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[ Call Meeting to Order]

[00:00:02]

OKAY, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND CALL THE BUDGET WORKSHOP TO ORDER THE 25TH DAY OF JULY 2023 AT 10:33.

COMMISSIONERS, COULD I GET A MOTION TO SKIP THE INVOCATION AND THE PLEDGE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS? SO MOVED, JUDGE, WE HAVE A MOTION.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND MOTION IN A SECOND.

ALL IN FAVOR. SAY AYE.

AYE. OPPOSED, HEARING NONE.

MOTION CARRIES.

UH, CITIZENS COMMENTS.

DO WE HAVE ANY CITIZENS COMMENTS? NO. CITIZENS COMMENTS.

OKAY. WITH THAT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND MOVE TO THE WORKSHOP.

[1. WORKSHOP: To Discuss proposed budget for FY 2024.]

UH, COMMISSIONERS, WE STILL, WE JUST GOT THE CERTIFIED ROLES.

I DON'T THINK WE'VE QUITE HAD A CHANCE TO SIT DOWN AND MAKE SURE OUR APPROXIMATION OF THE TAX RATE IS CORRECT, BUT WE FEEL LIKE WE'RE PRETTY CLOSE.

I THINK REVENUES WISE, WE HAD WE HAD SOME UPS AND DOWNS GETTING THROUGH THAT, BUT OUR REVENUES SEEM TO BE OKAY NOW FOR THIS BUDGET.

AND SO AND I THINK THAT WE HAVE THE PRIORITIES IN HERE THAT YOU GUYS MENTIONED WERE PRIORITIES FOR YOU.

IF I MISS SOMETHING, PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

UM, WE DO STILL HAVE A 3% RAISE IN FOR STAFF ACROSS THE BOARD.

WE WERE CONCERNED THAT THAT MIGHT NOT BE ACHIEVABLE, BUT I THINK IT'S GOING TO BE.

AND COMMISSIONER THERIOT, YOU YOU'D ASKED FOR AN UPDATED.

I DID UPDATED ONE FOR EZZY.

I DON'T KNOW IF OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS HAVE YET AND I'LL GET THAT TO YOU ALL.

OKAY. I THINK THAT'S WHAT SHE'S DOWNSTAIRS LOOKING FOR RIGHT NOW BECAUSE I FIGURED YOU GUYS WOULD WANT TO SEE THAT.

AND I'M GOING TO THROW IT OPEN TO YOU FOR QUESTIONS.

AND BEAR IN MIND, THIS IS THE PRELIMINARY BUDGET.

WE WILL HAVE MULTIPLE OTHER WORKSHOPS, SO DON'T FEEL LIKE YOU'VE GOT TO GET A ASKED RIGHT NOW AND AND THIS IS THE LAST CHANCE.

SO SO JUDGE JUST AN OVERVIEW ON UNIT ROAD YOU KNOW I KNOW WE'RE KIND OF LAST FEW YEARS WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO GET A LOT PAVED.

YES. HOW'S THAT LOOKING FROM A BUDGET STANDPOINT? THAT'S GOING WELL.

WE HAVE PLENTY OF MONEY IN THIS YEAR'S BUDGET TO COMPLETE WHAT THEY HAD ANTICIPATED GETTING PAID.

AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT THEY'RE THEY'RE MOVING RIGHT ALONG.

THEY'RE OUT IN PRECINCT TWO RIGHT NOW AND TRAVEL PART OF WHAT THEY'RE WORKING ON.

AND I JUST GOT CURIOUS THE OTHER DAY AND DROVE ALL THE WAY AROUND.

AND THEY'RE RIGHT NOW, GOING FROM THE END OF 1386 DOWN KIRK'S CORNER TO WHERE SILVER MINE TURNS OFF. THEN THEY CONTINUE ON CHALK ROAD.

THEY'RE ABOUT PROBABLY HALFWAY DOWN CHALK ROAD AT THE MOMENT, DOING THE FIRST SHOT IN THE GRAVEL AND THEY'RE GOING TO GO ALL THE WAY TO SANDY FORK.

AND THEN I CAN'T EVER REMEMBER THE NAME OF THAT ROAD THAT GOES BY BLUE JAY THAT GOES BEHIND THE WALKER RANCH.

AND THEN AND THEN HOPEFULLY SANDY FORK OUT TO 304 AND WEATHER COOPERATES.

WE'LL TRY TO GET REED CREEK ALSO OUT OF 304.

SO THAT'LL CONNECT 1386 TO 304.

AND THAT'S BEEN OUR GOAL IS TO CONNECT OUR OUR TECH STOCK.

YEP. THOROUGHFARES AND WE ARE WELL AHEAD OF.

YES, WE ARE. OH, YOU'RE GOOD.

SHE HAD IT. WE'RE AHEAD OF SCHEDULE AS FAR AS GETTING ROADS PAVED.

Y'ALL ALLOWING US TO GET ANOTHER SPREADER HAS HELPED GREATLY.

THEY HAVE QUITE A BIT OF EQUIPMENT.

WE MAY HAVE ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR A DONATION, WHICH, IF IT COMES, I'M GOING TO STRONGLY SUGGEST THAT A CHUNK OF THAT GETS USED TO CONTINUE TO EXPAND THEIR CAPACITY FOR ROAD PAVING.

BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF THE COUNTY, WE HAVE, WELL, MORE PAVED ROADS THAN WE HAVE DIRT ROADS.

YEAH. SO WHICH IS QUITE A MILESTONE.

IT'S BEEN A GOAL FOR A LONG TIME.

AND I CAN TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, JUST FROM WHAT I'M SEEING EVERY DAY, THOSE GUYS ARE GETTING OUT THERE VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING AND AND WORKING THROUGH THE HEAT AND DOING A GREAT JOB. SO MY HATS OFF TO THEM.

THAT'S NOT AN EASY JOB TO DO.

AND THEY'RE DOING IT DOING IT WELL.

AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANY OF YOU HAVE HAD A CHANCE TO SEE SOME OF THE ROADS THAT THEY ARE DOING, BUT THEY'RE DOING A REMARKABLE JOB.

[00:05:01]

THEY'RE VERY NICE, VERY PROFESSIONAL LOOKING.

SO, YEAH, THEY FINISHED MINERAL SPRINGS AND LIKE HE'S TALKING ABOUT, I WENT DOWN THERE.

THAT'S PRETTY CLOSE TO MY HOUSE.

AND THEN MINERAL SPRINGS AND THEY'RE, I MEAN THEY'RE, THEY'RE SWEATING.

THEY'RE TURNING TO FOR SURE.

YEAH. THEY'RE TURNING TO.

SO THEY ARE, YEAH. IT'S BEEN TRYING TO GET IT DONE BEFORE THE BUDGET CYCLE IS OVER TO WATCH AND YOU KNOW, AND ONE THING I THINK IS IMPORTANT TO NOTE IS THEY'RE NOT JUST PAVING WHAT'S THERE. THEY'RE GOING IN AND SHAPING UP THE ROADS.

THEY'RE CROWNING THEM.

RIGHT. BRINGING IN EXTRA MATERIAL, ROLLING THAT AND GETTING THEM GOOD AND HARD AND ABLE TO DO IT READY SO THAT WE'RE DOING IT PROPERLY INSTEAD OF JUST SCRAPING THEM OFF AND SLAPPING SOME CHIPSEAL ON IT 100%.

SO I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE JOB THEY'RE DOING.

I'M REALLY PROUD OF THE FACT THAT WE'RE OR WE'RE APPROACHING, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PROBABLY WITHIN TWO AND A HALF YEARS OF BEING ABLE TO SAY WE PAVED EVERY ROAD IN THE COUNTY, WHICH IS PRETTY REMARKABLE.

YEP. ALL RIGHT.

WHAT OTHER QUESTIONS DO YOU HAVE COMMISSIONERS? AND LIKE I SAID, BEAR IN MIND, THIS IS VERY PRELIMINARY.

WE'VE GOT TO GET THE CERTIFIED TAX ROLLS, FIGURE OUT THE EXACT TAX RATE, ADOPT THE RATE.

WE STILL HAVE TO GO THROUGH ALL THAT PROCESS AND THERE'LL BE MULTIPLE OTHER OPPORTUNITIES TO ANSWER QUESTIONS DURING WORKSHOPS.

I HAVE NO FURTHER QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.

I APPRECIATE YOU.

EXCUSE ME. INCLUDING THE ONLINE PERMITTING SOFTWARE IN THE IN THE BUDGET AS WELL.

YOU BET. I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT.

AND THERE ARE A COUPLE OF OTHERS THAT WE'VE INCLUDED IN HERE.

SO. AND THE DA'S OFFICE HAS ASKED FOR SOME SOFTWARE.

WHAT'S THAT CALLED? GAVEL.

GAVEL, SOMETHING.

BUT ANYWAY, THEY GAVEL CLOUD.

AND SO THEY BOTH HAVE ASKED FOR THAT.

AND WE'VE WE'VE MANAGED TO WORK THAT INTO THE BUDGET.

WE'RE WORKING IN NEW SECURITY CAMERA SYSTEM FOR ALL OF THE BUILDINGS, THIS COURT, THIS BUILDING AND THE ANNEXES AND JUSTICE CENTER THAT HAS THAT IS NOT INEXPENSIVE, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT THAT WE GET THAT DONE.

WE WORKED INTO THE BUDGET JUST RECENTLY WITH SHERIFF LANE TO GET THEM SOME UPGRADED RECORDING SOFTWARE AND CAMERAS FOR THEIR BODY CAMS, WHICH WILL PAY FOR ITSELF IF IT SAVES US FROM EVEN ONE LAWSUIT MORE THAN PAY FOR ITSELF.

AND SO THERE'S BEEN A LOT OF REQUESTS LIKE THAT, ESPECIALLY ON THE TECHNOLOGY SIDE, THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE AND CONTINUE TO TRY TO KEEP US ON THE FOREFRONT OF TECHNOLOGY SO HOPEFULLY WE CAN KEEP THAT UP.

WHAT, YOU KNOW, WITH WITH US CONTEMPLATING A POSSIBLE ESD IN THE COUNTY FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES, WHAT WOULD BE OUR NORMAL BUDGETING OBLIGATION RIGHT NOW? AS FOR THAT JUST STRAIGHT OUT OF STAYED THE SAME CURRENTLY IT'S ABOUT 95,000 THAT WE PONY UP TO THE CITY OF LOCKHART AND APPROACHING 300,000 TO THE CITY OF LOUISVILLE.

AND THAT'S JUST A SMALL PORTION OF THE LOSSES.

THE LOSSES ARE ACTUALLY THAT ASCENSION'S BEEN ABSORBING ON CITY OF LOCKHART'S PART ALONE ARE IN EXCESS OF A MILLION BUCKS.

YEAH. AND SO AND I THINK THAT'S WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND, IS THAT, YES, THERE'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER TAXING ENTITY, BUT THAT THE CITIES WILL NO LONGER HAVE TO BUDGET FOR THAT.

SO THAT'S GOING TO HELP.

AND US IN THE CITIES AND US.

THE OTHER THE OTHER PIECE OF THAT IS WE ALSO PAY FOR AN AMBULANCE EVERY REMOUNT AND THEN A NEW AMBULANCE EVERY TIME.

AND SO DOES THE CITY OF LOCKHART EVERY YEAR, EVERY YEAR.

AND THE REMOUNTS, THE CHEAP ONE, THAT'S 86,000 LAST TIME A NEW AMBULANCE IS AROUND THREE, I THINK IT'S ABOUT 300,000. WOW.

THEY'RE NOT CHEAP. AND SO WE HAVE A BUDGET OBLIGATION OF ABOUT 500,000 TO 700,000 ALREADY EVERY YEAR, EVERY YEAR. AND THAT'S IS THAT IN OUR BUDGET NOW? IT IS. IT IS.

AND WE I CAN TELL YOU THAT IT WOULD IF WE HAD TO ABSORB OUR PORTION OF $1 MILLION.

WE DON'T HAVE IT.

AND. AND THAT'S.

THAT'S JUST LOCKHART.

SO, YEAH, SO WE JUST IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT FOR US BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, IT WAS, YOU KNOW, I'VE SAID A THOUSAND TIMES PROPERTY RATES HAVE SOARED HERE,

[00:10:09]

WHICH HAS DRIVEN THE THE TAX RATE DOWN.

AND WE DO HAVE SOME EXCESS FUNDS, BUT THEY'RE NOT KEEPING PACE WITH INFLATION AND THEY'RE NOT KEEPING PACE WITH THE COST OF FUEL AND THE COST OF MATERIAL AND THE COST OF GOODS AND SERVICES.

AND, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR IT'S A STRUGGLE.

EVERY YEAR I WONDER IF WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT WITHOUT HAVING TO GO TO THE VOTERS TO ASK TO MOVE THE CAP.

AND WE MANAGED TO GET THROUGH IT THIS YEAR.

BUT I CAN FORESEE A TIME WITHIN THE TERM THAT I'M IN THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTERS AND MAYBE ASK TO MOVE THE CAP, WHICH MAKES ME CRINGE.

SO I HOPE NOT.

WE'VE YOU KNOW, WE KEEP MANAGING TO WORK WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS.

AND AND SO I'D LIKE TO PARTICULARLY THANK THEM BECAUSE THEIR BUDGET BASICALLY REMAINED THE SAME.

AND WE WERE ABLE TO REALLOCATE SOME THINGS WITHIN THEIR BUDGET AND AND GET IT DONE.

BUT THAT'S GOING TO START COSTING US TOO, BECAUSE THAT'S THAT COMES AT THE EXCESS OF PERSONNEL AT THE EXPENSE OF PERSONNEL POSITIONS.

WHEN WE DO THAT. AND WE'RE HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME HIRING PEOPLE RIGHT NOW, BUT HOPEFULLY THAT WON'T ALWAYS BE THE SAME PROBLEM.

AND WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO BE ABLE TO ALLOCATE MORE POSITIONS FOR THEM GOING FORWARD.

AND WE'RE GOING TO GET TO A POINT WHERE THAT'S DIFFICULT TO DO.

YOU KNOW, AND WE MAY HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, TAKE A LOOK AT, YOU KNOW, OTHER DEPARTMENTS TO TRY TO GET THAT DONE, BECAUSE THE TWO THINGS THAT OUR CITIZENS SEEM TO BE MOST IN TUNE WITH ARE LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE ROADS.

I MEAN, THAT'S THE TWO THINGS THAT THEY THEY LOOK AT THE MOST AND THAT THEY WANT TO SEE THEM SEE PROGRESS IN.

SO DANNY JUST ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT DEPARTMENT THE DEPARTMENTS THAT ARE LACKING REVENUE.

YES. JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS.

SO FOR THE LAST SINCE COVID, BUT EVEN A LITTLE BIT PRIOR TO THAT, THE REVENUE THAT THE DEPARTMENTS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE BRINGING INTO THE COUNTY, IT JUST STEADILY KEEPS DECREASING.

SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE NEED TO GET TOGETHER AND SIT DOWN WITH EACH OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS AND SEE IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO INCREASE THE REVENUE COMING IN.

AND IT AFFECTS ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.

SO SHERIFF'S OFFICE, JAIL, COUNTY CLERK, DISTRICT CLERK, THE JB, THE JP'S CONSTABLE'S.

IT'S JUST EACH YEAR WE LOOK AT THE BUDGET AND WE KEEP DROPPING IT AND DROPPING IT AND DROPPING IT.

SO IT JUST.

YES. AND THIS IS A TREND THAT STARTED WHEN COVID STARTED.

RIGHT.

BUT WE WE HAVEN'T SEEN TO PULL OUT OF IT, ESPECIALLY I NOTICED THAT MOST IN THE JP'S AND THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICES, THE FEES THAT THEY'RE BRINGING IN ARE MUCH, MUCH LOWER.

WE CUT THEM IN ALMOST IN HALF LAST YEAR AND THEY DID NOT MEET THOSE FEE PROJECTIONS.

SO IT WOULD BE APPRECIATED.

MAYBE YOU GUYS COULD TALK TO YOUR YOUR WE'LL TALK TO THE ONES THAT ARE COUNTY AT LARGE.

BUT IF YOU GUYS MAYBE HAVE A CHAT WITH YOUR JP'S AND CONSTABLE'S AND FIGURE OUT WHAT'S CAUSING THAT SO THAT WE CAN TRY TO GET IT CORRECTED BECAUSE THAT'S IT'S A CHUNK OF MONEY THAT'S THAT THAT WE FORECASTED AND WE SLASHED THEM AGAIN THIS TIME.

AND IT'S GOING TO GET TO THE POINT WHERE WE CAN'T SUSTAIN THE STAFF AND THE VEHICLES AND ALL OF THAT KIND OF STUFF AND THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICES AND THE JP'S OFFICES.

SO IN ORDER TO SUSTAIN THAT, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GET WITH THEM AND ENCOURAGE THEM TO FIGURE OUT A WAY TO GET THOSE FEES BACK WHERE THEY NEED TO BE SO THAT WE CAN AFFORD IT.

CAN CAN WE GET A SOMETHING THAT SHOWS THAT SHORTFALL FOR FOR I HAVE IT.

WE HAVE OUR PRECINCT.

I CAN GET THOSE FINANCIAL REPORTS.

YEAH. AND ANYBODY THAT NEEDS THEM AND MULTIPLE LIKE PROBABLY A YEAR PRIOR TO COVID AND THEN SINCE THAT.

YEAH GO BACK I'D SAY GO BACK TO 18-19, 19-20.

OKAY. AND LOOK AT THOSE AND THEN LOOK AT THIS YEAR.

GOT IT. EVERYBODY WANT ONE? YEAH, I WOULD, I WOULD TOO.

OKAY. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

ANYTHING ELSE, COMMISSIONERS? THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL YOUR WORK ON IT.

YEAH, I WANT TO ESPECIALLY THANK STAFF AND IN PARTICULAR DANNY AND EZZY.

THEY SIT THROUGH EVERY SINGLE MEETING AND GO THROUGH EVERY SINGLE LINE ITEM IN THIS BUDGET OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN TO TRY

[00:15:03]

TO MAKE SURE WE'VE GOTTEN IT RIGHT.

AND I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY, HOW MANY HOURS THAT WE SPENT ON IT, BUT IT'S BEEN SIGNIFICANT.

AND I JUST REALLY WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR EFFORTS.

AND STEPHANIE, STEPHANIE SAT THROUGH ALL THE MEETINGS, TOO, AND I KNOW A COUPLE OF COMMISSIONERS CAME TO HIM, WHICH IS ALWAYS APPRECIATED.

FOR THOSE THAT ARE IN YOUR PRECINCT.

SO IN KC'S REVENUE.

KC'S REVENUE.

O CASES, REVENUE CASE, NOBODY KNOWS.

WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT THE BUDGET, THE SUBDIVISION FEES WERE SITTING AT AROUND 1.3 AND THEY CONTINUE TO GO UP AND AND I WILL TELL YOU THAT THAT HAS OFFSET THE SHORTFALLS EVERYWHERE ELSE.

AND IF IT WEREN'T FOR THAT, WE WOULD HAVE BUDGET PROBLEMS, BIG ONES RIGHT NOW.

AND SO THANK YOU, CASEY, AND YOUR STAFF FOR SUCH A LOT OF HARD WORK.

AND TO GET THE FEES TO 1.3 MILLION, THAT'S A LOT OF SUBDIVISIONS.

I MEAN, A LOT.

AND SO THEY THEY WORK.

I KNOW CASEY GETS THERE EARLY AND LEAVES LATE AND CALLS PEOPLE ON WEEKENDS AND SHE WORKS ALL THE TIME.

SO DEFINITELY, DEFINITELY REALLY SHINES IN THAT DEPARTMENT.

WE'RE STILL WORKING ON IT, COMMISSIONERS.

I WASN'T HERE FOR THE BEGINNING OF THE MEETING, SO I APOLOGIZE.

BUT WE JUST GOT THE CERTIFIED ROLES FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT, SO DANNY AND I [INAUDIBLE] PUT IT IN THE BUDGET.

I DID FIND A BIG OOPS ON MY PART FOR ONE OF THE CONSTABLE'S FOR THE RETIREMENT.

I MEANT TO PUT 6900 AND I ENDED UP PUTTING 66,900.

SO THAT WAS A HAPPY OOPS, I FOUND $60,000 THERE.

SO BUT WE WILL BE WORKING ON IT.

WE HAVE UNTIL FRIDAY TO FILE THE PROPOSED BUDGET, SO WE'LL BE WORKING ON IT FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK.

OKAY. JUST HAVE A SIDE NOTE.

EVEN IT GOES OUT TO THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND ELECTED OFFICIALS.

WHEN WE GO THROUGH THESE BUDGET WORKSHOPS AND WE SEND OUT THE PROPOSED BUDGET, IF YOU GUYS COULD REALLY GO THROUGH EVERY LINE ITEM THAT AFFECTS YOU, IT HELPS EZZY AND I SO MUCH BECAUSE WE COULD LOOK AT IT A MILLION TIMES AND BE MISSING SOMETHING AND IT NEVER FAILS.

EACH YEAR WE FIND SOMETHING AFTER IT'S ALREADY ADOPTED.

IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALWAYS WE'RE ALWAYS ABLE TO CHANGE IT.

IT JUST IT GOES A LONG WAY.

IF WE CAN CATCH THOSE PRIOR TO.

ESPECIALLY LIKE ENCUMBRANCES AND MONEY THAT WE'RE MOVING FORWARD FROM YEAR TO YEAR, THERE'S A LOT OF THAT.

SO IF YOU NOTICE, THAT'S SOMETHING SHOULD HAVE BEEN ENCUMBERED SAY FOR INSTANCE IN UNIT ROADS AND WE SOMEHOW MISSED THAT.

LET US KNOW. BECAUSE IT'S A LOT.

YOU START GETTING CROSSED EYES AFTER A WHILE.

YEAH. OKAY.

IF THERE'S NOTHING ELSE, I'D LOOK FOR A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

I MOVE, WE ADJOURN.

WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.

DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. WE HAVE A MOTION.

AND A SECOND. ALL IN FAVOR SAY AYE.

AYE. OPPOSED, HEARING NONE.

MOTION CARRIES. WE'RE ADJOURNED AT 10:52.

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.