September 04, 2007 Budget
Sep 04 2007
MINUTES OF THE MEETING OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA
September 4, 2007
The Board of County Commissioners of Brevard County, Florida, met in special session on September 4, 2007, at 5:30 p.m. in the Government Center Commission Room, Building C, 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Viera, Florida. Present were: Chairperson Jackie Colon, Commissioners Truman Scarborough, Chuck Nelson, Helen Voltz, and Mary Bolin, County Manager Peggy Busacca, and County Attorney Scott Knox.
The Invocation was given by Dave Dingley, Senior Aide to Commissioner Bolin.
Chairperson Colon led the assembly in the Pledge of Allegiance.
REPORT, RE: SEPTEMBER 11, 2007 MEETING
Chairperson Colon stated September 11 is a day of great importance; and they will have a special ceremony at the September 11, 2007 meeting. She stated anyone wishing to add anything to the ceremony should contact her office.
REPORT, RE: REQUEST FOR CHANGE ON VALKARIA AIRPORT ADVISORY BOARD
Commissioner Voltz requested an agenda item be added to a future meeting to add a seat to the Valkaria Airport Advisory Board for Grant-Valkaria; and they will need to change the Ordinance to do that.
Chairperson Colon inquired if the proposed ordinance will be placed on the Agenda; with Commissioner Voltz responding it will be to advertise the ordinance. County Manager Busacca stated it is a Resolution; and staff will make sure it is properly advertised.
REPORT, RE: LABOR DAY WEEKEND
Chairperson Colon stated she hopes everyone had a wonderful Labor Day weekend.
PUBLIC HEARING, RE: ANNOUNCEMENT OF PERCENTAGE INCREASE IN TENTATIVE
AGGREGATE MILLAGE OVER THE AGGREGATE ROLLED BACK RATE
AGGREGATE MILLAGE OVER THE AGGREGATE ROLLED BACK RATE
Chairperson Colon called for the public hearing to consider an announcement of percentage increase in tentative aggregate millage over the aggregate rolled back rate.
Budget Director Dennis Rogero advised the aggregate rolled back rate is 6.0397 mills; the aggregate tentative rate is 5.4475 mills; and the percentage change is 9.81% below the aggregate rolled back rate.
PUBLIC HEARING, RE: PUBLIC COMMENT ON REVISED TENTATIVE COUNTY BUDGET
FOR FY 2007-2008
FOR FY 2007-2008
Dolores Kane advised she moved to the area in 1966; her husband retired in 1976; and she was upset that the Legislature did not give breaks to the non-homesteaded properties. She stated a gentleman who lives in Lake Washington had taxes in 2005 of $1,900 and the next year they were $8,000; she likes things to be fair; she has homestead exemption and has voted for EEL’s and other things; but she is not paying for them because businesses, non-homesteaders, and new people are paying a lot of it. She stated she wishes something could be done to help them; she wishes it had been rolled back at least to 2005; and she is sure the Board can make adjustments so there is enough money coming in. She stated something should address the inequity; another person thought it was fine to let others pay the bills; but it is completely out of kilter. She stated people who provide rental housing for people who cannot afford houses bought the houses for an investment; and they cannot get the money. She stated they could move more than one family in but that is against the zoning rules; and it is a catch 22. She stated it is hard for people to have a place to live; and the Board is well aware of that.
Francisco McLennon stated his concern is taxation; he came to Florida two years ago; and last year because of illness he was unable to speak about the taxes of approximately $4,000, which he is still paying for because he had to borrow. He stated he is retired; this year the taxes are $3,441; and he cannot afford it. He stated they were lured to Florida because of their friends and relatives; some of them have properties bigger than what he has; they are paying $1,900, $2,100, and $2,200; and last year he had to pay $4,000. He stated he relies on Social Security only; and what he got from his 401K, plus what he got before is what he used to purchase the property and build the home. He stated he wanted to be in Florida to enjoy the sunshine; he is originally from Jamaica, West Indies; but he cannot afford it. He stated he would like to sell but he cannot because the property does not have the value it had when he bought it; and when he went to Chairperson Colon’s office, he was told he had to make an appeal. He stated there is nothing the appraiser can do at this time; it is not fair or equitable; something is wrong; and he is new to the system so he does not know the method. He stated they have to come up with a better method because it is not fair; he is paying $4,000; but their neighbors who have bigger properties are paying less money; and requested the Board’s consideration of whatever can be done.
Bob Farr, representing the Builders Care Program which is affiliated with the Homebuilders and Contractors Association, submitted paperwork to the Board, but not the Clerk. He stated almost two years ago the Builders Care Chapter was started from a successful endeavor that started in Jacksonville; they entered into a three-year Contract with the County to help indigent people, people in need, or handicapped people with damage from the hurricanes; and damage still exists. He stated they are going into the third year of the Contract; the funding comes through the budget; and requested the funding be issued for the third year of the Contract.
Gary Johnson stated he has rental property in Cocoa Beach; the current proposed budget is unacceptable; and inquired how this year’s 3% reduction is significant compared to the 103% increase he has experienced in the past three years. He stated more significant budget cuts need to be made; and inquired how the Board can justify the 103% increase in his property taxes over the past three years. He stated the Board should not say it is due to property value increase; it has used the excuse of the unrealistic market spike to spend like there is no tomorrow; and it is called a windfall. He stated it is unconscionable and irresponsible; and inquired why the Board does not recognize any limits on its spending or limits on the people’s
ability to pay. Mr. Johnson inquired why the Board was not responsible enough to exercise the necessary constraint on its own accord, and why was it necessary for the State Legislature to force the County to assume some constraint. He inquired when will the Board assume the responsibility for which it was elected and when will it begin to earn the trust of the voters again. He inquired when will the Board learn not to say yes to every requested handout and when will it recognize the necessity of conservatism in spending taxpayers money. He inquired how is he supposed to pay this exorbitant tax bill when he cannot rent his apartment because of Florida’s current poor economy, due in part to the County’s irresponsible excessive spending. He stated as long as there is the gross, unconscionable, and oppressive disparity between homesteaded and non-homesteaded properties, the Board needs to hold the spending to 3% annual increases. He stated the non-homesteaded property owners are bearing the unreasonable and unjustifiable burden of the excessive spending; and the Board needs to work to make some meaningful cuts in the budget. He stated he cannot afford a 100% increase in his tax bill; and he is not alone. He stated the 3% reduction is not meaningful; and as an example, the Board needs to get rid of the tax burden of supporting golf facilities because it can no longer afford it. He stated government should not be in the leisure sports business; it needs to be self supporting; and those tax dollars would be better spent for essential public safety services. He stated he cannot afford the expensive parks that homesteaded property owners voted for but are not paying for; and further meaningful reductions need to be made now.
ability to pay. Mr. Johnson inquired why the Board was not responsible enough to exercise the necessary constraint on its own accord, and why was it necessary for the State Legislature to force the County to assume some constraint. He inquired when will the Board assume the responsibility for which it was elected and when will it begin to earn the trust of the voters again. He inquired when will the Board learn not to say yes to every requested handout and when will it recognize the necessity of conservatism in spending taxpayers money. He inquired how is he supposed to pay this exorbitant tax bill when he cannot rent his apartment because of Florida’s current poor economy, due in part to the County’s irresponsible excessive spending. He stated as long as there is the gross, unconscionable, and oppressive disparity between homesteaded and non-homesteaded properties, the Board needs to hold the spending to 3% annual increases. He stated the non-homesteaded property owners are bearing the unreasonable and unjustifiable burden of the excessive spending; and the Board needs to work to make some meaningful cuts in the budget. He stated he cannot afford a 100% increase in his tax bill; and he is not alone. He stated the 3% reduction is not meaningful; and as an example, the Board needs to get rid of the tax burden of supporting golf facilities because it can no longer afford it. He stated government should not be in the leisure sports business; it needs to be self supporting; and those tax dollars would be better spent for essential public safety services. He stated he cannot afford the expensive parks that homesteaded property owners voted for but are not paying for; and further meaningful reductions need to be made now.
Maureen Rupe, representing Partnership for Sustainable Future, stated she appeared before the Board previously concerning the Natural Resources budget cuts; it was a 25% cut, and now she has learned it is 30%; and requested the Board discuss the issue. She commented on Stormwater being put under Natural Resources; and inquired why a position was eliminated when that person was working on the recently adopted Gopher Tortoise Plan and Manatee Protection Plan, both of which are State mandated. She stated there are important programs within the Plan that will not be addressed; and there are also many successful programs in Natural Resources that either will be dropped back or not addressed at all. She stated one of her big concerns has been that the County cannot even implement the Comprehensive Plan; there are policies such as Policy 9.2 that should have been done but have not been addressed or implemented; and she is worried about future programs and programs being put in now, if there is a 30% cut. She stated she wants the Board to address it; and it is a fight just to keep the status quo.
Mary Hillberg thanked the Board for its excellent work; and stated she knows it has not been easy. She requested the CRG’s not be removed; stated she knows it is $1,400 a year and every penny counts; but in the interest of public participation and volunteerism, the CRG’s should continue.
Lillian Banks stated because of the leadership of former Commissioners and going along with the newly elected Commissioners, Brevard is now a County living way beyond its means; it started in 1980 with the first EEL’s program and continued with the second EEL’s program; and then when parents wanted sports fields for their children, the Board saw another opportunity to maneuver and manipulate the citizens so now the people are saddled with parks. She stated $240 million goes for parks and EEL’s; the St. Johns River Water Management District fee is $17,427,678; and adding the two together is a big part of the taxes that come from the people. She stated the people voted for some of this; but as money flowed in with the housing boom, the Board spent without reservation following its own agenda of stopping growth, saving the
critters, creating environmental bureaucracies, building trails, and buying land. Ms. Banks stated she thought the people elected Commissioners to lead them and make practical sound financial decisions; it is up to the Board to sort out how the money should be spent for the good of all of the people; and the Board can see the big picture, but it has caved to select groups because they are at every meeting dictating to the Board. She stated instead of falling back on the phrase, “60% voted for it”, the Commissioners should be at town hall meetings explaining why parks cannot be built because the money does not stretch that far and why the County may build one park rather than five. She stated if the citizens are not able to see that there are lots of other things that the money has to go for and each year the cost to the County increases and the only source of revenue is from the people, then the Board has to show the people what the problem is. She stated the Board is responsible for the fix the County is in; and the Legislature is not going to bail the Board out, nor should it. She stated she is waiting to see what the Board cuts; there are some easy cuts the Board could make like lobbyists, Lead Brevard, bike paths and trails, excessive libraries, dog parks, Brevard Cultural Alliance, lawsuits, and many more; and since the Board spent so much time and effort in cutting expenses and trimming the budget, she does not understand why her proposed taxes are $66 more than last year. She stated she is not surprised and is thankful it is not more; and her heart goes out to all those who cannot find the money to pay the excess. She stated the Board does not feel the public’s pain; and it is spending money for things the people do not have to have.
critters, creating environmental bureaucracies, building trails, and buying land. Ms. Banks stated she thought the people elected Commissioners to lead them and make practical sound financial decisions; it is up to the Board to sort out how the money should be spent for the good of all of the people; and the Board can see the big picture, but it has caved to select groups because they are at every meeting dictating to the Board. She stated instead of falling back on the phrase, “60% voted for it”, the Commissioners should be at town hall meetings explaining why parks cannot be built because the money does not stretch that far and why the County may build one park rather than five. She stated if the citizens are not able to see that there are lots of other things that the money has to go for and each year the cost to the County increases and the only source of revenue is from the people, then the Board has to show the people what the problem is. She stated the Board is responsible for the fix the County is in; and the Legislature is not going to bail the Board out, nor should it. She stated she is waiting to see what the Board cuts; there are some easy cuts the Board could make like lobbyists, Lead Brevard, bike paths and trails, excessive libraries, dog parks, Brevard Cultural Alliance, lawsuits, and many more; and since the Board spent so much time and effort in cutting expenses and trimming the budget, she does not understand why her proposed taxes are $66 more than last year. She stated she is not surprised and is thankful it is not more; and her heart goes out to all those who cannot find the money to pay the excess. She stated the Board does not feel the public’s pain; and it is spending money for things the people do not have to have.
Dawn Hooley, candidate for House Seat 32, stated she is a property owner of several properties in the County; and property taxes are important to her and her family and friends. She stated there are people who cannot attend meetings such as this due to work and family obligations; and requested the Board picture 100 people standing behind her that she is representing. She stated it was easier to be a County Commissioner in the past when there was enough money for everything that people wanted; and she is sure this has been a difficult year. She stated the hard decisions now need to be made; and that is when true leadership is revealed. She stated the Commissioners were elected to represent the concerns of the constituents in all decisions within the County, and not to pacify the needs of a few or take the advice of staff without doing due diligence; and the Commissioners were elected to lead in good times and bad. She stated things are bad for landlords, for second homeowners, and for new residents; they cannot keep up with the ever increasing property taxes; and it is bothersome to hear conservative people who are protected by Save Our Homes say they know they are not paying their fair share of property taxes. She stated neighbors are being pitted against neighbors in a battle of taxes when the true enemy is massive government growth and spending, not related to population but to inflated real estate values. She stated the Board has not gone far enough in the budget process; it barely skimmed the surface with minimal cuts to the massive budget; real estate values are plummeting; and the only good thing now is that the massive budget did not get more massive, as it has in the past several years for the non-homesteaders. She stated next year the Board is going to have to work even harder in the budget process or else increase the millage rate and other feeds in an election year, which would not be a popular thing to do. She stated she knows the Commissioners spent countless hours in budget workshops; she saw a lot of conversing but not a lot of cutting; State Legislators have said that counties and cities need to go on a diet as their budgets are too fat; and she would like to go one step further in that Brevard County with a billion dollar budget for 500,000 people makes the County morbidly obese with even more weight to shed to get back to a healthier weight. She stated she has been before the Board for the past two years begging for lower budgets to no avail; she is not naïve to the process and sent suggestions well ahead of the workshops; and her suggestions and enthusiasm to serve on the Citizens Budget Advisory Committee fell on deaf ears. Ms. Hooley stated she has TRIM notices; one is from a property she owns in a different part of the State where her taxes did go down 10 to 15%; it can be done; and requested the Board do some more work to come up with significant cuts before passing the massive big government budget.
Chairperson Colon inquired how many properties Ms. Hooley owns in Brevard County; with Ms. Hooley responding ten. Chairperson Colon inquired why Ms. Hooley came before the Board; with Ms. Hooley responding the first time she came before the Board was when the budget hit a billion dollars in 2005. Chairperson Colon stated one of the Board’s biggest frustrations was for those people who are not protected by homestead exemption; and inquired if Ms. Hooley has spoken to the Legislators to see what the State will do to help them. Ms. Hooley advised she has spoken to the Legislators; but the Board could have rolled back the millage. She stated she has a friend in Yorktown, Virginia; the valuations were going up exponentially like they were in Brevard County; they rolled back the millage to get the same amount plus a little more the next year; but that has not been done in Brevard County. She stated the Board had the ability to do that in the past three or four years; and people have warned the Board about this. Chairperson Colon inquired what are the people in Tallahassee doing about the discrepancy; and advised she pays $1,200 in taxes, but her mother who moved here more recently pays $7,600. She stated there is nothing she or the City of Palm Bay can do to help her mother with the discrepancy between those who are protected by homestead exemption and those who are not. Ms. Hooley stated she is before the Board today; she has spoken to her Legislators about the issue; and the reason people have gone to the State Legislators is because the people on the local government level have refused to acknowledge the fact that they have gotten windfall revenues and doubled the amount of revenues in years prior; and the Board had it within its capacity to keep the budget at a certain level, but has not done so. She stated the revenues have come in; the Board could have gone down on the millage; but that was not done. She stated the Board has done more things with the money; it hired more people; in the past she asked that the part-time librarians not be made full-time; but the Board did it. Chairperson Colon inquired if Ms. Hooley can help the community to make sure that is changed. Ms. Hooley stated if the local government had done its part and not let it get out of hand, it would not have been necessary for people to go to the State to put caps on spending at the County level. Chairperson Colon stated her question was in regard to the fact that the State Legislature has been trying to help; and one of the biggest frustrations is to see the unfair discrepancy. She commented on her taxes compared to her parents’ taxes. She stated the Board did its part to make cuts; but it still sees the discrepancy and no savings in taxes. She stated some of the concerns have been about the cuts; and inquired if Ms. Busacca has a list of the cuts that took place available.
County Manager Peggy Busacca stated the Board eliminated a 4-H marketing agent and a horticultural technician in Agriculture and Extension Services; in Animal Services and Enforcement, vehicle replacement was eliminated, the Community Services program was reduced, and operating supplies, overtime, and travel were reduced; in the Budget Office a FEMA coordinator and computer replacement were eliminated; and in Central Services, they eliminated a heavy equipment operator/mechanic position, reduced a purchasing agent from
full-time to part-time, and saved money on a new copy/fax lease. Ms. Busacca stated the Clerk to the Board had a 4% reduction; the County Attorney’s Office reduced two positions;
Emergency Management eliminated a resources coordinator and a vehicle replacement, and grant funding for background checks was found so General Fund support is no longer needed; and in Fire Rescue, they modified the replacement program for new engines. She advised the Historical Commission reduced supplies and eliminated travel; in Housing and Human Services, they reduced emergency assistance, eliminated three full-time positions, reduced funding to CBO, eliminated Builders Care, and eliminated guardianship services; and in Human Resources, they eliminated a records supervisor position and two full-time alternative duty positions. She stated in Information Technology, eight positions were eliminated; Judicial Support eliminated family court resource; the Law Library had a reduction in General Fund support; and Library Service had a reduction in the library media budget, eliminated four library construction projects, eliminated the literacy program, eliminated the Automatically Yours reserve program and book bags, and reduced travel. She advised in Mosquito Control, they eliminated funding for impoundment purchases and a part-time office assistant; Natural Resources Management eliminated a critical habitat and listed species biologist; and the merger with Stormwater caused the elimination of the Director position and there was an increase in funding from Tourism for beach management. She stated they also reduced funding for Lead Brevard, 211 Brevard, the UCF Medical School, Brevard Cultural Alliance, beach renourishment program, and the Myregion subsidy. She stated in Parks and Recreation, they reduced field and facility maintenance, community center and park center hours, reduced EEL Center hours, reduced administrative support to Countywide parks by eliminating a total of nine positions, and eliminated pre-school programs, staffing at dog parks, and not moving forward with the Johnny Johnson Nature Center. She stated in Permitting and Enforcement, they increased the Solid Waste Services fees, and eliminated a special projects coordinator; in Planning and Zoning, they eliminated a special projects coordinator, executive secretary, mileage payments to the LPA and Board of Adjustment, and the Citizen Resource Groups; and in Road and Bridge, they reduced 7.5 office administrators positions, reduced services in all of the MSTU’s, eliminated the speed hump program, and Countywide reduced landscape operations. She stated in Transportation Engineering, they reduced allocation for the relocation of the Traffic Operations from Merritt Island to a mainland location, reduced traffic signal rehabilitation by increasing the period from twenty years to ten years, reduced the older road user program, and eliminated a surveyor assistant position.
full-time to part-time, and saved money on a new copy/fax lease. Ms. Busacca stated the Clerk to the Board had a 4% reduction; the County Attorney’s Office reduced two positions;
Emergency Management eliminated a resources coordinator and a vehicle replacement, and grant funding for background checks was found so General Fund support is no longer needed; and in Fire Rescue, they modified the replacement program for new engines. She advised the Historical Commission reduced supplies and eliminated travel; in Housing and Human Services, they reduced emergency assistance, eliminated three full-time positions, reduced funding to CBO, eliminated Builders Care, and eliminated guardianship services; and in Human Resources, they eliminated a records supervisor position and two full-time alternative duty positions. She stated in Information Technology, eight positions were eliminated; Judicial Support eliminated family court resource; the Law Library had a reduction in General Fund support; and Library Service had a reduction in the library media budget, eliminated four library construction projects, eliminated the literacy program, eliminated the Automatically Yours reserve program and book bags, and reduced travel. She advised in Mosquito Control, they eliminated funding for impoundment purchases and a part-time office assistant; Natural Resources Management eliminated a critical habitat and listed species biologist; and the merger with Stormwater caused the elimination of the Director position and there was an increase in funding from Tourism for beach management. She stated they also reduced funding for Lead Brevard, 211 Brevard, the UCF Medical School, Brevard Cultural Alliance, beach renourishment program, and the Myregion subsidy. She stated in Parks and Recreation, they reduced field and facility maintenance, community center and park center hours, reduced EEL Center hours, reduced administrative support to Countywide parks by eliminating a total of nine positions, and eliminated pre-school programs, staffing at dog parks, and not moving forward with the Johnny Johnson Nature Center. She stated in Permitting and Enforcement, they increased the Solid Waste Services fees, and eliminated a special projects coordinator; in Planning and Zoning, they eliminated a special projects coordinator, executive secretary, mileage payments to the LPA and Board of Adjustment, and the Citizen Resource Groups; and in Road and Bridge, they reduced 7.5 office administrators positions, reduced services in all of the MSTU’s, eliminated the speed hump program, and Countywide reduced landscape operations. She stated in Transportation Engineering, they reduced allocation for the relocation of the Traffic Operations from Merritt Island to a mainland location, reduced traffic signal rehabilitation by increasing the period from twenty years to ten years, reduced the older road user program, and eliminated a surveyor assistant position.
Chairperson Colon inquired what is the total of positions eliminated; with Ms. Busacca responding 80.
Commissioner Voltz inquired how many of those positions were vacant and how many were transferred to other things. Ms. Busacca responded she does not have that information with her, but has it upstairs; and she will get it for the Board.
Commissioner Scarborough stated Florida’s problem is immense; it runs in two directions; and it is inequity of the taxes. He stated he met with one of the Vice Presidents of the University of Central Florida who advised Florida now has the worst student-to-faculty ratio and the lowest funding per student; and advised of a study showing total taxes by state. He commented on taxes in Connecticut; and advised Wyoming and Alaska had less in taxes than Florida, but Alaska has some unique resources that it can draw on. He stated they are dealing with a
profound problem with inequities and property taxes; and one of the things they have to do by law is the TRIM notice. Commissioner Scarborough stated a lot of comments were made about
individual taxes going up, but cumulatively when the gross amount of taxes, excluding new construction, goes up, the tax millage is rolled back to bring in the same amount. He stated while individual taxes on certain properties have gone up, the gross amount is always rolled back to establish the millage; and there are certain legislative restraints on that millage. He stated he is not saying the County has not grown, because it has; but the whole State has grown; and what the Legislature asked the County to do was push the amount back. He stated the problem is more profound; there is a nice couple that comes down from Ohio every winter and lives in a house near him; but they are not protected by Save Our Homes, although they are as much a part of the neighborhood as he is and are not speculators. He stated there are some profound problems; and they are going to mean that it will not be the same Florida that is friendly for people to move to; new people are paying a disproportionate amount; and that issue and how it apples to persons who want to have Florida as a second home, or people who have second homes in Florida is not solved; but the truth is that the Board right now is in a responsive mode. He commented on multiple meetings; and stated the easiest thing would be for Ms. Busacca to advise the Board that rather than replacing a roof or getting new vehicles, the Board can allow things to deteriorate. He stated a lot of people are doing that; a lot of people are just pulling from the reserves; but the County’s reserves have not been going down. He stated the Board has tried to make meaningful cuts that can lead to an intelligent dialogue; it has been long and hard; the Board and staff have done a wonderful job; and expressed appreciation.
profound problem with inequities and property taxes; and one of the things they have to do by law is the TRIM notice. Commissioner Scarborough stated a lot of comments were made about
individual taxes going up, but cumulatively when the gross amount of taxes, excluding new construction, goes up, the tax millage is rolled back to bring in the same amount. He stated while individual taxes on certain properties have gone up, the gross amount is always rolled back to establish the millage; and there are certain legislative restraints on that millage. He stated he is not saying the County has not grown, because it has; but the whole State has grown; and what the Legislature asked the County to do was push the amount back. He stated the problem is more profound; there is a nice couple that comes down from Ohio every winter and lives in a house near him; but they are not protected by Save Our Homes, although they are as much a part of the neighborhood as he is and are not speculators. He stated there are some profound problems; and they are going to mean that it will not be the same Florida that is friendly for people to move to; new people are paying a disproportionate amount; and that issue and how it apples to persons who want to have Florida as a second home, or people who have second homes in Florida is not solved; but the truth is that the Board right now is in a responsive mode. He commented on multiple meetings; and stated the easiest thing would be for Ms. Busacca to advise the Board that rather than replacing a roof or getting new vehicles, the Board can allow things to deteriorate. He stated a lot of people are doing that; a lot of people are just pulling from the reserves; but the County’s reserves have not been going down. He stated the Board has tried to make meaningful cuts that can lead to an intelligent dialogue; it has been long and hard; the Board and staff have done a wonderful job; and expressed appreciation.
Commissioner Nelson stated he struggled with the billion dollar budget; Mr. Johnson was concerned about paying for the referendum projects, but he does not because they are not in his area and he does not pay a dime towards the projects on Merritt Island. He stated people on Merritt Island are not paying for the South Brevard projects that are some $40 million; but it gets added in; and each time it gets added in, it gets counted and the debt repayment gets counted so it adds up. He stated while it sounds like a big number, it is governmental accounting so it is not the huge numbers the Board is looking at. He stated Ms. Banks had some concerns about parks and did not think they should be done, but they were voter approved; and the County financially and legally does not have the authority to not do them. He stated it is important, as they look at the budget, to look at what services the people are getting; the Board is being chastised because the budget has gone up; but those from Merritt Island know that he has not been there, so while he will take the beating along with the other Commissioners, the reality is this is his first budget. He stated in looking at where the money has gone, the Sheriff will get another at least $7 million to operate the jail this year; in the past five years the Sheriff has gotten close to $40 million additional, so that is where the money went. He stated the problem is the money cannot be pulled back from the Sheriff unless people want inmates to be turned loose on the streets; and the Board has to cut in areas that did not see huge increases. He stated Natural Resources did not see any huge increases, but the Board is having to reduce in those areas; parks did take a $2 million cut and libraries also took a $2 million cut; there are some big cuts; but the problem is governmental accounting does not show how that has occurred; and that is the frustration. He predicted people are not going to see a lot of impacts until next year at this time; that is when they are going to see that maintenance levels for parks, libraries, access, and those issues are all going to hit. He stated right now it is not real; the tax bills have not gone out; the Board has not finished its work; but next year, the Board is going to see a different kind of discussion when people are looking at the
parks, the libraries, and other services that have been diminished by this effort. Commissioner Nelson stated it was mandated and it was done; they will never know what the Board would
have done; but it was mandated to reduce by 9% and they almost got to 10%, but they will never get any credit for it. He stated they are being criticized for having cut the budget the most it has been cut in probably 20 years; but it is a good start; and the Board will continue. He stated it has created an awareness of some areas that will probably be discussed further tonight; and he thinks it is moving in the right direction. He stated he has told Mr. Johnson that he wants to see his problem fixed; he recognizes that it is a problem; and he wishes he could do something beyond what the Board is able to do; but until the tax system is fixed, they are all held hostage by it. He stated he is going to save approximately $30 on his total tax bill; it was closer to $60 but the School Board ate up $30 more because it did not create a decrease; and as people look at their tax bills, they can begin to understand where some of the increases are coming from. He stated his assessment went up and his market value went down like everyone else’s; and the final insult was getting the revised notice from the Property Appraiser with the wrong TRIM notice. He stated the Board has done a good job under the circumstances; but it still has a lot of work to do.
parks, the libraries, and other services that have been diminished by this effort. Commissioner Nelson stated it was mandated and it was done; they will never know what the Board would
have done; but it was mandated to reduce by 9% and they almost got to 10%, but they will never get any credit for it. He stated they are being criticized for having cut the budget the most it has been cut in probably 20 years; but it is a good start; and the Board will continue. He stated it has created an awareness of some areas that will probably be discussed further tonight; and he thinks it is moving in the right direction. He stated he has told Mr. Johnson that he wants to see his problem fixed; he recognizes that it is a problem; and he wishes he could do something beyond what the Board is able to do; but until the tax system is fixed, they are all held hostage by it. He stated he is going to save approximately $30 on his total tax bill; it was closer to $60 but the School Board ate up $30 more because it did not create a decrease; and as people look at their tax bills, they can begin to understand where some of the increases are coming from. He stated his assessment went up and his market value went down like everyone else’s; and the final insult was getting the revised notice from the Property Appraiser with the wrong TRIM notice. He stated the Board has done a good job under the circumstances; but it still has a lot of work to do.
Commissioner Bolin stated when constituents call her office and want to talk about their tax bill, she brings out the actual TRIM notice and goes over it with them; it is very deceiving when one only looks at the bottom line; she takes the top five items where it says County Commission and does the match to show that the County is actually decreasing. She stated when they look down further they see the municipalities or the School Board and Independent Districts; and that is where there is an increase. She stated the top five or six items show a decrease; the Board worked hard to get that relief to the people; and as Commissioner Nelson said, this is a big tax cut, but it is just the start.
Chairperson Colon stated they wanted to make sure that everything was as transparent as possible; and there was the suggestion of bringing in an outside auditor to look at the numbers so if there is something the Board missed, it would have an opportunity to have someone from the outside who is independent and not part of government take a look. She stated market value has gone up tremendously not just in the State of Florida; it was horrible to see; but the states with the biggest foreclosures were Nevada, Michigan, and Georgia. She stated three years ago a home was worth $150,000 and went up to $225,000; but nothing else increased; and people had no increase in pay to be able to adjust, so it has been horrible to look at. She stated the biggest frustration is the fact that there is a taxing system that the County has been asking the State to help with; the County made the cuts that it was asked to make; and folks heard all the cuts that have taken place, which were difficult to do because some of the projects had been in the works for years. She stated in terms of positions, there are now less people to do the work; and commented on eliminating 80 positions, inability to hire manpower, frustration of the citizens, and inability to pay good enough salaries to be able to hire people with experience.
Commissioner Voltz stated she knows that staff worked hard on the budget; but when the residents get between a $5 and $30 tax decrease, they will assume the Board did not do its job. She stated the County did what the State told it to do, which was to cut the millage rate by 9%; but that did not address the problem, which is a State issue; and she is hoping at sometime the State will address the inequities and tax structure in general. She stated she was concerned
about the fire fee that they had last year; the Board asked that it be readdressed this year; the Board looked at giving some property owners a break on the taxes because of their financial
status, but it found it could not do that; and it was never readdressed. Commissioner Voltz stated she supported it last year with the understanding that it was going to be readdressed this year; but it was not. She stated Chief Farmer said it was going to be on the agenda in April, but in April it was already too late because according to Ms. Busacca, it should have been addressed by January. She stated the Commission Chamber would have been full if those letters had gone out like they did last year; there was a packed house last year because the letters had gone out about the fire assessment fee; but after the fact, when people get their tax bills, that is when they will come after the Board because non-ad valorem assessments are not on the TRIM notices. She stated at the end of the process there was a lot of money that was found; and commented on money in reserves that did not need to be there, $2.6 million from Fire Rescue, and $900,000 from insurance. She stated at first the Board said there would be no raises for anybody, but now there is money for raises; and one example is BCA funding. She stated she supports BCA and the arts; but the group came and said they could take a bigger chunk out of their budget than what the Board had finally given; and she asked Mr. Lusk why it was never put back in the budget because originally it was in as a 50% cut, and he said that he was requested to put it all back in. She stated she does not know if anybody but the Board should have been making that decision; so the Board did not give BCA the 10% decrease that it gave everybody else. She stated the Board cut $547,000 out of the budget for maintenance of facilities; but the facilities are falling apart; and the Board needs to address those facilities in a timely manner. She stated the Builders Care Program was eliminated; that is one-time money that should be funded for the final year; and the group has done a great job and should continue. She commented on the need for guardianship services, which could be done as a one-time funding. She stated Brevard County is becoming a very biotech area; and UCF Medical School requested $50,000. She stated the Medical School will have a tremendous impact on all that is done in Brevard County; and commented on funding for the Brevard Cultural Alliance. She stated the reduction in traffic signal rehabilitation is a nice thing to cut at $115,000; but it is going to need to be done anyway, so it is like cutting something that they know they are going to have to put back in. She commented on the Older Road User Program, which is a $45,000 cut; and stated that could potentially be one time this year and be readdressed every year. She stated it is about priorities that have been set; she does not think with the information the Board had and with money coming up at the last workshop is the way the Board needs to go. She stated the County does not have the dollars available that it was going to be getting from any increased user fees; it does not know what kind of money that would bring in; and she knows there is some from Library Services that has not been discussed or voted on yet. She stated she knows that is a decrease in the millage rate; that is great; but there were some issues with some things that were done; and distributed a list that she sees as being priorities.
about the fire fee that they had last year; the Board asked that it be readdressed this year; the Board looked at giving some property owners a break on the taxes because of their financial
status, but it found it could not do that; and it was never readdressed. Commissioner Voltz stated she supported it last year with the understanding that it was going to be readdressed this year; but it was not. She stated Chief Farmer said it was going to be on the agenda in April, but in April it was already too late because according to Ms. Busacca, it should have been addressed by January. She stated the Commission Chamber would have been full if those letters had gone out like they did last year; there was a packed house last year because the letters had gone out about the fire assessment fee; but after the fact, when people get their tax bills, that is when they will come after the Board because non-ad valorem assessments are not on the TRIM notices. She stated at the end of the process there was a lot of money that was found; and commented on money in reserves that did not need to be there, $2.6 million from Fire Rescue, and $900,000 from insurance. She stated at first the Board said there would be no raises for anybody, but now there is money for raises; and one example is BCA funding. She stated she supports BCA and the arts; but the group came and said they could take a bigger chunk out of their budget than what the Board had finally given; and she asked Mr. Lusk why it was never put back in the budget because originally it was in as a 50% cut, and he said that he was requested to put it all back in. She stated she does not know if anybody but the Board should have been making that decision; so the Board did not give BCA the 10% decrease that it gave everybody else. She stated the Board cut $547,000 out of the budget for maintenance of facilities; but the facilities are falling apart; and the Board needs to address those facilities in a timely manner. She stated the Builders Care Program was eliminated; that is one-time money that should be funded for the final year; and the group has done a great job and should continue. She commented on the need for guardianship services, which could be done as a one-time funding. She stated Brevard County is becoming a very biotech area; and UCF Medical School requested $50,000. She stated the Medical School will have a tremendous impact on all that is done in Brevard County; and commented on funding for the Brevard Cultural Alliance. She stated the reduction in traffic signal rehabilitation is a nice thing to cut at $115,000; but it is going to need to be done anyway, so it is like cutting something that they know they are going to have to put back in. She commented on the Older Road User Program, which is a $45,000 cut; and stated that could potentially be one time this year and be readdressed every year. She stated it is about priorities that have been set; she does not think with the information the Board had and with money coming up at the last workshop is the way the Board needs to go. She stated the County does not have the dollars available that it was going to be getting from any increased user fees; it does not know what kind of money that would bring in; and she knows there is some from Library Services that has not been discussed or voted on yet. She stated she knows that is a decrease in the millage rate; that is great; but there were some issues with some things that were done; and distributed a list that she sees as being priorities.
Chairperson Colon inquired what the total is; with Commissioner Voltz responding it is $742,772. Chairperson Colon inquired if Commissioner Voltz is asking the Board to come up with that amount; and where does she suggest it come up with that money. Commissioner Voltz responded with facilities, the Board should use commercial paper; the facilities are falling apart; that is the majority of the $742,772; and the rest is minimal by comparison. She stated she does not know if that is something the Board needs to look at somewhere down the road; but she has been harping on the facilities and how they are falling apart since she was elected.
Commissioner Voltz stated it is irresponsible for government to not take care of its facilities; and it was mentioned earlier that ignoring something does not make it go away.
Commissioner Bolin stated the Board went through the items very carefully; and she did not have a problem cutting any of these things, so she is not going to approve anything added to the budget.
Commissioner Scarborough stated some of it is going to be based on how the Board deals with Chief Farmer’s reserves and whether they are moved back to the General Fund; and the question becomes if there is money in reserves, should the Board go for commercial paper for the $540,000 or would it be better to pay for it with cash. He stated that is a serious question; a lot of his thought process is going to be predicated on how to deal with the reserves in Chief Farmer’s budget; and if the reserves are moved to General Fund, he is not going to say he is going to go with everything because pretty soon everybody’s favorite projects will come forward, and on September 18, the Board will find that the game has changed. He stated the Board has gone through this in great detail; but if there are reserves, it will have to decide if it is wiser to hold the money in the bank or get a roof repaired; and those are the types of questions he is willing to address.
Commissioner Bolin stated she understands the reserve, but her concern is hanging onto it because the County just got notice it was going to have an increase with Medicare of $2.4 million; that is just the first thing that has come down; and there are going to be many more. She stated she wants to hold onto the money because it is going to be needed as soon as the people get together in Tallahassee; and there are going to be more things coming down.
Commissioner Nelson stated he has concerns about the EMS or Fire Rescue reserves because there is the impression those were Fire Service dollars, but they are not; those were General Fund dollars that were transferred over; and he would like to move that those monies be held in reserve at this time. He stated he does not care if they are held in Fire Rescue or wherever, but they should be unable to be expended until the Board deals with these issues.
Motion by Commissioner Nelson, seconded by Commissioner Bolin, to direct that the EMS reserves be held in reserve and be unable to be expended until the Board deals with the issues.
Commissioner Scarborough requested the money be moved back to General Fund Reserve; and stated the money is not part of the capital improvement planning process; it would be a disservice not to see how the funds fall within the comments; but if Chief Farmer has a need for the funds, they can be moved back.
Commissioner Nelson amended the motion to provide that the reserve dollars will be moved to General Fund Reserve.
Commissioner Bolin inquired if there is an amount; with Commissioner Nelson responding $5.4 million. Assistant County Manager Stockton Whitten stated that was what was on the memorandum of August 27, 2007; he does not know if the fund balance figures are going to
change, but whatever the figure is it would be the fund balance minus the reductions in the first section of the memorandum. Mr. Whitten stated he does not know if that figure has changed, but they continue to work on fund balances.
change, but whatever the figure is it would be the fund balance minus the reductions in the first section of the memorandum. Mr. Whitten stated he does not know if that figure has changed, but they continue to work on fund balances.
Chairperson Colon inquired if it is the full amount of $5.4 million. Commissioner Scarborough stated Chief Farmer and Finance Director Steve Burdett may want to comment.
Fire Rescue Chief Bill Farmer stated the issue for the EMS budget is the fact that reserves are not coming from General Fund, but from balance forward; the money that County Finance is discussing is money looking at a snapshot of time for EMS; he does not agree with Mr. Burdett; and it does not take into consideration the $1.3 million for First Responder, which was reserve money from balance forward. He noted the additional $1.5 million is tied to capital, which is truly a one-time purchase; but because it is tied by balance forward, if there is no balance forward next year, he is going to need $1.5 million of additional General Fund. He stated if all the reserves are removed which come from balance forward, he will be coming to the Board next year for $1.5 million plus $1.3 million for a total of $2.8 million. He stated it has been said that he did not say that as clearly in budget meetings before so he wants to be very distinct about it; the budget review that County Finance has done only discusses this year; it does not project for next year; and by next year, 2008-2009, he would have to come for an additional $1.5 million or $2.5 million or $3 million.
Chairperson Colon stated the direction the Board gave was because it saw that there were some dollars there; the Board will now be scrutinizing every Department; and it is just starting with Fire Rescue. She stated the Board is saying that it would like any dollars that are in any Department to be brought up to the surface; and at that point they go into the General Fund. She stated the Board needs to have feedback from every Director about where the dollars need to go; and from there, the Board will decide. She stated the key thing is that from there, the Board of County Commissioners will decide; it would be negligent for any Director not to tell the Board what the needs are in capital projects that are being worked on and so forth; but it is a totally different world that they are in now with all the things that the Board has learned in the last three months. She stated things that the Board did not think could possibly happen have happened; and now the Board wants to be able to see every single dollar that is in the budget. She stated the Board is starting with Fire Rescue; it will keep going to other Departments; and $500,000 here, a million here, and $200,000 there will eventually add up to the point where the Board will need to come back to prioritizing. She stated Fire Rescue is a unique Department; it must be supported by the Board; and she does not want Chief Farmer to fear that the Board will leave him out there hanging. She stated one of the biggest concerns is making sure that Fire Rescue has the proper equipment so the men and women can get the job done; and that kind of commitment is there because public safety is a priority to any government. She stated public safety is the number one priority; it is the reason why there is government; and everything else is just blessings, toppings, and what makes the community; but public safety is key. She stated Fire Rescue is the first Department coming off the gate; that is why the Board wants all those dollars now to be in one particular place; and one of the things she has said to Mr. Whitten is that she was not about to debate about whether his numbers or Mr. Burdett’s numbers are correct. She stated she wants all the data to be given to the Board; at that point the data that is given also says what dollars have been identified, $5.4 million; and it should include the Director’s comments. She stated at that point there will not be the concern and frustration that the Board has had in the last two or three months; it has been very frustrating; the Board wants to see all the dollars put in one particular pot; and then the Board will decide where it goes.
Chief Farmer stated he completely understands that; it is 100% the Board’s decision; but he was told he had not been distinct about the balance forward issue for capital and balance forward for First Responder. He stated both items that were put into the budget came from balance forward money; it is true that it was in reserves; but it was reserves that were generated by balance forward. He stated he wants to make sure that is clear that if the same kind of savings are not recognized in the course of the next fiscal year, as they go into FY 2008-2009, he may have to ask for between $1 million and $2.8 million. He stated they may be able to save the funds again and everything will be good.
Chairperson Colon stated at that point the Board would have to figure out what is a priority and where it is; and they are like the blind leading the blind now because all they want to do is see the dollars.
Finance Director Steve Burdett inquired which specific question does the Board want him to address; and stated he could get into a debate as to whether first responder money is from carry forward or from General Fund subsidy this year or from ambulance fees, but that would be a meaningless discussion.
Chairperson Colon stated it has been a trying experience; it is important for the Board to be able to have Mr. Burdett’s Department bring forward those kinds of suggestions and for the Board to know what dollars it is working with; and it has not been so much that Mr. Whitten and Mr. Burdett do not agree; but the information that was given to the Board is where it is having a hard time. She reiterated the Board decides where the dollars are going to be spent; the Board just wants the information; but nobody else should be making the decisions for the Board.
Commissioner Nelson stated he knows what Chief Farmer is saying but the memorandum from August 27 does not say that, so he is confused. He stated he is further confused because there is no reference to those two areas in how they would use the reserve; and Chief Farmer can understand why the Board may be frustrated when it is told one thing yet there is a document that says the money is going to be put into capital. He stated if it is reserve for capital, they can never spend it; once it is spent, it is gone; and those are ongoing responsibilities. He stated the fees for EMS and the millage that is used for Fire Rescue have to be used for those purposes; it cannot go anywhere else; but the Board put $20 million of General Fund to balance; and specific dollars are expended first, General Fund dollars are the next level that is spent; and as a result, what is left over is General Fund, not Fire Rescue dollars.
Chairperson Colon requested Mr. Burdett remain for additional discussion; and stated there is a motion on the floor regarding transferring those dollars to General Fund.
Commissioner Voltz inquired if the First Responder funds are General Fund dollars; with Chief Farmer responding not this year. Commissioner Voltz inquired where did they come from; with Chief Farmer responding from reserves that Fire Rescue says come from balance forward, not from General Fund or billing; and they just disagree. He stated the original going from $19 million to $16.6 million was in part by reducing the First Responder; when First Responder was put back in as an option on the budget, it came out of reserves; and his opinion is that those reserves come from balance forward savings. Commissioner Voltz stated she is not going to support the motion; the Board needs to make sure that the capital is needed; and next year it will be difficult for the Board to find any money.
Commissioner Nelson stated he did not even know about a Central Cocoa EMS station until he found the $5 million; and some of these were needs that were known but were not articulated as part of the program. Commissioner Voltz stated the Board has seen a lot of that through this process. Commissioner Nelson stated he and Chief Farmer disagree on exactly where those monies came from and how they got there; once the Board pumped $20 million of General Fund in there, all of the other responsibilities were taken care of that were in there, but whatever is remaining becomes General Fund.
Chairperson Colon called for a vote on the motion. Motion carried and ordered; Commissioner Voltz voted nay.
Commissioner Nelson stated he has been frustrated over the last few months related to where they are; and part of it is due to the transition between the assessment and the millage and those kinds of things. He stated Commissioner Colon mentioned at one of the workshops that the Board needed to do an audit; and there was some discussion about it. He stated he thinks the Board needs to have an evaluation of cash flow for the last year so it can get a good grasp on what its requirements are, how much it costs to operate, and what the capital program is, and take a more comprehensive look because there are still big gaps in the information; and he would like the Board’s thoughts on it. He stated he would be inclined to bring the auditors in because they perform the same service and have them look and do an analysis because the Board needs to get this squared away as it is not going to get better.
Chairperson Colon stated one of the things that she mentioned at the last Commission meeting was in regard to having an audit; the Board has given auditors of different Departments different tasks; but everything has changed in regards to the Board’s priorities in the last five months. She stated the priorities the Board had in March of this year are not the same priorities as now; when people at home have less money, they can no longer get the new car, new refrigerator, or new living room that they wanted; and that is called a budget and doing with what one has. She stated people cannot have a champagne taste with a Coca Cola pocket; and she has been saying that for eight years. She stated the community wanted a library in Mims and another in Palm Bay; but the Board prioritized and said no, it could not do it and was going to have to tell people in the Departments that 80 positions were being done away with. She stated people have been waiting for those positions to be filled; if 60% were vacant, that was 60% of the manpower that was supposed to come to help out; so the priorities have to be looked at in that way; and it is hard because every year the budget has been scrutinized, but this year they cannot look at the budget in the same way. She stated the Board gave the auditors last year a certain direction that it wanted them to go into every Department and identify benchmarks or whatever the case; but that is not the case now. She stated the Board needs to spend its dollars looking at a different type of audit; she does not want to find out a month before the Board has the public hearings for the budget that there is $5.4 million that could be going to General Fund as reserves; and the Board needs to find that out right now and give that direction from here on. She stated there is one more meeting this year for the budget; it can take October to breath; but in November, the Board needs to look at the entire budget and be able to say where it can move the dollars around. Chairperson Colon stated it was an eye opener for her to know that the Board was able to go into all the different reserves for the raises that were given to the men and women in uniform; and that was a shocker to her because the Board was
told it did not have any money, and then the Board found out there were dollars there. She stated that was embarrassing, unprofessional, and discouraging; and the Board felt like it had the rug pulled from under it. She stated that is why she wants to bring in outside auditors; and inquired how anyone can blame her if she wants someone to come in and look at the County’s numbers. She stated she cannot understand how anyone can criticize; she is not saying that staff is not competent; but inquired how she can be expected to trust anything that is being given to her. She stated that is how she feels; she may be the only one who feels like that; and the Board must give direction on the kind of priorities it wants to auditors to go in and look at. She stated between the five Commissioners they should be able to figure out exactly what it is that they will want to look at because January 29, 2008 is around the corner; the Board does not know what it is dealing with; and at that point if anyone thinks the word “priority” is just a buzzword, they are going to get a reality check. She stated the Board is going to have to know where every single penny is before that happens; it has been very frustrating; people have called to ask her if there are really no dollars; and she really did not think there were any dollars, but then she found out that there were dollars. She stated this is her most discouraging time as a public servant; people say to keep your dirty laundry to yourself, but she does not agree; and she is very frustrated. She commented on being Chairperson; and stated inside the Commissioners are not feeling too good. She stated in order for the Board to achieve the trust of the community, it is going to have to be as transparent as possible; it does not mean that there is not good staff; and advised “the first time they do it, shame on you; the second time they do it, shame on me.” She sated that is where the dilemma falls right now; and inquired if Commissioner Nelson wants to give some kind of direction on how to utilize the independent auditors.
told it did not have any money, and then the Board found out there were dollars there. She stated that was embarrassing, unprofessional, and discouraging; and the Board felt like it had the rug pulled from under it. She stated that is why she wants to bring in outside auditors; and inquired how anyone can blame her if she wants someone to come in and look at the County’s numbers. She stated she cannot understand how anyone can criticize; she is not saying that staff is not competent; but inquired how she can be expected to trust anything that is being given to her. She stated that is how she feels; she may be the only one who feels like that; and the Board must give direction on the kind of priorities it wants to auditors to go in and look at. She stated between the five Commissioners they should be able to figure out exactly what it is that they will want to look at because January 29, 2008 is around the corner; the Board does not know what it is dealing with; and at that point if anyone thinks the word “priority” is just a buzzword, they are going to get a reality check. She stated the Board is going to have to know where every single penny is before that happens; it has been very frustrating; people have called to ask her if there are really no dollars; and she really did not think there were any dollars, but then she found out that there were dollars. She stated this is her most discouraging time as a public servant; people say to keep your dirty laundry to yourself, but she does not agree; and she is very frustrated. She commented on being Chairperson; and stated inside the Commissioners are not feeling too good. She stated in order for the Board to achieve the trust of the community, it is going to have to be as transparent as possible; it does not mean that there is not good staff; and advised “the first time they do it, shame on you; the second time they do it, shame on me.” She sated that is where the dilemma falls right now; and inquired if Commissioner Nelson wants to give some kind of direction on how to utilize the independent auditors.
Commissioner Nelson stated it would be appropriate; it would be a Fire Rescue Financial Conditions Review for the period from October 1, 2006 through August 31, 2007; and the points that need to be evaluated are the cash flow for that period with a detailed analysis of the actual cash and the cash in and cash out; they need a detailed analysis of the net revenue and expenditures including estimates of the adjusting year-end accrual entries; and they need a comparison of budget to actual and an analysis of the overall financial condition, including reliance on carry forwards and reoccurring operation expenditures. He stated if Mr. Whitten, Mr. Rogero, Chief Farmer, or Mr. Burdett thinks of anything else that could be added, he would consider it; but those are the four key points that should be considered.
Motion by Commissioner Nelson, seconded by Commissioner Colon, to approve getting an estimate from the auditors of cost and time to do a Fire Rescue Financial Conditions Review for the period from October 1, 2006 through August 31, 2007.
Commissioner Voltz stated the things that Chairperson Colon brought up are exactly what she mentioned at the beginning, which is that the Board does not know where the dollars are; dollars just appear at the end of the process; and that does not make the Board look good. She stated it makes the Board look like it has no idea what it is doing; she is not happy with the way things went this year; and inquired if anyone has read Senator Bill Posey’s book. Chairperson Colon stated the Board is not going there. Commissioner Voltz stated it is an excellent tool to do governmental budgeting; she read the whole thing and talked to Senator Posey; and it is not complicated. She recommended the County look at it next year. Chairperson Colon inquired if
she is expected to trust the same people who told the community they were going to fix the insurance problem. Commissioner Voltz recommended Chairperson Colon read the book as it has good information. Chairperson Colon stated she did get the book; she likes to follow folks who say what they mean; and she is uncomfortable following people who told the community they were going to fix the tax and insurance problems. Commissioner Voltz stated the departments in Tallahassee that have been using Senator Posey’s process have saved a lot of money and found a lot of dollars in the process; and it has worked very well for them. She stated Senator Posey does an excellent job in the book in explaining everything; and she would like to see the County go there. She stated in terms of the audit, the Board needs to do something, but it should be done for the whole County budget, not just one Department; and inquired if that is fair to Chief Farmer. Chairperson Colon stated it is not a reflection on Chief Farmer. Commissioner Voltz stated she does not want it to be a reflection on Chief Farmer; but at the same time, it is a big job; Chief Farmer’s budget is being hit right now; saying there is extra money makes it an easy target; and she does not want to criticize him for that. She stated she does not know all that goes on in the Fire Rescue budget; but if someone says they found $2.5 million, the Board needs to see how and where that happened. She stated she is not sure that it needs to be just Chief Farmer’s budget, and there may be others.
she is expected to trust the same people who told the community they were going to fix the insurance problem. Commissioner Voltz recommended Chairperson Colon read the book as it has good information. Chairperson Colon stated she did get the book; she likes to follow folks who say what they mean; and she is uncomfortable following people who told the community they were going to fix the tax and insurance problems. Commissioner Voltz stated the departments in Tallahassee that have been using Senator Posey’s process have saved a lot of money and found a lot of dollars in the process; and it has worked very well for them. She stated Senator Posey does an excellent job in the book in explaining everything; and she would like to see the County go there. She stated in terms of the audit, the Board needs to do something, but it should be done for the whole County budget, not just one Department; and inquired if that is fair to Chief Farmer. Chairperson Colon stated it is not a reflection on Chief Farmer. Commissioner Voltz stated she does not want it to be a reflection on Chief Farmer; but at the same time, it is a big job; Chief Farmer’s budget is being hit right now; saying there is extra money makes it an easy target; and she does not want to criticize him for that. She stated she does not know all that goes on in the Fire Rescue budget; but if someone says they found $2.5 million, the Board needs to see how and where that happened. She stated she is not sure that it needs to be just Chief Farmer’s budget, and there may be others.
Chairperson Colon stated she wants to be clear that this is not a reflection on Chief Farmer; but it is a reflection on how the Board has been doing business and on the information that the Board has been given. She stated they need to start somewhere; they need to start with one Department; and at that point, they will be able to figure out whether there is all the information they need and if there is even more information that the Board wants. She stated it is just one Department; at the last Commission meeting the Board voted to start with one Department; and it could have been Library Services or Animal Services; but it happens that Fire Rescue is the one they are going to start with. Chief Farmer stated he has no problem with that. Chairperson Colon stated the Board cannot do business the way it used to; it needs support from the Directors to understand that; and this is what the citizens want. She stated to support this is something that is positive; and it speaks volumes because what the Board is saying is it wants to be able to know where every single dollar is and have folks from the outside help to achieve that and become even more accountable to the taxpayers. She stated it is very uncomfortable to be given at the eleventh hour a certain amount of money; if there was that money, then there has to be more somewhere else; and that is all that the Board is saying. She stated the Board is taking a vote that says yes, those dollars were found, and the Board wants to know where the rest of the dollars are; and it is not a reflection on Chief Farmer, but is a reflection on how the Board did business in the past. She stated the Board is saying business as usual will no longer be allowed; the Board is eager to learn; and she is eager to learn what else is out there because she has learned a lot in the last two and a half months.
Commissioner Scarborough stated he fully supports Commissioner Nelson’s motion; but he wants to be able to review the scope of service; and to go out with a scope of service and get quotes is a disservice to the Board. He stated he had disappointments with audits that were supposed to be doing one thing but just came back with trivial information; Mr. Burdett has led him to look at the larger anomalies and then drill down from those; and by going by Fire Rescue
exclusively, the Board will not be looking at that. He stated the total reserves have moved from $15 million to $45 million over a few years; and inquired if those numbers are correct; with Mr. Burdett advising that is accurate.
exclusively, the Board will not be looking at that. He stated the total reserves have moved from $15 million to $45 million over a few years; and inquired if those numbers are correct; with Mr. Burdett advising that is accurate.
Commissioner Scarborough stated the Board needs to look globally; that is what is being requested; and simultaneously he would support an idea that the same group begin immediately to determine where to look next. He stated in other words, if they are going to look, they should get started; he does not want to have a big report that says it would be nice if the librarians had better accountability of when people pay for their overdue books; that is not what he is interested in; but he interested in the million dollar reserves and things like that. He stated the trouble with the budget is it is not a billion dollar budget; it is a multiple fund balance moving here and yon, with Enterprise Funds and different people doing different things; and commented on the District 1 Parks and Recreation budget having three separate sources of revenue. He stated the way the budgets move is incredibly complex; and he cannot get someone in to do a good job for the Board if they get bogged down in trying to understand the minutia. He stated he wants to get another scope of service to look at it globally and say where to move next; and with those two thoughts in mind, that they get a scope of service before going out for bids and also get a scope of service for global approach, he can support the motion.
Commissioner Nelson accepted the additions to the motion.
Commissioner Bolin stated she agrees on the scope of work; she wants to see auditors going in and doing the audit in Fire Rescue because it was probably the most baffling budget area that she tried to tackle in this process; and it needs to be gone through with a fine tooth comb. She stated she likes to get into the nitty gritty; she wants to know so when someone comes to her she can answer in detail and thoroughly understand where every dime is in someone’s budget. She stated that is what she wants to achieve; and if it can be done through this scope of work, she supports it 100%.
Commissioner Voltz stated she will support it; it is a good idea; and down the road the Board needs to look at some of the larger Departments. She stated some Departments are not very big and they could not find millions of dollars in them; but they need to look at the larger Departments and possibly a different scope of services for each one of the Departments.
Commissioner Scarborough states Commissioner Nelson accepted his idea as a friendly amendment, so that is what the Board will be voting on, two scopes of services.
Chairperson Colon stated she is thankful that the Board is supporting her in this because when she brought it up at the last meeting, she went home very discouraged; and at that point she felt like the Board did not learn anything. She stated one thing that was very frustrating was to know that the Board does not have all the answers and needs others to help it; it is arrogant to take that kind of approach; and thanked the Board for its support.
Chairperson Colon called for a vote on the motion. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.
Chairperson Colon stated Commissioner Voltz wanted the Board to look at adding the different services back; it is a total of $742,772; and she does not know what the Board’s recommendation is.
Commissioner Scarborough stated what the Board approved with Fire Rescue is the first step; but he would like to wait and do it subsequently after the Board sees what the Legislature does. He stated to let the facilities deteriorate is like letting roads deteriorate; generally it costs more later; he thinks Commissioner Voltz is headed in the right direction; and it is worthy of the Board’s time to discuss it further.
Chairperson Colon stated Commissioner Bolin was very adamant about the items. Commissioner Bolin stated she was adamant about not adding more into the budget; the Board made the cuts with a lot of thought and care; facilities are important; but at this time she wants to hold steady; and as they go into the future, looking at anything else that will be coming their way, they can reevaluate in January. She stated it was pointed out that they were going to tighten their belts; and adding in these items would be loosening their belts.
Commissioner Voltz stated the Board can address the facilities at a different time; but the four items listed equaling $195,000 are one-time funding. She stated she does not want to add it into the budget now; but she knows there is one-time funding available; and when the Board figures out what that is she would like to look at those items.
Commissioner Nelson stated he had talked about substituting the planning position for the archivist position; it would be a swap; and at this time the Board needs to focus on planning. He commented on being appointed to planning groups, responsibility of the person as intergovernmental coordinator, and critical need.
Motion by Commissioner Nelson, to approve substituting the Special Projects II position in Planning and Zoning and eliminate the Archivist position in the Historical Commission. Motion died for lack of a second.
PUBLIC HEARING, RE: ADOPTION OF COUNTY’S FY 2007-2008 TENTATIVE MILLAGES
Chairperson Colon called for the public hearing to consider adoption of the County’s FY 2007-2008 tentative millages.
Budget Director Dennis Rogero stated there was one typographical error on the Agenda Report; and the Fire Control millage should be 0.6322 rather than 0.6329. He stated as this is the first public hearing, it is not necessary to read any of the items into the record individually.
Motion was made by Commissioner Scarborough, seconded by Commissioner Bolin, to tentatively adopt the FY 2007-2008 millages as presented with the correction to the Fire Control MSTU millage.
Commissioner Voltz inquired if all the millages are listed individually; with Mr. Rogero responding yes. Commissioner Voltz stated she is going to vote against this because of things
she mentioned previously; and when they are done individually there will be some that she will not support.
she mentioned previously; and when they are done individually there will be some that she will not support.
Chairperson Colon called for a vote on the motion. Motion carried and ordered; Commissioner Voltz voted nay.
PUBLIC HEARING, RE: ANNOUNCEMENT OF RECOMPUTED TENTATIVE AGGREGATE
MILLAGE AND PERCENTAGE OF DEVIATION FROM THE AGGREGATE ROLLED
BACK RATE
MILLAGE AND PERCENTAGE OF DEVIATION FROM THE AGGREGATE ROLLED
BACK RATE
Chairperson Colon called for the public hearing to hear the announcement of recomputed tentative aggregate millage and percentage of deviation from the aggregate rolled back rate.
Budget Director Dennis Rogero stated the aggregate rolled back rate is 6.0397 mills; the aggregate tentative rate is 5.4475 mills; and the percentage of change is 9.81% below the rolled back rate.
PUBLIC HEARING, RE: RESOLUTION CERTIFYING STORMWATER UTILITY
ASSESSMENT ROLL TO TAX COLLECTOR AND BUDGET APPROVAL
ASSESSMENT ROLL TO TAX COLLECTOR AND BUDGET APPROVAL
Chairperson Colon called for the public hearing to consider a resolution certifying stormwater utility assessment roll to Tax Collector and budget approval.
Motion by Commissioner Scarborough, seconded by Commissioner Bolin, to adopt Resolution adopting, ratifying, and certifying the Stormwater Program Assessment Roll for FY 2007-2008; and approve the Natural Resources Management Office/Stormwater Program Budget for FY 2007-2008. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.
PUBLIC HEARING, RE: RESOLUTION TO APPROVE THE FY 2007-2008 USER FEES
FOR MELBOURNE-TILLMAN WATER CONTROL DISTRICT
FOR MELBOURNE-TILLMAN WATER CONTROL DISTRICT
Chairperson Colon called for the public hearing to consider a resolution approving the FY 2007-2008 user fees for Melbourne-Tillman Water Control District.
Motion by Commissioner Voltz, seconded by Commissioner Scarborough, to adopt Resolution approving user fees for the Melbourne-Tillman Water Control District for FY 2007-2008. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.
PUBLIC HEARING, RE: RESOLUTION CERTIFYING THE MUNICIPAL SERVICE BENEFIT
UNIT ASSESSMENT ROLLS TO THE TAX COLLECTOR
UNIT ASSESSMENT ROLLS TO THE TAX COLLECTOR
Chairperson Colon called for the public hearing to consider a resolution certifying the Municipal Service Benefit Unit Assessment Rolls to the Tax Collector.
Motion by Commissioner Scarborough, seconded by Commissioner Bolin, to adopt Resolution adopting, ratifying, and certifying the Municipal Service Benefit Unit Assessment Rolls to the Tax Collector. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.
PUBLIC HEARING, RE: ADOPTING THE FINAL FY 2007 BUDGETS FOR SOLID WASTE
MANAGEMENT, STORMWATER UTILITY DEPARTMENT, FIRE RESCUE OPERATIONS,
MELBOURNE-TILLMAN WATER CONTROL DISTRICT, AND MUNICIPAL SERVICE
BENEFIT UNIT PROGRAM
MANAGEMENT, STORMWATER UTILITY DEPARTMENT, FIRE RESCUE OPERATIONS,
MELBOURNE-TILLMAN WATER CONTROL DISTRICT, AND MUNICIPAL SERVICE
BENEFIT UNIT PROGRAM
Chairperson Colon called for the public hearing to consider the final FY 2007 budgets for Solid Waste Management, Stormwater Utility Department, Fire Rescue Operations, Melbourne-Tillman Water Control District, and Municipal Service Benefit Unit Program.
Motion by Commissioner Scarborough, seconded by Commissioner Bolin, to adopt the final budgets for Solid Waste Management at $97,423,451, Stormwater Utility Department at $12,213,262, Fire Rescue Operations at $52,206,470, and Municipal Service Benefit Units at $269,067; and adopt a Resolution adopting the final budget for the Melbourne-Tillman Water Control District at $2,624,091. Motion carried and ordered; Commissioner Voltz voted nay for Fire Rescue Operations only.
PUBLIC HEARING, RE: TENTATIVE APPROVAL OF THE FY 2007-2008 BREVARD
COUNTY BUDGET
COUNTY BUDGET
Chairperson Colon called for the public hearing to consider tentative approval of a resolution adopting the Brevard County budget for FY 2007-2008.
Motion by Commissioner Scarborough, seconded by Commissioner Bolin, to grant tentative approval of a resolution adopting the FY 2007-2008 Brevard County budget at $1,036,054,698 for County Agencies, $131,406,028 for Charter Officers, and $68,151,135 for Dependent Special Districts. Motion carried and ordered; Commissioner Voltz voted nay.
APPROVAL, RE: ANNUAL STATE CERTIFIED BUDGET FOR ARTHROPOD CONTROL
Motion by Commissioner Voltz, seconded by Commissioner Nelson, to recess as the Board of County Commissioners and convene as the Governing Board of the Brevard Mosquito Control District. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.
Motion by Commissioner Voltz, seconded Commissioner Nelson, to execute the State of Florida, Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Mosquito Control District’s Annual Certified Budget for Arthropod Control for FY 2007-2008. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.
Motion by Commissioner Nelson, seconded by Commissioner Scarborough, to adjourn as the Governing Board of the Mosquito Control District. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.
Commissioner Voltz stated while Mr. Knox was out a couple of weeks ago, the Board requested at the top of the Agenda it be stated that the Board is sitting as all three boards, the Board of County Commissioners, the Brevard County Mosquito Control Board, and the Barefoot Bay Water and Sewer Board; and inquired if that is all right. County Attorney Scott Knox stated the Board can say it is sitting as all three boards; but it cannot do the actions all together. Commissioner Voltz stated it can say that right now it is sitting as the Mosquito Control Board rather than doing the roundabout method with motions; and inquired if that is correct. Mr. Knox stated he thinks the Board would be better off adjourning the meeting; but it could just announce it is converting to the Mosquito Control Board. He stated as long as the Board identifies that it is going to act as all three on the Agenda, it will be okay.
Chairperson Colon stated it is ridiculous to have to adjourn the meeting, come to order, and then adjourn the second board.
Motion by Commissioner Nelson, seconded by Commissioner Bolin, to reconvene as the Board of County Commissioners. Motion carried and ordered unanimously.
PUBLIC COMMENT - DONNA O’MALLEY, RE: BUDGET
Chairperson Colon stated public comments are at the beginning of the meeting; but someone came an hour later; and she would like to allow her an opportunity to speak.
Donna O’Malley stated she has to work for a living; she has to work until 5:30 p.m.; and she works in the southern part of the County so it takes her at least 40 minutes to get to the Government Center. She stated she has been a resident in Brevard County since July 2003; and she finds the Board’s attempts at cutting the budget this year to be disingenuous. She stated after many scare tactics were published in the newspaper at a cost of $12,000 and handed out in person at an unknown cost about the huge cuts coming as a result of the State Legislature mandated budget cuts, the Board managed to squeeze out a measly 1.1% from last year’s budget. She stated the Board did not even attempt to cut the budget back to 2005 levels; the proposed budget is a 7% increase over that budget; and further it appalls her that the single largest line item in the budget at $233 million is Parks and Recreation, a Department that is not part of the County Charter and is not a necessity. She stated on top of that the Parks and Recreation budget, which is an obvious place to cut expenditures has an 8% increase or $18 million in additional dollars for this fiscal year. She stated she likes Parks and Recreation; she is a working mother of four children under the age of ten who like to visit parks and take advantage of the programming; however, her own budget is being squeezed with increases in insurance, gas, and groceries, so they can no longer afford to participate in any of the programs, as they are not free. She stated as a result of the increases in those items along with increases in her property taxes, she has been forced to cut out everything that her family used to do which is not free; and she had hoped that the Commissioners would show some restraint in this year’s budget; but unfortunately, the Commissioners have acted like children in a candy store, and worse yet, they are demanding that the citizens feed their spending habit. Ms. O’Malley stated as a parent, she is able to tell her children no when they want to spend money on items that are not necessities; but she does not have that power with the Board. She stated if she refuses to give the County the money it demands, which is property taxes, a man will
show up at her door demanding payment; and if she refuses, her home will be sold on the courthouse steps and she will be evicted. She stated her Christian values teach her to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, so she will pay her taxes; however, she would hope the Board would reconsider the budget as it is a slap in the face to all the hard working people of the County who have been forced to cut back in the face of rising costs. She requested the Board cut back all Departments that are not absolute necessities such as Public Safety.
show up at her door demanding payment; and if she refuses, her home will be sold on the courthouse steps and she will be evicted. She stated her Christian values teach her to render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s, so she will pay her taxes; however, she would hope the Board would reconsider the budget as it is a slap in the face to all the hard working people of the County who have been forced to cut back in the face of rising costs. She requested the Board cut back all Departments that are not absolute necessities such as Public Safety.
Upon motion and vote, the meeting was adjourned at 7:24 p.m.
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JACKIE COLON, CHAIRPERSON
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
ATTEST: BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA
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SCOTT ELLIS, CLERK
(S E A L)