Parks capital maintenance MSTU zero millage

45:14I will now provide a summary of the two new municipal service taxing unit MSTU budgets, stating the tentative millage rates, the percentage change from the rollback rate, and the reasons for the change. The Parks Capital Maintenance MSTU fund has a recommended tax levy of 0.1712 mills. This is the first year that this millage is proposed to be levied, so there is no calculated rolled back rate. This millage rate will generate $8.2 million in property tax revenue. Revenue to fund capital maintenance on the county parks. I would ask the board to accept public comment and then vote on the park's capital maintenance MSTU

45:45millage and associated budget. Since this is the first time this millrate will be levied, state statutes indicate that a unanimous vote is required to levy any millage rate.

46:00Okay. Does anyone uh wish to speak to the board on the parks capital maintenance MSDU?

46:10Come forward if you do.

46:17Hi, my name is Janine Duffy. I live at [address removed]. Um I know the parks are very important to the people around here, but due to the increase in taxes and homeowners insurance and the increase in everything else, um, we have to make cuts somewhere. I'd really like to see the parks and recreation. get some sort of a cut. We have lots of parks around here. I understand

46:47they need some maintenance. I get that. But pretty soon we're all gonna be living in them. Um as a single mother um that helps take care of my elderly mother. Um you're taxing me out of my home and I'm not the only one. But I don't want to move. So I'm gonna stay and bite for it. So please hear us out. It is an election year. Thank you.

47:12Okay. Keith, you want to come forward, but I'll make one statement there. When I was first elected eight years ago, we were behind 20 years in maintenance on our all of our parks. COVID came along. and nobody was outside, nobody could be close to each other or whatever. It gave parks the ability to catch up a lot of that maintenance we had. But it's still The money is needed to take care of our parks. And we have future

47:42parks coming for future developments. So I'll I'll leave it to Keith to talk about

47:47it. So uh the MST that's present so Keith Wiley, Director of Parks Recreation and Natural Resources. Uh this is specifically to address what commission what Chairman Oakley um called to attention is the zero um dedicated funding source for capital improvements. So the Go Bond, the general obligation bond back in 2018 got us twenty million dollars worth of improvements. And that Funding is pretty much encumbered and set to run out into the fiscal year of twenty-five.

48:18So the MSTU is intended to pick that. capital funding up. and continue the good work that we did underneath the general, excuse me, the general bond, general obligation bond, sorry.

48:30So I remember um uh in the recession. I think I I was on the school board and we were cutting, cutting, cutting, cutting, cutting. And at the county where they cut and cut and cut and cut was parks and libraries. Um to the point that it was just decimated. I moved here thirty-two thirty-three years ago and I'm a parent of four kids who played sport. In the parks, soccer, football, cheerleading. It was very important

49:00to us. My husband and I were youth coaches for 25 years. Um And If you imagine all the growth. From call your parkway west. The first part that has been added in those 32 years is the Starkey Regional Park in 32 years and we're still not done with it. We are just now adding fields. So We m and just think of all the kids that have moved here and

49:30I can tell you our phones are ringing off the hook. with thousands and thousands of parents whose kids have signed up to play sports and cannot play. We we We have a new Littleley complex, a new Little League. Team, I guess, with no fields. Um When was the last time we added a Lidley complex in this county?

49:53So well we we added the softball complex at Starkey Ranch Station. Oh well, yeah, so tw 20 something years. Uh more and more tw over twenty-something years. And more importantly, uh to your point, Commissioner Starkey, th this is I was actually actually just reviewing the capital maintenance uh list for the the the ending projects for the Go Bond and and we're seeing cost increases to resurface tech. Tennis courts, $497,000. Replacing 30, 40-year-old concession stands, over a

50:23million dollars.

50:27So in addition to the to the growth piece of adding the capital facilities that we desperately need because of growth, we're also on the verge of not being able to actually take care of the existing stuff that we have in the ground today. So when you talk about SAD or athletic fields, they don't have a forever you know life. You have to replace them. And in doing so, a lot of our parks or were built in wetland environment conditions that require significant drainage improvements that cost anywhere between $1.2 to $2 million a field. So

50:58when you when you start to figure out ultimately what it's quite honestly it's staggering even for me to look at the numbers. And when you look at 37 parks uh all across the county and and all each little piece, the number does add up. So uh to be clear, I was I didn't actually have a presentation, wasn't prepared to talk to this in too much detail, so it's a little uh little rough in the opening, but the MST. Basically, it was presented off five or six years' worth of work following the general obligation bond, where we

51:28looked at 20-year maintenance plans of every park facility, and we basically itemized every amenity that was a thousand dollars or more and when it was due to be replaced. We presented that through the budget process, and the eight point two million dollars is specifically that number just to stay caught up. Well just to stay

51:46caught up. So One of one of the most telling one of the most memorable moments concerning parks to me was in this room when the parents from the Little League complex that's somewhere here, I've never been to it.

51:58Uh State City Little League.

52:00Yeah. When those two women came and said they were turning the lights on their field on and off with the two by eight foot two by four so they didn't get electrocuted.

52:09Yeah.

52:09Do you remember that?

52:10Mm-hmm.

52:11Yeah, so

52:12we got some maintenance. Ms.

52:14So I'm a mom of five. My kids grew up the parks. We volunteered, put clay down, clean the dugouts, things like that. Um I know how important parks are. I just feel like with the state of the economy right now, we can't add to taxes to our citizens. Um is there any way that we can help parks out of our general fund and

52:44do that instead of adding a

52:48No talking from an audience, please.

52:52Who are you talking to? Keith or Mike.

52:55Well I'm looking at it maybe Amy, but I was also looking at you.

52:59No, I mean so Commissioner uh thank you. So currently as as I think Mr. Wiley pointed out the the dollars or the level of investment that that Mr. Wiley is referring to is not currently budgeted nor available within the general fund at the levels at which is you know which was presented to the board. Uh we currently make a a a very probably one-eighth of that level of investment. And you know, if we were to not go forward with anything, I would I would probably

53:29commit I would commit to the board to at least funding it at that level, which is about a million, a million three um of dollars. Um of course if we talk about reducing general operating millage, that becomes a more complicated um scenario. But and as in in the current state of play, um we're Mr. Wiley's current budget is he's not budgeted for these for these items. So we would we would have to find additional dollars with in our general operating fund to fund some level of of maintenance

53:59uh in in the parks. Right.

54:01I just I just feel like right now, you know, we have no idea who our president's gonna be and um things could be really good or not so good so

54:10Okay.

54:13Mr.

54:13Wayton. Thank you. Things are tough now. You know

54:21We're being asked. to not just, you know, sports parks. Support parks we all do. I coach. Our kids go there, grew up on a lot of these same fields. But the structure if I'm gonna vote on tax The structure of the tax is going to be sound. and this is not a sound tax for many reasons. This is approved now We get in a budget battle in two weeks. We can end up gutting the parks and libraries budget. That's easy peasy. That's low hanging fruit. This MSTU as

54:52it stands today, as it's structured today, thank you Lord. does not protect a sound parks budget. for years to come. And because of that It's it's vulnerable. And I think if we're going to vote on a parse tax It needs to be an all-encompassing or as close as we can, M S T U. We pull all those mills off the general fund. and then cut those and then the parks mill just set what it is and cut you know, the balance off the general

55:22fund essentially restructuring the budget. uh the general fund budget. And then that parks F PARC's tax is is growing on its own as it comes and it adds a true long-term generational lifeline to the department. And when times get tough and boards, future boards have to make decisions You know, it forced those boards, in my opinion, to have to pull back layers of the onion and make more difficult decisions other than just torpedoing the parks and libraries budget. I

55:52think this government needs to dig deeper and find find ways to control spending in in other departments that that were leaks maybe, if you will, or under funding sources. So if I'm gonna vote on a tax It's going to be a good tax. It's going to be a quality tax and have a generational benefit. So as this tax stands today, I will not be supporting it. I would like to see No. I would like to see Mm-hmm. A a tax for parks, a

56:22true way to fund parks. for generations to come that are that are similar to what I described, and this is What I tried to to discuss number of months back when we discussed the Parks M STU. Um Keith, you know it's it's up to every department to advocate fiercely for their department and their people and I applaud you for it and the mount and the work that you all put in uh with every county department. If if they didn't go to battle and and try to get what you need, then you might

56:53not be the person for the job. So Know that I am looking out for your best interest just in a different way. And uh I thank you for all the work you do for our parks and our kids and our families. But the way this tax is structured, I I can't support it.

57:09So I'm not sure.

57:11Yes. So I'd like to say, Keith, you and your team do a phenomenal job. And the way you've moved money around to take care of things that weren't funded to to make that when you had idle money, uh I think you've done a phenomenal, phenomenal job. You're a great leader, you've got a great team. couldn't be couldn't be happier with what you're doing. And the importance of parks is so critical. Um when you can keep kids busy. And they're in activities, they're gonna be more productive, better citizens, families get it better, everybody benefits

57:41from the park. Having said that, I did ask Keith, and he'll tell you, I asked him not to bring it this year. But he brought it and then when the discussions came and they kinda went through it I didn't kick it down but I figure we'll just see where the process goes. Let me say this about MSTUs, and I don't like them. And I'll tell you why. Right now you've got 91% of the population that you're looking go fund this parks. We're working with the city of Dade City right now. We just took over Pine Hill Park and spent a whole bunch of money in New Port Richey.

58:12I got two cities on the west side, Port Richey New Port Richey are blighted that we have to pay them money back. On the C R E's. So when you throw the burdens of an M STU, you're burdening the county people in a heavier way, which I don't think is right. Years ago we looked at the Sheriff's M STU that they wanted to do probably like twelve, sixteen years ago. The only The first hearing of that went through like nothing. The second hearing, one guy wrote one letter from Beacon Woods and he said to me, Jack, Why are you putting all the burden

58:42on your unincorporated county to go pay for this MSTU for the sheriff? It's not the best way to go do it. So for different reasons, Commissioner Weightman, I agree with you saying, but MSTU is a tough way to go. And it's something we need to go look at and again when I especially when I got two C RAs that We gotta pay and we got a city, New Port Richey that we just took over a park that they had and gave them gave them a building and now Dade City wants to work with us. I think there's a better way to fund parks as well. So I'm okay with Chairman where we're

59:12going, but I do want to see that we do take care of Keith and the parks for down the road.

59:17Mr. Whiteon. Rebuttal. Well we're literally at opposite ends. With an MSTU, I think you above it. I I view an MSTU the opposite of of you, Commissioner Yeah. I think an MSTU adds transparency and accountability to the fund. Citizens know what they're paying for, and we as a board know where that money is going and what it's used for, and it's not in the General Fine where it could go all over the place. So I guess it cuts both ways. I just I view an M STU a

59:47little bit differently. I view an M S TU in government as more of a It's better discipline. I think in my opinion there's better accountability and transparency to the fund. Um, but I hear what you're saying and I appreciate it.

59:59Mr. Chairman Mariano Keith I've got a question. Keith, come up. Can I just make a statement to that though, if I

1:00:03could?

1:00:04Can I just make a statement to what you just said? Just make a statement.

1:00:07So in the transparency we we used to have years ago. There was a booklet about this thick. It went light item to eyelid item where the money was going. So maybe if you want the transparency that way, that's a better way to go than shifting the burden who's paying.

1:00:22Right. Okay. Uh Keith. Prior to this MST you've been taking you've been actually getting a sum of money, I guess, from the general fund.

1:00:33Yeah, correct. So there's a every budget year there's been a process where um those departments that need to pursue capital funding we would we would go through a a list and a ranking process and quite honestly the amount of money that's available. Uh I always felt terrible going to those meetings because what I was asking for was usually two or three times what was available. So when you're in there and you're you're sitting next to a peer like Mike Shoemate for Animal Services and he's asking for X million for for a shelter and I need for my department to maintain my level of service eight

1:01:03to ten million dollars extra a year, it's it's it's kind of rough. So through that process or through that education, if you will. So we try to figure out another way. And to be clear, um It's my job I think Commissioner Weightman, it's my job to tell you all what the cost is. How we get there honestly is is is up to you. Uh and I I want you to know that I respect that decision. So if

1:01:22this doesn't go through and it looks like it's not gonna go through.

1:01:28Then we have issues in the near future probably that we won't be able to allow some teams to play because we're not going to have enough teams or

1:01:37safe

1:01:37fields or spaces for them to fit on.

1:01:39Yeah, at this point it'd be more of uh that unplanned where you have no you know no money set aside to take care of yeah, an emergency to go to.

1:01:48So if you step back in time a little bit, when did we have the

1:01:56Eig when eighteen? Yes, sir, eighteen. I thought that was right. Two thousand eighteen This county has some of the best citizens around that voted for that. And the paid those bond issues and voted that's how we got the money to actually bring that maintenance back up to speed. Uh but our citizens voted for that. I I agree with what they did then. I think we have the number one. They have very good citizens.

1:02:25I think it was the most popular seventy three bond. Our citizens were

1:02:30at the same time they had Four items at the same time they had four items. for voting for a referendum where we would pay those bonds back through the through the citizens. They voted for those, but they were also given one item that gave them an additional $50,000 deduction on homesteaded property. that was turned down by citizens when they could have voted that in for themselves. They did not, but they voted on referendum

1:03:01to help make these fields come back up to speed. So

1:03:05So, Keith, what what is your

1:03:11I mean your maintenance budget, what I mean what are you gonna do? How are we gonna what how are you gonna fix anything? 'Cause you don't have this in your budget 'cause you've been counting on the MSTU.

1:03:21Well after tonight we will we'll reprioritize our general

1:03:25So that means how many millions are gonna be cut from the sheriff or the fire or whatever else that comes out of our general

1:03:32Uh we we have to sit down and they have to sit down and go over that. Look at the dollars and where it is. Uh you know we've we've put money into other other programs such as reinvesting in our facilities. Uh we could look at less funding there. I mean there's there's a number of options. I just need to understand what the board's temperament is and I I think

1:03:49I'm but um No, I I just think that it's been such a deficit for so long and if we're not paying it out of our other taxes we we have to find a way to keep our kids safe on the ball fields and I remember driving around and seeing the stadiums falling apart. People couldn't sit in the stadiums at the ballparks. The the nets behind home plate were ripped and torn. Um wasn't a pretty state. Uh so What do you need a year to Well

1:04:20what are you gonna be looking for from somewhere?

1:04:22The average is what was presented is eight point two million. And I think when I originally presented

1:04:26the ordinance

1:04:27when when I originally presented the ordinance we gave tiers because obviously we want the board to have choices in terms of what what could be done. Um again, just it's it's all about perspective in terms of what comes online every year and and what's needed and more importantly what what is what goes down that's in Issue. Um, we had uh Oak Ridge Park, the lighting system went down $700,000. Now we could tell the the you know the organization that plays there that sorry we don't I mean in this instance we'd have to say sorry we don't have that funding so

1:04:57we don't repair the lights for a year, we shut your league down. I'm not trying to I'm just being honest, like those are the things that happened.

1:05:07So when that happened, luckily we had some reserves in the Govond fund, so we were able to kinda make that happen. But um again that money's kind of running out. So

1:05:16And with bills being tight like they are, you're gonna reach a point where Your fees are gonna have to go back up or you won't be able to provide maintenance for these areas. Yeah. And that hits Everhall when that fee goes up. So

1:05:30Would um would any of the commissioners consider a lower MSTU number so that Keith can keep operating?

1:05:38I was going to ask that question.

1:05:40Yeah, 'cause I I hate to I hate to take it away from the youth that's already had it taken away from them.

1:05:48Yeah. Uh that's kinda not fair. You got parents choosing to put groceries in a buggy or sending their kids out to play sports right now. I you know, you measure wants and needs. And I'm pretty passionate about that. Right. I know the fields my parents grew up on. A lot tougher in my generation and the generations after me. Uh we got county attorney, we're in a Sue Happy World, but I think I think we'll make it. I think we'll figure it out. Government will. There's only business on the planet that has recurring revenue,

1:06:19you know, every year. And a lot of money comes in, I have full confidence, just like last year with Mike Fasano coming in and covering the shortfall in the sheriffs. I think we just we need to challenge ourselves and this is a situation that we're in. Every household in this county in America is figuring out a way to pay their grocery bill, put clothes on their back. And this is part of it. And again, this goes to prove my point. You're right. To Keith's budget. why this M STU and why his budget isn't isn't safe and sound. Therefore

1:06:49I'm describing structuring a different way To capture funds. for the parks budget. Which was which was in what this which what I just spent described fifteen minutes ago. I don't want to rehash it again. We have other things to talk about. Um that goes to show how vulnerable his budget is and this is proving my point.

1:07:13Feels pretty vulnerable sitting here for sure.

1:07:19Does it take four votes or three votes? Unanimous. Unanimous. Oh well it's good. We haven't got a motion yet, but we're not

1:07:26done. We're not there yet. I mean the final vote needs to be unanimous. I you could move it forward, but uh I mean that the the adoption of the millage has to be unanimous based on the full stop.

1:07:41Yeah.

1:07:44Doesn't matter how you vote.

1:07:47What if it takes five votes and you're against it then?

1:07:49The rules you can make a motion and move forward but it won't be

1:07:53What does that mean that you can take a vote and move it forward? I mean I wanted to say that.

1:08:07However, uh from what I'm hearing from the commissioner, uh not sure that would be work that I would recover anything from,

1:08:16so So you fall into the provision of the statute that this is a rate in excess of a hundred and ten percent of the

1:08:26And rate a rate in excess of one hundred and ten percent may be adopted if approved by a unanimous vote of the membership of the governing board of the county. So but that's your final hearing adoption.

1:08:41Yeah.

1:08:43But I don't know that but

1:08:45it doesn't sound like we're getting there, right?

1:08:49Uh Keith, there's a lady behind you that needs a speech. Ms. Zimmer, I believe. Just name and address again.

1:08:56It's on the record. Christy Zimmer, Pine Concord. Uh my question is this. We have the penny for Pasco, which is a substantial amount that was approved for fifteen years. The county gets the forty-five percent and out of that twenty percent goes to Elamp Parks and Recreation Infrastructure. How is that money being implemented into what you're talking about? Isn't that enough money for maintenance? That's a capital that's a capital

1:09:21infrastructure tax. So it goes to the next one.

1:09:32He has no maintenance money. There is no maintenance well Well he has the go bond, but it's almost gone. That's the problem. Yeah. There's no maintenance money. So something else will be cut.

1:09:45Alright, so

1:09:48Let's see, is there a motion on the millage rate of 0.1712 mills for parks, capital maintenance, MSTU?

1:10:04Yeah.

1:10:09Looks like it's gonna die for a lack of a motion.

1:10:12In that case, I would probably recommend that the board adopt a motion to set the millage at 0.0000 mills so we can then go forward.

1:10:22So we got a motion motion to drop them drop the mills to 0.0000 mills for the parks, capital maintenance, MST. Okay. Second. Um all those in favor say aye. Aye.

1:10:40Nay.

1:10:47Yeah, one, two nays. No no I bought it, but she bought it me.

1:10:51I voted nay.

1:10:52You voted nay.

1:10:53To zero fund parks maintenance budget? I voted nay.

1:10:57Okay. So it's if that motion passes 41. So okay.

1:11:03Two things.

1:11:08Clarification, Mr. Chairman Mari

1:11:12The motion for zero funding passed four one? Yes. Thank you.

1:11:21Okay.

1:11:23And further clarification from the county attorney, it cannot be brought back at this final public hearing.

1:11:30And the lunch can't be raised, that's right. Oh, at the next meeting. Okay. All right.