1 (12/28/00 Charter Review Board) **NOTIFICATION: **This is not an official, verbatim transcript of the **following meeting. It should be used for informational **purposes only. This document has not been edited; **therefore, there may be additions, deletions, or words that **did not translate. >>JAN SMITH: WELCOME TO THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CHARTER REVIEW BOARD MEETING FOR DECEMBER 28th IN THE YEAR 2000. WOULD YOU PLEASE JOIN MR. BEDKE AND THE BOARD FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. [ PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE ] >>JAN SMITH: I'D LIKE TO TAKE JUST ONE MINUTE, BOARD MEMBERS, AND SAY TO MR. HURLEY THAT THE ENTIRE BOARD OF THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD EXTENDS THEIR CONDOLENCES TO YOU AND YOUR FAMILY FOR THE RECENT DEATH OF YOUR MOTHER AND WE HOPE THAT THE FOND MEMORIES THAT YOU HAVE WILL BRING COMFORT TO YOUR FAMILY AND WE THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING. MAY WE HAVE THE ROLL CALL, PLEASE. [ ROLL CALL TAKEN ] >>RECORDING SECRETARY: YOU HAVE A QUORUM. >>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU. I HAVE A NOTE ON HERE THAT WE'RE GOING TO APPROVE MINUTES, BUT I DON'T BELIEVE WE HAVE THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST MEETING TO APPROVE. AND SO, WE'LL SAVE THAT FOR OUR NEXT MEETING AND GO IMMEDIATELY TO PUBLIC COMMENT. EARLIER THIS THE EVENING, MR. HUGHES REQUESTED TEN MINUTES. AND IN A GENEROUS MOOD, I GAVE IT TO HIM. 2 [ LAUGHTER ] HE DIDN'T TAKE ME UP ON IT THEN. SO MR. HUGHES, YOU'RE FIRST ON THE LIST. DID YOU WANT TO SPEAK NOW OR WOULD YOU LIKE TO HOLD YOUR COMMENTS TO THE END? OKAY. THEN THE NEXT SPEAKER IS MR. DAN KLEMAN. AND MR. KLEMAN, I NEED TO UNDERSTAND IF YOU'RE HERE AS A MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC SPEAKING OR ARE YOU HERE SPEAKING AS THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND A MEMBER OF THE COUNTY BUDGET STAFF? >>DAN KLEMAN: I THINK I'M STUCK HERE SPEAKING AS THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR TONIGHT. >>JAN SMITH: OKAY. >>DAN KLEMAN: I'M DAN KLEMAN, HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR. AND I'M HERE TONIGHT, AS I INDICATED I WOULD TWO WEEKS AGO, WHEN I SPOKE TO YOU BRIEFLY ABOUT THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR ISSUE THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU. I INDICATED THAT I WOULD RETURN WITH SPECIFIC LANGUAGE THAT I WOULD SUGGEST TO THE BOARD IN THE EVENT THAT YOU PROCEED TO CONSIDER A CHANGE. IF I COULD, I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT YOU PASS THESE AROUND. ESSENTIALLY, WHAT I HAVE DONE IS TO PREPARE A -- THAT SECTION OF THE CHARTER, WHICH DEALS WITH THE QUALIFICATIONS AND THE APPOINTMENT AND TO INCLUDE IN LEGISLATIVE BILL DRAFTING FORMAT PROPOSED CHANGES. LET ME SUGGEST AGAIN AS I DID AT YOUR LAST MEETING THAT I 3 ACTUALLY DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THERE REALLY IS A NEED TO CHANGE THIS SECTION. I THINK YOU HAVE ALREADY -- ARE AWARE OF THE FACT THAT FRED KARL, IN FACT, MET THE QUALIFICATIONS THAT ARE OUTLINED IN THE PRESENT CHARTER, AND HE DID NOT HAVE A MASTER'S IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION WHICH HAD BEEN ONE OF YOUR QUESTIONS. FRED MARQUIS TESTIFIED BEFORE YOU AT ONE OF YOUR MEETINGS SOME TIME AGO, THAT HE CERTAINLY WOULD MEET THE QUALIFICATIONS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN THE PRESENT CHARTER LANGUAGE, AND HE DOES NOT HOLD A MASTER'S DEGREE IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, BUT THAT THE EQUIVALENCY LANGUAGE WOULD ALLOW CERTAINLY FOR THAT TO BE DONE. HOWEVER, IF THIS BOARD BELIEVES THAT THIS IS A SECTION OF THE CHARTER THAT YOU FEEL SHOULD BE CHANGED, THEN I WOULD SUGGEST TO YOU SIMPLY THAT YOU STRENGTHEN THE LANGUAGE RATHER THAN WEAKEN IT, AND THAT YOU STRENGTHEN IT BY MAKING A COUPLE OF MINOR CHANGES. IN EFFECT, YOU PROVIDE A REQUIREMENT FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE. YOU PROVIDE A REQUIREMENT FOR MEMBERSHIP IN THE INTERNATIONAL CITY AND COUNTY MANAGERS ASSOCIATION, AND ALONG WITH THAT THE REQUIREMENT THAT THERE BE AN ADHERENCE TO THE ICMA CODE OF ETHICS, WHICH IS REQUIREMENT OF MEMBERSHIP. AS I MENTIONED AT YOUR LAST MEETING, THAT IS NOT A REQUIREMENT THAT WOULD BE A PRECONDITION TO APPLYING TO THE CONDITION, BUT I SUGGEST THAT BE A CONDITION THAT WOULD BE PLACED UPON THE POSITION IN THE SAME WAY THAT RESIDENCY IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY 4 IS NOT A REQUIREMENT TO BE CONSIDERED FOR THE POSITION BUT IT IS A REQUIREMENT FOR SERVICE IN THE POSITION. AGAIN, IN CONCLUSION, I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S BROKE. BUT IF YOU BELIEVE IT IS AND THINKS IT NEEDS FIXING, THIS IS AT LEAST LANGUAGE THAT I SUGGEST WOULD BE AN IMPROVEMENT. I WOULD BE HAPPY TO RESPOND TO ANY QUESTIONS IF YOU HAVE THEM. >>JAN SMITH: MR. LaBOUR. >>STEVE LaBOUR: THANK YOU, MR. KLEMAN, FOR THE LANGUAGE. I JUST HAVE ONE QUESTION. IF SOMEONE WERE TO BE A CEO OF A LARGE CORPORATION AND DECIDED THAT THEY -- THAT PUBLIC SERVICE WAS SOMETHING THAT THEY THEN WANTED TO MOVE INTO AND ACTUALLY HAD ALL THE DEGREES THAT YOU MENTIONED HERE, THE FACT THAT THEY DIDN'T HAVE EXPERIENCE IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT, DO YOU THINK THAT WOULD PRECLUDE THEM FROM BEING A GOOD ADMINISTRATOR OR AN EFFECTIVE ADMINISTRATOR? >>DAN KLEMAN: IT'S POSSIBLE THAT THEY COULD BE. I THINK WHAT YOU ARE TRYING TO DO ARE TO SET REQUIREMENTS THAT YOU, IN FACT, SEEK OUT THE BEST. I WOULD SUBMIT TO YOU THAT I BELIEVE THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN BEING A CEO IN A PRIVATE BUSINESS SERVING A PRIVATE BOARD OF DIRECTORS THAN THERE IS BEING A CEO IN A LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND HAVING A RELATIONSHIP WITH AN ELECTED BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS. FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO KNOW WELL PRIVATE CORPORATION BOARDS OF DIRECTORS, I THINK YOU WOULD ADMIT THAT IS A DIFFERENT KIND OF PROCESS THAN THE PROCESS THAT YOU FIND WITH THE COUNTY COMMISSION OR THE CITY COUNCIL AND TEMPLE TERRACE OR WHEREVER. >>STEVE LaBOUR: I WOULD JUST ADD THEN -- PERSONALLY, I AGREE 5 WITH YOU THAT THE LANGUAGE AS IT APPEARS IN THE CHARTER IS SUFFICIENT, BUT IF WE WANTED TO CLARIFY IT MORE, I THINK LOCAL GOVERNMENT, IS MY PERSONAL OPINION, MIGHT GIVE SOME OF THE COMMISSIONERS SOME CONCERN ABOUT WHAT THAT MEANS. PERHAPS JUST SAYING "GOVERNMENT" VERSUS LOCAL GOVERNMENT MIGHT BE -- MIGHT WORK IN THAT REGARD. BUT -- I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. >>JAN SMITH: ANY OTHER COMMENTS? MS. WILLIAMS. >>DEE WILLIAMS: YOU BROUGHT THIS UP THE LAST TIME YOU SPOKE IN FRONT OF US AND HERE AGAIN TONIGHT. THE ONLY DUMB QUESTION IS THE ONE THAT WASN'T ASKED. WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT TO BELONG TO THIS INTERNATIONAL CITY AND COUNTY MANAGEMENT ASSOCIATION? >>DAN KLEMAN: I THINK THE THING THAT IT BRINGS TO THE POSITION IS A COMMITMENT TO A PROFESSIONAL CODE OF ETHICS THAT ARE A VERY IMPORTANT DISTINCTION ABOUT WHAT IT MEANS TO HAVE PROFESSIONAL MANAGEMENT IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT. I WOULD DIRECT YOUR ATTENTION TO AN AWFUL LOT OF WHAT HAS BEEN, HOW WOULD ONE CHARACTERIZE IT, SIMPLY CALL IT BAD PUBLICITY ABOUT CITY MANAGERS IN PARTICULAR IN MIAMI AND DADE COUNTY OR PLACES LIKE THAT, NONE OF WHOM WERE MEMBERS OF ICMA, NONE OF WHOM WERE COMMITTED TO THE SAME PROFESSIONAL CODE OF ETHICS. I THINK IT RAISES THE BAR, IT SETS THE STANDARD IN THE SAME WAY AS BEING A MEMBER OF THE BAR, BEING AN ATTORNEY, BEING A MEMBER OF THE BAR HAS A REQUIREMENT TO COMMIT TO A CODE OF 6 PROFESSIONAL ETHICS. >>DEE WILLIAMS: OKAY. THANKS. >>DAN KLEMAN: THAT'S WHY. >>JAN SMITH: ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? THE ONLY THING I WOULD SAY, MR. KLEMAN, TO COMMENT ON WHAT YOU JUST SAID WAS HAVING HAD EXPERIENCE IN ACCOUNTING AND GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTING, AND THEN IN THE PRIVATE BUSINESS. THERE'S A VAST DIFFERENCE IN HOW THINGS ARE DONE AND TO HAVE THE REQUIREMENT FOR PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION IS CERTAINLY SOMETHING I WOULD NOT WANT TO EVER SEE OUT OF HERE. IS THERE A WAY THAT THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS THROUGH AN ADMINISTRATIVE CODE WOULD EVER MAKE THAT A REQUIREMENT AS OPPOSED TO PUTTING IT -- I KNOW IT HAS MORE TEETH IN THE CHARTER, BUT HAS IT EVER BEEN DISCUSSED WITH YOUR BOARD, AND DO THEY PAY YOUR MEMBERSHIP -- >>DAN KLEMAN: I DON'T THINK IT HAS BEEN DISCUSSED, AT LEAST THAT I'VE BEEN AWARE OF. >>JAN SMITH: ARE THERE ANY OTHER COMMENTS? >>GERALD WHITE: I HAVE A THOUGHT. >>JAN SMITH: MR. WHITE. >>GERALD WHITE: MR. KLEMAN, YOU KNOW, EARLIER IN OUR MEETINGS I MADE THE COMMENT THAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA, BETTY CASTOR, DIDN'T MEET THOSE SPECIFIC QUALIFICATIONS, BUT YET SHE HAD DONE AN OUTSTANDING JOB. TO BE FAIR TO CITIZENS TO CRY TO WEAKEN THE STANDARD FOR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR FOR OUR COUNTY, IS THERE A LEGITIMATE 7 ARGUMENT FOR SUCH A THING, TO WEAKEN THE QUALIFICATIONS? >>DAN KLEMAN: LEGITIMATE ARGUMENT FOR PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR POSITION? >>GERALD WHITE: VERSUS CEO QUALIFICATIONS? >>DAN KLEMAN: I THINK I WOULD ARGUE THAT THERE IS. A COMBINATION OF A PROFESSIONAL COURSE OF STUDY ALONG WITH EXPERIENCE IN MANAGEMENT IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS CLEARLY WHAT HAS BEEN PROVEN TO BE THE CASE ALL OVER THE COUNTRY TO BE THE BEST TRAINING AND REASONABLE REQUIREMENTS FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE JUDGED TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS BUSINESS AND WHO SERVE THEIR COMMUNITIES WELL. THAT'S NOT TO SUGGEST THAT THERE AREN'T A WHOLE LOT OF EXTREMELY GOOD PEOPLE WHO HAVE A LOT OF QUALIFICATIONS TO DO A LOT OF THINGS, BUT I THINK WHAT YOU'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT IS WHERE DO YOU WANT TO SET THE BAR FOR WHERE YOU START THE CONSIDERATION. TYPICALLY IN A CHARTER, YOU SET THE BAR AT SOME PLACE SO AS TO SUGGEST YOU AUTOMATICALLY RULE OUT CAMPAIGN MANAGERS, A WHOLE HOST OF OTHER KINDS OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE POLITICAL EXPERIENCE, BUT NOT NECESSARILY PROFESSIONAL MANAGERIAL EXPERIENCE. AND, AGAIN, THAT'S A BODY OF PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE. >>GERALD WHITE: THANK YOU. >>JAN SMITH: MR. HURLEY. >>DAVID HURLEY: I THINK BY LOCAL GOVERNMENT EXPERIENCE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ANY LOCAL GOVERNMENT, NOT NECESSARILY HILLSBOROUGH, CITY OF TAMPA, PLANT CITY, OR TEMPLE TERRACE. 8 IT COULD BE ORANGE COUNTY, DUVAL. >>DAN KLEMAN: COULD BE ORANGE COUNTY, DUVAL, COULD BE ALASKA. BECAUSE I THINK WHAT'S COMMON IS DEALING WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT ISSUES, LOCAL COMMUNITY PROBLEM SOLVING, THE POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AN ELECTED BOARD AND A CEO WHO IS A PROFESSIONAL, BUT CLEARLY FUNCTIONS IN AN ARENA THAT CAN OCCASIONALLY BE POLITICAL. >>DAVID HURLEY: OCCASIONALLY. >>DAN KLEMAN: OCCASIONALLY, NOT ALWAYS. >>JAN SMITH: AS IN MOST OF THE TIME. MR. WHITE. >>GERALD WHITE: I HAVE A QUESTION FOR A FOLLOW-UP. THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE -- IS THE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR QUALIFICATIONS AT THE SAME LEVEL? >>DAN KLEMAN: THEY ARE ROUGHLY THE SAME. THEY ARE NOT WRITTEN INTO THE CHARTER, OBVIOUSLY. THEY ARE WRITTEN INTO THE JOB DESCRIPTIONS FOR THOSE POSITIONS FOR THE DEPUTY COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND THE ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR POSITIONS. >>GERALD WHITE: SO IS THERE A POSSIBILITY -- I GUESS THERE WOULD BE A POSSIBILITY THEN IF THE BOARD PLACED ON THE BALLOT AND IT BECAME REALITY THE WEAKENING THE ADMINISTRATOR'S QUALIFICATIONS, THEN THERE IS A STRONG POSSIBILITY THAT THE ASSISTANT COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR QUALIFICATIONS COULD BE WEAKENED AS WELL. >>DAN KLEMAN: THEY COULD BE. THEY WOULDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE. 9 I HESITATE TO REALLY HAVE THIS WHOLE DISCUSSION WITH YOU BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO ENCOURAGE LONG DISCUSSION ABOUT THE APPOINTMENT OF A COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR. >>GERALD WHITE: THANK YOU. >>DAN KLEMAN: I WOULD BE HAPPY TO GET OUT OF YOUR WAY. I KNOW YOU HAVE IMPORTANT ISSUES ON YOUR AGENDA. >>JAN SMITH: WELL, I THINK WE ARE GOING TO TAKE THIS DISCUSSION UP LATER ON IN OUR AGENDA. SO I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING IT TO US NOW. >>DAN KLEMAN: MY PLEASURE. >>JAN SMITH: AND I DIDN'T KNOW WHETHER YOU WANTED -- SPEAKING OF QUALIFICATIONS, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOUR COUNTY BUDGET STAFF MEMBER WHO IS HERE, WHO WE KNOW HAVE WONDERFUL QUALIFICATIONS. >>DAN KLEMAN: I COULD, IN FACT, DO THAT. THE MAN THAT'S GOING TO RESPOND TO THE INQUIRY THAT I RECEIVED FROM MS. MERRITT ASKING FOR SOMEONE FROM THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION TO ADDRESS THE 3% OPERATING BUDGET CAP ISSUE IS ERIC JOHNSON. ERIC IS THE DIRECTOR OF THE MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET DEPARTMENT, A POSITION THAT HE'S HELD FOR, I GUESS, TEN YEARS OR MORE. ERIC IS AN ECONOMIST BY PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND, HAS A LONG EXPERIENCE IN BUDGETING IN THIS LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND IN SOME OTHERS, AS WELL AS EXPERIENCE WITH THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND I KNOW HE WILL JUST DELIGHT YOU AND CHARM YOU AS ONLY BUDGET SUBJECTS CAN. [ LAUGHTER ] 10 >>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU, MR. KLEMAN. PERHAPS YOU COULD TELL US JUST FOR A MINUTE WHAT IT IS THAT YOU ARE CURRENTLY DOING AND WHAT DEGREE YOU ARE ABOUT TO ACHIEVE. >>ERIC JOHNSON: I THINK THAT HAS BEEN SET UP. THE ONE THING THAT DAN DID NOT MENTION IS I AM AN ECONOMIST AND HAD 21 YEARS IN GOVERNMENT. FOR THE PAST FIVE YEARS I HAVE BEEN GOING TO SCHOOL AT NIGHT TO EARN AN MPA. I HAVE WHAT IS CALLED A PROBLEM REPORT STILL TO DO AND I WILL BE DONE WITH THAT AND THEN I AM ELIGIBLE TO BE CONSIDERED FOR A COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR POSITION, BUT NOT SEEKING THAT. [ LAUGHTER ] BUT I'M HAPPY IN MY CURRENT POSITION. I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME TONIGHT. SOME OF YOU KNOW ME, AND SOME OF YOU I KNOW DON'T. YOU RAISED AN ISSUE TWO WEEKS AGO CONCERNING A POTENTIAL REFERENDUM QUESTION THAT WOULD INVOLVE AN EXPENDITURE LIMITATION ON THE COUNTY'S OPERATING BUDGET, AND YOU RAISED CERTAIN QUESTIONS. IN REVIEWING THE TRANSCRIPT FOR THAT LAST MEETING, I RECOGNIZE THAT IN ORDER TO REALLY ADDRESS THIS ISSUE AND TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE ANSWERS TO SOME OF THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS YOU ASKED, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT YOU UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE COMPLEXITY OF THE BUDGET BECAUSE YOU'RE CONSIDERING A LIMITATION THAT WOULD IMPACT WHAT WE REALLY CONSIDERED TO BE AN EXTREMELY COMPLEX BUDGET, AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO IS TO 11 THE EXTENT THAT YOU WILL ALLOW ME TONIGHT, TO GO THROUGH GIVING YOU KIND OF AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT DRIVE A BUDGET, WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT CAUSE A BUDGET TO BE AS COMPLEX AS IT IS, BECAUSE THAT'S SOMETHING CERTAINLY THAT OVER THE YEARS WE'VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY HOW COME IT IS SO DIFFICULT TO UNDERSTAND AND YOU HAVE ALREADY TAPPED INTO A LOT OF THAT. GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTING STANDARDS ARE DIFFERENT OF HOW WE DO BUSINESS THAN FOR PRIVATE BUSINESS. AND I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT THE FUND STRUCTURE, BECAUSE AS YOU TALK ABOUT THE OPERATING BUDGET, IT CROSSES A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT TYPE OF SERVICES FUNDED IN A VARIETY OF DIFFERENT WAYS. THAT HAS SOME SIGNIFICANT IMPLICATIONS AND THAT LEADS TO YOUR QUESTIONS, WHICH WERE WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS. AND AS WE GO THROUGH THAT, AND I RESPOND TO YOUR SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, YOU ARE GOING TO FIND THAT I REALLY DON'T CONSIDER THERE TO BE PROS AND CONS. I CONSIDER THERE TO BE IMPLICATIONS AND DEPENDING ON YOUR STANDING ON THIS ISSUE, YOU'LL DETERMINE WHETHER THEY ARE PROS AND CONS. I APOLOGIZE FOR SENDING YOU MATERIALS OVER THE HOLIDAYS AND MAYBE WITH LUCK YOU DIDN'T RECEIVE THEM UNTIL AFTER THE HOLIDAYS, BUT TO KIND OF FURTHER YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE BUDGET ISSUES. WHAT I SENT YOU WERE TWO DOCUMENTS. ONE IS THE TAXPAYERS' GUIDE TO THE HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY BUDGET, 12 WHICH IS SOMETHING WE'VE DONE SINCE 1993. SOMETHING WE PRODUCED UNDERSTANDING THAT WE NEEDED TO COME UP WITH A MORE DIGESTIBLE WAY OF DESCRIBING THE COUNTY'S BUDGET. I WANT TO REFERENCE THAT BECAUSE IT IS VERY GERMANE TO YOUR DISCUSSION OF WHAT DRIVES THE BUDGET, AND, THEREFORE, HOW YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSTRAIN THE GROWTH IN THE BUDGET. I'VE ALSO SENT YOU JUST THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SECTION OF OUR PRINTED BUDGET DOCUMENT, BUT WHAT YOU'VE RECEIVED TONIGHT, AS I PROMISED IN MY LETTER TO YOU IS THE BUDGET ON A COMPACT DISK. YOU'LL HAVE THE ENTIRE DOCUMENT INCLUDING THE CAPITAL, THE TAXPAYERS' GUIDE AS WELL. IT DOES HAVE ADOBE ACROBAT SO IT IS SELF-LOADING AND BRING UP THE SOFTWARE NECESSARY TO READ THIS. YOU CAN, IN FACT, PRINT OUT ANY OF THE DOCUMENT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PRINTING OUT AND IT WILL LOOK LIKE A PRINTED FORM. THAT'S SOME BACKGROUND. I HOPE THAT BARBARA HAS HANDED OUT A DOCUMENT TITLED "PRESENTATION TO THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD ON A PROPOSAL TO ENACT BUDGET EXPENDITURE LIMITATIONS." WHAT I TRIED TO DO HERE IS LAY OUT AN OUTLINE TO FILL IN THE BLANKS WITH AS MUCH NARRATIVE AS POSSIBLE. I WILL FOLLOW THROUGH THIS, BUT I WILL BE PLEASED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS AS I GO. TO START, ONE OF THE THINGS WE TALK ABOUT IN THE TAXPAYERS' GUIDE, AS I SAID, IS THE COMPLEXITY OF THE BUDGET. 13 WHY IS THE BUDGET AS COMPLEX AS IT IS? WHY IS IT DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT WE ARE DOING AND HOW WE ARE DOING IT? THERE ARE A VARIETY OF REASONS. IT STARTS WITH THE FACT THAT JUST LIKE PRIVATE SECTOR BUSINESS, THERE ARE ACCOUNTING STANDARDS THAT ARE APPLIED NATIONWIDE TO GOVERNMENT. SET BY A DIFFERENT ORGANIZATION. THE GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTING STANDARDS BOARD BETTER KNOWN AS GASB. JUST LIKE WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR, THEY SET STANDARDS SO THERE IS CONSISTENT FINANCIAL REPORTING. LOOK AT DIFFERENT GOVERNMENTS AND HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THEY ARE PERFORMING, AND THE GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTING STANDARDS RECOGNIZES THE FACT THAT THE TYPE OF INFORMATION THAT'S IMPORTANT TO MANAGERS AND GOVERNMENT ARE NOT NECESSARILY THE SAME MEASURES THAT ARE IMPORTANT IN PRIVATE INDUSTRY. WE DON'T HAVE A PROFIT MARGIN. WE DON'T HAVE VARIOUS STATISTICS THAT ARE RELEVANT IN A SECTOR THAT IS LOOKING AT THE PERFORMANCE OF A BUSINESS FOR ITS SHAREHOLDERS. WE ARE LOOKING AT THE PERFORMANCES OF GOVERNMENT IN MEETING THE EXPECTATIONS OF TAXPAYERS, RESIDENTS AND BUSINESSES AND ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS SOME USE OF THE SERVICES WE PROVIDE. SO WE START WITH A STANDARD THAT IS ADOPTED NATIONWIDE, AND JUST LIKE MOST STATES, THE STATE OF FLORIDA, BY FLORIDA STATUTE, REQUIRES THAT WE FOLLOW THOSE. 14 THAT'S NOT ON OPTION. THERE ARE STANDARDS THAT ARE SET AND WE ARE REQUIRED BY FLORIDA LAW TO FOLLOW THOSE STANDARDS. AND THEN WE GO BEYOND THAT. THERE ARE A VARIETY OF STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES THAT PROVIDE FUNDING TO THE COUNTY. SOMETIMES THE STATE IS A CONDUIT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, BUT IN RETURN FOR AGREEING TO PROVIDE US MONEY, WE'RE REQUIRED TO AGREE TO FOLLOW CERTAIN REPORTING REQUIREMENTS. AND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FOLLOW THEM, WE ARE AUDITED ON A REGULAR BASIS BY STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES. AND SO, IN RETURN FOR ACCEPTING STATE AND FEDERAL FUNDS, THE BUDGET BECOMES EVEN MORE COMPLEX. WE HAVE TO SET MONEY ASIDE. WE HAVE TO FOLLOW DIFFERENT RULES, CERTAIN STANDARDS TO ENSURE THAT THE MONEY IS COMMINGLED WITH OTHER MONEY AND RETAINS THE CHARACTER OF THE PROBLEM FOR WHICH IT WAS INTENDED. SO THAT ADDS ADDITIONAL COMPLEXITY TO THE BUDGET, AND AS A LARGE COUNTY WITH A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS WHICH I WILL DISCUSS IN A MOMENT, THAT ADDS SIGNIFICANT COMPLEXITY TO THE BUDGET. AND THEN THE NEXT STEP IS, AT THE LOCAL LEVEL, WE ADOPT ORDINANCES ON A REGULAR BASIS AND MANY OF THOSE FURTHER DEFINE HOW THE BUDGET WILL BE ESTABLISHED. AND WHAT'S INTERESTING IS ONE OF THE FACTORS THAT SOMETIMES MAKES IT HARD FOR THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND THE BUDGET IS THE FACT THAT WE ARE TRYING TO BE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PUBLIC AND LIVING UP TO PROMISES THAT SAY, IF YOU ADOPT BY RESOLUTION -- 15 BY -- EXCUSE ME, BY REFERENDUM, A PARTICULAR FORM OF FUNDING, FOR EXAMPLE, THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT TAX, THAT WE WILL SET THAT ASIDE, VERY CLEAR HOW WE SPEND IT. WE WILL SPEND IT ON EXACTLY THE LIST OF PROJECTS WE DISCUSS WE WOULD SPEND IT ON, THAT WILL HOLD PUBLIC HEARINGS BEFORE WE'LL SPEND IT ON ANY OTHER PROJECTS. WHAT THAT MEANS IS THAT WE CAN'T COMMINGLE THOSE FUNDS WITH ANYTHING ELSE. WE SET THEM ASIDE, AND, AGAIN, THAT ADDS TO THE COMPLEXITY OF THE BUDGET. THAT'S THE WAY WE ARE ABLE TO RESPOND TO THE CITIZENS BY ENSURING THAT WHEN THEY TRUST US WITH THEIR MONEY, THAT WE SPEND IT ACCORDING TO THE STANDARDS THAT WERE SET. SO THE COMPLEXITY OF THE BUDGET IS OUTLINED. IF YOU LOOK AT TAXPAYERS' GUIDE, IT TALKS ABOUT SEVERAL OF THESE ISSUES ON PAGE 4, BUT ESSENTIALLY, A VARIETY OF STANDARDS, SOME OF THEM SELF-IMPOSED THAT MAKE THIS A FAIRLY COMPLICATED BUDGET. PART TWO OF THE TAXPAYERS' GUIDE GOES INTO WHAT ARE THE FACTORS THAT SPECIFICALLY DRIVE WHAT WE DESCRIBE SOMETIMES AS THE DAY-TO-DAY BUDGET OR THE OPERATING BUDGET, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE MEDIA LIKES TO LOOK AT THE BOTTOM LINE, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, THE BOTTOM LINE MEETS A LOT OF ACCOUNTING REQUIREMENTS, BUT IT INCLUDES A LOT OF MONEY THAT GETS MOVED BACK AND FORTH AND HAS TO BE COUNTED EVERY TIME IT MOVES. WHAT THE PUBLIC REALLY LOOKS AT IS WHAT ARE THE DOLLARS THAT PAY FOR DAY-TO-DAY SERVICES. 16 AND SO, FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, EVER SINCE MY BOSS, ED HUNZEKER CAME TO THE COUNTY, WE FOCUSED ON WHAT IS THE OPERATING BUDGET, AND WE DEFINED THAT SO THAT WE COULD FOCUS THE ATTENTION ON THAT. THAT IS WHAT PAYS FOR DAY-TO-DAY SERVICES. THERE ARE A VARIETY OF FACTORS THAT DRIVE THAT OVER TIME. INFLATION IS ONE THAT YOU TALKED ABOUT TWO WEEKS AGO. INFLATION IS CERTAINLY A FACTOR FOR US. WE MAY SEE IT BECOME A LITTLE BIT MORE OF A FACTOR BECAUSE IT APPEARS TO BE POTENTIALLY MOVING UP A LITTLE BIT, BUT INFLATION IS A FACTOR. AND WE LOOK AT INFLATION, SPECIFICALLY IN THE TYPES OF THINGS WE PURCHASE. WE DON'T TYPICALLY LOOK AT THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX BECAUSE WE ARE NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF BUYING A LOT OF FOOD AND DIAPERS. WE ARE IN THE BUSINESS OF BUYING FUEL AND VEHICLES AND THE SERVICES OF EMPLOYEES AND CONSULTANTS AND OTHER TYPICAL EXPENDITURES OF GOVERNMENT. SO WE LOOK AT PRICE INDEXES THAT ARE RELEVANT TO WHAT WE DO. I REFERENCE ON PAGE 1 A BOARD POLICY THAT THE BOARD ADOPTED PROBABLY ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO ON PAGE ES-67 OF THAT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY THAT I PROVIDED TO YOU. SPECIFICALLY WHAT THE BOARD IS COMMITTED TO DO IS TO MAINTAIN PAY COMPARABILITY. AND THE COMPARABILITY STANDARD THAT THEY SET IS WHAT IS CALLED A 50th PERCENTILE. WHAT MEANS THAT HALF OF THE PRIVATE AND PUBLIC EMPLOYERS THAT 17 WE PREPARE OURSELF TO DO BETTER THAN WE DO AND HALF WILL DO WORSE AT THE MIDPOINT. WON'T GET THE BEST EMPLOYEES, BUT CERTAINLY WON'T END UP GETTING THE LEAST QUALIFIED PEOPLE. AND THAT'S AN ANNUAL ASSESSMENT AGAINST A LARGE GROUP OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EMPLOYERS. SO THAT'S ONE OF THE FACTORS THAT DRIVES US, BECAUSE WE'VE MADE THAT COMMITMENT. WE STARTED OUT WITH A HIGHER COMMITMENT WHEN TIMES WERE TOUGH, WE BACKED OFF TO THIS LOWER LEVEL. ANOTHER THING THAT WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT REALLY DRIVES THE BUDGET IS, WE'RE A GROWING COMMUNITY. THE POPULATION HAS GROWN, I THINK ROUGHLY 1.5% BY YEAR FASTER IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE THE POPULATION GROWTH OCCURS. BUT THE INTERESTING THING IS, IF YOU LOOK AT POPULATION GROWTH, AND WE TEND IN THAT TAXPAYERS' GUIDE TO LOOK AT FIVE-YEAR INCREMENTS. YEAR TO YEAR THINGS GO UP AND DOWN AND THAT CAN DISTORT THE PICTURE. IF YOU LOOK AT A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME YOU GET A BETTER PERSPECTIVE. BUT THE THING THAT WE HAVE DISCOVERED IS IF YOU LOOK AT SOME INDIVIDUAL SERVICES THAT, THE DEMAND FOR THOSE SERVICES IS GROWING SIGNIFICANTLY FASTER THAN THE POPULATION. AND IN THE TAXPAYERS' GUIDE, WE GRAB A FEW SAMPLES. ONE OF THEM IS, IF YOU LOOK AT -- LET ME GIVE YOU A PAGE 18 REFERENCE, AND I REALIZE THIS MAY BE ONE THAT YOU ARE CONSIDERING EXCLUDING. BUT LAW ENFORCEMENT IS CERTAINLY ONE OF THE THINGS PEOPLE CAN IDENTIFY WITH AND LET ME USE THAT AS AN EXAMPLE. IF YOU LOOK ON PAGE 16 OF THE TAXPAYERS' GUIDE, I'LL JUST TELL YOU WHAT THE CHART SHOWS. FROM 1993 WHEN THERE WERE 493,000 CALLS FOR SERVICE TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, TO 1998 WHEN THERE WERE 757,000, THE NUMBER OF CALLS THAT THEY WERE ASKED TO RESPOND TO INCREASED 54% IN FIVE YEARS. TAKE OUT THE COMPOUNDING, AND THAT'S STILL AN ANNUAL INCREASE OF 9%. SO I THINK ONE OF THE KEYS THAT WE WOULD POINT OUT TO YOU AS YOU START TO UNDERSTAND WHAT DRIVES THE BUDGET IS THE FACT THAT, YES, POPULATION IS A FACTOR, AND POPULATION HAS GROWN ABOUT 1.5%. BUT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS CERTAINLY GOT TO RESPOND TO THE FACT THAT THEY ARE LOOKING AT HOW MANY CALLS THEY HAVE TO RESPOND TO OVER THAT FIVE-YEAR PERIOD. THEY AVERAGED 9%. YOU CAN FIND OTHER MEASURES. WE COUNT HOW MANY PEOPLE ASK REFERENCE QUESTIONS AT LIBRARIES. WE'RE LOOKING AT HOW MANY FIRE STATIONS WE OPERATE. WE OPEN DURING THAT SAME PERIOD OF TIME TWO NEW FIRE STATIONS. SO OBVIOUSLY, THAT WAS A FACTOR DRIVING THE BUDGET IN TRYING TO MAINTAIN A RESPONSE TIME AND THE LEVEL OF SERVICE WE PROVIDE THE COMMUNITY. 19 SO SERVICE BY SERVICE, THERE ARE DIFFERENT FACTORS THAT DRIVE IT, AND THE FACTORS WILL GROW AT DIFFERENT RATES, DEPENDING ON WHAT TYPE OF A SERVICE IT IS. SO DEMAND FOR SERVICE IS A FACTOR. SOMETIMES YOU LOOK AT POPULATION AS KIND OF A PROXY, BUT MOST PROGRAM AREAS LOOK FOR WHAT IS A DEMAND FOR THE SERVICE. THE FIND ITEM I FIND LISTED ON PAGE 1 ARE REGULATORY CHANGES. WHAT'S INTERESTING IS WE TEND TO THINK OF UNFUNDED MANDATES. THE COMPLAINT OF GOVERNMENT THAT STATE OR FEDERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES ARE IMPOSING UNFUNDED MANDATES ON US, AND, IN FACT, WE TOOK THE STATE ON RECENTLY WITH THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT TO TRY TO FORCE THE STATE TO PICK UP THE COST OF RUNNING THE STATE COURT SYSTEM, BECAUSE COUNTIES HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY FINANCED STATE COURT SYSTEM FOR YEARS. THAT'S AN UNFUNDED MANDATE. BUT THE INTERESTING THING IS, LET ME GIVE YOU ONE MORE UNFUNDED MANDATE, AND THAT IS, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT OBLIGATES STATE GOVERNMENTS TO MATCH FEDERAL MONEY FOR MEDICAID, EXCEPT THE STATE HAS DECIDED TO PASS THAT ON TO COUNTIES. SO WE PAY $6 MILLION A YEAR IN MATCHING FEDERAL FUNDS TO MEDICAID. AND THAT'S A STATE REQUIREMENT. WE HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO PARTICIPATE IN THAT. BUT EVEN THOUGH UNFUNDED MANDATES TEND TO BE A CONCERN, WHEN YOU START TO LOOK AT GROWTH IN THE OPERATING BUDGET, EVEN FUNDED MANDATES ARE A CONCERN. 20 WHY? BECAUSE THE BUDGET GOES UP EVERY TIME THE STATE GIVES US MONEY AND TELLS US TO DO SOMETHING. IN TERMS OF FACTORS THAT DRIVE THE BUDGET, NOT JUST THESE UNFUNDED MANDATES THAT YOU HEAR SO OFTEN US COMPLAINING ABOUT, BUT EVEN THE FACT THAT IF YOU DON'T WANT THE BUDGET TO GROW, FUNDED MANDATES ARE JUST AS BAD, BECAUSE THEY REQUIRE THE BUDGET TO GROW OVER TIME. AND THEN ON PAGE TWO, I TALKED ABOUT A FINAL ISSUE, WHICH IS LOCAL INITIATIVES. THE BUDGET GROWS BECAUSE WE AS A COMMUNITY DECIDES WHAT SERVICES WE WANT AND HOW WE WANT TO PROVIDE THEM. ONE OF THINGS WE DID, AND WE VOTED FOR THIS AT LEAST A COUPLE OF TIMES, I THINK, AND THAT'S THE PENNY FOR POTHOLES, WHERE THE PUBLIC VOTED AN ADDITIONAL 1-CENT GASOLINE TAX ON OURSELVES, AND THAT'S USED SPECIFICALLY TO MAINTAIN ROADS. THAT'S HOW WE, IN THE COUNTY, RESURFACE OUR ROADS. POTHOLES ARE PAID FOR WITH OTHER SOURCES, BUT THE CONTRACTS WITH PRIVATE PROVIDERS TO GO OUT AND RESURFACE ROADS ARE IN LARGE PART FUNDED WITH SEVERAL MILLIONS OF DOLLARS A YEAR WE RECEIVE FROM THAT PENNIES FOR POTHOLES. LOCAL INITIATIVES DRIVE THE BUDGET FROM TIME TO TIME. WE AS A COMMUNITY DECIDE THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE NOT DONE THAT WE WANT TO DO OURSELVES. SOMETIMES THEY ARE APPROVED THROUGH REFERENDA, LIKE THE PENNY FOR POTHOLES, SOMETIMES THE BOARD APPROVES THEM THROUGH PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS. 21 SO THAT'S A FAIRLY QUICK REVIEW OF SOME OF THE MAJOR FACTORS THAT DRIVE THE OPERATING BUDGET OVER TIME. I'D LIKE TO JUST QUICKLY TELL YOU A COUPLE OF THINGS FROM THAT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY. 60-SOME PAGES, BUT I WANT TO FOCUS ON JUST A COUPLE OF PAGES IN THERE, BECAUSE I REALIZE YOU REALLY HAVEN'T HAD MUCH OF A BUDGET DISCUSSION, EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE BEEN MEETING FOR MANY MONTHS. AND LET ME JUST TELL YOU, ON PAGE ES-17, THERE'S A GRAPHIC THAT WE PUT IN TO HELP PEOPLE UNDERSTAND NOT JUST THE STATE CATEGORIES OF THE BUDGET THAT WE HAVE TO USE FOR STATE REPORTING, BECAUSE TO BE HONEST, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL UNDERSTAND WHAT ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT OR PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT WOULD NECESSARILY MEAN. SO WHAT WE'VE LAID OUT ON THAT PAGE ARE SOME OF THE MAJOR TYPES OF SERVICES THAT THE COUNTY PROVIDES, BECAUSE WE HAVE A WIDE VARIETY THAT ARE ALL ENCOMPASSED BY THIS HUGE BUDGET. LAW ENFORCEMENT, BY THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, OPERATION OF JAILS, FIRE PROTECTION, AMBULANCE, DISASTER RELIEF, ANIMAL CONTROL, CONSUMER PROTECTION, THOSE ALL COME UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF PUBLIC SAFETY. IN TERMS OF WHAT THE STATE CALLS "PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT," WE HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF WATER SERVICE, THAT'S POTABLE WATER, THEN WASTEWATER, STORMWATER. NOW TO TRY TO NOT PUT ALL OF THE WATER BACK INTO THE BAY, THEY HAVE RECLAIMED WATER AS AN ADDITIONAL SERVICE WE PROVIDE. WE ARE VERY HEAVILY INTO LAND CONSERVATION WITH OUR E.L.A.P.P. 22 LAND PROGRAM. THAT IS A VOTER INITIATIVE TO APPROVE US TO COMMIT $100 MILLION OVER 20 YEARS TOWARDS SETTING ASIDE LAND WHILE IT IS STILL IN A PRISTINE STATE. AND THEN, OF COURSE, WE HAVE THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION COMMISSION WHICH DEALS WITH ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES. AGAIN, THE LOCAL AGENCY DEALING WITH THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT. WE'RE HEAVILY INTO TRANSPORTATION. AND I WON'T GO TOO FAR INTO THAT BECAUSE THAT HAS BEEN A HUGE PUBLIC DEBATE. AND WE DO HAVE SUBSIDIES OF TRANSIT IMBEDDED IN THE COUNTY'S BUDGET. ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT. WE ARE HEAVILY INVOLVED IN INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT. WORK WITH THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TO TRY TO BRING INDUSTRY AS A WAY TO IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITY. WE DEAL WITH SPECIALIZED SERVICES, IN TERMS OF HOUSING AND DEALING WITH OUR LARGE VETERAN POPULATION. AND THROUGH THE MUNICIPALITIES, WE PARTICIPATE IN THEIR REDEVELOPMENT EFFORT. WE ARE A CONDUIT TO THE MUNICIPALITIES. YOU ARE WELL AWARE OF WHAT'S BEING DONE IN YBOR, AND AS THE GROWTH OF TAX REVENUE FLOW INTO THE COUNTY AS A RESULT OF YBOR, WE TURN THAT MONEY OVER TO THE CITY OF TAMPA BECAUSE THAT IS A REDEVELOPMENT AREA. SO WE ARE A CONDUIT. OUR TAX LEVY GENERATES MONEY THAT WE TURN OVER TO TAMPA. 23 THEY INVEST THAT IN PAYING OFF THE IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY HAVE MADE IN YBOR, AND IT IS BENEFICIAL TO THE COMMUNITY. HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES IS ONE OF THE TYPICAL COUNTY RESPONSIBILITIES. WE ARE IN THE SOCIAL SERVICE BUSINESS. WE HAVE HEALTH CARE WHICH IS A HUGE PROGRAM THAT HAS HAD A LOT OF DEBATE RECENTLY. WE ARE INTO CHILDREN'S PROGRAMS, WE'RE INTO HOUSING -- EXCUSE ME, SENIOR CITIZENS PROGRAMS, DELIVERED MEALS, HOME-DELIVERED MEALS AND CONGREGATE LIVING SITES. HELPING PEOPLE WITH UTILITY BILLS, LIKE RENTAL ASSISTANCE TO GET THEM BACK ON THEIR FEET. CULTURAL RECREATION IS ANOTHER MAJOR AREA. IN FACT, I HAVE WORKED AS A CONSULTANT IN COST ACCOUNTING FOR SOME OTHER COMMUNITIES, AND THE THING I FOUND INTERESTING HERE IS THAT RECREATION IS FREQUENTLY ONE OF THE LOWEST PRIORITIES IN OTHER COMMUNITIES, BUT HERE IT HAS BEEN A FAIRLY HIGH PRIORITY. WE HAD A REFERENDUM YEARS AGO, I THINK BACK IN THE '70s TO BUILD A WHOLE NETWORK OF MAJOR PARKS, LETTUCE LAKE, MEDARD, UPPER TAMPA BAY. AND MORE RECENTLY IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA, ANOTHER REFERENDUM TO MAKE ADDITIONAL IMPROVEMENTS IN THOSE LOCAL PARKS, THE ONES THAT YOU WALK TO OR DRIVE TO TO PLAY BALL. SO WE'VE HAD A SIGNIFICANT COMMITMENT BY OUR COMMUNITY TO CULTURAL AND RECREATION PROGRAMS. AND RECENTLY, WE'VE MADE SOME COMMITMENTS TO SIGNIFICANTLY 24 EXPAND OUR LIBRARY SYSTEM. COURTS IS AN ISSUE FOR US. WE DEAL WITH SUBSIDIZING, AS I INDICATED. THE LAST TIME WE LOOKED AT THAT JOINT EFFORT, MY OFFICE WITH RICHARD AKE'S STAFF, WE FOUND THAT THE COUNTY'S EXPENDITURE IN THE COURT SYSTEM THAT WE BELIEVE SHOULD HAVE BEEN THE STATE'S RESPONSIBILITY WERE ABOUT $56 MILLION A YEAR. FORTUNATELY, ABOUT $36 MILLION OF THAT WAS RECOVERED THROUGH VARIOUS COURT FEES. THAT LEAVES US PUTTING $20 MILLION A YEAR INTO A STATE COURT SYSTEM. THERE ARE CERTAIN ASPECTS OF THAT THAT WE'LL ALWAYS HAVE, THAT THE ARTICLE V DISCUSSION DOESN'T ADDRESS. WE HAVE THE OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE MAINTENANCE OF THOSE FACILITIES. AN OBLIGATION TO PROVIDE BALIFFS THAT WORK IN THE COURTS. AND OF COURSE THE COURTS FEED OUR JAIL SYSTEM, AND WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO MAINTAIN JAILS. ANYWAY, THAT'S AN OVERVIEW, IF YOU HAVE YOUR EXECUTIVE SUMMARY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE CHART ON PAGE ES-18. THAT'S PROBABLY THE AREA THAT PEOPLE ARE MORE FAMILIAR WITH, BECAUSE MOST OF THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE COUNTY'S BUDGET TENDS TO BE IN THE AREA OF THE MAJOR PROPERTY TAXES THAT WE COLLECT AND SPEND ON A VARIETY OF PROGRAMS. AND I THINK THAT CHART IS INTERESTING PRIMARILY BECAUSE IT SHOWS THAT 60% OF THE MONEY WE RAISE THROUGH PROPERTY TAXES GO TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND OTHER AREAS OF PUBLIC SAFETY, FIRE 25 RESCUE, DETENTION, MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE, DISASTER RELIEF. 60% OF THOSE PROPERTY TAX DOLLARS END UP GOING BACK INTO PUBLIC SAFETY FUNCTIONS. AS YOU LOOK AT ISSUES RELATED TO THE CONTROL OF GOVERNMENT, RECOGNIZE HOW WE SPEND THE MONEY, THE VARIETY OF PROGRAMS, AND THE FOCUS OF THOSE DOLLARS. OKAY. MY OUTLINE, I'M GOING TO MOVE ON TO PAGE 3. AND JUST TALK ABOUT, AGAIN, SOME OF THE COMPLEXITIES OF THE BUDGET IN TERMS OF HOW DO WE ACTUALLY PAY FOR THESE VARIETY OF SERVICES. AND I THINK IF YOU LEAVE HERE WITH NO OTHER POINT, ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL THINGS TO UNDERSTAND IS THAT THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, BECAUSE OF HOW GOVERNMENT IS STRUCTURED AND FLORIDA HAVE A SIGNIFICANT LEVEL OF RESPONSIBILITY IN TWO AREAS. ONE IS A TYPICAL COUNTY GOVERNMENT. YOU GO AROUND THE COUNTRY, AND WHAT YOU FIND COUNTY GOVERNMENT DOING IS -- IS PROVIDING FUNDING FOR SOCIAL SERVICES IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, AND WE DO THAT. WE DO THAT WITH A COUNTYWIDE TAX LEVY THAT GOES INTO WHAT'S CALLED "THE GENERAL FUND." EVERYBODY IN THIS COMMUNITY, WHETHER THEY ARE A BUSINESS IN TAMPA OR A RESIDENT IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA, EVERYBODY CONTRIBUTES PROPERTY TAX DOLLARS TO A GENERAL FUND, AND THAT PAYS FOR THE COURT SYSTEM, THE JAILS, ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION, THOSE COUNTYWIDE PARKS THAT I NAMED EARLIER. 26 AND THAT IS A COUNTYWIDE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS. SO WE LEVY A TAX AND SET THAT MONEY ASIDE IN A COUNTYWIDE TAX FUND. NOW EVER SINCE THE '70s WHEN CITIES DISCOVERED, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT THERE WERE COUNTY GOVERNMENTS AROUND THE STATE OF FLORIDA, I WAS NOT HERE AT THE TIME, THERE WERE COUNTIES USING THAT COUNTYWIDE TAX LEVY AND PROVIDING SERVICES TO UNINCORPORATED AREAS AND IT WAS THE TYPE OF SERVICES THAT PEOPLE IN TAMPA, FOR EXAMPLE, WERE ALREADY PAYING THE CITY OF TAMPA TO PROVIDE. THINGS LIKE FIRE PROTECTION, THINGS LIKE LOCAL PARKS. AND SO THERE WERE A VARIETY OF WHAT YOU MAY HAVE HEARD DOUBLE TAXATION LAWSUITS AROUND THE STATE, AND AS A RESULT OF THAT, COUNTIES RECOGNIZE THAT THERE HAS TO BE A VERY DISTINCT SEPARATION BETWEEN COUNTYWIDE TAXES FOR COUNTYWIDE PROGRAMS AND THEN PUTTING A DIFFERENT HAT ON, AND THE BOARD RECOGNIZING THAT THEY ARE THE CITY GOVERNMENT FOR, I GUESS, AROUND 700,000 PEOPLE THAT DON'T LIVE IN TAMPA, TEMPLE TERRACE, OR PLANT CITY, SO SINCE I HAVE BEEN HERE IN THE MID-'80s. WE'VE HAD A VERY DISTINCTION. ONE IS COUNTYWIDE, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, OTHER COUNTYWIDE PROGRAMS. THE OTHER IS THE GENERAL FUND FOR THE UNINCORPORATED AREA. A BUDGET JUST LIKE TAMPA'S, BUT WE HAVE A LOT MORE PEOPLE TO SERVE THAN TAMPA. IF THAT WERE INCORPORATED, THAT WOULD BE ONE OF THE LARGEST 27 CITY IN THE STATE, IF NOT THE LARGEST. SO THERE ARE TWO TAXES. YOU CAN'T COMMINGLE THOSE MONIES. THEY ARE FOR TWO DIFFERENT PURPOSES. IF WE EVER COMMINGLED THEM, WE WOULD GET SUED AGAIN. TAMPA AUDITED US AND WE CAME THROUGH THAT VERY CLEANLY THREE YEARS AGO. WE LEARNED A LESSON FROM THE '70s AND MADE SURE WE DON'T COMMINGLE COUNTYWIDE PROGRAMS WITH UNINCORPORATED PROGRAMS. IT SOMETIMES GETS COMPLICATED, PARKS AND RECREATION IS A DEPARTMENT THAT DOES BOTH. LETTUCE LAKE PARK IS FOR ALL THE RESIDENTS OF THE COUNTY AND ALL RESIDENTS OF THE COUNTY CONTRIBUTE TO THE OPERATION OF LETTUCE LAKE PARK. SAME THING WITH MEDARD, UPPER TAMPA BAY, WILDERNESS, ALL THE OTHERS. BUT THOSE NEIGHBORHOOD PARKS AND DISTRICT PARK, THE ED RADICE DISTRICT PARK THAT WILL HAVE A MASSIVE NUMBER OF BALL FIELDS IS ONLY PAID FOR BY UNINCORPORATED BAY AREA RESIDENTS BECAUSE IT IS THE SAME TYPE OF FACILITY WE BUILD FOR THE UNINCORPORATED RESIDENTS THAT THE CITY OF TAMPA WILL GO IN TAMPA FOR TAMPA RESIDENTS. IF YOU LEAVE WITH NOTHING ELSE IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET, ONE OF THE MOST CRITICAL THINGS THAT YOU HEAR EVEN PERIPHERALLY ABOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS IS TWO SETS OF PROGRAMS, TWO TAX RATES. OVER THE LAST SIX YEARS, WE LOOKED AT OPPORTUNITIES TO CUT THAT COUNTYWIDE TAX BASE AND NOT USE THE REVENUE, ALL THE 28 REVENUE THAT WOULD COME IN BY SIMPLY HOLDING THE TAX RATE CONSTANT, BUT IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA WHERE WE'VE GOT SIGNIFICANT GROWTH, FASTER POPULATION GROWTH, THE NEED FOR THINGS LIKE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, FIRE PROTECTION, OPERATION OF ADDITIONAL PARKS FOR THE GROWING POPULATION, ROAD MAINTENANCE, WE HAVEN'T CUT THAT TAX RATE. WE'VE TAKEN THE GROWTH IN THAT TAX REVENUE -- THAT TAX BASE TO PAY FOR THE GROWING POPULATION, AND WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS REALLY TRYING TO PLAY CATCH-UP WITH THE POPULATION GROWTH THAT'S BEEN COOKING SINCE, I GUESS, THE '80s. TWO DIFFERENT GENERAL FUNDS. WE CAN'T COMMINGLE THEM. SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT SERVICES. AND THAT'S THE GENERAL FUND. THAT'S THE AREA WHERE THE BUDGET GETS THE MOST FOCUS. BUT THAT ACCOUNTS FOR $566 MILLION THIS YEAR OUT OF A MORE THAN $2 BILLION BUDGET. I NEED TO EXPLAIN WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER MONEY IN A LOT OF OTHER AREAS AND A LOT OF THAT MONEY IS THE OPERATING BUDGET AS WELL. THE NEXT REALLY COMPONENT OF THE BUDGET FROM AN ACCOUNTING STANDPOINT IS AN AREA CALLED "SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS." AND IT IS OVER $840 MILLION. AND THE INTERESTING THING THERE IS WE HAVE A COMBINATION OF PROGRAMS. I DESCRIBED THE FACT THAT THE FEDERAL AND STATE GOVERNMENTS GIVE US GRANT DOLLARS, AND THEN THEY ATTACH ALL SORTS OF 29 STRINGS TO THAT IN TERMS OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF HOW WE SPEND THE MONEY. TYPICALLY, THEY MAKE US PUT UP SOME OF OUR OWN MONEY. SO SOMETIMES WE RECEIVE FEDERAL OR STATE FUNDS. WE HAVE TO SET THEM ASIDE IN THESE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, BUT WHEN I TALKED ABOUT THE $566 MILLION OVER IN THOSE TWO GENERAL FUNDS I JUST DESCRIBED, SOME OF THAT MONEY HAS TO BE SPENT SUBSIDIZING GRANTS. WHEN WE GET $4 FROM HEAD START FOR HEAD START PROGRAM, WE HAVE TO PUT $1 OF OUR OWN UP. 80%-20% MIX. IN THE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS, WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS DOLLAR COMING IN FROM THE COUNTYWIDE GENERAL FUND BECAUSE THIS IS A SOCIAL PROGRAM I'M TALKING ABOUT MIXING WITH THE $4 THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT GIVES US AND NOW WE HAVE $5 TO SPEND ON HEAD START PROGRAM. THAT'S AN OPERATING PROGRAM. IT IS SUBSIDIZED, BUT IT IS AN OPERATING PROGRAM. AND ALL $5 SHOWS UP IN THE OPERATING BUDGET. OKAY. ANOTHER TYPE OF EXAMPLE WOULD BE -- AND THIS WOULD BE UNINCORPORATED TYPE PROGRAM. WE HAVE WHAT USED TO BE A BUILDING DEPARTMENT, NOW IT IS A DIVISION WITHIN OUR PLANNING DEPARTMENT. BUT WE HAVE RESPONSIBILITY FOR PERMITTING EVERYTHING THAT'S BUILT IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA AND ALSO HAVE RESPONSIBILITY OBVIOUSLY THEN FOR INSPECTING EVERYTHING THAT'S BEING BUILT. 30 PART OF WHAT YOU PAY FOR AND YOU PULL A BUILDING PERMIT. THAT'S A SELF-FUNDED PROGRAM. THAT'S NOT SUBSIDIZED. THEY EVEN COVER THEIR OVERHEAD. THEY EVEN COVER A PART OF THE COST OF MY OFFICE BECAUSE WE COST THINGS OUT THERE THE WAY THAT A BUSINESS WOULD COST OUT ITS SERVICES. SO THE INTERESTING THING THERE IS IT IS PART OF THIS SPECIAL REVENUE FUND. NOT PART OF OUR TAX FUNDS THAT WE FREQUENTLY TALK ABOUT. BUT IT'S SELF-SUPPORTIVE. AND WHEN THE REVENUE GENERATES MORE MONEY THAN THE NEED FOR DAY-TO-DAY SERVICES, WHAT DO THEY DO, THEY GO TO THEIR CLIENTS AND SAY DO YOU WANT MORE SERVICE? AND TYPICALLY IN RECENT YEARS THEY SAY, YES, MORE STAFF, MORE CONVENIENCE, REGIONAL SERVICE CENTERS IN THAT BUILDING DIVISION. WHY? BECAUSE IT IS EASIER FOR THE BUILDERS AND DEVELOPERS TO BE ABLE TO PULL PERMITS AND GET ABOUT THEIR BUSINESS. AN AREA OF THE OPERATING BUDGET, DAY-TO-DAY SERVICES AND SELF-SUPPORTING. AND WHEN THAT GOES UP, IT IS GOING UP BECAUSE OUR CLIENTS TELL US THEY WANT BETTER SERVICE BECAUSE IT HELPS THEM DELIVER THEIR PRODUCTS TO THEIR CLIENTS. NOW, I WANT TO INTRODUCE SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS A VERY SIGNIFICANT ISSUE. 31 IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT EXPENDITURE LIMITATION, AND THAT IS, LIKE IT OR NOT, WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF WHAT I CALL "PASS-THROUGHS" IN THE BUDGET. AND A PASS-THROUGH IS SIMPLY SOME ORGANIZATION, AND SOMETIMES WE DO IT TO OURSELF, OBLIGATING US TO TAKE MONEY, FLOW IT THROUGH OUR ACCOUNTS, AND BACK OUT THE DOOR TO PAY A BILL OR TO PROVIDE MONEY TO ANOTHER GOVERNMENT. AND I'VE GIVEN YOU ON PAGE 3 ON THE TOP OF PAGE 4 SOME OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ONES. AND LET ME JUST TELL YOU THIS BUDGET IS SO COMPLEX THAT SINCE YOUR LAST MEETING, I'VE BEEN OUT IN TEXAS TEACHING A BUDGETING SEMINAR WHEN YOU LAST MET AND I GOT BACK AND THE NEXT MORNING I HEARD FROM RALPH HUGHES ABOUT THE MEETING AND I GOT THE TRANSCRIPT AND READ IT. EVERY SINGLE DAY SINCE YOUR LAST MEETING, I'VE UNDERSTOOD ADDITIONAL IMPLICATIONS OF WHAT YOU ARE DISCUSSING. AGAIN, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT PROS AND CONS, JUST WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS. WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN AS A RESULT OF THIS. AND ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK PEOPLE PROBABLY ARE LEAST APT TO RECOGNIZE IS THAT BY REFERENDUM, WE HAVE A COMMUNITY INVESTMENT TAX, HALF-CENT SALES TAX THAT CAN ONLY BE SPENT ON, USE THE TERM THAT SOMETIMES CONFUSES PEOPLE, INFRASTRUCTURE. THINGS THAT WE BUILD. ASSETS THAT HAVE A LIFE OF AT LEAST FIVE YEARS. AND OBVIOUSLY, ONE OF THEM IS THE RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM, ONE OF THE FACTORS THAT DROVE THAT TAX. 32 PUBLIC SAFETY PROJECTS LIKE THE FALKENBURG ROAD JAIL WAS A FACTOR. A VARIETY OF TYPES OF PUBLIC SAFETY EQUIPMENT. AND WE GIVE 25% OF THAT MONEY OFF THE TOP TO THE SCHOOL BOARD. WELL, THE INTERESTING THING -- GO BACK TO GASB AND THESE ACCOUNTING STANDARDS THAT DO THEIR BEST TO CONFUSE THE BUDGET, THAT MONEY CAN ONLY BE SPENT FOR CAPITAL. BUT THE INTERESTING THING IS, UNDER ACCOUNTING STANDARDS, ANY DOLLAR THAT COMES TO US AND BY STATE LAW ALL OF THAT MONEY COMES TO THE CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT WHO THEN DISPERSES IT. WE SPEND OUR SHARE ON CAPITAL PROJECTS, BUT WHEN THE CLERK'S OFFICE CUTS A CHECK TO THE SCHOOL BOARD EVERY MONTH OR TO TAMPA, TEMPLE TERRACE, PLANT CITY, OR TO THE SPORTS AUTHORITY FOR THE STADIUM DEBT, THAT CHECK SHOWS UP IN THE OPERATING BUDGET, BECAUSE THAT TYPE OF A TRANSACTION ISN'T BUYING CAPITAL FOR US, THERE IS NO ASSET OF THE COUNTY THAT'S BEING BOUGHT. SO $45 MILLION THIS YEAR IS GOING TO BE SHOWING UP IN THE OPERATING BUDGET, AND I CALL THAT A PASS-THROUGH. MONEY THE STATE COLLECTS, SENDS BACK TO THE CLERK OF THE CIRCUIT COURT, AS THE CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER FOR THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, AND EVERY SINGLE MONTH, THE CLERK'S OFFICE PREPARES A REPORT AND ISSUES CHECKS. AND ALL OF THOSE CHECKS THAT GO OUT THE DOOR SHOW UP IN OUR OPERATING BUDGET, $45 MILLION A YEAR. THAT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST SINGLE ONE I'VE IDENTIFIED. BUT THERE ARE QUITE A FEW OTHERS. 33 IT'S INTERESTING THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS DECIDED TO DO IS TO DISTRIBUTE SIGNIFICANT FUNDING FOR A.I.D.S. PROGRAM. A SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAM. THEY DO BUSINESS WITH COUNTIES. BUT THEY DECIDED TO DO BUSINESS WITH ONLY SELECT COUNTIES. IN EACH REGION OF EACH STATE, THEY'VE SELECTED COUNTIES. WE HAPPEN TO BE THE WINNER THAT PROCESS. WE WON THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE MONEY FLOW THROUGH OUR BUDGET TO PAY FOR A.I.D.S. PROGRAMS IN A VARIETY OF OTHER COUNTIES. AND THE INTERESTING THING IS, THE MONEY DOESN'T EVEN FLOW THROUGH THE PINELLAS COUNTY BUDGET. WE CONTRACT DIRECTLY WITH PROVIDERS IN PINELLAS COUNTY, BUT IF WE DIDN'T DO THAT, WE WOULDN'T RECEIVE OUR SHARE EITHER. IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE THEY HOLD THE MONEY. THEY MAKE THE RULES. WE GET $11 MILLION. $4 MILLION GOES RIGHT BACK OUT THE DOOR TO OTHER COMMUNITIES. THAT'S A PASS-THROUGH THAT SHOWS UP IN OUR OPERATING BUDGET. WE HAVE A 5% SALES TAX ON HOTEL AND MOTEL AND ALL THESE SIGNS YOU SEE, RENT YOUR HOUSE FOR THE SUPER BOWL, THOSE ARE TAXABLE TOO, BECAUSE ANYTHING -- ANY BED THAT IS RENTED FOR, I THINK, 30 DAYS OR LESS OR MAYBE IT IS SIX MONTHS OR LESS, I SHOULD CHECK ON THAT, IS SUBJECT TO A 5% BED TAX, IN ADDITION TO OUR 6 3/4% SALES TAX. $16 MILLION A YEAR AND WE ARE THE CONDUIT. GOES RIGHT BACK OUT THE DOOR. 34 WHAT DOES IT GO OUT TO? TO SUPPORT TOURISM IN OUR COMMUNITY. GOES TO SOME AGENCIES, THE BIGGEST CHUNK GOES TO THE VISITORS AND CONVENTION BUREAU, THAT BASSES THROUGH OUR BUDGET. WHEN THAT REVENUE GOES UP BECAUSE OF THE SUPER BOWL THIS YEAR, THAT REVENUE GOES UP AS WELL. BUT AS I SAID, THE MONEY GOES RIGHT OUT THE DOOR. I ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE PENNY FOR POTHOLES. $2 MILLION OF PENNIES FOR POTHOLES THAT GO RIGHT OUT THE DOOR TO THE THREE MUNICIPALITIES. AGAIN, THE STATE COLLECTS IT. IT ALL COMES TO US. THE CLERK HAS THE OBLIGATION TO DISPERSE IT LOCALLY TO OTHER MUNICIPALITIES. THERE IS ANOTHER THING AND THIS DATES BACK TO WHEN WE WERE MORE OF A RURAL COMMUNITY. IF A COMMUNITY -- IF A DEVELOPER WANTED STREETLIGHTS, TECO WAS THE PROVIDER. TECO GOES IN AND PUT THOSE STREETLIGHTS IN. MAINTAIN THE LIGHTS AND PROVIDE ELECTRICITY AND REPLACE THE EQUIPMENT THAT'S NECESSARY. BUT TECO NEEDED A WAY TO CHARGE ALL OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS, SO WE SET UP STREETLIGHTING DISTRICTS. AND VIRTUALLY EVERY SUBDIVISION IN THE UNINCORPORATED COUNTY HAS OVER TIME BEEN SET UP AS STREETLIGHTING DISTRICT. MAY HAVE NOTICED THAT STREETLIGHTING ASSESSMENT ON YOUR ANNUAL TAX BILL. 35 WE ARE THE CONDUIT. THAT PROGRAM COST ABOUT $5 MILLION A YEAR. TECO IS THE SOLE VENDOR THAT WE DEAL WITH, BUT WE COLLECT IT, THE TAX COLLECTOR COLLECTS IT ON THE ANNUAL TAX BILL AS AN ASSESSMENT THAT'S ROUGHLY $50 A YEAR. COMES TO THE COUNTY. COUNTY WRITES A CHECK TO TECO. A $5 MILLION PASS-THROUGH. FLOWS THROUGH OUR BUDGET. PART OF THE OPERATING BUDGET THAT WE ARE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE MORE ABOUT OF HOW YOU WANT TO DEFINE IT. CERTAINLY A PASS-THROUGH. MONEY THAT IF WE DON'T COLLECT IT, WE CAN'T PAY TECO. IF WE CAN'T PAY TECO, WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO TURN OFF THOSE LIGHTS. >>JAN SMITH: EXCUSE ME, MR. JOHNSON, YOU HAVE INUNDATED US WITH TREMENDOUS AMOUNTS OF INFORMATION THAT I'M SURE ALL OF US WOULD LIKE TO HAVE MORE TIME TO STUDY. WHAT I WOULD LIKE YOU TO DO IS TO ALLOW US TO KEEP THIS, YOU KNOW, AND LET US REVIEW IT AT OUR LEISURE, BUT WOULD YOU TRY TO ADDRESS THE QUESTIONS THAT MS. MERRITT SENT TO YOU OR TAKE QUESTIONS FROM THE BOARD. >>ERIC JOHNSON: CERTAINLY. >>JAN SMITH: WE HAVE A LOT OF OTHER THINGS ON OUR AGENDA, AND I'M SORRY TO BRING THIS -- >>ERIC JOHNSON: I'M AVAILABLE AT -- AT YOUR REQUEST. SO I'LL COVER EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT TO COVER. 36 IF YOU WOULD LIKE ME TO COME BACK AT A DIFFERENT TIME TO COVER ADDITIONAL MATERIAL, I WILL. >>JAN SMITH: I THINK, FOR INSTANCE, ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS THE BOARD WANTED ANSWERED IS WHAT IS THE COUNTY'S TOTAL OPERATING EXPENSE, AND THEN WHAT PART OF THAT IS ACTUALLY UNDER THE CONTROL OF THE ADMINISTRATOR AND WHAT PART OF IT IS THE RESPONSIBILITY OF VARIOUS AGENCIES AND CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS. >>ERIC JOHNSON: OKAY. IF YOU'D LIKE, IF YOU'LL MOVE TO PAGE 5 IN YOUR HANDOUT. ACTUALLY, LET ME COVER, IF YOU DON'T MIND, ABOUT THE NEXT POINT I WAS GOING TO GET TO IS A CRITICAL -- ISSUE, WHICH IS TWO DEFINITIONS I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE USE FOR THE OPERATING BUDGET. I TOLD YOU WHEN ED CAME OVER A DECADE AGO AND WAS CONCERNED THAT WE FOCUS ATTENTION ON THE DAY-TO-DAY BUDGET, WE DEFINED THE OPERATING BUDGET, WE DEFINED IT TO INCLUDE PERSONNEL COSTS INCLUDING BENEFITS, OPERATING EXPENSES, AND THERE IS A WIDE VARIETY OF THINGS, BUT SOME OF THE COMMON ONES ARE UTILITIES. SOMETIMES RENT FOR RENTED FACILITIES. SUPPLIES. CONTRACTED SERVICES. WE CONTRACT A LOT OF SERVICES. SOME OF THESE PASS-THROUGHS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT SHOW UP AS OPERATING EXPENSES AS WELL. AND THEN EQUIPMENT. LET ME JUST TELL YOU IN TERMS OF THE CURRENT BUDGET AND UNDER 37 OUR CURRENT DEFINITION, YOU WOULD FIND THIS ON PAGE 11 OF THE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY I GAVE YOU. PERSONNEL COST CURRENTLY AMOUNT TO $453 MILLION. OPERATING EXPENSES, INCLUDING THAT $45 MILLION I MENTIONED ABOUT THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT TAX CURRENTLY AMOUNT TO $569 MILLION. AND EQUIPMENT ACCOUNTS TO AFFORD $34 MILLION. THAT'S OUR DEFINITION. THAT'S THE DEFINITION WE HAVE USED FOR MORE THAN A DECADE. INTERESTINGLY ENOUGH, A FEW YEARS AGO, THE STATE CHANGED THE DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT FOR HOW WE ADVERTISE OUR ANNUAL PUBLIC HEARINGS ON THE BUDGET. WE PUT A QUARTER-PAGE AD IN THAT ADVISES PEOPLE OF THE UPCOMING PUBLIC HEARING AND PUT AN AD IN THAT SHOWS ALL THE DETAIL ON THE BUDGET THAT I HAVE STARTED TO WALK YOU THROUGH, BUT THEY ASKED TO DISCLOSE THE CHANGE IN THE OPERATING BUDGET, THE PERCENT CHANGE IN THE OPERATING BUDGET, AND I GUESS THE CONCERN I HAD WHEN YOU DISCUSSED THIS TWO WEEKS AGO, WHEN WE ASKED TO YOU COME BACK WITH INFORMATION ON THE OPERATING BUDGET AND THE CHANGE IN THE OPERATING BUDGET IS, I THINK YOU NEED TO CONSIDER WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE DEFINITION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO CONSIDER PUTTING INTO THE CHARTER, BECAUSE WE'VE USED ONE. WE NOW RECOGNIZE THE SECOND. WE ARE GOING TO CONTINUE BY STATE LAW TO PUT AN AD IN THE PAPER EVERY SINGLE YEAR THAT SAYS THE INCREASE IN THE OPERATING BUDGET IS X PERCENT. 38 IF YOU USE THE STATE DEFINITION, YOU START WITH OURS, AND YOU ADD ALL OF THAT ANNUAL DEBT SERVICE, BECAUSE I THINK THEIR PERSPECTIVE IS JUST LIKE IN YOUR PERSONAL BUDGET, YOU MIGHT CONSIDER YOUR PERSONAL BUDGET TO INCLUDE YOUR MORTGAGE PAYMENT AND YOUR CAR PAYMENT, EVEN THOUGH THOSE ARE DEBT PAYMENTS. THAT SHOULD BE CONSIDERED PART OF THE OPERATING BUDGET. THAT'S $84 MILLION THIS YEAR THAT THE STATE HAS US ADD TO WHAT IS OUR DEFINITION. AND THEN THEY SAID, IF YOU HAVE MONEY IN RESERVES THAT YOU COULD SPEND, EVEN THOUGH YOU HAVE IT IN YOUR ADOPTED BUDGET PLANNED TO SPEND IT, YOU NEED TO COUNT THAT TOO, UNLESS IT IS FOR CAPITAL BECAUSE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT THE OPERATING BUDGET. THAT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANT. WE'VE WORKED TO SET ASIDE RESERVES IN A VARIETY OF PROGRAM AREAS TO SURVIVE THE NEXT RECESSION WHICH MAY BE ALMOST UPON US. WE HAVE $500 MILLION IN RESERVES. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT $2.4 BILLION BUDGET, $500 MILLION OF IT IS RESERVES. SOME OF THOSE RESERVES ARE REQUIRED BECAUSE YOU CAN'T BORROW MONEY IN TODAY'S MARKET WITHOUT SETTING SOME OF THAT ASIDE AS COVERAGE AGAINST YOUR FUTURE ABILITY TO MAKE INTEREST AND PRINCIPAL PAYMENTS, BUT WE HAVE $500 MILLION THAT THE STATE REQUIRES US TO INCLUDE IN THEIR DEFINITION OF AN OPERATING BUDGET. EVEN THOUGH THE BOARD HAS NOT PLANNED TO SPEND THAT BECAUSE THE BOARD COULD CHANGE THEIR MIND, THE STATE INCLUDES THAT. 39 AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT THEY HAVE US DO IS BACK OUT ABOUT $190 MILLION BECAUSE PART OF WHAT WE DO IN THE BUDGET IS WE HAVE WHAT IS CALLED "INTERNAL SERVICES," WE'VE GOT A FLEET MAINTENANCE OPERATION. A DEPARTMENT SUCH AS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT -- MAYBE THAT IS A BAD EXAMPLE. THEY DO SOME OF THAT STILL THEMSELVES. PARKS AND RECREATION PAYS FLEET TO MAINTAIN THEIR VEHICLES. AND FLEET GOES OUT AND HIRES MECHANICS AND THEN THEY TURN AROUND ALSO AND HAVE TO BUY ALL THE PARTS AND SUPPLIES. SO THE STATE HAS US BACK OUT ANY TYPE OF AN INTERNAL SERVICE. WHY? BECAUSE THAT GETS DOUBLE COUNTED. A DEPARTMENT PAYING A BILL TO ANOTHER DEPARTMENT WHICH, IN TURN, HIRES EMPLOYEES AND BUYS SUPPLIES. SO THEY BACK $190 MILLION OUT. YOU END UP WITH REALLY TWO FAIRLY RADICALLY DIFFERENT DEFINITIONS OF THE OPERATING BUDGET, AND I WOULD SUGGEST IF YOU ARE CONSIDERING PUTTING SOMETHING IN THE CHARTER, IT CERTAINLY WOULD BE CRITICAL THAT YOU IDENTIFY WHAT IS THE DEFINITION. AND TO GIVE YOU THEN KIND OF THE NET RESULT OF THESE TWO, WE ADVERTISE THAT WE HAVE A 1,057,000 OPERATING BUDGET THIS YEAR. THE STATE WOULD DEFINE US TO HAVE A 1,451 MILLION. SO IT IS ALMOST A 400 MILLION DIFFERENCE IN THE DEFINITION OF THE OPERATING BUDGET. IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE 3% MAXIMUM GROWTH IN THE 40 OPERATING BUDGET, WHICH OF THOSE TWO NUMBERS YOU WANT TO APPLY IT AGAINST IS FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT. ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT WE WOULD RAISE THAT YOU SHOULD CONSIDER, IF YOU INTEND TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS, IS WHAT WOULD BE THE DEFINITION THAT YOU WOULD INTEND TO PLACE IN THE CHARTER. AND THAT LEAVES, ON PAGE 5, TO TWO ANSWERS TO THE QUESTION OF HOW MUCH OF THE OPERATING BUDGET WOULD GROW. BECAUSE WE DIDN'T THINK IT WAS FAIR TO PARTICULAR A PARTICULAR ONE WHEN WE ARE NOW REPORTING TWO. ON PAGE 5, WE SHOW YOU BY YEAR, AND THERE WAS A SEPARATE QUESTION -- AND THESE ARE THE QUESTIONS DRAWN FROM THE SPECIFIC TRANSCRIPT FROM YOUR LAST MEETING. THE FIRST THING THAT I SAW THAT YOU ASKED WAS, WHAT WAS THE PERCENT PER YEAR IN THE CHANGE OF THE OPERATING BUDGET FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS. IT'S RANGED FROM AS LITTLE AS 4.5 TO 8.8%. AND AS I DESCRIBED FOR THOSE WHO MAY BE WATCHING, THERE ARE A VARIETY OF THINGS IMBEDDED. DURING THAT TIME FRAME, WE IMPOSE THE COMMUNITY INVESTMENT TAX AND NOW WE HAVE $45 MILLION SHOWING UP IN BOTH DEFINITIONS OF OPERATING BUDGET. AS PART OF THAT GROWTH IN THE OPERATING BUDGET BECAUSE FIVE YEARS AGO, WE DIDN'T HAVE THE C.I.T.. NOW WE DO. IF YOU LOOK AT THE STATE DEFINITION AS OPPOSED TO WHAT WE HAVE HISTORICALLY USED, THE DEFINITION OF THE STATE OPERATING 41 BUDGET HAS GROWN FROM AS LITTLE AS 4% TO AS MUCH AS 13%. AND, AGAIN, I -- THE FACTORS I'VE DESCRIBED EARLIER UNDERLIE EITHER SET OF NUMBERS. BUT YOU ALSO HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY SHOWING UP ON THOSE NUMBERS PASS-THROUGHS. ONE OF THE PASS-THROUGHS I DIDN'T TALK ABOUT IS WE HAVE TO PASS THROUGH THE COST OF BULK WATER. WHEN TAMPA BAY WATER RAISES THE PRICE OF WATER, WE HAVE TO PASS THAT ON TO OUR CUSTOMERS. SO, ON PAGE 5, YOU SEE THE BY YEAR CHANGE IN THE OPERATING BUDGET. LET ME JUST REFERENCE A DIFFERENT ANSWER, WHICH WILL TELL YOU THE PERCENT BY WHICH THESE MEASURES INCREASED OVER THE FIVE-YEAR PERIOD. IF YOU LOOK ON PAGE 7, THE SECOND QUESTION THAT I SAW YOU ASK WAS, WHAT WAS THE PERCENT CHANGED OVER THE FIVE YEARS? AND WHAT I'VE SHOWN IS, AGAIN, THE NUMBERS THAT I WAS SHOWING EARLIER, YOU HAVE AN OPERATING BUDGET AS WE DEFINED IT TO 763 MILLION IN '96 TO A 1,057,000 -- 1,057,000 IN THE CURRENT YEAR. IF YOU TAKE OUT THE COMPOUNDING OF THE ANNUAL RATE OF CHANGE IS -- IF YOU USE THE STATE, A BILLION TO A BILLION FOUR, A 42% INCREASE OVER FIVE YEARS. TAKE OUT COMPOUNDING AND THE AVERAGE ANNUAL RATE IS 7.3%. >>JAN SMITH: IF -- I'D LIKE TO GIVE THE BOARD AN OPPORTUNITY TO ASK ANY QUESTIONS THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE. AND THEN WE'LL KEEP THESE AND ALLOW YOU TO USE WHATEVER 42 INFORMATION YOU CHOOSE TO USE WHEN WE GET DOWN TO THE DISCUSSION AT THE SECOND HALF OF OUR MEETING. DOES ANYONE WANT TO ASK MR. BALLARD? >> YES. ON THE ENTERPRISE FUND WHEN YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THE DEBT SERVICE COMING OUT OF THE OPERATING BUDGET. THAT'S WHERE THE INCOME COMES FROM, THE REVENUE TO PAY THE DEBT SERVICE FOR THE WATER AND SEWERAGE, BUT YOU DON'T CARRY IT IN THERE IN THE ENTERPRISE FUND? I NOTICE YOU -- LIKE, THE WATER, YOU USE TAMPA BAY WATER, BUT YET THE CUSTOMERS WOULD PAY AN INCREASE IN REVENUE TO OFFSET THAT. >>ERIC JOHNSON: YES. >> THAT'S NOT INCLUDED AT ALL IN THE ENTERPRISE FUND? >>ERIC JOHNSON: THE ENTERPRISE FUND. JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, TWO ENTERPRISES. AN ENTERPRISE UNDER A GOVERNMENTAL ACCOUNTING IS A BUSINESS THAT THE COUNTY RUNS WHERE THE CUSTOMER IS THE PUBLIC AND WILL BE RUN JUST LIKE A BUSINESS. AND THE ACCOUNTING FOR AN ENTERPRISE IS EXACTLY LIKE A BUSINESS. THERE'S NO PROFIT THOUGH. BUT THE ACCOUNTING IS THE SAME, AND WE HAVE A WATER WASTEWATER UTILITY THAT SERVES MOST OF THE UNINCORPORATED -- UNINCORPORATED AREA, AND WE HAVE A SOLID WASTE UTILITY. AND THAT SOLID WASTE UTILITY DEALS WITH SOLID WASTE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL. 43 WE RUN A LANDFILL. WE RUN A WASTE ENERGY PLANT. WE DEAL WITH COLLECTION CENTERS AND FACILITATE COLLECTION BY PRIVATE VENDORS. MOST OF THE BUDGETS OF THOSE TWO ENTERPRISES FOR DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS. THEY DO HAVE RESERVES, THEY DO HAVE DEBT, BUT MOST OF THEIR BUDGET IS IN THE AREA OF OPERATIONS. JUST LIKE THAT BUILDING DIVISION EXAMPLE THAT I USED, THEY ARE SELF-SUFFICIENT. BUT THE DEFINITION THAT I THINK YOU ARE CURRENTLY LOOKING AT IN TERMS OF CONSTRAINING GROWTH IN THE OPERATING BUDGET INCLUDES THOSE ENTERPRISE OPERATIONS. AND I THINK THE CHALLENGE OF A LIMITATION THAT INCLUDES ENTERPRISE OPERATIONS IS, IF A NEW DEVELOPMENT BUILDS, AND THEY WANT WATER, THE QUESTION IS, WE CAN CERTAINLY COLLECT THE REVENUE FROM THOSE -- THOSE NEW RESIDENCES, OR IF IT IS A NONRESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, FROM THE TENANTS OF THE BUILDING, THE BUILDING OWNERS, BUT IF WE CAN'T BUY THE WATER FROM TAMPA BAY WATER BECAUSE OF CONSTRAIN IN THE BUDGET, HOW DO WE SERVE NEW DEVELOPMENT? I THINK ONE OF THE QUESTIONS IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE INTENT OF AN EXPENDITURE LIMITATION? IS THE INTENT OF AN EXPENDITURE LIMITATION THAT EVEN THOUGH WE HAVE CUSTOMERS WHO COME TO US CASH IN HAND WHO WANT US TO PROVIDE SERVICES. IS THE INTENT THAT WE WILL NOT PROVIDE AN EXPANSION OF 44 SERVICES TO SERVE NEW DEVELOPMENT? AND IT DOESN'T MATTER WHETHER IT IS INFILL OR A NEW COMMUNITY. WE HAVE MANDATORY RESIDENTIAL SOLID WASTE COLLECTION. WE SAVE PEOPLE A LOT OF MONEY WHEN WE HAD A CONTRACT THAT THE COUNTY SIGNED WITH PROVIDERS, BUT WE COLLECT THAT MONEY AND IT IS STILL A PRIVATELY DELIVERED SERVICE. WE ARE SIMPLY THE COLLECTION MECHANISM FOR THAT SERVICE. BUT OUR BUDGET GOES UP EVERY TIME A NEW RESIDENTIAL CUSTOMER WANTS TRASH COLLECTION IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA. IT GOES UP EVERY TIME ANYONE WANTS WATER SERVICE. SO I THINK, YOU KNOW, THOSE ARE THE ISSUES. AS I SAID, WE HAVEN'T CHARACTERIZED ANYTHING AS A PRO OR A CON, BECAUSE DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU STAND ON THIS ISSUE, WHAT MAY BE ONE PERSON'S PRO MAY BE ANOTHER PERSON'S CON. BUT THERE ARE A VARIETY OF THINGS. AND I TRIED TO LAY THIS OUT IN THIS. AS YOU HAVE SOME TIME TO GO THROUGH, WE'LL RAISE A LOT OF THOSE QUESTIONS. AND GIVE YOU AN OPPORTUNITY TO UNDERSTAND SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS AND HOW YOU MAY WANT TO DEAL WITH THIS. >>TERRY BALLARD: WELL, BACK TO -- IF YOU DON'T MIND, ON THE ENTERPRISE FUND, AS YOU GO OUT TO BONDED INDEBTEDNESS ON THE WATER AND SEWER PROJECTS THAT YOU'VE GOT, YOU HAVE TO SET MONEY ASIDE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT BUYS THE BONDS AND EVERYTHING. AND THAT'S PRETTY WELL -- >>ERIC JOHNSON: SURE. >>TERRY BALLARD: -- THAT'S NOT WHAT WE GOT THE INTENT OF 45 TOUCHING. BUT I'M TRYING TO GET MY MIND, BECAUSE YOU ARE RELATING SOME OF IT OUT OF THE OPERATING BUDGET, WHERE IT ALL SHOULD BE IN A FUND INSTEAD OF A PROFIT. IT REALLY -- IT GOES TO CONTINGENCY. AND THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO SORT THROUGH RIGHT NOW. >>ERIC JOHNSON: YEAH, WELL ALL OF THAT -- BASED ON OUR HISTORICAL DEFINITION, THE RESERVES THAT YOU HAVE TO SET ASIDE, WHEN YOU ISSUE BONDS, WOULD NOT BE PART OF THE OPERATING BUDGET UNDER THE STATE'S DEFINITION, IT IS. BECAUSE UNDER THE STATE'S DEFINITION, THE BOARD, AT ANY OF ITS BIWEEKLY MEETINGS, CAN DECIDE TO SPEND UP -- SOME PORTION OF THAT MONEY. AND, THEREFORE, THE MONEY IS SUBJECT TO THE DEFINITION OF OPERATING BUDGET, AND DEPENDING ON WHICH DEFINITION CHOOSE HERE, AS YOU GO FORWARD WITH THIS -- WITH CONSIDERING THIS PROPOSAL, IT WILL BE IN OR IT WILL BE OUT. UNDER THE STATE DEFINITION, ANY MONEY THAT THE UTILITY HAS SET ASIDE IN RESERVES IS PART OF THE OPERATING BUDGET AND SUBJECT TO LIMITATIONS. IF YOU GO WITH OURS, OUR HISTORICAL ONE IT IS NOT. >>TERRY BALLARD: GENERALLY, THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY HAS SET UP AND THE STATE IS SOMETHING LIKE THE CONTINGENCY THEY HAVE TO CARRY FORWARD IN THE ENTERPRISE FUNDS FOR THE BOND INDEBTEDNESS. >>ERIC JOHNSON: WE BASICALLY SAY WHAT YOU PAY FOR DEBT IS NOT PART OF OUR DEFINITION. 46 IT IS OUTSIDE. WHAT YOU SET ASIDE FOR RESERVES FOR WHATEVER PURPOSE IS OUTSIDE. THE STATE HAS SAID IT IS ALL IN. AND -- WE DON'T ANTICIPATE THE STATE IS GOING TO CHANGE THEIR DEFINITION. WE CAN CERTAINLY CHANGE OURS TO MATCH THE STATE, BUT WHEN YOU START TO CONSIDER A CHARTER LIMITATION BASED ON A TERM THAT WE'VE USED FOR MORE THAN A DECADE WITH A PARTICULAR DEFINITION, WE'RE KIND OF WEARY ABOUT SUDDENLY DECIDING TO CHANGE OUR DEFINITION. WE THOUGHT IT WAS FAIR TO LAY OUT FOR YOU THERE ARE TWO THAT ARE OUT THERE, AND YOU CAN CHOOSE EITHER OR NEITHER AND COME UP WITH YOUR OWN, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTOOD WHAT ARE IN THOSE DEFINITIONS BECAUSE THEY HAVE SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT IMPLICATIONS. SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS I HAVE LAID OUT TO YOU ARE THERE REGARDLESS WHICH DEFINITION YOU USE AND SOME OF THEM ARE DEPENDENT ON WHAT DEFINITION YOU USE. >>TERRY BALLARD: IN THE LITERATURE YOU HAVE GIVEN US, HAVE YOU SET THAT ASIDE AS FAR AS THE TWO DEFINITIONS? >>ERIC JOHNSON: I TRIED TO LAY IT OUT BOTH IN DISCUSSION OF FUND AND WHAT CONSTITUTES THE OPERATING BUDGET TO GIVE YOU A PERSPECTIVE, BUT, YOU KNOW, AS I SAID, ON A DAILY BASIS, I UNDERSTAND A LITTLE BETTER WHAT SOME OF THE IMPLICATIONS. IF YOU HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, I WOULD BE GLAD TO FOLLOW UP WITH ANY WRITTEN ANSWERS TO ANY OF THE QUESTIONS THAT ANY OF 47 THE MEMBERS MIGHT HAVE. >>ERIC JOHNSON: MS. LASHER AND THEN MS. WALDRON. >>DENISE LASHER: THANK YOU FOR PROVIDING US WITH ALL THIS INFORMATION. I'VE BEEN STUDYING THIS AS YOU'VE ALSO BEEN EXPLAINING IT. AND ON PAGE 1, YOU TALK ABOUT THE INFLATION IN THE COST OF STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT PURCHASES. >>ERIC JOHNSON: YES. >>DENISE LASHER: AND IF YOU COULD JUST ANSWER AS -- IN SHORT OF RESPONSE AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE I HAVE A COUPLE OF OTHER QUESTIONS AND I KNOW OTHER PEOPLE WANT TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS. IS THAT BASED ON TOTAL PURCHASES THAT THE COUNTY INCURRED? WHERE DID YOU GET THAT NUMBER FROM? >>ERIC JOHNSON: LET ME TELL YOU -- >>DENISE LASHER: THAT 12.6%. >>ERIC JOHNSON: WE LOOKED AT A COUPLE OF STATISTICS. MOST OF YOU PROBABLY HAVE HEARD OF THE CONSUMER PRICE INDEX, A NATIONAL STATISTICS THAT COVERS THE ENTIRE COUNTRY, BUT UNFORTUNATELY, IT DEALS WITH A DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT KIND OF MARKET BASKET OF GOODS AND SERVICES. WHAT WE'VE LOOKED AT IS -- THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE COMPILES A STATISTIC CALLED GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT THAT LOOKS AT EVERYTHING PRODUCED WITHIN THE UNITED STATES. AND THERE IS A COMPONENT OF THAT THAT LOOKS AT THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR AS OPPOSED TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR. WITHIN THE GOVERNMENT SECTOR, THEY BREAK IT DOWN BETWEEN FEDERAL AND STATE AND LOCAL. 48 THEY DON'T BREAK LOCAL OUT FROM STATE, BUT FOR EVERY BREAK OUT OF THAT GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT MEASURE, THEY CALCULATE AN INFLATION MEASURE. WHAT WE'VE DONE IS LOOK AT THE INFLATION MEASURE NATIONWIDE FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT. IT IS A READILY AVAILABLE STATISTIC. IF YOU WERE TO GO FORWARD WITH A PROPOSAL WHERE YOU WANT TO COMMIT TO A SPECIFIC DEFINITION AND WE WANT EVERYONE TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND EXACTLY WHAT THE TERMS OF THE AGREEMENT ARE, ONE APPROACH IS TO TAKE A READILY AVAILABLE STATISTIC. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT DOES NOT NECESSARILY ADDRESS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENS IN THE TAMPA BAY AREA, BUT OVER TIME, THE TYPES OF EXPENDITURES THAT WE HAVE ARE PROBABLY THE TYPES OF EXPENDITURES THAT OTHER STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS HAVE. AND THAT'S -- THAT'S ABOUT THE BEST STATISTICS THAT IS READILY AVAILABLE THAT YOU COULD USE. AND THAT'S WHAT IT IS. DOES THAT MATCH OUR EXPERIENCE? NO. WE CAN'T POSSIBLY GO TO THAT LEVEL OF SAYING HOW MUCH OF THE GROWTH IN THE BUDGET OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY HAS BEEN CONTRACT CHANGES VERSUS CONSUMING MORE WATER. WE COULD SELECTIVELY DO THAT, BUT WE CAN NEVER COME UP WITH A COMPREHENSIVE MEASURE. THIS IS WHAT WAS READILY AVAILABLE. >>DENISE LASHER: OKAY. THE OTHER THING IS, ON PAGE 2, YOU STATE THAT THE PROPOSED CAP 49 EXCLUDES THOSE PROGRAMS PROVIDED BY CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS SUCH AS LAW ENFORCEMENT, JAILS, AND COURT RECORDS. AND YET, IN SOME OF YOUR EXAMPLES THAT YOU GIVE US, YOU TALK ABOUT THE COST OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND THE COST OF JAILS AND YOU TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, THE FUTURE EXPENDITURES WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AND BUILDING MORE JAILS AND OPERATING MORE JAILS. AND I WAS A LITTLE CONFUSED BECAUSE YOU STATED THAT THAT IS NOT PART OF THIS PROPOSED CAP THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING. AND THEN, WHEN YOU ANSWERED QUESTION NUMBER 2 FOR US ON PAGE 7, AND WE TALKED ABOUT THE OPERATING BUDGET, WHETHER TO USE THE STATE'S DEFINITION OR THE COUNTY'S DEFINITION OF THE OPERATING BUDGET, THAT INCLUDES THE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS' BUDGETS, DOES IT NOT? >>ERIC JOHNSON: YES, BECAUSE AS I UNDERSTOOD IT, THAT WAS YOUR QUESTION. WE HAVE NOT HISTORICALLY -- ALTHOUGH WE -- MY OFFICE HAS TRIED TO DO THAT, ACTUALLY. TODAY. THE STATE DEFINITION AND OUR DEFINITION ENCOMPASS THE CONSTITUTIONALS. AS I UNDERSTOOD YOUR DISCUSSION TWO WEEKS AGO, THAT WAS NOT NECESSARILY A DEFINITIVE DECISION WHETHER THEY WERE IN OR OUT. MY UNDERSTANDING READING THE TRANSCRIPT WAS THERE WAS A PRESUMPTION THAT YOU COULD NOT INCLUDE THEM. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ARE GOING TO CONSIDER THAT FURTHER. I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU HAVE TO EXCLUDE THEM. 50 YOU MAY WANT TO EXCLUDE THEM, BUT THE BUDGET IS THE BUDGET, AND THE BOARD HAS AUTHORIZATION OVER WHAT THE BUDGET IS. SO THAT -- YOU KNOW -- WHAT WE TRY TO DO IS RECOGNIZE THAT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT WHAT THE COUNTY DOES AND WHAT THE VARIOUS FUNDS PAY FOR, WE DESCRIBE EVERYTHING. AND THAT INCLUDES THE CONSTITUTIONALS. YOU RAISE A VERY GOOD POINT. THE CONSTITUTIONALS ARE IN THE BUDGET I'VE DESCRIBED. WE TALK ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE INCREASED THE BUDGET, AND TO BE HONEST, IF YOU ARE GOING TO LOOK AT HOW THE BUDGET HAS GROWN OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS, AND IF THAT CONCERNS PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY, THEY SHOULD -- UNDERSTAND THAT ONE OF THE FACTORS THAT LED TO THE GROWTH OF THE BUDGET IS ONE OF THE FACTORS THAT YOUR CHARTER CHANGE PROPOSES TO EXCLUDE, WHICH IS THE COST OF OPERATING NEW JAILS. WE'VE GOT ANOTHER ONE UNDER CONSTRUCTION. THE SHERIFF IS GOING TO BE LOOKING FOR THE NEXT ONE DOWN THE LINE. THE ONE THAT'S COMING ON-LINE IS GOING TO COST MORE THAN $7 MILLION. THE NEXT ONE IS GOING TO COST MORE THAN $8 MILLION. IF YOU LOOK AT THAT GROWTH IN THE OPERATING BUDGET, JAILS HAVE BEEN A SIGNIFICANT FACTOR. SO YOU MIGHT SAY THAT YOU WERE GOING TO EXCLUDE CONSIDERATION OF THE -- OF THE CONSTITUTIONALS, THAT YOU HAVE HAVE A SLOWER GROWTH IN THE FUTURE OF THE OPERATING BUDGET BECAUSE YOU WILL NOT HAVE THESE HUGE EXPENDITURES TO KICK IN ONCE IN AWHILE. 51 A GOOD POINT. HISTORICALLY THEY ARE IN IN THE OPERATING BUDGET AS WE DEFINE IT. IT INCLUDES THEM. LOOKED AT WHAT WOULD BE THE IMPLICATION. IF YOU BACKED THEM OUT AND WOULD BE GLAD TO GIVE YOU ANY SPECIFIC NUMBERS OF WHAT WOULD BE THE OPERATING BUDGET, WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE OPERATING BUDGET YEAR BY YEAR EXCLUDING THEM AND WE CAN DO THAT. >>DENISE LASHER: THAT WOULD BE MY NEXT QUESTION I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU. WOULD LIKE TO SEE THOSE NUMBERS AND THOSE PERCENTAGES, IF IT DID NOT INCLUDE THE CONSTITUTIONALS AND THE EXPENSES THE COUNTY HAS AND FUNDING THE SERVICES THAT THOSE DEPARTMENTS PROVIDE. >>ERIC JOHNSON: I THINK I CAN GIVE YOU THAT ANSWER. IT IS STILL IN A FORM, AND I CAN CERTAINLY FOLLOW UP BY HAVING INFORMATION PROVIDED TO YOU AFTER THE MEETING, IF I CAN JUST FIND THE SCHEDULE I HAVE. >>DENISE LASHER: THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS I HAVE, MADAM CHAIR. >>ERIC JOHNSON: IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO ASK MORE QUESTIONS, I'LL LOOK THROUGH MIRE MATERIALS. >>JAN SMITH: MS. WALDRON HAS A QUESTION. >>ARLENE WALDRON: MY QUESTION RELATES DIRECTLY TO THE MOTION. >>JAN SMITH: MR. LaBOUR AND THEN MR. WHITE. >>STEVE LaBOUR: THANK YOU, MR. JOHNSON. I ALSO APPRECIATE THE FORMAT OF WHICH YOU PRESENTED YOUR 52 PRESENTATION TO US AND TO THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE GIVEN US. I JUST HAVE A COUPLE I THINK INCIDENTAL QUESTIONS, BUT I THINK THEY ARE IMPORTANT TO ASK. ONE IS THAT PRESENTLY, WE ARE UNA TWO-YEAR BUDGET CYCLE OR PROCESS -- UNDER A TWO-YEAR BUDGET CYCLE OR PROCESS. DO YOU WANT TO COMMENT ON WHAT EFFECT THIS 3% CAP, IF INSTITUTED MIGHT HAVE ON THAT CYCLE. WOULD WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO A ONE-YEAR CYCLE? CAN WE STILL DO IT AS A TWO-YEAR CYCLE? WHAT ARE THE RAMIFICATIONS. >>ERIC JOHNSON: I DON'T THINK IT HAS ANY IMPLICATION ON A BIENNIAL YELL BUDGET. WE WOULD MAKE ESTIMATES. WE WOULD ESTIMATE WHAT THE INFLATION MEASURE WOULD BE THAT WOULD CONSTRAIN THE GROWTH OF THE BUDGET AND THEN WE WOULD PUT TOGETHER A BUDGET BASED ON THAT. ONE OF THE THINGS YOU DO IN A BIENNIAL BUDGET AND THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW TOO MUCH ABOUT IT, COLLECTING INFORMATION FOR TWO YEARS AT A TIME AND TRY TO MAKE THE HARD DECISIONS IN YEAR ONE WEATHER THAT -- WHETHER THAT IS A HARD DECISION TO CUT OR TO ADD. BUT THE INFORMATION WE COLLECT IN THAT ON YEAR, AND WE ARE ABOUT TO GO INTO THE ON YEAR CYCLE IS INTENDED TO SERVE ANY OTHER NEEDS THAT ARE GOING TO COME UP IN THE OFF-YEAR. WE HAVE GONE THROUGH THREE CYCLES SO FAR. THE FIRST JURISDICTION IN FLORIDA TO DO BIENNIAL BUDGETING AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO THROUGH A SECOND YEAR OF THE CYCLE 53 WHERE THERE WERE LESS MONEY THAN WE HAD ESTIMATED AND TWO CYCLES WHERE THERE WAS MORE MONEY THAN WAS ANTICIPATED. WE COLLECT SUFFICIENT INFORMATION FROM ALL THE ORGANIZATIONS WE FUND THAT WE DON'T GO BACK TO THEM AND ASK FOR ANOTHER ROUND OF INFORMATION. WE SIMPLY USE THE INFORMATION THEY PROVIDED US AND FINE TUNE THE RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD, AND THE BOARD ULTIMATELY DECIDES WHAT MORE THEY MIGHT ADD OR CUT. IF WE ESTIMATE MORE THAN 3%, AND 3% WAS GOING TO BE THE FACTOR TO INFLUENCE YEAR 2, AND IN FACT INFLATION WAS LESS, WE WOULD ALREADY HAVE THE GAME PLAN OF HOW WE WOULD GO BACK IN AND GIVE THE BOARD SOME OPTIONS TO FINE TUNE. THE KEY WITH BIENNIAL BUDGETING IS THE OFF-YEAR HAS VERY LIMITED DECISIONS BUT AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO IN. NOT A BIENNIAL STATE BUDGET WHERE THE LEGISLATURE DOESN'T MEET IN THE OFF-YEAR AND NO OPPORTUNITY TO DO DAMAGE CONTROL. THE BOARD MEETS EVERY TWO WEEKS, AND THEN THEY HAVE A MINIBUDGET PROCESS IN THE OFF-YEAR DURING THE SUMMER AND EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO FINE TUNE. I DON'T SEE THE BIENNIAL BUDGET BEING SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED BY THIS. >>STEVE LaBOUR: THE SECOND QUESTION I HAVE AND THE LAST ONE IS, REFRESH MY RECOLLECTION. THE BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE THAT WAS FORMED A FEW YEARS AGO, MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THE CHARGE WAS TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE BUDGETARY DECISION OF THE COUNTY, ET CETERA, ET CETERA. DID THEY MAKE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS THAT THE COUNTY SHOULD 54 INSTITUTE SOME KIND OF CAP? >>ERIC JOHNSON: I DON'T RECALL THIS ISSUE COMING UP OR I WOULD HAVE HAD SOME RESEARCH WE COULD HAVE USED WHEN THIS ISSUE CAME UP TWO WEEKS AGO. I DON'T RECALL THAT BEING RELATED TO ANY OF THE ISSUES THAT THE BLUE RIBBON COMMITTEE RAISED. >>STEVE LaBOUR: OKAY. THANK YOU. >>JAN SMITH: MR. WHITE. >>GERALD WHITE: THANK YOU, MADAM CHAIR. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I HAD, AND I BELIEVE ONE OF THE CITIZENS SAID IT SO WELL WHEN HE -- WHEN HE INDICATED THAT HE FELT AS THOUGH WE WERE OPENING UP PANDORA'S BOX BY GOING TO PUBLIC HEARING WITH THIS CAP. I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE POOR, THE LEAST AMONGST US IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND YOUR QUESTION -- YOU HAVE -- ONE OF THE ANSWERS HERE THAT THE ADMINISTRATOR AS THE BUDGET OFFICER WOULD NOT RECOMMEND ANYTHING BEYOND THE CAP. TO GO UP TO THAT 3%. IS THIS SOMETHING THAT CAN NEGATIVELY IMPACT THE POOR PEOPLE OF OUR COMMUNITY IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY? >>ERIC JOHNSON: WELL, LET ME JUST SAY THAT I DON'T THINK WE ARE IN ANY POSITION TO SAY WHAT POLITICAL DECISIONS WOULD BE MADE IN TERMS OF WHICH PROGRAMS MIGHT BE CUT IF CUTS WERE NECESSARY TO LIVE WITH WITHIN THESE CONSTRAINTS. I'VE TALKED ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE COUNTYWIDE 55 PROGRAMS AND THE NONCOUNTYWIDE. MOST OF THOSE COUNTYWIDE PROGRAMS ARE EITHER CRIMINAL JUSTICE OR SOCIAL SERVICE. MUCH OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMPONENT WILL EITHER BE ABSORBED BY THE STATE WITHIN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, IF THE STATE FOLLOWS THROUGH ON THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT THAT TELLS THEM TO PICK UP THE COST OF THE COURT SYSTEM OR IS UNDER THE SHERIFF, WHO, AS I UNDERSTOOD IT, IS CONSIDERED TO BE OUTSIDE OF THE DEFINITION OF THE OPERATING BUDGET, AND I UNDERSTAND THERE WAS DISCUSSION OF WHETHER THE SHERIFF WILL FOLLOW SUIT IN TERMS OF CONSTRAINT AND -- IN THE SHERIFF'S BUDGET. BUT FROM A COUNTYWIDE PERSPECTIVE, THE BULK OF WHAT'S LEFT ARE SOME ADMINISTRATIVE DISCUSSIONS, SOME OF WHICH ARE RECOVERED THROUGH FEES WE CHARGE AND SOCIAL PROGRAMS. THERE IS AN UNINCORPORATED AREA GENERAL FUND THAT I DESCRIBED THAT GENERALLY DOES NOT PROVIDE A LOT OF SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMS. THAT'S WHERE YOU HAVE, AGAIN, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT. YOU HAVE -- YOU HAVE OTHER FUNCTIONS THAT ARE OURS, SUCH AS FIRE PROTECTION, AMBULANCE SERVICES, PARKS AND RECREATION AND ROAD MAINTENANCE. I DON'T -- TO BE HONEST, I DON'T KNOW HOW A SINGLE 3% OR LOWER CAP WILL BE APPLIED IN THE FUTURE AGAINST A COUNTYWIDE PROGRAM VERSUS AN UNINCORPORATED PROGRAM, EACH OF WHICH HAS A SEPARATE TAX LEVY AND ARE NOT COMMINGLED. THAT HASN'T BEEN ADDRESSED. 56 IT HASN'T BEEN ADDRESSED YET WHETHER OUR WATER SYSTEM TAKES PRIORITY OVER EVERYTHING ELSE, BECAUSE IT IS A SELF-SUFFICIENT PROGRAM. THAT -- THE KEY IN WHAT I WAS TRYING TO LAY OUT IN TERMS OF THE COMPLEXITY OF THE BUDGET IS, THERE IS ONE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, AND YOU'VE DISCUSSED ONE CAP. BUT THEY WEAR MULTIPLE HATS. THEY RUN A BUSINESS THAT PROVIDES WATER AND SEWER SERVICE. THEY RUN A BUSINESS THAT PROVIDES SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL. THEY RUN A BUSINESS THAT DELIVERS SOCIAL SERVICES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY TO A MILLION PEOPLE, AT LEAST THAT'S THE NUMBER I LOOK AT, AND ABOUT 700,000 PEOPLE GET LAW ENFORCEMENT AND FIRE PROTECTION AND RECREATION PROGRAMS. SO, TO BE HONEST, I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A CLUE HOW ANY FUTURE BOARD IS GOING TO MAKE THE DECISION THAT SAYS WHAT'S PRIORITY NUMBER 1, 2, 3, 4, AND 5, BUT ALL OF THOSE VARIOUS TYPES OF PROGRAMS WITH SOME PEOPLE WHO PAY THE FULL COST OF THE SERVICE, OTHERS WHICH ARE SUBSIDIZED BY PROPERTY TAXES, I DON'T THINK HAVE A CLUE YET HOW A FUTURE BOARD WILL SET ITS PRIORITIES. WE'LL CERTAINLY FOLLOW THE LEAD OF THE BOARD IN TERMS OF THE PRIORITIES THEY SET. BUT IF THE PUBLIC BY REFERENDUM ADOPTS LIMITATIONS IN THE BUDGET, I THINK IT SETS UP THE BOARD FOR US TO COME IN WITH A RECOMMENDATION THAT REQUIRES A 6-1 OR A 7-0 VOTE AND REQUIRES THE BOARD TO CUT FROM SOMETHING WE RECOMMEND, YOU KNOW, AS WE HAVE LAID OUT. 57 THE POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS FROM OUR STANDPOINT ARE THAT WE WILL ALWAYS LIVE WITHIN THE CAP, AND THE BOARD WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY IF THERE IS A STRONG ENOUGH MAJORITY TO GO BEYOND THAT. AND THERE MAY BE CIRCUMSTANCES WHEN THEY DO THAT, BUT WE THINK THAT IT IS RELATIVELY UNLIKELY. >>GERALD WHITE: MY LAST THOUGHT ON THIS. I'VE RECEIVED THE MOST PHONE CALLS RELATED TO THIS CAP ISSUE. AND THE CITIZENS SEE "CAP," WOW, CUT TAXES AND THEY LIKE IT. BUT SITTING HERE AS A MEMBER OF THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE BOARD, AND YOU SEE THIS BROAD DEFINITION, AND YOU GOT TO TRY TO DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT IT IS A GOOD THING OR NOT, IT IS JUST A COMPLICATED ISSUE TO UNDERSTAND, TO SAY YES OR NO TO. AND IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA, HAS ANYONE ELSE IMPLEMENTED SUCH A CAP? >>ERIC JOHNSON: THE -- I TELL YOU, THE ONLY THING THAT I'M AWARE OF IS THERE ARE SOME CAPS ON THE STATE OF FLORIDA. IN FACT, THERE IS A CAP ON US, BUT IT'S A RELATIVELY SMALL ONE. THERE'S A CAP -- AND IN -- TO COMPLETE THE ANSWER, I'M NOT AWARE OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS. I KNOW THAT BARBARA HAS BEEN TRYING TO DO SOME RESEARCH AND WE HAVEN'T HAD AN AWFUL LOT OF TIME. THE CAPS THAT EXIST IN THE STATE ARE -- THERE IS A CAP ON THE INCREASE IN REVENUE THAT THE STATE CAN TAKE FROM CORPORATE INCOME TAXES. AND I'VE ONLY SEEN ONE SMALL REFERENCE TO IT, BUT IT'S 58 BASICALLY THEY LOOK AT THE AVERAGE GROWTH AND STATE PERSONAL INCOME OVER A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD AND THAT'S THE PERCENT GROWTH THAT THEY CAN TAKE IN THE CORPORATE INCOME TAX, AND WHAT THAT PRESUMABLY MEANS THEY WILL TWEAK THE RATE DOWN TO MAKE SURE THEY DON'T HAVE THAT SOURCE OF REVENUE INCREASE TO SIGNIFICANTLY. BUT THAT'S A RELATIVELY INSIGNIFICANT REVENUE TO THE STATE OF FLORIDA. THEY RELY HEAVILY ON SALES TAX. THE LIMITATION THAT EXISTS ON EVERY CITY AND COUNTY IN THE STATE IS THAT FOR GENERAL REVENUES, WE CAN ONLY APPROPRIATE 95% OF THE REVENUE ESTIMATE. AND WE'VE DONE THAT. WE'VE ALWAYS DONE THAT. AND THAT TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION THAT SOME OF THE REVENUES WON'T COME IN. DISCOUNTS FOR PEOPLE PAYING THEIR PROPERTY TAXES EARLY. SO THAT IS A LIMITATION ON EXPENDITURES THAT EVERY CITY AND COUNTY HAS, AND IF YOU DO RESEARCH, AND WE'VE BEEN KIND OF SCRAMBLING TO DO SOME RESEARCH IN TERMS OF THE ACADEMIC WORK THAT'S OUT THERE, YOU'LL ROUTINELY FIND FLORIDA ON THE LIST OF STATES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS THAT CURRENTLY HAVE BOTH REVENUE LIMITATIONS AND EXPENDITURE LIMITATIONS, BUT THEY ARE RELATIVELY NARROW IN THEIR FOCUS AT THIS POINT. >>GERALD WHITE: THANK YOU. >>JAN SMITH: ARE THERE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? IT APPEARS TO ME, MR. JOHNSON, THAT IF -- IN MOST CASES, IT'S 59 BEEN STATE GOVERNMENTS THAT HAVE PUT CAPS OR THE -- RESTRICTED THE ABILITY OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS TO SPEND MONEY OR TO TAX FOR -- TO RAISE CERTAIN FUNDS. THEY ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY THEN TO PASS THE UNFUNDED MANDATE DOWN TO A LOCAL GOVERNMENT. AND ONCE YOU GET DOWN TO LOCAL GOVERNMENT, THERE REALLY ISN'T ANY PLACE TO PASS IT UNLESS YOU PASS IT TO SPECIAL TAXING DISTRICTS OR HOPE THAT PRIVATE CORPORATIONS OR ORGANIZATIONS, CIVIC GROUPS AND ALL WILL COME THROUGH AND HELP WITH THAT. AND WE DO HAVE A LOT OF THAT IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY. A LOT OF VOLUNTEERISM, AND WE ARE VERY LUCKY TO HAVE THAT. BUT IT'S AN INTERESTING ISSUE, ONE THAT WE'RE GOING TO FURTHER DEBATE THIS EVENING LATER IN THE EVENING. YOU'RE WELCOME TO STAY IF YOU'D LIKE. WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE INFORMATION THAT YOU'VE PROVIDED US THIS EVENING, AND I KNOW THAT THE BOARD IS GOING TO REVIEW THIS AND SEE HOW MUCH THEY -- THEY CAN COMPREHEND AND USE, AND IT MAY NOT JUST BE HERE. IT MAY BE IN THEIR OTHER LIVES AS CIVIC ACTIVIST. BUT WE DO APPRECIATE YOUR TIME AND THE INFORMATION THIS EVENING, AND PERHAPS IF YOU HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO STAY, THERE MAY BE QUESTIONS THAT COME UP. >>ERIC JOHNSON: I WILL, AND I APPRECIATE THE TIME YOU HAVE GIVEN ME. I REALIZE YOU HAVE VERY LIMITED TIME FOR ALL THE ISSUES YOU ARE DEALING WITH. >>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU. 60 IT'S 25 AFTER. WE ARE SUPPOSED TO TAKE A BREAK AT 7:30. TWO GENTLEMEN CAME IN AFTER THE PUBLIC COMMENT WAS CONCLUDED. AND THEY BOTH WOULD LIKE TO LEAVE AND NOT SPEND THE ENTIRE EVENING. SO MY SUGGESTION IS THAT RATHER THAN HAVE THEM COME LATER, THAT WE GO AHEAD WITH IT. BUT I DO ASK THAT YOU MAKE YOUR COMMENTS TO THE POINT AND IF YOU COULD DO IT IN THREE MINUTES, IT WOULD BE WONDERFUL. IF YOU NEED THE 5, WE'LL GO FOR IT. THE FIRST PERSON IS MR. RON WOLF. >> MADAM CHAIR, FIRST OF ALL, THANKS TO YOU AND YOUR FELLOW CHARTER REVIEW BOARD MEMBERS FOR DONATING YOUR TIME AND INTELLECT TO THIS COMMUNITY OF OURS THAT WE ALL CARE SO MUCH ABOUT. AND TO BE SURE THE REVIEW OF THE COUNTY CHARTER IS A SERIOUS UNDERTAKING AND BASED ON MY OBSERVATIONS, THIS COMMITTEE SEEMS TO BE DEALING WITH IT IN A VERY SERIOUS MANNER. I COMPLIMENT ALL OF YOU. I'VE APPEARED BEFORE YOU ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS, AND ON THOSE CASES I WAS UNABLE TO APPEAR, I HAVE -- I VIEWED THE MEETINGS ON HTV CHANNEL 22. IN FACT, I RECORDED THESE MEETINGS ON TAPE AND VIEWED MANY OF THEM SEVERAL TIMES. I AM A STRONG SUPPORTER OF F.A.I.R., FAIR ACTION AND REPRESENTATION, A GROUP OF COMMUNITY LEADERS AND CITIZENS WHO HAVE RESEARCHED OUR PRESENT COUNTY GOVERNMENT ALIGNMENT, 61 STUDIED ITS STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES AND FORMULATED RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CHANGE. MICHAEL CARDUCCI HAS FORMULATED MUCH OF THE RESEARCH AND SERVED AS A FARE DESIGNATION SPOKESMAN. HE WOULD BE HERE THIS EVENING IF NOT FOR HIS EXTENDED TRAVEL SCHEDULE. F.A.I.R. HAS CONDUCTED NUMEROUS COMMUNITY INFORMATIONAL MEETING IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, ADVANCING THE CONCEPT OF FAIR REPRESENTATION. AFTER MEETING WITH HUNDREDS, IF NOT THOUSANDS OF CITIZENS, NOT A SINGLE PERSON HAS DISAGREED WITH THE NEED FOR FAIR REPRESENTATION. THE QUESTION THEN BECOMES ONE OF LOOKING AT THE UNFAIRNESS OF THE PRESENT COUNTY GOVERNMENT STRUCTURE AND MAKING THE CHANGES NECESSARY TO BRING ABOUT FAIR REPRESENTATION. I'M PLEASED TO NOTE A MOVEMENT ON THIS COMMITTEE TO DEBATE AND CONSIDER THE MOVE TO SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS AND THE ELIMINATION OF THE AT-LARGE DISTRICTS. IF ADOPTED THIS WOULD HAVE WIDESPREAD SUPPORT OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CITIZEN VOTERS AND WOULD DRAMATICALLY BRING THE GOVERNMENT CLOSER TO THE PEOPLE. THE ONE AREA WHERE THIS COMMITTEE SEEMS TO BE WRESTLING WITH IS THAT OF SELECTING A BOCC CHAIRPERSON. F.A.I.R. SUPPORTS THE IDEA OF MORE CLEARLY DEFINING THE ROLES AND DUTIES OF THE CHAIRPERSON AND ALLOWING THE MEMBERS OF THE B.O.C.C. TO SERVE AS THE MOST QUALIFIED PERSON AS CHAIR. THIS SHOULD BE BASED ON VISION, LEADERSHIP, AND 62 CONSENSUS-BUILDING SKILLS. TWO RECENT EXAMPLES OF THIS METHOD OF SELECTION. ONE, THE BOCC MEMBERS RECENTLY REELECTED PAT FRANK TO SERVE ANOTHER YEAR AS THE CHAIRPERSON. I BELIEVE THIS DECISION WAS MADE BECAUSE BASED UPON THE OBSERVATIONS OF HER FELLOW BOCC MEMBERS, PAT FRANK BEST DEMONSTRATED THE SKILLS OF VISION, LEADERSHIP, AND CONSENSUS BUILDING DURING THIS PAST YEAR. IF PAT FRANK CONTINUES TO PERFORM AT THIS HIGH LEVEL, SHE SHOULD BE REELECTED AS CHAIRPERSON EACH YEAR FOR THE BALANCE OF HER TERM IN OFFICE. ANOTHER EXAMPLE, THE 14 MEMBERS OF THIS CHARTER REVIEW BOARD WERE SELECTED BY THE BOCC, THE VOTERS, AND NOW SERVE WITH EQUAL STATUS. IN ORDER TO PROVIDE LEADERSHIP, JAN SMITH WAS SELECTED BY CRB MEMBERS AS THE CHAIRPERSON. WAS THIS CHOICE A RESULT OF MS. SMITH'S DEMONSTRATION OF VISION, LEADERSHIP, AND CONSENSUS-BUILDING SKILLS? IF YOU ALL WERE TO SERVE ANOTHER YEAR, WOULD YOU RE-ELECT JAN SMITH OR PASS THE GAVEL TO SOMEONE ELSE? IN CONCLUSION, F.A.I.R. CONTINUES TO SUPPORT THE CONCEPT OF FAIR REPRESENTATION BY RECOMMENDING THE FOLLOWING: KEEP THE SAME NUMBER OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS SEVEN TO AVOID ANY IMPACT ON THE COUNTY BUDGET. THE TAXPAYERS NOW HAVE ENOUGH INVESTED IN COUNTY GOVERNMENT. TWO, TAKE THIS POPULATION OF ONE MILLION CITIZENS AND CREATE THE SEVEN SINGLE-MEMBER DISTRICTS, EACH REPRESENTING 150,000 63 PEOPLE. MAKE IT MANDATORY FOR EACH COMMISSIONER TO RESIDE WITHIN THE DISTRICT BEING REPRESENTED. ELIMINATE THE THREE AT-LARGE DISTRICT. F.A.I.R. IS UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE IDEA OF AN AT-LARGE COMMISSIONER REPRESENTING AN AREA AS LARGE AS HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY AND ITS 1 MILLION CITIZENS. PLACE THIS MATTER BEFORE THE CITIZENS OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY IN THE FORM OF A REFERENDUM TO APPEAR ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER OF 2002. SO THE VOICES OF BOTH TAMPA AND UNINCORPORATED HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CAN BE HEARD. FINALLY, F.A.I.R. HOPES THAT THIS CHARTER REVIEW BOARD WILL MOVE TOWARDS CONSENSUS ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR A RESTRUCTURING OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT SO THAT THE CITIZENS WHO APPEAR AT THE PUBLIC HEARINGS ON JANUARY 11 AND 25 CAN SPEAK SPECIFICALLY TO THESE RECOMMENDATIONS. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. >>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU, MR. WOLF. MR. WARREN. >> GOOD EVENING. KARL WARREN, TAMPA, FLORIDA. I'D LIKE TO SAY, FIRST, THAT I'VE HAD MY MASTER'S IN PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES AND ALSO DID MY WORK AND MY DOCTORATE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA FROM '84 TO 1988. SO I HAVE CONCLUDED THAT BUDGETS CAN BE MADE COMPLICATED OR BUDGETS CAN BE SIMPLIFIED. 64 IT'S A MATTER OF WHAT GOAL WE WANT TO ACHIEVE. IN OTHER WORDS, YOU CAN KISS ALMOST EVERYTHING, KEEP IT SIMPLE FOR US STUPID PEOPLE. GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN. I BELIEVE BARBARA MERRITT HAS PASSED OUT SOME INFORMATION IN A TABLE FORM PREPARED BY RALPH HUGHES. I THINK YOU MIGHT HAVE THIS. THE INFORMATION HIGHLIGHTS SOME COMPILED PUBLIC DATA OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICER BUDGET RECORDS. I BELIEVE ON THE SURFACE, IT WOULD APPEAR AT FIRST SIGHT THERE AREN'T ANY SIGNIFICANT REVELATION, BUT CLOSER SCRUTINY REVEALS THAT SPENDING HAS ESCALATED FOR MOST OFFICE BUDGETS WHILE THERE HAVE BEEN A SIGNIFICANT MEASURE OF REDUCTION IN THE PROPERTY -- PROPERTY APPRAISER OFFICE BUDGET. IT APPEARS TO ME PROPERTY APPRAISER ROB HUNTER -- ROB TURNER AND HIS STAFF COULD OPEN A SCHOOL ON COST BENEFICIAL -- COST EFFICIENT AND COST-EFFECTIVE SPENDING MANAGEMENT. I BELIEVE ALL OF US SHOULD TAKE NOTE ON HOW ROB TURNER AND HIS STAFF HAVE BEEN ABLE TO FROM FY '95-'96 THROUGH FY 2000, 2001, TO SLASH THE PROPERTY APPRAISER BUDGET OF 8,418,399 TO 8,468,416, OR A REDUCTION OF 12,983 DOLLARS OVER A FIVE-YEAR PERIOD. EQUALLY, WE SHOULD TAKE NOTE IN HOW ROB TURNER AND HIS STAFF WERE ABLE TO REDUCE THE FUNDING POSITION BY 24, WHILE INCREASING THE STAFF WORK PRODUCTION IN A SIGNIFICANT MANNER. I BELIEVE ROB TURNER AND HIS STAFF HAVE BEEN WORKING UNDER SIMILAR CHALLENGING CONDITIONS AND EXPECTATIONS AS OTHER 65 CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS. IT APPEARS THAT ROB TURNER VIA HIS STAFF HAVE FOUND A WILL, MAINTAINED A RESOLVE AND MADE A TOTAL COMMITMENT TO BETTER MANAGE TAXPAYERS' RESOURCES IN A RESPONSIBLE MANNER. I TOTALLY SUPPORT ANY REASONABLE STANDARDS OR DEFINITION THAT WOULD INCLUDE A FAIR AND EQUITABLE FORMULA WHICH WOULD BALANCE THE VARIOUS CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS' BUDGET, USING A COMPONENT, A COMPONENT THAT CONSIDERS AN ANNUAL INFLATION RATE AND A POPULATION GROWTH RATE AS KEY FACTORS FOR DECIDING HOW MUCH RESOURCES SHOULD BE FAIRLY AND EQUABLY REDIRECTED TO THE CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS. I BELIEVE RALPH HUGHES WILL BE OFFERING SUCH A PROPOSAL FOR YOUR DELIBERATION AND PRESENTING TO THE VOTERS FOR THE VOTERS' CONSIDERATION IN DECIDING WHETHER OR NOT SUCH A PROPOSAL IS AN ACCEPTABLE FORMULA AND FOR THE VOTERS TO DECIDE THE WAY THEIR DOLLARS ARE REDIRECTED AND SPENT BY PUBLIC ENTITIES. I PRAY AND HOPE THIS CHARTER REVIEW BOARD WILL GIVE DILIGENT CONSIDERATION TO RALPH'S PROPOSAL, AND LET THE VOTERS DECIDE WHETHER OR NOT THEY, THE VOTERS, WOULD LIKE A DEFINED RESTRICTIVE PARAMETER PLACED ON COUNTY GOVERNMENT AND ON CONSTITUTIONAL OFFICERS IN HOW ELECTED AND APPOINTED OFFICERS AND STAFF PERSONS DISCRETION NALLY ADMINISTER STRAIGHT, MANAGE, AND SPEND TAXPAYER' PUBLIC DOLLARS. . >>JAN SMITH: BOARD MEMBERS, I THINK WE'LL TAKE A BREAK. PLEASE COME BACK IN ABOUT TEN MINUTES. I KNOW IF I SAY 10, IT WILL BE 15. 66 SO I'LL SAY 10. THIS MEETING IS IN RECESS. [ RECESS TAKEN ] >>JAN SMITH: THANK YOU, BOARD MEMBERS. WE'LL TAKE UP OUR AGENDA WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S REPORT. FIRST, I WAS REMISS IN TELLING YOU THAT MR. BALES, MR. BELTRAM AND MR. WILKES ALL CALLED IN AND ARE NOT GOING TO BE HERE THIS EVENING. AND MS. TUTTLE CALLED AT THE LAST MINUTE. SHE SOUNDS LIKE SHE HAS THE FLU, SO SHE STAYED HOME. WE HOPE EVERYONE WILL BE BACK NEXT MONTH. MS. CAMPBELL. >>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL: GOOD EVENING, BOARD. FOR THE RECORD, MARY HELEN CAMPBELL WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. I JUST WANT TO REPORT A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE DONE SINCE THE LAST MEETING. PURSUANT TO YOUR REQUEST AND YOUR DISCUSSIONS ON THE TAX CAP, WE SENT A REQUEST FOR THE ATTORNEY GENERAL TO GIVE US AN OPINION AS TO WHETHER OR NOT THE PROPOSAL, WHICH HAS THE ABILITY OF THE BOARD TO OVERRIDE THE CAP, WOULD MAKE IT A VALID PROPOSAL TO PLACE ON THE BALLOT. I SENT THAT OFF DECEMBER 20th. I GOT A RESPONSE ON DECEMBER 22nd THAT THEY GOT THE RESPONSE AND THEY WILL RESPOND AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. 67 BEFORE I SENT IT UP THERE, I DID FAX IT. I DID TALK TO A STAFF ATTORNEY. I KIND OF WALKED HER THROUGH THE PROPOSAL. THERE'S ONLY A FEW CASES, AS KEN HAD POINTED OUT AT THE LAST MEETING. IT IS, I HOPE THAT BY LATE NEXT WEEK, I CAN AT LEAST GET A VERBAL ANSWER, EVEN IF THEY DON'T HAVE THE FORMAL OPINION PREPARED YET. AND AS SOON AS I HEAR FROM THEM, I WILL MAKE SURE ALL OF THE BOARD KNOWS WHAT THEY COME OUT WITH AND THEIR OPINION. THE OTHER THING, WE HAVE COMPLETED THE DRAFT OF THE THREE STRUCTURES. AND I THINK THAT HAS BEEN PASSED AROUND. WE PUT IN THE TITLE OF THE RESOLUTION THAT WILL BE PART OF THE ADVERTISEMENT, AND WE ALSO INCLUDED BALLOT LANGUAGE. SO THOSE ARE KIND OF FLUID DOCUMENTS. OBVIOUSLY, AFTER THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING, THERE MAY BE CHANGES THAT WILL HAVE TO BE DONE. HOPEFULLY WE CAN MAYBE NARROW THOSE DOWN BY THE SECOND PUBLIC HEARING SO THAT THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S STAFF HAS ENOUGH TIME IF THERE'S CHANGES TO BE MADE THAT WE DON'T FIND OURSELVES AT THE LAST MINUTE TRYING TO GO OVER WORDING AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE. WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THE ADVERTISEMENT FOR THE PUBLIC HEARINGS ON WHAT HAS BEEN VOTED SO FAR FROM THE BOARD. AND WE'LL BE HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE. >>JAN SMITH: THE PUBLIC NOTICE, THE AD THAT GOES IN THE 68 PAPER, IF IT GOES IN ON TUESDAY, IT'S NOT QUITE 14 DAYS. IS THERE A PROBLEM WITH THAT LEGALLY? >>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL: NO. WE CAN GET IT IN IN TIME. AND THERE'S NOT A TIME FRAME SPECIFIED. SO WE JUST TRY TO GIVE PEOPLE ENOUGH TIME. BUT WE WILL NEED TO KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, WHICH PROPOSALS, AND I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD BASIS OF THAT SO FAR. >>STEVE LaBOUR: WELL, THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO ASK AND MAYBE THIS IS NOT THE RIGHT -- I'M JUST TRYING TO GET STRAIGHT IN MY MIND. I KNOW WE HAVE THE THREE OPTIONS ON THE STRUCTURE AND THE NONPARTISAN CHANGING THE RACES TO NONPARTISAN WILL BE ON PUBLIC HEARING. THE CYCLE OF THE CRB MEETING, REFRESH MY RECOLLECTION. AS MUCH DISCUSSION -- THE BOARD MEETING. DID WE PASS THAT OUT TO BEYOND -- AS AN ITEM? >>JAN SMITH: I DON'T REMEMBER. >>STEVE LaBOUR: I BELIEVE WE DID. I DON'T HAVE A COPY OF THE MINUTES. >>JAN SMITH: I HAD MS. MERRITT PUT TOGETHER ALL THE RESOLUTIONS AND WHAT HAPPENED. >>STEVE LaBOUR: RIGHT. IT DIDN'T INCLUDE OUR LAST MEETING. >>GERALD WHITE: THE TIME FRAME FOR THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD WAS VOTED ON AT THE LAST MEETING. IN MY RECOLLECTION, IT WAS VOTED TO TAKE THAT ISSUE TO PUBLIC 69 HEARING. >>JAN SMITH: IT WAS VOTED TO TAKE IT TO PUBLIC HEARING. I DON'T REMEMBER PRECISELY WHAT ALL OF THE WORDING WAS IS WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. >>STEVE LaBOUR: OKAY. WELL, ONE OF THE CONCERNS THAT I HAVE -- AND THIS MIGHT NOT BE THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO RAISE IT -- ON THAT PARTICULAR ITEM, MS. MERRITT HAD SENT US, WHICH I FOUND VERY HELPFUL, HER PACKET WHICH HAD ALL OF OUR MOTIONS PASSED. AND THEN SHE ALSO INCLUDED THE BALLOT LANGUAGE AS IT EXISTED IN 1996 ON THAT ISSUE. AND WE HAD SOME DISCUSSION LAST WEEK WHEN WE WERE DEBATING THE ISSUE. I CAN CERTAINLY SEE WHY THE ELECTORATE THOUGHT THAT THE ISSUE WAS -- THE NUMBER OF YEARS BETWEEN MEETINGS THAT THEY THOUGHT THEY WERE VOTING ON VERSUS WHILE WE WERE TRYING TO CYCLE IT SO IT MET ALL OF THE GOALS THAT MS. LASHER HAD BROUGHT TO US. BECAUSE THE BALLOT LANGUAGE ACTUALLY SAYS, REVIEW BOARD -- SHALL THE COUNTY'S CHARTER BE AMENDED TO PROVIDE THAT THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS APPOINT A CHARTER REVIEW BOARD EVERY EIGHT YEARS, INSTEAD EVERY FIVE YEARS. AND THEN IT GOES ON. I AM CONCERNED -- I DON'T WANT -- I MEAN, I WOULD BE CONCERNED IF THAT WERE THE LANGUAGE AGAIN. BECAUSE I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IS REALLY THE PIVOTAL INTENT OF WHAT MS. LASHER WAS TRYING TO BRING TO US. I MIGHT BE MISTAKEN AND SHE CAN COMMENT ON THAT, BUT I'M 70 CONCERNED ABOUT THAT LANGUAGE. >>JAN SMITH: I'M GOING TO ASK MS. CAMPBELL TO RESPOND TO IT BECAUSE THERE'S A LIMITED NUMBER OF WORDS YOU CAN USE. AND YOU HAVE TO EXPLAIN SOMEHOW IN WHAT YOU HAVE AND WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. AND WHETHER THAT CAUSES A PROBLEM IN THIS LANGUAGE OR NOT, SHE WAS NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THIS BALLOT LANGUAGE LAST TIME. DO YOU WANT TO CLARIFY? >>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL: RIGHT. AS YOU POINTED OUT, YOU HAVE 75 WORDS TO WORK IN. AND IT'S IMPORTANT TO THE EXTENT THAT YOU CAN TO POINT OUT WHAT YOU HAD AND WHAT YOU WERE GOING TO. IT DOES SAY SO THAT IT WOULD APPEAR ON THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION BALLOT. CERTAINLY LANGUAGE COULD BE REDRAFTED SO THAT THAT IS THE PRIMARY ISSUE THAT IS SEEN RATHER THAN THE TIMING. BUT IT WAS JUST A MATTER OF PLACEMENT, PUTTING WHAT THE CHARTER HAD IN PLACE, GOING THROUGH THE CHANGE, AND THEN ADDING WHY. AND THAT WAS JUST THE BALLOT LANGUAGE THAT WAS VOTED ON. >>STEVE LaBOUR: I'M NOT SUGGESTING WE CHANGE THE LANGUAGE TO FOOL ANYBODY. THAT'S NOT WHAT I'M SUGGESTING. BUT I THINK THE INTENT OF THE MOTION WAS ACTUALLY THE LATTER PART OF THAT LANGUAGE. AND I THINK WE COULD ADD WORDS IN ORDER TO ACHIEVE THIS, THE OTHER HAS TO BE THAT. 71 >>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL: OR TO CHANGE THE ORDER. >>STEVE LaBOUR: YEAH, OR THE ORDER. >>JAN SMITH: MAYBE IF YOU DO WHAT YOU WANT TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE FIRST SENTENCE AND THEN SAY WHAT YOU DID IN THE LAST. >>STEVE LaBOUR: I'M NOT SURE YOU HAVE TO HAVE THE LANGUAGE FOR OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS. >>MARY HELEN CAMPBELL: NO. >>STEVE LaBOUR: YEAH. I JUST WANTED TO RAISE THE ISSUE TONIGHT SO WE CAN BE THINKING ABOUT THAT. >>JAN SMITH: AND SINCE YOU RAISED THAT ISSUE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING TO MS. MERRITT ABOUT THAT'S SOMEWHAT RELATED TO IT, AS ALL OF THESE THINGS HAPPEN AND AS WE GET TO THE POINT WITH FINAL DRAFTS OF THINGS THAT ARE GOING, THEY'RE ALL GOING TO BE MAILED OUT TO YOU. IF YOU HAVE ANY CONCERNS, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO RAISE THEM IMMEDIATELY WITH MS. MERRITT SO THAT IT CAN BE CORRECTED. THE PAPERWORK CAN BE CORRECTED WHEN WE GET TO THE PUBLIC HEARING. ALSO, AT SOME POINT IN TIME, TWO MONTHS AFTER THE CHARTER REVIEW BOARD MEETS, WE HAVE TO DO A REPORT. AND I AM ANXIOUS THAT ONCE THE REPORT IS WRITTEN AND MS. MERRITT AND I AND THE COUNTY LEGAL DEPARTMENT AND ALL WILL WORK ON IT, I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ANYBODY WHO WISHES TO REVIEW IT BEFORE IT'S FINALLY PUT IN FINAL FORM. SO KEEP IN MIND THAT ALL OF YOU, YOUR INPUT IS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT IN ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, AND I WOU