BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
SEMINOLE COUNTY, FLORIDA
SEPTEMBER 9, 2020
The following is a
non-verbatim transcript of the BOARD OF
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING OF SEMINOLE COUNTY, FLORIDA, held both in
person and virtually, via Communications Media Technology (CMT) made
permissible pursuant to the Governor’s Executive Orders, at 7:00 p.m., on Wednesday,
September 9, 2020, in Room 1028 of the SEMINOLE
COUNTY SERVICES BUILDING at SANFORD,
FLORIDA, the usual place of meeting of said Board.
Attending
in person:
Chairman Jay
Zembower (District 2)
Vice Chairman Lee Constantine (District 3)
Commissioner Robert Dallari (District 1)
Commissioner Amy Lockhart (District 4)
County Manager
Nicole Guillet
County Attorney Bryant Applegate
Clerk of Court and Comptroller Grant Maloy
Attending
remotely:
Commissioner Brenda
Carey (District 5)
Deputy Clerk Chariti Colon
OPENING CEREMONIES
Commissioner Lockhart led
the Pledge of Allegiance. Chairman Zembower called for a moment of silence in remembrance of the
19th anniversary of 9/11.
PUBLIC HEARING
TENTATIVE FY 2020/2021 BUDGET
Chairman Zembower
advised
that the Board of County Commissioners does not have any control over the tax
levies or budgets of the School Board, the Water Management District, or any of
the seven cities in Seminole County.
Questions regarding property assessed valuations should be addressed to
the Property Appraiser, David Johnson. The
Board of County Commissioners has limited authority over the budgets of the
Constitutional Officers of the County which include the Clerk of the Circuit
Court, the Property Appraiser, the Sheriff, the Supervisor of Elections, and
the Tax Collector. Chairman Zembower described how the budgets for the Constitutional
Officers are reviewed and approved. He pointed
out that by Florida law, two public hearings must be held before adopting the
final millage rates and annual budget for Seminole County. The purpose of this first public hearing is
to hear public comments regarding the proposed millage rates and budget, amend
the budget as desired by the Board, and to tentatively adopt the millage rates
and budget of the County for FY 2020/21.
Chairman
Zembower stated the first public hearing has been
advertised through the Notice of Proposed Property Taxes which was previously
mailed by the Property Appraiser's Office in August to all ad valorem taxpayers
of the County.
Lorie
Bailey Brown, Resource Management Director, addressed the Board and displayed a
PowerPoint presentation (received and filed) for the FY 2020/21 Tentative
Budget. She reviewed Budget Development
for the upcoming fiscal year. She
explained the budget schedule was advanced by one month this year and
Constitutional Officers were requested to submit their budgets by May 1st
instead of June 1st. There were
four BCC budget work sessions and five County Manager work sessions held. Tonight’s hearing is to announce the
tentative millage rates and tentative budget.
Ms. Bailey Brown displayed
the Millage Rate Summary and reviewed millage rates for the Adopted 2019/20
Budget; Tentative 2020/21 Budget, which are the same as the previous year;
Rolled-Back Rate; and the Percentage Increase in the Proposed Millage Rates
over the Rolled-Back Millage Rates for Countywide, the Fire Services District,
and the Roads District. She explained
the increase above the Roll-Back Rate is primarily to offset the decrease in
non-ad valorem revenues due to the effects of COVID-19 and increases in public
safety and road improvements. Ms. Bailey
Brown continued by reviewing 2020 Change in Taxable Property Values. She explained the economic shutdown from
March to May directly impacted gas tax; sales tax; tourism tax; and water,
sewer, and solid waste fees. This was originally
estimated to cost the County $17 million, which is about 10% of those revenue
budgets. The decreases in April/May were
a little worse than anticipated and the rebound in June was much better than
anticipated. FY 2021 revenue budgets
assume a 10% overall draw on non-ad valorem revenues.
Ms. Bailey Brown reviewed
Millage Comparison, which includes the tentative millage rates combined with
the School Board and Water Management District and are detailed on page 27 of
the First Public Hearing Book (copy received and filed). She reviewed Property Tax Bill and Tentative
Budget Summary. She explained
adjustments to the County Manager’s proposed budget delivered on June 15, 2020,
totaled $61.2 million primarily due to the appropriation of the CARES Act Grant
funding. These adjustments have no
impact to the tentative millage rates and are detailed on page 14 of the First
Public Hearing Book. With the
adjustments, the total Tentative Budget is $903.7 million. Ms. Bailey Brown reviewed a pie chart
depicting the total proposed Expenditures Budget of $636.7 million by Service
Area. She concluded her presentation by stating
the Board is also requested to approve Exhibit C, Revisions to Project Listing,
which is detailed on page 17 of the First Public Hearing Book.
PUBLIC
PARTICIPATION
With
regard to public participation, no one spoke in support or in opposition and
public input was closed.
DISCUSSION
The
Commissioners each expressed their appreciation for staff’s work in preparing
the budget, especially having to do so during a pandemic.
Commissioner Dallari stated there are some things; such as,
infrastructure, parks, boardwalks, and staff cost-of-living salary increases,
that are being put off. During the
midyear budget adjustment, he would like to revisit some of those things to see
how the projections are coming to fruition and to see if they can actually move
some things up; and he would like staff prepared to do that. There was consensus among the Board that
midyear will be an important time. Commissioner
Lockhart noted it is important that the public know this is not the first time
the Board has seen this information and it is not the only time they have had
to work with staff on the budget. This
is a culmination of many, many months and a lot of meetings to get to this
place. She noted staff was previously
given direction to give the Board continued monthly updates. Chairman Zembower
reviewed the Board's budget review direction to staff during the pandemic and
the budget process. The Chairman thanked
the Constitutional Officers for getting their budgets in early.
Commissioner Carey
suggested the Commission look at their own budget. They have asked the County to freeze
positions and eliminate everything they could.
They have asked every department to do different things. Over the last couple of years, the BCC's
budget has increased. Right now, their
salary line is reduced by $69,000 because of a frozen position, which is
Commissioner Lockhart's aide. Since last
December, Commissioner Carey's aide has been doing double-duty by working in
the County Manager's office and then assisting the Commissioner as needed. Commissioner Carey thinks they should lead by
example and consider eliminating another position so there are three aides
serving the County Commission with the other support coming from the County
Manager's Office, which would free up about $130,000 in their salary line. She would like to propose and discuss having
three full-time Commission aides that back each other up and then the extra support
coming from the County Manager's Office.
Commissioner Constantine
stated he is extremely proud of this budget, believes strongly in constituent
services, and the administration office works for the constituents, not for the
Commissioners. A discussion ensued
regarding administration positions. Nicole
Guillet, County Manager, requested the Board continue
their discussion until after the election in November. If there are changes in the Commission
Offices, there may be an increased need for administrative support. There are two administrative assistants in
the County Manager's Office that are able to help. However, they don't just support the four
senior managers; they also support other offices. She thinks it is a good discussion to have
but would ask the Board waits to see what things look like after November and
see what the needs are at that point.
Chairman Zembower concurred and stated if they
want to lead by example, he would be happy to discuss 50% payroll cuts for the
Commissioners.
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Motion by Commissioner Constantine,
seconded by Commissioner Lockhart, to adopt the FY 2020/21 countywide tentative
millage rate of 4.8751 mills.
Districts
1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 voted AYE.
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Motion
by Commissioner Lockhart, seconded by Commissioner Dallari,
to adopt the FY 2020/21 Fire MSTU tentative millage rate of 2.7649 mills.
Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, and
5 voted AYE.
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Motion
by Commissioner Dallari, seconded by Commissioner
Lockhart, to adopt the FY 2020/21 Unincorporated Road District MSTU tentative millage
rate of 0.1107 mills.
Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, and
5 voted AYE.
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At
the request of Chairman Zembower, Ms. Bailey Brown read
the established millage rates into the public record as follows: The tentative countywide General Fund
property tax rate of 4.8751 mills represents a 5.51% increase over the
rolled-back millage rate of 4.6205 mills.
The tentative County Municipal Fire Services District property tax of 2.7649
mills represents a 5.35% increase over the rolled-back millage rate of 2.6245
mills. The tentative Unincorporated Road
District ad valorem tax rate of 0.1107 mills represents a 5.33% increase over
the rolled-back rate of 0.1051 mills.
The tentative “aggregate” millage rate for all BCC taxing districts is
6.9011 mills, which represents a 5.10% increase over the current year
“aggregate” rolled-back millage rate of 6.5662 mills.
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Motion by Commissioner Dallari, seconded by Commissioner Carey, to approve and
authorize revisions to Exhibit C, Project List of the 2014 Interlocal Agreement
among Seminole County, the School Board of Seminole County, and the Signatory
Municipalities Pertaining to the Shared Distribution and Use of the One-Cent
Local Government Infrastructure Sales Tax.
Districts
1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 voted AYE.
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Motion
by Commissioner Constantine, seconded by Commissioner Lockhart, to adopt the
proposed tentative budget for all funds for FY 2020/21 as presented to the Board
of County Commissioners by the County Manager in official capacity as Budget
Officer and subsequently adjusted as the tentative budget of the Board of
County Commissioners.
Under
discussion, Commissioner Carey requested confirmation from the Chairman that
the Board is going to have further discussion regarding the County
Commissioners' line budget before they adopt the budget. Chairman Zembower
responded he is happy to have that discussion another day. Commissioner Carey stated as long as they
have it before adoption of the final budget.
Otherwise, she will make a motion and see where it goes. Commissioner Lockhart noted the County
Manager said she would like to have that discussion in November. Ms. Guillet advised
she would like to see what the needs are at that time. She clarified both of the vacant executive
assistant positions are frozen. One of
them has been unfunded in this budget. In
order to fund it, the Board would have to do a budget amendment. She can come back for Board discussion to
unfreeze the other one that is funded.
Commissioner Carey confirmed with Ms. Guillet
there are currently four funded. The
Commissioner clarified she is suggesting there are only three funded when they
adopt the budget. Chairman Zembower inquired what the "flavor" of the Board
is on Commissioner Carey's proposal.
Commissioner Constantine responded he would prefer to take the
recommendation of the County Manager and have this conversation in November;
and Commissioner Dallari, Commissioner Lockhart, and
Chairman Zembower agreed.
Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, and
5 voted AYE.
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Chairman Zembower
announced that the final public hearing to adopt the FY 2020/21 millage rates
and budget is scheduled for September 22, 2020, at 7:00 p.m.
Motion by Commissioner Carey, seconded by Commissioner
Lockhart, to approve the second public hearing to take final action
on the millage rates and budget for FY 2020/21 to be advertised for Tuesday, September
22, 2020, at 7:00 p.m. in the Board of County Commissioners’ Chambers or
virtually at www.seminolecountyfl.gov;
and authorize staff to advertise the tentative budget and public hearing
pursuant to Florida Statutes, Chapter 129 and 200.
Districts
1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 voted AYE.
Ms. Guillet
announced that both the September 22, 2020, Board of County Commissioners
meeting and second budget public hearing will be a hybrid where people can
attend in person or virtually.
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There
being no further business to come before the Board, the Chairman declared the
meeting adjourned at 7:37 p.m., this same date.
ATTEST:_______________________Clerk_____________________Chairman
cc