INTO HOW WE DO OUR OUR WORK AND HOW WE CAN BEST POSITION THE SCHOOL BOARD HERE GOING
[00:00:06]
FORWARD. ALL RIGHT, SUSAN, IF YOU WANT TO START, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.OK, THANK YOU. SORRY ABOUT THAT.
THIS IS THE MEETING OF THE BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE AND TODAY'S DATE IS JANUARY.
AND WE ARE CONVENING OUR FIRST OF THE NEW YEAR BUDGET ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEETING.
MY NAME IS AARON BROWN AND I'M THE CHAIR OF BACK AND SAY.
I'M JOINED BY OUR FELLOW MEMBERS AND MEMBERS OF THE STAFF, AS WELL AS A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER. SO WE WILL BEGIN THE MEETING WITH THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM THE LAST
[Approval of Prior Meeting Minutes]
MEETING, WHICH NANCY HAD SHARED PREVIOUSLY VIA EMAIL.AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF ANYBODY HAD ANY COMMENTS ABOUT THEM BEFORE WE MOVED TO APPROVE THEM.
COMMENTS FROM SIX MORE COMMENTS ON MY KNEES.
CAN I GET A THUMBS UP OR THUMBS UP? THANK YOU FOR OFFERING TO APPROVE THE MINUTE AND ALL THOSE IN FAVOR.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU FOR A FEW MINUTES.
[Discussion with CFO, Dominic Turner on Budget Calendar]
TONIGHT, WE HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST WITH US, CFO DOMINICK TURNER, AS WELL AS OUR BUDGET DIRECTOR, ROBERT E. LEE.AND WE WANTED TO SPEND THE BULK OF THE MEETING TONIGHT TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET PROCESS BETWEEN THE S AND THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA.
ONE OF THE CORE WORK THAT WE HAVE DECIDED TO PURSUE THIS YEAR IS JUST THE TIMING AND CALENDARING OF HOW THE CITY WORKS CLOSELY WITH A BUSINESS TO DEVELOP THE BUDGET, AS WELL AS THEN SUPPORT THE BUDGET PROCESS THROUGHOUT.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAD NOTED IN THE PAST IS THAT A SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER HAD A PREFERENCE FOR BEING ABLE TO TO APPROVE THE BUDGET IN ADVANCE OF THE CITY ADVANCING AN OVERALL BUDGET. IT SEEMS TO ME AS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE CONCERNS BEFORE OUR FINAL BUDGET IS PRESENTED TO THE CITY.
AND SO IN OUR LAST CONVERSATION IN DECEMBER, THE BACK COMMITTEE MEMBERS HAD TAKEN A LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, WHAT WHAT THE FACTORS WERE THAT DETERMINES THE TIMING OF HOW WE PURSUE OR HOW CPS PURSUES THE OVERALL BUDGET DEVELOPMENT PROCESS AND HOW IT WORKS IN CONCERT WITH THE CITY. AND SO WE HAD A FEW DIFFERENT QUESTIONS THAT WE THOUGHT DOMINIC WAS UNIQUELY POSITIONED TO ANSWER, THAT WE THOUGHT WE COULD SPEND THIS MEETING KIND OF PROBING INTO WHETHER SOME OF THE THINGS SECRETARY AND CITY, THE RURAL PRACTICE OR THE WAY THAT YOU HAVE DEVELOPED RELATIONSHIPS AND WORKING WITH CITY OFFICIALS SO THAT WHEN WE GO OUT AND DO. INTERVIEWS OF OTHER JURISDICTIONS NEARBY TO DETERMINE HOW THEY DEVELOP THEIR BUDGET, THAT WE HAVE AN INFORMED UNDERSTANDING OF THE PROCESS THAT CPS AND THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA. SO COLLEAGUES FROM BACK.
DID I MISS ANYTHING IN THE SUMMARY THERE THAT WE SHOULD INCLUDE OR RAYMI ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD? I I THINK YOU ACTUALLY SUMMARIZED IT REALLY NICELY, I DON'T KNOW IF THE STAFF MIGHT HAVE SOME CLARIFYING QUESTIONS, BUT I FEEL LIKE THAT WAS A PRETTY GOOD SUMMARY, AT LEAST FROM THE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF SOME OF THE QUESTIONS HAVE BEEN RAISED ON THE SCHOOL BOARD SIDE.
SO, ROBERT OR DOMINIC, ANY QUESTIONS FROM THE GET GO? SO, YES, I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY THAT IT'S IT'S NOT THAT.
WE WANT TO TO SCHOOL BOARD WANTS TO APPROVE THEIR BUDGET BEFORE THE CITY APPROVES THEIRS IS THAT THEY WANTED TO BE ABLE TO APPROVE IT BEFORE THE CITY MANAGER PROPOSED HIS BUDGET, BECAUSE WE ARE READY TO APPROVE OUR BUDGET BEFORE THE CITY APPROVES THEIR BUDGET.
AND WE ALREADY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO ASK FOR MORE CITY APPROPRIATION THAN WHAT WAS IN THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PROPOSAL AND TO BE ABLE TO LOBBY THE CITY COUNCIL TO GET THAT INCREASE THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.
[00:05:01]
SO IT'S JUST THAT THEY WANT TO THE APPROVED BUDGET TO GO IN FRONT OF THE CITY MANAGER PROPOSED. SO JUST WANTED TO STATE THAT COULD BE RIGHT.AND JUST TO FURTHER CLARIFY, THIS IS NOT A THIS IS NOT A UNANIMOUS.
I HAVE NOT BEEN THIS COMMITTEE HAS NOT BEEN OFFICIALLY CHARGED BY THE SCHOOL BOARD TO TO, YOU KNOW, TO DO THAT.
BUT THERE HAS BEEN CONSISTENTLY OVER ACROSS MORE THAN ONE TERM OF SCHOOL BOARDS, OF ELECTED SCHOOL BOARDS.
THERE HAS BEEN CONSTERNATION IS MAYBE THE WORD I'M LOOKING FOR ABOUT THE TIMING AND AND A AND A DESIRE HAS BEEN EXPRESSED THAT IT WOULD BE PREFERABLE TO APPROVE THE BUDGET PRIOR TO THE CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSED BUDGET BEING RELEASED.
I THINK, AGAIN, THE PASSAGE AT THE END IS NOT AT THE END, BUT AT THE START OF THE ENDEMICALLY, AND THAT'S KIND OF A TOPIC THAT WE WANTED TO PURSUE.
AND AFTER WE HAD DRAFTED AND ADMINISTERED A SURVEY FOR ALL THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS ABOUT KIND OF THEY WHERE THEY FELT OUR BEST VALUE COULD BE HERE.
AND SEVERAL OF THEM HAD IDENTIFIED KIND OF THE TIME AS AN ISSUE OF CONCERN THAT THEY HAD, THAT IT PRESENTED AN OPPORTUNITY FOR MAYBE ENHANCING THEIR COORDINATION.
AGAIN, NOT AN ACKNOWLEDGMENT, FIRST AND FOREMOST, THAT WHERE WE ARE TODAY IS A DRAMATIC IMPROVEMENT OVER HOW THE BUDGET WAS DEVELOPED IN THE PAST AND THAT WE KNOW THAT THE AGENCIES THAT WORK HAND IN GLOVE WITH WITH THE CITY OF ALEXANDRIA IN THE DEVELOPMENT, HOWEVER, AND AGAIN, AS AN INPUT AS A DECISION-MAKING BODY FOR THE SCHOOL, HOW DO WE ENSURE THAT THEY HAVE THAT DECISION MAKING THAT'S ALREADY, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT KIND OF GOES, AGAIN, HAND IN GLOVE WITH THE CITY SO THAT ONE DOESN'T SEEM TO BE OUT OF STEP WITH THE OTHER. AND THAT IS SORT OF THE DISTINCTION.
AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO GIVE ME ANY SORT OF ASSESSMENT THAT IT HAS NOT BEEN A GOOD PROCESS, BUT MORE OF A TIMING ISSUE, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK IT IS VERY SUPPORTIVE OF HOW WE WORKED.
RIGHT. OTHER THING THE OTHER THING THAT I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT AS WELL IS THAT THIS ISSUE HAS CROPPED UP FROM YEAR TO YEAR.
AND WE THOUGHT THAT AT THE VERY LEAST, EVEN IF THERE'S NO CHANGES WHATSOEVER, AN EXPLORATION OF THE ISSUE, AN ANALYSIS OF WHY IT IS THE WAY IT IS AND WHAT THE PRESSURE POINTS ARE THAT HAVE MADE IT WHAT IT IS IN TERMS OF TIMING WOULD BE VALUABLE SO THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD, THOSE ON THE SCHOOL BOARD WHO HAVE CONCERNS ABOUT THE TIMING CAN HAVE A DEEPER APPRECIATION OF WHY THE TIMING IS THE WAY IT IS, BUT THAT WE ALSO MIGHT IDENTIFY OPPORTUNITIES FOR GIVE AND TAKE THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD CAN CONSIDER.
SO, FOR EXAMPLE, IF IT'S IF IT'S INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD TO REALIGN THE TIMING, ARE THERE THINGS THAT CAN'T HAPPEN? IS IS THERE ARE THERE DO THEY NEED TO CONSTRUCT THE NUMBER OF HEARINGS THAT THEY HAVE? DO THEY NEED TO DO THINGS MORE QUICKLY THAT THERE MAY BE SOME CHOICES BEFORE THE SCHOOL BOARD? AGAIN, IF THIS IS A PRIORITY, OTHER THINGS MIGHT HAVE TO.
YOU HAVE TO BE IMPACTED IN ORDER TO MAKE IT HAPPEN, SO I THINK HAVING A SENSE OF WHERE THERE MIGHT BE CHOICES IS SOMETHING THAT WE WANT TO PROVIDE THAT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD SO THAT THEY CAN AT LEAST CONSIDER THAT.
BUT I THINK THE PRIMARY THING ABOUT JUST UNDERSTANDING THE VARIOUS DYNAMICS AND, YOU KNOW, I'M SURE AND AGAIN, I DON'T MEAN TO SAY THAT THIS HASN'T I'M SURE THE STAFF HAS EXPLAINED THIS IN THE PAST.
BUT AGAIN, I THINK SORT OF A JUST A MORE AND MORE INTENTIONAL EXAMINATION BY BY US TO PROVIDE TO THE BOARD SO THAT ALL OF THAT IS SORT OF OUT THERE ON PAPER AND CAN BE.
READ AND BETTER UNDERSTOOD? YEAH, I JUST WANT TO REALLY ECHO WHAT BOTH ERIN AND NANCY JUST SAID AND DEFINITELY NOT THAT LIKE THAT THERE'S PROBLEMS WITH THE BUDGET OR THE BUDGET PROCESS.
[00:10:03]
IT'S REALLY IS MORE ABOUT A HELPING THE BOARD HAVE A CLEARER UNDERSTANDING ABOUT THIS PARTICULAR THING.AND THAT THERE'S NO THERE'S THE GOAL OF THIS IS FOR THIS COMMITTEE TO SUBMIT A REPORT WITH POTENTIALLY SOME RECOMMENDATIONS OR THINGS LIKE THAT.
IT IS NOT. THE COMMITTEE WILL FINISH THIS AND DEFINITELY WE WILL CHANGE THE CALENDAR OR DEFINITELY WE WILL DO X.
IT REALLY IS TO HELP GAIN THE INFORMATION.
AND THAT'S TONIGHT GAINING INFORMATION FROM YOU ALL.
BUT THE COMMITTEE HAS ALREADY TALKED ABOUT MAYBE REACHING OUT TO SOME OF OUR NEIGHBORING JURISDICTIONS. AND JUST I MEAN, BECAUSE EVERYBODY HAS TO DO SOME VERSION OF THIS, WHETHER IT'S, YOU KNOW, BETWEEN CITIES AND SCHOOLS OR FOR OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTIES, IT'S TALKING WITH THE COUNTY AND THE SCHOOLS, BUT JUST KIND OF HELPING PEOPLE UNDERSTAND THIS.
AND I THINK PARTICULARLY BECAUSE IT IS ALSO ONE OF THESE THINGS WHERE, YOU KNOW, WE FOUND OVER THE YEARS THAT THERE IS ALWAYS GOING TO BE SOME MORE TURNOVER.
AND A LOT OF IT'S A IT'S A STEEP LEARNING CURVE FOR FOR NEW BOARD MEMBERS COMING IN TO GETTING A SENSE OF THE PROCESS.
SO THE MORE CLARITY THAT THERE CAN BE AROUND THIS, THE BETTER FOR EVERYBODY.
THE OTHER VERY QUICK THING I WANT TO SAY IS THAT I KNOW THAT THIS I THINK THE REASON THAT WE'RE DOING THIS HAS COME OUT OF THIS ONE SPECIFIC ISSUE.
BUT, YOU KNOW, TO THE EXTENT THAT THERE ARE OTHER BUDGET TIMING ISSUES THAT THAT YOU, DOMINIC AND ROBERT, HAVE IDENTIFIED OR OTHER THINGS THAT WE MIGHT LEARN FROM OTHER JURISDICTIONS WHERE WE'RE HAPPY TO BE AS HELPFUL AS POSSIBLE TO LOOK AT OTHER ISSUES BEYOND THIS ONE PARTICULAR ONE THAT I THINK LED TO THIS EFFORT.
SO, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, I KNOW AARON SAID THAT THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF EFFORT AND A LOT OF COORDINATION BETWEEN THE SCHOOLS IN THE CITIES TO WORK ON THE BUDGET CALENDAR AND LOTS OF WAYS THAT THAT'S IMPROVED FROM BOTH SIDES.
BUT IF THERE ARE OTHER TYPES OF THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE COULD INCLUDE IN THE REPORT OR JUST TO EXPLORE, WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT IF IT'S HELPFUL.
SO, DOMINIC, ROBERT, ANY QUESTIONS? ARE WE GOING TO GET STARTED? I THINK WHAT WE HAD INTENDED IS HOPEFULLY JUST A REALLY CASUAL CONVERSATION WITH YOU AND A SUMMARY OF KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT, WHY WE'RE AT, WHERE WE'RE AT. AND IS THERE ANY KIND OF RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU SEE IN THE PROCESS AS WELL? BECAUSE I THINK ESPECIALLY AS FOLKS THAT HAVE LIVED THIS PROCESS NOW FOR SEVERAL YEARS, ARE THERE ANY REFINEMENTS THAT WE SHOULD BE SUPPORTING YOU ON OR MAKING RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AS WELL? I WAS.
OH, MY, I WAS JUST AS QUICK AS I'M TAKING NOTES, THE OVERARCHING QUESTION IS THIS IS THE QUESTION. THE SCHOOLBOY'S ADOPTION COMES AFTER THE CITY MANAGER OR PRESENTS THE CITY'S BUDGET. LIKE, WHAT IS THAT? THAT'S THE THAT'S THE CRITERIA.
AND THE PREFERENCE WOULD BE THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD ADOPTS ITS BUDGET PRIOR TO CITY MANAGER.
SO THAT'S NOT THE PREFERENCE, ROBERT.
OH, BUT THAT IS THAT IS THE DESIRE, DESIRE FROM BOTH THIS BOARD AS WELL AS PREVIOUS BOARDS. SO SOME MEMBERS FROM THE PAST, AS ALWAYS, YOU KNOW, THOUGHT THAT IT'D BE BEST TO APPROVE THE BUDGET PRIOR TO THE CITY MANAGER PROPOSING HIS BUDGET.
AND SOME MEMBERS CURRENTLY FEEL LIKE IT WOULD BE BETTER IF THEY APPROVED THEIR BUDGET BEFORE THE CITY MANAGER PROPOSED.
FOR INSTANCE, THE THE SCHOOL BOARD AS A BODY HAS NOT SAID THAT THEY WANT TO DO THIS, BUT INDIVIDUAL MEMBERS HAVE SAID THEY WANTED TO LOOK INTO POSSIBLY DOING THAT.
OK. ALL RIGHT. AND SO YOU'LL THEN TALK TO SOME OF THE PRESSURE POINTS AND SOME OF THE GUIDELINES SURROUNDING WHY AND HOW WE GET THE CALENDAR AND THE WAY IT IS.
OK, SO BEFORE WE START, I JUST WANT TO SAY ALSO, AS WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS, I KNOW SOME MEMBERS WANT TO LOOK AT PERHAPS MOVING AHEAD OF THE CITY MANAGER'S PROPOSAL AND HOW AND PERHAPS THAT MAKES, YOU KNOW, OUR BUDGET PROCESS BETTER.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THAT THE COMMITTEE ALSO LOOK AT POTENTIALLY MOVING BACK THE APPROVAL DATE BECAUSE THAT WOULD PROVIDE FOR MORE TIME TO BE ABLE TO DELIBERATE.
[00:15:03]
OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE TO LOOK AT STATUE TO TO SEE WHEN THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS TO, BY LAW, APPROVE A BUDGET.BUT IF THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO MOVE IT BACK, THAT WOULD PROVIDE FOR FOUR MORE TIME.
RIGHT NOW, THE TIME BETWEEN THE PROPOSAL AND THE APPROVAL IS PRETTY COMPRESSED.
AND WE HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING ON A VERY TIGHT TIMELINE BETWEEN.
SO WHEN YOU COME BACK I'M SORRY, YOU ACTUALLY MEAN THAT WE WOULD THAT THAT THE BOARD WOULD APPROVE LATER IN THE CALENDAR YEAR THAN IT HAS BEEN? CORRECT.
SO WHAT WHAT THE THE FIRST POINT, YEAH, WHICH IS INTERESTING AND I GET THIS IS I MEAN, THIS IS A CALENDAR EXPLORATION, SO IT'LL BE INTERESTING TO HEAR YOU HEAR THIS.
SO THAT'S WHAT I TO BE TRUE TO THIS WHOLE PROCESS.
I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO LOOK AT THE PROS AND CONS OF IT.
ALL RIGHT. SO MOVING IT AHEAD, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF MOVING IT AHEAD? WHAT ARE THE PROS AND CONS OF, YOU KNOW, STATUS QUO? AND AND WHAT WOULD BE THE PROS AND CONS OF MOVING IT BACK? AND, YOU KNOW, JUST BEFORE WE OPEN UP, I'LL JUST SAY, MOVING AHEAD, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TRUNCATE THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS TO TO DELIBERATE AND ASK QUESTIONS. AND THE PUBLIC HAS TO BE ABLE TO ASK QUESTIONS AT A PUBLIC HEARINGS AND WHATNOT. YOU KNOW, LEAVING IT AS IS, WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE A TIGHT TURNAROUND ON EVERYTHING THAT WE DO BETWEEN THE PROPOSAL AND THE APPROVAL.
MOVING IT BACK WOULD ALLOW FOR FOR THERE TO BE MORE TIME FOR THE SCHOOL BOARD TO DELIBERATE WORK WITH CONSTITUENTS, TO HEAR WHAT THEIR OPINIONS ON DIFFERENT THINGS AND WOULD WOULD ALLOW STAFF TO HAVE MORE TIME TO TO ANSWER THE QUESTIONS THAT ARE ASKED FROM THE SCHOOL BOARD, TO PUT TOGETHER THE PRESENTATIONS FOR THE DIFFERENT WORK SESSIONS AND THE ATHLETES AND SO FORTH.
SO JUST WANTED TO START OFF BY SAYING THAT.
SO I KNOW IT IS A REFERENCE OF SOME MEMBERS TO MOVE AHEAD, BUT I THINK THAT IS JUST AS IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT MOVING IT BACK AS WELL AND OPEN FOR ANY QUESTIONS.
WELL, DOMINIC, COULD COULD YOU COULD YOU MAYBE START FROM THE BEGINNING AND TALK ABOUT WHEN THE BUDGET PROCESS STARTS AND I GUESS, YOU KNOW, THERE'S PROBABLY YOU COULD YOU COULD START THE BUDGET PROCESS AT ALL DIFFERENT POINTS.
I KNOW PUBLICLY IT'S SORT OF WHEN THE THE SUPERINTENDENT RELEASES IT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD AND TO THE PUBLIC.
BUT I KNOW THAT A LOT GOES INTO IT BEFORE THEN.
BUT BUT, YOU KNOW, SORT OF WHAT ARE SOME OF THE FACTORS AS TO WHEN YOU CAN START THAT PROCESS AND I GUESS PREVENTS YOU FROM STARTING EARLIER, SINCE THAT WOULD BE ONE POTENTIAL SOLUTION TO ALL OF THIS? SO SO WE ALREADY REALLY START THE BUDGET PROCESS IN JULY.
WE REALLY DON'T HAVE TOO MUCH DOWNTIME IN THE BUDGET OFFICE, ONLY DOWNTIME IS REALLY NEVER MARCHIN. THAT'S THE ONLY DOWNTIME WE REALLY HAVE.
SO JULY, WE REALLY STARTED BACK UP.
WE LOAD THE BUDGET FOR THE NEW FISCAL YEAR AND THEN WE START TO MEET WITH THE SUPERINTENDENT AND THE LEADERSHIP TEAM TO START TO TALK ABOUT WHAT ARE THEY GOING TO BE THE FOCUS AREAS FOR THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, BECAUSE WE HAD THE FOCUS.
SO THE FOCUS AREAS THAT WE CREATE THIS YEAR AND THE BUDGET PRIORITIES THAT WE CREATE THIS YEAR OR FOR NEXT YEAR.
SO WHEN WE GO INTO JULY, WE'LL BE WORKING ON THOSE FOCUS AREAS AND BUDGET PRIORITIES AND THEN WE'LL BE STARTING TO THINK ABOUT, OK, WELL, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO BE THE FOCUS AREAS FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR? WHAT ARE GOING TO BE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE THINK THE SCHOOL BOARD SHOULD FOCUS THE BUDGET ON FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR? AND THEN IN AUGUST, WE START TO MEET WITH THE SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS AND TWO BY TWOS WE START WE STARTED TO DO A BUDGET ONE TO ONE WITH SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS TO AS WE GET NEW MEMBERS AND SOMETHING TO HELP THEM WITH, TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS AND HOW BUDGETING OCCURS IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.
AND THEN AS A REFRESHER FOR OLDER MEMBERS, YOU KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING WITH THIS, BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SAW WITH NEW MEMBERS THIS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WAS THAT ALL THE DIFFERENT FUNDS THAT WE HAD AND THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE FUNDS JUST AREN'T INTERCHANGEABLE. YOU CAN'T JUST BORROW FROM THE HEALTH CARE FUND TO TO RUN YOUR OPERATIONS OR YOU CAN'T BORROW FROM THE RETIREMENT FUND TO RUN YOUR OPERATION LIKE THAT.
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, WAS WAS PUT ON THE TABLE THAT WE COULD FILL THE GAP AND AND WE CAN'T DO THAT.
SO THAT'S WHY WE STARTED TO DO THE BUDGET UNTIL ONE DAY IN AUGUST.
THEN IN SEPTEMBER, OBVIOUSLY, WE ARE MEETING WITH SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS TO DO THE BUDGET
[00:20:02]
PRIORITIES, RULES OF ENGAGEMENT PROCESS RESOLUTION.WE START TO MEET WITH SENIOR LEADERS, PRINCIPALS AND STAFF TO THEN START TO ROLL OUT.
OK, WE NEED YOU TO WORK ON YOUR REQUEST FOR THE NEXT YEAR.
IN OCTOBER, WE GET THE REQUEST AND THEN OUR OFFICE STARTS TO DO OUR ANALYSIS OF WHAT WE CAN DO AND CAN'T DO.
WE MEET BACK WITH THE PRINCIPALS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS TO GIVE THEM OUR RECOMMENDATION, WHAT WE'LL BE RECOMMENDING TO THE SUPERINTENDENT AS THEIR BUDGET.
AND THEN IF THERE'S ANY DISAGREEMENT AT THAT POINT, WE TALK IT OUT BETWEEN THE BUDGET OFFICE AND THE SCHOOL OR THE BUDGET OFFICE AND WHATEVER DEPARTMENT WE'RE MEETING WITH TO BE ABLE TO HAVE A FINAL RECOMMENDATION.
AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING PRETTY RECENTLY WITHIN THE LAST TWO YEARS.
AND IT'S REALLY HELPED US GET OUT OF THE TRIBAL MINDSET BECAUSE IN THE PAST, PEOPLE WOULD COME TO THE MEETING AND SIT IN THEIR TRIBES AND TRY TO GET AS MUCH AS THEY COULD FOR THEIR DEPARTMENT OR THEIR SCHOOL WITH OUR ROLE IS TO LOOK AT IT FROM A MACRO LEVEL.
AND WHAT IS THE BEST FOR ALL OF THE SCHOOL DIVISION, NOT WHAT IS THE BEST FOR ONE DEPARTMENT OR ONE SCHOOL.
SO HAVING THOSE INDIVIDUAL BUDGET MEETINGS HAS HELPED GET OUT OF THAT TRIBAL MS. WHEN WE COME TO THAT MEETING, BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAD THAT FINAL RECOMMENDATION.
AND THE ONLY CHANGE AT THAT POINT IS GOING TO BE IF THE SUPERINTENDENT SEE SOMETHING OR INITIATIVE THAT, YOU KNOW, HE WANTS OR SHE WANTS TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD AND THEN.
AND FROM THAT POINT, THE SUPERINTENDENT AND SENIOR LEADERSHIP, WE FINALIZED WHAT THE PROPOSAL IS GOING TO BE AND WE START TO WORK ON THE BOOK IN THE PRESENTATION, AND IN THE FIRST WEEK, WE PROPOSE THE BUDGET TO THE SCHOOL BOARD.
SO, SO SO, DOMINIC, I'M JUST GOING TO I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, YES, YOU GUYS ARE WORKING CONSTANTLY. I'M WONDERING IF IT'S HELPFUL.
AND ONE THING I HEARD FROM YOU IS THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE THERE ARE DEFINITELY MORE STAFF MEETINGS, LIKE WITH THE SCHOOL, INDIVIDUAL SCHOOL LEADERS AND STUFF LIKE THAT, AND THAT IT SOUNDS LIKE A POTENTIAL RISK OF BACKING UP A CAN'T DECIDE, WHICH I CAN'T DECIDE BACKING UP OR MOVING FORWARD.
I HAD TO. BUT IF WE IF WE IF WE SHORTEN THE BUDGET PROCESS TIME, YOU POTENTIALLY DON'T HAVE THOSE MEETINGS.
RIGHT. YOU RISK NOT HAVING THOSE MEETINGS.
RIGHT. IS THAT MAYBE ONE THING THAT YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT? I GUESS THE ONLY THING.
GO AHEAD. AND THEN I HAD A FOLLOW UP QUESTION.
I WAS GOING TO SAY, WOULD YOU SAY SO? AND YOU MEAN IF WE WERE TO MOVE UP THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PROPOSED DATE, RIGHT? YEAH, CORRECT.
YES. WE COULD POTENTIALLY LOSE, YOU KNOW, THOSE MEETINGS, BUT WITH THAT, LIKE PRINCIPALS IN CHIEF AND SO FORTH.
SO SO I THINK THE OTHER THING, WHEN WE WERE TALKING LAST WEEK AND YOU GUYS JUMP IN AFTER AFTER THIS, I THINK ONE THING THAT WE WERE KIND OF INTERESTED IN IS, I MEAN, YOU'RE TALKING A LOT ABOUT SOME OF THE DATA THAT YOU MIGHT BE GETTING FROM THE STAFF WHERE WE'RE WONDERING IF THERE'S SOME KEY DATA, THINGS THAT YOU MIGHT NEED, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHEN AN ENROLLMENT WHEN WHEN WHEN THE ENROLLMENT PROJECTION IS DONE, WHEN THE CITY HAS DONE THEIR FULL FORECAST WITH THE RETREAT, WHEN THE STATE HAS GIVEN AN INDICATION OF WHAT KIND OF THING THEY SAY, I GUESS I'M THINKING THAT THOSE MIGHT BE SOME KEY DATES THAT THAT WE ALSO MIGHT NEED TO UNDERSTAND.
LIKE WHEN ARE THEY LOOKING FOR METRICS? LIKE WHEN ARE THEY ARE AVAILABLE AND HOW DO THEY FORM THE BUDGETING PROCESS? BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T THINK THAT YOU PROBABLY CAN START THE PROCESS, YOU KNOW, A YEAR OR 18 MONTHS IN ADVANCE BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE PRODUCTION NUMBERS OR WE DON'T EVEN THAT. YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAD DONE THAT THIS PAST YEAR, LIKE WE HAVE SEEN THIS BEFORE, LIFE.
SO HOW DO WE WHAT ARE THOSE OUTSIDE INFLUENCES THAT YOU HAVE TO DOMINATE THAT, YOU KNOW, MAYBE IT'S INCUMBENT UPON US TO REALLY INFORM BEFORE THAT PROCESS KICKS OFF, WHEN THE STATE IDENTIFIES UP RESOURCE FOR WHY RESOURCE OR THE CITY DOES PROJECTS IT OR ANY OTHER KIND OF OUTSIDE METRO.
YEAH. THAT IS A GREAT POINT THERE, AMY, AND SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE DO NEED ARE THE PROJECTIONS. RIGHT.
AND WE WORK WITH THE OPERATIONS TEAM TO BE ABLE TO GET THOSE PROJECTIONS.
WE NORMALLY IN A NORMAL YEAR, WE WOULD GET THOSE USUALLY THE FIRST OR SECOND WEEK IN NOVEMBER THIS YEAR.
AND NORMALLY WE DIDN'T GET THOSE IN UNTIL, WHAT, THE LAST WEEK OF NOVEMBER?
[00:25:07]
MAYBE THE FIRST WEEK OF DECEMBER.YEAH, I JUST. CAN I JUST CLARIFY WHEN YOU SAY PROJECTIONS, ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS? YES, MA'AM. AND A LARGE PART OF OUR BUDGET IS BASED OFF OF THOSE ENROLLMENT PROJECTS.
SO, YOU KNOW, WE WE WE DO AS MUCH OF THE BUDGET AS WE CAN WITHOUT THOSE ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS. SO, FOR INSTANCE, LIKE THE DEPARTMENT BUDGET, BUT THE LARGEST PART OF OUR BUDGETS ARE THE SCHOOLS BUDGET.
AND WE CAN'T DO THE SCHOOL BUDGETS UNTIL WE GET THE ENROLLMENT PROJECTIONS AND WHICH IS THE MIDDLE OF NOVEMBER AND A GOOD YEAR.
THE OTHER PIECE IS THE THE ACTUAL ENROLLMENT.
SO OUR STATE FUNDING IS BASED ON AVERAGE DAILY MEMBERSHIP AND WE HAVE A PRETTY GOOD PROJECTION MODEL THAT WE USE TO DETERMINE WHAT OUR A.T.M IS GOING TO BE THE FOLLOWING YEAR. SO WE USE OUR SEPTIME IF ACTUAL ENROLLMENT NUMBERS AND WE USUALLY GET THOSE.
AND EVEN THOUGH IT'S SEPTEMBER 30TH, WE USUALLY GET THE NUMBERS IN THE MIDDLE OF OCTOBER.
AND THEN WHAT WE'VE NOTICED OVER, YOU KNOW.
10 TO 20 YEARS THAT ARE AVERAGE DAILY MEMBERSHIP TENDS TO BE ABOUT NINETY EIGHT TO NINETY EIGHT AND A HALF PERCENT OF WHAT ARE ACTUAL ENROLLMENT NUMBERS WERE ON SEPTEMBER 30TH.
SO WE USE THAT TO PLUG INTO THE STATE REVENUE CALCULATOR TO DETERMINE HOW MUCH STATE REVENUE WE'RE GOING TO GET.
AND STATE REVENUE MAKES UP ABOUT 17 PERCENT OF OUR TOTAL BUDGET, SO ROUGHLY ABOUT 50 MILLION DOLLARS. SO WE HAVE TO HAVE THAT INFORMATION TO BE ABLE TO DO OUR BUDGET WELL.
AND THEN THE CITY IS 82 PERCENT OF OUR REVENUE AND THEY USUALLY PUT OUT THEIR BUDGET GUIDANCE, END OF OCTOBER, BEGINNING OF NOVEMBER.
AND WE'RE ABLE TO GET A LOT OF INFORMATION FROM THE CITY AT THE CITY COUNCIL RETREAT, WHICH IS USUALLY THE FIRST SATURDAY IN NOVEMBER.
SO THOSE ARE ALL KEY DATES THAT WE NEED INFORMATION FROM THOSE DATES TO REALLY BE ABLE TO FORMULATE, I WOULD SAY 75 PERCENT OF OUR BUDGET.
WHAT ABOUT THAT MIX, AND THAT'S A LOT IN NOVEMBER, THAT'S A LOT I'M HEARING A LOT OF KEY STUFF COMING OUT IN NOVEMBER AND THEN CONSIDERING DECEMBER ENDS UP BEING SORT OF WHAT I'M CALLING A SHORT. RIGHT.
WHAT ABOUT HEALTH INSURANCE COSTS? I KNOW THAT'S A BIG ONE.
WHAT'S THE WHAT'S THE TIMELINE ON WHEN YOU GUYS FINISH YOUR CONVERSATIONS WITH THEM AND UNDERSTAND WHAT THE PREMIUM WHAT CHANGES IN THE PREMIUM ARE GOING TO BE? SO WHEN IT COMES TO HEALTH BENEFITS, IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT WE'RE PROJECTING.
THE INCREASE IS GOING TO BE AND WHAT WE'RE PROJECTING OUR REVENUE IS GOING TO BE FOR THE NEXT YEAR. SO IF IT'S LOOKING LIKE THE HEALTH BENEFITS COST IS GOING TO INCREASE SIGNIFICANTLY AND WE DON'T HAVE THE REVENUE TO COVER THAT, THEN H.R.
WILL PUT TOGETHER HEALTH BENEFITS COMMITTEE AND THAT WILL START OVER THE SUMMER.
AND THEN THAT COMMITTEE WILL RUN, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY JULY THROUGH NOVEMBER TO DETERMINE IF THE HRR IS GOING TO MAKE RECOMMENDATIONS TO ANY OPTION PLAN CHANGES THAT COULD HELP SAVE MONEY. SO, AGAIN, IF WE'RE MAKING PLAN CHANGES, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WOULD RUN THROUGH NOVEMBER AND WE GET THAT INFORMATION AND PLUG IT INTO THE BUDGET IF WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY PLAN CHANGES AND WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT THE PROJECTION TO SEE, OK, WHAT WERE THE CLAIMS FROM THE PAST YEAR TO SEE WHAT THE INCREASE IS GOING TO BE NEXT YEAR? WE USUALLY DO THAT IN THE OCTOBER TIMEFRAME.
WE LOOK AT THE STAFF THAT WE HAVE ON BOARD IN OCTOBER AND SAY, OK, WHAT IS GOING TO BE THE INCREASE FOR NEXT YEAR BASED ON THAT INFORMATION? AND THEN WE WORK WITH A THIRD PARTY CONSULTANT IN THE SPRING AND THEY HELP US REFINE OUR PROJECTION TO BE MORE ACCURATE BASED ON THE INFORMATION THAT'S COMING IN THE CURRENT FISCAL YEAR TO PREDICT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN THE NEXT YEAR.
SO FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, HEALTH BENEFITS ARE BASED ON ACTUAL CLAIMS. OUR LARGEST PLAN IS SELF-INSURED.
SO UHC IS SELF-INSURED BY CPS.
AND WHAT THAT MEANS IS WE PAY THOSE CLAIMS. SO BASED ON THE NUMBER OF CLAIMS THAT WE HAVE FROM OUR STAFF, THAT'S GOING TO INCREASE OUR PREMIUM AND PAYS 90 PERCENT OF THE PREMIUM FOR SUPPORT STAFF AND 80 PERCENT OF THE PREMIUM FOR EVERYBODY ELSE.
SO IT'S A SIGNIFICANT CHUNK IN OUR IN OUR BUDGET.
[00:30:04]
I THINK THAT ANSWERED YOUR QUESTION, MR..YES. CONSEQUENTLY, ARE YOU OUT OF THE HOUSE? YEAH, I WAS JUST GOING TO ADD I WAS OFFLINE, HE WAS NOT OFFLINE, BUT ON THE SIDE LOOKING AT OUR SCHOOL BOARD POLICY DB, WHICH REFERS TO OUR ANNUAL BUDGET AND IT REFERENCES THAT.
THE CALENDAR SHALL INCLUDE AT LEAST ONE WORK SESSION FOR REVIEWING THE BUDGET AND AT LEAST ONE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE BUDGET.
SO TO THE EXTENT THAT, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE MULTIPLE YOU KNOW, THE POLICY ONLY SAYS WE HAVE AT LEAST ONE. AND THEN AS I REVIEW THE CALENDAR, AS WE LOOK AT THE DATES OF ONE OF THE ONE OF THE THINGS WE HAVE ARE THERE THE ADD DELETE REQUEST AND ADD DELETE SPONSORSHIPS AND THE QUESTIONS AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS.
SO AS WE ADD IN THOSE ADDITIONAL THINGS, AS REQUESTED BY THE SCHOOL BOARD, THOSE TAKE UP THOSE MEETING DATES AND TAKE UP WEEKS FOR US.
SO AS WE LOOK TO TRY TO TRUNCATE OR MOVE TIMES AROUND, WE HAVE WE HAVE AN INTERNAL OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.
AND LIKEWISE, THE ONLY OTHER DATE THAT I SAW BASED ON THE CODE OF VIRGINIA, THE GOVERNING BODY OF A COUNTY OR THE GOVERNING BODY OF A MUNICIPALITY, SHALL PREPARE AND APPROVE AN ANNUAL BUDGET FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES BY MAY 15TH.
SO FAR, FROM THE STANDPOINT OF THE CITY, WHO'S THE APPROPRIATING BODY OR THE GOVERNING BODY OF THE CITY OR WHATEVER? WHO APPROVES THE ANNUAL BUDGET? WE HAVE THEY HAVE MAY 15TH OR.
THAT'S THEIR DEADLINE, NOT A DEADLINE, RIGHT? THAT IS CORRECT.
I JUST ASK A QUICK QUESTION, I WANT OUT.
ROBERT, I THINK THAT'S A GOOD POINT.
I WAS I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT SORT OF LIKE AFTER THE AFTER THE SUPERINTENDENT RELEASES HIS BUDGET. BUT JUST BEFORE WE GET TO THAT POINT, YOU KNOW, IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE BASED ON WHAT YOU'RE DESCRIBING, THE ABSOLUTE EARLIEST THAT YOU COULD DO THIS, IF YOU WANTED TO MOVE IT BACK, WOULD BE TO SOMETIME IN DECEMBER.
AND EVEN I KNOW AND I'M SAYING THAT RECOGNIZING THAT THERE WOULD BE A CONSIDERABLE AMOUNT OF WORK THAT YOU WOULD HAVE TO DO TO EVEN MAKE THAT FEASIBLE.
BUT DOES THAT DOES THAT SOUND RIGHT TO YOU THAT OR DO YOU NEED ONCE YOU GET THOSE PROJECTIONS THAT RANGES BETWEEN MID-OCTOBER AND EARLY DECEMBER, LIKE, DO YOU NEED A SOLID LIKE FIVE OR SIX WEEKS TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THAT? HOW MUCH CHANGES HAPPEN AFTER YOU GET THOSE PROJECTIONS? I'M GOING TO LET YOU CHIME IN.
I HAVE SOME I HAVE AN OPINION ON.
SO SO, AGAIN, MOVING UP THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PROPOSED BUDGET.
IS FROM MY STANDPOINT, AND I SUPPOSE FOR MOST, THAT IS IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE.
WE ARE READY. SO WE'RE THE ONLY OFFICE THAT WORKS OVER THE WINTER BREAK TO BE ABLE TO GET THIS TO GET THIS BUDGET DONE BY THAT JANUARY 3RD OR 7TH, THAT FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY, TO BE ABLE TO PROPOSE TO THE SCHOOL BOARD.
MANY PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND THE AMOUNT OF WORK AND TIME THAT IT TAKES TO DO THE BUDGET, NOT JUST A PRESENTATION THAT YOU SEE THAT FIRST WEEK OF JANUARY.
WE PRODUCE A 500 PAGE BOOK EVERY YEAR.
AND AND I'M SURE IF YOU GO THROUGH IT, YOU'LL FIND TYPOS, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE WE WE DON'T HAVE PROFESSORS THAT GO THROUGH OUR BOOK TO EDIT IT FOR US.
AND EVEN IF WE DID HIRE PROFESSIONAL EDITORS, THEY WOULDN'T CATCH EVERYTHING, BECAUSE UNLESS, YOU KNOW, THE INS AND OUTS OF THE OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET TO CATCHING ANY OF THAT STUFF. SO IT'S VERY DIFFICULT FOR STAFF TO BE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER THE MATERIAL FOR THAT FIRST WEEK IN JANUARY.
SO SO TO MOVE IT UP, IF WE WERE TO MOVE IT UP, SAY, THE LAST SCHOOL BOARD MEETING IN DECEMBER, WE'RE TAKING AWAY ALMOST AN ENTIRE MONTH OF TIME FOR STAFF TO BE ABLE TO TO DO WHAT WE DO.
AND THEN AND THEN WHAT WE'RE SAYING IS WE HAVE WE HAVE ABOUT THREE TO FOUR WEEKS FROM WHEN WE GET THE PROJECTION TO BE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER SEVENTY FIVE PERCENT OF THE BUDGET, AS WELL AS PUBLISH A 500 PAGE DOCUMENT.
AND I'M NOT TRYING TO OFFER EXCUSES HERE, BUT IT IS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT WITH THE AMOUNT OF TIME THAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW.
SO TO CUT OFF AN ENTIRE MONTH, IT WOULD MAKE IT EVEN MORE DIFFICULT.
AND WE ALSO HAVE TO REMEMBER IN THAT TIME PERIOD IS ALSO THANKSGIVING.
SO THAT'S ANOTHER WEEK OF TIME THAT WE LOSE IN THAT TIME PERIOD.
[00:35:02]
YEAH. AND LET ME JUST SAY, DOMINIC, LIKE THE QUESTION WAS ASKED TO THE BOOK, THAT EXACT RESPONSE. SO I WASN'T SAYING, HOW COME YOU CAN'T DO IT IN DECEMBER? LIKE TO REALLY BE REAL ABOUT WHAT IT WOULD MEAN IS SUPER HELPFUL AND TO BE CONCRETE ABOUT IT. SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT THAT, YOU KNOW, I TOTALLY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND HAVING YOU BE REALLY SPECIFIC IS USEFUL TO REALLY PAINT A PICTURE OF WHAT EVEN WHAT MIGHT SEEM TO OUTSIDERS A MODEST MOVE WOULD REALLY MEAN TO YOU PRACTICALLY.AND IF YOU DON'T MIND, I WOULD ALSO ADD THAT BY MOVING IT UP, YOU YOU PUT YOURSELF IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU'RE NOT, AT LEAST IN MY OPINION, DOING DO YOUR DUE DILIGENCE AND A TRUE JUSTIFICATION FOR THE UPCOMING BUDGET YEAR.
YOU DON'T ALLOW YOUR TIME FOR ANALYSIS AND THE REQUISITE INPUT FROM THE STAKEHOLDERS TO PRODUCE A QUALITY BUDGET.
LIKE IF YOU'RE PUSHING IT INTO THE DECEMBER TIME FRAME, YOU'RE BASICALLY SAYING, HEY, LET'S JUST TAKE WHAT WE HAD AND COBBLE IT TOGETHER AND PUT TOGETHER A BOOK.
AND IT DOESN'T REALLY LEND ITSELF TO THE ANALYSIS AND THE DUE DILIGENCE THAT WE WOULD HOPE THAT WE WOULD PUT INTO OUR BUDGET, FIND A WAY FOR A WONDERFUL YEAR FOR THE NEXT YEAR THAT PEOPLE ARE GONE.
SO I THINK WE PREVIOUSLY DISCUSSED HOW THERE IS VERY LITTLE SORT OF FLEXIBILITY IN THE BUDGET, BUT IT'S A LOT OF IT IS MADE UP SALARIES AND EXPENSES.
AND I'M TRYING TO RECONCILE THAT WITH THE DISCUSSIONS DURING EACH BUDGET YEAR, LIKE WHAT CAN BE MORE, I GUESS, STREAMLINED IF IF THERE IS A LOT OF DISCUSSION AROUND, LIKE, ISSUES THAT DON'T ACTUALLY MOVE THE NEEDLE, MAYBE.
IS THAT A IS THAT A PLACE WHERE THE PROCESS COULD BE MADE MORE EFFICIENT IN TERMS OF ALL THESE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS AND SORT OF MEETINGS WITH THE BOARD? I'M CURIOUS TO GET YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON THAT.
HOW MUCH DOES IT CHANGE EACH YEAR, THE BUDGET IN TERMS OF THE BIG TICKET ITEMS? I GUESS THAT'S THAT'S KIND OF THE QUESTION.
SO. SO SO WHAT I WOULD SAY IS IN TERMS OF OUR STRATEGIC TWENTY TWENTY FIVE POINT ONE OF THE GOALS IN THERE IS THE EQUITABLE ALLOCATION OF RESOURCES.
SO IF IF WE WERE TO STRICTLY BUILD OUR BUDGET STRICTLY BY FORMULA AND SAY EVERYTHING'S FORMULA DRIVEN AND WE'RE NOT GOING TO PAY ATTENTION TO ANY OF THE NUANCES BETWEEN OUR SCHOOL BUILDINGS AND BETWEEN OUR DEPARTMENTS, YEAH, WE COULD STREAMLINE.
THIS BUDGET PROCESS IS VERY EASY.
IT COULD BE VERY EASY FOR MY STAFF TO PUT THIS BUDGET TOGETHER WITHOUT ANY INPUT BECAUSE.
RIGHT. WE WE COULD WE COULD SIT IN ON IT AND SAY, HERE'S THE FORMULA FOR PUTTING THIS BUDGET TOGETHER AND WE'RE GOING TO PUSH IT OUT THAT WAY.
HOWEVER, THAT DOESN'T ALLOW US TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT ANY OF THE NUANCES THAT ARE ACROSS ACRES AND BE ABLE TO, YOU KNOW, EVEN THE BEST FORMULA THAT WE COULD CREATE STILL STILL IS GOING TO NEED SOME HUMAN INVOLVEMENT WITH IT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE BEING EQUITABLE ACROSS ALL OF OUR SCHOOLS.
LIKE WE CAN TRY TO BUILD A FORMULA THAT TAKES INTO ACCOUNT DIFFERENT DEMOGRAPHICS BETWEEN DIFFERENT SCHOOL BUILDINGS. BUT ULTIMATELY, AFTER WE PLUG IN THE FORMULA, WE'RE GOING TO NEED A HUMAN SET OF EYES TO LOOK AT THAT AND SAY, DOES THIS MAKE SENSE, YOU KNOW, FOR FOR THE DIFFERENT SCHOOL BUILDINGS OR THE DIFFERENT OFFICES? SO SO I WOULD SAY MORE LIKE WE COULD, YOU KNOW, AND FOR MYSELF PERSONALLY, IT WOULD MAKE OUR LIVES A WHOLE LOT EASIER.
SO THAT WOULD BE THE BEST BUDGET THAT IS GOING TO HELP THE DIFFERENT STUDENTS ACROSS AICS IF WE JUST SAT IN THE LAB AND PUT THIS BUDGET TOGETHER.
YEAH, AND JUST TO BE SURE, I WAS NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THE STAKEHOLDER CONVERSATIONS, BUT ALSO YOUR DISCUSSIONS WITH THE BOARD.
I KNOW THERE ARE MULTIPLE ADELHEID SESSIONS.
YEAH, I'LL I'LL, I'LL JUMP IN AND SAY, I MEAN, I THINK, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE STAFF I THINK I THINK THE STAFF DOES AS MUCH AS THEY CAN TO KIND OF YOU KNOW, I THINK WE SAW A HUGE IMPROVEMENT THIS YEAR WITH THE YEAR BEFORE LAST.
BUT THE BUDGET PRIORITIES, BECAUSE IT REALLY IT MEANS EVERYONE HAD TO AGREE EVEN AT THE START. AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT EVERYONE CAN POINT BACK TO AND SAY, NO, REMEMBER, THESE WERE THE BUDGET PRIORITIES. WE ALL AGREED TO THIS BACK IN AUGUST.
BUT BUT WHAT I WOULD SAY IS, IS THAT MY EXPERIENCE WITH BUDGETS AND THIS IS ALSO WATCHING ON THE CITY SIDE, TOO, YOU'RE RIGHT.
THERE IS A HUGE YOU KNOW, IN TERMS OF THE PIE, THERE'S A HUGE PERCENTAGE OF THE BUDGET.
THAT KIND OF IT IS WHAT IT IS.
I MEAN, YOU IT'S NOT UNTIL THE FINANCE DEPARTMENT GOES THROUGH THEIR WORK THAT YOU CAN
[00:40:04]
FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT IS.BUT THAT'S NOT SOMETHING I CAN'T DELETE.
THIRD GRADE TEACHERS FROM POLEC ELEMENTARY.
THAT'S NOT A THAT'S NOT A THING THAT I AS A BOARD MEMBER, I'M GOING TO DO.
SO IT DOES END UP BEING THAT THE ELECTIVES END UP HAVING DISCUSSIONS ABOUT MAYBE ONE OR TWO THINGS OVER WHAT MIGHT SEEM A RELATIVELY SMALL PART OF THE AND I'D LOVE FOR IT TO BE MORE EFFICIENT. I DON'T KNOW IF WE CAN YOU KNOW, I THINK IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO THINK ABOUT WAYS THAT THAT THAT WE COULD I THINK THE MORE WE CAN HONE IN ON SOME OVERALL BUDGET EDUCATION AND SOME REALITY STUFF, THAT THAT THAT THAT CAN BE MORE HELPFUL.
BUT. I THINK PEOPLE OR PEOPLE WANT THAT PART OF THE PROCESS, SO IT DOES IT IS A IT IS A CHALLENGE. TO TO FIGURE OUT HOW YOU HOW YOU MAKE SURE PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THEY WERE HEARD BUT BUT ALSO, YOU KNOW, ARE TRYING TO BE EFFICIENT WITH THE TIME.
SO IF WE SHIFT GEARS TO AFTER THE SUPERINTENDENT RELEASES HIS BUDGET AND ROBERT, YOU KNOW, YOU MENTIONED THAT THERE ARE SOME SORT OF MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS IN TERMS OF NUMBERS OF MEETINGS, BUT THAT, YOU KNOW, THE CURRENT BUDGET EXCEEDS THOSE MINIMUMS FOR GOOD REASON.
ARE THERE DO YOU KNOW DO YOU HAVE THOUGHTS? EITHER OF YOU HAVE THOUGHTS ABOUT WAYS, THINGS THAT HAPPENED DURING THAT TIME THAT COULD BE ELIMINATED, TIME PERIODS THAT COULD BE TRUNCATED? COULD THERE BE ANY TIME SAVINGS THERE? YOU KNOW, I'M THINKING LIKE, DO YOU NEED TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS? SHOULD YOU JUST HAVE ONE? YOU KNOW, KNOWING THAT PARTICIPATION IS NOT PARTICULARLY FOR GOOD OR BAD, PARTICIPATION IS NOT PARTICULARLY ROBUST AT THIS, THAT HEARINGS LIKE DO YOU I THINK THERE'S LIKE THE THIRD ADELHEID THAT USUALLY GETS CUT OUT.
LIKE, SHOULD YOU JUST PLAN ON TO ADD? IT'S JUST THINGS LIKE THAT.
I KNOW KNOWING THAT THERE ARE PROS AND CONS ARE THERE ARE THINGS THAT COULD BE ELIMINATED ONCE THE BUDGET IS SORT OF IN THE SCHOOL BOARD'S HANDS.
OH, I'M GOING TO DEFAULT TO THE SCHOOL BOARD.
I DO YOU KNOW WHAT, THOUGH, I THINK THAT IT WOULD BE INTERESTING TO HEAR AGAIN, GUYS, THINK ABOUT IT THIS WAY IF.
IF THE BOARD WANTS TO CONSIDER CALENDAR THINGS, THEN ONE OF THE THINGS THIS COMMITTEE CAN DO IS SAY, OK, BOARD YOU EXPRESS SOME SOME SOME INTEREST WHERE WE'RE LAYING OUT TO YOU THAT IF YOU'RE REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT THIS, THEN YOU AS A BODY CAN CAN DISCUSS.
AND IF YOU DECIDE YOU'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THIS.
SO IT'S NOT NECESSARILY IT'S THIS ISN'T GOING TO BE PHRASED AS DOMINIC AND ROBERT TOLD THE SCHOOL BOARD TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT.
THAT'S NOT WHAT IT. BUT BUT BUT I THINK IT'S IT YOUR YOUR OBSERVATIONS ARE ARE ARE USEFUL.
I KNOW WE WORK HELPING TO PLAN THE CALENDAR.
AND IN REGARDS TO THE PUBLIC HEARINGS, THEY'RE VERY HARD TO PLACE BECAUSE IF WE PLACE THEM IN A SPOT WHERE WE'VE ALREADY STARTED OR DONE DELETES, IT DOESN'T GET THE PUBLIC MUCH TIME TO REACT BEFORE THE BOARDS ARE READY.
AT THE MEETING, APPROVING THE AD DELETES.
SO THIS YEAR THERE ARE TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS.
BUT THE REASON I THINK WE HAD TO PLACE TO THERE, BECAUSE WE TRIED TO GET.
EARLY AND THEN WE ALSO WANTED TO GET REACTION TO, I THINK, AS WE START TO LEAVE, BECAUSE ONE OF THE ONE OF THE COMPLAINTS WE'VE RECEIVED FROM THE PUBLIC IS THAT WE'VE GONE INTO ATHLETES AND THERE'S NO WAY FOR THE PUBLIC TO REACT OR THEY DON'T GET ENOUGH OPPORTUNITY TO REACT.
AND I'M GOING TO I'M GOING TO RAISE MY HAND HERE AND SAY THAT I'VE ALWAYS I FEEL LIKE PUBLIC HEARINGS ARE LEFT OVER FROM A DIFFERENT ERA.
I JUST I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY, I MEAN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO CHANGE THE RULE.
BUT BUT WE HAVE WE HAVE A REALLY WIDELY PUBLICLY ADVERTISED PUBLIC COMMENTS AT EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL BOARD MEETING.
THERE'S NO REASON WHY SOMEBODY NEEDS TO WAIT UNTIL THE PUBLIC HEARING FOR THE BUDGET.
AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED, YOU CAN MAKE COMMENTS ABOUT THE BUDGET ALL DAY, EVERY DAY, FREE ALL YEAR. SO SO I THAT THAT'S ALWAYS THAT'S KIND OF BEEN MY FEELING ABOUT IT.
IT'S ALWAYS BEEN SORT OF A HEAD SCRATCHER TO ME.
LIKE I SAID, I CAN ONLY ASSUME THAT THAT THAT WAS MORE FROM A DIFFERENT TIME WHEN, YOU
[00:45:01]
KNOW, THINGS WEREN'T TELEVISED AND THERE WAS AN EMAIL AND ALL THESE OTHER KINDS OF THINGS. I MEAN, KNOW SO I WONDER IF MAYBE WE NEED TO IN THE NANCYS POINT, IT DOESN'T FEEL LIKE WE GET. A SUBSTANTIALLY DIFFERENT FOCUS ON THE PUBLIC HEARING PART, SO I'M WONDERING IF NO, I THINK WHAT HAPPENS IS WHEN WE HAVE A HOT BUTTON TOPIC OR A HOT.A HOT MESS, AND WE'RE DELETING SOMETHING THAT THAT THE PUBLIC CERTAINLY AGAINST US WHEN WE REALLY SEE THE FEEDBACK THAT WE DON'T GET A LOT OF FEEDBACK MOSTLY.
RIGHT. BUT I ALSO RECALL THAT EVEN WHEN THOSE ARE HOT BUTTON THINGS ARE COMING, THEY'RE NOT WAITING. I MEAN, THEY MIGHT SIGN UP FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING, BUT THEY ALSO SIGN UP JUST TO DO PUBLIC COMMENTS DURING THE REGULAR.
YEAH, WELL, MAYBE IT'S LIKE OUR EDUCATION CAMPAIGN TO TALK ABOUT HOW THE BOARD ACCEPT FEEDBACK AGAIN SO THAT YOU ARE GETTING A LITTLE BIT OF THE TIME PRESCRIBED FOR YOU.
BILL, FOR APPROVAL CAME IN EARLIER OR THINKING ABOUT THAT SORT OF THING AND THEN ASK ME THE QUESTION I WANTED TO JUST ASK DOMINICK.
I THINK THE OTHER PART WE WERE UNSURE OF IS WHEN DO YOU START COLLABORATING WITH THEM? LIKE, ARE THERE SPECIFIC THE TIMES WHERE THE SUPERINTENDENT MEETS WITH MARKINGS OR ANY OTHER THINGS ON THE SENATE SIDE SIDE BY SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU HAVE PULLED US AROUND THAT COMPANIES SAY THAT ROLL DOWN THE HILL? OR OR HOW DOES THAT WORK? BECAUSE THAT IS NOT REALLY A CLEAR PROCESS FOR THE PUBLIC, BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY, I THINK, AS I SAID AT THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, YOU GUYS ARE DOING SO MUCH BETTER THAN IT WAS LIKE FIVE OR SIX YEARS AGO WHERE I THINK IT WAS ALWAYS A SURPRISE TO EACH OTHER WHAT THE BUDGET WAS GOING TO BE LIKE, THE SCHOOL BOARD, OR, YOU KNOW, WE WOULD BE BANNED FROM THE CITY BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT THERE ARE SOME SEATS THAT ARE IN THE MIDDLE AND THIS IS LOOKING GOOD FOR THE SCHOOL.
AND I THINK THAT YOU ARE GOING FOR WHEN THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE HAPPENING.
SO THE SUPERINTENDENT MEETS WITH MARTIN BI WEEKLY.
OBVIOUSLY, THEY DON'T ALWAYS JUST TALK ABOUT THE BUDGET.
YOU KNOW, THEY TALK ABOUT A NUMBER OF THINGS.
AND THEN AS FAR AS MYSELF, YOU KNOW, I MEET THE DEPUTY CITY MANAGER FINANCE LARRY CRAIG.
WE BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, WE USED TO MEET EVERY SO OFTEN FOR A COFFEE CHAT JUST TO TALK ABOUT FINANCE IN THE CITY AND WHAT THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IS DOING AS WELL AND OUR NEEDS AND SO FORTH. AND THEN I MEET WITH MORGAN ABOUT THE DIRECTOR OF OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET, REALLY WHATEVER WE NEED TO.
YOU KNOW, HE HAS MY CELL PHONE NUMBER.
YOU KNOW, WE COMMUNICATE PRETTY REGULARLY, SO I DON'T THINK IT'S REALLY A SET TIME.
YOU KNOW, WE WE PROBABLY IN IN OCTOBER, WE REALLY START TO PICK UP THE CONVERSATION MORE AND MORE FREQUENTLY BECAUSE THE FIRST SATURDAY IN NOVEMBER IS THE CITY COUNCIL RETREAT.
SO WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER ON THAT.
AND WHAT HE'S GOING TO PRESENT FROM THE CITY BUDGET PERSPECTIVE AND WHAT WE'RE GOING TO PRESENT FROM THE SCHOOL PERSPECTIVE.
WE ALSO WORK WHEN IT COMES TO OUR FISCAL FORECAST BECAUSE THEY SINCE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BASICALLY A THIRD OF THE CITY BUDGET, THEY LIKE TO USE OUR OUR FISCAL FOCUS IN THEIR FISCAL FOCUS.
AND THEN WE JUST WORK TOGETHER DOWN THE HOMESTRETCH TO TO LEARN, OK, WHAT ARE THE CITY PROJECTING FOR THEIR REVENUE INCREASES? WHAT DOES THE CITY THINK THEY CAN BE ABLE TO AFFORD TO BE ABLE TO GIVE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM? AND THEN, YOU KNOW, I, I ALWAYS TRY TO PUSH IT TO THE LIMIT BECAUSE I'M ALWAYS TRYING TO GET AS MUCH RESOURCES AS POSSIBLE.
AND THEN WE ALSO WORK ON, YOU KNOW, OUTSIDE OF THE BOX THAT IS USED TO BE ABLE TO FINANCE DIFFERENT THINGS, BECAUSE IF THEY DON'T HAVE IT ON THE OPERATING SIDE, MAYBE WE CAN GET IT ON THE ON THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT SIDE.
WELL, MAYBE THAT THEY KNOW OF A GRANT OR SOMETHING THAT WE CAN GET.
SO, YOU KNOW, THERE IS NO REAL SET TIME.
IF I HAVE A QUESTION OF MORGAN, I JUST PICK UP THE PHONE AND I GIVE THEM A CALL.
I HAD A I HAD A QUESTION, BUT I WANTED TO WAIT FOR THE ACTUAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS WANTED TO WAIT MY TURN. SO YOU GUYS HAVE A QUESTION.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I WAS LISTENING TO YOU GUYS TALK AND JUST THINKING ABOUT NOVEMBER AND SO
[00:50:02]
MUCH KEY, SOME KEY DATA COMING IN IN NOVEMBER, GETTING IT ALL READY, YOU KNOW, SCHEDULING THOSE TWO BY TWOS IN DECEMBER AND TAKING ALL OF THAT AND THEN PLOWING THROUGH TO GET TO JANUARY, IT REALLY IT DOESN'T MAKE ME THINK ABOUT SO MUCH ABOUT THAT, THAT I THEN START THINKING ABOUT THE SHIP.AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE OF THE REALLY GREAT THINGS THAT'S HAPPENED IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS IS THAT WE HAVE SEEN A SETTLING, SHALL I SAY, IN THE SIP.
WE'RE NOT SEEING AS MUCH DRAMATIC MOVEMENT OR, YOU KNOW, IT'S QUITE SO MUCH IN THE SIPI. MAYBE YOU GUYS ARE GOING TO DISAGREE WITH ME.
I'M WONDERING IF IT'S HELPFUL IF IF IT WOULD BE HELPFUL FOR YOU ALL, NOT BECAUSE I WANT TO THIS IS SEPARATE FROM SOME KNOW AND THIS WOULD HELP US MOVE THE MOVE THE OPERATING BUDGET SCHEDULE AROUND.
BUT JUST THINKING ABOUT THE WORKFLOW FOR YOU ALL, WOULD IT WOULD IT BE PREFERABLE TO HAVE THE SIPI DONE EARLIER? NOT THAT LAST.
I MEAN, IT'S ALWAYS THAT TRADITIONALLY IS THAT LAST MEETING IN DECEMBER, IF WE REALLY HIT THE GROUND RUNNING AND COMMITTED TO GETTING IT OVER AND DONE WITH EARLIER.
I DON'T WANT TO SPEAK TOO MUCH ON IT AT THAT TIME IN THE FACILITIES, IN THE OPERATION ROOM, OUR DEPARTMENT HAS BEEN GETTING MORE INVOLVED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SHIP, BUT IT'S STILL UNDER THE PURVIEW OF THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES AND OPERATIONS.
SO. I MEAN, I WOULDN'T WANT TO COMMIT THEM TO TO DOING IT SOONER THAN THEY'RE CURRENTLY DOING IT, BUT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, IF IT WAS.
APPROVED MAYBE THE FIRST MEETING IN DECEMBER, BECAUSE I DO HAVE TO ASSIST WITH THAT PRESENTATION AND PUTTING TOGETHER THAT BOOK AND THAT BUDGET, I MEAN, I THINK IT WOULD ALLOW US TO SHIFT ALL OF OUR FOCUS TO THE OPERATING BUDGET A LITTLE BIT EARLIER.
BUT AGAIN, I DON'T WANT TO COMMIT DR.
HART TO SOMETHING THAT THAT SHE DOESN'T KNOW IS COMING.
BUT I GUESS THAT COULD BE ONE OF THOSE REQUESTS FROM THE BAOZI TO HAVE HAVE IT LOOKED AT OR HAVE IT REVIEWED.
GREAT. SO I WANT TO BE RESPECTFUL OF YOUR TIME, BECAUSE YOU HAVE SPENT AN HOUR WITH US AND I GUESS I KIND OF JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS I WOULD WELCOME.
IF YOU FEEL LIKE THERE ARE ANY OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU WOULD MAKE ON A TIMELINE FOR US TO CONSIDER.
AND THEN KIND OF THE SECONDARY QUESTION, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT IS SURROUNDING JURISDICTIONS.
AND IF YOU HAD ANY RECOMMENDATIONS ABOUT ONES THAT YOU THOUGHT WOULD BE A GOOD COMPARISON, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT WE'RE SOMEWHAT UNIQUE IN BEING A CITY AND THE WAY THAT WE OPERATE THE SCHOOLS.
I THINK WE HAD TRIED TO BRAINSTORM A LITTLE BIT THE LAST TIME ABOUT WHAT JURISDICTION JURISDICTIONS TO SEEK OUT, BUT WOULD WELCOME YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS AS WELL IF YOU HAD ANY COLLEAGUES OR IN SURROUNDING JURISDICTIONS THAT YOU KIND OF CONFER WITH.
SO AS FAR AS OTHER JURISDICTIONS, I KNOW WE ALWAYS LIKE TO LOOK AT THE SCHOOL DIVISIONS, BUT I WOULD SAY LOOK AT THE CITY OF RICHMOND, THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT LARGER THAN US, BUT THEY'RE ALSO A CITY VERSUS A COUNTY.
MOST OF THE JURISDICTIONS UP HERE ARE COUNTIES AND THEY OPERATE COUNTIES OPERATE DIFFERENTLY IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA THAN CITIES DO.
SO I WOULD SAY, YOU KNOW, TAKE A LOOK AT THE CITY OF RICHMOND AND THEIR PROCESS.
I KNOW. I KNOW SINCE VIRGINIA AND NORTHERN VIRGINIA, TWO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT PLACES.
BUT, YOU KNOW, PROCESS THE PROCESS MIGHT BE MORE COMPARABLE THAN, SAY, LOOKING AT ARLINGTON OR FAIRFAX OR SOMETHING.
AND THEN ALSO, I WOULD JUST SAY WHEN IT COMES TO TO LOOKING AT THIS AND TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, EITHER MOVE UP OR MOVE BACK DATES, I WOULD REALLY JUST LOOK AT WHAT THINGS COULD BE TAKEN OUT BETWEEN WHEN THE SUPERINTENDENT PROPOSES HIS BUDGET AND THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES THEIR BUDGET IN FEBRUARY, THAT COULD HELP MOVE THAT APPROVAL RATE UP.
AND WHEN I SAY UP, I MEAN CLOSER TO JANUARY 1ST.
[00:55:01]
GO AHEAD, NANCY.NO, NO, NO, GO AHEAD, GO AHEAD. SORRY.
SO, SO, SO, YEAH, SO BECAUSE, AGAIN, IT JUST FROM MY PERSPECTIVE AND FROM FROM MY TEAM, IT'D BE TOO HARD TO MOVE THE SUPERINTENDENT'S PROPOSAL BEFORE THE NEW YEAR.
SO IT WOULD BE LOOKING AT WHAT COULD BE REMOVED BETWEEN THE PROPOSAL AND THE CURRENT APPROVAL DATE TO BE ABLE TO MOVE THAT DATE FORWARD OR UP OR HOWEVER YOU WANT TO LOOK AT IT AND THEN MOVING IT BACK.
WE CAN TAKE A LOOK TO SEE IF THERE'S ANY STATUTES THAT SAY THAT WE HAVE TO APPROVE IT BY A CERTAIN DATE AND GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT.
AND THE LAST PIECE IS SLIPPING MY MIND RIGHT NOW.
IT'S LATE, IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY, MARTIN.
I HAD A QUESTION THAT SIMILAR FAMILY HAS ESCAPED MY MIND.
SO IF I THINK ABOUT IT, I'LL SEE YOU GUYS, I GUESS.
BUT THE LAST ONE WAS JUST I MEAN, I KNOW YOU TALK WITH OTHER PROFESSIONALS.
I MEAN, ARE YOU ARE YOU AWARE OF THIS? THIS IS THE SORT OF THERE'S ALWAYS A BACK AND FORTH KIND OF IN THE BUDGET PROCESS BETWEEN, YOU KNOW, THE CITY OR THE COUNTY AND THE SCHOOLS.
ARE YOU AWARE IS THIS SOMETHING THAT THAT THAT THAT OTHER DIVISIONS ARE TALKING ABOUT OR ARE THERE LIKE I KNOW WE ALREADY GO FIRST, RIGHT.
I MEAN, LIKE, IT'S KIND OF IT'S SORT OF THIS RUNNING JOKE, RIGHT? LIKE LITERALLY ALL OF WAVE, YOU KNOW, IS LIKE OLD ALEXANDRIA IS GOING FIRST.
I MEAN, IS THERE A REASON WHY WE GO FOR I MEAN, IS THERE IS THERE SOMETHING INHERENT IN IN IN ALEXANDRIA OR.
I GUESS I JUST I'M JUST CURIOUS IF YOU IF YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW THAT OR SO.
THAT'S WHY I SAID I HAD TO LOOK TO SEE IF MAYBE WE HAVE A STATUTE THAT SAYS WE HAD OUR SCHOOL BOARD HAS TO APPROVE BY A CERTAIN DATE, I DON'T KNOW, OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
SO I HAVE TO GO THROUGH OUR POLICIES AND SO FORTH TO SEE IF THAT'S LAID OUT THERE.
BUT AS FAR AS YOU KNOW, JUST HEARING FROM OTHER SCHOOL DIVISIONS, I HAVEN'T HEARD OF ANY OF MY PEERS SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THERE'S TALK BETWEEN THE SCHOOL BOARD AND THE CITY OR COUNTY ELECTED OFFICIALS ABOUT, YOU KNOW, MOVING UP THE DATE OF APPROVAL OR THERE BEING A CONCERN ABOUT APPROVING THEIR BUDGET PRIOR TO, YOU KNOW, THE THE COUNTY EXECUTIVE OR THE CITY MANAGER PROPOSING THEIR BUDGET.
AND THAT JUST BROUGHT BACK TO ME WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY IS THAT CAN THEY GO AS FAR AS THE THEIR PROPOSAL? AND I'VE SAID THIS TO SCHOOL BOARD MEMBERS, BUT IF WE MOVE UP SO, FOR INSTANCE, IF AT THE SCHOOL BOARD APPROVES THEIR BUDGET A DAY BEFORE THE CITY MANAGER PROPOSES, HIS BUDGET IS NOT GOING TO CHANGE ANYTHING IN HIS OR HER BUDGET.
RIGHT. THEY'RE STILL GOING TO PROPOSE THE EXACT SAME THING BECAUSE WE REPRESENT A THIRD OF THE CITY'S BUDGET AND THEY HAVE TO PUT TOGETHER JUST LIKE WE TAKE MONTHS TO PUT TOGETHER OUR BUDGET, THEY TAKE MONTHS TO PUT TOGETHER THEIR BUDGET.
AND BECAUSE WE REPRESENT SUCH A LARGE PORTION OF THEIR BUDGET, THEY CAN'T CHANGE THEY CAN'T CHANGE THEIR ENTIRE BUDGET ON A DIME LIKE THEIR PRESENTATION AND THEIR A IN A DAY TO REFLECT WHAT THE SCHOOL BOARD HAS HAS APPROVED.
SO I JUST WANT TO SAY THAT TO TO THIS COMMITTEE, JUST LIKE I SAID, IT'S THE SCHOOL BOARD WAS JUST SO YOU ALL ARE AWARE AS WELL.
AND DOMINIC, WE'RE ON THE SAME WAVELENGTH BECAUSE THAT WAS THE QUESTION THAT I WAS GOING TO ASK YOU THAT I HAD IN MY MIND, WHICH WAS SORT OF HOW MUCH WHAT WOULD BE A MEANINGFUL PERIOD OF TIME TO MOVE UP THE DECISION MAKING THAT IT WOULD ACTUALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
BECAUSE I KNOW THAT YOU'VE SAID I'VE HEARD YOU SAY THIS BEFORE.
RIGHT. LIKE ONE OR TWO DAYS IS NOT GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
LIKE HOW AND THIS MIGHT BE A QUESTION FOR THE CITY AS WELL.
BUT IS IT LIKE A WEEK? IS IT TWO WEEKS? IS IT THREE WEEKS? LIKE, WHAT'S GOING TO ACTUALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IF THE SCHOOL BOARD WANTED TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE MEANINGFUL FEEDBACK TO THE CITY MANAGER BEFORE, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE KIND OF COOKED, SO TO SPEAK.
SO. SO BEFORE I CAME TO, I WORKED FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS IN THE OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET ON A COUNTY SIDE, SO.
THEIR PROPOSED BUDGET IS DONE, IT IS LIKELY DONE BEFORE THE SUPERINTENDENT
[01:00:01]
PROPOSES HIS BUDGET, RIGHT, LIKE THEY'RE LIKELY NOT CHANGING.I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IF IT'S A COUPLE OF THOUSAND DOLLARS OR A COUPLE OF HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN PROBABLY MAKE A CHANGE AFTER THE SUPERINTENDENT CHANGES BECAUSE THEY STILL HAVE ABOUT TWO MONTHS OR A MONTH AND A HALF.
BUT IF IT'S MILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT THE SUPERINTENDENT PROPOSED SOMETHING THAT WAS TEN MILLION DOLLARS MORE THAN WHAT THEY WERE WORKING WITH, THEY'RE NOT CHANGING THEIR PROPOSED BUDGET. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO SAY, OK, WELL, LET'S SEE HOW WE CAN PUT IN MORE MONEY, BECAUSE THAT'S JUST TOO MUCH MONEY FOR THEM TO CHANGE EVERYTHING THEY WERE DOING LEADING UP TO THAT. SO IF WE REALLY WANTED TO OFFER THEM TIME TO SAY, OK, WELL, LET'S SEE HOW WE CAN REWORK OUR ALMOST ONE BILLION DOLLAR BUDGET WHERE THE SCHOOL SYSTEM REPRESENTS A THIRD OF THAT.
WE WOULD LIKELY NEED TO BE APPROVING OUR BUDGET IN NOVEMBER, RIGHT BEFORE THANKSGIVING, BECAUSE THEN THEY WILL HAVE, YOU KNOW, THREE MONTHS TO BE ABLE TO SAY, OK, CAN CAN WE DO THIS OR CAN WE NOT DO THIS? RIGHT, THAT THAT MAKES SENSE TO ME THAT YOU'RE SAYING NOVEMBER, BUT ALSO IN NOVEMBER IS IS LITERALLY THE FIRST TIME WE EVEN HEAR FROM THEM FROM THE BUDGET RETREAT.
RIGHT. I MEAN, I GUESS I GUESS THE ONLY WAY THEY WOULD THEY COULD DECIDE TO FIND SOME SORT OF REVENUE GENERATORS TO IF YOU CAME WITH IT, IF THE SCHOOLS CAME WITH A BIG REQUEST, OR THEY COULD MOVE MONEY AROUND.
BUT I KNOW THAT THE BUDGET IS EXTREMELY LEAN SUCH THAT MOVING MONEY AROUND IS CHALLENGING, LIKE I DO BUDGET ADVOCACY WITH THE DISTRICT BUDGET.
AND SOMETIMES THE CITY COUNCIL WILL, LIKE THE D.C.
COUNCIL, WILL LIKE MOVE MONEY FROM ONE BUCKET TO THE OTHER.
BUT I THINK THEY HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE FLEXIBILITY BECAUSE OF THE NATURE OF THEIR THEIR BUDGET.
YES, AND AND I WILL SAY WHEN IT COMES TO WHEN IT COMES TO PUTTING TOGETHER THE BUDGET AFTER THE PROPOSAL IS DONE, THE CITY COUNCIL CAN MOVE MONEY ALL ACROSS THE CITY TO AGENCIES AND DEPARTMENTS JUST LIKE THE SCHOOL BOARD CAN MOVE ALL ACROSS, YOU KNOW, OUR DIFFERENT SCHOOLS AND DEPARTMENTS WHEN WHEN THEY'RE APPROVING OUR BUDGET.
BUT THAT THAT'S MORE TIME, RIGHT? THAT THEY HAVE FEBRUARY TO MARCH 15TH WHERE THEY'RE LOOKING TO SEE HOW THEY WANT TO REALLOCATE WHAT WAS PROPOSED.
AND THEN ONCE THEY APPROVE IT ON MARCH 15TH, THE ONLY DOCUMENTS THAT ARE REALLY GETTING PRODUCED ARE WHAT'S CHANGED FROM THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
AND THEN THEY HAVE AS MUCH TIME AS THEY WANT TO PRODUCE THAT FINAL BUDGET DOCUMENT.
RIGHT. SO LIKE, FOR INSTANCE, WHEN WE DO OUR FINAL ADOPTION THAT FIRST WEEK IN JUNE, WE HAVE MONTHS TO BE ABLE TO THEN PUT TOGETHER THE FINAL BUDGET.
BUT IF YOU'RE CHANGING, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF THEY'RE JUST CHANGING 10 MILLION DOLLARS FROM, YOU KNOW, DIFFERENT AGENCIES ACROSS THE CITY, THAT MEANS THEY HAVE TO CHANGE HUNDREDS OF PAGES IN THEIR BUDGET DOCUMENT AND.
RIGHT, RIGHT, RIGHT. WELL, I WANT TO THANK YOU BOTH, DOMINIC AND ROBERT, FOR JOINING US TONIGHT. DEFINITELY GAVE US A LOT OF GOOD INFORMATION TO CONSIDER AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THIS, EXAMINING NEARBY JURISDICTIONS AND DEFINITELY THE BACKGROUND INFORMATION ABOUT THE BUDGET PLANNING PROCESS.
AND I THINK WE HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION A COUPLE OF YEARS IS KIND OF LIKE THE CITY EDUCATE THE LAYPERSON RESERVATION ABOUT WHAT IT TAKES TO DEVELOP THE BUDGET AND GO FORWARD. SO EVEN IF THAT IS A COMPLIMENTARY OUTCOME OF THE WORK THIS YEAR, I THINK THAT'S ALSO A GOOD THING FOR OUR PARENTS TO UNDERSTAND.
ALL RIGHT. ANY CLOSING COMMENTS FROM MORENAE OR OUR OR OUR GUESTS? NOT FOR OUR GUESTS, OTHER THAN ECHOING YOUR THANKS FOR THEIR TIME AND THEIR CANDOR.
YOU SEE THAT IN THE I HAD TO CLOSE OUT THE MEETING.
YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE DOCUMENTS THAT WE SENT OUT AND WHAT I LEFT OUT THERE? ABSOLUTELY. SO JUST VERY QUICKLY, I DID CIRCULATE TO THE GROUP, BOTH A PROPOSED END OF YEAR REPORT, SOMETHING THAT WE DIDN'T GET A CHANCE TO DO BECAUSE OF COVID AND THEN A PROPOSED SCOPE OF WORK.
AND I AM HAPPY TO RECEIVE ANY FEEDBACK NOW, BUT I'M ALSO HAPPY TO RECEIVE FEEDBACK VIA EMAIL ABOUT THOSE TWO DOCUMENTS.
BUT I WOULD LIKE TO FINALIZE THOSE SO THAT WE CAN THEN SEND THEM ON TO I THINK SUSAN'S
[01:05:04]
THAT WE THAT THEY CAN BE PRESENTED TO THE TO THE SCHOOL BOARD.SO AGAIN, HAPPY TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE NOW OR VIA EMAIL, BUT I'D LOVE TO GET THAT TO SUSAN A.S.A.P. AS LONG AS PEOPLE ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THEM.
AND JUST ANOTHER REMINDER TO BE ABLE TO JOIN US TONIGHT, JUST FOR ALL OF US TO WORK TOGETHER ON AN E-MAIL, IF I GET ANYTHING BACK BY THURSDAY, THEY'LL BE WITH US AS WE ARE GETTING SOMETHING. IS A FRIDAY OR EARLY NEXT WEEK? THAT WOULD BE. YOU CAN EDIT THE DOCUMENT MINUTE LATER.
IT YOU'RE NOT VERY FAR FROM YOUR HOUSE.
PERFECT. WELL, THANK YOU FOR PRODUCING IT.
I REALLY APPRECIATE IT. ARE THERE ANY OTHER THINGS FOR TODAY'S MEETING WHEN YOU CONSIDER.
ANY OTHER CITIES, I LIVE IN RICHMOND.
WANT TO STICK BY THE DECISION, I SAY FALLS CHURCH AND MUCH, MUCH OLDER THAN US, BUT AGAIN, IF WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT THE BUDGET PROCESS, THE POPULATION OF THE SCHOOL DOESN'T REALLY MATTER. THE SCHOOL SYSTEM THAT IS THERE, IS THERE ENOUGH OF A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN COUNTY THAT YOU DON'T SEE ANY VALUE IN US USING THEM AS A COMPARISON? NO, I THINK I WOULD SAY DEFINITELY TAKE A LOOK AT THE COUNTIES, BUT ONE OF THE BIG DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COUNTIES AND CITIES IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA COUNTIES CAN ACTUALLY ISSUE DEBT LIKE SCHOOL SYSTEMS. THEY CAN ACTUALLY ISSUE DEBT, WHEREAS WE CANNOT ISSUE DEBT THAT CITY OF ALEXANDRIA CREDIT. SO THAT THAT'S PROBABLY THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE THAT I KNOW BETWEEN COUNTIES AND CITIES.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, THEN I THINK WE CAN PROPOSE TO ADJOURN FOR TONIGHT.
I APPRECIATE YOU JOINING US TONIGHT AND THANKS FOR A GOOD CONVERSATION.
AND WE'LL SORT OF CIRCLE THE WAGONS, EMAILS AND START MAPPING OUT FOR THE AND PEACE TIME AND IN THE FIGHT FOR THE NEXT COUPLE MONTHS ABOUT INTERVIEWING OUR COLLEAGUES FOR FOUR FEBRUARY OR MARCH SO THAT WE CAN PRODUCE A PRODUCT BY FOR.
ALL RIGHT. WELL, THANKS, EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
WHY DID IT SOUND LIKE YOU DIDN'T HAVE A GOOD NIGHT?
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.