Good evening and welcome to the Hillsburg County Board of County Commissioners September 10th, 2026 budget public hearing.

The purpose of tonight's public hearing on the budget is to take public comment on millage rates and the budget prior to the board approving two resolutions setting tentative millage rates and a tentative budget for fiscal year twenty-seven.

The millage rates and budget will be adopted Thursday, September 24th, after final budget public hearing.

In a moment, the budget director will read into the record the increase in the aggregate fiscal year twenty-seven tentative millage rate and the rolled back rate.

We will also receive a brief discussion regarding the status of the tentative budget, after which we will take public comment.

At the conclusion of public comment tonight, the board the board will discuss any potential changes to the budget.

Tonight is the first of two budget public hearings as required by state statute.

This evening you'll hear a budget update from our budget director, Kevin Brickie.

Take public comment, discuss the budget, adopt the fiscal year 27 tentative millage rate and tentative budget resolutions, and announce the details of the second budget public hearing, which will be held on Thursday, September 24th.

These ads will include the tentative millage rates and tentative budget approved tonight.

Commissioners, the tentative budget.

The FY27 tentative budget is balanced.

Additionally, the county continues to maintain its triple A bond rating, and the tentative budget you will vote on tonight reflects investments that are consistent with your focuses.

The FY27 uh tentative budget is 13.78 billion dollars.

That's a little bit less than what the recommended budget was, uh, which was 14 due to uh uh uh an advantageous change in approach to financing of one water.

Uh the tentative uh operating budget is uh 4.7 uh billion dollars, which 22 percent of that is public safety, sheriff and fire rescue.

Uh the budget does include a 0.1 millage uh swap from countywide to unincorporated to support uh the unincorporated fund where we have the most uh growth in service demand.

The tentative countywide general fund is 1.6 uh billion dollars.

Uh 56 percent of that uh is uh to constitutional officers and outside agencies.

Our tentative unincorporated area general fund, 938 million dollars.

About that uh budget is to public safety.

Um about 78 percent of FY27 property tax revenue in the two general funds is accounted for by the sheriff, uh fire rescue and other elected agencies and other outside agencies.

Uh we continue to be very cognizant that uh uh there is the property tax reform amendment on the ballot in November, and the budget has been uh constructed with that in mind and and with some preparation.

Tonight uh you will receive public comment uh and then later by board discussion, and then adopt a tentative millage rate resolution.

And just as was the case uh at the July uh reconciliation public hearing, uh the uh tentative uh millage uh rate resolution would need to be adopted by a two-thirds majority vote due to changes in the trim process.

And then after uh the tentative millage resolution, the board will adopt the tentative budget resolution.

Uh this is the first of the two required public hearings, and at the bottom of this calendar is is the conclusion on September 24th to adopt the final budget and villages.

Mr.

Chair, at this time, I would recommend you take public comment.

All right, thank you, uh Mr.

Berkey.

Uh board members you have 38 individuals that have signed up to speak this evening.

Uh I would ask for a motion for each person to be given two minutes.

Motion, Commissioner Cohen, second commissioner Myers, please record your vote.

Motion carried seven to zero.

Okay, uh, before open public comment, I want to say I appreciate uh everyone coming down uh tonight to share your thoughts on the county's recommended uh budget and millage rates.

As you've just heard each speaker will be given two minutes.

I've conferred with the uh county attorney and want to remind everyone that tonight speakers should limit their comments to our recommended budget uh and millage rates.

Uh, tonight's budget public hearing is different from our regular board meetings when they involve open public comment on any issue or concern, and that is stated uh before every meeting.

For example, I know that there are many passionate uh animal welfare supporters who have emailed us and are likely here who've shared concerns that our parent resource center or shelter plans may have changed recently.

In the event that you have not seen uh the response or the memo from our deputy county administrator, I just want to set the record straight.

Uh, as uh the commissioner who's championed nearly a dozen animal welfare issues and ordinances through the years, including a new shelter.

I want to say unequivocally that any claims that there are plans or could be planned, could be plans to change direction or delay moving forward with this project are unfounded.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

Uh our deputy county administrator issued a strongly worded memo to that effect.

So I hope that this helps to provide some comfort uh to those who are under a different impression.

But for the purposes of tonight's public um tonight's meeting, please limit your comments to the recommended budget or millage rate, not to potential uses for renewed CIT funding or other issues that are not under our purview this evening.

However, our regularly scheduled BOCC meetings do allow for public comment on any issue on the agenda or off the agenda.

And you're more than welcome to speak at those, and our next meeting is next Wednesday September 16th.

So please be cognizant of that.

First three speakers uh this evening are Ferris Shaheen virtual, followed by Michael Waldman and Betsy Covell.

Is Ferris on the line?

Please continue.

All right, I'll go ahead.

Good morning.

Uh sorry, cut out to the next commissioner.

My name is Ferris Shagan.

I've been a resident of Hillsborough County for over 20 years.

And I'm calling in today to voice my concern on the allocation of taxpayer dollars to the nonprofit organization in Florida Israel physical accelerators.

As you all have heard before, this organization has collecting the tax dollars from hardworking residents of our county in the name of economic development.