[Call to Order] [00:00:02] THE IMPORTANT THING ABOUT A MEETING IS THAT IT BEGINS ON TIME. SO IT'S 6 O'CLOCK, AND WELCOME TO THIS MEETING, THE BUDGET MEETING. AND IT'S NICE TO SEE SO MANY EDUCATED EDUCATORS OUT THERE. IT'S GOOD TO SEE YOU FOLKS. SO WE WILL, FIRST THING ON ORDER, STAND FOR THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE. I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE 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. IT'S A MATTER OF HISTORY WITH THAT, THAT UNDER GOD WAS NOT UNTIL THE PLEDGE, UNTIL DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER DID THAT IN 1954 WHEN HE WAS AFRAID OF THE COMMUNISTS. OKAY, ANYBODY THERE GIVE SOME... AN INVOCATION? VOLUNTEER? THANK YOU, SIR. WE ALL BOW OUR HEADS. HEAVENLY FATHER, IT IS ONCE AGAIN A FEAR OF YOUR SERVICE TO COME FIRST OF ALL TO SAY THANK YOU. THANK YOU, LORD, FOR WAKING US UP THIS MORNING AND CARRYING US THROUGH LAST NIGHT AS WE SLEPT AND SLUMBERED. LORD, I ASK THAT YOU GUIDE OUR HANDS, GUIDE OUR MINDS AS WE CONDUCT THE BUSINESS OF SOUTH HAMPTON COUNTY, LORD. AND MAKE SURE THAT WE KEEP IN MIND THAT IT'S FOR ALL PEOPLE. IN OUR HEAVENLY NAME, LORD. AMEN. OKAY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, SHERIFF. FIRST THING ON THE DISCUSSION [1. Discussion of School Budget – Board of Supervisors and Dr. Harris-Muhammed ] IS THE SCHOOL BOARD BUDGET AND WE HAVE DR. HARRIS-MOHAMED HERE AGAIN THIS EVENING AND I WILL TURN THE FLOOR OVER TO YOU MA'AM. GOOD EVENING PARTNERS THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR INVITING US BACK TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE CONCERNING OUR FISCAL YEAR 26-27 BUDGET. BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO TAKE A POINT OF PERSONAL PRIVILEGE AND THANK YOU FOR THE SUPPER THIS EVENING. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INVITATION. IT WARMED MY HEART. AND IF I COULD JUST TAKE SOME FOOD HOME, THAT WOULD BE GREAT. JUST WANTED TO GET THAT IN THERE RIGHT QUICK. BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH, PARTNERS, FOR ALLOWING ME TO COME. SO A RECAP OF OUR BUDGET FROM LAST WEEK. I WILL NOT BE BEFORE YOU LONG. I DO WANT TO PROVIDE A BIT OF A CLARITY. AS STATED LAST WEEK THAT JOY CAR HAS BEEN THE BEST DIRECTOR OF FINANCE THIS SIDE OF 460 58 258 35 AND 95 NORTH AND SOUTH AND I STILL STAND ON THAT AND SO WHAT I WANT TO SHARE I WANT TO BE CLEAR TO THE PUBLIC AS WELL IS THAT YOU KNOW THAT I ASK IS 4 MILLION 615 DOLLARS AND 15 CENT FROM THE FROM THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS OUR DEAR PARTNER AND OUR TOTAL INCLUDING OUR STATE FUNDING AND MR WHITE YOU AFTER I LEFT, I THOUGHT ABOUT THE QUESTION THAT YOU WERE ASKING ME, SO I WANT TO PUBLICLY APOLOGIZE. I DIDN'T HEAR IT THE WAY THAT YOU WERE ASKING, BUT OUR TOTAL, INCLUDING STATE FUNDING FOR THE FY26-27 SCHOOL YEAR, IS $6,065,437. AND AS A REVIEW, LCI, OUR LOCAL COMPOSITE INDEX, HAS INCREASED FROM A .28 TO A .32, WHICH IS GOOD. BECAUSE IT ALSO JUSTIFIES, THAT INCREASE JUSTIFIES THAT WE DO HAVE FAMILIES COMING BACK INTO OUR DIVISION, AMONGST OTHER THINGS. TO RETAIN OUR CURRENT STAFFING PRIORITIES, MY ASK IN THE BUDGET THAT I HAVE PRESENTED TO THE SCHOOL BOARD, AS WELL AS YOU, AS YOU KNOW, IS A 5% PAY INCREASE. HOWEVER, YOU ALL ASKED THROUGH YOUR CHAIR, DR. EDWARDS, TO LOOK AT HOW WE COULD DO SOME OTHER THINGS AND BE CREATIVE. AND SO WHAT I HAVE, WHAT I WILL SHARE, AND I HAVE ALWAYS, I'VE ALREADY SHARED THIS WITH OUR SCHOOL BOARD CHAIR AND VICE CHAIR, IS THAT WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO MEET THE 5%, BUT WE MUST MEET THE MINIMUM OF 2%. SO ANYWHERE BETWEEN 2% TO 3%. IF WE CANNOT RECEIVE ABOVE-LEVEL FUNDING CLOSE TO A MILLION FOUR HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS TO INCLUDE THE FIVE PERCENT PAY INCREASE AND AS YOU KNOW THIS IS TO ALLOW OUR INSTRUCTIONAL AND CLASSIFIED STAFF TO FEEL THAT THE DIVISION IS MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION WITH OUR [00:05:01] SALARY ADJUSTMENTS AND WE TALKED AT NAUSEAM ABOUT OUR SALARY SCALE LAST WEEK. I'VE TALKED AT NAUSEAM WITH EACH OF YOU IN COMPARISON TO OTHER COUNTIES. SO, EXCUSE ME, I ALSO WANT TO POINT OUT THAT HEALTH INSURANCE, WE TALKED ABOUT THIS LAST WEEK, HAS INCREASED BY NO FAULT OF OUR OWN, BUT IT'S JUST THE WAY OF THE LIFE THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. AND SO, AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT, HOW WE CAN BRING PEOPLE INTO OUR SCHOOL DIVISION, WHICH I'M VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT, IS MATCHING THE SALARY SCHEDULE TO OTHER SCHOOL DIVISIONS IN REGION 2. YOU KNOW THAT OUR STARTING SALARY FOR TEACHERS IS $48,200, WHICH IS BELOW THE OTHER SCHOOL DIVISION WITHIN 20 MILES, 20 TO 25 MILES OF US. AND ALSO THE PAY FREQUENCY THAT BOARD MEMBER LANE AND I HAVE WORKED ON DILIGENTLY AND THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS SUPPORTED GOING FROM ONCE A MONTH PAY TO TWICE A MONTH PAY. SO THAT'S JUST A REVIEW OF WHAT WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT LAST WEEK AND WHAT IS IN THE BUDGET PRESENTATIONS THAT HAS BEEN SHARED WITH YOU. AND AT THIS TIME, I AM HONORED TO TAKE ANY QUESTIONS FROM ANY OF YOU. WELL, I THINK WHAT OUR CONVERSATION, THERE'S ABOUT $1.6 MILLION. OKAY. AND I THINK THAT. THE MAJORITY OF THE BOARD, I THINK ALL OF US, WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE FIRST PRIORITY TO RAISE THE TEACHER SALARIES. AND THE SECOND THING THAT WE SAW WAS, YOU KNOW, WITH GETTING THE VOTEC CENTER BACK UP AND RUNNING. SO THE QUESTION WAS, WHAT CAN YOU TAKE OUT OF OTHER CATEGORIES AND PUT INTO THE INSTRUCTIONAL TO HELP THAT? SO WHAT WE CAN TAKE OUT OF OTHER CATEGORIES TO CONTINUE TO SUPPORT OUR INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF, WE'RE CONTINUING TO LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE WHEN WE WANT TO HOLD STUDENTS HARMLESS, AND LET ME EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT I MEAN BY THAT. WHEN WE WANT TO HOLD STUDENTS HARMLESS, WE DO NOT WANT TO IMPACT OUR INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAMMING. SO WE WOULD THEN NOT FILL SOME POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE NOT ALREADY FILLED. THEY WOULD REMAIN VACANT. AS A SUPERINTENDENT, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD GO TO FIRST. I WOULD NOT GO TO POSITIONS THAT ARE ALREADY FILLED OR PROGRAMS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN PROVEN TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO OUR STUDENTS. BUT I WOULD ASK THE BOARD FOR SUPPORT TO NOT FILL POSITIONS. AND SOME OF MY BOARD MEMBERS ARE HERE. WE MEET AGAIN IN MAY. AND I WILL BE READY AND PREPARED, MORE THAN READY AND PREPARED, TO JUSTIFY AND RECOMMEND THAT THE POSITIONS THAT WE HAVE NOT ALREADY FILLED. WHAT DOES THAT TOTAL AND THEN WE WILL START THERE FIRST. NOW THOSE POSITIONS THAT YOU WILL NOT FILL, HOW CRUCIAL ARE THEY TO YOUR PROGRAM? THEY'RE VERY CRUCIAL, PARTICULARLY AN ADDITIONAL SOCIAL WORKER. OUR DEAN OF STUDENTS THAT WE DO NEED AT RIVERDALE ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, THEY ARE THE LARGEST ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE SCHOOL DIVISION. I WOULD NOT BE VERY HONEST WITH ALL OF YOU. AND THOSE THAT ARE IN THE PUBLIC, I WOULD NOT REMOVE THAT POSITION BECAUSE THAT POSITION IS IN NEED. I WOULD BEGIN LOOKING AT, LIKE, PARAPROFESSIONALS, JUST DIFFERENT POSITIONS THAT I STAND FIRM ON. ALL POSITIONS THAT ARE IN FRONT OF CHILDREN ARE IMPORTANT AND VITAL. BUT THEN WE BEGIN TO WORK WITH HUMAN RESOURCES TO CATEGORIZE WHAT THOSE POSITIONS ARE AND HOW. CRITICAL THEY ARE TO THE NEEDS OF OUR STUDENTS. BUT STARTING WITH THE SOCIAL WORKER WOULD BE ONE POSITION WHICH I WOULD HATE TO DO BECAUSE THAT IS A NEED. WE HAVE ONE FOR THE DIVISION FOR OVER 2,300 STUDENTS AND SHE IS SERVICING ALL SIX SCHOOLS. ARE THERE AREAS OUTSIDE OF PERSONNEL AND INSTRUCTION THAT YOU COULD MAYBE DRAW FUNDS FROM? SO OUR GRANTS, OUR TITLE I GRANTS, THEY COVER SEVERAL OF OUR READING SPECIALISTS. MS. LORRAINE GREEN-WHITEHEAD AND I COULD GO BACK AND LOOK AT THAT. WE ARE IN THE WRITING GRANT SEASON RIGHT NOW. AND SO ONCE YOU SUBMIT THOSE TYPE OF GRANTS AND YOU HAVE SOMETHING IN MIND THAT COMES UP, YOU COULD SUBMIT AN AMENDMENT. SOMETIMES IT'S APPROVED, SOMETIMES IT'S NOT APPROVED, BUT WE HAVE OUR GRANTS AND SOME OF THOSE GRANTS, FOR EXAMPLE, JOBS FOR VIRGINIA, ALSO KNOWN AS JVG, THAT IS SPECIFICALLY [00:10:02] FOR A JVG SPECIALIST, WHICH PART OF THE JVG SPECIALIST AT THE HIGH SCHOOL, HER SALARY IS PAID OUT OF THAT GRANT. AND SO WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO THAT. BUT WE WILL HAVE TO SIT AND JUST TAKE A LOOK AT SOME ADDITIONAL AREAS BUT I WILL START WITH POSITIONS FIRST THEN START WITH PROGRAMS WE USE A TOOL CALLED IT'S A NEW TOOL HEXAGONAL TOOL TO DETERMINE WHICH PROGRAMS WE WOULD KEEP PROGRAMS OR RESOURCES WE WOULD NOT KEEP AND THAT JUST HELPS US UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE CHOOSING THE BEST RESOURCES THE BEST PROGRAMS FOR OUR STUDENTS IN THE DIVISION. SO FIRST, I WOULD START WITH ANY VACANT POSITION, WE JUST WOULD NOT FILL, OKAY? WE WOULD IDENTIFY, WE WOULD LEVEL IT, JUST LIKE THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT. LET'S LEVEL OR LET'S CATEGORIZE THE NEED OF OUR BUILDINGS, RIGHT? SO I WOULD DO THE SAME THING FOR POSITIONS. IT'S THE SAME PROCESS. AND THEN I WOULD LOOK AT PROGRAMS THAT WE DON'T NEED PRIOR TO JUNE 1ST, BECAUSE JUNE THE 30TH IS OUR CUTOFF DATE, PARTICULARLY WITH A GRANT. WE HAVE TO SPEND ALL THE FUNDING OR WE HAVE TO GIVE IT BACK. WELL, I'M OF THE MINDSET I'M NOT GIVING ANY MONEY BACK. SO WE TRY TO USE ALL OF THE FUNDS THAT WE HAVE, BUT THOSE SPECIFIC GRANT ALLOTTED FUNDS ARE NOT A ROLLOVER, IF YOU WILL. THEY'RE NOT ROLLOVERS, SO WE HAVE TO SPEND IT BEFORE JUNE THE 30TH. SO POSITIONS THAT ARE VACANT, PROGRAMS THAT HAVE NOT PROVEN THE RESULTS THAT WE NEED, SO THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST TWO, AND THEN OTHER. AND THE OTHER COULD BE BACK TO POSITIONS COULD BE CLASSIFIED. IT COULD BE CERTIFIED, BUT JUST THE POSITIONS THAT I DO NOT WANT TO ELIMINATE ARE THOSE THAT DIRECTLY IMPACT CHILDREN EVERY DAY. Y'ALL PAY MONTHLY IN THE PAYROLL, RIGHT? ONCE A MONTH? YEAH, WE'RE CURRENT ONCE A MONTH. YES, SIR. WHAT'S YOUR TOTAL PAYROLL A MONTH. I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW MUCH. FIVE PERCENT IS YEAH BUT WHAT'S YOUR TOTAL PAYROLL PER MONTH I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT ACTUAL FIVE PERCENT OF YOU KNOW YOU'RE ASKING FOR A FIVE PERCENT INCREASE YOU KNOW GIVE EVERYBODY FIVE PERCENT RAISE I WANT TO KNOW THE ACTUAL NUMBER THAT IS YOU KNOW, A YEAR? YES, THAT IS CORRECT. FOR PAYROLL? THAT IS CORRECT, YES. OKAY. FOR THE INCREASE? THE INCREASE FOR PAYROLL, YES, THAT'S THE INCREASE. YEAH, OKAY. YOU NEED A $1.1 MILLION INCREASE TO COVER YOUR PAYROLL EXPENSES OF A 5% INCREASE? THAT IS CORRECT. YES, SIR. WELL, THE THING I'M REALLY INTERESTED IN, IF YOU'RE GOING TO SHAVE SOME THINGS, BLEED SOME OTHER PLACES, ABOUT HOW MUCH OF THAT $1.1 MILLION WOULD THAT TAKE UP? WE DON'T KNOW RIGHT NOW UNTIL WE ADD THOSE CATEGORIES UP TO SEE WHAT, AND LET ME SHARE WITH YOU WHAT I THOUGHT I HEARD YOU ASK, TO BE CLEAR. OF THE POSITIONS THAT I AM LOOKING AT SHAVING, NOT FILLING, WHAT IS THE AMOUNT OF THAT 1.1 MILLION? IS THAT CORRECT? DID I HEAR YOU CORRECTLY? THAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN 2% AND 5%. IS THAT IT? NO, SIR. THE 5% INCREASE IS GOING TO COST THE DIVISION $1.1 MILLION. YES, SIR. THE POSITIONS THAT I WOULD HAVE TO SHAVE OR NOT FILL, THE HUMAN RESOURCES COORDINATOR AND I HAVE NOT EVEN BEGUN TO ADD THOSE POSITIONS UP BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE NOT REMOVING ANY POSITIONS THAT DIRECTLY IMPACT STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. SO SOMETIMES INDIVIDUALS CAN LOOK AT A TITLE, A TUTOR, RIGHT? THEY MAY LOOK AT AN ISS OR IN-SCHOOL SUSPENSION COORDINATOR POSITION, BUT THAT IMPACTS STUDENT OUTCOMES [00:15:01] BECAUSE WE ARE OF THE DIVISION. WE ARE OF THE HOLISTIC MINDSET THAT SUSPENSIONS CANNOT ALWAYS BE THE RESULT. SO THAT'S WHY I WILL FIGHT FOR THOSE POSITIONS BECAUSE THEY MATTER TO MY PRINCIPALS. THEY MATTER TO MY STUDENTS. TO MY STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. SO OUR ISS OR ISI, I WILL WANT TO KEEP. OUR DEAN OF STUDENTS, I WILL WANT TO KEEP BECAUSE THAT IS ANOTHER LAYER OF SUPPORT FOR OUR PRINCIPALS SO WE CAN APPLY THE VTSS FRAMEWORK THE WAY THAT IT SHOULD BE APPLIED, AND THAT IS TO ADDRESS ANY DISCIPLINE INFRACTIONS. THAT MAY ARISE IN THE BUILDINGS INSTEAD OF OUT-OF-SCHOOL SUSPENSION. I AM OF THE MINDSET OF A LEADER THAT OUT-OF-SCHOOL SUSPENSIONS CANNOT BE THE FIRST RESULT UNLESS THEY ARE A LEVEL THREE AND A LEVEL FOUR, AND THAT'S THROUGH THE HANDBOOK. LET ME GET MY CAP. NOW, THAT CLEARED MY QUESTION, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHERE WE CAN. COME UP WITH A... SO, CHAIRMAN, SO YOU HAD ASKED... I'M GOING TO DO WHAT I CAN TO HELP HIM. YOU HAD ASKED ME HOW MUCH ONE CENT, TWO CENT, THREE CENT WOULD BE ON THE REAL ESTATE. SO ONE CENT WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY $2,800. SO TWO CENT IS $476,000, THREE CENT IS $714,000. $238,126 A PENNY, RIGHT? $238 PER PENNY. THE QUESTION IS HOW MUCH WE CAN AFFORD TO INCREASE OUR BUDGET, RAISE OUR TAX WITH WHATEVER YOU CAN BRING INTO IT TO MAKE THAT $1.1 MILLION. I REALLY WANT TO SEE TEACHERS GET PAID. I THINK IT'S RIDICULOUS THAT, YOU KNOW, OURS IS THE LOWEST AROUND. AND THAT $1.1 MILLION IS IN ADDITION TO WHAT'S ALREADY BEEN PROPOSED IN THE DRAFT BUDGET AS FAR AS THE LOCAL INCREASE? NO, THEY HAVE THAT IN THERE. THAT'S PART OF THEIR ASK. YEAH, BUT THEY'RE ASKING FOR $4.6. SO WE'VE ALREADY PROPOSED $1.6. WELL, NOW WE'VE, I MEAN... IN THE DRAFT. WELL, THAT NUMBER IN OUR DRAFT BUDGET COMING FROM LOCAL FUNDS FROM US IS THE, IS OUR LOCAL SHARE THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE PLUS $30,000 FOR THE GOVERNOR'S SCHOOL. YES, THAT'S WHAT I WAS ASKING. SO THE 1.1 IS IN ADDITION TO THAT? YES, IT IS. YES, IT IS. I DIDN'T WANT TO RESPOND. I WANTED TO HEAR THE CONVERSATION. THANK YOU, MR. POMEROY. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. COULD BE FINE, BUT I'VE ALREADY PUT IT OUT THERE THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO INCREASE TAXES. SO IN ORDER TO DO THAT, YOUR ATTRITION RATE FOR LAST YEAR, DO YOU KNOW THAT NUMBER? I DO NOT KNOW IT ALL. THE TOP OF MY HEAD, BUT WE CAN GET THAT FOR YOU. AND IF THEY HAVE THE POSITIONS THAT ARE OPEN, THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, WHERE DID THEY STAND IN THE BUDGET WITH FUNDING? WERE THEY AT THE TOP OF THE SCALE OR WERE THEY AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCALE? WE ALWAYS START AT THE BOTTOM OF THE SCALE, DEPENDING ON THEIR CREDENTIALS. I UNDERSTAND. OKAY, SO THE ONES THAT WERE PHASED OUT FOR WHATEVER REASON. [00:20:07] SURE. WHERE DOES THAT COMPARE TO WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR? THE POSITIONS THAT WERE PHASED OUT PREVIOUSLY, WHERE DOES THAT STAND WITH WHAT I'M ASKING FOR? THOSE POSITIONS WERE IN OUR CURRENT BUDGET. AND SO WE WOULD WORK WITH THE END RESULT IN MIND AND GO BACKWARDS, IF YOU WILL, AND GO BACK AND REDUCE THOSE POSITIONS, TAKE THOSE POSITIONS OUT. THE BUDGET WHICH WAS ABOUT 35 POSITIONS WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET AT THE SALARY OF THE ONES THAT WERE BUDGETED AND MOVED ON AND NOW THESE OTHER ONES YOU'RE ASKING FOR COMING IN THEY WERE IN THE ONES THAT LEFT WERE IN THE BUDGET LAST YEAR AND WE'RE NOT THAT'S NOT BEING REDUCED. WHAT'S COMING IN, ARE THEY COMING IN UNDER BUDGET? ARE THE SALARIES COMING IN UNDER BUDGET? DOES THAT CREATE ENOUGH TO OFFSET SOME OF THE NUMBERS THAT ARE BEING CALCULATED TO HELP WITH THE PAY INCREASES FOR THE OVERALL? I DO NOT BELIEVE SO. I DO NOT. I DO NOT THINK THAT WE WOULD STILL NEED YOUR FINANCIAL SUPPORT. IF WE DID NOT FILL THOSE 35 POSITIONS AND THE ADDITIONAL POSITIONS THAT ARE IN THE BUDGET AND ALL FOUR BUDGET PRESENTATIONS, WE WE WOULD STILL HAVE TO REDUCE THE 5 PERCENT TO BETWEEN 2 PERCENT TO 3 PERCENT TO REMAIN LEVEL WITH OUR STAFF, WITH OUR FINANCES. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT. WHAT IT WOULD COST THE TAXPAYER, COST US TO WHATEVER YOU REFUND OR PUT BACK INTO THE INSTRUCTIONAL CATEGORY TO MAKE IT COME OUT. WHAT WE COULD PUT BACK INTO THE INSTRUCTIONAL CATEGORY. SO THE INSTRUCTIONAL CATEGORY IS MAINLY POSITIONS. AND SO THAT'S WHY I'M TALKING A LOT ABOUT POSITIONS, BECAUSE THE INSTRUCTIONAL CATEGORY IS NOT JUST MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES. IT IS ALSO HUMAN CAPITAL. SO WE WOULD HAVE TO REMOVE HUMAN CAPITAL IN ORDER TO PRESENT TO YOU A COST OF WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE ON AN ESTIMATED LEVEL TO BE ABLE TO MEET THE 5%. THE POSITIONS THAT ARE IN THE BUDGET, AND EARLIER I SHARED THERE WERE A FEW POSITIONS THAT I JUST COULD NOT. BACK DOWN ON, RIGHT, THE DEAN OF STUDENTS AND SOCIAL WORKER, BECAUSE THAT IMPROVES STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. THE OTHER POSITIONS, ADDITIONAL PARAPROFESSIONALS, I WOULD SPECIAL EDUCATION SPECIALISTS, WHICH IMPACTS STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT, PARTICULARLY STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES, AND A 504. I WOULD LOOK AT THOSE TWO POSITIONS. I WOULD ALSO LOOK AT AN ADDITIONAL SCHOOL TESTING COORDINATOR A POSITION. THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE ON THE MIDDLE SCHOOL LEVEL. EVEN THOUGH THERE IS ONE MIDDLE SCHOOL, THERE IS ALWAYS TESTING ON THE SECONDARY LEVEL. AND SO ACCORDING TO THE STATE STATUTE, OUR SCHOOL COUNSELORS MUST BE IN FRONT OF STUDENTS 80% OF THE TIME, IN FRONT OF STUDENTS, IN CLASSROOMS. SO THE OTHER STUFF HAS TO BE 20%. SO I WILL LOOK AT REMOVING THE STC POSITION, THE EXTRA SCHOOL COUNSELOR POSITION, AND SOME OTHER POSITIONS THAT WE DIDN'T FEEL BEFORE THAT WE PUT BACK INTO THE BUDGET THIS YEAR. I JUST DON'T HAVE A TOTAL BECAUSE THERE ARE DIFFERENT RANGES OF WHAT, EVEN IF THEY START AT THE BOTTOM BECAUSE SOME OF THEM ARE SPECIALISTS, WHICH IS NOT A $48,200 LEVEL. THEY MAY BE $52,400. I'M JUST GIVING A NUMBER. SO I WOULD ALWAYS START AT THE LOWEST PAY GRADE AND THEN ADD THEM TOGETHER WITH MS. CARR AND JUST FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT COST WOULD BE. AND I'M JUST GOING TO SHIFT A LITTLE BIT AND JUST LOOK AT MS. CARR'S ESTIMATE FROM YOUR EXPERIENCE AND PREVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT HOLDING YOU TO IT. DO YOU HAVE A GUESSTIMATE WHAT WE COULD SAVE OUT OF THE INSTRUCTIONAL LINE ITEM WITH THOSE POSITIONS? YOUR ADDITIONAL POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN KEEPING YOUR CURRENT AMOUNT. CORRECT. SO THERE'S A TOTAL. THAT TOTAL. THAT TOTAL. AND THEN AS FAR AS THE ADDITIONAL. YOU SAID WORK FIELD. SO WE'RE NOT. SO WE REALLY HAVE TO GET RID OF IT. BUT I WOULD. GO AHEAD. I'M SORRY. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN GET US ADDITIONAL. [00:25:01] WHICH ARE SLIDES 22, 23, AND 62, I BELIEVE. 22, 23, AND 62. NOW, MS. LYNETTE, I REVISED THE POWERPOINT TODAY, SO IT MAY BE ONE NUMBER UP, LIKE 21, 22, AND 61. YES, MA'AM. CAN I BRING UP SOMETHING THAT MIGHT CLARIFY? I DON'T KNOW. BUT WHEN WE DO OUR BUDGET ON OUR SIDE FOR OUR PEOPLE, WHAT IS IN THE BUDGET FOR THIS CURRENT YEAR FOR SALARIES? DOES THAT... NUMBER DOES NOT AUTOMATICALLY CARRY FORWARD BECAUSE WE LOOK AT WHO HAS LEFT, WHO HAS COME IN. AND YES, WHEN PEOPLE COME IN, THEY DO COME IN NORMALLY AT A LESSER AMOUNT THAN SOMEBODY WHO'S BEEN THERE FOR A WHILE. BUT WHEN WE BUILD OUR BUDGET, WE'RE BUILDING IT STARTING BRAND NEW. WE'RE NOT TAKING MONEY FORWARD. WE'RE TAKING WHAT THOSE PEOPLE MAKE THAT WE STILL HAVE ON STAFF RIGHT NOW. AND HOW MUCH THAT WILL INCREASE AND IF IT'S A VACANT POSITION THEN WE'RE PUTTING IT DOWN TO THE LOWER LEVEL SO IT'S NOT NOT LIKE THE SCHOOLS IF THEY DO IT THIS WAY THEY'RE NOT CREATING A SAVINGS FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR BECAUSE THEY'RE BUILDING THEIR BUDGET FROM THE GROUND UP FOR THE NEW YEAR THAT'S CORRECT YES MA'AM THANK YOU YOU SURE CAN COME ON UP STAND WITH ME. NO, NO, THAT'S OKAY. COME ON UP. NO, BUT YOU WERE ASKING EARLIER, YOU KNOW, THE NEW POSITIONS THAT WE PUT IN THE BUDGET FOR OUR TEACHERS IS BASED ON SOMEONE COMING IN WITH FIVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. SO BECAUSE WE CAN'T REALLY, YOU KNOW, ASSUME IF WE HIRE A NEW TEACHER THEY'RE ALL GOING TO COME IN WITH ZERO YEARS OF EXPERIENCE BECAUSE WE DO HAVE A TEACHER SCALE. WE DO. SO NORMALLY, THE NORMAL PROCESS OVER THE YEARS IS AT LEAST TO PUT THEM IN AT STEP FIVE. AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE DID WITH OUR NEW TEACHERS THAT WERE LAST. I GOT A QUESTION FOR LYNETTE. SURE, SURE. JUST LOOKING AT ALL THE COUNTIES' CHECKING ACCOUNTS, THE TINE BANK CHECKING ACCOUNT, THAT'S YOUR OPERATING CHECKING ACCOUNT. THAT'S WHAT YOU PAY ALL YOUR BILLS OUT OF. YES, YES. AND THEN THE INVESTMENT POOL IS JUST SOMEWHERE WHERE WE PUT MONEY TO BUILD UP. THAT'S WHERE MS. EDWARDS PUTS THE EXCESS MONEY THAT WE DON'T NEED FOR DAY-TO-DAY OPERATIONS AT THAT TIME. SHE PUTS IT IN AN ACCOUNT TO DRAW MORE INTEREST. DRAWS INTEREST, OKAY. AND THEN THE TOWN BANK ESCROW, IS THAT FOR PAYROLL OR SOMETHING? NO, I THINK THAT PARTICULAR ONE HAS TO. DO WITH A SUBDIVISION, SO IT'S NOT MONEY THAT WE CAN UTILIZE. YOU CAN'T ACCESS IT. GOTCHA. ANYBODY ELSE HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? YEAH, MINE'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO COME UP WITH A MILLION DOLLARS. THAT'S WHAT I WANT TO COME UP WITH. WELL, IT'S JUST ALSO A MATTER OF WHAT THEY CAN ADD TO THAT. SO WOULD $750 GET YOU TO THE 5% IF Y'ALL MAKE YOUR CUTS IN CERTAIN PLACES? I DON'T WANT TO SAY YES, BUT WE CAN GIVE YOU A FIGURE. WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK ON IT. I MEAN, THAT WOULD BE ATTAINABLE, RIGHT? I BELIEVE THAT WHEN WE UNPACK ALL THOSE POSITIONS AND SEE WHAT WE CAN, WE CAN TRY TO REACH SOMETHING THAT'S ATTAINABLE. AND THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION, MR. WHITE. THANK YOU. I JUST DON'T WANT TO GIVE YOU A PROMISE. YEAH, YEAH. I MEAN, THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T HAVE A FIGURE TONIGHT, DR. EDWARDS, IT WAS BECAUSE OF WHAT... MS. CARR JUST SAID ALL OF THOSE POSITIONS ARE NOT THE SAME AMOUNT, IF THAT MAKES SENSE. 1.1 MILLION, ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF CENTS FOR US. YEAH, 1.1, BUT SHE'S SAYING THEY CAN PROBABLY MAKE $750 WORK. ALL RIGHT, THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING. I'M ASKING ABOUT WHAT WOULD WORK. WE'RE GOING TO TRY. THAT WOULD BE THREE CENTS. I'M GOING TO TRY. WE'LL TRY. ADDED TO THE TWO. AND FOR YOU ALL TO CONTINUE TO LOOK MEANS A LOT TO US. YEAH, WE WANT TO. DO NOT LEAVE HERE THINKING THAT IT DOESN'T, BECAUSE IT DOES. WE WANT TO GET OUR TEACHERS. UP TO PAR. YES, SIR. SO WE WANT TO DO WHAT IT TAKES TO DO IT RIGHT. WELL, YOU KNOW, WE WORKED [00:30:01] FOR A LONG TIME, THE SCHOOL SYSTEM, GETTING ELECTED SCHOOL BOARD. YES, SIR. THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR WHERE I FELT THAT WE COULD REALLY COMMUNICATE HONESTLY WITH EVERYBODY. YES, SIR. WE APPRECIATE IT. I FEEL IT'S HARD TO INCREASE TAXES, PARTICULARLY IF YOU'RE VERY ADVERTISED THAT YOU'RE NOT INCREASING TAXES, OKAY? BUT I'M NOT AFRAID TO DO THAT. I THINK MOST PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY WOULD ACCEPT THE TAX INCREASE BECAUSE NOW I THINK THAT THEY'RE GOING TO GET THEIR BANG FOR THEIR BUCK, SO TO SPEAK. YES, SIR. WHEREAS THAT MIGHT NOT HAVE BEEN THE CASE BEFORE. AND I HAVE LED, EVEN BEFORE JANUARY 1ST, BUT DEFINITELY IN THIS ROLE AS ACTING SUPERINTENDENT SINCE JANUARY 1ST WITH A TRANSPARENT POSTURE. WITH NOT ONLY THE GOVERNANCE TEAM OF THE SCHOOL DIVISION, BUT WITH YOU ALL AS WELL, BECAUSE WE'RE PARTNERS AND I BELIEVE THAT WE'RE BETTER TOGETHER. SO I WANT YOU TO KNOW WHAT WE NEED, BUT ALSO WHAT WE HAVE DONE WITH WHAT YOU'VE ALREADY GIVEN US AND HOW THAT HAS IMPROVED STUDENT ACHIEVEMENT. EVEN WITH A 5% PAY INCREASE, WE ARE STILL OPERATING. PROBABLY 10 TO 12 PERCENT BELOW THE OTHER DIVISIONS OF REGION 2. THIS IS JUST A START. IT'S GOING TO TAKE SOME YEARS TO GET SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS ON AN EVEN LEVEL PLAYING FIELD WITH ALLOWAY, FRANKLIN CITY, SUFFOLK, AND GREENSVILLE BECAUSE IF THEY CONTINUE TO RISE THE BAR AND WE'RE TAKING PIGGY TOE STEPS AT A TIME TO GET OUR TEACHERS THERE, THEN WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO BE OPERATING BACK BEHIND THE EIGHT BALL. HOWEVER, IT'S THE INCENTIVES THAT CONTINUE TO ALLOW OUR TEACHERS TO STAY. WHAT IS ONE OF THEM? COMMUNICATION. THEY WANT TO KNOW THE DIRECTION OF THE SCHOOL DIVISION. I'VE BEEN CLEAR. THE COLLABORATION BETWEEN THE TWO GOVERNING ENTITIES, WE'RE DOING VERY WELL, AND I THANK YOU FOR THAT. SO THAT MATTERS TO THE PEOPLE THAT WE BOTH SERVE, BECAUSE OUR CONSTITUENCY ARE THE SAME. AND THEN THE MONEY. IT'S OBVIOUS TO ME WE CAN'T KEEP GOING DOWN THIS ROAD, KICKING THIS CAN DOWN THE STREET. AND I EXPECT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM TO GET BETTER, AND EDUCATION TO GET BETTER. WE NEED YOU TO HELP US GET THERE. ALL THESE TIMES WE JUST GO OUT TO TAKE OUR LUMPS. WHAT DO YOU THINK, CARL? WELL, I THINK WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN FOR THE SCHOOL. THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY ATTRACT PEOPLE TO THE COUNTY, ONE OF THE JOBS. STUDENTS, PARENTS, BUSINESSES. SO I THINK WE NEED TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN. I THINK EVERYBODY UP HERE IS COMMITTED TO DOING EVERYTHING POSSIBLE. YES, SIR. AND I THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT. WE THANK MR. CORNWELL. I THINK WE SHOULD PUBLISH IT AND THEN SEE WHAT THE CITIZENS HAVE TO SAY DURING THE PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD. I MEAN THAT'S WHAT IT'S HERE FOR SO THAT THEY CAN COME AND TELL US WHAT THEY THINK OF IT. I MEAN FOR THEM IT'S THEIR BUDGET SO IT'S THEIR TAX THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY. I'M IN FULL SUPPORT OF THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AS WELL. I'D LIKE TO GIVE THEM EVERYTHING WE CAN JUST AS MR. WHITE INDICATED. YES SIR. I ALSO KNOW THAT THEY'RE SQUEEZED AS WELL. I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE MADE PERFECTLY CLEAR THAT WE'RE RAISING THEIR TAXES TO FULLY OR PARTIALLY AS MUCH AS WE CAN FUND THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. AND I CAN BE HERE TO WALK WITH YOU EVERY STEP OF THE WAY TO EXPLAIN THE WHY. YOU ARE NOT ALONE. SO THAT DIFFERENCE SHOULD BE THREE CENTS. SO YOU WOULD LIKE FOR ME TO TAKE THE DRAFT BUDGET, INCREASE REAL ESTATE BY THREE CENTS, AND UTILIZE THAT TO PUBLISH FOR PUBLIC HEARING. WITH THE INCREASE OF THE THREE CENTS... GOING TOWARDS THE LOCAL SHARE. TO THE SCHOOLS. AM I STATING THAT CORRECTLY SO THAT I KNOW WHAT TO, SO THAT CHRISTY AND I KNOW WHAT TO PREPARE TO BE ABLE TO SEND TO THE PAPER? THAT'S WHAT Y'ALL WANTED, WASN'T IT? [00:35:01] YEAH, I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE VERY CLEAR THAT IT IS FOR THE SCHOOLS. WELL, THAT WOULD BE THE ONLY LINE INCREASE ON THE EXPENDITURE SIDE WOULD BE TOWARDS THE LOCAL SHARE OF THE SCHOOLS. SO IT WOULD ALL GO THERE. YOU DON'T THINK WE COULD, I MEAN I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT I JUST DID A LITTLE BIT OF MATH. IF WE GO TO 75 CENTS, WHICH IS A 4 CENTS INCREASE, THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER IS GOING TO EXPERIENCE A $120 INCREASE. THAT'S ON A $300,000 HOME. IF YOU'VE GOT A $600,000, THAT'S GOING TO DOUBLE. THAT'S $240 A YEAR. SO THAT'S NOT A MONUMENTAL... I THOUGHT WE SAID THREE CENTS, DIDN'T WE? YEAH, I KNOW WE SAID THREE, BUT... HE'S ASKING IF YOU POTENTIALLY WANT TO ADVERTISE WITH FOUR, AND THEN TAKE IT FROM THERE. BECAUSE IF WE ADVERTISE, WE CAN'T RAISE IT. CORRECT. IF YOU ADVERTISE WITH THREE, YOU WILL NOT... BE ABLE TO. WE KEEP KICKING THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO IT NEXT YEAR OR THE YEAR AFTER THAT. LET'S GO TO 75 CENTS AND WE CAN GIVE THEM A REAL AMOUNT OF MONEY EVERY YEAR FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS. WE'RE GOING TO BE CLOSE TO A MILLION DOLLARS. NOT QUITE, BUT $40,000 OFF A MILLION. AND THEN IT WILL BE UP TO US. SO Y'ALL FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO. I DO HAVE, YOU MENTIONED THAT MS. GREEN IS IN THE WRITING OF GRANTS CURRENTLY. THAT'S A PART OF HER 500 JOBS FOR US. SO YOU DON'T. 501. 501 JOBS. YOU KEEP TALKING, I'M GOING TO ADD, JUST KEEP ADDING. NO, YES SIR. WHAT I'M ASKING, YOU HAVE NO IDEA WHICH ONE OF THOSE GRANTS OR HOW MANY OF THEM ARE GOING TO BE APPROVED, IS THAT RIGHT? WE NEVER KNOW. OR DO YOU ANTICIPATE? THE GRANTS THAT SHE'S REFERRING TO THAT ARE FROM YEAR TO YEAR TO YEAR ARE PRETTY MUCH GUARANTEED. THEY'RE THE FEDERAL PROGRAMS GRANTS, TITLE I, TITLE II, TITLE III, TITLE IV. I WROTE TITLE IV TODAY WHILE WE WERE... SCREENING THE PRE-K KIDS AND CARRYING THE PARENTS BACK AND FORWARDS. I'M ALSO IN CONTACT WITH KELVIN WITH OBESEE HEALTHCARE FOUNDATIONS AND TO GET SOME FUNDING NOT FOR SALARIES BUT TO DO THINGS LIKE FIX THE HOLE IN THE TRACK AT THE HIGH SCHOOL AND WILL HELP OUR LOCALS RECREATION ASSOCIATIONS AND THAT KIND OF THING THAT DOESN'T HELP US BUT WORKING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND GETTING LIKE THE COMMUNITY KNOWING THAT WE CARE ABOUT THEM ALSO AND ALSO SOME OF OUR MCKINNEY-VENTO STUDENTS. YES, SOMETIMES THEY PROVIDE SOME FINANCIAL SUPPORT. THEY HAVE NO IMPACT ON THE INSTRUCTIONAL THEY DO NOT UNLESS THEY HAVE BEEN IDENTIFIED AND OUR TITLE I FUNDING, FOR EXAMPLE, LIKE A READING SPECIALIST OR A MATH COACH, THOSE HAVE TO BE WRITTEN IN THE GRANT. IT HAS TO BE VERY SPECIFIC, AND THE NEED HAS TO HAVE THE DATA TO SUPPORT IT. AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON IS GETTING THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TO BECOME A TITLE I FEDERAL PROGRAM SCHOOL BECAUSE THEY ARE SHOWING THE GREATEST NEED RIGHT NOW FOR NEEDING SUPPORT. SO WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO GET A READING SPECIALIST IN THERE NEXT YEAR WITH FEDERAL FUNDING. CORRECT. WHICH WE HAVE TO REAPPLY FOR EVERY YEAR. MORE QUESTIONS? I WAS GOING TO SEE IF THERE WAS ANY IMPACT AT ALL ON THE GRANTS TO THE INSTRUCTION. SO WE DON'T KNOW THAT UP FRONT. WE NEVER KNOW. BECAUSE WHEN SHE'S WRITING THE GRANTS, SHE HAS TO RECEIVE THE NEED-BASED. INFORMATION BASED OFF OF THE DATA FOR EXAMPLE THE MIDDLE SCHOOL SO HISTORICALLY DOES THAT COME INTO PLAY WITH THE INSTRUCTIONAL? NO, SIR, IT DOES NOT. THOSE POSITIONS ARE USUALLY READING SPECIALISTS OR READING COACHES OR INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES TO INCREASE THE QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION IN THE CLASSROOM. LIKE THIS YEAR, WE JUST PUT AN INSTRUCTIONAL COACH IN THE MIDDLE SCHOOL TO HELP THE OVERALL QUALITY OF INSTRUCTION AND PULL UP OUR CHILDREN'S SCORES. GOOD JOB. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, FURTHER QUESTIONS? [00:40:08] ALL RIGHT, GENTLEMEN, WHAT DO YOU THINK? YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK. SEVENTY-FIVE CENTS. I THINK I AGREE WITH HIM. IT WOULD BE GOOD TO ADVERTISE THAT. AND THEN IF SOMETHING HAPPENS AND WE HAVE TO COME BACK, WHAT PENNY WE CAN DO IT. BUT WE CAN'T SAY 74 AND GO TO 75. YOU GOT TO LOOK AT YOUR SURROUNDING LOCALITIES, OR MAYBE, I DON'T KNOW, SUFFOLK. THEY'RE PAYING 90 CENTS A HUNDRED, I THINK. VIRGINIA BEACH, TIDEWATER AREA IS PAYING OVER A DOLLAR. SOME OF THEM ARE $1.20. I KNOW WE CAN'T COMPARE TO THEM. WOW. LIKE I SAID, WE'VE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SCHOOLS, AND WE'VE WORKED ON THIS FOR YEARS. AND NOW WE'VE GOT AN ELECTED BOARD, AND WE'VE GOT PEOPLE WE CAN COMMUNICATE WITH. TRANSPARENCY. TRANSPARENCY. YES, YOU DO. I THINK IT'S TIME TO PUT OUR MONEY WHERE OUR MOUTH IS, SO TO SPEAK. AND I HOPE YOU FEEL AS THOUGH I'VE WORKED WITH EACH OF YOU WELL. YOU GOT SILENT ON ME. YOU MADE ME A LITTLE NERVOUS. I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS. I'M A LITTLE NERVOUS NOW. I GUESS WE NEED A MOTION FOR THAT. I CAN'T DISAGREE WITH ALL OF THAT, BUT I DO KNOW THAT COMING OFF OF THAT YEAR OF REASSESSMENT, I'VE HEARD IT. I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL HAVE. WE TRIMMED THAT TAX RATE. AS CLOSE AS WE COULD TO WHAT WE THOUGHT WE NEEDED TO GET BY AND THE TAX RATE, IT WAS LOWERED. HOWEVER, THE BILL THAT THE HOMEOWNER WAS PAYING WAS QUITE A BIT MORE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY. AND WHERE WE ARE NOW TO INCREASE IT THREE CENTS IS GOING TO REALLY IMPACT A LARGE PORTION OF OUR POPULATION. AND THEY ARE THOSE THAT ARE ON FIXED INCOME AND ELDERLY, A LOT OF THEM. I'VE TALKED TO A LOT OF THEM, AND THEIR HOMES WERE ASSESSED. THE ASSESSED VALUE OF THE HOMES IS WHAT DID IT, AND THERE WAS NOTHING WE COULD DO ABOUT THAT. AS MUCH AS THE TEACHERS NEED AN INCREASE, THAT INCREASE IS GOING TO HAVE TO COME FROM PERSONAL PROPERTY AND PROPERTY OWNERS. AND LIKE MR. CONNELL SAID, IF WE SET IT, WE'RE GOING TO HEAR FROM THE PUBLIC. SO ALL I CAN SAY IS GET READY. CAN I ADDRESS A CITIZEN OF SOUTH HAMPTON COUNTY AND THE TAXES PART? SURE. THE REAL ESTATE ASSESSMENT GOING UP, IT WASN'T SO MUCH THAT THE REAL ESTATE WENT UP AND THE TAXES WENT UP, IT WAS THAT OUR INSURANCE WENT UP. OUR INSURANCE WENT UP AS MUCH AS $80 A MONTH BECAUSE OF THE REASSESSMENT OF THE VALUE OF THE HOUSES. IT WASN'T SO MUCH THAT OUR TAXES WENT UP. AS THE INSURANCE WENT UP. $80 A MONTH FOR 12 MONTHS. THAT WAS JUST MY SISTER. MINE WENT UP EVEN MORE THAN THAT. SO, IT WASN'T SO MUCH THE TAXES. I'M GREATLY RELIEVED. I THOUGHT YOU WERE GOING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT TRASH FEE. DON'T GIVE HER THE OPPORTUNITY. I'M GRATEFUL. I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE TRASH. DON'T GIVE HER THE OPPORTUNITY, DR. EDWARDS. THANK YOU. SPEAKING OF, WE CAN JUST DOUBLE THAT AND IT'LL COVER IT. LEAVE THE TAX RATE ALONE. THE DUMP THING, THAT'LL COME. WELL, YOU WANT YOUR PHONE TO RING, WILLIAM HART. [00:45:02] YOU WANT YOUR PHONE TO RING. MINE IS NOT THE ONLY ONE. WELL, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO FACE THE HEAT. LIKE I SAID, I THINK, WELL, IT'S GOING TO BE... SOME PEOPLE ARE VERY ANGRY ABOUT THIS, BUT I THINK THERE'S SOME PEOPLE THAT REALIZE THAT THIS IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO DO. I MEAN, THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM MEANS A LOT TO YOUR COMMUNITIES AND THE COUNTY AND EVERYTHING, THE QUALITY OF LIFE HERE. SO I'M WILLING TO TAKE THE HEAT. YEAH, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A MONUMENTAL INCREASE ON EVERYBODY LIKE THE INSURANCE DID TO EVERYBODY. WE HELD THE LINE FOR TWO YEARS SINCE THE PROPERTY REASSESSMENT. ALRIGHT, I GUESS WE NEED A MOTION TO GO WITH THE 75. I'LL MAKE THAT MOTION. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALRIGHT, WE'LL GO WITH THE 75. UNANIMOUS. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT. THANK YOU. ARE YOU VOTING NOW? OH, YEAH. THANK YOU. OKAY. WE THOUGHT YOU WERE. THANK YOU. OKAY. I'LL MOVE ON [2. Discussion of Pay Frequency/Schedules – Susan Wright – IT Director ] TO SOMETHING ELSE. I HAVE TO BE STUCK. ALL RIGHT. WE TALKED ABOUT THE INCREASING THE PAY. SCHEDULE FREQUENCY AND WE HAVE MS. SUSAN WRIGHT, OUR IT DIRECTOR, TO GIVE US A RUNDOWN ON WHAT THAT WOULD ENTAIL. YOU HAVE THE FLOOR. ALRIGHT, I'M SUSAN WRIGHT, I'M THE IT DIRECTOR. AND SOME OF Y'ALL MIGHT WONDER WHY, WHAT DOES IT HAVE TO DO WITH PAYROLL? BUT YEARS AGO, MY DEPARTMENT WAS CALLED DATA PROCESSING. AND THAT DEPARTMENT'S BEEN PROCESSING PAYROLL FOR AS FAR AS I CAN REMEMBER, EVEN WHEN THERE WAS PUNCH CARDS. SO THAT'S WHAT MY DEPARTMENT HAS TO DO WITH IT. FIRST, I WILL SAY THAT THE REASON WHY I HADN'T ADDRESSED THIS IN DEPTH IS BECAUSE I WAS ASKED HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST. I WASN'T ASKED WHAT I THOUGHT ABOUT IT. WHAT THE EFFECT WOULD BE ON MY DEPARTMENT, I WAS JUST ASKED WHAT IT WOULD COST. AND MY MIND WENT IMMEDIATELY TO TANGIBLES LIKE CHECKS, DIRECT DEPOSIT SLIPS, PAPER, TONER, PRINTERS, YOU KNOW, WEAR AND TEAR ON THE PRINTER, THAT TYPE OF THING. SO THAT'S WHERE MY MIND WENT. I HAD ALSO BEEN ASKED TO PROVIDE THE COST ON A COUPLE PRIOR OCCASIONS, AND I DIDN'T REALIZE THAT THIS WOULD BE REQUESTED OFFICIALLY FOR THIS UPCOMING FISCAL YEAR, OR I PROBABLY WOULD HAVE ADDRESSED THIS SOONER. SO I JUST WANT Y'ALL TO KNOW THAT. AND THE REASON WHY I CAME UP WITH THE CHECKS AND THE DIRECT DEPOSIT SLIPS IN THE PAPER, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU ALL ARE AWARE OF THIS OR NOT OR WHEN THIS BEGAN, BUT THE COUNTY COVERS THE COST OF THE PAYROLL FOR THE SCHOOL. WE'VE COVERED THE COST OF THE CHECKS, THE COST OF THE DIRECT DEPOSIT SLIPS, THE COST OF THE PAPER. WE DON'T CHARGE THEM ANYTHING. SO THE $38,000 CAME FROM, WELL, I WAS LIKE, WELL, IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO THIS TWICE, THEN WE PROBABLY SHOULD CHARGE THEM FOR THE SUPPLY. YOU KNOW, THAT WAS MY THINKING. SO THAT'S WHERE THE $38,000 CAME FROM BECAUSE WE PAY DUES FOR A FINANCIAL SYSTEM, PAYROLL SYSTEM, THAT WE DON'T CHARGE THEM ANYTHING FOR. WE DON'T CHARGE THEM FOR THE CHECKS. EVERYTHING WOULD BE DOUBLED. SO THAT'S WHERE THE $38,000 CAME IN. AND ALSO, WE ABSORB THE COST ANYTIME WE HAVE TO CHANGE SIGNATURES. WE JUST CHANGED THE SIGNATURES THAT ARE LASERED ON THE CHECKS. WE DID THAT FOR THE COUNTY TO PUT MS. LOWE ON THERE, AND WE DID IT FOR THE SCHOOLS TO PUT DR. HARRIS-MUHAMMAD ON THE CHECKS. AND WE ABSORB THE COST OF THAT AS WELL. I WILL DO WHATEVER IS DIRECTED OF ME FROM THE BOARD, BUT I WILL SAY THAT MY DEPARTMENT WILL BE AFFECTED BECAUSE IF THE SCHOOL BOARD GOES TO TWICE A MONTH, THEN THAT MEANS MY OFFICE PROCESSES TWICE A MONTH. YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE TIME, YOU KNOW, IT'S PRETTY GOOD. I WILL SAY THAT WE RARELY GET THE SCHOOL PAYROLL EARLIER THAN THE DAY IT'S DUE. THAT IS IN NO WAY THROWING SHADE AT THE PAYROLL DEPARTMENT. THE PEOPLE [00:50:02] DOWN THERE ARE PHENOMENAL. THEY DO A GREAT JOB. BUT YOU'VE GOT SIX SCHOOLS, THE TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT, FOOD SERVICE DEPARTMENT, AND IT'S A LOT OF MOVING PARTS. AND I THINK IT'S JUST A LOT FOR THEM TO GET WHAT THEY NEED AND GET IT TO US. IT'S JUST A BIG PAYROLL. AND I'M NOT SPEAKING FOR THE SCHOOL. SCHOOL, BUT I KNOW JUST FROM THE REPORTS THAT I DO SOMETIMES FOR DIFFERENT INSURANCE PURPOSES THAT WE HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT, YOU KNOW, MAY DRIVE A BUS, MAY WORK IN THE CAFETERIA. YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GOT DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. IT'S NOT JUST CUT AND DRY, YOU KNOW. SO I THINK THAT'S WHY SOMETIMES WE DON'T GET IT. I WOULDN'T SAY TIMELY. IT'S NEVER BEEN LATE, LIKE WE'VE NEVER NOT. GIVING SOMEBODY A DIRECT DEPOSIT, BUT IT'S BEEN CLOSE. AND TOWNE BANK HAS A STRICTER DIRECT DEPOSIT DEADLINE THAN OUR PREVIOUS BANK. SO WE HAVE TO HAVE EVERYTHING IN THREE FULL BUSINESS DAYS BEFORE THE PAYDAY. SO LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, PAYDAY THIS MONTH IS APRIL 30TH. THE DROP DEAD DEADLINE VARIETY. AND SOMETIMES THAT'S HARD TO DO. AND IF WE HAVE A HOLIDAY IN THERE, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE OUT, CHRISTMAS OR WHATEVER, IT AFFECTS THAT AND WE NEED IT EVEN EARLIER. SO I CAN'T SPEAK AS TO WHETHER OR NOT I WOULD NEED ANOTHER EMPLOYEE BECAUSE I DON'T REALLY KNOW THAT UNTIL WE ACTUALLY DO IT. AND THAT WOULD DEPEND ON CERTAIN FACTORS. RIGHT NOW WE DO A LOT OF PRINTING. WE DO A LOT OF PRINTING OF DIRECT DEPOSIT SLIPS. WE DO A LOT OF PRINTING OF CHECKS. EVEN IF THE SCHOOL WENT TO ALL DIRECT DEPOSIT, THAT'S STILL NOT GOING TO HELP US REALLY BECAUSE WE'RE STILL PRINTING DIRECT DEPOSIT SLIPS. NOT ALL. THE EMPLOYEES DO HAVE A CHOICE TO RECEIVE AN E-DEPOSIT WHERE THEY GET AN EMAIL WITH A LOGIN. AND WE DO HAVE RIGHT MANY SCHOOL EMPLOYEES THAT DO, YOU KNOW, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT. SO IF THAT WERE IMPLEMENTED, YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD HELP MY OFFICE. BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU CAN FORCE IT, AND THAT'S NOT MY, YOU KNOW, PREROGATIVE TO SAY THAT THEY SHOULD OR SHOULDN'T DO. WE DO A LOT OF PAYROLLS IN THE SUMMER AS IT IS. BECAUSE YOU HAVE SUMMER SCHOOL PAYROLL, AND THEN YOU ALSO HAVE SOME 10-MONTH EMPLOYEES THAT GET PAID, I'M GOING TO ASK JOY, THAT GET PAID 12 MONTHS. THEY ALL GET PAID 12 MONTHS. EVERYBODY GETS PAID 12 MONTHS, BUT SOME PEOPLE HAVE A 10-MONTH CONTRACT AND AN 11-MONTH CONTRACT. AM I SAYING THAT CORRECTLY? OKAY. AND FOR THOSE... THE ACTUAL MONEY IS EARNED IN JUNE, AT THE END OF JUNE, EARNED BY THE END OF JUNE. BUT THEY'RE NOT GETTING PAID UNTIL JULY. THE EXPENSE HAS TO COME IN JUNE, BUT THEY'RE NOT ACTUALLY PHYSICALLY GETTING THE MONEY UNTIL JULY AND AUGUST. SO IN THE SUMMERTIME, WE HAVE SEPARATE PAYROLLS, AND WE'VE ALWAYS CALLED IT JUNE FOR JULY. IN JUNE FOR AUGUST, WHICH MEANS THESE ARE YOUR 10-MONTH AND 11-MONTH EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE IT HIT CASH IN JUNE, BUT THEY DON'T GET THEIR MONEY UNTIL THE FOLLOWING MONTH. SO WE ACTUALLY RUN THOSE PAYROLLS, PRINT THOSE CHECKS, PUT THEM IN THE CABINET. THEY STAY IN THERE UNTIL THAT MONTH GETS HERE. BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO HOLD THAT PAYROLL SHEET WITH THAT DIRECT DEPOSIT. IT'S USUALLY JUST CHECKS. AM I CORRECT? NO. IT'S THE RIGHT DEPOSIT TOO. OKAY, I COULDN'T REMEMBER. BUT WE HAVE TO HOLD THAT AND WAIT UNTIL WE GET THE JULY PAYROLL, AND WE HAVE TO ADD NUMBERS TOGETHER AND MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE SENDING THE STATE AND FEDERAL TAX DEPOSITS UP AT ONE TIME FOR THOSE PARTICULAR PAYROLLS. IT GETS... IT GETS MESSY. WE'VE BEEN DOING IT. WE'VE KIND OF GOT IT DOWN TO A SCIENCE, BUT STILL WE HAVE TO SAY, OKAY, THIS HAS TO HIT CASH THIS MONTH, BUT WE CAN'T GIVE THESE CHECKS OUT YET. SO IT'S ALREADY BUSY IN THE SUMMER. IT IS THIS. SCHOOL PAYROLL TAKES UP THE [00:55:01] MOST TIME OF THE THREE PAYROLLS THAT WE DO. WE DO THE COUNTY, WE DO SOCIAL SERVICES, AND WE DO THE SCHOOL. AND IT IS DIFFICULT TO GET THE PAYROLL ONCE A MONTH IN TIME TO FEEL COMFORTABLE. IT'S USUALLY A RUSH. AND LIKE I SAID, THE PAYROLL PEOPLE AT THE SCHOOL ARE GREAT. THEY DO EVERYTHING THEY CAN. I THINK, TO GET IT TO US. BUT THERE'S SO MANY DEPARTMENTS AND SO MANY SCHOOLS THAT I JUST WORRY THAT IF WE HAD TO DO THAT TWICE WHEN WE'RE ALREADY HAVING DIFFICULTY DOING IT ONCE, THAT'S JUST MY THOUGHT. NOW, I DIDN'T INCLUDE ANY... SALARY FOR US IN MY $38,000 BECAUSE I'M GETTING PAID WHAT I'M GETTING PAID, WHETHER I'M RUNNING PAYROLL OR WHETHER I'M FIXING A COMPUTER OR WHATEVER. I DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS MY PLACE TO SET ASIDE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OR WHATEVER OF MY SALARY. THAT WOULD BE UP TO THE BOARD. AND I'VE GOT TWO OTHER EMPLOYEES IN MY DEPARTMENT. BUT THAT'S JUST MY EXPERIENCE ON HOW, YOU KNOW, IT AFFECTS MY DEPARTMENT. WE'RE HAPPY TO DO WHAT WE NEED TO DO. IT'S JUST A LOT. I MEAN, A LOT OF REPORT PRINTING, I MEAN, THREE OR FOUR REAMS OF PAPER PER PAYROLL. I MEAN, AND A LOT OF TIMES WE END UP DOING AN ADDITIONAL PAYROLL BECAUSE SOMEBODY DIDN'T GET PAID, SOMEBODY DIDN'T TURN THEIR TIME IN. YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY IN THE SUMMER WHEN WE HAVE THOSE SPECIAL PAYROLLS. WOULD THOSE SPECIAL PAYROLLS ALSO BE DONE TWICE A MONTH? BECAUSE IF THEY ARE, THAT CAN JUST GET REAL STICKY FOR US. DOES THE COUNTY STILL STAY ON A MONTHLY OR WOULD EVER SWITCH ALL UP? SWITCH ALL UP. NO. TO ME, THAT WOULD JUST MAKE IT EVEN MORE COMPLICATED. YOU'D HAVE TWO DIFFERENT. SETS OF PAYROLLS, ONE MONTHLY AND ONE BY MONTH. YEAH. YOU KNOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THIS SURVEY, 65% OF THE PEOPLE THOUGHT IT WAS OKAY AND REALLY DIDN'T CARE. ONLY ABOUT 30-COUPLE PERCENT SAID THEY WANTED TO GO TWICE A MONTH. SO YOU HAVE THE VAST MAJORITY WHO SAID, ACCORDING TO THIS SURVEY, SAID IT'S OKAY, LEAVING IT ONCE A MONTH. I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WANT IT, BUT IT'S GOING TO ADD A MONUMENTAL TASK TO HER OFFICE TO DO IT. OKAY, AND THIS, WHAT COMES TO YOU, HAS TO COME FROM THE SCHOOL. WHAT BURDEN DOES THIS PUT ON THE SCHOOL? WOULD IT CHANGE WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO AND TO WHAT EXTENT? I CAN ANSWER THAT. ABSOLUTELY. I DON'T CALL IT A BURDEN ON THE SCHOOLS. WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO, AND THANK YOU FOR SHARING THAT PARTNER, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO SOME THINGS DIFFERENT WITHIN OUR HOUSE. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ENSURE THAT OUR DEPARTMENTS AND PARTICULARLY COLLECTING INFORMATION FROM TRANSPORTATION, FOOD SERVICE, THAT HAS TO BE ON TIME. AND SO WHEN THINGS ARE ON TIME, THAT HELPS THINGS RUN SMOOTHER. WHEN THEY'RE NOT ON TIME, THEN YOU BEGIN RUNNING INTO THE, WE GOT TO MOVE QUICKER TO MAKE SURE, BECAUSE NONE OF US WANT ANYONE TO GO WITHOUT BEING PAID. BUT IT IS ALSO A RESPONSIBILITY FOR ADULTS TO TURN YOUR INFORMATION IN ON TIME. AND SO IF IT HAPPENS ONE TIME AND YOU DON'T GET PAID, IT'S BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T TURN IT IN ON TIME. BUT NO ONE WANTS TO SAY, WELL, WE'RE NOT GOING TO PAY YOU BECAUSE YOU DIDN'T TURN YOUR PAYROLL IN NO TIME. THAT'S A DISCUSSION I WOULD HAVE TO HAVE WITH THE BOARD BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE A POLICY REVISION. OK, POLICY DRIVES EVERYTHING THAT WE DO. AND SO, YES, I. MR. CORNWELL, YOU ASKED ME IN PARTICULAR ABOUT ONE OF THE SURVEY QUESTIONS THAT I WAS GOING THROUGH. AND SO WITH SOME OF THAT, AND I CAN PASS THIS AROUND SO YOU ALL CAN SEE EVERY QUESTION AND HOW PEOPLE VOTED, WOULD YOU PREFER TO BE PAID BIWEEKLY TWICE A MONTH? AND 50% SAID YES. THAT ONE, DR. EDWARDS, THAT ONE PIE CHART THAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT WAS THE ONLY ONE THAT WAS GIVEN FOR THE NEWS ARTICLE. I THINK THERE WERE A TOTAL. TOTAL OF UM ONE TWO THREE [01:00:05] BELIEVE THREE FOUR PIE CHARTS THAT FIVE EXCUSE ME WELL YEAH I DON'T WANT TO COUNT ONE MORE THAN ONCE BUT IT WAS JUST MORE THAN ONE QUESTION THAT UM AND YES THAT WAS A QUESTION WHERE I THINK WHAT 60 SAID WHAT DOESN'T MATTER TO THEM BUT WHEN YOU READ THE QUESTION WHEN YOU READ, EXCUSE ME, WHEN YOU READ THEIR RESPONSES, SOME OF THEM WAS BECAUSE THEY HAVE HELP AT HOME OR THEY HAVE A SPOUSE AT HOME THAT GETS PAID. SO WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE UNPACKING THE QUESTION AND NOT JUST LOOKING AT THE PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE THAT VOTED, BUT ALSO WE WANT TO REMAIN TRANSPARENT. I ALWAYS WANT YOU ALL TO HAVE THE FACTS. THE QUESTIONS GUIDED THE SUPPORT FROM THE BOARD TO SUPPORT THE STAFF. BECAUSE OVERWHELMINGLY, 56% SAID THIS IS WHAT THEY PREFER BECAUSE OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT THEY LACK. SO I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, AND MY PARTNER DID A GREAT JOB, AND I HEARD SOME THINGS NEW TODAY THAT I NEED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION WITH OUR PAYROLL TEAM, AND NOT JUST OUR PAYROLL TEAM, WHO'S PHENOMENAL, BUT ALSO THE PEOPLE THAT HAVE TO SUBMIT THE REPORTS TO THEM. IT'S AN ACCOUNTABILITY MEASURE. AND IT HAS TO BE MONITORED. YOU DON'T TURN YOUR THINGS ON TIME, YOU MAY NOT GET PAID ON TIME. THIS IS REAL. BECAUSE THEN ON THE OTHER HAND, MR. CARVER, THEY'RE SAYING, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE THIS AND WE'RE NOT PAID, YOU KNOW, WE'RE THE LOWEST PAID. YOU GOT TO MAKE SURE, YOU KNOW WHEN YOU WORK. HELP US OUT. TRUE PARTNERS DO THAT. SO IT'S A RESPONSIBILITY FOR US. AND I DON'T HAVE. ANY ISSUE OF VERBALATING THAT CONCERN, NOT AT ALL. THE POLICY WOULD DRIVE THAT. OKAY, WOULD IT CHANGE, BE AN ADDITIONAL EXPENSE TO THE SCHOOLS? IT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL EXPENSE BECAUSE WE'RE PARTNERS IN THIS. I CAN UNEQUIVOCALLY SAY, NOW HOW MUCH THAT EXPENSE IS, AS YOU INDICATED HERE, MY PARTNER GAVE. WHAT IT WOULD COST ADDITIONALLY, BUT THERE ARE ALSO SOME OTHER THINGS. AND ALSO WE COULD ASK ABOUT THE P CARDS. I WAS GOING TO SAY P CARDS. BUT SOME SCHOOL DIVISIONS IN THEIR POLICY REQUIRE THEIR EMPLOYEES TO HAVE ONE OR TWO THINGS, DIRECT DEPOSIT OR IS GOING TO A CARD, BECAUSE IT CUT DOWN ON WHAT YOU JUST DESCRIBED. I CAN'T ELOQUENTLY REPEAT IT LIKE YOU, BUT. THAT PAPER, THE STUFF, IT DOES COST. IT ADDS UP. SO SOME SCHOOL DIVISIONS, DIRECT DEPOSIT, OR YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE AN ISSUE, IT WILL BE SENT TO A CARD, A PAYROLL CARD. AND THAT WILL ALSO BE A POLICY DRIVEN ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD. I CAN MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION TO THE BOARD. AND OF COURSE, THERE WILL BE SOME DISCUSSION AND NOT SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD. BUT I WOULD SHARE WITH THEM THESE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE COULD DO TO HELP SUPPORT IT. BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE ANY STAFF. AND, YOU KNOW, GRADUATING FROM COLLEGE, COMING INTO A SCHOOL DIVISION THAT'S PAID ONCE A MONTH, THERE IS SOME CONCERN WITH THAT. AND WE ALL WANT THE SAME THING FOR OUR STAFF, AND THAT'S TO BE WELL TAKEN CARE OF. BUT THERE'S ALSO SOME MONITORING OF RESPONSIBILITIES THAT WE HAVE TO DO. ON THE DIVISION SIDE AS WELL TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE CONTINUING TO BE GOOD PARTNERS. NOT GOING TO IMPACT YOUR BUSINESS POSITION. IT WOULD ALWAYS ADD A LAYER OF... WE HAVE TO DO THIS MORE, BUT THE SUPPORT IS THERE. MS. CARR HAS REMAINED WITH US PART-TIME TO PROVIDE THAT SUPPORT IN ADDITION TO SOME OTHER SUPPORTS. WE HAVE A NEW DIRECTOR OF FINANCE THAT WILL BE STARTING NEXT WEEK, AND SHE IS REMAINING WITH US TO NOT ONLY MAKE SURE OF A SMOOTH TRANSITION, BUT IF THE BOARD DOES SUPPORT THE REQUEST ON BEHALF OF THE SCHOOL DIVISION. SHE WILL BE THERE TO ADD THAT SUPPORT. IT'S GOING TO BE NO WOMAN BY THEMSELVES MAKING SURE THAT THIS IS PRODUCTIVE. AND I BELIEVE IN ACCOUNTABILITY AND MONITORING. IF IT'S NOT WORKING, MY NEW FRIEND OVER HERE IS GOING TO LET US KNOW. IF YOU ALL DECIDE THAT YOU'RE GOING TO PASS IT, SUPPORT IT, I'M ATTACHED [01:05:09] TO THEIR HIP NOW, THEIR NEW BEST FRIEND. THESE ARE MY GIRLS. A LOT OF THINGS TO WORK OUT. I WILL ADD, AND I KNOW ABOUT THE DIRECT DEPOSIT, AND THAT IS A GOOD IDEA, BUT RIGHT NOW WE CURRENTLY PRINT MOST OF THE DIRECT DEPOSIT SLIPS, AND SO IT'S STILL A PRINTING. WHETHER WE'RE PRINTING A CHECK OR PRINTING A DIRECT DEPOSIT SLIP, WE'RE STILL PRINTING SOMETHING ELSE TWICE. IT'S 2025, AND I WAS JUST DOING SOME QUICK MATH. AS I LOOK AT OUR SHEET HERE, WEAR AND TEAR OF THE PRINTER, TONER CARTRIDGES. TEN REAMS OF PAPER A MONTH, DEPOSIT SLIPS, YELLOW PAPER, CHECKS. IT'S A LOT OF MONEY. ABOUT $9,000 ASSOCIATED WITH PAPER. IT IS. THERE'S GOT TO BE A BETTER WAY. AND I WOULD PROBABLY SUGGEST THAT, AND WE'VE MENTIONED THIS ONCE BEFORE, BUT I DON'T KNOW IF IT GOT TO THE RIGHT HANDS, THE PAYROLL SHEET THAT WE GET THAT TELLS US HOW MANY OF THIS REPORT THEY NEED AND HOW MANY OF THIS REPORT THEY NEED IS PROBABLY A LITTLE OUTDATED. THERE'S PROBABLY SOME REPORTS THAT WE PRINT THAT WE MAY NOT NEED TO PRINT. SO YOU MIGHT WANT TO LOOK AT THAT, BUT IT'S NOT UP TO US TO ASK YOU, DO YOU NEED THIS, DO YOU NEED THAT? YOU SEND US A SHEET AND WHATEVER'S ON THAT SHEET THAT YOU SAY YOU NEED TWO COPIES OF OR ONE COPY OF OR FIVE COPIES OF IS WHAT WE GIVE YOU. BUT SOME ITEMS ON THAT SHEET MAY HAVE BEEN UP THERE FOR TEN YEARS AND YOU MAY NOT NEED ONE OF THOSE REPORTS. YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW, BUT I JUST WANTED TO THROW THAT OUT THERE. AND I APPRECIATE THAT. BUT WE DO, AND WE HAVEN'T IMPLEMENTED IT WITH THE COUNTY YET, BUT WITH THE SCHOOL, WE DO OFFER THE E-STUB. AND SO ANYBODY THAT SIGNS UP FOR DIRECT DEPOSIT WITH AN E-STUB GETS AN EMAIL WITH THEIR STUB AND WE DON'T PRINT A DIRECT DEPOSIT. SLIP. SO ANYBODY THAT SIGNS UP FOR THAT IS SAVING TIME, PAPER, EFFORT, BUT IT'S NOT UP TO ME TO REQUIRE THAT OF ANYBODY. I JUST DO WHAT I'M GIVEN. YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHAT, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T SUGGEST OR ASK, YOU KNOW, HOW ANY INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENT HANDLES THEIR PAYROLL. IT'S JUST PROCESS WHAT THEY GIVE US. OKAY, AND IF WE WERE TO GO TO THIS, THIS WOULD BE... THERE WOULDN'T BE ANY OPTION, RIGHT? IF WE GO TO IT, THEN EVERYBODY WOULD HAVE TO GO TO IT. AS FAR AS TWICE A MONTH? AS FAR AS IF WE WENT TWICE A MONTH, WOULD EVERYBODY IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM HAVE TO GO TO THAT? YES, IT'S ONE WAY OR THE OTHER. YES, SIR. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ADD AS WELL THAT WHEN YOU HAVE A POLICY THAT SUPPORTS THE PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES IN PLACE, THEN THAT IS SOMETHING THAT OUR STAFF WILL HAVE TO ADJUST TO. AND THE POLICY AND PUT THE POLICY ALLOWS ME TO IMPLEMENT AND CREATE THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE. AND THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURE WOULD BE WE PER THE POLICY WE ARE MOVING TO DIRECT DEPOSIT AND OR THE CARD AND THEN IT WILL BE MY JOB. PER THE POLICY TO IMPLEMENT THE ADMINISTRATIVE PROCEDURES AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT I HEARD THIS EVENING ARE NEW TO ME. I JUST HEARD THEM FOR THE FIRST TIME SO I'M GLAD THAT YOU WERE SHARING THEM AND TRANSPARENT AND SOME WORK ON THE SCHOOL DIVISION PART AND HOW STUFF WE WILL HAVE TO DO. NOW I'M NOT FAMILIAR WITH A CARD AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT IS SOMETHING THAT OUR PAYROLL SYSTEM AND OUR OUR SOFTWARE COMPANY SUPPORTS. I DON'T KNOW. YEAH I JUST MEANT TO KNOW. WE DON'T DO IT FOR ANYBODY ELSE. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S AN OPTION OR NOT. I'M NOT GOING TO SAY IT'S NOT BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW. AND IF NOT, I CAN'T SAY IT WILL BE THE REGULAR DIRECT DEPOSIT. PEOPLE ARE VERY RELUCTANT TO GO TO E ANYTHING, LIKE TOTALLY E ANYTHING. THEY JUST ARE. WHAT IS THE MECHANISM NOW THAT WE HAVE TO GO TO TO FIGURE OUT EXACTLY WHAT TO DO? WHAT DO YOU MEAN? WHAT ARE THE PLANS? WHAT'S THE MECHANISM OF GETTING ALL THIS STUFF TOGETHER? IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE... THERE'S A LOT OF WORK TO BE DONE, SO I DON'T THINK WE SHOULD MOVE FORWARD AT ANYTHING. I DON'T THINK SO EITHER. IF THIS WAS MY COMPANY AND I JUST HEARD ALL OF THAT, I'D SAY WE'RE GOING TO HOLD [01:10:01] OFF UNTIL WE FIGURE EVERYTHING OUT. THAT'S ALL I ASK YOU. THAT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO. WHO'S GOING TO? YOU KNOW YOU NEED TO GET YOUR SIDE STRAIGHT SO SHE'LL BE STRAIGHT, YOU KNOW. YEAH, REALLY. I MEAN, Y'ALL, YOU'VE GOT TO TALK TO YOUR PEOPLE AND SAY WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS, THIS, THIS, AND THIS. AND GET IT ALL STRAIGHT AND THEN YOU CAN BRING IT TO SUSAN AND SHE'LL BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT IT. AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE IT ON AS AN INITIATIVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE TRAINING THE PEOPLE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOUR WORK AND YOUR OFFICE IS LESS GRUESOME OR LESS WORRISOME. BUT WE ARE, WE'RE GOING TO TAKE IT ON AS AN INITIATIVE. WE HAVE BOARD MEMBERS HERE AND I APPRECIATE THEM AND THEY'VE HEARD THE MESSAGING AS WELL. AND SO... WE WILL WORK ON IT. IT WILL BE MY RESPONSIBILITY TO CREATE THAT AND WORK WITH THE TEAM TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL THE PIECES ARE IN PLACE AND ALSO HONOR WHAT THE PEOPLE HAVE ASKED DURING THE SURVEY BECAUSE WE DON'T WANT TO IGNORE THAT. WE'RE GOING TO LOSE PEOPLE IF WE DO. A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, YOU SAY, WELL, WE NEED TO GET PAID TWICE A MONTH. YOU KNOW, THAT SOUNDS REAL EASY. BUT WHEN YOU'RE RUNNING A PAYROLL DEPARTMENT AS BIG AS YOURS IS, WITH HOW MANY EMPLOYEES? WE HAVE ABOUT 400 TO 500. YEAH, I MEAN THAT'S A MONUMENTAL TASK EVERY TWO WEEKS. THE LAST THREE MONTHS HAVE BEEN 483. READY. FOR THE LAST THREE MONTHS, IT'S BEEN 483. NOW, THE TEACHERS AND EVERYBODY HAVE REQUESTED THAT, OKAY. I WOULD LOVE TO HONOR THAT, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO KNOW THAT IT'S MANAGEABLE. AND SO YOU HAVE TO PRESENT A PLAN THAT SHOWS IT'S MANAGEABLE AND THAT IT'S AFFORDABLE. AND WE'VE WORKED WELL WITH THE PAYROLL AND FINANCE DEPARTMENT. WE'VE HAD ZERO ISSUES WITH THEM. THEY'RE EASY TO WORK WITH. THEY COMMUNICATE WITH US. I HONESTLY THINK THAT THEY GIVE US WHAT THEY GIVE US AS QUICKLY AND AS ACCURATELY AS THEY CAN, HAS BEEN MY EXPERIENCE. BUT AGAIN, WITH THE DIRECT DEPOSIT DEADLINE BEING MORE STRICT WITH THE CURRENT BANK, THAT HAS PLAYED SOMEWHAT OF A PART. AND ANYTIME WE HAVE HOLIDAYS, WE'RE OFF. THAT THROWS A KINK BECAUSE YOU'RE LOSING A BUSINESS DAY. SO I GUESS I DON'T WANT MY DEPARTMENT TO BECOME DOING PAYROLL. MORE THAN 50% OF THE TIME AND SO I MEAN MAYBE THERE'S SOME LOGISTICS THAT CAN BE WORKED OUT FOR THE FUTURE I JUST HAD TO BE HONEST ON HOW IT WOULD AFFECT MY DEPARTMENT ALL RIGHT, LET'S GET IT ALL TOGETHER AND LOOK AT IT THOROUGHLY AND THEN MAKE A DECISION. WE HAVE TO GET ALL THE FACTS YEAH, I MEAN, IT'S GOING TO TAKE TIME TO FIGURE IT OUT. I'M NOT JUST THINKING ABOUT THAT. IS THAT A DECISION THAT HAS TO BE MADE AT BUDGET TIME, OR CAN THAT BE MADE AT ANY TIME DURING THE YEAR? IT CAN BE MADE AT ANY TIME DURING THE YEAR. THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. YEAH, THIS IS SOMETHING YOU CAN'T RUSH INTO. YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE TIME TO FIGURE THIS OUT, WHICH I KNOW YOU'VE GOT THE GROUNDWORK FIGURED OUT, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT THE LOGISTICS OF ALL OF IT. THAT'S IMPORTANT. YEAH. AND WHILE WE'RE TRAINING. IF YOU JUST SAY, ALL RIGHT, WE'RE GOING TO DO IT NEXT MONTH, STARTING IN TWO WEEKS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE YOU FIRST, AND EVERYBODY'S GOING TO BE, OH, THEY'RE GOING TO GO CRAZY. YEAH. AND WE'RE GOING TO COMMUNICATE. YOU HAVE MY PROMISE. OH, YEAH. THAT WE'RE GOING TO COMMUNICATE AND MEET AND ALSO WITH THE TEAM. WE WILL MEET AND TALK ABOUT, LOOK, SO WE CAN, WHEN WE COME BACK BEFORE YOU. AS WONDER WOMEN, THAT WE'RE ON THE SAME PAGE. ALRIGHT, SOUNDS GOOD. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU BOTH. [3. Board agreement on changes to draft budget ] ALL RIGHT, WE'RE ON TO NUMBER THREE. WE'VE ALREADY DONE THAT. HAVE WE GOT AN AWARD AGREEMENT ON CHANGES TO THE DRAFT BUDGET? YOU WOULD LIKE FOR ME TO BRING BACK THE DRAFT BUDGET SHOWING A REAL ESTATE TAX RATE OF 75 CENTS PER 100 WITH THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS. FROM THAT ADDITIONAL $0.04 GOING TO THE LOCAL SHARE TO THE SCHOOLS. THAT'S WHAT I'M BEING ASKED, CORRECT? [01:15:01] YEAH. WE'VE ALREADY VOTED ON THAT. WE VOTED ON IT. WHAT? OH, SORRY. OKAY. YES, SIR. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING. ALL RIGHT. MOVE ON TO NUMBER FOUR. WE HAVE A LATE ARRIVING MATTER. WILLIAM HART, DO YOU WANT TO GO OVER THE TRANSPARENCY TASK FORCE? YEAH, LET'S SEE, MR. ROGERS, HE'S NOT HERE, IS HE? HE'S NOT HERE, HE'S NOT ABLE TO BE HERE THIS EVENING. OKAY. WELL, HE AND I HAVE DISCUSSED THE TRANSPARENCY COMMITTEE, I THINK, THAT HAD BEEN STARTED WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD. WE ADOPTED A TRANSPARENCY COMMITTEE BACK IN JANUARY. AND THERE WAS SOME HESITATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL BOARD ACCEPTING, OR THE TWO REPRESENTATIVES ON THE SCHOOL BOARD, ACCEPTING JAMES ELLENSON AS A CHAIR OF THAT COMMITTEE. AND I WAS JUST WONDERING FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD'S POSITION. WHAT THE ISSUE WAS, SINCE WE HAD, I KNOW THAT'S UP TO THE CHAIR OF THE SCHOOL BOARD, BUT WHEN YOU AND I AND OTHER MEMBERS OF THIS BOARD HAD A DISCUSSION ABOUT IT IN THE INTERVIEWS, I KNOW YOU SAID THAT YOU WERE SOLIDLY BEHIND IT, AND WE WANT TO GET IT STARTED, GET IT ALL IN COURSE. SO I WAS HOPING TO GET THAT STRAIGHT TONIGHT SO WE COULD SET UP A MEETING. NOW THIS IS A PUBLIC ENTITY, SO WE WOULD HAVE TO POST WHEN THE MEETINGS WOULD BE AND PUT THAT OUT SO THE PUBLIC WOULD BE NOTIFIED OF THESE MEETINGS. BUT WE DO WANT TO GET STARTED, AND HE SENT ME A MESSAGE TODAY THAT I BELIEVE THERE WERE FOUR CITIZENS THAT WERE APPROVED TO SERVE ON THAT COMMITTEE. YEAH, I SENT, I'M DEBORAH KING. I AM ONE OF THE CHAIRS OF OUR TRANSPARENCY COMMITTEE AND I SENT MR. ROGERS THOSE NAMES BECAUSE WE'VE HAD ONE MEETING. DO YOU, THERE'S FOUR CITIZENS, TWO BOARD MEMBERS. DR. HARRIS-MOHAMED AND A PRINCIPAL ON OURS RIGHT NOW. BUT OURS IS AN AD HOC COMMITTEE, SO WE DON'T HAVE TO POST LIKE A REGULAR SCHOOL MEETING. WE FORMED A COMMITTEE FOR THIS FUNCTION, SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ADVERTISE IT AND IT WILL BE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. MR. ROGERS ASKED MYSELF AND MS. HOBBS IF WE WOULD BE WILLING TO SERVE ON Y'ALL'S TRANSPARENCY COMMITTEE. AND WE BOTH SAID YES. WITH THE FOUR, I MIGHT UNDERSTAND WITH THE FOUR CITIZENS. YOU MEAN THE FOUR CITIZENS THAT THE BOARD HAS OR THE FOUR CITIZENS? NO, WE HAVE THREE. WE HAVE THREE. THEY HAVE FOUR. AS I UNDERSTAND IT TONIGHT, YOU HAVE FOUR. SO THE QUESTION WAS THE CHAIR. WE HAVE SET ASIDE A FEE TO PAY THE INDEPENDENT CHAIR. THE QUESTIONS WOULD COME FROM THE STANDING COMMITTEES. HE WOULD BE... GET THE ANSWERS. THE ANSWERS WOULD BE DEVELOPED FOR A WRITTEN REPORT TO THE CITIZENS AT THE CONCLUSION. WE WERE HOPING TO HAVE THAT DONE BY JUNE. RIGHT NOW, WE'RE OBVIOUSLY GOING TO HAVE TO PUSH IT BACK FURTHER. BUT I WAS WONDERING ABOUT WHAT IS THE ISSUE WITH HAVING AN INDEPENDENT CHAIR RATHER THAN SOMEONE... FROM THE COMMITTEE. WELL THIS IS THE FIRST I'M HEARING ABOUT AN INDEPENDENT CHAIR SO I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WAS DISCUSSED WITH MR. ROGERS OR DR. TINDALL OR EVEN I MEAN BECAUSE I DON'T SEE AN ISSUE WITH IT BUT I DON'T IF YOU DON'T IF [01:20:02] YOUR PARTICIPANTS DON'T SEE AN ISSUE WITH IT WE'D LIKE TO WE'D LIKE TO START WITH THAT SURE AND PROCEED WITH THAT. I THINK WHAT I'M YEAH I THINK BECAUSE THIS WAS A SCHOOL BOARD FORMED AD HOC COMMITTEE, PER THEIR GOVERNANCE MODEL, THEIR POLICY AND PROCEDURES, THEY WOULD THEN, AS AN AD HOC COMMITTEE, TAKE IT TO THE COMMITTEE MEMBERS AND SHARE WITH THEM THE SUGGESTION. RIGHT. YEP, AND THAT'S WHAT, YEAH. AND WE WOULD STILL HAVE OUR COMMITTEE, CORRECT? THIS WOULD JUST, WE WOULD, TWO OF THEM WOULD PARTICIPATE WITH THEIRS SEPARATELY. IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING. I AM UNDERSTANDING IT THE SAME WAY YOU ARE RIGHT NOW. THE COMMITTEE THAT WAS ANTICIPATED, WE SET THE COMMITTEE UP. WHAT WE NEEDED WAS TWO PARTICIPANTS FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD. WE HAVE TWO PARTICIPANTS OF THIS BODY. WE NEEDED TWO PARTICIPANTS FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD. WE'VE GOT THEM. WE'VE GOT THEM. ALONG WITH THAT, FOUR CITIZENS, AND WE HAVE THREE CITIZENS. SO YOU WANT TO... THE QUESTIONS WOULD COME FORTH FROM THAT COMMITTEE FOR THE CHAIRMAN TO GET THE ANSWERS. AND WE HAD ESTABLISHED JAMES ELLENSON AS THE CHAIRMAN, AND WE'RE COVERING THE COST OF THAT. I FOLLOW YOU. I FOLLOW YOU, AND THAT'S A DIFFERENT... MODEL IN WHICH THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS ADOPTED AND SO THAT WILL HAVE TO COME BACK. I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. THAT WILL HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE SCHOOL BOARD TO SEE IF THEY WANT TO REDESIGN WHAT THE AGHOC COMMITTEE THAT WE HAVE AS A DIVISION WOULD REPRESENT. NOW WHAT I AM HEARING MS. KING SAY IS THAT YES, HER AND MS. HOBB AS CO-CHAIRS OF OUR TRANSPARENCY COMMITTEE WOULD WORK ALONGSIDE. THE COUNTY'S TRANSPARENCY COMMITTEE, BUT THE CHAIRS OF THE SCHOOL DIVISION'S TRANSPARENCY COMMITTEE AND BOARD MEMBERS WHO ARE PRESENT, PLEASE COME UP AND SPEAK AS WELL IF YOU WOULD LIKE. THAT WILL HAVE TO BE DISCUSSED THROUGH THE SCHOOL BOARD'S GOVERNANCE TEAM. I HAVE NO AUTHORITY TO CHANGE THAT MAKEUP PER THEIR BYLAWS. SO THAT WILL HAVE TO COME THROUGH A NEW MOTION. A DISCUSSION IF THE BOARD DECIDES. WE HAVE TO AMEND THE RESOLUTION. YOU WILL HAVE TO AMEND THE RESOLUTION. WE HAVE TO AMEND THE RESOLUTION. WILLIAM HART, WHAT YOU'RE SIMPLY SUGGESTING IS THAT THOSE TWO MEMBERS THAT WE'RE DISCUSSING BE ABLE TO WORK ALONGSIDE US ON OUR COMMITTEE. THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT I HEARD. HE'S NOT ASKING FOR OUR FOUR CITIZENS TO COME. YEAH. BUT THEN IT SOUNDED LIKE YOU WERE ASKING FOR THE NAMES THAT I WAS SENT TODAY BY MR. ROGERS. WOULD INCLUDE YOUR FOUR SELECTIONS FROM THE CITIZENRY TO SERVE ON THIS COMMITTEE. NOW, MY QUESTION IS, ARE WE READY TO GET STARTED WITH JAMES ALLISON? HE INDICATED TO ME TODAY THAT THERE WAS SOME REACTION TO HIM BEING THE CHAIR. WELL, WE JUST HAVEN'T HAD, WE HAVE NOT HAD A SCHOOL BOARD MEETING AND HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO DISCUSS THAT. SO THAT'S NEW INFORMATION THAT I'M RECEIVING. AND BECAUSE IT'S A RESOLUTION FOR OUR COMMITTEE, WE WILL HAVE TO AMEND OUR RESOLUTION IN ORDER TO GET STARTED WITH YOU ALL. I DON'T KNOW, I'M JUST WONDERING ABOUT THESE COMMITTEES, OKAY? NOW, THE CLEAR PURPOSE, THE CLEAR VISION THAT YOU HAVE FOR THESE COMMITTEES, WHERE ARE WE GOING? WHAT ARE WE LOOKING FOR? I DID NOT BRING THAT. I DIDN'T EITHER. I DID NOT. I'LL LET THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS. I CAN PROBABLY PULL IT OUT. THE COPY OF THE RESOLUTION OR I CAN EMAIL A COPY OF THE RESOLUTION. IT, YOU KNOW, IT CAME ABOUT AS PART OF THE. THE REVIEW THAT THE BOARD OF SUPERVISORS REPORT? YES, IT'S PART OF EVERYONE'S REPORT. I DON'T HAVE THAT RESOLUTION BEFORE ME, BUT IT WAS ADOPTED. OKAY, AND IF I MAY, FROM MY UNDERSTANDING, MY ROLE SERVING ON OUR AHAC COMMITTEE IS TO ENSURE THAT IN MY ROLE AS ACTING SUPERINTENDENT, THAT I AM BEING AND REMAINING 100% TRANSPARENT. WITH THE ENTIRE COUNTY AT ALL TIMES TO INCLUDE OUR STAFF. I BELIEVE I HAVE DONE THAT THUS FAR. AND SO ALSO IN THE MEETING, IT WAS DISCUSSED COMMUNICATION. AND HELP ME OUT. [01:25:01] THAT WAS OUR FIRST MEETING WAS JUST BRAIN DUMPING ALL OF THE WAYS THAT THE COUNTY SCHOOLS COMMUNICATE WITH PARENTS, STAKEHOLDERS, STAFF, EVERYBODY. SO WE DID ALL OF THAT. I'M VERY IMPRESSED WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. THIS TRANSPARENCY, THE NEED FOR TRANSPARENCY AND ALL THAT, I THINK EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS THAT. SO IT MAKES ME QUESTION THE NEED FOR A COMMITTEE. I WOULD LOVE TO SEE US LOOK AT OURSELVES, EXAMINE WHERE WE ARE, AND GO FORWARD FROM HERE. BECAUSE I JUST ENVISION A LOT OF REDUNDANCY HERE. AND I DON'T THINK WE CAN AFFORD IT. IT JUST SEEMS LIKE SOME TIME MIGHT BE WASTED ON SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE UNDER CONTROL. AND I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD SCHOOL SYSTEM, I THINK WE HAVE A GOOD SCHOOL BOARD, OKAY, AND THAT UNDERSTANDS THE NEED FOR TRANSPARENCY. WE HAVE A BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, WE HAVE A SCHOOL BOARD AND ALL THAT, AND WE UNDERSTAND THE NEED FOR COOPERATION, OKAY? AND I THINK WE CAN GO FORWARD. AND OUR AHOP COMMITTEE CO-CHAIRS LED A WONDERFUL COMMITTEE. THEY HIGHLIGHTED IMMEDIATE CHANGES. MS. KING DID A WONDERFUL JOB AT HIGHLIGHTING THIS IS WHAT DR. HARRIS-MOHAMED HAS DONE AND HAS CONSISTENTLY HAVE DONE ON A REGULAR BASIS AND MAKING SURE THAT OUR DIVISION, THE SCHOOL BOARD, SHE DID A GREAT JOB OF HIGHLIGHTING JUST... HOW THE COMMUNICATION HAS CHANGED, RIGHT? AND SO IT'S NOT MY DECISION TO, YOU KNOW, MOVE FORWARD WITHOUT IT. I'M GOING TO SUPPORT BOTH GOVERNING ENTITIES 100%. LET ME BE CLEAR. I TAKE MY DIRECTION FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD BECAUSE THAT'S WHO EVALUATES ME, AND THEN I IMPLEMENT IT WITH FIDELITY AND ACCURACY. AND SO, YOU KNOW, I FORGOT WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY NEXT. IT WAS GOING REAL WELL. IT'S THAT MENOPAUSE. IT'S THAT, I FORGOT, I LOST IT. I CAN'T GET IT BACK. SO, YES. IF I MIGHT ADDRESS MR. FAISON'S ISSUE, I UNDERSTAND THAT THE CONCEPT OF LET'S MOVE ON, BUT THERE'S SOME... THERE WERE... I'M GOING TO GET MY PARTNER, MS. KING, BACK. SHE LEFT ME UP HERE. FREE BACK. THERE WERE ISSUES... THAT'S OKAY. YOU'RE FINE, BABY. THERE WERE ISSUES IN THE REPORT THAT WAS ISSUED AND UNANSWERED. AND THEY WERE UNANSWERED BECAUSE OF THE RESTRICTIONS OF BEING ABLE TO ASK OR TALK OR INTERVIEW WITH STAFF OR ADMINISTRATION. AND SO THE REPORT STOPPED WITH A LOT OF UNANSWERED QUESTIONS. THERE ARE A FEW THAT THE PUBLIC HAS HAD A LOT OF INTEREST IN THAT I HAVE, AND I DON'T KNOW WHETHER ANY OF THE OTHER BOARD MEMBERS HAVE BEEN APPROACHED OR NOT, BUT TO GET THE ANSWER TO THOSE, AND EVERYTHING WOULD BE FACTUAL, AND THROUGH INTERVIEWS. THAT WOULD BE PUT FORTH FROM THE COMMITTEE BY QUESTIONS THAT COME FROM THE CITIZENS THAT HAVE BEEN APPOINTED TO THE COMMITTEE OR THE STANDING SCHOOL BOARD APPOINTEES AND THE TWO APPOINTEES FROM THIS BOARD. YEAH, I THINK THE TWO COMMITTEES DEFINITELY SOUND LIKE WE HAVE TWO SEPARATE AGENDAS, JUST LISTENING TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING NOW. WE DID INVITE... YOU ALL TO OUR FIRST MEETING, THAT WAS JUST PART OF THE RESOLUTION WAS TO HAVE, TO INVITE YOU ALL. BUT LISTENING TO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING NOW, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE IT'S TWO SEPARATE AGENDAS RIGHT NOW. YOU'RE GOING BACK TO THE REPORT AND WHAT MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE HAPPENED IN THAT, AND WE'RE MOVING, WE WANT TO MOVE FORWARD AND IMPROVE ON WHAT WE DO HAVE AND KEEP GOING. BECAUSE IF WE STAY IN THE PAST, THAT'S NOT GOING TO ACCOMPLISH ANYTHING FOR STUDENTS AT ALL. THAT'S THE POINT. THAT'S THE POINT OF GETTING THE ANSWERS. WE DON'T WANT TO STAY THERE. HAVE NOT BEEN ANSWERED. [01:30:03] AND WE WOULD LIKE TO, I'M 100% LET'S MOVE ON, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO MOVE ON WITH THINGS THAT ARE RETAINED FROM THE PAST. AND THE ONLY WAY TO GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THAT IS TO HAVE ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS. NOW, IT WOULD PUT A BURDEN ON THE SCHOOL, TWO SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS THAT ARE APPOINTED, IF THEY HAD TO GO AND INTERVIEW. YOUR OWN STAFF OR WHAT HAVE YOU OR ONE OF US HAVING TO DO THE SAME THING FROM QUESTIONS THAT AROSE FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD, SAME THING. BUT THAT'S WHY WE WENT WITH AN INDEPENDENT CHAIRMAN. HE WOULD BE THE ONE, THAT WOULD BE HIS JOB AND HE WOULD HAVE TO FIND OUT THE ANSWERS, GET THE FACTS, BRING IT BACK AND FINALIZE A REPORT TO CLEAR IT UP. AND SO THAT WOULD BE A SCHOOL BOARD CHAIRMAN RESPONSE. AND A MOTION WE'D HAVE TO VOTE ON. SO WE WOULD NEED SOMETHING PREPARED FROM YOU ALL STATING EXACTLY WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR SO THAT WE CAN VOTE ON IT. AND YES, THAT WOULD NOT BE A DR. HARRIS-MOHAMED DECISION. BUT I'M DEDICATED. LET ME ADD THAT IT WOULD BE PUBLIC INFORMATION. IT WOULD BE INFORMATION. THAT IS ALREADY PUBLIC. ASK ME THAT QUESTION AGAIN, MR. JONES. I SAID THE QUESTIONS WOULD INVOLVE PUBLIC INFORMATION THAT'S ALREADY THERE. AND THEN AGAIN, BECAUSE... THAT'S PUBLIC. IT'S ALREADY PUBLIC, BUT IT HASN'T COME FORTH BECAUSE THE REPORT STOPPED WITH BEING ABLE TO... ASK ANY QUESTIONS OF TEACHERS OR ADMINISTRATION. AND THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK. THAT'S NOT A DR. HARRIS-MOHAMED. THAT'S ACTUALLY A SCHOOL BOARD. THAT WOULD HAVE TO GO BACK TO. CAN YOU GET ME THE ANSWER? MR. ROGERS, WHETHER OR NOT HE WOULD APPROVE. I THINK HE'S OKAY WITH US PARTICIPATING. CORRECT. THE WAY YOU'RE EXPLAINING. Y'ALL'S PURPOSE, WE NEED THAT IN WRITING. ALL RIGHT, I WANT TO, THE REST OF THE BOARD'S NOT WITH YOU, WILLIAM. OKAY. I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO PURSUE IT. OKAY. I'M SORRY, BUT THESE PEOPLE HAVE COME IN HERE AND BEEN AS TRANSPARENT AS THEY CAN BE WITH US. I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO BEAT A DEAD HORSE. I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT WRONG WITH THAT PAST SUPERINTENDENT AND WHAT WAS GOING ON. BUT I FEEL LIKE WE'RE PAST IT. WE'VE GOT AN AD HOC COMMITTEE. IF YOU WANT TO ASK QUESTIONS, I THINK YOU CAN DO IT. BUT I WANT TO MOVE ON, MAN. I'M NOT WITH YOU. YEAH, BABY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. NOW, I DON'T KNOW. Y'ALL SAY WHAT YOU WANT. I KNOW, DR. EDWARDS, I KNOW YOU'VE BEEN AT THIS. BUT, LOOK, WE'VE BEEN TALKING TO HER OPENLY FOR TWO WEEKS, A COUPLE MONTHS. SINCE JANUARY 1ST. YEAH. AND SHE'S DONE EVERYTHING, BUT I KNOW YOU WANT TO GET ANSWERS, AND YOU'VE GOT PEOPLE THAT WANT ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS FROM THE INVESTIGATION. BUT I'M GOOD. I JUST DON'T SEE WHERE THIS WOULD ADD TO THE INSTRUCTION TO THE KIDS. YOU'RE NOT ANSWERING QUESTIONS OF WHAT SHE DID. THEY'RE ANSWERING QUESTIONS FROM THE PREVIOUS. I UNDERSTAND YOUR POINT. BUT I'M SORRY, I JUST DON'T WANT TO GO FORWARD WITH IT. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO WORK WITH THESE PEOPLE. WE'RE GOING TO GET A BETTER SCHOOL SYSTEM. WE'VE GOT A GREAT SCHOOL BOARD NOW THAT ARE WORKING HARD TO MAKE EVERYTHING WORK. WE'VE GOT ADMINISTRATION HERE THAT'S SITTING HERE TRYING TO DO THE BEST THEY CAN FOR THE COUNTY. SO I THINK IF YOU GO OPENING UP THIS CAN OF WORMS... WITH ANOTHER INVESTIGATION. I'M JUST, I'M NOT FOR IT, MAN. I'M SORRY. SO Y'ALL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT Y'ALL THINK, SO YOU TELL ME. IT'S, IT'S, I JUST, I'M GETTING, I GOT A BAD FEELING ABOUT IT. I LOOK AT THE LOOKS ON PEOPLE'S FACE WHEN YOU BROUGHT IT UP. EVERYBODY'S AGAINST, I FEEL LIKE EVERYBODY IN THIS ROOM DON'T WANT TO GO FORWARD WITH THAT. AND I UNDERSTAND, LOOK, WE NEED ANSWERS, I KNOW THAT, BUT I'M GOOD. I'VE GOT MY ANSWERS. IT'S NOT AN INVESTIGATION. IT'S GETTING ANSWERS TO ALREADY ESTABLISHED QUESTIONS. AND MY FRIEND, MY PARTNER, I WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO DO THAT BECAUSE I WASN'T. SO I WANT YOU [01:35:02] TO TRUST MY HEART. I WANT YOU TO TRUST MY HEART. MR. ROGERS WOULD HAVE TO. THAT IS CORRECT. HE WOULD HAVE TO. THE SCHOOL BOARD, BUT AS THE ACTING SUPERINTENDENT, AND ONLY GOD KNOWS WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS, BUT AS LONG AS I'M STANDING AND WORKING WITH YOU, YOU HAVE MY WORD THAT WHAT YOU NEED FROM US, IF I CAN PRODUCE IT, I'M GONNA DO IT WITH FIDELITY. I DON'T WANT MY PEOPLE TO HAVE TO GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN. I CAN'T. I DON'T WANT THEM TO GO THROUGH THAT AGAIN. I WANT THEM TO BE ABLE TO GO ON AND WORK FOR OUR STUDENTS THE BEST WAY THAT THEY CAN. AND I JUST WANT YOU TO HEAR MY HEART. OKAY. THE POINT IS THEY HAVEN'T BEEN THROUGH IT BECAUSE THE QUESTIONS HAVE NEVER BEEN ASKED. SO THIS BOARD, IF IT MAKES A MOTION, THEY CAN VOTE ON IT. IF IT'S VOTED DOWN, IT'S VOTED DOWN. THEY WOULD HAVE TO RESCIND THE RESOLUTION THAT WAS ADOPTED IN JANUARY. SURE. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT. YES, SIR. AND I CAN'T ANSWER FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD. I CANNOT. I UNDERSTAND THAT, TOO. FOR ME, THAT I'M GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH EACH OF YOU TO MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE WORKING IN COLLABORATION HENCEFORTH. AND I THINK WE HAVE BEEN DOING THAT. BUT IT'S NOT MY DECISION. I'M JUST. I UNDERSTAND THAT. SPEAKING FOR MY TEAM. I UNDERSTAND THAT TOTALLY. YES, SIR. I UNDERSTAND THAT. THAT IS CHAIRMAN ROGERS' ISSUE, AND HE WOULD HAVE TO APPROVE IT AND AGREE WITH THIS, THE COMMITTEE THAT WAS FORMED IN JANUARY TO MOVE FORWARD AS STATED. HE WOULD HAVE TO COMMIT TO THAT. SO I'M... OBVIOUSLY THIS BOARD CAN MAKE A MOTION, THEY CAN VOTE ON IT, AND IT'LL STAND. BUT THE RESOLUTION WILL HAVE TO BE RESCINDED, AND THAT'S FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION. THE PUBLIC IS GOING TO, THAT HAS TO BE DONE IN A PUBLIC HEARING LIKE WE'RE DOING, A PUBLIC SETTING LIKE WE'RE DOING NOW. AND I'M FINE WITH THAT BECAUSE THAT'S THE PROCESS. OKAY, SO I'M CLEAR. I WILL SHARE WITH MR. BORDEN. WE HAVE BOARD MEMBERS HERE AS WELL THAT WILL COMMUNICATE BACK WITH CHAIRMAN ROGERS AND THE WHOLE BOARD. YOU MIGHT WANT TO WAIT UNTIL IF AND WHEN A MOTION IS MADE TONIGHT. YOU MIGHT WANT TO WAIT BECAUSE IT MIGHT BE A MUTE POINT. DEPENDING UPON, BUT I COMMUNICATE OPENLY AND TRANSPARENTLY. TRANSPARENTLY WITH THE BOARD SO HE HE WILL RECEIVE THE INFORMATION FROM HIS TEAM FROM HIS COLLEAGUES SCHOOL BOARD COLLEAGUES AS WELL AS MYSELF THAT THIS CONCERN CAME UP AGAIN BUT I'M IN NO POSITION TO MAKE ANY PROVIDE ANY ANSWERS BECAUSE IT WAS A SCHOOL BOARDS DECISION AGAIN I UNDERSTAND THAT NOTHING I KNOW THIS BOARD UNDERSTANDS IT BECAUSE YOU WORK FOR THE BOARD SO I'M TOTALLY UNDERSTANDING YES, SIR. BUT I HEAR YOUR CONCERNS. I THINK GETTING THE ANSWERS TO THOSE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS IS THE ULTIMATE TRANSPARENCY. THERE ARE A TREMENDOUS NUMBER OF QUESTIONS THAT MAY HELP EVERYBODY IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM. WELL, I DO RECALL... BEFORE WE COULDN'T ASK QUESTIONS BECAUSE THERE WAS A GAG ORDER. OKAY, ALRIGHT. AND WHEN YOU HAVE A GAG ORDER ON SOMEBODY, IT MAKES YOU SUSPICIOUS OF WHAT THE HECK'S GOING ON. AND I THINK THOSE SUSPICIONS NEED TO BE CLEARED UP. AND I THINK WE'RE ALL VERY HAPPY WITH THE PRESENT SITUATION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION AND THE SCHOOL BOARD AND EVERYTHING ELSE, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT THOSE THINGS THAT HAPPENED IN THE PAST SO WE DON'T DO THEM AGAIN. I THINK THAT COULD BE DONE. IF A VENDOR WILL TAKE THE REPORT, LOOK AT IT, AND SEE WHAT THE QUESTION IS, AND THEN SAY, WELL, LOOK, THIS QUESTION INDICATES A PREVIOUS PROBLEM. LET'S SOLVE THAT PROBLEM. AND I DON'T SEE WHERE WE NEED A COMMITTEE TO DO THAT, BECAUSE I THINK WE HAVE PERSONS HERE NOW, THE PERSONNEL IN THE SCHOOLS AND ALL, THAT HAVE THE ABILITY TO LOOK AT WHAT THE NEEDS ARE AND GO FORWARD. [01:40:05] AND I THINK THAT THE COMMITTEES AND ALL COULD LEAD TO DIVISION THAT WE'RE OVERCOMING. WE THANK MR. CORNWELL. I'D LIKE TO APPLAUD YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE THROUGHOUT THIS ENTIRE BUDGET PROCESS. THIS IS LIGHT YEARS FROM WHERE WE'VE BEEN. I THINK WE ALL CAN AGREE. I'M PLEASED WITH HOW THIS PROCESS HAS GONE. I'M PLEASED WITH THE LEVEL OF TRANSPARENCY YOU ARE SEEMING TO BRING TO THE TABLE. I APPRECIATE THE PHONE CALLS. I APPRECIATE YOU ALL COMING IN. PRESENT US WITH THE BUDGET AS YOU HAVE I APPLAUD OUR CURRENT SCHOOL BOARD FOR THEIR EFFORTS IN TRYING TO MOVE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM FORWARD AND I DON'T AS I WOULD CALL IT DARKNESS AND INTO THE LIGHT PLEASE JESUS. THANK YOU WHEN I SAY THIS UNDERSTAND THAT I'M SERVING AS THE VOICE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT I REPRESENT AS WELL THIS IS A CHRIS. THIS IS THAT I SERVE A GREATER BODY OF PEOPLE THAN JUST ME. THIS ISN'T ME SPEAKING SAYING THESE THINGS BUT THE PEOPLE THAT I REPRESENT WANT ANSWERS TO THOSE QUESTIONS AS WELL AND AND WHEN THEY WERE PUBLISHED THE HUNDREDS OF OF THEM THEY CONTINUE TO ASK THOSE QUESTIONS MY PHONE CONTINUES TO RING AND THE PEOPLE THAT I REPRESENT ARE DEMANDING OF ME THAT I CONTINUALLY BEAT THE BUSHES TO GET THOSE QUESTIONS ANSWERED WHICH IS WHY WE'RE STILL SITTING HERE TALKING ABOUT IT I KNOW IT'S LIKE THE HORSE HAS BEEN DEAD I GET IT I GET IT WE'RE SICK OF IT AS Y'ALL ARE I UNDERSTAND TRUST ME UM BUT THAT'S WHY WE CONTINUE TO TALK ABOUT IT. THAT'S WHY WE CONTINUE WANTING TO MOVE FORWARD. I GET IT. I GET THE NEED TO TURN THE PAGE. WE'RE READY TO TURN THE PAGE WITH YOU ALL AS PARTNERS, AS YOU KEEP SAYING. I'M THERE WITH YOU. BUT I THINK THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT AND SATISFY THE GREATEST NUMBER OF OUR CONSTITUENTS, THE GREATEST NUMBER OF OUR CITIZENS, IS TO JUST SATIATE THE CURIOSITY, ANSWER THE QUESTIONS, PUT A PERIOD AT THE END OF THAT SENTENCE, AND THEN WE CAN ALL TURNED THE PAGE TOGETHER. AND I BELIEVE THAT WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD BECAUSE THAT THEY'RE GONNA GIVE ME THAT DIRECTION. AND IT'S NOT AN INVITE, I DON'T WANT TO LEND THE IMPRESSION THAT THIS IS ANY TYPE OF INVESTIGATION. THAT'S GOT A NEGATIVE CONNOTATION TO IT. I DON'T THINK IT NEEDS TO BE CONSTRUED THAT WAY. YOU WEREN'T HERE. I DON'T EXPECT YOU TO HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING THAT WENT ON THEN WITH ANY OF THOSE QUESTIONS AT ALL. BUT I DON'T WANT ANY OF YOU OR YOUR STAFF OR FACULTY PERSONNEL TO FEEL THAT WAY ABOUT IT. I WANT THEM TO FEEL GOOD ABOUT ANSWERING THE QUESTIONS AND FEEL GOOD ABOUT THE INFORMATION THAT THEY'RE PROVIDING THROUGHOUT THE HOPEFULLY BREVITY OF A PROCESS THAT THIS MAY BE AS WE GET THROUGH IT TOGETHER. I MEAN, AS WE WORK THROUGH IT TOGETHER AS PARTNERS, AS YOU SAY. AND I BELIEVE THAT. WE'RE PARTNERS, I DO. I THINK WE'RE VERY HAPPY WITH OUR NEW RELATIONSHIP WITH THE SCHOOL, WITH YOU GUYS. BUT I TELL YOU WHAT, LAST YEAR YOU NEVER GOT FOUR CENTS OUT OF THIS BOARD. AND WE THANK YOU. AND WE THANK YOU. DAY ONE, I SHARE IT WITH THOSE, ALL OF YOU THAT I SPOKE WITH, THAT YOU HAD MY FULL COMMITMENT TO WORK WITH YOU AND I HEARD YOU AND THAT IT WAS GOING TO LOOK DIFFERENT. WHEN I REFLECT, I THINK IT HAS. THAT'S A GOOD THING FOR OUR STUDENTS, THAT YOU TOO SERVE. THEY'RE YOUR CONSTITUENCIES AS WELL. AND SO I'VE HEARD YOU AND IT'S IT WILL BE UP TO THE BOARD TO INSTRUCT ME HOW THEY WANT TO MOVE FORWARD. AND THEN I WILL WALK IN THAT DIRECTION WITH 100 PERCENT FIDELITY, WITH ACCURACY AND IN PARTNERSHIP. WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE IS NOT MY DECISION. BUT JUST KNOW THAT. I'M HERE WORKING WITH YOU. OUR AD HOC TRANSPARENCY COMMITTEE, THEY MET ONCE, AS MS. KING SAID. WE GOT A LOT OF WORK DONE, A LOT OF WORK DONE. [01:45:02] AND ONE OF THE KEY THINGS IS COMMUNICATION ON THE SCHOOL BOARD SIDE AS WELL AS COMING FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT'S OFFICE. AND SO I THINK WE HAVE DONE VERY WELL WITH THAT. AND WE'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO WORK WELL. AND SO, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT... MY GRANDMA USED TO TELL ME ALL THE TIME, I CAN'T WALK IN ANYBODY ELSE'S STILETTOS BUT MY OWN. AND I THINK I WALK IN MINE VERY WELL. AND SO ALL I CAN DO IS WHAT I CAN DO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REMAIN TOGETHER AS ONE, UNDER ONE UMBRELLA, TWO GOVERNING ENTITIES SERVING THE PEOPLE. THAT'S MY FOCUS. AND SO WHATEVER I CAN DO IN PARTNERSHIP, I'M GOING TO DO THAT. AND DO THAT WELL. SO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO BE HERE THIS EVENING. I'VE HEARD YOU, AND I WILL DO THE VERY BEST I CAN TO CONTINUE IN THIS PARTNERSHIP. SO THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT. AS FAR AS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO ABOUT THE COMMITTEES OR WHATEVER, WAS THAT SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO GO ON TONIGHT? YOU'RE GOING TO COMMUNICATE WITH... THAT'S WHAT I HEARD. YOU'VE GOT TO TALK TO BRIAN ROGERS. NOW, I HEARD, I COULD HAVE NOT HEARD CORRECTLY, BUT I HEARD A MOTION COMING FORWARD. THAT'S WHAT I'M WAITING ON. ARE WE GOING TO CONTINUE OR ARE WE GOING TO ANNUL IT? I DON'T KNOW. I MEAN, I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE ANNUL IT. AND I SECOND. THAT WE DO NOT? WE DO NOT MOVE FORWARD. THEY'VE GOT TO ADD HOT CUPS. IN FAVOR OF NOT MOVING FORWARD, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. OKAY. SO IT'S STILL ON THEN? I'LL MAKE A MOTION THEN. WE CAN GO WITH THE COMMITTEE AS WE DISCUSSED TONIGHT. YEAH, WELL, THAT'S ALREADY A DONE DEAL. WELL, THE ONE AGAINST IT FAILED, SO... SECOND. SECOND. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. WE DIDN'T NEED TO VOTE ON THAT ONE. WHAT WE DID IS TO MAKE IT OFFICIAL. ANYBODY OUT THERE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? ANYTHING YOU WANT TO THROW AT US? YES SIR, COME ON UP FRONT. GOOD EVENING. I KNOW EVERYBODY'S MONEY THING, 1.6 MILLION RAISING PROPERTY TAXES. I WAS ON MY PHONE, CURRENTLY SOUTHERN COUNTY HAS A 1% SALES TAX ADDED ON TO IT. IT'S A TOTAL OF 6% IS THE WAY I READ IT. INSTEAD OF RAISING PROPERTY TAXES, WOULD RAISING THE SALES TAX ONE OR TWO PERCENT COME UP WITH THAT MONEY? THAT WOULD NOT ONLY, YOU WOULD GET INCOME FROM SOUTH HAMPTON COUNTY RESIDENTS, BUT EVERYBODY GOING UP AND DOWN 58 STOPPING. WOULD THAT OFFSET SOME OF THE, LET ME PULL IT, IF YOU DON'T MIND, I'M GOING TO PULL IT UP, WHAT EXACTLY IT READS. THAT WAS ENACTED BY THE... HOLD ON, I'LL BREAK THIS THING. THIS IS, LET ME READ IT. COMBINED SALES TAX RATE OF 6%, 4.3% STATE SALES TAX WITH A 1% LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX. WOULD ADDING A 1% OR 2% SALES TAX TO THE COUNTY HELP OFFSET THAT 1.1 MILLION BECAUSE THAT WOULD BE A SMALLER CHUNK OF CHANGE. YOU WOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY IT ALL AT ONE TIME. IT WOULD BE, YOU STOP AT 7-ELEVEN, IT'S AN EXTRA 1% HERE, 2%. YOU GET GAS, IT'S 1-2%. YOU GO BUY GROCERIES, IT'S 1-2%. YOU STOP AT EMINENT GRAYSON'S, IT'S AN EXTRA 1-2%. BUT NOT ONLY, YOU WOULD GET INCOME FROM COUNTY RESIDENTS, BUT YOU WOULD ALSO GET... INCOME FROM EVERYBODY COMING UP AND DOWN 58, STOPPING BETWEEN EMPORIA AND COUNTY LINE ON THE OTHER SIDE AND IN EVERY OTHER DIRECTION, JUST AS AN OPTION, INSTEAD OF RAISING PROPERTY TAXES. I THINK THE RESIDENTS MIGHT GO FOR THAT A LITTLE BIT BETTER. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD HAVE TO BE RUN THROUGH THE COMMISSIONER OF REVENUE'S OFFICE. IT'S NOT QUITE AS SIMPLE AS JUST 1%. I WILL TELL YOU THAT THE AMOUNT OF SALES TAX WE GET IN [01:50:01] SOUTHAMPTON COUNTY IS VERY SMALL. I KNOW. SO IT WOULD BE A 1% OR 2% OF A SMALL, POTENTIALLY SMALL NUMBER. ALSO, IF IT'S A TOWN, IF A BUSINESS IS IN A TOWN, WE DON'T GET THAT. THAT GOES DIRECTLY TO THE TOWN. THERE ARE ACTUALLY, YOU WOULDN'T THINK, BUT THERE'S A SMALL NUMBER. OF BUSINESSES THAT WE WOULD ACTUALLY GET SOME OF THAT. I WAS JUST TRYING TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX TO GET THAT EXTRA MONEY IN THERE A LITTLE BIT. WE'VE LOOKED AT THAT BEFORE, BUT IT'S A GOOD IDEA. I HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS TO ASK. FIRST, ABOUT THE AD HOC COMMITTEE. ONCE YOU HAVE YOUR COMMITTEE, AND I BELIEVE ONE OF THE PERSONS OF YOUR THREE IS GETTING PAID, RIGHT? THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE, WE HAVE SET ASIDE FUNDS TO COVER EXPENSES LIKE PRINTING A REPORT OR... AND WHAT'S THE FEE THAT HE'S GETTING? AND THE MOTION IS $25,000. OKAY, THAT $25,000 COULD HAVE WENT TOWARDS THE BUDGET IF YOU GET THESE TWO COMMITTEES TOGETHER. YOU DON'T SEE THE ADDING UP THE NUMBERS? IS IT WHAT? THE $25,000 THAT YOU'RE GOING TO PAY THAT PERSON COULD HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE BUDGET FOR THE SCHOOLS, BUT NOW YOU'RE PAYING A PERSON A DIFFERENT FEE WHERE YOU COULD HAVE HAD THIS FREE. AM I MAKING ANY SENSE? YES. I FOLLOW YOU, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THE QUESTIONS THAT COME FORTH WOULD NOT BE... WE'LL LET MR. ROGERS DO THAT. HE'S THE CHAIR. THE ANSWERS WOULD COME THROUGH AN INDEPENDENT CHAIR RATHER THAN THE COMMITTEE. THE COMMITTEE WOULD COME UP WITH THE QUESTIONS. THE ANSWERS WOULD COME FROM THE CHAIR. HE WOULD DO THE INTERVIEWING WITH PERSONNEL THAT WOULD BE REQUIRED TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS. OKAY, WE'LL GET THE QUESTIONS. THAT WOULD BE THE SAME FOR BOTH SIDES. GIVE US THE QUESTIONS, AND WE WILL DECIPHER IT OVER THE BOARD, AND MR. ROGERS WILL GET BACK WITH YOU. NOW, THAT'S JUST A SYSTEM, OKAY? SO LET'S GO TO MY SECOND QUESTION OR MY SECOND CONCERN. THE SECOND CONCERN IS WITH THE TWICE-MONTH PAY. YOU SPOUTED ALL THAT INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT WOULD BE DETRIMENTAL. TO YOUR SYSTEM, BUT YOU NEED TO GET UPDATED TO YOUR SYSTEM. I AM JUST BEING REAL. EVERY COUNTY IN THIS AREA HAS UP-TO-DATE INFORMATION, UP-TO-DATE COMPUTERS. IT JUST HAS TO BE A COUNTY THING. I'M SORRY, IT JUST HAS TO BE A COUNTY THING. YOU HAVE TO BE UPDATED TO DO THIS TYPE OF MEASURE. AND IF IT DOESN'T GO THROUGH, IT'S BECAUSE OF YOU, BECAUSE YOU HAVEN'T GOTTEN IT UPDATED. DON'T GET IT TWISTED. WE WANT IT, BUT YOU HAVE TO UPDATE YOUR SYSTEM. THERE'S NO IFS, ANDS, OR BUTS ABOUT IT. IT CAN BE DONE. I WENT TO A SCHOOL SYSTEM IN GREENSVILLE. GREENSVILLE DID IT. SUSSEX CENTRAL DID IT. IT'S BECAUSE THEY HAD PEOPLE IN PLACE. IF YOU HAVE TO HIRE ANOTHER PERSON, SO BE IT. PUT IT IN THE BUDGET. WE HIRED ANOTHER PERSON. WE PUT IT IN THE BUDGET. WE'RE DOING OUR JOB. IT'S THAT YOU NOW HAVE TO DO THE JOB. IF I'M LEAVING ANYTHING OUT, PLEASE LET ME KNOW BECAUSE I GET PAID. I'M RETIRED. I RETIRED TWICE, BUT I STILL WORK PART-TIME IN FRANKLIN. I GET PAID TWICE MONTHLY. I BALANCE MY MONEY. I EVEN HAVE A HUSBAND, YES, BUT I BALANCE MY MONEY. AND THEN THAT 15 CHECK THAT COMES IN A MONTH, IT'S NOT A REFRESHING CHECK TO ME, BUT IT'S HELPFUL BECAUSE I CAN BE... USE IT IN ANOTHER WAY INSTEAD OF PAYING BILLS. BUT IF YOU'VE GOT TO WAIT 30 WHOLE DAYS AND SOMETIMES 45 WHOLE DAYS, IT'S GOING TO BE A PRESSURE. TO HANDLE IT, SOME TYPE OF STRESS. NOW LET ME TALK ABOUT THE NEW TEACHERS THAT'S COMING INTO PLAY. I HAVE TEACHERS, I HAVE PEOPLE COMING TO ME THAT WANT TO COME TO THIS COUNTY. EVERY DAY, ALMOST EVERY DAY. LANE, I WANT TO APPLY FOR THIS. GO AHEAD AND APPLY FOR IT, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THAT TWICE A MONTH PAY. I CAN'T DO THAT. I PRESENTED IT TO THE BOARD, I PRESENTED IT TO THE COUNTY TEACHERS. BUT NOW IT'S UP TO YOU GUYS TO DO WHAT YOU NEED TO DO. DO I HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? WELL, I THINK WE'VE GOT TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE DID TONIGHT, OKAY? [01:55:01] WE DIDN'T CLOSE THE DOOR TO THAT, OKAY? WE'LL GET IT INTO PLACE. WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS WE'RE NOT IN A POSITION WHERE WE CAN GO TO IT RIGHT NOW, BUT ALL THE THINGS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF WHAT PREPARATIONS HAVE TO BE DONE WILL BE CONSIDERED. SO WE DIDN'T CLOSE THE DOOR TO IT. OKAY. BUT PLEASE DON'T CLOSE THE DOOR TO THIS BECAUSE YOUR SYSTEM HAS TO BE UPDATED AS WELL AS OURS AND IT CAN'T BE DONE. I'M IN FULL SUPPORT OF IT, WHATEVER WE NEED TO LOOK INTO. CAN I RESPOND TO THE SYSTEM? CERTAINLY. THE SYSTEM IS NOT AN ISSUE. THE ISSUE IS THAT WE DON'T GET THE PAYROLL ONCE A MONTH IN TIME TO GET IT OUT EFFICIENTLY. AND SO WE'RE CONCERNED THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO DO IT TWICE. WE DON'T HAVE AN ISSUE WITH OUR SOFTWARE. OUR SOFTWARE CAN CERTAINLY DO TWICE A MONTH PAYROLL. AND WE WILL DO WHATEVER WE HAVE TO DO AT THE DIRECTION OF THE BOARD IF THAT'S WHAT THEY WANT US TO DO. BUT RIGHT NOW THERE'S SOME LOGISTICAL THINGS THAT I DON'T THINK YOU ALL WERE AWARE OF. AND I'M HAPPY TO WORK WITH WHATEVER I'M DIRECTED TO DO TO TO DO WHATEVER I'M ASKED TO DO. AND YOUR LOGISTICAL THINGS, LET ME REFER BACK TO MR. CORNWELL. HE WENT OVER A LIST OF THINGS THAT YOU HAD TO DO, TOTALING LIKE $9,000. IS THAT FOR COUNTY PEOPLE ALSO? THAT'S A LOT OF PAPER. NO. IF YOU SEND THAT FOR THE TEACHERS. NO, THAT IS STRICTLY FOR SCHOOL PAYROLL. YOU DO ALL THAT JUST FOR THE SCHOOL PAYROLL? YES, MA'AM. YOU SEND EVERYTHING TO THE REST? AND LIKE I SAID. WE PRINT WHAT IS ON THE PAPER THAT IS GIVEN TO US. NOW I THINK IT'S A POSSIBILITY THAT THAT COULD BE REVIEWED AND THERE MAY BE SOME REPORTS THAT WE ARE PRINTING THAT YOU MAY NOT NEED. SO YOU'RE SAYING YOUR COUNTY EMPLOYEES ARE DIRECT DEPOSIT? WE ARE DIRECT DEPOSIT AND CHECKS. SO WHY CAN'T WE GET ON DIRECT DEPOSIT AND CHECKS? WELL YOU CURRENTLY ARE DIRECT DEPOSIT AND CHECKS. I MEAN, I'M SORRY, JUST DIRECT DEPOSIT. JUST DIRECT DEPOSIT. BUT AGAIN, ARE YOUR COUNTY EMPLOYEES ON CHECKS AND DIRECT DEPOSIT? YES. BUT WHY DOESN'T EVERYBODY GET ON DIRECT DEPOSIT? THAT WOULD MAKE EVERYTHING BETTER. TO MY KNOWLEDGE, WE ARE NOT IN THE POSITION TO FORCE THAT. IF I'M, MS. LOWE CAN PROBABLY ADDRESS THAT BETTER THAN I CAN. FROM WHAT I'VE HEARD TONIGHT, WE'RE GOING FULL BLAST TO TRY TO FIND OUT WHAT TO DO ABOUT THIS. YES. I NEED A QUESTION WHETHER THIS IS STILL UP IN THE AIR OR IT'S NOT UP IN THE AIR. THE SUPERINTENDENT HAS SAID WE'RE GOING TO DO THIS AND WE'RE GOING TO GET THE FACTS BACK IN AND GET IT. THE SUPERINTENDENT AND MYSELF, WE'RE TAG TEAMING, SO IF YOU NEED ME TO HELP HER OR SHE TO HELP, WE'LL GET TOGETHER. BUT I JUST WANTED TO SAY A FEW THINGS ABOUT THE TWO THINGS THAT I SPOKE ON TODAY. IT IS KIND OF DISAPPOINTING, BUT IT IS A PROCESS, AND IT'S A PROCESS IN WORKING. BUT WE'RE NOT WAITING FOR IT TO BE JUST LIKE THAT. I KNOW IT'S A PROCESS. SO THEREFORE, ONCE WE PUT THE PROCESS IN MOTION, MAYBE IT WILL COME INTO PLAY. I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ANYBODY ELSE BEFORE WE PACK UP AND GO HOME? ONE LAST CALL. EVERYBODY ALL TALKED OUT? I'M GOING TO ADJOURN. ALL RIGHT. WE ARE ADJOURNED THEN. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.