Thomasville Insights
Welcome to Thomasville Insights with the City of Thomasville! Located in Thomasville, Georgia, the podcast will cover everything from Thomasville history and events to daily operations and City business, all while having some fun in the process. Please visit Thomasville.org for more information. Thanks for listening!
Thomasville Insights
Season 5 Episode 10- 2026 Budget with the City Manager
On this episode, we talk with City Manager Chris White about the 2026 budget. He shares the priorities reflected from the City Council for the upcoming year. The wide ranging conversation gets to a little bit of everything including some favorite Christmas memories. We hope you enjoy the show and thanks for tuning in!
Welcome to Thomasville Insights with the City of Thomasville. On the podcast, we'll talk to experts on everything from Thomasville history and events to daily operations and city business, all while having some fun in the process.
SPEAKER_04:Hello out there in Podcast Land. Welcome to Thomasville Insights with the City of Thomasville. I am Austin Reims, and I am here with Ricky Zambrano. And uh it is the holiday season, Christmas season, New Year's coming up. Ricky, what is a 2025 memory that stands out for you?
SPEAKER_02:You know, Austin, you you went from like these great introductions to like just like throwing me out there, throwing me into a question. I mean, you know, I mean, you know, what's the respect of the world?
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, we went from Ricky the Great to Ricky the meaning.
SPEAKER_02:All this like, you know, just all this circumstance around it and these celebrations, and now it's just like, hey, Ricky.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, I'm the question. I kind of ran out of it. It's the end of the year, and I ran out of some insults. But don't worry, the new year is coming, and I'll be re-energized after the new year. That's right. I'll I'll sit down over over a New Year's break.
SPEAKER_02:So New Year's resolution. That's right. That's right. Come up with new stuff.
SPEAKER_04:Come up with new stuff. That would be good. That would be good.
SPEAKER_02:Well, Austin, either way, I'm excited to be here, and and always, you know, it just makes my day to sit here with you. I mean, it just brings so much sunshine, and and uh, you know, I mean, I just can't imagine being inside your household.
SPEAKER_04:Man, I tell you, Ricky, you're just starting this podcast off with lies. But uh, we the the we are bringing the truth. So uh we got some some uh some good stuff coming up here, but uh uh there are some uh fun memories this year of just going back and forth having fun on the podcast. Uh glad to be able to do that with you this year, Ricky.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, I thought I thought about that question. And I started, I'm like, oh, you know what? And in like May, it was like, are the Mets gonna bring me a memorable season? Well, we know where that went. Then it was like, you know, September, and it was like, ooh, the Steelers are gonna bring me a memorable Steeler season. We see where that's going. And there's one more out there, you know. The Knicks, obviously, there's very early, so we don't know. That's more of a 2026, hopefully. But, you know, and the Rangers, forget about the Rangers. Um maybe, maybe, maybe the tide bring me some happiness in 2025. But you know, uh it's it's tough. It's it's tough. So I'm gonna go with actually, you know, and don't don't think I'm lame when I say this, but being back here um on the podcast with you, you know, monthly, it it is it is really really cool. You know, we we kid each other a lot, but um I do think once we kid each other that we do bring some substance to to the podcast, to the conversations, and and hopefully, you know, these conversations are insightful for the for the listeners, and uh, and they do bring a level of education as well.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, yeah. Um again, just as a note, we're here um, you know, in our podcasting room, there's always a lot of activity going around. So if you guys hear that, uh there always is a buzz around here. Um, and of course, the you know, speaking of bringing the buzz, we have the great city manager Chris White. You know, um, I feel like, you know, Chris, I feel like we Chris and I used to work together early in his career.
SPEAKER_02:Because you don't work together now, yeah.
SPEAKER_04:And no.
SPEAKER_02:Um and uh you're trying to say there's like an authoritative. Well, let's just leadership style. You work for him, you don't work together.
SPEAKER_04:That's right, that's right. Uh Chris, I feel differently.
SPEAKER_02:I feel like we work together. Yeah, I think we do. I think he's just confused.
SPEAKER_04:I'm already not, yeah, exactly. State of confusion. That's the state I live in. But uh, you know, when when uh Chris and I work together more closely, I I used to get on his nerves a lot. And I feel like he owes me his career, his upward trajectory he owes to me, because he was trying to get away from me. I mean, Chris, is there any any truth to that rumor?
SPEAKER_01:There's a little bit of truth to that rumor.
SPEAKER_02:Either that or you just watched what he did and did the opposite.
SPEAKER_04:Yes, yeah. So uh, you know, I feel there's a there's a sense of ownership that I have when I see uh and and oh you know, Chris move up the ladder to become city manager. I feel like he was running away from me, which is was a pretty smart move.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, I think so. It worked out well, didn't it?
SPEAKER_04:Yes, right.
SPEAKER_02:That was a ladder, it was like an escalator.
SPEAKER_01:And to see you two guys, I mean, you obviously have a love-hate relationship with each other, right? Absolutely. Chris, we're like the odd couple. I see that. Yeah, that's interesting.
SPEAKER_02:I dress well, he dresses, you know, not so.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, not so well, not so well. Uh, but uh I've got hair. I know, I don't have any hair. But all all kidding aside, uh, it's it's been fun to uh uh watch uh your leadership and how your your role has grown over the years. Um, you know, uh for those who don't know uh city manager Chris White, uh uh he you know he has an amazing memory. You can sit there and be like, well, you know, tell me about that fiber that was put up in 2002 over, you know, uh out there at Lake Riverside, and he'll be like, blah, blah, blah, whatever, whatever words I don't know. Um, and so um, but um it is good to work in an organization where people like like Chris, and we've had a lot of them, so uh other city managers in the past kind of know right work their way up so they know what everybody's kind of going through a little bit.
SPEAKER_01:So I'm on uh my 29th year this this December. So been a long journey. Yeah, really enjoyed it too.
SPEAKER_04:It was really long when you were working with me, right? You kind of you had to kind of look in that mirror and say, All right.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, I was like three years old when you started.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, right, yeah. It is weird. You probably uh, you know, the some of the younger folks that come in, you can tell them that you were here every day of their life, right? That's that's very scary when I, you know, we've had some uh folks, young folks come in. I'm like, holy moly, I've been here, I've been here, you've been here. Um, and so but uh last uh show of the year, we typically talk about um the budget, which is really important. Um and uh so we we thought it was great to have Chris White here um to talk about all that. And um, so Chris, um, you know, as we uh as we think back about all that's been done, what are some of the uh project accomplishments that you're most proud of for 2025? And if you don't mention Ricky, you're you're lying.
SPEAKER_01:Well, first of all, thank you guys for having me here this morning. It's a pleasure and honor to be be a part of this. You you all do a great job of this podcast. Uh but as far as um you know accomplishments for this year, you know, Paradise Park is one that stands out. Um, and for those that you uh listeners or that have seen that, that is uh phase one, and we have a phase two that's coming in next year. We'll start on that. But the most exciting part about that was phase one was around 1.6 million. Um, a million dollars does not go very far these days. Phase two, uh, we actually raised uh close to two and a half million dollars of private money uh from local contributors uh to match a state grant of three million dollars. So that next phase is going to be pretty uh spectacular. Um you know keep an eye on that, what's coming for that? So really that's really cool. That is really cool. I mean, so we'll we'll have a you know a five to six million dollar park improvement with no monies coming out of the city coffers at all.
SPEAKER_02:That's great.
SPEAKER_01:That's great.
SPEAKER_02:Chris, let me just follow up on that. What why do you believe that, you know, I mean, let's put it this way, I'm gonna put it bluntly. You know, if we had five million dollars to toss out, would it still be of significantly more importance, uh importance for the community that there be that public-private relationship uh, you know, relationship and that cooperation? Um, I I believe, in in my view, that that brings us, you know, together uh stronger as a community.
SPEAKER_01:Oh, absolutely. And this is one of the largest ones that we've ever had uh as far as and they've been done before in the past for like auditorium improvements and things like that, but nothing on this scale. So that you're right, Ricky, it does kind of bring the community together and you got community buy-in for that for that project. So that goes a long way. Really, really proud of that uh accomplishment there.
SPEAKER_04:One of the cool things just in Thomasville in general is like you'll see uh you know, kind of one generation kind of pass on something to another generation. Uh um, you know, the the why and the fundraising of the why, you know, in the early 2000s or uh different different projects, different things that uh you know, uh we've kind of the the the fruit of of downtown was kind of given to us, you know, by people who preserved it and longed in the 70s. And you know, when it was time. So this is gonna be kind of fun in a in a fun way to say, what are you you know, you you've got a you've got a grandson, you know, like what it what is it gonna be like for these young guys growing up that they young folks that they have a cool park to go to, they can really interact with. Yeah, you know, that's pretty cool.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, it's a generational project. I mean, it'll be around for many generations to enjoy for sure.
SPEAKER_02:Do do we have another project that that took that began in 2025 that um you know that that was a major part of uh of the year?
SPEAKER_01:So uh yes, that you know, I think most listeners will will realize that Remington Avenue, which is shut down right now and it's a little bit problematic for travelers, but um what's the old saying, pardon our dust while we make the improvements? But that's going to be a really great project once it's completed. Um, you know, we started it this year. Uh it's probably gonna be around April before it's completed, uh, April of 2026. And then uh in addition to that, we have old Albeny Road, which is a sidewalk project, but um, it's more than just building a sidewalk. There's a lot of infrastructure improvements going on out there, uh, primarily stormwater. So um I would envision that to be completed around the April, you know, April, May timeline, you know, in the spring for sure. And then Paradise Park that we'll start on that again in 26 as well.
SPEAKER_02:And and just to tack on to that, just for clarity purposes, all of those projects um share both 2025 fiscal year and 2026 fiscal year budget lines.
SPEAKER_01:They do. We've actually started, you know, on Old Albany Road, that initiative started in 2019.
unknown:Wow.
SPEAKER_01:So we, you know, that is a Georgia Department of Transportation uh road, therefore uh a GDOT project. And um the city does have quite a bit of money invested in it as well, but primarily it's G DOT that's funded most of that. And then when you get that those folks involved, it's very bureaucratic and things take forever.
SPEAKER_02:And then we have this little thing called COVID in the middle.
SPEAKER_01:And a little thing called COVID in the middle.
SPEAKER_04:But I mean, I I do think uh I like that. Um, you know, uh there's a lot of growth that side of town and kind of getting ahead of this growth, I think I like it.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, for sure.
SPEAKER_02:Just just from from my perspective, I I believe, and and Chris, you can you can tack on to this, but I believe the contractors, you know, all doing a great job trying to keep on on time. The weather has obviously been cooperative.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Um, but but I think uh, you know, we you see the progress coming along.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, Remington more so than old Albany Road. They're a little uh behind schedule, but I think they'll finish okay.
SPEAKER_04:All right. So going on to the city budget. So I know this is uh obviously a big deal. We've got the 2026 city budget, and uh uh, you know, what are uh tell me about what city council is some of their uh strategic priorities for 2026 and and how that reflects itself in the budget a little bit.
SPEAKER_01:So most people don't realize, you know, we're we're a small community, we're a pretty small town, but we have a very robust uh organization here called the City of Thomasville that um, you know, our budget this year is$139 million or for 2026, um over$50 million in capital projects, which is the largest we've ever had on record. Um and there's a lot of things in that fifty million dollars to include some of the items that we already just talked about, Remington and and old Albany Road.
SPEAKER_02:You need that$139 million to fund this this podcast. Yeah, yeah. It's a high dollar operation.
SPEAKER_04:That's right. The green room is really so the snacks in the green room are totally expensive, so yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, so there's there's a lot of moving parts to that uh to that budget. You we start this process um in uh July, meeting with department heads and all the requests that come along with that um for personnel and equipment and vehicles and everything else in between. And um and fast forward to now uh where the the council just approved this this budget um when it was originally presented to them back in November, so they have time to you know to kind of flush through that and really wrap their arms around that budget because it is it's pretty intense. We've got um, I think it's about 45 different funds, and of those 45 funds, 39 of those have people attached to them. So we are a service organization. Um we have 504 employees on the roster. Doesn't mean we have 504 employees here. That number runs around 460, 450, something like that. But um our our payroll budget is uh almost 28 million dollars. So that's a big, big piece of that 139.
SPEAKER_04:So um uh once once again, uh we don't have property tax. So uh can you just give us an update on that and kind of just give us some context on the on the property tax and things like that?
SPEAKER_01:So leadership back in the early uh 2000s um had a plan to do away with with Avalon property tax here for governmental operations. Um we still have a city property, a city school board property tax, which is uh over 16 meals. That's pretty substantial. And a lot of people will get confused because it may show up on their like escrow or whatever, like it'll it may say city tax, but it's just so we are the the city is a taxing authority, so we levy that on behalf of the city uh board of education, but we don't keep those funds, they'll go they go straight to the city board of education.
SPEAKER_02:Nor do we dictate the amount.
SPEAKER_01:No, nor do we set that millage rate, they do they do all that. But um back to your original question, so that that that the city council leadership back in those days decided to do away with that. Um really started chipping away at it in 2008, and then it went to zero, uh I believe in 2012. So when you think about that, um let's just say it w if we had a property tax that was three meals, just three mils. Now you're talking the city school board 16 mils, we were talking about three mils. So three mils for us would generate uh around$2.7 million a year. So if you if you think about that over uh over a decade, that's a lot of money that was forfeited that we could have collected in property taxes. So in lieu of that, we have been transferring uh monies from our electric enterprise. Um I think last year was uh, or excuse me, this year, 2025, was uh 11, about 11.7 million. And we've reduced that uh this year to 10.3, I believe.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, something like that. So that substitutes that property tax. Yeah. I don't know how long we can continue that path.
SPEAKER_04:That probably doesn't seem like it's sustainable.
SPEAKER_01:It's not long term. No.
SPEAKER_02:Chris, so continuing on with the conversation about a property tax, uh, when when you look at the lack of a property tax as a funding source, how do how does that affect our capital projects?
SPEAKER_01:So it has uh uh you know a tremendous impact on our budget uh in general to include our capital projects. Um you know, if you think back when that went away in 2012, so something just as small as three mils would have generated uh$2.7 million a year for us. Um and you think about that over almost a decade and a half of uh monies that we forfeited. So instead of having those monies, we have to use our SPLOSS dollars, which is uh special local options sales tax. Um we share that with the with the county government. That that generates for us about four million dollars a year, and those are the funds that we use primarily for uh street reservacing. And I think everybody knows that lives in Thomasville, our streets need some love and attention. We have a hundred and fifty-three miles of streets that we are charged with maintaining. And because of our funding um, or let me say, lack of funding source, we're only able to do about three million uh three miles a year of resurfacing. So you can do the math, guys, 150 miles of streets, three miles a year, and you're on a 50-year cycle, and that's not you know, that's not gonna work. Not gonna work. We need to be doing about seven miles to ten miles a year to be able to keep those streets in good condition. You know, that's part of um all of that's wrapped around our our council's uh initiatives, uh strategic planning for um, you know, funding, uh, infrastructure, um, all those priorities there, you know. We it's just a real challenge trying to get through what all we have to do with that, um, with the limited funding resources.
SPEAKER_04:Um there was a lot of um, you know, uh 15 years ago, um there were this is a different era that we we live in a little bit where where funding and infrastructure are more the issues rather than maybe what we've had in the past. Uh so maybe kind of talk about that, you know, kind of uh during during the CNS era or you know, uh when we we uh building an amphitheater or you know helping with the the the Roses property. Um, you know, those are things that that we're proud of and we you know did a great job in, but with a little bit with infrastructure and it aging out, we're just kind of is it's not as fun that we don't get to show show it off kind of era. So like tell me about kind of wading into this age of infrastructure era, sort of kind of yes.
SPEAKER_01:So for years we did, you know, as you described, you know, um put a lot of attention on shiny that we'll call them shiny things, fun stuff, and nothing wrong with them, right? You know, nothing wrong with it. Like the and a good example of that is the you know the amphitheater, which is a great community asset. Everybody really enjoys that and some of our parks and and uh things like that, but we have not always paid as much attention to infrastructure as we probably should have. You know, this is an old community. We're about to celebrate our bicentennial, 200 years uh uh in age since we were established. I think we have some uh pipes in the ground that are probably 200 years old too. All kidding aside, but we do have a lot of uh of that infrastructure is 80, 90, and 100 years old and is in uh dire uh need of re uh repair and replacement. All of that is really expensive. You know, you can go out and spend three million dollars on on uh sewer lines covered up, never be seen again. You know, you've spent three million dollars and have nothing really visual to show for it. So that is another big challenge that we have. Um we are we will spend uh over the next Seven to ten years, well over a hundred million dollars in water and sewer projects. That's a lot. Yeah, and that's just you know, that's just kind of you know one of those things you kind of take for granted, but we gotta do it right, you gotta have you gotta have reliable water, clean water, and and sanitary sewer as part of a you know, that's what we're charged with.
SPEAKER_02:And and and just to reiterate one of the things you mentioned, if you could expand upon it, uh you've mentioned a couple of times uh city council strategic priorities.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Um how do they develop those?
SPEAKER_01:So we meet um at least once a year for a retreat. This past year we've we've met three times with the executive staff uh and the city council for a day, um, sometimes two, but the last uh retreats for for a day. And then we help them develop those initiatives uh through that process. Um and everything that we do in our budget, with whether it be capital and operating budget, is is designed to be in alignment with those initiatives. Um primarily, and I think I said part of this earlier, but you know, we're really focused on infrastructure. Um parks is is a big initiative for them, general communication and and to the community in in general, and this is part of it, podcast and uh websites and all the great wonderful things you guys do as far as media and you know, social media and everything. We do, I think we do everything but um carrier pigeons and smoke signals as far as trying to get our message out what all is going on in the city. So that is a very much a priority to our city council.
SPEAKER_02:We we looked into pigeons. Yeah, we looked into it. Austin Austin couldn't communicate well enough with the maybe 2027 budget.
SPEAKER_01:Maybe we'll look at that. Housing is a big initiative uh for us, and um our municipal auditorium is another initiative for our council as well. And I mentioned that earlier. Well, we will be going through a uh hopefully a um a significant renovation to this building that uh we are happen to be in now. And most of that's gonna be focused on the auditorium, uh not necessarily your space here, Austin, but a lot of focus on the exterior, um, the facade, the windows, and the doors. This this building is old and it leaks a lot, you know. Uh we get a lot of water intrusion, which causes um mold and mildew and all those nasty things that go along with that. So a lot of focus on this building um next year, the 2020. It'll be stretched over 26 and 27. And then, you know, um now last but not least at all, the biggest one is funding.
SPEAKER_03:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:Funding, funding, funding, trying to find new sources of revenue, whether that be through enterprise uh uh initiatives or uh our new stormwater uh utility service that will be implemented in 2026 as well. So that'll help with some of that. So funding, funding, funding.
SPEAKER_02:And and and just one one last question about the uh about the theater, about the municipal auditorium. Uh, you know, part of that I believe is with a plan to try and you know eventually uh expand the the the operations that take place inside of the auditorium, correct?
SPEAKER_01:Right. So this is what we're doing uh 25-20 or 26-27, excuse me, is mainly um I'll call it deferred maintenance, you know, um improvements to the rigging system in the auditorium, lighting, ventilation, the ceiling, as I mentioned, uh the exterior ceiling, um, some of the electrical and the HVAC work, things like that. Nothing, again, kind of your core fundamentals, nothing real shiny and pretty uh that you'll be able to see, other than maybe some fresh paint and new carpet uh in the auditorium. And then the next phase, if we can get that one going, it'll be much larger than that when you've got improvements to seating and and uh lighting and the stage and all those things for concessions. And um, that's the long-term vision for that project.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, it's gonna be gonna be neat when all that's done. And uh, you know, um you know, obviously in your quarter of a century here, uh boy, downtown uh it brings in a lot of revenue to all of us to see people come in, and and sometimes we'll have a show here, and there won't be the parking lot will be full and they're all eating downtown and and uh you know, all those kind of things. We we love to see that.
SPEAKER_01:Well, maybe once we get that completed, you guys could have a show up there on the theater, you know, theatrical Chris.
SPEAKER_02:We want we want the people to be there. Move them away.
SPEAKER_04:We could charge people not to, you know, like we'll have the show unless you give us money.
SPEAKER_02:It might be reverse tickets, yes, like a funding that's a pay us fifty dollars a ticket and we'll go away.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, that's another funding source, Chris. Yeah. I think we could raise a lot of money that way.
SPEAKER_02:I mean the the the old you know, dunk tank. You know, put the dunk tank out on on uh Broad and Jackson and put Austin in it. And I think if we get ten dollars, uh$10 a year. I hear you. Absolutely. I think we might we might rebuild some streets.
SPEAKER_04:I'll sacrifice you know my dignity for the team Thomasville. I'll I'll do what I gotta do, man. We're good.
SPEAKER_01:Team player.
SPEAKER_04:That's right.
SPEAKER_01:You know, all oftentimes we hear about the auditorium um that it's not a money maker. Yeah, this thing doesn't make, you know, you don't make money with auditorium. Well, it's not really designed to, it's it's a community asset, you know, it's a quality of life component. It's like a part, you know, a part doesn't make money. Um, but it's very much part of a community, right? You know, the amphitheater doesn't make money. It's not designed to make money, it's designed to bring the community together.
SPEAKER_02:Well, as a parent that has seen his daughter, you know, on stage in the auditorium, there's a there, yes, there there is a you don't look at that from a financial value standpoint, but it is a pride standpoint of watching your kids. Think about the the numerous amount of parents that have seen their kids go on stage uh at the municipal for a variety of different events, whether it's the school events or the pageants or or um SGB or you know, the variety of events that inflation has.
SPEAKER_01:Many years it was used for high school uh graduation ceremony for a long time.
SPEAKER_02:So kind of putting a a button here on the budget a little bit, um, you know, it's it's not as simple as just putting it all together, and but there are there are little things that needs to be done that financial services and leadership um do as far as trying to, you know, balance the budget out, you know, things such as obviously evaluating FTEs and things of that nature. Um, you know, what what are other things that that leadership and financial services do that the the public may not know that that that are focused to make sure the budget stays balanced and as slim as uh as possible?
SPEAKER_01:So um as I mentioned, that that process starts in in July. We take input from all the department heads, um, the various requests for equipment and personnel and you know supplies and services and things like that. And then um the executive team and uh our financial team, Ms. Ashley Kasen, our CFO, um we go through that with a fine tooth comb. And um the end result is we typically wind up cutting many requests for new people, we call them FTEs, full-time equivalent um personnel. I think this year for the 26th budget, the initial ask was for 11 or 12, and that was cut to zero. Um the uh vehicle um capital request was around 10 million, and that was cut to around two. Um, and then equipment was cut by a few hundred thousand dollars. It wasn't a big line item around a million dollars. So, and then all of the we scrub every line item in that budget on all uh roughly 45 funds, and um keep in mind, you know, our payroll, I said, is$28 million a year. So if if we put in a 3% cost of living uh adjustment for our folks, which they deserve, that that one move cost us$800,000. So we're coming out of the at coming out the gate with an$800,000 increase, and uh we do our best to keep that at zero, you know, that that year-to-year increase at zero. Of course, you can't do it every year, but we we give it our our college best, right? So it's a lot of work, that's a lot, I mean hundreds of hours uh of uh attention from our finance folks and myself and Sister C Mander. So a lot of work to get that finished product.
SPEAKER_02:And and I believe employee health insurance is another big, big, big part.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah. So uh we are self-insured. That's one of the biggest line items in our budget other than payroll. Um it's about uh eight million dollars a year that we pay out in medical claims. So we've got a really robust uh uh medical benefit. And uh unfortunately, we had to adjust the deductible this year from$750 uh to$1,500 as a standard deductible, which saved us uh several hundred thousand dollars in the budget. So we we were anticipating about an 8% increase to that that$8 million. Instead, we've knocked that down to about a two percent by making that adjustment.
SPEAKER_04:Well, Ricky's gonna sacrifice, he's not gonna get the facelift this year, he's gonna wait for you know 2027. If I need to, I could chip in on that.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, yeah, that's right. That's right. And just just to put the the health insurance in context, uh the deductible at one point, I believe, was about$300.
SPEAKER_01:$300 back in, I think that was 28, maybe 19, it was$300. And so now we escalated for$500, then it went to$750 and now$1,500. But you know, everybody knows medical costs are out of control.
SPEAKER_04:Out of all the expenses that every everyday businesses have and people have, we have all of those. Yeah, for sure. Healthcare is big issues.
SPEAKER_01:Healthcare is a big one.
SPEAKER_02:And and then just to wrap things up, obviously the the importance of public safety, uh, the portion of the budget that that goes to public safety is significant as well.
SPEAKER_01:Right. So our you know, we what we call the general fund, which is all of your core governmental services, public safety, which is police and fire, and Main Street, um, and uh planning and zoning and um HR public.
SPEAKER_04:Uh no, HR is not included.
SPEAKER_01:No, uh public works is included in that. So streets and and roads, um, administration, myself. Um that budget is um mostly comprised of public safety. Almost 70% of that is public safety with police and fire. So um, but I think everybody enjoys living in a safe community. So I'm very thankful to have a we've got a great police department. You know, they are uh I'm probably gonna get these numbers wrong, but they are uh Kalia accredited. And there's uh like 18,000 uh police departments in this country in the United States, and only uh uh less than a thousand are Kalia accredited.
SPEAKER_04:And it's very hard to like uh I remember learning about that a long time ago. It's really hard to get that. I mean, they they get down to the details of how you handcuff people, how you document stuff.
SPEAKER_01:I mean, it's the escalation deal, yeah. Procedures, all that good stuff. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02:Well, and then there's the outreach element of both what community outreach and and fire does as well, and getting out there public education in regards to so many different things that they they play a role in with with starting with the youth and obviously the the adults of the community as well. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04:All right, so can I ask my question about favorite member of the community? Okay, all right.
SPEAKER_02:So as long as it's not like at the beginning where you're like just like kissing up so badly, you know. Remember, Chris doesn't decide the raise. That's true, that's true. You know, there is somebody else that decides that raise.
SPEAKER_04:He signs off on it, but that's right, that's right.
SPEAKER_02:And Chris did tell me before the show that he was guaranteeing that you would not get one next week.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, it's like everybody gets a raise, and this is terrible. Um, nobody's I wouldn't do that to you Austin. Yeah. Um I'd I'd uh Chris and I have a long history of of giving each other a hard time. Uh my my wife loves it when you see me on the street and just like rip me to shreds. She just like, oh, that's so funny. I'm like, thanks, honey. I appreciate your support. Um so uh but he doesn't do that to me.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, well, you know, um he only does that to me uh in the hallways when he's criticizing my pink pants.
SPEAKER_04:Um yeah, his his yeah, like we need to get on this dress code thing a little bit.
SPEAKER_02:If only everybody could have seen Chris's facial expression when I mentioned pink pants. He's not yeah, I wish we were on TV at this point.
SPEAKER_04:Somebody has to take over for Mark Tabor. So if those who've worked in the organization a long time, uh but but no, I gotta I gotta say this.
SPEAKER_02:I gotta say this. You know, there was one day I had on my pink pants, he's railing me about it. In walks Dominic, Dominic Ford, who we all know, you know. HR guy. Yeah, never mind. We we know his size, right? He don't say anything about his pink pants.
SPEAKER_04:Nope. Nobody says anything to Dominic.
SPEAKER_02:I mean, you know, it it you can wear pink pants if you're six foot four, but if you're five foot eight, you can't wear pink pants. Exactly. Just part of the territory.
SPEAKER_04:That's right. Uh so last last thing, just uh, you know, your memory, you you've you've been in Thomasville all all your life, right? You grew up here and uh have a lot of memories here. Um school did you go to, Chris?
SPEAKER_01:I started off in the city school system, about four, and then moved over to the county uh school system in in uh seventh grade and went to Magnolia and then Thomas County Central.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah, a yellow jacket. Yellow jacket back in the back in the day. Uh um probably went cruising back in the 80s, right? The gateway shopping center.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, gateway shopping center and car.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah.
SPEAKER_01:I had a black Silverado uh four-wheel drive uh Chevrolet truck.
SPEAKER_04:Which would have been something in that era. You know, there's there's four-wheel trucks everywhere now, but that would have been you're single cab, yeah, yeah. Single cab. No, no double cabs, hardly around at all. See, that guy was cool back then. Yeah, yeah. Well, I've seen pictures of him with a with a mustache and like camo on. The international model is, you know, he he's come a long way. But uh true. I think we're getting fired after this. Totally. Listen, if I get fired, I wanted to be for giving Chris a hard time. We gotta go out and say, I'm totally like the stupid or the headline. That's that's me.
SPEAKER_01:Y'all really enjoy this, don't you?
SPEAKER_04:So uh just end up favorite Christmas memory after Ricky just thrown us off off the questionnaire. Good any good Christmas memory that you have uh here here for uh well um other than ending the show.
SPEAKER_01:So just in general, I remember um my grandparents lived on on North Dawson Street, and we always, you know, everybody's got their traditions, but our tradition growing up was we went to their house on Christmas Eve, you know, and did the open the presents there with them. And I was always really stoked about, you know, Santa Claus coming the next morning and going home, getting had to get home earliest and get to bed, you know, and and Santa coming and just those those memories back then. But you know, it's just that magical uh component with Santa Claus, and it was really special.
SPEAKER_02:So fast forward to these days. Now you have that's that memory with the with your grandchildren.
SPEAKER_01:Yeah, with yeah, yeah, that's right. So it's uh it's all good.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, that's right. Well, uh Austin, you can't get away with it. Oh, you you skipped out. You didn't answer it. Am I supposed to am I supposed to have my favorite holiday? Yeah, we're sure we we talked about your holiday memory in the previous episode. Okay, well, what about your 2025 memory?
SPEAKER_04:Oh, 2025 memory. Uh well, um I I think Paradise Park, um, you know, I I got to go out there and and film a lot. I I know it's been one of those, uh, and and thanks to Scott Chastain and his efforts and a lot of people, Williams Family Foundation. A lot of people put a lot of time to do Thomasville, Mike Owens, uh, just but uh just kind of seeing it to fruition, you know, like I was out there when they were kind of doing some stuff on there, seeing how many uh great people it's gonna affect in that neighborhood in a positive way. I already seeing people walking out there, seeing school kids out there. Um just kind of like that momentum of watching, like, man, I've kind of had this uh, you know, I've had this kind of you know, I want to call it a dream, but like um I've been in some places where parks are a very big deal of the city. Right. Um, Savannah being one of them. And so like to see us kind of take that step to where man, I I can't wait in in two years on a Saturday, that place is gonna be full, and people will have ways to meet other people and have a good time, and and and so that that to me is what sticks out uh for my working memory of 2025.
SPEAKER_01:I didn't mention this earlier, but you know, 2026 is the year of parks because we're doing you know phase two at Paradise, and we're also doing about a million dollar uh project at uh Casty Road Park uh park. Um most of that, not most all of that was federal uh grant dollars, and then we're doing um about a million dollar project over at Balfour Park, Balfour uh Vernodale. So like I said, year in the parks, lot of lot of activity in parks next year.
SPEAKER_04:And and memory, uh as you said, uh we're not just about um you know dollar signs here. We you know, we we realize we live in a community and we we want to make memories, and so when it's the amphitheater or the parks or all kinds of things, those are those are so valuable to us too because we live here and love it.
SPEAKER_01:Well, it's all part of I mean part of quality of life, you know. You gotta you want people to enjoy living here. It's part of being a community.
SPEAKER_02:And I believe Alpha Park has multiple stages potentially. It does.
SPEAKER_01:It'll be phase one, twenty-six, and a phase two and twenty-seven, probably.
SPEAKER_04:So tell us, Chris, uh uh just kind of your uh thoughts on the year and just kind of uh you know, um thoughts of uh as we get into the new year. What what are you thinking here?
SPEAKER_01:Well, I you know, I've enjoyed this uh last year, uh 2025, as we're wrapping that up uh with our city council. We got a we got a great city council. Dad um you know understands our needs and our uh what this community needs um and and has empowered us to get there, right? You know, they they give us the vision and we drive it home. We you know staff, uh which we've got a great staff here at the city of Thomasville, um put all that together and make it happen. So uh again, 26 is gonna be a very, very busy year. Uh spending over you know$50 million in capital projects is gonna a lot to get done. So really looking forward to it. Um excited to be a part of it. And um in closing, I'd just like to you know tell all your listeners, the thousands of listeners you guys got. You know, just right here we go. Bless everybody with a with a you know Merry Christmas and a happy new year, prosperous new year for 2026. Um and uh thank you guys for having me.
SPEAKER_02:Yeah, and and I'd like to thank you, Chris, for for spending time with us. And and uh in all seriousness, you know, we get around a lot. Your your leadership is um you know it it's infectious uh for for a lot of us. It's infectious.
SPEAKER_04:Okay, infectious? Infectious. Oh, okay. Oh, okay. All right, I got you. I thought you said infectious.
SPEAKER_01:I'm sorry, Ricky.
SPEAKER_04:I missed it. I was like, is there a word called infectious? Yeah, there is in my library. Okay, all right.
SPEAKER_02:That's the New York library. That's the New York way of saying infectious. Yeah, infectious, you know? Okay, all right. So, so, but, but, but in all seriousness, you know, you you you bring a vibe that really uh comes around the word team. Yeah. Um, you know, you allow us to sit here and, you know, give you some, you take it, give it back to us, and um, you know, that does spread from department to department. So uh it does make an impact with what everybody does on a daily basis. So uh I do appreciate your leadership. And I know I'm speaking for Austin as well, and as well as our assistant city manager, Cheryl Seely, and the entire entire leadership group. So thank you guys for everything that you guys do to lead us. But also I'd like to wish our community a special thank you. And you know, changing hats a little bit, my my hat with community outreach, all the all the fabulous community partners that play a role in all of our outreach events throughout the year. Thank you to all of them. There's so many that we can't list them. But, you know, thank you for everything that that you do in order to make our events possible. And then obviously to the community that hopefully we play a small role in impacting their lives throughout those events.
SPEAKER_04:Yeah. All right. Well again. Thanks again, Chris. Thank you to our audience. Have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. And we just want you to listen to us on your favorite listening app, and we will see you or you'll hear from us uh next year, 2026.
SPEAKER_02:Here we come.
SPEAKER_00:You've been listening to Thomasville Insights with the City of Thomasville. The show is produced by the City of Thomasville Marketing Department. The show's music is by pond5.com. To learn more about the City of Thomasville, visit Thomasville.org or follow us on social media. Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on your favorite listening app so you don't miss an episode. Thanks for listening.