Remarks by Robbie Hughes
277 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 10 of 12
- Play at 2:46:35
“That's a good question. I would say that for me, coming to the commission, we talk about getting surprised. And what I've learned is we create a budget and there's money in that department and they can move that money as they choose, but it's not what they budgeted for when we were talking about budgeting. And so I think for a more line item budget, which is very possible, we can put it in line items and vote it that way and it's not moving unless they bring it to us. But they bring us budget resolutions that are spending inside the departments that's what josh is talking about except we know…”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 2:49:41
“How about we focus on expenses and have them come back and say, y'all go across your, whatever that is, easily across each department, four and a half million, let's say it's 10%, come back and give us 10%. And start with the fluff and then go to hard. We did that exercise. But they haven't done it. That's why we're having this conversation.”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 2:55:05
“And so $1.5 million is not a lot of money out of $153 million. It's 3% of the overall budget.”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 2:56:52
“If they're at 2.4 and that's 4.5, how about 3.5? There's got to be a number to reach towards Knoxville. Yes.”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 2:59:15
“But I'm not even, I think we're so far from that, it's not even funny.”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 2:59:57
“But what y'all brought us so far, I can't get behind because what's been presented to us, presentations are great. It's the numbers. Those numbers are not going to add up to a budget that we're going to agree with.”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:00:55
“How much do you think it's going to be right now, just off the top of your head? How much is what? The budget.”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:03:13
“You just answered a problem that the city had.”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:06:47
“people who want to pick a ball or yeah i would encourage you look at the hours when it's you all of that can happen with us running it my fear is this is a community center and you put somebody else in there running it and believe me i'm not about panama city running things y'all know that okay but this is an opportunity where they're doing a good job and You take community out when you put some money in.”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:08:58
“So I was at a meeting last night at Cherry Street talking about road closures. And I said, we need feedback. But because this is a new thing, there's going to be some things that go wrong or things that we need tweaking. And we need feedback. Positive feedback is good, too. We also accept that. I think the feedback that I'm getting is the kids are loving it. We've got a full staff. We're trying to figure out how to operate something that a commission voted to that had no money behind it to operate it. And we're going to have to dig ourselves out of that hole. And to me, partnering with…”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:11:32
“But that can also be looked at the same way from your presentation on Boys and Girls Club. It has been said, to me, it feels like you're pushing Boys and Girls Club over others.”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:24:17
“I'll have a second. Why is staff not taking position on it?”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:25:04
“I'd like there to be some consistency on staff giving us direction or not.”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:31:19
“And the fairness of getting rid of them.”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:32:15
“But here's my problem. I've got a man sitting in the audience right now that sent us an unsolicited offer on two pieces. Nobody ever answered him. He's been building in that neighborhood just like Schwartz. And this is the unfair part about it because without a plan, you're picking winners and losers. And with a plan, we wouldn't be having this conversation. It would already be taken care of. I 100% support the idea. I do have to rib the mayor a little bit for a minute just because it's a process that he's trying to create. It's a process that I can't seem to get across the finish line. And I…”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:34:43
“I stole this idea from you, by the way. I picked 12 lots. Top six, bottom six. We don't put out an RFP, Builder Participation Package. We got these 12 lots. You write us an offer on, you can buy two of them. You have to be a builder. These are the lots. If you pick one, you can only get number six. If you pick two, you can only get number seven. The top six are the cherries. The bottom six are the cherries with the snake. So you don't get to buy all of the best lots. So there's 12 lots, and that's six builders. They tell us what they're going to do. They can go through. I've got three…”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:36:54
“Well, this is housing, but CRA, you're working through housing too, okay? You can do the same thing.”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:38:48
“But I think we need to connect the dots from the man in the audience of why they get to buy tonight and we didn't even respond to him.”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:39:07
“But it was sent to us and nothing happened with it.”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:40:01
“No, because we can't get that. Well, yes.”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:43:11
“So my world is a land disposition world. When I sell a house, 13 people go to work. Every one of those 13 people have to help follow the same process in order for that disposition to happen at closing.”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:43:28
“So while, and you're right, two things. One, the proposal that Sheila originally brought us was very rigid, very, and we all agree, we need to unwind that. So I've been working on unwinding that. You guys said the other day at the meeting, I said, I brought you three ideas, and Alan said, but you haven't brought us a plan, you brought us ideas. And you're right, it's been about commercial and large and residential. This is residential. This is housing trust that I want to implement. And that's using NSV. You're really not going to like this idea, but I got it.”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:44:13
“On this one, we can start now with $2 million and put it in play under this idea.”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:44:20
“You start today. Well, the results are going to be over the next however many years it takes to sell those houses. But it funds, because you said sustainability, You're in 2 o'clock in the morning. I've got Josh on my mind because I'm thinking about sitting here in sustainability. That is not what I wanted, 2 o'clock in the morning. And I'm sitting there dreaming. And so my point is, this has what I think what you asked for. This is residential only, but it's 12 lots out of the many. And so it starts with a small number. It gives us an opportunity to see how that works. And right now it…”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026
- Play at 3:47:16
“approve the sale and release of this this here and then um and then bring forward these items next meeting for discussion and hopefully some action for for equal fairness could can we wait on the approval today so that we everybody gets to vote on the next next meeting where they had to wait we went this guy can wait one more week or one more meeting is that cool”
City Commission Meetings · Jul 14, 2026