Council - Special Meeting

Mr. Fox is joining us. You got something on there? Got something on here? Oh, property tax rates. Okay, I'd like to call to order the Radcliffe City Council special call meeting for Tuesday, September 8, 2026 at 430. It's being held at Radcliffe City Hall and being streamed live on Facebook. If you can please rise for an invocation and can remain standing for a pledge.

Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you for this day, and we thank you for your abundant blessings. Father, we thank you for each and every day, and we know how precious it is, and we thank you for that. Father, we ask that you bless our mayor and bless our council as they make the rules and regulations that will further our city. Father, we also ask that you bless our service members who are serving both here and abroad. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen. Amen.

Let's leave this to the Lord. Okay, can we have roll call, please?

Yes, sir. Bell? Present. Brown? Here. Tarosh? Here. Merle? Here. Owens?

She said present.

I saw it. And Thompson?

All right, we have a quorum. Before we go into our new business, I'd like to mention Ms. Owens is joining us by Zoom, and we are sorry about the – can you hear me okay? Yeah, we are sorry about the passing of your father, and – Are you still there? There you are. And hope everything will be okay. And hope you can join us next week when you get back. So sorry about that. Okay. All right. For new business, we have a motion to go into closed session for KRS 61.8101B acquisition or sale of real property and G economic development.

And I think I had personnel.

I need to add personnel on there as well. We have a personnel issue. All right. We have a motion. Do we have a second?

Second.

Any discussion? All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed? Motion carries. We're going into, so we will take a few minutes to go into executive session. We'll step back here in the back and we'll be out short. All right. I'd like to call to order again the meeting. Do we have a motion to go back into our special called meeting? Motion second. Any discussion? All in favor?

Aye.

Any opposed? Motion carries. Let it be known that no official action was taken while in executive session. And then at this time, I'll take a motion to adjourn.

Second. Second.

Any discussion? All in favor? Any opposed? Motion carries. All right, now we will go into our discussion items for our work session. We have first on the agenda is the property tax rate. Mr. Chance Fox.

What's that time of year, September, when we, I guess, discuss and then vote on our property tax returns for the new year? Sometimes there's a question on the timeline of this. We don't. We normally don't get our certifications from the Tax Assessors Office PVA until usually around middle of August. I think those tax rolls are usually certified by the state August 1st. So by the time we get the information or I get the information from the PVA, it usually misses the October timelines for council meetings because I, along with some of you all, see on the news and where other cities have had their readings and such and counties at least discussed them. Not sure of their timelines, but at least here, traditionally, it's always been about the middle of August. So then we try to make it a priority, obviously, to get it on the agenda in September. And then what typically has to happen is because of the timeline to get the bills out, which is typically the end of this month, only three weeks away, there usually is a need to do a call meeting. Because obviously next Tuesday could be a first reading. But then we would need a second reading on the property tax ordinance. quickly thereafter so that I can incorporate that approved rate into our database that will then produce the bills that we send out. So just kind of putting that out there now for Ashley and the mayor to look at some dates such that after next Tuesday, sooner than later after that date, that we can do a second reading.

I just feel like I already just paid my property taxes, just so you know. It's already a year went by.

It does go by quicker. So anyway, there's a tax rate calculation that you use to produce these rates, and those tax rate calculations or the worksheet for the calculations are based off of factors. They're all, and then that ultimately produces a rate. You know, it takes into consideration the tax rate for last year, the total taxable value in your city for last year, and compares that to the total taxable value for this year, both real property and personal property. So those are all factors that go into a formula that ultimately produces the The compensating or the computed tax rate. So I think all of y'all have a memo that I provided, which I typically do just to kind of help and what I'm talking about here. But based off those assessments for last year in this year and typically you know as we as has always been the case with us, you know there's always increases in taxable value. Some of that is attributable to fair market value increases of property. And then also part of that is also relevant to new property that hits the tax roll. So for Radcliffe, for example, there was around $49 million of taxable value that was new on 2026 over 2025. That figure sometimes changes, but 49 million was the increase this year. So that also plays a role in the calculation. So when you run all the numbers, the compensating rate was computed to be 0.126 per $100 of assessment or $1.26 for every $1,000 of taxable assessment. That is... That is a lower rate as computed. Then you know the adopted rate that we had last year and I just say that for reference, obviously. So we had a .129 was the approved rate by the city last year, so the computed rate would be just under that if it's if we choose to accept or the Council chooses to accept the rate as computed. If the Council under under law wanted to. had the public hearing and then increase the rate up to 4%, which is allowable, it would take that rate to about .131, which would then, of course, be just a touch more than last year. So I only mention that because that's what's allowed by state. It allows cities to accept what's called a 4% rate. And for us, Radcliffe, historically, because our taxable assessments have increased so much over the years, For most all years, not all years, but for most years, we typically, the council has accepted the computed rate. There's been a few exceptions to that, obviously. But the rate at 0.126 would be the lowest rate that Radcliffe government has ever had in the past. And I think I provided in their sheet that kind of shows some historicals on that. Transitioning to the personal property rate, which is kind of a byproduct of the computed rate for the real property. That was computed to be 0.184 per hundred or $1.84 for every thousand. And just as reference, that personal tangible rate is not for homeowners. That is a rate assigned to businesses. only, and that's based off of their tax return to the Kentucky Revenue Cabinet, based off of their merchants' inventory that they hold for those that have inventory, and for those that do not, there's a taxable rate assigned to furniture and fixture items off the depreciation schedule. Those are all byproducts through the Kentucky Revenue Cabinet that then flows back to us, and then we bill for that. The personal rate last year was computed to be .174. So if we accept the compensating rate for the real property at .126, then the tangible rate would be .184, just slightly higher than last year's .174. Now, the reason I'll just need to highlight that, the main reason why the tangible rate would be slightly higher is because there was a decrease this year over last year of the total taxable assessments from businesses. Now, don't know exactly. Typically, it goes up a little bit each year, whereas real property goes up quite a bit more. Don't really know the reason for that. Could be you have more aged inventory or aged furniture fixtures off a depreciation schedule that have brought the values down. Could be I mean, there's several factors that can attribute to that, but it was down slightly from last year, which has a factor in driving the rate up just a little bit. And then, like I mentioned already, you've got a couple of other illustrations. I did show you what the ordinance would look like, you know, at the computed rates, so you would have that. And then you have the little historical document that kind of shows going back, you know, years and years ago what our rates were to where they are now. And then I also showed you that little illustration for the homestead disability exemptions because obviously, you know, those folks that are filed for disability, exemptions or have or the age 65 or older, they get the homesteads. And that saves them money because they pay less tax. But the byproduct of that is, of course, that, you know, we get less of the taxable value as well. So It looks like for 2026 there's a. There's about $96 million of taxable property that we don't get because of the number of folks I guess that have homestead exemptions. So I just illustrate that if anything, just you know, because it's good information just to know and have.

Any thoughts on? Mr Fox is shared. Are you all considering taking the computer rate to 0.126? Any thoughts? That is the lowest rate we have had in the history of the...

The lowest adopted rate. I think one time it was computed. It would be the lowest adopted rate. It computed a little lower, but we went with the higher rate. Yeah.

Well, we had negotiated the 4% area last year. We may be...

I think last year we accepted the rate that was the same as the previous year. It was slightly higher than the computed rate, but not as high as the 4% rate. I think the council said we're going to match the rate of what it was at that time for 2024 to have 2025 rate the same. You just can't go over 4%, but you can accept anything in between. But if you do anything more than the computed rate, you have to .

Just for the record, Chance, I don't see it on here, but I'm sure you probably have it. What's the calculation if we kept at the 0.129? You've got, if we went to the 126, and then if we took the 4% at 0.131, what is that in between? You've got 55,000.

29 well yeah i didn't run that just didn't anticipate i guess the question um but yeah you see the revenue of 55 029 in addition if we accept the rate as computed and of course the highest if you went the full four percent is a hundred and thirty three thousand five ninety four so i think it's just a basically a math equation you know um because the 131 is four percent higher you could probably take you know, you can come up with quick math and probably come up with an idea, but I would guess that a rate of, let's say 0.129 to match the 2025 rate would probably be somewhere around 90,000 or so.

Okay.

Anybody else? So we probably try to put this on the agenda for a first reading next week.

Yeah. And then, and then quickly thereafter would be my, just because it does take time to produce. We do all that in-house, you know, so produce the rate, I mean not produce the rate, do all the billings in-house, so it takes a little bit of time to do all that.

Anybody else?

I would prefer to see the .126 lowest compensating rate. And Secondarily, we've all talked about helping small business. And instead of raising that rate from 174 to 184, I would rather keep it at .174. Can we do that? Well, I don't think we can do that, Jerry. OK.

MR. Yeah, because the tangible rate on businesses is a direct byproduct of the compensating rate for ad valorem, and part of that's because it does one of the measuring sticks is what was the increase or decrease in tangible assessments on businesses between the two years, and we had a decrease of the total assessed value on businesses. So I think that's part of the formula. So I think that the rate, although our rate has been higher in the past for tangible, so it's still a good rate historically. But I think the rate would need to be 184 to match the 126, if that's the rate that the council went with.

I agree with Jerry. I like I think keeping it at the what you computed the computer great. I like your thinking, Jerry. I wish we could keep it at that, too, because I thought that as a question, but I didn't think you could because you have to follow a certain guideline and how you computed that for the business side.

I mean, when we do the budget, too, as you all know, the budget always precedes setting the tax rate. So at budget time, we put together a budget based off of the anticipated taxes that we already expect and not necessarily the influx of additional. So there has been times in the past where we've increased it, but there's also been some reasons for that that might go to earmarked areas to address. But in this particular year, you know, at budget time, at least, you know, we didn't have specific discussion that said, well, you know, if we were to raise the tax rate, we need those additional revenues for this particular purpose. Yep. Absolutely.

All right, I think we're good. Thank you, sir. Yeah, I don't think I messed them up. All right, next is a weather cam. And so I have been... working with I think most people known over the past few years it seemed like our weather here locally of course well I guess you can say everywhere it's gotten worse rains flood storms and so our IT man back there Tim Jeffries and a George Herbert who's a local weather person here in town has reached out and we started discussing opportunities to have a weather camera here in Ratcliffe. And so Tim and George got together and we have placed a weather cam here in Ratcliffe. It's not active. It's not up and running yet. Can we turn the TVs on behind us? Did I just turn that one off, Tim? to pull up there. So this one is placed up at, we still call it Challenger Tower, but it's up at Boundary Oaks. And this kind of gives you a view of what a weather cam would look like. It gives you all the information, all that information there off to the side. And so you can actually move that camera to pan around. You have to be logged in. And so what we're looking at is what this would look like. And Tim, correct me if I'm wrong, but we can place this either on our Facebook page or our website where people, the public, can actually log in and actually be able to see the current weather or what the weather looks like out, see basically what we see. They won't have any control options on there, but it gives you an opportunity to see what the weather looks like and then gives you all the readings locally. And so I just wanted to show you all what we're working on. Yep. I think, I forgot how many they said Louisville actually has, 10 or 12, is that right?

I know they have four of these brands.

And so just something that we're thinking might be an opportunity, especially with snowstorms. People like to know what's going on the roads, snow, stuff like that. It's just an extra element. that we'll be able to see. And then working with George, who's here locally, who's opening up a storefront here in town, which I think is great. And working with him, I think it just adds, you know, it gives a little bit more of our localized weather here. Not saying that, you know, what you see on mobile news or what you see is not, obviously we're not talking about that, but we're just saying it kind of gives us a local opportunity to see what the dew points are and everything here locally are here in our town.

What we need also to... Sorry.

Go ahead.

What we need to... do is people don't know when the shelter is going to be available and they keep asking is it open is it open and we have to determine how far the storm has to go before it's open without them asking everywhere i didn't have the answer and i called a couple times

So our shelter typically is ready to be opened once tornado warnings begin. Not warning, tornado watches. We start preparing it. Tornado warnings, when they start predicting, then our shelter is fully open and we allow the folks to come up there at the fire department to stage.

So when they see warning, they can drive to the shelter?

Yes.

And it's only the one on Wilson Road?

We only have the one on Wilson Road, correct.

Okay.

Yep.

Anybody else? Tim, you got anything else to add on that? Yes. We're working to see. We've got to figure some of those details out. But it just gives him an opportunity to utilize that for his weather as well. But it gives us an opportunity to monitor here locally so people can log in. And I think that's one of the things that people have been complaining, at least that I've heard, is that they'd love to see more weather. And if they can get online and be able to see localized weather here, storms or what clouds look like, and can read. Can you pull that back up? Read the side notes. Mike, what do you call those things on the side? Information. I'm trying to think of another word, but yeah, something there's, you know, what you see on a map. But if they can read that where they can actually, I think the weather right now is 89. Tim can use, I can't see from my eyes are getting bad. And then it has a dew point on there. The UV rays at two dew points at 68. Yep.

Did he explain how the citizens would check log in? Is it an app? Is it Google? How do we get to log on to that?

We'll put the link. OK. Now, the person that's utilizing it won't be able to move it or move the camera as we could. but they'll be able to see what we can see. Yes, ma'am. Did you have a question, Ms. Owens?

She's listening.

She had a question. I thought I heard her say something. I have a question. Yeah.

I didn't say anything about the pets because this is what people were asking as well. Do they leave the pets behind or they take them when they see a tornado?

I think we allow pets on leashes. Is that right? Usually, if they bring cats and stuff, they have to be in a box. In a box, yeah. They have to have a crate.

Okay. Dogs?

Dogs have to be on leashes. And if they believe them to be, I think, if they might bite, they have to have a muzzle or something over there so they don't.

Okay. Wow. That's good.

That could get interesting, so. Obviously, we're not going to turn anybody away in a time of storm. That's a Tim question. She wanted to know.

All right.

With that, Mayor Council comments. Ms. Bell.

It is an unexpected time, and we just went to labor weekend, and everybody was hoping that it would be a little bit cooler, and it's not, and it's still hot, so hang in there. By Christmas, it will be a nice weather.

I promise you. Cold. I like hot.

Mr. Brown. Nothing to nightmare about.

I do have a reminder about the Saunders Springs Nature Preserve Walkabout Wednesday, which is tomorrow. So it's every Wednesday, April through October. It starts at 9 o'clock over at Saunders Springs. So if you're interested in getting out at the house and want to go on that walk, just meet the folks over there. I'm sure at the cabins, is that where the pavilion is? At the bathrooms at the top. Okay. All right. That's tomorrow. And then on October the 9th is a Halloween party, a full night of fun for special needs community. That's October the 9th from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Colvin Community Center. There will be refreshments, DJ, and dancing. So come join us that night.

Halloween night.

What time does it end there?

6 to 8 PM, 6 PM to pardon.

Oh, there Wednesday walk.

Well, it starts at 9 AM, so however long it takes to do the walk, so I don't know.

It's usually about an hour and then she also has an evening.

OK, so same night an hour. Starts at 9 last about an hour. And then you said Wednesday evening at 6. Same thing.

Excuse me, Mayor. Speaking of Halloween, our next meeting, work session and call meeting are pretty late next month. Should we go ahead and set Halloween schedule up for ready this month or wait until next month when it's pretty close? Well, I don't even know the date. I'm sorry.

Tuesday, October 13th, and then our Tuesday meeting is the 20th.

So the next week, if you wanted to.

and okay so we got plenty of time yeah okay okay ms murrow i have another question you know i'm down here on the moral side i'm at the other end go ahead where you got miss bill i want to go back and clear this uh shelter if you don't mind to say yay or nay shelter shelter for the tornado warning yeah i'm still back there okay Is it overnight?

No.

Okay.

It's only during the time of the warning itself until it's clear.

Until it's clear. So it could be maybe an hour, two hours, three hours?

Usually they don't last that long, but it can. I mean, we stay there as long as our area is affected by the tornado itself. i stayed one time until one o'clock it happened long yeah and uh tim will remember this we had uh a tornado warning go through we told people it was clear they started to leave one gentleman was like i don't think it's over in about what 10 minutes the sirens went off again it just came out of nowhere again and then everybody came back so it's it's really based on okay that was a late night as well so here is the question do you provide snacks or food or dinner No.

Huh?

No.

No.

Chairs in a place, and sometimes there's a TV put up for people to watch the weather themselves.

So they have to bring something with them? Snacks? If they want anything, yeah. Yeah.

If they want something, yeah. If they're stress eating during the tornado? Yes.

Yes. Maybe, maybe... For health.

Yeah.

No, because they're asking me that. Yeah, yeah. No, absolutely. It would be nice to have something.

Yeah, we don't have it, no. It's just basic needs of a shelter to be located in during a time for those that don't have a basement or a safe place to go.

The trailers and all that.

Tornado warning.

Okay. I won't go back to it.

Okay. All right, Ms. Murrow.

Last meeting, Ms. Becky, with our president, Parks and Rec director, she had brought up the Senior Citizens Nutrition Program. They have added a day now. When I say they, that's Lincoln Trail Area District, right, development. So now at Colvin, they've added Wednesdays. So it's Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Lunch is served for seniors over 60, or age 60 or over, and it's at 11.30 a.m. And they have the games and all that that day too. So now you have Wednesday to socialize and eat lunch. Always, you can check their Facebook pages. They have scrapbooking classes. They have quilting classes, all types of activities. Just check their Facebook page. The 19th, we know that Bourbon Blades is coming up this Saturday, the 12th, and I'm sure Merrill will talk about that. But the following Saturday, the 19th, is our Radcliffe Days Parade. and also the Cultural International Festival, which is the same day, and it starts 4 to 9, right after the parade, at 5. And this year, the city of Radcliffe is celebrating our veteran heroes. And many have already, since we've put this out a few weeks ago, have already purchased your veteran banners that will be hanging. We'll start on Lincoln Trail. As of today, we have 67 paid for that will be hanging by the 19th. Because we're going to hang them through Veterans Day, the deadline is over. You can still continue to get your banner in. There's just no guarantee that it'll be hanging by the celebration that we're putting on, the city's putting on, on the 19th at 6 p.m. But go ahead and continue to order your banner because they'll still be hung along the streets of Radcliffe through Veterans Day. So you can continue with that order. Just don't expect them if you miss the deadline. That was Friday.

And that's that.

Ms. Owens.

I don't know if you can hear me, but I would like to pay honor to A young 72-year-old, Ruby Bridges Hall. She was the youngest kid to help integrate her elementary school. It was called France Elementary School in New Orleans. And so that happened around November 14th, 1960. So, you know, sort of the relevance of it. Today would be, you know, her advocacy for civil rights and education at a time where our nation continues to debate equality in education. And so her example just simply reminds us about having courage to change history. And I thank people like her for inspiring not only our generation, but the generation that we're looking after now. So again, it is her 72nd birthday, and her name is Ruby Bridges Hall. That's it, sir.

Thank you. Thank you. All right. Next. So, again, Bourbon and Blades is happening this weekend up at Boundary Oak and Red Hill Cutlery. The headliner for the show is Martina McBride. We have three acts, Mickey James, Koffee Anderson, and, of course, Martina Headline. I believe it starts at 4 or 5. 5. 5. Starts at 5. And that morning they start the knife show. It's their annual knife show that starts, I believe, at 9 a.m., 10.

I'm an hour off.

I mean, I was like an hour off on everything.

And so we just hope we've had a really good turnout. And so looking forward to this show. The tickets, I believe, if I'm not mistaking, we've sold out of preferred seats. So we're right there.

We are right there.

So preferred seats are almost sold out, which is – that's great. And so we hope everybody can come out and enjoy. It's a free show. You don't have to have preferred seats. Preferred seats just get you closer. I guess they're going to have a pretty big production because this is the first time we've ever had three 20-by-20 tents put up for production. They're supposed to be having LED screens and all kinds of great stuff. So it's going to be a pretty good show. And Kentucky, Alabama is that day, so it better be a good show because I'm missing it. Jerry? Bobby. So it better be a good show because I'll be on my phone watching the game the whole time. But come out and join us. Boundary Oak again this weekend. Bourbon and Blades at Red Hill Cutlery. And then our next meeting, we are maybe having a time adjustment for next Tuesday's meeting. It'll be put out obviously with our agenda, but that meeting may be moved up to four. So anybody that wants to attend next week's meeting, just be aware that next week meeting may be possibly moved up to four. It'll be on the agenda next week when it goes out. But give me all heads up. So Greg and you guys can, if you can be here. All right. We don't need a motion to adjourn. Anybody else? Maria, are you good?

I'm not for now.

All right. All right. Well, Chief's right back there if you've got to ask him. That's his department. You can ask him anything.

I'm going to ask him, yeah.

Ms. Owens, once again, we're sorry for the passing.

Thank you, sir.

All right. We'll see you all next week. Thank you.