[Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Town Hall on May 22, 2025.]
[00:00:19]
WELCOME EVERYONE.MY NAME IS SALLY ALCORN, AND I AM HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AT LARGE POSITION FIVE, AND I CHAIR THE CITY'S BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE.
SO WELCOME TO THIS VIRTUAL TOWN HALL ON THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 BUDGET.
I AM CO-HOSTING THIS WITH MY VICE CHAIR OF THE COMMITTEE, COUNCIL MEMBER MARIO CASTILLO, WHO REPRESENTS DISTRICT H.
AND I JUST WANNA TAKE THIS TIME TO THANK HIM AND HIS TEAM.
THEY ARE LIKE THE TOWN HALL MASTERS.
THEY, WE HAD A VIR, WE HAD AN IN-PERSON TOWN HALL LAST SATURDAY, AND THEN THIS VIRTUAL ONE.
THEY ARE VERY ADEPT AT PUTTING ON TOWN HALLS.
THEY'VE PUT ON SEVERAL IN THEIR DISTRICT.
AND I WANNA THANK, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO AND HIS TEAM FOR THE EXCELLENT JOB THAT THEY DID IN PUTTING ALL THIS TOGETHER.
ALSO, MY CHIEF OF STAFF, JORDAN FRAZIER ON, AND MY OTHER TWO STAFFERS, JUSTICE CODI MCCULLUM, AND KATIE SHELTON.
SO WE PUT ARE PUTTING ON THESE TOWN HALLS BECAUSE THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST IMPORTANT PIECE OF LEGISLATION THAT CITY COUNCIL DOES EACH YEAR.
THE BUDGET, THE BUDGET IS CONSIDERED AN ORDINANCE, AND IT'S REALLY HOW WE LAY OUT OUR SPENDING FOR THE, FOR THE COMING YEAR.
SO, I'VE ALWAYS THOUGHT WITH A $7 BILLION BUDGET, THERE SHOULD PROBABLY BE A LOT MORE PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT.
SO I HAVE, WE ARE PUTTING ON THESE TOWN HALLS I HAVE ON MY WEBSITE AND A WAY FOR YOU TO SUBMIT QUESTIONS.
WE CAN ASK DEPARTMENTS THE QUESTIONS THAT YOU WANT ANSWERED.
AND I DO AN ANNUAL BUDGET SURVEY CALLED YOUR 2 CENTS.
AND, UH, THIS YEAR IT'S NEW AND IMPROVED.
I GOT THE KINDER INSTITUTE AT RICE TO HELP ME OUT.
SO I, IT'S ON MY WEBSITE, BUT MY STAFF WILL PUT IT IN THE CHAT AS WELL.
IF YOU HAVEN'T TAKEN THE YOUR 2 CENTS SURVEY, PLEASE DO SO.
NOW, WE'VE GOTTEN OVER 1100 RESPONSES.
I'M GOING TO HAVE RICE COME, COME GIVE THEM ON JUNE 3RD.
UH, KIND OF GIVE AN OVERVIEW OF THE RESPONSES, BUT BASICALLY WHAT WE'VE LEARNED THUS FAR IS THAT PEOPLE WANT MORE MONEY SPENT ON INFRASTRUCTURE, HOMELESSNESS, SOLID WASTE, NEIGHBORHOOD ENFORCEMENT, PUBLIC WORKS, PUBLIC SAFETY.
THEY WANT MORE ATTENTION TO MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION.
SIDEWALKS, YOUTH AND AFTERSCHOOL PROGRAMMING, WALKING TRAILS, 67% SAY THEY'RE WILLING TO LOOK AT INCREASED FEES OR REVENUES OR TAXES, IF FOR ESSENTIAL SERVICES, 66% SUPPORT SOME KIND OF GARBAGE BEAM.
NOT SAYING WE'RE GONNA DO THESE THINGS, I'M JUST SAYING WHAT MY, WHAT MY SURVEY HAS GIVEN.
AND THIS ISN'T A REPRESENTATIVE SAMPLE, THIS IS JUST BASICALLY WHOEVER GETS AHOLD OF MY SURVEY.
IT'S NOT SCIENTIFICALLY DISTRIBUTED, BUT WHOEVER GETS AHOLD OF MY SURVEY, THOSE ARE SOME OF THE, THE RESPONSES WE'VE GOTTEN THUS FAR.
BEFORE I GO INTO THE BUDGET A LITTLE BIT MORE, I DO WANT TO INTRODUCE, UH, MY VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER MARIO CASTILLO, AND HE WILL MAKE SOME INTRODUCTIONS AS WELL AS PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THIS CALL.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, I, UH, WANT TO JUST EMPHASIZE THAT THIS IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO LEARN ABOUT WHAT IS IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND REALLY SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS, YOUR FEEDBACK, ASK YOUR QUESTIONS TO US DIRECTLY.
UM, THIS IS, THIS IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO, TO SHARE YOUR OPINION AND, AND WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE DOING THIS VIRTUALLY AND TRYING TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE TO AS MANY FOLKS AS POSSIBLE.
UH, IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THIS IS YOUR TAX DOLLARS AND, AND WE HAVEN'T VOTED ON THIS YET.
WE, WE WILL DO THAT IN EARLY JUNE, ON JUNE THE FOURTH.
SO, UM, NEXT WEDNESDAY COUNCIL MEMBERS WILL BE SUBMITTING BUDGET AMENDMENTS AND THOSE ALONG WITH THE BUDGET ITSELF WILL GET TAGGED, WHICH MEANS IT'S DELAYED FOR ONE WEEK.
AND THEN WE WILL, WE'LL TAKE UP THE BUDGET THAT FOLLOWING WEDNESDAY.
UM, WE DO HAVE OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR, MELISSA DEBOWSKI, WHO IS ON THE CALL TODAY.
UM, SHE'LL BE GOING OVER THE SLIDES THAT TALK ABOUT THE TOP LINES FROM THE BUDGET.
AND, UH, WE'RE REALLY GLAD TO HAVE HER 'CAUSE SHE'S THE BEST PERSON TO, TO ASK ALL THESE, UH, QUESTIONS TOO AND, AND REALLY HELP US WITH SOME OF THE MORE INTRICATE, UH, MORE FINANCE HEAVY THINGS THAT FOLKS MAY BE INTERESTED IN.
AND, UM, SO WE REALLY APPRECIATE HER BEING HERE AND, UH, GIVING HER TIME TO, TO WALK US THROUGH THIS.
SO WITH THAT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN, I'LL TURN IT BACK OVER TO YOU.
[00:05:01]
AND I WOULD LIKE TO ACKNOWLEDGE, I'M NOT SURE WHO ALL IS ON THE CALL, BUT IF THERE ARE ANY ELECTED OFFICIALS OR STAFF FROM ANY ELECTED OFFICIALS, WE'D LOVE TO FOR YOU TO CHIME IN AND, AND TELL US YOU'RE HERE.WELL, GOSH, I GUESS THIS WASN'T A BIG DRAW FOR OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS, BUT WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE THE RESIDENTS OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON HERE.
SO THE BIG STORY THIS YEAR, AS MANY OF I'M SURE OF YOU HAVE HEARD, IS THE, THE, THE DEFICIT THAT WE WERE FACING GOING INTO THIS BUDGET.
WE HAD A LAWSUIT, UM, THAT WAS SETTLED THAT WE'VE SINCE SETTLED, BUT IT, IT WAS POTENTIALLY A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS HICKEY TO THE CITY.
WE HAD A $220 MILLION DEFICIT JUST GOING INTO THE SEASON.
AND SO THE BIG STORY IS HOW THE ADMINISTRATION KIND OF BRIDGED THAT GAP, HOW WE GOT THAT DOWN TO A BALANCED BUDGET FOR THIS YEAR TO SUBMIT.
SO I'M GONNA LET MELISSA GO AHEAD AND GO THROUGH MELISSA DUBKE, WHO THE MAYOR CALLED THE BEST FINANCE DIRECTOR IN AMERICA.
SO WE'VE GOT THE BEST FINANCE DIRECTOR IN AMERICA, AND SHE'S GOING TO WALK YOU THROUGH AN OVERVIEW OF THE BUDGET, AND THEN WE WILL, UH, TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE IT.
AND OF COURSE, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT WE'RE HERE FOR IS TO HEAR YOUR COMMENTS AND HEAR YOUR QUESTIONS.
SO I'LL PASS IT TO MELISSA RIGHT NOW.
AS MEMBERS AND AND DIRECTOR, BEFORE YOU ALL GET STARTED, UM, JUST, UH, AS A POINT OF LOGISTICS FOR EVERYONE AS, AS PEOPLE COME IN, OR, UM, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND MUTING YOURSELF SO THAT WE DON'T GET ANY, ANY OF THAT BACKGROUND NOISE.
UM, THERE WILL BE A TIME FOR QUESTION AND ANSWER.
SO IF YOU WOULD JUST HOLD ALL YOUR QUESTIONS UNTIL, UH, THE DIRECTOR GETS DONE WITH HER PRESENTATION, AND THEN WE'LL, WE'LL GO THROUGH THE, THAT LOGISTICS PART AT, AT THAT TIME.
BUT JUST PLEASE DO MAKE SURE TO MUTE YOURSELF DURING THE PRESENTATION PORTION.
MY NAME IS MELISSA DEBOWSKI, I'M THE FINANCE DIRECTOR FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
UM, IF YOU ALL DIDN'T GET TO CATCH THE EXTENDED VERSION OF THIS PRESENTATION, YOU CAN ALWAYS GO BACK AND VIEW IT ON HTV ON THE CITY'S WEBSITE.
UM, THIS PRESENTATION HAS A SELECT SET OF SOME OF THE KEY SLIDES AND POINTS FROM THAT PRESENTATION, UM, WHICH WILL GIVE YOU A REALLY GOOD IDEA OF WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THE CITY'S BUDGET.
UM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND GET STARTED.
UM, SO ON THIS SLIDE YOU SEE A BREAKDOWN OF THE CITY'S TOTAL FY 26 PROPOSED BUDGET IN THE GRAY BOX.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE FOR FY 26, OUR PROPOSED BUDGET IS ABOUT ABOUT $7 BILLION.
UM, THESE NUMBERS ARE IN THOUSANDS ON THIS SLIDE.
UM, THE OVERALL CITY BUDGET, UH, IS AN INCREASE FROM THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR BY 2.3%, UM, IN THE COMPONENTS YOU SEE BROKEN DOWN IN THE BARS, UM, THE MAIN, UM, ITEM THAT WE'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THAT EVERYONE HEARS ABOUT PROBABLY, UM, THE MOST, UM, WELL, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT THINGS WE TALK ABOUT, BUT ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS FOR THIS YEAR'S BUDGET SEASON IS THE GENERAL FUND, WHICH IS THE, THE BAR AT THE TOP FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
ALTHOUGH THE OVERALL CITY BUDGET IS INCREASING SLIGHTLY, THE GENERAL FUND IS ACTUALLY SHOWING A DECREASE FROM FISCAL YEAR 25 TO 26.
UM, YOU SEE THE BLUE BAR OF, UH, $3.1 BILLION BUDGET FOR FY 25 AND $3.0 BILLION BUDGET FOR FY 26 PROPOSED.
UM, YOU SEE IN THE OTHER AREAS THERE ARE SLIGHT INCREASES, UH, AND THOSE ARE IN LINE WITH, UM, TYPICALLY THOSE AREAS ARE MORE, UM, USER BASED.
SO AS DEMAND INCREASES, UH, COST INCREASES AS WELL.
AND ON THE COMING SLIDES, WE'LL GO INTO THE DETAIL OF HOW IS THE CITY ABLE TO SHOW A DECREASE IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
SO ON THIS SLIDE, THIS SLIDE GIVES THE BREAKDOWN FOR THE GENERAL FUND SPECIFICALLY OF THE FULL-TIME EQUIVALENT POSITIONS.
UM, YOU SEE THE BREAKDOWN OF CIVILIAN POSITIONS AND POLICE AND FIRE CLASSIFIED LOOKING AT THE TWO RIGHTMOST BARS.
UM, LOOKING AT FY 25 CURRENT BUDGET COMPARED TO THE FY 26 PROPOSED BUDGET, AND THAT'S CIVILIAN LINE ITEM.
YOU SEE A DECREASE OVERALL FROM, UM, 4,200 CIVILIAN POSITIONS DOWN TO 3,800 CIVILIAN POSITIONS THAT ARE FUNDED BY THE GENERAL FUND.
THIS DECREASE IS, UM, LARGELY DRIVEN BY THE VOLUNTARY RE RETIREMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM THAT THE CITY, UM, ROLLED OUT THIS YEAR.
AND I'LL GIVE MORE DETAIL ON THAT, UM, IN FURTHER SLIDES.
BUT THAT'S WHAT'S DRIVING, UM, THE OVERALL DECREASE BECAUSE AS YOU CAN SEE, THE FIRE CLASSIFIED HEADCOUNT IS GOING UP AND THE FIRE CLASSIFIED HEADCOUNT IS GOING UP SLIGHTLY AS WELL.
SOME HIGHLIGHTS FOR THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
UM, THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET AS PROPOSED DOES INCLUDE A 10.8% FUND BALANCE OF EXPENDITURES, LESS DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU
[00:10:01]
GO.OUR, UM, MINIMUM, OUR DESIRED MINIMUM IS 7.5% OF EXPENDITURES LESS DEBT SERVICE.
AND THAT MINIMUM IS SET BASED ON OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES THAT ARE ESTABLISHED BY CITY ORDINANCE.
SO BASED ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET OF, UH, 10.8% FUND BALANCE, THAT REPRESENTS ABOUT $84 MILLION ABOVE THE 7.5%.
THE PROPOSED BUDGET INCLUDES A 3.5% PAY RAISE FOR THE MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES, WHICH IS PART OF OUR MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEE UNION CONTRACT THAT WAS NEGOTIATED BY HOPE AND AGREED TO, UH, BETWEEN HOPE AND THE CITY WITHIN THE LAST CALENDAR YEAR.
IT ALSO INCLUDES A 3% PAY RAISE FOR FIRE CLASSIFIED IN ALIGNMENT WITH THE FIRE CONTRACT THAT WAS APPROVED BY COUNCIL LAST YEAR.
AND, UH, THIS SLIDE IS, UH, SLIGHTLY OUT OF DATE YESTERDAY.
WE HAVE AN UPDATE ON THE POLICE CONTRACT.
IT INCLUDES A 10% PAY RAISE FOR POLICE CLASSIFIED EMPLOYEES.
THIS SAYS PROPOSED CONTRACT, BUT COUNSEL DID APPROVE THAT CONTRACT AT SESSION YESTERDAY.
UM, FOR THE CADET CLASSES FOR THE PUBLIC SAFETY RELATED DEPARTMENTS, THE BUDGET INCLUDES FIVE POLICE CADET CLASSES AND NINE FIRE CADET CLASSES.
AND THE NINE FIRE CADET CLASSES DOES SOUND HIGHER THAN WE HAVE HAD IN THE PAST.
UM, BUT IT'S ROUGHLY, UM, IT'S, IT'S ONLY A SLIGHT INCREASE ACTUALLY OF THE NUMBER OF CADETS THEMSELVES.
THE NUMBER OF CLASSES IS HIGHER BECAUSE, UM, THE FIRE DEPARTMENT IS PROPOSING TO HAVE, UM, SOME SMALLER CLASS SIZES THAT CAN START MORE FREQUENTLY, UM, WHAT THEY CALL FAST TRACK CLASSES FOR FIREFIGHTERS THAT ARE COMING FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS THAT ONLY HAVE TO SPEND ABOUT HALF THE AMOUNT OF TIME IN THE ACADEMY BEFORE THEY CAN BE DEPLOYED, UM, AS CLASSIFIED FIREFIGHTERS.
THE BUDGET ALSO, UH, FULLY FUNDS THE CITY'S THREE PENSION SYSTEMS AND COMPLIANCE WITH STATE LAW.
UH, THE BUDGET ALSO INCLUDES, UM, FUND BALANCE DRAWDOWN AND FY 26.
AS COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN MENTIONED, WE TALK, UM, FOR THE LAST YEAR ABOUT THE ANTICIPATED BUDGETARY GAP FOR FY 26.
YOU MIGHT'VE HEARD THE NUMBER OF 220 MILLION, 300 MILLION, 350 MILLION.
SO BASED ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BRING DOWN THAT GAP.
UM, THE A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS, UM, LAWSUIT, UH, PERTAINING TO THE DRAINAGE, UM, THAT, UH, WAS RESOLVED WITHIN THE LAST YEAR.
UM, WE WERE, THE CITY WAS ABLE TO NEGOTIATE A PHASE IN APPROACH TO COMPLYING WITH THAT LAWSUIT JUDGMENT AND, UM, THAT THAT AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE PLAINTIFF AND THE CITY WAS APPROVED BY CITY COUNCIL A FEW WEEKS AGO.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE'RE ABLE TO, UH, PHASE IN, UM, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE HAVE TO, THE INCREASED AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE HAVE TO TRANSFER TO DRAINAGE ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT WE HAVE HISTORICALLY DONE.
UH, THAT WAS A BIG PIECE OF, UM, WORKING ON, UM, YOU KNOW, COMING KIND OF FROM THAT $350 MILLION NUMBER DOWN TO WHERE WE ENDED UP, WHICH WE'LL GO INTO MORE DETAIL IN IN FURTHER SLIDES.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, I'LL OUTLINE ALL THE EFFICIENCIES AND EXPENDITURE REDUCTIONS THAT THE CITY HAS WORKED ON AND INCORPORATED INTO THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
THE BUDGET DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY ONE-TIME LAND SALES OR PAYMENT DEFERRALS.
UM, AND IT ALSO INCLUDES THE PARTIAL REPLENISHMENT OF THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND.
UM, WE ARE PLANNING TO ADD $12 MILLION OUT OF THE $25 MILLION REQUIREMENT, WHICH, UH, IS REQUIRED TO BE FULLY REPLENISHED BY FY 27.
SO WE'RE GETTING ABOUT HALFWAY THERE THIS YEAR.
FOR THE GENERAL FUND REVENUES.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE RIGHTMOST BAR, THAT'S WHERE WE LOOK AT THE FY 26 PROPOSED BUDGET.
UM, YOU SEE AN OVERALL INCREASE IN REVENUE OF ABOUT 1.29% FROM THE PREVIOUS FISCAL YEAR.
UM, AND YOU SEE THE BREAKDOWN THERE.
UM, THE LARGEST SOURCE OF GENERAL FUND REVENUE IS PROPERTY TAXES.
AND THE PURPLE BAR, UM, MAKES UP ABOUT HALF OF OUR REVENUES.
SALES TAX MAKES UP ANOTHER ROUGHLY THIRD OF OUR REVENUES, UM, AND THE BLUE BAR AND FRANCHISE FEES AND OTHER REVENUES, UM, COMPRISE THE REST.
ON THIS SLIDE WE'RE BREAKING DOWN, UM, WHERE THE GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES ARE PLANNED TO BE SPENT.
UM, THE MAJORITY OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET, UH, IS DEDICATED TO PUBLIC SAFETY.
UM, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE TOP BOX, IT REPRESENTS ABOUT 1.8 BILLION OUT OF THE $3 BILLION BUDGET.
UM, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, DEBT SERVICE, UM, IS OUR NEXT LARGEST CATEGORY FOLLOWED BY GENERAL GOVERNMENT, HUMAN AND CULTURAL, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.
THE ONE THING THAT YOU'LL NOTICE IN THE TREND, OF COURSE, PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, REMAINS RELATIVELY,
[00:15:01]
UH, FLAT.THE OTHER CATEGORIES, SINCE THE OVERALL BUDGET, NET CHANGE IN THE GRAY BO GRAY BOX SHOWS A NET CHANGE OF IT.
ACTUALLY A DECREASE IN THE EXPENDITURE BUDGET FROM FISCAL YEAR 25 TO 26, UM, IS BECAUSE OF SOME OF THE EFFICIENCY ITEMS THAT I'LL, UM, OUTLINE IN THE COMING SLIDES.
BUT AS YOU CAN SEE ACROSS THE CATEGORIES, ALL AREAS ARE SHOWING A DECREASE FROM THE FY 25 TO 26, UH, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF PUBLIC SAFETY.
AND THE OTHER CATEGORY TO HIGHLIGHT IS THE PAY AS YOU GO.
UM, YOU SEE THE THIRD, UH, THIRD FROM THE BOTTOM GROUP OF BARS.
THE PAY AS YOU GO IS INCREASING AND THAT REFLECTS THE INCREASED AMOUNT OF MONEY WE'RE SENDING FOR THE DRAINAGE PROJECTS.
LIKE I MENTIONED WITH THAT LAWSUIT.
UM, IT IS GONNA BE A PHASED IN APPROACH.
SO THE IMPACT TO THE GENERAL FUND WON'T BE AS, UM, UH, MUCH IN THIS FISCAL YEAR.
IT IS GONNA BE PHASED IN, BUT IT STILL REPRESENTS AN INCREASE FROM WHAT WE HAVE HISTORICALLY DONE FOR DRAINAGE.
SO I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT PUBLIC SAFETY, UM, BEING MORE THAN HALF OF THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET.
THIS BREAKS DOWN THE GENERAL FU GENERAL FUND BUDGET INTO PERSONNEL, NON-PERSONNEL.
AND THEN YOU CAN SEE HOW MUCH IS FOR CLASSIFIED, UH, WHICH IS THE PUBLIC SAFETY.
SO OF THE CITIES AND THE, UH, THE CENTER BARS, THE CITY'S TOTAL GENERAL FUND BUDGET, UH, TOTALS $3 BILLION.
AND ABOUT 61% OF THAT IS PERSONNEL OVER $1.8 BILLION IS FOR PERSONNEL.
UH, THE NON-PERSONNEL CATEGORY IS THE BLUE SECTION.
YOU CAN SEE THAT'S 39% OF OUR BUDGET ARE ABOUT 1.1 BILLION.
MOVING OVER TO THE LEFT, THE THE TWO GREEN BARS THAT ARE STACKED ON EACH OTHER, THIS BREAKS DOWN THE PERSONNEL BUDGET INTO CLASSIFIED, WHICH WOULD BE OUR POLICE AND FIRE VERSUS THE CIVILIAN POSITIONS, WHICH IS ALL THE OTHER, UM, NON-CLASSIFIED, NON NON-POLICE OFFICER, NON FIREFIGHTER POSITIONS AT THE GENERAL FUND FUNDS.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, THE VAST MAJORITY OF OUR PERSONNEL COSTS IS FOR CLASSIFIED ABOUT $1.4 BILLION IN THE BLUE BAR.
UH, THIS BREAKS DOWN THE NON-PERSONNEL COST, UM, THAT THE GENERAL FUND PAYS FOR.
AND YOU CAN SEE ABOUT, UM, ABOUT 43% OF THIS IS DEBT SERVICE AND PAY AS YOU GO, WHICH INCLUDES THAT TRANSFER TO PAY AS YOU GO TRANSFER TO DRAINAGE.
UH, THE OTHER, UH, THE, THE REMAINDER OF THE OTHER IS OTHER SERVICES AND CHARGES ABOUT 53% AND ENERGY MAKES UP ABOUT 4%.
THIS SLIDE GIVES YOU A HISTORICAL VIEW AT THE EXPENDITURE BUDGET FOR THE GENERAL FUND.
AS I MENTIONED, UM, LOOKING AT THE RIGHT BAR, FY 26 PROPOSED BUDGET SHOWS A DECREASE OF BUDGET OF 2.4%.
UM, TYPICALLY WHEN WE PROPOSE A BUDGET, WE TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH IS THE BUDGET GOING TO INCREASE.
UM, IT'S NOT VERY OFTEN WE TALK ABOUT HOW MUCH IS A BUDGET DECREASING.
UM, SO, AND I KNOW I KEEP TEASING THIS, BUT WE'LL TALK IN FURTHER SLIDES ABOUT ALL THE DIFFERENT EFFICIENCIES AND INITIATIVES THAT THE CITY, UH, HAS PUT INTO THE BUDGET TO BE ABLE TO BRING THAT EXPENDITURE BUDGET DOWN.
UM, THE ONLY OTHER YEAR THAT WE HAD A DECREASE, IF YOU LOOK AT FY 21, UM, IS WHEN WE HAD SOME FEDERAL FUNDING THAT, UM, SERVICES THAT NORMALLY WOULD HAVE BEEN PAID FOR AND COME FROM THE GENERAL FUND WERE COVERED BY SOME OF THE FEDERAL FUNDS WE'VE HAD.
SO, UH, OTHER THAN THAT, WHEN YOU LOOK HISTORICALLY, UM, GOING BACK, UM, AT LEAST TO 2018, UH, WE HAVE NOT HAD A DECREASE IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
SO FOR THE GENERAL FUND UNENDING UNASSIGNED ENDING FUND BALANCE, UM, AT THE BEGINNING OF THE FISCAL YEAR, UM, WELL ACTUALLY AT THE TIME WE PROPOSED THE FY 25 BUDGET LAST YEAR, WE WERE PROJECTING THAT THE BUDGETARY GAP FOR FY 26 WOULD BE ABOUT $229 MILLION.
SO, UH, SINCE THAT TIME, WE HAVE BEEN WORKING ON THOSE COST CUTTING MEASURES AND EFFICIENCIES, UH, THAT WE IDENTIFIED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT BASED ON THAT, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO DECREASE OUR, UM, OUR PLANNED BUDGETARY GAP.
SO AT THE TIME, WE, UM, PROPOSE THE FY 25 BUDGET BUDGETS ARE LOOKING AT THE, UH, THE BAR SECOND TO THE RIGHT, WHERE YOU SEE THE FY 25 ESTIMATE, UM, THE FUND BALANCE RATE.
NOW THE ESTIMATE FOR FY 25 ENDING FUND BALANCE IS AROUND 14.7% OR ABOUT $380 MILLION.
AT THE TIME WE PROPOSED THE FY 25 BUDGET, THAT NUMBER WAS AROUND 10%.
SO THROUGHOUT THE FISCAL YEAR 25, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BUILD ON OUR FUND BALANCE, UM, FROM WHERE WE STARTED AT THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR.
SO MOVING ON TO THE FY 26 PROPOSED BUDGET, WE DID HAVE TO DRAW MONEY OUT OF THE FUND BALANCE TO CLOSE THE BUDGETARY GAP.
[00:20:01]
FY 26.THE AMOUNT THAT WE HAD TO DRAW OUT OF THE FUND BALANCE FOR FY 26 REPRESENTED ABOUT HALF OF WHAT WE HAD TO DRAW TO PROPOSE THE BUDGET FOR FY 25.
SO, UM, ALTHOUGH WE HAVEN'T COMPLETELY CLOSED THE BUDGETARY GAP, WE'RE MOVING IN THAT DIRECTION AND, AND REDUCING THAT GAP BY ABOUT HALF COMPARED TO THE PREVIOUS YEAR.
AND AFTER THAT, UH, DRAW ON FUND BALANCE, WE STILL HAVE, UM, BASED ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET, 273 MILLION IN OUR FUND BALANCE, WHICH REPRESENTS 10.8%.
AND, UM, KEEP IN MIND THAT OUR TARGET IS THE SEVEN POINT A HALF PERCENT OF FUND BALANCE.
SO THIS LEAVES ABOUT $84 MILLION ABOVE THE 7.5%.
SO THIS IS THE SLIDE, UM, THAT I'VE BEEN TALKING ABOUT, UH, WHERE WE SHOW HOW DID WE ADDRESS THE BUDGETARY GAP.
UM, SO AT THE BEGINNING OF THE, UH, FISCAL YEAR LOOKING AT THE LEFTMOST BAR, UM, OUR INITIAL PROJECTION FOR THE FY 26 BUDGETARY GAP WAS AROUND $230 MILLION.
UH, WE'VE HAD A SERIES OF REVENUE ADJUSTMENTS AND EXPENDITURE ADJUSTMENTS THAT HAVE BROUGHT THAT BUDGETARY GAP DOWN TO THE BAR YOU SEE ON THE RIGHT MOST SIDE, WHICH IS $107 MILLION.
AND THAT'S THE AMOUNT THAT WE ENDED UP DRAWING OR PROPOSING TO DRAW FROM THE FUND BALANCE TO CLOSE THE REMAINDER OF THE GAP FOR THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
SO GOING THROUGH SOME OF THE ITEMS ON THE REVENUE ADJUSTMENT SIDE, UM, WE DID, UM, HAVE A SLIGHT INCREASE ON WHAT WE WERE PROJECTING FOR PROPERTY TAX BASED ON A, UM, INFLATION GROWTH THAT WE RECEIVED FROM, UM, THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS THAT ALLOWED US TO ADD ABOUT $5 MILLION TO WHAT WE WERE PROJECTING ON PROPERTY TAX.
SO WHEN YOU SEE THAT IN THE BLUE SHADED AREA, THAT FIRST ORANGE BAR AS A NEGATIVE, THAT BASICALLY MEANS IT IS, UM, REDUCING THE BUDGETARY GAP.
SO WHERE WE STARTED, 230 MILLION, THINK OF THAT 5 MILLION, BRINGING THE BUDGET GAP DOWN FROM TWO 30 MILLION DOWN TO 225 MILLION.
UM, THEN FROM THERE WE TOOK A LOOK AT SALES TAX AND OUR PROJECTIONS.
AT THE TIME WE WERE PROJECTING, UH, SALES TAX WHEN WE THOUGHT THE BUDGETARY GAP WAS AROUND 230 MILLION.
WE'VE TAKEN A LITTLE BIT MORE CONSERVATIVE LOOK AT OUR SALES TAX FROM THAT POINT AND BROUGHT OUR SALES TAX PROJECTION DOWN BY ABOUT $5 MILLION, WHICH WOULD ADD BACK TO THE GAP.
UH, FROM THERE WE ALSO DECREASED OUR PROJECTION OF FRANCHISE FEES BY $3 MILLION BASED ON, UM, TRENDS THAT WE ARE SEEING.
AND THEN, UH, LOOKING AT THE REST OF THE REVENUE ADJUSTMENTS, UM, A $20 MILLION INCREASE IN OTHER REVENUES, WHICH IS PRIMARILY DRIVEN BY INTEREST EARNINGS BASED ON OUR, UH, POOLED INVESTMENTS THAT WE HAVE, AS WELL AS A ASSUMED INCREASE IN OUR AMBULANCE, UH, FEE COLLECTIONS.
THOSE ARE THE TWO BIGGEST DRIVERS OF THAT CATEGORY.
UM, IN THE NEXT ORANGE BAR THAT TRANSFERS FROM OTHER FUNDS, THIS IS PRIMARILY DRIVEN BY, UM, UH, THE REVENUE THAT WE'RE GOING TO BRING IN FROM METRO TO PAY FOR TRAFFIC ENFORCEMENT, AS WELL AS, UH, REIMBURSEMENT FOR SOME, UM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, SALE OF CAPITAL ASSETS IS JUST A VERY SMALL CHANGE NEGLIGIBLE.
SO MOVING OVER TO THE SHADED GREEN AREA WHERE YOU SEE THE EXPENDITURE ADJUSTMENTS, UM, FROM THE TIME THAT WE HAD PROJECTED THE $230 MILLION GAP, UM, WE SEE IN THAT FIRST BAR THAT'S INSIDE THE GREEN SHADED AREA, WE WANTED TO, UH, DO MORE FOR DRAINAGE.
AND ALTHOUGH, UH, WE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD THE FINDING FROM THE COURT THAT SAID, OKAY, CITI, YOU NEED TO GO AHEAD AND ADD THE A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR EXTRA FOR DRAINAGE.
UH, WORKING WITH THE PLAINTIFFS, WE WERE ABLE TO NEGOTIATE A PHASED IN APPROACH.
SO INSTEAD OF THE A HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS INCREMENTAL, UH, WE'RE INCREMENTALLY GOING TO DO $16 MILLION ADDITIONAL ON TOP OF WHAT WE HISTORICALLY WOULD HAVE DONE FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.
SO THAT'S THAT $16 MILLION YOU SEE, UH, IN THE NEXT BLUE BAR.
UM, YOU SEE A $50 MILLION, UH, INCREASE TO EXPENDITURES DRIVEN BY THE FINALIZATION OF THE HPOU CONTRACT, UH, AN EXTRA $9 MILLION FOR THE HOPE, WHICH IS THE MUNICIPAL CONTRACT.
AND THEN YOU START TO SEE ALL THE EXPENDITURE REDUCTIONS IN THE ORANGE BARS, UH, FOLLOWING.
UH, SO THE FIRST ORANGE BAR IS THE $29 MILLION THAT WE ARE BUDGETING TO SAVE FROM THE VOLUNTARY MUNICIPAL RETIREMENT OPTION PLAN.
THE NEXT ORANGE BAR IS A $25 MILLION SAVINGS IN PENSION COSTS.
UM, THE WAY THAT THE PENSION REFORM STATUTE WORKS, THAT'S THE CONTRIBUTION RATE FOR THE CITY.
AND BECAUSE THE PENSION SYSTEM HAS, UM, IMPROVED THEIR FUNDED STATUS AND MET, UH, MET AND EXCEEDED THEIR, UM, THEIR INVESTMENT RETURN TARGETS,
[00:25:01]
IT ALLOWS, UM, THE CITY TO, UM, HAVE SOME REALIZE SOME SAVINGS, UH, BASED ON THE WAY THE COST CORRIDOR STRUCTURE WORKS IN STATE LAW.UH, THE NEXT ORANGE BAR, UH, STREETLIGHT AND TRAFFIC SIGNAL, ELECTRICITY SAVINGS, UM, THIS IS SAVINGS DUE TO US REALIZING REVENUE FROM METRO TO COVER THOSE COSTS.
THE NEXT ORANGE BAR IS THE CATEGORY MANAGEMENT INITIATIVE SAVINGS OF ABOUT $18 MILLION.
THIS IS, UM, A RECOMMENDATION COMING OUT OF THE ERNST AND YOUNG CITYWIDE EFFICIENCY STUDY WHERE WE'RE GOING TO BE REPROCURING AND RECONTRACTING GOODS AND SERVICES TO GET MORE LEVERAGE AND BUYING POWER BY COMBINING CONTRACTS, UH, TO GET MORE EFFICIENT PRICING.
UH, THE NEXT ORANGE BAR IS DEPARTMENTAL BUDGET REDUCTIONS.
SO WE WORKED WITH EACH OF THE DEPARTMENTS AT THE CITY, UH, TO GET IDEAS FROM THEM ABOUT HOW THEY COULD REDUCE THEIR BUDGETS, UH, WHILE NOT COMPROMISING, UM, FRONTLINE SERVICES AND THOSE SAVINGS TOTAL $16 MILLION.
UH, THE NEXT ORANGE BAR IS A DELAY IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE OPE TRUST.
UM, THIS IS AN INITIATIVE THAT WE PREVIOUSLY WERE PLANNING TO DO IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, UH, WHERE, UH, THE CITY WOULD SET ASIDE, UM, FUNDING FOR RETIREE HEALTHCARE AND GROW THOSE SAVINGS, UH, WITH INVESTMENT EARNINGS OVER TIME.
SO RIGHT NOW WE PAY THE COST OF OUR, UM, RETIREE HEALTHCARE ON A PAY AS YOU GO BASIS.
AND THE IDEA WITH THIS WAS TO, UH, SET, SET SOME ASIDE TO SAVE FOR THE FUTURE.
IN ADDITION TO PAYING AS WE GO, UM, WE'VE DECIDED TO, UH, DELAY THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THAT FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR.
SO WE REALIZED THE SAVINGS OF $13 MILLION, THE NEXT ORANGE BAR, UH, SAVINGS OF $8 MILLION, THIS IS RELATED TO THE 3 1 1 CONSOLIDATION, WHERE THE, UH, CITY'S VARIOUS, UM, CONTACT CENTERS AND CALL CENTERS ACROSS DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS HAVE BEEN CONSOLIDATED INTO ONE, UM, THE SAME OR SIMILAR CONCEPT WITH THE CODE ENFORCEMENT CONSOLIDATION, A SAVINGS OF AN ADDITIONAL 8 MILLION.
AND THEN YOU SEE OTHER CONSOLIDATIONS, UH, SAVE ABOUT $2 MILLION, UH, CITYWIDE FOR FY 26 PROPOSED BUDGET, UM, AS WELL AS THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CONSOLIDATION ABOUT $1 MILLION.
AND THAT ROUNDS OUT THE, THE EXPENDITURE ADJUSTMENTS AND THAT TOGETHER WITH THE REVENUE ADJUSTMENTS, IT TAKES US FROM A $230 MILLION GAP TO A $107 MILLION BUDGETARY GAP.
SO THIS SLIDE JUST GOES OVER, UM, IN MORE DETAIL, HOPEFULLY IN A MORE, UM, I MEAN THE OTHER, THE PREVIOUS SLIDE HAD A NICE VISUAL REPRESENTATION OF THE WATERFALL.
THIS SLIDE GIVES YOU MORE DETAIL, FINER POINT ON THE FIGURES, UM, BUT REPRESENTS WHAT WE WENT OVER IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE.
UM, I THINK THAT'S THE END OF MY PREPARED REMARKS.
AND THAT WAS A SLICE OF, OF WHAT WAS A LOT LARGER PRESENTATION THAT WE'VE GOT THAT INCLUDED A FIVE-YEAR FORECAST.
SO THAT'S ALL ONLINE, ALL ON THE BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS WEBSITE IF YOU'D LIKE TO LOOK AT THAT.
BUT BASICALLY SHE TOLD THE STORY VERY DETAILED OF HOW THEY ADDRESSED THAT 300 PLUS MILLION DOLLAR GAP IN THE GENERAL FUND.
AND WE TALK ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND.
THAT'S YOUR TAX SUPPORTED BUDGET, THAT'S YOUR PROPERTY TAXES AND YOUR SALES TAXES.
THAT'S REALLY WHERE WE FOCUS ON THIS OPERATING BUDGET.
PUBLIC WORKS YOU'RE PAYING FOR WITH YOUR WATER BILLS AND WITH YOUR DRAINAGE FEE, THE AIRPORTS YOU'RE PAYING FOR WHEN YOU BUY AN AIRLINE TICKET AND YOU HAVE YOUR PASSENGER FACILITY CHARGE, IT'S ALL YOUR MONEY.
BUT THE, WE REALLY FOCUS A LOT DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS WHILE WE PASS THE FULL OPERATING BUDGET, WE FOCUS ON THAT GENERAL FUND PORTION.
AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE GAP AND THE FUND BALANCE, FUND BALANCE IS JUST BASICALLY OUR SAVINGS.
SO THIS YEAR WE, AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN HERE AND I WAS A STAFFER BEFORE I RAN FOR OFFICE, WE HAVE ALWAYS TAKEN MONEY FROM OUR SAVINGS.
YOU WANNA MATCH YOUR REVENUES WITH YOUR EXPENDITURES.
IT'S NOT IDEAL, BUT IT'S KIND OF LIKE WHAT FACES, MUNICIPALITIES ACROSS THE NATION.
THERE'S NEVER QUITE ENOUGH REVENUES TO COVER THE EXPENSES.
SO WE'RE, WE GOT THAT DOWN TO ABOUT $107 MILLION.
THE CONCERN IS AS TIME GOES ON, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN'T WHITTLE DOWN THAT, THAT FUND BALANCE TOO MUCH BECAUSE THEN YOU'VE GOT NOTHING TO DRAW UPON WHEN YOU'RE REALLY FACED WITH A BUDGET, UH, A BUDGET DEFICIT.
SO WE NEED TO BE MINDFUL OF THAT.
SHE WENT THROUGH EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE.
A LOT OF THIS WAS BASED ON WHAT THE MAYOR DID WITH THIS ERNST AND YOUNG STUDY.
SO THEY CAME IN, THEY LOOKED AT EVERY DEPARTMENT AND WE JUST HAD BUDGET WORKSHOPS WITH 23 UH, DEPARTMENTS.
AND THEY WENT THROUGH EVERYTHING.
THEY'VE CUT ALL THE PEOPLE THAT LEFT WITH THE VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT, UH, AT WHAT SERVICES ARE GOING TO BE
[00:30:01]
IMPACTED.THEY WENT THROUGH THE NITTY GRITTY OF EACH BUDGET.
BUT BASICALLY ERNST AND YOUNG LOOKED AT HOW WE'RE MEASURING PERFORMANCE ON ALL OF OUR ACTIVITIES.
THEY LOOKED AT HOW WE NEED TO RESTRUCTURE.
WE HAD TOO MANY MANAGERS WITH TOO FEW PEOPLE WHO REPORTED TO THEM.
SO THERE'S A BIG RESTRUCTURING GOING ON.
AND FINALLY WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT WHAT MELISSA CALLED CATEGORY MANAGEMENT, WHICH IS BASICALLY LOOKING AT HOW WE SPEND OUR MONEY, HOW DO WE BUY GOODS AND SERVICES, HOW DO WE CONTRACT AND WE'RE NOT DOING IT.
WHAT ERNST AND YOUNG HAS FOUND OUT IS WE'RE NOT DOING IT VERY STRATEGICALLY.
SO A MORE, A MUCH MORE STRATEGIC LOOK AT HOW WE CONTRACT.
WE'RE GONNA BE DOING LOTS OF CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS.
WE'RE GOING TO MORE STRATEGICALLY PURCHASE OUR GOODS AND SERVICES THIS YEAR.
SAVING, THEY'VE ESTIMATED UP TO $17 MILLION AND IN FUTURE YEARS, EVEN MORE SO, A LOT OF GOOD THINGS GOING ON FROM THE ERNST AND YOUNG STUDY, IN MY OPINION.
I THINK THE VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT THING WAS A GOOD WAY TO ADDRESS A LOT OF, WE HAD OFFERED TO 3000 PEOPLE, NON NON-PUBLIC SAFETY PEOPLE, NOT POLICE AND FIRE, BUT WE HAD 3000 JUST MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES ELIGIBLE TO RETIRE.
THEY WERE OFFERED A THREE MONTH SEVERANCE PACKAGE AND A THOUSAND OF, ABOUT A THIRD OF THEM TOOK THE DEAL.
SO WE'LL HAVE TO REHIRE BACK SOME OF THOSE.
AND I'M ASKING QUESTIONS OF EVERY DEPARTMENT OF WHO, HOW MANY ARE BEING REHIRED BACK 'CAUSE THEY PROVIDE ESSENTIAL SERVICES FOR THE CITY.
AND, AND THAT WILL ALL BE BORNE OUT.
BUT A LOT OF MEASURES HAVE BEEN TAKEN AND NOW, YOU KNOW, BUT WHAT, BUT WHAT WE NOTICED IN THE DEPARTMENTAL WORKSHOPS IS YOU DID SEE DECREASES IN THINGS IN LI LIKE PARKS AND TRASH AND LIBRARIES.
YOU SAW DECREASES IN THESE IN THESE NON-PUBLIC SAFETY.
EVEN FIRE HAD A DECREASE 'CAUSE THEIR RAISE WAS LESS THAN LAST YEAR'S.
UM, BUT YOU SAW A LOT OF DECREASES, WHICH WILL HAVE SOME IMPACT ON SERVICES, BUT WE HOPE NOT A LOT.
WE'RE BEING, TRYING TO BE STRATEGIC ABOUT PARTNERING WITH, WITH THE HARRIS COUNTY ON PROVIDING SERVICES, GETTING, UM, FUNDS FROM METRO, HAVING MORE COLLABORATION ACROSS OUR REGION TO PROVIDE THE ESSENTIAL SERVICES THAT YOU ALL NEED.
BUT WITH NO FURTHER ADO, WE REALLY WANNA HEAR FROM YOU, COUNCIL MEMBER CASTILLO, YOU MAY HAVE SOME, SOME COMMENTS BEFORE QUESTIONS, BUT WE'RE READY TO, UM, I MEAN, WHATEVER YOU'D LIKE TO SAY BEFORE THAT.
AND THEN WE WANNA HEAR FROM YOU ALL.
UH, I THINK YOU REALLY COVERED A, A LOT OF IT.
THERE IS A QUESTION IN THE CHAT, UH, ABOUT THE CONSOLIDATING THAT WE'VE DONE AT THE CITY, YOU KNOW, MOVING INSPECTORS FROM DAWN INTO PUBLIC WORKS AND, AND WITH OUR, OUR CALL TAKERS AND IF WE'RE CONSOLIDATING ALL, ALL WITH THE COUNTY, WHICH WE ARE NOT, THERE'S NO FORMAL CONSOLIDATION OF EFFORTS BETWEEN THE CITY AND COUNTY THAT'S INCLUDED IN THIS BUDGET AS PROPOSED.
UM, BUT WE ARE DOING SOME MERGING AND, AND IN TERMS OF INSPECTORS, IN TERMS OF CALL TAKERS THAT WOULD TAKE CALLS FOR WATER BILL ISSUES AND NOW BEING ROLLED INTO 3 1 1 AND ALL OF THAT BEING PROCESSED, UH, THROUGH 3 1 1 AS OPPOSED TO DIFFERENT, UM, DIFFERENT AGENCIES HAVING DIFFERENT SETS OF CALL TAKERS.
BUT I THINK WE SHOULD JUST, UH, ROLL RIGHT INTO QUESTIONS.
WE'RE CENTRALIZING THINGS TOO, LIKE FINANCE AND HUMAN RESOURCES ACTIVITIES, YOU KNOW, THE AIRPORTS OF POLICE, EVERYBODY HAD THEIR OWN FINANCE DEPARTMENT.
WE'RE ROLLING THAT ALL INTO MELISSA'S DEPARTMENT AND ALSO HR FUNCTIONS.
WE'RE KIND OF CENTRALIZING THOSE AND THAT HOPEFULLY WILL HAVE SOME EFFICIENCIES OVER TIME.
WE PUT, UM, WE'RE BASICALLY RELIEVING THE GENERAL FUND, THE TAX SUPPORTED BUDGET FROM SOME OF THE COSTS AND THAT ARE NOW GOING TO BE ASSUMED BY THE PUBLIC WORKS BUDGET, LIKE THE CALL TAKING THE THREE ONE ONE LIKE CODE ENFORCEMENT THAT USED TO BE PAID FOR OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND.
SO WE'RE RELI GIVING SOME, YOU KNOW, WE'RE RELIEVING THE GENERAL FUND OF SOME OF THOSE BURDENS BY, BY SHIFTING TO THE, TO THE PUBLIC WORKS COMBINED UTILITY SYSTEM.
ALRIGHT, WE CAN ROLL INTO QUESTIONS.
ARE YOU MONITORING THOSE? UM, MARIO? UM, WELL RUSSELL, HE'S MONITORING QUESTIONS.
ARE WE JUST GONNA HAVE 'EM SHOUT 'EM OUT OR WE DID WE HAVE
YEAH, PEOPLE SHOULD LIKE RAISE THEIR HAND.
WOULD YOU YEAH, RAISE YOUR HAND.
WELL, YEAH, SO HIT THAT, RAISE YOUR HAND BUTTON 'CAUSE IT WILL, UM, IT'LL ORGANIZE THEM BY WHO, WHO RAISED FIRST.
I WILL DO A THREE MINUTE, UM, TIMER FOR, FOR EVERYONE.
AND SO YEAH, IF YOU'LL JUST HIT THAT, RAISE YOUR HAND BUTTON AND WE'LL TAKE QUESTIONS AS THEY COME IN.
TOM, UH, YOU ARE FIRST TO SPEAK.
TOM, YOU'RE ON MUTE AND YOU'RE MUTED.
TOM, BRENT, GOOD TO SEE YOU, BUT YOU'RE ON MUTE.
[00:35:01]
I HAVEN'T HEARD MUCH ABOUT STREETS AND STREETS REPAIR AND WHERE THAT FALLS IN THE BUDGET.AND IF THAT WAS PART OF THIS, UH, SETTLEMENT FOR, UH, FOR, UH, DRAINAGE.
WAS THAT, WAS STREETS INCLUDED IN THAT, THAT SETTLEMENT OR IS THAT SOMETHING SEPARATE? UH, STILL? UH, NO, THAT WAS, THAT WAS STREET AND STREETS AND DRAINAGE TOGETHER.
AND BASICALLY WHAT THE LAWSUIT IT, IT, WELL, WE'RE TRANSFERRING, I THINK, UM, MELISSA AN EXTRA 40 SOME MILLION DOLLARS WITH THAT TRANSFER THIS YEAR.
UM, YOU KNOW, FROM LIKE 1 44 TO 184 MILLION IF I, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY.
SO THAT PORTION OF, OF WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE LAWSUIT FROM, AND, AND IT'S FROM, BASED ON PART OF YOUR AD VALOREM TAX WE'RE DOING, WE'RE PHASING IN THE FULL AMOUNT OF YOUR AD VALOREM TAX.
WHAT WE DO WITH THAT TO IS PAY DOWN DEBT FIRST, USE OUR, DO OUR DEBT SERVICE FOR THAT YEAR, AND THEN THE REST AS OUR DEBT SERVICE GOES DOWN, GOES TO PROJECTS.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY CONTRIBUTING ABOUT $40 MILLION MORE THIS YEAR, UH, TO STREET AND DRAINAGE PROJECTS.
UH, THOMAS HOLSTEIN, YOU CAN CALL ME BY MY REAL NAME.
UH, HEY, THANK Y'ALL FOR HOSTING THIS.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, REALLY HAD A, A QUESTION.
UM, IT WAS A, A DOVETAIL IN REALLY SUGGESTION ABOUT THE CITY, COUNTY, UH, COUNTY PART.
AND IT'S THE CURIOSITY OF WITH Y'ALL NOT OPERATING IN A SILO, IT'S GOING ON IN THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THE, YOU KNOW, THREATS OF DISRUPTIONS OF CUTS AND SERVICES.
THE COUNTY TODAY BASICALLY AGREED TO DO SUGGESTIONS FOR 10% REDUCTIONS FOR THEIR COUNTY DEPARTMENTS.
AND SO, AND THEN THE ISD IS DOING SCHOOL CLOSURES AND WRAPAROUND SERVICES.
SO JUST SEEING KIND OF THE, THE STRAIN ON PUBLIC RESOURCES, UM, HOW Y'ALL ARE MONITORING THE IMPACTS AND THE DEMAND FOR SERVICES AND POTENTIALLY THE CAPACITY OF THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF THE COUNTY ISN'T ABLE TO PROVIDE IT OR SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE ABLE TO PROVIDE IT OR NEIGHBORS ARE GETTING CUTS TO SNAP OR MEDICAID OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
JUST KIND OF THE MACRO LEVEL IMPACTS THAT Y'ALL EXPERIENCE.
AND MAYBE THEN THAT'S THE THRUST TOWARD CONSULTING SERVICES AND OUT YEARS OR TO, UM, TO KIND OF, I DON'T KNOW, JUST BASICALLY SEE IF, IF FOLKS ARE NOT GETTING WHAT THEY NORMALLY EXPECT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, WHAT IS THE IMPACT ON CRIMINAL JUSTICE OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO IT'S A RAMBLE, BUT I GUESS THE CURIOSITY IS AS YOU IMPLEMENT THIS BUDGET, AS YOU SEE YOUR PEERS AT, UM, SOME OF THE OTHER LAYERS OF GOVERNMENT THAT ARE ALSO IN KIND OF THE POST ARPA STRAIN, UM, KIND OF HOW YOU'LL MONITOR THE KPIS, THE OUTCOMES, AND THEN MAYBE DO, DO UPDATES IN THE FUTURE YEARS.
SO REALLY A SUGGESTION INSTEAD A QUESTION THA THANKS TOMMY.
WE, WE CARE A LOT ABOUT SHARING SERVICES WITH HARRIS COUNTY AND I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT.
I THINK THE FEDERAL CUTS AND DIFFERENT, UM, THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON AROUND ARE MAYBE GONNA FORCE SOME OF THAT.
WE DID RECENTLY PASS AN INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT WITH THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO SHARE ALL DATA.
THAT'S KIND OF THE BABY STEP INTO SHARING THAT I'VE BEEN A BIG PROPONENT OF, OF MERGING A LOT OF THE SERVICES OF HARRIS COUNTY PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE CITY HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
AND THAT'S ONE THING, UM, WE'RE GONNA BE WORKING ON TO, TO KIND OF GO FROM JUST DATA SHARING TO SHARING SOME OTHER THINGS.
WE HAVE CLINICS, WE DO PREVENTIVE CARE, WE DO IMMUNIZATIONS, I THINK BARK'S ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY ANIMAL WELFARE'S, ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE SERVICES.
THERE'S SOME PARKS, LIBRARIES.
THERE'S A BUNCH OF THINGS I THINK WE COULD PROBABLY DO, UM, MORE STRONGLY TOGETHER.
AND I THINK, UH, THE, THE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, KIND OF THE BUDGET SITUATIONS THAT THE CITY AND COUNTY ARE BOTH FACING, IT MIGHT FORCE SOME OF THAT.
AND, UH, MR. BAKI, THANK YOU GUYS FOR, UH, PUTTING THIS ON AND FOR ALL THE USEFUL INFORMATION.
UH, I HAVE, UH, TWO KIND OF QUICK ISH QUESTIONS OR WELL, HOPEFULLY THEY BECOME QUICK.
UH, ONE IS, UH, AT WHAT POINT IN THE BUDGET OR IS ONE ABLE TO KIND OF FIGURE OUT WHAT ARE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE OBLIGATIONS? UM, AND SO THAT WAY WE CAN KIND OF GET A BETTER SENSE OF WHAT EXACTLY IS BEING ROLLED OVER INTO NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET AS FAR AS, YOU KNOW, PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIR, EXCUSE ME, INFRASTRUCTURE REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE OBLIGATIONS ARE WORTH.
UH, AND UH, NUMBER TWO IS WHETHER, YOU KNOW, WHAT CONSIDERATIONS WERE, DID
[00:40:01]
THE CITY AND THE MAYOR'S OFFICE HAVE IN MIND WHEN SELECTING THE POLICE BUDGET? AND IN PARTICULAR WITH RESPECT TO THE, UH, HOUSE AND SENATE BILLS THAT THE STATE LEGISLATURE PASSED ABOUT, I WANNA SAY FOUR-ISH, FOUR YEARS AGO, THAT MAKE IT REALLY DIFFICULT FOR MUNICIPALITIES AND COUNTIES TO, UH, REDUCE POLICE BUDGETS.'CAUSE I'M, I'M CONCERNED ABOUT A SITUATION WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE DO THIS GREAT INCREASE IN PUBLIC SAFETY INVESTMENT, BUT THEN WE GET KIND OF LOCKED INTO THIS, UH, WITHOUT, OR WE GET, WE GET KINDA LOCKED INTO THIS, UM, SITUATION DOWN THE ROAD IF THERE'S EVER A SITUATION TO POTENTIALLY REDUCE THE POLICE BUDGET AND HAVING TO RUN INTO STATE LAW.
ONE OF THE THINGS YOU THAT YOU FIRST BROUGHT UP, THE DEFERRED MAINTENANCE AND JUST DEFERRED MAINTENANCE OF CITY FACILITIES, WE ASKED THAT OF THE GENERAL SERVICES DIRECTOR AND I BELIEVE HE SAID $760 MILLION.
AND THEN I ASKED IN ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I SUBMITTED IN WRITING, UM, SO HOW MUCH OF THAT $760 MILLION ARE YOU GOING TO KNOCK DOWN IN FY 26? AND BASICALLY THE ANSWER WAS LIKE, NOT REALLY ANY, 'CAUSE WE'RE JUST RUNNING TO CATCH UP ALL THE TIME.
AS, AS I AS, AS THEY FIX STUFF, MORE STUFF KEEPS BREAKING.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A BIG KIND OF STRUCTURAL DEFICIT IN WITHIN OUR BUDGET.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE DO PUT ASIDE LIKE 2% OF THE VALUE OF ALL OUR, OUR CITY FACILITIES.
WE, WE KEEP THAT UP EVERY COUPLE YEARS, SO WE'RE KEEPING UP WITH THAT.
THAT WAS ONE OF THE FINANCIAL POLICIES WE DID.
BUT WE HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A BIG THING AND I THINK WE SHOULD, YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT WE CAN, WE HAVE TO BE PUTTING MORE MONEY IN THERE SO WE CAN GET UNDER THAT.
I HEAR, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ON THE POLICE BUDGET, SOMETHING I'M REALLY INTERESTED AND I'VE HEARD THAT, THAT STATEMENT BEFORE ABOUT THE STATE LAW.
BUT WHAT I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT IS THE, THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES AND THE RESTRUCTURING GOING ON THAT EY IS, IS DOING.
AND NOW THAT THE FINANCE OPERATIONS ARE FALLING UNDER, UH, DIRECTOR DEBOWSKI, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA BE REALLY TRACKING THAT.
'CAUSE WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE, THAT THE RAISES THAT I, I SUPPORTED AND BELIEVE THE, THE POLICE DESERVE AND WE HAVE TO GET YOU, WE HAD TO RAISE OUR SALARIES TO ATTRACT AND RETAIN POLICE OFFICERS.
WE'LL BE QUARTERLY GETTING, THEY'RE GONNA UPDATE THEIR PERFORMANCE MEASURES.
THEY'RE GOING THROUGH A WHOLE PROCESS NOW WITH ERNST AND YOUNG TO, TO GIVE REAL PERFORMANCE MEASURES THAT THE PUBLIC, THAT ARE MEANINGFUL TO THE PUBLIC, THAT MEANS SOMETHING NOT JUST A BUNCH OF LIKE, OH, WE DID THIS MANY THINGS AND WE DID THAT MANY THINGS, THAT DOESN'T MEAN ANYTHING.
AND, AND SO QUARTERLY WE'LL BE BRINGING THOSE TO BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS.
SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE, THE MONEY THAT WE'RE SPENDING IS BEING IS, IS BEING SPENT.
AND ALSO ANY RESTRUCTURING THAT GOES ON.
BUT I HEAR, I HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
I'M JUST TELLING YOU THAT AS A, AS A COUNCIL BODY, WE'LL BE WATCHING THAT AND WE'LL BE WATCHING THE PERFORMANCE MEASURES CLOSELY UNDERSTOOD.
AND, AND AGAIN, I WANNA MAKE IT VERY CLEAR, YOU KNOW, I DEFINITELY SUPPORT PUBLIC SERVANTS OR POLICE OR FIREFIGHTERS AND, YOU KNOW, THROUGH NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN, THEY GOT KIND OF CAUGHT UP IN, IN THE LEGISLATE IN THE STATE LEGISLATIVE, UH, PRIORITIES.
THAT KINDA LED TO A VERY TRICKY SITUATION.
AND I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE OPERATE WITH THAT BACK FRAME, WITH THAT BACKGROUND MOVING FORWARD SINCE AT LEAST 2021.
BUT YEAH, I, I WANNA MAKE THAT VERY CLEAR.
WE WANNA MAKE SURE ALL THE MONEY'S BEING SPENT, RIGHT.
AND WE, WE WANNA, YOU KNOW, IT'S A, IT'S A LOT OF MONEY.
THE PUBLIC SAFETY BUDGET, AS YOU SAW, WAS 60% OF THE BUDGET.
UH, AS FAR AS DEFERRED MAINTENANCE OBLIGATIONS, I'M GONNA SHAMELESSLY PLUG, UH, THE, THE NONPROFIT I'M A PART OF, IT'S CALLED STRONG TOWNS.
WE CARE VERY MUCH ABOUT FISCAL, MUNICIPAL FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY AND, UH, PROMOTING, UM, MUNICIPAL REVENUES.
NO, I'M FAMILIAR WITH YOUR ORGANIZATION.
SORRY, MY, UH, CAMERA'S NOT WORKING RIGHT NOW, BUT I AM CURIOUS, UH, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET.
CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE DOING TO PUSH BACK AGAINST THE MAYOR'S DECISIONS TO, UH, BASICALLY ELIMINATE ANY FUTURE BIKE LANE DEVELOPMENT AND IN FACT, ROLL BACK AND SPEND MONEY TO REMOVE BIKE LANES THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN PUT IN PLACE.
IT SEEMS LIKE PRETTY RECKLESS, UH, BUDGETARY MATTER.
I'M GONNA KICK THAT TO MY COLLEAGUE.
DOES HE SOME OF THAT GO ON IN HIS DISTRICT? YEAH.
UM, AND I, AND I WILL SAY THAT THERE IS A NEW TRANSPORTATION POLICY, UM, AND BIKE LANES DON'T REALLY FIT INTO THAT
[00:45:01]
FRAMEWORK IN TERMS OF NEW CONSTRUCTION, BUT WE ARE GETTING A BIKE LANE IN DISTRICT H ON EQUIPMENT, UM, AND THAT, THAT WHOLE CORRIDOR IS BEING RECONSTRUCTED.UM, THE DRAINAGE IS BEING IMPROVED, THE SIDEWALKS ARE BEING WIDENED, AND WE'RE GETTING AN ON STREET BIKE LANE.
SO, UM, I DON'T WANNA SAY THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN AT ALL FOR THE REST OF, YOU KNOW, MAYOR WHITT MEYER'S TERM, BUT, UM, THAT'S A, THAT'S A MULTI JURISDICTION PROJECT.
IT'S THE CITY, IT'S THE COUNTY, IT'S THE TURS, IT'S THE MANAGEMENT DISTRICT, IT'S METRO.
UM, AND ALL PARTIES AGREED TO IT, ALL PARTIES SIGNED OFF ON IT.
SO I THINK THERE'S A PATH TO CONTINUE TO GET THAT INFRASTRUCTURE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE LOOKED, UH, AT THE SHEPHERD DURHAM PROJECT PHASE TWO WHEN, UM, THAT WAS, UH, UP LAST YEAR, SOME OF THOSE ITEMS COMING TO COUNCIL, THAT PROJECT WAS UNDER REVIEW.
SOME SMALL TWEAKS WERE MADE TO IT, BUT THE INTEGRITY OF THAT PROJECT IS STILL THERE.
THE, THE PROJECT WILL MOVE FORWARD, THE REST OF IT WILL BE COMPLETED.
UM, AND IT'S GONNA LOOK A LOT LIKE WHAT PHASE ONE LOOKS LIKE, YOU KNOW? YEAH.
SO I I, I WOULDN'T BE SO DISCOURAGED IN THAT NONE OF THOSE TYPES OF PROJECTS ARE GONNA HAPPEN AT ALL.
UH, BUT IT IS TAKING, YOU KNOW, IT'S TAKING COUNCIL MEMBERS REALLY PUSHING AND ADVOCATING.
IT'S TAKING, UH, A NUMBER OF STAKEHOLDERS, PUSHING AND ADVOCATING RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES, UH, YOU NAME IT, CHAMBERS OF COMMERCE MANAGEMENT DISTRICTS, REALLY, YOU KNOW, MOVING THE NEEDLE.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAME IN AND I HOSTED A TOWN HALL A FEW WEEKS AGO AROUND 11TH STREET BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HEARD 11TH STREET MAY BE QUOTE UNQUOTE NEXT IN TERMS OF GETTING, UH, REMOVED.
AND THE RESPONSE WAS OVERWHELMINGLY POSITIVE.
YOU KNOW, WE HAD A TON OF FOLKS THERE, A LOT OF 'EM, FIRST TIME CIVIC MEETING ATTENDEES, YOU KNOW, THEY HAD NEVER REALLY BEEN TO A CIVIC MEETING.
UM, THEY HAVE KIDS, THEY TAKE 'EM TO SCHOOL AT HOG OR THEY'RE GOING TO CHURCH, OR THEY'RE WALKING TO THE PARK AND THEY USE 11TH STREET.
UM, A LOT OF PEOPLE WANTED 11TH STREET EXTENDED TO TC JESTER TO CONNECT IT TO THE HIKE AND BIKE TRAIL.
UH, I WASN'T EXPECTING TO HEAR THAT, BUT THAT WAS A BIG, BIG PIECE OF FEEDBACK THAT WE GOT FROM THAT TOWN HALL.
SO I, I WILL SAY, DON'T BE SO DISCOURAGED.
UH, DEFINITELY CONTINUE TO ADVOCATE, CONTINUE TO LEVERAGE YOUR, YOUR DISTRICT AND YOUR AT LARGE COUNCIL MEMBERS, UM, BECAUSE WE ARE STILL SEEING SOME OF THESE PROJECTS MOVE FORWARD.
UM, I'M NOT GONNA TURN ON MY CAMERA SO YOU WON'T SEE WHAT A DISASTER I LOOK LIKE TODAY.
I DON'T WANNA BREAK YOUR CAMERAS
SO, UH, ANYWAY, I'VE GOT A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.
ONE IS REGARDING SOLID WASTE, BECAUSE I KNOW THE EQUIPMENT THERE IS AN ABSOLUTE DISASTER.
EVEN ONE OF MY CATS IS COMMENTING ABOUT WHAT A PROBLEM THE SOLID WASTE EQUIPMENT IS AND CONSIDER THERE'S GONNA BE A DECREASE.
IS THAT JUST WITH MANAGEMENT PERSONNEL? WILL THERE BE AN INCREASE, UM, UH, IN THE BUDGET FOR, UM, PURCHASING NEW EQUIPMENT SO THEY'RE NOT CONTINUALLY TRYING TO REPAIR OLD OUT OF DATE EQUIPMENT AND FOR EMPLOYEES WHO ACTUALLY WORK ON THOSE TRUCKS? SO THAT'S MY FIRST QUESTION.
DO YOU WANNA ANSWER THAT OR SHOULD I ALSO THROW IN MY SECOND? SURE.
WELL, WE DID BUY 30 TRUCKS A COUPLE WEEKS AGO.
WE BOUGHT 30 NEW TRASH TRUCKS.
AND THAT'S REALLY MORE OF THE CAPITAL BUDGET.
I KNOW IT, I KNOW IT DOESN'T MATTER.
LIKE THIS IS THE, THE OPERATING BUDGET.
WE, WE BUY THOSE TRUCKS MORE ON THE CAPITAL BUDGET, WHICH WILL PASS LATER THIS SUMMER.
BUT, UH, YES, WE'RE VERY AWARE OF THE NEED FOR TRUCKS, BUT THAT'S WHY THAT THOSE TRUCKS DON'T SHOW UP IN THIS BUDGET.
WHAT, UM, WHAT HAPPENED IN THE TR WHAT I'VE NOTICED IN THE TRASH BUDGET IS THEY ARE, UH, LOWERING SIGNIFICANTLY, LOWERING THEIR OVER, OVER TIME COSTS.
THEY LOST A LOT OF EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, FOR THE, THE RETIREMENT DEAL.
BUT THE, THERE'S A, A NEW DIRECTOR, THERE'S A, HE'S, AND HE'S A LOGISTICS GUY.
HE CAME FROM PUBLIC WORKS AND HE, HE WAS LIKE THE ONE IN CHARGE OF THE POTHOLE, YOU KNOW, GO FIX YOUR POTHOLE WITHIN A, YOU KNOW, TWO DAYS OR WHATEVER.
AND SO HE'S A REAL LOGISTICS GUY AND HE IS TAKEN THE FOUR QUADRANTS AND MADE 'EM INTO JUST TWO HALVES AND
[00:50:01]
MORE STRATEGICALLY USING THE EQUIPMENT AND THE PERSONNEL THAT ARE THERE.AND I ASKED A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS OF THE SOLID WASTE DEPARTMENTS, LIKE, HOW ARE YOU GONNA DO THIS? AND GOT SOME ANSWERS TODAY.
AND THAT WAS BASICALLY THE, THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING IS THE KIND OF THE, THE ATTENTION TO LOGISTICS AND FIELD OPERATIONS NOW.
AND HE SAID WE SHOULD BE SEEING SOME CHANGES FOR THE BETTER WITHIN SIX MONTHS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SEE, WE'VE, WE'VE UNDER-RESOURCED THIS DEPARTMENT.
I KNOW EVERYBODY'S HEARD ABOUT THE TRASH FEE AND LACK THEREOF, AND LIKE EVERY OTHER CITY HAS, UH, WE HAVE UNDER, YOU KNOW, GIVEN, NOT GIVEN THIS, THIS DEPARTMENT THE MONEY THEY NEEDED, BUT, UM, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA SEE HOW THESE, THIS KIND OF CHANGE IN LOGISTICS GOES AND, AND HOPEFULLY SEE SOME IMPROVED SERVICE.
AND, BUT WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO HAVE A LOT OF SERIOUS CONVERSATIONS ABOUT OUR TRASH AND RECYCLING PROGRAMS BECAUSE THEY HAVE UN BEEN UNDERFUNDED AND THEY HAVE, UH, WOEFULLY UNDERPERFORMED.
THE SECOND QUESTION A LITTLE BIT IS RELATED.
UH, YESTERDAY I ATTENDED CONGRESSWOMAN LIZZIE FLETCHER'S, UH, WEBINAR ON THE IMPACT OF THE FEDERAL REDUCTIONS ON NOAH PERSONNEL AND, UM, AND HURRICANE PREPAREDNESS, WHICH, YOU KNOW, FRANKLY, IT WAS, UH, A SITUATION WHERE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS ONE OF THOSE BE AFRAID, BE VERY AFRAID OF WHAT COULD HAPPEN.
UM, AND MY QUESTION IS, IF GOD FORBID WE GOT HIT WITH A STORM, IS THERE ANYTHING IN THE BUDGET OTHER THAN THAT SAVINGS WHERE THE, UM, UH, THE DEFICIT IS, IS BEING DRAWN FROM THAT THE CITY HAS AVAILABLE FOR SUCH THINGS AS, UM, DEBRIS REMOVAL? SO YEAH.
'CAUSE I'M CONCERNED ABOUT THE, THE GOING FORWARD, UM, THE EXISTENCE OF FEMA AND HOW MUCH THEIR BUDGET MIGHT BE, UH, CUT AND THE IMPACT OF BEING ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, MAYBE NOT GET FEMA FUNDS.
SO I'VE HEARD SOME OF THOSE CONVERSATIONS TOO, AND A LOT OF, UM, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIKE, WE'LL PUSH SOME OF THAT EMERGENCY RESPONSE MORE TO THE STATE.
I DON'T HAVE THE INS AND OUTS OF, OF THE, YOU PROBABLY LEARNED MORE FROM CONGRESSWOMAN FLETCHER AND, AND, UM, DIRECTOR DEBOWSKI, IF YOU HAVE ANY INFORMATION ABOUT THAT, I'D LOVE FOR YOU TO CHIME IN WHEN I'M DONE.
BUT BASICALLY, UH, WE HAVE A BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND WE CALL, AND IT'S, IT HAS ABOUT $25 MILLION.
I THINK WE'RE, WE'VE, WE'VE USED IT OF COURSE, WITH THE DISASTERS WE HAD LAST YEAR.
WE ARE, WE'VE REPLENISHED ABOUT HALF OF IT.
AND THAT 12 MILLION YOU TALKED ABOUT.
UM, WE HAVE, THROUGH OUR FINANCIAL POLICIES, WE DO HAVE TWO YEARS TO RE TOTALLY REPLENISH THE FUND, BUT THIS IS REALLY THE IMPORTANCE OF THE FUND BALANCE, RIGHT? SHE SAID THAT WE'RE A $84 MILLION ABOVE WHAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO KEEP WHAT WE AS A CITY POLICY REQUIRED TO KEEP IN OUR SAVINGS.
SO I BELIEVE THAT IF, IF, IF WE DO HAVE A DISASTER, I PRAY WE DON'T, UH, WE WOULD BE DRAWING FROM WHAT'S LEFT IN THE, IN THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND AND THEN FROM FUND BALANCE UNTIL WE COULD GET REIMBURSED FROM FEMA, FROM THE STATE, FROM WHOMEVER IS GOING TO REIMBURSE US.
BUT MELISSA, IF YOU WANNA CHIME IN NO, THAT'S RIGHT.
UM, WE ALSO, UM, WE HAVEN'T HAD TO MAKE ANY SIGNIFICANT, UM, CLAIMS ON IT, UH, SINCE HARVEY, BUT WE DO ALSO HAVE A PROPERTY INSURANCE POLICY AT THE CITY THAT PROTECTS OUR BUILDINGS IN THE CASE OF, UM, LIKE A FLOODING EVENT LIKE WE HAD WITH HARVEY.
UM, SO THAT WOULD HELP AND, YOU KNOW, BE SOMETHING THAT WE DO PURCHASE ON AN ANNUAL BASIS IN ADDITION TO THE BUDGET STABILIZATION FUND.
UH, NFAS EZ NFA, YOU'RE MUTED.
HOW ABOUT NOW? WE CAN HEAR YOU.
I WAS IN DISTRICT B WITH TASHA JACKSON FOR MANY YEARS.
UH, WE WERE SUPPOSED TO GET A CIP HERE IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD.
I AM RIGHT OFF OF PARKER AND, UH, ALDE WESTFIELD IN THAT AREA.
UM, WE ARE STILL FLOODING THE DITCHES.
UM, THEY GAVE US A LITTLE BIT OF WORK.
THEY GAVE US CULVERTS AND DRIVEWAYS BECAUSE THEY'RE OUR DRIVEWAYS.
WERE ALL WASHED OUT AND IT'S, IT DIDN'T WORK.
OUR, WE ARE REALLY FLOODING HERE AND MY LAND IS ERODING AND EVERY TIME IT FLOODS, IT'S TAKING MORE OF MY LAND WITH IT.
AND IT, I'VE ALREADY LOST TWO FENCES AND I'M IN A REALLY BAD POSITION.
[00:55:01]
I JUST GOT A NEW HOME BUILT BY THE GLO, BUT THIS LAND, IT CAN STILL IS STILL TAKING MY LAND AND I NEED SOME HELP MR. CASTILLO.OKAY, MS.
WE ARE A NEGLECTED, NEGLECTED NEIGHBORHOOD, PREDOMINANTLY HISPANIC.
I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT SPEAKS ENGLISH ON THIS NEIGHBORHOOD THAT REALLY LIKES TO GET INVOLVED.
I WAS REALLY INVOLVED WITH TASHA JACKSON.
CAME TO MY HOUSE THE OTHER DAY.
HE WAS HERE AND HE WAS LOOKING AT EVERYTHING THAT WAS GOING ON HERE.
WE NEED A LOT OF HELP HERE IN THIS AREA.
SO WE, UH, WE'RE, WE'RE ALREADY IN CONTACT WITH YOU, WHICH IS GREAT.
UM, I APPRECIATE YOU BEING ON AND SHARING THAT.
I'LL MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW UP WITH HIM, FOLLOW ON ON WHAT THE LATEST IS AND HOW WE CAN PROVIDE ASSISTANCE.
WHAT Y'ALL ARE DOING IS FANTASTIC.
CAN YOU, ANYONE ELSE WITH A QUESTION? GO AHEAD AND RAISE YOUR HAND.
I HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT REVENUE.
UH, I'VE SEEN A, A LITERALLY EXPLOSION OF THE REINVESTMENT, UH, OR TIERS ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE CITY.
AND I WAS WONDERING WHY, UH, THE CITY DOESN'T CALL BACK SOME OF THE MONEY FROM THE TIERS, UH, PROGRAMS OR ASSIGN MORE RESPONSIBILITY THE TIERS FOR LIKE ROAD REPAIRS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, UH, TO, TO MAKE OUR DOLLARS CITY DOLLARS GO BETTER.
THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF TALK ABOUT THE, THE TAX INCREMENT ZONES.
UM, FOR THOSE OF YOU ON THE CALL, BASICALLY THAT WE HAVE ABOUT 23% OF OUR PROPERTY VALUES IN THE CITY ARE WITHIN AREAS THAT ARE IN TAX INCREMENT REINVESTMENT ZONES.
UM, WHEN THE TA WHEN THESE ZONES WERE CREATED, THEY KIND OF FREEZE THE TAX LEVEL AND THEN EVERY, ALL THE ADDITIONAL TAX REVENUE GENERATED IN, IN THAT AREA STAYS IN THAT AREA.
AND IT'S PRIMARILY MOST USED FOR INFRASTRUCTURE USED FOR STREETS, DRAINAGE, SIDEWALKS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
I KNOW PART OF THE SETTLEMENT DEAL THAT WE JUST DID WITH THE PLAINTIFFS IN THE STREET AND DRAINAGE LAWSUIT, UM, ALSO WILL MAKE SURE THAT THE TUR, THE TAX INCREMENT ZONES ARE PUTTING ENOUGH MONEY TOWARDS INFRASTRUCTURE THAT THERE IS A ERNST AND YOUNG WAS ALSO ENGAGED TO DO A DEEP DIVE INTO EACH OF THE TAX INCREMENT ZONES.
AND WE ARE WAITING FOR THAT REPORT.
AND I THINK THAT, THAT WE'LL BE HAVING A LOT MORE DISCUSSIONS ONCE THAT REPORT COMES OUT.
IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, WE'LL BE HAVING A LOT MORE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THE DIRECTIONS WE WANT TSAS TO GO.
WE DID, UH, A FEW YEARS BACK PUT TOGETHER SOME WRITTEN POLICIES ON HOW YOU WOULD ACTUALLY PHASE ONE DOWN OR WHAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED A, A PRE-PHASE OUT.
NOW ALL THESE TOURS, OF COURSE, HAVE A LOT OF DEBT ASSOCIATED WITH THEM, SO WE DON'T WANT THE CITY TO, YOU KNOW, BE ON, I MEAN, IT IS CITY MONEY.
I MEAN, IT'S TAX REVENUE, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THET ARE ABLE TO COVER THEIR DEBT.
AND, UM, AND, AND ANY PLEDGES FOR PROJECTS ARE CARRIED THROUGH.
BUT I, I EXPECT YOU'LL HEAR A LOT OF DISCUSSION ABOUT THE TAX INCREMENT ZONES.
SOME DISTRICT COUNCIL MEMBERS, YOU KNOW, BUT, BUT FOR THE TSAS, THEY DON'T REALLY GET MUCH IN MANY INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECTS WITH OUR REVENUE CAP, THE MONEY THAT WE COLLECT IN THOSE TAX INCREMENT ZONES KIND OF WORKS AROUND OUR REVENUE CAP.
AND IT, IT WOULD EVENTUALLY BE MONEY.
WE WOULD POTENTIALLY NOT HAVE.
YOU'D GET IT BACK MAYBE THE FIRST YEAR IF YOU RE ANNEXED SOME OF THAT PROPERTY, BUT THEN YOU'D BUMP UP AGAINST THAT REVENUE CAP AND YOU MIGHT LOSE OUT.
SO IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A COMPLEX CONVERSATION.
I, I DEFINITELY HEAR WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT THAT.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S 23% OF OUR TAXABLE VALUE TIED UP IN THESE ZONES.
YEAH, AND IT'S NOT EXACTLY EQUITABLE THE WAY ALL THAT MONEY WORKS.
THEY DO, SOME OF 'EM DO HAVE A REQUIREMENT TO PUT A THIRD OF IT TOWARDS AFFORDABLE HOUSING, AND THAT CAN BE USED CITYWIDE, BUT IT'S A, IT'S A MUCH LARGER DISCUSSION THAN WE ARE HAVING RIGHT HERE.
BUT, BUT I, THE MAYOR IS LOOKING INTO THE, THE, THE ZONES VERY CLOSELY, AND WE EXPECT TO GET A REPORT ON THAT IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS.
UH, GARZA, SEE YOUR HAND IS NEXT.
UH, I ALREADY KNOW I ASKED A QUESTION EARLIER, BUT, UH, GIVEN THE TALK ABOUT TORRES, I COULDN'T HELP BUT, UH, POKE MY HEAD BACK IN.
UM, WHAT, I GUESS LIKE IN CON IN COMING UP WITH THE BUDGET, WHAT WERE THE, WHAT WERE THE CONSIDERATIONS FOR, YOU KNOW, REVENUE INCREASES FOR THE CITY IN, IN ADDITION TO REDUCING EXPENDITURES, UH, YOU KNOW, REVENUE INCREASES OR GENERATING REVENUE,
[01:00:01]
INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO SPEARHEADING A PROPOSAL TO GET RID OF THE TAX, THE A VALOREM TAX CAP, OR, YOU KNOW, SOME OTHER POTENTIAL MEASURES LIKE INCREASING RATES ON STREET PARKING, UH, PARKING BENEFIT DISTRICTS, ET CETERA, ET CETERA.YEAH, I MEAN, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT BUDGETS OR EVEN WHEN YOU'RE AT YOUR HOUSE, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU, YOU GOTTA LOOK AT EITHER BRINGING IN MORE MONEY OR CUTTING COSTS, SOMETIMES BOTH.
I MEAN, WE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT, AND I ENCOURAGE EVERYONE TO LOOK AT THE, THE FIVE YEAR FORECAST THAT IS PART OF MELISSA'S, UH, LONGER PRESENTATION YOU FIND ON THE WEBSITE.
AND YOU'LL SEE, YOU KNOW, AS WE APPROVE THESE CONTRACTS, THESE LABOR CONTRACTS, AS WE, OUR DEFERRED MAINTENANCE GROWS, AS ALL THESE THINGS HAPPEN, YOU WILL SEE CONTINUED, UM, BUDGET GAP.
AND SO, YES, I DO FEEL LIKE RE ADDITIONAL REVENUES SHOULD BE PART OF THE CONVERSATION.
I INCLUDED QUESTIONS AROUND THAT ON MY SURVEY.
AND, YOU KNOW, THAT WILL BE UP TO THE VOTERS.
WE CAN EITHER GO AT SOME POINT TO RAISE THE REVENUE CAP, OR I THINK BY STATE LAW WE CAN ASK FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING THROUGH FOR A CERTAIN PURPOSE OUTLINED.
AND THAT'S, UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE BROUGHT UP, UM, OTHER FEES, LIKE TRASH AND, AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
NONE OF THIS IS POPULAR, I GET IT.
BUT WHEN YOU'RE REALLY LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS FOR AS LONG AS I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT 'EM, AT SOME POINT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO RAISE THE REVENUE, THE CAP, THE, THE, THE, OR RAISE SOME ADDITIONAL REVENUE, WHAT THE REVENUE CAP.
AND, AND, AND ON MELISSA'S PRESENTATION, YOU'LL ALSO SEE KIND OF WHAT, UH, WHAT THE REVENUE CAP HAS MEANT IN, IN TERMS OF MONEY THAT, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTS CAPPED IN THEIR POCKETS, BUT DID NOT COME TO THE CITY.
IT'S, YOU KNOW, HOW MUCH MELISSA SINCE IT, 2015 WHEN WE BUMPED UP AGAINST IT, TOTAL OF 2.6 BILLION IN TOTAL, $2.6 BILLION.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S A LOT OF MONEY THAT, THAT THE REVENUE CAP.
SO I, I DO THINK WE'LL SEE SOME KIND OF ASK FOR THE VOTERS NOW.
IT'LL BE A, IT'LL BE UP TO THE VOTERS.
I'M NOT SURE WHEN THAT'S COMING, BUT I, I, UM, I'M CERTAINLY THINK THAT IT TO BE, UH, FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE IN THE, WITH THE, THESE CITY FINANCES, UM, THERE, THERE WILL BE A DISCUSSION AROUND ADDITIONAL REVENUES.
THANK YOU, MARIO, DO YOU WANNA WEIGH IN ON THAT? I MEAN, WE, WE'VE DONE A LOT THIS YEAR TO BECOME MORE EFFICIENT.
UM, AND THAT'S PART OF WHAT THE MAYOR HAS SAID A NUMBER OF TIMES.
UM, IT'S HARD TO ASK VOTERS FOR MORE MONEY IF WE'RE NOT DOING, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE CAN TO MAKE SURE WE'RE USING THE MONEY WE ALREADY GET WISELY.
UM, SO I, I THINK THAT'S IN LINE WITH, WITH WHAT COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN WAS SAYING.
UH, WE DO HAVE SOME QUESTIONS IN THE CHAT.
I WANNA MAKE SURE WE DON'T FORGET ABOUT THOSE.
I WAS JUST ABOUT TO READ THOSE TO YOU ALL, AND I CAN OH, GREAT.
UM, SO SARAH SAEED HER, HER FIRST QUESTION, WE HEARD AT THE COUNCIL BUDGET WORKSHOPS THAT THERE WAS POSSIBLE MERGING OF HEALTH DEPARTMENTS ALSO FOR OEM, ALSO FOR LIBRARIES.
IS THAT HAPPENING? I THINK I ADDRESSED THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE START, WE STARTED WITH THIS ILA YOU'LL BE SEEING AT A BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE COMING UP THAT WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA START WITH THAT.
ILA AND I'M GONNA MEET WITH THE COUNTY HEALTH HEALTH DIRECTOR SOON.
I, I MEAN, I THINK THAT'S KIND OF THE STARTING POINT.
SOME OF THE LIBRARIES, UH, WE HELPED BUILD AND WE DO KIND OF JOINTLY DO, I CAN SEE MORE SYNERGY THERE.
THERE HASN'T BEEN A FORMAL DISCUSSION OR AN ILA ABOUT THAT, UH, THAT I'VE HEARD OF.
BUT YOU'RE, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, YOU'RE GONNA SEE MORE SHARED SERVICES BECAUSE IT JUST MAKES SENSE.
AND OTHER CITIES DO OTHER CITIES AND COUNTIES DO A LITTLE BIT MORE OF IT.
AND I THINK WE CAN FIND SOME, UM, ECONOMIES OF SCALE AND THINGS, YOU KNOW, BY, BY WORKING TOGETHER.
HOW MUCH IMPACT WILL THE PENDING FEDERAL BUDGET AFFECT HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY? MELISSA, YOU WANNA TACKLE THAT ONE?
UM, IT WAS ONE OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WE WERE ASKED, UM, IN OUR PRESENTATION OF THE BUDGET.
SO WE'RE COMPILING, UM, ACROSS THE, ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AT THE CITY, COMPILING ALL THE, UM, GRANTS THAT WE HAVE RECEIVED OFFICIAL WORD FROM THE GOVERNMENT THAT WE ARE LOSING.
SO WE'RE COMPILING THOSE ONTO A LIST.
UM, AND WE'LL BE SUBMITTING THOSE, UM, TO, TO YOU COUNCIL MEMBER.
UM, I'M NOT SURE HOW, UH, YOU KNOW, HOW YOU WANNA SHARE THAT INFORMATION OR DISSEMINATE IT, BUT IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE ALREADY GATHERING FOR THE CITY.
IT, UM, POTENTIALLY SOME HUD FUNDS.
[01:05:01]
YOU KNOW, MOST FED LEAN.WE LEAN ON THE FEDERAL FUNDS THE MOST IN THOSE DEPARTMENTS.
BUT, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER CAYMAN HAS BEEN GOOD ABOUT ASKING EVERY DEPARTMENT, YOU KNOW, WHAT THE, WHAT THE IMPACT OF THE FEDERAL, UH, BUDGET WILL BE.
SO STAY TUNED FOR MORE ON THAT.
I DON'T THINK WE HAVE IT ALL NAILED DOWN JUST QUITE YET.
AND IT'S, IT'S DEFINITELY A MOVING TARGET.
UM, NEXT QUESTION FROM SARAH SAYED, COMMUNITY MEMBERS ARE ASKING, WHAT IS THE PLAN FOR, UH, PLAN PAYING FOR AN 825 MILLION POLICE CONTRACT WHEN RESERVES WILL NOT COVER ALL OF IT? WILL VOTERS BE EXPECTED TO PAY MORE IN TAXES? WELL, I THINK YOU CAN REFER TO WHAT I JUST SAID ABOUT LIKE, THE OUT YEARS AS YOU GO FORWARD AND LOOK AT, LOOK AT THE, THE FUTURE YEARS.
UH, THE BUDGET DEFICIT KEEPS INCREASING.
NOW WHAT I, WHAT I WILL HAVE WILL SAY, BEING AT THE CITY A LONG TIME, WE ALWAYS MANAGE TO COME IN UNDER OUR, OUR RE OUR SAVINGS EVERY YEAR SEEMS TO COME IN A LITTLE BIT HIGHER THAN WHAT WE THOUGHT WE WERE GONNA HAVE.
UH, I'M NOT SAYING THAT'S GONNA BE ENOUGH TO COVER EVERYTHING I DO.
I PERSONALLY DO FEEL LIKE IT'S GONNA TAKE ADDITIONAL, UM, TAX REVENUE.
UM, OUR LAST QUESTION THAT HAS BEEN SUBMITTED IN THE CHAT, WHAT WAS THE GENERAL CRITERIA TO DEEM A POSITION NOT ELIGIBLE FOR BACKFILL FOR THOSE WHO ACCEPTED A VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT PACKAGE? THIS IS IN REFERENCE TO SLIDE 32 OF THE LONGER BUDGET PRESENTATION TO COUNCIL MELISSA, IF YOU WANNA HANDLE THAT.
SO, UM, THE, UH, THE NUMBERS THAT YOU SEE ON THAT SLIDE, UH, REFLECT A, UM, A LIST THAT THE ADMINISTRATION IS CAREFULLY CONSIDERED OF JOB CLASSIFICATIONS THAT ARE MORE FRONTLINE IN NATURE.
SO THE FRONTLINE POSITIONS ARE THE ONES THAT ARE GOING TO BE ELIGIBLE FOR BACKFILL.
UM, JUST SOME, SOME HIGHLIGHTS OF THAT ARE THREE ONE, ONE CALL TAKERS, NINE ONE ONE CALL TAKERS, UH, SOLID WASTE DRIVERS, UM, ELECTRICIANS.
UM, SO THINGS THAT ARE MORE, UM, YOU KNOW, WOULD, WOULD BE FRONTLINE.
AND THE, THE IDEA IS TO, UH, YOU KNOW, HAVE BACKFILL OF POSITIONS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WOULD RESULT IN NOT AS MUCH OF AN IMPACT TO SERVICES FOR THE CONSTITUENTS.
SO THE POSITIONS THAT ARE NOT ELIGIBLE FOR BACKFILL WOULD BE MORE THINGS LIKE ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE, UM, YOU KNOW, MORE, UM, ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT FUNCTIONS THAT ARE NOT FRONTLINE EMPLOYEES.
SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME GENERAL EXAMPLES.
UM, COUNCIL MEMBERS, THAT'S THE LAST OF THE SUBMITTED QUESTIONS, AND WE DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL PEOPLE WITH THEIR HANDS RAISED.
EVERYBODY CAN GET TO DINNER NOW.
UM, I JUST, I'LL, UH, I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR CARING ABOUT YOUR CITY AND CARING ABOUT THE FINANCES.
YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO MAKE THIS AS A SEXY AS WE CAN TO GET, GET SOME INTEREST IN THE CITY BUDGET.
IT'S, UH, IT'S A SLOG GOING THROUGH THOSE 23 DEPARTMENTS.
UH, BUDGETS ARE KIND OF MORAL DOCUMENTS IN MY OPINION.
AND, AND WE, WE NEED TO TAKE A LOT OF OF CARE ABOUT, UH, REPRESENTING YOU AND REPRESENTING YOU EFFECTIVELY IN WHAT YOU WANNA SEE IN YOUR BUDGET.
SO I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION AND I'LL GIVE A, YOU KNOW, A PLUG FOR, YOU KNOW, YOUR 2 CENTS GIVE, WE WANT IT, WE WANT IT LITERALLY AND FIGURATIVELY.
SO TAKE, TAKE YOUR TAKE THE BUDGET SURVEY.
IT'S, IT'S, IT'S GREAT FUN TO HEAR EVERYBODY.
AND, UH, AND MARIO, I'LL LET YOU CLOSE US OUT.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER ALCORN FOR ALL YOUR LEADERSHIP AS THE CHAIR OF THE, THE BUDGET AND FISCAL AFFAIRS COMMITTEE AND, AND GUIDING US THROUGH THOSE 23 WORKSHOPS.
UM, I WANNA ALSO THANK, UH, DIRECTOR DEBOWSKI FOR HER TIME THIS EVENING TO WALK US THROUGH THE PRESENTATION AND ANSWER QUESTIONS.
UM, SHE REALLY IS A FANTASTIC FINANCE DIRECTOR.
WE ARE VERY LUCKY AND SO APPRECIATE HER BEING HERE.
AND, UH, FOR ALL OF YOU, WE DO THIS SO THAT YOU CAN HAVE ACCESS TO US, GET YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
WE WANT YOUR FEEDBACK, WE WANT YOUR COMMENTS.
AND WITHOUT, UM, WITHOUT YOUR PARTICIPATION, WE WOULD JUST ALL BE HANGING OUT HERE TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET OURSELVES.
AND, UH, WE WILL HAVE ONE PUBLIC SESSION NEXT WEEK WHERE YOU CAN SHOW UP AND, AND GIVE COMMENTS IN PERSON, UH, ON THE BUDGET.
AND THEN WE WILL SUBMIT AMENDMENTS WEDNESDAY.
THEN THERE'S ANOTHER PUBLIC SESSION WITH THE AMENDMENTS THAT, THAT WERE SUBMITTED OUT IN THE OPEN
[01:10:01]
AND PUBLIC.YOU CAN COMMENT ON THOSE AS WELL.
AND THEN WE'LL BE TAKING UP THE BUDGET ON JUNE THE FOURTH.
SO A COUPLE MORE WEEKS, UH, OF, OF BUDGET, FUN.
AND THANKS TO ALL THE CITY STAFF ON, UM, FOR BEING ON TOO.