THINK THIS IS THIS OUR FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOP OF THE YEAR. OKAY. YES. THIS IS GOING TO BE
[CALL TO ORDER]
[1. Approval of Agenda.]
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OUR FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOP. LET'S GO AHEAD AND START WITH NUMBER ONE APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA MOTION. SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND TO APPROVE ANY DISCUSSION. HEARING NONE.ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED. AGENDA IS APPROVED. AND NOW WE'RE GOING
[2. Discussion of FY2027 Budget.]
TO HAVE A DISCUSSION REGARDING 2027 BUDGET. BOBBY PACHUCAS COULD NOT BE HERE TODAY. I BELIEVE HE'S ON VACATION, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN. ALAN, I WAS TOLD YOU MIGHT BE LEADING US IN A DISCUSSION ON THE CURRENT BUDGET. THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT I WAS LIKE, WHO IS LEADING THE DISCUSSION? IF BOBBY'S NOT HERE, I'M OPEN FOR QUESTIONS. SO LET'S JUST START WITH THIS IS GOING TO BE A BASIC OVERVIEW. HAVE WE GOTTEN ANY UPDATED INFORMATION AT ALL FROM OKAY, FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT AND THE EXPENDITURES THAT ARE WHAT YOU'VE GOT IN FRONT OF YOU ARE ALL THE DEPARTMENT REQUESTS, EXCEPT FOR A FEW THAT WE STILL HAVEN'T RECEIVED. SO IT'S REALLY EVERYTHING REALLY COMPLICATED. OKAY. WHAT, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENTIAL RIGHT NOW BETWEEN WHAT WE PROJECT OR THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE IN TERMS OF, OKAY, 6 TO 7 MILLION.THAT'S RIGHT NOW, BUT RIGHT NOW WHERE WE ARE EVERYWHERE IN THIS STATE. SO SO I THINK TOTAL REQUEST WE HAD FOR, FOR NEW NEW SPENDING WAS AROUND 10 MILLION. IS THAT ACCURATE? YEAH. OKAY.
AND THEN WE PROJECT THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE USUALLY 4 TO 5 SOMEWHERE IN THAT NEIGHBORHOOD TO WORK WITH IN TERMS OF NEW REVENUE FROM NEW VALUE. BASED ON THE ESTIMATE THAT WE GOT.
THAT'S THAT'S ABOUT ONE YESTERDAY. OKAY. SO ANYWAY, WE'RE STILL LOOKING. SO THAT LEAVES US WITH THIS DIFFERENTIAL, WHICH IS SUBSTANTIAL, BUT IT IS IT IS A NORMAL PART OF THE PROCESS. NOT EVERYBODY, YOU KNOW, TYPICALLY IN BUDGET, NOT EVERYONE GETS WHAT YOU KNOW, WHAT THEY WANT. OBVIOUSLY EVERYONE HAS NEEDS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT. I THINK THIS BUDGET PROCESS WE SAW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE WE SEE IT EVERY YEAR, BUT IT STILL CONTINUES TO GROW AT EXTREMELY HIGH RATES. REQUESTS FOR NEW EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, BEING ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE CURRENT DEMAND, STAFFING, IT'S AN ONGOING PROCESS YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT.
WE'RE TRYING TO MAKE SOME SUBSTANTIAL, SUBSTANTIAL ADDITIONS, ESPECIALLY IN THE AREA OF ROAD AND BRIDGE. SHERIFF'S OFFICE OBVIOUSLY CONTINUES TO BE AN AREA IN WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE EXPAND STAFFING YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT. I MEAN, IF YOU LOOK AT JUST THE LAST THREE BUDGET CYCLES, I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MUCH WE'VE HOW MANY EMPLOYEES WE HAD. WE HAD ONE CYCLE WHERE WE ADDED ALMOST 30 EMPLOYEES JUST TO THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. SO AND THAT'S, THAT'S CONTINUING. BUT WE ALSO ARE DEALING WITH PAY PARITY AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE AS WELL. SO IF EVERYBODY, ANYONE WHO'S FOLLOWED ANY OF THE NEWS KNOWS THAT, YOU KNOW, IT STARTED WITH CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY. THEY MADE SOME MAJOR ADJUSTMENTS. AND THAT OBVIOUSLY TRICKLES DOWN. AND SO NOW WE'RE SEEING THAT AT OUR LEVEL WHERE WE'RE HAVING TO BASICALLY MAKE ADJUSTMENTS IN ORDER TO RETAIN OR KEEP A LOT OF OFFICERS, YOU KNOW, DEPUTIES AND OFFICERS THAT WE'VE SPENT A LOT OF TIME AND MONEY TRAINING AND BRINGING ALONG IN ORDER TO KEEP THEM FROM GOING TO FORT BEND COUNTY, MONTGOMERY COUNTY, HARRIS COUNTY, CITY OF HOUSTON, WHERE THEY ARE PAYING SUBSTANTIALLY MORE. SO WE'RE HAVING TO NOW DEAL WITH THAT.
THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN IN PROBABLY IN THIS BUDGET CYCLE AS WELL. SO THAT'S JUST KIND OF WHERE WE ARE RIGHT NOW IN TERMS OF THE BUDGET PROCESS. WE WON'T HAVE FINAL NUMBERS FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT. TYPICALLY, I THINK IT'S END OF JULY IS WHEN THEY HAVE TO CERTIFY THEIR APPRAISAL ROLL. THAT GIVES US THE ACTUAL NUMBERS. I WILL SAY THIS JUST AS JUST AS GENERAL DISCUSSION. I YOU KNOW, THE NUMBERS SEEM TO ME AT LEAST THE NUMBERS WE'RE PROJECTING RIGHT NOW, THEY SEEM LOW TO ME. AND I THINK SOME OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COURT WOULD PROBABLY AGREE THAT IT JUST DOESN'T SEEM WITH. I KNOW, KNOWING THE LEVEL OF GROWTH WE'VE GOT GOING ON IN THIS COUNTY, IT SEEMS LIKE THE NUMBERS SHOULD BE INCREASING PROPORTIONATELY. IT DOESN'T SEEM TO BE THAT WAY. BUT AND WHAT YOU KNOW WHAT WHAT THAT COULD BE CAUSING THAT, I DON'T KNOW, TO BE HONEST. THAT'S SOMETHING THAT CAN PROBABLY BE DEBATED OR DISCUSSED AT LENGTH FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY, BUT IT JUST SEEMS LIKE WE'RE NOT THE REVENUE. WE'RE NOT SHOWING THE NUMBERS THAT SHOULD BE THERE. BUT IT IS, YOU KNOW, WE'LL SEE WHAT THEY COME OUT IN
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JULY, AND THEN WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS BETWEEN THEN TO GET TO A FINALIZED BUDGET BY THE END OF AUGUST. SO AGAIN, NOT NOT UNTYPICAL FOR A BUDGET CYCLE, BUT IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE WAY IT IS. MY QUESTION WOULD BE TO ALAN AND MIKE, SOME OF THE STATE POLICIES OR LEGISLATION BEEN HEARING SOME OF OUR COUNTERPARTS OPERATING OR SCARED THAT THEY MAY BE OPERATING FROM A DEFICIT DUE TO SOME OF THE POLICIES THAT ARE IMPACTED. ARE WE SEEING ANYTHING THAT MAY IMPACT OUR NEW GROWTH OR THE THE DOLLARS THAT WE SEE FROM OUR NEW GROWTH BEING DECREASED? TRYING TO LOWER THE REVENUE CAP FROM THREE AND A HALF TO ONE? YEAH, THAT'S WHAT GOVERNOR ABBOTT WAS SAYING THAT HE WANTED. SO THAT WOULD LIMIT ANY GROWTH. YOU ALWAYS GET GOOD VALUE. BUT THEN AFTER THAT, INSTEAD OF THREE AND A HALF, YOU SHOULD GET WITHIN THREE AND A HALF. NOW I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN OR NOT, BUT IT'S OUT THERE. OKAY. WE HAVE TO PLAN ACCORDINGLY. A COUPLE ONE, I MUST SAY, JUDGE COMMITTEE. THANK YOU ALL. I THINK OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS, I WANT TO SAY THIS BUDGET ADDRESSES SO FAR ADDRESS SOME CONCERNS THAT THE CONSTABLE'S. HAS HAD. SO I LIKE TO SAY THANK YOU TO THE JUDGE AND THE COMMITTEE FOR LISTENING TO THAT. I ALSO LIKE TO SEE HOW WE KNOW THAT WE'RE. GREAT INTERVIEW THE OTHER DAY, JUDGE, BY THE WAY. BUT OBVIOUSLY WE KNOW WITH THE GROWTH THAT WE ARE EXPECTING AND A SUBDIVISION IS USUALLY BUILT OUT AT 5 TO 7 YEARS, IT TAKES US ABOUT FOUR YEARS TO REDO A ROAD FROM START TO FINISH. JUST WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SUPPORT THE COUNTY ENGINEER'S OFFICE. AS FAR AS HOW DO WE IMPROVE OUR GRADING AS FAR AS OUR ROADS AND WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE, I KNOW THAT THAT WOULD BE A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT. ALSO, SEEING HOW. WE COULD ASSIST POSSIBLY, AND HAVING A DEVELOPMENT OFFICER OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT IN THE ENGINEER'S OFFICE TO TAKE ON SOME OF THE BRUNT THAT I THINK ROSS FACES, OR THAT THAT THAT COMES UP. AND HIS ROLE ALSO WANT US TO LOOK AT DOING SOME CIP PROJECTS OR PUTTING SOME FUNDING TO THE SIDE TO LOOK AT DOING SOME CIP PROJECTS. ALAN. AND, AND MIKE, I KNOW YOU GUYS USUALLY ARE BUNKERED DOWN, BUT I KNOW THAT WITH GROWTH, WE PUT MORE ON ALMOST EVERY DEPARTMENT. WANT TO SEE OR ASK IF YOU GUYS NEEDED HELP OR WANTED SOME NOT EVEN WANTED. I DON'T WANT TO USE THAT WORD, BUT NEEDED SOME WOULD. I WOULD MEET WITH HIM AND THEN HE WOULD HE WOULD APPROVE THOSE. THOSE POSITIONS WE ADDED. WE ADDED TWO THIS YEAR, WHICH WAS BECAUSE WE HADN'T HAD IT BEFORE. THAT I THINK WAS 1995 BEFORE WE. AND THEN STAFF. SO I REMEMBER THAT BECAUSE THAT'S THE YEAR I WAS BORN. YOU'RE DONE ANYWAY. YEAH. I WOULD GO TO THE DISTRICT JUDGE AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT.BUT HE ADDED TWO POSITIONS LAST YEAR AND THAT'S WHEN WE GET FULLY STAFFED. THAT WILL BE THAT'LL BE A BIG HELP. OKAY. AND OF COURSE FOR FOR US, I ALWAYS ASK THAT WE HAVE SOME CONSULTANT FEES IN THE BUDGET JUST FOR US TO LOOK AT. I THINK WE'RE ABOUT TO HAVE TO DO A. I THINK THIS ISSUE IS ALREADY TAKEN CARE OF. BUT A NEW MAJOR THOROUGHFARE PLAN. I THINK WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO EVALUATE OUR PARKS PLAN. I THINK SOME OF THOSE PLANS ARE THAT THE COUNTY HAS HAD OR IS COMING UP ON BEING TEN YEARS. WE KIND OF WANT TO LOOK AT A COUNTY STRATEGIC PLAN FOR HOW WE TAKE INTO ACCOUNT THE GROWTH OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS. I ALSO WANT TO YOU ALREADY TOUCHED ON THE JUDGE, BUT LOOK AT PAY DISPARITY. YOU KNOW, COMMISSIONER AMSLER HAS A SAYING, AND I THINK ALAN, MIKE ALWAYS SAYS ALL IT TAKES IS MONEY. I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE GET THIS MONEY FROM, BUT WE GOT A LOT OF HOLES THAT WE WANT TO
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PATCH UP AS A COURT. PLUS, IT'LL BE YOUR LAST ONE, JUDGE. YOU'LL BE MISSED. I CRY THE NEXT SIX MONTHS AS YOU LEAVE, BUT I GUESS GO OUT WITH A BANG, MAN. WELL, I APPRECIATE THE COMMENTS, COMMISSIONER. I KNOW THIS IS EVERY BUDGET CYCLE EXCEEDS THE LAST ONE IN TERMS OF HOW HARD THESE BUDGETS HAVE BECOME, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE A STATE THAT'S VERY INTENT ON TYING YOUR HANDS BEHIND YOUR BACK. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY, THEY THEY CONTINUE TO PASS LAWS, UNFUNDED MANDATES. WE TALKED ABOUT THIS BEFORE THAT REQUIRE YOU TO ADD EMPLOYEES TO PROVIDE PROGRAMS TO PROVIDE SERVICES. THEY TYPICALLY DO NOT GIVE YOU THE MONEY TO PROVIDE THOSE THINGS. SO THEY USE COUNTIES AND CITIES, BUT COUNTIES PRIMARILY AS AS A NO LIMIT CREDIT CARD, CONTINUING TO PASS LAWS, BUT THEN AT THE SAME TIME POINTING THE FINGER AT COUNTIES AND SAYING THAT WE WE NEED TO BE RESTRICTED IN HOW MUCH REVENUE WE CAN TAKE IN. AND I'M JUST GOING TO SAY, YOU KNOW, WE USED TO HAVE 8.5% WAS WHAT WE COULD WORK WITHIN IN TERMS OF PASSING A BUDGET THAT WAS AN 8.5% INCREASE OVER THE REVENUE FROM THE PRIOR YEAR. NOW THAT'S 3.5%. I KNOW, YOU KNOW, WE AS A COUNTY HAVE BEEN VERY FORTUNATE IN THAT OVER THE LAST WELL, SINCE I BECAME JUDGE IN. 15 WE WE LOWERED THE TAX RATE DURING THAT TIME, ALMOST A THIRD, ALMOST A THIRD. I MEAN, PEOPLE DON'T REALLY LET THAT SINK IN A THIRD. OVER THAT TIME PERIOD, WE HAD TWO BUDGET CYCLES BACK TO BACK THAT WE PASSED NO NEW REVENUE BUDGETS. SO WE ACTUALLY WERE OPERATING ON THE SAME REVENUE WE OPERATED ON THE YEAR BEFORE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF NEW REVENUE FROM NEW VALUE, WHICH IS BRAND NEW TO THE COUNTY. SO, I MEAN, WE'VE, WE'VE OPERATED WITHIN THOSE CONFINES, BUT IT'S GETTING TO THE POINT. YOUR FAST GROWING COUNTY, YOU'RE ADDING EMPLOYEES, YOU'RE ADDING STAFF, YOU'RE ADDING SERVICES BECAUSE IT'S DEMANDED. AND IF WE GO TO 1%, IT'S GOING TO BE DEVASTATING. IT'S GOING TO BE DEVASTATING FOR THIS COUNTY. IT'S GOING TO BE DEVASTATING ACROSS THE STATE. AND PEOPLE SAY, WELL, YOU KNOW, WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? I GO START THINKING ABOUT THE SERVICES THAT YOU CAN LIVE WITHOUT BECAUSE WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO CUT. I MEAN, THERE'S JUST NO WAY WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE SERVICES AT THE LEVEL WE'RE PROVIDING THEM. WE WE'RE HAVING A HARD TIME EVEN KEEPING UP ON ROADS AS IT IS. AND WE TRY AND BUT YOU CAN LOOK AT OUR BUDGETS AND LOOK AT HOW MUCH WE'VE INCREASED OUR BUDGET YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT, STAFFING, MATERIALS, RESOURCES, EQUIPMENT.HOW ARE WE GOING TO DO THAT WHEN A 1% CAP. BUT YET THE VOTERS, YOU KNOW, WE TRIED TO TO PUT COUNTY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS IN FRONT OF THE VOTERS. WE'VE DONE IT TWICE NOW.
IT GOT VOTED DOWN BOTH TIMES TO ASSESS THAT ONE. THE PENALTY, THE THE ONE PENNY THAT'S LEFT ON SALES TAX THAT THE ESD TOOK, THE OTHER PENNY, BY THE WAY, WHICH, BY THE WAY, I LOOKED UP IN THE 26 BUDGET, THAT ONE PENNY GENERATED $9.5 MILLION IN REVENUE FOR THE ESD, WHICH IS SIGNIFICANT, $9.5 MILLION, I PROMISE YOU, IF IF I WENT TO ROSS AND SAID, OKAY, YOU'VE GOT $9.5 MILLION IN ADDITION TO WORK WITH, I HAVE A FEELING, ROSS, YOU HAVE ALL KINDS OF WAYS THAT YOU CAN PUT THAT TO WORK, TO MAKE ROAD AND BRIDGE MORE EFFICIENT, TO DO MORE ROADS, TO GET MORE PROGRAM, YOU KNOW, TO GET MORE STUFF DONE SO WE CAN INCREASE OUR MAINTENANCE OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE MILES THAT WE MAINTAIN IN ANY GIVEN YEAR, WE CAN INCREASE THAT. AND I SEE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, I SAW A POST THE OTHER DAY AND THEY'RE LIKE, THIS ROAD IS HORRIBLE.
IT'S LIKE YET YET VOTERS DIDN'T WOULD NOT APPROVE A, YOU KNOW, THE, THE, THE IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT. SO, YOU KNOW, WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE REALLY BEING PUT IN A BOX. WE HAVE VERY LIMITED REVENUE TO WORK WITH. THIS IS THE ONLY SOURCE OF REVENUE WE HAVE. I DON'T LIKE TAXES AS MUCH AS ANYBODY ELSE ON THIS DAIS. WE ALL YOU KNOW, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, WE ALL KNOW THAT'S WHAT WE'VE GOT TO WORK WITH. AND IF WE'RE GOING TO REPLACE IT, YOU KNOW, GOVERNOR ABBOTT IS TALKING ABOUT GETTING RID OF PROPERTY TAX. OKAY. AND WHERE IS THAT GOING TO COME FROM? WHERE DOES THE REVENUE TO PUT DEPUTIES ON THE STREET TO PUT, YOU KNOW, ROAD CREWS OUT REPAIRING ROADS? WHERE IS THAT REVENUE GOING TO COME FROM? SO IT'S, IT'S, IT'S, IT'S A BATTLE.
BUT WE'LL WE'LL CONTINUE. ROSS, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING YOU WANTED TO TALK ABOUT? OBVIOUSLY IT'S A BUDGET WORKSHOP. THANK YOU. THANK YOU JUDGE. JUST A FEW QUICK COMMENTS. SO IN MY ORIGINAL PRESENTATION TO THE BUDGET COMMITTEE, I WANT TO NOTE I DIDN'T ADD ANY POSITIONS.
OUR STRATEGY WAS TO LOOK AT INVESTING IN, HEY, LET'S GET MORE CONTRACT WORK. LET'S USE GIS, LET'S USE THE TECHNOLOGY THAT WE HAVE, INVEST IN OUR EMPLOYEES, EITHER THROUGH HR OR
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KEEPING UP WITH THAT, GETTING JOAN AND GETTING THOSE DEPARTMENTS AND I.T. WHAT THEY NEED. THAT'S KIND OF BEEN OUR STRATEGY MOVING FORWARD. GISGIS IS VERY INSTRUMENTAL IN WHAT WE'RE DOING, WHAT GIS IS, AS YOU KNOW, GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS. IT'S COLLECTING THE DATA OF OUR ROADS. OKAY. AND SO IT'S A TOOL WE'RE USING TO USE AGAINST ALL THE GROWTH TO MANAGE THE GROWTH. SO WITH GIS, WE'RE GOING OUT COLLECTING THE INFORMATION.THREE, THREE YEARS AGO, THE COURT ALLOWED US ALLOWED ROAD AND BRIDGE TO CREATE GIS AND GIS EMPLOYEES. AND RECENTLY NOT TOOTING MY OWN HORN, BUT THEY WERE NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED OR BEING PUBLISHED IN IN A NATIONAL DOCUMENT. AND SO THAT HADN'T COME FORWARD. BUT I'M VERY PROUD OF THOSE, VERY PROUD OF THAT TEAM. AND THE INTENT OF THE GIS WAS WE WOULD TAKE ON 911 ADDRESSING. WE WOULD HELP OUT AROUND THE COUNTY SUPPLEMENT GIS FUNCTIONS, BECAUSE I PERSONALLY BELIEVE THAT GIS IS HELPFUL ACROSS THE BOARD. AND THERE'S SO MUCH YOU CAN DO. AS LONG AS YOU HAVE THE INFORMATION. YOU CAN COLLECT THE INFORMATION, YOU CAN MAKE EDUCATED DECISIONS. AND SO THAT WAS KIND OF MY FIRST STEP IS, HEY, LET'S COLLECT THE DATA.
AND SO SINCE THE MY FIRST BUDGET PRESENTATION, THERE HAVE BECOME SOME NEEDS, SOME REQUESTS THAT COME UP. AND CERTAINLY WE TO HELP OUT AND SERVE AND BE A PART OF THE WALLER COUNTY TEAM. BUT REALLY IMPORTANT TO WHAT WE'RE DOING IN OUR MISSION AT ROAD AND BRIDGE IS I NEED TO PRESERVE THOSE GIS FUNCTIONS AT ROAD AND BRIDGE SO THAT WE CAN STAY ON TOP OF WHAT WE'RE DOING SO WE CAN MAKE INFORMED, EDUCATED DECISIONS SO THAT I CAN GET YOU INFORMATION. I CAN GET YOU GOOD DATA SO YOU CAN MAKE GOOD DECISIONS. AND SO I WOULD REQUEST THAT THE COURT BE COGNIZANT OF THAT. AND, YOU KNOW, I HAVE HAD SOME DISCUSSIONS WITH MY INTERNAL STAFF ON, HEY, WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE AS FAR AS AS WE EXPAND 911 ADDRESSING, WE'RE HELPING OUT WITH THE S O AND THE TYLER TECHNOLOGIES AND WORKING THROUGH THAT SYSTEM. BUT THERE ARE SOME RESOURCES THAT ARE NEEDED THERE. AND I'M NOT I'M GOING TO STAY WITHIN MY LANE HERE. BUT BUT I WANT TO REEMPHASIZE THAT, HEY, WE'RE HERE TO SUPPLEMENT AND HELP OUT, BUT I DON'T NEED MY STAFF. I DON'T NEED GIS TO TAKE ON OTHER PROJECTS BECAUSE IT TAKES IT TAKES AWAY FROM OUR ROAD AND BRIDGE OUR FUNCTION. WE'RE NOT ABLE TO CAPTURE THE DATA EFFECTIVELY. WE'RE NOT ABLE TO HANDLE THOSE NEEDS. AND WE HAVE NEEDS JUST LIKE SHERIFF AND FACILITIES AND EVERYBODY ELSE. BUT I NEED THAT PRESERVED. AND SO IF THERE ARE ADDITIONAL REQUESTS THAT ARE NEEDED, LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT IN THE BUDGET COMMITTEE. WE'LL SEE WHAT. HEY, WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE TO EITHER EXPAND THE GIS SYSTEM, EXPAND THAT DEPARTMENT? DO WE HAVE LIAISON GIS LIAISONS IN DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS? WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE. BUT THE POINT OF WHAT I'M SAYING TODAY IS WE HAVE A GOOD, SOLID GROUP OF GIS TECHNICIANS. THEY'RE DOING A GREAT JOB. THEY DO HAVE MORE WORK THAN WHAT THEY CAN HANDLE.
BUT I STILL THINK WE CAN WE CAN OPERATE MY MY STAFF CAN OPERATE A LITTLE MORE EFFICIENTLY.
WE'RE WORKING ON THAT. BUT AS THESE NEW ADDITIONS, ADDITIONAL REQUESTS COME ON BOARD. PLEASE BE COGNIZANT OF THAT. IF THAT'S WHAT'S GOING TO BE REQUIRED OF US, THEN WE NEED TO REALLY LOOK AT RESOURCES. I'M GOING TO HAVE TO GO SHARPEN MY PENCIL, COME BACK TO YOU AND SAY, HEY, COMMISSIONERS, WE MAY NEED TWO, THREE, 15 PEOPLE. NOT REALLY 15, BUT WE NEED ADDITIONAL HELP. IF THAT'S THE DIRECTION YOU WANT TO GO. BUT I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT AS COUNTY ENGINEER, WE DO NEED GIS. THEY ARE WORKING THEIR TAILS OFF. THEY'RE GETTING NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED FOR THE INNOVATION THAT THEY'RE BRINGING TO THE BOARD OR BRINGING TO THE DEPARTMENT. AND I'M PROUD OF THEM, AND I DON'T WANT TO RUIN THAT. I HAVE BEEN PART OF OTHER ORGANIZATIONS THAT DIDN'T RECOGNIZE THAT VALUE, AND NOW THEY'RE SUFFERING FOR IT. SO I APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT. PLEASE KEEP THAT IN MIND. AND IF AS WE MOVE FORWARD, IF WE NEED TO, TO ADD ADDITIONAL SCOPES TO THOSE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS OR DIFFERENT FUNCTIONS, LET'S LET'S REALLY TAKE A HARD LOOK AT, HEY, WHAT DOES THAT REQUIRE AS FAR AS PEOPLE DO WE CONSULT OR CONTRACT OUT SOME OF THAT WORK? IF IT'S DATA COLLECTION, IF IT'S DATA MANIPULATION, CAN
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WE CONTRACT OUT THAT WORK? HAVE OUR PEOPLE OVERSEE AND LIAISON FOR THAT. BUT JUST KEEP THAT IN MIND. I WOULD APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. A COUPLE OF THINGS. ROSS. CAN WE NOT USE OUR GIS SYSTEM GOING FORWARD FROM TO DO SOME PREDICTIONS FOR US THAT WE MIGHT BE ABLE TO ANTICIPATE? IN OTHER WORDS, IF WE WERE TO CAPTURE DATA AS DEVELOPMENTS ARE GOING THROUGH THE APPROVAL PROCESS AND THEN PROJECT SOME SORT OF CONSTRUCTION TIMETABLES AND, AND SO FORTH. AND FROM THAT, BE ABLE TO PRODUCE A ANTICIPATED MOBILITY ISSUES AS THOSE DEVELOPMENTS COME TO FRUITION SO THAT WE CAN LOOK FORWARD INSTEAD OF, YOU KNOW, PRESENT OR BACKWARDS AND SAY, YOU KNOW, IN TWO YEARS, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A RED LIGHT AT THAT INTERSECTION BASED ON THIS DATA THAT YOU THAT YOU'RE CAPTURING.ABSOLUTELY. YES, SIR. THAT'S THE INTENT. AND THAT'S, THAT'S THE MORE IN DEPTH ANALYSIS I WANT TO GET INTO. WE'RE KIND OF JUST AT THE, AT THE AT THE SURFACE LEVEL HERE OF, OF WHAT WE CAN USE WITH GIS. AND SO WE WANT TO USE THAT. AND I KNOW AI IS A BAD THING, A BAD, BAD WORD TO SAY AROUND HERE. BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? IF WE CAN AUGMENT SOME OF OUR, OUR WORK AND SUPPLEMENT SOME, SOME OF OUR REPETITIVE DUTIES, THAT WORKS OUT BETTER FOR THE COUNTY, NOT SAFETY SENSITIVE TYPE ISSUES, BUT IT HELPS US OUT. I DON'T HAVE TO HIRE SOMEONE AND THEN, YOU KNOW, LAY THEM OFF OR FIND SOMETHING FOR THEM TO DO LATER. AND SO YEAH, I THINK THERE'S ALL KINDS OF AVENUES. AND I KNOW JOHN MORRELL IS LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING A LOT OF THAT STUFF, BUT IF I PULL THEM AWAY ON DIFFERENT OTHER PROJECTS, JUST KEEP IN MIND THAT'S AN OPPORTUNITY COST THAT WE'RE WE'RE MISSING OUT ON. SO THAT'S A JUSTIFICATION FOR MAYBE INCREASING YOUR STAFF. YEAH. AND THAT'S WHAT I WANT FOR WALLER COUNTY. I WANT THAT IN DEPTH ANALYSIS AS FAR AS. BUT AS FAR AS THE GUYS THAT YOU HAVE NOW, YOU WANT THEM TO FOR FOCUS ON THEIR CORE DUTIES. YES, SIR. THAT'S THAT THAT WAS THAT WAS THE INTENT WHEN I HIRED THEM. FOCUS ON ROAD AND BRIDGE. AND IF THERE'S IF THERE'S DIFFERENT TASKS, WHAT I WOULD SAY TASK. AND AND I KNOW JOHN AND, AND THE STAFF IS HELPING OUT WITH TASKS THAT THAT'S FINE.
BUT WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT IS A WHOLE NEW PROGRAM OR A WHOLE NEW PROJECT, A LARGE PROJECT, A TRANSITION OF SOFTWARE, YOU KNOW, WE'RE HERE TO HELP. BUT AGAIN, IF IT'S TAKING 4 OR 5 HOURS A DAY. IF IT'S TAKING 30 HOURS A WEEK, THAT'S 30 HOURS THAT I CAN'T GET IN THERE AND HAVE HIM, YOU KNOW, REALLY DO THE IN DEPTH ANALYSIS BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT I WANT. THAT'S, THAT'S THE INFORMATION I WANT. ALSO, ROSS, I, I THINK THE COURT HAS ALWAYS SUPPORTED YOU AND WANT TO CONTINUE SUPPORTING YOU. HOW COULD WE USE OUR PRIVATE PARTNERS A LITTLE BIT MORE TO BE ABLE TO TAKE OFF SOME THINGS PLATE TO ALLOW STAFF TO BE MANAGERS ON CERTAIN THINGS RATHER THAN HAVING TO DIVE DEEP. BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOOK AT DEVELOPMENT AND SOMETIMES YOU GO FROM A, YOU WAKE UP OVER TIME AND YOU THINK YOU HAVE ONE, 1 OR 2 DEVELOPMENTS AND NOW YOU HAVE FIVE, AND THEN WHAT THAT LOOKS LIKE STAFF WISE AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT, ROLLING OFF SOME OF THAT COST OR HAVING DEVELOPERS PAY FOR SOME OF THE COST FOR US TO BE MORE OF A PASS THROUGH, RATHER THAN YOUR STAFF BEING INUNDATED WITH EVERYTHING, EVEN WITH LOOKING AS FAR AS OUR ROADS, LIKE THE PLAN, AS FAR AS COMMUNITY ROADS OR ROADS TO A NEIGHBORHOOD, RATHER THROUGH LONG STRETCHES OF MAJOR THOROUGHFARE. HOW DO YOU SEE US? I DON'T I THINK YOUR STAFF GETS IMPACTED FIRST AND HIT HARDEST. WITH ALL THE GROWTH THAT IS GOING ON, AND I DON'T THINK THAT WE'RE GOING TO SLOW DOWN ANYTIME SOON. SO THAT'S. DOES THAT LOOK LIKE MORE STAFF YOU REFIGERATION OR HOW DOES THAT LOOK? YOU KNOW, I, I, I, I'M NOT GOING TO CLOSE THE DOOR TO ADDITIONAL STAFF, BUT THE NEED THAT I SEE FROM A DEPARTMENT
[00:25:06]
HEAD POSITION IS THAT WE NEED, WE NEED SUPPORT, WE NEED HELP IN THE SUPPORT DEPARTMENTS, YOU KNOW, YOUR PROCUREMENT, YOUR WE HAVE WE HAVE A GREAT PROCUREMENT DIRECTOR, ONE OF THE BEST I'VE EVER WORKED WITH. GIVE HER THE RESOURCES THAT SHE NEEDS. WE'VE GOT HR. WE'VE GOT A WHOLE LOT OF DEMANDS PLACED ON ON JOAN. AND I'M NOT TRYING TO TALK OUT OF TURN, BUT GIVE HER THE RESOURCES, WHATEVER THAT LOOKS LIKE. WE'VE GOT IT. THAT HAS A LOT OF GOOD IDEAS, AND I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING GREG AND HIS TEAM PROVIDE TO US. BUT GIVE, YOU KNOW, GIVE THEM THE RESOURCES TO HELP SUPPLEMENT AND BUILD UP THE ROAD AND BRIDGE PROGRAM. I THINK THAT'S THE FIRST STEP. AND REALLY LOOKING AT IT FROM A HIGH LEVEL, WE GOT TO INVEST IN THOSE THOSE DEPARTMENTS, GROW THOSE DEPARTMENTS IN AN EFFICIENT WAY. WHETHER IT'S BRINGING SOMETHING INTERNALLY OR EXPANDING THE EXISTING STRUCTURE. I REALLY BELIEVE IN THAT. YOU KNOW, DANNY IS WORKING HIS TAIL OFF ALL THE TIME. HE NEEDS SUPPORT AND HE'S GOT AMANDA NOW, WHICH, DARN IT, I WANTED AMANDA, BUT HE'S GOT GOOD SUPPORT. BUT LISTEN TO HIM, GIVE HIM THE RESOURCES. I MEAN, I'M ADVOCATING FOR THEM BECAUSE SELFISHLY IT HELPS ME. AND I REALLY SEE, REALLY SEE THE NEEDS THERE. AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU CAN HELP ME FOR THIS NEXT YEAR, BUILDING UP THOSE SUPPORT SERVICES, I THINK THAT HELPS US IN THE LONG RUN BECAUSE THEN I CAN CONTRACT MORE ROADS OUT. I CAN HIRE EMPLOYEES AND RETAIN GOOD EMPLOYEES. I CAN USE SOFTWARE AND INTELLIGENT, INTELLIGENT SOFTWARE TO HELP RUN OUR OUR PROGRAMS EFFICIENTLY. AND TO ME, THAT'S 4 OR 5 EMPLOYEES RIGHT THERE. SO I'M ASKING FOR THAT. THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT MY STRATEGY WOULD BE. THANK YOU. WELL, DEPARTMENT HEADS STAFF, PLEASE DON'T THROW PAPER BALLS AT ME. BUT WE UNDERSTAND THAT FOR THE MOST PART. I THINK OUR COUNTY IS.WALKING INTO A NEW TERRITORY IN WHICH NONE OF US HAS BEEN OR SAW COMING. AND SO THE STATEMENTS OF WE HAVEN'T ALWAYS DONE THINGS OR THIS IS A NEW WAY. WE HAVEN'T DONE THINGS LIKE THIS. I THINK WE GOT TO FIGURE OUT A NEW WAY TO DO THINGS, BECAUSE IF WE CONTINUE TO DO THE SAME THINGS WHERE I. I SEE SOME OF YOU ALL. YEAH, WE SMILE AND WE LAUGH AND SAY GOOD MORNING. BUT SOME DAYS I SEE SOME OF YOU ALL AND IT'S LIKE YOU ALL ARE DRAINED. AND I DON'T THINK THAT THAT THAT IS SUSTAINABLE FOR US TO CONTINUE TO DRAIN EVERY INCH OUT OF YOU ALL. OR AS PEOPLE SAY IN BUSINESS, GET EVERY DOLLAR WORTH OUT OF YOU ALL. YOU GUYS GIVE US WAY MORE, WHICH WE'RE ABLE TO GIVE YOU ALL, BUT WE HAVE TO COME UP WITH DIFFERENT WAYS. IF YOU NEED HELP, PLEASE DON'T BE AFRAID TO SAY THAT YOU NEED HELP. IF IT LOOKS DIFFERENT OR IDEAS LOOK DIFFERENT, PLEASE DON'T BE AFRAID TO SAY THAT IF YOU SEE SOME THINGS WORKING OTHER PLACES OR HAVE IDEAS, PLEASE THROW THEM OUT. AND LET'S NOT CONTINUE TO JUST DO THE SAME THINGS AND EXPECT DIFFERENT RESULTS BECAUSE WE'RE GOING INTO A DIFFERENT AREA. AND I KNOW FOR A WHILE WE WERE LIKE, HEY, WE'RE NOT GROWING. HAVE YOU SEEN HIS NEWS INTERVIEW? YOU SEE THAT, HEY, WE ARE GROWING. AND HEY, OUR COUNTY IS WALKING INTO A NEW TERRITORY. AND SO PLEASE JUST SAY, IF YOU NEED HELP, FIGURE OUT HOW WE COULD DO THAT AND LET'S TRY TO HELP EACH OTHER OUT. THANK YOU ROSS, FOR FOR A RISING TIDE LIFTS ALL BOATS. AND THAT'S WHAT YOU BASICALLY JUST SAID. AND SO THANK YOU JUDGE. I WANTED TO ADDRESS SOMETHING TOO. YOU MENTIONED THAT THE TAXABLE VALUE ISN'T GROWING AS MUCH AS YOU POSSIBLY ANTICIPATED, BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, WE START SEEING PROJECTS AT THE VERY EARLY POINT WHEN THE DEVELOPERS ARE KICKING THE TIRES AND SO FORTH. AND SO WE KIND OF GET THAT IN OUR MINDS AS TO POSSIBLE GROWTH. BUT IN TERMS OF TAXABLE VALUE, THERE'S A THREE, TWO, THREE YEAR LAG BETWEEN WHEN SOMEBODY THINKS THEY WANT TO DO SOMETHING AND WHEN THAT HOUSE IS BUILT AND SOLD. SO PART OF THAT LAG I THINK IS, IS IN THAT, THAT TIME
[00:30:06]
PERIOD. SO THAT IF THERE WAS NO NEW DEVELOPMENT STARTING RIGHT NOW, WE WOULD CONTINUE TO SEE A GROWTH RATE CONSUMING WHAT'S BEEN DEVELOPED. SO I THINK ONE EXPLANATION FOR THAT IS JUST THE LAG IN THERE BETWEEN WHEN IT'S CONCEIVED AND WHEN IT'S TAXABLE VALUE ON THE GROUND. I AGREE, I KIND OF EMPHASIZE WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT AS FAR AS THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT, SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU WERE CONCERNED ABOUT, I THINK THAT WE'RE TRYING TO GET BECKY TO COME VISIT WITH THE BUDGET COMMITTEE, NOT NOT THE COURT I WAS GOING TO ASK. WE WERE GOING TO BRING HER OVER TO ASK SOME OF THESE TOUGH QUESTIONS, BECAUSE IF YOU LOOK BACK ON MY DATABASE IN 15, 16, 16, 17, 18, THE BUDGET YEAR, THE THE APPRAISED VALUE WENT UP 9.5% EACH YEAR. THEN IT WENT TO 16, 19, 15, 25, 25, 17. AND THEN THE LAST TWO YEARS, THE NINE AND A HALF. AND WE'RE ESTIMATING 12 THIS YEAR. THAT DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE TO ME.NO, I, I, I LIKE THE IDEA OF HAVING BECKY COME IN WHEN WE START LOOKING AT TRENDS AND STUFF AND TALKING ABOUT BUDGETS AND GROWTH. AND I KNOW THERE'S LAGS AND ALL THAT KIND OF STUFF, BUT YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THE, THE STUFF THAT'S BEING COMPLETED. I KNOW IT WASN'T COMPLETED JANUARY 1ST, SO WE DIDN'T GET FULL VALUE FOR HPV OR MUSTANG AND SOME OF THE OTHER STUFF. BUT THAT THAT JUST SEEMS, I DON'T KNOW, IT'S NOT PLAUSIBLE TO ME. NOT THAT THAT'S WHAT THE BUDGET COMMITTEE HAS COME UP WITH THAT WE JUST NEED SOME AND I THINK TO HELP US. YEAH. AND I THINK SENDING HER THOSE QUESTIONS BEFORE WE MEET WITH HER. SO SHE HAS TIME TO TO LOOK INTO THEM AND FIND THOSE ANSWERS. BUT I THINK THAT'D BE A BIG HELP.
PLUS, YOU KNOW, THAT'S HAPPENING. AND THEN THE, YOU KNOW, IT, IT APPEARS TO ME THAT THE POWERFUL LEADERSHIP OF THE STATE OF TEXAS IS TRYING TO SEIZE CONTROL AT THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT LEVEL. AND NOT ONLY ARE THEY TRYING TO REVENUE CAPS, THEY'RE TRYING TO OKAY, YOU CAN ONLY RAISE REVENUE 1%. AND IF YOU HAVE A MAJOR PROJECT, THEY'RE GOING TO TRY TO LIMIT WHAT WE CAN USE CS FOR. AND THEY WANT A THREE FOURTHS MAJORITY TO PASS A BOND ISSUE, WHICH WAS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN. SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS OUT THERE THAT THAT THAT'S NOT BEING NEGATIVE BECAUSE WE'LL FACE THEM AND WE'LL DEAL WITH THEM. BUT THOSE ARE SOME OF THE CONSTRAINTS THAT THE BUDGET COMMITTEE HAS WHEN THEY CONSIDER ALL THE REQUESTS, YOU KNOW, AND IT GOES TO THE CORE ISSUE OF WHY WE'RE HERE, BECAUSE AND THIS THIS IS SOMETHING THAT IS AND I HOPE PEOPLE PAY ATTENTION TO THIS, BECAUSE THIS IS WHAT IT'S GOING TO COME DOWN TO. AND I HOPE THEY MAKE THEIR VOICES HEARD. YOU KNOW, I'VE ALWAYS BEEN A VERY BIG BELIEVER IN LOCAL CONTROL. IT'S WHAT TEXAS WAS FOUNDED ON. IT'S WHAT YOU KNOW, IT'S WHAT MADE TEXAS SUCCESSFUL. AND WE HAVE A LEGISLATURE THAT IS DOING THE FARTHEST THING, GETTING AWAY FROM THAT. AND THE PROBLEM IS, IS THAT, YOU KNOW, WE ARE TRYING TO MAKE THESE DECISIONS. AND HERE'S THE THING, PEOPLE, I BELIEVE THIS MY THE WAY I LOOK AT IT, WHEN WE'RE ELECTED, MOST PEOPLE HAVE A VERY BUSY LIFE. THEY GET UP IN THE MORNING, THEY DRIVE INTO HOUSTON, THEY WORK A 9 TO 5. THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH CHILD CARE. THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH EXTRACURRICULARS. THEY GOT TO GET THEIR KIDS TO SOFTBALL PRACTICE. BY THE END OF THE DAY, THEY GET HOME, THEY EAT DINNER, THEY'RE EXHAUSTED. THEY COLLAPSE. THEY GO TO SLEEP, THEY WAKE UP THE NEXT DAY, THEY REPEAT. THEY DO NOT HAVE THE TIME NOR THE INCLINATION REALLY TO BE INVOLVED IN THE MINUTIA THAT GOES INTO RUNNING A COUNTY. THAT IS OUR JOB. THAT IS WHAT WE ARE ELECTED TO DO. WE ARE ELECTED TO SIT UP HERE AND TO WORK WITH EXCELLENT DEPARTMENT HEADS LIKE ROSS, CAROLYN, YOU KNOW EVERYONE, SEAN, THAT DO A GREAT JOB TO MAKE SURE WE DELIVER THE SERVICES THAT NEED TO BE DELIVERED. AND THAT MEANS WE GET INTO THE WEEDS ON A LOT OF THINGS WE'VE DONE. WE'VE ALREADY DONE THE RESEARCH. WE'VE ALREADY GONE THROUGH ALL THE DIFFERENT POSSIBILITIES AND WE'VE ASSESSED, YOU KNOW, OPTION A VERSUS OPTION B. IT AMAZES ME WHEN PEOPLE GO, WELL, WHY, YOU KNOW, WHY DIDN'T THE COUNTY DONE THIS? AND IT'S LIKE, WE, WE DISCUSSED THAT WE ALREADY WENT DOWN THAT ROAD OR WE'VE TRIED IT BEFORE, YOU KNOW, AND PEOPLE JUST DON'T UNDERSTAND OR THEY DON'T KNOW. AND I GET IT. THEY, THEY'RE TOO BUSY. AND, YOU KNOW, YOU SEE ONE LITTLE POST ON FACEBOOK AND YOU THINK, WELL, COUNTY'S NOT DOING ANYTHING. IT'S LIKE, OH MY GOSH, REALLY? AND I CAN EXPLAIN IT AT LENGTH. I CAN EXPLAIN IT UNTIL I'M BLUE IN THE FACE. AND THE NEXT DAY THERE'LL BE A POST ON THE EXACT SAME THING. AND IT'S LIKE, OKAY, BUT THAT'S WHAT WE'RE PAID TO DO. AND I MEAN, IF YOU GET AWAY FROM THAT AND YOU START TYING OUR HANDS BEHIND OUR BACK, YOU START, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE COUNTIES ACROSS THE STATE IF WE'RE LIMITED TO 1%. AND THEN YOU ALSO LIMIT THE WAY WE CAN GO. WE CAN FINANCE LONG TERM PROJECTS. I MEAN, LOOK, EVERYBODY IN HERE UNDERSTANDS YOU GO TO BUY A HOUSE, I DON'T KNOW, IS THERE ANYONE YOU KNOW? THERE'S THERE'S VERY FEW PEOPLE
[00:35:03]
THAT JUST GO, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M GONNA BUY A HOUSE AND I'M JUST GOING TO PAY CASH. I'M NOT IN THAT POSITION. MAYBE Y'ALL ARE, BUT I'M NOT. AND I'M AN ELECTED OFFICIAL. AND THAT HAS A LOT TO DO WITH IT. BUT I HAVE TO GO GET A LOAN. WHY DO YOU THINK THE COUNTY IS ANY DIFFERENT? IF WE'RE GOING TO BUILD, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO BUILD A NEW COURTHOUSE OR WE'RE GOING TO BUILD A JUSTICE CENTER OR A NEW JAIL, WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO ISSUE DEBT OVER A LONG TERM IN ORDER TO PAY THAT DEBT BACK. AND IT'S JUST LIKE YOU WITH YOUR MORTGAGE, YOU YOU TAKE OUT A MORTGAGE, YOU MAKE SURE YOU CAN AFFORD WHAT YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU BUY AND THEN YOU PAY THAT OVER TIME. THAT'S HOW WE WORK. NOW, IF YOU'RE GOING TO TAKE THAT AWAY FROM US, BECAUSE I CAN TELL YOU THIS, YOU GO TO 1%, A LOT OF COUNTIES ARE GOING TO ARE GOING TO HAVE TO ISSUE DEBT IN ORDER TO STAY AFLOAT. AND THEN IF YOU TAKE THAT AWAY, THERE'S THEIR ONLY THING THEY CAN DO IS, IS EITHER GO BANKRUPT OR CUT SERVICES, STOP PROVIDING SERVICES THAT PEOPLE ARE ACCUSTOMED TO GETTING ON AN ON AN EVERYDAY BASIS. BUT ROSS, THANK YOU. YOU KNOW, I APPRECIATE YOUR COMMENTS. I UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE COMING FROM.CONGRATULATIONS, BY THE WAY. I LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING MORE INFORMATION ABOUT OUR GIS FOLKS.
AND WE HAVE DEPARTMENTS ALL ACROSS THIS COUNTY THAT ARE DOING THE SAME KIND OF THINGS THAT ROSS IS DOING IN HIS DEPARTMENT. SO WE'VE GOT A GOOD TEAM. I HOPE THE LEGISLATURE ALLOWS US TO KEEP DOING WHAT WE'RE DOING, BECAUSE WALLER COUNTY IS ONE OF THOSE PLACES WHERE I THINK WE'RE DOING ALL THE RIGHT THINGS. WE'VE GOT OUR PRIORITIES IN LINE. YOU KNOW, WE'RE MAKING SURE WE'RE ADDRESSING, YOU KNOW, IT'S ROADS, LAW ENFORCEMENT THAT IS TWO OF THE BIGGEST CORE ISSUES THAT A COUNTY FACES ON A DAY TO DAY BASIS. SO WE'RE DOING ALL OF THOSE THINGS. THERE IS A LAG, THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, YOU IF YOU LOOK AT THE LATEST NUMBERS, WHICH HAS US ABOUT 5.7% GROWTH RATE, THAT WAS BASED ON ADDING 3800 PEOPLE TO THE COUNTY, BUT YET WE HAVE 80,000 RESIDENTIAL LOTS UNDER DEVELOPMENT. I THINK WE'RE SELLING MORE HOUSES THAN THAT A YEAR. BUT I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, IT'S VALUED AS OF JANUARY 1ST. YOU HAVE A HOUSE THAT DOESN'T HAVE THE TILE IN IT YET. IT GETS ASSESSED ON THAT JANUARY 1ST. YOU COULD HAVE SOMEBODY LIVING IN THAT HOUSE IN FEBRUARY. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GET ASSESSED AT FULL VALUE TO THE FOLLOWING JANUARY. WE HAVE A LOT OF THEM. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE TO PAY THOSE TAXES. SO YOU GOT TWO YEARS BEFORE YOU'RE REALLY GOING TO BE GETTING FULL VALUE ON THAT HOUSE. AND WITH RESIDENTIAL, THAT'S ANOTHER DEBATE FOR ANOTHER TIME. WHAT IS THE BREAK EVEN POINT FOR A COUNTY WHEN IT COMES TO RESIDENTIAL? YOU KNOW, IT USED TO BE, I WOULD SAY $350,000 ABOVE WHICH, YOU KNOW, OKAY, BELOW WHICH, BUT THAT WOULD BE LIKE 350 DOESN'T EVEN GET YOU A HOUSE TODAY. THAT'S A STARTER HOUSE. YOU KNOW, THAT'S ON THE BOTTOM END. YOU DON'T YOU DON'T I REMEMBER THAT. I REMEMBER SEEING THE SIGNS, YOU KNOW, HOUSES STARTING AT 150. YEAH. THAT THAT THAT'S GONE. MY GENERATION DIDN'T SEE THAT SIGN AND. YEAH. RIGHT. WELL YOU, YOU WEREN'T EVEN BORN WHEN I GRADUATED LAW SCHOOL, FOR GOD'S SAKES. SO, YOU KNOW, THERE'S THAT. BUT. THAT'S TRUE. YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT, COMMISSIONER.
IT IS IT IS ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE STARTED BACK IN 15, WE HAD 250 EMPLOYEES, GIVE OR TAKE. NOW WE'RE OVER 450 EMPLOYEES. AND PEOPLE, PEOPLE LOOK AT OUR BUDGET AND THEY GO, WELL, YOU KNOW, MOST OF YOUR BUDGET IS PAYROLL. YES, YES IT IS. OUR EMPLOYEES IS OUR TRADE. THAT IS HOW WE DELIVER THE SERVICES THAT PEOPLE COME TO EXPECT.
WHEN YOU GO TO VOTE, YOU THINK THOSE MACHINES JUST ALL OF A SUDDEN APPEAR ON ELECTION DAY AND YOU GO AND YOU PUT IN YOUR VOTE? NO, THEY'RE PROGRAMED, THEY'RE ASSESSED, THEY'RE TESTED. WE HAVE A WHOLE STAFF. THAT'S ALL THEY DO ALL YEAR ROUND. AND THEY DO. THEY HOLD MULTIPLE ELECTIONS. THE COUNTIES DO ELECTIONS. COUNTIES PROVIDE COURTROOMS, COURT SYSTEMS, COURT STAFF. I MEAN THE LIST GOES ON AND ON. YOU KNOW, WE COLLECT TAXES. WE WE BUILD ROADS. I MEAN, YOU KNOW, WE PROVIDE LAW ENFORCEMENT. I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT TO IT, A LOT OF MOVING PARTS. BUT I REALLY HOPE PEOPLE START TO PAY ATTENTION BECAUSE THIS LEGISLATIVE SESSION, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WATCHED IT FOR THE LAST FEW YEARS AND THERE'S BEEN IT'S A CONSTANT ATTACK ON LOCAL CONTROL. THEY'RE SLOWLY BUT SURELY, YOU KNOW, KIND OF CHIPPING AWAY AND TAKING AND TAKING THAT AWAY FROM THE FROM LOCAL OFFICIALS. AND IT'S NOT GOING TO END WELL. AND I DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE A REPUBLICAN OR A DEMOCRAT, OKAY? DOESN'T MATTER. LOCAL CONTROL IS THE BEST WAY. YOU KNOW, I, I SEE PEOPLE AT THE GROCERY STORE, I UNDERSTAND THEY ACTUALLY CALL ME AND GO, COCHRAN ROAD IS HORRIBLE. I GO, I UNDERSTAND WE'LL GET SOME PEOPLE OUT THERE. WE'LL TRY TO DO WHAT WE CAN. THERE'S A LONG TERM PLAN, YOU
[00:40:02]
KNOW, I MEAN, THERE'S AND THAT AND WE HAVE THAT THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE COUNTY. NOT TO PUT ROSS.I MEAN, I KNOW LIKE RIGHT NOW WE'RE TRYING TO GET MORE CONTRACTORS IN JUST TO BRING THEM IN ON CONTRACTS TO EITHER, YOU KNOW, DO OVERLAYS OR ACTUALLY REBUILD ROADS. I MEAN, IF I WERE TO, TO TODAY WITH OUR CURRENT EQUIPMENT AND STAFF, WE HAVE THE CAPABILITY TO DO HOW TO REBUILD HOW MANY MILES OF ROAD A YEAR, ABOUT 20 MILES IN A GOOD YEAR. YES, SIR. GOOD WEATHER. EVERYTHING FALLS IN PLACE. 20 IF WE WANTED TO DOUBLE THAT CAPACITY INTERNALLY BY ADDING ANOTHER ROAD CREW AND ALL THE EQUIPMENT NECESSARY, WHAT KIND OF COST WOULD THAT BE? TODAY? I KNOW I'M PUTTING YOU ON THE SPOT, BUT THAT 9.5 MILLION, THAT 9.5 MILLION, THAT NUMBER SOUNDS GOOD. AND THEN YOU CAN TACK ON ANOTHER 7% FOR GOOD MEASURE, RIGHT? SO I MEAN, PEOPLE UNDERSTAND AND I GET IT. I, I HATE, YOU KNOW, INFLATION HAS KICKED IT'S KICKING EVERYBODY'S BUTT, BUT IT ALSO KICKS THE COUNTIES. BUT, YOU KNOW, THE COST PER ROAD MILE HAS INCREASED DRASTICALLY JUST IN THE LAST 3 TO 4 YEARS OF WHAT IT COSTS TO REBUILD ROAD FROM MATERIALS, FUEL EVERYTHING THAT GOES INTO IT. BUT THAT'S WHAT WE DEAL WITH ON A DAILY BASIS. SO, YOU KNOW, I'M TELLING YOU THAT WHICH IS BEST IS THAT WHICH IS CLOSEST TO THE PEOPLE. DO NOT FORGET THAT TO WHAT WE WERE FOUNDED ON. SO I HOPE, YOU KNOW, TRY TO GET OFF MY HIGH HORSE NOW. AND I CAN SAY A LOT OF THIS BECAUSE I AIN'T RUNNING FOR REELECTION. I KNEW THAT WAS COMING. THAT'S RIGHT. SO WE'LL KEEP WORKING ON THE BUDGET. WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER BUDGET WORKSHOP HERE IN THE NEXT FEW WEEKS AND SEE WHERE WE ARE. I MEAN, AT THIS POINT, WE'RE AT THE END OF JUNE. I WOULD ANTICIPATE WE'LL HAVE MAYBE WE'LL HAVE ANOTHER BUDGET WORKSHOP BETWEEN NOW AND THE END OF JULY. BY THE END OF JULY, WE HAVE THE FINAL NUMBERS AND THEN PROBABLY AT LEAST A COUPLE OF MAYBE BUDGET WORKSHOPS WHERE WE START KIND OF TIGHTENING, TIGHTENING, TIGHTENING THINGS DOWN AND START MAKING SOME TOUGH DECISIONS ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO PRIORITIZE. SO WITH THE LIMITED DOLLARS THAT WE HAVE, BUT I APPRECIATE ALL THE INPUT. ANYONE ELSE? IT IS A WORKSHOP. MISS MADDOX, DOCTOR MADDOX, I KNEW THE COUNCIL WAS GOING TO HAVE SOMETHING TO SAY. YOU KNOW, I'VE LEARNED SO MUCH FROM EVERYONE HERE. I APPRECIATE WHAT AUDITOR JONES HAD TO SAY. RIGHT. HE HE WAS ABSOLUTELY CORRECT ABOUT THE VALUATION GOING UP RIDICULOUSLY. AND I WOULD LIKE TO BE HERE WHEN. BECKY BECKY GORILLA GORILLA. RIGHT. WHEN WHEN BECKY SPEAKS TO YOU GUYS BECAUSE I WANT TO HEAR SO THAT I CAN BRING THAT BACK. THE SECOND THING IS, IS OUR OUR, OUR DEVELOPMENT SCHEME. AND THIS IS ME, THE ROADS THAT WE'RE PUTTING IN FOR ALL THESE SUBDIVISIONS COST LIKE FOR PER FOOT OR YARD, LIKE AT LEAST TEN TIMES AS MUCH AS THE ROADS WE'RE USED TO LIKE A YARD FOR, YOU KNOW, COCHRANE ROAD OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. RIGHT. SO THESE SUBDIVISIONS, WHEN THE DEVELOPERS ARE PUTTING IN THOSE ROADS AND THINGS AND THEY TAKE OFF AND THEY HAND THEM TO US AND WE'RE RESPONSIBLE FOR DOING THE MAINTENANCE, THE MAINTENANCE COST IS EXTRAORDINARY. RIGHT? AND I'M NOT SURE HOW, HOW LONG THOSE ROADS ARE LASTING THAT THEY'RE PUTTING IN AND WE'RE TAKING OVER, BUT IT SEEMS LIKE WE'RE CHASING OUR TAIL. IT'S LIKE WE HAVE TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT DEVELOPMENT TO COME IN TO GET THAT MONEY IN SO WE CAN GO BACK AND DO THOSE INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE ROADS FOR THE DEVELOPMENT THAT WAS PUT IN TEN YEARS AGO, AND NOW THEY'RE FALLING APART. I JUST YOU KNOW WHAT ENGINEER, WHAT COMMISSIONER SMITH WAS SAYING, WE NEED TO BE ABLE TO PROJECT AND NOT TO JUST REACT. I DON'T KNOW IF I'M MAKING SENSE, BUT THIS DEVELOPMENT MODEL WE HAVE WITH 23 SUBDIVISIONS GOING ON AT ONCE WITH THESE EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY EXPENSIVE ROADS, I DON'T SEE HOW WE CAN AFFORD TO KEEP DOING THAT. I JUST I'M JUST LOOKING AT THE COST OF THOSE TYPES OF ROADS. THERE'S NO WAY. I MEAN, WE'RE WAITING FOR THE NEXT DEVELOPMENT TO TAKE CARE OF THE SUBDIVISION.
WE DID LIKE 12 YEARS AGO OR 15 YEARS AGO. THAT'S STARTING TO FALL APART, RIGHT? SO MAYBE WE NEED TO LOOK AT A NEW MODEL ON, ON HOW WE DO OUR MONEY FOR OUR ROADS AND BRIDGES. BECAUSE LIKE I SAY, I DO THE CENSUS FOR WALLER COUNTY. YOU'RE RIGHT. SOMETIMES I JUST GET OUT AND START WALKING. I DON'T HAVE THE SUSPENSION TO HANDLE SOME OF OUR ROADS. THANK YOU. NO, THAT'S A GOOD POINT. AND CONSTABLE, COME ON UP. YOU KNOW, INTO COMMISSIONER JONES POINT WHEN WE YOU KNOW WE WE DID A STRATEGIC PLAN, COMPREHENSIVE STRATEGIC PLAN FOR WALLER COUNTY. WE STARTED THAT PROCESS IN 15. WE FINISHED IT IN. 17 THAT THAT PLAN NOW IS EIGHT
[00:45:03]
YEARS OLD, OVER EIGHT YEARS OLD. AND IT HAS TO BE UPDATED. IT'S GOING TO NEED TO BE REDONE. I CAN TELL YOU THIS, A LOT OF THE STRATEGIC PLANNING THAT WENT INTO THAT WAS ALSO BASED ON GROWTH PROJECTIONS, WHICH ARE NOW INCREDIBLY OUTDATED. THEY SAID WE WOULD DOUBLE BACK THEN.WE WERE AT 43,000 AND WE WOULD DOUBLE IN POPULATION BY 2040. SO BE READY FOR ALL THIS GROWTH.
OKAY, WE'VE ALREADY HIT THAT AND WE'RE IN 2026. AND NOT ONLY THAT, BUT THE, THE GROWTH IS ABOUT, LIKE I SAID EARLIER, 3800 PEOPLE THAT WE ADDED 5.7%. WE HAVE NOT YET EVEN BEGUN TO SEE THE ACTUAL REAL NUMBERS THAT ARE COMING TO WALLER COUNTY. I HAVE NO DOUBT, AND I'VE SAID IT BEFORE, I PREDICTED THAT WE WOULD BE THE FASTEST GROWING IN THE STATE OF TEXAS. I DIDN'T THINK IT WOULD BE THIS YEAR, BUT IT HAPPENED. WE WILL BE THE FASTEST GROWING COUNTY IN THE UNITED STATES FOR THE NEXT COUPLE YEARS, BECAUSE I PROMISE YOU IN THE NEXT FEW YEARS, 5.7% IS GOING TO BE SMALL COMPARED TO WHAT IS COMING ON THE HORIZON. SO YOU JUST DO THE MATH. IT'S IT'S AN INCREDIBLE UNDERTAKING. BUT THAT BEING SAID, YOU KNOW, WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS ISSUE, LIKE WHEN IT COMES TO PEOPLE GO, WELL, ALL THIS NEW DEVELOPMENT ARE THESE PEOPLE, WHAT ABOUT ALL THE ROADS THAT HAVE TO BE BUILT? THAT'S WHY WE DO DEVELOPER AGREEMENTS. THAT'S WHY WE DO A TRAFFIC IMPACT ANALYSIS. THAT'S WHY WE LOOK AT MAKING SURE THEY BUILD THE ROADS THAT ARE ON OUR THOROUGHFARE PLAN. THAT'S WHY KEEPING THE THOROUGHFARE PLAN UPDATED IS SO IMPORTANT AND MAKING SURE OUR MOBILITY PLAN IS UPDATED. THOSE ARE ONGOING RIGHT NOW AS WE SPEAK. WE DID IT IN 17. GOT TO DO IT AGAIN.
SO I MEAN ALL OF THESE THINGS THAT WE'RE DOING, ALL THESE MOVING PARTS. AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE LAST THING WE WANT TO DO IS REPEAT THE MODEL THAT HARRIS COUNTY USED, WHERE ALL OF A SUDDEN NOW THEY HAVE ALL THESE PUBLIC ROADS AND THEY DON'T HAVE THE ABILITY TO MAINTAIN ANY OF THEM. AND THEY'VE ALL BEEN DONATED, YOU KNOW, DEDICATED TO THE COUNTY OVER TIME. AND THEY, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT WEST HOUSTON. I MEAN, THERE'S A LOT OF EXAMPLES I CAN GIVE YOU TO YOU. BUT SO THAT'S WHY WE'VE LOOKED AT MAYBE SOME OF THESE ROADS NEED TO BE SHIFTED TOWARDS LONG TERM FROM, YOU KNOW, TO AN HOA OR A PROPERTY MANAGEMENT, YOU KNOW, OF A CERTAIN DEVELOPMENT. AND WE'RE, WE'RE WORKING THAT INTO SOME OF THIS AS WELL. BUT A LOT OF MOVING PARTS AND IT IS CHALLENGING. AND TO DOCTOR MADDOX'S POINT, IT IS IT IS NOT A SUSTAINABLE MODEL THE WAY IT'S BEEN DONE IN THE PAST. SO WE'VE GOT TO THINK OF BETTER WAYS TO DO IT. AND, YOU KNOW, TRANSPORTATION IS CHANGING EVERY DAY AS WELL. CONSTABLE, DO WE HAVE A PROJECTED DATE OF WHEN WE MAY SEE WHAT YOU THINK OUR BUDGET NEEDS TO BE? SO BASICALLY, WE WILL APPROVE A PROPOSED BUDGET BY THE END OF AUGUST. YEAH. WE HAVE TO HAVE A PROPOSED BUDGET IN AUGUST MID AUGUST. SO BASICALLY AUGUST 15TH BETWEEN AUGUST 15TH AUGUST 30TH THERE WILL BE A MEETING SOMEWHERE IN THERE WHERE WE WILL THEN VOTE TO APPROVE A PROPOSED BUDGET THAT IS THEN DISTRIBUTED TO ALL OF THE DEPARTMENT HEADS AND SO FORTH, BECAUSE WE MAY WANT TO MOVE THINGS AROUND, WHICH YOU MAY THINK IS A PRIORITY, MAY NOT BE WHAT WE THINK IS A PRIORITY. SO THAT'S THAT'S FINE. WE JUST ASK THAT YOU REMEMBER THAT. DON'T FORGET YOUR CONSTABLES WHEN YOU'RE WHEN YOU'RE DOING THIS. AND I WOULD SAY THAT IF ANY OF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT A CONSTABLE'S OFFICE DOES AND OR SHOULD BE DOING, MY OFFICE PHONES ANSWER 24 OVER SEVEN. AND I PERSONALLY ANSWER IT. YOU CAN ASK ME, YOU CAN ASK ANY OF THESE GUYS BEHIND ME OVER HERE. YOU TALKED ABOUT PAY PARITY. PAY PARITY IS IMPORTANT BETWEEN COUNTIES, BUT IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT BETWEEN LOCAL COUNTY AGENCIES BECAUSE IT'S HARD FOR US TO HIRE AN EMPLOYEE THAT CAN GO MAKE WAY MORE MONEY DOING THE SAME JOB AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. SO WE JUST ASK THAT YOU JUST LOOK AT THAT. AND AGAIN, DON'T FORGET YOUR CONSTABLES, BECAUSE WE HAVE MANDATED STUFF THROUGH THE CONSTITUTION THAT WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO. IT'S KIND OF IMPORTANT. THE COUNTY, ESPECIALLY AS THE COUNTY GROWS, OUR OUR CIVIL PROCESS HAS GROWN TREMENDOUSLY JUST THIS YEAR. YEAH. I MEAN, OUR COURT HAS HAD LIKE FIVE EVICTION HEARINGS THIS WEEK ALONE. THAT'S WHERE YOUR JP IS RIGHT NOW IS EVICTION HEARINGS. NO, I MADE IT. THAT'S ALL WE ASK. THEM ALL OUT AND CAME TO THIS MEETING. YOU KNOW GREG. THANK YOU JUDGE COMMISSIONERS AND I WANTED TO BACK A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT ROSS WAS TALKING ABOUT. JUST THE MICROPHONE JUST A LITTLE BIT. THERE YOU GO. IS IT BETTER? THERE YOU GO. OKAY. I WANTED I WANTED TO BACK A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT ROSS WAS TALKING ABOUT IN THE SUPPORT SERVICES DEPARTMENTS. LIKE IT, DANNY'S DEPARTMENT FACILITIES. YOU HAVE THE MAINTENANCE. THIS IS I
[00:50:06]
THINK THIS IS THE FIRST YEAR I'VE BEEN HERE SINCE 2012 THAT I'VE COME TO THE BUDGET HEARING COMMITTEE, THE BUDGET COMMITTEE, AGAIN, BECAUSE RUN OUT OF MONEY. WHO TO GUESS THAT THE COST OF SERVERS AND COMPUTERS WOULD MORE THAN DOUBLE IN 5 OR 6 MONTHS. SO LAST YEAR WHEN WE WHEN WE GUESSED WHAT WE WERE GOING TO SPEND THIS YEAR, YOU KNOW, AND YOU RUN OUT OF IT IN APRIL AND MAY BECAUSE OF THE COST OF THE THINGS GO UP SO HIGH. AND I'M SURE DANNY HAS THE SAME THING WITH THE COST OF MATERIALS AND THE ABILITY FOR HIS CONTRACTORS TO EVEN GET SUPPORT AND STUFF. BUT THAT'S THAT. HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU GUESS THAT FOR NEXT YEAR NOW, YOU KNOW, IT'S OFF THE CHARTS, YOU KNOW, SO WHEN YOU HAVE ALL THESE DATA CENTERS THAT THAT I KNOW EVENTS ONCE YOU KNOW, AND, AND THEY COME IN AND THEY'RE BUYING UP ALL THE MEMORY IN THE WORLD AND THEN US LITTLE PEOPLE, YOU KNOW, WE, WE HAVE TO PAY THE PREMIUM BECAUSE WE CAN'T GET MAINSTREAM MEMORY AND STUFF. SO HOW DO YOU, HOW DO YOU GUESS THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS FIRST YEAR, I'M LIKE, I GOT TO COME BACK TO THE BUDGET COMMITTEE AND SAY, WE NEED TO RETHINK WHAT WE'RE DOING. WE'VE WE'VE NOT ALWAYS SPENT EVERYTHING EVERY YEAR, BUT I THINK WE WORK FROM A COMMON SENSE POINT OF VIEW, AND WE TRY TO HANDLE EVERYTHING WITH ALL THE ALL THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS. AND YEAH, THERE ARE SOME TIMES WHEN I RUN OUT OF WHEN I HAVE TO THINK, I HAVE TO FINISH MY YEAR WITH THINGS I KNOW THAT ARE MONTHLY COSTS, AND THEN I HAVE TO GO TO THE COUNCIL AND SAY, SORRY, YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH YOUR OWN MONEY OR A DIFFERENT DEPARTMENT, OR I THINK EVEN CAROLYN HAS LEARNED THAT, HEY, YOU GOT TO BUY THIS ON YOUR OWN BECAUSE I'M OUT OF, I'M OUT OF WHATEVER THAT IS. SO HOW DO YOU DEAL WITH THAT? YOU KNOW, IT JUST BACKS EVERYTHING YOU ALL ARE TALKING ABOUT. YEAH. YOU HAD YOU HAD AN ITEM RECENTLY. I THINK WE ADDED THREE. WE NEEDED THREE SERVERS AND I HAD NO IDEA. NOW A SERVER RUNS $25,000. NOW THEY DO. THE MODELS ARE WE'RE WE'RE WE'RE NOW REPLACING THE SERVERS WE INSTALLED IN THE COUNTY ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO, AND WE'VE RUN OUT OF SPACE. ROSS CAN ATTEST TO THAT. AND WE'RE COMING UP WITH SOME NEW CONCEPTS FOR HIS GROUP TO BE ABLE TO WORK OUTSIDE OF HIS OFFICE AND, AND SPACE AND STORAGE. AND WHEN YOU DO THAT, YOU ALSO HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE CYBERSECURITY PIECES OF THAT. YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT THE ROUTERS AND FIREWALLS. ALL THAT STUFF HAS MEMORY COMPONENTS, HARD DRIVE COMPONENTS THAT JUST INCREASE THE COST OF THOSE FIREWALL THAT WE BOUGHT WOULD HAVE BOUGHT LAST YEAR. IT'S THREE GRAND TO THIS YEAR, $7,500. WOW. THE SERVERS WHEN WE WHEN WE BUDGETED THE THREE SERVERS THAT WERE THAT WERE GETTING THIS YEAR, LAST YEAR, THEY WERE ONLY THEY WERE JUST UNDER SEVEN GRAND EACH, YOU KNOW, THREE TIMES. IT USED TO BE, I THINK, WELL, AT LEAST MAYBE MY GENERATION, I GUESS YOU NEEDED A SERVER. YOU JUST BOUGHT AN EXTRA COMPUTER. THAT IS A COMPUTER BECAME YOUR WAS YOUR SERVER. YEAH. IT WAS, IT WASN'T LIKE YOU WERE, YOU KNOW, BUT NOW WITH, WITH, WITH ALL OF THE PROTECTIONS THAT NEED TO BE IN PLACE AND NOW WITH A, YOU KNOW, WITH DATA CENTERS, DATA CENTERS, BUYING EVERYTHING KNOWN TO MAN, I MEAN, THE COST HAVE JUST GONE THROUGH THE ROOF. THAT TRICKLES DOWN TO US, EVERYBODY. SO I JUST WANTED TO STATE MY PIECE.RIGHT, I UNDERSTAND. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ANYONE ELSE? THIS IS JUST THE FIRST BUDGET WORKSHOP.
SO GOOD DISCUSSION THOUGH. I APPRECIATE ALL THE INPUT. YOU KNOW, WE'LL KEEP ALL OF THAT IN MIND. CONSTABLE. THANK YOU FOR YOUR INPUT AS WELL. A LOT OF PEOPLE DON'T REALIZE, YOU KNOW, AS THESE PEOPLE COME IN, YOU KNOW, YOU'VE GOT EVICTIONS, WARRANTS, ALL OF THESE DIFFERENT CIVIL PROCESS THAT HAS TO BE SERVED, THAT HAS TO BE SERVED BY SOMEBODY. AND THAT FILTERS DOWN TO OUR GPS AND, WELL, OUR CONSTABLES WHO HAVE TO SERVE IT. AND THEY ALSO HAVE TO PROVIDE SECURITY FOR THE JP COURTS AS WELL. SO MAKING SURE THEY HAVE THE, THE FOLKS NECESSARY TO DO THEIR JOB AND THEN THEY GET IMPACTED BY PAY PARITY JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE DOES. SO IT'S ALL A BIG PICTURE. AND WE'RE DEALING WITH ALL THAT RIGHT NOW THROUGH THE BUDGET PROCESS. BUT WE APPRECIATE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE WE'VE ALREADY WE'VE FINISHED ALL THE DEPARTMENT BUDGET MEETINGS. THANK YOU AGAIN TO MY BUDGET COMMITTEE. COMMISSIONER BECKENDORFF. ALAN, MIKE, JOAN, DEBBIE. JAMIE, WHO'S NOW ON THE BUDGET COMMITTEE. WHO AM I MISSING? ROBERT. OH, ROBERT, WHO'S NOT HERE TODAY. A LOT OF LONG HOURS. I MEAN, WE WE SPEND THE BUDGET PROCESS IS NOT FUN. WE STARTED A LOT EARLIER THIS YEAR THAN WE EVER HAVE, WHICH WAS GOOD. SO
[00:55:04]
WE GOT ALL OF THOSE MEETINGS DONE. NOW WE'RE JUST REALLY IT'S CRUNCHING NUMBERS. IT'S FINALIZING, IT'S PRIORITIZING, MAKING SURE YOU KNOW, AND WE'LL GET THERE. IT'S, BUT IT'S GOING TO BE REAL BUSY OVER THE NEXT TWO MONTHS. SO WHILE EVERYBODY'S ON VACATION AND STUFF, WE'LL BE MAKING SURE WE GET A BUDGET PUT TOGETHER THAT HOPEFULLY WILL WORK FOR, FOR US AND FOR WALLER COUNTY. SO I APPRECIATE ALL THE INPUT. UNLESS THERE'S SOMEBODY ELSE THAT HAS ANYTHING PRESSING TO SAY, COULD WE ADJOURN MOTION? AND SECOND, TO ADJOURN ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.