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IT'S NINE O'CLOCK, AND WE'RE ENTERING INTO A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT THIS MORNING.UH, HAVE A, UH, UH, PUBLIC, UH, HEARING ON THE, UH, PROPOSED TAX RATE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 20 16 20 17.
AND, UH, THEN WE ALSO HAVE ONE ITEM ON THE AGENDA CONCERNING THE PURCHASE OF THE, UH, PROPERTY FROM THE CHURCH.
UM, ITEM NUMBER FOUR, THE FIRST THING WE'LL DO, UH, WE'RE DISPENSED WITH THE OPENING, UH, UH, PARK THAT WE NORMALLY HAVE.
AND, UH, GO IMMEDIATELY INTO A SPECIAL MEETING, UH, OR ENTER INTO A PUBLIC HEARING SO THAT I HAVE A MOTION TO EXIT THE SPECIAL MEETING AND ENTER INTO THE PUBLIC HEARING MOTION.
COMMISSIONER ALLEN, MR. UH, PHILLIPS SECOND MOTION.
ALRIGHT, THE NEXT ITEM IS THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED TAX RATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 20 16 20 17.
THERE IS, UH, MATERIAL, UH, HANDOUT ON THE TABLE THERE.
IF YOU DIDN'T, UH, RECEIVE ONE, UH, WE DID A LITTLE COMPARISON, UH, FOR YOU JUST SO YOU COULD, UH, HAVE IT SHOWING WHAT OUR CURRENT YEAR TAX RATE IS.
UH, AND AGAIN, IT'S ON THE TABLE IF ANYBODY WANTS TO LOOK AT IT.
AND I'LL JUST GO THROUGH THAT AND THEN WE'LL, UH, ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT ANYBODY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE, UH, LAST YEAR OR FOR THE YEAR WE'RE COMPLET CURRENT NEXT YEAR.
YOU'LL NOTICE THAT OUR CURRENT, UH, MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION RATE WAS, UH, 43 9 8, UH, 0.44 CENTS.
ROAD BRIDGE RATE, UH, WAS, UH, 0.09 CENTS.
UH, AND THEN FOR A TOTAL OF, UH, 0.5265, IF YOU LOOK OVER THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN FOR THE PROPOSED TAX RATE FOR THIS YEAR FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION, IT DROPS SOME TO 0.43 CENTS.
AND THEN THE ROAD AND BRIDGE, UH, TAX INCREASES TO 0.0920 SINCE, AND IT ALSO COMES UP TO THE SAME SUB TOTAL.
THE REASON TO POINT THIS OUT THAT, UH, THE MAIN TWO FUNDS THAT WE HAVE, UH, THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION AND ROAD BRIDGE FUND, THEY STAY EXACTLY THE TOTAL STAYS SAME.
THE FUND THAT WILL GO UP IS THE INTERESTING SINKING FUND, OR IT'S ALSO WHAT WE CALL THE DEBT SERVICE FUND.
UH, LAST YEAR IT WAS, UH, 0.0497 TO MAKE THE TOTAL TAX RATE FOR 2015 A YEAR AGO WAS 0.58 CENTS.
AND THEN BECAUSE WE SOLD THE ADDITIONAL BONDS, UH, $26 MILLION WORTH OF BONDS THIS LAST WEEK OR TWO WEEKS AGO, I GUESS, NOW, UH, THAT DID INCREASE THE BOND RATE, UH, A LITTLE BIT, UH, UH, TO 0.0622.
AND IT CHANGED THE TOTAL RATE, UH, BY 1.1400000000000001% TO 0.5 8, 8 7.
AND OF COURSE, THOSE BONDS WERE, UH, APPROVED BY THE FOOT AND BACK IN 2013 WHEN WE SOLD, AND WE WERE FORTUNATE THAT WE WERE TO GET A VERY GOOD INTEREST RATE ON THOSE.
AS YOU RECALL, UH, THE PROPER NOTICE HAS BEEN MADE IN THE, UH, PAPER.
UH, HERE WAS A COPY OF IT THAT APPEARED IN THE, UH, KAMAN, UH, HAROLD, I BELIEVE.
AND YOU CAN SEE BASICALLY THE SAME INFORMATION THERE.
UH, WE'LL HAVE A SECOND HEARING NEXT, UH, UH, MONDAY ON SEPTEMBER THE 12TH, UH, UH, CONCERNING THE SAME ISSUE.
UH, BUT THIS IS OUR FIRST PUBLIC HEARING, SO I'LL OPEN IT UP TO ANYBODY THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COURT.
I WOULD MENTION THAT WE'LL BE GOING INTO A WORKSHOP SESSION HERE, JUST A FEW MOMENTS ON THE BUDGET.
SO IF YOU'RE HERE TO DISCUSS THE BUDGET, THAT'D BE THE TIME TO DO THAT IF YOU HAVE ANY ITEMS, UH, WHILE, WHILE THE COURT IS IN, UH, WHAT WORKSHOP SESSION.
SO THAT BEING SAID, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY THAT HAS ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT PROPOSED TAX RATE, UH, FOR NEXT YEAR? AND I'LL POINT OUT THAT THE PROPOSED TAX RATE AFTER THE TWO PUBLIC HEARINGS, WE'LL BE HAVING ANOTHER SPECIAL MEETING ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 19TH.
AND SO WE'LL BE MEETING ON MONDAY, SEPTEMBER THE 19TH TO OFFICIALLY ADOPT OUR BUDGET AND OUR, UH, TAX RATE AT THAT TIME.
SO, QUESTIONS OR ANYBODY WISH TO COME FORWARD, AND IF YOU DO, STEP FORWARD TO THE IDENTIFY YOURSELF.
DO YOU HEAR ANY COMMENTS? SO, DO WE HAVE ANY COMMENT FROM ANYBODY BESIDES THE TAX RATE? YOU MAY HAVE COMMENTS, BUT WE NEED LIMITED TO THE TAX RATE.
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ALRIGHT, THE THIRD TIME, DO WE HAVE ANYBODY HERE THAT WISHES TO ADDRESS THE PROPOSED TAX RATE? OKAY, HEARING NONE.I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION TO EXIT THE, UH, PUBLIC, UH, HEARING AND, UH, WHERE WE CAN ENTER BACK INTO THE, UH, UH, REST OF THE AGENDA ON THE, THE COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS, THAT MOTION.
HAVE A SECOND COMMISSIONER MOTION.
THOSE OPPOSED? ALRIGHT, THE NEXT ITEM ON THE AGENDA.
THIS WAS, UH, WE HAD ACTUALLY, WHEN WE VOTED TO, UH, PURCHASE THE LOTS FROM THE FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, WE DIDN'T HAVE ALL OF THEM LISTED.
SO ITEM NUMBER FOUR IS, UH, TO DISCUSS AND CONSIDER APPROVING AN ORDER FOR PURCHASE OF REAL PROPERTY DESCRIBED AS CALLED BLOCK 21, 1, 2, 3, AND FOUR, COFFMAN, TEXAS FROM FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.
AND KAREN, I THINK YOU'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS AND UH, THIS WAS JUST KIND OF A CLEANUP WHERE WE HAD NOT POSTED IT CORRECT.
IT, IT'S, IT SEEMS LIKE INITIALLY THE, THE BLOCK WE NEEDED TO, UM, INCLUDE BLOCKS 1, 2, 3, AND FOUR.
AND IT JUST WAS NOT ALL THE LOT WERE NOT INCLUDED.
WE'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING.
IT'S JUST FOR PURPOSES OF CLARITY, MAKE SURE WE GOT IT LISTED CORRECTLY AND THAT IT MATCHES THE SURVEY THAT WE INCLUDE.
AND THAT'S APPROVED THEN WE, THE DOCUMENTS DRAWN.
WE FINALIZE THAT THIS WEEK, KAREN.
I THINK, UH, WE'LL HAVE THE, YOU GONNA, HOW YOU GONNA DO THE LINE ITEM TRANSFER IS ACTUALLY GONNA HANDLE THAT, BUT I GUESS WE'LL DO THAT, UH, MONDAY.
ANY QUESTIONS OF KAREN OR OR I KAREN FOR THAT MATTER? NO.
DO I HAVE A MOTION TO, UH, APPROVE THE MOTION? MR. MAKES THAT MOTION? WE HAVE A SECOND.
ANY ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, SAY A.
THOSE OPPOSED, I NEED A MOTION TO ADJOURN AND WE'LL ADJOURN DOWN TO THE TABLE.
BILL, WE'RE GOING RUN YOU OFF CHAIR.
HAVE A MOTION FROM COMMISSIONER, UH, SHANE AND SECOND AND COMMISSIONER PHILLIPS SAY A THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
WE'LL START IN JUST TWO OR THREE MINUTES.
WE HAVE SOME FOLKS AS KAREN MENTIONED HERE JUST A LITTLE BIT AGO FROM THE CHILDREN'S SHELTER.
AND, UH, IF YOU WOULD, UH, WHAT PAGE IS IT ON? 5 85, NOT TURN OVER.
YOU PRETTY WELL EXPLAINED, BUT LADIES, Y'ALL ARE WELCOME TO THE COURT IF YOU'D LIKE TO, BUT, UH, I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO HAVE TO SIT HERE DURING THE, UNLESS YOU JUST WANNA DOCUMENT, UH, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, THIS BUDGET IS NOT, UH, IT HAS BEEN UPDATED AND IT'S NOT CURRENTLY WHAT YOU'RE EXPECTING.
AND SO YOU JUST WANTED MORE ESTIMATE MATTER OF RECORD THAT YOU'RE HERE.
AND I THINK YOU TALKED WITH KW AND KAREN ABOUT PROCESS.
NO, I THINK WE TURNED, WE GAVE KW THE NECESSARY NUMBERS TO MAKE.
SO I THINK, AND THIS IS, AGAIN, THIS IS STATE, THEY HAVE FUNDRAISERS AND STUFF AS WELL, BUT IT'S ALSO PASTOR MONEY.
THAT WHICH LINE ITEM? IT'S SEPARATE FUNDS.
IT'S GONNA BE SEVERAL OF THEM NOW.
THE BUDGET THAT'S IN THE, IN THE PACKET THAT WE SENT YOU WAS INITIALLY, UH, SENT IN TO US AND THEN THEIR BOARD MET, UH, IN AUGUST AND APPROVED, UH, BUDGET THAT THEY WANTED IN AND IT WASN'T GIVEN TO US IN TIME TO GET IN.
AND YOU QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THAT? ALRIGHT, THE NEXT, UH, ITEM, I THINK KW HAS SENT US OUT A WORKING NEW WORKING BUDGET, UH, AS OF, UH, FRIDAY AFTERNOON.
AND, UH, KW YOU WANT, YOU ALSO SENT A REVISION NUMBER FOUR, UH, DATED NINE 16 LAST FRIDAY.
SO YOU WANNA KIND GO THOSE? SURE.
SO THIS IS A OF CHANGES SINCE THE LAST.
THE FIRST IS CLERKS OFFICE DECREASING THE TOTAL BUDGET, FIVE, ALSO REDUCING THE COLLECTION SUPPLEMENT FROM SIX,
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THE TOTAL REDUCTION THE BUDGET.UM, BY REMOVING THAT ONE POSITION IN THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE, THAT ALSO REDUCED EMPLOYEE INTERIM.
UM, THE NEXT ONE SAYS INCREASED CONTINGENCY, BUT IT'S ACTUALLY SHOULD SAY DECREASE.
THIS IS, UM, THE CULMINATION OF EVERYTHING, ALL THE CHANGES.
UM, THE DIFFERENCE WAS, UH, DECREASING CONTINGENCY BY 4,000 9 54, THE DA'S OFFICE, UM, GIVING, THERE'S TWO SECRETARIES THAT WILL BE GIVING A $2,000 CERTIFICATION SUPPLEMENT NEXT YEAR.
UM, AND SO THAT'S INCREASING BY $4,688, UM, WITH THE FIRE MARSHAL, UM, NEW VEHICLES AND DA'S OFFICE VEHICLES AND, UM, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE VEHICLES.
UH, WE HAD ORIGINALLY ESTIMATED 300,000 PUT INTO THE PURCHASE FOR VEHICLES.
UM, WITH THE NEW FIGURES THAT WE WERE GIVEN AT THE LAST, UH, BUDGET WORKSHOP, WE THINK THAT WE NEED TO INCREASE THAT BY ANOTHER 50,000.
ANYTHING THAT IF THE PRICE 50,000, ANY ACCESS WILL BE PUT BACK INTO CONTINGENCY.
WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THERE'S ENOUGH IN THERE SO WE DON'T HAVE TO DO, UH, TRANSFERRED CODE.
UM, THE NEXT ONE IS, UM, GEORGE'S REQUEST.
HE HAD ORIGINALLY SAID HE COULD REDUCE HIS COMPUTER INFRASTRUCTURE BY 10,000.
HE CAME BACK, IT WAS ACTUALLY TO REDUCE BY 11,000 6 96.
UM, AND THAT WAS IN ORDER TO GIVE THE RAISES TO HIS THREE PEOPLE PART DOTY, WHICH RAISED THE BUDGET BY 6,002 $85.
PATRICK DOTY, $2,050 AND 360 1.
THOSE THREE RAISES EQUAL 11,000 6 9 6.
AND SO EVERYTHING HAD TOGETHER, THERE WAS NO ACTUAL INCREASE EXPENDITURES, BUT IT WORKS ON IT.
DOES ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT ANY OF THOSE CHANGES SINCE OUR LAST MEETING? SO SINCE YOU RAISED 1111, IT BE 11,000 6 96 AND THAT WILL ALLOW THE EMPLOYEES TO BE RAISED.
HOW MANY TOTAL VEHICLES? WE I'M SORRY? HOW MANY TOTAL VEHICLES? WE TALKING ABOUT 3000 TOTAL UNDERSTAND UNDERSTANDING, THERE'S, IT'S NINE NINE FROM THE FIVE FROM THE, SO ONE FROM THE FIRE MARSHAL, THREE FROM THE DA.
WHICH THE FIRE MARSHAL IS GIVEN HALF OF HIS COST ON HIS FIRE MARSHAL CAR TRUCK.
HE'S PAYING HALF OF THAT'S THE GENERAL MONEY.
AND THE THREE FOR THE DA IS THE WHAT THEY THE INVESTIGATORS.
THEY HAVE, UH, THREE CARS THAT THE INVESTIGATORS DRIVE.
AND IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, I DON'T HAVE MILEAGE IN FRONT OF, SOME OF 'EM ARE CLOSE MILES THAT WAS GIVEN TO US LAST YEAR AND WE TALKED ABOUT IT AND WE ONLY BOUGHT ONE.
WERE YOU SELLING THOSE CARS IN? YEAH, WE WOULD.
ANYTIME WE BUY CARS MAY HAVE TO TURN IN ROLL AND STOP.
I THINK BRIAN, YOU SAID YOU'LL PROBABLY HAVE SOME EXTRA CARS.
I THINK WE, UH, WE WISH, UH, MAYBE GET LISA, LISA UP THERE THIS MORNING.
IF YOU ASK HER MAYBE TO COME DOWN.
I KNOW THEY LOOK AT, UH, TRADE-INS OR, UH, AND YEAH, DEAL SOMETIMES PART OF THE OTHER.
I THINK PART OF THE PROBLEM AS FAR AS US IS, UH, WE CAN'T TAKE THAT VEHICLE OUT OF THE FLEET UNTIL WE GET HIRED COMPLETE.
NOT IF THEY'RE ABLE TO DO THAT ONE.
UH, BUT I THINK THAT WAS A BIG HEADACHE FOR US IS I CAN'T TAKE IT OFF THE ROAD UNTIL I GET ONE REPLACE IT AND THEN WHEN WE SWAP IT, WE'VE GOTTA SWAP EQUIP BECAUSE WE'RE USING EXISTING EQUIPMENT.
DOES THERE HAVE EQUIPMENT IN HUH? DOES THERE HAVE EQUIPMENT IN OTHER THAN THE RADIO? YES, THE RADIO AND RADAR, ANYTHING? NO, I SAID THE VA THOUGH.
THIS RADIO, AS FAR AS I KNOW, THEY'VE GOT RADIO.
I THINK THEY'VE GOT SOME LIGHTING EQUIPMENT.
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THEY DON'T, YEAH, THEY'RE NOT MARKED.YEAH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE STUFF PRETTY EASY.
OTHER QUESTIONS ON THE CHANGES? SINCE THE LAST UPDATE, WILL YOU GIVE US A FINAL REVISION? EVERYTHING WE'VE DONE? SURE.
I CAN DO A, I CAN DO AN ENTIRE LIST OF CHANGES FROM MY STREET BUDGET IF THAT, IF THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT IT'S GONNA BE.
AND UH, ALL OF THESE ARE INCORPORATED IN THIS LAST BUDGET, CORRECT? THE ONE THAT YOU SENT OUT? RIGHT.
SO ALL OF THE CHANGES THAT HAVE BEEN MADE THROUGH ALL FOUR UPDATES ARE, UH, LISA, WE, I HAD A QUESTION ABOUT THANKS FOR COMING DOWN.
WE, WE HAD A QUESTION ABOUT ON SOME OF THE VEHICLES, LIKE BEFORE THE DA'S VEHICLE, WELL THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD, UM, THROUGH, WAS IT CALWELL THAT WE ORDERED ALL THOSE TAHOES FROM? YES, THEY SAID THAT THEY DO HAVE A TRADE-IN TYPE PROGRAM, BUT YOU HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY LIST THEY SENT IN A TRADE IN WORKSHEET THAT I BELIEVE.
DID I FORWARD THAT TO YOU? YEAH, AND UM, YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH AND PUT ALL OF THE, THE VEHICLES CONDITION AND BASICALLY LIKE WE WOULD DO FOR THE AUCTION, BUT YOU HAVE TO PUT IN A LITTLE MORE IN DEPTH DETAILS.
BUT THEY DO HAVE, THEY DO HAVE THAT OPTION.
SO DID SEND PACK PRICE IN ON WHAT THEY I BELIEVE SO, YES SIR.
WHAT WAS YOUR, I THINK YOUR CONCERN, CONCERN WAS, WAS OUR CONCERN THAT WE TALKED ABOUT IT NOT BEING ABLE TO GET IT TO UNTIL AFTER WE GOT ARIZONA ROAD.
AND THAT WAS KIND OF A, YOU KNOW, WITH THEM.
YEAH, SEE THAT'S WHY I, I KNEW THAT COME UP.
I KNOW Y'ALL MAKE SOME GOOD PURCHASES LOCALLY.
WE WE DON'T HAVE TO BUY THEM THE CAR DO.
UH, THEY, LIKE I SAID, THEY'VE COME UP WITH SOME REALLY GOOD DEALS.
WHAT, WHAT KIND OF CAR ARE THEY DRIVING? DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY BUY? THEY KIND OF HAVE A HODGEPODGE HO BUT UM, THE LAST VEHICLE WE BOUGHT FOR THE DA'S OFFICE WAS A TAURUS AND I BELIEVE SHE HAD INDICATED THAT SOMETHING, YOU KNOW, KIND OF LIKE THAT OR THEN THEY, THEY, THEY WOULD LIKE TO HIT THREE, UM, TOTAL.
THEY SAID MAYBE ONE TRUCK, BUT THEY'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT MICRO PLANE.
HAVE TO PICK UP THE, JUST REPEATING WHAT I WAS TOLD SINCE WE, THEY CAN DRIVE THEIR CARS BY THERE AND GET A, GET A CREDIT QUICK, GET A UP QUICK.
WELL, AND THAT'S WHERE I, I GOT THE, THE ROUGH NUMBERS ON THAT.
I HAD, UH, SENT INTO CALDWELL INTO UH, SEAL FORD AND THEN I DID PAUL MURRAY AND MUSTARD AS WELL.
JUST LIKE I SAID, TO GET A LIKE A, A STANDARD SEDAN TYPE VEHICLE AND A TRUCK.
WELL, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE OPTIONS MAKE A TON OF DIFFERENCE.
BUT, WELL, LISA, SINCE YOU GONNA HAVE A NEW CAR GUY HERE, THAT SHOULD HELP YOU A WHOLE LOT WITH GETTING YOUR VEHICLE EVALUATED FOR TRADE AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO THAT SHOULD BE A BIG HELP TO YOU WITH UH, GETTING ACCOUNT MORE MONEY FOR THEIR DAUGHTER, HAVING A GOOD EVALUATION WITH THE, WITH US CHANGING THE MAINTENANCE OUT TO OUR MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT.
WELL, AND BOBBY'S ALREADY BEEN JUST A REALLY BIG HELP IN GENERAL IF WE HAVE SOMETHING, UM, LIKE WHENEVER WE HAD TO GET THESE VEHICLES FROM OUT HERE OUT TO THE SOUTH CAMPUS FOR THE AUCTION, HE COME AND HE HELPED GET ALL THAT WITHOUT THE ADDED EXPENSE OF HAVING TO GET A TOW TRUCK TO COME.
THAT'S GONNA BE A PLUS FOR YOU,
AND I'M, YOU KNOW, I, ANYTHING WE CAN BUY BOTH, ESPECIALLY WITHIN THE COUNTY I THINK IS A GOOD DEAL.
UNFORTUNATELY, I DON'T THINK ANY OF OUR DEALERS HANDLED THE PURSUIT AS FAR AS I KNOW.
NOT THAT I'M AWARE OF, BUT UH, YEAH, HE HAD INDICATED THAT WHENEVER HE WAS DEALING WITH MU THAT THEY TOLD HIM THAT, LIKE I SAID, I WASN'T SECOND INFORMATION.
THEY BUY FROM THE SAME PLACE THAT THE OTHER PEOPLE BUY.
I I'M LIKE YOU WE SPEND THE MONEY IN IN THE COUNTY.
SO WHEN YOU DO THAT, DO YOU CONTACT ALL THE LOCAL DEALERS? I DID.
THEY HAD ACTUALLY STARTED THAT PROCESS THEMSELVES
[00:20:01]
ON DOING THAT BECAUSE IN THE PAST, I DON'T THINK, UH, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF A COUPLE OF USED VEHICLES, I THINK WHENEVER COMMISSIONER JACKSON WAS STILL HERE, UM, THERE WAS A USED VEHICLE BOUGHT LOCALLY.BUT OTHER THAN THAT IT'S USUALLY BEEN NEW AND IT'S USUALLY GONE THROUGH THE BUYBOARD.
AND IT LOOKS LIKE LOCAL PRICES ARE QUITE BIT BETTER THAN WELL OH YEAH, THEY PRICES FROM WELL AND NOW THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT, THAT ANYBODY THAT'S DEALT IN RETAIL VERY LONG CAN TELL YOU IF YOU HAVE A BOTTOM DOLLAR, YOU CAN PRETTY WELL BEAT IT.
YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY WITH THAT'S WHAT WE'RE INTERESTED IN.
BUT IT WAS LIKE A LOT OF STUFF THAT DOES GO THROUGH THE BY BOARD THAT'S BEEN BID OUT AND IT'S ON STATE CONTRACT.
IT IS AT A REALLY LOW BECAUSE THEY'VE DONE IT IN SUCH A HUGE VOLUME.
BUT WE'VE FOUND THAT ON VEHICLES.
WELL I HAVE FOUND NOW THAT ON VEHICLES THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE CASE.
I, WE DO WORK AHEAD BUT GIVE US OPTIONS.
IF WE HAVE SOMEBODY, UH, A LOCAL DEALER THAT THEY CAN SWING BY AND TAKE ONE OF THESE VEHICLES THAT WE'RE CONSIDERING TRADING IN, THAT WOULD IMPACT THE COST TREMENDOUSLY.
OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT WE JUST DISCUSSED ON THE CHANGES AND THEN WE'LL GET INTO ANY OTHER AREAS THAT YOU WOULD HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT.
OKAY, SO WHAT'S, UH, WHAT, WHERE DO WE WANNA GO NOW? JOHNNY, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING YOU WANTED TO BRING UP? I'M ON JUDGE BAR AND JUDGE ASK FOR, WE, WE CAN WAIT TILL TAKE A BREAK OR GUESS.
I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE TO ADD.
UH, I MEAN NOW'S THE TIME TO, TO DISCUSS IT.
UH, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO SEE ALL THE CHANGES AND WHERE WE'RE BOTTOM LINE BEFORE WE ACTUALLY STOP THIS AND GIVE US FOUR TIME TO LOOK AT IT.
MAKE SURE WE DON'T SURE Y'ALL ROAD.
AND THAT'S THE REASON WE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE TRIED TO FERRET THROUGH THIS AS LONG AS WE HAVE AND WE CAN EVEN HAVE ONE MORE BUDGET WORKSHOP IF YOU FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO NEXT MONDAY AT THE CONCLUSION OF A REGULAR MEETING.
AND OUR REGULAR MEETING IS SHAPING UP TO BE GOT QUITE A BIT OF STUFF ON IT.
BUT, UH, WE CAN CERTAINLY DO THAT AND AS WE DID LAST YEAR, WE CAN EVEN, UH, HAVE CHANGES AFTER THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE DAY WE ADOPT.
THAT'S AFTER WE HAVE AFTER WE HAVEN'T BUDGET HEARING MADE.
YOU LOOK AT CONSTABLES, UH, STEVE'S COMMENT WAS, AND I AGREE WITH HIM THAT THE, THE DEPUTY SHOULD PROBABLY THE SAME.
OKAY, WELL WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY IS RAISING THE DEPUTY CONS FULL TO THE SAME SALARY AS THAT, THAT MAKES COMPARABLE ENVIRONMENTAL
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MAKES A LITTLE MORE EXTRA PAY THAT WOULDN'T AFFECT, WOULD THAT GONNA AFFECT YOU? PART OF HIS SALARY IS TRUE FIRST BY, SO BASICALLY HIS PORTION, BECAUSE I HAD THAT SPLIT OUT BETWEEN NOT REIMBURSED AND REIMBURSED.SO HIS INCREASE WOULD JUST BE, I MEAN IT'S IT'S GONNA BE THAT SAME, HE'LL BE GETTING THE SAME.
I DUNNO, BUT I WOULD THINK SO.
BUT YOU'RE WONDERING IF PROGRAM I THE YEAH, WORKING ON, I DUNNO WHERE THAT'S GOING.
NOT ME, BUT THE CLOSED ANY STATE I, THEY THEY WORKING KIND IN CONJUNCTION FOR DPS AND SOME UNDERCOVER AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF, YOU KNOW, TOO.
BECAUSE I THINK THEY'VE GOT A PRETTY BIG, UH, SOMETHING PRETTY LARGE.
WE JUST DON'T GET ANY REPORTS.
SO IT'S HARD TO SEE FOR YOUR REPORT SPRAY WHEN THEY DO THEIR HEALING.
LIKE LAST YEAR, PRECINCT TWO LOT, PRECINCT THREE, PRECINCT FOUR, THEY JUST ABSOLUTELY DIDN'T DO ANYTHING I THINK.
SO LET BACK ON THIS REPORT, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO REPORT FROM EACH CONSTABLE? KIND OF WHAT TICKETS THEY'VE WRITTEN NUMBER IN THERE IN THEIR FILE ONCE A YEAR.
YOU'VE CHECKED YOUR, LIKE PRECINCT ONE DID 61 TICKETS.
PRECINCT THREE GET LIKE HUNDRED SOMEBODY TICKETS.
UH, PRECINCT IS ABOUT ODD BUT PRECINCT THOSE GUYS.
SO WE GENERATE THAT BEFORE ABLE TO DO THAT.
LOOKING FOR UH, I GUESS SOME ACTIVITY, UH, ACTIVITY.
THAT'S ON THE STATE WEBSITE ALSO.
IT HAS TO BE TURNED INTO THE STATE.
I'LL, I WANNA MAKE SURE WHAT YOU WANT.
I'D, I'D ACTUALLY REPORT ON THAT INITIAL STUFF.
THAT, AND ALSO THE, THE TICKETS THAT ARE BEING WRITTEN BY HIM.
THE CONSTABLES COURT TAKE THE FOR THE UH, STUFF AND SO WE'RE HAVING TO HAVE PRECINCT ONE AND TWO HELP THAT NOW I SAY SPEAK UP FOR ONE THAT THEY STEP A PLATE.
THERE'S LIKE TWO WE'LL BE THERE TO TAKE CARE OF THE TAX OFFICE.
ALRIGHT, BEFORE I GET TOO FAR DOWN, MAKE SURE I GET WHAT YOU, I WANNA MAKE SURE GOT IT DOWN.
SO HAVE AN UPDATE ON THE REPORT AND ALSO ON JUST GENERAL TICKETS.
AND I BACK TO SUGGESTIONS BESIDES TICKETS, LIKE CONTACTS THAT WOULD PROBABLY A LITTLE BETTER CONTACT.
YEAH, CONTACT PUBLIC BECAUSE IT'S EITHER WARNINGS OR THAT IT'S NOT SAYING THAT WE'VE GOT A SO CALLED FLOW, WHICH IS ILLEGAL.
WE'RE JUST LOOKING FOR CONTACT AND THAT THAT'LL GIVE YOU A BETTER
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IDEA OF WHAT THEY'RE WORKING.YEAH, JUST CONTACT, THEY EITHER WRITE A WARNING OR A CITATION THAT WAY TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH.
WELL I KNOW THAT THEY DO A LOT OF UH, CONVICTION NOTICES AND STUFF LIKE THAT'S YOU COMFORTABLE? WELL THEY BE AROUND RACIAL PROFILE REPORT.
WHAT AS FAR AS PAPERS? PAPERS? NO, YOUR PAPERS IS NOT OPERATIONAL.
THE RACIAL PROFILE AND ALL IT IS IS YOUR CONTACT OF A VEHICLE WHERE THEY STOP, WHERE THEY STOP THE VEHICLE BY SENDING BILL 10 74.
SO THEN CAN WE GET A REPORT FROM ON THE PAPER, SIR? I WOULD THINK SO.
I, THE COURT, I MEAN THE JUDGE HAS GONE ON.
IT'S LIKE US ON OUR PAPERS THAT WE SERVE.
I CAN TELL EVERY PAPER TO COME IN AND THEIR PAPER COME OUT AND, AND WE'RE REPORT.
I WOULD THINK THEY HAVE SOME, I MIGHT BE WRONG.
I WOULD THINK THEY'D HAVE SOMETHING TO TELL YOU.
HOW MANY PAPERS HAVE COME IN, HOW MANY BEEN WE'RE BUSY.
BUT THAT'S ANOTHER GOOD IDEA TO TELL IT, TELL YOU HOW MUCH ACTIVITY THEY'RE DONE.
I'LL WHAT WE GENERATED MUCH INFORMATION.
SPEAKING OF HIS CONSTABLE HAD ANOTHER FULL TIME JOB SINCE LAST DECEMBER.
WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE PAY HIM NOT DOING CONSTABLE.
WE HAVE IS THERE ANYTHING DO ABOUT THAT OR DO Y'ALL HAVE TO DO THAT? I THINK I, HE HAS HIS JOB.
I'M NOT TAKING UP, HE'S DESIGNATING A JOB BY LEGISLATIVE LAW.
PERFORMATIVE WAS PERFORMATIVE BY HANDING ME THAT.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? CORRECT.
BUT I MEAN HE'S DESIGNATING DUTIES BE DONE, BE PAID FOR THAT.
WELL I I'M NOT TOO SURE IT'D BE LIKE US IF YOU DIDN'T SHOW UP.
WE'RE GONNA GET OUR YEAH, WE ALREADY AT THE DA IN FORT.
THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.
SO WHAT IS THE WHAT I REQUESTED AN OPINION FROM Y'ALL MONTHS AGO.
AND TELL ME AGAIN EXACTLY THE QUESTION IS YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT A, WE WE HAVE A CONSTABLE, WE HAVE CONSTABLE PRECINCT BOARD THAT HAS TAKEN A FULLTIME JOB WITH ANOTHER ENTITY AND ANOTHER YEAH, ANOTHER GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY AND BEEN CONTINUOUSLY A CHECK FROM THE COUNTY AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, HAVING THIS OTHER FULL TIME JOB.
CAN WE AS COMMISSIONER COURT REDUCE HIS SALARY DOWN TO A DOLLAR A PAY PERIOD OR SOMETHING TO THAT EFFECT IF HE'S NOT GONNA PERFORM THE DUTIES HE WAS ELECTED? FIRST OF ALL, HE'S ELECTED OFFICIAL SO I THAT WE CAN WELL WE CAN'T FIRE HIM.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT WE ARE IN CHARGE OF CAN'T WORTH LAWSUIT AND NONE OF ABLE TO DO IT.
IF YOU CAN JUST CUT THE SALARY UNLESS IT'S ALREADY BEEN PUBLISHED.
IT'S IN THE, WELL THERE'S NOT, THE SALARIES ARE EVEN PUBLISHED AT THIS TIME.
BUT I MEAN IF THE COURT DID THAT THEN HE HAS TO BE GIVEN NOTICE AND BUDGET HAS TO BE PUBLISHED.
THERE'S LIKE A WHOLE PROCEDURE TO GO THROUGH.
SO HE WOULD FILE A SALARY GRIEVANCE LIKELY.
FIRST OF ALL, I APOLOGIZE IF THERE WAS SOME RESEARCH WE SHOULD HAVE DONE AND I REALLY WASN'T AWARE OF DONE.
SO I NEED TO LOOK INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD.
I'M GONNA AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER.
I REALLY DOUBT THAT YOU CAN JUST TAKE HIS MONEY AWAY.
UM, BUT I CAN CERTAINLY LOOK INTO, AND I APOLOGIZE, DIDN'T, BUT I'M AWARE DIDN'T UM, THE COURT OF PUBLIC OPINION MIGHT, YOU KNOW, COME TO BEAR.
IT SOUNDS LIKE A PRETTY POLITICALLY CHARGED CONSTITUENTS COMPLAINING.
PARDON? ARE HIS CONSTITUENTS IN THAT PRECINCT COMPLAINING? I'VE HEARD QUITE A FEW COMMENTS AND COMPLAINTS.
YEAH, I THINK THE ONLY THING THAT THEY EVER CAME UP WITH, EVEN IF THEY'RE IN CALIFORNIA, THEY'RE DEAD.
SOMEBODY DO THEIR JOB, THEY'RE PERFORMING THEIR JOB.
THAT A TOUGH THING TO DEAL WITH.
[00:35:01]
THERE IS UH, ANOTHER COUNTY THAT IS IN THE SAME SITUATION AND THEY HAVE REQUESTED AN ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION ABOUT SIX OR EIGHT WEEKS AGO.SO DEPENDING UPON THE TURNAROUND OF THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, UM, THAT IS BEING ASKED MORE THAN THEY DO.
DID THEY GET AN OPINION THEY REQUESTED? OH, REQUEST.
I'M PRETTY SURE THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THIS HAS COME UP ACROSS.
LIKE BRUCE SAID, WE'VE ALREADY POSTED THEIR SALARIES, BUT UM, THAT'S GONNA BE FOR YEAR, UM, THREE MONTHS OF EXISTING CONSTABLE.
SO IS DOES HIS CONS TERM IN ON DECEMBER 30? HE DIDN'T RUN FIRST.
HE WASN'T A BAD MISSOURI KIND OF REMINDS ME OF LIKE ELECTED OFFICIALS.
I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE LOCAL LEVEL BUT AT THE UPPER LEVEL THAT HAVE A JOB THAT THEY'RE CAMPAIGNING FOR ANOTHER POSITION.
ONE THING I WOULD LIKE TO POINT OUT THOUGH, WHAT THE NUMBER THAT WE HAVE IN THE BUDGET UM, ALSO TAKES INTO ACCOUNT THE NEW PERSON WHO'S ACTUALLY STEPPING INTO THAT POSITION.
SO I THINK AS FAR AS PAYING, I THINK THAT'S KIND OF SEPARATE FROM WHAT THE BUDGET IS.
WE DON'T HAVE TO, WE ONLY BUDGETED THREE MONTHS FROM HIM IN NINE MONTHS FOR A NEW CONS.
NEW CONSTABLE'S GONNA BE AT A HIGHER RATE OR LOWER RATE THAN THE PARDON? HE WOULD GET THE SAME.
I DIDN'T KNOW HE HAD SOME CERTIFICATES OR SOMETHING.
OH, THAT'S SEPARATE FROM THE BASE BASE BASE COMMISSIONER.
HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN GOING ON THAT THE ONLY THING WE COULD ACTUALLY DO TO HIM IS IF IF HE'S DRIVING THE CAR, WE COULD THE CAR BECAUSE HE'S NOT DOING HIS PHYSICAL JOB.
SO WE'RE NOT INTERRUPTING CAR, CAR OR NOT.
DO YOU JOHNNY SIR? IS HE STILL DRIVING CONSTABLE TIRE? NOT TO MY KNOWLEDGE.
WELL, UH, VANESSA GOES AND GETS IT FROM TIME TO TIME WHEN HER HAS TO BE SERVICE.
WHERE DOES IT STAY PARKED AT HIS HOUSE.
IT IS RIGHT THERE ON THE STREET.
SO, YOU KNOW, I THINK HE SAID, I DUNNO WHAT YOU WANT BATTLE THAT KIND OF BATTLE.
I ACTUALLY DON'T SHOW THAT HE HAS ANY, IT'S NOT ON, HE DOES IT ON THE OTHER ONE.
IT'S NOT ON THE SALARY SPREADSHEET.
SO I NO, EVEN ON THE SHEET, I HE DIDN'T HAVE YOU NOT BRIAN.
SORRY, YOU MEAN YES, UNDER WHAT WE PRESENTED.
HE'S STILL AT ALRIGHT THEN I YOU KIND OF THREE YEARS TO GET MAIL.
THE OTHER, UH, SOMEBODY HAD ANOTHER QUESTION EXTRA.
[00:40:04]
WHAT DO YOU WANT ON THAT? THE ISSUE IS THIS, THIS COULD GO RIGHT UP HERE.THIS COULD TAKE YOU AND, AND THE ISSUE IS SINCE IN FACT THAT PRECINCT ONE, PRECINCT TWO ARE NOW, UH, MAKING A TRIP TO PRECINCT THREE EVERY DAY S UH, IF, UH, THE UH, $20,000 IN EXTRA HELP THAT CURRENTLY I BELIEVE IT'S 20,000 PRECINCT.
IF THE COURT CHOSE TO MOVE THAT TO YOU AND COURSE YOU CAN'T ANSWER FOR CONSTABLE PRECINCT TWO, UH, WOULD YOU, WOULD THAT HELP IN, IN THE, ASSUMING THE OTHER YOU, YOU HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO GO ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTY.
BUT THE QUESTION IS WOULD THIS ASSIST YOU IN, WERE YOU TWO GUYS? AGREE? I SAY GRACIOUSLY AGREED BECAUSE OF WHAT YOU DID.
SOME OF YOU A LITTLE MORE GRACIOUS THAN IF YOU, IF THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING YOU'D BE INTERESTED IN THE BANK.
AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE THE, UH, YOUR BACKUP THAT HERE I HAVE A, I HAVE A QUESTION.
UM, I KNOW UM, YEAR TO DATE IN HIS EXTRA HELP PIECE USED ALMOST 20,000.
SO THAT NEEDS TO BE SOME KIND OF NOTICE FROM THE COURT BECAUSE YOU HAVE A PART-TIME PERSON THAT'S FIXING BE TERMINATED.
THEY'RE NOT GONNA HAVE THE MONEY IN THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR.
MONEY LEFT NOW THERE'S NOT, THERE'S PROBABLY NOT EVEN $1,200 LEFT.
AND ONCE YOU HIT THIS PAYROLL, THAT'S PROBABLY GONE.
THE MONEY IN PRECINCT ONE IS GONE.
SO I NEED SOME DIRECTION ON, YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? I DON'T WANT TO JUST TAKE THAT OUT AND THEN THAT PERSON THINK THEY HAVE A JOB AND THEY COME AND WE DON'T MONEY IN THE LINE PAY IT.
UM, THIS SO 10 GOES TO ONE AND 10 GOES TO TWO, RIGHT? YEAH.
THAT SOCIAL SECURITY AND RETIREMENT THAT AFFECTS THAT LINE 20 WILL ALSO BE TRANSFERRED.
Y'ALL UNDERSTAND THAT? I WANNA MAKE SURE Y'ALL UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
WHEN WE TAKE 20 OUT OF, OF PRECINCT THREE, THAT'S GONNA AFFECT THE SOCIAL SECURITY AND THE RETIREMENT THAT IT'LL BE MOVED TO ONE AND TWO.
RIGHT? UM, YOU NEED TO GET AHOLD OF TWO BECAUSE IF HE HAS WORN HIS LINE ITEM, HIS PART-TIMER IS REALLY CLOSE TO ALMOST FULL-TIME.
HE NEEDS TO DIVIDE THAT OUT SOMEHOW.
ALRIGHT MA'AM, I HAVE REQUEST.
AND 99 UNDER THE RECORDS MANAGEMENT THAT'S IN THE, IS THAT YES, IT'S THE ONLY THING, UM, I WOULD ASK IS THAT THE PROPOSED SALARIES WERE REDUCED AND I WOULD LIKE TO BRING THEM UP TO 64,000 AND TAKE ANY OF THE EXTRA MONEY OUTTA EXTRA HELP OVER THE THAT CHANGE AND ALSO TAKE ANYTHING THAT INCREASES FOR SOCIAL SECURITY AND RETIREMENT OUT EXTRA HELP.
[00:45:02]
DO YOU HAVE TWO DEPUTIES IN THERE, MA? I I HAVE ONE IN.DID EVERYBODY GET GOT TWO POSITION? I NEED TO TALK TO THAT PERSON.
ALRIGHT, NOW DOES THAT WE ALL THE SAME THING? YEAH, WE GOT, YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO.
ALRIGHT, BACK TO WHERE WE, WHAT THE OTHER THING WE'RE STILL TALKING ABOUT, I THINK.
ALRIGHT, JUDGE, ARE Y'ALL READY? WELL, WE GUESS WE ARE AS USUAL.
YOU COME UP, WELL YOU'RE THE PRE THE TWO FOR LETTING US COME UP TODAY.
I UNDERSTAND THIS IS THE LAST BUDGET HEARING, UH, BEFORE Y'ALL GO ON THE 12TH, I THINK FILED WELL WE HAVE A, WE HAVE ANOTHER TAX RATE HEARING NEXT WEEK.
AND THEN OUR ACTUAL BUDGET HEARING IS FALL 19TH AND THAT'S WHEN WE ADOPT THE BUDGET.
WELL, AGAIN, UM, LIKE SAYS WE'RE SUPPOSED FOR ALL FOUR OF US, SO WE'RE HERE TODAY TO, UH, ASK SOME QUESTIONS AND UH, KIND OF GET A REACTION.
I BELIEVE, UH, MAYBE THREE OF YOU KNOW, WHY WE'RE HERE.
UM, BECAUSE I HAD TALKED WITH MY COMMISSIONER THIS MORNING AND, UH, SOME OF OTHER COMMISS TALKED ALSO.
MARY, FIRST OF ALL, I DON'T ASK FOR THIS.
EVERYBODY IN THE, I DON'T ANSWER THIS.
FIRST OF ALL, OUR CHIEF CLERKS ARE NOT SECRETARIES AND ON THIS PIECE OF PAPER IT SAYS SECRETARIES.
UM, JUDGE, I, I THINK I PREVIOUSLY TALKED TO MY COMMISSIONER AND I GRABBED OUT THE HALLWAY.
THANK YOU'RE LUCKY AT LEAST I PROVIDE CHOCOLATE IN MY OFFICE FOR THOSE THAT I WANTED.
CHEW ON CHOCOLATE SO YOU NEVER GET INTO THE CHOCOLATE.
UM, JUDGE HAD APPROACHED ME A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, UM, ABOUT THE ISSUE REGARDING THE NEW LAW THAT IS GOING INTO EFFECT OF CONCERNING EXEMPT UH, EMPLOYEES.
AND WHILE MY COURT, MY CHIEF CLERK, UH, JUDGE ADAMS, CHIEF CLARK AND JUDGE ASHCROFT, CHIEF CLARKS HAD NOT BEEN CARRIED AS EXEMPT EMPLOYEES.
JUDGE SMITH HAD A HISTORY CLERK HAD BEEN CARRIED AS EXEMPT, UM, IN ADDITION TO, I KNOW A LONG LAUNDRY LIST
[00:50:01]
ADDED VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS.AND HE, HE WAS VERY UPSET WHEN HE COME INITIALLY CONTACTED ME AND I DIDN'T KNOW ANYTHING.
SO I STARTED TRYING TO RUN SOME FACTS TO OUT GOING ON.
UM, AND HE, I MET WITH HIM THIS LAST WEEK, ADAMSON, I MET WITH HIM AND HE BROUGHT ME A COPY OF THE LETTER AND I'LL PASS THESE OUT THAT HE HAD SENT BACK IN REGARDING HIS, UM, CHIEF CLARK ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT COURT, WHATEVER, WHATEVER DESIGNATION THAT YOU WANNA PUT ON THEM OTHER THAN SECOND TWO, UM, 2012 WHEN I'VE SET THAT UP IN THE OLD SYSTEM, THAT'S WHAT THEY'RE HER NAMED.
AND, AND, AND I AND, AND I'M NOT FAULTING YOU, I'M NOT FAULTING ANYBODY ON IT.
IT'S, IT'S JUST INTERESTING FOR ME TO SEE THAT.
UM, AND I WAS INTERESTED TO FIND OUT THIS LAST WEEK THAT THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE, THERE'S NOT EVEN IN HR A JOB DESCRIPTION FOR WHAT OUR CHIEF CLERKS DO.
THERE IS FOR JUST A REGULAR COURT CLERK, BUT NOT CHIEF CLERK.
AND YOU'LL HAVE TO PASS THIS ONE AROUND BECAUSE THIS MORNING I DIDN'T TAKE TIME TO, TO MAKE COPIES.
UM, JUDGE ADAM, I'LL MAKE COPIES FOR YOU IF YOU GIMME ONE OF THEM.
THEY, YOU KNOW, THEY THROUGH UM, LEONNA BOUNDS, WHO IS JUDGE ADAMS, CHIEF CLARK HAD PROVIDED ME WITH HERS.
AND UH, THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OUR CHIEF CLERKS AND JUST OUR REGULAR CLERKS OF THE COURT.
THE JOB DESCRIPTION THAT WAS, THAT WAS ON FILE AT HR, UH, SAYS SUPERVISOR IS CHIEF CLERK AND JUDGE.
UM, AND THIS WAS WHEN I HIRED, WE HAVE NOT HAD TO REPLACE OUR CHIEF CLERKS, THANK GOODNESS.
MINE'S BEEN WITH THE COUNTY FOR ALMOST 18 YEARS.
AND, UM, JOHNNY, I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG LEON HAS BEEN WITH YOU, BUT SHE'S BEEN THERE SEVEN YEARS.
UM, EACH OF OUR CHIEF CLERKS, UM, HAD BEEN WITH THE COUNTY FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS.
AND WHAT WE'RE HERE TODAY ABOUT IS, UM, THE GROSS DISPARITY BETWEEN WHAT, WHAT THE OTHER COURT COORDINATORS OR, AND THE COUNTY MADE AND WHAT OUR CHIEF CLERKS MADE.
AND A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO WE CAME TO YOU GENTLEMEN ABOUT THE DISPARITY BETWEEN THE FOUR PRECINCTS AS TO WHAT THEY MADE AND, UH, THE DUTIES OF THE CHIEF COURT CLERK.
IF YOU'LL, IF YOU'LL READ THROUGH 'EM, YOU'LL SEE.
UM, AND I BROUGHT FOR YOU THE COURT COORDINATORS, THIS DISTRICT, COUNTY COURT COORDINATORS, MY CHIEF CLERK SUPERVISES, TWO OTHER CLERKS.
I DUNNO, YOU HAVE TWO, TWO AND A HALF.
UM, THE OTHER ONES HAVE, I THINK HAVE THREE.
I'M THE ONLY ONE THAT, THAT JUST HAS THE, THE THREE GIRLS IN.
AND THE, THE MAIN THING THAT WE'RE HERE FOR IS, IS PROBABLY TO MAKE YOU FEEL BAD, I'LL JUST BE HONEST, TO MAKE YOU FEEL BAD BECAUSE OF THE DIFFERENCE.
UM, AND, AND IT AFFECTS, UM, THIS NEW STATUS AFFECTS EVEN YOUR, YOUR ASSISTANCE.
'CAUSE YOU ALL FOUR HAVE ASSISTANCE THAT WERE LISTED AS ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE.
AND I JUST DON'T THINK, I, I WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT, THAT THE FOUR OF US DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT'S FAIR FOR THEM TO CONTINUE TO BE EXEMPT, EVEN THOUGH IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY QUALIFY TO BE EXEMPT WELL TOO UNDER THE FAIR LABOR STANDARD.
IT'S NOT FAIR, NOT ONLY TO OUR DEPARTMENT, BUT IT'S NOT FAIR TO THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
HE HAD ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANCE TO THAT, THAT ARE NOT GOING TO BE RAISED UP TO THE LEVEL THAT YOU NEED TO DO TO CONTINUE TO BE EXEMPT.
UM, IT'S EVERY DEPARTMENT HEADS DISCRETION IS TO WHAT OUR, THAT THEIR, THAT THEIR
[00:55:01]
OFFICE WORKS.UH, REGINA GETS TO MY OFFICE AT 7 45 IN THE MORNING.
SHE DOESN'T CLOCK IN UNTIL EIGHT O'CLOCK AND SHE'S THERE UNTIL FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON, SOMETIMES FIVE 15 OR FIVE 30.
BUT FOR A, ON A GENERAL RULE, SHE WON'T, WE WON'T GIVE THAT MUCH TIME.
I MEAN, I KNOW ALL THESE COURT COURT AND I KNOW THE JOBS THAT THEY DO, BUT I ALSO KNOW THE JOBS THAT OTHER PEOPLE IN DEPARTMENTS DO AS WELL.
AND, UH, MIKE IS VERY UPSET, UM, OVER EMILY.
HE'S ON THE AGENDA FOR THE 12TH.
HE COULDN'T BE HERE TODAY AND CALLED ME YESTERDAY MORNING, UM, ASKING TO COME ON EMILY'S BEHALF.
UM, I'LL JUST TELL YOU THAT I'M NOT HERE SPECIFICALLY ASKING FOR, TO BE BROUGHT UP TO EXEMPT STATUS OR TO BE BROUGHT UP TO THE SALARY CAP EXEMPT STATUS THAT TAKE PLACE THERE.
I'M HERE TO SAY THAT I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S FAIR TO THE OTHER EMPLOYEES THAT WORK SIMILAR JOBS AND POSSIBLY HAVE GREATER DUTIES.
UM, MY, MY CHIEF CLERK AND JUDGE ADAMS, CHIEF CLERKS, ALL OF OURS, THEY HAD SOME OF THE DUTIES THAT THE COUNTY CLERK HAS.
THEY DO ALL OUR OCA REPORTING.
WE HAVE TO SEND REPORTS TO DPS.
SOME OF, UH, THE WORK THAT THEY DO, IT, IT'S NOT DONE BY THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE.
IT'S NOT DONE BY THE DISTRICT CLERK'S OFFICE.
OUR OFFICE, UM, REGINA HAS TO WORK WITH THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE AND THE TREASURER'S OFFICE AND THINGS THAT SOME OF THE OTHER COURT COORDINATORS DON'T HAVE.
AND SHE STILL HAS TO OUR SCHEDULE, THEY SEND OUT THEIR OWN NOTICES, BUT THEY PARALEGAL DOCUMENTS BECAUSE WE ARE PRIMARILY A PRO SE COURT.
SO I JUST WANTED MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE I LIKE FOR YOU UPDATED CONSIDERATION, UM, NOT JUST FOR JUSTICE COURTS, BUT FOR OTHER DEPARTMENTS AS WELL BEFORE YOU MAKE YOUR FINAL DECISION ON.
UM, THE OTHER THING IS THAT EACH YEAR WE'VE GOTTEN A LETTER THAT SAYS DON'T ASK FOR RAISES.
AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN, EVERY DEPARTMENT IS ASKING FOR MORE MONEY FOR, AND WE, AND WE, YOU KNOW, WE TYPICALLY DON'T DO THAT.
UM, LAST YEAR I WAS DOWN A CLERK FOR 12 WEEKS.
I DIDN'T COME TO YOU AND SAY, I NEED PART-TIME MONEY.
EVERYBODY ELSE HAS PART-TIME MONEY THAT MANY.
UM, I DUG IN AND I HELPED MY THIRD OUT AND I TOOK, TOOK SOME OF THE RESPONSIBILITIES MYSELF.
EVERYBODY'S JOB, THIS COUNTY IS IMPORTANT.
EVERYBODY HAS A DIFFERENT JOB AND WE'RE ALL TRYING TO WORK TOGETHER AND I KNOW IT'S DIFFICULT PEOPLE FROM EVERY DEPARTMENT.
AND SO TODAY I'M JUST HERE ASKING FAIR AND TO ALL THE NO, I I HAVE TO AGREE WITH YOU GUYS.
SO THIS KIND OF GOES BACK TO THE DISCUSSION I HAD WHEN I COME BACK TO THE COURT AND ONE OF MY PET PEEVES HAS BEEN HERE AT COUNTY IS THAT WE DON'T HAVE A GAME PLAN THAT WE NEED TO SIT DOWN AND HAVE SOMEBODY COME IN AND EVALUATE AND JUSTIFY SALARIES AND POSITIONS FOR ALL EMPLOYEES IN, IN COFFEE COUNTY.
THEN WE KNOW EXACTLY WHERE WE'RE AT, WHAT THE MONEY SHOULD BE PAID, WHAT THEIR, WHAT THEIR DUTIES ARE.
AND WE'VE GOT A TAKE A FIELD TRIP AND, AND VISIT THE DEPARTMENTS AND SEE WHAT THEY DO.
I I HAVE AN EMPLOYEE THAT'S BEEN HERE EIGHT YEARS AND MAKES $29,000.
THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.
YOU KNOW, THEN, THEN NEW EMPLOYEES ARE COMING IN AND OTHER DEPARTMENTS AT 30,000 AND SHE'S GIVEN THE COUNTY EIGHT YEARS ALREADY.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S THOSE KIND OF THINGS THAT BLEEDING HEART THAT WELL, YOU KNOWS GONNA COST US ABOUT A HUNDRED THOUSAND.
[01:00:01]
A COMPANY OVER ONETHE OTHER ARE OUT WASHINGTON, DC AND NEW YORK AND LA AND, UH, SEEMS LIKE THIS COMES UP FOR A DISCUSSION.
EVERY, EVERY BUDGET WE SIT HERE AND IT DOESN'T HAPPEN.
AND I, Y'ALL SO Y'ALL DECISION JUDGE, UH, TIFFANY, I KNOW YOU'VE LOOKED AT THIS I THINK AS WELL, AND, UH, KAREN, I THINK YOU'VE DONE SOME RESEARCH.
YOU, REBECCA, SO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE COURT? I, I MEAN, FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, UM, JUDGE MARTIN SAYING IS SHE'S NOT REALLY ASKING FOR, UM, THE SAME PAY AS A COORDINATOR OR RECLASSIFICATION OTHER THAN JUST MAKING SURE THAT THEY'RE THE CHIEF CLERK AND NOT A SECRETARY.
UM, AND SO REALLY AS FAR AS WHETHER THEIR RAISES ARE GIVEN OR WHETHER PARTIES ARE BROUGHT UP TO WHAT SALARY PEOPLE THINK THAT THEY SHOULD HAVE REALLY LIES WITH, YOU KNOW, THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT, WE, UM, EVERYONE KNOWS THE, THE LIMITS ON THE EXEMPT AND NON-EXEMPT STATUS, THOSE, UH, LIMITS THAT INCREASED.
AND SO IT JUST DEPENDS ON, YOU BRING PEOPLE UP TO THOSE STATUS THAT THEY NEED TO BE, WHICH IS THE 47 4 47, 4 76.
AND, UM, IF YOU DON'T, YOU KNOW, BRING PEOPLE UP TO THAT, THAT STATUS, YOU, YOU'RE, YOU COMPENSATION FOR OVERTIME AND, UM, AND ALL, I THINK THAT'S, WE'VE ALL KIND OF BEEN OVER THAT, OVER AND OVER AND OVER.
SO I THINK EVERYBODY PRETTY CLEAR ON THAT.
BUT IT, IT REALLY JUST DEPENDS ON WHAT THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT WANTS, WANTS TO DO.
I DON'T KNOW IF THERE'S A CERTAIN NUMBER THAT YOU WANT YOUR PEOPLE RAISED OR, UM, THE OTHER DEPARTMENTS HAVE COME IN WITH SPECIFIC ASKING FOR SPECIFIC RAISES AND SPECIFIC MONETARY AMOUNTS THAT BEEN DISCUSSED.
AND SO FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT, UM, THE, UM, I'LL JUST SAY TWO, TWO, THERE'S SORT OF TWO ASPECTS OF THIS ISSUE FROM A, FROM A LEGAL STANDPOINT, THERE'S, LEMME JUST SORT OF REPHRASE IT.
THERE'S, THERE'S A LEGAL STANDPOINT OF THIS THAT COVERS LIKE TWO ASPECTS OF IT.
AND THEN THERE'S JUST THE ISSUE OF, I THINK WHAT JUDGE MARTIN SAID, JUST BEING FAIR.
I MEAN, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THE LEGAL ASPECTS OF IT AND THEN THERE'S THE REAL LIFE PRACTICAL.
I, WE MEAN FAIR TO EMPLOYEES ON THE LEGAL ASPECT OF DEALING THIS YEAR WITH THE CHANGE IN THE, THE DEPARTMENT COMPLAIN CHANGED THE RULE ON THE EXEMPT, NON-EXEMPT AMOUNT.
AND THERE'S A WHOLE CLASSIFICATION PROCEDURE THAT THAT GOES THROUGH.
TECH CERTAINLY ABLE TO HELP US.
THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, PLUG IN TO DETERMINE WHETHER THEY SHOULD BE EXEMPT OR NOT EXEMPT.
AND THEN YOU EITHER RAISE THEM THE LEVEL OR IF YOU KEEP THEM NON-EXEMPT AND, AND HEAVY OVERTIME.
AND THEN THERE'S ANOTHER PART THAT INVOLVES THE TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, UM, MAINLY IN CHAPTER 74, WHICH SETS OUT KIND OF THE DUTIES AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE COURT COORDINATOR.
AND THEN YOU HAVE ANOTHER PART OF THE CODE THAT TALKS ABOUT, UM, THE JUSTICE COURTS AND THE CLASSIFICATION OF THOSE EMPLOYEES.
UM, AND SO YOU HAVE SOME DIFFERENCES IN CLASSIFICATIONS, WHETHER THEY'RE DISTRICT, COUNTY COURTS, WHETHER THEY'RE JUSTICE COURTS.
SO YES, YOU HAVE THOSE DIFFERENCES A LITTLE BIT IN THE JOB CLASSIFICATIONS.
BUT THE OTHER ISSUE IS JUST, I THINK WHETHER, WHETHER IT'S IT'S FAIR.
SO DOES THAT ANSWER YOUR QUESTION? IT'S KIND OF A TRIFOLD ISSUE.
I, UH, FROM WHAT I'VE UNDERSTOOD, UH, IS REQUEST FROM THE JPS TO HAVE THEIR TOP FIRST ONE DESIGNATED AS A COURT COORDINATOR.
BUT THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR IS THAT THAT MAY BE WHAT JUDGE I, I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT JUDGE SMITH WANTS.
UM, THAT'S NOT WHY I'M GOOD THAT HE'S, HE'S, UH, HE'S HERE AND, AND I BELIEVE THAT YOU SPOKE WITH HIM INITIALLY FOR HIM TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS GOING ON.
AND HE DID HAVE HIS CHIEF CLERK LISTED AND THE LETTER THAT HE SENT, I'M SORRY I'M TAKING THIS, THE LETTER THAT HE SENT WAS IN A FORMAT THAT
[01:05:01]
ACTUALLY HR HAD TOLD HIM HE NEEDED TO DO.UH, SHE EVEN PROVIDED THE BODY OF IT AND SAID, SEND IT TO ME ON YOUR LETTERHEAD.
THIS IS WHAT I NEED, UM, TO MAKE FORMALLY EXEMPT.
AND NOW, UM, THEY'VE TAKEN THAT EXEMPTION FROM HER.
UM, AT THE SAME TIME THAT EMILY DID THE EXEMPTION.
JUDGE CRO SAYS THAT SHE DIDN'T CLEARLY UNDERSTAND A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, UM, ABOUT THE CHOICE OF YOU COULD ASK TO BE EXEMPT OR ASK NOT TO BE EXEMPT.
AND I THOUGHT SHE WAS GOING TO BE HERE TO ADDRESS THAT THIS MORNING, BUT APPARENTLY SHE CAN'T BE HERE TILL LATER THIS MORNING.
UM, BUT THERE JUST, I, I MEAN EVERYBODY IN THIS COUNTY DOES THEIR JOB AND THEY EACH HAVE ALL VARIED RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES.
UM, SOME ARE EXEMPT BECAUSE THE STATE SAYS THEY CAN BE EXEMPT.
UM, SOME ARE EXEMPT BECAUSE OTHER COUNTIES HAVE EMPLOYEES IN THE SAME OR SIMILAR POSITION THAT ARE EXEMPT.
UM, I DON'T ALWAYS UNDERSTAND WHY, UH, I MEAN, ELECTED OFFICIALS WE'RE EXEMPT.
I MEAN, WE, WE DON'T PUNCH A TIME CLOCK OR WE DON'T HAVE TO PUNCH IN BEFORE 10 O'CLOCK.
UM, I'M JUST HERE SAYING THAT I DON'T BELIEVE IT'S FAIR TO CONTINUE THAT AND TO, TO RAISE THEM UP TO THAT WHEN WE HAVE OTHER EMPLOYEES, AND NOT ONLY IN MY DEPARTMENT, BUT OTHER DEPARTMENTS THAT DO SIMILAR, POSSIBLY EVEN HAVE MORE RESPONSIBILITIES AND DUTIES THAN WHAT THOSE THAT ARE BEING PROPOSED TO, TO GET A, AND AND I'M SORRY.
ANY, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA SAY THIS AND EVERYBODY'S PROBABLY GONNA BE MAD AT ME WHEN THEY DO, BUT WHEN YOU TELL THE OTHER EMPLOYEES, UH, YOU'RE GONNA GET $600 A YEAR AND OTHERS SO THAT THEY CAN KEEP THEIR EXEMPT STATUS, THEY'RE MORE PRESTIGIOUS STATUS THAN YOU HAVE, UH, BECAUSE YOU WORK IN A MORE PRESTIGIOUS DEPARTMENT, YOU'RE GOING TO GET SEVERAL THOUSAND.
AND SO I'M JUST HERE SO THAT I DON'T HAVE TO GO TO EACH ONE OF YOU AND ASK YOU TO CAREFUL CONSIDER WHAT KIND OF A MESSAGE THIS SENDS TO OTHER EMPLOYEES BECAUSE TRUST ME, I'VE HEARD IT OR I WOULDN'T BE HERE TODAY.
SO I'M, I I'M NOT HERE JUST STRICTLY FOR JUSTICE, POISON, UM, WHETHER YOU GIVE REGINA A RAISE OR NOT, UH, HER LOYALTY IS TO THIS COUNTY.
SHE'S BEEN THAT KIND OF EMPLOYEE FOR 18 YEARS.
UM, AND SHE'S NOT GOING TO LEAVE MY COURT, UM, WHATEVER YOU DO BECAUSE THAT'S THE KIND OF EMPLOYEE SHE IS.
BUT I DO KNOW WHAT SHE HAS AS MY CHIEF AND, AND WHAT I CONSIDER MY COURT COORDINATOR BECAUSE MY COURTROOM NOT RUN WITHOUT IT.
UM, SHE DOES, SHE PICKS UP THE SLACK ANYMORE IN MY OFFICE.
IT'S UH, SAME KNOW SHE HAS MANY YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO TON COUNTY.
AND AGAIN, I COULDN'T, I COULDN'T RUN THAT COURT WITHOUT HER BEING MY ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT CHIEF CLERK, WHATEVER YOU WANT CALL IT.
UM, BUT AGAIN, WE ASSESS PREPAREDNESS IN THIS.
IF YOUR DECISION WANTS TO CHANGE THAT STATUS SYSTEM OR KEEP EVERYBODY THE SAME THING.
WHAT GOT ASSUMED THIS, UH, PICKLE, I GUESS IS FAIR LABOR STANDARDS ACT THAT CAME OUT WITH A NEW, UH, UPDATE ON WHAT WAS EXEMPT AND WHAT WAS NON-EXEMPT.
AND THEY SPECIFICALLY, IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, THEY SPECIFICALLY DESIGNATED COURT COORDINATOR, DISTRICT COURT LEVEL AND UH, THE COUNTY COURT LEVEL TO THE EXEMPT.
IS THAT, THAT'S, THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING FROM THAT.
IS THAT YOUR UNDERSTANDING TIFFANY ALSO? YEAH, IT WAS A LETTER.
IF, DON'T YOU COME UP TIFFANY, IT'S THE LETTER OF OPINION FROM, UM, I DON'T HAVE IT WITH YOU.
I BELIEVE I GAVE IT TO YOU LAST, UH, TIME.
BUT IT'S A LETTER OF OPINION FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR STATING THAT COURT REPORTERS WERE, UM, LOOKED AT TO BE NON-EXEMPT AND THEN COURT COORDINATORS WERE, UM, LOOKED AT
[01:10:01]
TO BE EXEMPT.WE DON'T HAVE TO CLASSIFY AS EXEMPT.
UM, IF WE DO CLASSIFY THEM AS EXEMPT, WE DO HAVE TO RAISE THEIR SALARY LEVEL.
THAT'S ALL THE COURT COURTS HAVE, BUT WE DID ALREADY.
AND IT IS IN THE BUDGET AS THEY NOW THE COURT, WELL, IT'S FOR THE DISTRICT COURT.
FOR THE DISTRICT AND THE COURT COURT AND IT'S ADVISORY.
BUT LIKE WHAT SHE'S SAYING, AND WHAT JUDGE SAID WHEN I CAME ON THE END IS YOU DO HAVE SOME PEOPLE THAT ARE HURT, JUST LIKE THE COURT REPORTERS WHO HAVE A CHANGE IN STATUS.
THEIR CHANGE IN STATUS IS THAT THEY ARE NOW NON-EXEMPT.
SO YOU'RE RIGHT IN THAT AND YOU'RE, AND IT, IT FEELS BAD FOR PEOPLE 'CAUSE THEY FEEL LIKE WE ARE CATEGORIZING THE PEOPLE AS OPPOSED TO THE POSITION.
'CAUSE I CAN TELL YOU FROM BEING A COUNTY COURT LAW JUDGE AND BEING A PROSECUTED FOR MANY YEARS, THE COURT REPORTERS WOULD CONSIDER THEMSELVES OBVIOUSLY PROFESSIONALS.
THEY, THEY ANSWER TO THE TEXAS SUPREME COURT.
I MEAN, HAVE A REPORTER HAS A PROBLEM, THEY WILL SHUT THEM DOWN.
THE SUPREME COURT JUSTICES NOT ME, THAT'S THE JUDGE.
SO THEY HAVE NOW MOVED BECAUSE THIS IS AN OPINION THAT HAS ALSO CHANGED.
PEOPLE THAT ARE IN PRETTY MAKE PRETTY GOOD SALARIES PROFESSIONALS HAVE A PRIVATE BUSINESS ALWAYS.
SO IT'S NOT, THE ONLY MESSAGE I'D ASK YOU TO CONVEY BACK TO YOUR STAFF IS THIS IS NOT ABOUT THEM INDIVIDUALLY, THIS IS ABOUT THE PHYSICIANS.
I MEAN, I CAN TELL YOU I HAVE A LOT OF SUPPORT STAFF THAT CAN'T FIGURE OUT WHY THEY AREN'T BEING TREATED IN THE DA'S OFFICE WITH MY RIGHT HAND PEOPLE LIKE COURT COORDINATORS.
BUT I JUST TELL 'EM WE JUST HAVE TO FOLLOW THE OPINIONS AND WE DON'T GET TO PICK.
'CAUSE IF WE COULD PICK, WE WOULDN'T DO ANY OF THIS.
SO THAT'S THE ONLY THING I CAN ADD TO IT, THAT JUST LIKE TIFFANY SAID, THEY COME OUT AND SAID THE REPORTERS ARE EXEMPT, SO THAT MEANS THEY HAVE TO CLOCK IN.
I CAN DO A WHOLE, WHOLE TWO HOURS ON MY OPINION ABOUT THAT.
SO THAT MIGHT NOT BE A BAD THING, BUT THEY ARE CONSIDERED IN THEIR FIELD TO BE PROFESSIONALS.
SO I GUESS THE ISSUE IS, IS THE LAY, THE FOLKS THAT ARE IN YOUR OFFICES, UH, ARE NOT CLASSIFIED AS COURT COORDINATORS.
UH, WHICH IT APPEARS THAT AND, AND THEY'RE JUST NOT BY LAW, I MEAN THERE'S CHAPTER 74.01 OF THE, UM, GOVERNMENT CODE HAS A CLASSIFICATION FOR THE COURT COORDINATORS, FOR THE DISTRICT COURTS AND THE COUNTY COURT OF LAW.
AND THEN FOR THE JUSTICES COURT, THE JUSTICE COURTS, UM, IN GOVERNMENT CODE 27 DASH 0 5 6, THEY ARE DESIGNATED AS CLERKS AND THEIR JOB DUTIES ARE DIFFERENT.
AND THEY DON'T, THEY DON'T COVER THE, THE RANGE AND THE DEPTH.
I'M NOT IN ANY WAY SAYING ANYTHING ABOUT THAT.
BUT THEY DON'T COVER THE SAME RANGE AND DEPTH DISTRICT COURTS OR COUNTY COURTS COVER.
I MEAN, THERE IS A DIFFERENCE IN THE JUSTICE COURTS AND THE DISTRICT COURTS AND WE'RE BASING THAT ON THE LAW, NOT ON OUR OPINIONS, BUT OUR OPINION IS THAT YOUR, YOU SAID IT WHEN I WALKED IN.
THEY WORK HARD, MAYBE WORK HARDER.
RIGHT? WE HAVE TO ADVISE BASED ON WHAT THE LAW IS AND THAT'S A STICKY W BUT THAT JUST BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT DESIGNATED COURT DOES NOT PROHIBIT THE COURT FROM GRANTING THEM ADDITIONAL FUNDS.
IF THE COURT CHOOSES TO DO YES, YOUR HONOR, ABSOLUTELY NOT.
BUT AS FAR AS, UH, INDIVIDUALS WE'VE TALKED ABOUT, THEY ARE NOT HERE.
UH, I I, YOU KNOW WHAT I'VE READ, IT DOES NOT HEAR THAT A JUSTICE OF THE PIECE CHIEF CLERK OR WHATEVER IS DEEMED THE COURT.
UH, IT IS NOT A, BUT AGAIN, IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY CAN IS THE STATUTORY DESIGNATIONS OF, OF HOW THESE JOBS ARE CLASSIFIED OR, YOU KNOW, CATEGORIZED.
AND THEN IT'S ABOUT WHAT IS FAIR FOR PEOPLE THAT ARE WORKING REALLY HARD.
SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING TO US RIGHT NOW IS THESE DISTRICT, UH, COURT CLERK COORDINATORS AND COUNTY COURT COORDINATORS, THEY'RE THE ONLY ONES THAT ARE GOING TO BE EXEMPT? NO, NO, I'M NOT SAYING THAT AT ALL.
I'M JUST TRYING TO BY LAW, BY LAW.
I'M JUST TELLING YOU THAT UNDER THE GOVERNMENT LOCAL, UNDER THE GOVERNMENT CODE, THAT THEY ARE CLASSIFIED DIFFERENTLY IN TERMS OF WHAT THEY, WHAT THEY DO AND THE TYPE OF WORK THEY PERFORM AND WHAT COURT THEY WORK FOR.
I'M JUST TELLING YOU IT'S DIFFERENT.
I'M NOT SAYING THAT THEY CAN BE OR CANNOT BE
[01:15:01]
AS FAR AS EXEMPT AND NOT EXEMPT.IT GOES THROUGH A CLASSIFICATION PROCESS AND WHICH IS TECH.
AND IT ALSO, WE HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT THE NEW SALARY LIMITATION OR EARNINGS LIMITATION ON THAT.
HAD JUMPED FROM WHAT, 20,000, 23,000 TO 47 47.
THAT HAS DO WITH THE, IT'S FEDERAL.
BUT WHAT I'M JUST TRYING TO TELL YOU ALL IS THAT IT'S KIND OF, THERE, THERE ARE THREE DIFFERENT ISSUES HERE.
THERE'S EXEMPT, NON-EXEMPT, THERE'S THE STATUTORY, HOW THESE POSITIONS ARE DESIGNATED, AND THEN THERE'S WHAT'S FAIR AND WHAT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, DOING QUOTE RIGHT BY THESE PEOPLE, THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND YOU KNOW, IN SETTING THE BUDGET, YOU KNOW, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO, YOU KNOW, TO MAKE SOME, SOME CHANGES, I'M ASSUMING.
BUT, BUT WHAT I'M JUST TRYING TO SAY IS THE JP CHIEF CLERKS ARE NOT DESIGNATED AS STATUTORY STATUTORILY AS A DISTRICT COURT OR COUNTY COURT COURT COORDINATOR.
SO JUDGE ADAMS, WHAT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION IS IF YOU TAPPED HIM ON THE HEAD AND SAID, YOU'RE MY JP COURT COORDINATOR, IT WOULD BE A NAME, BUT IT WOULDN'T CHANGE WHAT THE STATUTE IS GONNA LOOK AT HIM.
SO THAT'S WHEN THE FEDERAL LAW WAS PROMULGATED.
WHEN YOU DO THE OVERLAY OF WHAT TAC IS LOOKING AT IN FEDERAL LAW, THESE ALL CAME TOGETHER.
WE CAN CALL PEOPLE AND PAY THEM WHAT, WHAT, WHAT THE COMMISSIONER'S DEEM APPROPRIATE.
BUT WHAT I WAS, WHAT I WAS TRYING TO GET AT IS ANY DEPARTMENT IN THE COUNTY CAN ASK FOR THIS COURT COORDINATOR AND GET IT.
THE EXEMPTION EXEMPTION, EXCUSE ME.
ANYONE CAN ASK FOR THE EXEMPTION AND GET THAT.
IT, IT'S NOT, DEPENDS QUITE THIS.
CAN YOU NAME THE COURTS AGAIN? THE COURT, COURT, COUNTY COURT OF LAW DISTRICT AND COUNTY COURT OF LAW.
THE TWO COUNTY COURT OF LAW, AND THAT'S IT.
SO DOES IT SAY COUNTY COURT? IT SAYS COUNTY COURT OF LAW.
DOES IT SAY COUNTY COURT TO ASK, UH, BERNARD.
SO IT TAKES HIM IN THE COUNTY COURT PROBATE COURT.
MY OFFICE IS CONSTITUTIONAL COUNTY JUDGE, NOT OBJECT.
THAT'S WHAT HE ASKING I KNOW, YEAH.
IT DOESN'T INCLUDE THE JUSTICE COURT.
I MEAN THAT'S WHAT I'M, IT DOESN'T MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
IT SAYS COUNTY COURT MAKE A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN WHETHER IT'S A CONSTITUTIONAL OR A STATUTORY COUNTY COURT.
I MEAN, IT JUST DOESN'T DO THAT.
WAS THAT THAT IT'S, IT'S AN OPINION.
UM, THEY SEEM TO THINK THAT THEY GET, AUTOMATICALLY GET JURISDICTION.
AND THEN THE FOUR OF US HAVE TO DETERMINE WHAT'S, CAN WE STOP DOING TO TAKE SOME OFF OF OUR PEOPLE AND PUSH THEM BACK, PUSH THE WORK BACK TO THE COURTHOUSE BECAUSE EVERY MAGISTRATION THAT WE DO HAS TO BE PUT INTO THE COMPUTER, HAS TO BE COUNTED FOR OCA, UM, EV EVERY WARRANT THAT WE SIGN FOR A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY HAS TO BE OFTENTIMES PREPARED BY RULES.
UH, EVERY MENTAL ILLNESS WARRANT HAS TO BE DOCKED.
WE CAN SIMPLY START SENDING THOSE BACK TO COUNTY AND DISTRICT CLERK BECAUSE WE HAVE NO GREATER DUTY TO DO THEM THAN ANYONE ELSE.
UH, EVERY EVERY JUDGE IN THIS COUNTY IS A MAGISTRATE.
AND IF WE CAN'T GET, SINCE THEY OBVIOUSLY CAN'T GET ANY DIFFERENT STATUS TREATMENT, THEN WE CAN CERTAINLY START TRYING TO LIGHTEN THEIR MODE A LITTLE BIT SO THAT THEY DON'T FEEL LIKE THEY DO ALL OF THESE THINGS AND NOT, NOT, AND CERTAINLY GO TO THE LEGISLATURE NOW AND SAY, LOOK, THIS IS WHAT OUR, I'M TRYING TO, TO MAKE ANY KIND OF PERSONAL STATEMENT ABOUT, OH, I'M NOT EITHER WORK HARD AND WHAT THEY DO.
IT'S WHAT, IT'S WHAT IT'S, IT'S WHAT IT IS.
BUT I, YOU KNOW, WE FELT LIKE WITHOUT US BEING ABLE, HAVING VOICE, THOSE THINGS, UM, THAT WE WEREN'T STANDING AT.
AND LIKE I SAID, I'M, I'M NOT HERE ON THIS BEHALF OF MY DEPARTMENT, BUT SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS PEOPLE AFFECTED BY THAT.
SO HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE THEY GONNA BE? WHAT? YOU HAD SEVERAL THAT WERE
[01:20:01]
ON ASSISTANT? NO, SHE'S NOT EXEMPT.SHE BUDGET THIS DISCUSSION BECAUSE IF THE COURT WANTS TO DO SOMETHING WITH YOUR CHIEF CLERKS OR WHATEVER THE OFFICIAL NAME IS, NOW'S THE TIME.
WE NEED TO DISCUSS DOING THAT.
SO RATHER THAN WAITING IN THIS SEVERAL YEARS AGO, UH, MY CHIEF CLERK CALLING HER IS MY ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, AND WE HAD TO SEND PAPERWORK UP THERE TO CHANGE THAT STATUS.
SHE'S MY ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT AND THAT'S HOW I INTRODUCED HER IN COURT.
UH, BUT HR AT THAT TIME SAID, SEND US PAPERWORK ON THAT.
I, THAT WHY WE HAD TO DO THAT.
I DON'T EVEN KNOW, BUT I HAD NEVER EVEN MEMO WE HAD TO DO IT.
CAN YOU, KAREN, CAN YOU SHARE THE DOCUMENTATION? YOU ALL, EVERYBODY, SO EVERYBODY THE SAME, THE YOU, THE STATUTE, BUT AGAIN, BEFORE, I DON'T, I, I'D LIKE FOR THE COURT TO MAKE SOME DETERMINATION ON WHAT YOU GONNA DO WITH THESE FOUR INDIVIDUALS DETERMINED THAT ARE LISTED HERE, NOT NECESSARILY BY NAME, BUT BY POSITION.
YOU WANT DO SOMETHING, UH, THAT'S BEEN BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION, THAT'S BEING EQUITY.
AND BECAUSE NOW'S THE TIME TO DO, AS WE GET CLOSER TO FINISHING UP OUR BUDGET.
SO Y'ALL, WELL THEN IT GOES BACK TO, I'M GONNA LEAVE IT IN Y'ALLS HANDS.
I DON'T REALLY WANT TO SPEAK TO THAT.
BECAUSE MY MAIN PERSON, MY MAIN REASON FOR ME EVEN SHOWING UP TODAY WAS TO LET TO, TO JUST BE THE VOICE OF NOT ONLY PEOPLE THAT ARE AFFECTED IN MY OFFICE OR JOHNNY'S OFFICE OR THE OTHER TWO, BUT OTHER PEOPLE IN THE COUNTY.
WE HAVE A PROBLEM, AND I KNOW Y'ALL THERE A FIVE OF Y'ALL KNOW BETTER THAN I DO, BUT THERE'S A PROBLEM IN, IN THE WHOLE SYSTEM OF TRYING TO DETERMINE WHO GET DOESN'T, WHAT DEPARTMENTS GET RAISE, WHAT DEPARTMENT DOESN'T.
THAT'S WHATEVER Y'ALL DECIDE TO DO IS ON YOU.
I I CAN GO HOME AND I GO BED TONIGHT BECAUSE I SAID MY PIECE
NO, I DON'T BECAUSE THEN I SAY MY GIRLS DESERVE, UH, A RAISES MORE THAN SOMEBODY ELSE'S DEPARTMENT.
WHAT IS THAT GONNA DO TO THE MORALE OF THE REST OF Y'ALL'S EMPLOYEES? IF WE DON'T KNOW ONE PERSON GETS A WE THOUSAND RAISE AND THE WE HONOR.
THAT'S WHY I'M SAYING THAT'S ON ME.
AND WE HAVE OUR ADMINISTRATIVE AND THEN YOU HAVE YOURS.
THAT'S WHY I'M, I'M NOT, JUDGE SMITH IS PROBABLY, UH, HERE TO TRY TO GET SOMETHING FOR EMILY.
I'M NOT, AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT HIM FOR LEON.
IT'S, IT, I'M NOT, THAT'S NOT WHY I'M GENTLEMEN, HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ON AT SOME POINT IN TIME, IN MY OPINION, IF YOU'RE SECRETARY, WHICH HAS GOT A DIFFERENT TITLE NOW IS GONNA GET EXEMPT STATUS, IN MY OPINION, THEY'RE CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR.
I THINK THEY DO PROBABLY LIKE MARY SAID, WELL, THERE IS STATUTE, A LOT OF YOU, IF YOU LOOK AT THE WAGE AND HOUR, IT HAS SPECIFIC DUTIES THAT ARE SET OUT THAT IF, IF THAT PERSON DOES, YOU KNOW, IT MAY NOT BE ON A STATE LEVEL BUT ON A FEDERAL LEVEL, THEN, THEN IT DOES BECAUSE, UM, IT MAY NOT BE STATE STATUTE, BUT THE FEDERAL WAGE HOUR, UM, HAS ADMINISTRATIVE EXEMPTIONS AND EXECUTIVE EXEMPTIONS, YOU KNOW.
BUT ANYWAY, THAT'S MY 5 CENTS.
TIFFANY, HOW MANY PEOPLE DID WE HAVE THAT GOT AN EXEMPT STATUS? DO YOU REMEMBER? RIGHT OFF HAND.
OUT OF THE ENTIRE COUNTY OR JUST, JUST IN THE, AND THE ENTIRE COUNTY.
WAS IT ABOUT, OH GOODNESS, SIX OR EIGHT, SOMETHING LIKE THAT? JUST RECENT? RECENTLY? NO, JUST SINCE WE GOT THIS NEW RULING
[01:25:01]
FROM THE DEPARTMENT.I I THOUGHT WE WERE STILL QUESTIONING ABOUT SIX OF THEM.
YEAH, THERE WAS, THERE WAS NOT A, A LARGE NUMBER.
I'M GOING TO SAY SIX OR EIGHT.
SOME OF 'EM WERE ALREADY THERE SALARY WISE.
UM, BUT, BUT MIKE'S MIKE WAS HERE OVER HIS, BECAUSE HIS TO THAT UNDER I GUESS FEDERAL LAW, NOT STATE OF TEXAS LAW.
AND THEN THAT WAS TAKEN AWAY FROM, FROM HER.
SO, UM, I WISH HE COULD HAVE BEEN HERE TODAY THAT HE ALREADY HAD THINGS SCHEDULED HOSPITAL AND HE HAS, SO IT MAKES IT DIFFICULT TO DO YOU A BREAK.
ANYBODY HAVE ANY OTHER COMMENTS FOLLOWING THE, UH, DISCUSSION WE HAD AT THE JPS? OKAY, WELL TO YOU TWO CONSTABLES OVER HERE, $10,000 THAT THEY WOULD MAKE THAT A, THE COURT WANTED TO DO THAT, BUT 20,000 THAT THEY WERE 10,000, THEY WOULD GIVE THAT UP THE COURT THAT DIDN'T PERSONALITY.
SO OTHER QUESTIONS ABOUT THE BEEN HERE A LITTLE WHILE TIME HAVE ANY OTHER EXEMPT STATUS IS MAY THAT DESIGN, ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT WE CAN SAY DESIGN, WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH PART OF ITS, WE CAN, WE CAN SAY WE WOULD LIKE TO BE EXEMPT OR NON, BUT THEN WE HAVE TO RUN, THERE IS SORT OF A CLASSIFICATIONS TEST THAT HAS TO THERE QUALIFYING FACTORS THAT HAVE TO BE PASSED TO SHOW ARE EXEMPT OR NOT.
[01:30:01]
YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE ANY, WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE ANY ONE EXEMPT.IF YOU, IF YOU ACTUALLY QUALIFY FOR THOSE CRITERIA, YOU HAVE TO BE EXEMPT.
YEAH, THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO SAY.
IF YOU, IF THEY MEET THAT, THOSE CRITERIA, IT'S A FEDERAL LAW CAN JUST OVERLAY.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? THAT'S WHERE WE'RE WORKING THROUGH SAID NO, WE DIDN'T HAVE TO.
THEY DON'T MEET IF THEY NEED THE CRITERIA, THEY HAVE TO BE EXEMPT.
YOU HAVE TO CLASSIFY THEM AS EXEMPT.
IF THEY DON'T MEET THE CRITERIA, THAT'S WHEN YOU CAN CHOOSE.
YOU CAN CHOOSE TO MAKE THEM EXEMPT.
SO EXACTLY WHO MAKES CRITERIA? THAT WOULD BE A QUESTION FOR HR.
I, I DON'T HAVE, AND THE REASON I CAN'T GIVE AN EXACT ANSWER IS YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THEIR JOB DUTIES AND WHAT AND THEIR QUALIFICATIONS OR THEIR DUTIES AND THEN WE TAKE, WE LOOK AT THOSE AND THEN WE REALLY FEED THEM INTO A FORMULA THAT TACT TAC HAS WHERE YOU LOOK AT THE QUALIFICATIONS AND DETERMINE WHETHER THEY ARE EXEMPT OR NOT.
AND I CAN GIVE YOU ALL MORE INFORMATION ON THAT.
IT'S JUST, IT'S, IT'S A LOT MORE COMPLICATED.
AND I THINK THE JUDGE WOULD AGREE WE HAD THAT CHEAT SAYING, BUT I THOUGHT ON THAT SHEET ALSO DIDN'T, DID NOT HAVE TO MAKE ANYBODY THAT TIME SHEET THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT, I DON'T HAVE IT WITH ME.
THE ONE THEY GAVE GAVE THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR'S PUT THIS, SHE'S GONNA GET THAT SHEET AND THEN I'D LIKE, YEAH, I'D LIKE KNUCKLES ON.
YEAH, I'D LIKE TO GET IT RESOLVED AS MUCH AS WE CAN.
BUT I THINK WE HAVE SEVEN OR EIGHT PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN, UH, THAT IN RIGHT.
PERSONALLY, I THINK WHEN WE MEET THAT SALARY CRITERIA, IF WE CAN MAKE, IT'D BE BECAUSE THEN WORRY WORRY ABOUT OPENING.
I MEAN THAT'S WHERE EVEN WORK 40 HOURS.
WHAT, WHAT IF THEY DON'T WORK 40 HOURS? YOU DON'T TO WORRY THEN THEY DON'T HAVE, IF THE JOB, IF THEIR OFFICE IS FIVE, THEN THE OFFICE IS OPEN.
BUT UNDERSTAND, BUT I'M JUST SAYING UNDERSTAND IF IT'S SOMETHING LIKE A FIRE MARSHAL OR EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT THAT COULD WORK 80 HOURS, THEN NO, YOU'RE WAY AHEAD OF THE GAME BY SAYING YOU'RE, BECAUSE YOU CAN'T KEEP UP WITH 'EM.
THEY'RE DRIVING AROUND CAR, THEY'RE GOING, THEY'RE GOING, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ONLY IF YOU, IF YOU CAN'T TRUST THEM AND DO THAT, THEN YOU DON'T NEED TO HAVE THEM HERE.
YOU NEED SOMEBODY ELSE IN THE JOB.
AND WHILE WE WAITING ON TIFFANY, UH, NOT ALL THE COURT COORDINATORS WERE AT THAT.
IF YOU LOOK ON PAGE TWO, JUST FOR AN EXAMPLE, THAT'S IN JUDGE, UH, I'M SORRY.
JUDGE IS THE COORDINATOR AT BOTTOM.
AND I DON'T, DON'T THINK THAT ANY OF THEM TO THE SALARY.
WELL WE DID THAT OPINION, WHETHER WE DO OR IF YOU DON'T CLASSIFY AS EXEMPT REQUEST, NOBODY SPOKE OF.
WHAT WHATCHA TALKING ABOUT? WHICH ONE? NO, CASEY'S NOT 86 ON PAGE FOUR.
NOT WELL, YEAH, WE AT 10% IS WHAT GOT HIM UP.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE COURT, YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT COURT REPORTERS, REPORT COORDINATORS ARE DIFFERENT COORDINATORS.
[01:35:20]
COURT SUBJECT.SO WHAT, I DON'T KNOW WHICH ONE THESE HERE WHO'S COORDINATOR? IT SAYS ON THERE, HERE WE'RE HERE COURT.
THIS COURT AND WHAT IS YOUR QUESTION EXACTLY? SUBJECT TO THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT APPROVAL FROM THE JUDGE'S COURT COORDINATOR.
SO IF WE DON'T APPROVE IT, THEY DON'T GET BREAK.
WELL IT'S SUBJECT TO YOUR APPROVAL.
BUT THERE, BUT WHAT YOU'VE ALSO GOTTA LOOK AT IN THE STATUTE THAT YOU ALL ARE JUST SHOWING THAT I HAVE HERE IS UNDER COMPENSATION ON THE COURT COORDINATOR IT SAYS THE JUDGES AND THE DISTRICT JUDGES SHALL NOT MAY, BUT SHALL DETERMINE REASONABLE COMPENSATION FOR THE COURT COORDINATORS SUBJECT TO THE APPROVAL OF THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
THERE ARE A LOT OF ANCIENT OPINIONS AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN TALKED ABOUT AND HAVE WE HAD NUMEROUS
THE, UM, COURT COORDINATOR IS A POSITION WHERE SOME OF THOSE THANK YOU MAKE SURE, UM, COURT COORDINATOR IS A POSITION WHERE STATUTORILY, THERE ARE FEW, THERE ARE FEW POSITIONS WHERE STATUTORILY THE DISTRICT JUDGE OR LIKE I THINK THE DISTRICT ATTORNEYS IN THE SAME POSITION SETS OR HAS THE SPECIFIC TO SET THEIR, ALWAYS, ALWAYS SUBJECT TO THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT BECAUSE THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT HAS TO APPROVE THE BUDGET FOR THE COUNTY.
AND WHAT A LOT OF, PROBABLY THE MAJORITY OF THE AGENT OPINIONS SAY IS THAT IT'S SOMETHING THAT THE JUDGES AND THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT HAVE TO AGREE UPON AND SET IT TOGETHER.
SO IT'S NOT SOMETHING WHERE THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT CAN JUST COME AND GO, NO, WE DON'T LIKE THAT.
I MEAN THE JUDGE, THE DISTRICT JUDGES AND THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT HAVE TO COME TO AN AGREEMENT ON THAT.
SO BASICALLY, EVEN THOUGH IT SAYS SUBJECT TO THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT APPROVAL, IT ACCORDING, IT'S REALLY NOT AG OPINIONS.
IT DOESN'T GIVE YOU THE RIGHT TO JUST TOTALLY DISAGREE OR, OR OVERRIDE WHAT THE DISTRICT JUDGE DOES.
BUT THE DISTRICT JUDGE CAN OVERRIDE WHAT WE WANT.
NOT REALLY WHAT DOES A G CAN SAY IS THAT YOU ALL HAVE TO REACH SOME AGREEMENT THAT'S REAL AND WHITE.
THAT'S THAT IT'S NOT LIKE, I MEAN THE STATUTE SAYS WHAT IT SAYS AND THEN THE AG OPINIONS INTERPRET, YOU KNOW, ESPECIALLY THESE KINDS OF STATUTES AND IT, IT IS A GRAY AREA.
BUT WHAT THEY'RE, WHAT THEY'RE SAYING IS SINCE THAT SAYS THE DISTRICT JUDGE SHALL, IT DOESN'T SAY MAY OR CAN SINCE HE SHALL, AND THEN IT'S SUBJECT TO APPROVAL THAT UM, IN THESE TYPES OF SITUATIONS, DISTRICT JUDGES AND THE COMMISSIONER COURT NEED TO, TO COME TOGETHER TO AGREE THEY SHOULD AT LEAST TALK TO COMMISSION COURT.
THAT ONE OR THE OTHER DOESN'T CANCEL THE OTHER.
DID THE DISTRICT YOU ABOUT THEY AWARE OF THIS? I DIDN'T TALK WITH THEM, EACH INDIVIDUAL ONE ABOUT IT, BUT THEY WERE CERTAINLY AWARE OF THIS RULING THAT CAME OUT AS YOU CAN IMAGINE.
I DUNNO IF ON THEIR CHAT SIDE OR WHATEVER YOU CALL IT.
UM, WHAT HAVE THE DISTRICT JUDGES COME AND SPOKEN WITH THE COMMISSIONERS? NO.
THEY JUST THROW THE DEMANDS OUT THERE AND THEY CAN READ IT.
SO IDEALLY UNDER THE, UM, AG OPINION, IT SHOULD BE SOMETHING THAT, UH, MAYBE A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DISTRICT JUDGES, I DIDN'T KNOW WHEN JUDGE BLAIR WAS HERE THE OTHER DAY.
IF HE WAS THEY GONNA DO THAT, BUT LIKE A, A REPRESENTATIVE OF THE DISTRICT JUDGES SHOULD TRY TO WORK WITH COMMISSIONERS TO, UM, AND SO STATUTORILY BY THIS NEW LAW, IT IS NOT REQUIRED THAT THEIR COURT COORDINATORS BE RIGHT.
I I THINK THEY I THOUGHT THEY, I THOUGHT THEY HAD TO BE,
[01:40:15]
IT SAYS IN THIS OPINION, IN THIS ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, AT THE END OF THE FIRST PARAGRAPH WE CONCLUDE THAT THE COURT REPORTER POSITION IS NOT EXEMPT UNDER THE PERSONNEL STAFF EXEMPTION, BUT THAT THE COORDINATOR POSITION IS EXEMPT.AND SO THAT'S WHY THEY ARE RAISING THEM UP TO THE SALARY OF AN EXEMPT EMPLOYEE.
AND WHAT I THINK IS SOMETHING WE'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT FROM TALKING WITH SEVERAL PEOPLE DURING THE BREAK IS THAT THERE MAY BE SOME OTHER POSITION IN THE COUNTY THAT THAT MAY NEED TO BE EXEMPT.
AND SO WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS WE NEED TO FIND OUT WHAT THOSE POSITIONS ARE AND WE NEED TO REACH OUT WITH T AND THROUGH HR.
AND YOU ALREADY, YOU'VE ALREADY DONE THAT.
HAVE YOU ALREADY DONE THAT? UM, I TALKED WITH T WITH THE JP ISSUE, BUT I I THINK IT COULD BE AN ISSUE WITH, UM, SOME OF THE PEOPLE IN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT WHAT, UM, CHIEF S WAS JUST SAYING TO ME.
SO WE NEED TO MAYBE JUDGE, I CAN WORK WITH YOU, BUT WE NEED TO MAKE SURE, AND I THINK MAYBE WE KIND OF TRY IN HR, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE IF THERE'S ANY OTHER POSITIONS THAT THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT THEY NEED TO BE EXEMPT AND RIGHT.
YOU GONNA SEND THOSE GUIDELINES TO ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS SO WE CAN FIGURE OUT WHETHER OR NOT WE BELIEVE PEOPLE ON OUR STAFF FALL UNDER THOSE CONDITIONS.
WE'LL AND BASICALLY, UM, WE WILL AND BASICALLY JIM ALLISON WITH TECH IS HELPING US WHERE THEY SORT OF HAVE A, 'CAUSE OF COURSE THESE CONDITIONS ARE NOT BLACK AND WHITE AND YOU KNOW, THAT WOULD, THAT'S QUITE COMPLIC TOO EASY.
UM, AND IT WASN'T AN ISSUE UNTIL THEY RAISED THE MINIMUM SALARY.
WHEN IT WAS 23,000 ABOVE THAT.
SO WE'RE GONNA NEED TO, TO, TO GET THAT INFORMATION GOING RIGHT AWAY BECAUSE WE'RE GETTING CLOSE ON THE BUDGET TO, YOU KNOW, TO CLOSE OUR DEADLINE.
DOES DOES THAT MAKE SENSE JUDGE? ABSOLUTELY.
I'LL TALK WITH YOU AND TIFFANY, WE NEED TO TALK A BIT MORE ABOUT THIS WITH THE JUDGE.
WE CAN GET LOOK AT ANY OTHER POSITION AND SEND IF THEY HAVE SOMEONE STATUS.
OTHER, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY STILL AN ONGOING DISCUSSION, SO WE HAVE OTHER ISSUES WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT BEFORE WE ADJOURN.
DON'T SEE, DON'T ANYTHING PROGRAM AND ON.
AND WE WITH OUR BOSS ABOUT THAT.
A UM, ON MOVING IT TO A DIFFERENT
SO WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH HER.
I WANNA TALK TO THE JUDGE A LITTLE BIT MORE AND UM, WE WANTED, WE NEED TO GET A PROPOSAL TO, TO BRING TO THE COURT REALLY TO DETERMINE MAYBE WHAT DEPARTMENT THAT SHOULD GO TO.
I WAS IN THE TREASURER'S OFFICE ONE TIME AND LAURA TOOK IT OVER BACK IN THOUSAND AND I THINK IT WAS DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S LAW.
AND I THINK YEARS AGO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.
SO, UM, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE HAS IMPACTED QUITE A BIT BY THAT PROGRAM, THE RESULTS AND ALL.
SO, UM, WE WANT, I WANNA TALK A LITTLE MORE TO OUR BOSS AND GET HER INPUT AND TALK THE JUDGE AND WE NEED TO KIND OF COME UP WITH SOME POSSIBLE SOLUTIONS TO PRESENT TO COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
TALK MORE ABOUT ACTUAL WHAT YOU ALL ACTUALLY DID AND WHAT IT TAKES TO MOVE AND MAYBE WHAT DEPARTMENT, I KNOW THE TREASURER'S DEPARTMENT WAS INTERESTED I THOUGHT.
SO WE NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHERE IT CAN BE, WHERE IT LOGICALLY MAKES SENSE FOR THAT DEPARTMENT TO BE AND WHERE IT CAN BE ADMINISTERED EFFICIENTLY.
THAT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT WE'LL MAY NOT HAVE ALL
[01:45:01]
WORKED OUT BEFORE WE ADOPT THE BUDGET, BUT WE'LL HAVE CONTINGENCY.IT NEEDS TO BE UNDER AN ELECTED, IT NEEDS TO BE UNDER, I TALKED TO SOME OTHER JUDGES WHEN I WAS AT, WHICH BE VERY WORRIED I GUESS.
ALRIGHT, HAVE ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE WE DISMISS? ALRIGHT, I'LL ADJOURN.
COMMISSIONER ALLEN MAKES A MOTION.