Sep 21, 2022 Special City Council

[00:00:08]

>> ALL RIGHT, COUNSEL, IT IS WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 21 AT 5:30 P.M. AND WE ARE IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS WITH THE PRESIDENT, AS AUTHORIZED BY 551.074 OF THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE. FOR THE PURPOSE OF SEEKING CONFIDENTIAL LEGAL ADVICE FROM THE CITY ATTORNEY ON ANY AGENDA ITEM HERE. THE CITY OF ROWLETT RESERVES THE RIGHT TO RECONVENE OR CALL EXECUTIVE SESSION FOR ORDER OF BUSINESS AT ANY TIME. INFORMATION ON PROVIDING PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR THE MEETING CAN BE FOUND ON THE POSTED AGENDA ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE OR HERE AT CITY HALL. AT THIS TIME, WE WILL TAKE A COUPLE COMMENTS ON POSTED AGENDA ITEMS ONLY. WE HAVE NO CARDS AND WE DID NOT RECEIVE ANY PUBLIC INPUT FORMS FOR THIS MEETING. AND OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION WILL BE

[3A. Consider action to approve an ordinance adopting the budget for fiscal year 2022-2023 (FY2023).]

>> MAYOR. GOOD EVENING, COUNSEL, MY NAME IS ROBERT COHEN, I AM THE CITY'S BUDGET OFFICER, AND I AM HERE TONIGHT TO CONCLUDE THE TAX RATE PROCESS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023.

TONIGHT IS THE FINAL STEP OF AN INTENSIVE AND LENGTHY PROCESS THAT BEGAN ON FEBRUARY 7. WHEN I FIRST SHARED EXPECTATIONS AND DEADLINES WITH THE DEPARTMENT AS PART OF THE KICKOFF. THE DEPARTMENTS THEN HAD ABOUT TWO MONTHS TO IDENTIFY THEIR NEEDS AND FINALIZE THEIR BUDGET SUBMISSIONS, BEFORE COUNSEL WAS SHOWN THE FRAMEWORK OF THE BUDGET PROCESS AT THE JUNE STRATEGY SESSIONS. THE CITY MANAGER SHOWED HIS PROPOSED BUDGET ON AUGUST 2. ON AUGUST 16, COUNSEL SET THE CEILING ON THE TAX RATE. AUGUST 18, A TAX RATE TO BALANCE THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY WITH RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE. LAST NIGHT, WE HELD OUR PUBLIC HEARINGS ON BOTH THE TAX RATE AND THE BUDGET, AND WE ARE HERE TONIGHT TO FORMALLY ADOPT BOTH THE BUDGET AND TAX RATE ORDINANCES. THERE WILL BE NO INFORMATION PROVIDED TONIGHT THAT HAS NOT BEEN DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY. THIS WILL SERVE AS A FINAL SUMMATION. THIS NEXT SLIDES INDICATE THE FUNDS IN THE BUDGET PRESENTED FOR ADOPTION TONIGHT. COMBINED FOR ALL FUNDS, REVENUES, AND INCREASED TO 162 MILLION, WITH EXPENSES INCREASING FROM 158 MILLION 168 MILLION. THE GENERAL FUND HAS INCREASED FROM 56 MILLION TO 58 MILLION. IN REVENUE AND EXPENSE. THAT SERVICEHAS DECREASED 10 MILLION TO 11 MILLION IN REVENUE. THE CAPITOL IMPROVEMENT FUND HAS INCREASED FROM REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES OF 31 MILLION TO REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES OF 36 MILLION. THE UTILITY FUND HAS CHANGED SLIGHTLY FROM THE PROPOSED REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES, REMAIN AT 34 MILLION. FINALLY, FTE HAS INCREASED FROM 510 IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET TO 514. THERE WERE NO CHANGES TO THE REST OF THE ADOPTED FUNDS. AS YOU ARE ALL AWARE, THE BUDGET CONTAINS A GREAT MANY THINGS FOR BOTH RESIDENTS AND STAFF TO BE EXCITED ABOUT. I WANT TO BRIEFLY TOUCH ON A FEW OF THE MOST NOTABLE ADDITIONS MADE TO THE PROPOSED BUDGET DURING THE COUNCIL WORK SESSIONS LAST MONTH. FOUR ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICERS WERE ADDED, A GENERATOR FOR THE REC CENTER, INCREASING OF ANIMAL SERVICES FOOD BUDGET, INCREASED FUNDING FOR THE ARTS, THE CITIZENS CORE COUNSEL, THE PARKS ADVISORY BOARD, FUNDING THROUGH PLACE WET ZONE FENCING, AND TO PROVIDE COUNSELING FOR SENIORS WAS ADDED, AS WAS FUNDING FOR HIGHWAY 66 MEDIAN ZERO ESCAPING, DOWNTOWN LANDSCAPING, AND REINSTATEMENT OF THE 50-50 SIDEWALK PROGRAM. AS YOU CAN SEE, SOMETHING FOR ALMOST EVERYBODY WAS ADDED DURING THESE TWO VERY PRODUCTIVE WORK SESSIONS LAST MONTH. FINALLY, I WANT TO REVIEW ONCE MORE, THE TAX RATES THAT HAVE BEEN DISCUSSED THROUGHOUT THIS PROCESS. THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE IS A CULTIVATED RATE THAT PROVIDES TAXES WITH APPROXIMATELY THE SAME AMOUNT OF REVENUE RECEIVED IN THE YEAR BEFORE ON PROPERTIES TAXED IN BOTH YEARS. THE PROPERTY VALUE RISES, THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE WILL GO DOWN, AND VICE VERSA. NO NEW REVENUE RATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2023 HAS BEEN CALCULATED AT $0.681000. THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE IS THE MAXIMUM RATE COUNSEL CAN ADOPT WITHOUT BEING SUBJECT TO AN AUTOMATIC COLLECTION ON THE ELECTION DATE. THIS WAS ALSO THE RATE THAT WAS SET BY COUNSEL AS THE TAX CEILING AND WAS PUBLISHED. THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE HAS BEEN CALCULATED AT 0.64299. BUDGET PRESENTED TONIGHT FOR ADOPTION CONTAINS A TAX RATE OF $0.681000, WHICH WAS THE TAX

[00:05:01]

THIS SLIDE CONTAINS THE SPECIFIC LANGUAGE, AS IS REQUIRED, AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION, I AM AVAILABLE

FOR QUESTIONS. >> COUNSEL, ANY QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. I WILL ACCEPT A MOTION. MOTION BY COUNCILMEMBER

GRUBISICH. >> I MOVE THE COUNCIL, ADOPT AN ORDINANCE APPROVED IN THE FISCAL YEAR 2022-2023 BUDGET AS

PRESENTED. >> DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND BY COUNCILMEMBER BELL. ANY DISCUSSION? WE WILL START

THAT. ARE WE GOOD? OKAY. >> OKAY.

>> WELL, I APOLOGIZE FOR MISSING LAST NIGHT, YOU ALL GOT THE FULL PRESENTATION AND GOT TO MAKE YOUR COMMENTS. I ONLY HAVE A COUPLE THINGS TO SAY ON THE BUDGET. I THINK OVERALL, IT'S A VERY GOOD BUDGET. THERE ARE MANY GOOD THINGS IN THERE, I'M PARTICULARLY HAPPY THAT WE GOT THE ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICERS IN THERE. UM, I WISH WE HAD FOUND A WAY TO FUND THE DESIGN OF THE ROAD AND I INTEND TO CONTINUE TO SEEK REVENUE SOURCES TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT IN THE COURSE OF THE UPCOMING YEAR IF WE FIND OURSELVES WITH SOME REVENUE THAT WE CAN APPLY TO THAT. I DID NOTICE LAST NIGHT THAT SHE SAID WE WERE UP TO 13,000 PEOPLE DRIVING ON THAT ROAD PER DAY, WHICH DO THE MATH, THAT'S A LOT OF PEOPLE DRIVING DOWN A TWO-LANE ROAD EVERY DAY, SO, THERE ARE THINGS IN THE BUDGET I DON'T LIKE, I THINK THAT'S JUST PART OF THE PROCESS. YOU KNOW, GOVERNMENT IS ABOUT COMPROMISE, SO I AM GLAD WE GOT WHERE WE ARE WITH THIS. WISH WE HAD MORE MONEY. BUT WE DON'T WANT TO TAKE IT AWAY FROM THE PEOPLE. THANK YOU.

>> COUNCILMEMBER GRUBISICH? >> MATT GRUBISICH: THIS IS MY FIFTH BUDGET AND EVERY BUDGET IS DIFFERENT, AND THIS WAS THE FIRST ONE WITH A NEW COUNSEL, AND I WANT TO COMMEMORATE ALL YOU GUYS WHO ARE NEW TO IT THIS YEAR ANDBEARING WITH US, YOU DID A GREAT JOB. THIS IS ANOTHER, I THINK, REALLY GOOD BUDGET, THERE'S WAYS HARD DECISIONS THAT GET MADE WHEN IT COMES TO CUTTING OUT , AND THERE ARE THINGS THAT UNFORTUNATELY GET LEFT ON THE TABLE, BUT I THINK THIS WAS A VERY GOOD COMPROMISE IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO LOWER IT AS MUCH AS WE COULD, GET FOUR NEW POLICE OFFICERS, GET SOME REALLY NEEDED THINGS DONE, AND STILL PRESERVING SOMETHING FOR THE FUTURE, SO VERY EXCITED TO BE ADOPTING MY LAST BUDGET.

AND ALSO, WE WILL GLADLY HAND OVER THE REST OF THAT WORK TO

YOU GUYS. >> WELL, BEING MY VERY FIRST BUDGET, IT WAS A GREAT LEARNING EXPERIENCE, UM, I HOPE TO TAKE THAT INTO, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS, AND LEARN OR PUT INTO PLAY WHAT I HAVE LEARNED. I AM REAL PLEASED WITH THE BUDGET, I'M ESPECIALLY PLEASED WITH THE ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICERS, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PUT IN THERE, AS WELL AS OTHER THINGS. I THINK OVERALL, IT'S GREAT BUDGET.

>> THANK YOU, MAYOR. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO LET THE PUBLIC KNOW JUST HOW EXTENSIVE THIS PROCESS IS. FROM WHEN THOSE OF US WHO ARE NEW TO COUNSEL WERE ELECTED BACK IN MAY, WE BASICALLY HIT THE GROUND RUNNING ON A BUDGET, AND IT WAS, IT WAS HARD AND FAST AND FURIOUS, AND THERE WAS NO TIME TO REALLY TAKE BREAKS, AN , UM, I APPRECIATE STAFF'S WORK IN PROVIDING A REALLY COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET PROPOSAL, AND I THINK WHAT WE ENDED UP WITH, AFTER KIND OF HASHING EVERYTHING OUT OVER THE LAST COUPLE STRATEGY SESSIONS, IS A GOOD, COMPREHENSIVE BUDGET. DOES WHAT'S NEEDED FOR THIS CITY. UM, THE STATE HAS UNFORTUNATELY PUT US IN A POSITION WHERE WE HAVE A LOT OF RESTRICTIONS, THINGS HAVE TO MOVE VERY FAST, WE ARE ON A TIGHT TIMELINE, AND, UM, THOSE ARE THINGS THAT HAVE CHANGED, EVEN SINCE YOU TOOK OFFICE, MATT, THERE'S BEEN SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THE BUDGET PROCESS, AND I APPLAUD STAFF, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN FINANCE, ROBERT, YOU AS WELL, THATHAVE , YOU KNOW, KIND OF PIVOTED AND MAINTAINED, YOU KNOW, SWIFT ON YOUR FEET, TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE ADOPTING AND ADAPTING WHAT WE NEED TO AS TIME GOES ON, SO THANK YOU SO MUCH, I WILL OBVIOUSLY BE SUPPORTING THIS AGENDA ITEM, AND IT'S A LOT TO SAY. THANK YOU.

>> WELL, BRIAN ALWAYS SAYS THE THINGS I HAD PLANNED TO SAY, SO, I WILL ADMIT THAT THERE ARE SOME ITEMS IN THIS THAT I WOULD

[00:10:07]

IT OFFERS MORALE BOOSTING MEASURES IN BOTH MONETARY AND SCHEDULING, AND I WILL BE VOTING IN FAVOR OF THIS 2023 FISCAL YEAR BUDGET. I ALSO WANT TO RECOGNIZE EVERYBODY WHO IS INVOLVED IN MAKING IT HAPPEN. IT WAS A VERY LONG PROCESS, LIKE JEFF SAID, AND IT PSTARTED BACK IN THE BEGINNING OF JUNE, WHEN FOUR OF US HAD ONLY BEEN ON THE COUNCIL FOR ABOUT THREE WEEKS. SINCE THEN, WE'VE ALL WORKED REALLY HARD TO SORT OUT OUR INDIVIDUAL AND COLLECTIVE PRIORITIES, AND TO WORK THESE NUMBERS. IN Q2 THE STAFF MEMBERS, TO BRIAN AND ANGIE AND ALLTHE FINANCE FOLKS AND ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND ALL THE RANK AND FILE EMPLOYEES WHO KEPT EVERYTHING RUNNING SMOOTHLY . THANK YOU TO MY FELLOW COUNCILMEMBERS FOR THE RESEARCH YOU DID, THE CITIZENS WHOSE OPINIONS YOU LISTENED TO, LIVELY DISCUSSIONS, THE COLLABORATIVE MANNER IN WHICH YOU INTERACTED. AND A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE RESIDENTS OF OUR CITY WHO ATTENDED THE MEETINGS OR WATCHED THE VIDEOS, WHO CONTACTED YOUR ELECTED OFFICIALS, WHO SENT EMAIL OR WEB BASED INPUT AND LET US KNOW HOW YOU WANT YOUR MONEY SPENT. AND FINALLY, SPEAKING OF MONEY, THANK YOU MOST OF ALL TO THE TAXPAYERS, WHO ULTIMATELY FINANCE MOST OF THIS BUDGET. UNLIKE SOME CITIES THAT HAVE A LARGE COMMERCIAL AND RETAIL TAX BASE, WE HAVE TO RELY ON RESIDENTIAL TAX, MAIN SOURCE OF REVENUE. ROCKWELL JUST PASSED A BUDGET THAT WAS LOWER THAN THE NO NEW REVENUE BUDGET, AND I HAD SOME CITIZENS REMIND ME OF THAT. UM, WE ARE NOT ROCKWELL, WE ARE NOT THERE YET AT LEAST, AND WE CAN'T DO THAT.

BUT I THINK WE DID A GOOD JOB HERE. UM, I LOOK FORWARD TO HELPING BRING ABOUT A TRANSITION THAT WILL TAKE SOME OF THAT BURDEN OFF THE HOMEOWNERS SHOULDERS THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOME DESIRABLE AND SUSTAINABLE PROJECTS, AND WE WILL BRING IN THE MONEY WE NEED WHILE MAINTAINING A HIGH QUALITY LIFE FOR EVERYONE WHO LIVES HERE.

THANK YOU. >> WELL, BY BEING LAST, SO MANY THINGS. BUT THIS IS MY SIXTH YEAR, SIX BUDGET. AND TO STAFF, AND EVERYONE, Y'ALL DID AN AWESOME JOB. THERE ARE, EVERYTHING I WANTED PAST, I'M FINE WITH IT. IF THE CITIZENS ARE FINE, I'M FINE, BECAUSE IT'S THEIR MONEY THAT WE HAVE TO TAKE, WE ARE THE CARETAKERS OF THEIR MONEY, OKAY? AND AS FAR AS THE COMMERCIAL PORTION OF IT, THAT'S WHY WE ARE TRYING TO BRING IN COMMERCIAL, SO WE WON'T HAVE TO RELY SO MUCH ON OUR BEDROOM COMMUNITY. SO, WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THAT. AND THAT IS REALLY WHAT I AM LOOKING, I WAS JUST SO HAPPY ABOUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT HAVE TRANSPIRED. BUT LIKE I SAID, DITTO, DITTO, DITTO. THANK YOU.

>> THANK YOU, EVERYBODY, AND THANK YOU TO OUR FINANCE TEAM AND ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES. UM, AND OUR CITIZENS. UM, THIS HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, FIVE YEARS I'VE BEEN ON COUNSEL, THIS HAS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST IMPACTFUL BUDGETS THAT WE ARE GOING TO PASS. WE HAVE DONE PRETTY REMARKABLE THINGS IN THIS BUDGET, YOUKNOW, EIGHT ADDITIONAL OFFICERS IS ONE , BUT ALSO, PROVIDING A SALARY INCREASE TO OUR HARD-WORKING EMPLOYEES, UM, BY UP TO NINE PERCENT, FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.

AND THEN FOR OPEN RANGE, GOING TO A FOUR-DAY WORKWEEK, NINE HOUR WORKDAYS. IT'S SOMETHING REMARKABLE THAT WILL REALLY HELP, UM, KEEP OUR EMPLOYEES AND KEEP ROWLETT COMPETITIVE IN THE MARKET. AGAIN, WITHOUT OUR LEADERSHIP, WITHOUT OUR STAFF, THIS, THIS, ALL OF THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE, SO AGAIN, THANK YOU TO ALL OF THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN THERE FOR US. UM, I AM OBVIOUSLY IN SUPPORT OF THE BUDGET. UM, YOU KNOW, WE MAY NOT BE LIKE CERTAIN OTHER CITIES AROUND US WHO ADOPT A LOWER THAN A NO NEW REVENUE RATE, BUT WE CERTAINLY INVEST A LOT MORE PUBLIC SAFETY THAN THEY DO. AND TO ME, THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT SERVICE THAT THIS COMMUNITY OFFERS TO OUR CITIZENS, THIS QUALITY PUBLIC SAFETY AND CITIZEN CENTERED SERVICES. THANK YOU, AND WE

[00:15:01]

ABSOLUTELY. >> MY APOLOGIES, THEY ARE, I DON'T GET TO VOTE ON THIS. BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THIS, BECAUSE I THINK IT'S VERY RELEVANT. I UNDERSTAND THE COMMENTS, PARTICULARLY ABOUT THE PROERTY TAX RATE. I DO WANT TO MAKE THIS COMMENT THAT THIS IS THE LOWEST PROPERTY TAX RATE IN NEARLY 20 YEARS. UM, SINCE 2005. AND WHILE I DO RECOGNIZE THAT PEOPLE WILL BE PAYING MORE BECAUSE THEIR VALUE HAS INCREASED, ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO LOWER THAT IS BECAUSE OF NEARLY $1 BILLION IN NEW, NEW PRIVATE INVESTMENT OVER THE PAST, UM, 5 TO 7 YEARS. HUGE INVESTMENT, SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT THIS YEAR. IT HAS BEEN AN INTERESTING BUDGET, SOME OF THEM HAVE BEEN ALMOST TO THE POINT OF TEARS AND PULLING HAIR. IT WASN'T QUITE LIKE THAT THIS YEAR, BUT I THINK WE ABSOLUTELY WERE ABLE TO DO SOME EXTRAORDINARY THINGS. I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU THANK YOU AS

WELL. >> THANK YOU, BRIAN, I TOLD HIM THAT I WOULD SAY THAT WE ARE ADOPTING THE LOWEST RATE SINCE 2005, SO THANK YOU FOR MAKING SURE THAT MESSAGE GOT OUT. ALL RIGHT, NOW WE CAN CALL THE VOTE. THE ITEM PASSES

[3B. Consider an ordinance approving and adopting the proposed ad valorem tax rate of $0.681000 per $100 of taxable value for fiscal year 2022-23 (FY2023).]

MAYOR PRO TEM? >>.

>> MAYOR PRO TEM JEFF WINGET: THE ADOPTION OF THE TAX RATE OF $0.681000, WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY A 3.06 INCREASE IN TAX RATE.

>> DO WE HAVE A SECOND? COUNCILMEMBER?

>> I SECOND THE MOTION. >> ALL RIGHT, DISCUSSION STARTING FROM COUNCILMEMBER BELL.

>> PAMELA BELL: I'M JUST HAPPY. I'M JUST HAPPY ABOUT THIS TAX RATE. LIKE BRIAN SAID, IT'S BEEN IN MY 20 YEARS. AND I KNOW OUR CONSTITUENTS ARE PROBABLY OUT THERE LISTENING AND JUMPING WITH JOY. SORRY ABOUT THE OTHER PORTION, THAT HAS TO DO WITH THE COUNTY, I THINK. SO, THAT'S ALL.

>> WELL, YOU KNOW ME, I'M GOING TO BE THE CONTRARY IN HERE. I HAVE STATED MANY TIMES THAT I LIKE KEEPING OUR CITY TAXES AS LOW AS POSSIBLE WHILE STILL PROVIDING FUNDING FOR WHAT THE CITY IS MORALLY AND LEGALLY OBLIGATED TO PROVIDE. WE'VE HEARD A LOT DURING THESE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS AND NOW TONIGHT ABOUT HOW MUCH WE ARE LOWERING THE TAX RATE. TO ME, AND TO MANY OF OUR CITIZENS, THAT IS A RED HERRING. UM, IT DOESN'T MATTER WHAT THE TAX RATE IS, WHAT PEOPLE CARE ABOUT IS HOW MUCH THEY ARE PAYING IN TAXES. WHEN THE APPRAISALS GO UP SO DRASTICALLY, THE REASON THAT THERE IS A NO NEW REVENUE RATE IS BECAUSE THAT'S THE POINT AT WHICH YOU DON'T PAY ANYMORE TAXES. SO, WHAT MATTERS IS YOUR PERSONAL BUDGET, AND HOW MUCH YOUR TAXES ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO INCREASE. AND A TAX RATE DECREASE IN THIS CASE IS A TAX INCREASE FOR EVERYONE, AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE TRANSPARENT ABOUT THAT, WE HAVE TO BE HONEST ABOUT IT. THE CITY MANAGER PREPARED A BUDGET, ALTHOUGH IT DID REQUIRE A RATE THAT WAS HIGHER, WAS ALSO LOWER THAN THE RATE THAT THE COUNCIL MAJORITY ENDED U AGREEING TO ADOPT. UM, THAT'S NOT UNUSUAL. WE HAD A LOT OF REQUESTS FROM A LOT OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, COMMISSIONS, REGULAR CITIZENS, FOR FUNDING FOR ADDITIONAL THINGS. THESE WERE PRESENTED TO US AS EXPENSES, AND MANY OF THEM WORK FOR VERY WORTHWHILE ITEMS, PERSONNEL, SERVICES, ETC. I WISH THAT WE HAD ENOUGH MONEY IN THE BUDGET TO GIVE EVERYBODY EVERYTHING THAT THEY WANT, BUT WE DON'T. SO TO ME, IT WAS IMPORTANT TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE WANTS AND THE TRUE NEEDS. JUST BECAUSE SOMETHING ISN'T A NECESSITY DOESN'T MEAN IT ISN'T DESIRABLE AND COMPLETELY A GOOD THING TO HAVE HER ISN'T IMPORTANT TO PARTICULAR SEGMENTS OF OUR POPULATION, BUT THE TRUE NEEDS REVOLVE AROUND THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF GOVERNMENT, THOSE THAT THE CITY IS LEGALLY PROVIDED TO PROVIDE. THE PHYSICAL WELL-BEING OF THE CITIZENS. BUT MY LIST HAS ALWAYS BEEN POLICE, FIRE, ANIMAL SERVICES, PUBLIC WORKS, AND IT. BECAUSE THAT'S

[00:20:06]

VOTED FOR THE BUDGET. >> SO, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT IN THE MOTION THAT I MADE, THERE WAS EFFECTIVELY A 3.06 PERCENT INCREASE IN TAX RATE. UM, IN A TIME WHEN INFLATION IS NEAR DOUBLE DIGITS. UM, SUCH A MODEST, IN MY OPINION, INCREASE, IS WORTH MENTIONING. OUR CITY IS A VERY LEAN CITY IN TERMS OF HOW WE RUN FINANCIALLY. AND AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED LAST NIGHT, WE WERE A FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE CITY COOPERATES WITH A GOOD PLAN. I THINK IS WHAT IT ALL COMES DOWN TO, GOOD PLAN, GOOD, FORWARD THINKING VISION. AND, UM, I APPRECIATE, I APPRECIATE YOU, BRIAN, I APPRECIATE YOU MENTIONING ABOUT THE FACT THAT THAT THIS WILL RESULT IN MORE TAXES FOR PEOPLE OVERALL, I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT. IN THE PAST, UM, BEFORE I WAS ON COUNSEL, THAT'S ONE OF THE CONCERNS I HAD, IS THAT CITY STAFF WOULD CONSTANTLY TRUMPET THAT, WE ARE LOWERING THE TAX RATE, LOWERING THE TAX ATE, BUT FOR MOST PEOPLE, THAT WAS STILL IN INCREASE. UNLESS YOU ARE A SENIOR AND YOU HAVE A TAX FREEZE, OR MOST LIKELY RECOGNIZING AN INCREASE ON YOUR TAX BILL. AND SO, I PUSHED HARD THAT WE WOULD ANNOUNCE IT THAT WAY, THAT WE WOULD RECOGNIZE IT THAT WAY, AND I APPRECIATE THAT IT HAS BEEN A THEME OF ALL YOUR PRESENTATIONS. UM, IT'S BEEN MOST APPRECIATED THAT YOU'VE DONE IT THAT WAY. UM, THIS IS SOMETHING I WILL SUPPORT, AND I THINK IT'S A TAX RATE WHICH IS A NICE BALANCE BETWEEN PROVIDING THE SERVICES THAT THE CITY NEEDS WHILE LIMITING THE INCREASE TO NOT BE OVERBEARING ON THE RESIDENTS WHO ARE GOING TO BE SPLITTING THE BILL.

THANK YOU. >> YEAH, I DO WISH, I WISH WE COULD OPERATE WITHOUT, WITHOUT INCREASING TAXES OR KEEPING TAXES AS LOW AS POSSIBLE. I RECOGNIZE, YOU KNOW, THE BURDEN THAT THIS PUTS ON SOME OF OUR CITIZENS. YOU KNOW, BUT THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS, YEAH, AS JEFF SAID, WE DO RUN PRETTY CONSERVATIVELY, WE DO RUN PRETTY LEAN. BUT WE STILL HAVE SERVICES THAT NEED TO BE PROVIDED TO OUR CITIZENS, WE'VE GOT PUBLIC SAFETY, WE'VE GOT PUBLIC WORKS, WE'VE JUST GOT A WHOLE AREA OF THINGS THAT ARE CITIZENS COUNT ON EACH AND EVERY DAY, OF WHICH COSTS MONEY, AND IT COSTS EVEN MORE MONEY NOW THAN IT PROBABLY DID LAST YEAR, BECAUSE OF ALMOST RECORD INFLATION RATES. SO, YEAH, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US NOT HAVE ANY KIND OF INCREASE, BUT I THINK THE REALITY IS, THAT'S JUST THE REALITY OF THE TIMES WE ARE LIVING IN. AND REALLY, WHAT I'M COMMITTED TO, AND I BELIEVE MOST OF THE FOLKS ON THIS COUNCIL WERE COMMITTED TO, IS TO BRINGING IN GOOD, SOLID, COMMERCIAL BUSINESS, SO THAT WE CAN BEGIN TO CHIP AWAY AT THAT 80 PERCENT FROM RESIDENTIAL AND 20 PERCENT FROM COMMERCIAL, AND START LOOKING AT SOME PARITY THERE. SO, YEAH, IT IS AN INCREASE, I WISH IT WASN'T, BUT I AM SUPPORTING

THIS. >> I WASN'T GOING TO SAY ANYTHING, MIKE, BECAUSE YOU HIT IT, BUT I THINK IT'S WORTH REPEATING YOU JUST SAID. AS A CITY, WE PROVIDE A SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS THAT LIVE HERE, AND WITH IF WE WEREN'T A CITY THAT WAS IN THE FASTEST GROWING COUNTY IN THE FASTEST GROWING METROPOLITAN AREA IN THE COUNTRY, WHERE WE WERE COMPETING WITH ALL THE OTHER CITIES AROUND US FOR RESOURCES, FOR PERSONNEL, FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, SO THAT WE CAN, FOR

[00:25:04]

>> MIKE? >> AM I LIVE? YES. SO, IT'S KIND OF FUN BEING AT THE TAIL END THIS TIME, BECAUSE EVERYONE HAS ALREADY SAID WHAT WAS IN MY MIND. I JOTTED DOWN NOTES ABOUT INVESTMENT VERSUS ESSENTIAL SERVICES. ESSENTIAL SERVICES ARE OF COURSE ESSENTIAL, BUT AS A GENTLEMAN TO MY LEFT MENTIONED, THEY DON'T ATTRACT THE KIND OF BUSINESS THAT WE WANT. YOU NEED TO GO BEYOND THE ESSENTIAL, YOU NEED TO GO TO THE DESIRABLE, AND I THINK THE CITY HAS BEEN GOING THAT WAY, WE HAVE BEEN GROWING FAST. THE CITY MANAGER MENTIONED THE INVESTMENT HAS BEEN TAKING PLACE. THAT COSTS MONEY. UM, WE THOUGHT REALLY HARD TO GET THIS RATE AS LOW AS WE COULD, AND YET, THINGS KEPT POPPING UP. WE NEED A NEW FENCE AROUND THE WET ZONE, IT'S AN ESSENTIAL. OKAY? IT IS NOT AN OPTION, IT NEEDS TO BE DONE, IT'S $100,000, SO, AND I MENTIONED EARLIER, THERE ARE SOME THINGS IN THIS BUDGET THAT I DON'T LIKE, I WOULD CONSIDER LUXURIES THAT WE COULD DO WITHOUT, BUT COUNCILMEMBER GRUBISICH IS RIGHT, WHEN BUSINESSES ARE LOOKING AT LOCATING SOMEWHERE, THEY LOOK AT THE LUXURY SERVICES, NOT JUST THE ESSENTIAL SERVICES. SO, I INTEND TO SUPPORT THIS TAX RATE. EVEN THOUGH IT IS A SMALL INCREASE IN THE EFFECTIVE RATE. UM, I DON'T KNOW THIS, BUT I BELIEVE THAT IT'S PROBABLY THE REASON THAT A CITY LIKE ROCKWALL IS ABLE TO GO BELOW THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE, IS BECAUSE THEY HAVE A LOT MORE NEW BUSINESS. SO, NO NEW REVENUE RATE IS REVENUE RAISE ON THE EXISTING PROPERTIES THAT YOU HAD IN THE PRIOR YEAR. AND IF YOU CAN ADD VALUE BY ADDING NEW BUSINESSES, ADDING LARGER, MORE EXPENSIVE HOMESITES THAT DRIVE HIGHER REVENUE, SO THAT THEY PAY HIGHER TAXES, AND THE EXISTING RESIDENTS DON'T HAVE TO, THAT BENEFITS THE CITY, SO, THAT IS MY PHILOSOPHY AND HAS BEEN MY PHILOSOPHY SO FAR AND ALL OF THE ZONINGCASES WE LOOK AT, AND THAT'S HOW I WILL CONTINUE. I WILL SUPPORT THIS TAX INCREASE, UM, AND HOPE THAT IF I AM HERE NEXT YEAR, THAT WE WILL BE SUPPORTING A TAX DECREASE.

>> THANK YOU. UM, I WANT TO REITERATE THE CITY MANAGER'S POINT AGAIN, YOU KNOW, WE ARE LOWERING THE RATE BY 6.4 CENTS, THE LOWEST RATE SINCE 2005. MY FIRST PRIORITY IS TO THE COMMUNITIES PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, NOT HAVING THE LOWEST RATE IN THE REGION. IT'S HARD TO HAVE BOTH. YOU KNOW, WE COULD HAVE JUST HIRED TO POLICE OFFICERS AND THREE FIREFIGHTERS AND NOT MADE A DENT IN INCREASING COMMUNITY SAFETY, HAD A LOWER RATE AND SAVED EVERYONE A FEW DOLLARS A MONTH, THAT'S NOT THE KIND OF DECISION THAT I THINK THE MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WANT US TO MAKE. INSTEAD, WE MADE THE SMART DECISION, AND TO HIRE EIGHT OFFICERS, WE HAVE HIRED NINE FIREFIGHTERS EVERY YEAR FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE HAVE INVESTED MORE INTO OUR

[00:30:02]

[3C. Consider action to ratify the property tax revenue increase reflected in the Budget for FY2023.]

>> AND MOVED THE PROPERTY TAX INCREASE BE RATIFIED.

[2. EXECUTIVE SESSION]

>> DO WE HAVE THE SECOND QUESTION MIKE SECONDED BY COUNCILMEMBER BELL. DID WE WANT TO HAVE DISCUSSION ON THIS OR NOT? OKAY, LET'S JUST GO AHEAD AND CALL THE VOTE. ALL RIGHT, THE ITEM PASSES 6:1, AND WE WILL NOW MOVE INTO OUR EXECUTIVE SESSION. I WILL GO AHEAD AND READ IT. THE CITY COUNCIL SHALL CONVENE INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE 551.074 PERSONNEL TO INTERVIEW AND DELIBERATE ON THE CANDIDATE FOR THE PRESIDING JUDGE POSITION. NO, WE ARE STAYING IN HERE. YEAH. X ALL RIGHT, T CONCLUDED ITS EXECUTIVE SESSION AT SEVEN: OH 5 PM, AND NO FORMAL ACTION HAS BEEN TAKEN. WE WILL HAVE A FUTURE CONSIDERATION ITEM IN THE FUTURE, MEANING TO VOTE ON A JUDGE, A PRESIDING JUDGE.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.