[CALL TO ORDER]
[00:00:34]
TO ADOPT OUR BUDGET. GIVEN THE TIMELINE SET OUT IN THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, THE FIRST ITEM WE HAVE ON OUR AGENDA TODAY IS PUBLIC PARTICIPATION. MISS REED, HAS ANYONE SIGNED UP? ALL RIGHT,
[ADOPTION OF THE BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026-2027]
THANK YOU. WE WILL MOVE FORWARD WITH THE BUDGET PORTION OF TODAY'S MEETING. ITEM B ONE IS A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 2027 THAT HAS BEEN PUBLISHED ON THE WEBSITE. IT'S. WE RAN OUR NOTICES IN THE NEWSPAPER. THAT BUDGET HAS BEEN FULLY AVAILABLE, AND WE'VE HAD A WEEK OF PUBLIC WORKSHOPS ON THAT ITEM AS WELL. IF ANY MEMBER OF THE PUBLIC WISHES TO ADDRESS THE COURT AT THIS TIME, NOW IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO. YOU DO NOT HAVE YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE SIGNED UP IN ADVANCE. PLEASE APPROACH THE PODIUM AND YOU CAN SPEAK ON FAVOR, IN OPPOSITION OR IN ANY ITEM RELATED TO THE BUDGET. AND FOR THE RECORD, THAT PUBLIC HEARING WAS OPENED AT 9:01 A.M. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NOBODY APPROACHING, I WILL CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING AND NOTE THAT WE RECEIVE NO PUBLIC COMMENT.WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO ITEM B, T TWO, CONSIDER AND APPROVE THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026 2027, INCLUDING AMENDMENTS MADE AFTER THE FILING OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET. SO EVERY YEAR WE GO THROUGH WORKSHOP, MY OFFICE WORKS WITH THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE TO FINALIZE EVERYTHING, GET IT, PUT IT PUT TOGETHER AND FILED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT IS PROVIDED TO ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS IN THE COUNTY, PUT ON THE COUNTY WEBSITE, FILED WITH THE COUNTY CLERK.
ALL OF THAT WAS DONE ABOUT 30 DAYS AGO. IN THE 30 DAYS SINCE THEN, THERE ARE ALWAYS SOME MINOR ISSUES THAT ARE CAUGHT THAT NEED TO BE ADDRESSED, AND I'M GOING TO RUN THROUGH EXACTLY WHAT THOSE ARE BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD. THEY'LL BE ON THE SCREEN BEHIND ME. SO THIS IS A PRESENTATION. THIS IS A SHORTER PRESENTATION THAN WE DID DURING WORKSHOP, BUT THIS IS A PRESENTATION OF THE FY 27 PROPOSED BUDGET ITEM ONE. AND I APOLOGIZE. I KNOW THIS IS SMALL FONT, BUT I WILL READ THROUGH THESE. THESE ARE ITEMS THAT WERE CHANGED AFTER WE FILED THE PROPOSED BUDGET. THE LEFT HAND COLUMN ARE CHANGES IN GENERAL FUND, AND THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN ARE CHANGES THAT ARE NOT IN GENERAL FUND. SO ITEM ONE, THE HISTORICAL COMMISSION. WE SHIFTED SOME ITEMS AROUND WITHIN THAT DEPARTMENT TO ACCOUNT FOR HISTORICAL USAGE, BUT THAT WAS NOT A CHANGE TO THEIR FUNDING. ITEM TWO THE SHERIFF JAIL INCREASED POSITION F03-097 BY $3,097. AND MISS KNOWLES, CAN YOU REMIND ME OF WHAT POSITION THAT IS THAT WHAT CHANGE WAS MADE IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE JAIL? A DISPATCHER, A DISPATCH SUPERVISOR AND TWO DISPATCHER. I THINK THAT'S THE NEXT ONE. SO THERE'S THE SHERIFF ADMIN PATROL THAT WAS RECLASSIFYING SHIFTING MONEY BETWEEN TWO DISPATCHERS. THERE WAS A REDUCTION. IT'S A NET ZERO TO THE ACCOUNT. THIS WAS REQUESTED BY THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AFTER WE GOT THE PROPOSED BUDGET FILED TO REDUCE AN UNFILLED DISPATCH POSITION, WHICH LEAVES IT IN LINE WITH OTHER POSITIONS AND INCREASE A SEPARATE POSITION BY $7,500 IN ORDER TO CREATE A NEW DISPATCH SUPERVISOR POSITION. THAT'S A NET ZERO REQUEST. I KNOW CAPTAIN ARRIOLA IS HERE. IF THERE ARE ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT AND FACILITIES MANAGEMENT, THERE WAS AN ERROR IN THE BUDGET. IT HAD A TRAVEL ALLOWANCE FOR THE ASSISTANT DIRECTOR POSITION THAT WAS NOT APPROVED BY THE COURT. I THINK THAT MAY HAVE BEEN A CONVERSION ERROR IN THAT SUIT. MR. SIBLEY CAUGHT THAT AND BROUGHT TO OUR ATTENTION TWO OF THE CERTIFICATION PAYS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BY THE COURT WERE LEFT OUT. AND SO SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS TOTALING ABOUT A $2,000 INCREASE THERE. IN CONSTABLE PRECINCT TWO, THERE WAS A DECREASE IN CERTIFICATION PAY TO ACCOUNT FOR THE ACTUAL CERTIFICATION OF THE OFFICERS COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. THERE WAS AN ADDED CERTIFICATION PAY FOR ONE OF THE INVESTIGATORS. AND AGAIN, THESE WERE JUST ITEMS THAT WERE CAUGHT WHEN WE SENT OUT THE PROPOSED BUDGET THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN INCLUDED THE FIRST TIME AROUND. THESE WERE NOT SUBSTANTIVE CHANGES TO THE BUDGET. AS DISCUSSED IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET MEETINGS, WE MOVED UTILITIES FOR ALL BUILDINGS COUNTY WIDE TO PURCHASING, SO THOSE WERE HANDLED BY FACILITIES MANAGEMENT. WE CREATED AN ACCOUNTANT POSITION IN PURCHASING LAST YEAR TO SERVE AS A PROJECT ACCOUNTANT AND TO ASSIST DEPARTMENTS COUNTY WIDE, AND AT THAT TIME, THE INTENT WAS TO SHIFT UTILITIES TO THAT PERSON. WE WAITED A YEAR TO
[00:05:05]
ACTUALLY MAKE THAT CHANGE IN THE BUDGET, BECAUSE THAT WAS AN UNFILLED POSITION, AND WE NEEDED TO KEEP PAYING OUR LIGHT BILLS PENDING HIRING THAT POSITION. AND THEN IN NON-DEPARTMENTAL, THE TRANSFER TO EQUIPMENT REVENUE DECREASED BY $3,926 TOTAL. THAT IS, THE EQUIPMENT RESERVE IS WHERE WE PURCHASE VEHICLES THAT DECREASE THE AMOUNT OF REIMBURSEMENT BASED ON ONE OF THE CONSTABLE VEHICLES THAT WAS APPROVED TO BALANCE THE BUDGET TO ZERO. SO THAT $3,900 WAS KIND OF A. WE PULLED FROM THERE TO MAKE ALL THESE OTHER CHANGES FIT AND NOT HAVE TO TOUCH TAX RATE OR FUND BALANCE OR ANYTHING ELSE. JUDGE, FOR THE RECORD, COULD YOU READ INTO THE RECORD THE COST OF UTILITIES SO THOSE LISTENING WILL UNDERSTAND, YES, SOME OF WHAT THEIR TAX DOLLARS ARE ACTUALLY GOING FOR ON ON THE THINGS WE CANNOT CONTROL. THAT IS A WONDERFUL QUESTION, AND I HAVE MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THAT IN A COUPLE OF SLIDES. BUT YES, THE MOVING UTILITIES, THAT IS A $1.4 MILLION ANNUAL EXPENSE TO KEEP THE LIGHTS ON AT ALL THE COUNTY BUILDINGS. ONE OF THE MANY REASONS WE HAVE TRIED TO BE AS EFFICIENT AS POSSIBLE WITH COUNTY BUILDINGS AND COUNTY SPACE, IS EVERY TIME WE ADD SQUARE FOOTAGE TO THE FLEET, WE HAVE TO POWER IT. WE HAVE TO CLEAN IT. WE HAVE TO MAINTAIN IT. NONE OF THOSE THINGS ARE CHEAP. ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE COLUMN HERE, THE LAST LINE IS ARPA. THAT JUST REFLECTS SOME PAYMENTS THAT WENT OUT THE DOOR, MOSTLY TO RIO VISTA. AND SO WE DECREASED THE BUDGETED AMOUNT. THAT DOESN'T CHANGE ANYTHING IN THE BUDGET. WE'RE STILL GOING TO EXPEND ALL OF THE REMAINING ARPA DOLLARS BY THE END OF DECEMBER. ABOVE THAT IS INMATE COMMISSARY. AGAIN, THAT WAS THERE'S INCREASED A BUILDING PROPERTY REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE DECREASE TO SUPPLIES AND DECREASE TO CONSTRUCTION AND PROGRESS. ALL OF THAT IS A SEPARATE FUND. AND THAT REFLECTS PROJECTED FUND BALANCE. SO THOSE REQUESTS WERE MADE BY THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE. SO THAT PROJECTED REVENUE MATCHES PROJECTED EXPENDITURE. WE HAD TO DECREASE SOME OF THOSE AMOUNTS TO BALANCE THAT OUT. SO THE 800,000 WAS A LIKE AN OVERAGE. AND AND CONSTRUCTION IN PROGRESS. IS THAT WHAT IT WAS OR I BELIEVE THAT WAS THE THAT WAS WHAT WAS BUDGETED IN THE PREVIOUS BUDGET FOR THE WELDING SHOP. AND SO IT DIDN'T NEED TO CARRY FORWARD INTO THIS YEAR. SO THEY DECREASED THAT CONSTRUCTION PROJECT LINE BECAUSE THAT PROJECT'S BEEN COMPLETED. BUT WHAT THEY DID IS BUDGET WITHIN COMMISSARY FOR SOME BUILDING REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE, SOME OF THE ITEMS THAT COULDN'T BE FULLY FUNDED IN THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET THIS YEAR. THE. SIMILARLY, THE COURTHOUSE SECURITY AT THE TOP.THAT IS A DECREASE IN BUDGETED FUNDS FOR CONSTRUCTION. THAT WAS NOT FOR A SPECIFIC PROJECT, BUT THAT FUND IS TYPICALLY BUDGETED FOR FULL EXPENDITURE DURING THE YEAR, AND THAT REFLECTS AN UPDATED ESTIMATE OF WHERE THE FUND BALANCE IS GOING TO BE DURING THE YEAR. SO THEY STILL ANTICIPATE EXPENDING THAT FULL FUND BALANCE. BUT WE DIDN'T WANT TO BUDGET MORE THAN WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IN REVENUE, SO THAT WE HAVE A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT EXPENSES CAN BE MAINTAINED. THE OTHER FOUR COLUMNS HERE ARE RELATED TO ROAD AND BRIDGE AND STEM FROM A REQUEST. COMMISSIONER WOOLLEY FROM YOU. AND WE WENT AHEAD. AND WHAT OUR OFFICE DID WAS WE RECEIVED A REQUEST FROM COMMISSIONER WOOLLEY. I'M GOING TO LET HIM DIG INTO THAT. WE APPLIED THAT TO ALL FOUR PRECINCTS. WE CAN BACK THAT OUT IF THAT'S NOT WHAT ANYBODY WANTS TO DO. BUT WE WERE TRYING TO GET IT IN HERE IN CASE THAT WAS THE DIRECTION TODAY'S MEETING WENT. SO, COMMISSIONER WOOLLEY, I'LL TURN THAT ITEM OVER TO YOU.
SURE. IT WHENEVER THE WE HAD THE DISCUSSION ABOUT THE EQUIPMENT OPERATORS, OUR PERSONNEL DIRECTOR, RANDY GILLESPIE, GAVE US A PROPOSAL OF INCREASING THOSE MAXIMUM SALARIES, MAXIMUM BUDGETED SALARIES FOR THOSE EQUIPMENT OPERATORS, DUE TO THE FACT THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE REQUIRED TO HAVE CDL CLASS A DRIVER'S LICENSE. AND AND WE REQUIRE SOME EXTRA THINGS FROM THEM. WE INCREASED THEIR MAX PAY IN THE ROAD AND BRIDGE PORTION OF THE BUDGET. WHEN I GOT THAT WORKSHEET AT THE OFFICE, I REALIZED THAT WE LEFT OUT ONE KEY EMPLOYEE, ALL IN ALL FOUR PRECINCTS, AND THAT WOULD BE OUR INMATE CREW LEADER. OUR INMATE CREW LEADER IS STILL AN EQUIPMENT OPERATOR. HE IS REQUIRED TO HAVE A CDL DRIVER'S LICENSE. AND BEYOND THAT, HE STILL HAS. HE EVEN HAS TO MAINTAIN A JAILERS LICENSE. SO HE WAS LEFT OUT OF THAT AND I CONTACTED, I HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH RANDY AND ALSO MR. WATSON AND THE AUDITOR AND HOW TO APPROACH THAT. AND SO I CONTACTED REX AND AND HAD THOSE THAT SALARY INCREASED. AND THEN SHE ALSO WENT AHEAD AND INCREASED THE OTHER THREE
[00:10:04]
PRECINCTS AS WELL. IF THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, WE NEED TO HAVE THAT DISCUSSION NOW. BUT I FELT LIKE THAT WAS A A GLARING ERROR THAT WE MADE. WE JUST FAILED TO RECOGNIZE THAT HE ALSO HE OR SHE IS, IS REALLY IN THE SAME PLAYING FIELD, EXCEPT UP ONE IS ACTUALLY IN A DIFFERENT PAY GRADE FROM OUR EQUIPMENT OPERATORS. I BELIEVE DUE TO THAT REQUIREMENT OF A JAILERS LICENSE. SO WE INCREASED THOSE. SO IT JUST INCREASED THE CAP TO BE PARITY. BUT IT'S UP TO US IN REGARDS TO SENIORITY OR TENURE. AND THAT INDIVIDUAL WE WE INCREASE THE POSITION FUNDING. OKAY. EVERYBODY GOOD WITH THAT. YEAH YEAH. YEP. YOU'RE WELCOME.THANK YOU LARRY. YES. WELL AND AND SERIOUSLY THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. AND THANK YOU.
EVERYBODY ELSE THAT CAUGHT. I'M JUST GLAD WE FOUND THAT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN A LITTLE BIT HARD TO EXPLAIN WHEN IT CAME TIME TO EXPLAIN THE REST OF THE CHANGES ON ROAD AND BRIDGE ON THESE FOUR PRECINCTS, OBVIOUSLY, IT'S NOT JUST THE SALARIES THERE. THERE WERE SOME ADJUSTMENTS, LARGELY IN PRECINCT TWO, BUT THOSE WERE REQUESTS FROM YOU GUYS AND MISS NOLES INPUT, THOSE SHIFTING MONEY FROM VARIOUS ACCOUNTS, OPERATING RESERVE BUILDING, REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE. ALL OF THAT WAS DONE ON, I BELIEVE, Y'ALL'S REQUEST AND WERE DONE TO BALANCE THE BUDGETS. ALL OF THIS IS IT NETS OUT TO NO CHANGE IN THE TAX RATE. AND SO THAT'S AGAIN, I THINK THAT'S THE BIG THING IS WE HAD SOME MINOR ISSUES. WE ALWAYS DO. WE ALWAYS FIX THOSE BEFORE WE GET TO THIS POINT. AND IT DOESN'T CHANGE THE BOTTOM LINE. SO WE MAY WANT TO SAY THAT AGAIN A LITTLE LOUDER. IT DOES NOT IMPACT THE TAX RATE. YES. I WILL, HOWEVER, TELL YOU THAT JUST A YEAR AGO IN COST OF PRODUCTS AND EQUIPMENT, PREACHING TO THE CHOIR HERE, BUT JUST FOR EVERYBODY OUT THERE, WE WERE AT 37% LAST YEAR.
OVER THE LAST THREE YEARS, WE'RE 57% NOW. WE GOT A 20% HIT ON ALL PRODUCTS AND MATERIALS AND EQUIPMENT INCREASE JUST IN THE LAST ONE YEAR. SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S WITH FUEL PRICES NO END IN SIGHT IN REGARDS TO DIESEL. WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE IMPACTED. WE'RE ALL GOING TO BE WE'RE REALLY GOING TO FEEL IT. BY THIS TIME NEXT YEAR, I'M PROBABLY GOING TO USE TRIPLE MY ROAD MATERIAL BUDGET THIS YEAR COMING OUT OF RESERVE. WELL, BECAUSE WE ARE WE'VE ALREADY THE ORIGINAL FUND WAS GONE JUNE THE 23RD. WE ADDED OVER 600,000. AND WE'RE GOING TO RUN OUT OF THAT BEFORE WE GET TO THE END OF THE BUDGET. BECAUSE OF WHAT I MEAN, WE'RE GOING GANGBUSTERS ON GETTING SOME THINGS ACCOMPLISHED, BUT IT IS COSTING A FORTUNE. AND I GOTTA SAY THIS THIS MORNING ON THE WAY IN, I'M I DON'T LISTEN TO TALK RADIO FOR A REASON. AND I'M LISTENING TO MY NORMAL RADIO STATION AND OUR GOVERNOR COMES ON WITH A CAMPAIGN AD, BASICALLY THROWING LOCAL GOVERNMENTS UNDER THE BUS FOR IMPOSING PROPERTY TAX. THAT STATE DOESN'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH THIS YET. THE BULK OF WHAT WE DO IS STATE IMPOSED REQUIREMENTS. WE CALL THEM UNFUNDED MANDATES, OR YOU CAN CALL THEM A STATE IMPOSED PROPERTY TAX THROUGH THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT. AND IT IT REALLY IS DISAPPOINTING IN OUR STATE GOVERNOR TO BASICALLY THROW ALL LOCAL GOVERNMENTS, GIVE THEM ALL A BLACK EYE FOR DOING WHAT WE HAVE TO DO WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT A, AT A, HOW MUCH 57% INCREASE IN JUST IN COST, IN COST. AND THERE'S PROBABLY NOT THAT HIGH IN A LOT OF AREAS, BUT. CITIES ARE FACING THE SAME THING. SCHOOLS ARE FACING THE SAME THING. AND IT'S IT I THOUGHT THAT WAS A LOW BLOW. IT'S NOT JUST THE GOVERNOR. I THINK THEY HAVE A CLASS DOWN THERE IN AUSTIN TO TEACH THEM TO SAY THAT. OH YEAH, BECAUSE I'VE HEARD SOME REPS SAY IT TO. WELL, SORRY TO DERAIL JUDGE. IT'S USUALLY RIG. I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU. THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, IT'S IT REALLY IS A IT'S GOING TO BE A TOUGH SESSION.
AND COME NOVEMBER WHEN ALL THAT MESS IS OVER, YOU CAN JUST ABOUT FIGURE ON A SPECIAL CALL.
[00:15:05]
AND JUST BASED ON THE CORRESPONDENCE I'M GETTING DOWN THERE. IT'LL BE BUILD BABY BUILD, NOT DRILL, BABY DRILL, YOU KNOW. SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE COURTROOMS FULL OF PEOPLE AFTER NOVEMBER. COUNT ON THAT. BUT IT'S IT IS REALLY TO LARRY, TO YOUR POINT, IT'S IT'S IT REALLY IS DISTURBING FOR FOR THE FINGERS TO BE POINTED AT LOCAL GOVERNMENT. I'LL STOP THERE, JUDGE. GOOD. I THINK THAT'S FAIR. AND I HAVE A SLIDE AND A COUPLE OF SLIDES THAT I THINK DRIVE SOME OF THAT POINT HOME. NOT NOT ABOUT THE STATE. THIS IS ALL WE TRY TO KEEP THINGS POSITIVE HERE, BUT ABOUT WHERE OUR MONEY GOES, WHERE THE EXPENSES ARE AND WHAT WE'RE FUNDING WITH THESE TAX DOLLARS. SO AS A REMINDER, THIS IS AN OVERVIEW FOR ANYBODY THAT HASN'T SEEN THIS YET. BUDGET TIMELINE. WE REALLY RUN FROM FEBRUARY THROUGH SEPTEMBER IS HOT AND HEAVY TAX TIME. MY OFFICE STARTS AGAIN IN DECEMBER PUTTING TOGETHER CALENDARS FOR NEXT YEAR. SO AFTER ALL THE NEW BUDGET STUFF IS INPUT IN OCTOBER 1ST, WE GET ABOUT SIX WEEKS WHERE WE SLOW DOWN JUST A HAIR. IT'S NOT MUCH, BUT. BUT WE'LL TAKE IT. FEBRUARY. WE START OFF WITH BUDGET PRIORITIES FROM THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT. MARCH.DEPARTMENT HEADS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS PREPARE THEIR BUDGETS, WHICH THEY SUBMIT IN APRIL AND IN MAY AND JUNE, AND THIS YEAR INTO JULY. THE BUDGET COMMITTEE MET TO REVIEW THOSE REQUESTS JULY 25TH OR SOMEWHERE THEREABOUT, WE GET CERTIFIED TAX APPRAISALS FROM THE CAD, AND THAT'S WHEN THE RUBBER HITS THE ROAD. WE HAVE BUDGET WORKSHOPS ABOUT TEN DAYS AFTER THAT, THAT START, AND WE MAKE, I THINK, SOME VERY DIFFICULT DECISIONS. AND SOME YEARS THERE'S A LOT. AND THEN WE HAVE TO DECIDE WHERE WE WANT TO SPEND AND WHERE WE DON'T. AND THIS YEAR THERE WAS NOT A LOT. AND WE HAD TO DECIDE HOW TO KEEP OUR OUR ESSENTIAL SERVICES RUNNING WITHOUT REDUCING WHAT THE CITIZENS CAN EXPECT FROM THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT. AFTER THAT FINISHED, WE HAD A FINAL BUDGET WORKSHOP ON AUGUST 10TH. FILED THE PROPOSED BUDGET ON AUGUST 15TH. TODAY WE ARE HERE TO ADOPT THE BUDGET AND THEN NEXT MONDAY WE WILL ADOPT THE TAX RATE AGAIN. THE WAY THE CALENDAR FALLS AFTER THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS FILED, WE HAVE 30 DAYS TO ADOPT A BUDGET. WE FILED OUR PROPOSED BUDGET ON AUGUST 14TH, WHICH WAS A FRIDAY, AND BECAUSE OF THAT, WE DIDN'T HAVE 30 DAYS BETWEEN THE DAY OF THE FILING UNTIL OUR NEXT REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETING. AND YOU MUST ADOPT THE TAX RATE AT A REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING.
YOU CANNOT DO IT AT A SPECIAL CALLED MEETING. SO THAT'S WHY WE'VE SPLIT THOSE APART.
THERE'S NO GREAT MYSTERY THERE. IT'S JUST A MATTER OF ANOTHER STATE REQUIREMENT. YES. WELL, AND THAT'S WHY WE START ON THE BUDGET CALENDAR IN DECEMBER. AND MR. MOORE'S OFFICE HELPS US SIGNIFICANTLY WITH THAT TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T GET IT WRONG, BECAUSE THERE'S LOTS OF CONFLICT AND LOTS OF DO THIS WITHIN THIS TIMELINE, BUT DON'T FORGET THIS OTHER TIMELINE IN THE TAX CODE. SO HERE WE ARE TO ADOPT THE BUDGET. THESE WERE THE PRIORITIES THAT WE ADOPTED THIS YEAR. WE INTENDED NO TAX RATE INCREASE. OBVIOUSLY THAT DID NOT CARRY THROUGH. BUT AS WITH THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, WE HAVE CONTINUED TO INVEST IN EXISTING EMPLOYEES AND EXISTING FACILITIES OVER ADDING NEW SERVICES AT THE COUNTY. WE HAVE MAINTAINED HEALTHY FUND BALANCES. WE'RE INVESTING IN INFRASTRUCTURE. WE HAVE LIMITED OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW POSITIONS TO REDUCE THE GROWTH OF HEADCOUNT BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE EXPENSIVE AND THEY TAKE SPACE IN EXPENSIVE BUILDINGS. WE HAVE PURSUED GRANT OPPORTUNITIES WHEN POSSIBLE. WE HAVE TRIED TO REDUCE RECURRING EXPENSES THAT ARE UNNECESSARY TO PURSUE OUR ESSENTIAL SERVICES. WE HAVE FOR TWO YEARS WE WERE ABLE TO INCREASE THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. WE DID NOT THIS YEAR BECAUSE CAT HAS STOPPED REAPPRAISING PROPERTIES, AND THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THOSE IS WHEN WE STARTED INCREASING THE HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION. THE IDEA WAS IF THE CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT WAS GOING TO INCREASE VALUATION FOR PROPERTY, THEN WE COULD DECREASE VALUATION FOR HOMESTEADS BY INCREASING THE EXEMPTION. I BELIEVE NEXT YEAR IS WHAT CHAD HAS IDENTIFIED AS THEIR REAPPRAISAL YEAR. SO IF THEY CARRY FORWARD WITH THAT, THERE MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO INCREASE THAT HOMESTEAD EXEMPTION AGAIN NEXT YEAR. BUT WE'LL EVALUATE THAT NEXT JUNE WHEN WE HAVE A LITTLE MORE INFORMATION. THERE WERE LIMITED INCREASES IN THE EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS TO HEALTH CARE, AND THEN WE CONTINUE TO CASH FUND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. SO NO NEW DEBT THIS YEAR, NOT A SINGLE DOLLAR BORROWED THIS YEAR TO FUND OPERATIONS OR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT. YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH THIS, BUT SOME PRETTY SIGNIFICANT BUDGET CHALLENGES THIS YEAR THAT WE RAN INTO THE DOLLARS HERE. HEALTH INSURANCE ON THE COUNTY SIDE INCREASED BY ABOUT $2 MILLION YEAR OVER YEAR TO MAINTAIN HEALTH INSURANCE FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, JAIL REVENUE DECREASED BY ABOUT $3 MILLION AND SOFTWARE COST INCREASED BY ABOUT $2 MILLION. SO ABOUT A $7 MILLION HIT TO THE BUDGET BETWEEN THOSE ITEMS. THAT
[00:20:04]
ACCOUNTS FOR MOST OF WHAT WE DID THIS YEAR. IF I MAY SPEAK, SIR, I DON'T HAVE FACEBOOK FOR A REASON, BUT IT ALWAYS MANAGES TO FIND ITS WAY BACK TO ME. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME NONSENSE OUT THERE ABOUT WE STARTED OFF WITH A $17 MILLION SHORTFALL IN THIS COUNTY. I THINK, KENNY, YOU MIGHT HAVE EVEN SEEN THAT OR MENTIONED THAT AS WELL. BUT YOU KNOW, WHEN WE HAVE REQUESTS FOR, I THINK IT WAS 30 PLUS EMPLOYEES THAT WE ENDED UP SETTLING ON, I THINK WE HIRED THREE, IF I REMEMBER RIGHT, YOU KNOW, BUT THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WITH $2 MILLION INCREASE IN HEALTH FUNDING THAT THE STATE AND FOR THAT MATTER, WE'RE MANDATED TO HAVE THIS INSURANCE.AND WE'VE WE'VE PLAYED THE GAME OUT HERE WITH SHOPPING FOR IT. IT'S ALWAYS LIKE BUYING A CAR.
YOU START OUT AT 20% AND TRY TO GET TO TEN, YOU KNOW, BUT AT ANY RATE, BUT THEN THE JAIL REVENUE, THIS POPULATION OF THIS COUNTY IS GROWING. THAT POPULATION OF THAT JAIL IS GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW. MR. CARLIN REACHED OUT TO ME THIS MORNING. PETE SESSIONS IS COMING TO HER OFFICE TODAY. SHE WANTED TO KNOW, WAS THERE ANYTHING THAT I COULD SHARE THAT MAYBE HE COULD TAKE BACK TO DC? AND I BROUGHT THIS UP. I SAID, YOU KNOW, WE WE HAVE A 100 BED SPACE, BUT WE'RE NO DIFFERENT THAN ALL THE COUNTIES IN THIS STATE. THIS IS A THIS IS A GROWING STATE WITH GROWING PROBLEMS IN THE MENTAL HEALTH AND OUR JAILS AND, AND ON AND ON. I SAID THAT IN ITSELF IS ENOUGH TO GIVE THE MAN. IF I COULD GO ON, YOU KNOW. BUT TO TALK ABOUT STATE ISSUES. BUT THIS IS A THIS IS A GROWING PROBLEM. SO HOPEFULLY THAT MESSAGE GETS RELAYED. BUT THEN SOFTWARE, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S I'M SURPRISED IT'S JUST TWO WITH, WITH ALL THAT WE'VE GOT TO, TO, TO TRY TO GET, YOU KNOW, AND ALL THE CONTROVERSY ABOUT SOMA THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP IN ALL OF THAT, YOU KNOW, I'M GOING TO PUT IT, I'M GOING TO GET ON MY BOX AGAIN. THAT WAS BROUGHT TO US BY EVERY LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY IN THIS COUNTY. WE HAD A COURTROOM FULL OF CITY AFTER CITY OUT THERE ENCOURAGING THAT WE SPEND THIS MONEY, WHICH WE DID, AND THEN TO COME BACK SOME OF THEM AND SAY, WELL, IT'S NOT GOING TO WORK. WE WANT A DIFFERENT ONE. MAKE IT WORK. BECAUSE WE CAN'T. WE'RE NOT WE CAN'T GET IN THE HABIT OF THROWING 2 OR 3, 4 MILLION, $6 MILLION AT SOMETHING THAT'S RECOMMENDED AND THEN SAY THAT, WELL, IT DIDN'T WORK. WE WANT YOU TO BUY US A DIFFERENT ONE, MAKE IT WORK. SO BUT BUT WE'RE AT, YOU KNOW, $7 MILLION IMPACT HERE THAT WE HAD NO CONTROL OVER. THAT JAIL IS ONLY GOING TO GET MORE EXPENSIVE. AND AS REFERRED TO EARLIER, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE BEEN VERY CONSERVATIVE ALL THESE YEARS ON THIS COURT. BUT TO BE TARGETED AS, AS, AS AS AS MR. WOOLLEY BROUGHT UP BY THE BY THE GOVERNOR, BE TARGETED ON FACEBOOK, BE TARGETED BY A LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE OVER IN THE NEIGHBORING COUNTY THAT, YOU KNOW, WANTS TO COME DOWN HERE AND RUN HIS MOUTH ABOUT THINGS HE DON'T KNOW. I'LL JUST I'LL JUST LEAVE IT AT THAT. BUT BUT IT'S A TO, TO, TO COMPARE JOHNSON COUNTY TO A NEIGHBORING COUNTY OR TO OTHER COUNTIES THAT HAVE MAYBE SOME WEAKNESSES THAT I'M PROUD TO SAY THAT WE, WE, WE DON'T HAVE THAT HERE. I'M, I'M PROUD OF THIS COURT AND THIS COUNTY. AND I'LL I'LL STOP THERE. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER. YOU KNOW, THERE WAS I SAW SOME OF THOSE SAME COMMENTS AND AND I GUESS IT WAS WEEK BEFORE LAST, WE HAD ONE DAY WHERE WE HAD 998 PEOPLE IN OUR JAIL. AND TO MY KNOWLEDGE, THAT'S AN ALL TIME HIGH. I DON'T EVER RECALL THAT MANY. I THINK THE LAST LOOK I HAD WAS 960 OR 970, BUT THE INCREASE AND I SAW SOME COMMENTS LIKE, I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY'RE LOSING MONEY ON THE JAIL BECAUSE THE JAIL IS FULL. IT'S LIKE THE.
THAT'S THE POINT. THE. WE'RE INCREASING THE NUMBER OF NON REVENUE GENERATING INMATES VERSUS THOSE FEDERAL INMATES THAT DO GENERATE REVENUE TO THE ONES THAT ARE COSTING US. AND THAT'S THE LOCAL POPULATION. AS LONG AS OUR LOCAL POPULATION CONTINUES TO CONTINUES TO INCREASE, THAT JAIL POPULATION IS GOING TO INCREASE. AND AT SOME POINT WE MAY HAVE TO START WHITTLING BACK ON HOUSING. THOSE OUT-OF-COUNTY INMATES, WHETHER THEY BE FEDERAL OR OTHER COUNTIES. AND THAT'S EVEN I MEAN, THAT $3 MILLION WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS YEAR, WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO BE LOOKING AT THAT AGAIN NEXT YEAR. BE MY GUESS. WELL, THAT'S A THAT'S A COSTLY, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE REQUIRED TO MAINTAIN A JAIL. WE'RE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF
[00:25:04]
THREE CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS RIGHT HERE, RIGHT NOW WITH ALL NEW REPRESENTATIVES. THEY NEED TO HEAR THAT. AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GOT TO BE SOME FROM FEDERAL DOLLARS AS OPPOSED TO GOING TO THE VOTERS OR TO THE TAXPAYERS, WHETHER I SHOULD SAY WE WOULD NEED TO VOTE IN A BOND.I WOULD NEVER GO FOR A CO. AND THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO TAKE THAT AWAY AFTER THE SESSION ANYWAY. BUT IT'S A THAT WAS PART OF THE ASK THIS MORNING, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WE'RE AT 1100 BEDS, 998 OF CURRENT POPULATION, LOCAL POPULATION, ALONG WITH WHAT WE'VE GOT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO HAVE THAT BED SPACE OUT TO THE TO THE TO THE U.S. MARSHALS. WELL, 998 WAS TOTAL, TOTAL AND TOTAL IN JAIL. BUT THAT NUMBER, TO YOUR POINT, WE MAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE EITHER GOING TO HAVE TO ADD MORE JAIL OR LOSE THOSE THAT INCOME. AND THEN IT'S ALL TAXPAYER ON, ON, ON THE DIFFERENCE OF 400 BEDS, YOU JUST ABOUT TRIPLE THAT NUMBER RIGHT THERE. SO YEAH, I THINK ABOUT THREE AND A HALF YEARS AGO WHEN I TOOK OFFICE, THE DAILY COUNT FOR LOCAL INMATES WAS IN THE 450 RANGE, AND NOW WE'RE IN THE 700 PLUS RANGE TO GO UP 100 PEOPLE PER DAY PER YEAR, MORE OR LESS FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS. I DON'T THINK ANYBODY PROJECTED GROWTH THAT FAST OF LOCAL ARRESTEES. BUT HERE WE ARE. IT SEEMS LIKE THIS 105 DEGREE WEATHER INCREASES THAT POPULATION IN THE JAIL. THEY DO HAVE A GOOD AIR CONDITIONER OVER THERE. ALL RIGHT. SO WHERE DO YOUR TAXPAYER DOLLARS GO? THIS IS THE SLIDE I WAS REFERRING TO.
IF YOU LOOK AT OUR BOTTOM LINE OF EVERYTHING THAT GETS EXPENDED ACROSS FUNDS, COURTS AND PUBLIC SAFETY, SO LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE JAIL, THE COURTS, THE CLERKS, THE PROSECUTORS, EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, AMBULANCE CONTRACT, JUVENILE SERVICES, THE RADIO SYSTEM, ALL THE THINGS THAT SERVE PUBLIC SAFETY. IT'S ABOUT $90 MILLION A YEAR, BETTER THAN HALF OF OUR OVERALL BUDGET. AND THAT INCLUDES DEBT SERVICE AND ROAD AND BRIDGE ACROSS ALL FUNDS. SO ABOUT 55% OF THE DOLLARS THAT THE COUNTY TAKES IN GO RIGHT BACK INTO PUBLIC SAFETY. DEBT SERVICE REMAINS A VERY SMALL PART OF WHAT WE PAY FOR THE TRANSPORTATION BOND FROM 2024 IS INCLUDED IN WITH THAT, AS WELL AS THE 2015 JAIL EXPANSION, WHICH WILL BE PAID OFF IN ABOUT NINE MORE YEARS. THAT COMES TO ABOUT $4 MILLION, OR 2.5% OF THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE OF THE COUNTY. COUNTY ROADS SET AT ABOUT 19% OF ALL THE FUNDS THAT WE BRING IN. NOW, THAT $31 MILLION, I WILL NOTE THAT NUMBER INCLUDES EXPENDITURE OF ALL FUND BALANCE.
THAT'S HOW IT'S BUDGETED, SO THAT Y'ALL CAN BUY EQUIPMENT. OR IF THERE'S AN EMERGENCY, YOU HAVE A BUDGETED PLACE TO EXPEND FUNDS. THE ACTUAL REVENUES ARE LESS THAN HALF THAT. WE'RE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REALLY 13, $13.5 MILLION IN RECURRING REVENUE AND EXPENDITURE EACH YEAR, WHICH WOULD DECREASE THAT PERCENTAGE SLIGHTLY. IT AND FACILITY EXPENSES. SO UTILITIES, BUILDING MAINTENANCE AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, ABOUT $10.6 MILLION, OR 6.4% OF THE TOTAL BUDGET. AND EVERYTHING ELSE WE DO, WHICH WE COULD BREAK DOWN FURTHER. IT'S ABOUT $28 MILLION OR 17% OF THE BUDGET. SO, YEAH, YOU LOOK AT THOSE THINGS, AND I THINK WE'VE ALL HEARD WHAT THE BIGGEST DISCRETIONARY EXPENSE IN COUNTIES IS COUNTY ROADS, BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT MANDATED BY THE STATE. BUT PEOPLE REALLY TEND TO CARE ABOUT THE MAINTENANCE OF THE ROADS AND ROADS AND MANDATED EXPENSES. ALL OF OUR COURT AND PUBLIC SAFETY EXPENSES. AND YOUR OVER $100 MILLION A YEAR, YOU'RE 75% OF THE BUDGET GOES TO THOSE EXPENSES, COUNTY ROADS AND PUBLIC SAFETY AND COURTS. EVERYTHING ELSE IS REALLY HERE TO SUPPORT THOSE THINGS. INCLUDED WITHIN THAT OTHER OR EVERYTHING ELSE IS. AUDITOR'S OFFICE FOR PAYING THE BILLS, THE COURT FOR SETTING THE POLICY, PURCHASING FOR ACQUIRING THE SERVICES. AND AGAIN, 75% OF THOSE ARE GOING TO PUBLIC SAFETY AS WELL. BUT WE DIDN'T SEPARATE THOSE OUT. WE ALSO DO HAVE SOME OTHER SERVICES THAT I THINK ARE VALUABLE FOR THE CITIZENS, AND FRANKLY, ARE A BARGAIN COMPARED TO SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS WE PAY FOR, LIKE VETERAN SERVICES. WE HAVE A ROBUST VETERAN SERVICE OFFICE. WE HAVE OUR DIRECTOR SITTING HERE, MR. LAYTON, AND I THINK THEY DO A GREAT JOB. I, I BELIEVE MR. LAYTON, GIVE ME A THUMBS UP OR THUMBS DOWN. WE HAVE ABOUT THE SAME NUMBER OF FULL TIME STAFF AS TARRANT COUNTY, DESPITE HAVING A POPULATION IS ABOUT 10% 20% OF THEIR POPULATION. IS THAT OKAY? SO PER CAPITA, WE STAFF ABOUT FIVE TIMES AS HEAVY AS TARRANT COUNTY BECAUSE WE
[00:30:02]
INVEST IN OUR VETERANS. WHAT IS OUR CURRENT COUNT OF OUR VETERANS? DO YOU KNOW MR. LAYTON? 13,000 VETERANS IN THIS COUNTY ALONE? WOW. YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU START, YOU START TALKING ABOUT THOSE TYPES OF I MEAN, I MAKE NO APOLOGIES FOR ANYTHING THAT WE DO FOR OUR VETERANS. BUT, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU LOOK AT INDIGENT HEALTH UP THERE ON THAT SCREEN, YOU LOOK AT INDIGENT CRIMINAL DEFENSE. THANK YOU, STATE OF TEXAS, WHO SAYS WE DON'T DO ANYTHING AND WE'RE SPENDING THEIR MONEY? THOSE ARE THOSE ARE THAT'S $5 MILLION A YEAR, PROBABLY COMBINED. THAT GOES TO OUR LOCAL TAXPAYERS THAT THE STATE WILL REIMBURSE US ABOUT 8%, MAYBE OF THE TOTAL EXPENSE WHEN THEY GET AROUND TO IT. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S THAT KIND OF MESSAGE THAT NEEDS TO BE CLEAR. THOSE ARE THOSE ARE EXPENSES THAT OUR LOCAL TAXPAYERS SHOULD NOT HAVE TO ENDURE. ABSOLUTELY. YOU HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD WITH THOSE NUMBERS. YOU COULD ADD ELECTIONS IN THERE. THAT'S ANOTHER MILLION DOLLARS A YEAR. THAT STATE ELECTIONS THAT WE RUN ON. WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE LOCAL CONTROL OVER ELECTIONS, BUT THAT THAT'S NOT A CHEAP THING TO DO TO RUN ELECTIONS. AND WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE CONSISTENTLY CERTIFYING AND CERTIFYING EQUIPMENT, IF THEY DECIDE TO DECERTIFY EQUIPMENT, AND WE WERE TO INVEST IN ELECTRONIC VOTING, THAT COULD BE 4 OR $5 MILLION OUT THE WINDOW IN A STROKE OF A PEN.AND SO ANOTHER LARGE EXPENSE THAT WE'RE ON THE HOOK FOR, OUR TAXPAYERS ARE ON THE HOOK FOR THE GOVERNOR'S WANT TO GO TO A TWO THIRDS VOTE FOR FOR ANY. AND AT THE COST OF WHAT? WHAT WILL IT COST TO RUN A SPECIAL ELECTION TO RAISE THE TAX RATE, JUST TO MAINTAIN THESE ITEMS, THE JAIL, THE INDIGENT HEALTH, INDIGENT DEFENSE, AND AN AMBULANCE CONTRACT THAT EVERYBODY THAT'S IN THIS COUNTY AND THAT JUST IS UNAWARE MOST OF THEM. BUT THAT IS NOT A THAT IS THAT IS NOT A SERVICE THAT WE MUST PROVIDE, BUT WE HAVE TO TO BE MORAL. BUT WHAT IF THAT COST, YOU KNOW, IT JUST GETS SO EXPENSIVE THAT WE GOT TO GO TO THE VOTERS AND THEN SPEND, WHAT, $100,000 OR MORE, PROBABLY TO HAVE A SPECIAL COURT ELECTION COUNTYWIDE TO, TO SAY, LISTEN, WE GOT TO RAISE TAXES A HALF A CENT JUST TO PAY FOR THE AMBULANCE CONTRACT. I MEAN, WHERE WAS WHERE IS THE SENSE IN ALL OF THAT? IT JUST IT JUST MAKES. NO, NO, ABSOLUTELY. AND AND I THINK WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. MY POINT IN ALL OF THIS IS IF WE HAD TO START CUTTING SERVICES, THE THINGS THAT ARE MANDATED MAKE UP 75% OF OUR BUDGET, THE THINGS THAT ARE DISCRETIONARY, PRETTY IMPORTANT. THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TAKEN ON BECAUSE OUR CITIZENS WANT THEM, LIKE QUALITY QUICK RESPONSE FROM AMBULANCES, I MEAN, VETERAN SERVICES, THOSE KIND OF THINGS THAT WE COULD CUT BACK ON ARE NOT THE THINGS THAT WE'D WANT TO CUT. THE COUNTY IS NOT A CITY. WE DON'T HAVE FLUFFED BUDGETS AND WE DON'T HAVE PARKS AND LIBRARIES. WE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AND WE DON'T RECEIVE SALES TAX AND WE DON'T RECEIVE SALES TAX. WE PROVIDE JUST THE BARE MINIMUM SERVICES. AND THAT'S NOT A KNOCK AGAINST CITIES. I LIVE IN ONE AND I USE THE LIBRARY. I'M HAPPY TO PAY MY TAXES THERE TO USE THE LIBRARY. BUT THE COUNTY IS A DIFFERENT ANIMAL. WE DON'T WE DON'T REALLY DO MUCH THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE DONE. SO THE HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, THIS BUDGET DOES INCLUDE A RATE INCREASE TO OFFSET NON-TAX REVENUE LOSSES. WE. THERE IS AN INCREASE IN ROAD AND BRIDGE FUNDS OF ALMOST $1 MILLION BASED ON INCREASED VALUATION, LARGELY BASED ON NEW NEW CONSTRUCTION WITHIN THE COUNTY. WE WERE ABLE TO INVEST IN OUR LOCAL EMPLOYEES, OUR OUR CURRENT EMPLOYEES BY MAINTAINING A COLA, ADJUSTING. CREATING SOME STRUCTURE WITH WITHIN ADMINISTRATIVE POSITIONS AND MAINTAINING FUND BALANCES. THE TAX IMPACT THIS YEAR ON A $300,000 HOUSEHOLD, WHICH IS VERY MUCH A TYPICAL HOUSEHOLD IN JOHNSON COUNTY. IT'S ABOUT $6.58 A MONTH BASED ON THE PROPOSED RATE. FM LR WILL SEE AN INCREASE FROM 12.25 MILLION TO $13.16 MILLION IN TOTAL TAX REVENUE. THAT DOES NOT INCLUDE YOUR INTEREST, REVENUE OR INVESTMENT REVENUE ON FUND BALANCE, AND IT ALSO DOESN'T INCLUDE THE EXPENDITURE OF FUND BALANCE, WHICH AGAIN, YOU GUYS BUDGET FOR IN CASE OF EMERGENCIES, OR YOU NEED TO BUY $400,000 PIECE OF EQUIPMENT, YOU NEED SOMEWHERE TO PAY FOR THAT. FROM THE ADJUSTMENTS TO EXISTING POSITIONS, IT'S A 2.6% COLA, WHICH IS THE DALLAS FED MAY CPI NUMBERS. SO WE'VE MATCHED THE RATE OF INFLATION. THAT'S NOT A A RAISE IN SALARIES. THAT IS MAINTAINING
[00:35:05]
SALARIES IN THE FACE OF INFLATIONARY HEADWINDS. AND THEN THERE ARE ADJUSTMENTS THROUGHOUT MANY OF THE LOWER GRADE SALARIES. SO CUSTODIANS AND CLERKS WERE THE PRIMARY ONES THAT WERE RESTRUCTURED. AND THAT LED TO LOOKING INTO DIFFERENT OFFICES, INCLUDING LEGAL SECRETARIES AND SUPERVISORS, OFFICE MANAGERS, KIND OF UP THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATIVE RANKS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE WERE STAYING COMPETITIVE IN THOSE AREAS.THERE WAS ALSO THAT DROVE A REQUEST TO LOOK AT COURT PERSONNEL, NOT JUDGES AND NOT PROSECUTORS, BUT THE PEOPLE THAT KEEP THE COURT RUNNING, INCLUDING THE CHIEF CLERKS AND COORDINATORS. AND AGAIN, THESE ALL OF THESE ADJUSTMENTS ARE PRETTY MINOR. THEY THE GOAL HERE WAS TO LOOK AT A SALARY AND IF. CLERK TWO HAS MADE A RANGE OF 8000 DIFFERENT $8,000 BETWEEN THE HIGHEST PAID AND LOWEST PAID, WE TRIED TO INCREASE THE LOWEST PAID BY $2,500 TO CLOSE SOME OF THOSE GAPS THERE. THE IDEA WAS, WE DON'T WANT DISTRICT CLERK STEALING EMPLOYEES FROM COUNTY CLERKS. THEIR EMPLOYEES MAKE $1,200 A YEAR MORE FOR NO PARTICULAR REASON. WE WANT TO MATCH SKILL SET REQUIRED WHEN YOU'RE RECRUITING EMPLOYEES TO THE SALARY, AND THEN USE LONGEVITY PAY TO KEEP PEOPLE HERE. ONCE WE'VE RECRUITED THEM.
IN ADDITION TO THOSE SPECIFIC THOSE GROUP CHANGES, THERE WERE SOME SPECIFIC ADJUSTMENTS. THE COUNTY CLERK CHIEF DEPUTY INCREASED FROM 84 TO 87,000. THE DISTRICT CLERK CHIEF DEPUTY INCREASED FROM 76 TO 80,000. 2IT SYSTEM ADMINS RECEIVE PAY INCREASES TO MATCH A NEW POSITION THAT WAS CREATED, SO THAT ALL THREE SYSTEM ADMINS WOULD BE AT THE SAME SALARY.
THERE'S A AN INCREASE FOR THE ASSISTANT ADMINISTRATOR IN ELECTIONS, A SMALL INCREASE FOR THE TREASURER, AND THEN COUNTY ATTORNEY AND DISTRICT ATTORNEY WOULD MOVE THE INVESTIGATORS TO THE STEP PLAN, WHICH DOESN'T REALLY IMPACT THE FINAL DOLLAR AMOUNT VERY MUCH, BUT IT GIVES THEM PARITY WITH DETECTIVES, WITH DETECTIVES IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. AND THEN THERE ARE LARGER INCREASES FOR PROSECUTORS AGAIN, TO STAY COMPETITIVE AND HELP FILL SOME OF THE OPEN SPACES THAT WE HAVE IN THOSE POSITIONS. THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE HAS THE BOARD OF JUDGES APPROVED ADJUSTMENTS TO THEIR SALARIES. THIS IS BRINGING THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE TO THE 50TH PERCENTILE. SO THE AVERAGE PAY FOR GOVERNMENT, EMPLOYERS OF EMPLOYEES DOING THE SAME JOB. THIS IS INTENDED TO AGAIN, CREATE PARITY WITHIN THOSE SPACES, AND IS BASED ON AN INTERNAL SALARY SURVEY THAT THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE COMPLETED. NEW POSITIONS. THERE'S A LOT OF TEXT HERE AND SHUFFLING OF BACK AND FORTH TO NET ONE AND A HALF NEW POSITIONS. THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE GAVE UP A PART TIME POSITION, SO THAT'S MINUS HALF A POSITION. DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS ONE NEW PROSECUTOR. DISTRICT CLERK'S OFFICE ELIMINATED A SUPERVISOR POSITION AND RESTRUCTURED THEIR CLERK'S. THE TAX OFFICE REMOVED TWO PART TIME POSITIONS THAT WERE UNFILLED. AND THEY'RE CREATING ONE TIME, ONE FULL TIME POSITION, A CLERK, ONE.
GIVEN THE DIFFICULTY OF HIRING IN THOSE PART TIME POSITIONS, THERE IS ONE NEW INSPECTOR AT DEVELOPMENT SERVICES, ONE NEW SYSTEM ADMIN AT I.T, AND THEN HALF A NEW EMPLOYEE IN THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE, REMOVING A PART TIME POSITION AND CREATING A FULL TIME INTERNAL AUDITOR.
AND THEN HAM CREEK GAVE UP AN UNFILLED PART TIME POSITION AS WELL. ON THE LAW ENFORCEMENT SIDE, SHERIFF'S OFFICE ADDED TWO CLERKS, A CLERK, TWO, BOTH CLERK TWOS, ONE FOR RECORDS AND ONE FOR BACKGROUND OR PROPERTY AS THEY ASSIGN, AND THEN JAIL. MEDICAL IS A NET OF REMOVING HALF A POSITION. THEY'RE GETTING RID OF THREE PART TIME LVNS TO REPLACE WITH TWO FULL TIME LVNS. AGAIN, THEY'VE HAD A HARD TIME HIRING IN THOSE PART TIME POSITIONS. OTHER NOTABLE EXPENSES 11 SHERIFF PATROL VEHICLES. WE. BEFORE I GOT HERE, THE COURT HAD ESTABLISHED TEN A YEAR AS KIND OF THE ROTATION TO KEEP THEIR FLEET UP AND RUNNING. THREE YEARS AGO NOW, WE ADDED A NEW SRT RESPONSE TEAM AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WITH, I BELIEVE, FIVE NEW DEPUTIES, AND THEY NEEDED THREE NEW VEHICLES. WE DECIDED TO BREAK THAT INTO THREE YEARS. SO THIS IS YEAR THREE OF THREE IN PURCHASING, PURCHASING 11TH VEHICLE TOWARD THAT FLEET. THAT'S WHERE THE SB 22 MONEY GOES TOWARD THE PURCHASE OF THOSE VEHICLES. IT MAKES THE ACCOUNTING VERY SIMPLE BECAUSE IT'S ONE INVOICE AND ONE REIMBURSEMENT. THERE ARE ALSO TWO CONSTABLE VEHICLES
[00:40:02]
PURCHASED THIS YEAR. THOSE ARE ABOUT 90% FUNDED FROM CURRENT TAX DOLLARS. THE OTHER 10% IS GOING TO BE OUT OF THE VEHICLE REPLACEMENT FUND, INTEREST REVENUE OR FUND BALANCE. THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE SQUEEZED TO TO MAKE THE BUDGET BALANCE. IT WAS ABOUT $20,000 THERE THAT COULD BE EXPENDED FROM THAT FUND. OTHER VEHICLES, THESE ARE ALL PURCHASED FROM THE VEHICLE REPLACEMENT FUND WITHOUT REIMBURSEMENT. SO THEY'RE PURCHASED FROM FUND BALANCE OR INTEREST INCOME. AND AGAIN, THIS IS SOMEWHERE WE COULD SQUEEZE A FEW MORE DOLLARS OUT TO NOT TAKE ANYTHING MORE FROM THE TAXPAYERS. BUT THERE'S POTENTIALLY A COMPACT SUV FOR THE MAIL ROOM, ALTHOUGH I THINK WE MAY HAVE FIGURED OUT A WAY TO PROVIDE FOR THAT WITHOUT BUYING A NEW VEHICLE, WHICH WOULD SAVE MONEY FOR THAT VEHICLE REPLACEMENT FUND ALLOWANCE FOR TWO VEHICLES AND THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.THEY'RE CURRENTLY BORROWING VEHICLES FROM THE FACILITIES MANAGEMENT, WHICH IF WE BUY THEM COMPACT SUVS, THEN WE CAN RETURN THE PICKUP TRUCKS TO FACILITIES AND NOT BUY TWO NEW PICKUP TRUCKS, PLUS A FIRE MARSHAL VEHICLE EQUIPPED FOR THOSE NEEDS, AND A CRIME SCENE VEHICLE FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE EQUIPPED FOR THAT NEED. THIS YEAR, WE ALSO SET ASIDE $1.7 MILLION FOR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT, NOT TOWARD A SPECIFIC PROJECT I. THE IDEA HERE WAS TO HELP PULL OUT SOME OF THE ONE TIME EXPENSES FROM DEPARTMENT BUDGETS AND LEAVE THAT WITH THE COURT SO THAT THE COURT CAN EVALUATE ONE PROJECT AT A TIME, INSTEAD OF TRYING TO EVALUATE A YEAR'S WORTH OF PROJECTS DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS. I THINK WE I WANT TO COMMEND MR. SIBLEY. HE USED A FORM THIS YEAR. HE SENT IT OUT TO ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, AND ASKED, WHAT BIG CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS DO YOU HAVE ON YOUR HORIZON? YOU GOT BACK SOME GREAT RESPONSES, AND I THINK THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH. I DIDN'T THINK IT WAS FAIR TO THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, DEPARTMENT HEADS TO HIS OFFICE OR THE BUDGET PROCESS TO SIT DOWN AND TRY TO PICK OUT OF A BOWL OF 40 PROJECTS, WHICH 20 WE WERE GOING TO FUND THIS YEAR. SO THOSE WILL THERE WILL BE MORE COURT TIME DEDICATED TO HOW WE ALLOCATE THAT $1.7 MILLION TO CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS. EXAMPLE, I'M GOING TO BE ADDRESSING THAT PARKING LOT OVER AT THE OLD MILL WHEEL BUILDING. YOU KNOW, AND SO, YOU KNOW, TO HAVE THAT FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR THOSE PROJECTS WHEN THEY COME UP BECAUSE THEY WERE STRUCTURED FML, I CAN'T JUST GO DO IT. BUT BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S GOOD TO HAVE THAT KIND OF A FUND BALANCE FOR THOSE TYPE PROJECTS. WE'RE NOT TALKING, YOU KNOW, $25,000 PROBABLY, BUT STILL, IT'S MONEY THAT I WOULD HAVE HAD TO TO COME TO YOU OR TO THIS COURT AND SAY, HEY, I'M WILLING TO DO IT, BUT WHERE'S THE MONEY? YOU KNOW, YES, THIS WILL MAKE IT A LOT EASIER LIKE THAT, THAT COME UP THAT ARE IMPORTANT. AND SOME OF THOSE THINGS LIKE THAT PARKING LOT, THEY COME. DO YOU FIGURE IT OUT HALFWAY THROUGH A PROJECT AND IF YOU DELAY, IT'S GOING TO COST TWICE AS MUCH. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET A CONTRACTOR TO DO IT. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET EVERYBODY OFF THE PARKING LOT AND DO IT. AFTER EVERYBODY'S MOVED INTO THE BUILDING, THERE'S THERE'S COST SAVINGS. I LIKE TO THINK OF IT AS US BEING FLEXIBLE OR LIGHT ON OUR FEET, WHICH IS HARD TO ACCOMPLISH WITH A $150 MILLION BUDGET. BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS WE CAN DO TO NOT BE AS REACTIVE. BY SETTING ASIDE A LITTLE MONEY ON THE FRONT END, BEING A LITTLE MORE PROACTIVE. SB 22 AGAIN, SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
THEIR PORTION GOES TOWARDS VEHICLES. PROSECUTORS. IT IS REQUIRED TO GO TOWARDS SALARIES TO BUDGET OR LAST, THE PREVIOUS BUDGET, THE GENERAL FUND TOOK ON THE FRINGE EXPENSES. SO THE FULL AMOUNT OF SB 22 PASSES THROUGH TO PROSECUTORS ON THOSE SALARY INCREASES. THERE IS A DISCUSSION REGARDING SB 22 GOING FORWARD, AND THAT WILL IMPACT POSSIBLY THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICES AS WELL IN THIS NEXT ROUND. SO THAT WOULD BE GREAT. SO THERE IS A GRANT FOR THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICES AND THE WAY THAT IT IS CURRENTLY STRUCTURED. WE CANNOT QUALIFY. EVERY YEAR I GET A REMINDER THAT IT'S TIME TO APPLY. AND EVERY YEAR WE'VE LOOKED AT IT AND THERE'S JUST NOT A WAY FOR US TO MEET THOSE QUALIFICATIONS. SO IF THEY OPEN THE DOOR A LITTLE FURTHER, I THINK THEY'RE TRYING TO TWEAK IT A LITTLE BIT. THAT'D BE GREAT. THESE ARE SOME, AGAIN, SOME OF THE THINGS WE DO TO TRY TO REDUCE THE REQUEST FROM TAXPAYERS. WE CONTINUE TO EMPHASIZE REDUCING RECURRING EXPENSES. THOSE THINGS, ONCE YOU BRING SOMETHING INTO THE BUDGET, IT IS REALLY HARD TO GET IT OUT OF THE BUDGET. AND SO THAT'S A LOT OF WHAT THE BUDGET COMMITTEE DOES IS EVALUATE THOSE ONGOING RECURRING EXPENSES, THINGS LIKE SOFTWARE. IS THIS SOLVING A PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE, OR IS THIS A SHINY TOY THAT WOULD BE FUN TO PLAY WITH? AND SOMETIMES WE'VE GOT TO DRAW BACK ON THOSE THINGS THAT WE ALLOW IN. WE HAVE NOT LISTED ON HERE. BUT AGAIN, ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT WE'VE DONE IS EMPHASIZE
[00:45:01]
NOT GROWING HEADCOUNT, BUT TRYING TO INCREASE PRODUCTIVITY, GIVING PEOPLE EVERYTHING THEY NEED TO DO THEIR JOBS AS EFFICIENTLY AS POSSIBLE. AND OVER TIME, THAT SAVES US A LOT OF MONEY. IF WE GREW OUR HEADCOUNT AT THE RATE OUR POPULATION IS GROWING, WE WOULD HAVE HIRED 30 OR 40 EMPLOYEES EVERY YEAR FOR THE PAST TEN YEARS, AND WE'D BE SWIMMING IN EMPLOYEES. WE'D HAVE 1500 EMPLOYEES BY NOW INSTEAD OF 950, AND WE WOULD HAVE NOWHERE TO PUT THEM. WE'D NEED A HALF A DOZEN NEW BUILDINGS. AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO PAY FOR THOSE EITHER. SO THOSE THINGS, SOMETIMES THOSE SMALL IMPACTS HAVE ARE SMALL CHANGES HAVE A PRETTY SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE BUDGET YEAR OVER YEAR. THERE'S ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE COMPARISONS OF COUNTIES OUR SIZE THAT HAS MADE ITS WAY TO FACEBOOK THAT, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A NEIGHBORING COUNTY HAS ABOUT THE SAME SIZE POPULATION, HAS ONLY GOT 600 EMPLOYEES. WE GOT 900. WELL, THEY DON'T HAVE THE JAIL THAT WE HAVE. THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF THAT IN THE THEY MAY EVEN BE UNIT. I DON'T KNOW, I HAVEN'T INVESTIGATED YET TO SEE. BUT BUT IT'S A LIKE I SAID EARLIER, YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S IT'S WE'RE DOING AS EFFICIENT A JOB AS WE CAN FOR WHAT NEEDS ARE HERE FOR, FOR OUR PEOPLE. FINALLY, A RUNDOWN OF FUND BALANCE, THE BEGINNING FUND BALANCE IN FY 26. SO AS, AS OF OCTOBER 1ST OF 2025, THE FUND BALANCE GENERAL UNRESTRICTED RAINY DAY FUND WAS $54.5 MILLION AS OF OCTOBER 1ST, 2026. ONE YEAR LATER, IT'S THE SAME DOLLAR AMOUNT. WE ARE MAINTAINING FUND BALANCE. WE DID NOT GROW OUR FUND BALANCE THIS YEAR, AND SOME OF THAT'S EXPLAINED BELOW HERE. THIS COURT PREVIOUSLY SET A PAR VALUE OF 180 DAYS OF OPERATING EXPENSES. SO SIX MONTHS OPERATING EXPENSES IN THE GENERAL FUND IS WHAT WE AIM FOR WITH THE RAINY DAY FUND. LAST YEAR WE HIT THAT NUMBER EXACTLY. THIS YEAR WE'RE GOING TO BE 11 DAYS SHORT OF THAT. GIVEN THE RESTRAINTS IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET, THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT IT JUST DIDN'T MAKE SENSE TO TRY TO GROW THE FUND BALANCE. 11 DAYS WORTH OF OPERATING EXPENSES ON TOP OF ALL THE OTHER CHALLENGES IN THE BUDGET. BUT WE ARE NOT DIPPING INTO FUND BALANCE. WE'RE JUST MAINTAINING FUND BALANCE. AND CERTAINLY WE WANT TO KEEP AN EYE ON THAT NUMBER NEXT YEAR AND HOPEFULLY COME IN STRONG SO THAT THAT IS WE DON'T WANT TO FALL FURTHER BEHIND NEXT YEAR.THERE ARE SOME TRANSFERS THAT ARE PROGRAMED INTO THIS BUDGET TO HELP US KEEP MOVING FORWARD ON LARGER PROJECTS WITHOUT TOUCHING ANY TAX DOLLARS. NONE OF THESE THINGS IMPACT THE TAX RATE IN ANY WAY. THE FIRST IS TRANSFERRING $1 MILLION FROM THE HEALTH INSURANCE FUND TO THE HEALTH INSURANCE FUND FROM THE GENERAL FUND THAT HELPED MINIMIZE THOSE INCREASES TO EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS AND KEEPS US VERY HEALTHY MOVING FORWARD. IN THAT FUND, WE MAINTAIN A 12 MONTH RAINY DAY FUND, SO WE HAVE SET ASIDE A FULL YEAR OF EXPENSES IN THAT FUND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T EVER HAVE TO COME BACK TO THE EMPLOYEES AND START CUTTING BENEFITS, BECAUSE WE MISS THE MARK SOMEWHERE IN THE BUDGETING PROCESS. AND THAT FUND SITS AT ABOUT $11 MILLION TODAY. SO IT'S A SIZABLE PIECE OF THE THE COUNTY'S PORTFOLIO, $700,000 WILL BE MOVED TO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND FROM THE GENERAL FUND. THAT WOULD HAVE GONE TOWARD FUND BALANCE GROWTH. INSTEAD, THAT IS GOING TO GO TOWARD CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS SO THAT WE CAN CONTINUE WORKING ON PROJECTS AS THEY ARISE. WE DO NOT WANT TO FALL BEHIND ON OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS. THIS ALSO MOVES $1 MILLION FROM THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND TO THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT FUND FROM THE ANNEX FUND. SO WE SET ASIDE THERE'S ABOUT $2.6 MILLION IN THE FUND FOR THE BUILDING ACROSS THE STREET. I THINK WE HAVE HIGHER PRIORITIES. THIS IS GOING TO GIVE US A LITTLE MORE FLEXIBILITY WITH HOW WE USE THOSE DOLLARS. AND THEN ADDITIONALLY, MOVING $1.2 MILLION FROM THE ANNEX FUND TO THE PRECINCT THREE SUB COURTHOUSE FUND TO MAKE SURE THAT WE REALLY HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO START THE DESIGN WORK AND SOIL TESTING. SOME OF THE PRELIMINARY SITE EVALUATION ON THE PRECINCT THREE COURTHOUSE.
SO WE'VE GOT MONEY IN THAT FUND. THAT PROJECT IS PROBABLY HALFWAY FUNDED AT THIS POINT, WHICH IS WHERE I FEEL PRETTY COMFORTABLE TAKING SOME SIGNIFICANT STEPS TOWARD MAKING SOMETHING HAPPEN OUT THERE. THE ANNEX FUND WILL STILL HAVE MORE THAN HALF $1 MILLION IN IT, AND I THINK WE CAN HAVE A MORE SERIOUS CONVERSATION LATER IN THIS IN THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR ABOUT, DO WE WANT TO PUT SOME LIPSTICK ON A PIG AND MAKE THAT SPACE USABLE? DO WE WANT TO GET THE ASBESTOS OUT OF THAT BUILDING SO THAT IT'S READY FOR A BIGGER REMODEL? AT SOME POINT, WHERE WITH ALL THE STEPS WE'VE TAKEN TO REDUCE GROWTH OF HEADCOUNT AT THE COUNTY, WE ARE STILL PRESSED FOR SPACE IN MANY AREAS. AND SO I THINK THAT BUILDING CAN STILL PLAY AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN OUR FUTURE BUILDING NEEDS. BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO BE SMART ABOUT IT. WE'VE WITH WHEN THE TAX OFFICE COMES ONLINE, HOPEFULLY ABOUT 18 MONTHS FROM
[00:50:02]
NOW, THAT BUILDING WILL BE LARGELY EMPTY. NO OFFENSE, JENNIFER, I KNOW YOUR FOLKS ARE STILL THERE AND. DAN, BUT I THINK THAT GIVES US THE OPPORTUNITY TO EVALUATE 18 MONTHS FROM NOW AND SEE WHERE WE ARE, SEE IF WE'RE READY TO START TAKING SOME ACTION, MOVING TOWARD MAKING THAT A REAL CENTERPIECE OF OUR OUR FLOOR PLAN OR OUR FLOOR SPACE AT THE COUNTY. NONE OF THAT COMMITS ANY MONEY TO ANY PROJECTS, BUT THIS SHUFFLES AROUND A LITTLE BIT OF MONEY TO MAKE IT AVAILABLE FOR THOSE PROJECTS. ONE OTHER ITEM. SO YOU YOU SEE THE INCREASE IN THE TOTAL CURRENT EXPENSES INCREASED BY ABOUT $9 MILLION.AND IF YOU REMEMBER THAT FIRST PAGE, THERE WAS ABOUT A $7 MILLION HIT TO THE BUDGET ON SOFTWARE JAIL AND HEALTH INSURANCE. SO VERY CONSERVATIVE WITH WHAT WE DID WITH THE REMAINING DOLLARS THIS YEAR. FINALLY, CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLANNING, WE DO HAVE TO CONTINUE MOVING TOWARD BUILDINGS. THREE BUILDINGS ARE UNDERWAY OR PARTIALLY FUNDED.
SO THE TAX OFFICE RELOCATION IS FULLY FUNDED. I ANTICIPATE HAVING A GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE CONTRACT IN THE NEXT SIX WEEKS. COMING BACK TO COURT, I THINK WE'RE VERY CLOSE TO BREAKING GROUND ON THAT PROJECT. NEXT IS THE PRECINCT THREE SUB COURTHOUSE. LIKE I SAID, I THINK WE'RE 40 TO 50% FUNDED. I THINK IN THE NEXT YEAR WE CAN ADVERTISE FOR DESIGN SERVICES, ENGINEERING SERVICES AND START ROLLING THE BALL TOWARD BUILDING THAT BUILDING. I THINK WE'VE GOT PLENTY OF MONEY IN THE BANK TO, TO BACKSTOP THAT PROJECT AND GET IT MOVING. I KNOW I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO PUT OUR FOOT ON THE BRAKES ON THAT DEAL. WE'RE GOING TO BE IN TROUBLE. YEAH. AND I KNOW YOU'VE GOT A WE'VE GOT A LAND SWAP OR BUY AND SELL AND WE'VE GOT A, YOU'VE GOT A BUILDING TO BUILD AND A MOVE TO HAPPEN. AND THE NEXT 12 TO 18 MONTHS OUGHT TO BE PRETTY HOT AND HEAVY ON THE, ON THE BUILDING CONSTRUCTION FRONT AND ON THAT PROJECT AND THE TAX OFFICE, I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE A REAL CHANGE TO THE THE FACE OF THE COUNTY OVER THAT TIME. FINALLY, LIKE I SAID, THE ANNEX, I THINK, WILL HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO START PERFORMING A ASBESTOS ABATEMENT OR TO DO SOMETHING ELSE WITH THAT BUILDING. LET LET'S DIG IN TO WHAT WE WANT TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THAT BUILDING AS WE GET CLOSER TO MOVING THE TAX OFFICE OUT. AS YOU ALL KNOW, THE TAX OFFICE CURRENTLY HOSTS ABOUT 300 VISITORS A DAY. PUBLIC COMING IN TO PAY BILLS, GET RENEWED VEHICLE REGISTRATION, THOSE SORT OF THINGS. SO GETTING THE TAX OFFICE AND THOSE 300 PEOPLE OUT OF THAT BUILDING GET US MUCH CLOSER TO BEING ABLE TO ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING WITH THE ANNEX. THE LAST LIST, THIS IS JUST FOR FUN.
THESE ARE PROJECTS THAT HAVE COME UP DURING CONVERSATION OR DURING THE BUDGET PROCESS.
THERE'S NO MONEY. THERE'S NO COMMITMENT TO THESE PROJECTS YET, BUT THEY SHOULD BE ON YOUR RADAR SO THAT YOU'RE NOT SURPRISED. FIRE MARSHAL HAS REQUESTED THAT WE EXPAND THE EOC. I THINK IT WAS ORIGINALLY BUILT WITH SOME EXPANSION PLANS. THE COURT HAS ACTUALLY ALLOCATED MONEY FOR A FEASIBILITY OR COST STUDY OF WHAT THAT WOULD TAKE TO PERFORM THAT EXPANSION. THE ELECTIONS BUILDING WILL NEED TO BE RENOVATED AT SOME POINT. WE'RE MOVING MEDICAL EXAMINER OUT. WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO UPDATE THE ELECTIONS BUILDING, GET THE ASBESTOS OUT AGAIN IN ORDER FOR ELECTIONS TO FILL IN THAT FULL BUILDING. THE CONSTABLE IN PRECINCT TWO HAS REQUESTED AN EXPANSION AT THE BURLESON SUB COURTHOUSE, WHICH IS THAT SECOND FLOOR THAT'S MOSTLY EMPTY. TAKING IN SOME OF THAT SHELF SPACE, WE HAVE NOT WE HAVEN'T DISCUSSED THAT AT ALL WITH THE COURT, BUT THAT'S OUT THERE AS A POTENTIAL PROJECT.
WE DID HAVE OUR ARCHITECT GIVE US A COST ESTIMATE ON WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO EXPAND THE BUILDING IN THE FUTURE. WITH THAT WAREHOUSE SPACE, THERE'S ROOM TO POTENTIALLY ADD OFFICE SPACE OR GO TWO STORY. THERE'S SOME THINGS TO DO WITHIN THE EXISTING STRUCTURE OF THAT BUILDING. TURNS OUT IT'S PROBABLY A $3 MILLION PROJECT TO ADD ON TODAY'S COST. YEAH, AT TODAY'S COST, IT REALLY COME IT THE WAY HE RAN THROUGH IT, IT CAME OUT TO ABOUT THE SAME PRICE AS BUILDING SOMEWHERE ELSE, ABOUT $500 A FOOT IN HIS ESTIMATION. SO NOT SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN SOON, BUT MAYBE TEN PLUS YEARS AWAY. AND THEN I'VE GOT ON HERE.
WE'VE GOT TO KEEP CARRYING THE THE COURT BUILDINGS. AT SOME POINT, THE GWEN IS ALMOST FULL.
I THINK IF WE GET CREATIVE WITH HOW OFFICES ARE ASSIGNED, WE CAN FIT ONE MORE COURT. THERE'S AN EMPTY COURTROOM THERE. THERE'S A SUITE THAT WOULD SERVE THAT JUDGE AND STAFF. BUT BEYOND THAT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME REAL INTERESTING QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT SPACES WE DEDICATE TO COURTS. YOU KNOW, I THINK ONE ONE PATH FORWARD IS TO REMODEL THE ANNEX BUILDING AND MOVE MOST OF THE SERVICES OUT OF THIS BUILDING INTO THE ANNEX AND USE THIS AS A COURTS BUILDING. AGAIN, WE'VE GOT A BEAUTIFUL COURTROOM HERE. WE'VE GOT A BEAUTIFUL COURTROOM
[00:55:01]
ACROSS THE HALL, IF THAT SERVES TWO DIFFERENT COURTS THAT ARE OPEN TO THE PUBLIC AND ARE ACTUAL TRIAL COURTS, AGAIN, IT MIGHT SAVE US 5 OR $10 MILLION IN RENOVATION, RENOVATION COSTS IN THE FUTURE IN A DIFFERENT BUILDING. BUT THAT WOULDN'T BE EASY TO DO. AND SO WE'RE FINE WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW. I THINK IF THE LEGISLATURE ADDS A NEW COURT AND THE NEXT 4 OR 6 YEARS, WE'RE STILL FINE, BUT AFTER THAT, WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO TAKE A REAL HARD LOOK AT HOW WE PROVIDE COURT SERVICES AND THE EXISTING SPACE THAT WE HAVE. THAT'S THE END OF MY PRESENTATION. I KNOW YOU GUYS ARE FAMILIAR WITH ALL THAT, BUT I, I NEVER WANT TO COME IN HERE AND HAVE A TEN MINUTE MEETING AND ADOPT A BUDGET WITHOUT RUNNING THROUGH THE PRESENTATION. AGAIN. ANY QUESTIONS, ANYTHING Y'ALL WANT TO ADD TO THE RECORD BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD? I JUST THINK IT'S ABOUT AS TRANSPARENT AS THIS COURT CAN BE. I AGREE, YOU KNOW, GOOD, BAD AND UGLY. I HAVE A FRIEND IN LOCAL GOVERNMENT WHO USES THE PHRASE, YOU'RE GOING TO OPEN THE KIMONO. AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT WE DO HERE. YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE OR NOT? THIS IS IT. YOU. YOU GOT A CLEAR VIEW OF EVERYTHING BEHIND THE CURTAIN. AND HE RAISED HIS JUDGE AND HE RAISED HIS EYE. WHENEVER I WAS BASHING A LOCAL REPRESENTATIVE IN THE NEXT COUNTY, BRIAN HARRISON, BY THE WAY. OH. YOU SHOULD NOT BE SURPRISED. JUDGE OH RAN THE MEETING TOO LONG. WHEN YOU START NAMING NAMES, IT'S NO GOOD. ALRIGHT, WELL, WITH THAT, THIS IS A VERY SPECIFIC ITEM THAT HAS A SPECIFIC VOTE AND MOTION THAT GO WITH IT. IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE TO ADD, I WOULD CALL FOR A MOTION. ALL RIGHT, JUDGE, AND I'M GOING TO MAKE THIS MOTION ACCORDING TO EXACTLY HOW THE. HOW THE STATE OF TEXAS REQUIRES US AND HOW OUR ATTORNEY, MR. BILL MOORE, SAYS I HAVE TO DO IT. SO. I MOVE THAT THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026, 2027 FOR JOHNSON COUNTY THAT WILL RAISE MORE REVENUE FROM PROPERTY TAXES IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET BY $12,316,478, OR 14.29%, TO BE APPROVED. SECOND. ALL RIGHT.I'VE GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER SECOND BY COMMISSIONER WILLEY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR SAY I. I ALL OPPOSED BY THE SAME SIGN ITEM BT2 CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY MOVED TO ITEM BT3. THIS IS CONSIDER AND APPROVE ORDER 2026-86. ORDER APPROVING JOHNSON COUNTY BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026-2027. THIS IS THE SAME ITEM. UNLESS THERE'S ANYTHING TO ADD. I WILL CALL FOR A MOTION ON THIS ITEM AS WELL. ALL RIGHT. AS BEFORE, THIS IS EXACTLY HOW OUR DEAR LEGISLATURE DOWN IN AUSTIN, TEXAS SAYS WE HAVE TO DO THIS. BUT I WILL MAKE THE MOTION. I MOVE THAT THE COMMISSIONERS COURT APPROVED THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026, 2027 FOR JOHNSON COUNTY THAT WILL RAISE MORE REVENUE FROM PROPERTY TAXES THAN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET BY $12,316,478, OR A 14.29%, AND APPROVE ORDER 2026-86 SECOND. ALL RIGHT. I'VE GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER SECOND BY COMMISSIONER WILLEY. THIS IS A RECORD VOTE. I WILL BEGIN WITH PRECINCT ONE. HOW DO YOU VOTE? YES. PRECINCT TWO. YES. PRECINCT THREE. YES.
PRECINCT FOUR. YES. AND I VOTE YES AS WELL. THAT CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY AND IS A RECORD VOTE B THREE HAS CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. LET'S DISCUSS THAT A LITTLE FURTHER JUST FOR THE JUST FOR THOSE LISTENING TO WHAT HAD TO BE READ INTO THOSE MINUTES REGARDING THAT $7 MILLION INCREASE, AND THEN REGARDING THAT 5 MILLION INDIGENT HEALTH INDIGENT DEFENSE ZONE, AND NOW YOU'RE AT 12 MILLION. LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT IS IT, ONE AND A HALF, 2 MILLION FOR THE AMBULANCE THAT WE PROVIDE FOR THE FOR THE RESIDENTS. IF YOU'RE LISTENING AND YOU'RE SEEING WHERE THIS IS GOING, THOSE ARE THE NUMBERS THAT ARE REFLECTED IN THIS ISSUE OR IN THIS STATEMENT THAT HAS TO BE VOTED INTO THAT RECORD. THIS IS NOT JUST GOING TO THE TAXPAYERS TO DRAG THIS MONEY OUT. THIS IS WHERE THAT MONEY IS GOING. I JUST WANT TO BE ON THE RECORD AND BE CLEAR, $7 MILLION THERE THAT WE HAD NO NO CHOICE IN. THERE'S ANOTHER 5 MILLION IN THERE THAT THE STATE GIVES US NO CHOICE IN. AND THEN JUST TO PROVIDE THAT SERVICE OF HEALTH CARE AMBULANCE TO GET THEM TO WHERE THEY NEED TO BE IS, IS, IS ASSOCIATED WITH THIS COST. SO THANK YOU, JUDGE. I JUST WANT TO PUT THAT OUT, COMMISSIONER. I'LL I'LL GO ONE BETTER. IF YOU LOOK AT THE GENERAL FUND, IF YOU TAKE ALL OF THOSE PUBLIC SAFETY ITEMS WE PUT TOGETHER, I THINK THE EXPENDITURE WAS. I CAN GO BACK TO IT INSTEAD OF GUESSING. I
[01:00:01]
THINK WE'RE IN THE BALLPARK OF $90 MILLION FOR THOSE EXPENDITURES. THAT'S ALSO VERY CLOSE TO WHAT OUR TOTAL TAX REVENUE IS ON THE YEAR. IF YOU GOT RID OF ALL THE THINGS THAT WERE REQUIRED BY THE STATE, WE COULD QUITE NEARLY ELIMINATE PROPERTY TAXES AS FLAT AS IT COULD BE. YEAH, WE COULD LIVE. WE CAN DO WE'D STILL HAVE AN FM RATE AND WE COULD PAY FOR EVERYTHING ELSE OUT OF FEES FOR SERVICES THAT, YOU KNOW, THE SMALL AMOUNT THAT WE GENERATE, THAT'S NOT TAX REVENUE, BUT OUR TAX REVENUE JUST ABOUT EQUALS WHAT WE EXPEND ON PUBLIC SAFETY IN COURTS. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. I'M GOING TO MOVE TO ITEM BT4. THIS IS CONSIDERING APPROVE ORDER 2026-87. ORDER RATIFYING PROPERTY TAX INCREASE FOR THE 2026 TAX YEAR. AGAIN, A RELATED ITEM THE LEGISLATURE SEES FIT THAT WE NEED TO VOTE ON THIS FOUR DIFFERENT TIMES. AND SO THIS IS ITEM NUMBER FOUR. I THINK THIS IS THE FINAL VOTE ON APPROVING THIS BUDGET. AND I WOULD CALL FOR A MOTION. ALL RIGHT. ONCE AGAIN, EXACTLY THE WAY THE STATE REQUIRES US TO WORD IT AND TO MAKE THE MOTION. I MOVE THAT THE COMMISSIONERS COURT RATIFY THE PROPERTY TAX INCREASE FOR THE 2026 TAX YEAR, REFLECTED IN THE ANNUAL BUDGET FOR JOHNSON COUNTY FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 2027, AND APPROVE ORDER 2026-87. SECOND. ALL RIGHT. I'VE GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER HOWELL, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER WILLEY. THIS IS ALSO A RECORD VOTE. I WILL BEGIN WITH PRECINCT ONE. HOW DO YOU VOTE? YES. PRECINCT TWO. YES. PRECINCT THREE. YES.PRECINCT FOUR YES. AND I VOTE YES AS WELL. THAT ITEM FOUR CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY, AND THAT WAS A RECORD VOTE WITH ALL MEMBERS VOTING YES. THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA WAS A
[TAXPAYER IMPACT STATEMENT]
TAXPAYER IMPACT STATEMENT THAT WAS ADDED IN THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION AS A MANDATORY POSTING ON THE AGENDA, SHOWING THE ESTIMATED TAX BILL ON AN AVERAGE HOUSEHOLD LAST YEAR UNDER THE PROPOSED BUDGET, UNDER THE A YOUR TAX BILL AT THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE AND YOUR TAX BILL AT THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE. I WILL JUST POINT OUT THAT, AGAIN, WE ARE NOT ADOPTING A TAX RATE AT THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE. WE HAVE NOT DONE SO. I DON'T KNOW THAT WE EVER HAVE. WE CERTAINLY HAVE NOT IN THE LAST FOUR YEARS, ADOPTED ANYTHING AS HIGH AS THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE. THIS AGAIN, FALLS IN BETWEEN THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE AND THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE. WITH THAT, WE'VE CONCLUDED THE BUDGETARY ITEMS. THERE WAS THERE IS ONE ACTION[ACTION ITEMS]
ITEM TODAY THAT WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WITH. THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE REQUESTED THE ABILITY TO PUT ITEM A ONE, CONSIDER AN APPROVED TO PAY COUNTY BILLS. AND MR. WATSON, CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHAT WE'RE PAYING? THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT JUST GOT MISSED ON THE LAST BILL RUN THAT WE'D LIKE TO GET PAID. ONE OF THEM IS THE EMPLOYEE REIMBURSEMENT, NOT NOT ONE OF MY EMPLOYEES, BUT A COUNTY EMPLOYEES. ALL RIGHT. ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ON ITEM A? ONE 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 A ONE CARRIES UNANIMOUSLY. THANK YOU, MR. WATSON, FOR GETTING THAT TO US. WE DON'T WANT TO MAKE OUR EMPLOYEE WAIT AN EXTRA WEEK FOR REIMBURSEMENT. THAT[EXECUTIVE SESSION]
BRINGS US TO OUR FINAL ITEM ON THE AGENDA EXECUTIVE SESSION. WE WILL BE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION ON ES ONE. GOVERNMENT CODE, SECTION 551.072 DELIBERATION ABOUT REAL PROPERTY. REAL PROPERTY ADJACENT TO PRECINCT FOUR MAINTENANCE FACILITY TAX ACCOUNT NUMBERS 126.0207.00130 AND 126.0207.00120. WE ARE IN EXECUTIVE SESSION ON ALL RIGHT. WE ARE BACK FROM EXECUTIVE SESSION. IT IS 10:33 A.M. THERE BEING NO ACTION RESULTING FROM ITEM ES ONE UNLESS THERE IS ANY OBJEC