budget assumptions, revenues, expenses, and reserves
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The county’s agenda for Board of County Commissioners, Sep 9, 2026
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What was said
Machine transcription of 53m of recording, with speaker names inferred from voice matching. 99% of 231 lines carry a name. It shows what was said, not what was decided, and both the words and the names can be wrong.
Set in July and just a reminder that the board must adopt the tentative millage rates and the budget by resolution.
Alright, so based on the board's direction and prioritization that happened not just in January, but pretty much every touch point that we've had with them since, we have built a budget that is specifically responsive to eight of our nine addressable challenges in our strategic plan.
Do we have it?
Alright, so here's our budgetary assumptions, or pretty much the major revenue muscle movements that are occurring in the budget. And so in July, at Trim, the board reduced the general operating millage and increased the fire and rescue MSCU millage rate by like amounts. And the purpose of that was to absorb the mills related to expenses for the rescue component of. services that FIRE provides. There's no change in the road MSTU, the parts MSTU,
stormwater assessments, or solid waste rates, and then our water and wastewater rates are increased per the approved rate study. Alright, so now we're gonna talk about the other side of the equation. So the budgetary pressures are those large muscle movements that impact the expense side of our budget equation. So the first one up there is property tax reform and while that might not impact our FY twenty-seven budget specifically if it were to pass, it would impact FY twenty-eight. And so we'll talk a little bit later
about the county administrator's recommendation for um addressing growth in the twenty seven budget with this unknown kind of looming in the future. Um so let's see. Addressing our structural imbalance in the general fund. So this is where we've spent many years working with the board and staff to have recurring expenses that equate to our recurring revenues and find what we call structural balance. to where we're not overextending ourselves. The next bullet is public safety staffing
and expenses. So here think of operationalizing a jail expansion, state directed retirement rate increases, things like that. The next bullets are wage and benefits. So this budget does um Have in here an average 3% wage increase for all staff. And then when we look at general inflation and growth demands on operating and capital budgets, over the years the impact of inflation on costs associated with providing infrastructure has been felt the
most by our departments.
So then sustaining of public facilities. So here, just like with our road infrastructure, you want to make sure you're investing in your RR before major failures occur, because then they end up costing us a lot more money. So if you spend some time investing on the front side with that RR, it helps prevent those bigger, more costly failures later on down the road. We are looking at opening what we have opened Westleaf Chapel Library, and then we'll be fully funding all of our libraries once Hudson is finished with the remodel.
So that's what you see there. And then villages of Pasadena Hills, Nature and Bike Park Phase One. And then Medicaid rates. So every year we get our Medicaid rates from the state. For the final budget, you will see this one will go down a little bit. little bit. We didn't get those numbers in time to change for tentative, so we'll do that for final adoption.
Alright, so now our total tent, we break it up into four major categories. So overall, our budgets increased 6.5% from fiscal year 26 adopted. But if you just look at that operating category, which is the funding that supports our day-to-day operations, that has only increased by 2.8%, which is tracking with inflation.
And then here we take that table and we turn it into a pie chart for those of us in the audience who are a little bit more visual like myself. And so here you can see the vast majority of our budget is that operating component, and again, that increase 2.8% matching with inflation. Now, the next biggest piece of the pie is reserves. So let's spend some time talking about reserves and try to help articulate some of the restrictions around how those reserves can be used. Alright,
so let's start with the big piece of our pie. So this here we've labeled Enterprise. So these are our water and wastewater and our solid waste utilities. And so we use these reserves for a few reasons. They support our operations during an emergency. We build up some cash to fund infrastructure. And then we also want to make sure that we're meeting bond covenants so we can have strong bond ratings. The next piece.
Yes.
Yep.
If you are not the waste energy plant. is something we were budgeting for years, putting money away to get ready to go to build it. That's one of those big Items that's in there, correct?
Yes, correct. Yep, so that's um an example of where we try to save up some cash so we can part cash fund. We might um part bond finance, but it just provides some um rate stabilization.
And then the next piece of the pie, if we keep going clockwise, right? Right? No, counterclockwise. Counterclock. I knew I was gonna do it. Alright, so we're gonna go counterclockwise to the small teal-ish piece of the pie. And so here's our debt service and our capital projects reserves. And so this one looks pretty small, and that's on purpose, because we really want to put our capital dollars out to use and build some infrastructure when and where we're. We need it. But sometimes we need to build up some cash so we can cash flow those projects. And so any reserves you see
there are where we're we're building up enough funding so we could actually go execute a project. Now we're going to go to the lighter green piece where it's called special revenue. So this by and large is here to support our day-to-day operations and all of these
All of the funds that are made up in here are for very particular uses, so you couldn't use these reserves to fund any other type of operation. And so some of the things that are in here are our municipal services taxing units, our tourism funds. our stormwater fund, our transportation trust fund, just to name a few, and so that reserve there funds those day-to-day operations. And if any costs come in higher than we might have planned or projected for in that budget year. The next piece is our general operating,
and so this reserves also supports the sheriff, our other constitutionals, as well as our board-side departments like parks and libraries. And then if you keep going, our internal service, so here think fleet and our self-insurance, so our health benefits, our workers' comp, our risk, those are reserves that support those activities. And now to the last piece, the footlocker. Alright, so I have a whole slide to explain the footlocker, but this is the county administrator's recommendation
for how to plan for growth in a year where our funding in the next subsequent year could be less than what we would think it would be this year. So how do you plan for growth in uncertain times? Alright, so Foot Locker, the concept here is let's hold for certain hold funding for certain budgeted items in a reserve within those respected funds until we see how amendment number three plays out in November. So, one of two things will happen. So, amendment
number three fails, and then we would have a consent item that would put these items. Um that are behind the categories listed here and you all have in your packets details of what makes up each of these categories. So, amendment number three fails. We would come back and we would pull this funding out of reserves and put it into budgets so the team could go get to work on the intended items. And then if November in November, if Amendment 3 passes, then we would come back in December with a regular item and we'd come back before the board and look at these items
and what should be reconsidered, what at that point comes into the 27 budget, what maybe gets held in reserves and helps us plan for the next year. So now I'll spend a little bit of time talking about each of these categories. So the first one, business planned initiatives. So these really are items where we're looking at expanding our day-to-day operations as it relates to responding to the growth that we're experiencing in the county. So think level of service increase due to capacity. The
next bit is general fund capital. So these are IT projects in capital where we're trying to maintain good cybersecurity, our parks maintenance, facilities maintenance, things like that. The next category is discretionary outside funding. And so then you can see under here that's our museums, Premier, United Way, Human Trafficking. So these are items that the board, at the board's discretion to fund, not necessarily things that were mandated to pay. Alright, the next two categories get
a little bit more challenging to explain. Alright, so multimodal TIFF, what does that mean? That's a great question. So we've got a multimodal tick, which is basically an earmark of property tax from the general fund that goes over to support transportation. And so the county administrator's recommendation is to take the elements of the five-year transportation CIP. and the projects that are offset by this multimodal TIF and hold that in a reserve until we see what happens. Again because that TIFF is an earmark and a subset of property taxes.
Alright. And now, this last category of project in our five-year CIP would have to meet both of the following two criteria to be added to this list. We haven't awarded a construction contract yet. and operating costs either in part or in whole would be funded by ad valorem taxes. And so those are the high-level categories. And again, you have detailed breakouts of everything that's in the footlocker. Any questions about that before
we move on?
Jim. Commission Wade. Uh Amy, is this a typo or emo or or museums in discretionary and haven't been moved over to tourism?
So it has been moved over and I have another slide that'll show you where that is budgeted in the tourist fund. This is just kind of categorizing them. So that's a good point of clarity. So what we've listed here, it's not just the general fund or ad valorem funds. This is across all funds, especially when you start looking at that BPI piece, that business plan initiatives piece. The county administrator's recommendation is to hold back all things that support growth to just take a pause and let's see what
happens in November and then we can make decisions.
Um Mr. Stark.
I think this is where I brought this up in our meeting about the parks. So We told Keith we were gonna get him home. And we're withholding maintenance money for Keith here. And I'm not okay with that.
Money money's in the budget. You're really not really holding it back. We're just waiting to see if the amendment passes whether we pull the trigger and figure out where we're at.
Well uh was it eight million? How much are you holding in here for key for parks? It's eight million. Yeah,
that's
a good one.
Yeah, no, I I'm not okay with
that.
Yeah, that is the eight million dollars in capital maintenance and again this was done in order to be consistent across the organization of ad valorem tax dollars. It's obviously the pleasure of the board. I would uh You know, I'd I'd I can't speak for Keith necessarily, but we're we're talking about a six-week process. If property tax reform were to pass, then the board can make a decision whether to release that full eight million dollars at that time, or if it doesn't pass, then it would be released anyways, and they would continue to fulfill the board's wishes for it. Um you
know, again, it's it's eight million dollars. I'm doing the same with our facilities maintenance budget. Uh Yeah, but they're not
as far behind as Keith is
our facilities is are are way behind actually. Um ask anyone that got stuck in an elevator recently. But but but those are again, these are these are the harder these are harder calls, but I felt that to be consistent across the organization, we we needed to take parks money as well as facilities money, as well as uh you know, even business plan initiatives. A lot of that growth could even be within our utility, which is which is Seeing the growth. But it's to the pleasure of the board as to what you want to include in there. I'm simply suggesting a pause until November, at which time then I
I I believe that Keith could still get his capital maintenance done, Commissioner. But again, I'll I'll I'll defer to the board and if you have any specific questions for Keith on timing of projects, uh he's here and he could perhaps discuss that.
Yeah.
No. Keep rolling.
What? Keep it as is. Oh. Yeah.
I mean it's essentially a reimbursement, right? We're holding it in there and he does something and it's
I
mean
Keith's budget will be loaded at the beginning of the year. I mean uh however, I mean if you know I I it would probably behoove us if Keith has any projects that are critical that within the first six to eight weeks of the fiscal year that he would need that to um to get done. But
Leon, are your critical stuff?
I'll defer it to Keith.
Don't be shy. Oh no, I'm not gonna
be shy. Keith Wiley, Director of Parks Recreation, Natural Resources. I support the County Administrator's recommendation to hold off for six weeks. It's reasonable and uh it's a little team effort.
Okay, how about we take half of it out? Yeah, he's just, you know. What's that color? It's perfor
is it performance review time?
What what if we take half out? Half.
It's six weeks. You don't have to do that.
But but if it passes, you're not gonna give them the money. And at least we'll only be haggling about half.
Why are you looking at me like that? Uh Commissioner, if I may. I I mean if property tax reform were to pass, I mean we would we would have to be reevaluating probably the entire budget at that point.
The park will our parks MSTU
will go flying through.
I'm
just saying I where is Lisa online? Mm.
Yes, she is online.
Yeah, it's not fair. I just at least let's take half of this maintenance money and give it to him. Does no one else think we should?
Alright, I'm And I I think we hold it. Mm. That that's my until we know about uh Yeah, if they mustn't have passed us.
We can determine that in November.
We have one more of these, so we're not going to be able to
We have what?
One more that's two we have one hearing. Yeah. So we can that gives us time to
He just got s hit so hard last time and I just hate that he's taking a brunt of it here.
This is this is a big, big event coming up. If this goes through, I mean keep in mind, we don't we don't have enough money to do all the public safety stuff we're supposed to get done. That's four million dollars just about in the hole, right off the bat. So there's gonna be some things we need to look at and there may be some things we need to cut. But I mean this is money's still there. It just gives the administration and us a chance to make a different move if we choose to having that in place.
I think Mr. Weightman's right. Chue on it. We'll we'll have another briefing right before uh
When I okay okay but when I look I see IT projects and capital, so that's projects and capital. facilities maintenance and parks maintenance and and and and the parks part is eight million of this so he's taken the majority of the hit. In that general fund capital. That's what
I'm saying. But keep in mind, he's not taking a hit yet. We're just waiting to see what happens and we may decide to go through with it anyway. We'll have that opportunity, but we can make that decision. We don't have to make it now. The money's in the budget that we can still do it if we choose to. So we get the majority to say let's get it go that way. We've got the money in place to go make it happen.
And I mean you can always claw it back too. I I'm I I'm not trying to argue both sides of this, but I mean It's it's a more disciplined approach and that that would just be my recommendation. It's a lot cleaner for the budget team. Um but if the board wants to think about it and have that conversation in the morning of of 92, that'll give us time to to make the necessary adjustments if that's the desire of the board. But I think Mr. Wiley was was on point that I was going to do. The six weeks. He can he can still do activities, Commissioner, related to if he's gotta get RFPs
pulled together. I've directed staff to the right-of-way. Yeah, those
take six, nine months to a year anyway.
We're no, we're on a different trajectory here, I promise you. Um
but but we can we can get started on those types of things and make sure that that paperwork is done to hit the ground running. I I don't know of very many departments anyways that on October one have spent even two percent of their budgets aside from whatever is on on payroll and salaries. Projects usually take a little time, usually in that first quarter. Uh they're they're a little bumpy on starting anyway.
Alright. Well I've counting the votes and I don't have them. That's a little while.
But I do have an action item to make sure that this is a discussion point during the day portion of the um of the board meeting for same day as the final adoption. I said words. I hope it made sense. Alright, next slide. Alright. Alright, so now we're gonna look at um the revenue side of the house and we're gonna start to break it out into some categories that hopefully make a little bit of sense. So the majority of the revenue that the county receives has a lot of rules around how we're allowed to spend
them. So that first piece, the property tax revenue, that tends to be the least restrictive. And best practice is that we spend the most restrictive funding sources first. So in that purple property tax, we've got our general operating, our fire and rescue, our roads MSTU, and then where you see voter approved law. Those are our general obligation bonds that the voters approved and so we're projecting to have just under thirteen million dollars of debt payments in the upcoming year. That next blue bit is
our beginning fund balance or our reserves, which we already talked about. We did a good dive into reserves. And so now let's go to that red bit, the charges for service fees and assessments. And I won't read to you everything that's up here, but I'll just touch on a few. So the fleet and self-insurance charges, so those are our health benefits, our workers' comp, our risk. And so by and large, that category is actually. recouped from other departments that pay into our insurance and fleet and all of that. N if you go down one row, mobility
and impact fee, so that's um part part of the funding for our capital plan. Let's see, what are those? Ooh, stormwater assessments, those are cool, those are non-umor assessments, and so those rates are left unchanged. Development review fees. So that offsets some of our planning expenses. Alright, so then in that other we have fun things like tree removal fees, traffic charges to F Dot, Animal Services collect some revenue, and parks
has a little bit in there too. Alright, so if we keep moving around the pie, and I think I'm going clockwise now, just to keep you guys on your toes, we're now at the green part, other sources. So the first biggest source of other sources, those are our sales taxes, so half cent sales tax, guaranteed entitlement, things like that. Um internal charges. This is where we recoup some expenses related to support departments like your budget team and things like that where we'll charge out some of our time to our other funds for
services that we provide. Penny for Pasco is that next bit. Interest, we do, we are planning for $50 million of interest in the budget and allocating it to expenses. Fuel taxes, federal and state grants. So this is not the totality of our grant portfolio. These are just the recurring grants that we expect to receive that fund some of our regular operating, like our public transportation. program, feeding our seniors, things like that.
Alright, so now we're gonna go from that big piece of our revenues down to just that property tax component. So now we're in that purple part of the pie chart. And so there's a couple things that impact how these numbers shake out. So July 1, we got final assessed values from the property appraiser, and we did see 6.8% growth over the last year. And then the next thing that would impact what that net increase in revenue is is the millage rate. And so then you'll remember we did decrease the general fund
millage at trim. And then if you drop down, you see where we increase. Fire by the same exact amount of mills, and that was to absorb those rescue components. Then you see the sheriff's allocation, which is 7.68 million more than the 26 adopted, our change in payments to our community redevelopment areas. Um Increase in our payments to TIFF, which offsets again our transportation capital program, public transportation, and our public works teams. And then we have similar
but smaller breakdowns for our fire rescue MSTU and then our road rehab MSTU. And so the road rehab, all of that additional money just gets funneled back into the program so they're able to maintain more roads.
Alright, so property taxes in the general fund is a piece of the general fund, but now we're gonna look at the whole picture and how that how that's kind of shaking out from the 50,000-foot view. So we've got our starting beginning fund balance of 86 million, roughly 86 million. Then we're expecting to get 570 in revenues coming in with 556 in expenses going out with an ending fund balance of 100 million. And so if you go down to the next bit of the table, you can see where we have realized structural
balance in the general fund where our recurring expenses are less than our recurring revenue. Afternoon. And so right now we're ending fund balances sitting roughly $25 million higher than it would be because of the Footlocker Directive where those things are being held in reserves.
Chair. Mr. Wilhite.
What's our Re w what's our anticipated reimbursement from the hurricanes a couple of years ago from FEMA?
I do not have that number with me, but I can get back to you.
I think there should be an asterisk by that number to show okay here's what our payback is. And Yeah, I know we don't know if or when we'll get When we'll get paid back, but I think it's um that's an important footnote to make within the Foot locker category because that in my opinion would more accurately reflect The bigger picture of that. Of
that account. Yeah, and I I I we'll we'll get uh we'll get those numbers back out to the board in the next presentation, Commissioner. I I will say that the we're probably at about half, I think, but that that's across multiple funds. The Solid Waste Fund took a big hit due to due to the cleanup at the end of the yeah.
Solid waste took the biggest hit and they got they're
fund kind of kind of pieces as well. So we'll we'll try to spell that out for the board.
Yeah, and so it's kind of been a moving time. Target for us. I think the deadline either just passed or it's rapidly approaching to get all of our project estimates into FEMA. So I should be really close to having something that looks like a number.
Okay.
It's a long it's a long process.
And you know, going to a NACO conference, listening to like fifteen other counties, we got some people waiting twelve years to still get reimbursed. Yeah. So even no matter what it is, it's it's good to separate the number out so we know that this may never come. I guess I view that as a line of credit.
Almost. Say, hey, here's what we have.
I think just uh it's it's good to see and we know we don't forget. 'Cause in this
Mm-hmm.
within this budget cycle and potentially next budget cycle Yeah. it could impact the way other d decisions are made.
And there's something to add, I think, on our on our federal um list is quicker reimbursement. You know, there are counties up in the panhandle that had to take out loans. They went through all their reserves, then they had to borrow money to keep running their county. And um and They're paying the interest on that now, still waiting for their to get their money back from PM.
Director Foss is not here, but I will tell you there are programs with FEMA related to pre-registration on certain things and doing a number of things. We're a member of that, I think, up to 50%, which is how we're able to get 50% just right off the top, which is which is certainly helpful. I think there's other programs that go up to seven to five. I'm not sure what what hoops we have to jump through in order in order to get that kind of status. So there have been some efforts on the federal government's part on a recognition that reimbursement is slow. But you're sort of taking a line of credit. Ahead
of your you know, basically if I say I'm getting a hundred million, okay, they'll advance you, but if it turns out that your number wasn't right, well then you may claw money back. So it it works both ways, but we can we can get the board some more explanation on those programs.
Maybe have county attorneys send a letter to D C with an interest rate on what they what our reimbursement is, that way our taxpayers can can
Well have the clerk give
us maybe it'll motivate 'em.
Are you saying do we get interest on the money we're waiting for? Send a let
send a note from uh County Attorney Goldstein. Give him another uh fighting task here and see what they say. We're still gonna say is no and wait twelve years, right? I mean it's our it's our local no in twelve years. These are our local dollars that our residents expect to to be put back into our community and and and get to work. Under an
act of God,
you
know? Yeah. It does underscore the importance of reserves. Yeah, because you could have a back to back year. I mean we we did actually we had three back to back years. And so we're still getting paid off. I think um what was it? Was it Tropical Storm Debbie? I think we had finally gotten the last payment on that maybe last year. And how many years ago was that storm? So
some idalias trickling in. Yeah.
Alright, so now we're looking more at the expense side of the equation for the general fund and so Well let's see what way I go. Um we'll start with public safety, which is about half. We're looking um so the sheriff's budget's about two hundred million of that, corrections is just under ninety-one million. Um So public safety other, so that's emergency management, public safety admin, juvenile detention is lumped into that 10 million. Ah, for fun, let's just go clockwise. That'll
keep me going in this the right color order. Um so next we've got outward facing services. So that's the green bit. So there's our parks budget. I
mean just for a second. So in the public safety, you take the Four hundred million dollars. It's about sixty-seven percent sheriff and thirty-three percent corrections and other.
Roughly, yes.
Thank you.
So then in community services, so that's senior services and misdemeanor probation are in there. Then you've got libraries, and then in other, those are services like veteran services and cooperative extension. So then the red piece is our other constitutional officers less the sheriff and our judicial partners. Then if you keep going up, we've got our general governments over there, so facilities at around $28 million, so that's funding to maintain our facilities. Our administrative departments,
this actually is a slight reduction from our 26 adopted numbers. So this is things like organizational performance management, fiscal budget, purchasing, things like that, human resources. Then we've got IT, and then here and other are things that really aren't attributable to any specific department. So we've got our payments made to the community redevelopment areas. We pay for an annual audit every year and then you've got the county attorney's
budget and then we already discussed reserves previously a few times.
Chair. Commissioner Weightman. Thank you. Amy, so uh One of the public safety with with corrections, Chief. I think you guys do a great job, so don't freak out here.
Yeah. It's one expensive operation and the costs are compounding almost by the month, right?
I think it's important. I know we have in with the insurance plan what what what the total value of that contract's what around ninety million so we're paying twenty some million a year to insure here locally. I think we need to take a deeper look under the hood and challenge some other providers to see what our options may be. Maybe they can supplement certain portions of the health care that's
provided to inmates at a cheaper cost. And I I I think we need to to really take a a a deeper look under the hood now that the construction project's pretty much done and things have calmed down over there and start. Taking a refined look. uh of our our big ticket items specifically our insurance policy and see what other options might be out there. But um we're I don't like the fact that because it is a jail we're we're limited and
there's only a select few groups that tend to really focus uh in that space for their for their business. I'm hoping that we might be able to come up with some Creative. business plan initiatives on how we can start to figure out how to manage at least healthcare costs there. Commissioner Starkey.
I've talked with some other counties about this. And you know, sometimes people purposely Get arrested. To get our health coverage. And And I think we need we Maybe they don't need to be in jail. Maybe they need to be on house arrest with the leg thing. Foot thing. And then they're on their own insurance, you know, if it's a misdemean if it's nothing serious.
I think it's a complicated That's what
other counties do.
So it is a complicated issue. I can assure you, Commissioner Weightman, Commissioner Starkey, it is on the forefront. Um you know, the the Chief, uh Ms. Cheshire having conversations on on everything from on site health care to even off site providers. You you may be aware we we tried to get some local some local bills uh moved forward to kind of help with with With uh you know setting setting appropriate costs for off-site health care, and that's just one component. Drug costs are extremely, extremely high, and then on-site medical care as well. And
it is a balancing act to say the least. I mean, I won't speak too much in the Chiefs business, but there there is there's a lot, there's a lot to consider, especially when releasing inmates or putting people, just know that your team does. push that uh where where they can. I know there are some very specific instances which which you've talked about where we've managed to to make things happen. But it is it is a huge cost component of that. We have challenged the team to try to come up with creative solutions and just know that we are we are continuing to work on that because
it is a big multi-year contract that does cost a lot of money. And I think it's a multifaceted Solution that that probably will require even some federal changes, especially with benefits on folks that quite honestly have not been adjudicated but are losing benefits that would otherwise happen.
That's definitely on our on our
federal.
It's just incredibly frustrating that we're our our taxpayers' wallet is held hostage by the insurance company. It's bad enough that we're held hostage in our
But this is somewhat under our control and we can, you know, negotiating power. And um uh now that uh I I think it's time what we're in year three. Are we in year three of of taking it over? So uh year three is I think a good time to Take a hard look once again, especially as we come into next budgets, you know, future budget cycles. Um so Just
my thoughts on that matter.
No, I think it's I I think it's critical to look at all aspects of it. Um you know, Mike, we've talked before, cancer treatments super expensive, kidney dialysis real expensive, and again, all these things when people haven't been proven guilty yet. So I think the Federal Government's the one doing the most damage to us by Canceling. Cancelling. Yeah. That that's what we gotta go after. But at the same time, it would be good while we're doing this that we try to look at what are the biggest ones that we're getting hit with as far as those treatments go. And maybe we can start
negotiating directly with hospital providers to try to get those numbers down to six. We're doing that now. Yes, sir. Okay. I should have
brought that
up to
Bob Kennedy when I was
working last week.
I didn't think of that. Secretary of Health.
Another exchange. I I guess I guess I guess the to the Chair's point, They come under they they come into the county's facility in in in and join the county's healthcare.
If they weren't re receiving these treatments before. And they find out they have an issue while they're in Pasco County Corrections Care. And then they leave. But they don't continue treatment. It's just putting good money after bad. And it's just a waste. And
I know we can't force people to receive treatment or however they would get it afterwards, but it if if they're gonna receive if it's mandatory they receive these levels of of treatment while they're in any county jail that the taxpayers are paying for, That there's gotta be a mechanism when they leave that they continue care. That way they don't turn around to Commissioner Starkey's point. Oh, I need a dialysis or I need, you know Bad liver and you're holding fluid and in in two weeks they find a way to get rested so they can come
back to the facility and be drained. Um
that's just an unhealthy for them but very unhealthy for our the taxpayers pocketbook at the same time. So I don't know what the solution is there, but I'm committed to digging through this as you already know. uh to try to figure something out because we ha we have to.
I just listen to what Weightman is saying. What If they're under our care in the jail, they leave. How long is it before that care actually stops? The day they leave, is it that stops?
I I mean I I I believe so. Chief looking for a head nod. Yes. That's a yes. When they are no longer in our custody, they are no longer in our custody.
So that costs us no more after they leave. But what are you what are you talking about trying to keep that carry going with the people that are in there like that don't have the funds to be able to keep that going.
Well and and releases are are an issue as well. Some some folks cannot post bond and so they are They are stuck there, others can. There's there's releasing on their own recognizance. There's a whole there's a whole hiss history of of just Every situation is individualized and and different and it makes it very difficult to come up with a holistic policy. But we're committed, of course, again, because listen, we want to see taxpayer dollars spent effectively and efficiently to make sure that we're providing What we
need to provide, period. And and the rest of it. Like I said, there we're we're not we're not getting any help from the insurance business because these folks are pretty much just left With nothing. And so it is it comes down to the taxpayer. And we we have a responsibility to ensure a certain level of care as well. And it it's complicated to say the least. But we're committed to finding solutions.
The the feds did tweak this a little bit. Um there's a difference that there is some action the state can take. If you are a suspension of um I don't know what the word is, but You're either a cancellation of your Medicare when you go or Medicaid, whatever when you go into jail, or you suspend it. California, not that I ever want to follow California. um is a suspension of Medicare State. Um Florida is a cancellation.
So What they did tweak, they took a little baby step and they said, okay, they can start the process of reapplying for their health benefits before they're let out. Um And so that when they get out in California, th it kind of picks up. In Florida. It it's a long process to get there. if they're on Medicare or Medicaid benefits back going again. So it's
something we can talk to our legislators about, but Really this whole thing the whole thing needs to be fixed in Washington. It's part of the Social Security Act of 1932.
And maybe we can look closer and maybe try to get more diversion as well.
Okay. That's a slippery slope. It's a good slot. They don't they put us in that position. All that money in the taxpayer money being out the door just because they don't wanna the Federal Government doesn't want to cover somebody that should be covered until they are proven guilty. Yeah,
a hundred
percent. I mean they're violating their own civil rights.
Unconstitutional. Well, it's part of the Social Security Act, so I don't Good.
Alright. Speaking of the state, now let's talk about our state mandated outside funding. Alright, so this list here is the these are not the totality of things that the state says local government shall do in terms of service provision, but these are things that the state says local government shall fund. Now again that Medicaid number is subject to change. That's going to come down based off the new Medicaid number that came out and we'll have that updated for final adoption. But you'll see these other areas there are no change from
26.
So we just with that top line.
Yep.
So just with the budget numbers we've got if Amendment 3 passes, we're about four million dollars in the hole. And ten million of it's from this alone. Well ten million actually this ten million is not even part of it. Cause you're gonna have to cover everything for the public safety. And then not only a full million on the whole to get started, but now you've got to find a way to cover another eleven point eleven million dollars after that. Forget anything about parks, libraries, veteran services.
Elderly services. Yeah.
Cher. Commissioner Weightman. Told you budget time. So Bay Care So the Bay Care line item, it's mandatory you have to pay Bay Care just a blank check $1.2 million. Really any of these, right?
From what I understand There's no penalties. Instead of cutting a check for Baycare for one point two million I think they need to provide receipts for reimbursement. And I want to know what they're spending $1.2 million on annually if they're spending $7.50, right? If they're only spending $7.50, I don't want fictitious, we'll probably have two bedcare lobbyists and three CEOs knocking on the door next week over this. But
if if it shows through the course of the exercise if they have to supply, you know, reimbursement, this money's held back for them because of state law, they supply reimbursement, and it only totals to whatever, and if it's short, I'd be curious to see. And the same thing for each one of these. Some of them I have concerns with, some of them I don't. But Baycare is a private organization. And to be told that oh this we have to strike them a check for one point two million. I I don't I fundamentally
disagree disagree with that and uh uh from my understanding is there's no there's no penalty that if we don't if we don't give 'em the money. Uh so you know if a private hospital companies wanting this. Uh
state mandated.
I I get it, but we'll give it to 'em but I want to see what what they're working as a reimbursement. You have sixty seven counties that are giving 'em a pile of money every year and we don't know what we're getting for it. Are they even spending the whole thing? These unfunded mandates are out of out of control. And uh sure we'll set it aside. Two be compliant with the rules. Let's start submitting receipts. I think each one of these so you need to start submitting receipts and see if they're using everything
that we're mandated to give them. And we're still compliant and there's no penalty if we don't.
So Commissioner, we're about ninety-eight percent complete with that side quest. It'll be in your inbox soon.
So we're gonna go back to the previous year.
That but I do
Hang on we're gonna go back to the previous year.
No, so so Commissioner Weightman had asked for some very specific information regarding these state mandates, and we're like really close to having that buttoned up and and ready to share it with him.
The request was really to look at uh what are we mandated to pay? I mean, these are some very precise numbers, you know, is so is are they formulaic based? What is what is the basis for those payments? We didn't have those answers readily available. And then what the commissioner is further asking here, I believe, is for example with Baycare, if they provide some service in return for that 1.2 million to basically pay that in arrears. So Baycare would provide the service and then submit an invoice in order to build up to the one point two, almost like a not to exceed type
contract. And then if there's money left over, that stays with the taxpayers. We're we're running that now. That'll be sent to the board. Um as soon as we're we're complete with that.
Yeah, I mean I wouldn't be surprised. I I mean I think we need to really pay attention because they could Very easily showing the invoice, oh, we total, you know, one point two million. Um I'd hope that they would be honest and transparent, but There could be some unexpected savings instead of how we've just annually just here you go, here's what the state says to do. Um you know, be some left over at the end of the year.
I I I think that that money is goes to Baker because they are the the non profit hospital that has to accept Anybody going into their emergency?
Yeah, and we're gonna we're gonna work out the basis of it. We just still have that answer at our fingertips from the budget perspective.
But I I is it a reimbursable Or do we just give 'em a check and we just say this is your number? Exactly. It is an interesting question. Okay.
Alright, so then this was where you asked, Did the museum support funding make it to the tourist development fund? And yes, sir, it has. So here's our board discretionary funding. Those first three items are general fund funded, and then that museum support is tourist development funded. And that ordinance change I've been told is scheduled to come to the board meeting on September 22nd to make that official. Sure. Um but again County Administrator recommendation to hold in the Footlocker
Reserve.
Well for the record, just Chairman Mariano. Just say that uh Same thing here, like I've done every budget cycle and uh having NGOs on the general fund budget. Budgeted for an annual I'm not saying these people do bad work by any means, but that's their business, and I don't necessarily think it's the taxpayers business to be funding them with all the needs that we
have to do. And um I just I just disagree with with with funding not-for-profits out of the general fund.
Mm-hmm.
Alright, so then our constitutional officer budgets, so that FY 2027 column is what is in the tentative budget. And then we the next two columns over show you the dollar difference and the percentage difference from the fiscal year 26 adopted amounts.
And now here, this is a high-level slide of our five-year capital improvement plan, excluding the general fund. Now, this is these are by and large the same numbers that we presented to you in the July Capital Workshop. The only changes, by and large, are related to the Footlocker Reserve Directive. And so just a friendly reminder: some of the things in the five-year plan we're looking at fire stations 31 and 42. Yeah. We've got some environmentally protected land acquisition scheduled in here,
Conerton District Park. An east side and west side transfer station for Go Pasco. Um in here is our road rehabilitation capital plan so that road maintenance. Let's see. Um building up some funding for the R and R for the waste to energy plant. Hmm.
And then that transportation capital plan has a high-level summary here. And so looking at the different um the different components by category, so capacity for the next five years, major maintenance. So these are going to be different bridge maintenance items. Some pedestrian stuff, safety and intersection signals, street walks, and roadway connections.
Chairman. Commissioner Weightman. Amy, can you go back one slide, please? Yeah,
yeah.
So for Go Pasco, we have our pilot program for freebie. If that is successful like I think we're all hopeful it is. Is it necessary that we need to have the capital projects for the GoPas Go Transfer Stations.
I would probably say you still need them because freebie microtransit will help augment that. These transfer stations, right now you don't have transfer stations for your main bus lines on the east and the west side, and that that is still heavily trafficked. Uh that's such a that's such a net loser on our budget.
Um I can't speak to the percentages of the subsidy. It's probably upwards of eighty, eighty percent, thank you. Heavily subsidized with federal money. So the cost to Pasco County taxpayers is probably 20% of that of that net program. It's still money. I won't argue that point with you. Um, but but it's still used. And and Nina and the team do constantly evaluate routes at this point. But the transfer stations, right now, we're doing that in parking lots, we're doing that on private property and and And that infra it's basic infrastructure
when it comes to that. We're not looking to rapidly expand it. We're talking two transfer stations because right now we have zero. Um but I do think freebie to your point is is going to um change the game. And if we learn and if we learn differently, then then we can. But the overall, the overall net cost, Commissioner, is is is not that large and and I still think ultimately you're going to need that. Uh unless Kathy I I didn't bring Nina tonight, but I you know unless Kathy thinks there's anything I need to add to that statement. But we can revisit it as well. And
just
And it says no, good job.
If
if freebie works and that's then that's the public transit of the future and there's actually ridership if people are using it. Like if if folks are using it. And it's really making an impact on traffic and people are enjoying it and they're taking full advantage of it. That makes me as a fiduciary feel a whole lot better in investing in public transit 'cause right now it's for me it's kind of cringe worthy because it's it's tough. And And if we move away from the traditional bus lines where we actually have rail ridership, the overarching
savings on road- everything, quality of life. I'd rather not necessarily invest in brick and mortar, but invest it into the program. And then you don't necessarily unless the freebie cars are going to go sit there, but if they're roaming around as rideshares do, then I don't necessarily I need a better understanding of why we need these two brick and mortar facilities for ten million bucks.
Let me do a little more research with the team and kind of see how freebee integrates with larger scale mass public transportation. I I I don't I I'd be making up rules right now. I'd I'd really like to talk with my professional staff on that and then get back to you on the right-of-way.
I want to verify that because I know we've been designed and we I we I don't know if we're we're under construction yet or not offhand. Kathy? I mean 'cause 'cause a opportunities like
freebie are are the future, which For the record I'm I'm ex I'm excited about it and I hope that it it just creates a much healthier transitory environment for our county and the folks who use it.
Kathy Pearson, Assistant County Administrator Public Services. This mic seems weird. Um just really quick. So freebie, we have not we are finished the contract. We are not going to be implementing probably till the fall. Um they have to get all their vehicles and have to put the infrastructure freebie. September. Um so they hopefully we will get that started hopefully in September, October, somewhere in that area. So we are working on
the status of the uh construction of the transfer stations?
Transfer stations I believe have um already been designed and ready to go. Um I think they have already picked a contractor for those.
So we have some money invested but not full freight. I will verify before the next board meeting.
We will.
Because that money could be better used to invest in a program like Freebee versus Birk and Moore.
And I will I do want to add, Commissioner, that uh Freebee is costing us almost a half a million dollars for a pilot program. So we are gonna be weighing That's a lot of money for the for the vehicles that they're gonna be providing. So we are gonna be piloting this that is a pilot and see what the cost effectiveness is. Like I said,
if if if ridership is up and it's doing great things and it's getting people to and from faster then it's worth the investment. Right now we have you know, ridership on buses is It's not what it could be. And if the program takes off and people are using it and they're enjoying it and it's and it's successful. And those little cars are probably a lot cheaper to maintain than Buses. I I I'd rather invest in something even if it is a little bit more that's
actually providing a healthy service for our community than just continuing the same old model.
I do want to mention too that Uber has approached the GoPasco team and they're going to be hopefully going into a contract where they want to give the county fifty thousand dollars to put towards vouchers for um people to try Uber. So it'll be a cost sharing thing there. So that we're looking into right now too. So some other good things happening.
To the point, I I I want to see if the I really need to talk to some industry experts to see if microtransit is an integration or a replacement or a replacement. Yeah, talk to Seminole
County.
So okay, thank you. We will do that. Thank you, Chairman Mariano.
Alright, so then here is a table. And so this table table represents the tentative millage rates. And so these are the same that were set at trim and how those compared to the rollback rates as advertised on trim notices.