let's go in and call the meeting to
order take rooll right thank you
chairman like to welcome you to the
Russell County Board of Supervisors
April 17 2024 to 6m on reconvene meeting
in Russ County Board of Supervisors
conference room I'd like to first start
off with the Call of order and roll call
Andrew
Hensley Wallace here T Tera D David eat
here Rebecca D here Nate Kaiser here and
Steve Bry here sir you have a quum okay
it's
working okay first item on the agenda's
invocation see here so I'll do that and
stand and join me in the Pledge of
Allegiance after the
prayer dear Lord we thank you for
allowing us to be here today and we
appreciate all the nice weather we've
had here in the last few days Lord we
ask for your guidance and your direction
as we make decisions on behalf of the
county Lord be with us that we do the
right thing that benefits all the people
of the county Lord we ask that you guide
us and direct us in our personal Liv so
that what we do is in accordance with
your will for us we ask these things in
the name of Jesus Christ your son and
our savior amen
amen I to the of the United States of
America and to the it stands one nation
under God indivisible liberty and
justice for
all I'll entertain a motion if you've
had an opportunity to at the agenda I'll
entertain a motion to approve this
agenda so Mo I have a motion to have a
second have a motion and a second any
further discussion if not all in favor
signify say I allose like sign
D okay we're here for your presentation
Mr L thank you chairman
see
this I brought it up to mat the screen
St here since we're in a different
boardroom as as I go through it so it
may take me a little time to move
through this because it's quite
comprehensive okay the uh again welcome
to the Russ County Board of Supervisors
Russ County financial budget workshop
for physical year 24 and
25 I as part of the county is each year
that we do an analysis we make sure that
we review all of our 25 cor operations
and 55 departments and programs along
with meeting with the U the budget
committee which is Mr breed and Mr Ed
and of course uh the commissioner I mean
the treasurer and
myself uh we go through each one and
look at the years of what what has
transpired what we have what contracts
we had done what operations we had
performed and then we look forward for
the f future year to see what we're
going to be looking at from a financial
perspective just to start off a little
bit histo history in it 2015 the
County's Financial history we were
looking at a $1.5 million deficit we
were running on what they call a $3
million Revenue anticipation note now
what an anticipation note is means that
we were borrowing money to run our
operations on and at the end the fiscal
year they would pay it back so that
means in essence that the county was on
a a $4.5 million in deficit because they
had they were still going at a $1.5
million defic and operating with the $3
million Rand note and the and the county
at the
time uh had an S&P and Moody's bom of a
a doubleb which is speculative which is
valuable in face which is vulnerable and
that faces major ongoing uncertainties
so what that means is when you TR to Bor
gets very difficult it's like having a
back credit rating but on a on a county
perspective over the years since 2015
you know we have Consolidated operations
and currently the county has a bond
rated of a double A investment grade
very strong uh that means we have a
financial ongoing concern and interest
rate on the county projects it's very
important because it comes into play
just not into the economic velopment
projects that you see but also any water
sewer projects or any capital projects
that we have and how it it measures out
currently what with our doublea bond
rating we're running and able to achieve
and with the major uh funders and
lenders we're running around the 2% Mark
which is very good at
2.5 as everyone knows that throughout
the US and the world right now the
interest rates are are by fedal Reserve
ascept this morning was
7.5 that's the interest rate on the
mortgage of course you know on the on
the 10 year you're looking at a
4.8 so what that means on a $3 million
loan is an example with 20-year period
at 2% which is
$642,000 it goes up to 6.5 that interest
of Cru over a 20-year loan goes to 2.3
that's the difference that's that's
funding that the County could use that
we don't need to be have to pay out what
we do in operations and not have to
raise
taxes since 2015 the board has reduced
the cost through consolida operations
through disposal landfill operation
restructuring contracts services inhouse
and utilizing the community work
programs of course during the same time
that we've been cutting cost not raising
taxes we also have over the eight years
had 26% in Pay increases two bonuses
which is worth 7% for a total of 33%
increases for County employees and that
includes the schools the Constitution
officers and the County
Employees now last year we got
$600,000 in our Casino funds that were
for Public Safety and education and of
course transportation in there but
that's not one of the things that the
board considered at the
time uh the breakdown of the 600 ,000 of
course
15687 went to Fire and Rescue 2 33201
went to Virginia Community College which
is a
mandatory uh fee that we pay annually
for Education that based off our
demographics and our
population that we have to pay the
community colleges All Counties have to
do this to have this in their footprint
also it paid for the race program and
20992 was in for the CT operations and
safety operations that's public safety
concept uh of course what we're looking
at this year and we thought we'd at
first during the presentation that we
gave for the landfill on on the
financial issues that we're facing the
county have not changed much of course
the Virginia minimum wage which is
mandatory right now it was voted down by
the governor but as right as we know
they're still in session right now
negotiating these and now we heard that
it is still come back on the table and
being considered as a negotiation so we
still got to keep at in the back of our
mind when we plan this but and we'll
move forward but it at the time the
impact to the county would been an
$887,000 impact that's based off what
our current employes that are at that
level of course the Southwest Regional
South Virginia Regional Jail increase
that was a mandatory due to even though
the cost at the Regional Jail
decreased uh on a per inmate on
operation and dead load our inmate our
numbers of incarcerations had went up
that increased it into it around the
$580,000 and I'll go into that later of
course the Ros County DSS the foster
care and the CSA Services increase which
is mandatory and Miss D that sits on
there you know we've had it's start to
come through on the foster care program
and the CSA program on on the children's
in need so that's an additional
$275,000 next topic is the inflationary
cost as everybody's seeing that's cost
electric front operations fuel gas just
the regular keep the doors open right
now
that's what we're projecting based off
all
25 uh services and and 55 departments is
$168,000 to continue on the Russell
County Disposal and transfer station
increase which is a contract as we
mentioned before at the Landfield
meeting we're looking at right now
that's
$465,000 and that's that's plugged into
the budget the regional Waste Management
Authority which is the
is the authority that is over the three
County for the regional Waste Management
which includes Russell Dixon and banan
they also have a contract as an
authority and they're right now
projecting a $300,000 death in our share
as being one of the Three Counties would
be
$100,000 of course back to the fire and
rescue which is also either optional
mandatory this year the increase that we
gave them last year was $245,000
that was AC cross and level giving
funding between the fire and Rescue
Services again another topic that came
up that was very important to the board
and school board was the school resource
officers for the leanon and the
Castlewood
Elementary now this was a grant portion
this is not the total portion based off
the others it was around 178,000 this is
the local share that we have to come up
for salary and benefits for those two
also the Russell County teacher salary
and that risk funds that was the short
file this is the short file
1,139 307 that is what the school is
currently projecting and that's what
they just currently send us to to uh
that they needed for the fiscal year 24
and
25 again as everybody knows or may not
know the real estate reassessment which
is what we're projecting based off the
other counties of course Dixon County
went through theirs Smith County and
tazel county has went through theirs and
the round the average is between 30 to
40% but on the majority is 40% if you've
done improvements to the property then
it could go into the 50%
range and of course this year we did
increase in the casino funds from
600,000 up to 1.1 million which y'all
can actually
allocate to Public Safety and education
so we went from 600 we'll go into that
later
too currently the county has 42 County
funded full-time positions at 36
part-time and 16 of the part time make
minimum wage so that's where we're
coming in with this minimum wage
increases now as y'all can see I've got
a breakdown of the F 55 major
departments that make up our budget
and then you'll see in a few minutes how
each one of them is divided out within
the budget of course you got the general
Administration which includes board
supervisors all the way down through the
Electoral board commission Revenue
assessors procurement commission Revenue
Auditors County Administration board
supervisors of course you also have the
public safety which includes the sherff
department lit control fire department
rescue State forestry Regional Jail
building inspector 911 medical examiners
Emergency Management and animal control
in our education we got the Russell
County schools and the community
colleges which you had seen
before in the judicial Administration we
have the circuit courts General District
the mes probation clerks court security
Commonwealth attorneys and victed
Witnesses in environmental control we
have disposal operations in sit that we
have at the you know each one of our
sites and of course the landfill and the
transfer station we also support the
Virginia Department of Health Department
of Social Services community service
boards and the appalachin agency of
senior
citizens that the other ones that we
make up at the end of these 55 of course
includes Parks community centers
conference center Old Courthouse
libraries the Planning Commission the
Ida the PSA the C Plateau planning
district C Plateau Housing Authority
highway safety tourism contributions
Soil and Water Virginia Tech extension
office and of course the last things
that we have to have by contract we have
to work on and have expenditure on is of
course Capital atlay County insurances
town taxes and de service that makes up
these 55 major department listings or
programs now this is a breakdown of the
full County's fully funded employees we
have of course at the landfill and
Disposal operation that includes the
truck drivers and the transfer station
we have seven Administration four R
office two treasure office two this
County fund one in a tax coordinator
judge secretary be the work program
coordinator Animal Control building
inspector to Emergency Man one that's
actually 1.5 but the other5 is on the
ground sorry about that Building
Maintenance three housekeeping two
tourism one Conference Center one
library four 911 services which is
dispatch five and the assessor's office
two for a total of 42
employees now the part-time breakdown of
employees of course L control we got one
fort Bells four e 911 is backup we got
two Community work program that work our
community programs out they are
part-time employees we have two of
course at disposal sites and landfill
operations those are 20 those 20 are the
ones that rotate between all the
communities uh the trash sites they're
all part-time library has seven for a
total of 36 part-time
employes next we wanted to make
sure when we develop the budget the
first thing you always start is how much
money you make just like a budget that
you have at the house how much revenue
is coming in and what are we projecting
out for fiscal year 24 and
25 as uh this is a report by the
treasures collection rates on schedule
reports of course this is a fiveyear
analysis from 2018 through
2023 on real estate as you can see down
here at the bottom which is kind of hard
as to real estate but it is 99.07% is
what we collect that's
that's amazing that's that's close I
mean
that's next on the treasure collection
rates is of course on the personal
property and you look at it on the
personal property we run at
94.6 but what you need to do is look at
here through these numbers because our
numbers tell us a story of what's
occurring in the county and as you can
see from 2019 20 as you come down
through the columns because you got to
remember there's uh Merchants Capital
way in here mobile homes Machining tool
and personal property you will see the
mobile homes depreciating we'll start
especially when you take a look at uh
personal property in 2023 it goes from
just the personal property at
9905 uh Merchants Capital at
77446 uh Mobile Homes at
76 and the Machining tool of course came
in at 77
so these things are depreciated one of
the things the good things about the
mobile homes are depreciated because
they depreciate they're not like a house
that goes up in value during the
assessment it's titled just like a car
and it will go down in depreciation
based off of age now on the Machining
tool we did have a couple companies that
that moveed that shut down especially
north of grman and you know the poap but
now since that we've been working on it
we've got other Replacements and their
businesses going in that Revenue will
pick back up but it will take time at
the at the second half of 2425 fiscal
year to be able to see
it next on the treasures collection
rates this is on the mineral tax of
course it's at 99.46%
and the next
one well that was the last one on the
public service thank you at the public
service tax this is what we collect on
the public services at 100% we collect
100 now how's this come to play into the
budget first of all for I wanted to go
into this this is of course what the
Virginia Department of Education had
sent us recently it was unexpected even
before the landfill presentation and has
occurred
since
when over the last 3 to four years in
rural counties across Virginia the
general assembly had
supplemented um the rural counties for
that were having problems especially not
just during the pandemic but because of
the low dropping population the general
assembly was taking some of their
General Assembly funds that they had
Surplus on and they were given them to
uh School divisions and districts
through Southwest Virginia Central
Virginia around uh Emporia Southern that
way they could help you know counties
that were small in rural areas to be
able to supplement these Services now
the general assembly decided this year
on the at risk which is the funds that
come through the lottery program as
you're going to see this one right here
is a snapshot of January the 16th 2024
that began at the front of the year and
as you can see as we come down through
it in these I have circled on the S soq
accounts which is the teachers account
you have
6.9
6,953 66 that's is the local share this
is what the state has here and then you
have on the far right the far column is
what the local Shar
now as you go through at the time what
we they were calling the skinny budget
or the new bium as you can see during
this red they had no uh compensation
amount that was not funded in 25 we'll
see that has since changed and of course
the at risk was
$41,000
790 for a total of these two numbers
that were 6.9 and
85,000 as we transition through into
from January the 16th 2024 a total of
8.6
58 this is what we have gotten into as
of March the 9th as of the budget as you
can see these numbers have went to
6.3 up to a million doar up to $1.6
million now remember it was $800,000
before so this is an increase of
$800,000
just in the schools at risk programs
this one right here that was being
supplemented by the general assembly
this is the local share so on the total
the county went obligation for fy2 for
the local share for the school districts
on was
8,944 172 that came just came out of the
general assembly now that's our local
share that we've got to how does that
translate into the
budgets so of course this is the school
budgets and the breakdown of the revenue
and of course this is the number of
10,433 473 as everyone knows in the room
that's a school has has proposed closing
down two schools which is the Swords
Creek Elementary and the copper trick
Elementary and since then as of last
week Thursday this is the new figures
that they're still this is the new
figures considering the closure of these
two
schools so back through the net total
between their revenue base their federal
and state funding and their local
sharing their grants and their subsidies
we're looking at a deficit about 1.1 M
339,000 553 that the Board of
Supervisors will have to come up with
1,139
553 now currently how this translates
into the T the teacher salaries of
course this is FY
2324 our Russell County school teacher
salary based on the years experience
start at a base rate of
36,000 as you can see when it trans as
it as the grain through 10 year up to
the 30e mark it goes up to the
58108 and of course this is the new
scale salary at zero years it goes to 42
base so it goes from 36 to 42 on base
and it caps out at the 30-year Mark at
635 now next on Ed is the Regional Jail
that we had talked about
before as you can see ining June 30th
2025 as compared to FY
24 actually our cost on the Russell
County even though our inmate account
went up to 120 it went down
$14,000 of course Russell County on The
Debt Service even though we're at 120 we
had an increase from the previous years
of 10 which went down
two as you can see from fiscal year
ending June 30th 2024 the rate was
4361 and now it is 3953 so there's a
reduction in rates and it and as you can
see on the debt load it went from 927
down to
857 now last year as you can see for the
total impact to the county was
27,886
for the what was
owed now here
is a list that has put into the budget
for the board's consideration this is
again only a proposal from each
department as you can see from the
Appalachian senior citizens through the
Gateway horse the Appalachian juvenile
clinch Rivers Commonwealth Attorney all
the way through for the board's
consideration and
review yeah this is my presentation and
please don't interrupt me this is not a
comment
perod next is the
budget of course as we start off before
this is the
revenue as that we were looking at it as
again as your king and queen of Taxation
as you can
see that from the real estate the
mineral tax and the personal property
all the way down through the pending
interest there was an increase of
1.8% that was it so as we grabb the
other local taxes which includes the
sales tax Co Severance tax food mill
down through the treasurers and the
cigar decals it was a total it went from
4, 52,000 to 4,232 for an increase of
4.4% now what we gain from here this is
what we call
comprehensive local funds for the major
taxation base what that means is of
those 20 55 departments 25 core Services
that's where we have to run that
majority from that $22
million that's where the counties
because as if you look down below as you
keep going through permits Privileges
and fees this is based off of services
this is not guaranteed it fluctuates
year to year of course the fines and and
and forfeitures and revenue from the use
of funds and properties also flux
year-to-year based off of
utilization of course charges for
services again it's for services for
jail and maate fees which we're only
looking at for a total of 255,000 out of
a you know of $22 million so it's it's
very limited and it's based off
utilization and that goes through the
courthouse security fee blood test
Courthouse construction Commonwealth
Attorney fees Community work program and
any house maintenance fees that we have
and of course the disposal fees which is
the transfer station which is
$195,000 now the next category of major
Revenue which is not a major Revenue
it's just total of 431 250 is of course
the library fees fines Health you know
sales of real estate race program
refunds sell vehicles it's just
miscellaneous programs that we have that
we that fluctuate year to year and it's
hard to make the budget off of these
numbers here some of them are s are
estimable but they're not
mature and of course when we get into
what we call recovered cost of course
that's costs recovered from either the
DSs the Ida Health Department as again
that fluctuates most of what we get back
from aover cost on the DSs which is the
280,000 150 that's a pass through
account for their uh Benefit Services we
we process the DSS's payroll so it's
just a pass through we pay it we get it
reimbursed it's just a pass through
through the DSs it's not actually
something that we get to utilize and
collect it's their
funds so as I said for you know the
total local Revenue actually went down
from 23
million5 and you go you know if you look
on the next page down at the low the
cover recau you go okay we collected
more it went from
23500
500,000 207 down to 22 m875 796 which is
a decrease of 610 per. if you look at
what I have highlighting here and this
is the reason last year we had a refund
of
58,60 because we ran so efficiently at
the Regional Jail that was money that
came back to us in reversion funds that
was counted in
now this year if we get zero back and we
actually increase by
$27,000 so that's a $580,000 movement
that we did not have last year
next on the county uh on the revenue
revenue from the Commonwealth of course
that's a stable one a Commissioner
Revenue as we collect these fees DM Fe
stops rolling taxes and of course the
personal property that's the biggest one
that we've got in the tax relief funds
and that's a set amount that never
fluctuates it's a set amount based off
of what we collect off personal property
and it's been supplemented by the state
for vehicles as y'all can see again we
are into another highlighted item as the
district Regional Improvement commission
which is the casino funds which went
from the 680 up to the 1.1 million which
was an increase of
61% but the bottom line as you can see
only went up
14% the next is the shared ones this
comes from the state of Virginia and
allocated to the Constitution officers
this is money that can't be expended
anywhere else other than reimbursement
for their services through the
Commonwealth Attorney the sheriff
Commissioner Revenue the treasur office
R office elor board and the clerk of the
circuit court that is restricted funds
again the other category a that we get
is of course through grants this is the
portion that we get if we're lucky it's
either templated or as you can see that
we get through the State Library a which
which pays for 11 13, 367 for the
library that comes through the state uh
we get EMS grants uh domestic balance
grants these are also
restricted for a total of 534 340 as you
can see it has went down
4.5% now the total category Aid is
3,966
572 for the total Commonwealth revenue
of
7,412 for a
total general fund Revenue projection of
30,
28821 which is a 1.7% increase in
Revenue even though we collected the 1.1
million from the casino we lost 580,000
at the regional jail as fast as we get
an A A supplement back in to replace one
of another expenditure came in that took
those re excess revenues so right now
what the county is projecting with the
schools the raises the
disposal the increase in those items
that I had discussed before as far as
disposal and and the regional jail and
the schools and the
SRO we're looking at a projected deficit
of 6 46573
now I'm going
to as we develop the budget on the
special revenue of course this is
special Revenue funds from Co taxes that
were
restricted projects like the D sewer
revenue from the comp boards and of
course the assap program which is a fun
to grant for a total of 37
m810 481 which is
1.14% increase over last
year that is the total revenue including
all federal and state and local and
grants now down to the budget
expenditures since we didn't only had
1.4% increase and that included
everything including the feds restricted
funding Constitution officers grants
locals
fees the the total comprehensive income
package way the the budget committee did
we had to go line item by line item
through each and everything that we did
now one thing they did include in here
we we cut where we could because
insurance is going up electricity is
going up we we looked at the baselines
of what historically we had spent and
but we did include a 3% pay rise for
County Employees to be able to match
what was given through the state to the
comp boards and the school boards for
those 42 employees that y'all seen
before and those 20 that's we've
included this in our
budget so as you go through
it of
course first one I'm going to start off
is of course the board supervisor's
budget well we had to cut you 14% sorry
I mean I had to drop you down
13.3% so
that now as I move through these 55
different departments that we referred
to before as you can see the only
changes you will see either an increase
in payroll for the County Employees or
you will see an increase in expenditures
for operations utilities or cost or
contracts or mandatory by the state
depending upon the program it's for
example the county administrators we had
an increase of 2.4 overall as you go
through each and one of them and we'll
go through as again Auditors they that
went up
28% expenses been services and
contracts as you went through the
Commissioner Revenue 3%
3.5 uh real estate 3.1 which includes
the salaries of course the treasurer's
office that is 3.5 but the point is that
I'm going to get to and I'm going to
move down to the line items that
incurred the major
cost so the procurement processing
electoral board increased by
96.6% but oh my gosh we that increased
now the reason for that is you got a
general election that's paid by the
state of Virginia for the presidential
election of Professional
Services and Postal
Services next is of course the general
rest on
itself the department itself only went
up 2
5% the Circuit Court of course it went
at 5.9% which is covered by the state
Virginia 100% composition
positions General District 610 of
1% special Master
zero Probation Services
zero clerk's office
3.9 again that was due to changes in the
program and the health care programs
that was chosen and the increase in
professional audit services that had to
be done during the change over for the
clerk's office mandatory
Poli home wealth attorney 3% raise
mandatory Compensation Board so is the
clerk's office F the witness Grant
2.9% Sheriff's Department compensation
that's a
constitution by the
state
5.9% lit control
zero%
increase volunteer fire departments 0%
increase rescue 0%
increase forestry division now way you
go we have a forest Division I got to
explain this one because I have a few
board members we're required to
subsidize the Department of Forestry in
case we have a forest fire this is a
state mandatory requirement based off
the demographics and the square miles we
have 477 square miles in the county and
that is what the Department of Forestry
charges us on an annual amount if they
have a fire or if they don't have a fire
it doesn't matter you still
pay Regional Jail as you can see like I
said even though it went down 16 0.610
of a per that 27,000 I was referring to
or 13,000 really what it is after the
debt load we lost 580,000 last year so
essentally we were we went down $580,000
because we went up in inmates and went
down in
cost luckily we did not go up in a daily
cost or debt load cost per
day the bill inspector 4.3
that was a change in healthc CARE
program as you can
see the 911 services actually went down
1.2% based off operations because we
moved the uh from the old 911 building
that was out of coming Plateau planning
district to the new 911 building so
we're starting to see some of the
efficiencies of cost savings coming
through there because it's so
comprehensive less heat run in a dual
building so it's coming down a little
bit too
we hope we'll see more medical examiner
mandatory I hope we don't have to use it
uh Emergency Management 2.1% again
you'll see just a change in the salary
base Solid Waste landfill and transfer
station now this is where it gets good
as you can see Darren June 30th 2023 two
years ago our our landfill cost was
$959,900
now it's a milli
60 that's just the there now here's the
ones I got circled at
the transfer station
operations it went from 1,1
197 761,00 in
2023 1.
59956 there's a 5.2% just over last year
but a total increase
of
400,000 from 23 to
25 of course Animal Control 3% overall
0.9% General properties
5.1% and that's is due to the increased
cost of the
reassessment health department
Department level funded 0% increase
36939901
into the department of the community
service boards we do this on an annual
basis next Department of Social
Services Miss Tera she knows I'm
say I'm looking at an increase of$
88236 up to $1.1 million 24.7% increase
now that includes both the CSA and the
foster care
program and the Foster care positions
that had to be put in place and luckily
this is this will be worth every dollar
because all of our foster kids that
we've got at the time Tera will tell you
we had one foster home now we're up to
20 now hopefully this will keep moving
with we have 60 some kids I think 63 is
it is it 6263 right now it may up
okay so I knew there were some that was
coming through so we're moving them in
and they're coming in as fast as we can
you know get F on yes question yes
sir the budgeted number for this year 24
is that we're going to overrun the
budget though this that is correct we we
and that's what You' been CED for in the
earlier numbers that is
correct so of course we've got to get
that fixed for the the kids both in the
DSs and the foster care and CSA program
here again the Appalachian Agency for
senior citizens level funded 0% increase
85975 the Schoolboard
contributions now as again as you've
seen in the previous slides in on FY 23
24 we appropriated them as you can see
over the last
seven years it don't need show it this
will be the eth year over the last seven
years you've actually appropriated 9,
10137 for the last seven years now with
the increase based off the atrisk
program and the increase in the salaries
for the
teachers you're looking at 10,
56892 an increase at
10.5% again your back head to the
Southwest contribution which includes
the race program and the anory mandated
State program appropriation of
91941 which is the race program is 141
252 for a total of 238 340 which is only
an increase of 1/1 one% that manages the
program recreation parks 0% increase
they're still all there at the same
level funding
Conference Center 2.1 that was the
increase of the one employee that runs
it for a total of $60,000 234 the
culture courthouse is the Old Courthouse
of course on R 58 a total 16,000 $47 for
an increase of 2.1 which is to help
maintain Library 2.1
increase and that is into the salaries
that are subsidized by the state
Virginia that's
113,000 that you seen that come through
was partially subed subsidized by the
state Planning
Commission Mr Hensley he cut the number
of the members so that dropped from
177,000 to
13,000 as a 23.5%
decrease Industrial Development
Authority level funding 7500
PSA this is a contract for the day sword
treatment plant that's that's a say
Mount every year 130 0%
increase coming in Plateau planning
district mandatory
35,000 C Plateau Regional Housing
Authority 1,800
mandatory highway safety commission was
4650 now zero 100% reduction
Mr
hon
contributions
Lord yeah we get questioned about how
much we give
away but it's only
$2,750 that the county contributes to
nonprofits
tourism 2.3% increase one tourism Flinch
Valley Soil and Water 10,000 5 are
share the extension office which is the
office that s works with the Agriculture
and sells all the cattle in the count in
the county our shares is was a 2.8%
increase for
85336
mandatory that's subsidized by Virginia
Tech non-departmental of course this is
where we get into the insurance programs
you can see
the my line of duty Act is stayed at at
the same premium workman's comp did drop
because our risk assessment went down
and went from 185 to 158 14.3% in
decrease and of course the
uh for a total of 249 583 for a total
ofus
99.6% Capital outlay transfers now this
is where we got into the real cut you
know as we went through these 55
departments we kept pushing the numbers
down as you can see we went from
Building Maintenance that takes care of
all the maintenance throughout all the
buildings in the county in case
something happens of roof leaks or if an
HBC unit goes out I went from 105 down
to 25 it was a
76.2%
decrease I also took down the
U the landfill projects we went from 419
down to 25 and that's a mandatory that's
already in place on the contract or I
would have took that down but I did take
it down
40.3% also we also had a lord bed Lake
project that was a grant we also reduced
that by 25 that was 100% cut so overall
just in the capital out relay projects
we reduced it by
85.4% now the next line item that's on
here is a pass through that we are
mandatory required by code based off the
population demographics to each one of
the towns this is set by the state of
Virginia and it comes through the
treasure this is these these numbers are
mandatory and dictated by the state
department
attacks hope she still here so um as we
pass through the town of Leon town of H
the town of Cleveland and the town of St
p as you can see overall through this
one line item we had a 62.1%
reduction our debt service is still
maintained at the same no increase in
the debt over the
year no from the Ida projects or the PSA
projects which is you know managed on by
previous boards I don't even know how
many years ago 30 35
of water projects that the board of
Board of Supervisors is obligated to
pick up from the old old old
PS yes
ma'am you go ahead yes
ma'am
the the other capital projects
[Music]
oh and like I said I may have missed it
because I
wase fine is this the screen that you're
talking about
Tera outlay and F transfers yeah yes
okay on this one as you can see under
code 7556 which is is for building
maintenance that is to help maintain for
hvc units replace the roof leaks or
equipment that we placed I had 105,000
and reduced it to 25 which is a 76
.2%
76 8027 is what I was looking at
8027 other Capital project Capal other
capital projects one are those okay just
second capital projects that went from
110 down
to
uh 100% okay now on that one our reduced
it 100% and down to zero now those are
projects like at the Ballpark that we
run through other capital projects
throughout the year that has been
approved by the Board of Supervisors
okay thank you you're
welcome now remember that is a budget
amount that I still have in there that
110 is still that's not a true number I
can give you the true number of what has
been expended see that's that's the what
was budgeted see I'm running between 24
23 24 24 25 yeah I got yeah see the
previous years was 63 you know at the
time too as you can look on the annual
experienes in
2122 some of the we would run we would
be responsible for school projects
because contracts ran through us or
other capital projects but we are very
diligent about whatever Proxes that we
have we divide it out as you can see
you'll see like the uh the campgrounds
or the courthouse project we get very
defined that we have to buy art rules to
make sure that if those other capital
projects we still have to Define that
within that little uh
code thank you you're welcome
man' again back down to the Dank sewer
Russ County Ida which is this building
and of course the PSA which is debt that
y'all vote
and from the opsa that was Recon
validated that has a moral obligation
from y'all for a total of 30, 934 594
which is a 3.9% increase but with the
requirements from the landfill the uh at
the
beginning as you can
see get down
to with these budget issues here
that we just went through at the
beginning of the
presentation the minimum
wage Regional Jail loss of $580,000 the
increase in the foster care and the CSA
increases the operation uh just County
operation inflation cost between the
electricity and the fuel cost
disposal transfer station increases
465,000 Regional Authority Debs at
100,000 Fire and Rescue of course again
it's a that's a
$245,000 obligation our local share even
though we have an SRO Grant is still 77
973 the Russ County teacher salary and
the at risk reductions in funds which
was the 1.1
39307 that we were referred to before of
course
again the increase in Revenue which was
the casino funds which is 1.1
million and now that is the first
introduction to the Russell County
budget we're not close to being done yet
even though we've looked at these
numbers and we've looked at the school
board numbers we've looked at the PSA
numbers we we've looked at number after
number of the commissioner revenues and
the treasures and County administrators
the budgets the Ida and everyone that we
could get over and over to see what we
could you know cut cost eliminate or
increase now I will tell you and I was
hoping that the treasure could be able
to do but she had to go to church she
will tell you and Steven David
knows right now at these levels I've
done this 30
years I've never had to go to the level
of Revenue projection that I've had to
before on this now what does that mean
as you seen in those first projection of
99.07% of real estate collection as you
seen on on the collection on per Public
Safety personal property machine and
tool if you'll take those numbers that
we have projecting and what we're
putting into the budget I'm projecting
at 100 sometimes at
105% to be able to get to that
level on projections of Revenue
any
questions
weer so I don't know what those CS were
at the time but a lot of times General
Public
understand I know a lot of lot
watch what's the
consequences this you know as far as
County as a whole I don't want to go
back to those days when I first got
eled and I do appreciate everybody
partip
School shff everybody came to the table
and was able to help the county develop
plan to get us to the next level we
didn't create inflation so we didn't
create the issue today these are things
that have Tri down now it's not only
impacting us it's impacted all the
counties in area region not just us so
we've had many conversations with other
County leaders that are facing the
same you know we've took on a lot of
that
but when it's our time to kind of
interject I guess expl some IDE
thinking I don't know right now good
time one of the things I've talked about
numerous times is a an abandon
abandonment building tags in the
industrial s uh one of the things I
heard when I first got eled uh was you
got all these empty buildings we work TI
trying to fill up the empties before we
even allow anybody to build a new we had
some pretty good success back then
before Co hit and all that
stuff
but I'd asked you and I'd asked
different ones and I know me and Steve
talked about it numerous times within
the budget about uh you know these
people that leave these buildings L sit
here and they just use them for nothing
and I don't think that's right I think
they're really going have to get off the
pot and do something or sell them or do
something with them because over the
periods of years that they just not
created jobs they're only paying us a
minimal real estate tax we don't get any
Machining Tool uh I think we already to
give them a year and then after the year
that each year their taxes go up until
they get off the pot and then they
either sell it or they move somebody in
it uh that wouldn't pen
the working people the taxpayers that
that would put some beef behind
our the things that we want to see I
mean what it is we get usually get
grants from either the seat of the tobac
commission to acquire
properties
not in the
industrial so when we give up our
incentives to attract the business they
came they come in and when the incentive
package G lot of times they look other
areas to get another Inc you know I
don't like
that that process but that's that's
another day I do think that the
buildings that had
empty some of these builds I know I
don't know got out after I started
talking I they had TCI had it on market
sell we tried everywhere in the world
having meeting after meeting talking to
the ownership about
doing something with it
and you're talking about a special
assessment
yes that would be a good proposal yes
sir you remember what kind of tax impact
that was with rent
closed do that include the real estate
Machin
tool you including the real estate and
the Machining tool yeah okay from Real
Estate Machining tool and personal
property because we know we had to close
out that last through the Commissioner
Revenue you're you're look we lost
almost 600,000 a
year okay North gr you know what we lost
there yes we do that was 800,000
we need some way to it's just kind of
like an incentive for them to move the
property get I know that a lot of people
are wied these properties now but yes we
need some incentive to kind of
move we don't get any don't get anything
we've asked to sell it now I think they
come with price
forry purchas thank God for that but I'm
not I'm talking going forward think
needs to be understanding that come you
take we you got to have a little skin
in I mean if you're going to come and
set up shop and send a package out you
shut her down and leave never think
another thing about it I know down L
District I don't know how long that
building laid empty thank God we finally
got something in it but uh that building
was laid empty
for those buildings keep maintaining
grass and spend all money expenses on
that if these people are not going
to I know
situ
laws and that
[Music]
we
did
everybody that's an option people that
pay each year high Sal value
taxes they'll try to sell it they don't
pay
estate try to sell it times
access abely I
mean well one one of the things I want
to point out and it's not all Financial
gloom and doom with what y'all have done
over the years to consolidate operations
and what y'all have done from an
economic development and I'll bring you
up to date if you take a look at what
we're showing here on the screen you
know between the Regional Jail
the inflationary C CSA
program the teachers and the
rest that's not internal it's not our
you know it's not that we're incorrectly
you know spending our budget because we
we've have level funded you all know for
the last seven years even through the
major budgets other than trying to keep
the employees that we've got to be able
to keep those skill sets but one of the
things that I had a meeting today
now what the first one of the part of
the meeting was the AT&T building which
met we met with the Ida we're within
$100,000 of sell on that between that
and the negotiator so we got good news
on Horizon you've got tap that it is
that is an S&P 500 company that actually
their contractors is meta and AWS which
is uh
Amazon we walked it today it's amazing
it is absolutely amazing I would love
for the board to take a walk on wrong of
course you know the poap we had the
problem during the pandemic that was a
company that we did we got that fixed
and it's there's another company comes
in which is an international 500 company
also between the J Kim the uh Samuels
the at build going in and Tate and the
rest that you got going in with CGI over
the next 24 months if we can hold on and
move and keep controlling and be
conservative and move this thing through
your tax base will go
up we're within we're projected in the
future yes we've got to get got to get
through today I don't want to say all
gloom and doom because the Count's not
failing because I I hear all the rumors
out there that's a bunch of nonsense I
can like I said I can take you down
there to that that company that we got
they they just put in $18 million worth
Machinery it has the the longest the
biggest paint line in the world in the
world that was no joke the most
automated paint line in
world it's
amazing my
distri building 60 jobs uh
I think
we we faced these situations before but
like I said we didn't create the
inflation triple down effect of that is
what's
not and you know next Wednesday you and
I got a meeting on North yeah well I I
sat down and looked at potential
projects you over the next three or four
years equ this budget and the jobs to be
created that could be created with these
particular projects and I came up with
total about 900 new jobs over the next
three years if all these projects should
go through which again points back to a
housing crisis but this
1,395 53 in additional money school yes
that's that's differential between last
year and this year
that is that
1,6 approximately 36,000 is the at risk
that we lost P off the subs through the
state and that's why put that is moving
the salaries up to her projected new
salary scale right yes
okay yes it is that 1 million
33937 will put all the teachers in
in in Market competition with every
other County that you see on that
base well yeah we've been trying to do
ity do it but the problem with it when
you commit that money you commit it not
just for this year you Comm every year
thereafter and you also got to include
the be you got that money coming in and
you also include what increases with
that comes along with includes when you
include the salary you also include
their their the retirement so it comes
with a very comprehensive package so uh
but you're right on The Fringe you got
to get you got to get through these next
24 months man I mean like I said I just
walked the facility to just put $18
million worth of machine and tool we're
getting ready to put another one in up
here that is not even count pure salmon
I ain't even I ain't even locked on to
that one that's got an $80 million
investment in 80 m milon to date yeah
but that's that's probably a couple
years yes that is a couple years away
now we knew it was on and off on and off
and Lord every one of us you know we
would sweat and then we' worry and then
we'd talk about it then we thought it
was gone then it comes back it keeps
Reviving but apparently they through the
governor on the last December they've
locked in $42 million from the small
business financi Authority and they have
the bonds to proceed
on one of the things I've asked Lonzo to
do is send a letter to
morfield while we in that meeting up
there the other
day Sal made a
[Music]
contrib
also we are the host County where are
the count
[Music]
well I really think we're going to talk
to the school about phasing
this these raises out think we get to it
one fail well right now you're
projecting $600,000 deit we have we've
went line on by line on them you know
that we've asked to do that time pH well
allegation I mean our allocation in I
think
with some of the things they're taking
on pretty big
challenges to do what they need to do
get us comp I think they probably age
to I think we just need to sit down look
at it and put a plan together to
do yes ma'am sure yes ma'am can
it that number does include enclosing
the school it does it does because both
myself and the chairman had that
conversation one to one with the
school that's it they haven't voted on
no they not sir not so this number can
change this includes the projection of
closing two
schools it does include it does include
closing does include closing boths Creek
and Copper Creek if that should fall
through those numbers will
increase
substantially it' probably be in yeah it
was it was a 2.1 before two
closures it would have been
yes any more
questions
donations any any any board members have
any questions comments but again I want
to I want to just talk about AT&T just
one more time um I will be coming for
the board next board meeting with an
agreement on AT&T that's how close it
is and if you could check on this
special assessment and see what that
would do just to give us kind of
projected numbers on what that would
actually do any foro properties that
when we were in negotiation at least the
industry would know that they've got a
year to move
sell it something so based off the code
of Virginia and the taxation on idle
buildings now that will only apply to
commercial manufacturing and Industrial
it will not include retail or any any
small business only only commercial and
Industrial manufactur know on that I
guess what I'm trying to say is the ones
that come in here and ask for the
incentive the tax reduction to get the
jobs I just think you know
that help us to keep them on track that
way if one shuts down they won't leave
it empty 10
years you know they would have a time
period there unless they knew have to
pay
assessments
taxes I just want I just want to see it
I mean I'm you got to remember those
ones that is right now that are asking
those that are trying to sell them for
those kind of numbers we're going to
catch them during that
reassessment we're going to catch
them this me you
[Music]
uh we do and I'll give you the prime
example the tap corporation that we just
we did we since the north ging issue and
going through that legal you know
episode for you know case for what two
years while we learned through these
performance or what they call callback
measures we
like north of grman they had a fiveyear
clawback in it and then they could walk
away where we're T we've got 10 years
we're expanding those those performance
agreements out you get a company that is
an sp5 company in here and they've
running 200 250 employees that have
settled in here for 10 years you just
can't pick up and pack your bags and
walk out the door anymore we're
extending the front end reductions on
the front end for performance and uh
agreements on the front end
and making it better on the long
tenure but and we've also reduced those
amounts there's no great amount of deals
anymore and of course T was a was a
rarity it walked in and some made up P
T&T they're buying the building straight
out I mean that's that's it no there
were no incentives there is no
incentives well I understand that I'm
just talking about prior things that we
had to deal with I understand that I
know there's a lot of changes because we
kind of insisted we had to that these
changes be made I understand that we
built a pretty solid portfolio to offer
what incentives we have to offer in the
county you know with all that with
education race program and stuff
from my only I guess concern is when I
worked before I became self-employee for
30 years I work in Co mines coine
industry I'd go in one day and they say
oh you got 30 years of life 30 years I
was excited next week I go to work and
say well we're gonna have to lay
everybody off you
know and I mean it was just very
unstable but most
people at least work 20 years get a
retirement you know what I'm saying I
mean get your full time in and as you as
you age like aged you know it's harder
to find that type any emplo when you get
old so what I'm looking out for I guess
is a young person that wants to move
here work here Russ County that wants
that tenor they want to say well this is
a great job I'm making good money I got
good incentives and I can stay here and
work for 20 years and retire you know
and what happens is a lot of these
people go to work with these plans 10
years and they pull the plug and they
leave and as they've aged it's harder
for a person that's age to find that new
employment and that's the only concern I
have is just to make sure that
we're looking at everything I guess well
one one of the things I've seen today
during and during the T and it was
during their operations it's what this
the board had put in before and you
worked with the school board was these
laser cutting you know these laser
classes that you did through the trade
schools to be able to cut materials and
now actually you got a couple of one
that's working that went through that
program is actually working for the take
company they do hire local same that's
coming into the poly cap and the same on
that's coming in through the AT&T will
be local and you know that was amazing
to see that program that remember that
time we gave them what was it $68,000
for high L laser equipment to be able to
cut down they to put out at the new
building well they got to see it in
operation in a professional service that
was it was a neat
absolutely
[Music]
don't
here well that was that was some of the
work we just had this occurence that was
not just a day but it was what it was on
Monday on one of the companies that were
here there
was a guy that was looking for housing
what you got to remember Russell County
has Seven Counties that touch our border
so they're our workers are coming in
they're coming out and what they told us
they said we can't even find a place to
rent I I mean they actually called our
office to see if they could find is our
house on listing we don't know about and
and they're showing up at the
Commissioner's Office seeing if
anything's for sale I mean it was
amazing he said we would live in Russell
County if we could find a place in
Russell County or a decent place in
Russell County cuz you going to remember
these people that's coming in through T
these other three corporations are
coming in here their base salary is in
the 50 to $60,000 range so they're going
to look for better
housing It is Well what I seen down
there working the day and take uh you
you just you ain't even started
yet you
started it yeah it's kind of like a
chicken and egg you know the the
developers won't build it until there's
a demand but there's no demand till the
jobs are here I mean yeah and so the
reason I total up those 900 jobs I said
well you know let's assume we could get
half of those people to Russell County
what would 450 new residents the county
do for the county on the tax rolls and
on the expenditures to businesses and
things of that nature
well yeah well you know conand Plateau
is they are working on a housing study
right now and of course lot and I went
to a composite
house not composite but a modular home
showing and uh I was pretty much Blown
Away with what they had you know there's
a plant this Fleetwood company is
building houses they build their regular
they're built to stick uh stick built
house specifications only they're built
inside and they're laid out in modular
in like 2x six walls you know way
around they said that the average waste
in a stick belt s was like the materials
was like 30%
they had theirs down to 3% I said I bet
you guys have done enough that you can
just cut them out he said yeah we can
cut out every piece you know and just V
it's just matter putting it all together
but they were right impressive homes I'm
tell you they were they were building
duplexes they were building they could
do multi family housing
U they had a 1200t in it they said was
about $57 a square foot to build pull it
out and then about another 40% they
projected to finish it up do the water
and sewer and
shme they had a
2 20 2247 square foot home that finished
out for about
$190,000 and that's down in the range
where we have to be I think you know we
need to be the 150 200 somewhere in that
range right there that level hous the
thing about
those bang you order one you know 6
weeks later you can get it it's a short
turnaround it's not like waiting you
know six or eight months to get a stick
bu house well while we was walking
through we actually had W County ID and
ask in Wise County Administration with
us when we
walked Tate they they companied us
because they were talking to us with the
AT&T but the the gas issue came back up
you know
right now you know they're looking at
they got 150 employees getting ready go
170 they can go to 300 employees just
that one alone if you get the gas into
it because they got to hinder their
operations because of of the level of
gas now they're running that the way
they're running right now based off the
lines but they said went in May and it
look like a city running down there
today once they get in full operation in
full
capacity it's it's it's you need to see
it
[Music]
Yes W yes
300 employees and you know like the
seamons that's got 75 coming with it you
know we got to get that done L was that
2.2 additional 2.2 million on top of the
one million they're willing to put in
gas
company yes
[Music]
we talked to Israel Quinn about hanging
it on the bridge you've got pipes on the
bridge now yeah you do he thinks it's
possible he thinks it's on the bridge
now and you could even do a double
containment but you really wouldn't
worry about the gas because it should
rupture for some reason it's going go up
but sting here talking about we got
coming over the next 24 months the
current budget get the teachers in line
you know we may have to step into this
you know what I'm saying over a two-year
period phase but it will come in
alignment you you've got the
infrastructure in place you've got the
stability so if we work closely watch
our steps and move forward then we can
get to there so problem with housing is
the utilities not so much the water
we're in pretty decent shape there sewer
you we're going to have to we need sewer
in henville we need sewer you know
different
places we need we need a
water clinch over
there you
[Laughter]
got well yeah you got leg up that's no
joke it is and you got a good
SE
yeah bun mod
but board members I really appreciate
this and and Lord knows that U over the
last probably two weeks Steve and I
haven't we you know or David we we go
home and we get back up we go home we
get back up that's all we've done is
look at this thing but I mean we could
say it and go through pencils and pens
that's not Material I mean you you ain't
going to get to these numbers I mean I
can cut every piece of piece of pen and
operation administr C
you'll never get to that
1.39 not
possible this is going to take strategic
movement and planning over the over the
phases to get this in place and get it
like Steve bre said and and David and
Lou once you get in place you got to
sustain
it this is not a one time once we get it
in place to move forward you going to
have to sustain it and you've got the
infrastructure to sustain it that's
coming in place because we know the tool
we know what the real estate is on these
projects we know what is
projected what if I can get Pure Salon
in what is projected that's 8 million
worth of machine at to I still believe
that but that's five years out basedin
money they've
not and education and V didn't get no
money so well I believe that that's a
real critical way that we can take that
source of income F school
system I think we that M
fuc see when we first started the casino
and I sat on the casino board with the
other County administrators and we were
actually projecting out a couple hundred
thousand almost 300,000 more than what
we're getting and they had a issue with
the steel at one time they got slowed
down yeah I think it was in the paper y
you know due the pandemic it was it's
kind of hit a little bump but they're on
schedule for August right
now I heard they were going to finish
this summer some finish the
casino hotel won't be finished that is
correct
that is correct it's been reduced not X
it's been
reduced the hotels and what I call
the the stage what it's not to Pavilion
you know aathe Ampitheater thank you I
was looking for the right word uh you're
looking at next August so everything
should be in place by that time now
that's what it's paid for but
it's moved as fast as they said it's
going to moved but so I mean if
anybody's watching the news they
actually exceeded last year's Pro I mean
last month's projection so well I will
tell you
too I don't know how we do this with a I
pretty seems
like $22,000
forp Ian I don't
know I mean it's crazy how would you
look at this I know but I will tell you
this we had a zoom meeting with the
governor and was a little while back he
had his Zoom meeting with governor and I
had two of the major gas companies
there to look at an opportunity to bring
natural gas to every Home South Virginia
and and that drive the economy and be a
competitor to a for you know another
option then I found out one company has
a franchise that has complete
control of the aspect of natural gas
we're producing it we're shipping it way
from here we can't I don't I mean I
don't understand that I think that's
crazy that we can't utilize it when it's
right in our back door so you know I
think that with two large
legisla it's got to be a legislative
between the producers and Distributors
well the thing about it is you know with
the two largest gas providers
manufacturers that we talked to that was
in the meeting they said they could go
ahead and start hooking up
people and if they had access to do that
they could go
ahead we fought these battles like with
Industrial Development just like the
price and cost putting it over there to
particular industry so I think there's
going to have to be some legislation and
I we've talked to the legislators and
stuff to kind of push them in that
regard to try to open up the gates
floodgates because if you don't have
natural
gas or or other types of resources I
mean just have it there it's an
opportunity if you wanted to pick gas to
eat your home or eat your water or
whatever you'd have that option and I
just I just think it's uh it's sad that
get
access so I think that's something that
our
citizens anybody that send a letter to
the legislators to open that gate help
us call you legislators call you
legislators even even if there was some
option for municipalities to form their
own little
company and distributed you know at cost
or what whatever I don't know a non
nonprofit something we talked to them
about
that I don't know how that kind of got
locked in one company had franchise to
have complete control the natural gas
aspect and all these other companies or
I mean most of the lines like in Le here
in Le there's a few areas that people
can get access to natural gas and then
there's a lot of areas that passes right
by and they can't even get hooked up the
only area I know that they ran natural
gas when Main Street over in the prer
Edition I live two blocks off Main
Street down that street do two blocks
and I Begg them bring it there they said
well maybe at
hospital it's almost
commercial it's almost like a BBU issue
but again take it take the budget back
talk to the different departments do
whatever you need to do we got future
meetings with the school actually Mr
hinley and myself have a meeting with
the school board at 9
o' so we're looking at all these things
as much as that we can this is the first
rough draft so I'd be interested in
knowing what additional Cuts they made
other two school if the recommendations
in
yeah and hopefully we'll be able to see
that what comes down to that
1.39 I will tell Miss Wallace
too Plateau Initiative for housing I
made a recommendation that we invite
some
Realtors talk to see on the ground on on
the ground selling properties facing the
home short issues see what the proper
are actually selling for I know in my
district there's been a lot of people
moving here from State about 22 Acres P
Min price for so I was introduced to
them and they said they sold a $350,000
home bought this property up here for
$100,000 and thought well that's pretty
amazing so if we just had like Steve
said the
infrastructure things that you got to
have to develop the sites develop
properties on and I know
that the initiative we brought for the
board here to sell properties get back
on the tax Ro being pretty effective I
think coming
up they tell us that next s is coming
up May
20th property sold those properties come
back on the tax so I think that good
see see what everybody you know when
they sit and look at these what I call
the king and queen of tax king and queen
tax is of course real estate and
personal property now if we have these
companies that are coming in and sit
Border Lines like Tate and and and
seamons and and you know sandwich and
they're coming in and out those people
are transing in and out they're paying
real estate and personal property in
these other counties you ain't going to
make no more than what
what gas and food they buy while they're
here on the pass there's over 4700 that
move out here and in out here on a daily
basis and that comes from the Virginia
Department of uh employment where where
they're based if we could get these in
here get that tax base the king and
queen of tax that's the way you increase
I mean you can look at all these tax
items it's same as in any other County
when you set and you look at these these
major ones right here this is the same
in every County when we set and look at
these major king queen of taxes that's
based off of
this and I'll get down there to
it and as you look through these right
there on the top part excuse me a
second that at Top Line of the what is
it 8 line n line it that's that's your
king and queen of tax right there I mean
if you a't if you're not moving in that
the rest of the numbers really ain't
going to matter because this is the
local sales taxes so if you ain't got
people living here you're not going to
collect sales tax either so your sales
tax is going down it everything lives
and Breeze off these line line
line your schools everything's based
your work your schools your communities
your Parks everything is off of this and
let me put it another perspective for
you okay the school board when they did
it and get the teachers up which is well
deserved that's $10.1 million
okay those these two columns between the
both taxes if you see the 17 million and
24 that's 21 million you're 50% just
gone in one lineup just immediately you
got it when you pay them you that you
your Revenue base just dropped by 50% so
we got those other 54 departments take
care of with 50% of the
funding pending on the real estate
amounts to about $100,000 yes sir that's
gross not yeah gross gross what you
collect
yeah of course you s our collection
rates so generate a million dollars you
got 10 cents on 100
that's so in order to be attractive to
folks to live here we're going to have
to clean up I'm going there again you
don't want to hear that but there are
grants out there Stephen I learned that
the other day and I hammered on that one
um there's a gentleman in Smith County
that's working for their planning
district and um he has discovered the uh
ultimate way to layer grants and I
always thought I could do that but he's
really got me beat and he is um pulled
in money to take care of the dilapidated
buildings and there's money out there to
take care of that talking about then you
replace that with these these houses
that Steve and I looked at which are
instant houses and they look nice they
do they were nice they they do look nice
and they're sheetrock and they're
they're high they they put highend
things in there you can get a lower
grade but they put high in things and so
that's an instant home and if you have
and one of the things they said and
Steve it's already repeated that is if
you don't have uh you want to stick it
out in the field somewhere that's going
to cost you more your pad or whatever
but because you don't have water and
sewer to that but some of our
communities are equipped with water and
sewer and they're just sitting there
doing nothing for the county and that's
what we need to be working on so that
people will live in these more desparate
homes places I should say and and when
we start making our communities rise
together we're all coming up at the same
time and it's it's inviting for people
to want to live here so you were talking
about the one in the housing project
saying Maran is that one you're talking
about yes they they've got rentals
they've got you buy your home or you can
rent a place and they have different you
know you have not everything works for
everyone not not big big house people
Little House people middle-sized people
and renters you've got all this and he
had he had rolled it all into one big
I mean he must not ever sleep is what
I've
decided it's just amazing Virginia
Housing help funds yes and this is not
going to be funded on the backs of the
king and the queen of taxes this is
funded through U opportunities that are
out there and if we don't go for those
somebody else is going to go for them so
you know I was actually in Smith County
last week last weekend because that's my
parents live but just get to the story
we came off at Maran went through town
and they've got the signs up where
they're turap buildings down actually
out of the streets I mean they have like
a row of them I mean yes I mean they had
a whole street row of them they were
tiring down had signs out you know
constructions on I mean it it was pretty
amazing and they are replacing them as
they as one went down one was new
sitting beside an old they had most of
them sold
yeah okay I know so they're rebuilding
their Community from within and that's
what we really need to be thinking about
okay I think lose rights you get that
low hanging fruit where you've got
access to utilities that's kind of a
no-brainer do that and see we got land
that you know that taxes not paid on but
got we got then after you finish that
you're going to start looking at are
just adjacent to you to a town somewhere
where you can pump you know
at least sewer in water's not bad pretty
good there sewer we've got to get it to
an existing facility and create a
planned community that has proper
streets that are not going to be
maintained by the property owners in 20
years they've got potholes they're going
to be V do spec and all these little
properties are well done in a planned
Community with possibly
natur water sewer s and and not just you
know at the board recommendation just
you know as a as a thought walking these
companies you know and talking to the
the managers and the employees if you
get those kind of numbers in here and
this is
just you know some of them that we
talked to were frustrated because they
couldn't find a home or a
house they're going to move does that
make sense you're going to be able to
get them here but the problem is you're
going to have to work on is keep them
here there's where it comes you're going
to have to keep them
here and they like and that's
infrastructure water sewer amenities
where they can take their kids ballparks
they want they want these things that
you're not going to get them here if you
don't go over to Washington County and
take a look at their Parks you go buy
Food City see they're building as fast
as they can knock the concrete out the
way
look at there and look what's around it
I mean that's just one of the many so I
mean we have an opportunity to do that
everything is in place but you know it's
going to take a little bit of work a lot
of work and a little bit of time to get
to that
point money takes money to make
money well this been a good conversation
but it didn't balance
budet yes sir you got me now uh just for
my memory sake I know You' mentioned it
to me before in in the public uh the
principle in interest on the Ida loan
and PSA loan that's not Eternal when's
that going to be paid off the on the Ida
loan yeah it's yeah I know I know when
you're referring that that Ida loan is
actually this discovering facility that
is paid off next year okay 2025 and the
PSA that'll be that PSA has got
probably it's it's staggered between
those old loans
culmination it's it's a lot of small
loans it varies from 10 to
15 yeah it's it's a variance between 10
to 15 years okay we getting closer you
said that was previous board that's
that's why I was want to ask said
previous board they were financed for 30
years when they were fin okay so we'
still got a while on that that yeah next
thing I had is uh myself and David Eaton
met with our Treasurer Le mlo and uh
she's been a great Steward of her money
and uh got it in some interest bearing
accounts with the Fed rate being what it
is uh she she's getting some pretty good
interest on her mind right I know you
got that line item on there yes we do
it's hard to predict interest in what
will be happen but based on what I've
read fed is probably not going to reduce
rates anytime soon so we might get
through half of this fiscal year on
rates as they are today that might be
something talk with her about and see
what she projects the interest might
increase too okay well as everybody
knows in their private accounts if you
got a savings account as you can see
here on revenue from use of funds and
property now this is at in 2000
and and TW ending June 30th 2023 we we
had made
$381 in our Revenue now so we we got
into the investment part but that's
making up a lot compartments you know
with restricted funds that we've got
that we put in investment we're drawing
interest on that we have to pay
different departments and health
insurance and we actually took during
that time during the co and arpa funds
we converted all that to loss Revenue
during that time and we put it in inter
firing accounts and that's why it jumps
up we're we're drawing interest on that
now which we can do so we went from the
30,000 up to the 350 but the problem is
once we pay for the renovations and the
rest of these counts starting to fall
you know come back down in the fed you
know whether they one cut or two cuts
this year if they do it will only be
maybe half a basis point if that because
it's it's the inflation is not breaking
here I can tell you right now anybody
wants to go take a look at the gas pump
you know it's running three it goes up
every time I go buy it so but when we
point is is on that some of it we can
use and some of it we can't depending
upon the restrictions and the laws so we
felt comfortable you know moving within
the last year's budget at 350,000 on
that to be able to use that and
comfortable not only with restrictions
on what we got between the different
accounts but also restrictions on cash
flow you guys can set a budget of
billion dollars it won't mean a thing if
I can't get that money out of that cash
out that king and queen of tax that
comes in off of taxes which hasn't been
raised in 23 years I can't pay the bills
it won't matter what you have in that
budget line it's a cash flow problem we
work on a cash
basis business always is Cas is cas just
like your home you guys you better not
spend
it and if you and if you look and if you
look at the debt load back to Mr Hensley
and that's a good point to bring up that
was a lot of water and sewer projects
and it sounds like a lot but you take a
look at the other
counties right now we talked Wise County
today they listen to this number
y their school payment just on interest
a year $8
million interest interest
only they took out a $90 million loan
and they
Consolidated built schools it didn't
lock the interest rate in $8 million let
me go to tazel County if y'all haven't
seen in the paper $3 million
deficit that's that's just the way it is
if it hadn't been for this in banan
county and Dixon County on the co SE
which is pulling in you know 30
something million and those they would
have been in the same
predicament we are at the point of
things that were created externally of
the 55 of what you seen there that
wasn't my department or our departments
or the Constitution officers that's
that's the outside
cost of inflation raises but the schools
you know they're going to have to do it
you're competing with the rest is out
there competing if you pull uping County
what starting salaries $50,000 walk in
zero years I mean they're going to go
you you went from 36,000 to 50 that's a
$14,000 pay rise we're taking a 15 20
minute drive they're going to go how
many did did uh Mook her say she lost 50
50 now all that wasn't just just going
to schools some of them retiring and
this and that but but you're still the
point is you lost that's 50 that's
that's
huge it's because you still at
defit we talk about a lot of St think
yes you do how do we get it fixed and
and then get it fixed within alignment
what you got scheduled out of the king
and queen of taxes and machining tool
that's coming in on these
jobs how can you make them balance out
as we go forward get that cash balance
like I said you set the budget a billion
dollar it won't matter it's what you
collect I had some questions I mean
they're not it's just more for me since
I'm new you know um but on
like our miscellaneous Revenue you know
there's some things on here that that
have been zero and I'm just kind of
wondering on those I had some notes made
um like I don't
know see here
um animal shelter for instance donations
do what's what's going on with that okay
and I know that's not going to fix our
bottom line or anything I'm just it's it
it just stuck out uh you're talking
about the an show miscellane
mhm um because it was like
1,558 right and then there just a dash
and a Dash it is now when we budget
legally by law if if it's not guaranteed
I can't put number in gotcha okay I've
got two or three donors that have is a
big dog advocate some years they donate
depend on their economic status they
send it in and they donate to paying for
our animals uh they actually donate to
be able to be neutered in the Ware and
dog food okay so but any of these line
items like you see that like nonjudicial
these miscellaneous revenues I can't
really depend upon it you know I can so
you just put in there basically after
the fact that's cor if we anticipate
that's correct it's after the fact I
gota yeah I get that I understand why
that is now I just you know flipping
through and didn't didn't see um also
when we look at the solid waste landfill
and transfer station stuff um are you
looking at the expenditures or are you
looking at the r uh expenditures okay
um
so when you're looking
at like the vehicle repair and fuel
supplies that's from the um convenience
sites to the transfer station correct
okay 195,000 I think that's the revenue
oh is that Revenue yeah that's Revenue
that's what we collected the transfer
station what you got to remember is what
we do on our local operations pick up
trash you actually generate a revenue
off of that because at the transfer
station so we take that cost minus what
we make and there's your net okay
so actually you run what 11 12 stations
min $195,000
because we operate the transfer station
that comes across
and and we were running the demographics
on that majority of it is and Mr Hensley
was asking about that the other day too
and we were discussing it it a lot of
people thought it was residential no
it's it's it it's actually people like
fed do contractors construction that's
coming across that we charge okay to
offset our cost of of giving our track
services or disposal services to
ourti gu a lot this construction and
demolition we make it we make good money
off contract
tomor that's right we did charge
them now do we try to operate with
like with a a reserve or anything like
that is that
do we have a reserve yeah do we do we
currently have one we do not budget a
reserve we don't budget a reserve no we
do not ever ever now that does not mean
the funds is not in the general fund but
we do not purposely put a budget a
reserve and the reason to do that is
it's not fire to put the taxpayers money
upon a reserve if there's an issue or an
emergency that occurs I will become
before the board issue by issue and ask
for a motion and a movement on that
appropriation
L I got a couple questions um just
looking at the year-over-year
um some of these items you know were
were level funding or 3% raises based on
the state requirement from last
year but if you look back year two years
some of these things are pretty large
increases and I just I'm curious as to
why which ones are you looking at so one
particular is the Sheriff's Office the
civil and court security in 21 we were
at
79,000 and now we're at
1,9 that's a $300,000 increase that's
pretty significant for years
wait minute okay and it's a $400,000
increase on the bottom line for Sheriff
civil and court security um it is on
page 21 on
my okay
so you talking about from the 942 874 in
2021 up to 1 now 1. 395 612 yes now what
you got to remember to now
couple things
and you've got a larger Courthouse which
is actually you had to bylaw increased
during the last year to get that up so
that's set by the Virginia supreme court
on the number of jail bails that must be
there that's said by the judges does
this include the guys at the front door
the that includes the ones in the with
the judges the front door the security
of the rors
yes so how many positions did we add to
that
$300,000 uh actually that was different
so what you got to remember these guys
are also certified Law Enforcement
Officers so what happens is during
Governor yin's movement a lot of law
enforcement got major increases they gu
that's what the that's correct that is
correct so they they kept in alignment
with those increases
yes so really really were're down to
really about
100,000 give or take depend type of
health insurance some of that was the
governor's law enforcement increase yes
and he's been very generous to law
enforcement over the last three years
that was kind of along the same lines if
you go down to law enforcement line on
page
24 a similar thing you look at it and
it's
from from uh 1.7 on the subtotal
Personnel Services to
2.1 so another $400,000 increase over
the last three years yes uh but if you
look at it it's
only 100,000 from 21 to 22 versus the
other one was a 200,000 I'm assuming we
have way more
employees in the Sheriff's Office under
the law enforcement than we do Under the
court C
um so that you know I get it but to me
that number just it doesn't make much
sense I mean and I'm not saying it's
it's wrong I'm just saying why okay you
know what I mean are you on the are you
referring to the law enforcement of the
total first sheriff department yeah your
your salary and wages I got 2.98
639 under law
enforcement you get
yes for FY ending
63025 2 mil 981 639 on page 22 of
612
22y it's down to
B says page 22
2981 2 2981 639 yeah yeah that's 500
well yeah right out of
$500,000 law enforcement salaries have
wi their base was at 34,000 now now a a
beginning triple Z years of experience
certification is 45,000
start you got to remember that's paid by
the state of Virginia the
Constitution so that not doesn't come
off that's no you you can't touch I
can't touch the because way it works is
we pay it Con the comp board for the
State Virginia dhmr the heart Department
of Human resour through that they
reimburses it's a dollar for
dollar we build it we put it in their
actual payroll system and they
reimburses back it's it's just a pass
through whatever he's got on payroll we
pay in payroll we get
reimburse for Sheriff's Office
yes same way with clerk's office the
treasurer's office the Commissioner
Revenue
Office
and yeah we yeah we looked through these
numbers you look at all these that's why
I was saying on these shared services by
the state that's in the revenue you
can't don't get include that our our top
21 million is what we get to play with
unless we earn it fees it's a grant or
donated
do we still do the Dare program I didn't
think we did
yeah
okay why in the world did it go from
1750 to 382 10 to
3000 that's like a really weird anomaly
I mean I know it's not much money but
that's
just that's on page 25 what I've got
this is a weird fluctuation
and we don't have anything online for
litter control I thought we did have a l
control
officer we do is that not
uh is that not budgeted under control no
I PID for that out of a grand okay
I'm sorry to get into Weeds on this but
I'm this
so I'm just little
interested I see we we've increased the
rescue squad Fire EMS
contributions uh for budgeted year quite
a bit so that's I mean I know they need
it so it's good
thing um is that a is that a requirement
or is just something we decided we need
to do no that was part of the casino
money is is actually considered public
safety so that will
increase uh right now it's it's at what
it is for the fire and rescue what
additional money that is at the pleasure
of board was being considered for the
teachers rights
anybody have anything
further while he's looking for that are
we going to have any more of these
budget workshops or is it going to
coincide with our regular
meetings I know it'll be June before we
finish the
budget the required by code of Virginia
you got to approve the budget by June
30th before the July you gota not only
approve this one but you also got to
close out the other so we got to balance
the books by June 30th by code and
approve the new 2425 by June 30th um
with this just being the introduction
yes we're going to have another proo
I just I just said that make sure public
this the beginning and the end
it's with further meetings we have the
commissioner Rue and the treasur here as
well I can do if the board requests I
can have I think it would be pointless
really to have a budget meeting without
considering their Ro uh the treasur was
actually here she I toally get it but I
mean for further because I realize this
is the introductory this is and and
we're just kind of our toe but I mean
for future when we're really looking at
things I think it would be wise to and
and they usually they sit in our
meetings with the budget committee and
to be able to for you guys the ones
that's not on the budget committee that
that way you have the opportunity to ask
questions they'd be glad to come um that
way you can you can see how this was
developed it goes through any questions
that they have absolutely thank you I
will do yes
ma'am have the appraisers started on the
reassessment we have started on the
reassessment we have completed the
flyover uh we have actually started to
moveing the reassessing then they have
already started the comps but it you
know they got till September the 30th to
start that and then of course you'll
you'll be picking an equalization
board
three so be putting that on your to-do
list you know get three good candidates
that's well
qualified uh into the real estate
because with these increases just what
we're seeing from the counties like
Smith County and uh tazel County with
these increases they better know
property to be able to Advocate or
defend whatever that assessment is and
when you're talking about this is this
board members is Citizens this C you
point point as Equalization okay that's
what I was
very important
positions going back to what peanut was
talking about or David I should say
guess I should call you by your actual
name but um about the idle property tax
for these idle commercial
buildings um I like to see that in in
some form of
action um
because it's not so much about the
revenue from that it's more about an
incentive to get those buildings into
hands that will utilize them for jobs
yes and I understand the the other
issues we have with with housing that's
that's a whole another yeah thing that's
associated but it's you know it's
another thing because we don't need you
know north of Grumman taking up Prime
real estate just sitting on a building
for who knows how long decades and in a
lot of ways you know the market will
clear itself up that you have jobs and
that sort of you know we may have to you
that a but we've got to have the jobs
here thing
build you know you know the county and
the Ida you know and board members
Advocate and and promote these buildings
and then you know like Alcoa you know it
has has the molders in it and the kills
that's in it and actually with a major
corporation like Alcoa which is an
international
company it is no longer on their balance
sheet as an asset as an operational it's
a storage facility so they will set
they'll sit on forever without yeah
they'll sit there yeah and this would
potentially Pro them along to do better
I'll be glad to pull all that
information together with Commissioner
Revenue yeah again it's not about it's
not about creating a tax that's going to
create a nor amount of Revenue it's
about creating something that moves that
property into some company that will
create a lot of revenue for us
absolutely and we want jobs you know an
idle building doesn't create any jobs so
absolutely it creates one I guess got
that sits up there in the Hut guarding
the front gate up there somebody's going
to dig it big old machine out of six
foot of
concrete I know what they're going to do
they actually got another guy comes and
shows building too oh
okay he's part
time part time right yeah he's part
time but I'll be glad to put that and
I'll talk to commission Revenue start
preparing it I think we need to see
something what it looks like for us to
be able to move forward with something
and I know Miss Lou has some questions
about it but if we don't start working
toward it we won't know what we're what
kind of questions to ask or look at so
yeah I think we need to get moving on
that yes
sir any further
questions
anybody well I got a little issue here
we talked about trying to have all the
rest of our meetings up
here because of
the comfort for you know our audience we
get a little jammed up down
I
think here we go the fourth is our next
board meeting right it is scheduled for
the fourth sir but also scheduled here
isre yeah yeah
you and see they said start setting up
it's a big event they it looks like
go there we we could have it
down we might feel younger if we had it
down
here so we can if we want to keep it on
the fourth we'll have to have it down
here that is correct but if you want the
big room up here we have to move it to
another
day probably the 6th which be
Monday closest day
board's preference on that yes that's
isn't the first Monday of the month the
town meeting well Town
Le second okay all right just want to
make sure we've got a history of
scheduling over that same time zone and
I've had several requests from people
that want to try to attend both and they
can't it's at the same time so that's my
only
concern what about Tuesday
is
right no if it's not town I'm fine with
Friday but don't
matter
6 that's the 6 6 May the 6 we have it up
here
then yeah by then we be clean
okay is that agreeable to everybody
the
6 Monday Monday Monday 6 6
yeah all right
Mr you got a motion any a second I'll
give you a second for discussion
purposes and it doesn't really matter
but I scheduled my life on Saturday so
well we're just moving this the six is
not GNA work for me so I won't be
here I'm representing my little
community in Birmingham Alabama at a
Main Street
meeting what about yeah what about that
following Saturday
11 is right because they have the 27th
the 4th and 11 is Le booked this
facility for the
prom I think so yeah here yeah we've got
it is you would not believe how well we
doono you knew we were supposed to be
have Saturday meetings yes why didn't
you book up he's been booked for a
[Laughter]
year so sat out I guess I think he fears
prom
moms yeah we don't
want anybody got any suggestions other
than the sixth Monday the 13th the third
or the 13th
yeah would be my Su third is on
Friday I'd rather have it on the 13th or
the 11 which 13th
13 I'm here but don't around me I just
said I give you a second for discussion
so I just I mean we just we just want to
make sure that I see you accomodate
everybody my calendar looks good on the
13th okay is everybody good with 13th
somebody call
Ry 13 13th it
is I'll second the 13 further discussion
6 PM correct yes 13th at
6 all in favor this motion signify
saying I I'll
oppose okay now we can
adjourn unless anybody has anything else
I'll second
we do don't we got a motion and second
to adjourn all in favor signy say
iose Li I know there's
[Music]
not okay
B good luo