Is there anyone here who wishes to comment on issues that are on the agenda for today? All right. I need to open the special meeting. I'm sorry. I apologize. You're right. Before we get into the work session, we have two or three odds and ends. We need to clean up from some of our prior meetings, including a public hearing and a second reading on some ordinances. So let's call the special meeting to order and the clerk will call the roll. And we'll proceed. Ms. James. Here. Mr. Lane. Here. Mr. McCord. Here. Mr. Maloney. Yes, ma'am. Mr. Myers. Yes. Dr. Stevens. Present. Mr. Stinnett. Present. Mr. Beard. Present. Mr. Blevins. Here. Mr. Blues. Here. Ms. Crosby. Here. Mr. DeCamp. Mr. Ellinger. Here. Ms. Gordon. Here. Mr. Gray. Here. Thank you very much. We have a quorum. The first item on the agenda is the public hearing on ad valorem tax rates. And let me just read a couple of paragraphs I have here, so the stage will be appropriately set for that. House Bill 44 of the 1979 Special Legislative Session requires Urban County Government to provide an opportunity for citizens to make comments about the ad valorem tax rates for the upcoming fiscal year if the proposed rates exceed the compensating rates. The compensating rate is a rate that produces approximately the same amount of revenue as that produced in the preceding year, excluding new property and personal property. A summary of last year's rates, the compensating rates and the proposed rates for FY2008, along with the corresponding assessments and revenues for the general services district, the full and partial urban services districts, the Fayette County Extension Service and the Fayette County Health Department was published in the Lexington Herald-Leader on August 18, 2007 and August 21, 2007. Copies of the summary are on the table in the back of the room. That having been said, the public hearing is now in session. Are there any comments from the public? All right. Seeing, seeing, all right. Mr. Wheeler. If you could give us your name and address, you'll have three minutes. I am Bill Wheeler, Lexington resident with Homestead on Jessalon Drive. Thank you, Mayor and Council. I'm sorry, I didn't recognize the time for the public hearing. I was following the agenda, which I thought indicated a public hearing after each reading. Anyway, I'll go ahead. I'm pleased to see that you have reduced the rate for garbage collection by one, I guess, let's see, one ten-thousandth, I guess. Anyway, that will save property owners a dollar for every million dollar that they spend on garbage. Assessment. While on that subject, I want to reiterate what I have been presenting to you for over a year, and that is the Urban County Government's policy of collecting revenue for the garbage collection by this property tax. It's my understanding that this issue will be considered in the future, I think sometime this fall, if I heard correctly a few months ago. And therefore, if it's given proper consideration, serious consideration, I believe that next year you will not have a property tax rate for garbage collection. In other words, the revenue will be collected by fees for each service. And I might remind you that one of the large manufacturing companies has an assessment of $55 million. They're paying over $80,000 a year for the property tax. Well, there are others on the list, but I guess I shouldn't take your time for that. Thank you. Thank you very much, Mr. Wheeler. Is there anyone else who wishes to speak with regard to the property tax issues? Seeing none, we will close the public hearing. We will proceed to the second reading of the ordinances. Number one, an ordinance levying ad valorem taxes for purposes of support of the Agriculture Extension Office for the fiscal year July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008 on the assessed value of all taxable real and personal property within the taxing jurisdiction of the Lexington State Urban County Government. All taxes on each $100 of assessed valuation as of the January 1, 2007 assessment date as follows. .0031 on all taxable real property, including real property of public service companies. .0034 on taxable personal property, including personal property of public service companies, non-commercial aircraft and non-commercial watercraft, and excluding inventory and transit, insurance capital, tobacco and storage, and agriculture products and storage. And levying an ad valorem tax for purposes of support of the Agriculture Extension Office at the rate of .0032 on each $100 of assessed value in all motor vehicles and watercraft within the taxing jurisdiction of the Lexington State Urban County Government as of the January 1, 2008 assessment date. Number two, an ordinance pursuant to a request received from the Lexington State County Health Department levying an ad valorem tax for purposes of support of the Lexington State County Health Department for the fiscal year July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008 on the assessed value of all taxable real and personal property within the taxing jurisdiction of the Lexington State Urban County Government, including real and personal property of public service companies, non-commercial aircraft, non-commercial watercraft, and inventory and transit, and excluding insurance capital, tobacco and storage, and agricultural products and storage at the rate of .028 on each $100 of assessed value as of the January 1, 2007 assessment date. And levying an ad valorem tax for purposes of support of the Lexington State County Health Department at the rate of .028 on each $100 of assessed value on all motor vehicles and watercraft within the taxing jurisdiction of the Lexington State Urban County Government as of the January 1, 2008 assessment date. Number three, an ordinance levying ad valorem taxes for purposes of support of the Soil and Water Conservation District for the fiscal year July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008 on the assessed value of all taxable real property within the taxing jurisdiction of the Lexington State Urban County Government, including real property of public service companies at a rate of .0004 on each $100 of assessed valuation as of the January 1, 2007 assessment date. And number four, an ordinance levying ad valorem taxes for municipal purposes for the fiscal year July 1, 2007 through June 30, 2008 on the assessed value of all taxable property within the taxing jurisdiction of the Lexington State Urban County Government on taxes on each $100 of assessed valuation as of the January 1, 2007 assessment date as follows. General Services District .0800 on real property, including real property of public service companies. .0990 on personal property, including personal property of public service companies, noncommercial aircraft and noncommercial watercraft. .1500 on insurance capital. .0150 on tobacco and storage. And .0450 on agricultural products and storage. Full urban or partial urban services districts based on urban service available on real property, including real property of public service companies. .1590 for refuse collection. .0210 for street lights. .0094 for street cleaning. .0920 on insurance capital. .0150 on tobacco and storage. .0450 on agricultural products and storage. And levying an ad valorem tax for municipal purposes at the rate of .0880 on each $100 of assessed value on all motor vehicles and watercraft within the taxing jurisdiction of the Lexington State Urban County Government as of the January 1, 2008 assessment date. Are there any motions? Motion to approve the ordinance that just received second reading would be in order. I have a motion and a second that they be approved unless there's further discussion. We'll proceed to a vote both electronically and by roll call. Madam Clerk. Ms. James? Yes. Mr. Lane? Yes. Mr. McCord? Mr. Crosby? Yes. Ms. Gordon? Aye. And Mr. Gray? Aye. Thank you. Thank you.