CAPTIONING
JULY 15, 2010
BOCC WORKSHOP
BUDGET


***This is not an official, verbatim transcript of the 
***following meeting.  It should be used for informational 
***purposes only.  This document has not been edited; 
***therefore, there may be additions, deletions, or words 
***that did not translate.

>>KEN HAGAN:  GOOD AFTERNOON, AND WELCOME TO OUR JULY 15th, 
2010, BUDGET WORKSHOP.
BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I'M GOING TO READ INTO THE RECORD 
FROM COMMISSIONER WHITE, PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT I'LL BE 
ARRIVING LATE FOR THE BUDGET WORKSHOP THIS AFTERNOON DUE TO 
A SCHEDULING CONFLICT.
I'LL DO MY BEST TO BE PRESENT BEFORE THE MEETING'S END.
PLEASE READ THE REASON FOR MY TARDINESS INTO THE RECORD.
THANK YOU.
WITH THAT, I'LL TURN THINGS OVER TO MR. MERRILL FOR SOME 
OPENING REMARKS AND THEN MR. JOHNSON FOR AN UPDATE ON THE 
FISCAL '11 BUDGET.
>>MIKE MERRILL:  YES.
THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
THIS IS OUR SECOND BUDGET WORKSHOP FOR THE FY 11 
RECOMMENDED BUDGET.
ON JUNE 10th I DELIVERED TO YOU THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET AND 
PROVIDED YOU THE BACKGROUND AND SORT OF PHILOSOPHY AND 
APPROACH TO IT.
TODAY I'M GOING TO ASK ERIC TO TALK MORE SPECIFICALLY ABOUT 
REVENUES, PROPERTY TAXES, AND THE TRANSITION PLANS AS WELL 
AS THE CAPITAL BUDGET, AND WITH THAT, I WILL TURN IT OVER 
TO ERIC.
>>ERIC JOHNSON:  GOOD AFTERNOON, COMMISSIONERS.
WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO IS TO -- MIKE GAVE YOU REALLY THE 
PHILOSOPHY AT OUR LAST WORKSHOP IN TERMS OF THE APPROACH 
THAT'S BEEN TAKEN.
THIS IS THE SECOND YEAR OF -- OF THE BIENNIAL BUDGET FOR 
FISCAL '10 AND '11.
I'M GOING TO ASK MARY MAHONEY TO GIVE YOU A COPY OF THE 
POWERPOINT, AND WE'LL HAVE THIS POWERPOINT ON-LINE FOR THE 
PUBLIC LATER ON TODAY, I BELIEVE.
WHAT I WANT TO DO IS TO GO THROUGH AND TALK ABOUT WHAT'S 
CHANGED SINCE LAST SEPTEMBER WHEN THE BOARD ADOPTED A 
PLANNED BUDGET BECAUSE, AS YOU RECALL, THERE WERE SOME 
ASPECTS OF THAT BUDGET THAT YOU WANTED US TO WORK ON, AND 
THE ENVIRONMENT AND PARTICULARLY OUR FINANCES HAVE CHANGED 
SOME SINCE THEN.
WE TEND TO FOCUS ON PROPERTY TAXES BECAUSE WHILE PROPERTY 
TAXES ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT 20% OF THE OVERALL RESOURCES USED 
IN THE COUNTY'S BUDGET, THEY'RE OVERWHELMINGLY IMPORTANT 
WHEN IT COMES TO SOME MAJOR PROGRAMS, AND WHEN WE PRESENTED 
THAT BUDGET LAST YEAR, WE'D ANTICIPATED ABOUT A 9% 
REDUCTION IN PROPERTY TAX REVENUE FROM FISCAL '10 TO FISCAL 
'11, BUT WHAT WE'VE SEEN IS AN 11% REDUCTION, AND WHAT THAT 
MEANS IS THAT THE VALUE OF PROPERTY IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY 
DECLINED OVER CALENDAR YEAR 2009 BY $8 BILLION.
IF WE GO BACK TO THE PEAK OF -- IN FISCAL '08'S BUDGET, 
WE'VE HAD A 26% REDUCTION IN VALUE OF PROPERTY OR A $23-
BILLION REDUCTION.
WHEN WE TALK ABOUT PROPERTY TAX REVENUES, ONE OF THE THINGS 
THAT I RECOGNIZE IS THAT WHEN WE START TO TALK ABOUT WHAT'S 
HAPPENED IN RECENT YEARS, A VERY VALID POINT THAT -- THAT 
PEOPLE BRING UP IS, BUT WHAT ABOUT ALL THE REVENUE THAT YOU 
RECEIVED IN PRIOR YEARS?
I THINK IT'S FAIR THAT AS WE TALK ABOUT KIND OF THE CONTEXT 
OF THE LOSS OF PROPERTY TAX REVENUE THAT WE RECOGNIZE WHAT 
HAD HAPPENED LEADING UP TO WHAT'S HAPPENED IN THE LAST FOUR 
YEARS.
WE'VE HAD TWO YEARS OF TAX REFORM FOLLOWED BY TWO YEARS OF 
RECESSION, AND AS A RESULT OF THE RECESSION, AS YOU CAN SEE 
IN THE LAST TWO BARS IN THE CHART, WE'VE LOST ABOUT $160 
MILLION DOLLARS NET OF PROPERTY TAX REVENUE, AND GOING 
BACK, THE FISCAL '08 NUMBER, THE 11 MILLION REDUCTION, THAT 
WAS WHEN THE FLORIDA LEGISLATURE REQUIRED LOCAL GOVERNMENTS 
TO EITHER ROLL BACK THEIR TAXES -- THEIR TAX RATES OR 
REQUIRED A SPECIAL VOTE OF LOCAL ELECTED OFFICIALS TO 
OVERRIDE THAT, AND THE REALLY ISSUE IN '08 WAS NOT SO MUCH 
THE 11 MILLION ABSOLUTE REDUCTION BUT THE FACT THAT WE 
WOULD HAVE HAD ANOTHER BAR LIKE FY 07 WITH TENS OF MILLIONS 
OF DOLLARS OF ADDITIONAL REVENUE.
A KEY, I THINK, IN LOOKING AT THIS IS THAT SOMETIMES THE 
REACTION IS, WELL, IF WE HAD A BUDGET THAT WAS BALANCED IN 
FISCAL '04 WITH ROUGHLY THE LEVEL OF REVENUE THAT WE HAVE 
TODAY, WHY CAN'T WE GO BACK, AND THE ANSWER IS THAT THERE 
ARE A LOT OF THINGS THAT HAVE HAPPENED OVER THE LAST 
SEVERAL YEARS.
WE'VE OPENED FIVE FIRE STATIONS, FOR EXAMPLE, WE'VE OPENED 
PARKS, SERVICE CENTERS, LIBRARIES, WE'VE NEGOTIATED 
COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS, AND SO THERE'S A VARIETY 
OF REASONS WHY WE SIMPLY CAN'T GO BACK TO THE FISCAL '04 
LEVEL OF BUDGET, BUT THE ONE THING WE'LL TELL YOU -- AND 
OUR INTENT IS TO HAVE A POSITIVE SPIN ON THINGS -- WE THINK 
THAT THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE PRESENTING TO YOU THIS SUMMER 
LARGELY AVOIDS THE TYPES OF SERVICE REDUCTIONS THAT WE KNOW 
THE BOARD DIDN'T WANT TO SEE IN RESPECT TO THE EMPLOYEES 
THAT ARE GOING TO BE TAKING ON MORE RESPONSIBILITY AND 
THOSE THAT MAY BE LOSING THEIR JOBS.
CERTAINLY THERE ARE CUTS THAT ARE REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET, 
BUT WE DON'T BELIEVE THAT THERE'S ANY SIGNIFICANT SERVICE 
REDUCTION THAT THE PUBLIC WILL SEE GOING FORWARD WITH THIS 
BUDGET, AND WE'RE GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THE 
TRANSITION PLANS THAT MIKE SHARED WITH YOU AT OUR LAST 
WORKSHOP, BUT THE LOSS OF REVENUE HAS BEEN SIGNIFICANT, AND 
WE THINK THAT WE'VE ADDRESSED IT.
THIS IS SPECIFICALLY HOW IT ROLLED OUT IN TERMS OF THE 
CHANGE FROM THE CURRENT YEAR TO NEXT YEAR.
WE'LL LOSE ABOUT $45 MILLION COUNTYWIDE, 20 MILLION IN THE 
UNINCORPORATED FUND THAT'S THE SERVICE PROVIDER OF 
MUNICIPAL SERVICES TO THE 800,000 PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THE 
UNINCORPORATED AREA.
LIBRARY TAX DISTRICT REVENUE IS DOWN FOUR MILLION, BUT AS 
YOU MAY HAVE HEARD, THEY'VE BEEN FAIRLY FRUGAL IN THE 
LIBRARY DISTRICT, AND THEY'VE BEEN ABLE TO CARRY FORWARD 
SOME MONEY FROM PRIOR YEARS, BUT THEY'VE TAKEN A $4-MILLION 
REDUCTION FROM THIS YEAR TO NEXT YEAR IN TERMS OF NEW 
REVENUE COMING IN THE DOOR THAT COULD SUSTAIN SERVICES.
AND THEN DEBT MILLAGE IS DOWN ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS IN 
TERMS OF THE REVENUE THAT'S GENERATED.
ONE THING THAT WE THINK IS IMPORTANT TO YOU BECAUSE OF 
THE -- THE MESSAGE IT SENDS IS THAT THE BOARD HAS HAD A 
PATTERN OF REDUCING MILLAGE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.
DEPENDING ON WHETHER YOU LOOK AT OUR COUNTYWIDE MILLAGE 
RATE THAT EVERY TAXPAYER IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY PAYS 
WHETHER THEY LIVE IN THE CITY OR THE UNINCORPORATED AREA, 
THAT'S GONE DOWN 2.4 MILLS IN THE LAST 18 YEARS, A 29% 
REDUCTION, AND WHILE CERTAINLY WHAT WE HAVE THIS YEAR AND 
NEXT ARE VERY SMALL REDUCTIONS, WE RECOGNIZE THAT THE KEY 
THERE IS REALLY THE MESSAGE IT SENDS, AND THE CUMULATIVE 
IMPACT OF THE MILLAGE REDUCTIONS HAS BEEN SUBSTANTIAL.
IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREA WHERE WE HAVE TAXPAYERS WHO PAY 
EVERY MILLAGE THAT THE BOARD LEVIES, INCLUDING THE LIBRARY 
MILLAGE AND THE -- THE UNINCORPORATED MILLAGE, THE SAVINGS 
HAVE BEEN GREATER, A TOTAL OF $3.19 PER $1,000 OF TAXABLE 
VALUE OR JUST ABOUT 3.2 MILLS.
THAT'S A 22% REDUCTION THAT'S OCCURRED IN THE LAST 16 
YEARS, AND YOU SEE IT'S VARIED BY YEAR.
2008 IS THAT LARGE REDUCTION IN THE TOTAL MILLAGE WHICH 
INCLUDES ALL OF THOSE -- THOSE LEVIES INCLUDING THE 
UNINCORPORATED LEVY.
BUT IT'S A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION IN TERMS OF WHAT'S 
HAPPENED, AND AGAIN, I THINK WE SEND A SIGNAL TO THE 
COMMUNITY WHEN THE TAX BASE IS DECLINING AND WE DON'T 
PROPOSE EVEN HOLDING THE TAX RATE THE SAME, MUCH LESS 
INCREASING IT.
AS YOU READ STORIES FROM AROUND THE STATE, YOU SEE THERE'S 
OTHER JURISDICTIONS THAT HAVE ROUTINELY RESPONDED TO 
REDUCED TAX VALUES BY SIMPLY INCREASING THE TAX RATE.
TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT SPECIFIC REVENUES.
SOMETHING THAT'S IMPORTANT TO KEEP IN MIND IS THAT IN THAT 
BIENNIAL BUDGET WE DELIVERED LAST YEAR, PART OF OUR 
STRATEGY WAS TO RECOGNIZE THAT OUR INTEREST EARNINGS WERE 
ALMOST NONEXISTENT IF THE CURRENT FINANCIAL MARKETS.
SOME OF THE BONDS THAT WE LOCKED IN THAT WERE WITHIN 
SEVERAL YEARS OF BEING RETIRED HAD A HIGHER INTEREST 
EXPENSE THAN THE RATE OF RETURN THAT WE WERE RECEIVING, SO 
OUR STRATEGY WAS TO IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES TO DEFEASE DEBT, 
WHICH SIMPLY MEANS WHEN YOU CAN'T PAY IT OFF EARLY, YOU SET 
ASIDE THE DOLLARS NECESSARY TO MEET FUTURE OBLIGATIONS, AND 
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT IS WE FREED UP ABOUT $15 MILLION 
OF OPERATING REVENUE THAT WE'LL USE ON AN ONGOING BASIS TO 
BALANCE THE BUDGET BY SETTING ASIDE ALL THE COMMITMENTS.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT LIKE IF YOU WERE TWO YEARS OUT FROM 
PAYING OFF A CAR PAYMENT AND YOU COULD IDENTIFY ENOUGH CASH 
TO MEET THOSE OBLIGATIONS, YOU'D FREE UP A PORTION OF 
YOUR -- YOUR MONTHLY BUDGET IN YOUR HOUSEHOLD TO BE ABLE TO 
MEET OTHER NEEDS, WHICH MIGHT INCLUDE THE LOSS OF REVENUE 
FROM -- FROM A WAGE EARNER IN THE FAMILY, SO WE THINK THAT 
WAS A GOOD STRATEGY.
IT'S GOING TO BE FULLY IN EFFECT BY THIS YEAR, AND SINCE WE 
PAID OFF $107 MILLION IN DEBT AND FREED UP $15 MILLION FROM 
REVENUE, IT'S ABOUT A 14.2% RETURN ON OUR INVESTMENT.
AS YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED TO YOU ABOUT USER FEES.
THE BOARD'S BEEN RECEPTIVE IN AREAS PARTICULARLY WHERE 
THERE WAS SUPPORT BY THE CONSTITUENCIES THAT WOULD ACTUALLY 
PAY THOSE FEES.
WE'RE NOT AT THIS POINT PROPOSING NEW FEES, BUT THE FEE 
INCREASES HAVE HELPED IN TERMS OF DEALING WITH -- WITH THE 
BUDGET GAP.
OBVIOUSLY INTEREST EARNINGS HAVEN'T HELPED US.
WE HAVE ALMOST NO INTEREST EARNINGS THESE DAYS.
AT SOME POINT THE FINANCIAL MARKETS WILL COME BACK.
WE DO SEE SALES TAX STARTING TO PICK UP, AND SALES TAX WILL 
MOVE UP LONG BEFORE PROPERTY TAXES START TO RECOVER.
THE COMMUNICATIONS -- CST IS STILL DECLINING, AND SOME OF 
THAT MAY REFLECT PEOPLE BEING MORE COMFORTABLE USING 
WIRELESS AS OPPOSED TO NEEDING TO HAVE A LAND LINE IN THEIR 
HOME, SO THAT IS STILL DECLINING.
GRANT REVENUES ARE REALLY MIXED.
SOME OF THEM HAVE GONE UP SUBSTANTIALLY.
YOU KNOW THAT HEAD START RECEIVED A $5-MILLION BOOST THIS 
YEAR WITH THE SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN GRANT REVENUE, BUT 
OVERALL, EVEN WITH THE INCREASE IN SOME SELECTIVE AREAS, 
WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THE LEVEL OF GRANT SUPPORT THAT 
EVEN EQUALS THE FY 09 LEVELS.
A KEY IS THAT EACH YEAR WE'VE LOOKED FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO 
STREAMLINE, TO FIND WAYS TO CUT BACK AND STILL PROVIDE 
SERVICES, AND THE EFFICIENCIES THAT WERE REFLECTED IN THE 
BUDGET THIS YEAR WILL BE CONTINUED.
THERE'S SOME THAT WE'RE PHASING IN, AND THOSE WILL STILL 
PHASE IN.
THE SIGNIFICANT OF THE UPDATE IS THAT IMPACTS IN SERVICES, 
WE BELIEVE, HAVE BEEN OVERWHELMINGLY AVOIDED, AND THAT'S IN 
LARGE PART TO LOOKING AT DIFFERENT WAYS TO DO BUSINESS 
USING SOME ONE-TIME MONEY AS WE TRANSITION HOW WE DO 
BUSINESS, AND SO OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHS WE'LL BE LOOKING 
AT LONG-TERM STRATEGIES THAT WOULD ALLOW US TO KEEP 
PROGRAMS ON AN ONGOING BASIS, BUT WE MAY NOT BE THE 
PROVIDER, AND MIKE HAS TALKED TO YOU ABOUT THAT IN THE 
PAST.
WE HAVE 17 MILLION IN NEW EFFICIENCIES OR PRODUCTIVITY 
GAINS, AND THOSE DO REQUIRE POSITION CUTS, AND I'LL TALK A 
LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE.
WE'RE CERTAINLY SENSITIVE, AS I SAID, TO THE EMPLOYEES 
IMPACTED, EITHER BY THE WORKLOAD CHANGE OR THE FACT THAT IN 
SOME CASES THE POSITIONS BEING ELIMINATED ARE FILLED, BUT 
WE HAVE ATTEMPTED TO CONTINUE TO LOOK FOR WAYS TO CUT OUR 
COSTS OF OPERATION ON A PERMANENT BASIS IN ORDER TO SUSTAIN 
SERVICES TO THE GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE.
THIS IS A CHART THAT'S STRAIGHT OUT OF YOUR -- YOUR BUDGET 
BOOK.
IT'S OUT OF MIKE'S BUDGET MESSAGE ON PAGE 28.
IT REFLECTS 11 DIFFERENT AREAS THAT HAVE COME TO US AND 
NEGOTIATED ONE-TIME MONEY IN ORDER TO BIDE THE TIME TO WORK 
ON LONG-TERM STRATEGIES FOR HOW SERVICES SHOULD BE 
PROVIDED, BY WHOM THEY SHOULD BE PROVIDED, AND WHAT TYPE OF 
COUNTY RESOURCES MAY OR MAY NOT BE REQUIRED, AND SO IT'S 
NOT MY INTENT AT THIS POINT TO TALK MORE ABOUT ANY OF THESE 
INDIVIDUAL ONES, BUT THIS IS KIND OF A BLUEPRINT FOR THE 
NEXT 12 MONTHS IN TERMS OF HOW WE'RE GOING TO TRANSITION 
THE ORGANIZATION ALONG WITH A COUPLE OTHER CHANGES THAT I 
WANT TO DESCRIBE IN A MOMENT.
I WANT TO GO BACK BECAUSE I KNOW ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT YOU 
DEAL WITH FROM CONSTITUENTS IS THE ISSUE WE HEARD LAST 
YEAR, THAT SOME PROGRAMS WERE GOING TO BE CUT, AND YOU NEED 
TO BE ABLE TO REACT TO THAT AND SAY, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S 
HAPPENING, WHAT'S THE UPDATE.
IN WHAT WAS THE AGING SERVICES DEPARTMENT THAT'S NOW PART 
OF FAMILY AND AGING SERVICES WITH THE TRANSITION PLAN, 
WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO RESTORE SIGNIFICANT FUNDING FOR SENIOR 
CENTERS, THE RSVP PROGRAM, AND IN-HOME SERVICES, SO A LOT 
OF THE SEVERE CUTBACKS THAT WERE CAUSING SOME OF THE 
CONCERN LAST SUMMER AND THROUGH THE BUDGET ADOPTION PROCESS 
IN SEPTEMBER, WE'VE TRIED TO RESTORE THOSE FUNDS TO THE 
GREATEST EXTENT POSSIBLE WHILE WE WORK ON LONG-TERM 
SOLUTIONS.
SIMILARLY IN ANIMAL SERVICES WE'VE TRIED TO RESTORE 
SIGNIFICANT FUNDING.
YOU KNOW THAT IN THE ABSENCE OF THIS, WE WERE GOING TO HAVE 
SHARP CUTBACKS IN THE NUMBER OF ANIMAL CONTROL OFFICERS 
THAT WOULD BE ON THE STREET, SO WE'VE RESTORED SIGNIFICANT 
FUNDING FOR SERVICES THERE, AGAIN WHILE WE WORK ON A 
TRANSITION PLAN THAT IN ANIMAL SERVICE'S CASE IS GOING TO 
BE THE CONTINUED ROLL-OUT OF THE FEE ADJUSTMENTS THAT HAVE 
BEEN APPROVED AND MAYBE MORE SIGNIFICANTLY THE LEVEL OF 
PARTICIPATION IN PEOPLE PAYING THOSE FEES.
PARKS, RECREATION, AND CONSERVATION, WE HAD THAT WORKSHOP 
ABOUT A YEAR AGO OUT AT THE ALL PEOPLE'S CENTER, AND WE 
CERTAINLY NEEDED THAT LOCATION GIVEN SOME OF THE -- THE 
INTEREST, PARTICULARLY IN PARKS, RECREATION, AND 
CONSERVATION PROGRAMS.
THIS BUDGET RESTORES THE FUNDING IN THE AREA OF 
CONSERVATION THAT WAS -- THAT WAS SUBJECT TO CUTS IN THE 
PROPOSED BUDGET.
THE THERAPEUTICS PROGRAMS SUCH AS ALL PEOPLE'S LIFE CENTER, 
BLAZESPORTS, BAKAS EQUESTRIAN PROGRAM, FUNDING IS RESTORED 
IN FISCAL '11 FOR THOSE PROGRAMS AS WE WORK ON A TRANSITION 
TO DETERMINE HOW BEST TO PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES.
AND OBVIOUSLY A CONCERN ABOUT BEING ABLE TO KEEP REGIONAL 
PARKS OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK, THAT'S BEEN ACCOMMODATED, AND 
SO I THINK THE AREAS OF GREAT CONCERN IN THESE THREE AREAS 
WE'VE TRIED TO ADDRESS THROUGH THE TRANSITION PLANS AND 
PROVIDING FUNDING.
PROBABLY THE AREA THAT DIDN'T RECEIVE ENOUGH ATTENTION LAST 
YEAR WAS THE POTENTIAL FOR REDUCTION IN STORMWATER 
SERVICES.
AS LONG AS IT'S NOT RAINING, THAT TENDS TO BE AN AREA THAT 
WE DON'T GIVE AS MUCH ATTENTION TO, AND ONE OF THE AREAS 
THAT WE FOCUSED ON AS WE BUILT THE UPDATE TO THE FISCAL '11 
BUDGET WAS TO RESTORE THE FUNDING THAT HAD BEEN PROPOSED TO 
BE CUT IN FISCAL '11 IN THE AREA OF STORMWATER.
IN REAL ESTATE WE'VE RESTORED CUTS THAT HAD BEEN PLANNED IN 
GIS SPORT AND THE OPERATION OF A SURPLUS WAREHOUSE, AND 
AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT A TRANSITION PLAN TO SEE HOW BEST 
TO PROVIDE GIS.
WE'VE LOOKED AT SOME MERGERS BETWEEN FUNCTIONS IN DIFFERENT 
DEPARTMENTS, AND IN THE CASE OF THE SURPLUS WAREHOUSE, WE'D 
BE LOOKING AT WHAT ALTERNATIVES THERE MAY BE IN TERMS OF 
HOW WE DEAL WITH SURPLUS MATERIALS.
YOU'RE AWARE, I BELIEVE, THAT ON THE TRANSITION PLANS WE'VE 
HAD REQUESTS FROM BOTH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY AND THE PLANNING 
COMMISSION TO PARTICIPATE WITH TRANSITION PLANS WHICH BUYS 
BOTH OF THOSE ORGANIZATIONS TIME TO COME UP WITH LONG-TERM 
STRATEGIES TO CUT TO THE LEVEL THAT OTHERWISE THEY WOULD 
HAVE NEEDED TO CUT TO IN FISCAL '11, SO WE'VE RESTORED 
FUNDING IN THOSE AREAS AS WELL.
AND THEN SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES, YOU MIGHT RECALL THAT 
LAST YEAR WE HAD IDENTIFIED THREE DIFFERENT CATEGORIES OF 
SOCIAL SERVICE AGENCIES, AND THE MOST SIGNIFICANT ONES IN 
TERMS OF DIRECT IMPACT WERE THE ONES THAT WE WERE PLANNING 
TO RETAIN FUNDING FOR IN FISCAL '11, AND THE OTHER TWO 
PRIORITIES WERE ONES THAT WERE BEING BASICALLY ZEROED OUT, 
AND THERE WERE NEARLY 40 AGENCIES THAT -- THAT WERE IN THAT 
PLANNED BUDGET SUBJECT TO THAT.
WE HAVE RESTORED FUNDING FOR THEM.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE MEMO'S GONE OUT, BUT MIKE'S GOT A MEMO 
THAT'S GOING TO BE GOING OUT TO EACH OF THOSE ADVISING THEM 
OF OUR INTENT TO KEEP THEM GOING FOR THE NEXT YEAR WHILE 
THEY SEEK OPPORTUNITIES TO EITHER WORK WITH OTHERS SO THAT 
WE HAVE THESE MORE JOINT EFFORTS OR FIND OTHER WAYS TO 
RESTRUCTURE, BUT THAT WAS AN AREA THAT I DON'T THINK YOU 
HEARD TOO MUCH ABOUT LAST SUMMER BUT I ANTICIPATE YOU WOULD 
HAVE HEARD MORE ABOUT THAT THIS YEAR BECAUSE CUTTING SOCIAL 
SERVICE AGENCIES WHEN UNEMPLOYMENT IS TO THE LEVEL IT'S AT 
CERTAINLY WOULD HAVE BEEN AN AREA OF CONCERN.
WHAT ELSE ARE WE DOING?
MIKE'S TOLD YOU THAT WE'RE INITIATING A PROCESS IMPROVEMENT 
EFFORT THAT BORROWS IDEAS THAT WE OBTAINED FROM THE 
SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND FROM THE TAX COLLECTOR'S OFFICE.
EFFORTS ARE UNDERWAY NOW, AND THAT'S AN AREA WHERE WE LOOK 
FOR QUICK GAINS OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS AS WE HAVE 
OPPORTUNITIES TO LOOK AT WAYS TO IMPROVE HOW WE DO BUSINESS 
AND AT THE SAME TIME LOOK FOR OPPORTUNITIES TO REDUCE OUR 
COSTS.
YOU'RE AWARE THAT OUR ORGANIZATIONAL RESTRUCTURING AND 
DOWNSIZING HAS BEGUN.
WE'VE HAD A SERIES OF ADMINISTRATIVE ORDERS THAT TOOK 
EFFECT EARLIER THIS SUMMER, AND WE'VE MOVED DOWN THAT PATH 
OF LOOKING AT HOW TO HAVE A SLIMMER ORGANIZATION AND 
ELIMINATE SOME OF THE DUPLICATIVE ADMINISTRATIVE FUNCTIONS 
THAT OTHERWISE EXIST IN DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONAL UNITS.
WE ARE SUSPENDING PAY INCREASES FOR ANOTHER YEAR.
YOU APPROVED COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS YESTERDAY.
THEY'RE GOING THROUGH THE RATIFICATION PROCESS TODAY AND 
TOMORROW, BUT WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE OUR FIREFIGHTERS 
WORKING WITH US TO CONSTRAIN COST INCREASES IN THESE 
ECONOMIC TIMES.
WE HAVE CANCELED THE FURLOUGHS FOR NEXT YEAR.
THAT WAS NOT SEEN AS AN EFFECTIVE WAY OF CUTTING COSTS.
IT WAS ALWAYS A SHORT-TERM PHENOMENON, AND AS WE SAW, IT 
IMPACTED OUR CLIENTS AT THE SAME TIME IT WAS IMPACTING OUR 
STAFF AND LED TO YOUR NEEDING TO FAIRLY SOON AFTER WE 
IMPOSED THE FURLOUGHS HAVING TO LOOK AT QUESTIONING WHAT WE 
COULD KEEP OPEN AND -- AND HOW WE COULD CONTINUE TO PROVIDE 
SOME OF THOSE SERVICES.
WE'RE STILL CUTTING A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF POSITIONS, BUT 
FORTUNATELY AN OVERWHELMING NUMBER OF THOSE ARE VACANT, AND 
SO THERE'S THE OPPORTUNITY TO CUT COSTS, TO CHANGE HOW WE 
DO BUSINESS, BUT LIMIT THE IMPACT ON OUR EMPLOYEES BECAUSE 
AS MIKE TALKED TO YOU YESTERDAY WITH OUR OUTSOURCING 
PROGRAM, WE'RE CERTAINLY SENSITIVE TO THE FACT THAT WE ARE 
THE SECOND LARGEST EMPLOYER IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
THE ONLY EMPLOYER IN HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY THAT HAS MORE 
EMPLOYEES THAN US IS THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, SO WE HAVE AN 
IMPACT ON THE COMMUNITY, AND WE'RE LOOKING TO MINIMIZE THAT 
IMPACT BUT AT THE SAME TIME DOWNSIZE OUR ORGANIZATION AND 
SAVE FUNDING.
WE ALSO KNOW THAT ONE OF THE ISSUES THAT YOU GET FEEDBACK 
ON IS CONCERNS THAT SOMEHOW WE'RE IMPACTING YOUR ABILITY TO 
BE SUPPORTIVE OF TWO KEY AREAS, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND 
FIRE RESCUE, AND SO WE WANT TO PROVIDE YOU THE ASSURANCE 
THAT WE'RE NOT.
IN FACT, WE THINK THAT WE HAVE GOOD RELATIONSHIPS.
MIKE JUST RETURNED FROM A MEETING AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, 
AND WE'VE HAD MEETINGS WITH THEM.
THE KEY IS, AS I JUST SAID, WE HAD GOOD COOPERATION FROM 
THE FIREFIGHTERS AS THEY HELPED US DEAL WITH OUR FINANCIAL 
SITUATION.
THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS BEEN INCREDIBLY HELPFUL TO US.
THEY ABSORBED THE COST OF SECURITY LAST YEAR, AND AS YOU 
LOOK AT THE CHART AND SEE THAT THE TOTAL FUNDING FOR THE 
COMBINED BUDGETS OF SHERIFF AND FIRE RESCUE HAVE BEEN ABOUT 
FLAT, THAT REFLECTS THEIR GOOD EFFORTS.
IT REFLECTS THE FACT THAT THEY'RE CONTINUING TO LOOK FOR 
OPPORTUNITIES TO LOWER COSTS, STREAMLINE THEIR OPERATIONS, 
TAKE OVER, AS I SAID, OUR SECURITY SERVICES IN DOWNTOWN 
BUILDINGS, AND THEY'VE HELD THE LINE, BUT THE KEY IF YOU'RE 
ASKED IS THAT WHILE THE BUDGET HAS COME DOWN AND THE TOTAL 
AMOUNT OF APPROPRIATIONS HAS BEEN REDUCED, YOU'VE BEEN ABLE 
TO MEET YOUR COMMITMENTS WITH THE COOPERATION AND 
ASSISTANCE OF -- OF YOUR FIREFIGHTERS AND THE SHERIFF'S 
OFFICE, AND WANTED TO DISCLOSE I'VE HAD A DISCUSSION WITH 
CHIEF DOCOBO.
WE RECOGNIZE THE FACT THAT THEY GENERATE REVENUE THROUGH 
THE CONTRACTS THAT THEY HAVE WITH THE SCHOOL DISTRICT AND 
THE PORT.
THEY GIVE A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF MONEY BACK AT YEAR-END, 
AND THAT HAS BEEN HELPFUL TO US AS WELL.
ONE OF THE WAYS THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO KEEP FUNDING FOR 
KEY AREAS OF SERVICES WHILE AT THE SAME TIME HAVING LESS 
MONEY COMING IN THE DOOR IS WE'VE SUBSTANTIALLY CUT BACK ON 
THE AD VALOREM DOLLARS GOING IN TO OUR CAPITAL BUDGET.
THAT'S A COUNTER-CYCLICAL APPROACH.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE KNEW WE WOULD DO WHEN THE TOUGH 
TIMES CAME.
WE DIDN'T QUITE REALIZE THAT THEY WOULD BE AS TOUGH AS THEY 
ARE IN TERMS OF THE SIZE OF THE RECESSION, BUT WHEN WE HAD 
THE OPPORTUNITY, WE MAY HAVE BEEN OPENING SOME FIRE 
STATIONS AND LIBRARIES AND PARKS, BUT WE WERE ALSO PUTTING 
SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THAT GROWTH AND REVENUE IN THOSE 
STRONG GROWTH YEARS INTO OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM TO ACCELERATE 
PROJECTS THAT WE KNEW WERE ALREADY NEEDED AND FOR WHICH THE 
PRICE WAS ONLY GOING TO RISE.
WE'VE HAD TO BACK OFF, AS YOU'RE AWARE, LAST YEAR ON THE 
CIT COMMITMENTS BECAUSE OF FINANCIAL MARKETS, AND WE'VE 
ALSO HAD TO TIGHTEN UP IN TERMS OF OUR ABILITY TO PUT AD 
VALOREM DOLLARS INTO OUR CAPITAL PROGRAM, AND WHAT YOU SEE 
IN FISCAL '10'S ADOPTED BUDGET IN SOME CASES IS A 
CORRECTIVE ACTION WHERE WE ACTUALLY WENT IN AND REDUCED 
SOME COMMITMENTS.
IN ONE CASE AS YOU'LL SEE IN A SLIDE IN A MOMENT, WE MOVED 
SOME OF THE COSTS FOR A SHERIFF'S FACILITY OUT INTO FUTURE 
YEARS, FUNDED IT WITH THE CIT, AND SO YOU SEE THAT NEGATIVE 
15.8 MILLION IN THE CURRENT YEAR'S BUDGET THERE, AND 
BECAUSE WE HAD SO MUCH OF THE CIT COMMITTED TO 
TRANSPORTATION, THE MONEY JUST WASN'T GOING TO MATERIALIZE 
IN THE NEAR-TERM.
WE HAD TO DO SOME RETRENCHMENT, PARTICULARLY IN THE AREA OF 
TRANSPORTATION FUNDING FROM THE CIT.
GOING FORWARD, FISCAL '11 YOU CAN SEE THAT ABOUT HALF OF 
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SPEND ON OUR CAPITAL BUDGET NEXT YEAR 
IS IN THE WATER AND WASTEWATER AREA, AND I'M GOING TO SHOW 
YOU THERE'S NOT A LOT OF EXCITING PROJECTS THERE, BUT IT'S 
BASICALLY DOING THE RESPONSIBLE THING OF MAINTAINING THE 
ASSETS THAT WE HAVE AND ENSURING OUR ABILITY TO SERVE THE 
CLIENTS THAT WE HAVE.
I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH FAIRLY QUICKLY AN OVERVIEW OF THE 
CAPITAL PROGRAM JUST TO GIVE YOU A SENSE OF SOME OF THE 
HIGHLIGHTS.
EVERYTHING I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU CAME STRAIGHT OUT OF THE 
BUDGET DOCUMENT, SO THE MATERIAL'S THERE.
BECAUSE IT'S A CUT-AND-PASTE, IT'S NOT QUITE AS CLEAR ON 
SOME OF THESE SLIDES.
BUT GOING FORWARD, WE CONTINUE TO WORK ON SOME OF THE 
REFURBISHMENTS AND EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS IN FIRE RESCUE, 
BUT THERE'S NO NEW MONEY GOING INTO STATIONS AT THIS 
MOMENT.
IN THE CASE OF GOVERNMENT FACILITIES, ONE OF THE THINGS 
WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS SUMMER IS TO COME BACK TO YOU AND 
ASK YOU TO CANCEL A PROJECT THAT'S LISTED HERE UNDER 
GOVERNMENT FACILITIES, THE ANIMAL SERVICES INVESTIGATION 
KENNEL AND INSTEAD COMMIT THAT MONEY TO A REROOFING 
PROJECT, AND SO THAT'S PART OF OUR PLAN TO COME BEFORE YOU.
WE HAVE TO HAVE A FORMAL PUBLIC HEARING SINCE IT'S A 
COMMITMENT OF CIT FUNDS.
AS YOU CAN SEE, WE'VE PUSHED A SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF THE 
FALKENBURG ROAD JAIL EXPANSION PHASE 7 INTO THE FUTURE 
THROUGH THE COOPERATION OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, BUT I 
THINK ANOTHER EVIDENCE OF OUR WORKING WITH THE SHERIFF'S 
OFFICE IS YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'VE BEEN PICKING UP SOME OF 
THE COSTS OF FLEET REPLACEMENT USING THE CIT.
IF YOU GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL ADOPTION OF THE COMMUNITY 
INVESTMENT TAX, THE FIRST ALLOCATION HAD A COMMITMENT FOR 
SHERIFF'S VEHICLES, AND THEN OVER THE YEARS WE GOT AWAY 
FROM THAT.
WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS TO HELP MEET THEIR NEEDS BECAUSE 
THEY NEED FLEET EQUIPMENT REPLACEMENT ON AN ANNUAL BASIS, 
AND SO THAT'S AN AREA WHERE WE'RE ABLE TO USE AT LEAST A 
SMALL PORTION OF THE CIT TO KEEP THEM SUPPORTED.
ONE AREA WHERE YOU'LL SEE SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITY IN FISCAL 
'11 IS IN THE LIBRARY SYSTEM.
AS I SAID, THEY HAVE SOME SIGNIFICANT DOLLARS THEY'VE 
CARRIED FORWARD.
IT'S TIME TO REPLACE A COMPUTER SYSTEM THAT IS ON ITS LAST 
LEGS AND LACKING SUPPORT, AND THAT REALLY COULDN'T BE 
DELAYED I DON'T THINK A YEAR, SO FORTUNATELY WE CAN MOVE 
FORWARD ON THAT.
SEMINOLE HEIGHTS LIBRARY REPLACEMENT IS THE MAJOR PROJECT 
WE HAVE THERE.
YOU CAN SEE THE COUNTYWIDE SOCCER COMPLEX HAS SIGNIFICANT 
FUNDING IN THIS UPCOMING YEAR.
AND THEN WE GET INTO IMPROVEMENTS THAT ARE SPREAD 
THROUGHOUT OUR SYSTEM.
THERE'S NO SIGNIFICANT PROJECTS PLANNED IN OUR SOLID WASTE 
AREA, ALTHOUGH WE TYPICALLY IN A LOT OF OUR BIG PROGRAMS 
HAVE PROJECTS THAT HAVE BEEN FULLY FUNDED IN PRIOR YEARS 
THAT MAY CONTINUE FORWARD AND BE COMPLETED, BUT THEY DON'T 
REQUIRE NEW FUNDING AND SO THEY DON'T PARTICULARLY SHOW UP.
STORMWATER, AGAIN, WHAT YOU TEND TO SEE IS OUR CONTINUED 
COMMITMENT TO NEIGHBORHOOD PROJECTS, A SERIES OF SMALL 
PROJECTS.
IT WAS INTERESTING WHEN I FOUND THE PICTURE THEY HAD, IT 
WAS A PICTURE OF MY ROAD WITH THAT STOP SIGN AT THE TOP.
I HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THAT PROJECT, AND IT DIDN'T EXTEND 
TO MY PROPERTY.
IT STOPPED ABOUT TWO LOTS DOWN THE ROAD, SO FOR DISCLOSURE 
PURPOSES, IT IS MY ROAD, BUT I DIDN'T BENEFIT DIRECTLY FROM 
THAT PROJECT.
BUT THAT'S JUST EVIDENCE OF THE FACT THAT WE HAVE PROGRAMS 
THAT ARE ON AN ONGOING BASIS MEETING THE NEEDS BY GOING 
OUT, WHETHER IT'S TRANSPORTATION, STORMWATER, AS YOU'LL SEE 
IN THE WATER SYSTEM.
A LOT OF THE CAPITAL PROGRAM THAT CONTINUES IN THIS 
UPCOMING YEAR AND IN SUBSEQUENT YEARS IS THE PART THAT THE 
PUBLIC MAY NOT SEE AS MAJOR PROJECTS BUT WILL BE RELYING ON 
IN TERMS OF CONTINUING TO MEET OUR OBLIGATIONS.
SOLID WASTE, AGAIN, NOTHING SIGNIFICANT, BUT YOU DO SEE THE 
SOUTHEAST LANDFILL CAPACITY EXPANSION IS A FUTURE PROJECT 
THAT'S SUBSTANTIAL.
AND I SEEM TO BE GOING THE WRONG DIRECTION.
WATER HAS A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PROJECTS, BUT WHAT YOU'LL 
SEE AS THE COMMON THEME THROUGH HERE IS A LOT OF MASTER 
PROJECTS, REPLACEMENT PROJECTS, AND SO AGAIN, WHILE WATER 
PROJECTS ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT HALF OF THE CIP OR THE CAPITAL 
BUDGET IN THIS UPCOMING YEAR, WHAT YOU TEND TO FIND IS THAT 
WHAT WE HAVE THERE ARE LARGELY KEEPING OUR ASSETS AFLOAT, 
ALTHOUGH WE DO HAVE THIS SOUTH HILLSBOROUGH AQUIFER 
RECHARGE PROGRAM, THE SHARP PROJECT THAT'S FUNDED IN THIS 
UPCOMING YEAR.
I'M GOING TO FINISH BY TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE DO OVER THE 
COURSE OF THE SUMMER AS WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THE BUDGET.
IT'S AN ISSUE THAT -- THAT COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM ASKED 
ABOUT A COUPLE YEARS AGO, AND THAT WAS THE ISSUE OF WE WORK 
THROUGH THE SUMMER OF LOOKING AT WHAT MIGHT NEED TO BE 
FINE-TUNED, AND THE PRACTICE IN THE PAST HAD BEEN TO COME 
IN AT THE BEGINNING OF SEPTEMBER AND GIVE THE BOARD A VERY 
LONG LIST WITH ALL OF THE CHANGES, AND SO WHAT WE'VE BEEN 
TRYING TO DO IS TO DO A BETTER JOB OF GETTING INFORMATION 
TO YOU AS THE INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.
WE'VE GOT A LIST THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAND OUT TO YOU NOW.
I JUST WANT TO GIVE YOU AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT TYPES OF ISSUES 
WE LOOK AT AND SOME OF THE BIG-TICKET ITEMS, BUT WE'RE 
CERTAINLY NOT ASKING FOR REACTION TODAY, BUT I WANTED TO 
GET IT TO YOU WELL IN ADVANCE OF WHEN YOU START TO MAKE 
YOUR DECISIONS ON THE 28th, AND OBVIOUSLY THE REAL 
DECISIONS ARE NOT MADE UNTIL SEPTEMBER, BUT WE'LL CONTINUE 
TO WORK ON THE BUDGET.
WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT CAUSE US TO HAVE TO CHANGE NUMBERS 
AFTER WE DELIVER A BUDGET?
FIRST OF ALL, THE JULY 1 TAX ROLL THAT WE RECEIVED WEEKS 
AFTER MIKE DELIVERED A BUDGET IS OFFICIALLY WHAT YOU HAVE 
TO USE TO ADOPT THE BUDGET.
THOSE ARE THE ESTIMATES THAT THE STATE REQUIRES US TO USE, 
AND THEY'LL BE THE BASIS OF THE TRIM NOTICES THAT THE 
PROPERTY APPRAISER SENDS OUT IN AUGUST WITH YOUR DECISION 
THAT YOU'LL ARRIVE AT ON THE 28th IN REGARD TO MILLAGE 
RATES.
STATE ECONOMISTS GET TOGETHER ON A REGULAR BASIS AND 
REESTIMATE NUMBERS BASED ON WHAT THEY SEE HAPPENING IN THE 
STATE AND LOCAL ECONOMIES.
WE REVIEW COLLECTIONS DATA, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO DO THAT 
THROUGH THE SUMMER TO GET A SENSE OF NOT ONLY WHAT WE SEE 
IN THE UPCOMING YEAR BUT TO UNDERSTAND WHERE WE MAY BE 
COMING IN HIGH OR LOW IN TERMS OF COLLECTIONS THIS YEAR.
ANY TIME THE TAX BASE CHANGES, THE COMMISSIONS GET 
ADJUSTED, AND WE DID NOT HAVE THE BUDGET SUBMISSION FROM 
THE PROPERTY APPRAISER AT THE TIME THAT WE DEVELOPED A 
BUDGET, AND WE OVERESTIMATED, FORTUNATELY, AND SO WE'VE 
PICKED UP SOME MONEY THERE IN TERMS OF WHAT THE PROPERTY 
APPRAISER ACTUALLY NEEDS TO OPERATE HIS OFFICE.
YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF IT, BUT THE CLERK'S OFFICE WORKS 
BEHIND THE SCENES DURING THE SUMMER LOOKING AT WHAT'S 
REFLECTED IN THE BUDGET BECAUSE ULTIMATELY IN SEPTEMBER 
THEY HAVE TO LET US LOAD THAT BUDGET INTO THE ACCOUNTING 
SYSTEM, SO WE HAVE CHANGES THAT THEY LOOK AT, THEY MAKE 
RECOMMENDATIONS, ACCOUNTING REQUIREMENTS IN TERMS OF HOW 
THINGS ARE CODED AND CLASSIFIED CHANGE ON A REGULAR BASIS, 
AND THEY HELP US MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MAKING THOSE TYPES OF 
ADJUSTMENTS.
WE MAKE MISTAKES.
THERE'S THINGS WE OVERLOOK, THERE'S THINGS WE FIND ONLY 
WHEN WE GO THROUGH AND LOOK IN MORE DETAIL, AND SO THIS IS 
OUR OPPORTUNITY BEFORE YOU ADOPT A BUDGET TO GO IN AND 
CORRECT ANYTHING THAT WE MAY HAVE OVERLOOKED.
AND THE GOOD NEWS, OTHER THAN THE FACT THAT I'M GETTING 
CLOSE TO THE END OF THE PRESENTATION, IS THAT WE'VE PICKED 
UP ON A NET BASIS SOME REVENUE SINCE WE LAST TALKED TO YOU, 
AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT IS IS AS MIKE INDICATED, THIS 
BUDGET AT THIS POINT IS BALANCED WITH USE OF SOME ONE-TIME 
MONEY THAT CAN'T BE SUSTAINED, AND SO WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO 
DO -- AND I'LL SHOW YOU THE NUMBERS IN A MOMENT -- IS WE'RE 
ABLE TO BACK OFF OF SOME OF THAT USE OF ONE-TIME MONEY, AND 
THAT'S A VERY POSITIVE SIGN FOR US BECAUSE IT MEANS THAT 
WE'RE MOVING TOWARDS GETTING TO A POINT WHERE AS WE WORK 
THROUGH THOSE TRANSITION PLANS THAT WHEN WE ADOPT THE NEXT 
BIENNIAL BUDGET FOR FISCAL '12 AND '13 THAT WE'LL BE ABLE 
TO BALANCE THE BUDGET WITH RECURRING REVENUES AND NOT 
CONTINUE TO USE UNSUPPORTED -- THE UNSUPPORTED PRACTICE OF 
USING ONE-TIME MONEY TO PAY FOR DAY-TO-DAY SALARIES OR 
OTHER COSTS.
SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHANGES.
AND THIS ONE WILL PROBABLY CHANGE, BUT IN OUR INDIGENT CARE 
PROGRAM, WE'VE BEEN WORKING OVER THE LAST YEAR TO FIND WAYS 
TO NOT DRAW DOWN OUR BALANCE AS SIGNIFICANTLY AS THE 
BALANCES WERE BEING DRAWN DOWN, AND SO IF YOU LOOKED AT THE 
BIENNIAL BUDGET, YOU'D SEE THAT BY THE END OF THIS YEAR 
WE'RE GOING TO HAVE VERY LITTLE MONEY LEFT OVER IN THE 
INDIGENT CARE PROGRAM, BUT OBVIOUSLY THE ECONOMY HAS NOT 
RECOVERED, SO THE ACTIVITIES OF WORKING ON HOW WE PROVIDE 
SERVICE AND HOW WE PAY FOR SERVICE SO FAR HAS YIELDED US 
BEING ABLE TO BUMP UP THE ESTIMATED PROGRAM RESERVES BY 
12.7 MILLION, BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS THERE MAY BE MORE TO 
COME, AND THAT'S IMPORTANT BECAUSE AT THIS POINT MY 
PERSONAL ESTIMATE IS WE HAVE INADEQUATE RESERVES IN THAT 
PROGRAM GOING FORWARD UNLESS WE'RE ABLE TO CONTINUE TO SEE 
SOME RESULTS OF HOW WE TO BUSINESS AND BRING OUR SPENDING 
MORE IN LINE WITH THE REVENUES COMING IN.
WE'VE DEALT WITH THE DEFEASING OF DEBT AND WE'VE GOT SOME 
RESTRICTED COURT RESERVES THAT WERE NOT USED, AND SO WE'VE 
UPDATED OUR ESTIMATES IN THE RESTRICTED AREA OF THE BUDGET 
TO REFLECT THAT.
NEXT TWO ITEMS ARE THE GOOD NEWS.
IN THE UNINCORPORATED FUND WE'VE BACKED OFF 3.4 MILLION OF 
THE ONE-TIME MONEY THAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE GOING TO NEED TO 
BALANCE THE FISCAL '11 BUDGET IN COUNTYWIDE, AND WE'VE BEEN 
ABLE TO BACK OFF IN THE USE OF ANOTHER 2.3 MILLION, SO 
BETWEEN THOSE TWO WE'VE GOT OVER $5.5-MILLION OF ONE-TIME 
MONEY THAT WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO AVOID USING AS WE GO 
FORWARD IN ADOPTING THE FISCAL '11 BUDGET.
AS I INDICATED, SALES TAX REVENUES ARE INCREASING, SO 
FORTUNATELY BOTH FOR THE CIT PROGRAM AND THE INDIGENT CARE 
PROGRAM WE'VE ESTIMATED AN INCREASE OF $1.6 MILLION IN 
REVENUE NEXT YEAR, SO THAT HELPS AS WELL IN TERMS OF THE 
INDIGENT CARE PROGRAM, AND IT ALSO MEANS THAT WE START TO 
GET SOME RELIEF FROM WHAT'S BEEN HAPPENING IN TERMS OF OUR 
AVAILABILITY OF CIT REVENUE.
AND WITH THAT, I'LL STOP AND BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY 
QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE.
>>KEN HAGAN:  OKAY.
QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS FOR ERIC ON HIS BUDGET PRESENTATION?
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  GOOD JOB.
>>KEN HAGAN:  ERIC, ONE QUESTION I HAVE.
WE SPOKE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS EARLIER.
IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THERE'S A -- CLOSE TO $10 
MILLION IN THE LIBRARY RESERVES.
CAN YOU BRIEFLY ELABORATE ON THAT?
>>ERIC JOHNSON:  YES, SIR.
>>KEN HAGAN:  AND JUST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE, IT SEEMS LIKE, 
YOU KNOW, CAPITAL PROJECTS THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING DOING, 
YOU KNOW, IF WE COULD DO A CAPITAL PROJECT NOW IT WOULD 
EMPLOY, YOU KNOW, HUNDREDS OF RESIDENTS, AND WE COULD ALSO 
GET REDUCED, YOU KNOW, BIDS BECAUSE OF THE CURRENT MARKET 
CONDITIONS THAT EXIST, SO WHAT ARE YOU THOUGHTS ON THAT?
>>ERIC JOHNSON:  YES, SIR, I AGREE.
I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO VISIT WITH THE LIBRARY BOARD A 
COUPLE WEEKS AGO, AND THE KEY IS THAT THE LIBRARY SYSTEM 
HAS BEEN SPENDING LESS THAN BUDGET AND CARRYING OVER AN 
INCREASING AMOUNT OF FUNDING, AND SO AS WE UPDATED THE 
BUDGET FOR FISCAL '11, LOOKING AT THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT OF 
THEIR SAVINGS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, THEY HAVE ABOUT NINE 
AND THREE-QUARTERS MILLION DOLLAR INCREASE IN WHAT THEY'LL 
CARRY OVER FROM THIS YEAR TO NEXT YEAR THAN THEY HAD 
ANTICIPATED.
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THAT IS THAT WHAT THEY'VE TENDED TO DO 
WITH PROJECTS IS LOOK AT REPLACEMENT LIBRARIES, LOOK AT 
EXPANSIONS.
THEY'VE BEEN PUTTING MONEY INTO TECHNOLOGY, AND THE 
SIGNIFICANCE OF ALL THOSE IS THAT THEY'VE BEEN VERY CAREFUL 
ABOUT HOW MUCH THEY COMMIT IN THEIR CAPITAL PROGRAM THAT 
HAS ONGOING OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS, SO ONE OF THE THINGS 
THAT THEY CAN DO IS TO CONSIDER ACCELERATING THE TIMING OF 
PROJECTS.
IF THEY'VE ALREADY DETERMINED THAT A PROJECT IS FEASIBLE 
AND THAT UPON COMPLETION THEY CAN AFFORD TO OPERATE IT, 
THEN MOVING THAT PROJECT EARLIER MEANS THAT YOU MAY HAVE, 
AS YOU SAID, A CHEAPER PRICE BECAUSE OF THE ECONOMY AND THE 
GOD PRICES WE'RE GETTING NOW, AND THE OTHER ASPECT IS THERE 
MAY BE SOME ADDITIONAL OPERATING COSTS, BUT IT'S ONLY FOR 
THAT ADDITIONAL YEAR IF THEY OPEN IT A YEAR EARLIER THAN 
ANTICIPATED.
SO BECAUSE THERE'S A RESTRICTED REVENUE THERE THAT IS 
AVAILABLE FOR THE BOARD TO USE IN SUPPORT OF THE LIBRARY 
SERVICES AND THERE ARE SOME SPECIFIC PLANS THAT -- THAT THE 
LIBRARY ADVISORY BOARD HAS DEVELOPED, THEY AND YOU HAVE THE 
OPPORTUNITY TO CONSIDER ACCELERATING SOME LIBRARY PROJECTS, 
AND PROBABLY THE PIECE THAT THEY DON'T NECESSARILY THINK OF 
BECAUSE IT ISN'T REALLY THEIR ROLE BUT YOU TEND TO IS YOU 
STIMULATE THE ECONOMY WHEN YOU ACCELERATE A PROJECT AND PUT 
THE MONEY INTO THE ECONOMY SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, SO I 
THINK THERE'S SOME SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITY THERE.
THE KEY IS TO RECOGNIZE WHERE THERE ARE ONGOING OPERATING 
COSTS, AND AS LONG AS THEY'RE MODEST, THEN YOU HAVE THE 
OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
>>KEN HAGAN:  WELL, THAT'S CERTAINLY SOMETHING THAT I WANT 
TO LOOK AT.
PROCEDURALLY, WHAT IS THE -- OBVIOUSLY THEY HAVE THEIR OWN, 
YOU KNOW, LIBRARY BOARD AND OWN MILLAGE.
IS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE WOULD FLAG TO BRING UP AT THE 
RECONCILIATION MEETING, OR PROCEDURALLY, WHAT'S THE WAY TO 
HANDLE THAT?
>>ERIC JOHNSON:  YOU COULD DO AN INFORMATION REQUEST, YOU 
CAN DO A FLAG.
YOU MAY WANT TO ASK JOE WHAT THE STATUS IS.
I DIDN'T STAY UNTIL THE END OF THE LIBRARY BOARD MEETING, 
BUT JOE CAN PROBABLY GIVE YOU A SENSE OF WHERE THE LIBRARY 
BOARD IS.
>>KEN HAGAN:  AND JOE -- GOOD AFTERNOON.
>>JOE STINES:  HI.
>>KEN HAGAN:  YOU'VE HEARD THE DISCUSSION HERE.
NOT LOOKING FOR ANY DECISIONS, NOT TALKING ABOUT ANY 
PARTICULAR PROJECTS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, JUST WHAT ARE 
YOUR THOUGHTS JUST IN GENERAL OF WHAT WE'RE SAYING HERE 
AND, YOU KNOW, IF THE BOARD WANTED TO CONSIDER MAKING SOME 
CHANGES, JUST WHAT ARE YOUR OVERALL THOUGHTS?
>>JOE STINES:  OKAY.
JOE STINES, DIRECTOR OF LIBRARIES.
THE LIBRARY BOARD HAS A BUDGET COMMITTEE THAT SPENT HOURS 
AND HOURS LOOKING AND DETERMINING ONE-TIME MONEY VERSUS THE 
LOSS OF ONCOMING REVENUE.
THEY'RE VERY MUCH AWARE, AND ERIC'S STAFF PRESENT A PRO 
FORMA TO THEM EVERY YEAR PREDICTING WHAT OUR REVENUE IS 
GOING TO BE.
WE'VE ALSO CONTINUED TO LOOK AND WILL CONTINUE TO LOOK AT 
EVERY POSSIBLE WAY TO DO BUSINESS IN A MORE EFFICIENT WAY, 
AND THAT HAS RESULTED IN THE BALANCE THAT HAS GROWN, ONE-
TIME MONEY BALANCE.
AT THE SAME TIME, SOME OF YOU -- I KNOW COMMISSIONER NORMAN 
WILL BECAUSE HE LED THE WAY YEARS AGO TO GET PROJECTS LIKE 
THE UPPER TAMPA BAY AND THE BLOOMINGDALE PROJECT UP AND 
RUNNING, AND THEY WERE REALLY, QUITE FRANKLY, TOO SMALL 
FROM THE TIME WE GOT THEM OPEN BECAUSE THE POPULATION GREW 
SO MUCH, SO THE LIBRARY BOARD HAS -- AS THEY -- AS ALL 
DEPARTMENTS DO, SUBMITTED THEIR UNFUNDED LIST LAST YEAR, 
WHICH MIKE AND ERIC HAVE CONSIDERED, AND THEY HAVE RANKED 
THEIR PRIORITIES, AND AGAIN, A COUPLE YEARS AGO 
COMMISSIONER NORMAN GOT A MOTION PASSED WHERE THEY'D 
ADOPTED THEIR OWN CRITERIA.
THAT LIST IS NOT FLOATING AROUND ANYMORE.
IT'S SOLID, AND THEY'RE VERY SURE OF WHICH PROJECTS.
AT THE TOP OF THAT LIST OF UNFUNDED PROJECTS ARE 
EXPANSIONS, AND WE'VE LOOKED -- WE FILL OUT FORMS FOR 
MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET ON THE OPERATING IMPACT.
WE HAVE -- THE TOP THREE I CAN THINK OF ARE TOTALLY 
PROJECTS THAT HAVE VERY MINIMUM OPERATIONAL IMPACT.
WE'RE BUILDING BIGGER SPACE FOR PEOPLE PRIMARILY, AND THE 
BLOOMINGDALE, FOR INSTANCE, I DON'T NEED MORE STAFF THERE, 
I NEED SQUARE FEET THERE, AND SO THAT'S WHERE THE LIBRARY 
BOARD IS ON SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS.
NOW, THERE ARE THE TWO PROJECTS THAT THIS BOARD FUNDED SOME 
YEARS AGO THAT WERE PUSHED OUT AS THE BUDGET CRISIS CAME, 
THAT BEING THE REPLACEMENT OF THE SAUNDERS LIBRARY AND ALSO 
THE PROJECT WITH UPPER -- WITH UNIVERSITY AREA.
NOW, THE UNIVERSITY AREA DOES HAVE A LARGE OPERATING COST 
BECAUSE IT'S FROM THE GROUND UP.
IT'S A BRAND-NEW PROJECT.
THE ONE AT SAUNDERS, THE FOLKS REALLY WOULD LIKE TO SEE 
THAT MOVED UP.
THEY DON'T -- REALLY ARE NOT CONCERNED IF IT EVEN GETS 
FINISHED ANY FASTER, SO THERE WOULD BE NO OPERATING COSTS 
THERE.
THEIR CONCERN IS THE COMMUNITY, PARTICULARLY SINCE IT'S 
NAMED AFTER BOB SAUNDERS, ARE VERY WANTING TO GET INVOLVED.
MANY OF THOSE FOLKS ARE GETTING UP THERE IN YEARS, AND THEY 
WANT TO BE THERE AND GET SOMETHING DONE, SO THAT WAS A BIG 
ISSUE MANY OF YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT THE LIBRARY BOARD DEALT 
WITH THIS YEAR, AND THEY'RE VERY SOLID IN THEIR SUPPORT OF 
THAT PROJECT.
SO I TRULY THINK THAT THEY'VE BEEN VERY CONSIDERATE OF 
LOOKING AT BOTH THE OPERATING COSTS AND THE PROJECTED 
REVENUE.
THEY'VE DISCUSSED WITH ERIC WHEN HE COMES TO MEET WITH THEM 
ABOUT ONE-TIME COSTS, AND I THINK ALL OF THEIR INPUT THAT 
THEY'VE GIVEN TO ERIC AND MIKE IS PRIORITIZED IN A WAY 
THAT'LL HAVE MINIMUM IMPACT ON OPERATING COSTS.
>>KEN HAGAN:  OKAY.
THANK YOU, MR. STINES.
COMMISSIONER NORMAN.
>>JIM NORMAN:  YEAH.
AND COMMISSIONER HAGAN, I REALLY APPRECIATE YOU LOOKING AT 
APPROACHES FOR THE LIBRARY.
WHAT HE'S BASICALLY TALKING ABOUT, YEARS AGO WE -- WE TOOK 
A DIFFERENT KIND OF APPROACH THAN -- THAN JUST THE FUNDS 
OUT OF AD VALOREM AND FUNDING LIBRARIES AND DOING IT IN A 
STRUCTURALLY DIFFERENT WAY.
MAYBE THERE'S SOME UNIQUE WAYS YOU COULD LOOK AT SOME OF 
THIS MONEY, GO BACK AND LOOK AT THOSE DIFFERENT FINANCIAL 
ARRANGEMENTS THAT WERE DONE YEARS AGO THAT WE WERE ABLE TO 
PLUG ALL THESE THINGS IN AND JUST KIND OF TAKE A BRUSH-OFF 
AND LOOK AT A LOT OF THOSE FINANCIAL MOVES THAT WE MADE TO 
BUILD ALL THOSE DIFFERENT LIBRARIES AND STUFF.
SO I APPRECIATE THAT, AND THE MONEY'S THERE, AND MAYBE 
THERE'S CREATIVE WAYS TO INVEST IT THAT -- I DON'T KNOW IF 
YOU-ALL REMEMBER THAT, BUT --
>>KEN HAGAN:  AND WHEN WE GET -- AND I WAS GOING TO -- WHEN 
WE WERE FINISHED WITH THIS PART, I WAS GOING TO ASK TO GO 
INTO THE FLAGGING PROCESS THAT I WILL -- I DON'T KNOW IF 
IT'S A FLAG, IF IT'S INFORMATIONAL RELATED, BUT I DO WANT 
TO REFER THAT OVER AND --
>>JIM NORMAN:  RIGHT.
>>KEN HAGAN:  SO --
>>JIM NORMAN:  DUST OFF SOME OF THOSE PLANS AND HOW WE TOOK 
ON SOME OF THOSE LIBRARY FUNCTIONS.
>>JOE STINES:  YEAH.
WE HAVE PLANNED EVERY ONE OF THE BUILDINGS --
>>JIM NORMAN:  THIS USED TO BE A SCATTERED APPROACH, AND WE 
REALLY -- YEARS AGO WE CHANGED THE WAY WITH THE LIBRARY 
BOARD HOW A LOT OF THINGS OCCURRED.
I MEAN, YOU HAD COMPETING INTERESTS ALL OVER THE PLACE.
WE TOOK OUR MONEY, WE INVESTED IT IN DIFFERENT WAYS, AND IT 
REALLY CHANGED THE WAY -- IT TOOK OUR LIBRARY SYSTEM FROM 
HERE UP TO HERE UNDER HIS LEADERSHIP, AND WE NEED TO GO 
BACK AND LOOK AT A LOT OF THOSE FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS THAT 
WE ENTERED INTO.
>>JOE STINES:  AND COMMISSIONER HAGAN, I DO -- FOR FULL 
DISCLOSURE, MAKE SURE YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THE LIBRARY BOARD 
HAS HAD CITIZENS COMING FOR MONTHS NOW TO THEIR MEETINGS, 
AND I -- YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN -- WE'VE GIVEN OUT 
INFORMATION, WE'VE SAID, LOOK, YOU GUYS MAY BE THE ONES -- 
SO THERE MAY BE PEOPLE TONIGHT, I DON'T KNOW, BUT THEY ARE 
VERY INTERESTED AND THEY'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE, I 
BELIEVE.
SOME WERE THERE WHEN ERIC WAS THERE AT THE LAST MEETING, SO 
THEY HAVE THEIR DUCKS IN ORDER, I THINK.
>>KEN HAGAN:  EXCELLENT.
>>JIM NORMAN:  YES, THEY DO.
>>KEN HAGAN:  COMMISSIONER BECKNER.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
SO DO WE KNOW, THEN, HOW MUCH OF THAT FUND WE WOULD WANT TO 
ALLOCATE FOR THE CAPITAL PROJECT, WOULD WE BE COMFORTABLE 
IN ALLOCATING?
>>ERIC JOHNSON:  WELL, JOE WOULD PROBABLY LIKE THE BUDGET 
COMMITTEE TO TELL YOU HOW MUCH THEY FEEL COMFORTABLE.
THE REASON WE HAVE SO MUCH MONEY THERE IS THEY'RE TIGHTER 
WITH THE DOLLAR THAN I AM, I THINK, BUT I THINK THE KEY IS 
THAT -- I MEAN, JUST LOOKING AT THE PROJECTS THAT ARE 
PLANNED, THE -- THE UNIVERSITY AREA PARTNERSHIP, THE 
SAUNDERS LIBRARY, AND THE SEMINOLE HEIGHTS LIBRARY 
REPLACEMENT, THE TOTAL COST, AT LEAST ON THE ESTIMATE I 
HAVE, IS -- WE'D ADD 12 POSITIONS FOR THOSE THREE 
FACILITIES AT A TOTAL ANNUAL OPERATING COST OF ABOUT 
$900,000.
THAT'S NOT -- I'M HESITANT TO SAY THIS -- AN AWFUL LOT OF 
MONEY IN THE CONTEXT OF WHAT I THINK THE LIBRARY SYSTEM 
WILL BE ABLE TO AFFORD, BUT AS JOE INDICATED, IF YOU WERE 
TO MOVE FORWARD, SAY, THE CONSTRUCTION, THE ONE THING IT 
DOES IS, AS COMMISSIONER HAGAN SAYS, IT TAKES ADVANTAGE OF 
INCREDIBLE PRICES.
WE HAVE PROJECTS COMING IN UNDER BUDGET THESE DAYS, WHICH 
IS SOMETHING THAT IS THE OPPOSITE OF WHAT WE'VE BEEN 
SEEING.
>>JIM NORMAN:  BUT LAND, THERE WAS LAND OPPORTUNITIES.
THEY LOOKED AT A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT BUILT 
LIBRARIES.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST NOT -- AND THAT'S WHY I WANTED THEM TO BE 
AT THE TABLE.
>>KEN HAGAN:  I'M NOT -- I DON'T WANT TO CUT ANYONE OFF, WE 
CAN GO ON AS LONG AS WE WANT, BUT I'M NOT ASKING FOR ANY 
DECISIONS TODAY.
>>ERIC JOHNSON:  SURE.
>>KEN HAGAN:  JUST COME BACK WITH THAT INFORMATION, AND WE 
CAN MAKE THAT --
>>ERIC JOHNSON:  THE KEY IS THE STAGGERING THAT'S BEEN 
DISCUSSED SO THAT YOU DON'T HAVE A SIGNIFICANT HIT ON 
OPERATING COSTS ALL AT ONCE AND JUST RECOGNIZE THAT IF YOU 
START TO BUILD A LIBRARY, THE NEXT PRESS WILL BE THAT YOU 
SHOULD OPEN THE LIBRARY, BUT I THINK THE KEY IS WE CAN COME 
BACK WITH INFORMATION, BUT WHAT HELPS WITH THE LIBRARY 
SYSTEM IS THEY HAVE THEIR OWN FUND, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN 
REVENUE, THEY'VE GOT A DEDICATED REVENUE STREAM, AND 
THEY'VE SAVED UP A LOT OF MONEY, SO YOU'VE GOT SOME 
SIGNIFICANT OPPORTUNITIES THERE, BUT I WOULDN'T WANT TO GET 
AHEAD OF THE LIBRARY ADVISORY BOARD, PARTICULARLY THEIR 
BUDGET COMMITTEE, BECAUSE --
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  WELL, THAT'S WHERE I WAS GOING --
>>ERIC JOHNSON:  THEY NEED TO COME BACK TO THE BOARD, SO 
YOU MIGHT WANT TO FLAG AS WELL AS GET AN INFORMATION 
REQUEST WHEN YOU GET TO THAT POINT.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  IF WE KNEW HOW MUCH WE WERE TALKING 
ABOUT, I WAS GOING TO SUGGEST THAT THE LIBRARY BOARD COME 
BACK WITH A RECOMMENDATION, AND I KNOW THEY HAVE A PRIORITY 
LIST THEY'VE BEEN WORKING ON, BUT IF WE KNEW THE AMOUNTS 
THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT, THEN THEY COULD COME BACK WITH 
THEIR RECOMMENDATION WHAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO DO AND PROVIDE 
WHAT THE OPERATIONAL COSTS WOULD BE GOING FORWARD FROM 
THERE, AND THAT WAY THEY COULD PRESENT THAT TO THE BOARD, 
BUT I WOULD ABSOLUTELY SUPPORT THAT.
THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
>>MIKE MERRILL:  THE OTHER ADVANTAGE, AS JOE SAID, 
LIBRARIES ARE NOW BEING EXPANDED MORE FOR PEOPLE SPACE, 
PEOPLE USE, AND THEY BECOME LOGICAL OR -- OR CONVENIENT 
PLACES FOR PEOPLE TO GATHER, AND IF WE CAN PARTNER AND USE 
THOSE FACILITIES IN A WAY TO MAKE SERVICES AVAILABLE TO THE 
PUBLIC OR TO HAVE POINTS OF CONTACT FOR FOLKS WHO COME IN 
THAT NEED OTHER SERVICES, WE CAN PROBABLY GET SOME 
ADVANTAGE -- COST ADVANTAGE, SERVICE ADVANTAGE, WHICH ALSO 
FITS IN WITH OUR STRATEGY TO BE MORE COST-EFFECTIVE ON A 
SERVICE DELIVERY SIDE.
>>KEN HAGAN:  I MEAN, THE REALITY IS WITH THE ECONOMIC 
SLOW-DOWN, THE HARD TIMES PEOPLE ARE HAVING, THEY'RE 
UTILIZING, YOU KNOW, OUR LIBRARIES, OUR PARKS, YOU KNOW, A 
LOT MORE THAN IN THE PAST.
I MEAN, I GO TO THE JIMMIE KEEL LIBRARY ALL THE TIME WITH 
MY SON, AND IT'S JUST PACKED, I MEAN, EVERY TIME.
>>MIKE MERRILL:  YEAH.
>>KEN HAGAN:  AND MUCH MORE SO THAN IT WAS A YEAR AGO, TWO 
YEARS AGO, THREE YEARS AGO, SO -- OKAY.
SO I'D LIKE TO FLAG IT AS WELL AS INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES TO 
COME BACK AT THE NEXT MEETING.
AND THEN WHY DON'T WE GO AHEAD AND, IF THERE ARE NO OTHER 
QUESTIONS REGARDING ERIC'S PRESENTATION, ENTERTAIN ANY 
ITEMS THAT THE BOARD WANTED TO CONSIDER IN THE FLAGGING 
PROCESS.
COMMISSIONER BECKNER.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  THANK YOU, MR. CHAIR.
I HAD TWO ITEMS, ACTUALLY.
THE FIRST WE HAD SOME DISCUSSION ABOUT CONCERNING THE EPC.
WE WERE LOOKING AT -- WE WOULD -- THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO GO 
AHEAD AND RESTORE OR ELIMINATE THE 12 FURLOUGH DAYS.
THAT WOULD BE IN LINE WITH WHAT THE COUNTY IS DOING, SO 
LOOKING AT RESTORING $292,000 TO THEIR DEPARTMENT, SO I'D 
LIKE TO FLAG THAT FOR RESTORATION.
>>KEN HAGAN:  IS THERE -- PER THE BOARD'S POLICY, I GUESS 
IT REQUIRES A COMMISSIONER TO SECOND THE FLAG.
>>ERIC JOHNSON:  [INAUDIBLE]
>>ROSE FERLITA:  SECOND.
>>ERIC JOHNSON:  IF WE CAN GET A SECOND FOR EACH FLAG?
>>ROSE FERLITA:  DID YOU NOT GET A SECOND?
HAPPY TO GIVE YOU A SECOND.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  OKAY.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THE OTHER ONE I WANTED TO FLAG WAS THE ARTS COUNCIL.
THE ARTS COUNCIL, WHEN WE TAKE A LOOK AT THE AMOUNT OF 
ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT THEY HAD, AND IF WE GO BACK TO 2008, 
THEY HAD OVER A $297-MILLION IMPACT AND GENERATED $11 
MILLION TO OUR LOCAL GOVERNMENT, AND WHEN I WAS GOING 
THROUGH THE BUDGET AND LOOKING AT -- THEY'RE ACTUALLY 
FACING A NEAR 39% DECREASE IN -- IN REVENUE ALLOCATIONS, 
AND I THINK THAT IF WE GO THROUGH -- I MEAN, I DON'T WANT 
TO BELABOR GOING THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT POINTS HERE, BUT 
THE AMOUNT OF VALUE AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS THAT THE ARTS HAS 
IN OUR COMMUNITY, I THINK IT IS EXTRAORDINARY, SO I'D LIKE 
TO FLAG THAT, AND I THINK WHEN WE WERE IN DISCUSSIONS WITH 
THE ARTS COUNCIL, THEY WERE PERHAPS AMENABLE TO HAVE -- 
$200,000 RESTORED TO THEIR BUDGET WOULD BE ABLE TO HELP 
THEM RESTORE MANY OF THEIR ALLOCATIONS TO ARTS PROGRAMS, SO 
THAT WOULD BE MY MOTION IS TO RESTORE $200,000 TO THAT.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  SECOND.
SECOND TO THAT.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  THANK YOU.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE.
>>KEN HAGAN:  COMMISSIONER FERLITA.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  THANK YOU.
AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU DID BOTH OF THOSE, COMMISSIONER 
BECKNER, ESPECIALLY ARTS COUNCIL, IN THE SENSE THAT WE LOOK 
AT IT ON ITS FACE.
AND, OF COURSE, EVERYBODY'S ANTICIPATING REDUCTIONS, AND WE 
KNOW THAT, BUT THERE'S SO MANY TRICKLE EFFECTS OFF OF WHAT 
THE ARTS COUNCIL DOES WITH ITS BUDGET, I THINK THAT'S 
SOMETHING THAT'S VERY WELL WORTH OUR RECONSIDERATION.
A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS ON SOME OTHER THINGS.
MR. NORMAN, YOU HAVE TAKEN THE LEAD ON THIS, AND I APPLAUD 
YOU, AND OBVIOUSLY ALL OF US SUPPORT YOU.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DID ULTIMATELY WITH THE VETERANS 
COUNCIL OF HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY.
DID WE TRY TO REINSTATE SOME DOLLARS, DID WE MAKE IT FIRM, 
DID WE DO SOMETHING -- I THINK AT ONE TIME YOU TALKED ABOUT 
PROTECTING IT IN PERPETUITY.
>>JIM NORMAN:  YEAH.
THEY'RE IN THE COMPETITIVE BIDS -- OR THEY WERE IN THE 
COMPETITIVE BIDS SECTION BASICALLY PREVIOUSLY, AND IT 
RANGED ANYWHERE BETWEEN 35 AND SEVEN AND THAT KIND OF 
BALLPARK FIGURE, AND WHAT -- WITH OUR INVESTMENTS THAT 
WE'RE MAKING OUT THERE AND THE FACILITIES THAT WE'RE MAKING 
OUT THERE, WE'RE TRYING TO SET A FIXED NUMBER THAT THEY 
COULD HAVE TO OPERATE THEIR FACILITIES OUT AT OUR VETERANS 
PARK, BUT THAT IS JUST -- AS YOU KNOW, ALL THE VOLUNTEERS 
THAT THEY GIVE OUT THERE ALONG WITH THAT IS A RALLYING 
POINT FOR THEM A LOT OF THOSE VOLUNTEERS TO GO SERVICE 
PLACES LIKE HALEY HOUSE AND ALL OF THE DIFFERENT VETERAN 
FUNCTIONS IN TOWN, SO THAT IS A WELL INVESTMENT OF 7,000 
FIXED THAT THAT WOULD BE ALLOCATED TO THAT FACILITY THAT 
WOULD BE NONCOMPETITIVE THAT WOULD GO THERE, AND I GUESS MY 
LITTLE TWEAKING OF THAT -- AND I KNOW MIKE WAS THERE AND 
SAW THIS.
I DON'T KNOW.
IT'S PROBABLY NOT A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY, BUT IT IS AN 
EXPENDITURE, ANOTHER CANVAS TOP THAT ALL THOSE VETS AND ALL 
THOSE EVENTS ARE SITTING OUT IN THAT HOT SUN AND ALMOST 
FAINTING, THAT A CANVAS TOP AND MAYBE TWO FANS THAT WOULD 
COOL AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE FOR ALL THOSE VETERAN EVENTS.
IT'S BRUTAL FOR SOME OF THOSE FOLKS.
THEY -- AND I GOTTA TELL YOU, THEY'RE SO DEDICATED TO IT, 
THEY SIT OUT IN THAT SUN AND THEY -- AND IT'S -- WE NEED TO 
BE SOMEWHAT SUPPORTIVE OF TRYING TO MAKE AT LEAST A CANVAS 
COVER AND SOME FANS AND STUFF FOR THOSE FOLKS WHILE THEY 
PUT ON THOSE CEREMONIES.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  OKAY.
SO I WAS YOUR WARM-UP ACT, AND I JUST WANT YOU TO TELL ME 
WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO.
>>JIM NORMAN:  I WAS GOING THERE NEXT.
[LAUGHTER]
THAT WOULD BE MY FLAG.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  OKAY.
SO THEN A SECOND TO THAT.
SO I GUESS THAT'S ALL WE HAVE TO SAY TO THAT ONE; RIGHT?
I MEAN, IT'S -- OKAY.
AND I GUESS SPECIFICALLY BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT THERE IS 
SUCH A LARGE HISPANIC POPULATION IN MY DISTRICT, I HAVE 
GOTTEN INUNDATED, IF YOU WOULD, ON REQUESTS TO LOOK AGAIN 
AT THE OPPORTUNITY TO REINSTATE THE -- THE LAND USE 
OMBUDSMAN, SO I'D LIKE TO FLAG THAT FOR CONSIDERATION.
>>KEN HAGAN:  I'LL SECOND THAT WITH YOU.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  OKAY.
NOW, IN LISTENING TO MR. JOHNSON'S PRESENTATION -- SO AM I 
TO UNDERSTAND, THEN, THAT ANIMAL SERVICES IS OKAY FOR NOW 
WITH THE ONE-TIME MONEY, OR MR. ARMSTRONG, DO YOU HAVE 
SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO -- TO ADD TO MY CONCERNS ABOUT 
THAT?
YOU'RE OKAY?
ALL RIGHT.
I DIDN'T KNOW THAT FOR SURE.
SO THEN I REALLY DON'T NEED TO DO ANYTHING WITH THAT.
AND MR. MERRILL, I GUESS YOU'RE LOOKING AT TRYING TO 
ELIMINATE ALL FURLOUGH DAYS, AND IN MY CONVERSATIONS WITH 
MS. LEE, I THOUGHT THERE WAS STILL SOME FURLOUGH DAY 
EXISTING SITUATION IN THE LEGAL DEPARTMENT.
IS THAT GOING AWAY AS WELL?
DO YOU KNOW WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT THE OTHER DAY?
>>MIKE MERRILL:  [INAUDIBLE]
WE HAVE NO FURLOUGH DAYS FOR THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATION IN 
NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET, BUT --
>>RENEE LEE:  AND DON WAS JUST TELLING ME THAT THERE ARE 
THREE DAYS BUILT INTO THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S BUDGET FOR 
FURLOUGH DAYS.
WE WOULD PREFER NOT TO HAVE ANY OF THOSE FURLOUGH DAYS, BUT 
THAT WAS THE ONLY WAY WE COULD MEET BUDGET.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  OKAY.
SO MIKE, EXPLAIN WHERE YOU'RE GOING WITH THIS.
I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO MAKE AN ATTEMPT TO TRY TO 
ELIMINATE FURLOUGH DAYS.
JUST KIND OF --
>>MIKE MERRILL:  WE DID FOR MY ORGANIZATION.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  OKAY.
SO THEN IT'S UP TO EACH DEPARTMENT --
>>MIKE MERRILL:  YES.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  -- TO BE ABLE TO CONFIGURE WHAT THEY'RE 
DOING AND NOT HAVE TO ELIMINATE FURLOUGH DAYS?
>>ERIC JOHNSON:  COMMISSIONERS, EACH AGENCY HAD THAT RIGHT, 
AND THAT'S WHY AT ONE POINT EPC HAD PLANNED TO HAVE 12 NEXT 
YEAR.
WHAT WE LOOKED AT WAS COMING UP WITH EFFICIENCIES WITHIN 
OUR ORGANIZATION AS A WAY TO WEAN OURSELVES FROM THAT, SO 
THERE ARE ACTUALLY SEVERAL AGENCIES THAT STILL HAVE 
FURLOUGHS PLANNED FOR NEXT YEAR BECAUSE THEY HAVE NOT COME 
FORWARD AND INDICATED THEIR -- THEIR INCLINATION TO WORK IN 
AN OFFSET.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  OKAY.
SO IT'S REALLY A DEPARTMENTAL TYPE DECISION ABOUT HOW 
THEY'RE BUDGETING THEIR DOLLARS?
>>ERIC JOHNSON:  AGENCY BY AGENCY OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY 
COMMISSIONERS.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  OKAY.
BUT IF AT THE END WE SEE THAT BUILT INTO THE BUDGETS OF THE 
DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS THERE ARE SOME FURLOUGH DAYS, I'D 
LIKE TO ELABORATE ON THIS DISCUSSION AND PERHAPS OFFER AN 
ALTERNATIVE TO THAT, BUT FOR RIGHT NOW WE'LL SEE WHERE EACH 
DEPARTMENT HEAD GOES WITH HOW THEY DEAL WITH FURLOUGH DAYS 
VERSUS WHAT THEIR BUDGET ALLOCATIONS ALLOW.
>>MIKE MERRILL:  RIGHT.
BECAUSE AS ERIC SAID, WE ELIMINATED FURLOUGHS IN FY 11 BY 
FINDING EFFICIENCIES, SO, YOU KNOW, ANY OTHER AGENCY THAT 
WANTS TO GET RID OF FURLOUGH DAYS AND CAN DO IT WITH 
EFFICIENCIES, THAT'S GREAT, BUT OTHERWISE IT WOULD BE 
FINDING MORE MONEY TO SUBSIDIZE THE -- YOU KNOW, THE ADD-
BACK, SO THAT'S THE DECISION THAT WE'RE FACED WITH, SO --
>>ROSE FERLITA:  OKAY.
AND FOR RIGHT NOW -- AND THEN I'LL RELINQUISH MY TIME HERE, 
BUT I KNOW THAT JAN MacLEOD IS IN THE AUDIENCE, AND JAN, WE 
DON'T HAVE TO DO THIS TODAY, BUT THERE ARE SOME CONCERNS 
THAT I HAVE THAT I THINK ARE KEY POSITIONS THAT I WOULD 
LIKE YOUR INPUT IN -- INPUT ON, AND THEN PERHAPS MAYBE COME 
BACK WITH A COUPLE OF OTHER FLAGS, OKAY, SO MAYBE WE CAN 
GET TOGETHER IN THE NEXT WEEK OR SO.
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>>ROSE FERLITA:  ALL RIGHT.
THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR NOW, MR. CHAIR.
THANK YOU.
>>KEN HAGAN:  COMMISSIONER NORMAN.
>>JIM NORMAN:  KEN, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GOT THE FLAG ON 
THAT LIBRARY THING, BUT I WAS GOING TO FLAG THAT JUST FOR 
THE RECORD THAT IT MOVES FORWARD.
THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THE BOARD, I DON'T KNOW, HAS JUST 
HISTORICALLY BEEN -- I GUESS WRAPPED OUR ARMS AROUND AND WE 
HAVE OVERWHELMINGLY SUPPORTED, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU-
ALL -- IF YOU-ALL ARE AWARE OF THIS OR NOT, BUT OUR BOARD 
HAS NOW ADOPTED THROUGH THIS MILITARY GRANT PROGRAM -- 
2,000 FAMILIES HAVE BEEN SERVED, OVER 2,000 FAMILIES HAVE 
BEEN SERVED BY THAT MILITARY GRANT AND THAT PROPERTY TAX 
ISSUE.
ONE OF THE THINGS -- HOW -- AND I'VE TRIED TO KEEP, AS YOU 
KNOW, MY EYE ON THE BALL ON THIS THING, THAT THE COUNTY 
CONTINUES EVERY YEAR TO PUT A MILLION DOLLARS INTO THAT 
LINE ITEM, SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE FLEXIBILITY COMES, AND 
SOMETIMES THERE MAY BE A LITTLE SHORT, SO MY -- YOU KNOW, I 
GUESS MY FLAG WOULD BE EVERY YEAR WE START OUT WITH THAT 
MILLION.
YOU MAY HAVE A LITTLE LEFT IN THAT FUND AND YOU MAY ONLY 
NEED TO FUND IT FOR 850 OR 875.
IT'S A FLUCTUATING THING ON SOLDIERS THAT ARE GOING INTO 
COMBAT ZONES, SO I GUESS MY FLAG WOULD BE MAKE SURE WE PAY 
ATTENTION THAT WE ENTER THE YEAR WITH A FULLY FUNDED LINE 
ITEM.
IT MAY NOT ALL BE UTILIZED THROUGH THAT YEAR BECAUSE SOME 
SOLDIERS MAY COME HOME, YOU KNOW, BUT MY POINT IS THAT WE 
START OUT WITH THAT MILLION AND THAT IT FLUCTUATES, BUT 
YOU-ALL MAKE SURE IT'S TOTALLY RESTORED AT THE -- AT THE 
NEW CYCLE, SO THAT WOULD SORT OF BE MY FLAG, THAT WE MAKE 
SURE WE'RE STANDING BEHIND THAT FUND AND THAT IT'S FUNDED 
EVERY YEAR AT THAT -- AT THAT $1-MILLION LEVEL.
IT'S NOT AN INCREASE OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, AND I DON'T -- 
I KNOW -- I'M TRYING TO GIVE THE STAFF SOME FLEXIBILITY, 
JUST KEEPING YOUR EYE ON THE BALL AND MAKE SURE THOSE 
GRANTS ARE FUNDED.
>>KEN HAGAN:  I'LL SECOND THAT WITH YOU.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  I'LL SECOND IT, BUT IT'S ALMOST LIKE 
JUST -- JUST TO BE VIGILANT THAT WE MAINTAIN IT AT A 
CONSTANT TOTAL.
>>JIM NORMAN:  YES, EXACTLY.
AND WHEN WE START THE YEAR OUT THAT WE START IT OUT AT A 
FULL FUNDED $1 MILLION.
I MEAN, SOMETIMES IT MAY GO OVER LIKE A MILLION-ONE OR 
SOMETHING, AND AT THAT TIME YOU'D BRING BACK ANY 
ADJUSTMENTS.
>>ROSE FERLITA:  RIGHT.
>>JIM NORMAN:  OKAY?
AND THAT MAY BE SHORT ONE YEAR, AND YOU CAN JUST FUND IT AT 
MAYBE 800.
>>ERIC JOHNSON:  YES, SIR.
>>JIM NORMAN:  OKAY?
>>KEN HAGAN:  COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  AND I'M SENSITIVE TO THAT TOO AND WANT 
TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE FUNDS AREN'T TOUCHED OTHER THAN FOR 
THE INTENDED PURPOSE, AND THAT'S MY COMMITMENT ON THAT 
ALONG WITH YOU.
WHEN IT IS SHORT -- LET ME REPHRASE THAT.
WHEN YOU DON'T USE THE FULL MILLION IN REACHING OUT TO THE 
MILITARY FAMILIES, WOULD THAT GO INTO THE OTHER --
>>JIM NORMAN:  [INAUDIBLE]
NO, YOU WOULD ONLY FUND IT FOR 850 THE NEXT YEAR.
LIKE IF YOU HAD A MILLION -- OR 150,000 STILL LEFT IN THE 
FUND THAT SOME SOLDIERS CAME HOME OR SOMETHING, THEN YOU 
WOULD FUND IT FOR 850, BUT I WANT TO START OUT EVERY YEAR 
WITH THAT -- THAT BASELINE OF A MILLION DOLLARS.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  OKAY.
>>JIM NORMAN:  AND IF THERE WAS EVER ANY OVERAGE, A 
TWEAKING OF A -- OUR ADMINISTRATOR WOULD BRING IT BACK AND 
SAY WE'RE $50,000 SHORT FOR THIS CYCLE, WE NEED TO CONTINUE 
FULLY FUNDING THAT FUND.
THAT WAS MY POINT.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  OKAY.
>>KEN HAGAN:  OKAY.
ANY OTHER ITEMS ON THE -- WITH RESPECT TO THE BUDGET AND 
THE FLAGGING PROCESS?
IF NOT, WE NEED TO TAKE UP THE ITEM THAT COMMISSIONER 
BECKNER REQUESTED YESTERDAY WITH RESPECT TO OUR JULY 22nd 
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN HEARING.
COMMISSIONER BECKNER, YOU WANT TO --
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  YEAH.
I WAS JUST GOING TO MAKE A COMMENT BECAUSE I KNOW 
COMMISSIONER NORMAN WASN'T HERE TOWARDS THE END OF THE 
MEETING.
WE HAVE TWO DATES THAT HAVE BEEN ON OUR BOARD AGENDA 
SCHEDULED FOR A PUBLIC HEARING REFERENCE TO THE PLAN -- THE 
COMP PLAN AMENDMENTS AND THE TRANSMITTAL HEARING, AND THE 
TRANSMITTAL HEARING IS SET FOR JULY 22nd.
WE ALSO HAD JULY 29th ON OUR AGENDA, AND I HAVE A SCHEDULE 
CONFLICT IN REGARDS TO THE TRANSPORTATION TASK FORCE THAT'S 
GOING TO TAKE ME OUT OF TOWN FOR A STATE GATHERING ON THE 
22nd, SO I WAS JUST REQUESTING IF IT'S AMENABLE TO THE 
OTHER BOARDS THAT THE ACTUAL TRANSMITTAL HEARING BE 
SCHEDULED FOR THE 29th OF JULY INSTEAD OF THE 22nd.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  [INAUDIBLE] CONFLICT ON THE 29th.
>>KEN HAGAN:  COMMISSIONER HIGGINBOTHAM.
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  I WAS JUST SAYING I HAVE A CONFLICT ON 
THE 29th.
WITH IT BEING AN OPEN DATE, I'VE GOT COMMITMENTS.
I DIDN'T THINK THAT -- HAVING RECEIVED NO FORMAL NOTICE 
THAT WE HAD ANYTHING THAT WAS GOING TO COME IN ON THAT 
HEARING --
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  WELL, IT WAS A SCHEDULE IN OUR AGENDA 
FOR --
>>ROSE FERLITA:  I HAVE A CONFLICT.
>>KEN HAGAN:  YOU TOO, COMMISSIONER FERLITA?
IT APPEARS THAT MORE BOARD MEMBERS HAVE AN ISSUE WITH THE 
29th THAN THE 22nd, SO UNFORTUNATELY, IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE 
GOING TO HAVE TO MISS THE HEARING, COMMISSIONER BECKNER.
ANY OTHER COMMENTS?
>>JIM NORMAN:  [INAUDIBLE]
>>AL HIGGINBOTHAM:  I CAN TOO.
>>KEVIN BECKNER:  YOU'RE NOT IN TALLAHASSEE YET.
[LAUGHTER]
>>KEN HAGAN:  OKAY.
WITH THAT, WE'RE ADJOURNED FROM THE BUDGET WORKSHOP, AND 
WE'LL MITT THIS EVENING AT 6:00 FOR OUR BUDGET PUBLIC 
HEARING.
THANK YOU.


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