[00:00:03]
[1. To Discuss the Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Budget.]
A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE COFFIN COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT IS CALLED ORDER TODAY IS AUGUST THE EIGHTH AND IT'S 1:30 PM.WE'RE IN THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT MEDIA ROOM IN THE COURTHOUSE ANNEX.
AND, UH, I'M GOING TO START THE CONVERSATION OFF WITH SOME STUFF I'VE BEEN WORKING ON.
I SHARED THIS WITH THE AUDITOR EARLIER AND ASKED HER TO CHECK MY MATH AND I NEVER HEARD BACK FROM HER.
SO I GUESS MY MATH IS, I GUESS IT MUST BE PRETTY CLOSE.
THIS IS KIND OF, YOU'VE ALREADY GOT ONE TO THE CLERK, SO SHE WON'T BE GRIPING AT ME ABOUT THAT.
WHY IS IT THE PAY WOULD ALWAYS STICK WHEN I COME DOWN HERE, IT'S HUMAN ON THIS SIDE AND ALL THE HOT AIR DOWN HERE WHERE HE STARTED TALKING, UH, GIVE HIM ONE OF THOSE.
AND THIS YEAR WE'LL BE, ONCE WE GET IT, HAND IT TO ME.
WHAT I'M HOPING THAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH TODAY IS THE WEEKEND.
WE CAN REFINE OUR TAX REVENUE PROJECTIONS.
SO YOU CAN SEE THAT THE DRAFT BUDGET THAT WE PUT UP HAS A 20% INCREASE.
IT SHOWS A 20% INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAXES FOR THE GENERAL FUND AND THE 33% INCREASE IN PROPERTY TAXES FOR RODEN BRIDGE, UM, 22 AND A HALF PERCENT AVERAGE.
IN MY OPINION, THAT IS WHAT'D YOU SAY AGAIN, THIS IS THE TRACERS THAT REVENUE IT'S DOLLARS IN REVENUE.
IT IS INCREASING EXPLAIN IT IT'S ME.
I USE THAT NUMBER TO MAKE THE BUDGET BALANCE.
SO SPEAKING OF THE BUDGET BALANCING, UH, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT WE SEE THIS YEAR IS THAT WE, IF YOU GO BACK TO THE PROPERTY TAX REDUCTION, THIS IS WHAT I'M PROPOSING THAT WE DO TO LOWER THAT, UM, THAT $67 MILLION, THAT 22 AND A HALF PERCENT INCREASE.
UM, WHAT I'M SUGGESTING THAT WE DO IS WE TAKE TAX DOLLARS FROM THIS YEAR THAT WE TAXED, BUT DID NOT NEED.
UM, THIS IS BASED ON THE PROJECTION THAT THE AUDITOR DID.
UH, I DON'T KNOW, A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, SO WE HAVE 3 MILLION, $293,000.
AND WE WILL HAVE, AT THE END OF THE YEAR, WE THINK 3 MILLION, $293,000 IN UNSPENT, UH, TAX REVENUE.
UM, AND THEN WE OVER ESTIMATED, WHICH IS NORMAL.
I'M SORRY, WE WE'VE OVER COLLECTED.
WE COLLECTED MORE IN TAX REVENUE THAN WE THOUGHT $742,000 IN GENERAL FUND IN THE $69,000 IN RODEN BRIDGE.
SO IF YOU ADD THOSE THINGS TOGETHER, I'M SAYING THAT WE HAVE 4 MILLION, $100,000 THAT WE COULD THAT'S MONEY THAT WE COLLECTED FROM THE TAXPAYERS IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET THAT WE DIDN'T NEED.
AND WE COULD GIVE THAT BACK TO THE TAXPAYERS AND USE IT TO REDUCE THE TAXES THAT WE WOULD BE COLLECTING ON THE COLLECTING ON THE FOLKS NEXT YEAR.
SO THAT NUMBER WOULD GO DOWN FROM 67 MILLION TO 63 MILLION.
SO EVERYBODY TRACKING, OKAY, THAT'S STILL A 15% INCREASE, WHICH AGAIN, I THINK IS, I THINK YOU'D HAVE A HARD TIME FINDING A COUNTY IN TEXAS.
THAT'S RAISING THEIR TAX REVENUE.
15% MIGHT BE WRONG, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S A PRETTY BIG INCREASE.
SO THERE ARE TWO, I HAVE TWO SUGGESTIONS WHERE WE COULD ALSO, UH, LOWER OUR, HOW MUCH TAXES WE'RE COLLECTING.
THE FIRST ONE IS YOU REMEMBER THAT THE SHERIFF IN OUR CONVERSATIONS HERE, HE AGREED THAT ALL WITH HIS EMPLOYEES, ALL GETTING THE $5,000 WAGE ADJUSTMENT THAT THEY IN, UH, THEY WOULD NOT GET THE COLA THE 5% IN ADDITION TO THAT.
AND WE, WE HAD THAT CONVERSATION IN HERE.
YOU HAVE SOMETHING TO ADD TO THAT.
AND THAT IS THE CONVERSATION I HAD AS LONG AS WE RETRO ALL THE STEP BACK, SAY THAT AGAIN, THE STEP PAY, AS LONG AS WE FOUND THE STEP PATIENTS, WE HAVE TO HAVE THE STEP PAY IN THAT TOO.
THAT'S A SEPARATE ISSUE, BUT THAT, YEAH,
[00:05:01]
YOU'RE RIGHT.SO WE, SO THE, THE PEOPLE IN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, THEY WERE GETTING THE $5,000 WAGE ADJUSTMENT WOULD NOT GET THE 5%.
SO TO ME, IF THAT'S, IF THAT THAT SHOULD BE GOOD FOR EVERYBODY, I DON'T KNOW THAT SOMEBODY THAT'S GETTING, YOU KNOW, A $10,000 WAGE ADJUSTMENT, UM, THAT, THAT IT MAKES SENSE THAT THEY WOULD ALSO BE GETTING A 5% COST OF LIVING INCREASE.
SO YOU BE LIKE, UH, YOU KNOW, FIVE, SIX, $10,000 WAGE ADJUSTMENT IS A PRETTY GOOD CHUNK OF MONEY.
SO THE OTHER THING THAT I THINK WE COULD DO TO RAISE OR TO INCREASE, INCREASE, OR REDUCE HOW MUCH WE'RE HAVING TO COLLECT IN TAXES IS TO GO BACK TO OUR DEPARTMENTS AND ASK FOR THEM TO REDUCE THEIR REQUESTS FOR NON-SALARY COSTS.
BY 5%, WE'VE ALREADY HAD THE CONVERSATION WITH THE SHERIFF ABOUT GROCERIES.
AND THERE, THERE WILL BE SOME THINGS THAT THE DEPARTMENTS WILL SAY THEY'RE BUDGETING TIED ON, BUT I THINK THERE WILL BE OTHER THINGS.
WE CERTAINLY SEE THAT EVERY YEAR AND USUALLY IN TRAVEL AND THOSE KINDS OF THINGS THAT MOST DEPARTMENTS COULD REDUCE OUR REQUESTS A LITTLE BIT.
AND I DON'T THINK IT WOULD HURT THEM IF THEY REDUCE THEIR, THEIR NON-SALARY COST BY 5%, 5 CENTS, UM, THAT, UH, THAT COULD YIELD US A TAX SAVINGS OF ABOUT 1,000,001.
SO THAT'S WHAT I'M PROPOSING THAT WE DO.
AND MY GOAL WOULD BE FOR US TO GET THAT TAX REVENUE INCREASE DOWN BELOW 15%, ANYBODY KNOW ANY GOOD JOKES OR ANYTHING, OR Y'ALL HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY, OR I'M NOT TOTALLY UNHAPPY WITH THE 15% OF THEM, SORRY, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT 15% MORE REVENUE.
WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT 15% TAX ON THE HOUSE.
WHAT ARE WE TALKING ABOUT? WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ABOUT $35, A HUNDRED, WHICH ISN'T QUITE 5%.
THAT'S NOT, WE RAISE OUR TAX REVENUE BY 15%, BUT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WALMART.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ALL THE BIG STORES, THE BIG VENDORS AND ALL THE BRAND NEW BRAND NEW HOMES THAT WE TAKE FROM $1 TO $5,000 IN REVENUE.
WE, WE DID 13, UH, FOUR YEARS AGO.
OH, THAT'S, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT HE'S TALKING ABOUT.
REDUCED IT TO 15% INCREASE IN RAVEN.
SO IT WAS SO IT'S THAT'S I THINK YOU GET YOUR NUMBERS.
YOU'VE TALKED ABOUT THAT, THAT TEENS ARE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.
THEY WENT DOWN BECAUSE AFTER ALL THAT SUBTRACTED, AS THE FEET REDUCED IT TO THE 15% INCREASE IN USING THE MONEY THAT WE COLLECTED.
BUT YOU'RE LEAVING, YOU'RE YOU'RE SELECTING KNOW, COLLECTING THE 63 BASICALLY ON THE BRAIN.
WELL, MY IDEA, LIKE I SAID, THE OTHER DAY IS I THINK IT'S NOT ONLY OPERATING THE COUNTY AND SALARY INCREASES THAT THE BUDGET, LET ME DO THIS 32 DIFFERENT 32 SLEEP, ROUGH, ROUGHLY THREE MEAGAN LEFTOVER.
THERE WERE 2 MILLION IN THE HOLE AND WE DON'T KNOW REALLY WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GO WITH ALL THAT.
SO WE'RE GOING TO USE IT FOR WHAT, THE TAXPAYER DOLLARS FOR WHAT THE TAXPAYER SAID THEY WANTED.
SO I WAS LIKE, WE NEED TO GET OUR BUILDING PROGRAM, NATIVE MIGRANTS FLOOD WITHOUT GOING INTO FUND BALANCE TO GET IT.
WELL, THE PROBLEM, I MEAN, THE URGENCY HERE IS THAT, UM, WE CAN'T JUST KEEP HAVING THESE DISCUSSIONS, THE TAX, THE TAX ASSESSOR IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE THEIR TAX RATES AND ALL THAT STUFF CALCULATED BY AUGUST 7TH.
UH, THERE IS SOMETHING IN THERE, OR AS SOON AS PRACTICABLE, BUT AUGUST 7TH IS THE DATE THAT I THINK MOST COUNTIES WOULD BE DOING THAT.
SO WE NEED TO COME TO SOME DECISIONS.
SO TO ME, IF I CAN POSE THIS QUESTION, UM,
[00:10:01]
WHAT ARE, THIS IS MY PLAN TO LOWER TAXES, NOT LOWER TAXES.THIS IS MY PLAN TO NOT RAISE TAXES 15% OR MORE.
AND, UM, IF, AND THAT THAT'S, THAT'S MY PROPOSAL.
I DON'T KNOW IF IT WANTS TO RAISE THE TAXES AND THE GROWTH.
WE TELL EVERYBODY TO STOP AT THE COUNTY LINE, DON'T COME TO KAUFMAN COUNTY.
I MEAN, THE GROWTH IS GOING TO BE THERE AND THERE'S GOING TO BE ADDITIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES THAT OUR PEOPLE HAVE TO DO.
IT'S LIKE THE FIRE MARSHALL'S OFFICE.
I MEAN, BUT WE HAVEN'T GROWN 15% IN A YEAR AND WE'VE GROWN LIKE 5%.
SO I'VE GOT A BUILDING PROGRAM GOING ON.
SO I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, WE STILL HAVE TO DEAL WITH A LOT OF STUFF.
SO IT, UH, UM, YOU KNOW, IN THAT, WELL, 15% SEEN AGAIN, I I'D BE INTERESTED TO KNOW OF ANYBODY COULD FIND A SIGNIFICANT, GOOD SIZED COUNTY LIKE US.
THERE'S A REASON THEIR PROPERTY TAX 15%.
I BET YOU HAVE A HARD TIME FINDING THEM GO.
UM, CAN I, I'VE GOT TO AGREE THE DISTRICT, THE RAISING YOUR TAXES.
IT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE RAISING OUR TAX RATE 15%.
SO IT'S KIND OF A PLAY ON WORDS THERE.
UM, BUT ONE THING WE DO NEED TO DO BEFORE WE DO SET THE TAX RATE IS THAT KAREN IS GOING TO THROW SOMETHING, MAYBE SO MAKE SURE YOU HAVE HER HANDS TIED, BUT YOU KNOW, THE MID POINT AT THE MID POINT IS NOT REALLY WORKING FOR THE PEOPLE ON THE ONSET.
OUR FIRST DISCUSSIONS WERE TO TRY TO TAKE CARE OF EVERYBODY, ESPECIALLY THE LOWER END PEOPLE.
THE MID POINT OF THE MID POINT IS REALLY ADJUSTING THE TOPPER, THE TOP END OF OUR EMPLOYEES, ELECTEDS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS.
AND WE'RE REALLY NOT REACHING THE LOWER END.
AND LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I DON'T REALLY THINK WE CAN AFFORD ACROSS THE BOARD MIDPOINT FOR EVERYBODY.
BUT LIKE I SAID, I ALSO SAID THE COMPLAINT, THE STATEMENT WAS, I THINK WE'VE GOT OUR COST OF LIVING THERE A COUPLE OF 5%.
WE NEED TO DECIDE ON ACROSS THE BOARD PAY RISE TO KEEP THE SPREAD, THE SIGN FOR EVERYBODY ALL THE WAY UP AND DOWN THE SPECTRUM.
AND THAT WAY IT'S FAIR FOR EVERYBODY.
AND THEN NEXT YEAR WE NEED TO DO A CURRENT SALARY SURVEY BECAUSE WE'RE USING NUMBERS FROM 2020.
I THINK IT WAS WHAT YOU SAID MOST OF THE DATA WAS COLLECTED IN 2020.
SO, I MEAN, WE'RE WAY BEHIND WITH THIS ANTIQUATED SALARY STUDY.
WE CAN'T REACH IT, EVEN THOUGH IT IS ANTIQUATED, BUT JUST A ONE ACROSS THE BOARD SALARY ADJUSTMENT, WE'RE MOVING THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND WE NEED TO PAY AND GET A CURRENT SALARY SURVEY DONE THIRD PARTY, AND WE'LL NEVER REACH IT.
IT'S GOING TO BE ONE OF THOSE THINGS.
IT'S ALWAYS GOING TO BE RUNNING FROM US BECAUSE WE WEREN'T SURE BEFORE BY HIM, BUT, YOU KNOW, SO IT, THAT, I THINK WE REALLY NEED TO DECIDE ON HOW TO TAKE CARE OF OUR EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, AND EVEN THE, OR THE 5% WHAT INSURANCE WENT UP, WENT UP TO.
SO OUR RIGHT, SO YOU'RE LOSING SOME OF THAT, SO, WELL, SHOOT THE MESSENGER OR WHATEVER, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO HAVE A DISCUSSION AND MAKE A DECISION ONE WAY OR THE OTHER SO WE CAN MOVE FORWARD AND THEN WE CAN START WORKING ON.
WELL I THINK, YEAH, I GUESS WHAT, AGAIN, THERE'S LOT OF GOOD IDEAS ABOUT WHY, YOU KNOW, WE COULD UPDATE THE WAGE STUDY AND THEN IT PROBABLY NEEDS TO BE DONE AND ALL THAT, BUT WE'RE IN A TIMEFRAME CRUNCH NOW AND WHAT I'M ASKING THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT, SKEETS ALREADY GIVEN HIS OPINION ABOUT THE 15% THAT HE FEELS LIKE THAT'S NOT UNREASONABLE.
UM, SO WHAT DO I GO THIS WAY? WHAT DO YOU SAY? UM, WELL, I'M NOT SO SURE THAT THE VICTIM PERCENT IS AN UNREASONABLE AND KIND OF LIKE, MEGAN, IT KIND OF SOUNDS LIKE A PLAY ON WORDS.
WE AS COMMISSIONERS COURT ARE NOT RAISING PEOPLE'S TAX RATE.
THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT DID THAT AND WE GET SCREWED FOR IT EVERY TIME IT GOES WITHOUT SAYING, BUT IT'S NOT ONLY THE NEW RIGHT.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT JUST THE APPRAISALS.
WHEN WE'RE FORGETTING THAT WE HAVE 30 SOMETHING PERCENT, ALL NEW.
AND PART OF THIS PERCENTAGE THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IS NEW REVENUE.
AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I THINK WE NEED TO MAKE OUR PRIMARY FOCUS, OUR EMPLOYEES THIS TIME.
UH, WE'VE ALWAYS CUT THE TAX RATE EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.
AND IT'S ALWAYS BEEN AT THE EXPENSE OF OUR EMPLOYEES.
AND I KNOW WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION AND RESPONSIBILITY TO THE TAXPAYERS, BUT I WOULD THINK THAT THEY WOULD SEE THAT WE HAVE THE SAME
[00:15:01]
FARM EMPLOYEES AND FOR SOME PEOPLE TO GET SOMETHING IN SOME NOT IS NOT RIGHT.EVEN AT THIS, WE'RE STILL CUTTING THE TAX RATE, EVEN AT THIS PRICE.
AND BASED ON THIS STUDY, DOING THE MID, THE MID AND ALL THAT WEIRD STUFF WE'D DONE WITH IT, WE BASICALLY DILUTED THE ENTIRE STUDY.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL NOT COMING OUT WITH PEOPLE GETTING WHAT THEY SHOULD GET.
AND YOU GOT SOME SALARIES THAT ARE SO FAR OUT OF WHACK.
AND, AND SOME OF THAT'S BEEN COMING BACK TO ME OVER THE WEEKEND, TOO, TALKING TO PEOPLE WHEN THEY GET WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE.
AND WE'RE LIKE, OKAY, WE WE'VE GONE AROUND, AROUND, AROUND IN CIRCLES ON THIS THING WHERE I STILL THINK THE SIMPLEST THING FOR US TO LOOK AT.
I WAS JUST LIKE MIKE SAID, LIKE I ORIGINALLY BROUGHT UP A FLAT STRAIGHT ACROSS THE BOARD RACE PLUS THE 5% AND SEE HOW WE COME OUT.
AND I'LL BET YOU, WE'RE GOING TO BE REAL CLOSE TO WHAT WE'D BEEN DOING WITH ALL THIS DILUTING WE'VE BEEN DOING WITH THIS THING FROM THE BEGINNING.
CAN I SAY SOMETHING PLEASE? OKAY.
Y'ALL S ASKED US TO DO THE MID MID POINT.
THE MID MID POINT IS CONSTANT $273,000, WHICH IS QUARTER POINT IS WHAT WE'RE CALLING IT MID POINT WITHOUT THE QUARTER POINT IS $340,000.
SO THAT'S THE TRUE MINT POINT.
THAT'S WHAT I'M SAYING BY THIS.
WHICH IS, WHICH IS THE NUMBER THAT WE HAVE TO GO BY.
AND THEN AT THE MONTH, THAT'S ALL, THAT'S ALL WE HAVE.
BUT I THINK THAT INSTEAD OF THE JPS AND WE HAVE A COUPLE OF THEM SITTING HERE INSTEAD OF THE JPS GETTING CUT HALF, AT LEAST THEY'LL GAIN MORE MONEY ON THIS.
UH, SOME OF THE OTHER PEOPLE WILL GAIN MORE MONEY, GAIN MORE MONEY.
WHAT IS YOUR, WHAT ARE YOU PROPOSING? I'M JUST LISTENING TO TERRY DOWN THERE.
HE'S EIGHT, EIGHT CONDUCTED THIS PART.
WHAT WERE YOU AFTER WHEN YOU, AFTER HER SAYING GO TO THE MIDPOINT? WELL, THAT'S THE FIRST TIME I'M LOOKING AT THE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I THINK IF WE LOOK AT THE MIDPOINT, LET'S LOOK AT THAT, THEN LET'S LOOK AT THE, JUST THE STRAIGHT ACROSS THE BOARD, RAISE THE SAME NUMBER FOR EVERYBODY AND SEE HOW THAT COMES OUT.
AND I'LL THE SAME NUMBER FOR EVERYBODY.
THE SAME NUMBER OF DOLLARS FOR EVERYBODY.
DO YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU STARTED, WHEN I STARTED THIS THING OUT, WE FIRST STARTED TALKING ABOUT THIS.
AND I THINK IT WAS A FIVE TO SEVEN OR $10,000 RAISE.
WE GAVE YOU THOSE SHADES, BUT, BUT DON'T YOU REMEMBER THE, WHAT WAS THE, I'LL ASK THE AUDITOR OR RANDY? ONE OF Y'ALL TO TELL US A $10,000 RAISE WAS HOW MUCH MONEY THAT'S RIGHT AT 7 MILLION 7, 7 5, 5, 6, 6.
IS THAT WHAT Y'ALL WANT TO DO? NOT THAT I'M TELLING YOU.
WE CAN, YOU CAN, IF YOU WANT TO, BUT IF WE CAN DO A 7,000 IS 5 MILLION AND A 5,000 IS FOR ME A LITTLE SHOCK FOR ME, UM, WHICH IS PROBABLY GOING TO PUT US BACK TO A 30% RANGE.
UH, AND Y'ALL KEEP SAYING THAT WE'RE NOT, I MEAN, WE'RE, THIS IS A TAX INCREASE.
IF WE SPEND $7 MILLION MORE THAN WE DID LAST YEAR, THAT'S A $7 MILLION TAX INCREASE.
UH, WE HAD A TAX INCREASE LAST YEAR.
WE HAD A TAX INCREASE THE YEAR BEFORE.
YOU ALWAYS HAVE A TAX INCREASE THE WAY, THE LEGISLATIVE WORDS THAT WE ALWAYS HAVE A TAX INCREASE, WHETHER WE LOWER OUR TAX RATE OR WHATEVER WE DO, WE'RE ALWAYS GOING TO HAVE A TAX.
AND HOW MUCH IS THE QUESTION? THAT'S THE QUESTION.
AND SOMETIMES INFLATION DOES GET TO YOU JUST LIKE THAT.
NO MATTER WHAT ANYBODY SAYS, YOU CAN'T BLAME IT ALL ON THE SHERIFF AND SAY THAT HE'S DOING SOMETHING WRONG.
THE, THE, IT DOES AFFECT US WHEN YOU CAN'T HIRE YOU CAN'T HEY, WHAT EVERY SINGLE PERSON AROUND YOU IS SOMEWHERE IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD, OR JUST COMING IN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
YOU TALKING ABOUT DEPUTIES AND THINGS.
I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN'T JUST KEEP, YOU KNOW, FOR THE LAST FOUR YEARS, WE REALLY HAVEN'T GAVE ANY RACES.
AND YOU KNOW, WHEN I'M LOW, I MEAN, WE GAVE, YOU KNOW, TWO AND A HALF PERCENT, ENDED UP BEING TWO AND A 9%.
WE GAVE 1% AND THEN ONE AND A HALF PERCENT, THAT WAS A HAPPIER QUARTER.
[00:20:01]
AND THAT IS A QUARTER OF A YEAR.AND THEN BECAUSE WE SOLD, I WROTE AND READ THE PROPERTY AND WE DONATED THE MONEY TO THE EMPLOYEES OF THE COUNTY.
UM, UH, AND, AND I'M NOT SAYING THAT, THAT WE HAVE A REAL GOOD PRICE RANGE PROSPECTS ON EVERYTHING.
I'M JUST SAYING THAT, THAT, I THINK AS, FOR TOO CHEAP AND THE OTHER DAY, I SAID THAT THEY NEED AT LEAST THE 5% ON TOP OF THEIR, THEY NEED TO CALL ON TOP OF THEIRS, EVEN IF THEY GOT THE STEP PAY, BECAUSE THEY'RE THEY'RE YEARS BEHIND.
I MEAN, THAT'S JUST WHAT IT IS.
IF THE, IF, IF THE VOTERS WANT TO TAKE IT OUT ON US, THEN, THEN THAT'S FINE.
UM, UM, I'M NOT OBJECTING, BUT I STILL AM A NANNY MAY COMPLAINING THAT I'VE TALKED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE.
AND IF, IF YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I MAY NOT UNDERSTAND, BUT IT'S NOT GOING TO AFFECT THE HOUSEHOLD VERY MUCH.
SO HOW MUCH IS, SO WE HAVE TO MAKE A DECISION.
WELL, HOW MUCH, AT SOME POINT, I MEAN, WE'RE, WE'RE ALREADY PAST AUGUST THE SEVENTH.
WE NEED TO GIVE THE AUDITOR A TAX REVENUE NUMBER SO THAT SHE CAN WORK WITH THE TAX ASSESSOR AND DO ALL OF THOSE SIX PAGES OF CALCULATIONS THEY HAVE TO DO TO POST MY, I WILL TELL YOU THAT IF WE, IF WE INCREASE OUR PROPERTY TAXES BY MORE THAN $8 MILLION, WHICH IS 15%, I WILL NOT SUPPORT THAT.
NOW I'M ONE VOTE ON THIS COMMISSIONER'S COURT, BUT I'M TELLING YOU I WON'T SUPPORT ANYTHING MORE THAN THAT.
AND, UH, I HEAR ALL OF THE, EVERYBODY HAS ALL THESE DIFFERENT IDEAS, BUT WE CAN'T BE SITTING HERE IN 2025, HAVING THESE CONVERSATIONS, WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS.
I'M AGREEING I'M NOT HAVING A PROBLEM WITH THAT.
WHAT IS YOUR DECISION IS YOUR DECISION TO SUPPORT THE $8,300,000 INCREASE IN TAXES, WHICH IS 15%, WHICH IS 15%.
IS THAT YOUR DECISION? I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THIS.
THEY DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THE COUPLE OF PAYROLLS.
I MEAN, JUST A COUPLE, BUT NOT MANY.
BUT WE CAN, AND YOU CAN FIX THERE'S A COUPLE OF THEM.
I THINK, I THINK WE, WE KIND OF SLIDED A COUPLE OF, WE HAVE NOT GONE THROUGH EVERY LINE.
SO ARE YOU, ARE YOU SAYING MY QUESTION IS, ARE YOU SAYING YES TO $8 MILLION, 300, $7,337? IF IT, IF IT, IF IT FIXES THE LINE ITEMS THAT I'M GOING TO MEET TO DISCUSS THEM.
I'M GOING TO TAKE THAT AS A YES.
HOW ABOUT YOU? I'LL TAKE THE 15 TO TAKE AWAY THE 3 MILLION AND PUT IT BACK IN CONTINGENCY FOR THE BUILDING FUND TO BE USED AS WE BUILD OUR, IF YOU DO THAT, THEN THAT MAKES THE TAX INCREASE 12 MILLION NOT 8 MILLION.
SO IF YOU'RE SAYING YES, YOU CAN'T SAY YES TO EIGHT AND 12, YOU GOT TO SAY YES TO ONE OF THE, I HAVE A PROBLEM WITH 15, BUT IF WE'RE GOING TO USE THIS AND I DON'T WANT TO USE THAT TO REDUCE, BUT, BUT THAT'S WHERE, THAT'S HOW WE GOT IT DOWN TO 8 MILLION FROM 12 MILLION IS TO USE THAT MONEY.
THEN WHAT IS YOUR NUMBER? 12,000,008.
IT'S LIKE, YEAH, JUST TO HELP ME.
UM, WHAT ABOUT YOU? I'M LIKE, I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT THE BOND AND ALL THAT TOO.
BUT UH, TO ME, THE 15 IS REASONABLE AND I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH US WORKING WITH THAT AND SEEING HOW IT COMES OUT.
I THINK THAT'D BE THE THING TO DO RIGHT NOW.
UM, I DON'T LIKE, I DON'T LIKE THAT NUMBER.
I THINK WE SHOULD TRY TO FIND WAYS TO WORK THAT DOWN.
I'M GOING TO ASK THIS QUESTION AND I WOULD ASK YOU GUYS TO GIVE ME A YES OR NO.
DO YOU AGREE THAT THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING LIKE IN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING $5,000 OR MORE IN A WAGE ADJUSTMENT, UH, WE SHOULD NOT APPLY THE 5% TO THEM, LIKE WE'RE DOING IN THE SHERIFF TORE, BUT, UH, MIKE, DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT? THE ONLY REASON I AGREE WITH IS BECAUSE THE SHERIFF SAID, AM I RIGHT THERE? DID I HEAR YOU EARLIER? YOU SAID, YOU'D GIVE UP TO KONA
[00:25:01]
FOR CHANGING THE STAMPS, KEEPING THE STAMPS.THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT, THAT'S NOT JUST THE SHERIFF'S OFFICES.
THAT'S COUNTY, LAW ENFORCEMENT.
LET'S REMEMBER THAT YOU GOT A BACK STEP.
THE SHERIFFS HAPPY WITH THAT, THEN I'LL AGREE WITH WHAT ABOUT YOU SKIED? YES.
BUT YOU AGREE THAT SOMEBODY'S GETTING IT LIKE IN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, SOMEONE CAUSE HE'S OKAY WITH IT.
I SAID THAT HE, THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FOR ALL EMPLOYEES, RIGHT? HE SAID THAT HE SAID THAT HE'S I SAID THAT HE'S ASKED FOR TOO LITTLE.
UM, THE ONE, THE ONE THING IS, IS THIS COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT, WE ALL COME TO YOU AS COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT.
AND THIS IS WHAT WE ALL AGREED TO.
WE COME TO, YOU SAID 5,000 AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CHANGE THE STEP, PAY TO RETAIN PEOPLE.
THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE WANTED.
BUT ONE THING I WILL SAY IS THE CUTTING OF THE BUDGET IS GOING TO BE REALLY HARD TO DO BECAUSE YOU REMEMBER WHEN YOU SUBMITTED THAT AND TOLD US TO CUT OUR BUDGET, WE CUT IT DOWN TO HARDLY NOTHING.
AND I THINK COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT AS A WHOLE, WE GAVE BACK MORE THAN ANYBODY AND NOTHING GETS.
AND I'M, I'M NOT, I DON'T WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT IS NOT GOING TO GET CUT TO THE BONE AND THIS, THIS WOULD BE SENT OUT AND I'M GOING TO SEND IT OUT JUST ON MY OWN.
I'M GOING TO ASK THE DEPARTMENTS.
I TALKED TO ONE OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS TODAY AND HE CUT HIS NON-SALARY BUDGET.
AFTER WE ASKED THAT FIRST TIME HE CUT IT 33%.
SO, AND I'VE DONE A LOT THE VERY FIRST TIME.
AND I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT WE DO HAVE SOME DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVEN'T RESPONDED AT ALL.
SO MAYBE THEY'LL, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL, I DON'T WANT TO MAN COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT, ALL, WE HAVE ALL TALKED ABOUT THIS AND WE CUT A LOT FOR THAT.
AND THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT TODAY IS COUNTY LOAN FOR.
SO TERRY, THE 5%, AGAIN, YOU'D HEARD OF THEM.
SO I THINK THESE TWO AGREE WITH THAT, NOT DOING A 5% COLA ON TOP OF A 5,000 OR MORE RACE.
WELL, I THINK THEY SHOULD GET IT, BUT IF THAT'S WHAT THE SHERIFF'S ASKING FOR AND ALL OF HIS FOLKS ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THAT, THEN I'LL GO ALONG WITH THAT FOR THAT REASON.
DOES ANYBODY HERE OBJECT TO ME SENDING A LETTER TO THE DEPARTMENTS, ASKING THEM TO SCRUB THEIR BUDGET AND SEE IF THEY CAN SCROUNGE UP ANOTHER 5% AS A REQUEST? IS THAT OKAY? YEAH.
SO THE DEPARTMENT, UH, I'M GONNA LIVE ON A SUBMARINE.
I'M GOING TO READ THIS BACK TO YOU LIKE THEY DO ON THE SUBMARINE AND THEY PASS THE COMMANDS AROUND AND STUFF.
REMEMBER SEVERIN HAS MISSILES.
UM, SO, UH, BARRING ANY TWEAKS TO THE INDIVIDUAL DEPARTMENTS.
UH, WE ARE ASKING YOU TO PLUG IN A, A ROAD AND BRIDGE GENERAL FUND ADDED TOGETHER THOSE TWO TO BE A TOTAL OF 63 MILLION 5 31, 3 0 6.
UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'RE ASKING YOU TO DO RECALCULATE THE SALARY SPREADSHEET.
SO THE PEOPLE THAT ARE GETTING OVER $5,000 IN WAY TO JUDGMENT THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE GETTING ON TOP OF THAT, ANOTHER 5% COLA OR LAW ENFORCEMENT OR LAW ENFORCEMENT FOR EVERYBODY, I THOUGHT IT WAS LOST.
WE'RE TRYING TO MATCH WHAT LAW ENFORCEMENT DID BECAUSE THAT WAS ALREADY DECISION MADE.
BUT THIS WOULD BE, WE WOULD BE TREATING THE OTHER EMPLOYEES LIKE WE ARE TREATING LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT, UH, IF SOMEBODY IS GETTING A SEVEN OR A $10,000 RAISE THAT THEY WERE SAYING, YOU KNOW, DON'T EXPECT ANOTHER 5% ON TOP OF THAT.
THAT'S NOT WHAT I THOUGHT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT JUST LAW ENFORCEMENT WITH THE $5,000, BECAUSE NOBODY ELSE HAS COME TO US WITH THAT PLAYS ON THE REASON I DID THAT.
SO NOW NOT FOR EVERYBODY ELSE BECAUSE, OKAY.
SO, SO SOMEBODY IS GETTING A $10,000 WAGE ADJUSTMENT.
YOU THINK THEY SHOULD GO IN AND GET A 5% ON TOP OF THAT.
AND WE AGREED ON THE 5% WAS THE COST OF LIVING AND EVERYTHING ELSE IS ADJUSTING THE SALARY.
WE'RE TRYING TO ADJUST TO SATURDAY TO BRING IT UP.
I WAS JUST TRYING TO COME UP WITH WAYS TO LIVE.
CAN YOU, I JUST DO POINT, NOT THE QUARTER POINT IT'S ONLY SEVEN.
NO, WE STILL GOT TO GET UP ON THE SALARY.
WE'RE STILL TRYING TO MOVE UP ON A SALARY IS NOW RECHART IT'S THREE YEARS OLD, SO WE STILL NEED TO HAVE THE COST OF LIVING.
AND THEN WE'RE BUMPING UP ABOUT TWO YEARS OLD, UH, FIXING TO BE PRETTY QUICK.
SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT, AND YOU'RE SAYING THAT THAT THE IMPACT OF GOING FROM THE MID MID POINT ALL THE WAY TO THE MID POINT, YOU'RE SAYING THAT THE BUDGETARY
[00:30:01]
AND I'M TALKING KAREN, NO, I'M WRONG.ADDITIONAL THREE MONTH, 340,000.
YEAH, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE THEM.
THAT'S YOU WANT TO DROP THE 5%? I'M WILLING TO GO WITH THAT NUMBER AND NOT 5% ON TOP OF THE PEOPLE GETTING 5,000 OR MORE ANYBODY THAT'S GETTING LESS THAN A 5%, GETS A 5%.
ANYBODY GETTING LESS THAN 5,000 GETS A 5% COLA.
AND THAT'S, IF WE GO TO THE MID POINT, UH, IMPACT ON ALL THE OTHER PEOPLE HOURS.
YOU TRACKING, YOU KNOW, Y'ALL WANT TO SAY SOMETHING.
YOU OUGHT TO BE SITTING UP HERE, COME, COME BACK BECAUSE IT CHANGES ALL THE TIME.
BRANDY MAKES SURE EVERYBODY'S CLEAR THE 300, LISTEN, EVERYBODY LISTENED TO BRANDY.
$340,000 IS IN ADDITION TO WHAT WE ALREADY DID FOR THE QUARTER POINT.
THAT'S MOVING EVERYBODY THAT NOT DID NOT GET AN ADJUSTMENT FOR THE QUARTER 0.2 MIDPOINT.
IF YOU ALREADY GOT AN ADJUSTMENT TO QUARTER POINT, YOU'RE NOT INCLUDED, YOU'RE GOING TO STAY AT QUARTER POINT BECAUSE THAT'S A LOT OF JUMPS LIKE SIX, SEVEN, $8,000.
SO THEY WOULD SAY AT QUARTER POINT, EVERYBODY ELSE, HUNDRED SOMETHING EMPLOYEES WOULD GET TO GO TO THE MID POINT.
AND THEN YOU COULD ADJUST FROM THAT ORIGINAL CALCULATION TO GET EVERYBODY THAT'S OUR LOWER END.
WE'RE MAKING AND THAT'S LET THEM TALK TO Y'ALL AND LET US FIND HER PAPERWORK ON GETTING EVERYBODY TO MIDPOINT.
I'M JUST, I WAS NOT ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY, RITZ ON A TIME CRUNCH AND HE'S BEEN WATCHING THIS LOT.
UH, JUDGE ADAMS WAS NOT ABLE TO BE HERE.
DID I? BUT WE WANTED TO COME AND TALK TO YOU BECAUSE WE, WE RECEIVED OUR LETTERS FROM JUDGE RICHARDS.
HISTORICALLY, YOU ALWAYS TALK ABOUT HISTORICALLY WHAT HAS BEEN DONE AND WHAT OUR RESPONSIBILITIES HAVE BEEN.
HISTORICALLY, HISTORICALLY, WE HAVE ALWAYS HAD ALMOST THE SAME AMOUNT OF FACE PAY THAN WHAT THE COUNTY CLERK, THE DISTRICT CLERK, THE TAX ASSESSOR AND THE TREASURER EVER SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.
IT'S BEEN LIKE THAT WHEN I OPENED MY LETTER FROM JUDGE RICHARDS AND BASED ON THAT EVERGREEN STUDY THAT I THINK MOST OF US CAN AGREE THAT A LOT OF THOSE FIGURES ARE REALLY NOT RIGHT.
UH, YOU MAY DISAGREE WITH ME, BUT I THINK THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY THAT AGREED THAT A LOT OF THOSE FIGURES JUST AREN'T RIGHT.
BUT WHEN YOU DO THE MID TO THE MID YOU'RE TAKING US DOWN, WE'RE AT 71, UH, 5 59, AND YOU'RE TAKING US DOWN TO $64,000 TO, AND THEN ADDING IN THE MID POINT AND DIVIDING IT WE'RE THEN WE'RE GETTING APPROXIMATELY $5,000 LESS THAN WHAT THE COUNTY CLERK, THE DISTRICT CLERK, THE TREASURER AND THE CACTUS SRR.
AND I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU JUSTIFY THAT TO ME.
I WANT YOU TO JUSTIFY THAT TO ME, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU JUSTIFY THAT TO ME.
WHEN FOR NINE YEARS I HAVE BEEN RUNNING NECK AND NECK WITH THE BASE PAY WITH THEM, AND NOW SUDDENLY I'M GOING TO GET A BASE PAY OF APPROXIMATELY $5,000 A YEAR LESS.
WELL, I DON'T SEE ANY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN, UH, THE JUSTICE OF THE PEACE JOB AND THE TEXAS CENTRAL JOB.
UH, UH, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE HISTORY.
I MEAN, I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT.
I JUST DON'T SEE THAT THE, THAT THOSE, THE JOB DON'T HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH EACH OTHER.
BUT OUR PAY SCALES HAVE ALWAYS PRETTY MUCH MIRRORED OR OUR BASE PAY HAS PRETTY MUCH MIRRORED THAT I RAN.
I RAN THE 20 WELL JUDGE RICHARD FOR ONE THING.
UM, IS THE TAX ASSESSOR, IS SHE ON CALL 24 7? DOES SHE WORK ON WEEKENDS? DOES SHE, DOES SHE GET CALLED AT SHERIFF? HAVE YOU EVER CALLED THE TAX ASSESSOR AT THREE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING AND ASK HER TO COME TO THE JAIL, BUT HAVE YOU CALLED ME? OKAY.
AND WE HAVE TO GO BECAUSE THEY NEED A JUVENILE MAGISTRATE.
THAT'S A, THAT'S AN ARGUMENT THAT Y'ALL SHOULD BE MAKING MORE MONEY OR SUBSTANTIALLY MORE MONEY, BUT I DON'T SEE HOW THAT ARGUMENT HOLDS THAT IT HAS NO, I'M NOT ASKING FOR MORE MONEY EQUAL FACE PAGE.
LIKE WE'VE ALWAYS HAD, I'M ASKING FOR EQUAL FACE PAY BECAUSE I'M
[00:35:01]
SORRY.I, WE ALL, I DON'T DO WHAT LAURA DOES.
RHONDA HAS DIFFERENT, EVERYBODY HAS DIFFERENT RESPONSIBILITIES, BUT WE HAVE ALWAYS UNTIL THIS YEAR BASED ON A STEADY THAT MOST OF US WILL AGREE.
I PULLED THE 20, 20, THE 2022 TEXTS SURVEY.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY CAME AT HOW EVERGREEN AND I'LL PULL THEM FOR EACH ONE OF THE COUNTIES THAT THEY HAD ON THE EVERGREEN STUDY.
AND THERE WERE ONLY ONE OR TWO THAT THEY WERE THAT ADD UP SEVEN OR EIGHT THAT A JP GOT IN THE SIXTIES.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY CAME UP WITH THAT.
THE LOW SPECTRUM FOR US OUT OF THOSE COUNTIES THAT THEY SAID THAT THEY, THEY SURVEYED WAS 64,000, WHICH WOULD MAKE US HAVING GOING INTO THE NEW YEAR 4,900 AND SOMETHING DOLLARS LESS THAN, THAN THE, THE FOUR PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE ALWAYS RUN NECK AND NECK WITH.
WELL, I THINK IF YOU'RE GOING TO ARGUE FOR A DIFFERENT AND I DON'T, AND YOU KNOW, I'VE SAID UP HERE OVER AND OVER THAT, IF PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THAT THE WAGE THAT THE WAGE RANGES ARE WRONG, THEY SHOULD RESEARCH THAT AND PROVIDE THAT TO US SO THAT WE CAN MAKE ADJUSTMENTS.
YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE CHALLENGE THAT WE FACE RIGHT NOW IS WE'RE GETTING TO THE POINT THAT WE'VE GOT TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS BECAUSE WE'VE GOT TO GET A BUDGET OUT.
SO, UH, YOU KNOW, I, THE, THE, WHERE EVERGREEN CAME UP WITH THE NUMBERS FOR ALL THE POSITIONS, ALL THAT DATA IS IN THAT SPREADSHEET.
IT'S ALL IN THEIR SPREADSHEETS.
THEY HAVE ALL THE BACKUP OF WHERE, AND I DON'T REMEMBER WHERE THEY CAME UP WITH THE JP STUFF, BUT, UM, IT'S NOT, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, NONE OF THE, THE WEIGHTS THING IS A SCIENCE, BECAUSE THE TRUTH OF MATTER IS WHAT THE JP DOES IN KAUFMAN COUNTY IS DIFFERENT THAN WHAT THE JP DOES.
AND ELLIS COUNTY, YOU KNOW, UNCOVERED THE OTHER DAY THAT ELLIS COUNTY HAS NINE PEOPLE, TOTAL STAFF IN THEIR CONSTABLE POSITIONED.
I DON'T KNOW HOW THEY DO THAT, BUT, UH, BUT THEY OBVIOUSLY HAVE A DIFFERENT JOB THAN OUR CONSOLES DO, BUT IT'S NOT A PRECISE SCIENCE, BUT, UM, IT'S GOTTA BE, IF SOMEBODY SAYS I SHOULD MAKE MORE MONEY, MY ANSWER TO THAT IS BASED ON WHAT, WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR INFORMATION? YOU KNOW, WHAT'S THE, WHAT IS THE, I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU.
I THINK THAT ARGUMENT WAS MADE LAST YEAR AND IT WAS REJECTED.
SO WE MADE THAT ARGUMENT LAST YEAR.
I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING, I DON'T REMEMBER SEEING COMPARISONS, MAYBE THEY WERE THERE.
I DON'T REMEMBER THAT TO, TO INCREASE OUR PAY BECAUSE OF OUR DUTIES IN, YEAH, BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS WHAT ARE THE COMPARABLE POSITIONS? YOU KNOW, IF, UH, IF SOMEBODY HAS A JOB THAT THEY FEEL LIKE THEY SHOULD BE GETTING, I WOULD SAY, WHAT ARE THEY, THEY'RE PROBABLY A LOT OF JPS AROUND THE COUNTY AND AROUND THE AREA OF NORTH TEXAS THAT DO KIND OF THE SAME WORK AS Y'ALL DO.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT I THINK YOU GOT.
JUDGE, RICHARD, I'M NOT HERE SAYING THAT I NEED TO MAKE MORE MONEY THAN LAURA DOES, BUT I'M NOT HERE SAYING THAT I NEED TO MAKE $5,000 LAST SEAT THERE.
AND THAT, THAT'S MY WHOLE THING.
UM, WE DO PROVIDE A DIFFERENT TYPE OF SERVICE.
THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY WILL TELL YOU THAT THEN THAN WHAT THE OTHER OPPOSITES, THEY DO.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT I NEED TO MAKE MORE MONEY THAN THAT, BUT I AM SAYING THEN IN THE STRUCTURE THAT'S BEEN PROVIDED TO US AND THE LETTER THAT I GOT FROM YOU, I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR.
THE WHOLE THING, THE VERY FIRST MEETING THAT Y'ALL HAD, YOU TALKED ABOUT BEING FAIR AND NOT JUST BEING FAIR TO US, BUT BEING FAIR TO ALL THE EMPLOYEES.
I HAVE GIRLS IN MY OFFICE THAT MAKE $36,000.
IF YOU TAKE THE MID TO THE MYTH, ALL THEY WOULD GET IS THE 5% COLA, WHICH AVERAGES OUT TO ABOUT $1,800.
WHAT IS THAT GOING TO DO FOR A PERSON THAT MAKES $36,000 A YEAR? NOT VERY MUCH, MAYBE A TANK OF GAS A MONTH.
SO I'M JUST SAYING THAT IF YOU THINK IT'S FAIR TO DO THAT TO ME, THEN I UNDERSTAND THAT THAT'S YOUR POSITION.
I DON'T THINK IT'S FAIR FOR YOU TO DO THAT TO THE FOUR OF US, FOR US TO MAKE $5,000 LESS.
LET ME JUST MAKE SOMETHING REALLY CLEAR.
I SIGNED THAT LETTER, BUT THAT LETTER WAS BASED ON THE DECISIONS THAT WE MADE IN COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND THE NUMBERS.
[00:40:01]
AND WE INSTRUCTED THE AUDITOR IN THAT MEETING TO DO THE CALCULATION OF MOVING, MOVING PEOPLE FROM THE MID TO THE MID.AND SO THAT LATER I WAS THE ONE WHO SIGNED THAT LETTER, BUT THE INSTRUCTIONS CAME FROM THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
AND IF THE, I ACTUALLY TALK TO THESE THREE COMMISSIONERS AND THE WAY THAT, THAT IT WAS FIGURED WAS NOT THE WAY.
AND Y'ALL CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, THAT THEY THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE FIGURE THE MID TO THE MID, UH, IF YOU TAKE ZERO TO 10, THE MID IS FIVE.
NO, WE JUST SAID, WE'D SAID THE TERMINOLOGY'S A QUARTER POINT.
WELL, THE MID TO THE MID AND ZERO TO 10 IS FIVE.
I MEAN, IT'S NOT THAT, I MEAN, I DON'T THINK THEIR CALCULATIONS IF THEY HAD TO DO, IS THAT HARD? UH, THE MID OR THE MID QUARTER POINT THAT'S, THAT'S THE WHOLE THING.
IT'S JUST NOT MAKING SENSE TO ME WITH THIS.
CAUSE I DON'T RECALL US TALKING ABOUT A QUARTER POINT.
NO, IT WAS THE MID, MID IS WHAT WE CALLED A BIT THE SAME TO ME, THE SAME THING.
AND, AND I'VE DONE IT BOTH WAYS.
LIKE I TOLD YOU, I THOUGHT I FIGURED IT BY SUPPLANTING, GET IN DIVIDED BY TWO AND ADMIN, AND THEN DOING THE AVERAGE.
IT'S JUST DIFFERENT WAY OF DOING THE MATH.
BUT LET'S GO BACK RIGHT NOW TO SEPARATION BETWEEN YOU AND THE CLERKS ARE ABOUT $400.
SO, AND THAT'S WHAT THOSE MAIL LOOP HERE IS RIGHT NOW.
IF WE GIVE THE RISES IN THE SPREAD INCREASES 5,000 TO 5,400, IS THAT RIGHT? I MEAN, IT'S THIS KIND OF, WE'RE STARTING IF IT'S A $400 SPREAD TO GIVE THEM A RAISE AND THEN JUST PRETTY DRUNK.
YOU SAY AGAIN THOUGH, I DON'T KNOW.
UH, I DON'T KNOW WHY WE WOULD USE THAT AS A COMPARISON.
IF YOU'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA REDO ALL THAT HERE WOULD BE LOOKING AT WHAT OTHER J P S IN THE DALLAS FORT WORTH METROPLEX, NOT DALLAS ITSELF AND PROBABLY NOT ROCKWALL, BUT, AND YOUR PAPERWORK, WE GAVE YOU A SHEET LIKE THIS.
DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY SHEETS I'VE SEEN? IT LOOKED LIKE THAT.
THAT'S NOT MY PROBLEM COMMISSIONER.
THE PROPOSED TOTAL BUDGET IMPACT TO TAKE EVERYBODY FROM WHERE THEY'RE AT TO MIDPOINT.
THIS IS GENERAL ROAD AND BRIDGE AND ALL THE OTHER FUNDS.
IF YOU ADD THAT MID POINT AND 5%, IT'S 3.97 3,997,000.
I WOULD LOOK AT, I WOULD LOOK AT ELLIS JOHNSON.
ON THIS ONE THAT WAS HANDED OUT, LIKE, I GUESS THERE'S, THERE IS THE CURRENT EVERGREEN PAY.
AND THEN THERE'S THE PROPOSED EVERGREEN PAY GRADE.
WHEN YOU DID THE MID POINT, DID YOU, THIS MID POINT SHOWS, BUMPING PEOPLE UP TO THE PROPOSED EVERGREEN PAY GRADE, WOULD THAT WE'RE CHANGING PAY GRADES? ALL WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WAS IN THE NEW PAY GRADE.
WE WEREN'T DOING WITH PEDRO PAID GRADES.
WE WERE JUST LOOKING AT THE MENTAL HEALTH HEARINGS THAT STARTED TWO 30.
SO I'VE GOT TO GET TO SARAH AND SAY, YEAH, OKAY.
IT'S JUST THAT THERE THERE'S A NUMBER THAT WAS USED LOW FOR US WAS 64,000.
I THINK IT'S, IS THAT RIGHT? OKAY.
SO THAT'S LESS THAN WHAT I MAKE NOW, BUT THEN WHEN YOU DO THE 83, THEN THAT WE LOSE, THEY GAIN 5,000 THAT WE DON'T GET.
AND SO I KNOW THAT YOU UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW YOU CAN LOOK AT ANOTHER ELECTED OFFICIAL, ALBEIT, YOU KNOW, I KNOW THAT YOU'RE GOING TO SAY, WELL, YOUR PRECINCT SPECIFIC, YOU'RE ONLY HIRED IN THE PRECINCT, BUT THESE FOUR GENTLEMEN ARE TWO GOOD, BUT BECAUSE WE DON'T JUST DEAL, I DON'T GO TO THE JAIL AND TELL THE SHERIFF TO ONLY GIVE ME THE PEOPLE FROM PRECINCT, ONE THAT HAD BEEN ARRESTED.
UM, SO I THINK THAT'S YOUR ROLE, BUT THE THING IS, I JUST, I DON'T FEEL IT'S FAIR.
EVEN BASED ON THE NUMBERS FROM THE EVERGREEN STUDY, THAT YOU WOULD DO THAT TO US.
WHEN WE HAVE ALWAYS HAD THAT, I VERY CLOSE,
[00:45:01]
I THINK $400 DIFFERENCE RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF, I DON'T KNOW HOW WE GOT THAT WAY, BUT A $400 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR BASE SALARY AND THERE'S WELL, AND AGAIN, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.I DON'T KNOW WHY THE COUNTY WAS EQUIVOCATING 'CAUSE MOST COUNTIES DO MOST COUNTIES DO.
WHEN I WENT THROUGH THE SALARY SURVEY AND I HAD SHARED THAT WITH MY COMMISSIONER, MOST COUNTIES, UM, COMMISSIONERS, TAX, ASSESSOR, DISTRICT CLERK, COUNTY CLERK, UH, SOME JAKE PEAS ALL MAKE THE SAME.
SOMETIMES THERE IS A DIFFERENT WITH THE JPS.
SO, I MEAN, I THINK THEY COULD MAKE THE ARGUMENT THAT THEY SHOULD BE MAKING THE SAME AS EVERYBODY ELSE DO.
I MEAN, AND REALLY, BUT THEY HAVE, THEY HAVE DECIDED TO GO WITH THE PROPOSAL FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT RATHER THAN THE PROPOSAL THAT'S IN THE EVERGREEN.
I THINK ANY ELECTED OFFICIAL COULD MAKE THE ARGUMENT.
IF THEY'RE BELOW SOMEBODY ELSE, THEY COULD MAKE THE ARGUMENT THAT I'VE NEVER BEEN MAKING, BUT THEY COULD BE MAKING EVERY, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RAIN WITH THE ARRAY IS, BUT I THINK THEY COULD, UNDER WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, EVERYBODY COULD MAKE AN ARGUMENT THAT THEY SHOULD BE MAKING AS MUCH AS EVERYBODY ELSE.
AND TO ME, IT'S THE JOB TO COMPARE THE JOBS IN DIFFERENT PLACES RATHER THAN COMPARING INSIDE THE COUNTY.
SO WHAT I'M HEARING FROM YOU, JUDGE REGROUPS IS A SECURE TELLING ME THAT MY JOB IS NOT AS IMPORTANT AS THE COUNTY CLERK, THE DISTRICT, WHAT I'M TELLING YOU IS THAT IF I WERE GOING TO DO, IF I WERE IN YOUR POSITION AND I FELT LIKE THAT THE WAGE BRACKETS WERE INCORRECT, I WOULD GO AND LOOK AT THE PAY FOR JUSTICE.
SO THE PIECE IN LIKE SIMILAR COUNTIES TO US, ELLIS PARKER, PARKER, AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THAT, IT'S NOT A HUGE ARGUMENT ACTUALLY.
BUT I THINK, YOU KNOW, YOU, YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, TO THAT, YOU COULD ARGUE IF YOU TOOK ALL FOUR, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THIS IS ONE OF THESE ARTICLE.
THIS IS WHEN HE WOULD COMPARE.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT METROPLEX COUNTIES THAT ARE SIMILAR SIZE TO US.
AND IF WE KNOW THE MEN MAINTENANCE
I MEAN, CAN YOU ADD ALL THOSE TOGETHER, EVERGREEN, BUT THAT'S IN THE BACK OF THAT SHEETS ON THAT DEAL, THEY COULD SHOW YOU WHERE THEY KIND OF, YOU KNOW.
BUT I MEAN, I'M JUST SAYING I DON'T, I, I'M NOT ARGUING WITH ME MY HAIR.
I'M JUST SAYING VERY MINUTE, WE'RE IN THIS INCREASED THE BEGINNING INCREASE AFTER THE ADJUSTMENT.
THE ONLY THING THAT CONFUSES ME IS RIGHT NOW IS A $400 SPREAD UNLESS THEY DID SOMETHING ON THE 1 0 5, 160, WHY WOULD THEY CATEGORIZE ALL? WHY, WHY DOES THE SPRAY GROW WHEN YOU'RE GIVING THEM A RIGHT? BECAUSE THE STUDY, BECAUSE OF THE, BECAUSE OF THE NUMBERS THAT THE STUDY HAD IN IT, YOU KNOW, WE WEREN'T LOOKING WHEN WE MADE THIS DECISION, WE WEREN'T LOOKING AT, WE HADN'T EVEN REALLY LOOKED AT DEPARTMENTS.
WE WERE JUST TRYING TO FIGURE OUT A WAY WHEN WE LOOKED AT MOVING EVERYBODY TO THE MID RANGE.
AND I REMEMBER THAT AS BEING A BIGGER NUMBER THAN A COUPLE OF HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
BUT THAT'S WHEN WE SAY, WELL, WE COULD GO TO THE MID, TO THE MID, MID, WHICH NOW WE'RE CALLING THE QUARTER POINT, BUT THE MID MID, AND WE WEREN'T LOOKING AT INDIVIDUAL JOBS, I GUESS MY POINT, WAIT, WAIT, IT WOULD DO THAT TO TAKE EVERYBODY TO THE MID RANGE THAT WOULD TAKE YOU TO THE 82.
WELL, YEAH, THAT'S WHAT WE SAID JUST A MINUTE AGO.
WE WILL TAKE EVERYBODY TO THE MID, TO THE MILL AND THEN WE'LL DROP THE 5%.
SO YOU CAN DO THE MATH BETWEEN SEVEN TO SEVEN, EIGHT TO THAT'S HOW MUCH YOU INCREASE.
MY FEAR IS THAT IN THE SAME TO THE BIG BOY IN THE BACK, AND THE SAME THING HAPPENS, YOU WERE DONE MEN, THE MEN, AND THEN IT WOULD TAKE YOU TO THE MID AND INSTEAD OF THE MID MAY, THEY WOULD TAKE YOU UP QUITE A BIT.
[00:50:01]
BUT ARE WE BEING PENALIZED BECAUSE WE ARE SO FAR IN LOW ONE, DEPLOY IS ACTUALLY BELOW THE BOTTOM OF THE STUDY.AND THAT'S WHAT MY CONCERN IS.
IS ARE WE BEING PENALIZED BY NOT GETTING THAT 5% BECAUSE WE WERE SO LOW TO START WITH.
SO WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE THE, WHAT WE'RE TRYING TO DO IS MAKE THE NUMBERS WORK ON THE TOTAL BIG PICTURE.
UM, THERE ARE LOTS OF ARGUMENTS THAT PEOPLE, THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO HAVE MORE MONEY AND BE ABLE TO SPEND MORE MONEY IN THEIR BUDGET, BUT I'M NOT, I, I, IT MAKES ME A LITTLE, IT MAKES ME VERY UNCOMFORTABLE TO RAISE PROPERTY TAXES 15%, BUT I'M NOT GONNA, I'M NOT GONNA SUPPORT A RAISE HIGHER THAN THAT.
AND YOUR DEPARTMENT IS ONE OF VERY MANY THAT HAVE A LOT OF COMPELLING STORIES TO MAKE.
AND I HEARD WHAT YOU'RE SAYING.
AND YOU DID RESEARCH ON IT AND I APPRECIATE THAT, BUT WE, WE, WE CAN'T GIVE EVERYBODY EVERYTHING THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR.
I DON'T THINK, BUT WE ARE TALKING THE SOLID MIDPOINT, NOT A HALFWAY TO MIDPOINT OR RIGHT.
THAT'S WHAT WE SAY, BUT I'M NOT GOING OVER 15%.
SO IF, IF WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RAISING PEOPLE'S TAXES MORE THAN $8.3 MILLION, THAT'S GOING TO BE DONE BY SOMEBODY ELSE BESIDES ME.
UM, SO, BUT, BUT WE HAVEN'T EVEN, I WISH, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY JUST KIND OF TAKE, WE HAVEN'T EVEN LOOKED AT DEPARTMENTS AT ALL.
WE'RE JUST DEALING WITH TOTALS.
WELL, I GOING TO MAKE SURE THAT I EXPRESSED THAT OPINION.
THANK YOU FOR LISTENING TO ME.
WELL, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IS IF WE START DATING, IF FOR USE THE STUDY, IT'S SO OUTDATED, WE'RE STILL 42 YEARS OLD, MIKE.
NO, BUT THIS IS THE KIND OF STUFF THAT AGREES MORE THAN I KNOW.
I KNOW, BUT THIS IS WHAT I'VE HIDDEN IN ALL THE OTHER STUFF WHERE THERE ARE LOW WAGE EARNERS THAT WE'LL NEVER HEAR FROM, THEY'RE EXPERIENCING THE SAME TYPE OF THING.
SO I JUST DON'T HAVE, YOU KNOW, IN, IN THE STUDY MUCH AT ALL.
NOW, IF WE WON'T GO TO THE MID POINT AND THAT'S WHAT Y'ALL DECIDE TO DO.
SO BE IT, ONE OF THE ALTERNATE DOES TO USE IN THE STUDY AT THIS POINT, FIRST, WE HAD A UNANIMOUS VOTE TO COMMISSION THIS COMPANY TO DO THE STUDY.
YOU COULD GO LOOK AT THE TAPES.
WE ARE ALL COMMITTED TO USING THE STUDY.
THIS IS A CHAIN REACTION DEAL IS WE'VE NOT GIVEN RAISES FOR YEARS.
NOW THAT'S OLD TWO YEARS OLD USED TO DO A STUDY EVERY SIX MONTHS.
BUT IF WE'RE, IF WE'RE BEHIND WITH A TWO-YEAR-OLD STUDY, WE HAVEN'T GIVEN ANY PAY INCREASES.
EVEN THE ELECTEDS I'VE BEEN HERE.
SO THIS IS A SIX TIME AND THE ELECTIVES HAVE CUT 2%.
I THINK THAT WAS WHEN BRUCE WAS HERE WHEN WE FIRST TOOK OFF.
SO, I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S THE ONLY RAISE EVEN THE ELECTIVES HAVE HAD IN THE EMPLOYEES WHO JUST HAD SMALLER THAN 2%.
THAT WAS THE BIGGEST RAISE WE'VE GIVEN THEM ALL THIS TIME.
AND THE WHOLE TIME WE'RE JUST MOVING FURTHER AND FURTHER AWAY FROM THE MARK.
AND THEN WE ADDED ANOTHER THREE ON TOP OF THAT LAST YEAR.
WELL, IT'S A WALL AND ONE IN JANUARY, I'M TALKING ABOUT GENERAL POPULATION.
THERE'S ONE IN JANUARY AND THEN A ONE AND A HALF.
IF THE QUARTER OF THE YEAR WE'LL KNOW.
THE THING THAT I LOOKED AT MY FEAR IS THAT WE, ONCE WE GET THIS SET IN STONE, IT'S SET IN STONE AND THERE'S NOT MUCH CHANCE TO MAKE A LOT OF CORRECTIONS.
AND THAT'S WHY I'VE BEEN AN ADVOCATE OF JUST GIVE A COST OF LIVING IN GRACE AND FIND YOU THAT, THAT NUMBER ACROSS THE BOARD AND GIVE TO EVERYBODY.
AND THEN AT LEAST WE'RE MOVING IN CLOSER TO WHAT WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO STUDY.
AND IT'S THE SAME FOR EVERYBODY.
IT DOESN'T GET CAUGHT UP IN ALL THE STUFF.
CAUSE WE'RE ALL I NEED A NUMBER.
THE NUMBER THAT YOU AGREE TO, THE NUMBER YOU AGREED TO WHILE AGO, OR WHAT YOU SAID WAS YOU WEREN'T, YOU DIDN'T WANT TO USE THE, THE EXCESS TAX REVENUE FROM THIS YEAR.
SO YOU WERE AT 12 MILLION, 400,000.
IS THAT WHERE YOU STILL ARE? YES.
SKEET, ARE YOU STILL AT THE 8 MILLION? 300,000.
WITH, WE HAVEN'T EVEN REALLY DUG INTO THE DEPARTMENT, SO THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME, THERE'S GOING TO BE SOME MOVING AROUND IN THE DEPARTMENT LEVEL.
ARE YOU STILL GOOD AT THE 8.3 MILLION? WELL, NO.
WHERE ARE YOU IF WE MOVE IT? IF WE MOVE THIS WHERE THE WORD IS, I'M, I'M, I'M TRYING TO HELP OUT EVERYBODY HERE.
AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE ARE, WE ARE NOT, BUT THE MID, THE MID DEL, IF WE CHANGE IT, THEN, UM, I'LL BE HAPPY WITH THAT CHANGE DURING THAT MID THE MED, AND THEN MAKING
[00:55:01]
SURE THAT EVERYBODY UNDER 50,000 DOES RECEIVE A 5% COLA AND THERE ARE SOME ADJUSTMENTS THAT'S WRONG.AND I ASK, I ASKED THEM TO LOOK BECAUSE I DID CATCH IN THE CLERKS IN THE CLERKS.
THEY WERE ALL THE SAME FOR SOME ODD REASON.
AND THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO GET BACK WITH ME AND THEY WILL DID Y'ALL.
MEAN, DID Y'ALL VERIFY THE, THE IMPACT OF THAT, OF GOING TO THE MID RANGE, THE BUDGET IMPACT OF GOING TO THE MID BRAIN 300, 3.5%.
WHAT WAS IT TO GO TO THE MID MAY OR THE QUARTER POINT 0.3, THREE? THE MADE MAN.
IT WAS, UM, WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE MIND WHEN HE GOES TO MILLIONAIRE? MAYBE SKEET.
I HAD IT JUST A SECOND HERE AT 150, 7,000 MORE, UM, ABOUT WHERE WE'RE GOING TO DROP 5%.
SO I WILL, I'M GOING TO PREFACE THIS.
I'M GONNA, I'M GOING TO SAY THIS AND HOPEFULLY WE CAN GET A CONSENSUS SO THAT THE AUDITORS CAN MAKE AN, THEY CAN USE THE NUMBERS.
UM, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS THE 8.3 MILLION THAT GOOD.
ARE YOU OKAY? I'M ASKING YOU, YES, GO AHEAD.
8.3 MILLION PLUS WHATEVER IT TAKES THE 700,000 OR WHATEVER THAT IT TAKES TO GO TO THE MIDPOINT, WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS.
IF SOMEBODY IS MAKING $5,000 OR MORE OF A WAGE ADJUSTMENT, THEY WOULD NOT GET THE 5% COLON.
UM, I'M GOING TO SAY THIS AGAIN THAT WE, WE HAVEN'T GONE TO THE DEPARTMENT LEVEL AND THEY WERE, THIS, THIS NUMBER MIGHT MOVE SOME, BUT IT SHOULDN'T BE MOVING BY A MILLION DOLLARS.
IT MIGHT BE MOVING BY SOME, NO PROBLEM.
MIKE, DOESN'T AGREE WITH THAT.
YOU'RE STILL, YOU'RE STILL SAYING WE SHOULD DO THE 12.4 MILLION PLUS THE 700,000 OR WHATEVER.
UM, WHERE ARE YOU ON THIS? TERRY? ARE YOU, UM, I DON'T LIKE DROPPING THE 5% OF LIKE US DOING THE TRUE MIDPOINT.
I MEAN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT'S GOING TO SAY.
WELL, I GO, WE AGREED TO WORK WITH THIS STUDY AND WE HAVEN'T DONE IT YET.
WE'VE DILUTED THIS THING AND CHANGED IT SO MUCH, BUT I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT.
WE MOVED EVERYBODY WHO WAS BELOW THE BOTTOM RANGE.
WE MOVED ALL THOSE 17 PEOPLE UP AT A PRETTY GOOD CHUNK OF MONEY THE FIRST YEAR.
SO WE DID THAT PART OF IT, BUT WE KEEP DIVIDING AND DIVIDING.
BUT IF WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT RIGHT NOW IN AN EFFORT TO MOVE THIS THING FORWARD, CAUSE I'M TIRED OF SITTING HERE DOING NOTHING.
UM, I AGREE WITH EVERYTHING YOU JUST SAID, BUT I DON'T LIKE THE DEAL ABOUT THE 5% BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM, ARE YOU WILLING? YOU DON'T LIKE IT AND UNDERSTAND, ARE YOU WILLING TO ACCEPT THE SAME? OKAY.
THAT'S GETTING MORE THAN A THAT'S.
I'M GOOD WITH TAKING THAT ONE OUTLIER.
WE'RE NOT VOTING, BUT WE GOT THE THREE OF US.
IF THEY, IF THAT, DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE SAYING? YOU WANT ME TO RECAP IT? YEAH.
CAUSE YOU GOT QUITE A FEW PEOPLE THAT IF WE GO TO MIDPOINT, IT'S GOING TO BUST THEM OVER THE 5,000.
SO WHAT WE SAID WAS WE ARE AT $8.3 MILLION, PLUS THE ADDITIONAL MONEY IT'S GOING TO COST TO MOVE PEOPLE TO THE TRUE MID POINT IN THE STUDY.
PEOPLE WHOSE, WHOSE WAGE ADJUSTMENT WOULD BE $5,000 OR MORE WOULD NOT GET THE 5%.
CAN YOU BELIEVE WE ONLY BEEN DOING THIS FOR AN HOUR? I CAN'T BE RIGHT.
AND, AND SO I'M JUST GOING TO GO AHEAD AND IF IT'S OKAY WITH YOU, UM, THE, UH, CLERKS I WAS TALKING ABOUT, HEY, WE NEED NUMBERS ON THAT, ON WHAT THE STRAIGHTEN THAT OUT, THAT WAS BROUGHT TO THE COURT AND THE COURT APPROVED IT.
AND COURT WENT, THE COURT APPROVED HIM DOING THAT.
[01:00:01]
KNOW WHY I CAN'T, I CAN'T EVEN FATHOM THIS ONE.I'VE ASKED Y'ALL TO LOCK THE WAGES AND QUIT LETTING PEOPLE GIVE RAISES, BECAUSE THAT HAPPENS ALL DURING THE YEAR.
BUT THE JP CLERKS ALL GET STARTED BUYING AND GETTING CERTIFICATIONS TO DO THEIR JOB.
AND THEY ALL DO IT IN ONE COURT.
FOR SOME REASON MAKES MORE THAN THE OTHER ONES.
WE ORIGINALLY HAD THE CHIEF DEPUTY AT ONE SALARY AND ALL THE CLERKS AT ONE SALARY OUT THERE, LONGEVITY OR WHATEVER, AND SEE IF THEY HAVE BUDDIES ALREADY AT THE SAME PAY AS THE CLERKS THAT AREN'T AT THE SAME HANG FOR SOME REASONS.
SO IF WE COULD SHOW THAT IN THIS, THE M IN DIXON, THEN THAT EQUALS A MONTH.
OKAY, ANYBODY ELSE? I HAVE SOME HELLO? WHAT'S NOT FAIR CHANGE IN THEIR REPOS.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO THE REST OF THE OFFICE SAYING, ARE YOU HAPPY WITH ALL YOUR
I HAVEN'T NO ONE HERE A AGREE.
I HAVEN'T BEEN SAYING, GIVE US THE NUMBERS.
AND I WANT THE NUMBERS THAT THEY WERE DOING IT.
AND I HOPE THAT THIS IS MAYBE THE LAST THING WE'LL TALK ABOUT.
UM, JOHNNY WHITE CAME AND TALKED TO ME TODAY AND HE HAS TWO POSITIONS, UH, TWO SPECIFIC POSITIONS.
HE SAYS, ONE OF THEM, THESE, THE WAGING CLASSIFICATION STUDY WAS DONE.
AND THERE WERE ONLY TWO PEOPLE IN HIS OFFICE AT THE TIME.
SO WHAT HE'S ASKING TO DO IS TO DO A LITTLE RESTRUCTURING, HIS DEPARTMENT TO RAISE ONE OF THEM, TO A NEW, TO WHAT HE CONSIDERS THE PROPER PAY GRADE.
AND THE OTHER ONE LOWERED THAT PERSON DOWN A PAY GRADE, WHICH HE FEELS LIKE IS MORE APPROPRIATE.
AND IF WE WERE, IF WE ASKED THE AUDITOR TO DO THIS, WHICH I'M DOING RIGHT NOW IS IT WOULD SAVE THE COUNTY ABOUT $1,500.
ANYBODY WANT TO ARGUE WITH THAT? NO.
YOU GOT MY EMAIL ABOUT A NIPPLE.
UH, YOU WANT TO TELL, TELL EVERYBODY WHAT THAT IS? UM, WELL, AFTER THE DISCUSSION WE HAD WITH, UH, JUDGE RICH AND THE SHERIFF AND SOME OF THE COMMENTS THAT WERE MADE AND SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THEY CONTACTED THE OFFICE AND WE SET UP A MEETING FOR THIS MORNING AND THEY CAME IN AND WE JUST KIND OF DISCUSSED HOW IT CAME UP AND WHAT MY QUESTIONS WERE.
SOME OF THE STATEMENTS THAT, UH, JUDGE RICH AND THE SHERIFF HAD MAY.
AND, UH, I, YOU SAID, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WORKED THROUGH WHITE TO THAT POSITION.
AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD FUND THAT POSITION.
WOULD THAT PERSON, UH, CAN BE, WOULD THAT PERSON WORK FOR THEM OR WORK FOR THE COUNTY? WELL, WE'RE GOING TO, WE WILL SET THE JOB DESCRIPTION OF THAT PERSON AND WHATEVER DUTIES WE WON'T, THAT'S WHAT THEY WILL DO.
WE WILL CUSTOM DESIGN THAT POSITION TO DO WHAT WE WANT TO DO AND THEY'LL PAY THE SALARY.
I THINK IT'D BE REALLY IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHO THEY'RE GOING TO REPORT.
WELL, THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT BOSS.
THERE WAS THE ONE THAT WE PROPOSED WITH BOBBY.
THAT'S AS FAR AS I WENT AND I TOLD HIM, IT'S NOT MY DEAL.
YOU GOT TO WORK YOUR PROBLEMS. THAT WOULD JUDGE RICH AND THE OTHER JUDGES.
AND THEY JUST NEEDED AN AGREEMENT IN WRITING.
AND THEY SAID, YOU TELL US WHAT YOU WANT THIS PERSON TO DO.
SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S ALL MONEY.
ALL, MONEY'S NOT GOOD MONEY FOR YOU.
WELL, I'M THINKING ABOUT WHAT OTHER POSITIONS MIGHT THEY FUND? NO, I ACTUALLY CALLED AROUND THE LUNCH HOUR TO TELL ME, AND I ALREADY KNEW ABOUT IT.
I'M JUST HERE WITH YOU SO THAT YOU ALL IS WHO HIRES THE PERSON I'M HEARING, NOT AS, OH, THEY SAID THEY WOULD PAY THE PERSON'S SALARY.
WE WOULD TELL THEM WHAT WE WANT THAT PERSON TO DO THEIR JOB DESCRIPTION.
I MEAN, IT, I THINK RIGHT NOW Y'ALL WERE AT THE TABLE AND Y'ALL NEED TO HAVE YOUR DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHO'S GOING TO DO WHAT AND WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR WHAT? AND THEN WORK IT OUT WITH NIPPON.
THAT'S Y'ALL'S DO Y'ALL KNOW IT.
WELL, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE SET IT UP MUCH.
[01:05:01]
OTHER GRANT WE GET, WE, YOU KNOW, WE GET A GRANT FOR CHARLOTTE, OUR VICTIM WITNESS COORDINATOR.WE GOT A GRANT FOR CHILD ABUSE.
THE STATE'S NOT HERE TELLING US HOW TO WANT IT.
SO NICK WAS GOING TO DO IT LIKE DUDE, GRAININESS MONEY, THE SAME ONE WHO SET UP THE PUBLIC DEFENDER'S OFFICE.
NOBODY WORKED, THEY SET IT UP.
THEY, THEY WERE ANOTHER COUNTY FUNDING WAS COMING.
THAT'S THE WAY TO SET UP BECAUSE IT, NEVEAH IS RUNNING IT.
WE KNOW HOW THAT, WELL, THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S THAT HISTORICAL DATA, NOT MY DEAL, BUT MAINE.
I'VE GOT EVERYBODY AT THE TAPE PART.
THAT'S WHERE Y'ALL GO AND TAKE CARE OF WHAT Y'ALL WANT DONE.
MAY THE RESPONDENT AND PAY YOU EVERY YEAR FOR THE POSITION.
SO Y'ALL YOU GOT THE CONTACTS JUST DON'T
AND I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT IT, BUT IT STEPPED DOWN.
WHAT NIPPLE DOES EXCEPT READING THE JOB, DESCRIPTION THE CONTRACT.
AND I'VE GOT A JOB DESCRIPTION THAT JUDGE BRIDGE BROUGHT TO US.
I'M NOT GOING TO GET IN THE MIDDLE OF SOLVING THE PROBLEM.
WE'VE GOT THE PARTIES TO GET IN A ROOM AND WORK A DEAL OR NOT WORK A DEAL.
AND THAT'S KINDA WHERE I THINK WE'RE AT AND ETHIC.
THAT'S INCUMBENT ON THE PEOPLE THAT USE KNIPPA TO GET IN THE ROOM AND SEE WHAT Y'ALL WANT AND TELL THEM WHAT Y'ALL WANT.
SO IT'S NOT MY MIND IS THE POSITION OF HIS COURT TO MAKE THOSE DECISIONS.
I'LL SAY SOMETHING SHORT AND SWEET.
LIKE THE DA SAYS THEY FUND US THE MONEY.
THAT'S THE BEST WAY YOU CAN CONTROL IT.
WHEN JUDGE COMES BACK, I GET YOU.
YOU'RE SAYING PROBABLY THE JUDGE TOMORROW.
EMOTIONS ARE TURNING, RIGHT? YEP.
I'LL MAKE A MOTION DURING THIS MEETING POINT 16, MR. PHILLIPS MOOSE, GERM FOR SOMEBODY ELSE COMES UP WITH SOMETHING ELSE.
IS THERE SOMETHING I'LL SAY IT AGAIN.
THE SECOND COMMISSIONER BARBARA DISCUSSION THOSE IN FAVOR, SIGNIFY BY SAYING AYE.
NO, THAT MOTION CARRIES WE'RE OUT OF HERE.