AGENDA
BUDGET WORKSHOP
THURSDAY,
SEPTEMBER 2, 2010
4:00 PM
AT A BUDGET WORKSHOP OF THE BOARD OF
PRESENT:
District 1 - Chairman Eugene Lamb P
District 2 - Vice-Chair Doug Croley P
District 3 - Commissioner Gene Morgan P
District 4 - Vacant –
District 5 - Commissioner Sherrie Taylor P
Nicholas Thomas, Clerk of Courts
Johnny Williams, Co. Administrator
Jeff Price, OMB
Jean Chesser, Deputy Clerk
CALL TO ORDER:Chairman Lamb called meeting to order at 4:00 with quorum present.
County Administrator discussed memo 8/30 for 9/2 meeting.
Items 1 & 2 to be taken from Fund Reserve – $33,400 additional health insurance cost.
Item 2 from Fund Reserve (for Public Works $73,400)
Item 3 —Recommended (Work Crews)by Co. Admin to be funded by termination of 3-5 public works employees, having no additional cost to the budget.
Commissioner Morgan discussion -- (Item 3) $58,000/crew – 2 crews $116,000/total. Doesn’t want any employees laid off – wants to see analysis.
Commissioner Taylor discussion – Said Clerk indicated funds are available for Item 3 without laying people off. Said Clerk is in full support of find way other than layoffs.
Commissioner Croley – Item 3 is not written up correctly. Didn’t just address laying people off. If other positions can be found for inmate superviors that will be fine. Said it would have looked better/been explained better if it had included cost analysis. Should be able to make this work without firing anyone.
Commissioner Lamb Has no problem with the two crews as long as it doesn’t lay off employees – Advised to find the $116,000, but keep employees working.
Sheriff Young said he could offer a better business deal. Has van, has inmates – inmates can be used for this. Judges agree to inmate work crews. Sheriff said inmates can be used for this
purpose.
Commissioner Croley requested Co. Administrator meet with Sheriff Young, come up with best business plan and bring it back to board.
Commissioners don’t want
employees to lose their job – look at plan brought to Board by Sheriff first
and consider best alternative and then make decision that no employees be laid
off .
4 currently budgeted
Item 5 Deferred at last budget
workshop—Position not needed at this time.
Item 6 Housing Emer. Repair -- $40,000 –Staff
recommends not to budget this year.
Discussion by Commissioners
Commissioner Taylor – questions
to Co. Administrator on previous cuts that
had been recommended by Board at previous workshops as to where to find
additional funding. She said this needs
further attention b y staff. Co.
Administrator said this will be done.
Commissioner Morgan – Need to
put every dollar possible into fund balance
Chair Lamb – does the
Commission want to make this a line item – the $40,000. He doesn’t see reason
for having it as line item – if money is available and it’s an emergency
situation, then do it –
Commissioner Taylor in favor of
this and said if $40,000 is shown in budget, money will be more accessible –
said could cut it to $30,000 if they want to but budget it. She urged other
commissioners to please leave this in as a line item.
Commissioner Croley - Leave it in cash balance rather than as a
line item. He then said
having a bona-fide emergency lawful disaster then some amount money
should be put into a fund, but to have Co. Attorney come up with program.
Commissioner Morgan said Board
is tying their hands if it is budgeted,
COMMISSIONER CROLEY MOTION PUT
10,000 INTO LINE ITEM FOR EMER HOUSING REPAIR AND CAN BE DEALT WITH BY
GUIDELINES AS DRAWN UP BY ATTORNEY AND
APPROVED BY BOARD, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER TAYLOR VOTED 3-1 WITH COMMISSIONER MORGAN AGAINST –
MOTION CARRIED.
Item 7 Sheriff addressed
funding previously approved for Jail repairs – He inquired as to what happened
to the additional $500,000 previously approved – Orig at $800,000.
Commissioner Croley said the
money was not used in current budget year and the money in jail facilities fund
is going to be carried over after October 1.
The money went back into the cash fund balance.
Commissioner Morgan, additional
funding $ 200,000.00 given to Sheriff last year for corrections. There is $300,000 that needs to be determined
where it is. The funds will be in jail facilities repairs – not directly to
sheriff.
Item 8& 9 – Board agreed as
presented.
Item 10 Commissioner Taylor
said we are basically the only one paying this type of money for lobbying
services – other counties pay $5,000 and get the same services we are getting
for $30,000.
Chair Lamb explained we are
part of a small coalition –
Commissioner Morgan had been
paying $150,000 total in lobbying services previously (Federal and State)and we
are down to $25,000. If it is a good
investment we need to consider it. We
have very good representation at the Capitol and we are truly getting services
we would not normally get, because we are part of the small coalition.
Commissioner Taylor further
addressed what the lobbyist is supposed to be doing for the County – She said
other counties are getting the same services for $5,000.
Commissioner Lamb -- $25,000
will be set aside for Item 10
Commissioner Morgan – CRA
funds to come through Board – set up from Tx Collector thru Board to Clerk
Item 11 – Not to be funded at
this time.
Commissioner Croley Added
--Would like to see items researched in accordance with E-Mail Sheriff-Co.
Administrator. Hear direct from
Sheriff’s office for input.
Commissioner Croley Added –
Need for Updating of Ordinance for Gang related issues—need to be prepared for
funding for that. Drug Gang and Abatement Board will have to be administered. May be necessary that the Board put money on
it. If it’s a tool for law enforcement
then the Board may have to deal with --
Sheriff Young said this needs
to be researched as to the Emergency Management and E-911 – This is what the
Board thinks should be done before any further consideration of moving services
from under Sheriff’s Dept—Leave budget alone until all has researched and
studied and then determination can be made –
Sheriff Young asked to get clarification as his proposed budget request
was not presented in this year’s budget – his budget is basically the same as
he was funded last year. He wants Board
to approve the food fees paid to County be returned to the Sheriff’s Department
to help offset jail expenses.
Consensus of Board to give money back to Sheriff – Co. Administrator
Will get with Clerk on this.
Also wants the catastrophic insurance paid by County -- Mr. Lawson to be on committee to determine
what needs to be done and report back to t he Board.
Sheriff addressed Redeemed and a DOC “re-entry” program that is
available – said it will take some money for funding, but it will certainly be
profitable for County—Need programs that
work—program to help cut down on bed capacity at jail – “Program Second Change” Commission will look at everything and will address
with Sheriff at next meeting for Board decision/action.
Ms. Brenda Holt briefly addressed the Board concerning District 4 and
issues going on during her “retirement”.
ADJOURNMENT:
THERE BEING NO FURTHER BUSINESS TO COME BEFORE THE BOARD AT THIS TIME, THE MEETING WAS ADJOURNED AT 5:20 PM