May 06, 2025 SPECIAL BOARD OF SUPERVISORS - Day 4

MADAM CHAIR, IT'S 9:00. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SUPERVISOR KUKNYO.

[ CALL TO ORDER]

[00:00:07]

AND ACCORDING TO THE TIMEKEEPER SUPERVISOR KUKNYO, IT IS 9:00.

I WANT TO THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE THIS MORNING.

AND FOR WHAT WE ARE DOING IS A WORK STUDY, WHICH IS TO TALK MORE ABOUT THE BUDGET AND WHAT WE WANT TO LOOK AT, CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE AND, AND THOSE TYPES OF DISCUSSIONS.

NOTE THAT THERE WILL BE NO PUBLIC COMMENT DURING THIS STUDY SESSION.

AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, I'D LIKE FOR ALL OF US TO STAND TO DO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

PLEASE JOIN ME.

THANK YOU. OKAY, I'LL ASK THE CLERK OF THE BOARD TO TAKE ROLL, PLEASE.

OKAY. WITH THAT BEING SAID, I AM GOING TO GO AHEAD AND GIVE MAURY THOMPSON THE FLOOR AND SEE

[1. Board of Supervisors - Discussion regarding the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025-2026 budget.]

AS FAR AS NEXT STEPS IN THE PROCESS. I GUESS MY SUGGESTION CHAIR WOULD BE TO REALLY TURN TO QUESTION NUMBER SIX OR ITEM NUMBER SIX IN THAT DOCUMENT AS A PLACE TO GET STARTED, WHICH IS THE COUNTY CONTRIBUTIONS, AND SEE IF THE BOARD'S WILLING TO PROVIDE SOME DIRECTION ON THAT.

THEN MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH REALLY TALKS ABOUT THE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE ALL HEARD THAT THE BOARD WAS INTERESTED IN MAKING AND WALK THROUGH THOSE.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? WORK FOR YOU? YES. YES.

GO AHEAD. SUPERVISOR CHECK. I'M NOT SURE IF THE SMALLEST PART OF OUR BUDGET IS THE BEST PLACE TO START PERSONALLY.

YEAH. NO, I DON'T DISAGREE AT ALL. YOU COULD JUST AS EASILY GO THE OTHER DIRECTION AND START WITH THE LARGER POLICY QUESTIONS AS WELL.

SO I WOULD JUST TO ADD INTO THIS, I THINK THE ONLY REASON WE DID GO TO THE CONTRIBUTION PART IS ONLY BECAUSE THAT WAS A PART THAT WE REALLY DIDN'T HAVE ANY DISCUSSION ON.

AND SO WE HEARD FROM THEM. AND I THINK THAT ON THIS PART OF THE BUDGET IS IT'S A PRETTY MUCH OF A YES OR NO ON THERE.

AND SO THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO ADD. IF ANY OF THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE ANYTHING.

THAT MAKES SENSE, WE CAN DO THAT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, I APPRECIATE THAT.

THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR CHECK. OKAY. YEAH. THANK YOU FOR THAT CONVERSATION.

SO AGAIN, LOOKING AT ITEM NUMBER SIX, WHAT THIS ATTEMPTS TO DO IS TO LAY OUT, I HEARD SOME DESIRE TO HAVE SOME DIRECTION PROVIDED ON THERE FROM STAFF PERSPECTIVES WHAT WE THOUGHT. SO WHAT YOU'LL SEE IN THE GREEN COLUMN IS WHAT I'M CALLING PROPOSED AT THIS POINT.

AND TO SUMMARIZE VERY QUICKLY, IT IS APPROVING OR PROPOSING APPROVAL FOR THE INCREASES FROM ALL OF THE ENTITIES THAT REQUESTED, WITH TWO EXCEPTIONS. AND YOU'LL SEE OVER IN THE VARIANCE FROM REQUESTED, ONE IS THE PURE IMAGINATION MUSIC FESTIVAL RECOMMENDING NOT APPROVING THAT. AND AGAIN, HOW WE GOT THERE IS JUST QUITE FRANKLY, READING THE ROOM, WATCHING THE RESPONSE FROM THE BOARD, A SENSE THAT THERE WAS LIKELY NOT SUPPORT FOR THAT, NOR FOR BASED ON INDIVIDUAL CONVERSATIONS.

AND AGAIN YOU KNOW, READING THE ROOM ON THE COUNTY FAIR, LEAVING THEM AT THEIR CURRENT $25,000.

SO YOU CAN SEE THAT'S $150,000 DEDUCT OVER WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY REQUESTED.

[00:05:03]

THE FY 26 RECOMMENDED BUDGET 527862. THAT WAS THE AMOUNT IN THE BUDGET THIS YEAR FOR COUNTY CONTRIBUTIONS.

YOU WILL SEE VERY QUICKLY THOSE DON'T REALLY ADD UP.

THAT'S BECAUSE THERE WAS A PASS THROUGH AMOUNT INCLUDED IN THAT FIVE 2527 SO WAS AUTHORIZED.

BUT AGAIN THOSE MONIES ARE JUST PASSED THROUGH.

SO YOU'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT MORE CAPACITY THERE.

SO THAT LEAVES WHAT'S AVAILABLE FOR FUNDING 28,587 NEXT LINE WE SENSED APPROVAL FOR OR DESIRE TO FUND THE UPPER SULLIVAN CANYON PROJECT, THAT $150,000.

SO WE'RE SHOWING THAT INCLUDED. THAT LEAVES AN ADDITIONAL FUNDING NEEDED TO DO ALL OF THAT OF 121,413.

AND I'LL PAUSE THERE BEFORE, BECAUSE THAT REALLY LEADS INTO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN FOR DISCUSSION OR THOUGHTS.

I DO, MADAM CHAIR. DO YOU HAVE SOME SUGGESTIONS OR SOME THINGS FOR THE BOARD TO CONTEMPLATE? I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO SEE AN AMOUNT OF MONEY SET ASIDE FOR NACOG PARTNERED MEALS ON WHEELS FACILITIES.

YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY TIGHTEN UP THAT.

BUT WHAT I WAS THINKING IS TO SET ASIDE $40,000 AND HAVE LIKE THE VERDE VALLEY SENIOR CENTER, THE SEDONA COMMUNITY CENTER, AND OTHERS WHO PARTICIPATE WITH COG, BE ABLE TO BASICALLY ASK THE COUNTY FOR REIMBURSEMENT OF FEEDING UNINCORPORATED PATRONS OR PATRONS WHO LIVE IN UNINCORPORATED AREAS, NOT UNINCORPORATED PATRONS. BECAUSE AND THAT WOULD HELP GIVE US AN IDEA OF WHERE THOSE INDIVIDUALS ARE BEING SERVED IN THE COUNTY.

SO IT WOULD SORT OF HELP US GIVE US DATA FOR, FOR YOU KNOW, A MORE SUCCINCT BUDGET LINE ITEM IN THE FUTURE. AND, CHAIR, SUPERVISOR CHECK, IF I COULD CLARIFY IN FULL DISCLOSURE, WE HAD SOME CONVERSATION YESTERDAY, WHICH I APPRECIATED. I BELIEVE YOU'RE WANTING TO TIE THAT BACK TO THE, WHAT ARE LIKELY THE REDUCTIONS FOR AGING SERVICES THROUGH NACOG.

SO ARE YOU SEEING THIS AS THESE WOULD BE FUNDS THAT WE WOULD USE TO OFFSET ANY OF THOSE FEEDING PROGRAMS THROUGH NACOG THAT EXPERIENCE DEDUCTIONS? CORRECT. SO, I MEAN, JUST SO ALL OF THE MEALS ON WHEELS PROGRAMS HAVE WAITLISTS.

SO THERE'S A DEFINITE NEED IS OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.

AND IT LOOKS AS THOUGH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL BE MAKING SEVERE CUTS.

NIKKI CHECK HAS THE DECISION WHERE TO MAKE THOSE CUTS.

BUT IF THEY WERE TO APPLY THEM EQUALLY TO ALL THE PROGRAMS THAT THEY HAVE, IT WOULD PRODUCE A 35% REDUCTION IN SERVICES FOR NACOG AND ESSENTIALLY FOR MEALS ON WHEELS, SHOULD THEY CHOOSE TO, TO APPLY IT EQUALLY FOR OUR MOST VULNERABLE POPULATIONS.

I REALLY THINK IT'S WORTH SETTING ASIDE AN AMOUNT OF MONEY.

AND SO, I MEAN, I REALIZED THAT IT HAS TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE.

I LOVE THE FRIENDS OF THE VERDE RIVER, BUT I WOULD BE WILLING TO SORT OF BREAK INTO THAT $8,500 ADDITIONAL ASK.

I DIDN'T HEAR A STRONG SUBSTANTIATION FOR THAT INCREASE.

AND THEN I ALSO, YOU KNOW, HAVE TO QUESTION A LITTLE BIT THE INCREASE FOR THE COOPERATIVE EXTENSION, PARTICULARLY THE FOOD SAFETY. IT SOUNDED LIKE SOME OF THAT REQUEST WAS TRULY NEEDED AND SOME OF IT WAS A LITTLE BIT MORE VISIONARY.

BUT THERE'S A LOT MORE TO TALK ABOUT TODAY. BUT THAT'S HOW I'M RUNNING MY NUMBERS IS I'D LIKE TO SEE SOME MONEY SET ASIDE FOR THAT.

I MEAN, WE'RE ALREADY GIVING $30,000 TO THE YARNELL COMMUNITY CENTER, SO I WOULD ASSUME THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE WITHIN THAT POOL OF APPLICANTS OR PETITIONERS FOR REQUESTED DOLLARS. SO, CHAIR SUPERVISOR CHECK, THANK YOU.

I ACTUALLY JUST HAD TIME THIS MORNING AND WAS REVIEWING THE LAST MEETING MINUTES FROM THE MEETING WHERE, YES, THEY CLEARLY STATED BENEFIT THE ANTICIPATED 35% CUT.

SO I AGREE, I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE A NEED AND MAYBE A BIG, BIG NEED THERE.

ONE OTHER THING FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION YOU THE BOARD COULD OBVIOUSLY MAKE REDUCTIONS IN THE OTHER TWO.

AGAIN, I'M ASSUMING THAT THIS WOULD BE A ONE TIME EXPENDITURE YOU'RE NOT RECOMMENDING ONGOING AT THIS POINT.

THE ADDITIONAL 40,000 UNTIL WE HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE TRUE NEED IS COUNTY WIDE.

CORRECT. AND HOPEFULLY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO ADEQUATELY FUND PROGRAMS THROUGH NACOG.

MY HOPE IS, WELL, WHY I'M SUGGESTING MAYBE THAT COULD BE A ONE TIME.

AND IF THE BOARD SO CHOOSES AGAIN, I WOULD JUST REMIND YOU WE HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY IN RESERVES TO DO THAT ONE TIME WITHOUT MAKING REDUCTIONS.

[00:10:06]

WELL, THAT WAS MY QUESTION. IF WE DID DO IT, IT WOULD NEED TO BE, IN MY OPINION, A ONE TIME FUNDING BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING. IT'S ALL JUST SUPPOSITION. SO AS LONG AS THAT'S I MEAN, WE HAVE A GOOD IDEA, BUT.

AND MY UNDERSTANDING IS ALL OF THESE ARE ONE TIME FUNDING, ALTHOUGH SOME OF THEM DO REPEAT THEMSELVES.

THANK YOU. AND THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO CHARACTERIZE IT, I THINK WITH ONE EXCEPTION FOR ME.

AND THAT'S WHEN YOU LOOK AT COOPERATIVE EXTENSION, REALLY SEE THAT AS AN ONGOING COMMITMENT.

AND EVEN FURTHER, I THINK WHAT SHE'S ASKING FOR IS IT'S A ONE TIME CONTINGENCY.

SO, I MEAN, IT MAY NOT EVEN HAVE TO BE SPENT TO SPEND TO DEFEND, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE FEDS COME UP WITH.

I MEAN, BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND THE WAIT LIST SITUATION, I WOULD PREFER TO JUST KEEP IT THERE AND SEE TRULY WHAT THE NEED IS.

BECAUSE WE DON'T KNOW. YEAH. CHAIR AND SUPERVISOR KUKNYO AND CHECK, I AGREE.

I THINK THERE ARE BOTH ISSUES ARE AT PLAY. I WOULD AGREE, I THINK WE REALLY HAVE ADDITIONAL NEED IN THE COMMUNITY REGARDLESS.

IT'S JUST GOING TO BE COMPOUNDED IF IN FACT THEY DO RECEIVE THOSE FEDERAL REDUCTIONS.

AND I WANT TO ALSO NOTE THAT MUNICIPALITIES ARE BUYING IN TO THESE COMMUNITY CENTERS WITH MEALS ON WHEELS AND UNINCORPORATED CITIZENS ARE BEING SERVED BY THEM. SO IT'S THERE'S AN OFFSET ON MUNICIPALITIES AND IT CREATES AN INEQUITY.

DO THE MEALS ON WHEELS PEOPLE GET TOGETHER AS A AS A GROUP AS A WHOLE, OR DO THEY ALL KIND OF OPERATE OUT OF THEIR OWN BOX? YEAH. CHAIR SUPERVISOR KUKNYO MY UNDERSTANDING IS NACOG DOES BRING THEM TOGETHER ON A REGULAR BASIS.

AGAIN, THAT'S JUST THOSE FEEDING PROGRAMS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH NACOG.

YOU HEARD ME SAY LAST WEEK, ONE OF MY CONCERNS IS WHAT OTHER FEEDING PROGRAMS ARE OUT THERE WHO HAVEN'T LINKED INTO NACOG YET, AND WHAT'S THEIR NEED AND CAPACITIES? I'D LIKE TO SPEAK TO NIKKI'S SUGGESTION, AND I AGREE. I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH EILEEN BREMNER AND VERDE VALLEY MEALS ON WHEELS THAT SERVE NOT ONLY COTTONWOOD, RIMROCK, MONTEZUMA, OUT SALT MINE ROAD, AS WELL AS THE TOWN OF CAMP VERDE.

AND EACH YEAR EILEEN PLEADS WITH ALL OF THE MUNICIPALITIES.

AND MUNICIPALITIES THIS YEAR ARE ALSO GOING TO STRUGGLE WITH BUDGETS.

SO SHE MAY NOT GET WHAT SHE'S BEEN COUNTING ON IN PREVIOUS YEARS.

SO WHEREVER THE COUNTY CAN STEP UP. AND I WOULD AGREE, 40,000 IS A GOOD START, THAT WE NEED TO DO THIS.

THANK YOU. AND I DID ASK SOME QUESTIONS OF MY MEALS ON WHEELS PEOPLE.

SO JUST, YOU KNOW, DATA WISE IF WE WERE TO OUTRIGHT PAY FOR THE MEALS THAT ARE BEING SERVED TO UNINCORPORATED CITIZENS AT, I THINK MAYBE $14 A MEAL, IT WOULD BE SOMEWHERE IN THE RANGE OF $120,000.

THOSE AREN'T EXACT NUMBERS, BUT WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT IT'S NOT WE'RE NOT GOING OVERBOARD THERE.

OKAY. IS THAT GOOD CONVERSATION? IT IS. AND SINCE WILLINGNESS ON THE BOARD TO INCLUDE THAT $40,000 THERE.

DOES THE BOARD WANT TO CONSIDER THE REDUCTIONS THAT SUPERVISOR CHECK MENTIONED, OR JUST ADDING THAT TO OUR ONE TIME USE OF RESERVES? NO, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO ASK THIS QUESTION.

WE HAVE ALREADY, IF I HAVE MY UNDERSTANDING CORRECTLY, DIPPED INTO THESE RESERVES.

RIGHT. BY ABOUT WHAT DID YOU 15 MILLION OR SOMETHING OF THAT NATURE? YES. SO FOR THE TOTAL RECOMMENDED BUDGET, JUST UNDER 15 MILLION THAT WE'D BE SPENDING DOWN FUND BALANCE FOR THE FY 26 BUDGET.

BUT I WOULD REMIND THE BOARD THAT THE, THE MOST SIGNIFICANT CONCERN IS NOT THE USE OF THOSE RESERVES FOR TRULY ONE TIME NEEDS.

AGAIN, WE AS WE KNOW, WE HAVE AMPLE RESERVES.

IT'S GETTING US TO A STRUCTURALLY SOUND BUDGET WHERE WE'RE NOT USING THOSE RESERVES FOR ONGOING REOCCURRING EXPENSE.

SO IN MY OPINION, THIS $40,000 USING SOME OF OUR RESERVES IS NOT A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE.

AND I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SAY I DON'T. THE MONEY FOR THIS IS NOT A PROBLEM FOR ME, BUT I DID WANT TO COME OUT ON RECORD STATING THAT WE HAVE ALREADY USED $15 MILLION OF OUR RESERVES, AND WE CANNOT KEEP USING OUR SAVINGS ACCOUNT TO

[00:15:01]

WE HAVE DIPPED INTO THAT AND THAT'S WE CAN'T KEEP DOING THAT.

SO, CHAIR, IF I COULD ONE MORE TIME GET SOME SENSE OF DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD.

JUST ADD THIS TO OUR ONE TIME CONTRIBUTIONS. OR REDUCE THE TWO THAT SUPERVISOR CHECK.

YEAH, I'M FINE WITH IT. I JUST HAVE A QUESTION WITH JUST ADDING.

YES. OKAY. BUT IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE UPPER SULLIVAN'S CANYON PROJECT, I DIDN'T I WASN'T CLEAR.

I'M IN SUPPORT OF IT. JUST SUPERVISOR KUKNYO CAN ANSWER.

DID THEY? YOU SAID THEY HAD JUST STARTED THEIR FUNDRAISING.

THEY HAD RAISED $32,000 ALREADY, AND THEY HAD JUST STARTED IT.

WELL, IF THEY RAISE MORE THAN THE $50,000 ANTICIPATED, THEN COULD WE CUT DOWN? YOU KNOW, LET'S SAY THEY RAISE $100,000. COULD WE THEN TAKE THE MONEY FROM THERE AND APPLY IT TOWARDS WHAT SUPERVISOR CHECK IS TALKING ABOUT? IF THEY RAISE MORE MONEY BECAUSE IT SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD PROJECT AND I THINK THEY'LL RAISE MORE MONEY.

SO IF THEY GO ABOVE THEIR 50, THEN WE COULD BACK IT BACK IN THAT WAY.

WOULD THAT BE SOMETHING WE COULD CONSIDER? THEY'VE DONE 32 AND THEY HAVEN'T REALLY TRIED YET.

THEY JUST GOT SOME BIG DONORS SO THAT NUMBER COULD RAISE.

I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS DEAL GETS DONE, BECAUSE IT IS A KEY PIECE TO THE WHOLE SHOOTING MATCH OF THE VERDE.

AND I THINK I LIKE SEEING A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE UP HERE, BECAUSE IT'S PEOPLE TRYING TO ACTIVELY SERVE OR PRESERVE WHAT'S GOING ON.

AND YOU KNOW, WE COULD BUMP IT DOWN, BUT THEN WHAT IF THEY DON'T RAISE IT AND THEN THE DEAL DOESN'T HAPPEN? WELL, COULD STAFF HAVE THE MONEY AVAILABLE JUST TO, TO HANDLE THAT? AND ONE THING I WASN'T CLEAR ON WHO'S GOING TO OWN THE LAND.

IT'S GOING TO BE CHINO VALLEY. AND THE GOOD THING ABOUT THAT IS THEY ARE GOING TO MAINTAIN IT AND TAKE CARE OF IT MOVING FORWARD.

AND THERE'S YOU'LL SEE A LOT ON THIS ON THE WHOLE STATE PARK VERDE AREA UP THERE.

EVERYBODY'S THROWING IN ON IT AND THEY'RE TAKING DIFFERENT ROLES.

AND IT'S BEEN KIND OF UNCONVENTIONAL BECAUSE USUALLY, YEAH, YOU BUY IT, THEN YOU MAINTAIN IT. YOU TAKE CARE OF IT. YOU'RE THE ONE THAT'S INSURED FOR IT. BUT THIS ONE IS IS ACTING A LOT DIFFERENT, YOU KNOW? SO I MEAN, EVEN PRESCOTT VALLEY'S THROWING IN, CHINO VALLEY'S THROWING IN PRESCOTT'S THROWING IN.

THEIR BUILDING TRAILS THAT AREN'T EVEN IN THE CITY LIMITS.

SO THIS REALLY IS THE WEST SIDE OF THE COUNTY SAYING THIS IS A GOOD THING.

WE NEED TO GET IT DONE. LET'S ALL THROW IN TOGETHER.

SO IF WE IF WE HAVE IT TO USE IT AND THEY GO HIGHER, MY GUESS WOULD BE THAT THEY'D WANT TO USE THAT TO DO SOME OTHER KIND OF IMPROVEMENTS OR PROMOTE. BUT WHEN IT COMES TO BUYING IT CAN THAT NOT COME ON THE BACK OF THE COUNTY? SURE. OKAY. WELL THAT'S JUST MY CONCERN. OKAY.

SO SOMETHING TO ADDRESS. YEAH. CHAIR. VICE CHAIR. SUPERVISOR KUKNYO. IF YOU WANT WE COULD NOTE THAT ONE AS A NOT TO EXCEED AMOUNT.

SO AS NEEDED UP TO THE 150 FOR THE PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY.

YEAH. YEP. MADAM CHAIR, SO I GUESS THE OTHER QUESTION IN MY PROPOSED REDUCTIONS WAS THE U OF A PART TIME FOOD SAFETY FUNDING, WHICH AGAIN, I'M DEFINITELY OPEN TO FUNDING IT, IF THAT'S THE DESIRE.

I WONDERED EVERYBODY ELSE'S TAKE ON THAT. YEAH.

THANK YOU CHAIR AND SUPERVISOR CHECK. YEAH. I WOULD JUST REMIND YOU AS SUPERVISOR CHECK I THINK IS ALLUDING THAT INCREASE, IF I RECALL CORRECTLY, WAS BASED ON INCREASING 2.5 FTES TO TWO.

SO THERE IS SOME NATURAL BREAK THERE IN THAT REQUESTED AMOUNT.

WEREN'T THE FTES AND FTES IN RELATION TO FOOD SAFETY? ISN'T THAT WHAT IT WAS? HAVE SOMEONE TO CHECK HERE REAL QUICK IF YOU CAN.

ONE WAS THE OTHER ONE WAS RELATED TO. MASTER GARDENER.

THANK YOU. AND THAT WAS A LADY WHO HAD VOLUNTEERED EXCESSIVELY AND, AND WAS MAYBE GOING TO STOP DOING THAT IF SHE, IF SHE DIDN'T GET SOME MONEY. BUT I SUPPORT SUPERVISOR CHECK SUGGESTIONS, TOO, BECAUSE WE DO HAVE TO TRIM HERE, AND THESE ARE PRETTY MUCH WANTS, BUT ALSO TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE AND SETTING DIRECTION FOR THE FUTURE.

BUT THERE IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE SOME THINGS THAT ACROSS EVERYTHING WE TALK ABOUT TODAY, IF WE TRIM A LITTLE HERE, TRIM A LITTLE THERE, MAYBE WE CAN GET TO WHERE WE WANT TO BE. AND MIGHT I SUGGEST THAT WE JUST PUT A QUESTION MARK ON THAT, DEPENDING ON WHERE WE GET IN OUR OTHER CONVERSATIONS, BECAUSE IT'S NOT A HUGE AMOUNT, AND MAYBE WE'LL FIND IT SOMEWHERE ELSE.

VERY GOOD. AND THEN SO RIGHT NOW WITH THAT QUESTION MARK WITH THE NOTE ON THE SULLIVAN CANYON PROJECT, ARE WE GOOD TO MOVE ON WHERE WE SHOW IN THE GREEN WITH THE PROPOSED.

OKAY. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO LET'S MOVE TO ITEM NUMBER SEVEN, WHICH AGAIN TIES INTO SIX.

SO ZACH HAS STARTED OUT HERE SHOWING A RECURRING EXPENDITURE CHANGES.

[00:20:01]

YOU MAY RECALL THAT BRIEF CONVERSATION THAT WE IDENTIFIED THAT POSITION.

SO YOU'VE GOT TOTAL EXPENDITURE SAVINGS OVER WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED OF 205,001 76, WHICH IS ADDITIONAL RECURRING EXPENDITURE CAPACITY FOR THE COMING YEAR. SO THEN THE ONE TIME EXPENDITURE CHANGES THAT WE THOUGHT WE'D CAPTURED FROM THE BOARD'S CONVERSATION IS REMOVAL OF THE CAMP VERDE JUSTICE CENTER ROOF REPLACEMENT PROJECT THAT BRANDON SAID WE DIDN'T NEED TO EXPEND.

SO WE'VE GOT THAT $370,000. WE WANTED TO ADD THE MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE MODULAR SETUP, WHICH WAS $150,000.

WE SENSED A DESIRE FROM THE BOARD TO FUND FOR ONE FOR ONE YEAR.

AT THIS POINT, THE STRUCTURED LITERACY COORDINATOR FROM THE SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT OF ABOUT $100,000.

THEN YOU HAVE THE UPPER SULLIVAN CANYON PROJECT THAT WE JUST DISCUSSED, 150 AND ADDITION OF THE COUNTY CONTRIBUTIONS UTILIZING REMAINING BUDGET CAPACITY BACK UP TO THAT TOP NUMBER OF 28587. THAT SHOWS TOTAL ADDITIONAL EXPENDITURES OF ONLY $1,337.

SO YOU ESSENTIALLY ZEROED OUT YOUR SAVINGS AND YOUR ADDITIONAL DESIRE FOR THOSE EXPENDITURES.

YEAH. SO THAT'S EXCELLENT. YEAH, WE CAN LIVE WITH THAT.

VERY, VERY CLOSE THERE. SO DOES THAT LIST THAT I JUST WENT THROUGH IS THAT.

OKAY. WITH THE BOARD. THE RIGHT WORD. I MADE A WHOLE NOTHER LIST.

SO I ALSO DID INCLUDE THAT $40,000. AND ACTUALLY, THERE MIGHT MY NUMBERS MIGHT BE COMPLETELY MIGHT NOT BE COMPLETELY RIGHT, JUST JUDGING ON WHAT WE JUST SAID BUT.

I MEAN, I DID FIND IN OUR FTE AND SOME ONE TIME COSTS WITHIN THE GENERAL FUND, $2.3 MILLION. AND THAT'S I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT EVERYBODY WANTED TO DISCUSS, BUT IT INVOLVES ALSO TAKING THE BUDGET ANALYST OUT, WHICH I THINK MAKES SENSE IF WE DON'T HAVE A I MEAN, WE DO HAVE A BUDGET MANAGER AT THIS MOMENT, BUT THAT LEADERSHIP POSITION IS GOING AWAY, AND I'M NOT SURE I FUNDAMENTALLY AGREE WITH BUILDING UP REPORTING POSITIONS WITHOUT LEADERSHIP. AND THEN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, THE SENIOR PLANNER.

I REALLY THINK THAT BECAUSE THE FACILITIES CAPITAL PROJECT MANAGER POSITION IS BASICALLY ASSIGNED TO CAPITAL PROJECTS, THAT THAT SALARY SHOULD BE IN THE SEPARATE BUDGET FUND FOR CAPITAL PROJECTS.

AND ESPECIALLY BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE TEMPORARY IF WE STOP DOING CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT ARE LARGE.

WE DON'T NEED TO FUND THAT POSITION. SO IT MAKES SENSE TO ME TO TIE THAT IN AND TAKE THAT OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.

I DON'T KNOW IF THE ARPA FUND. I DON'T THINK THAT WE COULD ALSO TAKE AN ATTORNEY, ONE OF THE ONE OF THE TWO PROPOSED ATTORNEYS FROM THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, POSSIBLY THE PURCHASING COORDINATOR.

FINANCE. I DON'T UNDERSTAND HOW MANY SOLID WASTE FIELD SUPERVISORS ARE SUGGESTED.

I'M ACTUALLY VERY CONFUSED IF THERE MIGHT BE 2 OR 3 OF THOSE POSITIONS BETWEEN TWO DIFFERENT FUNDS.

SO I HAVE A QUESTION MARK ON HOW MUCH IS INVOLVED THERE.

AND THEN, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY A 911 OPERATOR AND A DEPUTY.

BUT I COULDN'T GET THOSE EXACT NUMBERS EITHER.

SO I WOULD JUST LIKE TO INTERJECT, WE PROBABLY WITH THESE KIND OF QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE.

IT'S UNFORTUNATE THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE ACTUAL DIRECTORS HERE TO SPEAK TO THESE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHY WE HAD THEM HERE LAST WEEK.

AND SO I WILL SAY THAT MAURY, I HAD ASKED YOU TO BRING H.R. OVER. MAYBE WE COULD AT LEAST ADDRESS THAT ABOUT THESE, YOU KNOW, BENEFITS, AND YOU COULD HELP ME OUT WITH THAT.

SURE. WENDY. ALTHOUGH, AS WENDY'S COMING UP, I DON'T KNOW THAT WENDY WILL BE PREPARED TO SPEAK TO THE POSITIONS.

RIGHT, I KNOW, BUT I DO JUST WOULD APPRECIATE THAT YOU HAD ASKED HER TO COME OVER JUST BECAUSE SOME OF THE WHEN WE LOOKED AT THE AMOUNTS OF MONEY,

[00:25:04]

$141,000. WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE BREAKDOWN OF THE BENEFITS.

AND SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT THAT, AND WE MAY BE THINKING, THAT'S JUST SALARY AND WE STILL NEED TO DO BENEFITS.

SO. MADAM CHAIR, CAN I SPEAK TO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECT MANAGER? FOR ME, I THINK IT SHOULD REMAIN IN THE GENERAL.

THIS IS GOING TO BE AN ONGOING YEARLY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS.

IF I GET THE SENSE OF THE BOARD THAT THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING. WELL, OKAY, I GUESS I NEED TO.

I'M SORRY. I GUESS I SHOULD SAY THIS STRAIGHT OUT.

I'VE SAID IT SEVERAL TIMES LAST WEEK. I SUPPORT THE BUDGET AND I SUPPORT THE FLAT TAX.

I HAVE I HAVE NO PROBLEM LOOKING AT THESE CONTRIBUTIONS AND WHAT WE'VE DONE HERE, BUT MY POSITION WILL NOT HAS NOT CHANGED AND IT WILL NOT CHANGE. MADAM CHAIR, I'D LIKE TO JUST TALK TO THE PROCESS HERE, BECAUSE I THINK THAT I'D BE REMISS TO NOT STATE IN A PUBLIC MEETING THAT THE WAY THAT OUR BUDGET PROCESS OCCURRED, I FEEL, IS NOT APPROPRIATE. I THINK ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FACETS OF BUDGETING IS TO GIVE EVERYBODY TIME TO FIND THE INFORMATION THAT THEY NEED. AND IN MY PERSPECTIVE, WHERE THE BALL GOT DROPPED IS IN THAT MARCH 18TH MEETING.

THAT WAS NOT A SUBSTANTIVE MEETING. THAT WAS THE TIME THAT PROPOSING A FLAT TAX, LAYING OUT OUR DESIRED CAPITAL PROJECTS, HAVING AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE REQUESTED FTES WERE, WHAT THE CAPITAL PROJECT DOLLARS WERE.

I MEAN, THAT WAS REALLY THE TIME FRAME THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN APPROPRIATE TO BOTH GIVE STAFF THE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE VARIOUS OPTIONS AND TO GIVE THE BOARD AN OPPORTUNITY TO TEST THE POLITICAL WILL OF SUCH THINGS.

I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED THAT TWO OPTIONS WERE PREPARED FOR THE BOARD ONE IN WHICH A FLAT TAX WAS SUGGESTED AND ONE WITHOUT.

THAT WASN'T PREPARED. AND SO I SPENT MY TIME PREPARING THAT.

REALIZING THAT I MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE SUPPORT FROM THIS BOARD BUT I, I FEEL THAT THIS FLAT TAX HAS REALLY BEEN SUGGESTED AND DRIVEN FROM STAFF AND NOT FROM THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, WHICH MAY MAYBE I'M WRONG ABOUT THAT.

MAYBE. I MEAN, WE DON'T TALK TO EACH OTHER, SO MAYBE THIS REALLY WAS COMING FROM MADAM CHAIR OR ONE OF THE OTHERS, AND I'M NOT SURE OF THAT. BUT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS IS RESPONSIBLE FOR YOU KNOW, RESPONSIBLY GUIDING TAX DOLLARS. AND I DON'T THINK IT'S THE RIGHT PROCESS WHEN THOSE SUGGESTIONS ARE COMING FROM STAFF AND NOT THE BOARD.

AND I JUST WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT AS FAR AS THE FLAT TAX GOES THERE HAD BEEN DISCUSSION OUT IN PUBLIC MEETING, SO THIS DIDN'T JUST COME FROM ME. AND IT HAS BEEN A CONVERSATION.

AND THE WHOLE POINT OF THE TAX EXPENDITURE LIMIT BEING RAISED, THOSE ARE OUR RESERVES AND THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO CARRY US FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER TEN YEARS.

IF WE KEEP TAKING FROM THEM, WE WON'T HAVE THAT MONEY.

AND THAT WAS THE WHOLE REASON THAT WE ENDED UP TRYING TO GET OUR EXPENDITURE LIMIT RAISED.

AND THE OTHER PART OF IT IS, IS THAT MANY MUNICIPALITIES HAVE KEPT A TAX FLAT RATE, AND IT IS A WAY OF BUDGETING AND MAKING THE COUNTY AS IT'S GROWING, BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THE NEEDS OF THIS GROWING COUNTY. SO I'M I'M JUST GOING TO LEAVE IT AT THAT.

I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE TO SAY BECAUSE MY POSITION WILL NOT CHANGE.

CHAIR, IF I COULD TO RESPOND TO SUPERVISOR CHECK, AND I APPRECIATE YOU AND I WERE ABLE TO HAVE SOME OF THIS CONVERSATION YESTERDAY, AND I FULLY ACKNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTAND. I WON'T PUT WORDS IN YOUR MOUTH OR FRUSTRATION HERE.

THE MARCH 18TH MEETING. I JUST REMIND THE BOARD THAT WASN'T EVEN A PART OF OUR ORIGINAL BUDGET SCHEDULE.

THE FORMER BOARD HAD SUGGESTED WITH THREE NEW INCOMING SUPERVISORS, THAT WE OUGHT TO SCHEDULE THAT ADDITIONAL MARCH 18TH MEETING TO REFRESH THEM ON THE INFORMATION THAT WAS PRESENTED TO THEM.

SO THAT'S WHY THAT OCCURRED AND THAT WAS THAT THE DIRECTION OF THE PREVIOUS BOARD.

AND AGAIN, FULLY UNDERSTAND THAT IN RETROSPECT, YOU FEEL THAT THAT COULD BE USED DIFFERENTLY.

AND SOMETHING THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT, OF COURSE, AND OPEN TO ANY DIRECTION THIS BOARD WANTS TO PROVIDE ABOUT HOW THE PROCESS.

[00:30:05]

I WILL SAY THOUGH, JUST TO GIVE YOU A CAUTION, IF WE WOULD BE DOING MAKING THOSE SORTS OR GETTING THAT SORT OF DIRECTION AND STAFF BEING PREPARED TO PROVIDE THAT ON MARCH 18TH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE UP OUR TIMELINES DRAMATICALLY TO BE ABLE TO MEET THAT KIND OF TIMELINE.

AGAIN, SOMETHING WE CAN DO, BUT SOMETHING WE'LL HAVE TO BUILD INTO THE PROCESS.

AND AGAIN, FINAL NOTE HERE WAS WE ARE OPEN TO ANY RECOMMENDATIONS, CHANGES YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IN THE PROCESS GOING FORWARD.

REALIZING WE HAVE A NEW BOARD NOW, AND YOU'VE GOT DIFFERENT IDEAS ON HOW IT'S MOST HELPFUL TO PRESENT THE INFORMATION AND WHAT THE PROCESS LOOKS LIKE.

AGAIN, PLEASE KNOW THAT WE'RE OPEN TO HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS AND MAKING THE CHANGES THAT ARE HELPFUL FOR YOU ALL AS A BOARD.

AND I JUST HAVE TO SAY, WE WE DIDN'T MIND KEEPING THE RATE FLAT FOR THE LIBRARY.

SO WHY DON'T WE DO THE SAME FOR THE COUNTY? I MEAN, ROADS, LAW ENFORCEMENT, YOU KNOW, ALL OF THOSE ARE VERY IMPORTANT.

SO I MEAN, THE TAX RATE, NOBODY'S GOT A PROBLEM WITH TAX RATE STAYING FLAT FOR THE LIBRARY DISTRICT.

NOT SURE WHAT THE PROBLEM IS IN SUPPORTING THE COUNTY AND ALL OF THE SERVICES IT PROVIDES.

WELL, JUST TO HOPEFULLY HELP PROVIDE DIRECTION I HEAR SUPERVISOR CHECK'S POSITION.

I UNDERSTAND IT, AND I APPRECIATE HER INPUT. BUT FOR MYSELF, I'M IN CONCURRENCE WITH CHAIR MALLORY AND KEEPING THE TAX RATE FLAT.

I BELIEVE IT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO. BUT I DO APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S INPUT AND I SO I MEAN, I'M NOT SURE WHAT ELSE WE REALLY WANT TO GET INTO, BUT I THINK ACKNOWLEDGING OUR DEBT SITUATION IS IMPORTANT.

AND WE'RE LARGELY IN DEBT BECAUSE OF CAPITAL EXPENDITURES, MOSTLY THE JAIL.

AND WE COULD HAVE AND PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE GONE TO OUR TAX BASE TO FUND THAT MORE WHOLLY. OUR GENERAL FUND IS BEING YOU KNOW, IS SUBSIDIZING THAT.

IT'S IMPORTANT THERE'S, YOU KNOW, NO TWO WAYS ABOUT THAT.

IT EXISTS ALREADY. SO WE'VE COMMITTED TO THAT.

WHAT I SEE IN I MEAN, WE SO WE HAVE A $20 MILLION CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS BUDGET OR SUGGESTED BUDGET.

AND SO WE DEFINITELY ARE WE'RE COMMITTED TO CAPITAL PROJECTS AND THAT IS IMPORTANT.

BUT FOR A SINGULAR DEPARTMENT SUCH AS THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

WE'RE NOW LOOKING AT $1.9 MILLION IN DESIGN AND ENGINEERING FOR AN ADDITION, NOT ANY BUILD PRODUCT, BUT FOR AN ADDITIONAL CAPITAL PROJECT. WITH MAYBE A DOZEN YEARS LEFT TO PAY DOWN THE DEBT THAT'S ALREADY THERE.

SO THE BOARD APPROVES A BUDGET BECAUSE IT'S AN OUTLINE FOR WHAT WILL BE ACHIEVING IN THE YEARS TO COME.

AND I'M NOT SURE THAT I, I WANT TO COMMIT $1.9 MILLION TO SOMETHING THAT WOULD ADD TO THAT DEBT WITHOUT ANOTHER MECHANISM.

I DON'T THINK THIS FLATTENING OF THE TAX IS GOING TO REALLY SOLVE THAT PROBLEM.

AND I ALSO KNOW THAT WE HAVE MORE PLANNING THAT'S OCCURRING RIGHT NOW TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW WE'RE GOING TO OUTLAY CAPITAL PROJECTS FOR SHERIFF'S OFFICE SERVICES IN THE RURAL PARTS OF THE COUNTY.

SO I WOULD PREFER TO BE A LITTLE BIT MORE COMPREHENSIVE IN THINKING ABOUT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND CAPITAL AND NOT START DOWN THAT PATH RIGHT NOW BEFORE WE BEFORE WE FULLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THE NEEDS ARE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY.

YEAH. MADAM CHAIR, I'M JUST GOING TO BABBLE FOR A LITTLE WHILE, AND I SHOULD HAVE WROTE ALL THIS STUFF DOWN, BUT YOU KNOW, WE HEARD RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BOARD, AND I THINK THIS BOARD HAS A LOT DUMPED ON IT FROM THE PAST, AND WE ARE PLAYING A TON OF CATCH UP. A WISE GUY TOLD ME, HE GOES, YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY HAS GROWN LIKE CRAZY, AND WE HAVEN'T GROWN AS AS A SERVICE PROVIDER.

YOU LOOK AT THE JAIL BOARDS BEFORE US, SPENT $86 MILLION, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, TO TO GET THIS JAIL.

AND IT'S NOT JUST A PLACE TO LOCK PEOPLE UP, BUT NOW WE HAVE REHABILITATION.

NOW WE HAVE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. I MEAN, WE'RE EXPANDING LIKE CRAZY.

AND YEAH, YOU GET YOUR NAME ON THE PLAQUE, BUT WHAT ABOUT THE ONGOING FUNDING OF ALL THE PEOPLE THAT GOT TO FILL THIS PLACE UP? THE JAIL GUARDS, THE COOKS, THE ADMINISTRATION, THE HEALTH PROFESSIONALS THAT GOT TO GO THROUGH WITH THAT.

[00:35:05]

I LOOK OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS AT THE GROWTH THAT'S HAPPENED IN THIS COUNTY, AND WE HAVEN'T DONE A MAJOR ROAD PROJECT TO HELP FLOW A TRAFFIC THROUGH THE COUNTY.

I THINK WE NEED TO GET ON THAT KIND OF STUFF.

AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO YOU DON'T SPEND THE MONEY AND YOU JUST WATCH THE PROBLEM GET WORSE AND WORSE AND WORSE.

AND THEN IS THERE GOING TO BE A BOARD THAT TACKLES THESE ISSUES AND, AND MAKES THAT SMOOTH? YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.

I MEAN, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME IN YEARS THAT THEY HAVE BEEN FULLY STAFFED WITH PEOPLE.

BUT THOSE PEOPLE ALL COST MONEY. SO WE HAVE TO DO THAT AS WELL.

YOU KNOW, I FOR THE LAST WHAT, FIVE YEARS WE HAVEN'T EVEN BEEN ABLE TO GET NEW VEHICLES.

NOW WE'RE SPENDING MILLIONS AND MILLIONS ON NEW TRUCKS FOR THE SHERIFFS TO GET AROUND TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES THEY DO.

I MEAN, THESE ARE THINGS THAT IT'S JUST PAST DUE BILLS.

I SEE PAST DUE BILLS COMING DUE RIGHT NOW. AND SOME OF THE STUFF I'M, I'M KIND OF EMBARRASSED THAT THAT IT IS THAT WAY WHEN I GO UP TO ASH FORK AND I SEE OUR SHERIFF DEPUTIES WORKING OUT OF A DILAPIDATED DOUBLE WIDE, IT SHOULDN'T BE LIKE THAT.

THESE OUTLYING AREAS, I THINK, HAVE A LOT OF NEEDS TO GET IMPROVED ON.

AND I THINK THIS BOARD HAS DONE A GREAT JOB AT GETTING OUT THERE IN THE SHORT TIME WE'VE BEEN ON THERE.

WE'RE GOING OUT THERE AND MEETING THE PEOPLE. WE'RE SEEING THE PEOPLE. WE'RE SEEING WHAT THE ISSUES ARE. SO YOU KNOW, YOU LOOK AT THE BUDGET AND AND YEAH, WE WANT TO TRIM IT DOWN.

WE DON'T WANT ANY FAT, YOU KNOW AND I HAVEN'T SEEN A WHOLE LOT OF THAT LOOKING THROUGH THIS BUDGET.

I THINK EVERYONE'S COMING IN PRETTY TIGHT, BUT IT'S PEOPLE.

IT'S COSTS FOR PEOPLE GOING FORWARD. WHEN THE PAST BOARD RAISED THE WAGES BY WHAT IT WAS LIKE 18%, THAT'S GOOD WASN'T IT, 18% THAT BUMP AND IT WAS NEEDED AND IT HAPPENED.

BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? THAT'S ONGOING COST. AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO STICK A POTENTIAL 6% ONGOING COST.

SO WE'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH THAT NEXT YEAR. AND IT JUST COMPOUNDS ON ITSELF. SO WE GOT WE GOT TO BE REALLY TIGHT AND LOOK AT ALL THESE THINGS.

AND BUT STILL THERE'S OPPORTUNITIES THAT CAN'T BE MISSED.

AND WHEN I LOOK AT THAT SULLIVAN CANYON PROJECT THAT COULD EASILY GO AWAY AND NEVER BE AVAILABLE, WHICH WILL MESS UP CONNECTIVITY FOR ALL THE CITIES, ALL THE TOWNS, THE COUNTY, EVERYBODY.

AND IT'S THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE DONE NOW. SO DO WE NEED TO TIGHTEN UP ON SOME THINGS? AND I KNOW WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SHERIFF'S, WE GOT PRESENTED WITH AN ALREADY NEGOTIATED DEPARTMENT HEADS.

I MEAN, THERE ASK WERE A LOT MORE THAN THAT. AND THEY'VE COME DOWN A LOT FROM WHERE THEY'RE AT.

SO LIKE I SAID, I JUST WAS GOING TO BABBLE ON THIS A LITTLE WHILE, BUT THERE ARE ALL THINGS THAT PEOPLE ARE ASKING FOR.

WHEN WE HAVE THIS GROWTH THAT WE'VE HAD AND WHAT'S THE BIGGEST THING THAT WE ALL HEAR? WE NEED SPEED ENFORCEMENT IN OUR COMMUNITIES.

WELL, THAT TAKES PEOPLE TO DO SO. WE NEED TO FUND THOSE DEPUTIES TO GO OUT THERE.

AND ON JAIL, YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE SOME LEVEL OF DECENT SERVICE.

AND I KNOW THIS GOES AGAINST THE ARPAIO MODEL, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT PEOPLE IN I'M A BIG, INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY GUY.

AND YOU HAVE TO GIVE THOSE PEOPLE SOME LEVEL OF DECENT HOUSING AND FOOD BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT GUILTY YET UNTIL A COURT FINDS THEM, ONCE THEY'RE DONE WITH THAT, THEY CAN GO OUT AND BREAK ROCKS AND EAT GREEN BOLOGNA, I DON'T CARE, BUT UNTIL THAT TIME, THEY'RE INNOCENT PEOPLE.

SO I DON'T WANT TO SEE THE DIVERSION PROGRAMS GO AWAY EITHER, BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF GOOD THAT'S COMING OUT OF THOSE, AND THEY HAVEN'T REALLY ASKED FOR A WHOLE LOT MORE IN THAT.

BUT THIS BOARD IS PLAYING CATCH UP WITH A LOT OF THINGS AND STUFF THAT HAS BEEN KIND OF JUST IGNORED.

AND, AND IT'S A GOVERNMENT THING BECAUSE I SAW THIS BOARD IS HANGING ON TO, WHAT, $45 MILLION IN UNFUNDED LIABILITY FOR PSPRS? WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT AT THE CITY OF PRESCOTT.

I SAW IT, AND FOR THE FIRST THREE YEARS I KEPT BRINGING IT UP AT THE COUNCIL, AND I HAD CRICKETS.

THE FOURTH YEAR, WE COULDN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE WITH THE PRESSURE ON THE GENERAL FUND, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WAS THE BIGGEST PROBLEM IN THE WORLD BECAUSE AS POLITICIANS, WE SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT? IF WE CAN JUST PUSH THIS AWAY, PUSH THIS AWAY FOR A LITTLE BIT, I'LL BE OUT OF OFFICE WHEN YOU REALLY HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT. AND I THINK WE'RE SEEING SOME OF THAT RIGHT NOW IN WHAT WE'RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH HERE AT THE COUNTY.

WE GOT A LOT OF CATCH UP TO DO. CHAIR. THANK YOU SUPERVISOR KUKNYO. FOR ME, NEW TO THE BOARD. YOU JUST GAVE ME A WHOLE TON OF CONTEXT.

ALL THAT HISTORY THAT I DON'T HAVE. SO THANK YOU FOR RUNNING THROUGH THAT.

IT WAS VERY, VERY HELPFUL TO ME. AS A FINANCIAL PERSON, NIKKI, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.

[00:40:03]

SO FOR ME, I HAVE TO BALANCE THESE TWO CONVERSATIONS AND MOVING FORWARD.

MAURY, YOU AND I HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT DEBT.

AND IF I'M THE COUNTY HAS ONE DEBT. YES, IN THE JAIL DISTRICT HAS ONE.

SO I'M GOING TO TELL YOU, COMING FROM A MUNICIPALITY, IT'S AMAZING TO ME TO HAVE ONE DEBT.

I KNOW IT'S A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY, BUT YOU'RE ALSO DEALING WITH A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF REVENUE AND BUDGET.

YOU HAVE TO PUT THAT INTO PERSPECTIVE. WE KNOW IN OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY STRUCTURE THAT TO GET ANY MAJOR PROJECT DONE IN A MUNICIPALITY, YOU HAVE TO BORROW MONEY.

SO I'M AMAZED THAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO GET SO MUCH DONE USING OPERATIONAL BUDGETS.

IT'S AMAZING TO ME THAT YOU'VE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP DOWN YOUR DEBT SERVICE.

THERE MAY COME A TIME THAT YOU DO HAVE TO BORROW, BUT YOU'RE VERY STRONG BECAUSE YOU HAVE YOUR RATING JUST INCREASE, RIGHT? SO KUDOS TO EVERYONE THAT'S GOT US THIS FAR.

BUT I UNDERSTAND VERY MUCH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IN THAT WE FINALLY HAVE HERE EMPLOYEES UP TO A FAIR WAGE. AND BY DOING THAT, YOU BRING THE SKILL SET UP.

YOU BRING FOLKS IN THAT ARE WILLING TO WORK FOR A DECENT SALARY.

SO YOU GET EXPERIENCE, YOU GET EDUCATION, YOU GET DEDICATION WHEN YOU PAY PEOPLE WELL.

AND THE RESULT OF THAT IS YOU SERVE THE COMMUNITY BETTER.

SO TO ME, IT'S LIKE A FULL CIRCLE. YOU PAY YOUR TAX DOLLARS, YOU GET GREAT PEOPLE WORKING AND PROVIDING THOSE SERVICES.

AND THE PUBLIC IS VERY HAPPY WITH THE PRODUCT THAT YOU'RE DELIVERING.

SO THAT'S WHAT I HAVE TO SAY. BUT AGAIN, THANK YOU.

IT WAS VERY HELPFUL TO UNDERSTAND HOW THE BOARD GOT HERE.

THANK YOU. AND HERE I'LL GIVE YOU SOME MORE. MADAM CHAIR YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT THE JAIL DISTRICT TAX.

WE HAVE A TAX TO HANDLE THE JAIL DISTRICT. WELL, IT'S ONLY HANDLING ROUGHLY 50% OF WHAT IT'S COSTING US TO RUN THE JAIL.

YOU KNOW, THAT WAS HANDED DOWN TO US AS WELL.

AND I THINK THIS THIS DISCUSSION THAT WE'RE HAVING RIGHT NOW SHOWS HOW TIGHT OF A SHIP WE'RE RUNNING BECAUSE WE HAVE A $428 $28 MILLION BUDGET.

AND WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT IF WE'RE GOING TO NEED ANOTHER $3 MILLION.

THAT'S THE STUFF THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS A VERY SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE OVERALL THING.

SO WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHERE CAN WE CUT, WHERE CAN WE TRIM? I MEAN, WE'RE TRYING TO TRIM 3 MILLION FROM $428 MILLION BUDGET.

AND OF COURSE, AS YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW THAT WE SEE WHAT WAS PROPOSED AND WE SEE WHAT IS RECOMMENDED.

SO WE DID TRIM. AND I WANT YOU TO KNOW, SUPERVISOR CHECK, I ALSO HEAR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE SAYING.

I WILL TELL YOU THAT IT HAS BEEN A LONG HAUL TO GET US TO EVEN WHERE WE ARE NOW.

AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE CENTER. IT'S A SHAME BECAUSE I WILL SHOW YOU THE BALLOT I CAN I HAVE IT ON MY PHONE.

IN 2014, HAD THAT SALES TAX PASSED FOR THE JAIL.

WE WOULD NOT BE SITTING HERE WITH THIS CONVERSATION.

THE OTHER PART OF THAT CONVERSATION IS WE REALLY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO LOOK AT HOW WE GO BACK OUT AND GET THAT JAIL TAX IMPLEMENTED AND RAISED UP IN ORDER TO GET IT OFF THE BACKS OF THE PROPERTY OWNERS, BECAUSE THAT WAS THE ORIGINAL PROCESS. AND OF COURSE, THE SUPERVISORS THEY HAD THERE AT THAT TIME.

I WASN'T ON THE BOARD THEN, BUT THEY WERE FACING THE FEDS AND THEY HAD TO DO SOMETHING.

SO THERE WAS SO MANY MOVING PARTS THAT I WASN'T EVEN A PART OF.

BUT LIKE YOU, I WAS HANDED A DISH. I DIDN'T ORDER IT UP, BUT THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE.

WHAT I WOULD ENCOURAGE THAT I WOULD HOPE, IS THAT WE COULD WORK THROUGH THIS THIS YEAR AND THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO, AS WE UNDERSTAND BECAUSE WE ARE A NEW BOARD, THAT WE MAKE SURE WE START LOOKING AT SOME OF THE OTHER OPTIONS.

HOW DO WE, AS A BOARD HAVE BETTER COMMUNICATION, MORE ABOUT THIS? DO WE HAVE MORE PUBLIC SESSIONS? IS THAT THE PROCESS? I DON'T KNOW, BUT I WILL AGREE. WE WE DID STRUGGLE.

[00:45:02]

AND OF COURSE THIS ISN'T OUR BACKYARD. AND SO WE'RE TRYING TO UNDERSTAND ALL OF THAT.

AND LIKE I HAD MENTIONED EARLIER WHEN I SAW SOME OF THE SALARIES, I WAS LIKE, DOES THAT INCLUDE BENEFITS? SO I'LL GO TO YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU. WELL, YOU'VE ALL GIVEN ME A LOT TO RESPOND TO HERE, BUT I WANT TO WEIGH IN AND YOU'RE REALLY HITTING ON THE KEYS FOR ME.

SO I'LL START WITH SUPERVISOR CHECK WHO STARTED THIS CONVERSATION.

YOU'RE EXACTLY RIGHT. I REMIND YOU OF THAT SLIDE THAT ZACH HAS SHARED WITH YOU TWICE ON THE JAIL DISTRICT.

$11.1 MILLION OF JAIL DISTRICT EXPENSE IS BEING PUSHED TO THE GENERAL FUND.

THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE. WE DON'T HAVE IT'S EATING UP OUR GENERAL FUND BECAUSE THAT TAX IS INSUFFICIENT.

AS SUPERVISOR KUKNYO SAID, IT'S PAYING FOR ABOUT HALF OF THE COST, AND THE GENERAL FUND IS HAVING TO PICK UP THE REST FOR THE OPERATING AND THE DEBT ON, ON THAT FACILITY. SO AGAIN, WE'VE GOT TO TALK ABOUT A STRATEGY GOING FORWARD.

HOW THAT'S GOING TO ADDRESS THOSE OPERATIONAL COSTS ARE JUST GOING TO KEEP GROWING OVER THERE.

SO WE'VE GOT TO DO IT. AND THEN NEXT I WANT TO RECOGNIZE WHAT I SENSE IS THE FRUSTRATION.

TRUST ME. STAFF HAVE THAT SAME FRUSTRATION TRYING TO PUT THIS TOGETHER AND LOOKING AT THOSE KIND OF FIGURES ABOUT HOW ARE WE GOING TO COMPENSATE FOR THAT GROWING AGAIN, DRAIN ON OUR ON OUR GENERAL FUND. SO THEN, SUPERVISOR JENKINS, I THINK YOU HIT THE THE NAIL ON THE HEAD WHEN YOU SAID BALANCE.

TRYING TO FIND THE APPROPRIATE BALANCE HERE OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO COVER THAT EXPENSE, WHILE STILL, SUPERVISOR KUKNYO POINTED OUT, ADDRESSING THE GROWING DEMANDS FOR SERVICE IN THE COUNTY AND TRYING TO TO HOLD DOWN THE REQUEST TO SOMETHING THAT'S SOMEWHAT REASONABLE SO WE CAN ADDRESS SOME OF THOSE NEEDS.

BUT BALANCING WHETHER WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE RESOURCE TO ADDRESS ALL THOSE NEEDS AS WELL, WHILE WE'RE COVERING THESE EXPENDITURES FROM THE JAIL DISTRICT.

FINALLY, SOMEONE REFERENCED SUPERVISOR KUKNYO SAYS NET DEBT.

SO, YOU KNOW, I'LL BE TALKING. THAT UNFUNDED LIABILITY, SORRY. I'LL BE TALKING TO THE CHAIR.

I'VE MET WITH THE DIRECTOR YESTERDAY, AND I'M HAVING THEM ON SITE ON JUNE 16TH, OR AT LEAST BY VIDEO TO TALK TO THE BOARD ABOUT OUR CURRENT LIABILITIES THERE.

SO WORKING ON THAT AS WELL. SO THANK YOU CHAIR.

WOULD THIS BE OKAY AT THIS TIME? MAYBE WE COULD JUST HAVE SOME INPUT FROM WENDY, OUR HR DIRECTOR, IN REGARDS TO ABOUT BENEFITS. BENEFITS ARE GOING UP AND THINGS AND SHE HAS GONE THROUGH THIS BUDGET WITH YOU FOLKS ON ALL OF THIS.

I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE THAT IS PART OF THE PAY THAT WE ARE OFFERING UP.

JUST TO BE CLEAR, THE PLAN THAT I MADE THAT DID TAKE OUT THAT 2.3 MILLION DID STILL INCLUDE ALL THE COLA AND 1.7% MERIT WAS STILL IN THE BUDGET. SO. GOOD MORNING, CHAIR MALLORY MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, WENDY ROSS, DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES AND RISK MANAGEMENT.

IN REGARDS TO BENEFITS THIS YEAR, THERE WAS AN INCREASE IN THE COST OF OUR BENEFITS THROUGH YAVAPAI COMBINED TRUST.

AND THAT'S A BOARD, OF COURSE, THAT IS COMPRISED OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM EACH OF THE TRUST ENTITIES, WHICH IS THE COUNTY, THE CITY OF PRESCOTT, TOWN OF CHINO VALLEY, AND YAVAPAI COLLEGE.

AND WE WORK CLOSELY WITH OUR CONSULTANTS TO REALLY LOOK AT OUR CLAIMS EXPERIENCE OVER THE PAST YEAR AND OUR CONTRIBUTIONS. AND ARE THEY COVERING THE COSTS AND DO WE NEED TO INCREASE THOSE RATES? AND SO I DO BELIEVE IF I'M GOING TO TRY TO REMEMBER, WE DID A 7% INCREASE ON THE HEALTH INSURANCE.

AND I THINK IT WAS 10% ON DENTAL, 10 OR 13%. IT WAS HIGHER.

BUT DENTAL COSTS OF COURSE, ARE LOWER. SO THE IMPACT WASN'T AS MUCH AS A 7% INCREASE TO THE HEALTH INSURANCE.

AND AS YOU KNOW, THE COUNTY SUBSIDIZES A PORTION OF THE FAMILY COVERAGE OF HEALTH INSURANCE.

WE PAY 100% OF EMPLOYEE ONLY COVERAGE, AND WE SUBSIDIZE A PORTION OF THE FAMILY COVERAGE.

SO THOSE INCREASES TO THE RATES IMPACT BOTH THE COUNTY AS WELL AS THE EMPLOYEES WHO ARE COVERING ANY DEPENDANCE ON ANY OF THOSE COVERAGES. AND SO, OF COURSE, THAT HAS TO BE BUILT IN.

WE LOOK AT TRYING TO BE AS COMPETITIVE AS WE CAN WITH OUR BENEFITS.

NOT ONLY, YOU KNOW, AS YOU MENTIONED, IT'S PART OF OUR TOTAL COMPENSATION PACKAGE.

SO BASE SALARY IS VERY IMPORTANT. BUT BENEFITS ARE ALSO VERY IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE OFFERING SOMETHING COMPETITIVE TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN THOSE QUALITY EMPLOYEES. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTIONS.

IT LOOKS LIKE THERE'S SOME, SOME OTHER THERE WAS SOME DECREASES TO THE ARIZONA STATE RETIREMENT SYSTEM,

[00:50:02]

AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE, THE PUBLIC SAFETY AND THE CORP WHICH IT LOOKS LIKE HAS SOME INCREASES.

BUT AT LEAST THE ASRS WENT DOWN THAT HAS BEEN GOING UP EVERY YEAR.

AND SO THAT'S KIND OF A NICE LITTLE BREAK THERE FOR BOTH US AS THE EMPLOYER AND OUR EMPLOYEES AS THEY FEEL THAT HIT IN THEIR PAYCHECK.

WELL, I THANK YOU VERY MUCH. AND I DON'T KNOW IF I'M CORRECT ON THIS, BUT AS WE WENT THROUGH LOOKING AT THE POSITIONS AND THE SALARIES THAT WERE, AM I ON THE UNDERSTANDING THAT IT WAS KIND OF A MID, A MID POSITION SALARY THAT YOU FOLKS WERE LOOKING AT AND, AND THEN I'D APPRECIATE SOME INPUT. YES. THANK YOU CHAIR.

I THINK YOU'RE REFERRING TO OUR SALARY GRADES AND USING THE MIDPOINT AS THE PROJECTED BUDGET NUMBER FOR THE POSITION.

YEAH. OKAY. SO WE'RE NOT LOOKING AT TOP. WE THESE ARE MID WITH THE BENEFITS.

SO YES FOR. SO FOR THE NEW POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN REQUESTED AND INCLUDED IN THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET, THOSE HAVE BEEN PROJECTED AT THE MIDPOINT SALARY PLUS THE BENEFITS.

AND USING THAT CHART THOSE PERCENTAGES FOR FICA AND MEDICARE AND WHICHEVER RETIREMENT PLAN THAT POSITION HAPPENS TO BE IN.

AND THEN THE AVERAGE COST OF HEALTH INSURANCE FOR A YEAR.

MADAM CHAIR, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS FOR, IF YOU DON'T MIND, BUT ARE YOU GOING TO.

OKAY. I WANT AN UNDERSTANDING OF, IN GENERAL, HOW MANY FTES HAVE BEEN ADDED.

I THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF CONFLICTING INFORMATION, I THINK, ON OUR WEBSITE.

AND IN THIS PACKET IT DESCRIBES THAT THE COUNTY HAS 1900 EMPLOYEES.

WE WERE GIVEN A PACKET, WHICH I'M GOING TO HAND TO YOU FROM 2024 THAT LISTS THE COUNTY FTES AS 1658. IF THAT'S THE CASE, AND I'M LOOKING AT A CHART THAT'S SOMEWHAT CORRECT, IT LOOKED LIKE WE ADDED 136 FTES IN 2024. BUT I'VE BEEN TOLD THAT CAN'T BE RIGHT.

SO I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO HAND THAT TO YOU.

I REALIZE THAT'S PROBABLY NOT GOOD DATA, AND THERE'S PROBABLY A MECHANICAL REASON WHY IT'S NOT GOOD DATA.

BUT FOR ME, IT'S IMPORTANT IF WE'RE GOING TO ADD 26 NEW POSITIONS, I WANT TO KNOW HOW MANY DID WE ADD LAST BUDGET SEASON? HOW MANY DID WE ADD THE BUDGET SEASON BEFORE? HOW MANY DID WE SUBTRACT DURING A MORE CONSTRICTED PERIOD? THE BIGGER PICTURE, I THINK, IS SUPER HELPFUL.

AND THAT WAS INFORMATION I DIDN'T HAVE. AND SO IT DID LEAD TO ME HAVING AN OVERALL FEELING LIKE I DIDN'T WANT TO SUPPORT ADDING 26 FTES. YEAH. IF I CAN RESPOND TO THE INFORMATION IN THE BOOK.

SO I DID HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO CHECK WITH OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR ON THAT, BECAUSE THAT DOCUMENTS PUT TOGETHER FOR AN ANNUAL COMPREHENSIVE ANNUAL FINANCIAL REVIEW.

AND SO THE VALUES THAT ARE PLACED IN THERE FOR THAT REPORT ARE DONE A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY.

WHERE IN THE BUDGET WE'LL BE LOOKING AT WHAT ARE THE TOTAL FTES THAT ARE BUDGETED FOR THE ORGANIZATION? AND THAT DOCUMENT FROM FINANCE, WHAT THEY DO IS THEY GO IN AND THEY DO A RUN OF PAYROLL AND THEY CHOOSE A POINT IN TIME.

I BELIEVE IT WAS AT THE LAST DATE IN JUNE OR ONE OF THE LAST PAY PERIODS IN JUNE.

AND THEY TAKE THE POSITIONS THAT ARE COMING OUT OF PAYROLL ON THAT DATE AND TIME.

SO IT WOULD NOT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ANY VACANCY OR ANY VACANT POSITIONS WOULD NOT BE PART OF THAT.

SO THOSE WOULD BE NETTED OUT. AND SO THAT THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THE DIFFERENCES IN METHODOLOGY OF WHAT FINANCE PRODUCES FOR THEIR REPORTS VERSUS WHAT WE DO IN THE BUDGET SIDE TO MAKE SURE THAT FULLY FUNDING EVERY POSITION.

SO ARE THERE 1900 POSITIONS OR 1900 EMPLOYEES? AND. WELL, I COULD ALSO RESPOND IF IT'S HELPFUL AND THEN PASS IT OVER TO THE HR DIRECTOR ON THE ACTUAL NUMBERS FOR THIS LAST BUDGET YEAR IT WAS LET ME SEE. I BELIEVE IT WAS 1811, BUT I WILL VERIFY THAT NUMBER OF THE BUDGETED POSITIONS THAT WE HAD IN THERE.

AND SO I CAN LET ME GET THOSE NUMBERS RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE I HAVE THEM IN THIS OTHER PAGE.

AND I WILL ADD IDENTIFYING THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE HERE.

IT CAN BE VERY DIFFICULT. AND THE NUMBER CHANGES DAY TO DAY AND HOUR TO HOUR.

SO IF WE TRY TO RUN A REPORT, IT'S THIS MOMENT IN TIME.

SO WHAT WE DO, WE DO RUN REPORTS AND WE RUN THEM OUT OF OUR PAYROLL SYSTEM.

SO WE'RE RUNNING EVERY FUNDING SOURCE, GENERAL FUND, GRANT FUND, STATE FUNDED.

DOESN'T MATTER. WE'LL JUST RUN WHO'S AN ACTIVE EMPLOYEE ON THE PAYROLL, AND WE'RE RUNNING EVERY STATUS.

SO FULL TIME, PART TIME, SEASONAL AND TEMP AND YOU KNOW, SEASONALS AND TEMPS MAY BE ON THE BOOKS, BUT THEY'RE NOT ACTIVELY WORKING. AND SO THERE'S, THERE'S ALL THESE DIFFERENT FACTORS TO KIND OF CONSIDER.

[00:55:04]

DOESN'T MEAN THAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM IS ACTIVELY WORKING RIGHT NOW, AND WE DO REGULAR AUDITS ON THAT TO IDENTIFY YOU KNOW, WHICH SEASONALS ARE STILL ACTIVE ON THE BOOKS BUT HAVEN'T WORKED IN A WHILE, AND WE TRY TO CLEAN THAT UP.

BUT IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT CAN BE DIFFICULT TO IDENTIFY BECAUSE IT SORT OF DEPENDS ON WHAT EXACT INFORMATION ARE YOU ASKING FOR? ARE YOU ASKING FOR BUDGETED OR GENERAL FUND OR SPECIAL DISTRICTS OR GRANT FUNDING OR CONTRACT? AND ADDING ALL THOSE UP. BUT OUR THE NUMBER THAT WE USE IS COMING FROM THESE MONTHLY REPORTS THAT WE RUN, AND IT IS RIGHT AROUND 1900. I KNOW WE DIDN'T ADD 126 POSITIONS LAST YEAR, AND I'M SURE THE BUDGET OFFICE HAS THAT NUMBER OF HERE'S HOW MANY ULTIMATELY WERE APPROVED IN THE BUDGET AND ADDED EFFECTIVE JULY 1ST.

THANK YOU. SO THE FIRST DEPARTMENT THAT KIND OF COMES TO MY MIND WOULD PROBABLY BE ELECTIONS IN REGARDS TO SEASONALS.

CORRECT? CORRECT. THEY HAVE A LOT OF SEASONALS THAT DON'T WORK REGULARLY AND COME IN AND WORK DURING A BIG ELECTION.

AND THEN BUT WE KEEP THEM ACTIVE ON THE BOOKS SO THEY'RE READY TO CALL UP WHEN THEY NEED THEM.

SO, CHAIR, IF I COULD MAKE A COMMENT HERE. QUITE FRANKLY, NOT BEING ABLE TO GIVE A CLEAR ANSWER TO THAT IS CONCERNING TO ME.

AS SUPERVISOR CHECK AND I TALKED A LITTLE BIT YESTERDAY AND SUPERVISOR KUKNYO, LET ME ADD TO YOUR LIST OF PLACES WHERE WE HAVEN'T MADE APPROPRIATE, IN MY OPINION, INVESTMENTS. OUR CORE OPERATING SYSTEMS. ONE EXAMPLE I'VE USED OVER AND OVER IS I'VE BEEN HERE A FEW MONTHS, AND I WALKED INTO WENDY'S OFFICE ONE DAY AND SAID, CAN YOU GIVE ME A VACANCY REPORT? KNOWING THAT, PUSH A BUTTON.

AND WHEN HE SAID, CAN YOU GIVE ME TILL TOMORROW? I THINK IT WAS, AND I'LL START WORKING ON THAT.

IT WAS A MANUAL CALCULATION BECAUSE OUR SYSTEMS ARE SO ANTIQUATED, THEY COULDN'T DO THAT.

ANOTHER EXAMPLE IS BUDGET. I'VE SEEN SOME OF THE WORK THAT THE HOOPS THAT HAVE TO BE JUMPED THROUGH BUDGET BECAUSE OUR SYSTEMS DON'T TALK TO EACH OTHER.

SO YOU HAVE TO PULL OUT A ONE SYSTEM AND THEN MANUALLY MANIPULATE IT AND THEN PUT IT BACK INTO THE SYSTEM.

AND THEN THEN WE WONDER WHY WE HAVE SOME ERRORS IN NUMBERS NOT RECONCILING AT TIMES.

IT'S BECAUSE OF WE HAVEN'T MADE APPROPRIATE INVESTMENTS IN OUR CORE OPERATING SYSTEMS THAT ARE ANTIQUATED AND NOT SERVING US WELL.

YEAH. AND COULD I REVISIT THIS PAGE A SECOND? IF I HAD A PAGE NUMBER, I WOULD GIVE IT TO YOU.

THAT HAS BEEN NOTED. AND I WENT AHEAD AND NUMBERED MINE.

SO ON MINE IS PAGE TWO. OKAY. SO THIS IT'S THE FY 26 NEW POSITION REQUEST BECAUSE LOOKING THROUGH THE DOCUMENT THIS IS ALREADY CHANGED ACCORDING TO YOU. IS THAT CORRECT. BECAUSE YOU THE ASSISTANT TO THE COUNTY MANAGER.

OKAY. DO YOU MIND COULD WE JUST GO THROUGH TO FIND OUT WHAT THE WHAT PROPOSED NEW NUMBER IS, AND I WOULD LIKE TO REVISIT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS THAT NIKKI ASKED.

AND THAT WAS ASSISTANT TO A POSITION THAT THERE DOESN'T EXIST A SUPERVISOR AT THE BUDGET ANALYST AND THE BUDGET MANAGER. I WOULD JUST LIKE YOU TO SPEAK TO SOMETHING, BECAUSE THAT SEEMS LIKE SOMETHING THAT YOU MIGHT WANT TO CLEAR UP FOR US.

SO COULD YOU RUN THROUGH THIS AND LET ME KNOW WHAT CHANGES YOU'VE ALREADY MADE TODAY OR SINCE THE LAST TIME WE MET? THANK YOU. YEAH. AND ACTUALLY, IT'S THE. IT'S THE RIGHT TIME TO PASS OUT A SLIGHTLY MODIFIED VERSION.

SO IN LOOKING OVER THE POSITIONS AND WHAT WE JUST TALKED ABOUT, THERE WERE TWO WHEN WE WENT DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT JUVENILE PROBATION HAD TWO POSITIONS THAT WERE BEING THAT WERE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET, PLUS TWO ADDED FOR CONTINGENCY AND WHETHER WE'RE GOING WORKING WITH ONE OF THE SUPERVISORS YESTERDAY FOUND THAT IT WAS MISSING AND THAT PIECE OF IT.

SO IT. SO THIS WILL HAVE THE UPDATED NUMBER ONCE AGAIN OF OUR RECONCILIATION WITH OUR NUMBERS.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR PATIENCE. AND IF I COULD, SUPERVISOR, THIS IS THE INITIAL LIST AND DIDN'T WANT TO GO IN AND START MODIFYING IT.

SO THE ATTEMPT WAS TO CAPTURE THE CHANGES BACK IN THE BACK.

BUT I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT. WE CAN GO BACK NOW AND KIND OF RECONCILE THIS.

YEAH. REALLY HELPFUL BECAUSE I THE NUMBER I'M HEARING IS 26.

BUT THEN IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU BACK OUT AT LEAST.

OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH. AND ON THE SECOND PAGE STARTING WITH THE FY 26 NEW POSITION REQUEST. YEAH. AND IT'S HIGHLIGHTED IN YELLOW.

THE ADDITIONS. SO THE JUVENILE PROBATION IS THE ADDITIONAL PIECE TO THIS FROM YESTERDAY OR FROM THE REPORT THAT YOU RECEIVED ON FRIDAY.

AND SO THE FIRST POSITION IN THERE IS THE ATTORNEY OR THE COUNTY ATTORNEY.

SO IN THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TWO NEW ATTORNEYS ARE BEING RECOMMENDED, AS WELL AS ONE LITIGATION SPECIALIST.

[01:00:01]

SO ANY ADDITIONAL COST FOR THE POSITION FOR EXAMPLE ANY SUPPLIES SERVICES OR.

VEHICLE COMPUTER. OTHER PIECES ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THESE TOTAL COSTS.

SO THIS IS ONLY LOOKING AT SALARIES AND BENEFITS.

SO IT'S THE FULLY IT'S THE FULLY COSTED POSITION FOR EACH ONE OF THESE.

AND TO CLARIFY SORRY AND TO CLARIFY THESE ARE FULL YEAR, EVEN THOUGH MAYBE HALF OF THESE MAY BE MID-YEAR. I UNDERSTAND THE THEORY BEHIND SHOWING THIS, BUT IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, MAYBE HALF OF THIS IS A BUILT IN CUSHION. IT WOULD BE DEPENDING UPON WHEN THEY COME IN.

CORRECT. THERE WOULD BE SOME EXPECTED VACANCY SAVINGS BECAUSE YES, THESE ARE FULLY FUNDED POSITIONS STARTING ON DAY ONE.

THEY DO NOT HAVE ANY MERIT AND COLA ADDED TO THEM, THEM, BUT THEY ARE FULLY FUNDED FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR.

CORRECT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. YES. SO WE REVIEWED THE ATTORNEY.

NEXT IS THE JUSTICE COURTS, AND THIS ARE BROKEN OUT.

SO THE JUSTICE COURT IN BAGHDAD, YARNELL. THEY'RE GETTING A HALF OF A POSITION.

SUPERIOR COURT ALSO MOVED OVER EARLIER THIS YEAR, ANOTHER PART OF A POSITION THAT WAS ALREADY DONE IN FY 25.

SO THEY'RE ACTUALLY GETTING THE FULL SECURITY OFFICER, WHICH WAS MENTIONED BY THE THEM.

ONE OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS SUPERIOR COURT HAS AND THE NEXT ONE, THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, THERE'S TWO POSITIONS IN THERE. ONE IS THE ASSISTANT TO THE ASSISTANT TO THE COUNTY MANAGER, AS MENTIONED. IN THE FIRST SLIDE, WE WENT OVER THE SECOND SLIDE, WE WENT OVER TODAY THAT'S BEING PROPOSED FOR REMOVAL.

AND THAT'S PART OF THE 205,000 THAT IS PROPOSED FOR AVAILABLE RECURRING DOLLARS FROM WHAT WAS PRESENTED IN THE FY 26 BUDGET.

AND THEN THE OTHER POSITION IN HERE, WHICH IS BOTH THESE ARE STILL IN THE BUDGET, BUT THE OTHER ONE IS THE BUDGET ANALYST.

NEXT IS DEVELOPMENT SERVICES WHERE THEY HAVE TWO POSITIONS.

ONE IS THE LAND USE SPECIALIST SENIOR, AND THEN THE OTHER ONE IS A SENIOR PLANNER.

NOW IN THE NOTES SECTION IN THIS, IT NOTES IN THERE THAT THIS POSITION WAS OFFSET BY DEPARTMENT REDUCTION.

SO WHILE WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENT INITIALLY THE SECONDARY POSITION, THE SENIOR PLANNER WAS NOT IN THERE.

AND AFTER TALKING WITH THE WITH THE DEPARTMENT THEY WERE ABLE TO LOOK AT THEIR BUDGET AND MAKE SOME OTHER ADJUSTMENTS THAT THEY WOULD RECOMMEND IN ORDER TO FUND THIS POSITION. AND SO THIS THE INCREMENTAL COST OVERALL AFTER THOSE CHANGES WAS $10,000 MORE FROM WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY PLACED IN THERE.

AND THE REASON I PUT THAT IS SO THIS POSITION WAS TO BE REMOVED.

IT WOULD ALSO THEN PRE-ASSUME MOVING THOSE OTHER CHANGES THAT OTHER INFLATIONARY CHANGES OR MOVEMENTS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT BUDGET.

THE NEXT ONE IS FOR THE. OH, OH, I JUST IT BROUGHT ME ALPHABETICALLY THAT I DON'T SEE THE ASSESSOR.

THE ASSESSOR POSITION ON THERE. AND THAT WAS A PIECE OF HOMEWORK THAT I WANTED TO UNDERSTAND, BECAUSE HE WAS ALSO GOING TO COLLAPSE SOME OF HIS BUDGET AND HAVE A MINIMAL INCREASE.

SO, YEAH, GREAT MEMORY ON THAT. SUPERVISOR CHECK THE REASON THAT'S NOT IN HERE, BECAUSE THAT WAS NOT PLACED THAT WAS TALKED ABOUT WITH THE BOARD ABOUT ONE OF THE CHANGES WE'D LIKE TO MAKE. AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE PLANNING FOR UNLESS THERE'S DIRECTION OTHERWISE BETWEEN RIGHT NOW AND TENTATIVE, WHAT WE'RE DOING IS BUILDING OR GETTING INFORMATION TO BUILD OUR TENTATIVE BUDGET.

THE EXPECTATION IS IF THE ASSESSOR HAS SUFFICIENT POSITIONS THAT HE WOULD BE WILLING TO FORGO IN ORDER TO PUT IN A NEW POSITION.

THEN WE DO A REALLY A SWAP, BUT WE DON'T I HAVEN'T GOTTEN THE NUMBERS FROM THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE ON WHAT THAT WOULD BE, BUT THE EXPECTATION IS IT WOULD BE DOLLAR FOR DOLLAR.

AND ALSO JUST TO LET YOU KNOW TOO, THAT THE NEXT STEP TWO IS ONCE WE'RE WE GET THE DIRECTION ON THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET.

ANY AND ALL CHANGES WILL BE DOCUMENTED BETWEEN THE RECOMMENDED TENTATIVE.

SO YOU KNOW WHAT WAS WHAT WAS IN THERE. BUT YES, THAT IS ONE OF THE AREAS THAT WE'RE STILL WORKING ON WITH THE ASSESSOR. THANK YOU. UNDER ELECTIONS, AN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT. TWO SIMILARLY, IN WORKING WITH THEM THEY WERE WILLING TO REDUCE ABOUT ALMOST OR ABOUT 40, 43 OR ABOUT $46,000 IN ORDER TO COVER THE COST OF THIS POSITION WITH THEIR EXISTING BUDGET BY MOVING IN THIS CASE, IT WAS SEASONAL DOLLARS.

AND SO THEY WERE TWO REGULAR SEASONAL INDIVIDUALS OR NO ONE REGULAR SEASONAL INDIVIDUAL WAS NOT AVAILABLE.

SO THEY GOT THEY HAD SOME CREATIVE WAYS OF MOVING THAT FORWARD.

SO THAT WOULD BE AN A PLUS 29,000. AND WHAT I THINK ABOUT THAT, THAT'S ADDITIONAL DOLLARS OUTSIDE OF THEIR BUDGET CAPACITY THAT THAT IS BEING ADDED TO THIS. SO IT'S NOT REALLY THE FULL 76,000. IT'S REALLY THE 29,000 INCREMENTS THERE.

FOR FACILITIES. THERE'S TWO POSITIONS IN HERE THE CAPITAL PROJECT MANAGER AS WELL AS THE PROJECT COORDINATOR THAT ARE BEING RECOMMENDED.

IN FINANCE, THERE'S THE PURCHASING COORDINATOR ONE POSITION IN THERE IN JUVENILE PROBATION.

[01:05:01]

ONE OF THE CHALLENGES THEY'VE HAD IS WITH, WITH VACANCIES.

AND SO THEY HAVE A COUPLE VACANCIES. WHEN WE FIRST STARTED THE BUDGET PROCESS, IT WAS, I BELIEVE, THREE VACANCIES. AND SO STAFF DID INITIALLY NOT RECOMMEND MOVING THEM FORWARD AFTER TALKING WITH THE COURTS.

AND THEY HAD BEEN ABLE TO IMPROVE RECRUITMENT.

NOW DOWN TO ONE VACANCY. THEY SAID IF WE CAN IF WE CAN FILL THEM, WHAT MIGHT THAT LOOK LIKE.

SO THE, THE RECOMMENDATION WAS TO ADD TWO POSITION HEADCOUNT.

SO THEIR POSITION COUNT WOULD BE A PLUS TWO. AND THEN THERE'S JUST UNDER $200,000 PLACED IN THE CONTINGENCY BUDGET.

IF AND WHEN THEY FILL THOSE POSITIONS, THOSE DOLLARS WOULD GO WOULD BE RECOMMENDED FOR MOVEMENT INTO THEIR INTO THEIR BUDGET TO FUND THE ADDITIONAL TWO POSITIONS.

NEXT IS PUBLIC FIDUCIARY A PROGRAM COORDINATOR, ONE FOR THE CAB PROGRAM THERE.

THE FIELD SUPERVISOR AND I BELIEVE SUPERVISOR CHECK HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THIS EARLIER.

SO CERTAIN PUBLIC WORKS HAS A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT FUNDING SOURCES TO PROVIDE SERVICES, AND ONE OF WHICH IS THEIR TIRE FUND.

AND THIS POSITION IS SOMEWHAT A SPLIT FUNDED POSITION.

ACTUALLY, MOST OF THEM ARE SPLIT FUNDED TO VARIOUS DEGREES AS SMALL AS 5 TO 10% TO IN THIS CASE, HALF. AND SO HALF OF THE POSITION IS BEING BORNE BY THE GENERAL FUND.

AND THEN FURTHER DOWN YOU'LL SEE THE FIELD SUPERVISOR 8.5 AS WELL.

AND SO THAT'S THE THAT'S THE SHARING OF THE COST BETWEEN THE TWO FUNDS IN THERE.

NEXT WE HAVE THE RECORDER AT FOR A PROGRAM COORDINATOR.

2ND MAY I NOTE WHILE WE'RE ON PUBLIC WORKS, I THINK WHERE I GOT CONFUSED WAS IN THE GENERAL FUND BREAKDOWN THAT PUBLIC WORKS THE SOLID WASTE FIELD SUPERVISORS NOTED AS $117,000.

BUT THEN IT'S ALSO NOTED FURTHER DOWN AS 42,000.

YEAH. GREAT. GREAT NOTE THERE. AND I WOULD CHALK THAT UP TO ONCE AGAIN, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES OF THE REPORTING BETWEEN SPLIT ALLOCATION POSITIONS ISN'T AS CLEAN ACROSS OUR MULTIPLE SYSTEMS. WE COBBLE TOGETHER. AND WE PUT THIS TOGETHER. SO YES.

YEAH. THE NEXT POSITION WOULD BE IN THERE IN THE OH, THE RECORDER, THE PROGRAM COORDINATOR TOO.

SIMILARLY, SIMILARLY THERE CLOSING OUT A POSITION, A CURRENT RECORDS CLERK.

THREE SO THE INCREMENTAL COST IN ADDITION TO WHAT THE DEPARTMENT BUDGET CAN SUSTAIN, WOULD BE ANOTHER ALMOST $28,000 FOR THAT POSITION.

THE OTHER COURT OFFICER POSITION IS IN THE SELIGMAN JUSTICE COURT.

SO THAT'S THE OTHER 0.5, WHICH WILL BRING IT TO A FULL TIME POSITION.

THEY'LL HAVE THEIR OWN FULL TIME COURT SECURITY OFFICER IN THE SHERIFF'S BUDGET.

THERE'S TWO 911 OPERATORS THAT ARE BEING RECOMMENDED.

THREE DEPUTY SHERIFFS. ONE SERGEANT AND THEN THE FINANCE SUPERVISOR.

THAT POSITION IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT. IT'S NOT ACTUALLY A NEW POSITION TO THE COUNTY, PER SE.

IT'S A NEW POSITION TO THE GENERAL FUND. SO THIS IS CURRENTLY FUNDED OUT OF FUNDS 776 SMART AND SAFE AZ EXPENSES.

AND THE RECOMMENDATION FOR THE SHERIFF WAS TO MOVE IT FROM THAT FUND OVER TO THE GENERAL FUND.

THE NEXT PIECE ON THE OTHER ONE WAS ON THE SUPERIOR COURTS IS THEY HAD A I BELIEVE IT WAS A BAILIFF POSITION SIMILARLY OF ON THEIR COURT SIDE.

SO THIS IS JUST BRINGING THEM UP TO THE FULL TIME POSITION.

THEY MANAGE VARIOUS SECURITY POSITIONS ACROSS THE COURT INFRASTRUCTURE THERE.

AND THEN THE THREE OTHER POSITIONS WOULD BE IN THE TIRE FUND, A FIELD SUPERVISOR, THE LIBRARY.

THE LIBRARY NETWORK ADMINISTRATOR AT A ONE AND ONE OTHER PIECE OF THIS TO THAT IS, WILL BE RECONCILED IN THE NEXT STAGE, THOUGH IT'S IN THE BUDGET WAS FOR THE LIBRARY.

FOR THE LIBRARY DISTRICT. THERE'S ABOUT A IT'S ROUGHLY ABOUT 1.42 INCREASE WITH THEIR EXPANSION TO THE LIBRARY.

SO THEY'RE NOT ADDING ADDITIONAL STAFF. WHAT IT IS, IS EXPANDING THE CAPACITY.

THEY HAVE SOME PART TIME STAFF. AND THAT WAS PART OF WHAT WHEN COREY PRESENTED HE SHOWED THE INCREASE THERE.

IT'S MOVING THE FTES FORWARD A LITTLE BIT FOR THE I THINK IT'S ABOUT 150,000 THAT THEY HAVE IN THERE FOR THEIR LIBRARY EXPANSION PIECE.

AND SO THAT BRINGS US TO THE 25.5. ONE OTHER NOTE TO MENTION TO.

SO ON THE TOTAL POSITIONS, THESE WILL, THESE WILL BE THE MAJOR POSITIONS WE'RE LOOKING AT.

SO THERE'S A COUPLE OTHER SHIFTS THAT WE'RE HAVING, BUT THEY DIDN'T GO THROUGH THE BUDGET ENHANCEMENT PROCESS. AND SOME OF THOSE SOME OF THE BIG CHANGES WILL HAVE IN IT. I WAS LOOKING OVER QUICKLY.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE BIG DIFFERENCES WE SEE BETWEEN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET AND THIS YEAR? AND A LOT OF IT HAS TO DEAL WITH SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT AS WELL AS CHS, COMMUNITY HEALTH SERVICES. BEING THAT THEY'RE VERY HEAVILY GRANT FUNDED, THEY CAN HAVE SWEEPING CHANGES OF 20 TO 40 POSITION CHANGES IN ONE YEAR. AND THEY'RE THE, THEY'RE THE MAJORITY OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING THE CHANGES TO OUTSIDE OF THESE INDIVIDUALIZED

[01:10:05]

SO THIS WOULD BE THE POSITIONS THAT WERE IN THE INITIAL RECOMMENDED BUDGET.

WE THAT WE MOVE FORWARD. THAT IS ONE OF THE CHANGES THAT WE MENTIONED EARLIER TODAY WOULD BE A PROPOSAL SHIFT AS WELL, BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL JUST UNDER $100,000 TO ADD THAT ONE FTE.

IF THE BOARD SO DECIDES THAT'S THE RIGHT DIRECTION TO TAKE.

SO THAT WOULD BE A PLUS ONE ON THE ON THE GENERAL FUND FOR ONE TIME FUNDING.

AND THAT WAS THE OTHER THING TO MENTION ABOUT THAT POSITION A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY THAN THIS ONE, THAT THAT IS BEING CONSIDERED AS A ONE TIME I LOOK AT IT SOMEWHAT AS A PILOT PROJECT, SO THAT CAN BE REVIEWED TO SEE HOW.

CORRECT. THANK YOU. YEAH. AND CHAIR SUPERVISOR JENKINS, JUST TO REMIND YOU THAT THE SUMMARY DOCUMENT THAT ZACH SENT OUT ON FRIDAY NIGHT, THAT'S THAT NUMBER SEVEN WHERE HE'S DETAILED THOSE CHANGES AND YOU'LL SEE THAT LISTED THERE.

I WANTED TO GO BACK THOUGH AND MAKE SURE WE ADDRESSED. I THINK YOU HAD ONE OTHER QUESTION REGARDING BUDGET THAT SUPERVISOR CHECK HAD MADE.

AS WE KNOW, THE BUDGET MANAGER WILL BE DEPARTING US SOON.

I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I'VE ALREADY POSTED THAT AND WE'RE RECEIVING APPLICANTS. MY HOPE IS TO GET THAT FILLED OBVIOUSLY AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE.

SO THE BUDGET RECOMMENDS ANOTHER ANALYST, IN ADDITION TO LUCY TO ADD TO THE TEAM.

MY THOUGHT PROCESS THERE IS BUDGET IS NOT A ONE TIME A YEAR ACTIVITY.

IT'S AN ONGOING 365 DAYS A YEAR ACTIVITY, AND WE DON'T HAVE SUFFICIENT RESOURCES DEVOTED TO THIS FUNCTION.

WE STRUGGLE ON THE ANNUAL PIECE, LET ALONE HAVING THE RESOURCE TO WORK WITH OUR DEPARTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE GOT SOMEONE HELPING.

KEEP AN EYE ANALYZING TRENDS IN THOSE DEPARTMENT BUDGETS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND MAKING ADJUSTMENTS AS NEEDED.

FLAGGING THINGS, SAYING, HEY, DID YOU SEE THIS? WHY ARE YOU SO OVER IN THIS AREA? WHAT'S THE PLAN? LET'S TALK ABOUT PUTTING A PLAN IN PLACE TO ADDRESS IT AGAIN, SO WE DON'T GET TO THE END OF THE YEAR AND THEN START EXAMINING THE BUDGETS.

BUT IT'S AN ONGOING PROCESS. JUST A QUESTION.

THE 1.8 MILLION IN SAVINGS, I GUESS SALARY SAVINGS THAT'S ACTUALLY IN I MEAN THAT'S IN OUR BUDGET.

BUT IF THOSE POSITIONS, AS I'VE BEEN TOLD, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALWAYS HAVING POSITIONS THAT WILL BE EMPTY.

NOT EVERY POSITION GETS FILLED ALL THE TIME, WE'RE NOT.

BUT IF THOSE POSITIONS END UP GETTING FILLED, WE'RE COUNTING ON THIS MONEY TO BE THERE AS A SAVINGS.

BUT WE WOULD HAVE THE MONEY IF THEY AS THEY GET FILLED.

YOU'RE PUTTING THIS IN CONTINGENCY. OR COULD YOU HELP ME OUT TO UNDERSTAND THAT? YEAH. NO, THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION BECAUSE THAT IS ONE OF THAT'S ONE OF THE CHANGES FOR THIS YEAR.

SO HISTORICALLY YAVAPAI COUNTY HAS NOT USED A VACANCY SAVINGS FACTOR.

IT'S A BEST PRACTICE ESPECIALLY IN LARGER ORGANIZATIONS, BECAUSE KNOWING, FOR EXAMPLE, WITH NEARING 2000 POSITIONS THERE'S GOING TO BE VACANCIES DURING THE YEAR. AND SO IT ALLOWS FOR US TO UTILIZE UNDERUTILIZED CAPACITY.

THIS IS ALSO ONE OF THE REASONS WHY PREVIOUS YEARS TWO THERE WAS BIGGER FALLS TO THE BOTTOM LINE EACH YEAR.

AND THE GENERAL ARE ACROSS ALL DIFFERENT FUNDS.

AND SO WHAT I DID IS I DID AN ANALYSIS ACROSS THE LARGE DEPARTMENTS.

AND SO WITH THE SMALLER DEPARTMENTS, LIKE THE LIKELIHOOD OF VACANCY SAVINGS ARE MUCH SMALLER.

BUT IN THE LARGER DEPARTMENTS, I LOOKED AND SAW THAT HISTORICAL VACANCY SAVINGS AND THEN APPLIED A FACTOR THAT I LOOKED AT WAS NO MORE THAN, THAN HALF OF THEIR OF THEIR LAST TWO YEARS OF VACANCY SAVINGS.

AND IN TALKING TO THEM, WE WEREN'T SURE HOW THEY WOULD RECEIVE IT BECAUSE IT'S A BRAND NEW.

IT'S A BRAND NEW FUNCTION OR A BRAND NEW CONCEPT TO LOOK AT.

BUT WHAT WAS MENTIONED TO THEM, IT'S NOT TO PENALIZE THEM.

IT'S REALLY TO RE UTILIZE THAT CAPACITY BECAUSE IF NOT, WHAT HAPPENS IS THOSE DOLLARS SAY WE HAVE 1.8 MILLION, WHICH IS IN THE BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR. SAY THAT HITS THE BOTTOM LINE BECAUSE WE DIDN'T PUT IN VACANCY SAVINGS.

THEN IT HITS OUR FUND BALANCE. AND THEN NOW WE CALL IT ONE TIME.

AND SO WE NOW HAVE MORE ONE TIME DOLLARS. BUT THEN IT'S LIKE CAN WE USE THOSE DOLLARS FOR NEW POSITIONS.

AND THE RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE NO, BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO PUT ONE TIME DOLLARS WITH ONGOING USES.

SO THIS WILL HELP US RECAPTURE THIS HELPED US BOOST ANOTHER $1.8 MILLION DOLLARS OF OPERATIONAL DOLLARS ONGOING DOLLARS TO UTILIZE FOR THE ORGANIZATION.

AND WHAT WE'VE MENTIONED TO DEPARTMENTS IS IF THEY HAVE A CHALLENGE WITH VACANCY, IF THEY FULLY FILL THEIR POSITIONS, THEN WE COULD TALK WITH THEM AND SAY, OKAY, ARE THERE OTHER LINE ITEMS THAT MIGHT BE ABLE TO ABSORB SOME OF THE COSTS? AND IF NOT, WE DO HAVE CONTINGENCIES SET ASIDE FOR THE ENTIRE ORGANIZATION TO LOOK AT IN THOSE INSTANCES.

BUT ONCE AGAIN, THE OTHER PIECE IS IF ONE DEPARTMENT DOESN'T, THE OTHER DEPARTMENT MIGHT.

OR AS SUPERVISOR JENKINS MENTIONED TOO, WE DID NOT BUILD IN VACANCY SAVINGS FOR NEW POSITIONS.

[01:15:01]

AND SO THAT'S WHERE IF YOU SAY WE'RE GOING TO SAVE 30% IN EACH POSITION, THEN NEXT YEAR YOU'RE HAVING TO BACKFILL THAT 30%.

SO FULLY FUNDED POSITIONS IS A POLICY SOME ORGANIZATIONS PUT IN THERE, AND THAT WAS THE DECISION TO KEEP THAT.

THE POSITION FULLY FUNDED AND NOT APPLY VACANCY SAVINGS ON VACANT ON NEW POSITIONS FOR THIS YEAR.

IN YOUR NOTES ON THIS PAGE IF I'M UNDERSTANDING.

LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, THIS POSITION WAS OFFSET BY DEPARTMENT REDUCTIONS.

THE INCREMENTAL COST IS 10,000. THAT'S A PERMANENT 10,000.

SO EVEN THOUGH THE POSITION IS 113,000, THE DEPARTMENT IS NOT GOING TO GO BACK AND PUT THOSE POSITIONS BACK.

AND NOW YOU HAVE. THIS REDUCTION. SO THIS 2.7 OR ALMOST 2.8 MILLION.

IT'S NOT THAT'S NOT REALLY THE NET FIGURE TO THE ORGANIZATION.

IT'S MINUSING THESE FIGURES AND ADDING BACK ONLY IN THE NET INCREASE.

I KNOW THAT YOU'RE SHOWING WHAT THE POSITION IS WORTH, BUT THIS IS MAYBE $100,000 LOWER OR 100, WHATEVER IT IS. 100. YEAH, IT'D PROBABLY BE CLOSER TO ONE 7170.

THE DIFFERENTIAL THERE AND JUST THE OTHER PIECE OF IT.

YEAH. GREAT OBSERVATION IS A DEPARTMENT IN THAT CASE THEY IN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES AND THEY'RE LOOKING AT THEIR OTHER INDIVIDUALIZED LINE ITEMS. AND THEY'RE SAYING, ZACH, I THINK THERE'S SOME MORE MOVEMENT WE CAN MAKE IN SOME OF THESE OTHER AREAS.

AND TO BE TO BE QUITE OPEN WITH YOU ABOUT IT, THIS IS RELATES BACK TO WHAT COUNTY MANAGER THOMPSON MENTIONED IN THE PREVIOUS NOTE ABOUT THE BUDGET ANALYST POSITION. WITH MORE TIME AND FOCUS, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN I WAS A BUDGET ANALYST, WHEN I FIRST CAME INTO GOVERNMENT, I HAD MY DEPARTMENTS I WOULD MEET WITH ON A MONTHLY BASIS, AND I'D LOOK AT EVERY SINGLE MONTH, MULTIPLE TIMES.

WHEN YOU HAVE THAT KNOWLEDGE, THEN YOU KNOW HOW MUCH BUDGET SLACK IS AVAILABLE.

SO WHERE YOU CAN POTENTIALLY MOVE DOLLARS AND YOU'RE NOT HARMING OPERATIONS.

AND THAT'S THE GOAL BEHIND IT, IS TRYING TO FIND OUT WHAT IS THE RIGHT FIT FOR THE ORGANIZATION.

AND SO RIGHT NOW GIVEN THE TIME, THE THE RESOURCES WE HAVE, WE JUST DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO, TO UNDERSTAND THE OPERATIONAL IMPACT AND TO NOT GO IN AND CUT WITHOUT DOING IT WITH A BLUNT INSTRUMENT.

SO THAT'S WHERE DEPARTMENTS HAVE HELPED OUT WITH THAT THIS YEAR.

IT'S BEEN ONE OF THE GREAT PIECES OF THE BACK AND FORTH WITH DEPARTMENTS, BUT I EXPECT IN FUTURE YEARS TOO.

AND IT GOES BOTH WAYS. IS UNDERSTANDING OPERATIONS WITH DEPARTMENTS IS BECAUSE IN SOME CASES IT'S SAYING YOU'RE NOT ABLE TO MEET THE NEED.

WELL, WE JUST DON'T ASK FOR NEW POSITIONS. AND IT'S AND IT'S SAYING, WELL, YOU MIGHT NEED TO BECAUSE YOU HAVE AN INCREASED NEED. SO IT GOES BOTH WAYS IN THOSE CONVERSATIONS. CHAIRMAN, IF I COULD JUST TO FOLLOW UP ON THAT, I'VE HEARD SUPERVISOR KUKNYO, YOU HAVE ASKED OF STAFF TO BE CREATIVE WHEREVER WE CAN.

I THINK THIS IS ONE GREAT EXAMPLE. AGAIN, THIS IS A STANDARD PRACTICE UTILIZED ACROSS GOVERNMENT, A VACANCY FACTOR. SOME CALL IT SLIPPAGE FACTORING THAT IN NEVER DONE HERE.

BUDGET MANAGER TO LOOK AT THAT MET WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS.

AND AS HE ALLUDED TO WE WERE PREPARED FOR THEM TO PUSH BACK PRETTY HARD.

LIKE NO, YOU GOT TO FUND THAT WHOLE POSITION ACROSS THE BOARD WITHOUT EXCEPTION, THEY SAID.

YOU KNOW, THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. THAT INCREASED OUR ABILITY FOR ONGOING CAPACITY INTO THIS BUDGET BY TAKING THAT RELATIVELY SIMPLE STEP, WHICH THEY ALL UNDERSTOOD AND SUPPORTED. AND AGAIN, ADDING ANOTHER BUDGET ANALYST, I THINK CONTINUES TO ALLOW US TO SUSS OUT WHAT ARE THOSE BEST PRACTICES, WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT WE CAN LOOK AT THAT WE'VE NOT DONE IN THE PAST TO HELP US GET FURTHER DOWN THE LINE? OKAY, I, I DON'T HAVE ANY MORE QUESTIONS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

SO I WILL OR ANYBODY ELSE. MADAM CHAIR, I DO HAVE ANOTHER YOU KNOW, LESS ABOUT DOLLARS.

MORE ABOUT WHAT? IT'S ABOUT THE STRATEGIC PLANNING, THE $65,000 LINE ITEM FOR THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS.

I REMEMBER A MEETING WHERE I DON'T REMEMBER WHO IT WAS MENTIONED.

MAYBE IT WAS IN OUR GOVERNANCE MEETING. GOVERNOR, YOU KNOW, SUGGESTED THAT WE AS A BOARD HAVE A STRATEGIC PLAN.

AND MORRIE SAID, I'LL LOOK INTO WHAT THAT WOULD COST.

AND SO I, I THINK I UNDERSTAND THAT LINE ITEM $65,000 IS THE IS HIS HOMEWORK DONE? BUT I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND MORE ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF WHAT WAS BEING PROPOSED THERE.

SINCE THAT MEETING, WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF STUDY SESSIONS SUGGESTED.

I FIND THOSE TO BE EXTREMELY HELPFUL. ME PERSONALLY, I DON'T KNOW THAT I'M READY TO DO A STRATEGIC PLAN UNTIL WE GET THROUGH SOME OF THOSE STUDY SESSIONS, BECAUSE I WANT TO GET A LITTLE DEEPER INTO THE WEEDS BEFORE I COME UP FOR THAT BIG PICTURE ANALYSIS OF WHAT WE WANT THE BOARD TO BE DOING.

[01:20:01]

SO WHOEVER'S IDEA IT WAS, MAYBE. CAN WE TALK ABOUT THAT AGAIN? OH. I CAN SPEAK TO IT FROM A PERSPECTIVE IN DEVELOPING A STRATEGIC PLAN.

IT GIVES YOU A VISION GOING FORWARD. TYPICALLY THERE ARE 3 TO 5 YEARS OUT.

AND IT'S HELPFUL FOR STAFF THAT WHEN THEY'RE BUILDING THESE BUDGETS, THAT THESE BUDGETS ALIGN WITH THE VISION OF THE BOARD.

IT'S SIMILAR TO A GENERAL PLAN AND ZONING IN THAT IF IT'S IN YOUR GENERAL PLAN, YOU WANT TO MARRY YOUR ZONING UP TO YOUR GENERAL PLAN, WHERE YOU WANT TO MARRY YOUR BUDGET INTO THE VISION OF THE BOARD.

IT'S A GOOD IT'S A GOOD EXERCISE. IT MAY NOT SUIT EVERY ORGANIZATION.

I FOUND IT HELPFUL IN THAT YOU KNOW, STAFF WAS STRUGGLING WITH DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS COMING FROM DIFFERENT COUNCILS EVERY YEAR.

SO, YOU KNOW, WHATEVER YOU DECIDE IS GREAT. I JUST FOUND IT HELPFUL FOR A LONG TERM VISION ON WHERE TO PLAN PARTICULARLY WITH MASTER PLANS, CIP, THOSE KINDS OF THINGS WHAT GIVES YOU A LOOK INTO THE FUTURE.

MADAM CHAIR, I THINK I THINK WITHOUT FORMALLY SAYING IT, WE HAVE LAUNCHED INTO THE GENERAL PLAN JUST BY THE THINGS WE'RE APPROVING AND MOVING FORWARD WITH.

YOU KNOW, I LOOK AT OUR ZONING STUDY THAT WE JUST SPENT MONEY ON THAT'S GOING TO TAKE THREE YEARS.

THAT'S GOING TO GIVE US INFORMATION ON HOW WE WANT TO GET TO WHERE WE GO.

AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, DEFICIENCIES OF THE PAST, I THINK, HAS BEEN REACTING RATHER THAN PLANNING.

AND I THINK THIS BOARD WANTS TO HAVE A PLAN. WE'RE ALREADY LAUNCHING INTO THE FACILITIES.

YOU KNOW, WHAT FACILITIES DO WE WANT TO DO. AND THEN HOW DO WE WANT TO GET THERE? BUT, YOU KNOW, LOOKING BACK WITH THE WITH THE ZONING, WE HAVEN'T REALLY DONE THIS TYPE OF PLANNING SINCE THE 1960S.

YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S TIME TO GET THAT DONE. AND WE'RE GETTING OUR GENERAL PLAN PUT TOGETHER, WHICH IS REALLY WHAT DO WE WANT TO DO? WHERE DO WE WANT TO GO? AND THEN WE'LL DO THE STRATEGIC, WHICH IS HOW ARE WE GOING TO GET THERE.

AND THAT'S WHEN YOU START TYING IN MONEY AND RESOURCES.

WAS THAT WAS IT YOUR SUGGESTION IN THE GOVERNANCE MEETING WHOSE SUGGESTION WAS, IF YOU THINK IT WAS SMART, IT WAS MY SUGGESTION. AND I JUST ASK BECAUSE WE DO HAVE SO MANY PLANNING EFFORTS THAT I WANT TO LEARN FROM PRIOR TO MAKING A STRATEGIC PLAN, SUCH AS THE RURAL SERVICES MASTER PLAN, SUCH AS THE ZONING ORDINANCE UPDATE.

YOU KNOW, SUCH AS THE BUILDING CODE. ALL OF THOSE THINGS I THINK ARE REALLY HELPFUL.

BUT SO MY SUGGESTION JUST FROM A HOW I'M GOING TO SPEND MY TIME THIS YEAR, I WOULD BE INTERESTED IN MOVING THAT TO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET JUST FROM A TIMING PERSPECTIVE. AND WE JUST TAKEN WE'VE TAKEN ON SO MUCH AS A BOARD TO ON WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

I KNOW I TALKED WITH BROOKS ABOUT IT, LOOKING AT CONGRESS AND DOWN IN THE WICKENBURG KIND OF AREA, THESE OUTLYING AREAS. I'M LOOKING AT SELIGMAN AND ASH FORK, AND I THINK THERE'S ALREADY BEEN KIND OF DISCUSSION ABOUT OUR, DO OUR DISTRICT LINES EVEN MAKE SENSE? WHERE DO WE WANT TO GO WITH THAT? YOU KNOW, PART OF MY DISTRICT TAKES IN COYOTE SPRINGS AREA.

AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK REALLY THOSE PEOPLE CONSIDER THEMSELVES PRESCOTT VALLEY, AND THAT'S MARY'S.

DOES SHE WANT TO TAKE THAT PART OVER? YOU KNOW SO I THINK WE'RE GATHERING UP ALL THE INFORMATION, AND WE JUST HAVE TO GET THAT. AND I THINK THAT'LL HAPPEN PRETTY QUICK.

AND THEN WE CAN START GETTING STRATEGIC ABOUT ALL THIS STUFF.

OR MAYBE. SORRY, CHAIR, CAN I JUST SAY ONE MORE THING? I MEAN, MAYBE ONCE WE DO HAVE THE RURAL SERVICES MASTER PLAN, WILL THAT BE DONE BY DECEMBER? YES, IT SHOULD BE DONE ACTUALLY BY AUGUST. OKAY.

IS THE CURRENT PLAN OKAY. SO IT MIGHT BE USEFUL TO SCHEDULE THAT STRATEGIC PLANNING, MAYBE AS A PART OF OUR PRE-BUDGET PLANNING LIKE IN DECEMBER OR IN THE FALL OR EVEN IN THE EARLY SPRING.

SO MAYBE IT DOES FIT INTO THIS FY. YEAH. YEAH.

TYLER, CAN YOU REFRESH MY MEMORY? WHAT IS THE PROPOSED SCHEDULE NOW? BECAUSE YOU MAY BE RIGHT. IT MAY KIND OF NATURALLY FALL INTO PLACE.

YES. OH. EXCUSE ME. SO THE PROPOSED SCHEDULE FOR THE STRATEGIC PLANNING.

YEAH. SO CURRENTLY WE'RE TALKING WITH A FIRM WHO WOULD BE AVAILABLE TO DO THAT THE THIRD WEEK OF AUGUST.

AUGUST 18TH AND 19TH. AND I WOULD JUST SAY AS IF I COULD SHARE MY OPINION ON STRATEGIC PLANNING.

IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT AS STAFF TO HAVE THAT HIGH LEVEL THOUGHT AND DIRECTION AND GOALS OF THE BOARD, EVEN THOUGH IT MAY CHANGE YEAR TO YEAR AND IT CAN BE ASSESSED YEAR TO YEAR.

LOOKING 3 TO 5 YEARS OUT. BUT A PART OF OUR GOAL WITH STRATEGIC PLANNING IS, IS TO HEAR CLEAR DIRECTION FROM THE BOARD.

THAT WILL HELP INFORM HOW DO WE COMPLETE THE RURAL SERVICES MASTER PLAN, HOW DO WE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR AND ALSO CREATING PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENTS THAT WE CAN THEN

[01:25:09]

SO PERSONALLY SPEAKING, IT'S A VITAL PIECE THAT, FRANKLY, WE'RE MISSING RIGHT NOW.

AND IT WOULD BE REALLY HELPFUL TO HAVE OR I WAS GOING TO SAY, OR NOT MOVING FORWARD.

WELL, THANKS FOR TAKING OUT THE ASSISTANT FOR YOU, MAURY.

I DON'T THINK YOU NEED ONE. I LIKE SEEING YOU ON THE EDGE OF INSANITY SO.

WITH THE REST OF US. RIGHT. JUST SAYING. MISERY LOVES COMPANY.

SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER. THAT'S HOW YOU GET THEM TO SAY YES. YEAH.

THAT'S RIGHT. SO JUST A LITTLE HISTORY FROM BEFORE WHEN I CAME HERE WHERE YOU FOLKS ARE SITTING RIGHT NOW IN THE SENSE OF FEELING LIKE A LOT OF THINGS ARE JUST, YOU KNOW, ON YOUR PLATES. THAT'S EXACTLY HOW IT WAS I WALKED INTO.

I WALKED INTO AN UNBELIEVABLE SITUATION AND IT IS FRUSTRATING.

BUT IN THE PROCESS I SAY, FOR ME, BY THE GRACE OF GOD THAT WE HAVE BEEN, WE WERE ABLE TO GET THROUGH ALL OF THESE THINGS, AND WE WERE ABLE TO MEET THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE CENTER, WHICH IS ABSOLUTELY A BIG HELP TO THIS COMMUNITY.

AGAIN, IT SHOULD BE ON THE JAILS TAX IN THE 2014 BALLOT.

THE VOTERS SHOULD HAVE VOTED FOR THE JAIL TAX TO BE INCREASED.

BUT IN THEIR MINDS, AS WE ALL KNOW, WHEN YOU GO TO ELECTIONS, THEY SAID THEY WERE VOTING NO ON A JAIL.

BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE DIALOG IN THE BALLOT, IT DISTINCTLY SAYS THAT IF WE DO NOT GET THE JAIL TAX INCREASE, THEN THAT BOARD WOULD HAVE TO RAISE THE PROPERTY TAX AND STILL BUILD THIS CRIMINAL JUSTICE CENTER, WHICH IS WHAT WE ARE PAYING FOR TODAY. WE WERE STRUGGLING TO GET PEOPLE INTO POSITIONS AND WE COULDN'T KEEP PEOPLE. SO THAT'S WHY WE CAME FORWARD WITH THE COMPENSATION.

AND THE MOST VALUABLE THING WE HAVE HERE ARE THE PEOPLE.

IT REALLY IS BECAUSE ALL THIS FANCY DESKS AND EQUIPMENT AND ALL OF THAT.

YOU KNOW WHAT? WITHOUT PEOPLE HERE TO DO THE WORK, WE HAVE NO SERVICES FOR THE COMMUNITY, WHICH ARE THE PEOPLE THAT ELECTED US AND OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT.

YOU KNOW WHAT? THEY RISKED THEIR LIFE EVERY DAY, ALL THE TIME GOING OUT, KEEPING OUR COMMUNITY SAFE.

IT IS OUR JOB TO BE BEHIND THEM, TO SUPPORT THEM FOR WHAT THEY'RE DOING.

WE WERE PAYING LESS FOR A CAR WHEN I GOT HERE.

NOW WE'RE PUTTING OUT OVER $100,000 BY THE TIME IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE.

WE ARE TURNING THE CORNER. THIS IS THE BOARD OF THE FUTURE.

WE ARE DEALING WITH THINGS FROM THE PAST. I BELIEVE WE CAN GET THROUGH THIS PARTICULAR BUDGET AND UNDERSTAND EVERYBODY'S FRUSTRATION. I ALSO HAVE THEM MYSELF. I HEAR NEW IDEAS AND I'M ABSOLUTELY WELCOMING TO THAT.

BUT I AM SO NERVOUS. I GUESS I MIGHT SAY THAT IF WE DO ANY CUTTING ON THIS AND NOT KEEP THE TAX RATE AS IT HAS BEEN PROPOSED WE WILL ONLY GO BACKWARDS TO ALMOST HALF OF MY BACK TIME HERE, AND GOING BACKWARDS WILL NOT HELP THIS FUTURE, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I'VE SPENT SEVEN YEARS OF TRYING TO GET CAUGHT UP. IN REGARDS TO THE VOTES OF PREVIOUS BOARDS.

SO GOING BACKWARDS, I'M HERE TO TELL YOU IS DEVASTATING.

IT WILL BE DEVASTATING FOR TODAY, TOMORROW AND THEN THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS OR TERMS OF THIS COUNTY.

AND THAT'S REALLY WHERE MY WHERE MY STAND IS, IS IT'S NOT TO BE AN OPPOSITION OF ANYBODY.

I'M REALLY JUST TELLING YOU THE FIGHT HAS BEEN REAL AND IT'S BEEN HARD AND DISCUSSIONS HAVE BEEN HARD, BUT I DON'T WANT TO BE THE BOARD THAT GOES BACKWARDS.

[01:30:02]

YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED SEVERAL TIMES ABOUT FUNDING DECISIONS THAT WERE MADE IN THE, YOU KNOW, 2012, 13, 14, 15 TIME FRAME. WHY? I THINK I BELIEVE THAT WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME THE TAX WAS FLAT? IN 2015. WHY WAS IT NOT FLATTENED IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS TO ADDRESS THIS ISSUE, WHICH WAS CLEARLY THERE THE ENTIRE TIME? WAS IT NOT PROPOSED? WAS IT NOT CONSIDERED? WHY IS THIS THE FIRST YEAR IT'S BEING CONSIDERED? IF IT'S REALLY THERE TO ADDRESS A HISTORICAL ISSUE? WELL, IT'S REALLY THERE ARE TWO. MY UNDERSTANDING OF IT AT THIS POINT IS THAT IT IS THERE AS TAKE THE LIBRARY DISTRICT, FOR EXAMPLE, BECAUSE WE'RE WILLING TO KEEP THE TAX RATE FLAT ON THAT DISTRICT.

WE ARE ABLE TO, NUMBER ONE, NOT TAKE ANY MORE MONEY FROM THE MUNICIPALITIES FOR THE LIBRARIES.

AND NUMBER TWO, WE'RE ACTUALLY BEEN ABLE TO GIVE THEM SOME MORE MONEY INTO THOSE DISTRICTS.

AND THE EXPENDITURE LIMITATION HAS FREED UP MONEY.

BUT THAT MONEY CANNOT US MAKE THINGS WORK PROPERLY AS A GOVERNMENT BUDGET, AS SOMETHING WE KEEP DRAWING OFF OF. YOU KNOW, YOU KEEP DRAWING OFF OF IT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE ANY REVENUES THAT ARE COMING BACK.

THE FLAT TAX, THE ASSESSOR, OUR HOUSES GO UP IN VALUE NO MATTER WHAT.

WE MY HOUSE, MY TAXES WENT UP AGAIN. BUT IT'S NOT BECAUSE THE COUNTY RAISED A TAX, IT'S BECAUSE THE VALUE WENT UP.

WHICH OF COURSE, ALL OF US THAT OWN HOMES, WHICH AT THIS POINT IN TIME IS OBVIOUSLY A VERY WELL GIFT TO OWN A HOME IN THIS COMMUNITY NOWADAYS. THAT'S OUR INVESTMENT. AND, AND THAT'S GONE UP IN VALUE.

SO IT GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY TO SOMEDAY DO SOMETHING DIFFERENT WITH OUR RETIREMENT OR WHAT HAVE YOU.

WHY THE OTHER BOARD DID WHAT THEY DID. I, I COULDN'T TELL YOU THAT.

I JUST KNOW THAT THIS IS LIKE WHEN THEY MENTION ABOUT THE BUDGET ANALYSTS AND DIFFERENT POSITIONS.

WE'RE MOVING AND BEEN MOVING INTO A DIFFERENT TYPE OF, I WOULD SAY MANAGEMENT.

AND WE HAVE A COUNTY MANAGER. WE DIDN'T HAVE IT THAT WAY.

SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS THE COUNTY IS WAS DOING IN, IN, IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

AND I DON'T WANT TO SAY AN OLDER WAY, BUT WE USED TO HAVE THREE SUPERVISORS WENT TO FIVE.

SO AS YOU CONTINUE TO GROW THIS COMMUNITY, ALL OF YOU WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE TO LOOK AT YOUR RESOURCES AND HOW YOU BUILD THOSE NEW ROADS.

HOW DO WE NOT BE ADOT? ADOT, THEY SAID THEY DON'T EVEN THEY BARELY HAVE ENOUGH MONEY JUST TO PAVE THE ROADS THEY HAVE.

AND SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE STRUCTURE ALL OF THAT BECAUSE AGAIN, WE TALKED ABOUT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

I DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GOING, BUT WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT IF THEY'RE GOING TO KEEP CUTTING LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT, ALL THESE THINGS ARE TRICKLING DOWN TO US AS A LOCAL GOVERNMENT HAVING TO TAKE CARE OF OUR OWN LOCAL FAMILY.

AND SO TIMES ARE DIFFERENT, AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWER ANSWERED ANYTHING.

I JUST KNOW THAT NOTHING IS THE SAME SINCE I CAME HERE IN 2019.

CHAIRMAN, IF I COULD AND SUPERVISOR CHECK TO RESPOND FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, WHAT I BROUGHT FORWARD IN THIS BUDGET WAS MY ASSESSMENT OF WHAT I WAS HEARING FROM THE BOARD IN INDIVIDUAL CONVERSATIONS AND DIRECTIONS, AND ABOUT WHAT THEY WANTED TO SEE FUNDED. SO I NEVER BRING FORWARD SOMETHING BASED ON, YOU KNOW, NECESSARILY MY OPINION. IT'S BASED ON WHERE I BELIEVE THAT THE BOARD IS.

AS TO PRIOR BOARDS, THAT WAS THE DECISION THAT I WAS GATHERING FROM THEM.

THEY WANTED TO SEE THE RATE CONTINUE TO FALL.

THE OTHER PIECE I WOULD MENTION, I'VE BEEN HERE TWO YEARS NOW.

OBVIOUSLY, AS TIME GOES ON, I GET A BETTER AND BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE ISSUES OF THIS COUNTY AND OF THIS ORGANIZATION.

WE'RE TRYING TO POINT OUT THIS YEAR IS WE'VE GOT STRUCTURAL ISSUES WITH THE BUDGET, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT ISSUE.

WE'VE GOT TO RIGHT THAT SHIP. SO WE GET TO A POINT WHERE ONGOING REVENUES ARE COVERING OUR ONGOING EXPENSES.

WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO DIP INTO ONE TIME RESERVES TO FUND ONGOING EXPENDITURES.

THAT'S NOT BEING FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE HERE WITH OUR BUDGET AND MANAGING OUR RESOURCES WISELY.

I JUST. MADAM CHAIR, I JUST LOOK AT IT FROM A BUSINESS PERSPECTIVE, TOO.

AND WHAT I WENT THROUGH, AND I STARTED WITH ONE TRUCK AND I SERVED MY CUSTOMERS WELL.

THE CUSTOMER BASE GREW. I GOT TWO TRUCKS. I HIRED A DRIVER.

[01:35:01]

IF I WOULD HAVE TRIED TO STAY WITH THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT I WAS AT WITH HALF THE TRUCKS, I WOULD HAVE BEEN OUT OF BUSINESS. AND YOU SAW OTHER PEOPLE COME INTO BUSINESS LIKE THAT, AND THEY TRIED NOT TO SPEND THAT MONEY TO GO IN.

AND DOES IT HURT? DID YOU HAVE TO BUDGET? DO YOU HAVE TO BE VERY SMART? YES. BUT YOU YOU GOT TO PROVIDE A LEVEL OF SERVICE WHEN WHEN I LOOK AT WE'RE ADDING SOMEONE TO ELECTIONS.

WELL, THE PEOPLE ARE SCREAMING FOR BETTER, GOOD ELECTIONS.

AND THERE HAVE OTHER THINGS COMING DOWN FROM THE STATE WHICH IS GOING TO PUT THEM ON EVEN TIGHTER.

CRUNCH. SO DO WE NEED THAT PERSON? YEAH, IT SEEMS LIKE WE DO THAT.

ARE THE PEOPLE HOLLERING FOR MORE SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES OUT THERE EVERY DAY? WE GET THOSE CALLS THAT WE WANT MORE OF THAT OUT THERE.

SO WE GOTTA FUND THAT. WE'RE GROWING AS A COUNTY.

YOU KNOW, WHEN I MOVED HERE IN 78, PRESCOTT VALLEY HAD 1500 PEOPLE.

COULD YOU IMAGINE IF THEY TRIED TO STAY AT THAT LEVEL OF SERVICE NOW THAT THEY GOT OVER 50,000? SO I DON'T LIKE TO GROW GOVERNMENT, BUT YOU DO HAVE TO KEEP A LEVEL OF SERVICE UP THAT THAT IS ASKED FOR BY THE PEOPLE THAT ARE PAYING THOSE TAXES. AND WHEN YOU REFER GROWING GOVERNMENT, I, I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT I SEE TWO DIFFERENT WAYS OF GROWING GOVERNMENT AND WE'RE NOT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT TAKING AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE BOOTS TO THE GROUND, SERVING EVERY SINGLE AREA OF THIS COUNTY, I DON'T SEE THAT AS A GROWING GOVERNMENT.

I SEE THAT SUPPORTING THE PEOPLE WHO ARE OUT THERE EVERY DAY TAKING IN AND HELPING TO GET ROADS DONE AND THINGS LIKE THAT. THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT WE SUPPORT.

THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE WE MAKE SURE WE TAKE CARE OF.

THOSE ARE THE PEOPLE THAT MAKE THIS COUNTY TURN IN A GOOD WAY EVERY DAY.

AND EVEN WE HAVE MADAM CHAIR, WE GOT A RECENT EXAMPLE WITH 479.

THE PEOPLE SAID, KEEP THE LEVELS OF SERVICE. WE REALIZE THAT YOU'RE BUMPING UP AGAINST THIS AND WE CAN'T KEEP UP WITH THE ROAD MAINTENANCE.

YOU KNOW, THEY GAVE US THE THING THAT SAID, YES, PLEASE KEEP THE LEVELS OF SERVICE UP.

DON'T BE CONSTRICTED BY THAT. I S THERE ANY OTHER CONVERSATION? I WE I'M PRETTY SURE WE NEED TO MAKE SOME TYPE OF A DECISION.

IS, IS THAT AT LEAST A DIRECTION WE'RE NOT VOTING OR JUST HAVING A DIRECTION.

BUT I DO THINK THAT WE DO NEED TO MAKE A DIRECTION TODAY.

AND WHERE ARE WHAT ARE WE? FOR ME, I, I ACCEPT THIS BUDGET.

I ACCEPT THE FLAT TAX AND AGAIN I, I'VE SAID IT, IT'S NOT PERSONAL TO ANYBODY, BUT THIS IS WHAT I SUPPORT. I SUPPORT THE PEOPLE, I SUPPORT THE WORKERS, I SUPPORT THE NEED AND I SUPPORT GOING FORWARD WITH A BUDGET THAT IS GOING TO START CARRYING THIS COUNTY AND US NOT TAKING AWAY OUR RESERVES.

YOU BROUGHT UP PSPRS. THAT'S A CREDIT CARD THAT WE CAN'T STOP, RIGHT.

WE GET HANDED A BILL EVERY TIME SOMETHING AND I'M NOT SAYING THEY HAVEN'T MADE LEAPS AND BOUNDS WHERE THEY HAVE, BUT IF WE WERE TO TURN AROUND AND PAY OFF THAT PSPRS.

WE'RE STILL SUBJECT TO IF THEY HAVE ANOTHER DOWNFALL WE HAVE RIGHT HERE, WE ARE TAKING CARE OF OUR HOUSE.

AND EVEN THOUGH IT'S PAINFUL AND MAKING DECISIONS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GIVE A DIRECTION TODAY.

AND YES, I SUPPORT QUALITY LEVELS OF SERVICE.

MAURY, IF I COULD, I SUPPORT THE BUDGET WITH THE CHANGES THAT WE'VE DISCUSSED THIS MORNING.

I'D JUST LIKE TO A SHORT SUMMARY TO MAKE SURE I HAVE IT RIGHT.

THE CHANGES THAT WE DISCUSSED ARE THE CONTRIBUTIONS.

CORRECT. THE CHANGES THAT YOU PROPOSED. CORRECT.

AND THAT INCLUDES THE SULLIVANS CANYON PROJECT.

CORRECT? CORRECT. AND THEN THE EMPLOYEE CHANGES ARE WE ALL GOOD WITH THE RECOMMENDATIONS TO REMOVE THE ASSISTANT TO THE COUNTY MANAGER, BUT LEAVING THE BUDGET ANALYST? IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? THAT'S MY SENSE. OKAY.

ANYTHING ELSE I'VE MISSED? I WAS GOING TO DO THE SAME THING.

SUPERVISOR. AND YOU'VE COVERED IT. A LITTLE MORE DETAIL, PERHAPS ON THE CONTRIBUTIONS.

[01:40:02]

AND THE ONLY NOTE TO THAT WAS ON THE FUNDING FOR SULLIVAN CANYON PROJECT KIND OF PUTTING A NOT TO EXCEED OF THE 150 FOR THE PURCHASE OF THE PROPERTY AND THE 40,000.

AND THAT WAS COMING TO THAT. NOW, JUST PAUSING THERE TO MAKE SURE THAT WAS CORRECT.

AND THEN THE ADDITIONAL $40,000 FOR MEALS ON WHEELS PROVIDERS.

OKAY. YES. NOW I'M SENSING SUPPORT THEN FOR THE OTHER MODIFICATIONS, WHICH INCLUDE REMOVING THE ASSISTANT TO POSITION.

OKAY, SO WITH THAT CHAIR, VICE CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, UNLESS THERE'S OTHER DIRECTIONS, THAT'S WHAT STAFF WOULD PLAN TO BRING BACK IN THE TENTATIVE BUDGET, WHICH TO CLARIFY, WOULD BE MAINTAINING THE TAX RATE FOR THE COUNTY AND THE LIBRARY DISTRICT. MADAM CHAIR. I HAD A QUESTION STILL.

SO YOU KNOW, ON THIS 6%, WHICH IS MERIT AND COLA MIXED IN TOGETHER, IS THAT INTENDED? IS YOUR INTENTION TO DO THAT EVERY YEAR MOVING FORWARD? WELL, THANK YOU, SUPERVISOR KUKNYO CHAIR. THE RESPONSE TO THAT IS THAT IS THE CURRENT BOARD DIRECTION.

ACTUALLY, IT'S IN AN HR POLICY THAT TALKS ABOUT THAT COLA AND HOW IT'S HOW IT'S CALCULATED.

THE MERIT IS BASED ON THE FINANCIAL CONDITIONS OF THE COUNTY ON ANY ONE YEAR.

AND WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THE MARKET? THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I DIDN'T COMMENT ON, BUT INFORMALLY TALKING TO OUR PEERS ABOUT WHERE THEY'RE HEADED FOR COMPENSATION.

WE'RE RIGHT IN THE SAME AREA THAT THEY ARE IN TOO.

IT LOOKS LIKE ALL ABOUT THE 5 TO 6% RATE. AND WHEN'S THE LAST TIME WE DID CLASS AND COMP? WENDY, WHAT YEAR WAS THAT? LOOKS LIKE WE IMPLEMENTED THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM THE LAST COMP STUDY AND THE 2122 FISCAL YEAR.

WENDY, THAT'S PROBABLY A GOOD POINT. TO CLARIFY, THAT'S WHEN WE DID THE BIG STUDY, IF YOU WILL.

BUT THEN YOU TAKE EFFORTS ON A REGULAR, ONGOING BASIS TO LOOK AT MARKET.

WHEN WE HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT SPECIFIC AREAS, WE'LL HAVE DEPARTMENT DIRECTORS COME AND SAY, HEY, I DON'T THINK WE'RE PAYING RIGHT NOW.

THE MARKET. MY PEERS ARE PAYING MORE. SO WENDY WOULD GO IN HER AND HER STAFF AND DO A COMPLETE ANALYSIS OF THE MARKET AND COME BACK AND VERIFY THAT OR SAY NO, DATA DOESN'T SUPPORT THAT. SO I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE THE BOARD WITH A WITH THE NOTION THAT YOU DO IT ONE TIME AND THEN IT JUST SITS THERE AND CONSISTENT WITH SOME OF OUR CONVERSATION THIS YEAR. THERE ARE, I WOULD SAY, FAIRLY MINOR ADJUSTMENT, BUT MINOR ADJUSTMENTS YOU NEED TO DO TO PARTICULAR POSITIONS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR BASED ON WHERE THE MARKET'S GOING.

I REMEMBER A FEW YEARS AGO IN IT, YOU JUST LITERALLY COULDN'T STAY UP WITH THE MARKET, AND THEY WERE TOTALLY PRICING GOVERNMENT OUT OF THAT.

YOU COULDN'T HIRE A DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION SERVICES BECAUSE THE MARKET WAS SO EXPENSIVE.

THAT'S COOL SOMEWHAT NOW, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THAT.

IF YOU'RE WHAT YOU'RE OFFERING TO PAY, YOU CAN HIRE ANYONE.

YOU'VE GOT TO RECONSIDER WHAT YOU'RE PAYING AT THE TIME. AND I THINK THE WASN'T THE COLA A DIFFERENT AMOUNT LAST YEAR.

OH YEAH THE COLA. AGAIN, IT'S COMPUTED ON A TEN YEAR LOOK BACK AND AN AVERAGE.

SO THE BOARD MY UNDERSTANDING WHEN THEY PUT IN THAT PLACE WAS TO PUT IN PLACE A LONGER VIEW.

SO YOU DIDN'T HAVE THESE ONE YEAR FLUCTUATIONS SAY INFLATION JUST GOES SKY HIGH.

ONE PARTICULAR YEAR THAT THE COUNTY'S POSITION WASN'T BE WE'RE GOING TO MATCH THAT.

BUT IT'S LOOKING OVER A TEN YEAR PERIOD TO SAY THIS HAS BEEN THE AVERAGE.

SO YES, YOU'RE RIGHT. SURE THAT THAT NUMBER HAS BEEN TRENDING DOWN OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS.

SO IF I COULD GIVE A LITTLE HISTORICAL INFORMATION I'VE BEEN WITH THE COUNTY FOR COMING UP ON 23 YEARS.

I'VE BEEN THE DIRECTOR FOR ABOUT 12 OF THOSE YEARS.

AND SO I'VE BEEN HERE THROUGH A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT BOARDS WHO HAD DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES OR PHILOSOPHIES ON EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION.

AND YOU KNOW, I WAS HERE THROUGH SOME OF THE REALLY GOOD YEARS WHERE THERE WAS SOME REALLY BIG RAISES AND THEN SOME YEARS WHERE THERE WERE NO RAISES AT ALL.

WE WENT THROUGH A RECESSION, WE SURVIVED COVID, AND THROUGH IT ALL WE HAVE ENDEAVORED TO HAVE A GOOD COMPENSATION PROGRAM. AND THERE ARE SEVERAL FACTORS THAT COME INTO A GOOD COMPENSATION PROGRAM.

WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE COMPETITIVE EXTERNALLY.

SO WE'RE DOING THOSE MARKET STUDIES. WE'RE LOOKING AT OUR COMPETITORS.

WHAT ARE THEY PAYING? ARE WE LOSING EMPLOYEES TO THOSE OTHER ENTITIES.

AND THEN WE ALSO WANT TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE INTERNAL EQUITY.

WE DON'T HAVE COMPRESSION ISSUES AND WE DON'T HAVE EQUITY ISSUES WHERE EVEN IF IT WAS UNINTENDED,

[01:45:08]

SO WE EVALUATE IT FROM ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT STANDPOINTS.

WHAT HAPPENED DURING SOME OF LIKE, LET'S GO BACK TO THE RECESSION.

WHAT HAPPENED WAS THERE WERE NO RAISES AT ALL.

THERE WERE NO COLAS AND THERE WERE NO MERITS.

AND WE GOT A LOT OF COMPRESSION. AND THEN WE WERE HAVING DIFFICULTY FILLING POSITIONS AND FINDING PEOPLE.

AND BRINGING PEOPLE ON WHERE THEY SHOULD BE PAID BECAUSE THE CURRENT EMPLOYEES WERE BEING PAID LESS THAN THEY SHOULD BE.

AND WE DIDN'T WANT TO BRING PEOPLE IN FROM THE OUTSIDE MAKING MORE THAN THOSE PEOPLE.

AND SO THERE WAS ONE POINT IN TIME WHERE THE BOARD DID A COMPRESSION RAISE.

WE SAT DOWN AND DISCUSSED A PHILOSOPHY AND DID SOME ANALYSIS OF THE WORKFORCE AND GAVE SOME INCREASES AND MOVED PEOPLE UP WITHIN THEIR PAY RANGES.

BECAUSE THE PAY FOR PERFORMANCE INCREASE IS THE ONLY WAY THAT YOU MOVE THROUGH THE PAY RANGE.

IF YOU DON'T GIVE A PAY FOR PERFORMANCE OR MERIT, YOU STAY AT THAT SAME POINT IN THE RANGE THAT YOU'RE AT.

THERE'S NO FORWARD MOVEMENT. AND AGAIN, THEN YOU GO TO HIRE NEW EMPLOYEES WITH LESS EXPERIENCE, AND YOU'RE STARTING TO BUMP UP AGAINST THE CURRENT EMPLOYEES BECAUSE THEY HAVEN'T MOVED.

SO AGAIN, OVER THE YEARS, BOARD MEMBERS WOULD ASK ME, WELL, WHAT WOULD YOU RECOMMEND WE DO? A COLA OR A MERIT? AND MY ANSWER WAS ALWAYS WELL, BOTH.

IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO ADDRESS ALL OF THE COMPONENTS OF COMPENSATION.

IT'S THE ONLY WAY TO MAKE SURE THE SALARY RANGES THEMSELVES KEEP MOVING UP, AND KEEPING UP WITH THE COST OF LIVING AND KEEPING UP COMPETITIVELY WITH THE MARKET.

AND THEN THE THE MERIT OR PAY FOR PERFORMANCE IS THE ONLY WAY TO KEEP THOSE EMPLOYEES MOVING THROUGH THE PAY RANGE SO YOU DON'T END UP WITH THESE COMPRESSION SITUATIONS.

BUT WE DID GET TO A POINT WHERE WE WERE HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME RECRUITING EMPLOYEES AND RETAINING EMPLOYEES.

I HEARD A LOT OF THE DIRECTORS THIS YEAR, DURING THEIR BUDGETS PRESENTATIONS, SAY THAT ONE OF THEIR BIGGEST CHALLENGES IS RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION.

STILL, ALTHOUGH YOU SEE OUR VACANCY RATE, IT IS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN IT HAD BEEN IN THE PAST.

AND WE BELIEVE WE HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE WITH THE WORK THAT WE'VE DONE WITH COMPENSATION.

BUT WE HAVE TO KEEP DOING IT. IF WE STOP, THEN WE JUST FALL BEHIND.

WE'RE NOT COMPETITIVE EXTERNALLY. WE'RE NOT ADDRESSING COMPRESSION ISSUES INTERNALLY.

SO YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE SOME OF THE COMMENTS FROM SUPERVISOR MALLORY AND JENKINS ABOUT OUR EMPLOYEES ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT ASSET WE HAVE.

WE CANNOT PROVIDE THE SERVICES THAT WE PROVIDE WITHOUT OUR EMPLOYEES.

I HAVE THE PRIVILEGE OF WORKING WITH EVERY COUNTY DEPARTMENT AND INTERACTING WITH MANY EMPLOYEES.

WE HAVE AN INCREDIBLE WORKFORCE HERE AND WE WANT TO KEEP THEM.

THE OTHER COMPONENT IS HOUSING IS REALLY EXPENSIVE HERE.

AND SO IF WE HAVE EMPLOYEES WHO WORK FOR US WHO ALREADY HAVE HOUSING, LET'S KEEP THEM, BECAUSE IF THEY LEAVE US AND WE HAVE TO FIND NEW EMPLOYEES, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A HARD TIME GETTING THEM TO TO FIND AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN OUR AREA.

SO I'LL STEP OUT MY SOAPBOX, BUT I WANTED A LITTLE BIT OF SORT OF BACKGROUND ON THE IMPORTANCE OF ALL OF THE COMPONENTS OF THE COMPENSATION PROGRAM AND, AND BEING WORRIED ABOUT SLIDING BACKWARDS IN ANY OF THOSE COMPONENTS AND ENDING UP, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE HAD THAT BIG YEAR, WHERE IT WAS A BIG RACE BECAUSE WE WERE TRYING TO CLEAN UP THE MESSES THAT HAD BEEN MADE FROM NOT HAVING REGULAR RACES.

THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. I'VE NEVER BEEN A FAN OF COLA ANYWAY.

I WISH IT WAS ALL MERIT, BECAUSE IT'S A GREAT WAY TO REALLY REWARD THE PEOPLE YOU WANT TO KEEP, AND THEN KIND OF SENDS A MESSAGE TO THE PEOPLE THAT YOU DON'T.

YOU KNOW, I'VE ALWAYS PAID MY GOOD PEOPLE VERY WELL, AND THE ONES THAT WEREN'T GOT THAT MESSAGE AND MAYBE MOVED ON.

BUT I UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE. BUT SOMETIMES THE COST OF LIVING CAN BE HUGE.

I MEAN, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, I THINK IT WAS 9% THAT IT WENT UP.

SO YOU START FALLING BEHIND AND I THINK CLASS AND COMP GOES HAND IN HAND WITH WATCHING THIS BECAUSE TO SUPERVISOR CHECK CONCERNS TOO.

I MEAN, THIS THIS 6% COMPOUNDS EVERY TIME, EVERY TIME THERE'S ANOTHER RACE.

SO YOU GOT TO WATCH IT SO IT DOESN'T GET OUT OF HAND AS WELL.

YEAH. PARDON. EXCUSE ME. YES. CHAIR, MEMBERS OF THE BOARD, JUST WANTED TO TOUCH FOR A MOMENT ON THE SCHEDULE AND NEXT STEPS.

AND I'M SURE MAURY IS GOING TO WRAP THIS UP AS WELL, BUT SPECIFICALLY, THERE SEEMS TO BE SUPPORT FOR A FLAT RATE FOR BOTH THE LIBRARY DISTRICT AND THE COUNTY IN GENERAL. AS THE LIBRARY DISTRICT AS NOTED AND DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY, A PORTION OF THAT INCREASE IN FUNDING WOULD THEN GO BACK TO THE AFFILIATES, AND I PROVIDED BOARD MEMBERS WITH A HANDOUT LAST WEEK THAT DETAILED WHAT THOSE AMOUNTS WOULD LOOK LIKE.

SO I'M ASSUMING THERE'S SUPPORT FOR THAT AS WELL.

[01:50:03]

JUST SO YOU'RE GENERALLY FAMILIAR WITH THE PROCESS, YOU CAN SEE THE DATES.

THERE'S NOT A LOT INVOLVED. BASICALLY THERE WOULD BE A NOTICE PUBLISHED.

IT WOULD SHOW THE IMPACT ON $100,000 HOME OF THE PROPOSED TAX LEVY INCREASE.

IT WOULD ADVISE THE PUBLIC OF THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO APPEAR AT A PUBLIC HEARING.

THAT HEARING WOULD TYPICALLY BE THAT JUNE 25TH BUDGET ADOPTION DATE.

SO PEOPLE WOULD HAVE NOTICE AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO APPEAR.

AND YOU NEVER KNOW HOW THAT'S GOING TO GO. I KNOW THE LAST TIME THIS WAS DONE AT THE COUNTY, NO ONE ACTUALLY APPEARED AND WANTED TO SPEAK, BUT THAT NOTICE WOULD BE PUBLISHED.

THERE'S ALSO A PRESS RELEASE THAT'S REQUIRED.

IT'S THE EXACT SAME NOTICE THAT'S PUBLISHED IN THE NEWSPAPER.

THEN ON THE 25TH, THE BOARD WOULD VOTE TO ADOPT THE BUDGET BY ROLL CALL VOTE, AND THEN THE RESULTS OF THAT VOTE WOULD BE SENT TO THE PROPERTY TAX OVERSIGHT COMMISSION WITHIN THREE DAYS OF THE VOTE. AND IF ANYONE HAS QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER THEM HERE OR OFFLINE.

THANK YOU. CHAIR, I HAVE NOTHING TO ADD TO THE PROCESS.

I WOULD JUST CLOSE IT OUT AND TURN IT BACK TO YOU BY SAYING, WE APPRECIATE THE TOUGH DECISIONS AND THE FEELING THAT YOU WERE LEFT WITH NO GOOD, GOOD WAYS FORWARD AGAIN. SHARE SOME OF THOSE PERSPECTIVES AND SINCERELY SAY WE ARE WANT TO HEAR YOUR THOUGHTS ABOUT HOW WE RESHAPE THE PROCESS GOING FORWARD WITH NEW BOARD ON BUDGET NEXT YEAR.

SO WE'LL BE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS. AND AGAIN, JUST THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND DEDICATION TO THIS PROCESS.

IT'S VERY MUCH APPRECIATED. THANK YOU, MAURY AND ALL OF THE STAFF AND I REALLY WANT TO DO EXTEND A REALLY SINCERE THANK OUT TO SUPERVISOR CHECK.

YOU DID A LOT OF WORK AND IT IS VERY NOTABLE.

AND I REALLY DO APPRECIATE ALL OF WHAT YOU WHAT YOU WENT THROUGH AND EVERYTHING.

AND I THINK THAT GOING FORWARD, THERE'S A LOT TO LEARN AND HOW WE DO THIS AND, AND THAT WE DO NEED THINGS EARLIER. MORE DISCUSSION. AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE AS A SUPERVISOR AND PART OF THIS TEAM, THAT ALL OF US DO HAVE A GOOD UNDERSTANDING AND FEEL LIKE THEY WERE ALL HEARD.

SO THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR THAT. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE HAS ANY COMMENTS OR ANYTHING, BECAUSE I'M GOING TO GUESS IF WE DON'T, I DO ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, ALWAYS. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU, MARY, FOR I MEAN, YOU'RE THE ONLY HISTORICAL PERSON ON THIS BOARD FOR SUCH A YOUNG WOMAN, BUT YOU KNOW, KIND OF BANKING ON YOU TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENED AND HOW WE GOT HERE AND THERE AND EVERYTHING.

SO BUT ALSO IT'S REFRESHING BECAUSE I THINK THE COUNTY IS SETTING A NEW DIRECTION RIGHT NOW ON STAYING IN FRONT OF THINGS, PLANNING FOR THINGS. AND YOU'RE BEING VERY SUPPORTIVE OF ALL OF US COMING FORWARD WITH OUR IDEAS, GIVING US A VOICE. SO I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU.

I'M HONORED TO WORK WITH ALL OF YOU. I HAVE A QUESTION GOING FORWARD, WHAT IS THE PLAN TO GET WITH ALL OF US WITH OUR SUGGESTIONS, OBSERVATIONS FOR PLANNING THE PROCESS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY NEXT YEAR, HOW DO YOU SEE THAT HAPPENING? YEAH. AND AGAIN, BE OPEN TO ANY SUGGESTIONS THE BOARD HAS, A COUPLE THOUGHTS THAT COME TO MIND QUICKLY.

WE COULD DO THAT INDIVIDUALLY IN OUR INDIVIDUAL CONVERSATIONS.

OR WE COULD EVEN SCHEDULE ANOTHER STUDY SESSION TO TALK ABOUT THE PROCESS AND HOW YOU MIGHT LIKE TO SEE IT CHANGED, ALTHOUGH SUPERVISOR CHECK HAS COMMENTED OUR WEDNESDAYS ARE FILLING UP RAPIDLY WITH NUMBERS OF STUDY SESSIONS, SO. BUT WE'D HAVE A LITTLE TIME TO DO THIS ONE.

SO WHATEVER THE BOARD WISHES, WE'LL DO WHATEVER.

I WOULD LIKE US ALL TOGETHER TO KIND OF HASH IT OUT WHAT OUR EXPECTATION IS.

BUT I FOR ME, I'M OLD AND I FORGET THINGS, SO I WOULDN'T WANT IT TO GO TOO DEEP INTO THE YEAR.

I WOULD LIKE TO STILL TO BE FRESH IN OUR MINDS, THE THINGS THAT WE'VE COME ACROSS THAT ARE SUGGESTIONS AND AS WELL AS WHAT THINGS THAT YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY DISCOVERED THAT WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT, THAT YOU HAVE ALREADY MAYBE THOUGHT ABOUT PUTTING INTO PLAY FOR NEXT YEAR.

THAT'S MY SUGGESTION. YEAH. THANK YOU, CHAIR AND SUPERVISOR JENKINS.

AND AGAIN, NOT TO GO BACK AND START REHASHING, BUT WE DO HAVE TO HAVE SOME TALK ABOUT THE EXPENSE OF THE JAIL DISTRICT AND WHAT THE

[01:55:02]

WELL, WHEN I'M DONE BEING A SUPERVISOR, I'M GOING TO BE THE LADY THAT WRITES TICKETS AND MAKE A LOT OF MONEY FOR THE COUNTY.

AND THAT'S MY GOAL, HONESTLY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, WITH THAT BEING SAID, I WILL GO AHEAD AND ADJOURN THIS STUDY SESSION. DO WE NEED A MOTION AND ALL THAT OR.

IT'S JUST A STUDY SESSION. DO YOU WANT ONE? I MOVE TO ADJOURN.

I'LL SECOND. DOES SHE HAVE TO CALL FOR THE VOTE? YES. OKAY.

YOUR MEETING IS ADJOURNED.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.