Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAboutCalled Commission Meeting August 25, 2014 (Fir CALLED MEETING COMMISSION CHAMBER August 25, 2014 Augusta Richmond County Commission convened at 11:30 a.m., Monday, August 25, 2014, the Honorable Deke Copenhaver, Mayor, presiding. PRESENT: Hons. Deke Copenhaver, Mayor; Lockett, Guilfoyle, Mason, D. Smith, Williams, Fennoy, Johnson, Hasan, Davis, G. Smith, members of Augusta Richmond County Commission. Mr. Mayor: Okay, as we have established a quorum, I’ll go ahead and call the meeting to order and Mr. Attorney, correct me if I’m wrong but we probably need to take agenda item number 3 first to accept Commissioner Jackson’s resignation. Mr. Wayne Brown: If you desire to proceed with that matter, it seems advisable. 3. Accept the resignation of Commissioner Joe Jackson, District 6. (Requested by Mayor Pro Tem Corey Johnson) Mr. Mayor: Okay, can I get a motion to that effect? Mr. Lockett: Mr. Mayor, I move that we accept the resignation of Commissioner Joe Jackson effective immediately. Mr. Johnson: I’ll second. Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. Commissioners will now vote by the usual sign. Motion carries 9-0. Mr. Mayor: Now, Madam Clerk, I believe it would be appropriate to call agenda item number 4. 4. Appoint successor to fill the unexpired term of Joe Jackson, District 6. (Requested by Mayor Pro Tem Corey Johnson) Mr. Lockett: Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir. Mr. Lockett: I make a motion that Commissioner-elect Ben Hasan be selected to serve the remaining term of -- Mr. G. Smith: Second. 1 Mr. Lockett: -- former Commissioner Joe Jackson. Mr. Mayor: And to be sworn in immediately. Mr. Lockett: And to be sworn in immediately. 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. Motion carries 9-0. Mr. Mayor: Could we get Commissioner Hasan to come forward and get sworn in? (Commissioner Hasan is sworn in by Judge David Watkins) Mr. Mayor: Okay, Madam Clerk, on to agenda item one. 1. Approve Resolution adopting 2014 Mill Rates. Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir, Commissioner Guilfoyle. Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, sir. Since we’re here for the third or fourth time to set the mill rate I’d like to make a motion to set the millage rate at a 2013 level with a reduction in the urban service district millage rate of 2.989 to offset the change in the method for the collection of the trash revenue. Mr. G. Smith: Second. Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. Commissioner Williams. Mr. Williams: Mr. Mayor, I’d like to make a substitute motion that we adopt the mill rate 1.75 that we initially talked about I brought forth to this community knowing that none of us actually want to raise the tax but it’s a necessary evil I’ll say that we have to do and I’m making that in the form of a motion, a substitute motion. Mr. Lockett: Second. Mr. Mayor: Substitute motion. Did we have any further discussion? Okay, Madam Clerk, if you could just read back the substitute motion for clarity. The Clerk: Substitute motion was to set the 2014 mill rate at 1.75. Ms. Allen: Increase. Mr. Mayor: Madam Administrator. 2 Ms. Allen: A 1.75 increase. Mr. Mayor: Okay. Mr. Mason: Can we get a roll call vote, Mr. Mayor? Mr. Mayor: Madam Clerk, a roll call vote has been requested on the substitute motion. The Clerk: Ms. Davis. Ms. Davis: No, ma’am. The Clerk: Mr. Fennoy. Mr. Fennoy: Yes. The Clerk: Mr. Guilfoyle. Mr. Guilfoyle: No, ma’am. The Clerk: Mr. Hasan. Mr. Hasan: Yes. The Clerk: Mr. Johnson. Mr. Johnson: Yes. The Clerk: Mr. Lockett. Mr. Lockett: Yes. The Clerk: Mr. Mason. Mr. Mason: Mine’s a definite No. The Clerk: Mr. D. Smith. Mr. D. Smith: No. The Clerk: Mr. G. Smith. Mr. G. Smith: No. The Clerk: Mr. Williams. 3 Mr. Williams: Yes. Motion ties 5-5. The Clerk: Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor: Based on the fact that this is the recommendation of staff and that the millage rate has not been increased in seven years, I will vote in favor of the motion. Motion carries 6-5. Mr. Mason: Point of personal privilege. Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Mason. Mr. Mason: Actually I want a point of clarity. Can you let us know who voted yes and who voted no again, Ms. Bonner? I’ve got a question on that number of no votes. The Clerk: Yes, sir. Ms. Davis voted no, Mr. Fennoy, yes; Mr. Guilfoyle, no; Mr. Hasan, yes; Mr. Johnson, yes; Mr. Lockett, yes; Mr. Mason, no; Mr. Donnie Smith, no; Mr. G. Smith, no; Mr. Williams, yes. Mr. Mayor: Okay. Madam Clerk, next agenda item please. 2.Motion to approve Water and Sewer Revenue Bonds Series 2014 bond resolution and authorize the Mayor and Clerk to sign all necessary documents. (Requested by Corey Johnson, Mayor Pro Tem) Mr. Johnson: Motion to approve. Mr. Mayor: We have a motion that’s been made. Do we have a second? Mr. Fennoy: Second. Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Fennoy, you were a second? Mr. Fennoy: Yes. Mr. Mayor: Okay. We have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. Commissioners will now vote by the usual sign. Mr. Guilfoyle: Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Guilfoyle. Mr. Guilfoyle: I’d like to have a point of privilege after this motion determines. 4 Mr. Williams votes No. Motion carries 9-1. Mr. Mayor: With no further business to come before the body, we stand adjourned. Mr. Williams: Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor: Oh, excuse me. Commissioner Guilfoyle. Mr. Guilfoyle: Yes, sir, thank you, Mr. Mayor. I would request of the Finance Department as well as the HR Department since we’re going to be going into the budget session here in a month or so to present us as far as Finance with the last six years of department actual use budget and for the HR to present us with a last six years of department staff whether it increased or decreased I would like to see where they both co-relate to where we could look at because the only thing that this adopting the mill rate did is put us flat even but as we continue in the years to come we’re still going to have to make sure that our expenditures and our revenue stays parallel with each other or if anything our expenditures decrease to where we could start putting money aside for future use so I would ask this of the HR as well as Finance Department. That way it gives you ample time to have it ready. Thank ya’ll so much and thank you, Mr. Mayor. Mr. Mayor: Okay and Commissioner Johnson. Mr. Johnson: Yes, Mr. Mayor. We need to make some changes due to the resignation of Mr. Jackson. Of course you know he was the chairman of Engineering Service. We do have a What I’d like to do is make a, I guess, Vice Chair which is Commissioner Bill Fennoy. probably need to put this in the form of a motion to appoint Commissioner Fennoy as the Chairman of Engineering Service and of course Commissioner Hasan will be serving on Engineering Service and he will also serve on Administrative Service Committee as well as so was Commissioner Jackson. So those will be the only two changes and we will need to appoint a Vice Chair for Engineering Service and Commissioner Davis, I would like to recommend that she serve as Vice Chair for Engineering Service. Mr. Lockett: Move to approve. Mr. G. Smith: Second. Mr. Mayor: Okay, that’s all in the form of a motion. Mr. Johnson: Yes. Mr. Mayor: Yes, sir. Mr. Brown: There will need to be a motion to add and approve. Mr. Johnson: Yes. Add and approve, yes. 5 Mr. Mayor: Okay. We have a motion that’s been made and properly seconded. If there is no further discussion, commissioners will now vote by the usual sign. Commissioner Fennoy. Mr. Fennoy: Mr. Mayor, I’d like at this time to request from the Finance Department – Motion carries 10-0. Mr. Fennoy: I’m sorry. Mr. Mayor: Go ahead. Mr. Fennoy: No, what I’m hearing from a lot of the taxpayers is that we have the budget for 2014 and we obviously went over that budget. That’s why we’re in the situation that we’re in. What the taxpayers want to know is where did we go over and what departments went beyond what their budget was and what is it, we need to try to prevent this from happening again. Mr. Mayor: Ms. Williams. Ms. Williams: Your 2014 budget is still in process or we will not know overages until the end of the year. We can provide the information as of, you know, we gave the quarterly report for the second quarter of the year. You received that as information at the last regular commission meeting. While we continue to monitor the budgets, the budget for 2014 was not, the problem that we’re facing today is not because departments are exceeding their budgets. It’s because of the scheduled use of fund balance to fund the spending level for 2014. That amount had to make up the difference between projected revenue and projected expenditures. With a very few exceptions the departments have absorbed the 2.4% across the board budget reduction that was passed in the 2014 budget so the departments are not exceeding their budgets. Mr. Fennoy: So from what I, what you’re saying is that you cannot make a prediction at this particular time. Ms. Williams: No, sir, not a real good one. Expenditures are on track right now on the budgeted level. Mr. Fennoy: But from what I understand the reason we are requesting the 1.75 is because we had to take so much money from the fund balance to finance the 2014 operation. Ms. Williams: That is correct. Mr. Fennoy: And that’s roughly a $5 million dollar deficit. Ms. Williams: Yes, sir. Yes, sir. But the hold is on the revenue side. The level of expenditures that were set for the departments to maintain, the departments are maintaining their budget with very few exceptions. There are no problems that have been encountered at this point. Now it’s going to tighten down as we get closer to the end of the year as it always does. 6 But the shortfall is on the revenue side. So that’s the plug that was put in there to take monies out of your fund balance to shore up your revenue side. Mr. Fennoy: Well just for clarity we, Richmond County, did not get the anticipated revenues that they thought they were going to get for 2014 or have not – Ms. Williams: We knew that our revenues would not match our expenditures due to a combination of things. One was a decrease in sales tax due to the second part of the phase in of the exception for manufacturing on what we keep talking about the energy excise tax. Our revenues in some cases are decreased. Mr. Fennoy: So just for clarity so what I’m hearing is when the 2014 budget was set based on what you just said the sales tax, the energy excise tax, we knew then that we were going to have a shortfall? Ms. Williams: Yes, sir and it was plugged with use of fund balance from the 2014 budget was adopted and it has continued to be held at that level. In fact it was increased when the 2.4% reduction was eliminated for the Sheriff’s Department. It moved the anticipated use of fund balance from $4.5 million dollars to $5.4 million dollars. Mr. Fennoy: And my last question is that is this a good business practice? Ms. Williams: It’s not one that is recommended from the Finance Department. Mr. Fennoy: Okay, thank you. Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Smith, you had your hand – Mr. D. Smith: I will waive, thank you. Mr. Mayor: Commissioner Lockett. Mr. Lockett: Thank you, Mr. Mayor. You know we could have had this same conversation a year ago. Our former Administrator tried very hard to convince us that we could not continue spending the way we were spending with the minimum amount of revenue we receive. But we sort of tuned him out so now it’s coming back a year later that even the Finance Director tried to tell us a year ago that hey, this budget is in deplorable condition but it’s not the departments. We need to point the finger at us. There are lots of decisions we made particularly about SPLOST spending on these nice buildings without taking into consideration the maintenance and operation. We also need to consider the laws that the general assembly has made over the past few years that has cost us millions of dollars and we’ve got to recoup that. We are not doing very well with economic development. My colleague Commissioner Williams talk about this all the time. When you go to other cities and see what they’re doing to bring in people and to bring in money, we’re doing very little of that so one thing we’re going to have to do is with the 2015 budget we’re going to have to spend more time and make sure we put together a better package than we had in 2014 but we’re going to have to go out and concentrate 7 on how we’re going to attract people to this city and we’re not going to be able to do a good job with all the blight, all the holes that need to be filled on the streets and so forth, with poor transit. I think all of us understand what we need to do but now we’ve got to put forth the collective effort and do those things and hopefully next budget period won’t have the problems we’re having today. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Mr. Mayor: Okay, if there’s no further business to come before the body, we stand adjourned. [MEETING ADJOURNED] Lena J. Bonner Clerk of Commission CERTIFICATION: I, Lena J. Bonner, Clerk of Commission, hereby certify that the above is a true and correct copy of the minutes of the Called Meeting of the Augusta Richmond County Commission held on August 25, 2014. ________________________ Clerk of Commission 8