[0:00] Any commissioners? Of course, this is our budget meeting. And we have already opened this morning, or this afternoon, with an indication or pledge. So we do not make provision to duplicate that again. So we will move on then to our budget overview. And Mr. Hofstead, I'll turn it over to you for that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Commissioners, as you know, this process starts for us on the staff level, usually around February, time, frame while we're building the early phases of

[0:29] of our budget that results in a series of meetings with staff and our department directors

[0:34] where we perform the department review portion of the budget.

[0:40] From there we draft a tentative budget that is brought to this board in the month of

[0:45] July through a series of workshops and based on the board's feedback from those workshops.

[0:50] We spend the month of August preparing what is the final product.

[0:53] We hope before you this evening I have a couple slides that I need to read certain language

[0:59] into the record, and then Mr. Chairman, I will turn it back over to you for action on

[1:04] the action on the tentative millage rate adoption of that millage rate, adoption of the

[1:09] MSTU millage rate, and then adoption of the final budget.

[1:13] So with that, sir, I will get started.

[1:18] The budget is proposed to you, contemplates holding the line on the property tax millage.

[1:23] This is the eleventh year we've held the line at 3.8308 mills on our county millage

[1:30] is this board knows enough so many times we are one of the handful of counties in the state of Florida, 67 counties in the last count there are about I believe five counties that have an aggregate milligrate below 4.

[1:42] We are one of those counties are aggregate milligrate is 3.9615.

[1:47] The proposed county property tax millage that's before you exceeds the rollback rate of 3.7941 by 0.97% so about roughly 1% of an increase over the rollback rate.

[2:03] It's very similar with the unincorporated MSTU, as this board knows, the MSTU is that separate millage applied to unincorporated properties in Oklahoma County for support of our stormwater division of public works.

[2:15] in our unincorporated parks division, the facilities and parks maintenance budget.

[2:21] That rate proposes 0.288 mils, if the board recalls, we did go to the rollback last year.

[2:27] We rolled that millage back, so this is the second year holding at that rollback rate.

[2:32] This year, that exceeds the rollback rate of 0.2841 mils by roughly 1.3, 1.37% increase over the proposed rollback.

[2:45] the aggregate millage that's a combination of both and you'll see that those

[2:49] numbers do not add up and that is because the MSTU millage only applies to the

[2:54] unincorporated properties in Oklahoma County, not the municipal properties.

[2:59] So collectively that results in an aggregate millage rate of 3.9615 mills that

[3:06] exceeds the rollback rate of 3.9292 mills by 0.82 percent. So again

[3:15] in roughly 1% over the proposed rollback.

[3:19] That is the language I have to read into the record for you as well, as I just wanted to advance to.

[3:28] This slide which shows the budget that's before you today is slightly higher than the budget that was presented to the board during the July workshops.

[3:37] That all-in budget, 768 million, 989,213, that is the all-in budget.

[3:46] So that is collective of all of your general fund revenues, which are your property taxes,

[3:52] your state-shared revenue, your state sales tax, and some other fees associated with that general fund.

[3:58] And then all of the enterprise funds that compile this budget.

[4:01] So you have very healthy enterprise funds, whether that's water and sewer,

[4:05] or my packet's team, tracing airports, separate enterprise fund, and then Jennifer and TDD,

[4:11] a separate fund, as you know, that survives on bed tax, bed tax collection is what supports

[4:18] our tourism department.

[4:20] So you have a host of other fees or excuse me, revenues inside that budget that are your

[4:28] Your enterprise fund revenues and then all of the savings that we've set aside in the various enterprise funds that Brad manages on our behalf on the board's behalf and all the interest earnings associated with those additional revenues and reserves.

[4:47] So collectively, again, it was 9.68 on July 7th, invariably each year the state does not

[4:55] convene the Revenue Estimating Commission until after July, June July workshops.

[5:03] And there's always some type of fluctuation with those final numbers of additional revenue

[5:08] that's coming in on the state revenue sharing side, state sales tax side.

[5:13] But that combined with the action that the board took, where you had an additional $500,000 that was applied to the school board for the school resource officer positions that had to be factored into this final number.

[5:27] So the total budget as proposed is $775 million, $85,993 collective of all of those various revenue sources.

[5:38] And with that, Mr. Chairman, that is the highlights of this budget.

[5:42] Again, the board has heard all of the plans going forward that you have approved as far as our expenditure plan for the budget going into the new year.

[5:52] So with the board's approval tonight, we will have a second public hearing on the 15th of September for final adoption.

[6:00] And once that takes place and the DR420s are signed by my office.

[6:04] This budget will go into effect October 1st, and that will be your spending plan for the coming year.

[6:12] So with that, sir, I will turn it back over to you for action, for approval of the county.

[6:20] Millage rate, the MSTU millage rate, and the final budget.

[6:26] All right, very good, thank you, Mr. Offstead.

[6:29] Before we bring it back to the board, the agenda does have the, has two public comment opportunities on it, so since it's published with two we're going to honor two.

[6:40] So we'll open the first public comment portion of the meeting. I have a speaker card for that.

[6:47] I actually have two, but Steve, I'm assuming you submitted one for the first comment section, one for the second.

[6:53] And so, if you want to come forward and use your first three minutes that we'll recognize you now.

[7:00] And if anybody else wants to speak, please turn in a card, but I don't have any others.

[7:05] Well, it's a release to the budget.

[7:07] I don't have a prepared speech this time, so I'm just going to throw out a couple of things out there.

[7:11] I was talking to Mr. Hofstead during the break briefly.

[7:13] My concern also here, as it relates to your budget, because you need to be physically responsible.

[7:18] You do not have a diving destination this far off the shore, and I think you have lots of small boats, tetrahedrons, you know, all kinds of things.

[7:26] So you're moving into a different league that you don't have.

[7:29] A risk any of course we all know is of Pensacola in their off their county, and of course this will be in federal water.

[7:35] But the concern I have is what happens if you, again, this is hypothetical.

[7:41] What happens if you, as I've been reading, and this ship is the wrong asset?

[7:45] because you're sinking in such shallow water, you're going to encourage recreational divers to go inside, not technical divers, not wreck divers, recreational.

[7:53] Recreational cannot go inside the risk. It's too deep. It's beyond that diving limit. Yours will not be. Yours will be a more shallow water.

[8:00] So what happens if people start going in and they get lost and trapped and die?

[8:04] What are you going to do as a police or your budget if people start suing the county? Because guess what? That death trap is not out there right now.

[8:11] But once you put it out there, there is.

[8:13] So these are things that I hope you're asking your staff

[8:16] to consider what is situation.

[8:19] Just because something hasn't happened,

[8:20] doesn't mean that you're a lawyer,

[8:22] doesn't mean presidents won't be set.

[8:24] And I'm not a lawyer, so I'm not even going to go there.

[8:27] But these are issues I'm concerned about

[8:29] that if you guys are addressing,

[8:31] because as I said in one of my previous speeches,

[8:34] I don't think anyone, you haven't had diver's death

[8:36] on the skipping suit, the spirit of Norfolk,

[8:38] the manor ray, or any of these other ones,

[8:39] because it literally, it's impossible for a recognition diver to get lost swimming through

[8:43] a small little thing that's like half the size of this room.

[8:46] It's impossible.

[8:47] This ship is something completely different.

[8:50] And yes, I'm not worried about the technical diver or the wreck, the wreck diver.

[8:55] They're properly trained.

[8:56] They go in with the tanks, the lights and all that.

[8:58] But what about the recreational diver that isn't properly trained?

[9:01] Yes, it is on them.

[9:03] We all know that.

[9:04] Just like driving a car, it's on you.

[9:05] If you run off the road and hit a tree, it's your own fault.

[9:07] These are issues I feel that you need to check with your staff and

[9:11] I said we examined all possible scenarios, all possibilities.

[9:15] Are we open or self up to legal action that could affect our budget or anything like that?

[9:20] These are the things that I feel that's important as it relates to this particular asset as an artificial reef.

[9:26] Thank you.

[9:30] All right, I don't have any other speaker cards for the first public comment.

[9:33] Our opportunity in the meeting is someone to close that public comment.

[9:37] and portion of the agenda and bring it back to the board.

[9:41] We do have three separate items, the tentative county wide millage rate resolution, then

[9:48] the MSTU millage rate resolution, and finally the budget.

[9:52] So commissioners, I think we probably need separate motions on each of those and we'll entertain

[9:59] those now.

[10:01] Move to approve, tentative county wide millage rate.

[10:04] All right motion to approve in a second for their discussion does in favor please single by saying aye

[10:11] Those opposed all right that passes as to adoption of the countywide

[10:16] military

[10:17] All right now the MST you milled rate commissioners

[10:22] For the MST you milled rate

[10:26] Okay, we have a motion and a second I think commissioner catch will made the motion with a second by commissioner mixin

[10:32] Further discussion on that?

[10:35] All right, those in favor, please signal by saying aye.

[10:37] Those opposed?

[10:39] All right, that passes unanimously to approving the MS2MSTU Milage Rate Resolution,

[10:46] the final item, the tenet of budget resolution.

[10:49] All right, Commissioner Cox has a motion to approve.

[10:53] Do we have a second?

[10:53] Second by Commissioner Palmer.

[10:55] Further discussion.

[10:57] All right, those in favor, please signal by saying aye.

[11:00] And those opposed.

[11:01] All right, the budget resolution passes unanimously.

[11:05] That brings us to the end of the agenda business that required action.

[11:10] We do have a final public comment opportunity in the meeting.

[11:13] I have one card from Mr. Perry, Mr. Perry.

[11:16] You'll be recognized for your three minutes, sir.

[11:22] And again, just to follow up, these are the issues that I think is important and everything.

[11:27] I'm going to relate one simple aspect that makes this ship unique.

[11:30] I've been in the maritime field for 40 to 45 years then on ships sailed over as I told you all around the world

[11:37] Every ocean every continent in the world except for the Arctic and the Antarctic, and I don't want to do either

[11:41] They live soon and everything so all the ships I've seen under construction all the ships I've sailed and none of them are coded in this level of

[11:49] Paint primer that I see and I know is on the SS United States not even close

[11:53] So that's why I say this ship was probably the wrong acid to choose when people compare it to the risk

[11:59] asking you that a hangar deck had it from yellow paint on it, it's not to the same thing.

[12:02] We were fighting a war then.

[12:03] They didn't have time to prime everything.

[12:05] This ship was primed to last forever and it exorbitant amount of this primer.

[12:10] So with that said, there could be something I want again, it relates to your potential

[12:15] budget and your potential liability, is there an issue that could occur?

[12:20] I'm not saying it's going to happen, but it could occur and these are the questions you

[12:24] need to ask, like, are we exposing ourselves here and everything?

[12:28] As it relates to diverse safety, again, I'm concerned about the recreation time.

[12:33] The one that's untrained that's going to think it's okay to go inside, not do as someone

[12:38] said, swim around the ballroom or something like that.

[12:41] Likelihood, no one's going to get lost in that.

[12:43] What happens when they go down in the hall?

[12:46] And the difference here, you've all been on the ship.

[12:48] This hall is like, okay, for those that haven't, the hall.

[12:53] It's like the upper part of the ship is like an above bound parking garage.

[12:57] I'm old enough to know that I sometimes forget what level I parked the car on,

[13:00] but you've never gotten lost in an above ground parking lot.

[13:02] There's plenty of light streaming in just like the sun would.

[13:05] But the hull and the ship be like an underground parking garage.

[13:10] The only lights are on where you find out is I have a lights on.

[13:14] And that's for technical and wreck diving, not your recreational.

[13:18] And that's the concern I have.

[13:19] And I don't want you guys to get exposed potentially.

[13:22] legal because people are not trained, start taking risks, even though it's on them.

[13:28] But still, doesn't mean they can't go and say, okay, I just lost my son, Johnny, I'm

[13:32] going to sue the county because he wouldn't have died.

[13:35] He wouldn't have dove on this if he didn't put this asset out there.

[13:37] If you would have put an asset out there with 20-foot, big rooms like this, big open spaces

[13:41] you couldn't have got lost.

[13:42] You chose the wrong asset.

[13:43] Those are the issues.

[13:45] I want you just to talk amongst yourself and talk to your staff to make sure you've thought

[13:48] about every aspect you crossed all your teeth and dotted all your eyes. Thank you.

[13:52] Are you telling us our best option now is to scrap it?

[13:55] No, I'm not saying that all.

[13:58] You have a lot of money you put into this ship, I agree.

[14:01] And I was talking with Commissioner Palmer earlier. I know everyone seems to think there's two options,

[14:06] reef or scrap. Sorry, there's always a third option.

[14:09] And that's a redevelopment project.

[14:12] But I haven't presented any of that information to you. There's stuff going on behind the scenes,

[14:17] but that's pointless. I can't convince someone to look at committing $100, $200, $300 million

[14:22] if the asset is going to be destroyed. So that's kind of pointless for me to do that.

[14:27] But doesn't mean I haven't been working on that for years.

[14:30] A lot of years.

[14:31] A lot of years.

[14:31] A lot of years that it sat on a dock.

[14:33] Yes. And it never got scrapped and always had a life saving thing.

[14:37] But this ship is unique. It's quite different. I'm not going to go into the details

[14:41] because you guys don't want to hear me about that. How this ship is unique in all aspect.

[14:45] I've told you, it's probably the most significant.

[14:47] This is what attracts us to it, which is why it's

[14:49] going to be the best artificial reef in the world.

[14:51] Yeah, but I'm concerned about the level is in chromate

[14:53] and the endangerment to recreational divers

[14:57] of getting lost inside.

[14:58] You said you've been on board.

[15:00] Did you go down the entrance? Did you go into the boiler rooms? Did you? Yes. Okay. Could you imagine trying to swim around the boiler rooms or all those pipes and in those boys? The average person, you can't, when you're down there, if you didn't have the lights on, I've been down there when there's no lights, you can't even see your hand in front of your face like it's pitch black. And if the diver goes down there, say a technical diver brings his friend on a recreational and then the light goes out and he didn't have a backup. I enjoyed your driving analogy. So I just wanted to bring up a personal choices that we get.

[15:29] Again, a lot of personal sources. So thank you all for always allowing me to come here and speak. I appreciate it.

[15:34] Thank you. All right. I have no other

[15:38] speaker cards, so that

[15:41] that brings us to the end of the public comments. We'll close that portion of the meeting.

[15:46] And we are then adjourned.

Board of County Commissioners Budget Public Hearing

Transcript