[CALL TO ORDER]
          [00:00:13]
          A M ON WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 5TH, AND WE ARE HERE FOR OUR ANNUAL BUDGET WORKSHOP. MISS REED, HAVE WE HAD ANYBODY SIGN UP FOR PUBLIC PARTICIPATION? I'M SORRY. HAVE WE HAD ANYBODY SIGN UP FOR 
          [PRESENTATIONS]
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION? OKAY. WE WILL MOVE ON TO OUR PRESENTATIONS. WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO ITEM T ONE, A PRESENTATION BY TAX ASSESSOR, COLLECTOR AND COUNTY AUDITOR OF NO NEW REVENUE RATE, VOTER APPROVAL RATE AND CALCULATION METHODS, NO OBLIGATIONS, DEBT OBLIGATIONS, AND AMOUNT OF INCREASE BASED ON NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE. MR. PORTER. 
          MR. GOOD MORNING. HEY, SCOTT. GOOD MORNING SCOTT. HOW ARE Y'ALL? ALL RIGHT. WELL, I BELIEVE PAULA HELPED OUT AND WAS ABLE TO GET EVERYBODY A COPY OF THE RATE CALCULATIONS THERE. THEY'RE ACTUALLY DONE SEPARATELY. THE GENERAL FUND AND FARM TO MARKET ROAD. THE CALCULATED SEPARATELY. BUT THEY'RE ALSO COMBINED, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE RATE IS ADOPTED BASED ON THE COMBINED RATE. SO SO WHAT YOU HAVE THERE ARE THE TWO SEPARATE WORKSHEETS AND I CAN GO OVER WHATEVER Y'ALL LIKE ON IT. I CAN TELL YOU ON THE BACK PAGE, IT WILL TELL YOU THE COMBINED NO NEW REVENUE RATE. THAT'S BASICALLY THE RATE THAT WOULD BRING IN ROUGHLY THE SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY AS THE YEAR BEFORE, BASED ON PROPERTIES THAT EXISTED IN BOTH YEARS. AND THAT'S THE 3.7882 AND THE VOTER APPROVAL TAX RATE THAT IS, THAT'S THE HIGHEST RATE THAT THAT CAN BE ADOPTED WITHOUT, WITHOUT HAVING AN ELECTION IF IT'S EXCEEDED, BUT THAT'S YOUR, COMBINED FOR BOTH THE RATE, THE DEBT RATE AND IT ALSO FACTORS IN THE UNUSED INCREMENT AS WELL. 
          SO THAT'S THE 0.421828. THE DE MINIMIS RATE IS CALCULATED. BUT REALLY IT'S IT'S GOING TO BE SMALL FOR, FOR THE COUNTY. IT'S REALLY FOR CITIES WITH A POPULATION UNDER 30, 000 OR A COUNTY. AND SINCE JOHNSON COUNTY IS A LITTLE BIT LARGER COUNTY, IT'S, IT'S REALLY NOT A FACTOR, BUT IT'S STILL STILL IS CALCULATED. AND I'D BE GLAD TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS. ANY QUESTIONS FOR MR. PORTER? WELL, ONCE AGAIN, SCOTT, I WANT TO EXPRESS MY APPRECIATION PUBLICLY FOR THE WORK THAT YOU DO. I KNOW THIS YEAR WE WERE A LITTLE LATE IN GETTING NUMBERS FROM CAD, AND I THINK I FINALLY GOT THE FINAL VERSION OF THIS WORKSHEET FROM YOU AT AT 11:00 AT NIGHT. DOES THAT SOUND ABOUT RIGHT THAT YOU WERE UP HERE WORKING, CALCULATING, SENDING DOCUMENTS OUT SO THAT WE COULD START THE BUDGET PROCESS. AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE THAT. NO PROBLEM. GLAD TO HELP. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THANKS. MR. WATSON, DO YOU HAVE ANY TALKS ABOUT DEBT RATE AND ANY OF THAT INFORMATION, ANYTHING YOU NEED TO PRESENT THIS YEAR? I KNOW WE DON'T HAVE ANY NEW DEBT THIS YEAR. IF ANYBODY HAS ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS, I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER TO THE BEST OF MY ABILITY, BUT I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANYTHING SPECIFIC. I MEAN, WE JUST EVERY THE DEBT RATE IS BASED ON OUR DEBT PAYMENTS THAT FOR FISCAL 27 AND JUST THE MATH, JUST MATHS. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON THAT ITEM COLLECTION RATE DOESN'T REFLECT ANY CHANGES AS FAR AS WHAT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT. OKAY. THAT'S THAT'S YEAH, THERE ARE, SO WE WILL MOVE TO WORKSHOP ONE. WELL, NOW LET'S HANDLE OUR ACTION ITEMS. THEN 
          [ACTION ITEMS]
WE'LL MOVE INTO THAT. WE DO HAVE TWO ACTION ITEMS. THESE ARE JUST SETTING THE DATES FOR PUBLIC HEARINGS AND, ADOPTIONS OF TAX RATE AND BUDGET. SO ITEM A1 IS CONSIDERING APPROVE SETTING THE PUBLIC HEARING AND FINAL VOTE ON SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2026 FOR THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026-2027. AGAIN, THIS IS NOT SETTING ANYTHING WITH THE BUDGET ONLY SETTING THE HEARING DATE, WHICH IS THE SAME ONE THAT'S BEEN IN THE PREVIOUS CALENDARS. THIS YEAR WE DO HAVE TO HAVE A SPECIAL CALLED HEARING FOR THE BUDGET ADOPTION. THE STATE LAW REQUIRES THAT WE FILE A PROPOSED BUDGET ON OR BEFORE AUGUST 15TH, AND THEN ADOPT THAT PROPOSED BUDGET WITHIN 30 DAYS. UNFORTUNATELY, OUR FIRST REGULARLY SCHEDULED COMMISSIONERS COURT MEETING IS 31 DAYS AFTER THE BUDGET WILL BE FILED. SO IN ORDER TO HIT BOTH OF THOSE DEADLINES, WE'VE GOT TO ADOPT THE BUDGET AT ONE HEARING AND THEN THE TAX RATE AT A REGULARLY CALLED MEETING, WHICH IS 31 DAYS AFTER WE FILED THE BUDGET. SO THAT'S THE 
          [00:05:06]
REASON FOR THOSE DATES. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THE PUBLIC HEARING AND FINAL VOTE ON THE BUDGET? IF NOT, I WOULD ACCEPT A MOTION. MOVE TO APPROVE AS PRESENTED. SECOND. 
          ALL RIGHT. I'VE GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER WILLEY, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER WHITE. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED BY THE SAME SIGN AND ITEM A1 CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. 
          MOVE TO ITEM A2 CONSIDERING APPROVE SETTING THE PUBLIC HEARING AND FINAL VOTE ON SEPTEMBER 14TH, 2026 FOR THE 2026 TAX YEAR TAX RATE. THIS IS THE SAME ITEM WE'RE SETTING THE THE THE TAX RATE MUST BE ADOPTED AT A REGULAR MEETING OF THE COURT. AND THAT IS OUR TYPICAL REGULAR MEETING TO ADOPT OUR TAX RATE. ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ON THE DATE. OKAY. MOVE TO APPROVE. SECOND. ALL RIGHT. I'VE GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER SECOND BY COMMISSIONER BAILEY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. AYE. ALL OPPOSED BY THE SAME SIGN. 
          AND THAT ITEM CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. WE HAVE SET OUR TAX RATE. WE ONLY HAVE ONE ITEM 
          [WORKSHOP]
LEFT ON TODAY'S AGENDA. THIS SHOULD BE EASY. WE'LL MOVE TO WORKSHOP. THIS IS WS1 DISCUSSION OF BUDGET AND TAX RATE. SO I WANT TO MAKE A COUPLE OF COMMENTS BEFORE WE DIVE IN. THE FIRST IS THIS IS GOING TO BE A HARD BUDGET YEAR. THERE ARE SEVERAL ECONOMIC HEADWINDS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH. AND I THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS HAVE GONE FAIRLY SMOOTHLY. 
          I ANTICIPATE THIS TAKING MORE TIME BECAUSE THERE ARE GOING TO BE MORE DECISIONS THAT JUST HAVE TO BE MADE BY THIS JUDGE. COULD YOU PULL YOUR MICROPHONE CLOSER TO YOU? IT'S HAVING A HARD TIME HEARING YOU. OH, SORRY. THIS THING'S LOUD TO ME AND IT MAKES ME WANT TO NOT TALK AS LOUD. SO I THINK THIS IS GOING TO BE A CHALLENGING YEAR. I THINK THERE'S SOME OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO CONTINUE BUILDING ON WHAT WE'VE DONE IN THE PAST, BUT THERE ARE SOME SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DEAL WITH. ONE OF THE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, I'VE REALLY APPRECIATED THE APPROACH THAT WE'VE TAKEN, WHERE WE SIT DOWN WITH DEPARTMENT HEADS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS AND TRY TO DETERMINE WHAT THE NEED FOR THE COUNTY IS BEFORE WE EVER LOOK AT TAX RATES. I THINK A LOT OF ENTITIES SIT DOWN WITH VALUATIONS AND FIGURE OUT, WELL, THIS IS THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE AND THIS IS HOW MUCH WE CAN SPEND. LET'S BUDGET TO THAT NUMBER. AND I THINK THAT'S BACKWARDS. I THINK WE SHOULD BUDGET TO THE NEED THAT WE HAVE FOR THE COUNTY AND THEN ADOPT A TAX RATE THAT FUNDS THAT NEED. AND SO THIS IS AN ATTEMPT TO DO THAT THIS YEAR. UNFORTUNATELY, TO ACCOMPLISH THAT, IT DOES THIS DOES PROPOSE I'M PROPOSING AN INCREASE TO THE TAX RATE. 
          THAT IS NOT SOMETHING THAT ANY OF US WANT TO DO IS NOT SOMETHING ANY OF US WILL ENJOY. 
          BUT THAT IS WHAT IT TAKES TO FUND WHAT'S IN HERE RIGHT NOW. AND THEN WE WILL HAVE A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY TO, TO DISCUSS WHAT'S IN AND WHAT CAN AND CANNOT BE MOVED OUT. ONE FINAL COMMENT. I WANT TO EXPRESS APPRECIATION TO THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE. WE SAT DOWN. THEY ALWAYS MANAGE REVENUES. THEY HELP US MAKE SURE THAT THE BUDGET IS ACTUALLY BALANCED. 
          AND WE SAT DOWN LESS THAN TWO WEEKS AGO, PUT IN ALL THE THINGS THAT WE THOUGHT WERE GREAT ITEMS TO GO INTO THE BUDGET. AND WE'RE $17.5 MILLION SHORT. SO WE HAVE WORKED WITH THEM. THERE WERE PEOPLE IN THE OFFICE, IN THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE AT 8 OR 830 LAST NIGHT TRYING TO FINALIZE THINGS. I WAS IN THE BUILDING AT 7:00 THIS MORNING AND MEETING WITH THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE, TRYING TO GET SOMETHING THAT BALANCES WITHOUT, WITHOUT HAVING TO TAKE AUSTERITY MEASURES THAT SET US BACK AS WE'RE DEALING WITH SIGNIFICANT POPULATION GROWTH. 
          SO WITH THAT, I'M GOING TO DIVE IN. AND I APOLOGIZE FOR NOT SENDING THIS INFORMATION OUT TO YOU GUYS A WEEK AGO, I DIDN'T FINISH THIS LAST SLIDE SHOW UNTIL ABOUT TEN MINUTES BEFORE I WALKED IN HERE THIS MORNING, TRYING TO GET IT UP TO DATE. IT WAS, IT WAS DOWN TO THE WIRE TRYING TO GET A BALANCED BUDGET FOR A PRESENTATION. JUDGE, YOU MENTIONED THAT YOU WERE GOING TO PROPOSE AN INCREASE TO THE RATE. I WOULD LIKE TO CLARIFY THAT EVEN IF WE IF THE COURT ADOPTED THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE, IT WOULD STILL BE AN INCREASE TO THE RATE BECAUSE THE WAY THE THE WAY THE VALUATIONS ARE THIS YEAR. SO IT'S JUST IT'S JUST NOT A GREAT YEAR. THANK YOU. 
          MR. RICKS QUESTION EARLIER. THERE'S NO CHANGE TO THE COLLECTION RATE. OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH. WE'VE WE'VE TRIED NOT TO PERFORM ANY SLEIGHT OF HAND TO MAKE IT APPEAR BETTER OR WORSE THAN IT IS. IT JUST THIS IS WHERE WE ARE ECONOMICALLY. AND I WANT TO DIG INTO THAT BECAUSE THIS IS GOING TO BE MORE INTERACTIVE THAN IN PRIOR YEARS. AND THAT IS INTENTIONAL. SO THE BUDGET TIMELINE, SAME TIMELINE WE'VE USED FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS. 
          THERE WERE SOME HICCUPS WITH NETSUITE. I THINK WE FINALLY GOT EVERYTHING FIGURED OUT. IT DID SLOW DOWN THE PROCESS A LITTLE BIT, BUT I THINK THEY'RE WORKING THROUGH THE ISSUES THERE. WE ENDED UP, I THINK CAD THOUGHT THEY SENT THEIR CERTIFIED APPRAISALS ON TIME. 
          WE DIDN'T GET THEIR FIRST MESSAGE, SO WE ENDED UP GETTING THOSE DOCUMENTS A DAY OR SO LATE. AND THEN THERE WERE HEADWINDS THAT WE WERE TRYING TO ACCOUNT FOR. SO THE WHOLE 
          [00:10:06]
PROCESS HAS BEEN A LITTLE SLOWER THAN TYPICAL, BUT WE WENT THROUGH THE SAME PROCESS THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS. JUDGE, MAY I? YES, SIR. YOU KNOW, CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT, IN ALL OF THE CHANGES THAT WE'VE GONE THROUGH OVER THERE IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, AND IN REGARDS TO AUDITING OF THAT, IN REGARDS TO THE COMPLEXITY THAT THIS TRANSITION HAS BROUGHT FORTH, I DON'T YOU KNOW, AND I HAVEN'T GOTTEN A REPORT. I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING OF ANY CHANGE OF OF WHAT EVALUATIONS ACTUALLY ARE REFLECTED. ARE THEY GREATER OR LESS THAN PRIOR TO JIM HUDSPETH? AND, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST I'M JUST WONDERING, YOU KNOW, HOW ACCURATE AND SCOTT, IF HE'S STILL HERE, BUT I'M NOT SURE IF HE'S GONE. HE MADE A RUN FOR IT. YEAH. HE RAN A RUN FOR IT. GOOD. THAT'S GOOD. HE'S VERY SMART. AT WHAT HIS JOB. 
          BUT, BUT I JUST, YOU KNOW, I'M I'M JUST. I'M JUST CURIOUS WHERE WE REALLY ARE WITH, THE PERFORMANCE OF OUR CAB BOARD. SO TWO YEARS AGO, THE CAB BOARD ADOPTED A NEW POLICY THAT THEY WOULD NOT REAPPRAISE PROPERTIES FOR THREE YEARS. WE ARE IN I THINK THIS IS THE LAST YEAR OF THAT PLAN. SO THEY WILL ADOPT A NEW PLAN. I DON'T KNOW IF THEY INTEND TO REAPPRAISE PROPERTIES IN THE FUTURE, BUT WE KNOW THAT LAST YEAR. BUT OUR IF YOU TOOK OUT THE NEW CONSTRUCTION, OUR OUR APPRAISED VALUES WERE FLAT YEAR OVER YEAR. AND THAT REMAINS TRUE THIS YEAR THAT OUR OUR APPRAISED VALUES ARE VERY MUCH FLAT YEAR OVER YEAR. IF YOU REMOVE NEW CONSTRUCTION, THERE IS STILL HEALTHY NEW CONSTRUCTION. I THINK THERE'S, YOU KNOW, ECONOMICALLY, I THINK THE COUNTY IS IN A GREAT POSITION. THERE ARE JUST SEVERAL ITEMS THAT ALL LANDED THIS YEAR THAT WE WILL TALK ABOUT EACH ONE INDIVIDUALLY AND WHAT THE IMPACT WAS ON THE BUDGET FROM EACH OF THOSE. BUT I THINK THAT IS PART OF IT. WE THE PROPOSED RATE IN HERE IS GOING TO BE LESS THAN THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE. SO WE'RE NOT WE'RE NOT PROPOSING GOING UP AS HIGH AS WE POSSIBLY COULD. IT'S ONLY A RATE INCREASE IN PART BECAUSE VALUES HAVE BEEN STAGNANT. LIKE MR. WATSON MENTIONED, EVEN ADOPTING THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE IS A RATE INCREASE THIS YEAR, WHICH IS UNUSUAL. SO, COMMISSIONER, I THINK THAT'S AN ASTUTE POINT THAT ALL OF THESE THINGS DO PLAY IN TOGETHER AND, AND VALUATIONS FROM CAD CERTAINLY IMPACT HOW WE ADDRESS REVENUE SHORTFALLS. AS A REMINDER. SO OUR BUDGET PRIORITIES THIS YEAR, SAME OR SIMILAR TO BUDGET PRIORITIES WE'VE HAD IN PAST YEARS, OUR FIRST PRIORITY HAS BEEN A NO TAX RATE INCREASE. OBVIOUSLY, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT IS GOING TO BE INCREDIBLY CHALLENGING TO MEET THIS YEAR. OTHER THAN THAT, I THINK WE HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB OF TRYING TO ADDRESS THESE. WE FOR THE SECOND YEAR IN A ROW, WE DID NOT INCREASE THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION BECAUSE THE CAT HAS SAID THEY'RE NOT REAPPRAISING HOMESTEAD PROPERTIES. AND SO THE INTENT HAS ALWAYS BEEN WHEN CAD REAPPRAISES IF YOUR PROPERTY GOES UP 5 OR 10% IN VALUE EVERY YEAR, THEN WE CAN ADD 1 OR 2% IN HOMESTEAD TO OFFSET THE RATE OF THAT GROWTH. 
          THAT'S ONE OF THE TOOLS WE HAVE IN THE TOOLBOX TO LIMIT PROPERTY TAX GROWTH ON INDIVIDUAL HOMES. WELL INTO THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A COMMENT REGARDING THE THE TAX RATE IN AND OF ITSELF. WHEN I TOOK OFFICE IN OH NINE, WE HAD A 36 CENT TAX RATE, TAX RATE. 
          WE HAD LEAN YEARS THAT FOLLOWED. MANY HAVE BEEN ON THIS COURT. REMEMBER THOSE YEARS? I'VE SEEN IT AS HIGH AS 47.5 CENTS. OKAY. SO SO MY POINT IS, IS THIS COURT PRIOR AND NOW HAS ALWAYS BEEN MINDFUL OF THAT. AND, AND AS CONSERVATIVE AS WE CAN BE, WE'VE ALWAYS MANAGED THAT. SO I JUST WANT TO PUT IT OUT THERE. YOU KNOW THIS WE COLLECT NO SALES TAX IN THIS COUNTY, BUT FROM $0.36 IN OH NINE UP TO 47.5 CENTS IN PRIOR YEARS. AND, AND WE HAVE WHITTLED IT DOWN AND GIVEN THOSE INCENTIVES. SO I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO BE AS HARSH OF AN ENVIRONMENT TO THE, TO, TO THOSE OUT THERE THAT RECOGNIZE THE GROWTH THAT WE'VE GOT AND HOW MANY HOW MUCH THIS IS COSTING TODAY, THE INFLATION OF IT ALL. WE MAY HAVE TO ELEVATE IT. BUT WHEN THERE'S A, THE RIGHT TIME COMES ALONG AND THOSE VALUATIONS, THAT NEW GROWTH IS FACTORED IN IN COMING YEARS. IT'S JUST A. IT'S LIKE THE STOCK MARKET. WE'RE JUST FLUCTUATING WITH THE TIMES. AND WE'LL GET BACK TO THAT AS SOON AS WE CAN. SO I'M NOT I'M NOT REALLY AFRAID OF OF DOING WHAT WE HAVE TO DO. AND BEING MINDFUL THAT THE GOVERNOR IS STILL LOOKING AT A TWO THIRDS VOTE. YOU KNOW, SO IF IT TAKES US TO A ZERO CAP, KNOWING THAT WE'VE GOT A RENEWAL COMING UP FOR CONTRACT WITH CARE FLAT AND OTHER ISSUES THAT ARE GOING TO BE IN NEXT YEAR, WE PROBABLY NEED TO NOT PAD IT, BUT BE MINDFUL OF WHAT OUR NEEDS ARE GOING TO BE GOING FORWARD TO THAT, BECAUSE THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN BEFORE THAT NEXT BUDGET COMES AROUND. YES, SIR. AND THAT WAS EXACTLY THE CONVERSATION THAT WE HAD OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS, IS WE 
          [00:15:02]
COULD WE COULD TRY TO GET MORE CREATIVE AND WE CAN WE CAN SPEND FUND BALANCE AND NOT COLLECT TAXES, BUT WE DON'T WANT TO LEAVE OURSELVES WHERE WE'RE ROBBING PETER TO PAY. 
          PAUL. WE DON'T WANT TO START NEXT YEAR WITH A BUDGET DEFICIT BECAUSE WE HAVEN'T FAIRLY ACCOUNTED FOR WHAT WE'RE SPENDING THIS YEAR. AND AND YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. I'LL TELL YOU, IT'S NOT A MYSTERY AND IT'S NOT HIDDEN. THE PROPOSED TAX RATE IN THIS IS 41.7 CENTS, WHICH IS ABOUT A TWO AND A HALF CENT INCREASE IN OUR CURRENT RATE. THAT PUTS US WHERE WE WERE TWO YEARS, THREE YEARS AGO. SO IT'S NOT A HISTORICALLY HIGH RATE. AND IN FACT, IT PUTS US WHERE WE WERE THREE YEARS AGO. BUT WE HAVE IN THE INTERIM, HAD A VOTER APPROVED ONE PENNY INCREASE ON THE DEBT RATE FOR TRANSPORTATION BONDS. SO FUNCTIONALLY IN, IN THE GENERAL FUND, WE'RE STILL A PENNY AND A HALF CHEAPER BECAUSE WE'VE ALSO INCREASED THE FAILURE RATE DURING THE LAST THREE YEARS. SO IT'S NOT IT'S NOT A CATASTROPHIC PROPOSAL, BUT IT IS DIFFERENT FROM WHAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH IN THE PAST YEARS. AND SO THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE ALL LOOKING AT THIS WITH CLEAR EYES. I DIDN'T WANT TO GLAZE OVER SOMETHING THAT IS ULTIMATELY IMPORTANT TO THE PUBLIC AND TO THE MEMBERS OF THIS BODY. SO BUDGET CHALLENGES, THIS IS A NEW HIGHLIGHT FOR OUR PRESENTATION THIS YEAR. IF YOU LOOK AT ONLY THREE MAJOR ITEMS, IT TELLS A STORY OF WHERE OUR BUDGET IS, OUR HEALTH INSURANCE FUNDING. BASED ON THE RECOMMENDATIONS FROM HOLMES AND MURPHY, WE ARE SELF-INSURED. WE HAVE REALLY BEEN LUCKY THE LAST THREE YEARS AND HAVE HAD VERY MINOR INCREASES ON THE COUNTY SIDE TO HEALTH INSURANCE. THIS LAST YEAR WE HAD A BAD INSURANCE YEAR, AND THAT MEANS WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE FUNDING MOVING FORWARD. AND THAT REQUIRES A $2 MILLION INCREASE ON THE ON THE GENERAL FUND FOR HEALTH INSURANCE. THE ACTUAL SYSTEM WIDE INCREASE IS LARGER BECAUSE THAT EXCLUDES SOME EMPLOYEES WHO ARE PAID OUT OF OTHER FUNDS AND ARE PART OF THE INSURANCE POOL, INCLUDING OUR EMPLOYEES WOULDN'T BE INCLUDED IN THAT. BUT JUST IN GENERAL FUND, WE'RE GOING TO CONTRIBUTE AN ADDITIONAL ON THE EMPLOYER SIDE. SO THE COUNTY SIDE, 2 MILLION ADDITIONAL DOLLARS TO HEALTH INSURANCE GEL REVENUE. WE'RE PROJECTING A DECREASE OF ABOUT $3 MILLION THIS YEAR. THERE HAVE BEEN MORE LOCAL INMATES, WHICH LEAVES LESS ROOM FOR FEDERAL MARSHALS. AND SO YOU TAKE THE BED DAYS AND THE RATE THAT THEY PAY FOR REIMBURSEMENT, IT'S KIND OF A DOUBLE WHAMMY BECAUSE NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE A LOSS OF REVENUE, BUT THE JAIL STAYS FULL AND WE CONTINUE HAVING THE SAME EXPENSES THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT. IT'S NOT AS IF WE TURNED OFF THE TAP AND SHRINK THE SIZE OF THE JAIL. AT LEAST THERE WOULD BE OFFSETS TO THOSE EXPENSES. AND FINALLY, SOFTWARE WHICH MR. MILAM IS STILL WORKING ON TO MAKE SURE THIS IS ACCURATE. AND I'M HOPING THERE'S SOME ROOM TO ADJUST BECAUSE THIS JUST THIS ITEM AMOUNTS TO ABOUT A PENNY ON THE TAX RATE IS A $2 MILLION INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR ON ALMOST ALL EXISTING SOFTWARE PACKAGES. WE. WE WENT THROUGH AND ENDED UP PULLING OUT MOST OF THE NEW SOFTWARE PROJECTS AND CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS TO GET THE. TO GET FROM $17.5 MILLION SHORT TO A BALANCED BUDGET AT THE PROPOSED RATE. SO THOSE ITEMS ACCOUNT FOR $7 MILLION IN THE BUDGET. OUR YEAR OVER YEAR INCREASE IS 8 OR $9 MILLION, WHICH IS CONSISTENT WITH THE INCREASE WE'VE HAD IN PREVIOUS YEARS. BUT IN PREVIOUS YEARS, WE HAVE NOT HAD TO ABSORB THESE CHALLENGES INTO THAT NUMBER. SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE UGLY, RIGHT? WE HAVE THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY. 
          THERE'S THE UGLY. I THINK THE, IF THERE'S A BAD, THIS IS IT, THIS IS THE HIGHLIGHTS OR LOWLIGHTS FROM THE BUDGET. IT IS A RATE INCREASE. IT'S AN INCREASE OF ABOUT 2.7 CENTS. 
          THE RATE WOULD REMAIN STEADY UNDER THIS PROPOSAL BUT IT DOES INCREASE ROAD AND BRIDGE FUNDING BY ABOUT $1 MILLION YEAR OVER YEAR, ABOUT 7.4%. MOST OF THAT GENERATED FROM NEW CONSTRUCTION. WE, THIS STILL INCLUDES SOME ADJUSTMENTS FOR EMPLOYEES. SO THERE ARE, THERE'S A PROGRAM WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON FOR ABOUT A YEAR THAT WOULD RESTRUCTURE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF, FROM OFFICE MANAGERS DOWN TO CLERK ONE AND CUSTODIAN POSITIONS. IT KIND OF TOUCHES NEARLY EVERY POSITION IN THE COUNTY. THAT IS GRADE 101 THROUGH 108. THIS IS THE CAPSTONE OF EMPLOYEE ADJUSTMENTS THAT WE'VE MADE OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. WE'VE HIT LAW ENFORCEMENT SEVERAL TIMES. WE'VE TOUCHED SOME OTHER OFFICES. AND THIS WAS THE IDEA WAS TO COMPLETE ADJUSTING SALARIES. THE COST OF THAT IS NOT CHEAP, BUT IT'S IN THE 5 TO $600,000 RANGE TOTAL SPREAD ACROSS 3 TO 500 EMPLOYEES. THERE'S ABOUT 500 IN THAT CLASSIFICATION, BUT NOT ALL OF THEM RECEIVE INCREASES. 
          MOST OF THEM THAT DO RECEIVE INCREASES ARE IN THE $2,500 RANGE. WE'RE WE'RE NOT GIVING ANYBODY A BIG PAY RAISE OR A BONUS OR ANYTHING, BUT WE'RE. THE IDEA WAS TO CREATE 
          [00:20:02]
STRUCTURE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY, AND I'LL. WE'LL GET TO WHAT THE PAY SCHEDULE LOOKS LIKE FOR THOSE EMPLOYEES AS WE MOVE FORWARD THROUGH THIS. THIS DOES BASE A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT ON INFLATION DATA. WE HAD PREVIOUSLY, IN PRIOR YEARS USED APRIL DATA FROM THE DALLAS FED. THAT WAS THE WE FIGURED THAT WAS THE LOCAL DATA. AND APRIL WAS EARLY ENOUGH IN THE YEAR THAT WE COULD PLUG IT IN. WELL, THE, I GUESS IT'S BLS NOT THE FED. THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, THEY DON'T PUBLISH DALLAS DALLAS AREA DATA IN APRIL ANYMORE. THEY ONLY PUBLISH IN ODD NUMBERED MONTHS. SO WE PUSHED THAT TO MAY. THAT WAS THE NEXT AVAILABLE MONTH FOR DATA. BUT WE DID MATCH THE COLA RATE TO THE INFLATION DATA SO THAT ALL EMPLOYEES AT LEAST KEEP PACE WITH THE RATE OF INFLATION. AS PART OF THAT, ADJUSTMENTS FOR CLERKS AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF, THE LOWEST PAID POSITIONS IN THE COUNTY WOULD BE PUSHED JUST ABOVE $40,000 A YEAR. THAT THERE'S NOT A LARGE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES THAT ARE PAID LESS THAN THAT RIGHT NOW, BUT THIS WOULD CATCH THE REST OF THEM THAT HAVE NOT BEEN PREVIOUSLY ADJUSTED. AND THERE ARE A COUPLE OF NEW POSITIONS. IT'S A NET OF THREE NEW POSITIONS COUNTY WIDE THAT ARE INCLUDED WITHIN THIS THREE. AND THAT'S SPREAD BETWEEN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND NON-LAW ENFORCEMENT. THERE'S MORE NEW POSITIONS THAN THAT, BUT THEY'RE OFFSET BY SOME OFFICES ARE, FOR EXAMPLE, TURNING A PART TIME POSITION TO A FULL TIME POSITION. I COUNTED THAT AS HALF OF A NET POSITION. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF OFFICES THAT ARE GIVING UP POSITIONS, BUT THAT THAT IS THE, THE NET IMPACT. WE DO CONTINUE TO MAINTAIN A STRONG FUND BALANCE. 
          ALTHOUGH WE'RE GOING TO, THIS DOESN'T GROW THE FUND BALANCE THE WAY WE HAVE IN PREVIOUS YEARS. THIS HOLDS THE FUND BALANCE STEADY YEAR OVER YEAR, BECAUSE WE CAN UTILIZE WHAT WOULD HAVE GONE TO GROWING THAT FUND BALANCE TO OFFSET OTHER EXPENSES THAT IF WE MAINTAIN A FUND BALANCE FOR, FOR HEADWINDS OR FOR RAINY DAYS, THIS IS A, IT'S AT LEAST A DRIZZLE THIS YEAR. AND SO I THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE TO NOT GROW THAT FUND, BUT NOT TO PULL MONEY OUT OF THAT FUND. ALL RIGHT. THE IMPACT OF THE TAX RATE ON A TYPICAL HOME $300,000 IS PRETTY CLOSE TO THE AVERAGE MARKET RATE OF A HOME IN THE COUNTY AT THIS POINT. ONCE YOU TAKE OUT HOMESTEAD, THE TAX GOES UP ABOUT $79 A YEAR BASED ON A RATE INCREASE. FOR LATERAL ROAD, THE CURRENT YEAR TAX REVENUE, IN THE CURRENT YEAR IS $12.25 MILLION. THIS WOULD INCREASE TO $13.16 MILLION. AGAIN, THAT'S ABOUT A 7% INCREASE. WE HAD IN THE COMMITTEE TALKED ABOUT A HOPE OF INCREASING THAT RATE. I DON'T HAVE THAT INCLUDED, BUT THERE IS SOME HEAD SPACE IN THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE. I DON'T KNOW IF I SAID THAT, BUT WE ARE. YEAH. THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE WE RECEIVED THIS MORNING IS 42 AND SOME CHANGE. SO WE'RE ABOUT HALF A CENT UNDER THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, JUST UNDER HALF A CENT UNDER THAT RATE. THE INFLATION ALONE ON THE 7% PROPOSED WON'T EVEN YOU KNOW, BUT BUT WE RECOGNIZE THE YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING WHAT WE CAN HERE. NOW, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IS HOW DOES THIS EQUATE IN THIS? BECAUSE WE'VE NOT HAD THAT COMMITTEE YET THAT I'M AWARE OF. YES. WHERE IS THAT? WHERE IS THAT IN THERE? MAYBE YOU'VE DONE SOMETHING THAT IS REFLECTED HERE. YEAH. AND WE'LL LET ME GET TO THAT. 
          IT'S. WE FIGURED OUT THERE WERE GOING TO BE ISSUES BEFORE WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SIT DOWN AND GO THROUGH THE FULL SHERIFF'S BUDGET. WE'VE, WE'VE GONE, WE'VE MET WITH MISTER CAPTAIN ARRIOLA EARLIER THIS WEEK AND TRIED TO INCORPORATE SOME THINGS. THIS DOESN'T, AS PROPOSED, DOES NOT MEET 10% OF THEIR REQUESTS FOR NEW ITEMS. THIS. WE ENDED UP IN A POSITION WHERE MY OFFICE AND THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE LED BY ME. I DON'T I'LL SHARE CREDIT FOR THE WORK THAT WAS DONE, BUT WE WERE TRYING TO FIND THE ITEMS THAT WE HAD TO ADDRESS FIRST. AND TO ME THAT MEANT MAINTENANCE OF THE SERVICES WE PROVIDED LAST YEAR. SO THERE ARE SOME NEW ITEMS FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. THIS DOES NOT ADDRESS ALL OF THE REQUESTS THAT WERE MADE THERE. SO THE COLA PROPOSED COLA RATE IS 2.6%. THAT DOES MATCH THE MAY INFLATION DATA FROM THE BLS FOR THE DALLAS FORT WORTH AREA. INFLATION HAS BEEN VOLATILE THIS YEAR. IF YOU LOOKED IN DECEMBER, THE RATE WAS UNDER 1%. IF YOU LOOKED AT THE HIGH POINT IN THE YEAR IN MARCH OR APRIL, IT WAS CLOSE TO 4%. AND SO IT'S WHIPSAWED SIGNIFICANTLY. I THINK THAT IS 
          [00:25:01]
ONE OF THE REASONS IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO PICK A MONTH AND STICK WITH IT YEAR OVER YEAR, SO THAT WE'RE CAPTURING A FULL YEAR OF INFLATION DATA. IT'S JUST BEEN, THERE HAVE BEEN ECONOMIC HEADWINDS ALL AROUND. AND I'LL TRY NOT TO USE THAT PHRASE AGAIN. SO THE PROPOSED PAY SCHEDULE, WERE WE TO IMPLEMENT THE ADJUSTMENTS OF SALARIES, THIS LAYS OUT EVERY GRADE AND EVERY POSITION TITLE WITHIN THOSE GRADES. YOU'LL SEE THAT FOR SOME OF THEM, THERE IS NOT A RANGE AT ALL. ALL CLARK ONES IN THE COUNTY WOULD BE PAID AT THE SAME RATE. FOR SOME OF THEM, AS YOU GET HIGHER IN THE RANKS, THERE ARE THERE IS SOME FLEXIBILITY FOR DEPARTMENT HEADS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS TO CHOOSE WHERE WITHIN THAT RANGE THEY WOULD FALL. ALTHOUGH EVERY EMPLOYEE IN THE CLASSIFICATION PLAN HAS A SPECIFIC DOLLAR AMOUNT ASSIGNED TO THEM IN THIS BUDGET, THE RANGES ARE MORE REFLECTIVE OF EXISTING DIFFERENCES IN SALARIES. SO CUSTODIANS STILL SHOW A SIGNIFICANT RANGE. I'LL TELL YOU, THE CUSTODIAN MAKING $50,000 A YEAR, THAT'S A CURRENT SALARY. NOBODY, NO CUSTODIANS OR CLERK ONES ABOVE THAT $40,500 MARK RECEIVED ANY INCREASE FROM THIS ADJUSTMENT? IT WAS ABOUT CATCHING UP THE LOWEST PAID EMPLOYEES WITHIN EACH TIER TO CREATE SOME DISTANCE BETWEEN THEM. SO THIS WOULD SET CLARK ONES AT $40,500, CLARK TWOS AT $47,000, AND ALSO A MAINTENANCE TECH ONE, WHICH IS ENTRY LEVEL MAINTENANCE TECH AND FACILITIES CLERK THREE AT BETWEEN 52 AND 54,000. THE FOUR H PROGRAM ASSISTANT FALLS WITHIN THAT SAME RANGE. THERE ARE COMMISSARY CLERKS IN THE JAIL THAT ARE PAID OUT OF A SEPARATE FUND. THEY THEIR SALARIES WERE ALREADY A LITTLE HIGHER IN THIS MAINTAINS THEM AT THAT LEVEL. IT DOESN'T INCREASE THOSE AMOUNTS. IT DOES GIVE A SMALL INCREASE TO INSPECTORS AT THE BOTTOM END IN DEVELOPMENT SERVICES. SO THE LOWEST PAID INSPECTORS GET CAUGHT UP A LITTLE BIT WITH THE OTHER FOLKS THAT ARE THE SAME GRADE. AND AS A REMINDER, A LOT OF WHAT WE DID WITH THE LONGEVITY PLAN A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, THE INTENT WAS TO MOVE TOWARD BRACKETING PAY FOR POSITIONS AND THEN HAVING LONGEVITY PAY, PICK UP THE DIFFERENCE AND PAY FOR EXPERIENCE. AND SO THIS IS A, AGAIN, A REFLECTION OF THAT INTENT THAT WE STARTED TWO YEARS AGO. FOR LEGAL SECRETARIES, THERE'S A BROADER RANGE AND THAT REFLECTS THE EXISTING RANGE WITHIN THOSE POSITIONS. BUT BETWEEN 56,060 2000 286, THE LAW LIBRARIAN AND WOULD RECEIVE A SMALL INCREASE TO MAKE HER EQUAL TO A LEAD CLERK. SHE HAS AN EMPLOYEE THAT SHE SOMEWHAT SUPERVISES IN THAT OFFICE. LEAD CLERK IS A NEW POSITION. THAT'S SOMETHING THE COURT CREATED LAST YEAR, MID YEAR FOR THE DISTRICT CLERK'S OFFICE TO REFLECT THE EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE SURE THAT A JOB IS DONE BUT DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY OVER OTHER EMPLOYEES. SO IF IF IT'S YOUR JOB TO OVERSEE THE WORK OF A COUPLE OF OTHER CLERKS AND MAKE SURE THAT THE TILL BALANCES AT THE END OF THE DAY, EVERY DAY, THAT MIGHT BE AN APPROPRIATE TITLE. BUT IF YOU'RE DOING WRITE UPS AND HIRING AND FIRING, THEN YOU'RE PROBABLY A SUPERVISOR, WHICH IS A SLIGHTLY HIGHER IT'S A GRADE HIGHER POSITION. THE TECHNICAL SECRETARY IS LIKE LEGAL SECRETARIES. THAT'S A POSITION THAT EXISTS. I THINK WE, WE MOVED A FEW OTHER POSITIONS INTO THAT. THOSE ARE MORE SPECIALIZED POSITIONS. THERE'S BEEN ONE IN THE, IN IT FOR SEVERAL YEARS. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF ADDITIONAL ONES PROPOSED THIS YEAR, NOT AS NEW EMPLOYEES, BUT RECLASSIFYING PEOPLE MORE OR LESS BASED ON THEIR CURRENT SALARIES. OFFICE MANAGERS HAVE A BROAD RANGE. 
          AND AGAIN, WE TRIED TO CREATE A LITTLE BIT OF DISTANCE BETWEEN GRADE 105 AND 106. BUT THE HIGHER PAID OFFICE MANAGERS ARE THAT REFLECTS THEIR CURRENT SALARIES. SAME WITH SUPERVISORS. 
          WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THERE WAS SOME DISTANCE BETWEEN A CLERK AND A SUPERVISOR. THIS PROVIDES A LITTLE BIT OF DAYLIGHT BETWEEN THOSE POSITIONS AT A MINIMUM OF $62,000, SENIOR BUYER MOVES TO $62,000 AS WELL TO CREATE SOME SPACE BETWEEN BUYERS AND SENIOR BUYERS. MAINTENANCE TECHS MOVE UP SLIGHTLY AT THE BOTTOM END TO A MINIMUM OF $56,000. THIS DOES IMPACT DISPATCHERS. THEY THE ORIGINAL VERSION DID NOT. AND WE CAUGHT THAT THEY WERE GOING TO BE SURPASSED BY SOME CLERK POSITIONS. AND I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE TRIED TO TAKE CARE OF DISPATCHERS RECENTLY AND, AND THEY WERE ALREADY A HIGHER GRADE. THIS DOESN'T GRADE THOSE POSITIONS, I DON'T BELIEVE. BUT, RAISING THAT SALARY KEEPS THEM AGAIN, SLIGHTLY AHEAD OF OR ON PAR WITH, MORE EXPERIENCED CLERK POSITIONS. WE HAVE A BOOKKEEPER IN THE COUNTY. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT REFLECTS ANY SALARY CHANGE, BUT IS REFLECTED ON THE CHART FOR COMPARISON. 
          [00:30:02]
AND THEN WE HAVE SOME MANAGERS, MANAGER TITLED POSITIONS IN THE TAX OFFICE THAT THEY OVERSEE BECAUSE OF THE SIZE OF THE TAX OFFICE, THEY HAVE MANAGERS THAT SIT MORE OR LESS ABOVE THE SUPERVISORS AND CREATE ANOTHER LAYER OF, ADMINISTRATION THERE. THE INTENT IS ALSO TO INITIALLY THE PLAN WENT THROUGH GRADE 107. IT UNFORTUNATELY PUSHED SOME GRADE 107 FOLKS AHEAD OF GRADE 108 FOLKS. AND THERE WERE SOME, THESE ARE SIMILAR POSITIONS THAT WEREN'T CAUGHT IN THE FIRST PASS THROUGH. SO THESE POSITIONS, THIS WOULD REFLECT ABOUT $90,000 IN ADJUSTMENTS BETWEEN THESE POSITIONS. THERE ARE FOUR JP CHIEF CLERKS. THERE ARE FOUR COUNTY COURT AT LAW COORDINATORS. AND THEN THERE ARE HALF A DOZEN DISTRICT COURT COORDINATORS WITH VARIOUS TITLES AS WELL AS I BELIEVE THREE OFFICE ADMINISTRATORS. SO AGAIN, WE'RE LOOKING AT 30 EMPLOYEES. AND THAT NETS OUT TO ABOUT $3,000 A HEAD TO CREATE SOME STRUCTURE HERE. 
          TRADITIONALLY, WE'VE HAD JP CHIEF CLERKS AND COURT AT LAW COORDINATORS PAID THE SAME AMOUNT, BUT THEY'VE BEEN PAID LESS THAN THEIR DISTRICT COURT COUNTERPARTS. AND THERE'S I DON'T THINK THERE'S A LOT OF RATIONALE FOR THAT. THEY DO THE SAME JOBS. SO AGAIN, THAT THAT IS A PIECE OF RESTRUCTURING BEYOND RESTRUCTURING, THERE'S A HANDFUL OF INDEPENDENT ADJUSTMENTS TO POSITIONS THAT ARE INCLUDED. COUNTY CLERK AND DISTRICT CLERK, THEIR CHIEF DEPUTIES, THIS WOULD INCREASE THEM AND SET THEM AT THE SAME SALARY. IT WOULD BE A SMALL INCREASE TO TWO SYSTEM ADMINISTRATORS. THERE'S A RETITLING OF THE VOTER REGISTRAR TO LEAD CLERK. THAT'S NOT A SALARY CHANGE, BUT, IN ELECTIONS, THIS DOES PROPOSE AN INCREASE FOR THE TREASURER. SHE DID NOT REQUEST THIS, BUT, SHE, I BELIEVE, CURRENTLY SITS AS THE LOWEST PAID ELECTED OFFICIAL AND OVERSEES AN IMPORTANT FUNCTION OF THE COUNTY. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I REQUESTED TO BE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET. AND IT'S A $5,000 INCREASE. THAT MOVES HER MORE ON PAR WITH SOME OTHER SIMILAR ELECTED OFFICIALS. FINALLY, THERE IS A PIECE IN HERE. THIS IS, FAIRLY EXPENSIVE FOR THE NUMBER OF HEADS, BUT THIS IS A, AN ADJUSTMENT FOR PROSECUTORS. THAT FIRST LINE MOVING FULL TIME INVESTIGATORS TO THE STEP PLAN DOESN'T REALLY COST MUCH, BUT WE'VE CREATED A SITUATION, I THINK UNINTENTIONALLY, WHEN WE ADJUSTED THE STEP PLAN LAST YEAR, WE HAD. AND DETECTIVES AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE PASSED THE INVESTIGATORS AT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN THE OTHER WAY AROUND. SO MOVING THEM INTO THE STEP PLAN MAKES SURE THAT THERE'S PARITY BETWEEN THOSE, WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE DONE FOR OTHER OFFICES THAT WOULD BRING COUNTY ATTORNEY DISTRICT ATTORNEY INTO THE STEP PLAN, WHERE WE ALREADY HAVE FIRE MARSHAL, SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND ALL FOUR CONSTABLES. SO THEY'RE LAW ENFORCEMENT, THEY'RE THEY'RE LAW ENFORCEMENT. 
          THEY ARREST PEOPLE, THEY DO INVESTIGATIONS. THEY YEAH, THEY'RE, THE OTHER PIECE OF THIS, AS IT NOTES HERE, IT'S ABOUT A $230,000 INCREASE. WHAT THIS WOULD DO IS INCREASE THE STARTING SALARY FOR PROSECUTORS. INSTEAD OF TRYING TO REALIGN BOTH OF THE OFFICES, INCREASING THE STARTING SALARIES FREES UP SB 22 SALARY MONEY FOR THE TWO ELECTED PROSECUTORS TO, TO MAKE OTHER ADJUSTMENTS IN THEIR OFFICES. BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I THINK WE'VE WE'VE TALKED BEFORE, AND I THINK RANDY WOULD CONFIRM THAT. BUT FOR SB 22, WE WOULD HAVE HAD TO HAVE DONE THIS THREE YEARS AGO. WE'RE HAVING MORE AND MORE DIFFICULTY HIRING AND RETAINING PROSECUTORS. THE LAST PIECE OF ADJUSTMENTS IS THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE. YES, SIR. YES, SIR. 
          SLIDE JUDGE UP THERE TO THE COUNTY CLERK AND DISTRICT CLERK. WHAT'S THE JUSTIFICATION? I MEAN, IT'S PRETTY SIZABLE INCREASE FOR THE DISTRICT CHIEF DEPUTY THERE. IT'S OVER $10,000. 
          WHAT WHAT WHAT PROMPTS THAT? I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE'S A SPECIFIC JUSTIFICATION OTHER THAN THE REQUEST FOR PARITY BETWEEN THE OFFICES. I THINK I'LL BE HONEST, I DIDN'T REALIZE THE INCREASE WAS QUITE THAT SIGNIFICANT WHEN A WHEN WE INITIALLY TALKED ABOUT IT. BUT, THAT IS THAT IS WHERE THINGS SIT. AND THAT CERTAINLY CAN BE REVISITED. I KNOW THE, THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE DOES HAVE MULTIPLE LOCATIONS AND MULTIPLE FUNCTIONS. AND THAT CHIEF DEPUTY PROBABLY OVERSEES SIGNIFICANTLY MORE PEOPLE. I DO KNOW THAT IS TRUE. YEAH. A LARGER STAFF IN THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE COMPARED TO DISTRICT, BUT THAT'S A PRETTY 
          [00:35:06]
SIZABLE STEP THERE. WE DID MOVE, THE ELECTIONS ASSISTANT DIRECTOR TO $80,000. I THINK WE, I THINK WE MISS IF WE DON'T DO SOMETHING WITH THAT CHIEF DEPUTY POSITION. I THINK, YOU KNOW, IF WE COMPARE TO WHERE, WHERE THE OTHER ADMIN STAFF ARE THE MANAGERS AND THINGS THAT THIS PERSON'S GOING TO FALL VERY CLOSE TO THE OFFICE MANAGER AND THAT OFFICE, IF THERE'S NOT ANY ADJUSTMENT AT ALL. BUT $11,000 IS SIGNIFICANT WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AUSTERITY MEASURES. AND I CERTAINLY UNDERSTAND THAT WE COULD, WE COULD MAKE A LESSER ADJUSTMENT THIS YEAR AND THEN REVISIT NEXT YEAR, ASSUMING THAT REVENUES ARE BETTER THAN THEY WERE THIS YEAR. MR. KEATON IS GOING TO COME PRESENT HIS BUDGET ON FRIDAY, THURSDAY AFTERNOON OR FRIDAY. I'M SORRY, I DON'T REMEMBER. SO WE WE DO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THAT ITEM FURTHER ALSO. SO THE LAST ITEM FOR ADJUSTMENTS, THIS IS THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE. THIS WAS WHAT WAS ADOPTED BY THE DISTRICT JUDGES. AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE HAS, IT RUNS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY, NOT ONLY BECAUSE OUR BELOVED AUDITOR, BUT ALSO BECAUSE IT THAT POSITION, THAT OFFICE REPORT TO THE DISTRICT JUDGES AND THEY HAVE SOME BUDGETARY AUTHORITY OVER THOSE POSITIONS. THIS IS WHAT THEY HAVE REQUESTED OR RECOMMENDED. I HAVE NOT COMPARED TO SEE IF THIS IS WITHIN THEIR DOLLAR AMOUNT OF AUTHORITY, BUT I THINK IT'S PRETTY CLOSE. THE NUMBERS HERE ARE NOT ARBITRARY. THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE DID AN INTERNAL SALARY SURVEY. THEY DID THIS TWO YEARS AGO AND WE MADE SOME ADJUSTMENTS. THEY HAVE DONE THIS AGAIN. AND WHAT THEY DID WAS LOOK AT OTHER GOVERNMENT ACCOUNTANTS IN THE REGION. AND I GUESS ACROSS THE STATE IS THAT YEAH, PEER COUNTIES, SO PEER SIZED COUNTIES. AND THIS ADJUSTS TO THE MIDPOINT OF PAY FOR PEOPLE DOING THE SAME DUTIES. AND THE OTHER PEER COUNTIES. WE HAVE NOT, I THINK, IN ANY POSITION, ADOPTED A POLICY OF TRYING TO PAY IN THE TOP 80 OR 90TH PERCENTILE. THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE MIDPOINT FOR THESE POSITIONS. THE TOTAL COST HERE. I'M SORRY, I DON'T RECALL. I THINK WE'RE 100. I WAS GOING TO SAY I THINK WE WERE LOOKING AT ABOUT $100,000, BUT I THINK THAT INCLUDES THE, TURNING A PART TIME POSITION INTO A FULL TIME POSITION. SO AGAIN, A FAIRLY SMALL PIECE OF THE OF A VERY LARGE BUDGET. SO YOU'VE GOT VERY SIMILAR SITUATION ON THE ACCOUNTS PAYABLE CLERK FROM THE 48 TO THE 62. THAT'S ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE. THAT'S OVER A $10,000 INCREASE. YES, SIR. AND IT'S JUST THE ONE. BUT THE JUST LIKE THE OTHER EXAMPLE, THE CURRENT SALARY APPEARS TO BE LOWER THAN WHAT. IT APPEARS TO BE LOW. AND THAT'S WHY THERE'S SO MUCH. THAT'S WHY THERE'S SO MUCH HAVING TO BE ADDED TO IT. COMMISSIONER, IF I CAN CLARIFY THAT, A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, I LEFT SOMETHING OUT OF MY BUDGET REQUEST. AND IN ORDER TO. IN ORDER TO, TO FIX IT, BASICALLY I CHANGED ONE OF THE POSITIONS AND LOWERED. IT WAS A VACANT POSITION AND I CHANGED IT FROM I, WHEN I GOT HERE, I HAD TWO ACCOUNTS PAYABLE AUDITORS AND I CHANGED ONE OF THOSE POSITIONS TO AN ACCOUNTS PAYABLE CLERK AND BORROWED THE BORROWED QUOTE UNQUOTE THE MONEY TO, TO WHAT YOU HAD LEFT OF THAT SALARY YOU PUT INTO THAT POSITION. YEAH. 
          SO THIS, THIS JUST BASICALLY PUTS IT BACK TO WHERE IT WAS. THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S IT. SO IT WOULDN'T BE AN ACCOUNTS PAYABLE CLERK AGAIN ANYMORE. IT WOULD BE AN ACCOUNTS PAYABLE AUDITOR AGAIN. WE'VE LOOKED AT MAKING ADJUSTMENTS THROUGHOUT THIS COMMITTEE. SITTING ON THIS COMMITTEE, BY THE WAY HAS BEEN AN EYE OPENING EXPERIENCE. YES SIR. I DON'T KNOW HOW FAR I WANT TO GET INTO THAT LITTLE BIT SEGMENT TODAY, BUT I WILL JUST TELL YOU THAT, YOU KNOW, WE MADE A PROMISE TO THE OTHER EMPLOYEES IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET THAT WE WERE GOING TO DO SOMETHING THIS YEAR REGARDING ALL EMPLOYEES. WE'RE LOOKING AT A HANDFUL HERE OF OF PARITY, BUT WE'VE STILL GOT HUNDREDS OUT THERE THAT ARE THAT ARE THAT ARE. SO WHAT WAS THAT COLA LOOKING AT? WHAT'S THE NUMBER OF ON THE COLA THAT IF WE LOOK AT WHAT WE HAVE PROPOSED THUS FAR FOR THE REMAINING EMPLOYEES THAT WE HAVE, AND PLUS WHATEVER THAT COLA IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE REFLECTED ON TOP OF WHAT THE ADJUSTMENTS ARE, WHERE WE ADD ON THAT STEVE. THE PERSONNEL 
          [00:40:08]
LINE ITEM INCREASES COUNTY WIDE FOR ALL PERSONNEL EXPENSES, SO NEW EMPLOYEES, COLA ACROSS ALL DEPARTMENTS. AND ALL OF THESE ADJUSTMENTS WERE IN THE $3 MILLION BALLPARK FOR ADJUSTMENTS TO POSITIONS. OF THAT, TWO THIRDS IS COLA. SO ROUGHLY $2 MILLION IN COLA AND THEN ROUGHLY $1 MILLION IN PAY ADJUSTMENTS. SO I GUESS IF THE PAY ADJUSTMENTS ARE DIRECTED AT A MORE THAN 300, PROBABLY MORE THAN 400 EMPLOYEES THAT ARE NON-LAW ENFORCEMENT, TRYING TO BRING THOSE POSITIONS UP WHERE THEY WERE, IF WE WERE NOT TO DO THE PAY ADJUSTMENTS AND INSTEAD SHIFT THAT TO A COLA, WE WOULD PROBABLY PUSH THE COLA FROM 2.6% TO 3.5%. IT WOULD BE IT WOULD NOT BE AN ENORMOUS CHANGE, BUT IT WOULD BE A CHANGE. YEAH. WELL, IN TALKING ABOUT CHANGES, IT'S AMAZING TO ME. THE NUMBER OF OFFICES IN THIS COUNTY THAT ARE WORKING FOUR DAY WORK WEEKS AND THAT ARE ASKING FOR MORE PEOPLE. SO THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND, ESPECIALLY WHEN I GET THOSE CALLS, LOOKING FOR SOMEWHERE TO PAY A TICKET ON FRIDAY, BUT THEY CAN'T FIND THEIR JP, HE'S OFF THAT DAY. I'M JUST GOING TO PUT IT OUT THERE. IT WAS PRESENTED THIS WAY SO I HAVE NO OTHER WAY TO PRESENT IT OTHER THAN WHAT I WAS TOLD. BUT WHENEVER THEY'RE CALLING AND YOU KNOW, NOBODY KNOWS WHERE TO GO, I THINK MONK IS PROBABLY THE ONLY ONE THAT'S WORKING FIVE DAYS BASED ON ALL THE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE HAD. AND I'LL JUST PUT IT OUT THERE. 
          YOU KNOW, IF YOU'RE IF YOU'RE NEEDING MORE EMPLOYEES, MAYBE YOU SHOULD WORK FIVE DAYS A WEEK AND SPREAD THAT OUT A LITTLE BIT. YOU KNOW, I DON'T THINK WE CAN MANDATE A FIVE DAY WORK WEEK BECAUSE OF OUR POPULATION STATUS AS OF YET. BUT I WOULD JUST SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, HIRING MORE PEOPLE, IS NOT THE ANSWER ON A FOUR DAY WORK WEEK. THE REST OF US WORK FIVE DAYS IF NEEDED, YOU KNOW, AND IN PUBLIC OFFICES IN PARTICULARLY THAT WE ARE, WE'RE ELECTED TO SERVE THE PEOPLE IN THESE POSITIONS OR THESE OFFICES THAT ARE CLOSED ON FRIDAY BECAUSE SOMEBODY CHOOSES TO, TO HAVE FOUR DAY WORK WEEKS IS JUST REALLY SHOULDN'T BE ACCEPTABLE. PEOPLE WORK FIVE, SIX DAYS A WEEK TO MAKE ENDS MEET, TWO JOBS. AND HERE WE ARE ELECTED BY THE PEOPLE. AND, IT'S JUST, YOU KNOW, SITTING IN THIS COMMITTEE COMMITTEE WAS A REAL EYE OPENER AS FAR AS THE AMOUNT OF THAT THAT IS GOING ON. I KNOW COVID CREATED A LOT OF THIS. I KNOW THAT WORKING FROM HOME IS PRETTY MUCH CEASED FOR MOST DEPARTMENTS. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH OF THAT MAY STILL OR NOT BE, BUT BUT IT IS VERY HARD TO SIT HERE AND SAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO HIRE X NUMBER OF MORE PEOPLE AND IMPACT THE TAXPAYERS THAT MUCH MORE AND STILL NOT PROVIDE THOSE SERVICES. SO I'M, I'M, I'M PRETTY OUTSPOKEN ABOUT IT. SO THERE IT IS. AND I'LL STOP THERE. BUT I, I JUST, I JUST DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT CUTTING THIS BUDGET AND THEN THAT INCREASE, LIKE I SAID, I'M NOT AFRAID OF THAT INCREASE. 
          WE'VE BEEN $0.36 TO 48.5 CENTS SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, BACK AND FORTH. BUT IT'S NOT RIGHT. 
          ESPECIALLY THE OFFICES THAT PEOPLE ARE TAKING WORK OFF WORK TO SHOW UP TO PAY A FINE OR SHOW UP TO GET WHATEVER PAPERWORK THEY NEED FILED, WHATEVER. IF WE'RE LOOKING AT PARITY IN ALL OF THESE OFFICES AND PROVIDING SUCH A DYNAMIC WORKPLACE FOR THE PEOPLE THAT THAT ARE PRIVILEGED TO WORK HERE, AND THEY ARE FOR THE BENEFITS THAT WE HAVE. I CHALLENGE ANYBODY, AND I'VE HAD THEM TELL ME, WELL, YOU KNOW, IF I COME IN AND TAKE THAT OFFICE, THERE'S SOME THAT SAY THEY'RE GOING TO GO SOMEWHERE ELSE, WELL, FIND ANOTHER PLACE IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR THAT WORKS FOUR DAY WORK WEEK. SO I CHALLENGE ANYBODY TO DO THAT, YOU KNOW, SO IT'S, IT'S TIME THAT WE, THAT WE EARN OUR MONEY FOR THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTY THAT PAY US. AND I'LL STOP THERE. COMMISSIONER. I DON'T, I DON'T DISAGREE. AND, AND I'LL, I MEAN, ANYBODY ELSE THAT WANTS TO COMMENT, CAN I, I CAN TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE TWO THINGS. 
          FIRST, I THINK IT'S BEEN A DIRECTIVE FROM THIS COURT OVER THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS TO TAKE CARE OF OUR EXISTING EMPLOYEES BEFORE WE ADD NEW EMPLOYEES. AND THE SECOND ITEM IS, IN DOING THAT, I TEND TO AGREE THIS BUDGET DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY NEW POSITIONS FOR, FOR OFFICES THAT ARE NOT OPEN FIVE DAYS A WEEK. THEY CERTAINLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COME PRESENT TO THE TO THE COURT. BUT AS OF RIGHT NOW, THESE ARE THE ONLY NEW POSITIONS. THERE'S TWO SLIDES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT. ONE IS NON-LAW ENFORCEMENT. THESE ARE THE ONLY, NON-LAW 
          [00:45:01]
ENFORCEMENT POSITIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY INCLUDED IN HERE IN ORDER TO MAKE THINGS BUDGET, MAKE THE BUDGET BALANCE. THIS REPRESENTS THE COMMITTEE WHEN WE WENT THROUGH COMMISSIONER. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, MR. BAILEY AND I WENT THROUGH ALL OF THIS WITH ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND WE MADE SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT CUTS TO THE NUMBER OF POSITIONS THAT WERE COMING IN. AFTER WE SAW THAT WE WERE $17.5 MILLION IN THE HOLE, WE WENT BACK THROUGH AND PULLED OUT MORE POSITIONS THAT WERE WE HAD IDENTIFIED IN THE COMMITTEE AS KIND OF BEING ON THE BUBBLE, THINGS THAT WE WOULD FUND IF WE COULD. AND THIS. ANYWAY, THE, THE END IMPACT OF THIS IS NET ONE AND A HALF NEW POSITIONS. THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE ELIMINATED A PART TIME POSITION. THIS DOES INCLUDE ONE NEW PROSECUTOR IN THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. AND I'LL NOTE MR. GOOD IS GOING TO PRESENT ON FRIDAY MORNING HIS BUDGET. I BELIEVE HE INITIALLY REQUESTED THREE NEW PROSECUTORS. YES. THERE'S THREE INITIALLY. 
          YES, SIR. DISTRICT CLERK, AFTER MR. KEATON TOOK OFFICE, HE SUBMITTED A NEW PROPOSED BUDGET, ELIMINATING A POSITION. THE TAX OFFICE IS REMOVING TWO PART TIME POSITIONS TO CREATE ONE FULL TIME CLERK, ONE POSITION. IT'S THERE IS AN EXPENSE WITH THAT, WITH THE HEALTH INSURANCE AND OTHER BENEFITS. BUT I LISTED IT AS A NET ZERO FULL TIME EQUIVALENT. DEVELOPMENT SERVICES HAS BEEN ASKING FOR AN INSPECTOR FOR SEVERAL YEARS. AND, AND FINALLY, THAT ITEM IS STILL INCLUDED IN THIS, AS WELL AS ONE NEW SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR FOR IT. THAT SALARY SETS ALL THREE OF THOSE SYSTEM ADMINS AT THE SAME RATE SO THAT HE'S GOT TWO THREE INSTEAD OF TWO TO MANAGE ALL OF THE SOFTWARE ITEMS COMING AND GOING WITH SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE, ALL THE TECHNOLOGY ITEMS COMING AND GOING. AND AGAIN, I'LL NOTE MR. MILAM HAS BEEN GREAT TO WORK WITH IN THE BUDGET PROCESS. HE AND I HAVE SAT DOWN SEVERAL TIMES TRYING TO FIND WHAT DO WE HAVE TO HAVE TO CONTINUE FUNCTIONING, AND WHAT CAN WE DELAY FOR A YEAR OR FOR SIX MONTHS? AND HIS INITIAL REQUEST HE BROUGHT TO THE COMMITTEE AND SAID, LISTEN, I KNOW I'M NOT GOING TO GET THIS, BUT YOU GUYS NEED TO KNOW WHAT I NEED, AND I NEED THREE PEOPLE. AND I DON'T DISAGREE WITH THAT AT ALL. IF I HAD, YOU KNOW, IF WE HAD ANOTHER MILLION DOLLARS TO SPEND, THOSE WOULD BE SOME OF THE FIRST PEOPLE WE ADDED BACK IN, AUDITOR'S OFFICE, ADDS ONE OR I'M SORRY, REMOVES A PART TIME POSITION TO CREATE A FULL TIME POSITION. AND THEN HAM CREEK SENT A SENT IN A BUDGET THAT REMOVES A PART TIME POSITION THAT'S BEEN UNFILLED. 
          THESE ARE THE ONLY NEW POSITIONS OR POSITION CHANGES THAT ARE CURRENTLY INCLUDED WITHIN THAT SIDE OF THE BUDGET. THE WELL, MY POINT BEING IS WE HAD MANY, MANY REQUESTS AND I WAS ADAMANT IN THE COMMITTEE AS WELL AS I AM HERE TODAY, THAT THERE WERE MANY MORE POSITIONS BEING REQUESTED FOR THOSE. YES. AND THE REASON THEY'RE NOT BASICALLY IS, IS WE AGREE ON, ON, ON THE ON THE ASK. AND I'M, AND I'M APPRECIATIVE OF THAT, JUDGE. I JUST WANT TO BE PUBLIC ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, BUT IT'S A. IT'S NO, IT'S, IT'S NOT ROCKET SCIENCE HERE. SO THANK YOU FOR THAT. YOU KNOW, JUDGE, IF I, IF I COULD INTERRUPT JUST A MINUTE. AGAIN, WE ARE TALKING ABOUT EXISTING EMPLOYEES HERE. THERE'S ONE GROUP WE'VE WE'VE KIND OF LEFT OUT. AND THERE'S A GOOD REASON BECAUSE THEIR SALARIES DON'T AFFECT OUR GENERAL FUND. IT'S OUR PRECINCT EMPLOYEES. I'VE BEEN ASKED TO KIND OF LOOK OVER THAT THIS YEAR. WE'VE HAD ISSUES REPLACING THOSE POSITIONS AS THEY CAME UP. AND ONE OF THE MAIN REASONS, I THINK IS BECAUSE OF THE REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE SET FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS, AGAIN, FROM OUR EQUIPMENT OPERATOR ONES TO OUR THREES, WE DO REQUIRE THESE INDIVIDUALS TO HAVE CDL DRIVER'S LICENSE. AND IT'S BEEN HARDER TO GET, FEEDBACK. I'VE BEEN GETTING BACK FROM THESE OPENINGS IF WE'RE JUST NOT GETTING QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS. BUT I DO THINK THIS IS A GOOD TIME. I'VE MADE MY OPINION ACROSS ABOUT LEVELING SALARIES OVER THE PAST, BUT AGAIN, WITH THE LONGEVITY PLAN PUT IN PLACE, IT DOES GIVE US THAT OPPORTUNITY TO, YES, SET SALARIES ACROSS THE BOARD NOW EQUAL, IF YOU WOULD ALLOW ME. I DID. MAKE MY PROPOSAL FOR EACH ONE. I'LL PASS THESE TO THE COMMISSIONERS AGAIN. I KNOW IT DOES NOT AFFECT THE GENERAL FUND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, BUT IT'LL GIVE THEM TIME TO KIND OF LOOK OVER THESE AGAIN, TALKING ABOUT THEIR FML. ABSOLUTELY. I'LL TAKE A QUICK NAP AND I'LL FIGURE THIS OUT. 
          I'LL LET YOU REST YOUR VOICE A FEW MINUTES HERE. TWO. THREE. GET MY GLASSES OUT. YOU KNOW 
          [00:50:11]
THE EQUIPMENT OPERATOR ONE, MY POLICY THERE IS BASICALLY THEY DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A CLASS A CDL. AND THAT'S CORRECT. AND AGAIN, MY PROPOSAL I'VE PUT IN FRONT OF YOU IS KIND OF SAME THING WE KIND OF DID WITH THE CLERK ONE TWOS AND THREES SET A EXISTING SALARY FOR EACH POSITION GOING ACROSS THE BOARD, ALL MAKING THE SAME. YES, YOU STILL HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY AS THE INDIVIDUAL DOING THE HIRING. FOR EXAMPLE, EQUIPMENT OPERATOR, ONCE MY PROPOSAL IS A BASE RATE BUDGETED AT 60, IF YOU HAVE A GOOD INDIVIDUAL COMES ACROSS THAT DOESN'T HAVE THAT CDL DOESN'T MEET THAT MINIMUM REQUIREMENT, BUT YOU WOULD LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND GIVE THEM A SHOT. AGAIN, WE'VE ADDRESSED, TRAINING ISSUE IN PREVIOUS COURTS. YOU STILL HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO BRING THOSE INDIVIDUALS IN WHERE THEY NEED TO. SO YES, EVEN IF IT'S BUDGETED, 60 INDIVIDUAL MAY NOT HAVE THE CDL AT THAT TIME. YOU HAVE THE FLEXIBILITY TO BRING THEM IN WHERE THEY NEED TO BE OR LOWERING THAT DOWN TO AN ACCEPTABLE AMOUNT. BUT IT ALSO GIVES YOU THAT ABILITY TO GET QUALIFIED APPLICANTS APPLYING FOR THESE POSITIONS AS THEY COME UP. YOU NOTICED ON THE EQUIPMENT OPERATOR TWOS, I'M SUGGESTING A SALARY OF 65 AND OUR THREES AT 70. THERE'S ONLY A FEW THAT MAY BE IN AROUND THAT SPOT THAT THAT MAY BE OVER AGAIN. THEY WOULD NOT TAKE A DECREASE BY ANY MEANS. THEY WILL STAY AT THAT EXISTING. BUT I WANTED YOU ALL TO GO AHEAD AND HAVE HAVE THIS TO LOOK OVER IT. YOU DID SEE THERE AT THE BOTTOM KIND OF WHERE IT WOULD BE, HOW IT WOULD AFFECT YOUR FML DOLLAR, YOUR FUNDS. 
          SPEAKING WITH THE AUDITOR, I THINK WE'RE IN GOOD SHAPE THAT WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO MAKE THE RANGE ON THESE THOUGH. RANDY. WHAT, WHAT, WHAT KIND OF RANGE WOULD WE BE LOOKING? THESE ARE STARTING THESE ARE BUDGETED DOLLARS. SO FOR EXAMPLE, ON YOUR EQUIPMENT OPERATOR ONCE SAID BE THE, THE, THE BUDGETED AMOUNT WOULD BE 60. YOUR RANGE AGAIN WOULD BE THE MINIMUM OF THAT GRADE TO THAT AMOUNT. I WAS AT THE WEST TEXAS CONFERENCE BACK IN, WHENEVER THAT WAS APRIL MAYBE. AND, SAT IN, I WAS THERE NOT REPRESENTING. WELL, I WAS REPRESENTING THE NORTH AND EAST REGION, BUT, IN ONE OF THEIR ROAD AND BRIDGE SESSIONS, THE PRESENTERS ON THE PANEL WERE COMMISSIONER FROM PARKER COUNTY AND ANOTHER COMMISSIONER FROM WISE COUNTY. AND, HADN'T HEARD OF MANY COMMISSIONERS THAT I'VE EVER TALKED TO IN THE LAST 12 YEARS THAT HAVE MORE ROAD MILES THAN MYSELF OR COMMISSIONER BAILEY. AT AROUND 300, THIS PARTICULAR COMMISSIONER HAD 460 MILES OF ROADS. HE HAD 20, 26 OPERATORS, I BELIEVE, OR 26 TOTAL EMPLOYEES AND NO VACANCIES. AND I ASKED HIM, SAID, OKAY, WHAT, HOW ARE YOU ATTRACTING AND RETAINING THOSE EMPLOYEES? HE SAID, WELL, IT'S WE START OUR OPERATORS AT, WE START OUR OPERATORS AT 6000. WELL, THAT EXPLAINS IT. THEY HAVE SALES TAX THAT WE, YEAH, THEY HAVE SALES TAX. BUT A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO WITH THE NORTH AND EAST CONFERENCE, I WAS IN CHARGE OF ONE OF THE ROAD AND BRIDGE SESSIONS, AND I POLLED THE GROUP THERE, COMMISSIONER WHITE AND JUDGE BURKE, I BELIEVE YOU WERE IN THAT SESSION AS WELL. I PULLED THE GROUP AND I ASKED THE GROUP, OF COURSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PRIMARILY, YOU KNOW, DEEP EAST TEXAS COUNTIES, LOW, LOW BUDGET, LOW, LOW, REVENUE TYPE COUNTIES, MUCH IN SMALLER AND MAYBE THERE WERE 2 OR 3 COUNTIES IN THERE LARGER THAN US. I.E. DENTON AND COLLIN. ONLY TWO I COULD THINK OF THAT MIGHT BE LARGER THAN US. BUT ANYWAY, I PULLED THE GROUP AND I ASKED, HOW MANY OF YOU START YOUR EQUIPMENT OPERATORS IN EXCESS OF $50,000, AND COLLIN AND DENTON AND THERE 
          [00:55:06]
MIGHT HAVE BEEN 4 OR 5 HANDS GO UP. SO IT'S PAY FOR PRECINCT EMPLOYEES ACROSS THE STATE IS OBVIOUSLY ALL OVER THE PLACE. BUT IN 12 YEARS I'VE BEEN FULLY STAFFED, I BELIEVE ONE SEASON, ONE PAVING SEASON IN 12 YEARS. I HAVE FOUR VACANCIES RIGHT NOW. I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE REST OF YOU GUYS STAND ON VACANCIES. BUT I HAVE I HAVE FOUR VACANCIES RIGHT NOW. AND IT'S, I MEAN, FOR EXAMPLE, THE LAST PERSON THAT WE HAD SCHEDULED, FOR AN INTERVIEW LOOKED GREAT ON PAPER CLASS A CDL HEAVY EQUIPMENT EXPERIENCE. HE'S SET FOR INTERVIEW DAY AFTER TOMORROW. WE GET A CALL FROM HIM THE NEXT DAY SAYING, SORRY, I'M NOT COMING. I'VE ALREADY ACCEPTED A JOB. THREE DAYS LATER, I GET AN EMAIL FROM HIM WANTING TO COME INTERVIEW. HE'S ALREADY BEEN LAID OFF. NEEDLESS TO SAY, I DIDN'T INTERVIEW HIM. PUT THAT IN THE DODGE BULLET FILE. BUT IT IS EXTREMELY HARD. AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU GUYS ARE SHARING THE SAME EXPERIENCE, BUT IT IS INCREASINGLY HARD TO ATTRACT AND GET PEOPLE WITH HEAVY EQUIPMENT EXPERIENCE CLASS A CDL. I'M, I'M NOT TOO INTERESTED IN HIRING SOMEBODY WITHOUT A CDL OR I HAVE 2 OR 3 CLASS B'S. BECAUSE WHENEVER PUSH COMES TO SHOVE, WE NEED, YOU KNOW, THERE'S DAYS WHEN WE NEED EVERYBODY IN A TRUCK AND IT'S, I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT ARE YOU GUYS SEEING? ARE YOU SHARING THE SAME EXPERIENCE? I'VE BEEN BLESSED TO HAVE A FULL STAFF AND, AND I'VE JUST GOT A FEW HANDS THERE THAT, THAT, IT'S NOT VERY OFTEN THAT I HAVE MORE THAN A COUPLE OF CDL CLASS A DRIVER TRUCKS OUT ON THE ROAD. WE ALL DO THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENT. AND I GET THAT, I HAVE JUST RECENTLY, BEGAN BUYING DROP OUT AT VULCAN. SO NOW I'VE GOT A THIRD TRUCK RUNNING OUT THERE BECAUSE OF THE DISTANCE. I WAS ALWAYS, BOUGHT LOCAL, BOUGHT CLOSE TO HOME WITH A PEA GRAVEL. BUT THE PEA GRAVEL HAS GOTTEN WHERE IT'S NOT AS CONSISTENT AS IT SHOULD BE. AND NOWHERE THE IN THE PRICE IS GETTING SO COMPETITIVE WITH DROP, YOU'RE GETTING DIRTY OR GETTING DIRTIER AND YEAH, AND THEN REWASH IT WHEN YOU GET BACK TO THE YARD. PRETTY MUCH. BUT, BUT I, SO I'M, I'M STARTING TO PICK THAT UP AND I DO HAVE ENOUGH HIRED PRESENTLY THAT CAN FILL THAT. BUT FOR THE MOST PART, THE CLASS B DRIVERS, JUST THE LITTLE BOBTAIL TRUCKS WHEN WE'RE CHIP SEALING, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS I GOT THOSE GUYS, I'M GOOD. I'VE GOT 3 OR 4 THAT ARE JUST MORE OPERATORS OR FLAGGERS OR WHATEVER, IF YOU WILL, SOME MORE SEASONED GUYS THAT'S BEEN THERE A WHILE, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, BUT WE EACH DO THINGS DIFFERENT. AND SO I, YOU KNOW, I DON'T REALLY HAVE A SAY OTHER THAN I'VE BEEN BLESSED TO HAVE A FULL ROSTER. WE JUST I JUST RECENTLY HIRED ONE ON HIS PART TIME AND HE'S GOING TO WORK OUT. HE DOES NOT HAVE A CLASS A, BUT HE'S, HE'S, HE'S DEPENDABLE. AND I JUST AS RECENT AS RANDY. THE PAPERWORK THIS WEEK TO MOVE HIM INTO MY ONLY OPEN THAT I HAVE WAS AN OPERATOR ONE. SO, BUT YOU KNOW, BUT THAT COULD CHANGE ANY DAY, BUT, I'M NOT HAVING, I'M NOT HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THE, WITH WITH HIRING ANYONE. SALARIES ARE COMPETITIVE AS FAR AS WHAT I CAN TELL WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR IN REGARDING EQUIPMENT AND TRUCKING HERE, LOCAL, BUT, BUT, THAT'S. I, I HAD THE SAME, I'M JUST LIKE COMMISSIONER WOOLLEY. I MEAN, I CARRIED THOSE SPOTS AND PUT THEM UP AND PUT THEM UP AND TRIED TO HIRE AND TRIED TO HIRE AND, YOU KNOW, YOU THERE AGAIN. AND I WAS GETTING APPLICANTS, BUT THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT EVEN I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I HAD NOTHING, NOTHING AGAINST THEM AT ALL. BUT, YOU KNOW, I HAD A GUY THAT WOULD, YOU KNOW, THAT WORKED FOR FRITO LAY, HAD NO CLASS A CDL, NO EXPERIENCE WHATSOEVER WANTING TO, YOU KNOW, APPLYING FOR AN EQUIPMENT OPERATOR THREE POSITION. AND, DON AND I MET WITH RANDY AND HIS OFFICE AND JUST. AND SO WE, I, I PUT THEM OUT THERE ON THE WEBSITE AND I LISTED THEM AT THE VERY HIGHEST PAY FOR THOSE. INSTEAD OF GIVING A RANGE, I JUST PUT THEM OUT THERE AT THAT HIGHEST THAT YOU COULD. IT WAS BUDGETED. AND THEN I GOT, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, 
          [01:00:02]
I GOT SOME, I GOT SOME DECENT APPLICANTS. I THINK SOMETIMES THAT SPAN WHEN YOU PUT THAT, YOU KNOW, STARTS AND COULD BE. AND PEOPLE LOOK AT IT, I LEARNED FROM MY EXPERIENCE, JUST PUT THAT BIG NUMBER OUT THERE. JUST SEE IF YOU CAN DRAW THEM IN LIKE AND DON'T, I WON'T QUOTE RANDY. YOU CAN TELL ME TO STOP. BUT LIKE RANDY SAID, PUT A NUMBER UP THERE BIG ENOUGH TO ATTRACT THEM. WELL, YOU CAN'T DO THAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE BUDGET. IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT SALARY BUDGETED, YOU CAN'T PUT THAT NUMBER UP THERE TO GET THEM, TO GET THEM INTERESTED, TO GET THEM IN THERE. WELL, I LIKE REWARDING THEM AFTER THEY'VE BEEN HERE ABOUT 90 DAYS. 
          SO I WOULD NEVER START THEM AT THE TOP. AND NOT ONLY THAT, IT'S JUST YOU'VE GOT THAT MANY EMPLOYEES THAT ARE BENEATH THAT, THAT SIMPLY IF YOU COULD MOVE EVERYBODY INTO THAT SLOT AND CREATE EVERYONE TO HAVE THAT POSITION, YOU COULD TAKE CARE OF EVERYBODY THAT WAY. AND THAT'S. BUT YOU CAN'T. AND THE WAY THIS IS BRACKETED WITH OPERATOR ONE, TWO, AND THREE, YOU'RE TENURED, USUALLY EMPLOYEES THAT HAVE BEEN WITH YOU, THAT HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT PROCESS OF GOING FROM THAT BOTTOM. AND THESE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE TODAY ARE, ARE ASTRONOMICAL, WHETHER THEY WERE, YOU KNOW, 15 YEARS AGO WHEN YOU HAD PATROL DEPUTIES MAKING $30,000 A YEAR AND SO FORTH, AND EQUIPMENT OPERATORS AS WELL. JAMES ROLLER, MY FORMER SUPERVISOR, STARTED AT $6 AN HOUR WHEN HE WENT TO WORK AT THE COUNTY. AND WHEN HE RETIRED, HE RETIRED VERY WELL. BUT IT'S A IT'S IT'S I JUST, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS AND I'M NOT QUESTIONING YOUR, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR THOUGHTS ON TRYING TO GET THE BEST, BUT IT JUST, IT SURE LEAVES A BAD TASTE IN THE MOUTH OF THOSE BENEATH THEM. IF YOU HIRE SOMEBODY IN, IN A LEVEL THREE THAT'S BEEN WITH YOU FOR 8 OR 10 YEARS, AND YOU HIRE THEM IN MORE MONEY THAN YOU'RE WILLING TO OR CAPABLE OF PAYING THE OTHERS. AND THAT'S THE THAT'S THE DRAW OF THE LINE THAT I HAVE IN REGARDS TO THE LAST GO AROUND THAT WE WE HIRED OR WE POSTED, WE DIDN'T PUT THE BOTTOM AND WE DIDN'T PUT THE TOP. WE JUST PUT SOMEWHERE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE. THAT STILL LEAVES YOU SOME. YEAH. GETS YOU UP HIGH ENOUGH, RIGHT? MAYBE. AND NONE OF AND NONE OF THEM TO TO COMMISSIONER BAILEY'S POINT, NONE OF THOSE POSITIONS THAT I HIRED. THE HIGHEST NUMBER WAS HIGHER THAN ANY OF MY CURRENT EMPLOYEES. YEAH. I MEAN, I OBVIOUSLY YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BRING A GUY IN FOR THE VERY FIRST DAY MAKING MORE MONEY THAN A PERSON THAT'S BEEN THERE TEN YEARS. I MEAN, THAT'S JUST NOT PLUS MOST OF MINE, SOME OF THOSE POSITIONS, I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO HAVE THEM, LIKE MANY OF US HAVE FOR MANY YEARS. AND THEY'RE GETTING SOME. 
          HOW MANY OF YOU HAVE TO PAY ON TOP? HOW MANY OF YOUR POSITIONS THAT YOU HAVE ARE MAXED OUT? I THINK I'VE GOT TWO, AND THEY'RE THE MOST TENURED EMPLOYEES THAT I'VE GOT. BUT I'M JUST I'M JUST CURIOUS, YOU KNOW, WHERE ARE YOU AT ON YOUR, ON YOUR PAY SCALE HERE AS FAR AS WHO YOU DO HAVE, IF YOU'RE WANTING TO DO AN INCREASE OR YOU MAXED OUT ON ALL OF THEM. I'M LOOKING HERE. 
          I'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE JUST LOOKING AT INCREASES HERE ABOVE WHAT THEY MAY OR MAY NOT BE MAXED OUT ALREADY. I HAVE FIVE THAT AREN'T MAXED OUT. YEAH. IN ADDITION TO, WELL, TWO OF THOSE, ONE OF THOSE IS A VACANT POSITION. AND THEN OF COURSE, I START EVERY, EVERYBODY THAT I HIRE IS A NEW HIRE COMES IN AS AN OPERATOR, ONE, I DON'T HIRE, I DON'T BRING PEOPLE IN AS A. 
          THREE THOSE PEOPLE ARE TENURED, OF COURSE, I HAVE MORE. MY PRECINCT HAS SUBSTANTIALLY MORE MONEY SPENT ON LONGEVITY PAY THAN THE OTHER THREE PRECINCTS. I'VE GOT SOME GUYS THAT HAVE BEEN HERE. I THINK MY TOTAL IN LONGEVITY PAYS LIKE $83,000. SO I'VE GOT A LOT OF EXPERIENCE IN. 
          AMONG STAFF. AND, BUT, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT FOUR OF THOSE. THE FOUR OBVIOUSLY AREN'T. AND THEN THERE'S FOUR MORE THAT AREN'T MAXED OUT. YEAH. WELL, AND I GUESS MY POINT, BUT THERE'S SOME, BUT THERE'S SOME VARIATION AMONG MAXIMUM SALARIES AMONG PRECINCTS. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, RANDY'S PROPOSAL. STANDARDIZES THAT AND STREAMLINES THAT. SO I, I APPRECIATE WHAT HE'S PUT TOGETHER HERE. AND, AND, DOESN'T AFFECT THE GENERAL FUND. 
          I'M I'M IN FAVOR OF IT. I THINK. I'M IN FAVOR OF IT, TOO. NOTHING SAYS WE HAVE TO MOVE THEM STRAIGHT TO. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. OH, YEAH. NO, THAT JUST DOES IT. AND I'M IN FAVOR OF IT. BUT NO, I MEAN, MIKE, WE DON'T HAVE TO IMMEDIATELY MOVE THEM UP TO THAT. I HATE TO SAY THIS, BUT IT AT LEAST IN MY PRECINCT TO DO THIS, IT'S NOT GOING TO BE 
          [01:05:07]
THAT BIG OF A HIT ON MY BUDGET MINE EITHER, YOU KNOW? SO YEAH, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S JUST LIKE THE FOUR OF US AND OUR SALARIES BEING EQUAL. I MEAN, AS FAR AS THESE, THESE POSITIONS, WHETHER IT BE A MECHANIC OR A OR A LEVEL ONE, YOU KNOW, I, I, I WOULD NOT CHALLENGE THAT. I THINK IT'S, IT'S FAIR BECAUSE, I MEAN, I'VE SEEN A SITUATION WHERE I HAD AN EMPLOYEE THAT FOUND A NEW HOME OVER IN, I GUESS DON BEASON WAS STILL OVER THERE AND HE BOUGHT A HOUSE OVER IN PRECINCT FOUR AND HE WANTED TO TRANSFER, BUT HE WAS GOING TO HAVE TO GIVE UP ABOUT $2,000 TO DO IT. AND DON DIDN'T HAVE IT IN HIS BUDGET TO GIVE TO HIM. SO I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, THAT THAT AND I CERTAINLY WOULD NOT BE OPPOSED TO I DON'T KNOW WHO'S I DON'T YOU KNOW, RANDY'S GOT IT THERE. I DON'T KNOW IF MY MECHANIC MAKES THE MOST OR LARRY'S MECHANIC MAKES THE MOST. BUT I CAN TELL YOU I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION. YEAH, ALL OF US CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION. BUT YOU. AND THAT'S AND THAT'S, OF COURSE, THE MECHANICS ON THIS LIST. BUT AND I, AND I AGREE WITH YOU 100%. AND I WOULD HAVE DONE THE SAME THING, BUT JUST LIKE YOURSELF, HIRING A NEW MECHANIC TO GET SOMEBODY IN THERE THAT CAN DO THAT WORK, YOU HAD TO COME TO THIS COURT AND ASK FOR MORE MONEY FOR THAT POSITION IN ORDER TO GET SOMEBODY QUALIFIED. SO, I MEAN, WELL, IT DOES NOT CHANGE THE GENERAL FUND. IT DOES NOT CHANGE THAT TAX RATE. IT JUST CHANGES. IT JUST IS A JUST AS OUR BUDGET AND I'M SIMILAR TO WHERE MIKE IS MINE HAS ALREADY. IT'S IT'S IT'S NOT FLAT BECAUSE I'VE GOT QUITE A BIT OF ROOM, BUT I'VE GOT EIGHT DOING LONGEVITY PAY. AND, YOU KNOW, I WOULD GO FURTHER TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE'RE GOING TO RECALCULATE THESE NUMBERS AND WE ALL NEED TO DO SOMETHING FOR OUR EMPLOYEES RESPECTIVELY, YOU KNOW, THAT MAY NOT IMPACT THE GENERAL FUND. I THINK WE SHOULD CONSIDER THAT BASED ON WHAT WE'RE ALREADY SEEING WITH THE $17 MILLION DEFICIT, YOU KNOW, SO I WOULD JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT. IT'S NOT GOING TO MAKE THAT BIG OF A DIFFERENCE. BUT I MEAN, IT WOULDN'T MAKE NONE REALLY. BUT BUT THE THING IS, IS, IS, WELL, I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE CUT IF WE'RE GOING TO CUT ANY OF THAT UP THERE TO GET THAT DOWN. BUT I THINK WE CAN WORK THIS OUT WITHIN OURSELVES. I THINK THIS CAN WORK OUT. AND, I THINK IT EVENS OUT ALL FOUR PRECINCTS. AM I CORRECT, RANDY? THAT'S KIND OF LEVELS US ALL OUT BECAUSE I DO. I MEAN, AT ONE TIME HE'S NOT WITH ME ANYMORE, BUT ALL I HEARD WAS HE LIVED OUT THERE OFF THE PARK ROAD 21. AND HE SAID, WELL, I COULD DRIVE RIGHT THERE AND, AND MAKE MORE MONEY BECAUSE YOU WERE PAYING MORE. I TOLD HIM TO GO AHEAD AND APPLY AND SEE HOW THAT WORKED OUT FOR HIM, BUT HE DIDN'T WANT TO WORK FOR ME. WE WORKED TOO MUCH. WELL, THAT'S EXACTLY. NO, NO, I, I WAS HOPING YOU WOULD HIRE HIM. I WAS GOING TO GIVE HIM A GLOWING RECOMMENDATION, BUT, MOVE ON, JOE. BUT BUT NO, I MEAN, BUT THIS KIND OF EVENS IT OUT A LITTLE BIT. YEAH. ACROSS THE COUNTY OR. LARRY, I'M NOT GOING THERE. THANK YOU. THANK YOU JUDGE, I APPRECIATE AGAIN THANK YOU RANDY, I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU FOR DOING Y'ALL THINK RANDY I KNOW YOU WORKED ON IT. THANK YOU RANDY. THANK YOU RANDY, I DO I DO APPRECIATE Y'ALL SPEARHEADING THAT. I STAYED OUT OF IT SINCE I DON'T IT'S SEPARATE BUDGET SEPARATE TAX RATE. AND Y'ALL'S BUDGET IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE YOU MAINTAIN YOUR OWN FUND BALANCES AT THE END OF THE YEAR. IT'S JUST A DIFFERENT ANIMAL. AND SO I'M GLAD Y'ALL HAD THAT DISCUSSION. 
          YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT, IT'S VERY, IT'S VERY, EYE OPENING THOUGH TO SEE WHAT THE COST OF INFLATION IS DOING TO WHAT WE DO IN REGARDS TO BUYING EQUIPMENT IN AND OF ITSELF. 
          RENTING EQUIPMENT HAS GOTTEN IT. AND THAT ONE MACHINE IS $10,000, YOU KNOW, BUT, BUT WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT YOU NEED MORE. WE GOT MORE PEOPLE THAN TEXAS MIRACLE. IT'S REAL. WE GOT MORE PEOPLE THAT NEED TO BE HIRED IN OUR RESPECTIVE ROLES. DOCTOR, COMMISSIONER WILLIE SAID, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS THE MILES GOES, BUT IT'S BUT THE DEALING WITH THE PUBLIC AND DEALING WITH PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST OBLIVIOUS TO WHAT'S GOING ON AROUND THEM WHEN THEY'RE DRIVING DOWN THESE COUNTY ROADS, I'M TELLING YOU, IT'S VERY DANGEROUS AND WE NEED TO HIRE JUST PEOPLE TO BE UP THERE. WE NEED MORE FLAGMEN, YOU KNOW, BUT WE GOT EVERYBODY ON DECK, YOU KNOW, JUST TRYING TO DO WHAT WE CAN. BUT IT'S A BUT WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT THE COST OF MATERIALS AND NOW THE, THE DISTANCE AND I MEAN, YOU KNOW, BY NOT BUYING THAT LOCAL PEA GRAVEL AROUND HERE NOW TRAVELING ALL THE WAY TO WEATHERFORD OUT THERE. TEN TOP. 
          YOU KNOW, MY FUEL, MY, MY MAINTENANCE, MY FUEL, ALL OF THAT. AND THE COST OF THAT 
          [01:10:03]
MATERIAL IS GOING TO SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE MY BUDGET. SO I JUST, I JUST SAY THAT WHAT IS A TRUCKLOAD OF COAL COST NOW? I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S ASTRONOMICAL, $100 A TON. 
          JUST YESTERDAY AND I WAS IN DON'S OFFICE, WE WERE VISITING BECAUSE WE GOT A BUNCH OF HOT MIX WORKING, FIXING TO DO. AND MY GUYS EASILY CAN SPEND $100,000 A DAY IN HOT MIX. OH, YEAH, A DAY. I MEAN, THAT'S JUST. YEAH, TEN MILES FROM THE PLANT. WELL, YOU DON'T HAVE TO DRIVE CLOSE. SO WE GET SEVERAL LOADS. BUT I MEAN, I CAN'T AFFORD HOT MIX. HOW ABOUT Y'ALL? HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS A DAY IN HOT MIX? I HAVEN'T PUT ANY DOWN THIS YEAR. IF Y'ALL LOOKED AT ABOUT TWO QUARTS AGO. I ADDED OVER 600 000 TO MY ROAD MATERIAL BUDGET. SO IT'S, STARTED OUT WITH 748,000. IT'S ALREADY GONE. YEAH. IT DOESN'T TAKE LONG WITH THE, WITH MY POINT BEING, MY POINT BEING, GUYS, IF WE'RE LOOKING AT A AT A TAX RATE INCREASE BASED ON LONGEVITY, BASED ON PARITY, AND WE HAVEN'T HEARD THE FULL SCALE OF IT YET, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OTHER PRESENTATIONS THIS WEEK. BUT, KEEP IN MIND, YOU KNOW, THE ROAD AND BRIDGE IS GOING TO NEED AN INCREASE. IF NOT THIS YEAR, YOU CAN COUNT ON ONE NEXT YEAR. AND, YOU KNOW, AND MY, MY, MY, MY FEAR OF OUR HANDS BEING TIED BY THE LEGISLATORS IS REAL. I DON'T KNOW THAT I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE DON'T GO WITH A QUARTER OR A HALF A CENT, IN THE ROAD AND BRIDGE JUDGE, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT GOING TO IMPACT IT. WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE ON, ON THIS PERIOD OF THESE SALARIES IS NOT GOING TO IMPACT IT. BUT REST ASSURED, THE COST OF THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR DIESEL, THE COST THAT WE'RE PAYING FOR JUST THE EQUIPMENT IN AND OF ITSELF, AND EVEN RENTAL. AND I THINK, MIKE, YOU RENTED THAT THAT RECLAIMER, IT WAS $10,000. IT WAS $10,000. 
          YEAH. A DAY. GRANTED, IT DID A LOT MORE THAN OURS WOULD DO. AND OURS WAS BROKE AT THE TIME, AND I DON'T WANT IT TO CONTINUE WORKING. BUT IT IT COVERED A LOT OF GROUND. YEAH, WE USED IT FOR 14 DAYS RIGHT AFTER YOU DID. YEAH. YOU KNOW, WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO COVER THAT UP TODAY. 
          BUT, WITH THE POLYMERS AND THE DIFFERENT PRODUCTS THAT I'M TRYING TO USE THAT IT'S NOT A COST SAVINGS UP FRONT, BUT IT GIVES THE ROAD SERVICE LONGEVITY. AND SO, YOU KNOW, AND SO THERE'S A LOT OF NEW MATERIAL OUT THERE, BUT IT COMES WITH EXTREME COST. BUT, BUT IF IT GIVES US, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE GOING BACK AND HAVING TO READDRESS A ROAD EVERY 2 TO 5 YEARS, IF WE CAN GET TEN YEARS OUT OF IT WITH, WITH SPEND $6,000 A MILE OR $12,000 A MILE UP FRONT, IT MAKES SENSE. BUT WHEN YOU GOT 300 MILES OF ROAD, YOU DON'T HAVE, YOU'RE NOT GOING VERY FAR WITH THAT, YOU KNOW, SO, SO IT'S JUST TRYING TO PICK THOSE HIGH TRAFFIC ROADS. AND THAT'S SO UNPREDICTABLE NOW BECAUSE WHAT MIGHT BE JUST A NORMAL BACK ROAD NOW HAS 600 HOMES ON IT, YOU KNOW, SO SO IT'S IT'S A GAME CHANGER ALL THE WAY AROUND. 
          BUT, BUT I JUST WANT TO BE MINDFUL THAT GOING FORWARD, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, AND NUMBER ONE IS OUR EMPLOYEES. THAT'S THAT'S ALWAYS NUMBER ONE. BUT WE HAVE GOT TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION TO WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE FACING. I'M ALREADY I'M ALREADY PRETTY WELL TAPPED. 
          I'M LOOKING FOR OCTOBER TO GET HERE PRETTY QUICK, YOU KNOW, AND NOT, AND IT'S NOT A REPLENISH FOR THOSE LISTENING IN THE TAXPAYER WORLD. IT'S JUST THAT THE COST OF DOING BUSINESS HAS DEPLETED MY MONEY THIS YEAR. AND I HAVEN'T EVEN REALLY BOUGHT ANY EXTRA EQUIPMENT, NO PICKUPS, NONE OF THAT STUFF THAT WE NORMALLY HAVE TO BUY 600 HOMES IS 1200 CARS A DAY ON THAT ROAD. THAT'S WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY. YEAH, GO AHEAD JUDGE. OH NO. I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY THAT IT'S JUST ANOTHER WAY THAT Y'ALL'S BUDGET IS DIFFERENT. AND I THINK SOMETIMES PEOPLE COMPARE OTHER DEPARTMENT BUDGETS TO YOU GUYS. AND EVERY OTHER DEPARTMENT MORE OR LESS IS DRIVEN BY PERSONNEL COSTS. YOU GUYS ARE NOT. Y'ALL HAVE MATERIAL COSTS THAT ARE OUT OF YOUR HANDS. AND AS A REMINDER TO TAXPAYERS THAT ARE LISTENING, YOU SAID YOU'VE GOT ABOUT 300 MILES. YOU AND LARRY BOTH EACH HAVE ABOUT 300 MILES. IF YOU WANTED TO TOUCH THOSE ROADS EVERY ROAD IN TEN YEARS AND REPAVE 30 MILES OF ROAD A YEAR, IF YOU WERE CONTRACTING IT OUT, THAT'S $30 MILLION IN ROAD WORK A YEAR. THE WHOLE ROAD AND BRIDGE BUDGET'S $13 MILLION DIVIDED INTO FOUR PRECINCTS. AND THAT'S THAT'S YES, THAT'S LAST YEAR'S COST WHEN WE'RE DOING ARPA MONEY, WHEN WE WERE DOING WELL, IF IF YOU CONTRACT 
          [01:15:01]
IT OUT, ONE MILE IS RIGHT AT $1 MILLION RIGHT NOW. YEAH. SO NO, IT'S NOT 30 MILLION. IT'S 300 MILLION. WELL, IF HE WANTED TO TOUCH THEM OVER THE COURSE OF TEN, TEN YEARS, 10% OF IT'D BE 30 MILLION. WELL, IT WOULD BE PER ONE IN EACH PRECINCT. YEAH. I MEAN, I'VE GOT 238 MILES RIGHT NOW. I WOULD SAY ADD 7% TO THAT ANNUALLY IF YOU WANT A REAL NUMBER. YEAH, WE'D HAVE TO GIVE YOU THE WHOLE GENERAL FUND BUDGET ON TOP OF YOUR CURRENT BUDGETS TO THEN Y'ALL, YOU FIRE YOUR CREW AND HYAH, HYAH IT ALL OUT. YOU'D BE HOT. I WOULDN'T TRADE MY CREW FOR MOST OF THEM. 
          GOOD. I'M GLAD TO HEAR IT. ALL RIGHT, I HAVE A FEW MORE SLIDES I WANT TO GET THROUGH, AND THEN WE'LL BREAK. KIND OF AT A HALFWAY POINT IN. EVERYBODY TAKE A FEW MINUTES TO REGROUP. 
          SO LAW ENFORCEMENT POSITIONS AGAIN, I'LL SAY, YOU KNOW, SYSTEM WIDE, I THINK WE'RE IN THE BALLPARK OF 30 REQUESTED POSITIONS AND THERE ARE THREE REFLECTED. SO THERE WAS A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE COULDN'T FIND A WAY TO FUND WITHIN THE PROPOSED TAX RATE, THERE WERE 30 PROPOSED NEW POSITIONS. AND WE'RE LOOKING AT THREE NON-LAW. THAT WAS 30 TOTAL LAW AND NON LAW COMBINED. OKAY. AND SO FAR WE'RE NET PLUS 1.5 NET 1.5 HERE AND THEN. NET 1.5 ON LAW ENFORCEMENT AS WELL. THIS AGAIN, IT, IT FAILS TO MEET A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF THE REQUEST OUT OF THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. THEY WILL BE PRESENTING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TOMORROW. 
          WE TRIED TO IDENTIFY THE HIGHEST, MOST URGENT IMMEDIATE NEEDS. SHERIFF'S OFFICE IDENTIFIED TWO CLERK POSITIONS. ONE THAT HAS TO DO WITH OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS, WHICH HAVE BEEN CHALLENGING FOR THE COUNTY. THERE'S BEEN SOME THE PRAIRIE LAND ATTACKS. I'M SURE Y'ALL REMEMBER, THE TERRORIST ATTACKS LAST JULY 4TH HAVE GENERATED A HUGE NUMBER OF PUBLIC RECORDS REQUESTS. THOSE CONTINUE. THEY'VE GENERATED HUNDREDS OF EMAILS TO AND PHONE CALLS TO MY OFFICE COMPLAINING ABOUT VARIOUS MATTERS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT FROM ALL AROUND THE WORLD. 
          SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS TO THEY'RE THE FRONT LINE OF PROCESSING, FINDING THAT INFORMATION AND HANDING IT OVER. AND SO, THESE ARE ANYWAY, TWO CLERK POSITIONS TO HELP DEAL WITH SOME OF THAT. 
          ONE OF THE, I GUESS MAYBE UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF LAW ENFORCEMENT ALL MOVING TO BODY CAMS 10 OR 12 YEARS AGO. IT'S GREAT FOR PROSECUTION. FORMER PROSECUTOR. AS A FORMER PROSECUTOR, I LOVE IT IF I HAVE SOMEBODY COMMITTING A CRIME ON VIDEO, RIGHT? THAT'S REAL EASY TO PROVE. IT'S ALSO GREAT FOR COMPLAINTS AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. I KNOW WHEN I WAS A PROSECUTOR, I SAW LOTS OF PEOPLE THAT WOULD COME IN AND THEY'D SAY, WELL, THAT OFFICER DID X, Y, AND Z. HE ABUSED ME. HE TREATED ME THIS WAY BECAUSE OF THIS REASON. 
          THAT'S ILLEGAL. AND WE PULLED THE VIDEO. WE CAN WATCH THE INTERACTION BETWEEN THE OFFICER AND THE ARRESTED ARRESTEE, AND 99% OF THOSE DRIED UP AS SOON AS WE GOT THE VIDEO AND WATCHED IT, BECAUSE THEY WERE MANUFACTURED COMPLAINTS. THE DOWNSIDE IS WHEN PEOPLE DO OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS OR WHEN PROSECUTORS REVIEW NEW CASES THAT COME IN. NOW EVERY OFFICER COMES WITH 2 OR 3 CAMERAS THAT RUN THE WHOLE TIME HE'S ON SCENE. AND IF YOU'VE GOT 3 OR 4 OFFICERS ON A SCENE FOR FOUR HOURS, YOU'VE GOT 100 HOURS OF VIDEO THAT SOMEBODY HAS TO WATCH BEFORE THEY CAN FILE A CASE, OR BEFORE THEY CAN ANSWER AN OPEN RECORDS REQUEST, AND THAT PEOPLE IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, PEOPLE IN BOTH PROSECUTOR'S OFFICES, SITTING AND WATCHING VIDEO ALL DAY LONG TO FILE CASES. AND THAT IS A, THAT'S A CHALLENGE. THIS DOES INCLUDE ONE NEW JAILER POSITION TO HELP EASE SOME OF THE MANDATORY OVERTIME THAT'S BEING PAID. WE DON'T HAVE AN OFFSET, DECREASE IN OVERTIME TO FULLY PAY FOR THIS POSITION, ALTHOUGH I THINK INSTINCTIVELY, I THINK THERE PROBABLY IS AN ABILITY TO OFFSET OVERTIME TO, TO COVER SOME OF THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH THIS POSITION. AND THEN THE JAIL ALSO REQUESTED TO REPLACE TWO FULL TIME LVNS TO ELIMINATE TWO FULL TIME POSITIONS AND CREATE THREE PART TIME POSITIONS, BECAUSE THEY'RE HAVING TROUBLE FILLING THE NUMBER OF FULL TIME POSITIONS THEY HAVE. BUT THOSE ARE LVNS IN JAIL MEDICAL THAT ARE. WE'RE REQUIRED TO PROVIDE THAT CARE. 
          IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT CURRENTLY WE HAVE 14 VACANCIES AT THE JAIL. SO I WOULD QUESTION ADDING A POSITION WHEN WE HAVE 14 VACANCIES. THAT THAT DOESN'T THAT TO ME THAT I DON'T KNOW THAT I COULD SUPPORT THAT. OKAY. AND I KNOW THERE'S CONSISTENTLY VACANCIES IN THAT PARTICULAR SEGMENT. SO THERE ARE, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WILL DO A DEEPER PRESENTATION TOMORROW. AND SO I WANT TO, I WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT MORE TOMORROW. I'LL PUT IT OUT THERE. 
          NOW, JUST AS A REMINDER OF WE DO THINGS A LITTLE DIFFERENTLY IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE FOR UNFILLED PERSONNEL POSITIONS, EVERY OTHER OFFICE, IF YOU DON'T HIRE SOMEBODY AND YOU'RE 
          [01:20:02]
A GENERAL FUND EMPLOYEE THAT POSITIONS VACANT, WHATEVER IS UNSPENT ROLLS BACK INTO FUND BALANCE. AND WE USE THAT TO MAINTAIN THE RAINY DAY FUND AND PAY FOR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS IN SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND JAIL. THEY ARE PERMITTED TO ROLL UNPAID PERSONNEL SALARIES INTO OVERTIME BECAUSE A LOT OF ESPECIALLY AT THE JAIL, THEY NEED A CERTAIN NUMBER OF PEOPLE THERE AS SET BY JAIL STANDARDS, AND THEY MUST WORK THE HOURS SO WE CAN EITHER PAY THEM AS EMPLOYEES OR PAY THEM OVERTIME FOR EXISTING EMPLOYEES. BUT SO THERE IS SOME OFFSET THERE. WE CAN CERTAINLY TALK ABOUT THAT MORE ABOUT WHETHER THERE'S A NEED FOR THAT POSITION. BUT THAT IS, THAT IS WHAT'S CURRENTLY INCLUDED. AND WE WILL HAVE A DEEPER PRESENTATION TOMORROW ABOUT THAT. TOTAL BUDGET. WE'RE LOOKING AT THREE THREE NET POSITIONS. TOTAL BUDGET. YES, SIR. THAT'S THAT'S PRETTY LEAN. IT IS. AND FRANKLY, I'VE SAID BEFORE IN PREVIOUS YEARS, I THINK IN A PERFECT WORLD, WE WOULD ADD 6 TO 10 EVERY YEAR TO KEEP PACE WITH INFLATION GROWTH. AND THIS DOES NOT GET THEIR THEIR POSITIONS THAT THEY'RE A HANDFUL OF POSITIONS THAT IF WE HAD THE MONEY, I, I COULD FIND FIVE NECESSARY EMPLOYEES TO PLUG INTO THIS BUDGET IN 15 MINUTES, BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE. IT'S A BALANCING ACT. AND I THINK WE START DOING THAT AND WE START HAVING TO TALK ABOUT TAKING SOMETHING AWAY FROM EXISTING EMPLOYEES. AND I JUST I THINK IT WE TAKE CARE OF OUR EXISTING FOLKS FIRST. I AGREE. OTHER NOTABLE EXPENSES. THIS IS, NOT SIGNIFICANTLY DIFFERENT THAN PRIOR YEARS. THERE'S BUDGETED FOR 11 SHERIFF PATROL VEHICLES THIS YEAR. EVERY YEAR BEFORE I GOT HERE, IT WAS SOMEWHAT DETERMINED THAT THERE WOULD BE A ROTATION FOR ABOUT TEN SHERIFF'S VEHICLES A YEAR. 
          THREE YEARS AGO. THIS IS YEAR THREE OF THREE FOR ONE ADDITIONAL VEHICLE TO FULLY OUTFIT THE SR SPECIAL RESPONSE TEAM SRT WE ADDED TWO YEARS AGO, THREE YEARS AGO, I GUESS. FIVE NEW DEPUTIES, I BELIEVE, TO CREATE A NEW RESPONSE TEAM. AND THEY DIDN'T ADD ADDITIONAL, THEY ONLY ADDED ONE ADDITIONAL VEHICLE THAT YEAR. SO WE'VE ADDED ONE TO THE ROTATION. THIS SHOULD BE THE LAST YEAR TO GET THAT TO CATCH UP FROM WHERE WE WERE BEHIND THERE. THIS BUDGET IS FOR TWO CONSTABLE VEHICLES. I'LL INFORM THE COURT. WE MAY HEAR ADDITIONAL PRESENTATIONS FROM SOME OF THE CONSTABLES BECAUSE THERE WERE REQUESTS FOR FIVE CONSTABLE VEHICLES THIS YEAR. THIS GOES BACK TO THE ROTATION THAT WE'VE BEEN ON IN PREVIOUS YEARS, WHERE PRECINCTS ONE AND FOUR RECEIVE A VEHICLE THIS YEAR, AND TWO AND THREE DO NOT. BUT THAT, I THINK CONSTABLE PRECINCT ONE AT LEAST, IS GOING TO COME IN AND GIVE AN ADDITIONAL PRESENTATION, TOMORROW OR FRIDAY TO DISCUSS THAT ISSUE. I'LL NOTE THERE'S A NOTE ON HERE THAT IS PURCHASED FROM THE VEHICLE REPLACEMENT FUND AS A REMINDER THAT IS NOT TAX FUNDED MONEY. WE SET ASIDE $1 MILLION FOR VEHICLE REPLACEMENTS A COUPLE WELL, IT'S NOT CURRENT TAX FUNDED MONEY. I SAW THE LOOK ON THE FACE OF THE AUDITOR. I'VE GOT TO BE I HAVE TO BE MORE PRECISE. 
          IT DOESN'T IMPACT THIS YEAR'S TAX RATE. WE SET ASIDE $1 MILLION A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO FOR UNEXPECTED VEHICLE PURCHASES. THAT WAS DONE DURING COVID WHEN WE WERE HAVING LEAD TIME. SO WE WOULD AUTHORIZE TEN NEW VEHICLES FOR THE S O IN OCTOBER, AND THEY WOULDN'T GET DELIVERED FOR 18 MONTHS. AND THAT SCREWS WITH THE BUDGET. MAKES IT MORE COMPLICATED TO BUDGET WHERE THAT MONEY GOES. SO IF WE MOVE THE MONEY INTO A SEPARATE FUND, THAT FUND EXISTS OUTSIDE OF OUR NORMAL BUDGET. IT ALLOWED US TO ACCOUNT FOR THINGS THAT CROSSED BUDGETARY YEARS, FISCAL YEARS. SO THIS YEAR, THERE ARE SEVERAL VEHICLES THAT WE'RE BUYING FROM THAT FUND WITHOUT BUDGETING A REPLACEMENT FOR THAT, THAT, THAT FUND HAS A CURRENT FUND BALANCE OF ABOUT $1.4 MILLION. IT HAS GROWN BECAUSE WE TRANSFER MONEY IN AND THEN WE BUY VEHICLES OUT OF IT AND IT ACCRUES INTEREST IT SOMETIMES, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, SOMETIMES THINGS COME IN UNDER BUDGET EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE. AND SO THAT THAT HAS ACCUMULATED SOME FUND BALANCE, IN ORDER TO KEEP US WHERE WE NEED TO BE. THIS EXPENDS SOME OF THAT FUND BALANCE. I BELIEVE THAT NUMBER WAS ABOUT $400,000 OF FUND BALANCE FROM THAT. SO IT TAKES US BACK TO THE MILLION DOLLARS WE INITIALLY SEEDED THAT FUND WITH. WE'VE BOUGHT A HANDFUL OF VEHICLES THIS WAY IN PRIOR YEARS. IT'S USUALLY ONE OFF. YOU KNOW, IF IF THIS YEAR WE NEED A SMALL VEHICLE FOR THE MAILROOM TO DRIVE AROUND AND DELIVER MAIL. WE THAT COMES UP ONCE EVERY TEN YEARS. BUT WE JUST DID THAT. LIKE IN THE LAST YEAR OR TWO, I THOUGHT WE JUST FUNDED A VEHICLE FOR THE MAILROOM. LET ME CHECK. WE DID A BOX TRUCK FOR FACILITIES WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. THAT WAS THAT'S FOR MOVING FURNITURE AND PAPERS. I THINK THERE WAS A REQUEST, BUT I DON'T RECALL THAT WE FILLED IT LAST YEAR. WE CAN IT PROBABLY 
          [01:25:02]
WASN'T LAST YEAR, BUT IN THE LAST 2 OR 3 YEARS, I MEAN, LET ME LANCE, I KNOW YOU ALL MAINTAIN INVENTORY. CAN YOU ALL CHECK AND SEE WHEN WE LAST PURCHASED OR. YEAH, WE CERTAINLY CAN. I CAN TELL YOU WORKING DOWN THE HALL FROM FACILITIES, I BELIEVE THEY'RE SMALL VAN THAT THEY CURRENTLY USE FOR THE MAIL ROOM HAS HAD PRETTY EXTENSIVE REPAIRS AS OF RECENTLY. AND IT IS NOT A NEW PURCHASE, IN, IN THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, I THINK I REMEMBER WE GOT LIKE A USED, THEY FOUND A USED SOMETHING MAYBE I JUST, I DON'T RECALL AND I KNOW IT'LL BE ON THE, THE INVENTORY LIST OF WHEN WE ACQUIRED THAT THAT UNIT I WILL FIND OUT FOR YOU. ALL RIGHT. I'VE MADE A NOTE TO MAKE SURE WE TALK ABOUT THAT AGAIN. SO, THIS INCLUDES A FIRE MARSHAL VEHICLE. WE HIRED A DEPUTY FIRE MARSHAL LAST YEAR. DID NOT HIRE A VEHICLE FOR HIM. I DON'T BELIEVE THAT'S INTENDED TO BE A TAKE HOME VEHICLE. IS THAT CORRECT? OKAY. AND THEN RIGHT NOW, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS BORROWING TWO VEHICLES FOR THEIR INVESTIGATORS FROM, FACILITIES. AND SO IF WE CAN REPLACE THOSE AGAIN WITH SMALL SUVS, COMPACT SUVS, NOT PATROL VEHICLES, IF WE CAN REPLACE THOSE THAT SHIFTS TRUCKS BACK TO FACILITIES, AND THAT REMOVED A REQUEST OR TWO FROM THE FACILITIES BUDGET THAT THOSE FOR THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY. IS THAT FOR INVESTIGATORS? YES. 
          FOR THE. YES. NOT FOR ATTORNEYS, FOR INVESTIGATORS. THEY HAVE TWO FULL TIME INVESTIGATORS. 
          THE INTENT AND MR. GOOD WILL PRESENT ON FRIDAY MORNING, FOR SOME ADDITIONAL CONVERSATION. 
          THE INITIAL REQUEST WAS FOR THREE PATROL EQUIPPED VEHICLES, CAGES, LOT SIRENS, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE PUT IN OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT SITUATIONS. I, THAT'S NOT SOMETHING WE'VE EVER DONE BEFORE. HE MAY BE ABLE TO EXPLAIN THE REASONING BEHIND THAT A LITTLE MORE FULLY TO THE ENTIRE COURT, BUT WHAT'S INCLUDED IN THIS RIGHT NOW IS TWO, HE HAS, I'M SORRY, HE HAS TWO FULL TIME INVESTIGATORS AND A PART TIME INVESTIGATOR. AND SO THAT WAS FOR THREE VEHICLES. 
          THIS WOULD BE FOR TWO TO REPLACE TO RETURN THE TWO THAT HE'S BORROWING FROM FACILITIES AND MORE LIKE VEHICLES THAT WE BUY FOR CI FOR CID IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. SO I THINK THEY DRIVE CHEVY EQUINOX, NISSAN ROGUES 25 TO $30,000, COMPACT SUVS WITH PAINT AND LIGHTS. THEY MILD UPFIT DOESN'T TURN THEM INTO PATROL VEHICLES, BUT IT MAKES THEM RECOGNIZABLE AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLE. I DO WANT TO EXPRESS APPRECIATION TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. THEY HAVE BEEN, AND THEY REMAIN CREATIVE IN THE WAY THAT THEY LOOK FOR VEHICLES FOREVER. IT WAS CHEVY TAHOE. THOSE WERE WHAT EVERY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY BOUGHT THROUGH COVID. 
          THEY DROVE EVERYTHING FROM DODGE CHARGERS TO TRUCKS, A HANDFUL OF THOSE TAHOES, I THINK DURANGO'S GOT SOME ODD LOOKING, PATROL VEHICLES OUT THERE THIS YEAR. THEY HAVE PUT IN FOR FORD INTERCEPTORS, WHICH IS A PURPOSE BUILT FORD PRODUCT THAT IS DESIGNED TO BE A LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLE, FULLY OUTFITTED. IT COMES TO ABOUT $85,000 A UNIT JUST UNDER THAT, THAT NUMBER. WHEREAS A TAHOE, WE WERE CREEPING INTO THE 100, $105,000 A UNIT. SO THAT REFLECTS A $200,000 SAVINGS OVER CONTINUING TO USE TAHOES. I THINK THEY'VE ALSO HAD TROUBLE WITH THE RELIABILITY OF TAHOES. OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE'VE HAD SIGNIFICANT REPAIRS TO VEHICLES THAT ARE LESS THAN 100,000 MILES, AND THEY USED TO BE ABLE TO RELIABLY DRIVE THOSE THINGS INTO THE GROUND AND GET 200,000 PLUS MILES OUT OF THEM. EXCUSE ME, JUDGE, I DID GET A WORD. THE VAN WAS PURCHASED NEW IN 20 1414. YES. OKAY. SO THAT IS A 12 YEAR OLD. IT'S PROBABLY WORE OUT PROBABLY BEFORE MY TIME ON THE COURT IN 2014. I, I COULD HAVE SWORN MAYBE IT WAS A REQUEST THAT DIDN'T GET FULFILLED. CAN WE GO BACK TO THAT SLIDE, JUDGE? WHICH ONE? YEAH. THIS ONE. OKAY. YES, SIR. WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT IN TERMS OF A CRIME SCENE VEHICLE? SO THAT, THAT TRUCK WOULDN'T. IT? IT IS. I BELIEVE IT'S A FOUR WHEEL DRIVE TRUCK WITH A BED COVER TO, TO HOLD ALL THE VARIOUS THINGS THAT GO OUT TO A CRIME SCENE. I THINK OUR COST AND, AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WAY OFF, BUT ABOUT $75,000 FOR THAT EQUIPPED VEHICLE. IT'S NOT A PURSUIT VEHICLE. THEY DON'T ARREST PEOPLE AND THEY DON'T NEED A CAGE, BUT IT DOES HAVE FOUR WHEEL DRIVE SO THEY CAN GET TO OFF ROAD CRIME SCENES AND A LOT OF STORAGE SPACE TO GET OUT, TO GET THE EQUIPMENT OUT WHERE IT GOES. AND I DON'T KNOW WHEN THE LAST CRIME SCENE VEHICLE WAS, I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY CURRENTLY DRIVE. 
          SO WE'LL HEAR ABOUT THAT. YES. THE DEVELOPMENT SERVICES TRUCK, THAT IS, IF THE NEW INSPECTOR 
          [01:30:06]
STAYS IN THE BUDGET, THIS WOULD BE A SMALL TRUCK AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE COST $35,000. DOES THAT SOUND ABOUT RIGHT, MISS VANDERLYN? YEAH, IT WAS A IT'S NOT A DRIVING LIKE CHEVY COLORADO. YES. I THINK IT'S A IT WAS A MIDSIZE SMALL TRUCK. IT'S NOT A TOP OF THE LINE. 
          IT'S A WORK TRUCK. I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW YOU COULD BUY ANY KIND OF PICKUP FOR 35,000 ANYMORE. I WAS SURPRISED AT THE, THE REQUEST TWO WHEEL DRIVE. YEAH. IT JUST NEEDS. S PEDALS, FLOORBOARDS CUT OUT. SO, LIKE THE FLINTSTONE CAR. I SAID BEFORE, WE'RE GOING TO SHIFT EVERYBODY TO THOSE FORD MAVERICKS. THEY'RE ABOUT $30,000. THEY'RE HYBRID TWO WHEEL DRIVE. IT'S A TRUCK. NOBODY BIT. SO, YOU KNOW, WE LOST ME AT HYBRID. YEAH. YOU AND EVERYBODY ELSE. SO WE'RE ALSO IN ORDER TO MAKE THE BUDGET BALANCED THIS YEAR, WE'RE TRYING SOMETHING A LITTLE DIFFERENT. PREVIOUSLY, WE HAVE PLUGGED PROJECTS INTO, DIRECTLY INTO SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND FACILITIES, THEIR PROPERTY MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR BUDGET. 
          SO THEY'VE GOT A LINE. EACH ONE OF THOSE IS ABOUT $1 MILLION A YEAR THAT THEY SPEND ON TAKING CARE OF BUILDINGS. THAT'S NOT TOUCHED. WE'RE NOT TAKING ANYTHING AWAY FROM THAT. THEY NEED TO BE ABLE TO PAY TO TAKE CARE OF BUILDINGS, AND WE NEED TO HAVE THEM TAKE GOOD CARE OF THE BUILDINGS THAT WE HAVE. WHAT THIS DOES IS SET ASIDE $1.7 MILLION FROM FUND BALANCE FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT. SO IF THERE IS ANYTHING BEYOND BASIC MAINTENANCE AND REPAIR, THERE'S A POOL OF MONEY THAT THOSE OFFICES, OFFICE AND DEPARTMENT CAN COME AND THE COURT CAN VET THOSE PROJECTS BEFORE THEY START. I THINK THAT IT ACCOMPLISHES TWO THINGS. IT DOES IT DOES PULL ABOUT HALF $1 MILLION OUT OF, DEPARTMENTAL BUDGETS FOR THIS YEAR. BOTH OF THOSE BUDGETS STILL INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR. IT PULLS OUT HALF $1 MILLION THAT WERE EARMARKED FOR SPECIFIC ITEMIZED PROJECTS THAT WERE IN EXCESS OF PROJECTS DONE LAST YEAR. BUT IT ALSO MAKES MORE MONEY AVAILABLE AND GIVES THE COURT A LITTLE MORE A LITTLE BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT'S BEING DONE IN THE COUNTY. WITH CONSTRUCTION, I THINK WE HAVE WE'VE IDENTIFIED AND MR. MILAM, I DON'T WANT TO TELL TOO MANY SECRETS, BUT HE AND I HAVE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE END UP WITH SOFTWARE PROJECTS SOMETIMES. AND SOMETIMES I THINK WE CAN BE ACROSS THE BOARD TO ACCOMMODATING. WE END UP SOMEBODY SENDS AN EMAIL AND SAYS, HEY, IT'D BE GREAT IF I HAD THIS THING, AND IT KICKS OFF A SIX MONTH, $200,000 PROJECT, AND WE NEED A MUCH BETTER HANDLE ON WHAT WE'RE BITING INTO AND HOW WE'RE PRIORITIZING PROJECTS. I THINK THAT APPLIES TO SOFTWARE AND CONSTRUCTION THAT THE COURT NEEDS TO VET PROJECTS, PICK THE ONES THAT ARE THE HIGHEST PRIORITY, AND THEN COMMIT TO THEM. AND WE NEED TO ALL HAVE THE SAME UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE WHAT THE END RESULT IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE SCOPE OF WORK BEFORE WE START WORKING ON IT? I THINK WE CAN, WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF MANAGING PROJECTS AND HAVING THE COURT INVOLVED AT THE FRONT END IS, I THINK, HELPFUL TO THAT END. SB 22 IS, SAME AS LAST YEAR PROSECUTORS. 
          IT'S REQUIRED TO GO TO SALARIES. THEY DISTRIBUTE THE MONEY SOMEWHAT OUTSIDE OF THIS PROJECT PROCESS, THE SAME AS LAST YEAR. SHERIFF'S OFFICE, HALF $1 MILLION COMES IN. IT GOES TOWARD VEHICLE PURCHASES. WE HAVE CONTINUED TRYING TO. SEE, THIS IS OUT OF DATE. I TOLD YOU I WAS UPDATING MY PRESENTATION THIS MORNING. WE DID NOT TRANSFER $1 MILLION OUT OF VEHICLE REPLACEMENT FUND. WE PURCHASED $400,000 IN VEHICLES FROM THE VEHICLE REPLACEMENT FUND THAT MAINTAINS SOME FUND BALANCE FOR FUTURE RAINY DAYS WITHOUT EXHAUSTING THAT FUND BALANCE. BUT WE ARE, AS I SAID, TRYING TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY RAINY DAY FUND. SO IF YOU LOOK AT LAST YEAR, WE BEGAN THE GENERAL FUND RAINY DAY FUND FUND BALANCE WAS $54.5 MILLION. 
          WE WILL END THE YEAR AND BEGIN FY 27 WITH EXACTLY THAT SAME NUMBER. THERE ARE INCREASES IN EXPENDITURES, OBVIOUSLY. AND SO THAT MEANS WE GO FROM 180 DAYS IN RESERVE TO 170, 169 DAYS IN RESERVE. GFOA SUGGESTS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN 120 AND 180 DAYS. SO WE'RE STILL VERY MUCH IN THE HEALTHY AREA. I'M NOT RECOMMENDING THAT WE CHANGE OUR PAR VALUE TO SOMETHING LOWER RIGHT NOW, BUT I THINK IT'S OKAY TO MISS BY 11 DAYS AND NOT BUILD THAT FUND BALANCE THIS YEAR. THERE'S A LOT THAT WENT INTO THAT. SO PART OF ACCOMPLISHING THAT, THE FUND BALANCE WOULD HAVE GROWN BY $1.7 MILLION. INSTEAD, THIS TRANSFERS $1 MILLION FROM 
          [01:35:01]
GENERAL FUND BALANCE TO HEALTH INSURANCE FUND. TO MAKE UP FOR SOME OF THAT BAD YEAR WE HAD LAST YEAR AND $700,000 TO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND TO PAY FOR VARIOUS PROJECTS AROUND THE COUNTY THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. THIS ALSO, AS WE DISCUSSED, WE'RE NOT CURRENTLY LOOKING AT PURCHASING A BUILDING THAT WE HAD DISCUSSED. AND SO THIS SHIFTS MONEY OUT OF THE ANNEX FUND THAT THAT FUND CURRENTLY SITS AT $2.8 MILLION WITH NO TIMELINE ON THAT PROJECT. I THINK WE CAN REALLOCATE FUNDS OUT OF THAT FUND AND MOVE $1 MILLION TO THAT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND THAT THAT AGAIN, THAT FREES UP MONEY TO ACCOMPLISH PROJECTS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. AND THE NEXT SLIDE, I HAVE TALKS ABOUT SOME OF THOSE PROJECTS WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT AS THEY COME DUE, INSTEAD OF TRYING TO MAKE THE DECISION FOR ALL OF OUR CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS A YEAR IN ADVANCE. THIS ALSO MOVES $1.2 MILLION TO THE PRECINCT THREE SUB COURTHOUSE FUND, WHICH GETS US KNOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO. IT ALSO GETS US TO ABOUT 50% FUNDED ON THAT ONE, WHICH MAKES ME FEEL A LOT MORE COMFORTABLE AS WE HIRE A DESIGN FIRM AND START DOING SOME GROUNDWORK. WE'RE WE'RE TRUCKING ALONG AND WE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO COMMIT TO THAT PROJECT. LAST SLIDE BEFORE WE TAKE A BREAK. JUST A RECAP OF SOME OF THE BIGGEST CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS WE HAVE. THERE'S THE ONES WE KNOW AND HAVE SET MONEY TOWARD TAX OFFICE. WE SHOULD HAVE THAT FULLY FUNDED. WE SHOULD SEE A CONTRACT WITH A GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE IN THE NEXT 60 DAYS. AND THEN A RELOCATION OF THE TAX OFFICE FOR THE NEXT WITHIN THE NEXT 18 TO 24 MONTHS. SO THAT IS, THAT IS UNDERWAY. PRECINCT THREE, WE'RE 40 TO 50% FUNDED, DEPENDING ON WHAT THE FINAL COST SHAKES OUT TO BE. WE'VE ACQUIRED THE PROPERTY. I THINK THE NEXT STEP IS WE, WE START DESIGN. THERE'S STILL A LITTLE BIT LEFT TO DO WITH THE SITE PLAN AND A FEW MORE CONVERSATIONS TO BE HAD WITH TEXDOT. BUT I THINK WE'RE GETTING READY TO COMMIT TO A PROJECT. AND COMMISSIONER, I KNOW THAT MEANS YOUR PROJECT YOU'RE GOING TO, YOU'RE GETTING READY TO DO THE SAME ON YOUR, YOUR BUILDING. FINALLY, AGAIN, AS WE'RE NOT NECESSARILY LOOKING AT PURCHASING ADDITIONAL BUILDINGS DOWNTOWN, THE ANNEX FUND WOULD STILL HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO, START THE PROCESS. WE CAN START ABATING ASBESTOS. ONCE WE GET THE TAX OFFICE OUT, WE CAN DO ANOTHER, UPDATE OUR PROPOSED DESIGN. AND I THINK WE MOVE FORWARD. IT FALLS IN LINE AFTER THE SUB COURTHOUSE. WE'RE NOT GOING TO BREAK INTO THAT BUILDING OR TEAR INTO THAT BUILDING UNTIL WE HAVE THE SUB COURTHOUSE FULLY FUNDED. THAT IS THE HIGHER PRIORITY. BUT WHEN WE CAN GET THE SUB COURTHOUSE FULLY FUNDED, THEN WE CAN TAKE CARE OF THE ANNEX, AND THAT MEETS OUR OFFICE SPACE NEEDS FOR A VERY LONG TIME. DOWNTOWN FINALLY. SO THERE'S A LIST OF OTHER PROJECTS. THESE THINGS CAME UP DURING BUDGET CONVERSATION. WE DON'T REALLY HAVE COSTS ON THESE. THEY RANGE ANYWHERE FROM 100,000 TO $3 MILLION OR MORE, DEPENDING ON WHICH ONE YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT. THE EOC, THE EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, FIRE MARSHAL, WE HAVE RETAINED, BOB DURHAM TO GIVE US A, A COST ESTIMATE AND A SITE PLAN FOR WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO EXPAND THAT BUILDING. THERE'S NO ADDITIONAL SPACE FOR ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEES THERE, AND THAT OFFICE WILL CONTINUE TO GROW. WE DON'T HAVE THAT BACK YET, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S ON THE RADAR. IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY MONEY ASSIGNED TO IT. SO THAT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY THERE. ELECTIONS WHERE WE'RE COMING CLOSE TO THE POINT WHERE, MEDICAL EXAMINER MOVES TO THEIR NEW LOCATION. THE INTENT WAS FOR ELECTIONS TO SPREAD OUT WITHIN THAT BUILDING. THERE'S PROBABLY GOING TO NEED TO BE SOME UPDATING TO THAT BUILDING. 
          AND I THINK AS WITH MANY OF OUR BUILDINGS, IT'S GOING TO HAVE AN ABATEMENT ASSOCIATED WITH IT. 
          SO WE MAY AT SOME POINT HAVE TO GET ALL THOSE FOLKS OUT OF THE BUILDING, UPDATE THE BUILDING AND, WORK ON THAT. THAT'S AGAIN, THAT'S A, IT'S A BIG PROJECT AND THERE'S NOT REALLY FUNDING ASSIGNED TO THAT AT THIS POINT. AND WE DON'T KNOW THE SCOPE OF THE COST UNTIL WE DIG INTO IT FURTHER. THERE WAS A REQUEST THIS YEAR TO EXPAND INTO SOME OF THE SHELF SPACE AT THE SUB COURTHOUSE. I THINK THE ROUGH COST WAS $250,000 FOR OFFICES FOR CONSTABLE AND PRECINCT TWO. 
          I'M NOT SURE IF HE'S GOING TO COME PRESENT THAT ITEM NOW OR IF WE, THE WAY WE'RE BUDGETING THIS AS A SEPARATE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND, IF THAT PRESENTATION WILL BE MADE LATER. 
          BUT IT WOULD COME TO THE COURT AGAIN BEFORE ANYTHING IS DONE THERE. LONGER TERM, WE EXPLORED WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE TO EXPAND THE BUILDING TO ADD OFFICE SPACE. IT WAS ABOUT A $3 MILLION PROJECT. AND SO THAT IS IN THE WAY DOWN THE LINE. BUT THAT'S THAT'S A LONG TIME BEFORE WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING. IT WAS MORE ABOUT LEARNING WHAT WE COULD DO OUT THERE IF WE NEEDED TO ADD OFFICE SPACES WITHOUT GIVING UP WAREHOUSE SPACE. THERE'S A LOT OF ROOM IN THAT BUILDING THERE. THERE IS NO NEED FOR AT LEAST TEN YEARS TO DO ANYTHING THERE. IF WE DID 
          [01:40:03]
ANY EXPANSION, IT WOULD BE TO MOVE A NEW OFFICE OUT THERE, NOT TO ACCOMMODATE THE EXISTING OFFICES THAT ARE OUT THERE. AND THEN I GUESS DID A DATE ON THIS. BUT SOMEDAY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TALK ABOUT COURTS. THE LEGISLATURE AT SOME POINT WILL ADD DISTRICT COURT OR COUNTY COURT AT LAW. WE'VE GOT ROOM FOR ONE MORE WITH SOME SQUEEZING AND ADJUSTING IN THE. 
          GWEN. AND THEN WE WOULD THAT BE CONSUMING THE AUXILIARY COURTROOM? IT WOULD. SO THERE'S THERE'S AUXILIARY A AND AUXILIARY B THAT WOULD ABSORB AUXILIARY. WHICHEVER ONE IS ON THE THIRD FLOOR WOULD BE A PERMANENT COURT. ALL THE OTHER AUXILIARY IN THE BASEMENT IS CURRENTLY USED BY TWO DIFFERENT SPECIALTY COURTS. SO IT IT HOLDS COURT PRETTY REGULARLY. 
          IT ALSO FILLS IN. IF, FOR EXAMPLE, IF THE 413 JUDGE BOSWORTH IS SITTING IN COURT, HE CAN ALSO HAVE A VISITING JUDGE WHO IS HIM. SO YOU MIGHT HAVE THE FOUR, 13 AND TWO DIFFERENT LOCATIONS AT THE SAME TIME TO CLEAR DOCKETS. AND THEY DO THAT PRETTY FREQUENTLY SO THAT AT LEAST ONE OF THOSE AUXILIARIES IS PRETTY FULL ANYWAY. WHICH ONE DOES JUDGE BARKLEY USE? THAT'S THE BASEMENT A ON THE BASEMENT. OKAY. THANK YOU. I DIDN'T REMEMBER IF THEY COUNTED UP OR DOWN. I DON'T THINK IT'S CALLED AUXILIARY ANYMORE BECAUSE IT HAS THE JUDGES NAMES ON IT. SO I THINK WE JUST HAVE AUXILIARY AND THAT'S ON THE THIRD FLOOR. 
          SO YEAH, JUDGE BARKLEY USES THAT COURTROOM TWO DAYS A WEEK AS A MINIMUM. AND THEN, THE ATTORNEY GENERAL'S OFFICE USES IT FOR CHILD SUPPORT CASES. I THINK THAT'S TWICE A MONTH. SO THAT COURTS WHAT IS THAT 4,050% CAPACITY HAS ALREADY BEEN MET. IT CAN STILL HANDLE OVERFLOW FOR OTHER ITEMS. BUT AGAIN, WE ADD ANOTHER COURT. IF THERE'S A CPS JURY TRIAL AND THEY NEED THAT COURT FOR FIVE DAYS IN A ROW, THAT GETS COMPLICATED ALREADY. ONCE WE LOSE ONE OF THE AUXILIARY COURTS THAT, YOU KNOW, THE COURT BUILDINGS, I THINK THERE'S 100 DIFFERENT WAYS TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM. WE COULD TAKE THE BROWN GYM AND TURN IT INTO A COURT BUILDING. 
          WE COULD MOVE PEOPLE OUT OF THIS BUILDING INTO THE ANNEX AND USE THIS AS A COURT BUILDING. AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY THE CHEAPEST WAY TO DO IT. WE COULD FOLLOW IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE PARKER COUNTY THAT JUST HAD A A BOND VOTED DOWN FOR A $150 MILLION COURT BUILDING. THERE'S A LOT OF WAYS TO ACCOMPLISH THAT TASK. WE'RE A LONG WAY FROM IT, BUT IT IS SOMETHING THAT, ESPECIALLY AFTER WE FINISH THE PRECINCT THREE, COURTHOUSE, THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE SOME REAL CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW WE WANT TO MAKE THAT HAPPEN. I SAY WE, IT'LL BE NEW FOLKS MAKING THOSE DECISIONS, BUT WE WANT TO LEAVE THEM IN A POSITION TO BE ABLE TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS. SO I THINK THIS IS A GOOD STOPPING POINT. IT IS. 1043. LET'S COME BACK AT 1105. EVERYBODY TAKE 20 MINUTES AND THEN WE'LL RUN THROUGH SOME ADDITIONAL LINES. 
          LOTS OF OPPORTUNITY FOR QUESTIONS, BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE IN RECESS AT ALL RIGHT. 
          WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK INTO SESSION. IT IS 1108. WE'VE GOT A LITTLE MORE GROUND TO COVER BEFORE WE BREAK FOR LUNCH. I DO ANTICIPATE WE'LL COME BACK THIS AFTERNOON AND HAVE SOME MORE CONVERSATION ABOUT ALL THE THINGS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT TODAY. THE NEXT LINES THAT I HAVE ARE A DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT REVIEW OF EVERY INDIVIDUAL LINE ITEM. I AM NOT GOING TO READ THE NEXT 35 SLIDES TO YOU GUYS THAT NONE OF US WANT THAT TO HAPPEN. BUT I AM GOING TO HIT THE HIGHLIGHTS. SO THIS IS AGAIN, THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE PULL THE PULL THE MARK UP. OH MAYBE NOT. DON'T PULL ANY HARDER. ALL RIGHT. IS THAT BETTER. YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT. SO THIS IS SOMETHING I'VE INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET EVERY YEAR. THE FIRST HALF IS GENERAL OVERVIEW. 
          THE SECOND HALF IS A LOT MORE SPECIFIC DETAIL. SO THIS IS WHAT'S CURRENTLY INCLUDED IN COUNTY CLERK. THEY ELIMINATED A PART TIME POSITION. AND THEN THEY HAVE, AS YOU CAN SEE, A FEW INCREASES AND DECREASES THAT SOMEWHAT OFFSET, IN ORDER TO ADDRESS RISING VOLUME. NONE OF THOSE ITEMS ARE, I THINK THE BIGGEST ITEM THERE IS THE $6,500 INCREASE AND THEIR DECREASES THAT OFFSET PART OF THAT. MY OFFICE, THERE ARE NO CHANGES TO THE BUDGET NON-DEPARTMENTAL. THIS ONE IS INTERESTING. I AM GOING TO READ THIS SLIDE. SO OUR CAD DUES INCREASED BY 25%. 225%. YEAH. SO THAT'S A REALLY INTERESTING ITEM. LAST YEAR THERE WAS AN ELECTION TO INCREASE THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION ON SCHOOLS. AND I HAD BEEN UNDER THE UNDERSTANDING THAT WOULDN'T IMPACT OUR BUDGET AT ALL BECAUSE WE'RE NOT A SCHOOL. 
          HOWEVER, THANK YOU. STATE OF TEXAS. RIGHT. NONE OF US SAW COMING. AND HAD I BEEN A SMARTER PERSON, WE MAY HAVE KNOWN THIS WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. BUT CAD ALLOCATES THEIR ENTIRE BUDGET BASED ON YOUR, TAX REVENUE. WELL, THE TAX, LOCAL TAX REVENUE FOR EVERY SCHOOL DROPPED SIGNIFICANTLY WHEN THOSE HOMESTEADS WERE INCREASED AND WERE MADE UP BY STATE REVENUE, WHICH IS EXCLUDED FROM THAT CALCULATION. SO OUR PORTION OF THE CAD BILL 
          [01:45:03]
INCREASED 25%. THEIR BUDGET DID NOT INCREASE 25%. THEIR BUDGET HAS BEEN FAIRLY FLAT YEAR OVER YEAR. I MEAN, THERE ARE SOME INCREASES THERE, BUT THE BULK OF THAT COMES FROM JUST SOMETHING WE DIDN'T SEE COMING WITH AN ELECTION. WE ACTUALLY WE WERE SHORT THIS YEAR, LAST YEAR, THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, THEY SENT US A BUDGET AND THAT'S WHAT WE PLUGGED IN. WE ADOPTED OUR BUDGET. THEN THERE WAS AN ELECTION AND THEY SENT US AN AMENDED BUDGET AFTER OUR FISCAL YEAR STARTED. AND IT WAS ABOUT A $200,000 INCREASE THAT WE WERE SHORT ON THAT LINE BECAUSE CAD DIDN'T SEE IT COMING EITHER. AGAIN, I'M GOING TO ASK, WHAT IS OUR COLLECTION RATE IN REFERENCE TO THIS, AND IS THERE A WAY TO OFFSET THAT WITH THE COLLECTION RATE? THEY THEY FIGURE THEIR OWN YIELD AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY APPLY, BUT THEY APPLY THE SAME THING FOR EVERY ENTITY THEY SEND OVER. THEY SEND US A BREAKDOWN WITH ALL OF THAT INFORMATION. SO OUR COLLECTION RATE, IT REMAINS AT 98.5% HAS NOT BEEN TOUCHED SINCE THREE YEARS AGO. AND THAT SEEMS TO BE PRETTY CLOSE TO ACCURATE. WE, WE CAME IN A LITTLE HIGHER THAN THAT THIS YEAR. WE COLLECTED BETTER THAN THAT THIS YEAR. BUT I THINK THAT THAT'S STILL YEAH, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE TOYED WITH YEARS, YEARS AGO, I THINK IT WAS 96, $0.97 AT ONE TIME. AND WE MOVED IT AND WE MOVED IT UP A BIT IN LEANER TIMES. AND JUST TRYING TO FIGURE A WAY TO MAINTAIN, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW THAT WE NEED TO NOT NEED TO READDRESS THAT AT SOME POINT. 
          YOU KNOW, WE CERTAINLY CAN, LIKE I SAID THIS THIS YEAR, I DIDN'T WANT TO BRING Y'ALL SOMETHING THAT HAD THAT KIND OF BEHIND THE SCENES THING DONE WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT IT. THERE WAS CONVERSATION, RIGHT? WE THREW EVERYTHING AT THE WALL AND THE CONVERSATION INCLUDED THINGS THAT WE KNEW WE WOULD NEVER DO. WE DON'T, WE DON'T DO LAYOFFS AT THE COUNTY, BUT WE TALKED ABOUT WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE IN ORDER TO MAKE A BALANCED BUDGET. FORTUNATELY, THERE'S NO APPETITE, I DON'T THINK, FROM ANYBODY FOR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT WE DID TALK ABOUT IMPACT OF COLLECTION RATE. AND FRANKLY, UNLESS WE RAISED IT TO 100%, IT JUST DOESN'T MAKE THAT MUCH DIFFERENCE TO RAISE IT TO 110%. SO YEAH, I MEAN, IF YOU WANT TO GET FAST AND LOOSE WITH THE BUDGET, YOU CAN RAISE YOUR COLLECTION RATE TO 100, 105% AND PRETEND YOU'RE GOING TO COLLECT MORE MONEY THAN YOU DO. YOU CAN PRETEND THAT YOUR EMPLOYEES, YOU CAN ONLY BUDGET 90, 95% OF YOUR PERSONNEL COSTS, ASSUMING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME VACANCIES DURING THE YEAR. THAT IS A THAT'S A RISKY GAME. VERY RISKY. YEAH. IT'S THE SAME AS ADOPTING A, A DEFICIT BUDGET. WE COULD ADOPT A BUDGET AND JUST SAY WE'RE GOING TO SPEND $5 MILLION OUT OF FUND BALANCE AND EVERYTHING'S GOING TO BE OKAY. 
          AND IT WILL FOR A YEAR OR TWO. DON'T GET ME WRONG. I'M NOT SAYING GO UP. I'M SAYING GO DOWN ON THAT COLLECTION. SURE. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. SO OTHER INCREASES, ALL OF THESE ARE DRIVEN BY FACTORS OUT OF THE CONTROL OF ANYBODY AT THE COUNTY. BUT OUR AMBULANCE CONTRACT, IT HAS A BUILT IN INCREASE THAT INCREASES 43,000 ALMOST $44,000 THIS YEAR. 
          TELEPHONE WHICH GO AHEAD, DON'T WE THOUGH BY PAYING THAT IN, IN ONE LUMP SUM, WE GET A DISCOUNT TO THAT SOMEWHAT OFFSETS A LOT OF THAT WE DO THAT'S FACTORED IN. SO WE'RE STILL WE DO THAT EVERY YEAR. SO THIS IS A $44,000 INCREASE OVER LAST YEAR. BUT WE ALREADY BAKED IN THAT 6% DISCOUNT FOR PAYING EARLY. AND MR. ANDERSON'S OFFICE HANDLES THAT EVERY YEAR, MAKING SURE THAT WE GET AN INVOICE, WE GET IT PAID AND THE EITHER PAY IT OUT OF NEXT YEAR'S MONEY AND THIS YEAR, AND I DON'T KNOW HOW THAT WORKS. THAT'S AN AUDITOR QUESTION. OR WE PAY IT ON THE FIRST BILL RUN OF THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR. BUT YES, WE DO SAVE 6%, WHICH MEANS THAT NOW WE'RE YEAR THREE OF THAT CONTRACT WHEN WE MAKE THIS PAYMENT, AND WE'RE ONLY NOW GOING TO PAY THE CONTRACTED RATE FOR THE FIRST TIME. SO WE'RE IT'S INCREASES $45,000 A YEAR, BUT WE SAVE $90,000 BY PAYING IT EARLY. AND IT'S TAKEN THOSE TWO YEARS TO CATCH UP. 
          YES. SO SHORT ANSWER. YES, YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. OUR BUDGET ON THAT, I THINK IS RIGHT AT $1.5 MILLION, WHICH IS THE RATE THAT'S IN THE CONTRACT. BUT THAT DOES REFLECT THE SAVINGS FROM PAYING EARLY TELEPHONE. THAT DOESN'T REALLY PAY FOR A WHOLE LOT OF PHONE LINES ANYMORE. THAT IS WHERE INTERNET CONNECTIVITY GOES TO. THE IT DEPARTMENT HAS UNDERTAKEN A PROJECT TO DECENTRALIZE SOME OF ITS SERVICES, SO THEY DON'T HAVE ONE SERVER ROOM THAT SERVES EVERY INTERNET CONNECTION IN THE COUNTY. THERE IS SAFETY ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. THERE'S REDUNDANCY ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. TEN YEARS AGO, IF POWER WAS OUT AT THE ANNEX, NOBODY IN THE COUNTY HAD INTERNET, EVEN IF IN OTHER BUILDINGS THAT THAT'S A PROBLEM. A LOT OF THAT HAS BEEN FIXED. THEY'RE MOVING PHYSICAL SERVERS OUT. I THINK IT'S A, A PROJECT THAT ULTIMATELY SAVES MONEY, BUT IT DOES INCREASE OUR INTERNET COSTS BECAUSE NOW WE HAVE TO HAVE DIRECT COMMERCIAL INTERNET AT MULTIPLE LOCATIONS AND THOSE RATES CONTINUE TO RISE. SO THAT'S A $100,000 COUNTY WIDE TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE INTERNET SERVICE. PROBABLY 
          [01:50:03]
STILL CHEAPER THAN HAVING A PHONE SERVICE, THOUGH. ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. TRADING WAS THAT TWO YEARS AGO, LAST YEAR, TRADING OFF, POTS, PLAIN OLD TELEPHONE SERVICE. I LISTEN WHEN HE TALKS, TRADING POTS, LINES FOR VOIP VOICE OVER INTERNET LINES WAS SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS OUT OF TELEPHONE EXPENSE. SO YEAH, REALLY WORTHWHILE PROJECT HEADED UP BY MR. MILAM'S OFFICE. THIS DOES REFLECT A, THE ONLY NON PROFIT INCREASE HERE IS $1,500 TO CRIME STOPPERS. SOFTWARE AND INSURANCE WITHIN NON-DEPARTMENTAL MOSTLY DRIVEN BY INSURANCE TECH. THE PAYMENTS WE MAKE TO TECH $225,000 INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR REFLECTS MORE PEOPLE, MORE VEHICLES ON THE ROAD, MORE EMPLOYEES AND MORE CLAIMS. INDIGENT CREMATIONS. WE'VE GOT RISING POPULATION THAT WE HAVE EXCEEDED OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR. 
          AND SO WE'RE INCREASING THAT SLIGHTLY. CHILD SAFETY PROGRAMS, ALTHOUGH I THINK THOSE ARE FUNDED PARTIALLY BY SEPARATE, THOSE FILING FEE OR IF IT'S WHAT I, I HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK, BUT IF IT'S WHAT I THINK IT IS, IT'S THE UNCLAIMED CAPITAL CREDITS, WHICH IS ACTUALLY GONE DOWN CONSIDERABLY THIS YEAR, BUT THOSE ARE SUPPOSED TO OFFSET THAT. OKAY. 
          SO WE MAY, WE MAY WANT TO LOOK AT THAT AND MAKE SURE THAT'S ACCURATE BECAUSE I THOUGHT YOU WERE RIGHT. I THOUGHT WE DID MATCH OUR EXPENDITURES TO A REVENUE LINE ON THAT ITEM. I'M NOT SEEING THE MOTOROLA CONTRACT THERE. WHEN WE ORIGINALLY DONE THAT, THERE WAS GOING TO BE AN ANTICIPATED 5% ANNUAL INCREASE. ALONG WITH THAT, IS THAT STILL KIND OF RUNNING? THAT'LL BE, THAT'S ON THE RADIO DEPARTMENT. THEY, IT DOESN'T COME THROUGH NON-DEPARTMENTAL ANYMORE. I THINK IT USED TO. OKAY. BUT YES, THERE IS AN INCREASE THERE. I DON'T KNOW, BUT WE'LL GET THERE IN JUST A COUPLE OF SLIDES AND THAT IS, THAT IS A GOOD POINT. 
          WORKER'S COMP, THAT'S THE STATE SENDS US A LETTER AND WE PAY HOW MUCH THEY TELL US TO. 
          THAT'S A $53,000 INCREASE. AND THEN THERE IS AN INCREASE OF $20,000 FOR ACROSS LEGAL SERVICE, LEGAL FEES AND FEES AND SERVICES. THIS YEAR WE WILL SPEND, I THINK THE NUMBER WAS CLOSE TO $50,000 ON OUTSIDE LEGAL COUNSEL ASSISTING IN RESPONSES TO OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS. AGAIN, DRIVEN BY SOME HIGH PROFILE CASES. AND WE'RE, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO EXPLORE WHAT WE DO WITH THAT. I THINK THERE'S AN ARGUMENT IN A, IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, POTENTIALLY TO HAVE A FULL TIME ATTORNEY, A NEW POSITION THAT DOES OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS, MAYBE EVEN AN OFFICE THAT DOES OPEN RECORDS REQUESTS. I, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TALKED BEFORE, I THINK AT SOME POINT IN THE FUTURE, A COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR MAYBE WHO HAS AN ATTORNEY WHO WORKS FOR HIM AND SOME CLERKS THERE, THERE'S ENOUGH WORK THAT COULD BE DONE. MAY NOT BE THERE TODAY, BUT WE'RE GROWING RAPIDLY. WE'RE GOING TO BE A 300,000 POPULATION COUNTY BUDGET IT TODAY. SO WE'RE NOT THERE TODAY. THAT MIGHT BE WHY IT'S NOT BEING PRESENTED TODAY AS A REQUEST. EVERYBODY EVERYBODY HAD TO GIVE UP SOMETHING THEY WERE INTERESTED IN IN THIS BUDGET. SO JUST A NOTE, IF, IF WE GET TO THAT POINT, IF WE HAD TO HIRE AN ATTORNEY THIS YEAR THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY IN, WE'RE GOING TO SPEND $50,000 ON OUTSIDE LEGAL FEES. IF THAT NUMBER DOUBLES, IT PROBABLY MAKES SENSE TO TALK ABOUT BRINGING ANOTHER EMPLOYEE IN-HOUSE TO HANDLE THOSE. AND OF COURSE, MR. MOORE'S OFFICE ALREADY DOES A TREMENDOUS AMOUNT OF WORK ON THOSE AND HAS FOR FOREVER. AND JIM SIMPSON, I DON'T KNOW WHAT PERCENTAGE OF THAT OF HIS TIME THAT IS, BUT IT'S A LARGE PERCENTAGE AND IT CONTINUES TO GROW EVEN WITH OUTSIDE HELP. VETERAN SERVICES DID NOT HAVE ANY CHANGES THIS YEAR. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT HAD SEVERAL CHANGES, MOSTLY DRIVEN BY THE FACT THAT WE ALL AGREED SIX MONTHS AGO TO COME OUT OF THE CRI GRANT. SO AN EMPLOYEE MOVED AROUND, SOME LINE ITEMS CAME IN. THOSE ARE NOT REAL INCREASES OTHER THAN THE FLOOD MONITORING, WHICH I THINK IS THAT'S BUDGETED FOR. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S COMING THROUGH THE THE PRECINCTS. I UNDERSTAND THAT'S COMING BACK TO COURT AT SOME POINT. AND WE'VE HAD A WORKSHOP ON THAT BEFORE, BUT THAT WAS THE THOSE ARE THE TWO ITEMS THAT THAT DRIVE THAT CONVERSATION. FIRE MARSHAL HAS SOME MINOR INCREASES. MOSTLY THE BIGGEST ONE IS DUES AND CONFERENCES TO ADDRESS SOME TRAINING ISSUES. SO FIRE MARSHAL'S HAVE TO HAVE LAW, HAVE TO HAVE PEACE OFFICER TRAINING AND FIRE MARSHAL TRAINING, AND IT GETS DUPLICATIVE AND EXPENSIVE. AND THEY WERE A LITTLE SHORT ON GETTING BOTH OF THEIR FOLKS ALL THE TRAINING THEY NEEDED BUDGET WISE, NOT TRAINING WISE. THIS YEAR, RADIO MANAGEMENT. SO YES, THEIR INCREASE IS ABOUT $13,000 ON, THAT MIGHT BE THE FORT WORTH CORPS. AND THEN A ABOUT $10,000 ON TELEPHONE, WHICH AGAIN IS THEIR CONNECTIVITY. 
          ALL OF THOSE TOWER SITES HAVE DEDICATED INFRASTRUCTURE. THEY ALSO HAVE BACKUP WIRELESS INTERNET SO THAT IF ANYTHING GOES DOWN, THEY'VE GOT MULTIPLE LAYERS OF REDUNDANCY. BUT THOSE 
          [01:55:01]
ARE THE INCREASES THAT WE SAW THERE. AND THOSE ARE REFLECTED IN THE RADIO REIMBURSEMENT RATES THAT WERE SENT OUT TO THE TO THE CITY. SO PRETTY MODEST INCREASES, I THINK, 3 OR 4 YEARS AGO THAT, MOTOROLA ASTRO CONNECTIVITY CONTRACT WENT UP BY ABOUT $150,000. IT WAS A HUGE INCREASE. AND THEY ADDED SERVICES, THAT WENT ALONG WITH IT, BUT THEY'VE BEEN A LOT MORE STEADY SINCE THEN. IF I MAY ASK A QUESTION. YES, SIR. YOU KNOW, WHEN P25 RADIO SYSTEM CAME ONLINE, THE THE ONE OF THE DRIVING POINTS TO SELL THAT SYSTEM TO THIS COUNTY WAS THAT NEIGHBORING COUNTIES WOULD BE GROWING AS WELL, AND THAT THOSE TOWERS, WE COULD RECOUP SOME OF OUR COST BY PUTTING, SAY, HOOD COUNTY OR HILL COUNTY OR, OR BOSQUE COUNTY. AND THEIR POPULATION GROWTH IS EXPLODING AS WELL. I DON'T KNOW, YOU KNOW, MOTOROLA REPS HAVE COME AND GONE. DOUGLAS HAS COME AND GONE OTHERS. BUT BUT I'M JUST THINKING, YOU KNOW, IF THAT'S A MARKET THAT WE COULD RECOUP SOME OF THESE INCREASES GOING FORWARD. DAN, WHAT DO WE DO TO HAVE A CONVERSATION, TO, TO SEE IF WE'VE GOT RADIO TOWER SPACE FOR SALE OR FOR LEASE OR WHATEVER THAT THAT COULD BENEFIT THOSE OTHER COUNTIES AND GET A LITTLE INCOME COMING IN HERE FOR WHAT OUR INVESTMENT WAS. I KNOW WE INVESTED $6.5 MILLION JUST ON THAT SITE OUT BY WHERE I LIVE THERE ON THE RETREAT, DONATED THE LAND FOR THAT. SO, THERE'S NOTHING THAT HAS EVER CAME OF THAT. I JUST WONDER, WHERE ARE WE AT NOW? IS THAT AN OPTION? I WOULD HONESTLY, I WOULD HAVE TO DIG INTO IT BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW. I WASN'T, I WAS, I NEVER YEAH, THAT PROBABLY IT WAS, IT WAS, IT DOES PREDATE ME A LITTLE BIT. BUT YES, SIR, I DO KNOW, JOHN MCKINNEY IN RADIO MANAGEMENT HAS THEY'VE MADE EFFORTS TO INCREASE THE RADIO COUNT. 
          BECAUSE MANY OF THE COSTS ARE FIXED. RIGHT. THE TOWER SITES, THEY COST WHAT THEY COST, REGARDLESS OF WHO USES THEM. AND THERE IS SPACE FOR ADDITIONAL USERS. THAT HAS, IT'S WORKED OUT WELL IN SOME WAYS AND NOT IN OTHERS. SOME OF THE ISSUE IS SOME OF THE SURROUNDING COUNTIES ARE THEIR RADIOS ARE COMPATIBLE. YOU'RE RIGHT THAT P25 RADIO IS COMPATIBLE WITH ANY P25 RADIO SYSTEM, BUT SOME OF THEM ARE IN A DIFFERENT NETWORK GROUP. AND SO THERE ARE SOME INTEROPERABILITY CHALLENGES WHEN BOSQUE COUNTY, IF THEY'RE GOING TO BE ON OUR RADIO AND THERE'S SOME COVERAGE ISSUES AS WELL. THAT IS SOMETHING THAT'S CONTINUES TO BE TALKED ABOUT. THEY HAVE FOCUSED THEIR EFFORTS MOSTLY ON GROWING RADIO COUNT IN THE COUNTY WHERE THEY KNOW WE HAVE GOOD RADIO COVERAGE, BUT, THEY'VE, SO ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT COUNTYWIDE, REGARDLESS OF AGENCY, THEY USE IT. ALL OF THE AMBULANCE SERVICES USE IT, THE FIRE STATIONS ALL USE IT. AND AS WE HAVE NEW CITIES, YOU KNOW, AS GRAND PRAIRIE MOVES IN AND MOVES THEIR OFFICERS IN, WE'RE WE'RE TRYING TO CAPTURE SOME RADIO USAGE THERE AS WELL TO SPREAD THOSE COSTS OUT. BUT I CAN I CAN ALSO FOLLOW UP WITH, WITH JOHN AND SEE IF. YEAH, SEE IF THEY HAVE MADE ANY OUTREACH TO OTHER SURROUNDING. WELL, I'D LIKE TO ELABORATE AND CAPITALIZE ON THE TIMES, YOU KNOW, BOSQUE COUNTY, THEY'RE GETTING A DATA CENTER. OKAY. SO THE, SO SOME OF THE UPFRONT MONEY, THEY CAME IN AND BUILT THEM A RADIO SYSTEM OVER THERE ABOUT THEIR RADIOS. THAT WAS PART OF THE ASK TO THE BOSQUE COUNTY AGREED TO. AND I'M JUST THINKING, OKAY, WELL, THAT MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY, PART OF THE BRIBE. PART OF THE BRIBE. YEAH. THANK YOU LARRY. I AGREE, BUT IT'S, BUT IT'S A, BUT IT, IT ALSO COULD BE A BENEFIT, FOR THEM TO BE ON THAT SYSTEM IN THAT SMALLER COUNTY AND WITH THOSE TYPES OF, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE, I DON'T KNOW IF ALL OF YOU ARE AWARE, BUT YOU PROBABLY ARE HAVE IT. GOVERNOR ABBOTT DECLARED A MORATORIUM AGAINST DATA CENTERS IN THE LAST. NOT REALLY. WELL, THEY DIDN'T CALL IT THAT. WELL, NOT WELL IT'S IT'S NOT A DEPENDS ON WHO YOU LISTEN TO, BUT IT'S A BUT IT'S A AT LEAST ON NOVEMBER. RIGHT. YOU KNOW, SO SO SO SORRY JUDGE DRINKING THERE. YEAH. YEAH. IF YOU LOOK AT IT, IF YOU LOOK AT THE TEETH IN THAT THERE'S NOT ANY. WELL THE THING IS, IS, IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO TO SAY HERE IS, IS, IS JIM ALLISON TOLD US THERE AT THAT CONFERENCE THE OTHER DAY THAT HE'S NOT HEARD OF ONE ASK THAT WASN'T GIVEN. 
          SO OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTIES ARE, ARE, ARE DEALING WITH THE SAME COURTROOMS FULL OF PEOPLE. BUT IF WE CAN FIND A WAY TO BETTER, KEEP THOSE COSTS DOWN AND WE'VE GOT THOSE TOWERS UP AND THE DATA CENTERS ARE POURING MONEY INTO OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTIES, WHY LET THEM BUILD NEW TOWERS? 
          [02:00:03]
WHY NOT GET THAT REVENUE IN ON OUR TOWERS IS WHERE I'M GOING. SO I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT. 
          I DON'T KNOW WHO YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT BE JOHN OR, OR, OR, OR JUDGE OR, YOU KNOW, EVEN EVEN, JAMIE IN REGARDS TO EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AND, AND THE VALUE THAT THAT WOULD PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, TO OUR NEIGHBORS. SO I JUST, I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT THAT I THINK WE MAY BE MISSING AN OPPORTUNITY THERE TO, TO CUT EVEN MORE COSTS, BENEFITING OTHER COUNTIES AND LET THEM LET THEIR BUSINESSES COME IN AND HELP AFFORD THAT. ABSOLUTELY. 
          AND COMMISSIONER, AGAIN, I'LL I'LL REITERATE, YOU KNOW, THE COST OF A TOWER IS BUILDING THE TOWER, RUNNING THE SOFTWARE AND THE HARDWARE INSIDE OF IT. IT'S A, A SERVER ROOM. IT'S THEY'RE ALL COMPUTER DRIVEN AND THOSE COSTS DON'T GET ANY CHEAPER WHETHER YOU HAVE ONE RADIO OR 10,000 RADIOS USING THE SAME TOWER. SO YEAH, IF WE CAN FIND A WAY TO, TO SPREAD THAT COST AND SHARE THOSE RESOURCES. ABSOLUTELY. I WILL FOLLOW UP WITH JOHN AND SEE IF HE CAN PROVIDE ANY ADDITIONAL INFORMATION TO THE COURT OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. YEAH. 
          THANK YOU. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THIS ONE'S GOING TO BREAK THE BANK. MR. FRIEDRICH IS ASKING FOR $1,000 FOR A LASER SURVEY TOOL. NO, THAT IS CURRENTLY IN THE BUDGET. 
          DEVELOPMENT SERVICES. THEIR BUDGET IS ACTUALLY FLAT, DOWN SLIGHTLY YEAR OVER YEAR. 
          THERE'S A SMALL FUEL INCREASE TO ACCOUNT FOR THE NEW VEHICLE, AND THEN A DECREASE IN POSTAGE AND SMALL EQUIPMENT REPAIR. THEY ARE ALSO ATTEMPTING TO BUY A COPY MACHINE OUT OF THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THERE, BUT THAT WAS ABOUT A 8 TO $10,000 ITEM. 
          FACILITIES. THEIR BUDGET WITH THIS IS PRETTY FLAT YEAR OVER YEAR, UTILITIES, THE UTILITY BUDGET COUNTY WIDE WILL BE MOVING OUT OF FACILITIES AND INTO PURCHASING. THEY HAVE, AS YOU ALL RECALL, AN ACCOUNTANT POSITION WAS CREATED IN PURCHASING LAST YEAR FOR COUNTY WIDE ISSUES AND PROJECT ACCOUNTING UTILITIES FALLS UNDER THAT, THAT BANNER, THOSE DUTIES WERE HANDED OFF JANUARY 1ST OF THIS YEAR TO, COMPORT WITH THERE'S SOME STATE REPORTING ON OUR UTILITY CONSUMPTION AND EXPENSE AND THAT'S BASED ON A CALENDAR YEAR. 
          SO THOSE DUTIES PASSED BETWEEN THE TWO OFFICES JANUARY 1ST, BUT THE BUDGETS WERE NOT. 
          BECAUSE WHEN WE ADOPTED THE BUDGET LAST YEAR, THOSE WERE STILL IN FACILITIES. THIS AGAIN, THIS REFLECTS A FAIRLY FLAT BUDGET IN FACILITIES. IT DOES, THERE ARE A COUPLE OF PLACES WHERE MONEY WAS MOVED OUT OF ONE PLACE AND INTO ANOTHER TO CREATE A, A MULTI-BUILDING OR MULTI LOCATION FUND, TO ACCOUNT FOR THINGS LIKE BUYING TOILET PAPER. THEY BUY IT IN BULK. 
          THEY DISTRIBUTE TO ALL THE BUILDINGS, PAPER TOWELS. THEY DO THE SAME THING, SOME PROPERTY REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE, SOME JANITORIAL SUPPLIES, SOME PEST CONTROL, THOSE KIND OF ITEMS. SOME OF THEM ARE BOUGHT FOR THE WHOLE COUNTY. SOME ARE BOUGHT PER LOCATION. IT DOESN'T REALLY CHANGE THE BOTTOM LINE. AND I, I WILL NOTE AGAIN, THIS IS ONE OF THOSE AREAS WHERE THIS PULLS OUT SEVERAL HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN SPECIFIC PROJECTS AND PUT THOSE IN, PUTS THOSE INTO A SEPARATE FUND SO THAT THEY CAN COME TO THE COURT FOR EACH PROJECT AS THEY GO THROUGH, INSTEAD OF BUDGETING, BUDGETING HERE AND TRYING TO PICK OUT EVERY PROJECT WE'RE GOING TO ACCOMPLISH OVER THE NEXT YEAR. I WILL SAY I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND USE THIS AS AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO HOLD UP, CODY SIBLEY AND THANK HIM. HE LED THE CHARGE ON APPLYING WITH THE HISTORIC COURTHOUSE GRANT PRESERVATION PROGRAM. I THINK THIS WAS OUR FOURTH OR FIFTH ROUND APPLICATION. DURING OUR COURT LAST MONTH, HE WAS DOWN IN PERSON IN AUSTIN ADVOCATING FOR OUR PROJECTS. AND WE HAVE BEEN AWARDED. SO THANK YOU, MR. SIBLEY. I BELIEVE ABOUT $750,000 IN GRANT MONEY WILL COME TO JOHNSON COUNTY. THAT'S A 50% MATCH. AS IN, WE ALSO HAVE TO PUT UP $750,000. THAT WILL PROBABLY BE DONE FROM FUND BALANCE OR FROM CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND, BUT THAT THAT'S SIGNIFICANT REPAIRS TO THIS BUILDING THAT WERE NOT MADE AT THE TIME OF THE ORIGINAL REMODELING. SO PRIMARILY STAIRS AROUND THE BUILDING THAT LEAK WATER INTO THE BASEMENT AND THE DOME AT THE TOP OF THE BUILDING, YOU KNOW, THAT'S HUGE. I WAS IN A COUNTY THE OTHER DAY AND HAD SOME FOLKS WITH ME IN MY VEHICLE, AND WE WERE AT THE COURTHOUSE SQUARE AND I SAID, MAN, THAT IS A BEAUTIFUL OLD COURTHOUSE. AND THEY SAID, YEP, IT'S SITTING EMPTY BECAUSE THEY CAN'T. IT'S TOO FAR. IT'S ALMOST TO THE CONDEMNATION STAGE. I'M LIKE, THAT'S PRETTY SAD. SINCE THERE'S AVAILABLE FUNDING, YOU JUST HAVE TO PURSUE IT. SO THANK YOU FOR PURSUING IT. AND, AND WE'RE FORTUNATE WE RECEIVED SOME OF THAT BECAUSE THERE'S SOME COUNTIES THAT THEIR COURTHOUSE IS SITTING VACANT. THAT'S SAD. EVEN ELLIS COUNTY HAS A BEAUTIFUL COURTHOUSE, BUT THE 
          [02:05:02]
INSIDE OF IT IS IT'S CONFUSING AND CRAMPED. IT'S HARD TO NAVIGATE AROUND AND IT'S OVERFLOWING. AND I, YEAH, I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT FACILITIES HAS PUT IN TO FIRST, THE STATE GRANT AND RESTORING THE BUILDING, BUT FACILITIES AND MAINTAINING IT OVER THE LAST 15 YEARS SO THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT WE'RE CONSISTENTLY COMPLIMENTED WHEN PEOPLE VISIT HERE FROM OTHER COUNTIES AND THEY SEE OUR COURTHOUSE, THEY THEY ARE ALL IMPRESSED THAT WE UTILIZE IT, THAT IT'S AN ACTIVE BUILDING AND THAT IT IT'S A PIECE OF HISTORY. SO ABSOLUTELY. YEAH. THANK YOU TO MR. SIBLEY. I WILL NOTE MR. SIBLEY IS GOING TO PRESENT HIS, ADDITIONAL ITEMS ON HIS BUDGET PROBABLY FRIDAY. THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL REQUESTS TO BE CONSIDERED AT THAT TIME THAT ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE CURRENT BUDGET. FOR THE MAIL ROOM, WE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THE ONLY REAL CHANGE THERE IS THE COMPACT SUV. THAT'S A $26,000 VEHICLE PURCHASING HAD SOME VERY MINOR FLUCTUATIONS, INCREASE OF A COUPLE OF LINES. THE LARGEST IS DUES AND CONFERENCES. I THINK HE'S GOT A NEW ASSISTANT. WHAT IS IT? DEPUTY PURCHASING AGENT. ASSISTANT PURCHASING AGENT. YES. 
          SO SECOND IN COMMAND AND HE'S TRYING TO GET HER TRAINED UP SO THAT SHE HAS ALL THE QUALIFICATIONS THAT HE DOES. SO THAT TAKES A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY IN TRAINING, BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, THERE HAS BEEN A CHANGE THERE, INFORMATION IT, THERE'S NOT REALLY ANYTHING SPECIFIC HERE OTHER THAN WHAT I MENTIONED EARLIER. THERE WAS A $2 MILLION INCREASE YEAR OVER YEAR IN SOFTWARE, SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE BUDGETS. THAT IS, IT'S A LOT OF MONEY. IT IS FOR PRODUCTS THAT WE ARE ALREADY UNDER CONTRACT WITH. SO THAT IS JUST OUR INCREASES. IT SEEMS LIKE SEVERAL OF THEM HIT IN THE SAME YEAR. MICROSOFT IS A PRODUCT WE'VE USED FOREVER, AND THEIR THEIR RATES WENT UP MORE THAN $200,000 YEAR OVER YEAR SO THAT WE CAN ALL KEEP SENDING EACH OTHER EMAILS. THERE ARE SEVERAL PROJECTS THAT ARE LISTED IN HERE AS BEING DELAYED. 
          THEY CARRIED SIGNIFICANT COST. THEY ALSO CARRIED SIGNIFICANT BURDEN ON PERSONNEL WITHIN IT. 
          AND SO WE TRIED TO PRIORITIZE WHAT PROJECTS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH AND WHICH ONES GET DELAYED. 
          SO THE DELAYED PROJECTS, COUNTY CLERK HAS A LAND RECORD PROJECT. SHE ACTUALLY REQUESTED THAT THAT BE DELAYED PRIOR TO THIS. THERE'S CITATION SOFTWARE, SO TICKET WRITERS FOR THE CONSTABLE'S, THE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT PROJECT MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE, WHICH IS, I THINK A LAUDABLE GOAL, BUT WAS NOT SOMETHING WE WERE ABLE TO FIND A WAY TO FUND THIS YEAR. THERE WAS A LEXIPOL WAS, WHICH IS A POLICY MANAGEMENT SOFTWARE REQUESTED BY THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICES. AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S SOMETHING THAT MAKES A LOT OF SENSE. IT'S A GOOD PRODUCT, BUT IT'S A NEW PROJECT. AND WE TRIED TO PRIORITIZE EXISTING PROJECTS OVER NEW PROJECTS. THE SAME WITH SOME ADDITIONAL DIPPING OUR TOES INTO THE WATERS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, WHERE THERE WERE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT PROJECTS. I THINK WE'RE STILL PROCEEDING WITH SOME ADDITIONAL LICENSES FOR MICROSOFT COPILOT, TO ROLL THAT OUT. BUT THERE WERE SOME OTHER LICENSES, OTHER PRODUCTS THAT ARE GOING TO BE DELAYED, AT LEAST FOR A WHILE UNTIL WE SEE IF, IF REVENUES ARE UP FOR THE YEAR, WE CAN REVISIT THOSE MID-YEAR OR OTHERWISE IN THE NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET. VERY FEW CHANGES IN THE COURTS. AS ALWAYS, THOSE COSTS ARE ALL DRIVEN BY PERSONNEL. NONE OF THE COURTS HAVE SIGNIFICANT EXPENSES OTHER THAN, HOW WE PAY VISITING JUDGES AND VISITING COURT REPORTERS, VISITING INTERPRETERS, STILL ALL PERSONNEL COSTS. AND THAT'S WHAT THAT INCREASE IN FEES AND SERVICES REFLECTS ON DISTRICT COURTS. THE DISTRICT CLERK'S OFFICE HAD A NET DECREASE. MR. KEATON TOOK OFFICE AND SUBMITTED A BUDGET IN THE WITHIN THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, HE FOUND SOME LINES HE THOUGHT WERE NOT NECESSARY AS THEY SHIFT SOME OF THEIR OPERATIONS. AND SO THAT'S REFLECTED HERE. 
          AND HE'S GOING TO GIVE A BIGGER PRESENTATION. I THINK HE'S HIS INTENT WAS TO COME IN OR HE HAS COME IN AND DONE SOME RESTRUCTURING, REALIGNING WHERE HIS FOLKS ARE, WHAT WHO DOES WHAT JOB. AND SO HE'S GOING TO COME TALK ALL ABOUT SOME OF THE CHANGES HE'S MAKING OVER THERE, JURY SERVICES, SAME THING. HE'S, HE WILL COME PRESENT MORE OF THAT INFORMATION. NO MAJOR CHANGES, JUSTICE COURTS, NO MAJOR CHANGES IN ANY OF THOSE OFFICES EITHER. SOME SMALL INCREASES BASED ON, EITHER CONTRACTED RATES FOR COST OR POSTAGE PAPER, THOSE SORT OF THINGS FOR HIGHER VOLUME. COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS ALMOST NO CHANGES. IT'S MINOR INCREASES BASED ON INFLATION AND CONTRACT COST ON, RESEARCH SOFTWARE. DISTRICT ATTORNEY, MADE SOME CHANGES HERE. NOT ANYTHING REALLY SIGNIFICANT. THIS DOES INCLUDE $8,500 FOR INVESTIGATOR, EQUIPMENT. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I THINK MISTER GOOD CAN DIG INTO FURTHER ON FRIDAY, AND THE COURT CAN TAKE A POLL ON WHERE WE WANT TO BE ON THAT. THE INITIAL REQUEST 
          [02:10:03]
WAS ABOUT TWICE THAT AMOUNT. THERE ARE POTENTIALLY SOME OTHER FUNDS THAT COULD ACCOMPLISH THAT, BUT THE OTHERS OF THESE ARE DRIVEN LARGELY BY INFLATION AND CONTRACT. THAT THOUSAND DOLLAR INCREASE ON BOOK AND PUBLICATION IS FOR THEIR RESEARCH SOFTWARE, WHICH IS ALREADY UNDER CONTRACT, OUTSIDE OF PERSONNEL. NO CHANGES FOR THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE, NOT REALLY ANY MAJOR CHANGES IN JUVENILE PROBATION. ON THE COUNTY SIDE. THEY HAVE STATE AND COUNTY BUDGET, AND THEY KIND OF SIT WITH ONE FOOT IN EACH DEPARTMENT. BUT THE NET RESULT IS FLAT TO THE COUNTY. ADULT PROBATION. THEY DO THEIR OWN THING THERE. WE BUDGET VERY A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS A YEAR FOR SOME OFFICE SUPPLIES FOR THEM. AND THEN WE PROVIDE THE BUILDING, BUT THEY ARE SELF-FUNDED. PERSONNEL DID NOT HAVE ANY CHANGES THIS YEAR. THE TREASURER HAD A COUPLE OF VERY MINOR INCREASES FOR POSTAGE AND OFFICE SUPPLIES, DUES AND CONFERENCES, THINGS THAT ARE AGAIN, INFLATIONARY. THE TAX ASSESSOR, AS ALWAYS, AN INCREASE IN PRINTING AND POSTAGE COSTS. THEY, THEY MAINTAIN 200 TO 250,000 ACCOUNTS THAT THEY HAVE TO SEND NOTICES ON. SO EVERY YEAR WHEN THEY SEND OUT THE TAX NOTICES THEY HAVE TO PAY FOR PRINTING, THEY HAVE TO PAY FOR GETTING ALL OF THOSE DOCUMENTS OUT IN A TIMELY MANNER AND PAYING FOR OUTSIDE PRINTING, MUCH CHEAPER THAN PAYING FOR IN-HOUSE PRINTING AND HIRING NEW PEOPLE TO HANDLE THAT PRINTING ELECTIONS. THEY HAVE ADVERTISING THAT SO THEY CAN PUBLISH LOCATIONS FOR VOTING. I THINK WE'VE ALL TALKED BEFORE ABOUT HOW WE WANT TO WANT THEM TO ENGAGE MORE. I THINK JOY HAS DONE A GOOD JOB OF DOING THAT. 
          SHE NEEDS MORE MONEY TO CONTINUE MAKING MORE OUTREACH. NO CHANGES FOR EXTENSION OFFICE OR HAM CREEK PARK. MEDICAL EXAMINER HAS A FEW MINOR CHANGES. THERE IS A CREATION OF CERTIFICATION PAY FOR EACH OF THEIR INVESTIGATORS. THE TOTAL COUNTYWIDE COST OR OFFICE WIDE COST IS $3,000 FOR THAT. BUT, TIMOTHY MELCHER HAS TAKEN OVER THAT DEPARTMENT. HE'S ENCOURAGING ALL OF HIS PEOPLE TO GET CERTIFICATION FROM THE NATIONAL MEDICAL EXAMINERS, MEDICAL EXAMINERS BODY. AND HE THINKS THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S VALUABLE. I THINK WE'VE TRIED TO REWARD THAT KIND OF INITIATIVE IN THE PAST. AND SO THAT DOES MAKE A SMALL AMOUNT OF MONEY AVAILABLE. ALL OF THE OTHER INCREASES IN THIS LINE ARE DRIVEN BY HIGHER UTILIZATION. WHICH IS ONE WAY TO REFER TO MORE PEOPLE DYING IN THE COUNTY EVERY YEAR DRIVEN BY POPULATION CHANGE. AND SO THE MEDICAL EXAMINER CONTRACT INCREASES BY $70,000 THIS YEAR. 
          THAT IS NOT A CHANGE IN THE PER USE RATE. THAT IS A REFLECTION OF HIGHER USAGE. THE $10,000 FOR FEES AND SERVICES. SAME THING. THAT'S FOR TRANSPORT OF BODIES. THERE IS NOT A CURRENT CHANGE IN THE RATE FOR TRANSPORT, BUT THERE ARE MORE BODIES TO TRANSPORT. THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICES, THERE WERE SEVERAL MINOR CHANGES. PRECINCT ONE, THE BIGGEST ITEM IS VEHICLE REPAIR. THEY'VE GOT A LARGER FLEET OF VEHICLES. THEY EXCEEDED THEIR BUDGET THIS YEAR. 
          PRECINCT TWO, THERE WERE SOME, AGAIN, SMALL INCREASES. CONSTABLE CRAWFORD FOCUSED ON BUYING SOME NEW ITEMS THAT HE THINKS HE SAID WILL MAKE BREACHING APARTMENT DOORS AND EVICTIONS SAFER. SO THEY'VE GOT SOME. I THINK HALLIGAN TOOLS IS WHAT HE REFERRED TO. THEY DO A LOT OF EVICTIONS OUT OF APARTMENT COMPLEXES THERE, WHICH IS NOT SOMETHING THE OTHER THREE PRECINCTS DO AS MUCH OF, ALTHOUGH THAT IS GROWING. AND SO IT'S IT'S DIFFERENT. THEY HAVE METAL DOORS AND METAL DOOR FRAMES, AND THERE'S A DIFFERENT SET OF TOOLS THAT YOU NEED, AGAIN, A PRETTY MINOR INCREASE. BUT THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF THAT IS DRIVEN BY, PRECINCT THREE HAD AN INCREASE IN FUEL AND PRECINCT FOUR HAD AGAIN, SOME MINOR INCREASES, ALTHOUGH I WILL SAY, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THIS IS ACCURATE, THAT THIS IS THE DANGER OF DOING THINGS AT THE LAST MINUTE. THIS COST HERE, THE SOFTWARE SUBSCRIPTION, $26,000 FOR TYLER TECHNOLOGIES. THAT IS THE CITATION RIDERS. IT WAS INCLUDED IN TWO LOCATIONS. 
          AND SO THERE MAY BE A I THINK IT'S ALREADY COME OUT. IT JUST DIDN'T COME OUT OF MY SLIDESHOW. 
          BUT WE WILL CONFIRM THAT THAT CAME OUT. THAT IS ONE OF THE PROJECTS THAT WE'RE RECOMMENDING DELAYING UNTIL AT LEAST MID YEAR, IF NOT THE NEXT YEAR. CURRENTLY THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE DOES HANDWRITING FOR THEIR, LIKE TICKET BOOKS AND THEY HANDWRITING CITATIONS. AND SO WE'RE ASKING THE CONSTABLES TO DO THAT FOR ONE MORE YEAR. WE NEED TO DOUBLE CHECK THE PRINTERS AND SCANNERS TOO. AND SO REX AND CAN YOU MAKE A NOTE TO LOOK AT THOSE ITEMS, THE SOFTWARE SUBSCRIPTION AND EQUIPMENT NON-GAAP. SO THAT IS THAT'S THE PRESENTATION. I DID NOT INCLUDE THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE BECAUSE THEY ARE GOING TO PRESENT TOMORROW. AND I THINK IT HAS TO DO WITH IT WAS MORE COMPLICATED. IT WAS ALSO MOVING IN THE LAST MOMENT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTES. AND SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT I HAD PREPARED TO COME AND PRESENT 
          [02:15:02]
THAT TODAY. BUT, WE WILL HAVE TIME TO DIG IN FURTHER TO THOSE LINES DURING THAT PRESENTATION. 
          BUT THIS IS THIS IS WHERE THINGS STAND AS OF RIGHT NOW. I'LL END THE WAY I STARTED. I THINK THERE WERE SIGNIFICANT BUDGET CHALLENGES THIS YEAR. THIS TRIES TO WALK THE LINE BETWEEN NOT FALLING BEHIND AND NOT TAKING AS MUCH REVENUE AS WE POSSIBLY CAN FROM THE TAXPAYERS. JUDGE? YES, SIR. IF I MAY, STEVE, QUESTION FOR YOU. THE PUBLIC POWER POOL, THE P THREE. I'VE BEEN TRYING TO FOLLOW THE THE MARKET AND WHAT OUR COSTS WILL BE AS MEMBERS OF THAT. AND RIGHT NOW WE'RE PRETTY FLAT. THERE IS A GRAVE CONCERN BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF DEADLINES THAT ARE COMING ON ABOVE THE PEAK. AND WHEN WE GET TO THAT, LIKE A, LIKE WE PROBABLY ARE GETTING CLOSE NOW WITH THESE RECORD HEAT ACROSS THE STATE. BUT I'VE HEARD AS MUCH AS ANTICIPATED 10% INCREASE, IN, IN UPCOMING YEARS ABOVE WHERE WE ARE NOW. AND I JUST WANT YOU TO FOLLOW ALONG WITH THAT. OR ARE YOU GETTING THOSE NOTICES? OR DO I NEED TO MAKE SURE YOU GET THOSE OR I DON'T? LANCE'S OFFICE HANDLES. OKAY. LANCE, SO I DON'T. OKAY, BUT I THINK WE'RE WE HAVE A CONTRACT FOR OUR. YEAH, WE HAVE A CONTRACT. WE DO, BUT I'M JUST I'M JUST. BUT I'M JUST TELLING YOU AS A BOARD MEMBER THERE, WE'RE WE'RE WE'RE WATCHING. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S AMAZING THAT, CURRENTLY 15% OF THE GRID IN THE STATE IS CONTROLLED BY SOLAR FARMS. 40% OF WHAT IS COLLECTED IS THROUGH WIND TURBINES. THAT'S TO MAINTAIN WHERE WE ARE AND TO REMAIN FLAT. ANYTHING ELSE WOULD HAVE TO BE MORE RESOURCES DEVELOPED FOR IT. 
          BUT WITH THESE DATA LINES COMING ON, THESE DATA CENTERS COMING ON, AND THEN MORE PRODUCTION OF THAT, AND WITH THE GROWTH OF ALL THE PEOPLE AND THE HOMES AND BUSINESSES THAT ARE COMING TO STATEWIDE, WE'RE IT'S GOING TO GET CRITICAL. BUT AND ALL THAT MEANS IS, IS THE COST OF DOING ALL THIS IS WHAT WE'RE BEING TOLD IS GOING TO INCREASE. SO I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT ON EVERYBODY'S RADAR BECAUSE WHAT IS OUT THERE, THAT WE DON'T KNOW IT'S COMING IS LURKING. AND YOU NEED TO BE, WE NEED TO STAY ON TOP OF IT. SO LANCE, I'LL MAKE SURE THAT AS WE HAVE THOSE MEETINGS COMING UP, I'LL GET YOU A LINK TO GET ON THERE. 
          AND BECAUSE YOU MAY HAVE SOME QUESTIONS THAT, THAT I'M NOT, I'M NOT PRIVY TO ASK. OKAY. 
          REGARDING THE COUNTY AND, YEAH, THE, THE P THREE, AS I UNDERSTAND IT IS, IS STRICTLY ELECTRICITY. SO THEY'RE NATURAL GAS SPIKES OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. I THINK WE'RE STILL GOING TO BE SUSCEPTIBLE TO. SO THAT'S RIGHT. YEAH. YOU KNOW, FROM A FACILITIES POINT OF VIEW, WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE EXCUSE ME, MAINTAINING, THE, ALL OF OUR EQUIPMENT AND ALSO KEEPING, KEEPING THE THERMOSTATS WHERE THEY NEED TO BE SET. SO YEAH, THANK YOU, MR. ANDERSON. AND I KNOW THAT IS THERE'S A TRANSITION BETWEEN THOSE TWO OFFICES. AND SO WE'VE TRIED TO GET A HANDLE ON IT. COMMISSIONER, TO YOUR POINT. ABSOLUTELY. I THINK WE'RE LUCKY THAT THIS YEAR UTILITY PROJECTIONS ARE FAIRLY FLAT, BUT I WOULDN'T BE SURPRISED TO SEE 100 OR $200,000 INCREASES EVERY YEAR MOVING FORWARD, WHERE WE'RE GETTING DEEPER INTO THAT P3 CONTRACT. AND ELECTRICITY IS THE BIGGEST PIECE OF OUR UTILITY PUZZLE. 
          BUT, YEAH, THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE DELIVERY CHARGES FROM ONCOR. IF THEY START INCREASING THOSE RATES, IT DOESN'T INCLUDE NEW BUILDINGS THAT WE WILL HAVE COMING ONLINE IN FY 28. WE DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY NEW BUILDINGS COMING ONLINE THIS YEAR. BUT A YEAR FROM NOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BUDGET FOR A NEW TAX OFFICE. AND BUILDING IS NOT CHEAP AT THE PRICE OF DOING BUSINESS, BUT IT'S A IT'S A COST THAT WE HAVE NO CONTROL OVER. SO BUT I JUST, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT WHAT WE'RE FACING HERE, I, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I'M JUST ALWAYS CAUTIOUS ABOUT WHAT WE APPROVE AND, AND WHAT WE, WHAT, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE FACING THE NEXT YEAR, YOU KNOW, SO ABSOLUTELY. THANKS, LANCE. YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT. MY REQUEST IS THAT WE GO AHEAD AND BREAK FOR LUNCH AND COME BACK ABOUT 130 AND PICK UP THERE, I. I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO PRESENT. I WANT TO HAVE MORE CONVERSATION, BUT I FIGURE IF EVERYBODY CAN EAT, THEY CAN DIGEST LUNCH AND THIS INFORMATION OVER THE NEXT HOUR AND A HALF. AND THEN, WE CAN DIG IN AND SEE WHERE WE NEED TO START MAKING CHANGES. THERE WILL BE. AND YES, SIR. YEAH, I'M GOING TO BE BACK IN THE MORNING. I'VE GOT SOME OTHER COMMITMENTS. I DON'T ANTICIPATE WE'RE GOING TO MAKE ANY DECISIONS ABOUT ANYTHING THIS AFTERNOON. AND I DON'T WANT TO LEAVE YOU OUT OF ANYTHING, BUT I DON'T WANT TO CUT THE MEETING OFF AT NOON EITHER IN CASE THERE ARE QUESTIONS THAT CAN BE ANSWERED. SO ANY PROBLEM WITH THAT PLAN. ANY OBJECTIONS. ALL RIGHT. SO WITH THAT WE ARE GOING TO RECESS FOR LUNCH. IT'S 1145. WE'LL BE BACK HERE AT 130 AND WE WILL PICK UP WHERE WE LEFT OFF.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.