WEBVTT - 12-9-25 Sloan with Denise Driehaus

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<v Speaker 1>Do want to be an American idiot?

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<v Speaker 2>Hi Scott flown back on seven hundred wals of it,

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<v Speaker 2>And so we heard the news that last week Hamilic

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<v Speaker 2>County commissioners with four and a half percent Carbert Tech

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<v Speaker 2>rebate for next year. Of course, we all remember the

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<v Speaker 2>thirty percent promise when voters approved the half scent sales

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<v Speaker 2>tax increased back in the mid nineties to fund the

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<v Speaker 2>stadiums downtown. Was also finding out that that's the lowest

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<v Speaker 2>number we've had as far as their rebate goes. Now,

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<v Speaker 2>the vote two to one. Commissioner Alisia Reese was dissenting

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<v Speaker 2>supporting it. Of course, we're we're a commissioner's Denise Treehouse,

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<v Speaker 2>the Hamlin County commissioned president who joins us now on

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<v Speaker 2>the show to talk about it on seven hundred ww

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<v Speaker 2>welcome back Denise Hau's life.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah doing well, Scott.

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<v Speaker 2>How are you?

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<v Speaker 1>I'm good? I'm good.

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<v Speaker 2>I know you've got sexy budget meetings to get to

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<v Speaker 2>and everything else because you're a numbers chick. So God

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<v Speaker 2>bless you, God speed. You're better than I'm at that stuff.

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<v Speaker 2>So let's look at and you know, your contemporary a

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<v Speaker 2>Lisha Reese was on the show last week, and I

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<v Speaker 2>know we had some things you wanted to get off

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<v Speaker 2>your chest relative to that conversation without playing all the

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<v Speaker 2>highlights of that. But you know, you've been in county

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<v Speaker 2>government and been around long enough to remember the ninety

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<v Speaker 2>six stadium campaign and looking back, do you think voters

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<v Speaker 2>were given an honest picture of what that thirty percent

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<v Speaker 2>property tax reabit it actually mean?

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<v Speaker 1>Or was there some bait and switch happening?

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<v Speaker 2>Because I think if you surveyed, most taxpayers who were

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<v Speaker 2>around them feel that there was a bait and switch

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<v Speaker 2>and it was intentional.

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<v Speaker 3>Was your thoughts, Well, I'll tell you what I did

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<v Speaker 3>want to come on just to correct some things. I mean,

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<v Speaker 3>we can all have differences of opinion about what happened

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<v Speaker 3>and why it happened, but the fact of the facts,

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<v Speaker 3>and so I didn't want to have your listeners come

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<v Speaker 3>away with the wrong impression on what has happened in

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<v Speaker 3>the past. And so, as you say, starting out, when

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<v Speaker 3>this thing was offered to the taxpayers, there was a

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<v Speaker 3>sales tax and then this rebate and for the first

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<v Speaker 3>fourteen years they did a thirty percent. I mean, they

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<v Speaker 3>promised it and they did it. But what happened was

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<v Speaker 3>the sales tax that was collected. It didn't keep up.

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<v Speaker 3>The revenue did not keep up with making sure that

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<v Speaker 3>we meet the obligations of the fund, with the debt

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<v Speaker 3>service and the pilot and all the things, maintenance of

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<v Speaker 3>the stadiums, all the things, and the PPR. And so

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<v Speaker 3>back in twenty eleven you saw a significant dip from

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<v Speaker 3>thirty down to seven point eight. And so this ebb

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<v Speaker 3>and flow has been going on for a while, depending

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<v Speaker 3>on what can be afforded through this fund, right, and

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<v Speaker 3>so a number of years ago, probably three four years ago,

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<v Speaker 3>the administrator offered a formula that said we need to

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<v Speaker 3>keep about eighty five percent in the reserve. Okay, that's responsible,

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<v Speaker 3>that's what's been advised by our consultants. That's great. So

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<v Speaker 3>let's create a formula where we keep the eighty five

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<v Speaker 3>percent and then do the rebate according to that. And

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<v Speaker 3>so that's something that would have offered us the ability

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<v Speaker 3>to give a rebate. Wouldn't have been the thirty, but

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<v Speaker 3>it would have been a starting point. And then each

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<v Speaker 3>year try to go up a little bit for the

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<v Speaker 3>property tax owners or the property deck players. And we

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<v Speaker 3>haven't stepped to the formula, and so when you do

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<v Speaker 3>the thirty percent, it blows up the formula and you

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<v Speaker 3>can't afford to do that year after year.

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<v Speaker 2>I guess the other way of looking at this too,

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<v Speaker 2>then would be, Okay, well we have money for the homeless.

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<v Speaker 2>We're going to give deputies a five percent increase. There's

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<v Speaker 2>other things in the budget against not just the one thing,

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<v Speaker 2>but I guess the taxpa mask Okay, I understand all that.

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<v Speaker 2>Then why isn't this a bigger priority or based on

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<v Speaker 2>the Matthew just described, it's impossible.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, no, I think the priority is providing relief for

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<v Speaker 3>property owners, and we are doing that. This isn't the

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<v Speaker 3>only game in town when it comes to how to

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<v Speaker 3>provide property tax relief, and so let's not forget about

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<v Speaker 3>what's going on in the legislature. I did sit on

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<v Speaker 3>Governor Downe's pass forth with Phil Site trying to come

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<v Speaker 3>up with some ideas to provide relief. We had twenty

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<v Speaker 3>suggestions for the legislature and some for ourselves, and so

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<v Speaker 3>we are starting to implement some of that, not the

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<v Speaker 3>least of which its House Phil. Three thirty five, which

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<v Speaker 3>says that our revenue, the county's revenue will be held

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<v Speaker 3>our inside millage will be held to the rate of inflation.

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<v Speaker 3>That is a reduction in revenue for the county and

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<v Speaker 3>relief to the taxpayers, and so you will not see

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<v Speaker 3>the spikes that we have seen in the past for

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<v Speaker 3>property tax bills because we're going to be held to

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<v Speaker 3>the rate of inflation. We're taking a hit on that.

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<v Speaker 3>It's probably about fifteen million a year, but we're willing

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<v Speaker 3>to do that as part of the solution. So it's

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<v Speaker 3>not as if the county is not working on property

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<v Speaker 3>tax relief. We're giving some relief by the way through

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<v Speaker 3>the PPR. It's just is not as much as the

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<v Speaker 3>thirty percent. So there are other ways to provide this

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<v Speaker 3>relief outside the PPR.

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<v Speaker 2>So it would be a messaging kind of thing. Is

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<v Speaker 2>that what you're saying is you're going to get the

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<v Speaker 2>money back, it just won't be in the thirty percent

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<v Speaker 2>property tax rebate.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, we're always trying to look out for the taxpayers

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<v Speaker 3>and do as little increase as possible. But as I said,

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<v Speaker 3>we've got partners in this fight here right in the state.

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<v Speaker 3>I wish the state we're doing more candidly, but we

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<v Speaker 3>are doing our part, and we didn't have to support

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<v Speaker 3>House Built three thirty five. But we did that knowing

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<v Speaker 3>that we were going to take a cut because we

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<v Speaker 3>thought it was an important thing to do by way

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<v Speaker 3>of the county to provide some relief to people that

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<v Speaker 3>are struggling. And let me say one other thing, because

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<v Speaker 3>I heard it said that the tax players got written

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<v Speaker 3>out of the stadium, fact seal that the opposite is true.

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<v Speaker 3>The financial plan actually ensured that the PTR remains in

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<v Speaker 3>the formula in the equation. It's a matter of degree,

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<v Speaker 3>and that's always what we fight about. But we literally

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<v Speaker 3>wrote it into the least negotiations with the Bangles in

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<v Speaker 3>the financial stack, and so we didn't write it out.

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<v Speaker 3>We literally wrote it in to the financial stack.

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<v Speaker 2>Could the thirty percent rebate have been part of the

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<v Speaker 2>new stadium deal the two hundred and eleven nois which

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<v Speaker 2>by the way that you're voting.

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<v Speaker 3>On today, Well, it is part of it. As I said,

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<v Speaker 3>it's just a matter of degree the PTR is in there.

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<v Speaker 3>It's just the thirty percent ebbs and flows given the

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<v Speaker 3>amount of revenue that's coming into that fun.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, So what would then find in subsequent years at

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<v Speaker 2>ease three house.

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<v Speaker 1>What can people expect as far as they rebate goes.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, what I would like to do is again go

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<v Speaker 3>back to this formula and say we are going to

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<v Speaker 3>do as much as we can and hopefully increase it

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<v Speaker 3>year after year so people always see that kind of increase.

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<v Speaker 3>The other thing it does is structure something where it's

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<v Speaker 3>more predictable and so that you should see the chart.

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<v Speaker 3>I don't know if you've seen the chart where it

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<v Speaker 3>goes up and down and up and down, and they're

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<v Speaker 3>dramatic shifts, and so I you know, I'm a packed player.

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<v Speaker 3>I would rather see something that is something I can

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<v Speaker 3>count on and that I can budget for. And we're

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<v Speaker 3>talking about maybe the delta between the four point five

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<v Speaker 3>that was voted this year in the thirty is about

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<v Speaker 3>seventy bucks, So we're not talking about hundreds of dollars.

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<v Speaker 3>I know seventy dollars is a significant amount of money,

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<v Speaker 3>but when it comes to your household budget, that's what

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<v Speaker 3>we're talking about.

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<v Speaker 2>Well, but if you're a senior fixating people on the margins,

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<v Speaker 2>were plenty of those people that are afraid they can't

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<v Speaker 2>pay their property taxes because what the state's doing, and

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<v Speaker 2>of course the reassessments and the like. You had this

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<v Speaker 2>in there as well, and you know eventually it's going

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<v Speaker 2>to be a breaking point. I know, it's just seventy dollars.

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<v Speaker 2>There's some people that seventy dollars there's a lot of

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<v Speaker 2>money though.

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, I agreed, And so we're trying to provide that

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<v Speaker 3>release another way. As I said, the PPR is not

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<v Speaker 3>the only way to get this done, and so we're

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<v Speaker 3>providing the release through these other mechanisms. And by the way,

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<v Speaker 3>that there are longer terms right, House three thirty five

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<v Speaker 3>is ongoing. It's not something that's decided year after year.

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<v Speaker 3>It's going to be lost, and so we will be

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<v Speaker 3>held to the rate of inflation, and so that release

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<v Speaker 3>will be ongoing and so we won't have this debate

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<v Speaker 3>every year. That will stay in place.

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<v Speaker 2>Commissioner Denise Triethouse, President of commission and talking about the

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<v Speaker 2>meeting today, the vote today two hundred and eleven for

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<v Speaker 2>pay Corps. We also had word that it's only a

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<v Speaker 2>four and a half percent property tax rebate for next

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<v Speaker 2>year instead of the thirty percent promise when we approved

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<v Speaker 2>the ninety six stadium front buildout. So the truth is

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<v Speaker 2>then going to be somewhere between four and a half

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<v Speaker 2>and thirty percent with all these ways of finance or

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<v Speaker 2>getting that money back to taxpayers, Denise, are we ever

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<v Speaker 2>going to get close to thirty Because while the four

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<v Speaker 2>and a half percent right now, especially with the new deal,

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<v Speaker 2>is bad timing on the part Forer, I think for

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<v Speaker 2>a lot of homeowners and taxpayers.

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<v Speaker 1>Do you agree?

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<v Speaker 3>Well, you know, Scott, I have voted for thirty in

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<v Speaker 3>the payout, So when we could afford it, I voted

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<v Speaker 3>for it, and when I thought it was necessary for

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<v Speaker 3>the taxpayers, I did it. The fact of the matter, though,

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<v Speaker 3>is that you can't sustain that. You can do it,

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<v Speaker 3>but you can't keep doing it because then you bankrupt

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<v Speaker 3>the fund. So if we were to do a thirty

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<v Speaker 3>percent this year, the vote we just took, we would

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<v Speaker 3>have reduced the fund dramatically, and so that that hurts

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<v Speaker 3>the fund. By the way we're supposed to keep eighty

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<v Speaker 3>five percent, we would have been way way down. The

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<v Speaker 3>other piece of that so is that it impacts next year,

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<v Speaker 3>and so if you do the thirty percent this year,

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<v Speaker 3>then you're in trouble next year. And that's what's happened.

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<v Speaker 3>We did thirty percent last year, and I didn't vote

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<v Speaker 3>for that because I didn't think it was responsible. And

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<v Speaker 3>so now we're in a position this year where we

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<v Speaker 3>can't do it again. So you know, year after year

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<v Speaker 3>it all plays upon. This is why I'm in favor

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<v Speaker 3>of this formula. So we don't have this dynamic where

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<v Speaker 3>we've got thirty percent and then we got to go

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<v Speaker 3>to four point five. I mean, yeah, do I wish

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<v Speaker 3>it was higher, Yes, I do, but you know, we're

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<v Speaker 3>looking at the finances as fund and not bankrupting the fund.

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<v Speaker 3>So it is what it is. And I also was

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<v Speaker 3>listening and heard that this idea that the attack players

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<v Speaker 3>didn't get anything through the new lease with the Bengals,

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<v Speaker 3>and nothing could be further from the truth. Where we

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<v Speaker 3>got the Bengals to pay one hundred and twenty million

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<v Speaker 3>dollars into our asset, which is that stadium, we capped

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<v Speaker 3>our cost of three hundred and fifty million, which has

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<v Speaker 3>never happened, and we got a long term deal with

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<v Speaker 3>the Bengals, and we got use of that stadium like

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<v Speaker 3>in a way that we never do right. And so

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<v Speaker 3>then we get to have high school football games between

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<v Speaker 3>Elder and ex played at the stadium. So let's not

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<v Speaker 3>forget about the community benefits that came through that lease

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<v Speaker 3>in addition to the financial benefits that we got as

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<v Speaker 3>the county.

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<v Speaker 2>Well we need to have I mean, that's all nice

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<v Speaker 2>for Saint exe and Elder, but why aren't we using

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<v Speaker 2>the stadium more? I thought initially when this happened that

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<v Speaker 2>we'd see a lot more activity outside the occasional Taylor

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<v Speaker 2>Swift show, a lot more of what we're talking about

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<v Speaker 2>with football. Why does it take well twenty eight years

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<v Speaker 2>into this thing and now we're going, hey, we need

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<v Speaker 2>to utilize the stadium more for high school athletics. Why

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<v Speaker 2>haven't we been doing that all along?

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<v Speaker 3>Because we didn't have control of the city, because the

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<v Speaker 3>county didn't have control. And so through this new lease,

0:10:43.679 --> 0:10:47.079
<v Speaker 3>we now have access to that stadium as we should.

0:10:47.120 --> 0:10:49.640
<v Speaker 3>It belongs to the tax players, and so we had

0:10:49.679 --> 0:10:52.440
<v Speaker 3>seen the first model of how that's going to play

0:10:52.480 --> 0:10:54.480
<v Speaker 3>out in the years to come, where we do have

0:10:54.520 --> 0:10:56.640
<v Speaker 3>more concerts, we have more events, we have more high

0:10:56.640 --> 0:10:59.240
<v Speaker 3>school football games. That was the whole point of the

0:10:59.280 --> 0:11:02.720
<v Speaker 3>community benefit disagreement, and so the Bengals signed off on that,

0:11:02.880 --> 0:11:05.600
<v Speaker 3>and so this was our first foray into that. I

0:11:05.600 --> 0:11:07.480
<v Speaker 3>thought it was a good model. It was beautiful nights,

0:11:07.559 --> 0:11:10.240
<v Speaker 3>even it was a little rainy, but yeah, and look

0:11:10.320 --> 0:11:12.480
<v Speaker 3>to that in the future. That's exactly what we're trying

0:11:12.480 --> 0:11:14.479
<v Speaker 3>to accomplish.

0:11:14.559 --> 0:11:14.800
<v Speaker 1>Yeah.

0:11:14.840 --> 0:11:16.440
<v Speaker 2>But but one may look at that and go wow,

0:11:16.480 --> 0:11:19.800
<v Speaker 2>that is to not see the availability, because that was

0:11:19.800 --> 0:11:21.840
<v Speaker 2>something else was promised people. It was like, hey, yeah,

0:11:21.880 --> 0:11:23.960
<v Speaker 2>you know the stadium that we're partners in this single

0:11:24.000 --> 0:11:25.720
<v Speaker 2>bit to use the stadium. We haven't been able to

0:11:26.040 --> 0:11:27.839
<v Speaker 2>And I think that's just another And I brought that

0:11:27.920 --> 0:11:30.720
<v Speaker 2>up to Denise because between that and the thirty percent,

0:11:31.040 --> 0:11:34.880
<v Speaker 2>I think there's a huge disconnect between elected officials like yourself,

0:11:34.920 --> 0:11:37.480
<v Speaker 2>certainly the Bengals in the front office, and what the

0:11:37.520 --> 0:11:40.640
<v Speaker 2>community wants and they you know, I think everyone's looking

0:11:40.679 --> 0:11:42.960
<v Speaker 2>at all of these deals and going, Okay, I think

0:11:43.000 --> 0:11:45.400
<v Speaker 2>we're just going to get screwed again because the pattern

0:11:45.520 --> 0:11:47.560
<v Speaker 2>is there. How do you how do you change that

0:11:47.679 --> 0:11:50.440
<v Speaker 2>over the next ten, fifteen, twenty years.

0:11:50.480 --> 0:11:52.959
<v Speaker 3>Well, I wasn't there when this promise was made, by

0:11:52.960 --> 0:11:55.360
<v Speaker 3>the way, for this thirty percent. That happened many years ago,

0:11:55.760 --> 0:11:58.040
<v Speaker 3>and it wasn't a responsible promise. I mean, they had

0:11:58.080 --> 0:12:01.840
<v Speaker 3>no idea, by the way, the reason we're having this

0:12:01.920 --> 0:12:05.439
<v Speaker 3>conversation is because the revenue is a flat Right, if

0:12:05.440 --> 0:12:08.280
<v Speaker 3>the sales tax revenue was higher, we'd be doing all.

0:12:08.400 --> 0:12:10.240
<v Speaker 3>We'd be doing the thirty percent. We could afford it,

0:12:10.280 --> 0:12:12.160
<v Speaker 3>we'd do it. I'd support it. That would be great.

0:12:12.400 --> 0:12:15.439
<v Speaker 3>That's just not the reality. And so to promise this

0:12:15.920 --> 0:12:20.120
<v Speaker 3>so many years ago, for twenty five years is not responsible.

0:12:20.160 --> 0:12:22.800
<v Speaker 3>You shouldn't do that. You can't budget like that because

0:12:22.800 --> 0:12:25.720
<v Speaker 3>you don't know what the economic reality is going to be.

0:12:25.720 --> 0:12:27.440
<v Speaker 3>You don't know what the economy is going to be.

0:12:27.720 --> 0:12:31.040
<v Speaker 3>So I try not to make unrealistic promises to people.

0:12:31.240 --> 0:12:33.440
<v Speaker 3>I try to honor what I had said I could

0:12:33.480 --> 0:12:36.319
<v Speaker 3>do and try to do as much as possible, whether

0:12:36.360 --> 0:12:39.000
<v Speaker 3>it's thirty percent or something less than that, we're trying

0:12:39.040 --> 0:12:41.280
<v Speaker 3>to do as much as possible. And I know something

0:12:41.280 --> 0:12:44.720
<v Speaker 3>else that was raised in your conversation was MFD, which

0:12:44.760 --> 0:12:48.160
<v Speaker 3>is another challenge for us because we're under the federal

0:12:48.200 --> 0:12:50.840
<v Speaker 3>and you know, it's a mandate from the federal government,

0:12:51.240 --> 0:12:54.120
<v Speaker 3>the Consent Decree, but it's not funded. It's an unfunded mandate,

0:12:54.400 --> 0:12:56.720
<v Speaker 3>and so we're under that. We've got a very old system,

0:12:56.720 --> 0:12:58.560
<v Speaker 3>over one hundred years old. You know, with the pipes

0:12:58.600 --> 0:13:00.760
<v Speaker 3>in the ground, and so we're trying to hold those

0:13:00.840 --> 0:13:04.840
<v Speaker 3>rates as tight as possible, knowing that our counterparts in

0:13:04.880 --> 0:13:08.880
<v Speaker 3>other counties are raising rates higher than what's been suggested

0:13:08.920 --> 0:13:11.560
<v Speaker 3>for us. So Franklin County is up eight percent next year,

0:13:11.760 --> 0:13:15.000
<v Speaker 3>Akron's going up five percent, Tyahoga is going up fourteen

0:13:15.559 --> 0:13:17.760
<v Speaker 3>or four point two percent. So it's not like we're

0:13:17.760 --> 0:13:21.000
<v Speaker 3>alone in this. But what we're trying to do is say,

0:13:21.040 --> 0:13:23.320
<v Speaker 3>how can we keep these rates as low as possible

0:13:23.480 --> 0:13:26.840
<v Speaker 3>and again make it predictable. And so next year you're

0:13:26.840 --> 0:13:29.160
<v Speaker 3>going to see because we got rid of the bulk discount.

0:13:29.200 --> 0:13:31.000
<v Speaker 3>And I know it's kind of in the weeds, but anyway,

0:13:31.200 --> 0:13:33.360
<v Speaker 3>we got rid of the bulk discount. So next year

0:13:33.679 --> 0:13:38.000
<v Speaker 3>people will not see residents will not see higher MSc

0:13:38.240 --> 0:13:40.320
<v Speaker 3>race and so that's good news, and you don't hear

0:13:40.320 --> 0:13:42.280
<v Speaker 3>anybody talking about that, but they were about to pass

0:13:42.320 --> 0:13:45.160
<v Speaker 3>that budget too. In years after that, we're hoping to

0:13:45.200 --> 0:13:48.320
<v Speaker 3>have a fairly low predictable rate so that people don't

0:13:48.320 --> 0:13:51.440
<v Speaker 3>see spikes in those bills either. So you know, it's

0:13:51.520 --> 0:13:54.200
<v Speaker 3>not only this one issue. We're trying to play this

0:13:54.320 --> 0:13:57.240
<v Speaker 3>out across the board and provide as much relief as

0:13:57.280 --> 0:13:59.960
<v Speaker 3>we can, knowing that we're under some of these man

0:14:00.120 --> 0:14:01.960
<v Speaker 3>date and we have to respond to those.

0:14:02.679 --> 0:14:06.560
<v Speaker 2>Commissioner Denise's treehouse last week, Alicia Reese. Commissioner Reese said

0:14:06.600 --> 0:14:08.640
<v Speaker 2>that the county's rolling in money. She told me, we're

0:14:08.679 --> 0:14:10.480
<v Speaker 2>rolling the mud. We got money all over the place

0:14:10.520 --> 0:14:13.160
<v Speaker 2>with the banks and stadium revenues. You're saying we can't

0:14:13.160 --> 0:14:16.560
<v Speaker 2>fund a full rebate and thirty percent is it can't

0:14:16.600 --> 0:14:17.680
<v Speaker 2>be done, It's impossible.

0:14:19.120 --> 0:14:20.440
<v Speaker 1>Are we really rolling in money?

0:14:22.120 --> 0:14:24.920
<v Speaker 3>No, we are not rolling in money. I mean, we

0:14:25.000 --> 0:14:27.000
<v Speaker 3>have our budget here, and we have a budget here

0:14:27.000 --> 0:14:29.640
<v Speaker 3>in tonight as a matter of fact, and the revenues

0:14:29.680 --> 0:14:34.000
<v Speaker 3>are relatively flack. We're doing what we can. But no,

0:14:34.280 --> 0:14:36.960
<v Speaker 3>I mean it is it's very tight. Ask the sheriff,

0:14:37.120 --> 0:14:40.320
<v Speaker 3>ask the prosecutor, ask the judges. The budget is very

0:14:40.360 --> 0:14:44.000
<v Speaker 3>tight this year. I don't know what that refers to,

0:14:44.120 --> 0:14:45.760
<v Speaker 3>but it is certainly not reality.

0:14:46.640 --> 0:14:50.720
<v Speaker 1>So not rolling in money. Maybe a little bit of money.

0:14:51.720 --> 0:14:54.640
<v Speaker 3>I thought, I'm wondering what we're talking about now.

0:14:54.720 --> 0:14:55.160
<v Speaker 1>I don't know.

0:14:55.640 --> 0:14:58.480
<v Speaker 2>I don't know what that was the reality is this?

0:14:58.600 --> 0:15:01.280
<v Speaker 2>What give me a reason? What can you expect you?

0:15:01.320 --> 0:15:05.120
<v Speaker 2>What can you tell taxpayers. Now in handling count it's

0:15:05.160 --> 0:15:07.360
<v Speaker 2>it can't be four and a half percent. You're saying

0:15:07.360 --> 0:15:09.480
<v Speaker 2>it can't be thirty percent. What's the target?

0:15:11.200 --> 0:15:14.000
<v Speaker 3>The target is keeping eighty five percent in the fun

0:15:14.560 --> 0:15:16.760
<v Speaker 3>and making sure we meet our dead ol. We have

0:15:16.920 --> 0:15:19.960
<v Speaker 3>dead obligations, we have obligations through a pilot payment, we

0:15:20.040 --> 0:15:24.040
<v Speaker 3>have construction, we have all these obligations. So meet the obligations,

0:15:24.080 --> 0:15:28.080
<v Speaker 3>and then we have built into that formula this PTR.

0:15:28.440 --> 0:15:31.560
<v Speaker 3>So we will have a PTR every year and knowing

0:15:31.880 --> 0:15:34.680
<v Speaker 3>it depends on the sales tax revenue and what's coming in,

0:15:35.000 --> 0:15:37.320
<v Speaker 3>and that will define what we can do by way

0:15:37.320 --> 0:15:39.480
<v Speaker 3>of the relief. We can't spend money we don't have.

0:15:40.560 --> 0:15:42.480
<v Speaker 2>Is it is it closer to thirty percent or closer

0:15:42.520 --> 0:15:43.479
<v Speaker 2>to four and a half.

0:15:45.120 --> 0:15:46.400
<v Speaker 3>For when next time?

0:15:46.440 --> 0:15:48.360
<v Speaker 2>Oh yeah, next next cycle, and then it's going to

0:15:48.400 --> 0:15:49.600
<v Speaker 2>be changed. But you said you want to get to

0:15:49.640 --> 0:15:51.960
<v Speaker 2>a steady number and the number will be everyone will

0:15:52.000 --> 0:15:52.440
<v Speaker 2>be happy with.

0:15:52.520 --> 0:15:54.680
<v Speaker 1>Would be what I guess to the question, or you just.

0:15:54.680 --> 0:15:57.560
<v Speaker 3>Simply don't know, Well, how would I know? I mean,

0:15:57.600 --> 0:15:59.280
<v Speaker 3>I don't know what is going to come in by

0:15:59.280 --> 0:15:59.960
<v Speaker 3>way to sales tax.

0:16:00.200 --> 0:16:03.400
<v Speaker 2>Well, I mean you have targets obviously, otherwise we've been

0:16:03.440 --> 0:16:05.000
<v Speaker 2>doing this, so there's got to be a number in

0:16:05.040 --> 0:16:05.400
<v Speaker 2>your mind.

0:16:05.480 --> 0:16:08.800
<v Speaker 3>Yeah, well sure, And what I'm hoping for is an

0:16:08.840 --> 0:16:12.080
<v Speaker 3>increase every year. So as we look at the four

0:16:12.120 --> 0:16:14.160
<v Speaker 3>point five, we go up next year, and then we

0:16:14.200 --> 0:16:15.720
<v Speaker 3>go up the year after that and go after the

0:16:15.800 --> 0:16:19.240
<v Speaker 3>year after that. So it's predictable and we're doing and

0:16:19.280 --> 0:16:23.640
<v Speaker 3>I and I anticipate and I hate the prediction because

0:16:23.680 --> 0:16:25.360
<v Speaker 3>you know, we just came out of a pandemic not

0:16:25.400 --> 0:16:27.440
<v Speaker 3>too long ago, and I get an impact here right

0:16:27.640 --> 0:16:30.360
<v Speaker 3>you it's very hard and we had a recession and

0:16:30.360 --> 0:16:32.840
<v Speaker 3>that's where you saw another dip, so it's really hard

0:16:32.880 --> 0:16:36.280
<v Speaker 3>for me to predict. But the model is set so

0:16:36.360 --> 0:16:39.000
<v Speaker 3>that we start out low and we continue to grow

0:16:39.120 --> 0:16:42.000
<v Speaker 3>year up to year. So that is certainly my hope.

0:16:42.720 --> 0:16:45.080
<v Speaker 3>But to make a prediction gets a little dicey.

0:16:45.280 --> 0:16:49.360
<v Speaker 2>Yeah, fair enough. We'll just say twenty five eight percent.

0:16:49.400 --> 0:16:49.680
<v Speaker 1>How's that?

0:16:51.200 --> 0:16:52.920
<v Speaker 3>Say what you'd like, and we'll try to hit that mark.

0:16:52.960 --> 0:16:55.400
<v Speaker 2>Because I got to have your record, everything's recorded. I

0:16:55.440 --> 0:16:57.560
<v Speaker 2>want to bring this back later and then you know,

0:16:57.840 --> 0:17:03.440
<v Speaker 2>rub your nose in it to know that's like, please, well,

0:17:03.440 --> 0:17:04.440
<v Speaker 2>we will do that.

0:17:04.760 --> 0:17:07.800
<v Speaker 3>I would not do the MC let's get back to MSc,

0:17:07.840 --> 0:17:10.119
<v Speaker 3>because that's another one that I hear quite a bit about.

0:17:10.720 --> 0:17:13.639
<v Speaker 3>And so that rate, we're trying to do a predictable

0:17:13.720 --> 0:17:16.080
<v Speaker 3>rate across the board for the next ten years. We're

0:17:16.080 --> 0:17:18.679
<v Speaker 3>trying to hit four point five, which is a pretty

0:17:18.720 --> 0:17:21.160
<v Speaker 3>modest increase. Before I got to the Commission, by the way,

0:17:21.200 --> 0:17:24.200
<v Speaker 3>those rates were quite a bit higher year after year.

0:17:24.400 --> 0:17:26.600
<v Speaker 3>And when I got there, we were able to hold

0:17:26.640 --> 0:17:29.800
<v Speaker 3>that flat for a number of years because we had

0:17:29.840 --> 0:17:32.240
<v Speaker 3>a reserve, and so we spent down some of that

0:17:32.359 --> 0:17:35.720
<v Speaker 3>reserved to keep for US rates flat. But now we're

0:17:35.760 --> 0:17:38.679
<v Speaker 3>back to a reserve that's reasonable that we need to

0:17:38.720 --> 0:17:42.399
<v Speaker 3>increase the rate modestly year after years. So that is

0:17:42.480 --> 0:17:45.600
<v Speaker 3>what I'm shooting for. Right If I can do a

0:17:45.720 --> 0:17:49.840
<v Speaker 3>four point five increase for MSc for the next ten years,

0:17:50.000 --> 0:17:52.439
<v Speaker 3>I think that's what people are asking me to do.

0:17:52.520 --> 0:17:54.960
<v Speaker 3>Give us something predictable, make it as low as you

0:17:55.000 --> 0:17:57.720
<v Speaker 3>possibly can, and that's what we're going to do. So

0:17:57.800 --> 0:17:59.760
<v Speaker 3>that's what that's what I'm trying to do with the

0:17:59.840 --> 0:18:01.960
<v Speaker 3>end next week. Not to be confused with the four

0:18:01.960 --> 0:18:05.600
<v Speaker 3>point five PCR. And now I'm just realizing that those

0:18:05.680 --> 0:18:11.040
<v Speaker 3>numbers are the same and the increase this year.

0:18:11.080 --> 0:18:12.560
<v Speaker 1>PREMI, I guess, I.

0:18:12.480 --> 0:18:15.160
<v Speaker 2>Guess I've got to get going. We could probably talk

0:18:15.160 --> 0:18:16.879
<v Speaker 2>about this for a long time, but you got to go.

0:18:16.960 --> 0:18:18.320
<v Speaker 2>You got votes, you got work to do. To d

0:18:18.440 --> 0:18:21.280
<v Speaker 2>Streetouse Hamlet County Commission President, setting the record straight from

0:18:21.320 --> 0:18:24.040
<v Speaker 2>her perspective, I always enjoy having you back, and thanks

0:18:24.040 --> 0:18:27.040
<v Speaker 2>for taking time out to explain. Thanks, got all the

0:18:27.080 --> 0:18:29.359
<v Speaker 2>best to you. And we've got a news update happening

0:18:29.440 --> 0:18:31.480
<v Speaker 2>now here on seven hundred WLW