If you wish to speak to any item on the agenda or during the public comment portion of the meeting, please fill out a speaker card. Each person addressing the board shall have three minutes to complete his or her comments on each agenda item for which he or she has filled out a card. The chair has the discretion to determine or alter the time limits on any agenda item. The Board of County Commissioners requests that speakers appearing under the public comment section of the agenda limit their comments or presentations to matters relating to county business that are within the board's control, authority, and jurisdiction. Good evening. Welcome to the final budget hearing for the Board of County Commissioners. We have a quorum. I'll call the meeting to order. Tonight we have invocation provided by Pastor Lucas Almeida with Central Baptist Church of Melbourne. Sir, you're recognized. Let's pray. Lord, I pray unto you, the triune God of the universe, who alone has immortality, who reigns through Christ above all rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the age to come. We recognize your power and your wisdom in establishing order among men. One of the means by which you carry out your purposes on earth is through the civil magistrates. You have entrusted leaders with a solemn responsibility of upholding justice, protecting the vulnerable, and pursuing the good of the people they serve. Father, I pray for the Brevard Board of County Commissioners gathered here today. I thank you for their willingness to serve and for the sacrifices they take upon their office. I ask that you would grant them discernment as they await complex matters, humility as they listen to one another, encouraged to do what is right and just. May their decision promote the well-being of every resident in this county. Lord, whether they acknowledge the lordship of Christ or not, your words declare that no authority exists apart from what you have granted. I pray that they would be mindful of this reality, that all power is entrusted, never owned. And all of us, from the greatest to the least, if we exercise any authority on earth, are mere stewards of the authority that is native to you and not to ourselves. Father, we are thankful that we don't just learn about authority in your word, but perfect authority is demonstrated to us in the person of your son, Jesus Christ. In Christ, we see the perfect model of leadership, not self-seeking, but self-giving, not domineering, but serving. Through his death, he brought life. Through his sacrifice, he bore the punishment, not of his own sins, but of those who would trust in him. And through his resurrection, death is defeated so that all who come to him might live. Father, I thank you for a faith that leads to human flourishing. I pray that this commission would reflect the same concern, that they would uphold the dignity of every person, guard the sanctity of life, preserve the freedom of conscience and worship, and seek the welfare of the poor, the widows, and the orphans in our midst. And, Lord, I pray not only for the Brevard County, but also for our nation. In recent days, we have seen how fragile life is and how quickly division can wound us. We grieve the violence in our land and the strife that tears us apart. We pray the government would exercise their power, the power of the sword, to punish wickedness without fear. Father, it is undeniable that this nation was founded upon principles drawn from your word, but we have removed ourselves from Christian morality to a degree that our origins are often unrecognizable. Father, we know that we will not truly prosper unless we turn again to Christ. We ask that through Christ you would heal our divisions, restore civility among our people, and grant his righteousness rather than pride or power, and that this would exalt our nation. Father, let Brevard County be known as a place where the rights first endowed to us by our creator are honored, protected, and promoted. Let it be a place where justice is done, mercy is shown, and your truth is not silenced. And may every person here come to know that there is a God in heaven who loves his creation and is willing to save and redeem all those who come to him through Jesus Christ. I pray these things in the name of your Son. Amen. Thank you. Thank you very much. Commissioner Atkinson for the pledge. I pledge allegiance to the Father of the United States of America, to the Republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice. Okay, commissioners, we will go immediately to item D1. Jim? Thank you, Mr. Chair. Commissioners, item D1 allows for the reading of the tentative aggregate operating millage to fund the portion of the fiscal year 2025-2026 budget that is supported by property taxes. At this time, I would ask that the budget office read into the record the tentative aggregate millage rate for the fiscal year 2025-2026. The aggregate tentative millage rate for the fiscal year 2025-2026 budget is 4.5129 mils. This represents a 5.43% increase from the aggregate rolled back millage rate of 4.2806 mils. The tentative aggregate millage rate represents a 1.66% increase when compared to the current fiscal year 2024-2025, aggregate millage rate of 4.4390. Commissioners, as the tentative millages have been adopted at rates required to fund the board priorities, including public safety, specifically for the fire rescue wage package, as well as higher funding requirements for constitutional officer budgets, along with an increase in the mandatory Medicaid contribution to the state and other operational requirements. Additionally, this includes an increase in voter-approved millages for the fire control MSTU and parks and recreation millages. In Agenda Item D2, the board will hear comments from the public and then discuss the millages and associate revenue in Agenda Item D3. Okay, Commissioners, there's no vote on this one. We'll go to D2. And would you... Sorry, I got the script, sir. Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Item D2 allows for public comment to comment on the county budget for fiscal year 2025-2026. Before we begin public comment, I would ask the budget office read into the record the fiscal year 2025-2026 budget. The fiscal year 2025-2026 budget is $2,510,399,801. This budget represents an increase of $189,967,259, or 8.19% more than the fiscal year 2024-2025 current budget of $2,320,432,542. Commissioners, we are now ready to accept public comment on the budget for fiscal year 2025-2026. Okay, I have a card for Mark Wilhelm. Wilhelm. Good evening. My name is Mark Wilhelm. I have been a Brevard County resident for 55 years. I live in the Cocoa area, but I'm a resident of the county. I would like to comment on the 4% wage increase for the higher-paid county employees. As a retired automotive technician after 45 years of service, I would seldom get a pay raise, sometimes as long as five years or more, and would have to state my case for a raise, even though I was very qualified at what I did as a master technician. It has always bothered me that government employees get annual raises, regardless of whether they earn them, and we all know that is not always the case, but they get them anyway. The employees at the lower part of the pay scale may deserve and probably need a 4% raise. Someone making $50,000 a year would get a $2,000 raise, while somebody at the top of the pay scale would get nearly $14,000. Even though their salary is 669% higher than the median income in Brevard County, according to GovSalaries.com. Again, according to GovSalaries.com, there are 22 county employees that make over $150,000 a year. Business as usual and spending taxpayers' money needs to be reined in. With government, those that make the financial decisions are used to the big numbers, so a piddly $14,000 pay raise is just a drop in the bucket, but those drops fill up the bucket quickly, like a leaky faucet runs up your water bill. I believe that most of the commissioners, just like most politicians, are more concerned about getting reelected or moving up and not what their constituents need or want. Voters, like me, are waking up to what is going on and starting to speak up. What we need are more commissioners like mine from District 1, Katie Delaney. Commissioner Delaney is willing to put in the time and effort to support those that voted her into position, as well as all other county residents. Commissioner Delaney knows where the money is going and why, sometimes much to her chagrin. How about following her example and join her in the fight for financial responsibility? Thank you. Thank you. Okay, commissioners, that was the only card that we have. Jim. Commissioner, since the board must adopt the millages and related budgets separately, comments and motions concerning individual tax levies can also be made at the time each millage is adopted. I'll keep going. Is there a discussion at this time? Is this where we would be talking about possible amendments to the budget, or is this just millages? So, at this time, the board would need to vote on the individual millages. You can have discussion on each of those individual millages. The millages must be adopted before you adopt the budget. Thank you. So, we're going to go to D3 then. Thank you, Mr. Chair. Mr. Chairman, item D3 allows for public comment, discussion, and adoption of the final millages for fiscal year 2025-2026. If there are any public comments on D3, now would be an appropriate time to hear those comments. I don't think I have a card on D3. I think the gentleman was up here and wanted to talk possibly on number four also. No, sir? Okay. Okay. I don't have cards on that. Okay. I got a couple more paragraphs for you, commissioners. The table included in this agenda report reflects the millage rates tentatively adopted by the board at the first public budget hearing. In accordance with Florida statutes, the Florida Department of Revenue has prescribed forms and instructions to calculate the maximum levies for counties and independent special districts. Attachment A in the agenda provides the DOR prescribed requirements for simple majority, supermajority, and unanimous votes. The final adoption of the millage rates must follow a statutory approval thresholds as provided by DOR. The millage rates adopted by the board will determine the amount of revenue to be allocated by the board within those respective taxing districts. So, at this point, the budget office personnel will now read in the record the millage and related ad valorem revenue for each taxing authority. Following the reading of each tax levy, it is recommended that the chair entertain a motion for the approval of that millage. If there are any changes to the millage rates under this item that will affect the aggregate millage rate, the staff will recompute and then announce that under D4. All right, the first millage is the Brevard County BCC operating millage, and the Brevard County BCC operating fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 2.8643, which is a 3.39% change from the rolled-back millage of 2.7703, generating $208,618,399. Okay, and we're going to do a motion on every single item. Okay, is there a motion on the operating millage? So moved. Second. Motion by Commissioner Goodson, second by Commissioner Altman. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney? No. Chairman, oh, sorry. Vice Chair Goodson? Yes. Commissioner Atkinson? Yes. Commissioner Altman? Yes. Chairman Feltner? Yes. We'll show that. Passes 4-1. All right, the Brevard County Free Public Library District fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 0.3242, which is a 2.24% change from the rolled-back millage of 0.3171, generating $23,725,382. Is there a motion for the library district? So moved. Second. I have a motion by Commissioner Atkinson. I have a second by Commissioner Altman. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney? No. Vice Chair Goodson? Yes. Commissioner Atkinson? Yes. Commissioner Altman? Yes. Chairman Feltner? Yes. So that passes 4-1. The Brevard County Mosquito Control District fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 0.1340, which is a 2.21% change from the rolled-back millage of 0.1311, generating $9,806,296. Okay. Is there a motion for mosquito control? Motion by Commissioner Atkinson, second by Commissioner Altman. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney? No. Vice Chair Goodson? Yes. Commissioner Atkinson? Yes. Commissioner Altman? Yes. Chairman Feltner? Yes. We'll show that passes 4-1. All right. The Recreation District 1 fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 0.4173, which is a 2.81% change from the rolled-back millage of 0.4059, generating $3,747,916. Is there a motion for the Recreation District? Second. I have a motion by Commissioner Goodson. I have a second by Commissioner Atkinson. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney? No. Vice Chair Goodson? Yes. Commissioner Atkinson? Yes. Commissioner Altman? Yes. Chairman Feltner? Yes. We'll show that passes 4-1. The Recreation Special District Operations and Maintenance District 4 fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 0.4948, which is a 0.98% change from the rolled-back millage of 0.4900, generating $3,685,794. Okay. Is there a motion for the Recreation Special District Operations and Maintenance? I'll make the motion. It's fine. Second. Okay. Motion by the chair. Second by Commissioner Atkinson. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney? No. Vice Chair Goodson? Yes. Commissioner Atkinson? Yes. Commissioner Altman? Yes. Chairman Feltner? Yes. We'll show that passes 4-1. All right. The Titusville-Cocoa Airport Authority fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 0, which is no change from the roll-back millage of 0, generating $0. Do we need a motion on that? Yeah. Okay. Is there a motion by Commissioner Atkinson? I have a second by Commissioner Delaney. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney? Yes. Vice Chair Goodson? Yes. Commissioner Atkinson? Yes. Commissioner Altman? Yes. Chairman Feltner? Yes. We'll show that passes 5-0. The law enforcement fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 0.8531, which is a 1.96% change from the rolled-back millage of 0.8367, generating $27,155,020. Is there a motion for the law enforcement? I have a motion by Commissioner Goodson. Is there a second? Second. Second by Commissioner Altman. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney? Yes. Vice Chair Goodson? Yes. Commissioner Atkinson? Yes. Commissioner Altman? Yes. Chairman Feltner? Yes. We'll show that passes 5-0. All right. The road and bridge maintenance D1, MSQ, fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 0.4863, which is a 2.83% change from the rolled-back millage of 0.4729, generating $2,791,249. So moved. I have a motion by Commissioner Delaney, I have a motion by Commissioner Altman, and the clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney? Yes. Vice Chair Goodson? Yes. Commissioner Atkinson? Yes. Commissioner Altman? Yes. Chairman Feltner? Yes. We'll show that passes 5-0. The road and bridge maintenance District 2, MSTU, fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 0.1648, which is a negative 0.54% change from the rolled-back millage of 0.1657, generating $1,286,638. Is there a motion for the D2 road and bridge maintenance? So moved, Mr. Chairman. I have a motion by Commissioner Altman. Second. Second by Commissioner Atkinson. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney? Yes. Vice Chair Goodson? Yes. Commissioner Atkinson? Yes. Commissioner Altman? Yes. Chairman Feltner? Yes. And we'll show that passes 5-0. All right. The road and bridge maintenance D3, MSTU, fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 0.1855, which is a 2.66% change from the rolled-back millage of 0.1807, generating $623,688. Okay. Is there a motion for the D3 road and bridge maintenance? So moved. Motion by Commissioner Atkinson. I have a second by Commissioner Altman. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney? Yes. Vice Chair Goodson? Yes. Commissioner Atkinson? Yes. Commissioner Altman? Yes. Chairman Feltner? Yes. We'll show that passes 5-0. The road and bridge maintenance D4, MSTU, fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 0.2176, which is a 2.5% change from the rolled-back millage of 0.2123, generating $2,145,625,000. Okay. I'll make a motion for this one. Commissioners, is there a second? Second. Motion by the chair, second by Commissioner Atkinson. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney? Yes. Vice Chair Goodson? Yes. Commissioner Atkinson? Yes. Commissioner Altman? Yes. Chairman Feltner? Yes. And we'll show that passes 5-0. The road and bridge maintenance D5, MSTU, fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 0.2887, which is a 2.70% change from the rolled-back millage of 0.2811, generating $726,700. So moved. I have a motion by Commissioner Altman. Second. I have a second by Commissioner Atkinson. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney? Yes. Vice Chair Goodson? Yes. Commissioner Atkinson? Yes. Commissioner Altman? Yes. Chairman Feltner? Yes. And we'll show that passes 5-0. The road and bridge district for North Beaches MSTU, fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 0.1842, which is a 2.79% change from the rolled-back millage of 0.1792, generating $186,848. Is there a motion for the North Beaches MSTU? So moved. Motion by Commissioner Atkinson. Second by Commissioner Altman. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney? Yes. Vice Chair Goodson? Yes. Commissioner Atkinson? Yes. Commissioner Altman? Yes. Chairman Feltner? Yes. We'll show that passes 5-0. The road and bridge maintenance D4 Merritt Island South MSTU, fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 0.0964, which is a 2.88% change from the rolled-back millage of 0.0937, generating $27,253. I'll make a motion for this one. I'll make a motion for this one, commissioners. Is there a second? Second. Okay. Motion by the chair. We have a second by Commissioner Atkinson. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney? Yes. Vice Chair Goodson? Yes. Commissioner Atkinson? Yes. Commissioner Altman? Yes. Chairman Feltner? Yes. We'll show that passes 5-0. The environmentally endangered lands 2024, fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 0.0458, which is a 2.23% change from the rolled-back millage of 0.0448, generating $3,351,704. Is there a motion for the Eels? Second. Second. I have a motion by Commissioner Altman, a second by Commissioner Delaney. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney? Yes. Vice Chair Goodson? Yes. Commissioner Atkinson? Yes. Commissioner Altman? Yes. Chairman Feltner? Yes. We'll show that passes 5-0. Okay. And these are for the debt service millages. The first one is the North Brevard Recreation Special District voted debt. Fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 0.0808, generating $476,917. Okay. Is there a motion for North Brevard Special District voted debt? So moved. I have a motion by Commissioner Goodson. Second. I have a second by Commissioner Altman. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney? No. Vice Chair Goodson? Yes. Commissioner Atkinson? Yes. Commissioner Altman? Yes. Chairman Feltner? Yes. We'll show that. Passes 4-1. The Merritt Island Recreation voted debt fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 0, generating $0. Is there a motion for the Merritt Island? So moved. Voted debt? So moved. Motion by Commissioner Goodson. I have a second by Commissioner Altman. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney? Yes. Vice Chair Goodson? Yes. Commissioner Atkinson? Yes. Commissioner Altman? Yes. Chairman Feltner? Yes. I'm sure that passes 5-0. The South Brevard Recreation Special District voted debt fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is zero, generating $0. I have a motion by Commissioner Atkinson. Say good. I have a second by Commissioner Altman. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney? Yes. Vice Chair Goodson? Yes. Commissioner Atkinson? Yes. Commissioner Altman? Yes. Chairman Feltner? Yes. I'm sure that passes 5-0. Okay, these are for voter-approved millages as tentatively adopted. The following two millages require a majority approval to adopt the rates tentatively set at the first public hearing. And we'll get into the first one. The environmentally endangered lands voted debt 2024 fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 0.0275, generating $2,014,042. Is there a motion for the EELS voted debt? So moved. Second. A motion by Commissioner Altman. I have a second by Commissioner Delaney. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney? Yes. Vice Chair Goodson? Yes. Commissioner Atkinson? Yes. Commissioner Altman? Yes. Chairman Feltner? Yes. I'll show that passes 5-0. The fire control MSTU fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 0.6431, which is a 35.39% change from the rolled-back millage of 0.4750, generating $22,364,632. So moved. I have a motion by Commissioner Delaney. I have a second by Commissioner Altman. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney? Yes. Vice Chair Goodson? Yes. Commissioner Atkinson? Yes. Commissioner Altman? Yes. Chairman Feltner? Yes. We'll show that passes 5-0. The following millage requires a supermajority to adopt the rate tentatively set at the first public hearing. This is the South Brevard Special Recreation District, the fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 0.3000, which is a 44.09% change from the rolled-back millage of 0.2082, generating $13,075,035. Is there a motion for the South Brevard Special Recreation District? So moved. Second. I have a motion by Commissioner Atkinson. I have a second by Commissioner Altman. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney? No. Vice Chair Goodson? Yes. Commissioner Atkinson? Yes. Commissioner Altman? Yes. Chairman Feltner? Yes. We'll show that passes 4-1. All right. The following three millages require unanimous votes to adopt the rates tentatively set at the first public hearing. The first one is going to be for the Merritt Island Recreation MSDU. The fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 0.400, which is a 74.06% change from the rolled-back millage of 0.2298, generating $2,409,689. Okay. Does there have a motion by Commissioner Goodson? I have a second by Commissioner Altman. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney? No. Vice Chair Goodson? Yes. Commissioner Atkinson? Yes. Commissioner Altman? Yes. Chairman Feltner? Yes. And that's 4-1. Commissioners, we need a unanimous vote. So, is there, I understand that fails. Is there an alternative millage? And, Commissioners, for a supermajority approval, the highest millage you could go for the Merritt Island Recreation MSDU is 0.3508. That would generate? Generate $2,113,298. Commissioner Goodson, do you have thoughts on that issue? Yes. I have a motion for approval on that. Reduced. I second it. Okay. On the millage that he just read off, I have a motion by Commissioner Goodson. I have a second by Commissioner Altman. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney? No. Vice Chair Goodson? Yes. Commissioner Atkinson? Yes. Commissioner Altman? Yes. Chairman Feltner? Yes. And we'll show that passes 4-1. All right. The next one is the North Brevard Recreation Special District. In the fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 0.3138, which is a 99.62% change from the rolled back millage of 0.1572, generating $1,852,185. To save us some time, I just wanted to mention I'm not going to be supporting these. So whoever makes the motion wants to use a different number, I just figured I'd mention that. Do you have alternative numbers then, Commissioner? Well, I have the sheet in our agenda that says what they could be, but I don't really want to pick a number. Okay. On page 12. I mean, I think we have to have a number. Can I make a motion? Correct me if I'm doing this incorrectly. For the Port St. John, Canaveral Groves Recreation District of 0.3138. That's my motion. Okay. Say that one more time. I think for that one, the supermajority max, I think, for the Port St. John is the 0.3572 rather than the 0.3138. Am I looking at the wrong one? Keith is correct. Can you tell me which one that was again? 3.3572. I apologize. I misread the line, too. 3 point. It's not 3 point. 0.3572. 0.3572. Let's just read that one again from scratch with that. Okay. Okay. So we'll just, for the Port St. John, Canaveral Groves Recreation, fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 0.3572, which is a 40.74% change from the rolled-back millage of 0.2538, generating $856,710. So moved. Second. I have a motion by Commissioner Atkinson. I have a second by Commissioner Altman. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney. No. Vice Chair Goodson. Yes. Commissioner Atkinson. Yes. Commissioner Altman. Yes. Chairman Feltner. Yes. We'll show that passes 4-1. Now, was there one in there? Yeah, there's one more. Okay. And I'm going to read the super majority one for the North Brevard Recreation Special District. The fiscal year 2025-2026 millage is 0.3138, which is a 99.62% change from the rolled-back millage of 0.1572, generating $1,852,185. And that is the, we need five votes for that number? That's four. Oh, that's the, okay, that's the four. Okay. Okay. Is there a motion on that millage? I'll move. I have a motion by Commissioner Altman. Is there a second? Second. I have a second by Commissioner Atkinson. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney. No. Vice Chair Goodson. Yes. Commissioner Atkinson. Yes. Commissioner Altman. Yes. Chairman Feltner. Yes. We'll show that passes 4-1. So, let me get, sure. Commissioners, the Budget Office will announce the recomputed aggregate millage and the change represented by the recomputed millage from the aggregate rollback millage. We'd ask for a short break to make sure that we have our math correct before we read that out. What do we need to do that? You need, guys need 10 minutes? Yeah, if possible. Five. We should be pretty quick. Shouldn't be 10 minutes. It should be five. Take five minutes? All right. Let's take a five minute break. Thanks. Commissioners, I think Budget Office has got a revised number for us. Go ahead, Keith. So, for the revisions that happened earlier, the aggregate millage rate for the fiscal year 2025-2026 budget is 4.5053 mills. This represents a 5.25% change from the aggregate rollback rate of 4.2806. Okay. I was wondering if I could just talk about salaries. Um, I talked about it a bit at the last meeting and, um, the last budget hearing and I'm having trouble with the, the rate of our salaries growing and growing and growing and when will be the, the, um, where's the ceiling or are we just going to perpetually grow our, our high end salaries at 4% every year from now until whenever, um, for the employees that are making 120,000 and above, we've got about 46 and they're at 4%. We're talking a $4,800 to a just under $14,000 raise. Um, it's just difficult for me to, to be okay with this. And I, I didn't mean to leave this to the last second, but I just kept being told, oh, now's not the time to talk about it. Now's not the time to talk about it. And here we are now passing a budget. And, um, I didn't know if there was some room here to, you know, from 200, what I would like to see personally is from 120,000 to 250, a 2% raise and then 250 and above a pay freeze. Um, and that being said, you know, I, I don't think that it's, um, wrong to ask somebody making 250,000 or above to not expect a yearly raise, especially when they work for the government. Um, we have a lot of people in this County that don't even make half that. And, um, you know, the, the money has to come from somewhere. We're raising taxes, you know, quite a bit and, you know, obviously we have other needs in the community, um, to where this money, uh, could be spent or our taxpayers wouldn't have to have such a, uh, increase in their taxes. Um, so I'd like to make a motion to amend the, uh, salaries for 120,000 to 250,000 to get a, uh, 2% raise and then 250,000 and above to get a 0% raise. Do you want to say something? I have a question. Uh, hold on, sir. Commissioner Atkinson for a question. Commissioner Delaney, I'm wondering how, how did you decide that 120, sorry. How did you decide that 120 was the number you were going to start at and not 100 or 95 or 120 encompassed most of our director level and above. So the people with the most responsibility. Well, right, but they're not, it's not that they're not getting any kind of raise. They're still getting a pretty sizable raise. 20, $2,400 for a raise is a pretty good, um, bump. I mean, I know, uh, people who work out at the space center building rockets who get less of a raise than that. Per year. Commissioner Goodson, sir. For a question. Um, you spoke about raising taxes and if I'm not mistaken, you originally wanted 73% increase in the fire assessment fee. No, sir. I'm sorry. You didn't? What I, what I said was that I wanted the public input. I wanted to put out there to the, to the county as high as we could so that we could get the public input to see where that percentage would, would fall. Well, forgive me, then, then you proposed the gasoline tax, correct? So it sounds like you're the only one wanting to raise taxes. The rest of us are sitting here saying, make it a referendum. You had a shot of that. Uh, 37% uh, the gas tax would be separate. It would be. I know it's totally separate, man. Let's, let's go with that. That's a user fee. It's not a tax. It's, you know, it's. You tell that somebody on fixed income. Well, sir, in your business, did you give people a 4% raise every employee in your company every year? I don't raise. Okay. Any other, any other question or comment on that item? Okay. I don't hear a second on that. What, was, was there something still that we need to do on this item? I just, I want to, I want to make sure that I'm not missing something here. Okay. Um, commissioners, the budget office will read into the record the resolution establishing the county's final millages for fiscal year 2025-2026. Following the reading of the resolution is recommended that the chair, chairman, entertain a motion for the approval of the resolution. A resolution to adopt final millages pursuant to chapter 200, Florida statutes, authorizing the board of county commissioners to adopt final millages for fiscal year 2025-2026 and providing an effective date. The board of county commissioners, Brevard County, Florida, as taxing authority for taxing entities identified in Exhibit A, which is attached here to and made a part hereof by this reference, does hereby levy the millages specified in Exhibit A, and does hereby state the percent by which the aggregate millage to be levied is a change from the rolled back aggregate millage. Okay. Is there a motion to approve the resolution? So moved, Mr. Chairman. A motion by Commissioner Altman. Is there a second? Second. I think I have a second by Commissioner Goodson. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney. No. Vice Chair Goodson. Yes. Commissioner Atkinson. Yes. Commissioner Altman. Yes. Chairman Feltner. Yes. I'm sure that passes 4-1. Okay. Now we're going to D-4, right? Mr. Chairman, commissioners, for agenda item D-4, the budget office will read into the record the resolution adopting the county's total budget for FY2025-2026. Finally, a reading of the resolution is recommended that the chairman entertain a motion for approval of the resolution. A resolution to adopt a final budget pursuant to Chapter 200, Florida Statutes, authorizing the Board of County Commissioners to adopt the final operating and capital budget for fiscal year 2025-2026 and providing for an effective date. The Board of County Commissioners, Brevard County, Florida, as taxing and governing authority, does hereby adopt an operating and capital budget for the fiscal year beginning October 1st, 2025 and ending September 30th, 2026 in the amount of $2,509,876,505. And that's with the change that we did. Okay. Okay. Is there a motion on the resolution? Motion to approve the resolution. I have a motion by Commissioner Atkinson. I have a second by Commissioner Altman. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney. No. Vice Chair Goodson. Yes. Commissioner Atkinson. Yes. Commissioner Altman. Yes. Chairman Felton. Yes. We'll show that. Passes 4-1 to D-5. Mr. Chairman, Commissioners, Item D-5 requests that the Board adopt the attached resolutions establishing final millages for fiscal year 2025-2026 for those dependent special taxing districts for which the county levies a millage and authorizes the Chair to sign the resolutions. Florida Statute 200.065 allows the Board to adopt tax levies for all dependent special taxing districts by a single vote unless separate votes are requested by a member of the public or a commissioner. Okay. We can, now we can vote on this as one item? That is correct, Mr. Chairman. Okay. All right. Is there a motion for the dependent special taxing districts? So moved. Second. I have a motion by Commissioner Goodson. I have a second by Commissioner Altman. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney. No. Vice Chair Goodson. Yes. Commissioner Atkinson. Yes. Commissioner Altman. Yes. Chairman Felton. Yes. We'll show that one for one. We'll go to D-6. Mr. Chairman, Commissioners, Item D-6 requests that the Board adopt the attached resolutions adopting the final budgets for fiscal year 2025-2026 for the county's dependent special districts and authorize the Chairman to sign the resolutions. Florida Statute 200.065 allows the Board to adopt the budget for all dependent special taxing districts by a single vote unless separate votes are requested by a member of the public or a commissioner. Okay. We can vote on this as one item, right? Yes. That is correct, Mr. Chairman. Commissioners, is there a motion on the item? Motion. Some move, Mr. Chairman. Okay. I have a motion by Commissioner Altman. Second. I have a second by Commissioner Atkinson. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney. Yes. Vice Chair Goodson. Yes. Commissioner Atkinson. Yes. Commissioner Altman. Yes. Chairman Feltman. Yes. And we'll show that. Passes 5-0. We'll go to D-7. Mr. Chairman, Commissioners, Item D-7 requests that the chair entertain a motion to authorize the county manager or designee to execute all letters and exhibits necessary to establish that Brevard County, that Brevard County has complied with sections 200, 065, and 218.63 Florida Statutes, the truth and millage law. Okay. Commissioners, is there a motion for the trim compliance forms? Yes. So moved. I have a motion by Commissioner Atkinson. I have a second by Commissioner Altman. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney. Yes. Vice Chair Goodson. Yes. Commissioner Atkinson. Yes. Commissioner Altman. Yes. Chairman Feltner. Yes. We'll show that one. Passes 5-0. We'll go on to new business, right? E-1. Commissioner, Mr. Chair, if I can jump in. This is just so we can beat Joe coming up here. They were asking approval to authorize the chairman to sign the state of Florida annual certified budget for the Anthropod Control. You've seen it a couple of times. Now that you have adopted the budget, we have to resubmit the forms. I see Joe in the box. Sir. Yep. Good evening. Um, who, uh, mosquito control's final, uh, budget was just approved in item D6. So we request here in this item, uh, that the board authorized the chairman to, uh, prove and sign the same budget, uh, but on the state form, uh, so that we can submit it to the Florida Department of Agriculture. This is required by Florida statute to maintain our status as a, um, certified mosquito control district. Okay. Any questions for Joe? No? I don't have any cards on this. Commissioner, is there any discussion on this item? No? Is there a motion? So moved, Mr. Okay. Have a chair by commission? Hmm. Have a motion by Commissioner Altman. Is there a second? Second. Have a second by Commissioner Atkinson. Clerk will call the roll. Commissioner Delaney. Yes. Vice Chair Goodson. Yes. Commissioner Atkinson. Yes. Commissioner Altman. Yes. Chairman Beltner. Yes. We'll show that. One passes 5-0. Okay. Commissioners. We'll go to board reports. Mr. County Manager. Boy, I want to, but no, no board report. Okay. Mr. County Attorney. No report, Mr. Chair. Okay. Commissioner Delaney. I just wanted to have a short discussion about the way that we did the budget this year, and I'm hoping that next year when we do this, I kind of felt like it was very, that there wasn't a lot of collaboration between the board, and honestly, I don't know what your guys' priorities are for your districts, and if we have a budget workshop next year, which I'm hoping we do, I'm hoping we can kind of make more of the discussion be amongst us and what our visions are for our districts, what our vision is for the community as a whole, because I felt like this year it was just very much, here's what it is, and just we go forward from there. And, you know, I just kind of feel like us as a board, our people elected us to deliberate with each other and whatnot, and I would just really love to see a little bit more of that and to work with y'all. Yield me a minute? I'm sorry? Yield me a minute? Sure. I thought the budget workshops were very good. I had no, I thought the staff did an amazing job. I've said that many times, so I'll say that again. And Joe already left the box, but very informative. I think we all felt that. We learned a lot about mosquito control. When he was there, I think we had four separate budget workshops. It's my recollection. And certainly we could have given staff some direction as at the end of the workshop. So I think probably a lesson learned from that is to leave us a little more time at the end of each of those workshops. And also, I think we came to understand, and this is no fault of anyone, just it's a lot of information. You know, there were quite lengthy presentations. I mean, I think public works is a whole day by itself. Sorry, Commander. But I think you need a whole day by yourself. I think parks probably could use half a day. I think natural resources could probably have the other half of the day. So I think probably two budget workshops just for those three departments. For sure. Do you see that the same way? Oh, yeah. So given all of that, I think if we take all that into consideration when planning for the next year and leave ourselves some time at the end for a discussion, I would go there with you. So I think that's a good point. Thanks. I appreciate it. All right. Do you have anything else in board report? No? No. Okay. Commissioner Goodson? No. Sir, in board report? No, sir. No. Commissioner Atkinson? No report? No. Okay. Commissioner Altman? Just a little comment in relation to our deliberation on the budget. This is my ninth budget. I think we spent probably more time on the budget document than any of the other eight. How many days of budget workshops did we have? We had four. Was it four days? It seems like more than four. Four pretty much a big part of the day. And I think what I pulled from that, and so we kind of sense where I'm coming from, I was extremely impressed with the staff's work and their level of knowledge and their handle on the needs of Bevard County programs and funding and priorities. And, you know, we're only as good as our staff, and our staff has done a great job. So my thought was the staff has done a good job in prepping us with a really good budget, and my desire was to support them and encourage them to continue to. That's why we hire them. They live, eat, sleep, drink their job. That's all they do full time, very specialized in their area. And so I felt very, very good about the workshops and the information that we have had in the direction we've gone. So it's been a phenomenal budget process, probably one of the smoother ones that I've been a part of, believe it or not. And also I think the fire issue took a lot of air out of the room, took a lot of our energy. We probably would have had more dialogue on some of the other issues, but that was such a mammoth task that we had to overcome. I know it took a lot of my personal energy, and I think we achieved it. And so an incredibly successful budget year, and I'm happy with what we've done and very proud of this board. We've taken some very statesman-like positions in what I think is in the best interests of the people of our Brevard and our economic well-being, as well as our quality of life. So kudos to this board and this staff in a successful budget year. This is not an easy process, and I'm very honored to be a part of it. Appreciate that, Commissioner. I'll just say as we wrap this up, I appreciate all the staff. We've had lots of meetings, a lot of information. We couldn't get through this without you, so I appreciate every one of you very much. I appreciate you letting me show you up in your office, too. Everybody's very gracious about that and taking phone calls and all the rest of it. Chair, if I could. Sure. I forgot one thing. I have had a lot of people reach out to me about possibly the county writing a letter to the FAA about the starship and the impacts that it will have on North Brevard. And if the board isn't willing to do that, then I said that I would do it on my own, but I figured I would see if the county would like to partner on that. Now, how timely is this? Because our next regular meeting, is it the 15th or the 14th? I can't remember off the top of my head. October 14th, they just extended the deadline for comments, too, right? Do you know off the top of your head, John? Yeah. Yeah, I was trying to look at an e-mail. I just saw an e-mail earlier today. So what's the timeliness on that? Or who is it to? The FAA. Oh, okay. You said the FAA. I'm sorry. Now, is that to get ahead of some rulemaking or regulation that's coming or something? They're approving the amount of launches for SpaceX for the starship. Okay. Is that something that, I mean, is that timely that we have it on for the next board meeting? If it's the second, can we do that at a zoning meeting? I don't see why we couldn't. The board has to vote by supermajority to place it on that meeting because it's a non-zoning item. And the deadline, September, they extended the deadline for comments to September 29th. September 20th? Yeah. 29th. 29th. John Scott saved me, yes. Okay. Commissioner, I don't know how we get that before the board, right? Well, I have a question, Mr. Chairman. Sorry, you're the space expert. Maybe you can help us out here. Yeah. The more rockets launched, and the bigger, the better. I fully support what SpaceX is trying to do, and I hope. I attend the public hearing. It was interesting. It was a lot different than our public hearings, though, wasn't it? You weren't even allowed to talk. It was interesting. I think they had, like, individuals that you could talk to privately here. It was interesting. Nevertheless, I have a strong feeling that we were created as a community to launch large rockets. You know, Von Braun had a division of three VABs and bigger rockets than the Saturn V, and what makes us unique is the ability to launch large rockets. You know, a lot of people are launching rockets. They launch them in Virginia, then Texas, and New Mexico, and Kwajalein, and all over. But what they have a hard time doing is launching big rockets because we are so uniquely located for that, and with our infrastructure, with our geographic location. So if we're going to survive as a space coast, I think we need to support this effort to launch large rockets. And I know I spoke with the SpaceX rep at one of the hearings, and they were very optimistic that as the Starship launches and becomes more and more reliable, that these clear zones will shrink. They'll get smaller. Hopefully, there won't be the closures, the beach closures that we had. And, gosh, I remember last time I was on the commission a long time ago. Chairman, you may not have been born. I don't know. That's not true, sir. I appreciate it. But anyway. I have grandchildren. We lobbied Congress to build a new road because the shuttle was going to close Playlanda Beach, and we were able to get a new road built. That road's going to help limit the closures, and I noticed the closures were only going to be for a few hours. So anyway, it's good for us to have discussion. I know we may have different opinions. We all could write individual letters, but that's kind of how I feel about it. And that's okay with me. I don't mind writing on behalf of my district. And for me, while I, of course, I support the space industry, I just really feel like there should be some balance between the quality of life and supporting this industry that's so important to our community. So the letter that I was thinking about was more so can we come to the table, can we find a happy medium, that type of tone. And so I don't mind, you know, writing that on my own behalf. And I did just want to say what I was talking about with the budget workshops, it wasn't meant to be a knock on staff. Staff did an incredible job and had some of the most informative presentations I think I've ever seen out of the county. And so that was not meant for that. But with all due respect, we are, you know, here to speak on behalf of our constituents. And the people outside this building are supposed to be the ones that are, you know, that we're here to represent. And so while we want to work with staff and, you know, collaborate, I think that it's important to have all of those voices involved in the process. Yeah, I didn't take it as anything other than that, Commissioner. I think some of the morals taken from the four workshops that we did, it was a lot of information over four separate meetings. And to leave us some time at the end in the future, I think if we just had an agenda that just says for the last 45 minutes or something, we have sort of a wrap-up commission discussion. I think it's as easy as that. I don't think it's any harder than that. Okay, I think we're done. Thank you, everybody, very much. Be safe. Thank you. We'll be right back. We'll be right next to Candy. We've got to get this stuff away from our kids. Uffmeyer says he'll need help from the legislature to turn his emergency rule into permanent change. This emergency rule is only good until the legislature comes back to meet. So ultimately, you know, they're the policymaking branch. Appropriately, they can either rule amended or, you know, impose restrictions at their discretion. I certainly think when it comes to, you know, hemp and kratom and some of these new products that we're all still learning about, that there's a lot we don't know. The emergency rule reclassifies 7-0-H as a Schedule I controlled substance. Other Schedule I drugs include heroin, LSD, and fentanyl. At a press conference in Tampa, Attorney General James Uffmeyer said his office has stopped a theft ring responsible for over 200 robberies across the state. He said at least 55 incidents targeted senior citizens. These guys and gals would go around the state. They would often target women. They would follow women. They would bust into cars or steal purses once they were unattended. But it wasn't just personal property that was stolen. It was then personal identification information that was often used in fraudulent behavior to further steal and commit financial theft. The assistant statewide prosecutor says the theft ring was only one piece of a national criminal network. Felony lane gang is an organized criminal enterprise that reaches not just the state of Florida, but across the entire United States. From Florida, we have some of these defendants with outstanding warrants in the state of Washington. They've hit Colorado, Oregon, Virginia, Alabama, all over the country. Statewide prosecutor Bradley McVeigh says his office has the teeth to keep offenders behind bars. It's a case that involves individuals who oftentimes would get minimal sentences, and that's because you'd have one case in one jurisdiction. Oftentimes, a person would then go over to another jurisdiction, and you'd get these individual prosecutions. Statewide can take that case, put it into a conspiracy or racketeering, and hold these defendants accountable for the actions that they've taken. The Office of Statewide Prosecution deals with crimes that impact two or more judicial circuits. The governor has called on the legislature to make property taxes a priority. On September 22nd, a House special committee on property taxes will meet in Tallahassee. This week, one member of that committee announced that he'll present a plan that he says will cut property taxes without impacting essential services. This is a plan I'm bringing forward as a starting point, and I'm calling this Freedom 123, Florida's property tax replacement plan. Under the first step of Representative Ryan Chamberlain's plan, local governments around the state would adopt a rollback rate. It does begin with a rollback. It begins with identifying the idea that we've had an abnormal amount of increase above and beyond inflation. I'm okay with inflation, but this is abnormal inflation when it comes to what's happened to our property taxes. So we go back to a reasonable number. We pick 2022, 2023 as that reasonable number, and that's really the starting point. He also wants to create a new 5% state fee on real estate purchases and on public safety services for tourists, plus a statewide fee of $0.02 on purchases that would go to school districts. Florida Tax Watch and independent research group urged lawmakers not to make changes that could hurt fiscally constrained counties. We have 31 maybe fiscally constrained counties. These are counties that are already having a difficulty.