BUDGET WORKSHOP

Introduction to the Special-Called Meeting
On July 29, the Commissioners Court meeting revealed significant concerns from Department Heads and Elected Officials who saw their budgets for the first time. Frustrated by the lack of prior access, they voiced their disapproval to the Judge and Commissioners. After repeated requests, some received budget copies from the Budget Officer, Mrs. Perkins. As I noted last week, this lack of transparency is unacceptable—it disrespects the dedicated people who keep our county running and you, the taxpayers, whose money is at stake.

To address these concerns, we convened a Special Budget Workshop on Friday, August 8, at 10:00 AM. The Commissioners and Judge received the Working Budget at 2:35 PM on Thursday, August 7, leaving little time for preparation and requiring a late night of review. Commissioners Caraway and Moore were absent—Caraway was attending his wife’s inspiring cancer-free bell-ringing ceremony (Praise God!), and Moore was ill. With three members present, we had a quorum to proceed.

Details of the Special-Called Meeting
During Public Comment at the workshop, a handful of citizens spoke, primarily about law enforcement concerns. I welcome this engagement and would gladly listen for hours to ensure your voices are heard—our government needs more of this!

When I asked the Judge about the meeting’s plan, his response was unclear. We proceeded to review the budget page by page, inviting Department Heads to speak and clarify details. In previous years, by this time, the county budget would be nearly complete, with Department Heads and Elected Officials aware of their funding and only minor adjustments needed. This year, however, the Budget Officer has had to remove most planned requests and start over, creating a significant delay. At this late stage, we should only be making minor tweaks, but the budget remains far from finalized.

Following our previous workshop, I had submitted an Excel spreadsheet proposing $358,000 in budget reductions, carefully derived from trends and year-end totals, to Mrs. Perkins. Unfortunately, none of my recommendations were incorporated into the draft budget presented on August 8. In this draft, Mrs. Perkins removed five previously approved positions, eliminated salary increases (except for a 3% cost-of-living adjustment for most employees), and excluded all requested vehicles. 

Information Technology
The IT budget, which was already problematic on July 29, remained disorganized. Mr. Don Bell, our Chief Information Officer, manages a complex budget that includes his Operating Budget and hardware/software requests from all departments. This centralization ensures uniformity and efficiency, and I trust Mr. Bell to oversee it effectively. However, the Court avoided discussing the specifics of his requested projects.

Many budget items were shifted to the Facilities Improvement Fund (also called the Capital Improvement Fund), which has a balance of over $6 million to maintain county building projects—a core function of county government. Each year, one cent of the tax rate supports this fund, preventing the need to issue debt. I will provide more details on these shifted items in my next weekly report.

Benefits of the Special-Called Meeting
While the workshop did not significantly reshape the budget, it provided a valuable opportunity for Department Heads and Elected Officials to address their budget requests and identify errors, offering greater clarity to the Budget Officer and the Court. Equally important, the public had the chance to voice their preferences on how their tax dollars should be allocated, which I consider a highlight of the meeting.

There was clear support among the Court for maintaining the Chief Deputy Constable’s stipend. I proposed creating a prioritized list of critical vehicles for replacement, which the Court and Budget Officer received favorably. We can draw from the Reserve Fund to acquire these essential vehicles. Additionally, the vehicles being replaced, primarily trucks, could be repaired and repurposed for use by Road and Bridge or Facilities Services, maximizing resource efficiency. There was also dialogue about establishing a reserve for the county’s fleet and potentially a Fleet Policy. This is a great first step to better manage our county’s resources. Setting up a fund and plan for our vehicles helps us prepare for the future and keep things running smoothly.