Jul 08, 2026 Special Commissioners Court

MEDICAL EXAMINER. BUDGET REQUESTS. TRACY. GOOD MORNING.

[*This meeting has been joined in progress*]

[I.B. Discussion/Presentation on Department 474 Medical Examiner budget requests. (Traci Bennett / Judge Deen)]

[00:00:05]

PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING'S GOING TO STAY THE SAME. THERE IS AN INCREASE WITH THE MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE, WHICH DID GO UP A LITTLE BIT. I DID DECREASE THE LINE FOR REPAIR AND MAINTENANCE EQUIPMENT.

NO LONGER NEEDED THAT BECAUSE I DON'T HAVE A GENERATOR. I DID ASK FOR A LITTLE INCREASE ON THE MAINTENANCE AND VEHICLES.

WE DO HAVE TWO OLDER VEHICLES. WE WERE GOOD. GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO GET THE TRUCK FROM SURPLUS.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAD TO TURN AROUND AND PUT A TRANSMISSION IN IT. IT ONLY LASTED TWO WEEKS.

THE TRANSPORT. I TALKED TO THEM. THEY'RE GOING TO KEEP THAT CONTRACT THE SAME. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO RAISE THAT UP. THE OTHER DUES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS ARE ALL GOING TO STAY PRETTY MUCH THE SAME. I THINK ONE JUST SLIGHTLY WENT UP A LITTLE BIT.

WE DID ASK TO INCREASE THE GENERAL SUPPLY OF.

WE HAVE A COUPLE OF TRUCKS WE'RE GOING TO OUTFIT, BUT WE'RE GOING TO DO IT WHERE WE JUST GET IT FROM AMAZON.

THE LIGHT'S BARE BONE MINIMUM. AND THEN PRECINCT ONE WILL INSTALL THEM FOR US AS THEY DID ONE SO FAR.

AND THEN BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS. WE WAS LOOKING AT LIKE $5,500 TO PUT IN TO DO LIKE MAYBE SOME PAINT AND CARPET IN OUR BUILDING. AND THEN THE ONLY OTHER THING IS THE INCREASE FOR SALARY FOR MY POSITION TO GET IT TO THE PAY SCALE TO WHERE IT'S, YOU KNOW, COMPARABLE TO OTHER COUNTIES. AND THAT'S IT.

CAN YOU JUST, I WAS IN THE MEETING WITH TARRANT COUNTY MEDICAL EXAMINER, AND I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THERE WAS A STEPPING STONE KIND OF INCREASE.

CAN YOU CAN YOU GO THROUGH THAT AND HELP US UNDERSTAND THIS INCREASE AND WHAT THAT MEANS IN YEAR TWO, YEAR THREE, YEAR FOUR AND SO FORTH? WELL, WE WERE IN YEAR THREE LAST YEAR, WHICH MY UNDERSTANDING FROM CHANDLER WAS THAT IT WAS.

THAT WAS THE LAST YEAR THAT I DIDN'T THINK WE'D SEE ANOTHER RACE.

THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. THAT'S. AND THAT'S WHAT I UNDERSTOOD, TOO. AND SO WHEN I REACHED OUT TO HIM A FEW MONTHS AGO, THEY SAID THEY WOULD HAVE TO GET BACK TO ME. AND THEY GOT BACK TO ME KIND OF AT THE LAST MINUTE.

AND THEN I NOTICED THAT IT WAS RAISED UP. BUT I PUT IN AN EMAIL, BUT I HAVEN'T HEARD ANYTHING BACK.

HOW MUCH WAS THE RACE? I WANT TO SAY IT WAS PROBABLY AROUND 20,000.

WE HAVE A 20,000 INCREASE FROM THE COUNTY. YES, SIR.

BUT I DID TALK. I DID TALK TO TRANSPORT, AND THEY DID KEEP THEIRS THE SAME. HE'S NOT GOING TO INCREASE IT. YOU'RE NOT ABSOLUTELY SURE ABOUT THAT PRICE? YEAH, THEY EMAILED ME AND I'VE GOT IT. OKAY. YEAH.

THAT THAT PRICE THE 504333. YES. YEAH. BUT WE WERE IN THE MEETING WITH THEIR, THEIR, THEIR COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR.

WHO IS THERE ALSO THEIR POSITION, I BELIEVE DOCTOR.

YEAH. AND I, I UNDERSTOOD THAT THIS WAS GOING TO STABILIZE AFTER A YEAR OR 2 OR 3 WAS OKAY.

SO WE NEED TO I CAN REACH OUT TO HIM. I WOULD SUGGEST AND RECOMMEND WE HAVE ANOTHER MEETING FACE TO FACE ON THIS.

YES, SIR. OKAY. SCHEDULE THAT. THAT NEEDS TO BE TALKED BECAUSE THAT'S IN CONFLICT WITH WHAT.

AND I DON'T WANT TO GET. THAT WAS PROBABLY THE MOST UNCOMFORTABLE MEETING I'VE EVER HAD IN TERMS OF THE THE SPECIFICS OF WHAT THE SERVICE IS.

AND WE GREATLY APPRECIATE WHAT THEY DO. BECAUSE WE CAN'T DUPLICATE WHAT THEY DO.

AND I AGREE WITH YOU ON THAT. BUT THE 20,000, WHEN THEY TOLD US IT WAS GOING TO STABILIZE AT YEAR THREE IS WHAT I HEARD AND REMEMBER.

SO YEAH, IF YOU COULD LOOK AT THAT AND SEE IF WE CAN'T GET ANOTHER FACE TO FACE, I THINK WHAT THE VALUE OF THEIR SERVICE TO THE COUNTY IS CRITICAL.

SO WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT BETTER. YES, SIR.

I'LL TAKE CARE OF THAT, JUDGE IF I CAN. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THOSE WHO DON'T HAVE THIS DATA IN FRONT OF THEM ARE FOLLOWING ALONG WITH WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HERE.

WE WE JUST TALKED ABOUT TWO SEPARATE THINGS. ONE IS THE AMOUNT THAT TARRANT COUNTY CHARGES US, AND THAT'S WHAT'S INCREASING BY $20,000. IS THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR. THE OTHER THING THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT, AND I DON'T KNOW IF SOMEONE WASN'T PAYING INCREDIBLY GOOD ATTENTION, THEY MIGHT HAVE THOUGHT THAT WHAT THAT WAS, WAS THE INCREASE IN PAY THAT YOU HAD MENTIONED FOR YOUR POSITION.

SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE ANYONE WHO'S LISTENING ALONG KNOW THEY'RE SEPARATE ISSUES. YES, SIR. THOSE ARE SEPARATE ISSUES. SEPARATE ISSUES. YOU'RE ASKING FOR APPROXIMATELY 8700, SOMEWHERE AROUND 10%. YES, SIR. IS THAT CORRECT? YES, SIR. CAN YOU JUST QUICKLY GIVE US A HIGH LEVEL EXPLANATION? AND I DON'T MEAN TO STEAL COMMISSIONER WALDEN'S THUNDER.

HE SAYS THIS MUCH BETTER THAN I WILL, BUT WE'RE GOING TO BE LISTENING TO A BUNCH OF DIFFERENT FOLKS, AND THERE'S A REALLY GOOD CHANCE THAT THE AMOUNT OF ASKS IS GOING TO BE BIGGER THAN WHAT WE HAVE TO GIVE.

SO WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO MAKE SOME DECISIONS. YES, SIR. ABSOLUTELY. SO I CAME UP WITH THAT FIGURE, WHICH IS STILL UNDER WHAT'S COMPARABLE TO ANOTHER COUNTY THAT WE WERE NECK AND NECK WITH.

I'VE BEEN WITH THE COUNTY. WHAT COUNTY THAT IS? THAT WOULD BE JOHNSON COUNTY. OKAY. THAT'S A GREAT COUNTY TO COMPARE US TO. YES. AND I, I KNOW THAT HE MAKES 98,000. HE, THE ONE BEFORE HIM DID MAKE 100, BUT THE GUY THAT THEY REPLACED HIM WITH DOES NOT HAVE THE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE THAT THE

[00:05:07]

AND I'VE BEEN WITH THE COUNTY FOR 12 YEARS, SEVEN OF IT.

I HAVE BEEN THE DEPARTMENT HEAD FOR THE MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE.

AND WITH THAT, THERE HAS BEEN A YEAR BEFORE LAST WE DID, I WAS GRACIOUS ENOUGH TO GET A PART TIME CLERK AND UNFORTUNATELY, THEY HAD TO LEAVE FOR PERSONAL REASONS. AND IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT WE GET A PART TIME INVESTIGATOR TO HELP OUT.

THAT'S KIND OF A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD, THOUGH, BECAUSE THEY CAN ONLY WORK SO MANY HOURS. WE'VE GONE THROUGH FOUR PART TIME INVESTIGATORS IN LESS THAN A YEAR, AND RIGHT NOW I'M DOING INTERVIEWS ALL THIS WEEK TO GET ANOTHER ONE, BECAUSE THEY WON'T STAY, BECAUSE IT'S HARDER THAN THEY THOUGHT. THEN THEY REALIZED WHAT WE DO MORE SO THAN THEY'RE LIKE, THIS IS NOT FOR ME. AND THEN THEY ALSO WANT MORE MONEY.

AND WITH WHAT IT PAYS, WE'RE HAVING TROUBLE KEEPING SOMEBODY.

SO I'VE TAKEN ON BACK THE ROLE OF ALSO THE CLERK, SINCE WE DO NOT HAVE ONE.

AND I'M ALSO PULLING SHIFTS WITH THE INVESTIGATORS TO KEEP COMP TIME DOWN AND TO ALSO GIVE THEM TIME OFF AS WELL AS, YOU KNOW, VACATION AND WHATEVER ELSE THEY NEED TO TAKE OFF, BUT MOSTLY TO KEEP THE COMP TIME DOWN.

SO IF I CAN SUMMARIZE THAT, I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT I CAUGHT THAT.

YOU'VE LOOKED AT JOHNSON COUNTY, WHICH IS A PRETTY COMPARABLE COUNTY. IT'S METROPOLITAN ADJACENT, RELATIVELY SIMILAR IN SIZE. THERE'S A COMP THERE THAT SHOWS THAT THE MARKET PAY IS HIGHER THAN WHAT IT IS HERE.

THAT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU SAID. AND THEN YOU'RE ALSO NOTING THAT THERE'S SOME DIFFICULTY RETAINING SOME OF THE FOLKS THAT YOU'VE CYCLED THROUGH.

FOUR HAVE CYCLED THROUGH DUE TO THE DIFFICULTIES OF THE JOB.

I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT BECAUSE I DON'T PERSONALLY WANT TO DO YOUR JOB EITHER.

NOBODY DOES. INVESTIGATING THAT TYPE OF STUFF DOES NOT SEEM APPEALING TO ME.

AND THEN THERE'S SOME CLERICAL ASPECTS AS WELL THAT YOU'RE HAVING TO PICK UP ON.

DID I, DID I CATCH ALL THAT? YES, SIR. GREAT.

THANK YOU. I THINK SOMETHING MIGHT BENEFIT US, TRACY, IF YOU HAVE A JOB DESCRIPTION FOR YOUR POSITION.

YES, SIR. DO YOU HAVE THAT? I'VE INCLUDED IT, YES. I DON'T HAVE IT WITH ME AT THIS MOMENT. YES, I HAVE INCLUDED IT. GOOD. THANK YOU.

OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR TRACY? THANK YOU.

JUST TO TAKE A MOMENT, JUST AGAIN, THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO.

YES, SIR. THANK YOU. THAT'S A AGAIN, COMMISSIONER HOLT SAID I THINK IT'S VERY VALUABLE WHAT YOU DO TO THE COUNTY.

AND THAT WAS AGAIN, THE PROBABLY THE HARDEST THING I'VE EVER BEEN THROUGH.

AND I HAVE NOT YET TAKEN THAT TOUR IN TARRANT COUNTY, AND I DON'T INTEND TO.

WELL, IT'S JUST BEEN REALLY BUSY OVER THERE. SO WE'VE HAD A BUSY 4TH OF JULY EVEN SO.

YES. GOOD, GOOD. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU.

MOVE TO ITEM C ON THE DISCUSSION PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT 475.

COUNTY ATTORNEY BUDGET REQUEST. JOHN'S NOT HERE YET, IS HE? WE'RE GOING TO. IS THERE ANYBODY HERE FROM THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE? OKAY. WE'RE GOING. WE'RE GOING TO TABLE THAT ONE. GO DOWN ITEM D ON DISCUSS PRESENTATION DEPARTMENT 582 T BUDGET REQUEST.

[I.D. Discussion/Presentation on Department 582 IT budget requests. (James Caywood / Judge Deen)]

GOOD MORNING. COURT. JAMES CAYWOOD, I.T. DIRECTOR FOR PARK COUNTY.

GO OVER TOP LEVEL. THIS YEAR, WE ACTUALLY HAVE A REDUCTION OF 28% UNDER LAST YEAR'S IT BUDGET.

THE BIGGEST ASSET THAT WAS OUR CAPITAL EXPENDITURE LAST YEAR FOR PUBLIC SAFETY.

SO IF YOU REMOVE THAT, WE'RE ACTUALLY FOR AN INCREASE OUTSIDE OF CAP OF ABOUT 5% OF OUR, OUR WHAT OUR ACTUAL I.T.

BUDGET WAS YESTERDAY OR LAST YEAR. EXCUSE ME.

SOME OF THE INSURANCE THAT IS OUR BIGGEST DEAL IS OUR CONTRACT SERVICES LINE INCURRED ABOUT 7% INCREASE ON SEVERAL OF OUR VENDOR PACKAGES, SOFTWARES THAT WE USE THROUGHOUT THE COUNTY THE TILERS AND EVERYTHING ELSE, ALONG WITH OUR PUBLIC SAFETY TOWER SITES, THEY'RE ABOUT AVERAGE, ABOUT 7% INCREASE ACROSS THE BOARD.

BIGGEST HIT OTHER THING WE'RE ADDING THIS YEAR, WE'RE GOING TO BE BUMPING UP OUR INTERNET AGAIN TO FIVE GIG SERVICE.

WE'RE UTILIZING A LOT MORE BANDWIDTH NOW WITH OUR CAMERA SYSTEMS, PUBLIC SAFETY, COURTHOUSE SECURITY ACCESS TO ALL THE TOWER SITES FOR CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE MONITORING. NEXT BIGGEST THING IS THE EMPLOYEE POSITION WE PUT IN WE DISCUSSED BRIEFLY YESTERDAY, MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT. IF THAT PROCEEDS, I AM LOOKING FOR LITTLE EXTRA SETUP THAT HAPPENS.

I WILL BE ASKING FOR A VEHICLE, A LITTLE TRACKS, I THINK IT WAS 24,000 FOR THAT POSITION IF THAT GOES THROUGH.

SO THERE IS SOME COST OF A VEHICLE AND SOME COMPUTER TO RUN THE GIS ON THE MODELING, AND THE LAYERS WILL BE A LITTLE HIGHER THAN NORMAL COMPUTER SETUP.

[00:10:03]

ONE I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS IS WE HAVE A NEW LINE IN CONTRACT SERVICES ABOUT $2,400 A YEAR FOR AI INTEGRATIONS.

WE'VE BEEN USING SOME AI MODELS EVALUATING THE NEW MODELS COMING OUT SINCE OCTOBER.

THE, THE MAIN PREMISES OF THAT IS CYBERSECURITY.

IT'S BEEN HELPING US YOU KNOW, THE IT DEPARTMENT, WE HAVE FIVE FULL TIME, I HAVE TWO PART TIME AND WE AVERAGE ABOUT TWO INTERNS A SEMESTER FROM THE COLLEGE AS AN ADJUNCT UP THEIR CYBERSECURITY.

YOU'VE BEEN NOTICING SOME OF THE EMAILS COMING LATELY.

UPDATE THIS. WE FOUND THIS. THESE ARE ACTUALLY COMING FROM THE LIVE THREAT HUNTING EVERY DAY FROM OUR INTERNS.

SO IT'S A GOOD HANDS ON. I'M UTILIZING EVERY RESOURCE I CAN.

WITH THAT AI KEEP EVALUATING THESE NEW MODELS COMING OUT.

THEY'RE UPDATING RAPIDLY LOT HIGHER PERFORMANCE AND UNIQUE THINGS.

JUST TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, WE'RE JUST RESEARCHING NOW ONLINE ABOUT A FULL BLOWN AI ATTACK FROM MALWARE TO FULL RANSOMWARE.

AND SO HUMAN INTERVENTIONS GETTING A LOT LESS EXPERIENCE HAS TO GET A LOT LESS WITH THE AI TOOLS COMING ON.

SO HOW DO WE KEEP ON THE LEADING EDGE? AND Y'ALL HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL WITH IT AND COMMUNICATION.

SO WE'RE TRYING TO STAY WITH THAT. ANOTHER ENHANCEMENT WITH THE AI LINE FOR INTEGRATION, WE'RE LOOKING AT TOOLS WE CAN DO TO HELP SOME OF OUR SOFTWARE PACKAGES JUST AVERAGE SAVINGS OVER LAST YEAR WITH THAT WE'VE REDUCED ABOUT 120,000 IN XDR.

AND ACTUALLY WE GOT THE SERVER PAID BY GRANT AND ONE OF MY LINES FOR REPLACING CAP EXPENDITURE FOR ALL OF OUR FIREWALLS NEED TO REPLACE THIS YEAR WE'RE WORKING WITH BIANCA ON A GRANT TO REPLACE THOSE THIS YEAR.

PROBABLY ABOUT 80%, I BELIEVE IS WHAT IT'S GOING TO COVER.

SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN FOLLOW THROUGH AND GET THAT DONE.

IN MY CAPEX THIS YEAR, I'M ASKING TO EXTEND OUR VIDEO COVERAGE SECURITY TO VEHICLE TO TRAILERS.

SO THESE ARE PORTABLE TRAILERS THAT ARE SOLAR BATTERY AND THEY'RE FULLY RIGGED WITH PTZ CAMERAS, A SIREN LOUD HORN. YOU CAN TALK OVER YOUR PHONE, DISPATCH CAN TALK OVER IT TO ENHANCE COVERAGE IN DIFFERENT AREAS.

WE NEEDED IT DURING THE STORM. WE HAD DIFFERENT AREAS, OUR COMMUNICATION SITES, WHEN WE'RE DOING UPGRADES, CONSTRUCTION, WE CAN USE IT. SPECIAL EVENTS LIKE THE RODEO.

SHARE IT WITH PEACH FESTIVAL. EVERY EVENTS WE CAN GO.

SO I'M ASKING FOR TWO OF THOSE JUST ENHANCES OUR CONTINUE TO GROW WITH OUR RICOTTA SYSTEM.

THAT I REALLY FEEL LIKE THAT'S TRANSFORMED OUR OVERALL SECURITY AND ASSET PROTECTION.

CRITICAL COMMUNICATION FOR THIS IS KIND OF LIKE A PORTABLE COMMAND CENTER.

IS THAT. NO, IT'S ACTUALLY JUST A LITTLE TRAILER WITH A 27 FOOT MAST WITH CAMERAS THAT TIE DIRECTLY INTO OUR SYSTEM THAT DISPATCH IS MONITORING.

WE MONITOR DIFFERENT PEOPLE. SO TWO OF THOSE, I BELIEVE, IS ABOUT $127,000 CAPEX FOR THAT.

SO I WAS GOING TO ASK ON THE CAPEX, IT'S 152 NINE.

YES, SIR. BUT IT SAYS FOR ONE FOR ONE UNIT. BUT THEN IT SAYS FOR TRAILERS, IS THAT SUPPOSED TO BE TWO UNITS FOR TWO? I'M ASKING FOR ABOUT 150. WE'RE GETTING TWO. YES, SIR.

THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING FOR. THAT. AND THEN THE COMMUNICATION I'M ASKING FOR A $50,000 CAPEX FOR AN ALIGNMENT TOOL.

WHAT THAT GIVES US IS WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY A VENDOR TO COME IN TO ALIGN OUR RADIOS.

THEY'RE SUPPOSED TO BE DONE EVERY YEAR. WE'VE NEVER HAD ONE DONE SADLY.

AND WE'RE, WE'RE LOSING DEGRADATION ON SIGNAL STRENGTH.

WE'RE, WE'RE NOTICING WITH THE RADIO. SO WITH THAT, THAT GIVES US IN HOUSE, I CAN SEND MY TEAM OUT.

WE CAN RELY ON ALL THE RADIOS AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

KEEP THEM IN TIP TOP SHAPE OVER ALIGNMENT. AS SIMPLE AS PHYSICAL ALIGNMENT.

YEAH, YOU JUST PLUG IT IN AND IT DOES IT ALL BY ITSELF.

IT JUST KIND OF TWEAKS KIND OF A FIRMWARE CHECK AND JUST ALIGNS THE FREQUENCY WITH THE RADIO AS THEY'RE WEARING THEM, BEATING THEM, GETTING OUT OF THE CAR. SO THOSE ARE MY TWO CAPEX REQUESTS.

THE OTHER ONES THE, THE FIREWALLS AND YUBIKEYS.

I'M ASKING FOR THAT WITH THE BE FUNDED BY THE GOVERNOR'S OFFICE CYBERSECURITY GRANT, WHICH WE'VE BEEN PRETTY SUCCESSFUL IN OUR XDR.

WE HAD THE SERVER COVERED ABOUT 80% AND THAT'S MAKING A HUGE DIFFERENCE.

SO ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH. WAY BACK AT THE VERY BEGINNING, YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING ABOUT MAINTENANCE.

YEAH. MOST OF OUR SOFTWARE PACKAGES ARE 7% RIGHT NOW.

THAT'S ACROSS THE BOARD FOR EVERYBODY. SO I WAS JUST CURIOUS ABOUT WHAT, WHAT PARTICULAR AREA? I WAS WONDERING IF YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT TOWERS.

TOWER, THE, THE LEASES, THE ARE LEASE SITES ARE GOING UP.

[00:15:02]

I'M STAYING PRETTY CLOSE TO WHAT WE'RE GOING. MAYBE A LITTLE LESS.

I'VE BEEN GOING OVER SOME SPECIAL FEATURES TO COVER, BUT WE JUST COULDN'T REALLY GET ON A PRICE I WAS HAPPY WITH.

SO THAT'S STAYING PRETTY MUCH THE SAME. OKAY.

BUT THE TYLER EVERY OTHER SOFTWARE WE USE IS ABOUT 7% ACROSS THE BOARD WITH, YOU KNOW, WITH THAT POSITION AND WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW IN-HOUSE, I'M LOOKING TO MAYBE HELP WITH THAT IN CERTAIN AREAS.

WE'LL SOME OF OUR SOFTWARE, MAYBE WE CAN BRING IN HOUSE TO DO THE SAME THING THAT 7%.

YOU FEEL LIKE THAT'S ACCURATE TO THE MARKET? I THINK IT'S PRETTY ACCURATE RIGHT NOW.

EVERYONE ACROSS THE BOARD, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE BLAMING THE THE HISTORY OF THE TARIFFS COMING THROUGH AND EVERY EXCUSE YOU CAN, BUT THAT, THAT SEEMS TO BE THE STANDARD RIGHT NOW ACROSS THE BOARD.

YOU SAID YOU'RE GOING TO ASK FOR A NEW ANOTHER VEHICLE.

HOW MANY VEHICLES DO YOU HAVE NOW? RIGHT NOW, I BELIEVE WE HAVE FIVE VEHICLES.

ONE OF THOSE IS THE MOBILE RESPONSE UNIT THAT WE, WE DEPLOY IN THE EVENT THAT YOU HAVE OUTAGE AT A PRECINCT BARN.

AND THAT, SO WE ACTUALLY HAD A SURPLUS TWO VEHICLES THIS YEAR.

ENGINE WENT OUT AND, AND ONE WAS JUST, THE MODELS WERE GETTING TOO, TOO OLD ON IT.

AND THAT'S THE ONLY CONTINGENT ON A NEW EMPLOYEE.

SO I'M ONLY ASKING FOR THAT IF THE NEW EMPLOYEE GETS APPROVED, RIGHT.

MOST OF THE VEHICLES YOU OPERATE ARE SECOND HAND FROM SOME OTHER COUNTY DEPARTMENT.

ARE THEY? MOST OF THEM THEY ARE, EXCEPT THE ONE I GOT.

AND ACTUALLY TWO GOT A TRUCK. FIRST YEAR I GOT AND THAT TRACKS WE BOUGHT TWO YEARS AGO.

PRETTY NEW. EVERYTHING ELSE IS SECOND HAND. WERE GOING AROUND DRIVING IN.

YOU SHOULD SEE US OUT AND ABOUT. MY TEAM WE'VE TRIED REALLY HARD TO KEEP THE RESPONSE TIME TICKETS COMING IN AS LOW AS POSSIBLE.

AND I THINK HOPEFULLY, YOU ALL KNOW, I TRY TO DO MORE WITH LESS EVERY YEAR.

BUT I HAVE AN OBLIGATION THAT WE DON'T REGRESS AND GO BACKWARDS.

I'M ALWAYS TRYING TO NUMBER ONE, PROTECT THIS COUNTY SO Y'ALL CAN JUST SHOW UP AND DO THE COUNTY BUSINESS FOR THE RESIDENTS OF THIS COUNTY.

ANY QUESTIONS? JAMES, AS ALWAYS, YOU DO A FANTASTIC JOB.

WELL, THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU JAMES. THANK YOU JAMES.

WE'RE GOING TO GO BACK TO ITEM C ON THE DISCUSSION PRESENTATION DEPARTMENT FOR 75 COUNTY ATTORNEY BUDGET REQUEST.

[I.C. Discussion/Presentation on Department 475 County Attorney budget requests. (John Forrest / Judge Deen)]

THE BULK OF THAT'S COMING FROM RECLASSIFICATIONS WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT.

WE UTILIZE SENATE BILL 22 TO SUPPLEMENT OUR INCOME SO THE COUNTY TAXPAYER DOESN'T HAVE TO.

ADDITIONALLY, WE GET A STATE SUPPLEMENT FOR THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE AS WELL TO THE STATE THE RECLASSIFICATIONS THAT WE HAVE AND JUST KIND OF ADDRESS THOSE ONE OF THEM IS GOING TO BE BASED OFF OF MOVING ONE, AN ATTORNEY INTO THE PLANNING POSITION.

AND SO THAT CREATED A VOID OVER WITH MY PROSECUTORS.

AND SO JUGGLING THE SALARIES JUST TO GO THROUGH THOSE MOVING ALLISON OVER TO.

OVER THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT. WE WERE ASKING FOR AN INCREASE FROM 101 FOR 83 TO 106 552. ALSO ASSAULT FROM VIOLENCE. WE WERE MOVING INDIVIDUAL INTO THAT POSITION.

THAT WAS THE ONE THAT WAS VACATED BY ALLISON.

WE'RE PUTTING THAT POSITION FROM 64 TO 70 2 TO 98, 172.

SO THAT WAS A BIG JUMP SINCE WE MOVED ONE OF THE PROSECUTORS OVER.

ADDITIONALLY RECLASSIFYING. SO WE HAVE AN OFFICE MANAGER.

WE'RE MOVING AN OFFICE MANAGER POSITION FROM 670 32 TO 77.

234 AND THE ASSISTANT FROM 6202 TO 63. 766. JOHN, CAN YOU GO BACK TO THE ONE BEFORE THAT ON THAT INCREASE? WHAT WHAT THAT INCREASE WAS? IT SEEMED YOU WENT TO 90 SOMETHING IS WHAT YOU SAID.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN THAT A LITTLE BIT? YES. THAT WAS THAT WOULD BE THE NORMAL SALARY FOR AN ASSISTANT COUNTY ATTORNEY.

BUT SINCE WE HAD MOVED THAT POSITION, IT THE OLD POSITION WAS AT THAT BASE AND WE WERE SUPPLEMENTING IT THROUGH OUR FUNDS.

AND SO WHENEVER WE MOVED THE ATTORNEY OVER, IT CAUSED THAT VOID FOR THAT POSITION.

OKAY. AND THEN TAKING OUR CPS AND MAKING A CHIEF, WE WERE GOING TO GO 1171 59 TO 123, 771. AND SO WE'VE CUT A LOT OUT OF THE BUDGET.

[00:20:06]

ONE PLUS THAT WE JUST FOUND OUT WE GOT IN THAT ICE PROGRAM.

AND I BELIEVE WE'RE ONE OF THE FIRST THAT WERE SUCCESSFUL TO MEET ALL THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THAT.

WE WILL BE GETTING 100,000. I THINK WE ALREADY SEE THAT WE HAVEN'T RECEIVED IT YET.

AND IT'S. AND AND IT'S 100,000 FOR VEHICLES. AND SO WE'LL BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THAT.

AND I THINK WE CAN UTILIZE A CONFIRMED AMOUNT.

IT'S JUST NOT RECEIVED YET. THERE SHOULD BE SOME STIPEND FOR EQUIPMENT SPECIFICALLY USED IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE 7500. AND THERE ARE SOME ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT YOU ALL HAVE BEEN AWARDED FOR THE UNDOCUMENTED CHILDREN AND THAT CAN BE USED FOR PURPOSES OF THE TASK FORCE.

DID I HEAR CORRECTLY THAT THE 100,000 HAS NOT BEEN RECEIVED, BUT IT IS CONFIRMED.

IT'S CONFIRMED. EXCELLENT. AND ADDITIONALLY, WE ENTERED INTO A PROGRAM THAT ALLOWS US TO ALL THESE UNDOCUMENTED CHILDREN THAT CAME UP THAT WERE GIVEN AN ADDRESS. AND WE HAVE MULTIPLE WE HAVE OVER 300 HERE IN PARKER COUNTY THAT WE'RE GOING OUT AND CHECKING ON, JUST TO ENSURE THAT THEY ARE AT THE LOCATION THAT THEY STATED THEY WERE GOING TO GO TO BASED ON THAT PROGRAM, WE'RE GETTING ADDITIONAL FUNDING THAT WE CAN UTILIZE THAT WILL CUT OUR BUDGET DOWN.

SO I ANTICIPATE THAT THERE WILL BE MONEY TO TURN BACK AT THE END OF THE YEAR.

WE DIDN'T DIDN'T GET TO BUDGET THAT IN DUE TO THE FACT THAT WE HAD RECEIVED IT AT THIS TIME.

OKAY. JOHN. ANYTHING ELSE? QUESTIONS? COMMENT. DON'T YOU TAKE PART OF YOUR SALARY SUPPLEMENT AND DISTRIBUTE IT TO EMPLOYEES? I DO. WITH, WITH THE, ALL THE DEPARTMENTS THAT COME UP HERE AND APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN YOUR APPROXIMATELY HOW MANY PEOPLE WORK OUT OF YOUR OFFICE? APPROXIMATELY 338 30. AND SO THE SENATE BILL, 22, 100% OF THAT MONEY GOES TO SUPPLEMENT THE INCOME OF OR THE SALARIES OF THE EMPLOYEES.

I DON'T TAKE ANY OF THAT. AND THEN APPROXIMATELY 60,000 OF THAT STATE SUPPLEMENT THAT I COULD TAKE, I PUT ON THE SALARIES OF MY EMPLOYEES. I APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU DO EVERY TIME YOU COME TO PRESENT THE BUDGET.

IT'S LIKE THIS, AND I APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU.

WELL DONE. ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS? IT WASN'T QUITE AS GOOD AS JAMES, BUT IT WAS STILL PRETTY GOOD.

YOU KNOW, JAMES, JAMES WAS A HARD ACT TO FOLLOW, SO.

YEAH, I SHOULD HAVE BEEN FIRST. THANK YOU. JOHN.

THANKS, JOHN. THANK Y'ALL. THANKS FOR EVERYTHING YOU DO.

OKAY. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO ITEM E ON DISCUSSION.

[I.E. Discussion/Presentation on Department 553 Constable Precinct #3 budget requests. (Glen Praytor / Judge Deen)]

BUDGET REQUEST. GLEN. OR GLEN. LOOK ALIKE. BRAD.

TODAY. GOOD MORNING, GENTLEMEN. MORNING. SAME THING WE'RE DOING LAST YEAR.

WE NEED ANOTHER BODY. NEED VEHICLES PUT IN HERE THAT WE COULD GET ANOTHER BODY.

OR WE COULD GO WITH A PART TIME DEPUTY AND A PART TIME CLERK TO FREE UP THE MANPOWER THAT WE HAVE.

THERE'S LITTLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO. THERE'S ABOUT $4,000 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FULL TIME PERSON AND TWO PART TIME.

WE'D PREFER FULL TIME. IS IT IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET TWO PART TIMES? IS THAT SOMETHING THAT. YES WE COULD. PEOPLE THAT ARE OUT THERE THAT WOULD. YES, SIR. WE'D GET A RETIRED PERSON AS OUR BAILIFF DEPUTY, AND THEN WE COULD. WE COULD FIND A GOOD CLERK FOR THAT MONEY.

AND OF COURSE, WE NEED VEHICLES. WE GOT FIVE BODIES, WE GOT SIX VEHICLES.

WE GOT THE FRANKEN TAHOE FROM LAST YEAR, THE YEAR BEFORE.

THE AIR CONDITIONER IS OUT IN IT. THE RADIO, WE PUT IT IN ANOTHER UNIT.

SAVE US $8,500. JUST PINCHING THE PENNIES, KNOWING THAT Y'ALL ARE ON A TIGHT BUDGET.

WE'RE ON A TIGHT BUDGET. THE CITIZENS OF PARKER COUNTY ARE ON A TIGHT BUDGET, SO I'M JUST LOOKING AT THIS FROM YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT EITHER OR A FULL TIME EMPLOYEE TO BE ADDED OR TWO PART TIMERS.

THERE'S A DIFFERENCE OF $4,000. BUT THEN IF YOU FACTOR IN, IT'S KIND OF A DOUBLE EDGED SWORD.

YOU HAD TWO PART TIMERS, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO NEED TWO, TWO, TWO CARS.

[00:25:02]

IF YOU FACTORED ALL IN HOW THAT 4000 YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

YES, SIR. BECKY DID A GREAT JOB ON POINTING EVERYTHING OUT.

I MEAN, SHE HAS IT ALL ITEMIZED RIGHT THERE. SHE DID A GREAT JOB, $4,000 DIFFERENCE.

WE'D TAKE THE FULL TIME. WE'RE GOING TO NEED IT.

WE NEED IT RIGHT NOW. WE NEEDED IT LAST YEAR.

WE NEED IT. HAVE TO HAVE IT THIS YEAR AND WE'LL BE FIVE STEPS BEHIND NEXT YEAR.

CONSTABLE, I'D LIKE TO CALL SOMETHING OUT. IN YOUR JUSTIFICATION LETTER, YOU SUBMITTED A VERY WELL PUT TOGETHER DOCUMENT THAT INCLUDES WORKLOAD ON PAGE ONE. THAT WORKLOAD IS BROKEN DOWN FROM 2023 TO PRESENT BY CIVIL PAPERS RECEIVED, SERVICE ATTEMPTS, ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLAINTS, ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTIONS, COURT BAILIFF HOURS AND WRIT HOURS.

AND YOU HAVE A BREAKDOWN OF EACH ONE? YES, SIR.

THAT TYPE OF INFORMATION IS EXTREMELY HELPFUL FOR US AND GIVES US A MUCH HIGHER LEVEL OF CONFIDENCE IN THE DECISION WE MAKE.

THANK YOU, THANK YOU. AND THAT'S WHAT YOU REQUESTED LAST YEAR.

SO WE STEPPED AHEAD AND GOT IT FOR YOU THIS YEAR.

THANK YOU. ONE OF THE MOST DETAILED THAT WE RECEIVED.

THANK YOU SIR. THANK YOU ALL FOR THAT. THANK YOU.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE? ANYTHING ELSE YOU HAVE FOR US? NO, SIR. THAT'S IT.

OKAY. ANY QUESTIONS FOR HIM? THANK YOU FOR COMING.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. MOVE TO ITEM 11. DISCUSS DISCUSSION.

[I.F. Discussion/Presentation on Department 552 Constable Precinct #2 budget requests. (Joe Harris / Judge Deen)]

BUDGET REQUEST. JO. WELCOME. GOOD MORNING. SO ON MY BUDGET THIS YEAR REQUESTED MOST OF IT TO STAY THE SAME AS LAST YEAR. SO OUR OFFICES ARE AUDITED BY THE TEXAS COMMISSION ON LAW ENFORCEMENT.

THIS YEAR THEY CAME IN, THEY TASKED THEM WITH SOMETHING NEW.

AND IT'S OUT OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE CODE. 211.16 AND IT TALKS ABOUT WHAT IS REQUIRED OF AN AGENCY FOR A NEW AGENCY OR WHAT'S CONTINUED AS AN AGENCY.

AND IT LISTS OUT ALL OF THE THINGS THAT THE AGENCY MUST PROVIDE.

IN THAT AUDIT WE FOUND THAT THERE ARE. I'M MISSING SOME TASERS.

AND IT DOES SAY THAT YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE A FIREARM TO THE OFFICER.

AND SO IF YOU'LL LOOK DOWN THROUGH THE, THE LINES THERE THAT I PROVIDED THOSE COSTS ARE IN THERE.

THAT'S THE ADDITION TO THE BUDGET THIS YEAR. ONE OTHER THING, JOE, IF YOU DON'T MIND JUST ONE SECOND, I WANT TO MAKE SURE ANYBODY WHO'S WATCHING ISN'T LIKE, WELL, THEY MISPLACED A TASER AND FIREARMS. THAT'S NOT WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. NO, SIR. NO, I DIDN'T MISS THE AUDIT. SHOWS THAT THAT'S EQUIPMENT WE NEED THAT WE DON'T CURRENTLY HAVE.

CORRECT. JUST MAKING SURE ANYONE LISTENING UNDERSTANDS THAT.

YEAH. AND THEN LET'S SEE. WHILE GOING THROUGH THE AUDIT PART OF THE PROCESS WAS POLICIES AND PROCEDURES.

WHILE GOING THROUGH SOME OF THOSE, WE DO THE WRIT OF ATTACHMENTS FOR THE COUNTY WHICH, WHICH A LOT OF KNOWS ALL ABOUT THAT FOR US.

YEAH. THAT'S WHERE WE TAKE AN INDIVIDUAL THAT'S BEEN COMMITTED AND WE TRANSPORT THEM ARTICLE 4604 OF THE CODE OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE. IN THERE IT STATES THAT IF WE ARE TRANSPORTING A FEMALE, THEY NEED TO BE ACCOMPANIED BY A FEMALE ACTUALLY SAYS THEY MUST BE ACCOMPANIED BY A FEMALE. SO THAT WOULD BE MY REQUEST THIS YEAR FOR A DEPUTY POSITION, SO THAT I WOULD BE ABLE TO HIRE A FEMALE TO BE ABLE TO CONFORM TO THAT CODE. DO YOU HAVE AN ESTIMATE ON NUMBER OF TRANSPORTS INVOLVING A FEMALE? I'M GOING TO SAY I MEAN, I HAVE THE NUMBERS BACK AT THE OFFICE.

I DIDN'T BRING THEM WITH ME, BUT I CAN GET THEM FOR YOU IF YOU DON'T MIND GETTING THAT. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WAS ASKED YESTERDAY IN THE BUDGET COMMITTEE WAS IF WE HAD A BETTER IDEA OF HOW MANY TIMES THAT OCCURS OR WHAT THE PROJECTION IS GOING FORWARD, BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S A POSSIBILITY.

MAYBE IT IS, MAYBE IT ISN'T. YOU AND I HAVE HAD SOME CONVERSATIONS BEFORE ABOUT OUTSOURCING SOME OF THOSE REQUESTS, AND YOU'VE HAD SOME VERY GOOD REASONS WHY SOMETIMES THAT DOESN'T ALWAYS WORK FROM A LOGISTICS AND SCHEDULING STANDPOINT, BUT THAT IS SOMETHING THAT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE LEAVE NO PENNY UNTURNED.

NO. ABSOLUTELY. YES. WE'D LIKE TO LOOK AT THAT. YEAH, I CAN GET THAT. IF I MAY ADD ONE THING TO THAT.

THE CASES, THE CASES HE'S TALKING ABOUT THAT IS OUR FASTEST GROWING CASE TYPE HANDS DOWN.

IT'S IT'S MENTAL HEALTH. IS THAT ALL IN PRECINCT ONE? YEAH. AND AND WE'RE JUST, I MEAN, WE'RE JUST ONE PART OF IT.

I MEAN, THERE'S OTHER AGENCIES THAT DO THE INITIAL.

AND THEN AND THEN ONCE THEY'RE TAKEN, YOU KNOW, TO A FACILITY, THEN THEY HAVE TO BE TRANSFERRED FROM THAT FACILITY TO ANYWHERE IN THE STATE THAT HAS AN OPEN OPEN BED FOR THEM. SO YOU'RE VERY CORRECT.

[00:30:02]

SO OBVIOUSLY THE, THE NUMBERS HAVE CAME UP. AND SO THAT WOULD HELP HELP BURDEN ON HER AS WELL.

GOOD. SO ANY QUESTIONS. SO IT DOESN'T GO THE OTHER WAY THOUGH.

THE FEMALE COULD TRANSPORT MALE MENTAL HEALTH.

THEY CAN. YEAH. YEAH. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE I WAS UNDERSTANDING EVERYTHING.

YEAH. IT'S JUST NOW. NOW WHAT IT IS IS THAT THERE'S.

I ALWAYS SEND TWO PEOPLE, OKAY. WHEN THERE'S A FEMALE AND TWO MALES AND THERE'S ONE FEMALE IN THE BACK.

SO THE, YOU KNOW, THE SURE LIABILITY THERE AND, AND, AND SOME OTHER THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW FOR THE COUNTY.

I MEAN, AND LIKE I SAID, THE CODE, THAT'S WHAT THE CODE SAYS.

SO I'M JUST DOING MY PART AFTER MY POLICY STUFF TO TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE CONFORMING WITH THE CODE.

ABSOLUTELY. VERY GOOD. ANYTHING ELSE? ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR JOE? THANK YOU JOE. THANK YOU. THANKS, JOE. MOVE TO ITEM G ON DISCUSSION, PRESENTATION AND DEPARTMENTS FOR 03404 COUNTY

[I.G. Discussion/Presentation on Departments 403 and 404 County Clerk budget requests. (Lila Deakle / Judge Deen)]

THE BUDGET LOOKS A LITTLE DIFFERENT THIS YEAR BECAUSE WE'VE GOT DEPARTMENT 404 AND 403 COMBINED.

I HAVE LIKE THE DEEDS AND RECORDS SECTION AND THEN THE COURT DIVISION.

SO THE FIRST THING THAT'S IN THE DEEDS AND RECORDS IS AN INCREASE OF $250.

AND THAT'S FOR IN OUR SUPPLY LINE. AND THAT'S FOR, STANDS FOR SOME MANY PIECES THAT I'M ASKING TO PURCHASE.

THE NEXT THING IS THE POSTAGE INCREASE JUST FOR THE COST OF POSTAGE.

BUT A LITTLE SIDE NOTE ON THIS WHEN WE MAIL THINGS TO DIFFERENT PEOPLE, WE CHARGE THEM POSTAGE.

SO WE'RE BRINGING MONEY IN ON IT. BUT YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO HAVE A BUDGET TO DRAW FROM.

THE NEXT THING AND 403 IS WE NEED TO REPLACE FOUR SCANNERS.

THEY'RE $999 EACH. AND THAT'S JUST BECAUSE WE WEAR THEM OUT SO, SO QUICKLY.

AND THOSE SCANNERS I'D HAVE TO GET WITH JAMES.

THEY'RE, THEY'RE, THEY'RE AGING OUT. AND THEN THE NEXT THING ARE THESE TIGGER MODELS, THEY'RE MINI PCS.

AND THIS IS TO PUT AT OUR CUSTOMER SERVICE COUNTERS BECAUSE NOW PEOPLE CAN START THEIR REQUEST ONLINE.

AND WHEN THEY GET TO OUR OFFICE, WE PULL IT UP, THEY CAN REVIEW IT THERE AT THE COUNTER AND THEY CAN SIGN IT.

AND IT JUST CUTS DOWN A LOT OF TIME. AND THOSE ARE $1,400 EACH.

THE NEXT THING THAT APPLIES TO BOTH DEPARTMENTS.

IS OUR EMBOSSERS AND OUR SEALS YOU SEE US USING THERE ANYWHERE FROM 15 TO 20 YEARS OLD, AND THEY'RE STARTING TO BREAK.

AND SO I NEED TO REPLACE SOME OF THOSE. AND WITH THOSE, JUST TO LET YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT JUST ONE SEAL.

EACH COURT HAS THEIR OWN SEALS. WE GOT A COMMISSIONERS COURT, COUNTY, LOT ONE, COUNTY, LOT TWO AND COUNTY COURT.

AND THEN GOING ON HERE A BIG A BURDEN REALLY IS MORE POSTAGE.

THERE WAS HOUSE BILL 3474 THAT'S REQUIRING US TO MAIL OUT MORE NOTICES, MORE PAPERWORK, ESPECIALLY TO PRO SE DEFENDANTS. AND WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO CHARGE THEM FOR POSTAGE.

AND SO WE'RE RUNNING BEHIND THIS YEAR. I'VE HAD TO DO BUDGET TRANSFERS TO KEEP UP WITH THE BUDGET COSTS.

AND THEN THE LAST THING IS THREE SCANNERS IN THE COURT DIVISION AND THEY'RE, ARE $999 EACH, BUT THAT'S IT. HAPPEN TO HEAR ON THE NEWS THAT POSTAGE FOR FOREVER STAMPS IS GOING UP $0.04 THIS WEEKEND.

IT'S IT'S A. IT. THAT'S MY BIGGEST EXPENSE THIS YEAR IS TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH POSTAGE AND.

AND WE DON'T HAVE A CHOICE ON SOME OF THE THINGS WE MAIL.

BUT LUCKILY ON THE DEEDS AND RECORDS, YOU KNOW, WE'RE MAILING OUT COPIES OF DEEDS, ETC.

WE CAN COLLECT POSTAGE FOR THAT. SO SO THAT'S IN THE CODE THAT WE DON'T, WE CAN'T CHARGE POSTAGE FOR IT.

THAT'S CORRECT, BECAUSE WE'RE SENDING OUT COURT NOTICES. WE'RE SENDING OUT OFFICIAL DOCUMENT FROM THE COURT.

SO IT'S NOT OPTIONAL. YEAH. YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR I ALWAYS HARP ON THESE UNFUNDED MANDATES WE GET AT THE COUNTY LEVEL ON THIS POSTAGE. WHAT WAS THAT HOUSE BILL AGAIN?

[00:35:01]

YES, THAT'S CORRECT. AND THAT'S ONLY FOR THE COURT DIVISION.

YEAH. SO WE'RE ABLE TO COLLECT POSTAGE IN THE IN DEEDS AND RECORDS.

I UNDERSTAND. I JUST WANTED TO CLARIFY. OKAY.

ANOTHER LINE ITEM THAT'S FORCED ON US AT THIS LEVEL.

IT IT. YES. THAT'S IT. WE'RE ABOUT HALF TIME HERE ON OUR.

LET'S TAKE A SHORT BREAK. I'LL TAKE A SHORT BREAK, AND WE'LL TAKE A RECESS AT 940 AND COME BACK AT US TEN, 950. AND 51 AND MOVE TO ITEM H AND DISCUSSION PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENTS 510 BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS AND 513 SOUTH SIDE CONVENIENCE CENTER BUDGET REQUESTS.

[I.H. Discussion/Presentation on Departments 510 Building & Grounds and 513 Southside Convenience Center budget requests. (Mark Long / Judge Deen)]

MY OFFICE MANAGER SYLVIA MY FOREMAN. CHRIS, YOU BROUGHT ALL YOUR BODYGUARDS? WE DID. WE DID. IT'S GOOD TO BE HERE. WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR THIS YEAR ARE 2500 CREW CAB PICKUPS TO REPLACE AGING VEHICLES THAT WE HAVE, AND THEN TWO ZERO TURN MOWERS AND TWO PART TIME LAWN TECHNICIANS.

AND WE'RE ALSO ASKING FOR A 5% INCREASE IN SALARIES FOR EVERYONE IN MY DEPARTMENT.

WE CONTINUE TO TAKE ON MORE RESPONSIBILITY AND NEW LOCATIONS SUCH AS THE LATEST PURCHASE AT 1105 SANTA FE.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE GOING TO WIND UP CALLING THAT BUILDING. THE SENIOR CENTER.

WE'RE DONE. WE'RE DONE. ALL THE MAINTENANCE ON IT NOW AS FAR AND ALONG WITH THE RIGHT HOUSE.

SO THANK YOU, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE. HOW BAD IS THE SENIOR CENTER? IT'S NOT BAD NOW. WE SPENT $40,000 ON THE DRAIN LINES, HAD TO TUNNEL UNDER THE KITCHEN TO FIX THOSE DRAIN LINES SO MEALS ON WHEELS COULD CONTINUE OPERATION DURING THE WHOLE TIME.

WE'VE PUT NEW CARPET AND LIGHTING AND TILES THROUGHOUT.

SO IT'S IN PRETTY GOOD SHAPE INSIDE THE BUILDING.

YES. WE'VE ALSO THE SENIOR CENTER HAD THE DUCT SYSTEM CLEANED.

IT'S PRETTY GOOD SHAPE AND WE'RE TAKING CARE OF THE YARD TOO.

SO AND YEAH, WE'VE REPLACED SEVERAL AIR CONDITIONERS, SPLIT UNITS IN THERE AND HAD THE ROOF REPAIRED A COUPLE OF TIMES FOR A LEAK ON THE PARKING LOT WHERE WE HAD IN THE PAST HAD HAD TRENCHED AND FIXED SOME THINGS.

OR THEY STILL HAVE THAT. HAS THAT BEEN REPAIRED ON SOME OF THOSE TRENCHES IN THE PARKING LOT? AND THOSE GAPS ARE STILL THERE? THAT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT WE NEED TO LOOK AT AND SEE.

WE HAVE TALKED ABOUT THAT, AND WE'VE GOT A GUY THAT WE'VE BEEN USING AS LONG AS IT'S UNDER THAT PRICE.

FOR ON PURCHASING APPROVES IT, YOU KNOW. SO YEAH, WE'VE DONE SEVERAL OF THOSE SPOTS AROUND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

A COUPLE AT THE SANTA FE ANNEX. I THINK THAT'S IT RIGHT NOW.

YEAH. I LOOKED AT ALSO THE 1105 SANTA FE. Y'ALL HAVE DONE A PHENOMENAL JOB IN ADDING OFFICE SPACE TO THAT TO ACCOMMODATE THE INCOMING OF THE JUVENILE BOARD. IT LOOKS GREAT. WE HAVE SKILLED CRAFTSMEN ON OUR CREW, AND THAT'S, THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING FOR THAT INCREASE IS TO KEEP THEM.

YEP. NO, IT LOOKS GREAT. WE'VE GOT SKILLED CRAFTSMEN ON HVAC.

WOODWORKING, ELECTRICAL. JUST PLUMBING ABOUT ALL OF IT.

LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE CLOSE. NOT FAR AWAY. YES, WE ARE, BUT THEY'RE PUTTING ON THE LAST COAT OF MUD TODAY, YOU KNOW, AND THEN THEY'LL SAND IT DOWN AND TEXTURE IT, AND WE'LL PUT ALL THE FINISHING TOUCHES ON IT.

AND THEN WE'LL BUFF THE FLOORS IN THE BATHROOMS AND THE KITCHEN AREA.

OKAY. AND WE'RE GOING TO PUT LINES UP IN THE FRONT WINDOWS.

AND I'VE TALKED TO ASHLEY ABOUT WHAT KIND OF DECALS SHE WANTED ON THE WINDOWS AND WHICH ONE SHE WANTED IT ON.

OKAY. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO. THANK YOU.

NO. GREAT. GREAT JOB SAVING THE COUNTY A LOT OF MONEY DOING THINGS IN HOUSE ON THE ZERO TURNS.

WE ACTUALLY GOT A NEW ONE. WE HAD ONE THAT BURNED, SO WE CAN CHANGE THAT TO ONE.

OKAY. THAT IS TRUE. WE JUST REPLACED ONE. SYLVIA'S OUR HUB, AND THAT'S WHY SHE'S HERE.

SHE KNOWS EVERYTHING I TRY. WELL, THANK YOU CELIA.

THANK ALL OF YOU. ALL FOR WHAT YOU DO. OKAY. OKAY.

MOVE TO ITEM ISLAND. DISCUSSION PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT 406.

[I.I. Discussion/Presentation on Department 406 Emergency Management budget requests. (Jason Lane / Judge Deen)]

[00:40:05]

PROBABLY THE FIRST THING Y'ALL WANT TO KNOW IS THAT WE DID HAVE A CONTRACT FOR OUR EMERGENCY NOTIFICATION SOFTWARE HAD GONE UP SUBSTANTIALLY.

SO WE CHANGED THAT LAST YEAR. AND THAT RESULTED IN SAVING A LITTLE OVER $4,000 FROM LAST YEAR'S COST.

THE ITEMS IN MY BUDGET THAT I'M REQUESTING ARE ITEMS THAT WE IDENTIFIED AFTER THE TORNADOES THAT WE HAD IN THE WEST SIDE OF PARKER COUNTY AND PALO PINTO AND THEN UP IN NEAR SPRINGTOWN COMMISSIONER CONLEY'S FAMILIAR AND COMMISSIONER HOLT SPENT A LOT OF TIME ON THOSE. BUT A COUPLE OF THINGS WE IDENTIFIED THAT THERE WERE GAPS.

WE HAD 30 SOME ODD FOLKS WORKING OUT OF OUR EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER.

AND WE HAVE SOME LAPTOPS TO, TO RUN THE TECHNOLOGY IN THERE.

AND THOSE ARE ALL OUT OF DATE AND NEED TO BE UPDATED.

SO WE'VE GOT THREE LAPTOPS TO HELP RUN THAT. THAT'S 8760 FOR THOSE LAPTOPS TO RUN THAT SOFTWARE AND THOSE VIDEO SCREENS AND COMPUTER SCREENS IN THE EOC.

WE MADE SOME OTHER UPGRADES THERE THAT WE'RE DOING OUT OF OUR EXISTING BUDGET.

AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE THAT ALL SQUARED AWAY HERE SHORTLY.

ALSO ONE THING THAT WE USE THAT EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER NOT JUST FOR DISASTERS, BUT WE ALSO USE IT FOR MEETINGS AND TRAININGS ON A REGULAR BASIS. SO I WANTED TO INCLUDE SOME MONEY IN THERE TO PURCHASE SOME AEDS TO HAVE THERE AT OUR OFFICE. THAT'S $3,000. AND THEN FROM THE TORNADOES AFTER THE THE, THE MONEY DISCUSSIONS, AFTER THOSE TORNADOES I'M REQUESTING TO PUT IN SOME MONEY FOR OVERTIME FOR MY STAFF IN THOSE DISASTERS AS A CONTINGENCY.

SO WE DON'T HAVE TO COME BACK TO COMMISSIONERS COURT AND ASK FOR ADDITIONAL FUNDING.

SO THAT'S A $5,000 WHEN YOU ADD THE TAXES AND ETCETERA AT 6076.

JASON, QUICK QUESTION ON THAT. SORRY TO INTERRUPT, BUT WHILE IT'S HOT, LAST YEAR, WE HAD CONSOLIDATED QUITE A BIT OF THE CONTINGENCIES FROM SEVERAL DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS INTO THE MASTER CONTINGENCY UNDER THE GENERAL FUND WITH THE IDEA OF IT JUST GIVES US IT KEEPS US A LITTLE MORE HANDS ON ON SOME OF THOSE DOLLARS. IF THAT'S A DIRECTION WE CHOOSE TO GO.

AGAIN, IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS IS SOMETHING THAT YOU WOULD UTILIZE IN THE EVENT OF A DISASTER THAT WE'RE PROBABLY FULLY AWARE OF AT THAT TIME.

SO I'M PERFECTLY FINE WITH THAT NOT BEING IN MY BUDGET.

I JUST HOWEVER Y'ALL WANT TO MANAGE THAT. THAT'S UP TO Y'ALL.

BUT I JUST WANT TO PLAN FOR THAT. SO THAT SOUNDS LIKE WE'RE TOTALLY ON THE SAME PAGE.

I DON'T HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, COME TALK TO THE JUDGE EVERY TIME SOMETHING BAD HAPPENS IN PARKER COUNTY AND ASK FOR MONEY.

SO THAT'S THE REASON BEHIND THAT. SO HOWEVER Y'ALL WANT TO ADDRESS, THAT'S PERFECTLY FINE WITH ME.

ONE OTHER GAP PRETTY BIG GAP THAT I, THAT WE IDENTIFIED WAS OUR ABILITY TO COMMUNICATE WITH THE PUBLIC. AFTER A DISASTER.

SO IN THE MIDDLE OF, OF RESPONDING TO THESE TORNADOES WHERE WE'RE DOING DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS AND WE'RE COORDINATING A LOT OF FOLKS THAT WE BROUGHT IN FROM OUTSIDE PARKER COUNTY TO HELP AT NO COST FROM THE STATE AND OTHER PARTNERS ACROSS NORTH TEXAS CAME IN TO HELP US WITH THAT.

AND, BUT WE RUN INTO SOME ISSUES WHERE IT'S, WE'VE GOT TO PUSH INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC TO TELL THEM WHAT TO DO.

AND THAT MAY BE SOMETHING LIKE HOW WE MANAGE THE DEBRIS.

SO EACH COMMISSIONER WAS PUSHING INFORMATION OUT.

A LOT OF FOLKS DON'T KNOW WHAT PRECINCT THEY'RE IN.

THEY JUST DON'T PAY A LOT OF ATTENTION TO COUNTY GOVERNMENT. I KNOW THEY FIND YOUR PHONE NUMBER WHEN THERE'S A PROBLEM.

I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT BUT MOST OF THE TIME THEY DON'T REALLY PAY MUCH ATTENTION TO THAT.

SO SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT TO DO, HOW TO REPORT DAMAGE, IF THEY HAVE UNMET NEEDS, THAT WE CAN MATCH THEM UP WITH ASSISTANCE FROM NONPROFIT GROUPS AND CHURCHES AND THAT SORT OF THING. SO WHAT I'VE GOT IT IN THE IN THE REQUEST IN THE BUDGET IS FOR PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER TO HELP WITH

[00:45:01]

POSITION IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BENEFIT PARKER COUNTY AS A WHOLE IN HELPING TO SHARE SOME OF OUR SUCCESS STORIES THAT DON'T MAKE IT OUT TO THE PUBLIC. THAT HAPPENED EVERY DAY. YOU KNOW, THE, THE BUILDINGS AND GROUNDS WAS JUST HERE.

ALL THE WORK THEY'RE DOING ON, ON THE RIGHT BUILDING.

ALL OF THE STUFF THAT PARKER COUNTY IS DOING I THINK WE CAN DO A BETTER JOB AT, AT GETTING THAT WORD OUT TO THE PUBLIC INSTEAD OF JUST THE NEGATIVE STUFF. THAT, THAT GETS ALL THE HEAT.

SO AFTER THIS DISASTER, THE PUBLIC INFORMATION PIECE WAS IT WAS A CHALLENGE FOR, FOR ME TO TRY TO DO THAT POSTING STUFF ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND KEEPING UP WITH RUMOR MILL STUFF AND ALL OF THAT SORT OF THING.

SO I PUT IN THIS REQUEST FOR A PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER TO KIND OF HELP WITH ALL OF THOSE ISSUES.

AND THAT'S GOING TO BE IN OUR, WE'VE ALREADY DONE SOME OF OUR AFTER ACTION STUFF FOR THAT.

SO THAT'S GOING TO BE IN OUR AFTER ACTION REPORT AS A, AS SOMETHING THAT WE NEED TO TRY TO REMEDY.

IF I CAN ADD TO THAT TOO. WE HAD A COUNTY RELATIONS OFFICER THAT HANDLED THAT ROLE IN COORDINATION WITH YOUR DEPARTMENT.

WE TRANSITIONED THAT INTO A MORE WELL, WITH MR. GRIMES, WITH A STRATEGIC PROJECTS DIRECTOR WHICH IS WE NEEDED THAT MORE THAN WE NEEDED THE OTHER.

SO, AND WE OPERATE VERY LEAN. SO WE ELIMINATED THAT POSITION AND THAT LEFT A GAPING HOLE IS WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT.

SO THAT IS SOMETHING WE DO NEED. I DID HAVE SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH MR. GRIMES ABOUT THAT. AND, AND YOU KNOW, BEFORE, BEFORE I BROUGHT A BIG, BIG ASK TO COMMISSIONERS COURT.

I WANTED TO TOUCH BASE WITH HIM AND SEE IF THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT HE THOUGHT MIGHT BE BENEFICIAL.

AND HE RECOMMENDED THAT I GO AHEAD AND PUT THAT IN IN THE BUDGET.

SO ANY QUESTIONS? YEAH, I HAVE ONE. YES, SIR.

WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE PUTTING BRUSH OUT IN THE COUNTY RIGHT OF WAY.

HOW MUCH LONGER SHOULD WE BE DOING THAT, LETTING PEOPLE DO THAT BECAUSE THEY'LL JUST DO IT FOR A YEAR OR TWO.

IF WE JUST KEEP LETTING IT GO. THEY'LL DO THAT FOREVER IF YOU LET THEM.

SO, SO WHAT I WOULD SAY IS, IS THAT WE, WE'RE, WE'RE YEAH, WE'RE A FEW MONTHS PAST, WE'RE A FEW MONTHS PAST THIS.

SO I KNOW THAT YOUR CREWS HAVING TO GO OUT THERE AND PICK THAT STUFF UP PUTS A LOT OF BURDEN ON, ON YOUR GUYS. SO WHAT I WOULD SAY IS, IS THAT, THAT THAT'S YOUR CALL ON WHENEVER YOU WANT TO HAVE THEM JUST START GOING BACK TO BUSINESS AS USUAL, BRINGING IT UP THERE THEMSELVES. I'M CLOSE TO THAT POINT.

I FIGURE THAT WOULD BE THE CASE. YOU KNOW, THERE'S, THERE'S ALWAYS A ONE OFF WITH, YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY THAT MAY HAVE SOME SORT OF DISABILITY OR SOMETHING.

YOU MAY TRY TO HELP THEM OUT ON SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT BUT THAT'S THAT'S YOUR CALL.

I NOTICED SEVERAL NEW POLLS YESTERDAY. WELL, AND MY SUSPICION IS IF IF YOU CLEAN UP A PILE ON ONE ROAD, IF YOU COME BACK IN A WEEK, THERE'LL BE SOME ADDITIONAL ONES OUT THERE. YEP. SO SO THAT'S YOUR CALL.

I, I WOULD SAY THAT WE'RE, WE'RE SEVERAL MONTHS INTO THIS.

SO, SO I THINK THAT THAT THAT'S PROBABLY SOMETHING YOU GAVE WHENEVER YOU WANT TO.

NOW WHAT I WOULD SAY, WHAT I WOULD SAY IS, IS THAT THAT'S A GOOD EXAMPLE OF WHERE PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER CAN HELP WITH PUTTING THIS STUFF OUT ON THAT SORT OF THING.

YES, SIR. YES, SIR. COMMISSIONER. I THINK WE STOPPED IN ABOUT MID JUNE.

I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'VE HAD A LOT OF PUSHBACK. NOW.

YOU GUYS HAVE A LOT MORE VOLUME OF DEBRIS THAN WE DID.

WE'VE GOT MOST OF IT, BUT I NOTICED NEW ONES YESTERDAY.

I WANT TO SAY WE PUT IT OUT THERE IN THE VARIOUS SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS ABOUT TWO WEEKS BEFORE AND SAID, HEY, THIS IS OUR CUT OFF DATE, WHATEVER DAY IT WAS, JUNE 15TH, WHATEVER.

WELL, WE NEED TO WE NEED TO GIVE THEM A CUT OFF DATE.

YEAH. YES, SIR. SO, JASON YESTERDAY WE HAD OUR BUDGET COMMITTEE WORKSHOP.

THE PURPOSE OF THAT BUDGET COMMITTEE WORKSHOP IS TO ASK THE TOUGH QUESTIONS.

IT'S OUR JOB TO TRY TO REPRESENT THE AVERAGE TAXPAYER AND KEEP THE PROPERTY TAX BURDEN AS LOW AS POSSIBLE.

[00:50:08]

SOME OF THE QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED YESTERDAY IS, OR ARE, CAN YOU, NUMBER ONE, EXPLAIN A BIT MORE HOW SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WITH THE PIO DON'T ALREADY FALL UNDER THE DIRECTOR ROLE? IT'S A DIFFERENT SKILL SET. I CAN. THE.

THE ABILITY TO EFFECTIVELY COMMUNICATE TO THE PUBLIC IN THE LITTLE SHORT ATTENTION SPAN THAT MOST FOLKS HAVE ON SOCIAL MEDIA, THEY'RE FLIPPING THROUGH A FACEBOOK OR A REEL OR WHATEVER THEY CALL THOSE THINGS.

THEY'RE FLIPPING THROUGH THAT. SO YOU HAVE TO GET THEIR ATTENTION, ANSWER THEIR QUESTION, OR PUSH OUT THE INFORMATION IN A SHORT SNIPPET.

I THINK THAT I CAN EXPLAIN COMPLICATED HAZARD RISK VULNERABILITY STUFF, BUT THAT'S A MUCH LONGER CONVERSATION THAN, HEY, THIS IS THE SIZE STUFF WE CAN PUT OUT BY THE, BY THE RIGHT OF WAY.

THOSE ARE THINGS THAT ARE IT'S TWO DIFFERENT SKILL SETS.

THE OTHER ISSUE IS JUST THE DISASTER RESPONSE PIECE OF THAT.

A GOOD EXAMPLE IS THE, THAT FIRST TORNADO UP NEAR SPRINGTOWN HAPPENED RIGHT ABOUT DARK ON SATURDAY NIGHT.

BY MONDAY MORNING, I HAD 40 HOURS OF TIME. SO THERE'S NOT A WHOLE LOT OF TIME THAT'S JUST DOING THE DISASTER RESPONSE PIECE.

THAT'S NOT ANY PUBLIC INFORMATION STUFF AT ALL.

SO IT'S A, IT'S A WORKLOAD THING. YOU KNOW, I HAD, I PUT IN 40 HOURS FROM SATURDAY NIGHT UNTIL MONDAY MORNING.

AND THAT DID NOT INCLUDE ANY OF THE SOCIAL MEDIA STUFF.

I'VE GOT DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS TO LINE UP AND I'VE GOT TO BRING IN FOLKS TO FROM THE STATE TO HELP WITH ALL OF THE STUFF THAT HAS TO GO ON.

I JUST DIDN'T HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO DO ALL OF THAT.

AND I KNOW AS SOMEONE WHO WAS NOT PUTTING IN THE HOURS YOU WERE PUTTING IN BY ANY MEANS, BUT SOMEONE WHO WAS THERE AT LEAST SOME OF THE TIME, ETC.. I WAS EXTREMELY IMPRESSED WITH YOUR PROFESSIONALISM, YOUR WORK ETHIC, YOUR RESPONSIVENESS.

I THINK I MAY HAVE MADE THE COMMENT SEVERAL TIMES TO YOU THAT THIS IS WHY WE HIRED YOU, AND WE MADE A REALLY GOOD HIRE IN THAT.

SO I DON'T WANT ANY OF THESE QUESTIONS TO COME ACROSS AS AN ATTACK.

I UNDERSTAND THAT AND I, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.

I, I DO MY BEST. AND, AND THOSE ARE SITUATIONS WHERE IT'S VERY STRESSFUL.

YOU KNOW, WE HAD, WE HAD A FATALITY, WE HAD INJURIES.

WE HAD FOLKS THAT DIDN'T HAVE A PLACE TO GO. WE HAD TO SET UP.

ALL OF THAT STUFF HAS TO HAPPEN. AND BECAUSE IT'S SO MUCH WORK I JUST DIDN'T HAVE THE BANDWIDTH TO, TO TRY TO, TO, TO PUSH OUT INFORMATION TO THE PUBLIC AS, AS WELL AS I SHOULD HAVE, SHOULD HAVE.

AND THAT'S WHY I PUT IT IN HERE IN OUR AFTER ACTION REPORT AND PUT IT IN THIS BUDGET REQUEST IS WE NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB.

I NEED TO DO A BETTER JOB OF PUSHING THAT INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC.

AND I JUST COULDN'T PULL IT OFF WITH WHAT I HAD.

SO I'M SORRY. HOPEFULLY I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT THE REST OF YOUR QUESTIONS.

NO, THAT WAS THAT YOU YOU HIT QUITE A BIT OF IT, AND I APPRECIATE THAT INFORMATION.

YOU YOU SAID SOME THINGS THAT I HAD NOT THOUGHT OF. GAVE ME SOME GOOD INFORMATION, AND I APPRECIATE THAT.

DOES ANY OTHER MEMBER OF THE COMMITTEE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? BECAUSE THAT WAS KIND OF THE BIG ONE THAT I WROTE DOWN. NO.

OKAY. I THINK THERE'S SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN TALK ABOUT OFFLINE WHERE MAYBE WE CAN GET SOMEWHERE NEAR WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WITHOUT ACTUALLY ADDING A FULL TIME POSITION.

SURE. LET'S CHAT LATER. SURE. ABSOLUTELY. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU JASON. THANK YOU. MOVE TO ITEM J ON DISCUSS THE PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT 476 DISTRICT ATTORNEY BUDGET REQUEST.

[I.J. Discussion/Presentation on Department 476 District Attorney budget requests. (Jeff Swain / Judge Deen)]

AND I FIGURED THAT'S PROBABLY WHAT Y'ALL WOULD LIKE FOR ME TO ADDRESS. SO LET ME GO AHEAD AND ADDRESS THOSE. THE FIRST ONE IS FOR AN ASSISTANT DA POSITION.

THE SALARY AMOUNT REQUESTED FOR THAT IS 123326.

[00:55:03]

SO THAT'S WHY I PUT THAT DOWN AS THE AMOUNT FOR THAT POSITION, BECAUSE OTHERWISE IT SOUNDS LIKE A REALLY SPECIFIC AMOUNT OF MONEY AND THERE'S NOT REALLY ANY LOGIC BEHIND IT. SO THAT'S THAT'S THE LOGIC BEHIND THAT. OBVIOUSLY, LIKE EVERYTHING ELSE IN THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, OUR CASELOAD HAS INCREASED. AS I MENTIONED TO Y'ALL YESTERDAY DURING THE BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING.

THE COURT HAS DONE A REALLY GOOD JOB OF HELPING US ADDRESS OUR TRIAL TEAMS TO THE THE PROSECUTORS THAT ARE HANDLING THESE CASES THROUGH COURT.

WE NOW HAVE TWO TRIAL TEAMS OF THREE IN EACH OF OUR TWO DISTRICT COURTS.

THIS PROSECUTOR POSITION WE WOULD LIKE TO HAVE IS SOME HELP WITH OUR, OUR INTAKE AND THE GRAND JURY PROCESS, AS WELL AS WITH OUR JUVENILES. WE'VE HAD A REALLY SIGNIFICANT INCREASE IN, IN JUVENILES.

THOSE CASES ARE ALL HANDLED BY MY FIRST ASSISTANT.

I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE HER BE ABLE TO SPEND MORE TIME SUPERVISING STAFF ALONG WITH ME.

WHICH IS REALLY WHAT THAT ROLE NEEDS TO BE. AND SHE'S SPENDING A TON OF HER TIME WORKING ON THOSE JUVENILE CASES ON THOSE JUVENILES.

YES, SIR. IS THERE A PERIOD WHEN IT PEAKS OR IS IT JUST ALL CRAZY YEAR, YEAR ROUND? SUMMER IS THE ABSOLUTE WORST. YEAH. WE HAVE A LOT OF JUVENILES THAT THEY AREN'T IN SCHOOL AND THEY START GOING OFF AND DOING ONE.

MOSTLY STUPID THINGS, SOMETIMES DANGEROUS THINGS, BUT, YOU KNOW, JUST JUVENILE MISBEHAVIOR ON VARIOUS LEVELS.

SO, YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY OUR GOAL WITH JUVENILES IS IT'S REHABILITATIVE IN NATURE.

THAT'S THE NATURE OF THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM.

BUT THOSE CASES TAKE A LOT OF WORK AND IT'S ALL FRONT LOADED, LIKE OUR FELONY DOCKET.

YOU KNOW, YOU INDICT A CASE AND THEN YOU HAVE THE LONG WAIT TILL YOU GET TO TRIAL OR GET IT TO A PLEA OR WHATEVER YOU HAVE ON THOSE JUVENILE CASES BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO DEAL WITH THEM AND CORRECT THEM WHILE THEY'RE YOUNG AND IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO WHEN IT HAPPENS, THEY'RE VERY ABBREVIATED TIMELINES. AND SO THAT'S ONE OF THE PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE HAVING WITH THOSE CASES.

AND, AND FRANKLY, WHEN THEY GET PUT IN DETENTION WE HAVE TO HAVE A HEARING VERY, VERY QUICKLY, BASICALLY NEXT, NOT THE NEXT BUSINESS DAY, BUT TWO BUSINESS DAYS.

AND SO THAT'S, THAT'S AN ISSUE AS WELL. JUST KIND OF, SO YOU ALL KNOW, AND I DON'T THINK THIS IS IN THE LETTER, BUT I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE PUT IT THERE. BECAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS Y'ALL WERE ASKING FOR IN THE INFORMATION PROVIDED WAS KIND OF AN ORGANIZATIONAL CHART.

SO SPECIFIC TO GRAND JURY AND INTAKE OF CASES, THOSE COME INTO OUR OFFICE, OUR SUPPORT STAFF WORKS THOSE, GETS THE FILES OPENED UP PULLS IN THE EVIDENCE AND THAT SORT OF THING.

AND THEN GENERALLY THE WAY THAT WE HAVE THOSE GOING FROM THERE IS MY FIRST ASSISTANT REVIEWS ALL OF THE DRUG CASES AND I REVIEW EVERYTHING ELSE.

WE, WE INDICT ABOUT 1300 CASES A YEAR. THERE'S PROBABLY ANOTHER 20, 25% ON TOP OF THAT.

I'M GUESSING HERE THAT WE DON'T GO FORWARD ON.

AND SO ALL OF THAT REVIEW FALLS ON MYSELF AND MY FIRST ASSISTANT.

AND THAT'S BEEN THE WAY IT'S BEEN SINCE WE WERE INDICTING 800 CASES A YEAR.

SO OUR THIS I CAN SPEAK FOR KATHLEEN, MY FIRST ASSISTANT AS WELL.

OUR FIRST GOAL WAS TO GET THE HELP TO THE TRIAL TEAMS. I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE ABILITY TO TAKE THOSE CASES THROUGH TRIAL.

AND I TRY CASES TOO, BUT THAT'S THEIR PREDOMINANT JOB.

BUT I THINK WE'RE KIND OF AT A BREAKING POINT.

I'D SAY I PROBABLY DO 10 TO 20% OF MY GRAND JURY WORK DURING THE WORK WEEK, YOU KNOW, THROUGH FRIDAY.

THE OTHER 80% IS ON THE WEEKENDS AND HOLIDAYS.

AND THAT'S, I'D SAY IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE. I'VE SUSTAINED IT SO FAR.

YOU CAN ASK MY WIFE IF SHE THINKS IT'S SUSTAINABLE.

I THINK THE ANSWER WOULD BE DIFFERENT. BUT THAT'S WHERE WE NEED HELP ON THAT.

AND SO I WOULD, I WOULD REQUEST YOUR CONSIDERATION FOR THAT SPOT.

IF YOU DON'T HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, I'LL GO ON TO THE DEA INVESTIGATOR SPOT.

FOR THAT, WE'RE REQUESTING A TOTAL OF $15,675, WHICH COMES DOWN TO ABOUT $5,200 TIMES OUR THREE DISTRICT ATTORNEY INVESTIGATORS. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO, AND THIS IS THE SAME SITUATION Y'ALL ARE GOING TO HAVE WITH THE SHERIFF'S BUDGET IS YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE COMPETITIVE IN THE MARKETPLACE.

AND THEY'RE HAVING THAT ISSUE WITH HIRING NEW DEPUTIES, RETAINING DEPUTIES, RETAINING INVESTIGATORS.

AND WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DON'T EVER HAVE THAT KIND OF PROBLEM EITHER. AND THE WAY TO DO THAT IS MAKE SURE THAT YOU KEEP YOUR SALARIES COMPETITIVE.

THE LAST DA INVESTIGATOR THAT WE HIRED WAS A UNIFORMED SERGEANT WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

[01:00:01]

SERGEANT PAY WITH THE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE THAT MY FOLKS HAVE, MY MY THREE DA INVESTIGATORS HAVE 42, 32 AND 20 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE. THEY'RE ALL MASTERPIECE OFFICERS CERTIFIED.

THEY'RE EXTENSIVELY EXPERIENCED IN LAW ENFORCEMENT AND JUST KIND OF.

SO Y'ALL KNOW WHAT THEY DO. RDA INVESTIGATORS DO FOLLOW UP INVESTIGATIONS FOR EVERY KIND OF OFFENSE THAT WE HANDLE.

ALL OF THE FELONIES, EVERYTHING FROM HOMICIDES, SEXUAL ASSAULTS TO DRUG CASES, FELONY DRUNK DRIVING.

ONE OF THE GROWING AREAS THAT WE'VE HAD THEM DOING A LOT OF WORK ON OF LATE IS A LOT OF THE DIGITAL EVIDENCE THAT WE RECEIVE IN A, IN A CHILD PORNOGRAPHY CASE, FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE GET THOSE CASES IN THEY COME IN AND THEY BASICALLY GIVE US A FLASH DRIVE AND SAY, HEY, WE GOT A SEARCH WARRANT AND DOWNLOADED THIS GUY'S CELL PHONE, TOOK A LOOK AT HIS COMPUTER OR WHATEVER.

SO WE'LL GET EITHER A FLASH DRIVE OR WE'LL GET AN EXTERNAL HARD DRIVE WITH, YOU KNOW, TONS AND TONS OF DATA ON IT.

AMIDST ALL OF THAT IS A TON OF ILLEGAL STUFF.

AND ONE OF OUR INVESTIGATORS OFTENTIMES HAS TO BE THE ONE TO GO THROUGH ALL OF THAT TO BE ABLE TO TESTIFY BEFORE THE JURY.

HEY, THIS IS WHAT WE FOUND. AND YES, WE HAVE THESE THINGS IN THE INDICTMENT, BUT IN ADDITION TO ALL OF THE CHILD PORNOGRAPHY THAT WE HAVE THAT WE CHARGED, THERE'S TEN FOLD, 100 FOLD MORE THAT WE DIDN'T CHARGE US BECAUSE FRANKLY, WE DON'T NEED IT TO GET TO THE MAXIMUM PENALTY THAT WE CAN GET TO.

WHY ADD ELEMENTS TO YOUR PROOF? THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT WE DO.

THAT WOULD BE COUNTERPRODUCTIVE AS A LAWYER, BUT WE WANT THE JURY OR THE JUDGE TO BE ABLE TO CONSIDER HOW MUCH MORE THERE WAS SO THAT THEY CAN PUT THAT CASE WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF THE WHOLE RANGE OF PUNISHMENT.

AND WE'VE DONE A SIMILAR THING. WE TRIED A CAPITAL MURDER CASE A FEW YEARS AGO, AND I THINK WE HAD OVER A MILLION DATA POINTS THAT WE HAD TO HAVE ONE OF OUR INVESTIGATORS LOOK AT AND THE IMPORTANT PIECE OF TESTIMONY WE HAD TO HAVE, AND IT HAD TO COME FROM ONE OF OUR INVESTIGATORS, WAS THERE WERE NO THREATS OF HARM TO ANYONE ON ANY OF THESE CELL PHONES.

AND THAT WAS AN ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL PIECE OF EVIDENCE FOR US.

I THINK IT PROBABLY TOOK HIM TWO MONTHS. AND YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY WHO'S GOT THE WHEREWITHAL AND THE EXPERIENCE TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT IN ORDER TO HOLD THAT POSITION.

SO MY, MY REQUEST IS THAT THE COURT ADD 15,675 TO THAT DA INVESTIGATOR BUDGET LINE. OBVIOUSLY, I ASKED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S BEFORE Y'ALL DO WHATEVER KIND OF COST OF LIVING INCREASE YOU DO THIS YEAR.

IF YOU DO ONE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE STAY COMPETITIVE AND TO SOLVE THIS GOING FORWARD.

AND I MENTIONED THIS YESTERDAY I KNOW IT IS A PET PEEVE OF EVERY MEMBER OF THIS COURT TO HAVE SOME OTHER DEPARTMENT GET AN INCREASE IN PAY.

AND THEN SOMEBODY COMES IN AT THE LAST MINUTE AND SAYS, HEY, I WANT THAT TOO. AND FROM MY END OF THINGS, I DON'T ALWAYS WANT TO BE A YEAR BEHIND TRYING TO CATCH UP, COMING TO Y'ALL WITH THE SAME REQUEST EVERY YEAR. BECAUSE I KNOW OUR, OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT FOLKS ARE REALLY STRUGGLING TO TRY TO MAKE SURE WE STAY COMPETITIVE IN WHAT IS A VERY COMPETITIVE MARKETPLACE.

SO I WOULD ASK THAT Y'ALL CONSIDER PINNING THE DA INVESTIGATOR SPOT TO THAT UNIFORM SERGEANT PAY WITH THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO DO THAT. I DID MISSPEAK YESTERDAY.

I MENTIONED WHEN I WAS JOKING AROUND WITH THE SHERIFF ABOUT WHAT THE DA INVESTIGATOR SALARY WAS WHEN HE WAS IN OUR OFFICE.

AND WHEN SHERIFF FOWLER WAS IN OUR OFFICE BACK THEN, IT ACTUALLY WAS.

IT WAS MATCHED UP TO CHIEF DEPUTY PAY NOT CAPTAIN PAY, WHICH IS WHAT I SAID.

AND OBVIOUSLY THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS GROWN PROBABLY THREEFOLD SINCE THAT TIME.

SO THEY HAVE A WHOLE LOT MORE SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY.

SO I DON'T NECESSARILY BELIEVE THAT THAT KEEPING IT WITH CHIEF DEPUTY PAY OR CAPTAIN PAY IS APPROPRIATE.

BUT I DO THINK SERGEANT PAY IS A REASONABLE PLACE TO SLOT THAT.

AND SO THAT'S MY REQUEST JUST TO TRY TO DEAL WITH THAT.

ANY QUESTIONS. OH SORRY. NO I WAS JUST SAYING ANY QUESTIONS FOR JEFF? OKAY. THE THIRD ONE. I'D BE HAPPY TO TALK WITH YOU ALL KIND OF OFFLINE ABOUT THAT.

IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS ON THAT. THE THIRD ONE IS A SMALLER ASK.

THAT'S OUR VICTIM ASSISTANCE COORDINATOR SLOT. BASICALLY I'M JUST ASKING YOU ALL TO MAKE THE THE DAS VICTIM ASSISTANCE COORDINATOR LINE MATCH UP WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S VICTIM ASSISTANCE COORDINATOR LINE. I DON'T THINK IT MAKES A WHOLE LOT OF SENSE TO HAVE THE VAC POSITION SET TO A DIFFERENT SALARY AMOUNT OR A LOWER SALARY AMOUNT FOR THE FELONY CASES THAN WHAT YOU'D HAVE FOR THE MISDEMEANOR CASES.

SO THAT AMOUNT, THEIR, THEIR LINE ITEM CURRENTLY 772 20.

[01:05:04]

SO THAT MY ORIGINAL THOUGHT WAS JUST TO ASK FOR Y'ALL TO MATCH THOSE TWO UP, BUT INSTEAD OF DOING THAT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANT TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE DO IS TO TRY TO GIVE JOBS WHERE WE CAN A CAREER TRACK AND THERE IS A PROFESSIONAL VICTIM ASSISTANCE COORDINATOR CERTIFICATION THAT IS AVAILABLE THROUGH OUR TEXAS DISTRICT AND COUNTY ATTORNEYS ASSOCIATION.

YOU HAVE TO BE A VAC FOR FIVE YEARS TO GET THAT, DO TRAINING GET PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES AND THAT SORT OF THING BEFORE YOU CAN GET APPROVED FOR THAT. AND I THINK IT WOULD BE A GREAT IDEA TO HAVE THAT BE AVAILABLE AS SOMETHING THAT THAT VICTIM ASSISTANCE COORDINATORS CAN WORK TOWARDS IN THEIR CAREER.

AND I BELIEVE OUR CERTIFICATION PAY FOR OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT FOLKS IS $2,000.

I WAS JUST ASKING TO MAKE THIS CONSISTENT WITH THAT AND TO KIND OF MAKE IT PAY FOR ITSELF WITHIN THE CONTEXT OF JUST MATCHING OUR LINE ITEMS IS TO ACTUALLY BRING OURS UP TO $1,000 LESS THAN WHAT THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE WAS.

SO 762 20 AND ACTUALLY DECREASE THEIRS BY $1,000 TO 76.

220 AND THEN CREATE A $2,000 PERFECT PROFESSIONAL VICTIM ASSISTANCE COORDINATOR CERTIFICATION PAY.

ON TOP OF THAT, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE THEIR VAC GET LESS MONEY BECAUSE SHE ALREADY HAS THAT CERTIFICATION.

OURS WILL NOT BE ABLE TO GET THAT CERTIFICATION.

SO YOU WON'T ACTUALLY HAVE ANY MONEY OUT ON OUR SIDE OF THINGS.

SO IF YOU MOVE THEIRS DOWN 1000, YOU DON'T GIVE US A THOUSAND TO MATCH UP TO THEIRS.

YOU END UP BEING AT THE SAME 5267 AND WE ACCOMPLISH GETTING THEM A CAREER TRACK.

THAT'S JUST MY IDEA. I'M HAPPY IF YOU ALL JUST WANT TO GO AHEAD AND SET THEM THE SAME TOO. BUT I THOUGHT THAT WOULD BE A NICE IDEA FOR THAT PARTICULAR POSITION.

SO ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? IT'S LIKE WE HEARD ALL OF THIS BEFORE YESTERDAY.

YEAH. JUST YESTERDAY. EXACTLY. PROBABLY BETTER PRESENTED TODAY THOUGH. I WAS MORE PREPARED I THINK HOPEFULLY. WELL THANK YOU FOR YOUR DILIGENCE IN PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. I APPRECIATE IT. I HAD A QUICK QUESTION. DO YOU KNOW IF THERE ARE ANY.

SCHOLARSHIPS OR ANY TYPES OF BENEFITS THAT YOU CAN APPLY FOR TOWARDS THOSE TRACKS.

I KNOW AS COMMISSIONERS, THERE ARE SOME THINGS WHERE YOU CAN EARN SCHOLARSHIPS IF YOU QUALIFY OR GET SELECTED.

SO ON THE ASSISTANCE TRACK. YEAH. ON ANY OF THOSE? YES, SIR. YEAH. ON THE ON THE VICTIM ASSISTANCE TRACK.

WELL, AND THIS ACTUALLY, I'M GLAD YOU BROUGHT THAT UP. JUST KIND OF A COUPLE OF WAYS. I THINK WE COULD SAVE MONEY EVEN ON THE PROPOSALS THAT I HAD THAT I MEANT TO BRING UP AND FORGOT ABOUT. THEY CAN GET SOME SCHOLARSHIPS FOR TRAINING.

WE CAN SUPPLEMENT PAY FOR VICTIM ASSISTANCE COORDINATOR WITH SENATE BILL 22 MONEY.

THAT IS, THAT IS AN OPTION. WE CAN'T USE THAT OUTSIDE OF THAT.

INVESTIGATORS OR PROSECUTORS PAY, BUT THAT IS A POTENTIAL OPTION.

I WILL SAY, YOU KNOW, AND RELATIVE TO THE COUNTY BUDGET, IT'S, IT'S NOT MUCH BECAUSE THE COUNTY BUDGET IS VERY LARGE.

BUT JUST THINKING FROM A TAXPAYER PERSPECTIVE ON THE ASSISTANT DA POSITION.

I DON'T KNOW HOW TIGHT YOUR BUDGET'S GOING TO BE THIS YEAR, AND MAYBE YOU DON'T EITHER. I DON'T KNOW IF WE DON'T EITHER. YOU DON'T HAVE THE CERTIFICATIONS YET. WE DON'T KNOW. GOTCHA. SO ONE OTHER OPTION FOR THAT IS YOU COULD APPROVE THAT AT HALF THE AMOUNT AND WE JUST HOLD OFF SIX MONTHS FOR HIRING THAT POSITION. YOU KNOW, IF THAT HELPS THE COURT, THAT'S CERTAINLY THAT'D BE FINE WITH ME.

BECKY, DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THAT APPROACH? YOU KNOW, OBVIOUSLY NEXT YEAR YOU'D BE ASKING FOR THE WHOLE THING.

BUT YEAH, I MEAN, THAT WAS MY POINT IS NEXT YEAR YOU'RE JUST GOING TO GO BACK AND ASK FOR THE WHOLE THING, RIGHT? THE OTHER THING I WOULD JUST SUGGEST LOOKING AT IS THE FUNDS AVAILABLE IN SB 22 COULD HELP OFFSET SOME OF THESE REQUESTS AS WELL.

ABSOLUTELY. SO THE OTHER THING I WAS GOING TO MENTION TOO, I ACTUALLY ORIGINALLY WHEN WE WERE PUTTING TOGETHER OUR, OUR BUDGET. WE HAD DOWN A NEW VEHICLE FOR ONE OF OUR D A INVESTIGATORS.

WE TOOK THAT OUT OF THERE ONCE THE THE ICE PROGRAM CAME THROUGH.

WE'VE BEEN PARTICIPATING IN THAT WE ANTICIPATE BEING ABLE TO PAY FOR THAT VEHICLE AS WELL AS PROBABLY ANOTHER ONE THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THIS NEXT BUDGET YEAR TO WHERE WE GET OUR, I SAY FLEET, WE'VE GOT THREE VEHICLES, BUT SUCH AS IT IS PAID FOR WITHOUT HAVING TO COME TO THE COURT.

SO THAT THAT SHOULD BE HELPFUL AS FAR AS HOW MUCH WE'RE HAVING TO ASK FOR.

YEAH. THAT'S GOOD. GOOD. THAT SEEMS TO BE A GOOD PROGRAM.

I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE. AND WE'VE ACTUALLY USED IT TO LATCH ON TO SOME RESOURCES FOR A TRIAL WE HAVE COMING UP NEXT MONTH.

SO THEY'VE BEEN REALLY, REALLY HELPFUL. ARE WE AWARE OF ANY FEDERAL MANDATES THAT COME THROUGH WITH THAT PROGRAM?

[01:10:03]

WE HAD SOME TRAINING THAT THEY HAD TO DO. I THINK SOMEONE HAS SOMETHING TO SAY.

OKAY. I READ EVERYTHING. I'VE ASKED THE QUESTION SEVERAL TIMES.

WHEN IT FIRST CAME UP, I HAD ASKED THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO PLEASE REACH OUT BECAUSE IN THE MOU FOR THE 287 G IT DIDN'T HAVE ANY SORT OF STIPULATIONS ABOUT THE FINANCIAL SIDE OF IT WHETHER RECEIVING THOSE FUNDS IS CONSIDERED FEDERAL FINANCIAL AID, WHICH IS SUBJECT TO SINGLE AUDIT AND GRANTS. AND SO THEY SAID, NO, IT IS NOT THAT NORMALLY IF YOU'RE RECEIVING FUNDS, THERE'S SOME SORT OF STIPULATION AS TO HOW SOON YOU HAVE TO USE THOSE FUNDS.

TRACKING REPORTING OF THAT IF YOU HAVE YOU KNOW, INVENTORY VEHICLES, THAT SORT OF THING, THERE'S USUALLY CERTAIN DISPOSAL GUIDELINES THAT YOU HAVE TO FOLLOW WITH FEDERAL FUNDS.

AND SO I HAVE NOT RECEIVED ANYTHING OR WHAT CLAWBACK PROVISIONS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT.

I HAVE ASKED, LIKE I SAID, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO ASK THEM QUESTIONS.

I ACTUALLY HAD SOME OF THE INVESTIGATORS WITH THE COUNTY ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ASK EVEN JUST HOW SOME OF THE FUNDS CAN BE UTILIZED BECAUSE THERE'S NOT A LOT OF INFORMATION.

AND SO BASICALLY THE INFORMATION WE RECEIVE BACK IS AS LONG AS IT'S USED FOR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT PURPOSE IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE TASK FORCE OF, YOU KNOW, THE DUTIES UNDER THE 287 G.

AND TO KEEP DOCUMENTATION BECAUSE AT SOME POINT WE WILL BE AUDITED.

BUT WHEN THAT IS, WHEN WE HAVE TO USE IT, WE'VE NOT RECEIVED ANYTHING ELSE.

SO I'VE JUST ASKED THEM IF, YOU KNOW, THEY RECEIVE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION JUST TO PASS IT ALONG.

BUT WE ARE, WE'VE CREATED A SEPARATE FUND BECAUSE WE HAVE MULTIPLE, YOU KNOW, AGENCIES WITHIN PARKER COUNTY THAT ARE UTILIZING THOSE FUNDS. AND SO WE ARE TRACKING THOSE JUST LIKE WE WOULD DO FOR GRANTS.

AND MAKING SURE, YOU KNOW, IT'S HOW THEY'RE USED.

AND THAT THE CORRECT AGENCY IS CREDITED WITH THOSE FUNDS.

SO GREAT. AND I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT QUESTION TOO, BECAUSE THAT WAS ONE OF THE THINGS I, IT TOOK ME A WHILE TO GET THE TIME SET ASIDE TO READ THROUGH THAT MOU BECAUSE I'M LIKE, OKAY, WHERE'S THE CATCH? IT KIND OF ALMOST SEEMS, I HATE TO SAY TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE, BUT GOOD TO BE TRUE.

IT, YOU KNOW, IT NEVER REALLY RAINS. FREE MONEY DOWN FROM THE SKY ON YOU.

FREE MONEY USUALLY AIN'T FREE. RIGHT. BUT I THINK THEIR GOAL IS THEY JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE THAT ARE, THAT ARE CONCERNED ABOUT THE IMMIGRATION PROBLEM AND ARE WILLING TO GO ATTACK IT.

AND WE CERTAINLY ARE. SO SO THEY'RE GIVING US MONEY.

OKAY. THANK YOU. YEAH. THANK YOU. THANK YOU JEFF.

THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE TO ITEM K ON DISCUSSION PRESENTATION DEPARTMENT 461.

[I.K. Discussion/Presentation on Department 461 Justice of the Peace Precinct #1 budget requests. (Judge Miles / Judge Deen) ]

IS THAT WHAT IT IS? OH. I'M SORRY. I MISREAD THAT ONE.

OH. MORE PAPERWORK. WE LOVE HANDOUTS. THANK YOU.

THANK YOU. MA'AM. GOOD MORNING. I'M SEAN LEITH WITH THE PARKER COUNTY JP ONE COURT COORDINATOR. WE ARE ASKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL CLERK POSITION.

ORIGINALLY I HAD THAT IN CONTINGENT OF THE REMODEL OF THE ANNEX, BUT WE ARE IN THE TIME THAT WE NEED THAT NEW CLERK NOW. JUST BECAUSE OF THE WORKLOAD, IT HAS INCREASED AND I'M, WE'RE WE'RE KEEPING UP WITH IT, BUT WE DO NEED THAT EXTRA, EXTRA HELP THERE.

OUR SECOND REQUEST, KEEPING UP WITH IT DURING THE REGULAR EIGHT HOUR DAYS.

YES, SIR. WE ARE. YOU'RE NOT BEHIND. I'M NOT BEHIND.

NO, SIR. OKAY. THANK YOU. I DON'T KNOW THE THE SALARY ON THAT.

I DON'T KNOW IF I NEED TO TELL YOU ALL THAT PART OF IT.

THE TOTAL FOR WITH THE BENEFITS WOULD BE $99,766.75.

THE EQUIPMENT THAT WE WOULD NEED, INCLUDING A DESK AND EVERYTHING I T RELATED WOULD BE $4,997.

DO YOU MIND GOING? YOU'VE GOT SOME GREAT INFORMATION HERE.

THIS THE ONE THAT I'M LOOKING AT IS UNDER GROWING WORKLOAD.

[01:15:01]

YES, SIR. ALMOST 1400 CASES. THAT'S A LOT. YES, SIR.

WHAT'S THE TIME FRAME THAT THAT HAS HAPPENED? THAT IS THAT IS A I BELIEVE IT WAS A TEN YEAR SPAN.

OKAY. AND HOW MUCH HAS YOUR STAFF GROWN IN THAT SAME TEN YEARS.

WE HAVE NOT. SO SAME NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT IT'S GROWN FROM 350 TO 1400.

CORRECT. OKAY.

MY, OUR SECOND REQUEST AND IT IS CONTINGENT ON THE NEW CLERK IS TO RE FOR A RECLASSIFICATION OF A COURT, A COURT CLERK TO AN ASSISTANT COURT COORDINATOR.

AND THAT INCREASE WOULD BE $12,052. I DO UNDERSTAND YESTERDAY THERE WAS A QUESTION ABOUT THE FUND. 57. THE TECHNOLOGY TECHNOLOGY FUND THAT GP2 AND GP3, THEIR FUND IS PAID OUT OF THAT.

JP ONE'S FUND CANNOT WHICH CANNOT HANDLE THAT.

I DO KNOW IT. DO NOT. KNOW HOW MUCH IS IN THAT ONE.

DO YOU KNOW? I DO NOT KNOW HOW MUCH. BRIANNA, WHEN YOU GET A SECOND, CAN YOU TELL US WHAT THE 57 FOR JP ONE IS? OKAY. THANK YOU. OKAY. OUR THIRD REQUEST AND IT IS CONTINGENT ON A NORTHEAST ANNEX REMODEL, WHICH CONSTABLE RAY WRIGHT WILL BE PRESENTING NEXT WEEK.

ON THE REMODEL, WE JUST HAVE A RECONFIGURATION OF THE JP OFFICE IF THAT REMODEL WAS APPROVED.

OTHER THAN THAT AND IT WOULD INCLUDE NEW DESK OF $4,200 A LITTLE OVER THAT A COPIER.

BECAUSE WITH THE REMODEL, IT WOULD SEPARATE US AND AUTO REGISTRATION SHARE A COPIER RIGHT NOW.

SO WE WOULD HAVE TO GET A COPIER SEPARATE. I HAVE ATTACHED A COPY OF THAT REMODEL THAT WE WOULD BE REQUESTING WITHIN OUR OFFICE.

I DON'T KNOW. OKAY. THAT'S, THAT'S, THOSE ARE OUR MAIN THINGS THAT WE'RE REQUESTING WITH THAT NEW CLERK JUST TO GO BACK ON THAT THAT WITH THE NEW CLERK, IT WOULD, IT WOULD BENEFIT THE WHOLE OFFICE, IT WOULD HELP ME TO WHERE I COULD START. YOU KNOW, I DO MOST OF THE CLERICAL WORK WITHIN THE OFFICE.

I'M NOT MOST OF IT. I'M SORRY. I DO MY PORTION OF THE CLERICAL WORK ON THE CIVIL CASES.

THIS WOULD ALLEVIATE SOME OF THAT OFF OF ME AS TO WHERE I COULD IMPLEMENT OF TRYING TO GO PAPERLESS.

IT WOULD MAKE US HAVE MORE ROOM, LET US HAVE MORE ROOM.

WE WOULDN'T HAVE TO KEEP SO MUCH STORAGE OF OUR CASES.

WE DO HAVE TO KEEP 12 YEARS WORTH OF CIVIL CASES AND FIVE YEARS OF CRIMINAL JUST WITH THAT ONE PERSON.

I MEAN, I, I FEEL THAT IT WOULD ALLEVIATE WHERE I WOULD BE ABLE TO IMPLEMENT THAT PAPERLESS AND MAYBE, YOU KNOW, OTHER THINGS THAT WOULD HELP THE OFFICE AS WELL. WHERE DO YOU KEEP THAT PAPERWORK? IS IT AT THE JP OR DO YOU KEEP IT OVER IN. WE HAVE A SHIPPING CONTAINER CONTAINER.

AND WE HAVE ALL OUR FILING CABINETS WITH OUR CASES IN THAT.

WE ALSO HAVE A SMALLER BUILDING THAT WE USE FOR OUR CRIMINAL CASES, BUT EVERYTHING IS KEPT WITHIN ON THE PROPERTY THERE.

THE NORTHEAST ANNEX. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. ARE YOU HAVING TO WALK AROUND A BUNCH TO GO GET STUFF ALL THE TIME? NO. MOST OF OUR CASES, THEY'VE ALREADY BEEN SCANNED IN, SO MOST OF OUR PAPERWORK, WE CAN JUST GO TO THE COMPUTER AND PULL EVERYTHING UP.

BUT IF WE DO HAVE TO GO FIND THAT CASE, WE DO GO TO THE SHIPPING CONTAINER AND WE DO LOCATE THAT CASE WITHIN THOSE THOSE FILES.

SOUNDS FUN. SHAUN, I HAVE ONE MORE QUESTION. COULD YOU SEND THIS TO US IN A DIGITAL FORM? BECAUSE I THINK WE'D LIKE TO SHARE THIS WITH THE MEMBERS OF THE BUDGET COMMITTEE. THIS IS SOME REALLY GOOD INFORMATION. YES, SIR. AND I THINK THE MEMBERS OF THE COMMITTEE WOULD REALLY APPRECIATE IT. YOU'VE YOU'VE DONE YOUR HOMEWORK. VERY WELL DONE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THE TOTAL THAT JP ONE HAS IN THE TECHNOLOGY IS 9947. SO THAT WOULD WIPE THAT OUT PLUS MORE IN ONE YEAR.

YEAH. OUR CRIMINAL CASE OUR CRIMINAL CASELOAD IS NOT.

IT HAS NOT GROWN. IT ACTUALLY HAS DECLINED IN THE PAST YEARS.

[01:20:03]

THANK YOU. WELL DONE. MOVE TO ITEM 11. DISCUSSION.

DISCUSSION. PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT FIVE FIVE FOR CONSTABLE.

PRECINCT NUMBER FOUR BUDGET REQUEST. I GUESS THAT HE'S ON HIS WAY.

HE IS OKAY. 1045 OKAY, MOVING ON TO ITEM IN ON DISCUSSION AND PRESENTATION ON FY 27.

[I.M. Discussion/Presentation of FY 2027 County Budget. (Judge Deen) ]

THIS IS IS THIS KIND OF THE GLOBAL JUST THIS OPEN DISCUSSION ABOUT ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT THIS? BRIAN BIANCA, IF YOU WOULD COME UP AND TRY TO EXPLAIN WHAT THIS ITEM IS JUST AN OPEN ITEM.

IF THERE'S ANYTHING YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME OR NEED ADDITIONAL ON ANYTHING ON ANYTHING.

SO I GUESS BY THE END OF THE MONTH, YOU HAVE TO FILE A BUDGET.

AM I CORRECT? YES. JUST JUST GENERAL INFORMATION.

PROPOSED. PROPOSED. PROPOSED. YES, SIR. AND SO THAT'LL BE FILED.

AND IT WILL BE IT'LL BE ONLINE FOR ANYBODY THAT WANTS TO SEE IT.

AND IT MEANS PRETTY MUCH NOTHING OTHER THAN WE FULFILLED THE STATUTE.

IT'S A BOILERPLATE THAT WE GO TO WORK THEN. YEP.

AND THEN WE'LL WORK ON IT AFTER THAT. THAT COLUMN FY 2027 OPERATING IS WHAT WOULD BE ON THE PROPOSED.

OKAY. AND JUST UNDERSTAND THAT WITH THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS HERE.

WHAT WHAT IT DOES IS SET THE BASELINE OF CAN'T GO DOWN.

YOU CAN GO UP BUT NOT DOWN. SO DON'T LOOK AT THIS AS THIS IS WHAT I'M RECOMMENDING.

YOU KNOW HOW THIS WORKS. WE'VE DONE THIS. I'M JUST TRYING TO EXPLAIN TO ANYBODY. SO YEAH, I THINK THE I THINK FOR THE PUBLIC, WHAT THIS REPRESENTS IS A STARTING POINT WITH THIS BUDGET WITH SOME EXPECTATIONS, BUT REALLY A BOILERPLATE JUST COME INTO THE COURT.

NOW WE GO TO WORK ON THIS AND START IMPLEMENTING WHAT WE'RE LEARNING ABOUT THIS BUDGET.

AND THAT'S WHEN WE GO TO WORK ON THIS THING. SURE.

BUT AS THE COUNTY JUDGE'S OFFICE THAT IS REQUIRED TO DO THIS, AND YOU'VE DONE A BRILLIANT JOB IN PROVIDING THE PREPARATION OF THIS AS WE TRANSITION INTO THE THE BUDGET OFFICER'S ROLE. AND SO I THINK AS WE MOVE FORWARD, I THINK WHAT HAS BEEN GIVEN TO US IS PREPARING US WELL FOR THAT AS THEY GET THAT PROPOSED BUDGET. SO ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO ADD TO THIS? ANYTHING FOR ANY OUTSTANDING ITEMS. I PROPOSE THAT WE HAVE ANY, ANYONE THAT NEEDS TO SPEAK AT THE BUDGET COMMITTEE, THE NEXT BUDGET COMMITTEE. SO LIKE FOR THE MEDICAL EXAMINER, THE OUTSTANDING ITEMS THAT SHE HAD TODAY.

SHE COULD COME FOR THE BUDGET COMMITTEE, THE NEXT BUDGET COMMITTEE, AND ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD GO FOR ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD WANT TO SPEAK.

THAT'S MY PROPOSAL. DO YOU GUYS DO YOU DO EITHER ONE OF Y'ALL WANT TO COORDINATE THAT, OR DO Y'ALL WANT ME TO COORDINATE THAT? I'LL COORDINATE IT. YOU JUST LET ME KNOW THAT.

ARE WE GOING TO IT'S THE 15TH SET, I BELIEVE 1 P.M.

NEXT. IT'S THE NEXT ONE. YES, IT IS NEXT SLOT.

I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BEEN FINALIZED. LET ME CHECK AND I'LL GET WHAT YOU WANT.

OKAY. I'LL CONFIRM THAT HERE SHORTLY. WHICH YOU SHOULD DO, YOU KNOW, OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD.

COME ON. IT WAS SEVEN. IT WAS THE 15TH AT 1 P.M..

AND THAT'S ALSO THAT MORNING. SEVEN. IS THE NEXT WORKSHOP.

OKAY. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU HAVE ON THIS ITEM? JUDGE, I HAVE ONE THING. I DON'T WANT TO PUT COMMISSIONER WALDEN ON THE SPOT TOO MUCH, BUT YOU ALWAYS HAVE AN EXCELLENT PIECE OF WISDOM ABOUT ONCE VERSUS NEEDS. WOULD YOU MIND SHARING IT THIS YEAR? WELL, I HAVEN'T REHEARSED THIS EXCEPT FOR THE LAST.

SORRY TO PUT YOU ON FOR OVER 13 YEARS, BUT THE THE SITUATION THIS YEAR WILL BE ABSOLUTELY NO DIFFERENT FROM WHAT IT HAS BEEN EACH OF THE OTHER YEARS THAT I'VE BEEN HERE. AND I'M SURE FOR COMMISSIONER CONNOLLY ON ON PAST THAT.

AND THAT IS LOOKING AT THE TOTAL OVER HERE WE'RE HAVING.

ASKS, I BELIEVE OF $94,825,086.

WE PROBABLY ARE NOT GOING TO HAVE $94 MILLION TO BE ABLE TO SPEND ON A COUNTY BUDGET.

AND THAT THE AMOUNT THAT WE DO HAVE TO SPEND IS PARTIALLY DETERMINED BY THE AMOUNT OF PROPERTY TAXES THAT WE COLLECT. AND I THINK WE GET A LETTER FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT THE LAST WEEK OF JULY TELLING US WHAT OUR CERTIFIED TAX ROLL IS,

[01:25:02]

AND SO WE HAVE TO DO THE BEST JOB THAT WE CAN OF GOING THROUGH HERE AND PRIORITIZING WHAT HAS TO BE.

AND I ALWAYS DRAW THREE CIRCLES. THE CENTER CIRCLE IS WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO.

THE NEXT CIRCLE OUTSIDE OF THAT IS WHAT IT WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, GOOD.

IF WE HAD, IT WOULD MAKE YOUR JOB EASIER MAKE THINGS WORK SMOOTHER AT YOUR OFFICE, ETC..

AND THE, THE LAST CIRCLE OUT THERE IS WHAT IT WOULD BE NICE IF WE WERE ABLE TO PURCHASE.

AND EVERY YEAR THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, WE'VE ALWAYS HAD TO OPERATE WITHIN THAT CENTER CIRCLE.

BUT WE ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO HAVE. AND IT'S OUR JOB AS COMMISSIONERS COURT AND AS AS BUDGET COMMITTEE TO TRY TO HONE THAT DOWN TO THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO PAY FOR. BECAUSE THE NEEDS AND THE REQUESTS ARE ALWAYS MORE THAN WHAT WE ARE.

WE HAVE TO SPEND WE HAVE DIPPED INTO THE RESERVE FUNDS FOR THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS.

AND LUCKILY WE'VE STILL BEEN ABLE TO, TO MAKE EVERYTHING WORK BY DOING THAT.

AND WE DON'T KNOW. WE'LL KNOW IN A FEW DAYS, BUT WE DON'T KNOW TODAY.

SO OUR JOB TODAY IS TO TAKE REQUESTS FROM THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS, FIND OUT WHAT WHAT THEY NEED.

AND THEN OUR JOB IS TO COME COME UP WITH WHAT THEY ABSOLUTELY HAVE TO HAVE WORK DOWN FROM THAT LIST AS WE MOVE FORWARD.

THE COUNTY GROWS THE CONTINUES TO GROW. THE PROPERTY TAX VALUE AND COLLECTIONS LAG BEHIND THE GROWTH. SO IF YOU KNOW, IF YOU BUILD SOMETHING IN THE COUNTY.

YOU'RE NOT GOING TO PAY FULL PROPERTY TAXES THE FIRST YEAR.

IT'S ABOUT THE SECOND YEAR BEFORE YOU DO. AND SO IT LAGS BEHIND THE GROWTH.

PEOPLE ARE ALREADY HERE NEEDING THE SERVICES, NEEDING THE THINGS THAT THE COUNTY PROVIDES FOR THEM. AND WE DON'T HAVE THE MONEY TO PAY FOR IT YET. BUT I APPRECIATE THE THE DEPARTMENTS THAT COME TO US WITH WHAT THEIR NEEDS ARE.

WE'LL BE WORKING TOWARD FIGURING OUT WHAT WE CAN PAY FOR AND WHAT WE CAN'T AS WE MOVE FORWARD HERE AT THE COURT.

AND I, I THINK THAT THIS COURT HAS ALWAYS, SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE, DONE AN EXCELLENT JOB OF GOING THROUGH THERE AND LOOKING AND SAYING, THIS IS SOMETHING WE HAVE TO HAVE. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE NICE TO HAVE.

AND, AND DIFFERENTIATING BETWEEN THOSE. IT'S, IT'S AS TOUGHEST JOB THAT WE HAVE.

PEOPLE LOOK AT THIS AND SAY, WELL, THE COUNTY'S NOT PROVIDING WHAT I NEED TO DO MY JOB OR WHATEVER.

I WILL TELL YOU THAT, THAT EACH OF THOSE THINGS ARE EVALUATED ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT BASED ON ANYTHING EXCEPT WHAT THE GREATEST NEED IS.

AND I APPRECIATE THE COURT FOR ALWAYS DOING THAT.

THE FACTS ABOUT COUNTY BUDGET, DEPENDING ON WHERE YOU LIVE IN THE COUNTY, YOUR PORTION OF THE PORTION OF YOUR PROPERTY TAX THAT YOU PAY THAT GOES TOWARD COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS SOMEWHERE IN THE 15, 16 OR 17% RANGE OF YOUR TOTAL PROPERTY TAX BILL.

THAT'S IT. AND OF THAT, 15, 16 OR 17%, 80% GOES TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM 80%.

LOOK AT THE NUMBERS ARE RIGHT HERE IN FRONT OF YOU. IT'S OVER.

IT'S 80%. IT'S OVER 80% OF OUR BUDGET GOES TO LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM.

OTHER PEOPLE, OTHER THINGS THAT THE COUNTY DOES FALL IN THAT 20% RANGE OF 20% OF 15%.

IT'S A PRETTY EFFICIENT OPERATION WHEN YOU COME DOWN TO IT ABOUT THE EXPENDITURE OF TAX DOLLARS, AND I APPRECIATE THAT AS WELL. I ALWAYS HAVE TO POINT THIS OUT.

WHEN YOU GET DOWN TO THE VERY BOTTOM, LOOKING AT YOUR TAX BILL FROM PARKER COUNTY, TEXAS, THE LOWEST NUMBER ON THERE IS ROAD AND BRIDGE.

VERY LOWEST, VERY LOW. AND I HAVE TO GIVE AN EXAMPLE.

PEOPLE CALL ME AND SAY, I JUST PAID $10,000 IN PROPERTY TAXES, AND I NEED YOU TO COME AND FIX MY ROAD RIGHT NOW.

YEAH. AND SO I LOOKED THAT UP AND THAT THAT PARTICULAR LADY DID PAY ABOUT $7,500 IN PROPERTY TAXES.

THE PART THAT SHE PAID TO ROAD AND BRIDGE WAS ABOUT $300.

AND SO IT'S A PRETTY GOOD BARGAIN. ANY WAY YOU LOOK AT IT FOR THE AMOUNT THAT WE PAY.

NOBODY WANTS TO PAY MORE PROPERTY TAXES. I KNOW I DON'T AND NOBODY WANTS A TAX INCREASE BECAUSE WE WE ARE PAYING ENOUGH.

AND IF YOU GO DOWN TO THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT, WHEN FOLKS ARE DOWN THERE PAYING THEIR PROPERTY TAXES ON THE LAST DAY THAT THEY CAN PAY IT, JANUARY 31ST, YOU WILL SEE THAT PEOPLE IN PARKER COUNTY ARE STRUGGLING TO PAY THEIR PROPERTY TAXES.

AND SO IT'S OUR JOB TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SPEND THEM WISELY.

AND I'LL TELL YOU THAT IN THE TIME THAT I'VE BEEN HERE, THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE CASE.

[01:30:07]

I WANT TO ADD JUST A COUPLE THINGS TO WHAT YOU SAID.

YOU DID A GREAT JOB IN OUTLINING BECAUSE WHEN PEOPLE GET THEIR TAX BILL, I GET THIS REALLY.

WE DO TOWN HALL MEETINGS, THIS REALLY DUMB VIDEO, BUT IT'S VERY EFFECTIVE.

IT'S VERY INFORMATIVE. I THINK YOU'VE SEEN IT.

YOU'RE CORRECT WITH THAT. I THINK IT'S REALLY MORE CLOSER TO THE 15% RANGE.

AND I THINK THE STATE AVERAGE IS 16%. AS YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE A, WE DO GET A HALF A CENT SALES TAX NUMBER THAT IS COUNTY WIDE, WHICH WAS VOTED IN YEARS AGO.

I DON'T KNOW THE YEAR, BUT WHAT THAT WAS FOR IS TO ENSURE THAT WE KEEP THE TAX RATE LOW FOR THE COUNTY.

WE HAVE DONE THAT SUCCESSFULLY AND MAINTAIN THAT.

THE STATE AVERAGE ON SALES TAX GROWTH HAS BEEN ABOUT 5% STATEWIDE.

THE AVERAGE GROWTH FOR THE PARKER COUNTY IN SALES TAX GROWTH HAS BEEN 10%.

AND SO OUR FOCUS ON EFFECTIVELY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS HAVE NO RECALL WHEN WE ABATED ANYTHING BUT IDENTIFYING THOSE OPPORTUNITIES TO KEEP OUR WORKFORCE HERE LOCAL.

IT ALL COMES TOGETHER HOW EFFECTIVE WE ARE AT KEEPING ONE OUR JOBS LOCAL, KEEPING OUR MONEY LOCAL, KEEPING OUR TAX RATE DOWN. AND WE'VE BEEN EXTREMELY SUCCESSFUL WITH THAT.

AND THIS IS, AGAIN, THE CONSERVATIVE APPROACH OF THIS COUNTY.

I THINK THERE'S A SAYING I'D LIKE TO REALLY APPLY HERE DOING MORE WITH LESS.

EVERYBODY WANTS MORE. AND WE THOUGHT WE'LL LOSE A POSITION IN THE JUDGE'S OFFICE THIS YEAR.

AND I THINK THAT'S AN ASSET TO WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH BRIAN. BUT AGAIN, WE'RE GOING TO MOVE FORWARD WHEN SUCCESSFULLY MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY WITH WHAT WE'VE GOT. AND I THINK THAT'S REALLY THE THESIS OF THIS ENTIRE COUNTY.

WHAT WE'RE SEEING HERE IS PEOPLE COME UP UP HERE AND DOING MORE WITH LESS.

AND I AND I COMMEND THIS ENTIRE PROCESS. AND THESE DEPARTMENTS WERE DOING THAT.

AND I CONTINUE TO SEE THAT EVERY YEAR. TO YOUR POINT, YOU DO A GREAT JOB OF OUTLINING WHAT THE NEEDS ARE AND HOW WE DEAL WITH THAT, AND I COMMEND YOU ALL FOR DOING THAT. THANK YOU.

DID I GET THROUGH THIS WITH, OH, THERE HE IS BACK THERE.

SCOTT, COME ON UP. WELL, I GUESS I NEED TO OPEN UP.

[I.L. Discussion/Presentation on Department 554 Constable Precinct #4 budget requests. (Scott Jones / Judge Deen)]

IT'S THE DISCUSSION PRESENTATION ON DEPARTMENT FIVE FIVE FOR CONSTABLE PRECINCT FOUR.

SCOTT, WELCOME. WELL, GOOD MORNING AND THANK YOU.

I JUST WANT TO TELL YOU, FIRST OF ALL, THANK YOU FOR THE CLERK YOU GAVE ME LAST YEAR.

THE PART TIME CLERK. HE'S WORKING OUT JUST WONDERFULLY.

THE BENEFIT THAT I HAVE THERE THAT I SAW EARLY ON WAS THAT HE HAS A PEACE OFFICER'S LICENSE, SO I'M ABLE TO USE THE GUY TO BAILIFF COURT AND SERVE PAPERS AND THAT KIND OF THING IN THE OFFICE.

HE KNOWS HIS PRIMARY ROLE IS TO BE A CLERK, AND HE DOES AN EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD JOB AT THAT.

HE'S AN IT BACKGROUND. HE'S A COLLEGE YOUNG MAN, COLLEGE KID.

AND HIS IT SKILLS ARE. I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE IT.

HADN'T TRIED TO TAKE THE GUY FROM ME. HE'S YOU KNOW, I KNOW, SAVED SEVERAL TRIPS FROM HAVING TO HAVE IT COME OUT TO THE OFFICE THERE.

JUST IT'S JUST A WHIZ. I MEAN, HE REALLY KNOWS HIS STUFF.

BECAUSE HE BRINGS SUCH A UNIQUE SKILL SET. THIS THIS EXTRA BENEFIT TO THE COUNTY.

I THINK THE GUY'S WORTH MORE THAN $18.77 AN HOUR.

I LOOKED AT SOME OF THE PROFESSIONAL POSITIONS AROUND THE COUNTY.

LIKE AN ANIMAL CONTROL AND DIFFERENT ONES LIKE THAT.

AND SOME OF THOSE ARE IN THE MID 20S, I GUESS, ON HOURLY PAY.

AND I THINK I PUT IN FOR MAYBE $26 AND SOME CHANGE, BUT I'M NOT POSITIVE ON THAT.

OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT IT IS. I THINK HE'S WORTH EVERY BIT OF IT.

I WAS REALLY HOPING TO COME IN HERE THIS MORNING AND NOT ASK FOR ANYTHING, BECAUSE I THINK I'VE BUILT A REPUTATION FOR MYSELF RUNNING AN EXTREMELY LEAN BUDGET.

IN FACT, I. I REDUCED A COUPLE OF THINGS IN THERE.

NOT BY A LOT BECAUSE IT WAS ALREADY PRETTY THIN.

BUT I DID REDUCE A COUPLE OF THINGS TO HELP DEFRAY THAT.

AND I THINK I'VE SAID THIS YEARS AGO ABOUT MY OTHER CHIEF DEPUTY.

IF I NEED TO TAKE A SALARY REDUCTION OR TAKE IT FROM MY SALARY LINE, PUT IT IN HIS SALARY LINE.

I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM AT ALL WITH THAT. SO WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO DO.

BUT THE MAN'S WORTH MORE THAN $18.77 AN HOUR.

SCOTT, I THINK I SPEAK FOR THE COURT, BUT I'LL AT LEAST SPEAK FOR MYSELF.

I'VE BEEN EXTREMELY IMPRESSED WITH YOUR APPROACH TO THE BUDGET YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT.

IT'S IT'S FANTASTIC. I APPRECIATE THAT. YOU KNOW, I LIVE IN THE COUNTY AND I PAY TAXES LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE AND PRECINCT FOR BABY.

BUT I MADE THAT. I MADE THAT SPEECH BEFORE YOU GOT HERE.

[01:35:02]

THE ICE DEAL. I'M REAL EXCITED ABOUT THAT BECAUSE, MAN, THAT'S GOING TO JUST SAVE ME AS A TAXPAYER, A BUNCH OF MONEY, YOU KNOW, AS I SEE IT. SO THANK YOU FOR THE EDUCATION AND HELPING TO GET THE WORD OUT IN THE COUNTY AS WELL.

YEAH. THANK YOU. THAT'S RIGHT. WELL, I GOT AN OLD CARD I NEED I NEED TO GET RID OF IT.

IF I CAN GET THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO PAY FOR THAT INSTEAD OF US, I'M ALL FOR IT.

YOU KNOW. SO. BUT ANYWAY, GOOD LUCK WITH THAT.

ALL RIGHT. YEAH, I KNOW SCOTT. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT TO ADD TO THIS? I JUST WANT TO CLARIFY IN YOUR ITEMIZED LIST, IT DOES LIST A LARGE INCREASE THAT HE'S ASKING FOR AND THAT IS NOT CORRECT.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU. AND SO ANYWAY, I JUST VERIFIED WE HAD A CONVERSATION THE OTHER NIGHT AND BUT I JUST AGAIN CHECKED THE LIST AND IT DOES STATE IN THERE.

I BELIEVE THAT'S THE JP ASK. IT IS NOT. YEAH.

IT'S NOT CORRECT. WASN'T THERE AN ISSUE IN HIS WHERE IT LOOKED LIKE A BIG ASK.

BUT IT'S ACTUALLY ONLY A SMALL INCREASE. THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. REALLY THE ONLY INCREASE IS THE PART TIME. THERE'S NOTHING IN THERE FOR HIMSELF THAT HE'S ASKING FOR. THAT WAS MY FIRST TIME HELPING ME WITH THE BUDGET, SO I ALREADY.

I ALREADY SCOLDED HIM. NO, I APPRECIATE YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS COUNTY GOVERNMENT. YES, SIR. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU. YOU DON'T NEED ANYTHING.

I'M GOING TO GET BACK TO WORK, SO. ALRIGHT. THANK YOU.

YOU'RE GOOD. YOU'RE DONE. AND WE'RE DONE. OKAY, WE'LL MOVE TO UNDER ITEM TWO ON ADJOURNMENT.

I ASK FOR A MOTION TO ADJOURN. MOTION AND SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR, SAY AYE. RECORD. SHOW THAT WE'LL ADJOURN AT 1052.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.