HomeMy WebLinkAboutRegular Commission Meeting November 19, 2013
REGULAR MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBER
NOVEMBER 19, 2013
Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 2:00 p.m., November 19, 2013, the
Hon. Deke Copenhaver, Mayor, presiding.
PRESENT: Hons. Lockett, Guilfoyle, Mason, D. Smith, Williams, Fennoy, Johnson,
Jackson, Davis, G. Smith, members of Augusta Richmond County Commission.
Mr. Mayor: I’d like to go ahead and officially call the meeting to order. And call on
Reverend Rosland Jones, Assistant Pastor, Hudson Memorial CME Church for our invocation.
Please stand. Seeing how we don’t have a minister we will observe a moment of silence, a
moment of silent prayer. Please join me in the pledge.
The Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America was recited.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, on to the recognitions please.
The Clerk:
RECOGNITIONS(S)
Employee of the Month
A. Congratulations! Mr. Wayne Redfern, Inspector Planning & Development Department
October Employee of the Month.
The Clerk: And I’ll read the letter from the Recognition Committee. The Employee
Recognition Committee has selected Wayne Redfern as the October 2013 Employee of the
Month for the City of Augusta. Mr. Redfern is employed as an inspector for the Planning and
Development Department and has been employed with the city for over 17 years. He was
nominated by Marshall Masters. Wayne Redfern was initially hired in 1996 to perform
mechanical inspections in west Augusta. Now with a State Mechanical License, a State
Plumbing license and four International Code Council Certifications he performs mechanical,
plumbing and electrical inspections throughout the entire city on a daily basis. In addition Mr.
Redfern is respected by his fellow team members and is considered to go to guy for the division.
He is an employee that enjoys his job and it shows. He has routinely cancelled his own approved
vacation time to allow other employees to be off instead. Because he is great at what he does his
department credits him with being a big part of their overall success. In this era of reduced
staffing levels Wayne’s experience and certifications enabled him to do the work of three
individuals which he performs with a great attitude and above expectations. He has been called
on numerous times to perform after hours inspections including some as late as 2:00 a.m. and has
always done so without hesitation. Because he inspects in several areas of the county his
department has realized a cost savings of at least $40,000 dollars. Wayne accepts added
responsibilities with no additional pay and very little recognition for a job well done until now.
The Employee Recognition Committee felt that based on this nomination and Wayne Redfern’s
service above and beyond we would appreciate you joining us in recognizing him as the Augusta
Richmond County October 2013 Employee of the Month. (APPLAUSE)
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Mr. Mayor: And, Wayne, as Tameka mentioned earlier it’s really obviously as a city it’s
all about a team effort. You’re a huge role model and a team player for so many people that
work within this government. And I just want to so thank you on behalf of the City of Augusta.
Mr. Redfern: Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: You’ve got to love Wayne. He’s checking his watch to get back to work.
Madam Clerk, on to the delegations please.
The Clerk:
DELEGATIONS
B. Ms. Joyce Law regarding the enforcement of lettering policies in Richmond County.
Ms. Law: Good afternoon.
Mr. Mayor: And if you could keep it to five minutes, please, ma’am.
Ms. Law: Thank you. Thank you for the opportunity to appear today. I am the
spokesperson for the Harrisburg West End Neighborhood Association. We would like to ask the
Commission to publicize and (inaudible) awareness concerning solid waste disposals and to
create any new audiences that might be needed to help prevent pedestrian litter. We feel that our
gateways in particular are very littered and this is a threshold and an indicator for our quality of
life not only for the city of Augusta but for the totality of Richmond County. And speaking on
behalf of the Harrisburg West End Neighborhood Association we do not mind being ground zero
for any attempts for any applicable agencies to do what is needed to help maintain and increase
the cleanliness of our city and county.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, ma’am. And before I take questions I just want to say thank you
for appearing before us today. I agree with you completely. It drives me crazy to see people
litter this community. I think that that speaks badly about the way that they view their
community even so anything we can do to help I’m more than willing to. Commissioner
Williams.
Mr. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I certainly thank this young lady for coming
before us but I got a couple of questions. And I guess my first question is that we had a litter
patrol that we assigned I think to the Marshall’s Department at one point. Can somebody from
the Marshall’s office or the Administrator, can somebody tell me how active or what are we
doing where we are with that?
Mr. Russell: They’re still assigned. I don’t know the numbers but they’re writing if I
remember correctly written about a thousand citations so far this year. But don’t quote me on
that. I asked a couple days ago. So they’re out there doing that. A lot of it’s a response to calls
and stuff but they’re a whole lot more active that they were several years ago. I remember we
had that conversation the last time you were here.
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Mr. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Russell, but I think we assigned and I’m hearing from
Harrisburg and not just Harrisburg but this entire city. We assigned some Marshall’s to that
office for that particular reason. Now I’m sure they serve in other capacities in this government
but we had a designated group. And from what I’m hearing is that they had not been present in
Harrisburg that much. Is that, would that be a true statement?
Ms. Law: Yes.
Mr. Williams: So I’m, I mean my question would be I guess since Steve is not here but if
Fred would give me, give at least me some numbers back to find out how many of those officers
that’s actually handling that litter patrol because we did that. I know on the way out to the
landfill there’s been several complaints about leaves blowing off or paper blowing off of not
covered vehicles. But we’re talking about a patrol that ought to be patrolling this city and I’d
just like to get some feedback brought back to committee. Public Safety would be good to so I’ll
know. I mean if the Marshall wants to come and present ---
Mr. Russell: If you like I would suggest that you let ask him to come and give you an
update on that if that would be appropriate.
Mr. Williams: Well, not just on that I’d like to know where the staff is. I don’t just I’m
in a (unintelligible).
Mr. Russell: I understand.
Mr. Williams: Okay, that’s a full report, right?
Mr. Russell: Yes, sir.
Mr. Williams: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Commissioner Mason.
Mr. Mason: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Thank you, Miss Law, for coming before us today
and your Harrisburg contingent as well. Clearly this is an issue that’s goes across August
Richmond County as a whole but I appreciate the folks from Harrisburg for bringing it to our
attention. Of course we’re considered or call ourselves the Garden City and in order to insure
that that name matches the city we’ve got a lot of work to do. And so I mentioned before up here
to the Sheriff when he was here about a No Litter Campaign which he said he would be in favor
of but there were some distinct difference and this might answer yours Commissioner Williams
I’m not sure. But he said there we some distinct difference in terms of what he was responsible
for in his office and the Marshall’s department. So his would be the pedestrian traffic those that
are walking about or even out of their cars and tossing out the windows and that sort of thing.
And basically from what he said anything other than that it now falls up underneath the
Marshall’s Department. So I think Mr. Mayor what we’re doing here as far as getting that
information from the Marshall’s and try to figure out which way that we’re going because we’ve
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got to first know what direction we’re going in so we can figure out how we’re going to get
there.
Ms. Law: It’s a crossfire approach.
Mr. Mason: Absolutely, absolutely so we’ll do crossfire collaboratively and I think that
will help us to get to where we need to be. But I’m certainly in favor of anything that we need to
do to help clean up our Garden City.
Ms. Law: Thank you. I’d like to see a zero tolerance.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, ma’am. Commissioner Guilfoyle then Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Ms. Law, thank you for coming before us. My
wife actually on Saturday because we’ve got a lot of road frontage in front of our house and a
mother in law that’s right next door she filled up a half of a 55-gallon trash bag with trash in
front of our house on both sides of the road. And then when I was reading the agenda where I
seen that you were coming up before us I said well this coincides. I was actually was going to
bring the trash bag but I did not think that was appropriate. But we do need to have tougher laws
put in place. We do need to have not only the trash but tires is a big issue in this county. But in
District 8 there’s a lot of people that finds these dirt roads and throws a lot of stuff because
they’re too cheap to take it to the dump or wherever. So I’m in agreement with you and I want to
thank you personally for coming before us.
Ms. Law: Thank you. I would like to say that Augusta Cares 311 ---
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, ma’am.
Ms. Law: --- if any inappropriate dumping is down they are very responsive. The Solid
Waste Department is there was a green insert that was sent out to property owners with their tax
bills and that’s where you know the moniker for Keep Augusta Beautiful you know came about.
However I feel that our citizens just need to know that there are avenues in which they can report
and to have things picked up so they’re not just complaining but they can be proactive.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Ms. Law, I’ve followed Harrisburg over the last
four years and I know you all had a great concern about criminal activity in your community.
And I find that it is down now so what we’re going to do is we’re going to have to put forth the
same effort towards litter as we did for criminal activity in not only Harrisburg but throughout
the city. I think we’re making progress not as much as some of us would like to see but still as
long as we’re improving that’s a good thing. And I think that over the next months some of
these problems will be eliminated. Thank you for your effort and thank your community for
your collective efforts. Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you. Commissioner Fennoy.
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Mr. Fennoy: Ms. Law, thank you for your concern and thanks for bringing your concern
before the Commission. I guess one of my questions is that is there any particular area in
Harrisburg that’s worse than others that may need immediate attention?
Ms. Law: I would to first thank for the passageways that are parallel to Calhoun
Expressway. Those have been kept much neater that the streets that run perpendicular to
Calhoun Expressway that were in the center of Harrisburg they seem to be where the problem
occurs. There’s where loitering is increased. You also see an increase in littering.
Mr. Fennoy: And I guess my next question have the neighborhood association talk about
maybe one Saturday having a Cleanup Harrisburg Campaign where we could get I think it’s
from the Utilities Department get bags and those sticks where you can pick up and just go
through the neighborhood.
Ms. Law: Have a front door approach rather than someone from a different community
coming in to clean. That would be very helpful and appreciated.
Mr. Fennoy: Then I guess my next question to the Administrator is it a possibility where
neighborhoods like Harrisburg, Laney Walker where this is a problem whether we could use
community service to help keep these neighborhoods clean.
Mr. Russell: Obviously the community service people are scheduled and we can do that.
What we have offered in the past and that’s continuing on the paper on the table that if a
neighborhood would like to have a cleanup or whatever we’ll provide not only a dumpster for
them to put the stuff in but gloves and bags and sticks and all that other stuff to help. So you
know all they’ve got to do is call and schedule that and we’ll do that. The Community Services
Program we can use as an alternative but we discovered over the past that when they participate
they seem to, it seems to help too. So that’s on the table if they’re willing to participate.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay and my last question, Mr. Russell, who would they need to contact in
order to get the dumpsters and the bags?
Mr. Russell: Mark Johnson in Environmental Services or they can call 3311 and we can
schedule it that way too so either way.
Mr. Fennoy: Is there advance time, how much time needs to be before?
Mr. Russell: Obviously the more the better but at least a week or so.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay. All right, thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you. Yes, sir. Commissioner Mason.
Mr. Mason: Yeah, just a quick comment. I believe that it’s going to continue to take a
collaborative effort. Pretty much what we’re talking about here I know several years ago
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Commissioner Johnson and I got the prison crew. The way that they do business we got that
changed around to where the district commissioner if there’s a particular issue that needs to be
taken care of on a more immediate basis that you could contact your district commissioner. And
there are crews that are assigned to each district that go out every day. But if there’s a need that
we see that needs immediate attention we can contact the Warden Joseph and he’ll tell you that
or even Abie Ladson we can get that done a little bit quicker. So I would say to also work within
your district commissioner as well and that piece will help that. And that’s for every district not
just Harrisburg. And that’s some relief will help and I think if we just do it collaboratively use
all those resources that are out there eventually we’ll make a dent into the problems that are
going on.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you. Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Williams: Yes, Mr. Mayor, I just want to make a personal comment. Many people
may not know we was talking about the Marshal the Marshal’s services security coming in. But
you can exit this building from the door on the side. I have seen where people have to walk all
the way around. Once you come through the screening process you can exit this building
through that side door and people are not aware of that. I want to make sure they are aware
where they don’t have to walk back around this building. Until we turn the front to the back or
the back to the front like we need to and we’re in the process of doing that. I just want people to
know they can leave this building and exit that side door which they hadn’t been able to do
before. But that’s been changed so you can exit out of that side door versus going all the way
around. That’s all I wanted to say.
Mr. Mayor: Ladies and Gentlemen, that public service announcement was brought to
you by Commissioner Marion Williams. Thank you, ma’am. Thank you all for being here
today. Madam Clerk, on to the consent agenda.
The Clerk: Yes, sir. Our consent agenda consists of items 1-20. And under the Planning
portion of the agenda I’ll read the planning petitions and if there’s anyone here who has an
objection would you please signify your objection by raising your hand.
Item 1: Is a request to approve a petition for a Special Exception in a HI (Heavy
Industry) Zone for a 30,000 gallon above ground propane tank. And this is affecting property
located at 1525 Doug Barnard Parkway.
Item 2: Is a request to approve a petition for a Special Exception for a Family Personal
Care Home on property located at 2308 Prague Court.
The Clerk: Are there any objectors to either one of these petitions?
Mr. Russell: None noted, Madam Clerk.
The Clerk: Okay, so our consent agenda is items 1-20.
Mr. Mayor: Do we have any additions to the consent agenda? Okay. Do we have any
items to be pulled for discussion? Commissioner Smith.
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Mr. D. Smith: Number nine and number eleven, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Do we have any further items to be pulled for discussion?
Mr. Fennoy: Number ten.
Mr. Mayor: We’ve got 9, 10 and 11. Do we have any further?
Mr. Mason: What number did he?
Mr. Mayor: Nine, ten and eleven.
Mr. Lockett: Mr. Chairman, number 19.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Locket number 19.
Mr. Mason: I didn’t see ten is ten up there?
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, it should be. That’s 9, 10, 11 and 19. Do we have any further items?
Hearing none can I get a motion to approve the consent agenda?
Mr. Mason: So moved.
Mr. Lockett: Second.
CONSENT AGENDA
PLANNING
1. Z-13-48 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta, Georgia Planning Commission to
approve a petition by Palmetto Propane Inc., on behalf of M L South Augusta, requesting a
Special Exception in a HI (Heavy Industry) Zone for a 30,000 gallon above ground propane
tank per Section 24-2(a)(25) of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance for Augusta, Georgia
affecting property containing approximately 1.44 acres and is part of 1525 Doug Barnard
Parkway. Tax Map 100-0-011-03-0 DISTRICT 1
2. Z-13-49 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta, Georgia Planning Commission to
approve a petition by John E. Lovett requesting a Special Exception for Family Personal
Care Home per Section 26-1 (h) of the Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance for Augusta,
Georgia affecting property containing approximately .33 acres and is known as 2308
Prague Court. Tax Map 082-0-167-00-0 DISTRICT 4
PUBLIC SERVICES
3. Motion to approve a request by Planning & Development Department, Licensing
Division to renew the Alcohol Beverage Licenses of all current license holders in the City of
Augusta to include all Adult Entertainment Establishments. There will be Dance. There
will be Sunday Sales. District 1 thru 8. Super Districts 9 & 10. (Approved by Public
Services Committee November 12, 2013)
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4. Motion to approve the Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) submitted by the
Construction Manager (Turner Construction Company) for Municipal Building
Renovations for a total of $24,939,565.00. (Approved by Public Services Committee
November 12, 2013)
5. Motion to approve tasking the administrator to come back at the next committee
meeting with a plan of action regarding the establishment of a bus route to Fort Gordon
and to move forward with appointments to the Augusta Public Transit Advisory Board.
ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
6. Motion to approve an Ordinance to amend the Augusta, GA Code Title One Chapter
Ten Article Nine Section 1-10-88 relating to Protestor Rights to be heard by the Board of
Commissioners; to repeal all Code Sections and ordinances and Parts of Code Sections and
Ordinances in conflict herewith; to provide an effective date and for other purposes.
(Approved by the Commission November 5, 2013 – second reading)
PUBLIC SERVICES
7. Motion to approve acceptance of the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funding for the
Solicitor General’s Office from the Prosecuting Attorneys’ Council of Georgia in the
amount of $30,000 with matching funds of $7,500 for a total of $37,500 for the grant period
of October 1, 2013 through September 30, 2014. (Approved by Public Safety Committee
November 12, 2013)
8. Motion to refer this Ordinance to amend the Augusta, Georgia Code, Title 6 Chapter 6,
Section 6-6-1 through Section 6-6-36, to add a new section to be designated 6-6-37; to
provide for additional definitions; to clarity Code requirements as to books and book
dealers; to provide updates; to repeal all Code sections and Ordinances and parts of Code
Sections and Ordinances in conflict herewith; to provide an effective date and for other
purposes back to the Sheriff’s Department for revisions and bring back to the committee
for action. (Approved by Public Safety Committee November 12, 2013)
FINANCE
12. Motion to approve the acquisition of three (3) Road Patrol Traffic vehicles for the
Sheriff’s Office through the State funded H.E.A.T. program from Akins Ford Corporation
of Winder, Georgia for $29,314.00 each (lowest bid offer for bid 13-120). (Approved by
Finance Committee November 12, 2013)
13. Motion to deny a request from Ms. Constance M. Kimble for help in paying her
property taxes or an extension of time to pay. (Approved by Finance Committee November
12, 2013)
14. Motion to approve the purchase of 3 small tractors for the Environmental Services
Department (ESD) Bid Item 13-164 (Approved by Finance Committee November 12, 2013)
ENGINEERING SERVICES
15. Motion to approve RFQ #13-194: Task Order Program for Infrastructure for the City
of Augusta – Utilities Department in the amount of $4,000,000.00 for execution by Contract
Management, Inc.; Blair Construction, Inc., Eagle Utility Contracting, Inc; and Quality
Storm Water Solutions as qualified and selected contractors. (Approved by Engineering
Services Committee November 12, 2013)
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16. Motion to approve and accept the Cambridge Subdivision to Windsor Spring Road
Sanitary Sewer Extension. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee November 12,
2013)
17. Motion to approve Georgia Power Company Governmental Encroachment Agreement
#31484. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee November 12, 2013)
18. Motion to approve sending this item out for an RFP (proposal from Heery
International) to provide Program Management Services for the renovation of the old
library. (Approved by Engineering Services Committee November 12, 2013)
PETITIONS AND COMMUNICATIONS
20. Motion to approve the minutes of the regular meeting of the Commission held
November 5, 2013 and Special Called Meeting held November 12, 2013)
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been properly seconded. Commissioners will now
vote by the usual sign.
Motion Passes 10-0. [Items 1-8, 12-18, 20]
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Madam Clerk. And let’s go to the first pulled agenda item first.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SAFETY
9. Motion to approve a resolution a resolution authorizing volunteer firefighters and
rescue workers of the Augusta, Georgia Fire Department to be covered under Workers’
Compensation. (Approved by Public Safety Committee November 12, 2013)
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Smith, this was yours.
Mr. D. Smith:
Yes, sir, I would make a motion we send this back to committee. I’ve
got a list of questions about it and I’d rather not bring those out in this format today. I think we
I make a motion that we send
can better be served between now and the time of committee. So
this back to committee.
Mr. Jackson: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been properly seconded. If there’s no further
discussion Commissioners will now vote by the usual sign.
Mr. Fennoy votes No.
Motion Passes 9-1.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, next pulled agenda item please.
The Clerk:
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PUBLIC SAFETY
10. Motion to approve automatic aid agreement with Hephzibah, Georgia. (Approved by
Public Safety Committee November 12, 2013)
Mr. Mayor: Commission Fennoy, I believe this was yours.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, I’d like to send it back to committee.
I have some questions about
that.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, are you putting that in the form of a motion?
Mr. Fennoy: Yes.
Mr. Mason: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been properly seconded. If there’s no further
discussion Commissioners will now vote by the usual sign.
Mr. D. Smith and Mr. Guilfoyle vote No.
Motion Passes 8-2.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, on to the next pulled agenda item please.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SAFETY
11. Motion to approve a request from the Fire Department to use $201,390 from a Fire
Department revenue account from sale of property, and $60,000 from fund balance into
object codes for the purpose of purchasing uniforms and refurbishing an aerial truck that
is currently out of service. The total amount of funds requested is $261,390. (Approved by
Public Safety Committee November 21, 2013)
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Smith, I believe this was you.
I just ask this be sent back to
Mr. D. Smith: Same argument, Mr. Chairman.
committee
. They’re interrelated and I think we can take care of between now and the next
committee cycle. So I just ask that ya’ll vote to send it back to committee and we can get it
taken care of next week.
Mr. Mayor: Are you making that in the form of a motion?
Mr. D. Smith: Yes, I make a motion to that effect.
Mr. Mason: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been properly seconded. Commissioner Williams.
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Mr. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I understand why my colleague is saying but I
think maybe the Chief might be able to answer this one while he’s here. I think because I asked
this question in committee and I think Mr. Russell said they had from the sale of old equipment
that they go back into the Fire Department. I understand the concerns about the monies but I’m
just trying to figure out.
Mr. Mayor: Chief, would you?
Mr. Williams: Chief, I asked this question in committee and I was just wondering to
clear up something rather than hold it up. I think you’re talking about refurbishing a truck that
you got which is cheaper than buying a new one. I understand that. But the monies is in your
what?
Chief James: Right now the money is in an account that over the years the Fleet
Management Division as our equipment is outdated and no longer used they put it on
GOVDEALS.COM and they auction it off. And so over the years of auctioning off old
equipment and old apparatus and this type of thing then this was the money that that has been
accrued by that auction. And so we were notified by Fleet we have this apparatus among other
things that we spend about 200,000/$250,000 to repair and we if we try to buy a new one it’s
going to cost us about $900,000 dollars. And so this was the way that we chose to use these
funds so that we can add some apparatus actually to south Augusta area.
Mr. Williams: Well, that helps me out a lot. I mean I got that answer in committee and I
thought it might help my colleagues a little bit. And I will make a motion to approve if that
clears that up.
Mr. D. Smith: Now you’ve opened up some questions so we’ll deal with it now.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, but you’re making it a substitute motion to approve?
Mr. Williams: I’ll make a substitute motion to approve, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Fennoy: Second.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we have a substitute motion to approve that’s been properly seconded.
Commissioner Smith.
Mr. D. Smith: Chief, two things. You came before us two, three months ago and got
money to refurbish an aerial truck. Is this, how many trucks are we refurbishing?
Chief James: This is the only truck. I know we mentioned in our budget presentation
about refurbishing an aerial truck but as far as refurbishing an apparatus this is the only one that
has ever been requested, where we actually requested the funds be moved to refurbish an
apparatus.
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Mr. D. Smith: Okay, because my, maybe I’m confused and that’s why it’s a good thing
for us to talk about this although I wanted to do it in private. You’re talking about an aerial truck
and I asked you the last time was it the aerial truck that’s downtown on the Reynolds Street
Station.
Chief James: Correct.
Mr. D. Smith: Is that the truck we’re talking about?
Chief James: Correct.
Mr. D. Smith: Okay, so that occurred during the budget hearing and not during a
presentation here?
Chief James: Right.
Mr. D. Smith: Okay. The second part of that is there’s $60,000 that you’re asking for to
come out of fund balance which would be an additional budgetary item. Is that for uniforms for
our current employees or is that uniforms for volunteers that you expect for next year?
Chief James: No, that’s for uniforms for our current employees. What we’re doing is in
previous years the uniforms have always been bought were a poly cotton uniforms and they did
not meet the NFPA standards. Of course anyone knows that heat and polyester don’t work
against your skin. And so what I wanted to do is move to an NFPA approved uniform which is
100% cotton which meets the safety standards. And that’s why we’re moving toward that
uniform. We’re doing a clothing allowance so that employees can buy up to $400 dollars for
themselves which they get each year for uniforms. But for employees that have been there for
years instead of just being able to buy one uniform we wanted to get funds so that you know
they’d build up a cache of uniforms over the years. I wanted to be able to supplement their
normal clothing allowance to give them additional uniforms to meet the standards.
Mr. D. Smith: But so this is not for any new personnel that we may think we’re going to
get. This is for existing personnel only. Is that right?
Chief James: This money will be used to purchase for employees that we have right now
to add to their cache of uniforms.
Mr. D. Smith: But it’s coming out, we got to go to fund balance, Mr. Administrator, is
that right?
Mr. Russell: Yes, sir.
Mr. D. Smith: It’s not a budgetary, it’s not an item that was budgeted in the current
budget.
Mr. Russell: Yes, sir.
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Mr. D. Smith: All right. I withdraw my initial motion to send it back to committee.
Mr. Mason: I withdraw my second.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Mr. MacKenzie, just so I’m, would we need a second primary
motion?
Mr. MacKenzie: I would prefer that the primary motion was made again so it becomes a
primary motion.
Mr. Lockett: Move to approve.
Mr. Fennoy: Second.
Mr. Williams: We got a motion and a second I think.
Mr. Mayor: You made a substitute motion to approve, now it’s been properly seconded.
Mr. Mason: So that’s what we’re voting on?
Mr. Williams: That’s all we can vote on. We can’t ---
Mr. Mayor: So procedurally, yeah, but still it was a substitute motion not a primary
motion.
Mr. D. Smith: A primary motion then because I withdraw my primary motion.
Mr. Williams: But my motion still stands, I mean if we don’t have but two not but I
mean I can withdraw it.
Mr. D. Smith: No, I’m withdrawing mine so yours becomes the primary ---
Mr. Mayor: Mr. MacKenzie?
Mr. Williams: Grady come running to me.
Mr. MacKenzie: If the primary motion was withdrawn then the motion on the table
becomes the primary motion.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. We have a motion to approve that’s been properly seconded.
Commissioners will now vote by the usual sign.
Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, next pulled agenda item please.
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The Clerk:
ENGINEERING SERVICES
19. Motion to approve a Resolution to rename the portion of Alexander Drive north of
Riverwatch Parkway (beginning at the intersection of Riverwatch Parkway and Alexander
Drive and ending at Augusta Village at Riverwatch LLC) to Cabela Drive. (Approved by
Engineering Services Committee November 12, 2013)
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Lockett, I believe this was yours.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. On a regular basis I mention us establishing
precedents. And each time I’m told that we’re not doing that. But if this is approved I think we
should go back and where Starbucks is located and make a Starbuck’s Avenue, make an ADP
Boulevard and Augusta National I haven’t come up with a designation for yet. But I think that I
don’t believe this is a road that we want to down especially at this particular time. So I would
move to not approve that.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Davis.
Ms. Davis: Mr. Mayor, I’m just curious how did this come about? Who requests
typically a resolution for naming of a street? Mr. Administrator, do you know or I don’t know
how this got to the agenda.
Mr. Russell: I assume it came from Cabela’s. Normally we check with the adjoining
property owners and they had no problem including Costco and that’s why it’s in front of you
today.
Ms. Davis: Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Williams: Commissioner Davis, I’m trying to follow her lead because I heard what
the Administrator said but how did it get to this agenda? I mean Cabela’s and anybody else but
somebody in here had to put it on the agenda and it should’ve came probably through committee
for somebody to talk about. But how ---
Mr. Russell: (Inaudible)
Mr. Williams: It came through committee, okay, that’s, that’s ---
Mr. Mayor: Ms. Wilson, would you like to speak to this?
Ms. Wilson: Okay, I’m actually here with the staff that works on this particular issue.
And the application came in and went through the appropriate process. And they can go into
more detail about it because they worked more with the applicant.
14
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Please enlighten us.
Ms. Turner: Commissioners, Terri Turner, Augusta Planning and Development. We are
currently in the process of transitioning over or addressing responsibilities to IT GIS. With me is
Marcus Perry from IT GIS and he was the actual lead on this petition and the processing of it.
And I’m going to let Marcus help you understand where this came from and went to.
Mr. D. Smith: Okay, you’re the last in line, brother.
Mr. Perry: And I’m passing it along. Two months prior to today’s date we received a
request from Mr. Alan Grayson who is a representative of the MG HERRING Group that is
developing the area where Cabela’s will be situated. They made the request with our office,
well, Planning and Development, to rename the portion of Alexander Drive to Cabela Drive.
Our office’s and along with the Planning and Development with the entire process of verifying
the historical significance as the name of the road as far as any other getting a petition for the
enjoining owners of that road. So we verified all that process presented before the committee
and it’s now before the Commission.
Mr. Mayor: Go ahead. You’ve still got time left on the clock.
Mr. Williams: Still got time left. Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Residents, there’s no residents
that’s going to be affected.
Mr. Perry: That is correct. There are currently no residents in that area. It is all
commercial.
Mr. Williams: All commercial ---
Mr. Perry: And Costco and the adjoining other adjoining property owners were in
agreement with this.
Mr. Williams:
I’ve got no problem with it, Mr. Mayor. I was thinking maybe some
residents who hadn’t been notified probably would want to change a lot of stuff with them but if
I make a motion to approve.
there’s no residents involved to affect that,
Mr. Jackson: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. Mr. Mayor Pro
Tem.
Mr. Johnson: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. River Shoals, it don’t impact that particular stretch
of the road that’s on the other side of Comcast side, correct?
Mr. Perry: Yes.
15
Mr. Johnson: Okay, just that little stretch there. Okay, just wanted to be clear. Thank
you.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we have a, yes, sir, Mr. Mason.
Mr. Mason: Just so I’m clear how much feet ---
Mr. D. Smith: How long is the road?
Mr. Mason: --- how long is the road? What are we talking about here?
Mr. Perry: A little over 600 feet I believe.
Mr. Mason: 600 feet.
Ms. Wilson: Yeah and it’s currently being, because of the Costco it’s currently being
extended to reach that site.
Mr. Mayor: Go ahead, well, Commissioner Lockett, I saw you first.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. What is the cost implication at? Are we going
the city or are we going to incur any costs with that? What is it going to do with our GIS, what is
it going to do with all those other things because I lived on my street for over 30 years and I want
to put in a request to name it Lockett Court. I just want to make sure.
Mr. D. Smith: Second.
Mr. Mason: You get 70% of your residents.
Ms. Wilson: Commissioner Lockett, to address your concerns the only cost that will be
incurred with this will be the cost of replacing the road signs which falls under Mr. Cassell’s
purview. And I believe it’s one sign.
Mr. Williams: So moved, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we do have a motion and it’s been made and properly seconded.
Commissioner Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, I’d like to make a substitute motion that we rename that portion of
Alexander Drive Costco Cabela Drive.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, that one didn’t get a second so we have a motion to approve that’s
been properly seconded. If there’s, Steve, do you want to tell us ---
Mr. Mason: Is it Costco Cabela, Steve?
16
Mr. Cassel: Is it going to be Cabela Drive or Cabela’s Drive? The motion says Cabela; I
don’t know what the name of the store is.
Mr. Mayor: Cabela’s I think.
Mr. Mason: But don’t you figure that out, Steve ---
Mr. Mayor: Whatever they said the ---
Mr. Mason: --- the official name is.
Mr. Mayor: --- whatever they said in the request is what it’ll (inaudible) yeah.
Mr. Perry: Mr. Grayson with the development group requested that it initially be called
Cabela’s Drive with an apostrophe ‘s’. I made a note to him that the Augusta Richmond County
IT GIS Department is no longer allowing special characters in their road names because it causes
issues from a data base standpoint. So he agreed to drop the ‘s’ and name it Cabela Drive.
Mr. Mayor: Okay great, one less letter. We have a motion that’s been made and properly
seconded to approve. Commissioners will now vote by the usual sign.
Mr. D. Smith: Can we get what the motion is because we got a bunch of them?
Mr. Mayor: The motion was by Commissioner Williams to approve the resolution.
Mr. G. Smith: I thought it was Lockett Drive.
Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Mayor: Thank ya’ll. Madam Clerk, on to the regular agenda please.
The Clerk:
PLANNING
21. Z-13-50 – A request for concurrence with the Augusta, Georgia Planning Commission
to approve with the conditions listed below a petition by the Augusta Canal Authority,
requesting a revision of a Planned Unit Development per Section 19-9 of the
Comprehensive Zoning Ordinance for Augusta, Georgia to allow a public parking area for
the Augusta Canal affecting property containing .39 acres and known as 2441 Riverlook
Drive. Tax Map 014-0-057-01-0 DISTRICT 7 1) A gate be installed at the entrance to the
proposed parking lot that will be locked at sundown and; 2) In addition to compliance with
the Tree Ordinance requirements for the overall site, a vegetated and tree’d buffer along
the western property line consisting of a staged double row of Leland Cypress or
Cryptomeria Japonica, combined with a staggered double row of Little Gem Magnolia
shall be planted in lieu of the tree and shrubbery requirement found in the Tree Ordinance
along the western property line adjacent to 2401, 2403, 2405 and 2407 Deodara Drive.
17
Mr. Jackson: Motion to approve.
Mr. Grady Smith: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been properly seconded. Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Williams: Yes, sir, Mr. Mayor, I don’t have a problem with that I just wondering
why the gate and what a gate is going to do. Dayton, can you explain something? Tell me what
kind of problem we have and why they’re going to gate it off.
Mr. Sherrouse: I’m Dayton Sherrouse, the Executive Director of the Augusta Canal
Authority. Riverlook Drive dead ends into the Utilities Department property across from the
water works pumping station. Access for pedestrians and bicyclists anybody that wants to use
the upper end of the canal you have the map shows you the cul-de-sac there that, there’s a chain
link fence gate across there now that Utilities uses. It’s locked and they use it to access the raw
water pumping station. There’s a piece of property to the left and if you’re looking at this cul-
de-sac looking at Riverwatch there’s a piece of property to the left that the Utilities Department
purchased a few years ago because a raw water line kept breaking and damaging the house and
so it was easier to purchase it and demolish it rather than continue to pay damages for the house.
The problem we have up there in that area is easy access to the tow path on the canal. Right now
it’s from Eisenhower Drive and they have to go between two overhead water lines that pumps
raw water from the canal to the treatment plant at Highland Avenue. And there’s no way of
getting anything lighter to have a bridge across there for pedestrians. So once this lot became
available we thought it would be a good idea to provide parking off street there and we’re going
to re-landscape that whole area at the end of the cul-de-sac and put up wrought iron fencing in
lieu of the chain link fence and have pass throughs on each side of the gate that Utilities uses to
access the pump station so people can just, they can park in the parking lot and then walk
through the opening or bicycle through it or whatever. And we’ve met with the residents that are
affected by this. We had two at the public hearing when it was held before the Planning
Commission. We’ve met with Mrs. Amos who was here, some of you well you weren’t there but
Mrs. Amos was one of them and she thrilled with the improvements that we’re going to be
making along the side lot line that’s not only the privacy fence but the vegetation that we’re
going to plant there to block any view or noise the comes from the parking area. The other
resident that was at the Planning Commission we’ve attempted to call him. We’ve left plans at
his door etc. to no avail so we haven’t been able to talk with him and he’s not here today. So
we’ve, like I say, we’ve kind of gone overboard trying to protect the residents that are there and I
think that with the improvements that we’re going to make this will be a very nice entrance not
only for the raw water pumping station but for anybody that’s using the upper end of the canal
for recreational purposes.
Mr. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Dayton, I appreciate that. That helped me out a
lot I just wanted to get clear from him.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, sir. Commissioner Smith.
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Mr. Smith: Dayton, this is just, I’ve been over there and met with those residents twice
now. Are we going to, there’s a big open concrete things that drop down about 25 feet with
those pumps in them. Are we going to close that off because that’s a danger to a child?
Mr. Sherrouse: There’ll be a grate that goes over the top of those so nobody and they’ll
be locked off so there’s valves down in there and only Utilities will have a key to get into them
to alter the gate mechanism.
Mr. D. Smith: And one last thing the lighting. We’re going to put lighting over there for
that parking lot or we’re not.
Mr. Sherrouse: We are not.
Mr. D. Smith: That’s good.
Mr. Sherrouse: The reason we’ve decided against that is it’ll, and one other thing we
added at the Planning Commission was to actually put a gate in the parking area. And we felt
like if we put lights there we don’t want people there ---
Mr. D. Smith: At night.
Mr. Sherrouse: --- at the park, the park closes after dark so we felt if we put lighting up
there that would attract people to come in after dark and ---
Mr. D. Smith: And we don’t want them in those people’s back yards. Thank you, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Mason.
Mr. Mason: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Sherrouse, I appreciate the information that
you put out here but I see that our Planning Director standing here, she’s not invisible, so I want
to certainly ---
Mr. Mayor: I was going to recognize her.
Mr. Mason: --- you know I would like to you know hear from our Planning Director on
this.
Ms. Wilson: No, thank you. I basically was going to say that our meeting we did have
two people that expressed some objections and we encouraged the Canal Authority to meet with
them and to try and work out some of their issues. We also are concerned as he noted about
having a fence put up and we’ve talked a little about traffic and hoping or asking them to be very
mindful about that when they’re putting information out to the public. And we also asked them
to beef up the landscaping which they agreed to do. And I would just like to say that the
Planning Board at their meeting recommended approval with the conditions that were previously
read and that would be the foresight plan dated on November 13, 2013 so I’ll be glad to answer
any questions that you may have but that’s what happened at the meeting.
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Mr. Mason: Move to approve, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: It had already been. Yeah, the motion properly seconded. I wanted to say
you got your trees. Yes, sir, Commissioner Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, who will be responsible for locking and unlocking the gate?
Mr. Sherrouse: We’ve had a conversation with Utilities and since they’re manned 24
hours a day over there they’ve agreed to lock it, unlock it in the morning and lock it at night just
like they used to do down at Goodman Street when that was open near Sibley Mill. They would
unlock it and lock it back at night. And we’ll be the backup for them.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded to approve.
Commissioners will now vote by the usual sign of voting.
Motion Passes 10-0.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, gentlemen and ma’am. Madam Clerk, next agenda item please.
The Clerk:
PUBLIC SAFETY
22. Approve the implementation of an Augusta Government Channel. (No recommendation
from Public Safety Committee November 21, 2013)
Mr. D. Smith: Motion to deny.
Mr. Mason: Second.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Smith.
Mr. D. Smith: I’m sorry. Mr. Chairman I would like to make a motion that we
deny this.
Mr. Mason: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. If there’s no
further discussion Commissioners will now vote oh, Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just want to say that I fully concur with the
motion and the second that’s been made. But I just wanted to indicate that I think that the item
requested is something that is extremely important but because of lack of funding at this
20
particular time I think that’s why I’m supporting a no vote. Other than that if funding was
available I would not be reluctant at all to say yea. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. If there’s no
further discussion Commissioners will now vote by the usual sign.
Mr. Fennoy and Mr. G. Smith vote No.
Motion Passes 8-2.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Madam Clerk, on to the final agenda item.
The Clerk:
ADMINISTRATOR
23. Motion to approve Augusta-Richmond County proposed FY 2014 Budget.
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Russell.
Mr. Russell: Mr. Mayor and members of the Commission, it’s a pleasure to be back with
you today to talk about the budget. As you know we presented a budget several weeks ago that
had a significant amount of opportunity for improvement as we looked at that. There are
philosophical questions that we need to ask ourselves and some real questions on where we’re
going and what we need to do here basically, where we want to be as we continue to move
forward. What I’d like to do we’ve met a couple of times, we’ve had some input from various
(inaudible) Commissioners. We talked about the good things and the bad things of what we’re
attempting to do and what you’ve got in front of you surely would be a recommendation that I’m
making based on input that we received, the direction that we were given and or not given and
the bottom line is what you’re actually going to look at is what I in a professional capacity
believe that is the best course of action for us to take to continue to move our city forward. We
have over the past several years been very diligent in the way that we’ve approached our budget.
We have not had a great deal of growth in our revenues. We have had a great deal of growth
over the years in our expenditures. Because of the hard work and dedication of the people that
work here the department heads and even those people we’ve been able to maintain are fairly a
low cost of doing business. That low cost of doing business if reflected in the fact that our taxes
have been fairly low and we have continued to look forward to maintaining that. Each year I’ve
told you that if we hold on one more year we firmly believe that the economy will continue to
improve and it seems to be doing that. But what concerns me now is not where we are today but
where we need to be in a couple years. That couple years is the future we need to be preparing
for and I’m afraid if we continue the same path that we’re taking now we won’t be ready to deal
with the impacts of the future basically. I’d like to thank those Commissioners I’ve been able to
talk to. I lot of you have given ideas that had lots of merit. Nobody could guarantee me enough
votes to get some of those ideas passed which would put them into the reality of making it work.
So therefore we’ve gone back to what I feel is what we need to do. We have about two weeks to
continue this dialog among you all I hope to determine if or any of this that I present is worth our
time and effort and try to build a consensus on where you want to be as a group of people. What
21
I’d like to do is go through a short presentation and then have time for plenty of questions as we
go forward here basically.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Williams, do you? Did you have your ---
Mr. Williams: Mr. Mayor, I just I would like to cut to the chase and just find out all of
the new programs or new or anything that’s going to be put in here. And I’ve got this list that
I’ve just gotten here. I want the Administrator to go over and tell me what those things are.
There’s a lot of stuff that’s not on this paper that is going to be in that budget. And I want to
know every detail of the new stuff. And I had a conversation with Mr. Russell. I want to know
every new initial that is being put in that wasn’t in before. That I need to know what that is.
Whether I approve it or disapprove it I need to know what that is.
Mr. Russell: If you’ll be patient with me for a few minutes, that’s a part of the
presentation we’ll be going over, sir.
Mr. Williams: Okay.
Mr. Russell: Thank you. Let’s talk about the millage rate history for a while. I really
don’t think that you can talk about our current financial situation until you look at the context
that we’re in. If you look back in 19, 2005 our millage rate was 6.8 mills basically. In six we
increased that by 1.09 designated for law enforcement. In addition to that in 2007 we increased
it by 2.5 which was the General Fund. You’ll find that that number carries forward that 8.1, 8.1,
8.1 that’s 2007, 8 and 9. In 2010 we adopted a rollback so it went down. In 2011 we adopted
another rollback and it went up a little bit. In 2012 and we’re talking hundreds of a mill here
basically. 2012 we adopted the rollback again up just a little bit about .1.01. In 2013 we adopted
the rollback and it went back down again to 8.042. If you look at those numbers and go back
that’s less than it was in 2007. I think we’ve been fairly good stewards of the taxpayer dollars. I
think we’ve looked at what they’ve done and we’ve attempted to do that in a manner that’s been
very good for our citizens. We’ve also potentially I think put ourselves in situations where you
know we’re living in a world where we’re taxing less than we did in 2007. If prices are not
going up if expenses are not going up if the reality of the world hadn’t changed we’d be in pretty
good shape. I’m not too sure that we’ve been able to control those expenses. We controlled our
expenditures fairly well but we haven’t been able to control those things like the gas bill, the
light bill, those kinds of things we really don’t have any control over. You know if you talk
about what this really means the millage increase we started out in a hole and that hole was fairly
significant. If you look at a .5 or a half a mill increase it’ll give us about $2 million dollars and
that impact on a $100,000 home is $17.50 a year. Three quarters of a mill that impacts $26.25 a
year and that gives you $3 million dollars. If you go to a mill you get $4 million it’s $35.00 a
year. If you go to 1.5 its $6 million dollars and that fits some of the hole that we’ve got and
that’s $52.50 on a $100,000 house. That’s a dollar a week. That’s a dollar a week. If you look
at us compared to other places we get compared to these places fairly regularly. But if you look
at our mill rate to the county in Minnow it’s 8.042. If you look at Floyd, Fulton, Bullock,
Chatham, Dougherty, Bibb, Clarke, Muskogee that line continues to go up and up and up.
Muskogee County is double ours. The questions asked regularly how come we can’t do some of
22
the things that these counties do and that’s pretty much the reason right there. In the case of
Muskogee we’re operating with less than half of M & O for the county.
Mr. Mayor: And just for clarity that’s Columbus Muskogee County.
Mr. Russell: The city of Columbus, the third largest city in our great state of Georgia, if I
remember correctly. No, no, no, you’ve got to read the new reports. They just think they’re
number two.
Mr. Lockett: That’s not a good thing.
Mr. Russell: If you look at the next slide there you’re talking about the deficit we started
out with. We’ve gone over that on more than one occasion. Our Building Inspection Funds we
balance that by the use of Fund Balance. The Fire Department we’ve been able to revise the
revenue projection into insurance premium tax and those are a net adjustment of 16750 so we’re
at a total budget deficit now of $7,885,780 and those two funds are balanced. So what I did was
try to listen to everything you’ve said over the past little while and everything that had some
definite, definite merit. And have come back again to tell you that while the ideas that you’ve
expressed in small groups and individually I think are wonderful, unfortunately in my particular
perspective at the moment I could not manage to get six votes for a lot of those. I might be
wrong but just on the numbers I’ve got I couldn’t get that to happen and therefore it was
somewhat frivolous to do that. I did have several of you ask me on more than one occasion what
I thought we should do. And so that’s what you got again is what I thought from a professional
standpoint that we should do. If you adjust the existing Franchise Agreements to make them fair
and equitable across the board you gain a net $300,000 dollars. If you look at the cost recovery
for specials and we talked a little bit about that where when the Sheriff’s deputies work they use
our car, our gas, our uniforms, our guns, our Workmen’s Comp and whatever there needs to be
an adjustment. Not out of their pocket but out of the person paying the specials. We estimate
that to be about $250,000 dollars. As much as I have avoided wanting to do this over the past
several years I really don’t see any way in the world that it would be reasonable for me at this
point to recommend the budget that wasn’t cognizant of the fact that we haven’t raised our
millage rates since 2007. That $35.00 dollars for a $100,000 house I think is more than
reasonable based on the insurance, based on the gas prices, based on everything that we’ve had
to absorb that we now share that among our citizens. And that’s $4 million dollars. The
increased Recreation Fees increasing our prices there a little bit $150.00. Business License and
Late Fees we anticipate about $150,000 from that. The two things we hadn’t included in the
budget that are one time fixes and that’s all they are is the sale of the library to Utilities. We can
charge that enterprise fund for that and put money in the General Fund of $500,000 dollars. In
addition to that what we’ve attempted to do would be selling as we move the people out of
Marvin Griffin Road Planning to put them in this building here you’d be looking at that space
being available. We need another place for LNG Station. We can sell that to the Environmental
Services Enterprise Fund for approximately $400,000 dollars. So then you end up with a sale
pending zoning that property now you end up with 2.13578 is where you’re at. We argued about
this internally back and forth. We’ve budgeted the use of fund balance in years previous and
have done a good job of that. The last year scared me in the fact that it was the first year that we
used the fund balance. I think it’s now time and we’ve obvious recommend in lieu of doing that
23
we increase the millage rate. We reduce the use of the fund balance by 3.5 and that gets you to
563570/78. There were new personnel positions in there. We’ve heard this over and over again
that we need a Compliance Officer. I thought we should fund that. The District Attorney needs
help. She’s asked for lots of positions and she deserves each and every one of them. We asked
for a new lawyer and investigator a clerk and a Victims Advocate. I supported each and every
one of those but as we came down and got to the bottom line the recommendation you see there
today is just for a new attorney. Same thing with the Public Defender. Several of you suggested
that was not necessary. She asked for several additional employees too, a couple lawyers a
couple of, an investigator and something else if I remember correctly. Once again make that
equitable and fair I’m recommending an Assistant Public Defender at $70,000, only one of the
numerous ones that she asked for. The golf course grounds crew the Recreation Department
asked for about 400 and some thousand dollars for the golf course. We’ve reduced that to four
people of the grounds crew at $100,000 dollars. If and when that is moved out of the budget and
privatized if that becomes the wish of the body we would suggest you use those positions to fill
empty slots in the Recreation Department so we can recoup that. Transit as you well know,
we’ve got $143,000 dollars there for three management positions to manage that. One of them is
a move the other two are positions we’d be creating and it’s $143,000 which puts you back to
$6,108,780. Adjustments, the initial numbers you looked at included the $1,500 COLA across
the board. (Inaudible conversation) It’s in your packet but it did not come up on the power
point. New programs that I’m recommending that we fund the Mayor’s ARC Program which is
$300,000 dollars. Compensation Consultant $100,000. Juvenile Court the CHINS, Juvenile
Court, Conflict Defenders all of which are required by the state none of which we really have a
great deal of control over. If the state would quit helping us we’d be a whole lot better off, but
unfortunately that’s not happening. $10,000 for Disaster Preparedness for Animal Services.
Guard Rail Program $50,000 and Mosquito Control at twenty. That’s weaned down from
probably several million dollars’ worth of things that our department has thought we ought to do
and we’ve cut that down to that basically.
Mr. Lockett: Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. Lockett: We are missing, we don’t have this in our packet.
Ms. Speaker: I’ll get it for you.
Mr. Russell: It got cut out of the packet? Okay.
Mr. Lockett: It wasn’t by design was it, Mr. Administrator?
Mr. Russell: Ah, no, if it was they would’ve brought it to my attention. Adjustments that
I’m recommending we make once again as we look at, look at our employees and why I initially
proposed a $1,500 dollar increase to everybody across the board we reduced that to $500.00
dollars. I think it’s still necessary that we do something. Once again the across the board impact
is designed to help those employees that are better that are the impact for those at lower pay
scales or higher than those that are at the higher pay scales. The across the board impact is such
24
that it keeps our schedule as it is and does not impact on compaction or those kinds of things that
if you take it and start playing with those numbers you end up doing that. As we look at moving
the intake area from the JLAC we save about $350,000 dollars by mothballing that. Large
Equipment Pool would be an opportunity to use some large equipment in all three of our major
areas that would save us about $100,000 dollars and that’s combining Utilities, the Landfill and
Abie’s group, streets and bridges with some large equipment pools there basically. Fuel savings
if we start converting Transit to CNG we think we can save about $200,000 dollars. And the
moval of mosquito control to Environmental Services I think it’s about $160,000 dollars and we
can justify that. There’s still a hole there of about $3.817 and would involve an across the board
cut of 2.4% so that each department begins to suffer accordingly. While across the board cuts
are never in my mind what you want to do at this point that’s probably the easiest way because
I’m having trouble finding consensus among you as a group of what kinds of things you don’t
want to do. I’ve asked you that on more than one occasion what do you want to cut out and have
not received any, I’ve got ideas but no consensus from anybody or no consensus from the group
on what you want to do.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Guilfoyle, did you?
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, sir, I did. Mr. Russell, probably why there was no consensus is
because it was laid in our lap a couple weeks ago and then we had some of our colleagues had to
leave town so but there was four of us that went to a couple of the meetings with you as well as
the Finance Director. But I talked to another city about how their Administrator, how the
administrator’s duties and responsibilities are. I’m pretty sure I’m right on this. The
Administrator is supposed to present us with a balance budget.
Mr. Russell: You’ve got one in front of you, sir.
Mr. Guilfoyle: That is not a balanced budget.
Mr. Russell: Yeah, it is.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Okay, how about I make a motion to task the Administrator return to this
body with a balanced budget with no tax increase or no excise tax implemented.
Mr. Russell: Mr. Williams or Mr. Mayor, you know you can make all the motions you
want. Unless you give me some direction other than that I will be happy to bring you that
budget. But let me suggest to you that at the end of the day I will be making cuts and I will
doing things that you might not want as a group. If you want me to cut it and slice it and dice it I
can do that and have no problem with that whatsoever. But unless you can agree on what I cut,
unless you can agree on what we don’t do it’s just an exercise in futility.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Fred, the way I look at this whole ordeal where it’s always late in the last
these past three years on this Commission Friday after we got out of that little budget meeting I
actually called my office staff and I told them let me tell you the scenario that I just came out of
because it was somewhat of a joke. I said it’s the same thing as me getting one of my helpers to
balance my company without having any knowledge of the revenue, the expenditures or any of
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the other details. And that’s what we as a body are having to do. Now as an Administrator I
think it’s your responsibility because I steadily seeing this budget steadily going up out of the
General Fund every year. And what provisions are we putting in to save money every year so
we don’t have this dog and pony show that’s comes before this body every year.
Mr. Russell: All you got to do is tell me what to cap and you all agree on it and the dog
and pony show goes away. You make policy. I don’t make policy. If want to cut out
Recreation, tell me to do that and we can cut it out. That’s fine. If you want to cut out anything
that’s up to you to make that policy or you can live with the recommendations I make. But you
can’t have it both ways.
Mr. Guilfoyle: What we had discussed in these meetings which you said that you could
live with and now it’s no longer anywhere on this budget that you are proposing today, your
balanced budget from your professional opinion. We just wasted our time and I can promise you
one thing my time is very valuable in what I do for a living. No different than it is for you. But
for me to sit here and waste ya’ll’s time and waste my time and energy for not being considered I
think we need to refocus on exactly what we’re doing. You’re talking about increasing 1% on
the millage rate which is $4 million dollars, a dollar a week. But you’re going to get half of it
back in the COLA. How do you give out raises when we run in a negative number?
Mr. Russell: The only reason you give out raises is to keep good employees.
Mr. Guilfoyle: And you ---
Mr. Russell: The only reason that you keep good employees is to increase your
efficiency. And the only reason you can do that is you as a body could either decide that our
taxpayers need efficient government, good government with good employees or you can say we
don’t want to give any raises and you just cut it all out. That’s fine that’s what you’re supposed
to do.
Mr. Guilfoyle: But the taxpayers ---
Mr. Russell: That’s your job.
Mr. Guilfoyle: --- do want service ---
Mr. Russell: And they got to pay for it.
Mr. Guilfoyle: --- and you’re right. They have been paying for it, Mr. Russell. Now
when we start ---
Mr. Russell: --- waste a whole lot of listening than anybody else up here.
Mr. Guilfoyle: --- focusing on our money to be put into buildings and neglecting the
service that this city needs there’s a problem. And then we’re having to build and maintain these
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buildings I think our direction needs to go in a different aspect. Do, focus on the engineering
side of it where we keep cutting that one department. It just ---
Mr. Russell: Buy me six months.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, I’m going to try to come in the order that I’ve seen hands.
Commissioner Mason, Commissioner Smith, Commissioner Williams, Commissioner Davis,
Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. Mason: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I really don’t think we’re going to get a consensus
on anything in here today. But what I will say is during my time in Seattle I purposely queried
ten Commissioners or City Council persons to find out how they did their business in their
particular cities. And ten out of ten Mr. Guilfoyle did say that they initially were brought a
balanced budget not a budget with a deficit. They were brought a balanced budget from the very
beginning and they had basically through the year did, some of them did it monthly I believe
Commissioner Williams and several of them did it quarterly where they got with the department
heads and Finance and so forth and so they knew at a quarter at three months at six months at
nine months where they were and what factors was causing them to be either in the red or black
or whatever the case may be. So that’s just something to look at futuristically as we go down
this. But that was done. As I’m looking at this budget here, Mr. Administrator, there’s a couple
things that I want to say here. This millage rate. Now initially I wasn’t for the that excise but
I’ve had some conversation and I think I can me as one Commissioner can, can go along with the
fact that they need to be charged that piece. I’m a little reluctant as I have been as you well
know as far as increasing the millage rate and, Mr. Mayor, if I’m going over please let me know
the millage rate in terms of the four million. So you’re looking for some concrete direction for
me I would say and it’s probably going to get the ire of some of my colleagues is that that one
mill millage rate I can’t see that right now in terms of supporting that piece.
Mr. Mayor: I’ll give you another two.
Mr. Mason: Ah yeah, and so the, what you basically did with that was reduce the need
immediately for utilizing some of the fund balance.
Mr. Russell: Yes, sir.
Mr. Mason: And what I would say is I mean it’s something that we could you know look
at you know down the road five or six months or so. But what I would say is utilize that fund
balance that you had in the first place and let’s, let’s not look at putting this on the backs of the
taxpayers right now at this particular point. That’s just a thought. I know you’re looking for
some specifics and so that’s about as specific as I can get with what’s been given to me right
now at this particular point which may help us get to where we need to be in the short term.
What I would say though moving forward we’ve got to do something different than what we’ve
been doing because this clearly is not working for us. And, Mr. Mayor, I would offer that up
because I really don’t see what else we’re going to be able to do well I hear some other plans
happening there. But that’s that would be what I would suggest, Mr. Mayor.
27
Mr. Mayor: Thank you for your suggestion. And Commissioner Smith then
Commissioner Williams then Commissioner Davis then Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. D. Smith: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Russell, first of all I want to make a
couple of comments for my colleagues. We’re looking at $4 million dollars in a millage rate
increase. We’re looking at $900,000 dollars that we will not have next year because we’re
selling two buildings to an Enterprise Fund. So that $4.9 million dollars. And then those of you
that don’t like the excise tax the problem is that it’s 1.5 this year next year it’s going to be 2 ½.
And when it ends in three years when it’s totally phased out it is going to be $5 million dollars.
So that my friends that are on the left and right of me is money that we’re going to have to come
up with. These things here are one time monies selling these two buildings. So you can take $5
million dollars and you can $900,000 that we’re selling to ourselves that we’re basically
transferring from one fund to the next and you‘re going to have in four years a $5.9 million
dollars deficit. And one mill is only going to cover $4 million dollars of that. So what I’m
telling you today is that the decision today has a long term impact down the road. A millage rate
increase is not going to take care of our needs in two years or three years of four years. So I just
ask that y’all think about that. And then the other thing, Mr. Administrator, is that and I’ve said
this really loud and really clear, I’ll leave that alone. I just, there are some of us on the
Commission that have spent days and nights working on this budget and I would just implore the
rest of the Commission to be involved and let’s talk and work together to come up with some
solution. Because there are some of us that have been down here a lot more than the others and
we just need to work together to try to find a solution for what’s important to all of us. It’s not
fair to put it on the Finance Chairman and the one or two that show up because we had hearings
and sometimes we didn’t have but one commissioner down here. So I just ask that everybody
have some input so at the end of the day your districts and your concerns are represented and we
can all be on one page.
Mr. Mayor: I’ll give you ---
Mr. D. Smith: So I’ll yield to the floor. Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Russell: If I can, Mr. Mayor, to respond to that. I think the commissioner is
absolutely right. The question is not so much you want to raise taxes. The question is what do
you really want to see Augusta be? If you want to cut things that’s more than appropriate at this
particular point in time. There’s no problem with that whatsoever. The problem I have is you
can’t continue to do the same thing and give away revenue through the excise tax and those
kinds of things that the state, through additions that the state require and continue to expect us to
be able to roll along. The conversation that y’all need to have is real simple is what do you want
us to be able to do. And then if you don’t want to raise taxes or go back to the excise tax all
you’ve got to do is come to an agreement on what you don’t want to do. That’s all there is to it.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Williams, Commissioner Davis, Commissioner Lockett then
Mr. Mayor Pro Tem.
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Mr. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I’m listening to our Administrator and I too while
in Seattle talked to some other elected officials and how they do things. And to the defense of
Mr. Russell first of all we don’t want to make any cuts because if we cut we cut the same thing
every time. Now I don’t know about the meeting that my colleagues had while I was out but I
didn’t miss the meeting while you was here unless I wasn’t invited. No I can’t come to a
meeting I don’t know about. We hadn’t agreed at any point about cutting anything. Now I heard
my colleague talk about the cuts that he don’t see. Well I didn’t know we had no cuts. I didn’t
know we had agreed on no cuts. And the Finance Chairman is just a chairman. He runs the
meeting but I don’t think his votes goes no forward than the man on another committee. We sit
here and this is not my first rodeo at this. This is the ninth time that I sit here trying to balance
this budget and we always do the same thing. We wait to the last minute, not just you Mr.
Russell, but the last two Administrators prior to you. The same thing. It wasn’t no different
from them than what you’re doing. It’s a game and we’ve got to make some decisions. We want
to cut out some things and we want to cut out most of the same things in the same area every
time. I’m not an opponent of raising taxes but we got to pay for the service some kind of way.
Now my question to you is the enterprise situation we have with the water. I see Tom sitting
over there. We got an enterprise we just started with the landfill. There’s money in there and we
get a portion, a small portion. Since we’re up against the wall like we always do and we don’t
never, we always get bamed up then we got to come out some kind of way. Why can’t we get
additional money from the enterprise who’s doing very well? Now that’s a question I need to
know. Do we need six votes to do that? If there’s money, if we don’t want to raise taxes ---
Mr. Mayor: I’ll give you another two.
Mr. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I’m going to need four but I’m going to take
them two you got. The slide you just showed us a while ago how other cities are progressive.
Those people are making money. You can’t spend money you don’t have. Those cities that are
progressive it’s because the economic dollar is flowing through that city. We are still out of 159
counties we are still among the lowest. And I’m not here to raise taxes but I know we’re either
going to raise taxes or cut services. Then people are going to holler either way you’re going to
do it. I represent half of this city and I didn’t come down here to raise taxes but I can make the
hard decision. That’s why the elected somebody to make the hard decision. You got to make
those decisions when it’s time to make them. And I’m not for cutting any services I’m not for
laying off anybody. We hadn’t heard, I hadn’t heard yet why can’t we go in. I see Ms. Williams
came up. Why can’t we get additional funds from the enterprise situation that are doing very
well in this government.
Mr. Mayor: Ms. Williams?
Ms. Williams: Yes, sir, we are using every available legal and recognized method to
charge against the enterprise funds. We get payment in lieu of franchise. We get payment in
lieu of taxes. There are indirect cost allocations. You cannot, those funds have outstanding
bonding indebtedness.
Mr. Williams: Okay.
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Ms. Williams: You cannot just take monies from enterprise funds that produce ---
Mr. Williams: Okay, I guess ---
Ms. Williams: You have to have a methodology and we have used every allowable
methodology in order to do that.
Mr. Williams: My question to you is can we go to the state can we find the right
methodology to increase. Not to take it and I’ve got a problem when you set up these different
enterprises because they only own so to speak. And here we are people are suffering. We see I
got to use Tom, I got a complaint about people working for the water department who’s not
making the money they ought to be making and water got plenty of money but we give raises to
them and we say we can’t give raises to anybody else. But the money is in there but we can’t
give it to them because everybody else can’t get the raise. Something’s wrong with that. So how
do we go about doing that?
Mr. Russell: With the water department particularly because of the way those bonds are
written several years ago prior to either one of us I think getting here you can’t get an issue
passed without the fact that we would not tap that for other services. It needs to be self-
sustained. And that’s happened as you well know because of the issues they had with the water
department when they did the bonds initially back in the Old City, back a long time ago.
Mr. Williams: Well, things have changed I understand that and I’m not saying we can
flip the switch and change it overnight but we ought to at least attempt to when we talk to our
bond agent to find out how can we do some things differently. Nobody has addressed that.
Nobody done talked about that. But we don’t have the money so if we don’t have the money you
got to do something to get some money to come in ---
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Williams: --- in whatever way is necessary I think. If we can’t get it there we’re
going to have end up raising taxes. And if you’re going to raise taxes I think we ought to go
ahead and raise them so it’ll be at a level where we can do something with it versus every year --
-
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Williams: --- coming back saying we’re going to raise taxes again this year and
again this year and again this year ---
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner, you’re second ---
Mr. Williams: --- (inaudible). Thank you Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Russell: Can I respond to Commissioner Williams?
30
Mr. Mayor: Go ahead.
Mr. Russell: It’s obvious we haven’t raised taxes for the last several years. And I think
that we’ve avoided that and you were prudent in doing so. The problem is at the end of that time
we’re in a situation where we’ve looked at all the other options you have available to us. We
have formulas that are approved by the feds that we can charge for lieu of services to each of
these agencies and we’re maxing those out. We’re getting as much dollars as you can legally
from our other funds there basically. The question becomes at this point once again what do you
want to do? And how do you agree how do six of you at least agree on what that direction is.
And I agree fully with you that, you know, if we want to continue the level of services that we
have today you’re going to have to pay for it.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Commissioner Davis, Commissioner Lockett and Mayor Pro Tem.
Ms. Davis: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. We all know this is a very, very complicated budget
and a very frustrating process. And I think we have had some good discussions and I appreciate
that Fred and Donna and Tim. Wayne, I appreciate you bringing people to the table and I think
we need more discussion. And I know you said we have what two weeks until we can extend
this for two weeks. Is that correct?
Mr. Russell: What you can do and what I anticipate doing is instead of a adjourning this
meeting you can continue this meeting. If you had to vote on the budget based on your own
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ordinances prior to the beginning of the next meeting which would be December the 2. So you
basically have two weeks that you all can confer and determine what cuts or what other issues
you have that you’d like to make. Yes.
Ms. Davis: Okay, I don’t know who has the magic answer. When we were new
Commissioners in January we had these same discussions I believe, Donnie. Do you remember
this in January?
Mr. D. Smith: I do.
Ms. Davis: I would like to make a motion to that effect, to continue the meeting and
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have discussion over the next couple weeks until December 2.
Mr. Lockett: Second.
Mr. Mayor: Mr. MacKenzie, do we need a motion on that one?
Mr. MacKenzie: Well, at the end of the meeting you just don’t adjourn the meeting. You
can make a motion to that effect but you need to make sure you also do it at the end of the
meeting as well.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. And I, we have a motion that’s been properly seconded. I will not
adjourn the meeting. I will not go near this gavel. I’ve leave it over there. But, Commissioner
Lockett, you were and then Mr. Mayor Pro Tem.
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Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. One of my colleagues indicated that only a
selective few had been meeting and reading. But I take issue with that because I’ve been
meeting, not necessarily here but I’ve done lots of reading also. I’m not a member of Grover
Norwich fan club under no new taxes. Of course I’m not a taxation hawk either but I am smart
enough to realize that with the costs of goods and services increasing we cannot continue to cut
taxes and expect to maintain the same level or better services. Our people are looking for an
effective government. They’re not looking for an efficient government they’re looking for an
effective government and I’ve heard so many times that government’s should be run like
business. No business person in his right mind would try and operate a business under the
conditions in which we operate. So that’s not plausible at all. Now our tax is extremely low
compared to other municipalities. I’m quite sure the majority of the citizens of this great city and
county would not object to paying a dollar a week more if they could live in a clean city with no
blighted structures. Hey that would be worth a dollar. What can you buy with a dollar these
days? But you can buy a clean city with that. I think we ought to raise the mill 1.5. That’s the
sensible thing to do. I mean a politician which I’m not don’t go out and say let’s raise taxes.
That’s a bad term.
Mr. Mayor: I’ll give you another two.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you. But I want to do what’s best for the community. This
community deserves a good place to live, a good safe place to live, a good clean place to live and
we’re entitled to that. Our population is getting older. There are many things that we need to do
for them. But we can’t do it if we continuously cut, cut, cut. Let’s go on and increase this and so
that the entire expense is not on the individual taxpayer. I think also we need to increase the
excise tax also. I know the chamber is going to scream and holler but I don’t think anybody’s
going to stop coming to Augusta because we increased the excise tax by 2%. Probably more
than will come because if we do that we have the money to make this a better place to live. Mr.
Chairman, thank you very much.
Mr. Mayor: Do you want to put that in the form of a motion?
Mr. Lockett: So moved.
Mr. Mayor: Or excuse me a substitute motion.
Mr. Lockett: You got it.
Mr. Russell: If I could respond to the Commissioner please.
Mr. Mayor: Please.
Mr. Russell: When he mentioned running it like a business that always comes, something
that comes to mind to us as we continue to hear that. One of the larger businesses in our
community since December of 1911 has raised the cost of their product by 51%. And some of
you might have noticed the size of that product has decreased immensely. If you look at that it’s
32
gone up 51% the pages are a whole lot smaller and the, it’s not as thick as it used to be. And
that’s how you run a business and that business is The Chronicle. 51% since 2011 you get less
paper less size and whatever. We don’t have that option.
Mr. Mayor: And we had a motion from Commissioner Lockett. Did we have a second
on that? Substitute motion, excuse me.
Mr. Williams: I’ll second it.
Mr. Mayor: And the substitute motion Commissioner Lockett was to approve ---
Mr. Lockett: An increase in the millage rate to 1.5 and to increase the excise tax 2%.
Mr. Mayor: Okay that’s to approve the budget as submitted by the Administrator with
those two adjustments.
Mr. Lockett: No ---
Mr. Mayor: Oh, excuse me.
Mr. Lockett: --- it wasn’t to approve the budget.
Mr. Russell: If I can that would give us a new bottom line to work to I believe is what
the Commissioner is trying to do ---
Mr. Lockett: Exactly.
Mr. Russell: --- a revenue source of an additional ---
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Russell: --- of $6 million dollars plus an additional $1.5 million from the excise tax.
Mr. Mayor: So your substitute motion is just simply to revise what’s been submitted not
to approve what’s been submitted.
Mr. Lockett: That is correct, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Mayor: To revise the budget to reflect those adjustments.
Mr. Lockett: That’s correct.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, that’s been seconded. Mr. Mayor Pro Tem, Commissioner Fennoy,
Commissioner Smith. Commissioner Guilfoyle, I think I’ve recognized you twice but I’ll give
you one more.
33
Mr. Johnson: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I think the bottom line of it is we talked about this
last week we’re faced with some very tough decisions here. And the bottom line of it is, is the
people want the same level of service bar none. And I guarantee you just like we did with that
garbage contract. We went from twice a week to once a week and it seemed like it was a
catastrophe with a lot of folks because they got used to the twice a week service. So now what
we’re talking about doing is we’re not willing to I just don’t think the excise tax is going to be
sufficient enough. It’s not going to generate enough revenue for us to really do what needs to be
done to balance this budget. So with that being said trying to implement that is going to not only
put us at a disadvantage to compete for manufacturing businesses and companies but it’s also
going to put us in a position where we still don’t adequately facilitate the funding resource that
we need to adequately balance the budget. Now mind you what some cities do and they don’t
have to deal with this every year they propose to take, well I’m going to say case in point a
particular millage rate just say one mill. Next year it automatically raises by a quarter, the year
after that it raises another quarter. You don’t come back and talk about this aspect of it every
year because it’s already voted on. This is something that keeps the talk of tax increase out of
the media and people don’t sit and do what we’re doing here today. I think what Commissioner
Lockett has done I think is something that we really need to bite the bullet on and do. I do not
concur with the 1.5 mill at this time. I do think that we need one mill. That’s just my opinion
and then at that particular point if you want to do a quarter thereafter and a quarter the next year
than that may be something that we can put on the table. One thing is for certain this service is
not going to get any cheaper. So we can sit here and try to dodge the bullet all we want to it’s
going to continue to increase.
Mr. Mayor: I’ll give you another two.
Mr. Johnson: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. We have facilities now that is twice the size that
we had before the Library, the Judicial Center, the Sheriff’s I mean several facilities that we have
now is costing us more to operate them. It’s not going to get any cheaper. I mean that’s just the
bottom line. So we really need to stop making a big deal about this. Let’s be real. We’ve been
blessed over the last four years. I know since I’ve been here that’s been six years we have not
increased property taxes. We haven’t. We can go ahead on and do what needs to be done here
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today or next two, well the 2 of December and balance the budget then move forward. The
more we sit here and talk about this and I understand we have some people who just don’t think
raising taxes is the best thing to do. And it may not be in their mind but the truth to the matter of
it is you’re going to get phone calls every single day when the services are not rendered to your
constituents. And that’s just the bottom line. So if we want to do that what we need to do if
we’re going to do that and raise the millage rate let’s start making sure the level of service is
there so people won’t be complaining. That’s the thing to do. That’s the simple thing to do so
then at that point they can look and say you know what that was well spent money. And you
won’t have the complaints. But we need to do that and then hold those folks accountable with
the services because that’s what we’re dealing with here today. We just, I don’t see anybody
making any proposal on what to cut because you know why we can’t afford to cut anything else.
We don’t have any room to cut anything. So let’s just stop beating around the bush. I said it last
week I think we do need to do a millage rate increase of one mill. And like I said the option of a
quarter mill thereafter for the next two years is on the table but that’s just my opinion, Mr.
Mayor.
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Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Commissioner ---
Mr. Russell: Can I finish replying to the Commissioners, sir?
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Russell: There have been some offered up cuts that several Commissioners have
made totaling probably about a million and a half dollars I believe if I remember correctly. And
those included such things as the funding to some of our outside agencies, some of the funding
for specific agencies and whatever. I believe one of them we talked about was a $500,000
reduction in the Marshal’s Office the other was a $400,000 reduction in IT and several other
specifics like that, a reduction of a public defender position which was mentioned. Reduction of
the Compensation Analyst was done. I think the total that we came up with was right at about
2.3, 2.4 million dollars which would impact on the budget significantly. The reason you didn’t
see me recommend those is that I’ve talked about with other Commissioners I was not getting the
feeling of a consensus with that and this all about consensus and hopefully this conversation
today will generate your conversation to get us towards that consensus.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Fennoy.
Mr. Fennoy: Yes, I think contrary to some of my colleague’s beliefs I think this
government is run as a business. When I first came to Augusta I think the minimum wage was
.95 cents an hour. You can go to Burger King you could go to Burger King and you get a
Whopper a fry and a coke for .99 cents. But every time the minimum wage went up so did the
price of that burger. So what I’m saying is that we can no longer provide the same services that
we did ten years ago without having additional revenues in order to pay for those services. The
citizens that I get phone calls they complain about services. They complain about the holes in
the streets. They complain about the garbage pickup. They have real legitimate complaints.
They complain about the dilapidated houses. They complain about the overgrown lots and we
just don’t have the revenues in order to take care of those. The lady that was here this afternoon
she complained about the litter in Harrisburg. Well, not only is there litter in Harrisburg but
there’s litter all over Richmond County. And if this is to be the Garden City if this is to be a
beautiful city that it can be than we’re going to have to pay for services in order to maintain that
beauty. I initially, initially was opposed to the tax on manufacturing. But after getting a
different ---
Mr. Mayor: I’ll give you another two.
Mr. Fennoy: --- perspective I’m sort of leaning in that direction. I think the bottom line
is that we have got to provide quality services for the residents of Richmond County and we have
got to provide quality services for the employees of Richmond County. I mean our employees
do an outstanding job when you look at the benefits that they receive compared to other cities in
the country. I think they need to be compensated for the quality of work that they do. But I
think at some point in time we’re going to have to stop coming back here every year talking
35
about getting money that we don’t have. I think that we need to put something in place that’s
going to be sustainable so this time next year we will not have that conversation.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, sir. Commissioner Smith then Commissioner Guilfoyle then
Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. D. Smith: I’ve just got a couple of questions. You talked about raising the Special
Tax. Would that also apply to the Fire Department and the Marshal’s Department who use our
equipment to work specials?
Mr. Russell: Yes.
Mr. D. Smith: All right. The second thing I want to talk about is somebody mentioned a
dollar on a house. That’s okay a dollar a week if you own a $100,000 house but some people
here own a house that’s $500,000 dollars. It ain’t Donnie Smith because mine’s valued at
$92,000 and I’ll tell you right now. But can you put this up, Mr. Russell, so I, so people can see
it. This is the result and I’ve had this shoved at me a couple of different times. A one mill
increase is going to cost so we’re not confused about a dollar a week it’s going to cost those
companies up there a one mill increase is going to cost Georgia Power $80,000 dollars, nitrogen
$92,000, Augusta National $70,000 so on and so on. So the real impact here and that includes
the mall and so on when we do the two mill or one mill increase if we do just the one and I think
somebody’s opposed to the two you can double that amount up there. So it goes beyond just a
dollar a week for the household. And I’m not a proponent for that. I am for the excise tax but
my next, the point I want to make on this and I’ve been through this budget book so I’m sick of
this budget book there are places in our budget we can save money. Recreation submitted a plan
to buy each center a digital camera for $300.00 piece. I don’t know what they’re going to do
with a dog gone digital camera at these places but that’s in the budget. There are things in our
budget that we can directly affect. We own 69 parks. That’s one park for every three square
miles in Richmond County. That is absurd. I don’t know anybody else that uses, that does that.
We got one park that’s half a mile from another park. So there are places. We make a decision
as a body about security of this building. Do we need the number of people that we got
downstairs making you pass through a metal detector? I mean this is a public building. We
don’t have court over here so the chances even having a criminal coming over here causing a
problem are zero. Those are the places I say let’s try to look at our government and say we can.
There’s got to be combination of both new revenue and some cuts. Let’s don’t say across the
board because across the board cuts efficient operations. And let me talk about the public
defenders.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, sorry, I apologize. I know you were getting on a roll. Commissioner
Guilfoyle.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, Mr. Mayor, I’m sorry for raising my voice earlier as well as to you
Fred Russell but it just gets my goat.
Mr. Russell: I think the apology should be mutual, sir. I apologize (inaudible).
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Mr. Guilfoyle: Anyway you know I did reach out to some of my colleagues to let them
know we would be here doing these meetings, budget meetings if it didn’t fit their schedule and I
understood that. And I did tell you know other colleagues that hey this is what I’m going to do
and I hope you respect what I decided to come up with solutions. Anyway we talked about we
ain’t had a tax increase in five years. You know but we spent from 2009 to present day budget
we increased our General Fund Expenditure by $17.4 million dollars. That’s odd that we ain’t
had a tax increase but we could spend more money. I hear one of my colleagues say you know I
ain’t in it for laying off and neither am I. But we have to live like we live our personal lives.
You know we got to stay within our budget. We can’t spend more than what we receive and it’s
common sense. And yeah I’m a business person but I don’t throw that out there every dad gum
time. It’s not worth it. I’d just rather apply my skills in what’s been successful for me into this
community. Yeah we got to you know continue on looking out for our service but the services
that we mainly rely on as far as this body is engineering, trash, code enforcement, building,
license and inspections. These are the departments we need to focus on in making sure the
citizens are taken care of. You know I don’t know if everybody opened their budget book but
I’ll tell you what it’s complicated as anything. I’ve been up here on this floor for going on a
little bit over two and a half years. Joe Bowles, you know he’d been up here seven years he’s
still yet to figure it out and so am I.
Mr. D. Smith: You have to look at the source there, sir.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Commissioner ---
Mr. Guilfoyle: Well, anyway I like to see if, Mr. Mayor, if you could call for a Called
Meeting or a workshop. We’re just Commissioners so we could sit down together and work
things out.
Mr. Mayor: I would be happy to do that. It’s, you know, we’ve got two weeks and so
that would have to probably come the beginning of next week which is Thanksgiving but I think
we’re all willing to do it. Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I just got a couple of things and I will be brief.
In reference to the excise tax I think it’s only fair that manufacturing pay their fair share. And
the cost that this millage increase will do for big business their making big profit therefore they
should be willing to pay their fair share. And in reference to my good friend the other Bill
businesses are run to make a profit. Government is to provide a service. That is the major
distinction between the two. And my other friend the Donald we can’t afford to close the public
parks because they are only within a mile, we got one or two within a mile of so forth of each
other because we have a large percentage of our population that don’t have any kind of
transportation at all. And our public transit hasn’t been expanded to the point where they can use
it. So we need those. And we have a choice we can provide the digital cameras for the parks
and so forth to keep these young people occupied or we can spend $91,000 dollars a year to
incarcerate them. I think it’d be a better investment for us to do it this way. Thank you, Mr.
Chairman.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay, thank you, sir. I’m just going to say I think we made some progress.
I think this has actually been a good conversation. To the staff I hope this gives a little bit more
direction but we do have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded that’s on the floor.
Mr. Williams: Mr. Mayor, can I get a point of clarification please?
Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir.
Mr. Williams: I just wanted the Administrator to make sure that all of those new things
like the cameras that Commissioner Smith talked about. All of those new things need to be
singled out so I’ll know exactly what’s being new and being brought in versus voting on
something that because in Recreation and they added two of them and we’re going to pull their
budget. Each department ought to at least let us know what those new perspective things are.
I’m in favor of the $1,500 dollars for the raises that ought to be in there. And if we’re going to
do the millage rate the excise tax I’ve got no problem. I was against it, but I’ll vote for it. But
we need to know what we’re voting on.
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Russell: If I could respond to the Commissioner. We’ve cut like the cameras.
That’s all gone. You and I looked at it all that stuff went away. What if you look at, down
through your program that we’ve got, the Air Force asked for some new stuff that’s in there
that’s not reflected in my request, in my line item in my request. In addition there was a Gas
System Tech in the Environmental Services that wasn’t one of the ones I mentioned in my
recommendation that’s in there. But that’s if you look down, if you look down in there that’s
there Commissioner so I wanted to make sure you knew that I did respond to your question. The
last page Environmental Services there’s a couple issues there that were in their budget that
would require additional action by this committee before any of that was approved. And we’ve
isolated those out for you to be able to deal with too. Other than that there’s nothing in there that
would rise to the level of the question you asked.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. The motion, Mary, would you like to repeat your motion?
Ms. Speaker: Did it get a second?
Mr. D. Smith: His didn’t get a second.
Mr. Mayor: No, hers did get a second. Oh yeah, excuse me. Okay, yeah, we will.
Commissioner Fennoy, I’ll recognize you for one minute.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay. Mr. Administrator ---
Mr. Russell: Yes sir.
Mr. Fennoy: --- you know if we have that meeting next week I would also like to have a
look at what programs are being cut in 2014 that were operational in 2013.
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Mr. Russell: The recommendation you have in front of you maintains services at the
same level they are today, sir.
Mr. Fennoy: Okay.
Mr. Mayor: Okay we have substitute motion on the floor that’s been made and properly
seconded. And, Madam Clerk, for the point of clarity, could you repeat the substitute motion?
The Clerk: Yes, sir. It was to revise the Administrator’s proposed budget with an
increase in the millage rate of 1.5 mills and the increase in the excise tax of 2%.
Mr. Mayor: If there’s no further discussion, Commissioners will now vote by the
substitute sign of voting.
Mr. Fennoy, Mr. Lockett and Mr. Williams vote Yes.
Mr. Johnson, Ms. Davis, Mr. Mason, Mr. Jackson, Mr. D. Smith and Mr. G. Smith vote No.
Mr. Guilfoyle out.
Motion Fails 3-6.
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Russell.
Mr. Russell: I need to clarify the response I gave to Commissioner Fennoy. The budget I
presented has an across the board 2.4% reduction but does not identify any specific programs at
this time to be reduced.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. We have a primary motion that’s been made and properly second.
Madam Clerk for the sake of clarity could you read back the primary motion.
The Clerk: Yes, sir. It was to continue or recess the meeting today and then to continue
with additional discussions on the budget over the next two weeks.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioners will now vote by the usual sign.
Mr. Guilfoyle out.
Motion Passes 9-0.
Mr. Mayor: And procedurally, Mr. MacKenzie, just walk?
Mr. MacKenzie: Just recess the meeting.
Mr. Russell: Thank you, Lady and Gentlemen.
[MEETING RECESSED]
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[NOVEMBER 19, 2013 COMMISSION MEETING RECONVENED]
[DECEMBER 3, 2013]
PRESENT: Hons. Deke Copenhaver, Mayor; Lockett, Guilfoyle, Mason, D. Smith,
Williams, Johnson, Jackson, Davis and G. Smith, members of Augusta Richmond County
Commission.
ABSENT: Hon. Fennoy, member of Augusta Richmond County Commission.
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Mr. Mayor: At this time I will go ahead and reconvene November 19 meeting. Mr.
Russell.
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Mr. Russell: Mr. Mayor, members of the Commission at the November 19 meeting we
continued that meeting to continue work on the budget. We had a very good dialogue at that
particular point in time. There were several issues that were discussed, several things that we’ve
been able to manage to do. One of the major things that seemed to be important to everybody
was not have a tax increase. The budget you’re being given today does not have one. Let me go
over that fairly quickly for you. You’ve seen this before this is just a cleaned up version of what
thth
we talked about on the November 29, the 19 I guess ---
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Mr. Mayor: The 19.
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Mr. Russell: --- the meeting of the 19. If you look at the revenues you’re looking at
adjustments to the existing Finance Franchise Agreements the cost recovery for Specials, the
increased millage rate was not included so that’s not in there. Increased Recreation Fees and
there are small increases in fees for Recreation Services for a total of 150. The sale of two pieces
of property for $900,000 and an increase in the usage of the Fund Balance for $4 million. As
you remember in going back we added $4 million dollars for a mill increase. What we’ve done
is backed that back out and changed that to the use of the Fund Balance. So this budget does not
have a tax increase in there. There are several new positions that we talked about and several
new programs several which are required by law. Others are ones that the staff and during the
conversations we felt support for these as we go down the line. The Compliance Officer for
Procurement we’ve talked about that for several years and we’re trying to fund that at this
particular time. An Assistant District Attorney, a Public Defender, grounds crew for the golf
course until that’s disposed of or decided to move forward with in some shape or form. If it’s
disposed of at some point they would flip over and fill vacant positions in Recreation. And then
Transit the personnel can manage the transit (unintelligible). They would be new personnel that
were added. There are new programs that we talked about that were added in the budget and
have been there since my initial recommendation. The Mayor’s ARC Program that we talked
about decided to fund at $300,000 dollars last year that affects this budget this year. The
Compensation Consultant you’ve asked on several occasions that we do that and that’s in there
for $100,000 dollars. Juvenile Court the children in need of assistance children in need of
services funded at fifty-six. Some contract public defenders for juvenile court which was
required by state law that we don’t have a great choice on for fifty. Animal Services for $10,000
for Disaster Preparation Plan. Traffic Engineering the Guard Rail Program and then $20,000 for
mosquito control. Some adjustments that we made in the last budget that we talked about we
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reduced my recommended COLA of $1,500 to $500.00. We have mothballed the JLEC at a cost
at a saving of 350. At some time during SPLOST we need to talk about taking that building
down which will save us operational costs until that happens. The large equipment pool where
we’ll be sharing larger equipment among those departments that use that Abie’s Engineering, the
Landfill and Utilities. Fuel savings by begin transferring or converting the buses to LNG save
about $200,000 dollars in diesel fuel there and then transfer our costs for mosquitoes to the
Environmental Services at 160. That would allow us to do what we’re doing now but it would
come out of the Environmental Services Enterprise Fund. In addition to that to balance the
budget there’s still recommended a 2.4% across the board cut for all agencies. We recommend
that you not only for the ones that work directly for me get a plan and we recommend as part of
the budget you get a plan from each of the other departments and constitutional officers on how
they plan to do that so we don’t, so that does not let, does not, not happen I guess is what I’m
trying to say. Items included again would be the major issues that we look at on the second page
of that would be 1.5 from the excise tax. We’ve talked about that on numerous occasions.
That’s still in there as a recommendation. The use of the Fund Balance for $4 million in lieu of a
tax increase. Approximate cost of COLA for the 500 for employees approximate cost is about a
million dollars and we’d like to make that effective the second paycheck in January. That pretty
much goes through my recommendations. If you look at the next page is a copulation of that.
The next page down are the funds by fund and the revenues there. It goes for two pages. The
percent reduction from the budget would be on the next page which is one of three which shows
what that impact is the 2.4% across the board impact would be on the specific departments that
are included there. And then the last page was the impact of the COLA across the different areas
there and looking at the cost of that. And once again the $500.00 dollars is what we
recommended and what we’ve been able to get to and provide you a balanced budget. I’d be
happy to try to answer any questions you might have at the moment.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Russell, I’ve heard this song and dance quite
a few times now so I almost know it by heart. But I guess I need for you to go back and explain
and share with me the all of the new add-ons I guess we’ll say. We’ve talked about some things
but I want to know everything that’s new and what’s not. Now you stated that we wasn’t going
to add anything new and I heard you say now we are going to add a couple of things. I need to
deviate from what those things are.
Mr. Russell: I don’t think, well if I said that that was I think I either misspoke or you
misunderstood what I was saying. The things that are added ---
Mr. Williams: Somehow I mean either way.
Mr. Russell: Yes, sir. The things that we’ve added were on the first page under
Expenditures. Once again that’s our recommendation. We thought that if we looked at that
you’ve got a grand total of in personnel a grand total of about 240, another 40, 280 and 90 a little
bit less than ½ a million dollars. If you look at several of those positions we think that they
would be worth our while to add all of them. Again they’re on the table. In addition to that the
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new programs if you look at the ARC Program that’s just funding which you had approved
previously. The Compensation Consultant is hopefully to be able to provide ---
Mr. Williams: Can you back up a bit?
Mr. Russell: Yes sir.
Mr. Williams: I want to go back to the Compliance Officer but while you’re on the ARC
Program let’s talk about that for a minute. Exactly what is that?
Mr. Russell: Let me let the Mayor speak to that if you don’t mind.
Mr. Mayor: And, Commissioner Williams, I appreciate you asking the question. That’s
the Augusta Regional Collaboration Program that Matt Kwatinetz has been working on. The
$300,000 dollars that’s budgeted for this year was approved, well for next year was approved
this year by the Commission but it was unfunded to continue on with the development of the
Mills District in conjunction with the University. So that’s money that was prior approved but
was unfunded.
Mr. Williams: Thank you, Mr. Mayor, and I understand I’m glad you explained it a little
bit in detail. But I can’t support that right now. If we had a budget time when we were talking
about adding taxes to businesses or even maybe possibly raising taxes and if we’re at this
junction now why is that so important? Now I don’t think this will stop the project by no stretch
of the imagination but I can’t see the significance. That’s just one I’m going to go back to the
Compliance Officer. Maybe Mr. Russell can help me out with that. We’re talking about a
Compliance Officer. That’s something we should have done, needed to do and never done it as
of yet. But here we are at the end of the year we get people panicking about what we’re going to
do and how we’re going to do it. Why is that so important right now? Why can’t we wait until
July or later to look at that versus some other stuff?
Mr. Russell: We can.
Mr. Williams: Okay, that’s my comment. The other comment is the adjustment we’re
talking about with the COLA. You know we I had heartburns about the raise that we gave out
for the top head staff leadership. I really had heartburns. I wasn’t here but I accepted all that
because I’m a part of this community and everything else. And I’m going to have even worse
heartburn if we don’t give these employees that should have gotten a raise back when everybody
else got those kind of raises the kind of money they’re supposed to have. And I think that drop
back and once you take taxes out the $500.00 you’re talking about given they’re not even see
that. We need to do a lot better than that. Now if you want to change that a little bit I got no
problem making it a thousand. But the $500.00 dollars in my mind is too small. By the time you
take taxes out of it they won’t even see the benefit of it. So that’s my comment Mr. Mayor, Mr.
Russell on that. Those three things I think we need to look at. Holding up on the ARC Program,
changing the COLA to maybe a thousand if we can’t go to $1,500 and hold up on the
Compliance Officers.
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Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Smith.
Mr. D. Smith: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Russell, I want to talk about something that I
think is blatantly unfair. The Public Defender’s Office you’ve approved for them to get a person
as an Assistant Public Defender and the District Attorney’s Office to get one. And as we have
talked and then you’ve given them $50,000 dollars for contract defense in juvenile court. And
then we’ve also later on another page given them $20,000 dollars for contract defenders. And
my point about this is that the District Attorney is handling somewhere around 3,500 cases a
year, felony cases and they’re overwhelmed over there. They’re prosecutors average somewhere
between 70 and 80 cases a month whereas the Public Defender’s Office is handling as few 17
cases per defendant or per attorney a month. And so if we’re going to fund the Public
Defender’s Office one dollar for one dollar for every time for the prosecutor’s that’s blatantly
unfair because not everybody in the criminal justice system gets a public defender. So people
actually pay for their own defense through private lawyers. And so I don’t why, why we are
we’re not giving the prosecution who by law is charged with handling everything from
revocations to probation violations to bonds and arraignments and appeals and all those things
that the public defender’s office does not do and yet some where somebody is pushing for the
public defender’s office to be funded one on one with the DA’s Office and the work is not one
on one. And so that to me is offensive that we’re not looking out for our primary responsibility
which is prosecuting criminals when the defense we do have to provide defense for indigent.
But not everybody that goes through the criminal justice system is indigent otherwise all these
private practice lawyers wouldn’t be in business today. And so I just want to be on record to say
we’re giving, I’ve asked for ---
Mr. Mayor: And Commissioner Smith I’ll give you another two. I forgot that we’re not
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in a Special Called Meeting that we are in a continuance of the November 19 meeting.
Mr. D. Smith: You got away with that one, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: I know, I apologize.
Mr. Lockett: Mr. Mayor, can I get a point of personal privilege? I need some
clarification here.
Mr. Mayor: Can I allow Commissioner Smith to finish his?
Mr. D. Smith: I’ve made my statement. I just want ---
Mr. Lockett: I would rather he not finishes until I get, I need to refer this I think to the
General Counsel.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, let me recognize you first Commissioner Lockett. Commissioner
Lockett.
Mr. MacKenzie: Yes, sir.
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Mr. Lockett: I’ve been accused of getting all this education so I want to see if it’s
working. My colleague is talking about the District Attorney’s Office and I do believe that that
could conceivably be a conflict of interest there with his relationship with someone in that
particular office. Could you advise us on that?
Mr. MacKenzie: Well, based on the comments he made I don’t think it would create a
conflict of interest based on his comments. I think he can speak to the matter. It would be up to
him to determine whether or not he believes there’s conflict with respect to voting on any matter
that affected that office.
Mr. Lockett: Mr. Counsel ---
Mr. MacKenzie: Yes, sir.
Mr. Lockett: --- it’s my understanding that if something such as this comes up you’re not
only supposed to engage in dialogue on it but you can also be requested that you leave the room.
Mr. MacKenzie: I agree. In some circumstances that would be appropriate. In this
instance it doesn’t appear to be any kind of direct financial benefit that will be received as a
result of that so it probably would not fall within that category for that particular (inaudible).
Mr. Lockett: Well, I just wanted to make sure because my colleague said he wanted to
make it a part of the record and I didn’t want something to be on the record so it would come
back to haunt him. Thank you very much.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, Commissioner Lockett. Commissioner Smith.
Mr. D. Smith: Thank you for that. I will clarify that. I’m a member of the Public Safety
Committee which oversees Public Safety and that includes the District Attorney’s Office. And
then I do think I have a little bit of expertise after 30 years of law enforcement in this community
which involves making cases that go before the District Attorney and the courts here. So that
would be my interest in the criminal justice system. And so now, Mr. Russell, I’d like you to
kind of comment on that about the monies we’re giving to the public defenders.
Mr. Russell: Yeah, I think in a perfect world obviously we probably would’ve been able
to give what each had asked for. This is a very large reduction in that. We’ve narrowed that
down whereas I don’t remember exactly but each section both the commonwealth attorney and
the public defender had asked for more than what they would what you see right here. What
we’re attempting to do is continue some degree of equity in that and by trying to move forward
on an equal basis. You know while I agree that one of our responsibilities is to provide
prosecution I have been reminded on more than one occasion by the judiciary and by the state
legislature that one of our responsibilities is to provide indigent defense. The numbers that we
looked at there in my mind look at and the process that you’re doing by having teams of lawyers
assigned both on the prosecution side and the defenses side to the judges being able to move
cases a whole lot quicker. We’ve shown some degree of getting people out of jail which saves
us money. And while I’m not too sure there’s a fairness in any of this other than the fact that in
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this particular case based on what they all asked for we thought that we needed to increase their
numbers to do both that, to keep the process moving and one each was what I thought was
appropriate at this particular point in time. The others the conflict defenders and we know that’s
been required by state law or the changes even in our justice system we’ve got to do that so
there’s not much choice there. Similarly with the other conflict defenders that are there later it’s
become a whole lot more complicated than it was when I got to arrest people. But that’s sort of
what we’re trying to do is meet those demands. We are watched regularly by the private bar and
members of the bar and how we provide indigent defense and we’re trying to do the best we can
with limited resources.
Mr. D. Smith: Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Davis.
Ms. Davis: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Administrator, I was looking through the budget
the comparison over the past five years last night and I know that we’ve talked about you can
revisit a possible millage rate midyear. Correct?
Mr. Russell: Yes, ma’am.
Ms. Davis: Or possible taken out of revenues. So I am and I appreciate what
Commissioner Williams said about our employees and I appreciate all that they do and I
definitely know it’s been tough over the years as far as not getting a cost of living increase. A lot
of us haven’t in our other positions as well. So I’m having a hard time talking about pulling
money out of revenues and then also keeping in the $500.00 cost of living increase. That’s just
my personal opinion. I was looking through you know we have had a lot of talk this week about
training we get continuing education classes so I kind of looked through our budget which I’m
including the Commission budget as well. I’ve added up about $350,000 dollars that the city
spends that’s just through our departments and I understand. Continuing education is necessary.
I’ve appreciated what I’ve learned this year as far as my training that I’ve gotten to be certified
as newly elected Commissioner. Is there any flexibility with that as far as departments? I know
that some people have to be trained throughout the year. What, but, you know, $350,000 dollars
can we adjust it?
Mr. Russell: You know if you take $350,000 dollars out of our total budget I mean your
number for commission training is so far past the decimal point that it’s almost nonexistent. And
that’s a shame because the first thing we do is start to sacrifice the improvement. We’ve already
talked about not giving people money. Now we’re talking about not giving them training to be
able to do their jobs. And that’s just a foolish way to do things. I mean training is always one of
the things people talk about. And you cut it and you lose money in the long run because you’re
looking for people to go to learn to improve. Some of its mandatory and we’re required that fire
fighters receive this and water inspectors receive this and whatever. And if you look at that
$350,000 dollars out of a 600 plus million dollar budget for 2700 employees is in my mind more
than reasonable. And if that’s what you want to target if that be the wish of the body we can cut
that out. But I think you’re making a serious mistake by looking today and not looking
tomorrow.
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Ms. Davis: Okay, Mr. Mayor, can I have one more second? I was looking also through,
tell me what as far as what I’ve seen in the budget what is public relations used for exactly. The
line item Public Relations.
Mr. Russell: We use it for we occasionally rent a float the parade or we put stuff in
different magazines. If you look at the ACCG Magazine whenever they have us or whatever we
usually buy an ad because that’s how we get in the magazine and we get the publicity there. You
know once again if you look at the dollar amount it’s somewhat miniscule compared to what
we’re doing. And that’s what it’s for basically.
Ms. Davis: I’m just trying to figure out again just trying to cut if we don’t do an across
the board cuts just trying to do look at some target cuts. That’s all I’m asking.
Mr. Russell: And I think if you look at that what I would suggest that you do, ma’am,
and part of this recommendation would be that in that 2.4% cut that’s going to hurt people. If
you look at the back pages some people that’s going to be a good percentage of their budget. But
you ask them to come back with a plan of action to do that and that’s where you do your target
cuts. Let the department head decide that they can save money on training which once again I
would not encourage. But let the department head decide if we don’t need this. They’re the ones
with their feet on the ground and while it’s not the perfect way to do things I think it takes away
from a mass cuts in (unintelligible) or a mass cut in training or reducing gas numbers by
whatever. So I believe that’s the approach I would suggest that we take.
Ms. Davis: Okay. Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Since my colleague Commissioner Davis
brought up the training part I think I was profiled in the print press this past week about training.
Training is really necessary if you want to become efficient in what you do. People throughout
the country are doing different things. Many of the things they’re doing is working and many of
those things we could bring back home and emulate. Augusta’s a pretty large city compared
with many of the smaller cities that are attend the same training that we do. And you wonder
how can this little small town send one of their Commissioners or counsels out to Seattle to a
conference. Where do they get the money from? They’re smart. They recognize the importance
of their elected officials having the appropriate education in order to do a god job. In this article
I was criticized or critiqued for going to an American Planning Association meeting in Chicago
back in April. Well, as a result of going there, I came back I did a work session on what we had
to do to make Augusta Richmond County Georgia an AIDS friendly city. There are only about
nine or ten in the United States of America. It’s just kind of runny but this morning out on River
Watch Parkway I had a meeting with a group of people. We’re taking that to the next level and
we’ll be concurrence with the Mayor and my other colleagues we’re going to roll this thing out
in January. Now this is recognized throughout the world and we have people coming to Augusta
for the Masters and other things and don’t you think they would love to come to a city that’s in
46
the process of being characterized as an AIDS friendly city? That’s just one of those things I got
by being there, being in a conference ---
Mr. Mayor: I’ll give you two more minutes.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. If I want to take a vacation my wife and I get
on a plane or I get in my car and take a vacation. When the government sends me I go to train. I
have the transcript to show for it. The way I carry myself with this body is the result of the
training that I had. Some people don’t want to train that is their prerogative. But if I’m going to
do anything I want to be well informed. I devote quite a few hours on this job as a
Commissioner. I realize that some of my colleagues can’t go because they have their own
businesses or they’re employed. I’m retired. I have the time to do it and I don’t mind doing it.
But it’s kind of ridiculous when you’re ridiculed for trying to prepare yourself to do an
outstanding job. And there are other things that we have that’s going to roll out that as a result of
the trainings that we’ve had and I think you all will see it in the very near future. Thank you, Mr.
Chairman.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, sir. Commissioner Mason.
Mr. Mason: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I would hope that we would not allow this what I
would consider to be a diversionary tactic as far as this budget is concerned. Mr. Russell has
mentioned that this is basically, in reference to training I’m talking about you’re talking about
less than 0.0001% of the budget. And so I’m not sure why we’re sitting around spending time
talking about that when we’ve got other areas that are truly affecting our budget that we ought to
be dealing with. So I’m hoping that we can curtail that conversation and get on to something
that’s more relevant so that we can deal with this budget that we have in front of us. Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, sir. Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Williams: I got to pick it back off my colleague and what he said about getting off of
this. I don’t want to get off this horse here. I just started to ride.
Mr. Russell: Welcome back.
Mr. Williams: The media ---
Mr. Mayor: You’ve got two more minutes to ride them in this meeting.
Mr. Williams: The media don’t dictate what we do up here. The media writes all kinds
of stories and they report stuff. But we act as if we’re doing something that we shouldn’t be
doing and wasn’t very necessary as the Administrator said. But just look at how many other
cities are progressive and growing and doing things that we’re not doing that we talk about with
the money we don’t have even with this budget what we can’t afford to do how we want to shut
down or close out entities versus trying to add to them. Economic development don’t just come
because you think of it. You see other people doing things. If it works in another city with
people it’ll work in your city with people. So education is the key. You wouldn’t want a law
47
enforcement agency who hadn’t been trained or firemen who hadn’t been trained or elected
official who had not been trained to do the job they was elected to do. And in the training you
learn about economic development you learn how to work smart you learn how to coordinate and
put entities together. Other cities and someone just stated I think Mr. Russell said that smaller
cities send people on conferences to learn. And all the stuff we’re learning we brought back.
And people said what’d you bring back? We brought back a lot of stuff. But people want to stay
in the past they don’t want to grow. They don’t want the city to move forward. I mean because
what you say and what you do ought to match. What we say we want to grow but the things
we‘re doing we have not done anything and I’ve been complaining about that. We have not got
aggressive and done anything in Augusta to draw people to this city that’ll bring revenue in
except talk about raising taxes.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Commissioner, I gave you a little longer than two on the first time so
I ---
Mr. Williams: I think you’re trying to get me back, Mr. Mayor, for the first time that you
didn’t catch that. That’s all right.
Mr. Mayor: No, I promise, I promise.
Mr. Williams: Okay, all right.
Mr. Mayor: And but I just do want to say, Commissioner Williams, I agree with you.
And once again you know when we talk about the potential for the Augusta Regional
Collaboration Project that’s outside the box helping the university to grow here to increase those
revenues and bring that type thing in. So I agree with wholeheartedly. Commissioner Guilfoyle.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Fred, one question, if this budget don’t pass
th
today when the next shot we got December 17 meeting?
Mr. Russell: No, sir. Based on the ordinance the Commission did several years ago
you’re required to pass the budget at the end of the last meeting in November. It would be my
suggestion that if you cannot come to a conclusion today that you continue this meeting until
you’re able to do so.
Mr. Guilfoyle: All right.
Mr. Russell: That throws in jeopardy the next meeting because you cannot start the next
meeting until you finish this meeting. So the only way that I would see to address that would be
to either come to a conclusion today or not come to a conclusion today, continue this meeting
and then either not do the next meeting. Or if you have unanimous consent you can add the
items for the next agenda to this agenda and deal with them and still continue this meeting based
on interpretation by Andrew and Wayne and a conversation we had a few minutes ago.
Mr. Guilfoyle: I don’t mind being inconvenienced for having to be at another meeting
early the problem I have is what we was just presented I had last week asked for line item for the
48
difference between 2009/2014 budget. And I had a problem with my computer. Donna, thank
you for trying to send it to my so many times but it was a couple of our colleagues that could not
open it so we actually half undressed here at this meeting. The problem that we need to look at
is I heard one of my colleagues wants to do the COLA raise at a $1,000 dollars and that’d be
actually $2 million dollars in expenditures. We’re talking about implementing this excise tax at
$1.5 million dollars so we actually going to be $500,000 dollars short. And it’d be foolish well
my thinking I’m not saying anybody else it’d be I don’t think that’d be the best interest of this
county just to raise excise tax to give it away. If you use it for other purposes yeah, but if we go
through this budget I know you have I’d like to, I don’t know if my colleagues would agree. I’d
like to go and look at this paperwork that I just received today from the Finance Department and
come back with this body with something.
Mr. Russell: If I can ---
Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir, Mr. Russell.
Mr. Russell: --- you’re looking at comparing 79 actual, not 79, 2009 actuals to proposed
budget in 2014?
Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, sir.
Mr. Russell: I think that we can go through and prove to you fairly rapidly that things
cost more now than they did in 2009. You know that’s ---
Mr. Guilfoyle: All right.
Mr. Russell: --- the issue we would have at the moment is and let me at least give you
my thought process on this real quick. This, the budget is not written in stone.
Mr. Guilfoyle: No.
Mr. Russell: We’ve talked about that again and again. It’s a plan of action that we
attempt to implement to move this government forward. The opportunity to rediscuss this is
always there. The opportunity to continue to move forward and change, adapt and whatever is
always there. The deadline that’s set for that last meeting was one that ya’ll opposed. You can
pass a balanced budget you can take out whatever you want to take out. Like if you don’t have
support for the excise fee, take it out. If you don’t want to include the things that Commissioner
Williams talked about until six months in and review those later that’s an opportunity. At the
end of the day if you know obviously I heard loud and clear that there wasn’t a great deal in
raising taxes even now there’s more now than there’s ever been. And I once again have
suggested that’s a way out. But you know I’m you can pass something today and move forward
and play with it and adapt it or we can attempt to go ahead and move forward without that,
continue this meeting and for the hope of moving forward is to go ahead and add those items
with unanimous consent to the current agenda so we can have the next meeting too. So I mean
that would be a path forward if you want to do that. I’m not really too sure what’s going to
change. We were looking at a budget that in my mind had some primary issues that ya’ll have to
49
decide. Do you want to do the excise tax? If six people say yes it’s in there, six people say no
it’s not. If you don’t want to increase the millage, six people say don’t increase the millage it’s
there. If you want to postpone or do away with the COLA for the employees I mean that’s a six
person vote. And ya’ll have your opinions, ya’ll have your whatever but at the end of the day
that’s what’s going to have to happen. You don’t have to vote on the whole packet you can vote
on parts and pieces. But at some point you’ve got to vote and got to make up your minds
because we can’t, you can’t have it both ways. So I mean that’s where we’re at.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Commissioner Davis and Commissioner Lockett I’ll get you for one
minute. I believe I did extend to so I believe I’ve gotten to ---
Mr. Lockett: One minute’s good.
Mr. Mayor: And let me make just a quick suggestion that as we move forward I would
be hopeful that at some point we will reach consensus to approve the budget. But I would also
say going into next year it might not be because as the Administrator has said this is a working
document that can be, correct me if I’m wrong, Fred, but amended and adjusted throughout the
year.
Mr. Russell: (inaudible) meeting you could adjust it.
Mr. Mayor: So but my suggestion would be that there are in moving forward quarterly
you know reports and do want, this is where we stand do we want to amend and adjust.
Commissioner Davis.
Ms. Davis: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Administrator, how feasible would it be for if
we continue this meeting to have more analysis for the departments with this across the board cut
to come back with fair suggestions in that amount of time. Just that can help us understand more
of what departments where they would suffer and if we’re willing to go that direction. I mean I
know we’re looking at the amounts now of each department but we don’t know exactly if that
means personnel or what services that would hurt.
Mr. Russell: We’ve done five and ten just from my information so I could take a look at
that. We should be able to get you the 2.4. If you look and do your own comparison if it’s a
department that’s got a $1,000 budget and they’re going to lose 280 it’s going to be tough. I
mean that’s the issue. But you know if that’s the will of the body we can get that to you as
quickly as possible and I don’t anticipate that being a big issue.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Commissioner Lockett, I’ll give you the one minute and then
Commissioner Guilfoyle.
Mr. Russell: If I can ---
Mr. Mayor: Yes.
Mr. Russell: --- according to the, excuse me.
50
Mr. Lockett: As long as I’m not using my minute.
Mr. Mayor: The clock hasn’t started yet.
Mr. Russell: You can pass that 2.4 as a lump sum and then and that’s what I was
suggesting with the review is to come back with those plans. So you’ve got to reduce the budget
by 3817 and then individually you would get those documents from each department. And if it
closes down one and doesn’t impact the other that would be a decision you could make at a later
time but sometime early in the year probably what I should’ve said.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Commissioner Locket for your one minute and then Commissioner
Guilfoyle.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Now you know in school I was taught that in
this case the Administrator is the one that’s been tasked with presenting a balanced budget to the
governing body for the governing body’s approval for us to tweak it if necessary. I haven’t seen
anything anywhere in writing that says that the governing body is the one that puts together the
budget. No one of us up here knows better what we need to keep this city going right now than
the Administrator. So I would hope that the Administrator would bring back a balanced budget
that we could take a deep breath pass that budget and then in 2014 if it’s necessary make
whatever changes we feel is in order. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, sir. Commissioner Guilfoyle. Mr. Russell. Mr. Guilfoyle.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. The problem I have if we pass this budget and
then we don’t look at it in here in the near future the near future’s never going to come where
we’re going to recognize it because we’re so overwhelmed with so many different agenda items
different situations that’s facing us. Mr. Administrator, that’s no different than the last meeting
when I was at when we was discussing I kept my voice down to where it’s at the same level it is
now.
Mr. Russell: Thank you.
Mr. Guilfoyle: I question your administrator office of the $163,000 from 2012 to 2014.
And you could not answer that. You had to reflect to your Finance Director. But the way I’m
looking at it is you’ve got two secretaries, two Deputy Administrators, one’s half-filled, the other
one is a vacant position and yourself. And I think you’re Finance Director said because of
vacant positions. How many more vacant positions do we need on that for that $163,000
dollars?
Mr. Russell: Well, if you take the vacant positions you recapture that money in the
lapped salary account so you end up recapturing if you don’t spend it. So it goes against the
total. I’m not planning on spending or filling that one position that’s there until we decide some
futuristic things on the direction of that office.
51
Mr. Guilfoyle: Right.
Mr. Russell: So you know I think ---
Mr. Guilfoyle: Why would we put that in the budget then?
Mr. Russell: Because it’s a vacant position that needs to be compensated for. So if you
put $500,000 in there for salaries you figure you’re not going to fill those. There’s a number in
the budget for lapsed salaries that takes off from the total that says we anticipate having this
number of vacancies. Don’t know who they are or where they are or whatever so that backs that
money back in there. So you’ve got a budget, we budget a full contingent recognizing that we
won’t be full all the time and that lapsed salary number that’s across the fund, across the fund in
general picks up all those like that.
Mr. Guilfoyle: All right.
Mr. Russell: That’s how that works.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Where I had question about the building the grounds on this building
we’re going through a major renovation you have $1.13 million dollars set aside in the budget.
But with us going through this renovation I don’t think we’re going to need. It’s going to be
opposite effect. We ain’t going to need the requirements of maintenance on this building until
another 3-5 years down the road. I know that we had discussed this and you said that’s a good
point, bring it up, and I’m bringing it up.
Mr. Russell: And that at some point would end up being a reduction so when we actually
begin talking about if you want to look at that after we’ve got some track record of how much
it’s actually costing then use that as a reduction against the budget. And that’s, my problem is,
how can I say this. You want to make a whole sandwich and that’s what this budget does. We
were very cognizant of the fact that at some point we might take away the lettuce we might take
away the mayonnaise we might discover you’re allergic to ham if we don’t put that in there.
And that’s how that comes out at a later date but it’s hard to do that when you’re trying to budget
at a full level there. But we’re cognizant of the fact I don’t know what the last salary number is
but it’s fairly large because we know we’re not going to be fully funded there. The issue there is
and what we’ve always avoided is not raising taxes to fill a hole. We’re not doing that now.
We’re using fund balance and if we don’t use it, it stays there. So I mean that’s, that’s the
accommodation we made to meet those questions.
Mr. Guilfoyle: So with this budget being 8 ½ difference this vacant positions is actually
an imaginary position we’re funding so is that right to say?
Mr. Russell: I wouldn’t call it imaginary but it’s a position that’s not funded so that
salary would not be spent or the benefits, yes.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Okay, but it still adds on to the bottom line.
52
Mr. Russell: It adds on here but you take it back over here when you reduce by the
lapsed salary number.
Mr. Guilfoyle: If we don’t spend it naturally.
Mr. Russell: Sir?
Mr. Guilfoyle: If we don’t spend it.
Mr. Russell: If you don’t spend it.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Okay.
Mr. Russell: If I don’t fill that position and instead of and in this budget instead of going
against the tax increase to our citizens it goes against that money in the savings account that
we’re trying to use there to fill that hole.
Mr. Guilfoyle: All right.
Mr. Russell: It stays there basically.
Mr. Guilfoyle: That’s like the law enforcement center where you’re showing a savings of
$350,000 dollars by mothballing it?
Mr. Russell: Yes, sir, that takes away the electric costs and all that other stuff so we’ll
shut it down.
Mr. Guilfoyle: So we’ve a budget this year for $1.3 million in there.
Mr. Russell: That’s right. It’s going to be some cost until you get it mothballed get,
them out of there. They’re still there for the time being. We anticipate them moving to Phinizy
in, sometime in the first two quarters of the next year. So there’s some costs there until that
happens.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Okay. Another question I have is let’s look at the Rec Department 2012
it was 12.2. You know we talk about all the time we cut services we cut services we eliminate
positions but this year you have 14.2 million dollars. That’s two million dollars difference over a
---
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Commissioner, I hate to cut you off. Commissioner Smith.
Mr. D. Smith: Yes, sir, thank you, Mr. Chairman. I’ll pick right up where Mr. Guilfoyle
left off. Recreation has got a 2013 budget of $8.8 million dollars. And in 2014 we propose $9.4
which is a $600,000 increase. What are we doing there that’s giving us a $600,000 dollar
increase?
53
Mr. Russell: We’ve got the new park that we built out at Diamond Lakes the
maintenance issues that we’ve got there. Among other things that we’re doing you’ve got an
increase in social security costs, we’ve got an increase in various other assorted things that are
itemized under that item that I do not have in front of me. But you can look through that and
determine that.
Mr. D. Smith: Well, social security would be across the board so it would affect all these
other departments and I don’t see an increase to that amount in theirs. I’ve got two ---
Mr. Russell: (inaudible) total increase just part of the increase.
Mr. D. Smith: I understand. I’ve got two real quick. Fund balance at some point we
have to start setting money back aside for the fund balance. We’ve used it out of this current
budget it appears that we’re going to use it out of this. We can’t continue to spend. We have to
kind of reel government back in or either increase taxes. That’s pretty much simple. But the
fund balance we’re running out. And the last thing and then I’m going to be finished. We talk
about adjusting the budget at the end of 2014 we can come back and this is a moving document.
I’ve never seen a pig get away from the trough in all my years. When you start feeding a pig it
keeps eating and I don’t think you’re going to see this government come back in here and say
let’s cut the budget in June or July. We don’t come back in here it’s going to people coming
back department heads come back saying I need $200,000 dollars for this program. But you
ain’t going to back the pig away from the trough so that is a fallacy if anybody sits here and
believes we’re going to come back and cut the budget throughout the year. That ain’t going to
happen. Thank you.
Mr. Russell: Well, if I can respond to that. I’m not too sure I don’t take offense at being
called a pig but ---
Mr. D. Smith: I didn’t call you a pig.
Mr. Russell: After many years of being called one I’m not too sure that’s a bad thing.
And if you look at actual animal science and husbandry a pig will back away from the trough.
They’re probably only animals that eat what they need and not what’s only placed in front of
them as opposed to a horse that will eat until he dies. Pigs are smarter than that which goes to
show something that we learned a long time ago in the police academy. But I think you’re right.
I mean we used the fund balance we’ve used it judicially over the years but at some point this
group this group has got to decide. Do you want to cut what we do or do you want to increase
taxes? And you know we haven’t used the fund balance. We used some last year it’s the first
year we’ve used any in a couple that we’ve used it for. But as the ultimate decision makers ya’ll
need to decide at some point. And you’re the ones that make that decision. I get to recommend.
I propose and you dispose.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, so far to keep up with the witty political clichés we’ve had the budget
as a sandwich. Commissioner Williams has been riding his horse, pigs and troughs. Mr.
Commissioner, are you going to say lions and tigers and bears, oh my? Mr. Mayor Pro Tem.
54
Mr. Johnson: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. I think just after kind of looking over this and
listening to what I think my colleagues you know their opinions on this proposal here today I
think we you know the Administrator was tasked to bring back a working document for us. He
did that. Whether we all agree with it or not I think we need to do something and move forward
and continue to work on this document. Of course you know where I stand on the excise tax. I
just don’t think we need to do it but you know we may have six to think we need to do it. But
he’s done what we’ve asked him to do. This is by far you know not the complete you know
finished product and we’re going to have to continue to work at this. It’s not going to be a cake
walk in the park and I don’t think whether we continue this meeting to the next commission
meeting or even to January that we’re going to have a consensus on everything on this budget. I
think we just need to deal with what we have and then move forward as this document continues
to be tweaked. But I just don’t see us really being able to get it all finished here today. And I
nd
don’t think we’re going to get it done by the 2 meeting of this month. So I think we have a
document that we can somewhat work with and I think we need to do that and moving forward
work on looking at how we can work this budget moving into 2014 and going into midyear of
what we’re going to do after that because we’re going to continue to have some issues there that
we need to work out. And I don’t think it’s going to get any less expensive so I just think we
really need to truly look at trying to support moving forward on the document and then at that
point then we can look at whatever necessary changes need to be made moving forward. But
that’s just my take on it and he’s done what we’ve asked him to do and I think we need to do our
part. Thank you.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. I just speaking from personal observation I don’t know that we’ve
got the overall support to approve this document today. I don’t believe we’ve got six votes to
approve it. Looking to my left and looking, Commissioner Mason.
Mr. Mason: All right, your observation may not necessarily be a wrong observation. I’m
not sure what we have right now but is there any way that today we can get some consensus on
anything in here be it whether or not we have a will or the will to raise taxes for instance.
Whether or not there’s a will to implement or take away the excise tax. Is there anything
potentially that we could agree upon today moving forward that could get us closer to where we
need to be? I would hate to spend this amount of time and not have done anything towards our
ultimate goal.
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Russell.
Mr. Russell: Yes, I think Commissioner Mason brings forth a good point because I’m
spinning my wheels at the moment. And I provided you what I thought you were asking for in a
manner I thought was the best for our city at this particular point in time. But if we could go
through and take up/down votes on several of the revenue issues or the expense issues that are
the outstanding ones that would give an idea of what we actually had to work with. And I would
suggest that we do that. I mean and what I would suggest is you go to the second page of the
document that I gave you and there’s two votes there that would save or cost us an additional
$2.5 million dollars depending on the vote. But that would give me something and if you need
me to come back with something that would at least give me some direction or some more
defined direction than I have today. So it might be appropriate if somebody’s inclined to make a
55
motion that we institute the excise energy tax at $1.5 million based upon the procedures
necessary to do so.
Ms. Williams: That revenue is reflected in here. You cannot actually impose that tax just
yet. That would have to be a later vote that is prescribed. That revenue is built in through these
numbers that you see in front of you.
Mr. Russell: So an up or down vote on that particular item would tell me whether or not I
have $1.5 million dollars of revenue that we can continue to count on as we try to balance this
budget.
Mr. D. Smith: So do we need the motion or do we just need to say hands up?
Mr. Russell: I would prefer to do a motion so we’ve got some record of that one way or
the other.
Mr. Lockett: Mr. Chairman?
Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir, I’ve actually recognized you twice. I’ll recognize you again. I
think we do see some more ---
Mr. Lockett: Well, we’ve got something all together different now.
Mr. Mayor: What’s that?
Mr. Lockett: I just want him to explain what he’s talking about. That’s all. He’s asking
me for a vote.
Mr. Russell: Let me try again if that’s okay and I apologize. What I’m saying is there’s
several items here that if we can get some determination from a majority vote on whether or not
that’s the direction you want me to go that would give me the opportunity to come back with at
some point in the near future with a better plan. I mean at this point all I’ve got is what I’ve been
able to put together. So if you go to the second page of the document that you’ve got one of the
revenue items is $1.5 million dollars from the implementation of the excise tax. If that’s
appropriate it would be nice to have a motion to do so and whether that goes up or down we
move forward.
Mr. Guilfoyle: Motion to deny.
Mr. Speaker: Second.
Mr. Russell: So the motion to deny would say that we do not have that $1.5 million
dollars of revenue and we just created another S1.5 million dollar hole in our budget.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we have a motion that’s made and properly seconded.
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Mr. Russell: If I can if you vote ---
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Russell.
Mr. Russell: --- for his motion you’ve said that we’re not going to do the excise tax and
that we now have an additional $1.5 million dollar hole. Is that accurate? Yes.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded.
Commissioners will now vote by the usual ---
Mr. D. Smith: Can we ---
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Smith.
Mr. D. Smith: --- have clarification. Can somebody please? Yeah, there’s confusion
about the motion. Can somebody give me can you read the motion back please?
The Clerk: As I understood it the motion was to deny using the excise tax.
Mr. Mason: What does that mean?
Mr. Russell: Well, a vote in the affirmative a yes vote on this particular motion would
say we were not going to implement the excise tax next year.
Mr. Mayor: As a part of the balanced budget process.
Mr. Russell: So I would have an additional $1.5 million dollar hole in the budget.
Mr. Mayor: Okay we have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. If there’s
no further discussion Commissioners will now vote by the usual sign.
Mr. Johnson, Ms. Davis, Mr. Guilfoyle, Mr. Williams and Mr. G. Smith vote Yes.
Mr. Mason, Mr. Lockett, Mr. Jackson and Mr. D. Smith vote No.
Mr. Fennoy out.
Motion Fails 5-4.
Mr. Russell: That’s a good idea that didn’t work.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, but let’s go to Commissioner Smith.
Mr. D. Smith: I have a secondary motion.
Mr. Mayor: No ---
Mr. D. Smith: Another motion.
57
Mr. Mayor: Mr. MacKenzie, would there not be, well, it wasn’t an agenda item so, Mr.
MacKenzie, if you could give us some guidance.
Mr. MacKenzie: I think effectively what you’re doing here is you decided to take this as
subparts because you going through the budget and you’re making decisions on the subparts
which is contemplated by the rules. So you’re making many decisions on the subparts within the
budget instead of approving the whole thing. So it would be appropriate to make another motion
either on this item or another subpart.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Commissioner Smith.
Mr. Smith: I want to make a motion that we implement the excise tax in this budget.
Mr. Mayor: Do we have a second?
Mr. Lockett: I second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. If there’s no
further discussion Commissioners will now vote by the usual sign.
Mr. Mayor: I’m totally and utterly shocked.
Mr. Mason, Mr. Lockett, Mr. Jackson and Mr. D. Smith vote Yes.
Mr. Johnson, Ms. Davis, Mr. Guilfoyle, Mr. Williams and Mr. G. Smith vote No.
Mr. Fennoy out.
Motion Fails 5-4.
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Johnson: Mr. Mayor, I could’ve predicted that’s how the (inaudible) were going to
fall with that one but I think what we need to do here let’s, and I’d like to make a motion just to
do away with the excise tax as well as the COLA. The $500.00 dollars at this point is not going
to do anything for any employee. I mean I agree with Commissioner Williams when he said they
won’t even see it because the taxes will take it. At this point get an item that we can work with
and move forward that we do away with the excise tax as well as the COLA and go with using
the fund balance for $4 million dollars.
Mr. Jackson: Second.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded.
Commissioner Williams and then.
Mr. Williams: Yeah, Mr. Mayor, thank you. My colleague kind of I guess
misunderstood what I was saying. I didn’t say they would not see it. I said after taxes came out
there wouldn’t be as much with the $500.00 dollars when taxes come out they wouldn’t see that.
I’m not in support of taking that out. In fact I’d like to make a substitute motion to raise that to
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$1,000 dollars that we talked about and go and use the fund balance as well like he said. But I
want to make sure the employees get what they’re supposed to get.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we have a substitute motion. Is there a second for that? Okay, no
second. Mr. Russell.
Mr. Russell: Mr. Mayor, you need to clarify that motion. If you do what the Mayor Pro
Tem has suggested, you’ve created an unbalanced budget by $500,000 dollars. So instead of
using $4 million from the fund balance it’d be appropriate to use $4.5 (inaudible).
Mr. Mayor: Would the maker of the motion like to amend his motion in order to provide
for a balanced budget to increase the use of the fund balance to $4.5?
Mr. Johnson: I would, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Madam Clerk, just for the, for clarity if you could read back that
motion.
The Clerk: Yes, sir, that was to take out the excise tax, have no excise tax and no COLA
and approve using $4.5 million out of fund balance.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. If there’s no
further discussion Commissioners will now vote by the usual sign.
Mr. Johnson, Ms. Davis, Mr. Jackson, Mr. Guilfoyle and Mr. G. Smith vote Yes.
Mr. Mason, Mr. Lockett, Mr. D. Smith and Mr. Williams vote No.
Mr. Fennoy out.
Motion Fails 5-4.
Mr. Mason: Is it possible for me to withdraw my idea of doing what we’re doing right
here?
Mr. Mayor: Well, let me just say ---
Mr. Mason: This ain’t working.
Mr. Mayor: --- I want to get an affirmative and I think we can maybe get to an
affirmative here. I think there is consensus around the use of the fund balance for $4 million.
Can we get a motion to that affect and then I believe to move forward, Mr. Russell.
Mr. Russell: If you do that you’re forcing yourself into making a decision that you either
raise taxes, I mean you need to keep the fund balance flexible ---
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Russell: --- to be able to absorb whatever ---
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Mr. Mayor: Enough said.
Mr. Russell: --- other decision you make.
Mr. Mayor: Okay.
Mr. Mason: It ain’t working.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, so now in order to move forward seeing how we have not been able to
reach consensus on this I would like to request unanimous consent to add the agenda items from
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the December 3 Commission Meeting agenda to the November 19 Commission agenda in
order to dispose of them and to continue on with the city’s business.
Mr. Russell: You’ve got that backwards.
Mr. Mayor: What’s that?
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Mr. Russell: Add the 19 to today. You said it backwards, I think.
Mr. Mayor: No, I don’t, Mr. MacKenzie.
Mr. Russell: I’m confused.
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Mr. Mayor: No, because the 19 meeting is still, we can’t adjourn it so we need to add --
-
Mr. Russell: I apologize. You’re absolutely right.
Mr. Mayor: --- the agenda items.
Ms. Davis: So moved.
Mr. Mason: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been properly seconded.
Mr. Williams: I thought, Mr. Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Williams: --- I thought you needed unanimous consent. That wasn’t a motion was
it?
Mr. Mayor: Mr. MacKenzie, do we ---
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Mr. MacKenzie: What was the question?
Mr. Mayor: --- need unanimous consent.
Mr. MacKenzie: Yeah, you need unanimous consent to add anything to the agenda from
November.
Mr. Williams: But you offered a vote. You offered a vote and a second and you hadn’t
got unanimous consent yet. You have to go by the rules I think.
Mr. Mayor: No, we, Mr. MacKenzie, I would look for your direction here.
Mr. MacKenzie: There’s two ways you could do it by unanimous consent. You could
look around and say does everybody unanimously agree or you can do a motion and a vote to
make sure all of the votes are unanimous. I think a motion and second was made. If all the votes
are yes, then it would be unanimous.
Mr. Mayor: What’s that?
Mr. Lockett: There’s not unanimous consent.
Mr. Mayor: So if there’s not unanimous consent then ---
Mr. Mason: Keep rolling.
Mr. Mayor: --- well, then we’ve got nothing to roll on to. And I, you know, there’s been
a motion that’s been made and properly seconded but we need to dispose of that primary motion.
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But if there’s not unanimous consent, you know, we’ve got to keep open the November 19
meeting in order to approve the budget. And we cannot open the meeting for today because
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we’ve not dispensed of all the agenda items on the November 19 agenda. Correct, Mr.
MacKenzie?
Mr. MacKenzie: That’s correct.
Mr. Williams: Mr. Mayor ---
Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir, Commissioner Williams.
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Mr. Williams: --- can’t we move those items though to this meeting the 19, bring them
up to this and carry this meeting ---
Mr. Mayor: That’s what I was looking for the motion to do or we can, you know, we can
dispose of the, if the meeting’s still open, I guess parliamentary procedure, but I would hope we
could get on the vote unanimous vote from the Commission to address today’s agenda items
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under the November 19 agenda.
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Mr. Williams: If I’m not mistaken I think we and the attorney who’s parliamentary is
supposed to be sharing with us can say that we can by unanimous consent move those items off
this agenda today to this meeting we end in 19. And by unanimous consent we can carry on this
meeting that are here for today and then still hold this meeting open until we get back. Is that
right?
Mr. MacKenzie: That’s correct. And I think that’s the motion and the second that’s
currently on the floor.
Mr. Mayor: That’s the motion and the second that’s currently on the floor.
Mr. Williams: I want part of his pay, Fred, that’s all I want.
Mr. Mayor: But that’s ---
Mr. Johnson: But we don’t have unanimous consent right?
Mr. MacKenzie: Well, there’s two ways to get unanimous consent and you’ve already
gone down the path of doing a motion and a second so I would suggest you vote on that vote. If
there’s not unanimous consent then there’s not.
Mr. Mayor: Yeah, it’s do we do it on the record or we do it looking ---
Mr. Mason: Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Mason.
Mr. Mason: The only thing I would say in reference to this regardless which way we do
it we’ve got to take some action once we get to that point again. I mean otherwise we’re still
going to be in the same situation. The only thing we’re doing here is moving it on to a meeting
that we’re going to be in in a few minutes. And if our mindsets is not to do anything with it we
still haven’t done anything. So we can move it on but I’m hoping that there’s a will on this body
to do something with it. But first of all we don’t have unanimous consent. But however you
want to do it. But whenever we move we need to move to get something done not just moving
just for procedural reasons and we get to that point and we’re doing the same thing 5-4 nothing
gets passed and we still don’t have anything done ---
Mr. Mayor: No ---
Mr. Mason: --- and we’re still going to be in the same positions.
Mr. Mayor: --- and just for clarification the agenda item that we voted on for the budget
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is on the November 19 agenda item. We’ve had no action taken so that agenda item has not
been disposed of.
Mr. Mason: Right.
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Mr. Mayor: So the motion that’s been made is to add all the items from the yeah, from
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the December to the November 19 agenda item. So and to dispose of them but still we have the
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one budget agenda item left on the November 19 agenda that we can come back and dispose of
in another meeting.
Mr. Mason: I got that and we still haven’t did anything with this. At the end of the day -
--
Mr. Mayor: I know ---
Mr. Mason: --- which is the reason why we’re here but I got you.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, but we have people waiting so the motion that’s been made, Madam
Clerk, just for clarity.
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The Clerk: To add the December 3 items into the November 19 meeting.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. If there’s
no further discussion, Commissioners will now vote by the usual sign. What’s that?
Mr. Russell: For clarity purposes if you vote no you’re denying unanimous consent. Is
that not right, Andrew?
Mr. MacKenzie: That’s correct. This is just to move the items that are on the December
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3 agenda to the November agenda so we can talk about them today, just unanimous consent to
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add the items that are already on the December 3 agenda.
Mr. Johnson, Ms. Davis, Mr. Jackson, Mr. D. Smith, Mr. Guilfoyle, Mr. Williams and Mr. Grady
Smith vote Yes.
Mr. Mason and Mr. Lockett vote No.
Mr. Fennoy out.
Motion Fails 7-2.
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Mayor Pro Tem and then ya’ll, you know, we’ve got no other avenues
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as far as I see it. We’ve just got to, I can’t, you know, adjourn the November 19 meeting.
We’ve got to keep it open and no exactly. Mr. Mayor Pro Tem.
Mr. Johnson: Thank you, Mr. Mayor.
Mr. Mason: Let’s get some work done.
Mr. Johnson: This is not going to cut it. I don’t know what we need to do up here to
come to some type of consensus to move forward but we’ve got work to do and we’re not going
to get it done like this. Commissioner Williams, I understand what you wanted to do with the
employees. I wanted to do the whole $1,500 dollars, trust me I do but at this point it’s just not
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going to happen today. It ain’t going to happen today and I think what we need to look at now if
we can get a working document something we can move forward with then we can look at that
moving but we got to have some kind of medium that’ll balance it out to even implement the you
know the $1,000 dollar increase for the employees. And not only that if we can’t come to a
consensus on the $1.5 million excise tax then I think we can all agree to try to at least do away
with that and use the fund balance. And that’s why I made that motion earlier because I thought
that would give us an opportunity to at least get something moving forward. And then we can
look at that because I agree. I mean when you do that but when you look at the grand scheme of
things you take $20,000 dollars and add $500.00 dollars to that on an annual salary that’s going
to be much. You’re probably looking at maybe two or three dollars you know if that. So and
that’s why I made that particular motion because we’re not going to be able to do that. The way
we’re talking about or the proposal that you made the $1,000 dollar increase we’ve got to find
monies to subsidize that other $500.00 dollars. And that’s just not going to happen as well
today. So we need to look at how can we come to some kind of consensus to at least move
forward with what we have using the fund balance and doing away with the excise tax as well as
the cost of living at this point and then go back and revisit it. I just don’t see us being able to do
anything if we’re going to continue to stay in gridlock because we don’t have a budget or a
funding stream right now to even based on what the Administrator has proposed to even
supplement you know the other $500.00 dollars.
Mr. Williams: Mr. Johnson, I think, Mr. Mayor, if I can clarify for Mr. Johnson.
Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Williams: You had to have been in another meeting. We passed that. What we’re
talking about now is adding this agenda today to this last meeting that we’ve been holding open.
We passed what you’re talking about now. We’re not talking about the COLA, we’re not talking
about any of that. What we want to do now is get unanimous consent to add this agenda item to
this meeting that we’re holding today so we can disperse of all of these items. All these people
that came down here to hear these particular items today we need to get those done. And that
will leave our meeting open. Is that right, Mr. Mayor?
Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir, but we don’t have unanimous consent.
Mr. Johnson: Right, that’s what I was saying we don’t have unanimous consent so
obviously we’re going to have to either find some kind of common ground or balance or at least
vote to agree to this document or we can adjourn the meeting. So that’s why I was making the
comment that I mean I agree with you. I’ve always been an advocate for the employees and
making sure that they’re well compensated for what they do. But at the end of the day we’ve got
to come to some kind of medium or we’re just going to be just basically spinning our wheels and
kicking the can. And we can’t even go into the next meeting because we can’t agree to this
document.
Mr. Mayor: Mr. Russell.
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Mr. Russell: If you don’t use the excise tax and no COLA you’re .5 in the hole. If you
eliminate all the new personnel and all the new programs that’s get you a little bit over a million
dollars. And you could reduce the use of fund balance to about $3.5 million dollars numbers to
be there and still balance with the 2.4% decrease across the board. That saves you a little bit out
of the fund balance but on the other hand I agree with Commissioner Johnson is that that’s what
that number’s for. But you could use I mean that saves a million bucks basically if you want to
do that.
Mr. Mayor: Okay and, Mr. MacKenzie, I just want to because we’re still governed by the
rules and I’ve obviously been a little flexible with those rules. Do I need a motion to suspend the
rules of debate for a regular commission meeting? Or can I?
Mr. MacKenzie: You could do that or you could continue to follow the rules. You just
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need to do a motion to reconsider the only remaining item from the November 19 agenda which
is the budget and start over.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, but there’s but the agenda item has not, there’s been no action taken
on it, correct?
Mr. MacKenzie: Right.
Mr. Mayor: Okay. Commissioner Lockett.
Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Chairman. You know I don’t know anyone that gets a
thrill out of raising taxes. But I do believe that Comcast just went up on their bill. I saw where
Georgia Power got a huge pay increase. They didn’t get as much as they wanted but they did.
So if these businesses these corporations that so many of my colleagues say run this government
by a lack of business which I disagree with. If they have to go up because they’re incurring
greater expense for goods and services and so forth why do you feel that this government year
after year after year has to cut when revenues are stagnant? Now we need to increase the excise
tax and we probably need to go up another mill in order to get done what we need. Because next
year we’re going be, some of us are going to be here singing the same old song and dance what
can we cut? So we got to forget about that part for a while. Government is here to provide a
service. Government is here to be effective. Not to be run like a business. The taxpayers
demand certain things from us that we need to provide. But in order to provide it we’ve got to
have money. So please let’s go on and let the Administrator do us a balanced budget 2014 we
make the necessary adjustments because if not we’re going to be here forever and a day. Thank
you, Mr. Chairman.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, Mr. Russell, would once again just for the point of clarity because I
know all Commissioners didn’t hear what you just said. Would you please once again state what
you just said for the potential for approval as a balanced budget?
Mr. Russell: What I suggested was there seems to be, were there six votes not to do the,
I’m sorry, I don’t have any idea.
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Mr. Mayor: No, just ---
Mr. Russell: There was no consensus to do that, no unanimous nothing to do that so we
ain’t got nothing. I have no idea, sir.
Mr. Mayor: No, some Commissioners are looking. Would you just for clarity, please,
for my sake, put it out there again the last thing that you said potentially?
Mr. Russell: Okay, if you do not include the excise tax you’re down a million five. If
you do not include the $500.00 COLA you’re up a million. That means you take 4.5 out of fund
balance to balance the budget. If you want to eliminate all the new programs either new
personnel or new programs that saves you approximately a million dollars. If you allow me to
play with the funds and that would be able to reduce the amount of money in the fund balance by
a million dollars. So you then would reduce the use of the fund balance to 3.5. What you’ve
done there though is do away with some of the mandated programs that we were concerned
about. Some of the other issues there and in retrospect that’s one way to do it but I would not
recommend that. I’d rather use the 4.5 out of the fund balance so we got to figure out upon
retrospect.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, so ---
Mr. Russell: So what I would suggest that we do to move us forward would be to
eliminate the use of the excise tax, eliminate the COLA and use $4.5 million dollars out of
fund balance with the addition of the, and that still includes the across the board cut of
2.4%.
And there’s no tax increase in there basically.And I’ve got, once we get to the number
point I’ve got a motion that cuts out that we need I need to say that’ll get going if we get to the
number part.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, would anybody like to make a motion to that effect?
Ms. Davis: So moved.
Mr. Speaker: Second.
Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded.
Mr. Russell: Before the vote I need to say a few things about that or you could pass this
and then let me say what I need to say and then incorporate that into the motion if you want to go
ahead and vote. There’s no need for me to talk for five minutes if you’re not going to vote for it.
Mr. Mayor: Okay, we have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. If there’s
no further discussion Commissioners will now vote by the usual sign.
Mr. Johnson, Ms. Davis, Mr. Mason, Mr. Jackson, Mr. Guilfoyle and Mr. G. Smith vote
Yes.
Mr. Lockett, Mr. D. Smith, and Mr. Williams vote No.
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Mr. Fennoy out.
Motion Passes 6-3.
Mr. Russell: If I can ---
Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir, Fred.
Mr. Russell: --- this needs to be incorporated in the motion. I can either read this or give
it to the Clerk. What I’d like to do is read it if it’s okay with you. To allow the Finance
Department to incorporate the adjustments on page one summary to the fund total that’s attached
to the back of. That basically means we spread those numbers across each of the funds, the
percentage cut basically. You request a plan of action from department directors for 2.4
reductions to be identified and this includes all constitutional officers and people that work for
commissions or committees that are covered under our budget. And the proposed fee increases,
recreation, business license fees, cost to the garbage, the street lights, not street lights, the street
sweeping none of that is done until ya’ll separately approve each of those items. And then that
would balance across all the funds and what else am I supposed to say? Okay and that would
balance across all the funds then. If that’s appropriate that needs to be incorporated in to the
motion.
Mr. Mayor: Is that, is the maker of the motion? Okay. Okay, Commissioner Smith then
Commissioner Williams.
Mr. D. Smith: I’ve just got a question for the Administrator or Ms. Williams. The excise
tax is going to cost us $1.5 million this year. What’s it going to cost us next year?
Mr. Russell: Three and four. Three next year, give or take, and then four the next year.
Mr. D. Smith: So we’re going to pass $3 million next year onto the taxpayers and $4
million the year after that? Is that correct?
Ms. Williams: (inaudible).
Mr. D. Smith: Okay.
Mr. Russell: That would be our guess based on initial looks at the numbers.
Mr. D. Smith: So next year’s budget we can be prepared to try to find $3 million more
dollars and the year after that $4 million. Is that correct? Okay, I just want everybody in the
community to understand that next year and the year after that when we go through this process
because of this vote we’re going to have a hole in the budget that’s going to require the 90,000
property owners in this community to have to absorb that. So I just want everybody to
understand what they voted for. Thank you.
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Mr. Mayor: Okay. Commissioner Williams and then we have approved the budget so
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I’m going to adjourn the November 19 meeting so we can move on to dealing with the
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December 3 meeting. Commissioner Williams.
Mr. Williams: Mr. Mayor, I don’t think we approved the budget, I think we voted on it.
I don’t think we approved it. First of all you can’t add, you can’t take a vote then turn around
and add the wording in that the Administrator just came back with after we done took the vote.
That should’ve been done prior to taking that vote. And the Attorney’s sitting there and not
saying a word. You can’t agree to a vote to balance the budget of that magnitude and then add
that wording in. And I’m saying it because I disagree with the whole scenario. But I just don’t
see how we can sit here and think we passed it. If that’s what this body wants to do, we’ve done
some other things crazy so that wouldn’t be much different. But I think all of that should’ve
been incorporated at the same time so I would’ve known and every other Commissioner up here
would’ve know exactly what we were voting on instead of adding that in from the rear side of it.
Next year like Commissioner Smith said we’ll be right back here again doing the same thing
talking the same way and in the same panic mode because we have not got aggressive and done
the things we needed to do. It’s bad and I understand we’re the only body that votes like this but
I think we ought to be considerate enough for the taxpayers, make those hard decisions. You
ain’t going to please everybody. We got to do the things that we think is necessary, but I don’t
think we passed the budget.
Mr. Mayor: Thank you, sir. With no further business to come before the body, the
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November 19 meeting is adjourned.
[MEETING ADJOURNED]
Nancy W. Morawski
Deputy Clerk of Commission
CERTIFICATION:
I, Lena Bonner, Clerk of Commission, hereby certify that the above is a true and correct copy of
the minutes of the Regular Meeting of the Augusta Richmond County Commission held on
November 19, 2014.
__________________________________
Clerk of Commission
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