BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS

SEMINOLE COUNTY, FLORIDA

SEPTEMBER 25, 2012

 

     The following is a non-verbatim transcript of the BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MEETING OF SEMINOLE COUNTY, FLORIDA, held at 7:00 p.m., on Tuesday, September 25, 2012, in Room 1028 of the SEMINOLE COUNTY SERVICES BUILDING at SANFORD, FLORIDA, the usual place of meeting of said Board.

     Present:

     Chairman Brenda Carey (District 5)

     Vice Chairman Carlton Henley (District 4)

     Commissioner Bob Dallari (District 1)

     Commissioner John Horan (District 2)

     Commissioner Dick Van Der Weide (District 3)

     County Manager Jim Hartmann

     County Attorney Bryant Applegate

     Deputy Clerk Jane Spencer

    

 

     Commissioner Henley gave the Invocation.

     Commissioner Horan led the Pledge of Allegiance.

PUBLIC HEARING

FINAL MILLAGE RATES

AND BUDGET FOR FY 2012/2013

Proof of publication, as shown on page _______, calling for a public hearing to consider adoption of the final Millage Rates and Budget for Fiscal Year 2012/13, received and filed.   Chairman Carey announced that the Board of County Commissioners does not have any control over the tax levies and budgets of the School Board, the Water Management District, or any of the seven cities in Seminole County.  She advised that questions regarding property assessed valuations should be addressed to the Property Appraiser, David Johnson, who is here tonight.  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.  She explained how the budgets for the Constitutional Officers are reviewed and approved. 

Chairman Carey stated the purpose of tonight’s meeting is to formally discuss the budget, to hear public comments regarding the tentative millage that has been set in the budget, amend the budget as desired by the Board of County Commissioners and to adopt the final millage rates and County budget for FY 2012/13 as required by Florida law. 

Chairman Carey stated a Notice of Public Hearing and Budget Summary advertisement announcing Seminole County’s intent to adopt the final 2012/13 millage rate and budget was advertised in the Seminole Section of the Orlando Sentinel on Thursday, September 20.

     Lin Polk, Budget Manager, addressed the Board to state that the tentative budget for FY 2012/13 is outlined in the Second Public Hearing booklet (copy received and filed) which was previously distributed to the Board and made available for public review on the County’s website.  She explained that adjustments of $13,700,842 are being made to the County Manager’s originally proposed budget and are detailed on pages 9 through 12 of the Second Public Hearing booklet.  Adjustments include updated projections of available fund balances and revenues, items discussed and actions taken by the Board since the First Public Hearing and Grant Carryforwards which are identified on page 12.

Ms. Polk displayed and reviewed a PowerPoint Presentation (copy received and filed) covering the following topics:  Proposed Budget Summary; Appropriations by Service Area; Millage Rate Summary; 2012 Change in Taxable Valuation; and Property Tax Revenue. 

     John Horvath, 1004 Bradford Drive, addressed the Board to state that he remembers when the County only had a population of 25,000 and the population is now 430,000. He discussed the replacement of rescue trucks, the traffic light modulation program for the emergency vehicles and the need for coordination with the City of Casselberry regarding the road maintenance schedule. 

     No one else spoke in support or in opposition.

     Speaker Request Form for John Horvath was received and filed.

Commissioner Dallari confirmed with Ms. Spriggs that the pieces of equipment that were discussed during the work session are still appropriated within the budget for expenditures.  Ms. Spriggs stated they are not coming out of the $2 million that was set aside in the Fleet Fund.  She noted it is the asphalt milling machine, the clam truck and the mower that were discussed.

Commissioner Dallari stated he would like to have the money allocated but not appropriated to be spent.  He wants to be sure when they are buying big equipment, they are buying the right equipment and believes there needs to be more discussion on it.  He stated he has no problem earmarking the funds to be spent but he does not want to appropriate the funds without it coming back to the Board.  He stated he did not know how the rest of the Board felt about this.

Chairman Carey asked if there was concurrence with Commissioner Dallari’s request.  No objections were voiced. 

Ms. Spriggs confirmed with Chairman Carey that they will leave the funds appropriated within the budget but staff will come back prior to spending the funds.

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Commissioner Dallari stated that he believes Mr. Hartmann did a good job explaining why every County employee should be getting a 3% increase across the board and explained why he believes that is appropriate.  He stated he does have an issue with the lower pay bands and believes there needs to be an adjustment on some of those lower pay bands.  He suggested that they could give a $500 bonus in the lower pay bands for anybody making $35,000 or less on top of the 3%.  He asked how the rest of the Board felt about that. 

Chairman Carey stated that the assumption is that all of the team members and employees gave 100%, which she believes they did.  She explained that there being no performance-based evaluation being tied to this gives her concern about doing a flat 3% across the board.  One of her concerns is the issue they still have with lower paid employees and noted that 66% of the staff makes under $50,000.  She suggested a way they could look at it, which would help fix the lower-end employees, is take the pool of $1.3 million and divide it, which comes to about $1,350 per employee.  Put that amount into their base.  She stated that would be a way to fix the lower pay bands, a way to put it into the base, and spread it more equally among the employees. 

Commissioner Van Der Weide stated he does not have a problem with that or other variations as long as the money is going into the base. 

Commissioner Henley asked Ms. Spriggs what implications there would be in the salary schedule as far as compression.  Ms. Spriggs stated based on the Chairman's recommendation, they would be doing a flat $1,350 on everybody so it would keep the same compression that they have now. 

Upon inquiry by Commissioner Horan, Mr. Hartmann stated his recommendation is to do 3%.  He thinks if there is a desire to do more for some of their lowest paid employees, then Commissioner Dallari's suggestion is probably a good suggestion because it would not affect necessarily the compression.  He believes it is very important for the Board to consider putting in money in a fair manner.  He stated when they get into flat rates, they don't have the same cumulative effect that there would be with a 3% distribution.

Commissioner Dallari confirmed with Ms. Spriggs that there is enough money in the overall pot to do 3% plus the bonus for the lower pay band and not ask for additional funds.

Upon inquiry by Chairman Carey, Ms. Spriggs explained that based upon the memo (received and filed) from Mr. Hartmann, the probationary employees would not be receiving the raise.  She stated there are also vacate positions within the budget numbers.  Collectively, they would be able to cover the extra $500 for the employees making less than $35,000.  Discussion ensued with regard to pay bands. 

Commissioner Horan stated with regard to the 3% salary adjustment and how it affects the morale, how it affects performance, and how it affects compression, those have been analyzed by the County Manager, the staff, and department heads over a period of many, many months.  He advised that this is the recommendation operationally that has been made, and he stated he is not in a position to second guess that particular professional judgment. 

Commissioner Henley stated he is sensitive to trying to help those people at the lower end and believes the only way to do it, without totally destroying the pay band setup, is through a bonus approach in addition to the 3%.  He stated he can support that position as long as he is assured that they have the money to do it.  Discussion ensued with regard to pay bands and compression. 

Commissioner Henley stated he believes this indicates they need to revisit the salary schedule, the pay bands, and compression because they will face this problem every year until they spend some time trying to correct it and come up with a better way.

Commissioner Dallari agreed and stated he is hoping that in November or the first of the year, Mr. Hartmann and staff will not only be looking at the right type of evaluation process, which is a performance process, but in the next process will look at cost of living as well as the performance.  Mr. Hartmann agreed.

Motion by Commissioner Dallari, seconded by Commissioner Henley, to approve a 3% adjustment, as outlined in the County Manager's memo; and approve a $500 bonus for any County employee who is making $35,000 or less. 

Under discussion, Commissioner Henley confirmed this was for full-time employees only outside of probation.  The adjustment will be effective within the time frames established in the County Manager's memo. 

Districts 1, 2, 3, and 4 voted AYE.

Chairman Carey voted NAY.

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Chairman Carey stated there are many good things in the budget and she believes staff worked very hard to hold the millage rate steady for taxpayers yet continue to provide all the services that taxpayers have come to expect.

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Motion by Commissioner Henley, seconded by Commissioner Dallari, to adopt the FY 2012/13 General Countywide ad valorem tax rate of 4.8751 mills.

     Districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 voted AYE.

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Motion by Commissioner Dallari, seconded by Commissioner Horan, to adopt the FY 2012/13 Fire MSTU ad valorem tax rate of 2.3299 mills.

Districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 voted AYE.

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Motion by Commissioner Horan, seconded by Commissioner Henley, to adopt the FY 2012/13 Unincorporated Road MSTU ad valorem tax rate of 0.1107 mills.

District 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 voted AYE.

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Motion by Commissioner Horan, seconded by Commissioner Dallari, to adopt the FY 2012/13 Voted Debt Service ad valorem tax rate of 0.1700 mills.

Districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 voted AYE.

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     Chairman Carey confirmed with the Board that the 3% adjustment will include the County Attorney and County Manager.  No objections were voiced.

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At the request of Chairman Carey, Cecelia Monti, Resource Management, read the established millage rates into the public record as follows:  The 2012/13 General Countywide millage rate of 4.8751 mills is 1.53% below the rolled-back rate of 4.9508 mills.  The 2012/13 Countywide Voted Debt Service millage rate of 0.1700 mills is unchanged from the current year tax rate.  The 2012/13 Unincorporated Road MSTU millage rate of 0.1107 mills is 1.6% below the rolled-back rate of 0.1125 mills.  The 2012/13 Fire MSTU millage rate of 2.3299 mills is 1.40% below the rolled-back millage rate of 2.3631.  The aggregate millage rate, exclusive of Voted Debt Service millage, is 6.5156 mills, which represents a 2.14% decrease from the current year aggregate rolled-back rate of 6.6583 mills.

     Motion by Commissioner Henley, seconded by Commissioner Dallari, to adopt appropriate Resolution #2012-R-179, as shown on page _______, Millage Levy for Fiscal Year 2012/13 inclusive of the millage rates announced.

Districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 voted AYE.

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     Motion by Commissioner Horan, seconded by Commission Dallari, to approve budget adjustments to the FY 2012/13 Tentative Budget totaling $13,700,842.

Districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 voted AYE.

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Motion by Commissioner Dallari, seconded by Commissioner Horan, to adopt appropriate Budget Resolution #2012-R-180, as shown on page _______, for FY 2012/13.

Districts 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 voted AYE.

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Commissioner Dallari thanked staff members for all the hard work they have done, not just this year but in past years. 

Commissioner Horan stated that even with a greatly reduced staff, every year staff has been able to come back and not only finish within the budget but replenish the reserves putting the County in the financial condition they are in today.  He stated staff deserves tremendous credit.  He thanked both the County Manager and the budget staff for the budget that they put together this year. 

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     There being no further business to come before the Board, the Chairman declared the meeting adjourned at 7:45 p.m., this same date. 

 

ATTEST:_______________________Clerk_____________________Chairman

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