[CALL TO ORDER]
          [00:00:02]
          GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, AND WELCOME TO OUR 505 SPECIAL MEETING. 
          IT'S THE SECOND AND FINAL BUDGET HEARING BEING HELD TODAY,
SEPTEMBER 24TH. 
          TO EVERYONE WHO'S STILL OBSERVING ROSH HASHANAH,
MAY YOU HAVE A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR. 
          AT THIS TIME, I'LL ASK THE CITY CLERK TO CALL THE ROLL,
PLEASE. 
          THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. MAYOR GOMEZ. 
          GOOD EVENING. COMMISSIONER BOLTON. GOOD EVENING,
COMMISSIONER WRIGHT. 
          PRESENT. COMMISSIONER PATTERSON. HERE. VICE MAYOR DANIEL. 
          GOOD EVENING. THANK YOU. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          IF EVERYONE WOULD PLEASE RISE. COMMISSIONER KRYSTAL PATTERSON WILL LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE
OF ALLEGIANCE. 
          AND WE'LL HAVE A QUICK MOMENT OF SILENCE. 
          MIC]. 
          THANK YOU. PLEASE BE SEATED. 
          WITH THE BUDGET PROCESS, WE ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE SCRIPTED IN ORDER TO MAKE SURE THAT WE
HAVE ALL THE ITEMS SAID ACCORDING TO THE STATE LAWS, THE CITY RULES AND COUNTY AS WELL. 
          SO I WILL START FROM THE TOP. GOOD EVENING EVERYONE. 
          THIS IS A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF TAMARAC TO HOLD PUBLIC
HEARINGS, TO ESTABLISH THE MILLAGE RATE AND ADOPT THE CITY BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026. 
          I'M PLEASED YOU CAN JOIN US THIS EVENING. THESE PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE A CULMINATION OF AN
ENTIRE YEAR OR MORE OF WORK BY THE CITY COMMISSION, THE CITY MANAGER, THE STAFF. FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC TONIGHT,
THE CITY COMMISSION HELD SEVERAL WORKSHOPS DURING THE YEAR AND TWO BUDGET WORKSHOPS ON JUNE 30TH AND AUGUST 27TH, 2025 TO PROVIDE DIRECTION TO THE STAFF ON THIS
SUBMITTAL. 
          IN ADDITION, THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING ON THE TENTATIVE MILLAGE RATE AND TENTATIVE BUDGET
WAS HELD ON SEPTEMBER 12TH, 2025, AT WHICH TIME THE TENTATIVE BUDGET AS AMENDED WAS ADOPTED. 
          I WOULD LIKE TO THANK MY COLLEAGUES ON THE DAIS FOR THEIR PARTICIPATION AT THE WORKSHOPS
AND FOR THEIR SUGGESTIONS AS WE DELIBERATE ON THE STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS. 
          AS WE ARE NOW READY TO BEGIN, WE'RE GOING TO GO TO TEMPORARY ORDINANCE 2599. 
          [1.a TO2599 - An Ordinance of the City Commission of the City of Tamarac, Florida to establish and levy ad valorem taxes within the corporate limits of the City of Tamarac, Florida, for the tax year 2025; providing for the levy of ad valorem taxes in the amount of 7.000 mills ($7.000 per $1,000) based upon the taxable value on nonexempt real and personal property located within the city limits of the City of Tamarac; providing for conflicts; providing for severability; and providing for an effective date.]
THIS IS THE SECOND AND FINAL PUBLIC HEARING TO ESTABLISH THE OPERATING MILLAGE RATE FOR
FISCAL YEAR 2026. 
          BEFORE WE BEGIN, MR. CITY MANAGER, PLEASE READ YOUR STATEMENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TRUTH
IN MILLAGE REQUIREMENTS OF FLORIDA STATUTES. 
          THE CITY IS REQUIRED TO ANNOUNCE THE PERCENTAGE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE PROPOSED MILLAGE
RATE AND THE ROLLBACK RATE. 
          AS SUCH, THE FOLLOWING IS READ INTO THE RECORD. 
          THE TENTATIVE OPERATING MILLAGE RATE OF 7.0000 MILLS FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 IS 0.4094 MILLS, OR 6.21% MORE THAN THE ROLLBACK RATE OF 6.590 MILLS. 
          THAT CONCLUDES MY STATEMENT. THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. 
          THANK YOU. MR. CITY ATTORNEY, PLEASE READ THE TITLE TO TEMPORARY ORDINANCE NUMBER 2599. 
          ITEM 1.A. AN ORDINANCE OF CITY COMMISSION, CITY OF TAMARAC. 
          TO ESTABLISH AND LEVY AD VALOREM TAXES WITHIN THE CORPORATE LIMITS OF CITY OF TAMARAC FOR
THE TAX YEAR 2025, PROVIDING FOR THE LEVY TO TAX YEAR 2025-26. PROVIDING FOR THE LEVY OF AD VALOREM TAXES IN
THE AMOUNT OF 7.0 MILLS BASED UPON THE TAXABLE VALUE ON NONEXEMPT REAL AND PERSONAL PROPERTY LOCATED WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS OF THE CITY
OF TAMARAC, PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS, PROVIDING FOR EFFECTIVE DATE. THANK YOU,
MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU. 
          THIS ITEM WAS DISCUSSED AT THE JUNE 30TH, 2025 BUDGET WORKSHOP. 
          THE PRELIMINARY MILLAGE RATE IS 7.0000, IT WAS ADOPTED AT THE JULY 9TH,
2025 CITY COMMISSION MEETING. 
          THE TENTATIVE MILLAGE RATE OF 7.0000 WAS ADOPTED AT THE SEPTEMBER 12TH,
2025, FIRST PUBLIC HEARING. 
          FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT STAFF WILL NOW GIVE A SHORT PRESENTATION. 
          WELL, HELLO, MR. STREDER. GOOD EVENING, MAYOR,
COMMISSIONERS. 
          FOR THE RECORD, JEFF STREDER, BUDGET MANAGER. 
          TEMPORARY ORDINANCE NUMBER 2599 SETS THE FINAL OPERATING MILLAGE RATE FOR FISCAL YEAR
2026. 
          THE GENERAL FUND TENTATIVE OPERATING MILLAGE RATE IS SET AT 7.0 MILLS. 
          IT PROVIDES FOR GENERAL OPERATIONS OF THE CITY,
AND IT GENERATES ADDED REVENUE OF $2.542 MILLION. 
          [00:05:01]
IT EXCEEDS THE ROLLBACK RATE OF 6.5906 MILLS BY 0.4094 MILLS,
OR 6.21%. 
          SO WHAT EXACTLY IS A MILLAGE RATE? FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE RESIDENTS THAT ARE HERE TONIGHT, A MILLAGE RATE IS A MULTIPLICATION RATE THAT'S APPLIED TO EVERY $1,000 OF TAXABLE VALUE TO
DETERMINE A PROPERTY OWNER'S TAX´S BILL. SO LET'S TAKE AN EXAMPLE OF $100,000 TAXABLE VALUE. 
          YOU TAKE THAT, YOU DIVIDE THAT BY 1000 AND YOU MULTIPLY THAT BY THE MUNICIPALITY'S MILLAGE
RATE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT YOUR TAXES WOULD BE. 
          AND IN THIS CASE RIGHT NOW, THE MILLAGE RATE BEING SEVEN,
CITY PROPERTY TAXES FOR A PROPERTY OWNER THAT HAD A TAXABLE VALUE OF 100,000 WOULD BE $700. FOR THE BENEFIT OF RESIDENTS, THE TAXABLE VALUE IS YOUR ASSESSED VALUE AFTER ANY
ELIGIBLE EXEMPTIONS. THIS TABLE COMPARES CITY TOTAL TAXABLE VALUE AND VALUE ADDED BY NEW CONSTRUCTION FROM LAST YEAR TO THIS YEAR. 
          IT ALSO SHOWS HOW THAT $2.542 MILLION ADDED VALUE IS CALCULATED. 
          NOW THIS TABLE ALSO SHOWS SOME IMPORTANT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING THAT ARE CRITICAL TO YOUR DECISION TONIGHT TO ADOPT THE FINAL MILLAGE RATE. 
          THREE THINGS DRIVE CITY PROPERTY TAX REVENUE. 
          ONE IS THE GROWTH RATE IN TOTAL TAXABLE VALUE. 
          THE SECOND IS VALUE ADDED BY NEW CONSTRUCTION AND THE THIRD IS THE MILLAGE RATE ITSELF. 
          SO IF YOU LOOK AT THIS TABLE, YOU LOOK AT LINE TWO,
AN INCREASE FROM THE PRIOR YEAR. 
          THE GROWTH RATE IN TAXABLE VALUE IS ACTUALLY CUT IN HALF FROM THIS YEAR TO LAST YEAR. 
          AND AS FAR AS ADDED VALUE FROM NEW CONSTRUCTION,
IT DECREASED 96% FROM THIS YEAR TO LAST YEAR. 
          SO WITHOUT THOSE TWO DRIVERS, ALL THAT'S LEFT IS THE MILLAGE RATE. 
          NOW, IN THINKING ABOUT FUTURE GROWTH RATES FOR TAXABLE VALUE,
CONSIDER THIS. THE CITY OF TAMARAC IS CURRENTLY MADE UP OF 32,460 TAX PARCELS. 
          OF THOSE TAX PARCELS, 30,770 ARE EITHER SINGLE FAMILY HOMES OR CONDOMINIUMS. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN THE BREAKOUT, THAT'S 16,753 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES AND 14,017
CONDOMINIUMS. OF THOSE CONDOMINIUMS AND SINGLE FAMILY HOMES,
20,276 ARE HOMESTEADED, WITH THE VALUES CAPPED AT 3% OR CPI, WHICHEVER IS LESS. 
          THIS YEAR, THE SAVE OUR HOMES CAP WAS 2.9. IN RECENT YEARS IT'S BEEN AS LOW AS 1.4. 
          SO WITHOUT NEW CONSTRUCTION BEING ADDED, YOU KNOW,
HAVING ADDED VALUE, THE FUTURE GROWTH HAS TO COME FROM SOMEWHERE. 
          SO WHERE ARE THE TWO SOURCES IT COULD COME FROM? NON CAPPED TAX PARCELS WOULD BE ONE SOURCE AND THE OTHER SOURCE WOULD BE TRANSFERS OF
PROPERTY WHERE THE ASSESSED VALUE IS RESET BASED ON THE PURCHASE PRICE. 
          AND OF THE PROFESSIONALS IN THE REAL ESTATE INDUSTRY ARE SAYING THAT THE REAL ESTATE
MARKET IN SOUTH FLORIDA IS SOFTENING AND NOTHING IS MOVING. SO WITHOUT AN ADEQUATE MILLAGE RATE IN PLACE, WHAT WOULD HAPPEN IS PROPERTY TAX REVENUE INCREASES WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO KEEP PACE WITH
INCREASES TO THE COSTS OF GENERAL OPERATIONS. AT THAT POINT,
YOU REACH WHAT'S CALLED A STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE. 
          NOW, A STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE IS A BUDGETARY TERM. 
          IT DOES NOT ACCOUNT, IT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE CITY'S FINANCIAL CONDITION OR AVAILABLE
FUND BALANCE TO SPEND. 
          IT STRICTLY LOOKS AT ONGOING REVENUES AND ONGOING EXPENSES AND IMBALANCES WHEN YOUR
ONGOING REVENUES NO LONGER COVER YOUR 
          [00:10:06]
ONGOING EXPENSES. AT THAT POINT, THE CITY WOULD HAVE TO START BUDGETING SAVINGS TO PAY FOR YOUR GENERAL OPERATIONS. NOW, IF SOMEONE ASKED ME TO COMPARE THAT TO A PERSONAL
BUDGET OR SOMEBODY'S PERSONAL FINANCES, THAT WOULD BE LIKE DRAWING ON YOUR BANK ACCOUNT TO BUY FOOD. 
          LASTLY, THAT CALCULATED $2.542 MILLION OF ADDED REVENUE IS JUST ABOUT EQUAL TO THE INCREASE IN THE COST THAT THE CITY HAS TO BUDGET TO PROVIDE POLICE AND FIRE
SERVICES. 
          SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS THE CITY NEEDS THAT ADDITIONAL REVENUE JUST TO PAY FOR THE INCREASE IN THE COST OF FIRE AND POLICE SERVICES. 
          I SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THAT TABLE, SO LET'S MOVE ON. 
          ANYWAY, HERE'S WHAT WE HAVE HERE. WE HAVE A TABLE THAT SHOWS THE IMPACT OF KEEPING THE
MILLAGE RATE AT THE TENTATIVE RATE OF 7.0, AND IT SHOWS IT FOR A RANGE OF OF VARIOUS ASSESSED VALUE AND RESULTING TAXABLE VALUE. 
          THE RANGES ASSESSED VALUE IS FROM 75,000 ALL THE WAY UP TO 500,000. 
          SO YOU COULD SEE WHAT THE IMPACT OF KEEPING THE MILLAGE RATE AT SEVEN IS FROM THIS YEAR TO
LAST YEAR ON PRETTY MUCH ANY TAX PAYER. 
          YOU PICK THE VALUE THAT YOU'RE INTERESTED IN,
GO TO THE COLUMN TO THE FAR RIGHT AND YOU COULD SEE WHAT THE IMPACT IS FOR ANY TAX PAYER. THE HIGHLIGHTED ROW IN THE MIDDLE REPRESENTS THE MEDIAN SINGLE FAMILY
HOME TAXPAYER. THE MEDIAN SINGLE FAMILY HOME VALUE FOR THIS YEAR WAS $109,300 AND $318,000. 
          SO YOU CAN ALSO EASILY FIGURE OUT OR, YOU KNOW,
COME TO A CONCLUSION OF HOW ANY CHANGE TO THE MILLAGE RATE WOULD IMPACT A TAXPAYER USING THE EXAMPLE THAT I
SHOWED YOU EARLIER. AND WHAT I MEAN BY THAT IS LET'S LOOK AT THE MEDIAN VALUE TAXABLE HOME AND
USE AN EXAMPLE OF LET'S SAY REDUCING THE MILLAGE RATE BY ONE TENTH. 
          IF YOU REDUCE THE MILLAGE RATE BY ONE TENTH,
THAT WOULD BE GOING DOWN FROM 7.0 TO 6.9. 
          WHAT THAT WOULD DO FOR THE MEDIAN SINGLE FAMILY TAXPAYER IS THAT WOULD SAVE THAT TAXPAYER
$19.03 PER YEAR, OR $1.58 A MONTH. AND THE WAY YOU GET THAT IS YOU TAKE 1901318 DIVIDED BY 1000 AND YOU SUBSTITUTE THE CHANGE IN THE MILLAGE WITH THE 7.0. 
          AND YOU COULD DO THAT WITH ANY ONE OF THOSE VALUES. 
          BUT I JUST WANTED TO USE THAT THE MEDIAN AS THE EXAMPLE,
AND AT THE SAME TIME, THE CITY WOULD SAVE A MEDIAN TAXPAYER $19.03 PER YEAR, OR $1.58 PER MONTH. 
          YOU WOULD BE FORFEITING $660,000 OF PROPERTY TAX REVENUE. 
          SO FOR EVERY ONE TENTH OF A MILL THAT REPRESENTS $660,038 OF PROPERTY TAX REVENUE, INCOME TO THE CITY, OR BUDGETED PROPERTY TAX REVENUE. 
          AND WE'VE SHOWN YOU THIS TABLE BEFORE. THIS SHOWS HOW THE CITY TAKES PROPERTY TAXES AND
USE USES THE PROPERTY TAXES. 
          NOW YOU CAN SEE FROM THE TABLE THAT ALL BUT $13.6 MILLION OF PROPERTY TAX REVENUE BUDGETED
FOR 2026 IS GOING TO BE NEEDED TO PAY FOR POLICE AND FIRE SERVICES COSTS THAT ARE IN THE
GENERAL FUND. 
          THESE ARE GENERAL FUND, POLICE AND FIRE COSTS. 
          AND THE REST OF THE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE, THAT 13.6 MILLION IS NOT EVEN ENOUGH TO COVER
THE ENTIRE BUDGET OF THE PUBLIC SERVICES DEPARTMENT WITHOUT STORMWATER AND UTILITIES. IT'S JUST THE DIVISIONS THAT ARE SUPPORTED BY
THE GENERAL FUND. 
          [00:15:03]
AND THE REASON I'M SAYING THAT IS BECAUSE THE MAIN FUNCTION OF THE PUBLIC SERVICES
DEPARTMENT IS TO MAINTAIN THE CITY'S INFRASTRUCTURE. 
          SO THE THREE THINGS THAT TAXPAYERS EXPECT THEIR MONEY TO GO FOR,
POLICE SERVICES, FIRE SERVICES AND INFRASTRUCTURE IS EXACTLY WHAT THE CITY OF TAMARAC IS USING PROPERTY TAXES TO FUND. 
          AND LASTLY, I SAID THAT I POINTED OUT THAT 2.542 MILLION IS NEEDED JUST TO FUND THE
INCREASE IN THE GENERAL FUND COSTS OF POLICE AND FIRE. AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE COST OF POLICE AND FIRE
LAST YEAR WAS 30.15 MILLION, AND THIS YEAR IT'S UP TO 32.528 MILLION. THAT'S ALMOST THE ENTIRE 2.54 MILLION,
GIVE OR TAKE A COUPLE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. 
          SO ADOPTING A TENTATIVE MILLAGE RATE OF 7.00 MILLS WOULD NOT BE INCREASING THE MILLAGE
RATE. 
          IT WOULD BE KEEPING THE MILLAGE RATE FLAT FOR THE FOURTH CONSECUTIVE YEAR. 
          AND BY KEEPING THE MILLAGE RATE FLAT, THE ONLY WAY THAT A PROPERTY OWNER'S TAXES ARE
INCREASING IS IF THAT TAXPAYER EXPERIENCED AN INCREASE IN ASSESSED VALUE. SO BY KEEPING THE MILLAGE RATE FLAT, THE CITY ESSENTIALLY WOULD NOT BE INCREASING TAXES ON ANY PROPERTY TAX OWNER OR PROPERTY
TAX PAYER. 
          ACTUALLY, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, THE PROPERTY APPRAISER IS INCREASING TAXES ON A PROPERTY
OWNER. 
          SO A SUPERMAJORITY VOTE IS NEEDED TO ADOPT THE TENTATIVE MILLAGE OF 7.0. 
          AND FOR THIS BODY, THAT'S FOUR OUT OF FIVE. LASTLY,
I JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT FAILURE TO ADOPT A MILLAGE RATE DURING THE TRIM PROCESS RESULTS IN NONCOMPLIANCE WITH TRIM. 
          THE CITY WOULD BE FORCED TO LEVY THE ROLLBACK RATE,
AND IT WOULD ALSO LOSE TAX REVENUES IT RECEIVES FROM THE STATE AS A PENALTY FOR NONCOMPLIANCE. CURRENTLY IN THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026,
THE TAX REVENUES THE CITY RECEIVES FROM THE STATE IS $8.8 MILLION. THAT'S HALF CENT SALES TAX AND SHARED REVENUE. 
          AND THAT CONCLUDES MY PRESENTATION. AND CHRISTINE AND I ARE AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH. MADAM MAYOR, MAY I JUST INTERJECT ONE THING? JEFF, COULD YOU GO BACK TO THE PREVIOUS SLIDE FOR A SECOND? WOULD YOU EXPLAIN THAT THE MAJORITY RATE SUPERMAJORITY RATE IS PART OF THE STATE STATUTE,
AND THAT'S WHAT DRIVES THAT REQUIREMENT? YEAH. THE REASON IT REQUIRES A SUPERMAJORITY VOTE IS
BECAUSE 7.00 MILLS EXCEEDS THE MAJORITY VOTE, THE CALCULATED MAJORITY VOTE RATE OF 6.88. I THINK IT'S 6.889 OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD. 
          I'M JUST, I THINK THAT SOUNDS RIGHT, BUT IT NEVERTHELESS EXCEEDS THE MAJORITY VOTE RATE,
WHICH IS WHY YOU HAVE TO HAVE A SUPERMAJORITY VOTE. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IS THAT SUFFICIENT? OKAY. 
          I APPRECIATE. I'M NOW GOING TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING ON TEMPORARY ORDINANCE NUMBER 2599. 
          IT IS NOW OPEN. I HAVE SOME PEOPLE SIGNED UP,
BUT I'M NOT SURE IT'S FOR THIS ITEM OR NOT. 
          SO I HAVE MISS [INAUDIBLE] AND MR. [INAUDIBLE]. 
          ARE YOU FOR THIS ITEM? IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? YOU'LL BE ABLE TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO AFTERWARDS. 
          I MADE SOME NOTES AS HE WAS TALKING. [INAUDIBLE]. 
          THE MILLAGE RATE, WHILE IT IS STAYING THE SAME AS FLAT FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS,
IS STILL RAISING OUR TAXES. GRANTED, IT IS NOT THAT MUCH, BUT WE'VE HAD A RAISE IN THE ADDITIONAL FIRE FEES AND
WASTE MANAGEMENT FEES. AGAIN, NONE OF IT IS EARTH SHATTERING EXCEPT WHEN YOU CONSIDER OUR
BLOATED BUDGET, THAT COULD REDUCE OUR MILLAGE RATE. HE MENTIONED THAT WE HAVE A STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE
WITHOUT THE 7.0000 MILLAGE RATE, AND THAT MONEY IS NEEDED TO PAY POLICE AND FIRE,
THE 2.5 
          [00:20:03]
MILLION INCREASE. HOWEVER, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE BUDGET,
THERE ARE MANY PLACES TO CUT THAT BUDGET AND I'LL TALK MORE ABOUT THAT NEXT TIME. BUT IF YOU CUT THE BUDGET, YOU DON'T HAVE TO STAY AT 7.0000 BECAUSE, THANKFULLY, I SAW THAT BROWARD COUNTY IS CUTTING TAXES. 
          THEY VOTED TO CUT TAXES, WHICH IS GREAT. BUT IN THIS DAY AND AGE,
WITH EVERYTHING COSTING SO MUCH, THE MOST THAT WE CAN DO FOR OUR RESIDENTS IS BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. 
          AND I DON'T SEE THAT HAPPENING WHEN YOU ARE CONTINUALLY INCREASING. 
          SO WE NOW HAVE A 2.5 FOR 2934 INCREASE ABOVE LAST YEAR. WHY? AND YOU CAN TELL ME BSO'S RAISING,
FIRES RAISING ALL OF THAT STUFF. 
          HOWEVER, IF YOU CUT ELSEWHERE, YOU CAN MAKE UP THE DIFFERENCE. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND AS [INAUDIBLE] IS COMING TO THE PODIUM,
I FAILED TO SAY THE RULES OF THE ROAD WHEN IT COMES TO PUBLIC COMMENTS. 
          IF WE'RE HAPPY ABOUT SOMETHING, YOU CAN GO LIKE THIS. IF YOU'RE NOT,
YOU CAN KIND OF GO LIKE THIS. WE DON'T WANT TO INTIMIDATE ANYBODY. YOU HAVE THREE MINUTES AND PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME. AND IF YOU'D LIKE TO SAY YOUR ADDRESS,
YOU CAN. 
          IF NOT, PLEASE STATE THE COMMUNITY OR CITY AND WHERE YOU LIVE. 
          THANK YOU. [INAUDIBLE] FROM TAMARAC LAKE SOUTH. 
          OVERALL, IN STUDYING ALL THE MATERIALS, I WENT THROUGH THE BACK PACKAGE. 
          A LOT OF IT LOOKS GOOD, SIMILAR TO WHAT KATE SAYS. 
          SOME OF THE OTHER INCREASES IN THE OPERATION BUDGETS WE NEED TO LOOK AT. 
          I DID AGREE WITH. I KNOW OF COMMISSIONER DANIELS AND PATTERSON WHEN THEY QUESTIONED THE
CUTTING OF THE PRESSURE WASHING. 
          THAT'S WHAT KEEPS OUR CITY BEAUTIFUL. CUTTING THAT OUT,
THINGS ARE GOING TO GET DIRTY. 
          PEOPLE ARE COMPLAINING WE WON'T LOOK GOOD. THERE ARE OTHER AREAS WE COULD CUT. 
          I KNOW YOU WANT TO ADD HEALTH INSURANCE FOR LIFE. 
          THIS ISN'T THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. YEAH, THEY GET IT. 
          DO YOU GET THAT IN YOUR JOB? NO. WHY THERE? SO WE NEED TO LOOK AT DOING. 
          AND ONE OTHER BIG THING TO CONSIDER. IF YOU DIDN'T SEE TODAY'S SUN SENTINEL,
THE BIG STORY ON THE FRONT PAGE WAS RELATED TO THE STATE AND WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO IN CUTTING THE TAXES OUT NEXT SESSION. IT'S GOING TO BE ONE OF THE TOP ITEMS INSTEAD OF
INSURANCE. 
          THEY'RE GOING TO BE DISCUSSING TAXES AND CUTTING OUT THE PROPERTY TAXES. 
          SO WE NEED TO LITERALLY LOOK AT THAT AND SEE HOW THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT THE CITY IN THE
FUTURE. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WANTS TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? CONSIDERING NO ONE ELSE WISHES TO SPEAK. PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. 
          I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADOPT THE OPERATING MILLAGE RATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026. 
          I MAKE A MOTION TO SET THE OPERATING MILLAGE RATE AT 7.0000 000 MILLS,
WHICH IS 0.4094 MILLS, OR 6.21% MORE THAN THE ROLLED BACK RATE OF 6.906 MILLS. 
          SECOND THE MOTION. I HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER WRIGHT. 
          I HAVE A SECOND BY VICE MAYOR DANIEL. ANY DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION? COMMISSIONER BOLTON? YES, MADAM MAYOR, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. 
          SO I DID SOME RESEARCH ON WHETHER OR NOT WE SHOULD BE IN A POSITION TO REDUCE THE MILLAGE RATE THIS YEAR. AS YOU CAN RECALL OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN
HERE IN TAMARAC I'VE ADVOCATED FOR THE LOWERING OF THE MILLAGE RATE. SO I'M GOING TO ASK THE FINANCE DIRECTOR THROUGH THE
MANAGER IF HE ALLOWS THIS TO ASK SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THE MILITARY HISTORICALLY. 
          MR. STREDER. MS. CHRISTINE CAJUSTE, DIRECTOR OF FINANCIAL SERVICES. 
          MS. CAJUSTE, JUST WHAT WAS THE MILLAGE RATE IN 2020? IN 2020? IT WAS 7.2899. 7.2899. 
          AND WHAT WAS THE MILLAGE RATE IN 2021? IT WAS THE SAME,
7.2899. 
          AND WHAT WAS THE MILLAGE RATE IN 2022? 7.2. 7.2. 
          YES. SO BETWEEN 2021 TO 2022, THE MILLAGE RATE WAS REDUCED,
CORRECT? 
          [00:25:04]
YES. OKAY. JUST TO PAUSE, CITY CLERK, CAN YOU TELL ME THROUGH THE MANAGER WHO VOTED TO
REDUCE THE MILLAGE RATE AT THAT POINT? CITY MANAGER? COMMISSIONER, I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION CURRENTLY WITH ME. 
          IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE CAN RESEARCH AND GET BACK TO YOU WITH. OKAY. 
          SO CAN YOU HAVE YOUR STAFF LOOK AT IT? AT THE LAST MEETING THAT WE HAD,
YOU GUYS HAD THE INFORMATION THERE AT THE TIME SO I'M SURE STAFF CAN CAN LOOK THAT UP FOR US. 
          AND COULD YOU PLEASE JUST LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR,
THE VOTES? WHAT YEAR? 2021, 22, 23, 24. OKAY. THANK YOU. 
          AND FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE PUBLIC, THE REDUCTION OF THE MILLAGE RATE IN 2021 OVER TO 2022
WAS REDUCED BY MYSELF AND COMMISSIONER GELIN. YOU CAN RECALL IN THE TAMARAC TALK BLOG,
THEY STATED THAT WE HELD THE MILLAGE RATE OFF, RIGHT? AND SO THE REST OF THIS COMMISSION,
WHO WAS ON THE COMMISSION AT THE TIME VOTED TO INCREASE THE MILLAGE RATE. THEY WERE WAGING WAR AGAINST US,
REDUCING THE MILLAGE RATE. 
          SO FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO HAVE HISTORICAL FACTS I ASKED FOR THE MILLAGE RATE TO BE REDUCED. 
          DO YOU REMEMBER THAT, CHRISTINE? UNFORTUNATELY,
I WAS NOT PRESENT FOR THAT MEETING. 
          OH, YOU WEREN'T? OKAY. SO HOW ABOUT 2023? 2023? 7.0. 7.0. SO WE MOVED IT FROM 7.2899 MILLS TO 7.2 IN 2021 AND THEN 7.0 IN 2022. 2022, IT WENT TO 7.2 AND THEN 2023 IT WENT TO 7.0. WERE YOU PRESENT FOR THAT MEETING? YES. 
          AND DO YOU REMEMBER ME ADVOCATING FOR THE REDUCTION OF THE MILLAGE RATE? I BELIEVE SO. YOU BELIEVE SO? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. 
          SO CLERK IS GETTING THE HISTORICAL DATA. 2024. 
          WHAT WAS THE MILLAGE RATE? 7.0. OKAY, SO BETWEEN 2021,
2022, WE REDUCE THE MILLAGE RATE. 
          THE PROPER THING TO DO AT THAT TIME WAS, BECAUSE PROPERTY VALUES WERE GOING UP,
RIGHT? AND AS THE PROPERTY VALUES GO UP, YOU HAVE TO REDUCE THE MILLAGE RATE IN ORDER FOR THINGS
TO BE STABLE. 
          YES, THERE WAS AN INCREASE BUT PROPERTY VALUES WAS GOING UP. 
          SO WE HAD TO MAKE SURE THAT RESIDENTS HAD THE ABILITY TO HAVE THE MILLAGE RATE REDUCED TO
SEE SOME SAVINGS ON THEIR TAX BILL. BUT THROUGH RESEARCH AT THIS TIME, IT SAYS SOME PROPERTY VALUES ARE DROPPING IN
FLORIDA. 
          BUT BUT THE EXTENT OF THE DECLINE VARIES BY LOCATION. 
          SO I LOOKED, FOR INSTANCE, AT MY HOUSE AND THE RADIUS AROUND MY HOUSE. 
          THE HOUSE THAT I LIVE IN, WAS VALUED AT $329,000 LAST YEAR. THIS YEAR, IT IS VALUED AT $295,000. IF IT WERE MY HOUSE,
I WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE SOLD LAST YEAR. 
          BUT, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT LEGALLY OBLIGATED TO DO THAT. 
          SO THE VALUES OF THE HOUSES ARE GOING DOWN. AND IF THE VALUE OF HOUSES GO DOWN AND
CONTINUE AT A DOWNWARD TRAJECTORY AND WE REDUCE THE MILLAGE RATE, TELL US WHAT WOULD HAPPEN? IF WE REDUCE THE MILLAGE RATE, THEN. AND WITH COUPLED WITH HOW THE VALUES OF HOUSES GOING
DOWN. 
          IT MEANS THAT THE AMOUNT WE´LL BE ABLE TO COLLECT FOR PROPERTY TAX REVENUE WILL ALSO
DECLINE. 
          BUT NOT ONLY THAT, IT ALSO REDUCES YOUR ABILITY TO COLLECT IN THE ENSUING YEARS BECAUSE
THEN THE ROLLBACK RATE WILL ALSO DECLINE. 
          OKAY. SO YOU'RE BETTER WITH MATH THAN I AM. SO LET'S SAY IF SOMEBODY PAID TAXES 7.0 LAST YEAR ON A TAXABLE VALUE OF 150,000 VERSUS PAYING TAXES ON TAXABLE INCOME,
LET'S SAY TAXABLE VALUE OF 100,000 THIS YEAR, WHAT WOULD THEIR TAX RATE BE? WHAT WOULD THEIR TAX BILL BE FOR THE CITY PORTION OF THEIR TAXES? SO FOR 150,000 THEY WOULD HAVE PAID 1050. AND AT 100,000 THEY WOULD PAY $700. SO THE DIFFERENCE IN TAXES WOULD BE $350. 
          [00:30:10]
AND I ONLY USE 150,000 VERSUS 100,000, BECAUSE THAT IS KIND OF THE TAXABLE VALUE OF MOST
HOUSES IN MY AREA, AFTER YOU LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, EXEMPTIONS AND THAT SORT OF STUFF. 
          SO WHEN RESIDENTS LOOK AT THIS, THEY SHOULD NOT LOOK AT IT AS AN INCREASE. 
          THEY SHOULD LOOK AT IT PROBABLY AS A $300 SAVING,
DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THE PROPERTY VALUES ARE GOING DOWN FOR. 
          WHAT IS THE HEALTH OF OUR CITY? ARE WE FINANCIALLY STABLE? YES WE ARE. TALK TO US ABOUT THAT. FINANCIALLY STABLE,
MEANING THAT WE ARE ABLE TO PAY OUR BILLS, AS THEY ARISE. WE HAVE A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE NOW IN THE REGION OF 57 MILLION
UNRESTRICTED. 
          I'M NOT SURE WHAT ELSE YOU'RE LOOKING FOR IN TERMS OF. 
          SO WE'RE HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. YES. 
          AND WE'RE HEALTHY AT THE MOMENT. YES. WE HAVEN'T CLOSED FISCAL YEAR 2025 YET,
BUT FROM WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE'RE NOT EXPECTING TO ADD TO FUND BALANCE THIS YEAR,
SO. 
          TELL US WHY. BECAUSE THE RATE BY WHICH REVENUE OUTPACES EXPENDITURE IS NOT AS IT WAS IN
THE PRIOR YEAR, WHERE THE REVENUE OUTPACED EXPENDITURE, WHERE WHAT WE BUDGETED FOR EXPENDITURE WE WERE
ABLE TO COME IN AT LESS THAN THAT, 95%. SO WE WERE ABLE TO ADD TO FUND BALANCE LAST YEAR. 
          WHAT I LOOKED AT RECENTLY, UP UNTIL AUGUST, WE'RE ONLY SEEING LIKE $5,000 FOR AN ADDITION
TO FUND BALANCE. 
          SO WE EXPECT THAT IF WE DO ADD TO FUND BALANCE,
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE MUCH THIS YEAR 2025. 
          IF WE ADOPT THE ROLLBACK RATE, WHAT HAPPENS? IF WE ADOPT THE ROLLBACK RATE,
IT MEANS THAT WE HAVE TO CUT OUR BUDGET BY APPROXIMATELY 2.7 MILLION. WHAT WOULD WE LOSE? FOR THAT AMOUNT, WE WOULD HAVE TO CUT PROGRAMS. WE POSSIBLY WOULD HAVE TO CUT STAFFING AS WELL,
TO GO BACK TO OUR ROLLBACK RATE OF TWO POINT TO REDUCE 2.7 MILLION. 
          WHAT IS THE FISCAL IMPACT OF INSURANCE PAST SERVICE. 
          I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER. I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER RIGHT NOW. 
          IT'S SOMETHING THAT HUMAN RESOURCES IS RESEARCHING. 
          I'M NOT SURE IF THEY HAVE THAT. MADAM MAYOR,
THAT NUMBER WAS BEING CALCULATED BY HR. 
          MR. HOGAN, WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO COME UP AND EXPRESS THAT? MR. CITY MANAGER IN THE INTERIM, YOU WANTED TO SAY SOMETHING EARLIER. 
          DO YOU WISH TO SAY IT NOW? I WAS JUST GOING TO ADD THAT THE CITY'S WELL-BEING FINANCIAL
HEALTH THE VERY POSITIVE CREDIT RATINGS AS WELL. SO I WAS JUST GOING TO ADD THAT. 
          GOOD EVENING. DANIELLE DURGAN, DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES. 
          CAN YOU REPEAT THE QUESTION AGAIN? SO THE QUESTION IS THE IMPACT OF THE HEALTH CARE
COVERAGE THAT WAS DISCUSSED DURING THE BUDGET CONVERSATIONS. FOR EMPLOYEES OR FOR. AT THE EMERGENCY HEARING? YES. OKAY. SO THAT WOULD NOT BE IMPACTED UNTIL NEXT FISCAL YEAR BECAUSE OF THE TIME FRAME OF WHEN THE ELECTED OFFICIALS WOULD BE OUT OF THAT TERM. 
          SO WOULDN´T IMPACT THIS FISCAL YEAR. BUT I CAN STILL GET THAT NUMBER. 
          IF YOU CAN GIVE US A FLAVOR OF OF FUTURE POSSIBLE IMPACT. 
          OKAY. 
          SORRY. OKAY. SO IN 2027, IN THE POWERPOINT THAT WE PRESENTED, IT WOULD BE A COST OF 10,187. 
          THEN IT WOULD CONTINUE TO INCREASE, IN 2028 IT WOULD INCREASE BY TO 21,597. 
          [00:35:02]
2029, 22,893. SO EVERY TIME AN ELECTED OFFICIAL IS TERMED OUT,
THEN THAT INCREASES. 
          SO IT DEPENDS ON THE EIGHT YEAR TERM OR THE EIGHT YEARS OF SERVICE. 
          AND THEN ONCE THEY ARE TERMED OUT, THEN IT WOULD BE ADDED TO THE PREMIUM COST. 
          STAY THERE. CAN WE HAVE THE INFORMATION? COMMISSIONER I DON'T HAVE THE FULL INFORMATION AS
YET. 
          MONICA IS STILL WORKING ON GETTING IT. WHAT? I HAVE THE VOTES,
BUT NOT NECESSARILY THE MEMBERS THAT WERE IN ON THE COMMISSION AT THAT TIME. 
          SO I'M GETTING THOSE NAMES. SO TELL ME. SURE. 
          SO FOR 2021, IT WAS ALL YESES. 2022, THERE WAS THREE YESES,
TWO NOS. 
          THAT WAS THEN COMMISSIONER GELIN AND YOURSELF VOTED NO. 
          IN 2023, ALL YESES. AND IN 2024, YOU VOTED NO. 
          GOOD. SO THERE WERE PEOPLE THAT ESSENTIALLY DID NOT AGREE TO THE LOWERING OF THE MILLAGE
RATE. 
          THAT WOULD BE CORRECT. OKAY. SO ONLY MYSELF AND COMMISSIONER GELIN? AS FOR THE RECORD, YES, COMMISSIONER. SO WE CAN JUST DO THE MATH TO SEE WHO WAS HERE AT
THAT TIME, CORRECT? THAT'S CORRECT. OKAY. GIVE ME THE PERCENTAGE. 
          $10,000 VERSUS HOW MUCH OUR BUDGET IS? $293 MILLION, OUR TOTAL BUDGET THIS YEAR. SO WHAT'S THE PERCENTAGE? THAT'S LESS THAN ONE. 
          MENTIONED. WHAT? CHRISTINE. 
          MILLION? 10% OF 293 MILLION, CORRECT. 10,000. 
          10,000 OF 293 MILLION. 2.2%. THE FINANCE DIRECTOR IS GIVING US THAT MATH FOR YOU. 0.003%. THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE SAYING TO YOU. 
          SAY IT AGAIN FOR THE RECORD? WAIT. 
          THERE'S NO SPEAKING FROM THE MIC. NAME AND TITLE FOR THE RECORD? AND TELL US THE NUMBER. I'M SORRY. 
          GOOD AFTERNOON, SORRY. FOR THE RECORD, PRISCILLA MOXEY,
ASSISTANT DIRECTOR FOR FINANCIAL SERVICES. 
          IT IS .0000. SO YOU HAVE FOUR ZEROS. 3412. 
          THANK YOU. THAT'S THE IMPACT? CORRECT. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER PATTERSON. THANK YOU,
MAYOR. 
          SO COMMISSIONER BOLTON KIND OF ASKED A FEW OF THE QUESTIONS THAT I WAS GOING TO ASK. 
          THERE'S JUST A COUPLE THINGS THAT I DO WANT TO ASK,
IN ADDITION TO WHAT HE ALREADY ASKED. 
          CITY STAFF PROPOSED IN JUNE A MILLAGE RATE OF 7.2. 
          YES. I'M SORRY. CORRECT. THROUGH THE MANAGER. 
          YES, YES, YES WE DID. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT WE BROUGHT TO THE WORKSHOP. 
          BUT WHAT WE PASSED IN JULY WAS THE 7.0 BECAUSE THE COMMISSION EXPRESSED A WISH NOT TO PASS
A 7.2. SO YOU GUYS PROPOSED 7.2. INITIALLY, YES. 
          AND THEN THE COMMISSION SAID WE ADOPTED A TENTATIVE 7.00. 
          YES. COMMENSURATE WITH THE FLAT RATE THAT'S BEEN IN PLACE AND CONSISTENT FOR THE LAST FOUR
YEARS. 
          YES. CAN YOU. I KNOW THE NUMBER, BUT CAN YOU EXPLAIN TO THE RESIDENTS WHAT THE DIFFERENCE
IN TERMS OF DOLLAR VALUE BETWEEN WHAT YOU PROPOSED AND WHAT THE COMMISSION ADOPTED? OKAY. IT WAS A MILLION. I THINK WE HAVE IT. 
          01,190,000. OKAY. SO BY US ADOPTING OR MAINTAINING THE FLAT 7.00 MILLS,
WE SAVED 
          [00:40:04]
THE RESIDENTS $1.19 MILLION. YES. OKAY. I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT FOR ANYONE THAT MIGHT BE
KIND OF QUESTIONING THIS BODY'S DECISION TO HAVE TO ADOPT A MILLAGE RATE,
RIGHT? WE HAVE CREATED A REDUCTION BASED ON WHAT WAS PROPOSED BY STAFF. 
          BUT, I MEAN, WHILE YOU GUYS PROBABLY MADE YOU GUYS MADE A RECOMMENDATION,
BUT WE DECIDED THAT CONSISTENT WITH HOW SOME OF THE RESIDENTS MAY FEEL AND OBVIOUSLY THE VARIABLES IN PROPERTY VALUE AND,
YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY THE ECONOMY, IT'S PROBABLY APPROPRIATE THAT WE MAINTAIN A TENTATIVE RATE FLAT AND CONSISTENT WITH WHAT IT'S BEEN. 
          DO WE RELY ON ANY OTHER INCOME SOURCES? YES WE DO. 
          NO, NO, IT'S OUR LARGEST REVENUE SOURCE. AND ARE YOU ABLE TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN
RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL. 
          IN TERMS OF? IN TERMS OF TAX REVENUE? NO. CAN YOU. 
          OKAY. FOR THE FOR THE RECORD, I CAN SAY THAT THE CITY'S TAX BASE IN TERMS OF TAX REVENUE,
APPROXIMATELY 74% COMES FROM RESIDENTIAL, AND THE REST WOULD COME FROM COMMERCIAL AND VACANT AND INDUSTRIAL. 
          SO IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT WE RELY ON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAXES BECAUSE OUR COMMERCIAL TAX
BASE IS NOT NECESSARILY AS STRONG AS OUR RESIDENTIAL? IS THAT FAIR? THAT WOULD BE A FAIR STATEMENT. 
          YEAH, ACTUALLY, THE RESIDENTIAL MAKES UP 96% OF THE PARCELS OF THE TAX PARCELS. 
          96% ARE SINGLE FAMILY HOMES AND CONDOS. SO YOU RELY SUPER HEAVILY ON RESIDENTIAL TAX. 
          CAN YOU SPEAK TO. YOU WENT THROUGH A CHART I'M NOT SURE IF IT WAS EXPLICITLY CLEAR. 
          SO YOU KNOW MAYBE SOMEONE WHO DOESN'T NECESSARILY UNDERSTAND THE LANGUAGE. 
          FOR A PROPERTY VALUED AT $100,000 VERSUS A HOME VALUED MAYBE AT 500,000,
HALF A MILLION DOLLARS IN OUR CITY. 
          WHAT DOES 7.00 MILLS DO IN TERMS OF THE DIFFERENCE IN TAX VALUE IN TAX REVENUE. 
          FROM ONE YEAR TO THE OTHER? FROM VALUE TO VALUE,
FROM 100 TO 500? CAN YOU JUST, YOU KNOW, MAKE THAT? BECAUSE NOT ALL PARTS OF THE CITY ARE,
YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, REAL PROPERTY ARE CREATED EQUAL. SO IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT PEOPLE,
YOU KNOW, HOMES THAT ARE VALUED AT 500 PLUS ARE PAYING A LITTLE BIT MORE, EVEN WITH THAT FLAT RATE THAN A HOME AT 100,000? OR MAYBE THEY'RE PAYING MORE. YEAH. BECAUSE YOU TAKE A HIGHER VALUE DIVIDED BY 1000 AND
MULTIPLY BY THE MILLAGE RATE. 
          IF YOU COMPARE ONE YEAR TO THE OTHER $100,000 ASSESSED VALUE,
PROPERTY TAX PAYER FROM MY TABLE UP THERE, THE INCREASE WOULD BE $20.30. THE INCREASE FOR A $500,000 TAXABLE VALUE WOULD BE $96.42. 
          SO EVEN IN IN THIS COMMISSION OR IN THIS BODY'S BEST ATTEMPT TO MAINTAIN STATUS QUO,
THERE'S STILL PEOPLE IN OUR CITY THAT ARE BASED ON SIMPLY BASED ON THE VALUE OF THEIR ASSESSED VALUE,
PAYING MORE IN TAXES. 
          YES, THAT WOULD BE CORRECT. OKAY. WE ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT TOO, THAT PART OF THE CHANGES THIS YEAR IS THAT THE EXEMPTIONS ARE RISING BY A
MULTIPLE OF. YEAH? YEAH. THERE WAS A REFERENDUM THAT WAS PASSED THAT ALLOWS THE SECOND $25,000 OF AN EXEMPTION TO INCREASE BY THE CPI. 
          AND THIS YEAR THE CPI WAS 2.9. SO THAT $25,000 EXEMPTION. 
          THE TWO EXEMPTIONS TOGETHER OF 25 AND 25 THAT WERE 50,
ARE NOW A LITTLE BIT HIGHER BECAUSE YOU'RE ABLE TO ADJUST THAT SECOND EXEMPTION BY TWO BY THE CPI. AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF PROPERTY OWNERS THAT BECAUSE OF THE VALUE OF
THEIR THEIR PROPERTY DON'T PAY PROPERTY TAXES. 
          OKAY. AND THANK YOU. AND I GUESS MY LAST QUESTION IS,
YOU SPOKE BRIEFLY TO THE FINANCIAL STABILITY OF THE CITY, AND YOU SPOKE TO 50 TO $60 MILLION IN FUND BALANCE. 
          [00:45:01]
CAN YOU. AND I THINK IT'S CLEAR, FOR WHATEVER REASON,
THERE SEEMS TO BE SOME MISCONCEPTION THAT THE CITY IS IN SOME FINANCIAL TROUBLE. 
          AND I THINK THE MANAGER MADE IT EXPLICITLY CLEAR THAT THE CITY IS NOT IN ANY FINANCIAL
TROUBLE. 
          NO. DO YOU GUYS KNOW WHERE THE CITY LANDS? MEASURING AGAINST OBVIOUSLY AGAINST THE OTHER
CITIES IN THE COUNTY IN TERMS OF ITS MILLAGE? YES, WE DO. DEFINITELY. 
          GO AHEAD. 
          I DON'T WANT TO, YOU KNOW, I DON'T. I THINK THAT MAYBE THE APPROPRIATE WAY TO ASK THAT
QUESTION IS, COMPARING CITIES SIMILAR IN SIZE, WHERE ARE WE IN TERMS OF MILEAGE? I DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION WITH ME. THE ONLY INFORMATION I KNOW OFF MY HEAD IS WHERE WE
FALL IN COMPARISON TO ALL OF THE BROWARD COUNTY CITIES. 
          OKAY. I THINK THAT AS FAR AS THE CITY OF TAMARAC PROBABLY HAS,
YOU KNOW, THE LOWEST MILLAGE RATE OUT OF, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS. IT'S GOT THE LOWEST TOTAL TAXABLE VALUE OUT OF
CITIES WITH AN EQUAL MILLAGE RATE OR HIGHER. 
          SO OUR TAXABLE, WE'RE DRAWING FROM THE LOWER TAXABLE VALUE THAN SOME CITIES THAT HAVE A
HIGHER MILLAGE RATE. 
          AND THEY'RE DRAWING FROM A HIGHER TAXABLE VALUE THAN OURS. 
          IS IT YOUR ADVICE THAT THE CITY COMMISSION LOWER THE MILLAGE RATE AND REDUCE THE MILLAGE
RATE OR POTENTIALLY GO BACK TO THE ROLLBACK? I'M NOT HERE TO GIVE AN OPINION. I'M ONLY HERE TO SHARE INFORMATION. 
          BUT IF I WAS TO SHARE MY OPINION, MY OPINION IS BASED ON WHAT COULD POTENTIALLY HAPPEN
WITH TAXABLE VALUE GOING FORWARD. 
          AND WHAT WE'RE SEEING HAPPEN WITH NEW CONSTRUCTION,
THAT THIS WOULD NOT BE THE TIME TO REDUCE THE MILLAGE RATE BACK TO THE ROLLBACK RATE TO PREVENT REACHING A POINT OF STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE. 
          AND STRUCTURAL IMBALANCE IS NOT SEEING THE CITY AS IN FINANCIAL DIRE EITHER. 
          ALL THAT MEANS IS ONGOING REVENUES DON'T COVER ONGOING EXPENSES. 
          I WASN'T UP HERE TRYING TO SAY THAT THE CITY IS IN POOR FINANCIAL CONDITION. 
          AND THAT'S WHY I STRESS THAT STRUCTURAL BALANCE IS A BUDGETARY TERM,
AND IT DOES NOT ACCOUNT FOR YOUR FUND BALANCE OR YOUR FINANCIAL CONDITION. 
          THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. IF I MAY, SO IN RESPONSE TO COMMISSIONER BOLTON'S QUESTION, IN YOUR 2021 FOR FIRST READING, IT WAS ALL YES? THE COMMISSION WAS MADE UP OF YOURSELF, COMMISSIONER BOLTON,
THEN COMMISSIONER GELIN, COMMISSIONER VILLALOBOS AND COMMISSIONER [INAUDIBLE] FOR FIRST AND SECOND READING. IN 21, IT WAS ALL YESES FOR YEAR 2022 ON FIRST READING. 
          COMMISSIONER GELIN AND COMMISSIONER VICE MAYOR,
THEN GELIN AND COMMISSIONER BOLTON VOTED NO ON FIRST READING. 
          ON SECOND READING, ALL YESES. YEAR 2023, ALL YESES,
BOTH FIRST AND SECOND READING. 
          IN YEAR 24, COMMISSIONER BOLTON VOTED NO ON BOTH READINGS. 
          THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER WRIGHT? THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. 
          GOING BACK TO COMMISSIONER PATTERSON'S POINT. 
          YOU SAID WE'RE AT 7.2, AND THEN WE, AS A COMMISSION,
SAID, HEY, CUT SOME STUFF IN THERE AND BRING IT UP TO 7.0. 
          I THINK WE HAD THAT IN THE BUDGET. THE FIRST BUDGET MEETING ON JUNE 30TH. 
          YES. AND THE WORKSHOP? YES. OKAY. AND MY RECOLLECTION SERVES ME CORRECTLY,
AND IF YOU HAVE THE RECORD, CLERK, MY FIRST PRIORITY WAS CUTTING TAXES. I THINK THAT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I
MENTIONED IN TERMS OF CUTTING TAXES, BUT ALSO IN DOING MY RESEARCH AND LOOKING AT OTHER CITIES THIS BUDGET CITIES THIS SEASON. 
          COUNTY. YES, THEY DID CUT THE MILLAGE RATE, BUT ON YOUR TAXES YOU'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE A
SLIGHT INCREASE. 
          I SAW THAT IN THE COUNTY'S BUDGET. IN DEL REY,
THEY AGGRESSIVELY CUT THEIR MILLAGE RATE LAST YEAR FROM 6.5 TO 5.9. 
          AND THIS YEAR THEY HAD TO RAISE THE MILLAGE RATE BECAUSE THEY WERE UNDERFUNDED,
WHEN IT COMES TO OUR STAFF AND THAT TYPE OF STUFF. 
          BUT IN THE GREAT CITY OF HIALEAH, OF ALL PLACES THEY KEPT THEIR MILLAGE RATE THE SAME. 
          BUT WHAT THEY DID, THEY GAVE A REBATE, THEY GAVE A $120 TO $150 REBATE TO EVERY
HOMESTEADED RESIDENT. 
          SO OBVIOUSLY, PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH A TOUGH TIMES. 
          THINGS ARE DIFFICULT. A RESIDENT CALLED ME TODAY ASKING FOR HELP FOR A LIGHT BILL,
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT. AND THERE'S SOME RESIDENTS WHO PAY ABOUT $15,000 IN TAXES AND FEEL 
          [00:50:07]
LIKE, YOU KNOW, 100 BUCKS IS NOTHING, BUT IT'S A TALE OF TWO CITIES. 
          SO IN SEEING HIALEAH, THEY KEPT THEIR MILLAGE RATE THERE THE SAME,
AND THEY OFFERED THE RESIDENTS SOME SORT OF TAX REBATE, WHICH IS ONE OF THE IDEAS THAT ARE COMING FROM TALLAHASSEE. THE SPEAKER PROPOSED LAST YEAR
TO GIVE A THOUSAND BUCKS FOR EVERY PERSON IN TERMS OF, YOU KNOW, REDUCING PROPERTY TAXES BECAUSE COST OF LIVING IS EXPENSIVE AND PEOPLE ARE
FEELING IT. 
          OBVIOUSLY INSURANCE AND PROPERTY TAXES. SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING I WANTED TO PUT OUT THERE
AS AN IDEA. 
          I JUST DO MY RESEARCH AND LOOK AT THE DIFFERENT CITIES,
UNDERSTANDING THAT PEOPLE ARE GOING THROUGH A TOUGH TIME. 
          660, YOU SAID? EVERY .10, IT WOULD COST 660 IN REVENUES? EVERY .10 MIL. YEAH. OR ONE TENTH OF A MIL REPRESENTS $660,000 OF BUDGETED PROPERTY TAX
REVENUE TO THE CITY OF TAMARAC, EITHER UP OR DOWN. AND IF WE GO BACK TO THE ROLLBACK RATE,
THAT'S GOING TO COST US 2.7? YEAH, JUST TO GIVE YOU THE BASIC MATH ON THAT,
IS YOU WOULD TAKE THE 660, WHICH IS ONE TENTH, THE ROLLBACK RATE IS 4.094. YEAH. LESS SO YOU WOULD SUBSTITUTE IN. SO YOU WOULD TAKE 660 TIMES 4.094 TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT IS. 
          THAT'S APPROXIMATELY $2.7 MILLION. BUT WE'VE ALREADY BROUGHT IT FROM 7.2 TO 7.0,
BECAUSE INITIALLY THE PROPOSED AMOUNT. 
          YEAH. AND WE'VE KIND OF SHED SOME OF THAT STUFF THAT WAS IN THERE AT THE 7.2 RATE. 
          WE'VE SHED THE EXCESS COSTS FROM 7.2 TO 7.0. HOW MUCH DID WE SHED IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET? HOW MUCH DID THAT REDUCE IT BY? THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET WAS REDUCED FROM THE PROPOSED
BUDGET TO THE TENTATIVE BUDGET BY 1.704 MILLION 1.704. 
          YEAH, THERE'S SLIDES LATER WHEN WE GET TO THE BUDGET SECTION OF TONIGHT THAT SHOW THAT. 
          OKAY. PERFECT. THANKS. THANK YOU. ACTUALLY, MISS CAJUSTE,
I JUST WANT TO ASK FOR SOME CLARIFICATION, BECAUSE AT OUR LAST BUDGET HEARING,
THERE WAS DIFFERENT NUMBERS THAT WERE SAID ABOUT OUR RESERVES OR OUR FUND BALANCE. 
          YES. OTHER THAN WHAT YOU JUST SAID, I KNOW OUR CITY IS IN GOOD SHAPE RIGHT NOW. 
          TODAY. YES. WE HAD 58 MILLION IN RESERVES. CAN YOU PLEASE TELL US WHAT WAS DISCUSSED AT
THAT LAST MEETING? WHAT WE HAD DISCUSSED WAS THE FACT THAT WE HAD 57 MILLION IN RESERVE. 
          AND THAT OF THAT AMOUNT WE HAD BUDGETED APPROXIMATELY 19,000,000 IN 2025. 
          THAT'S COMING TO AN END. AND WE ARE ALSO BUDGETING APPROXIMATELY 28? 27 MILLION THIS YEAR FOR 2026. AND MATH WISE MEANS? WE'LL BE LEFT WITH 11 MILLION IN UNRESTRICTED. 
          IF WE, YOU KNOW, IF REVENUES COME IN AS WE BUDGETED,
REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE COME IN AS WE BUDGETED. 
          WE'D HAVE 11 MILLION LEFT. THAT INCLUDES A 3 MILLION FOR OUR VERSION OF FEMA? YES. SO WE'LL HAVE 11 MILLION LEFT IN RESERVES? YES. IS THAT A GOOD RATE TO HAVE FOR OUR INSURANCE PURPOSES AND OUR. 
          IN GENERAL FUND REVENUE? TWO MONTHS OF GENERAL FUND REVENUE, 16.667%. CITY'S FINANCIAL POLICY CALLS FOR MAINTAINING TWO MONTHS OF OPERATING EXPENSES,
OR 16.667% OF OPERATING EXPENDITURES IN THE GENERAL FUND RESERVE. 
          OKAY, I'LL LEAVE SOME OF MY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR BUDGET. 
          I AGREE WITH COMMENTS THAT ARE MADE THAT ARE SEVEN MILS IS CONSIDERABLY CONSIDERED HIGH IN
THE RESPECTS THAT IT'S NOT GOING DOWN. 
          BUT WE DO HAVE A BUDGET THAT WE HANDLE AFTER THE MILLAGE RATE. 
          SO PROCEDURALLY, WE HAVE TO SET THE MILLAGE RATE. 
          I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN REDUCE THE MILLAGE RATE,
IF WE REDUCE SOME OF THE BUDGET THAT COMES AFTERWARDS. 
          [00:55:01]
CAN YOU? THE MILLAGE RATE MUST BE ADOPTED BEFORE THE FINAL BUDGET. AND IF YOU ADOPT A MILLAGE RATE THAT'S LOWER THAN
THE 7.0, THE BUDGET THAT WE´RE PRESENTING TO YOU TONIGHT IS BASED ON 7.0. 
          SO WE WOULD HAVE TO HAVE A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT BUDGET DISCUSSION. 
          AND OUR PRESENTATION WOULD PROBABLY TAKE A DIFFERENT DIRECTION IF THERE WAS A VOTE TO
REDUCE THE MILLAGE RATE. 
          WELL, I'M THINKING I GUESS MAYBE MORE ALONG THE LINES OF WHAT COMMISSIONER WRIGHT MIGHT
HAVE BEEN SAYING THAT WAS DONE BY ANOTHER CITY, SUPPORTING THE SEVEN MILLS. THAT'S WHAT THE BUDGET IS. 
          WE WERE ASKED FOR 7.2 AND CHANGE. THE ENTIRE COMMISSION DID NOT WANT TO DO THAT. 
          ENTIRE COMMISSION SAID SEVEN OR LOWER. SO IF BY CHANCE WE ARE ABLE TO FIX OUR BUDGET TO
WHERE WE DON'T HAVE CERTAIN THINGS IN THERE THAT ARE NOT ABLE TO ADJUST, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET TO SOME KIND OF REBATE. 
          BUT FOR RIGHT NOW, THAT'S A BUDGET DISCUSSION,
NOT A MILLAGE DISCUSSION, CORRECT? CAN YOU ASK THAT AGAIN? I. NEVER MIND. I THINK I ANSWERED MY OWN QUESTION. 
          IT'S FINE. IT'S FINE. VICE MAYOR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU SIR. YOU'RE SO GOOD AT MATH. IT'S IMPRESSIVE. 
          AS A TEACHER, I'M ALWAYS SO IMPRESSED WITH YOUR NUMBERS. 
          I HAVE MY MOMENTS. YEAH. YOU DO? I HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET. 
          I HAVEN'T SEEN IT YET. SO KUDOS TO YOU. BUT MY UNDERSTANDING FROM YOUR PRESENTATION IS
THAT IT WOULD BE DANGEROUS TO LOWER THE MILLAGE RATE BASED ON THE FACT THAT THE VALUE OF OUR HOMES ARE STEADILY,
POSSIBLY GOING DOWN. SO WHAT I HEARD WAS, RIGHT AFTER ANALYZING EVERYTHING THAT WAS SAID AND READING
EVERYTHING. 
          WHAT I'M HEARING IS THE MILLAGE RATE, IT WILL BE SAFE TO KEEP THE MILLAGE RATE AT MINIMUM
WHERE IT IS, BECAUSE IF THE HOUSE VALUE FALLS SIGNIFICANTLY NEXT YEAR AND THE MILLAGE RATE GOES DOWN
THIS YEAR OR NEXT YEAR, WE'LL BE. THERE WOULD BE A PROBLEM BECAUSE WE'LL BE. 
          WHAT'S THE WORD? STRUCTURALLY UNBALANCED? THAT'S THE WORD. 
          YEAH. BECAUSE THEN THE MONEY COMING IN WILL NOT MATCH THE MONEY GOING OUT,
RIGHT? SIMPLE ACCOUNTING. SO IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO LOWER THE MILLAGE RATE. 
          TRUST ME, I WANT IT LOWER. MINE IS PAST 10,000. 
          I GET IT. BUT IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. BECAUSE IF THE VALUE OF OUR HOMES ARE GOING DOWN AND
WE LOWER IT NEXT YEAR OR THE NEXT TWO YEARS, OR THE NEXT THREE YEARS,
WE MIGHT BE IN TROUBLE BECAUSE THE MONEY COMING IN WILL SIGNIFICANTLY BE LOWER. 
          ONE, BECAUSE THE MILLAGE RATE IS LOWER. TWO,
BECAUSE THE VALUE OF OUR HOMES ARE LOWER. 
          THREE, BECAUSE OF THE HOMESTEAD, THE MANY EXEMPTIONS THAT WE GET,
RIGHTFULLY SO. 
          PLUS THE LOSS OF NEW CONSTRUCTION. PLUS THE LOSS OF NEW CONSTRUCTION BECAUSE PEOPLE IN
TAMARAC DON'T WANT NEW CONSTRUCTION. I DON'T KNOW WHY, THEY DON'T WANT APARTMENTS, BUT APARTMENTS WILL ALLEVIATE SOME OF THAT BURDEN. 
          COMMERCIAL WILL ALLEVIATE SOME OF THAT BURDEN. 
          SO EVERYTHING WE DO IS SOMEWHAT ALIGNED AND MAKES SENSE. 
          IT'S JUST A BIG PICTURE. IT'S JUST NOT ONE LITTLE NUGGET IN THE BIG POT. 
          SO TO ME, LOGICALLY IT CAN'T. I DON'T WANT IT TO RAISE,
BUT IT CANNOT BE DROPPED BECAUSE WE'RE SETTING UP OURSELVES FOR FUTURE YEARS, IF PROPERTY VALUE DROPS. IF THE PROPERTY VALUE RISES LIKE IT DID A FEW YEARS AGO,
YEAH, DROP THE MILLAGE RATE. 
          ABSOLUTELY. BRING MY TAXES DOWN. GIVE ME SOME MORE EXEMPTION. 
          I WANT TO BE IN THAT CATEGORY, SAY PAY NO TAX BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WORKS. 
          BUT OKAY. BUT I'M SURE IT'S FOR SOMEBODY WHOSE HOUSE IS VALUED LIKE 50,000. 
          I DON'T KNOW HOW IT COULD POSSIBLY WORK, BUT I WOULD DISAGREE ON DROPPING THE MILLAGE
RATE, BUT DEFINITELY DO NOT RAISE IT. CITY CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. 
          OH. I'M SORRY. I HAVE A FOLLOW UP QUESTION. COMMISSIONER BOLTON? YOU KNOW WHAT, I´LL PASS. CITY CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. 
          COMMISSIONER PATTERSON? YES. VICE MAYOR DANIEL? YES. COMMISSIONER BOLTON? YES. COMMISSIONER WRIGHT? YES. MAYOR GOMEZ? YES. THANK YOU. MOTION PASSES 5 TO 0. 
          THANK YOU. WE'RE NOW MOVING TO TEMPORARY ORDINANCE 2600. 
          [1.b TO2600 - An Ordinance of the City Commission of The City of Tamarac, Florida, adopting the Operating Budget, Revenues and Expenditures, the Capital Budget, and the Financial Policies for Fiscal Year 2026; providing for conflicts; providing for scriveners errors; severability; and providing for an effective date.]
THIS IS A SECOND AND FINAL PUBLIC HEARING TO ESTABLISH THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 OPERATING
BUDGET, 
          [01:00:05]
CAPITAL BUDGET AND FINANCIAL POLICIES. BEFORE WE BEGIN,
MR. CITY MANAGER, PLEASE READ YOUR STATEMENT. THE TENTATIVE OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGET FOR
FISCAL YEAR 2026, AS AMENDED, IS $293,982,462, WHICH IS $53,646,238 MORE THAN THE AMENDED BUDGET OF $240,336,224 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025. THE TENTATIVE GENERAL FUND BUDGET, WHICH IS THE PRIMARY FUND FOR PROVIDING GOVERNMENTAL SERVICES SUCH AS OUR CONTRACT
WITH BSO, GENERAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES, PUBLIC SERVICES,
AND PARKS AND RECREATION, IS $114,000,195 AND $195,279, WHICH IS $12,050,722 MORE THAN THE AMENDED BUDGET OF $144,557 FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025. 
          IN ADDITION, THE FINANCIAL POLICIES ARE INCLUDED AS PART OF THE ADOPTION OF THE ANNUAL
BUDGET. 
          THESE FINANCIAL POLICIES ARE AN INTEGRAL PART OF OUR LONG TERM FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR THE
CITY. 
          THESE POLICIES SET PARAMETERS FOR OPERATING MANAGEMENT,
INCLUDING ESTABLISHING RESERVES FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES, ESTABLISHING ACCOUNTS MANAGEMENT AND FINANCIAL PLANNING POLICIES,
AND ESTABLISHING POLICIES ON ECONOMIC RESOURCES. 
          THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU, MR. CITY ATTORNEY. 
          PLEASE RETITLE TO TEMPORARY ORDINANCE NUMBER 2600. 
          ITEM 1.B. AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF TAMARAC ADOPTING THE
OPERATING BUDGET, REVENUES AND EXPENDITURE, THE CAPITAL BUDGET,
AND THE FINANCIAL POLICIES OF FISCAL YEAR 2026; PROVIDING FOR CONFLICTS; PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY;
AND PROVIDING FOR AN EFFECTIVE DATE. 
          THANK YOU, MADAM MAYOR. THANK YOU. THIS ITEM WAS DISCUSSED AT BOTH THE JUNE 30TH AND
AUGUST 27TH, 2025 BUDGET WORKSHOPS. THE TENTATIVE OPERATING AND CAPITAL BUDGET,
AS AMENDED, TOTALING $293,982,462, WAS ADOPTED AT THE SEPTEMBER 12TH,
2025, FIRST PUBLIC HEARING. 
          FINANCIAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT STAFF WILL NOW GIVE A SHORT PRESENTATION. 
          MR. STREDER. HERE WE GO AGAIN. FOR THE RECORD,
JEFF STREDER, BUDGET MANAGER. 
          OKAY. THIS TABLE SHOWS. WELL, FIRST OF ALL, THE COMMISSION WAS GIVEN APPROXIMATELY A 200
PAGE DETAILED CITY MANAGER PROPOSED BUDGET TO CONSIDER AT THE JUNE 30TH BUDGET WORKSHOP. 
          THIS TABLE SHOWS THE CHANGES THAT WERE DIRECTED. 
          THE CHANGES THAT STAFF WAS DIRECTED TO MAKE IN BETWEEN NOW AND THE BUDGET WORKSHOP,
INCLUDING SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WERE SUGGESTED AT THE BUDGET WORKSHOP. 
          IT ALSO ACCOUNTS FOR ANY CHANGES THAT WERE MADE AT THE FIRST PUBLIC HEARING. 
          SO OVERALL, THE CITY BUDGET. THE TENTATIVE BUDGET REDUCES THE PROPOSED BUDGET BY $3.347
MILLION, AND IT REDUCES THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET BY $1.74 MILLION,
OR APPROXIMATELY $1.75 MILLION. AND THIS SHOWS HOW THE ADJUSTMENTS ARE DISTRIBUTED ACROSS THE MAJOR CATEGORIES OF
FUNDS. 
          THIS SHOWS HOW THE REVENUE WAS ADJUSTED IN ORDER TO GET TO THAT REDUCTION OF $1,704,890
MILLION. 
          THE MAIN CHANGE THERE IS THAT THE APPROPRIATION FROM FUND BALANCE,
FROM THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS BEING REDUCED BY $1.918 MILLION, AND THE PROPERTY TAX REVENUE WAS REDUCED BECAUSE THE PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDED A RECOMMENDED MILLAGE RATE OF 7.2, AND THE STAFF WAS DIRECTED TO BRING A
RESOLUTION TO THE JULY 9TH COMMISSION MEETING FOR A PRELIMINARY MILLAGE OF 7. 
          AND ALSO THE JULY 1ST CERTIFIED VALUES CAME OUT. 
          SO WITH ALL THOSE THINGS HAPPENING, THE REVENUE IN PROPERTY TAX CAME DOWN $1.190 MILLION. 
          SORRY, I'M LOSING MY VOICE. AND THIS SHOWS HOW THE EXPENDITURES WERE CHANGED. 
          [01:05:02]
AND IT INCLUDES THE CHANGES THAT WERE MADE AT THE TENTATIVE BUDGET. 
          THE TENTATIVE BUDGET CHANGES WERE TO TAKE OUT THE PUBLIC SERVICES DIRECTOR POSITION,
PUT BACK IN THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER POSITION, REDUCE THE SHARED TRAVEL ACCOUNT FROM 20 TO 12,000. 
          THANKS. 
          YEAH. THESE ARE THE ITEMS THAT WERE DISCUSSED LAST COMMISSION MEETING. 
          SO WE ARE SHOWING HERE THE CHANGE FROM THE PROPOSED TO THE TENTATIVE TO NOW THE FINAL. 
          DO YOU SEE THAT WE REDUCED THE AMOUNT FOR THE COMMISSION 457 B FROM WHAT IT WAS,
TO 12,600. WE ADDED THE SAFETY CONSULTANT FOR 70,000. 
          THE OTHER ONE REMAINED THE SAME. THE OTHER CHANGE WAS THE REDUCTION TO THE TRAVEL AND
OTHER CHANGES THAT WERE DISCUSSED AT THE CITY COMMISSION MEETING. 
          THIS OTHER SLIDE, WHICH MAY NOT BE IN THE BACKUP MATERIAL THAT YOU HAVE,
BECAUSE WE JUST GOT THIS INFORMATION LITTLE OVER 24 HOURS AGO TO HAVE SOME OTHER ADDITIONS TO THE BUDGET AS IT EXISTS. 
          THESE WERE NOT PRESENTED TO YOU DURING THE TENTATIVE BUDGET. 
          AND THESE ITEMS ARE AN INCREASE TO THE TRAVEL FOR THE CITY COMMISSION FOR $30,000,
FUNDING FOR SISTER CITIES OF $25,000. SOME INCREASE IN PRINTING AND BINDING FOR PIO FOR $20,000. 
          INCREASING SUPPLIES FOR THE COMMISSION OFFICE,
$5000. 
          ADDING A $10,000 FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BUSINESS EXPO. 
          ADD AN ADDITIONAL PUBLIC RELATIONS TO PIO 60,000,
AND TO APPROPRIATE SOME SOME FUNDING FOR THE BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE FOR 25,000. AND WITH THAT, END MY PRESENTATION. POINT OF CLARIFICATION, CITY MANAGER, DON'T YOU THINK THIS SHOULD HAVE BEEN PROVIDED TO US WITH OUR BOOK INSTEAD
OF ALL OF A SUDDEN JUST BEING THROWN AT US RIGHT NOW? IT IS PROVIDED AS PART OF THE BACKUP. WHERE? I'M NOT SEEING. 
          IS IT NOT? MAYBE DUE TO THE LATE ARRIVAL OF THE INFORMATION. 
          IS THAT IT? THEN MAYBE THIS SHOULD BE HELD FOR A BUDGET AMENDMENT AT A LATER TIME,
VERSUS ALL OF A SUDDEN PUTTING IT ON AN ALREADY STRETCHED BUDGET. 
          MADAM MAYOR, WE'RE PRESENTING A BUDGET AND WE'RE,
YOU KNOW, MAKING CHANGES AS NEEDED, AS CALLED FOR BETWEEN THE FIRST HEARING AND THIS HEARING, SO. 
          WHO'S CALLED FOR SOME OF THESE THINGS? IT'S THE CITY MANAGER'S BUDGET BEING PRESENTED. 
          SO THIS IS ON YOU. THAT'S ME. THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE HAD THIS TO US BEFOREHAND. 
          ALL RIGHT. SO THE PUBLIC HEARING ON TEMPORARY ORDINANCE NUMBER 2600 IS NOW OPEN. 
          I HAVE A FEW PEOPLE THAT HAVE SIGNED UP. AND IF YOU HAVE NOT SIGNED UP AND YOU STILL WISH
TO SPEAK, YOU'RE MORE THAN WELCOME TO. [INAUDIBLE]. 
          IN THE INTERIM. MR. CITY MANAGER, CAN YOU PLEASE ASK SOMEBODY FROM THE CLERK'S OFFICE TO
PROVIDE US WITH A PIECE OF PAPER THAT WAS JUST SHOWN ON THAT SLIDE? THANK YOU. CAN THEY GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE? OKAY. [INAUDIBLE], MAINLANDS FOUR. I CAN SEE A WHOLE LOT OF DECREASES ALREADY. 
          WHY ARE WE INCREASING TRAVEL $30,000? WHY ARE WE PAYING A PR CONSULTANT $60,000? WHY ARE WE? I MEAN, YOU CAN JUST LOOK AT THAT,
NEVER MIND, WHAT I REMEMBER FROM THE LAST BUDGET MEETING WHERE YOU DID AWAY WITH THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC SERVICE ROLE,
PUBLIC SAFETY, WHATEVER THAT WAS. BUT YOU LEFT 70,000 IN THE BUDGET FOR THAT. 
          [01:10:04]
YOU REMOVED THE FREEZE ON A SECOND ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER,
AND THAT, FROM MY MEMORY, WAS OVER $350,000. YOU'VE GOT SO MUCH WASTE. 
          YOU'VE GOT EVENTS. WHY DO WE NEED ALL THESE EVENTS? OUR TAXPAYERS CANNOT AFFORD ALL OF THESE EVENTS. 
          YOU'VE GOT AN INCREASE OF $54 MILLION FROM LAST YEAR'S BUDGET TO THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. 
          THAT'S WHAT WAS SAID AT THE LAST BUDGET MEETING. 
          $53 MILLION AND CHANGE. I ROUNDED IT TO $54 MILLION. 
          I JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND. THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE,
OKAY, INCREASED TRAVEL IN CITY COMMISSION, $30,000. YOU'VE GOT INCREASED TRAVEL. YOU'VE GOT INCREASED HEALTH CARE. 
          YOU'VE GOT INCREASED MONEY INTO YOUR RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS. 
          YOU'VE GOT INCREASES IN BEING VESTED EARLIER. 
          YOU'VE GOT A 5% RAISE FOR YOURSELVES FOR SITTING ON A COMMITTEE THAT IS PART OF YOUR JOB. 
          I DON'T SEE ANYWHERE BECAUSE TO ME, THIS IS JUST NOT A TRANSPARENT BUDGET. 
          ARE EMPLOYEES GETTING A COST OF LIVING RAISE? IS THE COMMISSION GETTING A COST OF LIVING RAISE? MOST COST OF LIVING RAISES ARE, WHAT, 3%. ADD THAT TO YOUR 5%. 
          SO YOU'RE GIVING YOURSELVES AN 8% RAISE THIS YEAR. 
          I ALSO WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE FACT THAT THIS GAME THAT WAS PLAYED LAST TIME ABOUT,
OH, WELL, YOU SAID YOU VOTED AGAINST IT. YOU SHOULDN'T GET IT. 
          IF ONE PERSON GETS A BENEFIT, EVERY PERSON GETS A BENEFIT OR IT IS NOT EQUITABLE TO
ANYONE. 
          AND PLAYING GAMES WITH WHO VOTED FOR WHAT IS A WAY TO SHAME PEOPLE AND TO THREATEN PEOPLE
AND SORRY, THAT SHOULDN'T BE ALLOWED. THANK YOU. 
          [INAUDIBLE]. 
          GOOD EVENING AGAIN, [INAUDIBLE], TAMARAC LAKE SOUTH. 
          SOME OF WHAT [INAUDIBLE]SAID, SOME CUTS. THE TRAVEL EXPENSE FOR TRAVEL IS GOING UP SO
MUCH. 
          MAYBE WE NEED TO HAVE THE MANAGER BUY A VEHICLE THAT'S USED. 
          A COUPLE OF THEM. PROBABLY TO BE SAFE. BECAUSE I KNOW MR. BOLTON LIVES FURTHER OUT IN THE EAST. COMMISSIONER BOLTON. 
          HAVING ONE PROBABLY STATIONED AT THE FIREHOUSE PARKING LOT OUT THERE SO HE CAN USE IT WHEN
HE ESSENTIALLY. 
          AND ONE FURTHER OUT IN THE NOB HILL FACILITY. 
          THAT WAY YOU USE THAT WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO DO TRAVELING INSTEAD OF PAYING PERSONAL CAR
MILEAGE. 
          WOULD BE THE CITY NAMES OUT THERE SHOWING YOU FROM THE CITY DOING BUSINESS. 
          THE OTHER THING I HAD A QUESTION AT AND LOOKING AT HERE,
A PUBLIC SAFETY CONSULTANT. 
          AND WHAT IS THAT FOR? WE HAVE OUR POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENT,
A CITY OF THIS SIZE. 
          I´VE LIVED IN CITIES MUCH BIGGER. THEY DIDN'T HAVE ONE PERSON TO OVERSEE BOTH DEPARTMENTS. 
          EACH DEPARTMENT HAD THEIR OWN. MAYBE A COMMISSIONER OF FIRE AND POLICE COMMISSIONER,
BECAUSE THE CITY HAD ALMOST A MILLION PEOPLE IN IT. 
          SMALLER CITIES, TOO MUCH POWER, TOO MUCH THINGS. 
          THERE'S NO NEED TO HAVE A PUBLIC SAFETY CONSULTANT OVERSEEING THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE
RUNNING FINE. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU. [INAUDIBLE]? NO. OKAY. 
          [INAUDIBLE]. I CAN'T SPEAK. 
          AT THE LAST BUDGET MEETING I ATTENDED, A COMMISSIONER HERE ACCUSED ME OF BEING A MINION. 
          I WAS A LEGAL SECRETARY FOR JACK STANISLAW IN NEW YORK STATE SUPREME COURT JUDGE OF THE
STATE OF NEW YORK. 
          DOWN HERE I WORKED FOR [INAUDIBLE] FOR 16 YEARS,
AND MY LAST JOB OF 21 YEARS AT FRANKLIN TEMPLETON INVESTMENTS. 
          [01:15:05]
WE RUN $1.58 TRILLION UNDER MANAGEMENT. AND MY LITTLE DEPARTMENT,
THE FLOATING RATE DEBT GROUP, WE WORKED WITH 28 BILLION. WE KEPT IT MOVING. 
          I AM NOT A MINION. I'M AN OBSERVER. AND WHAT I SEE AT THESE COMMISSION MEETINGS IS UNREAL. 
          A HANDFUL OF COMMISSIONERS SEEM TO CONTROL THE ENTIRE DAIS,
WHETHER OTHERS LIKE IT OR NOT. 
          IT APPEARS THAT THE COMMISSIONERS WHO CONTROL THE DECIDING VOTES MUST BE RUSHING THROUGH
PROJECTS ON WHIMS WITHOUT CONDUCTING PROPER ANALYSIS AND TAKING MORE TIME TO PLAN OR LISTEN TO THE FINANCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROFESSIONALS AFFORDED THEM. 
          THUS, THE PROPOSED BUDGET WILL USE UP TAMARAC'S PRECIOUS RESERVES. 
          TWO EXAMPLES PROBABLY ARE THE TAMARAC PARK REMOVING THE FIELDS AND PUTTING IN A 400 METER
TRACK, AND THEN A RENOVATION OF THE CLUBHOUSE AT SHAKER VILLAGE. 
          AND THEN OF COURSE, ALL THE PERSONAL PERKS. THE SUN SENTINEL,
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BUDGET. 
          THEY WERE POSTING ALL THE BUDGETS FOR ALL THE CITIES AROUND. 
          AND TAMARAC SAYS, QUOTE, THE PROPOSED OPERATING BUDGET EXPENDITURES OF THE CITY OF TAMARAC
ARE 70.55% MORE THAN LAST YEAR'S TOTAL OPERATING EXPENDITURES. THAT'S THE PROPOSED. 
          THANK YOU. SO THIS LEAVES US VERY UNDERFUNDED SHOULD ANY EMERGENCY ARRIVE IN TAMARAC. 
          THE PART OF THOSE DISCUSSIONS LAST TIME WERE COMMISSIONERS DISCUSSED GIVING THEMSELVES
MORE PERKS. 
          OUR MAYOR AND ANOTHER COMMISSIONER REFUSED THE EXTRA MONIES. 
          YET THEY ARE THE TWO INDIVIDUALS THAT SHOW UP AT ALMOST EVERY FUNCTION THERE IS IN
TAMARAC. 
          THE OTHER THREE SHOW UP FOR PHOTO SHOOTS OR A MAJOR EVENT,
AND ONE OF OUR COMMISSIONERS DOESN'T EVEN PAY TAXES BECAUSE HE DOESN'T OWN A HOME. 
          THERE ARE NO WORDS EXCEPT AS AN OBSERVER, TO PUT IT BLUNTLY. 
          TAMARAC IS BEING TAKEN FOR A RIDE BIG TIME. THANK YOU. 
          THANK YOU. [INAUDIBLE]? IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK? HI. [INAUDIBLE], WOODLANDS. I JUST WANT TO SAY A FEW THINGS. 
          I'M NOT GOING TO REPEAT THE NUMBERS, THAT WAS ALREADY BROUGHT UP BY KATE AND THE OTHER
GENTLEMAN. 
          BUT I DO WANT TO SAY THIS. WHILE I UNDERSTAND THAT WE HAVE SOME NECESSARY MONETARY
SPENDING, SUCH AS THE FIRE DEPARTMENT, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT,
ALONG WITH SOME OTHER NECESSARY SPENDING, IT IS NOT FAIR TO TAXPAYING HOMEOWNERS TO HAVE TO FUND SOME INCREASES IN THE EXPENDITURES, SUCH AS TRAVEL AND HEALTHCARE FOR COMMISSIONERS. 
          WE NEED TO LOOK AT EXPENDITURES IN A MUCH GREATER DETAIL BEFORE WE VOTE ON THEM. 
          ALSO, I DO NOT SEE MUCH ATTENTION TO THE BUDGET THAT WAS PRESENTED REGARDING RESERVES OR
CONTINGENCY FUNDING. 
          WHEN THIS HAPPENS, A BUDGETED ITEM RUNS OUT. HOW IS THE EXCESS EXPENDITURE GOING TO BE
PAID OR FUNDED? THAT'S A HUGE QUESTION FOR US. AND I CAN TELL YOU AS A TREASURER FOR THE WOODLANDS MASTER
ASSOCIATION OR AS ANY GOOD TREASURER OR BUDGETING COMMITTEE MEMBER KNOWS, RESERVES OR CONTINGENCY FUNDS ARE A HUGE,
AND NECESSARY PART OF ANY GIVEN BUDGET. FINALLY, I DO WANT TO SAY THIS. 
          KEEP IN MIND WE, THE TAXPAYERS OF TAMARAC ARE CLOSELY WATCHING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU
AND HOW YOU SPEND OUR MONEY. YES, IT IS OUR MONEY BECAUSE WE ARE PAYING YOU TO SERVE US IN OUR BEST INTERESTS. WE ARE PAYING YOU FOR A PART TIME POSITIONS YOU HOLD HERE AT THE
CITY. 
          WE'RE PAYING FOR YOUR TRAVEL, YOUR HEALTHCARE AND OTHER EXPENSES THAT YOU INCUR. 
          WE ARE PAYING YOU AND WE ARE WATCHING YOU VERY CAREFULLY. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU. [INAUDIBLE] IS COMING UP. 
          IS THERE ANYONE ELSE WHO WISHES TO SPEAK ON THIS ITEM? [INAUDIBLE], VERSAILLES GARDENS. PROTOCOLS OBSERVED. 
          ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I LIKE TO SPEAK LAST IS BECAUSE I LOVE TO LISTEN AND LEARN AND
LISTEN, 
          [01:20:03]
LEARN AND DIGEST. AND RATHER THAN REPEATING WHAT THE GENTLEFOLK HAVE SAID BEFORE ME,
[INAUDIBLE], [INAUDIBLE], AND THERE ARE A NUMBER OF OTHER PEOPLE,
RATHER THAN REPEATING ALL OF THOSE POINTS BECAUSE ALL OF THOSE ARE MY CONCERNS. 
          SOME OF MY CONCERNS HAVE TO DO WITH THE COST OF LIVING RAISES FOR THE EMPLOYEES,
BECAUSE I FEEL VERY STRONGLY ABOUT THE EMPLOYEES. 
          AND AS AN ASIDE, AS SOMEBODY WHO FOR SEVEN YEARS WORKED WITH BROWARD COUNTY IN A VERY
SENIOR CONTRACTS AND GRANT POSITION INTIMATELY INVOLVED WITH LITERALLY EVERY SINGLE INCORPORATED
AND UNINCORPORATED AREA. 
          I'M PROUD OF LITERALLY EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE OF THIS CITY,
BECAUSE I SEE THE AWESOME EXCELLENCE THAT JUST OOZES FROM THEIR BODY. AND I'M REALLY, REALLY PROUD TO BE INVOLVED IN THE CITY. 
          JUST, LIKE THE OTHERS HAVE SAID, I'M REALLY DISTURBED AT SOME OF THE EXPENDITURES,
SOME OF THE AREAS OF EXPENDITURES, ESPECIALLY THAT LAST SLIDE. IT'S REALLY CONCERNING,
AND I HOPE THAT LITERALLY EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS LOOK VERY CAREFULLY AT THOSE SLIDES. 
          ALSO, AGAIN, AS BEEN SAID BEFORE, WE'RE WATCHING YOU. 
          AND IT'S SITUATIONS LIKE THESE, IN LINE ITEMS LIKE THESE,
THAT SHOWS WHO YOU TRULY, REALLY ARE. COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU. ONCE AGAIN,
KUDOS TO TAMARAC CITY STAFF. 
          I HAVE A CONCERN. ONE OF THE COMMISSIONERS IN A PREVIOUS MEETING SAID IN A PREVIOUS
COMMISSION MEETING SAID, YOU KNOW, WHEN I TALKED ABOUT THE STAFF AND MENTIONED MY CONCERN ABOUT LEADERSHIP,
HE SAID, A WONDERFUL LEADERSHIP. WELL, WE CAN HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT THAT ASPECT AND I INTEND TO
DO SO SHORTLY. 
          THANK YOU. THANK YOU. PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED, I WILL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO ADOPT TEMPORARY ORDINANCE NUMBER 2600,
ESTABLISHING THE OPERATING BUDGET, CAPITAL BUDGET AND FINANCIAL POLICIES FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026. 
          WE WILL NOW FAIL FOR SETTING A BUDGET. I'M SORRY. 
          I MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT TEMPORARY ORDINANCE NUMBER 2600. 
          SECOND. I HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER WRIGHT. 
          I HAVE A SECOND BY VICE MAYOR DANIEL. DISCUSSION ON THE MOTION. 
          OH, OKAY. I SEEM THAT. YOU´RE GOING? WE'RE NOT GOING. 
          NO. GO AHEAD. YOU KNOW, I GO LEFT. GO AHEAD. MISS CAJUSTE,
CAN YOU PLEASE COME UP TO THE PODIUM? CITY MANAGER, I'M GOING TO ASK HER TO SHARE WITH US THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE THINGS THAT
ARE ADDED ON THE 175, COMPARED TO THE THINGS THAT WERE TAKEN OUT IN THE BUDGET ITEMS THAT WE ALREADY DISCUSSED. 
          PRINTING SERVICES FOR PIO TRAVEL. 
          POINT OUT THAT THESE ITEMS HAVE NOT BEEN ADDED TO THE BUDGET. 
          FOR THESE ITEMS TO BE ADDED, WE WOULD HAVE TO AMEND THE ITEM TONIGHT TO ADD THIS ITEM. 
          SO A VERY QUICK LOOK BECAUSE THAT'S ALL WE'VE HAD. 
          INCREASE IN TRAVEL COMMISSION IS $30,000, YET LAST MEETING WE WENT THROUGH REDUCING THE
TRAVEL BUDGET FROM 20 TO 12. 
          ARE WE NOW SAYING WE WANT A BUDGET OF TOTAL OF $30,000 MORE OR 42? MADAM MAYOR, COMMISSION IS A DIVISION OR DEPARTMENT. 
          IT´S NOT JUST MADE UP OF COMMISSION MEMBERS. YOU ALSO HAVE AIDES. 
          YOU ALSO HAVE OTHER STAFF MEMBERS. AND SO THERE MAY BE SOME OTHER TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS. 
          EDUCATIONAL, YOU KNOW, OPPORTUNITIES AND TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS FOR THOSE OTHER STAFF MEMBERS
AS WELL. 
          SO WHEN DO WE SET A POLICY THAT ALLOWS OUR AIDES TO NOW GO TRAVEL FOR US? MAYOR, YOU KNOW, THOSE POLICIES ARE SET BY ADMINISTRATION AND THEY DON'T,
YOU KNOW, GO THROUGH THE COMMISSION PROCESS. 
          SO WHEN DID YOU SET IT? THIS IS PART OF OUR ONGOING CONSTANT REVIEW. 
          [01:25:04]
WE DON'T HAVE A POLICY THAT SAYS THIS PERSON IS GOING TO DO THIS. 
          BUT WE DO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES FOR OUR EMPLOYEES TO DEVELOP THEIR CAREERS,
MOVE UP IN THEIR CAREERS, EXPAND THEIR EDUCATION, AND YOU KNOW, BECOME MORE PROFICIENT IN THE ROLES THAT THEY
PROVIDE. 
          AND THIS IS THE SAME FOR EVERY CITY DEPARTMENT. 
          IF YOU LOOK AT EVERY CITY DEPARTMENT, THEY ALL HAVE TRAVEL AND EDUCATION IN THEIR
DEPARTMENTS.HAS ANYBODY IN THE CITY COMMISSION OFFICE FROM THE CITY MAYOR AND COMMISSION OFFICE EVER
TRAVELED. 
          BUT YOU DIDN'T ANSWER THE QUESTION I ASKED, ARE WE MOVING IT NOW UP TO 30 OR IS IT 42? THIS IS. I BELIEVE THIS IS IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE ALREADY HAVE,
RIGHT. 
          CHRISTINE? YES. OKAY. SO YOU'RE NOW SAYING 42,000? YES. NO TRAVEL INCLUDE. CAN I ASK THE CLARIFICATION,
PLEASE? A POINT OF CLARIFICATION FROM SO DOES TRAVEL INCLUDES LEARNING? IS THAT WHAT I'M HEARING? SO TRAVEL INCLUDES TRAINING, RIGHT? I MEAN, SINCE WHEN? YOU KNOW, THE CITY'S TRAVEL POLICY IS FOR ATTENDING PUBLIC PURPOSE EDUCATIONAL AND YOU KNOW, PROFESSIONAL MEETINGS LIKE CONFERENCES,
LIKE YOUR LEAGUE OF CITIES AND CITY COUNTY MANAGER´S ASSOCIATIONS, THOSE KINDS OF PROGRAMS. SO IT WOULD BE. IF ANYONE IN THE COMMISSION OFFICE WHO WANTS TO,
I DON'T KNOW. 
          THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? OR FOR A CLASS? BUT YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PROVIDE EXPERIENCE TO OUR STAFF IS BY NETWORKING AND
COMMUNICATING WITH OTHER PROFESSIONAL MEMBERS OF THE SAME WORKGROUP. AND SO WE DO HAVE YOUNG EMPLOYEES. 
          WE DO HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE LOOKING TO FURTHER THEIR CAREERS. 
          THEY MAY BE STARTING IN YOUR OFFICE AS AN AIDE OR AN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT,
BUT THEY'RE ALL LOOKING TO FURTHER THEIR CAREERS. 
          AND THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR OUR STAFF MEMBERS TO,
YOU KNOW, NETWORK AND BE PARTICIPATE AND LEARN ABOUT THE GOVERNING AND PRINCIPLES OF, YOU KNOW, GOVERNMENT SERVICE. 
          SO IF OUR REQUEST IS PUT IN TO USE SOME OF THIS FUNDS FOR THE STAFF,
I'M ASSUMING, OTHER THAN US, WHO WILL APPROVE IT, OR WHO WILL SAY YAY OR NAY? YOU WOULD. THAT WOULD BE CITY MANAGER, CORRECT? OKAY. AND IF YOU SAY NO AND THE MONEY IS THERE,
GOES BACK TO THE GENERAL BUDGET, IT STAYS AND IT HAPPENS. 
          WE DO DECLINE TRAVEL AT TIMES, YOU KNOW IF IT SEEMS UNNECESSARY. 
          CONSIDERING THIS COMMISSION'S BEEN OVER BUDGET,
I DON'T REALLY SEE HOW YOU CAN SAY THAT. BUT ANYWAY, I'LL CALL BALONEY ON THIS WHOLE PART OF THAT CONVERSATION. FUNDING FOR SISTER CITIES. 
          ISN'T THE SISTER CITIES PROGRAM REALLY A FRIENDSHIP PROGRAM? THAT'S WHAT WE AGREED TO. WHERE'S THIS $25,000 GOING? SO THE SISTER CITIES COMMITTEE IS ACTIVELY WORKING ON BRINGING THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS TO
THE CITY COMMISSION TO MAKE A DECISION ON EITHER ADOPTING SISTER CITIES OR ADOPTING OTHER PROGRAMS. SO THIS IS AN INITIAL SEED MONEY FOR THAT PROGRAM TO TAKE PLACE. 
          AND IT'S NOT NECESSARILY, YOU KNOW, IDENTIFYING AS SISTER CITIES YOU KNOW,
A SISTER CITY FOR TAMARAC, BUT IT CAN ALSO BE CONSIDERED FOR OTHER PROGRAMS TO ENCOURAGE THAT KIND OF. 
          IS THIS JUST A CUSHY LITTLE AREA TO SAY IN CASE SOMEBODY WANTS TO SAY,
AS A COMMISSIONER OR MAYOR OR WHATEVER, THAT THEY'RE GOING TO ANOTHER CITY AND THEY'RE GOING TO ANOTHER COUNTRY AND CLAIM SISTER
CITIES? MAYOR, COMMISSION WILL NEED TO DECIDE THAT THE ACTIVITY AND FUNCTION OF THAT SISTER CITY BEFORE
ANY OF THAT CAN HAPPEN. 
          IT DIDN'T SEEM TO HAPPEN BEFORE. 
          IT'S BALONEY IN MY MIND. INCREASING PRINTING AND BINDING IN PIO,
WHEN WE JUST REDUCED PRINTING AND BINDING OUT OF THE PARK AND REC. 
          IS THIS JUST ANOTHER WAY TO NOT HAVE INITIATIVE FUNDS BEING USED FOR PRINTING OF EVENTS
THAT ARE GOING OUT? WE'RE DEFINITELY REACHING OUT MORE TO OUR COMMUNITIES FOR OUR EVENTS AND PART OF OUR
EXPANDED OUTREACH FOR OUR RESIDENTS, COMMUNICATING WITH OUR RESIDENTS. THE PRINTING AND BINDING EXPENSES ARE GOING
UP, 
          [01:30:02]
AND THAT'S TO COVER THOSE ADDITIONAL EXPENSES. 
          SO WE'RE MAKING SURE THAT EVERYTHING IS PRINTED AND BINDED,
AND GOING OUT IS GOING TO STAY IN THE CITY OF TAMARAC? I DIDN'T THINK SO. 
          I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE NATURE OF THAT QUESTION. 
          THE NATURE OF THE QUESTION IS, ARE WE SPENDING ALL THIS EXTRA MONEY TO GO ADVERTISE
OUTSIDE OUR CITY FOR OUR EVENTS? OR IS THIS ALL SUPPOSED TO BE FOR INSIDE OUR CITY? OUR MAILERS ONLY GO TO OUR RESIDENTS. BUT OUR FLIERS DON'T? OUR FLIERS ARE PLACED IN PLACES, AND SO IF THEY'RE PICKED UP BY OTHERS,
YOU KNOW, I WOULDN'T KNOW ABOUT THAT. 
          BUT THEY'RE INTENDED FOR OUR RESIDENTS. IGNORANCE DOESN'T LOOK GOOD. 
          FUNDING FOR PR CONSULTANT AND PIO IS AT AN ADDITIONAL 80,000 TO THE $60,000 THAT WE JUST
HAD IN THE LAST PORTION. 
          SO WE'RE NOW SAYING $140,000 GOING TOWARDS PIO. 
          SO PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE REQUESTED THIS. AND MAYBE I CAN ASK JOANNA TO COME IN AND
TALK ABOUT THAT PROGRAM. 
          THAT WAS PART OF HER INITIAL BUDGET REQUEST,
AND WE DECIDE TO FUND THAT PROGRAM. 
          NO, IT'S NOT PUTTING BACK. THAT'S WHY I WANT TO KNOW. 
          GOOD EVENING, MAYOR AND COMMISSIONERS. JOANNA JOHNSON FOR THE RECORD. COMMUNICATIONS AND
MARKETING MANAGER. 
          THE PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTANT WAS A PART OF OUR INITIAL ASK. 
          IT'S FOR US. WE FEEL LIKE WE HAVE A PRETTY DECENT REACH WHEN IT COMES TO THE RESIDENTIAL
COMMUNITY OF TAMARAC, BUT WE WANTED TO USE A PR FIRM TO REACH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PORTIONS,
I.E. 
          BUSINESSES, DEVELOPERS, WRITE OP EDS IN MAGAZINES FOR THE BUSINESS AUDIENCE,
CREATE CONTENT FOR THE BUSINESS AUDIENCE, ETC. SO THE QUESTION I ASKED WAS, IS THIS $80,000 IN ADDITION TO THE $60,000,
OR THE 60, IN ADDITION TO THE 80 THAT WAS ALREADY IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET? IT WOULD BE, YES, THAT'S CORRECT. 
          SO IT'S AN ADDITIONAL $140,000 BEING ASKED FOR PIO? IN ADDITION TO THE $80,000 THAT WAS ADDED AT THE LAST MEETING. 
          THANK YOU FOR A VERY CLEAR ANSWER. YOU'RE WELCOME. 
          DID THE. IT'S JUST LISTED AS THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CHAMBER,
BUT IT WAS ALSO MENTIONED AS A BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. 
          DID THEY SUBMIT A PROPOSAL LIKE OUR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DOES FOR WHEN IT ASKS FOR MONEY? SO BLACK CHAMBER OF COMMERCE HAS BEEN OPERATING IN THE CITY,
IN THE REGION FOR QUITE SOME TIME. 
          AND WE DO PARTICIPATE IN THEIR EVENTS. WE DO PARTICIPATE IN THEIR PROGRAMS AND THEY DO
PROVIDE A VALUABLE SERVICE. 
          JUST MOST RECENTLY IN THE DISTRIBUTION OF OUR ADVERTISING AND,
YOU KNOW, GETTING THE INFORMATION OUT ON OUR GRANT PROGRAM ON OUR NUMBER OF GRANT PROGRAMS. AND ANOTHER ENTITY THAT IS ACTIVE IN THE COMMUNITY FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND FOR
IMPROVING BUSINESS COMMUNITY OR ENHANCING BUSINESS COMMUNITY IN THE CITY OF TAMARAC. 
          ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS ASKED EARLIER,
ARE RELIANCE ON RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES FOR PROPERTY TAX BURDEN. AND WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN EMPHASIZING THE IDEA OF
SPREADING THAT BURDEN TO MORE COMMERCIAL ENTITIES. SO IF WE CAN HELP ENCOURAGE ADDITIONAL COMMERCIAL ENTITIES TO SPREAD THE BURDEN
OF PROPERTY TAXES, IT'S IN THE BENEFIT OF OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY. AND SO THIS IS ONE OF THOSE EFFORTS THAT WE
CAN HELP WITH THE CHAMBER TO ENCOURAGE THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY AND THE COMMERCIAL ACTIVITY IN THE CITY OF
TAMARAC. 
          YOU DIDN'T ANSWER THE QUESTION. DID THEY SUBMIT A PROPOSAL TO ASK FOR THIS $25,000? I DON'T HAVE A PROPOSAL FROM THEM. BUT YET THE CHAMBER HAS TO SUBMIT A PROPOSAL WHERE
THEIR MONEY GOES TO IN ORDER TO GET THEIR FUNDS? SO. I THINK IT'S JUST A MATTER OF, YOU KNOW. NO,
THEY'VE HAD TO SUBMIT PROPOSALS IN ORDER TO GET THEIR FUNDS. 
          I DON'T HAVE A BUSINESS PROPOSAL FROM OUR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. 
          AND SO WE'RE GOING TO GIVE THEM 25,000 ON TOP OF THE $140,000 MORE MARKETING,
ON TOP OF OTHER ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT MONEY, BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO ONLY TARGET A SELECT GROUP OF PEOPLE? I DON'T SEE HOW THAT BENEFITS GETTING BUSINESS INTO OUR CITY. 
          [01:35:01]
ANY COLOR, ANY RELIGION, ANY REPRESENTATION OR OTHERWISE. 
          OBVIOUSLY, THERE'S NO SECRET THAT I AM NOT SUPPORTIVE OF ALL THIS LAST MINUTE INCLUSION. 
          IT WAS BAD ENOUGH I DIDN'T SUPPORT HALF THE STUFF THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET TO BEGIN
WITH. 
          I STILL DON'T UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE PAYING $60,000 TO A LOBBYIST FOR THE COUNTY WHEN EVERY
SINGLE ONE OF US KNOWS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF OUR COMMISSIONERS. AND TO HEAR THAT, OH,
IT'LL HELP GET OUR THINGS PROCESSED BETTER. 
          AS I SHARED, WE CAN JUST PROCESS IT BETTER OURSELVES,
EMPOWER OUR STAFF TO DIRECTLY DO WHAT THEY NEED TO DO. 
          IF WE HAVE PROBLEMS WITH PERMITS IN THE COUNTY,
THEN WE SHOULD BE HAVING OUR APPROPRIATE DEPARTMENT TALK TO THEM DIRECTLY, OR COME TO THEIR PERSON ON THE COMMISSION AND ASK IF WE HAVE SOMEBODY DOWNTOWN THAT WE CAN
TALK TO. 
          BUT TO PAY ANOTHER $60,000 TO A PERSON OR ENTITY,
I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO THE PERSON OR ENTITY MIGHT BE. 
          I'M SURE THEY'RE FABULOUS. THAT'S IRRELEVANT. 
          THERE'S SO MANY OTHER THINGS IN HERE THAT I HAVE ISSUES WITH,
INCLUDING REDUCING OUR SAVINGS DOWN TO 11. 
          WE CAN MAKE OURSELVES FEEL COMFORTABLE ALL WE WANT BY SAYING THAT'S NOT A BAD THING,
BUT I'M PRETTY SURE I HEAR THE DROPPING OF OUR S&P RATING GOING DOWN AS SOON AS WE HIT THE GAVEL TO SAY IT'S PASSED. 
          THERE'S A REASON FOR SAVINGS, AN ABSOLUTE REASON FOR WHY WE WERE ABLE TO DO CERTAIN
PROJECTS AND CERTAIN PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN WAITING AND WAITING AND WAITING AND NOT GETTING DONE BECAUSE WE WERE BUILDING UP THAT BUDGET. 
          I'M AT A LOSS, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, FOR ANYTHING ELSE,
BECAUSE I AM JUST OVERWHELMED HOW HARD OUR TEAM WORKS TO GIVE US AS A COMMISSION, AS A BODY, WHAT WE HAVE ASKED FOR,
OR MAYBE WHAT WE EVEN HAVE NOT ASKED FOR. 
          MAYBE IT IS PRESUMED IT IS ASKED FOR TO HAVE A BUDGET LIKE THIS AND THEN ADD ON ON THIS,
AND WE TAKE AWAY WITH ONE HAND AND WE GIVE WITH THE NEXT WITH NO RULES, JUST RIGHT ATTITUDE. I AM NOT SUPPORTING THIS BUDGET AS IS. 
          I THINK THAT'S CLEAR ANYWAY. VICE MAYOR DANIEL,
YOU WANTED TO SPEAK? YES. I'M ACTUALLY IN AGREEMENT WITH THE MAYOR THAT LAST MINUTE GETTING THIS IS IS A BIT
MUCH. 
          YEAH, I GOT AN INSTANT HEADACHE. HOWEVER I DO. 
          LET ME GO TO THAT PAGE. I DO AGREE WITH PIO,
BECAUSE WE'VE COMPLAINED ABOUT THE MARKETING OF THE CITY FOR EVERY YEAR I'VE BEEN HERE IN THE COMMUNICATION. 
          EVERYONE ON THIS COMMITTEE HAS SAID THE SAME THING,
THAT WE DON'T COMMUNICATE WELL, WE DON'T MARKETING. 
          SO I DON'T KNOW THE COST, BUT APPARENTLY IT'S EXPENSIVE. 
          SO I UNDERSTAND YOUR ASK. AS FAR AS TRAVELING,
YOU COULD CUT MY TRAVELING. 
          I DON'T NEED IT. SO WHATEVER REPRESENT ME, YOU COULD CUT IT. 
          I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE SISTER CITY. WHY WE NEED 25,000,
BUT I GUESS THAT'S SOMETHING WE'LL VOTE ON IN THE FUTURE. 
          AND IF ANYTHING, IT GOES BACK. JUST LIKE THE TRAVELING. 
          WHAT'S THE OTHER ONE SAYS? THE BUSINESS EXPO. 
          I KNOW I'VE SPOKEN TO THE CHAMBER PRESIDENT,
MR. PETER MASON, AND OUR BUSINESSES ARE IN DIRE NEED,
SO THERE'S NO WAY I WOULD, YOU KNOW, AGREE WITH ANYTHING TO HELP OUR BUSINESSES. SO IF THAT INCLUDES THE EXPO AND THE AFRICAN AMERICAN CHAMBER,
SO BE IT. 
          THE SUPPLIES FOR THE COMMISSION FOR ME, CUT THAT TOO,
BECAUSE ALL I'M HEARING IS COMMISSIONER, I CAN TELL YOU, LAST TIME I USED SUPPLIES. I DRINK COFFEE,
THOUGH, SO. 
          OH, AND I THOUGHT, IF IT'S UNDER 60,000, YOU MAKE THE DECISION. 
          SO I'M NOT SURE WHY. WHEN IT'S BEING SCRUTINIZED,
IT'S ALWAYS A CITY COMMISSION OFFICE STUFF AND NOT ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT THAT RIGHT THERE BOTHERS ME. SO THAT'S MY TAKE ON THIS WHOLE THING. 
          THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER BOLTON. OKAY, SO THIS CITY AND FEW PEOPLE ON THIS DAIS HAS A TENDENCY OF POINTING FINGERS TO MAKE IT
SEEM LIKE I ASKED FOR STUFF. AND THOSE WHO ARE ON THOSE PEOPLE'S PAYROLL OBVIOUSLY BELIEVE THAT
IT'S MY STUFF. 
          I WANT TO SAY THAT IT'S NOT MINE. SO WHOEVER WANTS TO BELIEVE THAT OR NOT BELIEVE THAT. 
          YOUR PREROGATIVE. I ASKED FOR CITY COMMISSION TRAVEL BUDGET TO BE REDUCED THE LAST
MEETING. 
          [01:40:05]
I DON'T KNOW WHAT SISTER CITY IS DOING OR WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO PRESENT. 
          I'VE NEVER BEEN TO ONE OF THEIR MEETINGS. I DO NOT AGREE WITH THE PIO BUDGET INCREASING
BINDER PRINTING OR WHATEVER THAT IS. INCREASE OPERATING SUPPLIES IN CITY COMMISSION OFFICE. 
          I DON'T KNOW WHAT SUPPLIES THAT IS. I'M HARDLY HERE. 
          MY OFFICE IS ON THE STREET AND KNOCKING ON DOORS. 
          INCREASING ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FOR BUSINESS EXPO. 
          I DON'T HAVE AN EXPO. I DON'T EVEN GO TO THE CHAMBER MEETINGS,
SO. 
          HELLO, PETER MASON. APPROPRIATE FUNDING FOR PR CONSULTANT IN PIO. 
          WELL, PIO NEEDS THE HELP ANYWAY. SO WHATEVER. 
          AND APPROPRIATE FUNDING FOR GRANT AFRICAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. 
          I'VE NEVER HEARD OF AN AFRICAN AMERICAN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. 
          SO FOR THE RECORD AND ALL OF YOUR SOUNDBITES AND WHATEVER. 
          I DON'T KNOW WHAT THIS IS. HOWEVER, I DO SUPPORT WHATEVER THE MANAGER WANTS TO BRING. 
          I'VE BEEN HERE ALMOST NINE YEARS, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT SOMETIMES WHEN YOU BUDGET FOR
THINGS, PROGRAMS COME AFTER. I'M A POLICY MAKER, SO IF A PROGRAM COMES AFTERWARDS AND I'M NOT FOR
THE PROGRAM, I SIMPLY VOTE NO ON THE PROGRAM. WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO WITH THE MONEY,
THEN? YOU KNOW, WHATEVER FINANCE DOES. SO MAYBE I CAN ASK ONE OF THE FINANCE STAFF MEMBERS WHAT HAPPENS IF, FOR INSTANCE, WE ALL VOTE NO ON SISTER CITY OR AFRICAN AMERICAN
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE OR WHATEVER IT IS. 
          WHERE DOES THE MONEY GO IF WE DON'T IMPLEMENT THE PROGRAMS? I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT THE BUDGET IS NOT ACTUAL MONEY. 
          IT'S AN ALLOCATION. THAT'S NOT WHAT I ASKED. JUST ANSWER MY QUESTION,
PLEASE. IT STAYS IN THE GENERAL FUND. 
          OKAY, THANKS. COMMISSIONER WRIGHT. THANK YOU,
MADAM MAYOR. 
          SO FOR 57, BE MY GOOD FRIEND. MARLON BOLTON REDUCED THAT FOR ME,
SO I DON'T QUALIFY FOR THAT. 
          TRAVEL. I THINK WE REDUCED THAT TO 12,000. AND THE NEW THING WAS A NEW SLIDE. 
          30,000. I THINK LAST TIME WE HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT TRAVEL,
IT WAS 12,000 FOR THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS. 
          AND WE'RE GOING TO REDUCE THAT. SO THAT PART WITH THE AID,
I DON'T WANT THE AID TRAVELING WITH ME. 
          SO YOU CAN TAKE ME OUT OF HAVING THAT ABILITY FOR AID TO TRAVEL. 
          I'LL PUT THAT BACK IN THE POOL. IF THAT'S POSSIBLE. 
          BUT I DON'T WANT TO HAVE AID TRAVELING WITH ME. 
          WHAT ELSE? OTHER STUFF. AGAIN, IT'S A SURPRISE TO ME AS WELL. 
          IT'S KIND OF LAST MINUTE, SO I HAVEN'T GOT A CHANCE TO GO THROUGH ALL THE STUFF. AGAIN,
I'M IN FAVOR OF. 
          I LIKE WHAT THEY DID IN HIALEAH. THEY GAVE A $100 REBATE TO 20,000 HOMESTEADED HOMES. 
          THAT'S 2 MILLION BUCKS. LESS THAN 1% OF THE BUDGET. 
          I KNOW PEOPLE ARE HURTING. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I SAW. 
          I THINK IT WAS A BRILLIANT IDEA. THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX. 
          LOOKING AT THE BUDGET VSO, I SAW WE WENT UP BY 7% FOR VSO. 
          I WANT TO READ THE NEWSPAPERS. OTHER CITIES,
THE SHERIFFS, THEY WENT UP FROM TEN TO, LIKE, 27%. POMPANO WAS 27%. SO OBVIOUSLY AT 7%, THAT'S NOT A BAD DEAL. 
          IN TERMS OF THE INCREASE, YES, IT'S OVER 5%. BUT YOU EXPLAINED LAST TIME EXACTLY WHAT IT
IS. 
          OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, THEIR COSTS INCREASED BY 6%. 
          SO IT'S KIND OF IN LINE. I DON'T THINK IT'S EXORBITANT. 
          AND THE BENEFITS PART AGAIN, I GUESS, YOU KNOW,
I REJECT THE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS. 
          I WANT THE RECORD TO REFLECT THAT, THAT I REJECT THOSE BENEFITS. I DON'T SUPPORT IT
BECAUSE I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD GIVE ADDITIONAL BENEFITS. AND THAT'S MY FEEDBACK. 
          COMMISSIONER PATTERSON. THANK YOU, MAYOR. JUST TWO QUICK QUESTIONS THROUGH THE MANAGER TO
THE FINANCE DIRECTOR. THE ADOPTED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 24-25 WAS HOW MUCH? YOU KNOW THAT NUMBER? AND I JUST WANT TO NOTE, I'M NOT SURE HOW WE PRESENT BUDGETS. 
          I DON'T LIKE LOOKING AT A BUDGET WITHOUT ANY HISTORICAL DATA. 
          SO I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU, MANAGER, WHEN WE PRESENT A BUDGET IN THE FUTURE,
THAT WE HAVE SOME DATA REFLECTIVE OF THE PRIOR YEAR FOR COMPARISON PURPOSES. I THINK THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE I HAVE NO IDEA. 
          I'M GETTING EMAILS THAT ARE BUDGET INCREASED 70%. 
          I KNOW THE NUMBERS. I JUST WANT YOU TO PUT IT ON THE RECORD,
BECAUSE OFTENTIMES WE HAVE THESE HIGH LEVEL DISCUSSIONS AND WE MISS THE FACTS 
          [01:45:10]
BECAUSE WE GET SO CAUGHT UP IN SOME OF THE GRANULAR DETAILS AROUND WHAT THE MANAGER IS
TRYING TO DO WITH HIS ORGANIZATION. 
          BUT I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE NOTE THAT THE HARD NUMBERS ARE RELATIVE TO
PERCENTAGE INCREASE. 
          SO LAST YEAR'S FISCAL, AND NO ONE KNOWS THAT NUMBER? NO. WE'RE GETTING THE NUMBER FOR YOU RIGHT THERE. 
          BRILLIANT. OKAY. 
          SO THE 2025 ADOPTED BUDGET WAS 237 MILLION, ROUGHLY? THE ADOPTED BUDGET WAS 237 MILLION, ROUGHLY. THAT WAS LATER AMENDED. 
          WE AMENDED THAT ONCE. 
          240. BECAUSE THE PRESENTATION THAT'S BEFORE US,
THE BUDGET THAT'S BEFORE US, IT'S TALKING ABOUT $175,000, BUT IT'S NOT TELLING ME WHAT IS THE TOTAL BUDGET FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR,
FOR FISCAL YEAR 25-26. 
          WHAT'S THE TOTAL NUMBER. FOR 2526? YES. THE GENERAL FUND IS 114,195,279. 
          AND THE TOTAL BUDGET IS. TOTAL BUDGET. $293 MILLION. 
          AND THAT'S AN INCREASE OF HOW MUCH IN TERMS OF PERCENTAGE,
FROM LAST FISCAL YEAR TO THIS FISCAL YEAR? I HAVE IT HERE. ZERO POINT. EXCUSE ME. IT'S 23% OF AN INCREASE FROM FY 2425 TO FY 2526. AND THE CITY OF TAMARAC'S TOTAL OVERALL BUDGET IS REFLECTIVE OF A 23%
INCREASE. 
          IS THAT ACCURATE? MADAM ASSISTANT FINANCE DIRECTOR? YOU SEEMED TO BE ON IT LAST TIME. 
          3.8% 21? 23.8%. 23%. SO ANYBODY THAT IS MISCOMMUNICATED ON ANY STREAM OF SOCIAL MEDIA OR
WHAT HAVE YOU. EITHER A, BECAUSE THERE IS A MISCONCEPTION AROUND THE DIALOG ON THIS DAIS,
OR B, WE JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT'S HAPPENING. THE CITY HAS A 23% INCREASE IN ITS BUDGET FROM
2425 TO 2526. 
          IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT THAT IS CONSISTENT WITH BUDGET INCREASE? I THINK IT DEPENDS ON WHERE YOU'RE LOOKING IN THE BUDGET. 
          FOR EXAMPLE, IN 2025, WE HAD A CAPITAL EXPENDITURE CIPS OF ONLY 19 MILLION VERSUS 27
MILLION THIS YEAR. SO IT'S NOT. THE PERCENTAGE IS NOT LINEAR AGAINST ALL THE EXPENDITURE CATEGORIES. 
          FOR EXAMPLE, THE CIPS WENT UP BY. 
          IS ALMOST 50%. AND I THINK I'M GLAD YOU MENTIONED THAT,
BECAUSE IN THE FY 25 BUDGET, 2425 BUDGET, THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT LINE ITEM WAS $25 MILLION. 
          THIS YEAR, IT'S $37 MILLION. WE'RE SITTING ON THE DAIS AND WE'RE DEBATING $175,000,
WHICH IS 0.05% OF THE OVERALL BUDGET, AT $295 MILLION. I THINK THAT WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO PASS A
BALANCED BUDGET TO ENSURE THAT POLICE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED,
THAT FIRE SERVICES ARE PROVIDED, THAT PROGRAMS ARE FUNDED, AND THAT WE ENSURE THAT THE CITY OF TAMARAC IS WHOLE. 
          AND WE'RE FIGHTING UP HERE OVER. OH, I DON'T WANT PAPER IN THE PIO DEPARTMENT. 
          RIGHT? BECAUSE WHATEVER THE POLITICS ARE, IT'S IRRELEVANT. 
          WE JUST PASSED THE MILLAGE. WE WE KEPT THE MILLAGE RATE FLAT. 
          THE CITY MANAGER HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO PRESENT SERVICES,
PROGRAMS, ETC. 
          AND HE'S PRESENTED A BALANCED BUDGET TO THIS COMMISSION. 
          SO FOR WHATEVER FOLKS FEEL ABOUT WHATEVER. I DON'T NECESSARILY,
I MEAN, I'M NOT GOING TO ARGUE WITH PIO ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT THEY NEED PRINTING AND PAPER. 
          I MEAN, I JUST KIND OF THINK THAT WE REALLY NEED TO KIND OF LIFT OUR PERSPECTIVE,
RAISE OUR PERSPECTIVE AROUND WHAT WE PRIORITIZE IN OUR CITY. 
          [01:50:03]
RIGHT? IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CUTS, LET'S TALK ABOUT SUBSTANTIVE CUTS. 
          THERE'S A 7% INCREASE TO BSL SERVICES. THAT'S $25 MILLION. 
          WE'RE FIGHTING OVER $175,000. AND THIS IS NOT A QUESTION TO YOU,
MANAGER. 
          IT'S JUST A STATEMENT. THESE ARE MY COMMENTS. 
          WE REALLY NEED TO APPROACH OUR CITY BUSINESS FROM A HIGHER LEVEL. 
          YOU KNOW, AND REALLY ANALYZE WHAT WE'RE PRIORITIZING IN THE GREATER SCHEME OF THINGS. 
          EVERYONE IN THIS CITY IS IMPORTANT. ALL OF OUR PERSPECTIVES MATTER. 
          THE RESIDENTS MATTER. JUST BECAUSE WE HEAR FROM CERTAIN PEOPLE,
YOU KNOW, IN THE COMMISSION SETTING. 
          THERE'S STILL 70,000 PEOPLE IN THIS CITY, AND EVERYONE CARES AND PRIORITIZES DIFFERENT
THINGS. 
          WE NEED TO ENSURE THAT OUR SERVICES ARE DIVERSE,
THAT OUR PROGRAMS ARE DIVERSE, THAT EVERYTHING THAT WE MAKE AVAILABLE TO THIS COMMUNITY IS REFLECTIVE OF DIVERSITY, AND IT IS INCLUSIVE. 
          THAT'S MY PERSPECTIVE HERE. I WOULD MAKE A MOTION TO GO AHEAD AND APPROVE THE BUDGET. 
          WELL, NOT JUST YET. IT IS ALMOST 7:00. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
WE DO HAVE A 7:00 MEETING RIGHT AFTER THIS. 
          WE WILL GO RIGHT INTO THAT. BUT I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A HEADS UP. 
          AFTER WE CALL ROLL CALL, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A 20 MINUTE BREAK. 
          SO BACK TO BUSINESS HERE. I KNOW SOME PEOPLE,
IT'LL BE 15 MINIMUM. 
          THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THINGS THAT THEY MUST DO. 
          CITY MANAGER? MADAM MAYOR, BY NO MEANS. I WANT TO MINIMIZE THE 175,000 IN THE LAST MINUTE, AND I UNDERSTAND YOUR CONCERNS. AND THIS IS PRESENTED IN THE NAME OF COMPLETE
TRANSPARENCY. 
          WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A $297 MILLION BUDGET THE STAFF PUT TOGETHER. 
          AND THIS IS IN THE NAME OF FULL TRANSPARENCY INCLUDED IN THE LAST MINUTE,
AS PART OF THIS BUDGET. 
          I DON'T WANT TO MINIMIZE THE $175,000 BY ANY MEANS,
BUT WE OPERATE A $297 MILLION BUDGET, AND THE STAFF PUTS THAT TOGETHER. WE COME UP WITH ALL THESE NUMBERS MAKING UP TO THAT $297
MILLION. 
          AND SO AGAIN IN THE NAME OF FULL TRANSPARENCY,
WE PUT THIS UP THERE BECAUSE IT'S BEEN ADDED IN THE LAST MINUTE TO THE BUDGET. AND SO I HOPE IT'S UNDERSTOOD THAT IT'S MEANT AS PART OF OUR DUE DILIGENCE AND
TRANSPARENCY THAT IS BEING PRESENTED TO YOU. SO IT'S OBVIOUS THE COMMISSION'S PREROGATIVE TO TO ACCEPT OR DENY. 
          BUT I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW, MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THIS IS PART OF OUR FULL
TRANSPARENCY. 
          I APPRECIATE THAT. BASICALLY, I'LL JUST TAKE IT THIS WAY. 
          MY BEING VERY DISPLEASED ABOUT THE LAST MINUTE 175 IN NO WAY,
SHAPE OR FORM MEANS THAT I AM NOT DISPLEASED WITH SOME OF THE OTHER MAJOR ITEMS IN THIS BUDGET. 
          I HAVE EXPRESSED MYSELF THROUGH OUR BUDGET MEETINGS. 
          I'VE EXPRESSED MYSELF THROUGH OTHER MEETINGS HERE. 
          SO IT IS JUST. THAT NEVER GOT CHANGED. CERTAIN THINGS DIDN'T GET CHANGED AND IT IS WHAT IT
IS. 
          I DO KNOW THE STAFF, AS I SAID EARLIER, HAS WORKED VERY HARD. 
          SO THIS. MY COMMENTS ARE NOT BASED ONLY ON 175,000. 
          WE DO HAVE A SIGNIFICANT BUDGET, AND I DO THINK THAT CERTAIN THINGS SHOULD BE REALLOCATED
IN OTHER AREAS OF OUR BUDGET. 
          I HAVE SAID TIME AND AGAIN WE NEED MORE EMPLOYEES AND A LITTLE LESS SOME OF THE OTHER
STUFF WHERE WE CAN USE THE SAME DOLLARS AND MAKE IT A WORTHWHILE BUDGET WHERE I WOULD BE ABLE TO SUPPORT IT. MY ISSUES COME WITH THAT,
BUT SINCE IT'S NEVER GOING ANYWHERE, I AM NOT DENYING THEM BECAUSE IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO DO SO NOW. THERE WAS A MOTION. NO, THERE'S ALREADY A MOTION ON THE TABLE. 
          BUT I NEED TO DO SOMETHING ELSE. THANK YOU. AT THIS TIME,
THERE IS A MOTION ON THE TABLE ALREADY FOR. 
          THERE IS A MOTION ON THE TABLE TO ADOPT THE ORDINANCE AS IS. 
          PRESENTED TO US. AND THEREFORE, I WILL ASK THE MAKER OF THE MOTION,
WHICH IS COMMISSIONER WRIGHT, AND THE SECOND OF THE MOTION, WHICH IS VICE MAYOR DANIELS. 
          DO YOU ACCEPT THE AMENDMENT IN TOTAL THAT WE'VE BEEN PROVIDED? IF THE ANSWER IS NO, IT IS NO. I WILL THEN ASK OTHER QUESTIONS. 
          COMMISSIONER WRIGHT? THE AMENDMENTS OF ADDING THE LAST MINUTE CHANGES OF THE 175. 
          NO. OKAY. SO THAT IS NOT BEEN ACCEPTED. I WILL THEN GO DOWN THE LIST. 
          [01:55:01]
YOU WANT TO GET THIS? MR. MANAGER. THESE ITEMS OF 175,000. IS IT INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET AS PRESENTED TO THE COMMISSION? NO. OKAY. SO. NO, THEY ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET. 
          OKAY. I JUST WANT TO. SO IF THEY'RE NOT INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET,
OBVIOUSLY YOU NEED TO INCLUDE THEM THROUGH AMENDMENT. 
          SO THEY WEREN'T INCLUDED. YOUR FRIEND CALLED THE MOTION. 
          SO BASICALLY THE ITEMS THAT WERE ADDED ARE NOT BEING ACCEPTED FOR A FRIENDLY AMENDMENT ON
IT. 
          I HAVE MY OTHER MINUTE THAT IS NOW REMOVED. FINE. 
          I WILL DEFER COMMISSIONER BOLTON. YOU WANTED TO HAVE YOUR LAST TWO MINUTES? GO. OKAY. SO ON PROCEDURE, YOU CAN CALL THE QUESTION THE FIRST MOTION. 
          IT CAN DIE. I WILL VOTE NO ON THE BUDGET. JUST SO THAT THE COMMISSIONERS ARE AWARE THAT
HISTORY AND EXPERIENCE WILL TEACH ME TO DO THIS. SO I'LL VOTE NO ON THE BUDGET,
AND THEN WE'LL MAKE A SECOND MOTION TO ADOPT THE BUDGET WITH THE CHANGES, AND I'LL VOTE YES AT THAT TIME. 
          SO THAT´S THAT. AND AGAIN, I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THE BUDGET,
NOT BECAUSE OF THE ITEMS THAT ARE IN THERE. 
          I ECHO THE SENTIMENT OF THE MAYOR THAT THERE ARE SOME THINGS IN THIS BUDGET THAT I DON'T
AGREE WITH. 
          BUT WHAT I DO AGREE WITH IS STAFF WORKING HARD TO PRESENT A BUDGET TO US. 
          IT IS AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER. OCTOBER IS NEXT,
AND WE NEED A BUDGET. 
          SO IN ORDER TO MOVE CITY OPERATIONS ALONG, I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THE BUDGET. 
          BUT SOME OF THESE ITEMS THAT ARE IN THE BUDGET BEST BELIEVE THAT WHEN THEY COME TO ME,
I'M GOING TO QUESTION THEM. 
          I'M A POLICY MAKER, SO I'M GOING TO QUESTION SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT COME BEFORE US FOR A
VOTE. 
          AND AT THAT TIME IT WOULD BE MORE APPROPRIATE TO VOTE YES OR NO ON THOSE ITEMS. AND IF WE VOTE NO ON THOSE ITEMS, THEN IT GOES BACK TO THE FUND BALANCE. 
          THAT IS THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE FINANCE DIRECTOR. 
          SO THAT'S WHAT I'M GOING TO DO TONIGHT. AGAIN,
THESE ITEMS ARE NOT MINE. 
          I DID NOT ASK FOR THEM. AND SO, YOU KNOW, TO THOSE WHO WILL SAY ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAT
THEY'RE MINE, THEY'RE NOT MINE. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE THAT ABUNDANTLY CLEAR AGAIN. 
          SO. FROM A PROCEDURAL STANDPOINT, WE HAVE A MOTION,
A SECOND WITHOUT THESE, SO. CALL IT. CITY CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. 
          COMMISSIONER WRIGHT? NO. MAYOR GOMEZ? NO. VICE MAYOR DANIEL? NO. COMMISSIONER BOLTON? NO. COMMISSIONER PATTERSON? YES. MOTION FAILS, 4 TO 1. AND. I MAKE A MOTION TO ADOPT THE BUDGET, AS AMENDED WITH THE CITY MANAGER'S RECOMMENDATION OF $175,000. I'M GOING TO CLARIFY THAT COMMISSIONER BOLTON JUST MADE A MOTION TO ADOPT
TEMPORARY ORDINANCE NUMBER 2600, AS AMENDED. IS THERE A SECOND? SEEING NO SECOND,
THAT'LL FAIL. 
          THIS IS QUITE CONFUSING. YEAH. AND I THINK THAT WE ALL,
THE MOTION THAT FAILED WAS A BUDGET EXCLUDING THE 175,000. 
          OKAY, SO NOW COMMISSIONER BOLTON JUST MOVED TO INCLUDE THE $175,000 AS PART OF THE BUDGET. 
          AND THAT'S HIS MOTION. UNDERSTOOD. 
          THE CITY CLERK. THE FINANCE DIRECTOR INDICATED THAT 175 WAS NOT INCLUDED. 
          NOW THE MOTION WAS MADE TO INCLUDE IT. UNDERSTOOD. 
          WE HAVE A MOTION, WE NEED A SECOND. SECOND. THANK YOU FOR STALLING. 
          OKAY. ANY DISCUSSION? I'M GOING TO ASK THE QUESTION,
CITY MANAGER, WHICH ITEMS OF HERE, THE ADDED ITEMS ACTUALLY COME BACK TO US FOR DISCUSSION AND A VOTE? IT WOULD BE SISTER CITIES. 
          IT WOULD BE PR CONSULTANT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,
BUSINESS EXPO. 
          [02:00:07]
IT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A JOINT EFFORT AND THE CHAMBER CONTRIBUTION. 
          YOU'RE PUTTING ON THE RECORD THAT ALL OF THESE ITEMS WILL NOW BE SOMETHING THAT WILL COME
TO US FOR A VOTE, AS ALREADY POINTED OUT? WHICH ARE WITHIN YOUR DISCRETION? YES. EVEN THOUGH IT'S WITHIN THAT THRESHOLD,
IT WOULD BE A JOINT EFFORT WITH THE CITY COMMISSION. 
          YES. SO YOU'RE SAYING SISTER CITIES, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT,
PR CONSULTANT? WELL, ACTUALLY, PR CONSULTANT IS [INAUDIBLE] IS OVER,
60 IS FINE. 
          AND THE APPROPRIATE FUNDING FOR THE CHAMBER THAT IS BEING REQUESTED,
THOSE FOUR ITEMS ARE GOING TO BE COMING BACK TO THE COMMISSION, IS WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? THAT'S THE PROCESS. AND I EXPECT THAT TO BE IN THE MINUTES
REFLECTING THE SAME. 
          MADAM MAYOR, YOU JUST POINTED OUT THAT THE $60,000 FOR PR CONSULTANT IS $60,000,
WHICH IS FINE UNDER THE COMMISSION, UNDER THE MANAGER'S THRESHOLD. BUT ALL OF THESE ITEMS STANDING ALONE ARE UNDER THE
MANAGER. 
          EXACTLY. THAT'S WHAT I ASKED HIM. ALL THESE ITEMS ARE UNDER. 
          RIGHT. WELL, BECAUSE YOU PUT SOMETHING ON THE RECORD THAT IS NOT CLEAR OR TRUE OR FACTUAL. 
          THE CITY MANAGER HAS SAID YES AND THE RECORD WILL CLEARLY REFLECT IT WHEN IT'S IN THE
MINUTES. 
          IF NOTHING FURTHER, CITY CLERK, PLEASE CALL THE ROLL. 
          COMMISSIONER BOLTON? YES. COMMISSIONER WRIGHT? NO. COMMISSIONER PATTERSON? YES. VICE MAYOR DANIEL? YES. MAYOR GOMEZ? NO. THANK YOU. MOTION PASSES 3 TO 2. 
          THANK YOU. SO IT MEANS THE BUDGET PASSED AS AMENDED,
IS WHAT IT MEANS. 
          LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, WE HAVE A BUDGET, AND WE HAVE A MILLAGE RATE. 
          THANK YOU VERY MUCH TO OUR TEAM WHO HAS WORKED VERY HARD. 
          AND AT THIS TIME, OUR BUDGET HEARING IS NOW OVER. 
          IT IS 7:07.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.