[0:17] All right, it's 5 o'clock. We will now
open the Financial Management Board.
[0:22] open the Financial Management Board.
Meeting.
[0:23] Let the record show that the mayor is not
with us tonight.
[0:27] Other than that, everybody else is here. I
have asked Mr.
[0:31] McNeece if he would do the prayer and Mr.
Previti if he'd lead us in the pledge.
[0:37] Let's bow. Our gracious, loving Heavenly
Father,
[0:40] we're thankful for this beautiful day of
life that you've given us.
[0:44] Help us, Father, to always realize that
every good and perfect gift Truly does
[0:49] every good and perfect gift Truly does
come
[0:49] down from thee. Father,
[0:50] we're thankful to be here tonight to take
part in the business of the county,
[0:55] and we just pray, Father, that you would
continue to be with us and,
[0:59] and all leaders throughout the world,
that, Father,
[1:02] they will always look to you for guidance.
[1:05] We're thankful, Father,
[1:06] for the ones that will be finishing their
terms tonight and the many years of
[1:11] dedicated service and that they have given
this county, and we pray, Father,
[1:16] your richest blessings upon them. Amen.
[1:18] Father, for those that will be coming on
board, and we're thankful, Father,
[1:23] for them and their willingness and,
[1:25] and the sacrifice that they will be making
in the future.
[1:29] And we just pray, Father, your blessings
upon them as well.
[1:32] Father, we're thankful for the country in
which we live,
[1:36] even though there are problems from time
to time.
[1:39] Father, we enjoy many freedoms,
[1:41] and for those that are willing to serve
and lay their lives on the line so that we
[1:46] can continue to maintain those freedoms.
We're grateful for them.
[1:50] Father, for the leaders of this country
and leaders throughout the world,
[1:54] for those that are striving to do what is
right,
[1:57] we pray your blessings upon them and, and
the safety upon them and their families.
[2:02] And but once again, Father, help us to
always look to thee for guidance.
[2:07] That's right.
[2:08] For those that are struggling and having
health problems this evening, we just
[2:12] health problems this evening, we just
pray,
[2:12] Father, that you bless them, that their
health might be restored back to them.
[2:16] Others that might be bereaved or cast down
in any way, we just pray, Father,
[2:20] that you'd bless and comfort them.
[2:22] Continue to be with us on throughout this
night and on throughout our future walks
[2:26] of life. And Father, when we come to the
end of life's way,
[2:29] we pray for grace and we pray for mercy
that we can come and live with you
[2:33] forevermore. In Christ's name we pray,
amen.
[2:35] Everyone, please join me in the pledge to
our flag. Pledge of Allegiance.
[2:41] I pledge allegiance to the flag of the
United States of America and to the
[2:47] United States of America and to the
Republic
[2:48] for which it stands, one nation under God,
indivisible,
[2:52] with liberty and justice for all. All
right, thank you, Randy. Thank you, Eric.
[2:58] Appreciate that. Uh, item number 4, review
and approval of the meeting agenda.
[3:04] Any changes? I have a motion from Eric.
Second? Ms.
[3:08] Grodi, all those in favor say aye.
[3:10] Aye.
[3:11] Let the record note— show it passes
unanimously.
[3:14] Item number 5, review and approval of
minutes from July 20th regular meeting.
[3:19] Are there any corrections, additions,
deletions, or alterations?
[3:23] Hearing none, they'll stand approved as
circulated.
[3:26] Item number 6, do we have anybody for
public comment?
[3:29] All right, we're going to go on to item
number 7.
[3:32] Item number 7, Office of Financial
Management report. Mr. LaColombe.
[3:37] Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[3:38] We're at a pivotal time during the Office
of Financial Management's usual season.
[3:43] We got our budget back approved from the
state.
[3:46] You all know that, that's why these
amendments tonight are going forward to
[3:51] amendments tonight are going forward to
the full
[3:52] commission and are able to be approved.
[3:54] Additionally, we ran our first big
10-month payroll that went out last
[3:58] 10-month payroll that went out last
Friday,
[3:59] and all school employees were paid, and
everything looks, looks good.
[4:03] We're moving forward. And that's how you
want to be.
[4:07] Usually, that first payroll, you get some
calls, you know, some concern.
[4:11] We address any calls and any emails we
get.
[4:14] If somebody is worried, give us a call,
email us, we'll take care of you,
[4:19] but I literally did not hear anything, and
that's the best sound.
[4:23] When a finance office is doing a good job,
everybody's quiet.
[4:27] When a finance office is doing a bad job,
everybody's Pissed, just to be blunt, uh,
[4:32] you know, because, you know,
[4:34] it's their livelihood and we care about it
and think of it that same way.
[4:38] We know how important it is.
[4:40] We are in the middle of our year-end
close,
[4:43] so we have now stopped doing checks for
accounts payable,
[4:47] and we'll take those on a case-by-case
basis so that we can wrap things up,
[4:51] get everything reeled in, and close the
books.
[4:54] We are ahead of where we were last year,
which gives us more time for review.
[4:59] But counting the minutes, every minute is
precious to us before August 31st,
[5:04] which is the last day we have to close the
books. We plan on doing so before that.
[5:09] That's a Monday, so it would be good to
have them closed before then,
[5:14] so we're focused on that.
[5:15] Our internship period with our intern,
today was her last day.
[5:19] She's going back to college and gave us a
presentation as part of the internship,
[5:24] on feedback for the program,
[5:26] and we gave her professional development
feedback for her as well,
[5:30] and I think it's been really successful,
[5:33] and I definitely told her after she
graduates in December to give us a call if
[5:38] graduates in December to give us a call if
we
[5:38] have any openings. We would love to add
her to our team,
[5:42] so really happy with that process.
[5:44] They were able to give us some key help as
well during this closed period,
[5:49] which I think was worth every dollar,
[5:51] so thank you to you all and to the full
commission for approving that.
[5:55] I'd also like to take a moment to honor
our chairman tonight, Gwynne Evans.
[6:00] We had something for you.
[6:02] It did not come in today,
[6:03] but Gwynne has been the chairman of the
Financial Management Board since 2018.
[6:08] He is one of 2 chairmen I have reported to
and worked for on the Financial
[6:13] Management Board, Scott Sumner being the
first one, and I'm really thankful.
[6:18] We're really going to miss his leadership.
[6:21] Thank you.
[6:21] on this board, and I'd just like to give
him a round of applause for his service.
[6:27] Gwynne, you have allowed me to lead my
department and answered my phone calls
[6:33] department and answered my phone calls
when
[6:33] I've needed guidance.
[6:35] You have supported our office, and I just
can't thank you enough.
[6:39] And, and you're— whoever takes that role
is going to have some big shoes to fill.
[6:45] Uh, Gwynne, you're going to be very
missed.
[6:49] Thank you, sir.
[6:49] Appreciate it. Um, all right, happy to
answer any questions on our office report.
[6:55] Any questions for Doug? Nobody?
[6:58] All right, we'll go on to item number 8,
[7:02] policies.
[7:03] We have one policy on the agenda for you
tonight.
[7:07] Uh, this is a small change that was
supposed to go through in April.
[7:11] It just didn't get, uh, looped in.
[7:14] The one change to the policy— or sorry, 2
changes to the policy.
[7:18] One is the Visa IntelliLink system is no
longer existent.
[7:22] The company upgraded to a different
software,
[7:25] and so I have decided to remove that from
the expense report portion of the policy.
[7:31] And there it is.
[7:32] Yes, actually.
[7:33] And so that you can just turn them in.
[7:36] And so that makes the policy stronger no
matter what software change happens.
[7:42] The second thing is, under Title 5, for
the laws of the purchasing agent,
[7:47] nobody shall make a purchase without a
valid purchase order,
[7:52] and so we have removed the only required
on purchases greater than $50 from the
[7:58] policy because every purchase should
require a purchase order.
[8:02] So we've removed that. I'm happy to answer
any questions.
[8:07] All right, anybody, any questions for Doug
on the policies?
[8:11] You need a motion to approve that?
[8:14] All right, so moved. Motion from Mr.
Previti, second by Mr. Bridenbaugh.
[8:19] Any discussion? All those in favor say
aye. Opposed by like sign.
[8:24] Let the record show motion passes
unanimously.
[8:27] Item number 9, new business, GovDeals
update.
[8:30] These are all items that are, um,
[8:33] An acknowledgment just informing you all
that we have surplused and sold these
[8:39] that we have surplused and sold these
items
[8:39] and are listing these items on in the
future,
[8:43] so those are listed there for
transparency. Happy to answer any
[8:47] transparency. Happy to answer any
questions.
[8:48] Do I wish we'd have gotten more than $52
for the cubicles?
[8:53] Yeah, yeah, I do, but also really glad to
have them gone because Because where we
[8:59] had 2 people sitting, we now have 4, and
it's working.
[9:03] We call it the AHQ, Accountant's
Headquarters, and it's really—
[9:08] our office had functioned better with it.
[9:11] So happy to free up some space and make
our space usable for a longer period of
[9:17] time. Those cubicles were old, over 26
years old.
[9:21] Mm-hmm.
[9:21] So they had been used a lot. happy
somebody took them off our hands.
[9:27] So, all right, any questions?
[9:29] All right, seeing none, item B, financial
director performance evaluation.
[9:35] Doug and I met after everybody turned in
their, uh, reports.
[9:39] We— he and I went through them, answered
what few—
[9:43] answered everybody's questions or concerns
or thoughts,
[9:47] but basically It just says Doug's amazing,
and his staff is amazing,
[9:52] what y'all have done. I know Eric and Mr.
[9:55] Stovall and some others have been around,
Mr.
[9:59] McNeece, and some of us have been around
when things didn't run so smoothly.
[10:04] But since Doug has come on and taken the
helm,
[10:08] and if you don't think life is no fun when
your budget goes crooked or you're,
[10:14] you know, you get 11 audit findings or you
get people trying to change things on a
[10:20] computer in the middle of the night, you
lose a lot of sleep,
[10:24] and what is the number one thing that I
saw in every one of the evaluations was
[10:30] thank you for the job you've done and for
the people that you have brought on board,
[10:37] cross-trained, make sure that no matter
what, we keep going,
[10:41] and that has been a phenomenal change
Since you have taken over.
[10:46] Um, I— you've made our lives easy, you
guys, all of you.
[10:50] And, um, this is the biggest part, you
know, this is the—
[10:54] money is what can get you in more trouble
than anything, quicker than anything.
[11:00] And the fact that we don't have to worry
about that, uh, it might— I mean,
[11:06] you're gonna have hiccups, but if you
weren't around pre-Doug,
[11:10] you don't know what hiccups were.
[11:13] Seriously, and I won't go into detail,
probably get sued or something.
[11:18] But anyway, but it's just your team you
have put together.
[11:22] You've made our jobs— y'all have made our
jobs a million times.
[11:27] They have found ways to generate money off
interest. They have gotten creative.
[11:33] They have saved the taxpayers of this
county millions and millions of dollars.
[11:39] And have saved. There's been—
[11:41] we've not had to have the tax increases
because of those savings, refinancing
[11:47] because of those savings, refinancing
loans,
[11:47] the savings of the interest.
[11:49] All that adds up to we don't have to
burden the taxpayers with a tax increase.
[11:55] And your group has done a phenomenal job
of saving money for the taxpayers.
[12:01] And if those of you that out there that,
you know, you fuss about your tax bill,
[12:07] And I agree, I fuss about mine too,
[12:09] but if it wasn't for the group that you've
got working for you here in the financial
[12:16] department, it'd be a whole lot more than
what it is.
[12:20] So Doug and guys, thank y'all, thank all
your bunch.
[12:23] But we did, we talked about it, but all in
all, keep doing what y'all are doing.
[12:29] I think that was just what the consensus
of what everybody that turned in their
[12:35] evaluations. I'd open the floor to anybody
who has— Mr. Previti, you're up next.
[12:41] Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[12:43] You notice all those nice things he said
before you because he saw this agenda item
[12:46] on there, so I didn't know if that skewed
your commentary any or not just now, but,
[12:50] you know, absolutely, Doug, thank you for
you and your department, and I'll—
[12:54] I've got some remarks about the Financial
Management Board here before we adjourn
[12:58] tonight, but you and your department,
incredible. Thanks for what y'all do.
[13:02] And he's absolutely right with everything
he just said.
[13:04] Thank you, Chair.
[13:05] All right. Yes, sir.
[13:07] Mr. Chairman, I would like to point out,
without my team,
[13:11] we wouldn't do any of this stuff.
[13:13] We have some really good people working
for our office,
[13:16] and it's our job and our mission to earn
it every day. So I appreciate that.
[13:21] I went over the comments on each review,
as Gwynne said,
[13:25] and I also got the pointers from them as
well.
[13:28] on how to improve, and I thank you for
that feedback.
[13:31] Yeah, I'm aware of some of the results I
look at,
[13:35] and I know that I'm measured by those
things and constantly working on those
[13:40] things and constantly working on those
things,
[13:40] but your input matters and helps us be
better as well.
[13:43] So I read that and I took that into
account and will work every day.
[13:48] And one thing I know, y'all are young guys
and you've got a young group, which is—
[13:54] that's really a benefit.
[13:56] That means y'all are going to be around
hopefully for a long time.
[14:00] But let me just give you an old man's
little piece of advice, especially Ben,
[14:06] and I gave this to Doug. And, you know,
don't let the job mess up family time.
[14:11] You know, when Doug and I had this—
[14:14] when his little one came and he asked
about cutting back on coming to every
[14:19] about cutting back on coming to every
meeting,
[14:20] you don't have to be at every meeting.
[14:23] You know, but I guarantee you, at the end
of the day,
[14:26] whatever vote's taken or whatever's said
pales into what you would have missed if
[14:32] you'd have been home with that little girl
or those little girls.
[14:37] So we appreciate what you do. And like I
say, 16 years here, 10 years with the
[14:43] say, 16 years here, 10 years with the
city.
[14:43] My daughter sat on the back row at many a
city meeting Playing when where I should
[14:49] have been was at home. But those are some
of the sacrifices you do make.
[14:54] But it's an important job. Y'all do a
great job.
[14:57] But just from an old man who's made his
mistakes, I'm going to try to, you know,
[15:03] try to make sure that you—
[15:05] Remember what's important.
[15:07] Couldn't have said it better. Thanks,
guys. Thanks for all your, all your bunch.
[15:11] Any other questions, comments, thoughts on
the subject?
[15:14] Seeing none, sir.
[15:15] Seeing none. All right, item number 10,
old business. None.
[15:21] Item number 11, public comment. Item
number 12, announcements.
[15:28] We'll have a 6 o'clock public hearing and
meeting at 6:30. Mr.
[15:34] Previti, you go ahead.
[15:36] I'm gonna go last.
[15:37] Oh, he was going to adjourn.
[15:38] Oh, okay. Um, Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[15:41] So, first, I want to sit here and thank
the 2014 to 2018 Board of Education and
[15:46] the 2014 to 2018 Board of Education and
the
[15:46] 2014-2018 County Commission because we're
the ones— this commission,
[15:50] we're the ones that passed that, the
Financial Management Act.
[15:54] Its generic, broader term is the '81 Act,
the Financial Act of 1981.
[15:59] When I first got elected in 2014, I I had
seen—
[16:02] I had worked at the Board of Education in
the central office,
[16:06] so it's not the Board of Education, it's
central office,
[16:09] and there was a lot of corruption going on
with purchasing there,
[16:13] and I tried to bring attention to it and
had issues with that.
[16:17] But anyhow, when I read up the laws and
everything, and we were on the '50s—
[16:22] was it the '56 Act? Was that what it was
called then?
[16:25] '57 Act.
[16:26] '57 Act. And so, looking at the '81 Act,
you know, it's still a 40-year-old act
[16:31] you know, it's still a 40-year-old act
now,
[16:31] but, you know, it just looked like it was
going to be a better fit for us to get
[16:36] management of what was going on with
issues that we had in our own departments,
[16:42] plus issues with central office, and so I
was the one that brought that.
[16:46] Now, it had been discussed by other
commissions in the past,
[16:50] but it never really had any teeth into it
to take off.
[16:54] We can thank previous administrations to
finally bring it to a head where we had to
[16:59] do something, so I'm very proud that we
can say that we did that,
[17:03] and And just remember your history, guys,
[17:06] and it's been an honor to serve on this
board.
[17:09] We've— a lot of good things have come from
it, and we have—
[17:13] we know so much more information about the
school board and the central office and
[17:18] their operations, and like I said,
[17:21] thanks to all those bodies working
together to make that happen for the
[17:25] together to make that happen for the
betterment
[17:26] of Murray County, so I do thank everybody
for their time and their services and
[17:31] appreciate y'all.
[17:32] Thank you.
[17:33] Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
[17:33] Thank you, sir. Any other comments,
announcements? Uh, have a motion to
[17:39] announcements? Uh, have a motion to
adjourn.
[17:39] Second by Mr. Moore. All those in favor
may leave. Thank y'all.
[17:44] Thank y'all very much for all you—
[17:46] Back at 6.
[17:48] Be back at 6.