Sep 13, 2022 City Council

[00:00:01]

THANK YOU, MAYOR, THANK YOU COUNCIL, I'M SANJIV SINGHAL.

I LIVE ON 2360 WINDSONG LANE ALLEN, TEXAS HAVE LIVED HERE FOR ABOUT 11 YEARS.

[1. Call to Order and Announce a Quorum is Present.]

THE REASON WE MOVED HERE, I THINK THERE ARE A FEW THINGS THAT WE SHOULD RECOGNIZE.

WE LIVE IN A COMMUNITY THAT'S PROVIDED GOOD STEWARDSHIP.

I MEAN, WE'VE HAD GREAT MAYORS, GREAT CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, AND THEY'VE BUILT THE CITY TO WHERE IT'S A DESIRABLE PLACE TO LIVE IN.

IT HAS EXTRAS.

IT HAS A PARKS AND RECREATION SYSTEM.

[3.1 Presentation of Proclamations by the Office of the Mayor.]

WE AND WHATEVER IS THERE NEEDS TO BE MAINTAINED AND MORE NEEDS TO BE BUILT.

THAT IS NOT GOING TO HAPPEN.

WE LIVE IN AN AFFLUENT COMMUNITY.

WE ATTRACT A CERTAIN TYPE OF YOU KNOW DEMOGRAPHIC IN A CITY THAT HAS AN AVERAGE PROPERTY VALUE OF $430,000 OR SOME SOMEWHERE SOMEWHERE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT $44 A YEAR.

WE'RE TALKING ABOUT $44 A YEAR TO MAINTAIN WHAT WE HAVE, BUILD ON IT, ATTRACT MORE PEOPLE TO WHAT WE'VE CREATED.

AND THIS IS NOT BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE.

THIS IS TAKING SHORTCUTS.

SO I OPPOSE THE NNR.

I THINK WE SHOULD BE SPENDING MONEY WISELY.

AND IF IT IF THAT MEANS INCREASING IT SLIGHTLY, SO BE IT.

I TRUST YOU GUYS TO DO THE RIGHT THING BECAUSE PEOPLE BEFORE YOU HAVE DONE THE RIGHT THING FOR THE CITY, DON'T TAKE SHORTCUTS.

DON'T DO THE THINGS THAT ARE POLITICALLY EXPEDIENT, BUT BAD FOR THE CITY IN THE LONG RUN.

WHICH IS WHICH IS WHAT I THINK NNR WILL DO.

IT'LL STOP ATTRACTING THE PEOPLE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO ATTRACT TO THIS.

I MEAN, PEOPLE LIKE ME WON'T MOVE IF WE SEE THE INFRASTRUCTURE GOING DOWN.

AND I'VE LIVED HERE FOR 11 YEARS, I PLAN TO LIVE HERE FOR THE NEXT 20, 30 TILL I DIE.

I WANT THE CITY TO GROW AND IMPROVE AND BECOME A SOUGHT AFTER DESTINATION LIKE IT IS RIGHT NOW.

I DON'T WANT IT TO DECAY.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU, SANJIV.

NEXT. I HAVE CARDS OF PEOPLE THAT DO NOT WANT TO SPEAK, BUT THEY DID WANT TO BE RECOGNIZED FOR THEIR POSITION.

SO I HAVE DIDI SCAIFE FROM 403 WEST COATS DRIVE WHO WANTS TO RECORD HER SUPPORT OF THE PROPOSED TAX RATE AND BUDGET.

THEN I HAVE ANN MELON CAMPBELL 205 [INAUDIBLE] SHE WANTS TO RECORD HER SUPPORT FOR NNR.

I HAVE. YES.

I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK. OKAY.

SURE.

THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK.

MY NAME IS ANN MELLON CAMPBELL.

205 [INAUDIBLE] I HAVE LIVED IN ALLEN FOR ABOUT 22 YEARS NOW.

I MOVED HERE FROM LOS ANGELES.

I CONSIDER MYSELF TO BE EXTREMELY BLESSED TO HAVE HAD THREE KIDS GO THROUGH ALLEN HIGH SCHOOL COULDN'T BE MORE HAPPY.

I KEEP TRYING TO CONVINCE FAMILY MEMBERS TO MOVE HERE AND THEY DON'T WANT TO.

THAT'S THEIR LOSS.

LAST TIME I SPOKE, BECAUSE I DO SUPPORT THE UNDERDOG, WE HAVE SEVERAL UNDERDOGS IN THE CITY AND IT SOUNDS LIKE THEY ARE.

BASED ON TONIGHT'S MEETINGS AND COMMENTS THAT THEY ARE OF NO ACCOUNT TO A LOT OF THE CITIZENS HERE.

BUT I DO WANT TO FIRMLY STATE THAT THEY ARE CITIZENS OF ALLEN AND WE NEED TO CONSIDER ALL OF ALLEN CITIZENS IN THESE DECISIONS.

AND WE NEED TO HAVE SOME COMPASSION FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT AS AS FORTUNATE AS SOME OF OUR SOME OF THE OTHER ONES.

AT THE LAST MEETING I QUOTED SOME STATISTICS AND STATISTICS ARE FACTUAL.

WE CONTINUE TO SEE A REDUCTION OF OUR SENIOR CITIZENS IN THE CITY OF ALLEN.

WE ARE CURRENTLY AT 9% OF THE POPULATION VERSUS 11% IN NO, I'M SORRY, IT'S 13% IN PLANO, 14% IN RICHARDSON.

NOW, WHY IS THE REASON FOR THAT IS BECAUSE ALLEN IS BECOMING UNAFFORDABLE.

SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S CONGRATULATIONS IF YOU'RE NEW TO ALLEN AND YOU COME FROM AN AREA THAT IS A LITTLE MORE PRESTIGIOUS OR YOU HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY THAN SOME, BUT YOU NEED TO CONSIDER THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE REALLY STRUGGLING AND THEY SHOULDN'T BE FORCED TO LEAVE THE CITY OF ALLEN WHERE THEY'VE LIVED THEIR ENTIRE LIFE BECAUSE WE HAVE TROUBLE CONTROLLING OUR EXPENSES.

SO PLEASE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT EVERY CITIZEN AND VOTE NO ON THE BUDGET AND VOTE YES ON NNR.

[00:05:02]

THEN I HAD TIFFANY [INAUDIBLE] 1010 BANDOLIER DRIVE, WHO ALSO WANTED TO HAVE HER

[5. Consent Agenda.]

THEN WE HAVE MR. RON CHEEK, 903 GLEN ROSE DRIVE, WHO WANTED TO RECORD HIS SUPPORT OF THE NNR RATE.

THEN I HAVE [INAUDIBLE] LAMB, 806 BANDERA DRIVE, WHO WANTED TO RECORD HER OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED TAX RATE.

I HAVE RANDY AND ANN NORTON AT 1410 PLACER DRIVE, WHO WANTED TO RECORD THEIR SUPPORT OF NNR.

I HAVE SUE CASINAS.

1108 WINNSBORO COURT, WHO WANTED TO RECORD HER SUPPORT OF THE ORIGINAL BUDGET AND TAX RATE, AS PROPOSED BY CITY STAFF.

OPPOSITION TO NNR BUDGET.

HAVE STEPHANIE BOND AT 509 COLGATE DRIVE WHO WANTED TO INDICATE HER SUPPORT OF ENR AND TO HAVE INCREASE.

I THINK THAT'S WHAT SHE'S SAYING. I'M NOT SURE.

BUT BASICALLY SHE SAYS NO RAISE TAXES.

THE NEXT I HAVE MIKE MORAN AT 806 BANDERA DRIVE WHO WANTED TO RECORD HIS OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND TAX RATE ON THE AGENDA TONIGHT.

THEN I HAVE GEORGIAN MONTGOMERY AT 607 [INAUDIBLE] WHAT IS THAT? ARE THEY HERE? I CAN'T READ THEIR HANDWRITING'S.

ALL RIGHT. SHELLY WILL FIGURE IT OUT.

SHE SAYS SHE CAN FIGURE OUT ANYBODY'S HANDWRITING.

SO THEY WANTED TO INDICATE THEIR OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED TAX RATE AND BUDGET ON THE AGENDA.

AND THEN LAST, I HAVE MELINDA KAISER.

925 SOUTH PARK DRIVE.

DIDN'T WISH TO SPEAK, BUT SHE WANTED TO EXPRESS HER OPPOSITION TO THE PROPOSED NNR TAX RATE.

THOSE ARE ALL THE CARDS THAT I HAVE.

IF THERE IS ANYONE ELSE WISHING TO SPEAK FOR OR AGAINST THE PROPOSED TAX RATE AND AGENDA.

NOW'S YOUR TIME TO COME FORWARD.

AND PLEASE STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD.

AND YOU DO HAVE A THREE MINUTE TIME LIMIT BECAUSE I DID SEE YOU COME IN A LITTLE LATER, SO.

YES, SIR. MY NAME IS ABRAHAM GEORGE.

[6.1 Conduct a Public Hearing and adopt an Ordinance to amend the development regulations of Parcel 3 of Planned Development No. 68 with a base zoning of Corridor Commercial by adding additional permitted uses relating to the development and use of Lot 3, Block 1, Allen Tech Center Addition. [Bethany Crossing]]

I AM THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COLLIN COUNTY REPUBLICAN.

WHAT IS YOUR PLACE OF RESIDENCE? IT IS 6500 SOUTHRIDGE PARK PARKWAY.

I DO LIVE IN PARKER AND USE SOME OF THE CITY OF ALLEN'S FACILITIES FOR PARKS AND RECREATION, BY THE WAY.

RONALD REAGAN ONCE SAID NO GOVERNMENT EVER WILL VOLUNTARILY REDUCE ITS SIZE.

GOVERNMENT PROGRAMS, ONCE LAUNCHED, NEVER DISAPPEAR.

AND ACTUALLY, GOVERNMENT IS THE BUREAU THAT'S NEAREST THING TO ETERNAL LIFE HERE IN THE EARTH.

SO I'M HERE TO TALK ABOUT TWO THINGS.

TODAY, THE MARKET, IF YOU WATCH THE MARKET, IT CRASH LIKE CRAZY.

PEOPLE ARE STRUGGLING.

AND I UNDERSTAND CITY HAVE A CITY COUNCIL HAVE A OBLIGATION TO THE CITY TO KEEP THE CITY IN ITS RIGHT TRACK AND KEEP BUILDING THE CITY.

BUT AS TO AS A CONSERVATIVE, I URGE ALL OF YOU TO LOOK AT WHERE WE ARE AT IN OUR COUNTRY.

AND WE ARE NOT HERE WITH TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DEBT BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T TAXED ENOUGH.

IT'S BECAUSE THE GOVERNMENT IS SPENDING TOO MUCH.

AND THAT'S I'M TALKING ABOUT COUNTRYWIDE, NATIONWIDE AND HERE IN COLLIN COUNTY.

WE HAD TO RAISE OUR TAXES THIS TIME THE COUNTY WIDE.

AND THERE IS MORE INFRASTRUCTURE BILLS THAT'S COMING UP NEXT YEAR.

SO THE COUNTY TAXES ARE GOING UP AGAIN NEXT YEAR.

THEY DON'T HAVE A CHOICE.

THEY WILL RAISE THE TAXES IN THE COUNTY ONE MORE TIME NEXT YEAR.

SO ANY CITY WHO CAN AFFORD IT PROPERLY AFFORD IT.

I WOULD HIGHLY URGE ALL OF YOU TO CONSIDER KEEPING YOUR TAXES LOW AS POSSIBLE.

AGAIN, I'M NOT PART OF THE CITY, SO I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT TO DO.

BUT I AM ASKING YOU TO CONSIDER THAT, ESPECIALLY IN MAY, MAY, MAY, MAY OF 2023, WE HAVE ELECTIONS AND THE COLLIN COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY IS NOW OFFICIALLY INVOLVED IN LOCAL ELECTIONS.

SO WE WILL LOOK FOR CANDIDATES WHO ARE FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE AND WE WILL LOOK FOR CANDIDATES WHO WILL SUPPORT PARTY'S PLATFORM.

[00:10:10]

GO AHEAD AND COME FORWARD.

BE SURE TO STATE YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS FOR THE RECORD, PLEASE.

THANK YOU. MY NAME IS AMIR.

I LIVE IN 1054 BIG SPRING DRIVE.

THE FIRST TIME THAT I'M IN FRONT OF THIS COUNCIL, I'VE BEEN LIVING IN ALLEN FOR 11 YEARS.

NEVER THOUGHT OF DOING ANY CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.

THANK YOU FOR THE TIME I I'M SPEAKING ONLY BECAUSE OF THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER.

I THINK THIS WHOLE ISSUE THAT WE ARE DISCUSSING IS A VERY DIFFICULT ISSUE.

THERE ARE EXPENSES THAT NEED TO BE INCURRED.

SOMETIMES IT IS AT THE COST OF FOLKS WHO ARE FINDING IT DIFFICULT TO PAY FOR THOSE EXPENSES.

ANY POLITICIZATION RARELY GETS YOU TO A SOLUTION.

I STRONGLY URGE THAT AT LEAST WE DISALLOW PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT IN THE CITY FROM TAKING UP AND TRYING TO INFLUENCE OUR CITY'S ACTIVITIES.

THE PREVIOUS SPEAKER TALKED ABOUT THE FACT THAT HE IS A CONSERVATIVE AND HE IS LEADING THE COLLIN COUNTY REPUBLICAN PARTY.

[6.2 Conduct a Public Hearing and adopt an Ordinance to amend the Development Regulations of Planned Development No. 73 with a base zoning of Shopping Center relating to an increase in the maximum height and adopting a Concept Plan for the property generally located south and west of Andrews Parkway. [Top Golf]]

I WOULD STRONGLY URGE THAT WE DO NOT ALLOW THAT.

IF THEY DO HAVE OPINIONS, THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATE THAT IN VARIOUS OTHER FORMS. THEY CAN SEND EMAILS.

PLEASE DO NOT LET POLITICIZATION, WHICH IS ESSENTIALLY WHAT HAS HAPPENED BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IN VARIOUS FORUMS, I KNOW PEOPLE LIKE DAVE CORNETTE, WHO HAS BEEN OPEN MINDED ABOUT MANY THINGS, BUT ONCE YOU POLITICIZE IT BY BRANDING IT AS NNR AND I WILL GO ONLY FOR NNR, IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE TO COME TO COME TOGETHER, AND INTERVENTIONS LIKE THE LAST SPEAKER ONLY MAKES IT WORSE.

SO I REQUEST YOU TO CONSIDER PUTTING ALL YOUR HEADS TOGETHER TO SOLVE THIS PROBLEM RATHER THAN [INAUDIBLE] IT FURTHER WITH POLITICAL DIVISION.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. HI KRISTIE MAORI, 808 CYPRESS DRIVE ALLEN.

HE'S RIGHT. IT'S NOT A POLITICAL ISSUE.

IT'S A MORAL ISSUE.

THIS ISN'T ABOUT LEFT OR RIGHT.

IT'S ABOUT RIGHT OR WRONG.

AND IT IS MORALLY AND ETHICALLY WRONG TO TAX PEOPLE OUT OF THEIR HOMES.

PEOPLE THAT HAVE LIVED HERE THEIR WHOLE LIFE SHOULD NOT BE FORCED TO DECIDE IF THEY NEED TO SELL THEIR HOUSE AND GO MOVE SOMEPLACE ELSE.

DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S $44, IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S TO STARBUCKS.

WE SHOULDN'T EVEN IT SHOULDN'T EVEN ABOUT ADOPTING YES TO THE NO NEW RATE.

WE SHOULD BE LOWERING TAXES.

AND I LOOK FORWARD TO THE DAY WHEN WE END PROPERTY TAX ALTOGETHER.

THANK YOU. IS THERE ANYONE ELSE? YEAH. MY NAME IS JAMES KERR, AND I'VE LIVED HERE 54 YEARS.

I LIVE AT 406 WATSON DRIVE AND I'VE HAD A BUSINESS IN ALLEN FOR 50 YEARS.

WE'RE NOT IN THE BUSINESS.

WE'RE NOT IN. WE'RE NOT A BUSINESS.

WE'RE NOT IN THE BUSINESS OF CHARGING MONEY FOR OUR SERVICES.

I PUT TOGETHER MORE BUDGETS AND HAVING SPENT 24 YEARS ON THE SCHOOL BOARD AND OVER 20 YEARS ON THE NORTH TEXAS [INAUDIBLE] WATER DISTRICT BOARD, AND THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME WE'VE BEEN THROUGH INFLATION.

THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME WE'VE HAD TO PAY HIGHER TAXES AND THE FIRST TIME WE'VE HAD TO PAY HIGHER INTEREST RATES ON BONDS.

WE PAID. WE SPENT WE SOLD BONDS FOR OVER 20% INTEREST.

FOLKS MOST OF THE STREETS WERE HERE WHEN I GOT HERE.

I WATCHED THEM PAVE ALL THE STREETS HERE NOW, AND I WATCHED THEM WEAR OUT AND THEY NEED TO BE REPLACED.

AND IT'S ONLY GOING TO COST MORE NEXT YEAR TO REPLACE IT.

THEY DID THIS YEAR BECAUSE OF THE INFLATION WE BOASTED IN THE NORTH SACRAMENTO WATER DISTRICT BOARD.

18% INCREASE IN CONSTRUCTION COSTS FOR NEXT YEAR.

THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN TOLD IS GOING TO BE FOR A NUMBER OF THE ENGINEERING SOCIETIES HERE IN ALLEN.

I'VE BEEN PAYING TAXES HERE FOR 50 YEARS.

OUR HOUSE IS PAID FOR.

[00:15:01]

I'M 85 YEARS OLD.

I'LL DIE HERE.

I RAISED FOUR CHILDREN.

ALL OF THEM WENT THROUGH ALLEN HIGH SCHOOL.

I HAD ONE GRANDDAUGHTER GO THROUGH IT.

I'M FOR THE TAX RATE THAT THE CITY MANAGERS PROPOSE.

THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME, FOLKS.

THANK YOU, JIM.

[Items 6.3 & 6.4]

TURN THE MATTER BACK OVER TO THE COUNCIL.

I WILL MAKE NOTE THAT IT'S 8:42 AND I HATE TO ASK, BUT DOES ANYBODY WANT TO TAKE A BIO BREAK FOR ABOUT FIVE OR 10 MINUTES AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK AND TALK BECAUSE I KNOW THE CONVERSATION ISN'T GOING TO BE SHORT.

ALL RIGHT. SO IT'S 8:42.

WE'LL COME BACK AND RECONVENE AT 8:52.

10 MINUTES. THANK YOU.

I WILL GO AHEAD AND RECONVENE THE ALLEN CITY COUNCIL MEETING AND TURN THE MATTER BACK OVER TO THE COUNCIL.

I WOULD WANT TO START OFF BY SAYING THANK YOU TO EVERYONE THAT EXPRESSED THEIR OPINIONS ON THIS MATTER.

IT'S VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.

ALL OF YOUR OPINIONS ARE VALUED WHETHER WE AGREE WITH THEM OR NOT, BUT WE CERTAINLY APPRECIATE YOU TAKING THE TIME UP HERE, AS MANY DO NOT NECESSARILY DO THAT, SO WE APPRECIATE IT. I DID WANT TO AT LEAST MAKE NOTE TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS THAT THERE IS KIND OF A PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE PROCESS THAT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE FOLLOW.

AND THAT IS IS THAT WHEN EACH PERSON SPEAKS, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE SURE THAT EACH PERSON GETS TO SPEAK ONE TIME BEFORE YOU COME BACK FOR REBUTTAL, I GUESS IF YOU WANT TO SAY THAT. SO WE'LL FOLLOW THAT.

I'LL TRY TO KEEP TABS OF WHO HAS SPOKEN SO THAT WE'LL FOLLOW THAT PROCESS AND WE WOULD DO THE SAME THING IF WE HAVE ADDITIONAL COMMENTS BEYOND THAT.

SO WITH THAT, I WOULD OPEN IT UP TO THE COUNCIL MEMBERS TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE YOUR COMMENTS.

BEFORE WE DO, THOUGH, I DO WANT TO LET THE CROWD KNOW THAT THIS IS NOW COUNCIL'S TIME.

IT'S OUR TIME TO SPEAK.

YOU'VE HAD YOUR CHANCE TO SPEAK.

SO IF SOMEBODY KIND OF GETS ROWDY AND DECIDE THAT YOU WANT TO START TALKING BACK TO US OR ASK US A BUNCH OF QUESTIONS, I WILL BASICALLY CALL YOU OUT OF ORDER, GIVE YOU A WARNING.

AND IF YOU DECIDE YOU WANT TO CONTINUE TO DO THAT, THEN I MAY HAVE YOU REMOVED FROM THE CHAMBERS.

OBVIOUSLY, I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT.

I DON'T EXPECT THAT TO HAPPEN.

BUT I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THAT'S THE PROCESS THAT WE FOLLOW.

SO WITH THAT, ANY COUNCIL MEMBERS, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND TALK OR? MAYOR I'LL GO ON AHEAD AND START OFF NOT SEEING ANYBODY ELSE MAKING A MAD DASH FOR THE MICROPHONE.

SO I CAN'T SAY I NECESSARILY BLAME Y'ALL.

TO ME, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE ORIGINAL PROPOSED BUDGET AND TONIGHT'S PROPOSED NNR BUDGET AMOUNTS TO FOUR AREAS OF THE BUDGET SUGGESTED BY CITY STAFF, RADIO REPLACEMENT, NEIGHBORHOOD REVITALIZATION, FACILITY MAINTENANCE AND YES, STREET MAINTENANCE.

THESE ITEMS WERE EITHER NEW AND NEVER BEFORE FUNDED IN THIS MANNER OR RECEIVING SUBSTANTIAL INCREASES.

ALL FOUR OF THESE AREAS ARE GOING TO BE PROPERLY FUNDED.

IT IS A TEMPORARY REDUCTION WITH A DELAYED ROLLOUT.

ONCE THE ARPA FUNDS ARE RECEIVED, WHICH WE HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO BELIEVE WE WILL NOT RECEIVE.

REGARDING STREET MAINTENANCE, THERE HAVE BEEN MULTIPLE ERRORS LISTED IN THE NARRATIVE.

OPPOSING ENR STREET REPAIR HAS NOT BEEN CUT.

IN FACT, WITH THE $650,000 TEMPORARY REDUCTION.

STREET REPAIR WILL STILL IS STILL GETTING AN INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR.

ONCE THE ARPA FUNDS ARE RECEIVED THAT $650,000 WILL BE RETURNED TO STREET FUNDS OR STREET REPAIRS, ALONG WITH AN ADDITIONAL $231,097 FOR A TOTAL OF $881,097 AS LISTED IN PETE PHYLLIS'S SLIDES. AND THAT DOESN'T EVEN GO INTO THE $900,000 BEING SPENT ON BRIDGE ON BRIDGE MAINTENANCE THAT IS NONETHELESS LISTED UNDER STREET MAINTENANCE IN THE PROPOSED CIP.

WITHOUT BEING INCLUDED IN THE TOTAL STREET MAINTENANCE FIGURE, CONTRARY TO WHAT I BELIEVE IS AN INTENTIONALLY MISLEADING FLIER BEING PASSED AROUND TOWN, STREET MAINTENANCE IS NOT GOING TO BE DEFUNDED OR DEFERRED.

NOR WAS THAT THE CASE FOR THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, WHICH IS, OF COURSE, IS COMING TO AN END.

WE AS A CITY ARE FACED WITH EXTREMELY VOLATILE ECONOMIC TIMES AFTER FOUR YEARS OF ECONOMIC PROSPERITY.

[00:20:04]

ONE DEPARTMENT IS ASKING FOR APPROVAL FOR 59 NEW FTES AND HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE ESSENTIAL CITY SERVICES OF POLICE, FIRE, WATER AND SEWER OR EVEN STREET MAINTENANCE.

THE SIMPLE REALITY IS THAT THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF OUR CITIZENS WILL BE ADVERSELY AFFECTED IN SOME MANNER BY THIS RECESSION.

AND IT IS OUR DUTY AND OUR OBLIGATION AS COUNCIL MEMBERS TO LOOK OUT FOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS WHEN APPROVING A BUDGET AND TAX RATE.

$10 PER EVERY 100,000 AND TAXABLE VALUE MAY NOT BE MUCH TO SOME, BUT AS I SAID LAST YEAR, IT CAN BE A FEW SCHOOL LUNCHES TO OTHERS.

THIS IS IMPORTANT.

IT ISN'T PERFECT, BUT IT IS IMPORTANT.

THAT BEING SAID, I DO RECOGNIZE THAT IN AN OR MAY NOT BE POSSIBLE NEXT YEAR AND LIKELY ISN'T SUSTAINABLE BEYOND THIS YEAR.

SO MAYOR, LAST YEAR YOU POINTED EACH ONE OF US OUT AND YOU ASKED US A QUESTION WHERE DO WE STAND IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS? AND I RESPONDED, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE FOLLOWING YEARS BRING WITH THIS.

I'M GOING TO CLOSE WITH MY MESSAGE WITH A PROPOSAL TO MY FELLOW COUNCIL MEMBERS.

LET'S PASS THIS NNR BUDGET THIS YEAR AND AVOID A COSTLY GRIDLOCK TO OUR CITIZENS, TO THE TUNE OF $362,000, PLUS ADDITIONAL FEES FOR FAILURE TO MEET OUR DEADLINE WITH THE COUNTY.

THAT'S ONE TOO.

LET'S INSTITUTE A MEANINGFUL GENERAL HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION BY THE CLOSE OF THE SECOND MEETING IN JUNE, IN TIME FOR THE JULY 4TH STATUTORY DEADLINE FOR THE 2023 2024 FISCAL YEAR.

IF WE CAN ACCOMPLISH BOTH OF THESE, WHILE I CANNOT SAY I WILL ACCEPT THE PROPOSED RATE NEXT YEAR, I CAN DEFINITIVELY SAY THAT WHEN THE VOTE COMES BEFORE US, I'LL BE THE FIFTH VOTE THAT YOU NEED FOR A TAX RATE OVER IN NRW NEXT YEAR.

THANK YOU. ANY OTHERS.

DAREN.

SIR, I WOULD LIKE TO THANK OUR RESIDENTS THAT HAVE VOICED THEIR VIEWS ON THE BUDGET, BOTH TONIGHT DURING THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING, AS WELL AS THOSE THAT HAVE EMAILED IN THEIR THOUGHTS AND VIEWS ON THE BUDGET.

I DO BELIEVE THAT THE MORE ENGAGED AND PROPERLY INFORMED OUR RESIDENTS ARE, THE MORE IT HELPS THE CITY OF ALLEN TO BE MORE TRANSPARENT, WHICH MAKES US OVERALL A BETTER COMMUNITY.

THERE HAS BEEN AN ABUNDANCE OF COMMENTS FLOATING AROUND MISSTATING OR MISUNDERSTANDING WHAT NO NEW REVENUE, NNR ACTUALLY IS.

SO ONE ONE YEAR AGO AT THE SAME BUDGET MEETING, COUNCIL MEETING, SOME OF THOSE MISSTATEMENTS WERE ACTUALLY MADE BY SITTING COUNCIL MEMBERS.

SO I CAN APPRECIATE WHY WE HAVE SOME OF THE CONFUSION THAT WE DO.

SO LET'S LEVEL SET.

LET'S DEFINE WHAT NO NEW REVENUE MEANS, SO WE'RE ALL ON THE SAME PAGE.

A NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE ONLY MEANS THAT WE ARE NOT COLLECTING ADDITIONAL PROPERTY TAX ON OUR EXISTING PROPERTIES.

WE HAVE MULTIPLE TAX REVENUES LIKE PETE SHOWED US.

TAX REVENUE STREAMS COMING INTO THE CITY, SO WE MOST DEFINITELY HAVE AN OVERALL INCREASE IN CITY PROPERTY, IN CITY TAXES.

WE HAVE AN INCREASE IN CITY TAXES EVERY TIME NEW PROPERTIES ARE BUILT AND THEY'RE ADDED TO THE TAX ROLLS.

EVERY TIME A NEW PROPERTY IS BUILT, WHETHER IT BE COMMERCIAL OR RESIDENTIAL, THE CITY COLLECTS BRAND NEW PROPERTY TAXES ON THOSE PROPERTIES.

THOSE ARE ADDITIONAL TAX DOLLARS THE CITY DID NOT HAVE THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

SALES TAX IS ANOTHER REVENUE STREAM OF HOW OUR CITY TAX REVENUES ARE INCREASED FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT WHEN CONSUMERS PURCHASE MORE GOODS AND SERVICES IN THE CITY OF ALLEN THAN THEY DID THE PREVIOUS YEAR, THE CITY COLLECTS ADDITIONAL SALES TAX REVENUE.

SO THOSE ARE EXAMPLES OF HOW THE CITY TAXES ARE INDEED INCREASED OVERALL YEAR OVER YEAR, EVEN WHEN WE IMPLEMENT A NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE.

IN ADDITION TO TAXES, THERE'S NON TAXING REVENUE SOURCES.

THEY PROVIDE ADDITIONAL REVENUES TO THE CITY.

[00:25:01]

THAT'S A REVENUE STREAM THAT HELPS FUND OUR CITY.

AND AS OUR POPULATION GROWS, THE CITY COLLECTS MORE IN SERVICE FEES THAN WE DID THE PREVIOUS YEAR.

WHERE SERVICE FEES ARE INCREASED, IT'S ADDITIONAL REVENUE FOR THE CITY.

SO WHEN WE RECEIVE GRANTS FROM THE COUNTY OR THE STATE OR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, THOSE ARE ALSO ADDITIONAL FUNDING SOURCES FOR THE CITY.

SO A NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE ONLY MEANS THAT WE ARE NOT COLLECTING ADDITIONAL PROPERTY TAX ON THE EXISTING PROPERTIES.

IT DOES NOT MEAN THERE IS NO INCREASE IN THE OVERALL AMOUNT OF CITY TAXES COLLECTED FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT.

I'M ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND I'VE READ ALL THE EMAILS THAT HAVE COME IN AND THERE ARE THERE'S A LOT OF FALSE NARRATIVES OUT THERE ABOUT THIS BUDGET.

AND I UNDERSTAND THERE'S A CERTAIN NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN THE ROOM, THERE'S A CERTAIN NUMBER OF PEOPLE AT HOME.

THIS IS POLITICAL FOOTBALL, RIGHT.

THAT'S ALL, THAT'S ALL IT IS.

SOME PEOPLE ARE NOT GOING TO CHANGE WHAT THEY THINK ABOUT THIS NNR BUDGET.

THEY'RE SURE NOT GOING TO CHANGE WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT THIS BUDGET PUBLICLY, REGARDLESS OF THE FACTS.

AND THAT'S FINE.

THAT'S EVERYBODY'S ENTITLED.

EVERYBODY HAS THE RIGHT TO HAVE THEIR VOICE, THEIR VIEW.

BUT IT'S FOR THOSE RESIDENTS THAT ARE MAYBE UNSURE OF THE FACTS OR MAYBE DON'T REALLY WANT TO SEE THEIR PROPERTY TAXES GO UP.

BUT THEY'VE HEARD THESE FALSE NARRATIVES AND THEY HAVE GENUINE CONCERNS ABOUT THE CITY BEING PROPERLY FUNDED UNDER NNR THIS YEAR.

THAT'S COMING UP HERE.

I WANT TO TRY AND ADDRESS THOSE CONCERNS AND WALK THROUGH WHAT THIS NNR BUDGET ACTUALLY FUNDS RESPECTIVE TO THE ORIGINAL REQUESTS OF CITY MANAGEMENT.

SO IF WE CAN PULL UP MY FIRST SLIDE.

THE ANNUAL BUDGET, IN ADDITION TO BEING THE FINANCIAL DOCUMENT THAT WE KNOW BUDGET TO BE, IS ALSO THE APPROVAL OF CITY MANAGEMENT ON THE NUMBER OF FULL, FULL TIME AND PART TIME EMPLOYEES THE STAFF CAN HIRE.

SO HERE WE HAVE THE ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL REQUESTED BY STAFF, BROKEN DOWN BY DEPARTMENT.

OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT ASKED FOR THREE EMS DISPATCHERS, ONE VICTIM ADVOCATE, THREE POLICE OFFICERS.

THIS NNR BUDGET APPROVED ALL SEVEN POSITIONS THAT STAFF ORIGINALLY ASKED FOR IN OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT.

WE JUST BROKE GROUND ON FIRE STATION NUMBER SIX.

WE ADDED FOUR FIREFIGHTERS LAST YEAR.

WE'RE ADDING FOUR MORE THIS YEAR.

IT WAS GOOD TO HEAR CHIEF BOYD TELL US AT THE RECENT BUDGET WORKSHOP THAT THERE WAS NO MANDATORY OVERTIME.

NO MANDATORY OVERTIME WAS REQUIRED.

THAT WAS ANOTHER FALSE NARRATIVE THAT WE HEARD DURING LAST YEAR'S NNR BUDGET DISCUSSIONS.

AND WE HEARD IT TONIGHT.

THE FOUR FIREFIGHTERS THIS YEAR IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY ASKED FOR, AND IT WAS APPROVED IN THIS BUDGET.

PARKS AND REC, OBVIOUSLY A BIG NUMBER.

WE BUILT A BIG REC CENTER.

IT TAKES A BIG STAFF TO RUN IT.

THIS BUDGET GIVES PARKS AND REC AUTHORIZATION TO HIRE EXACTLY WHAT THEY ASK FOR, WATER AND SEWER AND SOLID WASTE.

THEY ASKED FOR THREE PEOPLE AND YOU CAN SEE THE ADDITIONAL REQUESTS FOR THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.

ALL IN STAFF ASKED FOR 78.48 ADDITIONAL FULL TIME EMPLOYEES AND EVERY SINGLE PERSONNEL REQUEST WAS APPROVED IN THE NNR BUDGET, IN THIS NNR BUDGET, ALL OF THIS CAN BE VERIFIED.

PAGE 21 OF THE BUDGET.

SO NOW WE'VE ELIMINATED THE CONCERN THAT THE CITY MANAGEMENT IS NOT RECEIVING ALL OF THE STAFF THAT THEY'VE REQUESTED.

IF WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT THE FUNDING INCREASES.

YEAR OVER YEAR FISCAL YEAR 23.

THIS BUDGET TO WHAT WE DID WHAT THE DEPARTMENT SPENT LAST YEAR.

WE HAVE THE POLICE DEPARTMENT ASKED FOR $2,207,967 ON TOP OF WHAT THEY SPENT LAST YEAR.

THAT'S A 7% INCREASE.

FIRE ASKED FOR $632.

$632,681, 3% INCREASE.

ONE THING TO POINT OUT, FOR THE FIRST TIME, THE CITY IS CREATING A BRAND NEW RADIO REPLACEMENT FUND FOR FIRE AND POLICE RADIOS.

HISTORICALLY, PREVIOUS COUNCILS HAVE CHOSEN TO FINANCE NEW RADIOS.

WE WANT TO PAY CASH GOING FORWARD.

SO THIS BUDGET IS ALLOCATING SOME OF OUR FEDERAL AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT, ARPA GRANTS TO START THIS FUND.

WHEN THE ARPA FUND COMES IN PROBABLY NEXT QUARTER.

WE'RE ACTUALLY PUTTING $250,000 BACK INTO THE POLICE BUDGET AND $100,000 BACK INTO THE FIRE BUDGET.

SO THE DEPARTMENT INCREASE IS ACTUALLY GOING TO BE 8% FOR POLICE AND 4% FOR FIRE.

[00:30:04]

PARKS AND REC ASKED FOR $2,164,652 MORE THAN THEY SPENT LAST YEAR, 13% INCREASE.

UPPER RIGHT, THE LIBRARY ASKS FOR 223,000 MORE THAN THEY SPENT IN 22.

THIS INCLUDES A NEW VEHICLE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A BOOK DROP OFF AT THE NEW REC CENTER AND THE LIBRARY CAN DRIVE ACROSS TOWN AND PICK UP BOOKS AND BRING THEM BACK TO THE LIBRARY.

COMPROMISE IS ALIVE AND WELL IN THIS BUDGET.

THIS INCREASE AND THIS REQUEST IS APPROVED IN THIS NNR BUDGET.

OUR TECH OR IT DEPARTMENT.

THEY DID NOT ASK FOR ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL.

THEY ASK FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING IN PART TO HELP STRENGTHEN OUR CYBERSECURITY EFFORTS IN PROTECTING OUR DATA AND OUR SYSTEMS. THE $424,210 7% INCREASE OVER WHAT THE DEPARTMENT SPENT LAST YEAR.

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT THEY ASKED FOR AND THIS WAS APPROVED IN THIS BUDGET.

YOU CAN SEE THE PERCENTAGE INCREASES IN THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS.

ALL OF THESE INCREASES ARE THE ORIGINAL REQUEST OF STAFF.

SO NOW EVERY DEPARTMENT HAS RECEIVED THE FUNDING THEY'VE ASKED FOR.

EVERY ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL POSITION STAFF ASKED TO BE APPROVED AND FUNDED IS APPROVED AND FUNDED IN THIS BUDGET.

SO ANY CONCERNS THAT WE ARE UNDERFUNDING OUR DEPARTMENTS BASED ON STAFF'S ORIGINAL REQUEST IS ELIMINATED.

IT'S FALSE.

WITH THIS NNR BUDGET, THE STAFFING CONCERN IS GONE.

THE DEPARTMENTAL FUNDING CONCERN IS GONE.

SO WHERE DOES THAT LEAVE US? LET'S TALK ABOUT STREET MAINTENANCE.

LET'S GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.

AND HERE WE HAVE A TEN YEAR HISTORY.

OF STREET MAINTENANCE AND THE FUNDING.

THE FUNDING SOURCES ON THE LEFT SIDE, WE UTILIZE OUR GENERAL FUND FOR STREET MAINTENANCE.

SOME OF THE FEES WE PAY IN FOR SOLID WASTE REMOVAL ARE UTILIZED FOR STREET MAINTENANCE.

HISTORICALLY, WE'VE ISSUED BONDS FOR STREET MAINTENANCE.

IN 2016, IN A PUBLIC BOND VOTE, A LITTLE OVER $4 MILLION WAS VOTER APPROVED TO BE ISSUED FOR STREET MAINTENANCE.

THE $350,000 BEING UTILIZED AND THIS YEAR'S 2023 BUDGET IS THE LAST OF THOSE BONDS.

THAT'S WHY YOU SEE THE DECREASE.

THE NON BOND FUND.

THAT'S WHEN THE CITY DOES NOT USE ALL OF THE BUDGETED MONEY FROM ONE YEAR TO THE NEXT.

THOSE MONIES ARE TRANSFERRED INTO THIS NON BOND FUND.

OUR CITY GUIDELINE IS THAT WE MAINTAIN THE BALANCE OF THAT FUND BETWEEN 10 TO 15% OF OUR GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES.

LAST YEAR WE UTILIZED $760,985 FOR STREET MAINTENANCE.

THIS YEAR WE'RE ALLOCATING $900,000 IN STREET MAINTENANCE TO SPECIFICALLY BE USED FOR BRIDGES.

AFTER THIS $900,000 IS USED, THE FUND BALANCE WILL STILL BE ABOVE OUR 10% MINIMUM GUIDELINE.

NOW, EVERY COUPLE OF YEARS, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION REVIEWS OUR BRIDGES.

THIS YEAR, THEY SAID, YOU GOT SOME WORK TO DO.

THEY ALSO SAID WE DIDN'T NEED TO DO THAT WORK IMMEDIATELY.

BUT WE DIDN'T KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD.

WE ADDED IT TO THIS YEAR'S BUDGET BECAUSE I THINK THAT WE ALL BELIEVE THAT THAT'S THE SAFE THING TO DO AND IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

THE FEDERAL ARPA FUNDS WERE NOT AVAILABLE UNTIL LAST YEAR AND THIS YEAR'S BUDGET WE'RE GOING TO USE $881,097 FOR ADDITIONAL STREET MAINTENANCE.

SO IN THIS NNR BUDGET, WE'RE GOING TO ALLOCATE MORE MONEY TO STREET MAINTENANCE THAN ANY COUNCIL HAS DONE IN THE LAST DECADE.

THE NA BUDGET LAST YEAR, 2022 ALLOCATED MORE MONEY TO STREET MAINTENANCE THAN ANY COUNCIL DID IN THE PREVIOUS EIGHT YEARS.

I DIDN'T HAVE STAFF GO BACK FURTHER THEN 2014 ON THIS, BUT LAST YEAR WE SET A RECORD IN OVERALL STREET MAINTENANCE FUNDING, AND THIS YEAR WE EXCEEDED THAT RECORD BY ABOUT 12.9%. SO THE CONCERN THAT THIS BUDGET IS REDUCING STREET MAINTENANCE FUNDING IS IT'S A FALSE CONCERN. IT'S JUST NOT TRUE.

WE GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

[00:35:01]

ANY COMMENTS STATING THAT THE $900,000 THAT WE ARE USING FROM THE NON BOND FUND IS NOT ACTUALLY STREET MAINTENANCE.

THAT'S WHAT THAT'S WHAT I'VE HEARD PEOPLE SAY THIS.

EVERY SINGLE PLACE IN THE CIP THAT SHOWS THIS 900,000 THAT WE ARE SPECIFICALLY USING FOR BRIDGES LIST IT AT UNDER STREET MAINTENANCE.

WE'RE VOTING ON THE CIP TONIGHT, SO I DON'T THINK WE'RE GOING TO SIT HERE ON THE DAIS THIS EVENING AND AND MAKE MOTIONS TO RECLASSIFY AND REDEFINE WHAT STREET MAINTENANCE IS JUST TO SATISFY SOMEBODY'S PERSONAL POLITICAL NARRATIVE ON THIS TOPIC, ON THE BUDGET.

I HOPE WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO THAT.

I THINK WE'RE BETTER THAN THAT.

BUT I WANT TO BE VERY CLEAR ON THIS.

ANY DISCUSSION THAT THIS $900,000 IS NOT BEING ALLOCATED TO STREET MAINTENANCE IS IN DIRECT CONTRADICTION TO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN.

SO ALL OF OUR PERSONNEL REQUESTS ARE APPROVED IN THIS BUDGET.

DEPARTMENTAL FUNDING IS APPROVED IN THIS BUDGET.

WE'RE INCREASING OUR STREET MAINTENANCE TO NEARLY $3.9 MILLION.

AGAIN, A 12.9% INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR AND A TEN YEAR RECORD HIGH FOR STREET MAINTENANCE FUNDING.

WHEN WE'RE ABLE TO DO THOSE THINGS WITHOUT INCREASING THE PROPERTY TAXES ON OUR EXISTING HOMEOWNERS, I'M GOING TO SUPPORT THAT BUDGET AND GO TO THE LAST SLIDE AND I'LL WRAP UP. FOR THOSE THAT ARE STILL CONVINCED THAT THEY SHOULD BE PAYING IN MORE, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU RIGHT NOW TO PULL OUT YOUR PHONE, SCAN THE QR CODE ON THE SCREEN.

THIS WILL TAKE YOU TO A DONATION FORM ON THE CITY WEBSITE FOR THE ALLEN PUBLIC LIBRARY, AND I ENCOURAGE YOU TO FILL OUT THAT FORM.

YOU WRITE YOUR CHECK FOR YOUR 30, 40, 50, $60 THAT YOU BELIEVE THAT WE'RE UNDER TAXING YOU.

AND DON'T FORGET ABOUT LAST YEAR BECAUSE WE DIDN'T INCREASE YOUR PROPERTY TAXES LAST YEAR.

SO MAKE SURE YOU ADD LAST YEAR'S 30, 40, 50, 60 BUCKS AND YOU CUT YOUR CHECK AND YOU SEND IT IN TO THE CITY.

WE WILL GLADLY CASH IT AND APPLY IT RIGHT TO THE LIBRARY.

THIS BUDGET, THIS NNR BUDGET IS RESPONSIBLE.

IT FUNDS OUR STAFF'S REQUEST.

IT ALLOCATES MORE MONEY TO STREET MAINTENANCE THAN ANY COUNCIL HAS IN THE LAST TEN YEARS.

IT DOES NOT INCREASE OUR PROPERTY TAXES ON OUR EXISTING HOMEOWNERS.

THIS BUDGET HAS MY SUPPORT.

THANK YOU. COUNCIL, ANYONE ELSE? YEAH, OF COURSE.

YOU KNOW, I GUESS, YOU KNOW, I HEARD FROM TWO COUNCIL MEMBERS AND I GUESS I'VE HEARD THAT THAT THERE'S COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE THAT DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING, YOU KNOW, OR DON'T KNOW WHAT NNR IS OR DON'T KNOW WHAT STREET MAINTENANCE IS.

AND SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.

I APPRECIATE YOUR RESPECT.

YOU KNOW, DAREN'S RIGHT, WE ARE FUNDING OPERATIONS, BUT YOU KNOW, NRR IS NOT ABOUT THIS YEAR.

NNR IS ABOUT YEARS TO COME AND I DISAGREE, WE LAST YEAR WHEN WE WERE DOING BUDGET RETREAT, THE ARPA MONEY CAME UP AND WE VOTED, BEN WASN'T HERE, BUT COUNCIL VOTED UNANIMOUSLY TO PUT THAT $2 MILLION TOWARDS STREET REPAIR BECAUSE WE RECOGNIZE THE NEED.

WE ARE STRIPPING THAT MONEY AWAY FROM STREET REPAIRS.

WE ARE I DON'T KNOW.

I MEAN, I'VE DONE THE MATH.

IT'S A $1.7 MILLION SHORTFALL ON STREET REPAIR.

YOU KNOW, I THINK IF THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS NNR AND WE CAME UP WITH A PROPOSED TAX RATE THAT WE DID, PEOPLE I THINK PEOPLE WOULD BE APPLAUDING US.

REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE ASK TONIGHT, I MEAN, AND I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS BECAUSE THEY WERE VERY REVEALING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO LOWER OUR TAXES.

WELL WE DID 4.1 CENTS FROM, YOU KNOW, A 4.1 CENT DROP.

I JUST DON'T BELIEVE NNR IS RIGHT.

YOU KNOW, WHAT STAFF PRESENTED WAS A VERY COST CONSCIOUS BUDGET.

IT'S FISCALLY DISCIPLINED.

YOU KNOW, I HEAR A LOT OF THESE NUMBERS GOING ON.

I THINK WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN NRW AND PROPOSED BUT ON A HALF A MILLION DOLLAR HOME AND I THINK CAROL COOK SAID IN HER REMARKS THAT EVERYBODY IN THE CITY HAS A I GUESS, AN OBLIGATION OR DUTY TO BEAR SOME RESPONSIBILITY FOR WHAT'S THE INFLATION AND WHAT'S HOW PRICES ARE INCREASING.

[00:40:04]

BUT THAT'S THAT'S SIMPLY NOT THE CASE.

WE HAVE THE SECOND LOWEST TAX RATE IN ALL OF NORTH TEXAS, ONLY BY PLANO.

SOMEBODY SAID, WELL, WILEY, WILEY DID THE NNR.

WELL, WHILE HIS TAX RATE IS $0.14 HIGHER THAN THE CITY OF ALAN, YOU KNOW, WHY DON'T WE GO THERE AND WE'LL START WE'LL START DEBATING NNR.

IF YOU TOOK A $250,000 HOME AND YOU PICKED IT UP AN ALLEN AND YOU MOVED IT TO WILEY AND SAT IT DOWN, YOU'D PAY ABOUT $385 MORE A YEAR IN CITY PROPERTY TAXES.

YOU KNOW, OUR TAXES ARE LOWER THAN FRISCO, MCKINNEY, RICHARDSON SOMEONE COMMENTED TO ME ABOUT ELDERLY I'M SORRY, SOMEONE I HAVE SOME NOTES ABOUT ELDERLY PEOPLE HAVING TO MOVE TO RICHARDSON AND I THINK THAT'S SAD.

IT'S REALLY SAD, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'RE DOING IT BECAUSE RICHARDSON'S TAX RATE IS $0.15 HIGHER THAN THE CITY OF ALLEN.

SO THEY WOULD BE PAYING MORE MONEY TO ACTUALLY LIVE THERE.

THERE WAS A DM AN ARTICLE BACK IN AUGUST 30, 31 THAT SAID WALLETHUB RESEARCH SHOWED ALLEN AS THE SECOND MOST AFFORDABLE PLACE TO GET A HOME.

AND AND I THINK THAT'S ACTUALLY AN INACCURATE ARTICLE BECAUSE IF THEY REALLY WOULD HAVE DONE THEIR RESEARCH, THEY WOULD HAVE FOUND THAT ALLEN IS THE MOST AFFORDABLE CITY TO LIVE IN NORTH TEXAS.

YOU KNOW, IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS, WE'RE GOING TO LOOK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE STEVE MASSEY COME IN HERE FROM COMMUNITY SERVICES, AND HE'S GOING TO SHOW THAT WE HAVE THE LOWEST WATER AND WASTEWATER RATES AND SOLID WASTE RATES OF ANY CITY IN TEXAS.

YOU KNOW, YOU TALK ABOUT FINANCIAL DISCIPLINE AND FINANCIAL FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY.

WE ARE YOU KNOW, WE ARE THE GOLD STANDARD, THE LOWEST DEBT PER CAPITA OF ANY CITY IN NORTH TEXAS.

WE'VE PRACTICED FINANCIAL CONSTRAINT OVER ALL THE YEARS.

AND WE SHOULD BE THANKFUL TO OUR PREDECESSORS, OUR LEADERS THAT CAME BEFORE US, THAT DID SUCH A GREAT JOB TO PUT US IN THE POSITION THAT WE HAVE.

YOU KNOW, THIS ISN'T ABOUT THIS YEAR.

IT'S ABOUT YEARS TO COME.

AND WE HAVE A STUDY THAT'S GOING TO SHOW THAT OUR STREETS ARE DIRE.

I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CAN GO BACK SIX YEARS AND SAY, WOW, WE SPENT 1 MILLION.

YOU KNOW, WE HAVE WE'VE AGED SIX OR SEVEN YEARS, ROADS HAVE AGED.

YOU KNOW, THAT PRICES ARE GOING TO INCREASE BECAUSE INFLATION JUST THE COST OF DOING THE WORK.

SO I DISMISS THE THE IDEA OF COMPARING PRIOR YEARS.

BUT AND AS FAR AS BRIDGES, YOU KNOW, BRIDGES WERE ARE SEPARATE ON THE CIP.

THEY'RE NOT PART OF IN MY MIND.

THEY'RE THEY'RE SEPARATE FROM WHAT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO LEARN FROM MR. FLANAGAN DOWN THE ROAD ABOUT THE IMS STUDY AND WHAT IT'S GOING TO WHAT THE INVESTMENT IS GOING TO BE FOR THE CITY GOING FORWARD.

I, AGAIN, I'VE LIVED IN THIS CITY FOR OVER 35 YEARS AND, AND I PAY THE TAXES HERE. I PAY TAXES JUST LIKE ALL OF YOU.

AND, AND I WANT THE LOWEST RATE POSSIBLE.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME, YOU KNOW, I ALSO WANT TO RETAIN, SUSTAIN OR RETAIN THAT LEVEL OF SERVICES.

AND AND AND, YOU KNOW, BACK AT THE BUDGET RETREAT, I SHOWED SOME NUMBERS AND I SHARED IT WITH ALL THE COUNCIL AND THAT IF YOU HAVE A 500,000 HOME BASED OFF YOU GO, YOU GO DO YOUR YOU GO TO YOUR ESTIMATED TAX PAYMENT OR STATEMENT AND YOU CALCULATE LAST YEAR'S TAX RATE OF $0.47 TO THIS YEAR'S TAX RATE OF 42.9 CENTS.

AND IF YOU LIVE AT A HALF A MILLION DOLLAR HOME, YOUR TAXES ARE GOING UP $9.50 A YEAR.

THAT IS ACCURATE. THAT IS AN ACCURATE STATEMENT.

DO THE MATH. NOW, IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT NNR VERSUS THE PROPOSED RATE, THAT'S A DIFFERENT NUMBER.

BUT JUST DO THE MATH. GO GO HOME.

I ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO HOME.

AND IF YOUR NUMBERS ARE IF YOU HAVE A IF YOUR NUMBER GOES ABOVE $19 A YEAR, THEN YOU LIVE IN $1,000,000 HOME AND THEN MAYBE YOU DON'T FALL INTO THAT CATEGORY.

I DID THE NUMBERS.

I'VE SHARED THEM WITH MANY PEOPLE.

I'VE SHARED THEM. PEOPLE HAVE ASKED FOR PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST.

IF YOU'RE GOING TO SHAKE YOUR HEAD, KNOW THAT IT'S NOT ACCURATE, THEN WHY DON'T YOU? WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING THEN? SO IT'S TO ME, IT'S NOT A HEAVY ASK TO ASK SOMEBODY THAT LIVES IN A HALF A MILLION DOLLAR HOME TO PAY $9.50 MORE A YEAR A CUP OF COFFEE.

I JUST DON'T THINK IT'S IT'S IT'S TOO MUCH TO ASK.

[00:45:03]

AND TO ME, IN A 9% INFLATIONARY ENVIRONMENT, THE CITY OF ALLEN IS ENDURING MOST OF ABSORBING THE DIFFERENCE.

THE REAL WINNERS HERE IN MY MIND ARE THE CYRUS ONE DATA CENTERS, THE CISCO DATA CENTERS OF THE WORLD.

I'VE ALWAYS SAID THAT THAT IN MY CAMPAIGNS AND GOING FORWARD, THE CRITICAL THING FOR US IS TO BUILD OUR COMMERCIAL TAX BASE.

WHY CAN PLANO PROVIDE A LOWER TAX RATE THAN THE CITY OF ALLEN? WELL, YOU KNOW, OVER 30% OF THEIR TAX BASE IS COMMERCIAL.

ALLEN IT'S ABOUT 17%.

SO HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS FROM MR. SHAFER YOU KNOW, I THINK IT'S AN EXCEPTIONAL IDEA.

AND I'VE SAID THIS BEFORE.

YOU KNOW, IF IF OUR STATE IF OUR ESTEEMED STATE LEGISLATORS HAD DONE THEIR MATH AND DONE THEIR HOMEWORK, THEY WOULD HAVE INSTEAD OF NNR THEY WOULD HAVE DONE THEY WOULD HAVE ENCOURAGED HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS IN CITIES, BECAUSE THEN WE HAVE THE POWER TO CONTROL WHAT THE RESIDENTS PAY AND NOT AND STILL CHARGE A TAX RATE TO THE COMMERCIAL SIDE.

IF YOU GIVE A FEW, GIVE A HOME.

THAT'S WHAT FRISCO IS DOING, FOLKS.

FRISCO HASN'T LOWERED THEIR TAX RATE IN FOUR YEARS, BUT WHAT THEY'VE DONE IS THEY THEY THEY JUST STARTED A HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION.

THEY INCREASED IT TO 20% AND THEN THEY STARTED A 65 AND OLDER FREEZE.

THEY GET IT. THE REASON WHY THEY'RE DOING THAT IS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE NOT GOING TO LET JERRY JONES OFF THE HOOK AT THE STAR BECAUSE HE'S TOO MUCH OF A COMMERCIAL TAX BASE.

THEY KEEP THEIR TAX RATE FLAT.

I GUESS I JUST DON'T LIKE THE IDEA OF, YOU KNOW, THIS YEAR, LAST YEAR WAS ARPA MONEY.

THIS YEAR IT'S ARPA MONEY.

NEXT YEAR WHAT'S IT GOING TO BE TO GET THE NNR RATE? POLITICALLY CHARGED IN THIS [INAUDIBLE] WELL, I CAN'T ARGUE THAT.

AND, AND THERE'S A GROUP OUT HERE THAT'S CREATED THAT POLITICAL CHARGE MORE THAN MORE THAN ANYBODY.

I MEAN, I THINK THAT I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW, JUST THE DECISION, YOU KNOW, OF OF JUST THIS NNR DECISION IS A YOU KNOW, WE HAVE A POLARIZING AND MEAN SPIRITED POLITICAL GROUP THAT'S ACTIVE IN OUR CITY.

AND AND THEY'RE POLITICALLY CHARGED.

IN MY MIND, JUST MY MIND, THEY DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY INTEREST IN WHAT'S BEST FOR THE CITY.

THEY JUST ARE INTERESTED IN THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE, NO COMPROMISE, NO NOTHING.

THEY DON'T CARE THAT ALLEN IS CURRENTLY ONE OF THE MOST FISCALLY AND FINANCIALLY SOUND CITIES.

IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT WE'RE THE LOWEST TAX RATE ONLY AMONG PLANO.

IT DOESN'T MATTER THAT WE ARE THE MOST AFFORDABLE CITY.

NONE OF THAT MATTERS. WHAT MATTERS IS NNR, BECAUSE THAT IS THEIR POLITICAL MANTRA.

IN FACT, IT'S ALL ABOUT POLITICAL POWER.

IN FACT, I'VE LEARNED THAT SOME PEOPLE IN THEIR GROUP HAVE LEFT BECAUSE THEY REALIZED THAT THIS WAS ALL ABOUT POLITICAL POWER.

IT'S NOT. IT'S NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS.

IT'S NOT YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT ABOUT ANYTHING BUT ACHIEVING POLITICAL POWER.

AND IN MY MIND, IT'S NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CITY.

WE'RE GOING ON TO OUR SECOND YEAR OF NNR.

LAST YEAR WE WE COULD HANDLE IT.

WHEN I WAS HERE, IT SAID THAT.

BUT NOT THIS YEAR.

YOU KNOW, I THINK EVEN THE COUNTY APPROVED IT.

IT'S INTERESTING IF IF YOU DID THE NUMBERS AND WHAT THE COUNTY PROPOSED FOR A TAX RATE VERSUS NNR VERSUS THEIR PROPOSED RATE.

BOY, ARE THEY MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME.

I MEAN, THEY ARE CHARGING QUITE A BIT TO THE RESIDENTS OF COLLIN COUNTY BECAUSE THEY BRAGGADOCIO BRAGGED ABOUT HOW THEY HIT NNR FOR 10-15 YEARS.

AND WHILE NOW LOOK AT THEM, THEY GOT FACILITIES THAT ARE BROKEN DOWN AND THEY'RE TRYING TO MAKE IT ALL UP.

AND IN ONE YEAR, GO DO THE MATH.

JUST DO THE MATH.

IF YOU WANT, JUST ASK.

SEND ME AN EMAIL AND I'LL SEND YOU THE MATH.

SOME MIGHT CALL IT A FALSE NARRATIVE WHEN I SENT IT TO YOU.

BUT BUT BUT I THINK IT'S PRETTY ACCURATE.

I JUST THINK THAT IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE.

CERTAINLY NOT FOR ALLEN. IF WE WANT TO KEEP THE [INAUDIBLE], THE TRAILS AND THE PARKS AND THAT THAT OUR STATE OF THE ART, WE CAN'T CONTINUE TO DO THAT.

OUR ROADS AND ALLEYS ARE GOING TO DETERIORATE AND THEY'RE GOING TO GET UGLY.

AND AGAIN, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THIS YEAR.

I'M TALKING IF I'M MORE OF A KIND OF A VISIONARY, YOU KNOW, IT'S KIND OF STRATEGY THINKING OUT TO THE FUTURE, NOT BEING MYOPIC TO ONE YEAR.

[00:50:04]

AND AND THE ONLY WAY WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT UP IS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO OUT AND ISSUE DEBT.

I MEAN, I'M TELLING YOU, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A GEO BOND ELECTION AND A NEW POLICE HEADQUARTERS.

AND WE'RE GOING TO LEARN IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS THAT THE STREET REPAIRS THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO INVEST IN ARE MUCH GREATER THAN WE EVEN REALIZED.

WHY? BECAUSE, AS MR. COOK SAID TODAY OR TONIGHT, DID YOU KNOW THAT WE HAVE 661 MILES OF ROADS AND ALLEYS IN OUR CITY? THAT'S A LOT OF ROADS AND ALLEYS.

SOME OF THOSE GOT TO BE FIXED OVER TIME.

RIGHT. AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN A RISING INTEREST RATE ENVIRONMENT THAT WE HAVE AND THAT WE'RE GOING INTO DEBT IS GOING TO BE MUCH MORE COSTLY TWO YEARS FROM NOW THAN ASKING SOMEBODY IN A HALF A MILLION DOLLAR HOME TO PAY $9.40 TODAY. IF WE CONTINUE TO GO DOWN THIS PATH, IT WON'T MATTER ANYMORE, BECAUSE I BELIEVE PEOPLE ARE JUST PEOPLE WON'T WANT TO COME HERE AND LIVE. THEY WON'T WANT TO LIVE IN A BROKEN DOWN CITY.

TODAY, ALLEN IS A VIBRANT, VERY VIBRANT, AFFORDABLE CITY IN COLLIN COUNTY.

WE HAVE SO MUCH TO BRAG ABOUT AND BE PROUD OF.

AGAIN, I SAID LOWEST TAX RATE, LOWEST WATER RATES, SOLID WASTE, LOWEST DEBT PER CAPITA.

WE NEED TO RIGHT THIS SHIP FOLKS.

THIS IS NOT. I'M HERE TO TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, IT MIGHT NOT HAPPEN WHILE I'M HERE AND CERTAINLY NOT WHILE THESE GUYS ARE HERE.

BUT COME COME FOUR OR FIVE YEARS FROM NOW, WE'RE GOING TO.

MR. PHILLIS AND MR. ELLWANGER AND HIS TEAM ARE GOING TO BE LOOKING AROUND AND SAYING, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO GET THE MONEY? AND IT'S GOING TO BE ISSUING DEBT.

WE'VE GOT TO GO BACK TO THE SAME SOUND FISCAL POLICIES THAT OUR PREDECESSORS PROVIDED FOR US.

IT'S BECAUSE OF THEM THAT WE ARE IN SUCH GREAT FINANCIAL SHAPE.

WE'RE GOING TO REGRET THIS.

I'M CONFIDENT THAT WE'RE GOING TO REGRET THIS NNR RATE, AND THE CONSEQUENCES OF THIS DECISION ARE GOING TO BE EVERLASTING.

UNFORTUNATELY, I SAY ALL THAT AND THERE'S NOT A DARN THING I CAN DO ABOUT IT.

AS MR. KAISER SAID EARLIER TONIGHT, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, THANKS TO OUR ESTEEMED LEGISLATORS NNR IS JUST GOING TO HAPPEN BECAUSE JUST THE WAY WE HAVE TO HAVE A SUPERMAJORITY VOTE ON THE TAX RATE AND AND IF WE DON'T GET A SUPERMAJORITY VOTE ON THE TAX RATE, IT AUTOMATICALLY DEFAULTS TO NNR.

THAT IS UNFORTUNATE.

AND AND IF WE ADOPT NNR TONIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO DO IT AGAINST MY WILL.

THANK YOU, CHRIS. BEN.

GOOD EVENING, EVERYONE. THANK YOU FOR ALL THE COMMENTS FROM THE PROPOSED CITY MANAGER RATE.

THE PROPOSED NNR RATE.

THE FIRST TIME I HEARD OF NNR WAS DURING COUNCILMAN COUNCIL CITY COUNCIL CANDIDATE DAREN MEIS LAST YEAR DURING A FORUM THAT YOU PROPOSED.

NATURALLY CURIOUS PERSON LOOKED IT UP, DID A LOT OF RESEARCH LISTENING TO THE CITIZENS WHO LIVE WEST OF 75 AND ALSO EAST OF 75.

BOTH THE PROS AND THE CONS OF EVERY CITIZEN I SPOKE WITH NATURALLY CURIOUS STARTED TO TAKE TICK MARKS FOR EACH PERSON I COMMUNICATED WITH BEFORE THE BUDGET AND UNTIL TONIGHT.

AND THAT NUMBER IS OVER 372.

SO 372 COMMUNICATIONS VIA TEXT, PHONE, EMAIL THAT COUNCIL RECEIVES.

ALSO GOING A LAYER OUT, NOT JUST TAKING THE CITY MANAGER'S APPROACH.

THE ASSISTANT CITY MANAGER APPROACH, THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER'S APPROACH.

COUNCILMAN SHAFER CORNETT, THE GENTLEMAN ON THE COUNCIL AND ALSO MAYOR FULK.

I ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO THE TEXAS MUNICIPAL LEAGUE AND SPOKE WITH THEY DIRECTED TO CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES THAT HAD ADOPTED IN AN HOUR RECENTLY, AND ALSO MUNICIPALITIES AND CITIES THAT HAD DROPPED IN AN ARM.

SO KIND OF BOTH SIDES LISTENING TO UNINTERESTED PARTIES OF WHY THEY ADOPTED AND WHY THEY DROPPED.

THE OVERWHELMING MAJORITY WERE ON THE SIDE OF THE FENCE THAT IT WASN'T SUSTAINABLE, PARAMETERS HAD CHANGED, AND ALSO IT WAS NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE FUTURE OF THE CITY.

SO THAT RANG VERY, VERY TRUE TO KIND OF MY POSITION OF THE CITY MANAGER PROPOSED RATE. IF THAT WAS THE RATE THAT WOULD FULLY FUND ALL OF THE ITEMS LISTED, THEN THAT WOULD BE THE

[00:55:06]

SO A FUTURE EVENT WE'RE BANKING ON, A FUTURE EVENT PROBABLY WILL HAPPEN, MAY NOT.

SO MY POSITION IS SUCCINCT AND BASED ON THE CONVERSATIONS I'VE HAD WITH CITIZENS, CITY ADMINISTRATORS, EXTERNAL ADMINISTRATORS, AND ALSO SOUGHT OUT A MUNICIPAL ECONOMIST WHO SPECIALIZES IN ADVISING ADMINISTRATORS OF CITIES AND MUNICIPALITIES THAT WHAT MAY HAPPEN IF THEY KEEP THE TREND OR KEEP ON TREND FOR HOW THEY'RE SPENDING AND HOW THEY'RE RAISING REVENUE. SO THAT'S WHY I AND COUNCILMEMBER MICE HAD A VERY POIGNANT WORD COMPROMISE.

SO MY MY POSITION IS TO COMPROMISE BETWEEN THE INTERNAL RATE AND THE CITY MANAGER RATE SO THAT WE CAN ALL FEEL AS THOUGH EVERYTHING THAT HAS BEEN EXPRESSED SINCE THE BUDGET WORKSHOP HAS BEEN TAKEN AND THAT WE CAN ALL SEE HOW THIS AFFECTS CITIZENS, SEE HOW THIS AFFECTS THE REPUTATION OF ALLEN AS A PREMIER CITY.

AND I JUST WOULD HOPE THAT WE CAN COME TO A COMPROMISE.

ABOVE NA AND BELOW CITY MANAGER RATE.

WE HAD A BUDGET WORKSHOP ON A TUESDAY EVENING WHERE I PROPOSED JUST SPLITTING IT DOWN THE MIDDLE AND I'M STILL UP FOR THAT, SO THAT'S MY POSITION.

THANK YOU, BEN. I HAVE A PREPARED STATEMENT.

NOTHING BEING THERE IN HAND.

SO ENHANCE AND MAINTAIN.

THOSE WERE THE OPENING WORDS FROM THE CITY MANAGER DURING THE BUDGET WORKSHOP LAST YEAR.

AS A CITY, ELLEN WAS ABLE TO DO JUST THAT THIS YEAR WITH THE NNR AND HENCE AND MAINTAIN THE BUDGET REQUEST FOR STREET MAINTENANCE IS INCREASED THAN 13%.

THE FALSE NARRATIVE YOU HAVE HEARD ABOUT STREET MAINTENANCE GETTING CUT IS JUST THAT FALSE.

STREETS JUST LIKE LAST YEAR WILL BE ENHANCED AND MAINTAIN.

THE BUDGET PROVIDES OVER 3.8 MILLION FOR STREET REPAIR, INCLUDING THE 900 FOR BRIDGE, 900,000 FOR BRIDGE REPAIR, WHICH FALLS UNDER STREET MAINTENANCE.

THIS IS THE MOST THAT WE HAVE SPENT IN THE HISTORY OF ALLEN.

THE CITY IS ALSO DOING A SURVEY OF OUR STREETS OVER 600 MILES THAT WILL TAKE THE GUESSWORK OUT OF WHICH STREET NEEDS REPAIR.

THIS WILL HELP TO SAVE FUNDS IN THE FUTURE AND BECOME MORE TARGETED TO PROACTIVELY ADDRESS STREET MAINTENANCE ISSUES BEFORE THEY BECOME A LARGE PROBLEM UNDER THE NNR.

ALL REQUESTED DEPARTMENT FUNDS ARE BEING APPROVED AND ALL REQUESTED NEW HIRES ARE BEING APPROVED.

LET ME REPEAT THAT.

EVERY CITY DEPARTMENT WILL BE PROPERLY FUNDED.

THERE IS NO SHORTFALLS.

DESPITE THE INACCURATE INFORMATION ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND EVERYWHERE ELSE THAT THE NNR BUDGET WILL CUT SERVICES.

THIS IS ABSOLUTELY FALSE.

THE PARKS AND REC, AS WE KNOW, THEIR SALARIES ARE INCREASING 19% AND THEY ARE HIRING 59.48 NEW HIRES, ALL APPROVED IN THIS BUDGET.

AND THIS COMES AFTER REMOVING THE EVENT CENTER FROM PARKS AND REC BUDGET INTO THE ENTERPRISE FUND.

ENHANCE AND MAINTAIN.

ANOTHER BIG WIN. WE ARE CREATING A RADIO REPLACEMENT FUND FOR THE ALLEN POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS.

THIS NOT ONLY BRINGS AVAILABLE TOOLS, TOOLS TO OUR FINE ALLEN POLICE AND FIRE, BUT ALSO SAVE THE CITY MONEY IN THE FUTURE AS WELL AS BE ABLE TO PURCHASE RADIOS IN BULK, ENHANCE AND MAINTAIN.

WE ARE HIRING FOUR NEW FIREFIGHTERS, PARAMEDICS TOWARDS THE NEW FIRE STATION THAT IS ALREADY UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND WE'VE ALREADY WON OVER THE POLICE HIRES.

I JUST WANT TO SAY, AS A RETIRED ARMY VETERAN, I NEVER ONCE CONSIDERED CUTTING FUNDING OR REDUCING PERSONNEL FOR OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN BLUE OR RED.

THIS WAS A DEAL BREAKER TO ME.

TO ME AND HANDSOME MAINTAIN.

FINALLY, I WANT TO ADDRESS THE FALSE NARRATIVE I'VE BEEN HEARING HAS BEEN SAID THAT THE INCREASE ON TAXES ON THE PROPOSED RATE IS ONLY 652 $12, DEPENDING ON THE VALUE OF YOUR HOME. PAGE 13 OF THE BUDGET STATES THAT THIS IS COMPLETELY INCORRECT.

IT CLEARLY, CLEARLY READS THAT IS AN INCREASE OF $10 PER 100,000 IN ASSESSED VALUE.

SO THE EXAMPLE OF YOUR PROPERTY IS 500,000, YOUR TAX IS 50, NOT SIX, 50, NOT EIGHT, NOT TEN, NOT A DOLLAR A MONTH, BUT $50.

[01:00:05]

I WOULD SUGGEST THAT BEFORE BELIEVING HEARSAY CONJECTURE RESEARCH THE FACT THAT ARE READILY AVAILABLE IN PUBLISHED BUDGET.

NOW LOOKING TO THE FUTURE.

MY GOAL IN THE NEXT YEAR WOULD BE TO SUPPORT HOMESTEAD EXEMPTIONS FOR HOMEOWNERS FOR AGE 65 AND OVER AND DISABLED.

EXCUSE ME. I'D LIKE TO SEE THE CITY OF ALLEN MORE THAN DOUBLE THE CURRENT EXEMPTION FOR OVER 65 BY 100% TO 100 K AND FOR THE DISABLED BY 25000 TO 100000.

AND JUST START THINGS OFF 5% GENERAL EXEMPTION FOR ALL OTHER HOMEOWNERS.

NOW, UNDOUBTEDLY IT WOULD BE MUCH DISCUSSION ON THIS, BUT WE DO NEED TO ACCOMPLISH THIS SOONER RATHER THAN LATER.

THIS WILL BE MEANINGFUL TAX RELIEF FOR ALL ALLEN HOMEOWNERS.

THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I HAVE BROUGHT UP BEFORE IN THE PAST, AND I WAS ALWAYS TOLD, WE'VE GOT TO BE CAREFUL.

WE CAN'T OVERDO IT.

WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT.

IT'S TIME TO STOP TALKING.

IT'S TIME TO SIT DOWN AND START DOING.

WITH ALL THAT SAID, I WOULD BE VOTING FOR THE NNR RATE THIS YEAR FOR ALAN.

THE END IN OUR BUDGET ENHANCES AND MAINTAINS ALL SERVICES IN ALLEN INCREASES THE BUDGET FOR STREET MAINTENANCE WITHOUT RAISING TAXES ON ALLEN.

CITIZENS END A YEAR OF RECORD HIGH INFLATION.

THE PRESIDENT, SENATE OR CONGRESS MAY NOT CARE ABOUT TAXPAYERS, BUT I DO.

I DO THIS BECAUSE I CARE ABOUT ALLEN AND ALLEN TAXPAYERS.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU DAVE.

HEY, MAYOR. JUST A JUST A QUICK QUESTION.

YOU KNOW, I THINK WHEN WAS THE BUDGET WORKSHOP? HOW LONG AGO? A FEW WEEKS AGO.

YES. I GAVE YOU ALL A SPREADSHEET THAT SHOWED MY CALCULATIONS.

AND AND HERE YOU ARE UP HERE THREE WEEKS LATER, AND YOU'RE CHALLENGING THE NUMBERS I GAVE YOU.

AND OUT OF RESPECT FOR YOU GUYS, IF YOU HAVE DONE THAT TO ME, I WOULD HAVE ASKED YOU, I WOULD HAVE CAME TO YOU AND SAID, HEY, WILL YOU HELP CLARIFY THE NUMBERS? I APOLOGIZE, CHRIS, BUT I DID INDICATE THAT WE WANTED TO FOLLOW A CERTAIN PROTOCOL JUST TO.

YOU'LL HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY.

THANK YOU, ALRIGHT CARL.

FIRST OFF, I JUST WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR THE EMAILS THAT WE'VE ALL RECEIVED AND FOR EVERYONE'S PARTICIPATION TONIGHT.

AS ERIC STARTED OFF THIS EVENING, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS TO COME OUT AND FOR US TO HEAR YOUR VOICE.

WE MAY NOT ALWAYS AGREE WITH WHAT WHAT YOUR PARTICULAR STANCE IS ON AN ISSUE, BUT WE DO LISTEN.

ALSO, I WOULD LIKE TO EXPRESS MY SINCERE APPRECIATION TO THE CITY MANAGER AND THE REST OF THE CITY STAFF WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE PREPARATION OF THIS ANNUAL BUDGET.

I KNOW FIRSTHAND THE PREPARATION OF A BUDGET INVOLVES COUNTLESS HOURS INVESTED BY A NUMBER OF INDIVIDUALS THROUGHOUT THE CITY OVER A SEVEN MONTH PERIOD.

THE PREPARATION OF THE BUDGET IS DESIGNED TO ALIGN WITH THE STRATEGIC VISION ESTABLISHED BY CITY COUNCIL AND ALSO IS GUIDED BY THE CITY'S MISSION STATEMENT, WHICH IS TO PROVIDE THE BEST IN CLASS MUNICIPAL SERVICES IN A FINANCIALLY RESPONSIBLE AND SOUND MANNER PLAN AND INVEST IN ALLEN'S FUTURE.

ENGAGE OUR COMMUNITY, PROVIDE FAIR AND EQUITABLE COMMUNITY SERVICES AND GOVERNMENT, PRESERVE AND ENHANCE OUR ISLAND COMMUNITY CHARACTER, AND STIMULATE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND BUSINESS INVESTMENT.

AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT IT DID.

I BELIEVE THE BUDGET PRESENTED BY THE CITY MANAGER AND HIS TEAM DID JUST THAT.

I BELIEVE THE BUDGET EXPLORED OPPORTUNITIES FOR SAVINGS WHERE POSSIBLE, BUT AGAIN FOCUSED ON DELIVERING THE LEVEL OF SERVICES AND PROGRAMMED ACTIVITIES THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS COME TO LOVE AND EXPECT.

THIS YEAR, BUDGET PRESENTED OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES AS WELL.

SOME OF THE OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDE PLANNING THE OPENING OF THE STEVEN G.

TERRELL REC CENTER AND PLANNING THE CONSTRUCTION OF FIRE STATION SIX AND A PROPOSED NEW LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER FOR THE ALLEN POLICE.

CHALLENGES ARE MANY AND INCLUDE THE UNKNOWN IMPACT OF INFLATIONARY PRESSURES ON THE CITY, WHICH IS CURRENTLY RUNNING NATIONALLY AT 8.3% IN AUGUST.

INCLUDED IN THE TRANSMITTAL LETTER FOR THE BUDGET FROM THE CITY MANAGER TO COUNCIL, WE LEARNED FUEL AND FIRE TRUCKS AND PATROL CARS COST MORE TODAY THAN THEY DID A YEAR AGO. SO DOES POURING A SIDEWALK FROM MOVING A DEAD TREE AND REPAIRING THE ROOF.

WAGES, TOO, HAVE RISEN SIGNIFICANTLY, REQUIRING EMPLOYERS OF ALL KINDS TO INCREASE COMPENSATION TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE.

THE BUDGET RECOGNIZES THAT WITHOUT ADJUSTING TO THESE MARKET FORCES, THE BUDGET RECOGNIZES WITHOUT ADJUSTING TO THESE MARKET FORCES, THE CITY WILL SEE DECREASE IN SERVICE LEVEL.

[01:05:02]

IT IS ESTIMATED IT WAS ESTIMATED THAT IN 2021, 35% OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND ALLEN WERE AT LEAST 25 YEARS OLD.

THAT NUMBER IS EXPECTED TO JUMP TO 57% BY THE YEAR 2026.

WE MUST INVEST IN REPAIR AND MAINTAIN OUR ROADS NOW IN ORDER TO ENSURE OUR COMMUNITY SAFE AND DESIRABLE.

SO THE NEEDS OF OUR COMMUNITY ARE MANY.

BUT I FEEL THE CITY MANAGER, CITY STAFF AND COUNCIL ARE FOCUSED ON ENSURING THAT WE PLAN TO MEET THOSE NEEDS NOW AND INTO THE FUTURE.

I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE PROPOSED BUDGET PRESENTED BY THE CITY MANAGER WAS A CONSERVATIVE APPROACH TO ADDRESSING THESE NEEDS WHILE CREATING SAVINGS WHERE NECESSARY. WITH REGARDS TO THE TAX RATE, I BELIEVE WE SHOULD ALWAYS LOOK TO PROVIDE THE LOWEST POSSIBLE RATE TO OUR RESIDENTS WHEN AND IF POSSIBLE, BUT NOT TO THE POINT WHERE WE START TO DIMINISH SERVICES AND OR CUT THOSE AMENITIES THAT TRULY MAKE ALLEN A SPECIAL PLACE TO LIVE AND A DESTINATION TO THOSE OUTSIDE OUR COMMUNITY THAT CHOOSE TO SPEND THEIR DOLLARS HERE IN ALLEN AND IN OUR.

IT SHOULD NOT BE A DRIVING FORCE OF THE BUDGET.

WE ALL KNOW A NA OVER THE LONG TERM IS NOT SUSTAINABLE.

AND I WOULD ARGUE THAT IN HIGH INFLATIONARY TIMES LIKE TODAY, IT'S IT'S NOT ADVISABLE.

YESTERDAY THE COLLIN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AFTER APPROVING AND OR OR EQUIVALENT IN PAST YEARS VOTED AGAINST THE NA FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR AS STATED.

DUE TO HIGHER COSTS OF SERVICES AND SALARIES TO MEET THE IMPACT OF INFLATION.

ALLEN IS AN EXCEPTIONAL CITY WITH EXCEPTIONAL SERVICES, AMENITIES, SCHOOLS, NEIGHBORS AND A SAFE COMMUNITY IN WHICH TO RAISE A FAMILY.

I DON'T WANT TO SETTLE FOR MEDIOCRITY, AND I BELIEVE NEITHER DO THE MAJORITY OF CITIZENS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

A LOT OF TALK HAS FOCUSED ON TAXES.

WELL, LET'S TALK TAXES.

AS YOU MAY HAVE ALREADY HEARD TONIGHT FOR FISCAL YEAR 21 THROUGH 22, ALAN HAD THE THIRD LOWEST CITY TAX RATE BEHIND JUST PLANO AND FRISCO, WHICH HAS A MUCH LARGER TAX BASE.

WHILE WE MAY HAVE ADOPTED THE NA FOR THE LAST FISCAL YEAR PRIOR, CITY COUNCILS HAVE CONSISTENTLY LOWERED THE TAX RATE FOR FOR THE PAST 20 YEARS.

THE CITY OF ALAN DOES A LOT OF THINGS WELL.

A NATIONALLY ACCLAIMED PARK SYSTEM AWARDS FOR ITS MEDIA PROGRAMING AND KEEP OUT ALAN BEAUTIFUL, ONE OF THE SAFEST CITIES IN TEXAS.

A WELL TRAINED FIRE AND POLICE STAFF.

AND THE LIST GOES ON AND ON.

IN ADDITION, YOUR COSTS OF WATER AND SEWER AND SOLID WASTE IS AMONG THE LOWEST OF ALL OF OUR SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES.

IT'S FOR THIS REASON I WILL VOTE TO APPROVE THE BUDGET AS PRESENTED BY THE CITY MANAGER FOR FISCAL YEAR 2022 AND 2023.

THANK YOU, CARL. SO I GUESS IT'S MY TURN.

THE UNFORTUNATE THING ABOUT BUDGETS IS THEY'RE VERY CONFUSING BECAUSE EVERYBODY LOOKS AT IT DIFFERENTLY AND THEY INTERPRET DATA DIFFERENTLY.

AND WHEN PEOPLE START TALKING ABOUT NUMBERS, THE NUMBERS START GETTING TO A POINT WHERE THEY JUST GET TWISTED AND TURNED AND PEOPLE CAN KIND OF PUSH THE PENCIL IN ANY DIRECTION THAT THEY WANT TO MAKE THE NUMBERS, SAY WHAT THEY WANT.

SO AS AN ENGINEER, I TRIED TO BE VERY PRECISE AND MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THE NUMBERS AND I KNOW WHAT THEY MEAN.

AND SO I'M GOING TO TRY TO CORRECT A FEW THINGS THAT I THINK THAT WERE SAID THAT WERE NOT ENTIRELY CORRECT.

FIRST OF ALL, I DID WANT TO RESPOND TO A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WERE SAID.

DARREN SAID THAT EVERYTHING IS FUNDED IN THIS BUDGET.

AND R THAT IS NOT TRUE.

AND I'LL EXPLAIN WHY IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.

EVERYTHING IS FUNDED IN THIS BUDGET EXCEPT FOR STREET REPAIRS, AND I'LL SHOW YOU THE MATH ON THAT.

LAST YEAR WE MADE SOME DECISIONS TO CUT SOME THINGS FROM THE BUDGET OR DELAY HIRING OF PEOPLE IN THE BUDGET TO GET TO IN AN HOUR.

AND IN THE END, THAT SEEMED TO WORK OUT OKAY.

BUT I DID WANT TO POINT OUT ONE THING.

I THINK THERE WAS A COMMENT MADE THAT THERE WAS NO MANDATORY OVERTIME IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET.

WELL, THERE'S MANDATORY OVERTIME IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET UNTIL THE FIREFIGHTERS WERE HIRED THAT WERE DELAYED IN BEING HIRED FOR SIX MONTHS.

I JUST WANTED TO SET THAT STRAIGHT.

THE OTHER THING IS, IS WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THE STREET REPAIR BUDGET, THE CHART THAT WAS SHOWN BY DAREN THROUGH IN THE $900,000 BRIDGE MONEY TO MAKE IT LOOK LIKE WE'RE PAYING MORE FOR STREETS.

THAT'S IN A DIFFERENT CATEGORY IN OUR CIP.

SO THAT'S NOT EVEN IN THE DISCUSSION RELATED TO THIS.

[01:10:03]

ARE THESE YOUR COMMENTS, MAYOR, OR THIS IS THIS IS THE REBUTTAL.

THESE ARE MY COMMENTS.

BUT I'M JUST.

YOU CAN'T. ALL RIGHT.

GO AHEAD. THE OTHER THING ON ARPA FUNDS, SOMEBODY THOUGHT, WELL, WE'VE GOT ALL THIS MONEY, $12 MILLION IN ARPA FUNDS.

SO ARPA FUNDS, THERE'S A LITTLE OVER $10 MILLION THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE CITY AND IT WAS LIKE COVID RELIEF MONEY.

AND BASICALLY THE ARPA FUNDS WERE TO BASICALLY ADDRESS THE FACT THAT ALL CITIES, AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALS, AS BUSINESSES AND EVERYTHING ELSE, LOST MONEY ALONG THE WAY FOR A LOT OF DIFFERENT REASONS.

AND THERE ARE CERTAIN RULES AND CRITERIA THAT ALLOWS YOU TO DETERMINE WHERE YOU SPEND THAT MONEY.

ANYTHING WE'RE SPENDING ARPA FUNDS ON IS BEING SPENT IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE GUIDELINES PROVIDED TO US BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.

WE FOUND OUT ABOUT THE ARPA FUNDS LAST, I THINK AROUND SEPTEMBER, JUST BEFORE THE BUDGET HEARING AND WE DETERMINED WHAT WE'RE GOING TO ALLOCATE THAT TOWARDS. FOR THIS YEAR WE HAVE A LITTLE OVER $5 MILLION THAT WE DECIDED WHAT WE WERE GOING TO SPEND IT ON LAST YEAR.

WE ALREADY KNEW IN ADVANCE WHAT WE WANTED TO SPEND IT ON.

WE DECIDED TO SPEND A LITTLE OVER 3 MILLION TOWARDS FIRE STATION NUMBER SIX, AND THEN WE DECIDED TO SPEND $2 MILLION ON STREET REPAIRS BECAUSE WE KNEW THAT WHAT WE SPENT LAST YEAR ON STREET REPAIRS WAS LOW AND NEEDED TO BE INCREASED, AND WE INTENTIONALLY DECIDED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SPEND ENOUGH IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET.

SO WE ALLOCATED $2 MILLION TOWARDS STREET REPAIRS.

AND I'LL GET BACK TO THE MATH ON THAT HERE IN JUST A FEW MINUTES.

SO IN RECENT YEARS, THERE'S BEEN A PUSH BY A SPECIFIC GROUP OF CITIZENS TO MANDATE A NO NEW REVENUE OR NNR BUDGET AND TAX RATE EACH YEAR.

AND AND I'VE HEARD SOME SAY FOREVER, WHICH I DON'T QUITE UNDERSTAND SUCH THAT WE SUCH THAT THERE ARE SUPPOSEDLY NO NEW TAXES FOR OUR RESIDENTS, WHICH WOULD PRIMARILY BE RECOGNIZED BY SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTS AS A REMAINDER OF AD VALOREM PROPERTY BASED TAXES IS PAID FOR BY COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT.

COMMERCIAL DEVELOPMENT GETS A MUCH BIGGER BREAK IN ANY TAX RATE REDUCTION IS COMPARED TO SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES.

SO WE NEED TO KEEP THAT IN MIND.

FOR THE BENEFIT OF ALL CITIZENS HERE OR LISTENING THE NNR TAX RATE IS THE RATE AT WHICH THE REVENUE GENERATED FROM ALL PROPERTIES THAT EXISTED LAST YEAR BASED ON NEW PROPERTY VALUES DETERMINED FOR THIS YEAR, WHICH ARE CAPPED AT 10% FOR RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES, BY THE WAY, EQUALS THE SAME REVENUE GENERATED FROM THOSE SAME PROPERTIES THAT EXISTED LAST YEAR, VERY SIMILAR TO WHAT COUNCILMEMBER MEIS EXPLAINED.

ANY NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT DID NOT EXIST LAST YEAR, SIOUX VALUE WAS ADDED TO THE TAX ROLLS IS NOT INCLUDED IN THIS CALCULATION.

IT WAS INTENDED SOLELY TO BE A GAUGE AS A POINT OF REFERENCE BY WHICH THE OTHER BOUNDARIES ARE SET IN REGARDS TO VOTER APPROVED TAX RATE AND OTHER THINGS. DOES NNR GUARANTEE THAT EVERY SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENCE WILL NOT PAY MORE IN TAXES THAN THEY DID LAST YEAR? NO, SOME WILL PAY MORE, SOME WILL PAY LESS, AND SOME WILL PAY ABOUT THE SAME.

THE PROBABILITY OF PAYING THE EXACT SAME AMOUNT IN CITY AD VALOREM TAXES AS LAST YEAR IS STATISTICALLY REMOTE.

HOWEVER, THERE ARE THREE OTHER TAXING ENTITIES INVOLVED AND I KNOW THAT ALL FOUR HAVE NEVER CONCURRENTLY ADOPTED NNR TAX RATES.

SO YES, YOUR TAXES ARE PROBABLY GOING UP EVERY YEAR, ALTHOUGH NOT TALKED ABOUT.

THERE'S YET ANOTHER TERM THAT HAS NOT BEEN MENTIONED AND THAT IS THE VOTER APPROVED TAX RATE, WHICH REQUIRES VOTER APPROVAL IF YOU PROPOSE TO EXCEED IT.

THAT RATE IS THREE AND A HALF PERCENT ABOVE THE NNR RATE.

OBVIOUSLY, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THAT HERE TONIGHT.

THIS YEAR, THE AVERAGE SINGLE FAMILY HOMEOWNER WOULD PAY, I KNOW CHRIS SAYS $10, I'VE HEARD OTHER THINGS.

BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE AVERAGE HOME VALUE OF LAST YEAR, THE AVERAGE HOME VALUE OF THIS YEAR AND YOU MULTIPLY OUT THE TAX RATES, IT DOES, IN MY OPINION, COME UP TO AROUND $44. AND THAT'S VERSUS WHAT THEY PAID LAST YEAR.

THE CURRENT PROPOSAL ON THE TABLE IS TO CONSIDER AN NNR FUNDED BUDGET AND TAX RATE OR NOT.

AND IF NOT, WHAT IS THAT RATE? SOME OF THE MAJOR ITEMS TO CONSIDER IN SETTING A TAX RATE ARE THE CITY'S STRATEGIC PLAN AND CURRENT LEVELS OF SERVICE.

EACH ANNUAL BUDGET NEEDS TO SUPPORT MEETING THE LONG TERM GOALS OF THE STRATEGIC PLAN, ONE OF WHICH IS TO PROVIDE BEST IN CLASS SERVICES.

MAINTAINING CURRENT LEVELS OF SERVICES IS A HIGH PRIORITY.

IN SOME CASES, WE NEED TO ATTEMPT TO INCREASE LEVELS OF SERVICES DEPENDING ON MANY FACTORS.

SOME LEVELS OF SERVICE ARE LINEAR AND CAN EASILY BE ADDRESSED IN AN ANNUAL BUDGET.

ONE GOOD EXAMPLE OF THIS MAY BE POLICE PROTECTION.

NATIONAL METRICS TELL US THAT WE NEED ONE POLICE OFFICER PER A CERTAIN NUMBER OF CITIZENS IN THE COMMUNITY.

WHEN WE REVIEW OUR POPULATION GROWTH EACH YEAR, WE CAN EASILY CALCULATE THE NUMBER OF ADDITIONAL POLICE OFFICERS THAT WE MAY NEED TO MAINTAIN THAT RATIO.

WE CAN MORE OR LESS MAINTAIN THESE SERVICES IN A LINEAR FASHION OR ON AN ANNUAL BASIS.

[01:15:04]

THIS IS WHAT OUR CITY STAFF USES TO DEVELOP THE ANNUAL BUDGET THEY ULTIMATELY SUBMIT TO US FOR OUR CONSIDERATION.

IN ALL CASES, THERE ARE SOME COMPROMISES MADE ALONG THE WAY WHERE SOME DEPARTMENTS DO NOT GET THEIR REQUESTS THIS YEAR, BUT MAY BE ABLE TO CATCH UP THE NEXT YEAR OR THE ONE AFTER THAT. SOME LEVELS OF SERVICE CHANGE IN A LINEAR FASHION, BUT WHICH CANNOT BE CORRECTED IN A LINEAR FASHION.

SOME EXAMPLES OF THIS WOULD BE FACILITIES SUCH AS A LIBRARY, FIRE STATION, A RECREATION CENTER.

YOU CANNOT BUILD THESE FACILITIES LIKE THESE IN SMALL INCREMENTS IN WHICH THEY WOULD NEED TO BE BUILT TO MATCH THE ANNUAL CHANGE IN LEVELS OF SERVICE.

THESE BUILDINGS CAN ONLY BE REASONABLY BUILT IN CERTAIN SIZES THAT MAKE SENSE AT THE TIME.

IN THESE CASES, YOU HAVE SIGNIFICANT EXPENSES THAT OCCUR OVER A 1 TO 5 YEAR PERIOD, WHICH IS A CHALLENGE TO ACCOMPLISH IN AND OF ITSELF, LET ALONE WHILE TRYING TO ACHIEVE AN NNR TAX RATE.

I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT WHAT WE DO WITH RESPECT TO THIS BUDGET AND TAX RATE.

HOWEVER, I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT AN AVERAGE TAX DECREASE INCREASE OF $44 WILL NEGATIVELY IMPACT OUR TAXPAYERS.

THE ONLY DIFFERENCE IN THE ORIGINAL CITY MANAGER PROPOSED BUDGET VERSUS THE NNR TAX RATE FUNDED BUDGET IS FUNDING FOR STREET REPAIRS.

WHAT IS SIGNIFICANT ABOUT CUTTING BACK ON ROAD REPAIR EXPENSES? THERE ARE SEVERAL ISSUES TO CONSIDER.

DURING LAST YEAR'S BUDGET AND TAX RATE DISCUSSIONS.

WE IDENTIFIED ROAD REPAIR SPECIFICALLY AS ONE AREA IN OUR BUDGET THAT HAS HISTORICALLY BEEN UNDERFUNDED AND ONE IN WHICH WE NEEDED TO ADDRESS GOING FORWARD.

THE INTENT THIS YEAR WAS TO INCREASE ROADWAY REPAIR FUNDING, WHICH IS WHY THE COUNCIL ASSIGNED $2 MILLION OF ARPA OR AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT FUNDS TO THIS PURPOSE. LAST YEAR, WE ALSO FUNDED A NEW PAVEMENT ASSESSMENT SYSTEM CONTRACT, WHICH INCLUDED DRIVING A VAN OVER ALL ROADWAYS IN ALLEN, WHICH CREATES A PERMANENT VIDEO RECORD OF THE PAVEMENT AND ITS CONDITION.

THE SOFTWARE SYSTEM IDENTIFIES IMPERFECTIONS AND ISSUES WITH THE PAVEMENT, WHICH IS THEN USED TO IDENTIFY PAVEMENT CONDITION RATIO THAT ALLOWS US TO IDENTIFY THE WORST TO THE BEST ROADS IN ALLEN.

THIS CAN BE USED TO DEVELOP COST ESTIMATES AND A MASTER PLAN TO ACHIEVE TIMELY REPAIRS TO KEEP OUR OVERALL RATING ABOVE THE DESIRED LEVEL.

THE VIDEO SURVEY JUST DESCRIBED HAS RECENTLY BEEN COMPLETED AND STAFF IS REVIEWING THE DATA AND CURRENTLY DEVELOPING A MASTER PLAN TO DEVELOP A LIST OF PRIORITIES, PROJECTS AND CORRESPONDING FUNDING LEVELS.

THIS WORK WILL NOT BE COMPLETED FOR AT LEAST 1 TO 2 MONTHS, BUT I THINK WE CAN KIND OF GUESS WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

THE PRELIMINARY FINDINGS ARE, AND THIS IS BASED ON CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR CITY ENGINEER, THAT WE WILL NEED TO SPEND AT LEAST $5 MILLION A YEAR FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENT OVERALL CONDITION RATIO, LET ALONE ANY ATTEMPTS REQUIRED TO IMPROVE UPON THAT SAME RATIO, WHICH I UNDERSTAND THAT THE RATIO THAT WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW OVERALL IS PROBABLY LOWER THAN WHERE WE WANT TO BE.

SO I THINK WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO HAVE TO BE LOOKING FOR MORE FUNDING.

LAST YEAR, WE INCREASED FUNDING OF STREET REPAIRS BY INCREASING THE SOLID WASTE FUND ALLOCATION THAT WAS APPLIED TO STREET REPAIRS AND ADDITIONAL $200,000, WHICH IS USED PRIMARILY FOR ALLEY REPAIRS.

WE FURTHER INCREASED FUNDING FOR STREET REPAIRS BY TRANSFERRING $761,000 FROM OUR NON BOND FUND, OUR RESERVE FUND, WHICH HAD ENOUGH SURPLUS TO ALLOW THIS.

THE TOTAL BUDGET FOR ROAD REPAIRS LAST YEAR WAS $3,382,000 APPROXIMATELY.

THE PRIOR YEAR'S BUDGET FOR STREET REPAIRS WAS 2.3 $2,308,557.

WE INTENTIONALLY INCREASED THIS FUNDING DUE TO THE CONSENSUS OF COUNCIL AND STAFF ON THIS VERY IMPORTANT NEED.

THE CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSED 2223 BUDGET INCLUDED $2,751,035 FOR STREET REPAIR FUNDING, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE COUNCIL HAD PREVIOUSLY APPROVED THE $2 MILLION OF ARPA FUNDS TO BE ADDED TO THIS, WHICH YIELDED A GRAND TOTAL BUDGET OF $4,751,035. AGAIN, THIS INCREASE WAS IN RESPONSE TO CLEARLY DEFINED NEEDS THAT ALL COUNCIL MEMBERS AGREED UPON . TO GET TO THE INNER TAX RATE THIS YEAR, THE ARPA FUNDS INTENDED FOR STREET REPAIRS WAS THEN USED TO PAY FOR THE CITY MANAGER PROPOSED CUTS, WHICH INCLUDED $650,000 IN CUTS TO THE STREET REPAIRS BUDGET. THE LEFTOVER ARPA FUNDS AFTER THIS BUY DOWN WAS $231,099.

WHEN THIS IS ADDED TO THE ORIGINAL BASE PROPOSED STREET REPAIRS BUDGET OF $2,751,000.

THE CURRENT PROPOSED NNR BUDGET FOR STREET REPAIRS BECOMES $2,982,000.

UNFORTUNATELY, THIS IS EVEN 300.

WELL, IT'S BASICALLY $400,000 LESS THAN WHAT WAS BUDGETED LAST YEAR FOR THE SAME TYPE OF STREET REPAIR FUNDING.

[01:20:07]

BUT WE ALSO KNOW THAT INFLATION HAS SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTED THE COST OF STREET REPAIRS SINCE LAST YEAR, MUCH MORE THAN THE INFLATION RATE, BY THE WAY.

PLEASE RECALL WHAT I SAID EARLIER.

WE NEED TO BE SPENDING $5 MILLION ON ROAD REPAIRS OR STREET REPAIRS A YEAR JUST TO MAINTAIN WHAT WE HAVE AT THE CURRENT LEVEL OF SERVICE.

IF WE APPROVE THE NNR TAX RATE, WE ARE INTENTIONALLY UNDERFUNDING STREET REPAIRS FROM WHAT WAS ORIGINALLY PROPOSED WITH THE KNOWLEDGE THAT EVEN WHAT IS PROPOSED IS LESS THAN DESIRED. THE MAGNITUDE OF STREET REPAIRS OVER TIME IS BIGGER THAN WE CAN ULTIMATELY ADDRESS IN OUR GENERAL FUND.

MY BELIEF IS, IS THAT WHEN WE HAVE ANOTHER BOND ELECTION, WE WILL NEED TO HAVE STREET REPAIR BONDS IDENTIFIED AS A MAJOR LINE ITEM.

PLEASE NOTE THAT AFTER THIS YEAR WE HAVE NO REMAINING BOND FUNDS LEFT FOR STREET REPAIRS, WHICH WILL CREATE AN EVEN BIGGER BURDEN ON OUR GENERAL FUND BUDGET.

I'M AGAINST REDUCING THE FUNDING OF STREET REPAIRS, AS IS INDICATED IN THE PROPOSED NNR TAX RATE BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS.

SOME PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT IF WE DO NOT ADOPT AN INNER TAX RATE THAT WE ARE NOT BEING FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE OR MAKING TOUGH DECISIONS.

THERE IS NOTHING FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.

WE, THE COUNCIL AND CITY STAFF ARE MAKING TOUGH DECISIONS AND HAVE MADE TOUGH DECISIONS TO TRIM THIS BUDGET TO WHERE IT IS TODAY BETWEEN THE NNR TO THE ORIGINAL CITY MANAGER PROPOSED BUDGET.

WE HAVE BEEN PASSIONATELY DEBATING THIS BUDGET NOW FOR WELL OVER A MONTH.

UNFORTUNATELY, AN NNR TAX RATE HAS BECOME A POLITICAL BATTLE CRY FOR MANY CITIZENS, FOR REASONS I DO NOT FULLY COMPREHEND.

I UNDERSTAND THE DESIRE TO KEEP OUR TAX RATE LOW, TO CONTROL SPENDING, TO BE FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE, AND TO SPEND OUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS WISELY.

I BELIEVE THAT WE HAVE DONE THIS FOR MANY YEARS.

IS THE CITY PERFECT? NO. BUT I CAN TELL YOU, IN MY OPINION, AND BASED ON MY MANY YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH OUR CITY GOVERNMENT, I BELIEVE THAT THIS CITY IS THE BEST RUN CITY IN COLLIN COUNTY, THE STATE OF TEXAS, AND IN OUR COUNTRY.

WE ARE NOT PERFECT, BUT WE STRIVE TO BE.

WHEN WE MAKE MISTAKES, WE ADJUST TO AVOID MAKING THE SAME MISTAKE TWICE.

WE TRY TO FALL FORWARD, AS SOME SAY, ATTEMPTING TO MAKE POSITIVE PROGRESS IN EVERY STEP WE TAKE.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.