Good afternoon, Marjorie Molina, District 5.

Good afternoon, Dante Anderson, Mayor Pro Tum.

Dimelashmer, Dimple Rajmara at large.

Marcus Jones, City Manager.

May Alcal Graham, District 2.

Ed Dries, District 7.

Good afternoon, Lawana Mayfield, Councilmember at Large.

Good afternoon, Victoria Watlington at large.

Ryan Bergman, budget director.

Teresa Smith, CFO.

Thank you very much.

He has an conflict, but will join us as soon as possible.

So this meeting is really one of the times that we work on the most important responsibilities that we have as a city council, which is to review and discuss the proposed budget.

The manager presented his budget, and thank you for all of the hard work of the budget team and the many people that um made this possible for us to be able to begin this discussion.

He the manager has recommended to us and presented us a proposed budget that is balanced and incorporates the resources towards our strategic priorities that were decided at this council retreat.

The purpose of this meeting is to think about any potential adjustments that members of the council would choose to have incorporated in the budget before adoption.

Now we have a process for today's meeting, and it's a little bit different because our budget is a little bit different this year.

Since the manager is recommending a tax increase this year, as we're talking about what adjustments council members might like to make, we'd like to have a process that would be followed would follow this idea.

Is that while we have a balanced and structured budget that keeps us in the good graces of our finances of being a triple A and a triple A and a triple A and all of those things, in order to continue that kind of successful financial foundation, we would like for you to suggest if you have a change in the budget, there are a couple of ways to do this.

That if you have something that requires a cost differential interval, that we can just turn it over to the staff to help for you create something, then that means that kind of cost will come back at our next meeting.

But I'd also like to have you think about another one, um, is that there are a ways that if we have want to make changes, there's always the opportunity to defer or delay another item in the budget so that we balance to where we were with the manager's recommendation.

In addition, for those that have changes, and even though the cost may not be exactly correct, we will be adding that to the tax increase of 1.5.

So if you say I want to do this cost, then we'll say what is it cost to add that to the consideration of the tax increase.

So there are three options again.

If you have an adjustment that you would like to have, you can recommend have you could recommend a reduction you or delay or a deferral of another item, or we will add it to the tax increase just to keep us in focus.

If the staff is going to have to make adjustments to that cost, they will, but we need to kind of get a handle on what we're talking about today so that we can be successful because we do want to adopt this budget on June on June the 10th.

Thank you.

All right, so there will be two rounds for each of the discussions coming around, and so we can start off and have each council member um talk about any adjustments that they want to make.

The staff will keep a running list of changes, and then we can come back.

Now remember in our process that we have a requirement or have had always had a requirement that if five or more votes at the end of our discussion of everything that we're going to add, that it takes five or more votes of the council members, all of us voting to support any of the changes that have been recommended.

So for those of you in the room, that's a lot of budgetes, which we're all capable of following, I'm sure.

So let's um get to it to start off with um our process for today.

Now, let's why don't we go ahead and start with Ms.

Watlington and we'll come this way and then on the next round, we'll start with Miss Molina.

Can you um can you circle back to me last?

We can come around.

Miss Mayfield, are you ready?

I would say that's not a bit that we're around.

I got hopefully this idea.

Oh, Miss Molina.

I don't mean I actually was hoping to go last, so I I agree with the order it's that we need to just get Mayor instead of trying to go around.

I know some people have some questions they want to ask.

May I suggest that we just do oh we're just doing the day, just raise our hand if you're ready.

I think that we're we're first of all, this isn't just for questions, it is to actually ask what changes you would like to have for the budget.

So let's be more affirmative around what we're trying to accomplish here.

Um I think we've had a chance for everyone to have um a discussion with the manager or the staff about this, but I do think that Mr.

Graham has agreed that he would be the first, and we'll go this way and come around.

Well, all right, Mr.

Graham.

So the staff will again just remember it'll be up posted up there the item.

We we use the word ad, but I'd like to say instead of delete, it could be deferred or delay, and then we'll keep going from there.

Mr.

Graham, thank you for starting us off.

Thank you.

Thank you, madam mayor and and and members of council.

I I really don't have much.

I'll take an opportunity to uh review the budget in its entirety.

Um the manager's letter uh and uh the executive summary as well as uh thumbing through the the budget.

Um as many of you have heard me say it before.

Uh I think that the budget reflects the values of the city, reflects the growing nature of our community.