Coraggio Consulting
Loudoun County Board of Supervisors, Budget Public Hearing (Session I), Thursday, February 27, 2025

Date: Thursday, February 27, 2025
Place: Board Room, First Floor, Government Center, 1 Harrison Street SE, Leesburg, Virginia
Length: 50m (video)
Official meeting video (county, Granicus): https://loudoun.granicus.com/player/clip/7883
Meeting page: https://loudoun.granicus.com/player/clip/7883

Machine transcript (speech-to-text) produced by Coraggio Consulting. Not an official county record. Names and numbers may be misspelled; check the video at the timestamp before quoting.
Speech-to-text: whisper.cpp, model large-v3-turbo. Produced 2026-10-11. Timestamps are [HH:MM:SS] into the meeting video.

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[00:11:33] Well, good afternoon, supervisors, good afternoon, staff, and good afternoon, Loudon. I'd like to call to order the 3 and 6 o'clock p.m., February 27, 2025, Loudon County Board of Supervisors public hearing on the budget. This room has a hearing loop. If you need a hearing assistance, please switch your hearing aid to the telecom mode.

[00:11:52] If you need a headset, we have those available as well. Please see the clerk to my left to request one. Would everybody please join me in the Pledge of Allegiance? the flag and states of america and to the republic for which it stands one nation under god indivisible liberty and justice for all thank you all right this public hearing is to allow members of the public to address the board on the proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning july 1st 2025

[00:12:31] and ending June 30th, 2026, the FY26 proposed budget year and the proposed tax rates on real and personal property taxes for tax year 2025 beginning January 1st, 2025 and ending December 31st, 2025.

[00:12:49] This is the first of two public hearing sessions for today. We had one this past Saturday as well so that you can comment on the proposed budget. If you wish to address the board, you may only speak at one of the three public hearings because it's the same topic, and so if you spoke on Saturday, you can't speak today.

[00:13:10] If you spoke at 3 o'clock, you can't speak at 6 o'clock, et cetera, et cetera. If you like to speak in this public hearing, if you've not already done so, if you would sign up to the clerk to my left to request one, that would be very helpful. When you sign up to speak, you would be allotted two and a half minutes.

[00:13:28] If you're in the boardroom where your name is called, please come to the podium closest to you and state your name for the record. The timer on the podium will indicate your remaining time. When your time has expired, please yield the floor to the next speaker. If you are speaking with an interpreter, you will be allowed five minutes between you and the interpreter both.

[00:13:49] Your total time for you and your interpreter will be five minutes to be divided however you see fit, but it will only be five minutes for you and the interpreter. If you're providing comments via telephone, I ask that you use your stopwatch or clock or something to track your time. I will monitor your time in the boardroom and notify you when your time has expired, but I do not stop you in the middle of your speaking because it breaks your speaking flow.

[00:14:14] But at two and a half minutes, I will stop you then. Taking public input, I will first ask if there's anyone in the boardroom wishing to speak. Then I will go to the moderator and ask if there are any speakers online. note that there was a slight delay between the broadcast and the boardroom. Although not all board members are attending this three o'clock session, they have assured me that they will go back and watch the video. I am not sure if I will be here for the entire time during the six o'clock session myself, but I will absolutely assure you that I will

[00:14:49] go back and watch the video. I will try to call you three people in advance so that you know you're next. When your name is called in advance, you can come line up or get ready to speak or whatever because you'll be coming up next. And I will be very, very cognizant to make sure I try to pronounce names right. If I do mispronounce your name, please tell me when you come up. The first speaker is Carrie Wilson followed by Katherine Parker followed by Lindsey Kearney. Hi, I'm Carrie Wilson. Good afternoon, Ms. Wilson. Carrie

[00:15:26] Wilson with Cornerstones. I'm here on behalf of a nonprofit organization that has served this community, the Dulles Corridor for 55 years, committed to providing stability, empowerment and hope for our neighbors in need. Over the past several years, we have expanded our services here in Loudoun County, launching a food rescue initiative that has helped meet the rising demand for food hunger relief in both Loudoun and Fairfax, and working in partnership to build 250 new affordable homes to support our workforce, rent burden families and those who need permanent supportive housing.

[00:16:02] As you heard in the public input session last Saturday, so much has changed in our region, and the numbers tell a sobering story. There's been a 69% increase in homelessness in Loudoun since the beginning of the pandemic, 37% rise in food insecurity as more families struggle to afford basic necessities, expiration of federal relief programs, and double-digit increases in housing costs are pushing out the very workers who keep Loudoun's businesses and economy thriving.

[00:16:31] Today, we're facing real cuts to federal safety programs, mass layoffs, and the downsizing of federal contracts that are putting our economy and even more families at risk. I applaud this budget and its commitment to affordable housing and fully funding our schools. We recognize the effort to reduce tax burdens for homeowners, but let's be clear, without additional investment and reserves to support homeless programs, rental assistance, core human services that are almost going to be at our doorstep, the burden is going to fall on nonprofits, faith-based, and other

[00:17:10] community organizations without the resources to meet that growing need. Loudoun County's strong financial position gives you the opportunity to act now to make targeted investments to sustain and anticipate the critical programs and relief that will be needed to keep our families housed, our children fed, and our workforce stable. I urge you to prioritize these essential services as you consider the final FY26 budget. Thank you all for your time and your leadership for the residents of our county. Thank you, Ms. Wilson. Thank you for your service. Kathleen Parker, followed by Lindsay

[00:17:47] Kearney, followed by Eric Biling. Good afternoon. Good afternoon, Chair Randall and members of the board. My name is Catherine Parker, and I'm a violence prevention specialist at Laws, Domestic Violence, and Sexual Assault Services. For more than 30 years, Laws has been a leader in primary prevention working to stop violence before it starts. Through education, outreach, and partnerships, we empower youth, parents, families, and professionals with the knowledge and skills to build healthy relationships and create a safer Loudoun County. Our prevention programming is comprehensive and evidence-informed. We provide workshops on healthy relationships, consent and

[00:18:23] body safety, and bystander intervention, ensuring young people have the tools to recognize red flags, set boundaries, and support their peers. Signature programs like Coaching Boys Into Men, Athletes as Leaders, and Safe Dates equip youth with the skills to challenge harmful social norms and promote respect, integrity, and nonviolence. We've proudly worked alongside Loudoun County Public Schools for decades, building a strong pathway to reach more youth than ever before with prevention education. In the last fiscal year alone, our team conducted 72 prevention and outreach activities with youth and youth serving professionals, reaching more than 2,600 young

[00:19:01] people and professionals, more than tripling our impact from the previous year. Prevention education does not stop at the classroom. Laws trains coaches, teachers, social workers, youth mentors, and law enforcement, ensuring that trusted adults can recognize warning signs and intervene early.

[00:19:19] And through our program, Loud and Axe, as well, we've been working with alcohol serving establishments to prevent sexual violence in social spaces by training staff and bystander intervention. Prevention works. By investing in education and early intervention and strong partnerships, Laws is changing norms, reducing risk factors, and creating a community where violence is not tolerated. Together, we can build on these successes, leveraging years of accumulating best practices established through Laws' prevention efforts. Strengthening what's working means reinforcing, supporting, and promoting existing prevention efforts and proven strategies.

[00:19:54] Together, we can continue to stop violence before it begins and build a future where every young person grows up safe, informed, and empowered in Loudoun County. Together, we can ensure Loudoun County remains a leader in compassionate, effective, survivor-centered services, setting a standard for communities across the Commonwealth.

[00:20:11] Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much. lindsey um kearney followed by eric filing followed by theresa brody why good afternoon good afternoon chair randall members of the board of supervisors in the loudon community my name is lindsey kearney and i am the capital campaign advisor for laws new shelter project today i stand before you to talk about our transformational commitment to survivors and to the loudon community with an unprecedented investment in the construction of a 26 000 square foot laws shelter and community services center for more than 40 years laws has consistently evolved to meet the needs of survivors, listening to them and adapting to both needs

[00:20:49] and the evolution of national best practices. Now we are taking a bold step forward, one that reflects our unwavering dedication to safety, healing, and empowerment. Our $10 million investment is more than just a building. It's an enduring promise to survivors and a commitment to our community. This 50-bed state-of-the-art facility will be a sanctuary, a place where survivors find safety dignity healing and stability plans that reflect the changing landscape of shelter models we are featuring private efficiency units for survivors and their children to have secure independent spaces long-term housing options because healing and rebuilding takes time

[00:21:25] a fully integrated community-based service model where server survivors will have on-site access to employment services job training financial empowerment housing support safety net services and more cutting-edge security features and trauma-informed design creating both physical safety and emotional well-being this unprecedented project is a true investment in loudon county's future it is more than a shelter it will help integrate survivors into the community while maintaining their safety through the support of our partners donors in the county it stands as a powerful statement that loudon county and laws have shared commitment to addressing violence keeping the community safe and providing a holistic approach to healing and stability

[00:22:03] the need is clear the commitment is strong laws will pursue the creation of this facility in a way that is open to community support fosters independence and removes barriers we can all agree survivors in loudon county deserve nothing less we're grateful for the support of the board our community partners and everyone who stands together with survivors together we're looking for ways to better meet the needs of our community together we're shaping the future where survivors in loudon county have every opportunity to thrive together we can ensure loudon county remains a clear leader in the compassionate effective survivor services

[00:22:36] setting a standard for communities across the commonwealth thank you thank you um eric filing followed by uh theresa boyd rye followed by nitza um patalia good afternoon good afternoon my name is eric flang chief of the state probation parole office here in loudon county I come before you today in support of the annual supplement proposal I submitted to each of you about two weeks ago, January 23rd, I believe it was.

[00:23:12] When I often say who we are, people say, well, don't we already have a probation office here in the county, and what's the difference? Yes, you do have a local probation office here in the county, Community Corrections. The difference is they supervise all misdemeanor cases out of the Loudoun courts here.

[00:23:27] We, as a state probation officer, supervise all felony cases out of the Loudoun Circuit Court, as well as the circuit court out of anywhere in Virginia and the country, as long as they live here in Loudoun County. Some of the crimes we supervise for range anywhere from murder to rape to malicious wounding, assault, down to nonviolent felonies such as larceny and drug possession.

[00:23:51] We currently supervise about 728 cases, which is down 1,400 pre-COVID. I'm asking the board for assistance in the discrepancy of pay compensation our staff receives in comparison to other state probation officers around and in Northern Virginia, as well as here in Loudoun County, with respect to local community corrections and the juvenile state probation office in the county.

[00:24:17] Our state probation office in Loudoun County is the only probation officer in Northern Virginia that does not receive a stipend from its county. Prince William County, Fairfax, Alexandria, and Arlington all receive a minimum 15% state pay stipend from their county.

[00:24:34] Another financial hurdle is with local community corrections. uh their salary range is 62 705 to 106 599 while our state paid for northern virginia state probation is 58 582 to 64 783. in addition local state juvenile probation office currently already received a stipend from this board which puts us again at a disadvantage i do want to be clear we are not in competition with local community corrections nor state juvenile however we do consistently lose staff to other Northern Virginia counties state offices because of

[00:25:10] the pay difference with the stipend. As a result, I'm respectfully asking the board for 15% state stipend which equals 187,686 annually from the county plus FICA. I would ask the board. My time's up. Your time is up. Just give me one second though, sir. First of all, do me a favor and pronounce your last name. Fling. It's Fling. It's like Spring Fling.

[00:25:35] How many employees are we talking about? 18. We're talking about 18 employees. Okay. Again, that equates to $187, $686, and $0.90 annually without FICA. Can you, one, do me a favor, a couple of things.

[00:25:51] Yeah, he said Willie Allen was that didn't, that don't supplement. Are you saying in NOVA, Willie Allen was that don't supplement? Yes, ma'am. Prince William, Fairfax, LA Jameser, and Arlington do. Can you, one, send me your comments. Can you email your comments to the board? That's the first thing. Secondly, do you have a graph or graphic that shows that, what you just said?

[00:26:09] So I have a handout for each board member here. Okay, then she'll give it to us. Yes, ma'am, I should have everything you need, as well as my contact information. Thank you so much for your service. Thank you. Thank you, ma'am. Nitsa Prelaita, followed by Jennifer Montgomery.

[00:26:25] Okay. Hi, it's Tessa Brody-Rye. I'm sorry, it is Tessa Brody-Rye. My apologies, you were correct. Thank you, and welcome. Thank you. Good afternoon, Chair Randall. members of the board of supervisors. My name is Tessa Brody Ryan. I'm the chief program officer for laws. Laws is deeply committed to data-driven decision-making and ensuring that our community has a clear and accurate understanding of the prevalence of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, stalking, trafficking, and child abuse. Data is more than numbers. It's the

[00:27:00] foundation for effective services, informed policy, and survivor-centered solutions. For decades, Laws has worked alongside our partners in Loudoun County's Coordinated Community Response, the CCR, to understand trends, strengthen reporting mechanisms, and improve how we collect and use data to enhance survivor outcomes.

[00:27:21] However, as the complexity of survivor needs and responses evolve, so must our reporting, data collection, and sharing evolve. That's why laws is actively strengthening our internal operations to enhance data collection reporting and analysis including Improving how we track survivor experiences to identify gaps and ensure all populations including immigrant LGBTQ+ and justice-involved survivors are represented in service data Enhancing collaboration with system partners to streamline data sharing and reporting while maintaining

[00:27:57] confidentiality and survivor safety, advancing prevention and intervention strategies based on real-time community trends, ensuring that our services are proactive, not just reactive. Data gives us all the full scope of the issues and helps us measure impact, drive resources to where they are needed most, and advocate for policies that create real, lasting change.

[00:28:19] This work is not about numbers alone, however. It is about understanding and addressing the real lived experiences of survivors in Loudoun County. Laws is ready and committed to working together with Loudoun County and community partners to strengthen data collection, coordination, and analysis.

[00:28:37] Together with county leadership and the right investments in collaboration, transparency, and survivor-centered data collection, we can ensure a strong, connected, responsive system that meets the needs of every survivor in our community. Together, we can ensure Loudoun County remains a leader in compassionate, effective survivor services, setting a standard for communities across the Commonwealth.

[00:29:01] Thank you. Thank you. Ms. Clark, I did see Ms. Clark, didn't I? Is she here? Yeah, there you are. You all have come up and given us very solid numbers, and I appreciate that. You tell us who you serve and the outcomes and those types of things.

[00:29:19] It would help me, I don't know about my colleagues, so I know what you're doing and who you're serving. That doesn't tell me what the need is. So if you're serving, let's choose a number, 50 people, and the need is 60, that's one discussion. If you're serving 50 people and the need is 200, that's another discussion.

[00:29:37] So if possible, and maybe not right now, maybe later you can call me, is it hard to tease out not just who you're serving and those numbers, but what they need actually? is. And we're going to do this right now because I just talked from the day as, hey, Samantha, here you go. But give me a call and let's talk about that, okay? All right. Thank you, ma'am.

[00:30:03] It does. And we can certainly have our systems partners to help understand. Absolutely. Absolutely. No. Okay. All right. Perfect. Thank you. Thank you. And then, and now we talk, come to the next person, which is Nitza and I think your last name is Peralta followed by Jennifer Montgomery. Good afternoon my name is Nitsa Medina Peralta and I'm the community services manager at Laws. I'm honored to speak on behalf of the survivors in our community and the advocates that rely on that they rely on to create a system that's accessible

[00:30:42] responsive and built around their needs. Survivors like someone I'll call T who fled with their family and sought shelter at Laws in 2021. They ultimately received shelter, court and community advocacy, legal and therapy services. Throughout their journey they would often remind me that that they would not have known what to do or where to go without the support of laws.

[00:31:00] I still get updates from them on a regular basis sharing their successes. Survivors in Loudoun County need help every day, help that requires us to work together to meet survivors where they are. Survivors need advocates who understand their trauma and who can guide them through next steps with clarity and care. Survivors need a coordinated network of providers ensuring every door they walk through leads to the right support at the right time in the right place.

[00:31:22] That is the role Laws has played for over 40 years by offering comprehensive, survivor-focused, trauma-informed services in partnership with county agencies, law enforcement, the courts, and community organizations. Together, we've built a strong system, but it can be even stronger. To strengthen it, we must intentionally build on what works by looking at best practices, along with what's worked across local partners in the past, aligning our efforts and ensuring that survivors never question where to turn for help and safety.

[00:31:48] This is why partnership is so important. Partnership eliminates barriers. When we work in partnership, We can enhance survivor services while meeting survivor needs, ensuring every survivor receives the care they need as effectively as possible. We all share the same goal, ensuring every survivor in Loudoun County has access to safety, justice, and healing.

[00:32:05] Together we are striving to prevent future harm through youth engagement and promotion of healthy relationships, which is essential to shifting social norms and reducing violence in our community. By working together, aligning our efforts, leveraging our expertise, and reinforcing the strong foundation that already exists, we can ensure this system remains survivor-centered, responsive, and accessible.

[00:32:26] At Laws, we are ready to lead in this effort, and we invite our community and county partners to join us in shifting and shaping a model survival-focused system. This is our opportunity to strengthen what we have and enhance our partnerships together. We can build on what works and ensure that every survivor in Loudoun County has a seamless, trusted path to safety and support.

[00:32:47] we can ensure that Loudoun County remains a leader in compassionate, effective survivor services, setting a standard for communities across the Commonwealth. Thank you. Thank you. Jennifer Montgomery, followed by Diana Rodriguez. Good afternoon, Ms. Montgomery.

[00:33:04] Good afternoon, Madam Chair, members of the board. Thank you all for the opportunity to speak today. My name is Jennifer Montgomery. I'm the CEO of Loudoun Hunger Relief, and I also serve as the chair for the Loudoun Human Services Advocacy Committee. The Ladin Human Services Network is a coalition of approximately 50 human services nonprofit organizations serving Ladin County.

[00:33:25] I'm here today to urge you to increase the FY26 allocation for the competitive grants process for human service nonprofits. Most of us have seen an increase in demand for services, certainly since COVID, but really from 2023 until now. We serve many different Ladin residents who live across the county in all districts.

[00:33:45] seniors, older adults, working families with children, single parents, veterans, people with disabilities, job seekers, and many more. We've seen, just like all of you have, the cost of everything from groceries to housing rise dramatically. Families who never thought they'd struggle to afford the essentials are now facing tough choices between food and other things like rent, mortgage, transportation, child care, and medical care.

[00:34:09] Across Loudoun, more families than ever are turning to food assistance programs. At Loudoun Hunger Relief, we've seen a 20 percent increase in demand year over year since 2023, after we had already doubled our numbers at COVID. Our partners at Dulles South Food Pantry saw a 17 percent increase in demand last year, and the Loudoun Education Foundation's fueled backpack program, which provides after-school or weekend feeding, realized a 35 percent increase in requests last year.

[00:34:39] Loudon Cares has seen an increase in calls to the Connect Information and Referral Line. Serenity House had twice as many requests for help in 2024 as they did in 2023. I have a list. My time is short. So I just want to say to you, as you have heard, the needs are increasing in our community.

[00:34:59] And we are concerned that the potential future job loss and economic instability will lead to increased human service needs. We request stronger collaboration with our county government and an improved process for nonprofits, county government, business, and philanthropy to convene, communicate, and strategize together to better serve our Loudon neighbors.

[00:35:19] Thank you for your time, and thank you all so much for your leadership. Thank you, Ms. Montgomery. Diana Rodriguez, followed by Nicole Acosta. Good afternoon. Good afternoon, again. Good afternoon, Chair Randall and members of the board.

[00:35:35] My name is Diana, and I'm the Community Services Director at Laws and the co-facilitator of the Loudoun Domestic Abuse Response Team, also known as DART. For over two decades, DART has been the backbone of Loudoun County's Coordinated Community Response, the CCR, to domestic violence. Established in 2005, DART was built on national best practices, bringing together law enforcement, the courts, social services, mental health providers, and laws to ensure a seamless survivor-centered response.

[00:36:00] DART has driven transformative change, strengthening the community's response to domestic violence, and expanding support for survivors in Loudoun County. We have been successful in our work. Our multidisciplinary collaboration has led to creation of dedicated domestic violence detectives, specialized domestic violence probation officers, and the implementation of the Lethality Assessment Protocol, or LAP, which has resulted in a 68% reduction in intimate partner homicides since the implementation in 2016.

[00:36:26] In 2023, Loudoun County DART was instrumental in shaping statewide policy, successfully advocating for the addition of suffocation to Virginia's strangulation statute. This legislative change was a direct result of the expertise and collaboration within our DART, ensuring that our justice system recognizes the profound seriousness of non-fatal strangulation and suffocation in domestic violence cases.

[00:36:48] Over time and through an evolving community landscape, DART has remained strong, active, and effective, convening monthly meetings, addressing system gaps, and providing training and resources to key partners. Loudoun's coordinated model has been recognized statewide and nationally as a leader and survivor-centered collaborative domestic violence response. As Loudoun considers ways to strengthen services, it's critical to build upon the existing success and infrastructure of the DART. The foundation is in place and has the opportunity to leverage the experience and insights of laws and our partners from our decades of co-facilitating and engaging in DART to result in even better outcome and services.

[00:37:25] By investing in what is proven to be effective, together we can enhance the coordination of services when all partners work in alignment. Together we have an opportunity to build upon 21 years of DART success, ensuring that every survivor receives the best possible care in the most effective and collaborative way. Together, we can ensure Loudoun County remains a leader in compassionate, effective survivor services, setting a standard for communities across the Commonwealth.

[00:37:47] Thank you. Thank you. Nicole Acosta, followed by Carol Smith, followed by David Kaiser. Good evening, Ms. Good afternoon, Madam Chair and Board of Supervisors. I'm Nicole Acosta, President and CEO of the Community Foundation for Loudoun and Northern Fauquier Counties, who I'm here representing today.

[00:38:04] The Community Foundation is a proud member of the Loudoun Human Services Network, and we align our comments on the FY26 budget with the areas of support and concern identified by LHSN. We applaud the board and staff's diligent efforts to shore up the housing fund and implement a sustainable growth plan for this important resource.

[00:38:19] It's truly making a difference. We do remain concerned that our housing shortage is leaving behind Loudoun's most vulnerable residents and encourage more resources and strategies developed to address housing needs for seniors, homeless residents, those in need of permanent supportive housing and households earning 40% or less of AMI.

[00:38:36] Second, I hope the board considers increasing the allocation for the nonprofit human services competitive grant program. We at the community foundation have heard consistently in the last year from our nonprofit grantees that needs for food, housing assistance, mental health other safety net services continue to exceed even pandemic-level service demands, as you've heard today. Our largest fund at the Community Foundation, providing human service grants for loud and non-profits, also saw a 20% increase in the last year in requested dollars. And that's before the federal workforce and contractor cuts of the last few weeks. Additionally, potential budget cuts to essential supports like Medicaid and SNAP and federal grant programs could cause

[00:39:12] a ripple effect that will most certainly stress the network of service providers, and we need to make sure they are adequately funded this year more now than ever. Lastly, I urge the board and staff to consider LHSN's request to improve and strengthen the collaboration and communication between the nonprofit community and county government so we can create a collective plan and strategy for meeting human service needs for Loudoun residents. It's going to take nonprofits, the government, and philanthropy to address what's coming short-term and long-term. We appreciate the current partnerships in place, but we know we've got some big issues we'll need to solve together as a community we thank you and the staff for your leadership and your service to this community

[00:39:50] thank you miss acosta um supervisors before the next two speakers speak let me just say that at the end before we adjourn um i will have some comments and so everyone can just hang out about some of the things that that were said here based on the meeting that mr turner and i had on i don't know what day that was monday tuesday i don't know a day this week um tuesday carol smith you you'll be followed by David Kaiser. Good evening, afternoon, Ms. Smith. Good to see you. I've lost track of time. Thank you, Madam Chair and Board of Supervisors for this opportunity. My name is

[00:40:29] Carol Smith, and I'm the founder and executive director of Crossroads Jobs. My organization is also a proud member of the Loudoun Human Services Network. Crossroads Jobs provides free individualized job search and job placement services offered in English and Spanish to communities of need made up of individuals who are experiencing barriers to employment. We reach out to communities of need by actively networking with other nonprofits and government agencies. Over 80% of our applicants earn less than 30% of the area median income, and 98% earn less than 50%. We provide a hand-up

[00:41:07] towards self-sufficiency. Prior to the 2020 pandemic, the total number of job seekers who access to our program remains steady. Since 2020, however, the number of individuals needing assistance has increased year over year. In 2025, we're seeing a 20% increase from the same time period in 2024, and we expect that to grow. I'm here to express our position on the FY2026 budget and align our comments with those of the Loudoun Human Services Network. We urge you to increase

[00:41:43] by 20 the fy 2026 human service non-profit grant allocation for the competitive grant process to meet the current needs and address increasing demands to services from loudon for loudon residents we really applaud we applaud the dedication of a full penny of the real property tax rate to the housing fund and we urge you to consider more resources and kind of thinking outside the box mindset to address housing needs for residents earning 40 percent or below the ami

[00:42:16] including our seniors our most vulnerable residents need our attention and our help on that note we request stronger collaboration with our county government and an improved process for non-profits and county government to convene communicate and strategize toward to better serve our residents needs thank you for your time and for your leadership appreciate it thank you miss smith our last speaker speaker is david kaiser good afternoon good afternoon i come before you this

[00:42:52] afternoon to thank you thank you for what you've done for mental health and the community service board i'm a new member and so getting in tune with what goes on behind the scenes I haven't spoken to this body for several years, but I happen to have a son who has significant organic impairments and lived in that world.

[00:43:18] He was institutionalized for many years. He lives at home now. And so we just saw a lot of disconnect between the county and the state and different counties and trying to put services together that really were reflective of everyone understanding what the real need was.

[00:43:41] And so that's my goal, but I appreciate Mr. Hemstreet's involvement with Margaret Graham in working together to try to figure out a budget. And so I was actually speaking on behalf of the community service board where they collectively ask for you to be Thanked and and show our appreciation for what you've done and keep doing it Thank thank the community services were for what you do as well. Thank you. Mr. Kaiser Supervisor. That's our last speaker For this afternoon. I just wanted to say a couple things before this evening session first

[00:44:18] I think all of our speakers today except one were from our nonprofit community and And as much as you all thank us, it's really we want to thank you. We know what you do. We know how hard it is. We know your population that you're working with.

[00:44:35] We know that, you know, a 2 a.m. phone call from a person who was involved in a domestic violence situation, where that call goes and what that call looks like. We know that you carry it home with you at night and that you sometimes get some compassion fatigue yourself just from dealing with it, especially if you do not feel like you have the resources that you need.

[00:44:57] We can't imagine, and we do know what it is to have families just that need enough food. So our feeding network is phenomenal. And so we, as a collective body, thank you all for what you all are doing. This past week, Tuesday, I think, Vice Chair Turner and I did have discussions with some people from the Human Services Network, and it went very, very well.

[00:45:24] Supervisors, over the next week or 10 days, I'm going to be calling you all just to kind of fill you in about those conversations and talk to you a little bit about how we can put some money into our nonprofit needs that we think might be coming because we do have a lot of federal employees who work in the county and a lot of federal contractors who work in the county.

[00:45:51] And what I said to our human services champions is it's better to be able to, if we can right now, and I think we can, put some money aside for an oncoming onslaught of what might be needs. And if we don't need it, we don't need it.

[00:46:06] We can put that back in the general fund versus not putting it aside, see that onslaught, and then really need it. We know that a lot of families live, you know, after two months, that paycheck to pay their rent is gone. And so to be able to put help in other ways is really important.

[00:46:23] So I've already had a discussion with Mr. Hemstreet about this. Of course, Mr. Turner was with me on Tuesday. And in the discussion, I have talked to members of the Human Services Network as recently as this morning. And I will give all of you a call just to kind of bring you up on what those discussions were and what a plan could be for this budget cycle sooner rather than later.

[00:46:50] So that will happen. I will also say that the way the funding goes in the competitive grants program, and I know you all know this, is that we fund the gap. So whenever we have a gap in what we were able to provide and what was needed for the next fiscal year that gap is funded. Last year, there was no gap. There was no gap.

[00:47:13] Now, there was no gap for maybe a couple of reasons. Two of our nonprofits who usually come in and ask for -- apply for money and always get funded to the fullest extent, missed the deadline. And they missed the deadline only because it was -- they were both changing leadership. And so they missed the deadline. So they didn't get funded at all. So part Part of that gap that was, you know, we would have had there, they missed a deadline.

[00:47:40] However, even when we don't fund the gap, we're supposed to do at least a 3% funding. So we're looking at the budget to find out if it's there, if it's not there, what happened, what didn't happen. We're not quite sure that it is not there, but we're checking that out to see what's going on with that because year over year, yeah, there needs to be something that happens.

[00:48:04] And so we did hear you all when you said these things to us the other day, and so we've already had meetings. I haven't been able to get to all of my colleagues because that was Tuesday and the day is Thursday. But everyone will get a phone call within the next 10 days, and I will continue to talk to the leaders from the Human Services Network to push that information out.

[00:48:29] I trust if I call Nicole Morris and Nicole Acosta, Jennifer Acosta, Carol Smith, I'm going to call those people, and then I'm done making phone calls. You all got it from there, right? Samantha, you two, and then you guys take it from there. But we do know that those things need to happen.

[00:48:47] And finally, I will say that between COVID and then other just changes, if there has been a fall off is what I'll call it in the relationship or the just the communication really between the county and our human services network we're going to take we're going to hear that and we're going to you know so we've already had a meeting we will keep having meetings there's nobody on this dais who doesn't want that relationship to stay strong and actually when I talk to my colleagues in other county I think we have one of the strongest relationships

[00:49:23] anywhere. But even if you see a fall off of a strong relationship, you want to keep that relationship strong a lot of the time. So we hear that also, that the collaboration is very, very important. It's important to us too, because we know, as I say over time, that our nonprofits are our first multiplier, and that you all are doing things that we don't always do. And maybe some people think we shouldn't even do it, but you do. And so those collaborations, even if it's just, you know, a lunch here or a phone call there or whatever are really important.

[00:49:54] So we will double our commitment to making sure that collaboration and those relationships stay strong. So that is it for today, and we appreciate you all being here. And with that, supervisors, we are on recess until 6:00.

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