[Surtax Oversight Committee Meeting on April 1, 2025]
[00:00:09]
ALL RIGHT, KEITH. CALL THE ROLL. JIM. BROWN. MICHAEL NGUYEN. HERE. BILL CRAMER. PRESENT HERE.
BRAD THOMAS. THANK YOU. GARY. BENEDICTUS. YES, MA'AM. DEREK. MILNER. YES, MA'AM. MICHAEL EDWARDS. FOR HIM. TO DO THIS. REALLY? ARE THEY DOING THE. THEY HAVE ANY PUBLIC PARTICIPATION? FOR, LIKE, THE EIGHTH TIME IN A ROW? NO. ALL RIGHT. WE'LL KEEP OUR COUNTY RECORD. WHAT'S THE COUNTY RECORD FOR? FOR NO PARTICIPATION. WE GOT. WE GOT. I THINK IT'S EIGHT TODAY.
PARTICIPATION. NONE. PLEASE MARK YOUR CALENDARS. OCTOBER 7TH, 2025 WILL BE OUR NEXT MEETING.
WE HAVEN'T HAD A MEETING SINCE THE GOT RENEWED, HAVE WE? BUT WE'RE STILL HAVING THESE THINGS.
YEAH. DO YOU WANT TO GIVE A PROJECT REVIEW? YES, SIR. GOOD AFTERNOON. FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW ME, I'M KEITH BROWN. I'M THE INFRASTRUCTURE OFFICER FOR BAY COUNTY. JUST A LITTLE BACKGROUND ON WHERE WE'RE AT. 26, 2017 WE STARTED THE SURTAX PROP PROJECTS. YOU SHOULD HAVE A SPREADSHEET WITHIN YOUR YOUR PACKAGE. IF YOU LOOK AT 2017 THROUGH 2021, YOU CAN SEE WE COMPLETED THOSE PROJECTS. THE SECOND FIVE OF THE SURTAX. WELL, I'M SORRY. ONE MOMENT. THERE'S ONE PROJECT WE HAVE NOT COMPLETED, MAGNOLIA BEACH ROAD PHASE TWO. THAT WAS ON THE ORIGINAL SURTAX LIST. THAT PROJECT HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED IN A GRANT TWICE. IT WAS DROPPED THE FIRST TIME WE PICKED IT UP THE SECOND TIME. WE'RE PRETTY SURE WE'RE GOING TO GET THE GRANT FUNDING THIS TIME. SO WE'VE BEEN HOLDING FOR THE GRANT. THE SECOND FIVE YEARS OF THE SURTAX.
WE ARE WELL UNDERWAY. IF YOU LOOK AT THE LIST CLOSELY, YOU'LL SEE THERE ARE A FEW PROJECTS THAT HAVE STRIKES ON THEM. THOSE STRIKE PROJECTS WERE DUE TO THE FEMA CLAWBACK. WE'RE CURRENTLY DEALING WITH A $31 MILLION FEMA CLAWBACK FOR OUR ROADS PROJECT. WHEN WE COME TO A CONCLUSION ON THAT, WE'LL MAKE A DECISION ON THE STRIKE PROJECTS. ON IF WE BRING THEM BACK OR IF THEY'RE TRULY PROJECTS WE WANT TO PURSUE AS A COUNTY. BUT THESE WERE THE LOW HANGING FRUIT FOR ME TO STRIKE. SOME OF THEM ARE BRIDGE PROJECTS. I'VE BEEN PRETTY FORTUNATE WITH THE BRIDGE PROJECTS TO GET THE DOT TO PAY 100% ON THOSE PROJECTS. SO CURRENTLY WE'RE ON SCHEDULE AND THE MAJORITY OF OUR PROJECTS, AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS. I KNOW IT'S ALL A BIG GUESS, LIKE A TIME FRAME ON WHEN. THE FEMA ON THE FEMA CLAW BACK. THREE WEEKS AGO, CONGRESSMAN DUNN WAS ABLE TO SPEAK TO THE NEW FEMA HEAD ABOUT THIS. HE GAVE HIM A WRITE UP THAT I BELIEVE THE ALICIA PREPARED, AND THE FEMA DIRECTOR ACCEPTED IT, SAID HE WAS GOING TO MAKE IT A PRIORITY. BUT THAT'S THE LAST WE'VE HEARD. HE'LL BE GONE IN SIX MONTHS. SO WE'RE HOPEFUL THAT WE ARE HOPEFUL. PANAMA CITY WAS AWARDED THEIR ROADS PROJECT RECENTLY.
THAT ONLY GETS THEM TO WHERE WE ARE AT, WHERE THEY CAN GO DO THE WORK. AS YOU KNOW, WE DID THE WORK. $31 MILLION WORTH OF IT TO ONLY GET TO THE FINISH LINE AND HAVE FEMA TELL US THEY CHANGED THEIR MIND, EVEN THOUGH WE HAD WRITTEN APPROVAL FROM THEM TO DO THE WORK. SO. RIGHT. YOU KNOW, MY LOVE OF FEMA. YEAH. YEAH. I THINK THERE'S A LOT OF THAT TO GO AROUND. YEAH. ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR KEITH? OKAY. THANK YOU. MIRANDA, WILL YOU GIVE US FINANCIAL UPDATE? GOOD AFTERNOON. SINCE WE PREPARED THIS PACKET, WE HAVE RECEIVED OUR. OH, SORRY. OUR JANUARY REVENUE. IT CAME IN AT JUST OVER A MILLION. SO THAT WILL BRING US A YEAR TO DATE. ABOUT 60,000 OVER LAST YEAR. SO OUR REVENUE IS HOLDING STRONG STILL. ESPECIALLY CONSIDERING THE FEMA CALLBACK. IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT I'LL ANSWER THEM. BUT IT'S PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD. NO, THERE WAS SOME CONCERN WITH THE TAX HOLIDAY LAST YEAR. THAT, PAINFUL
[00:05:04]
AS IT WAS NOT SO. JUST TO GIVE YOU A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND. WHEN THE STATE CAME OUT WITH THEIR EXEMPTIONS, THEY GAVE US SOME PROJECTIONS. WE BASED OURS ON THOSE PROJECTIONS. RIGHT BEFORE OUR BUDGET WAS APPROVED, THE STATE CAME BACK AND SAID, NO, NO, WE ARE PROJECTING AN INCREASE EVEN WITH EXEMPT EXEMPTIONS. WE ASKED ABOUT THAT. THEY SAID THEY FELT DUE TO THE GROWTH OF OTHER CELLS, THAT THAT WOULD COMPENSATE FOR THE SETBACKS. NOW THAT THAT YEAR IS OVER AND SOME OF THOSE EXEMPTIONS HAVE EXPIRED, WE DID SEE A DECREASE. WE DIDN'T SEE A DECREASE AS MUCH AS WHAT WE HAD PROJECTED AND WHAT THEY HAD ORIGINALLY PROJECTED. BUT WE ALSO DID NOT SEE THAT INCREASE THEY WERE PROJECTING. IT WAS A SLIGHT DECREASE. SO CONSIDERING THAT WE HAD ALREADY PREPARED FOR THAT IN ALL OF OUR FUNDS, WE WERE OKAY. BUT IN ONE PARTICULAR MONTH, OR WAS THAT JUST THAT WAS SO LAST YEAR WITH THE STATE BUDGET THE GOVERNOR APPROVED? A WHOLE SERIES OF SALES TAX EXEMPTIONS. SOME OF THOSE WERE FOR A YEAR AND SOME ARE PERMANENT. OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I DO BELIEVE LIKE. GAS, ELECTRONICS, GAS STOVES, WHATEVER. THOSE ARE PERMANENT. BUT THERE WERE OTHER THINGS. SUCH AS BABY DIAPERS AND STUFF LIKE THAT THAT I BELIEVE WERE A ONE YEAR TIME. RETRO. THAT ON BABY DIAPERS. YEAH. GIVE ME A CHECK FROM ABOUT 15 YEARS AGO. SO THAT DID AFFECT THIS. BUT LIKE I SAID, IT WAS NOT. WE HAD PREPARED FOR THAT IN THE BUDGET. SO IT WAS NOT DETRIMENTAL TO THAT. I'VE NOT SEEN THIS CHART BEFORE. YEAR TO DATE TOTALS ON THIS. THAT ALL PLUS MONEY THAT THE COUNTY. AND THAT'S JUST THE COUNTY'S PORTION OF WHAT THEY HAVE. HAVE WE NOT DONE THE TAX AND THEN WOULDN'T HAVE THE FUTURE. THAT GOES A LOT MORE TOWARDS SHOULD YOU HAVE TO PAY BACK THE 31 MILLION THAN THE THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT WAS IN THE BUDGET BEFORE $2 MILLION? ANY QUESTIONS FOR MIRANDA? I'VE GOT A QUESTION I DON'T AND I DON'T. IT'S MORE OF A GENERAL OR MAYBE A CATCH UP OR A REMINDER. I'VE JUST HEARD, YOU KNOW, THE PART OF THE HALF CENT THAT GOES TO THE CITIES. I KNOW SOME HAVE BECOME VERY DEPENDENT ON THAT. AND STORMWATER SEEMS TO BE A HOT TOPIC. CAN THEY USE THAT FOR STORMWATER? YES. SO ACTUALLY WHAT WAS PASSED IS AN INFRASTRUCTURE SALES TAX.HALF-CENT SALES TAX. THAT CAN BE USED ON MOST CAPITAL ITEMS. HOWEVER, FOR THIS COUNTY AND THE CITY, WE DID MARKET THIS FOR A ROAD AND STORMWATER PROJECT SALES TAX. SOME OF OUR PROJECTS ARE STORMWATER RELATED. OKAY. THANK YOU. FOR EXPENSES. MOST OF THIS FIRST REPORT IS YOU'VE ALREADY SEEN. IT'S FROM SEPTEMBER. WE DID INCLUDE IT. THERE MAY BE A FEW TRANSACTIONS, LIKE IF YOU'LL SEE RIGHT AT THE TOWARDS THE BOTTOM OF THE FIRST PAGE, THERE'S A DATE OF 12 1224.
THAT HAPPENED IN OUR 13TH PERIOD AND OUR ACCOUNTING PERIOD. SO THERE MAY BE A FEW TRANSACTIONS.
THAT WERE NOT AT OUR PREVIOUS MEETINGS. WE WANTED TO INCLUDE THE PRIOR YEAR FOR YOU. AND FOR OUR NEW MEMBER MEMBERS, WE GIVE YOU THIS LISTING OF EXPENSES. YOU CAN BRING UP ANY QUESTIONS HERE. IF YOU HAVE THEM, YOU CAN CONTACT MY OFFICE AT ANY TIME. FOR INDIVIDUAL QUESTIONS. THESE ARE FOR YOU TO LOOK OVER. MAKE SURE WE ARE SPENDING OUR MONEY IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE SALES TAX, AND THEN BRINGING FORWARD ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. BUT THIS LIKE I SAID, THIS FIRST REPORT IS FOR FY 24. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON IT THEN I WILL ANSWER THEM. IF NOT, WE WILL MOVE ON. THROUGH 25. OKAY. 25. THIS IS ONLY THROUGH FEBRUARY. NORMALLY WE TRY TO GIVE YOU AS MUCH INFORMATION UP TO DATE CLOSE TO THE MEETING AS WE CAN. HOWEVER, THE COUNTY WENT THROUGH AN ERP UPGRADE MARCH 3RD. SO WHAT'S AN ERP ENTERPRISE RESOURCE PROGRAM IS OUR ACCOUNTING SOFTWARE. WE SINCE WE DID GO THROUGH THAT, THE REPORTING IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT
[00:10:08]
WHEN WE BRING THESE REPORTS TO YOU IN OCTOBER. AT YOUR NEXT MEETING, THEY WILL PROBABLY LOOK A LITTLE DIFFERENT. AND SINCE WE HAD SO MUCH BACK AND FORTH WITH PAYMENTS AND EMPLOYEES TRYING TO FIGURE OUT THE NEW SYSTEM AND JUST SOME HICCUPS, WE DECIDED TO CUT IT OFF AND ONLY GIVE YOU THE AMOUNT FOR OR THE TRANSACTIONS. IN OUR OLD SYSTEM THAT WENT THROUGH FEBRUARY 28TH. SO THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE MARCH. BUT IT WILL BE ON YOUR NEXT REPORT FOR THE NEXT MEETING. AND IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE TRANSACTIONS, I CAN ANSWER THEM. OR YOU CAN CONTACT ANALYSIS BY EMAIL OR PHONE WHENEVER YOU'RE. LIKE I SAID, PRETTY STRAIGHTFORWARD. THANK YOU. AND WE DO PROVIDE THESE THE WEEK BEFORE THE FRIDAY BEFORE SO THAT YOU CAN IF YOU HAPPEN TO SEE SOMETHING THAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND OR YOU DON'T WANT ANY QUESTION, YOU CAN BRING IT TO US. BUT OTHERWISE, IF THE DESCRIPTIONS ARE PRETTY, PRETTY CLEAR MOST OF THE TIME. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR MIRANDA? ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. YOU'RE WELCOME. OTHER BUSINESS. OTHER THAN. I GUESS WE NEED TO ELECT A CHAIRMAN AND A VICE CHAIRMAN. JOE HOLTZ, CURRENTLY THE VICE CHAIR. IF HE IS HERE, ANY NOMINATIONS FROM THE BOARD? CURRENTLY. BUT IT'S. WE HAVE ELECTIONS EVERY YEAR. DO IT. NO, NO, WE'RE DOING THE ELECTIONS NOW. OH, OKAY. OH, YEAH. HERE WE ARE, BUDDY. OH. I'M SORRY. I NOMINATE YOU. THANKS. I YEAH. SORRY. MIKE. IN HERE. LISTEN, YOU GOT ME INTO MY LAST APPOINTED POSITION, AND THAT'S THE LAST TIME THE TWO OF US WERE ON A BOARD. YOU BURNED DOWN. THERE'S THREE PEOPLE THAT ARE NOT HERE. YEAH. ONE OF THEM NEED TO BE NOMINEE. WE COULD DO THEM FOR A VICE CHAIR. YEAH. YEAH. NOMINATE. WE HAVE NOMINATIONS.DO WE WANT TO JUST GO AHEAD AND SAY YAY OR NAY? YAY! ALL IN FAVOR OF ME? YAY! YAY! DO YOU WANT TO NOMINATE? NOMINATE TRICIA BERRY FOR VICE CHAIR. ALL RIGHT. THAT WAY. KEEP TRUE TO OUR WORK. SECOND. ALL RIGHT. WE HAVE A NOMINATION IN A SECOND. ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR? AYE. ANY OPPOSED? CONGRATULATIONS, TRICIA. THAT'S RIGHT. AND ALL THE RESPONSIBILITIES THEREIN. SHE THOUGHT WE WERE KIDDING. YEAH. YEAH. HE KNOWS THE. I'M GOING TO BE THE ONE THAT PAYS FOR IT. BECAUSE I STARTED THAT. YEAH. YEAH. SHE'S LIKE. TURNS OUT HE WASN'T JOKING. IN MY WORLD, WE CALL THAT PUTTING PEOPLE ON NOTICE. SHE WAS NOTICED AND DID NOT OBJECT. THEREFORE. ALL RIGHT, WELL, IF THAT'S ALL THERE IS, WE'LL SEE EVERYBODY IN IN OCTOBER. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.