Jun 16, 2026 Commissioners Court Workshop Meeting

[00:00:07]

EVERYONE. IT IS 10:00. I'M GOING TO CALL TO ORDER OUR VERY FIRST BUDGET MEETING AND START WITH JUST KIND OF A LITTLE REMINDER OF WHY WE'RE DOING BUDGET WORKSHOPS. JUST LIKE LAST YEAR WAS THE FIRST TIME WE DID THE BUDGET WORKSHOPS. IT'S AN EFFORT TO LET THE DEPARTMENT HEADS SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE GOVERNING BODY. HISTORICALLY, I WOULD HAVE MEETINGS THAT WOULD BE WITH THE DEPARTMENT HEADS OVER A MONTH OR MORE AND THEN WOULD SPEND, YOU KNOW, MAYBE ANOTHER MONTH PUTTING TOGETHER A BUDGET TO PRESENT TO COMMISSIONERS COURT. AND THEN IF THE COMMISSIONERS HAD ANY QUESTIONS, I WOULD HAVE TO GO INTO MY MEMORY 60 DAYS AGO, AND I SOMETIMES COULD NOT REMEMBER WHY I BUDGETED AN ITEM OR REMOVED AN ITEM. SO I WANT TO HAVE THE DEPARTMENT HEADS HAVE THE ABILITY TO SPEAK DIRECTLY TO THE COMMISSIONERS, AND ALSO WOULD LIKE TO REMIND EVERYONE THIS IS A WORKSHOP, SO IT'S A LITTLE LESS FORMAL, SO PROBABLY WON'T BE BREAKING FOR A RESTROOM BREAK. BUT IF YOU NEED TO TAKE A RESTROOM BREAK, BY

[2. Discussion of FY2027 Budget, and all related issues; (Judge New)]

THIS IS AN INFORMAL. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE QUESTIONS AND AND SO JUST NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT.

TAKE IT AWAY. OKAY. I'M GOING TO GO OVER MY LINE ITEM BUDGET HERE, STARTING WITH OFFICE SUPPLIES. I LEFT THE SAME IN THERE THIS YEAR THAT I HAD LAST YEAR. AND $600. DOWN TO POSTAGE WENT UP $20 BECAUSE I'M GETTING PRETTY CLOSE RIGHT NOW. THIS LAST BUDGET, GAS, OIL AND MAINTENANCE, LEAVING IT WHERE IT WAS LAST YEAR, 6980. I'VE GOT SOME THINGS THAT I NEED TO DO ON MY CAR, AND WITH THE GAS GOING UP LIKE IT IS, AND I, I THINK I TRAVELED THE MOST MILEAGE BACK AND FORTH FROM, YOU KNOW, ROYSE CITY AND BACK HERE, BACK AND FORTH. AND SO ALSO UNIFORMS BEFORE I GET OFF THAT, JUST A CURIOSITY, IT'S A SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER NUMBER THAN EVERYBODY ELSE HAS. AND I KIND OF REMEMBER LAST YEAR WHEN YOU WERE HERE, THE REASON FOR THAT WAS YOU. IF I REMEMBER, ONE OF THE REASONS IT WAS GIVEN WAS YOU HAD AN OLDER CAR AND IT NEEDED A LOT OF WORK. AND I THINK YOU GOT A NEWER CAR, IF I'M REMEMBERING. RIGHT. YEAH.

I'VE GOT YEAH, ONE FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. YEAH. AND SO I DON'T WANT TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME OVER RELATIVELY MINOR AMOUNTS, BUT I THINK MOST OF THE OTHER CONSTABLE'S ARE IN THE $4,000 RANGE. AND, AND I KNOW COMMISSIONER GALANTE, THIS IS PARTIALLY OF A POOL VEHICLE POOL ISSUE TOO. AND I'M JUST WONDERING IF, AGAIN, WE'RE BY THE TIME WE GET TO SEPTEMBER 30TH, EVERYBODY'S GOING TO BE FIGHTING OVER A NICKEL. SO IF WE CAN TRY AND GET IT A LITTLE BIT SLIMMER HERE, WE SHOULD. WELL, I THINK IF WE LISTEN FROM THE OTHER GOSPELS, POSSIBLY THEY MAY BE GOING UP ON THERE SOME. AND I'M GOING TO TALK TO YOU AS I GET INTO CAPITAL ABOUT THE CARS THAT THE FLAKE CARS, RIGHT, THE EXTRA CARS AND. BUT WITH THIS GAS SITUATION, I, YOU KNOW, I'D LIKE TO WAIT AND SEE WHAT I HADN'T ASKED THEM WHAT THEY'RE PUTTING IN FOR. YEAH.

WELL, I JUST MAKE IT A NOTE THEN TO OURSELVES THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO REDUCE THAT SOME AND STILL BE IN, PROVIDE THE SERVICE THAT WE NEED TO PROVIDE. AND ON THE GAS, I WAS GOING TO ASK LISA, WOULD IT BE POSSIBLE FOR US TO LOOK AT PUTTING SOME MONEY IN JUST GENERAL

[00:05:06]

AND IT'S HARD TO WE REALLY NEED ACCURATE NUMBERS UP HERE FOR WHAT WE'RE AT RIGHT NOW, BECAUSE IT'S REALLY GOING TO BE HARD FOR US TO SAY THE QUESTION ANYBODY IF WE DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY'RE AT RIGHT NOW TO WHY ARE WHY ARE THEY SO FAR OFF THE STATEMENT OF EXPENSES THAT ARE SENT TO YOU EVERY FRIDAY? I GET THAT, BUT I DON'T WANT TO GO THROUGH THAT FOR EVERY ONE OF THESE SHEETS THAT ARE IN HERE. I'M ASKING WHEN THEY SUBMITTED, WHY IS IT SO FAR OFF OF WHAT WAS SUBMITTED? WHAT I'M LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW SAYS 1400. WHY DOESN'T IT SAY 29? BECAUSE YOU'RE LOOKING AT SOMETHING THAT THEY WERE GIVEN A MONTH AND A HALF AGO. WE SEND THESE OUT. OH, SO HE SPENT DOUBLE HIS MONEY IN A MONTH AND A HALF. IF HE HAD SOME CAR REPAIRS. WE WERE WE ARE WE UPDATING FUEL EVERY MONTH OR HOW HOW DOES THAT WORK? OH, IT'S UPDATED EVERY TIME THERE'S AN INVOICE INPUTTED. SO OKAY, NOW IF YOU WANT TO HAVE THIS PRINTED OUT FOR EACH PERSON THAT'S IN FRONT OF YOU, THAT'S NOT A PROBLEM. NO, I JUST I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT. I MEAN, THIS JUST SEEMS LIKE A WILD SWING 1400 AND IT'S ONLY BEEN A MONTH SINCE HE SUBMITTED THESE PAPERS. HOW WOULD IT DOUBLE? I MEAN, HOW WOULD HE SPEND 1400 A MONTH? THE PAGE THAT HE'S GIVEN THAT YOU'RE WORKING OFF OF, PROBABLY THAT'S IN YOUR BINDER IS THROUGH MARCH. SO NOW WE'RE INTO MID JUNE. SO. BUT LISA, I THINK IT WOULD BE GOOD IF YOU JUST GAVE US EACH A PAGE. AT LEAST I'M GOING TO SPEAK FOR ME A PAGE RIGHT BEFORE, YOU KNOW, LIKE MAYBE A DAY OR TWO BEFORE OUR MEETINGS THAT THAT WOULD BE GOOD THAT WAY BECAUSE, BECAUSE WE CAN LOOK AND WE CAN SEE THAT IT WAS 1400. AND NOW ALL OF A SUDDEN IT'S 29. WE CAN AND IT'S STILL ON PACE TO BE UNDER 4000. YEAH. AGREED. THAT'S WHAT I'M TRYING TO ALL I'M TRYING TO SAY IS I WANT TO BE ABLE TO PREDICT KIND OF WHAT THEY'RE ON PACE FOR ACCURATELY WHILE WE HAVE THEM HERE SO THAT WE CAN HAVE A GOOD CONVERSATION. OKAY. SO INSTEAD OF US SENDING IT TO YOU ON FRIDAYS, YOU WANT US TO PRINT IT FOR YOU? NO, I STILL WANT IT

[00:10:03]

IT'S OKAY. WE'LL JUST WE'LL JUST HAVE TO. WE'LL JUST HAVE TO UPDATE IT ON OUR OWN. I GUESS WE CAN. MAYBE. MEREDITH, YOU AND I CAN GO DOWN THERE AND WE CAN KNOCK OUT SOME OF THESE FOR THEM REAL QUICK. THANKS. OKAY. ANOTHER THING IS, IS THAT I'M GOING TO HAVE TO PUT SOME TIRES ON THIS CAR AND IT'S. THESE ARE GOT THE NINETEENS ON THEM ON THIS TAHOE, AND IT'S GOING TO RUN A LITTLE OVER $400. AND THEN IF YOU OIL CHANGES AND ALL THAT, EVERYTHING'S GOING UP.

I MEAN, IT'S I THINK COMMISSIONER PARK, I MEAN I'M CONSTABLE PARKS THAT THE WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT AS FAR AS THE TIRES, THAT'S A REQUEST I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE GOING THROUGH THE FLEET DEPARTMENT. AND THE FLEET DEPARTMENT WILL BE THEN MAKING THE RECOMMENDATIONS. YEAH. FOR US. RIGHT. WELL, I, I GO TO THE PLACE WHERE I GET THE TIRES.

THEY, THEY CHECK THE TREAD AND THEN WE TELL CAPTAIN BROWN WHERE IT IS. AND IF IT'S OUT THERE, IF IT ISN'T, WE HOLD OFF. IF IT IS, THEY GO AHEAD AND PUT THEM. HE SAYS, OKAY, YEAH, I APPRECIATE THAT. AND AGAIN, I DIDN'T MEAN TO START A LITTLE CONFLAGRATION HERE, BUT JUST THE THE NUMBERS ARE PRECINCT ONE HAS $3,800 IN THIS LINE ITEM. PRECINCT TWO HAS $4,500, PRECINCT THREE HAS 4000. AND EVERYBODY'S GOT TO BUY TIRES. EVERYBODY'S GOT A GOT TO DEAL WITH HIGHER GAS PRICES. SO I WOULD THINK THAT IN THE. AND I KNOW THE PRECINCT THREE CONSTABLE HAS HALF THE COUNTY. HE'S GOT TO DRIVE. SO I WOULD THINK THESE NUMBERS SHOULD BE SOMEWHAT CONSISTENT. AND THAT'S. MY ONLY POINT HERE IS THAT UNLESS THERE'S SOMETHING SPECIAL, LET'S JUST WORK WITH CONSISTENT NUMBERS ACROSS THE BOARD. AND IF THEY DON'T WORK, THEY DON'T WORK. BUT WE TRY. YEAH. I ASSUME THAT STEVE'S GOING TO BE ASKING FOR AN INCREASE, NOT ONLY ON THAT, BUT ON SOME OTHER THINGS. NO, ACTUALLY, HE'S ALREADY SUBMITTED HIS BUDGET AND HE ASKED FOR 4000, SAME AS LAST YEAR. YEAH. OKAY. AND AND AGAIN, HE'S GOT 4453 YEAR TO DATE. AND I DON'T WANT TO OPEN THAT UP. BUT BUT AGAIN, JUST WHATEVER THEY SHOULD BE, THEY SHOULD BE RELATIVELY CONSISTENT NUMBERS. AND I KNOW WE RAN INTO THE SAME THING LAST YEAR AND LET'S JUST TRY AND IT'S A SMALL CHANGE, BUT LET'S FIX IT. I WOULD JUST ECHO THAT. I ALSO DON'T KNOW THAT PRECINCT THREE IS HALF THE COUNTY. IT'S PROBABLY 60% OF THE COUNTY. FROM A LAND MASS STANDPOINT. BUT I DO THINK THAT CONSTABLE TWO HAS TO DO A LOT OF DRIVING BECAUSE YOU CAN'T DRIVE TO TO YOUR PRECINCT JUST BECAUSE YOU HAVE TO GO UP TO 66.

YOU HAVE TO GO DOWN TO 30 AND GO INTO ROWLETT. IT'S JUST IT'S NOT VERY CONTIGUOUS BECAUSE THERE'S A BIG LAKE THERE, BUT, BUT A LOT OF IT HAS TO DO WITH A LOT OF THE SERVING THAT THEY'RE DOING. AND THERE'S A LOT OF BOTH IN PRECINCT FOUR AND PRECINCT TWO, THERE'S A LOT OF APARTMENTS AND, AND OTHER TYPE OF HOMES, A LOT OF HOMES THAT ARE HAVE HIGH RENTAL, HIGH RENTAL. YEAH, THAT'S, I JUST THINK SERVICE IN THEIR, THEIR AMOUNT OF. I JUST THINK WE PUT 4000 IN EACH CONSTABLE'S BUDGET. AND THEN IF THERE'S ISSUES, WE DEAL WITH THE ISSUES. IT JUST SEEMS LIKE THE MOST REASONABLE THING TO DO. ALL RIGHT. WE'VE MADE IT THROUGH ONE LINE ITEM.

WELL 12 MINUTES. OKAY. WE'LL SAY TEN. YOU TALK FOR TEN. OKAY. DON'T TAKE SHOTS AT EACH OTHER.

I MEAN, WE HAVE PEOPLE SITTING OUT HERE. YEAH. ALL RIGHT, CARRY ON, CONSTABLE, I WILL TELL YOU THAT I DO THE MOST EVICTIONS AND I'M ALL OVER. YES YOU DO. OKAY, ON TO THE NEXT.

UNIFORMS AND ACCESSORIES. I PUT 800 IN THERE BECAUSE THIS LAST YEAR, I CHECKED WITH LISA, AND I'VE GOT A NEW VEST THAT YOU GOT TO GET THEM EVERY FIVE YEARS. SO WE DECIDED GOT THE VEST LAST YEAR. AND I NEED THE, THE INNER THINGS NEED TO PROTECT YOU THIS YEAR. AND IT WENT UP $900. BUT THAT'S WHY I WENT UP ON IT SOME. HEY, MELISSA, WHERE IS THAT REAL QUICK? THE THE WHERE ARE WE 624335. IT SAYS 2000 IN OUR BOOK. I KNOW, BUT IT'S THE BUDGET'S 1200. IT SHOWS WE SPENT 206 AND LISA TOOK THE STATEMENT OF EXPENSES. SO I DON'T HAVE THAT NUMBER RIGHT NOW. AND WHAT I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT IS IF WE HAVE THE MONEY TO BUY IT. YEAH. OUT OF THIS BUDGET, I'LL ONCE I DO TAKE CARE OF THAT, LET'S SEE.

I'M GOING TO BE DOWN TO ABOUT 230. ONCE YOU TAKE CARE OF THE NEW VEST. YES, SIR. YEAH, YEAH,

[00:15:02]

YEAH. HE HAS 83256 REMAINING IN THAT LINE ITEM AS OF LAST FRIDAY. RIGHT. OKAY, I'LL PUT THAT 900 IN THERE AND BRING IT DOWN TO 232. IT WOULD BE IF YOU BUY IT NOW, IS THAT WHAT I HEARD YOU SAY OR IS IT STILL THE SAME PRICE TO BUY THE VEST? IF YOU HAVE, IF YOU HAVE THE FUNDING NOW. YEAH, I'VE BEFORE THE END OF THIS BUDGET, IF YOU ALL APPROVE IT, THEN I'LL. I'LL SPEND AN EXTRA $900 PUTTING THE STUFF IN THE VEST. THAT PROTECTS YOU. AND THEN THERE WILL BE A 232 LEFT, AND I'M GOING TO BE BUYING SOME UNIFORMS, SO IT'LL BE PRETTY CLOSE. I'M NOT GOING TO GO OVER. I AM CONFUSED AS WELL. WHY DO YOU SAY YOU HAVE 232 LEFT? WELL, ARE YOU ASSUMING THAT YOU HAVE 2000? YEAH. IF I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND PAY FOR THE INSERTS TODAY, I'LL HAVE $232 LEFT. THE INSERTS ARE GOING TO RUN $900. WELL, COMMISSIONER STACY JUST FOUND YOU ONLY HAVE 800 AND SOME ODD DOLLARS. WHAT I'M SAYING, IF I'VE GOT. YEAH, BUT THAT'S IN THIS YEAR. YEAH, THAT'S WHAT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. SO IF I GOT 832 AND THEN I PAY. WELL, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING BECAUSE YOU HAVE $4,000 LEFT IN YOUR GAS, OIL AND MAINTENANCE. SO YOU COULD YOU COULD GET $70 FROM THERE. YOU COULD SPEND THE MONEY. NOW WE COULD TAKE IT OUT OF THIS BUDGET. AND THEN YOU WOULD STILL HAVE BUDGET FOR TO BUY YOUR UNIFORMS. JUST WAIT TILL Q4. YEAH. THAT'S WHAT YOU WANT ME TO DO. THAT'D BE FINE.

ALL RIGHT. THAT'S WHAT I'D PREFER TO DO. IF WE HAVE THE MONEY AND WE NEED SOMETHING FOR SAFETY. LISA MENTIONED THAT TOO. YEAH. LET'S LET'S GO AHEAD AND GO AHEAD AND DO IT. OKAY. SO THAT'S GOING TO BE USING. SO ON. IF Y'ALL WANT TO GO TO THE NEXT ONE. YES, SIR. PLEASE. OKAY.

I'M THE AMMO. I KEEP MINE AROUND 300. I THINK SOME OF THE OTHERS GO A LITTLE BIT HIGHER.

THAT'S A GOOD NUMBER FOR ME. AND I'M LEAVING IT AT 300 AGAIN THIS YEAR TO QUALIFY. AND SUCH AS THAT AT THE RANGE WITH MY RIFLE SHOTGUN, MY HANDGUN THAT I CARRY AND MY BACKUP. IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN FOUR BULLETS. I KNOW YOU'RE USED TO HAVING TO DEFEND TO DEFEND THE AMMO LINE ITEM, BUT I THINK YOU'RE GOING TO FIND THAT YOU NO LONGER HAVE TO DEFEND YOUR I'M JUST KIDDING. YOUR AMMO BUDGET. SO. JUST KEEPING YOUR FURNITURE AS IT IS. NOT REALLY BUYING ANYTHING. ONE YEAR YOU WANT ME TO GO TO EQUIPMENT? YEAH, YEAH, LET'S LET'S LEAVE IT AT. IT'S 500. LEAVE IT 500. MY PRINTER. I THINK IT'S GOING TO GO OUT ANY DAY. IT'S MAKING A TERRIBLE NOISE. I'VE HAD IT OVER THERE AND SO THAT'LL PROBABLY BE TAKEN CARE OF. MOST OF THAT. COMMISSIONER STACY, IS THIS ONE WHERE WE'RE CONSOLIDATING PRINTERS OR DO YOU KNOW. NOT CURRENTLY. NOT CURRENTLY. OKAY. THIS IS ONE I GOT FROM CONSTABLE BENEDETTO

[00:20:07]

COMMISSIONER. DO YOU KNOW THE ANSWER TO THAT, CONSTABLE I DON'T OKAY, OKAY. WE CAN MAYBE ASK THE THE SHERIFF THAT THAT ANSWER. OKAY. OR THAT QUESTION. ALL RIGHT. CAN I TALK TO YOU ON THE TRAVELING TRAIN? SEND HIM AN EMAIL TOMORROW OR TODAY AND ASK HIM. YOU. WHAT'D YOU SAY? TRAVEL AND TRAINING. YES, SIR. I STILL GOT MY JPCA CONFERENCE COMING UP, AND THERE'S GOING TO BE ANOTHER ONE IN NORTH TEXAS AND LATER ON. BUT I'M SENDING CHAD. TO TO A PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER SCHOOL AND PART OF IT. $500 IS GOING TO COME OUT OF MY BUDGET. AND TREY CHENEY'S DOING THE SAME THING. AND SO THE OTHER 500 HAVE COME OUT OF. HE IS. AND THEN THEN WHEN I DO MY TRAINING, I'M GOING TO. A PRETTY MUCH TAKEN CARE OF ALL THAT. ALL RIGHT.

THIS CAPITAL LEASES DOWN HERE THE $3,400, I BELIEVE CHAD SAID. THAT HAS TO DO WITH OUR CAMERA, BODY CAMERAS AND STUFF. JOHN. COMMISSIONER STACY KNOWS ABOUT THAT. AND THAT'S, I BELIEVE LAST YEAR WAS 33, 43. NOW WE'VE GOT 3400. ALL RIGHT. SO ANOTHER THING I WANTED TO MENTION, AND

[00:25:02]

WHAT'S THAT? LET'S LET'S TALK ABOUT THE CAPITAL OUTLAY. OKAY, SO HERE'S MY PLAN. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S APPROVED OR NOT, BUT I THINK IT'S A GOOD PLAN. I PUT IN FOR A 24 CHEVROLET PICKUP.

52,000. THE THAT 162. THAT'S THE ONES LIKE THE SHERIFF'S HAVE. I WAS HOPING THAT WE COULD HAVE GOT ONE OUT OF THE FLEET, BUT EVERYTHING GOT FOULED UP WHEN THE WEATHER HIT AND EVERYTHING GOT HAIL DAMAGE. SO MY QUESTION IS, I SEE COMMISSIONER MACKLIN, I GOT THIS TAHOE WITH 29000 MILES ON IT. AND SO MY PLAN WAS ALSO COMMISSIONER GALIANO IS LOOKING AT THESE DODGE, WHAT DO THEY CALL DURANGOS? DURANGOS. I KEEP LOSING THAT WORD ANYWAY, SO HE'LL PROBABLY TALK TO YOU ABOUT ALL THAT LATER. AND I AGREED WITH HIM THERE. THERE ARE A LOT CHEAPER AND THEY'RE GOOD CARS. AND SO IF IF HE WAS DECIDING TO GO THAT ROUTE, I AGREED WITH HIM BECAUSE I'D ALREADY TURNED THIS IN ON THIS PICKUP. AND THE EQUIPMENT TO THE TRUCK IS 28,000. BUT THE EQUIPMENT ON THE DURANGO, IT'S PRETTY CLOSE TO THE SAME, MAYBE 20,000. AND THE DURANGOS ARE 40 TO 45 AND PROBABLY 40. AND SO YOU'RE GOING TO SAVE A PRETTY GOOD BIT OF MONEY. BUT WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO, TOO, IS. SO I'M JUST KIND OF THINKING OUT LOUD HERE WITH THE TWO CONSTABLES, FRAZIER AND CHENEY. IF THEY COME AT YOU WANTING A DEPUTY, WHETHER IT'S FULL TIME OR PART TIME, I DON'T KNOW. BUT I THINK THAT THEY'VE TALKED TO SOME OF YOU. SO MY THINKING ON THIS IS, IS. LET'S SAY I GET ONE OF THESE CARS AND I'M GOING TO TURN THIS TAHOE OVER TO CHAD BECAUSE IF THEY GET NEW DEPUTIES, I LIKE CHAD TO COME SPECIFIC WITH ME, WHICH I TRIED TO DO THAT LAST YEAR. IF HE DOES COME WITH ME, HE'LL HAVE THIS CARD. IT'LL LAST 2 OR 3 YEARS OR WHATEVER. THE ONE I'M DRIVING NOW AND IN THE CAR THAT HE HAS NOW WAS ONE THAT WE REBUILT FROM THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. THAT WAS A DRUG DOG CAR.

IT SMELLED TERRIBLE. IT TOOK TWO WEEKS TO GET IT CLEANED OUT, EVERYTHING. AND SO THAT CAR IN THAT CAR IS MY RADIO, MY RADAR, AND MY CAMERA FROM MY TAHOE THAT BIT THE DUST. OKAY, WE PUT IT IN THERE SO WE DIDN'T ASK FOR ANOTHER 19 OR $20,000. SO WHAT I'D LIKE TO DO INSTEAD OF IF I GOT A DURANGO OR WHATEVER IT IS, I'D LIKE TO TAKE THOSE THREE THINGS OUT OF CHAD'S CAR AND PUT IT IN THIS NEW ONE. AND, AND THEN. AND THEN, BECAUSE MY CAR IS COMPLETELY EQUIPPED AND WE WOULDN'T BE COMING TO YOU FOR ANY MORE MONEY. AND THEN. SO THE PRECINCT TWO AND THREE WILL HAVE THE OTHER TWO CARS, THE ONE CHAD WAS DRIVING AND THE EXTRA ONE THAT WE'VE GOT.

SO. AND, AND THAT WOULD HELP THE DEPUTIES COMING ON IF YOU OKAYED IT WITH PRECINCTS TWO AND THREE, THERE WOULD BE TWO CARS FOR THEM STARTING OFF. SO IT'S SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT.

YEAH, I BUT BUT I'LL LET Y'ALL TALK TO THEM ABOUT ALL THAT. AND YOU KNOW, I WAS JUST TRYING TO, TO HELP THEM IN THAT SITUATION WITH THIS, WE, WE HAVE PUT IN A LOT OF EFFORT TO GET ON TOP OF OUR CAR SITUATION. AND I FEEL LIKE WE'VE JUST NOW HAVE A GOOD PLAN PUT TOGETHER.

SO I CAN TELL YOU ON ANY VEHICLE REQUEST GOING FORWARD, MY ONE QUESTION IS GOING TO BE,

[00:30:03]

THEY CAN TELL YOU REAL QUICK. DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY MILES CHAD WE PUT IN ON THE CAR? I'M JUST CURIOUS WHERE YOU CAME UP WITH THE NUMBER THAT CHAD'S CAR WOULD LAST TWO YEARS. I MEAN, BECAUSE IS HE PUTTING WOULD HE PUT 6000 MILES, 70,000 MILES ON A CAR IN TWO YEARS? WELL, NO, WHAT I'M THINKING IS, IS THAT SO TO GET TO 100,000, YOU KNOW, BEFORE YOU'D HAVE TO PUT 60,000 MILES IN TWO YEARS. WELL, 2 OR 3. I JUST THREW OUT TWO YEARS. I MEAN, HE COULD EVEN GET 2 OR 3. AND YOU KNOW, I'M SAYING TO. SO IF THERE IS A NEW CONSTABLE IN PRECINCT ONE IN A LITTLE OVER TWO YEARS. AND AND MY GUY'S GONE FOR SOME REASON. YOU KNOW, IF HE RAN FOR THAT JOB AND HE DID GET THE JOB. I'M JUST THINKING OUT LOUD. JUST TRANSFER THAT CAR INTO PRECINCT ONE. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING? ALL RIGHT. YEP. LET'S. SO THAT'S THAT'S YOUR MAIN EXPENSE.

WHAT? THAT'S ALL I GOT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU, CONSTABLE PARKS. THANKS FOR LISTENING TO ME. YOU BET. THANK YOU, SIR. I HOPE THAT HELPS. YEP. IT ALWAYS HELPS. ALWAYS HELPS US TO SEE WHAT TWO AND THREE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT. I THINK THEY'RE GOING TO COME GIVE MONEY BACK IS WHAT I'VE HEARD. OKAY. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT, CONSTABLE FRAZIER, COME ON UP. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING SIR. THANK YOU FOR BEING PATIENT. THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME SPEAK. THIS. WELCOME. NOW. YES, SIR. ALL RIGHT. GOOD MORNING. OFFICIALLY. SO I'M ASSUMING YOU WANT TO GO OVER THE LINE ITEMS. YEAH. AND ANYTHING THAT'S THE SAME. I MEAN, UNLESS THERE'S SOME IRREGULARITY, WE DON'T NEED TO GO OVER THAT. JUST WHAT'S WHAT'S THE DELTA AND WHAT WE'RE ASKING FOR. RIGHT. IN THE INTEREST OF TIME, LET ME JUST SAY, IF YOU LOOK AT THE UNIFORM ACCESSORIES, THE REASON I'M DOWN TO 33% IS BECAUSE I HAD TO BUY THE THE EQUIPMENT FOR THE FIRST YEAR. SO THAT'S THE ONLY REASON. THAT'S WHERE IT'S AT THE MAINTENANCE ON THE CAR, THE GAS EXPENSES, EVERYTHING STAYS THE SAME. THERE'S ONLY ONE LIGHT LINE ITEM THAT THAT BEEN MADE AWARE THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE. AND THAT IS TO ADD $150 TO THE DUES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS. AND LET ME TELL YOU WHY. I GOT A LETTER ABOUT A INTERNET ROUTER THAT WAS INSTALLED. SO THAT'S WHY I NEED 300 INSTEAD OF 150. SO OTHER THAN THAT, EVERYTHING'S GOING TO STAY THE SAME. AS FAR AS THE LINE ITEMS GO. ALL RIGHT, WELL, LET'S JUMP INTO CAPITAL OUTLAY. PERFECT, PERFECT. BEFORE WE DO THAT, THIS IS KIND OF A GENERAL COMMENT THAT COMES UP A NUMBER OF PLACES. WE TALKED ABOUT BONDING IN BOND FEES IN, I'M

[00:35:03]

I WILL TELL YOU MY, MY FIRST DRAFT WILL INCORPORATE NEW UP TO DATE BOND AMOUNTS. OKAY, GREAT. THANKS. SORRY TO DERAIL YOU THERE, STEVE. NO, SIR. THAT'S FINE. JUDGE, CAN I, BEFORE WE GO INTO THE CAPITAL OUTLAY, CAN I REFER TO MY THE BULLET POINTS. YES, SIR. YES, SIR. PLEASE. BECAUSE PLEASE AND THANK YOU. YOU YOU'VE CLEARLY PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO THIS AND. WELL THANK YOU. SO THIS IS GOING TO BE THE JUSTIFICATION FOR WHAT I'M GOING TO ASK FOR.

OKAY. AND I'M SURE THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE HAD THE CHANCE TO REVIEW IT. SO BASICALLY WHAT I WILL SAY IS JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I DID NOT INCLUDE. FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR. I JUST GAVE YOU FIVE MONTHS FOR THE 2026. BUT WHEN YOU TAKE THAT INTO CONSIDERATION, WE'RE DOING ABOUT 125% MORE WORK THAN THE PREVIOUS CONSTABLE FOR PRECINCT THREE. AND YOU CAN SEE THE STATISTICS THERE. THERE'S NO NEED TO READ DOWN THROUGH THOSE, BUT THE MILEAGE YOU CAN SEE I'M PUTTING ABOUT 11 TO 12,000 MILES A YEAR WHERE IT WAS ROUGHLY ABOUT 3 OR 4000 BEFORE.

SO THE WORKLOAD HAS INCREASED CLEARLY. AND LIKE COMMISSIONER LITKE SAID, WE HAVE A LOT OF MILES. SO THAT'S PART OF THE JUSTIFICATION. I MADE A PHONE CALL TO TEN COUNTIES SIMILAR IN SIZE, SPOKE TO THE CONSTABLE'S. MY CONCERN NOT ONLY IS THAT WE HAVE WORKLOAD, ADDITIONAL WORKLOAD, IT'S OFFICER SAFETY FOR THE MOVE OUTS, THE KICK OUTS THAT WE DO, THE RID OF POSSESSIONS. MOST EVERYONE IN THE STATE OUT OF THE TEN, EIGHT OUT OF TEN SAID THEY USED TWO OR MORE DEPUTIES PER MOVE OUT. THE OTHER TWO THAT ONLY USED ONE HAD GONE TO THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT AND THEY WERE DENIED. BUT ALL TEN OF THEM SAID IT'S AN OFFICER SAFETY ISSUE. PART OF THE PROBLEM IS BECAUSE ALL OF US ARE WORKING AND ALL OF US ARE BUSY, OFTENTIMES WE CAN'T COORDINATE WITH OTHER CONSTABLES TO HELP EACH OTHER.

SO A PART TIME DEPUTY WOULD HELP IN THAT WAY. AND ALSO FOR THE BAILIFF DUTIES. I'M DONE.

90 HOURS OF COURT THUS FAR THIS YEAR, AND I BELIEVE THE NUMBER WAS 216 ESTIMATED FOR THE YEAR, BUT THAT WOULD HELP. IT WOULD HELP THAT HE OR SHE WOULD BE ABLE TO TO GO WITH ME ON THE MOVE OUTS. SO IN THE MATTER OR IN THE INTEREST OF OFFICER SAFETY, THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT I'M ASKING FOR PART TIME DEPUTY. SO DO YOU THINK IF THERE WAS A FULL TIME DEPUTY WILL, YOU COULD COORDINATE ENOUGH WHERE THEY COULD HANDLE ALL FOUR PRECINCT MOVE OUTS? BECAUSE I KNOW IT'S REALLY NOT UP TO YOU. YOUR MOVE OUTS COME WHEN THEY COME. AND I LIKE A DEDICATED DEPUTY. I WANT A DEPUTY THAT'S DEDICATED TO PRECINCT THREE. AND I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE OTHER DEPUTIES. I DO NOT BELIEVE A SHARED DEPUTY IS IN THE BEST INTEREST OF OF ROCKWALL COUNTY. THAT'S MY OPINION JUST ON THAT FACT, I WILL SAY THAT I LOOKED AT MY RECORDS AND I BELIEVE, AND THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH DEPUTY FOG AT ALL. THIS IS BASICALLY THE WAY I USED HIM. I ONLY USED HIM ABOUT 11 OR 12% OF THE TIME. NOW I'M ENTITLED TO 25%, BUT PEOPLE GO OUT OF TOWN. THE OTHER CONSTABLES USE HIM IN DIFFERENT WAYS. AND AND I DON'T

[00:40:04]

SO I'M WONDERING KIND OF GOING BACK TO ASKING THE SAME QUESTION THAT WE ASKED LAST YEAR, ONLY MAYBE IF TWO PEOPLE SHARE, DOES IT WORK BETTER? AND IS THAT A MORE EFFICIENT USE OF OUR RESOURCES? LET ME BACK UP JUST FOR A SECOND. CONSTABLE CHANEY AND I TALKED ABOUT ORIGINALLY SHARING A FULL TIME, AND WE EVENTUALLY CAME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT A DEDICATED PART TIME BE BETTER. NOW, WHERE ARE WE GOING TO GET A CAR? HOW CAN WE, HOW CAN WE MANAGE THAT? I HAVE TALKED TO CAPTAIN BROWN RECENTLY AND AND I DON'T KNOW ABOUT THE CAR SITUATION, BUT RECENTLY HE SAID THERE MAY BE A POSSIBILITY THAT WE COULD GET A POOL CAR AT NO EXPENSE. HOWEVER, THERE WILL BE EXPENSES FOR CAMERA AND THAT SORT OF THING, AND THAT'S WHAT I OUTLINED IN THE IN THE. CAPITAL OUTLAY AGAIN. BUT IT WOULD BE IF WE DID IT THAT WAY, IT'D BE TWO POOL CARS, RIGHT? IT WOULD, BUT WE WE'VE ALREADY GOT ONE. WE, I MEAN, THERE'S ALREADY ONE POOL CAR. WELL, BUT WE ALREADY HAD WILL KEEP USING THAT. RIGHT. IT'S A SPARE CAR RIGHT NOW.

IT'S A SPARE CAR. SO IF ONE OF THE CARS BREAKS DOWN THEN SOMEBODY USE THAT. WE WILL HAVE TO GET ANOTHER VEHICLE. SO ARE YOU ASKING CAN WE SHARE A VEHICLE? CAN A PART TIME SHARE VEHICLE? NO NO NO NO NO NO. I DON'T THINK YOU CAN. WHAT. I DON'T THINK WE CAN EITHER. WHAT I'M ASKING IS CAN TO RIGHT NOW WE WE GOT A SITUATION WHICH SEEMED QUESTIONABLE TO ME AT

[00:45:03]

AND CHENEY'S NOT GOING TO BE HERE FOREVER. WE WANT SOMEBODY TO WALK INTO A A MANAGEABLE SITUATION, A SUSTAINABLE SITUATION. AND BECAUSE OF THE WORKLOAD, I JUST DON'T SEE THAT'S POSSIBLE RIGHT NOW. I MEAN, I CAN I CAN SPEAK FOR MYSELF, MY MY WORKLOAD. I CAN SAY THAT I WAS OVERWHELMED COMPLETELY, PROBABLY UNTIL PROBABLY THE FIRST EIGHT MONTHS OF MY JOB. AND I WON'T GET INTO DETAIL ABOUT WHY, BUT I WILL TELL YOU THAT WHEN YOU COMBINE THAT WITH THE WORKLOAD, IT'S VERY STRESSFUL AND IT WOULD BE VERY HELPFUL AND I THINK VERY NEEDED THAT WE GET A DEDICATED PART TIME BECAUSE WE'RE GROWING, BECAUSE SOMEBODY'S GOING TO COME RIGHT BACK TO YOU AND ASK FOR A FULL TIME OR A DEDICATED NEXT YEAR OR THE NEXT YEAR. AND I THINK IT'S JUSTIFIED RIGHT NOW. I THINK THERE'S IN MY IN MY MIND, AND I CAN'T SPEAK FOR TREY CHENEY, BUT I THINK HE WOULD AGREE. YOU CAN ASK HIM, BUT I THINK IT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST OF ROCKWALL COUNTY, AND I THINK IT'S IN THE BEST INTEREST FOR MY PRECINCT TO GET A DEDICATED PART TIME. I JUST THINK IT'D BE TOO MANY CONFLICTS WHEN I NEED TO. FOR EXAMPLE, I'M GOING TO PIO SCHOOL, THE SAME SCHOOL CHAD'S GOING TO A DIFFERENT TIME. I'M GOING TO HOUSTON OR CONROE IN A FEW MONTHS, AND I NEED SOMEBODY TO COVER MY COURT. I NEED SOMEBODY TO COVER MY PAPERS WHILE I'M GONE. I DON'T WANT TO COME BACK AND BE BEHIND. AND THAT'S THE KEY. YOU GOT TO STAY AHEAD OR YOU WILL GET OVERWHELMED. SO THAT'S THE THAT'S THE REALITY OF IT. I MEAN, I, I, IT'S A, IT'S A VERY, IN MY MIND, IT'S THE CHEAPEST WAY TO GET THROUGH THIS TO GET ADDITIONAL PERSONNEL. I'M NOT ASKING NO OFFENSE TO ANYONE.

I'M NOT ASKING FOR A NEW CAR. I JUST NEED A DEPUTY TO HAVE A VEHICLE TO DRIVE THAT HAS THE EQUIPMENT THAT MINE HAS. AND I CAN GO THROUGH ALL OF THAT. BUT IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE DO ABOUT 20 TO 30% OF THE ADMINISTRATIVE. I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. I HAD A FRIEND THAT'S A CONSTABLE IN ANOTHER COUNTY, AND HE HAS A CLERK AND HE HAS FIVE DEPUTIES. AND WHEN HE FOUND OUT THAT WE HAVE NO CLERK AND WE HAVE NO HELP, HE COULDN'T BELIEVE IT, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE NUMBERS THAT WE'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW. NOW, LISTEN, YOU'RE AN ALLY. I'M NOT CRITICIZING ANYONE. I THINK YOU WANT THE SAME THING I DO. YOU WANT WHAT'S BEST FOR THE COUNTY, AND YOU HAVE TO MANAGE THE BUDGET. I GET THAT. SO BECAUSE OF THAT, SIR. SO WE'VE DEFINITELY DONE THAT. LET ME JUST INTERRUPT YOU JUST REAL QUICK. I WANT TO BECAUSE YOU'RE KIND OF TALKING, YOU'RE GOING TALKING ABOUT THE SAME THING. AND I JUST WANT TO INTERJECT. I AGREE WITH YOU WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, OKAY. AND I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO KEEP REHASHING IT. BUT HERE'S MY HERE'S MY POINT WITH THIS. LOOK, WE HAVE FOR YEARS BEFORE ANY OF US HAVE BEEN HERE KICKED THIS CAN DOWN THE ROAD ON SO MANY DEPARTMENTS. WE ARE TRYING TO SHOVE TWO DIFFERENT LAW ENFORCEMENT BODIES TOGETHER WITH THESE. EACH CONSTABLE'S A SEPARATE LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITY, Y'ALL, AND WE ARE TRYING TO SHOVE PEOPLE TOGETHER AND MAKE SOME HYBRID THAT NOBODY ELSE DOES. WE HAVE TO STOP DOING THESE THINGS. LIKE WE HAVE TO SET THESE OFFICES UP LIKE THEY ARE REAL OFFICES. LOOK AT THE PROJECTIONS AND THE NUMBERS THEY PRESENT AND GIVE THEM STAFF TO WORK WITH. WE CANNOT CONTINUE TO TRY TO DO THE

[00:50:01]

AND I ASKED A QUESTION. I DIDN'T MAKE A RECOMMENDATION. I ASKED A QUESTION. DOES IT WORK? THE ANSWER IS NO. AND I ASKED YOU THAT QUESTION TO MAKE THAT POINT. SO WE'VE TRIED DOING IT WITH CHAD AND CHAD'S AWESOME GUY. AWESOME OFFICER. GREAT. FOR WHATEVER REASON, IT DIDN'T WORK. I MY QUESTION WAS JUST THE QUESTION. WE GOT THE ANSWER. I AGREE WITH YOU AND WE NEED TO MOVE FORWARD. WE ARE UNDERSTAFFED AND IN MY OPINION, IT'S TIME TO STEP IT UP. AND MY GUESS IS, LIKE YOU SAID, STEVE, IN THE FUTURE, SOMEBODY SITTING THERE WILL SAY THAT PART TIME NEEDS TO GO TO FULL TIME. AND THAT WON'T REALLY SURPRISE ME EITHER. BUT I JUST WANTED TO GET ON THE RECORD. YOUR ANSWER, WHICH WAS VERY RESPECTFUL AND PROPER, WHICH WAS NO, IT'S REALLY DOESN'T GOING TO WORK. SO I AGREE THAT THIS IS THE WAY WE SHOULD BE MOVING AND THIS IS WHAT WE SHOULD BE LOOKING FOR. THANK YOU. I THINK YOU SAID EVERYTHING I NEED TO SAY. SO.

SO I HAVE QUESTIONS. YES, SIR. ABOUT EFFICIENCY. AND I ASKED THIS LAST YEAR AND IT WAS KIND OF BATTED AWAY. SO I WANT TO ASK YOU WITH THE NUMBERS HERE IN FRONT OF ME, WOULD IT HELP YOU IF WE USED PROCESS SERVERS TO SERVE YOUR DOCUMENTS AND TOOK THAT BURDEN OFF OF YOU? WELL, RIGHT NOW PROCESS SERVERS ARE USED A LOT OF TIMES BEFORE IT EVER GETS TO US. AND SO THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALREADY UTILIZING PROCESS SERVERS. THAT'S, THAT'S THEIR CHOICE.

AND A LOT OF THESE, BUT SOMETIMES, FOR WHATEVER REASON, A COURT WANTS US TO SERVE THEM.

I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. THE DA'S OFFICE ASKED ME TO GO OUT AND SERVE A WITNESS WHO WAS A CRIMINAL, A DRUG DEALER, AND IT WAS A MURDER WITNESSED VERY IMPORTANT. THEY DIDN'T WANT SOMEBODY TO GO OUT AND SERVE THEM. THAT'S A TWO DEPUTY SITUATION. SO I HAD TO ASK A ROCKWALL COUNTY SHERIFF TO HELP ME GO OUT THERE BECAUSE EVERYBODY WAS BUSY. SO THERE ARE SOME PROCESS SERVING OR COURT ORDERS THAT REQUIRE TWO PEOPLE. RIGHT NOW WE'RE NOT USING TWO PEOPLE. SO YES, YOU THEY'RE ALREADY USING PROCESS SERVERS. WE DON'T GET A LOT OF WORK BECAUSE OF THAT OF THE ONES THAT YOU SERVE HERE. SUBPOENA CITATIONS. CAN WE HAVE PROCESS SERVERS SERVE THOSE? WELL, THAT'S NOT UP TO ME. YOU KNOW THAT'S UP TO THE LAW FIRM.

THE THE MOST OF THOSE ARE LAW FIRMS OR COURTS. THEY CAN THEY CAN GET PEOPLE TO SERVE THEM.

BUT IF IF THEY'RE HAVING A PROBLEM WITH PROCESS SERVERS ACTUALLY BEING TRUTHFUL, WELL, THAT HAPPENS FROM TIME, BUT IT DOES IF WE VET THEM AND HAVE CERTAIN SERVERS UNDER CONTRACT WITH US, EVEN WHEN AND I DON'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO THIS, I'M JUST TRYING TO FIGURE IT OUT.

I'M LOOKING AT WHAT'S TAKING UP YOUR TIME. AND YOU'RE RIGHT, I AGREE WITH THE ASSESSMENT. YOU NEED A PART TIME DEPUTY, BUT YOU ALSO NEED CLERICAL. I MEAN, THAT'S EXACTLY RIGHT. THAT'S TAKING UP JUST AS MUCH OF YOUR TIME CLERICAL. AND IF WE CAN TAKE THAT OFF OF YOU. AND AGAIN, YOU KNOW, I MAY GO TALK TO CRAIG ABOUT THIS AND HE MAY SAY, NO, YOU CAN'T. BUT IN MY MIND, IF SOMEBODY SENDS PAPERS TO CONSTABLE FRAZIER AND SAYS, I NEED THESE SERVED, THERE'S

[00:55:01]

[01:00:08]

WHERE I START LOSING IS IS ALL OF THE CARS AND THE OUTFITTING OF THE CARS AND HOW EXPENSIVE IT IS. I MEAN, THEY'RE 14, $15,000 A YEAR TO KEEP UP WITH THE PATROL VEHICLE, NO MATTER WHAT THAT IS. AND SO YOU START, YOU START DOING THAT AND DOUBLING THAT. NOW WE'RE TALKING, YOU KNOW, IT GOES FROM US DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW TO, TO INCREASING IT BY 30, $40,000 A YEAR JUST IN AUTOMOBILE COST. IF OFFICER SAFETY IS THE NUMBER ONE THING, THEN WHY DON'T WE LOOK AT GETTING YOU A PART TIME DEPUTY FOR PRECINCT THREE THAT CAN HELP YOU BAILIFF, YOUR COURT AND CAN GET IN THE CAR AND RIDE WITH YOU FOR OFFICER SAFETY ISSUES. LISTEN, AT THIS POINT, THAT IS SOMETHING I'D BE INTERESTED IN IF THAT'S THE ONLY OPTION I HAVE. OKAY, OKAY. IT MIGHT NOT BE THE ONLY OPTION. I COULD GET OUT IN A HEARTBEAT.

I NEED HELP, SO I MEAN, I NEED HELP. IF THAT'S THE ONLY OPTION THAT I CAN GET, THEN I WILL TAKE THAT. OKAY, SO YOU KNOW, I'M NOT TRYING TO BE I'M NOT ASKING FOR MORE THAN I NEED. I APPRECIATE THAT AND I SO, AND I GET WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM. I WOULD SAY, WHY ARE WE TRYING TO REINVENT THE WHEEL? IF THIS WAS A WAY TO OPERATE BY PUTTING BY HIRING A DEPUTY CONSTABLE, NOT GIVING THEM A CAR, EVERY COUNTY WOULD DO THAT. BUT I DON'T KNOW A SINGLE COUNTY THAT PROBABLY DOES THAT. I'LL CALL AROUND AND FIND OUT IF I NEED TO, BUT I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT ANYBODY WOULD DO THAT. THAT MAKES LISTEN, I GET WHAT YOU'RE SAYING ABOUT THE CAR COST. AND WE HAD A BRIEF CONVERSATION ABOUT IT ALREADY, BUT THE FLEET COMMITTEE HAS PUT THE CAR SITUATION IN MUCH BETTER SHAPE THAN IT EVER HAS BEEN IN THIS COUNTY, AND I'M NOT WORRIED ABOUT HANDLING IT. REMEMBER, WE'RE NOT GOING TO BUY A BUNCH OF NEW CARS. WE'RE GOING TO ROLL CARS DOWN FROM THE SHERIFF OFFICE TO THE DEPUTY. AND THAT IF YOU JUST AGGREGATE THE THE COST OF THE CAR OVER OVER LIKE FIVE YEARS OF LIFE, IT'S REALLY NOT WHAT THE CAR COSTS EVERY YEAR. I MEAN, YOU'RE SAYING EVERY YEAR COSTS THE SAME. THAT'S NOT REALLY HOW IT WORKS.

NO, I WAS JUST AMORTIZING OUT THE DEPRECIATION OF A CAR. IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY, I GET IT, BUT IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY IN REAL LIFE. LIKE IN THE BUDGET, WHICH WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN DOLLARS. IT DOESN'T REALLY WORK THAT WAY WITH CARS, RIGHT? THE EXPENSE HITS YOU IN THE BEGINNING, THE WAY THAT WE PAY FOR CARS. NOW, IF WE WENT TO SOMETHING LIKE A FLEET ARRANGEMENT, THEN THE COST WOULD HIT US LIKE THAT EVERY YEAR. BUT IT DOESN'T DO THAT.

AND AS WE CONTINUE TO RIGHTSIZE THE FLEET, WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IS OUR COST. IF WE STAY DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING NOW, AS WE CONTINUE TO RIGHTSIZE THE FLEET BY THE RIGHT KIND OF VEHICLES, OUR COST TO CARRY WILL GO DOWN OVER TIME. IT WILL. I TOTALLY AGREE WITH WHAT YOU JUST SAID, COMMISSIONER GALLINA AND. I THINK WHAT I'VE SEEN OVER THE COURSE OF SEVERAL YEARS WATCHING THE COURT IS AN INCREASE. WE'RE TRYING TO INCREASE THE PROFESSIONALISM OR DOING WITH OUR CONSTABLES, AND I APPRECIATE YOUR DOING THAT. ALL FOUR OF YOU HAVE BEEN WORKING REAL HARD IN THAT EFFORT. THE ONLY THING THAT I WILL SAY, AS WE'RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME HERE WITH WITH YOU, STEVE, IS THE ONLY QUESTION I HAVE IS I'D GO BACK TO THE ONE YOU RAISED, JUDGE, WHICH IS IT JUST SEEMS TO ME THERE'S POSSIBLY A WAY WE COULD SHARE CLERKS, BECAUSE A CLERK IS AN IN OFFICE JOB. AND I GET IT. YOU'D LIKE TO HAVE YOUR OWN

[01:05:04]

PRECINCT TWO IS ASKING FOR A PART TIME. I'M SAYING LET'S GET A FULL TIME AND SEE IF THAT IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DO IT. I'M NOT SAYING WE HAVE TO. I'M SAYING LET'S TRY AND FIGURE OUT A WAY TO DO THAT IF WE CAN. BUT ON THAT, YOU NEED A PERSON. NO QUESTION THERE. I'M ON BOARD.

LET'S JUST MIGHT MAKE MORE SENSE TO HAVE ONE PERSON SERVICE, TWO OFFICES, I DON'T KNOW. WELL, I'M NOT THAT I'M NOT OPPOSED TO THAT DISCUSSION AT ALL. SO WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO SAY ANYTHING ELSE? YOU HAVE THE DOCUMENTS IN FRONT OF YOU. ALL OF THESE NUMBERS FOR THE CAPITAL OUTLAY. THOSE WERE ESTIMATES THAT I GOT THAT ARE, I BELIEVE, ARE FAIRLY ACCURATE BASED ON THE PEOPLE I SPOKE WITH. YOU KNOW, IT DEPENDS ON IT DEPENDS ON IF I GET A PART TIME CLERK, THOSE NUMBERS WILL CHANGE. BUT BASICALLY, AS YOU READ DOWN THROUGH THAT LIST, I THOUGHT OF EVERYTHING AND I SPOKE TO THE OTHER CONSTABLES AND, AND CHAD FOGG, WHO DOES A LOT OF THE IT STUFF FOR OUR VEHICLES. AND HE MADE SOME RECENT PURCHASES. SO A LOT OF THESE NUMBERS ARE BASED ON INFORMATION THAT I GOT FROM OTHER PEOPLE. AND SO I THINK THEY'RE FAIRLY ACCURATE, THOUGH. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THAT? WAIT, GO BACK ONE, BECAUSE I MIGHT HAVE MISSED SOMETHING. I'M SORRY TO KEEP GOING BACK. AND BUT YOU YOU SAID YOU ASKED THE QUESTION, WHERE WOULD THE PERSON SET. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE CLERK.

YEAH. WELL, THAT WOULD BE SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S A BLESSING. AND IT'S NOT A BLESSING THAT ALL FOUR PRECINCTS ARE IN THE SAME BUILDING. SO WHERE WOULD THIS PERSON BE HONEST? WHERE WOULD THE CLERK BE HONEST? WOULD IT BE I DON'T OKAY, BUT I DON'T STOP THERE. I DON'T NEED AN ANSWER. BUT WOULDN'T IT BE SIMPLER TO ONLY HAVE TO FIND AN OFFICE FOR ONE PERSON THAN FOR TWO PEOPLE? WELL, THAT'S A GOOD POINT. I CAN FIT A DEPUTY IN MY OFFICE, BUT I WOULD HAVE TO FIT THE CLERK IN MY OFFICE TO WRITE. THAT IS, THAT IS. AND I HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT. BUT TRUST ME, I WOULD MAKE THAT WORK. I WOULD MAKE THAT WORK. BOBBY, YOU'RE. YOU JUST FINISHED REBUILDING THE WHOLE COUNTY COURT. COURT OFFICE OVER THERE. CAN'T WE FIND AN OFFICE FOR A CLERK? IT'LL. IT'LL BE TIGHT. IT'LL BE TOUGH BECAUSE THEY'RE GOING TO. WHEN WE GOT TO PUT THEM ON THE SIDE OF THE. WE GOT TO PUT THEM WHERE THEY ARE. I MEAN, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO PUT THEM ON A DIFFERENT FLOOR OR PUT THEM SOMEWHERE. I MEAN, WE'LL MAKE WORK WHATEVER WE NEED TO MAKE WORK. BUT BUT AGAIN, IT WOULD SEEM TO BE SIMPLER TO FIND ONE OFFICE THAN TWO. I WOULD. YEAH. ALWAYS ALWAYS AGREED. YEAH. WELL, WE'LL FIGURE WHATEVER THE COURT DECIDES, WE'LL FIGURE OUT HOW TO PUT PEOPLE SOMEWHERE. WE'LL FIGURE IT OUT. STEVE, I JUST WANT TO. YOU WERE GOING OVER RIGHT BEFORE WE WENT TO THAT SUBJECT. YOU'RE YOU'RE AS FAR AS YOUR CAPITAL OUTLAY. THAT'S WHAT YOU YOU YOU GAVE US A COPY OF. SO EVERYTHING ON HERE THAT YOU HAVE IS THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T PROVIDE YOU WITH WHEN YOU CAME ON LAST YEAR IS THAT ARE YOU HAD OLDER, OLDER? NO, I KEPT EVERYTHING OKAY. I DIDN'T CHANGE ANYTHING, DIDN'T CHANGE ANYTHING. SO THIS IS JUST REPLACING A LOT. THAT'S OUTDATED. CORRECT. OKAY. THAT'S WHAT I WANTED TO VERIFY. YEAH. WELL, THIS IS JUST FOR THE ADDITIONAL PEOPLE, RIGHT? THIS ISN'T FOR ME. RIGHT? RIGHT. OKAY. BUT THE ESTIMATES 51266 I SEE IT. OKAY. YEAH. IT'S A LOT OF MONEY. BUT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WE'RE ALSO TALKING ABOUT TWO PEOPLE. AND WHEN YOU ADD, IF YOU GO THROUGH EVERY LINE ITEM, YOU'LL SEE THE REASON FOR THAT. IT ISN'T CHEAP. I GET THAT AND I APPRECIATE Y'ALL EVEN LISTENING TO ME. OKAY. WELL, CONSTABLE FRAZIER, I APPRECIATE THE THOROUGHNESS. THANK YOU. WHAT YOU THAT THAT MAKES IT SO MUCH EASIER WHERE WE DON'T HAVE TO GUESS THE DATA IS RIGHT THERE IN FRONT OF US. WELL THANK YOU. CAN I SAY

[01:10:02]

YES, MA'AM, I THINK SO. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING MA'AM. WE ALL LOVE BUDGET TIME, DON'T WE? YOU KNOW, I, I, I DON'T, BUT IT'S NEVER SORRY. YES. YEAH. OKAY. WE'LL JUST START WITH THE MAIN LIBRARY BUDGET. I'VE ASKED FOR SOME FAIRLY SMALL INCREASES IN SEVERAL ITEMS. AS YOU KNOW, PRICES ARE JUST SKYROCKETING ON EVERYTHING. SO I'VE ASKED FOR A LITTLE MORE IN OFFICE SUPPLIES, MORE IN POSTAGE. I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW MUCH IT COSTS TO MAIL A LETTER ANYMORE. IT KEEPS CHANGING A LITTLE BIT MORE FOR BOOKS AND PERIODICALS. AN ADDITIONAL 5000 2000 MORE IN PUBLIC PROGRAMS AND THEN DATA SERVICES. AND THIS IS BASED ON QUOTES FROM THE VENDORS FOR THE VARIOUS DATABASE PRODUCTS THAT WE HAVE. WOULD BE APPROXIMATELY 35,539 MAINTENANCE AGREEMENTS.

ALSO BASED ON THE VENDOR ESTIMATES AND QUOTES, IS 22,800. AND THEN I GUESS THAT COPIER EXPENSE WOULD GO UP A BIT. THAT'S JUST AN ESTIMATE TO ADD $200 TO THAT. AND THEN SOFTWARE SUBSCRIPTIONS, WHICH. NOT LONG AGO THE AUDITOR CHANGED AND ADDED SOFTWARE SUBSCRIPTIONS.

AND IT'S A LOT OF THINGS THAT I WAS HAVING IN EITHER DATA SERVICES OR MAINTENANCE AGREEMENTS. SO IF YOU'LL NOTICE, MY MAINTENANCE AGREEMENTS WENT DOWN AND MY SOFTWARE SUBSCRIPTIONS WENT UP. AND THAT'S JUST A MATTER OF MOSTLY BALANCING THINGS INTO THE RIGHT FUNDS. SO YOU'RE NOT ASKING FOR ANY OTHER THING. IT'S JUST AN ACCOUNTING MECHANISM. I'M NOT ASKING FOR A NEW THING. IT JUST OKAY. AND THAT WAS A REQUIREMENT BY GASB. SO IT WAS NOT IT WAS NOT A WANTED CHANGE. THAT'S TOTALLY FAIR. I HAVE A QUESTION, WHICH MAY BE AN ACCOUNTING ISSUE ON BOOKS AND PERIODICALS. YES. WE'VE ASKED FOR AN ADDITIONAL 5000. WE'VE ONLY SPENT 21,311. BUT I SHOW OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS, WE SPENT 85,000 101,000 106,000.

DOES THAT COME IN A BULK PURCHASE? IS THERE. THAT COMES A LOT MORE TITLES RELEASED IN THE SUMMER. AND I BELIEVE THIS IS DATED. I'M NOT SURE WHAT DATE YOU HAVE THE MOST UP TO DATE ONES. STILL THE SAME AT 213 SPENT. YEAH. SO THERE'S THERE'S A BIG PURCHASE COMING.

THERE WILL BE, YES, SEVERAL LARGE PURCHASES. THE FALL IS ALSO A BIG PURCHASE TIME BECAUSE NEW TITLES COME OUT. OKAY. SO WHAT THE JUDGE WAS ASKING THEN THAT'S YOU'RE ASKING FOR FROM WHAT YOU'VE SPENT IN THE IN THE PAST AND WHERE YOU ARE YEAR TO DATE, THIS WILL STILL BE A 21.6% INCREASE IN WHAT YOU'RE FROM 120 TO 125. SO IT'S A 21%

[01:15:01]

OKAY. AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, THE BOOKS AND PERIODICALS, THE WAY HER INVOICES COME IN, IT'S MORE OF A MONTHLY TO ONCE EVERY ONE AND A HALF MONTHS, SHE DOES A LARGE ORDER AND THEN THEY'RE THEN THE BILL COMES. SO IT'S NOT IT'S NOT AT THE SAME AS OTHER DEPARTMENTS WHERE YOU GET A RECEIPT EVERY, YOU KNOW, COUPLE OF DAYS. YEAH. THAT THAT WAS ONLY MY QUESTION IS THE ACCOUNTING BECAUSE CLEARLY YOU'RE SPENDING THAT AND AND WE WILL SPEND IT AGAIN. ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU. WELL MAYBE I'M MISSING IT HERE JUDGE. YOU SAID CLEARLY WE'RE SPENDING IT BUT CLOSE TO IT. SO LAST YEAR WE SPENT $85,458. IN 2024, WE SPENT 101,000. IN 2023 WE SPENT 106. SO I MEAN, WHILE WE DIDN'T HIT THE 120, WE'RE RIGHT. IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT WE'VE SPENT YEAR TO DATE, I GET IT. BUT AGAIN, WE'VE WE'VE NEVER HIT 120 APPARENTLY. RIGHT. AND AS MUCH AS I LOVE THE LIBRARY AND I LOVE TO BUY BOOKS, IF WE'RE NOT GOING TO HIT IT, WHY, IF WE HAVEN'T EVER HIT IT, WHY WOULD WE RAISE IT THIS YEAR? I EXPECT THAT WE WILL. THERE'S THERE'S ALWAYS AN ISSUE WITH BOOK ORDERS BECAUSE SOMETIMES THEY TAKE 3 TO 4 MONTHS TO COME IN AFTER YOU'VE ORDERED THEM. THIS BECOMES QUITE A PAYMENT GAME AT THE END OF THE FISCAL YEAR, BECAUSE IF IT COMES IN OCTOBER 1ST, EVEN THOUGH WE ORDERED IT BACK IN JUNE, I'VE GOT TO PAY WITH IT WITH THE NEW YEAR'S FUNDS, NOT THE PAST YEAR'S FUNDS. AND THAT ALSO ADDS TO THE APPEARANCE THAT WE SPEND A WHOLE BUNCH OF IT AT THE VERY END, BECAUSE AS MANY THINGS AS WE CAN GET TO COME IN BEFORE OCTOBER 1ST, WE WILL BUILD TO THE CURRENT BUDGET YEAR. SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT IF I'M UNDERSTANDING, RIGHT, YOU'RE EXPECTING TO HAVE EXTRA MONEY IN THAT THIS YEAR? THAT WOULD BE NEEDED TO BE USED NEXT YEAR. YOU'LL HAVE TO HAVE MORE MONEY TO PAY FOR IT. I STILL DON'T SEE WHERE WE GET TO 120 TO BE HONEST WITH YOU. THAT IS AN ESTIMATE BASED ON BASICALLY THINGS GOING UP FROM 29.99 TO 32.99, $35 FOR A HARDBACK BASE PRICE. IT'S JUST AMAZING HOW MUCH THEY HAVE GONE UP AND IT IT ADDS TO EVERYTHING. SO I BELIEVE WE WILL COME VERY CLOSE TO SPENDING THE. WE ALSO PURCHASE BOOKS OUT OF FINES, FUNDS. AND I DO A LOT OF THAT AT THE END OF THE YEAR TO CATCH UP. I GUESS I MIGHT BE THE ONLY GUY THAT FEELS THIS WAY, BUT YOU THINK, LEAVE IT AT 120. YEAH, UNTIL UNTIL WE UNTIL WE HIT 120. LET'S KEEP IT THERE. OKAY. THAT'S WHERE I WAS GOING WITH IT TOO. YEAH. THANK YOU.

YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE THAT FELT THAT WAY. SURPRISE, SURPRISE. EVERY NOW AND THEN, PEOPLE AGREE WITH ME. THAT'S GREAT. OKAY, WELL, JOHN DOESN'T AGREE. HE'S STILL GRUMPY OVER HERE ON THE ON THE NET. THAT'S TRUE. WE'LL GET HIM SOME HUNAN SOON. IT'LL BE FINE. THAT IS ALSO TRUE. ON THE NEXT PAGE. WE'VE LOWERED THE DUES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS BECAUSE WE ARE NOT SPENDING AS MUCH AS I HAD BUDGETED. WE'RE ALSO ASKING TO RAISE TRAVEL AND TRAINING. I HAD TO PAY QUITE A BIT OF TRAVEL AND TRAINING OUT OF THE OPERATING ACCOUNT THIS YEAR.

AND THEN. EVERYTHING ELSE IS BASICALLY THE SAME, I BELIEVE. AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THE CAPITAL REQUEST. FOR WHICH ACCOUNT? WHICH ACCOUNT DID YOU PAY MORE FROM OUT OF FOR TRAVEL AND TRAINING. WHICH ONE, WHICH NUMBER WAS OPERATING ACCOUNT. IT'S THE CHECKING ACCOUNT THAT FINDS AND DONATIONS GO INTO FINES AND SMALL DONATIONS. AND THEN IF WE MOVE TO THE CAPITAL OUTLAY PAGE. WE HAVE A LARGE NUMBER OF COMPUTERS THAT NEED TO BE REPLACED BECAUSE OF THEIR AGE. JUST HANG OUT THERE FOR A SECOND. OKAY, SO WE HAVE AN ASK OF 300 $0 FOR THE LITERARY. IT SAYS THE LITERACY STUDENT AND THE CATALOG ACCESS. YES. SO. SO I WANT TO ASK YOU A COUPLE OF

[01:20:04]

IF THEIR VERSION OF WINDOWS. THAT'S IT. WE COULD LEAVE THEM IN PLACE ANOTHER YEAR. AND I'M NOT SAYING LEAVING THEM IN PLACE. WHAT I'M SAYING IS GO INTO THE LITERACY CENTER AND YOU'RE ASKING FOR SIX MACHINES. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY ARE TOTAL IN THE LITERACY CENTER. IT IS THERE 30 MACHINES IN THE LITERACY CENTER? NO, NO. THERE ARE. LET'S SEE IF I CAN FIND MY PAGE WHERE THERE ARE SOME THAT WERE NOT REPLACING AT ALL. WE WERE JUST GOING TO HAVE AN OPEN CAROL FOR. I APOLOGIZE, I WASN'T READY. NO, NO, NO. YOU'RE FINE. I'M SORRY. OKAY.

THE PAPER'S NOT MAGICALLY GOING TO COME TO ME. YEAH, BUT THAT'S JUST. THERE ARE. I WANT TO SAY.

EIGHT STUDENT COMPUTERS, AND THEN THERE'S A STAFF MEMBER COMPUTER IN THERE. SO WE DEFINITELY WANT TO REPLACE THE STAFF MEMBER COMPUTER. SO YOU'RE THINKING THERE'S NINE COMPUTERS IN THERE. I MEAN, SO I'M NOT ROUGHLY YOU CAN CORRECT IN AN EMAIL LATER. THAT'S NOT THAT'S NOT YOUR SWORN TESTIMONY. SO SO WE WOULD BE REPLACING SIX. SO I GUESS MY THOUGHT PROCESS IS, IS IT POSSIBLE TO REPLACE THEM A LITTLE BIT AT A TIME. SO IT'S NOT SO MUCH HITTING THE BUDGET. AND AGAIN, I'M JUST ONE PERSON, SO WE MIGHT BE GOOD WITH IT. AND I, I THINK PART OF THE. THESE WERE LISTED AS NEEDING REPLACEMENT OF IT. AND I THINK PART OF IT IS BECAUSE ONCE THEY GET OLDER, IT'S VERY HARD TO HAVE IT PLAY NICELY WITH THE CURRENT VERSION OF WINDOWS. I KNOW THAT'S THE ISSUE WITH THE CATALOGS. I SUSPECT THAT'S THE ISSUE WITH THE LITERACY CENTER COMPUTERS, BUT I DO NOT KNOW THAT FOR SURE. AND IS THAT EVERY CATALOG COMPUTER? YES. OKAY. WE HAVE 11 CATALOG COMPUTERS. THEY'RE ALL THE TWO 2017 SPECIAL SETUP THAT THEY WERE HOPING WOULD WORK. AND NOW WITH THIS LAST WINDOWS UPDATE, THEY ARE OFFLINE MOST OF THE TIME. YEAH. I SEE YOU MADE A NOTE TO THAT SAYS THAT THE ONES IN THE LITERARY CENTER, LIKE YOU PREVIOUSLY SAID, THEY JUST NEED TO GET ON THE INTERNET AND PRINT. RIGHT? RIGHT. AND, AND THAT'S REALLY ALL THEY NEED. AND PRETTY MUCH THE SAME FOR THE CATALOG COMPUTERS. SO WHY COULDN'T THEY JUST BE LIKE CHROMEBOOKS? WELL, I DON'T KNOW. I ASKED IT IF THERE WAS A LESS EXPENSIVE COMPUTER I SHOULD ASK FOR. AND AT THAT TIME THE ANSWER WAS NO.

THEY WOULD LIKE EVERYTHING TO. I MEAN, I GET WHAT THEY WANT BECAUSE THEY WANT EVERYTHING TO BE HOMOGENEOUS. BUT I MEAN, IF YOU'RE SAYING AND THIS IS YOUR FACILITY, IF YOU'RE SAYING YOU CAN GET BY WITH A CHROMEBOOK, WELL, I'M NOT SURE HOW WE WOULD TIE DOWN A CHROMEBOOK WHERE IT COULDN'T WALK OUT. WELL, LET ME WITH YOU. LET ME POSE ANOTHER SUGGESTION. SURE. AGAIN, IT LOOKS LIKE THE ONES IN THE LITERARY CENTER AND THE CATALOG ARE 2017, BUT THE OTHER FOUR THAT ARE BEING REPLACED ARE 2022. WOULD THOSE MAY WORK BETTER WITH WINDOWS? AND IF YOU'RE DOING A LIMITED USE, COULD THOSE BE MOVED INTO THOSE SECTIONS? I DON'T KNOW IF IF IT'S A VERSION OF WINDOWS THAT IT WOULD BE HAPPY WITH OR NOT. WELL, 2022 HAS GOT TO BE WORKING. I GOT MINE AT HOME. I'M WORKING OFF IS LIKE PRE-COVID. I CAN ASK THEM TO LOOK INTO THAT. YEAH, BUT CHECK ON THAT AGAIN. WE'RE JUST TRYING TO KEEP OUR BUDGET AS THIN AS WE CAN. I KNOW, AND THE WE'RE ALSO WANTING YOUR COMPUTERS TO WORK. YES. SO I'M

[01:25:01]

THE NEXT PAGE IS CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND. THIS. I'M NOT ENTIRELY SURE WHICH PART IS REALLY BARRY'S AND WHICH PART IS MINE, BECAUSE FOR MANY YEARS I HAD ALL THE MAINTENANCE AND REPAIRS FOR THE LIBRARY, SO I STILL KIND OF FEEL A GREAT INTEREST IN THEM. THE WALLPAPER IN THE LARGE MEETING ROOM HAS BEEN BANGED TO DEATH BY TABLES AND CHAIRS, AND NEEDS TO BE REPLACED AND. I, LISA AND MELISSA FUND, 51. THERE. IT HAS AN ODD MENTION OF LIBRARY IN THERE. THE. AND TRIED TO KEEP THAT TO MYSELF FOR YEARS NOW. JUST LET IT OUT OF THE BAG.

YEAH. AND ALSO, MARCY, JUST SO YOU KNOW, WE DID GET A QUOTE ON THE LIBRARY'S WALLPAPER AND IT'S $60,000 FOR THE CURRENT FOR THE CURRENT WORK, FOR THE WALLPAPER WORK THAT'S CURRENTLY IN THERE. THAT'S WHAT IT'S GOING TO COST TO REPAIR IT AND REPLACE COMING BACK IN STYLE, GUYS. THAT'S ALL I'M GOING TO SAY. OR WE OR, OR WE COULD TAPE IN BED FOR 30. YEAH. OR WE COULD HIRE THE ARCHITECT TO COME UP WITH THE PLAN BEFORE WE DECIDE WHAT, WHICH IS LATER ON MY LIST. YEAH. SO. YEAH, IF YOU WOULDN'T MIND LOOKING AT THE, THE STATUTE THAT THAT DEALS WITH FUND 51, BECAUSE THERE IS MENTION OF REMODELING LIBRARIES IN THERE. SO THE SECOND ONE IS ALSO WALLPAPER. THE PUBLIC DRINKING FOUNTAINS ARE SHALLOW AND PEOPLE CAN'T FILL THEIR WATER BOTTLES FROM THEM. AND THE BATHROOM SINKS ARE SHALLOW AND THEY CAN'T EVEN FILL THEIR WATER BOTTLES IN THERE. SO WE WOULD LIKE TO ADD WATER BOTTLE FILLERS TO THE THREE PUBLIC DRINKING FOUNTAINS. AND I SHOWED BARRY WHAT I WAS INTERESTED IN AND HE SAID TO BUDGET 1200 FOR EACH OF THEM. SO THAT'S THE 3600 THERE. AND THAT WOULD JUST MAKE IT EASIER.

AND THEN THE LAST ONE IS THE REQUEST FOR A FACILITIES PLAN STUDY BY A QUALIFIED LIBRARY ARCHITECT. AND I ASKED AROUND IN THE GROUP OF LIBRARY DIRECTORS IN NORTHEAST TEXAS, AND I GOT 12 REPLIES AND THEY WERE ALL THE SAME FIRM. THEY ARE VERY HAPPY WITH MAUREEN, AREN'T. AND 720 DESIGNS. SHE DID THE NEW FRISCO LIBRARY. SHE DID THE. RENOVATION OF THE DOWNTOWN GARLAND LIBRARY AND NUMEROUS OTHER LIBRARIES IN THE AREA. SO THE DOLLAR AMOUNT, WE'RE COMFORTABLE WITH THE FIRM, OBVIOUSLY WE'D PUT THAT OUT FOR. YEAH, THE DOLLAR AMOUNT IS BASED ON HER ESTIMATE, AND SHE ORIGINALLY GAVE US A MUCH HIGHER ESTIMATE. BUT MR. LICHTY AND I LOOKED THROUGH IT VERY CAREFULLY AND FOUND SOME THINGS THAT WE PROBABLY DO NOT REQUIRE FOR OUR PROJECT. YEAH. AND ELIMINATED THOSE. I THINK THE ORIGINAL ESTIMATE WAS ABOUT $150,000. AND WE TRIED TO LOOK THROUGH AND GO FOR WHAT WAS. WE FELT REALLY WE ABSOLUTELY NEEDED VERSUS THINGS THAT WOULD BE NICE, BUT WE CAN MAYBE LIVE WITHOUT AND STILL GET A GOOD PRODUCT, STILL GET THE FUNDAMENTAL PRODUCT IS THE BASIC PRODUCT THAT SHE'S PROVIDING. AND WE EVEN GOT HER TO REDUCE THE PRICE ON THAT. SO YES, SHE DID SO. AND SHE'S ALSO WILLING TO COME SPEAK WITH YOU ABOUT THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT, IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SCHEDULE HER TO DO SO. DOESN'T LOOK LIKE WE'RE GOING TO BID. FRANK. I THINK THE DOLLAR VALUE ISN'T IT DICTATES THAT WE DO GO TO BID ITS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES. I WAS SAYING WE DON'T HAVE TO GO TO BID, BUT IF WE'RE WE'RE ALREADY TALKING TO THIS PERSON. WE REALLY COULDN'T GO TO BID ANYWAY BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T BID ON IT, BECAUSE SHE GAVE ME AN ESTIMATE. WELL, I COULDN'T

[01:30:03]

SPECIALIZED LIBRARY ARCHITECT AS WELL I THINK. SO IT WOULD BE IF YOU GO TO BID, YOU HAVE TO BE AN IMPARTIAL BID. SO YOU CAN'T ALLOW ONE FIRM TO COME IN AND NEGOTIATE. BUT WE HAVEN'T DONE ANYTHING WRONG. I MEAN, IT'S STILL UNDER THE THING AND WE COULD HIRE THIS FIRM. WE JUST WE JUST DON'T NEED TO BE GOING TO BID IF WE HAVE A FIRM HERE OR IF WE WANT TO LOOK AT DOING AN ARCHITECT, WE CAN HIRE AN ARCHITECT AND ENGINEERS WITHOUT GOING TO BID. IT'S JUST THE BID WOULDN'T MAKE SENSE. I SURE DON'T WANT TO GO TO BID AND END UP SPENDING MORE MONEY FOR A WORSE PRODUCT. AGREED? AGREED. THERE ARE NOT A GREAT MANY LIBRARY SPECIFIC ARCHITECTS IN NORTH TEXAS, AND. I DO BELIEVE SHE'S THE BEST FROM. ALL THE PEOPLE HAVE TOLD ME AND THE THINGS I'VE SEEN WHEN I'VE TOURED THE VARIOUS LIBRARIES. OKAY. AND THEN THE LAST PAGE, AS YOU KNOW, WE OPENED AN EXTRA FIVE HOURS A WEEK. AND I THOUGHT THE SMALL AMOUNT OF EXTRA STAFFING I ASKED FOR LAST YEAR WAS GOING TO BE ENOUGH. AND IT IS NOT BECAUSE WHEN WE GET TO CLOSING, WE FIND THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH PEOPLE TO KEEP THE DESK MANNED, FLUSH THE AREA AND MAKE SURE EVERYBODY GETS OUT OF THE BUILDING AND ALSO CHECK PEOPLE OUT AND TAKE THEIR MONEY TO THE LAST MINUTE. SO I WANT TO ADD ONE MORE PERSON FIVE DAYS A WEEK. WE'RE OKAY ON SATURDAY, BUT THE OTHER FIVE DAYS I WANT A PART TIME LIBRARY ASSISTANT FOR SIX HOURS A WEEK AT AN ESTIMATED $16 AN HOUR. SOME OF THEM ARE A LITTLE MORE. SOME OF THEM ARE A LITTLE LESS, DEPENDING ON HOW LONG THEY'VE BEEN WITH US. AND THAT WOULD BE.

SO YOU'RE EXTENDING HOURS OF EXISTING. WE HAVE EXTENDED HOURS. NO, NO, NO, YOUR YOUR REQUEST IS TO EXTEND HOURS OF EXISTING PEOPLE. YES. I DON'T WANT NEW PEOPLE. I JUST WANTED YOU TO REARTICULATE. I'M SORRY. I WANT 22 HOURS A WEEK INSTEAD OF 21 HOURS A WEEK OUT OF SOME OF THESE EXISTING STAFF. AND HOW MUCH DO YOU SAY WE'RE PAYING THEM? ABOUT 16 AN HOUR.

WOW. IS THAT A WOW? TOO MUCH OR A WELL, TOO LITTLE? I APPRECIATE YOU SO MUCH AND HOW YOU RUN YOUR YOUR DEPARTMENT SO EFFICIENTLY. THANK YOU. IS MY MUTE BUTTON. I NEED TO FIND. I BELIEVE YOUR REFERENCE LAST YEAR WAS $12 AN HOUR. SO YOU'RE STILL OFF? NO, SIR. IT WAS 17.

I'M GOING TO GO WITH 12. DON'T SMILE. COME ON. I'M NOT EVEN GOING TO COMMENT. BUT WHATEVER THE GOING RATE IS FOR THESE PEOPLE, I WOULD LIKE AN ADDITIONAL FIVE HOURS A WEEK.

YEP. THAT'S REASONABLE FOR THE YEAR. ALL RIGHT. AND OTHER THAN THAT, THE EXTRA HOURS ARE WORKING OUT VERY WELL. WE'RE DOING SOME EXTRA STORYTIMES AND THINGS. ALL RIGHT. I'M AVAILABLE FOR QUESTIONS. SO I HAVE A JUST A QUESTION ABOUT THE THE SELF-CHECKOUT. IS THAT THE WAY LIBRARIES ARE GOING? SOME LIBRARIES HAVE ONLY SELF-CHECKOUTS. I PREFER NOT TO DO IT THAT WAY. SOME PEOPLE PREFER A HUMAN RIGHT. SOME PEOPLE PREFER TO HAVE A LITTLE CONVERSATION. THEY MAY HARDLY GET OUT FROM HOME, AND THIS MIGHT BE THEIR OPPORTUNITY TO TALK FOR THE DAY. IT'S JUST NICE TO BE ABLE TO OFFER A PERSON AS WELL AS A MACHINE.

AND THE KIDS LOVE THE MACHINE, RIGHT? BUT YEAH, I'M PROBABLY THE THE FULCRUM HERE OF EVERYBODY. OLDER LOVES PEOPLE. EVERYBODY YOUNGER DOES DOESN'T WANT TO TALK TO A PERSON IF THEY CAN HELP IT. BUT SO HAVING BOTH IS WORKING WELL FOR US. THEY ARE USED, BUT WE'RE NOT.

SOME LIBRARIES BASICALLY WALK YOU OVER TO IT. IF YOU TRY TO HAVE A PERSON HELP YOU WITH IT.

WOW. SO BUT THAT IS THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE WHERE WE'RE GOING. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ANY QUESTIONS

[01:35:03]

OKAY. IT IS 1135, OUR NEXT. BUDGET MEETING IS NOT TILL 1:00, I BELIEVE. YEP. WE WILL BE BACK HERE AT 1:00. SO WE A ALL RIGHTU EVERYONE. WE'RE GOING TO RECONVENE INTO OUR BUDGET WORKSHOP MEETINGS. JUST REMINDING EVERYONE THIS IS A WORKSHOP. SO IT'S SOMEWHAT LOOSER IN RULES. AND SO WE CAN HAVE AN ONGOING CONVERSATION. WE HAVE SCHEDULED TIME FOR MISS KENDALL COLPEPER, OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY. SO TAKE IT AWAY, MISS KENDALL. THANK YOU. YOU'RE NOT ON. THAT ONE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. NOW I'M ON. ALL RIGHT. AGAIN, MY NAME IS KENDALL CULPEPPER.

I'M THE ELECTED DISTRICT ATTORNEY HERE IN ROCKWALL COUNTY. AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO MEET WITH EACH OF YOU IN THIS BUDGET WORKSHOP. SO TODAY I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH OUR BUDGET REQUESTS. IT'S A PRETTY THICK PACKET. AND SO I'M GOING TO GO THROUGH SOME OF IT QUICKLY, BUT I'M HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU HAVE. AS I KNOW THAT THIS COMMISSIONERS COURT HAS OBVIOUSLY COME PREPARED. SO IN TERMS OF I'LL JUST START ON PAGE ONE AND GO THROUGH OUR GENERAL BUDGET CHANGES EVERY YEAR WHEN WE PREPARE FOR THE BUDGET. THERE ARE A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT THINGS THAT I DO. THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE DOES AN AMAZING JOB AT NOT ONLY GETTING US THE BUDGET WORKSHEETS, BUT ALSO ON A WEEKLY BASIS, LETTING US KNOW WHERE WE ARE IN OUR EXPENSE PROGRESSION. AND SO THROUGH USUALLY WE START ABOUT A MONTH AND A HALF AHEAD OF TIME, EVEN BEFORE THE BUDGET WORKSHOP, BUDGET WORKSHEETS COME OUT AND WE START LOOKING AT THOSE STATEMENT OF EXPENSES AND LOOKING AT WHERE WE ARE PERCENTAGE WISE. SO FOR EXAMPLE, I PULLED ONE OF THE LATER ONES FROM JUNE 5TH. IN FACT, I THINK THIS IS THE MAYBE ONE OF THE I GUESS THERE'S ONE MORE AFTER THIS, BUT IT SAYS 68% OF THE YEARS COMPLETED. SO I KNOW THAT I NEED TO LOOK TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE ON TRACK TO BE ABOUT 32%, NO LESS THAN THAT, UNLESS THERE EXPENSES. AND THERE ARE CERTAINLY EXPENSES THAT WE EXPEND TOWARDS THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR THAT I KNOW WE SHOULD BE LOW ON AND WHAT WE DO AS A RESULT. AND I SAY WE. BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT I AM PRIMARILY RESPONSIBLE FOR THE BUDGET IN MY OFFICE. AND SO I'M THE ONE THAT DOES THESE NUMBERS. SO IF THESE NUMBERS ARE WRONG, I'M THE ONE TO BLAME, NOT ANYONE ELSE. SO I MAKE THOSE ADJUSTMENTS BASED ON WHERE WE ARE IN THAT PROGRESSION. I ALSO ASK, AND THEY'RE INCREDIBLE ABOUT GETTING ME THESE NUMBERS.

IF WE ARE OVER AND WE DO THIS THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. BUT IF I AM OVER, I WANT A LIST OF THOSE EXPENDITURES TO FIND OUT WHY WE'RE OVER, WHY WE'RE SPENDING MORE THAN NORMAL IN A PARTICULAR LINE ITEM. AND I TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE, MAKE SURE THAT WE ARE EXPENDING FUNDS IN THE WAY THAT WE NEED TO BE SPENDING THOSE FUNDS. IT'S NOT FOR SOME NEW EXPENDITURE THAT I HAVEN'T AUTHORIZED. AND SO WE HAVE GONE THROUGH THAT ENTIRE EXERCISE AT THIS POINT, THE ONES THAT WERE LOW WERE, AND YOU'LL SEE THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN ADJUSTED WITHIN THE GENERAL BUDGET. AND WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THE 001480 BUDGET. SO I INCREASED OFFICE SUPPLIES BY ABOUT 5000, BECAUSE AT THIS POINT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO HAVE ABOUT 32%. WE HAVE 17%. THAT COMES FROM A LONG LIST OF REASONS, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, THINGS ARE JUST FLAT, MORE EXPENSIVE THESE DAYS. THE OTHER THINGS, AND I'LL JUST GO THROUGH THE ONES THAT HAVE BEEN CHANGED, BUT UNIFORMS AND ACCESSORIES, I INCREASED THAT BY A THOUSAND BECAUSE AGAIN, THAT WAS WE WERE AT 17% ON THAT DIGITAL RESEARCH. THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE ASKED ME TO INCREASE THIS LINE ITEM BECAUSE OF SOME INCREASED EXPENDITURES ON THEIR END. AND I GUESS, AGAIN, I'M GUESSING THAT THAT IS JUST A MORE EXPENSIVE ITEM. SO WE INCREASED THAT $2,200 TELEPHONE, AIR CARDS. MY JUVENILE DIVISION ASKED TO BE PROVIDED A CELL PHONE. OUR FAMILY VIOLENCE DIVISION HAS A CELL PHONE. OUR CHILD ABUSE DIVISION HAS A CELL PHONE. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS THAT THEY HAVE TO MAINTAIN CONTACT. A LOT OF TIMES WITH VICTIMS AT NIGHT AND FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, DON'T WANT TO GIVE OUT THEIR PERSONAL CELL PHONE NUMBERS, EVEN THOUGH THEY HAVE CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS WITH MANY OF THESE VICTIMS. I HAVE PROVIDED OFFICE CELL PHONES OR

[01:40:07]

THE MAINTENANCE OR THE. THE MONTHLY CHARGE IS THE REASON FOR THAT INCREASE ABOUT. OF ABOUT $450. MAINTENANCE AGREEMENTS. I THINK I ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THAT OR MAYBE I DIDN'T. WE WERE LOW ON THAT. I TALKED TO THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE. I DID INCREASE THAT BY $200.

SOFTWARE WAS ANOTHER ONE THAT WE WERE LOW ON SOFTWARE. WE'RE DOWN TO 7% ON SOFTWARE. SO I ADDED A $1,400 TO THAT. AND THEN BONDS, THERE'S ONE BOND. IT'S MINE. I'M NOT REALLY SURE WHY IT WENT UP AFTER 20 YEARS, BUT WE'VE HAD THE SAME AMOUNT FOR A LONG TIME. BUT I DID NEED TO INCREASE THAT BY $100 SO THAT THOSE ARE THE ONLY CHANGES THAT I MADE TO THE GENERAL FUND, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF CAPITAL OUTLAY THAT WE'LL DISCUSS HERE IN A MINUTE. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT THE GENERAL FUND? OKAY. SURE. GO AHEAD. GO AHEAD, JOHN, IF YOU NEED. I WAS JUST MAKING SURE. OKAY. ON THE UNIFORMS AND ACCESSORIES. WHAT UNIFORMS? I'M NOT CERTAIN WHAT UNIFORMS THAT THEY WEAR. THAT'S A GOOD QUESTION. YOU'RE RIGHT. WE DON'T HAVE UNIFORMS AT THE DA'S OFFICE, BUT WE DO HAVE BODY WORN VESTS. ALL THE INVESTIGATORS HAVE ARE REQUIRED BY TCOLE TO HAVE A BODY WORN VEST. AND WE ALSO HAVE BADGES. ALL OF THAT COMES OUT OF THE ACCESSORIES, THE UNIFORMS AND ACCESSORIES LINE ITEM. GOT IT. THANK YOU. IT'S IT'S NOT WELL NAMED, BUT IT'S BEEN NAMED THAT SINCE BEFORE I STARTED. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS REGARDING THAT? I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION TO THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE ON THE JUNE 12TH REPORT THAT YOU PRINTED OFF TODAY. IT APPEARS THAT IT IS ABOUT OFF BY ABOUT 5%, MEANING THAT THE THE BUDGET IS OVER 5%. I'M ASSUMING THERE COULD HAVE BEEN SOME UPTICKS, BUT IF YOU LOOK AT WHAT BUDGET IS LEFT, IT SHOULD BE AROUND 30%. AND AND I DON'T KNOW THAT IT IS, BUT MAYBE IT IS. ANYWAYS, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE GOOD. I MEAN, THAT'S NOT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE BUDGET? OKAY. IT'S JUST ONE WEEK DIFFERENCE, RIGHT? IS THAT. YEAH. BUT BUT IT APPEARS THAT THERE COULD BE SOME SOME MORE OVERAGES. I COULD BE WRONG. I'M LOOKING AT IT REALLY QUICKLY. I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT STAYS CONSISTENT. I AM I JUST LOOKING AT IT WRONG BECAUSE I JUST HAD LUNCH. SO YEAH. 3838.6 4% REMAINING. IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE HAVING? BECAUSE I HAVE THE JUNE 12TH AS WELL. 35.45 OR 4. OKAY. SO THEN THAT WOULD BE WHAT I'M SHOWING.

THEN THAT WOULD BE GOOD. SHE WOULD BE 5% UNDER. OKAY. MY SIX FIVE SHOWS THAT 68.707% OF THE YEAR IS COMPLETED, WHICH WOULD. I'M NO MATHEMATICIAN, AS YOU'LL FIND OUT LATER, BUT THAT'S 31.93% REMAINING IN THE YEAR, RIGHT? OKAY. SHE'S DOING OKAY. SHE IS DOING OKAY. MOST OF IT'S IN SALARIES. YEAH. SO YEAH. OKAY. OKAY. OKAY. SO WE CAN I'M CERTAINLY HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS, BUT THE REST OF THE FUNDS, THE VETERANS COURT FUND, LAW LIBRARY, STATE FUND, STATE BILL 22, FORFEITURE, THOSE ARE ALL FUNDS IN WHICH MONEY IS COLLECTED FROM VARIOUS SOURCES AND IS RESTRICTED FOR THE USE OF THOSE FUNDS. AND SO I HAD A QUICK VETERANS THING, AND IT IS I NOTICED THAT THE EVENTS WENT UP A LOT. IS THERE SOMETHING WE'RE PLANNING ON DOING? BUT IT WENT FROM LIKE BASICALLY NOT SPENDING ANY MONEY TO BEING $14,000. SO A COUPLE OF THINGS.

FIRST OF ALL, WE ARE IN OUR 10TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE VETERANS COURT, I BELIEVE, AND SO OR THE 15TH, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, THERE WAS JUST MORE MONEY IN THAT ACCOUNT THAT WE HAVE COLLECTED AND NOT SPENT. I'VE TALKED TO JUDGE ROACH ABOUT THAT AND SAID, LISTEN, WE NEED WE'RE COLLECTING THESE FUNDS FROM A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT PLACES. THEY'RE RESTRICTED TO VETERANS COURT. I CAN'T USE THEM FOR ANY OTHER PURPOSE.

WHAT DO YOU WANT ME TO WHERE DO YOU WANT ME TO KIND OF ALLOCATE THESE FUNDS? AND SO THAT'S WHY WE MAKE SURE THAT WE PAY FOR PERSONNEL OUT OF THE VETERANS COURT FUND AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE.

AND THERE WAS THERE'S $85,000 IN THAT ACCOUNT. AND SO I JUST KIND OF SUMMARILY PUT IT IN THE EVENTS IN CASE THEY WANTED TO DO SOME KIND OF AWARENESS EVENT FOR THE VETERANS COURT. YEAH.

FAIR ENOUGH. THANK YOU. WHERE DO THE FUNDS COME FROM? YOU SAID THEY COME FROM VARIOUS SOURCES. I THINK THAT LISA MIGHT BE ABLE TO ANSWER THAT. I KNOW IT'S FROM JURY JURY

[01:45:06]

IT'S LONGER TYPICALLY THAN A MISDEMEANOR PROBATION WOULD BE. AND WHEN THEY SUCCESSFULLY DISCHARGE NUMBER ONE, THERE'S A VERY LOW RECIDIVISM RATE. THEY HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLE WHO ARE ALSO IN THE MILITARY TO BE SUCCESSFUL. BUT THEN THE DA'S OFFICE TURNS AROUND AND THEY WE DO THEIR EXPUNCTION FOR FREE. THE ONLY THING THEY HAVE TO PAY IS COURT COSTS, AND WE PAY IT OUT OF THIS FUND. THANK YOU. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO I'M GOING TO SKIP THEN TO THE FIRST IF YOU'LL LOOK AT OFFICE MANAGER. SO THIS IS A POSITION THAT I ACTUALLY HAD NOT THOUGHT ABOUT UNTIL I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH BOB COMMISSIONER. GALLINA AND COMMISSIONER STACEY ABOUT THE COMPARE THE COMPARISON STUDY THAT WAS DONE. AND I REALLY APPRECIATED THE OPPORTUNITY THAT CAMI GAVE US TO TAKE A LOOK AT A NUMBER OF THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS. BUT ONE THING THAT I NOTICED AND THAT WE DISCUSSED AT THAT MEETING, WAS THAT THE JAIL AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS TWO OFFICE MANAGERS. WE HAVE BEEN STRUGGLING. AND I'LL JUST TELL TELL IT BECAUSE SHE'S IN THE ROOM. WE'VE BEEN STRUGGLING SINCE MEREDITH LEFT. MEREDITH, I'M NOT SURE THAT WE HAD ANY IDEA ALL OF THE WORK THAT SHE DOES, I DID, YES, EVIDENTLY YOU DID. AND SO WHEN SHE LEFT, WE MOVED A LOT OF DUTIES AROUND. AND A PARALEGAL, RACHEL JOHNSON, MADE A DECISION THAT SHE WANTED TO REMAIN A PARALEGAL AND TAKE ON A NUMBER OF THESE, THOSE ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES. SHE HAD BEEN HER DEPUTY CHIEF. AND THEN WE MOVED ON ALL THESE ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES AROUND THE OFFICE. IT'S JUST NOT WORKING. AND ONE OF THE REASONS THAT THAT IS TRUE IS, NUMBER ONE, THERE'S JUST A LOT OF TRAINING GOING ON FOR THE VERY FIRST TIME, I THINK IN THE IN MY TENURE AS DISTRICT ATTORNEY, WE'VE SEEN MORE TURNOVER THAN WE HAVE NORMALLY SEEN IN THAT. WELL, WHEN YOU HAVE ADMINISTRATIVE TURNOVER, YOU NOT ONLY LOSE ALL OF THE TRAINING THAT YOU PUT INTO THAT INDIVIDUAL, BUT YOU HAVE TO NOW RECRUIT AND TRAIN AN ENTIRELY NEW PERSON. AND SO WE HAVE MADE A DECISION THAT WE WOULD WE WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR A NEW POSITION, AN OFFICE MANAGER.

AGAIN, THIS IS NOT ANYTHING NEW TO THE COUNTY, THE JAIL OR THE. SO HAS TWO OFFICE MANAGERS, BUT WE. WE BELIEVE THAT THIS WILL BE A GOOD IDEA. AND I'LL TELL YOU, THIS IS WHAT WE ARE CONTEMPLATING DOING. AND MEREDITH. I'LL BE INTERESTED TO SEE IF SHE GASPED OUT LOUD. BUT WE ARE GOING TO MOVE THE FELONY DISCOVERY TO THE PARALEGALS. RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE A DISCOVERY CLERK THAT DOES ALL THE DISCOVERY EVERY THE THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS AND THOUSANDS OF NEW DOCUMENTS THAT WE'RE HAVING TO DEAL WITH ON A DAILY BASIS BECAUSE OF THE NEW STATUTES THAT CAME OUT A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. WE HAVE A DISCOVERY CLERK THAT HANDLES ALL THAT. WE ARE GOING TO MOVE DISCOVERY TO THE FELONY PARALEGALS BECAUSE THEY'RE HAVING TO HANDLE MOST OF THAT ANYWAY. AND THEN WE'RE GOING TO KEEP THE DISCOVERY CLERK WITH THE MISDEMEANOR DISCOVERY. WE'RE GOING TO MOVE SOME OF THE FILING CLERK INFORMATION OR DUTIES TO THAT

[01:50:01]

WHAT WE'D LIKE TO DO IS MOVE A CLERK INTO THE CIVIL AND THE JUVENILE DIVISION. WE COULD MOVE A LOT OF THOSE ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES TO THAT CLERK. INSTEAD OF GETTING A NEW PROSECUTOR, WE WOULD MOVE A LOT OF THOSE ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES TO THE CLERK. AND AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE AN OFFICE MANAGER THAT WOULD TAKE CARE OF RECRUITING, INTERVIEWING, TRAINING. I HAVE I THINK I PUT IN YOUR MATERIALS. IN FACT, I KNOW I DID. SO DIRECT SUPERVISION AND PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT, COURTING, COORDINATING STAFFING ASSIGNMENTS AND WORKLOAD DISTRIBUTION, DEALING WITH ALL THE OFFICE PRACTICES AND PROCEDURES, YEAR END REPORTS, RECRUITING, ONBOARDING, RETENTION, ALL THE EVALUATIONS, THE LEAVE REQUESTS, SCHEDULING, STAFFING, PERSONNEL TRAINING. THAT HAS BEEN AN ENORMOUS TASK THAT HAS TAKEN UP ALMOST ALL OF HER TIME THESE DAYS. AND THEN HAVING THAT CONSISTENT ADMINISTRATIVE POINT OF CONTACT FOR THE INTERNAL DEPARTMENTS. SO THIS IS OBVIOUSLY A MUCH MORE FINANCIALLY EFFICIENT WAY TO HANDLE THAT THAN HIRING A NEW PROSECUTOR FOR THAT DIVISION. AND SO THAT IS THE REASON THAT WE ARE ASKING FOR THAT OFFICE MANAGER. ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THAT? YEAH, SURE. SO DID YOU BACKFILL MEREDITH WHEN SHE WAS HIRED AWAY FROM YOU? SO WHAT WE DID WITH MEREDITH'S POSITION IS WE HAD SO MUCH DISCOVERY IN THE MISDEMEANOR. THAT IS A FULL TIME PARALEGAL JOB. WE MOVED. SHE'S A PARALEGAL. WE MOVED THAT PARALEGAL POSITION INTO THE MISDEMEANOR DIVISION. OKAY, BUT DID YOU BACKFILL IT? AND THEN WE MOVED. SO WE WE HIRED A NEW PARALEGAL FOR THE MISDEMEANOR DIVISION, AND THEN WE BACKFILLED HER POSITION WITH AN EXISTING PARALEGAL THAT KEPT HER PARALEGAL DUTIES IN A FELONY COURT. AND THEN WE TRIED TO KIND OF SPREAD THOSE ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES AMONG A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT STAFF. AND IT HAS JUST NOT BEEN EFFICIENT. NO, NO, I GET IT. I'M JUST JUST SO WE CAN UNDERSTAND. MEREDITH LEFT YOUR YOUR OFFICE CAME HERE AND YOU REPLACED HER IN.

HOWEVER YOU MOVE THOSE PEOPLE AROUND THE BODY COUNT STAYED THE SAME. YES, SIR. IT DID.

OKAY. AWESOME. YOU BROUGHT UP THE PIAS, AND I'M. I'LL APOLOGIZE IN ADVANCE TO THE COURT IF I'M GOING DOWN A LITTLE RABBIT TRAIL HERE. BUT THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S KIND OF BEEN INTERESTING TO ME TO TRY AND FIGURE OUT WHAT'S GOING ON. WHEN YOU REFER TO PUBLIC INFORMATION ACT REQUESTS, RIGHT? IS WHAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN YOU REFER TO THAT, IS THAT ONLY FOR THE DA'S OFFICE? WE DO THE WE DO THE PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUESTS FOR EVERY SINGLE DEPARTMENT IN THE ENTIRE COUNTY, AND THEY CAN GO AHEAD. THAT'S NOT WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD.

AND IN WHAT WHAT I'VE TRIED TO FIGURE THAT OUT. I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT. EVERYTHING YOU SAID ABOUT THEM IS CORRECT. AND BUT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO FIGURE OUT. AND I'VE GOT DIFFERENT ANSWERS FROM DIFFERENT PEOPLE WHO'S RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE? AND IF THEY'RE ALL TO BE FUNNELED THROUGH YOU, I'M HAPPY. THAT'S NOT WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD. OKAY. WE CAN CERTAINLY HAVE A QUESTION OR YOU CAN SAY IT IN PUBLIC, WHICH DEPARTMENT? SO I UNDERSTOOD ALL THE DEPARTMENT REQUESTS GO THROUGH THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY, BUT ANY ELECTEDS GO THROUGH THE ELECTEDS. SO IF SOMEBODY HAS HAS A REQUEST OF COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER GALLINA, THEN THAT GOES THROUGH COMMISSIONER GALLINA. AND THAT'S MY UNDERSTANDING. I. I HAVE NO STATUTES OR LEGAL. NO, I DON'T KNOW THAT THERE IS A STATUTE, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT IT'S EVER BEEN NAILED DOWN, BUT, I MEAN, I LOVE IT IF YOU GUYS WANT TO DO THEM ALL AGAIN, I THINK BECAUSE WHEN I GET A I'VE GOTTEN A COUPLE AND WE HAVE TO RESPOND TO THEM AND PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO THIS INFORMATION. BUT MY QUESTION HAS ALWAYS BEEN WHO DOES THIS? AND SO IF I MIGHT RESPOND TO THAT. YES, WE HAVE WE HAVE LET ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS KNOW THAT WHETHER OR NOT THEY CHOOSE TO COLLECT THAT INFORMATION AND THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO ULTIMATELY COLLECT A LOT OF THE INFORMATION THAT'S REQUESTED UNDER THE PUBLIC INFORMATION REQUEST, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ACCESS TO THEIR DEPARTMENT, BUT ALL OF THE PUBLIC INFORMATION

[01:55:05]

IT'S FELONY PROSECUTOR AND VAC. THOSE POSITIONS WERE APPROVED BY THE BUDGET LAST YEAR. AND WE HAD CONVERSATIONS ABOUT FUNDING. ALL RIGHT. THE NEXT ONE IS PLACEHOLDER ABOUT SALARIES. I'M

[02:00:02]

THAT IS A SHEET THAT IS GIVEN TO US BY THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE AND THOSE IT WAS PRE-FILLED IN.

I'VE TALKED TO THE AUDITOR AUDITOR'S OFFICE SINCE THEN AND WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT WAS ALL OF THE ITEMS THAT NEEDED TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS MAINTENANCE SOFTWARE SUBSCRIPTION. OTHER SUBSCRIPTION PAGE, BECAUSE WE HAVE LOTS AND LOTS OF SUBSCRIPTIONS, WE HAVE CLEAR, WE HAVE WESTLAW, WE HAVE ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT SUBSCRIPTIONS.

THEY SAID THAT THAT IS ACTUALLY INCLUDED IN ANOTHER LINE ITEM AND DOESN'T NEED TO BE INCLUDED IN THIS PARTICULAR SHEET. THE NEXT PAGE IS CAPITAL OUTLAY. THIS FIRST PAGE ARE ALL RECOMMENDATIONS FOR EXISTING STAFF NEEDS. THIS IS AN IT RECOMMENDATION. I DID NOT ADD ANYTHING ONTO THIS PAGE THAT WAS NOT RECOMMENDED FIRST BY IT, AND I WILL BE HONEST WITH YOU, IT IS PROBABLY THE BEST TO DISCUSS WHY THESE ARE NECESSARY. THE FIRST 8 OR 9 OF THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS ARE REPLACEMENT FOR COMPUTERS, LAPTOPS. THE OTHERS ARE SOFTWARE THAT THEY HAVE. WE HAVE HAD A NUMBER OF MEETINGS, AND I HAVE NOT BEEN PART OF ALL OF THOSE MEETINGS.

I T AND SOMEONE FROM MY OFFICE HAS CHRISTIAN, CHRISTIAN. SO BUT THEY HAVE MADE THE DECISION.

AFTER INTERVIEWING NUMEROUS COMPANIES THAT THIS IS THE WAY TO GO. SO AGAIN, I WILL LET THEM EXPLAIN THEIR DECISIONS. QUICK QUESTION. YES, SIR. AND I KNOW THAT THIS IS A QUESTION FOR BRIAN, BUT THE PINE TECH DIGITAL EVIDENCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM. SO IF I REMEMBER CORRECTLY, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE OUR OWN SERVERS AT THE COURTHOUSE THAT WE'RE MAINTAINING FOR DIGITAL EVIDENCE. AND BRIAN IS RECOMMENDING THAT WE GET AWAY FROM THAT COST AND GO TO ESSENTIALLY AN OUTSOURCED CLOUD BASED COST. IS THAT THE WAY YOU UNDERSTAND IT? I GUESS I CAN TELL YOU THAT. AND THIS HAS JUST BEEN SOMETHING THAT WE'VE BEEN DEALING WITH FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, JUDGE. AND YOU'RE YOU'RE PROBABLY MORE FAMILIAR WITH IT THAN I AM, BUT I CAN I CAN EXPLAIN IT. THIS IS THE VISUAL WAY THAT I UNDERSTAND IT. IF YOU LOOK AT THE STORAGE NEEDS OF OUR ENTIRE COUNTY, EVERY DEPARTMENT IN OUR ENTIRE COUNTY, IT IS THIS BIG. THE STORAGE, THE STORAGE NEEDS FOR THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ARE THREE AND FOUR TIMES THE NEEDS OF THE ENTIRE REST OF THE COUNTY. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS, IS BECAUSE, AS YOU KNOW, ELECTRONIC DISCOVERY HAS ALL EVERY SINGLE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY, ALL OF OUR POLICE REPORTS, EVERYTHING IS ELECTRONIC. NOW. THEY'RE PUSHED OUT TO US ELECTRONICALLY. AND THEN WE HAVE TO, IN TURN, PUSH THAT OUT TO THE DEFENSE LAWYERS.

EVERY SINGLE BIT OF INFORMATION. WHEN I TRIED THAT MURDER CASE, WHAT, LAST YEAR, THE YEAR BEFORE, THERE WERE 3000 PIECES OF EVIDENCE. AND SO I CAN'T UNDERSCORE ENOUGH THAT NOT ONLY IS THAT AN ENORMOUS STORAGE CAPACITY, BUT THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT WE THEN CAN'T GET RID OF IT. LAW ENFORCEMENT GETS TO GET RID OF THAT ELECTRONIC INFORMATION AFTER A CERTAIN PERIOD OF TIME. WE HAVE TO KEEP IT ACCORDING TO STATE LAW, THE STATE LAW LIBRARY, THEY HAVE SCHEDULES. IF IT'S A MURDER CASE, YOU HAVE TO KEEP IT INDEFINITELY OVER 50 YEARS.

ANYTHING ELSE HAS THESE LONG WAITING PERIODS IN WHICH WE CANNOT GET RID OF ONE SINGLE PIECE OF ELECTRONIC EVIDENCE. SO THE STORAGE, IT'S GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW. I DON'T HAVE A SOLUTION FOR IT EXCEPT TO REFER IT TO THE IT DEPARTMENT. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO SO, JUDGE, I'M KIND OF UNDERSTANDING THAT WHAT YOU JUST SAID, WE'VE BEEN DOING IT OURSELVES AND, AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT COST IS COMPARED TO THIS 125,000, BUT THAT SOUNDS LIKE THAT OUR THAT BRIAN HAS MADE THIS RECOMMENDATION. YEP. AND THAT'LL BE ANOTHER QUESTION FOR BRIAN WHEN HE'S HERE. WHAT ARE WE SPENDING NOW. AND, AND I THINK WE GOT TO THE TYPICAL GOVERNMENT LIFE CYCLE OF WHERE AT END OF LIFE FOR SOME OF THE SERVERS AND FORCED BUYING THOSE VERSUS. THAT'S RIGHT. AND WE'VE LOOKED AT SOLUTIONS ABOUT. COORDINATING AND COLLABORATING WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT SO THAT WE COULD THEY COULD KEEP IT ON THEIR SERVER, LIKE SIMILAR TO WHAT WE DO WITH THE CHILDREN'S ADVOCACY CENTER. THEY COULD KEEP IT ON THEIR SERVER. BUT THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT THEY'RE HAVING THE SAME PROBLEMS WE ARE AND THEY DON'T HAVE TO KEEP THAT. AND SO THEY'RE GETTING RID OF IT. WELL, THEN WE'RE THE ONES THAT ARE NAILED FOR NOT

[02:05:01]

WELL, THE SUPERCOMPUTER, THE ESTIMATED COST THAT WE WERE GIVEN IS $4,000. LAST YEAR WAS 3500. SO, I MEAN, IT'S I HAVE NOTICED THAT. AND THE LAPTOPS ARE 2500. SO AND THEY WENT UP ALMOST 1000. THEY WENT UP $1,000. YEAH. SO I'M JUST SO LIKE IF YOU LOOK AT THE DELTAS, IF YOU GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE BUDGET, SHE ASKED FOR 16,000 IN IT AND NOW IT'S 58,000. IT'S NOT MORE COMPUTERS. IT'S THE PRICE OF COMPUTERS, THE TYPES OF COMPUTERS AND THEN SOME SWITCHES. SO AND THEN THAT SOFTWARE WHICH YOU WE WILL TALK TO BRIAN ABOUT, I GUESS, WHEN HE COMES IN. AND OF COURSE WE DON'T WE DON'T NEED A NEW COMPUTER EVERY YEAR. AND CERTAINLY WE HAVE 50 EMPLOYEES. WE DON'T THAT'S NOT DOESN'T REPRESENT A NEW COMPUTER FOR EVERYONE. EVERY YEAR THESE ARE ROLLING DISTRIBUTIONS THAT IT MAKES A RECOMMENDATION ABOUT.

YEAH. OKAY. THE NEXT TWO ARE IT RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BOTH OF THOSE POSITIONS THAT THAT WE TALKED ABOUT THE FINANCIAL CRIMES PROSECUTOR AND THE FACT I WILL TELL YOU THAT WE HAVE NOT HIRED THOSE POSITIONS. I HAVE NO I HAVE NO PLANS TO HIRE THOSE POSITIONS ANYTIME SOON.

ONE REASON IS BECAUSE I HAVE NO PLACE TO PUT THEM. THEY DON'T HAVE OFFICE SPACE. SO UNTIL THAT HAPPENS, I CAN TELL YOU THAT THESE IT RECOMMENDATIONS. AT SOME POINT WE ARE GOING TO NEED THOSE. WHEN THAT WILL HAPPEN, I DON'T KNOW. SO THEY'RE THEY'RE MY PROBABLY A LESS PRIORITY THAN THAN OTHER THINGS. THE LAST PAGE THAT IS A CAPITAL OUTLAY IS THE A NEW INVESTIGATOR VEHICLE. AND THREE BLACK AND WHITE PRINTERS THAT WERE NOT INCLUDED. THEY WERE NOT INCLUDED IN THE IT RECOMMENDATIONS THAT WERE FROM. I THINK WE GOT THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS IN APRIL OR MAY. SINCE THEN, WE'VE HAD THREE BLACK AND WHITE PRINTERS. THEY PRINT, BUT THEY PRINT WITH LINES ON THEM. AND SO WE. I TOLD THEM THAT I WOULD CERTAINLY ASK FOR NEW PRINTERS BECAUSE THAT I THINK THAT WE'RE PROBABLY BETTER THAN PRINTERS WITH LINES IN THEM. BUT THAT'S THE REASON FOR THAT. THE INVESTIGATOR VEHICLE, I WANTED TO POINT OUT THAT I HAVE ADDED BACKGROUND OR OR INFORMATION WITHIN YOUR PACKETS. THE FIRST IS A QUOTE FOR A NEW VEHICLE FROM SAM PAX, FIVE STAR FORD. WE GOT A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT QUOTES, AND THIS WAS THE CHEAPEST ONE, AND I BELIEVE THAT WE'VE USED THEM BEFORE.

AND THEN I ALSO, FOR THE FIRST TIME, WENT AHEAD AND PUT A D, A COUNTY VEHICLE INVENTORY. AND I KNOW, BOBBY, YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT THE FLEET THAT YOU WERE GOING TO BE GETTING SOME MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FLEET. I THOUGHT THAT THIS MIGHT BE INTERESTING FOR YOU TO REVIEW.

WE HAVE, I THINK, ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, EIGHT VEHICLES, ONE OF WHICH, LET'S SEE, ONE IS

[02:10:02]

YEAH, I WAS GOING TO ASK THE SAME QUESTION. YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE TYPICAL USE FOR THESE VEHICLES SO THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN I'M WHEN I'M OUT LOOKING, WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO, JUST SO YOU KNOW, IS I DON'T REALLY WANT THE DEPARTMENTS OUT GOING. I MEAN, GETTING A QUOTE IS GREAT, BUT I DON'T I DON'T WANT TO SHOP AT SIX DIFFERENT DEALERSHIPS. I WANT THE FLEET COMMITTEE TO BUY FROM ONE PLACE AND TO BUILD A RELATIONSHIP WITH THOSE PEOPLE. SO I JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER WE'RE ABLE TO GET SUITS THE NEEDS FOR WHAT YOUR GUYS USE THEM FOR. SO NUMBER ONE, I HAVE OBVIOUSLY NO OBJECTIONS TO THAT. THE THE REASON THAT I INCLUDED A QUOTE IS BECAUSE I ALWAYS WANT TO SHOW THAT WE'VE DONE OUR DUE DILIGENCE TRYING TO FIND THAT. AND I NEEDED A NUMBER TO PUT IN MY BUDGET, BUT I CAN TELL YOU THAT NOBODY'S GOING TO BE IN ANY CHASES. THIS IS THIS IS PRIMARILY TO. THE INVESTIGATORS ARE REQUIRED TO GO WITHIN WITH A PROSECUTOR WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO GO AND MEET WITH A WITNESS, THEY GO AND GET WITNESSES TO BRING THEM TO COURT. THEY GO AND SERVE SUBPOENAS. THEY GO. WE USE THEM FOR TRANSPORTING PEOPLE TO TRAINING. IT IS NORMAL WEAR USE. OKAY. THANK YOU. SO TO THE FLEET COMMITTEE, ARE THE REPRESENTATIVES HERE? THE HIM? HE'S THE REPRESENTATIVE. OKAY.

TO TO COMMISSIONER GALLINA THE THE INVESTIGATORS. THEY'RE YOU'RE FACTORING THEM IN TO YOUR FLEET. YEAH. I MEAN, LOOKING AT SOME OF THOSE VEHICLES, WE WE WE NEED TO TRY TO ROTATE SOME OF THOSE OUT FOR SURE. I MEAN, SOME OF THEM ARE SO OLD SAFETY FEATURES ARE OUT AND I DON'T WANT TO START INVESTING IN THEM AT ALL. SO MY, MY STANDARD QUESTION WILL HOLD IS WHAT IS THE RECOMMENDATION OF THE FLEET COMMITTEE? YEAH, I'M WORKING ON PUTTING THAT TOGETHER AND I'LL HAVE IT THIS WEEK, BUT I, I NEED TO TAKE ANOTHER DEEP DIVE INTO WHAT'S COMING OUT. YOU KNOW, OUR, OUR FIRST RESPONSIBILITY REALLY IS TO THE, IS TO MAKE SURE THAT WE

[02:15:09]

OKAY. GOOD GOOD GOOD, GOOD. OKAY. I PUT A PLACE MARKER INTO MY BUDGET FOR THE PLANNED EXPANSION OF THE DA'S OFFICE. I'M LOOKING AT YOU. YES. LOOKING AT YOU. I KNOW IT'S NOT DOESN'T GO IN THE DA'S BUDGET. IT GOES. IT'S IN ANOTHER FUND. I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT I HAD A CONVERSATION. I'M TRACKING FOR IT TO GO OUT TO BID THE SECOND QUARTER OF JULY.

SO WHAT ARE WE TALKING? I'M ON THE PAGE THAT SAYS PLACEHOLDER FOR CONVERSATION ABOUT EXISTING EMPLOYEE SALARIES. IS THAT WHAT WE SKIPPED? THAT WAS LONG, LONG. OKAY, SO I WENT BACK TOO FAR.

WE'RE HAVING A DIFFERENT CONVERSATION. IT SAYS PLANNED EXPANSION FOR THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. OKAY. I'M THERE. ALL RIGHT. SO REAL QUICK, WE WE BEING BURY AND PARK HILL AND I AND BOBBY HAS BEEN LOOPED INTO ALL THESE CONVERSATIONS, HAD A REALLY LONG TALK ABOUT HOW WE'RE GOING TO EXPAND THE DA'S OFFICE, WHICH I KNOW SOUNDS LIKE A SIMPLE CONCEPT, BUT OUR FIRST THOUGHT IS THAT IT'S SO SIMPLE. WE COULD GO TO BY BOARD AND DO IT OURSELVES.

WELL, AFTER A LONG TALK. THAT'S NOT SIMPLE. THAT'S ACTUALLY EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. AS DANIEL REY SAID, YOU WOULD BASICALLY BE ON THE VERGE OF DOING A CRIME EVERY TIME YOU MADE A DECISION, LIKE IT WOULD TAKE AN ACTUAL LEGAL REVIEW IF WE NEEDED MORE NAILS, OR IF WE NEEDED DRYWALL, OR IF WE MISAPPROPRIATED AND NEEDED A DOOR HANDLE, LIKE SIMPLE THINGS LIKE THAT. SO THERE IS A REALLY GOOD CHANCE WE WOULDN'T TECHNICALLY BE ABLE TO FINISH THE PROJECT LEGALLY, WHICH IS WEIRD. COUNTY PROCUREMENT LAWS ARE ILLOGICAL. SO WE HAVE MADE THE DECISION THAT THE COURT, IT WILL BE COMING TO COURT FOR COURT TO MAKE THE DECISION. SO I WOULD SAY WE ARE NOW GOING TO RECOMMEND WE GO TO SEALED BID. SEALED BID PUTS MORE PRESSURE ON THE CONTRACTOR TO COME UP WITH THE PRICE AND FINISH THE JOB. SO THAT KIND OF DECISION HAS BEEN MADE. PARK HILL IS PREPARING THE SEALED BID DOCUMENTS, AND WE'RE TRYING TO GET IT TOGETHER FOR COURT ON THE SECOND COURT IN JULY SO THAT WE COULD PUT IT ON THE STREET, COME BACK WITH A BUDGET AND FIGURE OUT HOW WE GET IT PAID FOR IF WE HAVE THE MONEY, OR IF WE HAVE TO PUT MORE MONEY IN THE BUDGET. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE WE'RE AT. THERE IT IS WHAT IT IS. SO THAT'S, THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT. SO THAT, YOU KNOW, I, I WILL NOT PROSECUTE YOU FOR BUYING TOO MANY NAILS. SO WE'RE GOOD. THANK YOU. SO LET'S MOVE FORWARD. NEXT PART. LET'S MOVE ON. YEAH. OKAY. SO SENDING IT OUT FOR BID. SO WHAT DOES THAT PROJECT WHEN BUILDING WOULD START. THAT IS AN AMAZING QUESTION. I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT HAS A PROJECTION ON WHEN BUILDING WOULD START. IT WOULD BE I BELIEVE HE SAID SO JULY.

SO WE WOULD BASICALLY GET BIDS BACK IN TOWARDS THE END OF AUGUST. AND THEN WE WOULD LOOK AT AWARDING THE BID AND THEN GETTING YOUR SPACE VACATED, WHICH SHOULD BE IN SEPTEMBER, AND THEN WE CAN START DEMOLITION AT THAT POINT. SO I DON'T KNOW THAT IT CREATES KIND OF A TIMELINE FOR WORK, HE SAID. IT WAS EIGHT MONTHS OF CONSTRUCTION, IS WHAT HE ESTIMATED. I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT'S TRUE OR FALSE, BUT HE'S PUTTING THAT WHOLE TIMELINE TOGETHER FOR ME. AND THE SECOND HE GETS IT, I'LL EMAIL IT TO YOU. IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE TODAY, EIGHT MONTHS. LET'S GO BACK TO JOHN. YOU AND I GET A HAMMER. I KNOW WE'RE HEADED THERE. SO I CAN TELL YOU THAT AT THIS POINT, WE ARE REALLY STRUGGLING FOR SPACE, ESPECIALLY WITH THE NEW FLOODING. AND I KNOW THAT BARRY IS WORKING DILIGENTLY ON THAT. WHEN THEY DO BEGIN THAT CONSTRUCTION, EIGHT MONTHS SEEMS INSANE TO ME FOR THAT SPACE, BUT WE WILL HAVE TO MOVE THE OUR CHILD ABUSE DIVISION OUT AS WELL. WE HAD SPACE NEAR WHERE? ON THE THIRD FLOOR WHERE THE FAMILY VIOLENCE. WELL, NOW IT'S THE JUVENILE AND THE CIVIL DIVISION HAVE MOVED. WE HAD THAT OFFICE THAT WAS RIGHT OUTSIDE THE AREA. THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS TAKEN THAT SPACE FOR AN OFFICE. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO TAKE THAT SPACE TO MOVE THOSE TWO INDIVIDUALS BACK IN. BUT OBVIOUSLY, WE'LL CONTINUE TO HAVE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THAT. I'VE ALREADY TALKED

[02:20:03]

SO JOHN, WE DID A POLICY ON THIS RECENTLY. THAT IS CORRECT. AND DOES THAT APPLY TO THIS OFFICE ALSO? I HAVE IT DOES APPLY TO EVERYBODY. SO I'M NOT SURE WHAT THE EDUCATION INCENTIVES ARE. YEAH. THE THE THERE EVERYONE THAT HAD AN EDUCATION INCENTIVE PRIOR TO THE POLICY BEING PLACED. SO THE GRANDFATHERED IN. YES, THERE ARE. I DID ADD, EXCEPT FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WHO THE GRANDFATHER DOESN'T APPLY. IT LOOKS LIKE THAT WOULD APPLY TO MY INVESTIGATORS AS WELL ON THE. COLE DID I DID PUT TWO MAYBE EXTRA EMPLOYEES ON THIS EDUCATION INCENTIVES DEAL, EVEN THOUGH THEY MAY NOT BE GRANDFATHERED AND CAMMIE CAN TAKE THEM OFF. BUT IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO PAY THEM, I AM. I THINK THAT THAT'S UNFAIR. SO I WENT AHEAD AND PUT THEM ON THE EDUCATION INCENTIVE, BUT THE REST OF THEM ARE GRANDFATHERED IN, AND THEN THE PART TIME EMPLOYEES, WE Y'ALL DON'T PAY THAT EITHER. I PAY THAT OUT OF STATE APPORTIONMENT. GOOD. SO. I'D ASK THE COURT THIS IS A DECISION THAT WE MADE THAT WE WERE GOING TO STOP DOING THIS FOR NEW EMPLOYEES. AND SO I WOULD GUESS UNLESS YOU GUYS FEEL DIFFERENTLY, IF YOU'VE ADDED NEW PEOPLE, THEY SHOULDN'T BE ADDED. I JUST PUT THEM ON THIS GRAPH. THEY, LIKE I SAID, ON THE SPREADSHEET, I PUT EVERY EMPLOYEE THAT'S ELIGIBLE FOR THE EDUCATION INCENTIVE ON THIS SPREADSHEET. I'VE DONE THAT EVERY YEAR BECAUSE THE PART TIME EMPLOYEES ARE ALSO NOT. ACCORDING TO POLICY, ARE NOT GIVEN EDUCATION INCENTIVES, EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE FULL FLEDGED INVESTIGATORS. SO I JUST PUT THEM ON THE SPREADSHEET AND THEN AND THEN OF COURSE, THEY'RE NOT PAID FROM COUNTY FUNDS. THEY'RE PAID FROM A DIFFERENT FUND. OKAY, CAMMIE, YOU'RE AWARE OF THAT. WHICH ONES? THEY ARE. I ALREADY TALKED TO HER ABOUT IT. GREAT. THANK YOU. AND AND WE TALKED ABOUT WHICH ONES WERE AND WHICH ONES WERE NOT ELIGIBLE. OKAY. SO THAT IS THAT IS YOUR PACKET OF INFORMATION. AND BEFORE I MOVE ON, ARE THERE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THAT PACKET. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO THE THE LAST THING THAT I WOULD MENTION IS THAT THERE THERE WAS A COMMISSIONERS COURT MEETING IN WHICH. AND WE IN WHICH TWO OF THE COMMISSIONERS TALKED ABOUT A SALARY COMPARISON STUDY. AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT IT'S CALLED. IT'S CALLED THE SALARY STUDY. ROCKWELL COUNTY SALARY STUDY FROM APRIL OF 2026. AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT I HAVE DONE MY OWN SALARY COMPENSATION STUDIES THROUGHOUT THE YEARS. I KNOW WHAT AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WORK THAT IT TOOK TO DO THIS.

AND SO KUDOS TO CAMMIE FOR ALL THE WORK THAT SHE DID ON THIS. I KNOW IT WAS A LOT OF WORK.

WHAT I WANTED TO DO, THOUGH, IS DURING THAT MEETING, THERE WERE A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT QUESTIONS THAT WERE ASKED ABOUT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. BASED ON THAT SALARY STUDY, I HAD NOT HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO COMMISSIONERS ABOUT THAT PRIOR TO Y'ALL DISCUSSING IT. I HAVE NOW HAD THAT OPPORTUNITY, AND I VERY MUCH APPRECIATED THAT. I THOUGHT IT WAS A VERY PRODUCTIVE MEETING THAT COMMISSIONER GALLINA AND COMMISSIONER STACEY AND I HAD.

AND IN THAT, BECAUSE IT'S BEEN BROUGHT UP IN OPEN COURT, THOUGH, I WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE REST OF THE COMMISSIONERS, THAT IT WAS POINTED OUT THAT THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF. AND I'LL JUST I'LL JUST MENTION WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT NUMBERS AND PERSONNEL COUNT, THE PERSONNEL COUNT THAT WAS INCLUDED IN THE COMPENSATION STUDY, AND I UNDERSTAND WHY, BUT IT GIVES A MISPERCEPTION OF THE NUMBERS. FIRST OF ALL, WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE COUNT, THEY COUNTED PART TIME EMPLOYEES AS FULL TIME EMPLOYEES. THEY COUNTED UNFUNDED POSITIONS. AND CERTAINLY THE PERCENTAGES WERE SKEWED BY EMPLOYMENT NUMBERS AND OTHER COUNTIES. AND IT WAS VERY INTERESTING, I THINK, TO TAKE A LOOK AT THE ENTIRE SALARY STUDY. BUT SPECIFICALLY, I WOULD JUST MENTION THAT ROCKWALL COUNTY HAS 442 TOTAL EMPLOYEES. ALMOST ALL OF THE

[02:25:05]

THEY ARE REQUIRED TO HIRE MORE ROAD AND BRIDGE PEOPLE. THEY ARE REQUIRED TO HANDLE MORE PEOPLE TO HANDLE THAT LARGE GEOGRAPHIC AREA. BUT WHEN YOU HAVE FAR FEWER EMPLOYEES. I'M NO MATHEMATICIAN, BUT I EVEN KNOW THAT WHEN YOU DIVIDE MY EMPLOYEE COUNT BY FAR A FAR SMALLER DENOMINATOR, YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE A LARGER PERCENTAGE BE FROM THE DA'S OFFICE. AND I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT I TALKED ABOUT THAT. AND I KNOW THAT CAMI HAS MADE SOME, YOU KNOW, I MADE SOME CALLS ON MY OWN AND SAID, OKAY, WAIT A SECOND.

KAUFMAN DOESN'T HAVE WE HAVE 442 EMPLOYEES. KAUFMAN DOESN'T HAVE 2700. AND SO THAT WAS JUST A NUMBER THAT ONCE YOU ONCE YOU CHANGE THOSE NUMBERS, THE NUMBERS CAME DOWN TO WHERE THERE WERE A NUMBER OF COUNTIES THAT HAD THE SAME PERCENTAGES AS ROCKWALL COUNTY. BUT THE BIGGEST NUMBER, I THINK TO REMEMBER IS THAT OF THE COUNTIES THAT ARE LISTED ON YOUR ON YOUR CHART, THOSE THAT HAVE FIVE COURTS, THEY HAD 51 EMPLOYEES, WHICH IS WHAT WE HAVE. WELL, KAUFMAN ACTUALLY HAS EVIDENTLY 72 EMPLOYEES FOR FIVE COURTS. BUT THE REASON THAT I BRING THAT UP IS BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOT ONLY POINT OUT TO THE COMMISSIONERS COURT, BUT ALSO TO A LARGER AUDIENCE, THAT THE DA'S OFFICE, WE YES, WE DO ASK AND WE ARE GIVEN GREAT POSITIONS FROM THE COMMISSIONER'S COURT. THIS COMMISSIONER'S COURT SUPPORTS LAW ENFORCEMENT AND SUPPORTS THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IN TERMS OF PERSONNEL, BUT I DON'T WANT IT TO APPEAR LIKE THE DA'S OFFICE IS RUNNING HEAVY, BECAUSE WE'RE CERTAINLY NOT. WE ARE A VERY HARD WORKING TEAM, AND WE HAVE. WE'RE. I'M PROUD OF THE WORK THAT WE THAT WE PUT OUT. AND I THINK THAT THE THING THAT I WANT TO MENTION, THAT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT. AND I THINK THAT THE COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER AND COMMISSIONER STACY RESPONDED TO IS THAT WE WENT AHEAD AND PULLED NUMBERS FROM OCA, WHICH IS THE OFFICE OF COURT ADMINISTRATION, BECAUSE IT WAS INTERESTING. AND THE NUMBERS ARE A LITTLE OLD BECAUSE OCA IS BEHIND, EVIDENTLY. BUT FROM ALL OF THE COUNTIES THAT YOU POLLED IN THIS ENTIRE CHART, I WANT TO MENTION THAT ROCKWALL COUNTY DISPOSES OF THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF CASES IN A THREE MONTH PERIOD THAN ANY OTHER COUNTY IN THE ENTIRE STATE, AND WE HAVE THE FEWEST LEFT OVER AFTER A YEAR. NOW, LET'S LET'S BREAK THAT DOWN. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT MEANS THAT THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE IS WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE JUDGE AND THE JAIL AND ALL OF THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. THE CLERK'S OFFICE IS THE DISTRICT CLERK'S OFFICES TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE MOVING THOSE CASES AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. WE DO THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE THE PERSONNEL TO DO IT, AND PERSONNEL THAT HAVE THE PASSION TO GET THAT WORK DONE. BUT WHEN YOU GET PEOPLE OUT OF JAIL MORE QUICKLY AND FAR, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT IN THREE MONTHS, WE'RE AT 51% DISPOSITION RATE. THE VERY NEXT HIGHEST IS MONTGOMERY COUNTY AT 44% DALLAS. WELL, DALLAS IS NOT THEY DON'T EVEN HAVE NUMBERS FOR DALLAS, BUT FORT BEND IS 13% OVER. AFTER A YEAR. WE HAVE 3% LEFT. THE NEXT THE NEXT LOWEST IS AGAIN MONTGOMERY COUNTY AT 10%. LET'S SEE. KAUFMAN 32%. ELLIS 34%. FORT BEND 43%. SO WHEN WE ARE ABLE TO MOVE THOSE CASES, NOT ONLY IS THAT JUSTICE FOR ALL, BUT IT ALSO GETS THOSE PEOPLE OUT OF JAIL AND SAVES US AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF MONEY FOR HOUSING THOSE PEOPLE IN THE JAIL. SO I WOULD MENTION THAT BECAUSE I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT. AND AND THIS GOES FOR EVERY DEPARTMENT, WHEN YOU HAVE ADEQUATE PERSONNEL, YOU ARE ABLE TO DO YOUR JOB IN A MORE EFFECTIVE AND PRODUCTIVE WAY. SO I JUST MENTIONED THAT, AGAIN, I THINK THAT THE NUMBERS THERE WERE I UNDERSTAND I UNDERSTOOD THE NUMBERS, BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THEM AND HOW THEY WERE PRESENTED, I FELT LIKE THEY WERE THEY WERE NOT UNFAIRLY SKEWED, BUT STILL SKEWED. WHEN YOU YOU HAVE TO LOOK AT THE REASONS THAT THOSE NUMBERS ARE OR THE WAY THAT THEY ARE. I WOULD ALSO MENTION THAT THE SALARY STUDY ITSELF. I KNOW THAT THERE WAS A NUMBER OF. AND I AND I SAY THIS ON BEHALF OF ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS, BUT I KNOW THAT THERE WERE A NUMBER

[02:30:03]

AND I CAN UNDERSTAND THAT COMMENT. THE SALARY RANGES, THERE'S THAT. WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE SALARY RANGES, THEY MAY BE MORE IN LINE WITH WHAT ACROSS THE STATE WHERE WE NEED TO BE.

THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT WHEN WE HIRE PEOPLE, THAT'S NOT WHERE WE HIRE THEM. WE HIRE THEM AT THE BEGINNING POINT. NOW WE ARE HOPEFULLY GOING TO MOVE IN A DIRECTION WHERE WE CAN ADD SOMETHING TO THAT. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT JUST THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ALONE, WHEN YOU LOOK AT CHIEF INVESTIGATOR AT $90,000, WHEN THE AVERAGE IS 110, THE MISDEMEANOR INVESTIGATORS 73 WHEN THE AVERAGE IS 90, THE FELONY PROSECUTORS AT 109. THAT'S THE THIRD LOWEST IN THE STATE, THE AVERAGE 123 MISDEMEANOR PROSECUTORS 82. THE AVERAGE IS 99,000. WHEN I'M TRYING TO HIRE A MISDEMEANOR PROSECUTOR, I CAN'T BECAUSE THEY CAN GO ANYWHERE AROUND US AND GET MORE MONEY AND GET TO LIVE WHEREVER THEY WANT TO. A PARALEGAL, THE STAFF IS THE ONE THAT THE ONES THAT ARE ABYSMAL PARALEGALS, 46,000. THE STATE AVERAGE IS 65,000. WE ARE THE ABSOLUTE LOWEST PAID POSITIONS IN THE ENTIRE STATE COMPARED TO THESE.

THE COUNTIES THAT WERE CHOSEN. LEGAL CLERKS 38,000. THE AVERAGE IS 52, THE LOWEST IN THE STATE. THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE COORDINATOR. WE DON'T EVEN HAVE ONE OF THOSE.

BUT THAT'S 55,000. THE STATE AVERAGE IS 75. WE ASKED FOR THE OFFICE MANAGER. WE ASKED FOR IN THE 60S. SENIOR CLERK 42,000. THE AVERAGE IS 54. THAT'S THE LOWEST IN THE STATE. VICTIM ASSISTANCE COORDINATOR 49. THE AVERAGE IS 60. THAT'S THE SECOND LOWEST IN THE STATE. AND SO FORTH AND SO ON. BUT THE THING THAT WAS THE MOST UPSETTING, I'M GOING TO JUST USE THAT WORD UPSETTING TO ME. OR ARE WE BRINGING THIS BACK TO THE BUDGET? YES. KENDRA. OKAY.

THANK YOU. WAS THAT I DON'T EVEN HAVE TO LEAVE THIS COUNTY IN ORDER TO HAVE A COMPARISON, AN UNJUST COMPARISON BETWEEN DEPARTMENTS. ALL I HAVE TO DO IS GO TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

AND LET ME JUST SAY, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE DOES AN UNBELIEVABLE JOB IN THIS COUNTY, AND THEY DESERVE EVERY PENNY THAT THEY'RE GIVEN. BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE THE NUMBERS AND OF COURSE, WHERE'S MINE? WELL, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS AND YOU LOOK AT WHAT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS PAID, A CHIEF DEPUTY CAPTAIN, LIEUTENANT, WHEN YOU LOOK AT THAT, A LIEUTENANT IN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT IS PAID MORE THAN A FELONY. CHIEF PROSECUTOR. NOW, AGAIN, I AM NOT TAKING ANYTHING AWAY FROM THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT BECAUSE THEY HAD TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS TO REMAIN COMPETITIVE. HOWEVER, WHEN YOU HAVE A LAWYER THAT NOT ONLY HAS GONE TO COLLEGE, HAS GONE TO LAW SCHOOL, BUT THEN THESE FELONY CHIEF PROSECUTORS HAVE DECADES OF EXPERIENCE AS PROSECUTORS, AND THEY ARE MAKING SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN A A LIEUTENANT AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, A FELONY PROSECUTOR, A HUNDRED MINIMUM.

THEN YOU LOOK AT THIS ONE, WHICH IS JUST ASTONISHING TO ME, A DEPUTY. YOU'LL TALK ABOUT US.

YOU KNOW, THESE THESE SALARIES FOR A PERSON THAT GETS OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL, A DEPUTY IS MAKING MORE THAN A MISDEMEANOR PROSECUTOR TO START $10,000 MORE THAN A FELONY. I MEAN, THAN A MISDEMEANOR PROSECUTOR TO START WORKING. YOU HAVE THEN YOU HAVE THE DA CHIEF INVESTIGATOR, MY INVESTIGATORS. I TALK TO THEM ALL YESTERDAY. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM HAS 30 YEARS OF EXPERIENCE AS A AS AN INVESTIGATOR. AND YET THEY ARE GETTING PAID LESS THAN A BEGINNING DEPUTY. THAT'S THAT IS EMBARRASSING, TO SAY THE LEAST. THEN YOU GO DOWN TO. THE STAFF. AGAIN, NOT TAKING ANYTHING AWAY FROM WHAT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS PAYING.

GOOD FOR THEM FOR GETTING THE RAISES THAT THEY NEED. BUT IF YOU WANT TO LOOK AT THOSE NUMBERS ON THE FAR RIGHT, THAT IS WHAT THE MARKET SHARE IS. THAT'S WHERE THE SHERIFF'S

[02:35:01]

AND THIS IS THE ONE THAT I DON'T UNDERSTAND AT ALL, A SENIOR CLERK AND A CLERK. THESE ARE THE SAME POSITIONS IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS ARE BEING PAID SIGNIFICANTLY LESS MONEY.

YOU'VE GOT A SHERIFF SENIOR CLERK THAT MAKES 57 AND A DA SENIOR CLERK THAT MAKES 42. A CLERK IN THE JAIL MAKES 46, WHEREAS A LEGAL CLERK MAKES 37. SO I WOULD JUST BRING UP THAT YOU DO. YOU HAVE DONE AN INCREDIBLE JOB OF LOOKING AT THE SHERIFF'S SALARIES AND QUITE FRANKLY, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. KUDOS TO THEM FOR BRINGING A LOT OF THIS TO YOUR ATTENTION AND MAKING YOU AWARE OF THE FACT THAT THIS IS AN IMPORTANT ISSUE. AND I KNOW FROM THE SHERIFF'S PERSPECTIVE, THEY HAVE THE STEP PLAN THAT'S EVEN ABOVE THESE NUMBERS. WHAT I WOULD ASK YOU TO DO, AND I UNDERSTAND THAT YOU'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE BUDGET YEAR. I WOULD ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER THAT WITHIN YOUR OWN COUNTY, THERE ARE DISPARATE SALARIES FOR THE SAME POSITIONS. AND I WOULD ASK YOU DURING THAT SALARY CONVERSATION, AND I'M HAPPY TO CONTINUE THIS SALARY CONVERSATION THAT YOU WOULD TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT AT LEAST THE SAME POSITIONS OR COMMENSURATE POSITIONS SHOULD BE PAID THE SAME WITHIN THE SAME COUNTY. THANK YOU. OKAY. I GOT SEVERAL QUESTIONS THAT I WANT TO ASK. I'M SURE MAYBE SOME OF YOU DO TOO. I'M NOT SURE IF YOU DO. FIRST QUESTION. GOING BACK TO DISPOSITION OF CASES, JUST BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE ANY OF THIS STUFF IN FRONT OF US THAT YOU WERE QUOTING, SO I DON'T I DON'T NEED IT NOW, BUT I'D LIKE TO HAVE ALL OF THAT AFTER THIS MEETING. AT SOME POINT, IF YOU COULD SEND THAT TO CAMI TO DISTRIBUTE, MAYBE THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL SO THAT WE COULD SEE IT AND UNDERSTAND IT BETTER. HERE'S WHAT I WOULD ASK YOU. I, AND I REALLY APPRECIATIVE OF HOW QUICKLY YOU'RE GETTING PEOPLE TO THE SYSTEM. IT'S SAVING US MONEY IN THE JAIL, THERE'S NO DOUBT. AND THAT'S EXPENSIVE. AND THEY'RE ALL ON MEDS THAT WE HAVE TO PAY FOR. SO THAT'S SAVING US MONEY. WELL, NOT ALL OF THEM, BUT 80%. YES, 80% OF THEM ARE. AND SO IT SAVES US MONEY. BUT ARE THERE I MEAN, WE'RE IN ROCKWALL COUNTY AND I KNOW THAT WE STILL HAVE CRIME, BUT ARE THERE CASES THAT TAKE LONGER TO DISPOSE OF IN THESE OTHER COUNTIES COMPARED TO ROCKWALL? ARE WE ARE WE DOES IT TAKE INTO ACCOUNT CASE MIX? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION. AND ACTUALLY I CAN ANSWER IT. I HADN'T THOUGHT ABOUT THAT, BUT I CAN ANSWER IT QUICKLY. NO. AND THE REASON I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE THE CASE MIX IS NOT ABOUT WHERE YOU ARE IN THE COUNTY. IT'S ABOUT THE TYPE OF OFFENSE THAT YOU HAVE. SO I WILL TELL YOU THAT A CHILD ABUSE CASE AND A FAMILY VIOLENCE CASE TAKE SUBSTANTIALLY LONGER TO DISPOSE OF THAN A MURDER CASE. SO WHEREAS YOU MIGHT HAVE MORE VIOLENCE IN ANOTHER COUNTY. NOW, A HIGH PROFILE CASE, THAT'S A DIFFERENT MATTER. SO THE ANTHONY CARMELO AND ALL OF THAT, THOSE ARE THOSE ARE SEPARATE ONE OFFS DEALS. BUT IN THE IN TERMS OF GETTING READY FOR A CASE THAT'S THAT'S INVOLVING VIOLENCE, WE CAN OFTEN GET THOSE CASES TRIED MORE QUICKLY, WHETHER THEY COME UP ON THE DOCKET FASTER OR NOT, I DON'T KNOW. BUT THAT'S UP TO THE JUDGES. BUT IN TERMS OF CASES THAT ARE VIOLENCE, FAMILY VIOLENCE AND CHILD ABUSE CASES ARE GOING TO TAKE THE MOST AMOUNT OF TIME. THAT'S WHY WE

[02:40:06]

GREAT. THANK YOU. AND LAST QUESTION. SO THESE NUMBERS THAT YOU'RE BRINGING TO THE COURT FOR SALARY, I KNOW WE REALLY DIDN'T TOUCH ON THESE LAST BUDGET, NOT THAT I REMEMBER A COUPLE OF POSITIONS. I KNOW WE DID, BUT THIS FEELS LIKE WE MAY HAVE AN ISSUE THAT'S BEEN GOING ON FOR A WHILE. IF HAS THIS BEEN TALKED WITH WITH ANY PREVIOUS COURT BEFORE TODAY? BECAUSE HERE'S WHAT I'M SAYING. THAT IS THAT TO TO MAKE THESE WHERE YOU'RE ASKING FOR IS A SIGNIFICANT JUMP FOR THE COUNTY. AND I, I DON'T KNOW THAT THE I MEAN, I'M NOT PREPARING THE FIRST BUDGET THAT'S ON YOU, JUDGE, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT THE COUNTY CAN MAKE THAT KIND OF JUMP IN A YEAR. AND HAVE YOU CONSIDERED USING SB 22 MONEY TO BRIDGE A GAP? SO I WANT TO ANSWER THE. I WANT TO ANSWER THAT IN TWO WAYS. OKAY. SO FIRST OF ALL, THIS IS THE VERY FIRST TIME THAT I HAVE EVER BROUGHT IT UP TO A COURT. AND THE REASON THAT I'M BRINGING IT UP NOW IS BECAUSE I HAD THE BENEFIT OF YOUR SALARY STUDY. THAT, AGAIN, IS FULL OF A LOT OF REALLY GOOD INFORMATION. AND SO THAT WAS THE VERY FIRST TIME THAT HONESTLY, I KNEW ABOUT THE DISPARITY IN THAT I, I KNEW THAT OUR, OUR PROSECUTOR NUMBERS WERE LOW ACROSS FROM ACROSS THE STATE JUST BECAUSE I'M INVOLVED AT THE STATE LEVEL AND I TALK TO MY FRIENDS AND WHAT THEY PAY, PEOPLE WANT TO COME TO ROCKWALL COUNTY. SO WE HAVE GOTTEN AWAY WITH HAVING SOME LOWER SALARIES FROM THE PROSECUTOR PERSPECTIVE. BUT THAT IS NOT THE SAME CASE AS IT WAS A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. IT'S IT'S HARD. IT'S BEEN VERY HARD TO TO HIRE THIS YEAR. WE ARE GOING TO HIRE POST-BAR INTERNS. WE'RE GOING TO KEEP OUR FINGERS CROSSED THAT POST-BAR INTERNS PASS THE BAR AND THAT THEY WANT TO STAY IN ROCKWALL COUNTY, BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD A REAL HARDSHIP IN HIRING PROSECUTORS FOR FOR THESE KIND OF CASES. AND I'VE TOLD YOU THIS MANY TIMES BEFORE, WHEREAS BEFORE WE GOT 100 APPLICATIONS, WE GET FIVE MAYBE, AND HALF OF THOSE, I DON'T KNOW. THANKS. THE SECONDLY, SB 22, THAT IS WHAT SB 22 IS FOR. AND WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO USE SB 22 IS, IS TO SUPPLEMENT THE SALARIES. NOW KEEP IN MIND, THOUGH, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE ALSO HAS SB 22. SO ON TOP OF THESE NUMBERS, THEY ARE USING SB 22 TO SUPPLEMENT THEIR SALARIES. NUMBER ONE. NUMBER TWO STATE. ACROSS THE STATE, COUNTIES ARE USING DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE ARE USING SB 22 TO SUPPLEMENT THEIR SALARIES. WE HAVE NOT BEEN DOING THAT. AND THERE'S LOTS OF REASONS AND WE WON'T GET INTO IT. BUT WE WE WOULD WE WANT TO USE THAT AS A SUPPLEMENT. AND WE PLAN TO DO THAT, YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD EVEN AS QUICKLY AS FOR THIS FISCAL YEAR. BUT AGAIN, THAT WILL NOT GET US TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE BECAUSE ALL THESE NUMBERS ARE JUST BASE NUMBERS. EVERYONE IS USING SB 22 TO SUPPLEMENT SALARIES BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT THE LEGISLATURE SAID THEY WANTED IT TO BE USED FOR AND TO HIRE BRAND NEW POSITIONS, LIKE WHAT WE DID WITH THE CLERKS POSITION LAST YEAR. OKAY. AND THEN LASTLY, I WOULD I WOULD REQUEST, AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY ELSE WANTS IT, BUT I WOULD LIKE THESE NUMBERS THAT YOU SUBMITTED. HAPPY TO DO IT. IF YOU COULD SEND THOSE. I GUESS THEY CAN BE TOO, BECAUSE SHE'LL PROBABLY WANT TO DISTRIBUTE OR YOU CAN DISTRIBUTE TO ALL OF US, I HAVE DO YOU WANT ME TO TAKE THE HIGHLIGHT OFF? THAT DOESN'T MATTER. I JUST WANT TO I JUST WANT TO BE ABLE TO HAVE THEM SO I CAN. SO I CAN LOOK AT THEM IN MORE DETAIL TOO. AND I, AND I WANT TO ADDRESS ONE OTHER THING THAT YOU SAID. DO I EXPECT THAT THIS IS ALL GOING TO GET FIXED THIS BUDGET YEAR? NO, I JUST WANT TO POINT IT OUT TO YOU BECAUSE I KNOW THAT AS. PRODUCTIVE AND CONSCIENTIOUS COMMISSIONERS, YOU WANT TO SEE THE SAME INFORMATION THAT I HAVE. I WAS SURPRISED AND DISMAYED TO SEE THIS INFORMATION. I'M DISAPPOINTED IN MYSELF THAT I ALLOWED THIS TO GO UNNOTICED IN MY OWN DEPARTMENT. I KNEW THE SALARIES WERE LOWER, BUT I HAD NO IDEA THE DISPARATE TREATMENT IN OUR OWN COUNTY AND. AND I THINK THAT THAT NEEDS TO BE BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION. AGAIN, NOTHING AGAINST THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. GOOD JOB. THEY NEEDED TO DO IT IN ORDER TO RECRUIT

[02:45:05]

BECAUSE YOU HAD INDICATED THAT THE THE SALARY RANGES. I CAN GO BACK AND LOOK AT THE MINIMUMS, BUT I'LL JUST FOR EXAMPLE, I'LL JUST GIVE YOU THE NUMBER FOR A SENIOR CLERK, A SENIOR CLERK, THE MINIMUM PAY RANGE. THE MINIMUM IS 48, 633. THE MINIMUM OF A SENIOR CLERK ANYWHERE ELSE IS 39. NO, I AGREE THAT $10,000 DISCREPANCY BETWEEN THE SAME. AND THAT'S THE MINIMUM RANGE.

I'LL GO TO YOUR NUMBERS AND I WOULD BE. I'LL BE HAPPY TO GO BACK. AND I DON'T WANT THIS TO LOOK SKEWED AT ALL, BECAUSE I KNOW HOW KIND OF DISAPPOINTED I WAS IN THE NUMBERS WHEN I

[02:50:02]

THIS YEAR WHEN I RAN IT, IT DID NOT APPEAR THAT THE OTHER COUNTIES SHERIFF'S PERSONNEL AVERAGED HIGHER THAN OTHER CLERKS, AND I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S BECAUSE OF THE COUNTIES WE SURVEYED THIS TIME VERSUS THE ONES WE SURVEYED LAST TIME, I DON'T KNOW. YEAH. INTERESTING.

I THINK THAT AND WHAT I ADDED TO MINE AND AGAIN, COMMISSIONER STACY, I'M NO SPREADSHEET GURU, BUT I'M HAPPY TO TO CHANGE THIS TO BE ANYTHING THAT YOU WANT IT TO BE. BUT I'LL JUST MENTION, JUST FOR CLARIFICATION, WHAT I DID IS I PUT THE POSITION AND I PUT, OH, POSITION, BUT OF

[02:55:03]

THEY DID. OKAY. AND SO NOW IT'S YES, THEY USED TO. IT'S JUST OURS AREN'T HIGH ANYMORE. OURS ARE IN LINE WITH WHAT EVERYONE ELSE'S SHERIFF'S OFFICE CLERKS ARE ON THE CLERKS SIDE. NOT NOT NECESSARILY ON THE DEPUTY SIDE, BUT ON THE CLERKS SIDE. WE'RE WE'RE RIGHT IN. WE'RE RIGHT WITH EVERYONE FROM EVIDENCE CUSTODIAN, DETENTION CLERKS, YOUR YOUR CLERK FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. CLERK ONE IS AT 96%. ALL OF THE OTHER CLERKS ARE AT 82. AND OH, I'M SORRY, THE CLERKS ARE AT 73%. SO THOSE ARE NOT THE SAME. AND I WOULD I WOULD MENTION TO LEGAL CLERKS ARE NOT AT 73%. THAT'S ACTUAL. THEY'RE AT 73% OF ACTUAL NOT NOT ON WHAT THE WHAT THE RANGES ARE. OKAY. AND, AND YOU AND I HAD TALKED ABOUT THOSE RANGES I WOULD MENTION TOO. AND I THINK THAT THIS IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER. YOU'RE NEVER GOING TO HAVE ANYBODY THAT'S GOING TO GET TO THAT TOP RANGE IN A CLERK, VERY FEW, BECAUSE WE CAN'T KEEP THEM MORE THAN TWO YEARS BECAUSE THEY'RE MAKING $37,000 A YEAR. THEY CAN'T AFFORD THEIR HOUSEHOLD BUDGETS, MAKING A MINIMUM OF $37,000 A YEAR AS A PERSON. SO THERE IS TURNOVER WITH OUR ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT. I THINK YOU SEE THAT IN ALL THE DEPARTMENTS, OR THEY'RE BEING PROMOTED TO A POSITION WHERE THEY CAN PAY THEIR BILLS. AND SO I THINK THAT IT'S GREAT THAT AND I THANK YOU FOR MAKING THE HIGHER ENDS BETTER THAN THEY ARE AT THE STATE. BUT UNLESS YOU STAY LONG ENOUGH TO GET TO THAT HIGH END, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO BENEFIT FROM IT. AND THAT IS A TOTALLY FAIR ARGUMENT THAT I'M NOT GOING TO ARGUE. WHAT I'M GOING TO SAY IS THE THE THAT I JUST WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE FACTS OF WHAT THIS REPORT IS SHOWING. WHAT THIS REPORT IS SHOWING IS THAT IF YOU LOOK AT A LEGAL CLERK AT ALL THE OTHER METRO AREAS, OURS ARE IN THE 73RD PERCENTILE, NOT BECAUSE OF THE PAY RANGE, BUT BECAUSE OF ACTUAL PAY. ACTUAL PAY IS DIFFERENT THAN THE RANGES. WE CAN'T CONTROL HOW LONG SOMEONE STAYS, WHICH IS WHY WE WANTED TO STUDY ALL THE OTHER METRO AREAS. WE DIDN'T WANT TO JUST TAKE A SNAPSHOT OF ONE COUNTY OR THE OTHER. SO THEY'RE ALL HAVING THE SAME TURNOVER. OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE TURNOVER IS ALMOST STATISTICALLY THE SAME AS EVERY OTHER DISTRICT ATTORNEY THAT WE STUDIED AS FAR AS THE TURNOVER, AS RAW NUMBERS AND NUMBERS CAN BE MISLEADING, BUT JUST AS A RAW NUMBER. SO EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE GETTING THE SAME TURNOVER AS A DEPARTMENT, OUR TURNOVER IS DISPROPORTIONATE TO CERTAIN POSITIONS. SO WHILE OUR WHILE OUR CLERK, AS SHE WAS

[03:00:04]

AND I APPRECIATE THAT OPPORTUNITY VERY MUCH. I'M NOT SURE THAT I UNDERSTOOD THAT. WE FOUND WE WE DETERMINED THAT WHEN WE WERE LOOKING AT ANOTHER POSITION THAT WE COULD HIRE THE PROBLEM WHEN YOU DO THAT, AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT I'VE GOT TO FIGURE OUT IS WHEN YOU HIRE.

SO A NEW CLERK, IF WE'RE DOING A NEW CLERK AND I HIRE THEM AT 10% MORE, AND THAT'S GOING TO PUT THEM MORE IN RANGE WITH THAT AVERAGE, WHICH WOULD BE GREAT. NOW THEY MAKE MORE THAN THE PERSON WHO'S BEEN WORKING THERE FOR TWO YEARS. AND THAT'S NOT FAIR EITHER. AND SO, AND I CAN'T USE SB 22 MONEY TO PAY FOR CLERKS OR FOR PARALEGALS. I APOLOGIZE. I MEAN, I CAN FOR PARALEGALS, BUT I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T MEAN TO INTERRUPT YOU. NO, I WAS THE ONE INTERRUPTING.

IT'S. IT'S NOT FAIR. MAYBE IF YOU'RE HIRING SOMEONE WITH EXPERIENCE, PEOPLE WITH EXPERIENCE GET PAID MORE ALL THE TIME. YES, SIR. AND I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THAT A LOT. AND, YOU KNOW. THE REASON I'M I'M FOCUSING ON THIS RIGHT NOW IS BECAUSE WE'VE GOT THIS SYSTEM HERE OF THESE PAY RANGES, WHICH WE TRIED TO ADDRESS US LAST TIME. AND COMING FROM MY PERSONAL BACKGROUND, FIRST OF ALL, WE DIDN'T HAVE PAY RANGES, BUT YOU KIND OF KNEW WHAT YOU WERE GOING TO PAY PEOPLE. WE DIDN'T HAVE IT THIS FORMALIZED, BUT WHEN YOU HAVE TO PAY SOMEBODY MORE TO GET A GOOD PERSON THAN YOU PAID THEM MORE. YES, SIR. AND IF YOU'VE GOT THE ABILITY TO DO THAT WITHIN THE RANGE, AS YOU DID LAST TWO WEEKS AGO OR WHENEVER IT WAS, YOU BROUGHT THAT TO US, THEN? I WOULD THINK THAT WOULD BE SOMETHING YOU COULD LOOK AT AND TO TRY AND ACCOMPLISH, BECAUSE TO SET ASK US TO ADJUST ALL THE RANGES IS WHAT WE TRIED TO DO LAST YEAR. AND I ASSUME I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE'RE GOING, BUT I ASSUME THAT AT THIS WHEN WE FINISH THIS BUDGET, WE'RE GOING TO ADJUST THE RANGES FOR SOME SORT OF INFLATIONARY MEASURE SO THAT WE TRY AND STAY IN LINE. BUT THEN IT'S, IN MY OPINION, CAN BE UP TO THE. THE MANAGER OF THE DEPARTMENT OR THE DEPARTMENT HEAD TO TRY AND PLACE PEOPLE WITHIN THAT RANGE.

AND WHEN I THINK, WELL, YOU CAN HIRE SOMEBODY AT A RANGE BETWEEN 39 AND 47, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THEY ALL GOT TO START AT 39. AND THE WAY I LOOK AT THE WORLD, I WANT TO GET THE BEST PEOPLE I CAN AND TRY AND BRING GOOD EMPLOYEES IN. YEAH, YOU HAVE TO PROJECT. A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO, DAVID PEAK CAME TO US AT BUDGET TIME AND DIDN'T ASK FOR ANY MONEY. HE JUST WANTED TO MOVE THE SCALES BECAUSE HE FORESAW IN A YEAR OR TWO ALL OF HIS PEOPLE WERE

[03:05:01]

SO I WAS INCREDIBLY IMPRESSED AT HIS FORESIGHT TO, TO DO THAT. SO YEAH, BUT HE'S, HE'S USING THE SYSTEM TO MANAGE IT. AND WE AND THE COURT AT THE TIME, I DON'T THINK I WAS ON THE COURT.

THE COURT AT THE TIME COULD HAVE SAID, NO, THIS IS CONSISTENT. BUT THEY SAW THEY WEREN'T. SO THEY TRIED TO ADJUST IT, I'M ASSUMING. YEAH. WHICH IS WHAT WE DID LAST YEAR.

YES, SIR. SO AND YOU ARE YOU'RE RIGHT. YOU'RE GOING TO HIT MAXES SOONER. BUT AGAIN, THAT'S THAT'S JUST PART OF THE WORLD. THAT'S THE WAY THE WORKING WORLD WORKS. AND, AND WE KEPT PEOPLE OUT AT OUR LAW FIRM AND WE SAID, SORRY, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET A BIG RAISE ANYMORE. AND YOU KNOW WHAT? THEY HAD TO MAKE A DECISION. AND THAT'S JUST, AGAIN, SOMETIMES HOW THE WORLD WORKS. YEP. AND, AND I CAN TELL YOU THAT I'VE SPENT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME TALKING ABOUT THINKING ABOUT THOSE RANGES. BUT AGAIN, I HAVE TO AND THAT'S A SOLUTION 100%. BUT WHEN YOU RUN AND I DON'T EVEN WANT TO SAY THE WORD, BUT BECAUSE I'M GOING TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THAT. BUT YOU ALSO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE REST OF YOUR OFFICE KNOWS, EVERYBODY KNOWS WHAT EVERYBODY MAKES. IT'S PUBLIC INFORMATION BECAUSE WE'RE A GOVERNMENT. AND YOU ALSO HAVE TO CONSIDER THE MORALE OF THE ENTIRE OFFICE. BUT I TAKE YOUR COMMENTS IN THE GOOD STEAD THAT THEY WERE OFFERED. THANK YOU. LAST QUESTION. PROBABLY. SO WHEN YOU WERE GOING BACK AND TALKING ABOUT STATE NUMBERS AND COMPARING IT TO WHERE WE WERE, OUR RANGES, YOU HAVE THOSE RANGES FOR THE STATE FROM MINIMUM TO LIKE WHAT WE DO HERE.

THEY WERE WITHIN. THE ONLY THING THAT I USED WAS THIS COMPARE. I MEAN, LIKE WHEN YOU WENT AND DID THE COMPARISON, IS THERE A PLACE THAT WE CAN GET WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT, WHERE THERE'S A RANGE, LIKE WHERE, HOW WE PAY IN RANGES, THE STATE YOU MENTIONED YOUR ORGANIZATIONS, I THINK IS WHAT HE'S TALKING. YEAH, I, I DIDN'T AGAIN, I'M FOR, FOR MY PURPOSES, I DIDN'T USE ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR WHAT WAS IN THIS PACKET OF INFORMATION. I DIDN'T GO TO AN OUTSIDE SOURCE. I DIDN'T USE ANOTHER COMPARISON STUDY. IF YOU'RE ASKING ME IF I CAN GO AND FIND RANGES, YOU WOULD BE SURPRISED HOW THEY DON'T ALL HAVE RANGES AND THEY DON'T ALL HAVE. THAT'S WHY I WAS SO IMPRESSED WITH THIS, BECAUSE A LOT OF COUNTIES DON'T HAVE THE SAME POSITIONS IN THEIR DA'S OFFICE AS OTHER ONES. SO IT'S REALLY KIND OF HARD TO DO THAT.

BUT I'M HAPPY TO GO TO MY FRIENDS ACROSS THE STATE AND SAY, HEY, CAN YOU SEND ME YOUR RANGES? IF YOU GIVE ME COUNTIES? I MEAN, I KNOW A LOT OF THEM AND I'M HAPPY TO DO THAT. BUT AGAIN, MOST OF THAT IS IN HERE. SHE WAS ABLE TO COLLECT A LOT OF THAT RANGE INFORMATION FROM DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. SHE GOT MORE THAN I DID LAST TIME I TRIED. OKAY. THANK YOU. ANY FURTHER QUESTIONS? A

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.