[00:00:01]
[1. CALL TO ORDER]
ALL RIGHT, GUYS, ARE WE READY? READY. ALL RIGHT, LET'S START WITH ROLL, AND YOU GUYS CAN MOVE INTO SELECTION OF YOUR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.YES. MRS. MCMULLEN. MRS. MASSEY. MR. KEITH, HERE.
YOU HAVE FIVE MEMBERS PRESENT.
SO FIRST ORDER OF BUSINESS WOULD BE TO SELECT YOUR CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR.
[3. SELECTION OF CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR]
NO MORE THAN TWO NOMINATIONS.I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT DONNA MASSEY SERVE AS OUR CHAIR OF THE BUDGET COMMITTEE SECOND. OK MOTION AND SECOND.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? MOVE NOMINATIONS CEASE.
SEEING NO OTHER NOMINATIONS, MRS. MASSEY IS SELECTED CHAIRMAN BY ACCLAMATION.
SINCE SHE'S NOT HERE, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SELECT A VICE CHAIR.
SHE'S ON HER WAY. OKAY, I WILL.
I WILL NOTE THAT MS. GREEN HAS ENROLLED.
I WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE MR. AARON ROBINSON TO BE THE VICE CHAIR OF THE BUDGET COMMITTEE.
SECOND, SECOND, PROPER MOTION AND SECOND.
ARE THERE ANY OTHER NOMINATIONS? I MOVE NOMINATIONS CEASE.
MR. ROBINSON YOU ARE SELECTED VICE CHAIR BY ACCLAMATION.
YOU WANT TO ASSUME THE CHAIRMAN ROLE UNTIL MRS. MASSEY GETS HERE MR. ROBINSON? SURE. [INAUDIBLE] YOU'LL BASICALLY MOVE
[4. NEW BUSINESS:]
INTO NEW BUSINESS MR. ROBINSON. AND YOU CAN RECOGNIZE MISS BUCKNER AND MR. HUTCHENS FOR THEIR REPORTS, AND I'M DONE.MIC] ALL RIGHT. SO WE WILL RECOGNIZE MISS BUCKNER.
[INAUDIBLE] MR. VICE CHAIRMAN.
RECENTLY APPOINTED, UM, I'M DEBORAH BUCKNER, PULASKI COUNTY TREASURER AND TAX COLLECTOR.
AND HERE I'M HERE TO GIVE YOU GREAT NEWS.
IT WON'T TAKE VERY LONG BECAUSE GOOD NEWS DOESN'T TAKE LONG.
NOW. BAD NEWS WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, AND THAT'S TAKEN A LITTLE WHILE.
I WILL TELL YOU THAT BASED ON ASSESSED VALUES GOING UP, PROPERTY VALUES WENT UP.
Y'ALL WILL REMEMBER WHEN ALL THE PROPERTIES WERE SELLING AT CRAZY AMOUNTS.
UM, AND THAT HAS CAUGHT UP WITH THE ASSESSMENTS.
SO THE PROPERTY TAX VALUES WENT UP.
MATTER OF FACT, LAST YEAR OUR ORIGINAL CHARGE TO COLLECT TAXES WAS $561,200,000. SO THIS YEAR IT IS $611,651,000, AND THAT'S AN INCREASE OF $50 MILLION 0.4 BASICALLY. SO THAT'S A WHOLE LOT MORE MONEY FOR US TO COLLECT THIS YEAR.
WE HAVE ALREADY COLLECTED 32% OF THAT CHARGE, WHICH IS A RECORD BREAKING NUMBER.
I JUST SAW THE CHART A FEW MINUTES AGO AND THANK THANKS TO THE STAFF BACK THERE.
UM, CHIEF DEPUTY BENTLEY HOVIS AND CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR DEBBIE WALTER.
KEEP ME INFORMED OF ALL THESE GOOD NUMBERS.
UM, AND SO WHAT WE'VE PROCEEDED THIS YEAR ALREADY AS OF TODAY IS $195,137,178 .66. SO WHEN YOU GET YOUR EMAILS THAT WE SEND TO JUSTIN AND AMY AND THEY SEND YOU EVERY MONTH, I KNOW YOU STUDY THEM DILIGENTLY, EVERY LINE ITEM.
I KNOW YOU DO BECAUSE YOU KNOW IT SO WELL.
NOBODY EVER CALLS ME. SO I HAVE TO ASSUME THAT.
BUT WE ARE IN AN EXCELLENT FINANCIAL POSITION FROM THE TREASURY AND THE TAX OFFICE STANDPOINT.
AND HUTCH AND I HAVE BEEN WORKING TOGETHER SINCE '07 AND WE HAVE A REAL GOOD TRACKING SYSTEM WHERE WE SORT OF CHECK EACH OTHER FROM TIME TO TIME ON THE BALANCE SO NOTHING GETS OUT OF WHACK. AND I'M REAL PROUD OF THAT.
NOT EVERY COUNTY HAS THAT AT ALL.
[00:05:01]
SO THAT'S THAT HAS SERVED YOU ALL AND YOUR CONSTITUENTS WELL.AND SO UNLESS YOU HAVE A QUESTION.
THAT CONCLUDES MY VERY SHORT REPORT.
MADAM TREASURER, THANK YOU FOR THAT GOOD REPORT.
MY QUESTION WOULD BE WE KNOW THAT OVER THE LAST 3 OR 4 YEARS THE HOUSING MARKET REALLY HEATED UP LIKE REALTORS WERE HAVING A HEYDAY AND THEN JEROME POWELL BEGAN TO RAISE INTEREST RATES, WHICH HAS COOLED OFF THE HOUSING MARKET.
AND THE PROJECTION IS THAT THE FED IS GOING TO CONTINUE, AT LEAST FOR THE INTERIM, TO RAISE RATES.
DO DO WE EXPECT THAT THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR PROPERTY VALUES TO TO GO BACK DOWN SOMEWHERE IN BETWEEN WHERE THEY WERE AND WHERE THEY WERE AT THE HEIGHT OF THEIR GLORY A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO? I DON'T WANT TO SUBSTITUTE FOR THE ASSESSOR, BUT WHAT WE TYPICALLY SEEING HAVE SEEN HISTORICALLY, UNLESS THERE IS A 1929 CRASH, WHICH WE'RE NOT, DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE BECAUSE THAT'S PART OF WHY THE FED IS DOING THIS TO COOL IT OFF.
BUT THERE MAY BE POCKETS, MAYBE SOME COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS BECOME EMPTY.
THERE MAY BE. YOU KNOW, RIGHT NOW I KNOW CARLA'S HERE.
THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE HAS PUT OUT EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD INFORMATION.
THEY HAVE ALREADY PINPOINTED ALL OF THE PROPERTIES THAT HAVE LOST VALUE DUE TO THE TORNADO.
SO WE DON'T SEE THAT FROM OUR PERSPECTIVE LOOKING BACK HISTORICALLY, IT'S A FAIR QUESTION.
RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE REALLY WORKING DILIGENTLY.
WE JUST FOUND OUT TODAY ON EVERY SINGLE PROPERTY THAT WAS DAMAGED IN THE TORNADO.
AND DIDN'T THE LEGISLATURE INCREASE THE HOMESTEAD CREDIT IN THIS SESSION? WELL, I WASN'T GOING TO SAY THAT TILL THURSDAY NIGHT, BUT YES, SIR, THEY DID.
EACH OF YOU THAT OWN YOUR HOME AND OCCUPIED OCCUPY YOUR HOME AS A HOME AS YOUR PRIMARY RESIDENCE, WE WILL BE MAKING THE TAX CREDIT ADJUSTMENT ON THE CYCLE.
NOT TODAY, YOU KNOW, DOWN THE ROAD, BUT IT'S GONE FROM.
THE NEW CHAIR. CONGRATULATIONS.
THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU'RE A LITTLE BIT LATE.
YES. THE PROPERTY TAX EXEMPTION FOR HOMESTEAD CREDIT WENT FROM $375 TO $425.
AND WE DID A STUDY, AND THAT'S.
AND SO WE ARE NEVER SHORT ON THAT FUND, BUT WE DID SOME STUDY.
AND THE PEOPLE IN PULASKI COUNTY THAT ARE IN MOBILE HOMES OR MAYBE MUCH, MUCH OLDER HOMES, THAT IS A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT END UP PAYING NO TAXES BECAUSE WE'RE REIMBURSED FROM THE STATE.
THANK YOU. I BELIEVE MR. KEITH HERE. THANK YOU.
THAT'S A SOUND OR SOLID? I DON'T EVER PAY ANY ATTENTION TO ANY OF THAT.
WELL, MY MY QUESTION WOULD BE, HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU DO THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT THE MONEY IS.
WELL, I WAS 72 YEARS OLD LAST SATURDAY.
OH, WOW. AND FROM THE TIME THAT I WAS 19 AND WORKED AT WORTHEN BANK A MILLION YEARS AGO, PART OF MY RESPONSIBILITY WAS TO BE TUNED IN TO EVERYTHING GOING ON IN THE INDUSTRY THAT MIGHT IMPACT OUR WORK OR OUR DEPOSITS.
SO LONG TERM AND DEBBIE WALTER BACK THERE.
SHE AND I HAVE WORKED TOGETHER 45 YEARS, Y'ALL 45 YEARS SHE'S PUT UP WITH ME.
BUT YES, WE I GET REPORTS FROM EVERYBODY ON WHAT THE FED THINKS THEY'RE GOING TO DO, WHAT THEY MIGHT DO, EVERY RUMOR, EVERY GOSSIP, EVERY NEWS STATION, ALL NOT ONLY THAT, BUT FROM A STANDPOINT OF EDWARD JONES PEOPLE, FRIENDS FROM CHURCH THAT ARE IN THE INDUSTRY RIGHT NOW, THEY SEND ME STUFF SO THAT WE'VE GOT A CLUE BEFORE IT'S COMING.
[00:10:03]
AND SO I BROUGHT THIS NUMBER SO THAT YOU MIGHT TIE IN TO YOUR QUESTION.ON DEPOSIT TONIGHT. WE HAVE $348 EXCUSE ME, $349 MILLION ON DEPOSIT RIGHT NOW.
AND WE HAVE SUCCESSFULLY BEEN ABLE TO UP THE INTEREST RATE BY, YOU KNOW, JUGGLING.
YOU KNOW, WE'VE GONE FOR YEARS WITH NO RETURN ON INTEREST, BUT WE'RE REALLY DOING MUCH BETTER NOW.
AND SOME OF THE COUNTY'S MONEY, WE CAN'T EARN INTEREST ON IT, THEIR GRANTS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
I MEAN, IT'S ALL WE HAVE TO MONITOR THAT.
BUT REST ASSURED WE ARE ON IT.
OKAY. SO IT'S THAT'S OUR FIDUCIARY DUTY AND ALSO MR. KEITH, A LOT OF COUNTIES THINK THAT WE'RE THE RESOURCE FOR THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE GET CALLS FROM OTHER COUNTIES SAYING, HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING? ARE YOU PUTTING CDS, MONEY, MARKET CHECKING, ARE YOU DOING BONDS? SO WE SORT OF FEEL LIKE THE AMATEUR ENCYCLOPEDIA OF THOSE THINGS HERE AND KIND OF HELP GUIDE ESPECIALLY I THINK I THINK THERE'S 35 NEW COUNTY TREASURERS AND 16 NEW.
I MEAN, THERE'S SO MANY NEW PEOPLE RIGHT GOING ON.
BUT WE ARE CURRENTLY DEALING WITH SEVEN BANKS.
THEY MEET OUR CRITERIA FOR SERVICE RATE, CUSTOMER SERVICE, SECURITY, ETCETERA.
AND WE HAVE IMPLEMENTED SOMETHING THAT'S NOW BEING IMPLEMENTED IN MANY OF THE COUNTIES.
AND Y'ALL MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS AND THEN I'LL BE QUIET.
UM, BUT I'M REAL PROUD OF WHAT MY STAFF DOES.
AS YOU CAN TELL, WE HAVE SOMETHING ON ALL OF OUR ACCOUNTS CALLED POSITIVE PAY.
WHEN HUTCHENS PEOPLE DOWNLOAD EXPENSES THAT WE ARE TO PAY WARRANTS, FOR EXAMPLE, IF WE'RE GOING TO PAY MR. ROBINSON $5,000 FOR, I DON'T KNOW, CONSTRUCTION OF SOME KIND OR WHATEVER.
UM, WHAT HAPPENS THERE IS OUR INFORMATION THAT GOES TO THE, TO THE PRINTER AND THEN TO THE BANK IS $5,000 TO AARON ROBINSON AND THIS IS THE CHECK NUMBER PERIOD.
IF THAT CHECK COMES, TRIES TO PRESENT FOR $15,000 INSTEAD OF $5,000, THE BANK DOESN'T ACCEPT IT.
THEY DIDN'T HAVE THIS SERVICE. NOW WE PAY A SMALL FEE FOR IT.
SO ANYWAY, IS THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? ABSOLUTELY. I WAS CONCERNED ABOUT THAT.
AND I KNOW YOU SENT US A REPORT ON BANKRUPTCIES.
I WAS JUST CURIOUS, IN THE LAST QUARTER YEAR, HOWEVER, YOU TRACK BANKRUPTCIES, HOW IS PULASKI COUNTY LOOKING NOW COMPARED TO, I GUESS A YEAR AGO? WE SOME PEOPLE ARE FILING ON A HIGHER NUMBER BECAUSE MAYBE THEY HAVE A NEW CAR OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THERE WERE PEOPLE WEREN'T PAYING THEIR TAXES.
AND YOU CAN SEE NOW THAT IT'S A WAY LESS THAN THAT.
THANK YOU. AND APRIL THE 2ND I TURN 57.
I APPRECIATE THAT. I BELIEVE MR. ELLIOTT HAS A QUESTION.
I'M SORRY. I'M SORRY. QUICK QUESTION.
DID THE TORNADO DAMAGE HAVE ANYTHING THAT WOULD COME ABOUT AND KIND OF ALL THIS TORNADO AND BUILDING DAMAGE? I JUST WANTED TO ASK YOU KIND OF.
AND AS I MENTIONED, THE MISS BURNETT'S HERE, THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE HAS DONE AN IMMEDIATE, I THINK, OVERNIGHT, WASN'T IT, CARLA, ON PICTOMETRY [INAUDIBLE] FRIDAY TILL MONDAY AFTERNOON.
THEY HAD A VISUAL ON THERE, THE WHOLE COUNTY OF EVERY PROPERTY THAT WAS DAMAGED.
AND I THINK THAT'S A GREAT ACCOLADE TO THEM TO KNOW THAT SO THEY CAN IDENTIFY BY THE PARCEL LEVEL.
BUT THIS WON'T AFFECT THE TAX BASE UNTIL NEXT YEAR.
BUT THERE WILL BE A LOT OF REBUILDING.
YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GO BACK TO THEIR HOMESTEAD.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT ANSWERS YOUR QUESTION.
DO YOU HAVE TWO MORE QUESTIONS? OH, OKAY. SORRY, MISS GREEN.
YOU'RE RECOGNIZED. HELLO, MISS GREEN.
I JUST WANTED TO ASK, YOU MENTIONED THE OLDER HOUSES.
ARE WE GOING TO GET A CREDIT ON A BETTER CREDIT ON THE ON THE HOMESTEAD CREDITS, TOO? WELL, THE CREDIT IS ON THE PERSON'S PROPERTY THAT THEY LIVE IN THAT HOUSE.
AND SO THAT HOUSE WILL QUALIFY, ESPECIALLY ON THE LOWER END OUT IN THE COUNTY RURAL AREAS.
SO THE THE HOMESTEAD ITSELF IS WHAT WILL GO FROM THE 375 TO 425.
[00:15:04]
SO EVERYBODY WHO QUALIFIES WILL GET THAT.DID THEY SAY WHO QUALIFIES? DOES THAT MEAN IN THE CITY TO PEOPLE IN THE OLDER HOMES? THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, ACTUALLY.
YEAH. NONE OF THOSE MCMANSIONS ARE GOING TO THAT $50 WON'T MEAN BE MUCH.
BUT I WANT TO KNOW, AM I GOING TO GET A HOMESTEAD CREDIT? YES, MA'AM. IF YOU JUST KEEP LIVING THERE, YOU WILL.
BUT THIS IS A STATEWIDE THING.
THIS IS NOT JUST FOR PULASKI COUNTY.
SO STATEWIDE, IT'LL HELP PROBABLY MORE PEOPLE THAN HERE, BUT IT'S STILL A GOOD THING.
THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, MISS LEWISON HAS IT.
THANK YOU. AND YOU? YOUR TROOPS.
I WOULD JUST LIKE TO THANK YOU.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO.
WELL, MY QUESTION IS, SINCE I'VE BEEN WALKING MY NEIGHBORHOOD, THAT DOESN'T EXIST ANYMORE.
PEOPLE ARE QUESTIONING ME LIKE, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE A HOUSE, SO DO WE HAVE TO PAY THE PROPERTY TAX? I MEAN, AND ARE YOU GOING TO GIVE THEM A GRACE PERIOD? I MEAN, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN? BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'VE LOST MOST OF MY I MEAN, MOST OF MY SUBDIVISIONS BASICALLY GONE, BUT I'VE LOST A THIRD OF MY DISTRICT.
SO THERE IS THERE IS NO BENEVOLENCE IN THE LAW.
BUT THE THERE'S NO ACT THAT I KNOW OF THAT IS A BENEVOLENCE FOR PEOPLE.
AND IF THEY CAME INTO THIS SEASON DELINQUENT, THEY HAVE TO PAY THEIR DELINQUENCY FIRST.
BUT ANYTHING THAT WOULD AFFECT WHAT THE TORNADO HAS DONE IS ON NEXT YEAR AND HOPES PEOPLE WILL BE BACK ON THEIR JOBS AND THINGS WILL BE MORE NORMAL BY THEN. BUT THE LAW PROHIBITS THE TAX COLLECTOR FROM ALTERING ANYBODY'S TAX BILL.
SO I DON'T HAVE ANY AUTHORITY TO DO THAT.
SO DO WE HAVE TO PAY THIS? WELL, AND THE ANSWER ALWAYS IS, AND THIS IS NOT VERY SATISFACTORY WHEN YOU'RE THE ONE THAT'S BEEN SCARRED AND DAMAGED FROM THIS HORRIBLE THING THAT HAPPENED.
BUT THESE ARE THE TAXES FOR JANUARY 1ST OF 22.
RIGHT? IT'S NOT FOR THIS YEAR.
THAT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN IT TO THEM.
TRUST ME, WE'RE GETTING THOSE CALLS, TOO.
OKAY. I WAS JUST GOING TO GIVE THEM YOUR NAME.
GIVE THEM BENTLEY'S CELL PHONE.
I THINK THAT'S WHAT YOU OUGHT TO DO.
YES. SO IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? NO, THANK YOU, MR. COMPTROLLER. I WON'T TAKE FOUR MINUTES.
I'M GOING TO BRING YOU YOUR CARRYOVER THURSDAY NIGHT.
THE GOOD NEWS IS IT'S GOING TO BE THE LARGEST CARRYOVER YOU'VE PROBABLY EVER SEEN.
THE BAD NEWS IS THE LAST TIME YOU SEE ONE THIS BIG.
OH, NO. IT'S FUELED FROM THE LOWERED EXPENSES FROM WHAT WE'VE OFFSET ON ARPA.
BUT IT'S GOING TO LOOK REALLY GOOD.
THURSDAY NIGHT, I'LL BRING YOU THE ORDINANCE.
I WAS WRITING IT WHILE AGO, SO THANK YOU.
MR. STOWERS. YOU'RE RECOGNIZED.
SO I JUST WANTED TO TO BRING THAT FORTH.
A LOT OF THAT WAS ARPA, RIGHT? BUT WHAT I'M BRINGING TO YOU IS COUNTY GENERAL.
CARRY OVER, I GET IT. WHICH IS WHICH IS JUST A STOWERS IS POINTED OUT IS ONE TIME MONEY.
YOU DON'T WANT TO DEPEND ON THAT OR TIE THAT TO AN EXPENSE THAT'S GOING TO BE ONGOING.
FEW THINGS WE NEED TO DO AROUND HERE THAT I'LL EXPLAIN MORE THURSDAY NIGHT.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, HUTCH.
AND WE WILL ADJOURN THE BUDGET COMMITTEE.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.