[1. Opening Items]
[00:00:03]
GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE, IT'S 6:30 ON JANUARY 18TH.
LIKE THE CALL TO ORDER THE WORK SESSION WE'RE HAVING WITH THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS, HAVING TO WORK THE BUDGETARY WORK SESSION WITH THE CAROLINE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, DO I HEAR A MOTION TO GO IN THE OPEN SESSION? AND WE'LL BE GOING UP SESSION.
SESSION GOING INTO OPEN SESSION BY MR. BARTON.
ALL RIGHT. GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE.
LET'S JUST START WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE FOR EVERYBODY TO STAND.
TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
THANK YOU. BOARD MEMBERS, LIKE WE SAID, THIS IS A SPECIAL WORK SESSION WITH COMMISSIONERS TO HAVE A BUDGETARY DEVELOPMENT DISCUSSIONS.
THEY HAVE A LIMITED AGENDA IN FRONT OF US.
DO WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE THE AGENDA, AS PRESENTED? SO MOVE. [INAUDIBLE] BY MR. DIGIACOMO.
SECOND BY MR. BARTON. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. ALL RIGHT, THANK YOU. SO WE'RE MOVING INTO THE BUDGET DEVELOPMENT, LIKE I SAID WITH
[2. Discussion Items]
THE COMMISSIONERS CONVERSATION, AND I HAND IT OVER TO MS. THORNTON AND DR.SIMMONS HERE SHORTLY. BUT I JUST WANT TO PUBLICLY SAY TO THIS SET OF COMMISSIONERS, THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT AND THE DIALOGUE THROUGH THE YEARS, INCLUDING THIS YEAR.
AND THEN IT'S GOING TO BE SOME CHANGES IN THE COMING ELECTION.
AND I HOPE THE NEXT ELECTED COMMISSIONERS ARE AS ENGAGING WITH THE BOARD SYSTEM, BOARD AND THE STAFF AND THE ADMINISTRATION IN FUTURE YEARS.
THAT BEING SAID, I MEAN, WE GOT SOME NEW FACES HERE TOO, AND I JUST, FOR OUR WHOLE BENEFITS, GO AROUND THE ROOM AND DO INTRODUCTIONS.
JIM NEWCOMB. I'VE BEEN HERE FOR A FEW YEARS, BUT THIS WILL, I GUESS, BE MY LAST BUDGETARY DISCUSSION SESSION AS WELL.
THORNTON DIGIACOMO MEMBER BOARD [INAUDIBLE].
MICHELE WAYMAN, MEMBER OF THE BOARD OF ED.
LARRY PORTER, PRESIDENT CAROLINE COUNTY COMMISSIONER.
[INAUDIBLE] CAROLINE COUNTY COMMISSIONER.
DAN FRANKLIN, VICE PRESIDENT, CAROLINE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS.
JEREMY GOLDMAN, COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
DANIEL FOX, DIRECTOR OF FINANCE.
DEREK SIMMONS, INTERIM SUPERINTENDENT.
RICK BARTON, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE BOARD.
AND I USED TO BE SITTING UP ON THAT SIDE OF THE TABLE A LONG TIME AGO.
WE HAVE SOME GUESTS IN THE BACK AND [INAUDIBLE].
BEING HERE. DR. SIMMONS TAKE US AWAY.
CERTAINLY, WE THANK EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE THIS EVENING AND WELCOME TO A CONVERSATION AROUND OUR BUDGET DEVELOPMENT BOARDS AWARE AND COMMISSIONERS, YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH THIS BEFORE, WHERE WE'RE AT IN OUR BUDGET DEVELOPMENT SO THE SUPERINTENDENT BUDGET, I'VE BEEN WORKING MY BUDGET TEAM WITH OUR BEST KIND OF PICTURE OF WHAT WE'RE SEEING IN TERMS OF INCREASES FOR COST OF DOING BUSINESS.
IT'S ALL THINGS REMAIN THE SAME AS WELL AS LOOKING AT ANY POTENTIAL ADDITIONS THAT WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT GOING INTO NEXT YEAR.
AND I'LL BE PRESENTING IT TO THE BOARD OF EDUCATION FEBRUARY BOARD MEETING AT THAT POINT.
IT MOVES TO BECOME THEIR BUDGET TO FINISH IT UP THROUGH THE PROCESS, THEN COMES TO YOU ALL IN THE MONTH OF JUNE FOR YOUR APPROVAL, AND ERIN IS GOING TO WALK YOU ALL THROUGH THE BUDGET DOCUMENTS IN FRONT OF YOU.
EXPLAIN SORT OF THE LOOK FOR THIS YEAR AND SOME THINGS THAT ARE NOT THERE YET, WHY THEY'RE NOT THERE YET, AND THEN WALK THROUGH SORT OF WHAT OUR CONVERSATION LINES LOOK LIKE RIGHT NOW, UNDERSTANDING THAT, OF COURSE, WE APPRECIATE THE FAITH THE COMMISSIONERS HAVE GIVEN US OVER THE YEARS WITH THE BUDGET PROCESS AND TRUSTING US TO DO IT WHEN YOU DO THE TO MOVE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM FORWARD.
GOOD EVENING COMMISSIONER MEMBERS OF THE BOARD.
I'M GOING TO BRIEFLY WALK YOU THROUGH THIS BUDGET SUMMARY AS IT STANDS NOW AND FEEL FREE TO STOP ME AT ANY TIME IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR NEED ME TO ELABORATE ON A CERTAIN LINE ITEM. THIS IS THE SECOND VERSION OF THIS DOCUMENT, AND IT WILL CHANGE SEVERAL TIMES BEFORE THE FINAL BUDGET APPROVAL IN JUNE.
AND WHAT EXACTLY ARE YOU LOOKING AT? THIS IS A ONE PAGE SNAPSHOT THAT SHOWS WHAT IS DIFFERENT IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET VERSUS THE
[00:05:03]
CURRENT BUDGET. IT ASSUMES EVERYTHING IN THE CURRENT BUDGET IS FUNDED UNLESS IT APPEARS ON HERE AS A REDUCTION.NOW, THE FIRST THING YOU'LL NOTICE IS THAT THERE AREN'T ANY REVENUE LINE ITEMS RIGHT NOW.
THIS IS BECAUSE WE STILL DON'T KNOW WHAT THE REVENUE PICTURE LOOKS LIKE.
TODAY WE STILL HAVE NOT RECEIVED THE STATE FUNDING FORMULA.
WE'RE STILL WAITING. THEY SHOULD ARRIVE ANY DAY NOW, AND THERE'S STILL TOO MANY UNKNOWNS WITH THE NEW BLUEPRINT LEGISLATION IT'S UNABLE TO PREDICT.
IN YEARS PAST, WE'VE TAKEN A STAB AT PREDICTING WHAT WE BELIEVE THE REVENUE PICTURE WILL LOOK LIKE, BUT THIS YEAR THERE'S JUST TOO MANY UNKNOWNS.
ALSO, UNKNOWN IS, AS YOU KNOW, MOST OF OUR FUNDING FORMULAS HAVE AN ENROLLMENT COMPONENT AND THEY'RE DRIVEN BY ENROLLMENT AND OUR ENROLLMENT IS DOWN COMPARED TO PRE-PANDEMIC ENROLLMENT BY APPROXIMATELY TWO HUNDRED STUDENTS.
SO. WE ARE WAITING TO HEAR IF THE LEGISLATURE IS GOING TO DO A ONE TIME HOLD HARMLESS ALLOCATION SO THAT OUR REVENUE DOES NOT DROP DUE TO THIS DROP IN ENROLLMENT.
AND ALSO, THIS IS THE BLUEPRINT FUNDING THAT IS GOING TO BE COMING IN AS IN BUCKETS THAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE SPENT IN CERTAIN AREAS, WHETHER IT BE EARLY CHILDHOOD OR CAREER AND COLLEGE READINESS.
ALSO, TEACHER SALARIES AS A BIG TICKET LINE ITEM WHERE THIS MONEY IS GOING TO BE SPENT, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY BE SPENT FOR OUR UNRESTRICTED OPERATING BUDGET.
AND IF I COULD JUST INTERJECT SOMETHING REALLY TINY.
PROBABLY EVERYBODY HERE KNOWS WHAT YOU MEAN WHEN YOU SAY BLUEPRINT, BUT PEOPLE WHO WATCH IT AT HOME MIGHT SAY WHAT BLUEPRINT? IF YOU DON'T MIND JUST DESCRIBING BRIEFLY WHAT THAT IS.
SURE, THAT'S THE THE GENERAL PUBLIC THAT'S LISTENING AT HOME MIGHT REMEMBER THE WORD [INAUDIBLE], THE [INAUDIBLE] COMMISSION, WHICH WAS TASKED WITH TAKING FUNDING FOR EDUCATION TO NEW LEVELS, AND THEY SEVERAL YEARS AGO STARTED A COMMISSION TO LOOK INTO THIS. AND THE LEGISLATION WAS INTRODUCED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
BUT THEN IT WAS VETOED AND THEN OVERRIDDEN.
AND SO NOW THE FUNDING FORMULAS HAVE FINALLY COME INTO PLAY AND THE COMMISSION HAS LOOKED AT WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO GET THE STATE OF MARYLAND TO HIGHER LEVELS, AND IT'S THEY'VE TARGETED EARLY CHILDHOOD, COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS AND THOSE SORT OF THINGS.
NOW I'LL FINISH WALKING YOU THROUGH THE BUDGET SUMMARY.
THE FIRST PART IS OUR PROPOSED REDUCTIONS.
WE ARE TAKING A LOOK AT OUR CURRENT BUDGET TO SEE WHERE WE CAN REALIGN AND ELIMINATE SOME POSITIONS. NOW THIS IS THE PLAN IS TO HANDLE THIS THROUGH ATTRITION.
WE HAVE A VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM, SO THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE TAKING ADVANTAGE OF VOLUNTARY RETIREMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAM HAD TO NOTIFY US BY JANUARY 15TH.
SO WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT THOSE POSITIONS AND SEE IF WE CAN REALIGN OR REDUCE OR ELIMINATE SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS.
THE NEXT SECTION IS OUR COST OF DOING BUSINESS.
THESE ARE ITEMS WHERE WE HAVE NO CHOICE.
IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE SAME LEVEL OF SERVICES THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO INCREASE THE BUDGET TO ACCOUNT FOR ALL OF THESE INCREASES.
I JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON THE MAIN ONES, WHICH WOULD BE MEETING MINIMUM WAGE AS OF JANUARY 1ST OF 2023, MINIMUM WAGE WILL INCREASE TO THIRTEEN DOLLARS AND TWENTY FIVE CENTS.
WE CURRENTLY HAVE DAILY SUBS, NON-DEGREE SUBS THAT DO NOT CURRENTLY MAKE THIS MINIMUM WAGE RATE. WE ALSO HAVE SOME EMPLOYEES ON OUR SUPPORT SERVICES LINK A THAT DO NOT MAKE MINIMUM WAGE, SO THAT ACCOUNTS FOR OVER TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND JUST TO BRING US IN LINE TO KEEP UP WITH THE MINIMUM WAGE REQUIREMENT.
THE NEXT BIG TICKET LINE ITEM THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW IS OUR HEALTH INSURANCE RATE INCREASE. THIS IS DRIVEN BY MEDICAL AND DRUG UTILIZATION.
AND RIGHT NOW, OUR CONSULTANTS ARE PROJECTING A 10 PERCENT INCREASE, WHICH ACCOUNTS TO NINE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
AND THAT IS JUST TO KEEP THE CURRENT HEALTH INSURANCE WHERE IT IS.
THEY'RE LOOKING AT DOWN THE ROAD, POSSIBLY DOING SOME THINGS BEHIND THE SCENES TO GET THIS RATE DOWN. BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT 10 PERCENT.
MOVING ALONG TO THE AUDITIONS, THE HIGHEST PRIORITY LISTED AS NUMBER ITS NUMBER 16 ON THE
[00:10:01]
LIST, BUT IS SALARY ENHANCEMENTS FOR ALL EMPLOYEES.THE TWO MILLION DOLLAR FIGURE THAT YOU SEE IS MERELY A PLACEHOLDER.
THIS IS SUBJECT TO NEGOTIATIONS, SO THIS AMOUNT REALLY DOESN'T.
IT'S JUST A PLACEHOLDER CURRENTLY KNOWING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO SOMETHING BECAUSE IN ORDER TO BE IN LINE WITH THE BLUEPRINT LEGISLATION WHICH JUST PASSED, WE HAVE TO GET THE MINIMUM TEACHER SALARY UP TO 60,000 DOLLARS.
CURRENTLY, OUR STARTING SALARY FOR TEACHERS IS FORTY EIGHT THOUSAND FOUR HUNDRED FIFTY FIVE DOLLARS, SO WE HAVE UNTIL JULY 1,2026 TO MEET THIS REQUIREMENT.
WE ALSO HAVE TO DEMONSTRATE THE TEACHERS RECEIVE THE 10 PERCENT SALARY INCREASE ABOVE THE NEGOTIATING SCHEDULE BETWEEN THE PERIOD OF JULY 1, 2019 AND JUNE 30, 2024.
STILL TO BE DETERMINED IS HOW WE ACCOUNT FOR THIS 10 PERCENT.
WE'VE HAD SEVERAL MEETINGS WITH DEPARTMENT OF LEGISLATIVE SERVICES AND THE CFOS TO DETERMINE HOW YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO CALCULATE THIS 10 PERCENT FOR US.
IT'S BEEN RELAYED TO US THAT PROBABLY STEPS DON'T COUNT TOWARDS THE 10 PERCENT.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING FOR COST OF LIVING INCREASES, AND OUR COST OF LIVING INCREASES FOR THIS TIME PERIOD SO FAR HAVE BEEN FOUR PERCENT.
SO WE'VE STILL GOT A LONG WAY TO GO TO GET TO THE 10 PERCENT FIGURE THAT WE'RE REQUIRED BY LAW IS THAT.
HAVE YOU GOTTEN SO FROM A WEEK AGO? YOU MENTIONED THAT TO US AND SINCE THAT WAS A DISCUSSION AND STILL IN DISCUSSION.
IT'S STILL IN DISCUSSION. WE'RE STILL WAITING TO GET THE FINAL.
AND SOMEBODY AT THE STATE SAYING STEPS DON'T COST TOWARDS A RAISE OR THAT 10 PERCENT.
THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE SAYING NOW.
WE'RE PUSHING BACK SAYING THAT THEY DO COUNT BECAUSE.
THAT WAS IN OUR INTERPRETATION WHEN WE STARTED THIS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, WE STARTED TRYING TO. YOU KNOW, GET CLOSER, SO IT WASN'T A 10 PERCENT JUMP IN ONE YEAR BECAUSE IN MY MIND PERSONALLY, THERE WERE YEARS WHERE WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE STEPS WHERE WE DIDN'T GET STEPS. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT TO SEE IF THOSE ARE LOOKING AT IT AS THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY A GUARANTEE.
RIGHT. BECAUSE THERE HAVE BEEN YEARS WHERE YOU'VE GOT A [INAUDIBLE] TWO PERCENT [INAUDIBLE].
THERE HAVE BEEN [INAUDIBLE]. AND THEN ALSO SOME SCHOOL SYSTEMS TO GET TO THE SIXTY THOUSAND MINIMUM TEACHER SALARY ARE COLLAPSING THEIR SCALE.
SO IF YOU'RE COLLAPSING YOUR SCALE AND GETTING RID OF STEPS ONE THROUGH FIVE, THEN HOW THAT SHOULD COUNT TOWARDS THE 10 PERCENT BECAUSE YOU'RE INCREASING.
SO IT'S STILL IT'S A TOPIC OF CONVERSATION.
THAT'S A HOT TOPIC OF CONVERSATION AND STILL NO ANSWERS.
AND JUST SO THE COMMISSIONERS AND ANYBODY LISTENING LET KNOW WE MENTIONED THIS LAST WEEK.
BUT SO IF YOU DON'T COUNT STEPS OR FOUR OUT OF 10 PERCENT, IF YOU DO COUNT STEPS, WHICH WAS THE THOUGHT PROCESS WE'VE BEEN UNDER THE LAST YEAR OR TWO, WHERE ARE WE? THAT WOULD GET US CLOSE AROUND THE EIGHT PERCENT? WELL, EIGHT PERCENT. ALMOST DOUBLED.
SO WE WERE TRYING TO STRATEGICALLY PACE OURSELVES TO GET TO WHERE WE THE GOAL LINE WAS.
AND WE'RE ABOUT A YEAR OR TWO AWAY.
RIGHT [INAUDIBLE] WE CAN COUNT STEPS, WE'RE RIGHT ON TRACK NOW.
WE STILL HAVE TO GET TO THE SIXTY THOUSAND.
ABOUT APPROXIMATELY BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S A FLUID NUMBER.
HOW MANY TEACHERS WOULD THIS APPLY TO THAT WE HAVE TO MOVE UP TO SIXTY THOUSAND? SO AND I KNOW IT'S IN AN APPROXIMATE NUMBER, SO THE CAREER LADDER HAS COME INTO PLAY JULY 1, 2024.
SO ANY NEW TEACHER HIRED BEGINNING JULY 1, 2024 HAS TO COME IN AT SIXTY THOUSAND.
OK, THE TEACHERS THAT ARE ON THE CURRENT SCALE HAVE THE CHOICE IF THEY WANT TO GO TO THE CAREER LADDER SCALE OR IF THEY WANT TO STAY ON THE SCALE THEY'RE CURRENTLY ON.
BUT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO THE LANGUAGES INCENTIVIZE THEM TO SWITCH TO THE CAREER LADDER SCALE. SO THE THOUGHT PROCESS IS THAT ALL TEACHERS.
HOW DO YOU INCENTIVE? THAT'S THE LINE OF INCENTIVIZE.
THAT'LL BE AN INTERESTING ONE FOR US TO WRESTLE WITH IN A COUPLE OF YEARS AS WE COME ALONG. BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, HOW DO YOU INCENTIVIZE? AND THE BURDEN THAT THIS WILL PLACE ON OUR LOCAL BUDGET TO GET ALL THERE? AND ONE THING FOR THE COMMISSIONERS TO MIGHT BE INTERESTED IN.
THE BLUEPRINT DEFINES TEACHERS DIFFERENTLY THAN CAROLINE COUNTY DEFINES TEACHERS AND PROBABLY DIFFERENT THAN MOST DEFINED TEACHERS.
WE DEFINE TEACHERS. ANYBODY WHO'S GOING TO TEACHER CONTRACT.
BLUEPRINT DEFINES TEACHERS AS IN ESSENCE.
EASIEST WAY IS THOSE WHO ARE CLASSROOM BASED TEACHERS.
SO LIKE OUR SCHOOL COUNSELORS ARE ON TEACHER CONTRACT, THEY'RE NOT TEACHERS BY BLUEPRINT
[00:15:05]
STANDARDS. THE MONEY COMING THROUGH BLUEPRINT DOESN'T GO TOWARDS SALARY ENHANCEMENTS FOR PEOPLE IN TEACHER CONTRACTS WHO ARE NOT TEACHERS.THAT HAVE TO BE PICKED UP BY LOCAL.
SO WHEN YOU HAVE THOSE KINDS OF POSITIONS, TEACHER SPECIALISTS, IF NOT A CLASSROOM TEACHER, WE'VE GOT TO PICK UP THE BALANCE ON THOSE.
SO IT'S WHO KNOWS IF THEY'LL FIX IT.
RIGHT. WE'VE BEEN TOLD DON'T ANTICIPATE A FIX THIS YEAR.
WHO KNOWS IF THEY'LL FIX THAT COMPONENT WHEN IT COMES ALONG, BUT THOSE ARE PIECES THAT'S GOING TO IMPACT OUR BUDGET, NOT THIS YEAR, BUT IN COMING YEARS THAT WE'LL NEED TO CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THIS FUTURE PLANNING AND MOVING THESE TEACHERS TO SIXTY THOUSAND IS PART OF THE BLUEPRINT. YES, SIR.
YES. I CALL BLUEPRINT FOR DISASTER.
I KNOW THEY CALL IT A BLUEPRINT FOR EXCELLENCE.
SO THAT IS PART OF THE BLUEPRINT FOR THOSE MOVES TO BE MADE.
SO ESPECIALLY WITH [INAUDIBLE] SPEECH PATHOLOGIST.
SO JUST SO I'M STRAIGHT EVERYBODY THAT THE BLUEPRINT CONSIDERS A TEACHER IS GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE A MINIMUM OF SIXTY THOUSAND.
BEGINNING OF JULY 1, 2026 IS WHEN.
2024 WHEN WE GOT TO CLOSE TO 10 PERCENT.
SO [INAUDIBLE] EARLIER, SO THE LATTER COMES INTO PLAY OF 2024 BUT WE DON'T HAVE TO GET TO THE SIXTY THOUSAND.
[INAUDIBLE]. SO IS THERE ALSO A POTENTIAL THEN? A NEW TEACHER IS MAKING MORE THAN A TEACHERS THAT'S ALREADY IN THE SYSTEM.
YEAH, THAT WILL BE SUBJECT TO THE NEGOTIATION PROCESS.
BUT YES, YOU KNOW HOW THAT NEGOTIATION IS GOING TO GO.
YEAH. BUT I MEAN, YES, THE ONE THING WE ALL TOTALLY AGREE ON IS THAT THE BLUEPRINT IS LOONEY TUNES. IT'S JUST IT'S NOT [INAUDIBLE].
YOU CAN'T ATTAIN IT. YOU JUST I MEAN, WE WE FACED THIS WHEN WE WENT TO THE LIVING WAGE, AND I THINK WE CALL IT A COMPRESSION BECAUSE IN THE BOTTOM SCALE LIKE TO MAKE AS MUCH OR MORE MONEY THAN PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN THERE 10 YEARS, 15 YEARS, SOME OF THEM 20 YEARS.
THE OTHER PROBLEM IS ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE LEFT OUT.
YEAH. YEAH. THERE'S NO OUTSIDE MONEY [INAUDIBLE].
THE SUPPORT POSITIONS. I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY PERCENT, YOU KNOW, LIKE A PERCENTAGE, HOW MANY PERCENTAGE FALL UNDER THE BLUEPRINT AND HOW MANY DON'T.
AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN, THIS ONE GROUP IS GETTING, YOU KNOW, FORTY EIGHT THOUSAND PAYCHECKS, NOW SIXTY THOUSAND PAYCHECKS, WHEREAS THE FOURTEEN DOLLAR AN HOUR PERSON THAT'S EXCLUDED, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO BE MAKING EIGHTEEN OR TWENTY DOLLARS AN HOUR.
IT'S STILL, YOU KNOW, IT'S STILL WORKING THROUGH THIS [INAUDIBLE].
IT HAS HAS A BIG POTENTIAL, IF NOT PLANNED, TRULY WIDEN THE GAP MORE.
SO HOW DOES THAT AFFECT THE PENSION? WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COUGH UP MORE MONEY.
SO IF YOU INCREASE THE TWELVE THOUSAND DOLLARS EACH EMPLOYEE .AND.
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO, I ASSUME YOUR BENEFITS ARE POINT SIX, FIVE, POINT SIX, SEVEN, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
UH HUH. WE ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE NORMAL COST OF A PENSION, WHICH WILL BE ON THE INCREASE [INAUDIBLE] PERCENTAGE.
YES. I BELIEVE NEXT YEAR THE PERCENTAGES FIVE POINT ONE, TWO PERCENT.
SO, YES, IN ADDITION TO THESE INCREASES, WE ALSO HAVE TO COME UP WITH THE ADDITIONAL PENSION EXPENSE, SOCIAL SECURITY EXPENSE.
WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR HALF THE PENSION.
YEAH. SO I WAS TRYING TO GET TO THE REAL NUMBER.
SO THE REAL NUMBER IS IS THAT IN ORDER TO ADD $12000 FOR THOSE STARTING EMPLOYEES, THE ACTUAL BUDGETARY IMPACT IS CLOSER TO EIGHTEEN THOUSAND DOLLARS.
YES. OKAY. AND WHAT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY BEEN A MILLION AND A HALF TOWARDS THE PENSION? FOR TEACHER PENSION? IT'S JUST NORTH OF ONE POINT THREE MILLION.
SO WE'RE IN THE BALLPARK, BUT NOT SO WE SHOULD PROBABLY LOOK FOR THAT TO BE.
[00:20:02]
A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND. YEAH, THAT'S PROBABLY GOING TO TAKE A.OH, GOD. SUBSTANTIAL, PROBABLY ALMOST 20 PERCENT, [INAUDIBLE] QUARTER MILLION WHICH EQUALS A PENNY ON THE TAX ROLLS.
WE DON'T TALK ABOUT THE TAX [INAUDIBLE].
ERIN, YOU WANT TO? OH, YEAH. SO THE SALARY ENHANCEMENT FOR ALL EMPLOYEES IS OUR NUMBER ONE PRIORITY.
I'M JUST TRYING TO BE BRIEF, SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO LOOK DOWN THE LIST OF THE OTHERS, THEY'RE PRETTY SELF-EXPLANATORY.
I JUST WANT TO TOUCH ON LINE NUMBER TWENTY NINE.
THIS HAS BEEN A HOT TOPIC RECENTLY AT OUR PUBLIC COMMENT, WHICH I'M SURE YOU'VE SEEN AT BOARD MEETINGS. THERE ARE REQUESTS OUT THERE FOR OUR SIX POINT SEVENTY FIVE OUR EMPLOYEES TO GO TO SEVEN HOURS SO THAT THEY CAN GET FULL TIME BENEFITS.
AND THIS IS A SUBSTANTIAL COST BECAUSE IT'S CLOSE TO A HUNDRED AND FIFTY EMPLOYEES IN THIS GROUP. AND WHAT'S DRIVING THIS COST IS NOT NECESSARILY THE SALARY, THE ADDITIONAL 15 MINUTES OF THE DAY, IT'S THE BENEFITS, THE HEALTH INSURANCE BENEFITS.
BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO ASSUME THAT THIS IS NOT A WORST CASE SCENARIO FOR HEALTH INSURANCE.
[INAUDIBLE] BEST CASE SCENARIO, I HAD TO COME UP WITH A NUMBER SOMETHING IN THE MIDDLE AND THIS IS MY BEST GUESS AS.
SO OUR BOTTOM LINE, IF WE JUST IMPLEMENT COST OF DOING BUSINESS IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN OUR SAME LEVEL OF SERVICES AS WELL AS ADDITIONS WHICH WE'VE [INAUDIBLE] DOWN FROM, WE GOT QUITE A BIT OF REQUEST AND WE [INAUDIBLE] IT DOWN.
SO WHAT WE FEEL IS A SMALL ENOUGH NUMBER TRYING TO BE FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE, AND WE'RE GOING TO NEED FIVE POINT TWO OR CLOSER TO FIVE POINT THREE MILLION DOLLARS JUST TO IMPLEMENT WHAT IS ON THIS LIST.
AND AS WE SHARED WITHOUT KNOWING ANY REVENUE NUMBERS MAKES IT A CHALLENGE.
WE'RE NOT DONE THE BUDGETARY PROCESS, AS ERIN SAID.
WE'RE CONTINUING TO LOOK AT POSITIONS.
ABOUT 80 PERCENT OF OUR BUDGET IS STAFFING.
WE NEED TO TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT IT.
WE SHOULD BE FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE TO DO THAT ON A REGULAR BASIS.
WE'VE SEEN DECLINING ENROLLMENTS.
WE'LL LOOK AT BIRTH RATES AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS AND LOOK AT TRENDS TO KNOW IF WE NEED TO MAKE ANY, ANY SHIFTS AND STAFFING, ACCORDING TO THAT, TO STILL BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A LEVEL OF SERVICE THAT WE DO FOR ALL OF OUR KIDS.
WE'LL CONTINUE TO KIND OF SHARPEN THE PENCIL AND LOOK AT THOSE THINGS AS THE REVENUE NUMBERS COME OUT. WE'RE ANXIOUSLY AWAITING THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET DROP TOMORROW.
IT'LL TAKE MULTIPLE DAYS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT'S ALL IN IT.
WE'RE ALSO MAYBE SOMETHING IN THERE RELATED TO SOME SUPPORT FOR SCHOOL SYSTEMS, WITH DECLINING ENROLLMENT REFERRED TO ANTICIPATE THAT THAT COULD BE THERE.
SO AGAIN, WE'LL BE LOOKING TO SEE IF THAT'S THERE TO HELP US TO OFFSET THOSE COSTS, AND WE'LL DO EVERYTHING WE CAN ON OUR END TO KEEP THE BUDGET AS AS AS MINIMAL FOR INCREASES AS POSSIBLE AND UNDERSTANDING THE POSITION THE COMMISSIONERS ARE IN TO TRY NOT TO.
OBVIOUSLY, WE WOULDN'T WANT THEM OVER WITH MORE THAN THIS EFFORT AT THIS TIME.
DON'T FORESEE GOING ANY HIGHER THAN THAT, OF COURSE, AND WE'LL OPERATE WITH THEM WHERE WE CAN RIGHT NOW.
IT'S JUST TOO HARD TO KNOW THE REVENUE NUMBERS AT THIS POINT WHERE WE ARE IN THE GAME WITH ALL THE CHANGES THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE.
[INAUDIBLE] YEAH, THE DECLINING ENROLLMENT.
IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT'S A COVID INDUCED DECLINE PRE-COVID ENROLLMENT WASN'T IT? MR. BARTON, I WOULD SAY IT'S FAIR TO FAIR TO SAY THAT OUR ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS THAT WE WERE DOING THROUGH OUR INTERNAL OFFICE PLUS EXTERNAL OFFICE WITH [INAUDIBLE] ARE HELPING CONTINUE TO SHOW ABOUT A ONE PERCENT GROWTH ACROSS THE SCHOOL SYSTEM FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS. ONE OR TWO PERCENT SEEM TO BE PRETTY STEADY, AND THE PANDEMIC HAS REALLY HIT.
I MEAN IT HAS THE TWO SCHOOLS THAT CONTINUE TO SEE GROWTH THE MOST ARE NORTH CAROLINA HIGH SCHOOL AND GREENSBORO ELEMENTARY.
LOCKERMAN GOT A LITTLE BIT OF A BUBBLE WITH A HIGH 8TH GRADE CLASS, ACCORDING TO OUR PROJECTIONS. THAT SHOULD START COMING DOWN, BUT THOSE KIDS ARE GOING TO BE MOVING UP TO THE NORTH HIGH.
NORTH HIGH IS LIKELY GOING TO BE GOING TO BE HITTING OVER 1300 KIDS WITHIN THE NEXT TWO YEARS, WHICH IS VERY LARGE FOR NORTH HIGH.
THE BUILDING CAN HOLD IT, BUT THAT'S THAT'S UPPER END, AND THE COMMISSIONERS OBVIOUSLY ARE VERY WELL AWARE AS WELL AS YOU GUYS ARE FOR GROWTH PATTERNS ARE IN THE COUNTY.
[00:25:01]
SOUTHERN IN SCHOOLS ARE NOT PROJECTING TO HAVE ANY BOOMING GROWTH THERE.THEY'RE PROJECTING TO BE RELATIVELY FLAT, REMAINING RELATIVELY FLAT.
RIDGELY IS NOT PROJECTING TO HAVE BOOMING GROWTH.
DENTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IS NOT PROJECTING TO HAVE BOOMING GROWTH.
DENTON ACTUALLY HAS SEEN A DECLINE IN ENROLLMENT THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.
AND AGAIN, WE SAW MORE OF A DECLINE IN OUR ELEMENTARY AGE KIDS WITH PANDEMIC.
WE WERE HOPEFUL WE WOULD SEE A RETURN TO SCHOOL THIS YEAR WHEN WE CAME BACK IN.
AND IN-PERSON COVID NUMBERS OBVIOUSLY HAVEN'T HELPED YOU GUYS KNOW HIM.
A LOT OF FOLKS, THOUGH, CONTINUE TO KEEP THEIR KIDS OUT FOR VARIOUS REASONS.
I MEAN, EVERYBODY HAS THEIR OWN STORY AND I RESPECT THAT.
BUT THE NUMBERS DID NOT COME BACK UP LIKE WE THOUGHT, AND WE HAVE NOT SEEN A MASS EXIT OF PEOPLE MOVING OUT OF COUNTY.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE HOPE TO RECOUP THEM AS THINGS SETTLE DOWN ON THE COVID FRONT AND PEOPLE FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE BEING OUT AND ABOUT AND KIDS IN SCHOOL AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
BUT IT TRULY HAS HAD AN IMPACT ON US.
WHAT IS THE WHAT IS THE ESTIMATE FOR THE TWO HUNDRED STUDENTS? WHAT IS THAT IF IT'S NOT HELD HARMLESS, WHAT IS THAT FOR [INAUDIBLE]? GOOD QUESTION, I HAVE A [INAUDIBLE] NUMBER ON THAT YET.
THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. I WOULD EXPECT IF IT'S A HOLD HARMLESS, I WOULD EXPECT IT TO LOOK LIKE LAST YEAR. AND THAT'S BECAUSE I BELIEVE WE GOT A HOLD HARMLESS LAST YEAR.
IT'S IN A DIFFERENT SEAT, SO I WASN'T PAYING AS MUCH ATTENTION ON THAT.
THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH, WE GOT A HOLD HARMLESS LAST YEAR TO BACK TO 19 ENROLLMENT, SO I WOULD ASSUME PROBABLY WILL BE LOOKING SIMILAR TO WHAT LAST YEAR WAS IT THERE WAS A CONTINUED HOLD HARMLESS.
EVERYTHING I'VE HEARD, THAT'S KIND OF WHERE THE TREND IS HEADED.
I DON'T SEE WHERE WE WOULD BE ABLE TO MAINTAIN THAT FOREVER.
[INAUDIBLE]. YEAH, WELL, YOU ALL LIVE IN THIS COUNTY, YOU WORK HERE AND PAY TAXES HERE, SO I DON'T HAVE TO DRIVE THAT HOME TO EVERYBODY IF THEY ONLY SHOW.
HMM. WHATEVER HAPPENS, WE'LL HAVE TO SUFFER THROUGH TOGETHER.
WE WERE AGAIN, WE WERE TOLD TO PROBABLY EXPECT SOMETHING OUT OF THE GOVERNOR'S BUDGET, PERHAPS A SUPPLEMENTAL, MAYBE A GRANT OF SOME SORTS THAT WOULD GO TO COUNTIES TO HELP OFFSET AS OPPOSED TO BEING A LEGISLATIVE FIX.
BUT WE DON'T SPEAK FOR YOU GUYS BY ANY MEANS, BUT WE CAN HOPE THAT'S WHAT IT IS IF SOMEBODY LIVES IN THE COUNTY AS WELL AND PAYS TAXES.
BE NICE IF IT'S SOMEBODY ELSE'S MONEY, THAT'S CLOSING THAT GAP AS OPPOSED TO PUTTING THAT BURDEN ON THE LOCALS BY EVERY ACCOUNT.
THE MONEY THAT THEY SPEND COMES FROM THE CITIZENS AND THE STATE [INAUDIBLE] THE STATE, WHETHER IT'S A GRANT OR WHO IS OWED MONEY THAT COULD PAID IN TAXES [INAUDIBLE] YEP.
YOU KNOW, HOLD HARMLESS GRANT, AND IF IT'S THERE, IT'S NOT REDUCED ENROLLMENT, BUT JUST SO WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.
I MEAN, MY RECOLLECTION IS WHEN HISTORY, HISTORICAL YEARS HERE, WHEN WE GO DOWN THROUGH SEEING COST OF SERVICES, ERIN AND I GUESS YOU'D TELL ME IF I'M WRONG, WE TYPICALLY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO GET THROUGH THAT.
AND YOU KNOW, OUR STAFF IS OUR MOST VALUABLE RESOURCE.
WE DO THE BEST WE CAN TO GET THAT NEW EDITION, THE FIRST EDITION BEING THE SALARY INCREASE FOR ALL STAFF OF SOME TYPE OR I REMEMBER YEARS WHERE WE DIDN'T GET A STEP, JUST GOT A [INAUDIBLE] OR A STEP WITH NO [INAUDIBLE] YOU KNOW, FIGURING OUT HOW TO MAKE IT WORK. BUT EVERY YEAR, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE EVER GOTTEN THROUGH IT LIKE, THIS IS OUR SHORT LIST OF ADDITIONS.
DR. SIMMONS, THERE'S A LOT OF OTHER ADDITIONS, ADDITION TO THIS FROM YOUR BUDGETARY DISCUSSIONS, CORRECT? YES, SIR.
SO THIS IS LIKE KIND OF THE TOP 10 LIST OF ADDITIONS.
BUT EVEN THAT TOP 10? I DON'T KNOW IF WE EVER HAVE SATISFIED ALL OF THEM.
YOU KNOW, IT JUST HITS OR MISSED.
BUT IF EVERYTHING WAS THE SAME AS LAST YEAR JUST TO DO THE SAME, YOU KNOW THE FAR RIGHT COLUMN. WE NEED TO COME UP WITH AN ADDITIONAL ONE POINT THREE MILLION DOLLARS TO DO SAME COST AS BUSINESS AS WE DID LAST YEAR.
YES. AND THEN AND THEN DO GREAT BY STAFF, WE NEED TO HAVE A PLACE HOLDER OF TWO MILLION.
[00:30:02]
WE'RE REALLY LOOKING FOR OVER THREE MILLION.NEW DOLLARS SOMEHOW IN ADDITION TO LAST YEAR, WITH FUNDING FORMULAS BEING UNKNOWN, WITH A HOLD HARMLESS GRANT OR, YOU KNOW, ENROLLMENT REDUCTIONS.
UNKNOWN. HOW THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT US AND THE NEXT FEW MONTHS ARE GOING TO BE CRITICAL.
AND WE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT REALLY THE BLUEPRINT OR AS MUCH.
OTHERS. THERE'S SOME STEPS TO BLUEPRINT IN HERE, BUT IT'S NOT EVEN REALLY WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE EXPECTED OF THE STATE AND THE COUNTY IN THE FUTURE YEARS RELATING TO THE BLUEPRINT AND BLUEPRINT [INAUDIBLE].
BLESS YOU. JUST KIND OF SUMMARIZE IT FOR MY BENEFIT AND THEIR BENEFIT.
SO, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONERS, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW WE'VE ALWAYS BEEN HERE WITH US TO HAVE THIS MEETING. WE APPRECIATE IT.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW STAFF COMES TO YOUR MEETINGS REGULARLY AS THE DETAILS GET WORKED OUT IN THE COMING MONTHS. KEEP YOU ABREAST, YOU KNOW, AND THE PROBLEM THAT I HAVE IS, YOU KNOW.
WHAT? [INAUDIBLE] TIME TO NOT KNOW THE DETAILS.
I MEAN, THIS IS WHAT'S INCREDIBLE TO ME.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS HAVE A BUDGET TO DO.
WE HAVE A BUDGET PROCESS THAT WE GO THROUGH.
SO WHAT IS THEIRS? I MEAN, THE BLUEPRINT COMMISSION WAS APPOINTED BY THE STATE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE.
THE GOVERNOR RIDICULOUSLY CONFIRMED THOSE APPOINTMENTS.
AND THERE'S NOT ONE PERSON THAT'S ON THAT COMMISSION WHO REPRESENTS NOT ONLY US, BUT THE WHOLE EASTERN SHORE OR RURAL COUNTIES ON THE [INAUDIBLE].
RIGHT. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE PEOPLE FROM BALTIMORE CITY WITH THAT WELL-RUN OPERATION THAT THEY'VE GOT WHO WE'RE GOING TO BE OVER HERE TELLING US HOW WE GOT TO SPEND OUR MONEY. I MEAN, I DON'T EVEN KNOW IT'S LIKE, YEAH, I MEAN, I JUST DON'T EVEN KNOW.
I MEAN, WE CAN'T, YOU KNOW, YOU SIT HERE AND YOU JUST I'VE BEEN, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN DOING THIS A LONG TIME. I'VE NEVER CEASE TO BE AMAZED AT THIS.
TO THROW SOME WATER INTO THAT FLOOD.
THE PRESENTATION WE GOT LAST WEEK CORRECT ME IF I MISUNDERSTOOD.
NO ONE ON THAT GROUP HAS K THROUGH 12 EXPERIENCE.
NO ONE ON THAT GROUP HAS EXPERIENCE WITH ANY WITH ANY SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT HAS A POPULATION OF OURS. RIGHT? WELL, THEY HAVE NO EXPERIENCE WITH ANYTHING IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM THROUGH TWELFTH GRADE. I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANYBODY THAT REPRESENTS A SCHOOL SYSTEM WITH A BUDGET LESS THAN A BILLION DOLLARS THAT'S REPRESENTED THERE.
YOU GOT BALTIMORE CITY, BALTIMORE COUNTY WITH HOWARD MONTGOMERY AND [INAUDIBLE] WASN'T REPRESENTED.
MONTGOMERY, BALTIMORE CITY, BALTIMORE COUNTY AND [INAUDIBLE].
SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT SCHOOL SYSTEMS WITH, YOU KNOW, OR ANY OF THOSE BUDGETS, LESS THAN A BILLION [INAUDIBLE], AND MAYBE IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE BIT LESS.
BUT IT'S NOT. IT'S NOT COMPARABLE AT ALL.
I MEAN, SO. WE WHAT, YOU GUYS? WE DID EVERYTHING THAT WAS IN HERE.
FIVE POINT TWO MILLION WE'RE TWENTY ONE CENTS.
SO WE WOULD BE TAKING OUR TAX IF WE HAD JUST HAD TO DO THAT WITH INCOME, WITH PROPERTY TAX, MAYBE A BUCK TWENTY.
AND THAT WOULD GO TO COMMISSIONERS [INAUDIBLE] YOU MAKE THE COUNTY LIVABLE.
I JUST JUST TO PUT IT INTO PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT IT WOULD TAKE IF THIS COUNTY HAD TO CREATE FIVE POINT THREE MILLION ADDITIONAL DOLLARS.
THAT'S THAT'S WHAT IT WOULD TAKE BECAUSE WE'RE ALREADY MAXED OUT ON INCOME TAX SO THERE CAN BE NO ADDITIONAL REVENUE.
SO THE ONLY WAY THAT THE COUNTY WILL HAVE INCREASE REVENUE JUST INCREASE PROPERTY.
AND THAT'S NOT TO PAVE A ROAD OR TO GIVE OUR EMPLOYEES ANY DAY IN [INAUDIBLE] THAT IS SIMPLY TO PAY THIS BILL.
AND HOW LONG HAVE WE BEEN SAYING? TWO YEARS. YEAH.
AND WE KNOW WE'VE HEARD THROUGH WHEN YOU GO TO STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETINGS, YOU KNOW, THE BIGGER COUNTIES ARE COMPLAINING, TOO.
THEY'RE JUST BIGGER NUMBERS AND SOME OF THEM HAVEN'T AS IT'S BEEN POINTED OUT HERE THIS EVENING. SOME OF THEM HAVEN'T DON'T PAY USER TAX REVENUE AS RESPONSIBLY AS WE DO.
YOU KNOW, SCHOOLS THAT ARE A LOT YOUNGER LOOKING, A LOT WORSE, ROADS THAT ARE A LOT YOUNGER, THAT ARE IMPASSABLE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE COMPLAINING, TOO.
BUT YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT THAT APPOINTED BOARD OF PEOPLE WHO DON'T HAVE ROAD FARE.
THEY DIDN'T MAKE THE DECISION ON THE FUNDING FORMULAS OR HOW MUCH MONEY GOES WHERE.
[00:35:05]
BUT WHAT I'M BEING TOLD IS THEY WILL HAVE SAY IF WE DON'T USE THE MONEY PROPERLY IN THE RIGHT BUCKETS TO DELIVER ACCOUNTABILITY TO THEIR HOW THEY VIEW IT'S PROPERLY BEING PROPERLY USED OR NOT BEING USED.APPARENTLY, THEY HAVE THE DECISION MAKING ABILITY TO TAKE WITHHOLD IT.
I THINK ONE OR TWO HAS LIMITED K-12 EXPERIENCE.
BUT BUT YES, IT'S THE ACCOUNTABILITY SIDE.
THE FUNDING FORMULAS WERE SET UP BY THE [INAUDIBLE] COMMISSION ITSELF, BUT THIS IMPLEMENTATION BOARD WILL HAVE THE AUTHORITY.
ACTUALLY, IT'S MORE AUTHORITY THAN MARYLAND STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION, MORE THAN THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION OR MARYLAND STATE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION HAS, AND THE WAY THAT FUNDING WILL COME THROUGH IT IS.
SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT OF THE FUNDING WILL BE ACCESSIBLE BY THE COUNTY COUNTY SCHOOL SYSTEM. TWENTY FIVE PERCENT OF THE FUNDING GETS WITHHELD UNTIL THEY GET AN ACCEPTABLE PLAN FROM US FOR IMPLEMENTATION OR OUR RESULTS INDICATE THAT WE'VE BEEN GOOD STEWARDS OF.
AND THEN, OF COURSE, THEN WE GET THE EXTRA TWENTY FIVE PERCENT AS WELL, SO IT'S A REVERSE PROCESS FOR THEM. TYPICALLY, THE THREAT IS TO TAKE MONEY FROM YOU.
THIS IS WE'RE GOING TO FUND YOU FOR PART OF IT AND WITHHOLD UNTIL YOU MAKE US HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU'RE DOING, AND THEN WE GIVE YOU THE REST OF IT.
JUST A LITTLE DIFFERENT APPROACH FOR THIS TIME.
IT'S A REALLY INTERESTING DYNAMIC TO SEE IT PLAY OUT BECAUSE TOTALLY LOOK READS LIKE IT USURPS A LOT OF AUTHORITY FROM THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION AS WELL.
AND [INAUDIBLE], IT'S ALREADY THAT THEY'RE USED TO HAVING AND AID THE ACCOUNTABILITY [INAUDIBLE] BOARD. AND IT'S OUR BLUEPRINT [INAUDIBLE] COORDINATORS BEEN WORKING ON THIS [INAUDIBLE] CONTAINER. IT'S WORKING WITH US ON THIS WORK.
THE AID IS STILL TRYING TO FIGURE OUT EVERYTHING.
AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU HAVE A NEW STATE SUPERINTENDENT IN MARYLAND AND A LOT OF NEW STAFF AT [INAUDIBLE] WORKING THROUGH FIGURING EVERYTHING OUT.
SO TIMELINES ARE GOING TO BE ADJUSTED AND GOING TO BE ADAPTED.
WE KNOW THAT. AND THIS FEELS LIKE I'M THROWING IT OUT THERE, THOUGH I AM NOT.
ONE THING THAT I AM SURE OF IS THAT AS WE START TO [INAUDIBLE] AS I THINK WE WILL, US AND OTHER SYSTEMS WILL START WORKING TOGETHER TO, I'LL SAY, MAKE IMPROVEMENTS I'LL SAY CHIP AWAY AT, BUT HOPEFULLY MAKE IMPROVEMENTS TO WHAT'S THERE TO MAKE IT ATTAINABLE IF THEY WANT US TO ACTUALLY DO THIS.
IT'S ONLY GOING TO HAPPEN FROM ERIN AND DANIEL WORKING TOGETHER AND ALL OF US WORKING TOGETHER TO MAKE THOSE CONTINUE TO MAKE THE PUSHES AND HOPEFULLY MAKE SOME FIXES IN THE OUT YEARS. WELL, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY THE ORIGINAL PROPOSAL, I THINK THERE WERE ONLY ABOUT FIVE COUNTIES THAT WE'RE GOING TO SEE A SIGNIFICANT INCREASE.
RIGHT. AND PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY WAS ONE.
BASICALLY THE COUNTIES THAT DIDN'T HAVE ANY MONEY WERE THE ONES THAT WERE BEING PENALIZED.
YES. AND THE OTHER ONES WERE CONTRIBUTING ABOVE AND BEYOND MOE ALREADY.
SO THEIR THEORY WAS, OK, WE JUST HOLD BACK TILL WE CATCH UP TO THAT MOE.
WE WE'RE NOT OUT OF POCKET ANYTHING ABOVE AND BEYOND.
BUT FOR THOSE POOR COUNTIES THAT FALL INTO THE DISPARITY, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
BUT I THINK THAT WAS BASED ON SIZE.
JUST TO GIVE THEM A PASS THERE? YEAH. GREAT AND FUZZY.
YEAH. KIND OF WANTED TO GIVE YOU GUYS A PICTURE OF WHAT WE'RE WRESTLING WITH.
AND AGAIN, WE'LL CONTINUE TO SHARPEN THE PENCIL LINE WITH THE BOARD WILL AS WELL AS WE WORK THROUGH THIS TOGETHER TO NOT JUST PLAN FOR THIS YEAR, BUT TO START TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A PATH FORWARD IN FUTURE YEARS AS WELL.
AND AGAIN, ONCE WE GET THOSE FORMULAS, I THINK IT'LL OBVIOUSLY IT'LL SHINE A LOT OF LIGHT ON. AND AS THEY FINALLY GET DONE, WRITING THE RULES ON THE BUCKETS THAT'LL HELP US AS WELL. EXTORTION TACTICS.
NOT NEW. JUST A DIFFERENT WAY.
THEY OFFER THE SAME TYPE OF TACTIC WHICH WHEN WE DIDN'T WANT TO DO WITH THE [INAUDIBLE] WE'LL HOLD FUNDING FROM YOU OVER STATE TAXES.
YEAH. WE'RE FLYING THE PLANE AS WE BUILD IT.
YOU [INAUDIBLE] SO I GUESS TECHNICALLY COULD HAVE AMENDED THE BUDGET A LITTLE BIT HERE, I GUESS IF THERE'S ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSION ABOUT THE BUDGET, WHICH IS IN DRAFT FORM WITH A LOT OF UNKNOWNS.
[00:40:01]
ALL RIGHT. I'M NOT SURE.YEAH, WELL, AND I SAID THE AMENDED AGENDA BECAUSE I REALIZE THAT THE COMMISSIONERS DID SEND OVER AN EMAIL EARLIER, AND I GUESS I'LL JUST TAKE A POINT OF ORDER AND SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S OBVIOUSLY THE LEGISLATOR LEGISLATION THAT STARTED AS LEGISLATIVE SESSION HAS STARTED. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME BILLS BEING PUSHED OUT THERE ALREADY.
AND WE DO APPRECIATE THE COMMISSIONERS SENDING A FEW BILLS OVER AND AT LEAST ASKING US OUR OPINION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER.
AND I THINK I DUG INTO [INAUDIBLE] AND OUR [INAUDIBLE] ASSOCIATION BOARD OF EDUCATION SITE, AND I THINK DERRICK HERE, RACHEL ALREADY DID THAT TOO AND PROVIDED SOME INSIGHT.
SO I'LL JUST TURN IT OVER TO YOU SINCE YOU PREPARED FOR THEM ON SOME OF THESE BILLS.
DR. SIMMONS, YOU WANT TO TAKE THE LEAD ON WHAT THEY SENT OVER? SURE. AGAIN, ONE OF THE BILLS THAT WAS FORWARDED OVER TO US WAS A LOCAL BILL FOUR FIVE ONE ONE, AND I BELIEVE THE COMMISSIONER IS LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK FROM OUR BOARD REGARDING A BILL THAT WAS LOCAL BILL WRITTEN AT A PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY AND CHARLES COUNTY POSSIBLY JUMPING ON BOARD WITH IT.
THE LOCAL BILL REGARDING TAKING THE GOVERNOR'S APPROVAL OUT OF THE PROCESS FOR REMOVAL OF A BOARD MEMBER, ACCORDING TO I BELIEVE WHAT WHAT YOU WOULD SHARE ARE THREE COUNTIES LEFT THAT STILL HAVE THE GOVERNOR IN THE PROCESS.
IT'S US. CHARLES AND PRINCE GEORGE'S AND PRINCE GEORGES AND CHARLES ARE LOOKING AT ELIMINATING THAT COMPONENT.
TAKE THE GOVERNOR OUT OF THE PROCESS.
IT WOULD BE LOCAL BOARD .STATE BOARD MAKES A DECISION.
THERE IS AND LOOKING FOR FEEDBACK.
BOARD MEMBERS YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THE TOPIC? WHY WAS IT? I GUESS WHAT'S THE BIG DEAL LIKE, IS THE GOVERNOR GOING TO GO AGAINST MARYLAND BOARD OF ED.? I WOULD PUT.
WE WOULD BE THE ANOMALY COUNTY.
SO IF THIS GOES THROUGH FORTY, TWENTY THREE OUT OF THE TWENTY FOUR JURISDICTIONS WOULD NOT HAVE ANY INPUT FROM THE GOVERNOR IN THE SCENARIO.
SO I HEARD THE REMOVAL IS PRETTY LOW, I MEAN, THERE'S STILL A THERE'S STILL AN ADMINISTRATIVE PROCESS, RIGHT? SO I'M JUST GOING TO MAKE SOMETHING UP.
SOMEONE'S GOT TO DO SOMETHING BAD ENOUGH TO GET LOCALLY APPOINTED, RECOMMENDED FOR DISBARMENT. RIGHT.
MAKE A CASE, CONCRETE ENOUGH THAT THE STATE ENOUGH PEOPLE AT THE STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION WOULD AGREE.
YEAH. AND THEN FOLLOW UP WITH THE GOVERNOR.
JUST LIKE APPEAL. YOU WOULD STILL HAVE AN APPEAL TO CIRCUIT COURT IF THE PERSON SAID I DON'T AGREE. SO I MEAN, THE PROCESSES ARE ALL STILL IN PLACE.
YOU JUST BE TAKING THE GOVERNOR'S AUTHORITY OUT OF IT.
WHY DOES THE GOVERNOR NEED TO BE IN IT? WHAT IF IT'S AN ELECTED, IF IT'S AN ELECTED BOARD MEMBER VERSUS AN APPOINTED BOARD MEMBER? WHY WOULD THE GOVERNOR MATTER? SO WHY WOULD THE GOVERNOR EVEN HAVE A SAY ANYWAY? SO THIS GAME, THIS IS COMING OUT OF PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY? YEAH, YEAH. AND HAVE WE HAVE WE HEARD THE OTHER COUNTIES ARE PIGGYBACKING? THE ONLY THE ONLY THREE LEFT IS US, CHARLES AND AND PG.
SO PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY, THIS CAME FROM THEM, CHARLES COUNTY SAID, HEY, WE'RE ON THAT LIST OF THE THREE COUNTIES LEFT THAT STILL NEED THE GOVERNOR'S APPROVAL, PUT US ON THERE.
SO THEN SENATOR [INAUDIBLE] OFFICE REACHED OUT TO US AND SAID, HEY, SENATOR ELLIS, FROM PRINCE GEORGE COUNTY MADE THIS BILL TO REMOVE THE GOVERNOR THE FINAL SAY FOR DISMISSAL, CHARLES COUNTY SAID.
PUT ME ON OR YOU GUYS INTERESTED? THIS WOULD BE THE REMAINING ONLY COUNTY IF YOU DON'T JUMP ON.
SO I PRESENTED TO THE COMMISSIONERS THIS MORNING.
WE ALL AGREED THAT. IT WOULD BE BEST ASK YOU, SO THE LOCAL BOARD OF EDUCATION.
AND ACTUALLY, THIS EVENING WHILE SITTING HERE EATING DINNER, SENATOR [INAUDIBLE] OFFICE REACHED BACK OUT AND SAID, HAVE YOU COME TO A CONCLUSION? I GUESS. PRINCE GEORGE'S COUNTY IS TRYING TO DROP THE BILL, AND IT'S KIND OF LOOKING FOR A RESPONSE. [INAUDIBLE] THE LAST OF THE [INAUDIBLE].
I DON'T SEE WHY WE SHOULD HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT.
I AGREE. IF MR. NEWCOMB DOESN'T SEE A PROBLEM, HE'S BEEN ON THE BOARD THE LONGEST AND YOU KNOW.
[LAUGHTER] YOU KNOW, THE REST OF US IS STILL WITHIN A YEAR OR SO UNDER OUR BELT, BUT JUST DON'T SEE. I THINK IT'S A PROCESS, AND I THINK.
IT'S A PROCESS. THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR DESCRIBED IT PERFECTLY.
THERE'S A PROCESS. SO WELL, WHY WOULD WE BE THE LAST ONES THAT NEED THE GOVERNOR IN IT? AND EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T LIKE THE OUTCOME OF THE PROCESS, YOU CAN STILL THE FINAL THING IS TO GO TO COURT. AND THEN IF YOU DON'T LIKE THAT, THEN YOU GO TO THE APPEALS COURT.
I MEAN, SO YOU HAVE ALL OF THESE PIECES IN PLACE.
I DON'T SEE WHERE THE GOVERNOR'S YAY OR NAY ACTUALLY MATTERS.
THE ANSWER IS. SOMEONE MIGHT SAY, WHY ARE THOSE ONLY COUNTIES?
[00:45:02]
I DON'T KNOW EXACTLY WHY, BUT I DO RECALL BACK IN HISTORICALLY, YOU KNOW, I WAS TRYING TO GET INVOLVED WHEN CAROLINE COUNTY WAS ALL APPOINTED BY THE GOVERNOR AND WE WERE DISCUSSING TRYING TO GET AN ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD.WE WERE THE FIRST COUNTY IN HISTORY TO GO HYBRID.
AND I DO RECALL SOME OF THOSE REASONS WERE BECAUSE OTHER COUNTIES LIKE PRINCE GEORGE'S AND OTHERS WHO WERE ALL ELECTED, WE'RE HAVING ISSUES WITH BOARD MEMBERS AND THEY WERE HAVING A HARD TIME DUE TO MY RECOLLECTION DUE TO THE PROCESS AND THE POLITICS OF THE STATE BOARD AND EVERYTHING TO GET THINGS TO HAPPEN.
AND MAYBE AND, YOU KNOW, PUTTING THE GOVERNMENT WOULD ALLEVIATE SOME OF THAT.
BUT I DON'T I HAVEN'T READ THE PROCESS.
I DON'T KNOW IF THE GOVERNOR CAN CAN.
IF THE STATE BOARD SAYS NO, CAN THE GOVERNOR SAY YES OR VICE VERSA? I DON'T KNOW WHERE THAT IS, BUT IT SEEMS SURE THAT.
THAT'S GOOD BACKGROUND. THAT'S YOUR EXPERIENCE THAT YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH.
SOME OF THAT CHANGES AND IT'S NOT LIKE IT'S A STAY OF EXECUTION, RIGHT? I MEAN, IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE WAITING TO GO, HAVE OUR LIVES TAKEN AWAY FROM US AND THE GOVERNOR SAVED US. HAS HE CALLED YET? MAYBE WE'D BE KIND OF HAPPY THAT HE DOESN'T SAVE US RIGHT.
GIVEN THE THINGS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT EARLIER.
YOU KNOW, THANKS FOR THE FAVOR.
GET ME OUT OF THERE. IT'S PROBABLY ONLY HAPPENED IN THE STATE A FEW TIMES, BUT I WOULDN'T WANT TO BE THE ODDBALL OUT OF EVERY SCHOOL BOARD SESSION AND SCHOOL BOARD IN THE STATE.
THERE'S MORE IMPORTANT THINGS TO HOLD ONTO AND FIGHT FOR THAN THAT.
IF THERE'S SOMETHING THAT HAS CAUSED A PROBLEM HERE AND THE NEXT STEP AND THE NEXT STEP.
I DON'T THINK THE GOVERNOR'S GOING TO GO ANY DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THE OTHER [INAUDIBLE].
ARE WE ALL AN AGREEMENT THAT WE WANT TO JUMP ON THAT BILL AND SUPPORT IT.
YES. I MEAN, IT'S NOT OUR POLICY.
[INAUDIBLE] AT THIS POINT, IT'S ALMOST HOUSEKEEPING.
YEAH, YEAH. I'LL APPLY THIS TO SENATOR [INAUDIBLE] AND LET [INAUDIBLE].
I DON'T THINK I APPRECIATE THE REQUEST OF ALL THESE AND THE CONSENSUS, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO VOTE BECAUSE IT'S NOT OUR POLICY.
WE'RE JUST LETTING THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS KNOW THAT WE APPRECIATE THE FEEDBACK.
THIS IS ONE OF THESE PLACES WHERE I REPRESENT YOU.
WE JUST DIDN'T WANT TO MAKE A DECISION WITH THAT.
SO LET'S TAKE IT. YEAH, WE DON'T WANT TO DO WHAT THEY DO IN ANNAPOLIS AND MAKE A DECISION ON SOMETHING THAT REALISTICALLY WE KNOW NOTHING ABOUT.
I MEAN, THEY DO THAT ALL THE TIME, BUT WE TRY NOT TO.
THEY DIDN'T IN THE PART OF THE BLUEPRINT.
THEY DIDN'T INCREASE COUNTY COMMISSIONER SALARIES, BOARD SALARIES BY 10 PERCENT.
FOR ALL THESE TOUGH DECISIONS WE'RE MAKING.
SO DEREK DR. SIMMONS WHAT'S NEXT? OK, THE NEXT ONE.
SENATE BILL 40, COMMISSIONER SENT OVER, WHICH IS A AMENDMENT TO THE BILL TO LEARN ACT THAT WAS PASSED LAST YEAR, DEALS PUBLIC SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION.
THE SHORT OF IT? AND JEREMY, PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG IN EXPLAINING IT AS WELL OR [INAUDIBLE] SHORT OF IT.
IT ADDS AN AMENDMENT TO THE BILL TO LEARN ACT, WHICH ALLOWS LOCAL SCHOOL SYSTEMS RIGHT NOW WITHIN THE BILL TO LEARN ACTS.
AN ACT THAT HELPS FUND PUBLIC SCHOOL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS.
CAROLINE COUNTY IS SLATED TO RECEIVE ROUGHLY FIVE POINT TWO MILLION DOLLARS OUT OF THAT BILL OVER ITS 10 YEAR SPAN OF US BEING TO UTILIZE THE FUNDS.
THERE'S A MINIMUM FLOOR THAT'S REQUIRED TO ACCESS FUNDING FOR SYSTEMIC RENOVATION PROJECTS WITH NEW HVAC SYSTEM.
THERE'S A FLOOR OF $4 MILLION THAT YOU HAVE TO HIT FOR A PROJECT TO BE APPROVED.
YOU HAVE TO GO ASK FOR SPECIAL PERMISSION FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE [INAUDIBLE].
WHAT THIS AMENDMENT DOES THE WAY IT'S WRITTEN, IT ALLOWS LOCAL JURISDICTIONS TO BUNDLE PROJECTS. SO LIKE ONE OF OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN, WE'VE GOT FOUR ROOFS OVER THE NEXT FOUR YEARS THAT ARE ON THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT.
IT WOULD ALLOW US TO BUNDLE, SAY, TWO ROOF PROJECTS THAT WOULD REACH THE $4 MILLION THRESHOLD AND TO BE ABLE TO SEND THEM UP AS A ROOF PACKAGE TO GET APPROVED.
WE HIT THE $4 MILLION THRESHOLD A WHOLE LOT EASIER PROCESS THAN GOING.
WE NEED SPECIAL PERMISSION FOR THIS BECAUSE IT'S UNDER FOUR MILLION.
WE NEED SPECIAL PERMISSION FOR THIS ONE BECAUSE IT'S UNDER FOUR MILLION.
THE BILL TO LEARN ACT DOESN'T GIVE US ENOUGH MONEY TO DO A BIG PROJECT.
SO FOR FOUR [INAUDIBLE] FROM THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS PERSPECTIVE, WHERE THE THINKING WOULD BE IS WE DO HAVE IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, SYSTEMIC IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS THAT NEED TO TAKE
[00:50:04]
PLACE, AND IT WOULD ALLOW US TO DO THIS IN A MORE STREAMLINED APPROACH FOR LARGER SYSTEM.IT OBVIOUSLY GIVES THEM MORE FLEXIBILITY AS WELL.
BUT FOR CAROLINE COUNTY BUILDING SCHOOLS, THAT GIVES US MORE FLEXIBILITY TO BETTER UTILIZE THE FUNDS TO MEET THOSE NEEDS.
[INAUDIBLE] DOES SUPPORT THE BILL [INAUDIBLE] SUPPORTS THE BILL.
SPOKE WITH [INAUDIBLE] STATE SUPERINTENDENT ASSOCIATION EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR TODAY AS WELL.
[INAUDIBLE] SUPPORTS THE BILL ON IT.
A LOT OF SUPPORT REALLY COMES DOWN TO THE FACT THAT THAT INCREASED FLEXIBILITY FOR A SYSTEM FOR US IT THAT WOULD HELP US IN THOSE AREAS.
WE HAD A PACKAGE THOSE PROJECTS TOGETHER INSTEAD OF TRYING TO GET [INAUDIBLE] APPROVAL FOR EACH ONE.
PLEDGED TO CLARIFY THAT BECAUSE WHEN [INAUDIBLE] AND I BEND THIS AROUND, WE ACTUALLY INTERPRETED IT SLIGHTLY DIFFERENT SO THAT IF YOUR INTERPRETATION IS CORRECT, THEN THAT CHANGES THE WAY THAT [INAUDIBLE] AND I INTERPRETED IT.
IT WAS THIS WOULD CREATE ADDITIONAL COMPETITION AGAINST THAT FUNDING.
I DON'T THINK WE REALIZED WAS THERE WAS A GUARANTEE OF A GUARANTEED ALLOTMENT TO THE COUNTY. YEAH, WE WE HAD SEVERAL CALLS THIS AFTERNOON, SO I APPRECIATE YOU ASKING.
WE WERE TOLD IT'S ROUGHLY FIVE POINT TWO THAT'S IN THE FUND.
IT SHOULDN'T BE LOWER. IT COULD BE A LITTLE HIGHER.
DON'T GO THINKING YOU'VE GOT SIX BY LITTLE, IT MIGHT BE FIVE POINT THREE, BUT THAT'S IN ESSENCE WHAT YOU HAVE IN THAT FUND TO UTILIZE OVER A 10-YEAR PERIOD.
AND IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IT'S FOR READING THE BILL AND GOING OVER EVERYTHING.
THAT'S NOT FOR ANY NEW CONSTRUCTION OR NEW PROJECTS.
IT'S FIXING UP BASICALLY EXISTING.
BECAUSE FIVE POINT TWO WON'T GET US MUCH.
NOW, IF I'M [INAUDIBLE], I'LL GET OFF ON A TANGENT.
THE LARGER GUYS MADE OUT MUCH BETTER IN THE BUILT TO LEARN ACT THAN THE SMALLER JURISDICTION 17 SMALL JURISDICTIONS DID NOT.
YEAH, WE WERE ALL LUMPED INTO ONE LINE ITEM ON THERE.
EVERYBODY, THE BIG ONES GOT INDIVIDUAL.
SOME OF THE [INAUDIBLE] 17 JURISDICTIONS SPIT WILL SPLIT ABOUT 11 PERCENT OF THE FUNDING IN THAT BILL. RIGHT.
WELL, IT SEEMS LIKE A THEME THAT THAT'S HOW CAROLINE COUNTY HAS THOUGHT OF OTHER COUNTY JUST ALONG WITH EVERYBODY ELSE.
DOESN'T MATTER? RIGHT. I MEAN, NONE OF US FEEL THAT WAY, BUT THAT'S THE WAY THE COUNTY IS TREATED. BUT THAT'S FROM MY PERSPECTIVE.
BOARD, IF YOU HAVE A DIFFERENT TAKE, OBVIOUSLY, PLEASE SHARE.
THAT'S WHAT I WAS ABLE TO ASCERTAIN THIS AFTERNOON, CALLING DIFFERENT GROUPS.
THAT'S SORT OF WHAT IT WOULD DO FOR US.
I THINK THIS WAS WE'RE NOT REALLY LOOKING FOR ANY PIECE OF ACTION, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, IT WAS JUST KIND OF SOMETHING OF ME INTRODUCING TO THE COMMISSIONER'S PIECES OF LEGISLATION THAT MAY BE OF CONCERN.
SO TO KEEP AN EYE ON PRESSING THAT NEEDS TO SUPPORT, SOMETHING PRESSING THAT WE NEED TO OPPOSE OR JUST SOMETHING THAT KIND OF WATCH WHAT WE WANT TO PREDICT FOR YOU GUYS AND GET EVERYONE'S OPINION. AND I'M GLAD THAT DR.
SIMMONS WAS ABLE TO KIND OF CLEAR UP SOME OF JEREMY'S AND I CONFUSION.
WE WERE HAVING A HARD TIME WITH THIS WHEN WE COULDN'T FIGURE THAT PART OF IT OUT.
IT WAS THAT PIECE THAT WE WERE MISSING WAS YOU COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT NUMBER WAS, WHETHER OR NOT THAT WAS A GUARANTEE OR WHETHER OR NOT ALL THOSE 17 JURISDICTIONS WERE COMPETING WITH THEM FOR THAT 11 PERCENT.
RIGHT. SO THEN I WAS LIKE, WELL, WAIT A MINUTE, THAT'S THE WAY IT IS.
NO, WE DON'T WANT TO ADD STUFF TO IT BECAUSE NOW YOU'RE JUST DILUTING IT EVEN FURTHER.
SO A PROJECT THAT WE WOULD HAVE GOTTEN FUNDED IN TWENTY THREE, NOW WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET THE WAY YOU JUST SAID IT.
YOUR EXPLANATION ACTUALLY HELPED IT A LOT.
THAT'S JUST A LOT OF PHONE CALLS THIS AFTERNOON.
MAKE SURE WE GOT IT RIGHT. SORRY TO DUMP IT ON YOU.
NO, NO, NO. IT WAS A GREAT ASK BECAUSE THEY HAVE A HEARING TOMORROW [INAUDIBLE].
WE PROBABLY NEED A LITTLE MORE TOUCH ON SOME OF THAT.
RIGHT. BECAUSE I CAN'T READ ALL THESE BILLS.
NO ONE PERSON CAN, THAT'S FOR SURE.
YES. I MEAN, AND THEY MOVE FAST AND QUIET, AND IT'S HARD TO KEEP UP.
AND JUST BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, HONESTLY, WE'VE ALL SEEN THIS, YOU SEE AT [INAUDIBLE], YOU SEE IT [INAUDIBLE] OUR ASSOCIATION MIGHT SUPPORT SOMETHING, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF BIGGER JURISDICTIONS OUT THERE THAT IT HELPS AND IT MIGHT NOT BE IN OUR BEST INTEREST.
AND THOSE ARE THE ONES WE GOT TO GET THE INFORMATION TO OUR STATE DELEGATES AND SENATORS AND OUR LOCAL OFFICIALS SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.
BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S TOUGH.
WE CAN'T REALLY, I DON'T KNOW.
IT'S FINE LINE. YOU DON'T WANT TO STEP ON YOUR NEIGHBORS TOES, BUT LOOK OUT FOR YOURSELF TOO. IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU KNOW, YOU JUST GO ON [INAUDIBLE] PAY ATTENTION AS YOU ALL WHEN YOU READ THE BILL. AND YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING.
[INAUDIBLE] PEOPLE HAVE ALREADY BEEN INTRODUCED OR THE HEARING IS SCHEDULED FOR THE SAME DAY JUST HAPPENED SO QUICKLY.
YEAH. SO THE LAST BILL THAT WAS SHARED OVER, I'M SURE THERE WILL BE OPINIONS ON THIS ONE.
IT'S INTERESTING. I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE, YOU KNOW, ERIN GOT IT SUBMITTED.
[00:55:03]
I'M SURE PARENTS SOMEWHERE GOT IT SUBMITTED.SENATE BILL TWO THREE EIGHT, WHICH ACTUALLY DROPPED VERY RECENTLY.
[INAUDIBLE] HAS NOT POSTED THEIR OPINION ON IT YET BECAUSE IT IS SO NEW.
[INAUDIBLE] OPPOSED. AND THIS IS A BILL THAT WOULD REQUIRE.
THE WAY THAT IT'S WORDED IT WOULD REQUIRE COUNTY BOARDS OF EDUCATION TO FUND AND HIRE CROSSING GUARDS FOR ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AND IF THE LOCAL COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION CANNOT FUND DOES NOT HAVE THE FUNDING TO DO SO, THAT RESPONSIBILITY WOULD THEN FALL TO THE COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT IS THE WAY THAT IT'S WORDED. THE COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT WOULD THEN HAVE TO FUND AND HIRE CROSSING GUARDS FOR ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
AS OF AS OF THE LAST TIME THIS WAS RESEARCHED, WHICH CAROLINE COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS WAS PART OF AN EFFORT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.
RESEARCHING THIS, I THINK IT'S 18 OR 19.
ONE SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE STATE, I BELIEVE IT'S STILL THE SAME.
ONLY ONE SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE STATE FUNDS [INAUDIBLE].
SO THE OTHER TWENTY THREE DO NOT.
SO LET'S CALL THAT ONE LIKE WE SEE IT.
WE THE COUNTY FUNDS THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
SO YOU KNOW WHERE THE MONEY'S COMING FROM.
[INAUDIBLE]. WHAT WAS YOUR DRAFTED THIS BILL? [INAUDIBLE] JOHNNIE RAY, NO DOUBT.
WHO? WHAT'S WHAT? WHERE DOES THIS [INAUDIBLE]? IT'S UP TOWARDS BALTIMORE? IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN UP AROUND BALTIMORE.
[INAUDIBLE] DISTRICT, THAT'S BALTIMORE CITY AND.
[INAUDIBLE] GOT A WEIRD DISTRICT.
WELL, YOU KNOW, AND I'LL JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN I'VE BEEN ON A SCHOOL BOARD FOR A WHILE, YOU KNOW, SINCE TWO THOUSAND SIX STARTED WITH KIDS IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL.
AND WE HAVE A SMALL RURAL COUNTY, BUT WE STILL HAVE STREETS TO CROSS.
BUT TOWN WALKERS, YOU COULDN'T PUT A CROSSING GUARD ON EVERY INTERSECTION OF TOWN WHERE KIDS WALK TO SCHOOL.
I MEAN, THERE'S BLOCKS AND BLOCKS, BUT I MEAN, IF YOU'RE GOING TO SAY YOU NEED TO PUT AS CROSSING GUARD SOMEWHERE, WHY DO YOU STOP JUST AT THE AT THE INTERSECTION RIGHT NEXT TO THE SCHOOL? BECAUSE JUST AS MANY KIDS YOU A ONE BLOCK OUT, THEY ALL CROSS AN INTERSECTION SOMEWHERE ELSE OR A GOOD CHUNK OF THEM.
DIDN'T LIVE ON THAT NEXT BLOCK.
SO WHERE DO YOU STOP IT? IS ONE ASPECT OF IT.
I MEAN, WE'VE HAD ISSUES AND IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, LEAVE IT TO BEAVER ANYMORE WHERE YOU PUT THE KID, THE FIFTH GRADER, IN A LITTLE CROSSING GUARD AND THEY WALK OUT WITH A STOP SIGN IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET AND STOP TRAFFIC.
BECAUSE I MEAN, YOU USED TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
BUT NOW, BUT NOW TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD LIKE THIS.
YEAH, YEAH. A [INAUDIBLE] THIS MORNING.
AND THAT EVEN BEING SAID, WE HAD ADULTS VOLUNTEERING IN ONE OF OUR SCHOOLS THAT'S ON A STATE ROAD. AND WHEN THEY WOULD AN ADULT WOULD WALK OUT WITH A STOP SIGN AND THE PEOPLE JUST WOULDN'T STOP AND JUST KEEP DRIVING BY AND ALMOST GET RUN OVER IN TOO MANY TIMES, THE VOLUNTEER DRIVE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE IS SAFETY PROTOCOLS, BUT I CAN'T IMAGINE THE BIG URBAN AREAS, THE COST AND THE NOT JUST THE COST, BUT WHERE DOES IT STOP FACILITATING COVERING EVERY SCHOOL IN THE STATE? PARENTS, YOU, WE RUN SCHOOL BUSSES.
AND, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY, AS OPPOSED TO THIS AND TRYING TO SAY SCHOOL SYSTEMS ARE DONE AT AT THE PROPERTY LINE.
BUT I KNOW THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, THE TOWNS DO AS MUCH AS THEY CAN TO BE AVAILABLE AND THOSE INTERSECTIONS, WHEN THEY CAN.
BUT I'LL JUST GIVE YOU SOME PERSPECTIVE ON IT BECAUSE I'VE SEEN IT GOING AROUND AND AROUND AND YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY SHOULD SAY SAFETY FIRST.
BUT THERE'S ALSO PARENTS KNOW IF YOU DON'T FEEL YOUR CHILD SAFE, THERE'S YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU PUT THEM ON THE BUS, THEN IT'S OUR RESPONSIBILITY.
OTHER THAN THAT, YOU KNOW, IT'S A SLIPPERY SLOPE.
BUT JUST TO NOTE THAT IT FALLS TO THE COUNTY POLICE AND NOT THE MARYLAND STATE POLICE.
AND CAROLINE, THE WHEN IT COMES TO NINE ONE ONE CALLS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE.
THE COUNTY AND THE STATE SHARE THOSE DUTIES.
THE PLAN IS WHEN A 911 CALL COMES IN AND IT'S A 50-50 SPLIT, THEY ROTATE EVERY OTHER.
COUNTY POLICE, WHICH IN OUR CASE IS THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, TAKES CARE OF ALL THE CIVIL
[01:00:03]
PROCESS, THE COURTS SCHOOL RESOURCE.THIS WOULD JUST BE ANOTHER, IN THE BIG SCHEME OF THINGS.
IT'S NOT A, I DON'T IMAGINE IT WOULD BE A TREMENDOUS HIT MONEY WISE BECAUSE WE HAVE EIGHT SCHOOLS AND I BELIEVE IT REQUIRES A CROSSING GUARD FOR EACH SCHOOL.
YOU KNOW, THE WAY I READ IT, IT WAS SPECIFIES ONE CROSSING GUARD FOR EACH SCHOOL.
SO. YOU KNOW, I DON'T I DON'T RECALL THE EXACT COST, I JUST REMEMBER WHEN THEY WERE ADVERTISING FOR THE PRESTON CROSSING GUARD.
IT WAS SOMEWHERE IN THE 15 DOLLARS AN HOUR RANGE, BUT IT WASN'T.
IT WASN'T EVEN AN EIGHT HOUR DAY.
IT WAS A COUPLE OF HOURS IN THE MORNING, A COUPLE OF HOURS IN THE AFTERNOON.
SO I MEAN, FINANCIALLY, NO, IT'S NOT A HUGE HIT.
I'M JUST NOT SURE IF I LIKE THE WAY THAT IT'S WRITTEN.
AS FAR AS THE LEGISLATION GOES, AND IT MAY NOT BE A HUGE HIT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE IT.
IT'S STILL A WASTE OF MONEY IN SOME PLACES.
I MEAN, I MEAN, YEAH, NOBODY'S COMING FROM.
THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. WE HAVE.
YEAH, YEAH. [INAUDIBLE] NOBODY WALKS TO THE [INAUDIBLE] AND THAT'S THAT'S IT RIGHT THERE.
SO YOU'RE I MEAN, YOU'RE LOOKING AT HALF OF OUR BUILDINGS ALREADY.
PRESTON ELEMENTARY FEDERALSBURG ELEMENTARY.
ACROSS THE STREET, [INAUDIBLE], ASIDE FROM THE KIDS TO GET OFF THE BUS AND THERE'S ALREADY A SHERIFF THERE, THAT'S [INAUDIBLE].
YEAH, YEAH. BUT I TWO SCHOOLS I THINK LEGITIMATELY WOULD.
YEAH, BECAUSE THE REST OF THEM ARE OFF [INAUDIBLE].
YEAH, LET'S SAY[INAUDIBLE] LOCKERMAN, RIDGELY.
THEY'RE ALL OFF STREET. THE ONLY TWO WOULD BE FEDERALSBURG ELEMENTARY AND PRESTON ELEMENTARY. I THINK THEY WOULD BE THE ONLY TWO THAT WOULD BENEFIT FROM A CROSSING GUARD.
I'M NOT SURE I LIKE THE WAY THAT IT'S WRITTEN BECAUSE IT DOESN'T GIVE YOU ANY OPT OUT IF THERE'S NO NEED FOR IT.
AND IT'S EACH DISTRICT SICK, I THINK, RIGHT? YEAH, HE'S [INAUDIBLE].
YEAH, HE SAW THE BALTIMORE COUNTY, I THINK.
YEAH. WELL, I KNOW ESSEX IN DUNDALK.
YOU PROBABLY NEED A CROSSING GUARD THERE.
YOU COULD PROBABLY USE MULTIPLES THERE.
YEAH. BALTIMORE COUNTY POLICE DEPARTMENT MIGHT BE DOING THAT, BUT I HAVE READ EVERY WORD OF THIS, BUT I DON'T SEE WHERE IT SAYS ONE.
AND IT MIGHT SAY THAT I JUST MISSED IT BECAUSE IT IS HIGHER CROSSING GUARD.
YEAH, BUT IT MIGHT SOMEWHERE ELSE IT MIGHT SAY ONE.
BUT. SO WHEN IS IT SAFE? NO KID LEAVES ANY OF THOSE SCHOOLS AND IS WALKING HOME.
THEY'RE NOT SAFE UNTIL THEY GET THEIR DOOR RIGHT.
TECHNICALLY, THEORETICALLY, SO PROBABLY NOT EVEN THEN.
ARE THEY CROSS YET? ARE THEY CROSSING ONE STREET TO STREET FIVE STREETS? SO IF THIS IS SILENT ABOUT HOW MANY WHERE YOU COULD ARGUE AND IF SOMETHING WENT WRONG? RIGHT? IT'S THE LAW SAYS HIGHER CROSSING GUARDS AND YOU DON'T HAVE CROSSING GUARDS, ALL FOR EVERY CROSSING, ALL THE WAY HOME, FOR EACH KID.
AND SOME LAWYER IS GOING TO MAKE MONEY OFF OF THAT.
AND THERE'S A LAWSUIT. SO THE INTENT IS UNDERSTANDABLE.
WE WANT CHILDREN TO BE SAFE WHEN THEY'RE CROSSING THE STREET AT HOME.
EVERYBODY WANTS THAT. BUT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THIS IS FIXING A FLOOD WITH A FIRE HOSE.
YOU KNOW, IT'S JUST ADD MORE WATER TO IT.
I'M READING AND TRYING TO READ HERE.
CROSSING GUARD DOESN'T EVEN NECESSARILY DEFINE WHAT THEY MEAN FOR ACTUAL PEDESTRIAN TRAFFIC. OR ARE THEY TALKING ABOUT THE PEOPLE WHO ALSO DIRECT TRAFFIC FROM SCHOOLS? I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE CONSIDERED CROSSING GUARD.
I'M NOT SEEING WHERE IT SPECIFIES A PEDESTRIAN.
[INAUDIBLE] FOR THE SCHOOL BUSSES THERE.
THIS IS ONE [INAUDIBLE] WHO'S OPPOSED, RIGHT? YEAH. THE REASON WHY.
I THINK WE [INAUDIBLE] WE AGREE ON THAT OPPOSITION.
IT'S NOT FOR THE RECORD, I DON'T I AGREE WITH THE CONCEPT OF CROSSING GUARDS THAT YES, WE SHOULD UTILIZE THEM TO KEEP THE KIDS SAFE.
[01:05:02]
THE WAY THAT THIS BILL IS WRITTEN IS NOT.IS AWFUL. IT'S WELL, IT'S ALMOST NOT FUNCTIONAL, RIGHT? IT DOES. IT'S THERE'S TOO MANY MISSING PIECES HERE AND THERE'S TOO MUCH.
ABSOLUTELY. RIGHT. LIKE I SAID, THE CONCEPT, I'M FINE WITH IT TO BE A HUNDRED PERCENT HONEST WITH YOU. IF IT FELL DOWN TO A BUDGET ITEM, I WOULD CERTAINLY NOT OPPOSE IT, BUT THAT BILL NEEDS A LOT OF WORK.
ALL RIGHT, COUNTY COMMISSIONERS THANK YOU FOR THE REQUEST FOR FEEDBACK.
BOARD AND STAFF, THANK YOU EVERYBODY FOR BEING HERE.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE AS GOOD OF THE [INAUDIBLE]? ALL RIGHT HERE.
HEARING NONE, DO I HAVE MOTION TO ADJOURN? I GUESS FUTURE MEETINGS [INAUDIBLE] MOTION BY MR. JONES FOR A SECOND.
SECOND BY MR. BARTON AL THOSE IN FAVOR.
THANK YOU. THANK YOU EVERYBODY.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.