1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:03,800 order. Uh, 2 00:00:02,480 --> 00:00:07,240 it is still July the 27th. 3 00:00:05,320 --> 00:00:10,040 This is 2:00 in the afternoon. And we're back in session and 4 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:15,560 Commissioner's Court is back in session in a budget workshop. 5 00:00:13,120 --> 00:00:15,560 And uh 6 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:23,400 I guess the best place to start is the overall view of 7 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:28,040 what we got Let me talk about procedure first. I think a lot of you probably are 8 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:33,920 not familiar with this procedure. Uh, it is my duty as the County Judge to 9 00:00:30,560 --> 00:00:36,560 make a recommended budget to the court. Uh, the court can accept that 10 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:40,240 recommendation, modify the recommendation, or refuse it. Come up 11 00:00:38,640 --> 00:00:42,640 with their own budget. Uh, 12 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:45,960 procedurally that's what we're looking at here. 13 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:49,800 Uh And we start with my recommended budget. 14 00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:52,800 My recommended budget, I mentioned this morning, 15 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:56,000 technically was due to be filed tomorrow. 16 00:00:54,080 --> 00:01:00,200 It's not ready. So, we're working on trying to get it 17 00:00:57,640 --> 00:01:04,120 get something ready for recommendations. Uh 18 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:07,360 Anything we talk about here today is not final 19 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:10,080 because it's all subject to change, whether I change the recommendation or 20 00:01:08,760 --> 00:01:13,840 whether the court changes my recommendation for me. 21 00:01:12,320 --> 00:01:18,440 Uh So, let me kind of start with the big 22 00:01:15,320 --> 00:01:21,720 picture and we'll go up maybe 30, 35,000 ft, take a look at the big picture, and 23 00:01:20,120 --> 00:01:26,480 then try to come back down and focus on a few critical areas. 24 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:29,000 First of all, uh 25 00:01:27,120 --> 00:01:34,040 we're talking about uh uh expenses and revenues. 26 00:01:32,440 --> 00:01:40,000 And with the Let's start with the revenues. What I have projected so far 27 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:44,120 is uh $34 million in property tax revenue 28 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:48,760 and approximately $20 million in non-tax revenue 29 00:01:45,480 --> 00:01:50,800 for a total of revenues of $54 million. Uh 30 00:01:51,360 --> 00:01:56,720 I'm projecting more expenses than that. This is the time for me to take a little 31 00:01:55,560 --> 00:02:00,720 footnote and explain to you what we do about 32 00:01:58,880 --> 00:02:05,240 budget culture. I've alluded to this in the past, but it is something that 33 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:08,200 I've learned to live with. Uh, 34 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:12,280 I don't like it. But I have to live with it. 35 00:02:10,080 --> 00:02:16,400 And it has to do with disclosed and undisclosed contingency 36 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:20,040 funds. In my budget you will find a disclosed 37 00:02:18,480 --> 00:02:23,240 contingency fund. We'll talk about that. 38 00:02:21,640 --> 00:02:27,640 I'm telling you exactly how much money that I I propose that we set aside for 39 00:02:25,600 --> 00:02:32,280 contingencies. Now, having said that, 40 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:36,440 I do not provide individual contingencies for each department or 41 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:41,920 office. And what we have learned historically, 42 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:45,600 and I'm talking about this is this is you know, when I came into office this 43 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:49,120 is I asked about why we did it this way and they said because we always have 44 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:54,840 done it this way. So, I'm not defending the propriety or 45 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:58,440 effectiveness of it or efficaciousness of it. 46 00:02:55,720 --> 00:03:02,400 But it is nonetheless reality. And that is that each department head 47 00:03:00,480 --> 00:03:07,239 and each elected official that prepares a budget and has input 48 00:03:04,480 --> 00:03:10,200 into in code that that we assemble all this information to come up with this 49 00:03:08,480 --> 00:03:13,280 projection. There are ways that 50 00:03:12,519 --> 00:03:18,080 uh office office department heads and 51 00:03:15,720 --> 00:03:23,440 elected officials protect themselves in projecting sometimes what is what I call 52 00:03:20,840 --> 00:03:27,080 the undisclosed contingency. What's in there that I don't know. 53 00:03:25,120 --> 00:03:30,360 And sometimes that's just a calculated risk. You know, you look at it say is is 54 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:32,600 that really going to happen this year? Do I need to put it in the budget for 55 00:03:31,560 --> 00:03:36,320 this year? Or do you look at it every year and say 56 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:39,680 just in case it happens I want to have the funds in my budget. 57 00:03:39,840 --> 00:03:47,040 Those usually are never disclosed, rarely known, and by the end of the 58 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:55,520 budget year, just like we're coming up on the end of the 25-26 fiscal year, 59 00:03:51,280 --> 00:03:59,760 uh we discover what is not spent. When we learn what's not spent, 60 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:02,600 uh, and we can do a pretty reasonable projection as well what is needed to the 61 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:05,640 end of this fiscal year, which would be the end of September. 62 00:04:04,440 --> 00:04:11,440 Uh, and we can project the the the surplus 63 00:04:08,959 --> 00:04:15,640 that we're going to have in the budget. And those are real dollars. 64 00:04:13,959 --> 00:04:21,040 Uh, they're they're in the budget. They they they've been allotted and spoken 65 00:04:18,079 --> 00:04:24,640 for, uh, but they're unspent because whatever contingency it was that that 66 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:27,880 contemplated did not occur. 67 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:34,040 Or if it occurred, not at that expense, not that rate. 68 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:38,680 And so every year we had this, uh, un- un- unidentified surplus 69 00:04:37,160 --> 00:04:43,400 that was not really we couldn't really figure out what it was. This and this 70 00:04:40,080 --> 00:04:47,760 goes back Don and I've been doing this too long, but long enough to know that, 71 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:50,440 uh, and and Commissioner Baloo was probably the one that came up with the 72 00:04:48,919 --> 00:04:54,800 best phrase for it. And what he called budget culture. 73 00:04:53,000 --> 00:04:58,760 And it's just part of our budget culture. 74 00:04:57,040 --> 00:05:03,160 And so when you look at this difference between 62 million in expenses and 54 75 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:08,760 million dollars in income, part of what is included in that is this 76 00:05:06,040 --> 00:05:13,080 budget culture because we know not all the funds that get budgeted will get 77 00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:16,280 spent. Uh, 78 00:05:14,320 --> 00:05:20,600 now, some of the funds in this budget provide for capital outlays. That means 79 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:24,720 that we're spending money uh, for capital improvements of one kind 80 00:05:22,520 --> 00:05:27,760 or another. There's about 900,000 dollars in straight purchase for the 81 00:05:26,040 --> 00:05:32,360 capital budget. And when you purchase, there's kind of I 82 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:35,160 look at it from two points of view. One, 83 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:39,240 you can buy it outright. We do that frequently. Some of the 84 00:05:36,800 --> 00:05:43,440 things we buy are pretty expensive and we may or may not, uh, want to pay all 85 00:05:41,520 --> 00:05:45,840 of it up front. Uh, 86 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:48,480 another thing we can do is we can have leases. 87 00:05:47,800 --> 00:05:52,240 Uh, and then one that the the that technique 88 00:05:50,440 --> 00:05:55,480 that I've taken to is sometimes we just take some of these 89 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:57,960 smaller capital outlays, aggregate them together, 90 00:05:56,520 --> 00:06:01,280 borrow the money uh 91 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:03,640 from our our our our lender. Uh 92 00:06:02,280 --> 00:06:08,720 They pay for it that way and then pay it back over time. It's an amortized debt. 93 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:12,560 So, we take some expenses, aggregate them, uh borrow the money, 94 00:06:11,040 --> 00:06:15,120 and then pay it back on a regular installment payment of some 95 00:06:14,080 --> 00:06:19,120 sort. Uh and those show up in this budget, 96 00:06:16,840 --> 00:06:22,720 also. Uh as well as as as the leases. 97 00:06:21,960 --> 00:06:26,960 Uh this particular year, we're we're 98 00:06:24,120 --> 00:06:30,320 working on some of the last of our ARPA funds. 99 00:06:28,080 --> 00:06:33,760 Uh those were the uh those were funds that were hotly 100 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:37,520 contested, if you remember, at the beginning, uh that have been used very 101 00:06:35,840 --> 00:06:40,720 wisely. In fact, without those funds, I don't think we'd have the communication 102 00:06:39,280 --> 00:06:47,200 system that we have with the sheriff's office. That definitely saved lives and 103 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:50,240 saved property damage. Uh being able to have that type of communication system. 104 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:55,560 Uh and it was a investment well spent. 105 00:06:53,800 --> 00:07:00,919 Uh we used the ARPA funds to do that because it was one of the items that 106 00:06:57,919 --> 00:07:04,280 appeared to be I won't say impossible, but very 107 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:06,919 difficult for the federal government to claw back. 108 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:10,160 And we were concerned about the claw back provisions. Uh 109 00:07:08,960 --> 00:07:14,640 we didn't want to take the government money, spend the government money, then 110 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:17,840 have them say that what we spent it for was not the appropriate thing to spend 111 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:19,880 the money that they gave us, uh 112 00:07:18,400 --> 00:07:23,960 and then claw it back and have us repay them. 113 00:07:20,800 --> 00:07:28,560 So, we tried to avoid that and and and by purchasing all of that communication 114 00:07:26,320 --> 00:07:32,960 system in one department, and having it all signed off on up front, uh proved to 115 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:35,960 be uh the wise thing to do. 116 00:07:36,280 --> 00:07:38,919 Um 117 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:44,480 I have included in my proposed budget, we'll talk about the numbers here in a 118 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,200 minute. I've included in my proposed budget 119 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:49,160 uh an increase 120 00:07:49,200 --> 00:07:52,040 This kind of stuff. 121 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:57,360 In this first draft of my proposed budget. 122 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:59,840 Okay? Uh 123 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:03,480 I have I intend to change it. That's one of the reasons that I've we're slow to 124 00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:08,560 complete this budget. I propose to change that, but I have 125 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:12,600 included a wage adjustment. And for those of you that are unfamiliar with 126 00:08:10,560 --> 00:08:16,120 our terminology, we do not use the word COLA, 127 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:22,040 the acronym COLA uh cost of living adjustment because 128 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:25,520 we never adjusted to the cost of living. Not in Not Not a single time I've been 129 00:08:24,120 --> 00:08:29,320 here have we adjusted to what the actual cost of living was. 130 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:32,880 So, rather than be hypocritical and call it a COLA 131 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:35,000 and wink and pretend that it is uh 132 00:08:33,599 --> 00:08:39,360 I tried to get honest about it and say this is just a wage adjustment. 133 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:45,080 And you'll you'll notice that we have schedules anywhere from a percent uh up 134 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:48,400 to 3% just to so so we can see what it's going to cost us to to do. 135 00:08:47,480 --> 00:08:53,520 Uh In this budget, I put in an initial 2 136 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:58,520 and 1/2% wage adjustment. In this proposed budget, and again, I'm 137 00:08:56,480 --> 00:09:00,880 proposing to change that, but I want that disclaimer up front so that you 138 00:08:59,880 --> 00:09:03,720 know uh 139 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:06,280 I have another idea. Uh we'll talk about that in a minute. 140 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:08,680 Uh 141 00:09:09,960 --> 00:09:15,240 There are there's always the issue of new hires. 142 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:19,120 And I've I've learned uh 143 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:23,839 uh I've learned to work with the sheriff and not against the sheriff. Uh he has a 144 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:28,120 plan, and that plan includes a new a new a new patrol deputy every year. 145 00:09:26,640 --> 00:09:31,640 It took us a couple of sessions to figure that out, but we've 146 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:35,360 I figured it out. And so, he builds that into his budget. 147 00:09:33,080 --> 00:09:37,920 And And there's not anything wrong with that. We just got to figure out how to 148 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:39,920 pay for it. Okay? 149 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:42,960 Uh this year a grant opportunity came 150 00:09:41,680 --> 00:09:46,560 along. I discussed it a little bit in the last workshop. 151 00:09:44,680 --> 00:09:52,280 Uh but this grant opportunity, and we applied for this grant. 152 00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:55,000 Uh it was a short-fuse grant application process. 153 00:09:53,840 --> 00:09:59,320 Uh and 154 00:09:56,600 --> 00:10:01,280 it was with what which which federal >> It's called the Biden Grant. 155 00:10:00,920 --> 00:10:05,120 » The Biden >> There's an acronym for it. 156 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:09,160 » The Biden Grant. Okay. Anyway, 157 00:10:06,440 --> 00:10:12,560 uh it's for law enforcement and it relates to 158 00:10:10,520 --> 00:10:17,880 border enforcement. And uh there are very few 159 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:22,000 few counties in the in the country uh that have applied for this grant. 160 00:10:20,160 --> 00:10:23,600 And there's billions of dollars sitting there 161 00:10:22,880 --> 00:10:27,760 uh waiting to be granted uh 162 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:32,240 to a deserving uh applicant uh and no one's doing it. 163 00:10:31,080 --> 00:10:35,600 And the sheriff came to me with his his his 164 00:10:34,240 --> 00:10:40,760 his advisers. Uh and we had a very candid conversation 165 00:10:37,680 --> 00:10:44,240 around the round table in my office about this grant opportunity, but it 166 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:47,839 didn't coincide with our budget schedule. 167 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:50,240 Uh budget schedule is we've already blown the schedule, as you 168 00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:54,839 know, but but the the schedule is that we we try 169 00:10:52,480 --> 00:10:59,200 to get the budget uh recommended budget to the the court uh 170 00:10:57,560 --> 00:11:01,839 for review and approval by the end of July. 171 00:11:00,360 --> 00:11:07,760 And then normally we spend the month of August working on tax rate. Uh 172 00:11:04,560 --> 00:11:10,400 in this case we're we're we're kind of crowding each other. 173 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:14,800 I'm crowding extending out the budget uh because of 174 00:11:12,960 --> 00:11:20,800 the the flood emergency and and disaster declaration to get it up into mid-August 175 00:11:18,520 --> 00:11:25,839 uh and we're simultaneously trying to to work on our tax rate 176 00:11:23,120 --> 00:11:30,160 in response to that. But this opportunity that was presented 177 00:11:28,240 --> 00:11:34,160 uh I think there's three 178 00:11:31,920 --> 00:11:38,600 three stages uh and and it's not all at once, but uh 179 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:42,440 uh it is a significant grant. 180 00:11:41,880 --> 00:11:45,920 Uh enough 181 00:11:44,160 --> 00:11:48,080 We're talking about what is many as what a half a dozen? 182 00:11:46,720 --> 00:11:50,600 » Yes, sir. >> patrolmen 183 00:11:49,680 --> 00:11:55,360 Uh that is a significant increase in our 184 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:59,200 capacity to protect the citizens of Kerr County. 185 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:02,760 And but there's there's this this timing glitch and Sheriff and I looked at one 186 00:12:00,680 --> 00:12:07,040 another, nodded, uh and agreed we'd take the risk. 187 00:12:05,200 --> 00:12:10,560 Rather than trying to put this in the budget because 188 00:12:08,760 --> 00:12:14,560 uh patrolmen are not cheap. 189 00:12:13,080 --> 00:12:16,800 They're worth it, but they're not cheap. 190 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:20,360 Uh and when you put them in the budget, you 191 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:23,080 got to find some way to to raise the money 192 00:12:21,520 --> 00:12:26,960 to pay them. And 193 00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:29,680 the most customary way is to raise the tax rates. 194 00:12:30,160 --> 00:12:35,080 And I wouldn't believe at the point, but in the 7 years that I've been in this 195 00:12:33,360 --> 00:12:39,560 job, we have not raised the tax rate one time. Not once. 196 00:12:37,400 --> 00:12:43,800 My first year, when I was learning and uh we didn't have an auditor at the 197 00:12:40,720 --> 00:12:43,800 time, uh 198 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:51,160 the the first assistant and I got a budget out with no tax rate at the same 199 00:12:49,400 --> 00:12:53,600 rate it was the year before. Uh 200 00:12:52,040 --> 00:12:57,880 and kind of dodged the bullet. And then every year after that, we have reduced 201 00:12:55,200 --> 00:13:01,040 it to the no new tax rate limit date. Uh in compliance with the legislative 202 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:03,880 mandate that we got, that's what they wanted us to do, so we complied with 203 00:13:02,680 --> 00:13:07,400 that. And that has been true for the last 6 204 00:13:05,480 --> 00:13:11,040 years. With this grant opportunity is an 205 00:13:09,280 --> 00:13:15,360 opportunity for us to continue that tradition. 206 00:13:12,800 --> 00:13:19,920 And uh we'll know a little bit later in August where we stand on on on on step 207 00:13:17,720 --> 00:13:24,440 number one uh cuz it is a three-step process to get all of it. 208 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:27,760 Uh but uh that has been factored into in budget by 209 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:30,400 not including uh 210 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:33,480 the regular deputy that he would ask for. 211 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:40,720 And that would be a new hire. And in this budget I have not included 212 00:13:37,000 --> 00:13:43,320 hiring for any new positions. Not saying that they might not be 213 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:48,600 needed. I'm just saying that I don't think we have the financial ability 214 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:52,840 to service that at this time. So 215 00:13:50,400 --> 00:13:52,840 then uh 216 00:13:56,120 --> 00:14:03,160 talked a little bit about what I propose to put in the budget with 217 00:14:00,600 --> 00:14:06,520 regard to the wage adjustment response. That has to do with steps and 218 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:08,760 grades. And 219 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:16,320 not not to beat that horse to death, but our compensation system where you found 220 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:21,440 that because we if we're using across the board wage adjustment increase, 221 00:14:18,960 --> 00:14:25,000 whether it's 1% 2 and 1/2% that I have built into this proposal or whatever it 222 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:27,920 is, ultimately 223 00:14:26,440 --> 00:14:30,720 the people who benefit the most from that 224 00:14:29,000 --> 00:14:35,360 are the top wage earners. Because they have bigger numbers and the 225 00:14:32,360 --> 00:14:38,000 percentage of that number means they get paid more. 226 00:14:38,080 --> 00:14:43,520 In the salary study that was performed by 227 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:46,640 What's Mr. Werling's first name? I forget it. 228 00:14:45,720 --> 00:14:50,640 Huh? Steve. Steve. Steve Werling. 229 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:54,040 And by the way, we checked Steve Werling out. He's got he he's done this for many 230 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:59,600 many many public entities. 231 00:14:55,400 --> 00:15:03,360 And I got a sterling representation recommendation for him from ACOG. You 232 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:07,360 know, I've served on that board for a number of years myself. 233 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:11,080 And uh he did a salary study last year that we 234 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:15,320 were unable to address. We're just in the middle of crisis 235 00:15:12,680 --> 00:15:18,800 times. Not that we're not now, but we were back then. 236 00:15:16,760 --> 00:15:21,880 And I didn't have time to really wrestle 237 00:15:20,920 --> 00:15:27,960 with his proposal on the salary study. 238 00:15:25,800 --> 00:15:32,400 This year, what I'm trying to do is to incorporate that salary study into 239 00:15:30,840 --> 00:15:36,800 the budget. And what that's going to do is more 240 00:15:33,920 --> 00:15:42,480 fairly represent a living wage for our employees. 241 00:15:39,840 --> 00:15:46,880 And it's broken down into quartiles, first, second, third, and fourth. 242 00:15:44,920 --> 00:15:52,360 And our goal is to try to get everyone up into at least the second quartile. 243 00:15:50,360 --> 00:15:57,120 So that they're If you think about high, low, and medium, I try to get them in 244 00:15:54,280 --> 00:16:00,680 the medium salary range for their peers in the workplace. 245 00:15:58,520 --> 00:16:03,080 And uh but 246 00:16:01,560 --> 00:16:06,160 that that's what that's one of the the blanks that I've left in this and just 247 00:16:04,760 --> 00:16:08,960 put this placeholder number that I was telling you about. That placeholder 248 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:12,280 number is there so we can figure out what to do about 249 00:16:10,480 --> 00:16:14,800 the salary situation and the wage adjustment. 250 00:16:14,960 --> 00:16:20,840 And that number that I've got place held in the in the budget is $657,000. 251 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:27,440 Uh the last thing that I'll share with you 252 00:16:25,600 --> 00:16:29,960 before we get into the the numbers, and y'all don't have the paperwork that we 253 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:33,280 have, uh which make make it a little bit more 254 00:16:31,320 --> 00:16:38,640 difficult, but it's all being recorded, so you can go back and check it. 255 00:16:36,000 --> 00:16:38,640 But uh 256 00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:44,880 the recommendation from TAC and the representation from 257 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:49,200 uh state authorities, and I'll leave it 258 00:16:47,120 --> 00:16:53,280 vague and just say state authorities, is that we try to keep 3 months' worth 259 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:58,200 of funds in our fund balance 260 00:16:55,920 --> 00:17:03,320 uh to be able to fund the government for 3 months if something happens. 261 00:17:01,160 --> 00:17:09,520 And so that's 25%. And so to those of us that work on 262 00:17:05,560 --> 00:17:14,880 budget, uh 25% is kind of the the goal. We look at try to have 25%. 263 00:17:13,000 --> 00:17:19,120 We've been successful in years past at being able to maintain a fund balance a 264 00:17:16,920 --> 00:17:23,280 little bit larger than that uh simply because of the budget culture because 265 00:17:21,280 --> 00:17:27,160 the money gets spent. So, we kept it in the bank. 266 00:17:24,839 --> 00:17:31,400 Uh and then last year uh we took a little over 12 and 1/2 267 00:17:29,000 --> 00:17:34,400 million dollars of that and put it into the budget that we took out of the fund 268 00:17:33,360 --> 00:17:41,400 balance uh because we had uh accumulated that uh 269 00:17:39,080 --> 00:17:45,760 budget culture money uh to try to offset uh 270 00:17:44,360 --> 00:17:49,320 what would have been the deficit in the budget uh 271 00:17:47,400 --> 00:17:53,360 in order for us to be able to adopt the no new revenue rate. 272 00:17:51,200 --> 00:17:57,000 So, that's our goal is to try to keep 25% there. 273 00:17:55,600 --> 00:18:03,080 So, one of the things that we always have when you see these spreadsheets at 274 00:17:59,920 --> 00:18:09,800 the very last column at the very bottom, it tells you uh what that percentage is. 275 00:18:08,040 --> 00:18:14,160 Uh and in this one what we're looking at is 276 00:18:12,120 --> 00:18:16,200 right at the 25%. Uh 277 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:20,800 We if we go on the basis of the 278 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:26,920 And so, the this has 25.69% 279 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:31,400 is where we have it even with the placeholder in there to adopt the salary 280 00:18:28,640 --> 00:18:35,720 study rate wages. So, that's the overview 281 00:18:33,720 --> 00:18:38,480 of one page here that has all the numbers on it 282 00:18:37,200 --> 00:18:41,640 uh that we try to put in it. And then we'll 283 00:18:40,160 --> 00:18:44,160 go and talking about some of the component parts 284 00:18:43,280 --> 00:18:48,000 uh what I wanted to do was make you aware 285 00:18:46,320 --> 00:18:50,440 of some of the things that I've included 286 00:18:49,280 --> 00:18:55,000 and some of the things that I have not included. 287 00:18:52,600 --> 00:18:58,720 So, I'll pass that. Let's talk about new 288 00:18:56,480 --> 00:19:02,600 positions. I didn't put new positions in there. 289 00:19:00,080 --> 00:19:02,600 And uh 290 00:19:03,160 --> 00:19:08,000 But for the grand opportunity we would have had to put some new positions in 291 00:19:07,120 --> 00:19:12,960 there. But with the grand opportunity uh Um, we 292 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:19,000 have successfully avoided that thus far in the recommendation. 293 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:21,560 Then we get to special request. And uh 294 00:19:20,520 --> 00:19:24,600 there are different things that come from different folks. 295 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:32,080 When you talk about special requests that comes out of the HR department. 296 00:19:30,320 --> 00:19:37,280 Uh, when I'm talking about capital outlay, which we'll talk about in a 297 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:37,280 minute, that comes from the accounting. 298 00:19:38,600 --> 00:19:43,360 Auditor. And uh 299 00:19:44,000 --> 00:19:48,760 to make sure that everybody remember something that I've I've said several 300 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:53,560 times that I don't know how many people really think about what I'm saying. 301 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:53,560 But uh 302 00:19:53,760 --> 00:20:02,240 the auditor is hired by the district judges on behalf of the state of Texas 303 00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:07,680 to monitor what we do with the money, how we spend it, how we budget it. 304 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:13,120 And she reports back to the district judges. She does not report 305 00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:17,440 to us. She is for all practical purposes the watchdog to make sure that we spend 306 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:21,000 the money wisely. And that we spend the money appropriately. 307 00:20:19,160 --> 00:20:25,040 And so uh that office deals with the capital 308 00:20:23,640 --> 00:20:31,000 uh outlays while special requests come from HR. 309 00:20:27,680 --> 00:20:33,400 They new positions also, but uh and then they they they didn't mention 310 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:36,400 me when I told them we weren't going to do any new positions, but 311 00:20:35,080 --> 00:20:39,400 um, the only reason we're able to do that is because of that grant 312 00:20:37,440 --> 00:20:42,120 opportunity. And then uh 313 00:20:42,680 --> 00:20:50,080 so those are the the moving parts to the budget. 314 00:20:47,480 --> 00:20:53,760 Now, uh with cap with regard to capital outlays, 315 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:53,760 uh 316 00:20:56,840 --> 00:21:05,520 I'm looking and for what I can say in that bag. 317 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:09,000 I have not recommended all the uh recommended or proposed capital 318 00:21:07,920 --> 00:21:12,880 outlays. Um 319 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:18,840 For example, with regard to the 320 00:21:16,120 --> 00:21:18,840 jail, 321 00:21:18,920 --> 00:21:22,680 this is a $10,000 item. 322 00:21:25,400 --> 00:21:30,440 I forget what that is, Sheriff, the $37,000 one? 323 00:21:29,040 --> 00:21:34,080 » Uh what does it say? 324 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:37,320 » That's the Durango up one above Durango up one of those up operating equipment 325 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:40,640 replacements. >> SCAP SCAP A A A A A A 326 00:21:39,240 --> 00:21:43,320 » Yeah, that that's why I was using SCAP money for that. Yeah, and that's that's 327 00:21:42,080 --> 00:21:46,520 what that's what I recommended here in my budget is to recommend that it be 328 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:50,520 paid out of SCAP fund. I can't tell you exactly what SCAP is. 329 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:54,760 He can and he manages it well, but he does have 330 00:21:52,760 --> 00:21:59,080 other revenues available to cut to cover some of these costs and that was one of 331 00:21:56,000 --> 00:22:05,440 them that I recommended. Another one that I had issues about 332 00:22:02,360 --> 00:22:10,040 are several of them in road and bridge. One had to do with the $650,000 333 00:22:07,760 --> 00:22:15,280 improvement at a Cave Springs, which is that in Cypress Springs. I think that's 334 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:15,280 Precinct 4. I think Precinct 4. 335 00:22:15,920 --> 00:22:24,120 And that that's road and bridge work in in the very high-class neighborhood. 336 00:22:21,840 --> 00:22:27,520 Then we had road and bridge had another recommendation. 337 00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:32,440 This is something that we know is inevitable and we need to decide are we 338 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:35,920 going to try to fund it now or we going to try to do it in installments, what we 339 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:38,520 want to do about it, and that's repaving the parking lot at Hill Country Youth 340 00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:44,760 Event Center. And that was a $187,000 341 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:47,240 plus proposal that I did not recommend at this point. 342 00:22:46,120 --> 00:22:52,320 It's going to have to be done. We're probably going to have to do it in 343 00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:56,120 stages, maybe over 4 years or I don't know what we're going to be able to do. 344 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:59,000 But I didn't recommend that at this time. 345 00:22:57,520 --> 00:23:05,000 And then another one that's been brought to my attention is the Flat Rock Park 346 00:23:02,280 --> 00:23:07,640 uh road uh which is gone again. 347 00:23:06,080 --> 00:23:10,600 » Can I Can I speak to that? >> Please. 348 00:23:08,480 --> 00:23:15,480 » I I drove with the other day. Had to meet a gentleman down there uh at the 349 00:23:12,680 --> 00:23:18,000 boat ramp and I drove it We just We just did a heck of a job paving it last year. 350 00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:24,400 » Yeah, I know it. >> It had looked great. Now it's gone. Uh 351 00:23:20,720 --> 00:23:31,320 and if y'all been down there uh it makes a big circle, the bottom portion. 352 00:23:28,400 --> 00:23:35,000 The portion closest to the road up the hill 353 00:23:32,600 --> 00:23:39,560 there's spots that are washed out. And it's not a total redo. Down below is 354 00:23:37,360 --> 00:23:43,720 pretty much a total redo. And I mentioned it to Kelly the other day and 355 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:46,320 I said, "Why you know uh 356 00:23:44,760 --> 00:23:50,160 why don't we just make that a caliche road rather than repaving it and save a 357 00:23:48,120 --> 00:23:54,720 few bucks that way?" And she said, "Oh, we'd love that cuz we don't have any 358 00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:58,760 place to train our new people on run a maintainer and and run a blade and 359 00:23:56,960 --> 00:24:05,400 stuff." And so the proximity would be great. Uh then Donnie Hatton said, "You 360 00:24:02,040 --> 00:24:10,240 know, uh probably the the road closest that wasn't completely ruined, probably 361 00:24:08,120 --> 00:24:16,240 that that leads to the dog park and stuff. Re-chip seal it, but then maybe 362 00:24:14,360 --> 00:24:23,320 the caliche." So I don't She's not here. I don't know what that would cost, but 363 00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:26,040 you know, it's a basically $9,600 I don't know. It might be my 364 00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:28,720 recommendation just leave it in there, Judge, and uh 365 00:24:27,480 --> 00:24:34,560 and it uh cuz it will take some money just for 366 00:24:30,760 --> 00:24:39,120 caliche as well. Uh plus the the redo on that one road that's not 367 00:24:36,600 --> 00:24:42,400 totally demolished. >> But that's that's one of one of That's a 368 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:45,480 good example of one of the things that we're that's in play. 369 00:24:44,480 --> 00:24:50,560 We're trying to figure out what to do, what's the best thing to 370 00:24:46,280 --> 00:24:54,120 » Hey, Judge, to to go back the uh Hill Country Youth Exhibition Center 371 00:24:53,080 --> 00:24:57,040 » Yes. >> We've got that money from Spectrum that 372 00:24:55,720 --> 00:25:02,120 they received and that's the reason we're removing that from this budget. 373 00:24:59,960 --> 00:25:05,000 Remember we collected that we got that >> I remember the funds. 374 00:25:03,240 --> 00:25:08,120 » Right. They They will be using that to pay for this. 375 00:25:05,760 --> 00:25:09,840 » So, we take that the whole $187,000 out of the budget. 376 00:25:08,640 --> 00:25:10,880 » Well, we're saying it'll probably get done 377 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:13,120 » Right. >> regardless. 378 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:15,960 » So, I'll put zero in the budget because we're going to use the funds that we we 379 00:25:14,560 --> 00:25:18,600 earned from TEMA for the 380 00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:19,800 25 25 flood. >> Right. 381 00:25:19,200 --> 00:25:23,080 » Okay. >> Good. 382 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:26,400 » Take it off the backs of the taxpayer. >> Now, let me kind of back up a little bit 383 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:29,680 and give you an idea of some of the things 384 00:25:27,520 --> 00:25:32,600 that I try to do in the budget. Uh 385 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:36,440 Let's talk about IT. IT has major capital expenditure requests this year. 386 00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:39,760 And we've got old servers that need to be replaced. 387 00:25:37,640 --> 00:25:43,360 And there's nothing inexpensive about that. 388 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:48,200 It's about 3/4 of a million dollars. Uh and so, I look at do I purchase? Do I 389 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:51,600 lease? Uh do I finance? 390 00:25:50,280 --> 00:25:54,960 I put that one in the budget to go ahead and pay for outright. 391 00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:59,440 Uh I've got other things in the budget. Uh 392 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:04,360 Uh got a lease that I proposed to be leased that wouldn't that would include 393 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:04,360 uh 394 00:26:04,520 --> 00:26:07,040 the uh 395 00:26:07,320 --> 00:26:15,000 car equipment for JP Precinct the Constable not JP Constable Precinct 3. 396 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:20,360 Uh I'm putting these things together to be financed, okay? Or or or to be 397 00:26:17,560 --> 00:26:26,000 leased. Uh KCSO I've got in there. I got another $430,000 on the lease, which is 398 00:26:23,080 --> 00:26:28,320 the enterprise lease. for the vehicles. Uh 399 00:26:28,480 --> 00:26:36,320 And I've got another $25,000 for the Ag Extension over there that I I put in 400 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:36,320 there. 401 00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:42,200 Then as we move through the other projects, 402 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:47,360 uh one of the big ones is for Road and 403 00:26:46,080 --> 00:26:52,640 Bridge. Uh and this is for equipment. 404 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:57,160 And I've got in here two patch trucks, uh 405 00:26:53,960 --> 00:27:01,920 JD tractor, John Deere I guess, and JD shredder, three dump trucks, 406 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:05,440 uh Brosch broom, motor grader, and a wheel 407 00:27:04,400 --> 00:27:09,640 loader. And those are all 408 00:27:06,920 --> 00:27:14,040 uh items that have are in the budget, but I put them in there as debt. 409 00:27:12,120 --> 00:27:18,680 So, we intend to borrow. We're going to take that. That's a million 410 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:21,880 6 6 uh in there. We're going to take that 411 00:27:20,120 --> 00:27:25,600 along with some of these other things, and we're going to go to our lender to 412 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:29,360 borrow the money at a low low interest rate loan, and pay it back over time. 413 00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:32,560 These are installment payments, basically what that comes down to. 414 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:37,520 And so, those are items that we have in the capital outlay. We have in the 415 00:27:36,120 --> 00:27:41,200 capital outlay, one of the other things that I have to address are the balance 416 00:27:38,880 --> 00:27:42,920 of those ARPA funds. Uh 417 00:27:41,800 --> 00:27:47,720 and we're going to spend the last of the ARPA funds this year. 418 00:27:46,000 --> 00:27:53,720 And that that is for a total of a million 547. 419 00:27:51,360 --> 00:27:58,720 The last ARPA funds that we have, uh and those are figured into the budget 420 00:27:56,440 --> 00:28:02,840 for the uh communication system 421 00:28:00,360 --> 00:28:06,240 and grant works. So, that's 422 00:28:04,160 --> 00:28:06,240 uh 423 00:28:06,600 --> 00:28:09,880 kind of an overview of 424 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:12,520 that. 425 00:28:20,120 --> 00:28:25,120 » And that flood recovery, is that from last year, or is that new for what 426 00:28:24,080 --> 00:28:28,040 you're guestimating at this time? >> That's the 25. 427 00:28:26,280 --> 00:28:31,120 » Yeah. That's what it is. 428 00:28:30,120 --> 00:28:32,640 » We haven't got 20 >> Yeah. 429 00:28:31,480 --> 00:28:34,720 » 26 into it yet. >> That's up here. 430 00:28:34,120 --> 00:28:36,440 » Well, >> Yeah, that's fine. 431 00:28:35,520 --> 00:28:39,680 » Just trying to be realistic. >> Well, I know. I'm asking. That's all. 432 00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:42,640 » Okay. 433 00:28:44,600 --> 00:28:52,000 So, that's kind of the overview of what I what I've done in my proposal. 434 00:28:49,720 --> 00:28:54,720 Uh with regard to the special request, we talked about those a little bit last 435 00:28:53,520 --> 00:28:57,400 time. Uh 436 00:28:55,960 --> 00:29:00,200 and uh I've made this representation to the 437 00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:03,920 people that are affected by the recommendations that I have made to 438 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:08,960 date. Okay? And that is that uh 439 00:29:07,040 --> 00:29:13,760 if the recommendations that I've made in response to the special request are 440 00:29:11,400 --> 00:29:16,680 greater than what's in the salary study that I'm trying to incorporate into the 441 00:29:15,400 --> 00:29:19,320 budget, then we'll go with the greater rate 442 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:23,160 because that's there've been that employees expect expectation 443 00:29:22,120 --> 00:29:26,080 because I've already been already announced what I was recommending. 444 00:29:25,400 --> 00:29:29,800 Uh and if it's less, then we'll give them 445 00:29:28,040 --> 00:29:32,760 the higher rate of what's in the uh salary 446 00:29:31,000 --> 00:29:36,480 salary study. And so uh what we started off with last 447 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:39,680 time was we had in the sheriff's office, we had 448 00:29:38,440 --> 00:29:43,440 uh two administrative recommendations, 449 00:29:41,920 --> 00:29:46,600 uh one for an executive assistant and another one for the dispatcher. 450 00:29:45,920 --> 00:29:52,120 Uh and I was recommending that the 451 00:29:48,840 --> 00:29:54,640 executive administrative assistant that be dealt with some of the the 452 00:29:53,320 --> 00:29:58,760 sheriff's other funds that he has available to try to do that so we don't 453 00:29:56,560 --> 00:30:02,560 build into the grade and step. Uh and with regard to the 454 00:30:01,160 --> 00:30:05,400 uh dispatcher, 455 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:08,800 uh they they were requests for 456 00:30:07,480 --> 00:30:13,080 uh I'm looking here. 457 00:30:10,360 --> 00:30:17,120 Five grades and yeah, five grades. 458 00:30:15,200 --> 00:30:21,600 And uh a grade translates into what? About 459 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:25,880 $6,000? Something like that? 460 00:30:24,000 --> 00:30:28,480 I think a step is about three. And steps are usually about half of the 461 00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:31,680 grade. Ballpark. 462 00:30:29,880 --> 00:30:35,600 Uh and uh 463 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:41,720 what I recommended there was uh two grades and two steps. And that's 464 00:30:37,760 --> 00:30:45,000 because that position I think is is been underpaid. 465 00:30:43,800 --> 00:30:48,920 And I don't say this in a negative way Sheriff, but 466 00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:53,720 well used, maybe not overused, but definitely during the the 2025 flood 467 00:30:52,920 --> 00:30:56,520 uh I'm telling you 468 00:30:55,000 --> 00:30:59,800 they were a lifesaver. Truly. 469 00:30:58,000 --> 00:31:02,400 Truly a lifesaver. Uh 470 00:31:00,360 --> 00:31:07,120 and it's it's time to bring uh them up to competitive rates, to 471 00:31:04,480 --> 00:31:11,280 market to market rates. Then I looked at uh 472 00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:12,880 and then you've got a SB 22 in there. >> Yes, sir. 473 00:31:11,840 --> 00:31:14,800 » We talked about that a little bit this morning. 474 00:31:13,840 --> 00:31:17,760 The one where we have to put the clause in there that that they get to decide 475 00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:21,000 how to spend the money. We can't tell them what to do with it. 476 00:31:19,240 --> 00:31:24,480 So, he's SB 22 in there. He's spending the money that the legislature is giving 477 00:31:22,360 --> 00:31:29,680 him legislature is giving him. Uh and I can't I can't mess with it. I 478 00:31:26,480 --> 00:31:37,720 don't. I respect it. Uh and so that that request was included in my budget. 479 00:31:33,840 --> 00:31:37,720 Then we get to IT. 480 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:43,120 I and I struggle with this one because 481 00:31:43,840 --> 00:31:49,120 I I wish I could do more. 482 00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:51,920 I really do. Uh 483 00:31:49,920 --> 00:31:56,640 I can't tell you how improved our IT department is. 484 00:31:53,360 --> 00:31:56,640 Uh we have uh 485 00:31:56,880 --> 00:32:02,920 an IT department that is the envy of local governments right now. 486 00:32:01,360 --> 00:32:06,400 And uh that is attributable to Corey's 487 00:32:04,600 --> 00:32:09,960 leadership. And uh 488 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:14,000 I haven't forgotten uh 489 00:32:10,640 --> 00:32:17,200 when he came and applied and uh did his interview 490 00:32:15,440 --> 00:32:20,880 uh we asked him how much he wanted to be paid and he told us uh and within a 491 00:32:19,480 --> 00:32:24,000 month he realized that he had undersold himself and came back and talked to us 492 00:32:22,320 --> 00:32:28,120 again. And uh 493 00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:31,880 I I believe uh somebody at this table said well you signed a contract to to do 494 00:32:30,320 --> 00:32:34,640 it for the original rate, so just stay at the original rate. 495 00:32:32,800 --> 00:32:38,840 » I think I resemble resembled that. >> I think you You resemble that remark, 496 00:32:35,960 --> 00:32:38,840 but but 497 00:32:38,920 --> 00:32:42,920 And and and there was nothing wrong with it. 498 00:32:41,160 --> 00:32:46,080 I mean, it's fair. And uh 499 00:32:43,920 --> 00:32:49,160 I will tell you that Corey uh swallowed hard, 500 00:32:47,640 --> 00:32:53,040 accepted it, uh owned up to his responsibility of 501 00:32:51,000 --> 00:32:56,640 having signed to do it at that rate, and did it. 502 00:32:54,360 --> 00:32:59,400 And I have the utmost respect for that. Truly do. 503 00:32:58,320 --> 00:33:02,600 Uh and then we get into the performance. 504 00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:05,280 Woo. Off the charts. 505 00:33:04,200 --> 00:33:11,480 Uh And he asked for a raise, and uh 506 00:33:08,600 --> 00:33:15,760 I recommend every penny he asked for. That's what I put in there. 507 00:33:13,640 --> 00:33:20,680 Now, he's got a great staff, and and and he's built a staff. Uh 508 00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:23,080 a staff that is also becoming the envy of local governments in the 509 00:33:22,160 --> 00:33:26,320 area. Uh 510 00:33:24,080 --> 00:33:29,040 And so, I'm trying to accommodate that, uh 511 00:33:27,040 --> 00:33:32,520 while at the same time trying to balance how much money do we have to spend to do 512 00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:34,960 this, but that's a department that needs to be recognized. 513 00:33:34,280 --> 00:33:39,800 Uh And so, for for example, 514 00:33:37,840 --> 00:33:42,400 and uh these go by positions. They don't have names on them. We're not going to 515 00:33:40,880 --> 00:33:44,640 talk about names in open court like this, but 516 00:33:43,600 --> 00:33:48,360 uh I'm recommending that uh 517 00:33:46,520 --> 00:33:52,480 uh See, Corey 518 00:33:49,760 --> 00:33:55,320 asked for just a shade under $6,000. 5,943, 519 00:33:54,200 --> 00:33:58,800 I think. Uh and I'm approving that. I'm putting 520 00:33:56,720 --> 00:34:03,080 that in my recommended budget. Uh his number two, 521 00:34:00,960 --> 00:34:03,080 uh 522 00:34:03,400 --> 00:34:11,040 he asked for a grade and two steps, and I'm recommending the two steps. 523 00:34:09,760 --> 00:34:13,360 That's what I what I recommended on that. 524 00:34:12,040 --> 00:34:16,760 Uh which be be an increase of a little over 525 00:34:15,240 --> 00:34:19,000 $3,600 per year. 526 00:34:18,200 --> 00:34:22,240 Uh Next down, he had one that he was 527 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:26,159 recommending uh four grades, 528 00:34:24,720 --> 00:34:29,320 and uh uh 529 00:34:27,280 --> 00:34:32,040 four grades and four steps. 530 00:34:32,480 --> 00:34:37,560 And truthfully, he's worth every penny. 531 00:34:36,080 --> 00:34:39,919 Truly is. I'm not going to give you his name, but 532 00:34:38,520 --> 00:34:43,040 he's worth it. Uh 533 00:34:41,000 --> 00:34:47,760 and I'm recommending four steps, and that's going to be a little over that's 534 00:34:44,760 --> 00:34:47,760 $5,531. 535 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:54,200 To at least begin to try to get him up to market rate. 536 00:34:51,760 --> 00:34:57,120 Uh then there's what, two others after that? 537 00:34:55,720 --> 00:35:01,200 Uh and uh 538 00:34:59,000 --> 00:35:05,880 I think both of them were recommended two grades and 539 00:35:03,680 --> 00:35:09,120 two steps, and I'm recommending two steps for each of them. 540 00:35:08,080 --> 00:35:12,800 Uh and that is that those are compromised 541 00:35:10,960 --> 00:35:16,400 figures for me. Uh I'm trying to recognize 542 00:35:15,240 --> 00:35:19,640 uh the accomplishment 543 00:35:17,920 --> 00:35:21,640 and the quality. Uh 544 00:35:20,800 --> 00:35:25,920 And uh hopefully entice them to stay with us, 545 00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:29,200 work with us. We're trying to get there. We're trying to get the salary study in 546 00:35:27,160 --> 00:35:33,160 place so that they know what to expect and plan on for the future. 547 00:35:31,680 --> 00:35:36,960 » And Judge, I guess that's my question. How does 548 00:35:34,160 --> 00:35:40,080 the ask compare to the salary survey data that you've been looking at? 549 00:35:38,880 --> 00:35:42,280 » I haven't gone back to double-check those, but I think they're they're 550 00:35:41,400 --> 00:35:46,400 they're they're competitive. 551 00:35:43,920 --> 00:35:51,040 If anything, maybe a little low. >> So, if I can if I may comment on that a 552 00:35:48,440 --> 00:35:55,560 little bit to your question, the ask actually came in right below 553 00:35:54,200 --> 00:35:58,880 each of the salary study numbers. 554 00:35:57,400 --> 00:36:02,960 So, my ask didn't quite get to the salary 555 00:36:00,760 --> 00:36:05,920 study. It's a little bit below that, but uh 556 00:36:04,040 --> 00:36:08,360 if I may comment on the the reason for the 557 00:36:07,440 --> 00:36:13,080 grade changes 558 00:36:09,400 --> 00:36:16,840 was to more closely match >> Say that again, more what? 559 00:36:15,120 --> 00:36:20,680 You know what, start over cuz they're off camera, so you can be on camera. 560 00:36:19,040 --> 00:36:25,600 » All right. So, the the initial ask for this year was to 561 00:36:23,280 --> 00:36:29,520 try and get to the salary study. And my numbers actually come in right 562 00:36:27,600 --> 00:36:31,360 below it. Actually, honestly, um 563 00:36:30,760 --> 00:36:34,240 Uh, and that's 564 00:36:32,440 --> 00:36:38,520 I'm trying to be fair and realistic at the same time for my guys. 565 00:36:36,240 --> 00:36:45,760 Uh, but also the for the two grade changes requests, that 566 00:36:41,720 --> 00:36:49,680 was more of a of a reason to more accurately 567 00:36:47,680 --> 00:36:53,400 identify their roles and responsibilities based on those 568 00:36:51,440 --> 00:36:57,960 positions. So, that's why the grade changes was the ask. 569 00:36:56,640 --> 00:37:00,960 » Well, I think we may be driving down different 570 00:36:59,360 --> 00:37:02,680 roads going to the same place. >> Yes, sir. 571 00:37:01,680 --> 00:37:05,480 » We're trying to get there. >> Yes, sir. 572 00:37:03,440 --> 00:37:10,480 » Uh, and what I represented to you and I stand by is that uh 573 00:37:08,760 --> 00:37:13,960 anyone that I have disclosed publicly what my recommendations were before we 574 00:37:12,120 --> 00:37:16,040 get to the salary study, uh 575 00:37:16,760 --> 00:37:21,160 if the salary study is greater than what I recommended, we'll go with the salary 576 00:37:19,960 --> 00:37:23,280 study for the moment. >> Appreciate that. 577 00:37:21,840 --> 00:37:26,160 » And uh because that's that's the competitive thing that we're trying to 578 00:37:24,640 --> 00:37:29,040 trying to get competitive with our with our 579 00:37:26,800 --> 00:37:32,000 with our other governmental entities. Uh, and uh 580 00:37:32,200 --> 00:37:37,200 if you'd asked for a little bit more, I'd have gone with it, too, but 581 00:37:35,400 --> 00:37:39,720 » Thank you, sir. >> But uh 582 00:37:38,360 --> 00:37:42,440 you're a very vital part of this team and we're trying we're trying we're 583 00:37:40,880 --> 00:37:45,800 trying to keep you happy. So So, thank you. 584 00:37:42,840 --> 00:37:45,800 » That's a great team. 585 00:37:45,880 --> 00:37:51,440 » Okay, uh there was a part-time request uh for JP 586 00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:54,400 Precinct 4. I approved that. That's going to be 587 00:37:52,720 --> 00:37:58,080 included in my recommended budget. I think you're going to have a lot of work 588 00:37:55,480 --> 00:38:03,280 getting things organized in Precinct 4. >> Could be. 589 00:37:59,960 --> 00:38:06,000 » That's just That's my humble opinion. Uh, 590 00:38:03,920 --> 00:38:09,160 and then there was uh I I got asked a lot of questions about 591 00:38:07,640 --> 00:38:12,120 this. The tax assessor-collector, Bob Reems. 592 00:38:10,040 --> 00:38:12,120 Uh 593 00:38:12,520 --> 00:38:16,880 And I think he was trying I think he was trying to be fair with us. I honestly 594 00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:21,560 do. And he asked for a one-step increase in 595 00:38:18,920 --> 00:38:24,520 his entire staff. And uh 596 00:38:22,680 --> 00:38:31,240 I was asked uh why? Because he asked for it. 597 00:38:27,520 --> 00:38:34,320 And I didn't bother to go rattle the cages and 598 00:38:33,000 --> 00:38:37,920 bang on the doors of all the other department heads and officials when I 599 00:38:36,480 --> 00:38:41,360 came to the conclusion that what I really wanted to recommend was a salary 600 00:38:39,560 --> 00:38:45,760 study. And so rather than go 601 00:38:44,600 --> 00:38:47,320 shake those trees >> Okay. 602 00:38:46,040 --> 00:38:51,520 » uh I'm going to go with the the recommended salary study which you will 603 00:38:48,480 --> 00:38:53,040 find this is going to be very good. >> Okay. 604 00:38:52,320 --> 00:38:56,920 Uh it was the fairness that kind of 605 00:38:55,040 --> 00:39:00,760 disturbed me. Only one department totally across the boards when the 606 00:38:58,920 --> 00:39:03,840 guidance that I remember Commissioner Harris giving and and a few others 607 00:39:02,280 --> 00:39:07,120 echoed it was don't ask. 608 00:39:05,560 --> 00:39:10,120 Was that Did I get that right? For salary. 609 00:39:08,640 --> 00:39:13,600 So I'm not saying that we shouldn't do 610 00:39:11,360 --> 00:39:17,640 anything. I'm just saying, you know I didn't see this as necessarily being 611 00:39:15,440 --> 00:39:21,520 fair to other departments that could have made and probably would have made 612 00:39:19,480 --> 00:39:25,760 very similar requests had they thought it was acceptable to do 613 00:39:23,440 --> 00:39:25,760 so. 614 00:39:26,160 --> 00:39:31,240 Just my two cents. >> Well, and and this was made and I tried 615 00:39:29,200 --> 00:39:33,800 to respond to it >> Okay. 616 00:39:32,000 --> 00:39:37,200 » fairly. Um 617 00:39:35,480 --> 00:39:41,000 But all of this will be subsumed if we go ahead and adopt that uh the whirling 618 00:39:38,960 --> 00:39:43,000 salary study. Now 619 00:39:42,080 --> 00:39:45,920 uh in terms of special request, the last 620 00:39:44,840 --> 00:39:50,920 ones that were made were the veteran services offices and we 621 00:39:47,920 --> 00:39:54,440 we went over this what within the last four or five months. 622 00:39:52,560 --> 00:39:58,720 Uh and and and tried to right size that back then. Still comfortable with the 623 00:39:56,360 --> 00:40:01,400 decisions that we made a few months ago. Uh and we'll take a look at that next 624 00:40:00,000 --> 00:40:05,280 next go. So those are the special requests which 625 00:40:02,920 --> 00:40:07,880 go in here. And uh 626 00:40:08,880 --> 00:40:13,960 And then we get to the the wage adjustments. 627 00:40:12,480 --> 00:40:17,840 And uh I put a two and a half percent in here. 628 00:40:16,520 --> 00:40:20,120 Uh and I I want to make sure that everybody understands the amount of 629 00:40:18,920 --> 00:40:24,080 money that we're talking about and how this works. 630 00:40:21,960 --> 00:40:26,960 1% And remember, 631 00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:30,280 I'm a believer that the wage adjustment is not fair to all concerned. 632 00:40:29,720 --> 00:40:34,200 » Okay. >> That's it. 633 00:40:31,640 --> 00:40:37,200 1% uh would be an estimated increase of wages 634 00:40:36,160 --> 00:40:41,880 of $210,375. 635 00:40:39,760 --> 00:40:45,720 And then we have the roll up cost which would be uh retirement cost 636 00:40:44,320 --> 00:40:49,800 benefits cost which we we always average in that 25% 637 00:40:48,360 --> 00:40:53,000 and that's been pretty accurate. >> year. 638 00:40:50,800 --> 00:40:57,080 » So, that would cost the county uh $263,000 639 00:40:54,880 --> 00:41:00,160 on the park. Within a few couple couple hundred dollars. 640 00:40:58,480 --> 00:41:05,800 uh And uh that's for 1%. 641 00:41:03,440 --> 00:41:09,560 In the budget I put in 2.5% 642 00:41:07,320 --> 00:41:14,160 which is that $657,000 number that we talked about earlier. 643 00:41:10,840 --> 00:41:14,160 That's what that total comes to. 644 00:41:14,440 --> 00:41:21,120 And uh what I have decided to do, rather than 645 00:41:18,960 --> 00:41:24,400 try to do the wage adjustment I want to incorporate and put in 646 00:41:23,440 --> 00:41:27,120 uh uh 647 00:41:25,080 --> 00:41:29,440 the budget salary of the the the budget study 648 00:41:28,280 --> 00:41:33,040 uh for that placeholder number 257. That's 649 00:41:31,760 --> 00:41:37,040 what I'm trying to do. So, instead of everybody getting 2.5% 650 00:41:35,640 --> 00:41:42,440 across the board uh we take and we try to adjust each 651 00:41:39,080 --> 00:41:46,120 individual employee per the studied uh study guidelines from uh Steven Wrenn. 652 00:41:45,520 --> 00:41:49,560 uh and and and keep that in the budget. 653 00:41:47,840 --> 00:41:53,080 What I'm trying to do uh 654 00:41:50,560 --> 00:41:58,240 and and uh this may sound a little 655 00:41:55,480 --> 00:42:01,520 nostalgic, but to leave a legacy here that we're going to look at our 656 00:41:59,240 --> 00:42:04,840 employees individually. Uh and the salary study is good for 657 00:42:03,160 --> 00:42:09,000 about 2 years. This is what I think is the last real effective year of this 658 00:42:06,280 --> 00:42:12,000 salary study. But, it's a start. And if we do this, it's going to make 659 00:42:10,560 --> 00:42:14,640 the budgeting process a whole lot more straightforward and a whole lot simpler 660 00:42:13,440 --> 00:42:17,440 every year if you take a look at it to see 661 00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:20,240 who who deserves a raise and who doesn't. 662 00:42:18,560 --> 00:42:26,080 And not just put them in a class and say, you well, you're grade 14, you're 663 00:42:22,960 --> 00:42:29,960 grade 16, this is what you get. And the steps are more individualized. 664 00:42:27,720 --> 00:42:35,440 » So Judge, I agree with everything you said, 665 00:42:32,720 --> 00:42:39,280 but what when you're looking at the whirling study, 666 00:42:38,000 --> 00:42:42,560 we're not talking about implementing that across the board for every 667 00:42:40,560 --> 00:42:44,960 employee. >> I think he is. 668 00:42:43,360 --> 00:42:47,680 » Are you Is that what you're what you're saying? 669 00:42:46,040 --> 00:42:50,800 Are you saying within the limits of the ones that have applied to the special 670 00:42:49,280 --> 00:42:53,160 request? >> I was doing it across the board. 671 00:42:52,320 --> 00:42:56,640 » Yeah, man. That's where it should be done. 672 00:42:55,040 --> 00:43:02,680 » That's That's the 600 >> Is that where that 658,000 673 00:42:59,040 --> 00:43:03,840 » The 657 is an extrapolated number, okay? 674 00:43:03,320 --> 00:43:08,520 » Mhm. >> That's the 2 and 1/2% 675 00:43:06,240 --> 00:43:13,440 that I had originally included in my budget as a recommendation. 676 00:43:11,080 --> 00:43:15,520 And what I'm doing on that is waffling. Okay? 677 00:43:14,560 --> 00:43:19,120 Admitting what I'm doing here, I'm waffling a little bit. So I I prefer to 678 00:43:17,840 --> 00:43:22,320 take a look at this and do it individually. 679 00:43:20,560 --> 00:43:26,320 And try to address each one of these employees individually. 680 00:43:24,320 --> 00:43:29,640 And I'm I'm looking at back there at at my HR director and and her assistant. 681 00:43:28,440 --> 00:43:34,000 I'm I'm I'm saying this right, aren't I? 682 00:43:32,200 --> 00:43:39,160 Uh and so uh in response to well, Bob asked for a 683 00:43:37,440 --> 00:43:42,800 step and so Bob got a step, but they didn't ask for a step. And I've talked 684 00:43:41,160 --> 00:43:44,520 to Nadine. >> Yes, sir. 685 00:43:43,480 --> 00:43:47,040 » You're You're back there, okay. >> Yes, sir. 686 00:43:45,880 --> 00:43:49,720 » And she told me, if I'd have known you'd given me a step, 687 00:43:48,160 --> 00:43:51,920 I'd ask for it. Well, see, everybody would, right? 688 00:43:50,760 --> 00:43:54,560 » Exactly. >> So, 689 00:43:52,920 --> 00:43:57,400 what I'm trying to do is to be fair to everyone and do it all at one time. 690 00:43:56,280 --> 00:44:01,680 » Right. >> And 691 00:43:58,640 --> 00:44:07,880 uh absorb this this pain, if you will, this financial pain, this year and set 692 00:44:04,880 --> 00:44:12,960 in motion precedent for the future. That's what I'm trying to do with that. 693 00:44:09,840 --> 00:44:17,240 And if you don't do it, you don't do it. But it's not up to me. I just make the 694 00:44:14,600 --> 00:44:21,160 recommendations. It's up to this court. And what this court decides. 695 00:44:18,720 --> 00:44:24,480 » I support your approach. I like what you're trying to do. 696 00:44:22,560 --> 00:44:28,760 But until I see the number, you know, what I would suggest is you set it up in 697 00:44:26,640 --> 00:44:32,560 a way that we can still play with uh what amounts 698 00:44:31,240 --> 00:44:33,720 to to 699 00:44:33,280 --> 00:44:37,960 » two and a half >> two and a half to three, you know. 700 00:44:35,720 --> 00:44:40,280 » Well, I'm good I'm I'm looking at my HR department back there cuz I know that I 701 00:44:39,120 --> 00:44:46,480 got good numbers, countries. >> Um if if I may, I think that is the plan 702 00:44:44,360 --> 00:44:51,400 that we kind of discussed when we all got together is what you said. We're 703 00:44:48,320 --> 00:44:57,360 going to take the $657,000 and do the best we can, but it will be a 704 00:44:54,920 --> 00:45:02,720 system-wide moving everybody to a certain point. I 705 00:45:00,320 --> 00:45:06,640 know that in there even um 706 00:45:03,360 --> 00:45:12,840 if if you're in a certain spot with the wage adjustment, you're making more than 707 00:45:10,000 --> 00:45:17,000 than what the salary study shows, you may only get a 1% raise. If you're 708 00:45:15,240 --> 00:45:22,360 making even more than that, you may only get the $500. I think it's roughly what 709 00:45:20,640 --> 00:45:26,520 we were looking at the highest. >> I'm on that page with you. My only 710 00:45:24,440 --> 00:45:31,800 concern is that strictly speaking, if you followed that salary study to a T, 711 00:45:29,600 --> 00:45:34,560 we might find that the total budget required was 5%. 712 00:45:33,680 --> 00:45:38,480 » And so we put >> would be problematic. I'm just saying. 713 00:45:36,480 --> 00:45:41,560 » This this is the number. This is the number that I plugged in, 714 00:45:40,200 --> 00:45:43,080 the placeholder number, Bridge. >> Okay. 715 00:45:42,040 --> 00:45:45,360 » So, that number >> But I thought it wasn't based on the 716 00:45:44,560 --> 00:45:48,240 ser- >> It's not. It's just It's just the 717 00:45:47,320 --> 00:45:50,480 number. I know. It's the place- placeholder 718 00:45:49,560 --> 00:45:54,760 number. And so what what what Pam is sharing 719 00:45:52,480 --> 00:45:58,560 with me is what what our approach would be is to try to go through and allocate 720 00:45:57,160 --> 00:46:01,840 even we have to, you know, a little bit less uh per employee, whatever it comes 721 00:46:00,800 --> 00:46:05,800 down to. But try to get to something that's more 722 00:46:03,160 --> 00:46:10,960 equitable and only spend that amount of money. The 657. 723 00:46:09,360 --> 00:46:14,400 I can't spend any more money than that. >> Because you get to get to that complete 724 00:46:12,880 --> 00:46:17,640 report, it's going to take about a million dollars. 725 00:46:16,040 --> 00:46:19,400 » I don't know. >> That's probably right. 726 00:46:18,520 --> 00:46:25,120 » Yeah. >> And if I may, 727 00:46:21,160 --> 00:46:32,120 I I think to me also judge part of the that's a start on where this study goes. 728 00:46:28,640 --> 00:46:37,800 And so we're moving to where we do make the wage that is like in the salary 729 00:46:35,120 --> 00:46:42,760 study. Okay, but we won't get there in one year. One of the other part that I 730 00:46:40,880 --> 00:46:47,080 kind of like about it, it takes away the steps. So we may have grades, but 731 00:46:45,240 --> 00:46:52,640 there's no more steps. So it will make the position schedule is real easy. The 732 00:46:49,840 --> 00:46:58,200 goal that we're shooting for is that if you're a clerk in the 733 00:46:56,680 --> 00:47:03,680 I'm going to pick on Megan because she's here the county clerk's office. Clerks 734 00:47:00,800 --> 00:47:08,240 across the board make X amount. That's what every clerk in there is 735 00:47:06,120 --> 00:47:13,040 going to make. It's going to simplify payroll. It's going to simplify a whole 736 00:47:10,120 --> 00:47:17,320 lot. But a second step of putting that in, right now we give 737 00:47:15,720 --> 00:47:21,560 2.5% adjustment to everybody pretty much 738 00:47:19,600 --> 00:47:27,560 after 3 years. I know starting off it's a little bit We want to move that to 739 00:47:24,560 --> 00:47:32,360 where every year instead of doing that, that's automatic. It doesn't matter what 740 00:47:30,120 --> 00:47:35,960 type of job you do. You're in here long enough, you're going to get that 741 00:47:34,000 --> 00:47:43,880 percentage raise. We would like to see it move to a 1% 742 00:47:40,240 --> 00:47:49,120 a year merit accrued increase for each individual. So if you've got somebody 743 00:47:45,840 --> 00:47:55,000 making $10,000 a year, the most you could give that person is 1% of that 744 00:47:52,200 --> 00:48:00,920 every single year. So there and that's a merit. And you can give a portion of the 745 00:47:57,080 --> 00:48:06,440 1%. So, it lets the elected official at least have some way of rewarding 746 00:48:03,920 --> 00:48:13,080 their high performers. So, that would be a switch. It would be 3%, you know, over 747 00:48:09,920 --> 00:48:17,080 3 years instead of 2.5% over 3 years. 748 00:48:14,680 --> 00:48:23,320 Those are the two things to me that in reading the study that that spoke to me, 749 00:48:20,640 --> 00:48:23,320 I guess. 750 00:48:23,520 --> 00:48:27,800 » As complicated as that sounds, it's a whole lot less complicated than what we 751 00:48:27,080 --> 00:48:30,280 have. >> Oh gosh, yes. 752 00:48:28,600 --> 00:48:32,800 » That is true. >> And for those of you that haven't 753 00:48:31,320 --> 00:48:38,360 learned it, God help you. 754 00:48:34,200 --> 00:48:41,760 Yeah, it's it it Well, it is. And I I was an economics major, pretty 755 00:48:40,320 --> 00:48:46,000 good with numbers. It it took me a while to figure all this 756 00:48:43,360 --> 00:48:51,080 stuff out. It's a complicated system. And this is much more streamlined. 757 00:48:47,640 --> 00:48:51,080 » Judge, I have a question on the 758 00:48:51,160 --> 00:48:58,920 if this compounds, for instance, this is about a 2 and 1/2 759 00:48:57,080 --> 00:49:01,400 2.4% uh 760 00:48:59,720 --> 00:49:06,960 increase, which is all of the tax assessor office. It's a 761 00:49:03,520 --> 00:49:11,600 one-step. It equals about 2.4% increase, that one step, average per person. 762 00:49:09,960 --> 00:49:15,400 Now, with this 763 00:49:13,400 --> 00:49:18,680 allotment, if you will, this 2.5% allotment that you would like to make 764 00:49:17,000 --> 00:49:22,360 individually per person, right? You want to have the discretion to do this. Does 765 00:49:21,480 --> 00:49:27,360 this automatically compound on with any 766 00:49:24,240 --> 00:49:30,360 additions for the special request as well, or does that give you the 767 00:49:29,040 --> 00:49:36,080 opportunity to look to it and go, "Look, they're already getting a special 768 00:49:31,960 --> 00:49:37,960 request one-step increase of 2.4%?" >> That's not the intent. 769 00:49:37,560 --> 00:49:45,120 » Okay. >> Let me explain what the intent is. 770 00:49:40,360 --> 00:49:48,320 The $657,000 number is just a number. This is how we came up with the number. 771 00:49:47,120 --> 00:49:52,400 » A working pool >> Just a and it cuz I what I wanted to 772 00:49:50,120 --> 00:49:55,880 know from from what what what I call my smart ladies 773 00:49:54,880 --> 00:49:59,120 give me this information 774 00:49:57,120 --> 00:50:03,480 is what what would have cost if we just gave a straight wage adjustment. 775 00:50:01,480 --> 00:50:07,120 And as I asked to give us 2.5% so they came up with 776 00:50:05,120 --> 00:50:11,520 this so I could see what it was and I've used that as a placeholder number. That 777 00:50:09,000 --> 00:50:14,200 number does not have to be exhausted. I don't know what this court's going to do 778 00:50:12,760 --> 00:50:18,520 but I'm just saying that that's the recommendation. It's not the whole 779 00:50:16,920 --> 00:50:23,440 recommendation uh but it is the start. 780 00:50:21,600 --> 00:50:27,600 And so what we're really trying to do is to 781 00:50:25,480 --> 00:50:30,400 come up with a starting number. The idea would be that every couple of 782 00:50:29,280 --> 00:50:34,520 years we get a salary study 783 00:50:32,120 --> 00:50:37,800 and we see where everyone is and if if they've reached if there's if they're if 784 00:50:36,440 --> 00:50:41,400 they're continuously just in the mid-range of 785 00:50:40,160 --> 00:50:44,760 employment then they would probably stay there with 786 00:50:42,720 --> 00:50:48,000 some minor adjustments because that's where the salary study is cuz we're 787 00:50:45,880 --> 00:50:50,960 trying to find out what is the market rate here. 788 00:50:49,920 --> 00:50:54,360 Uh if they're below then that would be it 789 00:50:52,840 --> 00:50:58,240 would be recommended more for the ones that are low. 790 00:50:55,880 --> 00:51:01,960 So that this is not a compounding across the board. 791 00:50:59,360 --> 00:51:06,520 This is meant to be individualized. That's that's the purpose of it. 792 00:51:04,120 --> 00:51:06,520 Now 793 00:51:07,640 --> 00:51:14,960 you're probably asking yourself why the heck did I do this? Well one 794 00:51:12,560 --> 00:51:18,680 we paid for a salary study, got it, thought it was particularly good 795 00:51:16,880 --> 00:51:22,560 uh and we ignored it because we were in the middle of the crisis. 796 00:51:21,000 --> 00:51:26,480 And so I wanted to blow the dust off of it this year and see if we didn't have 797 00:51:24,720 --> 00:51:30,000 uh a running chance at trying to do what I think is the right thing to do for our 798 00:51:28,120 --> 00:51:34,000 employees. Now 799 00:51:31,840 --> 00:51:38,520 you may ask yourself why am I championing the employees? 800 00:51:36,920 --> 00:51:43,080 Because you can't run county government without 801 00:51:40,200 --> 00:51:46,200 and unlike municipalities that can choose to be in existence or not in 802 00:51:44,520 --> 00:51:52,880 existence, counties are part of the Texas Constitution and we are. 803 00:51:49,400 --> 00:51:57,720 And we have funded and unfunded mandates with the SB 22 which helps fund 804 00:51:56,200 --> 00:52:00,360 the department department's needs and offices needs. 805 00:51:59,240 --> 00:52:02,680 Uh and then we have those that are not funded. 806 00:52:02,720 --> 00:52:08,680 Uh and counties are at a distinct 807 00:52:05,840 --> 00:52:12,920 disadvantage with our competitors. 808 00:52:10,280 --> 00:52:17,920 They are much more flexible and can respond to market conditions much 809 00:52:15,120 --> 00:52:22,280 more quickly than we can. And one of the things that I've come to 810 00:52:19,720 --> 00:52:29,200 the conclusion as a 50-plus year lawyer that specialized in 811 00:52:25,120 --> 00:52:29,200 real estate transactions and litigation. 812 00:52:31,200 --> 00:52:37,640 The price of dirt in Kerr County is more expensive than the price of dirt 813 00:52:36,120 --> 00:52:42,040 just about anywhere you can find in this whole part of the county. 814 00:52:40,000 --> 00:52:45,000 And what that means uh 815 00:52:43,040 --> 00:52:48,240 and you heard me talk about existential threats to the county. 816 00:52:47,320 --> 00:52:52,680 Uh and when I talk about existential, I 817 00:52:49,520 --> 00:52:56,520 mean survival, existence. What happens to us if we can't do this? 818 00:52:54,960 --> 00:52:59,880 What happens if we can't perform the functions of government that are 819 00:52:57,640 --> 00:53:04,440 mandated by the Constitution? What happens if we can't fund the 820 00:53:02,880 --> 00:53:07,400 the requirements that the legislature puts on us 821 00:53:05,760 --> 00:53:11,720 uh to be able to perform that we're supposed to be able to provide. 822 00:53:10,120 --> 00:53:16,160 Uh If you look at where our employee base 823 00:53:14,560 --> 00:53:21,240 comes from and I don't have the birthday card list. 824 00:53:19,400 --> 00:53:23,920 I think HR has the birthday card list. Y'all don't know what's in that birthday 825 00:53:22,240 --> 00:53:26,600 card, right? Just a little thing we do. Little 826 00:53:25,040 --> 00:53:29,320 personal notes from all of all five of us 827 00:53:27,720 --> 00:53:31,680 that we send to everybody every employee. 828 00:53:30,120 --> 00:53:35,960 » And they love them. >> And and and they're kind of cornball, 829 00:53:33,840 --> 00:53:40,520 but uh they're handwritten. We write write little notes on there. 830 00:53:38,560 --> 00:53:43,840 » Huh? Go on. Mine aren't cornball. >> Yeah, yeah. 831 00:53:41,480 --> 00:53:46,520 » I've seen yours. >> We've all seen each other's. It depends 832 00:53:45,120 --> 00:53:49,920 on who gets it first. But uh 833 00:53:48,520 --> 00:53:52,560 I've I've turned these cards over and made it 834 00:53:50,720 --> 00:53:56,960 anecdotal stuff to see where the employees live. 835 00:53:57,600 --> 00:54:04,280 And believe it or not, over 50% of the employees, mainly address, 836 00:54:02,160 --> 00:54:08,840 were outside Kerr County. They can't even afford to live here. 837 00:54:07,280 --> 00:54:11,640 And I've been here adding it up this morning driving 838 00:54:10,080 --> 00:54:14,960 driving in. 33 years I've lived in Kerrville. 839 00:54:13,680 --> 00:54:19,600 And uh I've gotten a pretty good feel 840 00:54:17,120 --> 00:54:19,600 for it. 841 00:54:20,240 --> 00:54:25,400 And property values here are high 842 00:54:23,840 --> 00:54:28,480 because everybody wants to live here. Supply and demand. 843 00:54:26,960 --> 00:54:32,560 It's a beautiful place. If you're driving in either from the 844 00:54:30,840 --> 00:54:35,400 east or west, it really doesn't matter. You're looking at over a mountain range 845 00:54:33,920 --> 00:54:40,200 in the valley. Uh and we've got that that crystal clear 846 00:54:38,480 --> 00:54:42,120 Guadalupe River uh 847 00:54:40,920 --> 00:54:45,440 flowing through the middle of it. Everybody wants to live here. 848 00:54:44,240 --> 00:54:48,120 Uh and you think about what we pay for our properties. 849 00:54:47,120 --> 00:54:52,480 Uh the people that we're hiring can't 850 00:54:49,560 --> 00:54:52,480 afford to live here. 851 00:54:53,080 --> 00:54:59,880 We don't have We don't have uh the public housing that we should. We don't 852 00:54:57,560 --> 00:55:02,400 have uh the rental housing that we should. 853 00:55:01,040 --> 00:55:06,800 We don't. And so they live 854 00:55:04,240 --> 00:55:08,640 in Bandera. They live in Fredericksburg. They 855 00:55:07,560 --> 00:55:13,640 They live in one of these towns in Comfort. 856 00:55:10,320 --> 00:55:17,720 And and if we don't take care of them, if we're not competitive in being able 857 00:55:15,960 --> 00:55:20,720 to provide a living wage for those people, 858 00:55:19,000 --> 00:55:24,920 then we're not going to have employees to do the jobs that we have. 859 00:55:23,240 --> 00:55:27,840 And because the county is at the bottom of the totem pole locally, 860 00:55:26,840 --> 00:55:32,000 we're going to be the first ones to start losing employees. And what do we 861 00:55:29,360 --> 00:55:36,600 do when we can't replace them? Uh and I don't want to single out uh 862 00:55:34,560 --> 00:55:40,480 Kelly and Road and Bridge, but we've had open positions in road road and bridge 863 00:55:38,320 --> 00:55:42,680 now for how many years now, Don? Four or five years? 864 00:55:41,320 --> 00:55:45,640 » two crews right now. >> Yeah. 865 00:55:43,480 --> 00:55:50,520 » We train them in Texarkana. >> Texarkana hires them away every time. 866 00:55:48,400 --> 00:55:53,600 Which and it's like clockwork. And so you get them trained and 867 00:55:52,000 --> 00:55:56,040 Texarkana comes and takes them. And I get I get to worrying about, you 868 00:55:54,920 --> 00:56:00,080 know, I'm looking over there at Courtney and I'm going to come take his out. 869 00:55:58,080 --> 00:56:04,960 But but but we don't want that. We want the people to be able to 870 00:56:02,320 --> 00:56:07,760 make a a a living wage here. Because if we don't, then we're going to 871 00:56:06,440 --> 00:56:11,360 lose the ability to perform our government functions. 872 00:56:09,480 --> 00:56:17,960 And if we do that, uh then I think we have faith. 873 00:56:14,720 --> 00:56:24,360 So, my recipe for success here is let's treat our help fairly. 874 00:56:20,880 --> 00:56:27,000 Let's give them uh a living wage. Uh 875 00:56:25,360 --> 00:56:30,760 let's give them an opportunity to be able to grow in their position and know 876 00:56:29,040 --> 00:56:33,000 that the better they get at what they do, 877 00:56:31,760 --> 00:56:37,160 we'll have salary studies there to confirm it. Uh and the more they the 878 00:56:35,200 --> 00:56:40,160 better they be compensated. Uh 879 00:56:38,200 --> 00:56:42,120 Now, if if the decision is not to do that, 880 00:56:41,480 --> 00:56:46,120 uh that's the decision of this court 881 00:56:43,920 --> 00:56:50,320 and the input they get back from y'all, from the public employees as well as the 882 00:56:47,520 --> 00:56:50,320 taxpayers and 883 00:56:51,240 --> 00:56:54,840 people that are active here in the community. 884 00:56:55,040 --> 00:57:01,240 I'm just sounding the trumpet because I see it coming. 885 00:57:01,600 --> 00:57:07,200 And if we don't do something, then this is not going to be anything, 886 00:57:05,840 --> 00:57:09,920 it'll get worse, and eventually get to a crisis 887 00:57:08,360 --> 00:57:12,640 situation. Uh 888 00:57:11,520 --> 00:57:14,760 And so, uh 889 00:57:13,480 --> 00:57:17,680 that's the way I'm putting together my recommendation 890 00:57:16,080 --> 00:57:21,520 and I can uh 891 00:57:19,640 --> 00:57:24,880 I get together with my smart ladies cuz they're really good at this. We'll 892 00:57:22,760 --> 00:57:28,120 crunch the numbers and come back and I will have a recommendation along these 893 00:57:26,480 --> 00:57:31,440 lines uh ready. 894 00:57:29,880 --> 00:57:35,840 Be submitted What was it? August 13th? Is that the new deadline I've got? 895 00:57:34,520 --> 00:57:38,800 To be submitted there. And then uh 896 00:57:37,400 --> 00:57:43,480 we'll be able to get that on the agenda. We'll get that plan right away uh so 897 00:57:41,200 --> 00:57:46,280 that we can deal with it. Uh and then we'll just see where we go from 898 00:57:45,200 --> 00:57:51,240 there. But that's that's kind of where I am 899 00:57:47,960 --> 00:57:51,240 with my recommendation. 900 00:57:53,720 --> 00:57:59,840 And uh normally in in a commissioner's court 901 00:57:58,200 --> 00:58:04,160 meeting, I'll ask for input, but I can't do that in a workshop because those 902 00:58:01,560 --> 00:58:08,160 aren't the rules. You don't get public input. 903 00:58:05,960 --> 00:58:11,560 But I've tried to give you the essential information for you to know 904 00:58:09,800 --> 00:58:16,160 where I'm coming from uh and be able to talk knowledgeably 905 00:58:13,480 --> 00:58:19,360 with your respective commissioners uh as to where they're coming from on it. 906 00:58:18,080 --> 00:58:21,640 Uh and uh 907 00:58:21,760 --> 00:58:25,600 so I'll I'll just I'll just leave it at that. 908 00:58:24,680 --> 00:58:29,440 So I'll ask for any other observations or 909 00:58:27,640 --> 00:58:33,800 comments or questions that uh this is your opportunity to drill me. So, drill. 910 00:58:32,560 --> 00:58:37,120 » Just one one thing I want to make sure is that 911 00:58:35,360 --> 00:58:39,120 this year's flood has not changed any of the budget requests. 912 00:58:38,280 --> 00:58:42,720 » It is not. >> And one thing I thought in particular 913 00:58:40,720 --> 00:58:46,320 was and we need to make sure is JP3's vehicle. 914 00:58:44,000 --> 00:58:50,080 I saw JP3's vehicle was on there. I want to make sure it's not the same vehicle 915 00:58:47,640 --> 00:58:53,680 that just got flooded out. Uh which he's going to get insurance. 916 00:58:56,800 --> 00:59:01,680 I'm sorry. You know what I mean. Yeah. Paul Gonzales. 917 00:58:59,880 --> 00:59:04,880 Possible three. So, that's not the same vehicle. 918 00:59:03,560 --> 00:59:08,640 That's in the request. >> He's also received a grant for a replace 919 00:59:07,200 --> 00:59:11,520 for a new vehicle. >> Right. 920 00:59:09,720 --> 00:59:17,600 So, I remember there's a grant for new vehicle and he's going to get another 921 00:59:13,040 --> 00:59:21,520 vehicle replaced by insurance money. So, we taking that into account 922 00:59:20,120 --> 00:59:22,880 with that vehicle request that's on there? 923 00:59:22,080 --> 00:59:28,240 » I I I'd have to send that up. 924 00:59:23,960 --> 00:59:28,240 » I think he owes you 925 00:59:28,280 --> 00:59:34,000 which that's to make sure. >> That's an answer that that needs to be 926 00:59:31,640 --> 00:59:34,000 provided. 927 00:59:34,680 --> 00:59:40,320 It's not the vehicle itself. >> That's his equipment for his inside of 928 00:59:39,560 --> 00:59:42,800 the vehicle. >> Okay. 929 00:59:41,000 --> 00:59:46,040 » The grant does cover some equipment, but not all of it. 930 00:59:44,120 --> 00:59:48,560 » Well, it's just a it's a fair question. >> One small thing. 931 00:59:47,240 --> 00:59:51,640 » And then I and I will get an answer to it and be able to explain it. 932 00:59:51,760 --> 00:59:56,280 » Fair enough. >> I think 933 00:59:55,320 --> 01:00:01,200 » Yes. >> Also, 934 00:59:58,080 --> 01:00:06,840 one step of the plan of the whirling study getting it implemented is once you 935 01:00:04,040 --> 01:00:10,560 get your plan figured out, you would ask Sylvia and I who would 936 01:00:08,760 --> 01:00:15,040 meet with the different department heads and commissioners to 937 01:00:12,720 --> 01:00:17,120 kind of go over what that detail would look like. 938 01:00:16,080 --> 01:00:23,000 So, um we meet with whirling tomorrow 939 01:00:19,080 --> 01:00:28,440 morning, and so hopefully after that we'll be able to move forward 940 01:00:25,000 --> 01:00:31,640 with putting these dollars where whirling suggests. 941 01:00:33,400 --> 01:00:40,360 » One thing I did not mention is that my proposed budget 942 01:00:37,800 --> 01:00:42,640 for elected officials uh 943 01:00:41,040 --> 01:00:47,800 proposes that we keep the same rate that we've been paid. 944 01:00:45,240 --> 01:00:50,880 I'm not I'm not recommending any raises for elected officials. 945 01:00:52,920 --> 01:00:57,440 Okay. Thank you for coming. Uh I hope this is 946 01:00:56,480 --> 01:01:01,280 helpful. Uh 947 01:00:59,480 --> 01:01:04,720 and thanks to to to Lewis, his organization for doing this. That will 948 01:01:03,080 --> 01:01:09,840 be posted on the website, so if you want to go back and look at any of it, 949 01:01:06,480 --> 01:01:09,840 you should be able to track it down. 950 01:01:10,480 --> 01:01:16,640 So, with that then we stand adjourned.