Mr. PFM, is approximately a month, which is our next workshop, enough time for you to give us some valid suggestions?”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 1:05:32
“Same time and we're supposed to bring up the water and sewer bills as well at that meeting.”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 1:14:15
“Right. And we make about someplace between $2,500 and $5,000 at the Miami Foundation Day.”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 1:15:57
“Sure. But I'm seeing this as an ongoing process. because I agree the following year is going to be even tougher.”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 1:16:16
“You know, they're going to get tired of it, and they're going to finish building their buildings eventually, and they're going to say, why me?”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026
- Play at 1:16:40
“There is one item that's bothering me on this fund balance. and it has a TBD next door, which is the emergency fund. That is a 20% of the general fund budget for emergencies. If we leave it blank as it is right now, and we have a hurricane, we're up to crap without a battle.”
Village Commission · Jun 25, 2026