[INVOCATION:  Commissioner Lorne Liechty]
          [00:01:59]
          ONE AND INDIVISIBLE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THAT BRINGS US TO AGENDA ITEM ONE, THE PUBLIC 
          [1) PUBLIC FORUM:]
FORUM. IT'S THE PUBLIC'S OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE COURT REGARDING ANY COUNTY MATTERS. ONE PERSON HAS SIGNED UP, MR. RODDY TAUFIK. YEAH. PLEASE. PLEASE COME. YOU DON'T NEED TO SAY YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS SINCE YOU FILLED OUT THE FORM. BUT IF YOU WOULD KEEP YOUR COMMENTS TO RIGHT AROUND THREE MINUTES. YEAH, I'LL TRY NOT TO GO OVER ON THAT. SO LIKE YOU SAID, MY NAME IS RODDY. I LIVE IN ROYSE CITY. I'VE BEEN A CITIZEN OF ROCKWALL COUNTY SINCE AROUND 2010. IT'S ONE OF THE FIRST MEETINGS I'VE EVER COME TO LIKE THIS, AND SO I APOLOGIZE FOR THAT. THAT'S MY FAULT. AND SO, YOU KNOW, YOU STATED IN YOUR PRAYER ABOUT BEING A GOOD STEWARD FOR TAXPAYERS MONEY. AND I CERTAINLY APPRECIATE THAT. I WANT TO READ A FEW THINGS BASED ON THE PROPOSED BUDGET. COUNTY ADMINISTRATION BUDGET IS INCREASED 154% OVER FOUR YEARS. BOND OFFICE HAS INCREASED 197% OVER FOUR YEARS. CONSTABLE TWO AND THREE HAVE INCREASED BY 77 AND 78% OVER FOUR YEARS. NAPKIN MATH. SO EXCUSE ME, I'M NOT A CPA. LOOKS TO BE ABOUT 5% GUARANTEED RAISES FOR EVERY EMPLOYEE EVERY YEAR OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS. I JUST WENT BACK TO 2023. THERE'S A LINE ITEM EARLY ON IN THE BUDGET, 500 K FOR PERFORMANCE. NOT SURE WHAT EXACTLY THAT'S GOING TO. I SEE A LOT OF IT. RECOMMENDED REPLACEMENTS SEEMS TO BE QUITE A BIT OF MONEY GOING INTO REPLACING COMPUTERS AND DESKTOPS AND WORKSTATIONS, AND SOME OF THE PRICES ON THOSE SEEM A LITTLE HIGH, BUT I'M NOT NECESSARILY WHERE WE'RE SOURCING. BUT IN TOTALITY, THE BUDGET IS INCREASED AROUND 104, 154%. OVER THE LAST TEN YEARS, POPULATION HAS ONLY INCREASED 30%, AND INFLATION IN THAT TIME PERIOD IS BETWEEN 25 AND 30%. SO THOSE NUMBERS ARE A LITTLE OUT OF WHACK TO ME. LIKE I SAID, SEEMS MOST EMPLOYEES ARE PRETTY WELL PAID DRAMATICALLY. SO COMPARED TO THE MEDIAN INCOME IN THE COUNTY, THE MEDIAN INCOME, OBVIOUSLY IN THE STATE AND THE COUNTRY. NOW, LAST DECEMBER, WE ALSO ENTERED AN AGREEMENT WITH FLOC, I BELIEVE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S VERY CONTENTIOUS HERE LATELY. SO, YOU KNOW, GIVEN ALL OF THAT, THERE'S A THERE'S A FEW THINGS THAT I'D LIKE TO COVER. AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS IS LINE ITEM I THOUGHT WAS A LITTLE EGREGIOUS WAS $60,000 FOR A POWER WASHING. THE LIBRARY SEEMS A LITTLE HIGH, $63,000 FOR WALLPAPER REPLACEMENT. I THINK THAT PROBABLY A LITTLE EGREGIOUS. ONE OF THE THINGS IN THERE IS RECORDS MANAGEMENT AND COURT RENOVATIONS PULLING FROM THE. LET ME SEE, WHAT IS IT? THE CAPITAL PURCHASES FUND. SO THEY'RE DRAWING HEAVILY FROM THE FUND BALANCE RATHER THAN THE CURRENT REVENUE. SO MY QUESTION IS, WHAT IS THE COUNTY'S TARGET RESERVE LEVEL AND HOW MUCH OF THAT RESERVE IS BEING SPENT DOWN ACROSS FISCAL YEAR 2027 COMPARED TO PREVIOUS 
          [00:05:01]
YEARS. AND THEN THERE'S A $78 MILLION ROAD BOND FUND, THE IMPROVEMENT BOND TWO, IT SHOWS A $78 MILLION IN FISCAL 27 REVENUE, LARGELY FROM A NEW $50 MILLION BOND SERIES. SO I'M CURIOUS IF WE CAN WALK THROUGH THE SPECIFIC PROJECTS THAT THAT'S SUPPOSED TO COVER AND WHAT TIMELINE AND IF THERE'S ANY DEBT SERVICE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT BOND, AS WELL AS THAT GENERAL ACCOUNTABILITY QUESTION BEFORE FINALIZING FISCAL YEAR 27, CAN THE AUDITOR CIRCULATE A LIST OF EVERY LINE ITEM CURRENTLY RUNNING OVER 100% OF ITS FISCAL YEAR 26 BUDGET, WITH LESS THAN TWO MONTHS LEFT IN THE FISCAL YEAR? AS WE KNOW IT'S COMING UP, RESIDENTS DESERVE TO SEE WHETHER THESE ARE ONE TIME EVENTS OR THE START OF A PATTERN FOR A EVER INCREASING BUDGET, WHICH, IF YOU LOOK AT THE HISTORY, IT DOES APPEAR TO BE SO, GIVEN THE SALARIES AND THE EXTRA BENEFITS, SUCH AS SOME OF THE PHONE STIPENDS, THE CAR STIPENDS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, A LOT OF THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES ARE ABLE TO GET. WE HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS. 
          I THINK THAT RESIDENTS PROBABLY DESERVE SOME ANSWERS TO. IT LOOKS TO BE. I THINK I'M THE ONLY ACTUAL CITIZEN TODAY. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S A REGULAR THING OR IF THAT'S A PRETTY STANDARD DEAL. LIKE I SAID EARLIER, THAT'S MY FAULT FOR NOT BEING AT THESE MORE OFTEN. 
          BUT YOU WILL SEE ME MORE. SO THANK YOU VERY MUCH. THANK YOU SIR. IS THERE ANYBODY ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE TO ADDRESS THE COURT? ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO ONE, WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA ITEM TWO, 
          [2) TAXPAYER IMPACT STATEMENT]
TAXPAYER IMPACT STATEMENT. THIS IS A STATEMENT HOUSE BILL 1522 REQUIRED US TO POST THIS STATEMENT. SO I'D LIKE TO JUST BRIEFLY GO OVER IT. THE FIRST BUDGET, AND FOR THOSE OF YOU UNAWARE, THE FIRST BUDGET IS THE BUDGET THAT IS PUT TOGETHER BY THE JUDGE AND WITH THE HELP OF THE AUDITOR. AND THE FINAL BUDGET IS WHAT WILL BE APPROVED BY THE COMMISSIONERS COURT. SO THE FIRST BUDGET, BASED ON MEDIAN VALUED HOME PROPERTY, $424,000, THE CURRENT TAX BILL, AND THIS IS JUST FOR THE COUNTY, IS $1,065. IF WE ADOPT MY BUDGET AS PRESENTED, WHICH UTILIZES THE VOTER APPROVED TAX RATE, THAT BILL WILL GO UP TO $1,166. SO ESSENTIALLY, THE BILL WILL INCREASE FOR $424,000 HOME $101. IF WE WENT TO THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE, THE BILL WOULD GO DOWN $6. AND AGAIN, WHEN I. DID A BRIEF PRESENTATION TO THE COURT AT TUESDAY'S MEETING, I SAID VERY CLEARLY, YOU KNOW, IT IS ALWAYS MY INTENTION TO GO TO THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE. IT IS JUST NOT POSSIBLE THIS YEAR, WITH OUR DEBT SERVICE INCREASING BY 2 MILLION. IT IS A NUMBER THAT, I'M SORRY, THE AUDITOR JUST SAID 4 MILLION DEBT PAYMENTS INCREASING BY 4 MILLION. WE JUST CAN'T GET THERE. PEOPLE WANT ROADS DONE. THAT TAKES ISSUING DEBT. THAT HAS UPWARD PRESSURE ON THE TAX RATE. SO I DON'T HOLD OUT THE ILLUSION THAT THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE IS IS EVEN A POSSIBILITY. SO WITH THAT, WE WILL MOVE ON TO AGENDA 
          [3.A) Discuss/Act on the proposed FY2027 1st draft budget, and all related issues; (Judge New – Auditor)]
ITEM THREE ACTION ITEMS. AGENDA THREE A DISCUSS AND ACT ON THE PROPOSED FY 2027 FIRST DRAFT BUDGET AND ALL RELATED ISSUES. MAN, IT JUST SEEMS LIKE SUCH A BENIGN AGENDA LANGUAGE. JUST DISCUSS THE PROPOSED FIRST DRAFT BUDGET. I. I KNOW YOU GUYS HAVE HAD A COUPLE DAYS NOW, WHICH IS STILL NOT FAIR BECAUSE WE WE HAVE A LOT GOING ON IN ROCKWALL COUNTY RIGHT NOW. WE ALL HAVE TASKS THAT WE'RE DOING. SO IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE BIT UNFAIR TO ASK YOU TO DIVE INTO THE BUDGET, BUT WE DO HAVE CALENDAR CONSTRAINTS THAT THAT WE HAVE TO ADHERE TO. SO WITH THAT BEING SAID, I KNOW THERE'S A COUPLE DEPARTMENT HEADS THAT WANT TO ADDRESS THE COURT. YES, SIR. COMMISSIONER, I JUST WANT TO SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS. SINCE MY CONSTITUENT CAME UP AND RAISED SOME QUESTIONS, JUST BECAUSE I KNOW THIS IS GOING TO GO DOWN A, IT'S GOING TO GO TOPSY TURVY. NUMBER ONE, YOU WENT REALLY FAST. SO YOU CAN EMAIL ME AND I CAN ADDRESS THEM IN MORE DETAIL. THE TWO ITEMS YOU POINTED OUT, THE POWER WASHING AND THE WALLPAPER ARE NOT IN THE FIRST DRAFT OF THE BUDGET. THEY WERE DENIED, JUST SO YOU KNOW, THE ROADS IS ABOUT $3.2 MILLION OF DEBT SERVICE FROM WHAT WE WHAT WE APPROVED THIS YEAR, WHICH WAS A QUESTION YOU ASKED. AND I DO THINK THAT YOU ARE CORRECT. I THINK IT'S BEEN ABOUT 5%. I THINK THAT ON 
          [00:10:05]
RAISES, I THINK IT'S HIGHER THAN THAT. AND I JUST WANTED TO ANSWER THOSE FEW QUESTIONS BECAUSE HE SPECIFICALLY ASKED, I KNOW WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO HAVE A CONVERSATION, BUT IF SOMEONE COMES IN AND ASKS VERY, VERY DIRECT QUESTIONS, I THOUGHT WE SHOULD AT LEAST GET A FEW OF THOSE JUST OFF THE TABLE. NOW YOU CAN GO BECAUSE I THINK WE NEED TO START WITH THE DEPARTMENT. SO THANK YOU. YEAH. AND COMMISSIONER STACY IS RIGHT. IF YOU COULD EMAIL THOSE, IT'S MUCH EASIER TO JUST. WELL, AND JUDGE, I'M GOING TO GIVE HIM ONE OF MY BUSINESS CARDS BECAUSE YOU ASKED THE AUDITOR FOR SOME ITEMS. GOT IT. GOT IT. ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT BEING SAID, WE HAVE SOME DEPARTMENT HEADS WHO HAVE ASKED TO ADDRESS THE COURT. AND THE FIRST ONE THAT HIT MY EMAIL WAS JUDGE NORTON. SO THAT JUST SO YOU KNOW, THAT'S KIND OF HOW THE ORDER I'M GOING IS REALLY. I'D BE THE LAST ONE. YEAH. AS LATE AS I RESPONDED. GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONERS. JUDGE, THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS THE COURT THIS MORNING. I WOULD I CAME HERE TO KIND OF REFOCUS. WE TALKED A LOT OF THINGS DURING OUR BUDGET HEARING. WE WENT DOWN A LOT OF RABBIT TRAILS. WE DID A LOT OF PROBLEM SOLVING, TRYING TO FOR THE WHOLE COUNTY. AND I APPRECIATE THAT CONVERSATION, BUT I'D LIKE TO REFOCUS YOU BACK TO MY ORIGINAL REQUEST FOR A PART TIME CLERK TO HELP WITH OUR PROCESSING OF OUR OUR, OUR COURT DOCKET AND CASES. AND I RESPECTFULLY ASK THAT YOU RECONSIDER PUTTING THAT BACK ONTO THE BUDGET ON MY ORIGINAL REQUEST. THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING FOR. THAT'S THE LEAST IMPACT TO THE COUNTY BUDGET THAT I COULD COME UP WITH. I DIDN'T WANT TO DO A FULL TIME BECAUSE THAT ENTAILS A LOT OF OTHER BENEFITS AND, AND A LOT MORE INCREASES THAT THAT SALARY RANGE THREEFOLD ABOVE WHAT I'M ASKING. SO I THOUGHT THAT WAS THE LEAST IMPACT ON THE BUDGET. AND THAT'S WHY I REQUESTED THAT. AND I WOULD RESPECTFULLY REQUEST THAT YOU RECONSIDER MY ORIGINAL REQUEST. AND, AND THAT'S ALL I'M HERE HERE TO DO. EVERYTHING ELSE LOOKS GREAT. 
          THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING ELSE THAT YOU PUT ON THERE. I TRULY APPRECIATE IT. I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS. SO CAN YOU REMIND ME WHAT YOU ARE, YOU KNOW, KIND OF WHAT TASKS YOU'RE GOING TO ASSIGN THIS PART TIME PERSON TO AND VERY GENERIC TERMS. I DON'T WANT YOU TO LIST OUT A JOB DESCRIPTION, BUT WHAT HOLES IN YOUR PROCESSES DO YOU THINK THAT THIS CLERK WILL REALLY HELP WITH? WELL, I PUT THE JOB DESCRIPTION BASICALLY THE SAME AS WHAT MY INTAKE CLERKS ARE. NOW. THAT JOB DESCRIPTION WAS WITH MY PACKAGE, AND IT'S THERE FOR FOR YOU TO REVIEW. BUT MY, MY GOAL IS TO TRY TO GET THEM TO HELP THE FRONT COUNTER ANSWER THE PHONES AND DO INTAKE WITH THE CRIMINAL AND THE CIVIL SIDE AS, AS THEY CAN. BECAUSE LIKE I SAID BEFORE, THE PHONES AND THE FRONT COUNTER TAKE AWAY FROM WHAT MY CLERKS NOW ARE DOING ON A REGULAR BASIS. YEAH. AND THAT THAT WOULD HELP TREMENDOUSLY TO GET THINGS MOVING. AND THEN SINCE YOU'RE HERE, CAN YOU GIVE US A QUICK UPDATE ON WHERE WE ARE WITH OUR MAGISTRATE PROCESS? YES, SIR. WE HAVE THE FORMS GOING FORWARD. EVERYTHING LOOKS LIKE IT WILL FUNCTION IN THEORY THE WAY WE WANT IT TO. THE FORMS NEED TO BE TWEAKED TO ADD SOME MORE. SHE TOOK A LOT OF STUFF OUT OF ONE OF THE FORMS, THE CONDITION OF BOND FORMS THAT DOESN'T HAVE THE. THE ARREST AND THE BOND AMOUNTS LISTED AT THE TOP. SO SHE'S GOT TO ADD THAT BACK IN. ONCE WE GET THOSE BACK IN TO WHERE WE CAN ACTUALLY GO THROUGH A TESTING PROCESS, WE WILL DO THAT. AND WE HAVE THE EQUIPMENT IN PLACE THAT IS FUNCTIONING PROPERLY. WE'RE WORKING ON A SPEAKER SYSTEM FOR THE PHONE FOR OUR INTERPRETERS, BUT EVERYTHING'S MOVING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION AND AND HOPEFULLY WE'LL HAVE SOMETHING BEFORE THE END OF THIS FISCAL YEAR. IT'S ALMOST THERE. SO CLOSE. I CAN SEE THE FINISH LINE, BUT I DON'T WANT TO SAY YES. YOU NEVER KNOW. THANK YOU. YES, THAT'S WE'RE MOVING IN A POSITIVE DIRECTION. YES. SO I HAVE A QUESTION ALSO IN REGARDS TO I KNOW WE ADDED OVERTIME IN A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS AND OBVIOUSLY IN, IN YOURS, THERE'S, THERE'S SOME MONIES THAT HAVE BEEN PUT THERE THAT WE'VE NEVER HAD IN SINCE 20 THIS THIS GOES BACK TO 2023, FY 2023. AND LET ME ASK A QUESTION, IS THAT RELATED TO REMOVING THE COMP TIME. IT. 100%. IT IS. AND AND WE WE BEING ME AND THE AUDITOR AND THE FIRST DRAFT TEAM, I ASSUME THAT. BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE WE, WE MADE THE DECISION TO, TO DIVVY UP SOME OVERTIME TO JUST DO THAT FROM THAT STANDPOINT. OKAY. AND, AND YES, MY, MY FOLKS ON OCCASION DO STAY OVER AND GET COMP TIME RELATED TO THAT. SO I WOULD UTILIZE THAT FOR, FOR, FOR THOSE INSTANCES WHERE THEY HAVE TO STAY OVER. YES. OKAY. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS FOR JUDGE NORTON? THANK YOU FOR YOUR. OH, 
          [00:15:02]
SORRY. GO AHEAD. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. JUDGE. COMMISSIONER, I WASN'T TRYING TO INTERRUPT YOU. IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION, PLEASE. NO, I THINK YOU'VE ADDRESSED IT ADEQUATELY. THANKS. 
          YES, SIR. THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. THE OTHER THING THAT JUST POPPED IN MY MIND THAT I NEEDED TO LET THE COMMISSIONERS KNOW THAT THERE IS AN ERROR IN THE FIRST DRAFT OF THE BUDGET, A NUMERICAL VALUE ERROR. WE ACTUALLY HAVE $400,000 THAT WE DIDN'T THINK WE HAD. YEAH. AND IT CAME WHEN WE WERE CALCULATING THE PAY INCREASE. WE CALCULATED THE MERIT, THE 1.1% MERIT INCREASE TWICE. IT GOT INPUT AS 3.5%. AND THEN WE PULLED OUT THE MERIT FOR ACCOUNTING PURPOSES AND HAD IT SEPARATE. SO ESSENTIALLY WE ADDED 400 000 BACK IN. SO HOW ARE WE GOING TO ADDRESS THAT IN THE SECOND DRAFT. ARE YOU GOING TO KEEP IT AT GENERAL GOVERNMENT UNTIL WE APPROVE THE BUDGET? BECAUSE THAT'S ANOTHER THING THAT THAT THE GENTLEMAN BROUGHT UP IS THAT PERFORMANCE PAY, BECAUSE THAT'S THE RAISES THAT WE TYPICALLY KEEP IN GENERAL GOVERNMENT AND THEN DISPERSE. BUT SINCE THEY'RE DISPERSED, I JUST WANT TO KNOW, ACCOUNTING WISE, HOW YOU'RE PLANNING ON CORRECTING THAT ERROR. PROBABLY GO BACK AND DO IT. SO THE. I TOLD MELISSA THIS MORNING, I SAID, THIS IS ALL YOURS. I'M GOING TO STAY QUIET. AND SO SORRY. THE OVER UNDER WAS AGENDA ITEM THREE. MY PREFERENCE WOULD BE COMMISSIONER, WOULD BE TO GO BACK AND TO PUT THE 2.4 SALARIES IN AND THEN HAVE THE 1.1 SEPARATED SITTING IN THE GENERAL GOVERNMENT. YEAH. AND SO OKAY. NO, THAT'S HOW I WOULD LIKE TO DO IT THAT WAY. IT'S THERE UNTIL WE ACTUALLY APPROVE THOSE RAISES. OKAY. I MEAN, I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE IN THE COURT HAS KNOW THAT'S HOW WE'VE DONE IT IN THE PAST. SO I WOULD LIKE TO KEEP IT HISTORICALLY HOW WE'VE DONE IT. IF THAT WORKS FOR THE TREASURER'S OFFICE. YES. OKAY. AND CAMMIE, THAT WORKS FOR YOU TOO. OKAY, GREAT. ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT. WELL, THE NEXT PERSON THAT THAT REACHED OUT WAS CONSTABLE CHANEY, OUR CONSTABLE NUMBER TWO. BOB SAID WHATEVER I NEEDED, JUST. HE WOULD COVER IT ALL. I WAS LONG IT WAS GOING TO TAKE BEFORE SOMEBODY TOOK ADVANTAGE OF THAT. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING SIR. HOW'S EVERYBODY? GREAT. WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO TELL YOU? I THINK I'VE TALKED. I TALKED TO THE JUDGE AND I TALKED TO JOHN COMMISSIONER STACY A LITTLE BIT. 
          AND SO I THINK WE HAVE A LITTLE BIT OF A PIVOT THAT YOU'VE. WELL, AND I UNDERSTAND THE BUDGET. I UNDERSTAND IT'S TIGHT. SO MY PROPOSAL IS X PART TIME CLERK PUT IN A DEPUTY BAILIFF FOR COURT SO WE CAN HAVE TIME TO GO DO OUR PAPERWORK. I'VE ALSO ASKED FOR A CAR AND I THINK WE ADDED IN THE VEST THAT DIDN'T THINK WE WERE GOING TO TAKE SOME MONEY FROM MAINTENANCE SO I CAN GET MY VEST IN THERE FOR NEXT BUDGET YEAR. SO THE CAR SITUATION. 
          TONY, JUDGE NORTON CAN TESTIFY. WE WERE COMING FROM LUNCH YESTERDAY AND IT WOULDN'T SHIFT OUT OF LOW FOR ABOUT A HALF A MILE. BUT BUT WE'RE MAKING IT. SO I TOLD CONSTABLE CHANEY THAT ONE DAY I'M GOING TO SEE HIM JUST DRIVING IN REVERSE BECAUSE THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S THE GEAR THAT WORKS. YEAH. IT JUST WOULDN'T SHIFT THAT. BUT BUT IT WORKED THE REST OF THE DAY. SO WE WERE GOOD. BUT I THINK THAT WOULD SAVE THE COURT SOME MONEY. I THINK WITH A NEW CAR WE CAN CUT THE MAINTENANCE DOWN ON. I MEAN, I KNOW WE WENT UP AND UP BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SO MANY CAR REPAIRS. SO THE QUESTION I HAVE IS, TO ALL OF YOU, IS CHAD GOING TO STAY WHERE HE IS? IS THAT IS HIS CAR GOING TO STAY IN MY BUDGET? BECAUSE I'VE GOT THREE CARS IN MY BUDGET AND TWO MAINTENANCE ACCOUNTS. SO I THINK I THINK WE EITHER NEED THREE MAINTENANCE ACCOUNTS OR ONE MAINTENANCE ACCOUNT. YEAH. SO I DON'T HAVE ANY INTENTIONS OF MOVING CHAD MAINTENANCE OFF OF YOURS. NOW IT DOES KIND OF SKEW THINGS FROM SOMEBODY LOOKING FROM THE OUTSIDE TO SAY, ALL RIGHT. CONSTABLE TWO WHO'S GOT A REALLY BIG BUDGET, HE'S BLOWING UP. BUT WE KNOW THAT YOU ARE BEARING THE BRUNT OF OF THE DEPUTY CONSTABLE'S VEHICLES AND MAINTENANCE AND. CORRECT. 
          SO I, I, I THINK IT'S FUNCTIONING PRETTY WELL THE WAY IT IS. YOU'RE RIGHT. WE DON'T NEED TWO MAINTENANCE ACCOUNTS. I THINK ONE MAINTENANCE ACCOUNT, I MEAN, WHEN, WHEN WE MAINTAIN IT, THEY'RE GOING TO KEEP TRACK OF WHICH VEHICLE THEY'RE MAINTAINING. SO WE CAN HAVE AN 
          [00:20:02]
CORRECT AN AUDIT OF HOW MUCH WE'RE SPENDING ON THE VEHICLES. MY QUESTION FOR YOU IS BACK TO THE BAILIFF. TELL ME. HOW THIS WORKS. AND DO YOU ENVISION IT BEING LIKE DEPUTY CONSTABLE FOG WHERE WE SAID, ALL RIGHT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE PUTTING YOU IN ALL FOUR CONSTABLE'S BUDGETS WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO ESSENTIALLY SERVE ALL FOUR PRECINCTS. DO. DO WE THINK THIS BAILIFF IS GOING TO BE THE SAME? IS IT GOING TO SERVE ALL COURTS OR. I DON'T THINK NOT UNLESS YOU'RE MAKING IT FULL TIME. AND IT WOULDN'T WORK ANYWAY BECAUSE THE COURTS OVERLAP. GOT IT. ONE 1 IN 4 OVERLAP TWO AND THREE. SO I HAVE COURT TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AND THREE HAS COURT MONDAY AND THURSDAY. SO IT WORKS OUT. IF YOU HAD ONE COULD COVER BOTH OF THOSE COURTS. GOT IT, GOT IT 25, 28 HOURS A WEEK, SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT YOU'D NEVER COVER ALL THE OTHER COURTS JUST BECAUSE THE OVERLAP. AND IT ALSO DEPENDS ON THE TIME FRAME TOO, BECAUSE OUR COURT, BECAUSE OF ALL THE EVICTIONS IN THE CIVILS FILED, I MEAN, WE USED TO HAVE COURT 830 OR 9 TO 11 OR 1130 A COUPLE OF DAYS A WEEK. NOW IT'S NINE TO NOON, AND THEN IT STARTS BACK AT 1 OR 130 AND GOES TO 3 OR 330 MOST TUESDAYS AND WEDNESDAYS. AND THEN BECAUSE THE JUDGES DO. 
          MAGISTRATE, THEN YOU'LL HAVE A CONDITION OF BOND HEARING OR SOMETHING ON FRIDAY MORNING. SO WE'RE, WE'RE DOING A LOT MORE COURT THAN WE WERE FIVE YEARS AGO. SO ESSENTIALLY WE'D BE LOOKING AT 830 TO ROUGHLY FOUR, TWO DAYS A WEEK. I THINK WE WOULD JUST ASSIGN THEM TO THOSE COURT HOURS. AND WHATEVER THAT SCHEDULE IS, YOU COME IN AND BE THERE, YOU KNOW, AT THAT TIME AND COVER ALL THE COURTS. AND IT'S GOING TO VARY. I MEAN, IT COULD BE, IT COULD BE IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BOTH COURTS OR JUST ONE, IF YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT BOTH COURTS, IT COULD BE 25 HOURS A WEEK, 28 HOURS A WEEK. YEAH. WELL, MY THOUGHTS ARE IF WE'RE GOING TO DO IT, WHY NOT DO IT FOR BOTH COURTS AND FREE UP ESSENTIALLY ALL OF OUR CONSTABLE'S. IT SURE WOULD. 
          IT SURE WOULD HELP US WITH TIME WISE AND PAPERWORK. YOU KNOW, THE PAPERWORK NEVER GOES AWAY. 
          THAT'S. IT'S CONSTANT, YOU KNOW. YES, SIR. SO THAT KIND OF BRINGS US BACK TO THE POINT I JUST MADE. HOW HOW DO WE BUDGET THAT? DO WE PUT A BAILIFF UNDERNEATH A JP COURT AND HAVE THEM, OR DO WE PUT IT UNDER A CONSTABLE AND JUST HAVE ONE CONSTABLE BEAR AND HAVE SOMEONE LOOK AT THE BUDGET AND SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, THEY'RE SPENDING TWICE AS MUCH AS ALL THE OTHERS. YOU EITHER I THINK THEY GO TO THE CONSTABLE, BUT YOU KNOW, YOU COULD PICK ONE OR YOU CAN DO, YOU CAN PUT ONE IN FOR TOGETHER AND TWO AND THREE TOGETHER. WELL, JUST JUST A SECOND. SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU THERE, TREY, BECAUSE I KNOW I'VE TALKED TO THE CONSTABLE AND PRECINCT THREE, STEVE FRAZIER. AND I THINK THE BUDGET RIGHT NOW SHOWS PART TIME CLERKS FOR BOTH TWO AND THREE. AND WE HAD THIS DISCUSSION BACK AND FORTH WHEN WE WERE IN THE PROCESS IN JUNE, GOING THROUGH BUDGETS AND GETTING THE PRESENTATIONS AND EVERYTHING. 
          AND THERE WAS TO ME SOME UN, UN LACK OF CLARITY REGARDING WHAT YOU WANTED. AND I KNOW STEVE FRAZIER SAID THE SAME THING YOU DID. WELL, IF I'M GOING TO HAVE SOMETHING INCREASE, I'D RATHER HAVE A DEPUTY. CORRECT. OKAY. BECAUSE YOU GOT A CERTIFIED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER. FIRST OF ALL, YOU CAN DO MORE THINGS TO HELP. YOU CAN ASSIST IN THE BAILIFF THING, AS YOU SAID. BUT AS I UNDERSTOOD, STEVE, OUR PRECINCT TWO AND PRECINCT THREE EACH WANT A PART TIME DEPUTY FOR TO SERVE THEM. NOW, WHETHER OR NOT WE COULD BRING IN ONE FULL TIME AND SPLIT IT BETWEEN THE TWO, I DON'T KNOW. THAT'S WHERE WE GET INTO THE SCHEDULING, BUT I KNOW WHEN WE START DISCUSSING THIS, I KNOW CONSTABLE FRAZIER IS WAS REALLY CLEAR. HE WOULD PREFER A DEPUTY TO A CLERK. THE OTHER THING THAT I. I WANT TO GO BACK TO OUR DISCUSSIONS. WE HAD IN JUNE. 
          THERE WAS DISCUSSION ABOUT. EVICTIONS AND THE FACT THAT A LOT OF EVICTIONS ARE DONE WITHOUT BACKUP NOW, AND THAT THAT'S NOT A GOOD PRACTICE. HOW WOULD A DEPUTY THAT'S JUST ASSIGNED AS BAILIFF BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF THAT SAFETY CONCERN THAT WAS EXPRESSED BACK IN JUNE ABOUT DOING EVICTIONS WITHOUT A BACKUP LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER? WELL, I MEAN, RIGHT NOW WE HAVE TO SCHEDULE OUR MOVE OUTS. LIKE CHAD'S ON ONE FOR ME RIGHT NOW, UNFORTUNATELY, IT LOOKS LIKE THEY'RE STILL HOME WITH DOGS IN THE HOUSE. BUT ANYWAY, BESIDES THAT. BUT HE HAS NO COVER RIGHT NOW DOWN WHERE HE IS RIGHT THIS SECOND. YOU WOULD JUST HAVE TO SCHEDULE THOSE ON NON COURT DAYS. BUT THAT'S WHERE YOU GET INTO TROUBLE. IF IT'S JUST ONE, 
          [00:25:05]
THEN I'M TRYING TO SCHEDULE HIM ON THURSDAY TO GO HELP ME ON A MOVE OUT. AND HE NEEDS TO BE IN STEVE'S COURT. SO THAT'S WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO RUN INTO CONFLICT WITH TRYING TO DO JUST ONE. RIGHT? I GET IT, BUT WHEN YOU SAY YOU WANT TO GET A BAILIFF JUST TO BE PART TIME OR A DEPUTY JUST TO BE BAILIFF, WOULD THEY HAVE ANY TIME FOR ASSISTING ON EVICTIONS? I WOULDN'T THINK THEY REALLY WOULD. OR AM I MISSING IT? THEY WERE COVERING BOTH COURTS. THEY WOULD HAVE A FEW HOURS A WEEK AND IT'D BE PROBABLY ON FRIDAY. BY BOTH COURTS YOU MEAN A FULL TIME DEPUTY ON TWO AND THREE. IF YOU DID THEM TOTALLY FULL TIME, WE COULD WORK AROUND THE COURT. WELL, I LOOK, I SAID THIS IN JUNE. I DON'T HAVE THE SOLUTIONS. YOU GUYS KNOW SO MUCH MORE ABOUT THIS THAN I EVER WILL. BUT I THINK THERE WAS AN IMPORTANT POINT IDENTIFIED WHEN WE TALKED IN JUNE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF THE CONSTABLE'S WHEN THEY GO OUT AND DO THESE EVICTIONS, AND IT'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO. AND I KNOW STEVE SAID HE'D RATHER HAVE A DEPUTY, BUT I'M I GUESS IN MY OWN MIND, I'M KIND OF CONFUSED HERE. IF ALL THEY'RE GOING TO DO IS BE A BAILIFF. IT SEEMS LIKE WE'VE LEFT A GAP THAT YOU GUYS RAISED AS SOMETHING THAT YOU'RE CONCERNED ABOUT THAT WE NEED TO ADDRESS, BECAUSE WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'VE ALWAYS PROVIDED GREAT BENEFITS AND STAFFING AND EQUIPMENT FOR OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. AND THAT'S WHAT THESE GUYS ARE TOO. AND SO IF THERE'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO ADDRESS THERE, I'D LIKE TO FIGURE IT OUT AND MAKE SURE WE DO IT RIGHT, WHATEVER IT IS. 
          AND IF WE SAY YOU GET A PART TIME DEPUTY AND STEVE GETS A PART TIME DEPUTY AND EVERYBODY'S HAPPY WITH THAT, I'M OKAY WITH THAT. BUT I'M LOOKING TO YOU GUYS TO TELL US, HOW DO WE TAKE CARE OF THE SAFETY CONCERN? BECAUSE TO ME, THE SAFETY CONCERN IS MORE OF AN ISSUE THAN WHETHER OR NOT WE ANSWER ALL THE PHONES TIMELY. I UNDERSTAND. YEAH. SO TO TO OVERSIMPLIFY, WHICH I AM PRONE TO DO. YOU WOULD WILLINGLY TRADE A CLERK FOR A FOR A BAILIFF WOULD BE OKAY. THAT CLERK IS WHEN WE SET THAT CLERK UP, IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO COVER ALL FOUR COURTS. IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE AN OFFICE THAT'S OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE COMPUTERS AND DESKS. AND IT CAN'T BE A IT CAN'T BE A BEGINNING CLERK. 
          IT'S GOING TO HAVE TO BE A CHIEF CLERK TYPE SETUP BECAUSE OF ALL THE PAPERWORK THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO DO, AND RECEIVING MONEY AND BALANCING BOOKS AND THAT KIND OF THING. 
          SO I THINK IT'S ANOTHER YEAR OR TWO FROM HERE. GOT IT. THANK YOU. ANYTHING ELSE FOR US, CONSTABLE? NOT AT THIS MOMENT. I'LL THINK OF IT WHEN I LEAVE. YES, SIR. YES, SIR. WHEN YOU'RE OUT TRYING TO GET YOUR TRUCK TO START, YOU'LL THANK YOU. TREY. ALL RIGHT. COME ON UP, CONSTABLE. CONSTABLE NUMBER FOUR. WELL, I'LL TRY TO GET MY $0.02 IN. WELL, COME ON, THERE'S A MICROPHONE RIGHT THERE. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. SO IF Y'ALL DO THAT WHERE DOES THAT PUT CHAD. IS HE STILL GOING TO DO. MY THOUGHTS ARE CHAD IS STILL DIVVIED UP BETWEEN ALL FOUR. RIGHT. AND I HAD A CONVERSATION WITH HIM YESTERDAY. AND JUST SO YOU KNOW, I'D ASK HIM STARTING IN SEPTEMBER TO GET ME HIS SCHEDULE. I WANT HIM GETTING WITH EACH CONSTABLE AND SETTING UP HIS TIME BASED ON EACH CONSTABLE. AND THEN AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER, START GIVING ME AN ACCOUNTING OF WHICH CONSTABLES ARE USING HIS HIS SERVICES. RIGHT. SO NOT ONLY HIM HELPING ME DO MY PAPERS, HE COULD ALSO HELP ME IN COURT TOO, LIKE HE'S BEEN DOING. I CERTAINLY CAN. OKAY, OKAY. GOOD DEAL. SO WHAT WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON WOULD YOU TRADE A PART TIME CLERK FOR A BAILIFF? YEAH, I THINK THAT'S A LOT. I DON'T PERSONALLY DON'T NEED A CLERK. RIGHT. I LIKE TO DO MY OWN REPORTS MAKE MAKE SURE EVERYTHING LOOKS GOOD. I'VE BEEN DOING THEM 21 YEARS. YOU KNOW, IF I HAD A PART TIME THAT I THINK THE, YOU KNOW, THE DEPUTY'S BETTER IF YOU'RE LOOKING WHAT I THINK ABOUT WHAT Y'ALL ARE TALKING ABOUT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WHAT ELSE, CONSTABLE? I GUESS THAT'S ABOUT IT. 
          EVERYTHING ELSE LOOKS GOOD. APPRECIATE YOUR HELP. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU SIR. I KNOW IF I RUN OUT OF GAS SOMEWHERE, Y'ALL HELP ME ON THAT. WE WON'T LEAVE YOU STRANDED, OKAY? THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU DO. YOU BET. THANK YOU. LISA, I WAS GOING TO ASK ON THE MAINTENANCE ACCOUNTS 
          [00:30:01]
THAT TREY BROUGHT UP. CAUSE AN ACCOUNTING PROBLEM IF WE JUST CONSOLIDATED THE CAR AND MAINTENANCE INTO ONE. I'M JUST. IT'S REALLY A TRUE QUESTION. IF WE HAVE TWO ACCOUNTS, DOES IT MAKE SENSE TO HAVE A RESERVE CAR ACCOUNT? I MEAN, I THINK IT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE TRANSPARENT BECAUSE HE DOES HAVE TWO CARS, RATHER THAN JUST HAVE HIM WITH A, I DON'T KNOW, I JUST DON'T SEE THAT AS A PROBLEM, I GUESS BECAUSE IT REALLY DOESN'T MATTER. I DON'T KNOW, I JUST DIDN'T KNOW WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS WERE. ON HIS REQUEST TO CONSOLIDATE IT INTO ONE ACCOUNT. I PUT IT SEPARATE WHEN HE TOOK ON THE CAR BECAUSE AT THAT TIME, THE THE THE, THE. 
          CHAD WAS NOT A DEPUTY OF THE COUNTY AT THAT TIME. HE WAS JUST A RESERVE. AND AND I WANTED TO TRACK WHAT EXPENSE THAT WAS COSTING. AND TREY WAS THE CONSTABLE THAT WAS WILLING TO TAKE ON THE OVERSIGHT OF THE VEHICLE, SO I WOULD PREFER TO LEAVE IT SEPARATE. YEAH, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT I THINK TOO. AND THEN IF WE ADDED ANOTHER POOL CAR, MAYBE WE WOULD HAVE A POOL ACCOUNT. IF WE WENT TO THAT AND IT WOULD ALL BE YOU WOULD HAVE A POOL ACCOUNT AND THEN EACH CONSTABLE WOULD HAVE THEIR OWN CAR. SO WE WOULDN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO HAVE A MAINTENANCE ACCOUNT FOR EVERY SINGLE CAR. BUT WE DO NEED TO HAVE ONE FOR THE UNASSIGNED CARS OR THE POOL CARS VERSUS THE ONES THAT ARE ACTUALLY ASSIGNED TO THE ELECTED OFFICIALS. I LIKE THAT BECAUSE OF COURSE IT SUPPORTS TRANSPARENCY TOO. YEAH. ANYWAYS, IT WAS AND THAT DOESN'T MATTER. 
          IT'S NOT REALLY IN HIS BUDGET REQUEST. HE JUST SAID, WHY DON'T WE GO TO ONE ACCOUNT? AND I JUST WOULD PREFER WE DON'T. I JUST I THINK IT'S EASIER NOT TO. ALL RIGHT. SO LET IT BE WRITTEN. 
          IS THERE ANYONE ELSE THAT WOULD LIKE ANY OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS BEFORE WE START WHAT I. 
          CHARACTERIZE AS OUR ROLLING AND TUMBLING OF THE BUDGET. ALL RIGHT. SEEING NO ONE. I DON'T KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GOING WITH THIS JUDGE. HE DOESN'T EITHER. NO, IT TRULY IS ROLLING AND TUMBLING. I'VE BEEN WRESTLING THIS FOR 60 DAYS. YOU GUYS HAVE HAD IT FOR THREE. I GET IT NOW. 
          SO YEAH. AND I DO THANK YOU AGAIN FOR YOUR HARD WORK. I THIS IS QUITE A TASK. SO BUT I KNOW. JUDGE RUSSO'S NOT HERE, BUT LET ME SPEAK FOR HIM. OKAY. BECAUSE HE'S NOT HERE AND I'M SURE HE'S OUT DOING HIS WORK. HE AND I HAVE HAD MULTIPLE CONVERSATIONS AND IN THIS BUDGET. SO IN THIS BUDGET, YOU. HE HAD ASKED TO TAKE THE HIS PART TIME CLERK TO A FULL TIME CLERK, AND THAT WAS DENIED. AND IF YOU LOOK AT. WE'VE WE'VE ALL HAD THE CHANCE TO LOOK AT HIS. 
          IN EVERY JP'S NUMBERS. HE HAS A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITIES AS FAR AS CASES. HE'S DONE REAL WELL WITH HIS CASELOAD AND HIS. HIS FINES HAVE BEEN, ARE, ARE REALLY HIGH THIS YEAR. HE'S ALREADY OVER $100,000 AND THEY'RE SCHEDULED FOR 130,000 OF REVENUE NEXT YEAR, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN THE OTHER. NOT TO SAY ANYTHING NEGATIVE ABOUT THE OTHER. JP AND AS I TOLD MARK, THIS IS NOT A COMPARISON. IT'S DO YOU NEED DO YOU NEED THE HELP OR DON'T YOU? THANK YOU FOR THAT. IT IS NOT A COMPARISON. AND PLEASE, I HOPE ALL OF THE JP'S AND CONSTABLE'S AS THEY LISTEN, UNDERSTAND THAT THIS IS JUST TRYING TO STAFF EVERYTHING PROPERLY. GOING BACK TO THE ISSUE I TALKED ABOUT PREVIOUSLY ABOUT DEPUTIES, I DON'T KNOW WHO NEEDS TO GET THEM, BUT I KNOW WE NEED TO PROVIDE SAFETY FOR OUR CONSTABLES WHEN THEY DO EVICTIONS. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE NUMBERS ON THE THE THE REVENUE, THE JP THREE IS GOING TO BUDGETED, BRING IN LIKE 130 000 IN FINES NEXT YEAR, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN EVERYBODY ELSE. THE FEES ARE RIGHT IN LINE WITH EVERYBODY ELSE'S. BUT HE HAS HE AND I HAVE HAD THIS CONVERSATION MULTIPLE TIMES, AND HE WOULD LIKE TO GO FROM A PART TIME CLERK TO MAKE THAT A FULL TIME CLERK FOR HIS COURT. SO I DON'T MARK'S NOT ABLE TO BE HERE TODAY, BUT I WANTED TO MAKE SURE TO MAKE THAT PITCH ON HIS BEHALF IF YOU. SO I GUESS I'M NOT REALLY A DEPARTMENT HEAD. I'M STANDING IN LIEU OF A DEPARTMENT HEAD. WELL, AND I TALKED TO JUDGE RUSSO YESTERDAY WHO MADE THE SAME PITCH AND AND TOLD ME HE'S ON CALL TODAY. AND I SAID, WELL, IF YOU CAN'T MAKE IT TODAY, YOU CAN MAKE IT MONDAY. AND HE'S LIKE, WELL, I HAVE COURT MONDAY, I'VE GOT THIS MONDAY. AND I'M LIKE, OKAY, GOT IT, GOT IT, GOT IT, GOT IT. 
          SO YEAH, THANK YOU FOR BRINGING, BRINGING THAT UP. AND I LOOK AT IT IN A SIMILAR FASHION THAT 
          [00:35:06]
YOU DO. I DON'T LOOK AT THE FEES BECAUSE I, YOU KNOW, THAT'S THE OLD COUNTING THE CHICKENS BEFORE YOUR EGGS HATCH. BUT THE DATA DOES SUGGEST THAT THAT HE, HE NEEDS SOMETHING AND I KNOW. SO THERE WAS A LOT OF ITERATIONS OF THE BUDGET AND REALLY IT JUST CAME DOWN TO, MAN, WE'RE BALANCING THE CHECKBOOK AT SOME POINT. HAD I HAD THE 400,000 IN MY MIND, VERY LIKELY THE WOULD HAVE DONE IT. YEAH, TOTALLY GET IT. AND I KNOW WE CAN ADD THIS LATER, BUT, YOU KNOW, AND AGAIN, IT'S AS I TOLD MARK YESTERDAY, JUST, JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE FINES ARE HIGHER DOESN'T MEAN YOU GET ALL THE MONEY. BUT IN FACT, THE MONEY IS THERE TO PAY FOR THE EXTRA EMPLOYEES TIME IF BASED ON THE BUDGET FINES. SO ANYWAY, THAT'S MY PITCH FOR THAT AND I WILL I SUPPORT YOU AS WELL BECAUSE HE, JUDGE RUSSO DID VISIT WITH ME AS WELL, LIKE PROBABLY RIGHT AFTER HE VISITED WITH YOU. YES, SIR. THE KEEP KEEPING US IN THE SAME VEIN, SINCE WE DO HAVE A JP HERE, I WANT TO FOCUS MY JP ON TRYING TO GET SOME SORT OF CO FILE PROJECT TOGETHER. YOU KNOW THAT THAT THAT IS ORGANIZING HER RECORDS ROOM FOR LACK OF BETTER WORDS. IF Y'ALL REMEMBER THAT DISCUSSION THAT CAME UP WHEN RAQUEL AND HER WERE HERE IS THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY'VE GONE TO A LOT OF ONLINE SYSTEMS, BUT THEY HAVE A LOT OF NON-ONLINE PAPERWORK THAT IS JUST CLOGGING UP AND KIND OF GETTING IN THEIR WAY. SO I HAVE NOT CIRCLED BACK WITH LEANNA, SO I AM SPEAKING SLIGHTLY OUT OF TURN, BUT I WOULD SUPPORT US TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE. CO FILE IS ALREADY IN A CO-OP CORRECTLY. SO SO WE COULD LOOK AT GETTING THEM TO BID THAT OUT. SO I AM GOING TO BE TALKING TO HER ABOUT GETTING CO FILE OUT HERE TO GIVE HER A BID ON WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO DIGITIZE THOSE RECORDS. AND THEN I WOULD WANT TO RELOOK AT HER CLERK. AFTER WE GOT HER ROOM SITUATED. IF IF I'M WRONG AND SHE WANTS TO COME IN, I'LL GLADLY LET HER COME IN AND MAKE HER CASE. BUT I DO THINK AND NO, NO OFFENSE TO TONY NORTON OR EVEN THE COMPARABLES, WHEN YOU. WHEN YOU LOOK AT JUST THE TRENDS. THREE BECAUSE IT HAS. INTERSTATE 30 HAS A TON OF TRAFFIC. ALMOST ALL OF INTERSTATE 30 IS IN PRECINCT THREE. I MEAN, LAUREN HAS THE ENTIRE COUNTY, OTHER THAN A COUPLE OF LITTLE CARVE OUTS. NO, I JUST HAVE I JUST HAVE THE PROBLEMS. YES, YOU HAVE ALL THE PROBLEMS. SO, SO I, YOU KNOW, AND THEN STRIKE THAT FROM THE RECORD, PLEASE. NO. AND THEN AND THEN IN MY PRECINCT ON INTERSTATE 30, THE COURT OF RECORDS ARE GOING TO BE THE CITIES BECAUSE 30 IS ALMOST COMPLETELY ENCAPSULATED IN THE CITIES, AND THEY HAVE COURTS OF RECORD. SO A LOT OF THOSE TICKETS ARE NOT GETTING TO TO THE JP, BUT WE HAVE EVICTIONS, AND EVICTIONS ARE A LOT OF PAPERWORK AND THE DEBT CLAIMS. SO THE DEBT CLAIMS IS NOT A LOT OF TIME. AND I WENT THROUGH JUST SO Y'ALL KNOW, I WENT AND TALKED TO EVERY SINGLE JUDGE WE HAVE IN THE COUNTY THAT ISN'T A JP, AND ASKED THEM, HOW DO DEBT CLAIMS WORK? WHAT IS BEING TOLD? AND BASICALLY IT IS A TON OF CLERK TIME. IT IS NOT A LOT OF TIME IN THE COURTROOM. SO THAT THAT I THINK THAT IS A LEGITIMATE ASK IF IT COMES BACK. SO I'M KIND OF LEVERAGING THE ASK IS KNOWING THAT THAT YOU JUST LOOK AT THOSE. THE DEBT CLAIMS ARE A LOT OF CREDIT CARDS, AND THAT IS A TON OF PUSHING PAPER FROM A GETTING FILED WITH THE CLERK TO GETTING THE JUDGMENTS WITH THE JUDGE AND JUST ALL OF THAT PAPERWORK MOVEMENT. AND IF YOU LOOK AT PRECINCT FOUR, IT IS SIGNIFICANTLY HIGHER THAN ANY OTHER PRECINCT WHEN IT COMES TO DEBT CLAIMS. DOES CO FILE SOLVE OR AT LEAST CO FILE GETS THEM CAUGHT UP ON THEIR FILING, WHICH WAS A HUGE CONCERN THAT RAQUEL BROUGHT UP IS THAT THEIR FILE ROOM IS JUST GETTING OVERRUN BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE TIME TO MANAGE THAT, BECAUSE THEY'RE PUSHING SO MUCH PAPERWORK FOR FROM FOR THESE CIVIL JUDGMENTS. I APPRECIATE YOU BRINGING THIS UP, BUT HOW DOES THIS TIE INTO THE CLERK? I KNOW A FEW MINUTES AGO, THE COMMENT WAS MADE THAT WE NEED TO HAVE ONE CLERK SERVING ALL FOUR. WELL, THIS IS JP, I UNDERSTAND, BUT CONSTABLE'S TWO, THOSE WERE SPLIT INTO THESE FOUR PRECINCTS AND WE EACH ONE HAS ITS OWN GP. EACH ONE HAS ITS OWN CONSTABLE. BUT IT JUST SEEMS TO ME LIKE IF WE COULD SOMEHOW FIGURE OUT A WAY TO COMBINE SOME OF THOSE CLERK SERVICES, WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO PROVIDE A MORE EFFICIENT. I AGREE, I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU AND THIS IS WHERE MY CORPORATE BUSINESS BRAIN RUNS INTO GOVERNMENT IN A WAY THAT 
          [00:40:08]
BECOMES. YES, SO, SO, SO IN A, IN A WAY THAT MAKES ALL THE SENSE IN THE WORLD, YOU JUST CREATE CLERKS FOR EACH PRECINCT AND THEY SERVE BOTH PEOPLE. BUT THEN YOU HAVE THE IDEA OF IF A CONSTABLE IS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL WHO HAS CONSTITUTIONAL DUTIES, WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THAT CLERK IS NOT PROVIDING HIM HIS CONSTITUTIONAL DUTIES? AND, AND WHO GETS TO DECIDE IF A CLERK IS DOING GOOD OR BAD? NOW, I DON'T WANT TO PICK ON JENNIFER, BUT YOU KNOW, SHE HAS OUR COUNTY CLERK AND DISTRICT CLERK HAVE THEIR CLERKS IN THE COURTROOMS WITH THE JUDGES. AND THAT REQUIRES SOME TENSION SOMETIMES BETWEEN WHO'S BEING ASSIGNED TO THOSE COURTROOMS AND, AND WHO IS THAT? BUT THAT IS KIND OF SORTED OUT THROUGH DUTIES. SO IT JUST GETS REALLY DIRTY ON WHO, WHO IS THE BOSS, WHO GETS TO, WHO GETS TO WHO GETS TO SUPERVISE THAT CLERICAL WORK WHEN THOSE CLERKS ARE WORKING FOR TWO CONSTITUTIONAL POSITIONS. SO I'M JUST I KNOW IT'S NOT A GOOD ANSWER, BUT BUT THAT'S WHERE I REALLY STRUGGLE BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I'VE MADE MY CAREER IN RISK MANAGEMENT. YOU'VE MADE YOUR CAREER IN CONTRACTS. AND SO WHEN YOU WHEN YOU GET THROUGH THE BOTTOM REALLY IS WHO GETS TO REALLY, TRULY CONTROL THE DECISION MAKING IS REALLY KIND OF WHAT A LOT OF THAT BOILS DOWN TO IN THE CORPORATE WORLD. THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT WE WOULD DO. WE WOULD LOOK AT IT AND SAY, PRECINCT FOUR, YOU GET THIS. 
          THIS IS THE MANAGER, THEY'RE RUNNING THE CLERKS, AND THAT'S THE END OF IT. BUT WITH IT BEING WITH IT, BEING ELECTED AND BEING CONSTITUTIONAL POSITIONS CREATES THAT VERY, VERY ANNOYING THING OF, OF BUREAUCRACY, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO BE MORE EFFICIENT BETWEEN THE TWO ELECTED OFFICIALS, IN MY OPINION. AND I'VE TRIED AND CAMI CAN TELL YOU, OH, SHE'S TALKING TO TONY NORTON, BUT CAMI CAN TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH HER ABOUT HOW DO WE MAKE THIS OPERATION MORE EFFICIENT? AND IT'S JUST SO DIFFICULT BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, WHO GETS TO CONTROL THE BEHAVIORS AND THE OUTPUT OF THOSE CLERKS, THE VOTERS? DO THE VOTERS DO? YES. SO TO SUMMARIZE, IF YOU'RE SPEAKING ON BEHALF OF JUDGE WHITTEN, JP, FOR YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE CO FILE AND A PART TIME CLERK. IS THAT WHAT I'M SAYING? SHE HAS A PART TIME CLERK. SO GO TO FULL TIME OR NO. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE WHAT THE CO FILE CAN DO BEFORE I WANT TO ADVOCATE FOR HER CLERK TO BE FULL TIME. SO CO FILE IN LIEU OF. THAT'S WHAT I THINK IS A ONE TIME CAPITAL EXPENSE. AND LET'S SEE WHAT THAT OFFICE. DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS. YEAH NO WE HAVEN'T DONE THE QUOTE YET. OH SHE HADN'T. OKAY. WELL WAIT IS IT A ONE TIME CAPITAL EXPENSE OR IS IT A ONE TIME CAPITAL EXPENSE WITH ANNUAL LICENSE FEES. NO, IT'S ONE TIME CAPITAL EXPENSE. 
          THE CO FILE WOULD LEGITIMATELY BE A PROJECT. OKAY, GOOD. ALL RIGHT. SO DO WE KNOW WHEN WE'LL HAVE THAT NUMBER? I HAVEN'T EVEN TALKED TO HER YET. I'M GOING TO TALK TO HER TODAY. 
          OKAY. I'VE BEEN READING THIS BUDGET FOR THE LAST THREE DAYS. I'VE ONLY BEEN IN TOWN SINCE SUNDAY. YEAH. YOU HAVE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WHAT ELSE? WHAT ELSE DO WE HAVE? I KNOW EACH OF YOU PROBABLY HAVE THINGS THAT YOU'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT. AND, YOU KNOW, WHILE MY COMMISSIONERS ARE ASSIGNED TO A PRECINCT GEOGRAPHIC AREA, I CAN TELL YOU THAT. AND I HAVE THIS CONVERSATION ALL THE TIME IN ROCKWALL COUNTY. I DON'T HAVE ONE COMMISSIONER THAT WOULD MAKE A REQUEST OR A DECISION ON SOMETHING THAT WOULD BE GOOD FOR THEIR PRECINCT IF IT WAS ALSO BAD FOR SOMEBODY ELSE'S PRECINCT. IT JUST IT JUST WOULDN'T HAPPEN. AND IT DOESN'T HAPPEN. AND THAT CONFUSES SOME PEOPLE. THEIR DEFAULT SETTING IS THAT WE'RE WE'RE UP HERE ARGUING AND TRYING TO GET EVERYTHING FOR MY PRECINCT, AND IF I CAN TAKE IT FROM YOURS, I WILL. AND IT JUST IT JUST DOES NOT WORK THAT WAY. WE KIND OF WE VIEW THIS AS THE PRECINCT IS ROCKWALL COUNTY. SO. BUT HAVING SAID THAT, I KNOW THERE'S THINGS THAT EACH OF YOU ARE PASSIONATE ABOUT AND I DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY. ANY ORGANIZATIONAL CHART IN MY MIND OF HOW THIS IS GOING TO GO. IT IS MY TYPICAL ROLLING AND TUMBLING. AND I WILL SAY THAT MY EXPECTATIONS ARE THAT WE DON'T GET WE'RE NOT GOING TO GET TO A POINT TODAY THAT THAT WE CAN EVEN DO A SECOND DRAFT OF THE BUDGET. MY, MY HOPE IS AFTER OUR MEETING MONDAY, WE'LL BE AT THE POINT TO WHERE, OKAY, HERE'S HERE'S BUDGET IMPLICATIONS, HERE'S THE COST. 
          NOW, NOW LET'S MAKE A DECISION WHERE WE CAN START TAKING VOTES OF, HEY, DO WE WANT TO DO CO FILE? HERE'S THE COST. AND THEN AND THEN WE CAN KIND OF WORK TOWARD THAT SECOND DRAFT. BUT 
          [00:45:03]
HAVING SAID THAT, WHAT, WHAT WHAT ARE YOU WHAT ARE YOU EACH PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT YOU WANT OR DON'T WANT IN THIS BUDGET? I DON'T, I DON'T MEAN TO JUMP IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY, BUT I, I DON'T KNOW THAT I WOULD DESCRIBE IT. A LOT OF THINGS THAT I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT, BUT I HAD SOME QUESTIONS AND I'M STILL STILL IN THE MIDDLE OF REVIEWING THE BUDGET. LIKE I WOULD GUESS EVERYBODY IS. BUT I HAD SOME QUESTIONS, REALLY JUST QUESTIONS ABOUT THE, THE GENERAL COUNTY BUDGET REVENUE. AND IF YOU DON'T MIND, I JUST RUN THROUGH THOSE REAL QUICK, PLEASE. AND IF YOU CAN MAYBE ANSWER THEM AND OTHERS, IF YOU WANT TO JUMP IN OR OBVIOUSLY DO. 
          BUT SO I'M LOOKING AT THE, THE BUDGET FIRST, FIRST PAGE, I GUESS IT IS WHERE WE HAVE REVENUE. LET'S START WITH THERE. OKAY. TOBACCO FUND REVENUE AT $70,000 SEEMS HIGH, BUT IS THERE A REASON? I MEAN, LAST YEAR WE BUDGETED ZERO. AND I GUESS WE GOT $59,000 FROM THAT SETTLEMENT. THAT'S FROM THAT SETTLEMENT. RIGHT. IS 70,000. IT SEEMS HIGH, BUT MAYBE IT'S NOT. NO, IT'S WE'RE DUE WE'RE IN A COUPLE DIFFERENT STRUCTURED SETTLEMENTS THAT COME TO US IN DIFFERENT WAYS. AND, AND THESE SETTLEMENTS ARE A GOOD EXAMPLE OF THE TRICKLE DOWN ECONOMICS. I MEAN, BY THE TIME IT TRICKLES DOWN TO US, YOU KNOW, WE GET CHECKS FOR FIVE, $6,000. I THINK THAT'S A FAIRLY ACCURATE. OKAY. YEAH, I JUST NOTICED LAST YEAR WE BUDGETED ZERO FOR IT. WE DID GET 15000 SO FAR. SO OKAY. NEXT THING THE ON LINE ITEM. WHAT WOULD IT BE. 650 THE ISD, SRO DEPUTY ARE THEY ARE WE GETTING AN INCREASE IN THE PAYMENTS FROM THE ISD. IS THAT WHAT'S GOING ON? OKAY. YEAH. AND THIS IS THE YOU'LL BE FAMILIAR WITH IT FROM THE CITY OF HEATH. IT'S THE 7525 SPLIT. THEY ARE PAYING THE SALARY INCREASE AND. OKAY, AWESOME. THAT'S GOOD. SMALL ITEM ON LINE 215 BOARDING PRISONERS. IT'S BEEN 000 LAST YEAR. WE BUDGETED 1000. WE'VE RECEIVED ZERO SO FAR, BUT WE'VE PUT IN 10,000 IN THE BUDGET. 
          WHAT IS THAT. THIS IS GOING TO BE FOR THE ICE HOLDS AT THE JAIL THAT WE STARTED RECEIVING SOME IN THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE FOR ME TO INVOICE THEM. OKAY, SO PART OF THE 287 G. THIS IS OKAY. ALL RIGHT. AND IT'S JUST AN ESTIMATE OF WHAT YOU THINK WILL COME IN. IS THAT IT? ALL RIGHT. GREAT. THANK YOU. DISPATCH SERVICES. WE HAVE A BIG INCREASE. ARE WE ADDING SOMETHING THERE? WE ARE INTO THE THIRD YEAR OF AN AGREEMENT I MADE WITH ROYSE CITY AND FATE. 
          THAT WAS AN INCREMENTAL. AND AT THE THIRD YEAR, WE HIT 220 000 A YEAR IS WHAT WE CHARGE THEM. 
          SO WE'RE WE'RE HITTING HITTING THE POINT WHERE IT'S THE MAXIMUM CHARGE OF OUR AGREEMENT. 
          OKAY, GREAT. SO IT'S JUST A STEP UP UNDER OUR AGREEMENT WITH THEM. OKAY, WONDERFUL. 
          THANK YOU FOR THAT EXPLANATION. ON THE. NEXT PAGE, I'M A LINE ITEM. I GUESS IT SAYS 000, BUT IT'S THE OTHER FINANCING FIN FROM FUND BALANCE OF $250,000. ABOUT MIDWAY IN THE PAGE THERE WE HAVE INTEREST OF 1.2 MILLION. WHICH ARE YOU STILL ON REVENUE? YEAH. OKAY. I'M ON THE SECOND PAGE. IT'S 001370000000. AND I KNOW WE HAVE INTEREST AT 1.2 MILLION, WHICH I'M ASSUMING THE TREASURER HAS PASSED ON THAT AND FEELS GOOD ABOUT IT. AND HE'S JUST. YEAH. SO HE'S GIVING US A THUMBS UP. WE WE REDUCED THAT. WE BUDGETED ANTICIPATED IN THE 26 BUDGET THAT WE WOULD HIT 2 MILLION. RIGHT. AND WE'RE GOING TO FALL SHORT OF THAT. BUT WE FEEL GOOD ABOUT 1.2 FOR NEXT YEAR. GREAT. THANK YOU. AND THEN WHAT'S THE LINE ITEM UNDER THAT OTHER FROM FUND BALANCE. THAT'S JUST MONEY. WE'RE MOVING OVER FROM THE FUND BALANCE. YES THAT'S WHAT THAT IS. OKAY. SO THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO THE TO THE GENTLEMAN'S COMMENT OR QUESTION EARLIER, WHAT ARE WE TAKING FROM THE FUND BALANCE. AND I WON'T TRY AND ANSWER THAT ON BEHALF OF THE COURT. BUT I WILL TELL YOU THIS. WE HAD A LARGE DISCUSSION OF IT LAST YEAR, AND I'M SURE WE WILL THIS YEAR. AND I THINK IT'S IN THE 40% RANGE, BUT OF OUR BUDGET. BUT OUR 
          [00:50:03]
AUDITOR CAN ANSWER THAT BETTER. THERE'S ACTUALLY A FUND BALANCE POLICY. I BELIEVE IT'S ON LINE TWO, BUT I CAN SEND YOU A COPY WHEN YOU SEND ME AN EMAIL, BUT IT'S 4 TO 6 MONTHS OF THE TOTAL BUDGET THAT THAT THE COURT NEEDS TO STAY WITHIN. AND THEN THE 250,000, IT WILL BE IMPROVEMENTS TO THE DISTRICT COURT ROOMS. IT WAS A CAPITAL EXPENSE THAT WAS REQUESTED. AND AND SINCE IT'S A ONE TIME IMPROVEMENT, WE COULD CHARGE IT TO FUND BALANCE. YEAH. OKAY. 
          AND SO THAT'S WHAT THAT'S GOING FOR. IT'S NOT JUST TAKING MONEY FOR ROUTINE EXPENSES. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. AND LET'S SEE IF I HAD ANYTHING ELSE ON THESE FIRST TWO. I'M NOW ON THE THIRD PAGE TOWARD THE TOP THERE. PERFORMANCE PAY. I THINK THAT'S BEEN EXPLAINED. THAT'S THE 1.1 AT LINE ITEM 001 400 319 INCLEMENT WEATHER PAY I. I DON'T REMEMBER THIS FROM BEFORE. 
          I'M SURE IT WAS IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET TOO. YEAH. SO I'LL, I'LL ATTEMPT TO EXPLAIN THAT THE, THE FIRST THING THAT HAPPENED TO THE, THE THREE OF US WHEN WE TOOK OFFICE IS ALL OF A SUDDEN THE WHOLE COUNTY WAS SHUT DOWN AND, AND WE HAD TO KIND OF REACT TO THAT. AND IN DOING SO, WE CREATED A HAZARD PAY TO GET MAINTENANCE AND OTHER PERSONNEL TO GET BUILDINGS READY AS FAR AS LIKE A HAZARD PAY POLICY TO GET THEM OUT ON THE ICY ROADS. AND SO WE NOW HAVE TO BUDGET FOR THAT. AS YOU CAN SEE, WE DIDN'T SPEND ALL OF THAT, BUT WE DID SPEND ABOUT $15,000, AND THAT WOULD BE WHAT WE HAD TO DO TO GET THE BUILDINGS PREPARED TO RETURN TO WORK. SO IT IS A POLICY THAT THE COURT PASSED, I GUESS, ABOUT WHAT, DAVID, ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO, AND IT GIVES PAY FOR ASKING OUR EMPLOYEES TO DRIVE THROUGH THE HAZARDOUS WEATHER, TO SHOW UP, TO WORK, TO PREPARE BUILDINGS WHEN THE COUNTY IS SHUT DOWN. THAT'S WHAT THE POLICY IS. SO WE HAVE TO FUND IT SOMEHOW. SO WE FUND IT IN GENERAL GOVERNMENT. BUT IT'S WOULDN'T THAT JUST BE OVERTIME PAY OR SOMETHING? NO, IT'S CONSIDERED INCLEMENT WEATHER PAY. IT IS A VERY SPECIFIC TYPE OF PAY. LIKE I SAID, I'M NOT TRYING TO LEGISLATE THIS BECAUSE WE HAD A LOT OF DEBATE ABOUT IT A FEW YEARS AGO, BUT IT IS BECAUSE WE ARE ASKING EMPLOYEES TO DRIVE IN WHEN WE'RE NOT ASKING OTHER EMPLOYEES TO DRIVE IN. AND SO WE'RE CONSIDERING IT A HAZARD PAY. I'M TRYING I'M TRYING TO GET TO THE SUMMARY LEGISLATIVELY DRIVEN, THOUGH I CAN'T REMEMBER. I THINK I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING LEGISLATIVELY DRIVEN. I THINK I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I GUESS THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'VE FOCUSED ON IT. I GUESS I DIDN'T CATCH IT IN LAST YEAR'S BUDGET. MY APOLOGIES. I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT. I MEAN, THAT MAY BE BECAUSE I GREW UP IN NORTH DAKOTA AND I'VE DRIVEN IN A LOT OF INCLEMENT WEATHER, BUT I HAVE IN TEXAS ALSO. AND IT'S JUST KIND OF PART OF LIFE, IN MY OPINION. AND IF THAT'S PART OF THE JOB, IT'S PART OF THE JOB, BUT IT IS VERY SPECIFIC TO WHO CAN CLAIM IT AND WHO CAN'T. 
          AND THE POLICY, THE POLICY WE CREATED, YES, WE CREATED AND IT'S THE PEOPLE THAT WE ARE REQUIRING TO COME TO WORK WHEN WE SHUT THE COUNTY DOWN. I CAN READ THAT PORTION OF THE POLICY TO YOU IF YOU LIKE. YES, I'D LOVE TO HEAR IT. YEAH. THIS WAS PASSED EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1ST OF 2023. EMPLOYEES PHYSICALLY REPORTING TO THE WORKPLACE WILL RECEIVE HAZARD PAY AS A BENEFIT, WHICH IS IN ADDITION TO THEIR REGULAR WAGES FOR PARTIAL OR WHOLE DAY CLOSURES. EMPLOYEES WITHIN THE FOLLOWING DEPARTMENTS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR HAZARD PAY. SHERIFF'S OFFICE, WHICH INCLUDES DETENTIONS, DISPATCH ENFORCEMENT AND PATROL THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT, ROAD AND BRIDGE AND IT COMMISSIONERS COURT HAS THE DISCRETION TO PAY HAZARD PAY TO OTHER EMPLOYEES AS NEEDED, SUCH AS THE PAYROLL ADMINISTRATOR. IF IT'S PAYROLL WEEK. BUT EVEN IN THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES, THEY WOULD. IF THEY WORKED OVERTIME, THEY'D STILL GET OVERTIME, RIGHT? CORRECT. THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THEIR WAGES. YEAH. WELL, SO I WAS NOT HERE WHEN YOU GUYS DID THIS. I'M SURE IT WAS DEBATED HOTLY. AS YOU INDICATED. IF ANYONE WANTS TO REOPEN IT, I'M GAME. AND WITH ALL DUE RESPECT TO THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, WE GOT TO TREAT THEM FINE. ROAD AND BRIDGE. OBVIOUSLY THEY GOT TO GET OUT IN THE WEATHER, BUT TO ME, GETTING OUT IN THE WEATHER IS JUST PART OF YOUR JOB. SO IF WE'RE LOOKING FOR $30,000 AT SOME POINT, JUDGE, YOU IDENTIFIED. I'VE IDENTIFIED IT. OKAY, OKAY. IN MY MIND ANYWAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. THEN WE HAVE THAT MIGHT BE ON THOSE ON THOSE FOUR PAGES. I THINK 
          [00:55:02]
THAT'S THE END OF MY QUESTIONS. OKAY. I'M JUST. BUT THOSE FOUR PAGES I RESERVE THE RIGHT ALL GREAT QUESTIONS. RESERVE THE RIGHT TO COME BACK WITH MORE. THAT'S RIGHT. EXACTLY. OH MY GOODNESS. ALL RIGHT. OH, ONE MORE QUESTION. AND THIS IS A QUESTION FOR I THINK FOR THE AUDITOR. AND THIS IS SOMETHING WE TALKED ABOUT SEVERAL MONTHS AGO IN COURT. AND YOU AND I HAVE SPOKEN ABOUT AND BUT I WANT TO RAISE IT AGAIN. THAT IS THE QUESTION. QUESTION OF APPORTIONMENT FEES FROM DEVELOPERS AND DEVELOPMENTS. I KNOW WE'VE STARTED GETTING MONIES IN ON DEVELOPMENTS FOR APPORTIONMENT FOR ROADS. WE MAY HAVE GOTTEN SOME IN FOR OTHER THINGS ALSO, BUT I KNOW WE'VE GOTTEN MONEY IN FOR ROADS. AND THERE WAS I ADVOCATED AT ONE POINT THAT WE PUT THIS INTO A SEPARATE FUND AND I WAS I GOT MY HAND SLAPPED. I'D STILL ADVOCATE THAT WE PUT IT INTO A SEPARATE FUND. I THINK THAT'S THE BEST WAY TO HANDLE IT. BUT SINCE WE'RE NOT DOING THAT YET, WHERE'S THAT MONEY GOING? I DON'T HAVE IT GOING IN A SEPARATE FUND, BUT I ALSO DO NOT HAVE IT GOING INTO AS REVENUE. SO IT JUST SITS IN THE THE FUND BALANCE. IT SITS IN AN ACCOUNT IN CASE IT HAS TO BE PAID BACK. OKAY. I DON'T THINK WE HAVE TO PAY IT BACK. AND NOBODY'S ASKED TO HAVE IT PAID BACK. AND I THINK THAT WE'VE ESTABLISHED OUR REGULATIONS BASED UPON PROPER LEGAL PRINCIPLES. AND WHAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE DOESN'T HAPPEN BEFORE WE REACH A RESOLUTION ON CREATING A SEPARATE FUND, WHICH IS WHAT I THINK WE SHOULD DO. WHAT WE WHAT I WANT TO MAKE SURE DOESN'T HAPPEN IS THAT THAT MONEY DOESN'T GET MIXED UP IN THE GENERAL FUND, BECAUSE IF WE'RE ASKING DEVELOPERS TO GIVE US MONEY TO IMPROVE ROADS, THAT SHOULD ALL GO FOR ROADS AND NOTHING ELSE. AND THERE IS THE LINE, A REVENUE LINE FOR ROAD DEVELOPMENT. I BELIEVE IN THE ROAD AND BRIDGE FUND. IN REVENUE, IN REVENUE, WHICH WHERE ARE WE AT ON THAT? I WAS AT THE BACK OF THE BUDGET. OKAY, THAT'LL TAKE FOREVER. OKAY, I GOT TO FIND IT BEFORE WE GO BECAUSE THERE WAS, YOU KNOW WHAT THE ACCOUNT NUMBER THAT IS. THERE. I THINK YOU'VE TRAPPED ME. COMMISSIONER LICHTY I DON'T I DON'T BELIEVE IT. FINALLY, I PAGE 51, TURN TO PAGE 51. I BELIEVE. THERE WAS A THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A $500 FEE THAT THAT PROPERTY THIS IS VETERANS MEMORIAL. IT'S PAGE 51 RIGHT HERE. THEN IT WOULD BE THE NEXT PAGE FOR YOU. IT'S ON PAGE 51 OF THE ONE I HAVE. IT'S NOT ON PAGE 51 FOR ME. KEEP GOING. I KNOW THERE'S A ROAD AND BRIDGE FUND BECAUSE I'VE LOOKED AT IT. 
          YEAH. IT'S FUN. 20 IT DOES SAY 51 ON. YEAH. IT'S WELL, I DON'T KNOW WHAT PAGE YOU'RE LOOKING AT. THIS IS THE ONE I PRINTED OFF THE OTHER DAY THAT YOU SENT ME. OKAY. DID YOU, DID YOU BRING THE BOOK THAT FRANK GAVE US ALL YESTERDAY? BECAUSE IT IS ON PAGE 51 ON THAT ONE. BUT I HAVE A BOOK YESTERDAY. EXCEPT YOU. I ASKED HIM NOT TO GIVE YOU ONE. OH, WHATEVER. OKAY, WELL, MEREDITH GAVE EVERYBODY A BOOK. LET ME CORRECT. THAT IS CORRECT. ANYWAYS, THERE IS REVENUE HERE. LOOK, HERE'S THE ROAD AND BRIDGE, OKAY? SHOW ME WHICH. YEAH. WHERE'S THE REVENUE? THE REVENUE IS AT THE TOP. YEAH, BUT AREN'T THOSE ROAD AND BRIDGE FEES AND STUFF THAT WE CHARGE? I'M LOOKING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT FEE. THAT'S ALWAYS BEEN A DEVELOPMENT FEE. 
          WELL, THAT'S ONLY GOT 8000 IN IT. I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S WHAT SHE'S TALKING ABOUT. THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE. MAY I HAVE SOME TIME TO DO SOME RESEARCH? OH, YEAH. YEAH, YEAH. LOOK, I DON'T NEED AN ANSWER TODAY. AND I REALLY MEANT WHAT I SAID. I KNOW YOU AND I DISAGREE ON THIS AND THAT'S FINE, BUT UNTIL WE GET IT FIGURED OUT, I DON'T WANT THAT MONEY THAT WE GET FROM DEVELOPERS CO-MINGLED AND JUST MIXED INTO THE BUDGET. AND THAT'S MY WHY. MY QUESTION WAS, WHERE IS IT? IT IS NOT MIXED IN THE BUDGET, I CAN ASSURE YOU. IT'S NOT IT'S NOT PART OF THE GENERAL FUND AT ALL. OKAY, WELL THAT'S GOOD, THAT'S GOOD. BUT IF AND THAT'S ALL I NEED FOR TODAY. BUT IF YOU COULD LET US KNOW THAT, THAT'D BE GREAT. GREAT. THANK YOU. YEAH. OKAY. 
          ALL RIGHT. COMMISSIONERS. WELL, AFTER ALL THAT, I HAVE SOMETHING REALLY, REALLY TINY 
          [01:00:03]
TO, TO, TO BRING FORTH. WE HAD A MEETING YESTERDAY, CAMI, MYSELF AND JORDAN AT THE CIVIL DIVISION ON BONDS. AND I WOULD LIKE US TO CREATE A SINKING FUND FOR A COUPLE OF INTERNAL BONDS THAT I DON'T SEE ANY REASON TO PAY. AND THAT WOULD BE $5,500, AND THAT WOULD BE FOR THE ENGINEER AND THE LIBRARIAN. SO I WOULD JUST LIKE US TO BE LOOKING AT PUTTING THAT IN THE BUDGET. IF WE DO IT AS A TRUE SINKING FUND AND CREATE THAT, THEN WE CAN JUST STOP PAYING THE $100 A YEAR. I KNOW THAT'S NOT A LOT OF MONEY, BUT ENGINEERING LIBRARIAN FOR THE ENGINEERING LIBRARIAN, THEY DO TAKE. WE WE HAVE SET BOND AMOUNTS. AND IF WE JUST PUT MONEY IN A SINKING FUND, WE CAN JUST STOP PAYING THE 100 BUCKS. AGAIN, I KNOW THAT DOESN'T CHANGE THE WORLD. 5500 COVERS. BOTH OF THEM COVERS BOTH OF THOSE BONDS. SO IT'S JUST A REALLY, REALLY SMALL ACCOUNTING THING THAT I WANT US TO LOOK AT DOING. AND IT JUST STOPS US. I MEAN, IT DOES ADD UP IN 20, 30, 40, 50 YEARS OF PAYING THESE BONDS. IT IS MONEY FOR BONDS THAT ARE REALLY HARD TO PAY. BUT WE ARE ALLOWED BY LAW TO DO IT. WE HAVE NOT SET THAT UP TO DO IT. BUT I KNOW THAT LISA IS GOING TO HAVE TO CREATE A FUND AND DO SOMETHING, AND I JUST WANT TO THROW THAT INTO THE UNIVERSE THAT WE CREATE A SINKING FUND FOR BONDS. AND RIGHT NOW, I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE $5,500. IT'S JUST SOMETHING REALLY SMALL. IT'S JUST MAKES SENSE. YEAH, IT JUST IS KIND OF SOMETHING WE CAN DO. THE BIGGER THING IS, AND JUDGE, I DON'T WANT YOU TO SEE THIS NECESSARILY AS. I WANT IT TO BE MORE CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM, BUT WE'RE TRYING REALLY, REALLY HARD TO CRUNCH A BUDGET. SO WE HAVE $2.3 MILLION OF NEW REVENUE COMING INTO THE COUNTY, AND WE HAVE $3.2 MILLION IN ROAD BOND DEBT, WHICH OBVIOUSLY OUTPACES IT, WHICH IS WHAT YOU WERE SAYING BEFORE, OF, HEY, I DON'T THINK WE CAN GET TO THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE BECAUSE WE'RE BUILDING ROADS AND WE'RE SPENDING ALL THIS MONEY. THAT'S TOTALLY FINE. IF YOU LOOK AT ALL OF OUR OTHER DEBT PAYMENTS, THEY WENT UP $240,000. SO IF WE DIDN'T PASS ALL THOSE ROAD BONDS, WE WOULD HAVE $3 MILLION WITH THE BUDGET YOU PROPOSED, BUT THEN YOU APPROVE $921,000 OF NEW POSITIONS. AND THAT CREATES TO ME A COMPOUNDING EFFECT ON INSURANCE, ON BENEFITS, ON PENSION. AND I JUST I DON'T SEE THEM BEING CONGRUENT ARGUMENTS OF I'M TRYING TO PASS A BUDGET TO KEEP COSTS DOWN, BUT THEN I'M GOING TO APPROVE ALL OF THESE POSITIONS. AND SO I WANTED TO KIND OF TAKE US INTO THE POSITIONS BECAUSE I HAVE ABOUT FIVE THAT I COMPLETELY SAY, HEY, THAT'S, THAT'S PROBABLY GOOD. 
          LET'S START THERE. LET'S START THERE. OKAY. BECAUSE A LOT OF THESE START WITH THE FIVE OR JUST, YEAH, NO, START, START WITH THE ONES THAT THAT YOU AGREE. AND THEN WE'LL. SO, SO SOME, SOME OF THEM ARE SIMPLE. THE AG EXTENSION OFFICE THAT DOES HAVE SOMEWHAT OF A, OF A BUDGET IMPACT MOVING THAT EMPLOYEE. I DON'T WANT TO SAY THE EMPLOYEE'S NAME FROM THE HALF ROAD AND BRIDGE TO THAT. I AGREE WITH THAT. I THINK THAT'S THAT'S THAT'S A GOOD WAY TO DO IT. ME TOO. I DO THINK THAT THE AUDITOR AND TREASURER'S REQUEST MAKE SENSE TO ME, BECAUSE THEY ARE POSITIONS OF A GROWING COUNTY THAT WE HAVEN'T QUITE. DONE THE PART TIME LIBRARIANS. 
          THAT'S AN EXTENSION OF OURS BECAUSE THE LIBRARY IS OPEN MORE STATUTORILY. I DON'T KNOW IF IT'S TRULY STATUTORILY, BUT SHE. SHE CAME IN AND SAID BECAUSE OF SOME GUIDELINES THAT SHE HAS TO FOLLOW, AND I DON'T WANT TO MISQUOTE HER BECAUSE OF A POPULATION THRESHOLD. CORRECT. 
          SO I THINK IT IS STATUTORILY. SO IT'S JUST LIKE, OKAY, WE'LL KEEP THE LIBRARY OPEN MORE, WE'LL ADD A FEW HOURS AND THEN THE IT FOR THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT I THINK ARE, ARE GOOD. THAT AND THOSE AREN'T BIG MONEY ITEMS THAT I COULD SAY. YEAH, THAT THAT MAKES COMPLETE SENSE. SO THE AUDITOR YOU'RE OKAY WITH THE REQUEST. THE TREASURER HAD TWO REQUESTS. YOU'RE OKAY WITH THOSE? YES. FOR NOW. I MEAN, I THINK THAT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THOSE AND AND, YOU KNOW, DOING PAYROLL COORDINATION, THE COUNTY IS GROWING. THE NEEDS FOR PAYROLL IS GROWING. YOU KNOW, KEEPING THAT MONEY IN THE BUDGET MAKES SENSE. THE AUDITOR THERE'S MORE DEPARTMENTS, THERE'S MORE WORK. THERE'S MORE THINGS FOR THE AUDITOR TO DO. I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE. THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, I THINK THAT THE IT DEPARTMENT GETTING A TECHNICIAN IN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT WITH THE NEEDS OF THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND HOW THEY'RE TRYING TO I WOULDN'T SAY RESTRUCTURE. THAT'S NOT FAIR, BUT BUT HOW THEY'RE TRYING TO MANAGE THAT. I THINK THAT BRIAN AND THE COMMAND STAFF HAVE HAD A LOT OF REALLY GOOD DISCUSSIONS ON HOW THEY CAN HOW THEY CAN HELP THAT LIEUTENANT POSITION AND GROW THAT DEPARTMENT. JUST A MINUTE ON THAT ONE. THAT'S THE IT. THAT'S THE TECHNICIAN. CORRECT. 
          THE JOB GRADE EIGHT THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT. YEAH. I MEAN, I DO THINK THAT THE SYSTEMS 
          [01:05:04]
ADMINISTRATOR IS GOING TO BE NEEDED SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, BUT I'M NOT ADVOCATING FOR THAT POSITION AT THIS CURRENT TIME. I'M JUST SAYING THOSE ARE THE POSITIONS YOU ADDED THAT I AGREE WITH. BUT THERE IS JUST A I JUST LOOK AT THAT AND THINK THAT'S JUST A LOT OF ADDED SALARY THAT WE'RE HAVING TO ACCOUNT FOR THAT. AND SO IT'S REALLY KIND OF A QUESTION TO YOU IS, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU KIND OF RECONCILE, HEY, WE'RE TRYING TO CONDENSE THIS TAX RATE, PUSH THIS TAX RATE, BUT BUT I'M GOING TO TURN AROUND AND APPROVE $921,000 OF NEW POSITIONS RECONCILING IT BECAUSE I BELIEVE THERE NEEDED AND UNDERSTANDING FULLY. WE'RE GOING TO BE BACK IN THE SAME POSITION NEXT YEAR. BECAUSE YOU'RE RIGHT, OUR DEBT IS CREATING UPWARD PRESSURE. ANY NEW HIRES CREATES UPWARD PRESSURE. I TAKE THE STANCE AND WHAT I ATTEMPT TO DO IS KEEP THE CITIZENS IN FOCUS WHEN I'M MAKING DECISIONS. HOW HOW IS THIS REQUEST EITHER POSITIVELY OR NEGATIVELY GOING TO AFFECT THE CITIZENS? ARE WE GOING TO. 
          AND SOME OF THEM, IT'S A TWO AND THREE MOVE PROCEDURE. BEFORE YOU GET THERE, IF TRULY WE HAVE SOMETHING THAT IS JUST SERVING THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES, YOU COULD ARGUE, WELL, THAT DOESN'T AFFECT THE CITIZENS, BUT IT DOES. IT DOES BECAUSE THE CITIZENS ARE FORWARD OR FRONT LINE OF DEFENSE IN COMMUNICATING AND SERVING OUR CITIZENS. SO KEEPING THEM WITH THE TOOLS THEY NEED TO DO THEIR JOB. THAT SECOND AND THIRD LEVEL MOVE SUPPORTING THEM. I SEE THAT AS SUPPORT OF THE CITIZENS, AND THAT'S WHAT I ATTEMPT TO DO IS JUST HOW DOES THIS AFFECT THE CITIZENS? IF I WAS SITTING HERE WITH ALL OF ROCKWALL COUNTY AND IT'S LIKE, HEY, I'M GOING TO TAKE 20 MORE DOLLARS FROM YOU THIS YEAR, AND I'M GOING TO GIVE IT TO THIS PERSON BECAUSE WE NEED ANOTHER PERSON IN THIS OFFICE TO SERVE YOU. JUST IN MY OVERACTIVE IMAGINATION, HOW WOULD THAT CONVERSATION GO WITH THEM? SO WHILE I UNDERSTAND AND IT'S, YOU KNOW, IT'S EASY TO SAY, ALL RIGHT, GROW IN GOVERNMENT. WELL, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT A AT MY DEFAULT SETTING IS NOT A GROW GOVERNMENT KIND OF GUY. BUT IN A GROWING COUNTY THAT HAS, YOU KNOW, I ALWAYS SAY WE'RE IN OUR TEENAGE YEARS, WE WERE IN OUR OUR TODDLER YEARS AND WE KIND OF DEFERRED AND WE DID THINGS IN THE MOST EFFICIENT WAY THAT YOU CAN DO THINGS WHEN YOU'RE A SMALL COUNTY. BUT WHEN YOU START GROWING AND GROWING AT THE PACE AND SCALE WE ARE, YOU GOT TO GET STRUCTURE IN PLACE. YOU HAVE TO GET SERVICES IN PLACE. AND UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S GOING TO TAKE US EXPANDING GOVERNMENT A LITTLE BIT TO SERVE OUR CITIZENS. IF NOT. THERE'S GOING TO BE THINGS THAT WE CAN'T DO FOR FOR THE CITIZENS OF ROCKWALL COUNTY. 
          YOU CAN. I THINK THAT'S A GREAT EXPLANATION, FRANKLY, BECAUSE I KNOW THE EASY THING TO DO, AND IT MAKES SENSE IN A MACRO SENSE, IS TO SAY YOU ALL ARE GROWING GOVERNMENT. OKAY, I'M NOT A FAN OF THAT. IN FACT, I OFTEN I'VE VERY PROUD OF HOW LITTLE WE GREW GOVERNMENT. WHEN I WAS MAYOR OF HEATH, BUT WE DO HAVE TO SERVE PEOPLE. AND WHILE IT'S EASY TO. I'M NOT BEING CRITICAL BY SAYING THIS, JOHN, BUT IT'S EASY TO SAY WE'RE. WE'RE INCREASING 921,000 IN SALARY IN NEW POSITIONS. YOU REALLY HAVE TO LOOK AT THEM ONE AT A TIME. AND I APPRECIATE THIS LIST YOU GAVE US. AND THERE'S SOME OF THEM I DISAGREE WITH YOU ON, JUST LIKE I'M SURE THERE'S SOME YOU DISAGREE ON. I GAVE YOU THAT LIST. JUST SO YOU KNOW, TAMMY GAVE YOU THIS. I GOT TO GIVE CREDIT WHERE CREDIT'S DUE. OKAY. WELL, IT'S A GREAT LIST, CAMI, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. IT'S VERY HELPFUL. SO ANYWAY, I DON'T KNOW IF WE TODAY IS THE DAY TO RUN THROUGH ALL THESE LISTS, BUT I DO THINK IT'S A QUESTION AND I THINK YOUR EXPLANATION IS EXACTLY RIGHT. 
          WE HAVE TO LOOK AT WHAT ARE WE DOING? WHO ARE WE. WHO ARE WE SERVING? IS IT NECESSARY OR IS IT NOT NECESSARY? AND THOSE ARE NOT EASY DECISIONS TO MAKE. AND IF YOU TALK TO EVERY DEPARTMENT HEAD, THEY DIDN'T ASK FOR THESE BECAUSE THEY'RE TRYING TO GROW THEIR GOVERNMENT. THEY'RE ASKED FOR THEM BECAUSE THEY THINK IT'S NECESSARY. WE HAVE THE DIFFICULT TASK OF TRYING TO MAKE A DECISION IF WE AGREE WITH THAT OR NOT. AND THAT'S NO DISRESPECT TO ANYONE. SO I'D BE HAPPY TO GO THROUGH THOSE. IF TODAY IS A DAY OR IF WE WANT TO DO IT ANOTHER DAY OR WHATEVER. 
          BUT I'D BE HAPPY TO GO THROUGH THOSE JUST JUST ONE MORE SECOND. AND ONE OTHER THING I WANT TO POINT OUT IS. WHILE OUR GOVERNMENT IS GROWING, AS THE JUDGE SAID, OUR COUNTY IS 
          [01:10:01]
GROWING AND IT'S GROWING RAPIDLY, AND WE HAVE TO SERVE PEOPLE PROPERLY. AND DESPITE THE GROWTH WE'VE HAD AND FOR THE LAST 15 YEARS, WE'VE BEEN IN THE TOP FASTEST GROWING COUNTIES IN THE UNITED STATES. DESPITE THAT, WE HAVE MANAGED TO KEEP AN EXTREMELY LOW TAX RATE. WE ARE RIGHT NOW THE 13TH LOWEST TAX RATE OF ALL THE COUNTIES IN TEXAS. AND THAT'S THAT'S AN AMAZING NUMBER. AND NO MATTER WHAT WE INCREASE TO BASED UPON THESE NUMBERS, WE'LL STILL BE IN THE TOP 2425. WE JUST WON'T GET OVER THAT. SO THAT'S THE TOP 10% EITHER WAY. 
          EXACTLY, EXACTLY. SO WE'RE TO EVERYONE WHO'S LISTENING, I TOTALLY GET THE SIGNIFICANCE OF NOT GROWING GOVERNMENT. I TOTALLY GET THE SIGNIFICANCE OF KEEPING TAXES LOW. I THANK YOU GUYS. BEFORE I GOT ON THE COURT FOR HELPING LEAD THAT CHARGE AND BRING DOWN OUR TAXES. AND WE DID IT AGAIN LAST YEAR WHEN BOBBY AND I WERE ON THE COURT MAY NOT BE ABLE TO DO IT THIS YEAR, I GET THAT. BUT EACH OF THESE SPOTS HAS TO BE JUSTIFIED JUST WITH WHAT YOU SAID. AND IT'S A DIFFICULT DECISION, BECAUSE I KNOW IF I WERE TO LOOK AT ONE OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS WHO CAME IN AND MADE A PASSIONATE PLEA FOR ANOTHER PERSON, AND I SAID, SORRY, I DON'T SEE THE NECESSITY. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT THEY'RE THEIR PLEA IS WRONG BECAUSE THEY'RE MUCH MORE INVOLVED IN IT. BUT WE. THAT'S THE DECISION WE HAVE TO MAKE. AND THERE'S SOME OF THESE I AGREE WITH SOME I DON'T. SORRY I DRAGGED ON. THAT IS OKAY. I WOULD LIKE TO GO THROUGH THEM BECAUSE I'M KIND OF LIKE YOU GOT YOU COMMISSIONER. I'M LIKE, I THINK THAT WE COULD TRY TO NAIL SOME OF THESE DOWN. YES OR NO. I MEAN, NOT THAT WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A VOTE, BUT. YEAH, ABSOLUTELY. WE CAN TAKE A BREAK. HEY, YEAH. LET'S TAKE ABOUT A TEN MINUTE BREAK AND LET ME GO GET THEM. I WANT TO MAKE SURE I HAVE THE MOST RECENT COPY OF THAT. SO LET'S TAKE A TEN MINUTE BREAK. IT IS ALL RIGHT EVERYONE. IT IS 1024. WE WILL RECONVENE INTO OUR SPECIAL BUDGET MEETING. AND WHERE WE LEFT OFF IS WE WERE GOING TO GO OVER ALL OF THE PERSONNEL THAT WAS ADDED. AND WE'VE IDENTIFIED ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE ADDITIONS THAT I LIKE, BUT I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYONE ELSE HAS LIKED. AND I THINK COMMISSIONER MCCULLOCH ECHOED YOUR YOUR YOUR STANCE ON THAT. SO LET'S LET'S MOVE INTO THE ONES YOU DON'T LIKE NOW. OKAY. WELL, YEAH, LET'S JUST HAVE ME DRIVE THIS TRAIN FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. I AM GOING TO GO FROM TOP TO BOTTOM. 
          SO ON CONSTABLE TWO AND THREE. I AM NOT FULLY SOLD. AND I MIGHT BE THE ONLY LONE VOTE AGAINST THOSE DEPUTIES, BUT THAT'S JUST MY OWN PERSONAL OPINION. I THINK THAT THERE I DO UNDERSTAND THEIR NEED FOR BACKUP AND OFFICER SAFETY, BUT I ALSO JUST BELIEVE FIVE OF THEM IN FOUR PRECINCTS CAN FIGURE THAT OUT, IN MY OPINION. AND I COULD BE COMPLETELY WRONG, AND I'M WILLING TO BE WRONG AND ACCEPT THAT I'M WRONG. BUT IF YOU'RE ASKING ME WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW AFTER LISTENING TO THE BUDGET, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, ONE ONE CONSTABLE CAME IN, I'M NOT GOING TO PICK ON HIM AND SAID, HERE'S ALL THE THINGS I'VE DONE FOR A QUARTER. YOU START DIVIDING THAT INTO WEEKS AND IT'S TEN PHONE CALLS A WEEK. IT'S. AND I KNOW THAT THE JOB IS HARD, AND I KNOW THAT THE JOB IS STRESSFUL AND I 100% RECOGNIZE THE JOB IS DANGEROUS. 
          I DO NOT KNOCK ON DOORS AND ASK PEOPLE TO LEAVE THEIR HOMES. SO I AGREE WITH WHAT COMMISSIONER LICHTY WAS SAYING IS WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE SAFE, AS SAFE AS WE CAN MAKE THEM. SO I'M WILLING TO BE WRONG AND SAY, OKAY, LET'S MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING THIS FOR OFFICER SAFETY. I HAVE AN ISSUE DOING IT FOR THE CLERKING AND SAYING, HEY, WE JUST NEED MORE TIME. I THINK THE OFFICER SAFETY ISSUE IS A BIGGER DEAL. SO WITH THAT, THAT'S JUST KIND OF MY OPINION ON ON ADDING THOSE. I THINK WE ALREADY HAVE A PART TIME DEPUTY THAT CAN HELP. LET'S DISCUSS THAT A LITTLE BIT, BECAUSE CONSTABLE CHANEY, YOU KNOW, SAID HE WOULD WANTED TO TRADE HIS CLERK FOR A FOR A PART TIME BAILIFF, WHICH MADE SENSE TO ME. 
          AND, YOU KNOW, CONSTABLE FOUR I THINK WOULD WOULD ECHO THAT. WELL I KNOW CONSTABLE. YOU MEAN THREE. FRAZIER THREE. YES. YEAH I KNOW HE WOULD ALSO. OKAY. I TALKED TO HIM YESTERDAY SO I, I KIND OF AGREE WITH YOUR STANCE OF MAYBE NOT THE CLERK, BUT I THINK IF WE CAN GET THEM A 
          [01:15:02]
BAILIFF TO ESSENTIALLY FREE UP. BUT THEN THEIR ALREADY EXISTING DEPUTY CONSTABLE, BUT THEN YOU WENT FROM A $50,000 ADD TO A $130,000 ADD. WE WE DID. YES, WE DID, BUT WE BUT WE SOLVED THE PROBLEM. I'M WILLING TO BE THE ONE VOTE AGAINST IT. THAT'S TOTALLY FAIR. OKAY, WELL, I HAVE SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THOSE NUMBERS, BUT I. AND I THINK YOU ALL UNDERSTAND WHERE I STAND ON ON THE POSITIONS. I THINK WE SHOULD ADD THE DEPUTY CONSTABLE AND AND FRANKLY, I WOULD LOOK TO THE CONSTABLE'S TO COME WITH A IN AND MAKE SURE WE ARE PROVIDING ADEQUATE SAFETY FOR THEM. I HEAR A NUMBER OF TIMES COMMISSIONER FROM FROM CONSTABLE SAYING THAT THEY DON'T HAVE THE STAFF THAT ARE GIVEN TO PEOPLE IN OTHER COUNTIES IN SIMILAR COUNTIES, KAUFMAN, FOR EXAMPLE, AND I KNOW WE HAVE TO STAFF THOSE POSITIONS PROPERLY. AND THEY BOTH SAID TO ME, BOTH TWO AND THREE HAVE SAID THEY'D RATHER HAVE A DEPUTY THAN A CLERK, SO I I'M IN FAVOR OF THOSE AND I'D LIKE TO DO IT. I DO HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT THE SALARIES, THOUGH. IT SAYS BASE SALARY ON THE DEPUTY CONSTABLE OF $52,650. AND THEN THAT'S BASED ON A CALCULATION. IF I'M READING THIS RIGHT OF 3750 PER HOUR, I DON'T KNOW HOW THOSE NUMBERS, THOSE NUMBERS DIDN'T WORK FOR ME. IT SEEMED LIKE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN A LOWER NUMBER THAN 52. 650 IF YOU'RE BASING IT PART TIME AS BEING HALF, THAT'S FULL TIME EMPLOYEE IS 28, RIGHT? AND A HALF TIME EMPLOYEE IS 1040 A YEAR. SO IF YOU ACTUALLY WITH ROCKWALL COUNTY, IT'S 2088 HOURS A YEAR. SO, SO THE WAY 80, I'M SORRY, INSTEAD OF 2080. YES. OKAY. SO WE GIVE THEM EIGHT MORE HOURS. I DON'T KNOW WHY, BUT OKAY. I THINK IT'S BASED ON ACTUAL HOURS. SO THE WAY I CALCULATED IT WAS $37.50 PER HOUR TIMES 28 HOURS A WEEK, TIMES 52 WEEKS A YEAR, WHICH IS 54,600. AND THEN ADD LOAD TO THAT WHICH WE, THE COUNTY HAS TO PAY INTO FICA, MEDICARE, RETIREMENT WORKERS COMP UNEMPLOYMENT. NO, I YOU'VE ANSWERED MY QUESTION WHEN YOU SAID YOU. BASED ON 28 HOURS A WEEK, BECAUSE I WAS THINKING 20 HOURS A WEEK BECAUSE I THINK HALF TIME WOULD BE INSTEAD OF 40. YOU WORK 20. OH, RIGHT. YES. AND THAT'S THE WAY YOU WOULD TYPICALLY CALCULATE THAT. BUT I JUST BASED IT ON WHAT THEIR REQUEST WAS, WAS 28 HOURS A WEEK. OKAY. DOES 20 HOURS A WEEK WORK? I MEAN, AGAIN, I DON'T I DON'T KNOW, TO ME, WHEN SOMEBODY SAYS I WANT A HALF TIME EMPLOYEE, THAT'S HALF TIME. BUT I GUESS 28 IS BETTER THAN 20. I DON'T KNOW WHY. OKAY. BUT YOU ANSWERED MY QUESTION. I HAVE NO MORE QUESTION ABOUT THE NUMBERS. YOU WERE RIGHT. SO LET'S TALK REAL QUICKLY ABOUT WHERE, WHERE, WHERE WE SIT. 
          BECAUSE THE BAILIFF, IN LIEU OF THE CLERK, I'M I'M I'M, I'M ALL FOR THAT. HAVING IT BE A PART TIME BAILIFF FOR ESSENTIALLY TWO AND THREE. I'M, I'M, I'M, I'M FOR THAT. AND AND YOU'RE CALLING IT THE DEPUTY CONSTABLE. THAT'S RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. A PART TIME DEPUTY CONSTABLE. I WOULD I WOULD SUPPORT THAT IN LIEU OF A CLERK. AND I JUST WANT ONE. I JUST WANT ONE POINT OF CLARIFICATION THAT COMMISSIONER LICHTY BROUGHT UP. WES PAY A LOT OF MONEY. 
          MONTGOMERY COUNTY AND KAUFMAN COUNTY HAVE DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENTS WHERE THE MUDS ARE PAYING CONSTABLES AND STAFFING UP CONSTABLES OFFICES. SO I'M JUST SAYING, LIKE IT WOULD BE FAIR TO COMPARE IT TO LIKE HUNT OR COLLIN OR, YOU KNOW, SOME OF THOSE. BUT THOSE TWO COUNTIES IN PARTICULAR HAVE A LOT OF PRIVATE DEVELOPMENT INVESTMENT INTO THE CONSTABLES OFFICES. 
          I'M NOT SAYING THAT THAT WAS THE REASON FOR YOUR DECISION. YOU JUST BROUGHT THAT UP. AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY, YEAH, THERE IS NO WAY WE'RE GOING TO STAFF OUR CONSTABLE OFFICES LIKE KAUFMAN COUNTY OR MONTGOMERY COUNTY. IT'S JUST IT'S JUST NOT WE CAN'T CONSIDER IT FOR THE FUTURE. I'M NOT SAYING THAT. I'M JUST SAYING I JUST WANTED THAT LITTLE POINT OF CLARIFICATION OF THAT. THAT'S A BAD ONE TO COMPARE OURSELVES TO, BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE MUDS AND DEVELOPERS PAYING OUR CONSTABLES A LOT OF MONEY THAT TO STAFF FULL OFFICES. BOY, I WOULD LOVE TO LEARN HOW THEY DO IT. AND I MEAN THIS SERIOUSLY, BECAUSE AS EVERYBODY IN THIS COURT KNOWS, THIS IS NO SECRET. WE'RE ALL BEING SUED BECAUSE WE THOUGHT THEY SHOULD PAY THE MUD, SHOULD PAY A PART OF OUR OUR THE MUDS PAY FOR THE CONSTABLES. AND THERE'S ONE MUD THAT HAS LIKE EIGHT, EIGHT CONSTABLES THAT SERVE THAT THAT DISTRICT. SO I MEAN, THEY, THEY PAY FOR IT DIRECTLY. THERE ARE GOVERNMENTAL ENTITY I BELIEVE THEY DO IT BY INTERLOCAL AGREEMENT AND THEY DO OUT OF THE MUD TAX OR THEY'RE REQUIRED TO. DO YOU KNOW, YOU I'M I'M 
          [01:20:01]
SCARED TO ANSWER THAT QUESTION. LET ME HAVE A CONVERSATION. I'LL GET I'LL STOP TALKING ABOUT THAT RIGHT NOW. WE'LL HAVE A CONVERSATION. JUDGE. IS IT IS IT A PART TIME CONSTABLE FOR EACH. OR IS IT A PART TIME CONSTABLE FOR BOTH? A PART TIME CONSTABLE FOR EACH. SO TWO, TWO, TWO PART TIMES IS IS WHAT I'D LIKE TO SEE. ALL RIGHT. LET'S LET'S MOVE ON, COMMISSIONER STACY. WE ARE. WELL I CAN SEE IT NOT VOTED ON THAT SO WE CAN KEEP MOVING DOWN THE LIST. WELL LET'S STOP BECAUSE THERE THERE IS THERE'S A NO THAT I THINK I WOULD MAYBE ENTERTAIN CHANGING TO A YES. AND THAT'S ON THE COUNTY CLERK. DEPUTY CLERK ONE SALARY ADJUSTMENT JUST 11 CLERK SALARIES NOW. OKAY. SO LET LET'S LET'S HAVE A CONVERSATION BECAUSE I RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE I. HOLD ON, HOLD ON I. WHEN YOU SENT ME CAMMY THE NON LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT IS OUR PAY GRADE SCHEDULE CORRECT FOR THAT THE COUNTY CLERK WOULD FALL UNDER. YES. OKAY. AND AND THEN THOSE CLERKS ARE JOB GRADE FOUR. CORRECT. I DON'T HAVE IT IN FRONT OF ME, BUT I BELIEVE SO. 
          DO YOU KNOW IF THEIR JOB. GRADE FOUR. JENNIFER. OKAY. AND THE REASON I SAY THAT IS BECAUSE EITHER THEIR JOB GRADE, I THINK THEIR JOB GRADE THREE. SO WHAT WE'VE DONE FOR THE COLA THAT IS WRITTEN INTO THE BUDGET IS WE MOVED THEM TO 39. 743 I BELIEVE THAT'S CORRECT. DO YOU DO YOU THINK THAT NUMBER IS CORRECT? DOES THAT SOUND CORRECT OR DOES IT NOT SOUND CORRECT ON WHAT THE 2.4 WOULD BE? OKAY. THAT'S FAIR. I'M DONE ASKING YOU QUESTIONS. I'M NOT GOING TO PUT YOU ON THE SPOT ANYMORE. MA'AM, I APOLOGIZE, BUT ONCE WE FIGURE OUT WHAT GRADE THEY ARE BECAUSE GRADE FOUR IS 417 30, BUT I'M PRETTY SURE THEY'RE GRADE THREE. AND IF THEY'RE 39, 743 AND THAT WOULD BE WHAT THE COLA WOULD DO. SO THAT'S ALREADY KIND OF BUILT IN. SO IT ESSENTIALLY, I SHOULD HAVE JUST WRITTEN YES THERE INSTEAD OF WRITING. WELL, NO, BECAUSE THEY'RE ASKING FOR $2,000 MORE PER PERSON AND WE PUT IN A PERFORMANCE PAY OF ADDITIONAL MONEY THAT CAN BE PUT OUT TO THOSE 11 CLERKS. SO I'M JUST SAYING WE'RE, WE'RE CLOSE ENOUGH THAT THAT I AND AS YOU GOT INTO THAT, BECAUSE I DO LIKE HER. OH, THANK YOU VERY MUCH. SO. COUNTY CLERK OH, THERE. CLERK TWO SO THEY ARE AT 37851. GOT IT. AND THE CURRENT PAY SCALE AFTER COLA THAT WOULD BE. I CAN'T REMEMBER IF YOU JUST SAID IT, BUT 38759. YEP. SO THEY WOULD GO TO 38759. AND SHE'S ASKING THEM TO GO TO 4117. FOR THE REASON THAT I BRING THAT UP IS, IS THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF CLERKS IN RANGE TWO, THE TAX ASSESSOR, THE DISTRICT CLERK. JUST I JUST FEEL LIKE THAT IS A TOO MANY, TOO MANY RIPPLES. THAT'S MY OPINION. BUT I SAY THAT AND THEN I SAY HER SECOND REQUEST. I WOULD LIKE US TO TRULY ENTERTAIN, WHICH IS THE DEPUTY CLERK TWO THAT WE BROUGHT UP. SO I'M KIND OF I JUST I JUST FEEL LIKE WE HAVE WORKED THIS COURT AS A BODY HAS WORKED SO HARD WITH GOING OUT, GETTING PAY GRADE, LOOKING AT THE MARKET, AND COMMISSIONER GALATI IS NOT HERE. AND HE'S THE ONE THAT REALLY CHANGED MY MIND ON, ON HOW WE REALLY LOOK AT THE PAY. AND THAT IS WE HAVE GONE OUT TO EVERY SINGLE METROPOLITAN AREA IN THE STATE OF TEXAS AND COMPARED OUR SALARIES VERSUS THOSE WE DIDN'T GO INTO, YOU KNOW, WEST, DEEP WEST TEXAS AND SAY, LOOK, THEY'RE NOT PAYING THEIR CLERKS. WE WENT TO THE METRO AREAS AND SAID, IF YOU MOVE TO ANOTHER METRO AREA, WHAT'S HAPPENING AND WHAT'S GOING ON? AND WHAT WE FOUND IS, IS THAT OUR PAY GRADE AND OUR AND WHAT WE'RE DOING, IF WE CAN KEEP THESE COLAS AND KEEPING UP WITH COST OF LIVING, WE ARE COMPETITIVE AND IN OUR TOLERANCE LEVELS OF, OF WHAT WE NEED TO DO FROM A PAY FROM A PAY STANDPOINT FOR ATTRACTING EMPLOYEES. I DON'T THINK WE HAVE A, A PAY PROBLEM IN THE SENSE OF ATTRACTING EMPLOYEES INTO OUR COUNTY. GOT IT. SO LET'S, LET'S RIGHT NOW LEAVE THE 11 CLERK SALARIES ALONE. WE'LL REVISIT THAT. AND THEN LET'S ADD BACK IN THE RECLASSIFICATION OF DEPUTY CLERK TWO. AND AND I KNOW WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IT AND THERE'S SOME STUFF I STILL WANT TO WORK OUT WITH THE COUNTY CLERK, BUT I LIKE THE CONCEPT BECAUSE IT ENABLES US TO STABILIZE AN OFFICE. THAT IS THAT THAT IS 
          [01:25:03]
BEING RIDDLED WITH A LOT OF HIGH TURNOVER, AND THAT'S GOING TO SAVE EVERYBODY A LOT OF MONEY IF WE CAN FIGURE OUT SOMETHING LIKE THAT. GOT IT. AND WHY? WHY IS THE ONE PERSON BEING CHANGED FROM CLERK ONE TO CLERK TWO, RECLASSIFY ONE, EMPLOYEE ONE CLERK ONE TO CLERK TWO? IS THAT BECAUSE IT WAS HIRED AT THE WRONG LEVEL OR SOMETHING, OR DOES MORE WORK CHANGE THEIR JOB DESCRIPTION? IT MIGHT BE THAT THERE IS A MISUNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THE REQUEST IS. SO LET ME CAN I JUST CLEAN UP THAT REQUEST? YEP YEP YEP. OKAY, SO LET'S, LET'S MOVE ON TO. THE NEXT ONE THAT WE HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT OR. OKAY OR DON'T LIKE. I DIDN'T MEAN TO TAKE US DOWN A RABBIT TRAIL, BUT IT FELT FELT WRONG TO JUST JUMP OVER THAT. SO THAT JUMPS US INTO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE REALLY, BECAUSE THE OTHER TWO POSITIONS KIND OF JUST DISAPPEAR FROM FROM THE REQUEST. SO, OFFICE MANAGER, CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION BEFORE YOU GO THERE? YEP. ELECTIONS. ALL WE'RE DOING THERE IS ADJUSTING THE PAY FOR THE PART TIME EMPLOYEES, RIGHT? THAT'S CORRECT. YEAH THAT'S CORRECT. COMMISSIONER. YOU ASKED ME TO GO IN ORDER AND YOU SKIPPED. WELL, YOU'RE RIGHT, I DID. MY WIFE TOLD ME I HAVE TO STOP MAKING JOKES, SO I'M REALLY SORRY. I WILL DO EVERYTHING. SEEMS LIKE THEY DO NOT LAND, I PROMISE NO DEFENSE. SO ON THE ON THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, YOU APPROVED AN OFFICE MANAGER OR SENIOR CLERK. AND THEN WE HAVE THESE TWO MYSTERIOUS POSITIONS THAT I THINK PROBABLY NOW IS THE TIME FOR US TO TALK ABOUT. SO I DON'T FULLY UNDERSTAND THE ORIGINAL REQUEST OF THE REVISED REQUEST, BUT HERE'S SOMETHING I WANT THE COURT TO CONSIDER. IN OUR FIRST BUDGET, WE HIRED A TYLER CLARK INTO THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. IT WAS OUR INTENTION TO HAVE THAT CLERK DO A JOB. WE'LL GO INTO THAT IN A SECOND. THAT THE TOTAL LOADED AT 64 741. SO IT'S $65,000 IS WHAT WE'RE PAYING THIS CLERK. I WOULD LIKE US TO LOOK AT REMOVING THAT FROM THE BUDGET AND THEN MAKING HER AN OFFICE, MAKING AN OFFICE MANAGER POSITION. AND HERE'S THE REASON WE HIRED THE TYLER CLERK TO CLEAN UP THE DATA IN TYLER. IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST POSITIONS WE ADDED. WE ADDED IT THREE YEARS AGO. THE IDEA WAS FOR IT TO BE A TEMPORARY POSITION. WE PUT IT IN THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE BECAUSE IT MADE THE MOST SENSE OF, HEY, LET'S LET'S PUT THE CLERK IN THERE BECAUSE THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS IN THE MIDDLE OF THE JUSTICE SYSTEM. YOU KNOW, IF WE PUT IT IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE THERE AT THE BEGINNING, OR IF WE PUT IT IN A IN A COURT THERE AT THE END, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS IN THE MIDDLE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE CAN'T CLEAN UP THE SYSTEM. IT'S I MEAN, IT'S 100% IMPOSSIBLE BECAUSE YOU. JUST BECAUSE IT KEEPS ADDING UP, BECAUSE THE E FILE. 
          SO ATTORNEYS ARE ABLE TO GET INTO OUR SYSTEM THROUGH E FILE OUTSIDE ATTORNEYS AND TO CONTINUE TO PUT DATA INTO OUR SYSTEM. THAT IS BAD DATA AND WE'RE JUST NOT ABLE TO CLEAN IT UP. SO THE IDEA WAS WE'RE GOING TO HIRE THIS PERSON, THEY'RE GOING TO AUDIT THE SYSTEM, THEY'RE GOING TO CLEAN UP THE SYSTEM, THEY'RE GOING TO MAKE IT WORK. AND I CAN JUST SAY WE FAILED. IT DIDN'T. WE DIDN'T FAIL. IT'S JUST NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN DO. AND I DON'T KNOW IF I MEAN, I HATE THE FACT THAT I'M TALKING ABOUT SOMEONE'S LIVELIHOOD AND ENDING A POSITION. THAT PERSON IS WORKING FOR THE COUNTY. I JUST FEEL LIKE THAT. BUT I JUST FEEL LIKE I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S THE PERSON KENDALL WOULD WANT TO BE THE OFFICE MANAGER. I HAVE NO EARTHLY IDEA. I JUST THINK THAT THAT TYLER CLERK, IF WE WERE GOING TO BE REALLY HONEST WITH OURSELVES AND SAY, WE WANT TO BE GOOD STEWARDS OF THE TAXPAYER MONEY, I WOULD SAY THAT'S AN IDEA THAT I STARTED, THAT I CREATED, THAT I THINK DOESN'T WORK. AND I WOULD LIKE TO SEE US COURSE CORRECT OFF OF THAT. TYLER CLERK RIGHT. I'M OKAY WITH THAT. MY QUESTION WOULD BE, HAVE WE DISCUSSED HAVE YOU DISCUSSED IT WITH KENDALL? BECAUSE MAYBE THAT TYLER CLERK POSITION HAS ALREADY MORPHED INTO SOMETHING ELSE THAT WE'RE NOT AWARE OF. 
          IT MAY IT MAY HAVE, BUT I JUST WOULD LIKE US TO NOT HAVE THAT IN THE NEXT ITERATION OF THE BUDGET. AND I DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT WOULD DO TO THE DA'S OFFICE, BUT THE TYLER CLERK WAS 100% MY IDEA AND MY FIRST TERM, AND I DON'T THINK IT'S WORKING. I AM OKAY WITH THAT. SO. SO INSTEAD OF. A NET TWO INCREASE IN HEADCOUNT, IT WOULD BE A NET ONE. YEAH. I MEAN, IT WOULD JUST STAY. YEAH. WE WOULD JUST WE WOULD LOOK WE WOULD LOOK AT GIVING HER THE OFFICE MANAGER, WHICH I THINK SHE DESPERATELY NEEDS BECAUSE THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE IN THERE. YEAH. AGAIN, I HATE TO SAY IT, BUT WHEN I MET WITH HER, THE OFFICE MANAGER WAS ALSO MY IDEA THAT I GAVE HER. SO LIKE SHE SAID IN HER THING IS FROM OUR MEETING, I WAS LIKE, I THINK YOU NEED SOMEONE MANAGING, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, BECAUSE YEAH, IT JUST DOESN'T EXIST. I JUST THINK IN 
          [01:30:04]
MY MIND, THE TYLER CLERK POSITION GOING AWAY AND THEN GIVING HER AN OFFICE MANAGER POSITION, YOU'RE LOOKING AT ABOUT A $30,000 INCREASE IN SALARY BECAUSE IT'S DEFINITELY A WHOLE DIFFERENT SKILL SET, BUT IT'S NOT $100,000 AND IT'S NOT ADDING A PERSON. IT'S REPURPOSING A POSITION THAT. OKAY. AND I WILL BE WAITING FOR MY ANGRY TEXTS. SO THE FELONY PROSECUTOR IN THE VAC. OKAY, SO LET ME TALK THROUGH WHAT I THINK WE DID AND WHY. WHAT I THINK WE DID IS NOT WHAT ANYONE ELSE IS KIND OF REPORTING THAT WE DID. IF YOU RECALL, THE DA CAME TO US AND SAID, I WANT TO HIRE POST BARS, WHICH ARE PEOPLE THAT GRADUATED LAW SCHOOL FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE AUDIENCE, THE PEOPLE THAT GRADUATED LAW SCHOOL PASSED THE BAR. I MEAN, TOOK THE BAR, BUT DO NOT HAVE THEIR BAR RESULTS. AND THE IDEA WAS, IS COULD WE TAKE SOME OF THESE UNFUNDED POSITIONS, PAY THEM A SALARY, BRING THEM ON, LET THEM SEE OUR CULTURE AND OUR JOB, AND THEN TRANSFER THOSE PEOPLE INTO PROSECUTOR POSITIONS THAT ARE UNFILLED. BUT NOW WE DON'T KNOW WHAT WE'VE DONE BECAUSE WE HAD THESE UNFUNDED POSITIONS THAT WE SAID, OKAY, WE'LL OPEN THESE UP FOR POST BARS, WHICH WE'RE TALKING 30, $40,000 OF SALARY FOR A FEW MONTHS. SO IT WASN'T GOING TO COST US A LOT OF MONEY. BUT NOW WE'RE SAYING, DID WE ACTUALLY FUND THESE POSITIONS AT THESE LEVELS, WHICH ARE $134,000 PROSECUTOR POSITIONS AND THOSE SORTS OF THINGS? I WOULD CONTEND WE HAVE NOT FUNDED THESE POSITIONS BECAUSE WE FUNDED HER TO HIRE POST BARS TO SEE IF SHE COULD MOVE THOSE INTO OPEN POSITIONS. BUT WE NEVER CAME OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION AND MADE A VOTE THAT THE AUDITOR OR OUR HR STAFF EVEN UNDERSTANDS WHAT WE DID. WE DIDN'T. WE. WE AGREED TO THE. WE AGREED TO. THE POSITIONS DID NOT EVEN HAVE THE CONVERSATION ABOUT FUNDING, ABOUT WHERE WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM. BUT IN MY MIND, I ALWAYS THOUGHT THAT IF THEY, YOU KNOW, ONCE THEY GOT THEIR, THEIR, THEIR BAR PASSED AND THEY MOVED INTO AN OPEN POSITION INTO WHICH WOULD NOT BE AT THE SAME SALARY THAT THEY. BUT IT WOULD BE A POSITION THAT'S ALREADY FUNDED THAT ISN'T OPEN. I MEAN, THAT ISN'T. OKAY. SO IT'S NOT A NEW POSITION. IT WOULD BE AN EXISTING POSITION THAT DOESN'T HAVE A PERSON IN IT. WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IS WHATEVER HAPPENED, LET'S NOT EVEN GO BACK. AND WHATEVER HAPPENED, WE NEED BETTER CLARITY OF WHAT WE INTEND TO DO. SO BECAUSE NO ONE KNOWS WHAT'S GOING ON WITH THESE POSITIONS. IF I CAN ADD A LITTLE BIT OF CLARITY, BOTH OF THOSE POSITIONS WERE IN MY ORIGINAL ORIGINAL DRAFT. I AGREED TO FUND BOTH OF THOSE OUT OF GENERAL GOVERNMENT, AND THEN HAVING A CONVERSATION WITH OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY. IT JOGGED MY MEMORY THAT WE'VE ALREADY AGREED TO THESE POSITIONS. WE JUST DIDN'T DISCUSS FUNDING, AND THEY'RE IN THE HEADCOUNT RIGHT NOW IN THIS BUDGET, IN THE 26 BUDGET. SO PUTTING THEM IN THE 27 BUDGET WAS GOING TO DOUBLE UP, WAS GOING TO GET US AN ADDITIONAL PROSECUTOR AND VICTIMS ASSISTANT COORDINATOR. OKAY. THAT'S FAIR. I COMPLETELY UNDERSTAND YOUR LOGIC THERE. YEP. SO BUT THEY'RE STILL UNFUNDED. THEY'RE STILL UNFUNDED. SO OUR DISTRICT ATTORNEY HAS DISCRETIONARY FUNDS. SO WE'RE TALKING ABOUT FUNDING THIS FROM AUGUST, LEGITIMATELY SEPTEMBER THROUGH NOVEMBER. FOR MY INSTRUCTIONS TO HER IS IF WE HAVE THE HEADCOUNT AND YOU HAVE THE FUNDING HIGHER, HIGHER, AND YOU NEED THEM, HIRE THEM, HIRE THEM, THE DISCRETIONARY FUNDS SHE HAS AND USE THE DISCRETIONARY FUNDS, KNOWING GOING FORWARD INTO 27, THEY'RE GOING TO BE IN GENERAL GOVERNMENT. BUT IF WE'VE APPROVED THE HEADCOUNT, YOU HAVE THE FUNDS, HIRE THEM. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHAT GOT US TO IT WAS IN MY ORIGINAL DRAFT. I TOOK IT OUT OF THE 27 BUDGET UNDER THE ASSUMPTION SHE IS GOING TO FILL THE POSITION IN THE 26 BUDGET. OKAY. SO THAT MAKES IT REALLY CLEAR. SO SO MY POSITION ON THE DA'S OFFICE TODAY IS I WANT AN OFFICE MANAGER. NO, TYLER CLARK, EXCEPT THE SENIOR CLERK. AND THEN REMOVE THE FELONY PROSECUTOR IN VAC. THAT'S MY POSITION. I COULD BE OUTVOTED, BUT THAT'S WHAT I THINK WE SHOULD DO GOING FORWARD. I'M WITH YOU. SO I'M. YOU PUT NOAH AS WELL. WELL, I PUT NO, BECAUSE WE ALREADY HAVE IT IN THE HEADCOUNT. THE HEADCOUNT IS BUDGETED IN THE 26 BUDGET. IT'S NOT FUNDED. BUT AGAIN, THE 
          [01:35:06]
DISTRICT ATTORNEY HAS DISCRETIONARY FUNDS THAT SHE CAN USE TO FUND IT. I GUESS WHAT I'M SAYING IS I JUST DISAGREE WITH YOU. AND THAT'S OKAY. THAT THAT IS OKAY. I AM STILL I WOULD STILL LIKE FOR HER. AND AGAIN, MY INSTRUCTIONS TO HER WERE, YOU'VE ALREADY WE'VE ALREADY APPROVED THE HEADCOUNT. FILL THE POSITION. WE DON'T NEED THIS IN THE 27 BUDGET. WE HAVE IT IN THE 26 BUDGET AT LEAST. THE HEADCOUNT. SOLVE THE MATH PROBLEM, FILL THE POSITIONS. WELL, I'M NOT GOING TO DO IT TODAY, BUT VERY SOON I'M PROBABLY GOING TO MAKE A MOTION TO TRY TO REMOVE THOSE JUST FROM THE BUDGET ALTOGETHER TO CLEAR UP OUR ISSUES, BECAUSE I'M I'M LOOKING AT LISA, YOU AS WELL AS CAMI AND I'M, I'M, I'M FEELING SOME DIFFERENT VIBES HERE. LET'S GET THE VIBES TOGETHER. YEAH. LET'S VIBE. OKAY. MAYBE NOT WITH OURS. I'M I'M CONFUSED ON WHAT DISCRETIONARY FUNDS. FIRST OFF, THAT YOU WOULD THINK SHE'D HAVE ENOUGH MONEY TO SUPPORT THAT. AND THEN I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU MEAN BY IT'S IN THE 26, BUT I DON'T UNDERSTAND IT. SO WE APPROVED THIS. WHAT WAS THIS TWO MONTHS AGO? SOMETHING LIKE THAT. YES. IN MARCH. OKAY. MORE THAN TWO MONTHS AGO. SO WE APPROVED THE POST BARS. WE APPROVED THE POST BARS. SO DID, DID WE. AND SHE'S GOING TO GO AHEAD AND HIRE THEM KNOWING THAT THEY WOULD THEY WE HIRED THEM AS POST BARS, ASSUMING THAT IF THEY BECAME LAWYERS, THEY WOULD MOVE INTO UNFILLED LAWYER POSITIONS. THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TOLD. THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT'S WHAT WE HAPPEN. AND IT DOESN'T MEAN THAT MY UNDERSTANDING IS CORRECT. SO THAT'S HOW I UNDERSTOOD IT. LET'S AND I HAVE JUST VAGUE MEMORIES OF IT. AND AND I THINK WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION IN EXECUTIVE SESSION. MAYBE WHAT WAS OUR INTENTIONS OF FUNDING SOURCE FOR THESE SB 22? BECAUSE IT'S IT WAS BECAUSE THEY WERE POST BARS. IT WASN'T TO FUND PROSECUTORS AND VAX. IF WE'RE GOING TO FUND PROSECUTORS AND VAX, WE NEED TO PUT THOSE IN GENERAL GOVERNMENT. I'M SORRY. THIS TALK ABOUT POST BARS IS HURTING MY BRAIN. IN REALITY, THAT'S SOMEBODY WHO MIGHT BE ABLE TO WORK CORRECT FOR THREE MONTHS. MIGHT. YEAH. SO SHE WANTED TO HIRE THEM KIND OF LIKE AN INTERN, SO TO SPEAK. THAT WAS HER GOAL BECAUSE APPARENTLY, OKAY, SO I'M SPEAKING FOR HER, WHICH IS DANGEROUS BECAUSE I DON'T EVEN THINK SHE'S IN TOWN. THE IDEA IS THAT SHE WANTED TO TRY TO BRING PEOPLE IN BECAUSE OTHER COUNTIES DO THIS. THEY HIRE POST BARS AS MORE OF AN INTERN TYPE HEDGE POSITION SO THAT THEY CAN KIND OF SELL THEM ON THE DA'S OFFICE SO THAT WHEN THEY DO GET THEIR BAR RESULTS, THEY CAN MOVE THEM INTO A MISDEMEANOR PROSECUTOR OR INTO A POSITION SO THEY CAN KIND OF GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER. SO KIND OF, I HATE TO SAY IT BECAUSE I'M NOT A LAWYER, BUT IT'S KIND OF LIKE A POST BAR INTERNSHIP TO SEE, IS THIS A FIT? DO YOU FIT INTO OUR CULTURE? DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE? ARE YOU WILLING TO TAKE THESE POSITIONS? BECAUSE REMEMBER, WE HAVE MISDEMEANOR PROSECUTOR POSITIONS THAT HAVE JUST GONE UNFILLED. IT'S WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF TROUBLE FILLING THEM. SO THIS WAS HER CREATIVE APPROACH OF LIKE, LET'S BRING THEM IN AND SEE IF WE CAN GET SOME MISDEMEANOR PROSECUTORS. BUT TO CLARIFY, THAT'S NOT WHEN THEY GO PAST THE POST BAR TIME. THAT'S NOT TO CREATE A NEW POSITION FOR THEM. THAT'S HOW I UNDERSTOOD IT. AS FOR IT NOT TO BE A NEW POSITION, BUT NOW WE WOULD PUT THEM IN AN UNFILLED POSITION. GOT IT, GOT IT. OKAY. AND THE FUNDING OF I'M SORRY TO JUMP IN THERE. THE FUNDING OF THAT WOULD BE OUT OF GENERAL GOVERNMENT WHILE YOU USE SB 22 TO BRING IN THE POST BAR INTERNSHIP. AND THEY WORK AND THEY LIKE THE CULTURE, AND THEN THEY'RE GOING TO STEP INTO THIS POSITION THAT WOULD THEN BE A GENERAL GOVERNMENT. THAT'S THAT'S HOW I UNDERSTOOD IT. AND MY POINT IS, IS I DON'T WANT TO ADD A FELONY PROSECUTOR, AN ADDITIONAL VAC IN THIS BUDGET. 
          NOW, THERE'S A COUPLE OF PRACTICAL THINGS THAT I THINK WE SHOULD CONSIDER. NUMBER ONE, WE'RE PROBABLY GOING TO PUT THAT ENTIRE OFFICE UNDER RENOVATION SO WE DON'T REALLY HAVE SPACE OR OFFICE FOR THESE INDIVIDUALS. SO WE WOULD IMMEDIATELY BE HIRING THEM AND DISPLACING PEOPLE. I THINK THAT WE NEED TO GET THE RENOVATION, DECIDED TO GET THESE OFFICES LINED UP AND THEN REVISIT THIS IN A YEAR OF, DO WE ACTUALLY NEED THE FELONY PROSECUTOR IN ADDITIONAL VAC WHEN WE HAVE AN OFFICE MANAGER AND SOME CLERICAL STAFF ADDED TO THE DA'S OFFICE? THAT'S JUST MY OPINION. AND AGAIN, I'M WILLING TO BE OUTVOTED. WE NEED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION SOONER RATHER THAN LATER, BECAUSE THAT IS THE HEADCOUNT IS IN THE 26 BUDGET. 
          YEAH, THE UNFUNDED HEADCOUNT IS. THAT'S RIGHT, THAT'S RIGHT. BUT IF IF THE FUNDING SHOWS UP, EITHER THE SB 22 FORFEITURE FUNDS, WHATEVER, THERE'S SEVERAL FUNDS HERE THAT I WOULD 
          [01:40:07]
LIKE TO POINT OUT, JUDGE, THAT SHE DOESN'T HAVE ENOUGH SB 22 FUNDS REMAINING THIS YEAR TO PAY FOR THESE TWO POSITIONS, WHETHER THEY'RE POST. AND SHE DOES CURRENTLY FILL FUNDED POSITIONS WITH POST BAR INTERNS, JUST NOT AT THE FULL RATE UNTIL THEY PASS THE BAR. BUT I CAN SEE I WAS A PART OF THIS DISCUSSION, BUT I COULD SEE HOW SHE WOULD WANT TO USE THE POST BAR INTERNS FOR THE UNFUNDED POSITIONS, BUT I JUST WANTED TO POINT OUT SHE DOESN'T HAVE ANY SB 22, ENOUGH SB 22 FUNDS TO PAY FOR THESE POSITIONS THIS FISCAL YEAR. SO THEN, IF I'M UNDERSTANDING YOU RIGHT, CAMMIE, WE WOULD EFFECTIVELY BE SAYING IF WE GIVE HER THESE POSITIONS, THAT WOULD BE TWO MORE PEOPLE WE'D HAVE TO FUND. CORRECT. AS IN MARCH, WHEN THE COURT WHEN Y'ALL APPROVED THESE TWO POSITIONS, YOU DIDN'T STATE WHERE TO FUND IT FROM. SO THAT'S WHERE OUR CONFUSION IS. BUT YES, IF YOU WERE TO APPROVE IT IN THE HEADCOUNT, IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THEN AND YOU FUNDED IT, THAT WOULD BE GENERAL GOVERNMENT. YEAH. AND IT'D BE ADDITIONAL MONEY. YES, SIR. UNLESS BECAUSE THERE'S NOT SPECIAL FUNDS AVAILABLE TO PAY IT. I DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU JUST SAID. LISA WOULD BE ABLE TO TALK ABOUT THE OTHER SPECIAL FUNDS SHE HAS. I JUST KNOW ABOUT SB 22. YEAH. OKAY. WELL, I APPRECIATE THANKS FOR THE EXPLANATION. YOU GUYS ARE VERY HELPFUL. I, I ALSO WOULD NOT WANT TO INCREASE THESE POSITIONS. OKAY. AND AGAIN, I'LL QUOTE COMMISSIONER STACY, I MAY GET OUTVOTED ON THIS ONE. 
          AND THAT'S THAT'S YEAH, THAT'S OKAY. SO LET'S WE, WE HAVE, WE'RE GOING TO REVISIT THAT. 
          BUT THAT RIGHT NOW, IT'S NOT IN THE 27 BUDGET. SO THERE'S NO BUDGET IMPACT. BUT WE DO NEED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION IF WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IT. I COMPLETELY AGREE. WE NEED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. SO LET'S MOVE ON TO THE NEXT ONE. WELL, WE'VE ALREADY DONE ELECTION WORKERS. YEAH. SOMEBODY WENT OUT OF ORDER. SO THE THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT SPECIALIST. AGAIN, I THIS IS DEFINITELY A HALF TIME POSITION, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE PAY HALF OF IT. THAT'S RIGHT. SO SO THE 91,000 ISN'T TRULY ACCURATE. BUT I THINK THE COURT KNOWS AND UNDERSTANDS AND SO DOES THE EMERGENCY COORDINATOR THAT I AM NOT IN FAVOR OF THIS POSITION. 
          BUT AGAIN, WE WILL PUT THAT TO A VOTE IN THE UPCOMING WEEKS. I THINK WE ALL UNDERSTAND WE'VE HAD MANY DISCUSSIONS ABOUT WHAT THIS POSITION IS OR ISN'T. YOU AND I ARE ON OPPOSITE SIDES ON THAT. I AM AN ADVOCATE OF THAT. BUT AGAIN, WE'LL WE'LL WE'LL HAVE THAT VOTE. JUST TO CLARIFY, THIS WOULD BE TAKING THESE STAFF FROM 2 TO 3, FROM THREE TO THIS. THIS WOULD BE MAINTAINING OUR STAFF OF THREE. THREE. RIGHT. THAT'S RIGHT. RIGHT. BUT WE DON'T WE JUST HAVE TWO PEOPLE THERE RIGHT NOW. YES. BUT KIND OF BUT YEAH, WE CAN'T REALLY TALK ABOUT IT. BUT WE BUT YEAH, BUT YEAH. OKAY. SORT OF TWO AND A HALF. I AM NOT I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF ADDING THIS POSITION BACK. YEP. SO I AM GOING TO ADVOCATE FOR THAT PASSIONATELY. AND AGAIN, WITH, WITH THE. THE BACKUP THAT THE CITIES FUND HALF OF THIS FOR US. SO IT'S THE BEST DEAL WE'RE GOING TO GET. SO, SO MOVING TO IT, WE WE HAVE TWO IN THE REQUEST, WHICH IS THE SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR AND A TECHNICIAN. JUST A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY. OUR IT DIRECTOR AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, INCLUDING THE CURRENT RADIO OPERATOR, LIEUTENANT, HAVE MET A LOT AND THEY'RE IN AGREEMENT. AND AGAIN, I'M NOT SAYING THAT THEY'RE I'M NOT SAYING THAT THEY'RE ADVOCATING BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, BUT THEY'RE ALL KIND OF IN AGREEMENT THAT A GOOD FIRST STEP WOULD BE AN ADDITIONAL TECHNICIAN INTO TRYING TO GET A LITTLE BIT BETTER COVERAGE OF THE IT DEPARTMENT IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. I THINK BOTH WE COULD PROBABLY SAY BOTH ARE AVAILABLE IF WE GET DOWN TO THE BUDGET AND WE'RE FIGHTING AND THERE'S $100,000 FOR WHATEVER REASON, I'M PROBABLY GOING TO COME BACK AND ADVOCATE FOR THE SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR. I DON'T WANT TO MAKE THAT ADVOCATION NOW. AND THE REASON THAT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT IS THE AMOUNT OF TECHNOLOGY THAT IS IN OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER, THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER BEING THE SHERIFF AND THE JAIL IS ASTONISHING WHEN YOU LOOK AT HOW MUCH TECHNOLOGY EXISTS EVERYWHERE ELSE, YOU KNOW, HALF THE COUNTY EMPLOYEES WORK IN THAT BUILDING. AND A LOT OF TECHNOLOGY IS LOCATED IN THAT BUILDING. SO THE REASON THAT I'M KIND OF OKAY, NOT JUMPING RIGHT INTO THE SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATION IS BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO SPEND A YEAR KIND OF WORKING IT INTO LEARNING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE DOING. THERE HAS BEEN A FAKE WALL BUILT BETWEEN IT AND THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. IT WAS NOT 
          [01:45:03]
INTENTIONAL. IT'S NOT MALICIOUS, BUT BUT WE ARE WORKING THROUGH THAT. SO IT WOULD MAKE SENSE IN A BUDGET WHERE WE DO HAVE A LOT OF UPWARD PRESSURE ON THE RATE TO NOT DO. THE SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR AT THIS TIME, I KNOW THAT'S TAKING A VERY SIMPLE QUESTION AND MAKING IT VERY LONG, BUT IT'S JUST WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT PASSION, I THINK BOTH THESE POSITIONS NEED TO BE IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. I'M PASSIONATE ABOUT THAT. I'VE WORKED THROUGH EVERY DIFFERENT SCENARIO WITH THE COMMAND STAFF AND WITH BRIAN AS FAR AS HOW THIS WOULD MAKE SENSE. BUT I DO SEE THE VALIDITY IN LET'S HIRE THE TECHNICIAN, WORK THROUGH A LOT OF THIS TRANSITIONS, AND THEN ADD THE SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR. SO I'LL. SO THE ONE THING I WOULD SAY IS WHEN YOU LOOK AT A TECHNICIAN, BRIAN CALLS IT A BREAK FIX. WHEN SOMETHING'S BROKEN, THEY FIX IT. 
          A SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR IS SOMEONE SITTING THERE MAKING SURE THAT THE SYSTEMS ARE ACTUALLY RUNNING. SO THEY'RE THE PERSON THAT WOULD BE THERE FOR 24 HOURS A DAY IF THE SYSTEMS WEREN'T RUNNING. CURRENTLY, WE ARE GETTING THAT COVERAGE FROM THE IT DEPARTMENT. 
          WE HAVE TWO SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR IN BRIAN ADDING THE THE OTHER ONE, AND IT MIGHT NOT BE THIS BUDGET, BUT NEXT BUDGET WOULD BE BECAUSE THAT WOULD, NUMBER ONE, THAT WOULD ALLOW THE ON CALL TO BE ONE WEEK OUT OF THE YEAR, BECAUSE THEN WE WOULD HAVE FOUR AND THEN WE WOULD KEEP THEM ON CALL. SO IT WOULD IT WOULD KIND OF WORK OUT THAT COURSELOAD. AND IT WOULD PUT A VERY SOPHISTICATED POSITION IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. WHAT DO YOU MEAN ON CALL ONE WEEK OUT OF THE YEAR? WELL, OUR SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATORS ARE I MEAN, OUT OF THE MONTH. OUR SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATORS ARE ON CALL. THAT MAKES MORE SENSE. SORRY, SORRY. BUT SO THAT WOULD GIVE US FOR FOUR WEEKS AND KIND OF EVEN OUT THAT WORKLOAD FOR THE SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATORS. BUT YOU GOT TO REMEMBER, IF THE JAIL DOORS DON'T OPEN, THAT'S THAT'S A COMPUTER PROGRAM. IF IF THE SYSTEMS GO DOWN THAT SO, SO A LOT OF THIS STUFF IS TECHNOLOGY DRIVEN. AND SO GIVING US SOMEONE IN THE LAW ENFORCEMENT CENTER WITH THAT SORT OF TECHNOLOGY IS, IS WHAT YOU JUST MADE THE THING, WHAT YOU'RE PASSIONATE ABOUT. I'M VERY, VERY PASSIONATE THAT WE GET THESE TWO POSITIONS EVENTUALLY BECAUSE I SEE THAT AS REALLY, REALLY HELPING US BE A LOT MORE FLUID AND GET OUR IT INTO OUR IT DEPARTMENT RATHER THAN IN THE LAW ENFORCEMENT. SO THAT THAT IS SOMETHING I'M REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT. AND I DID A, I DID A REPORT ON JUST ABOUT EVERY ONE OF OUR DEPARTMENTS AND THE TOTAL EXPENSE CATEGORIES FOR THEM. AND I STARTED ACTUALLY IN 22 BEFORE THE THREE OF US CAME ON. BUT THE, THE, IT IS THE ONE THAT AS FAR AS THEIR PERCENT OF GROWTH. AND I'M JUST GOING TO GO FROM 24 TO 27 IS 50%. AND THEIR DELTA FROM THAT SAME TIME PERIOD IS $675,000. NOW THAT IS, I KNOW THAT THERE'S A WHOLE LOT OF OTHER EXPENSES THAT GO INTO, INTO, YOU KNOW, INTO ITS BUDGET, BUT THAT'S THE LARGEST ONE FROM ALL OF THE DIFFERENT GROUPS WE'VE HAD. AND IT MAY JUST BE, AS YOU'RE SAYING, WE'RE GETTING CAUGHT UP WITH WITH NOT BEING NOT BEING AT THE PAR LEVEL WE NEEDED TO BE FOR SEVERAL YEARS. AND SO I'M NOT SAYING YES OR NO, I'M JUST LOOKING AT IT FROM A PURE NUMBERS STANDPOINT. AND, AND TO BE COMPLETELY FAIR, A GOOD CHUNK OF THAT MONEY, AND I WOULD SAY 40% IS PROBABLY SECURITY IS, IS, IS SECURING OUR NETWORK. OKAY. WE ADDED SOME VERY SIGNIFICANT IN OUR FIRST BUDGET, WE ADDED SOME VERY SIGNIFICANT HARDWARE TO CREATE NETWORK SWITCHES THAT WOULD MAKE US MORE SECURE THAT THAT HAD BEEN REJECTED OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN BY PREVIOUS. AND, AND I BELIEVE THAT WAS IN THE TUNE OF ALMOST 200,000 JUST JUST IN THAT. SO I'M JUST SAYING, I KNOW A GOOD CHUNK OF THAT IS INTERNET SECURITY, WHICH, AS WE UNDERSTAND AS A GOVERNMENT ENTITY, WE ARE A TARGET. WE ARE A WALKING TARGET FOR PHISHING AND INTERNET LAYERS OF SECURITY. WE'RE TRYING. WE ARE TRYING. YES, SIR. 
          YES, SIR. ASK A QUESTION ABOUT THE SYSTEMS ADMINISTRATOR. YEAH, I'M NOT SURE IF I IS. IS IT ASKING FOR SOMEONE TO BE TO GIVE THEM THE TITLE SYSTEM ADMINISTRATOR AND JUST TAKE ONE OF THEIR CURRENT TECHNICIANS? NO, IT WOULD BE A BRAND NEW POSITION. OKAY, SO IT WOULD BE ON TOP OF THEIR CURRENT STAFF. BUT YES, COULD THAT BE AN OPTION? NO. I'M SORRY. I HAVE BEEN OVER THIS SO MANY TIMES. CAMI HAS BEEN IN ALL THOSE MEETINGS. WE WE HAVE MET AND MET AND MET AND YEAH. THANK YOU. NO, I'M SORRY. I DIDN'T MEAN TO BE THAT WAY. I'M SORRY. ALL RIGHT. LET'S LET'S MOVE ON TO THE TO THE NEXT NEXT ONE THAT WAS APPROVED. I THINK THAT GETS US DOWN TO THE SHERIFF LAW ENFORCEMENT. WELL, DOES ANYONE HAVE. OKAY, SO WE DID TALK ABOUT THE JP. SO WE DID. AND AND I'M GOING TO IN ORDER TO FACILITATE A ROBUST CONVERSATION ON MONDAY, I'M GOING TO HAVE THE NEXT ITERATION TO ADD. JP ONE PART 
          [01:50:05]
TIME CLERK BACK INTO THE REQUEST. AND I'VE GOT A LIST FOR YOU. MELISSA. HAVE CONSTABLE TWO AND 4 OR 2 AND THREE. I WROTE THAT WRONG. TRADE THEIR CLERKS FOR A BAILIFF. HAVE JP THREE TAKE THEIR PART TIME TO FULL TIME CLERK. JP FOUR. WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT CO FILE. WE DON'T HAVE A PRICE YET. AND TO DO A DEBT SINKING FUND IN LIEU OF ENGINEER AND LIBRARIANS BOND TO THE TUNE OF $5,500. YEAH. OKAY. THAT'S THAT'S GREAT. AND THEN LIKE I SAID, I THINK WE KNOW WHAT MARCIN IS ASKING FOR IN THE LIBRARY. WE DO. WE KNOW WHAT THE FLEET TECHNICIAN IS. AND, YOU KNOW, AT SOME POINT THAT MIGHT BE A THING. BUT LET'S NOT WITHOUT COMMISSIONER GILANI HERE. I DON'T REALLY WANT TO HAVE A LOT OF THAT CONVERSATION. RIGHT? RIGHT. AND SO NOW WE'RE INTO THE LAW ENFORCEMENT. GO AHEAD. LAUREN, I, I UNDERSTAND WHY YOU SAY THAT AND I APPRECIATE IT, BUT THE FLEET TECHNICIAN, I THINK IS SOMETHING WE SHOULD REALLY LOOK AT. I AGREE, I AGREE, I TRIED CAN SAY AND WHEN WE DISCUSSED IT, THAT WAS THAT WAS A POSITION THAT SHOULD PAY FOR ITSELF WITH SAVINGS. WELL IT'LL IT'LL CLOSE. YEAH. I DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL OR NOT. IT WILL PAY FOR ITSELF WITH LESS DOWNTIME. 
          INSTEAD OF TAKING VEHICLES AND DROPPING THEM OFF. AND, YOU KNOW, CALL US WHEN THEY'RE DONE. 
          WE'LL COME GET THEM TO BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY SCHEDULE TO DROP A VEHICLE OFF AND HAVE A GUY WORK ON IT. AND ALL RIGHT, NOW YOU'RE OUT THE DOOR AND RIGHT IT IT, IF YOU FACTOR THAT IN. 
          YES. YEAH. IT'LL PAY. SO I, THAT WAS ONE I HAD ON THE LIST OF YOU SAID NO TO, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW AND KEEP IN MIND I'D LIKE TO DO IT. THERE'S ALSO I CAN'T REMEMBER THE DOLLAR AMOUNT, BUT THERE'S $100,000 OR SO OF ADDITIONAL EXPENSES OF A LIFT AND, AND OIL AND OIL CAPTURE EQUIPMENT AND DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT. SO IT COMES WITH SOME CAPITAL EXPENSES AS WELL. UNDERSTOOD. BUT THOSE ARE, I THINK, TRULY PRETTY MUCH ONE TIME EXPENSES. 
          I THINK SO, I THINK SO, AND WE MAY BE ABLE TO TAKE THOSE OUT OF, YOU KNOW, ONE OF THE FUND BALANCES. YEAH. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET MUCH ARGUMENT WITH ME. I'VE TRIED FOR TWO BUDGETS TO GET THAT IN, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TRYING SO WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. SO THAT DOES TAKE US TO LAW ENFORCEMENT. SO I UNDERSTAND WHAT SHE DID WITH THE COMMUNICATION OFFICER. AND I THINK IF Y'ALL REMEMBER, IN THE LAST BUDGET, I ADVOCATED REALLY HARD TO GET THEIR PAY ADJUSTED AND TO GET TO GET THEM TO THEIR STAFFING LEVELS. SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF THINGS. 
          NUMBER ONE, WE HAVE A LOT OF UNFILLED COMMUNICATION OFFICERS RIGHT NOW. SO I THINK THAT THE SHERIFF WOULD PROBABLY DISAGREE WITH ME. THAT'S TOTALLY FAIR. HE WANTS IT FUNDED. I SAY IF WE HAVE WHAT IS IT FOR CAMI? I THINK YOU HAVE THE UPDATED I'M SORRY, I WAS. HOW MANY UNFILLED COMMUNICATION OFFICERS DO WE HAVE IN DISPATCH? I BELIEVE ONE SO THEY FILLED THEM. SO I MEAN, BECAUSE I KNOW THEY WERE IN THE PROCESS OF TRYING TO FILL THEM. I DON'T BELIEVE THEY FILLED THEM. I'M THINKING OF THE ONE THAT'S PARTIALLY OFFSET BY THE CITY OF FATE. NO, WE HAVE THAT ONE FILLED FOR SURE. SO THERE'S JUST PLENTY OF OPEN POSITIONS. I SAY LET'S GET THAT FULLY. 
          LET'S GET THAT STAFF TO WHAT WE HAVE FUNDED, AND THEN ADD THE FUNDING IN THE NEXT BUDGET. 
          THAT'S JUST MY OPINION. I MEAN, IT IS A SIGNIFICANT PORTION. THESE COMMUNICATION OFFICERS ARE ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL. THEY ARE DEFINITELY AN UN. THEY'RE NOT ON THE FRONT LINES OF WHEN WE THINK OF WHAT A FIRST RESPONDER IS, BUT THE 911 DISPATCH CENTER IS THE FRONT LINE OF FIRST RESPONDERS, AND THEY'RE THE ONES THAT HAVE TO TAKE THE CALLS. AND THAT'S WHY I THINK IT WAS REALLY IMPORTANT TO GET THE FUNDING AND TO AND TO GET THEM WHERE THEY ARE. AND I KNOW WHAT THE SHERIFF'S TRYING TO DO. THIS WOULD GET ALL THE CONSOLES COMPLETELY FUNDED. I DON'T KNOW, IT'S JUST SOMETHING I WOULD SAY I'M MORE ON THE FENCE WITH. IF WE'RE IF WE'RE NEEDING 90,000, I THINK IT WOULD BE A VERY EASY PLACE TO JUST UNFUND THAT AND JUST GET THE REST OF THE COMMUNICATION OFFICERS HIRED. IT IS ALSO A HARD JOB TO GET HIRED, AND SO THEY HAVE TO DO A LOT OF INTERVIEWING. AND, AND SO IT'S NOT THAT WE CAN JUST DO THIS AND THAT PERSON'S GOING TO BE IMMEDIATELY HIRED. SO IF WE HAVE SEVERAL OPEN POSITIONS, LET'S GET THEM. LET'S GET THEM OPEN. AND WITH IT BEING UNFUNDED, IF THEY FILLED THEM ALL AND THEY HAVE THE GREAT, WONDERFUL CANDIDATE IN MARCH THAT THEY WANT TO HIRE, WE COULD PULL IT FROM ANOTHER SOURCE. SO YOU WOULD BE OKAY WITH LEAVING THE HEADCOUNT AND THEN GOING BACK TO HAVING IT UNFUNDED, SPENDING THE MONEY. COMMISSIONER, I'M SORRY. I JUST NOW GOT MY SPREADSHEET UP. THEY HAVE FIVE VACANCIES FOR DISPATCH. THAT'S SCARY. NO NO 
          [01:55:02]
NO NO NO. REMEMBER WE ADDED THEM IN THE LAST BUDGET. SO WE ADDED A BUNCH OF POSITIONS TO DISPATCH. WE ADDED SOME THE FIRST BUDGET BUT DIDN'T FUND. AND THEN ARE THOSE FIVE FUNDED POSITIONS. YEAH. THERE ARE FIVE FUNDED POSITIONS THAT ARE CURRENTLY VACANT. OKAY. WELL I WOULD BE OKAY LEAVING THIS HEADCOUNT IN THERE. AND THEN FOR ALL FOUR FOR ALL FOUR, ARE THEY I GUESS IT'S JUST THE OKAY. NO, JUST FOR THE THE ONE DISPATCH COMMUNICATIONS. AND THEN THAT TAKES US DOWN TO THE RECORDS CLERK. YOU KNOW, HE, I HATE TO I DIDN'T HAVE A LOT PREPARED ON THIS, BUT COMMISSIONER LICHTY SAID SOMETHING THAT I THINK IS, IS REALLY CRITICAL. AND THAT IS MAYBE WE GO ASK THE SHERIFF. IT LOOKS LIKE WE COULD DO ONE OR THE OTHER. WHICH ONE DO YOU THINK IS THE MOST IMPORTANT? DO YOU THINK YOU NEED AN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT, OR DO YOU THINK YOU NEED A RECORDS CLERK? THEY'RE THEY'RE PRICED ABOUT THE SAME. WE'RE MAKING A DECISION. SO. OH, WE DO HAVE CHIEF HERE. I'M SORRY. YOU WERE SITTING WHERE I COULD NOT SEE YOU, SIR, I DO APOLOGIZE, BY THE WAY. SO. SO THEY HAVE TWO THAT THEY'RE ABOUT TO HIRE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. YEAH. YEAH. SO JUST SHOOTING FROM THE HIP CHIEF DEPUTY ADMIN ASSISTANT OR RECORDS CLERK. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WELL, LET'S LET'S JUST FLIP FLOP THOSE THEN. DOES THAT GIVE YOU WHAT YOU NEED ON THAT? MELISSA. YEAH. CAMMIE'S. GOT IT. 
          ALL RIGHT. SO THEN THAT TAKES US TO THE DEPUTIES. IT'S THE IT'S THE COURTHOUSE DEPUTIES, THE FOUR COURTHOUSE DEPUTIES. AM I LOOKING AT AN OLD SHEET? NO. IT SAYS COURTHOUSE OPS DEPUTIES FOR AND. OH, I SKIPPED OVER THAT. OKAY. WHEN I INITIALLY SAW THE REQUEST, I WAS TRYING TO MEET THE SHERIFF IN THE MIDDLE AND SAY, MAYBE WE COULD HIRE A COUPLE MORE. BUT I MEAN, WHEN WE'RE LOOKING AT THIS BUDGET CRUNCH, I JUST DON'T SEE THIS BEING A HIGH ENOUGH PRIORITY. IN MY OPINION, THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I DID THROUGH MY FIRST TWO ITERATIONS. 
          ALL FOUR MADE IT. AND THEN WHEN IT ACTUALLY CAME TIME TO MAKING THE REAL HARD DECISIONS, TWO MADE IT. AND THEN IT CAME TO A GAME DAY DECISION. NONE. NONE MADE THE CUT. YES, I THINK THIS IS SOMETHING WE ALREADY PASSED THAT CONSTABLE. WE ONLY HAVE A COUPLE MORE THINGS ON THIS SPREADSHEET, SO WE'RE ALMOST THERE. YEAH. I'M JOKING. YEAH. LET US FINISH THE SPREADSHEET. 
          AND THEN. AND THEN. AND THEN I'LL LET YOU SPEAK. I'M JUST JOKING WITH YOU. I'M TELLING YOU, MY WIFE SAYS JOKES DO NOT LAND FROM THE DAIS. AND SHE IS NOT WRONG. YEAH. SHE HAS TOLD ME THAT MORE THAN ONCE. YOU HAVE GOT TO STOP JOKING AROUND. SO THAT THAT'S MY OPINION. WITH THAT, I WANT TO SAY SOMETHING. I KNOW YOU DO, BUT YOU DON'T NEED TO SAY JOKES WHEN YOU SAY THAT. ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT THE COURTHOUSE? YEAH, I'M SAYING I'M. I'M GOOD WITH HIM. NOT INCLUDING THEM. YEP. AT THIS TIME, THAT'S ME. I MEAN, I COULD BE TALKED OUT OF THAT, BUT. ALL RIGHT. AND THEN WE HAVE PART TIME DEPUTY CURRENTLY PART TIME POSITION REQUEST TO FUND. I DON'T REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THIS IS, BUT I ALSO DON'T REALLY HAVE ANY REALLY ISSUE IF WE'RE UTILIZING PART TIME DEPUTIES TO DO GOOD WORK, THEN I MEAN, I JUST DON'T REALLY SEE THIS AS AN ISSUE. I DON'T KNOW. RIGHT? THAT DOESN'T ADD TO THE HEADCOUNT AND ACTUALLY BENEFITS US TO HAVE PART TIME. ALL RIGHT. AND THEN THAT TAKES US TO THE LIEUTENANT. OR ARE WE INCREASED FUNDING CURRENTLY FULL TIME POSITION. SO. I WOULD LIKE TO TALK TO THE COMMAND STAFF AT AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE BEFORE I HAVE AN OPINION ON THIS, BECAUSE WE'VE HAD SOME CHANGES AT THE TOP, AND I WANT TO KNOW HOW THEY ENVISION THIS WORKING BEFORE I CREATE AN OPINION ON ARE YOU ON ENFORCEMENT OR DETENTION? DETENTION, DETENTION. OKAY, WE'RE AT DETENTION. AND I'M JUST SAYING I HAVE AN IGNORANT OPINION BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE GOING TO DO WITH MAJOR CAPTAINS. AND, AND IS THERE, IS THERE A WAY WE COULD REWORK SOME OF THE SALARY STRUCTURE AT THE JAIL? IT MIGHT NOT BE. I'M SAYING I'VE HAD ZERO CONVERSATIONS WITH THE DETENTION STAFF OF ANY SORT, BUT I KIND OF ENVISION, YOU KNOW, WE COULD POTENTIALLY TAKE ONE OF THOSE COMMAND POSITIONS AND MOVE IT TO A LIEUTENANT AND JUST HAVE A JAIL COMMANDER. BUT 
          [02:00:04]
I DON'T KNOW WHAT THEY'RE ENVISIONING, AND I DO NOT WANT TO GET IN THE MIDDLE OF JAIL OPERATIONS WITHOUT TALKING TO THEM. ACTUALLY, I WOULD IF IT'S NOBODY ELSE DOES. I'D LIKE TO BE IN THAT MEETING WITH YOU BECAUSE I HAD SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT THESE SAME POSITIONS. SO IF YOU'RE GOING TO GET A BETTER UNDERSTANDING, I'D LIKE TO OR MAYBE WE JUST FROM THAT BETTER UNDERSTANDING, MAYBE BRING THEM HERE MONDAY, BRING THEM HERE ON MONDAY. THAT'S FINE TOO. YEAH. 
          MAKES THAT EASIER TO. YEAH. YOU GOT THAT CHIEF. YEAH WE DO HAVE. YEAH. GOOD. IF SOMEONE EITHER ALEX, YOU OR THE SHERIFF CAN KIND OF COME IN AND JUST TALK US THROUGH IT. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALL RIGHT THEN THAT TAKES US TO THE SERGEANTS AND KITCHEN MANAGER. AND ESSENTIALLY THIS IS INCREASING PAY FOR A DEFICIENCY THAT OUR SALARY SURVEY IDENTIFIED. AND TO BE HONEST, I DON'T HAVE AN OPINION ON THIS YET. I JUST HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO REALLY STUDY WHAT YOUR SOLUTION WAS VERSUS WHAT I RECOMMENDED. THE DIFFERENCE, CAMMIE, IS ABOUT, WHAT, $70,000 BETWEEN WHAT WHAT I WAS RECOMMENDED. WELL, I GUESS TECHNICALLY COMMISSIONER GALLINA AND I WERE RECOMMENDING VERSUS WHAT YOUR SOLUTION IS, AND I'VE JUST NOT HAD THE TIME TO SIT THERE AND, AND, AND DISCUSS WHETHER I THINK YOU SOLVED THE PROBLEM OR NOT. JUST TO BE COMPLETELY HONEST, I JUST HAVEN'T GOT THERE. GOT IT. I DON'T KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE HAS AN OPINION ON THAT, BUT IF Y'ALL RECALL, WHEN WE DID THIS, THE SALARY STUDY, WE FOUND THAT THAT THAT FIRST LEVEL OF SUPERVISION IN THE JAIL WAS WAY UNDERFUNDED TO OUR PEER COUNTIES. IT WAS IT WAS ABOUT 70. IT WAS IN THE 70TH PERCENTILE. NO, NO, NO 70TH PERCENTILE. WHEN WE COMPARED OUR THAT LEVEL OF MANAGEMENT TO TO THE OTHER METRO AREAS. AND SO THE GOAL WAS TO TRY TO GET THAT PUT, PUT BACK IN, BECAUSE WE LIKE TO BE IN THE 90TH PERCENTILE IS WHAT WE WOULD PREFER TO BE WHERE I MOVED IT TO. YEAH, BUT, BUT YOUR SOLUTION BEING $60,000 CHEAPER THAN OUR RECOMMENDATION, I HAVEN'T HAD TIME TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THOSE DELINEATION POINTS ARE. BUT BUT YOU'RE IN FAITH THAT YOU'RE, YOU'RE IN FAVOR OF, OF IT BEING DONE. JUST NOT SURE ABOUT THIS. YEAH, I'M JUST NOT SURE WHAT HIS SOLUTION IS VERSUS WHAT WE RECOMMENDED. I'M JUST NOT 100% SURE ON THAT. AND THEN THAT TAKES US BACK TO THE PAYROLL COORDINATOR AND PAYROLL MANAGER. YEAH. AND I THINK AT THIS TIME, SOMETHING ON PAYROLL IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE DONE. I MEAN, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S WE'RE WORKING ON SOME THINGS. WHY IS THAT? I JUST BELIEVE WHEN YOU LOOK AT THE ADDING OF EMPLOYEES AND THE ADDITIONAL WORKLOAD THAT IS DONE IN PAYROLL, THAT IT IS KIND OF GETTING TO THE POINT WHERE MAYBE SOME HELP IS NEEDED IN THAT DEPARTMENT. AND THAT IS WHAT OUR TREASURER IS ASKING FOR. I REMEMBER WHEN TREASURER MADE HIS PRESENTATION, AND I I'D LOVE YOU, DAVID, IF YOU'D LIKE TO TALK PRIVATELY, BECAUSE I I'M NOT SURE THAT I'M IN FAVOR OF THIS, ESPECIALLY THE NEW POSITION. I DON'T HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH THE RECLASSIFICATION, BUT THE NEW POSITION. SO I'LL BE HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU LIKE IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS, BUT I'M NOT IN FAVOR OF IT RIGHT NOW. OKAY. WELL, I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO IT'S NOT THAT I'M NOT IN FAVOR. I THOUGHT THERE WAS GOING TO BE SOME NEW PROCESSES AND PROCEDURES, WHICH WE'RE WORKING ON THOSE, MA'AM. YEAH. SO THAT'S WHY I WAS THINKING THAT THIS WAS A IT WAS JUST IN LINE WITH THE THE COMPLETION OF THAT. 
          SO THAT'S WHERE I WAS AT. OKAY. TO BE CONTINUED. AND WHILE WE'RE ON PAY, JUST. SO WE'RE ALL THINKING THE SAME THINGS, I REALLY WORRY ABOUT WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH NOT MOVING THE STEP IN THE LAW ENFORCEMENT. SO. SO LET ME. LET ME KIND OF WALK THROUGH THIS. SO, SO WHEN WE, WHEN WE FIRST GOT IN OFFICE, WE DID, WE WANTED EVERYTHING TO BE VERY PERFORMANCE, MERIT DRIVEN RAISES. AND WHAT HAPPENED WITH THAT IS WE GOT REALLY, REALLY OUT OF LINE WITH HOW THE INDUSTRY WORKS. AND SO IT WAS REALLY HARD FOR US TO RECRUIT PEOPLE AND WE FIXED IT. I'M JUST GIVING US A VERY QUICK RECAP, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THIS COURT WAS TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE FIXED IT IS WE CAN'T LET IT GET BACK TO WHERE IT WAS. AND IF WE CONTINUALLY KEEP THESE COLAS OR WHATEVER WE WANT TO CALL IT, COST OF LIVING, PERFORMANCE, PAY ADJUSTMENTS, WE CAN CALL IT, WE CAN REITERATE WHATEVER WE WANT, BUT WE'RE LOOKING AT COST OF LIVING AND TRYING TO MOVE THE COST OF LIVING ALONG THE WAY. THEN WE WON'T GET TO A POINT WHERE WE LITERALLY AREN'T ABLE TO HIRE OFFICERS THAT WE'RE THAT WE GET OUT OF LINE. SO WHAT YOU DID 100% FIXES OUR CURRENT OFFICERS AND SAYS, WE'RE GOING TO GIVE YOU WHAT WE SAID WE WERE GOING 
          [02:05:04]
TO GIVE YOU, BUT NOT ADJUSTING THAT STEP PLAN IS GOING TO GET US TWO, THREE, 4 OR 5 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD. NOW WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A LOT OF ISSUE RECRUITING LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL, BECAUSE WE HAVE ALLOWED OUR PAY SCALE TO GET OUT OF LINE WITH WHAT OTHER COUNTIES AND OTHER GOVERNMENTS ARE DOING, LAW ENFORCEMENT POSITIONS, I WOULD SAY I KNOW THAT EVERY PERSON ON THIS COURT IS PRO LAW ENFORCEMENT. I'M NOT HAVING THAT CONVERSATION, EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT FOR WHAT I'M ASKING FOR, DOES NOT MEAN YOU'RE AGAINST OUR OFFICERS ON THE STREET. WE WANT TO PAY THEM. WE WANT TO PAY THEM. RIGHT. AND I KNOW THAT EVERYONE'S HEART IS WE'RE GOING TO PAY OUR OFFICERS AND WE'RE GOING TO PAY THEM A FAIR WAGE. I'M JUST WORRIED THAT IF WE IF WE DON'T ADD THAT COLA INTO THE STEP PLAN, WE'RE GOING TO BE STARING AT A PROBLEM IN 2 OR 3 YEARS WHERE WE'RE WAY OUT OF LINE. I WOULD SAY. AND THANK YOU FOR BRINGING THAT UP. MY THOUGHT PROCESS IS IT'S INCUMBENT ON THE DEPARTMENT HEADS TO BRING THAT AND SAY, HEY, WE WANT TO INCREASE OUR STEP. THEY DID AND DOESN'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE DONE DURING THE BUDGET. I MEAN, IT CAN BE DONE. SO TREASURER PICK A COUPLE YEARS AGO CAME IN PREEMPTIVELY AND SAID, HEY, I'M GOING TO BE OUT OF WHACK HERE IN A COUPLE OF YEARS AND I WANT TO SLIDE MY SCALE. SO I'M, I'M OKAY DOING THAT. BUT AND THE STEP PROGRAM IS WHAT ALLOWED US TO RECRUIT. AND THAT'S WHAT WE WERE TOLD. AND IT, IT, IT IS WORKING OUT TO BE JUST THAT PEOPLE COME IN AND THEY KNOW WHERE THEY'RE GOING TO BE. AND A LOT OF TIMES THE INCREASE IS TYPICALLY IT'S IN EXCESS OF ANY COLAS. SO IT JUST SEEMS TO ME. THAT IT'S UNFAIR TO YOU ALSO GET A STEP, BUT NOW YOU GET A COLA ON TOP OF IT. I UNDERSTAND YOUR STEP NEEDS TO MOVE UP, BUT TO GET DOUBLE GET YOUR STEP AND THE PAY, IT JUST SEEMS UNFAIR TO ME. THEY SHOULD GET WHICHEVER ONE BENEFITS THEM THE MOST. IF THE COLA IS BEST FOR THEM, THEY GET THAT. IF THE STEP IS BEST FOR THEM, THEY GET THAT. BUT IF WE DON'T MOVE DEPUTY STEP ONE, THEN DEPUTY STEP ONE IS GOING TO GET OUT OF WHACK VERY, VERY QUICKLY. ISN'T THIS THE SAME ISSUE WE DEALT WITH LAST YEAR WITH WHEN WE ADJUSTED THE THE PAY RATES FOR ALL THE CLERKS AND EVERYTHING? YEAH. AND I IF I UNDERSTAND RIGHT, BY INCREASING THE LEVELS OF THE STEPS, IT'S NOT LIKE YOU'RE GIVING THEM A COLA ON TOP OF THAT. THAT'S CORRECT. THAT'S CORRECT. SO IF IF THE SHERIFF COMES OR CHIEF DEPUTY MCKNIGHT AND SAYS, HEY, THIS LEVEL, WE NEED TO INCREASE THIS STEP, THE TOP END NEEDS TO GO UP 5% OR THE BOTTOM OR THEY SLIDE UP TOGETHER. I MEAN, CORRECT. SO THEN WE, WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. OKAY, SO AND IT DOESN'T HAVE TO HAPPEN DURING THE BUDGET. OKAY, SO ON MONDAY, I WILL COME IN AND HAVE A MUCH BETTER PRESENTATION ON MOVING THE STEPS AND THE FISCAL IMPACTS OF THAT. OKAY, COOL. OKAY. I THINK THAT GETS US THROUGH THIS LIST TEMPORARILY. OKAY. WE'LL BE BACK AND WE WILL BE BACK MONDAY. 
          SO I THINK I'VE, I THINK I CAN JUST CONCISELY SAY WHAT CONSTABLE PARKS WAS GOING TO BRING TO YOU IS THAT IF THE CONSTABLE TWO AND THREE ARE GETTING PART TIME DEPUTIES, WILL THEY STILL GET A PORTION OF THE CURRENT PART TIME DEPUTY THAT'S SPLIT BETWEEN THE FOUR OF THEM, OR WILL THAT PART TIME DEPUTY BE SPLIT JUST WITH ONE AND FOUR? THE WAY IT'S WORKING IN MY MIND IS, YES, THEY'LL STILL GET DEPUTY CONSTABLE FOG, GET THEIR PORTION, BUT THE THE ADDITIONAL DEPUTY CONSTABLE'S ARE REALLY JUST TO FREE UP THE REST OF THEM FROM BAILIFF DUTIES. SO TWO AND THREE WILL STILL OKAY. YEP, YEP. THAT'S THE WAY IT WORKS IN MY MIND. 
          COME ON UP, RANDY. CONSTABLE PARKS GOT A QUESTION. SO IF TWO AND THREE BOTH GET A PART TIME DEPUTY AND THEY HAVE TWO DIFFERENT DAYS, THEY HAVE CAUGHT AND THEY'LL BE THERE THE WHOLE TIME. AND THEN THOUGH CONSTABLE CHANEY AND STEVE WILL BOTH BE OUT DURING THEIR PAPERS. 
          OKAY, SO DOWN IN ONE AND FOUR. YOU KNOW, WE'VE GOT CHAD. BUT WE I UNDERSTOOD THAT YOU TOLD ME IS THAT CHAD'S GOING TO BE UP AND DOWN THE HALL, HELP SERVING ALL THEIR PAPERS. WHY DOESN'T CHAD STAY WITH ONE AND FOUR? BECAUSE YOU ALREADY GOT THEIR RELIEVED OF THEIR COURT, 
          [02:10:06]
AND THEY'RE SERVING THEIR PAPERS AND. WE ONLY GOT, YOU KNOW, AND THEY GOT DEPUTIES THAT ARE DOING THE COURT. BUT CHAD'S GOING TO BE OFF AND ON ON THE COURT. HE WON'T BE DOING THE WHOLE COURT. AND AND WE'RE STILL SERVING OUR PAPERS. JUDGE. EXCUSE ME, RANDY, IF YOU DON'T MIND, CAN CAN WE GET CLARIFICATION ON THIS BEFORE WE MAKE A DECISION? BECAUSE MY UNDERSTANDING WAS ACTUALLY DIFFERENT THAN YOURS. OKAY. I THOUGHT THAT THE EXISTING PART TIME DEPUTY WOULD BE SPLIT BETWEEN 1 AND 4. AND BUT I IF I'M WRONG, I'D LIKE TO HEAR IT BEFORE WE MAKE A DECISION. SO LET ME TALK TO CONSTABLE'S TWO AND THREE AND GET THEIR THOUGHTS ON IT. BECAUSE WHEN I TALKED TO HIM BEFORE, I THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE THAT EXISTING DEPUTY FOG WOULD BE STAY BASICALLY WITH ONE AND FOUR, AND THEN THESE TWO AND THREE WOULD EACH HAVE THEIR OWN PART TIME DEPUTY. I COULD BE WRONG, BUT THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT. OKAY, BUT WE NEED TO HAVE THAT CONVERSATION BECAUSE THAT GETS US OUT OF WHACK WHERE WE HAVE TWO PRECINCTS SHARING, AND THEN TWO PRECINCTS THAT EACH HAVE THEIR OWN. I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT GETS US OUT OF WHACK, AND I DON'T KNOW THAT ANYWAY. YEAH, LET ME TALK WITH THEM BEFORE WE MAKE THIS DECISION. I UNDERSTAND YOUR, YOUR, YOUR THINKING AND BUT I AND THEN WE'LL COME BACK, WE'LL TALK MORE ON MONDAY AND MAYBE. ALL RIGHT. SORRY, BUT IF IT DOES GET WHERE THAT THE TWO AND THREE GET THE DEPUTIES FOR COURT. I THINK WE SHOULD GET CHAD TO HELP. ONE AND FOUR ARE ON PAPERS BECAUSE THEY'RE ALREADY. YOU SEE WHERE I'M GOING. BUT IF YOU'VE GOT A DEPUTY FOR PRECINCT ONE AND FOUR AND A DEPUTY FOR TWO AND THREE, THEN I GUESS CHAD COULD STILL HELP ALL OF THEM. CURRENTLY, CHAD IS SPLIT UP BETWEEN THE FOUR PRECINCTS. SO YOU'RE SAYING TO ASSIST TWO AND THEN THE NEW BAILIFF? YEAH. 
          LET'S LET'S HAVE THIS CONVERSATION. MONDAY. WE WILL COME TO A RESOLUTION ON MONDAY AND I'LL TALK TO I'LL TALK TO A TREE AND STEVE BEFORE THAT. ALL RIGHT. THANK YOU. YEAH. YOU BET. 
          AND THEN BEFORE WE COMPLETELY CLOSE THIS, I DIDN'T KNOW IF CHIEF MCKNIGHT WANTED TO ADD ANYTHING TO THE DISCUSSION OR. I SEE YOU WALKING AROUND. SO YOU HAD TO SIT THERE AND LISTEN TO US TALK ABOUT YOUR DEPARTMENT FOR QUITE A WHILE. HE PUT HIS HAND ON HIS WEAPON. 
          AT ONE POINT. I DID NOT DO THAT. YEAH, HE DID NOT. THANK YOU. THAT WAS A JOKE. I DID JUST WANT TO SAY, YOU KNOW, YOU GUYS, IT SOUNDS TO ME LIKE THAT WE'RE USING COLA AND MERIT RAISES INTERCHANGEABLY AND WE SHOULDN'T BE DOING THAT. THERE'S A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A COLA AND A MERIT RAISE. AND I THINK WHAT COMMISSIONER STACY IS PROPOSING IS TO GIVE US THE COLA, BECAUSE WHAT THAT'S GOING TO DO IS THAT'S GOING TO INCREASE EACH STEP SLIGHTLY AND KEEP US. IT'S NOT GOING TO GET US WITHIN RANGE OF WHAT SOME OF THE OTHER AGENCIES ARE DOING, BUT IT IS GOING TO KEEP US IN THE BALLPARK. WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PLAY WITH THEM. SO IF WE DON'T GET THAT COLA LIKE MY STARTING DEPUTY STARTING AT 72, I BELIEVE FOR AND A LOT OF THE AGENCIES AROUND US NOW JUST HERE IN ROCKWALL COUNTY HAVE PASSED US UP AND THEY'RE IN THE 80S STARTING PAY. SO WE'RE BACK AT AT ONE POINT SEVERAL YEARS AGO, WE WERE THERE, BUT NOW WE'RE BEHIND THAT MUCH. YEAH. YOU WOULD BE AT 729 AND THE AND THE COLA WOULD PUT YOU AT 746. 
          RIGHT. SO IF YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GIVE US THE COLA, YOU HAVE OTHER COUNTY EMPLOYEES WHO ARE ALSO NOT TOPPED OUT OR MAYBE TOPPED OUT. ARE YOU GOING TO GIVE THEM THE COLA? BECAUSE IF YOU IF BASED ON YOUR PREMISE, IF YOU'RE STILL GOT STEPS TO GO, THEN YOU DON'T NEED A COLA, YOU'RE GETTING A RAISE. A COLA IS JUST KEEPING PACE WITH THE ECONOMY, MAKING SURE THAT PAY RANGE IS THERE. AND. BUT IF YOUR RAISE IS GREATER THAN THE COLA, YOU'RE KEEPING PACE WITH THE ECONOMY. I DON'T WANT TO DEBATE THAT HERE, BUT I DON'T AGREE WITH THAT. SO OKAY. WELL, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I DO UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM. I JUST DON'T AGREE WITH THE CONCEPT THERE. SO YES, I MEAN, YOU CAN HAVE AN EMPLOYEE WHO'S NOT TOPPED OUT. THEY'RE GOING TO CONTINUE TO GET RAISES OVER THE NEXT 4 OR 5 YEARS. SO YOU COULD JUST YOU COULD ESSENTIALLY SAY, WELL, OKAY, WHY ARE YOU GOING TO GIVE EACH ONE OF THEM A 2.4% COLA? I MEAN, THEY'RE GOING TO GET A RAISE. WHY ISN'T A 1.4 OR JUST A 2%? OR IF YOU'RE TRYING TO KEEP PACE WITH SO YOU'RE, YOU'RE FOCUSED IN, IN THE CONVERSATION IS JUST ABOUT PEOPLE THAT ARE TOPPED OUT AND ARE BEGINNING INTEREST. WELL, WHAT I'M JUST SAYING IS YOU'RE JUST ELIMINATING THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND YOU SHOULD NOT DO THAT. A COLA SHOULD BE COUNTY WIDE FOR ALL YOUR EMPLOYEES. IT'S A COST OF LIVING RAISE. IT'S KEEPING PACE 
          [02:15:02]
WITH THE ECONOMY. IT CERTAINLY IS. AND WE CAN HAVE THAT CONVERSATION. AND I LOOK FORWARD TO TO THE PRESENT. OUR STEPS ARE BASED OFF THEIR MERIT. YES. AND THE TOP OUT CHECKS ARE BASED OFF THEIR MERIT. NOT TIED TO A COLA. NOW IS DIFFERENT. I GET IT. IT'S HARD TO EXPLAIN AND MAYBE I AM OVERSIMPLIFYING IT, BUT I, I DON'T KNOW, COMMISSIONER STACY, DO YOU AGREE WITH THAT? I MEAN, IT'S YEAH, I'M JUST GOING TO MATH IT OUT AND REALLY SHOW WHAT THE DIFFERENCES ARE. AND I JUST THINK THAT THROWING A BUNCH OF PAPERS. LET, LET ME GET A FULL PRESENTATION TOGETHER AND IT'LL BE A LOT EASIER TO FOLLOW. BUT WHAT I REMEMBER, I MEAN, WE'RE ALWAYS I'M GLAD YOU POINTED THAT OUT TWO YEARS. THREE YEARS AGO, WE TALKED ABOUT HOW IF YOU IF WE RAISE OURS, THEN THE OTHER AGENCIES AROUND HERE, THEY'RE GOING TO GO UP AGAIN AND WE'RE JUST GOING TO BE CHASING THEM, CHASING THE OTHER ONES. AND THAT'S WHAT'S HAPPENING. WE DON'T WANT TO CHALLENGE. COMMISSIONER STACY SAID, YOU KNOW, 4 OR 5 YEARS DOWN THE ROAD, IF THIS HAPPENS WHERE WE'RE NOT GETTING A COLA AND THERE'S NO ADJUSTMENT, WE'RE GOING TO BE SO FAR BEHIND. WE'RE GOING TO COME BACK IN HERE AGAIN, AND YOU'RE GOING TO BE LOOKING AT 20% RAISES FOR EACH DEPUTY. YOU DON'T WANT TO DO THAT. KEEP PACE. AND A COLA IS AN EASY WAY TO KIND OF DO THAT. IT DOESN'T GET US THERE, BUT IT'S KEEPING US CLOSER TO THE OTHER AGENCIES. GOT IT. OKAY. THAT'S MY OPINION. ALL RIGHT. WHAT ELSE? YEAH. I'LL TALK TO YOU AFTERWARDS. OKAY. WHAT ELSE DO WE HAVE ON THE BUDGET COMMISSIONERS FOR NOW. 
          YEP. SO WE'VE GOT SOME OTHER STUFF WE HAVE TO DO. I KNOW I HAVE MORE STUFF ON THE BUDGET. 
          OKAY. LET'S LET'S WELL, LET'S. OKAY. WELL LET ME. YEAH, I KNOW YOU HAVE TO BE IN ARLINGTON AT ONE ONE AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE HERE WHEN WE VOTE ON THE TAX RATE, WHICH WE HAVE TO DO TODAY. 
          RIGHT. THE PROPOSED TAX RATE. YEAH. SO I JUST HAVE A COUPLE OF THINGS, LAUREN. I'M SURE YOU'LL BE VERY EFFICIENT IN YOUR USE OF THE NEXT TWO MINUTES. SO ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I TOLD THE COURT I WOULD, I WOULD TRY TO LOOK INTO AND HAVE AND NUMBER ONE IS THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE REMODEL THAT IS AUDITED. WE'RE NOT GOING TO NEED ANY MORE MONEY ON THAT. SO THAT'S GOOD. WE'LL SEE THAT THROUGH. THE SECOND THING IS IS ON INSURANCE. I LOOKED AT THIS WITH HR, OUR CURRENT INSURANCE AGENTS, AND I THINK THAT IF WE WERE TO KEEP EVERYTHING HOW IT IS BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF NEXT CALENDAR YEAR, OUR INSURANCE WILL BE UNDERFUNDED BY ABOUT $1.7 MILLION. I DON'T SEE THAT NUMBER BEING ANY NICER. WHAT I WOULD LIKE US TO LOOK AT SERIOUSLY ON MONDAY IS GOING TO A 10% EMPLOYER INCREASE. WE'RE AT SEVEN NOW. NO, THE EMPLOYER ISN'T INCREASING AT ALL. OKAY, SO THAT WOULD TAKE US TO. SO HOW WE FUND IT REALLY QUICKLY IS WE TAKE THE FULL TIME EMPLOYEES, EVERY FULL TIME EMPLOYEE. AND THEN WE WE PUT IT IN EVERY DEPARTMENT AND THEN WE FUND FUND. 185 FROM THAT. RIGHT NOW WE'RE DOING THAT AT 13,000. 
          AND I WOULD LIKE TO UP THAT BY 10%. THAT'S ABOUT $1 MILLION. OKAY. THEN WE COULD TAKE SOME OF THE LEFTOVER UNUSED FROM THIS BUDGET AND PUT IT IN THERE AND THEN REEVALUATE AT NEXT BUDGET YEAR. BECAUSE REMEMBER, IT'S A CALENDAR YEAR PROBLEM, NOT A BUDGET YEAR PROBLEM. SO IF WE CAN PUT ABOUT 1.3, 1.4 IN IT NOW, THEN WE WOULD HAVE A MUCH BETTER IDEA NEXT OCTOBER HOW FAR OFF. BUT WHEN WE'RE STARING AT THAT BIG OF A PROBLEM. SO MY RECOMMENDATION IS GOING TO BE WE INCREASE THE EMPLOYEE DEDUCTIONS BY 4%, AND THEN WE INCREASE THE EMPLOYER DEDUCTION BY 10%. I WOULD NEED TO SEE THE MATH. I CAN I CAN SHOW ALL THAT TO YOU. BUT I JUST THINK IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT THAT WE THAT WE LOOK AT DOING THAT. AND THAT'S GOING TO DO A GREATLY OFFSET WHAT OUR SHORTFALLS ARE AND FUND. 185 AND THIS IS NOT NEW. I MEAN, I'M HEARING A NUMBER OF OTHER COURTS THAT ARE ALSO DEALING AND BEING CONFRONTED WITH SOMETHING JUST VERY SIMILAR TO THIS. YES. I'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS WITH OUR NEIGHBORS. CHIEF DEPUTY, THAT CONVERSATION. YEAH. I WOULD LIKE TO ADD ONE MORE THING. YOU YOU DID MENTION THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE ME OR THE SHERIFF COME TO YOU WITH A REQUEST THE SPREAD OR INCREASE THE STEPS. YEAH, YEAH. AND WE DID HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS OFFLINE. 
          OKAY. AND WE DID HAVE A PLAN PREPARED FOR YOU AND COMMISSIONERS COURT, BUT BECAUSE WE'D HEARD THIS 2.4%, WE WERE TRYING TO ASSIST THE COUNTY. IT WAS ACTUALLY MUCH LARGER THAN WHAT THE 2.4% WOULD DO. SO WE TOOK THAT OUT OF OUR BUDGET. OKAY. SO JUST YEAH. 
          THANK YOU. YES. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT, COMMISSIONER STACY, THAT IS ACTUALLY IT. COMMISSIONER 
          [02:20:05]
MACKLIN, THE ONLY THING THAT IT'S NOT ON EMPLOYEE. SO I BUT I'VE HAD JIM BARTOW SITTING IN HERE, I DID WANT. I KNOW EACH OF US RECEIVED AN EMAIL YESTERDAY OR DAY BEFORE YESTERDAY FROM JIM IN REGARDS TO THE PUBLIC INPUT. AND THAT'S THAT THAT PROGRAM AND SOFTWARE. 
          AND I DID WANT US TO THINK ABOUT IT BECAUSE IT FALLS IN LINE WITH THE STRATEGIC PLAN, AND IT FALLS IN LINE WITH MAKING SURE WE ARE GIVING THE CITIZENS AS MUCH INFORMATION AS WE CAN. AND SOME OF THE POSTS THAT JIM HAS BEEN PUTTING ON FACEBOOK ARE NOT BEING ACCEPTED. 
          IF THAT'S THE RIGHT WAY TO SAY IT OR THEY'RE BEING, WE'RE NOT GETTING THEM ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE FINISH LINE. SO I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO AT LEAST WE DON'T NEED TO TALK ABOUT IT RIGHT NOW, BUT MAYBE ON MONDAY, IF YOU GUYS COULD GO BACK AND REFERENCE THE PUBLIC INPUT EMAIL THAT JIM, WAS IT YESTERDAY OR DAY BEFORE YOU SENT THIS OUT? WHAT, TUESDAY. 
          OKAY, SO YOU SHOULD HAVE IT IN YOUR IN YOUR INBOXES. OKAY. WE WILL DISCUSS THAT MONDAY. ALL RIGHT. SO THAT IS GOING TO WRAP UP AGENDA ITEM THREE A. AND WE'RE GOING TO TAKE THE REST OF 
          [3.B) Discuss/Act on providing written notice to each elected county and precinct officer of the officer’s salary and other related expenses pursuant to Section 152.0139(c) of the Texas Local Government Code to be included in the FY2027 budget, and related issues; (Judge New – Auditor)]
THESE REALLY QUICK AGENDA ITEM THREE B DISCUSS AND ACT ON PROVIDING WRITTEN NOTICE TO EACH ELECTED COUNTY AND PRECINCT OFFICER OF THE OFFICER SALARY AND OTHER RELATED EXPENSES PURSUANT TO SECTION 152.0139 C OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, TO BE INCLUDED IN THE FY 2027 BUDGET AND ALL RELATED ISSUES. THIS JUST REQUIRES US RECOGNIZING AND APPROVING ME SENDING OUT THE SALARY TO ALL ELECTEDS AND. AND TO BE CLEAR, THE RELATED EXPENSES ARE THE RELATED PERSONNEL EXPENSES. THEY ARE, THEY ARE. YOU ARE NOT SETTING ELECTED OFFICIALS OPERATING EXPENSES OR ANY OTHER EXPENSES OTHER THAN PERSONNEL AT THIS TIME. BUT IF WE WHEN WE DO THIS, WE'RE IF I REMEMBER RIGHT, WE CAN'T REDUCE WHAT IT IS WHATEVER. IF WE CAN'T GO BACK, IF WE SAY WE'RE GIVING EVERYBODY 3.5% RAISE, THEY'RE GETTING A 3.5% RAISE. AND WITH THE LOAD. YES. YEAH. THAT'S RIGHT. WHAT THIS DOES IS GIVES THE ELECTEDS THE OPPORTUNITY TO FILE A GRIEVANCE. IF THEY HAVE AN ISSUE WITH, WITH THEIR WITH THEIR PAY. BUT IT ALSO REMOVES OUR ABILITY TO ADJUST THEIR SALARY. IF WE THINK WE WANT TO MOVE MONEY ELSEWHERE. THAT IS CORRECT. THAT IS CORRECT. YEAH. YEAH. OKAY. WELL, AND THIS IS JUST ELECTED OFFICIALS. THIS IS NOT STANDARD EMPLOYEE. SO I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE PROVIDE WRITTEN NOTICE TO EACH ELECTED COUNTY AND PRECINCT OFFICER OF THE OFFICER'S SALARY AND OTHER RELATED EXPENSES PURSUANT TO SECTION 152.0193 C OF THE TEXAS LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE, TO BE INCLUDED IN THE FY 2027 BUDGET. I'LL SECOND THAT MOTION BY MOTION, SECOND BY 
          [3.C) Discuss/Act on setting the proposed Rockwall County 2027 Tax Rate and taking record vote, and all related issues; (Judge New – Auditor)]
COMMISSIONER LICHTY. LET'S GO AHEAD AND RECORD OUR VOTES. THAT PASSES 4 TO 0. THAT TAKES US TO AGENDA ITEM THREE. C DISCUSS AND ACT ON SETTING THE PROPOSED ROCKWALL COUNTY 2027 TAX RATE AND TAKE A RECORD VOTE AND ALL RELATED ISSUES. THE BUDGET THAT I PRESENTED BEFORE YOU USES THE VOTER APPROVED TAX RATE, AND I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO ADOPT THAT RATE. IT CAN ALWAYS GO DOWN. BUT AGAIN, I VERY PRAGMATIC. I DON'T BELIEVE IT CAN GO DOWN THIS BUDGET YEAR. 
          I THINK I THINK THAT'S GOING TO BE THE RIGHT. JUDGE. I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO CONSIDER USING THE VOTER APPROVED RATE PLUS UNUSED INCREMENT RATE AT THIS POINT, NOT BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE WE'RE GOING TO END UP, BUT THAT IT JUST GIVES US FLEXIBILITY, MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY. LAST YEAR, I THINK EVERYONE WILL RECALL WE STARTED AT A HIGHER RATE AND BROUGHT IT DOWN TO THE 2.50, BUT IT GIVES US FLEXIBILITY THROUGH THE DISCUSSIONS BECAUSE IF WE CONTINUE WITH THIS, IF WE GO AT THE VOTER APPROVED RATE, WE HAVE NO POSSIBILITY OF INCREASING IT. AND WE'VE ALREADY DISCUSSED IN HERE SOME BIG TICKET ISSUES, LIKE THE WELL, ONE WE DIDN'T DISCUSS TODAY, BUT IT'S OUT THERE IS THE DAS OFFICE REMODEL, AND THERE'S A NUMBER OF BIG TICKET ISSUES LIKE THAT THAT WE MAY BE LOOKING AT. AND I'M DOING IT NOT BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE I NECESSARILY WANT TO END UP, BUT BECAUSE THAT WOULD GIVE US THE MAXIMUM FLEXIBILITY. AND I JUST FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH. I'M SO PROUD OF MYSELF BECAUSE I ACTUALLY HAVE SOME DATA POINTS THAT COMMISSIONER STACEY DOESN'T HAVE, AND HE'S ALWAYS SO FAR AHEAD OF ME ON THINGS LIKE THIS. BUT I HAD THE AUDITOR PREPARE THESE. A LIST OF COUNTY TAX RATES THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND RIGHT NOW, ROCKWALL, AS I SAID EARLIER IN THIS MEETING, IS AT WE'RE NUMBER 13 OF THE LOWEST OF 254 COUNTIES WERE THE 13TH LOWEST TAX RATE. IF WE WENT TO 
          [02:25:05]
THE VOTER APPROVED PLUS UNUSED INCREMENT RATE OF 0.284858, WE WOULD STILL BE IN LIKE, I THINK NUMBER 23 OR 24. SO WE WOULD BE IN THE LOWEST 10% OF TAX RATES IN THE COUNTY FOR COUNTY TAXES IN THE STATE. I'M SORRY, LOWEST 10% OF OF COUNTY AD VALOREM TAXES FOR THE STATE. AND AGAIN, NOT BECAUSE I WANT TO END UP THERE. AND LAST YEAR WE PROVED WE DON'T NECESSARILY END UP THERE, BUT IT DOES GIVE US FLEXIBILITY IF WE HAVE TO. SO I'D ASK US TO CONSIDER THAT. GO AHEAD COMMISSIONER, I WILL CONSIDER IT. YES, I WOULD BE OPPOSED TO THAT. AND THAT'S NOT SURPRISING TO ANYONE. WE'VE SAVED THE VOTERS OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS, $2.2 MILLION, AND TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO TAKE IT BACK, I THINK I THINK IS A BAD A BAD MOVE. I THINK THE VOTER RATE, YOU KNOW, WE HAD $400,000 SHOW UP TODAY, AND WE'VE GOT SOME BIG DECISIONS TO MAKE. BUT THAT'S PART OF GOVERNING. I MEAN, THAT'S WHY THAT'S WHY GOVERNMENT SHOULD BE HARD. WE HAVE TO MAKE DECISIONS. WE HAVE TO HAVE LIMITED FUNDS. AND I THINK IF WE BLOW THROUGH THAT VOTER APPROVED RATE, I THINK WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO STOP THE TRAIN. SO I WOULD I WOULD LIKE FOR US TO IMPOSE THAT VOTER APPROVED RATE AND THEN MAKE OUR DECISIONS. I THINK THAT THE LEGISLATORS ARE GOING TO MAKE SOME OF THOSE DECISIONS FOR US IN THE 90TH SESSION, TOO. AND SO THIS MAY BE OUR ONE AND ONLY CHANCE TO KIND OF GET OURSELVES NOT EVEN IN A, IN THE, IN THE, IN THE TOP, NOT EVEN IN THE PROBABLY THE TOP. YOU KNOW, WE'RE STILL GOING TO BE IN THE BOTTOM. SO I'M, I SEE WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. AND FRANK, I'M, I'M ALL ABOUT BEING CONSERVATIVE, BUT I DON'T WANT US TO BE A BROKE COUNTY AND BE A COUNTY THAT IS GOING TO BE REALLY STRUGGLING WITH ALL OF THE REQUESTS THAT. I MEAN, BECAUSE WE RECEIVED MORE REQUESTS THIS YEAR AND YOU'VE DONE A GREAT JOB OF THE ONES YOU YOU PUT IN YOUR LIST. BUT I DO THINK THAT THE, THE GROWTH THAT WILL BE COMING TO ROCKWALL WITHIN THE NEXT 5 TO 10 YEARS, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE HAVE THE THE ABILITY TO STAY ON TOP OF IT TOO, AND WE WILL GET THE INCREASED TAX MONEY WHEN THE WHEN THE GROWTH HAPPENS. BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DEALING WITH RIGHT NOW. YEAH. I THINK GROWTH COSTS MONEY. AND AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE REASONS THAT ALL OF US ARE IN DISTRICT COURT RIGHT NOW OVER A BIG DEVELOPMENT IS BECAUSE WE REALIZE THAT THE IMPACT IS GOING TO BE GREAT. WHEN I LOOK AT THE REVENUES, I SEE THIS BUDGET IS 7.4 MILLION IN MORE REVENUE, AND 3.1 MILLION IS GOING TO PAY FOR ROADS. SO I DON'T KNOW. I FIGURED THAT THIS IS WHERE WE WOULD BE. I DO NOT WANT US TO BE AT A TWO TWO VOTE FOR SIX HOURS. LAUREN HAS SOMEWHERE TO BE. THAT MEANS THE TWO TWO WON'T STICK. YEAH WE CAN. WE CAN JUST WAIT THEM OUT. FILIBUSTER HIM. I AM I AM VERY, VERY WORRIED ABOUT OUR INSURANCE FUND, BUT I DO NOT LIKE I DON'T LIKE THE PROCESS. THE PROCESS IS WE VOTE ON THE HIGHEST POSSIBLE TAX RATE. AND YES, WE OPEN OURSELVES UP TO BEING ABLE TO DO A BACK BUDGET. 
          HEY, WE HAVE THIS MONEY, LET'S FUND THIS MONEY UP. AND YEAH, AGAIN, LAST YEAR WE DIDN'T DO ALL OF WHAT WE SAID WE WERE GOING TO DO. I JUST DON'T WANT TO GO ALL THE WAY UP TO THE RECAPTURE. WE WORK SO HARD NOT TO SPEND THAT $2 MILLION AND, AND, AND IT'S JUST SO I DON'T MIND FINDING A COMPROMISE AND HAVING FRANK VOTE AGAINST US, BUT I DON'T WANT TO GO ALL THE WAY UP. BUT I DON'T KNOW WHERE A GOOD MEDIAN IS, MAYBE HALFWAY THERE. THAT GIVES US THAT GIVES US ABOUT $1.4 MILLION WE COULD PLAY WITH. I DON'T KNOW IF I'M JUST BEING ARBITRARY OR EMOTIONAL, BUT I JUST FEEL LIKE WE WORK SO DILIGENTLY NOT TO TAX THE VOTERS AT $2 MILLION. 
          AND FOR US TO JUST TURN AROUND AND SAY, WE'RE GOING TO UNDO WHAT WE WORKED SO HARD TO DO, JUST I IT JUST IT JUST HURTS ME A LITTLE BIT. NO, THAT REALLY RESONATES. I MEAN, AND WHAT YOU SAID, JUDGE REALLY RESONATES. LOOK, NOBODY WANTS TO PAY MORE TAXES. I GET IT. I DON'T NOBODY HERE DOES. NOBODY IN THE AUDIENCE DOES. NOBODY LISTENING ONLINE DOES. SO TO YOUR POINT, COMMISSIONER, WE'RE THERE'S WHAT ARE THE TWO BIG LINE ITEMS THAT WE'VE GOT TO DEAL WITH? WE GOT TO DEAL WITH THE THE DAS REMODEL, RIGHT. WE GOT TO FIND MONEY FOR THAT. AND THEN YOUR INSURANCE ISSUE. THAT'S A BIG ISSUE. AND WHAT WOULD THE. IS THERE ANY OTHER. WE'VE BEEN THROUGH THE COMPENSATION. THOSE THINGS ARE PRETTY. THE THINGS WE'VE BEEN THROUGH OTHER THAN MAYBE THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE WOULD ARE PRETTY MUCH. WE CAN WORK THROUGH, I THINK I DON'T 
          [02:30:05]
KNOW WHAT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. IF WE WENT WITH A DIFFERENT ROUTE FROM WHAT YOU'RE DISCUSSING, WHAT THAT WOULD COST AND GOING WITH THE COLA VERSUS THAT. BUT MAYBE WE CAN FIND A COMPROMISE WHERE WE DON'T JUST SAY, WELL, LET'S GO TO THE TAX INCREMENT, UNUSED INCREMENT RATE. BUT LET'S START WITH THE VOTER APPROVED RATE, WHICH IS WHAT OUR CURRENT BUDGET IS BASED ON. AND LET'S GIVE US ENOUGH ROOM TO DEAL WITH THOSE THREE ISSUES OR WHATEVER THOSE IF WE NEED TO, BECAUSE THOSE SEEM TO BE THE BIG ISSUES OUT THERE. RIGHT, LISA? AND THAT MAY NOT REQUIRE US TO GO TO THE UNUSED INCREMENT RATE, WHICH I'M FINE WITH. YEAH. I JUST DON'T KNOW. I LIKED WHAT YOU SAID. I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS. I MEAN, I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, YOU KNOW, SO MAYBE IF WE DID MAYBE TAKE FIVE AND LET ME GET WITH MELISSA AND LISA AND SEE IF WE CAN, BECAUSE I WOULD HATE FOR US JUST TO SPITBALL BACK AND FORTH AND BACK AND FORTH. ARE YOU COMING BACK TO. I HOPE SO, I'M JUST THINKING, SHE THOUGHT AHEAD OF YOU. SO IF YOU GO TO THAT RATE, I'M GOING TO GO THIS MUCH. THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHERE THAT GIVES YOU THAT. IF YOU WANT TO JUST STICK UNDER IT, THAT GIVES YOU THAT, OKAY, OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO WHERE IS MY TAX WORKSHEET? SO LET ME WALK THROUGH WHAT I WAS JUST HANDED BECAUSE YES, THE PEOPLE OF PRECINCT FOUR ARE AMAZING. IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHERE MELISSA LIVES, WE HAVE THE BEST PEOPLE. SO THE CURRENT RATE IN THIS BUDGET IS 0.274690, WHICH IS THE VOTER APPROVED RATE. IF WE GO TO 2.796, THAT GIVES US AN ADDITIONAL MILLION DOLLARS. SO I'M JUST I'M JUST LETTING YOU ALL CATCH UP TO THE POST-IT NOTE I WAS JUST GIVEN. IF WE GO TO THE .2848, IT'S AN ADDITIONAL $2.1 MILLION. IF WE GO TO 0.2799, IT'S AN ADDITIONAL $1.1 MILLION. SO THOSE WERE THE TAX CALCULATIONS THAT THAT SHE WAS ABLE TO DO. 
          OKAY. BUT IF TO TO SOME POINT, THE JUDGE MENTIONED A FEW MINUTES AGO THAT THE BUDGET IN FRONT OF US, THE 2.74690, DOES NOT INCLUDE THE $400,000 THAT WAS INCORRECTLY WRITTEN. WE HAVE AN ADDITIONAL 400. SO WHATEVER WE'RE FACTORING IN, WE HAVE THAT RIGHT. AND THEN DO WE GENERALLY OR IS THAT TAKING ALL THE UNUSED CONTINGENCY FROM LAST YEAR OR NOT? WHAT ARE WE DOING WITH THE UNUSED CONTINGENCY FROM LAST YEAR? I DON'T BELIEVE WE'VE MADE DECISIONS ON THAT. BUT HOW MUCH IS IT? 400. IT'S ABOUT 400,000. OKAY. AND THAT'S IN ADDITION TO THE 400 000 JUDGE YOU MENTIONED EARLIER. OKAY. CORRECT. RIGHT. I SEE WHERE YOUR MIND'S GOING. 
          SO JUST KEEP GOING. SO IF WE TAKE THOSE $800,000 AND I KNOW WE'RE NOT AT THE END OF THE YEAR YET, LISA. SO I UNDERSTAND THAT AND WE CAN PAIR IT BACK IF YOU THINK IT'S APPROPRIATE. BUT IF WE TAKE THOSE 800,000 AND THEN WE TAKE THE WHAT DID YOU SAY WE GET 1 MILLION IF WE GO TO TWO SEVEN NINE SOMETHING. YEAH. 2799 IS 1.1 MILLION. OKAY. THERE WERE AT 1.8 MILLION AND WE WERE TALKING THE DAS OFFICE REMODEL IS GOING TO BE BETWEEN 800 AND 1 MILLION, WHICH MEANS THEY CAN DO IT FOR 700. OKAY. AND YOU'RE YOUR LIFE OR YOUR INSURANCE ISSUE IS, IS ABOUT A MILLION, ABOUT A MILLION BUCKS. SO MAYBE IF WE GO TO THE 0.2799799 AND WE, WE'RE GOING TO FIND OTHER MONEY. AND THEN WE AS JUDGE AS I COMPLETELY AGREE WITH YOU, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS, BUT WE CAN GET THERE AND WE CAN PROBABLY EVEN GET THERE WITH LESS THAN 0.2799. HOPEFULLY. THAT'S MY THOUGHT. I STILL DON'T SUPPORT IT. I STILL HOW MUCH HOW MUCH OF THAT WON'T BE THE FIRST TIME THAT WE'VE HAD CONVERSATIONS LIKE THIS. SO BUT LAUREN AND JOHN, HOW MUCH OF THE UNUSED INCREMENT RATE THEN ARE WE USING? WELL, LET ME BECAUSE THAT'S KIND OF CAN CAN WE JUST TAKE LITERALLY JUST A MINUTE BECAUSE I DON'T I HAVE TOO MANY PAPERS IN FRONT OF ME TO FIND ME TO, TO TALK INTELLIGENTLY ABOUT IT. AND WE CAN FOCUS IN ON THE TAX RATE. BUT THANK YOU, MELISSA, FOR PREEMPTING BECAUSE I THINK I LIKE WHERE YOU'RE GOING AS FAR AS US GETTING TO A COMPROMISE. WE WE HIT A LEVEL AND WE GO TRY TO GO DOWN FROM THERE. BUT YEAH, IF JUDGE, IF YOU DON'T MIND, IF WE COULD JUST TAKE A MINUTE TO 
          [02:35:05]
JUST SORT OUT ALL OF THIS. SO IT IS. 1146. LET'S TAKE A ALL R, EVERYONE, THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING A LITTLE RECESS. IT IS 1154. I WILL CALL OUR SPECIAL MEETING BACK TO ORDER. WE ARE STILL ON AGENDA ITEM THREE. C DISCUSS AND ACT ON SETTING THE PROPOSED ROCKWALL COUNTY 2027 TAX RATE, TAKING A RECORD VOTE IN ALL RELATED ISSUES. SO IN A LOT OF WAYS THIS IS PROCEDURAL THAT WE COULD JUST SAY, HEY, LET'S GO TO THE FULL INCREMENT AND WORK OUR WAY DOWN. BUT THE BUT THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS, I WOULD PREFER US TO HAVE SOME LIMITING FACTOR BECAUSE OUR JOB IS TO BUDGET AND TO MAKE TOUGH DECISIONS. AND, AND I DON'T, AND I DON'T THINK IF WE WENT TO THE 0.2848 THAT THAT'S WHERE WE WOULD END UP. I DON'T THINK WE COULD GET THE VOTES TO PUSH THE ENTIRE INCREMENT WHEN THIS IS ALL SAID AND DONE. SO THE EASY BUTTON WOULD BE TO, LET'S JUST GO TO THE FULL INCREMENT AND THEN LET'S WORK OUR WAY DOWN. I JUST AGAIN, I REALLY, REALLY STRUGGLE WITH THAT. SO I DO LIKE THE PRAGMATIC APPROACH THAT COMMISSIONER LICHTY TOOK. 
          SO, SO LET ME WALK THROUGH THIS A LITTLE BIT MORE EDUCATED. NOW THE CURRENT DRAFT OF THE BUDGET IS 0.27469. THAT'S WHAT THE JUDGE PUT OUT THERE. THAT WOULD BE THE HIGHEST WE COULD GO WITHOUT ASKING THE VOTERS TO APPROVE. IT'S CALLED THE VOTER APPROVAL. RIGHT. AND THAT I'M SORRY TO INTERRUPT YOU, BUT I JUST WANT LET'S CLARIFY THAT WILL GIVE US A BALANCED BUDGET WITH HOW MUCH OF A CONTINGENCY. I BELIEVE IT'S 523. YEAH. SOMETHING LIKE. THAT'S RIGHT. I THINK IT WAS. I REMEMBER SEEING IT LAST NIGHT A LITTLE OVER 500 000, WHICH IS ALMOST 534. YEAH. 
          OKAY. THANKS. BUT THE ONE THING, JUST BECAUSE I'M THINKING ON THE SAME LINE AS YOU, WHAT I DON'T KNOW, AND I, I APOLOGIZE THAT I DIDN'T, YOU KNOW, TAKE AS MUCH OF A DEEP DIVE ON IT OVER THE WEEKEND, BUT WHAT OTHER ITEMS WERE NOT APPROVED? I KNOW WE'VE GONE OVER PERSONNEL THIS MORNING, BUT WHAT OTHER BIG CAPITAL ITEMS MAY NOT HAVE BEEN APPROVED? YEAH. THE BACK OF YOUR BUDGET IS A WHOLE LIST OF WHAT WAS APPROVED AND WHAT WHAT. NO, NO YOU'RE CORRECT. AND SO THERE IS A FAIR ARGUMENT TO MAKE THAT IN THE IN THE IN THE SENSE OF PROCEDURE, IT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE TO GO TO THE .28, FOUR, EIGHT, TAKE THE WHOLE $2.1 MILLION AND WORK OUR WAY DOWN THAT THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE KIND OF A DECENT PROCEDURE TO DO. I JUST HAVE A HARD TIME ACCEPTING THAT AND DOING THAT. AND IT'S JUST ME. AND I'M SURE IF COMMISSIONER GALATI WAS THERE, HE MIGHT BREAK THE TIE. BUT BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT A I IF IF I WERE IN CHARGE OF THE COUNTY UNILATERALLY, I COULD GET US TO THE .27469 MYSELF. 
          BUT THAT'S NOT HOW THIS WORKS BECAUSE WE HAVE ELECTED OFFICIALS. THEY HAVE REQUIREMENTS, AND NOT EVEN US AS COMMISSIONERS HAVE FULL AUTHORITY OVER THE COUNTY. SOME OF THIS STUFF IS STATUTORY, ALL THOSE SORTS OF THINGS. IT'S VERY COMPLICATED. IT'S NOT LIKE A CITY BUDGET, AND IT'S SO HARD TO EXPLAIN TO PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WHO HAS WHAT AND THIS, THAT AND THE OTHER. BUT I THINK I WOULD BE WILLING TO GO TO THE 0.2799 RATE. AND THAT THAT INCREASES THAT RECAPTURES $1.1 MILLION WITH MY GOAL TO BE TO WORK BACK DOWN TO THE 0.27469, I THINK, I THINK I COULD LIVE WITH THAT. IT'S KIND OF MEETING IN THE MIDDLE AND AT LEAST GIVING US A CAP AND FORCING US TO BUDGET, WHICH IS HARD. I DON'T KNOW IF WHAT ANYONE ELSE THINKS, BUT MY THOUGHTS ARE PRETTY. YOUR THOUGHTS ARE CLEAR. YEAH. JUDGE, DID YOU SAY THE YOU SAID DID YOU SAY SOMEWHERE THERE'S A LIST OF. OH, HERE IT IS, I SEE IT. OKAY. YEAH, YEAH, YEAH. 
          YOU'RE LOOKING AT IT'LL SAY YES OR NO AND. 
          AND I GUESS REALLY, TO BE FAIR, I WOULDN'T HAVE AN ISSUE JUST GOING TO 0.28 AND WORKING OUR WAY DOWN IT. I DON'T KNOW THAT THAT RAISES A LOT OF MONEY, BUT IT MAKES IT AN EVEN NUMBER THAT I DON'T INTEND US TO HIT. BUT 0.2799 FEELS LIKE IT'S ON A SALES RACK WHERE IT'S 9.99 INSTEAD OF TEN BUCKS, BUT I IT'S GOING TO BE REALLY HARD FOR ME TO VOTE FOR A BUDGET ABOVE THE VOTER APPROVED RATE, BUT FOR THE SAKE OF PROCEDURE AND GETTING US 
          [02:40:02]
THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS, I'M WILLING TO COMPROMISE, MAKE THE VOTE, AND MOVE ALONG. I DO 100% RESPECT WHERE THE JUDGE IS COMING FROM, BECAUSE MOST OF THE TIME, IF WE DO THIS, WE WILL PROBABLY BREAK THAT CEILING AND WE'LL PROBABLY END UP AT LIKE 0.275, WHICH IS STILL ABOVE THE VOTER APPROVED RATE. YOU KNOW, I, I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM, AND I WISH THAT WE WEREN'T SITTING HERE, BUT OF COURSE, WE COULD ALWAYS WAIT LAUREN OUT AND, AND DO THAT. BUT, YOU KNOW, LAUREN WOULDN'T GO, HE WOULD SIT HERE AND FIGHT US TO THE DEATH. 
          BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I LOVE ABOUT LAUREN. BUT I COULD I COULD BE AMENABLE TO SOMETHING LIKE THAT. BUT WHAT I HATE ABOUT THIS PROCESS, AND I JUST WANT TO SAY PUBLICLY, IS I'VE HAD THIS BUDGET SINCE MONDAY AT 830. THAT'S WHEN I GOT TO SEE IT. AND NOW I WAS IN INDIANAPOLIS WATCHING MY SON COMPETE FOR A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP IN DRUM CORPS, WHICH WAS REALLY AWESOME. SO I COULD HAVE GOTTEN IT ON FRIDAY, BUT I DIDN'T. I GOT IT MONDAY MORNING. SO NOW IT'S THURSDAY AND I'M VOTING TO LIMIT MY ABILITY WITHOUT REALLY BEING ABLE TO DO THIS. NOW, THE TRUTH IS, IS THAT FRANK AND I THINK A LOT ALIKE, SO I AND THERE'S A LOT OF THESE POSITIONS. I THINK THAT IF WE WERE FORCED TO, WE WOULDN'T ADD. BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE DISINGENUOUS FOR ME TO SAY, I WANT US TO ADD $1 MILLION TO THIS BUDGET AND NOT AT LEAST GIVE US A BACKFILL THAT ALLOWS US TO DO THAT. AND THAT'S WHAT I STRUGGLED WITH THIS MORNING WHEN I WAS DRINKING COFFEE, KNOWING THAT I WAS GOING TO COME IN AND LOOK AT THIS BUDGET AND SAY, GUYS, I THINK WE NEED TO ADD $1 MILLION FOR INSURANCE AND NOT GIVE US AN AVENUE TO DO THAT. I APPRECIATE IT, AND I THINK YOU ALL KNOW KIND OF WHAT I'M THINKING. I AM TRYING TO FIND A COMPROMISE. I'M LOOKING AT THESE UNUSED CAP UNFUNDED CAPITAL REQUESTS. THERE'S TWO OF THEM THAT KIND OF CONCERN ME. NO. NO SURPRISE. ONE OF THEM IS THE REQUESTED PETERBILT DUMP TRUCK FOR ROAD AND BRIDGE, WHICH THEY'RE ASKING FOR, AND IT'S COST $220,000 AND IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE BUDGET. AND, AND THEN THE THE OTHER ONE IS HERE ON THE THERE'S A BIG NUMBER IN THE HISTORIC COURTHOUSE REPLACING THE CHILLER FOR $400,000. I DON'T I GUESS WE DON'T HAVE I THINK THEY JUST PUT IT HERE. YEAH, BUT WHY DO WE NEED TO REPLACE THE CHILDREN IN THE HISTORIC COURTHOUSE? OH MY GOODNESS. I KNOW SO MUCH ABOUT THIS THAT IF I START TALKING, IT'LL BE DANGEROUS EVENTUALLY. YEAH, BUT NOT THIS YEAR. WE THINK WE CAN GET THROUGH IT. YEAH, WELL, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT MEANS NOT THIS YEAR. WE THINK WE CAN GET THROUGH, BUT NEXT YEAR IT'S COMING. THERE'S A LOT OF CHILLERS. THEY'RE GOING TO HAVE TO BE REPLACED OVER THE NEXT 2 OR 3 YEARS. THAT'S $400,000 HERE THAT WAS REQUESTED. SO SO NOW THINK ABOUT EVERYTHING THAT THAT IS THAT IS GO AHEAD. I'M SORRY, I DID NOT THAT THAT IS REMOVING THE CHILLER FROM THAT CLOSET AND PUTTING IT ON THE ROOF RATHER THAN REPAIRING IT WHERE IT IS OR DOING WORK ON IT, OR EVEN FINDING A CHEAPER SOLUTION. THAT WAS BECAUSE PUTTING THE CHILLER ON THE ROOF WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS REALLY FROWNED UPON WHEN THEY OPENED THIS BACK UP, BECAUSE IT'S A HISTORIC COURTHOUSE, AND THERE WAS THIS WHOLE IDEA ABOUT ROOF LINES, BUT THEY HAVE SINCE BACKED OFF ON A LOT OF THAT. SO PUTTING THE CHILLER ON THE ROOF MAKES THE MOST SENSE. IT GETS IT OUT OF THE WAY. I MEAN, IT SITS RIGHT ON TOP OF MY OFFICE AND LEAKS INTO MY OFFICE PERIODICALLY. SO IT WOULD BE NICE TO JUST GET IT UP ON THE ROOF. SO BUT CURRENTLY THE COMPUTER SYSTEM FOR THE CHILLER DOES NOT WORK. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO WE RAN THROUGH THE NUMBERS. I THINK WE WERE AT ABOUT 2.1 MILLION OR SOMETHING IN THINGS THAT WE LOOKED AT. AND WE LOOK WE MAY NOT HAVE TO FUND A DAS REMODEL AND THOSE THINGS. AND WE CAN, WE CAN TALK THROUGH ALL THOSE. I HATE TO PUT US IN A BOX. SO AND THIS IS RIGHT, THERE IS ANOTHER $650,000 THAT I THINK WE AT LEAST NEED TO TALK ABOUT. SO I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION. AND WE'LL SEE WHERE WE GO. HOW'S THAT SOUND. 
          THAT'S THE FULL INCREMENT. THAT'S THE 1.1. AND THEN THAT'S THE I'M GOING TO MAKE A MOTION AND WE'LL SEE WHERE WE END UP. BUT I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE SET THE PROPOSED ROCKWALL COUNTY TAX RATE AT 8.284858, WHICH IS THE VOTER APPROVED PLUS UNUSED INCREMENT RATE. I WILL SECOND THAT MOTION. WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER LICHTY, A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MCCULLOCH. THIS IS A ROLL CALL VOTE. SO WHEN I CALL ON YOU, ENTER YOUR VOTE. 
          [02:45:04]
COMMISSIONER MCCULLOCH. YES. SORRY, I DIDN'T SAY YES. COMMISSIONER LICHTY. YES, COMMISSIONER STACY. NO. AND THE JUDGE VOTES NO. SO THE MOTION DOES NOT PASS. OKAY, SO I'LL ENTERTAIN ANOTHER MOTION. AND, JUDGE, I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE SET THE TAX RATE AT 0.28, WHICH IS USING SOME OF THE INCREMENTAL AND ABOVE THE FIRST DRAFT OF THE BUDGET, HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER STACY. I WILL SECOND IT A SECOND BY COMMISSIONER LICHTY. AGAIN, THIS WILL BE A ROLL CALL VOTE. COMMISSIONER MCCULLOCH. YES. COMMISSIONER LICHTY. YES. 
          COMMISSIONER STACY. YES, AND I VOTE NO. THE MEASURE PASSES 3 TO 1. ALL RIGHT. THAT TAKES US 
          [3.D) Discuss/Act on scheduling a Public Hearing for September 8, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. for the proposed 2026 County Tax Rate, and order publication for notice, and all related issues; (Judge New – Auditor)]
TO AGENDA ITEM THREE. D DISCUSS AND ACT ON SCHEDULING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2026 AT 9 A.M. FOR THE PROPOSED 2020. THAT'S SUPPOSED TO READ 2027 COUNTY TAX RATE AND ORDER PUBLICATION FOR NOTICE AND ALL RELATED ISSUES. JUDGE, MY MICROPHONE IS ON, SO I'M GOING TO GO AHEAD AND MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE THE PUBLIC HEARING SET FOR SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2026, FOR THE 2027 COUNTY TAX RATE AND ORDER PUBLICATION FOR NOTICE AND ANY OTHER RELATED ISSUE. GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER STACY. I WILL SECOND THAT SECOND BY COMMISSIONER LICHTY. IF YOU WILL RECORD YOUR VOTES NOW. AND JUST TO BE CLEAR, THAT IS CORRECT ON ON HERE. IT'S THE FY 27 BUDGET, BUT IT IS THE 2026 TAX RATE. CORRECT. OKAY. JUST JUST FOR SAKE OF CLARITY FOR A MINUTES, I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT IT IS THE TAX RATE FOR THE FY 27, WHICH THE AUDITOR HAS CORRECTED. IT'S THE 2026 COUNTY TAX RATE. GOT IT. THANK YOU FOR 
          [3.E) Discuss/Act on scheduling a Public Hearing for September 8, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. to approve the FY2027 Annual Budget, and all related issues; (Judge New – Auditor) 
 ]
THE CLARIFICATION. THAT TAKES US TO AGENDA ITEM THREE. E DISCUSS AND ACT ON SCHEDULING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2026 AT 9 A.M. TO APPROVE THE FY 2027 ANNUAL BUDGET AND ALL RELATED ISSUES. JUDGE, I'D LIKE TO MAKE A MOTION THAT WE SCHEDULE A PUBLIC HEARING ON SEPTEMBER 8TH, 2026 AT 9 A.M. TO APPROVE THE FY 2027 ANNUAL BUDGET. GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER SECOND BY COMMISSIONER MCCULLOCH. IF YOU'LL RECORD YOUR VOTES NOW, 
          [4) PROPERTY ACQUISITIONS/DISPOSITIONS:]
THAT PASSES 4 TO 0. THAT BRINGS US TO AGENDA ITEM FOUR. DISCUSS AND ACT ON APPROVING THE FOLLOWING PROPERTY ACQUISITIONS AND DISPOSITIONS OF FIXED ASSETS. DISTRICT ATTORNEY TO PURCHASE FROM CAPITAL OUTLAY, A FORD EXPLORER AND JUST TO ALL TRANSPARENCY AND AND GIVING THE BACKSTORY, THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY REQUESTED THIS IN THE FY 27 BUDGET. THERE WERE SOME FUNDS AVAILABLE IN HER FUND IN HER CURRENT OPERATING BUDGET AND HER CAPITAL MIXED TOGETHER. 
          SO WE ARE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND TRY TO MAKE THE PURCHASE NOW BY SEPTEMBER 30TH. AND THAT'S WHY IT'S IN FRONT OF YOU TODAY. ALL RIGHT. IT SOUNDS GOOD. THEN I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE PROPERTY ACQUISITION FOR A GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER STACY. I WILL SECOND IT SECOND BY COMMISSIONER LICHTY. IF YOU'LL RECORD YOUR VOTES NOW, PLEASE. 
          [5) NON-EMERGENCY BUDGET TRANSFER(S):]
AND THAT TAKES US TO AGENDA ITEM FIVE FIVE A IT'S A REQUEST APPROVAL OF THE FOLLOWING NON EMERGENCY BUDGET TRANSFERS TO AMEND THE RULE LAW ENFORCEMENT GRANT SB 22 TO SET UP BUDGET FOR COMPLIANCE REFUND IN THE AMOUNT OF $62,410.94. AND IF YOU RECALL, THIS WAS WERE AMENDING THE SB 22 FUND 41 BUDGET SO THAT WE CAN PAY THE BILLS OF THAT COMPLIANCE REPORT THAT WAS ON LAST COURT. JUDGE, I'LL MAKE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE. BA2026-003. GOT A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER SECOND BY COMMISSIONER METALLIC. IF YOU'LL REGISTER YOUR VOTES PLEASE. THAT PASSES 4 TO 0. THAT BRINGS US TO. WE'RE GOING TO GO RIGHT THROUGH THE REST OF THIS STUFF AND SAY AT 1207 WE ARE ADJOURNED.
* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.