2025-04-21 · City Council · Transcript · Special Called Meeting City Coucil

--- title: Special Called Meeting City Coucil date: 2025-04-21 source: 2025-04-21_Special_Called_Meeting_City_Coucil.wav --- [0:00:40, 0:00:52]: Alright ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to start our um our special call meeting that we have this evening. This is uh Monday, April 21st, and I have 306. I'll call the meeting order. [0:00:53, 0:00:56]: And please stand for invocation, Mr. Barrett, please. [0:00:57, 0:01:17]: Let us pray. Eternal God, our Father, we come now to say thank you. Thank you again for yet another day, allowing us to see your new graces and new mercies. Lord, we ask for your wisdom and your governance and your guidance, Lord God, that you will lead us the way that you will want us to go. God, we pray now, Lord God, that as you said in your word, that the steps of a good man are indeed orderly. [0:01:17, 0:01:35]: by God. So God order us and lead us beside still waters and restore our soul and give us the wisdom, Lord God, to help govern this city and to make, Lord God, the best decision possible for the citizens here in Stockbridge. This is our prayer. In Jesus' precious holy and divine name we pray. Amen. Amen. [0:01:35, 0:01:47]: Pledge allegiance here? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands one nation, unmighting God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. [0:01:48, 0:01:50]: Madam Clerk Rokall, please. [0:01:51, 0:01:52]: Afternoon. [0:01:54, 0:01:55]: Present. [0:02:03, 0:02:05]: Present. Council Member Barber. [0:02:05, 0:02:05]: Mm. [0:02:07, 0:02:07]: Present. [0:02:13, 0:02:16]: Thank you, Madam Clerk. Appreciate it. Council, I need a motion to adopt the agenda, please. [0:02:17, 0:02:37]: So move. Sir a second. Second. Uh Miss Barber from Mr. Mr. Mr. Barber, all in favor, please indicate. She now's decision. Okay. What we have for new business today since the special call meeting. Council consideration approved a resolution for the estimated twenty twenty-five millage rate in accordance with H B ninety two and HB five eighty-one. Frank Balanzi, sir. [0:02:37, 0:02:45]: And ladies and gentlemen, uh Mr. Wall, Financial Advisor, is online. He's on video, so he can hear us and we'll be able to speak if need be. [0:02:49, 0:02:51]: Frank, the show is yours, sir. [0:03:01, 0:03:21]: Good afternoon, Mayor and Council. Um this year twenty twenty five because of the HB five eighty one, we were required in a taxing municipal government to provide an estimate of rawback. [0:03:21, 0:03:22]: Right. [0:03:23, 0:03:28]: And that one we did submit to the county? [0:03:28, 0:03:30]: Then the governor had a [0:03:31, 0:03:38]: an amendment that brought in from five eighty one into H B ninety two. [0:03:38, 0:03:45]: And H B ninety two requires the municipal government to officially [0:03:46, 0:03:50]: adopt the estimated rollback. [0:03:52, 0:04:12]: This does not affect our tax process that we do every year. After the budget, we have to see how much money we are going to raise. That is going to happen. But what we are doing here today is to meet the requirement of HB 581. [0:04:11, 0:04:27]: and the HB ninety two. So we are officially adopting this to meet those two requirements, which now is one, but when tax time comes, we'll set mirror rate as the process is. [0:04:28, 0:04:48]: So what you are doing to adopt this resolution is to give me the authority to send our estimated raw marriage rate, which we have put exactly what we levied last year, which is 3.77. I have worked [0:04:48, 0:05:08]: Together with Mr. Ed, he's online just in case you need any question or you need any comments that he may have. So, all my presentation is to talk about the estimated marriage rate. But again, it does not affect what we are going to decide. [0:05:08, 0:05:10]: When that time comes, July. [0:05:11, 0:05:19]: There may be any question, comment I may answer. So yeah, no my comment is so all right now, three point seven seven is what it has been for the last two years. We're staying right there. [0:05:20, 0:05:40]: But eventually when we get into the summer months and we have some additional adjustments in the budget, it possibly could go up or go down uh slightly, it's possible. Okay. Exactly. And but obviously we'll have discussion about that and snap some uh um uh diff public readings in ru in reference to that as well. So yeah, as usual when it's the we have [0:05:39, 0:05:49]: have put on rollback, which means it's the reduced to the marriage rate because of uh increase of uh [0:05:50, 0:06:10]: Values. Yeah, because most of them the values have gone up. So the aim is to levy exactly what you left the previous year. But because of the values of they've gone up, therefore you levy more, so you have to grow back. But as you say, come that time you will. [0:06:10, 0:06:11]: who decide. [0:06:12, 0:06:19]: the governing board will decide we'll leave it where we add three point seven seven or we'll we will have draw bucket. [0:06:19, 0:06:28]: Or we have to take up depending on what our needs will be during that time to support our budget. Okay. Yeah. Well, Ms. Bobber, go ahead. [0:06:28, 0:06:48]: Have those dates for the public hearings um been set yet to adopt the military? Has that been set? They can't be set now for several reasons. You have public hearing for the sake of having public hearing, but you are required to have three public hearings if the marriage rate is there's an increase. [0:06:48, 0:07:08]: So those ones we can't set up now until we start the budget. So we we only have the public hearings if we intend to increase the millage rate. That's correct. We won't have public hearings if we intend to lower the millage rate. If you you put into law anything about [0:07:08, 0:07:27]: Have the rollback is tax increase. Even if it was still the three point seven seven, if the values have gone up and it's be it's above rollback, then it's a mirror g increase, so we need to have at least three public hearings. [0:07:27, 0:07:30]: Have those dates been scheduled yet? No. [0:07:31, 0:07:51]: Thank you, sir. Sir, for clarity on that, so everybody understands, uh, if the millage rate remains the same, technically, most of the time, that's considered a tax increase. That's true. So even if we leave the millage rate exactly the same, we would still have to have the three public hearings in order to [0:07:51, 0:08:11]: Justify that. What the state has indicated for us and for all municipality and county governments is that they want to make it clear when there is a tax increase. And uh it is need to be stated in bold letters to the community. If you leave the revenue, the millage rate the same, it is. [0:08:11, 0:08:31]: still consider a tax increase, probably a slight tax increase, but it still would be a tax increase. Now certainly I don't anticipate uh the millage rate going up. I think we've been uh trying to be consistent with that. Now it's always possibility while with the economy being what it is that you [0:08:31, 0:08:51]: may have to make adjustments, but at this time I think we should be I would be in favor of leaving it as it is. So certainly that would be my inclination uh to do that. But certainly the citizens should understand we're trying to do everything that we can to make sure that we're in compliance with the law, correct? [0:08:50, 0:09:10]: And that this is a new, as you said, a new provision that the state requires that we this is as again, it's not, it's an anticipated, what we anticipate the rollback rate to be. And then uh going forward, we still would practice the formal hearings as indicated. [0:09:10, 0:09:30]: In the previous stance. But again, the state wanted to get ahead of this and to so the public would have multiple opportunities to see what the tax rate is going to be, or even to have an indication of what the governing body might do. [0:09:30, 0:09:50]: And we are doing today because the it's required that the the governing body has to approve it by the twenty fourth of April. So today was the the appropriate day that you chose that we could meet. But you have to adopt this before the twentieth by the twentieth, twenty fourth of April. [0:09:51, 0:10:08]: Right. So certainly I think most of the other governments would be we would be doing the same would have to do the same thing as we're doing here today. But as as I've stated, my position would be to leave it as it is uh at this point, um barring any uh unforeseen changes. Yeah. [0:10:09, 0:10:12]: You have anything, sir? No, sir. Nothing to add to that. [0:10:13, 0:10:16]: Okay, so if there's no other questions, it goes right, please. [0:10:16, 0:10:24]: So I'm a little torn. Um I did not support the FY 2025 budget. [0:10:25, 0:10:30]: I support HB five. [0:10:30, 0:10:31]: Eighty three. [0:10:33, 0:10:33]: I [0:10:34, 0:10:39]: Do not support leaving the military as it currently is or what it was last year. [0:10:39, 0:10:43]: I'd much rather see us decrease the miller rate. [0:10:43, 0:10:47]: But of course we won't make that decision until yes. Right. [0:10:48, 0:10:56]: So um Torn, I know that this meeting specifically is r in regards to the resolution to approve. [0:10:56, 0:10:57]: The support of the [0:10:58, 0:10:59]: H B. [0:11:00, 0:11:05]: Five eighty one and H B and H B ninety two. Ninety two. Yes, ma'am. [0:11:06, 0:11:11]: But this the way the resolution is written, it says this is a estimated [0:11:12, 0:11:19]: It's estimated. It is just estimated. It's required to meet those requirements. It's just an that's why it is not [0:11:20, 0:11:26]: Exact but it's unestimated. That's why it will not be when that time comes we'll make the real one. [0:11:29, 0:11:36]: Okay. Um well I can support approving this as an estimate as long as that is included in the motion. [0:11:37, 0:11:40]: Whoever decides to move forward with the motion. [0:11:41, 0:11:41]: Okay. [0:11:42, 0:11:43]: Um mayor for [0:11:43, 0:11:53]: Yes, ma'am, go ahead. I'd like to make a motion. Go ahead. I'd like to make a motion to approve the resolution for the estimated twenty twenty five millage rate. [0:11:53, 0:11:55]: in accordance with [0:11:55, 0:11:57]: H B ninety two. [0:11:58, 0:12:00]: N H B five eighty one. [0:12:02, 0:12:05]: Sorry. Okay, Mr. Alzheimer's second emotion. All in favor, please. Okay. I'm sorry. [0:12:06, 0:12:12]: I wanted to um also because we haven't scheduled the public hearings. [0:12:13, 0:12:14]: To adopt the military. [0:12:15, 0:12:17]: I wanted to include that in my motion. [0:12:18, 0:12:28]: The public hearings, the three or two? We don't have any specific dates for that, but you just mentioned that we'll do that a little later on. It has to happen sometime this summer. But I wanna include that staff will [0:12:28, 0:12:31]: Provide us with those dates. [0:12:31, 0:12:36]: But if you include that, you can't include without knowing what mirage rate will be. [0:12:38, 0:12:39]: We don't know yet. [0:12:41, 0:13:01]: Yeah, four. Okay. Okay. What standby. Yes, sir. Go ahead, please. No, I was just gonna add that it'll be difficult to add both of those in the motion together because they're gonna kinda act in in separate separate components of legislation. So I think that's two motions instead of one. I get what you're saying. [0:13:01, 0:13:05]: [785.2, 788.2]: The mill it's second, if you were to do that. [0:13:08, 0:13:15]: I'll leave it as is then. Okay. Okay. Since Ms. Gance joined us, uh uh Miss Holliday, could you read back the motion, please? [0:13:22, 0:13:25]: accordance with H B ninety two and H B five eighty one. [0:13:26, 0:13:32]: Okay. That's your motion is be second by Mr. Alexander. So you understand what it is. This has to be all in favor, please indicate. [0:13:33, 0:13:38]: Does it stay insane? Yeah, y yes, it's three point seven seven. At this point, it's estimated three seven seven. At this point. At this point. [0:13:38, 0:13:58]: We're not actually setting it at this point. No, no, but not. Okay. On favor with the motion, please indicate. Okay, so unanimous decision. Thank you very much. Okay, so uh and that takes part of the resolution piece that we that we have to s they have to sign and send on to the to the government. Okay. Uh [0:13:58, 0:14:02]: State government. Okay. Thank you. Now you got something else you want to do, ma'am? [0:14:03, 0:14:07]: I mean we're good we're we're good there? All right, so we're good. Then all acts out. I need a motion to end our meeting. [0:14:08, 0:14:12]: Summer. Is there a second? Second. I'm Mr. Second. I'm very pleasing to keep. [0:14:12, 0:14:14]: United City. God bless you. Good night. [0:14:15, 0:14:15]: Done. [0:14:25, 0:14:25]: So [0:14:26, 0:14:28]: So I'm good to go. Thank you all very much. [0:14:28, 0:14:31]: All right, so we we did all that so you didn't say it, so.