Aug 19, 2026 Commissioners Court

[* A portion of this meeting is without audio *]

[PUBLIC COMMENT]

[00:03:41]

JUSTICE GORSUCH WENT FURTHER, CALLING THAT DATA YOUR PERSONAL PROPERTY, YOUR EFFECTS IN A CONSTITUTIONAL SENSE. SO THIS CLEARLY DISPELS THE MYTH USED TO JUSTIFY FLOCK SAYING THAT IT'S ONLY A LITTLE DATA. THIS CASE NOW SETS THE LEGAL STANDARD. THAT DEVICE GENERATED LOCATION RECORDS ARE CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED. LET ME REPEAT THAT. DEVICE GENERATION RECORDS ARE DEVICE GENERATED. LOCATION RECORDS ARE CONSTITUTIONALLY PROTECTED.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT FLOCK DATA IS. DEVICE GENERATED LOCATION RECORDS. THERE ARE CASES RIGHT NOW MOVING THROUGH THE LOWER COURTS THAT WILL SOON ARRIVE AT THE SUPREME COURT. AND THIS STAGE IS CLEARLY SET WITH THIS DECISION FOR THEM. COMMISSIONERS, IT'S TIME TO STOP DOING THIS TO THE CITIZENS OF WALLER COUNTY. FLOCK IS NOT JUST A SIMPLE LICENSE PLATE READING SYSTEM. IT'S AN ILLEGAL, UNRELIABLE, AND UNETHICAL INVASION INTO THE LIVES OF THE CITIZENS OF WALLER COUNTY. ITS USAGE EXPOSES THE COUNTY TO LAWSUITS AND DAMAGES. JUST GOT TO STOP NOW, I IMPLORE YOU. CANCEL THE FLOCK CONTRACT. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, SIR. ALL RIGHT, NEXT WE HAVE DOCTOR MADDOX. GOOD MORNING JUDGE. GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS.

[00:05:21]

IN A COUNTY WITH A POPULATION OVER 500,000 OR 2 IN ITS AUGUST TERM, IN A COUNTY WITH A POPULATION OF 500,000 OR LESS. THAT WOULD BE US. AND SO I DID PUT THOSE JUDGES RIGHT THERE ON YOUR DESK. IF ANYONE ELSE NEEDS THEM. I'M SO SORRY THAT I KNOW YOU GUYS DON'T MEET THAT OFTEN.

SO. BUT I WANTED TO AT LEAST GET THE JUDGES THERE. YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE AGENDA FOR NEXT TIME. THOSE ARE THE ONES FOR THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY. SO THAT IS THE BUSINESS BUSINESS OF WHAT I WAS ELECTED TO DO. AND I HAVE TO SAY THAT I THINK IT WAS MR. NICHOLSON. OH, I REALLY APPRECIATED WHAT HE SAID ABOUT THE FLOCK CAMERAS. I DO REMEMBER WHEN I WAS HERE, MAYBE IN 2018, WELL, NOT HERE IN THE OLD BUILDING. AND JUDGE DUHON AND DA ELTON MATHIS, NOW JUDGE MATHIS, WERE TRYING TO GET SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS INSTALLED ON 85% OF THE INTERSECTIONS IN WALLER COUNTY, WHICH I FOUND APPALLING. NOT NOT SOME INTERSECTIONS. 85% OF THE INTERSECTIONS IN WALLER COUNTY. AND THERE WAS A GENTLEMAN IN THE BACK, AND I HAD BEEN READING AND READING, AND I SAID, AND I. AND I SAID, ISN'T THIS THE GENTLEMAN WHO'S UNDER FEDERAL INDICTMENT FOR FLEECING THE CHILDREN, FOR POLICING OTHER PLACES IN THE UNITED STATES ON THESE SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS? AND IT WAS SO THIS IS WHO THEY BROUGHT IN. THEY DIDN'T DO THE DUE DILIGENCE, DUE DILIGENCE TO MAKE SURE THEY WEREN'T BRINGING IN A CROOK, AND THEY WERE GOING TO PUT SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS ON 85% OF OUR INTERSECTIONS. BUT BECAUSE OF OTHER PEOPLE IN THE ROOM, WE WERE ABLE TO DEFEAT THAT. THEN I'M LETTING YOU KNOW YOU CAN DEFEAT THAT NOW. IT'S BEEN DONE BEFORE. YOU CAN DEFEAT THESE FLOCK CAMERAS. SO IT'S ALWAYS GOOD TO HAVE A LITTLE HISTORY. AND JUST ON A PERSONAL NOTE, SOMETIMES I PUT MY PHONE INSIDE THIS FARADAY CAGE AND I DISAPPEAR FROM THE PLANET. I JUST BELIEVE IN MY PRIVACY ALSO.

I BELIEVE IN MY FOURTH AMENDMENT CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS ALSO, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE WHAT THE OTHER SPEAKER SAID. OKAY. THAT WILL CONCLUDE. WOULD ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT THIS MORNING? JUDGE, I WANT TO MAKE ONE QUICK ANNOUNCEMENT. JUST PUT ON EVERYBODY'S RADAR THAT THE WALLER COUNTY FAIR IS RIGHT AROUND THE CORNER. IT'S GOING TO KICK OFF THE LAST WEEK OF SEPTEMBER AND RUN INTO THE FIRST WEEKEND OF OCTOBER. SO MUCH A FANTASTIC YOUNG FOLKS FROM THE COUNTY GET ALL THEIR HARD WORK SHOWING THEIR ANIMALS AND BUILDING PROJECTS. SO THEY'LL BE SHOWING IT AT THE COUNTY FAIR. AND SO I ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO PUT ON THEIR CALENDAR. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A PARADE, RODEO ENTERTAINMENT.

BUT MAIN THING IS GO SUPPORT THOSE KIDS THAT SATURDAY IN THEIR PROJECTS. AWESOME. THANK YOU FOR THAT. ANY OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS OR WOULD ANYBODY ELSE LIKE TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENT? ALL RIGHT. THAT WILL THEN CONCLUDE PUBLIC COMMENT. WE'VE ALREADY DONE CONSENT

[COUNTY ENGINEER]

[00:10:09]

THANKS, JUDGE. WOULD YOU LIKE ME TO PULL IT UP ON THE SCREEN? OKAY, IT'S PRETTY BASIC, BUT.

ALL RIGHT. ANYONE ELSE? OKAY, IT'S 9:15 A.M. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. THAT WILL NOW MOVE US TO 42. POINT TWO. YEAH. I DON'T SEE WHY WE CAN'T. DOCTOR MADDOX. IT'S JUST A BASICALLY A REPLAY OF OF A ROAD. YES, JUDGE. I'LL MAKE THE MOTION TO DO 42 AND 43. MOTION SECOND. OKAY. NOT 44. YES SIR. OH HE HAS THIS THING. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. SO WE GOT A MOTION ON 42 AND 43. 42 IS RELATED TO 41. SO I DON'T THINK WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT THAT. ROSS IS THERE ANYTHING WE NEED TO KNOW ABOUT 4343 IS RELATED TO OUR MOBILITY BOND. SO THIS IS JUST A LETTER OF NO OBJECTION. BASICALLY OUR PERMISSION OR PERMISSION FOR US TO CROSS THE PIPELINE. SO WE'RE REQUIRED TO GET THIS LOW. NO LETTER OF NO OBJECTION FROM ANY PIPELINE WE CROSS. OKAY. VERY GOOD. THANK YOU. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS ON 42 OR 43? ALL RIGHT. HEARING NONE.

THEN. ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? 42 AND 43 CARRY. LET'S GO TO 44 MOTION.

I HAVE A MOTION. AND SECOND ON 44. ANY DISCUSSION. AGAIN THIS IS, YOU KNOW, STANDARD. WHEN YOU HAVE A DEVELOPMENT, YOU KNOW THAT WE AFTER THE ROADS HAVE BEEN INSPECTED, WE GO INTO A MAINTENANCE PERIOD WHERE THE DEVELOPER FOR ONE YEAR AND THEN WE GO BACK AND INSPECT THE ROAD.

AND THEN IF EVERYTHING SEEMS TO BE UP TO PAR, IT'S TAKEN INTO THE COUNTY ROAD SYSTEM. SO THIS IS PART OF THAT PROCESS. ANY OTHER DISCUSSIONS OR QUESTIONS? ALL RIGHT. HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED. ONE ABSTAIN. ALL RIGHT. ALL RIGHT. MOTION

[PRESENTATION]

EVEN EVEN THOUGH WE KNEW WE WERE GROWING, WE DIDN'T HAVE WE DIDN'T REALIZE IT WOULD BE TO

[00:15:03]

CAPITAL WEALTH, AND I'VE BEEN FORTUNATE TO SERVE THIS COUNTY AS A FINANCIAL ADVISOR FOR THE LAST ABOUT TEN YEARS NOW. AND I WAS CALLED, I GUESS, BACK IN IN JUNE WHEN YOU APPROVED THE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS AND SAY, HEY, WE HAVE THIS PROJECT COMING. WE NEED THIS MONEY. HOW CAN WE AFFORD IT? AND SO WE PUT TOGETHER THE PLAN. AND THERE'S SEVERAL THINGS I'VE HIGHLIGHTED HERE IN YELLOW BECAUSE THERE'S BASED ON THE FINANCING INSTRUMENTS AVAILABLE, THE CERTIFICATE OF OBLIGATION REQUIREMENT, THE STATUTES. SO TODAY IS JUST FOR INFORMATION.

WE'RE NOT DOING ANYTHING TODAY. IT'S JUST FOR YOUR INFORMATION. BUT I'LL BE BACK HERE ON THE 16TH OF SEPTEMBER TO START THE DEBT ISSUANCE PROCESS. AND SO I DON'T LIKE JUST TO SHOW UP WHEN YOU'RE GOING TO BORROW MONEY. I LIKE TO SHOW UP AND EXPLAIN WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO LET YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN. SO ACCORDING TO THE STATUTES ON SEPTEMBER 16TH, THE COURT WILL NOTIFY THE PUBLIC A NOTICE OF INTENT TO ISSUE CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION. YOU HAVE TO COME UP WITH A MAXIMUM AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED. SO THE NUMBER IS A LITTLE HIGHER THAN WE'RE HOPING IT'S GOING TO BE. BUT YOU HAVE TO STATE THAT AND WE'RE GOING TO BE BACK AFTER 45 DAYS. AND WE'LL BE BACK ON THE 18TH OF NOVEMBER. SO HERE WE ARE NOW EARLY AUGUST. YOU'RE NOT GOING TO ACTUALLY BE BORROWING MONEY UNTIL NOVEMBER. THAT'S AFTER THE ELECTION PROCESS. WE'RE HOPING THAT MAYBE THE ELECTION WILL BE POSITIVE AND THE MARKETS WILL BE WE'RE GUESSING ON WHAT THE INTEREST RATES ARE GOING TO DO, BUT ALL THE PROJECTIONS ARE SAYING THAT HOPEFULLY THEY'RE GOING TO COME DOWN SOME. IT'S JUST. BUT YOU HAVE TO SET A DATE AT A REGULARLY SCHEDULED MEETING. THAT'S THE OTHER STATUTE REQUIREMENT. SO AND THE THIRD REQUIREMENT IS THAT YOU HAVE TO HAVE THIS MONEY BEFORE YOU CAN AWARD THE CONSTRUCTION CONSTRUCTION CONTRACT, WHICH THEY'RE PROJECTING AROUND NOVEMBER, DECEMBER THE 9TH. SO WE HAD TO TIME THIS EXACTLY AROUND YOUR COMMISSIONERS COURT MEETINGS, REGULAR SCHEDULED MEETINGS, THE 45 DAY WINDOW THAT YOU HAVE TO PUT A NOTICE IN THE PAPER FOR TWO CONSECUTIVE WEEKS TO TELL THE PUBLIC, WE'RE GOING TO BORROW THIS MONEY, PUT IT ON THE WEBSITE FOR 45 DAYS. AND AND AFTER THAT TIME IS WHEN YOU CAN ACTUALLY BORROW THE MONEY. SO WE'LL BE BACK HERE ON THE 16TH OF SEPTEMBER. WE'LL DO THE NOTICE IN THE PAPER PUBLISHED IN THE WEBSITE. WE'LL DO A RATING CALL IN MID-OCTOBER, AND THEN WE'LL BE BACK HERE. NOW WE NEED TO ADVERTISE THE ACTUAL AMOUNT ON NOVEMBER THE 10TH, THE CONSTRUCTION DOCUMENTS FROM SADAKO SAID THEY WERE GOING TO BE DONE WITH THE CONSTRUCTION DESIGN ON NOVEMBER THE 1ST. NOW, THAT'S NOT ACTUAL BIDS YET. THEY'RE NOT GOING TO GET BIDS UNTIL AFTER THAT PROCESS. SO IN AN IDEAL WORLD, WE MAY GET THE CONSTRUCTION BIDS AND WE ORDER AND WE WE SELL THE SEALS AFTER THAT. WE DON'T LIVE IN AN IDEAL WORLD, SO WE'RE GETTING AS CLOSE AS WE CAN. BUT IF THERE'S ANY OPPORTUNITY ON NOVEMBER 1ST, WE COULD LOWER THAT AMOUNT. WE CAN'T GO ANY MORE THAN 125 MILLION. BUT WE COULD WE COULD LOWER IT AT THAT TIME. SO IF THERE'S SOME DECISION TO DO THAT, WE COULD LOWER IT AT THAT TIME. EVEN ON THE SALE DATE, WE CAN LOWER IT AT 5 TO 10% AMOUNT.

SO AGAIN, WE'RE NOT GOING TO HAVE THAT GUARANTEED MAXIMUM PRICE GUARANTEED BY THE CONSTRUCTION GUYS UNTIL AFTER YOU SELL THE BONDS. BUT YOU GOT TO HAVE THE MONEY IN THE BANK TO AWARD THE CONTRACT. SO IT'S THIS CAT AND MOUSE KIND OF SITUATION WHERE WE'RE TRYING TO

[00:20:04]

[COMMISSIONER, PRECINCT 3]

[00:25:08]

OKAY. I HAVE A MOTION. AND SECOND COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU. WE HAVE BOTH. MISS CARTER'S IN THE CROWD TODAY AS THEY HAVE HELPED TAKE ON THIS LEAD FOR THE SEASON. CITIZENS AND THE ADULTS EVENTS. SO IT CAME UP WITH A LIST OF THREE EVENTS. ONE IS A SCAN FOR OUR PREVENTION WORKSHOP. ONE IS A SENIOR SELF-DEFENSE WORKSHOP AND ANOTHER IS PAINTING WITH A TWIST. WE ALLOCATED A BUDGET OF FUNDS THAT WE GOT THROUGH A GRANT TO GO TOWARDS THE SEASON.

AND SO ASKING, WE CREATED A POLICY. SO ASKING THAT WE GIVE $500 TO THE TOP LADIES OF DISTINCTION FOR THEM TO BE ABLE TO HOST THESE THREE EVENTS. OKAY, I SEE, I SEE, I SEE MISS CARTER BACK THERE AND SOME FOLKS, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE TODAY. AND THANK YOU ALL FOR DOING THIS, BY THE WAY, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU ON SOMETHING LIKE THE THE SCAMS AND STUFF, MAN, I, I HATE TO SEE IT. I'VE SEEN IT IN MY OWN FAMILY, SENIOR CITIZENS BEING TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF, YOU KNOW, THE, THE PENALTIES OBVIOUSLY NEED TO BE A LOT TOUGHER FOR FOLKS THAT DECIDE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF SUCH A VULNERABLE SEGMENT OF OUR POPULATION. BUT THANK YOU FOR DOING THAT AND EDUCATING FOLKS. WE APPRECIATE Y'ALL AND FOR DOING EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE DOING. THANK YOU ALL. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? ALL RIGHT. HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED. 46 CARRIES. ALL RIGHT. NUMBER 47 IS GOING TO BE

[TAX ASSESSOR-COLLECTOR]

CAROLYN. NIKKI. GOOD MORNING. BEFORE YOU. YOU HAVE THE JULY COLLECTIONS, WALLER COUNTY, WE COLLECTED 589,000. WE HAVE A TOTAL OF 1 MILLION FOR THAT WE COLLECTED FOR JULY. DOWN AT THE BOTTOM OF THAT PAGE IS OUR AUTO TRANSACTIONS REGISTRATION. WE DID 29,000 FOR TITLE. IT WAS 862 FOR A TOTAL OF 30,741. YOU CAN SEE THE BREAKDOWN OF THE MONIES THAT WENT TO THE TEXAS DMV. AND THEN HOW MUCH CAME INTO WALLER COUNTY, WHICH WAS ALMOST 75,000. I DID 30,000 REGISTRATIONS. YES. JUST SEEMS LIKE A LOT. IT IS A LOT. OKAY. BUT IT'S GROWING EVERY MONTH.

THAT'S WHY I WANTED TO GO AHEAD AND START SHOWING THAT TO YOU ON THE NEXT PAGE. IT'S OUR ATTORNEYS AND HOW MUCH THEY HAVE COLLECTED. REMEMBER THAT THEY DO THIS AT NO CHARGE FOR US. SO WALLER COUNTY FOR PURDUE COLLECTED 64,000 WITH A TOTAL OF 135,000 FOR THEM. AND LINEBERGER, WHICH COLLECTS FOR TWO OF THE JURISDICTIONS THAT WE REPRESENT, WAS A $3,437. DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS? THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. THAT WILL CONCLUDE THE COLLECTION

[COUNTY JUDGE]

BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE HAVING TO DO THIS YEAR IS PAY PARITY ON OUR PATROL DEPUTIES, AS YOU ALL KNOW, AND YOU PROBABLY HAVE SEEN IN THE NEWS OVER THE LAST YEAR, I THINK IT STARTED WITH CITY OF HOUSTON, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, GAVE A LARGE INCREASE TO THEIR PATROL DEPUTIES. THEN THAT FILTERED DOWN TO HARRIS COUNTY. AND NOW YOU KIND OF KNEW THIS WAS COMING. IT WAS GOING TO FILTER OUT TO THE OUTER COUNTIES. AND SO WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME ADJUSTMENTS IN ORDER TO BE COMPETITIVE. WHAT WE DON'T WANT TO BE IS A TRAINING GROUND WHERE WE BRING IN, YOU KNOW, YOUNG DEPUTIES AND CADETS AND THEN TRAIN THEM UP AND THEN THEY JUMP SHIP AND LEAVE. BECAUSE LITERALLY THE DISPARITY BETWEEN OUR COUNTY AND HARRIS COUNTY BECOMES SIZABLE. SO PART OF THAT IS PAY PARITY. SO WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE IN THE BUDGET WORKSHOP, WE'RE GOING TO BE INCREASING OUR SALARIES FOR OUR PATROL DEPUTIES $7,500. SO

[00:30:01]

WITH THAT I'LL ENTERTAIN A MOTION. I HAVE A COUPLE COMMENTS. THE COURT IS NECESSARILY DOING THIS BECAUSE WE HAVE TO POST OUR SALARIES AND EVERYTHING IN NEWSPAPER BY A CERTAIN TIME AND LATER BUDGET HEARING. JUST READY TO COME IN ON FACEBOOK TO SAY THAT WE'RE GIVING OURSELVES A PAY RAISE AND NOT THE REST OF THE COUNTY. I DON'T SEE ON THAT BUDGET COMMITTEE, BUT I KNOW THAT NOT TO BE TRUE. I THINK THE JUDGE IS GIVING EVERYONE A 3% COST OF LIVING DEAL, ALSO ALLOWING DEPARTMENT HEADS TO DO A 1 TO 2% BASED UPON THEIR DEPARTMENT HEAD AND THAT WHETHER OR NOT THEY DID IT GOOD OR BAD JOB FOR THE YEAR GOES TO THAT DEPARTMENT HEAD MAKING THAT DECISION. SO JUST SAYING THAT, HEY, WE SIT UP HERE AND WANT TO GIVE OURSELVES A PAY RAISE. IT'S NOT A TRUE STATEMENT. THIS IS POSTED BECAUSE OF WE HAVE TO POST OUR SALARIES WITHIN A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TIME. AND ALL THOSE THINGS ALSO KNOW THAT THE CONSTABLES ARE HERE. AND SOME PEOPLE SAY, HEY, WHY YOU CAN'T MAKE THOSE CHANGES, AS WE'RE DOING TODAY FOR THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE. BUT THE CONSTABLES HAVE FILED A GRIEVANCE, AND IT WILL GO THROUGH THAT NECESSARILY PROCESS. SO THAT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD JUST SIT UP HERE TODAY AND SAY, HEY, NEGOTIATE OR MAKE AN ADJUSTMENT. I JUST WANT TO PUT THOSE TWO DISCLAIMERS OUT THERE. YEAH. AND I'M SORRY, I PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE MENTIONED THAT. AND SO YOU'RE SAYING ON, ON FACEBOOK, IT SAYS WE'RE GETTING PAY RAISES AND NOT THE EMPLOYEES. OH, MAN. OKAY. 8:00 THIS MORNING, THE POINT WHERE I ALMOST DON'T LOOK AT FACEBOOK ANYMORE, FOR THAT MATTER, THE BUDGET, WE'LL HAVE A BUDGET WORKSHOP AND WE'LL GO INTO THIS

[00:35:04]

SO WE ACTUALLY BUMPED THEM UP MORE THAN THAT. SO THAT'S THEY'RE ACTUALLY GETTING A BUMP.

THAT'S MORE THAN 5%. THAT BEING SAID, THEY ALL FILED SALARY GRIEVANCES REGARDLESS. SO WE'LL HAVE A SALARY, SALARY GRIEVANCE HEARING THURSDAY AFTERNOON. AND THERE'LL BE UP TO THE SALARY GRIEVANCE COMMITTEE ON WHETHER OR NOT TO GRANT THEM WHAT THEY'RE REQUESTING. BUT WE WERE DEFINITELY TRYING TO BUMP THEM UP TO GET THEM AGAIN, TRYING TO PUT THEM INTO A PAY RANGE THAT WAS COMMENSURATE WITH THE, YOU KNOW, AROUND THE AVERAGE OF OTHER CONSTABLES OF SIMILARLY SITUATED COUNTIES. SO AND I HAVE ALL OF THAT MATERIAL. BUT YEAH, WE'RE NOT WE WOULD NEVER WE WOULD NEVER DO THAT. THAT IS THE MOST SOMEBODY SAYING THAT ONLINE. THAT'S JUST ASININE.

OKAY. I'M JUST GOING TO SAY IT. THAT'S ASININE. IF SOMEBODY SAYS SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WE WOULD NEVER DO THAT WITHOUT TAKING CARE OF OUR EMPLOYEES. OUR EMPLOYEES IS OUR BREAD AND BUTTER. WHEN IT COMES TO COUNTY SERVICES. I LOVE IT WHEN SOMEBODY GOES, MAN, LOOK AT THIS BUDGET. IT'S ALL SALARIES. IT'S MOSTLY PAYROLL. YEAH. WHO DO YOU THINK DOES THE WORK? WHO DOES 30 CAR REGISTRATIONS, 30,000 CAR REGISTRATIONS? YOU KNOW, WHO, WHO DOES ALL THE AUDITING? WHO DOES KEEPS ALL THE TREASURE? THAT IS THAT IS THAT IS THE EMPLOYEES THAT WORK FOR THE COUNTY. THEY ARE OUR BREAD AND BUTTER, OUR PATROL DEPUTIES THAT ARE OUT ON THE STREET EVERY DAY. WE, WE GOT TO TAKE CARE OF THOSE FOLKS. THEY'RE THE ONES THAT ARE TRYING TO TAKE CARE OF Y'ALL. SO WE'VE GOT TO TAKE CARE OF THEM. WE GOT TO MAKE SURE WE KEEP THEM HERE SO WE DON'T TRAIN THEM. SO THEY GO SOMEWHERE ELSE. AND IT'S HARD BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, WE POACH OTHER COUNTIES. THERE'S COUNTIES FURTHER OUT FROM US.

THEY, YOU KNOW, WE, WE'LL POACH THEM AND THEN OUR GUYS GET POACHED. AND, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT TO START AT THE BEGINNING AGAIN. BUT IT'S, IT'S TOUGH. BUT YEAH, OUR EMPLOYEES, WE WOULD NEVER DO THAT TO OUR EMPLOYEES. I THAT'S JUST ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS. ANYWAY. I JUST I THINK THAT THE, THE WAY THAT THE COURT HAS DONE THEIR BUDGET PROCESS, EVEN COMMISSIONER SMITH ASKED FOR A LITTLE BIT OF MORE TRANSPARENCY. SO WE HAVE A LONGER BUDGET CYCLE THAT GOES ABOUT. I JUST SAY, HEY, I KNOW WE ALL LIKE TO POST AND DO WHAT WE DO, BUT ATTACKING NECESSARILY THE COURT FOR THE JOB IN WHICH WE NECESSARILY TRY TO DO FOR THE EMPLOYEES, I WOULD SAY, I THINK THAT THIS COURT TRIES TO LISTEN TO THIS DEPARTMENT HEADS AND EMPLOYEES TO TRY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE PAYING THEM A WAGE, THAT ONE IS LIVABLE, AND ALSO SHOW IN WHICH THE WORK THAT THEY DO. AND IF WE SEE SOMEONE GETTING UNDERPAID, I THINK WE WE TRIED TO STEP UP TIME AFTER TIME AGAIN, BUT TO JUST POST THAT, HEY, THE PROCESS IS IN WHICH WE HAVE TO POST AND, AND PUT OUR SALARIES NECESSARILY IN THE NEWSPAPER AND EVERYTHING FOR, FOR A CERTAIN TIME PERIOD. AND THE REST OF THE BUDGET PLAYS OUT. BUT I JUST WANT TO LET THE CITIZENS KNOW AND OUR EMPLOYEES KNOW THAT THAT'S NOT TRUE. AND I WOULD ASK I KNOW, I KNOW, YOU KNOW WHAT AND, AND. THERE'S SO MUCH NEGATIVITY ONLINE NOWADAYS. IT IS, IT'S BAFFLING. I MEAN,

[00:40:01]

BUT THESE PEOPLE WILL GET ONLINE, THEY'LL SAY THESE THINGS AND NOBODY CALLS THEM OUT. NOBODY SAYS THAT'S THAT'S JUST NOT TRUE. SO THEN, YOU KNOW, I USED TO SPEND A LOT OF TIME ONLINE MAKING SURE PEOPLE WERE CORRECTED, GOT THE RIGHT INFORMATION STUFF. I CAN'T, I CAN'T DO IT, I CAN'T DO IT. THERE'S NOT ENOUGH HOURS OR TIME IN THE DAY. AND I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF PEOPLE OUT THERE THAT UNDERSTAND THAT WE WORK HARD TO DO WHAT WE DO.

THIS WAS WE START OUR BUDGET PROCESS IN FEBRUARY, AND WE'LL TALK ABOUT AGAIN, WE'LL TALK ABOUT THIS MORE IN THE BUDGET WORKSHOP. BUT THIS WAS AND IT GETS WORSE. IT GETS HARDER AND HARDER AND HARDER AND HARDER EVERY YEAR. THIS WAS BY FAR AND AWAY THE MOST DIFFICULT BUDGET CYCLE I HAVE EVER SEEN. WE CAME IN, I MEAN, WE'RE THE FASTEST GROWING COUNTY. OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS CAME IN REQUESTING $12 MILLION IN NEW SPENDING. A LOT OF THAT IS NEW EMPLOYEES JUST TO HANDLE THE WORKLOAD. 12 MILLION WE HAD AT MAX, $6 MILLION TO WORK WITH. WHEN YOU LOOK AT NEW REVENUE FROM NEW VALUE AND DOING A 3.5% BUDGET. SO I HAD TO GO BACK. I MEAN, TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, I HAD TO GO BACK TO ROAD AND BRIDGE. YOU KNOW, THEY HAD THEY HAD EACH ASKED FOR $4.5 MILLION. AND I DON'T BLAME THEM. THEY, THEY SEE THE NEED. AND I SAID, I, YOU'VE GOT $2 MILLION TO WORK WITH. TELL ME WHAT YOUR PRIORITIES ARE. SO THAT IS, IT'S REALLY HARD TO TO BALANCE EVERYTHING, BALANCE THE NEEDS, PROVIDE THE SERVICES, TAKE CARE OF THE EMPLOYEES TRYING TO DO ALL OF THAT. IT'S IT'S NOT EASY TO SAY THE LEAST, BUT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE DOING THE BEST WE CAN, YOU KNOW, AND, AND THERE'S SOME ISSUES GOING ON. WE'LL TALK ABOUT IT MORE IN THE BUDGET WORKSHOP BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY IN WALLER COUNTY, I DON'T THINK THE COMMERCIAL VALUES ARE WHERE THEY THERE'S A PROBLEM ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, I CAN TELL YOU, AND WE'LL GET INTO THAT MORE IN THE BUDGET WORKSHOP, COMMISSIONER. YEAH. I JUST WANTED TO SAY THAT ALMOST EIGHT YEARS AGO, WHEN I WAS FIRST ELECTED, THE COUNTY HAD A SIGNIFICANT PROBLEM OF PEOPLE LEAVING, EMPLOYEES LEAVING, AND. ONE OF THE IMPORTANT THINGS TO REALIZE IS WHEN, WHEN YOU HIRE SOMEONE AND YOU GO THROUGH THE TRAINING PROCESS AND THEY STAY A COUPLE OF YEARS AND THEN THEY LEAVE, YOU JUST LOST ABOUT 20% OF THEIR SALARY FROM WHEN YOU TRAIN THEM. SO WHEN YOU HIRE SOMEONE TO REPLACE THEM, YOU'RE GOING TO PAY THAT, THAT RETRAINING COST AND THAT REINTEGRATION COSTS INTO THE SYSTEM. SO THE NEED TO STAY COMPETITIVE WITH SALARIES IS, IS REALLY THERE FOR THE COUNTY BECAUSE NO ONE REALIZES THAT THE COST WHEN AN EMPLOYEE LEAVES, THERE'S A REAL COST THERE. YOU DON'T SIMPLY JUST REPLACE ONE SALARY WITH THE NEXT SALARY. THERE'S THERE'S TRAINING TIME, THERE'S INTEGRATION TIME, THERE'S ALL THESE THINGS THAT WALKS OUT THE DOOR WHEN AN EMPLOYEE LEAVES.

AND SO THERE'S A REAL PRESSURE ON WHETHER YOU'RE IN A COUNTY GOVERNMENT, YOU'RE IN BUSINESS WORLD, WHICH IS EVEN MORE DIFFICULT. IF YOU'RE PAYING PEOPLE TO DO SOMETHING. THERE'S A REAL LOSS WHEN SOMEONE WALKS OUT THE DOOR. SO I DON'T BEGRUDGE ANYBODY THAT. WE INCREASE THEIR SALARY BECAUSE IF YOU'RE IF YOU'RE A COUNTY EMPLOYEE AND YOU'VE BEEN A COUNTY EMPLOYEE FOR AT LEAST A YEAR, YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE A REAL ASSET TO THE COUNTY. AND SO WE DON'T WANT TO LOSE YOU. SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE THING I WANT PEOPLE TO REALIZE IS WE CAN'T WE CAN'T STAGNATE. WE HAVE TO STAY COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER GOVERNMENT AGENCIES AND WITH THE. FREE MARKET. SO THAT'S THAT'S ALL I WANTED TO ADD, JUDGE, IS THAT THERE'S A REAL NEED FOR US TO STAY COMPETITIVE. AND OF COURSE, WHEN THINGS HAPPEN, LIKE HAPPEN, LOOK AT THE TURMOIL IN THE HARRIS COUNTY COURT BECAUSE OF WHAT HAPPENED WITH THE HOUSTON POLICE DEPARTMENT RAISES. I MEAN, WE WE WENT THROUGH MONTHS AND MONTHS AND MONTHS OF VERY PUBLIC FEUDING OVER THAT. BUT ONCE ONE OF THEM DOES IT, THEN EVERYBODY HAS TO FOLLOW SUIT OR

[00:45:05]

RIGHT NOW, WHAT WE'VE GOT IS TWO AGENDA ITEMS, AND THAT'S TO PUBLISH THE ELECTED OFFICIAL SALARIES AND GET IT INTO THE NEWSPAPERS. SO FOR THAT, CAN I HAVE A MOTION ON 48 AND 49 WITH THE ONE CORRECTION ON THE SHERIFF? DO I HAVE A SECOND? OKAY. I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? 48 AND 49. AND JUST SO PEOPLE UNDERSTAND, WE'LL HAVE A BUDGET WORKSHOP TODAY. THE PROPOSED BUDGET HAS BEEN FILED. I THINK WE'VE GOT A BUDGET HEARING SCHEDULED FOR TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 8TH. WE'LL VOTE ON THE BUDGET THAT SAME DAY, AND THEN WE WILL ALSO THEN WE WILL ACTUALLY VOTE ON THE TAX RATE SEPTEMBER 16TH. SO PEOPLE ARE CLEAR ON THAT. OKAY. ALL RIGHT.

[SHERIFF]

SO IT WORKS OUT WELL ACROSS THE BOARD. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. DID WE VOTE ON 1551? WE DID OR DID NOT? OKAY. ALL RIGHT. ALL IN FAVOR OF 1551 RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. OPPOSED 50 AND 51 CARRY. ALL

[GRANT MANAGER]

[00:50:05]

[PROCUREMENT DIRECTOR]

ORIGINALLY, CSCD WAS THE PARTY LISTED ON THE CONTRACT GOING THROUGH THE ATTORNEY'S OFFICE.

IT WAS RECOMMENDED THAT IT NEEDS TO GO THROUGH A COMMISSIONERS COURT. OKAY. AND 59 IS A REQUEST FOR THE TERMINATION OF THE MOWING SERVICES CONTRACT THROUGH ROADBRIDGE. THIS CONTRACT BEGAN IN. IT WAS A TERM CONTRACT BEGAN APRIL 1ST. SINCE THEN, THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS ISSUES PERFORMANCE DEFICIENCIES, FAILURE TO SUPPLY PROPER EQUIPMENT ON AND ON. THERE HAVE BEEN NUMEROUS MEETINGS BETWEEN ROAD AND BRIDGE AND THE VENDOR NOTICE HAS BEEN SENT AND IT'S. IT'S TIME TO COME TO YOU GUYS FOR REQUEST TO TERMINATE AND REQUEST TO RE-ADVERTISE. SHOULD YOU APPROVE THIS, I WILL GET THE LEGAL NOTICE OUT NEXT TUESDAY. OKAY. SO IF ANYBODY IS WONDERING WHY THE COUNTY ROADS HAVEN'T BEEN MOWED DITCHES, IT'S BECAUSE WE SELECTED THE CONTRACTOR AND THEY BASICALLY CAME BACK AND SAID, HEY, WE DON'T HAVE ANY SHREDDERS, BUT WE CAN DO IT WITH ZERO TURN MOWERS. OH MY GOD. SO OBVIOUSLY WE HAD TO GET OUT OF THAT CONTRACT AND REBID THIS. SO BUT GOING BACK TO 53, THERE IS SOME I WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE UNDERSTAND. I KNOW RECENTLY THERE WERE SOME PUBLIC MEETINGS REGARDING BY TXDOT REGARDING DIFFERENT. THIS IS PART OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT PROCESS REGARDING DIFFERENT ALTERNATIVE ROUTES FOR 36 A THROUGH WALLER COUNTY. AND THERE'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT. THERE'S BEEN SOME STUFF ONLINE, NOT A. YOU KNOW, I MEAN, IT'S BEEN REASONABLE GIVEN THE THING I THINK FOR THE MOST PART, ESPECIALLY NOW WITH THE LEVEL OF GROWTH, WE WE KIND OF KNEW SOMETHING WAS PROBABLY POTENTIALLY COMING UP NOW WITH THE LEVEL OF GROWTH AND WHAT JUST WITH THE ROOFTOPS, WE KNOW THAT ARE COMING IN AND THE ONES THAT ARE WILL BE BEHIND THEM.

IT'S GETTING PRETTY SERIOUS BECAUSE WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO SEE RIGHT NOW, YOU CAN GET TO BROOKSHIRE, TO WALLER OR TO HEMPSTEAD WITH WITHOUT A LOT OF DELAY, AND THERE'S NOT VERY MANY STOPS. BUT AS THESE NEIGHBORHOODS COME IN, IT WON'T BE LONG BEFORE THEY'RE GOING TO REQUEST A TRAFFIC LIGHT. AND THEN EVENTUALLY THESE ROADS ARE GOING TO BECOME CONGESTED AND

[00:55:05]

OKAY. SO I WOULD SAY FOR A GLIMPSE OF THE FUTURE, ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS TRY TO GO THROUGH THE CITY OF WALLER ON 362 AT ABOUT 4:00 IN THE AFTERNOON. THAT BACKS UP FROM 290 PAST THE RAILROAD TRACKS AND DOWN 362 A GOOD WAY. SO THERE'S CONGESTION IS HERE NOW TRYING TO PASS THROUGH VERY NARROW AND INSUFFICIENT RIGHT OF WAY THROUGH THE CITY OF WALLER. SO THE CONGESTION IS ALREADY HAPPENING. AND ON GO TO THE SOUTH END WHERE 359 AND 362 CONVERGE TOGETHER RIGHT JUST NORTH OF THE RAILROAD TRACKS. AND THEN YOU GOT AND, AND I'VE HEARD DURING RUSH OUT, YOU KNOW, IN THE MORNINGS DURING RUSH HOUR THAT THAT'S BECOMING REALLY BAD. SO, YOU KNOW, WE SOMETHING HAS TO HAPPEN IN ORDER TO MOVE TRAFFIC FROM POINT A TO POINT B. SO ANYWAY, THIS IS US TRYING TO CONTROL OUR DESTINY TO SOME EXTENT AND LOOKING AT, YOU KNOW, THE DIFFERENT ROUTES BETWEEN I-10 AND 290. SO ANYWAY, JUST TO GIVE EVERYBODY THAT BACKGROUND. ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT, ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON ANY OF THE ITEMS 53 THROUGH 59? I SUPPORT WHAT WE'RE GOING TO DO ON 59 BECAUSE THE CONTRACTOR IS JUST NOT PERFORMED, CAUSING A LOT OF COMMENT FROM THE PUBLIC ABOUT I'VE SEEN THEM AS WELL. AND IT'S, IT'S DISCOURAGING, BUT ALL WE CAN DO IS CANCEL THAT CONTRACT AND GET SOMEBODY IN WHO'S GOING TO DO THE WORK. GOING FORWARD. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE BACKUPS. SO IF THIS HAPPENS AGAIN, WE JUST WE DON'T HAVE TO. CORRECT. IS THAT HOW WE'RE GOING TO BID IT? WHEN I BID IT, IT WAS IT WAS LOW BID MEETING SPECS. IT WAS ONE VENDOR. SO THIS THIS NEXT GO ROUND I WILL REQUEST TO AWARD TO PRIMARY SECONDARY AND POSSIBLY A TERTIARY. OKAY. GOOD.

WOW. AWESOME PROCUREMENT. WE GOT YOU. THANK YOU JAMIE. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION 53 THROUGH 59. ALL RIGHT. HEARING NONE. ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? 359

[DIRECTOR OF FACILITIES]

[01:00:03]

AND GOSH, THIS BUILDING WAS BUILT LAST NOVEMBER AND WE ARE FULL ALREADY. SO EVEN THE BEST LAID PLANS TO GROW ARE FALLING SHORT. DOUBLING AND TRIPLING MAY NOT BE ENOUGH TO PLAN FOR AND GROWTH AT THIS POINT BECAUSE OF WHAT'S HAPPENING. JUDGE DANNY Y. I MEAN, MY UNDERSTANDING WAS, I MEAN, I UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE DOING. AND BY THE WAY, I THINK THAT HAVING THAT FLEX ROOM, THE MULTI-PURPOSE ROOM IS, IS A GREAT IDEA BECAUSE WE HAVE THERE ARE SOME LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE PRECINCT FOUR ANNEX. YOU KNOW, WE THOUGHT, WELL, DURING VOTING, WE'LL JUST SHUT DOWN THE. JP BUT, YOU KNOW, NOW WITH LAWS CHANGING ON THE VOTING SIDE, WHICH. YOU KNOW, NOW YOU'VE GOT TO HAVE A DEDICATED SPACE, YOU HAVE TO SHUT, YOU'D HAVE TO SHUT DOWN YOUR JP COURT COURTROOM FOR LIKE THREE, THREE PLUS WEEKS.

YES, SIR. AND THAT'S NOT FEASIBLE. SO I LIKE THE FACT THAT WE'RE DOING THAT. WHY? SEE, I THOUGHT THAT THE BUILDINGS, THEY'RE BOTH EXACTLY THE SAME SQUARE FOOTAGE. EVEN WITH THE INCREASE IN FOOTAGE. WHY IS THE DESIGN FEE DIFFERENT? BUT NO ONE IS GIVING US A DISCOUNT ON THE SECOND DISCOUNT ON PRECINCT TWO FOR BEING A PROTOTYPE. OKAY, SO IT'S A LESSER COST BECAUSE THEY ARE 98% IDENTICAL BUILDINGS. OKAY, SO WE'RE BASICALLY WE DESIGNED PRECINCT THREE FIRST IN PRECINCT TWO IS A PROTOTYPE. SO WE'RE GETTING A DISCOUNT ON FEES. AND THESE DESIGN FEE CHANGES. THAT'S JUST THE CHANGE. THAT'S NOT INCLUSIVE OF THE ORIGINAL DESIGN. PLUS THIS IS ADDING THE CHANGE TO OUR ORIGINAL CONTRACT. OKAY. SO THIS IS ALL ALL IN THIS IS PRETTY INCLUSIVE. THE THE PRECINCT THREE IS THEY'RE BOTH DESIGNED, BUT PRECINCT THREE IS READY TO GO OUT FOR BIDS. THE ONLY THING HOLDING US BACK IS A WATER ISSUE. TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WATER SOURCE. I REALLY DON'T WANT TO PUT A WELL AT PRECINCT THREE UNLESS I JUST HAVE TO. THE PRECINCT FOR WATER WELL IS JUST PROBLEMATIC. IT IS A LOT OF WORK THAT GOES INTO DEALING WITH THAT THING. IT'S A COMMERCIAL. WELL, NOT A RESIDENTIAL. WELL, IT TAKES MORE COMPLICATED EQUIPMENT AND MONTHLY MONITORING BECAUSE IT'S PUBLIC DRINKING WATER. THREE IS IN A DEVELOPMENT. YES. WE'RE TRYING TO GET WATER FROM THEM. THEY DON'T HAVE THE WATER THERE RIGHT NOW. SO WE'RE LOOKING AT COST. WE GOT TO HAVE A MEETING. I THINK WE'RE ALMOST THERE. WE HAD LIKE THE 20 YARD LINE. OKAY. AND WE'RE TRYING TO WORK WITH ESD 200. THEY'RE PUTTING A FIRE STATION BESIDE US AT PRECINCT THREE. SO WE'RE TRYING TO COMBINE WITH THEM AND THEIR WATER NEEDS AND TRYING TO PUSH THE THE SUBDIVISION TO GET US WATER. THEY WANT. THE FIRE STATION CANNOT OPERATE OFF A WELL, THEY HAVE TO BE OFF OF MUNICIPAL WATER SOURCE. OKAY.

ALL RIGHT. WELL, HOPEFULLY WE'LL GET THAT RESOLVED. SO SO AGAIN, I AS YOUR FACILITIES DIRECTOR, I THINK WE HAVE TO PLAN FOR GROWTH. AND I THINK BUILDING, TAKING, MAKING THESE TWO BUILDINGS BIGGER AND PRETTY MUCH EQUAL TO PRECINCT FOUR IN MANY WAYS IS THE RIGHT THING TO DO. I UNDERSTAND IT'S A COST INCREASE, BUT WITH WHAT'S HAPPENING IN OUR COUNTY, I THINK WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO ABSORB THIS AND MOVE ON. OKAY. VERY GOOD. YOU WANT TO TALK

[01:05:08]

SO I GUESS THAT'S WHERE THE MOU COMES INTO PLAY. SO SO WE DON'T PAY FOR THE SPACE THAT WE OCCUPY. NO, WE ACTUALLY DO THAT IN TRADE. THANKS TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE THERE WAS JUST GENERALLY AN AGREEMENT THAT WAS MADE WHEN WE THEY TRANSFERRED OVER TO WESCOM. SO WHEN THE DISPATCHERS ANSWER THE PHONE, THEY STILL HAVE TO TRANSFER THAT, RIGHT? AND SO THAT

[01:10:04]

I BELIEVE THE BUILD OUT WAS AROUND $190,000. AND SO IT'S JUST KIND OF A WASH. YEAH. AND IT WAS A JOKE. I HOPE PEOPLE HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR. THEY'VE BEEN GOOD COMMUNITY PARTNERS.

WILLIAM HAS BEEN TRYING TO BUILD ON FACEBOOK NOW. YEAH I KNOW. SO THAT'S, YOU KNOW, I WANT TO MAKE SURE PEOPLE HAVE A SENSE OF HUMOR AND KNOW THAT WE ARE BUILDING AND WORKING TOGETHER AND GOOD RELATIONSHIP. PLUS THAT BUILDING IS IN PRECINCT THREE, SO I DON'T WANT ANY HARM. CONFUSION. WE'LL TAKE CARE OF IT, SIR, FOR SURE. NO, I JUST WANT TO SAY WE DEFINITELY APPRECIATE YOU WORKING WITH US. IT'S BEEN A GOOD RELATIONSHIP AND THEY'RE LETTING US USE THE BUILDING. I GOT TO TOUR A FEW WEEKS AGO BEFORE ANYBODY WAS MOVED IN.

IT'S FANTASTIC. AND SO IT'S ONE OF THOSE BUILDINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, YOU HOPE YOU DON'T NEED TO ACTUALLY MOVE IN AND SET UP COMMAND, BUT BUT IT'S THERE IF WE NEED IT. SO WE APPRECIATE THEM. WE PAY FOR THE FURNITURE WITH FIRE MARSHAL FEES. SO THAT WAS FREE TOO. SO IT'S KIND OF A FREE DEAL WE GOT GOING ON OVER THERE. WELL DONE. DANNY. IS THERE ANY IMPACT ON THE 27 BUDGET AT ALL WITH THIS APPROVAL? I DON'T SEE IT. THIS IS JUST MY MOWING CREW DOING A LITTLE EXTRA WORK A COUPLE DAYS, COUPLE DAYS EVERY MONTH. I DON'T REALLY SEE A BUDGET PROBLEM. BUT IF YOU WANT, I'LL, YOU KNOW, LORD, THAT'S OKAY. SHOULD HAVE ASKED ME THAT AN HOUR AGO. I COULD HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT IT. THAT'LL BE THAT'LL BE ON NEXT WEEK'S AGENDA. I COULD DO A NEW ZERO TURN. WOULD BE GREAT. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON 60 THROUGH 62 COMMENT REAL QUICK. YES. WELL, 60. I HAVE NO DOUBT THAT Y'ALL ARE GOING TO APPROVE THAT. BUT I WANT TO MAKE A FEW COMMENTS. WE'RE BUSTING AT THE SEAMS OUT THERE AND THE BREAKNECK SPEED THAT WAS MENTIONED EARLIER WITH THE NEW JUSTICE TOWER. I'D REALLY LIKE TO SEE THAT ON OUR BUILDING. MY CONSTABLE IS CHECKING PEOPLE IN WITH A HANDHELD METAL DETECTOR IN A ROOM THAT'S ABOUT THE SIZE OF A HANDICAPPED STALL IN THE BATHROOM HERE. WE'RE BUSTING AT THE SEAMS WHEN WE HAVE DOCKETS. JURY DUTY. THERE'S NO PARKING. THERE'S NOT ENOUGH ROOM IN THE BUILDING. WE'VE SEEN AN INCREASE. ALMOST DOUBLE 96% INCREASE IN OUR CIVIL CASES FROM YEAR TO DATE FROM LAST YEAR. SO WE'RE GETTING HAMMERED. ALL THIS GROWTH IS HITTING US HARD. WE NEED MORE SPACE AND WE NEED THAT SPACE LIKE TWO YEARS AGO ONE. I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS NEWS TO THE COURT, BUT THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. IT'S NEWS TO ME, I APPRECIATE IT. I THOUGHT PRECINCT TWO IS OKAY OR YOU ALL WAS COOL WITH POSSIBLY STAYING WITH WHERE YOU ARE. SO I'M GLAD THAT YOU CAME TO COURT TODAY, AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU PUBLICLY SAID THAT WE NEED A BUILDING. AND I'M GLAD THAT YOU PUBLICLY ALSO SAID, BECAUSE I THINK SOME PEOPLE THINK THAT THE COUNTY IS NOT GROWING. AND, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE SAY, HEY, YOU GUYS DON'T NEED NEW BUILDINGS.

IT'S LIKE YOU HAVE A SERVICE IN WHICH YOU HAVE TO PROVIDE. YOU HAVE PEOPLE THAT COMMIT CRIMES.

THEY GOT TO GO IN FRONT OF THE JUDGE. YOU NEED MORE VOTING LOCATIONS. THAT'S MORE PEOPLE MOVE HERE BASED UPON PRECINCT POPULATION. AND SO EVEN JUST HEARING THAT YOU'VE INCREASED, I KNOW I SEE JUDGE JACKSON UP AND WE DO SEE YOU ALL NUMBERS, BUT JUST FOR THE PUBLIC HEARING, THAT 96% INCREASE. AND THEN PEOPLE SAY, HEY, THE COUNTY IS NOT GROWING. THAT'S A DIRECT REFLECTION. AND WE HAD THE CONVERSATION AT BUDGET HEARINGS. I REALLY NEED ANOTHER CIVIL CLERK. BAD. I DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO PUT HIM. IF I HIRED ANOTHER PERSON, I DON'T KNOW WHERE I'M GONNA PUT HIM. I'M GOING TO HAVE TO MOVE MY OFFICE TO ANOTHER BUILDING AND WALK BACK AND FORTH INTO MY BUILDING FOR COURT, WHICH BRINGS UP A WHOLE OTHER SECURITY THING.

LIKE, WE NEED THIS BUILDING NOW. WELL, THANK YOU, JUDGE, FOR BEING HERE. I APPRECIATE THE SENTIMENT. YOU KNOW, WE WE WENT INTO THIS IT WAS WITH THE INTENTION OF TRYING TO DO TWO AND THREE AT THE SAME TIME. YOU KNOW, THE NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE LANDOWNER, FOR THOSE THAT DON'T KNOW, WE HAVE A LANDOWNER WHO OWNS A QUITE, QUITE A LARGE PIECE OF PROPERTY RIGHT THERE AT KICKAPOO AND JOSEPH ROAD THAT IS WANTING. THE COUNTY IS ACTUALLY WILLING TO DONATE A LOT OF THAT LAND TO THE COUNTY FOR A PARK FOR ONE. ONE OF THE FIRST PUBLIC COUNTY PARKS. AND THEN PART OF THAT, WE WOULD ACTUALLY PURCHASE THE LAND FOR THE PRECINCT TO ANNEX. THOSE NEGOTIATIONS ARE STILL KIND OF ONGOING AT THIS TIME. AND THERE'S, THERE'S, THERE'S A LOT OF STIPULATIONS AND THERE'S A ROAD ISSUE TO THERE'S A ROAD ISSUE AS WELL. AND, YOU KNOW,

[01:15:05]

APPRECIATE IT. ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION ON 60 THROUGH 62? ALL RIGHT. HEARING NONE.

ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? 62. 62 CARRIES. ALL RIGHT. LET'S GO TO

[MISCELLANEOUS]

HOSPITAL TRIM HAS 12 RESERVES. I DON'T THINK YOU GOT A RESPONSE BACK FROM CONSTABLE SMITH. SO TEN. I THINK HE'S HERE. CONSTABLE, HOW MANY RESERVE DEPUTIES DO YOU HAVE? I MEAN, ROUGHLY AT THIS TIME WE HAVE 13 RESERVES. OKAY. THANK YOU SIR. BUT I THINK WE WAS APPROVED. 40 RESERVES. AND THAT WAS BACK IN. I CAN'T REMEMBER A YEAR WHEN I WAS, BUT I THINK IT WAS RIGHT AROUND THE TIME YOU CAME IN. SO. OKAY. SO SO BY TKO WE HAVE WE HAVE TO HAVE A MAXIMUM. IS THERE ANY RANGE THAT PUTS SAYS YOU CAN'T HAVE MORE THAN. YOU JUST HAVE TO HAVE A NUMBER. WE COULD PUT A MILLION ON IT AS LONG AS WE'VE GOT A NUMBER. WELL YEAH. OKAY.

NO, I'M JUST MAKING I DON'T WANT TO DO THIS. AND THEN THEY COME BACK AND SAY, YOU KNOW, MAX, IS THIS OR MINIMUMS THAT. I MEAN, JUST OUT OF CURIOSITY, WHEN WE WHEN WE ADD RESERVES, IS THERE A COST TO THE COUNTY FROM AN INSURANCE OR LIABILITY STANDPOINT? THERE IS AT RENEWAL TIME, IF NOT DURING THE YEAR. BUT WHEN WE RENEW THAT POLICY, YES, WE HAVE TO COUNT ALL OF THOSE, WHETHER THAT POSITION, IF THEY. SO IF WE SAY 20, WE'RE PAYING INSURANCE FOR 20 SPOTS, WHETHER THEY'RE FILLED OR NOT. CORRECT. CORRECT. I KNOW, I SEE I SEE CONSTABLE NOEL AND I DON'T KNOW IF WE HAVE ANY OF THE OTHER CONSTABLES HERE OR NOT. YEAH, WE GOT ALL OF THEM.

ARE THEY ALL HERE? YEAH. OKAY. WHAT? I MEAN, CAN WE SET THE LIMIT AT 20? I MEAN, WHAT WHAT

[01:20:03]

CONSTABLES, Y'ALL WANT US TO TABLE THIS SO Y'ALL CAN DO MORE RESEARCH OR. YEAH, THAT'D BE FINE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. MOTION TO TABLE SECOND. WELL, WE DIDN'T HAVE A MOTION. OKAY, SO WE'LL JUST WITHDRAW NUMBER 64. ALL RIGHT. WELL, IF Y'ALL WILL BRING US SOMETHING AND GIVE US A NUMBER, I ALSO WOULD ASK THIS TO FOR US TO KEEP IN MIND THAT WE ARE TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH GROWTH. I THINK THE COURT HAS MADE A COMMITMENT TO WANTING TO HELP OUT THE CONSTABLES BY GIVING CARS. I THINK WE JUST GAVE CARS A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO, AND THEN WE WANT TO GIVE, I THINK, A NEW CAR OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. SO WHATEVER THAT NUMBER IS, WE WANT TO KIND OF KEEP THAT IN MIND. SO THAT WAY WE CAN PUT YOU ALL ON SOME TYPE OF SYSTEM TO MAKE SURE YOU GOT DASHBOARD CAMERAS FULLY EQUIPPED FOR YOUR STAFF TO TRY TO CATCH UP AND TRY TO HELP YOU ALL OUT. JOHN, WOULD YOU MIND LOOKING AND SEEING ROUGHLY WHAT THAT NUMBER IS PER DEPUTY? SO WE HAVE THAT FOR TWO WEEKS TO SEE WHAT THE COST RELATED TO EACH ONE IS. YES. THANK YOU.

ALL RIGHT. VERY GOOD. 64 WILL BE WITHDRAWN. LET'S MOVE TO 65 MOTION. SECOND WE HAVE A MOTION.

AND SECOND ON 65 THIS IS JUST THIS IS A STANDARD PRACTICE THAT WE DO IT EVERY YEAR TO AUTHORIZE THE COUNTY AUDITOR TO CONDUCT THE AUDIT OF THE THE FORFEIT AND SEIZURE ACCOUNTS FOR THE DA'S OFFICE. ANY OTHER DISCUSSION? HEARING? NONE. ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND.

ALL OPPOSED? 65 CARRIES. URIEL, DO WE HAVE WE DO HAVE EXECUTIVE SESSION. YES. WE NEED EVERYTHING EXCEPT 68. ALL RIGHT. EVERYTHING EXCEPT 68. SO AT THIS TIME WE'RE GOING TO TAKE UP. SO WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN FOLKS. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION.

URIEL DO YOU KNOW HAVE ANY ESTIMATE HOW LONG. NO I DON'T NOT OFFHAND. OKAY. WOW. ALL RIGHT. WELL BE INTENSE. THERE'S ONLY ONE THING. OKAY. WE HAVE A WORKSHOP AFTER. SO I'M TRYING

[EXECUTIVE SESSION]

ALL OPPOSED? IT IS ALL RIGHT. WE ARE BACK OUT OF EXECUTIVE. IT IS 10:52 A.M. WE ARE BACK OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION. I DON'T BELIEVE ANY ACTION IS GOING TO BE NECESSARY OUT OF EXECUTIVE SESSION. SO THEREFORE, NUMBER 71 WILL BE WITHDRAWN. A SECOND. SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION AND SECOND, TO ADJOURN THE COMMISSIONERS COURT MEETING. ANY DISCUSSION? HEARING NONE.

ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT. WITH THAT, WE NOW WILL MOVE TO THE AGENDA FOR OUR BUDGET WORKSHOP THIS MORNING. WE'LL GO AHEAD AND START. IT IS 10:53 A.M. WE'LL START WITH NUMBER ONE, APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA. SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION AND A SECOND. ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT HAND. ALL OPPOSED? ALL RIGHT. AGENDA IS APPROVED. AND NOW WE WILL ENGAGE IN A DISCUSSION OF THE FISCAL YEAR 2027 BUDGET. I'M

[01:25:06]

SHERIFF'S OFFICE WAS ALLOCATED $2 MILLION OF THAT TO ALLOCATE. AND A LOT OF THAT IS GOING TO THE PARITY. AND THAT THAT'S FOR ALL YOU KNOW, WE DID THAT FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, PATROL DEPUTIES. BUT THEN THERE ARE ALSO SOME NEEDS AT THE JAIL. WILL WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT SAME THING WITH ROAD AND BRIDGE. WE HAD $4.5 MILLION AND REQUESTED SPENDING. THEY. I GAVE THEM $2 MILLION TO WORK WITH AND GIVE ME THEIR PRIORITIES. YOU MAY HAVE NOTICED, LIKE ON THIS BUDGET, ONE OF THE THINGS WE WERE ABLE TO DO IS WE. WE MOVED UP SOME EQUIPMENT PURCHASES. SO WE WERE ABLE TO DO THAT TODAY WITH SOME BUDGET SAVINGS. SO WE'RE, YOU KNOW, THAT'S GOOD.

WE AT LEAST GOT SOME OF THAT ADDRESSED THAT WAY. AND THAT'S USUALLY NOT UNUSUAL THIS TIME OF YEAR. SO THERE WERE SEVERAL THINGS WITH THIS BUDGET. ONE, I MEAN WAS JUST THE SHEER NEED AND THE LIMITED FUNDS. WHAT WAS REALLY DISTURBING AS, AS WE STARTED TO GET NUMBERS FROM THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT, IT JUST SEEMED LIKE THE NUMBERS WERE NOT WHAT THEY SHOULD BE AT THIS POINT IN TIME. I MEAN, WE ARE, YOU KNOW, WE'VE HAD THE GROWTH GOING ON FOR QUITE A WHILE, YOU KNOW, TO SEE THE TAX BASE EXPAND AT A LEVEL HIGHER THAN WHAT IT DID. AND WHAT WAS REALLY DISTURBING WAS WHEN WE FINALLY GOT THE FINALIZED NUMBERS, AND I SHOULD HAVE, I DON'T THINK I PRINTED OUT THAT, THAT, THAT, THAT ATTACHMENT YOU SENT OF THE NEW VALUE, THE REVENUE THAT WE'RE GETTING FROM NEW VALUE, WHICH I WANT TO SAY IS ACTUALLY AROUND 5 MILLION.

IT WAS LIKE FOUR POINT SOMETHING MILLION. THAT ACCOUNTED FOR 99.6, 99.49% OF THE TOTAL INCREASE IN THE TAX BASE AS A WHOLE. NOW, YOU KIND OF HAVE TO PROCESS THAT. AND I DID THE MATH YESTERDAY. SO OUTSIDE OF THAT NEW REVENUE FROM NEW VALUE, THE TAX BASE IN WALLER COUNTY ONLY INCREASED $5 MILLION. THAT JUST JUST THERE'S IT'S LIKE, THERE'S NO WAY THAT THAT'S CORRECT. COMMISSIONER BECKENDORF, WHICH I APPRECIATE. HE WENT AND HE SPOKE TO BECKY GURROLA AT THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT AND SAID, YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS LIKE THERE'S SOMETHING WE'RE BLEEDING SOMEWHERE. THERE'S WE'RE LOSING SOMETHING SOMEWHERE. AND WHAT SHE SAID, SHE SAID, YOU KNOW, THAT IT'S ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE THAT THEY HAD ONE COMMERCIAL APPRAISER. I THINK THAT APPRAISER, IF I'M NOT MISTAKEN, QUIT MIDSTREAM WHILE THEY WERE IN THE ARB PROCESS. SHE GOT STRESSED OUT AND QUIT. AND WE REALLY THEY HAD TO TAKE ALL OF THE COMMERCIAL VALUATIONS AT FACE VALUE. SO WE ARE NOT THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT DIDN'T HAVE THE ABILITY. SHE SAID SHE DIDN'T HAVE THE STAFF OR THE RESOURCES TO MAKE SURE THAT THE COMMERCIAL VALUES ARE WHERE THEY NEED TO BE. WELL, THAT'S A PROBLEM FOR SEVERAL REASONS, BECAUSE IF THE COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES AND THE COMMERCIAL LANDOWNERS ARE NOT PAYING THEIR FAIR SHARE, THAT SHIFTS THE BURDEN OVER ONTO THE RESIDENTIAL SIDE. OKAY. IF WE IF WE WERE GETTING AND I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE, HERE'S HERE'S AN ANECDOTAL EXAMPLE.

[01:30:06]

THAT TRANSACTION IS CLOSED. WE NOW OWN THE PROPERTY. THAT PROPERTY IS LISTED ON THE APPRAISAL ROLLS WITH A MARKET VALUE OF $600,000. $2 MILLION PROPERTY LISTED ON THE ROLL AT $600,000. SO IF THAT IS INDICATIVE OF WHAT'S GOING ON COUNTYWIDE, THEN YES, WE ARE.

WE ARE BLEEDING ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE. SO I HAVE I'VE HAD DISCUSSIONS WITH A COUPLE OF THE THE BOARD MEMBERS AT THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT. I THINK THEY HAVE A MEETING COMING UP ON SEPTEMBER SOME SOME POINT I'M I'M GOING TO EITHER HAVE MYSELF OR SOMEBODY FROM THE STAFF OR THIS COURT PROBABLY SHOW UP AND, YOU KNOW, WE NEED THEM TO DO A BETTER JOB, ESPECIALLY ON THE COMMERCIAL SIDE. AND I DON'T KNOW IF THAT INVOLVES BRINGING IN A CONTRACTOR OR A COMPANY TO DO TO HANDLE THEIR COMMERCIAL VALUATIONS. I DON'T KNOW, BUT WE SHOULDN'T BE IN THIS SITUATION GIVEN THE GROWTH IN WALLER COUNTY. WE'VE IN THE PAST DONE A GOOD JOB OF BEING ABLE TO SURVIVE ON THE REVENUE FROM NEW VALUE. BUT WHEN YOU JUST SEE THAT THE THE TAX BASE ITSELF, OTHER THAN NEW VALUE, THAT THERE'S NO GROWTH, THAT THAT'S JUST ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU HAVE THE LEVEL OF ACTIVITY WE'VE GOT GOING ON IN THIS COUNTY, IT WAS VERY FIND IT VERY HARD TO BELIEVE. AND WHAT'S SAD IS IF WE IF WE DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH REVENUE IT IS. BUT I HAVE A FEELING, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THIS BUDGET PRESENTATION WHEN IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE. WE HAVE A BUDGET AND THE IMPACT ON THE TAX RATE IS GOING TO BE PROBABLY A PENNY LESS THAN A PENNY. OVERALL, THE IMPACT ON THIS TAX RATE WILL BE LESS THAN A PENNY, GIVEN EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING. THAT'S AN INCREDIBLE RESULT. BUT WHAT'S SAD IS IF I HAD ALL THE REVENUE THAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE GETTING, I WE COULD HAVE LOWERED THE TAX RATE OR WE COULD HAVE ADDRESSED MORE OF THE NEEDS THAT WE'RE SEEING WITH OUR SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, WITH OUR ROAD AND BRIDGE DEPARTMENT ACROSS THE BOARD. AGAIN, EVERY ALMOST EVERY DEPARTMENT'S REQUESTING MORE EMPLOYEES TO HANDLE THE WORKLOAD. IT'S UNDERSTANDABLE. AND IN SOME INSTANCES, PEOPLE WERE WANTING 2 OR 3 EMPLOYEES. IT WAS LIKE WE WERE, WE CAN GIVE YOU ONE. SO WE TRY TO DO THE BEST WE CAN AND BALANCE ALL OF THAT. SO WITH ALL THAT BEING SAID, I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND TURN IT OVER TO ROBERT AND LET HIM WALK US THROUGH THE BUDGET. JUDGE, LET ME LET ME JUST HAVE ONE COMMENT FIRST. OKAY? FIRST INDICATION I HAD THAT THERE WAS A PROBLEM WITH THE COMMERCIAL VALUATIONS IS WHEN THE APPRAISAL DISTRICT ENTERED INTO OR ATTEMPTED TO ENTER INTO AN AGREEMENT TO PURCHASE PROPERTY AT A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT MORE THAN WHAT THEY HAD IT APPRAISED AT. AND IF YOU REMEMBER, I ASKED THEM IN THE MEETING, ARE THEY PAYING THE APPRAISED VALUE? AND THEY DIDN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION. SO I THINK THAT IT'S A COUNTY WIDE. THERE'S A PROBLEM WITH EVALUATION OF COMMERCIAL PROPERTIES. AND AS YOU SAID, WHAT THAT DOES IS SHIFTS THE BURDEN OF THE TAXES ONTO THE RESIDENTIAL PROPERTIES. SO I THINK IT'S AN ISSUE THAT NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED QUICKLY. AND, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE DO ALL THE TAX ABATEMENT AGREEMENTS AND SO FORTH, PART OF THAT IS BASED ON VALUATIONS. AND SO IF WE'RE NOT GETTING CORRECT VALUATIONS THERE, THEN PEOPLE ARE NOT PAYING THE CORRECT AMOUNT OF TAXES. SO I HOPE IT'S SOMETHING THAT WILL BE REMEDIED PRETTY QUICKLY. THAT'S YEAH, HOPEFULLY I DON'T BELIEVE THAT THEY'VE VOTED ON A ON THEIR FINAL BUDGET. IN THE CONVERSATIONS THAT I'VE HAD WITH A COUPLE OF THEIR BOARD MEMBERS, I'VE TOLD THEM WHATEVER THEY NEED TO DO BECAUSE THEIR BUDGET IS THEN APPORTIONED AMONGST THE TAXING ENTITIES THAT THEY THEY PROVIDE APPRAISAL SERVICES FOR WALLER COUNTY BEING PROBABLY THE LARGEST FROM A TAX BASE STANDPOINT AND WHATEVER THAT IF THERE'S A COST AND OBVIOUSLY THERE WILL BE. I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH WALLER COUNTY PAYING ITS FAIR SHARE. IT'S WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO BECAUSE I

[01:35:04]

TO SEND YOU OFF INTO THE SUNSET WITH A SMILE ON YOUR FACE. YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. YOU'RE VERY WELCOME. SO WITH THAT, LET'S GET STARTED. SO THE OVERALL SUMMARY OF WHAT HAS OCCURRED THIS YEAR, AS JUDGE HAS PREVIOUSLY STATED, THERE IS GOING TO BE A 3% ACROSS THE BOARD EMPLOYEE COST OF LIVING INCREASE. THERE WILL BE ADDITIONAL MERIT PAY FOR COUNTY STAFF. THIS IS GOING TO BE UP TO EACH ELECTED OFFICIAL AND DEPARTMENT HEAD, SO THEY'LL BE GIVEN A POOL OF MONEY EQUAL TO 2% OF THE TOTAL STAFF INCREASE, AND THEY CAN GIVE A PAY RAISE OR MERIT PAY INCREASE TO STAFF MEMBERS IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED 5%. AND THEN WE'RE DOING PAY PARITY FOR THE LAW ENFORCEMENT IS AGAIN, A JUDGE STATED. THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S BEEN A REGION AND STATEWIDE ISSUE. WE'RE TRYING TO KEEP UP WITH ALL THE COMPETING LAW ENFORCEMENT ENTITIES. SO WE'RE WE'RE GOING TO BE INCREASING THE PATROL DEPUTIES SALARY BY $7,500 PER PER OFFICER. THERE'S A CONTINUED INVESTMENT IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IN ROAD AND BRIDGE. EACH OFFICE GOT AN EXTRA $2 MILLION TO WORK WITH THIS YEAR TO MEET CURRENT NEEDS. THEY DID A VERY GOOD JOB OF MEETING US IN THE MIDDLE. I WANT TO COMMEND ROSS AND THE SHERIFF AND ANGELA, ESPECIALLY ALL THREE OF YOU GUYS HAVE. AND BOBBY, YOU GUYS HAVE ALL DONE A WONDERFUL JOB IN WORKING WITH US AND BEING FLEXIBLE IN IN GETTING US THE INFORMATION THAT WE NEED TO MAKE DECISIONS. SO I APPRECIATE YOU GUYS AND EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALL HAVE DONE IN ORDER TO MAKE THIS BUDGET WORK, THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME CHANGES TO INSURANCE AND RETIREMENT. AND AS FAR AS THE STAFFING GOES, THE COUNTY IS GOING TO BE ADDING 25 NEW FULL TIME EMPLOYEES AND THREE NEW PART TIME EMPLOYEES. SO ON TO THE COLA AND MERIT PAY. AS I STATED, ALL NON LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS ARE GOING TO GET 3% COST OF LIVING ADJUSTMENT. THE ELECTED OFFICIALS AND DEPARTMENT HEADS WILL HAVE SOME FLEXIBILITY IN HOW THEY DIVVY THOSE FUNDS OUT. DEPARTMENT HEADS ARE GOING TO BE CAPPED AT A 5% INCREASE, WHICH MATCHES WHAT THE ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE GOING TO BE GETTING. WITH THAT, THE DEPARTMENT HEADS WILL BE HAVING THEIR ANNUAL REVIEWS BUMPED UP TO OCTOBER OF THIS YEAR. SO THE COURT CAN MAKE A DETERMINATION TO HELP JOAN OUT, GETTING EVERYTHING SET UP AHEAD OF THE NEW FISCAL YEAR. SO THE COURT WILL BE REVIEWING EVERYBODY AND DETERMINING WHAT WHAT TYPE OF INCREASE THE DEPARTMENT HEADS WILL RECEIVE AHEAD OF THAT. CAN I EXPAND ON THAT REAL QUICK ON THE MERIT BASED BASE? SO COUNTIES AND CITIES WERE NOT ALLOWED TO GIVE BONUSES. SO IF YOU HAVE AN EMPLOYEE THAT'S ALWAYS THERE EARLY STAYS LATE, GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND. WE CAN'T GIVE THEM AN END OF THE YEAR BONUS. WE WE, WE JUST CAN'T. THE LAW SAYS WE CAN'T. BUT WE DIDN'T WANT TO JUST GO GIVE EVERYBODY 5%. AND AND BECAUSE US AS COMMISSIONERS COURT, WE DON'T KNOW THE DAY TO DAY EMPLOYEES HOW HOW WELL THEY PERFORM. AND SO THIS IS A WAY FOR OUR DEPARTMENTS HEADS. SO IF ROSS HAS SOMEBODY THAT GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND, THEY CAN GIVE THEM, YOU KNOW, ADDITIONAL UP TO 5%. OR IF SOMEBODY'S JUST DOING THE BARE MINIMUM, THEN THEY GET THE 3%. BUT THAT'S A WAY FOR OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS TO BE ABLE TO REWARD GOOD BEHAVIOR AND INCENTIVIZE, INCENTIVIZE OUR EMPLOYEES TO GO ABOVE AND BEYOND. THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT.

GOING ON TO PAY PARITY, WHAT WE'VE SEEN IN THE WHOLE AREA IS THAT IT STARTED WITH THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND HARRIS COUNTY. EVERY EVERY PUBLIC ENTITY HAS EXAMINED, AND MANY HAVE EXECUTED PAY INCREASES FOR THEIR LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. I I'VE SEEN IT EVERYWHERE THAT

[01:40:01]

THEY'VE GOT A LOT GOING ON RIGHT NOW AND WE WERE ABLE TO WORK WITH THEM. THIS BUDGET YEAR TODAY IN COURT, AND JAMIE WAS ABLE TO TO GET THEM 100 AND SOME ODD THOUSAND DOLLARS IN EQUIPMENT. I THINK THIS IS JUST A ANOTHER WAY THAT WE'RE TRYING TO BE FLEXIBLE WITH THE TAXPAYER MONEY. WE'RE ABLE TO USE SOME BUDGET SAVINGS THIS YEAR IN ORDER TO SAVE SOME MONEY NEXT YEAR. BETWEEN THAT AND THE CONSTABLE'S VEHICLES, THAT'S ALMOST $1 MILLION THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TO SPEND NEXT YEAR THAT WE WERE ABLE TO SPEND WITH, WITH, WITH COST SAVINGS ON THIS YEAR'S BUDGET. SO AS FAR AS INSURANCE GOES, WE WILL BE MEETING. BLESS YOU. WE'LL BE MEETING AS SOON AS THIS IS OVER TO FINALIZE OUR INSURANCE SELECTION. JOAN AND ALAN AND MIKE HAVE BEEN WORKING VERY HARD TO TO TO GET SOME BETTER BENEFITS FOR THE COUNTY. SO THE PLAN THAT WE'RE TARGETING, GENERALLY SPEAKING, IS GOING TO INCREASE BENEFITS, DECREASE OUT-OF-POCKET COSTS, AND SHOULD REDUCE THE PREMIUM CONTRIBUTION FROM THE COUNTY. WE'LL HAVE MORE INFORMATION AFTER OUR BUDGET MEETING TODAY. AND WE'LL BE ABLE TO TO PUBLICLY SHARE WHATEVER IS IS TALKED ABOUT AS SOON AS WE GET THAT INFORMATION FROM THEM. DID YOU HAVE ANYTHING TO ADD ON THAT ONE OR. OKAY, THEY'RE EXCITED. IT LOOKS THINGS LOOK GOOD. DID YOU DID YOU WANT TO SAY SOMETHING ABOUT HOW WE DID IT DIFFERENTLY THIS YEAR? WELL, SO THEY, WE, WE'VE GOTTEN A BROKER TO, TO ASSIST US IN OUR NEGOTIATIONS FOR, FOR TAC WITH OUR NEGOTIATIONS WITH TAC. AND THEY'VE BEEN PRETTY GOOD. SO I THINK WE'RE GOING TO SEE A PRETTY GOOD BENEFITS PACKAGE THAT WILL, WILL HELP US SAVE SOME MONEY HERE WHEN WE FINALIZE THIS. BUT I APPRECIATE YOU ALL WORKING ON THAT AND GETTING SOME SOME ASSISTANCE TO HELP US FIND SOME COST SAVINGS.

AND I WILL SAY THIS, I, I WAS AT HOME YESTERDAY AND TALKING TO COMMISSIONER LESLIE BRIONES

[01:45:03]

INCREASES WE'VE SEEN INCREASES YEAR OVER YEAR. AND SO BEING ABLE TO GET SOME RELIEF THIS YEAR IS IS WELCOME NEWS. ANOTHER NICE LITTLE DEVELOPMENT THAT CAME THROUGH THE BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETINGS WAS A RECOMMENDATION TO INCREASE TEXAS COUNTY DISTRICT RETIREMENT SYSTEM CONTRIBUTIONS FROM 200 TO 250%. THIS WILL BE AT NO ADDED COST TO THE COUNTY.

IF I HAVE MY INFORMATION CORRECT AND CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG, WE WERE ALREADY CONTRIBUTING AT AT AN AMOUNT THAT WAS GOING TO FUND THIS, THIS LEVEL. SO WE DON'T HAVE TO MAKE ANY INCREASE IN OUR CONTRIBUTIONS AND STILL BE ABLE TO OFFER THIS TO THE EMPLOYEES IN DOING THIS. THIS MAXES OUT AT WHAT THE WHAT THE COUNTIES CAN CONTRIBUTE FOR YOUR RETIREMENT. THIS COULD BE, OVER THE LONG TERM, A VERY SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN EACH EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT WHEN THEY WHEN THEY DECIDE TO, TO CALL IT QUITS. SO I'M EXCITED ABOUT THIS. I THINK THIS IS A GREAT BENEFIT. AND THERE'S NOT A LOT OF ENTITIES IN THE AREA THAT THAT OFFER THIS. SO THIS IS A NICE LITTLE, NICE LITTLE ADDITION TO, TO THE COUNTY BENEFITS PACKAGE THAT WON'T ACTUALLY DING US IN OUR POCKETBOOKS. ONTO THE EMPLOYEE REQUESTS. SO 25 FULL TIME AND THREE PART TIME, THE COMMISSIONERS COURT IS GOING TO BE ADDING ONE THAT WILL BE AN ASSISTANT CHIEF OF STAFF FOR THOSE ONLINE WHO THINK THAT I'M GETTING AN 89% PAY INCREASE, THAT IS FAKE NEWS, AS THE PRESIDENT WOULD SAY, AND THIS WILL BE MONEY THAT GOES TOWARDS TOWARDS ANOTHER STAFF MEMBER THAT WILL ASSIST IN SERVING THE COUNTY JUDGE AND THE COMMISSIONERS. THE DISTRICT ATTORNEY IS GETTING TWO EMPLOYEES. DISTRICT CLERK 1JP21JP41. HUMAN RESOURCES WILL HAVE A. A DIRECTOR OF BUILDING MAINTENANCE WILL BE GETTING THREE FULL TIME AND ONE PART TIME ROAD AND BRIDGE AS THEY WILL BE GETTING THREE EMPLOYEES THE SHERIFF NINE. THE CONSTABLES WILL BE GETTING THREE NEW EMPLOYEES. COUNTY COURT AT LAW NUMBER TWO WILL GET ONE PART TIME EMPLOYEE.

EXCUSE ME. AND THE TAX ASSESSOR WILL BE GETTING ONE PART TIME EMPLOYEE. ROBERT, IS THAT A COUNT? LIKE MINE'S A FULL TIME PART TIME TWO FULL TIME. I ONLY PUT NEW EMPLOYEES IN THERE. THE CONVERSIONS I DIDN'T I DIDN'T STAY DOWN THERE THAT THAT WAS CONFUSING TO ME WHEN I WAS PUTTING THIS TOGETHER. SO YEAH I'LL YOU'RE TAKING CARE OF JUDGE. CAPITAL OUTLAY. THE

[01:50:05]

SO THEIR THEIR SALARIES ARE A LITTLE BIT HIGHER, BUT IT'S ALL. BUT THAT'S BASICALLY THE BULK OF IT. BUT THERE'S ALSO THERE'S OTHER COSTS THAT THAT FACTOR IN. THERE'S, YOU KNOW, SOME, SOME DEPARTMENTS NEED NEW SOFTWARE SO THAT, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THEY HAVE TO HAVE.

THERE'S IT'S DEPARTMENT BY DEPARTMENT. ANGELA, DID YOU HAVE SOMETHING? YES, SIR. THANK YOU. ARE YOU DONE, MA'AM? I DIDN'T WANT TO INTERRUPT. I'LL PROBABLY JUMP IN. YES, MA'AM.

THANK YOU. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THIS IS THE PROPER FORUM, JUDGE, BUT I WANTED TO GET IT OFFICIALLY ON RECORD. AND I DID SPEAK WITH THE AUDITOR. WE DID FIND ONE ERROR ON OUR CONTRACT THAT WASN'T FUNDED ON LINE 505 FOR COPY AND PRINTERS. I THINK HE'S SUBMITTING THAT FOR REVISION. I THINK WE ALSO FOUND ONE MISCALCULATION ON THE ANIMAL CONTROL SALARIES THAT MAKES ABOUT A TEN K DIFFERENCE. JUST THAT'S ALSO BEEN ADDRESSED. JUST LETTING YOU KNOW, THE BUDGET COMMITTEE WORKED VERY HARD ON THIS AND THEY ADDRESSED IT. AND BECAUSE OF THE

[01:55:03]

AND IF OUR PROPER FORMAT TO DO THAT IS TO COME NEXT YEAR, RIGHT IN THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, WE HOPE TO DO THAT. AND I JUST WANTED TO PREP Y'ALL FOR THAT REQUEST ON OUR PART. LET ME ASK THIS. YES, SIR. WHEN WE, YOU KNOW, AND AND ALSO ONE THING TO GO BACK ON, I WANT EVERYBODY TO ALSO UNDERSTAND WE THE THE PAY PARITY, THE 7500 THAT WE'RE DOING PER DEPUTY.

THAT IS NOT THE TOTAL PAY PARITY. OH NO IT WAS 15. YES SIR. SO WHICH WOULD HAVE AMOUNTED TO $1.7 MILLION. YES SIR. SO WE'RE WE'RE DOING THAT OVER TWO CYCLES. ABSOLUTELY. I WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT. YES, SIR. THAT IF WE DO THE PAY PARITY, IT'S GOING TO HAPPEN AGAIN NEXT YEAR TO GET US TO WHERE WE NEED TO BE. AND THAT'S NOT WE'RE NOT TRYING TO PUT OUR GUYS WE CAN'T COMPETE WITH FOR YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T COMPETE WITH HARRIS COUNTY, MONTGOMERY, FORT BEND COUNTY. WE'RE JUST TRYING TO GET TO A POINT WHERE AND, AND A LOT OF TIMES, I BELIEVE SOME OF OUR DEPUTIES, IT'S A CONSCIOUS CHOICE TO WORK HERE VERSUS THERE. YES, SIR. BECAUSE THERE'S QUALITY OF LIFE, YOU KNOW, THE THE JOB, THE PEOPLE, EVERYTHING THAT THAT THAT THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH. BUT I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THAT THAT'S NOT THE TOTAL PROCESS. NOW, WHEN IT CAME TO THE 2 MILLION, IN ADDITION TO DOING THE PAY PARITY, WAS THIS POSITION PRIORITIZED WITHIN THAT 2 MILLION? IT WAS. YES, SIR. WE PUT IT IN OUR ORIGINAL BUDGET, Y'ALL. WELL, I DON'T I DON'T KNOW IF THAT WAS MADE CLEAR IN OUR MEETINGS. MAYBE WE FAILED TO PUT A POINT, A PINPOINT ON THAT ONE. THERE WAS A LOT GOING ON IN THESE BUDGET COMMITTEES THAT THEY HAD TO TRY TO WORK THROUGH. SO IF WE FAILED TO DO SO, OUR APOLOGIES.

SO. NO SIR. IT WAS A CSU, AS AN EVIDENCE TECHNICIAN HAD PLUGGED IN AS A SERGEANT. YES. HAD IT PLUGGED IN AS A SERGEANT. AND THEN IN SOME OF OUR WORKING TOGETHER IN CONVERSATIONS, YOU MOVED IT BACK DOWN TO AN EVIDENCE TECHNICIAN. YEAH. BECAUSE I THINK WHEN WE PUT THE WHEN I PUT THAT IN THERE, WE DIDN'T EVEN SHOW IT AS A CONVERSION TO Y'ALL. WE JUST SHOWED IT AS A SERGEANT. SO IT CREATED SOME CONFUSION. AND SO THERE'S NOT BEEN A LACK OF SUPPORT FROM THE BUDGET COMMITTEE. MAYBE WE FAILED TO PROPERLY PRESENT THAT IN OUR APOLOGIES, BUT IT IS AN ONGOING ISSUE FOR US NOT BEING ABLE TO FILL IT. SO WE WOULD LIKE SOME CONSIDERATION. IF NOT THIS YEAR, THEN MAYBE NEXT YEAR. IT'S ABOUT A 15 K DIFFERENCE. I'M BUMPING THAT UP. IT'S REALLY ABOUT 148, BUT ON AVERAGE 15 ON THE SALARY LINE. AND TO YOUR POINT, MA'AM, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT PEOPLE DON'T TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION IS WHEN WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SALARY INCREASES, THEN THERE'S SOCIAL SECURITY, THEN THERE'S T, C, D, R S, THEN THERE'S WORKER'S COMP, THEN THERE'S INSURANCE. SO PART OF THOSE DOLLAR AMOUNTS THAT SIT IN THIS BUDGET THAT PEOPLE DON'T PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO IS THE EFFECT OF A LINE ITEM SALARY CHANGE ON ALL THOSE OTHER PERCENTAGES AND THEY MAKE UP THE BUDGET. SO THERE IS THAT CONSIDERATION AS WELL. YES, SIR. AND I DIDN'T KNOW IF THIS WAS THE APPROPRIATE TIME TO DO SO.

BUT THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION. I MEAN, WE DO HAVE A BUDGET COMMITTEE. YES, SIR. OH I'M SORRY THEN MY APOLOGIES. WELL, I APPRECIATE ANGELA YOU COMING UP AND BRINGING THAT UP, BECAUSE IT REMINDS ME THAT I WANTED TO SAY THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE GOT THEIR PROPOSED BUDGET AND THEY'VE REVIEWED IT. AND TO ME, IT'S BEEN A GREAT RESPONSE FROM PEOPLE THAT NEVER HAVE RESPONDED BEFORE. BUT Y'ALL HAVE MADE Y'ALL HAVE POINTED OUT THINGS THAT WE MIGHT HAVE MISSED, AND WE'RE CONSIDERING THOSE. THANK YOU SIR. IN A FEW MINUTES, I'M ASSUMING. AND THEN IF IT'S APPROVED, THEN IT WOULD BE AN AMENDMENT TO THE PROPOSED BUDGET. MUCH APPRECIATED. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. WELL, I HAVE A QUICK QUESTION, JUDGE, IF I CAN. ROBERT, WHEN YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT THE 7500 FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT, DID THAT INCLUDE FIRE MARSHAL, DEPUTY FIRE MARSHALS AND DEA INVESTIGATORS? DEA? I KNOW WE TALKED ABOUT THE

[02:00:03]

IT DID INCLUDE THE CONSTABLE'S DEPUTIES. OKAY. THOUGHT ABOUT DEA INVESTIGATORS. I DON'T THINK THE CONVERSATION EVER CAME UP. WE CAN ADDRESS IT WHEN WE GO OVER TO THE MEETING.

THANK YOU. I WANT TO SAY JUST REAL QUICK, I KNOW THERE'S OTHER PEOPLE GOING TO TALK, BUT JUDGE ONE, I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO PARTICIPATE IN THE BUDGET COMMITTEE BECAUSE IT IS A LOT OF WORK. I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES WE'VE MET AND HOW MANY HOURS THAT GO INTO IT. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'RE AS RESPONSIBLE AS WE CAN TO TRY AND DO EVERYTHING THAT IS EXPECTED OF THE COUNTY AND STILL BE REASONABLE WITH TAXPAYERS MONEY, BECAUSE THAT'S A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY THAT WE TAKE. EXTREMELY SERIOUS. I WANT TO THANK ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS. I KNOW THERE WAS A LOT OF ASK, AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH MONEY TO GO AROUND. AND SO IF WE GIVE ONE DEPARTMENT EVERYTHING THEY WANT, THEN IT'S COMING FROM ANOTHER DEPARTMENT THAT MIGHT NOT GET ANY. AND SO WE TRY AND DO THE BEST WE CAN WITH WHAT WE HAVE. AND I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY TRYING TO TO WORK WITHIN THAT. I KNOW IT'S NOT EXACTLY WHAT YOU WANT, BUT IT'S, IT'S WHAT WE NEED TO DO. AND SO I APPRECIATE EVERYBODY'S HARD WORK THAT GOES INTO THIS. AND ALSO, I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES, YOU KNOW, GIVEN THE RAISES AS A WAY TO TO HELP THEM BE ABLE TO SUPPORT THEIR FAMILY, FOR SOME REASON, THERE'S A MENTALITY THAT THINKS THAT COUNTY EMPLOYEES DON'T WORK OR THAT THEY'RE MAKING WAY TOO MUCH MONEY, AND THEY'VE GOT A VACATION HOUSE IN COLORADO AND ONE IN FLORIDA. AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE. WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO PAY A FAIR, FAIR DAY'S PAY FOR FOR A HARD DAY'S WORK AND NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS. AND TO GET THAT PAY PARITY AND LAW ENFORCEMENT AND, AND BE COMPETITIVE, WE'RE NEVER GOING TO BE THE MOST PAID COUNTY. BUT WE HAVE TO BE COMPETITIVE WHEN WE SEE ALL THE TIME WHERE WE WILL POST A JOB AND WE WON'T GET ANY, NOT ONE RESUME OR ONE SUBMITTAL FOR, FOR A MONTH. AND IF WE'RE PAYING WAY TOO MUCH, YOU'D THINK THERE'D BE PEOPLE LOOKING AT THAT JOB AVAILABILITY EVERY SINGLE DAY. AND WHEN WE POST A JOB, THERE'D BE 20 APPLICANTS OVERNIGHT. AND THAT'S NOT THE CASE BECAUSE THE SALARIES ARE NOT WHAT A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK THEY ARE, ESPECIALLY FROM SOME OF THE JOBS THAT ARE REQUIRED. SO I WANT TO THANK ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES. AGAIN. ECHO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO THE BUDGET COMMITTEE. I KNOW YOU HAVE INCREDIBLE DECISIONS TO MAKE AND NOT ENOUGH MONEY TO DO THAT WITH. JUST BACK TO THE PREVIOUS COMMENTS, YOU GOT TO GIVE THE DA INVESTIGATORS THE 7500. YOU GOT TO GIVE THE DEPUTY FIRE MARSHAL 7500. THEY'RE POLICE OFFICERS. THEY HAVE THE SAME COMMISSION THAT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE HAS. THEY HAVE THE SAME COMMISSION. I ASSUME THE CONSTABLES DEPUTY CONSTABLE'S IN THERE SHOULD BE IN THE 7500 AS WELL. CORRECT. AND I AND I WOULD EVEN IN THE BUDGET COMMITTEE, I SPECIFICALLY SAID I SHOWED YOU A DOCUMENT OF $91,000 OF WHERE THEY START OFF IN HARRIS COUNTY. AND AGAIN, I'M NOT TRYING TO GET THERE, BUT THEY'RE AT 61,000. BUT YOU CANNOT SEPARATE THESE LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS. IF YOU'RE GOING TO GIVE IT TO ONE, YOU GOT TO GIVE IT TO ALL. AND I'LL SPEAK FOR MY TEAM. THOSE GUYS ARE 247. THEY'RE CALLED OUT ALL DURING THE NIGHT. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T HAVE A LARGE TEAM. WE'LL MAKE UP 75% OF OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR. THEY WORK THEIR ASS OFF. AND THAT'S THE ONLY REASON I'M UP HERE, AS DO THE DA INVESTIGATORS AS WELL. THEY GET CAUGHT OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. SO AGAIN, I APPRECIATE EVERYTHING. I JUST LET'S LET'S DO ALL PLEASE DO ALL LAW ENFORCEMENT. I THINK THAT'S THE MOST APPROPRIATE WAY TO DO IT. YOU. I'M NOT ASKING FOR THIS TO BE DONE THIS YEAR, BUT IT'S SOMETHING FOR THOUGHT. I. FIRST OFF, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE HELP.

THE EMPLOYEES, THE INSURANCE AND RETIREMENT. THAT'S THAT'S EXCELLENT. BUT ON THE INSURANCE TOPIC, AT THE END OF MY NEXT TERM THAT I'M UNOPPOSED FOR, I WILL HAVE ONE MONTH SHY OF 30 YEARS OF SERVICE TO WALLER COUNTY, ALBEIT THREE OF THOSE YEARS WERE RESERVE. THAT'S 27 YEARS OF PAID EXPERIENCE TO THIS COUNTY. I'LL BE 54 YEARS OLD AND I WILL NOT HAVE HEALTH INSURANCE. IT WAS TAKEN AWAY BACK IN 2016, 2017, SOMETHING LIKE THAT, WHEN I TOOK A BREAK FROM THE COUNTY. I WILL HAVE GIVEN MOST MORE THAN HALF OF MY LIFE TO THIS COUNTY AT THAT POINT, AND NOT BE INSURED IN RETIREMENT. AND I UNDERSTAND WHY IT WAS TAKEN AWAY WHEN IT WAS TAKEN AWAY. WE HAD RETIREES COMING OUT HERE WORKING FOR US FOR A FEW YEARS AND THEN GETTING OUR INSURANCE. BUT FOR SOMEBODY, AND I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE, CONSTABLE LANE'S IN THE

[02:05:02]

THANK YOU. NEXT. THE SHORT STRAW. I DREW THE SHORT STRAW. I DID. AS EVERYBODY ELSE YOU KNOW. THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL THE TIME THAT YOU'VE PUT IN. I KNOW IT CANNOT HAVE BEEN EASY, BUT I'VE HEARD THE WORD PAY PARITY THROWN AROUND SO MUCH TODAY THAT I WANT TO THANK SEVERAL OF YOU ALL FOR HELPING TO MAKE MY ARGUMENT. SO PUT TOGETHER THESE THINGS HERE FOR YOU GENTLEMEN TO CONSIDER. AND I KNOW THAT IT'S BEEN A VERY ARDUOUS PROCESS FOR YOU GUYS. TO BE THINKING ABOUT. SO I'D LIKE TO JUST ACTUALLY READ YOU A COUPLE OF THINGS. AND THE FIRST ONE IS RATHER LONG, SO I APOLOGIZE. WE TALK ABOUT THE EQUAL PAY. SO EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL RESPONSIBILITY. DEPUTY CONSTABLE SHOULD RECEIVE THE SAME BASE SALARY AS SIMILAR SITUATED DEPUTY SHERIFFS BECAUSE BOTH POSITIONS PERFORM ESSENTIAL LAW ENFORCEMENT FUNCTIONS, CARRY SIGNIFICANT PUBLIC SAFETY RESPONSIBILITIES, AND OPERATE IN A COMPARABLE PROFESSIONAL AND LEGAL STANDARDS. DEPUTY CONSTABLES ARE NOT SIMPLY PROCESS SERVERS.

IN TEXAS, CONSTABLES AND DEPUTIES HAVE RESPONSIBILITY THAT CAN INCLUDE LAW ENFORCEMENT, CIVIL PROCESS, EXECUTION OF WRITS, WARRANTS, EVICTIONS, COURT SECURITY, AND OTHER DUTIES ASSIGNED BY LAW IN COURTS. THESE RESPONSIBILITIES REQUIRE THE SAME LEVEL OF PROFESSIONALISM, TRAINING, JUDGMENT, ACCOUNTABILITY AND READINESS EXPECTED OF DEPUTY SHERIFFS. THE COMPARABLE LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSIBILITIES WHEN A DEPUTY CONSTABLE RESPONDS TO A LAW ENFORCEMENT CALL, SERVES A WARRANT, EXECUTES WRIT, CONDUCTS AN EVICTION OR PERFORMS ANOTHER ENFORCEMENT FUNCTION, THE RISK AND RESPONSIBILITIES ASSOCIATED WITH THAT ASSIGNMENT DO NOT BECOME LESS SIGNIFICANT BECAUSE THE DEPUTY WEARS A CONSTABLE'S BADGE RATHER THAN A SHERIFF'S BADGE. BOTH DEPUTY CONSTABLES AND DEPUTY SHERIFFS ARE COMMISSIONED. PEACE OFFICERS MUST MEET THE STATE REQUIRED LICENSING AND TRAINING STANDARDS. EXERCISE LAW ENFORCEMENT AUTHORITY MAY ENCOUNTERED ARMED, VIOLENT OR UNPREDICTABLE INDIVIDUALS RESPONSIBLE FOR PROTECTING THE PUBLIC AND MAINTAINING ORDER MAY BE REQUIRED TO MAKE IMMEDIATE DECISIONS INVOLVING PUBLIC SAFETY AND ARE SUBJECT TO THE SAME PROFESSIONAL, LEGAL AND ETHICAL EXPECTATIONS WHEN PERFORMING LAW ENFORCEMENT DUTIES. SO COMPENSATION SHOULD REFLECT THE JOB AND NOT THE TITLE. SALARY SHOULD BE BASED PRIMARILY ON THE DUTIES PERFORMED. LEVEL OF RESPONSIBILITIES REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, WORKLOAD AND RISK ASSOCIATED WITH THE POSITION. WHEN DEPUTY CONSTABLES ARE PERFORMING SUBSTANTIAL COMPARABLE LAW ENFORCEMENT WORK, THERE IS A STRONG JUSTIFICATION FOR COMPARABLE COMPENSATION. PAYING A DEPUTY CONSTABLE LESS SOLELY BECAUSE THE DEPUTY WORKS FOR A DIFFERENT ELECTED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICE CAN CREATE AN INEQUITY IN COMPENSATION FOR EMPLOYEES WHO POSSESS SIMILAR QUALIFICATIONS AND PERFORM SIMILAR DEMANDING PUBLIC SAFETY DUTIES. SO WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THE COST OF RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION. COMPETITIVE COMPETITION COMPENSATION IS ALSO NECESSARY TO RECRUIT AND RETAIN QUALIFIED PEACE OFFICERS. WHEN NEIGHBORING LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCIES OFFER HIGHER SALARIES FOR COMPARABLE WORK EXPERIENCE, DEPUTIES MAY HAVE MAY LEAVE FOR BETTER PAYING POSITIONS. THIS CREATES ADDITIONAL RECRUITMENT AND TRAINING COSTS FOR THE COUNTY AND CAN NEGATIVELY AFFECT COMMUNITY EXPERIENCE AND INSTITUTIONAL KNOWLEDGE. A COMPETITIVE AND EQUITABLE SALARY STRUCTURE ALLOWS THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE TO ATTRACT EXPERIENCED OFFICERS AND RETAIN DEPUTIES, WHO HAVE ALREADY DEMONSTRATED THE VALUE TO THE COUNTY. FOR FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY, BRINGING DEPUTY CONSTABLE'S COMPENSATION IN LINE WITH COMPARABLE DEPUTY SHERIFF'S POSITIONS SHOULD BE VIEWED AS AN INVESTMENT IN THE COUNTY'S PUBLIC SAFETY WORKFORCE, RATHER THAN SIMPLY AN INCREASE IN PERSONNEL EXPENSES. EXPERIENCED DEPUTIES PROVIDE VALUE THROUGH THEIR TRAINING, KNOWLEDGE AND

[02:10:04]

RECRUITMENT EXPENSES, OVERTIME ASSOCIATED WITH VACANCIES, AND THE COST OF REPEATEDLY TRAINING NEW PERSONNEL. SO CONCLUSION IS DEPUTY CONSTABLES ARE AN IMPORTANT PART OF THE COUNTY'S OVERALL LAW ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM. WHEN THEIR DUTIES, QUALIFICATIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES ARE COMPARABLE TO THOSE OF DEPUTY SHERIFFS, THEIR COMPENSATION SHOULD BE COMPARABLE AS WELL. DEPUTY CONSTABLE SHOULD NOT BE FINANCIALLY PENALIZED BECAUSE THEY SERVE UNDER A DIFFERENT ELECTED LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL. EQUAL RESPONSIBILITY DESERVES EQUAL COMPENSATION. FOR THOSE REASONS, THE COUNTY SHOULD ESTABLISH SALARY PARITY BETWEEN DEPUTY CONSTABLES AND DEPUTY SHERIFFS PERFORMING COMPARABLE DUTIES, SUBJECT TO APPROPRIATE DIFFERENCES OF RANK TENURE, EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS, SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES. SO WHEN YOUR PACKET I'VE GOT YOU A A COMPARABLE LIST OF THE CURRENT SALARIES. I BELIEVE YOU HAVE THAT PAGE. YEAH. YOU KNOW I SUPPORT YOU AND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING. I ACTUALLY WANT TO ASK THE ATTORNEYS, I GUESS IF WE HAVE A RECOMMENDATION, CAN WE MAKE IT HERE? AS FAR, EVEN WITH THE GRIEVANCE BEING FILED. BUT IN YOUR DOCUMENT, YOU SHOW THAT 2026, YOU ALL WAS AT 60,000. 2027 AT 68,000. BUT WE ACTUALLY HAVE IN OUR BUDGET THAT WE HAVE BEFORE US TODAY, 2027 BEING AT 73,000. THAT'S, THAT'S THAT'S TOMORROW. YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT DEPUTIES. YES. TALKING ABOUT THE EMPLOYEES OF THE OFFICE, NOT, NOT THE ELECTED OFFICIAL CONSTABLES TO LIKE SHERIFF DEPUTIES, CORRECT? CORRECT. CORRECT. THIS IS THIS IS OUR DEPUTIES THAT WORK FOR US. SO THEN I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION FOR YOU. SO YOU ALL ARE ASKING, I THINK YOU'RE YOU'RE. YOUR GRIEVANCE IS SAYING GO FROM 73 TO 85. CORRECT. AGAIN, THAT'S TOMORROW. I KNOW THAT'S THE ELECTED OFFICIAL. WALK WITH ME THROUGH. OKAY. THAT THAT IS WHAT YOU'RE ASKING FOR, RIGHT? YES, SIR. SO THEN, WHICH WILL TAKE YOU UP TO, I'M ASSUMING WITH A SERGEANT, GET PAID FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE. AND THEN YOU'RE ASKING THAT YOUR EMPLOYEE THAT WORKS FOR YOU GOES UP TO WHAT? WHAT THE PROJECTED 2027 SALARY OF A CIVIL DEPUTY AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE MAKES. $7,000. I SEE $7,500 DIFFERENCE. YES. THE ONLY QUESTION ONE OF THE QUESTIONS I HAVE, I MEAN, YOU'VE GOT AVERAGE DEPUTY CIVIL PAY. WHICH AFTER THE PAY PARITY WILL BE AT 75. THE QUESTION I ALSO HAVE IS, I MEAN, WHEN DID I FIRST GIVE YOU ALL YOUR FIRST PAY DEPUTY? TWO. THREE YEARS AGO. TWO. YEAH YEAH YEAH. IS YOU'RE LOOKING AT THE AVERAGE DEPUTY CIVIL PAY. WHAT'S THE WHAT'S WHAT'S THE AVERAGE EXPERIENCE. WELL CAN I ADD TO THIS. YEAH. WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT ELECTED OFFICIALS. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT OUR POSITION. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT DEPUTY. SO WHAT WE'VE TRIED TO DO IN THE IN THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE IS EVERY DEPUTY DOING THE SAME POSITION GETS PAID THE SAME MONEY AS A BASE SALARY, AND ALL OF THEIR CERTIFICATE LEVELS CATCH UP TO IT. I DON'T THINK HE'S WRONG ASKING FOR WHAT HE'S ASKING BECAUSE THEY ARE POLICE OFFICERS. I THINK THAT THE PART OF THAT WOULD BE IS HOW MANY DOES HE HAVE THAT ARE PAID AND WHAT IS THEIR LEVEL? THEY GET THEIR BASIC PAY PLUS THEIR CERTIFICATE LEVEL. JUST LIKE ALL OF OUR OUR CIVIL PERSON DOESN'T GET PAID ANY LESS THAN OUR PATROLMAN OR ANY MORE. SO WHATEVER HER CERTIFICATE LEVEL SAYS, SHE GETS PAID. SO AM I CORRECT ON SAYING THAT? YEAH. DID YOU ACCOUNT? SO DID THESE NUMBERS ACCOUNT FOR CERTIFICATION? NO, THAT IS BASE SALARY NUMBERS. SO WE ALONG WITH THE PARITY IS WORKLOAD. I'VE INCLUDED THERE FOR YOU THE INCREASE IN OUR WORKLOAD JUST YEAR TO DATE. SO THE NUMBER OF PAPERS THAT THAT WE'VE ACTUALLY SERVED THIS YEAR HAVE INCREASED

[02:15:04]

CONSTABLE WAS A PAID EMPLOYEE, I WOULD IMAGINE AT THAT TIME WE WOULD HAVE BEEN STARTING THEM AT THE SAME LEVEL AS AN ENTRY LEVEL DEPUTY AT THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT. YES. OKAY. BUT DID YOU DID IT GET. I MEAN, IF WE'VE GIVEN THE SAME. SO THIS IS COST OF LIVING AND THIS IS NOT PAY ADJUSTMENTS. HOW DID HOW DID. BECAUSE THIS IS NOT A DEPUTY. THIS IS A CIVIL DEPUTY.

IT'S NOT YOUR AVERAGE ON A CIVIL. BUT I THINK WE WOULD HAVE PAID THEM THE SAME AMOUNT.

YEAH. A CIVIL DEPUTY IS THE SAME AS A DEPUTY AT OUR AGENCY. THERE IS NOTHING DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO. AND. AND WHEN WE TOOK THIS OVER IN. 21 AS A SHERIFF'S OFFICE, YOU. GARY WORKFORCE SAID YOU COULD SEE A DIFFERENCE IN WHAT THE SAME DEPUTY THAT DID THE SAME JOB GOT PAID WAY DIFFERENT. WE FIXED ALL THAT WITH JOAN. WE GOT EVERYTHING SQUARED AWAY ON THE BUDGET. AND I THINK WHAT HE'S ASKING IS, AND I TELL ME IF I'M IF I'M WRONG IN SAYING THIS, YOU JUST WANT YOUR DEPUTIES TO BE PAID THE SAME AS THE DEPUTIES WITH US. THAT'S IT.

THAT'S IT. RIGHT. BUT THE REASON THAT INTERNALLY WE MADE THE THE CIVIL DEPUTIES THE SAME PAY AS A LAW ENFORCEMENT CALL FOR SERVICE INVESTIGATIVE DEPUTY WAS BECAUSE THEY ACTUALLY HAVE TO ANSWER CALLS LIKE THAT. SO WE DIDN'T DIFFERENTIATE CIVIL DUTIES VERSUS LAW ENFORCEMENT DUTIES. AND I BELIEVE THAT I HOPE THAT CAN EXPLAIN WHY. YEAH. BUT THAT THAT GOES BACK TO JUDGE POINT. IF WE STARTED OFF AT THE SAME AMOUNT, HOW ARE WE AT A AT A DISPARITY? NOW, IF WE SAID TWO YEARS AGO, HEY, WE'RE GOING TO ENTER OUR CONSTABLE DEPUTIES AT THE SAME AMOUNT AS YOU GUYS. DEPUTIES, HOW IS THERE DISPARITY NOW? SO I CAN SPEAK TO THAT INTERNALLY WHENEVER THERE WAS THE PAY STUDY DONE TO BE COMPLIANT WITH STANDARDS, WE HAD TO INTERNALLY FIX AND CREATE STEP AND GRADE AND LEVEL EVERYBODY ELSE. SO WE'RE COMPLIANT FEDERALLY. SO WE DID THAT INTERNALLY AND WE PROCESSED THAT WITHIN HIS BUDGET. IT WAS PROBABLY NOT DONE IN COLLABORATION WITH EVERY OTHER ENTITY. SO WE DID IT FOR FEDERAL MANDATE REASONS. AND SO I BELIEVE THAT'S WHAT CAUSED THE DISPARITY. OKAY. YES, THAT MAKES SENSE BECAUSE THAT WAS TWO YEARS. YES, SIR. YES, SIR. SO MY QUESTION ON TOP OF THAT IS, IS WHAT WAS THE STARTING DEPUTY PAY FOR BOTH AGENCIES AT THAT TIME? WE PROBABLY DON'T HAVE THAT INFORMATION SITTING HERE IN FRONT OF US. YOU'D PROBABLY HAVE TO GO LOOK IT UP. BUT EVEN THE STARTING DEPUTY PAY TODAY IS NOT THE SAME. THEIRS IS APPROXIMATELY $28.69 AN HOUR, AND OURS IS 2772. OUR BAILIFF CONSIDERED A CIVIL DEPUTY. OR IS THAT THEIR LAW ENFORCEMENT AS WELL? SO WE HAD TO GO ACROSS THE BOARD BECAUSE THEY ALL HAVE COMMENSURATE DUTIES FOR ARREST, FOR INVESTIGATIVE PROCESS. SO THEY ALL, I GUESS A FIRST YEAR BAILIFF GETS THE SAME AS A FIRST YEAR PATROL DEPUTY. MAKE SURE AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT HOW MANY DIFFERENT LEVELS WE'RE DEALING WITH HERE. IT GETS COMPLICATED. IT'S VERY CONFUSING. SO RIGHT NOW, THE ONLY WAY YOU'RE ALLOWED BASED ON THE STANDARDS TO HAVE DISPARITY IN PAY OF A DEPUTY WITH EQUAL PAY FOR EQUAL WORK IS TO HAVE STEP AND GRADE BASED ON THEIR SENIORITY. AND SO THAT'S WHAT WE'VE DONE. WE HAVE AN INTERNAL GRADE THAT'S LIKE EVERY TWO YEARS, SO ON AND SO FORTH WHERE THEY STEP IN GRADE UP AND STEP GRADE. IS THAT LIKE

[02:20:07]

EVERYBODY GOT A FULL TIME PRECINCT TWO CHOSE TO DO TWO PART TIMES INSTEAD BECAUSE IT WORKED BETTER WITH THE COURT HOURS. YES. YOU'RE RIGHT. THAT'S THAT'S MY FIRST YEAR.

YEAH. AND THEN CONSTABLE, WAS THERE A PAY PERIOD IN 2021? I CERTAINLY DON'T HAVE A CLUE.

BUT THAT'S THE MAIN THING THAT WE'RE ASKING FOR. AND AND THIS IS WHY I MEAN A CONSTABLE'S DEPUTY ONE, I WISH I HAD A PRESENTATION TO TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT A CONSTABLE'S JOB IS, BUT THAT'S A WHOLE NOTHER CONVERSATION BECAUSE IT IS A LITTLE BIT ON, ON THE DIFFERENT SIDE, OUR DEPUTIES ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE EVERY BIT OF TRAINING THAT A SHERIFF'S DEPUTY HAS.

PLUS, WE HAVE TO HAVE THE CIVIL PROCESS SIDE OF IT THAT'S MANDATED. I HAVE A MANDATED THAT A CONSTABLE DEPUTY HAVE IT. IT IS NOT MANDATED THAT A SHERIFF'S CIVIL PROCESS HAVE IT OR THAT'S HOW MY MY THING IS, BECAUSE I'M PRETTY SURE LIKE WHEN WE COMMITTED TO THAT, WE WANTED TO TRY TO HELP GROW OUR DEPARTMENT OVER TIME. I THINK THIS YEAR COMMITTED TO HIRING ADDITIONAL PEOPLE. I'LL, TO THEE OR HOW DO WE DO WE ADD TWO PART TIMES AT THE RATE IN WHICH A FULL TIME DEPUTY GETS PAID FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS TO GET THEM UP TO ABOUT FOUR PEOPLE? LIKE, HOW DO WE HOW DO WE, I GUESS, ALL GET TO THE SAME OBJECTIVE OF TRYING TO KEEP THE PAY DISPUTE WHERE IT'S GOING TO COME FROM, THE MONEY, BUT ON THE PART TIME. SO I KNOW THE SHERIFF DOESN'T HAVE PART TIME, RIGHT? SO IS THE PART TIME PAY. IS THERE A DISPARITY THERE? BECAUSE YOU JUST MAKE THE PART HOUR PART TIME PERSON, I'M TOLD FROM THE TREASURER'S OFFICE MAKES THE MINIMUM 2775 TODAY. YEAH. I JUST DON'T HAVE A NUMBER FROM THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT TO SAY THAT'S COMPARABLE TO ANYTHING. SO IT BUT MY UNDERSTANDING IS A ENTRY-LEVEL DEPUTY. EXCUSE ME. YOU'RE OKAY WITH THE PART TIME PAY. YOU JUST WANT THE PARITY WITH THE FULL TIME DEPUTIES. YOUR ENTRY LEVEL SHOULD BE THE SAME. SAME AMOUNT AS AN ENTRY LEVEL DEPUTY. YES, SIR. AND THEN ON YOUR CURRENT FULL TIME DEPUTIES, BASED ON WHAT I'M SEEING HERE, Y'ALL ARE ABOUT 7000 SHORT OF THE COMPARABLE DEPUTY ON THE SHERIFF'S SIDE.

YES, SIR. AND RIGHT NOW, Y'ALL EACH HAVE ONE FULL TIME, CORRECT? YOU HAVE ONE FULL TIME AND ONE PART TIME, OR WHAT DID THIS BUDGET JUST GIVE Y'ALL TO? THEY ALL HAVE A FULL TIME AND PART TIME. BUT THEN WHEN WE WENT TO THE FULL TIME, WE CONVERTED SOME OF THE PART TIME OVER TO FULL TIME. SO SOME OF THEM HAVE TWO. LANE SAID HE'D PREFER TO KEEP HIS PART TIME PART TIME? WELL, HE PREFERRED TO KEEP HIS HIS PART TIME BASED ON THE FACT THAT HE STILL NEEDS SOME PART TIME FLEXIBILITY. WE WOULD ALL LIKE TO KEEP OUR PART TIME PERSON. WE ASKED FOR THAT UP UP FRONT TO KEEP ONE PART TIME PERSON. SO WHAT YOU DID? IN MY CASE, I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE OTHER GUYS. YOU TOOK MY TWO FULL TIME EXCUSE ME, MY TWO PART TIME POSITIONS, WHICH IN MY 2026 BUDGET IS $60,000. AND YOU GAVE ME A NEW DEPUTY THAT COST YOU 57. 942 SO YOU ACTUALLY GAINED A LITTLE BIT, A FEW HUNDRED DOLLARS, BUT STILL THAT DOESN'T INCLUDE BENEFITS, RIGHT? RIGHT. I WAS JUST FIXING TO SAY THAT WE KNOW THAT THERE IS MORE THAT GOES GOES ALONG WITH IT. BUT, BUT IN ESSENTIAL ON THE SURFACE, ALL YOU DID IS MADE MY TWO PART TIMERS A FULL TIMER. BUT BUT TODAY THIS BUDGET IS JUST ASKING THAT ALL YOU GUYS. I GUESS ONE FULL TIME DEPUTY GETS PAID THE SAME AMOUNT AS THE SHERIFF'S DEPUTY. I'M ASKING THAT BOTH DEPUTIES NEXT YEAR MAKE WHAT, A SHERIFF'S DEPUTY? OKAY. BECAUSE YOU HAVE TWO NEXT YEAR, RIGHT? CORRECT. YEAH. SO SO THAT'LL BE THAT'LL BE ABOUT ENTRY LEVEL. RIGHT. SO THAT'LL BE ABOUT 14,000. YEAH. ALL RIGHT. AND I COULD PROBABLY GO ON ABOUT SOME OTHER THINGS, BUT YOU KNOW, THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF WITH WITH CIVIL, THERE'S A LOT OF COUNTIES IN THE STATE THAT THE SHERIFF DOES NO CIVIL. THERE ARE MANY OF THEM. AND THAT WOULD FREE UP SOME OF HIS

[02:25:08]

YEAH, BUT IS THAT WHAT YOU'RE ASKING? NO, I'M ASKING AS FAR AS WHY IN LAYMAN'S TERMS, IF WE SAY, HEY, THE CONSTABLE IS SUPPOSED TO SERVE CIVIL DUTIES AND SOME SHERIFF'S OFFICE AROUND THE COUNTY DOESN'T LIKE HOW CIVIL DUTIES. WHAT IS THE JUSTIFICATION OF OUR COUNTY HAVING CIVIL DUTIES, STATUTORY REQUIREMENTS FOR THE SHERIFF TO DO SOME. I MEAN, THIS IS WHAT THE STATUTE SAYS. OKAY. LOCAL GOVERNMENT CODE 85.021 SAYS THAT A SHERIFF SHALL SERVE ANY CIVIL PROCESS THAT IS DIRECTED TO HIM. IT DOES NOT SAY IT HAS TO BE DIRECTED TO HIM. TARRANT COUNTY'S WEBSITE ACTUALLY SAYS ONLY CONSTABLES SERVE THE CIVIL PROCESS. IN TARRANT COUNTY, GUADALUPE COUNTY STATES ALL CIVIL PROCESS IN GUADALUPE COUNTY IS DEDUCTED BY THE FOUR ELECTED CONSTABLES. THERE ARE. I TRIED TO DO A LITTLE BIT OF RESEARCH ON IT, SO HOOD, JOHNSON, KAUFMAN, WISE AND PARKER COUNTIES ARE JUST ONES OFF THE TOP OF A PERSON'S HEAD THAT I USE FOR REFERENCE, THAT HAVE NO CIVIL PROCESS DONE AT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

CONSTABLES ARE DEEMED TO DO IT ALL. THAT PERSON WILL BE DOING A STATEWIDE SURVEY IN THE IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO FIND OUT EXACTLY HOW MANY AND WHO. SO STATUTE SAYS THAT THEY HAVE TO DO IT IF IT'S GIVEN TO THEM. BUT IT DOESN'T SAY THAT IT HAS TO BE GIVEN TO THEM. HOW MANY HOW MANY DEPUTIES DO Y'ALL HAVE? WE CAN WE CAN CLEAR THIS. WE HAVE TWO THAT ARE ASSIGNED TO IT. BUT IN THE END, IF THE CONSTABLE DEPARTMENT DOES NOT WANT TO SERVE THOSE PAPERS, OR DOES IT GET TO THOSE PAPERS? IN THE END, CONSERVATOR OF THE PEACE MEANS THAT IT ALL FALLS BACK ON US. HE HAS AGENCY, RIGHT? SO WE HAVE TO KEEP PEOPLE IN THAT SPOT. AND AND STATISTICALLY, WHAT HE'S ASKING, I BELIEVE, IS GIVE US ALL OF OUR HIS CIVIL STUFF THAT DOESN'T COME TO US BECAUSE WE REQUEST IT. THE HISTORY OF THE CONSTABLES IN THIS COUNTY HAS DETERMINED WHY THEY CAME TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO GET THEIR PAPERWORK DONE, BECAUSE STUFF WASN'T GETTING DONE. THAT HAS CHANGED NOW. ABSOLUTELY. RIGHT. AND NOW THEY'RE TAKING CARE OF THEIR BUSINESS. SO REALLY, THAT'S THAT'S WHAT IT IS. IT'S WHOEVER BRINGS IT TO US, THAT'S WHO GETS SERVED. SO YEAH, I'M NOT, I'M NOT KNOCKING WHAT WHAT THE SHERIFF DOES, YOU KNOW, DON'T MISUNDERSTAND ME. YOU'RE JUST TALKING ABOUT PARITY, RIGHT? I'M JUST TALKING ABOUT THERE'S THERE'S WAYS TO STREAMLINE THINGS. THERE'S THERE'S WAYS TO GIVE HIM THREE EXTRA EMPLOYEES. YOU KNOW, IF IF YOU WERE TO CYCLE THEM BACK IN AND GIVE US THREE MORE IS, IS WHAT IT WOULD TAKE FOR US TO, TO DO ALL THAT BECAUSE WE'VE GOT OUR CURRENT WORKLOAD THAT WE'VE ALREADY ESTABLISHED WITH THE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF YOU, THAT WE DON'T HAVE ENOUGH TO DO THAT. NOW, GIVE US EACH ONE MORE. AND WE COULD DO ALL OF THE CIVIL FOR THE COUNTY. YOU KNOW, WE COULD BE ONE OF THOSE COUNTIES WHICH WOULD SAVE HIM ONE LESS HEADACHE. IT'S NOT THAT WE'RE TRYING TO TAKE OVER ALL THE CIVIL IN THE COUNTY. DON'T MISUNDERSTAND THAT AT ALL.

NO, I DIDN'T TAKE THAT FOR THE COUNTY. AND AND MY QUESTION, I HOPE, WASN'T POINTED IN A TERM OF TO BE TAKEN LIKE THAT MAN IS ASKING FOR THE JUSTIFICATION BETWEEN US, FOR THE PUBLIC, FOR YOU ALL AS WELL. BECAUSE LET'S SAY, HEY, EVENTUALLY I THINK I'VE SAID THIS THE LAST 5 OR 6 YEARS, BUT EVENTUALLY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO FIGURE OUT OUR CONSTABLE SITUATION. WHAT DO WE WANT IT TO LOOK LIKE? WHERE IS IT GOING TO GO? HOW ARE WE GOING TO BE ABLE TO GET YOU GUYS THE CARS, THE EQUIPMENT? WE TALKING ABOUT NUMBERS LIKE THIS IS HITTING US VERY FAST.

ALSO IN MY PRECINCT, THEY DON'T CARE WHO SHOW UP. THEY CALL 911. THEY DON'T CARE IF IT'S THE CONSTABLE'S OFFICE, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, THEY WANT TO SEE LAW ENFORCEMENT. SOMETIMES IN THE PRECINCT, YOU HEAR YOU HAVE A LOT OF PEOPLE MOVING FROM DIFFERENT PLACES. YOU SEE A LOT OF OFFICER AGREEMENTS THAT THOSE CONSTABLES TAKE UP IN OUR

[02:30:05]

AND JP EXCUSE ME, JP THREE AND JP FOUR IS INCREASED 43.5%. THOSE ARE SOME MAJOR INCREASES THAT AREN'T COMING. THEY'RE HERE. AND WE AS CONSTABLES, THAT'S OUR DUTY TO TAKE CARE OF ALL THAT. WELL, JUDGE, YOU SAID THIS WAS ONE OF THE HARDEST BUDGETS YOU HAD. I DO NOT ENVY YOUR JOB AT ALL. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I DON'T. I'M GLAD I'M THE ONE THAT GETS TO STAND UP HERE AND SAY, HEY, SORRY, JUDGE. IN A COUPLE OF MONTHS, WE CAN'T DO IT. YOU KNOW, JUDGE, IT'S NOT MY JOB TO BE DOING THAT IN YOUR SHOES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. AND PLEASE REMEMBER, I SAY IT ALL THE TIME. I'M UP HERE. KEEP DOING WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING. YOU KEEP GETTING WHAT YOU'VE BEEN GETTING. AND WE DON'T NEED THAT IN THIS COUNTY ANYMORE. THE COUNTY DESERVES BETTER THAN WHAT WE'VE BEEN GIVING THEM AS CONSTABLES. I CAN'T SPEAK FOR THE OTHER THREE, BUT IN MY OFFICE, THEY DESERVE TO GET BETTER THAN WHAT THEY'VE BEEN GETTING FOR THE LAST 40 YEARS. I THINK ALL YOU ALL ECHO THE SAME SENTIMENTS. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. WELL, AND I DO WANT TO SAY THIS, YOU KNOW, IT DEFINITELY WAS TOUGH. AND I WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO IT WITHOUT THE SUPPORT OF MY BUDGET COMMITTEE. AND I JUST WANT TO RECOGNIZE THEM RIGHT NOW. DEBBIE HOLLAND, OUR COUNTY CLERK. JOAN SERGEANT, OUR TREASURER. ALLEN AND MIKE, OUR AUDITOR AND ASSISTANT AUDITOR, COMMISSIONER BECKENDORF BOBBY PACHUCAS, JAMIE KOVACH, WHO GOT A CRASH COURSE IN BUDGETING THIS YEAR. I WANT TO THANK ALL OF THEM FOR BEING A PART OF THE BUDGET COMMITTEE. I ALSO WANT TO THANK ALL THE DEPARTMENT HEADS, ALL THE OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS, EVERYONE WHO PARTICIPATED IN THE BUDGET PROCESS. YOU KNOW, IT'S IT'S DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, IT'S CONSTITUTIONAL. IT'S MY PRIMARY JOB AS COUNTY JUDGE TO PUT TOGETHER THIS BUDGET. DEFINITELY THE HARDEST PART OF THE JOB, WITHOUT A DOUBT. IT'S THE LEAST FUN PART OF THE JOB, BUT IT'S NECESSARY. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK ALSO MY SUPPORT STAFF. MCKENZIE. JENNIFER, THANK YOU ALL BECAUSE THEY THEY'RE A BIG PART OF THAT AS WELL, MAKING SURE WE MEET. AND I CAN'T TELL YOU I DON'T KEEP TRACK OF IT. THE HOURS. LIKE I SAID, WE START EARLIER THAN WE EVER HAVE. IT STARTS ALL THE WAY BACK IN FEBRUARY. WE ONLY GET A FEW MONTHS OFF AND THEN IT'S RIGHT BACK AT IT, AND THEN IT GETS MORE INTENSE AS YOU GET TOWARDS THE SUMMER. IT KIND OF MAKES IT REALLY HARD. LIKE A LOT OF US, IT'S IT'S TOUGH TO DO ANY KIND OF SUMMER VACATION BECAUSE WE'RE IN THE MIDDLE OF BUDGET, ESPECIALLY AROUND THIS TIME OF THE YEAR, TRYING TO GET IT ACROSS THE FINISH LINE.

THERE'S A LOT OF FOLKS THAT I APPRECIATE BECAUSE OF THAT. THANK ALL OF Y'ALL FOR FOR YOUR INPUT. I COULD NOT DO IT WITHOUT ALL OF YOU. AND BUT I WON'T MISS THIS PART. IT'S LIKE I HEARD SOMEBODY SAY RECENTLY, YOU KNOW, OVER THE TIME I WAS AT A RETIREMENT DEAL RECENTLY FOR CHUCK WEMPLE, THE HE WAS THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF HJC. AND I SPOKE AT HIS RETIREMENT LUNCHEON JUST THIS THIS WEEK. AND IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU YOU WHEN IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE, YOU YOU REALLY DON'T REMEMBER, YOU KNOW, THE SPECIFIC MEETINGS OR THE CONTRACTS OR THE DOCUMENTS. IT'S THE PEOPLE. IT'S THE PEOPLE THAT YOU REMEMBER. IT'S IT'S THE RELATIONSHIPS THAT YOU DEVELOP OVER THAT TIME, THE CAMARADERIE WE HAVE OF ALL BEING IN THE ROOM, TRYING TO, TO PUT TOGETHER A BUDGET SO THAT THIS COUNTY CAN CONTINUE TO DO THE BEST JOB IT CAN TO DELIVER THESE SERVICES THAT NEED TO BE DELIVERED AND DO IT WITHIN AND STILL BE PRUDENT WITH TAXPAYER DOLLAR, AND DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO TRY TO RETURN AS MUCH VALUE AS WE CAN. AND WE'VE DONE THAT. A REALLY GOOD JOB OF THAT FOR THE LAST 12 YEARS. THIS WAS A TOUGH BUDGET, BUT I THINK IT CONTINUES TO DO THAT, AND WE'VE GOT SOME BIG PROJECTS ON THE HORIZON. AND I KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, WE EVERYTHING'S BEING LEFT IN A POINT WHERE, YOU KNOW, I LOOK, YOU KNOW, JUDGE, COMMISSIONER BECKENDORF, WE'LL BE ABLE TO CARRY THAT ON. AND,

[02:35:03]

ONE THING THAT I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT YOU TAUGHT ME THROUGHOUT EACH BUDGET PROCESS, ME BEING, I GUESS, AN OVERACHIEVER AND ALWAYS WANT TO DO MORE. AND I'M LIKE, HEY, JUDGE, MAYBE WE NEED TO LOOK AT THIS. AND YOU WOULD SAY, HEY, YEAH, YOU'RE PROBABLY RIGHT.

BUT COULD OUR TAXPAYERS SUSTAIN THAT? IS, IS NOW THE TIME ALSO IN CONSIDERING FAMILIES, HEY, DOES THIS GIVE FAMILIES OR EMPLOYEES THAT WORK FOR THE COUNTY A LITTLE BIT OF RELIEF WHEN IT COMES TO GROCERY SHOPPING AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT, OR EVEN THE TAXPAYERS? I REMEMBER A COUPLE YEARS AGO, I WAS ASKING YOU FOR A COUPLE OF PENNIES AND HE WAS LIKE, WELL, KENDRICK, THIS IS ALL WE HAVE TO GIVE OUR CITIZENS. AND YEAH, IT MAY MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THEM BEING ABLE TO BUY MILK OR EGGS. AND JUST HAVING THAT CONSIDERATION GAVE ME SOMETHING TO ALWAYS THINK ABOUT WHENEVER I'M ON THE GO. AS FAR AS, HEY, WHERE ARE WE AT? COULD OUR CITIZENS. YEAH, IT MAY BE A GOOD IDEA, BUT CAN WE WAIT A COUPLE MORE YEARS BEFORE WE DO THAT? HOW WE HOW YOU ALWAYS DID A GOOD JOB OF JUGGLING ALL THOSE THINGS. SO I LIKE TO PERSONALLY APPRECIATE YOU. AND AS A DEMOCRAT, I LIKE SITTING ON THE COURT THAT ALWAYS SAID, HEY, WE LOWER YOUR PROPERTY TAXES THIS YEAR. WE CAN'T NECESSARILY SAY THAT, BUT I APPRECIATE YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE AND YOUR HARD WORK AND YOU'LL BE MISSED, MY FRIEND. I APPRECIATE THAT, COMMISSIONER. YOU GO GET ALL SAPPY ON ME. I, YOU KNOW, LIKE I SAID BEFORE, I'M DEFINITELY, YOU KNOW, THERE'S SOME THINGS ABOUT THE JOB. I'M DEFINITELY NOT GOING TO MISS BUDGET BEING ONE OF THEM, BUT I'M GOING TO MISS THE PEOPLE MORE THAN YOU REALIZE.

[02:40:03]

THE CONSTABLES GOT THEIR FIRST NEW CAR IN 2000. WE HAD JUNK THAT YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE THAT WE HAD TO DRIVE. IT WAS HORRIBLE. BUT Y'ALL HAVE Y'ALL HAVE GOTTEN US NEW EQUIPMENT AND PERSONNEL IS COMING ALONG. AND I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU, JUDGE, FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU'VE DONE. WE'RE MOVING FORWARD. OF COURSE, WE ALWAYS ALL OF US WANT MORE, BUT WE'RE DOING DOING A LOT BETTER THAN WE WERE. SO WE APPRECIATE IT. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR SERVICE. THANK YOU SIR. I KNOW I'M I'M LEAVING. I STILL GOT A COUPLE OF YEARS. ALL RIGHT. ANYONE ELSE? YEAH. JUDGE, JUST ONE THING. YOU MENTIONED MCKENZIE. I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK. YOU KEEP US. YOU KEEP US IN LINE EVERY DAY. YOU'VE SCHEDULED ALL THE MEETINGS. YOU'VE HANDLED ALL OUR SCHEDULES. YOU'VE DONE AN AMAZING JOB, AND NOBODY KNOWS OR WHO DOESN'T KNOW. MCKENZIE IS GOING TO BE LEAVING THE JUDGE'S OFFICE. JAMIE POACHED HER, AND I GOT POACHED BY MY OWN DEPARTMENT. HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? IT HAPPENS. HEY, I TOLD JUDGE HE WAS LEAVING, SO HE STARTED IT. I JUST WHEN WHEN WHEN THE NEWS. WHEN AND MCKENZIE. HE'S RIGHT, YOU KNOW. AND THIS IS GOING TO BE GREAT FOR MCKENZIE. GREAT FOR JAMIE.

BUT WHEN I DID GET THE NEWS I IMMEDIATELY. AND I THINK I WAS TOLD THAT IT KIND OF. ROBERT CAME UP BECAUSE YOU'VE BEEN TRYING TO FILL THIS POSITION FOR A LITTLE BIT AND THAT ROBERT KIND OF THOUGHT AND IT DID. IT MAKES SENSE, YOU KNOW, AND I UNDERSTAND I'M ONE OF THOSE, I THINK ONE OF THE HIGHEST COMPLIMENTS YOU CAN PAY THAT CAN BE PAID TO SOMEBODY AS A SUPERVISOR OR BOSS. A IS WHEN YOUR PEOPLE GO ON TO DO BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS. I THINK THAT'S THE ULTIMATE COMPLIMENT. BUT I DID WALK INTO ROBERT'S OFFICE AND I SAID, BY THE WAY, YOU'RE FIRED. BUT NO, I APPRECIATE. AND YEAH, MCKENZIE, SHE'S NOT GOING FAR. SHE'S LITERALLY MOVING INTO ANOTHER OFFICE AROUND THE CORNER. LIKE LITERALLY WITHIN MY OFFICE. BUT YEAH, YOU'VE DONE AN AWESOME JOB. AMEN. THANK YOU SIR. DO YOU HAVE SOMETHING? GOOD AFTERNOON. YES. SO I WAS LOOKING THROUGH MY BUDGET AND, YOU KNOW, WE DIDN'T GET APPROVED ON EQUIPMENT OR A NEW EMPLOYEE. WE HAD KIND OF TALKED SOMETHING IN THE MEETING ABOUT MAYBE TRYING TO DO SOMETHING THIS YEAR. AS FAR AS PURCHASING EQUIPMENT. I THINK THAT WHEN WE ORIGINALLY TALKED ABOUT THAT, I KIND OF HAD AN IDEA OF HOW, YOU KNOW, WE WERE GOING TO PROGRESS AT THE RECYCLE CENTER AFTER VISITING FORT BEND'S RECYCLE CENTER, SEEING HOW THEIR PROCESS IS KIND OF WORK, I'VE GOT KIND OF A DIFFERENT IDEA IN MIND. I'VE TALKED WITH BRIAN AND JUSTIN ABOUT THIS JUST, YOU KNOW, POSSIBLY LIKE ADDING ON TO PART OF THE SHOP THERE. GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE STORAGE SPACE AND GIVE US A DIFFERENT ROUTE OF HOW WE'RE GETTING RID OF OUR MATERIAL. JUST WOULD KIND OF STREAMLINE THE PROCESS FOR US A LITTLE BIT. AND, YOU KNOW, AT THIS POINT, LIKE I ASKED FOR ONLY LIKE 48 ON THAT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT. AND FROM WHAT ME AND DANNY HAD TALKED ABOUT, IT'S GOING TO COST QUITE A BIT MORE TO ADD ON TO THAT EXTENSION. SO I DIDN'T KNOW IF THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT, YOU KNOW, LIKE WE HAD TALKED IN THE BUDGET MEETING ABOUT MAYBE DOING SOMETHING THIS YEAR AS FAR AS PURCHASING EQUIPMENT.

AND I JUST KIND OF WANTED TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT Y'ALL WERE THINKING ABOUT, LIKE ADDING ON THE RECYCLE CENTER TO GIVE US A LITTLE BIT MORE STORAGE SPACE AND ALSO JUST WOULD HELP KIND OF LIKE CHANGE THE PROCESS OF HOW WE'RE TAKING IN MATERIAL. WE CAN WHAT, HOW MUCH THE

[02:45:05]

AND WITH THE COMPANY THAT WE DEAL WITH NOW, WHEN WE'RE SENDING IN LIKE CARDBOARD AND PAPER, IT HAS TO BE DRY. THAT'S WHY WE'RE KEEPING IT, YOU KNOW, IN A SHOP OVER THERE. AND WHAT WE WOULD TRY TO DO IS LIKE, GET A LARGE DUMPSTER, LIKE A 30 YARD DUMPSTER TO START PUTTING CARDBOARD AND PAPER IN. AND THAT WOULD FREE UP THOSE TWO BALERS THAT WE'RE USING RIGHT NOW. AND WE COULD START, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY TAKING IN DIFFERENT MATERIAL TOO. SO WE DO GET A LOT OF CALLS, YOU KNOW, FOR PAINT TRASH, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THAT KIND OF STUFF ON A DAILY BASIS. BUT LIKE WITH FORT BEND'S RECYCLE CENTER, YOU KNOW, THEY TAKE IN PRETTY MUCH WHAT WE TAKE PLUS LIKE PAINT AND HOUSEHOLD HAZARDOUS WASTE, WHICH IS, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING THAT WE GET A LOT, YOU KNOW, PHONE CALLS, PEOPLE COMING BY LOOKING TO GET RID OF STUFF THAT THEY CAN'T OTHERWISE, JUST PUTTING THEIR TRASH CAN. AND SO I DO THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DO HAVE SOME RESPONSIBILITY TO TRY TO PROVIDE, YOU KNOW, AN OUTLET LIKE THAT FOR OUR CITIZENS THAT WE JUST CURRENTLY DON'T DO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN, I'VE BEEN OUT THERE EIGHT YEARS NOW, AND I THINK I'VE RAN THE PLACE PRETTY GOOD AND TRIED TO, YOU KNOW, COMMUNICATE WITH YOU GUYS AS BEST I CAN ON WHAT WE'RE IN NEED OF. AND I WOULD SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WITH, YOU KNOW, ALL THE NEW PEOPLE MOVING IN, WE MAY HAVE TO KIND OF CONSIDER, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE'RE TAKING IN RECYCLE MATERIAL FROM BECAUSE AT THIS POINT, WE'RE PRETTY MUCH TAKING ANY AND ALL COMERS. AND WE MAY HAVE TO. I'VE BEEN IN MY POSITION SINCE 2019. SO. IT'S BEEN A WHILE.

BUT YEAH, WE'LL WE'LL WE'LL WORK WITH DANNY. I, IT DOESN'T, I DON'T, YOU KNOW, WE'LL JUST HAVE TO SEE WHAT THE SCOPE OF THE PROJECT MEAN. YOU KNOW, USUALLY WE HAVE, YOU KNOW, A, A CAPITAL OUTLAY, YOU KNOW, LINE ITEM THAT WE PUT QUITE A BIT OF MONEY INTO. PROJECTS. SO THIS MIGHT BE SOMETHING WE CAN GET DOWN TO THAT LEVEL. OKAY. AND I MEAN, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS LIKE A NEW EMPLOYEE GOES AND ALL I UNDERSTOOD THAT LIKE EVERYBODY WAS GOING TO BE ASKING FOR THAT AND THAT WE PROBABLY WEREN'T GOING TO GET IT. BUT I'M JUST SORT OF THE MIND LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DON'T ASK, YOU DON'T KNOW. SO I APPRECIATE THAT. AND IT AND HONESTLY, IT DID GET IT JUST GOT DOWN TO THE POINT WHERE WE JUST HAD TO MAKE SOME HARD DECISIONS, YOU KNOW, AND, AND WE'LL SURVIVE. I MEAN, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL, YOU KNOW, NEXT, LIKE I SAID, IT WON'T IT WON'T BE, BUT A FEW MONTHS BEFORE THE NEXT CYCLE STARTS. YEAH, YEAH. AND I MEAN, I THINK WE'LL SURVIVE 27. OKAY. IT'S LIKE I SAID, I THINK WE MIGHT HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, CHANGE OUR, OUR POLICY ON WHERE WE'RE TAKING IN RECYCLED MATERIAL FROM IF WE LIMIT IT TO WALLER COUNTY PEOPLE, THAT WOULD PROBABLY BE THE BEST MOVE. WHEN ME AND BRIAN LOOKED IT OVER, I DON'T THINK THERE'S ANY LIKE LAWS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT THAT'S KIND OF PROHIBITING US FROM, YOU KNOW, RESTRICTING OUR INTAKE. SO PROBABLY BRING IT UP TO YOU ALL HERE IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS OR SO IN COMMISSIONER'S COURT, JUST SO WE CAN HAVE A LITTLE BIT MORE DISCUSSION ON THAT MATTER. BUT THAT WAS JUST A COUPLE OF THINGS. I WANTED TO KIND OF CHECK ON. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. WE APPRECIATE THAT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. ALL RIGHT. ANYONE ELSE? THANK YOU ALL. ALL FOR THE FOR THE FOR THE COMMENTS AND THE INPUT. AND LIKE I SAID, WE'VE GOT ANOTHER BUDGET COMMITTEE MEETING AND START WORKING. OBVIOUSLY, WITH THIS PROPOSED BUDGET, THERE WILL BE SOME REVISIONS TO IT BEFORE IT'S ALL SAID AND DONE. BUT WE APPRECIATE ALL THE INPUT. SO WITH THAT MOTION, MOTION, MOTION SECOND, ANY DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR, RAISE YOUR RIGHT

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.