City Council

Florence City Council Special Meeting Tuesday, September 17, 2024 6:00 p.m. MINUTES The City Council of the City of Florence, Kentucky, met in special session on Tuesday, September 17, 2024, at 6:00 p.m. at the Florence Government Center, 8100 Ewing Boulevard, Florence, Kentucky, with Mayor Julie M. Aubuchon presiding as chair. CALL TO ORDER & WELCOME: Mayor Julie M. Aubuchon called the special meeting to order and declared the meeting open for the presentation of items on the special meeting agenda. INVOCATION & PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor Aubuchon and Members of City Council recited the invocation. All attendees recited the Pledge of Allegiance. ROLL CALL: The roll was called, and the following five (5) members of council were registered present: Lesley Chambers, Jenna Kemper (Vice-Mayor), David A. Osborne, Patricia Wingo and Gary Winn. Councilmember Mel Carroll was absent. Staff members present were: City Attorney, Thomas R. Nienaber; Fire/EMS Chief, Rodney Wren; Chief of Police, Jeff Mallery; Public Services Director, Eric Hall; Director of Administration/City Administrator, Joshua J. Hunt; City Clerk, Melissa Kramer; Finance Director, Jason Lewis; Videographer, Perry Weber; and Police Lieutenant, Roger Allen. The following were also present in the audience: Former Florence Mayor, Diane E. Whalen; Resident of Florence, Nancy Corman; and Resident of Florence, Thomas Judd. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: Mayor Aubuchon called for a motion to approve the minutes of the September 10, 2024, business meeting. Councilmember Winn noted a spelling error correction to the minutes on page seven. Upon correction of the minutes, Councilmember Winn motioned to approve the corrected minutes with a second from Councilmember Wingo. All councilmembers present voted aye. Florence City Council (Special Meeting) Minutes: Tuesday, September 17, 2024 SECOND READING ORDINANCE O-17-2024: Mayor Aubuchon read Ordinance O-17-2024. An Ordinance relating to the levying of a tax upon real estate and personal property in the City of Florence, Kentucky; levying a tax on all franchises taxable within the City of Florence, Kentucky; specifying payment dates, discounts and penalties for the franchise tax on financial institutions measured by the deposits in the institutions located within the city; and levying a special tax for the payment of current service costs for police and firemen in the County Employees Retirement System. (2024) This is the Ordinance by which the City establishes tax rates and levies annual taxes. The basic tax levied for General Fund purposes is a tax of eighteen and three-tenths cents ($.183) per one hundred dollars of value on real property and a tax of eighteen and six -tenths cents ($.186) per one hundred dollars of value on personal property (except for motor vehicles and watercraft) and upon all franchises taxable by the City. In addition, this Ordinance levies a tax in the amount of five and five-tenths cents ($.055) per one hundred dollars of value upon all real and personal property (except for motor vehicles and watercraft) and upon all franchises taxable by the City for the purpose of payment of the City's obligations for current service costs for police and firemen in the County employees' retirement system. All of the above-mentioned taxes are due and payable upon final passage and publication of this Ordinance. A discount of two percent (2%) is allowed for any such taxes paid in full by November 1, 2024. Any such taxes remaining unpaid after January 1, 2025, are subject to a penalty of twelve percent (12%) plus interest on the amount unpaid at the rate of twelve percent (12%) per annum from January 1, 2025, until paid. This Ordinance also establishes a franchise tax in the amount of twenty-five thousandths of one percent (0.025%) on all financial institutions measured by deposits in such institutions located in the City. This tax was levied by Ordinance No. O-18-96, pursuant to the Bank Franchise and Local Deposit Tax Act. (KRS 136.575) A two percent (2%) discount is allowed against this tax on bank deposits if paid before December 31, 2024. Any such taxes paid after January 31, 2025, will be subject to a penalty of twelve percent (12%) plus interest in the unpaid amount at the rate of twelve percent (12%) per annum from January 31, 2025, until paid. The Ordinance establishes corresponding due dates, discounts and penalties for subsequent years. Mayor Aubuchon called for a motion to approve the second reading of Ordinance O-17-2024. Councilmember Wingo motioned to approve, with a second from Councilmember Winn. Mayor Aubuchon noted that the city was reducing its real estate tax rate from $2.46 to $2.38 and decreasing personal property tax by 10 cents due to lower costs in the police and fire employees’ retirement system service costs. She emphasized that this was a tax decrease, not an increase. Additionally, Mayor Aubuchon introduced Jason Lewis as the new Finance Director, succeeding Linda Chapman after her twenty-one years of service. 2|Page Florence City Council (Special Meeting) Minutes: Tuesday, September 17, 2024 Based on the motion to approve Ordinance O-17-2024 by Councilmember Wingo and seconded by Councilmember Winn, Mayor Aubuchon requested a Roll Call Vote. Councilmember Chambers, yes; Councilmember Winn, yes; Councilmember Kemper, yes; Councilmember Wingo, yes; Councilmember Osborne, yes. Roll call recognized five yes votes approving the second reading of Ordinance O-17-2024 by unanimous vote. CLOSED SESSION: There was no need for Closed Session. ADJOURNMENT: There being no further business to come before the Council, Mayor Aubuchon called for a motion to adjourn the Special Meeting. Councilmember Winn so moved, with a second from Councilmember Wingo. Councilmembers present voted aye, the time being 6:08 p.m. APPROVED: /s/ Julie M. Aubuchon Julie M. Aubuchon, Mayor ATTEST: /s/ Melissa Kramer Melissa Kramer, City Clerk 3|Page