[00:02:30]
THE REPORT, I'M SORRY, GETTING OVER.
COVID UM, WE HAD TO FAIL AND THE REPORT AND WE HAVE TO PUT WHAT KIND OF A BOND, WHETHER IT'S PERSONAL BOND, WHETHER IT'S NO BOND, WHETHER IT'S SURE YOUR CASH BOND, THEN WE HAVE TO PUT THE BOND AMOUNT.
THEN IF WE DO A BOND CONDITIONS, THEN WE HAVE TO PUT IN THEIR REPORT, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND PULL OUT THE BOND CONDITIONS THAT WE'RE GOING TO DO.
THEY DON'T, THEY THAT'S ALL, UH, SENT TO THE OFFICE OF COURT ADMINISTRATION.
BUT THEN FOR OUR PURPOSES, THE DA'S OFFICE HAS A UN SEPARATE BOND CONDITIONS THAT THEN WE HAVE TO FILL OUT ALL THE INFO.
SO IT'S DOUBLE WORK AND MIKE DOES NOT, HE OFTEN NOT TO DO THAT.
AND I WOULD JUST SAY THIS, THE SENATE, BILL SIX, WITH THIS PSR, YOU'LL HEAR THAT ACRONYM A LOT, THROWN OUT IF YOU'RE READING ANYTHING.
AND THERE ARE MANY MAGISTRATES ACROSS THE STATE THAT ARE COMPLAINING BECAUSE AS USUAL, UH, THE LEDGE CREATED THIS AND THE MINISTERIAL DUTIES OF PUTTING THAT IN.
THEY DIDN'T SAY WHO'S DOING THAT, RIGHT? SO THE, OUR SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IS ACTUALLY TASKING AND PUTTING THAT, THAT INFORMATION IN AND RETRIEVING IT, BUT IT DOESN'T GIVE ANYBODY THAT RESPONSIBILITY EXCEPT FOR, FOR THESE FOLKS THAT ARE DOING IT SO THAT YOU HAD ANOTHER TASK.
WHO'S PUTTING THE DATA IN, WHO WAS RETRIEVING THE DATA AND TERRELL HAS PUT THAT BURDEN BACK.
AND ONE OF THE ISSUES WE HAVE IS MAGISTRATION.
THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE WITH A SPECIFIC TIMELINE AND THEY ARE STILL TAKING THEM TO THE JAIL WITHOUT MADRAS DRIVING, WITHOUT ACCESSING THE PSRS AND THEN BRINGING THEM OVER.
SO THAT'S A PROBLEM THAT WE PROBABLY NEED TO ADDRESS WITH THE CITY OF TERRELL, BECAUSE IF THEY'RE BEING A BUTLER SHOULD COME ON TO THE COUNTY.
WELL, AND I, AND I ACTUALLY MET WITH, WITH JUDGE SMITH AND WITH THE POLICE CHAIN AND SOME OF THE ONES THAT ARE UNDER HIM ABOUT IT.
AND I'LL JUST BE FRANK WITH YOU ABOUT WHAT HE SAID TO ME.
I SAID, IF YOU DON'T GET THEM HERE BEFORE WE MAGISTRATE IN THE MORNING, AND THEY'RE ON A 24 HOUR TIMELINE, BECAUSE SOME OF THEM A'S AND B'S, YOU HAVE TO DO IT WITHIN 24 HOURS OF THE TIME THAT YOU'RE ARRESTED.
AND SO I TOLD HIM, I SAID, THEN IT'S GOING TO BE A PROBLEM.
AND HE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID, WELL, I GUESS YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO GET HER TO JAIL PLUS THAT DAY.
SO, UM, A LOT, THERE'S A LOT TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY REPORT SYSTEM.
[00:05:01]
IT DOES REQUIRE ALSO ADDITIONAL, UM, CERTIFICATIONS THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE TO NOT ONLY VIEW CRIMINAL HISTORY, BUT WILL CRIMINAL HISTORY.SO I THINK THAT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH, UM, WHY THEY HAD OPTED TO NOT DO THAT OVER THERE.
SO, UM, BUT I JUST BROUGHT IT TO YOUR ATTENTION BECAUSE I WANTED YOU TO KNOW, YOU KNOW, THAT FALLS BACK ON KAUFMAN COUNTY, UM, FOR US TO TAKE CARE OF.
SO, UH, WE'VE BEEN TAKING CARE OF THAT.
UM, WE SEEN AN INCREASE IN DOMESTIC VIOLENCE CASES, UM, SO THAT OBVIOUSLY UPS THE NUMBER OF EMERGENCY PROTECTIVE ORDERS AND BOND CONDITIONS THAT WE DO DOWN AT THE JAIL, UM, WHICH LENGTHENS THE TIME THAT WE HAVE TO BE THERE.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE COULD BE THERE BEFORE, I WOULD SAY ON AVERAGE, MAYBE ABOUT AN HOUR.
NOW IT CAN BE ANYWHERE FROM ONE TO ONE TO THREE OR FOUR HOURS, JUST DEPENDING ON HOW MANY PEOPLE WE HAVE DOWN THERE.
SO, AND OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T KNOW THAT UNTIL WE GET DOWN THERE BECAUSE IT'S BASED ON WHO ARRESTED THE NIGHT BEFORE.
SO, UM, ALSO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL MANAGING OUR REGULAR CASE LOADS, UM, WHICH HAS INCREASED, WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN EVICTIONS, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS A MORATORIUM ON EVICTIONS DURING COVID.
UM, SO ONCE THOSE THAT WENT AWAY, WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN EVICTIONS, UM, ALSO IN OUR CIVIL CASES.
AND THIS WAS AN INTERESTING STATISTIC.
UM, I WAS TEACHING IN LUBBOCK AND WE WERE TALKING ABOUT USING, UH, MEDIATION.
AND SO CIVIL CASE LOADS IN TEXAS, UM, HAVE INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS, UM, FOR FISCAL YEAR 2021.
AND THIS IS FOR THE STATE OF TEXAS, UH, CIVIL CASE FILINGS INCREASED 92% OVER FISCAL YEAR, 2016.
UM, ALL THE INCREASE CAME IN THE CATEGORIES OF DEBT CLAIMS, WHICH WERE AT 319% IN FIVE YEARS.
UM, I CAN ATTEST TO THAT THE AMOUNT OF DEBT CLAIM CASES HAVE DOUBLED IN MY COURT EVERY YEAR SINCE I'VE BEEN AN OFFICE.
SO A SMALL CLAIMS THAT 30% IN FIVE YEARS, AND THEN IN FISCAL YEAR 2021 DEBT CLAIM CASES MADE IT MORE THAN 60% OF NEW CASE FILINGS IN THE TEXAS JUSTICE COURTS.
SO THOSE HAVE INCREASED AS WELL.
UM, ALSO WE HAVE OUR REGULAR ON-CALL CALL WE'RE ON CALL TWENTY FOUR SEVEN, UH, FOR INQUESTS.
AND SO THAT, YOU KNOW, HOLIDAYS, WEEKENDS, UM, ALL OF THOSE THINGS, WE TALKED A LITTLE BIT LAST YEAR, UM, ABOUT A SECOND JP, UH, FOR PRECINCT TWO.
SO UNDER THE CODE, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE ANY FINAL NUMBERS AT THAT TIME, UH, BECAUSE IT'S BASED ON THE CENSUS.
AND SO WITH THE DELAY IN CENSUS NUMBERS LAST YEAR, WE DIDN'T REALLY, WE WEREN'T ABLE TO GET INTO THAT.
UM, BUT IT DOES SAY IN A COUNTY OF LESS THAN 150,000, IF YOU HAVE A CITY IN YOUR PRECINCT OF MORE THAN 18,000 AT SAYS THAT A SECOND SAYS ACTUALLY USE THE WORD CHOW.
SO THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN LOOK AT TOO.
SO I THINK THAT JUST KIND OF GOES WITH THE NATURAL FLOW OF THE INCREASE IN ALL YOUR CASELOAD'S.
I'M SURE THAT'S WHERE THOSE NUMBERS COME FROM.
CAUSE WHEN YOU GET, WHEN YOU REACH THAT POINT, YOU KNOW, TO 150,000, YOU HAVE CITIES IN EXCESS OF 18,000 TERRELL'S I THINK BARELY WAS BELOW THAT AMOUNT.
AND SO WE MAY BE LOOKING AT THE NEXT CENSUS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GETTING CLOSE TO, YOU KNOW, NEEDING SECOND JPS, MAYBE IN MULTIPLE PRECINCTS, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING I REALLY THINK WE NEED TO, TO KEEP AN EYE ON OVER THE NEXT YEAR OR SO.
UM, ESPECIALLY WITH PRECINCT TWO AND THEN IN THE FUTURE FOR PRECINCT THREE, UM, OBVIOUSLY EVERYTHING I'VE TALKED ABOUT, THIS LEADS TO ADDITIONAL WORK FOR OUR OFFICES, YOU KNOW, OUR STAFF, UM, THEY EACH MAKE IN THE MID THIRTIES, I THINK IT'S 36, 27 IS THEIR BASE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WE ARE ALL FULLY STAFFED.
SO WE WEREN'T ASKING FOR ANY ADDITIONAL STAFF MEMBERS, UM, NONE OF US ASKED FOR ANY INCREASES IN OUR BUDGETS THIS YEAR.
UM, AND WE DID THAT IN THE HOPES THAT ANY ADDITIONAL MONIES COULD GO TOWARDS WAGE INCREASES FOR THE EMPLOYEES.
UM, YOU KNOW, I KNOW Y'ALL ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON THAT, BUT I THOUGHT IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR US TO COME AND EXPLAINED HOW BUSY WE ARE, HOW BUSY OUR STAFF IS, UM, AND HOW IMPORTANT IT IS.
I THINK THAT WE BRING THEM UP TO AT LEAST A MID RANGE.
YOU KNOW, I KNOW WE WERE ON A, UM, COMMITTEE WHERE WE WERE LOOKING AT EVERGREEN STUDY AND TRYING TO BRING EVERYBODY UP TO MAYBE MORE OF A MID RANGE LEVEL.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK IN ORDER TO EVEN BRING, UM, OUR STAFF UP TO MID RACHEL LEVEL, WE'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT A $10,000 INCREASE.
SO, UM, BUT LIKE I SAID, I UNDERSTAND Y'ALL ARE WORKING ON THAT.
YOU KNOW, IF THERE'S ANYTHING ADDITIONAL YOU NEED FROM OUR OFFICES, AS FAR AS, UM, NUMBERS OR, OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT, UM, WHEN Y'ALL ARE LOOKING AT WAGE INCREASES, UM, JUST LET US KNOW AND WE CAN HELP YOU OUT WITH THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE SHERIFF, I KNOW HE WANTED IT HE'S OUT THIS WEEK.
UM, YOU KNOW, HE REALLY LIKES ALL OF US GOING DOWN TO THE JAIL AND DURING MAGISTRATION, IT SEEMS TO BE WORKING.
UM, I KNOW HE WANTED TO SAY A FEW WORDS ABOUT THAT, BUT HE ALSO SAID, IF YOU KNOW, YOU HAD ANY QUESTIONS FOR HIM REGARDING MAGISTRATION AND THAT ASPECT CAN ASK HIM AND JUDGE BLAIR SAID, THE PAUL SAID THE SAME.
[00:10:01]
UM, ANYTHING ADDITIONAL, ANYONE WANTS TO ADD? NO.HAVE ANY QUESTIONS RIGHT NOW? SO THE LEGISLATION SAYS, YOU SAYS ON THE SECOND, UH, JP SAYS SHELL.
SO IS THAT NECESSARILY A, IS THAT ANOTHER ELECTED JP, OR COULD THAT BE AN, UH, AN ASSOCIATE JUDGE IN A JPS OFFICE? IT'S AN ELECTED, IT'S AN ELECTED POSITION.
IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING THAT SHELLS MANDATORY, MANDATORY, RIGHT? YEAH.
I MEAN, YOU'RE ASKING ME THEN YOU SHALL, BECAUSE YOU DON'T, IF ANYBODY SUES, YOU DON'T HAVE ANY, ANY ABOUT THE NOT BEING ABLE TO REPRESENT THEMSELVES IN COURT, CAN'T GET A DOCKET SETTING.
WE SLIPPED THROUGH THE CRACKS.
AND NOT THAT YOU WOULD, THAT YOU DON'T GET OUT THERE ON AN INQUEST ON TIME AND THEY'LL SAY, WELL, YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO GET US ANOTHER DRAG SEAT, JUST THAT THAT'S WHEN IT COMES INTO PLAY.
SO, AND, UM, I CAN SEND YOU, DO YOU WANT ME TO SEND YOU THE GOVERNMENT CODE ON THAT? NO.
UM, ANY QUESTIONS, ANYONE? WELL, BUDDY, I KNOW THAT ON THAT CALL, SOMEBODY TELLING ME AGAIN ON THE NUMBER OF THE DAY PAIN, WHEN YOU, THE POPULATION THAT YOU HAVE TO KEEP IT INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS ON THE SECOND, JP, UH, DOES IT HAVE TO STAY IN THE CITY LIMITS OR IS IT, OR, YEAH, IT JUST SAYS IN A COUNTY OF LESS THAN 150,000 WITH THE CITY AND THE PRECINCT CITI BRAINS WHERE THEY CAN ALL ACCESS IT, I'VE JUST WONDERED IF THEY MAKE IT BE AN ENZYME.
THE CITY LIMITS ARE BIG AND GO OUTSIDE.
I THINK IT HAS TO BE INSIDE THE CITY LIMITS BECAUSE IT'S BASED ON POPULATION, RIGHT? YEAH.
AND I THINK PONY HAD 26,000 OR SOMETHING.
SOMETIMES THEY'RE HOUSED IN THE SAME BUILDING AND YOU'LL HAVE THE DISTANCE.
YOU'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT OTHER JP YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WORK, SO WE'D HAVE FIVE JP PRECINCT.
SO ACTUALLY, I MEAN, COMMISSIONERS COURT COULD BREAK THINGS THAT THEY WANTED TO, BUT FIVE JP PRECINCTS.
RIGHT? WELL, YOU'D HAVE PRECINCT TWO PLACE, ONE AND TWO LOCKING DOWN CHANGE.
AND WOULD THAT INCLUDE, UH, BESIDES COURT STAFFING, CONSTABLE STAFFING, IT'S ACTUALLY A CONSTABLE SERVICES, UM, BOTH COURTS.
SO IT'S ONLY AN INCREASE IN THE JP, BUT THE CONSTABLE WITH, I KNOW THEY CAN'T, YOU CAN ADD THE CONSTABLES, YOU KNOW, BASICALLY IF THEY'RE IN A DIFFERENT PLACE OR SOMETHING, I DON'T KNOW.
CAUSE I THINK THAT MAYBE ONLY ELECTED COUNCILS, THE DALLAS AREA, IT'S COUNTY PRIME EXAMPLE, UH, JUDGE COMMISSIONERS, WHERE I CAME FROM PRECINCT FOUR, WE ACTUALLY HAD TWO JUDGES.
UM, BUT ON CONSTABLE OPERATED BOTH COURTS.
SO WE HAD OFFICERS FOR PRECINCT ONE PLUS ONE AND THEN PRECINCT ONE PLACE TO CONSTABLE DUTIES.
COMMISSIONER IS JUST MAYBE A NICER AND DEPUTY TO HELP WITH COURTS IF BOTH COURTS ARE GOING ON AT A TIME.
THANK YOU GUYS FOR HAVING US
LONG AS YOU'RE STANDING THERE, CONSTABLE YOU'RE UP NEXT I'M GONNA REITERATE EVERYTHING THE JUDGE SAID.
UM, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT AFTER A VERY IMPRESSIVE AND OUTSTANDING MEETING WITH BOTH THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE, MS. RAY LYNN, GOING OVER OUR BUDGETS, UH, WE WERE ACTUALLY ABLE TO DECREASE OUR COSTS DOUBLE BUDGET BY, UM, 3%.
I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THAT BY.
WE WERE WAVING THE EXTRA POSITION THAT WE WERE ASKING FOR, UM, AND LIKELIHOOD THAT IF THE PAY RAISE COMES IN, IT GOES ACROSS THE BOARD TO EVERYBODY.
UM, THAT WAS THE REASON WHY WE WANTED TO DO THAT.
UH, WE THINK THAT WOULD BE SUFFICIENT AND, UH, VERY, UM, USEFUL.
AND, UH, WELL-DESERVED UM, THE PAPERWORK THAT I PASSED OUT TO YOU JUST IN CASE, IF YOU HAD ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT IT CLEARLY IDENTIFIES THE CONTRACTS SUSTAIN THEMSELVES.
UM, THE WINDOW FARMS CONTRACT PAYS 37%.
THE MUD FIVE CONTRACT PAYS 37% AND THEN THE DEVIN SHIRE PAYS THE OTHER 26 REMAINING PERCENT, ANY SUPPLEMENTAL THAT CHAINED DOWN TO SUPERVISORS.
UM, THE WAY WE FINALLY STRUCTURED IT, UH, WHICH WAS REQUESTED, UH, ALL THE SUPPLEMENTAL PIPE ACTUALLY CAME OUT OF THE CONTRACTS.
SO IT'S NOT HITTING THE COUNTY AT ANY DOLLAR AMOUNT.
[00:15:01]
UH, I APPRECIATE THE EFFORT TO WE, WE DID, WE'VE GOT A LIST OF DEPARTMENTS HERE.WHO'VE RESPONDED TO THE REQUEST THAT THEY REVIEW THEIR BUDGETS.
AND WE'VE HAD A NUMBER OF, YOU KNOW, REALLY WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO GET PEOPLE TO FOCUS ON IS NOT WHAT THEIR BUDGET WAS LAST YEAR.
LIKE MOST OF US HAVE ALWAYS DONE THIS.
WE'RE LOOKING AT WHAT THEIR PROJECTED EXPENDITURE IS IN SOME CONJURES, A GAP THERE THAT, SO I THINK WE'D HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE DONE THAT AND WE WOULD, WE NEED THAT HELP.
SO WE APPRECIATE YOUR DOING THAT.
SO I, I GUESS THEY'RE CONTINUING TO BUILD AND WHICH, WHICH OF THOSE DEVELOPMENTS THAT WE'RE CONTRACTED WITH ARE CONTINUING TO BUILD HOUSES.
ALL OF THEM, ALL OF THEM, EVERY ONE OF THEM.
UH, SO THEY HAVE A LIKE, DO THEY HAVE A NUMBER OF THAT Y'ALL DISCUSS WHERE WE ADD, YOU KNOW, X NUMBER OF PEOPLE WE NEED ONE MORE PATROL DEPUTY.
AS A MATTER OF FACT, I THINK ONE OF OUR CONTRACTS, WHICH IS MUD FIVE IS WHERE WE PROJECTED.
I THINK WE HAD TWO MORE POSITIONS COMING OPEN THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN PASSED AND APPROVED.
UM, I THINK THE NUMBER, THE TOTAL NUMBER, UH, THAT IS GOING TO BE BUILT ALL IN MUD FIVE, THE LAST PLOT THAT WE SAW WAS GOING TO BE ABOUT 6,700 HOMES IS THAT WINDMILL MUD FIVE IS ACTUALLY TRAVIS RANCH, CLEMONS RANCH, LIKE SIDEBUY HEATH, TRINITY CROSSING, UM, TOTAL 6,700.
THAT WAS THE LAST NUMBER THAT WE GOT.
NOW, OF COURSE WE ARE NOT ADDING POSITIONS CHUMMING WITH THE POSITIONS OR EVEN TALKING ABOUT THE POSITIONS UNTIL WE KNOW HOUSES HAVE BEEN CONNECTED, UH, WATER LINES.
AND THEN THAT'S WHEN WE'LL START SAYING, OKAY, NOW YOU NEED TO ADD ANOTHER POSITION.
ARE THEY DRIVING THAT DIAL LONG ARE Y'ALL DRIVING? THEY ARE DRIVING THAT DIALOGUE.
THEY ACTUALLY WANTED US TO GO AHEAD AND ADD MORE POSITIONS TO IT.
AND WE DID NOT BECAUSE THERE THERE'S NOTHING THERE.
UM, SO THE, THE PATROL DEPUTIES THAT WE HAVE IN THAT AREA WHERE IT'S UNDER CONSTRUCTION, THEY STILL MONITOR THE AREA.
UM, BUT THERE'S NOTHING, NO CALLS TO ANSWER UNLESS SOMEBODY IS STEALING LUMBER, UM, WHICH WE'VE HAVE HAD THAT AND STEALING GAS OUT OF THE, THE, THE TRACTORS AND TRAILERS AND SO FORTH.
BUT MAJORITY IS WHAT WE ARE CONCENTRATING WHERE THE ACTUAL AREAS ARE BUILT AND OCCUPIED.
ABOUT THE BEST WAY TO STOP THE BILLING FROM THIS PERIOD WAS THAT THEY USED TO CONTRACT EXTRA PEOPLE JUST TO COME OUT THERE AND SEE IT DUTY OFFICERS JUST TO SIT ON THAT EVERY NIGHT AND NOT REALLY ME, THE $70 AN HOUR TO SIT THERE FROM 8:00 PM TO 8:00 AM UNTIL THEIR CONTRACTORS SHOWED UP.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF THEY'RE STILL DOING THAT OR NOT, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE WE'VE BEEN ABLE JUST BY OUR, OUR VISIBILITY ALONE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DETOUR A LOT OF THAT ACTUALLY BEING IN THE AREAS AND PATROLLING, I WOULD SAY PROBABLY ABOUT 80, 85% OF THE THEFTS THAT GO ON A CONSTRUCTION SITES ARE ACTUALLY THE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS THEMSELVES STEALING FROM JOB SITES AND TAKING IT HOME TO THEMSELVES OR, YOU KNOW, JJ DOES, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I UNDERSTAND THE NOTES ON YOUR DOCUMENTS HERE.
SO I KNOW THAT ALL THE LAW ENFORCEMENT, THE COUNTY IS, IS SEEKING A $5,000 BASE INCREASE, BUT THEN YOU TALK ABOUT 2000 PER YEAR.
IS THAT, IS THAT 2000 ON YOUR CONTRACT DEPUTIES, RIGHT? IS IT, IS THAT TO SAY THAT THERE'LL BE AN ADDITIONAL $2,000 OUT OF THE CONTRACTS, UH, PAID TO THOSE CONTRACT DEPUTIES? NOPE.
THE SUPPLEMENT, IF, IF THE OFFICERS GET THEIR RAISE, THAT RAISE WILL BE, IT'LL COME OUT OF THE CONTRACTS.
I MEAN, TH THEIR CONTRACT PAY WE'LL GET, WE'LL PAY THAT SUPPLEMENT THAT THAT'S 2000 MORE THAN SAY A STATUTORY DEPUTY.
OH, UH, CONSTABLE IT'S JUST STRAIGHT BASED BY OFF THE BOARD.
THAT'S THAT'S THE STEP, RIGHT? THE MODIFICATION.
THAT, THAT IT'S THE SAME THING.
I JUST, I WASN'T CLEAR BECAUSE IT TALKED ABOUT 2000 PER YEAR ON THESE CONTRACT LINE ITEMS. YEAH.
THEY HAVE SEVERAL PEOPLE THAT'S BEEN THERE WITH THEM QUITE A WHILE NOW.
AND SO THEY'RE GOING TO START GETTING ELIGIBLE FOR STATE SORT OF THE STEP PAYS AND THE CONTRACTS WILL PAY FOR THOSE TOO.
I MEAN, WE ACTUALLY DISCUSSED EARLIER IN MY OFFICE, I'D SAY NO ONE WAS SEEING IT BEFORE WE GO TO COURT BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO UNDERSTAND IT.
I'M PRETTY GOOD WITH, YOU KNOW, AND THE MORE TRUTHFULLY I'M ON THE GROUND THAT DOESN'T COST US MONEY.
THE GREATER ASSET IS GOING TO BE ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS? NO.
ALWAYS BETTER TO HAVE GUYS IN THE CAR.
[00:20:01]
FOR A SECOND.NO, MA'AM UM, I THINK WE ONLY HAVE ONE PERSON SIGNED UP FOR FRIDAY AND THAT'S JUDGE GRAY.
AND, UM, WE'LL TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT I HOPE THAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH TODAY.
I'M SORTING THROUGH THE STUFF.
I JUST GOT TO MAKE SURE I DIDN'T MISS SOMETHING.
I HAD SOMETHING THAT I'D PRINTED TO SHARE WITH YOU ALL.
AND I DON'T SEE IT RIGHT HERE.
SO WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO DO TODAY, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN MAKE A DECISION, NOT ABOUT WAGE ADJUSTMENTS, NOT ABOUT DEPUTY PAY, BUT JUST ABOUT COST OF LIVING INCREASE ONLY JUST TO TALK ABOUT THAT ONE THING WE'VE ALREADY DECIDED YOU REMEMBER, WE'VE ALREADY DECIDED TO, UH, WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH A, WE'RE NOT GOING TO GO WITH A PERCENTAGE WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH, WHAT'S NOT DECIDED YET.
IT IS WHETHER WE'RE GOING TO USE ONE LUMP SUM ABOUT ONE LUMP SUM FOR EVERYBODY.
AND WE TALKED ABOUT A TIER THAT LIKE, YOU KNOW, THE LOWER END WHERE YOU GET A LARGER DOLLAR IN FREEZE THAN THE NUMBER OF YET.
SO, UH, THAT'S WHAT I WOULD LIKE.
I'D LIKE FOR US TO DECIDE THAT I'D LIKE FOR US TO DECIDE ON EXACTLY WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO IN TERMS OF THE COST OF LIVING.
YOU LOOK AT THIS, LOOK AT SHEET FIRST, I'VE BEEN BEGGING AND TRYING TO FIND YOU.
AND I WAS REALLY WORKING HARD TO TRY TO FIND A, UM, SOME FORECAST NUMBER ONE, THAT WE'RE FOCUSED ON JUST THE DFW AIRPORT OR MANY DFW METROPLEX.
AND THEN, UH, AND I REALLY WANTED TO FIND ONE THAT WAS A PRIVATE, UM, IT WAS NOT, YOU KNOW, UH, COMMISSIONER BARBER, DOESN'T, HE DOESN'T, HE DOESN'T REALLY, HE DOESN'T NECESSARILY TRUST THE GOVERNMENT FORECAST.
UH, GEORGE WILLIFORD IS THE ONE WHO SENT THIS STUFF TO ME.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS A PRIVATE FORECAST OF CPI.
THAT'S THE ONE YOU GOT CIRCLED THERE IN BLUE.
UM, AND IT SHOWS WHAT BLOOMBERG IS FORECASTING FOR THE LAST QUARTER OF THIS YEAR.
THROUGH THE FOURTH QUARTER OF 23, YOU CAN SEE THAT AVERAGE IS 4.4%.
SO YOU DON'T THINK THIS IS A GOOD THING TO BASE IT ON.
YOU ALL AGREE WITH THAT? THAT I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF US CAN HAVE ANY, ANY WAY TO COME UP WITH ANYTHING BETTER.
WE MOVE ON TO THIS LITTLE SHEET THAT I, THIS OTHER SHEET THAT I SENT YOU THAT'S TITLED EMPLOYEE COST OF LIVING RAISE INFORMATION.
UM, SO WE HAVE, AS YOU CAN SEE 663 EMPLOYEES, THE PROJECTIONS THAT THE AVERAGE PROJECTION FOR THE NEXT FIVE QUARTERS SHOWS A 4.4% INCREASE.
SO WHAT I DID IS BROKE THAT DOWN FIRST TO TALK ABOUT THE, AROUND THE AMOUNT OF THE RES THOUSAND DOLLARS COMES OUT TO A 2% WAGE INCREASE.
I WANT TO TALK JUST REAL QUICKLY ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE IN THE COST OF THE COUNTY IN THE TOTAL, OUR TOTAL SALARY IMPACT THAT 2% IS A 2% RAISE ON SALARY.
IT HAS, THE COST IS PROVIDED BY THE AUDITOR.
THAT'S BASICALLY THAT ALL COMES FROM THAT $773,000 COST.
SHE WANTS TO INCLUDE BENEFITS AND ALL THAT STUFF, WHICH KAREN AND M DID SO THOUSAND DOLLARS.
THAT'S OBVIOUSLY BELOW THE MARK.
UH, 2000 WOULD BE 4% AT 2,500 WOULD BE A 5% RAISE, WHICH IS ABOVE WHAT THAT 4.4% AVERAGE IS.
AND I FEEL LIKE THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD TARGET FOR US TO SETTLE ON COST OF LIVING WAGE.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT WAGES,
[00:25:01]
ADJUSTMENTS, WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT NEW POSITIONS.WE'RE TALKING ABOUT JUST COST OF LIVING.
CAN WE, DO WE HAVE A, DO WE HAVE A NUMBER OF WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST THE COUNTY IF WE ACCOMMODATE EVERY NEW POSITION AND WAGE ADJUSTMENT YET? I THINK IT'S ALL MY SHIT Y'ALL HANDED OUT.
I CAN ANSWER THAT QUESTION WITHOUT NUMBERS.
SO IF, IF THAT WERE TO BE ACCOMMODATED, THEN THERE WOULD BE ZERO MONEY FOR RAISES.
AM I WRONG ABOUT THAT? UM, WELL, I DON'T KNOW.
I THINK YOU'RE MIXING AND MATCHING THERE.
I'D LIKE FOR US TO, WE'RE DOING, WE'VE HAD A LOT OF DISCUSSIONS AND SEEN LOTS OF PAPER, BUT WE HAVEN'T MADE MANY DECISIONS YET AND WE NEED TO START MAKING SOME DECISIONS.
SO WHAT I'M ASKING YOU IS, NUMBER ONE, WE AGREE THAT A 5% COST OF LIVING INCREASE JUST COST OF LIVING INCREASE.
AVERAGE WAGE INCREASE WOULD, WOULD GIVE US IN TOTAL WHAT WE NEED IN TERMS OF A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT.
UH, I GUESS, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SEE HAPPEN IS THAT WE ACTUALLY ADJUST THE, PAY MY MODIFICATIONS FOR THE PIPE.
WE NEED TO, TO BRING HER PIPE UP TO FOR, IT'S NOT JUST COST OF LIVING INCREASES AS WE FELL BEHIND THAT STEP TWO.
I THINK EVERYBODY AGREED HERE THAT WE NEED TO DO COST OF LIVING INCREASE, TO ADJUST FOR INFLATION GOING INTO THIS YEAR.
AND THAT'S ALL, THAT'S ALL I'M TALKING ABOUT IT, BUT, BUT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A SECOND TIER TO THIS, TO ADJUST THEM ABOUT ANOTHER ANALYSIS.
ONCE WE FIGURE OUT WHAT IS THIS, HOW MUCH IS THIS GOING TO TAKE OUT OF THE BUDGET? AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO SEE HOW MUCH WE'VE GOT LEFT FOR WAGE ADJUSTMENTS FOR OTHER INCREASES, IF AT NEW POSITIONS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING WITH THE WHITES ADJUSTMENTS.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO JUST LIKE RANDOMLY PICK PEOPLE THAT WE THINK ARE OUT OF WHACK AND TRY TO ADJUST THEIR SALARIES, IF THAT'S YOUR THINKING.
BUT IF WE JUST GO ACROSS THE BOARD ADJUSTMENT, THEN ALL THE SPREADS STAY THE SAME.
YOU KNOW, WHETHER IT'S LOW AND WIDE YOU'RE ON OR WHAT THE SPREADS ARE.
ASSIGNMENT JUST WENT UP A SPECIFIC DOLLAR AMOUNT.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE WHOLE ORGANIZATION COST OF LIVING.
WELL, NOW I'M TALKING ABOUT A SALARY ADJUSTMENT.
SO, AND THAT'S, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT GIVEN A CONSTANT LIVING INCREASE AND THEN ADJUSTING SALARIES, I DON'T PARTICULARLY WANT TO RANDOMLY SAY YOURS IS A LITTLE OUT OF WHACK.
SO, SO I DON'T WANT TO GET CAUGHT UP IN THAT.
I WOULD JUST THINK THAT ACROSS THE BOARD SALARY ADJUSTMENT AND THAT WAY THE SPREAD STAY THE SAME THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE ORGANIZATION.
ALL YOU'VE DONE IS JUST INCREASE EVERYBODY'S SALARIES TO WHERE WE CAN HAVE SALARY RETENTION AND, AND BRING PEOPLE IN, YOU KNOW, FOR JOBS WE NEED TO TRY TO FEEL TO BE COMPETITIVE.
NOW THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT, I DON'T KNOW, I KNOW THAT THERE'S BEEN THE 10,000 TALKS ABOUT AND THE 5,000 TALKS ABOUT, AND I KNOW A LOT OF STUFF'S BEEN ON THE TABLE, BUT WHATEVER WE DECIDED, I THINK IT NEEDS TO BE ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO THAT'S A COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT.
THAT'S NOT A SALARY, JUST SALARY ADJUSTMENTS ARE WHAT ALL OF THESE ELECTED OFFICIAL AND DEPARTMENT HEADS HAVE COME IN AND PROPOSED TO MY WAY, I THINK.
WELL SAY I'M KIND OF LIKE AGREE WITH THE JUDGE WHENEVER HE ASKED THEM NOT TO BRING IT, ALL THOSE SALARY INCREASES TO US.
NO, WHENEVER YOU ASKED HIM NOT TO BRING ALL THEIR WALLETS FOR SALARY.
YOU KNOW, WE JUST NEED WHAT THEY NEED TO DO THEIR JOB AND THE FUNCTIONS, AND THEN WE'LL DEAL WITH THAT SEPARATELY, YOU KNOW? AND SO I'VE JUST KIND OF, I'VE LISTENED TO HIM AND I KNOW THE SALARY RANGES, THEY WON'T, BUT I'VE KIND OF BROUGHT THAT OUT UNTIL WE DECIDE WHAT KIND OF RAISES OR WHAT KIND OF SALARY WE'RE GOING TO DO.
UH, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY OTHER WAY TO DO IT, BUT WE'VE GOT TO LOOK AT, UH, WE ALMOST HAVE TO LOOK AT IT ON A REQUEST BY REQUEST BASIS.
UH, YOU KNOW, MOST OF OUR DEPARTMENTS HAVE NOT ASKED, WELL, THEY, WE HAVEN'T ASKED THEM TO SUBMIT THEIR WAGE ADJUSTMENT.
SOME OF THEM VOLUNTEERED THAT.
BUT, UM, SO THAT'S, AGAIN, WHAT I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN WALK OUT OF THIS MEETING TODAY IS TO AGREE ON WHAT OUR COST OF LIVING INCREASES.
DO YOU AGREE WITH A 5%? I'M SORRY.
DO YOU AGREE WITH THE $2,500 AVERAGE WAGE INCREASE THAT WOULD ON
[00:30:01]
IN TOTAL WOULD, WOULD EXCEED WHAT THESE PROJECTIONS ARE FOR THE CPI? THAT'S THE NUMBER ONE QUESTION AND THE IMPACT AT 5%, THE IMPACTS 2 MILLION, YES.2 MILLION, 2 MILLION, AND THEN 132.
THAT'S THE, THAT'S THE COSTUME RACK, THIS PAGE.
SO, SO THAT'S THE ONE THING, IF WE AGREE WITH IT, I JUST FEEL LIKE AT SOME POINT OR ANOTHER, WE'VE GOT TO START MAKING DECISIONS IF WE'RE GOING TO MOVE THROUGH THIS BUDGET.
SO I THINK THAT'S A REASONABLE PROPOSAL.
UH, I MEAN, UH, I THINK IT'D BE GREAT IF, IF WE WERE SO FLUSHED THAT WE COULD GIVE 10 GRAND OR FIVE GRAND, BUT I JUST DON'T THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A REALISTIC, UH, PROPOSAL IN ANY CAPACITY WITHOUT, WITHOUT REALLY DAMAGING THE CITIZENS WITH REGARD TO THEIR TAX PAYMENTS.
SO I THINK THAT THAT A $2,500 RAISE, UM, IS, UM, YOU KNOW, A $2 MILLION IMPACT A MILLION, 9 32, UH, IS, IS A PRETTY GOOD PLACE TO START.
BUT THEN I PRESUME YOU'RE GOING TO NEXT TALK ABOUT HOW THAT GETS APPLIED, RIGHT? WHERE THAT STEPPED OR NOT WHAT I'M, WHAT I, UNLESS I HEAR OBJECTION, I'M GOING TO PUT IT THIS WAY.
UNLESS SOMEBODY TELLS ME THEY DON'T LIKE THIS AVERAGE 2,500, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE GOING TO SETTLE ON BECAUSE I CAN'T GET ANYBODY TO VOLUNTEER THAT THEY SAY YES OR NO, WHERE THEY WANT TO PUT THOSE.
WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THEN THIS IS, I'M NOT PROPOSING THAT WE STOP THERE.
I'M PAYING, THIS IS JUST THE COST OF LIVING INCREASE.
THAT'S ALL WE'RE TALKING ABOUT.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT WAGE ADJUSTMENTS.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT NEW POSITIONS.
WE'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT JUST A COST OF LIVING INCREASE, BUT THAT'S THE FIRST BITE THAT WE GOT TO TAKE OUT OF THE BUDGET.
I MEAN, I THINK WE ALL AGREED THAT WE HAVE TO DO SOMETHING THIS YEAR TO COVER INFLATION.
AND SO THAT'S THE FIRST THING WE DO.
THAT'S THE FIRST THING THAT I THINK WE NEED TO ADDRESS SO THAT NOBODY IS LOSING MONEY THIS YEAR.
WELL, THE WHOLE POINT OF IT IS THAT WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK TO THE SAME THING.
AND, UH, EVEN THE DA'S OFFICE, YOU KNOW, SUBMITTED OTHER THINGS AND, AND THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT HAVE SUBMITTED THINGS AND EVERYBODY'S SUBMITTED AND JUST DEPUTIES ALONE.
IF YOU RAISED THEM 5,000, WE'RE STILL 5,000 UNDER, I DON'T KNOW.
I'M NOT EVEN TALKING ABOUT THE DEPUTY RIGHT HERE.
I'M TALKING ABOUT JUST THE COST.
I MEAN, BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT THE WHOLE PICTURE AND I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IF WE SAY SURE, WE CAN STILL THE CLAN, THAT WE'RE NOT ACCEPTING THIS A HUNDRED PERCENT UNTIL WE GO THROUGH THE WHOLE PROCESS AND UNDERSTAND THE WHOLE TOTAL PACKAGE, WE'VE GOT TO HAVE A NUMBER TO PLUG IN.
SO THE NEXT THING, WHICH MAYBE IS A LITTLE EASIER DISCUSSION THAT THIS IS JUST AN OPINION MATTER IS, UH, DO WE WANT TO DO A TIERED RACE, LIKE A TWO OR THREE TIERED RAYS? LIKE THE PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM GET A 1500 PEOPLE AND GET A FOUL.
I MEAN, DO WE WANT TO DO A TEAR, GRACE? THAT AVERAGE IS 2,500 WITH, WE DO WANT TO DO A 2,500 ACROSS THE IT, IF YOU DO, IF YOU DO 5%, YOU WILL BE DOING A TWO TIER RANGE.
IF YOU'RE DOING 5% ON EVERYBODY'S SOUND, IT'S NOT A 5%.
WELL, IT COMES OUT TO 5% PER CENT INEQUITIES THAT GETS US BACK TO THIS DEAL.
AVERAGE PERCENT INCREASE THAT GETS US BACK TO THIS DEAL.
THAT 5% FOR SOMEBODY MAKING 36,000, WHICH IS BY THE WAY AS OUR BOTTOM WAGE, YOU SAY, WE MAKE PEOPLE LESS THAN 30.
WE DON'T, WE, 36 IS OUR BOTTOM WAGE.
SO 5% OR SOMETHING MAKING 36,000 IS 800.
WELL, WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS, IT'S $1,800 A YEAR, RIGHT? BUT IT'S, IT'S 5% TO YOU MAKING A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IS A WHOLE LOT MORE MONEY.
SO THAT'S THE DISCUSSION THAT WE'VE HAD BEFORE.
WHAT DO YOU DO YOU WANT TO TRY TO RAISE UP THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MAKING 36 MORE, GIVE THEM A LARGER BUMP IN DOLLARS, OR JUST GIVE EVERYBODY THE ME COST OF LIVING RAISE.
WHEN YOU'RE TALKING COST OF LIVING RATE, NOT ADJUSTMENT COST OF LIVING, IT'D BE GIVE A 2% OR 1% OR WHATEVER THE, THE INDEX ENDS UP BEING FOR THE YEAR.
IF YOU WORKED FOR THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
AND, AND I GUESS I AGREED THAT'S ALREADY FIVE YEARS.
IF THEY GAVE YOU A ONE AND A HALF, THEY DIDN'T SAY ONE AND A HALF OR A THOUSAND DOLLAR WORKER AND ONE AND A HALF FOR AN 10%, FOR A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS WORKER OR WHATEVER, THEY SAID ONE AND A HALF ACROSS THE BOARD BECAUSE
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THEY HAVE STEP PAYS.THEY HAVE ORGANIZATIONAL CHARTS AND IT'S CHANGING THE WHOLE SPRINT.
SO YOU'RE NOT GOING TO, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO CLOSE THE GAP TOGETHER.
THE PURPOSE IS THAT YOU TOOK A JOB FOR $30,000, $35,000, WHATEVER IT IS, YOU'RE HAPPY WITH THE SALARY.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO BE A COST OF LIVING RACE.
I DO BELIEVE THAT THAT'S A, THAT'S A GREAT SYSTEM.
THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.
THE PROBLEM IS, AND I'M IN AGREEMENT WITH MIKE IS THAT OVER THE YEARS WE'VE GOTTEN SO FAR BEHIND THAT.
WE'RE NOT MAKING UP YET IN SOMEWHERE ALONG THE LINE, WE'VE GOT, WE'VE GOT TO BE ABLE TO GET INTO THE MARKET PLACE, THE HAVE ELIGIBLE EMPLOYEES.
PEOPLE FOR BEING ABLE TO DO MORE WORK OR LESS WORK OR WHATEVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT.
LIKE THE JPS, THEY'RE ALL WORKING HARDER.
THEY'RE DOING MORE CALLS OR DOING MORE EVERYTHING ELSE BECAUSE THE POPULATION IS GETTING GREATER.
AND OUR SMALL COMMUNITY THAT USED TO BE SMALL IS BLOWING UP INTO AN ASTRONOMICAL AMOUNT OF PEOPLE.
AND THE MORE THAT IT HAPPENS, THEN WE'RE STILL GOING TO HAVE THE BURDEN, THE COST, THE CITIZENS IS GOING TO HAVE THE BURDEN, THE COST.
THE LEGISLATOR IS THE ONE THAT'S GOING TO HAVE TO PICK UP AND FIGURE OUT A WAY TO TAKE IT OFF.
HOMES WENT BACK TO THE QUESTION, YOU KNOW, SO YOUR ANSWER IS, DO YOU THINK WE SHOULD JUST DO FOR THE COST OF LIVING PART OF THAT? WE SHOULD JUST DO A 5% RAISE.
THAT'S YOUR ANSWER? WELL, I JUST, IF THIS IS THE CHART WE'RE WORKING ON, THEN YES, IT SHOULD BE A PERCENTAGE RATES.
I THINK IT SHOULD BE NOT A DOLLAR RANGE.
I DON'T THINK THAT THAT'S A DOLLAR AMOUNT.
I THINK THIS IS A PERCENTAGE THING.
IF YOU'RE GOING TO CALL IT A COST, A REAL COST OF LIVING RAISE, THEN THAT'S A PERCENTAGE.
I THINK WE NEED AN ADJUSTMENT, I THINK FOR BASE PAY.
AND THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING, BUT WE, UH, I THINK THE D THE, THE IDEA BEHIND GIVING A LARGER LUMP TO PEOPLE AT THE LOWER END IS, UH, SOMEBODY THAT'S, YOU KNOW, COST OF LIVING THE COST OF HAMBURG IS IF IT GOES UP $2 A POUND, THAT'S A MUCH BIGGER HIT FOR SOMEBODY WHO'S MAKING 6,000 THAN IT IS FOR SOMEBODY THAT'S MAKING EIGHT.
YOU ALSO HAVE TO CONSIDER WHAT, WHAT IS YOUR, WHAT'S YOUR OBJECTIVE, RIGHT? WHAT'S YOUR OBJECTIVE? SO FOR INSTANCE, UH, YOU KNOW, A RECURRING VALID THEME THAT'S IN HERE IS WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO RECRUIT AND HIRE DEPUTIES AND THAT, UH, SO PERIOD FINISHED SKEET.
SO THE RECRUIT AND HIRE DEPUTIES, UH, IS A LOW, IS THE LOWEST END OF THE PAY SCALE, RIGHT? SO, SO IF IS OUR OBJECTIVE TO BE ABLE TO RECRUIT AND HIRE DEPUTIES, BECAUSE IT'S HARD TO GET DEPUTIES AT 50 GRAND.
UH, SO IF, IF WE ARE REALLY GOING TO TRY TO HAVE A FOCUS AND MAGNIFYING IMPACT ON THAT PROBLEM, THEN IT'S, IT'S BENEFICIAL TO RAISE THE LOWER END OF THE SCALE, BECAUSE WE HAVE A HARDER TIME TO GET PEOPLE TO WORK AS A DEPUTY AT 50,000 THAN WE DO TO GET THEM TO WORK AS A LIEUTENANT AT 86,000.
SO THAT'S THE PURPOSE OF A STEPPED RAISES, OR IT'S AT LEAST ONE PURPOSES TO TRY TO PARK IS TO TRY TO TARGET THE OBJECTIVE YOU'RE TRYING TO REACH, YOU KNOW, FOR INSTANCE, UH, TODAY A RECRUIT IN NEW YORK CITY AND THE NEW YORK CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT, BASIC RECRUIT PAYS $55,000 A YEAR IN NEW YORK CITY.
SO, UH, I, I'M NOT ALWAYS IN AGREEMENT THAT WE'RE THAT FAR OUT OF COMPLIANCE WITH, UM, UH, COMPARABLE OTHER GOVERNMENT ORGANIZATIONS.
UH, CLEARLY WE STILL HAVE SOME ADJUSTMENT TO DO, BUT, BUT I KNOW IN MY TIME THEN, SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, WE HAVE STEADILY WORK TOWARDS THAT MID RANGE ON, ON THE EVERGREEN STUDY.
UH, AND I THINK WE'VE MADE GOOD PROGRESS, BUT THAT THE, THE IMPACT OF A STEP RES NOT ONLY IS WHAT THE JUDGE SAYS, IT'S A LOT HARDER ON A $50,000 A YEAR EMPLOYEE TO, TO ABSORB THE COST OF GROCERIES THAN IT IS ON A $80,000 A YEAR EMPLOYEE.
AND SECOND, IF YOUR PURPOSE IS TO, IS TO FIX A PROBLEM, I E THE RECRUITMENT OF, FOR INSTANCE, SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES, THEN YOU MIGHT WANT TO CONSIDER MAKING THAT A STEPPED INCREASE BECAUSE IT SOLVES YOUR RECRUITMENT PROBLEM, OR AT LEAST AT LEAST ENHANCES THAT THE SOLVING OF THAT PROBLEM.
BUT BACK TO THE QUESTION, SO, OKAY, HOW IS IT USING A 5% OR EVEN A PERCENT RAISE BY? I MEAN, LET ME SAY ONE
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THING, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH IT.BUT I DO HAVE A PROBLEM WHEN WE NEVER MATCHED COST OF LIVING TO THE PACE.
BUT IF, IF THE ONLY RAISE THAT, THAT WE'VE IN, IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS, SEVEN YEARS, YOU KNOW, THE RAISES, UM, I'VE WATCHED THEM.
I KNOW AUDITOR KNOWS EVERYBODY ELSE KNOWS IF A PERSON WAS MAKING THIS MUCH AND YOU GIVE 1%, ARE YOU GIVING ONE AND A QUARTER PERCENT? WELL, OKAY, NOW YOU'RE 2% BEHIND.
IF IT WAS A 3% INDEX, EIGHT YEAR OR A 4%.
SO WE COULD BE AS MUCH AS, EVEN THOUGH THAT IMMIGRANTS STUDY, THEY GET AN EMPLOYEE THAT YOU'VE HAD FOR A LONG TIME INTO THE MIDDLE BRACKET, OR MAYBE THEY SHOULDN'T BE IN THE TOP BRACKET BECAUSE THEY'VE BEEN HERE 15 YEARS OR 16 YEARS.
YOU HAVE PEOPLE DOWN THERE IT'S BEEN THERE 20 YEARS, YOU KNOW? UM, AND, AND THE, AND THE TROUBLE IS, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE A DECENT ADJUSTMENT SO THAT THE PERSON ON THE BOTTOM DOES FEEL IT.
I DON'T WANT THEM TO GO WITHOUT IT, BUT IF YOU'RE TALKING JUST, JUST SINGLE TALKING ABOUT THAT'S ALL I'M TRYING TO GET ANSWERED.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH DOING WHATEVER THE INDEX RATE SHOULD BE.
I MEAN, I KNOW WE'RE OVER BY YOU TALKING TO THEM WHO MADE THIS? I UNDERSTAND THAT I GET THAT.
UH IT'S BUT YOU KNOW, I KNOW COSTS TO LIVE IN THIS COST MORE THAN THAT THIS YEAR.
THERE'S NO QUESTION IN MY MIND.
AND, UM, IT SHOWS THAT THE QUARTER, THE IT'S SEVEN POINT SOMETHING, BUT I'M LOOKING AT THE FIVE QUARTERS THAT WILL BE COVERED IN THIS.
I DON'T KNOW, BUT IT DOESN'T COVER IT.
IT DOESN'T EVEN COME CLOSE, ALL THAT.
CAN I, CAN I TELL Y'ALL SOMETHING? UM, CNBC IS JUST SAYING STUFF SECURITY COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT COULD BE 10.5%.
CAUSE THEY'RE WATCHING THE NEW ESTIMATES OF THE COST OF LIVING.
YOU'RE GOING TO GET DIFFERENT NUMBERS TILL SOMEBODY ELSE MAKES THEIR MIND UP ON WHAT HE'S GOING TO BE.
HERE'S AGAIN, IT'S GOING TO BE, IT'S A FORECAST AND KNOW WHAT DO YOU, WHAT CAN YOU KNOW ABOUT A FORECAST IT'S GOING TO BE WRONG? WELL, I KNOW THAT THE, CAN I TAKE YOU OUT THROUGH THAT LITTLE SCENARIO? CAN I HELP YOU PLEASE? YES, MA'AM.
SO WHAT WERE YOU GOING TO SAY ABOUT THE PERCENTAGE? OKAY.
I DON'T AGREE WITH JUST THE PERCENTAGE, UNLESS THERE WAS SOMETHING ON THE OTHER SIDE THAT I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THAT YOU'RE PLANNING, BUT WE NEED, WE NEED TO GET COMPETITIVE.
HOW MANY PEOPLE WE HAVE FLOODING OUR GATES TO TAKE THE ENGINEERING JOB.
HOW MANY PEOPLE DO WE HAVE FLOODING THE PLACE TO TAKE THE FIRE MARSHAL'S JOB? WE CAN'T HIRE COMPETITIVE PEOPLE THE, WELL, I MEAN, WE'VE GOT GOOD PEOPLE.
DON'T GIVE UP WHAT WE DID GET WHENEVER YOU GOT ONE OR TWO TO PICK FROM, THAT'S NOT WHAT WE WANT.
AND WE WANT TO BE COMPETITIVE AT EVERY LEVEL, WHETHER IT'S THE 36,000 OR THE 60,000 SPOT, WE HAD TO GET COMPETITIVE WITH THE OTHER COUNTIES AND CITIES THAT ARE OUT THERE.
AND I, YOU KNOW, I THINK DISAGREE WITH THE STATEMENT ABOUT YOU THOUGHT WE WERE COMPETITIVE WITH EVERYBODY ELSE.
SO, I MEAN, WHEN WE WERE LOSING PEOPLE TO ELLIS COUNTY AND PLACES LIKE THAT FOR LISTENING, BUT DALLAS COUNTY IS ONE THING WE'RE LOSING THEM TO SMALLER COUNTIES.
SO WE JUST NEED TO GET COMPETITIVE.
IF IT TAKES A 5% TO GET STARTED.
AND THEN WE MAKE ACROSS THE BOARD ADJUSTMENTS TO, TO GET OUR SALARIES BACK IN RANGE.
I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH GOING THIS ROUTE.
AND ALL I'M TRYING TO DO IS ADDRESS JUST THE COST OF LIVING COMPONENT.
THAT'S ALL, AS LONG AS THERE'S ANOTHER COMPONENT TO THIS, WHERE WE CAN GET OUR VOICE.
THAT'S, THAT'S ALL I NEED TO HEAR.
IF WE'RE GOING TO DEAL WITH THAT SIDE OF IT, THEN THAT'LL OKAY.
BUT THE ONLY THING I'M GOING TO SAY IS THAT IF SOMEBODY SAYS THAT THIS, THIS PERSON THAT'S MAKING 36,000 SHOULD BE MAKING 50,000, MY ANSWER IS GOING TO BE, SHOW ME, UH, I THINK DESERET AND STEVE AND I IN THE, IN THE JUDGE, JUDGE WILEY, THEY'VE ALL COME FORTH WITH HARD EXAMPLES OF, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY DESERET HAD LIKE 10 OR 12 DIFFERENT COUNTIES THAT SHE SHOWED.
YOU KNOW, RATHER THAN JUST PICKING A NUMBER OUT OF THIS, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, HUH? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THESE PEOPLE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THOSE PEOPLE.
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ABOUT.WE'RE TALKING, I'M JUST SAYING, I'M JUST SAYING IT, IT MEANS SOMETHING FOR SOMEBODY TO COME AND SHOW US WHAT THE PREVAILING WAGES ARE FOR PARTICULAR JOB.
INSTEAD OF JUST PICKING A NUMBER OUT OF THE SKY, THOSE COMMENTS ARE VALID IN A PERFECT WORLD, BUT EVEN FOR INSTANCE, ELLIS COUNTY, HOW MANY MORE MILLIONS IS THERE TAX ROLLS THAT ARE LIKE 6 BILLION, 6 BILLION, MORE THAN OUR TAX ROLLS.
YOU HAVE TO MAKE THOSE SORTS OF ADJUSTMENTS WHEN YOU COMPARE THE, THE, THE OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY OF KAUFMAN COUNTY TO A COUNTY LIKE ELLIS COUNTY.
WELL, I LOOK AT ELLIS COUNTY, THE OTHER THING ABOUT ELLIS COUNTY, YOU GOT $6 BILLION.
THAT'S, THAT'S MOSTLY, OR A HUGE PART OF THAT INDUSTRY INDUSTRY.
WELL, AND, AND THAT KIND OF LEADS US TO THIS.
IT WOULD MAKE IT EASIER FOR ME A SIMPLE TIME, RIGHT? I'M STILL AT $10 TRYING TO FIGURE IF I CAN GET THE ELMO KIND OF GUY, WE'VE GOT A TAX RATE SET, WE'VE GOT OUR VALUES THAT HAVE BEEN FINALIZED SO FAR.
SO THERE IS AN AMOUNT OF REVENUES THAT WE'RE GOING TO GENERATE.
WE'VE GOT A CURRENT BUDGET THAT WE'RE WHERE EVERYBODY'S HAPPY WITH ALL THE PEOPLE WHO'VE GOT THAT WE'RE USING RIGHT NOW.
AND THERE'S GOING TO BE STEP RISES IN LONGEVITY.
THAT'S GOING TO INCREASE THAT BASIC BUDGET, RIGHT.
SO WE KNOW THAT'S THE BASE COST, RIGHT? SO THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE REVENUES AND WHAT WE'RE PAYING OUT.
AND IN THAT SPREAD, WE'VE GOT TO DECIDE, DO WE CUT TAX RATE OR GIVE EMPLOYEES RAISES? NO, I LIKE TO SEE THAT NUMBER.
IT'S NOT GOING TO BE A CHOICE BETWEEN THOSE TWO THINGS.
OH, WELL, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO WRITE THE TAX RATE TO BE ABLE TO CUT IT AND GIVE THE RISES.
SO AT THIS, BUT THE, UH, WE CAN, WE WILL BE ABLE, I'M CONVINCED, LOOKING AT THE DOLLARS THAT WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CUT THE TAX RATE AND GIVE, BUT HERE'S, HERE'S WHAT I SAID TO THE SHERIFF THE OTHER DAY.
THERE'S NO WAY I'M SUPPORTING A 40% INCREASE IN TAX, IN PROPERTY TAXES FOR THE COUNTY.
AND, AND IT OCCURRENT TAX RATE.
IF WE USED TO USE TODAY'S TAX RATE MULTIPLIED TIMES OF VALUE, THAT'S A 40, THAT'S ABOUT A 40% INCREASE IN REVENUES IN ROAD AND BRIDGE.
HOWEVER, IN OUR REVENUES, RIGHT? IT'S A 40% INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THAT WERE TAKEN FROM PEOPLE.
AND I I'LL NEVER, I CAN'T EVER SUPPORT THAT.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT TOTAL TAX RATE.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL THE NEW INCOME TO, I'M TALKING ABOUT GOING TO, GOING TO A TAXPAYER AND TELLING HIM THAT WE NEED LAST YEAR.
UH, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE HAD A THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM YOU.
I DON'T KNOW WHY COFFIN COUNTY, WE, IF WE HAVE ADJUSTMENTS TO MAKE, WE HAVE NEW POSITIONS THAT WE NEED TO ADD OR WHATEVER IT IS, I DON'T SEE ANY WAY THAT THAT ADDS UP TO INCREASING TAXES ON OUR TAXPAYERS BY 40% IN DOLLARS.
I DON'T THINK ANYBODY'S ADVOCATING THAT AT ALL.
IF YOU KEEP THE CURRENT TAX RATE, THAT'S WHAT I HEARD.
I JUST SAYING ABOUT KEEPING THE CURRENT TAX.
WELL, THAT'S WHAT THIS IS PROPOSING.
I SAID, I WANT TO KNOW WHAT THE NUMBERS ARE WITH THE CURRENT TAX RATE.
WE GOT TO DECIDE 40% MORE PARTS PERSONNEL.
WHAT KIND OF PAY RAISE TO GIVE OUR EMPLOYEES AND WHAT KIND OF TAX RATE CUT CAN WE DO? BUT THAT'S, THAT'S THE NUMBER WE'RE WORKING WITH.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT NUMBER IS, WHAT WE CAN AFFORD.
WELL, WHAT I GAVE YOU ALL THE OTHER DAY WAS A 7% INCREASE, WHICH IS $3.4 MILLION.
AS WE HAD TWO SOURCES OF, WE HAD TWO SOURCES OF ADDITIONAL MONEY.
ONE WAS THE 7% THAT I PROPOSED.
AND THAT SHEET I GAVE YOU, WHICH WAS 3.4 MILLION.
AND THEN THE OTHER POOL OF MONEY WE HAVE TO DRAW ON IS ANOTHER 3 MILLION OF THIS YEAR'S TAX REVENUE.
THAT WE'RE NOT, THAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WE'RE GOING TO SPEND.
SO THAT, AND I THAT'S MONEY WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN FROM PEOPLE.
IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING? AND THEN WE HAVE THREE, WE HAVE $3 MILLION.
WE'RE WE BUDGETED THREE POINT SOMETHING MILLION DOLLARS MORE THAN WHAT WE WERE.
BUT THE OTHER NUMBER 3 MILLION CAME FROM THAT'S THE THAT'S HOW MUCH WE'RE NOT GOING TO SPEND THAT WE BUDGETED.
DOES SHE UNDERSTAND THAT? OKAY, BUT YOU JUST GAVE ME TWO, THREE BANKS.
THE FIRST 3 MILLION IS WHAT I PROPOSE IN THAT SHEET.
I GAVE YOU, BUT WE RAISE OUR TAX REVENUE.
WE ASK OUR CITIZENS, OUR TAXPAYERS TO GIVE US 7% MORE TAX REVENUE.
WE ADD 7% OF WHAT THEY'RE PAYING NOW, AND THAT, WHICH IS INCREASE.
THAT'S A TAX INCREASE, WHICH IS TWICE.
BUT IN THAT 7% WOULD BE TWICE AS MUCH AS COUNTIES THAT ARE OPERATING UNDER THE TAX CAP WOULD, WOULD BE ASKING THEIR CITIZENS FOR.
SO WE'VE GOT THE REVENUES COMING IN AND YOU'RE JUST SAYING, JUST CUT THE SENTENCE, CUT OUR RIGHT DOWN TO WHERE WE INCREASE OUR BUDGET 7%.
THAT'S WHAT I'M, THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO SET.
AND I'M NOT EVEN CALCULATING THE TAX RATE AT THIS POINT.
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ABOUT DOLLARS.SO, UM, BUT I JUST LIKE TO SAY ONE MORE TIME THAT EVERY DOLLAR THAT WE'RE TALKING TO, I KNOW I'VE SEEN IT, BUT I'M GOING TO START DOING IT TOO.
COMES OUT OF THE TAX PAYERS, PLUSES AND MINUSES, ONE YOURS, MINE, AND ALL THE OTHER 190,000 PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTY THAT WE'RE ASKING ALL OF THEM TO TIGHTEN THEIR BELTS.
AND I STILL THINK THAT WE ALSO SHOULD BE TIGHTENING OUR BILL.
I KIND OF FEEL LIKE MAYBE IT'S MY IMAGINATION, BUT I THOUGHT WE KIND OF SETTLED ON PLUGGING A 5% ACROSS THE BOARD, EVERY EMPLOYEE COST OF LIVING RACE.
THAT'S THE, SO THAT'S THE FIRST BITE OUT OF THE BUDGET THAT WE'RE TAKING.
AND THEN, AND KAREN, I CUT YOU OFF ALL THE GO WAS, I WANTED TO GET THAT CLEAR AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, UH, SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THAT.
SO NOW CAN WE TALK ABOUT WHETHER YOU'RE GOING TO, WE'RE GOING TO CONSIDER IT A STEPPED RAISE OR NOT, OR IS IT, HAVE WE JUST SAID, I THINK WHAT I HEARD SENT ACROSS THE PANELIST, I THINK THE WAY COLA'S ARE TRADITIONALLY DONE EVERYWHERE IS AS A PERCENTAGE INCREASE.
I DON'T THINK IT HELPS THE PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM AS MUCH AS IT DOES THE PEOPLE AT THE TOP, BUT THAT IS THE WAY THAT IT'S TYPICALLY DONE.
IT DOESN'T HELP THE PEOPLE AT THE BOTTOM AND IT DOESN'T TARGET THE NEEDS THAT GET EXPRESSED IN THIS COURT EVERY DAY.
YOU KNOW, WHAT IT REALLY AMOUNTS TO IS THAT INFLATION HURTS LOWER INCOME PEOPLE A LOT MORE THAN IT DOES UPPER INCOME PEOPLE.
THAT IDEA THAT WE'RE TRYING TO HELP, THAT WE WERE TRYING TO NOW LET'S GO TO YOUR SECOND PART AND YOU SAY, WHAT WHAT'D YOU GOING TO TALK ABOUT ON IT? UH, WELL, I'M NOT READY TO, I DON'T HAVE ANY NUMBERS PUT TOGETHER, BUT THE NEXT THING WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT AND WE NEED TO PLUG IN THE COLA INTO OUR BUDGET, UH, COME BACK WITH THAT NUMBER THAT I HAD THE OTHER DAY TRYING TO GET THE CONVERSATION STARTED.
WE'VE GOT TO SETTLE ON WHAT IS OUR TAX REVENUE GOING TO BE? AND WE HAVE TO AGREE ON WHATEVER.
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO IS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE THE, HOW MANY MILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF REQUESTS THAT WE HAVE IN TOTAL.
WE HAVE TO TAKE THAT WHATEVER THE TOTAL REVENUE IS, IF, IF THAT'S LESS THAN WHAT ALL THE REQUESTS ARE FROM THE DEPARTMENTS, THEN WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO ADJUST THAT DOWN.
AND WE'VE ALREADY GOTTEN A TON OF HELP FROM THE DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE WITHDRAWN THEIR REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL POSITIONS AND THAT SORT OF THING.
THAT'S, THAT'S HUGE, BUT THEY ARE ALSO REDUCING WHAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR, FOR A MEANINGFUL ADJUSTMENT IN OUR SALARY TO THAT'S WHAT EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM IS SAID.
WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A MEANINGFUL ADJUSTMENT IN SOUTH.
SO, I MEAN, WE TOLD IT, I GUESS IT'S, WHAT'S YOUR DEFINITION OF MEANINGFUL, RIGHT? YES, EXACTLY.
IN ANY COURSE, YOU KNOW, MINE, I MEAN, YOU KNOW WHAT I WAS GOING TO SHIP.
ALL MY FIRST SCENARIO WOULD HAVE BROUGHT IN 68 MILLION IN THE GENERAL FUND WITH 62 MILLION WORTH OF EXPENSES WOULD HAVE LEFT YOU 5.7 MILLION TO DO RACES TO BE SCENARIO WOULD HAVE BEEN 68 MILLION, GAVE YOU ANOTHER 6 MILLION IN ADJUSTMENTS THAT YOU COULD HAVE DONE SOMETHING WITH.
THEN I DID THE A 7% INCREASED, BROUGHT IN 57 MILLION WITH 62,000 EXPENSES WOULD HAVE BEEN A 4.8 MILLION DEFICIT.
AND WE'D HAD TO USE FUND BALANCE TO MAKE IT BALANCED.
BUT I DID THE 7%, LIKE YOU ASKED, AND I WAS GOING TO SHOW Y'ALL HOW I GOT THAT, HOW I WAS GOING TO SPLIT IT UP OR NOT HOW I WAS GOING TO DO IT, BUT A SUGGESTION TO SHOW YOU HOW YOU COULD DO IT AND GIVE ROAD AND BRIDGE SOME MONEY CUT BACK ON THE DEBT SERVICE.
LIKE I TOLD YOU, I NEEDED TO, IF YOU'D LIKE TO LOOK AND SEE COPIES OF IT, I'LL GIVE IT TO YOU.
IF YOU NEED ME TO EXPLAIN IT, I CAN EXPLAIN IT.
I WORKED REAL HARD TO TRY TO HELP THOSE THREE SCENARIOS.
THERE'S NO QUESTION ABOUT THIS ON THE SCENE.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY ANOTHER PLAN, I HAD MORE MONEY TO IT BECAUSE THIS, THIS IS NOT WHERE WE CAN BE.
I THINK I LIED TO WAY TOO BIG AND TOO SEE, SO THIS IS JUST TWO EIGHT.
AND I DID NOT PRINT OUT A HUNDRED SEATS OF A BUDGET.
I JUST DID THE SUMMARY FOR WRITING WORDAGE.
AND ONE FOR GENERAL, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA,
[00:55:01]
THIS ONE IS BASED ON THE SAME TAX, RIGHT? OKAY.AND I TOOK AWAY FROM DEBT SERVICE, LIKE I SAID, AND I'M SORRY, JUDGE.
AND I PUT THE DIFFERENCE TO THE GENERAL INTO THE ROAD AND BRIDGE TO BE IT'S THE SAME.
DID YOU, I THOUGHT SHE WAS FINISHED.
WHAT IS SAY, I MEAN, WHAT, WHAT 31 CENTS.
EVERY PENNY ON THE TAX RATE REDUCES THE REVENUES BY ABOUT HALF A MILLION, 500,000 FILIPINO.
THIS IS TO BE, AND BRANDY'S GOING TO PASS OUT TO BE SO FOR YOU, THIS BRINGS IT A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT.
I KNOW IT'S NOT EXACTLY WHAT THE JUDGE HAD WANTED BECAUSE HE DIDN'T WANT TO KEEP THE SAME TEXT.
BUT I WAS JUST TRYING TO GET AN IDEA OF WHERE Y'ALL COULD MAKE SOME DECISIONS.
CAUSE Y'ALL KILLING ME GOOD DECISIONS BECAUSE OF THE CITIZENS.
AND THE LAST ONE IS TO SEE WHAT, AND YOU EMPLOY WITH THE ROAD AND BRIDGE.
PLEASE LEAVE THAT SERVICE ALONE.
AND I TRIED TO GET AS CLOSE TO YOUR 7% JUDGES AND IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
I'M GOING TO ASK A QUESTION TO THE GROUP.
LOOK AT 'EM LOOK AT TWO EIGHT BECAUSE THIS WILL BE A DEFINING MOMENT IN OUR DISCUSSIONS.
I THINK LOOK AT TWO A AND LET'S JUST LOOK AT GENERAL FUND.
ARE Y'ALL THERE? LOOK AT THE TOTAL TAX LEVY ON GENERAL FUND ON 2 8 50 $7,727,000.
YOU SEEM TO TALK ABOUT GOT MUSKY.
SO $57,727,000 IS A 30% INCREASE IN TAXES, TAX LEVY OVER THE 44 MILLION FROM THIS CURRENT YEAR'S BUDGET, UM, ARE Y'ALL GOING TO SUPPORT A 30% OR MORE? THE NEXT ONE IS A 31%.
I THINK THE TWO B IS A 31% INCREASE.
AND I'M JUST LOOKING AT GENERAL FUND, UM, ARE Y'ALL GONNA SUPPORT A 30% INCREASE IN, UM, TAX REVENUE? NOPE.
I MEAN, I'M NOT A, THAT'S WHERE I CAME UP WITH A 7%.
I DON'T, I JUST DON'T SEE ANY JUSTIFICATION FOR US TO INCREASE OUR TAX REVENUE BY 30%.
BUT Y'ALL MAY THINK THAT'S JUSTIFIED.
WELL MAYBE NOT THE WHOLE 30%, MAYBE NOT THE WHOLE 30%, BUT WE HAVEN'T GOT THERE.
WE NEED TO TAKE CARE OF HER PEOPLE AND WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS.
AND IF WE DON'T PAY, WE DON'T GET GOOD PEOPLE TO TAKE CARE OF THAT SERVICE.
AND IT'S, IT GOES BACK TO US TRYING TO HIRE PEOPLE AND WE CAN'T, YOU DIDN'T BUY IT INTO A PLUMP BECAUSE WE'RE NOT COMPETITIVE.
AND SO THERE'S, THERE'S A MEDIUM IS A HAPPY MEDIUM IN THERE.
AND I, I AGREE WITH WHAT YOU'RE SAYING AND WHAT YOU'RE POINTING OUT, BUT I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK AT VOLUME MORE THAN 7%, THAT DON'T KNOW THAT, BUT I THINK THIS IS HOW WE NEED MORE THAN THE 7% THAT YOU'RE PROPOSING.
I THINK THIS IS A DIFFERENCE IN THE WAY THAT YOU WOULD LOOK AT AND THE WAY I WOULD LOOK AT IT, THE WAY I WOULD LOOK AT IT IS IN MY PERSONAL, YOU KNOW WHAT I, IF I WOULD JUST MY BUSINESS BUDGET OR WHATEVER, FIRST THING I WOULD DO, AND WE'RE DOING A BUDGET IS WE CALCULATE WHAT, WHAT ARE OUR SALES? WHAT'S OUR REVENUE? HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE GOING TO PROJECT THAT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE IN THIS YEAR? THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE COUNTY AND A BUSINESS IS WHATEVER WE SET THAT TAX RATE IS WE KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE GOING TO COLLECT, WHEREAS IN A BUSINESS YOU DON'T.
BUT SO YOU, THE FIRST THING YOU DO IS YOU START OFF WITH HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND.
AND THEN YOU GO TO THE PEOPLE IN THE DEPARTMENTS, OR YOU GO TO THEM AND SAY, THIS IS HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO
[01:00:01]
SPEND.SO NOW WE HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW ARE WE GOING TO SQUEEZE OUR NEEDS TO FIT THE AMOUNT OF MONEY.
NOW I THINK THE OTHER WAY TO LOOK AT IT IS HOW MUCH MONEY DO WE THINK WE NEED TO SPEND? AND THEN WE JUST GENERATE A TAX RATE.
THAT'LL GIVE US THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY.
AND TO ME THAT JUST FEELS BACKWARDS.
IT'S A MATTER OF DISCIPLINE TO ME.
YOU, YOU START OFF WITH, OKAY, LET'S AGREE ON HOW MUCH MONEY WE'RE GOING TO TAKE OUT OF THE TAXPAYERS.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE NUMBER I PUT 7%.
CAUSE I FEEL LIKE 7% IS, IS A FAIRLY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE.
AGAIN, IT'S TWICE AS MUCH AS WHAT THE OTHER COUNTIES ARE KEPT.
AND UH, AND THEN I THINK WE TAKE 7% AND WE FIGURED OUT HOW TO FIT THAT INTO THE, WE FIT OUR BUDGETS INTO THAT NEED.
MAYBE Y'ALL MAY NOT AGREE WITH THAT, BUT THAT'S HOW, THAT'S THE WAY I, AGAIN, I, I, I WOULD NEVER, I CAN'T IMAGINE ANY SITUATION THAT WOULD ARISE THAT I WOULD THINK THAT WE COULD INCREASE PEOPLE'S TAXES BY 30%.
WELL, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY UP HERE IS TALKING ABOUT EVEN LEAVING THE SAME TAX TAX RATE.
IT WON'T PRODUCE THE TAX RATE, BUT WE WANT TO TAKE CARE OF OUR PEOPLE TOO.
AND THERE'S A HAPPY MEDIUM IN THERE.
AND I THINK THE SIM PERCENT DOESN'T GET US THERE.
THE PROBLEM IS THERE'S NOT IMMEDIATE.
THAT THAT'S AN EASY THING TO SAY, BUT WE NEED TO REDUCE THE TAX.
THAT'S GREAT BECAUSE IF YOU HAVE NOT HEARD ME SAY INCREASE THE TAX RATE, IT'S DIFFERENT.
THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN REDUCING IT AND A LOT, A LITTLE BIT MEDIUM.
WE'VE GOT WHAT, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHAT, 31 CENTS AND 25 CENTS OR 6 CENTS, RIGHT? AT 500,000 A POP FOR EVERY PENNY.
IT'S A, WELL, I TALKING ABOUT PENNIES AND WHAT I BE TALKING ABOUT IS OPTION ONE IS A $13 MILLION INCREASE.
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT REVENUES THAT WE REALLY HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE APPRAISALS IN THE NUMBERS I GAVE YOU TRY.
I MEAN, WE, WE DON'T CONTROL THAT, STAYED IN THE APPRAISERS AND WE CAN LET YOU KNOW, THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT WILL TELL YOU WHEN, IF YOU'RE GOING TO GO, IF YOU WANT TO COMPLAIN ABOUT HOW MUCH TAXES YOU'RE PAYING AND YOU NEED TO TALK TO THE COUNTY OR THE CITY, BECAUSE THEY'RE THE ONES OR WE'RE THE ONES THAT, HOW MUCH TAX GOING TO TAKE OUT OF PEOPLE? NOT THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT.
SO, BUT TWO, WHEN WE GO TO SELL THE HOUSE, THEY'RE GETTING A LOT MORE FOR IT.
I PROPOSED 7% AS AN INCREASE IN THE AMOUNT OF DOLLARS THAT WE TAKE IN, IN TAXES.
AND I DON'T KNOW, I DON'T KNOW WHAT, HOW MUCH YOU GUYS WANT.
I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE BOTTOM OF BUDGETING, BUT IF I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH MORE DEPENDS.
IF YOU START AT THE BOTTOM AND GO UP, HOW MUCH MORE DO WE WANT TO TAKE OUT OF THE TAXPAYERS? THAT'S THE QUESTION THAT I THINK WE NEED AN ANSWER TO.
I THINK WE NEED TO REALLY TRULY DECIDE HOW ARE WE GOING TO COMPENSATE OUR EMPLOYEES? I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT HALF OF IT.
NOW WE NEED TO HEAR THE OTHER HALF.
HOW ARE WE GOING TO TAKE CARE OF IT? OKAY.
SO YOU THINK THE NEXT PART OF THE DISCUSSION NEEDS TO BE AGAIN, THAT SEEMS BACKWARDS TO ME, BUT THE NEXT THING WE NEED TO DO IS START TALKING ABOUT ADJUSTING WAGES.
AND I WOULD SAY IF WE'RE GOING TO ADJUST WAGES, THEY EITHER HAVE TO STAY WITHIN THE BRACKETS, UM, OR WE HAVE TO CHANGE THE BRACKETS.
AND I'LL REMIND YOU THAT WHEN WE HAD, WHEN WE DID THAT EVERGREEN STUDY, WE HAD 17, I THINK WE HAD 17 POSITIONS IN THE COUNTY THAT WERE BELOW THE BOTTOM RANGE, 17 PEOPLE, NOT POSITION 17 PEOPLE OUT OF 600 AND SOMETHING.
SO THAT'S WHY I SAID, I THOUGHT WE WERE PRETTY CLOSE AND WE HAVE WORKED ON THAT.
YEAH, WE MOVED AND WE MOVED, ACTUALLY WE MOVED 17 PEOPLE UP BECAUSE I REMEMBER SPECIFICALLY SOME OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT GOT MOVED UP TO ME, THE RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE HAVE IS TO RE OPERATE THIS GOVERNMENT AT, AT WHATEVER LEVEL IS TRULY REQUIRED.
AND SO THAT WOULD BE MY WAY OF THINKING, JUDGE, WHAT DID IT COST US TO OPERATE THIS YEAR? HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL FUEL COSTS, WHAT HAVE YOU, THAT THE DEPARTMENTS AND THE ELECTED OFFICIALS PROJECT AND ADD THAT TO THIS YEAR AND THEN DETERMINE AFTER YOU HAVE THAT COST FIXED.
HOW MUCH, HOW MUCH ARE YOU GOING TO INCREASE WAGES AT THE COST OF LIVING? BECAUSE, UH, THERE ARE, UH, I KNOW WE HAVEN'T FACTORED IN, I GUESS, BUT THERE ARE REQUESTS FOR SALARY ADJUSTMENTS THAT HAVE COME BEFORE US.
[01:05:01]
THAT'S THE COST OF GOVERNMENT, WHAT IT COSTS THIS YEAR.AND WHAT DO THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, I GUESS, FILTERED THROUGH OUR JUDGMENT, SAY THAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO RUN THE GOVERNMENT AT THE SAME LEVEL OR AT AN ADEQUATE NEXT YEAR.
AND THAT'S THE COST OF OPERATING THE GOVERNMENT.
THEN YOU CAN DETERMINE HOW MUCH CAN YOU AFFORD TO PAY ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEES.
AND IT'S PROBABLY NOT GOING TO BE IDEAL.
I MEAN, AGAIN, I, I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE EVERYBODY A $10,000 RAISE.
I KNOW EVERYBODY WOULD PROFIT FROM, BUT THAT'S NOT REALISTIC.
SO I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT TO DO IF Y'ALL WANT TO START TALKING ABOUT, UH, IF THAT SHOULD HAVE Y'ALL THINK.
I MEAN, I THINK WHAT WE SHOULD DO IS SETTLE ON HOW MUCH MORE TAX REVENUE WE'RE GOING TO GET AND THEN FIGURE OUT HOW TO FIT THE REQUEST INTO THAT.
UM, IF Y'ALL WANT TO JUST START WITH LOOKING AT ALL THE DIFFERENT, UH, WAGE REQUEST, THEN, UH, WE NEED TO PUT OUT, UH, WHEN YOU, WE HAVEN'T ACTUALLY ASKED THE DEPARTMENTS FOR THAT.
I GUESS WE NEED TO ASK THEM THAT.
AND THEN WE GIVE YOU THAT LIST, THAT JUDGE, THAT LISTED THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS ACTUALLY BLANKET, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE ASKED FOR THE BUDGET, THE BUDGET SHEETS, AND WE TOLD THEM DON'T CHANGE YOUR WAGES, RIGHT? YEAH.
BUT WE NEED TO, SO WE NEED TO OPEN.
I MEAN, WE'VE HAD SOME PEOPLE THAT HAVE ASKED FOR CHANGES, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO OPEN THE DOOR TO EVERYBODY.
BUT MAN, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GOING TO, IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT OF STUFF TO LOOK AT.
DID YOU SEND THE EMAILS, ASKING THEM NOT TO ASK? YEAH, BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HANDLE THAT AS A SEPARATE MANNER, WHICH IS WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR.
WHAT ABOUT A COPY OF THE EVERGREEN STUDY? HAS ANYBODY TAKEN THE EVERGREEN STUDY, LOOKS AT THE MID POINTS FOR EVERY POSITION AND MADE THE ADJUSTMENTS AND WHAT IT WOULD COST US? NO, I HAVEN'T.
WELL, I MEAN, I, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS DONE IN THE PAST, BUT I MEAN THAT'S, UH, AND THEN OF COURSE I'VE NEVER SEEN, EVER BEEN STUDIED, SO I DON'T, YOU KNOW, I WOULD THINK I WASN'T INCLUDED.
WELL, RIGHT NOW IT'S BEEN POSTED ON WORK SITE.
IT'S BEEN POSTED ON COUNTY CLERK'S TOUCH SINCE THEY FINISHED.
NOW, EVERGREEN DID THIS PHONE.
BUT IS ANYBODY EVER DONE THIS? SEE WHERE WE'RE, WHEN WE'RE OFF WITH ALL OF OUR PEOPLE.
I THINK CHUCK, SOME OF THE COMMUNITY, OR THAT'S SORT OF FALLS TO ME, PARTICULARLY WITH ELECTED OFFICIALS AS KEITH IS ALWAYS QUICK TO POINT OUT ELECTED OFFICIALS NEED TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR SUBORDINATE DEPARTMENTS.
SO THEY PROVIDE WHERE THEIR PEOPLE ARE ON THE MIDPOINT.
IF THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET TO.
I MEAN, I, I THINK WE CAN ASK THAT, BUT CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, BUT YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T DIRECT THEM TO DO THAT.
I THINK DEPARTMENT HEADS ARE IN CHARGE OF THEIR PEOPLE AND ASK FOR WHAT THEY NEED.
SO HOW ABOUT THIS? HOW ABOUT, RATHER THAN, LET ME ASK YOU ONE QUESTION.
IF YOU KEEP TALKING ABOUT WHAT IS YOUR SEVEN, WHAT, WHERE DOES YOUR 7% DERIVED FROM AND WHERE, WHERE DID, WHERE DID YOU PLUG IN 7%? $141 MILLION OF OUR ALMOST 142 JUST OF AVALARA TAX LAST YEAR.
WHAT I 7%, WHAT I WAS TRYING TO DO WAS TO, SINCE WE COULDN'T, WE HADN'T MADE ANY MOVEMENT ON WHAT WE WANTED TO DO.
AS FAR AS TAX REVENUE GOES, I CAME UP WITH A 7% NUMBER BECAUSE IT WAS TWICE WHAT THE CAP IS.
AND I FELT LIKE IF OTHER COUNTIES THAT ARE SUB MOST COUNTIES IN TEXAS, PROBABLY 220 COUNTIES IN TEXAS ARE PROBABLY SUBJECT TO THROW UP CAMP.
I FELT LIKE IF WE COULD, IF THEY COULD LIVE WITH THREE AND A HALF, THEN WE CAN LIVE WITH SEVEN.
SO THAT'S AND MAY IN 700,000 OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
44 MILLION IS THE, AND I'M JUST GOING BY THE GENERAL FUND ITSELF, 44 MILLION IS A GENERAL FUND LEVEE.
AND $3 MILLION IS NOT GOING TO GET US THESE.
NO, THERE'S THE RAISES, BUT DON'T FORGET.
WE'RE GOING TO, THAT'S GOING TO BE LEFTOVER.
WE THINK AT THE END OF THE YEAR, ACCORDING TO WHAT KAREN PROJECTED AND WE CAN, WE CAN USE THAT MONEY.
THE ONLY THING I SAY ABOUT THAT IS THAT WE, LAST YEAR, WE,
[01:10:01]
WE WERE PRETTY RELUCTANT TO ROB PETER FROM ONE YEAR, PAY PAUL IN THE NEXT YEAR.THAT'S KIND OF A SLIPPERY SLOPE.
WHEN YOU START GOING DOWN TIP THAT THAT'S TAX REVENUE THAT WE'VE TAKEN FROM PEOPLE HERE'S MY THAT'S TAX RATE MONEY.
WE'VE T WE'VE COLLECTED FROM PEOPLE THIS YEAR THAT WE DIDN'T EAT OVER BUDGETED THAT WE DIDN'T NEED.
AND THAT, SO IT REALLY TAKE IT.
I MEAN, UH, A LOT OF IT IS NOT BEING ABLE TO FEEL POSITIONS AND STUFF TOO.
A BIG CHUNK OF THAT IS THAT TYPE OF STUFF.
YOU KNOW? SO I MEAN, SO OBVIOUS, NO, THEY'RE NOT REALISTIC OVER BUDGETING AS TOTALLY.
CAUSE I MEAN, SOME OF THE POSITIONS WE'RE TRYING TO FEEL ARE VACANT, EVERYTHING ELSE, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE CAN'T FIND GOOD EQUIPMENT OPERATORS OR CDL DRIVERS, BUT, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU CAN'T ALL ADDS UP.
YOU CAN'T FIND A RESTAURANT, AN AUTO SHOP OR A RETAIL STORE THAT ISN'T, I MEAN, THAT'S JUST A FACT OF WHERE WE'VE BEEN FOR THE LAST YEAR AND A HALF.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST, I MEAN, IT'S NOT JUST US, BUT I MEAN, IF WE COULDN'T SPEND IT, DESPITE OUR BEST EFFORTS DO MY WAY THING AND THAT, THAT MONEY BELONGS THE CITIZENS WHERE TO GIVE IT BACK.
I MEAN, I GRABBED ALL THE TIME ABOUT PAYING A THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH TO RENT MY OWN HOUSE.
I'M RIGHT THERE WITH EVERYBODY CROPPING, BUT I PAY RENT BETWEEN THE SCHOOL AND THE COUNTY TO GET THE THOUSAND DOLLARS A MONTH OR MORE SO.
YEAH, I UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, WELL, AND WE DON'T, IF WE WERE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE NEEDED TO ADD TO THE FUND BALANCE, THAT'S WHAT HAS BEEN A, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO DO THAT.
BUT KAREN SAID THE OTHER DAY THAT SHE FELT LIKE WE WERE IN GOOD SHAPE ON FUND BALANCE SO THAT MONEY'S AVAILABLE TO US TO SPEND, BUT YOU KNOW, AND THEN WHEN YOU, WHEN YOU ADD THAT, THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT THIS YEAR, IT, I MEAN, IT'S NOT A ONE-OFF EXPENSE.
AND I UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, IS THIS GROWTH, THE GROWTH IS JUST THIS BLOWN UP HERE.
AND WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE CARE OF OUR PEOPLE AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT MAX IT OUT AND SPEND EVERY PENNY OF THAT.
NOW THERE'S GOING TO GENERATE, BUT WE NEED TO DO OUR EMPLOYEES.
AND THERE FROM LISTENING TO THEM TALK AND HEAR ALL THESE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE SACRIFICING AND DOING MORE WITH WHAT THEY'VE GOT WHEN THEY NEED MORE MANPOWER TO GET A SIGNIFICANT ADJUSTMENT IN THE SALARIES FOR EVERYBODY.
SO, AND THEN, AND THAT'S, I THINK THAT'S, IT BREEDS, THERE'S A LOT OF TEAM SPIRIT HERE.
EVERYBODY'S TAKING CARE OF EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW? SO I JUST THINK THAT WE NEED TO MAKE A CONCERTED EFFORT.
AND I DON'T THINK THAT THE 7% IS GOING TO GET US WHERE WE REALLY NEED TO BE, TO TAKE CARE OF OUR PEOPLE.
SO, UH, SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS I'M GOING TO EMAIL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS.
OUR NEXT MEETING IS NOT UNTIL FRIDAY.
UH, I'M GOING TO EMAIL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND ASK THEM TO IDENTIFY ALL THERE.
I'LL SEND THEM A COPY OF THE EVERGREEN STUDY.
SO I HAVE IT RIGHT THERE AND SHOW US A LIST OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU HAVE THAT ARE NOT AT THE MID RANGE AND GIVE US THE NUMBERS ON WHAT IT COST, WHAT THE ADJUSTMENT WOULD HAVE TO BE TO GET THEM TO THE MID RANGE.
I HAVE TO BE A PUBLIC HEARING DISTRICT JUDGE FRIDAY MORNING.
AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE ONLY PROBLEM WITH THAT IS THAT IT DOESN'T INCLUDE LAW ENFORCEMENT, RIGHT? EVERGREEN STUDY.
I'LL UH, AND I, I LOOK FOR SOME MID RANGE NUMBER ON LAW ENFORCEMENT.
THAT'D BE TEACHING ME TO ORDER THINGS LIKE WE HAVE EVERY ONE OF THEM IN THE AREA.
UM, WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY ON THE TUESDAY, YOU, FROM TWO OF THE THREE, THE TWO, TWO DIFFERENT THREE MILLIONS THAT THE JUDGE IS TALKING ABOUT.
AND ONE IS THE NEWS THAT WE DID, THAT WOULD BE 6 MILLION, YOUR 4 MILLION SHARK.
AND IF YOU GIVE THE 5%, 2,500, YOU MAKE ALMOST 2 MILLION THAT WOULD MAKE THE 6 MILLION TO COVER THAT PART.
IF THEN THERE'S NO MONEY LEFT TO DO ANY ADJUSTMENTS, YOU KNOW? WELL, LET'S, LET'S SEE WHAT THE, SEE WHAT THE NUMBERS LOOK LIKE TO GET PEOPLE TO THE MID RANGE.
WHENEVER WE STARTED THIS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, OUR GOAL WAS TO TRY TO GET ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES, GENERALLY OUR EMPLOYEES TO THE MID RANGE.
SO OBVIOUSLY YOU MIGHT HAVE SOMEBODY THAT'S STARTING OFF IN A NEW JOB THAT MAY NOT BE AT THE MID RANGE, BUT I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT SOMEBODY STARTING NO, EXCEPT EXCEPT MAYBE IN LAW ENFORCEMENT, BECAUSE I DON'T THINK THEY'RE GOING TO KNOCK ON THE DOORS TOO MUCH
[01:15:01]
AT THE MOMENT.I THINK EVERYBODY'S HAVING A LITTLE BIT TROUBLE WITH CROSS AREA.
CAUSE MIKEY PROBLEM, JUST IN OUR OWN COUNTY, YOU KNOW, WHICH, WHICH LAUGHING ABOUT TERRIBLE NOW, BUT THE SERVICE HAS ALWAYS BEEN NOMADIC.
I MEAN, THEY, THEY, THEY, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW IF I AGREE WITH THAT OR NOT.
I HAVEN'T EVER, I MEAN, I DON'T WANT TO THINK AUBURN, YOU KNOW, PLACES CONDUCTING BILL AND AROUND, THEY ALL WENT TO THE CORE THAT'S TYPE POSITION.
A LOT OF THEM THAT GO, THAT'S WHAT IT IS.
I MEAN THEN, AND I GUESS IF YOU COME BACK TO IT THOUGH, AND ALSO YOU GOTTA TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU TALK ABOUT PERCENTAGES 40% OR 30%, 35% THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT INCREASING.
AND I KNOW THAT THE NUMBERS, BUT THEY KNEW, I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE A NUMEROUS SENTENCE THAT WE HAVE A WHAT'S NEW 17.
I PUT IT IN THAT FIRST THING I WROTE TO Y'ALL.
UM, I DON'T REMEMBER IT IF YOU DID.
AND I'LL PUT ONE IN FRONT OF MINE.
LET ME SEE IF I CAN FIND IT, KEEP TALKING.
I'LL FIND THE ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, BUT, BUT WHAT, UM, WHAT, UM, WHAT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE TOTAL AMOUNT OF MONEY, IT MIGHT BE A PERCENTAGE OF THAT MUCH, BUT WHEN YOU TAKE ALL THE NEW OUT OF IT, THE PERCENTAGE OF THAT 40, THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DROPS, AND ALSO WHEN YOU DO THE HOUSES, YOU WENT AWAY YOUR HOMEWORK AND SAY, YOU BRING IT BACK ON THE HOUSES.
SO, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE WHEN I LOOKED AT THAT, IT DIDN'T, I MEAN, YOU DON'T NEED TO LOOK AT THE INDIVIDUAL HOUSE.
YOU CAN JUST LOOK AT THE AVERAGE, 70% OF OUR INCREASE VALUE COMES FROM ALL THE EXISTING PROPERTY.
SO 70% OF THAT, 30% OF IT'S NEW THERE'S 70% OF IT IS THE INCREASE.
THAT'S A LOT OLD PEOPLE GOT SHIT.
BUT I MEAN, WHAT I'M SAYING IS IT'S A LOT AND THAT'S WHAT SAVES US FROM HAVING A CAP PROBLEM.
BUT THAT HOUSES ON THE HOMEWORK, YOU KNOW, IT WAS LIKE $35, A HUNDRED, A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
IF YOU DID LIKE MIX, IT JUST KEPT IT IN.
AND IT WAS 40%, LIKE YOU SAID, I JUST WANTED EVERYBODY TO KNOW IS IT'S NOT AS BAD AS IT SOUNDS, BUT IT IS.
IF HE GOT TO MEET, NOT HOME, IT'S A LITTLE MORE EXPENSIVE, BUT IF YOU GOT TO MEAN THAT HOME, YOU CAN PROBABLY AFFORD IT.
UM, I'M REALLY THINKING ABOUT THAT.
SO MY MISSION IS TO SEND THAT EMAIL, THAT'LL GIVE US PLENTY TO WORRY ABOUT ON FRIDAY, YOU'RE GOING THROUGH ALL THAT STUFF.
SO UNFORTUNATELY I CAN'T SEND IT TO YOU BEFORE THE MEETING.
NOW, MOVE TO A MOTION TO MOVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN THIS MEETING AND MAKE SURE I HAVEN'T SAID IT YET.
COMMISSIONER PHYLLIS MOVED TO THE JAR.
IS THERE A SECOND? I'LL BE GLAD TO SAY SECOND COMMISSIONER CAGE DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR.