[00:00:01]
UH, I WANNA GO AHEAD AND OPEN THE MEETING FOR THE PARKER COUNTY COMMISSIONER'S COURT, UH, BUDGET AGENDA, UH, PER TUESDAY, AUGUST 15TH, 2023.
LET THE RECORD SHOW IT IS 9:00 AM AND WE WILL MOVE TO
[I.A. Discussion/Approval on expenditures for security cameras for County Court at Law No. 2's temporary location. (Judge Johnson / Judge Deen)]
CONSIDER AND DISCUSS AN ACT UPON THE FOLLOWING AGENDA ITEMS ON ITEM ONE, APPROVAL ITEM, A DISCUSSION APPROVAL ON EXPENDITURES FOR SECURITY CAMERAS FOR COUNTY COURT AND LAW.NUMBER TWO, TEMPORARY LOCATION.
UH, JUDGE JOHNSON, GOOD MORNING.
IT'S NICE TO SEE THAT PEOPLE START AT NINE O'CLOCK AND THEY MEAN NINE O'CLOCK.
I NEED APPROVALS FOR TWO INVOICES FOR, UH, DAVID SMEDLEY, UH, TO FIX, UH, SECURITY ISSUES OUT AT THE C C TWO TEMPORARY LOCATION.
WHEN I MOVED OUT THERE, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE HAD ISSUES WITH THE CAMERAS.
OBVIOUSLY WE HAD CAMERAS THAT WEREN'T FUNCTIONAL.
WE HAD HOLES IN OUR SECURITY SYSTEM, AND WE WERE, UH, TURNED THE ISSUE OVER TO SPIEGEL, WHO RE RETIRED FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
BUT BEFORE HE LEFT, HE TURNED IT OVER TO IT.
IT COULDN'T HANDLE IT BECAUSE THE SYSTEM WAS SO ANTIQUATED AND WE'D ALREADY BEEN THERE, UH, THREE WEEKS AT THE TIME, AND I NEEDED TO GET IT FIXED PRONTO, BECAUSE I HAD A CRIMINAL JURY TRIAL FIXING TO GO THAT MONDAY.
AND I HAD CRIMINAL DEFENDANTS WHO HAD LODGED CREDIBLE THREATS AGAINST EACH OTHER AS WELL.
AND WE WERE AFRAID THAT THE PUBLIC, MY STAFF, AND EVERYBODY ELSE WOULD BE COLLATERAL DAMAGE.
I, I CAN GO INTO A WHOLE LOT MORE DETAIL, BUT I'D RATHER NOT SUFFICE IT TO SAY THAT WE HAD EXTRA SECURITY ON HAND.
WE HAD LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT DOING ROUNDS, AND WE WERE ALARMED.
AND SO WE NEEDED THE CAMERAS FIXED.
WE NEEDED THE CAMERAS TO FIX THE HOLES.
I HAVE EXAMPLES OF WHERE THE HOLES WERE BEFORE I HAD 'EM FIXED.
UM, AND I, UM, DAVID SMEDLEY, I CALLED AND SAYS, I NEED TO GET THIS HANDLED BECAUSE THE PEOPLE THAT WERE IN CHARGE OF THIS WERE NOT AVAILABLE TO HANDLE IT.
I'M ALSO IN CHARGE OF SECURITY.
THE SYSTEM THAT'S OUT THERE IS THE ONE I PUT IN BACK IN 2011.
AND BEST I CAN TELL, THERE HAVE BEEN NO CHANGES OR MODIFICATIONS SINCE THEN, AND IT NEEDED TO BE FIXED.
SO DAVID SMEDLEY CAME OUT, HAD THE EQUIPMENT IN THE BACK OF HIS TRUCK, AND BECAUSE HE HAD PUT IT IN ORIGINALLY BACK IN 2011, AND HE FIXED IT.
AND BY THAT, MY SECURITY OFFICER WERE ABLE TO SEE THE PLACES THAT THEY COULDN'T SEE BEFORE.
AND THEY HAD CAMERAS THAT WERE FUNCTIONAL AND THE TRIAL ONE AS SCHEDULED.
NO ISSUES, BUT THEY CERTAINLY BEEN IN HANDY.
SO THERE'S A LOT MORE DETAIL, BUT YOU'VE HEARD ENOUGH.
AND I'M A LITTLE IRRITATED BECAUSE I DIDN'T THINK I'D HAVE TO BE HANDLING ALL THE SECURITY.
'CAUSE I REALLY THOUGHT THIS WAS COMING OUTTA SOMEBODY ELSE'S BUDGET, NOT MY BUDGET, BUT IT'S ALL TAX MONEY.
AND APPARENTLY I HAVE A LITTLE EXTRA.
SO I'M HAPPY TO PAY FOR IT OUTTA MY BUDGET, EVEN THOUGH IT'S NOT MY BAILIWICK.
SO I NEED PERMISSION TO PAY DAVID SMEDLEY FOR FIXING MY ISSUES OUT AT CCL TWO.
OH, YOU'RE SMOOTH BY COMMISSIONER CONLEY WITH A SECOND BY MIKE.
UH, WE'RE IN THE DISCUSSION PHASE.
UM, PART OF THE REASON WHY, UH, JUDGE JOHNSON IS HERE PRESENTING THIS IS BECAUSE WHEN IT, THE SERVICE WAS PERFORMED AND THEY INSTALLED EVERYTHING, A PO WAS NOT EXECUTED.
AND SO SINCE THE WORK HAS BEEN DONE, KIM CANNOT EXECUTE A PO, THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE UNDER SECTION ONE 13 CANNOT PAY ANY INVOICES.
THAT NOT, THAT DID NOT GO THROUGH THE PROPER PROCUREMENT PROCESS TO BE PRESENTED TO COURT.
AND THE TREASURER CANNOT DISPERSE FUNDS, UM, FOR PAYMENT OF THOSE SERVICES.
UM, THE SECOND PART OF THAT, THERE WAS ALSO NOT A BUDGET IN PLACE AT THE TIME THAT THIS WAS PERFORMED.
SO THERE'S INSTANCES WHERE DEPARTMENTS WILL CONTACT ME, AND BECAUSE OF EITHER SECURITY REASONS, YOU KNOW, SAFETY OR SOME SORT OF EMERGENCY, THAT'S GOING TO HINDER THE OPERATIONS OF THEIR DEPARTMENT AND KIND OF STOP THEM.
UM, I HAVE DONE BUDGET OVERRIDES FOR THAT, AND THEN THOSE BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS WILL THEN COME TO COURT AT ANOTHER TIME.
UM, BUT THOSE THINGS WERE NOT FOLLOWED, RIGHT? SO I I, I'M NOT MAD AT BRIANNA OR KIM FOR DOING HER JOB.
AND SO, AND YOU HAD DOING YOUR JOB.
SO WE JUST NEED Y'ALL TO DO YOUR JOB.
WELL, THIS, I CANNOT LAW LAWFULLY PRESENT IT TO AND RUBBER STAMP THIS.
AND SO I DIDN'T KNOW I NEEDED A BUDGET FOR SECURITY ISSUE.
I THOUGHT THAT'S WHAT CONTINGENT FUNDS WERE FOR.
'CAUSE THIS GUY DID THE WORK AND EVERYBODY'S HAPPY THAT HE DID THE WORK AND WE FIXED THE HOLES.
HOW MUCH WAS IT? A TOTAL OF 1200 BUCKS.
[00:05:02]
YOU, THE OPTIONS ARE, I MEAN, I NEED SOMETHING I DIDN'T FILL.I MEAN, KIM DOESN'T FILL, I'M NOT GONNA SPEAK FOR KIM, BUT TO ISSUE A PO KNOWING THAT THE SERVICES HAVE BEEN PERFORMED, RIGHT? BECAUSE IF SHE DOES THAT, WHEN YOU EXECUTE THAT PO YOU SAID THAT YOU'VE BEEN THROUGH THE PROPER PROCUREMENT PROCESS.
A PO HAS TO BE OBTAINED PRIOR TO ANY GOODS BEING RECEIVED OR SERVICES PERFORMED, OR GOODS BEING ORDERED.
SHE'S JUST SAYING, YOU GOTTA PROVE IT.
WELL, WE GOING, SO A FEW WEEKS AGO WITH PURCHASING, REALLY THE ISSUE IS NOT WITH THE, IT'S, IT IS FOR THE PROCEDURE, BUT IT'S WITH THE PROCEDURE THAT HAS TO BE FOLLOWED BECAUSE OF OUR OUTSIDE AUDITORS.
AM I CORRECTING THAT? WELL, IT HAS TO BE FOLLOWED BECAUSE THAT'S THE LAW.
EXCEPTION IS WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR.
AND, UM, FOR IS FOR US TO BE ABLE TO MOVE FORWARD, RIGHT? PAY FOR IT, AND THEN THE TREASURER TO DISPERSE THE MOTION.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
AND SO THE DISCUSSION PHASES, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION FOR YOU? VOTE Y'ALL WORK IT OUT AFTER WE VOTE? YES.
[II.A. Present/Discuss General Fund budget for FY2023-2024. (Judge Deen)]
TWO ON THE DISCUSS APPROVED GENERAL FUND BUDGET FOR 2023.2024 FISCAL YEAR, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO.
DISCUSS GENERAL FUND BUDGET FOR F Y 2324.
WHICH SHEET DO WE NEED FIRST? WE, IT'S IN ORDER.
SO HOW YOUR PAPERS ARE CLIPPED TODAY? TODAY'S LIST TODAY.
I ALREADY TOOK IT ALL OUTTA ORDER.
OKAY, WELL, WE'LL START WITH THIS ONE LIKE THIS, AND IF YOU WANNA PRESS THE BUTTON, WE WILL PUT IT UP THERE.
SO THIS SHEET LOOK, SHOULD LOOK FAMILIAR TO YOU ALL.
UH, WE DISCUSSED IT YESTERDAY.
AND SO I'M GONNA START HIGH LEVEL AND THEN WE'RE GONNA MOVE THROUGH IN MORE DETAIL OF WHAT THIS PROPOSED BUDGET LOOKS LIKE IN COMPARISON TO THE ADOPTED F Y 23 BUDGET, JUST FROM AN OPERATING PERSPECTIVE, AS WELL AS WHAT OUR, WHAT CAPITAL NON CAP AND IT REQUESTS ARE, AND CAPITAL PROJECTS, AS WELL AS, UM, SALARY REQUESTS.
I'M NOT GONNA GO INTO DETAIL AS TO WHAT THOSE REQUESTS ARE.
UH, BECKY WILL BE, UM, GOING IN DETAIL ABOUT THAT TODAY.
AND THEN ON THURSDAY, UH, KIM WILL BE GOING IN DETAIL AS FAR AS THE CAP, NON CAP.
SO THESE WILL BE JUST PRESENTING NUMBERS OF HOW THE BUDGETS COMPARE, UH, TO THE, THE PROPOSED BUDGET TO THE ADOPTED F Y 23 BUDGET THAT WE'RE CURRENTLY IN.
UM, SO JUST AS A RECAP FROM YESTERDAY, OUR CURRENT, UH, TAX RATE IS 0.3 1, 2, 3, 3, 6.
AGAIN, UH, YOU ALL SET THREE SEPARATE TAX RATES, OUR M AND O, WHICH IS OUR OPERATIONS FOR THE GENERAL FUND, OUR INTEREST IN SINKING TO PAY OUR DEBT SERVICE, AND THEN LATERAL ROAD AND BRIDGE, UM, WHICH IS WHAT, UH, GENERATES Y'ALL'S BUDGET.
UH, THE PROPOSED RATE THAT WAS USED IN THE BUDGET FOR F Y 24, UM, IS THE SAME AS THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE.
SO AGAIN, THAT'S THE RATE TO GENERATE THE SAME AMOUNT OF LEVY AS THE YEAR BEFORE.
UM, SO THAT'S INCLUDING BOTH YOUR DEBT SERVICE AND YOUR OPERATIONS.
SO IF OUR DEBT SERVICE INCREASES AND WE ARE STAYING AT THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE, AGAIN, THAT'S, UM, YOUR M AND O IS PICKING, PICKING THAT UP.
UM, AND I MENTIONED THAT YESTERDAY.
SO OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, AND EVEN IF YOU LOOK, DO A LOOK BACK, THERE'S BEEN BOND ISSUANCE AND DRAW DOWN OF THAT.
WE HAD A TAX NOTE, UM, BUT WE'VE STAYED AT THAT NO NEW REVENUE RATE.
SO THAT MEANS HOW WE WERE PAYING FOR OUR DEBT SERVICE.
THAT INCREASE OF WHAT DEBT WAS ISSUED IS COMING FROM M AND O.
UM, THE ONLY REASON WHY WE WOULDN'T SEE A DECREASE IN M AND O IS BECAUSE OF THOSE NEW CONSTRUCTION DOLLARS.
SO I THINK THE NEW CONSTRUCTION DOLLARS, UM, AND THE GROWTH THAT PARKER COUNTY HAS HAD, HAS ALLOWED, I GUESS, SUSTAINING, UH, TO THIS POINT IN TIME, THAT NEW, NO NEW REVENUE RATE.
AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED YESTERDAY AS THERE WAS, UM, THE ORDER TO CALL A BOND ELECTION, UM, I THINK WE'LL HAVE TO HAVE A DIFFERENT DISCUSSION NEXT YEAR AS FAR AS WHAT THAT TAX RATE LOOKS LIKE.
UM, AS FAR AS HOW THE, THAT ADDITIONAL DEBT SERVICE AND BOND, UM, AFFECTS THE TAX RATE THAT WILL BE, UM, SET AND ALSO BEING ABLE TO OPERATE THE GENERAL FUND.
UM, SO IF WE GO HERE, SO WE HAVE A RATE, AND THEN HOW DOES
[00:10:01]
THAT EQUATE TO DOLLARS? SO IF WE LOOK AT, UM, THE CURRENT RATE, IT'S ABOUT 60 MILLION AGAIN FOR THOSE THREE UH, PIECES.AND THEN IN THE PROPOSAL IT'S ABOUT 64.
AND SO AS WE DISCUSSED YESTERDAY, 95% OF THAT INCREASE IS DUE TO NEW CONSTRUCTION.
UM, NEW VALUE ON THE GROUND VERSUS THE PRIOR YEAR, PRIOR YEAR BUDGET, UM, DEBT SERVICE.
SO WE'RE ABOUT 12 MIL MILLION LAST YEAR, ABOUT 11.9 THIS YEAR.
AND THEN I PROVIDED YOU A DETAIL OF WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, UM, IN YEARS TO COME.
UM, AS I HAD MENTIONED, AND I'LL JUST PULL THIS UP, I HAD GIVEN YOU ALL A COPY OF THIS YESTERDAY, AND THIS IS THE HOW I TAKE THE CERTIFIED VALUES AND THEN, UM, HOLD ON WRONG TAB, HOW I TAKE THE CERTIFIED VALUES FROM WHAT, UH, P C A GIVES US AND THEN ACTUALLY GENERATE THAT INTO WHAT DOES THE REVENUE LOOK LIKE.
UM, I KNOW THIS QUESTION'S BEEN ASKED IN THE PAST, HOW DO I FEEL CONFIDENT THAT THIS CALCULATION AND MY TEMPLATE WORKS? SO WHAT I DO EVERY YEAR IS ONCE I GET THOSE CERTIFIED VALUES, UM, THE INFORMATION THAT'S GIVEN FROM THEIR SYSTEM IS NEW VALUES, OLD TAX RATE.
AND SO I POPPED THAT INTO MY CALCULATION AND FOR ROAD AND BRIDGE, UM, THIS YEAR I WAS IN $6 AND 81 CENTS OF WHAT THAT SCHEDULE SAYS.
SO ON 16.2 MILLION, $16.3 MILLION, I FEEL LIKE THAT'S PRETTY GOOD.
UM, AND THEN I DO THE SAME THING ON THE, THE GENERAL FUND.
AND SO I'M WITHIN $11,000 ON 62.3 MILLION.
I FEEL LIKE THE CALCULATION WORKS, SO I FEEL CONFIDENT OF HOW I'VE ENTERED THOSE NEW VALUES.
SO THEN ONCE WE GET THE, UH, TAX CALCULATION, I WORK WITH, UM, THE CHIEF APPRAISER, RICK ARMSTRONG, UM, TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THAT.
AND THIS YEAR WHEN I ORIGINALLY DID THE CALCULATION, YOU WILL SEE FOR GENERAL FUND IT WAS GENERATING 583,000.
UM, IT WAS GENERATING 2.7 ADDITIONAL FOR, UH, I N SS OVER THE PRIOR YEAR.
AS YOU RECALL, WE BOUGHT DOWN, UM, A PORTION OF THAT DEBT RATE LAST YEAR.
UM, AGAIN, TO STAY AT THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE AND TO GENERATE ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR, UM, M AND O.
SO I CAN, I WOULD EXPECT AN INCREASE, BUT EVEN IF I LOOK AT WHAT THAT WOULD GENERATE, IT'S ABOUT 13.7 MILLION.
SO AGAIN, OUR DEBT SERVICE IS 11.9.
AND SO WHAT WE DID IN DISCUSSIONS IS TAKE PART OF DEBT SERVICE FUND BALANCE TO REDUCE THAT RATE.
AND THEN AS A RESULT OF THAT, YOU CAN SEE NOW GENERAL FUND WILL GET 2.6 MILLION.
AND, UM, DEBT SERVICE HERE IS 11.7.
SO WHEN WE FACTOR IN, UH, DELINQUENT COLLECTIONS, WE HAVE MORE THAN, UM, WHAT IS NEEDED FOR DEBT SERVICE IS FROM A PROJECTION STANDPOINT, UM, WITHOUT EVEN REALLY GOING INTO FUND BALANCE, WHICH, WHICH IS GOOD BECAUSE THEN THAT COULD BE USED, UM, IN, IN PRIOR YEARS TO USE THAT FUND BALANCE.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING, UM, NOW THAT WAS CHANGED A COUPLE OF YEARS IN THE LEGISLATURE IS IF YOU HAVE ANY EXCESS COLLECTIONS AND DEBT SERVICE, MEANING THAT SHOULD BE IN YOUR FUND BALANCE, WHEN YOU DO THE TAX RATE CALCULATION, YOU HAVE TO TAKE THAT INTO ACCOUNT.
UM, BECAUSE WHAT IS OUR FUND BALANCE AT THIS MOMENT? UH, FUND BALANCE FOR DEBT SERVICE IS, LET'S SEE, WHERE'S MY SPREADSHEET? YOU TALKING ABOUT DEBT SERVICE OR A GENERAL FUND? GENERAL FUND.
WELL, IT'S IN HERE SOMEWHERE YOU CAN GET ROUND.
SO WHEN I'M TALKING ABOUT, UH, FUND BALANCE FOR THIS PERSPECTIVE, I'M TALKING ABOUT JUST DEBT SERVICE, JUST DEBT SERVICE.
THAT NUMBER, AGAIN, IT'S A PROJECTION IS ABOUT 3.5 MILLION IN DEBT SERVICE.
UM, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND, LAST YEAR WE WERE VERY CLOSE IN OUR PROJECTION.
HOWEVER, THERE'S BEEN YEARS WHERE WE ARE COMPLETELY OFF BECAUSE IT'S TRYING TO PREDICT EVERY REVENUE STREAM, WHICH, YOU KNOW, EVEN YOU COULD SEE COURT COSTS ONE MONTH CAN BE UP, THEY CAN BE DOWN.
SO AGAIN, IT, IT IS A PROJECTION.
IT'S THE SAME THING WITH EXPENSES OF, YOU KNOW, IF DEPARTMENTS ARE GONNA SPEND RIGHT AT THE END.
AND WHAT WE DON'T KNOW, I MEAN, A HUGE PIECE OF THAT IS ATTORNEY'S FEES, RIGHT? WE DON'T KNOW THAT AS WELL AS THIS YEAR LOOKING AT, UM, ROLLOVER ITEMS, WHAT WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA RECEIVE AND NOT.
AND SO I HAVE A PROJECTED ENDING FUND BALANCE OF 33.9 THAT COULD BE DIFFERENT THAN THAT
UH, OKAY, SO THIS JUST AGAIN GOES THROUGH CALCULATING
[00:15:01]
THAT ADDITIONAL REVENUE.SO AGAIN, IN THIS, UH, FOR THIS TAX RATE FOR DEBT SERVICE, IT'S ASSUMING USING 1.5 OF DEBT SERVICE.
AND THAT IS ON THE CALCULATION, UM, TO ENSURE THAT IF ANYONE LOOKS AT IT'S VERY TRANSPARENT.
AND SO IF YOU LOOK AT THAT TAX RATE CALCULATION AND THEN WHAT GETS PROPOSED, THOSE NUMBERS SHOULD MATCH OR THEY DO.
OKAY? AND THEN IF WE GET TO ROAD AND BRIDGE, IT'S 649,000, ALMOST 650,000 OF ADDITIONAL REVENUE GOING INTO ROAD AND BRIDGE.
OKAY? SO IF WE GO BACK TO THIS SPREADSHEET, YOU CAN SEE THIS KIND OF BOTTOM PORTION EX UH, COMPARES THE F Y 23 ADOPTED BUDGET TO THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
UM, YOU CAN SEE IT'S ABOUT $5.3 MILLION LESS.
UM, HOWEVER, THAT INCLUDES ALL CAP, NON CAP ITEMS, WHICH OF COURSE ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET, UM, AS IS THERE ANY SALARY NUMBERS AND THEN EVEN SOME OF THOSE ROLLOVER ITEMS. SO I HAVE A LITTLE FOOTNOTE THAT SAYS EXPENSES INCLUDE CONTINGENCY AMOUNT OF 1.1 MILLION.
UM, SO, AND AS WE MOVE FORWARD, WE NEED TO REALIZE THAT LAST YEAR'S BUDGET INCLUDED SEVERAL MILLION DOLLARS FROM FUND BALANCE 9.3 TO BE EXACT FROM FUND BALANCE, CORRECT? RIGHT.
SO WHEN WE LOOK AT LAST YEAR'S ACTUAL VERSUS, OR LAST YEAR'S ADOPTED VERSUS PROPOSED, YOU HAVE TO TAKE THAT INTO CONSULTATION, CORRECT? AND SO I WAS ASKED THE QUESTION YESTERDAY IS, HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL FUNDS DO WE HAVE FOR THIS BUDGET? AND I'LL SAY ZERO.
ZERO, BECAUSE YOU'RE HAVING TO MAKE UP REVENUE, RIGHT? TO GET BACK TO WHAT FUND BALANCE IS AND THEN ADDITIONAL.
AND SO WE ARE, WE ARE NOT AT THAT IF YOU CAN, IF YOU FACTOR IN ROLLOVER ITEMS. UM, OKAY, SO THIS NEXT SECTION OF THIS SPREADSHEET GOES THROUGH THIS.
AGAIN, THIS IS ONLY, UH, FUND 10.
AND TO REITERATE, THIS IS NOT IN, UM, LET ME ZOOM IN A LITTLE BIT.
SO ONE, ONE OTHER THING WHILE YOU, JUST TO KEEP IN MIND, BACK TO THE FIRST PAGE THERE, THE ADDITIONAL REQUESTS NOT IN S D W OR 15 MILLION.
OH YES, THAT IS WHAT I'M GONNA GO OVER NEXT.
OKAY, SO FUND 10, AGAIN, NOT IN S T W, YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN OF CAPITAL, NON-CAPITAL ITEMS, UM, CAP, NON CAP AND CAPITAL PROJECT ROLLOVERS FROM THE F Y 23 BUDGET.
UM, THEN THERE'S KIND OF SEPARATE FROM JUST REGULAR CAP, NON CAP, THERE'S CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, UM, SLASH PURCHASES, UM, SALARIES AND BENEFITS, SO NEW POSITIONS, RECLASSIFICATIONS, AND THEN, UM, CAP, NON CAP REQUESTS RELATED TO THOSE NEW EMPLOYEE, UH, REQUESTS.
AND SO THAT TOTAL IS ABOUT 15.8.
WE WERE STILL WORKING ON AS OF YESTERDAY AND STILL WORKING THROUGH THAT.
AND WE'LL HAVE THOSE, UM, ON THURSDAY IS, UM, IT NUMBERS THAT ARE INCLUDED IN HERE.
AND SO THAT NUMBER IS ACTUALLY HIGHER THAN WHAT IS INCLUDED HERE.
SO THAT THAT NUMBER IS ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.
UM, AGAIN, I HAVE THIS IN WHOOP IN RED HERE AT THE BOTTOM, THAT'S SAYING, UM, THE ABOVE NUMBERS AS WELL AS THE PROPOSED BUDGET, UH, DOES NOT INCLUDE, UM, ANY INCREASES DUE TO LONGEVITY.
SO ANYONE THAT RIGHT WOULD'VE, UM, EARNED THOSE ADDITIONAL YEARS OF SERVICE AND THE LONGEVITY OR ANYONE THAT WOULD QUALIFY AS WELL AS THE T C D R S CONTRIBUTION RATE.
AND SO BECKY WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT LATER THIS MORNING, AS WELL AS THE RELATED FICA TAXES, UM, INCLUDED IN THAT, UM, THE, THOSE NUMBERS AS WELL FOR, UH, SALARY RECLASSIFICATIONS AND PER, UM, POSITIONS.
SO THAT 15.8 DOES NOT CONSIDER ANY TYPE OF COLA OR OVERALL RAISE TO ALL COUNTY EMPLOYEES, UM, AS WELL AS ANY ADJUSTMENTS TO ELECTED OFFICIAL SALARIES.
SO AGAIN, 15.8, NOT INCLUDING, NOT INCLUDING THOSE NUMBERS.
OKAY, SO, OH, LET'S GO, SORRY, I DON'T HAVE THIS ONE OPEN.
[II.B. Budget Updates. (Brianna Fowler / Judge Deen)]
WE ARE GONNA GO THROUGH THIS SPREADSHEET NEXT.OKAY, SO I KNOW Y'ALL ARE PROBABLY NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO SEE THIS 'CAUSE IT'S SO SMALL.
UH, BUT WHAT THIS GOES THROUGH IS BASICALLY THE
[00:20:01]
F Y 23 AMENDED BUDGET.SO ADOPTED BUDGET INCLUDING ANY SORT OF, UM, BUDGET ADJUSTMENTS, WHAT THE YEAR TO DATE EXPENDITURES ARE, WHAT THE F Y 24 DEPARTMENT REQUESTS WERE, AND THEN THE DIFFERENCES, OR THEN AGAIN IN THAT DIFFERENCE COLUMN.
UM, SO THEN I KNOW IT'S BEEN, UH, REQUESTED TO SEE PERCENTAGES.
UM, AND SO I'VE PUT A PERCENTAGE OF THE F Y 23 AMENDED BUDGET VERSUS THE REQUEST, AND THEN YOU COULD SEE THAT THERE'S THREE COLUMNS THAT FOLLOW, THAT ARE CAP NON CAP ADJUSTMENTS.
AND SO WHAT THAT IS, IS, IS SOMEONE, WHEN I ROLLED THE BUDGET, I ROLLED THE F Y 23 ADOPTED BUDGET.
UM, I ZEROED OUT ANY CAPITAL EXPENDITURES.
AND SO, UM, DEPARTMENTS WERE NOT SUPPOSED TO INPUT ANY SORT OF CAP ON CAP.
AND SO IF THEY DID, I WENT AHEAD AND THEN ZEROED, ZEROED THOSE AMOUNTS OUT.
SO THAT'S WHAT THOSE ADJUSTMENTS ARE.
AND THEN THE SAME THING, UH, FOR SALARY AND BENEFITS, THERE WERE A COUPLE LINES THAT WERE ADJUSTED RELATED TO CURRENT YEAR REQUESTS THAT I ZEROED OUT.
AND THEN THOSE OTHER ADJUSTMENTS, UM, THAT IS JUST, UH, CHANGES IN CONTRACT, CHANGES IN INFORMATION AS WE WENT THROUGH, UM, YOU KNOW, BUDGET WORKSHOPS, THERE WERE, UM, ADJUSTMENTS THAT WERE MADE AFTER THE FACT OF, YOU KNOW, WORKING WITH THE DEPARTMENTS.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT THOSE ADJUSTMENTS ARE, AS WELL AS UPDATED, UM, REVENUE PROJECTIONS.
SO THIS TOP PART IS JUST, UH, ROAD AND BRIDGE, AND THEN WE GET INTO THE GENERAL FUND.
AND SO THE TOP SECTION IS REVENUES, UM, SO YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENT REVENUES AND ADJUSTMENTS THERE.
UM, AND THEN THE NEXT PART IS EXPENDITURES.
SO IT BREAKS IT DOWN BY DEPARTMENT.
SO YOU CAN SEE THEIR, YOU KNOW, THEIR AMENDED BUDGET YEAR TO DATE, UM, WHAT THEY'VE REQUESTED FOR F Y 24 AND ANY, ANY ADJUSTMENTS THERE.
SO YOU CAN SEE OVERALL HOW THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS BROKEN DOWN BY DEPARTMENT.
THEN, UH, THE SECOND PAGE GOES THROUGH ALL OF OUR SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS.
AND SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THESE BEFORE.
UM, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, SHERIFF'S SEIZURES AND FORFEITURES.
WE HAVE, UM, A LOT OF SPECIAL AND DEDICATED FUNDS THAT ARE RELATED TO COLLECTIONS OF COURT COSTS.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE, THE COUNTY CLERK WILL PRESENT SOME OF, YOU KNOW, HER PROJECTS, WHETHER THEY'RE ARCHIVING PROJECTS, UM, MANAGEMENT RECORDS, RETENTION, THOSE TYPES OF THINGS.
UM, WHAT I'VE PROVIDED FOR YOU, AND I KNOW I'VE THINK IN THE PAST I'VE GIVEN IT TO SOME IS I BROKE DOWN WHAT THOSE SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS ARE.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THEM.
UM, SO OVER THE NEXT FEW WEEKS, AS WE GET CLOSER TO ADOPTING THE BUDGET, I WILL WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENTS THAT SPECIFICALLY USE THOSE FUNDS, UM, AND BUDGET THEM ACCORDINGLY.
BUT TALK ABOUT, CAN YOU TALK ABOUT NON-DEPARTMENTAL EXPENSES? YEAH, SO NON-DEPARTMENTAL EXPENSES, UM, THAT'S, UH, THAT'S LUMPY.
SO THOSE NUMBERS HAVE CHANGED, UM, QUITE A BIT.
UM, SO IF WE LOOK OVER THE LAST COUPLE YEARS OF BUDGET, LET ME GO DOWN TO IT.
THAT IS WHERE, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT ON ANOTHER SPREADSHEET.
THERE'S, UM, ALL THE TOWER LEASES USED TO BE PAID FROM THERE, AND NOW THEY'RE IN, UM, THE FIRE MARSHAL'S BUDGET.
AND THEN ONE OTHER CHANGE THIS YEAR, WHICH IS A SIGNIFICANT DECREASE 4, 4 0 9.
BUT THEN YOU HAVE THE OFFSET IS THE MOTOROLA MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT.
AND SO AGAIN, THAT WAS MOVED TO, UM, THE FIVE, OH, WHERE IS IT? I THINK FIVE 40 THREE'S BUDGET FOR THAT.
UM, BUT THE OTHER EXPENSES THAT ARE PAID FROM THERE, ALL OF OUR, UM, INSURANCE, SO PROPERTY GENERAL LIABILITY, AND WE'LL GET TO ANOTHER PAGE WHERE I'LL SHOW, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT, WHAT'S CREATING THOSE DIFFERENCES.
AND SO WE'VE HAD A, UM, BASED ON WHAT WE'VE RECEIVED FROM TAC A VERY LARGE, UM, I WOULD SAY INCREASE IN INSURANCE RATES.
UM, SO THAT'S PAID FROM THERE.
WE HAVE, UM, TWO CAPITAL LEASES RELATED TO, UM, WITH MOTOROLA RELATED TO, UM, PUBLIC SAFETY EQUIPMENT AND UPGRADES.
AND SO THERE WAS A DECREASE IN WHAT OUR DEBT SERVICES FOR THIS YEAR FOR THAT, BECAUSE IT'S THE FINAL YEAR ON ONE OF THOSE LEASES THAT WILL BE PAID OFF.
AND THEN THERE'S THE OTHER LEASE THAT'S, THAT'S LEFT THERE, BUT WE DID SEE A DECREASE BEING THAT LAST YEAR OF IT, OF, OF WHAT THE RESIDUAL LEFTOVER IS.
UM, WE DO HAVE CON CONTRACT SERVICES, SO THAT'S WHERE, YOU KNOW, OUR ACCOUNTING SYSTEM IS PAID OUT OF.
UM, WHAT ARE SOME OTHERS THAT I'M TELEPHONE COPIER.
YEAH, COPIER PRINTER IS ANOTHER BIG EXPENSE THAT'S IN THERE.
AND SO AS WE GET TO THAT, UM, ANOTHER SPREADSHEET I HAVE IN HERE, I ACTUALLY GO THROUGH WHAT'S CREATING THAT, UM, SIGNIFICANT CHANGE.
SO AGAIN, UM, WHAT'S IN HERE ON SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS.
IT'S ALSO, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION, BOND
[00:25:01]
CAPITAL PROJECTS, ALL OF THOSE.AND SO AS WE WORK THROUGH, YOU KNOW, PROJECTED COSTS FOR THOSE, UM, AS WELL AS WORKING WITH THOSE DEPARTMENTS OF HOW, YOU KNOW, THEY PLAN TO SPEND THOSE FUNDS NEXT YEAR, THOSE, THOSE WILL DEFINITELY HAVE SOME UPDATES FROM THERE.
SO AGAIN, AS I SAID, WE WE'RE STARTING HIGH LEVEL AND GETTING MORE GRANULAR.
OKAY, SO THIS NEXT SPREADSHEET AGAIN, YOU'LL SEE ON THE VERY TOP, THE YELLOW.
JUST TO REITERATE, NONE OF THIS IS AN S T W.
SO THIS BREAKS IT OUT A LITTLE BIT MORE AS FAR AS, UM, DEPARTMENTS, WHAT THEIR REQUESTS ARE FOR THIS CURRENT YEAR.
SO YOU CAN SEE, YOU KNOW, THIS, THIS FIRST SECTION IS ALL CAP, NON CAP BROKEN DOWN BY DEPARTMENT.
SO CAP, NON CAP REQUESTS, IT RELATED EXPENSES.
AND AS I MENTIONED, THOSE ARE GOING TO BE ADJUSTED FROM WHAT IS ON HERE.
IT'LL INCREASE, UM, NEW EMPLOYEE CAP, NON CAP, UH, REQUESTS.
SO AGAIN, IF THEY'RE ASKING FOR A NEW EMPLOYEE, YOU ALL HAVE ASKED, WHICH I THINK IS VERY IMPORTANT, IS WHAT IS THE TRUE COST OF THAT EMPLOYEE? SO WHETHER THEY NEED, UM, A DESK, A CAR, RADIO, WHATEVER IT IS, THAT'S, THAT'S THOSE REQUESTS.
UM, THEN WE HAVE F Y 23 ROLLOVERS.
SO AGAIN, THOSE ARE VEHICLES THAT WE DIDN'T, UM, RECEIVE OR EXPECT TO RECEIVE BY THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR.
UM, AND THEN TWO OF THE OTHER BIG ONES IN THERE ARE THE, I THINK I MAYBE MENTIONED IT YESTERDAY, BUT THE, UM, THE JAIL FOR THE HVAC PROJECT.
UM, SO THAT IS A SIGNIFICANT ROLLOVER AS WELL AS LAST YEAR, UH, WHAT WAS PUT INTO CONTINGENCY WAS 400,000 FOR A NEW ACCOUNTING SYSTEM.
AND WE'VE WORKED THROUGH, UH, THIS LAST YEAR FOR BASICALLY, UM, PURCHASING HR TREASURER AS WELL AS THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE, UM, DOING DEMOS AND ALL OF THAT.
WE HAVE SOME WRAP UP REFERENCE CALLS AND THEN WOULD BE MAKING A RECOMMENDATION TO YOU TO THEN BE, UM, IN NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET TO ACTUALLY IMPLEMENT, START IMPLEMENTING THAT NEW SYSTEM.
AND SO IN HERE IN THIS ROLLOVER IS 400,000.
UM, AS WE, YOU KNOW, COME TO MAKE THAT RECOMMENDATION, IF THERE'S ANY ADDITIONAL WE WILL BE BRINGING, BRINGING THAT TO YOU.
AND AGAIN, HOPE TO BE WRAPPING THAT UP VERY SOON.
UM, SO THIS IS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS ALSO, UM, PURCHASES.
SO AGAIN, THE WEATHERFORD PD BUILDING, THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE ANY SORT OF RENOVATIONS RELATED TO THAT.
UM, AND THEN THERE ARE SOME FOR THE, UH, SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, AND AGAIN, THESE WILL BE DISCUSSED MORE IN DEPTH, UM, ON THURSDAY WHEN KIM GOES THROUGH, GOES THROUGH THESE PROJECTS.
UH, SO THESE ARE THE SAME NUMBERS THAT YOU'RE SEEING, YOU KNOW, ON THE OTHER PAGE, BUT IT'S, AGAIN, IT'S BROKEN DOWN BY DEPARTMENT, SO YOU CAN LOOK AT THAT.
UM, SO CAPITAL CREST, A LITTLE OVER 13 MILLION.
AGAIN, THAT'LL INCREASE WITH THE, THE IT, ONCE THOSE NUMBERS ARE FINALIZED.
THEN WE HAVE OUR F Y 24, UH, SALARY REQUEST.
SO THAT'S, UM, RECLASSIFICATIONS AS WELL AS, UM, NEW EMPLOYEE REQUESTS.
SO AGAIN, IT DOESN'T INCLUDE ANY SORT OF ADJUSTMENTS FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS.
IT DOESN'T HAVE ANY CO FACTORED INTO HERE OR T C R S RATES.
AND, UM, IT ALSO DOES NOT INCLUDE THE, UM, STEPPING GRADE PRESENTED BY THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.
SO AGAIN, ALL OF THOSE ARE ABOUT 16 MILLION.
AND THEN WHEN WE GET TO THIS LAST SECTION, UM, THIS IS WHAT'S ACTUALLY IN S T W.
SO, UM, PERSONNEL BENEFITS, COSTS, AS WELL AS THEN OUR OPERATING COSTS.
UM, SO YOU COULD SEE WE'RE ALMOST 38 MILLION, UM, IN PERSONNEL COSTS AND ABOUT 25 MILLION IN OPERATING COSTS FOR A TOTAL PROPOSED BUDGET OF A LITTLE OVER $66 MILLION.
UM, AND AGAIN, DOWN HERE JUST TO SHOW WHAT I HAD PUT INTO CONTINGENCY AS 1.1, BUT AGAIN, AS WE LOOK IN THE OTHER COLUMN OF WHAT WE HAVE IN ROLLOVER, TECHNICALLY WE'VE ALREADY USED THAT CONTINGENCY AND THEN SOME PRIOR TO, UM, ANY ADDITIONAL, UH, ITEMS BEING APPROVED.
OKAY, LAST BUT NOT LEAST, I THINK THIS ONE IS PROBABLY, UM, ONE OF THE MOST INFORMATIVE AND HELPFUL ONES IN MY OPINION.
UM, THIS GOES AND BREAKS DOWN NOW BY DEPARTMENT FROM THE ADOPTED BUDGET TO THE F Y 24 PROPOSED BUDGET.
SO YOU CAN SEE WHAT THAT DEPARTMENT REQUESTED AND WAS APPROVED CAPITAL, NON-CAPITAL ITEMS VERSUS WHAT THE REQUESTS ARE THIS YEAR.
SO, UM, AGAIN, THE GREEN IS ADOPTED BUDGET, SO THE BUDGET WE'RE CURRENTLY IN, AND THEN THE KIND OF CORAL COLOR IS THE PROPOSED BUDGET.
SO IT BREAKS IT DOWN BETWEEN CAP, NON CAP OPERATING BUDGET.
SO WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OPERATING BUDGET, WHICH I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE STARTED WITH, THAT'S ALL YOUR CONTRACT SERVICES, THAT'S YOUR SUPPLIES, THAT'S YOUR TRAINING, UM, FUEL TIRES, ALL OF THOSE THINGS.
AND SO OF COURSE YOUR PERSONNEL IS YOUR PERSONNEL.
AND THEN CAP, NON CAP, THOSE ARE THOSE,
[00:30:01]
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE TIME, UH, PURCHASES.ANYTHING, UM, THAT'S NOT CONSUMABLE THAT WE WOULD BE TRACKING FOR EITHER JUST INVENTORY PURPOSES OR, UM, CAPITALIZING AND DEPRECIATING THOSE ASSETS.
SO HERE, IF WE GO TO THIS BLUE SECTION, THIS IS WHERE IT'S REALLY COMPARING WHAT DOES, YOU KNOW, IN THE PROPOSED, IT PICKS UP REQUESTS, SO THOSE CAP NON CAP REQUESTS AND PERSONNEL REQUESTS TO GET TO, WHAT WOULD THAT TOTAL BUDGET LOOK LIKE, UM, FOR DEPAR, FOR EACH DEPARTMENT AND IN TOTAL IF ALL OF THESE THINGS WERE APPROVED.
AND THEN IT SHOWS HERE IN THE DIFFERENCE COLUMN IS WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE AGAIN, BETWEEN THE ADOPTED BUDGET AND THE PROPOSED BUDGET, IF EVERYTHING FOR THAT DEPARTMENT WAS APPROVED AND GRANTED.
AND THEN THESE TWO, AGAIN, WE, WE TALK REALLY IN DEPTH ON SALARIES AND BENEFITS, ANY APPROVALS THERE.
UM, AND THEN WE GO INTO DETAIL ABOUT CAP ON CAP, UM, ITEMS, UM, AND APPROVALS.
BUT WHAT WE REALLY DON'T TALK ABOUT A LOT OR YOU KNOW, YOU KIND OF SEE ON A REQUEST FORM IT ARE THOSE OPERATING EXPENDITURES.
SO I THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT DOES, IT MAKES UP A SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE BUDGET IS TO SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH OUR OPERATING EXPENDITURES.
SO YOU CAN SEE IN THE VARIANCE THERE'S THE OPERATING INCREASE, DECREASE, AND THEN IN DOLLARS AND THEN IN PERCENTAGES.
UM, AND THEN THE SAME THING, I DIDN'T DO PERCENTAGES.
'CAUSE AGAIN, THERE'S
I'VE GONE THROUGH TO LOOK AT WHAT IS CREATING THAT, WHAT IS CREATING THAT VARIANCE, WHY, WHY HAS IT INCREASED SO SIGNIFICANTLY.
AND SO IF YOU GO THROUGH THAT, I'VE ADDED COMMENTS FOR ALL OF THOSE OF WHAT IT IS.
SO AS YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, YOU KNOW, A 4 0 9 NON-DEPARTMENTAL EXPENSE, UM, SO THE INCREASES THAT ARE IN HERE, AND SO THESE ARE, THE INCREASE IS NOT THE TOTAL BUDGET RELATED TO THESE ITEMS. UM, SO ALMOST $50,000 INCREASE FOR THE FLOOD CONTROL DAMS. AND I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT DURING, UM, THOSE BUDGET WORKSHOPS WE HAD, UH, WE BUDGETED 20,000 FOR PROPERTY CLAIM DEDUCTIBLES.
AND SO IN THE PAST THIS HASN'T BEEN BUDGETED.
AND SO WE FELT IN WORKING, UM, WITH KIM, LET'S GO AHEAD AND BUDGET THAT DEDUCTIBLE.
LET'S HAVE THAT IN A LINE BECAUSE FORTUNATELY WE'VE HAD SEVERAL CLAIMS, PROPERTY CLAIMS, UM, THIS YEAR.
SO IT WOULD BE BETTER JUST TO GO AHEAD AND, AND BUDGET PART OF THOSE.
SO WE CREATED A LINE, UM, AGAIN, SO WE HAVE THE BUDGET AND TRACKING OF THOSE EXPENSES.
UM, AND THEN OUR APPRAISAL AND COLLECTION CONTRACT WITH THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT HAS INCREASED ABOUT 51,000.
UM, THAT'S IN THEIR PROPOSED BUDGET.
I'VE ASKED THEM IF ANYTHING CHANGES FROM THAT, PLEASE TO, UM, NOTIFY US SO WE CAN BUDGET THAT NUMBER ACCORDINGLY.
UM, AND THEN $80,000 INCREASE IN PROPERTY AND GENERAL LIABILITY INSURANCE.
SO AGAIN, THESE ARE PROJECTIONS, UM, BASED ON WHAT TAC HAS UH, COMMUNICATED.
AND SO THAT'S WHAT, UM, IS CREATING THAT, THOSE INCREASES.
UM, IF WE LOOK AT THE DECREASES 610,000 FOR CONTRACT SERVICES, SO AGAIN, THAT SIGNIFICANT PORTION OF WHY THAT DECREASED, UM, IT'S JUST OFFSET SOMEWHERE ELSE.
AND SO THAT'S FOR THE MOTOROLA, UH, MAINTENANCE AGREEMENT THAT WAS TRANSFERRED TO 4 0 6.
AND THEN AS I MENTIONED, WE HAVE CAPITAL LEASES THERE AND IT'S A LAST YEAR WHEN THE MOTOROLA ONES, UM, AND SO IT'S ACTUALLY A HUNDRED AND ALMOST $141,000 DECREASE FOR THAT, FOR DEBT SERVICE RELATED, RELATED TO THAT CAPITAL LEASE.
AND THEN AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, INCLUDED IN THIS NUMBER IS A BUDGETED CONTINGENCY OF 1.1.
ON E M S 4 0 6, IT SAYS 6 54 5 2 9 IN THAT BOX RIGHT ABOVE, IS THAT NUMBER DIFFERENT THAN THE SIX 10? BECAUSE THAT'S THIS YEAR RATE, WHEREAS LAST YEAR IT WAS SIX 10.
AND I THINK, I CAN'T REMEMBER IF THERE'S SOMETHING ELSE IN, IN THAT LINE, BUT YES, I THINK THAT WAS WHAT WAS IN THE SHEET.
AND SO I KNOW THAT WE HAD, UM, WE WERE WORKING ON UPDATED QUOTES AND SEAN GOT IT TO US BECAUSE, UM, CONSIDERING THE RADIO PROJECT, OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SOME OFFSET ONTO THE MAINTENANCE YEAH.
FOR THAT AS, AS THAT, UH, NEW SYSTEM, UPGRADED SYSTEM IS IMPLEMENTED.
AND THEN THERE WAS ALSO, UM, SOME INCREASES IN 5 43, 5 43 FOR THE TOWER LEASES BECAUSE OF, AGAIN, THE RADIO PROJECT.
THERE'S GONNA BE ADDITIONAL, UM, HARDWARE ON THAT, WHICH THEN IMPACTS OUR
[00:35:01]
LEASES.SO, BUT IF YOU, I, I REALIZE IT IS A WHOLE LOT OF INFORMATION ALL AT ONCE.
AND SO IF YOU GO THROUGH, YOU KNOW, ON THOSE COMMENTS ON THOSE OPERATING VARIANCES AND HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, UM, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.
BUT I THINK IT'S HELPFUL TO SEE KIND OF WHAT IS IS HAPPENING AND, AND AGAIN, AS WE TALK ABOUT TAX RATES AND BUDGETS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, YOU KNOW, EACH YEAR, AND THIS IS KIND OF JUST FROM A SIMPLISTIC STANDPOINT, IS, YOU KNOW, ADOPTING A NO NEW REVENUE RATE.
I ALWAYS SAY THE FLIP SIDE, DO WE HAVE NO NEW EXPENSES? NO, YOU KNOW, AS WE GO THROUGH, YOU KNOW, LOOKING AT THESE COMMENTS, THERE'S SO MANY OF 'EM THAT IT'S JUST, IT'S INCREASES IN OUR, IN OUR CONTRACTS.
UM, AND HAVING THOSE UPLIFTS YEAR TO YEAR, SINCE WE HAVE THE MEDICAL EXAMINER PEOPLE HERE, THE ONE THAT'S 92,000 INCREASE THE TARRANT COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER CONTRACT.
HOW COME THAT'S SO HIGH? UH, ONE OF THE REASONS CHANDLER TOLD ME OVER AT TARRANT COUNTY, THE AUDITOR, UH, IT'S BECAUSE IT, WE, IT DIDN'T RACE THROUGH THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS AND THEY'RE TRYING TO PLAY CATCH UP AND THEY'RE DOING IT WITH TARRANT COUNTY AND JOHNSON COUNTY AS WELL.
IT'S JUST, UH, I, FOR THE LONGEST TIME, P PARKER COUNTY'S THE ONE THAT NEVER GOT RAISED ON JOHNSON COUNTY DID, AND I BELIEVE DENTON COUNTY DID, BUT I DON'T KNOW THE NUMBERS RIGHT OFF HAND.
BUT, UH, WHEN I TALKED TO CHANDLER, HE SAID IT WAS BECAUSE THROUGH THE YEARS, WE WERE NEVER REALLY, IT NEVER UPPED FOR US.
SO THEY'RE TRYING TO, SO THEY'RE MAKING UP FOR NOT YES, SIR.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY I WAS GONNA SAY THERE HAS BEEN INCREASES, BUT PROBABLY JUST NOT TO THE EXTENT THAT MAY BE CORRECT, YES, SHOULD, BUT OVERALL WE HAVE HAD INCREASES.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN WHY THAT'S NOT BEEN MORE CONSISTENT WITH WHAT THE EXPENSE TO PARKER COUNTY SHOULD BE? I REALLY CAN'T ANSWER THAT.
I JUST KNOW I PUT IN A CALL TO CHANDLER, 'CAUSE I'M TRYING TO UNDERSTAND IT WHEN I'VE TALKED TO THEM.
THEY'VE, BECAUSE THESE SPIKES IS REALLY WHAT'S FRUSTRATING FOR US WHEN WE DO OUR BUDGET, WHEN WE, WE WE GET GOOD, WE, WE WHAT WE THINK IS A GOOD DEAL OR A FAIR DEAL, BUT THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THERE'S A SPIKE.
AND THAT'S WHAT WHAT'S WHAT HURTS IN OUR BUDGET PROCESS IS THAT WHEN THE, THE PRICING'S KEEPING LOW AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN YOU SPIKE THAT.
THAT'S WHAT'S WE, I I WOULD ASK THAT TO GO BACK AND, AND HAVE THAT DISCUSSION, TO HAVE IT MORE BALANCED TO TRY TO EASE INTO THAT A LITTLE BIT MORE OVER TIME RATHER THAN JUST HIT US ALL OF A SUDDEN AT ONCE, WHAT IT SHOULD BE, WHAT YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN DOING OR CHARGING THIS OVER, OVER TIME.
BECAUSE THAT'S, THAT'S THE FRUSTRATING PART ABOUT THIS, ESPECIALLY IN A CHALLENGING BUDGET YEAR, IS THIS.
UH, BUT I WOULD ASK THAT YOU WOULD GO BACK AND RE-LOOK AT THAT OR JUST TO TALK TO SOMEONE TO SEE WHAT YOU CAN DO TO BALANCE THAT, TO, TO EASE THAT OVER TIME RATHER THAN ONE YEAR.
I DID CALL TAM AND I DO HAVE CALL INTO HIM 'CAUSE I WAS WANTING TO KNOW SOME OF THAT STUFF.
ALL RIGHT, WELL, IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS, I WILL TURN IT ALL OVER TO BECKY.
AND AGAIN, IN LOOKING THROUGH THAT, IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS LATER, LET ME KNOW.
JUDGE, ARE WE STILL UNDERNEATH? IS THAT RIGHT? WE ARE.
AND I'M SORRY, I'M, I'M ACTUALLY TRYING TO DO SOME UPDATES ON THE WEBSITE.
UM, SORRY, BECKY MAKE YOU, WAIT, WHAT ARE YOU WORKING OUT? SO THIS, YEAH, UNDER, SO UNDER B ON THE, UM, I, I'M SORRY,
[II.C. Texas County and District Retirement System (TCDRS). (Becky McCullough / Judge Deen)]
C C ON THE TEXAS COUNTY DISTRICT RETIREMENT SYSTEM.BECKY, AND THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE GONNA COVER? YEP.
SO FIRST WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT T C D R S.
THIS IS GONNA BE YOUR FIRST TAB IN THIS, IN YOUR BOOKS.
UM, IF YOU REMEMBER LAST YEAR FOR FISCAL 23, OUR RATE ACTUALLY CAME IN LOWER.
AND SO WE ELECTED A HIGHER RATE.
UM, SO, UH, THAT ACTUALLY WORKED WELL FOR US THIS YEAR.
OUR RATE CAME IN EXACTLY WHAT WE CURRENTLY PAY.
SO THEY'RE NOT ASKING FOR AN INCREASE.
UM, COURT CAN ALWAYS CHOOSE TO ELECT A HIGHER RATE.
I KNOW THERE'S BEEN SOME DISCUSSION BETWEEN MYSELF AND, UM, COMMISSIONER HOLT AND COMMISSIONER HALE ABOUT GETTING TO A HUNDRED PERCENT FUNDED WITH OUR RETIREMENT PLAN.
SO IN YOUR PRESENTATIONS, UM, WHICH 84.9 IS CONSIDERED GOOD.
OKAY, WE ARE CONSIDERED A HEALTHY PLAN.
SO, BUT IN THE PRESENTATION I PUT WHAT IS REQUIRED, WHICH IS 13.31.
SO THAT'S THE RATE THAT YOU COULD CHANGE OUR REQUIRED GROUP TERM LIFE RATE.
AND THIS IS FOR THE LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES
[00:40:01]
THAT ARE TIED TO YOUR RETIREMENT ACCOUNTS.WE CANNOT CHANGE THAT RATE THAT'S SET IN STONE.
SO FOR A TOTAL RATE OF 13.57, AGAIN, THIS IS EXACTLY THE SAME RATE AS WE PAY FOR FISCAL 23.
UM, AND I JUST PUT A SIDE NOTE FOR FUND 10, THE 3.577, THAT'S THE ESTIMATE OF WHAT WE PAY IN FROM FUND 10 ONLY TO T C D R S.
AND JUST TO KIND OF SHOW AN EXAMPLE, IF YOU WERE TO CHOOSE TO GO HIGHER ON YOUR ELECTED RATE, SAY I JUST USED 15%, THEN YOU WOULD GO A 15% ELECTED RATE.
THE 0.26 REQUIRED GROUP TERM LIFE RATE BRINGS YOU A TOTAL OF 15.26, WHICH WOULD BRING YOU UP TO 4.1 MILLION CONTRIBUTION FROM FUND 10.
SO YOU'RE LOOKING AT AN EXTRA HALF A MILLION DOLLARS.
MY RECOMMENDATION IS WE STAY WITH THE REQUIRED RATE FROM T C D R S, WHICH IS 13.31 AND THE 0.26 TERM LAUGH OR GROUP TERM LAUGH RATE FOR A TOTAL CONTRIBUTION OF 13.57.
YOU CAN ALWAYS GO BACK AND SEND A LUMP SUM TO T C D R S.
WE DID THAT LAST YEAR AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT AGAIN, DOING THAT THIS YEAR IN NOVEMBER, YOU KNOW, IN EVERYONE'S BUDGET YOU HAVE A RETIREMENT LINE.
LAST YEAR WE STARTED LOOKING AT THOSE LINES AND SENDING THE EXCESS FROM PEOPLE NOT BEING PAID AT BUDGET, OPEN POSITIONS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
SO WE SENT A LUMP SUM PAYMENT TO T C D R S IN THE AMOUNT OF 102,000 881 30.
AGAIN, THAT HELPED US IN KEEPING OUR RATE FROM GOING UP.
UM, AGAIN, WE'LL LOOK AT DOING THAT AGAIN THIS YEAR.
DOES IT BENEFIT, DOES IT BENEFIT US MUCH TO RUSH TO GET TO THE A HUNDRED PERCENT? WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU GET TO A HUNDRED PERCENT OR EVEN ABOVE A HUNDRED PERCENT, THEN YOU CAN START TALKING ABOUT GIVING COLA RAISES TO RETIREES, BUT YOU'RE USING YOUR OWN MONEY TO DO THAT.
I KNOW YOU ALL GET CALLS ABOUT RETIREE RAISES.
UM, IF YOU GO FURTHER DOWN THE PRESENTATION, I DID PUT THE NUMBERS OUT THERE TO SHOW YOU WHAT RETIREE RAISES COST.
UM, THE LAST TWO COLAS WERE GIVEN IN 2009 AND 2008.
WE'RE STILL PAYING FOR THOSE BECAUSE BACK THEN THE COUNTY FINANCED A COLA.
SO IT WAS JUST LAYERED AND LAYERED AND LAYERED.
SO THAT ALWAYS, THAT AFFECTS THAT RATE THAT WE HAVE TO PAY IN.
SO WE'RE ACTUALLY STILL PAYING FOR THE LAST TWO COLAS THAT WE'RE GIVEN.
SO, BUT ONCE YOU GET OVER A HUNDRED PERCENT, YOU CAN USE YOUR OWN MONEY TO DO THAT BY JUST DOING WHAT IS REQUIRED OF US TO DO.
IT IS ESTIMATED WE WILL REACH A HUNDRED PERCENT IN ABOUT 18 TO 20 YEARS.
THAT'S ALWAYS JUST GONNA BE A TARGET NUMBER.
IT DEPENDS ON, YOU KNOW, RETIREES, PEOPLE, LE YOU KNOW, PEOPLE WHO QUIT AND THEY'RE NOT VESTED THAT MONEY GETS REINVESTED INTO THE PLAN.
SO THAT'S ALWAYS KIND OF A MOVING TARGET, BUT WE'RE DOING WELL.
UM, SO MY RECOMMENDATION IS TO LEAVE THE, AT THE REQUIRED RATES.
YOU NEED A MOTION FOR THAT? I DO.
I'M GONNA MOVE THAT WE, UH, ACCEPT THE RECOMMENDATION OF, UH, THE HR SLASH COUNTY TREASURER MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER WALDEN.
WE SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CONLEY.
IS THERE ANY DISCUSSION BEFORE WE VOTE? UM, MAY I ADD IN A LITTLE BIT TO THAT MOTION, IF YOU DON'T MIND? OKAY.
UH, WHAT USUALLY HAPPENS AFTER COURT, UH, PEOPLE COME BACK, GO.
WHAT WAS THE MOTION? AND SO YOUR MOTION WAS TO ACCEPT HER RECOMMENDATIONS, BUT WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THE RE RECOMMENDATION WAS.
RECOMMENDATION IS THAT, UH, THE MOTION IS THAT WE SET THE, UH, CONTRIBUTION RATE TO T C D R SS AT 13.3 POINT 13.31%.
DO WE NEED TO ADD IN THE 0.26 GROUP TERM LIFE RATE, JUST TO BE CLEAR? SURE.
GROUP TERM LIFE WITH A TOTAL UH, RATE OF 13.57.
I HAD A QUESTION JUST FOR CLARIFICATION.
THE PAYOFF ON THE FINANCED CALL RAISES FROM OH EIGHT AND NINE MM-HMM.
UM, I DID PROVIDE YOU SOME MORE INFORMATION.
I ALWAYS LIKE TO SAY HERE'S THE BACKUP FROM T C D R S TO SHOW I DIDN'T JUST MAKE THESE NUMBERS UP.
SO I HAVE PROVIDED THAT FOR YOU AS WELL AS THE PROJECTION OF THE, OF THE A HUNDRED PERCENT.
I'M SORRY, COMMISSIONER, UH, IT GOT PUSHED UP.
UM, COMMISSIONER CONLEY, DID YOU MAKE THE SECOND ON THAT? DID OKAY, GOOD.
COMMISSIONER WALTER MADE THE MOTION FOR APPROVAL.
UH, COMMISSIONER ALWAYS HAS MADE THE SECOND.
UH, IS THERE ANY, THE DISCUSSION ALL IN FAVOR? I HAD A, I HAD A QUESTION.
THE 15% FROM THE 13.31, IF WE WENT TO THAT,
[00:45:02]
MAYBE YOU ALREADY SAID IT AND I MISSED IT, THAT'S EXTREMELY POSSIBLE.WHAT DOES THAT CHANGE AS FAR AS THE 18 TO 20 YEAR PAYOFF? DO YOU KNOW IF THAT REDUCES IT? I'M SURE IT WOULD, IT WOULD HELP MOVE IT UP, OBVIOUSLY, BUT I DON'T KNOW.
LIKE I SAID, THAT'S ALWAYS GONNA MOVE, BE A MOVING TARGET, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THE MARKET DO BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE REQUIRED AT THAT 7% INTEREST OR THAT'S A GUARANTEED TO 7% INTEREST, BUT IF THE MARKET DOESN'T PAY THE 7% INTEREST AND THAT MONEY COMES FROM SOMEWHERE, WHICH ALWAYS AFFECTS OUR RATE AS WELL.
SO I MEAN, AGAIN, IT WOULD GET US THERE SOONER, BUT TO SAY IT'S GONNA CUT IT IN HALF, I CAN'T PROMISE THAT.
YEAH, I I JUST DIDN'T KNOW IF IF THAT CHANGE THERE WAS A, YOU KNOW, NOW WE'RE THERE IN EIGHT YEARS INSTEAD RIGHT.
BUT IF IT CHANGES IT TO, YOU KNOW, 17 TO 19 YEARS, THEN IT'S A DIFFERENT ISSUE.
BUT WE DON'T, WE DON'T HAVE ANY WAY TO KNOW THAT RIGHT NOW.
I MEAN, I COULD GO BACK AGAIN.
I ALWAYS SAY Y'ALL HAVE A LOT OF DECISIONS, DECISIONS TO MAKE IN BUDGET.
I ALWAYS SAY, YOU KNOW, AT THE END OF THE BUDGET SESSION, IF Y'ALL ARE LIKE, WOW, WE HAVE AN EXTRA MILLION DOLLARS TO SPEND, YOU KNOW, THEN MAYBE THAT'S SOMETHING YOU WANNA GO BACK TO LOOK AT.
BUT, UM, KIND OF SOUNDS LIKE MAYBE THAT'S NOT THE SITUATION THIS YEAR.
SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, COULD YOU ASK TACK YEAH.
IF WE COULD HELP YOU JUST GET A VERY ROUGH GUESS OKAY.
ON WHAT THAT 15% NUMBER WILL DO.
YOU OTHER DISCUSSION? ONE MORE QUESTION.
THE, UH, DO WE KNOW APPROXIMATE INTEREST OR WHAT THAT FINANCE CALL WHAT THAT'S COSTING US FROM OH EIGHT NINE? UH, NO.
I MEAN, IT'S JUST ALL AFFECTED INTO THE RATE.
UM, I DON'T, I CAN REACH OUT TO OUR T C D R S REP TO SEE, UM, I DON'T REMEMBER WHAT INTEREST RATES WERE RUNNING BACK THEN
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR PASS BY YOU NEED THIS? NO.
I WAS WONDERING IF YOU NEED, SO I WAS JUST WAITING FOR THE NEW NEXT ITEM.
[II.D. Active Employee Insurance Rates. (Becky McCullough / Judge Deen)]
D ON THE ACTIVE EMPLOYEE INSURANCE RATES.SO ACTIVE EMPLOYEE INSURANCE RATES.
SO AFTER PLAN REVIEW OF 2223, IT IS MY RECOMMENDATION THAT PARKER COUNTY MAKES CHANGES TO THE ACTIVE EMPLOYEE'S MEDICAL ON THE EMPLOYER PORTION SIDE.
I'M NOT RECOMMENDING AN INCREASE ON THE EMPLOYER SIDE AT THIS TIME EXCEPT FOR EMPLOYEE ONLY HIGH DEDUCTIBLE PLANS.
MY RECOMMENDATION IS AS FOLLOWS.
THE P P O PLAN RAN AT A DEFICIT OF $478,410.
THE HIGH DEDUCTIBLE PLAN RAN AT A SURPLUS OF ONE POINT, A LITTLE OVER 1.1 MILLION.
SO THAT GAVE US AN OVERALL PLANNED PERFORMANCE OF 2022 OF A SURPLUS OF $652,000.
SO WE ENDED LAST YEAR AND I WAS SUPER EXCITED.
YOU KNOW, IT'S GONNA BE AN EASY YEAR FOR INSURANCE.
UM, BUT WHENEVER WE LOOK AT INSURANCE RATE PROJECTIONS, NOT ONLY DO WE LOOK AT LAST YEAR, WE LOOK AT ABOUT THE FIRST SIX MONTHS OF CURRENT YEAR AND QUICKLY INTO 2023, WE WERE NOT PERFORMING AS WELL AS WE DID IN 2022.
SO AS OF JUNE OF 2023, OUR PLAN IS RUNNING AT A DEFICIT OF $492,000.
SO WE'VE ALMOST COMPLETELY EATEN UP.
OUR SURPLUS WAS STILL HALF A YEAR TO GO.
SO WE KNEW WE WERE HAVING A GREAT YEAR LAST YEAR.
UM, WE ACTUALLY ENDED LAST YEAR WITH ZERO STOP-LOSS CLAIMS. SO STOP-LOSS IS AN EXTRA INSURANCE POLICY THAT WE HAVE.
SO THE COUNTY PAYS THE FIRST $200,000 CLAIMS ON ANYONE WHO IS ON OUR PLAN AND IT GOES OVER 200,000.
WE GET A REIMBURSEMENT FROM A STOP-LOSS POLICY.
OKAY? SO WE HAD ZERO STOP-LOSS CLAIMS FOR 2022.
SO WE ACTUALLY RECEIVED A PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE REBATE OF A HUNDRED, ALMOST $114,000 FOR THAT.
OKAY? SO THAT WAS STRAIGHT INTO A CLAIMS CREDIT TO HELP US FOR 2023.
UM, LIKE I SAID, THINGS QUICKLY TOOK A NEGATIVE TURN IN 2023.
WE'VE ALREADY HAD STOP-LOSS HITS FOR 2023.
SO WE WILL NOT GET A PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE NEXT YEAR.
AND, UM, AGAIN, ALMOST, AND I KNOW THE NUMBERS THROUGH JULY, OUR SURPLUS IS ALMOST COMPLETELY GONE.
BUT WE, I TOOK THESE NUMBERS FROM JUNE.
UM, OUR CONSULTANTS HAVE ONLY RECOMMENDED INCREASE IN PREMIUM FUNDING OF ABOUT $332,000.
UH, BASED ON THE RATE PROJECTIONS OR MY RATE RECOMMENDATIONS THAT YOU'LL SEE, UM, ON THE EMPLOYEE SIDE, IT'S GONNA GENERATE ABOUT ALMOST ABOUT $190,000.
AND AGAIN, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT INSURANCE.
THIS IS WHO IS IN CURRENT PLANS.
SO OBVIOUSLY BUDGET IS DONE BEFORE WE DO OPEN ENROLLMENT.
SO, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE COULD SHIFT PLANS.
UM, BUT THE REMAINING OF THAT DIFFERENCE,
[00:50:01]
UM, THAT WOULD COME FROM INSURANCE ESCROW'S FUND BALANCE.I'M NOT ASKING FOR THE COUNTY TO CONTRIBUTE MORE INTO IT.
INSURANCE ESCROW'S FUND BALANCE COULD ABSORB THE DIFFERENCE.
UM, ON THE NEXT PAGE IS WHERE I BREAK DOWN THE RATES.
SO WHAT I'M ASKING FOR, I'M NOT ASKING FOR HUGE INCREASES.
UM, FOR THE EMPLOYEE ONLY P P O, IT WOULD BE A BIWEEKLY INCREASE OF $7 AND 60 CENTS.
UM, ALL THE WAY UP TO AN EMPLOYEE WITH FAMILY ON THE P P O PLAN WOULD BE A BIWEEKLY INCREASE OF $18 AND 44 CENTS.
I AM ASKING FOR EMPLOYEE ONLY HIGH DEDUCTIBLE PREMIUMS TO BE AT $0.
SO CLEARLY THE HIGH DEDUCTIBLE PLAN IS CARRYING THE P P O PLAN.
OKAY? SO P P O ENDS UP IN A DEFICIT, HIGH DEDUCTIBLE, ENDS UP IN A NICE SURPLUS, HELPS EVERYBODY IN THEIR CLAIMS WHERE WE ARE LOPSIDED IN THE SELECTION OF P P O AND HIGH DEDUCTIBLE.
AND AGAIN, I WANT TO REITERATE IT IS VERY, IT IS GREAT THAT OUR EMPLOYEES HAVE CHOICE BETWEEN A P P O AND A HIGH DEDUCTIBLE PLAN.
I'M NOT IN ANY WAY RECOMMENDING WE DO AWAY WITH P P O.
OKAY? EMPLOYEES NEED THAT CHOICE.
IT'S GREAT TO HAVE THAT CHOICE, BUT IT'S THE EMPLOYEE ONLY P P O THAT'S REALLY LOPSIDED.
WE HAVE LIKE ALMOST, YOU KNOW, A HUNDRED AND, UH, 73 PEOPLE CURRENTLY IN EMPLOYEE ONLY P P O 70 IN EMPLOYEE ONLY HIGH DEDUCTIBLE.
THE OTHER PLANS ARE PRETTY EVEN.
THEY PRETTY MUCH WASH EACH OTHER OUT.
IT'S A HARD SELL TO GET SOMEONE TO SWITCH FROM EMPLOYEE ONLY P P O TO EMPLOYEE ONLY HIGH DEDUCTIBLE.
SO BY TAKING THE P P O UP TO $60 BY WEEKLY AND THE HIGH DEDUCTIBLE TO $0, I FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, THAT MAY MAKE SOMEBODY TAKE A SECOND LOOK ALONG WITH EDUCATION AND TALKING TO US.
UM, A HARD, YOU KNOW, MIGHT BE A, THEY MIGHT LEARN THEY'RE BETTER OFF GONNA BE IN THAT HIGH DEDUCTIBLE PLAN, WHICH IS GONNA HELP US, UM, YOU KNOW, IN OUR CLAIMS FOR NEXT YEAR BECAUSE THE SPEND IS BAD.
OUR MEDICAL SPEND IS BAD FOR 2023.
SO I'M TRYING TO BE PROACTIVE HERE IN ADJUSTING RATES NOW TO TRY TO HELP OFFSET A LARGE INCREASE FOR NEXT YEAR.
AND ALSO DOING SOME MORE EDUCATION WITH OUR EMPLOYEES TO MAYBE MAKE SURE THEY ARE IN THE BEST PLAN FOR THEM, WHICH IS ALSO GONNA HELP US ON A CLAIM SPEND FOR NEXT YEAR.
WE MAY STILL HAVE A BIG RATE INCREASE NEXT YEAR, I CAN'T PROMISE THAT, BUT, UM, I WOULD JUST LIKE TO BE PROACTIVE NOW.
SO, UH, EVERY YEAR I ALWAYS DO, I GO VISIT OUT TO THE PRECINCTS, UM, TO TALK ABOUT HEALTH INSURANCE DURING OPEN ENROLLMENT TO HELP WITH ENROLLMENT FORMS. THIS YEAR'S NO DIFFERENT.
WE'LL DO THE SAME THING AS WELL AS, UM, WE'RE ACTUALLY GONNA DO THE FIRST WEEK OF OPEN ENROLLMENT.
WE WILL HOST MEETINGS AND I HAVE A REP FROM UNITEDHEALTHCARE WHO WILL BE THERE AS WELL THAT CAN KIND OF HELP EMPLOYEES UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE URBAN MYTHS THAT'S BAD ABOUT HIGH DEDUCTIBLE PLANS.
SO WE HAVE A LOT OF NEW HIRES THAT COME IN THAT THEY'RE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE USED TO A HIGH DEDUCTIBLE PLAN AND WHEN THEY HEAR OUR DEDUCTIBLES, THEY'RE LIKE, ARE YOU KIDDING ME? MINE WAS $10,000 AND I PAID 500 A MONTH FOR THAT.
SO FOR US FOR IT TO BE A $1,500 DEDUCTIBLE AND THEY'RE PAYING $30 A MONTH FOR IT.
SO A LOT OF NEW HIRES JUMP INTO THAT PLAN, BUT IT'S EXISTING EMPLOYEES THAT WE NEED TO WORK ON UNDERSTANDING.
AND THERE'S NO CHANGE TO THE DENTAL AND NO CHANGE TO THIS.
SO THE LAST PAGE OF THIS TAB IS THE RATES THAT I AM ASKING YOU TO APPROVE, AND I CAN GIVE YOU A COPY OF THIS IF THEY APPROVE THIS, IF THAT'S BETTER THAN GOING THROUGH EACH RATE.
HAVE WE, UH, TRANCHED OUT HOW THESE EFFECTS HIT ON THE DIFFERENT SALARY RANGES? AND I GUESS WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS I, I WANT TO BE CAREFUL THAT WE'RE NOT INCREASING COSTS, UM, DISPROPORTIONATELY FOR OUR LOWER PAID EMPLOYEES ON A PERCENTAGE OF THEIR SALARY VERSUS OUR HIGHER PAID EMPLOYEES.
DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? IT MAKES SENSE, BUT SO YOU'RE SAYING HAVING INSURANCE RATES DIFFERENT FOR THAT'S YEAH, I, I'M NOT SUGGESTING A SOLUTION.
I'M DOING WHAT I, I LOVE WHEN PEOPLE DO TO ME AND THAT'S ASKING A QUESTION WITH NO PROPOSED SOLUTION AT ALL.
YOU KNOW, SO I, I WOULDN'T SEE A REASON TO DO THAT.
MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER HALE, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER WALDEN.
[00:55:01]
SORRY.I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION, SORRY.
UM, DO WE KNOW BY SALARY RANGE WHERE EMPLOYEES ARE MORE LIKELY TO FALL ON P P O VERSUS HIGH DEDUCTIBLE? I HAD A GUESS, BUT I'M CURIOUS, IN OTHER WORDS, ARE, ARE ARE FOLKS THAT HAVE A LOWER SALARY RANGE MM-HMM.
OR IS THAT A PRETTY UNION SPLIT? IT'S A PRETTY BIG MIX.
MOST OF OUR, MOST OF OUR EMPLOYEES SIT IN EMPLOYEE ONLY P P O, YOU KNOW, THAT'S REALLY WHERE THE BULK OF EMPLOYEES ARE.
IT'S OVER 170 OR RIGHT AROUND 170 EMPLOYEES SIT THERE.
THAT COULD BE, YOU KNOW, YOUR HIGHEST PAID SALARY TO YOUR LOWEST PAID SALARY.
UM, A LOT OF TIMES, YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY HAS DEPENDENTS ON THEIR PLAN OR FAMILY MEMBERS ON THEIR PLAN, YOU KNOW, MAYBE THEY SPOUSE WORKS AND SO THE SPOUSE IS COVERED UNDER THEIR OWN PLAN.
UM, SO I IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A MIX, BUT THAT'S ALSO WHY, BECAUSE IF SOMEONE IS, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A LOWER SALARY AND THEY'RE SITTING IN EMPLOYEE ONLY P P O, SITTING DOWN WITH THEM AND HAVING A CONVERSATION OF, HEY, YOU COULD SWITCH TO AN EMPLOYEE ONLY HIGH DEDUCTIBLE AND YOU CAN SAVE $120 IN PREMIUM RIGHT OFF THE BAT.
SO, HAVE WE EVER LOOKED BEFORE AT ADJUSTING THE, UM, RATES TO TIER OFF OF SALARY AT ALL? I DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THAT'S LEGAL.
I HONESTLY, I MEAN, OF THE OTHER ENTITIES AND I DON'T, I'VE NEVER SEEN THAT.
I MEAN, AND IT KIND OF GIVES ME A LOT OF HEARTBURN TO THINK ABOUT THAT ON AN OPEN ENROLLMENT SIDE AND BUDGETING SIDE.
BUT, BUT AGAIN, I MEAN, AGAIN, WE HAVE CHOICE.
SO, YOU KNOW, MY OFFICE, WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN REALLY BIG ON THE EDUCATION PIECE BECAUSE WE ARE A SELF-FUNDED PLAN.
AND SO MAKING EMP HAVING EMPLOYEES UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE CONSEQUENCES OF GOING TO THE ER WHEN YOU HAVE STREP THROATS VERSUS GOING TO THE, DOING A DOCTOR ON DEMAND VIRTUAL VISIT FOR STREP THROAT, YOU KNOW, THAT $2,000 TO THE ER HITS ALL OF OUR CLAIMS. IT, IT AFFECTS EVERY ONE OF US.
SO HAVING EMPLOYEES UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE IN CARE IS WHERE WE SAVE MONEY.
AND SO WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA LOOK AT THESE RATE INCREASES, BUT WE'RE NOT REDUCING COVERAGE.
NO CHANGE TO COVERAGE, NO CHANGES TO DEDUCTIBLES, NO CHANGES TO OUT OF POCKETS.
THAT'S ALL I DO YOUR MOTION AS TO APPROVE THE RECOMMENDATIONS.
IF HR SAYS TREASURER ATTACHED, WE'LL ATTACH HER RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE MINUTES SO PEOPLE CAN SEE IT.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? PASS FIVE.
ITEM D ON THE ACT TWO EMPLOYEE INSURANCE RATES.
[II.E. Health Insurance for Retirees. (Becky McCullough / Judge Deen)]
E HEALTH INSURANCE FOR RETIREES.SO RETIREE INSURANCE RATES, UM, I HAD REALLY, TO BE HONEST, YOU KNOW, WE ENDED UP WITH THAT SURPLUS LAST YEAR.
I THOUGHT, OKAY, LET'S TAKE ANOTHER STEP INTO, UM, RETIREE COVERAGE.
AND DIDN'T TAKE LONG FOR ME TO GO, WELL, THAT'S PROBABLY NOT GONNA HAPPEN.
AND SO, UM, MY RECOMMENDATION IS NOT TO INCREASE ANY OF THE RETIREE BENEFIT THAT WE ALREADY HAVE.
SO JUST TO BE CLEAR, FOR AN EMPLOYEE NOW, THE RATES DID CHANGE AS WELL TO RETIREE RATES JUST AS THEY DID TO ACTIVE RATES.
THAT'S ALWAYS GONNA HAPPEN, UM, FOR PRE 65.
BUT AGAIN, UM, SO IF, IF IT IS IN RETIREE THAT IS RETIREMENT ELIGIBLE FROM PARKER COUNTY, BUT THEY HAVE LESS THAN 30 YEARS OF SERVICE, UM, THE FIRST SHEET IS THE RATE SHEET FOR THAT.
SO THERE IS AN INCREASE TO THAT AS YOU CAN.
UM, I THINK CURRENT, WELL, THE EMPLOYEE PAYS A HUNDRED PERCENT OF THIS COST.
SO THE COUNTY DOESN'T CONTRIBUTE TO IT AT ALL.
WE STILL ARE PAYING THEIR CLAIMS, BUT WE'RE NOT PAYING ANY OF THEIR PREMIUM.
SO THE BENEFIT COMES IN WHEN THEY HAVE REACHED 30 YEARS OF SERVICE.
THEN THE COUNTY AGREED THE, THE COURT APPROVED LAST YEAR TO PAY 50% OF EMPLOYEE ONLY PREMIUM.
SO PAGE TWO IS THE REFLECTION OF THAT RATE.
SO THAT RATE DID INCREASE A LITTLE BIT.
I THINK IT WAS MID SIX HUNDREDS LAST YEAR WOULD BE THE COUNTY PORTION.
UM, WE DID HAVE SOME EMPLOYEES TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS.
WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF EMPLOYEES ON THE PLAN, BUT, UM, IT WAS VERY, YOU KNOW, SOME VERY HAPPY RETIREES WHO'D BEEN HERE FOR A VERY LONG TIME THAT, YOU KNOW, WOULD'VE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY THEY WERE FINALLY ABLE TO RETIRE WAS BECAUSE THERE WAS NOW AN INSURANCE OPTION FOR THEM.
SO, AGAIN, I'M NOT ASKING FOR ANY CHANGES.
IT WOULD STILL BE THE 50 50 SPLIT.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY IF THEY HAD DEPENDENCE ON THE PLAN, THEY COULD STAY ON THE PLAN, BUT THEY'RE GONNA PAY A HUNDRED PERCENT OF IT.
BUT, UM, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE RATES GET PRETTY COSTLY FOR THAT.
SO WE DON'T SEE ANY OF THAT AT THIS TIME.
[01:00:01]
THIRD PAGE, THIS IS OUR POST 65 RETIREES.WE ARE IN RATE YEAR TWO OF A TWO YEAR RATE GUARANTEE.
SO THIS IS WHERE, UM, EMPLOYEES WHO ARE RETIREMENT ELIGIBLE, THEY HAVE AT LEAST 10 YEARS OF SERVICE TO PARKER COUNTY, THAT THE COUNTY PAYS FOR A 50% OF THEIR MEDICARE ADVANTAGE SUPPLEMENTS.
SO THIS IS A GREAT THING FOR OUR POST 65 EMPLOYEES.
THEY ARE REQUIRED TO BE ON PART A AND B OF MEDICARE PRIOR TO BEING ELIGIBLE TO THIS.
UM, BUT WE DO NOT PAY THEIR CLAIMS ANYMORE.
SO IT GIVES THEM A REALLY GREAT BENEFIT.
AND KNOCK ON WOOD, I HAVEN'T HAD ANY NEGATIVITY COMMENTS ABOUT THIS.
USUALLY IT'S ALL POSITIVE OF THE FEEDBACK OF THIS PROGRAM THAT IS GETTING MORE AND MORE POPULAR EVERY YEAR.
AND AGAIN, THIS IS THE SAME RATE AS IT WAS LAST YEAR.
SO WE DON'T, WE JUST LEAVE IT LIKE IT IS.
WE DON'T YOU NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE? YEAH, I NEED A MOTION TO APPROVE.
AND THEN WE CAN JUST ATTACH ALL THESE RATE SHEETS TO THE PRESENTATION MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER CONY, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER HILL.
FURTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN A FAVOR.
[II.F. Longevity Pay. (Becky McCullough / Judge Deen)]
GOOD ITEM.THE NEXT TAB WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT LONGEVITY PAY.
UM, SO IN THE FISCAL, SO WHAT'S IN THE JUDGE'S PROPOSED BUDGET WAS THE LONGEVITY NUMBERS FROM LAST YEAR.
SO THE INCREASE THAT WE WILL ADD IN, IF LONGEVITY FOR FISCAL 24 IS APPROVED, IT'S AN ADDITIONAL $41,490.
UM, AGAIN, LAST YEAR I PUT A COPY OF THE POLICY OF THE LONGEVITY POLICY THAT WAS UPDATED AND APPROVED LAST YEAR.
WE WENT FROM $60 A YEAR TO $75 A YEAR AFTER FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE.
I WISH IT WAS MONTHLY, RIGHT? NO.
UM, BUT THAT WAS UPDATED AND APPROVED LAST YEAR.
I ALSO GAVE A BREAKDOWN, A BREAKDOWN OF EACH DEPARTMENT.
NOW WE WILL RERUN LONGEVITY NUMBERS, YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE ADOPT THE BUDGET.
UM, SO THESE NUMBERS CAN CHANGE BECAUSE YOU MUST BE AN ACTIVE EMPLOYEE WHEN LONGEVITY CHECKS ARE CUT.
AND SO I KNOW OF PEOPLE THAT ARE PLANNING RETIREMENT BETWEEN NOW AND THEN.
SO THESE NUMBERS WILL COME DOWN.
OR IF THEY DON'T LET US KNOW TILL AFTER THE BUDGET'S ADOPTED, IT'LL BE, YOU KNOW, JUST EXCESS, YOU KNOW, ROLLOVER FOR NEXT YEAR.
SO, WHICH YOU JUST, YOU NEVER KNOW.
DO WE WANNA VOTE ON THAT OR DO YOU WANT TO MOVE ON? I, I WISH THAT WE COULD DO SOMETHING TO INCREASE THAT, BUT I'M, I'M SUSPECTING THE BEST MOVE IS TO LEAVE IT AS IT IS, RIGHT? YOU NEED A MOTION FOR THAT? YES.
UH, MY MOTION'S GONNA BE TO, UH, HAVE THE LONGEVITY PAY RATE, UH, AS IT WAS IN THE PREVIOUS YEAR'S.
MOTION BE BY COMMISSIONER WALDEN.
AND YOU'RE MEANING THE $75 YES.
AND WE CAN GO BACK AND CHANGE THIS.
WE CAN AT THE END OF BUDGET IF WE FIND AN EXTRA, HOWEVER MUCH.
WELL, YOU DON'T HAVE A SECOND YET.
WELL, COMMISSIONER COLEMAN, UH, IT NEEDS TO, IT NEEDS TO BE COMMISSIONER HOL.
OKAY, WE'VE GOT ITEM G SALARIES
[II.G. Salaries and Benefits for Elected Officials. (Becky McCullough / Judge Deen)]
AND BENEFITS FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS.AS MUCH FUN AS THIS WAS LAST YEAR, WE'RE GONNA TALK ABOUT IT AGAIN.
UM, IN FRONT OF YOU IS THE CHART OF THE FIRST COLUMN IS THE CURRENT PAY FOR ELECTED OFFICIALS.
THE SECOND COLUMN IS, IS, UM, I MARKED IT AS ADDITIONAL.
AND THEN I HIGHLIGHTED IN GREEN THE FOUR REQUESTS FOR ADDITIONAL PAY.
THIS IS THE SAME REQUEST FROM LAST YEAR THAT WAS NOT APPROVED IN THE CELL PHONE ALLOWANCE LINE.
THE JPS ARE ASKING FOR A $900 CELL PHONE ALLOWANCE.
UM, I DID BUILD IN A 5% RAISE THAT IS JUST BASED OFF OF CONVERSATIONS WITH THE COURT ABOUT BUDGET.
AND THIS WAS THE HIGHEST NUMBER AT THE TIME THAT I HAD HEARD.
UM, AGAIN, THAT'S UP TO FOR DISCUSSION.
[01:05:01]
THE AUTO ALLOWANCE LINE, THESE ARE THE AUTO ALLOWANCES APPROVED FROM LAST YEAR.AGAIN, IN THE DARK GREEN IS WE HAVE A REQUEST FROM THE SHERIFF TO RECEIVE THE SAME AUTO ALLOWANCE OF $20,800.
NOW, I DID VISIT WITH ALL OF THE CONSTABLES REGARDING THIS.
UM, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY WHEN YOU SEE ONE REQUEST, OTHER OFFICES ASK FOR THE SAME REQUEST.
UM, I GOT DIFFERENT ANSWERS, YOU KNOW, ONE DIDN'T WANT IT AT ALL.
ONE MAYBE WANTED AN OPTION DEPENDING ON IF VEHICLES WERE APPROVED IN BUDGET.
BUT I JUST WANTED TO LAY THOSE REQUESTS OUT.
THEN THE COUNTY ATTORNEY AND THE COUNTY JUDGE'S SUPPLEMENTS, THAT'S WHAT THOSE ARE.
TO WHERE IF THIS SCALE WAS APPROVED, THESE WOULD BE YOUR TOTAL SALARY NUMBERS ACROSS THE BOARD.
CAN WE GO BACK TO THE AUTO DEAL? OKAY.
DID, DID WE DECIDE THAT IT WAS BROUGHT UP ABOUT WHETHER IT WAS LEGAL OR NOT FOR THE, UH, JPS OR THAT WOULD BE, THAT WOULD BE A JOHN FOREST QUESTION.
IT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING FROM CONVERSATIONS.
SO I KNOW SOMETHING I HEARD IT WASN'T HEARD.
YEAH, BECAUSE YOU'RE, THAT WAS MY UNDERSTANDING.
IT WAS NOT SO I KNOW SOMETHING WAS SAID DIFFERENTLY IN COURT.
SO IN, IN THE LIGHT OF EVERYTHING THAT'S IN HERE RIGHT? WHEN'S THE, UH, LAST DATE THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE THIS DECISION ON, ON ELECTED OFFICIALS SALARIES? 'CAUSE I KNOW IT HAS TO BE POSTED IN THE NEWSPAPER AND ALL THOSE THINGS.
AUGUST 28TH IS WHAT WE HAVE IT ON THE SCHEDULE TO VOTE FOR THE PROPOSED.
THAT'S THE LAST DATE THAT WE ANY SORT OF AGREEMENT FILE.
HEARING, JUST, JUST SO THAT EVERYBODY'S CLEAR ON THAT.
DID I HEAR YOU SAY AUGUST 27TH? 28TH? 28TH? THAT'S THE REGULAR COURT DATE THERE.
IT MAY BE A, A DATE LATER THAN THAT, BUT WE DON'T HAVE A COURT SPECIAL.
UH, WE'D HAVE TO HAVE A SPECIAL COURT FOR IT.
AT ANY RATE, IT'S SCHEDULED FOR A FINAL VOTE ON THE 28TH.
AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE DECISION THAT'S MADE TODAY.
UM, AND IT'S ALWAYS SEEMED A LITTLE BIT BACKWARDS FOR ME BECAUSE WE HAVE TO SET THAT BEFORE WE ACTUALLY HAVE THE, UH, THE REST OF THE BUDGET DONE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S DIFFICULT BECAUSE, UH, WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT BE THE LAST THING IF WE HAVE MONEY LEFT OVER.
BUT I WOULD, I WOULD AGREE WITH THAT.
THERE, THERE IS ONE DEPARTMENT, ONE POSITION I WOULD LIKE TO BRING UP HERE.
I DO HAVE A POINT FOR THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY.
THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS A STATE EMPLOYEE.
HE IS NOT, HE'S NOT AN EMPLOYEE OF THE COUNTY, IS THE WAY THERE'S, IS SET UP.
SO, BUT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY HAS REQUESTED A SUPPLEMENT TO BRING HIS SALARY EQUAL TO THE PAY OF THE COUNTY ATTORNEY.
UM, I REACHED OUT TO SOME DIFFERENT COUNTIES AND SOME COUNTIES DO THAT.
UM, SO THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S BASE SALARY IS LISTED HERE ON THIS FORM.
UM, AND THEN HE DOES RECEIVE A STATE SUPPLEMENT.
SO THAT ADDITIONAL $58,084 THAT IS PAID TO HIM AND THE MONEY COMES FROM THE STATE.
SO THE 1 3 4 827 IS THE COUNTY PORTION OF HIS SALARY.
JUST TO MAKE SURE EVERYBODY UNDERSTANDS, HAS THERE BEEN ANY MORE DISCUSSION REGARDING THE COUNTY ATTORNEY AND HIS, UH, I DID WILLINGNESS TO GIVE UP PART OF HIS SALARY FOR ANOTHER PHYSICIAN.
YES, I DID DISCUSS THAT WITH JOHN.
UM, HE IS LOOKING AT REDUCING THE SUPPLEMENTS.
UM, WE HAD, I WANT TO GET WITH HIM AGAIN JUST TO MAKE SURE I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND, BUT YES, HE IS LOOKING TO REDUCE HIS SUPPLEMENTS TO HELP TO BE ABLE TO, 'CAUSE THAT SUPPLEMENT CAN ALSO BE GIVEN TO OTHER ATTORNEYS IN HIS OFFICE.
YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH HIS DEPARTMENT.
AND SO, AND SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT, THAT'S HIS DISCRETION.
SO, BUT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING, I THINK WE'RE LOOKING AT HIM PROBABLY LOWERING THAT AROUND 5,000 TO $6,000.
BUT I WANNA CONFIRM THAT WITH HIM UNTIL THAT HAPPENS.
UH, WE, WE HAVE OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY HERE, UM, JEFF, DO YOU MIND COMING UP FOR A MINUTE? SO I, I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THAT UP, BECKY, AND, AND, UH, APPRECIATE THE, THE COURT HEARING FROM ME ON THIS.
SO, UM, DA SALARY SUPPLEMENTS FROM THE COUNTY, UH, OUR STATE PAYS 140,000.
UM, AND THEN THERE IS ADDITIONAL PER TERM INCREASES IN THAT, JUST LIKE THE DISTRICT JUDGES HAVE.
UM, SO BASICALLY IF YOU GET SUPPLEMENTED OVER A CERTAIN PORTION THOUGH, BASICALLY THOSE KIND OF WASH OUT, YOU DON'T GET THOSE.
SO IT'S NOT GONNA BUILD ON TOP OF THAT.
UM, DA SALARY SUPPLEMENTS ARE VERY COMMON IN THE, UM, LARGER COUNTIES.
AND IT, IT SEEMS WEIRD HAVING BEEN HERE SINCE, YOU KNOW, THE NINETIES WORKING FOR THE COUNTY THAT WE'RE IN THAT GROUP NOW, BUT WE'RE, WE JUST ARE, UM, IN, UH, SO THAT Y'ALL CAN DO SOME COMPS IN TARRANT COUNTY, THE DA GETS A COUNTY
[01:10:01]
SUPPLEMENT OF 119,000 AND CHANGE, UM, FOR A TOTAL SALARY OF 259,000.UH, DENTON IS FAIRLY SIMILAR, BUT A LITTLE BIT LESS.
I I DON'T HAVE THE EXACT NUMBERS ON THAT.
JOHNSON, UH, THE DA GETS A SALARY SUPPLEMENT OF 84,412 FOR A TOTAL OF $224,000.
THEY'RE, THEY'RE VERY MUCH A PART OF, UH, THE PROSECUTION WORLD IN OUR AREA AND IN AND IN COUNTIES OUR SIZE.
UM, SO I, I, I'D ASK OBVIOUSLY TO BE, UH, PAID THE SAME AS, AS OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY WHO'S OUR MISDEMEANOR PROSECUTOR AS THE FELONY PROSECUTOR.
AND OBVIOUSLY JOHN DOES A LOT MORE THAN JUST THE MISDEMEANOR SIDE.
HE DOES ALL OVER OUR COUNTY CIVIL BUSINESS.
BUT IT SEEMS STRANGE TO HAVE OUR FELONY PROSECUTOR GET PAID LESS THAN OUR, OUR MISDEMEANOR PROSECUTOR.
UM, BUT IT, IT'S NOT REALLY JUST THAT.
UM, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE, UH, HAD A PROBLEM WITH IN OUR COUNTY IS MAKING SURE THAT OUR PROSECUTOR PAY IS COMPARABLE AND COMPETITIVE WITH THE OTHER COUNTIES.
AND WE ARE ABSOLUTELY COMPETING WITH TARRANT COUNTY, WITH DENTON COUNTY, JOHNSON COUNTY FOR PROSECUTORS.
UM, I LOST A LONG TENURED PROSECUTOR JUST IN THE LAST YEAR TO TARRANT COUNTY.
SHE WENT OVER THERE AND IMMEDIATELY GOT A LARGE SALARY INCREASE.
UM, AFTER THE, UH, THE DA OVER THERE GOT, UH, THROUGH THE PRIMARY AND THE RUNOFF, UH, LAST YEAR, HE WAS KIND ENOUGH TO COME OVER AND HAVE A MEETING WITH ME AND, UH, YOU KNOW, ASKED IF THE COUNTY SUPPLEMENTED MY PAY.
AND HE SAYS, SO YOU MAKE THE, THE BASE 140,000 PAID BY THE STATE? I SAID, YEAH, THAT'S RIGHT.
AND, AND HE SAID, WELL, I HAVE OVER 40 ASSISTANT DAS THAT MAKE MORE THAN YOU.
UM, AND YOU KNOW, WHEN I, WHEN I HAVE THAT, THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE TARRANT COUNTY.
HAS 40 ASSISTANT DAS THAT MAKE MORE THAN YOU DO.
AND, AND THE WAY THAT IMPACTS PEOPLE IS NOT JUST MY SALARY, BUT YOU KNOW, PEOPLE THAT WORK FOR ME, MY ASSISTANT DAS ARE GONNA BUTT UP AGAINST MY SALARY.
UM, AND, YOU KNOW, PRESUMABLY THEY'RE NOT GONNA MAKE MORE THAN YOU, UM, AS THE, THE ELECTED.
AND SO, UH, WE'RE LIMITING WHO WE CAN GET AND WHO WE CAN KEEP WITH THAT SALARY.
SO, UH, IF, IF Y'ALL CAN SUPPLEMENT MY SALARY, THAT MEANS I CAN HAVE THEM, UH, ESPECIALLY MY MORE TENURED FOLKS, MAKE A LITTLE BIT MORE AND HOPEFULLY KEEP THEM.
UH, SO I DON'T LOSE ANY MORE, YOU KNOW, LONG-TERM PROSECUTORS.
UM, I CANNOT, CAN YOU WALK ME THROUGH THAT? SO DOES, SO IF YOUR SALARY IS RAISED, DOES THE STATE PAY YOUR ASSISTANT DA'S NO MORE? THOSE, THOSE ALL COME, HOW DOES THAT WORK COME FROM? THE COUNTY DOES.
UM, I, I HAVE MONEY TO, IN THE BUDGET TO DO SOME OF THOSE RAISES.
UM, BUT, UH, FOR, FOR, FOR EXAMPLE, CAP.
WELL, I MEAN, PRESUMABLY, RIGHT? YEAH.
I MEAN, IT'D BE WEIRD TO HAVE YOUR EMPLOYEES MAKING MORE THAN YOU.
I MEAN, YOU COULD DO IT, BUT, UM, MY, WHEN THE COUNTY GAVE A, UH, A RAISE LAST YEAR, MY FIRST ASSISTANT DIDN'T GET TO ACTUALLY GET THAT ENTIRE RAISE, UM, BECAUSE SHE WAS HITTING UP AGAINST MY SALARY.
UM, AND I, I CAN TELL YOU SHE'S WORTH HER WEIGHT IN GOLD.
UM, SO, AND I, I KNOW Y'ALL HAVE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE FANTASTIC TOO, BUT, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, UH, THE MARKET FOR ATTORNEYS IS HOT.
UH, THE MARKET FOR PROSECUTOR IS VERY CHALLENGING AS OF RIGHT NOW.
UM, OUR, OUR PROSECUTOR ASSOCIATION FOR ABOUT THE LAST TWO YEARS HAS BEEN TALKING ABOUT IT'S VERY DIFFICULT TO FIND PEOPLE THAT WANT TO DO OUR WORK.
WE'RE KIND OF IN THE SAME BOAT THAT, THAT I THINK LAW ENFORCEMENT'S IN.
AND I KNOW THE SHERIFF HAS SEEN SOME OF THE DIFFICULTY WITH HIRING PEOPLE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WITH SOME OF THE CULTURAL THINGS WE HAVE GOING ON RIGHT NOW IN OUR, OUR COUNTRY, UH, A LOT MORE PEOPLE TALK NEGATIVELY ABOUT LAW ENFORCEMENT AND TALK NEGATIVELY ABOUT PROSECUTORS.
UM, AND SO THERE'S THAT MANY MORE PEOPLE COMING OUTTA LAW SCHOOL THAT DON'T HAVE ANY INTEREST IN DOING THE WORK THAT WE DO.
UM, AND SO IF YOU LOOK ON OUR, OUR STATE PROSECUTOR WEBSITE, YOU WILL SEE A LONG LIST OF COUNTIES THAT ARE HUNTING FOR PROSECUTORS.
THAT NEVER USED TO BE THE CASE.
THERE USED TO BE MAYBE THREE TO FIVE JOBS ON THERE.
UH, THERE'S, I MEAN, THERE'S JOBS OUT THERE DATING BACK A YEAR, UM, AND THERE'S PROBABLY IN EXCESS OF 50 FOR FELONY PROSECUTORS, UM, WHICH IS UNHEARD OF.
AND THAT'S NOT COUNTING THE BIG COUNTIES BECAUSE THEY GENERALLY DON'T ADVERTISE.
SO, UM, ANYWAY, SO THAT'S, IT DOESN'T JUST IMPACT MY SALARY AND, AND HAVING IT BE COMPARABLE WITH, WITH JOHN'S, UH, OVER AS OUR COUNTY ATTORNEY AND HIS SPOT.
UH, BUT IT ALSO ALLOWS ME TO RAISE MY, UH, ASSISTANCE, ESPECIALLY MY LONG TENURED ASSISTANCE UP, AND MAKE SURE THAT WE CAN KEEP THOSE PEOPLE WORKING HERE FOR OUR, OUR COMMUNITY.
DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING ELSE? NO, I WAS GONNA ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS.
[01:15:01]
A LOT OF DISCUSSION HERE ON SALARIES AND I, I'M, I'M ALSO KIND OF FOLLOWING THE, KIND OF THE RECOMMENDATION THE SALARY SHOULD BE PUT AT, AT THE END, OR PUT AS WE GET THROUGH SOME OF THE CRITICAL THINGS THAT WE'RE GONNA BE FACED WITH, SOME OF THE CHALLENGES WE TALKED ABOUT.UH, BUT THIS IS ONE OF THOSE GLARING THINGS THAT I THINK THAT, UH, I JUST WANT TO POINT OUT THAT, UH, TO YOUR POINT, UH, JEFF, THAT, UM, TO HAVE THE FELONY PROSECUTOR, UM, ALONG WITH THE MISDEMEANOR PROSECUTOR, WHO IS THE COUNTY ATTORNEY, DOES OTHER FUNCTIONS AS WELL.
UM, THERE'S A LOT OF SIMILARITIES WITHIN THOSE TWO JOBS THAT I THINK IS VERY JUSTIFIABLE TO HAVE THOSE THE SAME.
I MEAN, WE MAY NOT DO IT TODAY, BUT MY RECOMMENDATION WOULD BE TO BRING THESE, THESE TWO POSITIONS UP TO PARITY.
I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S JUST SO STRAIGHTFORWARD TO ME THAT WE DO THAT, WHETHER IT'S TODAY OR WHETHER WE DO IT ANOTHER TIME, IN ALL FAIRNESS TO ALL THESE SALARIES THAT WE'LL BE LOOKING AT, UH, WE CAN HEAR 'EM ALL TODAY AND THAT'S FINE.
BUT THAT'S ONE I WOULD, I WOULD STRONGLY RECOMMEND THAT THE COURT LOOK AT BECAUSE OF THE FAIRNESS OF THE SITUATION AND THE ARGUMENT THAT YOU MADE.
I APPRECIATE THAT REASONABLE REQUEST.
UM, SO THE NEXT FEW PAGES OF THIS IS JUST THE BREAKDOWN OF IF THOSE REQUESTS, ADDITIONAL REQUESTS BY ELECTED OFFICIALS IS APPROVED, UM, YOU KNOW, HOW THAT WOULD AFFECT, SO LIKE FOR THE FOUR POSITIONS ASKING FOR THE $10,000, UM, IT WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL 48,000, ALMOST $550.
UM, EACH ONE BREAKS DOWN TO 12,136.
SO AGAIN, ON THE NEXT PAGE, IT'S THE BREAKDOWN OF THE AUTO ALLOWANCES.
I DID JUST FOR PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION, UM, FACTORED IT ON.
IF THE SHERIFF AND ALL FOUR CONSTABLES RECEIVED A VEHICLE ALLOWANCE, UM, THE BREAKDOWN WOULD END UP BEING $25,213 AND 76 CENTS EACH.
AGAIN, I DON'T THINK THEY WOULD ALL TAKE IT, BUT I JUST PUT IT IN HERE JUST FOR CONVERSATION.
AND AS WELL AS THE FINAL COLUMN IS FOR CELL PHONE ALLOWANCES.
SO ARE WE GONNA GIVE THEM OTHER CONSTABLES A DEADLINE ON A, UH, ARE THEY GONNA WAIT TILL THE LAST MINUTE AND SAY THEY WANT, UM, CONSTABLE ONE TOLD ME, UM, NO, THAT HE DID NOT WANT A VEHICLE ALLOWANCE.
YOU KNOW, PREVIOUS TO LAST YEAR, YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONERS CHOSE KNOW, DO YOU HAVE A VEHICLE ALLOWANCE OR NOT? IT MAY NOT BE LEGAL TO DO IT ANYWAY.
WE NEED TO CONFIRM THAT WITH JOHN.
WE NEED A CLARIFICATION ON THAT.
I KNOW A LOT OF THIS STUFF ISN'T GONNA GET VOTED ON TODAY, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR YOU TO, TO HAVE THE INFORMATION TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN NOW AND WHEN DECISIONS MUST BE MADE.
NEXT WE'RE GONNA MOVE ON TO THE PRE, OH, NEXT ITEM, PLEASE.
I'M, I'M GETTING, IS WE MAKING A MOTION? NO.
NO, NO, NO MOTION ON THAT ONE TODAY ANYWAY.
[II.H. Salaries and Benefits for Precincts. (Becky McCullough / Judge Deen)]
GOING TO ITEM AGENTS HOURS AND BENEFITS TO PRECINCTS.SO HERE IS THE PRECINCT REQUESTS.
SO PRECINCT ONE DID NOT ASK FOR ANY ADDITIONAL NEW EMPLOYEES OR RECLASS OR ANYTHING THIS YEAR.
PRECINCT TWO IS ASKING FOR THREE ADDITIONAL, UM, EMPLOYEES.
SO, AND THEN PRECINCT THREE AND PRECINCT FOUR ARE SIMPLY ASKING FOR A RECLASS IS EITHER AN OPERATOR TO A LEAD OPERATOR OR AN OPERATOR TO A MECHANIC.
SO, UM, I'LL GO INTO EACH PAGE, EACH DEPARTMENT A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAILED.
AND THEN I DID BREAK DOWN, UM, WHAT COLA INCREASES WOULD LOOK LIKE TO THE PRECINCTS, ANYWHERE FROM A 1, 3, 4, AND 5%, JUST SO YOU COULD SEE FOR YOUR INFORMATION.
I DIDN'T ASK FOR EMPLOYEES 'CAUSE I DID ONE LAST YEAR.
AND I'M PROBABLY GONNA DO ONE NEXT YEAR, BUT, UH, BUT THIS YEAR I'M FINE.
SO THE NEXT PAGE IS GONNA BE PRECINCT TWOS BUDGET.
SO YOUR FIRST COLUMN IS ALWAYS GONNA BE, THIS IS WHAT YOUR FISCAL 23 BUDGET LOOKS LIKE FOR SALARIES AND BENEFITS.
SO IF THOSE THREE POSITIONS WERE APPROVED, THEN YOU CAN SEE THE DIFFERENCE IN THE FISCAL 24 SIDE.
SO FOR PRECINCT TWO, AND, UM, HE ACTUALLY IS TAKING AN OPERATOR UP TO A LEAD OPERATOR AS WELL AS ASKING FOR THREE NEW OPERATOR POSITIONS.
HE IS REMOVING THE RESEARCH COORDINATOR POSITION.
SO THAT'S A NICE, THAT WASHES OUT BASICALLY ONE OF HIS OPERATOR POSITIONS.
UM, WE SEE A DECREASE IN THE LONGEVITY LINE.
OBVIOUSLY PRECINCT TWO HAD SOME BIG RETIREES LAST YEAR, UM, AND CHANGES TO UNIFORM AND CELL PHONE.
SO OVERALL WITH THIS, IT WOULD BE AN 11% INCREASE TO THE SALARY AND BENEFITS PORTION OF THE BUDGET.
CAN I, CAN I ASK A QUESTION ON THE PRIOR PAGE? UHHUH
AND THAT WOULD PUT ME EQUAL WITH ONE AND WITH THREE, RIGHT? YEAH.
[01:20:01]
LIKE YOUR NEW EMPLOYEE ASKS THAT COMES FROM YOUR ROAD AND BRIDGE MONEY? SURE.JUST, I, I THOUGHT IT CAME FROM THE HR BUDGET.
I, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S MORE THAN THE HR BUDGET, TOTAL
THEN FOR PRECINCT THREE, UM, AGAIN, WE'RE MOVING AN OPERATOR UP TO THE LEAD OPERATOR POSITION, WE SEE A DECREASE IN LONGEVITY.
UM, CELL PHONE WOULD INCREASE.
UH, SO THE ACTUAL, FOR THE P I ALWAYS SAY DON'T GET SO BOGGED DOWN SOMETIMES IN TOTAL COST, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT EMPLOYEE HOSPITAL, THAT CAN FLUCTUATE FOR ANYBODY.
YOU CAN BE ASKING FOR NO CHANGES TO STAFFING AND YOUR EMPLOYEE HOSPITAL'S GONNA GO UP.
AND THAT'S JUST BECAUSE, AGAIN, MAYBE PEOPLE CHOOSE SOMETHING DIFFERENT DURING OPEN ENROLLMENT.
MAYBE SOMEBODY GOT MARRIED OR HAD A BABY DURING THE YEAR.
SO ANYWAY, SO THE MOVING THE ONE OPERATOR POSITION TO LEAD OPERATOR IS $8,524.
AND THEN FOR PRECINCT FOUR, HERE'S A GOOD EXAMPLE OF, IT LOOKS LIKE PRECINCT FOUR'S ASK IS A LOT MORE AT 17,895, IT'S REALLY ONLY 8,159.
IT'S BECAUSE THAT'S PICKING UP AN INCREASE IN THE HOSPITALIZATION.
WE DO NEED TO VOTE ON THESE, DON'T WE? MM-HMM.
AND SO FOR PURPOSES OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET, UM, I JUST, IN ORDER TO BALANCE WHAT HAD BEEN INPUT BY THE PRECINCTS, I PUT IN FUND BALANCE.
UM, I DID NOTICE THAT, AGAIN, JUST FOR PURPOSES OF THE PROPOSED, I BALANCED IT WITH FUND BALANCE.
BUT IN LOOKING AT WHAT I WAS HAVING TO USE FOR SOME OF THE PRECINCTS, I DON'T BELIEVE THAT YOU HAVE, THEY AIN'T THAT IT'S WHAT YOU'RE ABOUT TO SAY.
AND SO BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE HAVE THE ROAD AND BRIDGE ALLOCATION AND ALL OF THOSE THINGS, THOSE ARE VERY FLUID BUDGETS.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, I USUALLY, ONCE THAT ROAD AND BRIDGE ALLOCATION HAS BEEN VOTED ON, I USUALLY SIT WITH EACH, EACH OF YOU AND KIND OF GO THROUGH THE BUDGET AND LOOK AT IS THERE ENOUGH IN FUND BALANCE? DO WE WANNA BALANCE, YOU KNOW, DO ALL OF FUND BALANCE? HOW DO WE WANNA REDUCE THE LINE? UM, NOW THAT THERE'S ARPA FUNDS AND DIFFERENT THINGS, DO WE WANNA SHIFT PART OF THAT? SO THOSE ARE CONVERSATIONS THAT WE WILL HAVE, UM, AS WE GO THROUGH THIS BUDGET PROCESS.
DO YOU HAVE TO WAIT ON THIS, THESE, THIS CHANGE? NO, IT, IT'S FINE.
I GUESS I'M JUST SAYING IT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF WHAT IS IN YOUR BUDGET CURRENTLY WILL LIKELY CHANGE.
AND THERE MAY HAVE TO BE SOME REDUCTIONS IN OTHER LINES OR JUST SHIFTING THOSE BUDGETS, UM, TO OTHER FUNDING SOURCES IS WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY ON, ON THAT NOTE.
UM, NOT 'CAUSE IT AFFECTS ME DIRECTLY, BUT 'CAUSE IT DOES AFFECT ME DIRECTLY.
DID P C A EVER GET IT FIGURED OUT WHERE PRECINCT TWO ACTUALLY GETS CREDIT FOR THE NEW PRECINCTS? LIKE WE TOOK OVER THE RIGHT HUDSON OAKS, BUT WE DIDN'T GET ANY CREDIT FOR THAT IN OUR BUDGET, WHICH KIND OF SUCKS.
AND SO LAST YEAR WHAT HAD HAPPENED IS WHEN I HAD REQUESTED, I ALWAYS REQUEST THE PRECINCT, UH, TAXABLE VALUES IN ORDER TO CALCULATE THAT.
AND I ASKED THE QUESTION, DOES THIS REFLECT THE NEW CENSUS? AND I WAS TOLD NO.
SO AGAIN, THROUGH THOSE CONVERSATIONS, IT WOULD, YOU KNOW, NEXT YEAR THEY WOULD HAVE IT.
AND SO MY UNDERSTANDING IS YES, I'VE ASKED FOR THOSE, UH, CERTIFIED TOTALS BY PRECINCT AND I'M PENDING THAT.
AND SO ONCE I GET THAT, THEN I'LL, YOU KNOW, PUT THAT INTO THE CO UM, ALLOCATION, THE FORMULA.
UM, AND SO I BELIEVE WE HAVE THE FIRST DISCUSSION OF THAT.
I JUST, I, I, SO I WILL, SHOULD I TO GO TWO YEARS IN A ROW, RIGHT.
TAKING CARE OF ADDITIONAL ROADS AND NOT GETTING THAT FUNDING.
AND I FOLLOWED UP, UM, I SENT AN EMAIL TO THEM YESTERDAY, UM, AS A FOLLOW UP TO, TO GET THOSE RATES SO THAT WAY I CAN PROVIDE IT TO YOU ALL, OBVIOUSLY PRIOR TO DISCUSSIONS OF THERE.
I GUESS WE CAN ALWAYS WORK IT OUT WHERE PRECINCT FOUR SEND SOME MONEY OUR WAY, JUST REAL WORK.
SO, BUT THAT IS AN IMPORTANT POINT OF YES, YOU KNOW, YOU ALL CAN APPROVE, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU WANT, BUT JUST KNOWING THERE MAY NEED TO BE SOME ADJUSTMENTS TO YOUR BUDGET TO COVER, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THE REQUESTS THAT ARE IN THERE.
WE APPROVE THE SALARIES BENEFIT INCREASES AS WRITTEN FOR PRECINCTS TWO, THREE, AND FOUR.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CONLEY, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER WALDEN.
ANY FURTHER DISCUSSION? DOES THIS, THIS DOES NOT INCLUDE THE PERCENTAGE INCREASES AS
YOU'RE, YOU'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT THE RECLASS AND NEW RECLASS AND NEW EMPLOYEES.
[01:25:01]
ON HER FIRST PAGE, WE'RE DECIDING ON THAT LATER, CORRECT? RIGHT.ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? PASS FIVE.
THAT ALL YOU GOT ON THAT ONE? MM-HMM.
OUTTA MILE OWN SALARIES AND BENEFITS FOR P UH, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
SO EVEN THOUGH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS PART OF FUND 10, I ALWAYS SAY THEY'RE KIND OF THEIR OWN LITTLE SPECIAL BUDGET.
SO WE SEPARATE THEM OUT BEFORE WE START THIS.
CAN WE TAKE A LITTLE BREAK? FIVE MINUTES OR, THAT'D BE A GOOD IDEA BECAUSE THE SHERIFF LIKES TO TALK A LOT.
WE'RE GONNA RECONVENE AT 10 37 AND MOVE TO
[II.I. Salaries and Benefits for PCSO. (Becky McCullough / Judge Deen)]
ITEM I SALARIES AND BENEFITS FOR THE PARKER COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.SO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE REQUESTS FOR NEW EMPLOYEES THIS YEAR IS A REQUESTING TWO NEW DISPATCHER POSITIONS BUDGETED AT THE SALARY OF 54,674 EACH ONE.
NEW LIEUTENANT POSITION BUDGETED 94,849.
FOUR NEW PATROL DEPUTIES BUDGETED, AND I KNOW THAT'S A TOPO AT 63,439 EACH ONE.
NEW TRANSPORT DEPUTY BUDGETED AT 66,478.
ONE NEW PART-TIME TRANSPORT POSITION BUDGETED 33,239.
UM, THEY'RE ASKING FOR A RAISE TO THE RECEPTIONIST POSITION TO 52,501.
THAT WOULD BE A 14% INCREASE FOR THAT POSITION.
UM, A NEW PAY SCALE FOR GUNS AND BADGES AT 406,483.
UM, BELOW IS LISTED THEIR CAPITAL AND NON CAP FOR THOSE NEW POSITIONS.
MY NUMBERS HERE ARE ACTUALLY A LITTLE BIT HIGH.
UM, THE JACKETS, THEY'RE ONLY ASKING FOR FIVE.
UM, ANYWAY, IT'S GONNA BRING THE TOTAL NUMBER DOWN TO 4 3 8 1 97 INSTEAD OF THE 4 43 3 57.
WE CAN READ OFF EACH ONE IF YOU WANT ME TO.
UM, ANYWAY, IF EVERYTHING IS INCLUDED FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS APPROVED, ALL THE NEW POSITIONS, THERE'S STEP AND GRADE, IT WOULD BE A TOTAL INCREASE OF 1.7, A LITTLE OVER $1.7 MILLION.
UM, ON THE SECOND PAGE, IT BREAKS DOWN MORE OF THE SALARY RECLASS THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR IN THE MIDDLE SECTION IN YELLOW, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE FISCAL 23, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.
UM, THE EMPLOYEE COUNT, THAT'S HOW MANY EMPLOYEES WOULD BE AFFECTED BY THE RAISE.
SO IN THE ADMIN POSITION, YOU'RE LOOKING AT 15,346 TOTAL.
UM, THAT WOULD BE TWO EMPLOYEES.
SO JUST KIND OF GOING DOWN FROM THAT.
AND THEN AGAIN, THEIR NEW EMPLOYEE BREAKDOWN IS BELOW THAT.
UM, AND THOSE TOTAL CLASSES, I ALSO PUT A COPY OF THEIR NEW STEPPING GRADE THAT THEY'RE ASKING FOR.
BUT, UM, I KNOW THE SHERIFF AND THE CHIEF ARE HERE IF YOU HAVE ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS.
AT THAT POINT, SHERIFF, YOU'D LIKE TO COME UP, MARK YOU AS WELL.
IF Y'ALL, YOU WANT TO COME UP AS WELL? GOOD MORNING.
WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE TO START? I'M GONNA LEAVE THAT TO YOU.
WELL, SHE, SHE COVERED SO MUCH THERE.
SO I GUESS THE BIG ISSUE IS, IS THE, THE SALARY RECLASSIFICATION FOR THE, FOR ALL OF OUR FOLKS, OUR, OUR COMMISSION FOLKS.
UM, AS I SAID IN MANY YEARS PRIOR, THIS IS A MULTI-YEAR PLAN.
THIS IS GETTING TO THE END OF THAT PLAN.
UH, COURT'S BEEN VERY, VERY GENEROUS, BEEN VERY GOOD TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IN PARKER COUNTY.
UM, OUR PAY IS VERY, VERY COMPETITIVE.
GETTING OUR FOLKS IN THE DOOR.
IT'S JUST AFTER THAT FIRST YEAR OR TWO, IT KIND OF FLATTENS OUT.
UH, WE WANT TO COMPRESS OUR PAY SCALE, UH, AND KIND OF KEEP THOSE FOLKS, UH, WE'RE LOSING OUR, OUR PEOPLE AFTER THEY GET TRAINED UP, THEY GET A COUPLE YEARS IN THEM.
THEY'RE A VERY MARKETABLE PRODUCT AT THAT POINT.
AND THAT'S THE ONES WE WANT TO KEEP, WANNA KEEP 'EM ALL.
BUT WE KNOW HOW THE MARKET IS AS WELL.
AND WE ARE IN THE METROPLEX MARKETPLACE, JUST LIKE JEFF ALLUDED TO EARLIER.
UH, WE'VE GOTTA COMPETE WITH THESE FOLKS.
UM, BUT WE ONLY HAVE LIKE THREE VACANCIES RIGHT NOW, SO WE'RE AT NINE 98%.
WE'RE, WE'RE GETTING 'EM IN THE DOOR, BUT WE WANT TO KEEP 'EM, AND THIS WOULD CERTAINLY HELP DO THAT.
WELL, THE CHALLENGE THERE IS THAT YOU PUT ALL THIS MONEY IN TRAINING THEM AND GET 'EM UP TO SPEED AND, AND NOW A PRODUCTIVE PATROL OFFICER, AND THEN THEY MOVE ON.
AND WE, WE MAKE GOOD DEPUTIES AND OFFICERS FOR OTHER AGENCIES.
AND SO YOUR YOUR POINT IS, IS THAT ONCE YOU'VE TRAINED THEM, YOU'VE GOT 'EM IN THE DOOR WITH A BETTER SALARY AND BEGINNING, WHAT IS IT THAT'S LEADING THEM OUT THE DOOR? USUALLY IT'S MONEY.
SO IT'S THAT MID-LEVEL WHERE THEY'VE BEEN
[01:30:01]
HERE THAT IT'S, IT'S THE TENURE.IT IS, IT IS OUT AT THAT POINT.
OUR SALARY GOES UP OUR FIRST COUPLE YEARS, WE'RE VERY COMPETITIVE, BUT THEN IT JUST FLATTENS OUT, YOU KNOW, AND THEN OUR, THEY'RE NOT GETTING AS MUCH OVER A LONGER PERIOD OF TIME OR SHORTER PERIOD.
SO WE'RE JUST TRYING TO COMPRESS THAT, WHERE THEY'RE STARTING TO GETTING A LITTLE BIT MORE MONEY EACH YEAR AND THEY CAN SEE WHERE THEY'RE GONNA BE AT IN 7, 8, 10, 12 YEARS.
AND I THINK IF WE KEEP 'EM THAT LONG, WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE 'EM FOREVER.
I THINK EVERYBODY RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE.
BUT YOU'VE BEEN SITTING HERE TODAY LISTENING TO THE SAME PRESENTATIONS THAT WE HAVE.
UH, THIS WILL BE THE FIRST OF OF MANY SPEECHES LIKE THIS.
AND, UH, WHAT WE'LL BE ASKING IS FOR, UH, INTERNALLY TO COME UP WITH A, A HIERARCHY OF NEEDS, A PRIORITY LIST PER SE, SO THAT WE CAN, UH, MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS AS WE MOVE FORWARD.
WE, UH, RECOGNIZE THE IMPORTANCE OF ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE IN YOUR BUDGET.
I WISH WE COULD COME IN HERE AND SAY, OKAY, THANK YOU.
BUT THAT'S GONNA BE VERY DIFFICULT TO DO THIS TIME.
AND, UH, SO NOTHING TO PRESENT TO US AT THIS POINT OTHER THAN, UH, AS Y'ALL GO BACK, UH, UH, YOU AND THE CHIEF GO BACK, WORK ON A HIERARCHY AND WORK ON A PRIORITY LIST SO THAT WHEN WE DO HAVE TO PRIORITIZE EVERYBODY THAT WE'VE, WE'VE GOT SOMETHING FROM YOUR, YOUR OFFICE AS WELL.
AND THAT, THAT WILL BE THE SAME THING FROM EVERY OTHER, UH, DEPARTMENT THAT WE DEAL WITH.
ALBEIT THE EVERYBODY'S, UH, RECOGNIZES THE, UH, IMPORTANCE OF VETTING THESE POSITIONS.
EVERYBODY RECOGNIZES THE IMPORTANCE AND, AND THE NEED, UH, OF, OF ADDITIONAL PAY AND, AND ALL THE THINGS THAT WE'RE ASKING.
BUT, UH, UNLESS WE COME UP WITH SOME MORE MONEY SOMEWHERE, WE'RE GONNA BE IN A SITUATION WHERE WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE AS A, AS A COURT HERE.
SO WE RECOGNIZE Y'ALL HAD TO DO THAT BEFORE AND, AND KNOW THE GAME.
SO WE UNDERSTAND THAT AS WELL.
IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT, FROM A STANDPOINT OF A NEED ASSESSMENT, UM, UH, THAT YOU HAVE, OTHER THAN THE RETENTION OF THE, UH, TENURED OFFICER THAT YOU'VE TRAINED, IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT FROM A STANDPOINT OF, WELL, ALL THE EQUIPMENT, YOU KNOW, WE, WE, THOSE, THOSE ARE NEEDS, UH, OUR PEOPLE, UM, THEIR NEEDS.
BUT OBVIOUSLY WE UNDERSTAND THAT EVERYTHING TAKES MONEY.
AND IF, AND IF YOU DON'T HAVE THAT, AND I'VE TOLD YOU BEFORE, I MEAN, YOU GIVE US BICYCLES AND, AND, AND JUST A, A POCKET FULL OF QUARTERS.
WE MAKE PHONE CALLS, WE'RE GONNA GO MAKE THOSE CALLS, WE'RE GONNA GET THERE SLOWER.
BUT WE, WE NEED EVERYTHING WE CAN THAT WE ASK FOR TO HELP DO OUR JOBS THE BEST THAT WE CAN TO HELP SERVE EVERYBODY.
BUT IT IS, IT'S A PANACEA AS WELL.
YOU DON'T HAVE ALL THE MONEY IN THE WORLD TO DO THAT.
IT'S, IT'S TOUGH DECISIONS AND Y'ALL DO A VERY, VERY GOOD JOB OF THAT.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I APPRECIATE MOST ABOUT YOUR, YOUR POSITION IS THAT, UH, I RECOGNIZE THAT WHATEVER WE'RE ABLE TO GIVE YOU, YOU WILL TAKE AND DO THE BEST THAT YOU CAN WITH IT.
AND, AND YOU MADE THAT PROMISE TO ME A LONG TIME AGO, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.
BUT WE WILL DO THE BEST THAT WE CAN FOR OURSELVES.
I MAKE THAT PROMISE TO EVERYBODY.
SO THE CLIMATE IN PARKER COUNTY IS, IS THAT THE NEW LEGISLATION, CITIES CAN'T ANNEX IN WHAT USED TO BE.
IT WOULD BE TAKING IN MORE PROPERTY THAN REDUCING THE AMOUNT OF, OF COVERAGE YOU WOULD NEED FOR YOUR OFFICERS TO, TO MAYBE GO OUT AND ETJ AND SO FORTH.
WITH NOW, WITH ALL THIS DEVELOPMENT HAPPENING AND THE DENSITY GROWING CITY'S NOT ABLE TO ANNEX IN LIKE WHAT THEY USED TO BE.
AND NOW THIS IS CONTINUING WITH LIKELY WILL BE LEGISLATION FROM NOW ON IN PIERCE.
UM, YOU'RE TASKED WITH, WITH THIS DENSITY ROSE WITH THAT RESPONSE TIME TO BE A SENSITIVE SITUATION TO TRY TO GET THERE QUICKER AND NEED MORE OFFICERS TO DO THAT.
YOU, YOU KNOW, THE DENSITY OF WAS OVER 90.
I I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY SUBDIVISIONS YOU HAVE IN SPRINGTOWN, BUT I I UNDERSTAND IT'S QUITE A BIT.
WELL, PRECINCT ONE WE HAVE OVER 90.
SO, SO THOSE ARE, THOSE ARE, YOU DON'T HAVE A SATELLITE OFFICE OUT THERE.
AND SO MY POINT IS THAT THE EJS ARE GROWING AT 60% RELATIVE TO WHAT'S IN THE CITY.
THAT'S GONNA TASK YOU WITH A LITTLE MORE CHALLENGE WITH THESE RESPONSE TIMES.
SO WE RECOGNIZE THAT I'M, I WAS LOOKING AT YOUR STEPPING GRADE STUFF HERE.
THE NEW DEPUTIES THAT YOU HIRE, ARE YOU HAVING TROUBLE KEEPING THEM OR IS IT MOSTLY THE MIDDLE SECTION OF YOUR IT, IT, IT'S, IT'S NOT THE NEW NEW, WHEN THEY GET A YEAR OR TWO ON AND, UH, THEY GET TRAINING, THEY GET EXPERIENCE, THEN LIKE I SAID, THEY BECOME VERY MARKETABLE IN, IN THIS WHOLE JOB MARKET, WHICH IS USUALLY THE METROPLEX.
SO THEY CAN GO OVER TO, YOU KNOW, 30 MILES AWAY AND MAKE 50, WELL, 25, $30,000 MORE.
A LOT OF POLICE DEPARTMENTS ARE HAVING TROUBLE GETTING POLICE OFFICERS AND, AND THEY LOVE OUR GUYS AND GALS
[01:35:01]
GET A LOT OF THE, THE ACADEMY, YOU KNOW, WHERE KIND OF THEIR FIRST JOBS, WHICH IS, AND THERE'S ALWAYS GONNA BE THOSE FOLKS.AND WE, WE JUST WANT TO KEEP THOSE FOLKS.
SO WHAT, WHAT WOULD BE HELPFUL, UH, FOR ME AT LEAST FOR THE WAY MY MIND WORKS IS, AND, AND I UNDERSTAND THIS IS A PRETTY VAGUE QUESTION AND IT'S, IT, IT'S GONNA BE PROBABLY PRETTY HARD TO ANSWER WITH A SPECIFIC, BUT DO YOU HAVE A FEEL, OR MAYBE YOU DO HAVE NUMBERS AROUND, YOU KNOW, AS WE HAVE A DEPUTY, YOU KNOW, YEAR THREE, YEAR FOUR, YEAR FIVE, LIKE THAT MID-RANGE THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT OF, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST FEW YEARS WERE COMPETITIVE AND THEN IT FALLS OFF.
DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW MUCH THE TRAINING COSTS? AND THIS COULD BE DIRECT DOLLARS OR IT COULD BE HOURS SPENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT DECREASES.
IN OTHER WORDS, HOW MUCH MORE EFFICIENT IS IT FOR THE COUNTY OR DO WE HAVE A WAY TO QUANTIFY HOW MUCH MORE EFFICIENT IT IS THE LONGER WE RETAIN A DEPUTY VERSUS HAVING TO HAVE THIS CONSTANT CHURN OF NEW FOLKS COMING IN? 'CAUSE WE KEEP LOSING OUR FOLKS ONCE THEY GET A LITTLE BIT OF SEASONING.
THAT MIGHT BE HARD TO QUANTIFY, BUT I CAN TELL YOU WHEN, WHEN THEY FIRST GET HERE AT FIELD TRAINING OFFICER PROGRAM, WHICH IS, WHICH IS MONTHS THAT, THAT'S TWO PEOPLE IN ONE CAR.
YOU'VE JUST TAKEN, YOU KNOW, YOUR SIX CARS ON THAT AND YOU JUST MADE IT TO FIVE.
NOW AFTER THEY'VE BEEN HERE FOR A WHILE AND THEY, THEY GET A YEAR OR TWO, A LOT OF THAT TRAINING, IT, IT SLOWS DOWN.
AND A LOT OF IT'S ON ONLINE TRAINING OTHER THAN OUR HANDS ON STUFF, OUR, YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR GROUND CONTROL STUFF, FIREARMS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, WHICH IS HANDS-ON STUFF OR IN CLASSROOM STUFF.
BUT HAVING THOSE NUMBERS, NO, I DON'T.
AND THEN DO YOU, UH, WELL THAT'S, THAT'S GOOD INFORMATION THOUGH.
I KNOW SOME OF THESE QUESTIONS ARE, ARE MORE FIELD THAN NUMBER.
UH, IS IT FAIR TO SAY THAT, UH, ISSUES THAT YOU GUYS SEE, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE NOT MALICIOUS, BUT YOU KNOW, JUST AS SOMEONE GETS MORE SEASONED ON THE JOB, THEY'RE PROB THEIR DECISION MAKING PROBABLY CONTINUES TO EVOLVE AND ALL OF THAT.
WE'RE ALSO PROBABLY TAKING A HIT WHEN WE LOSE SOME OF THOSE FOLKS THERE.
THERE'S ONE THING YOU CANNOT REALLY PUT A FINGER ON THAT THAT'S EXPERIENCE.
I MEAN, AND I THINK YEARS AGO I LOOKED AT IT AND ACTUALLY THE DEPUTIES RESPONDING OUT THERE ON THE STREET, THEY HAD AN AVERAGE OF 2.1 YEARS ON, THIS WAS A COUPLE YEARS AGO.
THAT'S NOT THE CORPORALS AND THE SERGEANTS, BUT THAT'S ACTUALLY THE DEPUTIES.
THAT ONE'S ARE GONNA COME TO YOUR HOUSE TO SAVE YOUR FAMILY HAD 2.1 YEARS ON.
IT MIGHT BE MORE NOW IT MIGHT BE A LITTLE LESS.
AND, AND THEY'RE GONNA DO A GREAT JOB.
THEY'RE GONNA, THEY'RE GONNA TRY JUST AS HARD AS THEY CAN.
BUT I THINK YOU, WE'D ALL RATHER HAVE SOMEBODY WHO HAS SEVEN OR EIGHT OR 10 OR 12 YEARS EXPERIENCE COMING TO OUR HOUSE.
AND THAT'S, THAT'S JUST A PERFECT WORLD.
AND WE DON'T LIVE IN A PERFECT WORLD ANYMORE.
BUT THAT'S JUST THE REALITY OF THINGS.
AND, AND THEY'RE ALL, THEY ALL HAVE THE WANT TO.
SO ANYTHING ELSE FOR SHERIFF? NO, WE APPRECIATE IT.
[II.J. Salaries and Benefits for Non-Elected Employees. (Becky McCullough / Judge Deen)]
ON SALARIES AND BENEFITS FOR NON-ELECTED OFFICIALS.ALL RIGHT, SO THE FIRST PAGES IN FUND IN MY FUND, 10 TAB SALARIES AND RECLASS.
THIS IS THE SALARY POLICY THAT WAS ADOPTED LAST YEAR, UM, WHERE WE MOVED FROM THAT STEP IN GRADE TO REALLY THAT MINIMUM MID MAX, UH, YOU KNOW, GAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY TO DEPARTMENT HEADS, UM, WHENEVER THEY HAD SOME EXTRA DOLLARS.
WHEN YOU HAVE SOMEBODY THAT'S BEEN HERE FOR A LONGER TIME LEAVE AND THEN YOU CAN KIND OF REALLOCATE SOME FUNDS TO THOSE, YOU KNOW, LOWER POSITIONS.
UM, THIS WORKED EXTREMELY WELL THIS YEAR.
WE'VE WORKED, UM, REALLY WELL WITH SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS THAT HAVE BENEFITED.
I THINK THE COUNTY CLERK COULD SPEAK TO THAT.
UM, I KNOW THE DISTRICT CLERK AUTO REGISTRATION, LIKE I SAID, THE PRECINCTS ALREADY DID THIS.
I WORKED WITH COMMISSIONER DUGAN FOR YEARS, YOU KNOW, DOING SIMILAR THINGS.
SO THIS WAS A REALLY GOOD THING AND IT'S WORKED WELL.
SO THANK Y'ALL FOR ADOPTING THIS LAST YEAR.
UM, THE NEXT PAGE, UH, OH, JUST TO BE CLEAR, DEPENDING ON ONCE COLA'S ARE DISCUSSED, I THINK THIS SCALE IS STILL OKAY.
WE MAY HAVE TO HAVE SOME DISCUSSION TO ROLL IT A LITTLE BIT, BUT THAT'S A DISCUSSION FOR ANOTHER DAY.
THE NEXT PAGE IS JUST A OVERVIEW OF ALL THE DIFFERENT REQUESTS FROM FUND 10.
I DID THROW THE PRECINCT REQUEST IN THERE AGAIN, JUST TO KIND OF, YOU KNOW, JUST REITERATE THAT.
AND THEN AGAIN, AT THE VERY BOTTOM IS THE ESTIMATED COLAS FOR, AGAIN, A 1%, A THREE, FOUR, AND FIVE.
UM, AGAIN, THIS WOULD BE FOR FUND 10 EMPLOYEES.
[01:40:02]
SO THE NEXT PAGE, THIS IS A UNIFORM AND CLOTHING ALLOWANCE.SO LAST YEAR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WAS, UM, APPROVED IN THEIR BUDGET, ADDITIONAL UNIFORM ALLOWANCES.
AND SO WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR WAS AFTER BUDGET, WE START GETTING CALLS OF, WELL, WHY DIDN'T MY BAILIFF'S UNIFORM GO UP? WHY DIDN'T THE CONSTABLE'S UNIFORMS ALLOWANCES GO UP? SO, AND I, MY RESPONSE WAS, WELL, YOU DIDN'T ASK FOR IT TOO, YOU KNOW,
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT, HOW IT WORKS.
SO ANYWAY, BUT THIS IS A, UM, A LIST OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS THAT DID NOT RECEIVE THOSE UNIFORM INCREASES.
THEY WEAR THE SAME UNIFORMS, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS THE BAILIFFS.
I MEAN, THEY MAY NOT WEAR EVERYTHING THE SAME, BUT I MEAN, THEY ARE IN A UNIFORM.
AND THEN OBVIOUSLY FOR NON-UNIFORM.
SO THAT'S WHAT THIS IS, THIS IS, YOU KNOW, THOSE UNIFORM ALLOWANCES FOR THOSE DEPARTMENTS.
FOR FISCAL 23, THE REQUEST FOR FISCAL 24 AND THE INCREASE, AND THAT WOULD JUST BE MAKING UNIFORM ALLOWANCES ACROSS THE BOARD EQUAL.
BUT YOU GOT THE, UH, ALL THE CONSTABLES DON'T WEAR A UNIFORM, RIGHT? SO THAT'S WHY THE, THERE'S DIFFERENT AMOUNTS.
SO SOME CONSTABLES OFFICES HAVE MORE THAN OTHERS.
SOME MAYBE WEAR A UNIFORM, SOME MAYBE WEAR PLAIN CLOTHES.
EVEN IF THEY'RE PLAIN CLOTHES, THEY GET $600.
SOME IS TAXABLE, SOME IS NON-TAX.
SO IF IT'S A TRUE UNIFORM, THAT'S A, UM, NON-TAXABLE UNIFORM.
WHEREAS A TAXABLE UNIFORM WOULD BE A PLAIN CLOTHES OFFICER.
I SEE THE MEDICAL INVESTIGATION INVESTIGATORS THAT THEY, THEY HAVE A, THEY'RE WANTING SOMETHING WHEN SHE'S HERE.
DO YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT THAT? I DON'T KNOW THAT SHE ACTUALLY REQUESTED THIS.
WE TRIED TO JUST GO THROUGH EVERY DEPARTMENT JUST TO AVOID, OH, I THOUGHT THEY ALL REQUEST WHAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR.
SOME DID, SOME SENT THE REQUEST.
AND SO, AGAIN, JUST TO AVOID THE AFTER BUDGET AFTERMATH OF WHY DID YOU KNOW, YEAH, WE WEAR THE SAME UNIFORM.
WHY DO I GET A DIFFERENT ALLOWANCE? WE JUST, I PLUGGED IN EVERYBODY.
ANYTHING ELSE ON THAT? UM, THE NEXT PAGE IS FOR THE JPS.
THIS IS WHERE THEY PRESENTED TALKING ABOUT THE CERTIFICATIONS AND BILINGUAL PAY.
UM, AGAIN, I PUT ALL THE JPS JUST ON ONE PAGE AND I WAS KIND OF LIKE, HOW DO I BUDGET, YOU KNOW, HOW DO WE BUDGET FOR THIS? OTHER THAN EXPECTING EVERY SINGLE PERSON COULD HONESTLY GET BILINGUAL PAY AND COULD BE A MASTER CERTIFICATION.
UM, I DO THINK THIS IS GONNA BRING UP A BIGGER CONVERSATION.
I KNOW IN MY OFFICE, I HAVE AN EMPLOYEE THAT HOLDS THE SAME INVESTMENT CERTIFICATION THAT I DO HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ALL THAT.
OKAY, WELL I'M JUST, I'M JUST TRYING TO GIVE INFORMATION, BUT I'M JUST SAYING AGAIN, I THINK THIS IS GONNA BE ONE OF THOSE THAT IS GONNA BE LEAD TO A BIGGER CONVERSATION.
SO, BUT THESE WOULD BE THE NUMBERS FOR THAT.
AND AGAIN, THIS NUMBER IS PROBABLY HIGH, BUT AGAIN, IF THEY HAVE A MASSIVE TURNOVER AND THEN, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY COMES IN WITH THOSE CERTIFICATIONS AND EVERY SINGLE PERSON'S BILINGUAL, YOU HAVE TO HAVE THAT MONEY BUDGETED TO BE ABLE TO PAY IT.
AND THEN THIS NEXT PAGE WAS JUST THE, UM, INFORMATION THAT THE JP COURTS PROVIDED FOR THAT CERTIFICATION PAY.
SO NEXT WE'RE GONNA MOVE INTO THE DEPARTMENT REQUEST.
SO WE'LL START WITH DEPARTMENT 4 0 1.
THIS IS THE BUDGET FOR COMMISSIONER'S COURT.
SO THIS IS THE REQUEST FOR A COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.
UM, THE SALARY REQUEST IS 130,000.
UH, TOTAL COSTS FOR THAT EMPLOYEE WOULD BE 180 3, 650.
AGAIN, EMPLOYEE HOSPITALIZATION FOR NEW EMPLOYEES, WE ALWAYS BUDGET HIGH BECAUSE WE HAVE, WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE DON'T KNOW.
SO IF THEY DON'T SELECT THAT, THAT'S GREAT.
WE CANNOT ASK THOSE QUESTIONS PRIOR TO AN OFFER OF EMPLOYMENT.
UM, AND THEN THE CAPITAL REQUEST FOR THAT POSITION BRINGS THE TOTAL INCREASE TO 188,288.
I'M JUST GONNA MOVE ALONG UNLESS SURE.
SO DEPARTMENT 4 0 4 IS THE COUNTY CLERK'S OFFICE.
SHE IS ASKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL, UM, EMPLOYEE, I BELIEVE IN WORKSHOP.
AND YOU CAN DISCUSS THIS HERE.
YOU TALKED ABOUT HAVING TO KIND OF MOVE SOME HELP INTO OTHER AREAS AND YOU NEED HELP IN COURT.
BUT, UH, THE POSITION WOULD BE BUDGETED $54,040.
UM, THE TOTAL COST IS THE 96,725.
DID ANYBODY HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? BECAUSE I'M HAPPY TO GO OVER MY REQUEST.
THE, UH, THE, I'M SITTING THERE AT THE
[01:45:01]
INCREASE OVER THERE, THE $32,000 INCREASE AN EMPLOYEE HOSPITALIZATION.AGAIN, THIS IS LOOKING AT THAT WHOLE DEPARTMENT AS A WHOLE.
SO, YOU KNOW, THE FIRST COLUMN IS GONNA BE FISCAL 23.
THE SECOND COLUMN IS FISCAL 24.
SO OBVIOUSLY THERE'S SOME OTHER INSURANCE CHANGES THAT SHE'S HAS IN THERE IN HER DEPARTMENT.
AS I SAID, THAT TOTAL COST ON EMPLOYEE INSURANCE, YOU'RE GONNA SEE SOME THAT'S GONNA GO HIGHER.
YOU'RE GONNA BE SOME THAT ARE NEGATIVES.
SO WERE THERE ANY QUESTIONS AT ALL THAT MY REQUEST? I THINK YOU'VE COVERED WE'LL, WE'LL, OKAY.
YOU, YOU'VE ALREADY YEAH, GIVEN THAT TO US.
AND, AND THERE'LL PROBABLY BE SOME LATER.
THE NEXT DEPARTMENT IS DEPARTMENT FOUR 50.
THE DISTRICT CLERK IS REQUESTING TWO ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEES, UM, ONE FOR HER COURT SIDE AND ONE FOR PASSPORT OFFICE.
I THINK SHE'S GIVEN SEVERAL PRESENTATIONS THIS YEAR ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HOW BUSY THE PASSPORT OFFICE IS.
UM, BOTH OF THOSE POSITIONS WOULD BE, THEY WOULD BE BUDGETED AT THE 54,000, $40.
UM, 54,000, $40 WOULD BE THE BUDGET FOR THOSE TWO POSITIONS, THE SALARIES AND THEN THE CAPITAL.
THERE WAS ONE CHANGE TO THE CAPITAL OF AN INCREASE OF $594 THAT I MISSED.
SO THAT WOULD ACTUALLY BE A TOTAL OF 1 75 6 19.
THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S BUDGET, HE IS ASKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL C P S PARALEGAL POSITION AT $60,000 AND A C P S ATTORNEY AT $105,000.
UM, AND THEN THE CAPITAL THAT GOES ALONG WITH THAT BRINGS THE TOTAL ASK TO 2 65 7 28.
UH, I WAS A COUPLE DOLLARS OFF OF MY ESTIMATE.
I TRIED KIM AND I TRIED TO COMPARE NOTES TO MAKE SURE WE'RE RIGHT ON THIS.
SO SHE, SHE CAUGHT ME BY TWO BUCKS.
THE NEXT DEPARTMENT IS 4 76 AND I KNOW THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS HERE SO HE CAN ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.
BUT HE IS ASKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL ASSISTANT DISTRICT, ASSISTANT DISTRICT ATTORNEY AND TO TAKE HIS RECORDS CLERK TO A LEGAL SECRETARY, WHICH WOULD INCREASE HER SALARY BY 2060 $3, WHICH IS 4%.
UM, AGAIN, WITH THE, UM, CAPITAL REQUEST, UH, IT ACTUALLY IS BEING LOWERED A LITTLE BIT.
SO WHERE THE TOTAL COST FOR THESE TWO POSITIONS WOULD BE 1 41 4 65.
AND SO YOU CAN JUST SEE UP HERE WHERE I'M GONNA REDUCE, IF THIS IS APPROVED, I'LL REDUCE THE BUDGET FROM THE RECORDS CLERK.
AND THAT'S, AND WE'LL PUT IT UP IN LEGAL SECRETARY.
I'M, I'M HAPPY TO SPEAK TO THAT AGAIN, BUT I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT IT ABOUT A MONTH AGO.
I DON'T WANNA WASTE Y'ALL TIME.
UM, THE ASK FOR THE TAX ASSESSOR'S OFFICE IS TO TAKE A PART-TIME POSITION AND GO TO FULL-TIME.
IF YOU LOOK AT EMPLOYEE HOSPITALIZATION, THIS IS A NEGATIVE OF 19,991.
THIS IS EVEN INCLUDING BUDGETING ALMOST $27,000 FOR BENEFITS.
SO THIS IS AN OFFICE, YOU KNOW, THAT OBVIOUSLY HAS SEEN SOME INSURANCE CHANGES THAT IS, YOU KNOW, HELPING THE BUDGET.
BUT THIS TOTAL INCREASE WOULD BE 22,247 SINCE WE WOULD BE REMOVING MONEY FROM PART-TIME TO HELP PAY FOR THAT FULL-TIME EXPENSE.
THE NEXT DEPARTMENT IS FIVE 10 BUILDING AND GROUNDS.
THEIR REQUEST IS, UM, NOT FOR NEW EMPLOYEES.
THEY'RE ASKING FOR RECLASSIFICATION RAISES TO, UM, SOME OF THEIR MEMBERS.
SO, UM, IT'S A TOTAL INCREASE OF 68,412.
I HAVE LISTED OUT THE INCREASES TO EACH OF THE POSITIONS AS WELL AS THE BACKUP THAT THEY PRESENTED AS TO WHY THEY FEEL LIKE THESE RAISES ARE WARRANTED.
AND MARK IS HERE IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE GOT A GOOD MEMORY.
WE REMEMBER YOUR PRESENTATION FROM LAST MONTH.
NEXT WOULD BE DEPARTMENT FIVE 11.
THIS IS THE NORTH CONVENIENCE CENTER.
THEY'RE ASKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL FULL-TIME EMPLOYEE AT 46,200.
UM, AGAIN, IT'S ONLY GONNA INCREASE THE BUDGET.
THE $51,003, AGAIN, YOU'RE GONNA SEE INSURANCE IS GONNA HELP OFFSET SOME OF THAT.
UM, DEPARTMENT FIVE 13 IS ALSO ASKING FOR A NEW POSITION.
AND IN A CONVERSATION WITH COMMISSIONER HALE, YOU BROUGHT UP A POINT THAT, UM, PRECINCT FOUR IS HAVING TO SEND MECHANICS
[01:50:01]
OUT.SO, YOU KNOW, I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO VISIT WITH MARK ABOUT THIS, BUT SHOULD THIS POSITION BE LOOKED AT POSSIBLY A MECHANIC TO HELP Y'ALL AND THEN NOT TAKING PEOPLE AWAY FROM THE PRECINCTS.
SO, WELL, WE'VE BEEN SENDING MECHANICS SINCE, SINCE IT'S BEEN THERE.
BUT, BUT WE WERE NOT ABLE, I MEAN, MARK NEEDED SOMETHING.
WE WEREN'T ABLE TO SEND ANYBODY 'CAUSE WE WERE TOO BUSY ON SOME OTHER STUFF.
SO TO ADDRESS THAT, I HAD CHRIS GO OUT THERE AND FIX THE LAST PROBLEM AND WE FIXED A FEW OF THE MM-HMM.
NO, I, WE UNDERSTAND COMPLETELY.
DOESN'T THE EQUIPMENT THAT'S OUT THERE, DOESN'T IT BELONG TO ONE OF THE PRECINCTS OR IT'S MINE, IT DOESN'T BELONG TO MAINTENANCE? OR DID WE GIVE THEM SOMETHING? SEEMED LIKE WE GAVE THEM A BACKHOE, BACKHOE BRIDGE.
THERE WOULD'VE TO BE SOME TYPE OF YEAH.
RIGHT NOW WE JUST HAVE THAT STORED, THEY'RE ON LOAN FROM US, BUT WE, WE HAD, WE'RE SO BUSY, WEREN'T ABLE TO SEND SOMEBODY THIS PARTICULAR TIME TO FIX THE STUFF.
WELL IN THE FUTURE, I, THAT FACILITY MAY NEED THEIR OWN EQUIPMENT.
BUT THAT'LL COME OUT OF GENERAL FUND, I SUPPOSE.
GENERAL FUND FUNDS BOTH OF THESE.
I MEAN, WE HAVE ALL OF OUR STUFF RIGHT THERE SO WE CAN WORK SURE.
I THINK THAT WAS WHAT PART OF THE DISCUSSION IS Y'ALL'S WAS RIGHT THERE.
SO IT MAYBE NOT AS BIG OF A DEAL WHEREAS YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, PHYSICALLY HAVE TO SEND PEOPLE.
THE, UM, FIRE MARSHAL IS REQUESTING AN INCREASE TO, TO THE SECRETARY POSITION OF $2,000 OF 24 $2,420.
WELL, I GUESS I'M, I'M ON THE WRONG BILL.
SO THEN IT SHOULD, WE SHOULD BE ON 5 51.
HE IS ASKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL DEPUTY.
I KNOW THIS WAS TALKED ABOUT IN WORKSHOPS, UM, TO WHERE THIS DEPUTY WOULD REPORT TO CONSTABLE TO CONSTABLE ONE, BUT THEY WOULD BE TAKING OVER THE ENVIRONMENTAL FOR PRECINCT FOUR.
IS THAT CONSTABLE FOUR IS STILL HERE? YEAH, HE'S HERE.
WELL I COULDN'T HAVE SEEN HIM BACK THERE.
THEY WEAR THE UNIFORMS FOR THE RECORD, WE, WE WEAR UNIFORMS ME AND MY TWO DEPUTIES HAVE FOR, SINCE I GOT THIS JOB.
WHAT I WANT TO KNOW IS THAT YOU'RE ALL RIGHT WITH THE ENVIRONMENTAL GUY WORKING OUT OF PRECINCT ONE.
AS I'D MENTIONED A FEW WEEKS BACK, IT DOESN'T MATTER TO ME IF HE, IF HE WORKS FOR ME AND GOES OVER AND HELPS HIM OR HE WORKS FOR HIM AND COMES OVER AND HELPS ME, I JUST ASSUME IF I'M NOT GONNA DO THE HIRING OF THE INDIVIDUAL, I WOULD JUST ASSUME THEY WOULD WORK OVER THERE AND COME OVER AND DO THE ENVIRONMENTAL FOR ME.
AS I UNDERSTAND ALSO, AFTER HAVING, UH, TALKED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE ON THE SUBJECT, THERE'S NOT A BIG ISSUE AND, AND FOUR ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL AS THERE IS MAYBE IN THE OTHER PRECINCTS.
UM, SO IT LOOKS LIKE, UH, CONSTABLE WRIGHT WOULD PROBABLY GET MORE BENEFIT OUT OF THE GUY OVER THERE WITH HIM AND THEN HE COULD COME OVER AND, AND HELP.
BUT, UH, YEAH, WE JUST, WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT YEAH, I'M GOOD WITH THAT.
THEY CAN WORK TOGETHER AND I APPRECIATE YOU ASKING THAT.
YES, I'M, I'M COMPLETELY FINE WITH THAT.
THE CONS, CONSTABLE TWO FOR PRECINCT TWO.
WE HAD A CONVERSATION ABOUT HIM GONNA REQUEST FOR ANOTHER DEPUTY.
I WOULD LIKE TO FOLLOW UP WITH HIM ON THIS.
HE WAS KIND OF ASKING SOME MORE QUESTIONS.
THIS IS GONNA RELATE TO THE C P SS ISSUE WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY AND HIM BRINGING IN ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL.
THAT'S WHAT THIS KIND OF TIES BACK TO.
SO I KNOW THAT CONSTABLE TU WAS KIND OF STILL LOOKING AT THIS.
I WENT AHEAD AND PUT IT IN HERE JUST SO Y'ALL WOULD HAVE IT FOR DISCUSSION.
UM, BUT THIS MAY BE SOMETHING THAT CHANGES.
AND THEN FINALLY, DEPARTMENT 5 82.
THE REQUEST IS FOR TWO ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEES, UM, BUDGETED $55,000 EACH, AND AN INCREASE FROM PART-TIME FROM 30,000 TO 45,000.
UM, ACTUALLY OUR IT DIRECTOR HAS UPDATED THIS AND HE'S GONNA ONLY ASK FOR ONE ADDITIONAL EMPLOYEE.
HE WENT THROUGH AND THE TICKETS KIND OF LOOKED
[01:55:01]
AT HELP DESK TICKETS AND A LOT OF THOSE TICKETS ARE TIED TO COPIERS AND PRINTERS AND SOUNDS LIKE WE HAVE NEW COPIERS AND PRINTERS ON THE HORIZON.AND SO HE FEELS LIKE THAT'S GONNA ALLEVIATE A LOT OF THAT.
SO HE'S TAKEN HIS REQUEST FROM TWO TO ONE.
DOES THAT TAKE IT FROM 200 TO 100? RIGHT.
I'M GONNA MOVE THAT WE GO AHEAD AND APPROVE THAT PARTICULAR ITEM MOTION MADE BY COMMISSIONER CONLEY.
UH, DO WE HAVE A SECOND? I'LL SECOND THE MOTION.
UH, WE'RE IN THE DISCUSSION PHASE.
DOES THAT INCLUDE THE PART-TIME INCREASE? YES.
ONE FULL-TIME, ONE PART-TIME, ONE FULL-TIME POSITION AT 55,001 PART, AND THEN ADDING, INCREASING THE PART-TIME BUDGET TO 45,000.
I USUALLY LIKE TO MAKE THIS POINT JUST BECAUSE WE, UH, HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE SOMETHING TODAY DOESN'T MEAN THAT WE MIGHT NOT CHANGE IT AT SOME POINT LATER DOWN THE ROAD.
WHAT'D YOU SAY ABOUT PART-TIME INCREASING? INCREASING THE PART-TIME TO 45,000.
ANY DISCUSSION ON THIS? ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? UH, JAMES, DO YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY? ARE YOU GOOD? NO, I DON'T, I DON'T HAVE A QUESTION.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE IF YOU HAD EVEN A THOUGHT RUN AROUND.
ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR.
UM, THE NEXT TABS IN THE BOOK FOR AUDITING, PURCHASING, AND COURT REPORTERS.
THEY WILL HAVE MEETINGS WITH THEIR BOARDS TO SET THEIR BUDGETS AND THOSE MEETINGS HAVE NOT HAPPENED YET.
SO THAT'S ALL I HAVE FOR TODAY.
[II.L. Pay increase for election judges and clerks. (Crickett Miller / Judge Deen)]
TO ITEM L ON THE PAY INCREASE FOR ELECTION JUDGES AND CLERKS, IF YOU WOULD COME UP.I RECEIVED A LOT OF INFORMATION TODAY, SO I KNOW THAT Y'ALL HAVE BIG DECISIONS TO MAKE.
UM, I WAS JUST COMING BACK ABOUT RE RAISING THE JUDGES TO $15 AND THE CLERKS TO $13 AN HOUR.
UM, MY BUDGET WOULD NEED TO BE INCREASED BY 21,665.
THIS WOULD INCLUDE THE FICA, ALL THAT OTHER GOOD STUFF THAT BECKY HAS TO HANDLE ALSO, UM, THIS IS JUST AN IDEA FOR YOU.
UM, WE COULD RAISE IT A DOLLAR AN HOUR FOR BOTH THE CLERKS AND THE JUDGES AND I CAN COVER THAT IN MY BUDGET RIGHT NOW.
SO THE JUDGES WOULD BE MOVED TO 12 AND THE CLERKS WOULD BE MOVED TO 11.
UM, THE 15 AND 13 GETS US MORE COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER COUNTIES.
AS YOU KNOW, THE ELECTION JUDGES AND CLERKS ARE GONNA WORK FOR US NO MATTER WHAT YOU PAY THEM.
UM, THEY'RE JUST WONDERFUL DEDICATED PEOPLE AND UH, BUT WE WOULD LIKE TO COMPENSATE THEM IF WE COULD.
[II.M. Pay for comp-time for Elections Staff for uniform elections for the month of May on even years. (Crickett Miller / Judge Deen)]
ITEM M ON THAT FOR THE PAY FOR THE COMP TIME FOR ELECTION STAFF FOR UNIFORM ELECTIONS FOR THE MONTH OF MAY ON EVEN YEARS.THE, AS I UNDERSTAND THE POLICY, THE COUNTY WRITES A POLICY, SO YOUR POLICY NOW IS THAT YOU CANNOT PAY FOR COMP TIME.
UM, BUT IF WE COULD DO IT WHERE THAT CERTAIN DEPARTMENT, LIKE MY DEPARTMENT IN THESE CERTAIN CASES COULD PAY FOR THE COMP TIME OUT OF OUR BUDGET, THAT WOULD BE GREAT.
UM, WE CHARGE THE ENTITIES TO HOLD THE ELECTIONS AND THAT MONEY IS SET ASIDE.
I CAN USE THAT MONEY OR I CAN CHARGE THE ENTITIES BECAUSE IT'S WRITTEN IN THE CODE THAT WE CAN CHARGE FOR ANYTHING THAT'S OVER THEIR NORMAL HOURS.
SO OUR LADIES WORK FROM MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, EIGHT TO FIVE.
SO WHEN THEY HAVE TO WORK A SATURDAY ELECTION, ALL OF THAT, WE COULD PAY THEM FOR THAT, NOT GIVE THEM COMP TIME.
THE REASON I ASK FOR THIS IN EVEN YEARS IS, AS YOU KNOW, THIS IS A PRIMARY YEAR.
THEY DON'T HAVE TIME TO TAKE OFF THAT COMP TIME.
SO THEN WE GET VACATION TIMES BUILT UP COMP TIME.
AND I'VE WORKED REALLY HARD ON KEEPING THEM LOW WHEN WE GET TO THIS POINT SO THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THAT PROBLEM.
BUT WE DO HAVE SEVERAL THAT HAVE BEEN HERE A NUMBER OF YEARS THAT THEY'RE VACATION TIME CREWS FASTER THAN THE OTHERS AND IT IS HARD FOR THEM TO TAKE OFF THAT TIME.
THIS IS NOT MONEY THAT IT WOULD COST THE COUNTY OTHER THAN OUT OF OUR REVENUE BUDGET, WHICH BRIANNA PROBABLY COULD.
WELL SHE'S NOT HERE, BUT, UM, THIS IS MONEY THAT I GET TO CHARGE THE ENTITIES AND WE GET TO PUT IT IN A SEPARATE ACCOUNT AND THEN WE CAN USE IT FOR DIFFERENT THINGS.
AND PAYING OUR SALARIES WOULD BE NOT MY SALARY.
IT'S NOT COSTING THE COUNTY, SIR.
[02:00:01]
THE COUNTY IS WHAT YOU SAY.IT'S MONEY THAT WE ARE GETTING IN, IN REVENUE AND THAT'S, THAT IS, UH, YOU SEE THIS BEING MORE FAIR FOR OUR MORE TENURED EMPLOYEES IN YOUR DEPARTMENT FOR ALL OF THEM REALLY, BECAUSE THE, OF COURSE THE TENURE ONES, THEY'RE VACATION TIME ACRU PASTOR.
SO, BUT ALL OF THEM BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO TAKE OFF UNTIL JULY PROBABLY OF NEXT YEAR DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE'VE GOT ONE ELECTION RIGHT AFTER ANOTHER AND IT'S JUST FOR THE MAY LOCAL UNIFORM ELECTION.
BECKY, I WAS ABOUT TO ASK YOU IS CAN WE LEGALLY DO THAT? YEAH, YOU CAN.
I MEAN, JUST LIKE THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, Y'ALL HAVE APPROVED, YOU KNOW, LIKE SPECIAL DUTY OVERTIME, IT JUST NEEDS TO COME FROM Y'ALL AS A POLICY.
I THINK ANOTHER POINT TO MAKE, INSTEAD OF THIS COMP TIME BEING EARNED AT ONE RATE AND BEING TAKEN OFF TWO YEARS LATER AT A DIFFERENT RATE, THIS IS MONEY THAT SHE'S ABLE TO BILL OUT MM-HMM.
WELL, I HAD A QUESTION, JUDGE, IF YOU MIND.
UM, SO I HAD A QUESTION FROM SOMEBODY, AND THIS IS NOT RELATED TO THIS, THIS IS RELATED TO I GUESS, THE PRIMARIES AND IT HAS TO DO WITH THE, UH, THE, UH, PARTY CONVENTION THAT THEY HAVE AT THE ELECTION SITES THAT JUST YOU'RE REQUESTING THAT THEY NOT DO THAT OR WE I'M, YES SIR.
THIS IS RELATED BUT NOT EXACTLY THE SAME.
I AM REQUESTING THAT THEY NOT DO IT AT THE SAME TIME BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WHEN THEY, THE VOTING HAS ENDED MM-HMM.
THEN THEY WANT TO HOLD THOSE PRECINCT CONVENTIONS AND REALLY AND TRULY THE PARTY, THE ELECTION JUDGE'S MAIN GOAL SHOULD BE SHUTTING DOWN THAT POLL SITE, NOT HOLDING A PRECINCT CONVENTION.
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN TO ONE OF THOSE? NO, SIR.
AND IF THE, UH, IF IT CAN BE MANAGED AT THE, UH, THE, THE PRECINCT, UH, CONVENTION IS HELD THERE, THE JUDGE DOESN'T HAVE TO DO THAT.
THERE CAN BE SOMEONE ELSE DO THAT.
AND SO THERE, I THINK IT WOULD BENEFIT EVERYBODY IF IT WAS TO CONTINUE AS IT CURRENTLY IS BECAUSE IF IT'S DONE PROPERLY, IT JUST TAKES ABOUT 10 TO 15 MINUTES.
THE ONLY, AT THE MOST IT'S FILLING OUT THE PAPERWORK.
THAT TAKES A LITTLE BIT OF TIME.
THE OTHER ADDITIONAL THING IS THAT THEY HAVE IT IN A DIFFERENT ROOM THAN WHERE THEY'RE ACTUALLY HAVING THE VOTING.
DUE TO THE FACT THAT YOU BY BYSTANDERS ARE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE IN THE OR LOITERING INSIDE THE POLLING LOCATION MM-HMM.
WHENEVER THEY'RE RUNNING THOSE REPORTS, THERE CANNOT BE ANYBODY IN THERE AT THAT POINT IN TIME.
THOSE ARE THE ONLY THINGS THAT I LOOK OUT FOR.
WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER HALE AND A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CONLEY.
IS THERE ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR.
THAT TAKES US TO ITEM THREE ON ADJOURNMENT AS PROMOTION, MOVE TO ADJOURN.
SECOND, UH, WE HAVE A MOTION TO SECOND.
OPPOSED? LET THE RECORD SHOW WILL ADJOURN.