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59 <br /> 1 Riza Jenkins said she wanted the county to balance fiscal reality while considering the need to get <br /> 2 students and staff into adequate school buildings as quickly as possible. She acknowledged the point <br /> 3 about constituents'financial hardship, saying that both things are true at the same time. <br /> 4 Commissioner McKee said he will be analyzing county projects just as much. <br /> 5 Commissioner Greene said,to Riza Jenkin's point,the Woolpert Report identified about$1 billion <br /> 6 worth of capital needs for the schools. After a lot of discussion, the Board settled on $300 million hoping <br /> 7 that the voters would approve that, which they did by a wide margin. She said she doesn't think they can <br /> 8 be thinking about some of that$300 million not being spent because of school closures, because the need <br /> 9 is much larger than $300 million. <br /> 10 Sarah Smylie said these projects are almost all new schools and that pushing projects out <br /> 11 decreases the value of the projects and value the community gets for their money. <br /> 12 Bonnie Hauser asked how much flexibility there really is with Pay-Go.She asked if all Pay-Go must <br /> 13 go towards capital expenses. <br /> 14 Travis Myren confirmed that there is no legal restriction between a Pay-Go dollar and an operating <br /> 15 dollar. <br /> 16 Bonnie Hauser noted that when Pay-Go was reduced the prior year, it did not benefit the schools' <br /> 17 operating budgets but rather prevented a larger tax increase. <br /> 18 Rani Dasi asked how this decision about pushing out projects will be made. <br /> 19 Chair Hamilton described the budget adoption process for the benefit of all participants. She <br /> 20 noted that the County Manager would present the recommended operating budget on May 5th; public <br /> 21 hearings are scheduled for May 12th and May 28th; budget work sessions are scheduled for May 14th, <br /> 22 21st, and 26th, and June 4th; and the budget adoption is expected at the June 16th meeting, with the <br /> 23 prior meeting serving to lock down the intent to adopt. She also noted that the public cannot speak at <br /> 24 work sessions, but that email is always available, and public hearings are the designated forum for public <br /> 25 comment. <br /> 26 George Griffin expressed concern about the pattern of revisiting the Pay-Go component. He <br /> 27 recalled that when the Pay-Go amount was reduced in the prior year, it was a bait-and-switch situation. <br /> 28 He said the school boards were selling a $300 million bond issue to build new schools to the community, <br /> 29 and they voted 65%in favor of it, and then out of the gate,the amount was reduced. He said he had been <br /> 30 assured at that time that the money would simply be pushed to year 10. He said it caught him and likely <br /> 31 some others by surprise that less than 12 months later, the school boards were again being asked if they <br /> 32 could back off on timing. <br /> 33 Chair Hamilton acknowledged his concern directly, saying she understood how it can feel like the <br /> 34 situation keeps changing. She said it is not intentional but reflects the fiscal realities and how the Board is <br /> 35 trying to manage the many needs. She said the intent of raising the subject at the joint meeting was to be <br /> 36 transparent early in the process, noting that there is only about a month for the Board to figure out how <br /> 37 to fund the whole county. She noted the pressures that all parties face. <br /> 38 Commissioner Bedford shared her own view, saying she believes Pay-Go is at risk, and that based <br /> 39 on increasing construction costs and the current financial environment, she does not anticipate three <br /> 40 major school construction projects ultimately being completed. She acknowledged this could change in <br /> 41 three or four years but pointed to the costs of new federal and state mandates, including SNAP <br /> 42 administration and Medicaid re-enrollment, as additional pressures on the county budget. <br /> 43 Bonnie Hauser acknowledged the Board is in a difficult spot, but said that OCS certified <br /> 44 supplements have not increased in 10 years. She said the capital discussion, while important, felt a little <br /> 45 limited and called on commissioners to hear the operating budget requests with equal compassion. <br /> 46 Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked staff to review the dates for budget information sessions. <br /> 47 Wil Glenn, Orange County Community Relations Director, announced the dates for the budget <br /> 48 information sessions on May 14th, May 20th, and May 21St <br />