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--- site_news:site_news [2026/03/27 22:41] – editor
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+====== 05/20/2026 Board of Supervisors : 2026 Budget Adjustment - Public Hearing  ======
+Ref Agenda Page -> [[https://www.hcspotlight.org/doku.php?id=board_of_supervisors:meeting_agendas:2026:05_20|5-20 Agenda and Budget Public Hearing]]
+Given that the previous plan to spend the money sent back to Richmond (**__$687,617.50__**), was rejected by Richmond, apparently the School system scrambled to come up with expenditures that Richmond would accept before the June 15th deadline.  To spend the (Richmond allowed) amount of $498,113.00 The school system decided to buy 2 each 53 passenger "yellow" school buses, 1 smaller white activity bus (that can't be used for transporting students to and from school), a transport car, along with kitchen upgrades (for culinary arts) and weight upgrades for the gym.
+====== 05/05/2026 Board of Supervisors : Real Property Tax Ordinance Revision - Public Hearing  ======
+Ref Agenda Page -> [[https://www.hcspotlight.org/doku.php?id=board_of_supervisors:meeting_agendas:2026:05_05|5-05 Agenda and Budget Real Property Tax Ordinance Public Hearing]]
+During this meeting, the main issue was modifying the Real Property Tax Ordinance to change various taxes and fees due dates, allowing for additional time to collect.\\
+The County's books audit was presented to the board.  I gave some thought to getting a copy and reviewing it but something like this (in Government) is, "you get what you pay for",  The County wanted a clean bill of health so, absent something that would have had to be hot and glaring, Admin got what they wanted - a clean bill of health.  Accounting firms will not, where possible, bite the hand that feeds them.\\
+====== 04/27/2026 Highland County School Board Meeting : Actual Budget  ======
+Ref Agenda Page -> [[https://www.hcspotlight.org/doku.php?id=board_of_supervisors:meeting_agendas:2026:04_27|4-27 Agenda and Budget Public Hearing]]
+While still far too high (a bit over 7%) at least the taxpayer will not be fleeced this year with rate increases.  For the reasons stated in my -> [[https://www.hcspotlight.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=board_of_supervisors:meeting_agendas:2026:speaking_notes_4-27-26.pdf|speaking notes]], rates increase year after year are taking an unseen and unsung human toll.
+The BOS direction, as it appears to be, is to take the shortfall from the reserve rather than raise tax rates.  While I would have preferred to see a budget increase capped at 4%, I am all in favor of reducing the reserve "slush fund" as a measure to help in preventing large outlays, solely at the Board's discretion.  (As an example - the unnecessary purchase of the car wash and, subsequent, conversion to an EMS building.)
 ====== 03/19/2026 Highland County School Board Meeting : Proposed Budget  ======
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 ====== 03/18/2026 Board of Supervisors: Budget Session  ======
-  - Ordered List Item
 Ref Agenda Page -> [[https://www.hcspotlight.org/doku.php?id=board_of_supervisors:meeting_agendas:2026:03_18|03-18-2026 - Budget Session]]\\
 This session seemed to be more about how much would need to be transferred from the general fund, to prevent a tax increase.  While I'm for that generally speaking (a large slush fund invites the Board to spend it), there was no mention of two key issues:
-  * There was no comparison between this years proposed budget versus last years budget to see the comparative increase.
+  * There was no side-by-side comparison between this year's proposed budget, versus last years passed budget, to see the relative increase.
-  * There was no mention of NOT giving out rediculous increases which are multiples of last year's inflation.
+  * There was no mention of NOT giving out the requested (ridiculous) increases which are multiples of last year's inflation.
+\\
+We have to remember, the County is not growing meaning that the administrative job is staying the same.  Therefore, why would any budget be given more than an inflation increase of 3%?\\
 \\
-We have to remember, the County is not growing meaning that the administrative job is staying the same.  Therefore, why would any budget be given more than an inflation increase of 3%?
 ====== 03/12/2026 Highland County School Board Meeting : Proposed Budget  ======
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 ====== 02/24/2026 BOS Meeting : The "Proposed" 2026/2027 Budget is Presented ======
-Ref Agenda Page -> [[https://www.hcspotlight.org/doku.php?id=board_of_supervisors:meeting_agendas:2026:02_24|02-24-2026]]\\
+Ref Agenda Page -> [[https://www.hcspotlight.org/doku.php?id=board_of_supervisors:meeting_agendas:2026:02_24|02-24-2026]] <- Files may be viewed or downloaded from this page.\\
-In another exhaustingly long presentation—the better part of six hours—the proposed budget included several increases. The presentation referenced a 115-page document and was conveniently scheduled during County staff’s standard working day, ensuring that the vast majority of taxpayers couldn’t attend.
+In another exhaustingly long presentation—the better part of six hours—the proposed budget included several increases. The presentation referenced a 115-page document and was conveniently scheduled during County staff’s standard working day, ensuring that the vast majority of taxpayers couldn’t attend.  The budget document is available -> [[https://www.hcspotlight.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=board_of_supervisors:meeting_agendas:2026:fiscal_year_2027report_for_board.pdf|here]].
 I understand exactly why it’s presented in such an extended, protracted fashion. It’s an indoctrination process that achieves Board “buy-in,” co-opting a part-time BOS as they listen to the “difficulties” staff face, the “great work that’s being done,” and statements like “this is an expensive business,” along with “we have no choice,” etc., etc. I really don’t understand why the Board sits through these sessions year after year. The BOS is unlikely to follow up on any of the budgetary information, nor will they examine online data to see the obvious trend—that the cost of local government is already out of control. With that said, the process is effective. The Board seems willing to rubber-stamp the increases requested, with little to no pushback, despite citizens objecting to them.
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 This is the issue with the BOS listening to all of this during a “work session,” where the public can not speak.  The public has no voice during the process and, as time wears on, the BOS falls into a mode where they simply want it to “go away.” The easiest way to do that is to rubber-stamp the request, regardless of the effects on taxpayers.
-During this meeting, a spreadsheet was shared with the Board—but not with the public—regarding the “cents per hundred” tax rates (I’m guessing, based on years past). In the comments, I heard references to “higher” rates in the past. What must be kept in mind is that the “rate” multiplied by the “value” equals the effective tax (which, in the case of Highland County, has been rising for years). The rate, without the assessed value, means next to nothing. Just to better understand why something like this would be presented to the Board, I requested the document.
+During this meeting, a spreadsheet was shared with the Board—but not with the public—regarding the “cents per hundred” tax rates (I’m guessing, based on years past). In the comments, I heard references to “higher” rates in the past. What must be kept in mind is that the “rate” multiplied by the “value” equals the effective tax (which, in the case of Highland County, has been rising for years). The rate, without the assessed value, means next to nothing. Just to better understand why something like this would be presented to the Board, I requested the document.  This document is now available -> [[https://www.hcspotlight.org/lib/exe/fetch.php?media=board_of_supervisors:meeting_agendas:2026:past_tax_rates.xls|here]].
 \\