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--- site_news:site_news [2026/03/30 00:02] – [02/24/2026 BOS Meeting : The "Proposed" 2026/2027 Budget is Presented] editor
+++ site_news:site_news [2026/05/22 00:15] (current) – 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  ======