Counties participate in Doge resolution

1:15:24Mr. Yeager.

1:15:25Okay. So um as we know, Governor DeSantis has um requested that the counties participate in the uh the doge. Um I feel like we need to um follow Pinellas and Hillsborough and our other counties lead. They are participating and I think Penellus and Hillsborough just started their own Um do you need to it's I think it's best for our citizens for transparency to know that um we're

1:15:55being effective and efficient. So I asked the county administrator to draft a a resolution um and I'm asking um you guys if you would uh support that.

1:16:08I thought he had done this.

1:16:10No. Nope, we're on the list. We were not on the list for there were I don't know how many counties on the list, but we were not one of them. Okay. So I I did have one question on

1:16:20this.

1:16:21The list

1:16:21um why are we calling out the C RAs? Is is there any certain reason why you did that paragraph on the C R A? Not that they're my favorite thing. It says whereas the P Pasco County Board of County Commissioners does not have jurisdiction or oversight over community uh redevelopment agencies formed by municipalities.

1:16:41Oh yeah, sure.

1:16:42Oh.

1:16:43And a fair amount of your property taxes are going to the C RAs. Okay.

1:16:49Alright.

1:16:50And that's one of the things they are going to be looking at.

1:16:53Yep.

1:16:55Okay. Well I'm fine with it. Do you need a motion? We'll just bring it back next

1:16:59meeting.

1:17:00We're

1:17:01it's here,

1:17:01it's ready

1:17:02to go. The resolution's here. I'm just asking if

1:17:04everybody's it's going through the county attorney and the county administrator

1:17:07if the

1:17:07board wishes to adopt it make a motion.

1:17:10All right. So I move to approve uh the resolution.

1:17:13Second. All in favor? I think our numbers are gonna shine.

1:17:17All right.

1:17:18This is a good idea.

1:17:19Shine. I think our residents will be happy. So

1:17:22Yeah, this is Commissioner Yeager, thank you for for bringing this forward. Wallet Hub produced on uh ABC News. Well Hub just released that uh Florida is the second most distressed state with credit card debt in the nation. And with that, and watching the Doge efforts or the Florida Agency on Fiscal Oversight, it's been nicknamed now, it's important that we we really, as

1:17:52this budget cycle moves forward, that we we show our commitment to our taxpayers. to find a way to double down and everybody knows where I am on on millage rates and and and and work work through to to help to help folks. So um I think I think this is a a great great move forward Commissioner Yeager. So thank you for that. Also too I mean it shows we're doing this already. I don't know if Chase is here but It's important

1:18:22that folks know when we're in Pasco when we're looking at your money, the sheriff's, you know, cut two million from his budget already with just a request, and it just shows the team effort that not just with the board, but our constitutionals and all all facets of our government are working together to try to to reel back and be efficient with folks' money. and that way they can they can keep more and more in their wallets.

1:18:48No

1:18:48Chairman Mariano I

1:18:50think Pasco County's been probably the most frugal county going from when we should have when we should have cut. I mean we when we cut back in oh six oh seven, we cut dramatically. Dramatically. And it cost us a long time to get back and then we got fiscally sound by putting reserves back in so in case a storm came like just happened, if we didn't have those reserves in place, where would we be? So I think that we took the approach, I know I I mentioned in Board of Group from years years ago, was like we're not forcing every department to spend every dime they got to get their budget for next year.

1:19:20But whatever they didn't use from if they didn't hire people, et cetera, that got turned back in. If there was project that money that get carried over, that got carried over. But we didn't just go make them go spend the money to justify how they could have it again. And I think that's been part of the cornerstone. I know Mike's been on on it everywhere, looking every single year, what are we gonna do? So with all that said, I think we've done a very responsible job every step of the way. And I think our citizens, especially with the Penny for Pasco money, Look at how we spent it. They've endorsed it now three times. Uh we've gone through and we've put a bond referendum. We didn't

1:19:51spend any money, didn't do any promotion on it, and the voters said, look, we want these things. We're coming from more urbanized areas to Pasco County. We want our kids to have nice sports to play. You know, great teams to go on like we saw today, right? So I think we've responded to what our people have said they wanted.

1:20:07I I I agree and um and you know, talking about the water r reminds me of some obligations that we have to our citizens. And that is we said we were gonna buy them out of the most expensive water pretty much in the state. Um and we got who was the first one?

1:20:24Aqua.

1:20:25Aqua. Highest water rates in the state of Florida. Then we got Landrick. And listen, I have two houses in the county. The comparison of of the the my Gulf Harbors bill to my other house was insane. how much more that water cost me. Um And we said we were gonna buy out the other two utilities and are gonna come back to us with the plan. But we we have some Some ways that we are gonna help our citizens and we we have to remember that

1:20:55we promised them we're gonna buy out FGUA and get people's water rates lowered. Um we've got a courthouse. We we we you know, we still have we've got ball fields ball fields to do and um We still have a ways to go. But uh can

1:21:12I

1:21:12Yeah.

1:21:13No, I I just want to finish my other commission. Oh yes,

1:21:15first go.