* This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting. [00:00:02] [A) INVOCATION] ALL RIGHT EVERYONE. GOOD MORNING. IT IS SEPTEMBER 19TH, 9:00 AM WE ARE AT THE ROCKWELL COUNTY HISTORIC COURTHOUSE. I WILL CALL TO ORDER OUR SPECIAL MEETING AND ASK COMMISSIONER ALANA TO LEAD US IN OUR INVOCATION. AND COMMISSIONER M**K TO LEAD US IN OUR PLEDGES. ALRIGHT, SO THE LORD. LORD, I THANK YOU FOR THIS WONDERFUL DAY IN THE BEST COUNTY, IN THE BEST STATE IN THE COUNTRY. PLEASE BE WITH US AS WE DO THE WORK OF THE PEOPLE TODAY. WE'LL BE WITH OUR FIRST RESPONDERS, OUR MILITARY MEN AND WOMEN BOTH HERE AND ABROAD. PROTECT THEM AS THEY DO THE WORK OF PROTECTING US. PLEASE LET US ALL HAVE AN OPEN MIND AND HAVE GOOD DIALOGUE. UH, TODAY, SUE THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. NOW TO THE TEXAS FLAG, HONORING THE TEXAS FLAG, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO BE TEXAS. ONE STATE UNDER GOD ONE. ALL RIGHT, THANK [1. PUBLIC FORUM] YOU COMMISSIONERS. WE'LL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM ONE. THIS IS PUBLIC FORUM. THIS IS THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE COUNTY REGARDING ANY COUNTY MATTERS. NO ONE'S SIGNED UP, BUT IF ANYONE WANTS TO COME FORWARD, THEY CAN. I SEE A COMMISSIONER APPROACHING THE PODIUM. YES. THANK YOU JUDGE. AND COMMISSIONERS, UH, JOHN STA, COUNTY COMMISSIONER. I JUST WANNA SAY IN THE PUBLIC COMMENT THAT TODAY IS A VERY, VERY EXCITING DAY BECAUSE THE TAX OFFICE IS MOVING, UM, INTO THE NEW ANNEX BUILDING. SO I JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO KNOW THAT THERE'S ACTIVITY EVERYWHERE. IT MIGHT GET REALLY LOUD FOR US 'CAUSE THEY'RE UPSTAIRS, THEY'RE DOWNSTAIRS, THEY'RE MOVING EVERYTHING OUT AND INTO THE ANNEX BUILDING, BUT IT'S A SUPER EXCITING DAY. UM, THERE WAS TIMES THIS SUMMER THAT I DIDN'T KNOW IF THIS DAY WOULD COME, UM, BECAUSE WE HAVE TO COORDINATE WITH THE STATE OF TEXAS IN ORDER TO MOVE. BUT THE STATE OF TEXAS IS HERE, THAT COMPUTERS ARE HERE AND THE TAX OFFICE IS MOVING AND THEY'LL BE SHUT DOWN FOR A COUPLE DAYS WHILE THEY REESTABLISH. BUT FOR THE PUBLIC, THE ANNEX BUILDING WILL BE OPEN AND ALL OF OUR DEPARTMENTS WILL BE IN THE ANNEX BUILDING NEXT WEEK. AND I'M SUPER EXCITED. SO THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER. [2. PUBLIC HEARING (Continuation of Public Hearing Postponed on September 9, 2025) to discuss the proposed FY2026 Budget for Rockwall County, and all related issues; https://rockwallcountytexas.com/ ] THAT BRINGS US TO AGENDA ITEM TWO. PUBLIC HEARING. THIS IS A CONTINUATION OF THE PUBLIC HEARING POSTPONED ON SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2025 TO DISCUSS THE PROPOSED FY 2026 BUDGET FOR ROCKWALL COUNTY AND ALL RELATED ISSUES. ANYONE WANTING TO SPEAK ON THE PUBLIC HEARING CAN COME FORWARD NOW SEEING NO ONE. WE WILL CONTINUE THAT PUBLIC HEARING UNTIL NEXT TUESDAY'S. COMMISSIONER'S COURT WHERE WE WILL HAVE A HEARING AND ADOPT OUR BUDGET. BRINGS [3. PUBLIC HEARING (Continuation of Public Hearing Postponed on September 9, 2025) to discuss the proposed 2025 Tax Rate (Fiscal Year 2026) for Rockwall County, and all related issues; https://rockwallcountytexas.com/] US TO AGENDA ITEM THREE, PUBLIC HEARING, CONTINUATION OF THE PUBLIC HEARING POSTPONED ON SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2025 TO DISCUSS THE PROPOSED 2025 TAX RATE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2026 FOR ROCKWALL COUNTY AND ALL RELATED ISSUES ANYONE WANTING TO SPEAK CAN COME FORWARD NOW SEEING NO ONE. WE WILL CONTINUE THAT HEARING UNTIL TUESDAY. BRINGS [4. PUBLIC HEARING (Continuation of Public Hearing Postponed on September 9, 2025) to discuss the County Clerk's Archive Plan FY2026 for the Preservation and Restoration of the County Clerk's Records Archives, and all related issues;] US TO AGENDA ITEM FOUR, PUBLIC HEARING, CONTINUATION OF THE PUBLIC HEARING POSTPONED ON SEPTEMBER 9TH, 2025 TO DISCUSS THE COUNTY CLERK'S ARCHIVE PLAN FY 2026 FOR THE PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION OF THE COUNTY CLERK'S, RECORDS, ARCHIVES, AND ALL RELATED ISSUES ANYONE WANTING TO SPEAK. COME FORWARD NOW SEEING NO ONE. WE WILL CONTINUE THAT UNTIL NEXT TUESDAY. THIS BRINGS US TO AGENDA [5. Discuss/ Act on adopting the Rockwall County Budget for FY2026 and take record vote, and all related issues; (Judge New - Auditor) ] ITEM FIVE, DISCUSS AN ACT ON ADOPTING THE ROCKWALL COUNTY BUDGET FOR FY 2026 AND TAKE A RECORD VOTE AND ALL RELATED ISSUES. AND HERE WE ARE. SO I WANT TO REOPEN A TOPIC THAT COMMISSIONER LICHTY DISCUSSED YESTERDAY, WHICH WOULD BE THE ADDITIONAL ROAD, UH, FOR THE $175,000. AND I WANT TO INVITE, UM, THE COUNTY ENGINEER TO COME UP AND KIND OF GIVE US A LITTLE BIT OF BACKGROUND ON THAT. UM, IT WAS, UH, IT WAS A MOTION THAT DIED YESTERDAY. UM, AND SO LIKE I SAID, I'M KIND OF STICKING WITH THE GENTLEMAN'S AGREEMENT SINCE I VOTED AGAINST IT. I'M TRYING TO BRING IT BACK UP RATHER THAN, SO, SO I WON THE VOTE. SO I'M BRINGING IT BACK UP TO, TO, FOR US TO DISCUSS RATHER THAN BEING A, YOU KNOW, RATHER THAN HAVING LAUREN HAVE TO BRING IT UP AFTER HIS MOTION DIED. SO I THINK IT'S A REALLY GOOD IDEA AND I JUST WANT HER TO GIVE US THE BACKGROUND. PERFECT. BE BEFORE YOU, YOU GET STARTED. CAN YOU RUN DOWN THOSE ROADS REAL QUICK? I KNOW YOU'VE GOT A POST-IT NOTE THERE SOMEWHERE. I DO HAVE A POST-IT NOTE. YEAH. OKAY. SO THE FOUR ROADS I MENTIONED YESTERDAY. THANK YOU JUDGE. UH, WERE [00:05:01] SOUTH MUNSON, NORTH MUNSON MCDONALD, AND THE PORTION OF JONES ROAD THAT IS DIRT. AND THERE WA THE REQUEST THAT, UH, OUR ENGINEER TOLD ME YESTERDAY WOULD, WOULD ALLOW THEM TO DO THESE FOUR ROADS WAS $175,000. AND THESE WERE ROADS THAT WERE HOPED TO BE WORKED ON AND IMPROVED IN THIS CURRENT FISCAL YEAR, BUT WE RAN OUTTA MONEY. GOT IT. THANK YOU. SHEDDING THE TABLE. THANK YOU. TAKE IT AWAY, ERICA. SURE. WELL, TO TO CLARIFY, WE ARE OUT OF MONEY IN THE LINE ITEM THAT'S SPECIFICALLY FOR CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS. SO WE, WE ARE DOING A LITTLE BIT OF A SHUFFLE AND WE'RE STILL OUT THERE WORKING, STILL TRYING TO GET DONE THE THINGS THAT WERE ON THE LIST. WE JUST ARE GONNA FALL SHORT, UH, WITH ALL THE ITEMS WE WANTED TO GET DONE THIS YEAR. AND A LOT OF THAT WAS DUE TO, UM, WORKING ON SHIPPING OUT CONCRETE THAT IT TOOK A LOT MORE LABOR THAN WE EXPECTED. SO NEXT YEAR WE INTA ANTICIPATE WITH THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS THAT YOU'RE PUTTING IN OUR CONTRACT LABOR THAT WE'LL BE ABLE TO FARM SOME OF THAT OUT. SO NOT, NOT UTILIZE OUR CREWS, UH, TO JUST DO CONCRETE REMOVAL. UM, SO THAT, YES, THE 175,000 WAS A ROUGH ESTIMATE. UM, WE ARE STILL PLUGGING AWAY TRYING TO GET DONE, UH, AT LEAST MCDONALD ROAD BY THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR. UM, SO THEN THAT WILL LEAVE THAT PORTION OF JONES, UH, SOUTH MUNSON AND NORTH MUNSON. UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE OPTIMISTIC THAT POSSIBLY WE CAN GET MCDONALD ROAD DONE. WE DO HAVE, UH, A LITTLE BIT OF BUDGET LEFT IN, IN OTHER LINE ITEMS, UH, THAT WE'RE TRYING TO, TO SHUFFLE AROUND, UM, AND, AND BE ABLE TO GET THAT DONE. SO QUICK, QUICK QUESTION. SURE. UH, WE, SO WE WANT THE 175 TO GO INTO CONTRACT SERVICES, NOT NOT BUILDING MATERIALS. WELL, SO, SORRY I WASN'T HERE YESTERDAY TO, TO CLARIFY, BUT I WOULD PREFER FOR THAT MONEY TO GO INTO THE MATERIALS 'CAUSE WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GET AS MUCH OF IT DONE AS WE CAN. AND Y'ALL HAVE BEEN VERY GENEROUS WITH PROVIDING ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR CONTRACT SERVICES FOR NEXT YEAR. SO I THINK WE WE'RE OKAY ON THE CONTRACT SIDE OF THINGS, BUT I WOULD REQUEST THAT IT GO INTO THE MATERIALS. UM, AND JUST TO GIVE Y'ALL A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION, I WAS LOOKING OVER, Y'ALL HAVE NOT SEEN THE, THE BIDS THAT HAVE COME IN FOR MATERIALS FOR NEXT YEAR, BUT I WAS JUST GLANCING AT MATERIAL COST FROM LAST YEAR VERSUS THIS NEXT FISCAL YEAR. AND WE'RE SEEING INCREASES OF 4% TO ROUGHLY 13% FOR MATERIALS. SO IT JUST, IT JUST KIND OF RANGES BASED ON THE MATERIALS. SO THAT, THAT IS SOMETHING TOO TO KEEP IN MIND. UM, LIKE I SAID, WE CAN, WE'RE GONNA DO WHAT WE HAVE TO, TO SHUFFLE AROUND AND, AND GET AS MUCH DONE AS WE CAN, BUT THE, THE 175 WOULD HELP A LOT. YEAH. I THINK THE BUILDING MATERIALS, UH, CONTRACTS ARE ON THE AGENDA FOR TUESDAY, I THINK. CORRECT? CORRECT. YES. IT, IT'S COMING TO YOU I BELIEVE THIS NEXT TUESDAY. ALL RIGHT. COULD YOU JUST GIVE US AN OUTLINE OF THE WORK THAT'S INTENDED TO BE DONE ON THESE FOUR ROADS AND WHY IT'S IMPORTANT? SURE. UM, SO THE INTENTION, IT'S, IT'S BASICALLY ROAD MAINTENANCE. UM, WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING A TWO INCH OVERLAY. ALL THESE ARE ASPHALT ROADS EXCEPT FOR JONES JONES. WERE STILL, UM, STILL DEBATING HOW WE'RE GONNA DO JONES. UM, 'CAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S, IT'S JUST A ROUGH DIRT ROAD. THAT PORTION WE DID PART OF JONES THIS YEAR AND OVERLAID IT AND IT LOOKS GREAT. UH, BUT THIS OTHER PORTION, IT'S HISTORICALLY IT'S ALWAYS BEEN OUR DIRT ROAD. SO WE'RE STILL TRYING TO WEIGH OUR OPTIONS THERE. WHETHER IT JUST BE A, A NICE BEEFED UP GRAVEL ROAD OR, UH, TRY TO DO SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE, UM, ALL WEATHER. UH, WELL, NOT THAT, NOT THAT A GRAVEL ROAD CAN'T BE, YOU KNOW, SUITABLE, BUT, UM, SOMETHING WITH A, WITH A CHIP SEAL. UM, BUT ALL THESE OTHER ROADS, UH, WE'RE LOOKING AT A TWO INCH CHIP SEAL WITH A TWO INCH CHIP SEAL. I, I APOLOGIZE. NO, YOU CAN, NO, GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD. WITH A TWO INCH CHIP SEAL, UM, WHAT IS THE AVERAGE LOSS SPAN FOR THAT? SO IT'S, IT'S GONNA DEPEND. I MEAN, SOME AREAS ON USAGE. I GET IT. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. IT'S REALLY GONNA DEPEND ON, ON HOW MUCH TRAFFIC AND HOW HEAVY THAT TRAFFIC IS. IF YOU HAVE A NEW NEIGHBORHOOD THAT GOES, THAT GOES IN AND YOU'VE GOT THESE LARGE TRUCKS [00:10:01] TRUCKING UP AND DOWN THAT ROAD, YOUR, YOUR PAVEMENT LIFE IS GONNA SUFFER. SO WE'RE LOOKING TO GET ANYWHERE WE, WE HOPE FIVE TO 10 YEARS. IT JUST DEPENDS. THANK YOU. WHICH IS GOOD. CAN, SO YOU THINK YOU CAN GET MCDONALD ROAD POTENTIALLY DONE IN THIS BUDGET YEAR? WE'RE TRYING AND YOU HAVE THE MONEY TO DO IT. YOU'RE JUST GONNA HAVE TO SHIP SOMETHING FROM ANOTHER PLACE TO DO THAT. ARE YOU GONNA END UP WITH MONEY IN YOUR BUDGET LEFTOVER? 'CAUSE YOU JUST CAN'T, YOU DON'T HAVE THE MANPOWER TO COMPLETE THE WORK. I THINK WE WILL HAVE SOME LEFTOVER, HONESTLY. UM, ANY IDEA HOW MUCH YOU THINK MIGHT BE, 'CAUSE WE'RE ASKING FOR 175 MM-HMM . AND I'M WONDERING, DO WE NEED TO ASK FOR 175 OR ARE WE GONNA PUT THAT 175 TO WORK ON OTHER PROJECTS? 'CAUSE IF WE'RE GONNA KNOCK OFF A QUARTER OF THESE PROJECTS IN THIS BUDGET YEAR, DO WE NEED ALL OF THAT? I DON'T KNOW. I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER. WELL, SO TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA, UM, WE HAVE ABOUT 153,000 THAT WE WERE DOING SOME ROUGH CALCULATIONS, ABOUT 153,000 LEFT IN OUR BUDGET RIGHT NOW. OKAY. THAT WE COULD SHUFFLE AROUND. UM, AND IT COSTS ROUGHLY ABOUT 116,000 PER MILE. YEAH. AND MCDONALD'S IS CLOSE TO A MILE. SO ALMOST ALL OF IT. YEAH. PRETTY CLOSE. SO IT'S, IT'S GONNA BE CLOSE. OKAY. AND ALL OF THESE ROADS GET A LOT OF USE. MUNSON. I KNOW DOES, I KNOW PEOPLE USE THAT DIRT PORTION OF JONES AS A CUT THROUGH. UM, AND I KNOW MUNSON AND THERE'S THAT NEW NEIGHBORHOOD YOU AND I WENT BACK AND LOOKED AT RECENTLY MM-HMM . ON MUNSON ROAD THAT'S GOING INCREASE THE TRAFFIC THERE. RIGHT. AND A LOT OF PEOPLE GO DOWN THAT AND USE IT TO GET TO THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE COUNTY. RIGHT. FROM 2 76. SO EXACTLY. ROAD. SO HOW LONG ARE BUSY ROADS? SORRY. SO HOW LONG ARE THE SEGMENTS ON THESE OTHER ONES THEN TAKEN OUT MCDONALD THAT WE'RE WORKING ON? HOW LONG ARE THE SEGMENTS OF ROADS ON MUN SOUTH MUNSON? NORTH MUNSON AND JONES? SURE. UM, SO SOUTH MUNSON, SOUTH MUNSON'S ABOUT A MILE. UH, NORTH MUNSON IS ABOUT A QUARTER OF A MILE. UM, MIGHT EVEN, AND THEN JONES IS PROBABLY ABOUT A MILE. SO , OKAY, SO IT WAS 175 ENOUGH. 'CAUSE I JUST TOTALED THOSE LITTLE THINGS UP RIGHT THERE. AND WE'RE OVER THAT NUMBER LAUREN, IS THAT ENOUGH MONEY? UM, WELL, LET ME TELL YOU, THE ROADS IN PRECINCT THREE WILL ALWAYS TAKE MORE MONEY IF YOU EVER, IF IF IF THERE'S SOME LEFT OVER, WE CAN MOVE OVER TO KING ROAD, SOUTH KING ROAD. I DON'T KNOW THAT YOU HAVE ENOUGH NOW THOUGH, LOOKING AT THOSE, WHICH WOULD PROBABLY QUARTER PROBABLY REQUIRE A BOND ISSUE IN ITSELF JUST TO FIX THAT. YEAH. IT'S PRETTY BAD. NO, THERE'S A LOT OF MONEY WE NEED. BUT , I ASKED HER, I ASKED, UH, ERICA YESTERDAY FOR HER BEST ESTIMATE, AND I THINK WE CAN SEE THAT THE NUMBERS SHE CAME UP WITH OF 175 IS VERY REALISTIC. WELL, BECAUSE WE ARE TRYING TO TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THAT WE'RE STILL WORKING, WE'RE STILL TRYING TO USE OUR CURRENT BUDGET AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. WE'RE, WE'RE TRYING TO GET SOME STUFF DONE. SO ALSO, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE GREEDY WITH WHAT I'M ASKING FOR EITHER. SO, UM, I, I REALIZE WE ALREADY GOT A GOOD AMOUNT OF MONEY IN OUR CONTRACT LABOR. SO, UM, ANYWAY, I WANNA, I WANNA TRY TO MAKE IT WORK. I THINK WE DO NEED A LITTLE BIT EXTRA IN OUR CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS, BUT YEAH, THAT'S, ANY OTHER QUESTIONS? NO QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, ERICA. ALL RIGHT. SO COMMISSIONER STACY, YOU BROUGHT THIS BACK UP. YEAH, I, I, IS THIS JUST FOR DISCUSSION OR IS THERE NO, NO, NO. SO, OKAY. UM, WHAT, UH, I, I, I THINK THAT THIS IS SUPER IMPORTANT AND I, AND I, AND I DO HAVE A PLAN. SO LISA, ARE YOU SITTING DOWN? I DO HAVE A PLAN TO START, START REMOVING SOME MONEY FROM THE BUDGET, BUT I REALLY THINK THAT IT'S SUPER IMPORTANT FOR US TO FOCUS ON ROADS. UM, ESPECIALLY OUR ROADS, THE ROADS WE MAINTAIN. SO, SO JUDGE, EVEN THOUGH I, I BELIEVE I CAN OFFSET THIS WITH A, UH, WITH AN ACTION ITEM. SECOND, THIS IS SO IMPORTANT. I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE $175,000 GENERAL FUND TRANSFER INTO ROAD AND BRIDGE FOR MATERIALS. I'LL SECOND THAT MOTION. SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER STACEY A SECOND SO QUICK THAT I DIDN'T EVEN CALL THE FIRST YET BY COMMISSIONER LICHTY, IF YOU WILL REGISTER YOUR VOTES NOW, PLEASE. THAT PASSES FIVE TO ZERO. AND IN THAT VEIN, THE FIRST THING I WOULD LIKE FOR Y'ALL TO LOOK AT IS THE IT CAPITAL EXPENSES [00:15:01] IN THE BUDGET IT CAPITAL. IT'S ON PAGE A HUNDRED. THANK YOU. THE, UM, THE AMOUNT OF MONEY APPROVED IN THIS BUDGET IS $161,200. UM, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE IS THAT WE LOOK AT USING FUND BALANCE ON THE ONE TIME CAPITAL EXPENSES OF $161,200. AND THAT ALMOST OFFSETS THE $175,000 THAT WE JUST APPROVED. AND THEN I'M GONNA OPEN THAT FOR DISCUSSION BEFORE I MAKE A MOTION. UM, I APOLOGIZE. UH, COMMISSIONER STACY. I WAS YEAH, THAT'S WHY I DIDN'T WANNA GO TOO FAST REACHING FOR PAGE 100. COULD WE WALK THROUGH THIS? AND AGAIN, NOW THAT I THINK I'VE FINALLY FOUND PAGE 100. YEAH. SO WE HAVE SWITCHES WPS A PENETRATION TEST, AND THAT ADDS UP TO $161,200. OKAY. AND WHAT I'M SUGGESTING IS, IS THAT WE PUT MONEY INTO OUR CAPITAL PURCHASE FUND, UM, AND WE GO AHEAD AND TAKE THIS MONEY OUT OF THE BUDGET AND DO A FUND TRANSFER OF 1 61 $200 FOR THE IT CAPITAL EXPENSES, WHICH ALMOST OFFSETS WHAT WE JUST DID WITH ADDING THE ROADS TO THE BUDGET. TE TELL ME THAT. TOTAL 1 61 200. 1 61. AND WHEN YOU SAY WE TAKE THIS MONEY AND PUT IT IN THE FUND, WHERE ARE WE TAKING IT FROM? THE, THE, THE, THE RESERVE. THAT'S WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT. TAKING IT OUT OF OUR FUND BALANCE. OUR FUND BALANCE, YES. OKAY. OKAY. AND THE RESERVE AMOUNT THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE, RIGHT? THAT WE VOTED ON WAS WHAT POINT 600? WHAT YOU MEAN? WELL, CURRENTLY WE'RE MOVING 1.1 MILLION. 1 MILLION. SO THIS WOULD TAKE IT TO 1.2 6 1 200. YEAH. THE, THE 600 IS OUR CONTINGENCY LINE ITEM. COMMISSIONER, ARE THESE, YOU KNOW, LET'S STAY, STAY CLEAR OF DOING ANY SORT OF EXPENSE THAT COULD BE CONSTRUED AS JUST AN ONGOING OPERATING EXPENSE OF THE COUNTY. AGREED. I 100% AGREE. SO IF IT'S AN IT NEED, THAT'S NOT A ONE TIME, I MEAN, THEY'RE, THEY NEED, THEY NEED STUFF EVERY YEAR. SO THAT TO ME DOES NOT SOUND LIKE A, A GOOD MOVE FOR, FOR YOU ALL COULD, OKAY. COULD WE, IS THIS THE LAST ITEM WE'RE GOING TO THE FUND BALANCE WELL, FOR TODAY, OR DO WE HAVE MORE? WE HAVE A FEW MORE. OKAY. BECAUSE WHAT I'M THINKING IS MAYBE WE WORK WITH YOU ON A, WE HAVE A NUMBER AND IF WE ALL AGREE TO THE NUMBER, THEN MAYBE YOU COULD HELP US WITH WHERE WE TAKE THAT MONEY AND APPLY IT. WELL, YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M SAYING? FIND THINGS THAT AREN'T OPERATIONAL THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE SAYING WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL ABOUT. MAYBE IF WE SAY WE HAVE A NUMBER THAT'S 300,000 WE'RE TAKING, I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S THE NUMBER, BUT THEN WE COULD FIND DIFFERENT THINGS TO OFFSET THAT ARE OKAY TO OFFSET. RIGHT. WELL, I MEAN, BECAUSE I MEAN, WHEN, WHEN I LOOK AT THIS, I SAY A PENETRATION TEST IS A ONE-TIME TEST TO TEST OUR SYSTEM FOR $26,200. SURE. THAT ONE, THAT IS NOT AN ONGOING NEED. UM, AND YOU COULD KIND OF MAKE THAT COMMENT ON A LOT OF THINGS. AND THEN THE OTHER PLACE THAT ARE 100% ONE TIME NEEDS THAT I JUST DIDN'T ADD UP IS A LOT OF THE FURNITURE FOR ALL THE NEW PEOPLE. RIGHT. I'M SAYING I THINK WE CAN FIND WHATEVER MONEY WE THE COURT AGREES TO PULL OUT OF THERE. I THINK WE CAN FIND AN AGREEABLE PLACE TO USE THAT FUND BALANCE IF THE COURT AGREES TO DO IT. I, I I STILL THINK THAT YOU'RE USING FUND BALANCE INSTEAD OF USING, UH, WHAT MM-HMM . YOU, YOU'RE USING FUND BALANCE AS IF IT'S MONEY AVAILABLE INSTEAD OF SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE WITHHELD UNLESS IT'S SOMETHING IMPORTANT. YOU HAVE MONEY IN YOUR BUDGET RIGHT NOW TO PAY FOR THESE THINGS. AND I GUESS YOU'RE TRYING TO LOWER THE TAX RATE. IS THAT WHY YOU'RE WANTING TO USE A A ABSOLUTELY. TRYING TO LOWER THE TAX RATE. UH, AND AND WE HAVE A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE THAT THAT CAN WITHSTAND IT. UM, I MEAN TO A POINT, I MEAN OBVIOUSLY WE'RE NOT GONNA TRANSFER. HOW MANY MONTHS OF FUND BALANCE ARE WE AT? ARE WE AT FIVE NOW? WE'VE TAKEN SOME, RIGHT? WHEN I SENT YESTERDAY, UH, LATE IN THE DAY, UH, AT THE END OF, AT THE END OF 25, YOU'D HAVE ABOUT 24.9 MILLION AND FOUR MONTHS IS 19.6 MILLION. SIX MONTHS IS 29.4 MILLION. WE'RE RIGHT AT FIVE. IF I, IF I READ YOUR EMAIL LAST [00:20:01] NIGHT, FIVE MONTHS, RIGHT? WE'RE RIGHT AT FIVE MONTHS FUND BALANCE. AND GOING BACK TO A CONVERSATION WE HAD SOMETIME AFTER JUNE 1ST AND PRIOR TO TODAY, YOUR ADVICE, IF I REMEMBER WAS ANYTHING BELOW FOUR MONTHS IS TOO LOW. ANYTHING ABOVE SIX MONTHS IS TOO MUCH. AND WE'VE GOT A RANGE THERE TO DEAL WITH WHERE YOU'D FEEL COMFORTABLE OR, OR NOT YOU PERSONALLY, BUT WE'RE GENERAL ADVICE. AND WE HAVE A POLICY THAT SAYS FOUR TO SIX MONTHS TOO. FOUR TO SIX MONTHS. SO WE'RE RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE RIGHT NOW AT FIVE MONTHS. THANKS. YES. YES. SO WE, WE HAVE MONEY AVAILABLE. UM, NOT, NOT A LOT OF MONEY, BUT AGAIN, UH, MY COMFORT AND I THINK FROM WHAT I'M HEARING FROM EVERYBODY ELSE IS ONE-TIME PURCHASES NOT GET INTO ONGOING RESIDUAL EXPENSES, BUT ONE-TIME PURCHASES. BUT I'D REALLY LIKE YOUR IDEA COMMISSIONER GOANA OF LET'S AGREE ON WHAT WE WANT TO SEE DONE FROM A BUDGET POLICY POSITION. AND THEN WE CAN ASK THE AUDITOR TO FIND US THAT DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT IS A ONE-TIME PURCHASE. 'CAUSE THERE, THERE'S PLENTY. EACH OF US COULD SPEND FIVE MINUTES AND, AND COME UP WITH WHATEVER DOLLAR AMOUNT WE, WE CHOOSE. UH, SO, UH, SO THEN, SO, SO THERE'S, SO THERE'S TWO NUMBERS, COMMISSIONER GOANA THAT, THAT ARE GOVERNING, GOVERNING THIS. UM, IF WE WANT JUST CUT TO THE CHASE, WHICH IS WHAT YOU WANT TO DO, UH, TO GET TO THE TAX RATE THAT I WOULD FEEL COMFORTABLE VOTING ON, WHICH IS THE 2, 4, 9 9, WHICH IS WHERE I, WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO BE, AGAIN, I CAN BE OUTVOTED, UM, WITH WHAT WE JUST DID. WE'RE $390,000 KIND OF LOOKING AT TRYING TO MOVE THAT KIND OF MONEY. UM, IF WE FIND ANOTHER FUNDING SOURCE FOR THE DA'S OFFICE, WHICH I DON'T THINK WE HAVE OR HAVEN'T DONE, I'M NOT SAYING WE HAVE OR HAVEN'T DONE IT, THAT COULD FACTOR INTO THAT. UM, SO WHERE I WENT AND LOOKED AT IS I LOOKED AT SOME FURNITURE THAT WE'RE BUYING FOR THE DA EXPANSION. UM, I LOOKED AT ONE-TIME EXPENSES AND SOME OF THESE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLANS, UM, NOT COMPUTERS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT THINGS LIKE FURNITURE, THINGS LIKE THE PENETRATION TESTS AND SWITCHES. THINGS THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO DO. WE COULD JUST NOT DO THEM. IT'S NOT SMART NOT TO DO THEM. BUT WE COULDN'T, WE, WE MIGHT NOT DO THEM LOOKING AT THINGS LIKE PAINTING THE NEW COURTHOUSE, WASHING THE NEW COURTHOUSE, PAINTING STRIPES IN THE, IN THE, UH, PARKING LOT. YOU COULD SAY THOSE ARE ONGOING EXPENSES, BUT THEY'RE ALSO ONE-TIME EXPENSES THAT WE DO EVERY 10, 15 YEARS. SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS I WAS LOOKING AT AND TRYING TO GET AWAY FROM PERSONNEL OR GETTING AWAY FROM ANY OF THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. SO WHEN, WHEN YOU LOOK AT WHAT, WHAT WE WERE TRYING TO DO WHEN WE GOT HERE IS LOWER REVENUES $456,727 TO GET TO THE RATE I WOULD LIKE TO GET TO, WE'VE ALREADY TAKEN 240,000. WE'LL GET TO THE DISTRICT CLERK COURT HERE IN A SECOND. SO THAT MEANS WE'VE GOTTA FIND ABOUT 215 AND I JUST ADDED 1 75, SO IT GETS US TO THREE 90. UM, WE COULD KEEP IT CLEAN AND JUST DO LIKE A 1.5 TRANSFER AND THEN SEE WHERE THE SMOKE CLEARS BETWEEN NOW AND TUESDAY. UM, FROM A POLICY DECISION, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT THE COURT WOULD LIKE TO DO. UM, BUT I THINK THAT THAT WOULD GET US TO WHERE WHEN WE SAW THE NEXT DRAFT OF THE BUDGET, IT WOULD BE AT 2 4 9 9 IN MY OPINION. SO I'M CUTTING TO THE CHASE AS YOU ASKED ME TO. AND WHAT'S THE MAGIC TO 2, 4, 9 9? I JUST THINK, NUMBER ONE, I THINK WE CAN GET THERE AND IT'S, AND IT'S REALLY, REALLY CLOSE TO WHAT THE JUDGE'S FIRST DRAFT OF THE BUDGET WAS. 'CAUSE HE WAS AT 0.2498. I WOULD LIKE TO GO AS LOW AS POSSIBLE, BUT I THINK THERE'S A, A LINE BETWEEN ADDING THE NEW COURT AND GETTING TO THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE. AND I'M JUST TRYING TO FIND THAT LINE. OKAY. I AGREE WITH THAT ASSESSMENT. UM, AND, AND I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR THE OTHER COMMISSIONERS AND, AND I LIKE, UH, COMMISSIONER ALANA'S IDEA OF COME UP WITH A DOLLAR AMOUNT. UH, AND YOU KNOW, IF, SO WE'VE ALREADY AGREED TO A $1.1 MILLION TRANSFER, UM, DO WE MOVE THAT TO A $1.5 MILLION TRANSFER? I MEAN, IN MY OPINION, THAT'S AN UP AND DOWN VOTE. 'CAUSE IF WE DON'T, THEN I'M JUST BLOWING SMOKE ON EVERYTHING ELSE THAT, THAT I'M TRYING TO DO. AND THEN WE ARE, THEN WE'RE PRETTY MUCH DONE. I MEAN, THAT'S THE LAST MANEUVER. WE DON'T WANNA TAKE THE DA'S OFFICE OUT. UM, AND THEN WE JUST HAVE TO ASK OURSELVES WHAT DO WE DO WITH THIS COURT, UM, THE 503RD COURT. SO WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO DECISIONS, I THINK WE HAVE TWO DECISIONS TO MAKE IN MY ESTIMATION, OTHER THAN ADDING THE IT LAPTOP BACK IN, UM, UH, , THE, UM, AND THAT'S JUST A HOUSEKEEPING ITEM, BUT, UH, I, I THINK [00:25:01] WE FIGURE OUT DO WE HAVE TO FUND THE COURT AT NINE MONTHS OR 10 MONTHS AND DO WE WANNA DO THIS FUND BALANCE TRANSFER? AND AT THAT POINT, IT'S AN UP AND DOWN VOTE. AND THIS COURT HAS SPOKEN. UM, I, WE, WE PREVIOUSLY CAME ON THE COURT. WE PREVIOUSLY CAME TO THE AGREEMENT WE WERE GONNA START THAT FUNDING IN JANUARY. AND, UH, OF COURSE I I REALIZE THE, THE STATE WILL, UM, AT SOME POINT APPOINT A JUDGE TO THAT. BUT I, I'M NOT, AND, AND I DID GET THE EMAIL FROM THE AUDITOR, UH, THAT SAID, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE, THEY'RE PLANNING ON A DECEMBER ONE. I'M NOT SEEING ANYTHING THAT INDICATES TO ME THAT WE DON'T HAVE THE AUTHORITY TO START THAT IN JANUARY ONE. I I DON'T, THEY'RE GONNA STAND UP A JUDGE ON DECEMBER ONE. THAT'S THE BEGINNING. BUT THEY REMEMBER THAT AS LONG AS WE CAN WORK WITH THEM, UM, THEY'RE SETTING THEIR DOCKETS. THEY GOTTA WORK TOGETHER WITH THE OTHER DISTRICT JUDGES AND THEY STILL HAVE TO HIRE THEIR TEAM. THEY'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT GONNA, THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE APPOINTED AND THEN HIRE THEIR TEAM DAY ONE. I REALIZE THAT IF, UH, IT GOES A CERTAIN WAY, SOME TEAMS MAY BE SHIFTED, BUT THAT MEANS ANOTHER COURT'S GONNA NEED TO HIRE A TEAM. UM, SO I, AND I'VE OCA IT, NOBODY SEEMS TO KNOW WHO, UM, CAN GIVE THE OKAY TO PUSH THE, UH, YOU KNOW, THE STARTING UP DOCKETS BACK TO JANUARY ONE BECAUSE OCA DIDN'T HAVE A CLUE WHEN I CALLED THEM, WHICH IS STRANGE. SO, UM, I'VE GOT IT TO OUR REPRESENTATIVE TO TRY TO FIND ME AN ANSWER, BUT I, I DON'T SEE ANYWHERE IN ALL THE RESEARCH I'M DOING THAT SAYS WE CAN'T START THE OPERATION OF THE COURT ON JANUARY. I DON'T SEE ANYTHING THAT SAYS WE CAN'T DO THAT IS, BUT THAT WOULD ALSO BE UP TO, UH, UP TO THE DISTRICT JUDGE THAT'S APPOINTED. AND SO WE'D HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER. CAN I, CAN I JUST, YEAH, SO I'VE, UH, KEN, COLE, EVERETT, DISTRICT ATTORNEY. I'VE ACTUALLY PUT SOME THOUGHT INTO THIS AND I THINK THAT Y'ALL, UH, I I THINK THAT YOU'RE RIGHT. IF THE, IF THE COURT IS APPOINTED, IF THE JUDGE IS APPOINTED ON DECEMBER 1ST, NOW LET ME JUST SAY MY QUESTION IS THE JUDGE, THE COURT IS SUPPOSED TO START ON DECEMBER 1ST. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THE JUDGE WILL NOT BE APPOINTED PRIOR TO THAT. THE GOVERNOR COULD APPOINT A DISTRICT JUDGE PRIOR TO THAT, AND THAT DISTRICT JUDGE IS GONNA WANNA START HIRING HIS STAFF IF IT HAPPENS THAT THERE IS, THAT THE PERSON WHO'S APPOINTED IS ALREADY A SITTING JUDGE, UM, WHICH OBVIOUSLY WE DON'T KNOW HOW THAT'S GONNA WORK. HE COULD BE APPOINTED TO THAT DISTRICT BENCH MONTHS EARLY. UM, AND THEN YOU'RE GONNA HAVE A VACANCY AT THE COUNTY COURT LEVEL. THAT COUNTY COURT HAS TO CONTINUE OPERATING BY LAW. YOU CAN'T JUST SAY, UH, WE'RE GONNA PUT THEM ON HIATUS FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS. UM, THEY HAVE SPEEDY TRIALS AND BONDS AND COURT APPEARANCES. SO YOU WILL HAVE TO PAY, OR, UH, A PAY WILL, SOMEBODY'S GONNA HAVE TO PAY FOR A VISITING JUDGE. SO THAT'S GONNA HAVE TO, YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO LOOK AT THAT ISSUE AS WELL. UM, AND THAT VISITING JUDGE, IF THAT COURT, HE DECIDES TO TAKE HIS STAFF WITH HIM, UM, AT SOME POINT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO START PAYING FOR THAT. NOW, WHETHER THAT CAN HAPPEN IN JANUARY OR NOT, I THINK THAT I'VE ALREADY SAID, YOU KNOW, WE CAN, I THINK YOU CAN START A LOT OF THE STAFFING AT ON JANUARY, THE JUDGES CAN SAY, WE'RE NOT GONNA ASSIGN CASES. THAT'S A JUDICIAL DECISION, NOT AKIN DECISION, BUT THEY CAN ASSIGN CASES THAT WILL START, THAT ASSIGNMENT WOULD ONLY START ON JANUARY 1ST. UM, THAT'S ALL THINGS THAT I AM NOT PRIVY TO, BUT YOU NEED TO AT LEAST HAVE THAT CONVERSATION THAT YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO MAKE SOME COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH THAT. AND WHILE I'M UP HERE, IF I MIGHT JUST ADD, UM, IN, IN REGARDS, AND, AND COMMISSIONER STACY, WE'VE HAD A LONG CONVERSATION ABOUT THE DA EXPANSION. I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT ALL FIVE OF YOU ARE IN SUPPORT, UM, OF THAT DA EXPANSION. I WANNA BE A LITTLE CAREFUL ABOUT MOVING LOTS AND LOTS OF STUFF TO FUND BALANCE. UM, I THINK THAT YOU AND Y'ALL ARE ALL VERY AWARE, AND I KNOW THAT'S WHY LISA IS FIDGETING IN HER SEAT FUND BALANCE IS TYPICALLY NOT ONLY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE FOUR MONTHS OF OPERATING EXPENSES, UM, IN CASE THERE'S SOMETHING THAT HAPPENS, BUT IT'S ALSO FOR UNEXPECTED, UH, SITUATIONS. AND I THINK THAT WE ARE, UH, BECAUSE OF SOME LEGAL SITUATIONS LOOKING AT SOME POTENTIAL, UM, UNEXPECTED COSTS. AND SO BEFORE YOU START, AND I'LL USE A WORD THAT YOU USED YESTERDAY, PILFERING THE FUND BALANCE. I JUST WANT YOU TO BE AWARE THAT, UH, THAT YOU MAY NOT BE ABLE TO PULL FUNDS FROM THAT. SO I WOULD LIKE SOME KIND OF COMMITMENT, UH, FROM THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT IF YOU'RE GONNA TAKE THINGS OUT OF THE GENERAL FUND THAT NUMBER ONE, I'M ASKING THAT YOU PUT SOMETHING IN A LINE ITEM FOR THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY BUDGET OR THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY EXPANSION [00:30:01] OUT OF GENERAL FUND, YOU NEED TO HAVE A LINE ITEM, NOT JUST THAT WE'RE GONNA FUND IT OUT OF FUND BALANCE. BECAUSE IF YOU'LL REMEMBER, THE ORIGINAL, UH, ESTIMATE FOR THAT EXPANSION IS $300,000, NOT A HUNDRED. SO THAT'S THE REASON I THINK THAT YOU HAD VOTED, UM, TO PUT A HUNDRED IN THERE. SO I'M ASKING THAT YOU PUT SOMETHING IN THE GENERAL BUDGET LINE ITEM. YOU AND I HAVE TALKED THAT YOU HAVE SOME GOOD IDEAS OF WHERE YOU THINK MONEY WILL BE ABLE TO BE GOTTEN, BUT WE REALLY NEED THAT WORK, THE SCHEMATICS, THE PLANNING, ALL OF THAT TO START AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. AND IF THERE'S NO MONEY IN A LINE ITEM, THEN WE CAN'T MOVE FORWARD, UM, AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. SO I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY, HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, BUT JUST WANTED TO MENTION A COUPLE OF THOSE THINGS. YEAH, SO A QUICK, QUICK STATEMENT. I DON'T, I DON'T THINK ANYBODY WAS GONNA REMOVE THE, THE LINE ITEM. I MEAN, WE'RE ALL VERY CLEAR. NOT ALL, WE HAVE TO HAVE MONEY COMING IN AND HAVE TO HAVE MONEY GOING OUT AS A LINE ITEM. SO NO, NO ONE WAS GONNA TAKE THAT OUT AND JUST SAY, WE'LL, WE'LL GET IT FROM FUND BALANCE. THERE, THERE, THERE WILL BE A LINE ITEM. YEAH, I JUST, I JUST WANNA BE CAREFUL THAT WE DON'T SAY WE'RE GONNA TAKE ALL THIS OUT OF FUND BALANCE AND THEN WE HAVE AN UNEXPECTED COST AND THEN IT'S LIKE, MAN, WE'RE SORRY, BUT WE JUST DON'T HAVE THAT LINE. WELL, WE, WE HAVE A PRETTY HEALTHY CONTINGENCY. YEAH. I DON'T THINK, AND IN MIDYEAR, WE CAN'T JUST DIP INTO OUR FUND BALANCE ANYWAY. WE, WE CAN'T, I DON'T THINK ANYONE HAS A DESIRE TO GO ANYWHERE NEAR FOUR MONTHS ON THE FUND BALANCE. I DON'T, I THINK WE WILL BARELY BE UNDER FIVE IF WE MAKE THIS MOVE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. SO I THINK WE'RE OKAY. I THINK WE'RE OKAY. UM, I, I THINK YOUR PROJECT'S GONNA BE OKAY. OR, OR I WOULDN'T BE FOR THIS, WE'RE GONNA LEAVE A LINE ITEM. I BELIEVE THERE'S GONNA BE ENOUGH MONEY COMING OUT OF THE ANNEX TO, TO FINISH YOUR PROJECT. RIGHT. AND MY ONLY CONCERN IS, IS THE KENDALL LAWYER IS, I BELIEVE THAT SCARES THE TAR OUTTA ME. I KNOW. I, THAT'S, I'M PRETTY CONFIDENT OR I WOULD'VE, I WOULD PUSH TO FUND IT MORE. BUT THE OTHER THING IS WITH THE FURNITURE, IT TAKES, IT'S BEEN TAKING SEVEN, EIGHT MONTHS IT DOES TO GET THAT FURNITURE. SO WE NEED TO ORDER IT NOW. WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE FUNDS AVAILABLE NOW TO GO AHEAD AND ORDER THAT STUFF. IT, IT WOULD BE FUNDED EVEN WITH EVERYTHING THAT I SAID GO TO LAUREN'S OFFICE AND PICK OUT. I UNDERSTAND THAT. AND I'M TALKING ABOUT FURNITURE IN GENERAL. UM, BUT, UH, I, I JUST, JUST THROW THE THOSE THINGS OUT. THANK YOU KENDA. I WANTED TO THANK YOU. I'M SORRY. I WANTED TO SAY THANK YOU BECAUSE THAT WHAT, WHAT YOU TALKED ABOUT IN REGARDS TO THE NEW DISTRICT COURT AND THEN POSSIBLY WHAT KIND OF MOVEMENT MAY BE GOING ON IN, IN OUR, OUR COURT OF LAWS AND SO FORTH. THAT'S A, THAT'S A CONCERN. 'CAUSE I I, YOU'RE RIGHT, THEY'RE GONNA HAVE TO KEEP WORKING. AND IF THERE IS A SHIFT OF, UM, PERSONNEL THAT WE WE'RE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE EXPENSES THERE THAT, THAT WILL HAPPEN IMMEDIATELY. SO I'M GLAD YOU THAT YOU MADE, UM, THAT, THAT COMMENT. I'VE, OKAY, I'VE BEEN CONCERNED ABOUT, AND I DID TALK TO ONE OF THE JUDGES THIS MORNING AND THEY EXPRESSED THAT CONCERN. AND THAT'S THE REASON I'M FORWARDING. THEY HAVE TALKED TO ME TOO. THANK YOU. SO, UH, UH, ALONG THAT, I'M SORRY, GO AHEAD. WELL, BUT FOR THE RECORD, I DON'T THINK WE'VE PRORATED THE COST OF THAT COUNTY COURT AT LAW. WE, WE HAVE NOT. SO WE'VE GOT, THAT MONEY IS STILL THERE TO HIRE VISITING JUDGES OR HOPEFULLY GET SOMEONE SITTING REAL QUICKLY WHO IS A JUDGE AND STEP IN. SO WE HAVEN'T PRORATED THAT MONEY. UM, THE AM I, AM I RIGHT IN ASSUMING, AND I DON'T KNOW WHO THE RIGHT PERSON TO ASK IS, BUT I KNOW THAT BETWEEN EVERYBODY BUT ME, YOU GOT AN ANSWER. UM, THIS, WE GOT THIS THING THIS MORNING FROM THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE, AND I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THIS TO OUR ATTENTION THAT THE COURT COULD START THEN. AND I THINK WHAT I HEARD BOBBY SAY IS IT DOESN'T HAVE TO START THEN WE CAN START IT IN JANUARY. DO YOU DISAGREE WITH THAT? IT'S A JUDICIAL DECISION THOUGH, CORRECT? THAT YOU, WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS WE WOULD HAVE TO GET THEM TO AGREE NOT TO SET CASES. YEAH, I RIGHT. AND I'M GONNA TELL YOU THAT I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER FOR SURE. WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE TRUE AND MM-HMM . I'M JUST SAYING I'M GONNA GIVE THAT CAVEAT IS THAT IF, EVEN IF A COURT, UH, EVEN IF, IF THE COURT IS SET UP AND THE, I THINK THAT THE GOVERNOR MAY, UH, POINT A JUDGE PRIOR TO THAT, UM, BUT THE JUDGE, THE COURT'S NOT GONNA START TILL DECEMBER. SO DO YOU HAVE TO PAY, UH, THAT PERSON UNTIL DECEMBER? UH, THE STATE IS PAYING THEIR SALARY. BUT I KNOW THAT WE HAVE A PORTION OF THAT. THE WAY THAT I THINK, I THINK THAT YOU CAN GET AROUND THAT IS THAT EVEN THOUGH THE COURT STARTS IN DECEMBER, THERE IS AT LEAST AN EXPECTATION THAT THE COURT HAS TO HIRE STAFF AND THAT THEY HAS TO POST IT AND ALL THAT. THAT YOU WOULD JUST HAVE THE ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE NOT ASSIGN ANY CASES TO THAT COURT UNTIL JANUARY 1ST. NOW THAT IS A, AN ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE DECISION, WHICH IS JUDGE HALL. UM, HE GETS TO MAKE THAT FINAL DECISION. UH, AND IF HE DECIDES TO ASSIGN THE, THE CASES EARLY, I THINK THAT YOU HAVE TO STAFF THE COURT. BUT I THINK, I THINK THAT THAT MAY BE THE WAY THAT THAT HAS TO WELL, YEAH, AND HE'S A, HE'S A WISE AND HONORABLE 100%. [00:35:01] SO HE'LL DO THE RIGHT THING. AND MY VIEW OF DECEMBER IS IT'S A DEAD MONTH ANYWAY. I I'M NOT IN YOUR WORLD, CANDA, AND I'M NOT IN THE JUDICIAL WORLD, BUT IT'S A DEAD MONTH ANYWAY. AND IF WE START JANUARY 1ST, I THINK WE WOULD BE LUCKY TO HIRE ALL THESE PEOPLE BY JANUARY 1ST. YEAH, YOU MAY BE TRUE THAT, YOU MAY BE RIGHT ON THAT. I CAN TELL YOU THAT FROM THE CIVIL PERSPECTIVE, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT IT IS A DEAD MONTH. PEOPLE STILL COMMIT CRIME IN DECEMBER. SURE THEY DO. SO, UH, WE DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE A DEAD MONTH, BUT YOU'RE RIGHT. WE DIDN'T PRORATE YOUR MONEY EITHER, KENDA. OH, GOOD. , PLEASE NOTE THAT FOR RECORD, GO ON 11 MONTHS ON YOU. YES. SO WE'RE GIVING YOU ALL 12. THANK YOU. I DO WANNA SAY AT THIS POINT, I, I HAVE SIT DOWN AND VISITED WITH JUDGE RACO AND JUDGE HALL, UH, AND, AND THAT THEY SAID THAT THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO HELP SHOULDER THE, THE, THE BURDEN OF, FOR THE GROUP TO GET THIS POINT. AND I WOULD FULLY EXPECT THAT TEMPORARILY. NOW IF, IF WE GO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE SAY ALL WE'RE DOING IT TILL MARCH, THEN , THEN WE'RE GONNA HAVE A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION. BUT, UH, THEY, THEY UNDERSTAND THAT, THAT, UH, THEY'RE, THEY'RE GONNA NEED TO STEP UP AND ARE WILLING TO DO SO. OKAY. AND, AND I APPRECIATE THE FACT THAT, THAT I, THAT'S NEW THAT WE'RE NOT BEING PRORATED AT THE DA'S OFFICE. SO THAT'S GREAT NEWS. ALRIGHT, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. WHERE WERE WE? WELL, WHAT WERE WE DOING? WE WERE GETTING TO A DOLLAR AMOUNT, I THINK. WELL, YEAH, CAN I, YES. BUT SINCE WE WERE KIND OF TALKING A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR, OUR JUDICIAL SYSTEM, UM, I'D LIKE TO, I'D LIKE TO MAYBE BRING YOU GUYS UP TO, UP TO, UM, SPEED WITH OUR LEGAL FEES. I KNOW THAT WE ADDED SOME COMMISSIONER LICHTY. WE DID RECEIVE A, UM, AN INVOICE YESTERDAY FROM THE RAY FIRM. AND, UM, I'VE ADDED WHAT WE'VE PAID THEM THROUGH THROUGH JUNE AND I THINK JUNE 18TH. AND THEN THIS, THIS BRINGS THEM UP THROUGH, UM, AUGUST. IT DOES NOT INCLUDE SEPTEMBER. SO, UM, THROUGH AUGUST WE HAVE $255,727 AND 70 CENTS TO THE RAY FIRM. AND IF I DO A, IF I JUST KIND OF, YOU KNOW, BALLPARK WHAT SEPTEMBER COULD LOOK LIKE, THEN I THINK WE PROBABLY MAY NEED TO LOOK AT ADDING SOME MORE MONEY IN OUR LEGAL FEES BECAUSE WE WILL BE, UM, ROUGHLY AROUND 281,000 WITH THE, THAT FIRM. AND THAT'S NOT INCLUDING SOME OF THE LEGAL FEES COMMISSIONER TI THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT. 'CAUSE I DON'T THINK YOU, WE WERE ADDING, I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU ADDED, BUT I I NOW HAVE, WE NOW HAVE ACTUALS. WELL, UM, AS FAR AS THE ADDITIONAL MONEY WE ADDED FOR NEXT YEAR, THAT INCLUDES ZERO FOR THEIR LE RAY FIRM. AND THAT'S BASED UPON DISCUSSIONS THAT I HAD WITH THEM THAT THEY SAID THEY COULD LIVE WITH THAT. HMM. AND IF YOU WANT, I THINK IT'D BE A GREAT TIME TO GO ON EXECUTIVE SESSION IF WE WANNA DISCUSS THAT MORE. DO WE WANT TO DISCUSS THIS FURTHER? FURTHER? I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT, YES. OKAY. UM, LET'S, UH, LET'S, LET'S GET A, LET'S GET A, THIS IS AN UNEXPECTED EXECUTIVE SESSION, MR. STODDARD. CAN YOU, IT IT ADVISE US, OUR ATTORNEY IS NOT HERE. I'M ASSUMING WE COULD GO IN AND CALL OUR ATTORNEY, UM, IF, IF, IF IT'S NOT NOTICED ON THE AGENDA. AND I I DON'T BELIEVE THAT IT HAS BEEN. WE, WE CAN'T GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. WELL, WE, I MEAN WE HAVE OUR, WE'VE STANDARD EXECUTIVE SESSION YEAH. LANGUAGE, WHICH, WHICH THIS IS A CONVERSATION I'D KIND OF LIKE TO HAVE IN AN EXECUTIVE SESSION. YEAH. . BECAUSE NOT ALL, NOT ALL . I'M, I'M, I'M LOSING GROUND. YEAH. NOT ALL THE ATTORNEYS INVOLVED HERE HAVE, HAVE THE SAME, YEAH. OKAY. THOUGHT ON THAT. UM, THEN WE'LL JUST, SO I'M, I'M GONNA, UH, DEFAULT ON THE SIDE OF SAFETY AND SAY WE WON'T GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION. WE WILL, WE WILL SAVE THE CONVERSATION FOR EXECUTIVE SESSION TUESDAY. UH, AND, AND I DO THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE, HOW CAN WE NOT USE ADVICE OF COUNSEL? CAN, CAN UNDER EXECUTIVE SESSION TO TALK ABOUT THIS? CAN I ASK, CAN WE JUST TAKE A, LITERALLY HOW DOES THAT WORK? TWO MINUTE AND I, I DON'T MEAN MORE, I MEAN NOT MORE THAN TWO MINUTES. I WANNA GO HAVE A CONVERSATION WITH CRAIG. YEP. SO LET'S TAKE A, A 10 MINUTE BREAK. UH, IT IS 9 39. I'M SORRY. ALL RIGHT, EVERYONE AT NINE 50, WE'RE GONNA RECONVENE INTO OUR SPECIAL MEETING AND, UH, WE ARE STILL ON AGENDA ITEM FIVE, DISCUSS AND ACT ON ADOPTING THE ROCKWALL COUNTY BUDGET FOR FY 2026. TAKE A RECORD VOTE IN ALL RELATED ISSUES. SO, [00:40:01] UM, JUDGE, IF I COULD JUST HAVE A MINUTE HERE. I, I WANNA ADDRESS, UH, COMMISSIONER MICK'S CONCERN. UM, ANYTIME YOU TRY TO DETERMINE WHAT LAWYERS ARE GONNA CHARGE YOU, IT'S HARD TO DO. OKAY. AND I SPEAK FROM EXPERIENCE. I, I HAVE GONE BACK AND FORTH MULTIPLE TIMES WITH OUR LEGAL TEAM, AND I BELIEVE THAT THE NUMBER WE ADDED THE OTHER DAY WAS REASONABLE BASED UPON THE ESTIMATES I GOT FROM ALL THREE LAW FIRMS, UM, THAT ARE INVOLVED. AND WHAT I'VE GOT HERE IS A SHEET THAT IF YOU'D LIKE TO LOOK AT, YOU CAN REAL, YOU CAN SEE HOW I GOT THIS, THIS IS SUBJECT TO THE ATTORNEY-CLIENT PRIVILEGE. AND SO WE'RE NOT, I'M NOT GONNA MAKE COPIES OF IT AND I'M GONNA WANT IT BACK, BUT YOU CAN SEE HOW I CALCULATED AND YOU CAN ASK ME QUESTIONS, UM, OR ANYBODY CAN, ANYBODY ON THE COURT OBVIOUSLY. BUT I, AS CONFIDENT AS I CAN FEEL WITH DEALING WITH A LEGAL ESTIMATE, I THINK WE'VE GOT A, A GOOD ESTIMATE. 'CAUSE I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN THESE LAWYERS. AND, AND WHILE YOU'RE ADDRESSING THAT, MY REAL QUICK COMMENT IS EVEN IF WE'RE LOOKING AT FUND BALANCE, WE CAN'T TAP INTO FUND BALANCE IN THE BUDGET WITHOUT SOME SORT OF EMERGENCY AND REDOING THE BUDGET. AND I DON'T KNOW THE WHOLE PROCESS, BUT THAT'S A WHOLE MESS. UM, UH, SO I JUST WANNA SAY THAT EVEN IF WE DO ANY OF THIS FUND BALANCE TRANSFERS, WE STILL CAN'T IN THE MIDDLE OF THE YEAR GO DIPPING INTO THAT FUND BALANCE WITHOUT REALLY COMING INTO PROBLEMS. OUR, OUR JOB IS TO CREATE THE BEST BUDGET WE CAN, A GOOD, LEAN, SOLID BUDGET AND, UH, AND, AND GET US FROM THIS POINT TO THIS POINT. UH, CAN YOU, I, I, AGAIN, I'M THE NEWBIE HERE. WHY IS IT A PROBLEM TO GO INTO FUND BALANCE MIDYEAR? I THINK THE AUDITOR'S BEST TO REPLY, BUT HERE'S WHAT I CAN TELL YOU COURT, IS THAT I WANTED THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE SO BAD IF WE COULD DO IT, THIS WOULD'VE BEEN THE YEAR THAT I WOULD'VE BEEN ABLE TO TRY TO DO IT. BUT ANYWAYS, LISA, I'LL LET YOU FULLY ANSWER THAT. LET, LET ME SEE IF I CAN DO IT VERY SHORTLY. IT, IT CAN ONLY BE DONE IF IT'S AN EMERGENCY AND, AND IT HAS TO BE A DECLARED EMERGENCY, UH, SOMETHING THAT THERE, THERE'S, YOU KNOW, A METEOR LANDS IN HARRY MEYERS PARK, AND THAT'S A HORRIBLE EXAMPLE. BUT, UH, IT, IT HAS TO BE AN EMERGENCY, UH, IN ORDER TO, TO DIP MID BUDGET. NOW, WHILE WE'RE BUDGETING, WE, WE CAN, YEAH, TRANSFER FUNDS ALL WE WANT, BUT ONCE WE SET THE BUDGET, IT, IT HAS TO BE A DECLARED EMERGENCY. SO IF PEOPLE JUST STOP PAYING TAXES, IS THAT AN EMERGENCY? I MEAN, THAT, THAT'S, I MEAN, IT, IT MAYBE COULD BE IF IT'S SUBSTANTIAL ENOUGH. IF WE ONLY COLLECT 50% WHEN WE'VE, WE'VE CALCULATED WE'RE, WE'RE COLLECTING 98%. I, I THINK AT THAT POINT WE WOULD REDO THE BUDGET. REALLY? I, I THINK AT THAT POINT WE WOULD BE LOST . WE, WE, WE, WE WOULD BE LOOKING AT CUTTING EXPENSES. SO, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, WHEN WHEN I SUBMIT TO YOU BUDGET TRANSFERS AT COURT MEETINGS AND WE'RE MOVING THINGS FROM ONE BUDGETED PLACE TO ANOTHER, UH, LET'S SAY SOMEBODY NEEDED TO BUY A PRINTER THAT THEY DIDN'T REALIZE THEY NEEDED TO BUY, AND WE DO IT MID CYCLE, THAT'S JUST A BUDGET TRANSFER, BUT, AND IT'S A NON-EMERGENCY BUDGET TRANSFER. NOW, IF YOU NEEDED TO INFILTRATE MORE MONEY INTO YOUR BUDGET, THAT WOULD BE CONSIDERED THE EMERGENCY THE JUDGE IS TALKING ABOUT. AND THAT'S A BIG NO-NO. I MEAN, THAT'S WHERE YOUR INDEPENDENT AUDITOR AND YOUR FINANCIAL STATEMENT'S GONNA HIT YOU WITH THAT. YOUR BOND RATING WILL PROBABLY BE HIT. UH, YOU, YOU WANNA LEAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY IN YOUR BUDGET, AND THAT'S WHERE THAT CONTINGENCY LINE COMES FROM. SO YOU CAN DRAW FROM THE FUNDS AS LONG AS IT'S GOING TO BUDGETED ITEMS, IT IT, AS LONG AS YOU'VE BUDGETED TO DO SO. THE, UH, THE REASON THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, OVERALL THE, I DO, I HANDLE ACCOUNTS PAYABLE FOR THE COUNTY. SO ANY, ANY INVOICE THAT GETS SUBMITTED, UH, IT HAS TO BE REVIEWED BY THE AUDITOR. AND ONE OF THE REVIEWS IS THAT WE LOOK AT IS WHETHER IT WAS A BUDGETED ITEM OR NOT, WHETHER IT IT IS GONNA BE CHARGED TO A LINE THAT HAS MONEY IN IT, OR AT LEAST AN OFFSETTING AMOUNT OF MONEY. UM, SO THAT'S WHERE ALL OF THIS COMES FROM, OF YOU NEEDING TO MAKE SURE WITH THE DA EXPANSION, THAT YOU AT LEAST PUT SOMETHING IN THERE BECAUSE YOU CAN'T JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU'D [00:45:01] HAVE TO DRAW FROM ONE PLACE TO BRING IT TO ANOTHER. SO, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST THE MEMORY, BUT LET'S SAY, YEAH, BUT THE DA EXPANSION, LET'S USE THAT AS AN EXAMPLE. AND I'M SORRY TO TAKE Y'ALL'S TIME HERE. UM, BUT THE DA EXPANSION, SO WE PUT A, LET'S SAY THERE'S A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS IN IT WHEN WE VOTE ON TUESDAY, UH, IT TURNS OUT IT'S 200,000 BECAUSE IT'S IN A LINE ITEM. WE CAN TAKE THAT MONEY OUT OF CONTINGENCY AT THAT TIME OR, OR IN, OR SOMEWHERE ELSE. UN FUNDS SOMEWHERE ELSE, YEAH. THAT WE BUDGETED BUT DIDN'T SPEND. BUT IF WE SPENT EVERY OTHER PENNY, BECAUSE IT'S A BUDGETED LINE ITEM, WE DON'T HAVE TO DECLARE AN EMERGENCY. AND WE COULD TAKE THE A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS FROM THE GENERAL FUND, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING YOU RIGHT. OKAY. YOUR, YOUR CONTINGENCY LINE, THE ONE THAT YOU HAD SET THE BASE FOR A 600,000 THAT'S SEPARATE THAN THE FUND BALANCE. YEAH. MM-HMM . YEAH. OKAY. MM-HMM . OKAY. WHILE, WHILE WE'RE READING AND PERUSING, I, I WANT TO BRING A, A VERY SIMPLE THING FORWARD. UH, SOMETHING THAT FELL THROUGH THE CRACKS. UM, JUST, YOU KNOW, AS AN EXAMPLE OF ME NOT GIVING JUDGE RACO A NEW COMPUTER WHEN I GAVE EVERYBODY ELSE, ONE WOULD JUST HAVE NO EXPLANATION FOR OTHER THAN IT JUST SLIPPED THROUGH THE CRACKS. UH, WOULD THAT PHONE CALL THAT I MADE TO HIM WAS SUPER FUNNY. I DON'T MEAN TO CALL SOMEONE OUT. HE IS LIKE, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? AND I SAID, I DON'T KNOW. DID YOU TELL THE JUDGE YOU DIDN'T WANT TO, YOU DIDN'T WANT A COMPUTER? NO. , IT WAS JUST HILARIOUS. BUT YEAH, YOU DID JUST SAY NO TO THIS DISTRICT JUDGE, NO COMPUTER FOR YOU ANYWAYS. I'M SORRY. YEP. UM, SO, UH, SO SOMETHING ELSE. ONE, ONE OF THE ADJUSTMENTS I MADE IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET WAS GETTING OUR SECOND IN CHARGE OF EACH DEPARTMENT UP TO COMPETITIVE PAY WITH OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTIES. SO, UH, WHAT I DISCOVERED IS SEVERAL, UH, PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING THE DUTIES OF WHAT I WOULD CONSIDER SECOND IN CHARGE, AREN'T ACTUALLY THE TECHNICAL SECOND IN CHARGE. SO I WENT IN AND FOUND SOME OF THOSE WHO RUN THE OFFICE IN THE ABSENCE OF THE ELECTED OR THE DEPARTMENT HEAD AND SAID, I, I WANT THESE PEOPLE PAID, UH, AN APPROPRIATE AMOUNT FOR WHAT THEY DO. AND THERE WAS TWO OR THREE THAT, UH, WERE DOING THAT JOB THAT WEREN'T ACTUALLY THE SECOND IN CHARGE. SO I HAD THEM IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET AND I MISSED 1 1 1 SLIPPED THROUGH THE CRACKS. AND, AND THAT IS, UH, IN THE TAX ASSESSOR'S OFFICE. PETE MURRAY IS THE ASSISTANT CHIEF DEPUTY, NOT TECHNICALLY THE SECOND IN CHARGE. SO I WOULD LIKE TO GET HIM UP, NOT ALL THE WAY TO 65,000, WHICH WAS MY GOAL FOR THE SECOND CHARGE. UH, I WOULD LIKE TO GET HIM UP TO 60,000. UH, AND, AND ASSUMING THAT THE 4% IS GOING TO STICK IN WHATEVER VERSION IT IS, UH, THAT WOULD BE ALL IN $7,575, UH, THAT, THAT WE WOULD NEED TO FIND IN THE BUDGET. UM, AND, AND AGAIN, THIS REQUEST COMES WITH MY APOLOGY, PETE SLIPPED THROUGH THE CRACKS. SO, UH, I'M GOING, I'M GONNA WAIT IN JUST A MINUTE, , AND THEN MAKE A MOTION JUST SO WE HAVE PLENTY OF NOTICE OF WHAT'S COMING YESTERDAY. GOT TESTY TODAY IS JUST GETTING WEIRD . THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE COMMISSIONER GOES TO THE PODIUM TO HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT. SO I, I, I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING TO GO, BUT YOU KNOW, IF, IF WE WANNA KEEP IT CLEAN, WHICH I, I THINK COMMISSIONER GOANA SAID, HEY, LET'S, IF WE'RE GONNA DO, IF WE'RE GONNA DIP IN AND DO SOME SORT OF BUDGET TRANSFER, WE TAKE IT TO 1.5. I MEAN, THAT KIND OF GAVE US ABOUT 10 GRAND ACCORDING TO MY CALCULATIONS. SO I, I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY ISSUE WITH THIS AND THE LAPTOP, BECAUSE THAT STILL KEEPS US UNDER THAT LIMIT. BUT, YOU KNOW, I GUESS OUT OF RESPECT FOR OTHER COMMISSIONERS PROBABLY SHOULDN'T VOTE ON THIS. UM, BUT, UH, BUT YEAH, I THINK THIS AND, AND THE LAPTOP AND SEEMS PRETTY REASONABLE, UM, TO, TO DO THAT AND THEN KIND OF DO THE FUN TRANSFER AND THEN, UM, HAVE LISA HAVE A VERY LONG WEEKEND WHERE SHE'S MAD AT ME. MM-HMM. BUT WE'LL MAKE UP, SHE'S GOING TO SEE YOUR GRAND BABY. SHE'S NOT GONNA BE MAD AT ANYBODY. WE, WE, WE'LL, WE'LL WAKE UP AND BE FRIENDS, UM, IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS. SO NO, LISA AND I LOVE EACH OTHER. I JUST KNOW THAT WE COMPLETELY DIFFER ON THIS OPINION, AND THAT'S TO, THAT'S WHAT'S SUPPOSED TO HAPPEN. AND, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYONE'S GONNA HAVE THE EXACT SAME OPINION ON EVERYTHING. AND, UM, AND SO I THINK, I THINK WE'RE GONNA BE OKAY. AND, UH, BUT YEAH, I, I, I THINK I, I DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THEM BEING GONE, BUT I'M GONNA SHUT UP. . THE AWKWARDNESS HAS MADE ME JUST KEEP TALKING. I'M DONE. . WE CAN MAKE A MOTION IN A SECOND AND LEAVE IT FOR DISCUSSION. [00:50:01] I'M GONNA MAKE A MO NO, NO, I'M NOT GONNA MAKE A MOTION. I WANT YOU TO MAKE A MOTION SINCE THERE'S A LAPTOP IN THERE. LET'S, LET'S, LET'S TIE IT ALL UP. TIE IT ALL UP. TIE IT UP. OKAY, WELL, WELL, WELL, SIR, I GUESS AT THAT POINT, YEAH, I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE, UH, ADJUST THE, UH, ASSISTANT CHIEF DEPUTY AND THE TAX OFFICE, UM, TO THE $60,000 NUMBER, WHICH IS A TOTAL ALL IN LOADED COST OF $7,575. AND WE ADD THE LAPTOP FOR THE IT TECH OF $1,500 THAT WE HAVE, UH, LEFT OFF. ALL RIGHT. HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER STACEY SECOND, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GOANA. AND WE WILL HAVE A HOLDING PATTERN RIGHT THERE FOR JUST A MINUTE. AND MELISSA, I FINALLY GOT THE LAPTOP , IT'S KIND OF IN ONE OF THOSE OCD THINGS. IT'S JUST BEEN ON THE FRINGES. AND UNTIL WE KNEW WHAT DIRECTION WE WERE GOING, I WAS LIKE, WHAT ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DO ABOUT IT? OKAY, COMMISSIONERS, I'VE, I'VE GOT ABOUT 60 MORE SECONDS OF WAIT. LEFT IN ME. I GUESS IF THEY'RE NOT HERE, IT COULD GO DOWN AS A THREE, TWO VOTE. IT, IT WILL GO DOWN AS A THREE ZERO VOTE WITH TWO ABSENT. WITH THAT BEING SAID, COMMISSIONERS, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND START THE VOTE IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES NOW IT PASSES THREE TO ZERO WITH TWO ABSENTEE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. COMMISSIONERS, WHILE YOU WERE GONE, WE, WE APPROVED $7,575 FOR PETE MURRAY, ASSISTANT CHIEF DEPUTY OF THE TAX ASSESSOR'S OFFICE TO GET HIS PAY UP TO $60,000 COMMENSURATE WITH, WITH THE WORK 7 5, 7 5. AND THEN WE ADDED $1,500 TO, UM, MAKE UP FOR US NOT GIVING THE NEW IT PERSON THAT WE'VE ALLOWED TO BE HIRED. NOW THEY CAN HAVE A LAPTOP. OKAY, THANK YOU. SO THIS BRINGS US BACK TO THE DISCUSSION OF THE DOLLAR AMOUNT. NO ACTION TO BE TAKEN FROM ME ON THE LEGAL DISCUSSION, ON THE FEES, ON THE, OKAY. YEAH. WASN'T THAT WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT? I'M SORRY. WELL, I, NO, I WAS GONNA GET THERE. OH, I WAS GONNA GET THERE. THANK YOU. YOU WERE LOOKING AT ME, SOP. YEP. NO. ALRIGHT, SO WE'RE, WE'RE GOOD THERE. UM, DO, DO, DO WE HAVE A DOLLAR AMOUNT THAT WE WANT TO? I, I DO. I HAVE ONE TO PROPOSE. UM, I KNOW THAT, UH, LORNE, I I JUST WANT HIS UNDIVIDED ATTENTION SO THAT IT DOESN'T SLIP THROUGH. UM, THAT'S A VERY KIND WAY OF SAYING I'M SLOW. YOU'RE NOT SLOW. YOU'RE, YOU'RE WORKING. IS WHAT YOU'RE DOING METHODICAL IS OKAY, JUST GIVE ME A SECOND. YEAH, YOU HAVE, YOU HAVE THAT SECOND, BUT JUDGE THE ANSWER IS YES, I DO HAVE A NUMBER. OKAY. AND I'M ABOUT TO PROPOSE THE NUMBER. HMM. OKAY, GO AHEAD. SO THE NUMBER I WOULD LIKE TO PROPOSE IS THAT WE INCREASE THE BALANCE, THE FUND BALANCE TRANSFER INTO THIS BUDGET TO $1.5 MILLION, WHICH IS A $400,000 INCREASE. AND THAT IS A MOTION. ALL RIGHT. HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER STACY SECOND. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GOANA. FURTHER QUESTIONS OR, UM, YEAH, I'D LIKE TO DISCUSS THIS. OKAY. BECAUSE AGAIN, IT'S, IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO ME THAT I'M UNDERSTANDING NUMBERS. OKAY. SO THIS MORNING WE WERE GIVEN THIS, WHICH SHOWS A, WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES OF A NINE MONTH PRORATION ARE IN INSTEAD OF 10. OKAY. UM, LISA, YOU, YOU SENT US A EMAIL LAST NIGHT. [00:55:01] I JUST, THIS IS THE ONE I'M LOOKING FOR. YEAH, THERE IT'S, I GOT MY OWN. OKAY. SO YOU HAD SENT US A EMAIL LAST NIGHT THAT SAID, UM, YOU PROJECT FUND BALANCE AT THE END OF THE YEAR AT 24 971. OKAY. UM, UH, UNASSIGNED, UNASSIGNED THE FUND BALANCE WILL BE MUCH BIGGER THAN THAT. BUT THIS IS THE AMOUNT THAT'S NOT ALLOCATED ALREADY. SO BY THAT, IT WOULD BE LIKE THE MILLION ONE THAT WE TOOK OUT FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS TAKEN AWAY FROM THERE. NO, THAT'S WHAT YOU HAVE GOING IN, INTO 26. THAT'S IF EVERY DIME WAS SPENT IN 2025, WHICH UNDERSTOOD. WHICH YOU, I DOUBT THAT'S GONNA ARE ARE YOU SAYING THAT OUR FUND BALANCE HERE, THE NUMBER YOU HAVE, 24 9 DOES NOT INCLUDE THE MILLION ONE THAT WE'RE NO, SO YOU WOULD SUBTRACT, YOU WOULD DEDUCT HOWEVER MUCH YOUR PLAN ON TAKING FROM FUND BALANCE FROM THAT. SO 25 MILLION, IF YOU'RE GONNA USE ONE AND A HALF MILLION, THAT'S GONNA PUT YOU DOWN TO 23 5. IN THE WORST CASE SCENARIO, IF EVERYTHING WAS SPENT. 'CAUSE WE'RE NOT GONNA SPEND EVERYTHING IN THE 25 BUDGET. RIGHT. I GAVE YOU THE MOST CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE I COULD GIVE YOU. I I I GET IT NOW I'M, BUT I'M UNDERSTANDING, BUT I, I, I GUESS I MISUNDERSTOOD, BUT THANKS FOR CLARIFYING IT. SO OUR 24 9 IS REALLY NOT 24 9, IT'S REALLY 23 8 BECAUSE WE'VE ALREADY AGREED WE'RE TAKING A MILLION. OKAY, HERE, HERE'S WHERE I'M GOING Y'ALL. UH, IT'S, IT'S TO ME, I WAS TRYING TO SIMPLIFY THIS AND I DON'T KNOW THAT I DID, BUT TO ME, I TOOK ALL OF OUR EXPENDITURES, UM, WHICH IS OFF THIS SHEET. WE GOT THE 58 992, 247, I ADDED IN $175,000 FOR ROADS. UM, I ADDED IN PETE MURRAY'S RAYS, I ADDED IN THE NEW LAPTOP AND I CAME UP WITH 59 MILLION 1 76, 3 22 IS WHAT WE'RE GONNA BE SPENDING. AND I'M JUST REALIZING NOW WE, IF WE DECIDE TO KEEP OUR 10 MONTH, WE SHOULD TAKE OUT ANOTHER 69, 8 90. BUT FORGET THAT. SO I ADD, I DIVIDED THAT BY 12. I GOT FIVE MONTHS WOULD'VE BEEN 24 MILLION, 6 56, 800. THAT'S FIVE MONTHS. THAT'S RIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF WHERE WERE OUR PROJECTIONS ARE, BUT NOW, AND SO I THOUGHT WELL SHOOT, WE'LL BE ABLE TO FIND A COMPROMISE THERE. UM, NOW WHAT I'M HEARING IS THAT OUR, WHAT, WHAT NUMBER DID YOU JUST SAY? 24 6. 2024. 6 56. 800. OKAY. THAT WOULD BE FIVE MONTHS. AND I THOUGHT, WELL WITH 24 9 THAT WOULD GIVE US $250,000. WE COULD REDUCE SOMEWHERE AND WE'D BE FINE. I DON'T FEEL THAT WAY ANYMORE BECAUSE 24 9 ISN'T 24 9. UM, AND I KNOW EVERYBODY LOOKS AT EACH OTHER AND SAYS, YEAH, BUT WE'RE NOT GONNA SPEND ALL THE MONEY. AND I WOULD PROBABLY AGREE WE WON'T SPEND ALL THE MONEY. BUT CAN YOU GIVE US AN IDEA OF HOW MUCH MONEY WE WON'T SPEND THAT WE WILL BE POURING INTO THE FUND BALANCE? BECAUSE I'M TRYING TO FIND A WAY THAT WE CAN REACH A SOLUTION WHICH ACHIEVES EVERYONE'S GOAL, WHICH IS TO HAVE THE LOWEST PROPERTY TAX RATE POSS REASONABLY POSSIBLE. AND TO HAVE A SAFE FUND TO BALANCE. AND I FEEL REAL SAFE AT FIVE MONTHS. WHAT I'M HEARING IS WE'RE NOT AT FIVE MONTHS. I THOUGHT WE WERE. OKAY. SO CAN YOU GIMME AN IDEA WHAT WE'RE GOING, WHAT YOU THINK WILL BE LEFT OVER FROM FISCAL YEAR 25 THAT WILL GO INTO THE FUND BALANCE THAT WILL INCREASE THIS 24 9 NUMBER YOU GAVE US. IS THIS CORRECT? WELL, IT ALSO PLAYS IN, UH, WHETHER WE'RE GONNA TAKE ANY MONEY OUT OF 25, LIKE WE TALKED ABOUT THE LAST COURT TO PAY FOR THE DA EXPANSION. PRETTY CLOSE. YEAH. I THINK, I'M SORRY, I I WAS INTERRUPTING. I, I WE COULD, WE, WE COULD MAKE THAT ANSWER A NO, NOT TAKING ANY MORE MONEY OUT. WE COULD MAKE THAT ANSWER A NO. YEAH. YES. [01:00:04] SO WHAT, WHAT, WHAT WAS THE QUESTION? I THOUGHT THE QUESTION REQUIRED A DOLLAR AMOUNT ANSWER, NOT THE REQUIRE. YEAH. NOT A YES OR NOS. WHAT I THOUGHT , THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. SHE, SHE WAS ASKING A QUESTION ABOUT SOME TRANSFERS THAT, THAT WE TALKED ABOUT. OKAY. YOU WERE ANSWERING HER QUESTION? YES. OKAY. THE, THE QUESTION I'M ASKING IS, UM, COMING INTO THIS MORNING, I WAS LOOKING AT THE EMAIL FROM, UM, 4:39 PM YESTERDAY THAT SAID, WE HAVE AN ESTIMATED FUND BALANCE OF 24 9. I THOUGHT THAT INCLUDED THE MILLION ONE WE WERE TAKING AWAY. IT DOESN'T. UM, SO TO GET WHAT I THINK IS WE'RE REALLY GONNA ESTIMATE OUR FUND BALANCE AT, I'M ASKING, UM, LISA, IF SHE CAN GIVE US A GUESSTIMATE OF HOW MUCH FROM FY 25 IS GOING TO BE DROPPED INTO THE FUND BALANCE ON MORNING OF OCTOBER 1ST, 500,000. THAT'S ALSO AS CONSERVATIVE AS I CAN THINK. I, I KNOW A FEW PLACES THAT THERE'S, UH, AREAS THAT MAY OR MAY NOT, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THEM ARE, UM, ARE IFFY. IT DEPENDS ON, YOU KNOW, NOW THAT WE JUST RECEIVED YOUR LAST LEGAL BILL, I STILL HAVE A WHOLE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER. STILL. HE, HE ONLY CHARGED YOU THROUGH AUGUST. SO THERE'S A WHOLE NOTHER MONTH THERE THAT I HAVE THAT'S AN UNKNOWN, UH, BUT LET'S JUST SAY 500,000. OKAY, THANKS. SO I KNOW WE'RE STILL IN DISCUSSION. SO I, BASED ON THIS CALCULATION, I COME UP WITH THE 24 9 NUMBER YOU SENT LAST NIGHT. WE SUBTRACT THE MILLION ONE, WHICH WE'VE ALREADY AGREED, AND WE'VE ALREADY AGREED WE'RE ALL GONNA TAKE AWAY AND PUT INTO THE SHERIFF'S REMODEL. UM, WE ADD 500,000, WHICH IS YOUR BEST ESTIMATE OF HOW MUCH MONEY WILL BE LEFT OVER, AND WE'LL GET POURED INTO THE FUND BALANCE. SO NOW WE HAVE A FUND BALANCE OF 24 300, UM, WHICH IS LESS THAN THE FIVE MONTHS, UM, 24, WHICH I CALCULATED 24, 600, 6 50, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO, UM, I KNOW WE'RE STILL IN DISCUSSION, BUT I KNOW EVERYONE WANTS TO GET THE LOWEST TAX RATE, BUT FOR ME, THE REASON I AM GOING TO VOTE NO ON THIS MOTION IS BECAUSE I WANNA HAVE A HEALTHY FUND BALANCE. YOU'VE SOLD US. IT'S BETWEEN FOUR AND SIX MONTHS. WE'RE GONNA BE EVEN AS IS JUST A HAIR UNDER FIVE MONTHS. AND SO TO TAKE ANOTHER, HOW MUCH DID YOU ASK FOR? 400 AND SOME 400? YEAH. YEAH. ANOTHER 400,000 IS NOT SOMETHING I'M COMFORTABLE WITH. IF WE DON'T HAVE A NUMBER TO HIT, IF THERE WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS DRIVING THAT OTHER THAN JUST, UH, I DON'T MEAN THIS TACKY WAY, AN ARBITRARY DESIRE TO HIT A NUMBER, UM, I COULD PROBABLY LOOK AT IT DIFFERENTLY. AND I DIDN'T MEAN ARBITRARY AS A TACKY THING TO SAY NO, FINE, BUT WE'RE SAYING LET'S HIT A NUMBER AND I DON'T KNOW THE MAGIC OF THAT NUMBER. SO GIVEN ALL THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, THAT'S WHY I'M GONNA VOTE NO ON THIS MOTION. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER COMMENTS? YEAH. YEAH. I DON'T, I DON'T KNOW THAT THE MATH IS MATH THING FOR ME. I MEAN, BASED ON WHAT, WHAT YOU SENT, WE'RE AT 24 9. RIGHT NOW WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TAKING ONE POINT, UM, FIVE OUT. SO THAT PUTS US AT 23.5. MM-HMM . ADD BACK 500, WHICH I, I THINK IS VERY CONSERVATIVE. I THINK THEY WILL BE MORE THAN THAT. UM, BUT I'M NOT THE AUDITOR, SO I'M GONNA STICK WITH 500 AND THAT PUTS US WHERE AT 24? 24. AT 24? YEAH. I, I CAME UP WITH 24 3, BUT YOUR NUMBER IS EVEN LESS THAT ABOUT, ISN'T THAT ABOUT FIVE MONTHS THEN YOU'RE SAYING IT'S ONLY FOUR, FIVE MONTHS AS I CALCULATE IT IS, IT'S LIKE 4.28 MONTHS IS 24 MILLION. $656,000. OKAY. OKAY. THAT, THAT, THAT'S A LITTLE BIT OFF BECAUSE OF THIS THING SHOWING THAT WE'RE GOING TO 10 MONTHS, BUT MM-HMM . NOT MUCH $30,000 OFF ME. OKAY. OKAY. AND SO THAT, YEAH, ON A $59 MILLION BUDGET, FIVE MONTHS IS 24 5. SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE RIGHT THERE. WE ARE DEAD ON FIVE MONTHS. YEP. [01:05:03] OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THAT'S HOW I, OKAY. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS, COMMENTS? WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER STACEY. WE HAVE A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER GOANA, IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES NOW, PLEASE. IT PASSES FOUR TO ONE. ALL RIGHT. I THINK, UNLESS SOMEBODY TELLS ME DIFFERENT, I THINK THAT PRETTY MUCH WRAPS US UP. SO CAN I, JUST FOR THE RECORD, CAN YOU TELL ME WHAT WE ARE, HOW MUCH MORE WE'RE TAKING OUT OF THE CONTINGENCY OR OUTTA THE GENERAL FRONT? 400 AND HOW MUCH? 1.5 MILLION WAS THE MOTION. IT GETS US TO 1.5 MILLION. SO WE WENT FROM 1.1 TO 1.5. OKAY. SO ANOTHER 400,000. OKAY. SO, OKAY, LET, JUST FOR OUR CLARIFICATION, 1.01, 1 MILLION, 45,000 OR WHATEVER WAS SHERIFF'S OFFICE. 55,000 WAS SOMETHING FROM YESTERDAY. I AM SORRY, WHAT? THE DOORS. THE DOORS. UH, AND THEN THE REST IS JUST F FINDING ONE TIME PURCHASES? UM, THAT I'M GOING YES, MA'AM. WHERE I COULD ASSIGN THE DA YES MA'AM. EXPANSION. YEP. UH, THOSE, THOSE KIND OF EXPENSES IF I WAS ASKED MA'AM? YES, MA'AM. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. THIS BRINGS US TO AGENDA ITEM SIX. DISCUSS AND ACT ON ADOPTING THE ROCKWALL COUNTY TAX RATE FOR 2025 FISCAL YEAR 2026 AND TAKE A RECORD VOTE IN ALL RELATED ISSUES. I WILL SAY NO ACTION TAKEN. WE WILL VOTE ON THAT IN A ROLL CALL MATTER ON TUESDAY. BRINGS US TO AGENDA ITEM SEVEN, DISCUSS AND ACT ON APPROVING THE COUNTY CLERK'S ARCHIVE PLAN FY 2026 FOR THE PRESERVATION AND RESTORATION OF THE COUNTY CLERK'S, RECORDS, ARCHIVES, AND ALL RELATED ISSUES. ONCE AGAIN, NO ACTION TAKEN. WE WILL CONTINUE THE PUBLIC HEARING TUESDAY AND WE WILL TAKE ACTION ON THAT TUESDAY. THIS GETS US TO AGENDA ITEM NUMBER 11 AT 10 18. WE'RE ADJOURNED. * This transcript was created by voice-to-text technology. The transcript has not been edited for errors or omissions, it is for reference only and is not the official minutes of the meeting.