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WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND START OUR BUDGET WORKSHOP AUGUST 8TH, 2023 AT
[Call Meeting to Order.]
10:16.WE HAVE A MOTION. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? SECOND. MOTION AND SECOND.
MOTION CARRIES ANY ANNOUNCEMENTS? NOPE. NOPE. ANY CITIZENS COMMENTS? NO CITIZENS COMMENTS.
OKAY. COMMISSIONERS, WITH THAT YOU HAVE BEFORE YOU THE PROPOSED BUDGET FOR 2023-2024.
[1. WORKSHOP: To Discuss proposed budget for FY 2024.]
THIS IS NOT THE FINAL BUDGET.WE STILL HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS THAT WE'RE WORKING ON, LIKE THE SB 22 GRANT FOR THE SO ALSO THAT IS GOING TO AFFECT THE DA'S OFFICE AS WELL.
SO YOU'LL THAT'LL BE COMING BACK.
WE'RE WE'RE HOPING TO SEE SOME RULES SOON SO THAT WE KNOW EXACTLY WHAT IT IS WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE BUDGETING FOR IN THE NEXT CALENDAR YEAR AND HOW WE CAN USE THOSE FUNDS.
AND THEN HOPEFULLY THE RULES WILL MATCH WHAT THEY'VE BEEN PUTTING OUT.
SO WE STILL HAVE THAT YET TO DO.
SO THAT IS NOT REFLECTED IN HERE.
SO THAT'S THE DA'S OFFICE AND SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
IT CAN BE USED IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE FOR EQUIPMENT AND SALARIES.
IT CAN BE USED IN THE DA'S OFFICE FOR THE SAME.
SO AND IT SAYS WE SHALL APPLY FOR THOSE GRANTS IF WE MEET THE REQUIREMENTS, WHICH ARE SOME SALARY REQUIREMENTS THAT HAVE TO BE MET UPFRONT AND WE DO MEET THOSE.
SO HAD SOME DISCUSSION WITH SO ABOUT USING THAT MOSTLY FOR EQUIPMENT AND ADDING ONE DEPUTY AND WITH THE AGREEMENT THAT THAT WOULDN'T START UNTIL IT FUNDS WHICH WOULD BE IN JANUARY.
AND WE ALL KNOW THAT THE LEGISLATURE CAN GIVE IT AND THEY CAN TAKE IT AWAY SO.
YES, SIR. THAT'S WHY WE'RE HERE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, ANY ANY SALARIES THAT ARE [INAUDIBLE] IF WE TAKE THIS MONEY, FOR INSTANCE, AND PUT IT INTO THE DA'S OFFICE FOR SALARY INCREASES, I HAVE WARNED EVERYONE, DON'T GO BUY A HOUSE BECAUSE YOU'VE JUST GOT A RAISE.
BECAUSE IN TWO YEARS, THE LEGISLATURE COULD VERY EASILY TAKE THAT AWAY.
AND IF THEY DO, THAT MONEY WILL BE GONE.
BUT UNFORTUNATELY FOR THE DA'S OFFICE, THERE'S NOT THEY DON'T HAVE A LOT OF EQUIPMENT NEEDS.
SO DOES SO WE'RE GOING TO PRIMARILY USE IT FOR EQUIPMENT AND THEIRS.
AND WE'RE WE'RE STILL WAITING TO FIND OUT AND GET SOME ANOTHER CONCERN I HAVE IS THAT THIS IS GOING TO TURN INTO AN UNFUNDED MANDATE BECAUSE WE'RE NOT SURE RIGHT NOW IF IT SAYS FOR SALARIES, BUT IT DOESN'T SAY FICA WITHHOLDING, RETIREMENT AND INSURANCE.
AND SO, FOR INSTANCE, IN THE DA'S OFFICE, IT'S LIKE $170,000 THAT'S GOING TO GET ALLOCATED.
AND IF THAT COMES WITHOUT FICA AND WITHHOLDING AND ALL OF THE OTHER STUFF THAT WE WOULD HAVE TO PAY FOR ON TOP OF THAT, THAT'S $68,000 A YEAR THAT WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH BECAUSE WE GOT A GRANT.
SO AND THAT MIGHT GO AWAY IN TWO YEARS AND CAUSE ALL SORTS OF HEARTBURN.
WE DO HAVE TO WORK WITH BOTH DEPARTMENTS THOUGH, AND SCHEDULE THAT MONEY IN AND WITH THE HOPES THAT IT WILL GO ON AFTER TWO YEARS AFTER THE NEXT TIME THEY MEET.
SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT ON THAT.
GO AHEAD. I JUST WANTED TO SPEAK ON SENATE BILL 22 A LITTLE BIT.
I SIT ON THE LEGISLATIVE COMMITTEE WITH THE SHERIFF'S ASSOCIATION OF TEXAS.
THAT'S HOW I HAD SOME FACE TIME WITH THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR.
AND LIKE THE JUDGE, I'M NOT POSITIVE HOW LONG THAT'S GOING TO BE THERE.
[00:05:03]
THE JUDGE AND I TALKED ABOUT IT.AND WE'RE MAINLY GOING TO GO WITH EQUIPMENT AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
AND I HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO TALK TO THE JUDGE ABOUT IT, BUT I BELIEVE SINCE WE DON'T KNOW HOW LONG THAT'S GOING TO BE THERE, SOME OF THE EQUIPMENT, IF WE GET VEHICLES, WILL PROBABLY PURCHASE OUTRIGHT.
THAT WAY THERE'S NOT A CONTINUAL GO FUNDING SOURCE FROM THERE.
THE LAST THING I WOULD LOVE I WOULD LOVE TO BE ABLE TO GIVE RAISES, BUT LIKE THE JUDGE I DON'T WANT TO SAY, HEY, GREAT, THIS IS GOING TO BE YOURS FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS AND THEN HAVE TO TURN BACK AROUND AND SAY, WELL, WE'RE EITHER GOING TO HAVE TO LAY FOLKS OFF OR OR CUT POSITIONS.
SO WORKED REALLY WELL WITH THE JUDGE.
AND IF YOU ALL HAVE ANY QUESTIONS FOR ME IN THE COMING WEEKS, JUST LET ME KNOW.
SO WE GOT THAT OUT OF THE WAY.
SO LET'S GO ON TO YOUR QUESTIONS AND WE CAN JUST START.
COMMISSIONER WESTMORELAND WITH YOU IF YOU HAVE ANY.
I DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL I DON'T HAVE ANY ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS AT THIS TIME.
OKAY. COMMISSIONER HORNE. NO, SIR.
ALL RIGHT. COMMISSIONER THOMAS.
THIS IS EASIER THAN I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE.
UM, WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, GONE OVER THIS AD NAUSEUM AND MULTIPLE WORKSHOPS.
AND AGAIN, I WANT TO THANK EVERYBODY FOR HOW HARD YOU WORK, ESPECIALLY STAFF FROM THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE AND PURCHASING AND MY OFFICE AND ANYBODY I'M FORGETTING.
AND I APPRECIATE HOW HARD EVERYBODY WORKED TO GET THIS DONE.
I APPRECIATE THE HOURS THAT IT TOOK.
AND, YOU KNOW, I CAN'T THANK Y'ALL ENOUGH.
IT IS NOT EASY PUTTING THESE THINGS TOGETHER.
AND SHERIFF'S OFFICE REALLY STEPPED UP IN A BIG WAY TO HELP US GET THIS BUDGET BALANCED.
AND IT'S VERY MUCH APPRECIATED.
AND WITH THAT, I GUESS I WOULD LOOK FOR A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
SORRY. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT WANTS TO COME UP AND SAY ANYTHING? I APOLOGIZE, HECTOR.
I FORGOT SOMETHING IMPORTANT, SO I'LL RESCIND THE MOTION.
HECTOR, DO YOU HAVE A COPY FOR TERESA? DO YOU HAVE A COPY FOR TERESA? OH. JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS AND STAFF.
I DID NOT PUT THIS ON MY BUDGET AND I'M ASKING TO HAVE APPROVAL OF THIS NOW.
I AM PLANNING TO REDUCE THE FOOTPRINT ON E DISPATCH.
WE ARE PAYING FOR 200 ACTUAL LINES OF COMMUNICATION.
HECTOR CAN I STOP HERE? ARE YOU ASKING FOR APPROVAL OF PAYMENT FOR THIS? BECAUSE THAT NEEDS TO GO ON. NO, NO, NO TO PUT IT IN THE BUDGET FOR NEXT YEAR.
I WANT TO REDUCE IT BY ALMOST HALF, BUT I WANTED TO BRING THIS BEFORE YOU ALL.
LIKE I SAID, I JUST GOT THE INVOICE AND WANTED TO GET APPROVAL AND THIS E DISPATCH.
WHAT IT IS, IT'S, ALERTS OUR FIRST RESPONDERS OUT IN THE COUNTY OF A FIRE OR ANOTHER EMERGENCY, AND IT GOES STRAIGHT TO THEIR PHONE AND TELLS THEM, HEY, REPORT TO THE FIRE STATION.
YOU'RE ASKING WHAT WAS IT PRIOR TO.
WE KNOW IT'S PROBABLY CLOSE TO DOUBLE THAT.
I MEAN, THAT'S GREAT IF YOU'RE REDUCING IT.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO ARGUE WITH YOU ABOUT THAT.
YEAH. AND LIKE I SAID, I WANT TO REDUCE THE FOOTPRINT.
OKAY. SO THIS IS A THIS IS AN ESTIMATE.
YES. THAT IS THE THIS WILL BE THE ACTUAL NUMBER.
YES. OKAY. SO WE JUST NEED TO ADJUST THE BUDGET DOWN BY.
OKAY. THE LAST PAYMENT WAS $3,888.
YES. WELL, WAIT, SO I'M CONFUSED, HUH? $100 MORE. IT'S MORE BY $100.
BUT YOU'VE LOWERED THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE.
I WANT TO LOWER THE NUMBER OF USERS.
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YOU HAVEN'T DONE THAT YET? NO. SO IT'S NOT? NO, NOT TILL NEXT YEAR. BUT ONCE WE BILL OUT, I NEED TO KNOW THAT I NEED I NEED THEM TO SEND ME AN ESTIMATE OF WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE.OKAY. BECAUSE IF I PUT THIS IN THERE AND YOU ONLY USE HALF OF THAT, THEN SEE WHAT I'M SAYING? OKAY, I'LL GET THAT TO YOU ON TO THE COMMISSIONERS AND TO YOU JUDGE.
IT SAYS ON THE FIRST LINE THAT THIS IS 200 RECIPIENTS, SO WE'LL NEED AN UPDATED ONE WITH A ONE.
YEAH. YEAH. I NEED, I NEED TO KNOW HOW MANY RECIPIENTS AND WHAT THAT NUMBER IS GOING TO BE SO I CAN.
I'LL GET THAT FOR YOU, JUDGE. OKAY.
SO THIS ISN'T GOING TO BE SOMETHING THAT.
WE'RE NOT GOING TO APPROVE THIS DURING COURT.
THIS HAS TO GO ON THE AGENDA FOR AP.
WE HAVE WE HAVEN'T PAID THIS INVOICE YET.
OKAY. ALL RIGHT. YEAH. THIS IS NOT PAID FOR.
THIS WILL GO ON AP FOR NEXT QUARTER PROBABLY SO.
ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, JUDGE. YOU'LL GET US AN ESTIMATE AND WE'LL PUT THAT IN.
OKAY. ANYTHING ELSE? NO. OKAY. NOW I'LL LOOK FOR A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
I MOVE WE ADJOURN. I HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN.
WE HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND.
MOTION CARRIES. WE'RE ADJOURNED AT 10:27.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.