I'm pleased to call to order this meeting of the Alden Royal County Board of Supervisors on the 7th of April, 3 p.m.

in room 241 back to our office building.

Like the table, we have Supervisor Mike Run of the Scottsville District, Supervisor East McCurve, the Ravana District, Supervisor Donatin McKeel of the Jack Jewett district.

Supervisor Ned Galloway of the Rio District, Supervisor Ann Malik and the Whitehall District, and myself, Jim Andrews representing the Samuel Miller district.

The forum is present.

We're also joined as always by our county executive, Mr.

Jeff Richardson, our county attorney, Mr.

Andy Herrick.

Our clerks, Ms.

Claudette Orkerson, Senior Deputy Clerk Travis Morris.

Also, please let me welcome Albora County Police Officers present, Master Police Officer Paul Quillen and Officer Brookchenko.

Thank you for your service today and every day on behalf of colleagues.

And of course, Randy's in the back there.

And unless recognize that we have a lot of other people present as well.

And uh and let me also note at the table we have uh our deputy county executives, and while Trevor Henry, uh our chief financial officer, Jacob Sumner, and our assistant chief financial officer Andy Bowman will be joined eventually by our chief operating Christie Shepler.

But for now, I'm gonna turn things over to Mr.

Bowman.

Uh, after mentioning at least one supervisor is having a first day today on the mention.

And also, um, as I was just reminded, uh the microphones are in the ceiling, so speak up in both senses of the work.

Uh thank you, Mr.

Bowman.

Good afternoon to the board, and thank you to the chair for the introduction.

Uh, today is work session number five with the fiscal year 26 proposed budget.

Uh, we have a few topics, but we're gonna spend most of our time talking about affordable housing and the CIP to continue the discussion or kind of an idea that began at the last uh budget work session or in March 19th.

Uh just a few slides to recap.

It's been a couple weeks since we've been together.

Uh we have completed all the activities in March through the work sessions in the town halls.

Uh after today's work session, there are two town halls later this week at Western Morrow High School and North Fork Research Park, uh, followed by the uh seventh final town hall next week at journey middle school.

Uh this month we'll conclude with the public hearings on the tax rates and the budgets, and then we'll budget process be wrapped up on May 7th.

So this is the last work session that is scheduled at this time for uh today, though, certainly not the last opportunity for the board to engage with the budget.

There are three topics uh for today.

Uh, the first of which is really spending some time with affordable housing and the CIP.

Uh as this is the first time there is ongoing funding uh dedicated to affordable housing or into the affordable housing investment fund.

Uh, this would be uh the board's uh desire to look at what if something were to be done different in terms of the CIP, what could that look like?

Uh Mr.

Sumner is going to lead that part of the presentation.

Uh after that, uh I would I will come back and do a brief presentation uh to continue previous human services funding process discussion uh based on uh you know comment from a board member to just bring that back in case the board would like to consider any adjustments.

And then finally, is just a a time for the board if there's anything else they would like to identify, knowing that this is the last work session.

The board, of course, may amend the budget all the way up to April 7th, and then beyond that during the year.

This is just if staff helps the board uh get ready to finalize the tax rates in the budget on May 7th.

Is this anything we can do for that?

Um, that would be part of that.

I will share that all the QA's.

Uh there's actually one final one for prior work sessions we we have getting uh to send to you all today.

All of the questions have been responded or on the website, but it certainly will add to that should any follow-ups come from today's meeting.

So, one slide before I turn it over to Mr.

Sumner.

This is a slide the board has seen many times during the work sessions of the four cent real estate tax increase included in the proposed budget.

Uh we've talked uh at length before about the dedications to public safety, schools, and to affordable housing.

Uh, that affordable housing amount of 0.4 cents uh is 1.2 million dollars of ongoing funding.

And as I mentioned a minute ago, it was the first time that we had that ongoing funding into that fund.

So we're going to spend most of our time uh in the today's presentation focusing on that point four.

But of course, the board has the flexibility to adjust anything in the budget among dedications, other changes of the budget, with the one exception that a tax rate cannot be adopted higher than what was advertised at uh 894 cents for real estate and 428 for personal property taxes.

Uh so with that, uh I'll hand the presentation off to our CFO, Jacob Sumner.

Thank you, Mr.

Bowman.

Uh board, always a pleasure to be in front of you.

And today we're going to talk a little bit more about the affordable housing uh investment that um is in the proposed budget.

So as Mr.

Bowman mentioned, there is the 0.4 cent dedication for affordable housing in the budget.