* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:07] [Budget Workshop on July 28, 2026.] THE TIME IS 6 0 4. I WOULD LIKE TO CALL THIS MEETING TO ORDER, AND WE HAVE A QUORUM, SO JUST TAKE CARE OF THAT. MOVE OVER TO, DO WE HAVE ANYONE TO PRESENT FOR PUBLIC COMMENTS? MS. RUTH, MS. MCGINNIS? YES. YES, WE HAVE, UM, MARY MANEY. MY NAME IS MARY MANIE AL. I'M, UM, I LIVE OVER AT THE VILLAGES, EL PASO REAL. UM, BASICALLY, AS I HAD SAID EARLIER, ONE OF THE THINGS IS I WORK AT HIGH SCHOOL AND I AM THE SPONSOR FOR A STEMS ORGANIZATION WHERE WE HAVE MULTIPLE CLUBS UNDERNEATH THIS UMBRELLA. UH, WE WOULD ARE LOOKING AT THE POSSIBILITY OF TRYING TO FIND SOMEONE TO DO A SERVICE LEARNING PROJECT WITH LIKE NATIVE PLANNINGS IN THAT, UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO WORK WITH OUR COMMUNITY TO DO THIS. UH, WE HAVE AN ARCHERY PROGRAM WITH, UH, NASP, WHICH IS NATIONAL ARCHERY AND SCHOOL PROGRAMS, WHERE WE WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO POSSIBLY BRING OUT SOME INFLATABLES DURING, UH, SOME OF THE EVENTS, UH, WHERE WE COULD HAVE PEOPLE, UH, SHOOT, UH, FISH, BOW, BOW FISHING, UH, UM, TOMAHAWK THROWS, UH, AGAIN, VELCROED NOT, NOT THE ACTUAL EDGED WEAPONS FOR THIS. UM, AND THEN WE ALSO ARE GONNA BE RUNNING THREE, MAYBE FOUR GREEN POWER RACES OVER HERE AT BOBBY MARS STAR STADIUM THIS YEAR. SO WE'RE TRYING TO GET THE CITY A LITTLE BIT MORE INVOLVED. WE ARE TRYING TO FOCUS, SAN BENITO IS KIND OF THE CENTRAL GATHERING PART FOR A LOT OF THESE ACTIVITIES, UM, WITH BROWNSVILLE, UH, COUCH, UH, LOS FRESNOS, UH, LA FARIA BRING ALL THEM IN TO HELP WORK WITH US. SO IT'S ONE OF THOSE THAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN SEEING WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP, UH, PARKS AND RECREATION AND, UH, HELP OUT. IN OTHER WORDS. SO WE ARE LOOKING, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLE IF YOU NEED VOLUNTEER HOURS, IF YOU NEED, UH, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT SOME GRANTS OR REQUIR IN KIND SERVICES, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO BE, UH, CONSIDERED TO BE ABLE TO BE PART OF AND HELP WITH. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MS. MCGINNIS. UM, JOE AVILA AND PETER AVILA. MR. JOE AND PETER AVILA FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. GOOD EVENING, COMMISSIONERS MAYOR. MY NAME IS JOE AVILA, EXECUTIVE OFFICER FOR THE JUNTO MUSIC HALL OF FAME MUSEUM. UH, THERE'S TWO THINGS THAT WE WANT TO ASK FOR, UM, THAT YOU TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION FOR THIS BUDGET. UH, FIRST IS, UM, FOR DECADES AGO, I GUESS I'M NOT NOT SURE HOW MANY YEARS AGO WE USED TO HAVE A JUNTO FESTIVAL HERE IN SAN BENITO, AND IT MOVED ELSEWHERE. UH, WE WEREN'T, WE WERE NOT A PART OF THAT. BUT, UM, THIS YEAR WE WANNA PLAN OUR INAUGURAL JUNTO FESTIVAL AT THE STOKEY PARK. THE DATES ARE NOVEMBER 20TH AND NOVEMBER 21ST, A TWO DAY EVENT. AND WHAT WE'D LIKE TO ASK FOR IS, UM, HELP FUND SOME OF THIS, SOME OF THESE FESTIVITIES. UM, WE'RE HOPING TO GET AT LEAST THREE TO 5,000 PEOPLE DURING THIS, UH, TWO DAY EVENT. ONE ON FRIDAY, WE'RE GONNA, UM, HOLD OUR INDUCTION AWARDS, AND THEN AT THE SAME TIME AT, IN THE EVENING, UH, CONTINUE WITH THE MUSIC FESTIVAL. AND THEN SATURDAY, ALL, ALL EVENING, THE MUSIC FESTIVAL. UM, THE THREE, THE THREE KEY BENEFITS FOR THE CITY, UH, FOR THE, FROM THAT YOU'LL GET FROM THIS FESTIVAL ARE, YOU KNOW, ECONOMIC GROWTH AND LOCAL IMPACT. I MEAN, WE'LL HAVE PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE STATE, THE NATION, AND THE CI, AND DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE VALLEY COMING IN AND, AND PURCHASING, YOU KNOW, GAS, FOOD, UH, ITEMS THAT, YOU KNOW, HOPEFULLY WALMART, CONVENIENCE STORES, MAYBE EVEN APPAREL HERE IN THE CITY. UH, SECOND ONE IS, UH, IT'LL BECOME A TOURISM AND, AND, UH, A TOURISM DESTINATION. WE'RE CURRENTLY GETTING PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE STATE, UH, THE NATION AND INTERNATIONALLY TO OUR MUSEUM. AND THIS IS GONNA HELP BRING MORE PEOPLE TO SAN BENITO. THE THIRD THING IS HOTEL OCCUPANCY AND HOSPITALITY. YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COME VISIT THE CITY DURING THE FESTIVAL. THEY'RE [00:05:01] GONNA NEED, UH, HOTEL ROOMS TO STAY IN. SO THIS WILL BE A BIG PART OF, YOU KNOW, HELPING THE HOTELS, UM, GET SOME CUSTOMERS. SECOND THING WE WANNA TALK ABOUT IS THE AZTEC BUILDING. YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN IN THE AZTEC BUILDING FOR FOUR YEARS, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU TO THE CITY FOR LETTING, LETTING US USE THE BUILDING. UH, BUT WE, FOR IN THE LONG TERM, WE WANNA ASK IF YOU COULD HELP US, UM, CONTRIBUTE SOME MONEY TO BETTER THE BUILDING, UM, THE LIGHTING SYSTEM, JUST MAINTENANCE, UH, PAINTING, UM, BUT MORE, UH, HELPING US GET TO THE SECOND FLOOR, WHICH MY BROTHER HAS SOME INFORMATION ABOUT THAT. HELLO, MY NAME'S PETE. I, I'M THE, UH, ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AT CURATOR MUSEUM. UM, AGAIN, AS JOE SAID, WE ARE, UH, VERY GRATEFUL TO CITY SANTO, UH, PASS, OR, UH, ADMINISTRATION YOURSELVES FOR SUPPORTING THE CAUSE OF THE MUSEUM. WE'VE OUTGROWN THE SPACE ON THE FIRST FLOOR, AND WE'RE, I KNOW WE'VE ALREADY GONE TO SOME DISCUSSION WITH SOME OF THE COMMISSIONERS ABOUT, UH, NOW LOOKING INTO THE SECOND FLOOR. OUR MAIN GOAL IS TO TAKE OUR ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES TO THE TOP, UH, MAKE AN ARCHIVE ROOM. WE'RE GETTING ARCHIVES THAT ARE COMING FROM ALL DIFFERENT HISTORIANS THAT ARE DROPPING THEIR ARCHIVES TO US. AND SO WE WANNA MAKE THAT FEASIBLE FOR STUDENTS THAT WANT TO COME AND STUDY THE HISTORY OF JUNTO ENO MUSIC. UH, WE WANNA HAVE THE RESOURCE ROOM FOR 'EM. CURRENTLY, WE HAVE TWO INTERNS FROM UNIVERSITY RGV, THAT ARE SPENDING ALMOST A MONTH WITH US. YOU SPEND THREE MINUTES OR OVER. OKAY. AND THEN, UH, CLASSROOM, UH, LIKE TONIGHT WE HAVE, UH, MUSIC CLASSES AND WE'RE OUTTA SPACE, SO WE'D LIKE TO TAKE THAT TO THE TOP. AND THEN THE LAST PHASE IS EVENTUALLY GET TO THE THIRD FLOOR SO WE CAN GET SOME MUSIC VENUE. AND I KNOW Y'ALL TALK A LOT ABOUT BEING SUSTAINING TO SUSTAIN OURSELVES. WE WOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE MUSIC THURSDAYS, FRIDAYS, SATURDAYS, AND EVEN SUNDAYS TO BE ABLE TO, UH, MAKE THE INCOME TO HELP SUSTAIN OURSELVES WITH THE MUSEUM. SO AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. MR. AVILA. CYNTHIA LOPEZ GONZALEZ, PLEASE. I'M SORRY. MS. MCGINNIS, YOU SAID? MRS. GONZALEZ? YES, SIR. MRS. GONZALEZ FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. I THINK SHE SPOKE EARLIER. ANYONE ELSE? THEN WE'RE DONE. ANYONE ELSE? NO, SIR. NO. OKAY. THAT'S IT FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. SO WE'LL MOVE ON TO ITEMS FOR INDIVIDUAL CONSIDERATION. WE'RE GONNA HAVE DISCUSSION AND INPUT, UH, MR. MR. ENA, INTERIM CITY MANAGER, AND STEPHANIE SADIA, CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER, PRESENTING THIS ITEM ON BUDGET WORKSHOP NUMBER TWO, UH, MAYOR AND, AND COMMISSIONERS AND THE PUBLIC. WE, WE CERTAINLY WANT TO THANK THEM FOR WITH THE, UH, WELL, WITH THE, UH, THIS IS THE SECOND OF TWO BUDGET WORKSHOPS PLANNED, UH, TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE, UH, ADOPTION OF THE CITY'S BUDGET. AND, UH, EVERYTHING THAT WE HAVE ON THE TABLE IS, UH, FOR US TO GET GUIDANCE FROM THE MAYOR AND THE COMMISSION. IT'S NOT SET IN STONES. UM, THE PROPOSED, UH, BUDGET THAT WE HAVE, IF I CAN JUST DIRECT YOU TO THE, TO THE SCREEN AND, AND I'LL GIVE YOU A QUICK RUNDOWN OF WHAT THE BUDGET INCLUDES. AND THEN THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT WILL GUIDE YOU THROUGH THE DETAILS OF, OF WHAT THINNER. UM, SO BASICALLY THE, SOME OF THE PO UH, MAJOR POLICY DECISIONS THAT, THAT ARE GONNA BE MADE TO DATE. AND THE GUIDANCE THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR FROM THAT, YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU, UM, THE, THE BUDGET THAT THE FOUR BUDGET THAT YOU HAD BEFORE YOU IS, UM, INCLUDES A TWO PER A 2 CENT PROPERTY TAX DECREASE. UM, IT ALSO HAS A HUNDRED PERCENT EMPLOYEE BENEFITS INCLUDED. UH, IT ALSO HAS A DOLLAR 15, UH, RAISE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES. UM, AND WE ARE ALSO, UH, PROPOSING A COMPENSATION, UH, PLAN PAY SYSTEM THAT WOULD ALLOW US FOR GREATER ACCOUNT ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENT TRANSPARENCY, AND, UH, GREATER, UM, UH, AUTHORITY AT THE COMMISSION LEVEL RATHER THAN AT THE STEP LEVEL. THE, UH, THE BUDGET THAT WE HAVE REALLY TARGETS PUBLIC SAFETY. UH, I KNOW WE'VE HEARD SOME COMMENTS ABOUT STREETS, UM, AND IT, IT TARGETS ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT THAT WE NEED TO IMPROVE OUR SERVICES. UM, UH, SPEAKING OF PUBLIC SAFETY, UH, WE, WE ARE INCLUDING A, UH, 1.9 MILLION LETTER TRUCK THAT WOULD BE FINANCE. UH, WE ARE ALSO INCLUDING A 350 THOU $15,000, SEE AS ASPHALT RECYCLER THAT WILL HELP, UH, MOVE, UH, MAKE, UH, STREET, UH, IMPROVEMENTS QUICKER AND FASTER, MORE EFFICIENT. UH, WE'RE ALSO INCLUDING 145,000 FOR AN F TWO 50 AND A MINI EXCAVATOR, UH, FOR THE UTILITIES DEPARTMENT THAT WOULD ACTUALLY HELP US, [00:10:01] UH, GET A THIRD CREW GOING THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO DO, UH, IN-HOUSE, UH, PROJECTS. UH, WE'RE ALSO INCLUDING A 5%, UH, POLICE, UH, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING THAT, UH, FOR THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT. AND WE ARE ALSO INCLUDING THREE ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS THROUGH THE FIREFIGHTER, UH, GRANT. AND IT'S ACTUALLY COVERED 75% THE FIRST TWO YEARS, AND 2060 5% THE THIRD YEAR. THE, BY THE END OF THE FOURTH YEAR, IT WOULD BE FULLY FUNDED BY THE CITY. UH, AS WE LOOK AT, AT THE, AT OUR INTERNAL CAPACITY, UM, UM, LOOKING, WE ARE ASKING THE COMMISSION TO, UM, AUTHORIZE US OR TO LOOK, CONSIDER, UH, PROVIDING FOR A GRANT CO, UH, COORDINATOR, UH, AND ALSO AN IN-HOUSE IT COORDINATOR. BASICALLY, THE IN-HOUSE IT COORDINATOR WOULD GO FROM A CONTRACTOR TO, TO INTERNAL EMPLOYEE. UM, WE ARE ALSO, UH, UH, OUR PROPOSING A $500,000, UH, LIFT STATION IMPROVEMENTS, UH, THAT WOULD HELP US DO IMPROVEMENTS TO LIFT STATION, INCLUDING THE, THE MARYDALE AND RAMSEY LIFT STATIONS. UM, AND THAT IS FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION, MR. SO, YES. UM, WHAT'S THE COST OF THE GRANT COORDINATOR AND THE IT COORDINATOR, SIR? I KNOW, UH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO PAY THEM AND YES, SIR. AND PROVIDE INSURANCE AND PROVIDE 'EM WITH A CELL PHONE AND MAYBE EVEN A VEHICLE. SO WHAT, WHAT'S GONNA BE THE COST FOR EACH OF BELIEVE THAT THAT'S ALWAYS A, IT'S, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, COMMISSIONER. 'CAUSE IT'S ALWAYS, WHETHER YOU DO IT INTERNALLY OR YOU DO IT EXTERNALLY, UH, WE'RE PROPOSING 75,000 SALARY AND, AND THEN ANOTHER 25,000 FOR FRINGE BENEFITS. UH, FOR 10, THAT'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND. UM, UH, WE ARE LOOKING AT, AT THE REASON WHY WE'RE PROPOSING TO HAVE THIS, AND, AND AGAIN, THIS IS FOR CONSIDERATION. WE WE'RE LOOKING FOR GUIDANCE. UH, WE ARE WANTING TO MORE CONTROL, UH, UH, WHERE WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO, WE GO OUT THERE AND APPLY FOR MORE GRANTS. I THINK IF WE HAVE SOMEBODY INTERNALLY, THEY CAN KIND OF IDENTIFY THE, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY FOR US AND ALSO HELP US COLLECT THE INFORMATION. BECAUSE TYPICALLY, EVEN IF YOU HAVE A CONTRACT, UH, GRANT, UH, COMPANY, THEY'RE GONNA BE ASKING THE STAFF TO PROVIDE THEM THE INFORMATION. SO THIS COORDINATOR, I THINK, IS GONNA PROVIDE FOR GREATER NETWORKING, INTERNAL NETWORKING TO ALLOW US TO, TO GATHER ALL THAT INFORMATION AND, AND POTENTIALLY IDENTIFY MORE AND MORE GRANT OPPORTUNITIES. AND, UH, OUR THINKING IS THAT, UH, TYPICALLY WHEN YOU GO OUT FOR GRANTS, THERE IS SOME FUNDINGS AVAILABLE FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, UH, GRANT SERVICES. SO IT, IT, UH, WE WERE HOPING THAT THE MAJORITY OF THE, UH, UH, SALARY WOULD BE FUNDED THROUGH THOSE GRANTS. UH, AND, AND THAT'S WHY WE'RE PROPOSING IT. BUT WE'RE ONLY, WE'RE HERE TO, TO GET YOUR DIRECTION AND YOUR FEEDBACK. YEAH. ARE, ARE WE GONNA HAVE EXPECTATIONS AS TO WHAT WE EXPECT THEM TO GET FOR US AS FAR AS GRANTS? OR THEY'RE JUST GONNA SIT BACK AND GET PAID AND MAYBE GET US A GRANT? MAYBE NOT. YES. I, I THINK THAT'S THE ONLY, THAT'S MY ONLY CONCERN. UM, 'CAUSE UM, WE GOTTA BE MINDFUL WITH OUR, OUR CITY TAX DOLLARS OF HOW WE SPEND IT. AND I'M A TAXPAYER AS MUCH AS WE GOTTA BE VERY MINDFUL OF HOW WE SPEND IT. AND I'M A BIG CRITIC OF THAT. YES, SIR. BECAUSE I, I, I LIVE HERE IN THIS CITY. AND, UM, THAT'S MY MAIN CONCERN. YES, COMMISSIONER, UM, THE CDBG FUNDS ALLOW A PERCENTAGE TO BE, UH, FOR CLERICAL ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES. SO A PERCENTAGE OF THAT, I THINK 62,000, THIS LAST BUDGET CYCLE WENT TO FUNDING A GRANT COORDINATOR. SO IN A SENSE, YOU WOULD JUST HAVE THAT PERSON FOCUS ON GRANT ACQUISITIONS AND MANAGING CDBG PRIMARILY. AND THEN ADDITIONALLY GOING OUT FOR MORE GRANTS. SO THAT WAY WHEN WE DO FIND GRANTS, WE CAN BRING THOSE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES AND KEEP THEM. UH, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU COULD $750,000 WETLANDS PROJECT. WE, WE APPLIED. AND YOU HAVE TO PAY SOMEBODY 20, $30,000 FOR THEM TO APPLY FOR YOU, WHERE IF YOU HAVE YOUR OWN EMPLOYEE DOING IT, YOU KEEP THOSE DOLLARS IN HOUSE AND HOPEFULLY BUILD UP THIS GRANT TEAM. UM, THE CITY OF MACALLAN ALWAYS LOOK TO THEM. THEY HAVE A HUGE GRANT TEAM, BUT IT'S ALSO, THEY HAVE A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET. WE'RE WORKING WITH $20 MILLION. UM, BUT TRADITIONALLY WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE PAST IS THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER TAKES A PERCENTAGE OF THEIR SALARY IS PAID BY CDBG MONEY, UM, BECAUSE THEY MANAGE THE CDPG, UH, COMMITTEE AND THE GRANT. [00:15:01] BUT THIS WAY WE'LL HAVE A SOLE INDIVIDUAL THAT WILL MANAGE THOSE DOLLARS AND LOOK FOR MORE DOLLARS. AND THE POLICE AND FIRE ALREADY DO A LOT OF, UM, GRANT SEARCHING, UH, THROUGH GRATS. AND I HAVE MS. STEPHANIE, UH, GATHERING THAT DATA FOR Y'ALL. YES. THANK YOU. MM-HMM . AND, AND JUST, UH, I THINK THIS IS MY FINAL ONE, JUST, UH, TO GIVE YOU AN OVERALL SUMMARY OF THE BUDGET. UH, THE KEYS TO THE BUDGET IS, UH, CONSERVATIVE REVENUE FORECASTING, UM, FOR CONTROLLING THE CURRENT EXPENSES TO SUPPORT, UH, 2%, UH, RATE, UH, REDUCTION. UM, AND, UH, THE REVENUE IMPACT IS ABOUT 228,000. UM, FROM THE, UH, THE TAX, THE, THE 2 CENTS TAX REDUCTION, THAT'S WHAT IT WOULD AMOUNT TO, UH, WHICH WOULD AMOUNT TO ABOUT $20 YEARLY FOR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS HOME. SO THAT'S THE IMPACT TO THE, UH, TO THE RESIDENT. UM, AND, UH, WE'RE HOPING TO, UH, FOCUS ON SERVICES. SO THIS WOULD, WOULD HELP US TO BE PROJECT ORIENTED, UH, WITH THE EQUIPMENT AND THE, UH, PERSONNEL THAT WE ARE ASKING FOR. AND AGAIN, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S, WE WANTED TO HAVE THIS, THIS BUDGET FORUM TO PROVIDE THE, UH, INPUT TO THE COMMUNITY AND, UM, AND ALSO HEAR FROM, FROM THE GUIDANCE FROM THE MAYOR AND THE COMMISSION, CARLOS, UH, WHAT, WHAT ARE WE GONNA DO TO, UH, FIX THAT SHORTFALL IF WE DO THAT TAX, WE, WE HAVE TO WORK WITH INTERNALLY. AND THERE'S, THERE'S SEVERAL WAYS WE CAN DO IT INTERNALLY. THERE'S, THERE'S MAYBE SOME POSITIONS THAT ARE NOT FILLED. SO IT JUST MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO BE MORE EFFICIENT, UH, ON RECURRING ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES. AND, UH, AND WE FEEL VERY COMFORTABLE THAT WE CAN DO THAT, IS THAT, UH, I DON'T WANT TO GIVE 'EM A 2 CENT TAX BREAK, AND THEN THREE YEARS DOWN THE ROAD WE GOTTA RAISE IT TO FIVE. 'CAUSE THEY'RE GONNA FORGET THAT WE LOWERED, WE GAVE 'EM THAT 2 CENT. WELL, I THINK THAT THE KEY IS TO CONTROL RECURRING ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES, COMMISSIONER, BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T, THEN THAT'S THE VERY SAME THING'S GONNA HAPPEN. YEAH. AND, AND THEY BELIEVE ME, THEY'RE GONNA BE HAVE, THEY'RE GONNA SAY, UH, THEY'LL NEVER REMEMBER THAT WE GIVE 'EM THE 2 CENTS. BUT, UM, I JUST WANT, DON'T WANNA GET INTO THAT, UH, SITUATION. BUT I, I, I LIKE, UH, YOUR PLAN AND, UH, WE'LL TALK SOME MORE. THANK YOU. SO MR, THE PROJECT ORIENTED PORTION OF IT IS, IF WE GET THIS EQUIPMENT AND THE MANPOWER TO DO THE EXTRA CREWS, WE'LL BE ABLE TO DO MOST OF THESE PROJECTS IN HOUSE RATHER THAN CONTRACTING THEM OUT. YES. THERE, THERE'S, UH, THERE'S THINGS THAT, UH, WITH, WITH THE ADDITION OF THE, THE, THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE HAVE, UH, WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO A LOT OF THE, UH, WATER AND SEWER LINES, DEPENDING ON THE DEPTH OF THE SEWER LINE, UM, IN-HOUSE, INSTEAD OF CONTRACTING IT OUT TO, UH, THIRD PARTY COMPANIES. UH, AND THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO SAVE A SUBSTANTIAL OR SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS, UM, IN WHAT THE CITY WOULD BE PAYING OUT MORE OR LESS. THE SAVINGS WOULD BE, UH, 25% DISCOUNT, A 50% DISCOUNT. I, I'M A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE. I THINK I WOULD SAY 50% COMMISSIONER. AND IT'S VARY, UH, PROJECT LIKE BY PROJECT. AND I, I, UM, I DON'T WANNA, UH, GIVE, UH, FALSE PROMISES TO THE COMMISSION THAT WE'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO DO EVERY PROJECT, BECAUSE THERE'S SOME PROJECTS THAT WE MAY START OUT DOING. BUT, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE COULD BE, UH, THINGS THAT COME UP AS THEY ALWAYS DO. MM-HMM . AND WE MAY NEED THE ASSISTANCE OF A THIRD, THIRD PARTY CONTRACTOR. YES, SIR. OKAY. UM, UH, LIFT STATIONS, I CAN TELL YOU, WE CAN, WE CANNOT DO, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO CONSTRUCT THE, THE BASE, THE FOUNDATION AND ELECTRICITY, BUT WATER AND SEWER LINES, UM, WHICH IS THE MAJORITY OF, OF, OF OUR WORK, WE, WE CAN'T, WE CAN'T DO I, SORRY, I GOT A QUICK QUESTION. I KNOW IF, UH, IT'S PROPOSED TO HIRE, YOU KNOW, A THIRD CREW, MY BIGGEST THING IS, AND I ALWAYS USED TO SAY THIS, UH, WHEN I WAS IN THE HOUSING AUTHORITY BOARD, IS THE TRAINING. YES, SIR. UM, IT'S REAL BIG TO HAVE, MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE TRAIN THESE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IF, AND I KNOW IT COSTS MONEY TO TRAIN PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, TO SEND THEM THE TRAINING AND STUFF LIKE THAT. BUT I BELIEVE THAT IF WE TRAIN OUR PEOPLE, I BELIEVE THAT WE'RE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, KEEP 'EM LONGER AND STUFF LIKE THAT. I KNOW IT'S GONNA COST MONEY, BECAUSE ONCE THEY HAVE THEIR TRAINING, THEIR CATE CERTIFICATE OR WHATEVER, THEY'RE GONNA WANT MORE MONEY. RIGHT. BUT THAT'LL COME LATER. BUT TRAINING IS THE MAIN THING, IS MAKE SURE THAT WE TRAIN THESE PEOPLE IF WE HIRE THEM, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE IT'S REAL IMPORTANT, YOU KNOW? AND OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE YES, SIR. IS A BIG ONE. [00:20:01] YES, SIR. MAKE SURE THAT, I MEAN, I KNOW JUST BECAUSE WE'RE OUT THERE, YOU KNOW, DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE SHOULDN'T CARE ABOUT OUR PEOPLE, BUT MAKE SURE THAT WE TRAIN THEM PLEASE. NO, I THINK TRAINING IS A KEY. AND, UH, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE OUT THERE IN THE PROJECTS, AND IF YOU DON'T GET THE, THOSE THINGS DONE, YOU'RE GONNA SEE IT REFLECTED IN WORKERS' COMP AND OTHER MM-HMM . ITEMS THAT ARE GONNA INCREASE. CORRECT. FOR US. THANK YOU. THIS IS FOR 2 CENTS, OR ONE 2 CENTS. THE PROPO, THE PROPOSED, UH, BUDGET THAT WE HAVE BEFORE YOU IS 2 CENTS, BUT IT'S, UH, WE'RE HERE FOR YOUR FEEDBACK. YOU DIDN'T DO THE, THE MATH FOR JUST 1, 1 10 WOULD BE 114. IT'S IN THE PRESENTATION, UPCOMING PRESENTATION, BUT IT'LL BE, UH, 1 14 4 85. SO THE, THE NEXT AGENDA ITEM WILL BE THE PROPERTY TAX RATE. UM, AND MS. STEPHANIE WILL PRESENT THAT NEXT. BUT ONE, 1 CENT WOULD BE 114,000 EVERY CENT YOU CUT RIGHT NOW, BASED ON OUR, UM, CERTIFIED VALUES, CERTIFIED VALUES WOULD BE AT $114,000 PER PENNY. BUT TAXPAYERS $20 A YEAR, IT WOULD SAVE THEM $10 A YEAR BASED ON A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS HOME. MOST HOMES RIGHT NOW ARE PROBABLY ABOUT 200,000. SO YOU'RE SAVING, IF WE DO 2 CENTS, YOU'RE SAVING THEM $40 A YEAR. AND MOST, MOST FOLKS GOT A BRUNT OF THEIR TAX SAVINGS WHEN THE, THE STATE LEGISLA LEGISLATURE, UH, GAVE THEM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. THAT'S A BIG IMPACT FOR $40 A YEAR. IT IS A BIG IMPACT. ABSOLUTELY. IS. SO WHEN I LOOK AT, UM, TAX RATE, UM, WE CAN GO OUT OVER IN MORE DETAIL, I GUESS, TO THE NEXT ONE. UM, UH, BUT FOR NOW, I WANT THE COMMISSION AND THE TEAM TO FOCUS ON SPECIFIC DEPARTMENTS AND BUDGETS. SO I CAN ANSWER SOME OF THOSE QUESTIONS ON THE NEXT ITEM. BUT FOR NOW, IF YOU DON'T MIND, COMMISSIONER, ABSOLUTELY. IF WE CAN, YEAH. THE OTHER FINANCING SOURCES, IF WE CAN PLEASE PLACE THE OTHER, UH, PRESENTATION. WELL, LET'S, I WANNA FINISH THIS FIRST PART FIRST. OKAY. SOUNDS GOOD. YEAH. ON, UM, THE COMMISSION, WE'LL GO TO PAGE, I LOST IT. PAGE 12 ON YOUR BUDGET BOOK, YOU'RE GONNA SEE ON OTHER FINANCING SOURCES, UH, $1.8 MILLION. WHERE'S THAT COMING FROM? MR. ANA OR MS. STEPHANIE? THAT'S REALLY PART OF OUR RESERVE. SO UNASSIGNED FUNDS, SO WE'RE, IT'S NOT PART OF THE, UM, REQUIRED REVENUE. UM, 120 DAYS IS NOT PART OF THAT, BUT IT'S PART OF THE EXCESS OF THOSE 40 DAYS. SO WE HAVE A FUND BALANCE, AND THAT'S COMING FROM THERE. WHAT'S THE, SO IF WE WERE TO, TO HIT THAT AND SPEND EVERYTHING THAT IS IN THERE, IT'LL IMPACT OR A FUND BALANCE THAT MUCH. YOU HAVE A PRESENTATION FOR THIS PART AS WELL? I HAVE A PRESENTATION FOR WHAT IT TELLS. LET'S LET YOU GO THROUGH THAT, AND THEN WE'LL FOLLOW UP ON THE QUESTION. MS. ENA, DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? I'M DONE, I'M DONE HERE. SO, WHILE, WHILE THEY PUT THE PRESENTATION UP, IT'S FIRST OF ALL 70 SAIA FINANCE DIRECTOR FOR THE RECORD. UM, I PROVIDED YOU WITH THREE DIFFERENT COPIES. UM, ONE IS FOR A RECORDS, A PRESENTATION WAS BEING PASSED OUT TO THE CITIZENS. SO YOU ALL KNOW WHAT IT WAS PRESENTED TO THEM. EVEN IF YOU, IF YOU DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE TO LIKE, LOOK OUT THE SLIDES ONE BY ONE, THE OTHER ONE, IT'S A PRESENTATION THAT I'M ABOUT TO PRESENT TO YOU. THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL ONE THAT HAS MORE DETAILED NUMBERS AND ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO FOLLOW WITH THAT PRESENTATION. UM, I'LL LET YOU KNOW ONCE, LIKE WE NEED TO, IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, REFER TO THAT ONE. UH, THIS INCLUDES LIKE A DETAILED COMPENSATION PLAN OF WHAT'S GONNA LOOK LIKE, UH, THE CERTIFIED VALUES FOR THE PROPERTY TAX, EVEN THOUGH I'M LAYING THEM THERE. I'M, I'M PROVIDING YOU WITH THE OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS SO YOU ALL COULD HAVE IT. SO YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND REASSURE WHERE THOSE NUMBERS ARE COMING FROM. SO, UM, I'M GONNA TAKE TOGETHER, BECAUSE IT'S AS A WHOLE, THE PROPERTY TAX WITH THE BUDGET, BECAUSE, UM, THERE'S NO OTHER WAY OR PROPERTY TAXES, OUR MAIN SOURCE OF REVENUE. AND THAT'S, THAT'S TO SAY THAT I'M GONNA GO ONE BY ONE EACH SLIDE, IT'S TO A SPECIFIC PURPOSE. AND YOU CAN STOP ME AT ANY TIME IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. OKAY. BEFORE THE, BEFORE ANYTHING START? YES. CAN WE AFFORD THIS A TAX CUT? YES. I HAVE PROVIDED A BALANCED BUDGET. SO THE ANSWER, IT'S YES, IT'S A TIGHT BUDGET, I'M NOT GONNA LIE, BUT WE ARE, WE ARE ABLE TO AFFORD IT AT THIS TIME. IF NO MORE ADDITIONAL EXPENSES HAPPEN FROM THIS ON OR WE CUT ON SOMEWHERE ELSE AND AT SOMETHING ELSE, JUST THAT, THAT NUMBER DOESN'T CHANGE WITH THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF EXPENSES RIGHT NOW AGREED ON. SO IF YOU GO TO, YOU CAN, CAN I, MS. STEPHANIE COMMISSIONERS, YOU CAN AFFORD WHAT YOU MANAGE. AND YOU TALKED ABOUT SAVING THE TAXPAYERS MONEY. SO WHAT IS THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE, UH, BASED ON THE VALUATIONS? AND COULD YOU EXPLAIN WHAT THAT THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE IS [00:25:01] TO THE COMMISSION? YES. SO YOU CAN, I, SORRY, THAT YOU'RE GOING OUT OF WHERE YOU SAID YES. YOU STARTED OFF TO WHERE YOU WANTED TO START. YEAH. I'M GONNA, I'M GONNA GO TO THAT SLIDE SO I CAN SHOW IT TO TO YOU. IT'S OKAY. UM, THERE IT IS. SO THE NON-NEW REVENUE RATE, IT'S, UM, WHAT WOULD IT BE FOR US? WHAT RATE THE CITY WILL ADOPT AND WE WILL COLLECT THE SAME REVENUE AS LAST YEAR. I DON'T KNOW IF I, UNDER, IF I EXPLAINED THAT RIGHT. AND STILL MANAGE THE SAME MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION BUDGET. YES. IF THE BUDGET WAS TO SAY THE SAME AMOUNT OF EXPENSES THAT WAS LAST YEAR, IF WE WERE NOT TO INCREASE ANY EXPENSES FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR, NO, WE'RE NOT. HOWEVER, THERE'S THINGS THAT WE CANNOT, I GUESS, UH, SAVE ON, FOR EXAMPLE, OR, OR, UM, BARGAIN AGREEMENT OR INSURANCE RATES OR THOSE THINGS. THOSE ARE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS. THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE, UM, THEY'RE NOT FOR, FOR CERTAIN. THEY'RE NEGOTIABLE. YEAH. BUT THEY, IF THEY'RE INCREASING, THEY'RE INCREASING, THERE'S, THERE'S NO WAY WE CAN STAY WITHIN THE SAME EXPENSES UNLESS WE CUT SOMEWHERE ELSE. YEAH. SO IN ORDER FOR US TO COLLECT THE SAME AMOUNT OF REVENUE AS WE COLLECTED LAST YEAR, UH, IT'LL BE 66 CENTS. SO, UM, OR EIGHT, IT'S ABOVE THAT. SO YES, WE CAN AFFORD IT. THE 2 CENTS REDUCTIONS, AND THAT THE 2 CENTS REDUCTION WILL PUT US AT 68 CENTS. AND THAT'S COMMISSIONERS. WHEN I STARTED HERE FIVE AND A HALF YEARS AGO, WORKING WITH THE $13 MILLION BUDGET, YOU GUYS HAVE ALMOST A $20 MILLION BUDGET. SO YOU NEED TO SIT AND ASK YOURSELVES WITH A, AN ADDITIONAL $7 MILLION. WHAT HAVE I SEEN? WHAT HAVE, WHAT WAS MY RETURN? WHAT DID I SEE DIFFERENT IN THE CITY? THE STAFF HAS DOUBLED. UM, DO WE HAVE A LOT OF OVERHEAD POSSIBLY? UM, IS THE LABOR FORCE GROWING? YOU SAID WE SPEAK ABOUT A THIRD TEAM. UM, HAS MINIMUM WAGE GONE UP? IT HAS, IT'S GONE. WHEN I STARTED, IT WAS AT $8 AND CHANGE. AND IT'S GONE UP TO PROPOSE NOW $14. UH, BUT HOW DO YOU GIVE YOUR EMPLOYEES A HEALTHY LIVING WAGE ABOVE MINIMUM WAGE? 'CAUSE THERE'S NO WAY YOU CAN LIVE OFF OF 7 25 NOWADAYS, OR 7 55, WHATEVER IT IS. UM, 7 25. YEAH. YEAH. UM, THAT'S BEEN SINCE HIGH SCHOOL. YEAH, . SO, AND THEN YOU HAVE TO BALANCE HOW DO WE SAVE THE TAXPAYERS MONEY? UM, THEIR, THEIR RATES ARE GOING UP, THE WATER RATES HAVE GONE UP FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS AND WILL GO UP AGAIN IN OCTOBER, 2026. THAT'LL, THE, THAT'LL, I'M SORRY, UH, TO THAT, THAT'LL BE THE LAST YEAR WITH OUR, WITH OUR WATER PLANT CONSERVATION THAT WE HAD ADOPTED. THAT'LL BE THE LAST RATE INCREASE UNTIL WE NEED TO GO AND GET ANOTHER ASSESSMENT AND GO AND SEE IF THAT NEEDS TO STILL GOING KEEP GOING UP BASED ON OUR INFRASTRUCTURE AND WHAT WE NEED TO AFFORD. SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT IS COMING UP NEXT YEAR. SO YOU HAVE YOUR WATER RATES, YOUR TRASH RATES, UM, EVERYTHING. EVERYBODY HAS COSTS GOING UP THE CITIZEN AND SO DOES THE CITY. BUT YOU ALL ARE IN A UNIQUE POSITION WHERE YOU HAVE TO BALANCE A HUN 250 EMPLOYEES AND THE 24,000 RESIDENTS. AND THOSE WATER RATES ALSO AFFECT SOME OF THE CITIZENS THAT ARE IN YOUR OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS. SO KEEP THAT IN MIND. YOU'LL GET THOSE CALLS AND THEY'LL ASK YOU WHY THEY PAY A LITTLE BIT MORE. AND IT'S BECAUSE THEY GET CHARGED ANOTHER ONE AND A HALF TIMES THE REGULAR CITIZEN DOES BECAUSE OF THE EXTRA COST TO THE CITY TO DISTRIBUTE A LITTLE BIT FURTHER OUTSIDE OF THE CITY LIMITS. AND JUST SOME BACK HISTORY THERE. SORRY, STEPH. IT'S OKAY. READY? YES. YES. LET'S, LET'S, LET'S GET THE HAW ON THE ROAD. OKAY. SO, UM, I ADDED THIS SLIDE BECAUSE THAT'S THE SLIDE ORIGINALLY FROM THE FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOP. AND WE HAVEN'T CHANGED OUR MINDSET ON THAT. SO WE'RE FOCUSING CONSERV, UH, CONSERVATIVE REVENUE FORECASTING, AND THAT INCLUDES THE 2 CENT REDUCTION. YOU DECIDE TO, UM, RETURN TO CORE MUNICIPAL SERVICE. JUST TO, LIKE MR. GIADA MENTIONED, JUST TRY TO DO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE IN-HOUSE AND PROVIDE OUR EMPLOYEES WITH THE TOOLS TO DO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE IN-HOUSE, UM, CAREFULLY EVALUATING OUR EXPENDITURES. UM, JUST REALLY, REALLY PRIORITIZING WHAT WE NEED TO INVEST OUR MONEY IN, UM, AND CONTROL REOCCURRING, UH, EXPENDITURES. SEE, UH, OR AGREEMENTS OUT THERE, WHAT WE'RE PAYING ON A MONTHLY BASIS. AND THEN LOOK WHAT WE'RE DOING ADDITIONAL PAYMENTS FOR AND TRY TO REDUCE THAT. SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE MINDSET. THAT'S, UM, WHAT CITY ADMINISTRATION MYSELF, I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT, LIKE, THESE ARE OUR CORE VALUES. THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO FOCUS ON. SO THIS, UH, BUDGET PRESENTATION IS FOCUSED ON THAT. SO WE WILL BE ADDRESSING INVESTING, STRAIGHTEN AND SUPPORTING, PRIORITIZING. SO WE'RE GONNA ADDRESS OUR WEAR AND TEAR, AND THAT'S WHERE OUR ZIPPER, ASPHALT ZIPPER, UM, MR. YANA MENTIONED COMES IN. WE'RE GONNA BE, UM, INVESTING. THAT'S WHERE OUR ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO, OR UTILITIES INFRASTRUCTURE COMES WITH, UM, STRAINING OUR SAFETY SERVICES BY ADDING THREE FIREFIGHTERS AS WELL AS, UM, CONDUCTING OUR CVA AGREEMENT. CONTINUING WITH THAT ONE. [00:30:01] UM, SUPPORTING OUR EMPLOYEES. THAT'S AN IMPORTANT ONE AS MR. UM, THE MAYOR MENTIONED. UM, WE, WE ARE A LITTLE BIT BEHIND WHEN WE COMPARE OURSELF TO OTHER CITIES. UM, EVEN THOUGH OUR EMPLOYEES ARE HAPPY TO WORK HERE, THOUGH, MINIMUM WAGE TO SURVIVE, IT'S, IT'S, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO HELP OUR EMPLOYEES. THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE BUDGET IS ALSO TRYING TO DO. AND, UH, WE'RE PRIORITIZING OR SPENDING, AGAIN, AGAIN AND AGAIN, I CANNOT SAY IT ENOUGH, WE'RE GONNA JUST BE LOOKING AT WHAT WE'RE SPENDING MONEY ON AND JUST TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING IT ON THE RIGHT ITEMS. NOT SOMETHING, SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GONNA SEE IN THE FUTURE AND SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE, NOT REOCCURRING, BUT ALSO FIXING THE PROBLEM. SO, UM, THESE ARE THE CITY PRIORITIES. AND I, I HATE TO SOUND A LITTLE BIT REPETITIVE FOR MISS MR. UH, YERENA, BUT THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE FOCUSING ON. WE'RE SUPER OR LADDER TRUCK THAT YOU'RE GONNA SEE OUR NEXT MEETING. THE AGREEMENT IS THERE, AND I'LL EXPLAIN TO YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE ON THAT. AND THEN IF NOT, WE HAVE CHIEF OVER THERE IN THE BACK THAT HE CAN PROVIDE YOU WITH THE SPECS OF THE LADDER TRUCK. HE KNOWS IT BY MEMORY. UM, SO, AND, UM, THE MINIMUM WAGE INCREASE RIGHT NOW, OUR EMPLOYEES SIT IN A 1285, UH, MINIMUM WAGE. WE'RE PROPOSING A ONE POINT 15 THAT WOULD PUT THEM AT $14 AN HOUR. SO, UH, ON EMPLOYEE INVESTMENT AS MENTIONED, WE HAVE THE GRANT COORDINATOR, THE, UM, THE IT IN-HOUSE INSTEAD OF CONTRACTING IT OUT, UH, THE 5% POLICE BARGAIN AGREEMENT AND THREE ADDITIONAL FI FIREFIGHTERS, THAT ONE ONLY IF GRANT APPROVED, UH, WE ARE STILL OFFERING, WELL, THIS BUDGET INCLUDES A HUNDRED PERCENT HEALTH, DENTAL, VISION AND OR TMRS OF TWO TO ONE 6%. HOWEVER, TMRS ALLOW YOU NOW TO GO UP TO A 8%. SO THAT'S OUT THERE IF YOU ALL WANNA ADD THAT, I DON'T MIND. UM, THEN, UM, WE WANTED TO, UH, PROVIDE YOU ALL WITH SOME, I GUESS, REGULATION WHEN IT COMES TO WHEN WE HIRE EMPLOYEES. AND, UM, WE ARE PROPOSING AND IF APPROVED, WE WANT TO ADOPT A RESOLUTION ON A, ON A PAY SCALE, A COMPENSATION PLAN. WHAT THIS WILL DO, WE'LL ESTABLISH FAIR AND CONSISTENT, UH, PAY RANGE. WE'LL RECRUIT AND RETAIN EMPLOYEES. UM, WE'LL KEEP SALARIES COMPETITIVE. SO IF THIS IS A THING THAT WE WANNA KEEP REOCCURRING, WE CAN VISIT EVERY YEAR AND WE CAN SAY, IF WE'RE STILL OUT THERE, NEVER NOT CHANGE SOME OF THOSE AS A YEARLY BASIS WITH THE BUDGET. AT THE SAME, AT THE SAME DAY. WE ADOPT A BUDGET, WE'LL ADOPT A COMPENSATION PLAN, WHETHER WE KEEP IT THE SAME OR WE CHANGE IT FOR A DIFFERENT RATE, DEPENDING DEMANDING ON LIKE COST OF LIVING, RIGHT? UM, SO, UM, IT ALSO PROVIDES CLEAR PROCESS OR SALARY INCREASES. AND IF ANYTHING WAS TO DEVIATE FROM THIS RESOLUTION ADOPTED, THEN WE'LL HAVE TO COME TO YOU FOR APPROVAL. IF NOT, IT NEEDS TO GO INTO THE SCALE POSITIONS, UH, TITLES. IT WILL HAVE TO BE IN THAT SCALE FOR IT TO BE REGULAR PROCESS. IF, UH, LET'S SAY A NEW TITLE COMES UP, THAT DEPARTMENT HEAD THAT IT'S ASKING FOR, THAT NEW TITLE WILL HAVE TO BRING IT TO COMMISSION, NEEDS TO BE APPROVED. SO WHY ARE WE DEVIATING FOR THAT COMPENSATION PLAN, UH, APPROVED BY YOU ALL HAVE A RESOLUTION, UH, READY? I WISH I HAD PUT IT THERE SO Y'ALL COULD SEE WHAT IT IS. BUT IT IS GONNA BE, UM, WITH THE BUDGET ADOPTION, IF YOU ALL WISH TO MOVE FORWARD, UM, IT SUPPORTS RESPONSIBLE BUDGETING. SO AT SOME POINT, I WOULD LIKE TO BUDGET FOR THE MAX OF EACH THOSE THRESHOLDS. THAT WAY OUR BUDGET KEEPS NOT MOVING. SO YOU WON'T SEE THE ONLY MOVING PARTS OF THE BUDGET WILL BE THE BENEFITS, BUT NOT THE SALARIES, BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S GONNA BE CAPPED AT SOME LEVEL BASED ON THEIR, UM, TITLE. THIS IS, UM, THE EXAMPLE OF THE COMPENSATION PLAN. WE WENT CONSERVATIVE WITH ONE POINT 15, BUT IT'S A DOMINO EFFECT. SO IF I DO, UM, 1, 1 15 FOR THE LOW, THE THE LOWEST PAID EMPLOYEES, I WOULD HAVE TO DO ONE 15 FOR THE ONES THAT SIT THERE IN BETWEEN, RIGHT? SO GRADE ONE, AND THAT'S JUST LIKE ENTRY LEVEL. THEY CAN GO FROM $14 TO 1550 DEPENDING ON EXPERIENCE. AND OF COURSE, RIGHT NOW EVERYBODY WILL GO TO 14. BUT THEN MOVING FORWARD, THIS IS ADOPTED, I WOULD LIKE TO PUT EVERYBODY AT 1550 THAT WAY, THAT'S THE MAX THEY COULD GET. THEN FOR GRADE TWO, NOW IT STARTS AT 1550, UM, FROM 1725. AND TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT MORE BACKGROUND OF THAT, SO LIKE RIGHT NOW YOU'RE, UM, 1550 OR AT $14 OR 14 SOMETHING. SO EVERYBODY'S GETTING JUST THAT $1 AND 15 CENTS INCREASE. AND IT'S JUST THE HOURLY EMPLOYEES AFTER CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY, THEY STAY WITHIN THE RANGE. BUT YOU AL YOU GIVE THEM A RANGE. SO IF ANYBODY WAS TO, LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, ON A GRADE FOUR, MAKE MORE THAN $28 AN HOUR, THAT WOULD NEED TO BRING BROUGHT UP TO YOU FOR YOU ALL TO APPROVE. WHY ARE WE DEVIATING FOR THIS COMPENSATION PLAN? SO I HOPE I WAS EXPLANATORY ON THIS ONE. CAN WE AFFORD THIS? IT'S INCLUDED IN YOUR BUDGET, [00:35:01] OKAY. AND NO, IT WAS AN EXTENSIVE RESEARCH BECAUSE RIGHT NOW NOBODY SUPA SURPASSES THE HIGHEST, RIGHT? SO I DID NOT, HOW CAN I EXPLAIN THIS? I DID NOT, WHEN LIKE, YOU DON'T HAVE ANYBODY FROM 21 OVER ON THAT TITLE, OVER $28 COMMISSIONERS, YOU COULD ALSO PAY A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR A COMPENSATION PLAN. SO BROWNSTONE, HARLINGEN HAVE, THEY PROBABLY DO ON EVERY THREE TO FOUR YEARS PROBABLY. UM, YOU CAN, YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT THEY HAVE AND YOU CAN ALSO ASK THE ADMINISTRATION TO, UM, GO OUT RFPS FOR ONE. AND I CAN, AND I CAN PROVIDE YOU THE MARKET SOURCES AND WHAT, WHAT, UH, CITIES I COMPARE TO COME UP WITH THIS. WE ARE FAR FALLING A LITTLE BIT SHORTER. THERE ARE HIGH LEVELS, AND THAT COMPENSATION PLAN IS PRETTY CONSERVATIVE. SO IT'S MORE, THIS IS MORE NOT THAT WE CAN AFFORD. THIS IS MORE TO PROTECT OUR BUDGET. THIS PROTECT THIS BUDGET IS PROTECTED BY THAT BECAUSE NOTHING IS GONNA GO HIGHER THAN THAT. AND THAT'S WHAT'S BUDGET FOR. THIS IS MORE OF LIKE AN EX, UH, EXPENSES TYPE OF LIKE, OR TYING OUT OR EXPENSES. THIS IS MUCH AS THIS CAN GROW. SO IF ANYTHING, AGAIN, IF ANYTHING WAS TO DEVIATE FROM THAT, IT WOULD NEED TO BE TAKEN TO YOU. NOW WHEN IT, IF IT WAS TO COME TO US, DOES THAT INCLUDE TITLE, LIKE A NEW TITLE? CORRECT? YES. NOW, I KNOW THAT ALL THESE TITLES ARE NOT FILLED. THESE TITLES ARE NOT ALL, NOT ALL OF THEM ARE FILLED, CORRECT? CORRECT. SO IF WE'RE CONSIDERING A FULL PAY RAISE FOR THE WHOLE CITY EMPLOYEE, YOU'RE CONSIDERING IF YOU WERE TO FILL ONE OF THESE HIGHER PAID? YES. SO, UH, THE BUDGET INCLUDES, UM, UM, AVAILABLE POSITIONS. THEY, THEY'RE ALSO BUDGETED FOR. OKAY. BUT THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE SALARIED BUDGET FOR IT, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT HIRED. RIGHT? SO WE'RE, WE'RE NOT SAVING BUT THAT SPOT IT'S AVAILABLE FOR THEM IF WE WERE TO BE FULLY STAFFED. SO ON THE COMPENSATION PLAN HERE, THESE ARE THE GRADES. DO WE HAVE, OR IS, IS THIS INCLUDING ANY KIND OF, UH, STEPS, LONGEVITY PAY, OR STEP GRADES? SO NOT IN THIS ONE, WE CAN DEFINITELY INCLUDE THAT. THE CITY RIGHT NOW PAYS, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, LIKE $3 SOME SORT OF PER, I WANNA SAY PER YEAR FOR LONGEVITY. IT'S, IT'S A REALLY SMALL AMOUNT, BUT WE ARE INCLUDING NOT ON, NOT ON THE, THE ACTUAL COMPENSATION PLAN, BUT ON THE BUDGET, $500 PER EMPLOYEE FOR A MERIT VASE. SO IF ANYBODY WAS TO, UM, ACQUIRE LICENSES OR LIKE, THEY'LL, THEY'LL GET EVALUATED. THERE'S SOMETHING TO LOOK UP FORWARD TO. IT'S A MERIT BASE TYPE OF INCENTIVE. NOT PART OF THEIR SALARY, BUT IT'S INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET. AND BACK, BACK TO, UH, COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ'S QUESTION ON CAN WE AFFORD IT, UM, YOU HAD SAID IF NOTHING CHANGES ON THE EXPENSES. SO THIS BUDGET RIGHT NOW REFLECTS THE MINIMUM HOURLY RANGE JUST BECAUSE WE'RE BARELY ADOPTING IT. BUT EVENTUALLY, IF A REVENUE SOURCE GROWS, I WILL LIKE TO BUDGET FOR THE HIGH DEGREE, FOR THE HIGH LEVEL THERE. SO THAT WAY, MOVING FORWARD NEXT YEAR TO COME, WE'RE ALWAYS BUDGET FOR THE SAME AMOUNT OF STAFFING UNLESS WE CHANGE THE COMPENSATION PLAN. BUT WE ALWAYS BUDGET FOR AN EMPLOYEE THAT CAN BE INSTEAD OF ENTRY LEVEL, $14, 1550. AND THAT'S, THAT'S GONNA STAY LIKE THAT. HOW MANY EMPLOYEES IS THIS BUDGETED FOR? TWO 50. AROUND 250 EMPLOYEES. TWO 50. YES. AND I'LL, WE'LL PROVIDE YOU THAT DAY OF THAT RESOLUTION IF THAT GETS APPROVED. THE LISTING OF THE EMPLOYEES AND WHO'S GETTING WHAT, NOT PERSONAL INFORMATION, BUT TITLE, HOW MANY OF THOSE WE HAVE AND HOW MUCH OF THOSE WILL BE GETTING, THIS IS IMPACTING OR LOWER PAYING EMPLOYEES ABOUT 43 EMPLOYEES. THAT'S, THAT'S WHO'S GONNA BE BENEFICIATED AND IT'S THE ONES THAT ARE AT, AT THE LOWEST INCOME. WHAT I WOULD, UM, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS, I SEE THAT SOMETIMES THERE'S DISCREPANCIES IN THE, IN THE LABOR FORCE, RIGHT? UM, THE PARKS OR THERE STREET WORKERS TO SEE LEVELS OR THERE'S GRADES, BUT ALSO STEPS. SO MAYBE MAINTENANCE WORKER 1, 2, 3, AND THEN SUPERVISOR AND THEN STREET, UM, PARKS, LEVEL ONE, LEVEL TWO, LEVEL THREE, AND THEN SUPERVISOR. AND THEN THAT KIND OF TELLS THE EMPLOYEE, WELL, YOUR, YOUR MORE PAY COMES FROM LEARNING MORE TASKS. YOU KNOW HOW TO HANDLE MULTIPLE TOOLS. SO DIVIDE THE, THE DOLLAR 50 FROM 14 TO 50 ON STEPS BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA HAVE MY, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE PROBABLY SOMEONE IN THE WATER CREW THAT KNOWS HOW TO RUN THREE OR FOUR MACHINES AS AN OPERATOR, A CDL. UM, YOU CAN'T HAVE THEM GETTING THE SAME PAY AS SOMEONE THAT COMES IN ON THE WATER TEAM. AND THEY'RE GETTING PAID THE SAME THING. BUT WE'RE NOT TAKING INTO ACCOUNT THEIR CERTIFICATIONS. SO WHEN THEY'RE, WHENEVER THEY ARE LIKE A REGULAR WORKER, [00:40:01] THEY'RE THEIR TITLE. IT'S DIFFERENT FROM A HEAVY EQUIPMENT OPERATOR. IF THEY HOLD A LICENSE, THEY GET ADDITIONAL PAY FOR THAT LICENSE. AND I'LL BE IN THE COMPENSATION PLAN INCLUDED AS WELL. AND THEN THE RATE, IT'S NOT THE SAME RATE AS THEY WILL COME IN. SO IF YOU SEE, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WATER PLAN OPERATOR AND AN ENTRY LEVEL WATER PLAN OPERATOR, OKAY? THEY BECOME A WATER PLAN OPERATOR, CLASS, WHATEVER, THEY'LL JUMP TO THE, THE NEXT ONE OR SO BACKFLOW INSPECTOR. SO IF YOU JUST HAVE, OKAY, SO LIKE THE WATER PLANT, THEY HAVE CLA CLASSES TOO, RIGHT? A C YEAH. AND THEY GET ADDITIONAL IN, NOT, NOT TO THEIR SALARY, BUT ADDITIONAL INCENTIVE BECAUSE THEY HAVE TO HOLD THAT LICENSE THAT EMPLOYEE WAS TO LOSE. THAT'S SEPARATE FROM THE PAY GRADE. MM-HMM. YES. AND THOSE EMPLOYEES CURRENTLY ALREADY HAVE IT IN THE BUDGET. OKAY. AND I CAN PROVIDE YOU THAT CHART. I DON'T HAVE IT HANDY. UM, I DON'T KNOW IF HRMI, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER, SOME WILL HAVE TO GET LICENSED TO, I THINK THEY, THAT TEAM DOES THE FUMIGATION, UM, OR THE SPRAYING FOR THE MOSQUITO, THE VECTOR CONTROL, UH, THE VAC VECTOR CONTROL. AND THEN THEY DO, UM, THEY'RE ABLE, THEY'RE LICENSED TO PUT DOWN, UH, HUMANELY PUT DOWN ANIMALS, RIGHT? SO DOES THAT, UH, ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER AND THEN THERE'S A SUPERVISOR. SO THEY'RE NOT IN THE SAME, THE SAME PAY SCALE. CORRECT. SO IT'S A DIFFERENT JOB CODE. YES. SO I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE TWO INDIVIDUALS OR TWO EMPLOYEES HAVE THAT A DIFFERENT RANGE, DIFFERENT PAY STUBS. THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE SEPARATE FROM PAY COMPENSATION. THAT'S, SO WHENEVER CERTIFICATIONS ARE FROM THE COMPENSATION ARE, ARE DIFFERENT BECAUSE A, A LICENSE NEEDS TO BE HOLD, RIGHT? IF YOU HAVE A CDO DRIVER THAT THEN BREAKS SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO. BUT DO WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT SAYS WHAT THEIR PAY IS, THEIR EXTRA WE HR SHOULD, UM, BUT HR, I CAN GO AHEAD AND MAKE SURE I INCLUDE IT IN THE RESOLUTION SO Y'ALL COULD SEE IT, SEE IF THAT'S COMPATIBLE. I WANT IT TO BE CLEAR TO THE EMPLOYEE, NOT WHY JUAN AND JOSE GOT DIFFERENT PAY AND AND THEY'RE NOT UPSET, YOU KNOW? AND IT, AND IT'S, IT'S CLEAR THAT THE DIRECTORS THAT DOESN'T HAVE FAVORITISM, UM, AND IT'S MERIT, IT'S MERIT BASED OR CERTIFICATE BASED. UM, 'CAUSE WHAT I'VE SEEN OVER THE FIVE AND A HALF YEARS IS ALL OF A SUDDEN SOMEONE GETS A $25,000 RAISE AND COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ TALKS ABOUT, UM, SAVING TAXES. WELL, WELL, TRYING TO CUT, WE'RE TRYING TO CUT THE TAX RATE. BUT WE ALSO, WE DON'T WANNA LEAVE SO MUCH MONEY ON THE TABLE THAT WE'RE LIKE, YOU GET 10,000, YOU GET 10,000, YOU GET 20,000. BUT DICK DION HASN'T BEEN PAID SINCE 1990. SO THAT, THAT'S THIS, THIS, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO GET AT. BECAUSE IF THEIR TITLE IS NOT CHANGING, THERE'S NO WAY THEY, THEY'RE GONNA GET THAT TYPE OF RACE. THAT'S THE REASON WHY WE, THIS IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT'S GONNA CONTROL THE RECURRING EXPENSES. IT WOULD HAVE TO COME TO THE COMMISSION. AND WE HAD TO BE AUTHORIZED BY YOU GUYS. SO WE HAD SOMETHING LIKE THIS ADOPTED ALREADY PRIOR TO THIS COMMISSION, AND IT WENT OUT THE DOOR. SO HOW DO WE ENFORCE AN ORDINANCE THAT THIS STAYS AND PUT, UH, IN PLACE MR. FLORES ADOPTING AN ORDINANCE? 'CAUSE WE DID ADOPT SOMETHING LIKE THIS, AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE IT WENT. I'M STILL LOOKING FOR IT. ARE WE TALKING ABOUT IMPLEMENTING THE COMPENSATION PLAN? WAS SOLIDIFYING IT, MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S GUARDRAILS FOR ADMINISTRATION, MERIT BASED HIRING, AND WE'RE NOT JUST, YEAH, GOOD JOB. HERE'S 20 GRAND AND GOOD JOB. HERE'S 25 FOR YOU. WHERE IS IT AT? SO ADOPTING THE COMPENSATION PLAN AS WE SEE HERE, RIGHT? IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, PRACTICALLY, UH, INTERNAL POLICY FOR US, UM, WHAT I WOULD ASK THE COMMISSION TO DO IS TO NOT CODIFY THIS SPECIFIC COMPENSATION PLAN, SO TO SPEAK, BUT THE PROCESS TO ACTUALLY GIVE IT TEETH TO BE IMPLEMENTED FROM FISCAL YEAR TO FISCAL YEAR. UM, YOU KNOW, THE ORDINANCE CAN'T BE SPECIFIC EVERY SINGLE TIME TO A COMPENSATION PLAN. EVERY FY WHAT WE CAN DO IS CODIFY AN ORDINANCE SAYING IF WE DO HAVE A COMPENSATION PLAN FOR THAT FY, UM, THAT WE IMPLEMENT IT, HERE ARE THE SAFEGUARDS, THE RAILS, UM, TO MAKE SURE THAT IT ACTUALLY GETS DONE. UH, TO MAYOR'S POINT, YOU KNOW, WE MAY HAVE HAD ONE IN PREVIOUS YEARS AND FOR WHATEVER REASON MAY HAVE NOT BEEN FOLLOWED. I'M NOT TOO SURE, UM, ABOUT THAT. UH, BUT IF WE DO CODIFY IT, THEN IT GIVES IT MORE TEETH, UH, TO ENSURE THAT IT IS IMPLEMENTED. SO, UM, TO PIGGYBACK OFF, LIKE MAYBE YES, AN ORDINANCE SAYING EVERY YEAR WE NEED TO ADOPT A COMPENSATION PLAN, AND THEN EVERY TIME WE ADOPT THE BUDGET, WE ALSO ADOPT A COMPENSATION PLAN WITH, WITH RESOLUTION, BUT WITH, ON HOW TO DO IT. CORRECT. SO TYPICALLY WHAT HAPPENS, EVEN FOR BIGGER MUNICIPALITIES AND GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES THAT DO HAVE BIG BUDGETS, AND WE DO HAVE A BIG BUDGET HERE. IT'S OVER, YOU KNOW, A MILLION DOLLARS. IT'S A LOT OF MONEY. TAXPAYER MONEY, UM, IS YOU ADOPT YOUR COMPENSATION PLAN FIRST, RIGHT? BECAUSE LET'S JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, MAYOR WAS GIVING AN EXAMPLE OF, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, UM, A HOLE DRIVER, UH, HE HAS A CDL. STEP ONE WOULD REQUIRE, YOU KNOW, $15,000 INCREASE FOR THAT STIPEND, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. SO IT GIVES YOU BETTER GUIDANCE WHEN YOU ADOPT THE COMPENSATION PLAN [00:45:01] FIRST. SO YOU CAN GET MORE DETAILED WHEN YOU ACTUALLY ADOPT YOUR BUDGET, THEN YOU ADOPT YOUR BUDGET FIRST PLAN LATER. BECAUSE THEN IF YOU'VE DONE IS TRIGGERED AN ABSOLUTE THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE BUDGET TO ADJUST IT BECAUSE YOUR COMPENSATION PLAN CAME LATER. UM, SO YOU GO FROM A LITTLE BIT OF DETAIL TO MUCH MORE DETAIL WITH THE BUDGET. WHAT MS. STEPHANIE, WHAT'S THE PERCENTAGE OF SALARIES IN FICA COVERED, UM, COVERS THIS BUDGET? DO WE HAVE THAT? REPEAT THE QUESTION? A PERCENTAGE. UM, SO THERE'S, THERE'S GONNA BE FOR SURE EXPENSES, WHICH IS SALARIES, UM, AND FRINGE BENEFITS FRINGE. WHAT, WHAT'S, WHAT IS THE, WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THE, OF THAT COVERS THIS? 19 $9 MILLION? 19.9 MILLION. IS IT 18 MILLION? I, I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING THE QUESTION, BUT, BUT CAN GIVE FOR FICA I CAN GIVE YOU A PERCENT FOR. SO HOW SIX POINT. SO HOW, HOW MUCH ARE WE PAYING FOR SALARY AND, UH, FRINGE BENEFITS FOR ALL EMPLOYEES FOR THE 250? MM, I WOULD GET BACKWARDS ON THAT NUMBER. SO, SO, SO WHAT I'M LOOKING AT IS LIKE IF WE'RE SPENDING 19 MILLION ON SALARIES AND FRINGE BENEFITS, THEN THAT ONLY LEAVES THE CITY $900,000 FOR PROJECTS, SPECIAL PROJECTS. THAT'S WHAT I TRY TO GET AN UNDERSTANDING OF. DO WE HAVE A DEPARTMENT THAT'S OVER LEVERAGED AND HAS NO ROOM FOR PROJECTS BECAUSE SALARY, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO CONTINUE COMING TO THE UNASSIGNED FUNDS, RIGHT? SO, UM, NEXT TO THOSE, I DID DO THESE SCENARIO, UM, FIRST JUST EXCLUDE 'CAUSE WE HAVE AN AGREEMENT WITH THEM. UM, BUT, UM, THIS IS OR, OR GENERAL FUND, UM, LIST OF DEPARTMENTS AND THAT'S THEIR SALARIES. OKAY, HERE YOU GO. I DID DO THREE SCENARIOS, RIGHT? UH, THE FIRST SCENARIO, IT'S WHAT I'M PROPOSING RIGHT NOW, ADOPTING THIS, UH, COMPENSATION PLAN, IT ADDS $500 MERELY INCREASE. IT WOULD ONLY BE APPLICABLE FOR PEOPLE THAT PASS PROBATION AND THAT THE SUPERVISOR DOES AN EVALUATION AND THAT WILL BE A LITTLE BIT MORE OF CITY ADMINISTRATION. HOW IS THAT'S GONNA TAKE PLACE AND WHO WOULD THE DEPARTMENT HEAD DECIDE THAT IT'S, THAT THEY FULFILL THEIR DUTIES AND THEY GET TO GET THOSE $500 AT A MEET YEAR TYPE OF DEAL? I'M NOT FOR SURE. THAT'S MORE LIKE AN ADMINISTRATION DECISION. AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, I KNOW WHEN I FIRST STARTED HERE, UH, WE DID A LOT OF TWO PERCENTS AND THREE PERCENTS, UH, ACROSS THE BOARD. WELL, IF WE DO THAT, THAT THAT'S, UH, A BIGGER EXPENSE THAT ACTUALLY ACQUIRED THIS. BUT THIS WILL REFLECT TO EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE, EVEN THE HIGH PAY EMPLOYEES VERSUS DOING THE 14 MINIMUM. 14 MINIMUM, WHICH IT WOULD BE A ONE INCREASE. ONLY TWO HOURLY EMPLOYEES ARE BELOW, I WOULD SAY LIKE, I THINK LIKE $45,000 A YEAR, UH, WOULD BE TAKING THIS BENEFIT INSTEAD OF GIVING IT TO ALL. AND IT'LL RESULT IN, IN A MUCH THAT'S 9.3 MILLION YES. IS THE PROPOSAL. THAT'S HOW MUCH IT WOULD EAT OF THE BUDGET, CORRECT. RIGHT. AND SO YOU'RE WORKING WITH 19.9 WITHOUT, WITHOUT PD. WITHOUT PE MM-HMM . SO DO YOU HAVE PDS NUMBERS? YES, BUT GIMME LET'S ADDED TO THAT. YES. SO, STEPHANIE, TO CLARIFY THE MAYOR'S QUESTION, THE SALARY WOULD NOT COVER THE FRINGE, IS THAT CORRECT? YES. THAT, THAT INCLUDES FRINGE BENEFITS. OKAY. SO THAT, THAT NUMBER DOES INCLUDE THE FRINGE. YES. SO A LOT OF TIMES WHAT YOU SEE IS EMPLOYERS WILL DO, WILL HIRE, UM, PART-TIMERS OR CONTRACT WORK BECAUSE FRINGE BENEFITS ARE EXPENSIVE. IT'S PROBABLY CHEAPER TO PAY AN EMPLOYEE OVERTIME THAN TO HIRE ANOTHER FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE. BUT WE ALSO GOTTA MITIGATE THE OVERTIME DOLLARS. ANOTHER QUESTION, WE'LL TAKE A LOOK AT IT, GIMME A SECOND. I'M, WHAT I'VE SEEN IS, UM, COMMISSIONER GONZALES, TO YOUR POINT ABOUT SAVING TAXPAYERS DOLLARS, I I'M GONNA GO BACK TO YOU ALL DAY. WE'RE GONNA SAVE A LOT OF MONEY HERE. UM, UH, AN EMPLOYEE THAT CONSISTENTLY WORKS 42 HOURS EVERY WEEK. ARE YOU, ARE YOU SCHEDULED TO WORK 40? ARE YOU CONSISTENTLY SCHEDULED TO WORK 42? SO HOW ARE WE MANAGING THAT? ARE WE DOING OUR PART TO MANAGE OUR TIME? UH, ARE WE WORKING THE 39? ARE WE WORKING CONSISTENTLY? 42, 42. 42 42. THAT'S TWO HOURS OF OVERTIME FOR 52 WEEKS. OVERTIME SHOULD NOT BE IN YOUR BUDGET. AND WE, WE DON'T, WE DON'T BUDGET FOR OVERTIME. OVERTIME, . AND WE DO, THE CITY DOES BECAUSE WE'RE GONNA HAVE OTHER PEOPLE DO OVERTIME. SO WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GONNA LET NOBODY GO. SO WE'RE, WE'RE NOT GONNA LET NOBODY DO IT. WE'RE GONNA MANAGE OVERTIME IF, IF IT THAT'S A DIRECTION, GET AN EMAIL SAYING NO OVERTIME IS ALLOWED AT THE TIME. . SO THAT'S, THAT'S BEEN, THAT'S BEEN LOOKED AT. UM, SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT 5.5 FOR, UM, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, INCLUDING THE ANIMAL CONTROL AND OUR COMMUNICATION SPECIALISTS. 5.5 MILLION. CORRECT. ALRIGHT. [00:50:01] INCLUDING IN FRINGE BENEFITS, BUT THAT INCLUDES OUR COMMUNICATION SPECIALISTS, ALL POLICE OFFICERS AND OR, UH, ANIMAL CONTROL EVERY, ALL OF THAT. IT'S PART OF OUR, OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT. IT'S ALMOST 15 MILLION. SO 14.8 WHERE DEPARTMENT HEADS ARE SPENDING WISELY DOING MIRACLES WITH. SO STUFF THAT WE'RE DOING. SO COMMISSIONERS THAT LEAVES YOU I GUESS ABOUT $5 MILLION PROJECTS, UNKNOWN WATER LEAKS THAT HAPPEN EVERY WEEK. UM, ALL SORTS OF THINGS. THIS IS, THIS IS OUR, THIS, IF I LIKE TO ADD, THIS IS OUR GENERAL FUND ONLY. THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE OUR WATER DEPARTMENT. THIS IS NOT OUR ENTERPRISE FUND. THIS IS OUR GENERAL FUND. OKAY. AND I, I BROUGHT IT IT LIKE THAT, UM, TO PROVIDE YOU WITH AN EXAMPLE OF HOW WOULD THAT LOOK LIKE AND WHY WOULD THAT INCREASE WITH THE $500 MERIT BASE? IT'S THE BEST OPTION WHEN IT COMES TO BUDGET VERSUS GIVING A 2% OR A 3% YEAR THERE RESULTS FOR THE OPTION OF STAYING SAME YARD, BEST OPTION FOR YEAR. YES. BASED ON BUDGET CONSTRAINTS AND HOW MUCH MONEY, UM, WE'RE TRYING TO SAVE, RIGHT? SO I PUT YOUR REVENUE BY SOURCE AND ONE OF THE THINGS HERE IS, OR PROPERTY TAX SALE, UH, REVENUE, IT'S, OR MAIN SOURCE OF REVENUE. THEN WE HAVE OUR SALES TAX AND THEN OUR LICENSE AND PERMITS, FEES AND SERVICES, UH, FINE AND FORFEITURE INTEREST, REVENUE AND ANY OTHER MISCELLANEOUS REVENUE THAT, THAT WE MIGHT MIGHT GET. MS. STEPHANIE, IT'S A LITTLE BIT, UM, TOO FAR FOR THE AUDIENCE. WHAT'S THE LARGE BLUE THAT'S OR, UM, PROPERTY TAXES. AND UH, AND THEN THE ORANGE IS, UH, SALES TAX. SALES TAX. SO THOSE ARE OUR LARGEST TO, UH, CONTRIBUTORS TO THE REVENUE STREAM FOR THE CITY. CORRECT? FOR MOST CITIES, YES. DID WE GET A FRANCHISE TAX STATEMENT? UH, GOOD QUESTION. COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ ASKED IF WE HAVE A FRANCHISE TAX THAT'S PART OF THE, UH, FEES AND SERVICES, UM, ON YOUR BOOKLET OVER HERE, YOU WOULD SEE HOW MUCH WE HAVE FROM THAT. WE DO GET THAT FROM OUR, UH, BUT THE SOLID WASTE, UH, FUND GETS THAT FROM OUR, UH, CONTRACT WITH OUR SOLID WASTE SERVICES. SO THAT DOESN'T FALL INTO THIS ONE, BUT WE DO HAVE FRANCHISE FEES INCLUDED HERE. AND SO YOU WILL FIND IN MORE DETAIL OVER HERE, WHAT IS IT THAT EXACTLY WILL WE GET, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IF WE CAN FRANCHISE TAX, UBER AND LYFT AND AMAZON AND EVERYBODY ELSE THAT USES OUR STREETS, YOU KNOW, WHAT WOULD IT TAKE TO YOU ALL, ERIC, FOR US TO TRY TO GET THAT DONE? SO, UH, COMMISSION IS ACTUALLY SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN DISCUSSING, THAT I'VE BEEN DISCUSSING WITH, WITH, UH, STAFF AND SOME OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS. SO BACK IN THE 88TH OR 89TH LEGISLATION THERE WAS, THERE WAS LEGISLATION TO CAP THE FRANCHISE TAX THAT A MUNICIPALITY COULD, UM, DO THAT, UM, THAT LEGISLATION ACTUALLY FAILED. SO THAT IS A BENEFIT, UH, TO THE MUNICIPALITY. WE ARE IN CONTRACT NEGOTIATION RIGHT NOW WITH, UM, ONE OF OUR SERVICES THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED. I WON'T SAY THEM SPECIFICALLY. UM, BUT WE ARE GOING TO LEVERAGE A FRANCHISE TOWS ROUTES BECAUSE IT IS EXCLUSIVE TO THEM. THEY HAVE NO OTHER COMPETITIVE REASON ROUTES. UM, SO WE ARE LOOKING TO LEVERAGE A LITTLE BIT, WHICH IS REASONABLE. IT'S A FRACTION TO WHAT THEY ARE PAYING IN ANOTHER MUNICIPALITY. SO THAT WILL RETURN, UH, SOME DOLLARS TO, UH, THE ENTITY. I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY SOURCE OF REVENUE THAT COULD, COULD BE ADDED TO THIS BUDGET. SO, UM, I MADE A FEW SLIDES ABOUT OUR PROPERTY TAXES JUST BECAUSE IT'S IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND THAT YES, IT IS YOUR MAIN SOURCE OF REVENUE THAT WENT ALONG WITH, UM, SALES TAX. AND A LOT OF THE PRESENTATION THAT WAS OUT THERE FOR CITIZENS WAS INVITING THE COMMUNITY TO SHOP LOCAL, TO PUMP FIELD LOCALLY, TO, UM, BECOME BUSINESS OWNERS HERE AT SANTO BECAUSE THAT WOULD AFFECT THEIR BUDGET AND REVENUE SOURCE AND THAT WOULD PROVIDE THEM BACK WITH, UM, INFORMATION, I'M SORRY, WITH MORE PARKS, WITH MORE SAFETY, WITH MORE NEWER INFRASTRUCTURE. SO, UM, THAT THE PRESENTATION THAT I PROVIDED TO THEM, IT'S, IT'S, IT WAS TELLING THEM LIKE HOW, HOW TO HELP, UH, FOR US TO INCREASE OUR REVENUE. SO WE HAVE THE BENEFITS OF REDUCING THE TAX RATE, RIGHT? IT'S GONNA PROVIDE A MODEST RELIEF TO THE TAXPAYERS. UM, IT'S GONNA HELP TO OFFSET THE INCREASED PROPERTY TAXES THAT WE, THAT WE FACE AND WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER. UM, IT WOULD DEMONSTRATE THAT WE, WE CAN AFFORD THAT AND WE'VE ALREADY PROOF THAT WE CAN, RIGHT? UM, AND IT'LL ATTRACT MORE CITIZENS AND RESIDENTS AND NEW BUSINESSES TO COME THIS WAY BECAUSE OUR TAX RATE'S LOWER, RIGHT? AND IT'LL ALLOW OUR TAXPAYERS TO KEEP MORE MONEY ON THEIR PACKETS, RIGHT? WHEN IT COMES TO THE CONSEQUENCES, IT'LL REDUCE OUR REVENUE AVAILABLE FOR OPERATIONS. IT'LL LIMIT OUR FUNDING FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, FOR EQUIPMENT, FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS. UM, IT COULD AFFECT THE CITY LIABILITY TO DO [00:55:01] THE COST OF LIVING THAT THIS BUDGET, IT'S BEEN IMPACTED WITH EVERY YEAR. UM, AND IT'S A REOCCURRING REVENUE SOURCE THAT WE'RE LOWERING. SO IT'S A REOCCURRING. SO IT WOULD NOT ONLY AFFECT THIS BUDGET, BUT ALL THE ONES COMING FORWARD IF WE DON'T INCREASE IT LATER, RIGHT? UM, AND SO THE TAXPAYER WILL SEE A SAVING, BUT IT WILL BE RELATIVELY SMALL DEPENDING ON THE HOUSE, ON THE VALUE OF THE PROPERTY, RIGHT? UM, SO IT MIGHT BE UNPOPULAR LATER TO GO PUT IT UP AGAIN. SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE ANALYSIS. AND GO AHEAD AND PUT, UM, SO EVEN WHEN REDUCING THE TAX RATE, WE'RE EXPECTING LIKE A 207,000 WITH 68, A 2.46 INCREASE PERCENT FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR WHEN IT COMES TO BUDGET COLLECTION, UM, PROPERTY TAX COLLECTION. SO IT WOULD STILL BE AN INCREASE JUST BECAUSE OUR CERTIFIED VALUES INCREASED. UM, BUT IT WILL BE A REALLY CONSERVATIVE, UH, 2.46%. MS. STEPHANIE, DO YOU HAVE WHAT THE CERTIFIED VALUES WERE LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR? THE NUMBER I HAVE THIS YEAR'S, I DIDN'T DO A COMPARISON FROM FROM LAST YEAR, BUT YOU HAVE IT AVAILABLE IN ONE OF YOUR SHEETS THOUGH. WHAT ON THIS ONE, IF YOU GO TO THE THIRD PAGE, I HAVE THIS , BUT IT ESSENTIALLY WENT UP 2.4. 2.4, YES. YES. 2.46%. YES. SO 1 CENT WILL INCREASE $114,485 OF REVENUE. AND THIS, MOST OF THIS COMMISSION MISSED THE FUN ONE A FEW YEARS BACK WHERE EVERYBODY'S VALUE SKYROCKETED. YES. SO THIS IS NOT, THIS IS NOT TRADITIONAL. UM, IT WAS, WELL THIS IS TRADITIONAL. IT ALLOWED, IT ALLOWED US, BUT Y'ALL MISSED THE BIG, THE BIG, IT ALLOWED OUR BUDGET TO GROW THE WAY IT IS RIGHT NOW. RIGHT? I I'LL SAY THAT. UM, SO FOR A PROPERTY VALUE OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND, IT'LL REDUCE, OH CENT WILL REDUCE $10 AND FOR 2 CENTS IT'LL BE $20 THAT WE'LL GET TO KEEP. RIGHT? VERSUS TO US, A 2 CENTS DECREASE WILL BE ABOUT 228,000, RIGHT? SO WE ARE, WE WILL BE AT OUR LOWEST WE'VE EVER BEEN FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS. HERE. I JUST PUT THE LAST, WHAT IS IT, SIX YEARS, WELL, FIVE YEARS. AND THEN THIS YEAR WE WOULD BE BELOW 70 CENTS. AND WE'VE NEVER BEEN AT THAT FOR THE PAST 10 YEARS. SO AS YOU SHOW THOSE RATES, I WANT TO GO OVER, UM, WHERE DO I WRITE THESE DOWN? I, I'D LIKE TO DO A COMPARISON. CAMERON COUNTY, THE ADOPTED TAX RATES, SO FOR BROWNSVILLE, 2025 WAS 0.6. HARLINGEN WAS 0.52. LOS INDIOS, 0.5, REO 0.80. RANCHO RANCHO VIEJO, 0.45, LOS FRESNOS, 0.685, JUST SO YOU GUYS HAVE A, A REFERENCE. SO IT'S, IT'S HONDO AND THEN US, BUT THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT. SO IF, IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT JUST BROWNSVILLE 0.60 AND HARDING AND 0.52, SO OUR TWO NEIGHBORS WE'RE THE THIRD LARGEST CITY. THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE A HIGHER CERTIFIED TAX BASE FOR SURE THAN WE DO. BUT JUST TO GIVE YOU GUYS A FRAME OR A REFERENCE. AND THIS IS BASICALLY WHAT, WHAT MAKES UP THAT, THAT TAX RATE. SO THIS IS WHAT GOES IN THE NEWSPAPER. I JUST WANTED TO ADD THERE SO EVERYBODY COULD SEE THAT. SO THE MAYOR LEMME INTERJECT REAL QUICK. SO, UM, YEAH. AND THAT CONTRACT THAT WAS UNDER NEGOTIATION. I DID TALK TO THE INTERIM AS WELL AS THE A CM. THEY ACTUALLY LEFT THE FRANCHISE FEE TAX. SO IN THIS ONE PARTICULAR CONTRACT, WE'RE BRINGING IT BACK. IT'S PRETTY REASONABLE. A SECOND THING I WANT TO ADD, WHICH I DO SEE IT ON HERE SOMEWHERE, OR OR TWO THINGS, IS THE MUNICIPALITY COURTS IS CON CONTINUOUSLY ARISING WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR MUNICIPAL COURT FINES. IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE SHOOTING TO, YOU KNOW, REALLY FIND THE RESIDENTS, BUT IT'S THE CASES THAT ARE, UH, BEFORE THE MUNICIPAL COURT, WE DO WANT TO COLLECT, UM, THOSE FINES, WHETHER IT'S SPEEDING TICKETS, PARKING VIOLATIONS, UM, THOSE SEEM TO BE DOING WELL. I'VE TALKED TO CHRISTINA, HERE HE IS SOMEWHERE HERE. UM, I DO SEE THOSE INCREASING. THAT'LL BE STEADY. ANOTHER THING THAT THE, UM, I AM GONNA SIT DOWN WITH THE INTERIM AND THE A CM AS WELL AS STEPHANIE IS DOING A STUDY WHEN IT COMES TO PULLING CERTAIN PERMITS, WE MAY BE LOW WHEN IT COMES TO, FOR EXAMPLE, I'LL JUST USE THIS HYPOTHETICAL. IF SOMEBODY GOES AND PULLS A CONSTRUCTION PERMIT, I THINK RIGHT NOW AT THE FIRST ONE THAT I SAW, LET'S JUST SAY IT'S $1,500. OTHER MUNICIPAL MUNICIPALITIES ARE CHARGING ANYWHERE FROM 15,000 TO $48,000, ESPECIALLY FOR A COMMERCIAL. SO WE MAY HAVE TO DO A STUDY WHEN IT COMES TO THOSE PERMITS. WE COULD COLLECT ADDITIONAL REVENUE, UH, THERE, AND IT COULD BE SUBSTANTIAL. SO WE, WE'VE, UH, COMMISSIONERS, UH, ADOPTED SOME NEW, UH, PERMIT FEES. UM, I THINK THE FEE SCHEDULE, WE'VE CHANGED THAT QUITE A BIT. WE CAN ALWAYS BRING IT BACK. IT'S A GOOD WAY TO LOOK AT REVENUE LEAKAGE FOR SURE. UM, ONE THING THAT I THOUGHT, OH, I THINK WE DID THIS PAST FEW, UH, BUDGET CYCLES IS WE IMPLEMENTED [01:00:01] PARK LAND FEES. SO WHEN A DEVELOPER COMES IN, THERE'S A SET OF FEES THAT HAVE TO BE PAID PER LOT THAT GO INTO PARK REVENUE STREAM SO THAT WE CAN USE THOSE MONIES, UM, BACK TO BUILD PARKS IN THOSE AREAS. SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE IS SOMETIMES IS WE SEE REVENUE, LIKE FOR THIS EXAMPLE, PARKLAND FEES. ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT THOSE REVENUES BEING USED FOR PARKS AND NOT TO SUPPLEMENT SOMEONE ELSE'S DEPARTMENT? RIGHT. OR, UM, THE STORM WATER TAX ON THE RESIDENT'S WATER BILL, ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT THAT STORM WATER TAX IS BEING USED TO ENHANCE DRAINAGE, UM, THE INFRASTRUCTURE TAX ON THE RESIDENT'S WATER BILL? ARE WE MAKING SURE THAT THAT TAX IS GOING TO FUND STREET PROJECTS OR IS IT GOING TO FUND SOMEONE ELSE'S DEPARTMENT? RIGHT. SO IT, SO THAT WAY IT, IT, IT GIVES A GOOD DESIGNATION OF WHERE THAT MONEY'S FALLING AND HOW IT'S BEING USED. AND IS IT BEING USED FOR HIS INTENT? BECAUSE WE'RE SAYING WE'RE GONNA CHARGE YOU THIS TAX TO DO THIS WITH IT, BUT THEN THAT'S NOT GENERALLY THE CASE FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN. IN OTHER WORDS, TRACKING THE MONEY. EXACTLY. OKAY. SO WE'RE MOVING OVER TO OUR EXPENSES. AND THEN THIS ONE I JUST DID LIKE A, LIKE A NICE PIE CHART SO EVERYBODY COULD SEE WHERE WE'RE SPENDING THE MOST. OF COURSE, OUR SAFETY IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART THERE. WHAT PERCENTAGE IS PUBLIC SAFETY? MISS STEPHANIE? LIKE 70% PROBABLY. RIGHT? IT'S POLICE AND FIRE. CORRECT. SO GOT ABOUT 10 MILLION OF 20 MILLION. SO ABOUT 50%, 44 I WOULD SAY. UM, SO, AND THIS IS SPLIT IN ALL THE DEPARTMENTS AND HOW MUCH EACH DEPARTMENT IS HITTING UP THE COST OF THEIR TOTAL BUDGET FOR YOUR REVIEW. AND THIS IS ONLY GENERAL FUND FOLLOW WITH THAT, I KNOW, UM, UM, YOU HAVE REQUESTED ME TO GIVE YOU MORE DETAILS WHAT THOSE DEB WORK, UM, MADE FOR. SO I DID PROVIDE YOU WITH, IN ONE OF THE SHEETS, THE EXPLANATIONS OF THOSE, AND I'LL GO BY THEM REALLY QUICK. IT'S JUST THAT IT WAS HARD TO PUT IT THERE. THEY'RE LIKE, SOME OF THE WORDING IS A LITTLE BIT COMPLICATED WHEN IT COMES TO BONDS AND WHAT WERE THEY'RE MADE FOR. SO THE COMBINATION OF TAX LIMITED GLITCH, UH, WAS ISSUED FOR ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING SERVICES TO REPAIR OF LIFT PATIENTS. IT'S NOT REALLY SPECIFIC, BUT THAT'S WHAT IT WAS INTENT FOR BACK IN 2019. THEN, UM, THE CONTACT PLEDGE REVENUE FOR CERTIFICATION, UM, SERIES FOR 2020 WAS ISSUE 7.8 MILLION, UH, FOR THE CONSTRUCTION AND REPAIRS OF CITIES LIFT STATION AND RELATED ACCU ARCHITECTURAL AND ENGINEERING SERVICES. MOST OF IT'S GOING TO OUR INFRASTRUCTURE FOR A SEWER, UM, DEPARTMENT. UM, SO WE HAVE GENERAL OBLIGATION REFUNDING BOND SERIES 2020, THAT WAS 4 MILLION, UM, WHICH IS REFUNDED OR, OR OUTSTANDING DEBT. THEN WE HAVE THE SERIES 2022. THAT ONE WAS 2.4. UH, IT'S ANOTHER, ANOTHER, UM, COMBINATION TO REFUND OR BONDS FOR A BETTER RATE. AND THEN, UM, WE RECENTLY ACQUIRED THE 2026. THAT'S FOR THE MONEY AWARDED FOR LINE 77, 2 0.6 MILLION. THAT'S THE ONE THAT'S COMING UP. AND I PUT IT IN YOUR, IN YOUR PACKET SO Y'ALL COULD SEE THAT'S THE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION I WAS TALKING TO YOU ABOUT. SO IT COULD BE MORE DETAILED AND I DON'T, IT WON'T TAKE UP THE SCREEN, BUT YOU WOULD SEE IN THIS ONE YOU SEE HOW MUCH WE'RE GONNA BE PAYING. AND THEN THE ONE THAT I PROVIDED YOU, IT SHOWS HOW MUCH IT WE ARE GONNA BE PAYING THIS YEAR, BUT ALSO HOW MUCH WE OWED IN TOTAL. AND THE DESCRIPTIONS THAT I JUST MENTIONED. AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR SIDE OF THE GENERAL FUND. WE'RE MOVING FORWARD. OUR ENTERPRISE FUND, THIS IS A MUCH SMALLER, BECAUSE IT'S DOESN'T HAVE AS MANY DEPARTMENTS. IT DOES HAVE QUITE SOME DEPARTMENTS AND IT'S SPLITTED AT TWO. AND I WOULD LIKE TO EXPLAIN A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF CITIZENS HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO UNDERSTAND. SO OUR ENTERPRISE FUNDS, IT'S OUR WATER FUND, IT'S OUR UTILITIES, IT'S YOUR WATER BILL, WHAT YOU, WHAT YOU PAY. IT'S SELF SUSTAINABLE. AND UM, IT'S AN ENTERPRISE FUND. IT'S NOT BEING MANAGED AND IT'S NOT BEING HANDLED AT THE SAME LEVEL AS THE GENERAL FUND. SO A LOT OF THE INFRASTRUCTURE, A LOT OF THE REPAIRS OF THE LIFT STATION OVER WATER COMES FROM THAT BILL OF WATER THAT YOU PAY. THAT ALSO ALLOWS US TO HAVE THE RESOURCES TO PROVIDE YOU WITH WATER. THE PRIORITIES FOR THIS BUDGET. WHEN IT COMES TO THE ENTERPRISE, WE'RE TACKLING AGENT AND OUTDATED WATER AND SEWER INFRASTRUCTURE. UH, WE'RE INCREASING THE RESOURCES, UH, TO FOCUS A LOT ON THE SEWER REPAIRS THAT ARE NEEDED. A LOT OF OUR, OUR, UH, LIFT STATIONS ARE COLLAPSING, UM, COMPLETE MORE REPAIR MAINTENANCE PROJECTS IN-HOUSE. AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE REASON WHY THE EQUIPMENT IT'S NEEDED AND WHY THE THIRD CREW IS NEEDED. UM, PROVIDE TRAINING TO OUR EMPLOYEES, PROVIDE INCENTIVES. A LOT OF THE LICENSES, I'M NOT SAYING THE STREET DEPARTMENTS DOES NOT REQUIRE PEOPLE WITH LICENSES, BUT IT MOST, IT GOES MORE TOWARDS THE WATER DEPARTMENT. 'CAUSE THEY HAVE THE ONE, THEY ARE THE ONES THAT HAVE ALL THIS TYPE OF LICENSES THAT THEY NEED TO [01:05:01] HOLD IN ORDER FOR THEM TO TREAT YOUR WATER AND DO ALL. I'M, I'M NOT TOO, UM, VERSED ON THAT, BUT ALL OF THE LICENSES THAT THEY, THAT THEY REQUIRE TO, TO TREAT OR WATER, UM, IMPROVE EMPLOYEE RETENTION AND DEVELOP A SKILLED WORKFORCE, WE WANNA KEEP OUR EMPLOYEES. SO A LOT OF IT, IT'S, IT REQUIRES A LOT FOR WHAT WE'RE PAYING OUR EMPLOYEES. THAT'S WHAT WE KEEP HEARING. IT'S, IT'S A LOT OF WORK. IT'S HOT OUT THERE. SO THAT'S, THEY WILL BE TAKING ALSO PART OF THE COMPENSATION PLAN, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE THE ENTERPRISE FUND, THEY'LL ALSO BE JOINING THAT COMPENSATION PLAN AND WILL ALLOW THEM TO START WAGE OF $14 INSTEAD OF 1285. UM, WE WANT TO BE AS MUCH IN THE GREEN SIDE WITH TCQ. SO WE WANNA MAINTAIN COMPLIANCE AND STATE FEDERAL REQUIREMENTS. WE WANNA BE PREVENTIVE, NOT NOT PROACTIVE, REDUCE THE EMERGENCY REPAIRS AND THEN TRY TO FIX IT BEFORE IT IS, IT'S AN EMERGENCY. SO WE WANT TO REBUILD OUR INFRASTRUCTURE FROM GROWNUP, UH, FIX FROM GROWNUP, NOT, NOT JUST DO REPAIRS THAT WILL COME BACK AT US AGAIN AND PRIORITIZE LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS. SO THIS IS FOR OUR WATER FUND. UM, TOTAL CHARGES FOR SERVICES. THIS IS OUR REVENUE SOURCES. SO YOU WOULD SEE ON THIS ONE AND DO A PIE CHART. WE ONLY HAVE THREE SOURCES. SO IT'S OUR CHARGES FOR SERVICES OR INTEREST, REVENUE AND OTHER MISCELLANEOUS REVENUE. SO, UM, ADMIN, WE HAVE, UH, FIVE DEPARTMENTS WITHIN OUR WATER. WE HAVE OUR, UH, ADMINISTRATION. WE HAVE WATER PLAN ONE, WATER PLAN TWO, UH, WATER DISTRIBUTION OPERATIONS, AND OUR METER READERS. AND IT'S SPLITTED BY DEPARTMENT. HOW MUCH EACH OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS ARE COSTING US. ALL OF THESE INCLUDES THE COMPENSATION PLAN AND INCLUDES, UM, LICENSE INCENTIVES THAT I WOULD BE PROVIDING TO YOU MORE DETAIL. APOLOGIZE FOR NOT, NOT ADDING THAT ONE IN INTO THIS ONE, BUT, UM, THAT'S ESSENTIALLY WHAT OUR WATER IS. AND IN THIS ONE, WE, WE, WE CAN SEE OUR, OUR REVENUES OUT THERE AND THAT'S WHEN WE WILL LOOK, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT ALLOW US TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO WITH OUR WATER SYSTEM. THAT'S WHAT ALLOWED US TO FIX OUR WATER TOWERS. THAT'S WHAT ALLOW US TO MAKE A LOT OF THE TREATMENT OVER WATER MOVING FORWARD. WE HAVE OR WATER PLANT ONE IS THE STINGER PLANT. YES. RIGHT. I'M NOT TOO SURE THE ORIGINAL ONE, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE IT'S CLEAR. RIGHT. WATER PLANT ONE IS THE STINGER PLANT. YES. AND GETTING NODS. YES. YES. OKAY. UM, THEN WE HAVE OUR WASTEWATER FUND. SO SAME THING, WE ONLY HAVE TWO SOURCE OF REVENUES OR CHARGES FOR SERVICES FOR SEWER. UM, TOTAL ADMINISTRATION. WE HAVE WASTEWATER, PLANT OPERATIONS, SEWER COLLECTIONS, OPERATIONS. SO AGAIN, THIS MONEY, IT'S WHAT ALLOWS US TO MOVE FORWARD AND MAKE REPAIRS. OKAY. AND THEN WE HAVE OUR SOLID WASTE FUND. THIS IS OUR, OUR TRASH SERVICES THAT WE CONTRACT OUT WITH A, WITH A THIRD PARTY. RIGHT? IT'S HOW MUCH WE CHARGE FOR SERVICES, HOW MUCH WE MAKE. AND THEN WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF BREAKING EVEN WHERE WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE THERE, UH, WITH OUR EXPENSES COMPARED TO, TO WHAT IT IS. AND THIS IS WHERE THE FRANCHISE FEES COME FROM. AND YOU'RE GONNA SEE THE DETAIL ON YOUR, ON YOUR BIG BOOKLET. AND WE, I ALSO SEND A PDF WITH MORE DETAILS ON WHAT I HAD PROVIDED TO YOU. WHERE'S THE FRANCHISE FEES HERE? UM, CHARGES FOR SERVICES. DO WE GET THAT REVENUE? I DIDN'T SEE IN THE BOOK? I'M SORRY. DO WE GET THAT FROM EVERY UTILITY? I'M SORRY. DO WE GET THAT FRANCHISE TAX CORRECT. FROM EVERY UTILITY? MM-HMM . TELECOM, UM, TELECOMMUNICATIONS, RIGHT? CABLE TV, PHONE BILLS, POWER PHONE BILLS. I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RATE IS. I THINK THERE'S AN ORDINANCE, BUT I'VE ASKED, UM, SO WE COULD FIND THAT. OKAY. I'LL LOOK FOR THAT INFORMATION. I WANNA SEE WHERE WE'RE AT WITH THOSE. BUT ALSO, YOU GUYS HAVE TO REMEMBER, COMMISSIONERS, YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER, LIKE THOSE FEES, THEY'RE ALWAYS GONNA GET PASSED ON TO THE CONSUMER ALL THE TIME. FROM MY EXPERIENCE, WHAT I'VE SEEN, CONSUMERS PAYING IT. SO THIS ALMOST THE END OF MY PRESENTATION. SO IF I HAVE TO SUMMARIZE THIS WHOLE PRESENTATION QUESTIONS. SO WE WOULD WANT WITH THIS BUDGET TO, AND IF YOU ALL AGREE TO IT, AGAIN, WE'RE, WE'RE STILL OPEN FOR SUGGESTIONS AND CHANGES. IF YOU ALL WANNA ADD SOMETHING, INVEST IN EMPLOYEES. TRAIN IN PUBLIC SAFETY ADDRESS 18 STREETS, WATER WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE, COMPLETE MORE REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE PROJECTS IN HOUSE. REDUCE EMERGENCIES MORE PREVENTIVE THAN EMERGENCIES. UH, MAINTAIN FINANCIAL STABILITY THROUGH OUR RESPONSIBLE BUDGETING. PROVIDE TRANSPARENT AND ACCOUNTABLE USE OF TAXPAYERS FUNDS. AND THIS, THIS IS A BIG EXAMPLE OF IT, ALLOWING THE COMMUNITY TO COME AND TELL US WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO SEE IN THIS BUDGET. BUILD A SAFER, STRONGER, AND MORE SUSTAINABLE SANTO. THAT'S, THAT'S THE END GOAL. AND THEN ALL THE PEOPLE THAT MAKES THIS POSSIBLE. YOU, YOU ALL, UH, COMMISSIONER AND MAYOR. UM, [01:10:01] I, I CANNOT SAY ENOUGH. THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME BEING THE FINEST DIRECTOR AND ALLOWING ME FOR THIS BUDGET TOGETHER. AND I'M HOPING FOR ANY QUESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS. THANK YOU STEP. THANK YOU MS. STEPHANIE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. I WAS STEPHANIE. I WAS COMMENTING TO THE MAYOR OF, UM, ON THAT WATER BILL. I WONDER IF WE COULD PUT SOME KIND OF CHECKBOX FOR A, FOR A, FOR DONATION. I KNOW WE GOTTA SPAY AND N PROGRAM. WE HAVE A CERTAIN FUND FOR IT. I WONDER IF WE CAN GROW IT BY ASKING THE COMMUNITY IF THEY WANT TO HELP. ONLY BECAUSE IT SEEMS SO EAGER. AND I THINK PEOPLE DO WANT TO HELP JUST FOR THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF WE COULD ADD, I MEAN, A VOLUNTARY, IS THAT, IS THAT POSSIBLE? WHAT WAS THAT? MAYOR PRO TIM? I LIKE PART OF OUR SPARE PROGRAM. WE HAVE FUND FOR IT, BUT I KNOW SOME PEOPLE WANT TO CONTRIBUTE ON THEIR PART BESIDES, BESIDES WHAT'S ACCOUNTED FOR. MAYBE PUT A BOX AND A FREE DONATION, WHATEVER, FROM A QUARTER TO A DOLLAR TO WHATEVER IT IS ON THEIR WATER BILL. MAYBE LIKE A ROUNDUP TO THE NEAREST ROUNDUP. ROUND UP TO THE NEXT DOLLAR TO GO CONTRIBUTE. ONE THING CITY HAS DONE HAS GONE ELECTRONIC. I KNOW, UM, WE WERE PUSHING FOR THAT A WHILE BACK. THAT'D JUST BE KIND OF A SOFTWARE THING THAT WE COULD DO IS LIKE, YOU KNOW, ROUND UP TO THE NEAREST DOLLAR. JUST LIKE IF YOU WERE TO CHECK OUT IT, YOU KNOW, FOR EXAMPLE, HOME DEPOT OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE THESE DAYS. UM, THEY COULD ADD THAT OPTION FOR VETERAN. THEY'RE DOING IT AT HOME DEPOT. THEY GOTTA DO IT HERE. YEAH. LIKE THE MAYOR SAID, AS LONG AS WE KNOW THAT MONEY'S GOING TO WHAT WE'RE WE'RE SAYING, IT'S GOING TO. YEAH. AND I THINK WE DO HAVE A ANIMAL ADVISORY BOARD, UM, WHO COULD THEN, YOU KNOW, THEY COULD TAKE THAT BUDGETED MONEY AND THEN MAYBE HOLD. THAT WAS A SUGGESTION THAT WE HAD. UM, WE GAVE THAT TO THE ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICER AND WE WERE GONNA GET WITH MS. STEPHANIE ABOUT THE POTENTIALLY DOING THAT. I THINK WE BROUGHT THAT UP ONCE. RIGHT. BUT THAT BOARD'S MET ONCE THEY NEED TO MEET AGAIN. YEAH, WELL THAT WOULD BE AN OPTION IS TO, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD SEE EVERY DOLLAR THAT GOES TO THEM, IT WOULD COME TO THE CITY AND THEN WE WOULD JUST, UH, PASS IT OVER STRAIGHT TO THEM. AND THEN MAYBE THEY COULD HOLD PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, SPAY AND NEUTER CLINICS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY. SO, YOU KNOW, THROUGHOUT THE MONTHS, WHENEVER WE HAVE THE MONEY, I'LL, I'LL THROW A COMM UH, SUGGESTION TO THE COMMISSION NOW. UM, THE EDC HAS THIS REAL NICE BUS. THEY'RE NOT HERE. UM, RIGHT THERE. OH, MR. PALOMO, UH, THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. HE HAS A REAL NICE BUS THAT MAYBE, UM, THE CITY COULD ENTERTAIN AND OR MAYBE THE EDC COULD HELP US WITH AND RENOVATE IT TO DO A MOBILE SPAY AND NEUTER CLINIC. PROBABLY BE THE FIRST OF ITS KIND WILL BE SOME TRAILBLAZERS FOR SURE. UM, I'VE SEEN THOSE BEFORE, BUT, RIGHT. I'VE, I'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH COULD FIT LIKE TWO OPERATING ROOMS AND A FEW KENNELS. I THINK IT'D BE SOMETHING VERY NOVEL AND, UM, INGENIOUS FOR OUR, FOR OUR TERRITORY FOR SURE. JUST AN OPTION. WE HAVE A BIG CHARTER BUS THAT WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING WITH. IT NEEDS SOME RETROFITTING, UH, BUT WE CAN MAYBE COME UP WITH A PROPOSAL, SEE WHAT THE COSTS ARE. THE OTHER THING IS MS. STEPHANIE HERE ON THE EDC BUDGET, IS THIS, UH, IS THIS THE MOST CURRENT, THAT'S THE PROPOSED BUDGET BY, UH, BECAUSE I SEE, UH, EDC, UH, ADMINISTRATION. SO I SAW, UH, OTHER, UH, FINANCE FINANCING SOURCES 2.5. ARE THEY, ARE THEY TRYING, IS THE EDC GONNA BE LOOKING TO, WHAT IS THAT? 2.5? SO ARE THEY PULLING MONEY OUT OF THEIR BALANCE FUND? THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THEIR INTENT. MM-HMM . OH, WHAT THAT MEAN? THEY HAVEN'T, UM, THEY HAVEN'T SAID WHAT FOR, THEY HAVEN'T, THEY HAVEN'T MET, UH, FOR WORKSHOP. I THINK THEY'RE STILL PENDING ON THAT. BUT THIS IS WHAT'S PRETTY MUCH KEPT THE SAME WAY AS IT WAS LAST YEAR. THEY DID SOME ADJUSTMENT INTERNALLY OR THEIR, THEIR ADMINISTRATION DEPARTMENT, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. BUT IT HASN'T BEEN, UH, ADOPTED OR APPROVED OR DISCUSSED. SO I, I CANNOT TELL YOU THAT THIS IS SAID, BUT I WANTED TO PROVIDE YOU WITH A PROPOSED, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT SET IN STONE. THEY STILL NEED TO GO AND, AND MAKE A DECISION ON IT. AND THEY'RE, BUT, BUT IT'S SOMETHING, 'CAUSE I KNOW LAST, LAST BUDGET WORKSHOP, YOU ALL WANTED TO SEE SOMETHING IN BUDGET. SO, UH, I DID BROUGHT IT UP TO, UM, MR. MR. PALOMO HERE AND HE, HE WAS ABLE TO PROVIDE ME WITH ONE, A PROVISIONARY ONE FOR Y'ALL TO LOOK AT, TO HAVE SOME IDEA WHAT, WHAT THEIR MINDSET IS AT RIGHT NOW. THEY GET ABOUT 1.7, 1.8 IN, UM, SALES TAX REVENUE EVERY YEAR OR FOR LAST YEAR. AND THEY SPENT 600. THE BUDGET WAS APPROVED FOR 600,000 IN ATTORNEY FEES. SO A THIRD OF THE BUDGET IS GOING TO ATTORNEY FEES, LEGAL AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, WHATEVER THAT IS. I JUST ASK THE COMMISSION TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT. I DON'T THINK IT'S GOOD TO SUSPEND A THIRD OF YEAR BUDGET. WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE EDC DO IS MAKE SURE TO, WHAT ARE WE DOING FOR WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT? UM, WHAT ARE WE DOING FOR SMALL BUSINESSES, UM, AND JOB RETENTION. AND I THINK THAT WORD FALLS INTO LINE IS, YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE THESE CTE PROGRAMS. ARE WE ABLE TO FUND SOME OF THESE STUDENTS? MAYBE TO GO TO A COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND DO A COMPLETE [01:15:01] A SIX MONTH TO A YEAR CERTIFICATE OR A TWO YEAR DEGREE AND BE NICE IF THE, IF THE EDC COULD FUND SOMETHING LIKE THAT. UH, AND MAYBE SOME KIDS DON'T WANNA DO THE, UM, THOSE ASSOCIATE'S DEGREES. MAYBE THEY WANT TO GET CERTIFICATION. SO IF THE EDC COULD LOOK AT FUNDING, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, I'D LIKE TO LOOK AT THAT. DON'T FORGET ABOUT THE ANIMALS, THE SPAY NEUTER AND MOBILE CLINIC. I'D LIKE TO SEE WHAT THAT WOULD COST. THE EDC HAS QUITE A BIT OF MONEY THERE. I WANNA MAKE SURE WE'RE USING IT FOR PROJECTS. UM, WELL, YOU, YOU AND I WERE BOTH ON THE EDC BUDGET AND YOU DIDN'T BRING UP ANY OF THOSE WHEN YOU WERE ON THERE. SO YEAH. SO THOSE WERE BUDGET, YOU'RE ACTUALLY RIGHT. SO I HAD KNOWN OF THAT, THAT EARLIER. SO THOSE, UM, THOSE AMENDMENTS, BECAUSE THEY WERE OVERSPENDING, SHOULD HAVE COME TO THE CITY COMMISSION AND NEVER DID. AND ACTUALLY THE PRESIDENT AND YOURSELF SIGNED ALL THE CHECKS, IS THAT CORRECT? AND THE TREASURER, UM, NEVER CAME TO MYSELF AS A BOARD MEMBER. THAT'S CORRECT. BECAUSE THE BUT YOU DO SIGN THE CHECKS. WHO SIGNS THE CHECKS AT THE EDC? THE, THE EXECUTIVE MEMBERS. THE PRESIDENT, VICE PRESIDENT AND SECRETARY TREASURER. OKAY. SO THE BOARD MEMBERS DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT EXPENSES. OKAY. BOARD MEMBERS THAT SHOWED UP TO THE MEETINGS DID. SO THE MEETINGS, UM, WERE USUALLY HELD AT RANDOM TIMES, BUT, WE'LL, WE CAN TALK ABOUT THAT ANOTHER TIME. EXACTLY. YEAH. SO EDC, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, JOB RETENTION. SPAIN NEUTER NOT A THIRD OF LEGAL SERVICES AND PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. SO WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TAX SAVING COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ. YES. UM, I THINK THAT'S SOMEWHERE WE CAN LOOK AT. I WANNA SAVE THE TAXPAYERS MONEY. UM, I DON'T THINK THEY'VE SEEN A TAX RATE LIKE THIS IN THREE DECADES. USUALLY TAXING ENTITIES WILL RAISE THEIR RATES BECAUSE THEY'VE MISMANAGED FUNDS. UM, YEAH, I'VE BEEN ON THE COMMISSION SINCE 2020. BUT IT'S NOT VERY E EASY TO SEE EXPENSES WHEN YOU'RE DOING A BUNCH OF RATIFICATIONS OR APPROVING THINGS AFTER THE FACT. AS YOU COMMISSION HAVE JUST SEEN THAT WE'VE APPROVED A FEW RATIFICATIONS THAT HAPPENED A YEAR AGO, UM, SIX MONTHS TO EIGHT MONTHS AGO, UM, THAT I DID NOT EVEN KNOW ABOUT. UM, THOSE HAVE TO BE AMENDMENTS THAT HAVE TO COME TO THIS BOARD. UM, AND IF THEY DON'T, THEN WE DON'T KNOW. SO I WANNA TALK ABOUT FISCAL TRANSPARENCY AND MAKING SURE THAT WE'RE GIVING THE BEST WE CAN TO THE EMPLOYEE, BUT ALSO TO THE TAX AND THE TAXPAYER. DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON THE PARTICULAR BUDGET ITEM? BLESS, BLESS YOU. . GOD BLESS THIS CITY. AMEN. ON THIS. UM, ON THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS, MS. STEPHANIE, WE'RE DOING PRETTY GOOD AT PAYING OFF THE DEBT. UM, THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS ARE DOING GOOD. AND ARE THE NEW REVENUES PREDICTED FOR STARTING OCTOBER, 2026 IN THE PLAN? YES. INCLUDED THE INCREASE OF THE WATER. OKAY. THAT'S ADOPTED BY ORDINANCE. IT WAS, IT WAS ADOPTED A FIVE YEAR, FIVE TO SIX YEAR BOND, I CAN RECALL. BUT YES, IT WAS ADOPTED BY ORDINANCE. AND SIX YEARS AGO, SOME PEOPLE WOULD SAY THE WATER BILL'S PRETTY HIGH. AND I, I LIKE TO SAY LIKE THAT INCLUDES, UM, WATER, SEWER, AND A GARBAGE. RIGHT ON THAT, ON THAT BILL. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT OR SEE THAT CLEARLY. UM, YOU WILL SEE THAT EAST RHONDO, UM, MILITARY WATER SUPPLY, BROWNSVILLE, HARLINGEN ARE ALL RAISING THEIR WATER RATES. WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS A LOT OF THESE LARGE CITIES LIKE MACALLAN IS THEY'LL BALANCE OUT THEIR ENTERPRISE FUNDS, WHICH IS THE WATER AND WASTEWATER AND SUBSIDIZE IT WITH A LOT OF THEIR REVENUE FROM SALES TAX AND GENERAL REVENUE. THEY HAVE A BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET, THEY CAN DO THAT. WE HAVE A $20 MILLION BUDGET. WE DON'T HAVE A WHOLE, MOST OF OUR MONIES COME FROM PROPERTY TAXES. UM, BUT WE HAVE ONE OF THE LOWEST AVERAGE MEDIA INCOMES IN THE COUNTY, IF NOT THE STATE. SO HOW DO WE BALANCE THAT FOR THE CITIZENS? UM, WE'VE SEEN IMPRESSIVE GAINS IN THE REVENUE STREAM. UM, IF THE COMMISSION DOESN'T FEEL, FEELS LIKE 2 CENTS IS TOO AGGRESSIVE, I WOULD SAY A, A TIERED APPROACH IS TO SAY MAYBE A PENNY THAN A PENNY THE NEXT YEAR. SO THAT WE CONTINUE TO BRING THAT TAX RATE COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER CITIES. I DON'T THINK CORPORATIONS ARE LOOKING AT THE TAX RATE WHEN THEY'RE LOOKING TO OPEN UP SHOP. UM, BUT I DEFINITELY DO WHEN I'M LOOKING WHERE TO LIVE. AND WHEN I LOOK AT THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, UH, DRAINAGE DISTRICT THREE AND, UH, CITY TAX RATE BEING ONE OF THE HIGHEST OUT OF OTHER, OTHER ENTITIES, AND I'M [01:20:01] SAYING, HOW IS THIS ONE OF THE POOREST TOWNS BEING TAXED THE HIGHEST? SO THAT WOULD BE A HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN, FOUR HUNDRED EIGHTY FIVE, UH, HIT TO THE REVENUE STREAM INSTEAD OF THE 228,000. SO, AND I, I SAID THIS EVERY BUDGET, 'CAUSE I TRY TO LOWER THE TAX RATE EVERY YEAR. I KNOW BECAUSE IF WHAT I SAY IS I LEAVE TOO MUCH MONEY ON THE TABLE FOR MY WIFE, SHE'S GONNA TAKE IT ALL. SO DON'T LEAVE TOO MUCH MONEY ON THE TABLE FOR YOUR WIFE. COMMISSIONERS . SHE CAN HAVE ONE TIME. SHE DIDN'T TAKE IT. UH, THE DOG ATE IT. AND THAT'S A TRUE STATEMENT. AND WE WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT THE CAMERAS. A DOG DID EAT THE MONEY. WHAT? DON'T WORRY. WE RATIFIED THAT AGREEMENT. SO WE ARE GOOD. SO ARE WE, ARE WE PROCEEDING? BECAUSE I THINK WE CAN PROCEED SOME GUIDANCE SO I CAN GO AHEAD AND START PROCESS PUTTING TOGETHER THE EXTRA BUDGET IF WE ARE GONNA CHANGE FROM 2 CENTS TO A ONE IN OR TO STAY THE SAME. I, I THINK IF WE, IF WE, IF WE DO A TIERED APPROACH, YOU KNOW, THERE'S CONCERN OBVIOUSLY, RIGHT? IF WE, WE WANNA BALANCE IT, WE GO WITH A TIERED APPROACH AND WE GO WITH ONE PENNY, RIGHT? AND WE MAKE OUR WAY DOWN. UM, BUT WE HAVE TO SEE SOME REAL PROGRESS AND WHAT TYPE OF PROJECTS AND SERVICES WE'RE GIVING TO THE COMMUNITY AND LOOKING AT OTHER REVENUE STREAMS. SO THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE A FIRE MARSHAL NOW, AND THEY'RE DOING THEIR OWN INSPECTIONS AS FAR AS FIRE PERMITTING AND THEY'RE BRINGING IN AN ADDITIONAL 80 TO 90,000 A YEAR, RIGHT? SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE BEING INNOVATIVE, RIGHT? THE PARK LAND FEES FOR THE PARKS AND REC DEPARTMENT. HOW CAN WE BUILD BETTER PARKS? WELL, WE, WE PUT THAT TAX ON THE SUBDIVISIONS, BUT WHAT THAT DOES, COMMISSIONERS YOU SEE IS THAT THAT INCREASES THE, THE LOT PRICES. THESE DEVELOPERS ARE JUST GONNA PASS ON THAT COST, UM, TO THE HOMEOWNERS. THAT'S A BALANCE. BUT THERE ARE, THERE ARE SOME AREAS THAT WE'RE DEFINITELY WAY UNDER. I MEAN, YOU COULD LOOK AT LIKE THE BASEBALL FIELDS. WE RENT THEM FOR A HUNDRED DOLLARS EACH AND WE SHOULD PROBABLY BE AT A THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR ALL THE FIELDS. 'CAUSE ONE TOURNAMENT ON A WEEKEND CAN MAKE 10 TO $15,000. BUT IS THE CITY GETTING THE PROPER AMOUNT OF REVENUE FROM RENTING OUT THOSE SPACES TO REINVEST THEM IN THE PARKS? YEAH, WE, WE'D HAVE TO BRING THOSE PARKS AND ALL THAT BACK IN ORDER TO CHARGE MORE FOR IT. I THINK ACCORDINGLY, THEY'RE BEING CHARGED. WHATEVER THE WAY THE PARK, THE APPEARANCE THAT HAS YOU WANT, ABSO YOU WANNA RENT IT OUT FOR MORE. IT'S GOTTA MAKE IT, YOU GOTTA MAKE IT BETTER. ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO MAKE IT BETTER. WE GOTTA USE SOME TAX DOLLARS. SO KEEPING SOME OF THESE TAX DOLLARS IS MAKING SURE IT GOES BACK TO, SO MY, MY PRIORITY WOULD BE PARKS. SO I WAS GONNA PASS A SURVEY TO THE COMMISSIONERS, BUT WHEN, SINCE WE'RE HERE, I LIKE TO HEAR THE COMMISSIONER'S NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. MINE AND I'LL GO FIRST. MINE WOULD BE PARKS AND PUBLIC SPACES. COMM, MAYOR, PRO TEMP. I JUST ASKED, I JUST TOLD YOU ABOUT IT. YOU GOTTA MAKE THOSE PARKS BETTER IF YOU WANNA RENT IT OUT. PARKS COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ WATER AND INFRASTRUCTURE COMMISSIONER PEREZ, SAME THING. INFRASTRUCTURE COMMISSIONER, WATER AND INFRASTRUCTURE. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO BRING BUSINESSES IN INDUSTRIES IN THOSE BUSINESSES AND INDUSTRIES THAT WE BRING IN WILL HELP DONATE TO THE PARKS TO NAME A PARK AFTER 'EM OR WHATEVER. THEY CAN BEAUTIFY IT, UPGRADE, UPGRADED, UH, BUT TO NOT IMPOSE, UH, MORE NOT IMPACT THE, THE PROPERTY OWNERS ANYMORE. YOU NEED TO BRING IN BUSINESSES AND, AND, AND INDUSTRY. I WILL SAY WHAT I APPRECIATE THAT COME IN IF THEY HAVE A FAILING INFRASTRUCTURE, RIGHT? I APPRECIATE ALL Y'ALL'S INPUT. AND RECENTLY THE COMMISSION HAS APPROVED, UH, WATERLINE INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT ON BUSINESS 77, WHICH IS MO WHERE MOST OF OUR CORRIDOR OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IS HAPPENING. UM, AND WE WENT OUT FOR COS FOR THAT. AND, UM, WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT PROJECT HAPPENING. WHAT I WOULD SAY IS THAT YOU HAVE TO ATTRACT FAMILIES. YOU HAVE TO MAKE SPACES FOR FAMILIES. FAMILIES ARE THE ONES THAT SHOP. NOW THAT I HAVE TWO GOING ONTO THREE EA ME, WE'RE GOING ONTO THREE CHILDREN. CONGRATULATIONS, UH, THANK YOU'ALL. CONGRATULATIONS. EVERYBODY KNOWS SURPRISE THAT ARE YOU MAKING SPACES? SO DO YOU HAVE THE SCHOOLS? DO YOU HAVE THE PUBLIC SPACES FOR FAMILIES? THE FAMILIES ARE THE ONES THAT ARE GONNA BE SPENDING THOSE DOLLARS ON. IF THEY'RE SHOPPING OUTSIDE OF YOUR CITY, THEN THE DOLLARS AREN'T STAYING HERE. THE MAJORITY OF OUR REVENUE, HALF OF IT COMES FROM SALES TAX REVENUE. SO YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHEN PEOPLE ARE LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO LIVE, THEY HAVE BEAUTIFUL SUBDIVISIONS LIKE SAN SEBASTIAN WITH ALL THESE AMENITIES THAT FAMILIES ARE LOOKING FOR. UM, AND WE GOT A BUNCH OF OTHER SUBDIVISIONS, UH, COMING INTO THE CITY. UM, THE FAMILIES WILL COME IN. THEY HAVE A JOB THAT THEY CAN WORK AT TO SUSTAIN THE LIVING THAT [01:25:01] THEY WANT, RIGHT? YEAH. THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN THAT WE RECENTLY ADOPTED SHOWED A MAJORITY OF FOLKS THAT ACTUALLY LIVE IN SANTO DON'T WORK IN SANTO. MAJORITY THAT WORK IN SANTO DON'T LIVE IN SANTO. SO WHERE WE THOUGHT WE USED TO BE A BEDROOM COMMUNITY THAT'S SHIFTING. PEOPLE ARE GOING OUT, UM, LOOKING FOR JOBS, BUT THE STILL CHOOSINGS HAPPEN, BUT TO LIVE. SO I DON'T THINK YOU HAVE TO LIVE, WANT TO LIVE HERE AND WANNA WORK HERE. SOMETIMES YOU'LL FIND THAT IT'S, IT'S QUITE TAXING WORKING IN THE SAME CITY THAT YOU LIVE IN. I BET YOU GUYS DON'T GO TO THE GROCERY STORE AS OFTEN, HUH? . GET THAT. CURBSIDE. CURBSIDE, OKAY. THERE'S NO MORE DISCUSSION ON BUDGET. UH, WORKSHOP NUMBER TWO, I WANT TO THANK THE COMMUNITY FOR JOINING US TODAY. I WANNA THANK THE STAFF FOR PUTTING THIS EVENT TOGETHER. UM, THIS WAS THE, A GREAT FIRST COMMUNITY FORUM BUDGET WORKSHOP. THE INTENT WAS JUST REALLY TO GET THE COMMUNITY OUT, SEE WHAT'S GOING ON, SEE WHAT THE REVENUE, SEE WHAT THE EXPENSES ARE. WE HAVE ONE MORE AGENDA ITEM, WHICH IS A SIMPLE DISCUSSION OF THE 2026 A VALOR PROPERTY TAX RATE. AND WE KIND OF TOUCHED ON IT. UM, MS. STEPHANIE, DO YOU WANNA GO OVER THAT QUICKLY? SO, UM, I ALREADY PROVIDED SOME SCENARIOS HERE. THE QUESTION IS, ARE WE GOING WITH NO CHANGE? WE'RE GOING WITH 1 CENT, WE'RE GOING 2 CENTS. SO, UM, THIS IS A BUDGET WORKSHOP. I WILL SIT DOWN WITH STEPHANIE SO THAT WE CAN PUT, UM, AT A POST-IT MEETING, UH, TWO OPTIONS, I THINK THE 1 CENT OR THE 2 CENT, AND THEN ALLOW PROPERTY DELIBERATION FROM THE COUNCIL. AND THEN AT THAT TIME, Y'ALL WOULD DECIDE, UH, GIVEN WHAT WE HAVE HEARD HERE, I KIND OF THINK, UM, I GIVE OR, OR DECREASE POINTS OF ACTION OR, OR NO DECREASE OH THREE OPTIONS. SO ONE, TWO, AND THEN NO INCREASE. YEAH. MAKING STEPH DO A LOT OF CALCULATIONS, BUT WE LOVE TO SEE IT. YOU DON'T DO IT FOR FREE. , WE'RE GETTING OUR MONEY'S WORTH. COMMISSIONER GONZALEZ AND MAYOR, I DON'T THINK WE'D HAVE SOMEBODY ELSE DO IT BETTER. SO THANK YOU STEPHANIE. I APPRECIATE IT. WE'LL PREPARE THOSE OPTIONS WELL. UH, WHAT I TELL YOU, WHAT I TELL YOU GUYS TO LOOK AT IS THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT YOU NEED TO DO TO ACCOMPLISH THE SAME THING YOU DID LAST YEAR. AND IF YOU THINK THAT THAT'S GOOD, WHICH WAS 66 CENTS AND YOU DON'T INTEND TO FILE FOR ANY BONDS OR CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATIONS, UM, YOUR INS IS AT 3 CENTS. BROWNSVILLE I THINK IS AT 20 CENTS. THEY HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF DEBT, BUT THEY HAVE A WHOLE LOT OF PROJECTS GOING ON. SO THE NEXT QUESTION IS, WHEN DO WE GO TO THE COMMUNITY AND ASK THEM FOR THE BLESSING OF GOING OUT AND TAKING ON DEBT TO DO SOME OF THESE MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS THAT YOU TALK ABOUT? BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT A FEW MILLION DOLLARS. THEY'RE SEVERAL MILLION TO A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS PROJECTS, ESPECIALLY FOR INFRASTRUCTURE. SO, UM, THE, NO, THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE 71 CENTS. SO YEAH, THAT, THAT'LL BE A, UM, IF WE GO OVER THAT, THEN WE WOULD HAVE TO PUT IT OUT FOR VOTER APPROVAL RATE, RIGHT? IT'S A DIFFERENT PROCESS, BUT IT WILL STILL SIGNIFICANTLY BE FIRST HEARING, SECOND HEARING POSTED IN THE NEWSPAPER, ANOTHER SET OF, UM, STEPS THAT IT NEEDS TO BE TAKEN. BUT WE'RE NOT THERE. THAT'S BASED ON OUR NON YOUR REVENUE RATE. IT GETS CALCULATED AND I PROVIDED THE CALCULATIONS AT, AT A SIDE SHEET SO YOU, I COULD FOLLOW THE EXCEL SPREADSHEET. UM, IT HAS SOME HIDDEN LINES SO IT WON'T TAKE YOUR RENT STRAIGHT. SO, BUT UM, THAT'S, THAT'S REALLY IT. SO IF WE WERE TO GO OVER THE 71 CENTS, THEN WE'LL HAVE TO PUT IT OUT THERE FOR VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE, RIGHT? I THINK GOING IN A TIERED APPROACH WOULD BE, UM, A GOOD HAPPY BALANCE OF 1 CENT. YOU GUYS CAN EVEN DO 10TH OR HALF. THERE'S SO MANY OPTIONS MS. STEPHANIE, I THINK THE COMMISSION PROBABLY WANTS TO SEE. DO YOU GUYS WANNA SEE WHAT 1 CENT? I MEAN IT'S, IT'S 114,000 OF REVENUE LOSS IS WHAT IT IS. SO IF YOU SEE IT, UM, HERE, YES, IT LOOKS LIKE OKAY, IT'S 114,000, BUT IT WOULD ALSO REFLECT, UM, ON YOUR REVENUE VERSUS YOUR EXPENSES. SO ON ONE OF THE SHEETS THAT I PROVIDED TO YOU, I PROVIDE YOU WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT, WE'RE GONNA BE ON THE GREEN BECAUSE I PROVIDED YOU A BALANCED BUDGET ABOUT 23,000. WE DO THAT ONE 14. THAT PROVIDES US AT A BETTER PLACE WITH A HUNDRED AND WHAT'S THAT? 37,000 POSITIVE. IF NOTHING WAS TO CHANGE IT, WE'RE NOT TO ADD ANYTHING ELSE. IF WE'RE NOT TO CHANGE THE EXPENSES, THEN YOU'LL BE IN A MORE, IN A GREENER SIDE OF 137,000 VERSUS MS. STEPHANIE AT THE SAN RUBEN CUTTING. WE HAD, THEY MENTIONED 180 RESIDENTIAL LOTS. DO YOU FACTOR IN [01:30:01] THE 180? WHEN DO YOU START FACTOR IN THE 180 RESIDENTIAL LOTS? THEIR WATER, THEIR WATER REVENUE, UM, THE GARBAGE REVENUE. SO NORMALLY THE TAX REVENUE, WE, WE DON'T FACTOR IN UNTIL WE ACTUALLY SEE IT IN A REVENUE STREAM, RIGHT? SO I DON'T KNOW. I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ONE-ON-ONE EVERY MONTH TO SEE WHAT THEIR CONSTRUCTION PHASE IS AT. SO I CAN KNOW WHAT YEAR WE'RE GONNA BE IMPACTED WITH THAT. UM, TAX REVENUE, UH, WE'VE BEEN TALKING A LOT AND FOR THE PAST YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE THAT WE'RE IN A BUILDING, UM, SEEM LIKE, LIKE WE'RE BUILDING OR, OR CITIES GROWING OR CITIES GROWING. UNFORTUNATELY IT TAKES TIME FOR CONSTRUCTION. IT TAKES TIME FOR THE SUBDIVISIONS TO COME IN AS WE'RE HAPPY SUBDIVISIONS ARE COMING IN. WE DON'T SEE THEIR REVENUE TILL LIKE THE FIRST, EVEN THE SECOND YEAR AFTER THEY BUILT THE COMMUNITY AND WE START SEEING PEOPLE LIVING THERE AND THEY START PAYING TAX FOR THOSE RESIDENTS THAT THEY BUILT. RIGHT NOW I COULD SAY WE'RE WE'RE CLOSER THAN WE WERE LAST YEAR AND WE WERE COUNTING ON REVENUE FROM LAST YEAR. AND, AND WE HAVE TO BE MORE, UM, CONSERVATIVE WHEN WE DO OUR REVENUES BECAUSE I CANNOT ADD 180 LOTS. WHAT IF THEY DON'T SELL? WHAT IF, WHAT IF THEY NEVER PAY THE TAX RATE? WHAT IF THEY, THEY STILL PAY PROPERTY TAXES CORRECT. WHETHER THEY'RE A HOME ON THERE OR NOT, RIGHT? CORRECT. ALREADY ONCE THE PLAT GETS APPROVED, ONCE THE PLA GETS APPROVED, THAT'S A TOUGH GIG. SO I WOULD, I WOULD HAVE TO BE IN CONTACT WITH ALL THE SUBDIVISIONS TO KNOW, HEY, WHEN, WHEN IS THAT PLAT GONNA HAPPEN? OR, OH, YOU'RE ALREADY, YOU'RE EARNING THAT REVENUE BUT YOU'RE NOT COUNTING IT. YOU'RE SO YOU ARE COUNTING IT BASED ON THE CERTIFIED VALUES THAT YOU HAVE, CORRECT? YEAH. CORRECT. NOW WHAT IS THE WATER ACCOUNT? UH, METERS. AND YOU WOULD USE THAT ALSO TO SHOW RES RESIDENTIAL ACCOUNTS. COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTS GOING UP. SO ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE MAIN WAYS TO KNOW IF WE ARE GETTING MORE IS IF WE'RE ACCOUNTS WHEN IT COMES TO WATER, THEY'RE ACTUALLY COMING TO LIVE BECAUSE THEY GO, THEY DON'T OPEN SERVICES OR WATER WHEN THE HOUSE IS NOT BEEN RIGHT. THEY DON'T OPEN, UH, GARBAGE SERVICES. SO RIGHT NOW WE HAVE ABOUT 7,700 ACCOUNTS. YEAH. WATER ACCOUNTS. SO UNTIL THAT MONEY SKY ROCKET 8,000, THEN I COULD SAY, OKAY, 300, 300 HOMES ARE NOW LIVING, ARE NOW, UH, PROVIDING REVENUE TO THE CITY. THEN IF NOT, WE JUST HAVE TO BASE IT ON OUR CERTIFIED VALUES. AND I WOULD NOT FACTOR, COMPLETELY FACTOR THE AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT'S GONNA BRING IN UNTIL THOSE RESIDENTS ARE ACTUALLY LIVING IN THOSE HOUSES AND THEY'VE LIVED THERE FOR A YEAR AND THEN PAY TAX RATE AND THEN THEY PAY A WHOLE YEAR OF WATER SERVICES. SO IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE BIT HARD, BUT EVENTUALLY WE'LL SEE IT. I'LL SAY WE'RE CLOSER THAN WHAT WE WERE LAST YEAR. WE'RE ACCOUNTING ON SUCH REVENUE. MS. STEPHANIE, HOW CONSERVATIVE WOULD YOU SAY YOU ARE IN, IN, IN THE GRAND SCHEME? ARE YOU AT 80%, 70% REVENUE? 90%. 'CAUSE YOU'RE PRETTY CONSERVATIVE THIS YEAR. I WOULD SAY A FAIR 80. YOU'RE AT 80, CORRECT. SO THERE'S AN ADDITIONAL 20% THAT YOU'RE NOT ACCOUNTING FOR OR I CANNOT AGREE OR DENY TO THAT. YEAH. BECAUSE LIKE YOU ACCOUNT FOR 95% COLLECTION OF PROPERTY TAXES. CORRECT? OR WHAT ARE YOU ACCOUNTING FOR? UH, ON THIS ONE? IN ORDER FOR THE BUDGET TO BE BALANCED, I WOULD HAVE TO DO 96%, WHICH IS WHAT THEY WERE SUGGESTING, UH, YEARS BEFORE. IT'S BEEN A 98. SO I'M STILL BEING CONSERVATIVE. THERE'S WAY PERCENT RETENTION. CORRECT. BUT IF WE WANT TO CONTINUE ADDING TO OUR, WELL POTENTIALLY, BUT IT'S CONSISTENTLY BEEN AT 97. CAN I STOP WITH THE QUESTIONS YOU'RE GIVING AWAY ALL THE TRICKS FOR I ALREADY KNOW THE TRICKS. DEV. OH, OKAY. LOOK, LET, LET, THE OTHER THING IS THE DEPARTMENT HEADS. WHAT ABOUT THE REVENUE COMING IN FROM UM, LOS NIOS TRADE BRIDGE? I SAW THEIR ABOUT LESS THAN 400,000. I SAW 700 WELL, THAT YEAR BECAUSE THEY WERE BEHIND ONE YEAR. BUT IF YOU SEE THE THREE OH, THEY'RE BEHIND. YES. MR. FLORES, WE HAVE TASKS FOR YOU. WE'VE ALREADY COLLECTED THEM. WE SHOULD NOT BE BEHIND FROM REVENUE FROM THE COUNTY. WE OWN 25% OF THAT BRIDGE. BUT WE ALREADY GOT, THEY, THEY SENT IT, THEY PAID US. AND I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE PAYMENTS ARE COMING IN EITHER MONTHLY OR QUARTERLY QUARTER. THERE'S NO OKAY, THERE'S NO NEED FOR THEM TO BE PAYING LATE BECAUSE THEN WE'RE PUTTING THE BURDEN ON THE FALL UNTIL THE NEXT YEAR. WE HAD ALREADY CLOSED BOOKS, SO WE FALL INTO THE FOLLOWING YEAR. SO IT LOOKED LIKE ONE OF THE QUARTERS WENT OVER IT. BUT THERE YOU SEE HOW MUCH REVENUE STREAM AND IT'S NEVER GONE UP. BUT THEIR TRAFFIC COUNT HAS GONE THROUGH THE ROOF. BUT OUR REVENUE, NOT THAT WE NEED TO LOOK AT. I I'M NOT OPPOSED TO LOOKING MR. YOU HAVE WORK FOR YOU COME TO, SO YOU SEE THERE'S, THERE'S REVENUE THERE. THERE'S REVENUE THERE THAT I LIKE TO LOOK AT IS LIKE, ARE WE, AND ALSO DELINQUENCIES, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY DELINQUENCIES AND FINES AND FEES, COLLECTIONS THAT WE HAVE OUT THERE THAT WE HAVEN'T COLLECTED? AND ARE WE DOING ENOUGH TO COLLECT THOSE REVENUE? I STILL OWE THAT, THAT LIBRARY. FINE. I'M SORRY MR. AUGUSTINE, BUT I'M JUST JOKING. I STILL HAVE MY BANK AND TRUST LIBRARY CARD AND I PAID ALL MY FINES. BUT WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THOSE DELINQUENCIES ARE NOT OUTSTANDING AND WHO'S GOING OUT AND LOOKING FOR THOSE. RIGHT. AND, UH, YOU GUYS WILL LEARN, UM, MOST OF THE TIME ATTORNEYS WILL GO OUT AND HUNT DOWN YOUR [01:35:01] PROPERTY TAX REVENUE AND YOUR FINES AND FEES THAT COME FROM THE COURT SYSTEM AND THEY'LL TACK ON AN ADDITIONAL FEE. AND ARE THEY DOING ENOUGH TO MAKE SURE, MAKING SURE, MAKE SURE THAT THOSE REVENUES ARE COMING IN TIMELY. 'CAUSE THEN WE'RE JUST PUTTING OR PASSING ON THE BUCK TO THE NEXT PERSON. I CAN PAY MY PROPERTY TAXES. I'M NOT CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. PEOPLE THINK I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THAT. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE RESIDENTS. AND BECAUSE OF THE AVERAGE MEETING INCOME IN THE CITY, WHY DO WE HAVE THE HIGHEST TAX RATES IN THE COUNTY ACROSS ALL THE BOARDS? AND IF YOU LOOK AT DRAINAGE DISTRICT THREE, THEY CONSISTENTLY RAISE THEIR RATES EVERY YEAR JUST SLIGHTLY UNDER THE ALLOWABLE ALLOWED BY LAW. SO IT DOESN'T HAVE TO GO TO VOTE SLIGHTLY. MS. STEPHANIE, I HAD A QUICK QUESTION FOR YOU. YES, MR. OUR, UH, WATER DEPOSIT, WHAT IS, UH, THE AMOUNT FOR THE WATER DEPOSIT? I DON'T WANT TO, IS IT ABOUT $300? I WOULD SAY IT'S A HUNDRED DOLLARS TO ACTIVATE AND IT'S A 200. IT'S A, THE A HUNDRED DOLLARS SERVICE FEE. $200 250 IF YOU'RE RENTING. RENTING. AND I BELIEVE 150 IF YOU'RE A HOMEOWNER. A HOMEOWNER. SO THAT, IN ORDER FOR US TO BRING PEOPLE, I MEAN IF YOU LOOK AT IT, THAT'S PRETTY HIGH. 'CAUSE YOU GO TO HOEN HARGENS WHAT, MAYBE 50, 60 BUCKS TO THE DEPOSIT? YEAH. TO TURN IT ON. YEAH, YEAH. YOU KNOW, WE WERE AT 50 AND THEN WE RAISE IT TO A HUNDRED. YEAH, BUT I MEAN, WHAT I'M SAYING IS WE WANT TO FILL OUR SUBDIVISIONS, BUT A LOT OF THOSE SUBDIVISIONS AREN'T GONNA GET FILLED BECAUSE WHY OUR WATER, WATER DEPOSIT'S HIGH. YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THEY ALREADY GOT THE PAYMENTS FROM THE HOUSE THEY HAVE TO DO, THEN THEY'RE GONNA THINK ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S LIKE, SO WE GOTTA KIND OF LIKE, SO COMMISSIONER I ON THAT, I'VE BEEN TALKING WITH MS. STEPHANIE ALREADY ABOUT SOME OF THOSE RATES FOR THE COMMERCIAL USERS, UM, ESPECIALLY SMALL BUSINESS COMMERCIAL USERS, THEY GET CHARGED TWICE THE RESIDENTIAL RATE FOR A, A SMALL TOTTER, A THE SAME TOTTER THAT A RESIDENTIAL, UH, USER HAS. AND HOW CAN WE BRING THAT RATE, UM, CHEAPER FOR A SMALL BUSINESS. AND THEN YOU TALK ABOUT THE, FOR EXAMPLE, THAT $250 RENTAL, THE HOUSING AUTHORITY WILL GET CHARGED THAT YOU, AND THAT'S PROBABLY WHERE YOU'VE SEEN IT. THAT AND THE SERVICE FEE TO TURN ON THE WATER, IT'S A HUNDRED DOLLARS. AND THEN THEY'LL GET A, A GAS DEPOSIT AND THEN THEY'LL GET ELECTRICITY DEPOSIT AND THEN ALL THOSE DEPOSITS PILE ON AND THEN THEY HAVE A RENTAL DEPOSIT. CORRECT. SO WHAT CAN WE DO ON OUR END? I'M NOT OPPOSED TO COMING, BRING THOSE ORDINANCES, UM, THOSE RATE STRUCTURES BACK, ESPECIALLY THE WATER AND THE WASTE COLLECTION BACK SO WE CAN REVIEW TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE, UM, STILL SUSTAINABLE. UM, UM, BUT HELPING OUR RESIDENTS. YEAH, BECAUSE I BELIEVE IF WE LOWER THAT DOWN, WE'LL BRING MORE PEOPLE TO LIVE IN SANTO. YEAH, WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK AT OUR FEES. YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA BALANCE IT OUT SOMEHOW. YEAH, WE CAN DEFINITELY LOOK AT OUR FEES AND SEE HOW WE CAN FIX THAT. THANK YOU. MAYBE IF, UH, SOMEONE'S BEEN, UH, CONSISTENT FOR 20 YEARS, WE CAN GIVE 'EM BACK THEIR WATER DEPOSIT. BECAUSE RIGHT NOW WE DON'T GIVE IT BACK. RIGHT. FOR, FOR HOW MANY? WE DON'T UNTIL THEY CLOSE THE ACCOUNT. BUT SO IF THEY'RE A GOOD STANDING WATER ACCOUNT, CAN WE GIVE THEM BACK THEIR WATER DEPOSIT? WELL, THAT, THAT AMOUNT. SO SOME ACCOUNTS THAT THEY'RE, THEY'RE DEPOSITED $15, $50 DEPENDING ON THE ORDINANCE HAVE PASSED AT THE TIME THAT THEY OPEN THE SERVICES. IT'S MINIMAL. SO, DAMN. I LIKE TO GIVE MONEY AWAY STEP. NO, YOU DO NOT. WE, UH, ACCORDING TO THE EDC, WE GIVE MONEY. I'M SORRY. LET'S GET BACK ON TRACK. OH, PLEASE, MS. STEPHANIE, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE FOR US? THAT, THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. I'D LIKE TO THANK THE STAFF AGAIN AND THE COMMISSION, UM, THE COMMUNITY DEFINITELY FOR COMING OUT. I THINK THIS WAS A GOOD FIRST, UH, WELL SECOND BUDGET WORKSHOP, BUT FIRST TIME COMMUNITY BUDGET, UH, FORUM TO GIVE YOU GUYS AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE A LOOK AT EVERYTHING. I WANNA THANK ALL THE STAFF FOR PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. I KNOW IT WAS A BIG ASK. THANK YOU FOR EVERYONE THAT PUT IT ON. THANK YOU FOR THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, A PUBLIC SAFETY CREW. UH, THEY WERE ALREADY WORKING ON THEIR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING 'CAUSE THEY WERE COOKING FOR US ALL DAY. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH. IT WAS THEN ALL DAY. THANK Y'ALL. SO IF THERE'S NO OTHER AGENDA, TIME IS 7 43. THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED. THANK YOU. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.