[1. To Discuss the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Budget.]
[00:00:04]
THIS WORKSHOP MEETING OF THE KAUFMAN COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT IS CALLED TO ORDER.
TODAY IS MONDAY, JULY 18TH, 2022 AT 1:30 PM.
AND WE'RE IN THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT MEETING ROOM IN THE COURTHOUSE.
ANNEX WILL DISPENSE WITH THE NORMAL FORMALITIES TODAY.
AND, UM, I'LL, UH, I JUST HAVE A FEW KIND OF KICKOFF THINGS TO TALK ABOUT.
I SENT, Y'ALL SENT A LETTER OUT TO GO WITH, UH, WITH THE AGENDA TODAY, THIS MORNING.
JUST KIND OF A OVERVIEW SORT OF A THING.
I THINK YOU ALL SHOULD HAVE GOTTEN IT, BUT HERE I'LL PASS IT OUT.
WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE NO, WE DIDN'T GET ANY OF THE ATTACHMENTS WITH IT.
WE DIDN'T, WE WERE STILL WORKING ON THE WE'RE STILL WORKING ON THE SPREADSHEET THIS MORNING.
I HADN'T BEEN TO THE OFFICE BACK SINCE EARLY THIS MORNING OR AFTERNOON OR WHATEVER SHERIFF, AND I THINK IT'S MORE THAN, BUT EVERYBODY ELSE NOT.
UH, SO THE GOAL TODAY, I THINK IS LIKE ANY OTHER SORT OF BUDGET.
I THINK THE FIRST, OUR FIRST TASK IS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT WE, WHAT DIRECTION WE WANT TO TAKE AS FAR AS OUR PROPERTY TAX LEVY GOES.
SO WE'LL HAVE A, AT LEAST AN IDEA OF THE DIRECTION WE WANT TO GO IN.
THAT'LL SET THE TONE FOR WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO WITH LOOKING AT THE INDIVIDUAL OR THE TOTAL BUDGET EXPENDITURES FOR ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.
UM, THE TASK OF HORSE, LIKE ALWAYS WILL BE TO FIT THE BUDGET GROUP EXPENDITURE REQUEST INTO WHATEVER WE DECIDE OUR TAX LEVY SHOULD BE.
SO LIKE YOU WOULD DO AT HOME, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT YOUR INCOME'S GOING TO BE, AND THEN YOU FIGURE OUT HOW TO MAKE EVERYTHING FIT INTO THAT.
UM, SO JOB ONE IS FIGURE OUT HOW MANY PROPERTY TAX DOLLARS.
I REALLY WANT TO JUST TALK ABOUT DOLLARS OF, OF PROPERTY TAX LEVY, THAT WE NEED TO FUND SERVICES FOR OUR DEPARTMENTS.
UM, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE DISCUSSING, AT LEAST NOT.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT INS BECAUSE KAREN GOT THAT UNDER CONTROL AND THAT, YOU KNOW, INS HAS JUST KIND OF IS WHAT IT IS.
NO, BUT THAT'S WHERE MY GOOD NEWS IS.
WELL, WHAT, I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU A CHANCE JUST A SECOND.
UM, I THINK WHEN WE S AND THEN WE'LL, AFTER WE TALK ABOUT REVENUE, WE NEED TO START OUR DISCUSSION BASED ON WHAT I'VE HEARD FROM EVERYBODY.
WE NEED TO DISCARD OUR DISCUSSION ON EXPENDITURES TO TALK ABOUT A COLA AND HAVE A HANDOUT.
I DON'T REALLY LIKE THAT TERM, BUT SOMETHING, UH, SOMETHING FOR OUR EMPLOYEES TO REFLECT THE, WHAT WE SEE AS THE COST OF LIVING INCREASE.
THEN, UM, WE'RE GOING TO TALK, TALK, I'VE GOT A SPREADSHEET IT'S NOT COMPLETELY FILLED OUT IS I JUST WANT TO RUN THAT BY YOU ABOUT HOW I THINK WE SHOULD TALK ABOUT OUR EXPENDITURE BUDGETS, AND THEN, UM, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE ON FROM THERE.
SO WE'RE GOING TO START TALKING FIRST ABOUT, UH, ABOUT OUR TAX LEVY AND HOW MUCH MORE REVENUE THAT WE THINK WE MIGHT NEED.
AND KAREN, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT INS? SURE.
I, UM, I WENT AND SOME INFORMATION ACCORDING TO DEBT SERVICE REQUIREMENTS.
I WANT TO PASS ONE OUT TO EACH ONE.
IRS REQUIRES YOU TO HAVE AN ARBITRAGE CALCULATION EVERY YEAR.
AND IF YOU EARN TOO MUCH OR DON'T USE THAT BOND ISSUE FAST ENOUGH, YOU WIND UP PAYING THEM ATTACKS SO FAR.
WE HAVE NOT OWED ANY MONEY PENALTY TO THE IRS, BUT I'M IN A, I'M IN A SITUATION WHERE I'M GOING TO, IF WE DON'T FIX IT.
THE TOTAL DEBT THAT WE OWE IS 11 MILLION, 170 3007 60.
I'M SHOWING YOU WHAT I HAVE AS A CARRY OVER IN FUND BALANCE.
WHAT REMAINING DEBT WILL BE DUE IN AUGUST AND WHAT MY FUND BALANCE WILL BE AT THE END.
IF YOU WANT TO READ IT, I'LL TELL YOU WHERE IT'S AT.
OR YOU CAN HAVE A COPY OF MINE, BUT ALSO TALK TO GEORGE WILLIFORD AT HILLTOP.
HE SUGGESTED THAT WE DO 90 DAYS WORTH OF MONEY TO KEEP IN FUND BALANCE FOR THE DEBTS.
SO IF SO, I'VE GOT TO TAKE $708,000 AWAY THAT WE WON'T CALCULATE IN DEPTH SERVICE.
[00:05:01]
ARE YOU FOLLOWING ME SO FAR? OKAY.YEAH, THAT'S WHAT THAT BOND, THIS IS JUST OUR GENERAL FUND MONEY, RIGHT, SIR.
I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU LEAVE THAT LEFTOVER, THAT'S JUST OUR GENERAL FUND, OUR, OUR ACTUAL BUDGET MONEY.
BUT DEBT SERVICES APART IT'S TAX, RIGHT.
SO YOUR FIRST PAGE OF THIS IN USING THE SAME TAX WRITE THAT WE HAVE USED FOR THIS, THIS YEAR, WE'RE IN, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, THE ACTUAL CERTIFIED ROLE WILL NOT BE SENT TO US TILL THE 21ST OR 22ND.
I ONLY HAVE PRELIMINARY THAT SHE SENT ME LAST WEEK.
THAT WAS THE THIRD SET OF PRELIMINARIES.
SO I BASED IT ON THAT, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE REVENUES THAT WE WOULD GENERATE, IF WE KEPT ATTACHED, RIGHT.
THE SAME CAN WE DO THAT? I WON'T NOTE TO THE TAX OFFICE DOES THEIR CALCULATION.
I JUST PASSED THAT STUFF INTO OUR LAST FRIDAY, BECAUSE IT WAS DUE TODAY.
YOUR SECOND PAGE SHOWS YOU THAT I'VE LOWERED THE DEBT FUND AND I'VE INCREASED THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION AND THE ROAD AND BRIDGE KEEPING THE TAX TO SIGN.
I TOTALLY REDUCED THE TAX RATE FOR DATA, ADDED SOME FOR ROAD AND BRIDGE, BUT I LESSENED LESS THAN THE TOTAL TAX, RIGHT.
THAT PENNY SOMETHING, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF THE SCENARIOS THAT COULD BE DONE.
AND I HOPE THAT HELPS AND GIVES YOU AN IDEA OF, UM, WHAT WE HAVE TO DO TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T OH, ARBITRAGE.
I'VE HAD TO PAY THAT BEFORE AND I DON'T LIKE IT.
WELL, I, UH, I DON'T WANT TO GET LOST IN THE CONVERSATION OF TAX RATE.
I WANT TO STAY AS FOCUSED ON TAX DOLLARS.
UM, I THINK OUR, IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR BUDGET FROM LAST YEAR, I THINK OUR, OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUE WAS, I THINK THAT WAS TOTAL WITH, UH, OUR TOTAL TAX LEVY FOR THE GENERAL FUND WAS 44 MILLION.
SO IF WE, YOU KNOW, JUST FOR FANTASY SAKE, IF WE KEPT THE SAME TAX RATE, WE RAISED ANOTHER $15 MILLION, WHICH IS ABOUT 15% INCREASE IN TAX DOLLARS.
THAT WOULD BE TAXING OUR, OUR CITIZENS WITH, I DON'T THINK YOUR BUDDY IS GOING TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT.
UM, SO, SO NOW WE'RE TALKING, SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TAX DOLLARS.
YOU SEE THE I'M GOING TO SKIP AHEAD TO THIS SPREADSHEET HERE.
THIS IS ONE I WAS TALKING ABOUT IN THE IT'S KIND OF A WORK IN PROCESS, MAYBE AN AUDITOR, BUT THERE'S SOME OF THAT WE HAVEN'T FILLED OUT.
WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT IN A MINUTE.
SO IF YOU LOOK AT YOUR TOTAL BUDGET, THE TOTAL, UNLESS YOU JUST TALK ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET, YOU LOOK AT THE TOTAL GENERAL FUND BUDGET SUBMITTALS FOR THIS YEAR.
IT'S 62 MILLION FROM THE DEPARTMENTS.
AND, UH, YES, OUR TAX LEVY REDUCE YOUR OWN.
THE GENERAL PHONE WAS 44 MILLION.
SO, UH, I'VE ALREADY GIVEN THE CLERK.
UM, SO FOOD FOR THOUGHT THERE.
SO TO GO BACK AND MAKE THAT CLEAR.
THIS IS WHENEVER YOU SENT OUT THE REQUEST FROM ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT I ASKED WAS 66.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? YEAH.
IT'S THAT NUMBER IN BLUE ON THE SECOND PAGE.
AND I WANT TO JUST, I LIKE TO FOCUS TODAY JUST TALKING ABOUT TOTALS AND NOT DIG DOWN INTO THE DEPARTMENT LEVELS.
WE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHERE THE NUMBER CAME.
THAT'S THE TOTAL OF THE SPREADSHEETS THAT THEY SUBMITTED TO US.
THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO TELL YOU.
THIS IS THE SAME THING THAT THE JUDGE JUST GAVE YOU, BUT HE'S ADDING TO IT TO GIVE YOU MORE INFORMATION.
THIS IS THE BUDGETS THAT WERE SUBMITTED TO US WITH THEIR NUMBERS.
NO RAISES NO ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL.
SO IF PEOPLE, IF, UH, JUST TO BE CLEAR, IF A DEPARTMENT SUBMITTED A REQUEST FOR RAISES OR SUBMITTED A REQUEST FOR AN ADDITIONAL, UH, STAFF, THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE TOOK THAT OUT BECAUSE WE ASKED THEM DON'T, DON'T WORRY ABOUT SALARY.
[00:10:01]
EXISTING SALARIES.BUT SOME PEOPLE DO THIS PORTION RIGHT HERE IS THE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE THAT WERE ASKED FOR THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS.
IT'S 4.2 MILLION THE LOVER, JUST SO YOU KNOW.
THE FOR SUBMISSION IS IF ANYBODY GAVE US BACK UP FOR WHAT THEY NEEDED, WE'RE GIVING IT TO YOU.
SO, YOU KNOW, AHEAD AND WE'LL BE IN.
AND WE'RE GOING TO GET INTO ALL THAT DETAILED.
AND WE'LL EVEN AT SOME POINT, OF COURSE, WE'LL BE BRINGING THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE ASKING FOR SIGNIFICANT CHANGES.
THEN WE'LL BE LIKE, I CAN COME IN AND EXPLAIN, YOU KNOW, WHAT THEIR REASONING WAS BEHIND IT.
I'VE ALREADY SHARED THIS WITH, UH, KAREN FIND MY SHEET HERE.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, UH, ONE THING YOU AND I HAVE A ALSO LOOKING TO INCREASE IT, THEN YOU'LL SEE IN THAT TOP LOCK IS IT IS MAKING THAT INCREASE.
ISN'T THAT PRETTY IMPORTANT? I THINK, I THINK RANDY DEAL THAT WOULDN'T GIVE MY, GOING TO GIVE HIM THE BIG HAND SO WE CAN DO, YOU KNOW, WE CAN DO AN ACROSS THE BOARD, INCREASE TO EMPLOYEES AS A PERCENTAGE.
I THINK THE PROBLEM WITH THAT MAY BE THAT, EXCUSE ME, THAT'S THE PROBLEM WITH THAT? I THINK SOME PEOPLE MIGHT SAY IS THAT IF EVERYBODY GETS THE SAME PERCENTAGE OF A COST OF LIVING SOMEBODY THAT'S MAKING $80,000, OBVIOUSLY GETS A LOT MORE OF AN INCREASE IN SOMEBODY MAKING 35,000.
AND SO KAREN AND THEM PUT THIS IDEA AND THERE'S JUST DOING, THAT'S THE TOP BAR, JUST DOING A LUMP SUM, INCREASE IN WHAT THE, WHAT THE COST OF THAT WOULD BE.
UM, THOSE ARE REALLY BIG NUMBERS.
UM, WE'VE ALREADY GOT A, BUT THAT KIND OF GIVES YOU AN IMPACT OF FOR EVERY A THOUSAND DOLLARS FOR EVERY THOUSAND DOLLAR FLAT RATE INCREASE THAT WE GAVE EMPLOYEES ACROSS THE COUNTY TO BE $773,000.
THAT'S THAT LINE? THAT'S THE BLUE LINE ON THE BOTTOM OF THE TOP, RIGHT THERE.
UM, AND THEN IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE BOTTOM, THAT ORANGE BAR DOWN THERE SHOWS THAT A HALF A PERCENT INCREASE.
IF YOU DID IT THAT WAY WOULD BE 184,000.
SOMEBODY MIKE, YOU WANT TO START OR WHO WANTS TO START TALKING ABOUT WHAT WE'RE TALKING? UH, I KNOW I SAID IT TIME AND TIME AGAIN.
I POSTED VALUABLE RESOURCE OR PEOPLE.
I MEAN, THERE'S THIS CUT AND DRY.
WE WON'T EVEN FUNCTION WITHOUT THOSE FOLKS.
I DO LIKE THE IDEA OF A FLAT ACROSS THE BOARD RAISE VERSUS THE PERCENTAGE DEAL, JUST BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, SO, AND I KNOW THAT THE COST OF LIVING IS GOING UP AND WHERE IT'S REALLY HURTING US MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE IS ONE OF OUR BIGGEST COSTS IS THE JAIL AND OUR, OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND IF WE CAN'T COMPETE, THEN IT'S GOING TO COST US MORE MONEY IN THE LONG RUN, JUST BRINGING PEOPLE IN, TRAIN THEM FOR SOMEBODY ELSE.
SO I, I LIKED THE IDEA OF THE CROSS, THE BOARD RACE FOR EVERYBODY, AND YOU KNOW, MY COMMENTS AND I KNOW SOME PEOPLE HAVE HEARD ME SAY THIS BEFORE IS, YOU KNOW WHAT, I WANT TO DO MY EMPLOYEES.
BUT I CAN'T DO SO MUCH FOR THEM, EVEN THOUGH I WANT TO, I CAN'T CUT DOWN ON MY MATERIAL MONEY.
I CAN'T NOT DO THE WORK AND PAY MY EMPLOYEES MORE.
SO THERE'S GOT TO BE A HAPPY MEDIUM IN THERE WHERE I CAN STILL BUILD ROADS AND DO MAINTENANCE AND TAKE CARE OF MY EMPLOYEES THAT MAKE ANY SENSE.
UH, SO YOU'RE, YOU'VE LIKED THE ACROSS THE, WHATEVER THE LUMP SUM PAYMENT IS, YOU LIKE THAT I LIKED THAT ASSISTED MAKES IT EQUAL FOR EVERYBODY AND JUST IT'S EASY.
WELL, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY FILLING UP THEIR GAS TANK, UH, YOU KNOW, IT COSTS $50 MORE THAN IT USED TO, AND THAT'S A LOT MORE MONEY TO SOMEBODY WHO'S MAKING 40 GRAND THAN SOMEBODY THAT'S MAKING SURE.
SO WHAT THE HELL ARE OUR 30? YEAH.
I MEAN, WE DO HAVE EMPLOYEES AND THIRTIES TWENTIES.
SO THE TOP LIMIT, I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE THERE WHEN YOU HAVE TO COME IN 28, WHETHER OR NOT.
SO, UM, I'M TRYING TO MOVE THE ON THIS.
I THINK WE COULD, IF THE DECISION WAS THAT WE WANTED TO LOOK AT A LUMP SUM, THEN WE CAN SCRATCH OFF THE PERCENTAGE DEAL AND NOT EVEN TALK ABOUT THAT ANYMORE.
[00:15:01]
THAT THIS, THIS KIND OF, IT KIND OF GIVES YOU KIND OF A NUMBER THAT YOU, I MEAN THAT YOU CAN FIGURE OUT A FLAT, RIGHT.AND I UNDERSTAND THAT IF YOU MAKE YES, IF WE GIVE UP, IF WE GIVE THEM A FLAT, TOTAL RIGHT AMOUNT, THEN THE PEOPLE THAT TOP, IT JUST WORKED IN REVERSE, THEY'RE GOING TO BE RECEIVING LESS THAN THE PERSON THAT PROPORTIONAL YET.
BUT THEN ON THE OTHER HAND, WHO NEEDS IT TO WORK? YEAH.
I MADE THEM NOT SAYING THAT EVERYBODY ISN'T NEEDED AS BAD, BUT SOME PEOPLE REALLY, REALLY HONESTLY NEED IT.
UM, AND SO I'M KIND OF IN AGREEMENT WITH MIKE, I KIND OF LIKED THEM FLAT ON THERE, YOU KNOW? CAUSE I HATE TO TELL SOMEBODY THAT I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU YEAH, YEAH.
THIS PERCENTAGE, YOU KNOW, UH, I SEE THE FLAT RATE RAISES.
I'VE SEEN THAT IN OTHER, OTHER, I GUESS COUNTIES AND MAYBE CITIES TOO.
THAT THAT SEEMS TO BE A MORE COMMON THING THAN IT USED TO BE.
I THINK EVERYBODY USED TO DO PERCENTAGES, BUT WELL, THIS ONE, IT SOUNDS BETTER.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, NOT SAYING THAT HELPS YOUR POCKET BOOK ANY, BUT IT DOES.
AND I THINK, UH, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN FIGURE OUT THE PERCENTAGES IN, IF YOU WERE GONNA DO IT AND CHANGE IT, THEN YOU'D HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, IT JUST, I DON'T KNOW.
HOW DID IT DO, UM, YOU KNOW, SOME THINGS WE REALLY NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHILE WE'RE MAKING SOME OF THESE DECISIONS, YOU KNOW, EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN IN OFFICE SINCE 2017, SEEMS LIKE THE EMPLOYEES ALWAYS COME LAST.
WHEN WE DO OUR BUDGET, YOU KNOW, LET'S TAKE CARE OF EVERYTHING ELSE.
THEN WE'LL SEE WHAT WE GOT LEFT OVER TO THROW WITH THE EMPLOYEES.
I THINK WE'RE WAY PAST THE POINT.
WE NEED TO THINK OF THEM FIRST.
NOT ONLY THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS, HAVEN'T HAD A RAISE IN FOUR AND A HALF YEARS AROUND HERE, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THIS DOUBT THAT THESE NUMBERS INCLUDE A ELECTED OFFICIAL, IS IT ALL EMPLOYEES? IT'S EVERYBODY.
AND IT INCLUDES ALL BENEFITS AND EVERYTHING.
SO, SO ANOTHER THING WE NEED TO THINK ABOUT WHEN WE'RE MAKING THESE DECISIONS IS WHAT THE TRUE INFLATION IS RIGHT NOW.
WHAT ARE PEOPLE DEALING WITH? YOU KNOW, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WOULD HAVE US BELIEVE AS OF TODAY THAT IT'S LIKE 9.1%.
WELL, I DID SOME INVESTIGATING AND, UH, OF COURSE WE'RE AT A 40 YEAR HIGH.
THIS IS FROM THE U S BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS.
AND THIS IS AS OF JUNE OF THIS YEAR, FOOD ALONE HAS GONE UP 10.4% JUST FOR THE PROCESS, HALF A FUEL PRICE OF GASOLINE UP 60%, OKAY.
A SHELTER, 5.6 AND A ENERGY COSTS, 41.6%.
SO I DON'T KNOW WHERE THE HECK THEY'RE GETTING THIS NINE AND A HALF, 1.1% INFLATION.
AND, UH, THE GOOD THING IS AS A COUNTY, WE'VE, WE'RE IN A BETTER FINANCIAL POSITION THAN WE'VE EVER BEEN, UH, TO OUR EMPLOYEES.
AND NOT ONLY THAT, WE DON'T HAVE TO TAKE ANYTHING ELSE FROM OUR CITIZENS EITHER BECAUSE OF THE EXTRA REVENUE THAT WE'RE SEEING FROM ALL OF THESE PROPERTIES THAT ARE NOW RESIDENTIAL, THAT USED TO BE AG PROPERTIES.
AND YOU KNOW, SOME OTHER AREAS THAT WE'RE GETTING REVENUES FROM THERE HAVE BEEN INCREASED OR THAT WE HAVEN'T SEEN BEFORE.
UM, SO I REALLY THINK THAT ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS, I KNOW I FEEL THIS WAY.
IF WE COULD MAKE THIS A FLAT, UH, SALARY THING GO INSTEAD OF A PERCENTAGE DEAL, MAKE THAT WORK AND GET EVERYTHING ELSE WORKED OUT.
I THINK SOME DEPARTMENT HEADS MIGHT EVEN BE WILLING TO GIVE UP A FEW THINGS TO MAKE THIS WORK.
SO LET ME, LET ME TALK ABOUT AN ANNUAL LOCK, WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY, BUT I'M GOING TO TALK ABOUT INFLATION A LITTLE BIT.
UM, I'VE SENT KAREN A. LITTLE RESEARCH PROJECT, THAT IDEA, A LITTLE TWO-PAGE THING.
AND I WAS LOOKING AT, UH, IT WAS AN ARTICLE, UH, ON A FINANCE PAGE.
I THINK WE HAVE TO BE, WE HAVE TO BE A LITTLE BIT SCIENTIFIC ABOUT NOT NECESSARILY LOOKING AT WHAT THE INFLATION RATE IS TODAY, BUT, UH, THERE WERE TWO CHARTS IN THERE.
ONE OF THEM WAS FROM THE FEDERAL RESERVE AND THE OTHER ONE'S FROM DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND BOTH OF THEM KIND OF SHOWED THE SAME THING.
WHERE'D THAT COME FROM? YEAH, YEAH, SURE.
I DIDN'T KNOW IF I THOUGHT MAYBE I DIDN'T BRING IT UP WITH SOMEBODY.
SO LOOK AT THOSE TWO GRAPHS IN THE BACK AND UH, YOU KNOW, IT CLEARLY SHOWS THIS HUGE SPIKE THIS YEAR, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT THEY'RE FORECASTING NEXT YEAR, THEY'RE SHOWING THAT THAT'S GOING TO LEVEL OUT.
BUT WHERE IT'S LIVING OUT AS A WAY OF, OF WHAT PEOPLE ARE USED TO AND WHAT THEY'VE LOST, THAT'S THE THING.
IF YOU LOOK AT 401KS LATER, I THINK YOU'RE IN THE 70, WAS IT THE SEVENTIES? WHENEVER A GAS WENT OUTRAGEOUS AND EVERYTHING WAS, AND THEN EVERYTHING ELSE THAT JUST DID WITH IT.
AND THEN WE WENT ON ABOUT OUR BUSINESS AND I THINK THIS IS JUST ONE OF THOSE, I'M NOT AN ECONOMIC GUY, BUT I JUST THINK IT'S JUST ONE OF THOSE ADJUSTMENTS WHERE EVERYTHING WILL LEVEL OUT AND BE,
[00:20:01]
YEAH.MY CONCERN IS WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE 3 97, A GALLON FOR FUEL IS THE NORM.
THAT'S NEVER GOING TO COME BACK WHERE IT WAS AWAY.
FROM WHAT I MEAN, I KNOW JUDGE REMEMBERS THE 27 CENT GAS I DO.
AND THE 55% GAS, I GUESS, BUT THE EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'VE STILL GOT TO COMPETE.
NO MATTER WHAT THE ECONOMY IS DOING, WE STILL GOT TO COMPETE AND THEN WE'VE HAD THE SHERIFF DO THE PRESENTATION.
AND ACTUALLY I WAS WITH THE CITY MANAGER OF TERROR EARLIER TODAY.
AND I THINK THEY'RE STARTING TO PAY THEIR 62,000.
I MEAN, SO WE HAVE TO COMPETE WITH ALL THESE LOCAL PEOPLE, EVEN THOUGH PEOPLE DON'T WANT TO COMMUTE TO DALLAS, BUT THEY'RE WILLING TO COMMUTE FROM KAUFMAN COUNTY TO TERRIBLE OR FORNEY.
WELL, WHAT HAPPENED? SO WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY, AND THAT'S THE KIND OF, THE PURPOSE OF THIS IS I THINK, YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT A MONTH OR SO TO KIND OF WATCH WHAT THEY, WHAT THE FORECAST SAY.
BUT I THINK AS FAR AS MY INPUT GOES, I WOULD WANT THE NUMBER THAT WE'RE USING TO PROJECT WHAT THE INFLATION RATE IS GOING TO BE NEXT YEAR.
I WOULD WANT THAT NUMBER TO BE BASED ON SOME SORT OF, NOT A HOW RICHARD GAS, BUT A YEAH.
BUT I WOULD ALSO LIKE PERSON TO LOOK AT REAL NUMBERS TOO.
CAUSE LIKE I SAID, ESPECIALLY WITH OUR CURRENT ADMINISTRATION IN WASHINGTON, THEY'RE GOING TO PUT OUT THERE WHAT THEY WANT YOU TO BELIEVE.
NOT WHAT'S REALLY HAPPENING WELL, AND I, I DON'T.
I MEAN, YOU CAN GET THESE AND YOU CAN LOOK, YOU CAN GOOGLE THIS AND SORT OF LOOK AND FIND SOURCES THAT ARE NOT PART OF THE GOVERNMENT.
I MEAN, YOU CAN FIND ALL SORTS OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE DOING, UH, INFLATION PROJECTIONS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND I, AND I, I KINDA, I'M GONNA AGREE WITH TERRY A. LITTLE BIT ON THIS, JUST BECAUSE ON SOME OF THE REPORTS I WAS READING THE OTHER DAY ON THE BED, WHEN YOU DO, WHEN YOU DO THE FED, THEY TAKE THE HOPE THAT THE STATE, THEY DON'T TAKE THE STATE OF TEXAS.
AND I THINK I PROBLEM IS I THINK OUR INFLATION RATE IS A LOT HIGHER THAN EVERYBODY ELSE'S IN THE COUNTRY.
IF YOU TAKE CALIFORNIA, THEIR INFLATION RATE IS ACTUALLY KIND OF GOING THE OPPOSITE DIRECTION BECAUSE EVERYBODY'S MOVING OUT.
SO, BUT, BUT TEXAS IS COMING UP TO THEIR CURRENT PRICES.
IF YOU, IF YOU START BRINGING THE I R RENO STATE AND OUR RENTS, AND OUR THING IS UP TO CALIFORNIA PRICES, OR EVEN NEW MEXICO PRICES OR COLORADO PROCESS, THEN WE'VE ALREADY EXCEEDED THAT.
BUT YOU CAN REMEMBER WHERE I READ THAT, BUT, BUT THEY WERE TALKING SPECIFICALLY ABOUT, ABOUT THAT.
AND I, I AGREE THAT WE, YOU KNOW, THERE, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A NATIONAL ECONOMY, RIGHT? THE ECONOMY IS MADE UP OF A BUNCH OF REGIONAL ECONOMIES AND NO QUESTION THAT OURS IS HOT, BUT, UH, AND THAT'S WHAT MAKES IT RIGHT.
AND GO HIGHEST THAT YOUR, YOUR ECONOMY'S HOT, BUT STILL, THERE'S A, UH, I THINK THERE'S A STATE OR A DALLAS FORT WORTH METROPLEX.
THERE'S SOME PLACE AS WE GO THROUGH DECIDING ON WHAT INFLATION WE NEED TO BUILD INTO OUR WAGE STRUCTURE.
THERE'S SOME PLACE THAT WE CAN GET THAT NUMBER THAT'S BASED ON SOMETHING OTHER THAN JUST OUR SPECULATION AND WHAT WE READ ON THE INTERNET AND STUFF.
AND I THINK OUR BIGGEST PROBLEM IS TOO, IT'S NOT ONLY, IT'S NOT ONLY THE, IT'S OUR STATE THAT HAS THE HIDE AND REPLACE, RIGHT.
IT ISN'T, WE'RE A GOVERNMENT AGENCY THAT HAS NO OTHER MEANS OF MONEY, UH, EXCEPT OUR TAX.
AND SO IN ORDER FOR US TO SET A GUIDELINE, IT WAS REAL HARD FOR US TO DO.
WE'VE KIND OF DONE IT IN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND TRYING TO GANG STEP PAYS AND STUFF, AND THE CITIES DO THAT, BUT THEY ALSO FREEZE THEM BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD THE NEXT YEAR.
CAUSE OUR, OUR MONEY IS LIMITED.
IT'S LIMITED WHAT THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT SETS IN THE WAY OF A DOWNTURN AND THAT'S GOING TO COME DOWN AND THAT'S GOING TO REVERSE SOME OF THE ACCIDENT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE, BUT LOSING PROPERTY TAX REVENUE IS A VERY RARE THING.
BUT THAT'S THE ONLY TIME MEAN IN 60 OR 70 YEARS, I'M NOT SAYING WE'RE GOING TO DO THAT.
I'M JUST SAYING, WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE THIS GREATER GANG.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THIS GAME CAN KEEP GOING UP.
INSTEAD OF COMING BACK DOWN IN THE SAND, IT DOESN'T NECESSARILY COME DOWN, BUT IT'S JUST NOT GOING TO GO FORWARD MUCH MORE WHAT I'M SAYING.
AND I'VE BEEN SAYING THAT FOR ABOUT FIVE YEARS NOW, SO FAR I'VE BEEN WRONG.
NO, I JUST THINK THAT I'M JUST THINKING WELL, AND YOU KNOW, BUT I'M IN TOTAL AGREEMENT THAT SOMEWHERE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PICK UP SOME OF THE GAP THAT WE HAVE CLOSED WITH OUR EMPLOYEES SOMEHOW KIND OF WHERE WE'VE LANDED.
AND WHERE ARE WE PLANNED? IT IS, I THINK EVERYBODY LIKES THE IDEA OF A, OF A WAGE ADJUSTMENT.
THAT'S A LUMP SUM WAGE ADJUSTMENT, AS OPPOSED TO A PERCENTAGE
[00:25:01]
THAT'S KIND OF THE, IT TOOK US 30 MINUTES TO GET THAT SAY IT, BUT WE ALL, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT WE ARRIVED.UM, SO LET ME GET MYSELF WHERE YOU GOING TO HEAR MY LITTLE CHEAT SHEET.
SO NOW WE GOTTA DO IS FIGURE OUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT A WAGE ADJUSTMENT.
WE GOT TO FIGURE OUT, UH, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO USE AS A BASIS FOR THAT IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO COME UP WITH SOME GOOD LOGICAL FOUNDATION FOR THAT.
AND THEN WE GOT TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE MONEY'S COMING FROM.
UM, SO LOOK BACK AT THAT SPREADSHEET AND LET'S TALK ABOUT WHAT WE'RE SEEING THE REQUESTS FROM THE DEPARTMENTS.
UM, AND YOU MIGHT WANT TO PENCIL THIS IN AND I'M JUST GOING TO GO TO THE SECOND PAGE, THE TOP OF THAT TOP NUMBER ON THE FAR RIGHT, WHICH IS THE, UH, TOTAL GENERAL FUND BUDGET REQUEST THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE ROAD AND BRIDGE.
HOWEVER, GENERAL FUND BUDGET REQUESTS FROM OUR DEPARTMENTS IS 62 MILLION.
OUR TAX LEVY FOR THIS YEAR IS 44 MILLION.
SO JUST FOR SAKE OF ARGUMENT, IF WE DECIDED THAT WE WERE GOING TO, UH, FUND ALL OF THE REQUESTS AND WE WERE LOOKING AT A 15% INCREASE IN, UH, TAXING ON OUR PROPERTY OWNERS.
SO I DON'T KNOW ABOUT Y'ALL, BUT THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THAT'S A, THAT'S A PRETTY BIG BITE FOR PEOPLE.
AND YOU KNOW, OUR, I MEAN, OUR, I KNOW YOU HEAR THIS AND PROBABLY YOU HAVE FAMILY MEMBERS THAT TALK ABOUT THEIR PROPERTY TAXES AND WE'RE ONLY 20% OF THEIR PROPERTY TAXES, BUT WE'RE STILL 20% OF THEIR PROPERTY TAXES.
SO DOES ANYBODY HERE? SO WHAT DO Y'ALL THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH MORE MONEY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 44 TO 62? SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT $8 MILLION INCREASING WEST, AND I DON'T SEE HOW WE CAN FUND THAT.
UM, HOW MANY, I MEAN, UH, YOU KNOW, PRELIMINARY NUMBERS OR PREDICTIONS ON WHAT WE'RE GOING TO EXPECT TO RECEIVE THIS YEAR VERSUS LAST YEAR, AS FAR AS THE REVENUE GOES TO WORK WITH US, OR SHE HAS HERE, THAT'S THE PROJECTION, THAT'S THAT THAT'S THAT PROJECTION RIGHT THERE THAT SHE GAVE US.
BUT THAT'S ASSUMING THAT WE KEPT OUR TAX RATE, THE SAME THING WE WOULD RAISE AND RAISED TAXES, 15% AROUND YEAH.
15% TAX THAT WE WOULD RAISE TAXES WITH RIGHT NOW WE'RE NOT RAISING THE PERCENT TAX WE'RE RAISING THE TAX.
IN OTHER WORDS, WE'RE KEEPING WHAT THE APPRAISALS WENT UP.
WE'RE NOT CUTTING CUT THE SLACK, UM, WHICH WE'VE HAD TO DO IN THE PAST BEFORE WE HAD NEVER, YOU KNOW, SO, SO I JUST LIKE TO JUMP IN, I'M SORRY.
UH, I WAS FOLLOWING THE MEETING, UH, ONLINE, UH, AND NOT TO BE A NAYSAYER ABOUT ANY OF THIS.
I ABSOLUTELY AGREE WITH ALL THE CONCEPTS.
THERE'S NO DOUBT THAT OUR WORKFORCE IS, UH, YOU KNOW, THE, PROBABLY THE SINGLE BIGGEST, MOST IMPORTANT THING TO THE FUNCTIONALITY OF THE COUNTY.
UH, AND, AND IT IS UNCOMPLIANT ON THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO SUPPORT THE WORKFORCE.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THE HUNDRED BETWEEN 150 AND 190,000 CONSTITUENTS THAT ARE OUT THERE.
AND, UH, UH, MAYBE I'M THE ONLY COMMISSIONER, BUT, UH, MY PHONES HAVE, SINCE THE APPRAISAL STARTED COMING OUT, HAVE REALLY BEEN ON FIRE WITH PEOPLE'S CONCERN ABOUT EVEN THEIR INABILITY TO PAY ANOTHER HUNDRED OR $150, UH, YOU KNOW, CAUSE UH, FIXED INCOME PEOPLE ARE JUST REALLY HURTING NOW.
SO, UH, I THINK IT'S, I, I REALLY JUST, AT THIS POINT, JUST WANT TO RESURFACE THE, THE CONCEPT THAT I KNOW YOU ALL, UH, ADHERE TO, THAT WE ALSO HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO THESE TAXPAYERS AND, UH, ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO LOWER THEIR TAX BURDEN.
THAT'S WHY THE LEGISLATURE HAS A NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE THAT THE, THAT THEY PUT OUT EVERY YEAR.
AND, UH, I HAVE BEEN AN ADVOCATE AS THE JUDGE KNOWS THIS I'VE BEEN AN ADVOCATE SINCE WE STARTED TALKING INFORMALLY ABOUT OUR TAXES THAT WE CONSIDER A NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE, BECAUSE THAT REALLY WILL HAVE BROAD IMPLICATIONS FOR, FOR ALL OF THESE 190,000 PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN COPELAND COUNTY.
I KNOW THAT DOESN'T MAKE A, THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT VERY, UH, VERY EASY TO FIND ADDITIONAL MONEY TO, TO DO SOMETHING FOR OUR EMPLOYEES, WHICH
[00:30:01]
NO, NO QUESTION WE NEED TO DO THAT.WELL, THE ONLY PLACE THE MONEY WOULD COME FROM WOULD HAVE TO COME OUT OF OUR EXPENSE SIDE, YOU KNOW, OUT OF I HAVE TO COME UP, WE WOULD HAVE TO DO AS, JUST AS WE'RE ASKING THE PUBLIC, JUST AS GOVERNMENT ASKED THE PUBLIC TO TIGHTEN THEIR BELTS.
UM, I, I WORKED IN GOVERNMENT FOR 35 YEARS BEFORE I GOT THIS JOB.
AND THERE WERE MANY, MANY TIMES WHERE, UH, AT EVERY LEVEL GOVERNMENTS HAD, UH, THEY HAD EMPLOYEE HIRING FREEZES.
UH, THERE WERE YEARS THAT WE WENT WITHOUT A SALARY ADJUSTMENT AND I'M NOT ADVOCATING THAT WHATSOEVER, BUT I REALLY DO THINK THAT IT WOULD BE, UH, AT LEAST WORTH EXPLORING TO TRY TO ENCOURAGE EVERY DEPARTMENT AND EVERY ELECTED OFFICIALS OFFICE TO FIND EFFICIENCIES.
AND BELT-TIGHTENING WITHIN THEIR, WITHIN THEIR CURRENT BUDGETS TO TAKE THAT MONEY AND ROLL IT INTO EMPLOYEE COMPENSATION, AS OPPOSED TO TRYING TO TAKE IT OUT OF THE TAXPAYERS HOT, UH, LET ME DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO SOMETHING THAT, THAT WE'VE LEFT OUT OF THE CONVERSATION I LEFT OUT OF THE CONVERSATION, GOING BACK TO THIS, ANYBODY HAVE ANY REBUTTAL OR COMMENTS TO WHAT HE SAID? NO.
GOING BACK TO THIS PAGE, TO THIS SHEET ON THE FAR RIGHT SIDE, DO YOU SEE THAT $62 MILLION IN DEPARTMENT REQUEST? YOU MIGHT WANT TO WRITE THAT DOWN NEXT TO IT.
WE'RE GOING TO WE'LL FILL THAT IN LATER, BUT THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE $4 MILLION OF REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL WAGES IN POSITIONS, RIGHT? SO WE'RE REALLY TALKING ABOUT $66 MILLION, WHICH IS A $20 MILLION INCREASE.
SO ANYWAY, I JUST THAT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE, THAT WE REALIZED THAT THE BUDGET, THE BUDGET REQUEST AND THE DEPARTMENTS NOT JUST 62 MILLION, IT'S 62 MILLION PLUS 4 MILLION.
SO, UM, AND I, YOU KNOW, AND I THINK THE DEPARTMENTS SHOULD SUBMIT WHAT THEY FEEL LIKE THEY NEED TO RUN BEST IN CLASS OPERATION.
I MEAN, THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT, BUT I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT WE SHOULD ASK THEM TO DO.
UM, BUT THEN WE, YOU KNOW, WE GOTTA FIGURE IT OUT.
THEY KEEP INCREASING THE COST OF THE DEPARTMENT WITHOUT WEIGHTS AND GREASE PRETTY SOON.
AND I WON'T HAVE ANY EMPLOYEES.
WELL, YEAH, BUT I MEAN, THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE.
I THINK THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IS ALREADY THERE.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S WELL, NOT, NOT TO BRING UP A SORE SUBJECT, BUT THE ANSWER IS NOT ALWAYS THROWING MONEY AT SOMETHING.
UH, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT HAD TO HAVE 3% RAISE LAST YEAR AND, AND GOT THAT.
AND YET HE STILL SUFFERS FROM AN INABILITY TO, TO FILL THIS POSITION.
SO, SO, UH, THE ANSWER IS NOT ALWAYS JUST MORE MONEY AND MORE MONEY BECAUSE THERE IS NO FREE MONEY.
ALL OF THIS MONEY HAS TO COME OUT OF SOMEBODY'S POCKET AND EVERY EMPLOYEE WHO, WHO, UH, MIGHT GET, UH, W WHATEVER THE DOLLAR AMOUNT MIGHT BE A FIXED AMOUNT, UH, TWO, 3000, THEY MIGHT, THEY MIGHT LOSE 20% OF IT OR 30% OF IT TO THEIR PROPERTY TAX.
WELL, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY UP HERE IS SAYING THAT WE WANT TO RAISE THE TAX RATE, AND THIS IS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS ABOUT SPINNING MONEY.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY WE HAVE TO SPEND.
BUT IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT PAPER, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT LAUREN AND MONEY, THEN LET'S REALLY SERIOUSLY TALK ABOUT TO THE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR HOUSE OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO SAY DOWN THERE.
AND IF THEY PAY, IF THEY PAY, I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE AVERAGE THING IS ON THE ASSET SIDE IS ABOUT 11 TO $1,200 A YEAR, AND THAT'S THEIR SCHOOL TAX EVERYTHING.
AND WE'RE 20% OF THE END OF THE DAY, A $200,000 HOUSE.
IT'S A LOT MORE THAN $1,100 SYSTEM, ABOUT FOUR OR FIVE GRAND.
MA'AM ABOUT 4,000, 4,000, 4,000.
I DON'T EVEN, YOU KNOW, I GET FROM MY WIFE.
SO WE USED TO EVERYBODY GIVE HIM AN EXAMPLE OF A HUNDRED THOUSAND, BUT WE'RE ONLY 20%.
AND IF, AND IF WE'RE ONLY 20% OF THE COST, THEN IF THE RAYS, IF IT COSTS US 15%, THEN 15% OF THE 20% IS ALL WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
DOES THAT NOT CORRECT? YOU KNOW, I JUST WANT TO GO BACK TO THE DOLLARS MIKE'S TOLD ME NO, BUT I MEAN, I JUST DON'T HAVE THE NUMBER.
I MEAN, I GUESS WHEN I WRITE THAT PHOTO, WHEN I WRITE THAT CHECK TO THE TAX OFFICE, I'M NOT WRITING THE TEXT RATE NUMBER.
I'M WONDERING HOW MANY DOLLARS, BUT IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT $15 OR $200 VERSUS, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT THE HOME TAX BILL.
WELL, I THINK WE ALL, I THINK EVERYBODY TO REALLY UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT WE WANT TO MAKE IT, BUT WE STILL ARE JUST A COMPONENT OF THE TOTAL TAX BILL, BECAUSE THEY GOT EVERY OTHER FACTOR,
[00:35:01]
THE SMALLEST COMPONENT, THEY HAVE, EVERYBODY ELSE'S PET TAXES ARE GOING UP, RIGHT.WELL, I DON'T THINK, I THINK WE ARE GENERALLY AGREEMENT THAT WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT TO OUR WAGES, IF NOTHING ELSE, BUT AT LEAST, AT LEAST AN ADJUSTMENT TO OUR WAGES TO ACCOMMODATE WHATEVER WE FORECAST OR WHATEVER, SOMEBODY SMARTER THAN US FORECAST, THE INFLATION RATE WILL BE.
UM, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S ARGUING ABOUT THAT.
I MEAN, I THINK WE FEEL LIKE WE'VE GOT TO DO ONE, THIS ONE, EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THE DIFFERENCE IS WHEN YOU, CAUSE Y'ALL WERE YOU SENT DOLLARS, BUT THEN YOU WERE TALKING PERCENTAGES MANY OF THE GOALS.
SO THAT'S WHY I SAID CAME BACK WITH BRISA WAS I TOLD HIM THAT PERCENTAGES, WHEN YOU STARTED TALKING ABOUT, WE WERE 20% OF THIS AND WE WERE DOING THAT, SO, OKAY.
WELL, THEY WERE SAYING, YOU SAID, WELL, NOBODY WANTS A 15% INCREASE.
NOBODY WANTS A 15% INCREASE IN TAXES, BUT IT'S SERIOUSLY NOT A 15% TOLD HIM THERE'D BE NO, I'LL, I'LL, I'LL MAKE AN OATH HERE.
I WON'T TALK ABOUT TAX RATE AND I WILL TALK ABOUT PERSISTENT.
SO I JUST CAME BACK WITH THE SAME THING, KAREN.
AND I SAID, WELL, MAYBE SOMEBODY OVER HERE IN THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE COULD PROBABLY FIGURED IT OUT.
IT MAY BE WHAT WE NEED TO BE TALKING TO $3,000 HOME AND GIVE ME A DOLLAR FIGURE ON WHAT THAT IS.
HERE'S A, HERE'S A RED MAYBE REALLY GOOD WAY FOR US TO BE TALKING ABOUT THAT.
AND WE CAN, WE CAN EASILY COME UP WITH THAT.
LET'S SEE, WHAT IS THE IMPACT GOING TO BE ON SOMEBODY WHO LIVES IN A $250,000 HOUSE AND SOMEBODY LIVES IN A, I DON'T KNOW, $500,000 HOUSE.
AND LET'S LOOK AT WHAT THE IMPACT IS GOING TO BE ON A, A MILLION DOLLAR BUSINESS IN A $5 MILLION BUSINESS.
AND I THINK THAT'LL GIVE US A REAL WORLD.
WELL, SOMETHING REALLY REAL STUFF TO LOOK AT IS I'M AGREEING.
I'M JUST SAYING, AND I LIKED THE DOLLAR FIGURE, BUT I'M JUST SAYING THAT LET'S GET DOWN TO THE DOLLARS THAT WE'RE ACTUALLY TALKING TO THEM ABOUT.
IF WE'RE, IF, IF, AND I KNOW YOU'RE, YOU'RE PROMISED NOT TO USE IT PER SE, BUT I'M HAPPY TO USE IT ONE MORE TIME.
IF WE'RE GOING TO USE IT, IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE GOING TO, IF YOU'RE GOING TO SAY THAT IT'S A 15% TAX INCREASE AND EVERYBODY HERE'S THAT NUMBER AND IT SCARES THEM DEATH.
WELL, THAT, WASN'T QUITE WHAT IT IS.
IF YOU TOOK YOUR WHOLE TAX BILL, IT DIDN'T GO UP 15% BECAUSE OF US.
SO I'M GOING TO GIVE MYSELF A HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT.
AND THAT'S GOING TO BE, UH, I'M GOING TO COME UP WITH FOUR, UH, REAL PROPERTY TAX EXAMPLES, TWO BUSINESS, AND TWO RESIDENTIAL.
AND WHENEVER WE DO, I WILL NEED A REAL ESTATE PERSON.
I NEEDED SOMEBODY TO GIVE ME AN AVERAGE OF WHAT I COST IN THE DISTRICT CAN DO THAT.
I WANT US TO COME BACK WITH ALL $300,000 PRICE HOMES, OR CAN I CLARIFY SOMETHING FOR YOU? OKAY.
ON YOUR GENERAL FUND SUMMARY UP HERE, IT HAS THE $44 MILLION.
THAT'S CURRENT MONEY I'VE COLLECTED.
THAT'S NOT AN ESTIMATE OF WHAT WE'RE GOING TO COLLECT IN THE BUDGET BOOK.
THAT'S THE LEVY, JUST SO YOU KNOW.
NO, I DID NOT BUDGET ANY GENERAL FUND BALANCE EITHER.
SO THERE'S TWO OPTIONS THERE TO LOOK AT SOMETHING IF WE NEED IT.
UM, I KNOW THAT I, MAN, I RAN KNOW THAT WAS LETTING ME OKAY.
SO WHERE, WHEN IT COMES TO TAX DOLLARS, UH, I'M GOING TO COME UP WITH A, I DON'T WANT TO WORK MYSELF TO DEATH, BUT I'M GOING TO COME UP WITH A, MAYBE A COUPLE OF RESIDENTIAL, A COUPLE OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES AND A COUPLE OF BUSINESS PROPERTIES AND WE'LL WHATEVER WE LOOK WE'LL APPLY THE IMPACT OF THAT AND SEE WHAT WILL THAT ACTUALLY COST AND, UH, AND THEIR NAMES.
WE WON'T HAVE TO TALK ABOUT PERCENTAGES AND TAX RATE.
WE CAN SAY THIS, THIS, YOU KNOW, TO THE GUY THAT OWNS THIS HOUSE, IS, IS HE GOING TO BE, I THINK IT WON'T BE MAD BECAUSE WE CHARGED HIM 200 MORE OR IS GOING TO UNDERSTAND THAT WE ALSO NEED EMPLOYEES.
THAT MEAN, I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYBODY'S EVER GONNA REALLY, YOU KNOW, BE EXCITED ABOUT PAYING A DOLLAR IN TAXES REALLY.
BUT, UM, THAT'S, WE CAN'T, I UNDERSTAND THAT.
I JUST WANT EVERYBODY TO UNDERSTAND THE REAL PICTURE OF THE DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT IT'S ABOUT.
I MEAN, IF YOU WANT TO CHOOSE DOLLARS, THEN WE'LL CHOOSE DOLLARS AND THAT'S FINE.
I THINK, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? IT'S KIND OF LIKE FLAT RATE AND W WE WANT TO REALLY DISCUSS, AND, AND YOU CAN ASK YOUR
[00:40:01]
CONSTITUENTS.I HAVE PROBABLY, I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE THE MOST HOMES IN YOUR COUNTY, BUT I'VE BEEN ON PRETTY CLOSE.
I'M PRETTY CLOSE AND ANNABELLE, ALL THE COMPLAINTS THAT I'VE GOT, BELIEVE IT OR NOT.
NONE OF THEM MIN ABOUT TANK BILL.
I'LL HEAR THEM NOW THAT I'VE SAID THIS, BUT, BUT THE HONEST TRUTH IS THAT I BET THE ONLY TIME THAT I REALLY RECEIVED THE BIGGEST COMPLAINTS OVER HOUSE AND TAX BILLS OF THE HOUSE IS FROM MUD DISTRICTS OF BRAND NEW PEOPLE THAT JUST MOVED THERE.
AND YOU KNOW HOW THEY CLOSE A HOUSE.
EVERYBODY, I THINK MAYBE NOT EVERYBODY KNOWS, BUT WHEN THEY CLOSED THE HOUSE AT CLOSING IN MARCH, FEBRUARY OR SOMETHING, WELL, YOU DON'T GET A TAX BAIL.
YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T WANT TO GET IT ON THE PROPERTY.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT THEIR TAX.
SO THE NEXT YEAR THAT GETS TAXED AND THEY GET THE MUD BILL AND THEY GET THE COUNTY AND THEY GET THE CD AND THEY GET THE MUD TAX.
THEY GET ALL THESE TEXAS AND THEY SAID, WHOA, WHAT IS THIS? AND THAT'S WHEN I HEAR FROM THEM.
BUT I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT, UH, THIS YEAR I REALLY THOUGHT THAT EVERYBODY WOULD REALLY GET REALLY BENT OUT OF SHAPE OVER THE APPRAISALS.
YOU SOMETIMES IT WAS PRETTY QUIET FOR SOME REASON.
I'VE HEARD PLENTY FROM PEOPLE, BUT I MEAN, I DIDN'T HEAR AS MUCH AS DID THE YEAR, THE PREVIOUS YEAR WAS THE PREVIOUS YEAR, A YEAR BEFORE LAST BUT LAST TWO YEARS.
I MEAN, BUT THIS YEAR WAS A LITTLE QUIETER THAN IT WAS BEFORE, AND I JUST, I WAS SURPRISED.
SO, UM, I'M GOING TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE CAN LOOK AT FOUR SPECIFIC PROPERTIES AND WHATEVER WE, AND WE WANT TO RUN EXAMPLES THROUGH THERE ABOUT HOW MANY DOLLARS IN TAXES IS GOING TO IMPACT THOSE PROPERTIES.
I THINK THAT'S A PRETTY, THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD TEST.
AND I GUESS, I GUESS THE REASON WHY PEOPLE ALWAYS USE PER A HUNDRED, CAUSE YOU COULD, YOU COULD MULTIPLY THAT BY 1, 2, 3, AND FOUR.
THEY ALWAYS USED TO ALWAYS JUST DRIVE ME CRAZY WITH NEW MUSIC.
THAT'S PER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLAR HOME.
AND I'D SAY THERE'S NO A HUNDRED THOUSAND OUT AT HOME, YOU KNOW, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT.
I MEAN, THAT'S NEVER HOW WE DO IT.
WE DIRECT YOU BACK TO THE SPREADSHEET AGAIN, RIGHT.
UH, SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'VE ALWAYS DONE DURING THE BUDGET DISCUSSIONS IS COMPARE THE PREVIOUS YEAR OR THE CURRENT YEAR'S BUDGET TO WHAT THE BUDGET REQUEST IS FOR THIS COMING YEAR.
AND, AND I, I, LOOKING BACK, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S THE BEST COMPARISON.
I THINK WHAT WE SHOULD YOU SEE THAT THE COLUMN AND FORTH ON OVER THE FIFTH ONE OVER THIS SAYS PROJECTED TOTAL EXPENDITURES.
UH, WE HAVE EXPENDITURE NUMBERS THROUGH JUNE, WHICH IS NINE OF 12 MONTHS.
UM, I THINK WHAT WE OUGHT TO ASK THE AUDITOR TO DO THAT SHE'S ALREADY GOT THE TOTALS, ASK THEM TO TAKE THAT NUMBER ABOUT IT.
TAKE THE TOTAL EXPENDITURE TO DATE DIVIDED BY NINE, MULTIPLY TIMES 12 AND FILL THAT IN TO S BECAUSE HERE'S WHAT I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO SEE.
WE HAVE, WE HAVE A LOT OF MONEY ON THE TABLE AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT A BETTER TICKET WE'RE WHERE PEOPLE ARE BEING, I WOULD SAY OVERLY CAUTIOUS ON THEIR BUDGET.
AND SO LET'S, LET ME GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE.
IF I, IF I BUDGET $10,000 FOR OFFICE SUPPLIES, MY DEPARTMENT AND I SPEND TWO, AND THEN I RETURNED $8,000 TO THE COUNTY, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GREAT, BUT DID I RETURN 8,000? DID I GO $8,000 UNSPENT BECAUSE I WAS FRUGAL OR BECAUSE I BUDGETED TOO MUCH MONEY.
SO WHAT THAT DOES IS THAT TAKES $8,000 OFF OF WHAT WE CAN WORK WITH AND IN BLANKS YOUR BUDGET.
WELL, IT TAKES A, IT TAKES MONEY OUT OF, WE HAVE TO TAX PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE TO TAX PEOPLE FOR WHAT WE'RE, WHAT WE MAY BE OVER BUDGETING.
SO I THINK WE SHOULD LOOK AT THAT NUMBER AND SEE IF WE CAN, IF WE CAN GENERATE SOME FLEXIBILITY.
NOW, HERE'S, I'VE TALKED TO KAREN ABOUT THIS THE OTHER DAY.
AND KAREN, IF I'M LYING, YOU TELL ME, KAREN, KAREN AGREED WITH ME THAT WE'VE NEVER DENIED SOMEBODY THAT GOT OVER BUDGET ON A LINE ITEM OR SOMETHING HAPPENED THAT THEY NEEDED CONTINGENCY MONEY PUT INTO THEIR BUDGET.
[00:45:01]
TRUE.AND SO IF WE CAN CONVINCE OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS CONVINCED THE COUNTY JUDGE, WELL, MAYBE YOU NEED TO CUT THAT OFF THE SUPPLY BUDGET DOWN FROM 10 TO TWO, BECAUSE THAT'S ALL YOU'VE BEEN SPENDING FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS.
AND IF WE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU, IF YOU KNOW SOMETHING HAPPENS AND YOU HAVE TO BUY A NEW BAG OF PAPER OR SOMETHING, WE'LL, WE'LL TRANSFER YOU OUT OF CONTINGENCY OR WE'LL DO A LINE ITEM TRANSFER, LUCKILY ALWAYS DONE.
OR WE GAVE YOU A BAG OF PAPER.
I THINK, I THINK, CAUSE I THINK, I THINK SOME PEOPLE HAVE THE PERCEPTION THAT GOING OVER ON A LINE ITEM IS A REALLY TERRIBLE THING TO DO.
AND I WOULD SAY IF YOU DON'T, IF YOU'VE GOT A BUDGET THAT CONSISTS OF 15 LINE ITEMS AND YOU DON'T EVER GO OVER ANYTHING, THEN YOU'RE, YOU'RE BEING TOO CONSERVATIVE.
YOU NEED TO BE A LITTLE MORE AGGRESSIVE.
YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO LET THEM GO OVER BUDGET.
YOU HAVE TO WATCH THIS WHILE WE WATCH EVERYBODY'S BUDGET.
SO CLOSELY, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, I DID A REPORT AS OF JUNE BECAUSE WE GOT ALL THE BILLS PAID.
OUR GENERAL FUND REVENUE IS SITTING AT 93% COLLECTED.
OUR EXPENDITURES IN GENERAL FUND ARE ONLY 68%.
SO THAT MEANS THERE'S STILL PLENTY OF PERCENTAGE 32% SPENT IN THE NEXT THREE MONTHS JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF, SO I THINK IT'S WORTH US LOOKING AT, AND IF WE SEEK AND CONSISTENTLY THAT, UH, THAT OUR DEPARTMENT IS RETURNING MONEY OR IS OVER BUDGETING, WE SHOULD GO BACK TO THAT DEPARTMENT AND SAY, JUDGE, WHY DON'T YOU LOOK AT YOUR LINE ITEM ON OFFICE SUPPLIES OR YOUR TOTAL BUDGET.
YOUR TOTAL BUDGET HAS BEEN YOU'VE OVER BUDGET ABOUT 25% FOR THE LAST TWO YEARS.
SO MAYBE YOU NEED TO KIND OF PULL THAT BACK A LITTLE BIT AND FREE THAT MONEY UP FOR US.
AND THAT'S LESS MONEY THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE IN TAXES TO MAKE OUR BUDGET BATTLES.
THAT'S WHAT I'VE DONE SINCE I'VE BEEN THERE.
UM, CAUSE THAT'S ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS I SAW WHEN I CAME IN, WHEN I SAW THE BUDGET THAT I WAS LEFT WITH, UH, THERE WERE THINGS ON THERE IN THE ROUND RIGHTEOUSLY.
I MEAN, THERE WAS JUST TOO MUCH MONEY IN THERE.
THEY HAD NEVER SPENT THAT MONEY, BUT THEY ALWAYS, EVERY YEAR THEY PUT IT BACK IN THERE.
SO I CHANGED THAT, UH, AND DOING THAT AGAIN, IT GAVE ME, YOU KNOW, MORE MONEY IN MY BUDGET CAUSE ROAD AND BRIDGE IS SEPARATE OF COURSE, BUT IT GAVE ME MORE MONEY TO USE FOR OTHER THINGS AND IT WORKS OUT REAL GOOD.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID, ALL DEPARTMENT HEADS SHOULD TAKE A LOOK AT THAT AND SEE, YOU KNOW, IS THERE SOMETHING ELSE WE CAN DO? IT COULD HELP WITH RAISES WHATEVER, YOU KNOW, AS LONG AS WE CONVINCED, AS LONG AS THE DEPARTMENT HEADS CAN BE CONVINCED THAT IF THEY, IF THEY NEED BUDGET ASSISTANCE DURING THE YEAR THAT IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A BIG DEAL.
USUALLY DON'T EVER TELL ME NO, I THINK OUR, I THINK OUR PEOPLE ARE PRETTY FRUGAL ACTUALLY.
I MEAN, IF WE, WE HAVE 30% OR EVEN 20% OVER BUDGETED, THAT'S 20% OF OUR TOTAL ANNUAL BUDGET IS A REALLY POSITIVE THING.
WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU LOOK TO FUND THINGS LIKE EMPLOYEE RAISES, AS OPPOSED TO THAT MONEY JUST BEING ESSENTIALLY CLOGGED UP FOR AN ENTIRE 12 MONTH PERIOD.
THE GOOD THING ABOUT IN THE PAST HAS BEEN WHEN THE BUDGET WAS LARGER THAN THE EXPENDITURES IS THAT MONEY HELPED SUPPORT OUR FUND BALANCE.
BUT I THINK YOU AGREE THAT WE'RE PRETTY GOOD SHAPE ON OUR FUND BALANCE RIGHT NOW.
AND, AND SO WE DON'T, WE DON'T NEED THAT, THAT LITTLE METHOD OF ADDING TO OUR FUND BALANCE.
LIKE WE MIGHT HAVE AT ONE TIME.
SO WHAT DO YOU, IS THAT A GOOD, SO IF WE CAN PERSUADE THE AUDITOR, UH, HE, HER WORKER BEES AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S GOING TO BE A ROUGH ESTIMATE OF, OF ESTIMATED EXPENDITURES BECAUSE YOU'RE BASICALLY JUST TAKING NINE MONTHS DIVIDED BY, UH, DIVIDED BY NINE AND MULTIPLY THAT TIMES 12.
SO IT'S NOT A PRECISION EXERCISE AT THIS POINT.
IT'S JUST KIND OF AN ESTIMATE, BUT WE COULD REFRESH THAT AT THE END OF JULY, THEY'VE BEEN TAKING NOTES, I'VE BEEN WATCHING THEM.
AND THEN, SO WE WILL HAVE A COMPARISON AT LEAST, AND MAYBE WE CAN, MAYBE WE CAN FREE UP SOME THAT WE CAN FREE UP SOME BUDGET MONEY THERE.
TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT, CAUSE THIS IS SOMETHING I THINK WE'RE, WE ALL WILL, OR WE PROBABLY GOTTEN QUESTIONS ABOUT HAVING TO DO WITH FUNDING.
[00:50:02]
UM, WHAT WE'VE DONE EVERY YEAR, SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, WE'VE SENT A LETTER TO THE NONPROFITS AND ASKED THEM TO THE ONES THAT WE'VE TYPICALLY FUNDED.WE'VE ASKED THE NONPROFITS TO MAKE A REQUEST AND I HAVEN'T ALL DONE THAT.
I MEAN, WE'VE SORT OF BEEN WINGING IT.
AND SO WHAT WE DID THIS YEAR IS WE SENT THEM A FORM THAT ASKED INFORMATION ABOUT LIKE, WHAT, WHAT DO YOU DO? WHAT'S YOUR ORGANIZATION? DO, WHO DO YOU SERVE? UH, SEND US YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENT, YOU KNOW, SEND US A FINANCIAL STATEMENT THAT TELLS US, YOU KNOW, SO WE CAN EVALUATE THAT AND TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR GOVERNANCE AND YOUR PROCEDURES AND STUFF.
AND IT'S, UH, I THINK IT MIGHT HAVE IT'S, IT'S A FILL IN THE BLANK THING.
I THINK MAYBE THERE WERE TWO PAGES TO IT.
SO MY, WHAT I'M HOPING THAT WE'LL DO IS AS AFTER WE GET WORK THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT FUNDING, THAT WE'LL MAKE A DECISION AS TO HOW MUCH TOTAL MONEY WE FEEL LIKE WE CAN DEDICATE TOWARDS NONPROFITS, THEN WE'LL GO THROUGH TOGETHER.
WE'LL GO THROUGH THE APPLICATIONS THAT WE RECEIVE AND WE'LL DECIDE HOW TO ALLOCATE THAT MONEY BASED ON, BASED ON ALL THE ANSWERS THAT THEY GIVE US, LIKE, YOU KNOW, WHO DO THEY SERVE AND UH, HOW ARE THEY FUNDED AND THAT SORT OF THING.
SO, BUT THAT'S GOING TO BE, AND I'VE TOLD THEM, I'VE HAD THIS CONVERSATION WITH BY EMAIL OR WHATEVER SEVERAL THAT'S GOING TO BE.
YOU KNOW, THAT'S GOING TO BE A FEW WEEKS AWAY BEFORE WE GET TO, THAT'S GOING TO BE ONE OF PROBABLY THE LAST THINGS THAT WE ACTUALLY DO IS GO THROUGH THE ALLOCATION PROCESS.
WE COULD ACTUALLY DO A BUDGET WITHOUT EVEN DOING THAT.
I MEAN, WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO, BUT SO THERE'S NO BIG RUSH ON THAT, BUT IF Y'ALL THINK THAT'S A GOOD IDEA, WE'RE WAITING TO GET THOSE APPLICATIONS.
WE'RE GETTING SOME APPLICATIONS BACK NOW.
SO, UM, SO THE NEXT THING I THINK, SO THE FIRST THING WE HAVE, WHICH WE HAVEN'T MADE ANY DECISIONS, OBVIOUSLY YOUR DAY, EXCEPT WE JUST DECIDED WE WANT TO GO WITH, WE WANT TO LOOK AT, UH, ACROSS THE BOARD DOLLAR INCREASES.
UM, THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET INTO THE DETAILS ON THE DEPARTMENTS.
AND I SUGGEST THAT WE START, WE COULD EASILY, WE COULD START WITH THAT TOMORROW OR WEDNESDAY.
UM, LOOK AT THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE ASKING FOR NEW POSITIONS, WAGE ADJUSTMENTS, UH, SOME KIND OF REORGANIZATION OR SOMETHING THAT I WOULD CALL THEM.
THE OUTLIERS LET'S LOOK AT WHAT THEIR REQUESTS ARE.
UH, MAYBE AT THE END OF THE WEEK, MAYBE ON THURSDAY, I THINK WE'RE SCHEDULED FOR THURSDAY.
I THINK MAYBE THURSDAY, WE MIGHT ASK THE DEPARTMENTS TO COME UP AND HELP US UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR NEED IS AND WHY THEY'RE ASKING FOR AN INCREASE.
IT'S GOING TO BE HARD FOR US TO DO NEW POSITIONS AND INCREASES.
UH, I WOULD ASK WILL, MAY COME HERE.
I WOULD ASK THAT IF ANYBODY'S ASKING FOR A WAGE INCREASE FOR AN EXISTING EMPLOYEE, THEY NEED TO STAY WITHIN THEIR WAGE BRACKET.
OR IF THE WAGE BRACKET IS WRONG, THEY NEED TO TELL US, UM, WHERE ARE YOU? W WHERE ARE YOU GETTING YOUR INFORMATION? THAT OUR BRACKET IS WRONG? THAT MAKES SENSE, EVERYBODY.
UM, WE DON'T HAVE A MEETING SCHEDULE FOR TUESDAY OR WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY NEXT WEEK.
UH, WE'VE GOT SOME SCHEDULING CONFLICTS.
DO Y'ALL WANT TO TRY TO SCHEDULE A BUDGET MEETING FOR FRIDAY MORNING ON THE 29TH, WHICH IS A WEEK FROM FRIDAY.
I DON'T THINK IT MIGHT HAVE WORSE.
ONE IS WHO WANTS TO DO IT IN THE AFTERNOON? I WOULD STILL ASK JUDGE THAT, THAT SOME OF THESE BUDGET HEARINGS BE SCHEDULED IN THE EVENING WHERE IF ANY OF OUR CITIZENS WANT TO ATTEND, THAT THEY HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO SO.
WOULD YOU BE SATISFIED? WE DID ONE, UH, I'D BE SATISFIED.
THE, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE LINE SHARE OF OUR CITIZENS ALL HAVE JOBS AND DAY JOBS AND THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN'T COME TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT MEETINGS.
AND, UH, AND EVEN THOUGH, UH, COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS, DIDN'T HEAR, I HEARD A LOT.
AND, UH, IF YOU EVER LOOK AT SOCIAL MEDIA, YOU'LL SEE YOU, THERE WAS A LOT OF ISSUES WITH THE APPRAISALS THIS YEAR.
SO I JUST THINK IT'S FRONT AND CENTER.
I THINK IT'S FRONT AND CENTER, UH, PEOPLE'S POCKETBOOKS.
UH, AND, AND, UH, AGAIN, WE, WE REPRESENT AT LEAST 150,000 OF THEM AND THEY ALL HAD, THEY SHOULD HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO WEIGH IN ON THE BUDGET.
[00:55:01]
I'D KINDA LIKE TO HEAR FROM EVERYBODY ABOUT WHAT YOUR THINKING IS, IS BALANCING THE, THE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THAT WE COLLECT IN TAXES, WHICH I WOULD SAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INCREASING THE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THAT WE COLLECT IN TAXES, AS OPPOSED TO, UM, WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO TO MEET THE REQUESTS OF OUR DEPARTMENTS.I MEAN, YOU MAY NOT HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY.
I DON'T KNOW, BUT I JUST WOULD LIKE TO HEAR YOUR OPINION BECAUSE I'M LOOKING FOR DIRECTION.
WELL, I MEAN, I THINK, I THINK I'VE ALREADY KIND OF SAID IT.
I, I, I THINK THAT OUR GOAL SHOULD BE TO REDUCE THE TAX RATE AND TO REDUCE THE BURDEN ON INDIVIDUAL TAXPAYERS.
AND I KNOW WE HAVE TO BALANCE THE NEEDS OF OUR EMPLOYEES, BUT IF THAT, IF THAT MEANS WE HAVE TO TIGHTEN OUR BELT AND RESTRICT NEW POSITIONS, UM, NEW EQUIPMENT, THAT SORT OF THING.
I THINK THAT THAT'S INCUMBENT ON US TO DO THAT BECAUSE, UH, I THINK PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTY, UH, THAT, THAT THEY ARE HURTING, THAT THEY'RE HURTING FROM TAX THE TAX BURDEN.
AND, UH, AGAIN, THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
UH, ALTHOUGH I THINK ALL OF US, EXCEPT THAT NO ONE GETS RICH WORKING IN GOVERNMENT.
SO WE HAVE TO, UH, TAKE IN CONSIDERATION THE NEEDS OF THE EMPLOYEES, BUT THAT HAS TO BE BALANCED AGAINST THE IMPACT ON THE TAXPAYER AND EVERY OTHER TAXING ENTITY, UM, YOU KNOW, HAS THE SAME OBLIGATIONS.
UM, AND AS YOU CAN SEE THAT LOOK AT SOME OF THE SCHOOL BOND ELECTIONS THAT HAPPENED RECENTLY, THE PUBLIC WAS NOT SUPPORTIVE OF MORE TAXES.
SO, UH, I THINK TO THE EXTENT THAT WE COULD ASK DEPARTMENT HEADS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS TO TIGHTEN THEIR BELT AND TO DO MORE WITH LESS, THAT TH THAT IS THAT THAT OUGHT TO BE OUR NUMBER ONE GOAL, UH, AND THEN TAKE THOSE SAVINGS AND ROLL THOSE INTO, UH, PLUS UPS FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.
UH, I THINK THAT AS LONG AS WE DON'T RAISE THE TAX RATE, THAT PEOPLE WILL BE FINE WITH THAT.
I REALLY DO A LOT OF PEOPLE I'VE TALKED TO.
I SAID, JUST WHATEVER YOU DO, DON'T RAISE OUR TAX RATE.
UH, IF WE CAN KEEP THINGS THE SAME AND STILL DO WHAT WE WANT TO DO, THEN I THINK WE'LL BE IN A GOOD POSITION, BUT I AGREE THAT, UH, IF EVERYBODY COULD TIGHTEN UP A LITTLE BIT, THAT WOULD HELP BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK LIKE MY OFFICE, FOR EXAMPLE, YOU KNOW, I'VE GOT 13 GUYS ON MY CREW.
I HAVE TWO EMPTY SPOTS RIGHT NOW.
WELL, THE GUYS ARE DOING THE JOB.
SO IF I DON'T FILL THOSE TWO SPOTS AND THAT'S SAVING US SOME MONEY, CAUSE IN THE GUYS THEY'RE MAKING A LITTLE MORE MONEY THAN THEY'RE MORE WILLING TO PUT UP WITH LESS PEOPLE DOING THE JOB.
AND, YOU KNOW, THEN THOSE GUYS WOULD WORK JUST AS HARD OR HARDER THAN THEY EVER HAVE.
UH, BUT I THINK MOST DEPARTMENTS WILL FEEL THAT WAY ABOUT THEIR EMPLOYEES.
AT LEAST IF THEY KNOW THAT THESE FOLKS THAT ARE HERE, WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO KEEP THEM BECAUSE WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THEM.
MAY HAVE TO WORK A LITTLE BIT HARDER, BUT HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT, I'M GETTING COMPENSATED FOR IT.
SO I THINK AGAIN, I LIKE WHAT KEN SAID, BUT I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO FOCUS ON THAT.
AND IF WE CAN LOOK AT NOT RAISING THE TAX RATE, BECAUSE ANYTIME WE'VE LOWERED IT, WHERE'S IT ALL COME FROM ROATAN BRIDGE AND WE CAN'T KEEP DOING THAT.
SO I'LL TAKE EXCEPTION TO THAT.
AS Y'ALL, Y'ALL GOT, Y'ALL HAD A DOLLAR INCREASE, THE ROAD AND BRIDGE BRIDGE.
DEPARTMENT'S HAD A DOLLAR INCREASE LAST YEAR, A DOLLAR INCREASE.
I MEAN, Y'ALL, UH, YOUR, YOUR DOLLARS TO SPENT WENT UP.
I DON'T REMEMBER NOW HOW MUCH, BUT IT WENT UP.
WHEN I CAME IN, WE WERE, I THINK AT 8 CENTS.
AND THEN WHEN YOU JUMPED IT UP TO 11 AND NOW WE'RE BACK DOWN TO EIGHT AGAIN, BUT IN THAT, RIGHT? YEAH.
BUT WHAT WENT ON, WENT DOWN TO $5 DOLLARS.
WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES THE TAX RATE BANK, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT DOESN'T, I DON'T KNOW WHAT DIFFERENCE IS, HOW MUCH MONEY YOU HAVE, NOT WHAT THE TAX RATE IS.
I THINK SOMETIMES THE TAX RATE IS USED TO CONFUSE PEOPLE.
WELL, THAT'S WHAT THE, THAT'S WHAT PEOPLE CLAIM TO ME ABOUT.
THAT TAX, RIGHT? THAT, THAT NUMBER IS ALL THEY LOOK AT.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT THEY COMPLAIN ABOUT.
I SEE THAT NUMBER WHEN I WRITE THAT CHECK.
BUT WHEN I HAVE PEOPLE, WHEN I HAVE PEOPLE COMPLAIN TO ME ABOUT WHY CAN NOT FIX THEIR ROAD AND YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO TELL THEM, WELL, I DON'T HAVE AS MUCH MONEY AS I HAD THIS LAST TIME BASED ON THIS PERCENTAGE OR WHATEVER, TRY TO EXPLAIN TO THEM HOW THAT WORKS.
AND IT TAKES A WHILE, BUT THEY USUALLY GET IT.
BUT YOU HAD MORE MONEY LAST YEAR THAN YOU DID WITH THE YEAR BEFORE.
BUT I'M SAYING THAT PERCENTAGE NUMBER WAS THERE AND, AND THAT'S, YOU KNOW, THE TRUTH IS EVEN WHEN WE LOWER THE TAX RATE, PEOPLE PAY MORE IN TAXES, YOU KNOW, AS THE R VALUE.
AND THIS YEAR THEY'RE GOING TO PAY MORE DOLLARS FOR SURE.
IF WE KEPT THE TAX RATE THE SAME, IF WE DON'T LOWER THE TAX RATE AGAIN, PEOPLE'S TAX PAYMENTS ARE GOING UP.
[01:00:02]
WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE ANY MEETINGS NEXT WEEK.IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? HOW AM I GOING TO GET A PROPOSED BUDGET POSTED IT'S DUE NEXT WEEK? IT'S DUE THE 25TH, BUT IT'S THE DRAFT BUDGET, BUT THE DRAFT BUDGET IS JUST THAT IT'S A DRAFT.
WHEN YOU'RE THERE, WE'LL JUST PLUG NUMBERS.
WHAT DO YOU SAY SKIED? WHEN I SAY, I SAY THAT, THEN NO MATTER WHAT COMES OUT OF THIS, THEN OUR EMPLOYEES NEED A LITTLE BRACE.
UM, WE HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO QUITE MEET THE STANDARD OF MY, MY, MY FEELING.
I, I JUST, I KNOW KEN THINKS THAT MAYBE THE SHERIFF'S NOT DOING THE JOB THAT, UH, NO, YOU DON'T KNOW THAT.
I'VE NEVER SAID THAT THE WAY YOU SAID THAT HE WASN'T NICE THROWING MONEY AT A PROBLEM IS NOT ALWAYS THE ANSWER.
DON'T PLEASE DON'T PUT WORDS IN MY MOUTH.
WHAT I'M SAYING IS THAT WHENEVER A DEPARTMENT AROUND US IN KAUFMAN COUNTY IS PAYING MORE MONEY THAN OUR DEPUTIES ARE EARNING.
THEN IT'S NOT VERY HARD FOR THEM TO MOVE AND STILL LIVE IN THE SAME PLACE.
AND WHEN HE TAKES THEM AWAY, DARRYL TAKES HIM AWAY.
I MEAN, MAN, WE LOST A FORNEY THIS YEAR FOR, I MEAN, THEY'RE STILL, THAT'S THE ONLY WAY OF PROTECTING ME.
I MEAN THE SAME, THE SAME PEOPLE.
UM, UM, BUT YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY CAN HAVE THAT PROBLEM, BUT AT SOME POINT MAYBE YOU CAN GET SOMEWHERE CLOSE TO THE NEIGHBORHOOD WHERE FAST NOT WORTH, QUITE DRIVING THE RICHARDSON TO BE A POLICE OFFICER.
IF YOU CAN WORK IN CALL, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THAT.
WE CAN GET SOMEWHERE IN THE HAPPY MEDIUM, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU'RE GETTING IN TROUBLE.
IF IT'S TERRIBLE OR FORNEY, YOU STARTING TO PAY A WHOLE LOT MORE, BUT THEN THEY GOTTA DEAL WITH OTHER PROBLEMS. IT'S NOT JUST, YOU KNOW, THIS IS WHERE THEY'RE AT AND THEY CAN BE HAPPY OVER HERE.
UM, BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE OFTEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY'RE DOING WHAT WE NEED TO DO.
UM, I DO BELIEVE, AND I DO BELIEVE THAT I THINK EVEN IN THE, IN THE, IN THE COURTS, UH, IN THE DAY PA'S OFFICE, MOSTLY I'VE HAD A LOT MORE TURNOVER THAN THEY'VE BEEN HAVING.
AND I THINK A LOT OF THAT IS THE SAME THING.
ALL OF A SUDDEN THESE ONLINE JOBS ARE POPPING UP THINGS IN AT HOME AND, AND TO MAKE MORE MONEY.
AND I JUST THINK THAT, UH, IT'S VERY, VERY IMPORTANT THAT WE REALLY ADDRESSED THIS.
AND IF THAT DOES TAKE EVERYBODY GOING BACK TO YOUR DEPARTMENTS AND SAYING, HEY, WAIT A MINUTE, WHATEVER IT IS.
AND I'LL GO BACK TO IT ONE MORE TIME.
YEARS AGO WHEN I CAME INTO OFFICES, FIRST THING I SAID, LET'S CUT THE OFFICE AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT THEY'RE SPENDING AND THEY CAN ADDRESS THEIR WAGES, THEIR SALES KIND OF THEY'VE, THEY'VE GOT AN EMPLOYEE THAT RETIRES, IT WAS MAKING A LOT OF MONEY AND THEY CAN SOMEHOW, OR NOT, NOT REPLACE THAT EMPLOYEE AND MALE DO THE SAME MEN AND WORK.
AND THEN WE COULD GIVE THEM ALL THE OTHER EMPLOYEES, UH, THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY AND MAKE THE DIFFERENCE.
ANYTHING TO CONTRIBUTE TO THAT AND CUT DOWN ON THE NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES.
YOU KNOW, ME, I THINK THAT WE NEED TO GROW GOVERNMENT LESS THAN HAVE PRIVATE SECTOR BAKER, BUT IT'S HARD TO DO IN SOME CASES COURTS, THE A'S, YOU CAN'T DO THAT.
IT'S PRETTY HARD TO DO IT IN THE CLERK'S OFFICE, BUT THEY CAN DO IT IF THEY CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO WORK A LITTLE FASTER AND HARDER, MAYBE IN INCENTIVE WISE, PAY WISE MAKES IT SAME WAY WITH ANYTHING, BUT, UH, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO SOMETHING WELL, IF ANYBODY LIKES IT OR NOT, I DON'T, I DON'T THINK, UM, THAT WE'RE JUST TOO CLOSE TO DALLAS AND JUST TARSUS VANZANT PROBABLY DOESN'T HAVE QUITE THE SAME PROBLEM THAT WE DO, YOU KNOW, THE DRIVES TOO FAR.
SO, I MEAN, AND WHAT ELSE MAKES YOUR COMPANY WHEN YOU'RE OUT IN THE PRIVATE SECTOR LIKE MINE? WHAT, WHAT MAKES IT SUCCESSFUL PRODUCT THE EMPLOYEES, RIGHT.
I MEAN, IF YOU DIDN'T REALLY HAVE THE SAME EMPLOYEES AND THE SAME, WE DON'T HAVE TO SAY, YOU KNOW, FROM AN AGENCY DOESN'T HAVE THE SAME PRESSURE ON IT THAT A BUSINESS DOES BECAUSE, RIGHT.
BUT I'M JUST SAYING GENERALLY, YOU KNOW, YOUR EMPLOYEES MAKE SO, AND WE DO HAVE ONLY ONE THING SERVICE, WE'RE ALL ABOUT SERVICE.
WE'VE GOT THREE PEOPLE RIGHT THERE IN CHARGE OF SERVICE.
[01:05:02]
SO THE QUESTION MIKE WAS THAT, UH, CAUSE I DIDN'T FORGOT IT.UH, IF YOU WANT TO SAY WHERE YOU FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO BE IN TERMS OF, WE GOT, WE'VE GOT TWO ISSUES.
ONE IS PROPERTY TAXES FOR THE MOST PART PROPERTY TAXES ON OUR TAXPAYERS AND REQUESTS FOR MONEY, MONEY FROM THE DEPARTMENTS.
SO WE PUTTING IN ABOUT WHERE OUT OF BALANCE, THOSE TWO THINGS, WELL FUNDING THE DEPARTMENTS.
AND I GUESS THIS NUMBER EDUCATE ME, CAUSE I, YOU KNOW, I'VE BEEN LISTENING, BUT THE NUMBER YOU'VE GIVEN US ON THE GENERAL FUND, THE DEBT COLLECTIONS, THAT'S WHAT THE THREE AND A HALF PERCENT CAP ON IT.
UH, I HAVEN'T TALKED ABOUT THE CAP BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, 30% OF OUR 30% OF OUR TAX REVENUE INCREASE COMES FROM NEW PROPERTY.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THE TAX OFFICE HAVE TO PROVE UP ON THAT GIANT SHEET THAT THEY DO.
BUT I DON'T THINK WE'LL BE TAPPED.
I DON'T THINK WE'LL HAVE, WE DIDN'T HAVE TO, IT WOULDN'T AFFECT ON THIS LAST YEAR.
I DON'T THINK IT'D BE AN EFFECT ON THE SEIZURE.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I JUST AIN'T HIM.
MAYBE I'M A SIMPLETON, BUT WE CAN START WITH THE, YOU DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT, BUT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY WE'RE MAKING NOW WITH TODAY'S APPRAISALS, WITH ALL THE ADJUSTMENTS, REAL NUMBERS, WHICH THESE ARE PROJECTED NUMBERS.
WE JUST HAVE TO FIT WITHIN THOSE PARAMETERS.
NOW, IF IT GETS DOWN TO WHERE, YOU KNOW, EMPLOYEES, NUMBER ONE, YOU KNOW, GROWING OUR DEPARTMENTS ARE MORE MANPOWER OR WHATEVER THEY THINK THEY NEED IS A LOWER PRIORITY.
BUT I JUST THINK WE JUST NEED TO TRY TO MAKE OUR BUDGET FIT WITHIN OUR REVENUES.
AND THEN WE'LL JUST SEE WHAT WE CAN CUT.
AND THEN WE'LL TALK ABOUT REDUCTION OF A RIGHT OR, YOU KNOW, INCREASES OUT THAT'S OUT BECAUSE PROPERTY VALUES TOOK CARE OF THAT.
BUT YEAH, AND WE MAY BE TRAPPED IN, IN A THREE AND A HALF PERCENT CAP, BUT I DON'T THINK NO, I HAVEN'T.
HE JUST GUESSED TO MASONS ON OUR REVENUE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH.
WE'RE TRYING TO, WE'RE TRYING TO FIT SOMETHING IN SOMETHING WE DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW BIG IT IS.
THE APPRAISAL, THE APPRAISAL NUMBERS THAT WE'VE GOT STILL WAIT DOWN THERE.
THE APPRAISAL NUMBERS THAT WE'VE GOT.
I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY'RE NOT GOING TO CHANGE MUCH ON THE FINAL.
NO, I MEAN, THEY'RE PRETTY CLOSE.
IT DEPENDS ON THE TAX RATE WHERE IT GOES.
AND I CAN'T DO THAT TO Y'ALL TELL ME WHAT YOU WANT TO HAVE A DOLLAR AMOUNT FOR SURE.
WE CAN'T MAKE YOU GO DOWN OR THE SAME IS FINE.
SO NO ONE STARTS A TRIP NOT KNOWING WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO GO.
YOU SHOULD KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO GO AND THEN FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET THERE.
AND, AND, AND YOU WERE WEALTHIER.
AND I WAS, CAUSE I'LL SAY I GOT $10.
I GOTTA SAY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO.
UM, GOVERNMENTS SHOULD FIGURE OUT WHAT IT COSTS TO PROVIDE GOVERNMENT SERVICES AND THEN DETERMINE HOW TO THAT COST, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND, NOT HOW MUCH MONEY CAN WE GET AND THEN SPEND IT ALL.
IT SHOULD BE HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO RUN THE GOVERNMENT TO THE, TO THE LEVEL THAT WE DETERMINED IT NEEDS TO BE RUN AND THEN FIGURE OUT HOW TO FUND THAT.
THAT'S HOW THAT'S FAIR TAXATION AND I, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'VE BEEN DOING FOR THE LAST THREE YEARS.
NOW, THESE PEOPLE HAVEN'T STRIPPED THEIR DEPARTMENTS ENOUGH.
THIS IS THAT'S ALL WE'VE DONE THIS LAST THREE YEARS.
WELL, LET ME TELL YOU THE BASIC ECONOMIC REALITY, NO, UH, INFLATION ATTACKS, THE LOWER WAGE EARNER, THE MOST SURE PEOPLE THAT ARE AT A HIGHER LEVEL OF SALARY OR INCOME CAN TOLERATE INFLATION MUCH BETTER.
SO WHAT WE ALWAYS DO AROUND HERE SINCE I, IN MY SHORT TIME, IS THAT WE EITHER APPLY AN ACROSS THE BOARD PERCENTAGE RAISE.
OR NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT AN ACROSS THE BOARD, UH, SALARY INCREASE.
WHEN IN FACT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT AN INVERSE RELATIONSHIP BECAUSE WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF THE LOWER.
THE PEOPLE THAT ARE HURTING THE MOST IN THE EMPLOYEE WORK POOL ARE THE LOWER PAID PEOPLE.
THEY CAN TOLERATE INFLECTION LISTS THAN ANYONE ELSE.
SO AN ACCORDION RES BENEFITS THOSE AT THE HIGHER SALARY LEVEL THE MOST AS WOULD AN ACROSS THE BOARD RATE.
SO IT REALLY SHOULD BE A STEPPED RAVES.
UH, IF YOU REALLY WANT TO, IF YOUR GOAL IS TO REALLY SUPPORT THE EMPLOYEE TO SUPPORT THE, THE NEEDS AND THE HURTING OF THE, OF THE WORKFORCE, AS OPPOSED TO JUST A STRAIGHT ACROSS THE BOARD.
BUT IN REALITY, THE TRUTH IS WHATEVER, WHATEVER WE CAN LEGITIMATELY
[01:10:02]
SAY, IT COSTS TO RUN THE GOVERNMENT KAUFMAN COUNTY GOVERNMENT.THAT'S THE DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT WE SHOULD FUND, NOT, NOT HOW MUCH EXTRA REVENUE IS GOING TO COME IN BECAUSE THE TRUTH IS EVEN LOWERING.
THE TAX RATE WILL STILL BE MORE TAX DOLLARS THAT THE CITIZEN HAS TO PAY HIM BECAUSE THE APPRAISALS WENT THROUGH THE CEILING.
SO, SO THAT IS A TAX INCREASE, NO MATTER WHAT, IT'S A TAX INCREASE, PEOPLE WILL PAY MORE TAXES.
I REALLY BELIEVE THAT OUR GOAL SHOULD BE TO, TO THE EXTENT THAT WE BALANCED THE NEEDS OF THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
WE SHOULD TRY TO MEDICATE, MAKE A GATE, THE AMOUNT, THE EXTRA AMOUNT OF TAXES THAT OUR CITIZENS IN THIS COUNTY HAVE TO PAY IN.
YOU KNOW, AND THEN THAT'S, BUT YOU'VE GOT TO START WHERE WE'RE AT.
I THINK WITH WHERE WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW AT THE RIGHT, WE'VE GOT THOSE DOLLARS, WE CUT, WE'LL DO WHATEVER WE HAVE TO DO AND WE CAN LOWER IT.
WE LOWER IT, BUT IF WE'VE GOT TO OPERATE AND WE THINK IT'S THEME, IT'S IMPORTANT ENOUGH AND WE FIND THAT HAPPY MEDIUM IN THERE.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK WE'VE, WE'VE ASKED HIM TO CUT.
AND, YOU KNOW, I JUST, I THINK WE'RE JUST SAYING WORDS AT THIS POINT, CAUSE I DON'T KNOW.
SO EVERYBODY REFRESH MY MEMORY IT'S UH, LAST YEAR WE GAVE AND ACROSS THE PERCENT ACROSS THE BOARD PERCENTAGE RACE, AM I INVENTING THAT IN THAT TRUE, EXCEPT FOR THE OFFICIAL, WELL, EXCEPT ELECTED OFFICIALS AND, AND THE SUPPLEMENTED IT, AND THAT WAS, UM, AND YOU KNOW, UP UNTIL THIS YEAR, I GUESS THIS YEAR W YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD NO INFLATION AT ALL.
I MEAN, AND THEN I THINK THE YEAR BEFORE WE DID A RAISE INCREASE, BUT WE KEPT IT, ANYBODY MAKING OVER A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF MONEY, DIDN'T GET A RAISE.
I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT THAT NUMBER WAS.
YOU REMEMBER? I THINK IT WAS 50.
SO WE DID GIVE A RAISE TO THE PEOPLE UNDER 50, BUT ANYBODY MAKING.
CAUSE I REMEMBER A LOT OF PEOPLE GOT MAD ABOUT THAT, BUT ANYBODY MAKING MORE THAN $50, I THINK YOU GOT TO BECAUSE THEY DID.
I MEAN, WE STARTED THAT AWAY AND THEN IT WENT UP TO LIKE 65 BUMPED UP.
SO PEOPLE GOT CUT OUT OF IT AND THEY GOT, YEAH, THEY GOT BUMPED UP.
I THINK THAT WAS A GOOD PLAN, BUT KNOW, UM, WELL, AND IT'S, IT'S, IT'S TRYING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE FOR THE LOWER END, THE LOWER PORTION OF THE PAY SCALE.
AND, AND, BUT I'M IN AGREEMENT THAT ANY, ANY TIME YOU GIVE HER FOR SAYING THAT IF YOU GIVE 2%, IT DOESN'T MEAN AS MUCH AS THE FIRST ONE MAKING A HUNDRED THOUSAND AS A DEAF PERSON MAKING.
AND I, AND I'LL REMIND YOU ALL THAT THE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE COMMISSIONED EVERGREEN UNANIMOUSLY TO DO THAT STUDY, WHICH I THINK WAS A GOOD PROCESS, NOT PERFECT, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WE ONLY HAD 17 PEOPLE, I THINK IN THE COUNTY WHO WERE BELOW THE BOTTOM RANGE AND WE RAISED THEM UP TO GET EVERYBODY.
AND SO, UH, I MEAN, BUT WE DIDN'T FIND THAT STUDY DIDN'T SHOW THAT THAT ARE ACROSS THE BOARD, OUR EMPLOYEES, OTHER THAN THOSE 17, I THINK THAT WAS THE NUMBER OF WORK EVERYBODY ELSE WAS AT LEAST AT THE BOTTOM RANGE.
UM, ANYWAY, YEAH, THAT STUDY WAS BASED ON WHAT WAS GOING ON AT THAT TIME TOO.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE A MEMBER OF THIS, BUT THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WAS PART OF OUR COMMITMENT WAS THAT AT LEAST EVERY THREE YEARS, THAT WOULD BE THAT WE WOULD REVIEW THAT AGAIN BECAUSE OBVIOUSLY THINGS CHANGE.
I MEAN, EVERYTHING CHANGES AND NOT ONLY FOR THE WAGES, BUT FOR THE BRACKETS AND THE HR SUPPOSED TO, BECAUSE I THINK WE AGREED THAT WE WOULD DO THE LAKE.
THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO PROVIDE US WITH THE, WITH THAT, WITH A SOFTWARE APPLICATION.
THAT'S ALL WE HAD TO DO IS PLUG THEM IN TO THE IN.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT EVER HAPPENED THAT EITHER.
UM, AND IT'S REALLY JUST NOW PROBABLY TIME TO DO THAT.
BUT I, I MEAN, I THINK WE SAID EVERY THREE YEARS WE WOULD, UH, AND THAT, AND IT PROBABLY WOULDN'T HURT US AT ALL TO DO THAT.
I THINK WE NEED TO DO CAUSE WE DON'T, WE DON'T KNOW WHERE WE STAND, YOU KNOW, ELLEN.
AND OF COURSE WE WERE USING, YOU KNOW, MOSTLY, YOU KNOW, THEY WENT AROUND FINDING COUNTIES AND STUFF, BUT I MEAN, THE OTHER BIG PROBLEM IS COUNTIES AND GOVERNMENT, YOU KNOW, UH, AT LEAST THE FAN, THE WHOLE NATIONAL AVERAGE AND YOU KNOW, SO THE LOWER SNORE, THE LOWER END OF THE SPECTRUM GETS THE BENEFIT OF THAT BECAUSE THEY LIVE SOMEWHERE, THE CHEAPEST, THE LIVING COST, THE LIMIT CHEAPER.
THEY KIND OF, IT'S NOT A, IT'S NOT EVER GOING TO BE.
IT'S NEVER GOING TO MAKE IT FAIR TO EVERYBODY, NOT EVER GOING TO BE A PRECISE THING, BUT YOU AT LEAST
[01:15:01]
USE YOU SOMEPLACE TO HAVE SOME UNDERSTANDING OF WHERE YOUR, WHERE ARE YOU START, WHERE YOU FINISHED.BUT SO KAREN, TO ASK YOU TO ADDRESS YOUR QUESTION A WHILE AGO, I DO HAVE IN MY NOTES, I DIDN'T ASK THIS QUESTION, BUT, UM, WE, WE HAVEN'T POSTED THE MEETING FOR MONDAY, BUT, UH, WE HAVE, WE TALKED ABOUT FRIDAY AND I, I CAME AND I READ MY OWN HANDWRITING HERE, BUT THAT MONEY WAS ON THERE TOO.
SO UNLESS ANYBODY DISAGREES, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND POST A ONE O'CLOCK MEETING FOR NEXT MONDAY.
AND FOR FRIDAY AND FRIDAY, MONDAY AGAIN, FRIDAY, WE'LL POST THE GRANT BUDGET BEFORE THAT I'M TIED UP.
WELL, WE'LL HAVE OUR W WHATEVER THE DRAFT BUDGET LOOKS LIKE, WHATEVER WE HAVE, WE'LL, WE'LL DELIVER THAT TO THE CLERK.
AND WE'LL GO FROM THERE THURSDAY.
YOU'RE GOING TO BE GONE THURSDAY.
UH, I CAN'T DO IT ON THURSDAY.
WELL, TUESDAY'S A DEADLINE, BUT MONDAY.
THE 29TH IS THAT FRIDAY THAT I CAN'T MEET.
BUT I'LL, I'LL TRY TO BREAK THE RULES IN BABY.
YOU'VE TRIED TO BREAK THE RULES AND BEER, RIGHT.
AND THEN IF SOMETHING HAPPENS AND YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE TO MEET IF WE POST IT, WE CAN CANCEL IT BUDGET.
SO TOMORROW AFTERNOON, I THINK WHAT WE SHOULD DO KAREN IS, IS IF THEY DON'T HAVE IT NOW TO GO AHEAD AND DELIVER, DO YOU HAVE THIS RIGHT HERE? THEY'VE ALREADY GOT THAT.
SO YOU ALL CAN SPEND TOMORROW OR TONIGHT READING ALL OF THE BUDGET REQUESTS.
I WOULD ASK YOU PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO THE BUDGET REQUESTS THAT ARE SO QUITE A BIT OF CHANGE.
WE DID HAVE SOME DEPARTMENTS NUMBER, A NUMBER.
I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY OF A NUMBER OF DEPARTMENTS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN NO CHANGES.
AND I REALLY APPRECIATED THAT.
UM, SO I WOULD SAY, BRING FORTH ANY OF YOUR PARTICULAR, UH, TOPICS THAT YOU WANT TO CALL THEM UP FOR.
AND WE WOULD PLAN THE CALL, START CALLING UP DEPARTMENTS THAT, UH, THAT YOU WANT TO HEAR FROM ON WEDNESDAY, BUT WE NEED TO BRING UP ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS.
WE JUST NEED TO BRING UP THE ONES THAT, UH, EVERYBODY WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME TALK TO US IF THEY WANT TO.
BUT, UM, I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO TALK TO EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT, ALL AGREE WITH THAT, BUT IF THEY WANT TO, WE'LL GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY.
BEFORE THE END OF THE, BEFORE THE END OF THE DEAL, YOU KNOW, UM, SO PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION AND THEN TOMORROW WOULD TELL ME IF YOU, WHICH ONES YOU WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM, AND THEN WE'LL TRY TO GET THEM UP HERE FOR WEDNESDAY.
AND, UM, SO I GUESS THAT THAT'LL BE OUR TASK FOR TOMORROW TO START GRINDING THROUGH THAT STUFF.
UH I'M I WON'T HAVE IT DONE TOMORROW, BUT I WILL COME UP WITH SOME SPECIFIC FOUR EXAMPLES OF WHAT IF WE DO THIS, THIS IS THE IMPACT ON THESE FOUR PROPERTIES.
AND I THINK THAT MIGHT HELP US FIGURE OUT WHAT THE REAL IMPACT IS OR WHAT WE'RE DOING.
I NOTICED YOU SAID MONDAY 20, DO YOU MEAN ONE 30? THE, THE BACKSTORY BEHIND THAT HE HAS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF YOU'RE POKING FUN OF ME OR NOT, BUT BECAUSE I SHOWED UP, I SHOWED UP AT ABOUT 10 TILL ONE, AND THERE WAS NOBODY HERE AND THE SHERIFF COMES DRIFTING IN AND I SAID, IT LOOKS LIKE IT'S JUST US SHERIFF.
AND HE SAID, WELL, I'M ALWAYS EARLY.
AND I SAID, WELL, YEAH, JUST FIVE MINUTES TILL.
AND HE SAID, WELL, THE MEETING DIDN'T START AT ONE 30.
SO I WENT BACK AND WENT BACK INTO THE OFFICE AND DID SOME WORK.
SO I THINK ONE 30 IS BETTER THAT WAY.
JUST KEEPING THEM AS LONG, THE LUNCH AND ALL THAT.
HEY, I WAS LIKE YOU, I WAS HERE EARLY.
I WATCHED THE SHERIFF PULL UP, WALK ACROSS AND COME IN.
AND DID YOU SEE HIM ON THE PHONE? OKAY.
I WAS ON THE PHONE AND THEN TERRY PULLED UP OUT THERE.
TERRY LOOK, MAN, IN THE GAME, MAN.
UH, SO 1 30, 1 30, 1 30 ON MONDAY, FRIDAY, 10 O'CLOCK ON FRIDAY.
IS THAT ALRIGHT THERE, BUDDY? YEAH, WE COULD.
[01:20:02]
WELL, THEN YOU WANT ME TO TELL HIM YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO HOME, BUT YOU CAN'T STAY.WE'LL MAKE A MOTION TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING.
COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS IS REAL.
SECOND, SECOND, SECOND, COMMISSIONER BARBARA, DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.