COUNTY COUNCIL KEEPS ON STEALING!!!!!!!!!

On a split vote, County Council voted to increase the tax rate from last year of over 19 plus percent!
On Thursday night the County of Volusia adopted a rate of 5.36 mills. This is “minus the 2 percent raises (about 3 million) and minus a spay and neuter truck at a cost of $275,000.00”. Folks this is a slap in the face to the residents of Volusia County. Basically, they reduced their proposed millage rate at the cost of a spay and neuter truck as originally the two percent raises to employees was just a ploy to negotiate with from the very beginning. This is the same ploy that Joshua Wagner used because his correspondence to those that were outraged over the 19 plus percent increase in the tax rate as he said he heard their concerns and was not going to vote for a budget that contained a two percent salary increase for employees. At the very start of the meeting it was announced that the two percent was taken off the table. So he still voted for a 19 percent plus tax increase by claiming to have heard the concerns of his constituents.
There were over 400 people that attended this meeting. The chambers and the over flow room were both filled. Those opposed to the budget were concerned citizens and taxpayers. We were informed those in favor of the budget were pressured to be there which included Boy Scouts, Votran Riders, Veterans, Boys and Girls Clubs, social services for the blind and handicapped, etc. I had one head of an organization inform me that his organization was “being held hostage by the County” to be there or they would cut out funding to his group. Also, when I was in the foyer, I overheard the Boy Scout leader “coaching the boy scouts”. At the beginning of the meeting Frank Bruno asked those in favor of the budget to stand or clap and those opposed to stand and clap. Obviously because they reserved seats in the chambers for the handicapped and veterans, the citizens that stood in the chambers and clapped in favor of the budget outnumbered those against the budget as the independent tax payers were shuffled into the overflow room downstairs! I was getting text messages from the taxpayers in the overflow room as they cheered and clapped so loud they were surprised we could not hear them in the chambers. This really upset the independent tax payers. It is a scary situation when the government selects and hand picks the audience to listen to democracy.
At the end of the night, Andy Kelly started asking very good and pertinent questions about money in some funds. Andy Kelly said that there is 19 million dollars in the vehicle replacement fund. This year the county is purchasing 63 new county vehicles at a cost of 2.6 million dollars. That leaves a balance of a little over 16 million dollars just sitting in this fund the coming year. Also, Andy found that there is about 5.6 million dollars in a fund for salaries of those positions that have been eliminated. When Mr. Kelly started asking these questions, of course Mr. Dinneen became very defensive and even rude to Mr. Kelly. There was an outburst from a citizen in the crowd that said, “Don't speak to Mr. Kelly like that as he represents us”. Frank Bruno then had that citizen removed from the chambers. Mr. Dinneen then apologized to Mr. Kelly. Mr. Kelly made some very good points and wanted to know why we could not use some of this money and reduce the millage rate. Also, a very important point Mr. Kelly said was that he tries to get items on the agenda during the year but for 'whatever reasons they are never on the agenda'. Folks, this indicates there is a disconnect between the County Manager and our councilmen.
Carl Persis originally made a motion to go to last year's millage rate of 4.5 mills. (about a 27 million dollar decrease) This was voted on and it failed. The ones in favor of this motion were Persis and Hayman. All others opposed this motion. Then Carl Persis made a motion to go to a millage rate of 4.9 mills (about a 16 million dollar decrease). This was voted on and the ones that approved this millage rate were Persis, Hayman and Kelly. All others opposed this rate.
It is apparent that Carl Persis, Andy Kelly and Jack Hayman “get it” and they are a true voice of the citizens of this county and of those that spoke up against the budget. Please email these councilmen and thank them for their efforts.
akelly@co.volusia.fl.us
jhayman@co.volusia.fl.us,
cpersis@co.volusia.fl.us
The ones that “don't get it” are Joshua Wagner, Frank Bruno, Joie Alexander and Patricia Northey. Please email these councilmen/women and let them know how you feel. Remember to be professional in your emails.
fbruno@co.volusia.fl.us,
jalexander@co.volusia.fl.us,
jwagner@co.volusia.fl.us
pnorthey@co.volusia.fl.us
The ones that voted for the final millage rate of 5.36 mills (a 19 percent plus INCREASE) is Joshua Wagner, Frank Bruno, Joie Alexander and Patricia Northey. Against this millage rate is Carl Persis, Jack Hayman and Andy Kelly.
The one that suggested we remove the spay and neuter truck at a cost of $275,000.00 was Joshua Wagner. Later, Mr. Persis told me that of all the items in the budget this is probably what they needed to keep in the budget!

Before the final vote, Councilwoman Joie Alexander gave Kelly, Persis and Hayman what Kelly described as a "scolding."
She said the time for budget changes had passed. Changes should have been made earlier in the year during the council's mini budget workshops and council meetings.
Hayman and Kelly argued there were times they attempted to ask questions and make suggestions, but were treated as though it wasn't the proper time to make those recommendations.
Hayman said the discussions were often structured in a way that made asking questions critical of the county's approach not "kosher." It didn't allow the council members to do the "due diligence" some would have liked, he said.
The budget discussions were the county staff giving the county council a budget to approve. It did not happen that the County Council gave an overall amount of money available for the staff to develop a budget. The county staff prepared a budget that they presented to the council in a power point presentation as they were obviously selling the budget to the council. At no point did county council give direction to the staff as to the maximum tax increase they were going to allow. The staff came up with a 19 plus percent increase in the tax rate and sold it to four of seven members who voted for it. To be clear, what should have happened was that our elected officials should have told the county staff how much money to deal with in the budget and the staff would have had to deal with it. This is not what happened!

CONCLUSION:
What we learned from this process is; FRANK BRUNO, PAT NORTHEY, JOSHUA WAGNER AND JOIE ALEXANDER are our “TAX RATE HIKERS” and should be remembered for their future political careers!

Margie PatchettLowerTaxesNow.org386.212.3968