Board of Supervisors Budget Public Hearing (Session I)

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Loudoun County Board of Supervisors 30 min 1 speaker 8 agenda items transcribed 2 days ago official recording ↗

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What is the purpose and procedure of the February 28 budget public hearing?

Phyllis J. Randall 5:30

Well, good afternoon, supervisors, good afternoon, staff, and good afternoon, Loudoun. I'm going to call to order the three o'clock public hearing for February 28th. It is our budget public hearing. This room has a hearing loop. If you need a hearing assistance, please put your hearing aid to the telecoil mode. If you need a headset, we have those available as well. Please see the clerk to request one. The public hearing is to allow members of the public to address the board on the proposed budget for the fiscal year beginning July 1st, 2024 and ending July 30th, 2025. the fiscal year 2025 proposed budget, and the proposed tax rate on real and personal property for tax year 2024, beginning July 1st, 2024, and ending December 31st, 2024.

Phyllis J. Randall 6:29

There are three sessions for public comment on the proposed budget. Any member of the public may address the board at only one of our three sessions. If you wish to speak at this public hearing, if you've not already done so, please sign up with the clerk to my left. If you have signed up, you will be allowed two and a half minutes to speak, which is the normal time for public comment. Nothing changes during public hearing during the budget process, two and a half minutes. If you're in the boardroom when your name is called, please come to the podium closest to you. You will see the timer on the podium. If you don't mind indicating, give me your name, and if you don't mind indicating, if you don't wanna say where you live in Loudoun, just indicate if you live in Loudoun, if you don't mind.

Phyllis J. Randall 7:17

If you're providing your comments via phone, I'm going to ask that you use your own stopwatch because you can't see our clock. And I won't stop you while you're speaking because to stop people throws you off your kind of your public speaking. It interrupts your flow. But I will stop you when your time is up. So if you would clock yourself, I'd really appreciate that. When taking public input, I will go to the people in the boardroom first, and then I will go to the moderator and ask if there's any people on the remote who'd like to speak. As of right now, it looks like we have one person to speak remotely. I have, we do have board members who may be at work or trying to get here, so they're not here yet.

Phyllis J. Randall 8:03

They may be on their way. I will say that board members have assured us that if they cannot attend the public hearing, they will go back and listen to the audio so that they know what things are going on and who was given the opinions on what issues. I will ask the moderator, Lisa, can you hear me?

Susan Cox 8:25

Good afternoon, Chair Randall. Yes, I can hear you.

Phyllis J. Randall 8:27

Wonderful. We're going to go on and start calling names. I'm going to call your name about three people in advance so you know if you're going to be the next one coming up. Our first speaker is Dr. Gilbert Corella. Our second speaker is Eric Showalter. And our third speaker is Betty O'Lear. Dr. Gilbert Corella? Corella?

Gilbert Corella 8:50

Corella.

Phyllis J. Randall 8:51

Corella, good evening. Good afternoon, rather.

Gilbert Corella 8:55

Yes. Ready when you were. I am not a county resident, but I represent Loudoun Community Band, which is a 501 nonprofit that has been here in the county since 1994. We are a performing arts organization comprised of about 100 volunteers.

How does the Loudoun Community Band describe its needs for a permanent venue?

Gilbert Corella 9:13

Most of us are not professional musicians. As a matter of fact, we very well represent the diversity of the county. For example, we have lawyers, doctors, engineers, retirees, veterans, you name it, we have it in our organization. We have about three performing art ensembles. The two largest is a concert band called Loudon Symphonic Winds of about 60 members. We also have a jazz ensemble called the Loudon Jazz Ensemble. It's a big band of about 20 members. Our greatest challenge has really been to find venues that would accommodate groups of our size. We have been very creative and very active in the community for the past 30 years. We have partnered with Loudoun County Public Schools by providing free workshops for students.

Gilbert Corella 10:03

We bring in acclaimed artists such as the Canadian Brass. We also offer continuing education credits for any LCPS teacher, music teacher that is, that participates in our organization.