Good afternoon.

It is 3 31, and we'll call our finance meeting to um order today.

Today the meeting is going to cover the general fund, the budget revenue only, not expenses.

The goal today is to see the revenue that we've collected in the first six months of the physical year, the actual versus the budget.

Item number two is examine the um revised all the information that we've received and compare it to what we expect to collect the second half of the physical year.

As we know, the amount that we budgeted is higher than the actual revenues based on that information that we received in anticipation.

So everybody in here is to understand the same thing.

And I want to point out a couple things on the reports before we get started.

And also I want to point out the budget amendment regular uh regulations for the state of Mississippi, Section 21 3525 tells us exactly when we must make the amended budget.

We have to do it prior to the regular meeting in July.

So July is our deadline.

I want everybody in here to know the deadline.

And I've made a copy of the regulations, and I also made sure that they were current with the information that I'm giving you.

So we all know the deadline.

We know our goal is to have it done by May, and there's some publication requirements, and we're gonna meet those requirements.

So we have the whole month of May to do what we need to if we need it.

The way we're gonna handle it is first we're gonna do revenues.

The next meeting is gonna be expenses.

Once we've presented all the revenues today, you'll have time to study, see if there's any way that we can increase these revenues and see where we actually are.

Our finance department, Mr.

Jackson has worked hand in hand with me.

Miss Um Caldwell, Mr.

Jackson has done uh projections based on the information.

So there's nothing in here that nobody should have any questions about.

We only balancing uh we're only working with the budget for the general fund.

There are other funds in the city, but we will not be working with them.

And to start off, the numbers that you have in front of you, the report that we're gonna work with today says City of Jackson, year to date budget report, physical year 2026.

That's information from the October 2025 uh calendar to March 31st of this year, 2026.

On this um report, you'll see a column that says um original, and that is um where it says original, that's the adopted budget.

That's what we adopted April 1st is actually yeah, March 31st is the ending date.

Okay, but where you see it saying original, that is the adopted budget.

Okay, it does not say adopted budget, but you need to write that on you still trying to find it.

Yep.

Okay.

Uh it's just report right here.

Right there in your hand.

That one right there.

Uh huh.

That first call.

So this this is I've got two.

So one says expenses, and one says we're talking about revenue.

We're only working on revenue.

Yeah, you got the expenses in your hand, but we only work in revenue, okay.

And the reason I'm telling you these columns in layman's terms, you need to know what we're dealing with.

And when you look up there and see that, you think it's something else, okay?

The revised budget is the same as the adopted budget.

Okay.

The year to date uh expended is what we have collected.

That is not what we have spent.

That is strictly collections.

We got to get the terminology correct here, or we'll never get to the finish line.

Well, you write it up.

That's we don't work.

It shouldn't say expend expended, because we haven't expended it.

We need to make make sure Mr.

Davison, please help me on this.

We're gonna make sure the terminology is right if we if everybody's gonna understand this and come to the right conclusion at the end of the day.

Well, this is this is how this is how MINAES, the system that the city of Jackson has adapted adopted.

This is what it is printing.

So therefore, I'm gonna write sir.

We're not gonna argue, we're not gonna do anything.

We're gonna stay on the same thing.

We're gonna make an asterisk per footnote.

If it's necessary for this body to be able to understand it, we can get asterisks typed up here, and we can follow what the asterisk means.

Okay, I have no problem doing that.

If you guys want to recess and come back and let somebody go type it for you, we can do okay.

Whatever you need, we need to make it where we can understand.

So, is there a problem?

Yes, sir.

Uh, thank you.

Just to clarify, I I understand that you mentioned that the original appropriation in the revised budget is the same, which upon cursory glance appears to be that way through the first four pages.

There's a reason for it being different, and he will explain it.

Okay, thank you.

The only thing, the only place where you should see it different is where they have already made a change.

Okay, and we have proved it if it's already been done.

Okay, so it's really hard, y'all, to work with all the numbers.

The situation we are in right now is because we didn't work with all the numbers.

We let somebody come and give us a summary of what's what.

So we're not gonna use a summary from this point forward.

We're gonna look at the numbers, and if you choose to look at them, you got them in your hand.

If you don't choose to look at them, it's no big deal.

Yes, sir.

We are talking about if there are processes for 2025, but there's one that says 26, and uh which one is 25.

Okay, so we're looking for revenue.

Okay, this is the only one we really need.

Mr.

Jackson felt the next need to give you the one for next week early.

We only looking at one.

Okay, can I ask questions?

Yes, sir.

I just want to make sure I got the terminology correct on these lines.

So the first one it says the numbers, just this line up here.

That's all we're working with.

We're not going to the numbers.

We're just making sure we got the categories right.

Well, the third column.

Okay.

Going down, it says current realty taxes.

Isn't that uh-uh?

We only working with the headings.

That's all we're working with at this point, y'all.

Is the headings?

Okay.

Headings.

We will examine these numbers.

I don't want this to seem like I'm in charge or we're doing something wrong.

I just want us all to be on the same page, understand what's going on, and when we look at the numbers, the numbers are gonna be explained to us.

We are not gonna randomly pick a number and say this number is this plus this, okay.

We're gonna look at these numbers in the order they are in and go down this form, okay?

And if that's not what y'all want to do, I'll let whoever's assistant go ahead and move to this seat and take care of it.

But we're gonna look at these numbers today and make sure we understand what we have okay.

So now we got the collected, okay.

Then the difference is the last column, okay?

And you got you have the percentage.

It's no sense in us looking at these numbers if we don't know what was budgeted, what we've received, and what the difference is.

Okay, so everybody clear on.

I was gonna you're not clear.

Okay.

So the percentage, the 867 86.7 percent that's in the last column.

That's the money that's come in that we expected to come in.

So we're is that what is that right?

So we we've received 86.7 percent of what we expected to get on that line item.

But let's move through the line items one by one, and then you'll understand everyone.

And if you don't understand, okay.

I just want to make sure I understood the column.

You know, you said we're focused on the columns.

I just want to make sure the percentage used, that's what this is, but it's the percentage you uh received, and to make this a lot easier.

I thought that we would use minutes because that is the accounting system for the city, so you would be using real numbers, but we could easily let them put this in a spreadsheet and make all these notes and do that.

But since we say we're transparent, I thought we should use what actually comes out to the public, and you know the negatives are actually positives in this system.

Okay, when I first came to the council, it was hard for me to realize a negative was positive.

Okay, so the negatives are positive on this system.

Okay, so we've done that.

So we have gone through.

Mr.

Jackson and I said through, and we've gone a couple three or four days working hand in hand.

He stayed at seven o'clock Friday night working on this.

So, what we're gonna do is take this and go through here first, okay.

I'm gonna let him, I'm gonna ask him, not let ask him.

Mine is highlighted to point out the areas that we are missing revenue the most, okay.

The most the deficit that is the greatest is highlighted, okay.

Once he tells us these areas, if it's another area that you're looking at and you see a question about it, put a star by it, and we'll talk about that one one at a time.

There are some areas in here where the whole section is gonna be yellow, okay.

And when you get to that area, you'll see exactly what's what the purpose of the revenue is to see where we are have a deficit or we have where we have a shortfall to see if there's a way that the council can think of that we can generate funds by the end of the actual year.

We're going to have to adjust the budget because we have to do it by July.

So unless the money is coming in instantly, we can't rely on that projection to do the budget, okay?

But we can use it for next year's budget.

So this is where the way we're gonna do it.

We're gonna go through here and the items that are highlighted, and I hope you have a highlighter.

If you don't have a highlighter, we have some extra highlighters.

We're gonna highlight these items and we're gonna do them by categories.

When we get to the end, we will see exactly where the shortfall is for right now.

Then we're gonna look at the next six months from the previous budget and project where we're going forward.

Okay.

And if any time you have a question and I asked him not to put it on the screen, because I want you to follow along in hand.

Okay.

All right, Mr.

Jackson.

Brandon Jackson Finance Manager.

So the very first category and revenues that we have is our general property taxes.

Um the way that we come up with these numbers and project for the numbers of general property taxes are based on the assessed um valuations that come from Hines County, Rankin County, and Madison County.

Um we put it in a spreadsheet to calculate these um appropriations for this.

And Mr.

Jackson, these numbers are not projections, these are actual, right?

Yes, sir.

Yes, ma'am.

So we don't want to know anything about a projection.

We only want to know what we have.

Okay.

So as of March 31st, 53,952,000 has come in, which put it right at the percentage that we usually come in um halfway throughout the year, um, right at 79%, 78 to 79 percent.

So we are heading in the right direction for this category.

The next category is licenses and permits.

As of today, we brought in 56 percent.

However, we are going into a um period of more revenue because of the construction season.

So I do project that excuse me, sir.

I know he wants to tell you the projections.

That's how he did it to me.

Okay.

I don't want him to tell you the projections.

I will read these categories if necessary.

I think it is important that the council knows where the shortfalls are, not the projection.

That is not our intent today to figure out the projection.

We want to know what we really have.

So tell them what's highlighted on this sheet and how we got there, and then if the season is gonna change for building, we'll use that when we get ready to go through projections.

But right now, we're not doing anything but actuals.

Yes, ma'am.

I will focus on the actuals.

So in licensing permits, um, we are 56% for the year.

However, there are a few lines that are lackluster, um, including combustion and flammable liquid, which that is more of a um license from fire um the fire department.

You have signs miscellaneous.

I believe that this is because you already have signs and permits, and it's really combined together.

Um, adult entertainment licenses, um, it's only 18% for the year, only 550.

Um you have historic preservation at 32.7 percent.

Maintenance fee hasn't brought in um anything this year, and you have plant plumbing permits um at 40 percent.

The next category is fines and forfeitures, we're only 23 percent for for the year in fines and forfeitures.

Uh question.

Um the I'm as I read this, it says which column is the 23%.

I'd have to go over to the expended column to get so it's the one the million two sixty-two right next to 23% is not the correct column.

I guess I the it's 377,000.

Yes, sir.

So what is um actually been brought into the city is 377, 287?

Okay, um, and the last column is the percent um collected, which is the 23%.

But his real question is that 1.2 million is what we budgeted, right?

The 1,639,470 is what was appropriated or projected for.

Um just say budget, you ain't gotta say appropriated.

Um, budgeted for the revenues, however, the 1.2 million that you're speaking of is the difference in between the actual collected and the budget.

That's it.

That's it.

Can we do can we uh ask about is it okay to ask about why if there's any significant reason it's that big of a shortfall?

We could if my ask of you is to let them get all the way to the bottom light.

Okay, the shortfalls, because you're gonna see some shortfalls.

Okay, all right.

Thank you.

We spend the time we'll we'll hit them all.

Okay, for the next category, we have um well.

Let me go back to fines and forfeitures.

Um, there is a short uh uh humongous shortfall in fines and forfeitures.

Um, however, um later on we can speak on a solution for this.

Um, the next category is intergovernmental federal, which is um any money brought in from the federal government within the general government, mean excuse me, general fund.

We've brought in um 39,709 dollars and 95 cents.

Um, this is for overtime reimbursement, so that lies at 60 uh 66.9 percent for the year.

The next category is intergovernmental state.

We're at 43 percent for the year.

Um we we will not receive anything in the line 001, 4514, so that will have to be removed, and the only other one is alcohol permits, ABC.

Um we're only brought in 33 percent of what we've um budgeted for this account line.

The next category is intergovernmental local.

This includes your pro router road tax, which is at 68 percent for the year, giving us a total of 68 percent for this category.

You go on back to your old self.

Give us the highlighted areas where we're short.

All right, the next category is emission fees and rentals.

We've only brought in 23.6 percent for the category.

We have uh a handful of highlighted um account lines within this category, including ad valore application, small sale application, parking meters, local records fee, um, municipal auditorium thought your Mara Hall, Smith Robertson Museum, and that is a donation line, Smith Robinson Museum admissions, senior city uh senior sensors, reservations, Smith Robinson gift shop, fire water flow test, fire reports, accident report fee, background check fee, bail buns and application, rents and royalties, pistol range rent, fire reinspection, fire knocks box, fire truck on site, rental fee, fire museum, school tours fee, fire, and rental inspections.

Many of these accounts um have no revenue for this fiscal year.

The next category is interest earned on investments.

We're right at 1.8% for this year.

However, majority of the interest um comes on the back end of the fiscal year.

The next category is other revenues.

There are a handful of lines that I see issues with within this category as well, including rental registry, sale of easement, franchise cable television, water sewer franchise fee, sale of land, sale of fixed assets, small animal control, police training reimbursement, police miscellaneous, public safety, training, union station, grants and donations, and direct cost, ID badge fee, parking fee, admission uh administration fee, payroll deduction, Mississippi Valley gas refunds, entergy refunds, penalty on demo grasp, um sale of maps plan, Smith Robison, traffic, geographic information, cemeteries, fire sector education, publication, and settlement of insurance claims.

This brings a total of 22.7% for other revenues.

The last two categories are applied fund balance and operating transfers.

Giving us a total of 55.1% for the first half.

Okay.

Now give us the second half.

Actual field figures.

Second half for FY25.

Okay.

That's in the packet.

It's just say revenues.

Here you go.

2025.

Second half.

We're gonna start doing them as exhibits.

Exhibit A B C, okay.

I see.

We just no, we're gonna wait.

It says 50% at the top.

Half.

Right.

That's it.

Oh, I've got one that's just fifty percent, but it's not that we have second half.

Send this back.

So this is second half revenue.

I've got third four.

Show me the top of that question.

I have not seen one that says secondhand.

We all get different reports up here.

I may have it here, but we have it.

All right, so yeah, we in school.

We will be marking these, y'all.

We should have brought the rulers.

Oh, yeah, we will be marking these.

Yes.

I was gonna bring rulers in Hinner told me not to bring rules.

My husband told me don't bring rulers and don't bring highlighters because he didn't want to.

Yeah, because he told me he told me not to bring them because I not to do that because I keep that value on it.

But I did bring extra ones.

So anybody down there didn't have one.

Okay.

Second half.

So for a comparison of FY25 and 26 for the first half before I go into the second half.

Um and FY26 this fiscal year, we brought in 74 million seven hundred and fifty-seven thousand, eight hundred fifteen dollars and sixty-two cents compared to last fiscal year um 50% of 74 million three hundred thirty thousand three hundred seventy-two dollars and sixty-six cents.

He likes to give us the numbers for comparison, but they don't help us with what we're trying to do.

Okay.

Okay.

He knows the numbers, but he will get so we don't doubt that the numbers are right.

So with the document at hand, we have the second half of second half revenues FY2025.

We have the second half revenues from fiscal year 2025, where and general property taxes, we brought in 14 million, two hundred ninety-six thousand, four hundred dollars in the second half of last year.

Licensing permits, we brought in 964,558.

Fines and forfeitures, we brought in 313, 775.73 cents.

Intergovernmental state, um, we brought in 15,170, uh 170,657.

Majority of that was state sales tax.

Intergovernmental local, we brought in 97,950, admissions fees and rentals.

We brought in 185,418 and 68 cents interest earned 47,972 and 51 cents, and other revenues 4 million 120,476 with operator transfer from federal grants of 2,180,001 for a total of $37,427, $151.49.

Yes, sir, in the second half.

April through September 30.

Yes, sir.

So if we take the second half number and add it to what we've collected so far in 2026, where are we?

We're basically right at the 112 million.

Okay.

That number is significant.

So that's the number we're trying to get to 112 million, because that's where we are technically with revenues.

So we do have to amend our budget because we do have a deficit, and we it's more than 10 percent, so we have to follow all the rules.

So this 112, we basically knew about in our proposed budget to begin with, but we budgeted more by 20 million.

So now it's up to us to figure out how to get back, madam chair.

Uh-huh.

Last week, councilman Stokes asked about the fund balance as some of you have before.

I want to zoom back out.

Um, and thank you, madam chair, for complimenting Mr.

Jackson for staying last Friday night.

I left him about 15 minutes before he sent this to you.

Um kind of zoom out and explain to you and for the public how we got to where we are in real simple terms.

In 2023, the city approved pay increases for police and fire.

At the same time, police and fire stopped awarding comp time, but moved over time.

Likewise, in 2023, there was additional funding put in planning and development.

Those moves in 2023 are what are causing us today to have these problems.

The impact to police was seven and a half million, the impact of fire department was three and a half million, the impact of planning and development was one and a half million.

You add the net additional spending beyond reduced spending somewhere else.

Yes.

Police department, seven and a half million fire department three and a half million, planning and development, it's 1.4 million.

I rounded it up to 1.5.

The reason this is important at the same time those increases were introduced, uh the then administration, CFO, somebody should have explained to the council, you're likely going to need to back out or put some reductions in somewhere to counter the additional spending.

Now, in their defense, they probably didn't know the impact it would have the first year, but by the time the city council was making the 24 budget, somebody should have figured out whoa, there's an impact here, and we haven't reduced spending.

Now, what happened is the city council had actually been managing the budget well, and you had a budget surplus in 2023.

So the what Councilman Stokes refers to as the fund balance is what has subsidized the upside down funding for 23, 24, and 25.

That has eliminated almost all the fund balance.

And is the chairwoman has said we can't continue to go like that because we've wiped out the fund balance.

But it in simple and short terms, that that's what happened in 2023.

And then without audits, without proper valuation and discussion in 24 and 25, the council couldn't have known any difference.

So I want to compliment you first of all for taking the time to have these budget committee meetings.

I think I said that when we first started this.

I thought this was real important.

But you're doing what we really need you to do as council members.

Dig into these numbers, understand these things as the chairwoman said, so that the administration and the council are on the same page talking this language.

Now we're standing straightening out some terminology as we go forward.

I'm sorry.

At one time we had a buffer, a self-imposed buffer that we should not exceed.

How did that weigh in to these projections here?

I don't know that it weighed in.

The buffer is still in place, and that's literally the money you have now to make sure your cash flowing operations.

So years ago, the city council adopted that was back when we had a credit rating.

The buffer was adopted at that time to improve our credit rating.

You have left that in place, thank goodness.

But now we have spent fund down bounced down to the buffer.

So you technically have you have several million dollars to play with, but you don't have several million dollars to play with because without that buffer, any emergency that occurs, which requires us to spend money first, we would not be able to meet.

And you heard me say it before, I'm gonna say it again for the public.

We had we had a tornado at North Jackson in 2008.

Councilman Hartley, you remember that tornado.

That was my wealth rejection.

And we spent somewhere between 10 and 15 million dollars cleaning up part of North Jackson in 2008.

And federal government does not reimburse you, FEMA does not uh does not advance you money, you have to spend your money and get reimbursed.

So the reason we have sounded the alarm to meet with you, and I know I've said some things that the public doesn't always grasp.

I said we're both broke, but we can pay our bills.

And I know people look at me when I say that.

We do have that buffer there.

I'm sorry, you brought that up.

We did get reimbursed, didn't we?

We did, but the point of that is you have to spend the money first, right if you spend your buffer, you would have if we spend this buffer, which we're now down to we spent fund bounce down to buffer.

That's where we are, Molly.

I know you want to report this, but we want it right.

We spent fund bounce down to buffer, Councilman Stokes.

I hope you're watching.

And now we're at buffer.

If we didn't sound the alarm, we would then spend the buffer.

And if we spent the buffer, and y'all, this Mississippi, we've got to expect tornado, hurricane, flooding.

We've got a plan for something.

So if we did not sound the alarm to the council, we would have then spent into the buffer that you recall, councilman Hartley, and we would literally be completely broke.

Thank you.

Wow.

And it has bothered me.

Um, the reason I explained that, I knew chairwoman, that the council could not have been carrying some negative deficit budget for the last eight or 10 years.

I mean, that's mathematically impossible.

So I wanted to really get to the bottom of where did the improper turn kind of take place, and it was the 2023 uh budget cycle and then no timely reconciliation in 2024.

So it wasn't just the decisions, decisions in 2023 in and of themselves weren't bad, but then we really need to reconcile that in real time.

And that's what we're attempting to do this budget year.

I sat here before you as the interim CAO said I was not comfortable with any numbers, we hadn't had any audits.

I couldn't even tell you what your target is.

Over the last six months, we've figured all this out.

We're getting it before you so we can work collaboratively going forward.

And I don't see this as a repeat at all.

I spoke last week um to the 100 club.

I told them that one, we were gonna fix this budget.

And I said that without any drama, just matter of fact, because it's true, we are gonna fix this budget.

We would not get back into this situation.

Thank you, and thank you so much for this.

Um I really appreciate it.

So um after he went through all the numbers, you gave us a really great summary and told us that 102 million is really the number that we need to be keeping our eye on.

What did I say?

100 my apologies, 112.

112 million.

Um I know we don't want to go too much into the revenue or the uh expenditures right now, but where are we what what have we allocated for?

We have you have the budget that was adopted, so we know what we have allocated.

We're gonna find out the expenditures, actually, what has been spent.

We want I wanted you to see the revenue so you know what we have not taken in, and the good thing is we hope we will take in more.

We have a projection, we can see we only took in 37 million the second half of the year.

So I don't want you to think because we've taken in 74 that we got 74 times two, and we are good.

That was the purpose for having the second half numbers, okay?

And so we can work together to figure out where we can make changes, and this is not the only money that the city of Jackson has.

There are other funds, so we need to remember that we are not bankrupt, we're not bad off at all, because there are other funds that we use to do different things, and we will examine as a finance committee all those funds once we get past this.

So the thing today is to figure out if there's any thought in your mind, and tell us about ABC and why that's down, and the impact.

Well, Page, we are now back to the excuse me.

We can go back to the original um document, current revenue.

Okay.

Okay.

So tell them the category thank you.

We're um, I'm about to look into fines and forfeitures again, page two of the document.

We're gonna look at the entire category.

So for the category, we do have a couple of solutions.

We are going to we are now uh moving over to DigitCourt, which is the same system that the um city of New Orleans use for their municipal court system.

We're hoping that this would actually bring in more revenue online because it does allow online payments compared to what we have the system we have right now to where you actually have to come in to get your payments.

We're also um looking to revamp the court system.

That's not ABC, right?

Ms.

Jackson is my best friend.

I'm gonna say that on the front.

He's not listening to the bigger.

We will not answer anything you ask him is that because he wants to tell you what these figures mean.

The court system, we know that one, okay.

We know that I don't know it.

Okay, well, okay.

We've been talking about an am Amnesty Day, and they told us we're trying to get an amnesty day.

So that will bring that one up, hopefully, okay.

And the new way to pay fines, okay.

But that is a category that is really low, okay.

23%, so it's 76% out.

Okay.

But I asked him specifically about ABC because of what's in the news about the restaurants, etc.

And I want you to know how it's affecting the city of Jackson in terms of revenue that we normally get from ABC.

Okay.

So for alcohol permits, ABC, because of everything that's going on with the warehouse at this moment.

I don't believe we will receive what we actually budgeted for.

Um since the liquor stores are not as stocked as as they usually are.

And ABC.

ABC, the warehouse.

I mean, and some product candidates and other ways.

Yeah, that's one part of it.

Um we're you know.

Tell us the line item.

You and I know the line items line item.

001 um 4511, which is the first um account under government in the intergovernmental state.

We budgeted for the 330,000, which we usually bring in every year.

However, as of the six-month period, we've only brought in 109,000, 465.

So the 330 number is for the six months or for the 12 months?

The 330,000 is what we appropriate, excuse me, we budgeted for the entire year.

Oh, for the whole year.

Okay.

Yes, sir.

No, that's not that bad.

We're should be in 160 or something like that.

That's you know.

So I still project around 220,000 coming in.

Okay.

However, that's all I see coming into that account.

Okay.

Is it something we can do?

I I'm not sure we if we're gonna get to uh ask specific questions on something.

I know this is fines, but I'm can I'm uh I'm calling I'm concerned about uh maybe fines from code enforcement and uh and uh the revenue we get coming in from the state on that.

Uh you know, they this year they're allocating a lot more well, some money for us from the state.

So I was just wondering before as you go through, can you get to that as well?

Is that money really for fines or is that money for demolition?

I think the account line that you're speaking on is 001 5580 under other revenues, which is penalty on demo grass.

Now, previously we have received money from the county um towards line for um demolitioning grass cutting.

Which which line was that again?

Um 558 page five five now, yeah.

So we only got four four to two hundred dollars for penalties, yes, sir.

Uh I'm you know, this year the state appropriated 1.7 million dollars to for blighted properties, which we can reimburse.

That's that's actually within a separate fund.

Okay.

So anytime we uh we receive money from the state, um, no matter if it's if it's a house bill or a senate bill, it goes within its own particular and we'll be talking about that later.

Okay, thank you.

I got a question, Mr.

Jackson.

Is the uh parking meters?

Um is that part of the general fund?

Does that money come to the general fund?

Yes, it is.

So where what what line item is that under?

Is that under 4715 phase three seven fifteen?

Phase three 4715, 42 percent marketing meters.

It says we budgeted a hundred thousand, and nothing has come in.

Now that's just I mean, we were supposed to make like a million dollars off parking meters.

When they sold us this program, which I do not like, and I got a problem with because my getting more complaints over parking meters you can stick at, and they're not even in Ward 1.

They were in somebody else's in that downtown.

And if we're not if we're not getting any money, then we need to throw that contract out and start over, and just cost that contract because I thought it was a bad deal to begin with.

That's my opinion on that.

We're gonna save money, that's what we need to go after.

Stupid contracts.

That's where we got where it it penalizes the citizens, they get frustrated with us, and we don't make any money from where is all the money going to.

I don't know of a downtown.

That has free parking.

What's that?

I don't know of a downtown that has free parking.

No, well, I'm but it used to be free because nobody and that was a mistake.

That was a huge mistake.

But the point is the city's supposed to be making money on that.

We should be making money.

We need to call up, you know, the the uh state auditor or somebody to go chase down where all that money's going.

I think it's enforcement.

Peter Tavison, CAO.

The uh the way that contract is written, and it's not fresh on my mind, but I've looked at it.

We can void the contract.

You're a successor government, but the company that put in the parking meters makes its money back first.

That's why we're not making money.

And if we void that contract, we're gonna owe some money on the contract.

So we gotta be prepared to not just exit the contract, but have a successor plan and go to litigation.

Well, I I would uh encourage the administration to really look at that in in depth and review the minutes and because that was sold to us that we were gonna be making like a million dollars a year.

And we're not making anything.

And I I realize the upfront costs are part of that, but still, and and we created lots of headaches for the city council having to take phone calls by people who couldn't figure out how to work the money.

And still and still now, too on that same thing.

We'll ask the city attorney's office to provide a memo to what the options are to exiting the contract, and certainly uh we hear you loud and clear about looking to see if there's another vendor out there to pivot to another vendor.

And yes, we've all heard the same complaints about the uh system.

It's a system that's used around the country, but we gotta be realistic about the folks we're dealing with here in Jackson.

Folks get confused by one-way streets, asking them to text and pay the park.

I understand that you know, asking them it's challenging.

I saw the same thing sitting on the bench.

I had people who came to court late because they couldn't figure out how to pay their parking meter, had jurors who got tickets.

I understand.

So we hear you loud and clear.

I'll ask legal to do a memo on exiting the contract, and I'll give it director Brown and see what other options we may have for other vendors going forward.

Sir, I just want to know when we could look towards making a profit.

I'm not necessarily saying I think we need to do all that because we looked at that profit is probably a couple years down the road.

So we might as well look at what our options are so the council can weigh them as we're going through these budget discussions.

Just like Jackson Ward and eat it up the collection, huh?

Yes, but that's not us either.

That that I think all that's tied to the contract and the vendor.

But again, we'll the council's bringing up good points, administration that's not disagree with any of them.

We'll make sure the right information is provided to you.

Okay.

So on revenue, is there anything that you can think of between now and July that will really generate money for us?

Got a question on that on those funds.

Now, the two two uh three lines down from the parking meters, uh 0014812, municipal and thalamara hall.

We had budgeted uh 156, 156,000.

I guess it was for the full year.

We got zero over here, and we got a hundred and so zero percent.

Now I know Thaiamorrow hall wasn't open for three months of this fiscal year.

Um but the it's open, been open since um uh vice president Harris came here and and um did her book signing, it was sold out, and we've had several sold-out deals.

Uh can somebody bring me up to date of what we expectations for that line item uh as now that it's up and running and operating what I tell you by freezing and looking at we need to answer and we get it Peter Taberson, I don't answer it.

The council ended a different arrangement with visit Jackson and I'm not sure what our income stream is, but we'll look at that and report back to you.

So okay, that's that's a good point of brief.

Glad you might brought that up.

I know we paid out a big chunk of money on the front end when when the mayor got here because he was so focused on getting it open, which I is good, and we got it open.

We but we paid a fair amount of money to the convention center and to visit Jackson to take charge of that operation, but that shouldn't if we if this is supposed to be a zero line now because they're running it, that's one thing, but it's not, it's got a the budget says 156.

So that needs to be based on the reality that we've got with with them running the the convention center.

Councilman Foote, yeah, sir.

The budget was passed September 15th.

The arrangement with visit Jackson was done after that.

No, I think it was done before that.

No, it was done after that.

So at the time the budget was adopted, there was a revenue expectation.

It's one of the things that needs to be adjusted that will be adjusted when we adopt or when you adopt a revised budget before the first July meeting.

But you're correct.

If the agreement now is that they're that visit Jackson and the convention center is getting the income, we will need to adjust that line down.

Right.

Well, I certainly thought that was I remembered it being like in July or August because it was one of the first things that the mayor made a bold statement about, you know, that we're gonna get this up and running.

And he you know went outside the normal thing to turn it over to visit Jackson and all.

But we need to know make sure we understand what the financial arrangement is and make sure that it jives with what we're doing here.

Are we gonna be getting any money from them?

Well, they probably may not know.

I'm sure about that.

We'd have to look back at the agreement.

I don't have that agreement fresh enough on my mind to answer that.

But again, that's a valid question.

We'll get you the answer.

Okay.

I'm looking on the first page.

Looking on the first page concerning uh delinquent uh realty taxes.

Um and we're down 13 percent.

Is that where we're at?

So for 001 4113, yes, um, delinquent on realty taxes.

Majority of this comes on the back end of the fiscal year, so we will not be sure exactly what's going to come in until the end of the year.

Okay.

So anybody got any other ideas how we can raise this one quick.

Oh, I'm gonna start to get to them.

Okay, the over here on this is um all right, page four under admissions fees.

So this is that same category that the parking needs are under, it shows that we've got this pretty significant shortfall.

We were at 23 percent of uh where of the um deal, and then beneath that we've got interest earned on from the bank on our um money in the bank.

And it's got budgeted 368,000.

I think that's what was expected.

We we budgeted for three for budget 379, 953.

We ought to make a whole lot more money than that.

I don't think that's even close to what we ought to make because we went into this agreement in January, January, I believe it was with JP Morgan Chase.

Were they gonna pay us?

I forget what the interest rate was.

You may remember, I don't know, I don't remember the interest.

It was two or three percent, something like that.

And so I was thinking we're gonna make like two million dollars um over the course of the year, and maybe you know, um, or maybe 250,000 a month in interest.

So I think this line is way off.

It shows we only made for the first six months six thousand nine fifteen.

Now, part of that's because the previous administration had not done an agreement with what's that?

It doesn't matter.

We does matter, it does matter because it cost us probably two million dollars because they did not do their job, but now we're doing the job now.

We've got them signed up, and and we should be making about 250,000 a month based on my understanding of the the setup with with uh JP Morgan Chase.

So that's an opportunity to make a lot more money than we've got down there.

Have we received any interest payments from the new contract?

Uh when will we get the first interest payment?

Jillian Caldwell CFO, we have not completed the transition to the new bank.

Um, we're still we just received our account numbers last week, our new account numbers, and so until we get our funds deposited into the new bank, will you see the um interest that'll be collected on these new this new uh relationship?

I also I wanted to mention the budget that was set in 001 4913 was the budget that was adopted in September.

We didn't get the new contract to understand.

Yeah, so my point wasn't that this is wrong.

My point is now that we've got the contract with JP and working chase, and I didn't realize it shouldn't take nine uh 90 days to transfer money over to the next bank.

I I'm sorry, I just we got to do better than that because there's that we can make a lot of money on this.

We can really make about 250,000 a month from the bank that we've not been making anything, and this is a great opportunity to generate revenue that's that um would would surpass what we've got down on our budget.

Thank you.

Do you think we the money will be transferred before um June 1st?

Yes.

Okay, so we'll know May um June May 31st what the first money is, and then we can do a uh projection for of the rest of the year.

Yes, okay.

Okay, thank you.

Thank you.

Before Ms.

Parkinson goes, I think going back to councilman foot and councilwoman, you're right.

Not only can we do a projection for the last three months of the year as the money's move, but we can better anticipate next year because we knew we weren't getting much.

So the real benefit we'll see from the uh move to a different bank will hit us in fiscal the next fiscal year that begins October 1st, and as we rebuild the budget together, this will be one of the lines we've looked at several we may reduce.

This will be one we ought to reasonably be able to increase by a significant amount.

That's right.

Sorry, I guess no problem.

I have a question on item 001521.

Proceeds of long-term, something another.

Um, this is one of the items where the first column, which we were told is the adopted budget, and the third column, which we were told is the revised budget, is different.

So is this because we took action?

What is that anyway?

What is proceeds long term?

So 0015821 proceeds to long-term debt is the revenue equivalent line that we use for whenever we put anything on the master lease.

So in order for us to put anything on the master lease, of course, your expenses and your revenues must equal what happens with this account line is once we purchase the equipment, we bid off the equipment to put it on the lease purchase um lease payment, and this basically sits this account line is sitting there for the money that we uh bring in once we bid out the lease purchase.

We we bring the money, so let's say it's for police cars.

So we purchase it first, okay, and then we bid out to the banks in order to basically get a loan.

Okay, and that's when um it becomes master lease.

And so the fact that it's it in this expected uh but I think so.

This is money, uh help me on this one, Mr.

Jackson.

The two million five seventy two four sixty.

That's money we're getting from the master lease.

Once we budgeted once it but once it budgeted, that's budgeted for the master lease.

That's money coming in, right?

So this is a standstill to in order for us to purchase the equipment, we must have it budgeted on the expense side.

Uh-huh.

And in order in order for us to keep up with what we are actually going to bid out and receive a loan for, we create we created this line to differentiate what we're receiving for the loan and every everything else because we're not purchasing outright.

We're purchasing outright, but we're putting it on the loan.

Wow, okay.

So, what is this number for real?

Abendy.

I mean, in value, what is this number for real?

It's a dynamic.

This is just the placeholder.

Is it have we obligated buying cars for this amount, or is it a placeholder that can go to zero?

So anytime we put anything on a lease purchase, we do come through you all um with an agenda item.

Um, I don't think all of this has been um obligated yet.

So maybe some of it can be brought back.

However, for the most part, I believe some of this money is the um blight equipment that was voted on um during the deliberations.

I'm not saying we don't want it, but I'm just saying, has it been obligated and what is it truly obligated for?

So can we have a little more details on this one item?

Because if it's the blighted equipment, we definitely want it.

But if it's money that we hadn't spent or future costs that somebody's thinking about buying, we may be able to freeze it.

I could put that together for you all and see you what we've um pushes to the next year.

Yeah, yeah.

That's you gonna move on to a different line or is anybody's got other questions for it.

Well, we mentioned it's the vehicle sales.

Is there any line that covers uh the options and stuff like that, or how much before we look any projections on it's in here on a different or different fund?

So when it is auctioned off on page four, you have the line um zero zero one fifty-four twenty-seven, which is sale of fixed assets 5427.

line that covers uh the auctions and stuff like that or how much we look get any projections on it's in here on a different or different fund so when it is auctioned off on page four you have the line um zero zero one fifty four twenty seven which is sale of fixed assets 54 27 27 and that's including the police auction i think that still goes to fund two fund two seizures and forfeitures okay so we're looking at looking at 55000 am I on the right line here you can what she what she should have but they only collect the 2006 that's how well CFO so the the first set of um vehicles and equipment that were brought to you all for it to release in the auction the auction close date is April 14th which is tomorrow okay so um that list of about 40 items that will close tomorrow and we'll be able to see um what sales were made and how much we were able to bring in from that round of vehicles and equipment also um hopefully on this next docket we will present to you um auction items for the fire department that we can get on the next round of auction because I know for a while the last auctioner died who do we have now we have gov deals okay so that's the positive yes that's good because it'll be we went a while without someone replacing Nick and it it opens up the auction nationwide so it's okay yes that's another question okay this is uh my question here is on line zero zero one five five one five uh and it's called indirect cost and it shows appropriation or or um of two million six hundred and eighty thousand two hundred and twenty three dollars of revenue and then it's got year to date received of fifty eight thousand three thirty three now I'm not sure what indirect cost is and this may be another mysterious sort of thing like um like when we just got you talking about the the um uh long term you know the what is the indirect cost indirect cost is basically the um administrative um reimbursement um of a enterprise per se um water sewer sanitation uh so forth and so on so this indirect cost represents the what we an administration placed within the enterprise for example payroll and things of that nature so the 2.68 actually represented landfill sanitation and water sewer however we're not receiving any in the any indirect costs from water sewer anymore so this number really needs to trend down to 3500 because that's what we actually see from landfill sanitation so we need to take that out of a so that would that if we need to do that which let's wouldn't do it I mean I you know the the I mean I and that will be um on the actual agenda item when we adjust the budget okay what he's saying is go ahead and take that out of there so that's that comes off of the deficit I guess that's right yeah it comes off okay if it's not properly reflected then I let's yeah trying to square up the numbers here so do two lines above that is 0015467 that shows union station tenants and they're expecting to get 10200 now I thought the union station was overseen by JRA so I thought the tenant money would go to JRA but so do we reflect money that's supposed to go to JRA how how is it that we're collecting tenant money from a property that JRA is our overseeing they're overseeing it but it is our property oh okay JRA do they have offices down there did they move the uses down there is so they is that is this rent that they're paying us oh okay so we own they don't it's not in their name the the um the union station is not in their name it's in the city's name and they're paying us rent correct for their offices okay thank you so um it looks like question on the union station looks like the behind them rent so do we actually have tenants in that building or is this the true reflection of the amount of rent because that's 90 000 different right there so that's one of the um one another one of the account lines that I will adjust um I I don't see us make I'm bringing in a hundred and two thousand dollars from the tenants at this point um what I would need to look into is the agreement with JRA and us when it comes to union stations see outside of the excuse me the rent that they pay us what else would we hold and what would they actually receive in revenue from union station but I'm so we

Because that's 90,000 different right there.

So that's one of the um one another one of the account lines that I will adjust.

Um I I don't see us make I'm bringing in 102,000 from the tenants at this point.

Um what I would need to look into is the agreement with JRA and us when it comes to union stations see outside of the excuse me, the rent that they pay us, what else would we hold and what would they actually receive in revenue from moving stations?

But I'm not sure.

So we pay so we pay a big chunk of money to JRA for their you know efforts to do whatever they're doing.

But the extent that if they owe us rent, then they need to pay us completely all the rent they owe us, not just 10% of it.

I mean, I'm I will get into um more research to figure out um the agreement, and I will bring that back to you.

Okay, thank you.

When we adjust that 90,000, what does that do to our deficit?

Does it increase it by 90,000?

So that would be included within the um 13 million that we still need to reduce it by?

That's included in it.

Okay.

I have a question.

Uh line 5413 nuclear power plant.

Is that the grand golf money?

Yes, sir.

And we have only received zero.

We haven't received the check yet.

We can see one lump summary.

When do we use in April?

Okay.

So we were sending.

Do we need to get a group of guys together, Greedo and the boys to go get our money for some of these folks?

So that's expected revenue.

It's already in the expected revenue.

So is it anything that's not in expected revenue?

And thank you, Mr.

Pushes.

Um, so just looking at this list, and I'm probably gonna have to duck on my way to the car.

Um a lot of these departments aren't making revenue, a lot of it because of poor customer service.

They don't understand these are part of say the enterprise, but if you can't get somebody on the phone to do a permit, that's business.

That's a problem.

And pardon, yeah, enforcement, um, you know, JPD, and not encouraging the right tickets, but that's revenue.

You know, course services, that's revenue.

Uh planning, when we rent out these community centers, that's revenue, golf course, that's revenue.

The museums, that's revenue, and we need to do not only a better job marketing what we have, but also customer service.

We have to improve customer service.

Time and time again, people have told me I want to do business in Jackson, but I can't get anybody on the phone.

And even with me, here I am a sitting councilman.

When I had to redo my electric panel in my house, I couldn't get nobody on the phone to release my permit.

You know, my electrician had to come back to me to see what I could do.

I couldn't do anything, and that's a huge problem here because these are services that we should be selling, and these are services that a lot of folks say, Well, I go to Madison County and it'd be done just like that.

And if these departments cannot raise the money, then we need to look at you know who can.

And uh I'd like to add one more thing to that, and perhaps um Mr.

Taberson can help out here.

Do we have any problems with the money not getting in it into the city coffers?

Theft yes, yes, we do.

I think anytime Peter Taverson, CAL, I think any time that we ask human beings to handle cash money, we run the risk of shrinkage.

We need to modernize this city so that we're we can cash app each other.

We need to be paying electronically with electronic footnote footprint.

I can't tell you how much shrinkage we have, but there's no question that dealing in cash, we have some loss of revenue.

And if you notice, our golf course is making more money than at any time since I've been associated with the city.

They also went to a cashless system.

And so while I think the golf course in the in the golf course is in a lot better shape.

So you see people out there in defense of the golf course.

Friday they had a tournament and it was packed.

Oh, they got one tomorrow.

My point is though, who had the tournament Friday?

A5.

Thank you.

Yeah, but I understand about the cash in that.

Right.

Yeah.

Yeah.

All those things together.

It wouldn't matter how much we improve the golf course if we were still dealing in cash.

And so we are, I think we made 296,000 last year at the golf course.

We're looking management wise.

Most golf courses are closed on Monday.

We're looking to open on Monday and close on Tuesday.

We'll probably also bring a request to increase our greens fees by whopping $5.

And we think with those changes, the day change, and if you would approve $5, we probably have another $100,000 of revenue we can capture.

Okay.

What about other areas?

I know at the landfill, and I'm not accusing anybody, but at the landfill, there's a there's a cash operation.

There won't be going forward.

We've got the scales in, we've got the software that's being calibrated.

Okay.

We will we will be doing cashless down there.

And so likewise, as long as I'm in the CAOC, everything where we're doing cash, I'm looking to move us, of course, with your approval, because you have to approve it, to some non-cash paying system.

Yes.

It's it's 2026.

Yeah.

And whether we uh want to accept it or now, most people are not dealing in cash anymore.

And certainly from a government standpoint, it doesn't make sense to be a cash operation.

We're not a corner store.

Well, we we see how many you know municipal clerks go to prison around the state.

Yes.

Around the state.

Uh it is hot every single time.

I'm glad the clerk or council, all I dare they don't touch no money.

Um has there been any more thought given to how we go after these fines that are not being collected?

Yes, sir.

The city attorney and I have discussed um we're gonna make an intentional effort to bring to you one or more uh law firms that can collect these debts.

My understanding of state laws, they're capped at 25%.

So it's not in particular uh which firm we use because we're gonna get the same rate regardless of whomever you select, but we need some people who specialize in that.

As I've said, sat on the bench, most of what county court does is collection work.

And there are very aggressive people who come out here and collect very small amounts of money, but when you have the size of money that the city of Jackson has, it adds up and it makes it worthwhile.

Right.

So uh uh that will be two things.

I don't see an impact in revenue this year, right?

But as we look, as we're working through this and look towards next year, we intend to have increased effort to collect the fines from municipal court and increased effort to collect any fines associated with uh code enforcement.

And and just one final thing.

You know, when we catch folks like this, are we taking uh you know straight actions on uh i uh we need to make some examples?

There they're robbing the cities and patting their own pockets.

We really need to cross the messages, and also I appreciate your comment about the uh being modernized concerning these things.

Um you're gonna have my support.

I that's one.

I know that.

Thank you.

And I want to compliment Director Brown, because they deal on some of those things.

She is actively trying to figure out how to improve the permitting process, President Grisell, and she's also actively working to make sure that cash is not being exchanged over there uh implanting and development.

So everywhere where we're doing cash between the CFO and myself and the appropriate department director, we're looking to eliminate that.

I I got a couple questions, other um items here.

The um there's a line item here, two down below the nuclear power plant.

It's uh 0015417 water slash sewer franchise, and it's budgeted for 972,000, and it's got zero money so far.

Is are we supposed to get a water franchise from the Jackson Water?

Is that where that would come from?

Who that account line, that revenue account line is just as the indirect cost that would have to be adjusted um with the transfer as well.

So do we need to just take it out of the budget altogether?

It's going away completely.

Okay.

So the next question is the um Smith Wheels Park.

Is that uh situation with with the general fund, or is that going to Parks and Rent?

Parks and Rec.

So even though they've got this contract with the VA where we ought to be getting some of that money, uh it goes into parks and rec and it's so it's not in the general fund.

So we don't receive anything from that VA contract.

I know that's what we should be receiving.

So we do it's a bad deal for the city of Jackson.

It was a terrible contract we did with them, and it needs to be challenged and thrown out, in my opinion, because that's a lot of money, and we had we forgave 400,000 in debt, which I don't even think was even legal to do.

Um so I I really encourage the administration to look you know closely at the Smith Wills contract, and and because that's that's money we're not getting that we ought to be getting some of.

Thank you.

A question is not my question, but I think it's worth putting out there.

Has the administration and count council colleagues don't want you to think about it too, thought about maybe increasing employee contribution with respect to health insurance, because we take it on a lot.

Peter Taylor, CAO.

Yes, that would be one of the suggestions that um the CFO and I will make to this council.

We pick up 100% on employees, and I will say that the state does the same thing, but then the state pays nothing for the spouse or the family, and we pick up 85%.

Am I about right on that?

For the spouse and family.

Um, and so as we've talked about salaries in the past, you know, we've neglected to talk about that.

We're subsidizing health insurance for families, and those numbers have come into where if you're getting a if you're on a family plan, it's about an $18,000 a year subsidy.

So we are going to request or suggest that the council consider increasing some contribution, if not for the employee his or herself for the plus one or the family plan.

You sure the state doesn't.

That's an expense.

So we should not even be discussing that.

You're right.

I guess you're right.

And I actually responded with that.

I said we are not gonna declare a lot of expenses.

The only thing that I asked at this point, if we've done all of the revenue is I took the question as a potential revenue in the middle of the state.

No, it's no, it's not it's not in this in this hearing is not because we're talking about what we corrected.

But this is my question.

It will bring money in, but a quick question.

Um can we get some type of notation on these uh on these spreadsheets that shows like hey, when there was a million and uh half dollars projected, and uh I know we're we're going we're gonna make a lot of changes when we do actual budget approval.

But if there's something that we could see here or highlight or asterisk or something that says, hey, you know what, this is gonna this is gonna change.

Uh you know, especially for those that uh we're dropping down, you know, one of we're looking at dropping down half a million dollars.

Perhaps that may, you know, some kind of threshold that we can see that hey, we're not talking fully of getting this in.

The other thing, Mr.

Jackson, all these items that we've talked about deleting.

Can we, and you can write draft across, because I know you can't do it because it can't be out there as official, but right draft or stamp draft or something.

Go ahead and eliminate each one of those whole line items.

So we can see, I mean, it it's gonna help us as a council.

I know you don't want to do it, but you can put draft on it or whatever you have to legal.

Just go ahead and take those off.

The items that we have gotten the 100% collection, go ahead and make that 100% of whatever it is, okay?

So when we get together next week, we will have in hand what's actually funds.

Go ahead and add the money from the auction to that line.

Any money that has come in, go ahead and add because every month we get a county.

If when you do the interest, go ahead and tell how much money you transfer, what the interest proposed will be that we'll receive and go ahead and multiply it out.

So we'll have all real numbers that we're working with.

So whether it's 112 for real, 112 million or whatever the number is, we'll be working with that number.

And then when we look at expenses, and you can go ahead and take anything that is deficit more than 30% and put them on a list and and type the list of names.

Don't just give us the form.

Just have these categories or this amount.

This this that way it'll be easy for us to work with.

Then when we get ready to do expenses, we all will be able to see who's making money in the city, what's not making money, and what is truly a necessity for the city to operate, and what will increase our city popular uh revenues.

What people are interested in, and then we can work through, and our final thing will be doing our budget.

I got a question, one more question.

Yes, sir.

On the revenue side, we're still talking about revenue, right?

Yes, sir.

Okay.

Um the modernization tax, which is the internet sales tax.

Does that go directly to public works, or is that show up in the general fund?

So that is um that is its own separate special fund.

It's a special fund, okay.

All right, so it's it does not show up in this general fund.

Okay, and one thing we're gonna do with that.

I had city attorney Drew Martin to send us exactly what it can be used for, how it can be used, et cetera.

But we will not discuss that till we get finished with our budget, and once we do that, we'll know what kind of money we have, and there are other monies in the city and grants, et cetera, that we can work with and see what's what.

Madam Chair, I know that you know we're trying to move this process along, but some of us may come back with some more questions as we oh, yeah.

That's what I want you to do.

That is the end here on revenue X number, but to have revenue and look at it and come back.

And when we open our next meeting, we're gonna have any follow-up questions from revenue before we start expenses, and we will have gotten that information before the meeting, so we won't be fumbling up here looking at it, and we're gonna start doing exhibit numbers.

So we all will be on the same page.

But I think this meeting has been very productive, and I think going forward, we all gonna work together.

At least we all know what's in the general class.

It's productive and well paced.

So I appreciate that.

May I have one more comment as as we prepare to um adjourn for the day.

I mentioned the the decisions made in 2023.

There's one other decision that was made around that time that impacted the city.

Um, and that was when the water sewer building was transferred to Jackson Water.

And so I understand from the three of you who were here, you had about 48 hours to make some decisions.

Nobody could have properly projected the effect of losing water sewer billing, how that would have affected the general fund because indirect costs and other things from the water sewer building building flowed back into the city.

And so, you know, all of us who are frustrated, uh pre-med majors, we remember from science you change one variable at a time.

In 2023, we had increases, switched from comp time to overtime, loss of water uh sewer building.

We have several things coming on at once, and that kind of created the perfect storm that we now find ourselves in.

But again, I want to thank you.

This is what I envisioned when I said it was going to take a series of meetings for us to figure this out, and I want to thank the council for continue to be positive and working with us and giving us the opportunity to keep providing you the information you need so you can feel confident as you um adjust the 26 budget and plan for 27 that we are doing what we're supposed to do.

And so the public will have confidence that we're making informed decisions collaboratively and collectively.

Any other comments or anything?

Well, I've got one uh request to Miss Calwell, and that is if if and Mr.

Jackson, if they could there's debt out there that we have to serve and service the debt, and there's general obligation bonds, and then there's bonds that like um JRA's got debt.

The the if you could give us a breakdown on an up-to-date breakdown on how many millions are owed by the JRA, how many of the city, where we and the particularly the the bonds where it's where the payments are coming out of the the general fund, so we can we can have a uh try to get our arms around that.

We asked for the yeah, and we also asked for all fixed expenditures, remember?

And so we need those fixed expenditures in addition, because those are things that we cannot change as a council.

I mean, we can change, we cannot pay it, but we cannot change the amount that's due, et cetera.

And that's gonna help us when we put those things on a category to know what's available to us to work with.

So I thank you guys, and this meeting is adjourned.