1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 KERR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURT 9 Special Session 10 Thursday, August 13, 2015 11 2:30 p.m. 12 Commissioners' Courtroom 13 Kerr County Courthouse 14 Kerrville, Texas 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 PRESENT: TOM POLLARD, Kerr County Judge H. A. "BUSTER" BALDWIN, Commissioner Pct. 1 24 TOM MOSER, Commissioner Pct. 2 JONATHAN LETZ, Commissioner Pct. 3 25 BOB REEVES, Commissioner Pct. 4 2 1 I N D E X August 13, 2015 2 PAGE 3 1.1 Consider/discuss, take appropriate action to approve items related to the budget, including 4 personnel, insurance, salary, and all other expenditure and revenue items 3, 5 65 1.2 Consider/discuss, take appropriate action to 6 take a record vote on proposed 2015 Kerr County combined tax rate 55 7 1.3 Consider/discuss, take appropriate action to 8 set the dates and times of two public hearings required for the 2015 tax rate for Kerr County 9 and Lateral Roads 57 10 1.4 Consider/discuss, take appropriate action to set the date and time for adoption of the 2015 11 Kerr County and Lateral Roads tax rate 64 12 --- Adjourned 69 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 3 1 On Thursday, August 13, 2015, at 2:30 p.m., a special 2 meeting of the Kerr County Commissioners Court was held in 3 the Commissioners' Courtroom, Kerr County Courthouse, 4 Kerrville, Texas, and the following proceedings were had in 5 open court: 6 P R O C E E D I N G S 7 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. It's 2:35, looks like, p.m. 8 on August 13, 2015, and the Kerr County Commissioners Court 9 is in session pursuant to this notice. Commissioners Court 10 will hold a special meeting on Thursday, August 13, 2015, at 11 the Kerr County Courthouse in the Commissioners Courtroom to 12 consider -- looks like four different matters here. So, all 13 right, we'll just get right to it. 1.1; consider, discuss, 14 and take appropriate action to approve items related to the 15 budget, including personnel, insurance, salary, and all other 16 expenditure and revenue items. Commissioner Letz. 17 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I just put that on the agenda 18 to get us on the agenda. 19 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: It's open for discussion. 21 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. Did everybody get this 22 memo from the County Clerk's office about the collected fees 23 for education for her people? 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yes. 25 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. She had $3,500 in her budget 8-13-15 4 1 that was cut, and the -- the list I asked James to prepare -- 2 I'm going to take the heat for that, by the way. James 3 didn't do that all by himself; I asked for it. And she has 4 collected so far this year $3,425 to do that, and she has 5 people that really need to go to these seminars for training. 6 And she charged fees from people that paid fees, so it's kind 7 of a designated fund, and she really needs that $3,500 8 restored to her budget that had been taken out on James' 9 list. 10 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Are they -- are they classes 11 that are mandated by law? 12 JUDGE POLLARD: Yes. There's a statute here; she 13 cited Section 118.064, additional fee in original probate 14 action, and she charged it under that. So, we had clients 15 that came in and paid probate fees that paid for that. I 16 think it's really kind of a designated fund. 17 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah. 18 JUDGE POLLARD: So I think it needs -- 19 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: If the State tells us we 20 have to do something, we have to do it. 'Cause we don't do 21 anything unless the State tells us to do it or not. 22 JUDGE POLLARD: Well, that's true. Sometimes we 23 don't like having to do that. 24 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Hey. 25 JUDGE POLLARD: But we do -- we have to do it. 8-13-15 5 1 MR. ROBLES: I only took 900 out of that. 2 JUDGE POLLARD: You only took 900 out of that? 3 Okay. Then that 900 needs to be restored, okay? All right, 4 what else do we need to discuss here today? This -- this -- 5 we have -- $308,000 is equal to one cent. 6 MS. DOSS: Approximately. 7 JUDGE POLLARD: Approximately. On this -- this 8 budget. 9 COMMISSIONER MOSER: For clarification, that's tax 10 rate versus revenue? 11 JUDGE POLLARD: That's right. That's the tax rate 12 versus revenue. In other words, when we were last here, we 13 talked about the possibility of having to raise the tax rate 14 by three cents, and so one cent in that raise was equal to 15 approximately $308,000. I heard from the Auditor today that 16 she thought we could probably get by with a 2 and a half cent 17 raise rather than a 3-cent raise, so that gives us a little 18 bit of room. Do you want to explain that, Ms. Auditor? 19 MS. DOSS: And this is in addition to the one and 20 three-quarter cent that has already been increased for the -- 21 JUDGE POLLARD: For the jail, that's right. 22 MS. DOSS: We went back and looked at it, and we 23 came up with we could probably use some of the prior-year 24 fund balance in both the general fund and the Road and 25 Bridge, so that gave us a little bit more working room. We 8-13-15 6 1 didn't have to transfer quite as much then from the general 2 fund to Road and Bridge. 3 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Judge, one area that I think we 5 could save -- and I'm not sure how much will be total, but I 6 think we have a new hire for the emergency management person, 7 a new hire in I.T. 8 JUDGE POLLARD: And if we go with Global, we don't 9 need a new hire in Maintenance. 10 COMMISSIONER LETZ: But I think you'd take that 11 maintenance one out altogether. If we don't go with Global, 12 that money's already in the budget. We don't -- I mean, it 13 seems like we're accounting for it twice, so that can come 14 out of there completely. But on those other two -- 15 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I thought the maintenance 16 guy was in the additional. 17 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Oh, it is -- 18 MR. ROBLES: It was. 19 JUDGE POLLARD: He says right. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Additional? 21 MR. ROBLES: Yeah. 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: But the maintenance one in that 23 same group, approve them, but only fund them for half a year. 24 That way the position gets started. We put half the amount 25 in the budget, and they can't be hired until six months into 8-13-15 7 1 the year. 2 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Going back -- go back one. 3 The other day, we talked about Option 1; that was without the 4 management contract, and that was the one guy for 5 maintenance. And then Option 2, without maintenance, but 6 with the -- without the maintenance personnel added, but with 7 the maintenance contract -- I mean the operations contract. 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I'm not sure -- either way, any 9 personnel added, don't hire them till after mid-year. 10 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And that saves us probably 12 about $150,000, I'm guessing, 120, somewhere in that -- 13 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Does the two and a half cent 14 include the management contract? 15 MS. DOSS: Yes, sir. 16 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. Okay. 17 JUDGE POLLARD: So we got to revise what we were 18 talking about the other day. Instead of having to say the 19 figures seem to mandate a 3 percent -- three-cent raise on 20 the tax rate, we got to amend that to say two and a half 21 cents, and so we drop down a full cent. I would say that 22 that means the management -- or the contract with Global 23 would be one cent, if we could -- and so that would -- the 24 alternate would then be two and a half with Global, or one 25 and a half without Global. 8-13-15 8 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think you leave Global in 2 there. 3 JUDGE POLLARD: Yes. 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And if something happens, that 5 pays for the management maintenance staff. I don't 6 understand why we have a maintenance person, 'cause you 7 don't -- or do you want another maintenance -- I mean, you've 8 got a vacant maintenance -- a vacant spot right now in 9 maintenance; we're not taking that one away. And I don't 10 know that we need another one, but even if we were to add 11 another one, I think midyear. Because as you and I talked 12 the other day, Tim, going into the winter, your maintenance 13 -- your maintenance -- your parks part of your maintenance is 14 busiest from April through August. We don't need another 15 person certainly for a while, and you -- we talked about even 16 possibly delay hiring anything immediately to try to save 17 some money. 18 MR. BOLLIER: Right. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: But I don't -- do you need -- 20 forget about the Ag Barn, 'cause it's going to be with Global 21 Spectrum. Do you think you need another person in the budget 22 in addition to the one that you have vacant right now? 23 MR. BOLLIER: I -- I think that I can do away with 24 that -- with that position if you give me some part-time -- 25 some part-time money for the summer to keep -- if that is -- 8-13-15 9 1 you know, that's in case -- if we have a summer started like 2 we did this year; I got a lot of grass to mow. If you will 3 put me some part-time money there for -- for some part-time 4 help for mowing season, I'll be fine. 5 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. So we can get rid of 6 that maintenance spot completely, and then add 15,000 for 7 part-time? 8 COMMISSIONER REEVES: What would that make -- let's 9 just take them one at a time. The maintenance position that 10 Tim was wanting to add, have we accounted for any of that, 11 James? 12 MR. ROBLES: No, we took that out assuming we'd go 13 with the management contract. 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: We -- it's already out? 15 MR. ROBLES: It's already out. 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. 17 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. 18 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Then, if I may, Judge? 19 JUDGE POLLARD: Sure. 20 COMMISSIONER REEVES: The I.T. position, how much 21 is that one? If it was full-time. 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: With roll-ups. 23 COMMISSIONER REEVES: With roll-ups. 24 JUDGE POLLARD: Is John here? 25 COMMISSIONER MOSER: James will have it. 8-13-15 10 1 MR. ROBLES: I got it. I got it right here. 2 MR. TROLINGER: It's about $46,000. 3 MR. ROBLES: It's 48,454. 4 COMMISSIONER REEVES: How much? 5 MR. ROBLES: 48,454. 6 JUDGE POLLARD: Does that include the -- 7 MR. ROBLES: That includes insurance, retirement, 8 FICA, and salary. 9 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. 10 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Thank you, John. 11 MR. TROLINGER: You're welcome, sir. 12 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Let's see. If we go -- did 13 you have more that you were going to ask? 14 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Just with the I.T. 15 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Yeah. 16 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Just doing that, if we were 17 to wait six months, that would be -- 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Half that. 19 COMMISSIONER REEVES: -- 24,000. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Right. 21 COMMISSIONER REEVES: What if we -- do we have any 22 part-time in maintenance right now -- I mean in I.T.? 23 MR. ROBLES: No, I removed the part-time assuming 24 we hired someone. 25 COMMISSIONER REEVES: If we went -- budgeted 8-13-15 11 1 part-time at roughly half -- roughly the 24,000 throughout 2 the year, we wouldn't have to pay insurance, retirement, or 3 anything like that. 4 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Wouldn't have to have 5 roll-ups. 6 COMMISSIONER REEVES: We'd have to pay FICA, but we 7 wouldn't have to pay anything else. 8 COMMISSIONER MOSER: How's that sit, John? For -- 9 instead of full-time, what is it, 29 hours or -- 10 MR. ROBLES: Yes. 11 MR. TROLINGER: I can do that. 12 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Sold. 13 (Laughter.) 14 JUDGE POLLARD: Well, -- 15 MR. TROLINGER: Basically -- 16 JUDGE POLLARD: -- I didn't see a smile, really, 17 when you did that. 18 MR. TROLINGER: It's hard for me, because -- 19 JUDGE POLLARD: You got nailed in this. Tell us 20 what you really think. 21 MR. TROLINGER: I gave it to you. I am dangerously 22 behind on replacing the equipment that's in the back offices, 23 the servers and whatnot, and I can defer it no longer. I 24 have to stop doing something else. 25 COMMISSIONER MOSER: John does have a detailed 8-13-15 12 1 analysis of every -- almost everything he's got, backlogs and 2 everything he has to do. 3 MR. BOLLIER: Is that thunder? I thought Tom was 4 hungry. 5 MR. TROLINGER: But I will make it work with 6 whatever you provide me with. I will make it work for I.T. 7 COMMISSIONER MOSER: We want it to work for you. 8 We want -- because you're serving everybody. 9 MR. TROLINGER: Thank you. 10 COMMISSIONER MOSER: That's the thing. 11 MR. ROBLES: It would be 5,600 for half a year, 12 part-time. 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: If -- John, is it better from 14 your standpoint to have a part-time for a year, or a 15 full-time for half a year? 16 MR. TROLINGER: The part-time for the year would be 17 better, because then I can plan my year. And right now I'm 18 already sitting -- based on the last meeting, sitting on edge 19 of my seat wanting to start ordering equipment to get it 20 started for installations, to designate my systems 21 administrator guy to be dedicated to doing the servers and 22 the back office things, and take him off the street, as it 23 were, from the help desk. 24 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Another question is, can you 25 get the skills that you need using part-time? 8-13-15 13 1 MR. TROLINGER: Well, I've already got -- I've 2 already got a part-time. He's half part-time, basically. 3 He's interned -- trained with us, and we're bringing him up 4 to speed so he can fill that help desk now. 5 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So you can meet your -- 6 MR. TROLINGER: That spot, yes, sir. 7 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So you can meet your job 8 requirements with the part-time person? That's what you're 9 saying? 10 MR. TROLINGER: Yes, sir. 11 JUDGE POLLARD: How about with this budget we're 12 talking about? Are you going to be able to get equipment 13 that you need, absolutely have to have? 14 MR. TROLINGER: The capital is good; we're fine. 15 It's the hours that it takes to install it. And, Judge, we 16 do it ourselves as much as we can. We know that we have to 17 maintain the phone system when there's an emergency, so we 18 need to be the ones that know all the equipment, not call the 19 contractor in San Antonio. So, we order the bands and we 20 spend the hours, and it's those hours that it takes to 21 install equipment. 22 JUDGE POLLARD: So, what does this -- we're talking 23 in terms of about 56,000, and we're talking about on the 24 maintenance thing, we saved about -- 25 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Maintenance is already out. 8-13-15 14 1 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. 2 COMMISSIONER REEVES: How much? 3 JUDGE POLLARD: We saved about 56,000. 4 COMMISSIONER REEVES: No. 5 JUDGE POLLARD: That's -- 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: No, 5,600. If you hired 7 part-time year-round, you'd probably maybe save 20,000, 8 something like that. I mean, I'm -- 9 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Yes. But we had -- when we 10 added -- the other day when we talked about Option 1, 11 Option 2, if we added the maintenance -- I mean, the 12 management contract in, it looks like half a -- half a cent 13 increase is what we had to have to cover that, 'cause I 14 think -- what is it, 266 -- 268,000. 15 JUDGE POLLARD: We were fudging that a little bit 16 with that, 'cause half a cent is -- a cent is 308,000. 17 COMMISSIONER MOSER: 308, so it was a little bit 18 more than what you needed. 19 JUDGE POLLARD: Yeah. 20 COMMISSIONER REEVES: That's been revised, I think. 21 MS. DOSS: Yes, it has. 22 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So tell me, Ms. Auditor, 23 what -- 24 MS. DOSS: I think we were talking about two and a 25 half cents and three cents. 8-13-15 15 1 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. Well, so it's a half 2 cent. 3 MS. DOSS: Yes. 4 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Yeah, that's what I said. 5 MS. DOSS: Okay. 6 COMMISSIONER MOSER: If we had to add a half a 7 cent, the difference in doing the management contract versus 8 Tim doing it. 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: But Tim doing it doesn't do 10 what the management contract is doing. 11 COMMISSIONER MOSER: That's true. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: It's keeping it where we are 13 right now. 14 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Correct. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Which brings up a whole 'nother 16 discussion to me. 17 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Right, that's true. 18 JUDGE POLLARD: What I'm trying to get to is -- is 19 to say if we still use the figure of 308,000, is it 20 worthwhile to ask you all to try to come back with another 21 $308,000 in cuts out of the budget? So we can -- 22 COMMISSIONER MOSER: James is shaking his head no. 23 MR. ROBLES: Not if you want to keep the raises. 24 That's really the only place we could reasonably pull from. 25 COMMISSIONER MOSER: And we're down to two -- 8-13-15 16 1 2 percent. 2 MS. DOSS: Yes, sir. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Len, do you want to say 4 something? 5 MR. ODOM: Yes, sir. 6 JUDGE POLLARD: By the way, I just talked to Medina 7 County, Hondo, on the phone yesterday. They're getting a 8 3 percent COLA in this one. 9 MR. ODOM: Road and Bridge is willing to give up a 10 position to Tim to get out of dog pickup; let him do it. And 11 that saves you 48,000; we give the money up. 12 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah, but we have to hire a 13 person, so it doesn't give up anything. 14 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: What's the dog pickup? 15 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Dead animal. 16 JUDGE POLLARD: Dog pickup, dead animal. 17 MR. ODOM: Dead animals. I lose two people, 18 Michael and his -- the guy that's with him for cutting brush. 19 We could stay on brush cutting. We can stay on patching 20 instead of stopping and going on. Let that individual work 21 half a day, whatever he wants done. 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: We'd need two people. If you 23 need two people to do it in your department, we'd need two 24 people to do it in his department, so we don't gain any 25 personnel. It's a matter of what department does it. 8-13-15 17 1 MR. ODOM: I don't need anybody. 2 MS. HOFFER: We don't necessarily need two people; 3 it's just that if they're out cutting, you don't really want 4 to leave one person. 5 MR. ODOM: We don't want to leave one person 6 cutting. 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: But same thing with Tim. When 8 they're out mowing grass and that, we need two people for 9 theirs, too. 10 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Well, I think what Len is 11 saying, one person -- probably less than one F.T.E., 12 full-time equivalent, to pick up dead animals. 13 MR. ODOM: That's right. 14 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Correct? And we've had -- and 15 I've mentioned this to Tim before. If we got an F.T.E., one 16 full-time equivalent person, okay, and it doesn't take a 17 full-time guy, he's got portion of -- a part of a guy for 18 maintenance. 19 MR. ODOM: That's right. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: But it doesn't take -- it's not 21 going to -- it takes the same amount of people to do it no 22 matter what department you have it in. You're not going to 23 save. 24 COMMISSIONER REEVES: It's still coming out of the 25 same pot. 8-13-15 18 1 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I know, but it's putting some 2 resources over in maintenance where we're talking about 3 needing more. 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: You're taking -- yeah, but -- 5 COMMISSIONER MOSER: The dollars are the same. 6 Yeah, right. 7 MR. ODOM: It's a thought. 8 JUDGE POLLARD: Thank you. Appreciate it. Back to 9 my question. Is it worth -- James, you don't think there's 10 any way to cut any more? We're stuck at two cents tax 11 increase? 12 MS. DOSS: Two and a half. 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: What's the -- 14 JUDGE POLLARD: Two and a half. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: What's the cost of the 16 emergency management person, the roll-ups? 17 MR. ROBLES: 54,800 -- or, I'm sorry. Excuse me 18 one second. 48,000 salary. 19 COMMISSIONER MOSER: It was like 56 or something 20 like that. 21 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: No. It could all depend on if 22 it's -- if it's a certified peace officer, which it's 23 supposed to be, and depending on how long -- the educational, 24 okay. What we're looking at is about 62,140. And then with 25 the insurance and that, salary, FICA, retirement, it goes up 8-13-15 19 1 to about 77,040. 2 COMMISSIONER MOSER: We didn't have it that high. 3 COMMISSIONER REEVES: I thought we backed off to, 4 like, a corporal's position. 5 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: That's what that would have 6 been, a 23. If you look at your step and grade, -- 7 COMMISSIONER REEVES: I'll take -- 8 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: -- a 23, okay, and if that 9 person -- because most of them is going to have the 10 experience as a certified peace officer. If they're a master 11 peace officer -- you start out at a Step 1. The -- the 12 intermediate is a Step 2. The advanced is a Step 3, and the 13 master is a Step 5, 'cause it jumps two. So, that would put 14 it at 51,792, and then you have to add your roll-ups to that. 15 COMMISSIONER REEVES: What did we have budgeted for 16 it, James? 17 MR. ROBLES: Less than that. 18 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Well, we need to take off 19 whatever we got less than that, if we're looking at -- 20 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah. So, are we going to 21 cut that out for this year? 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I wouldn't want to cut it out. 23 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I don't want to cut it out. 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I don't think it has to be a 25 full year spot. We can hire it six months into the year. 8-13-15 20 1 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Well, but we have to update 2 the emergency management plan by December, and that's going 3 to be -- that needs to be updated. So, it's not -- we can't 4 put it off till July of next year or something like that. 5 JUDGE POLLARD: That's the state requirements? 6 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Yeah. 7 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I thought that was a 8 requirement, that you had to have it done by this year. 9 COMMISSIONER MOSER: It is. 10 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Oh. 11 COMMISSIONER MOSER: That's what I'm saying. 12 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Okay. 13 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Yeah, it has to be done by the 14 end of this year. 15 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: So, are you going to do that 16 because we're not going to hire this other guy? 17 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Well, you and I, but mostly 18 you. 19 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah. 20 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Seniority is required. So, 21 I'd hate to see -- 22 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Half a year. 23 COMMISSIONER MOSER: But -- so -- but if we left -- 24 so where we are today, 2 percent COLA -- 2 percent COLA and 25 the other things, the emergency management coordinator, 8-13-15 21 1 that's a two cent -- two and a half cent -- two and a half 2 cent raise in tax rate. 3 JUDGE POLLARD: In addition to -- 4 MS. DOSS: In addition to the 1.75. 5 JUDGE POLLARD: -- the 1.75 for the jail. 6 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Absolutely. 7 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I want to make a proposal; 8 that the Commissioners sitting here -- I'm not saying County 9 Judge, but I'm saying commissioners -- that we don't take the 10 raise. 11 JUDGE POLLARD: The 2 percent? 12 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Or whatever it is. 13 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Whatever it is, I'm good with 14 that. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Fine. 16 COMMISSIONER MOSER: That's okay. 17 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Let's see, there's four of 18 us. I know that's a drop in the bucket, but it takes drops 19 to fill up a bucket. 20 COMMISSIONER MOSER: That's all right. 21 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Are there other positions -- 22 JUDGE POLLARD: The COLA raise is what you're 23 talking about? 24 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yes, sir. 25 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Are there other positions 8-13-15 22 1 within the different departments that maybe have not gotten 2 filled for a year or two, but we've been budgeting those? 3 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Everybody cut a lot over the 4 last number of years, even before you came on the Court. 5 COMMISSIONER REEVES: That's fine. That's fine. 6 Are there some positions that have not been filled? 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: There's only -- Maintenance has 8 one, and we've just put that on temporary hold. 9 COMMISSIONER REEVES: I believe there's one in Road 10 and Bridge. 11 MR. ODOM: Road and Bridge has got one. 12 COMMISSIONER REEVES: How long has that been since 13 it -- 14 MR. ODOM: Maybe a year. It's a mechanical -- it's 15 a maintenance position. 16 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Why haven't we filled it? 17 Couldn't find a qualified -- 18 MR. ODOM: Couldn't find one. And we haven't had 19 anybody here lately to -- everybody's in the oil business. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Were. 21 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Were. 22 JUDGE POLLARD: That's changing. 23 MR. ODOM: It will be coming back. 24 JUDGE POLLARD: Yeah, it will be. 25 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Someday. 8-13-15 23 1 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Can I ask a question, Jon? 2 What's the management contract cost for the Ag Barn, if you 3 do that? 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Bob, do you have that handy? 5 COMMISSIONER MOSER: It's on the summary sheet. 6 JUDGE POLLARD: Ms. Auditor, isn't that -- doesn't 7 that -- isn't that loss to us about 200,000 over what -- 8 doing it ourselves? 9 MR. ROBLES: 273,782. 10 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. 11 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Is what it's going to cost? 12 MR. ROBLES: That's their projected revenue minus 13 their expenditures. 14 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Why would -- why would we not 15 hold off on that? Instead of doing some of the things -- I 16 mean, you're -- this Court's asked the department heads and 17 all of us, and we tried for the last number of years to keep 18 employee requests down, keep everything down. We've really 19 tried to hold the line. And I think, you know, the employees 20 have done -- and every department has done a fabulous job. 21 But now, you know, you're talking $200,000 going to a 22 maintenance contract that could wait. Tim's extra 23 maintenance guy isn't $200,000. And I think that would 24 offset those tax increases. Again, you know -- 25 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I'll tell you the reason, 8-13-15 24 1 Rusty. The reason is we've built the facility out there. We 2 knew we were -- going in, we were going to have to add people 3 to it. If we're just going to continue to lose 160,000 a 4 year, we might as well just shut it down, use it for stock 5 show. If we're not going to implement a -- try to reduce 6 costs like we've done at the airport so that it starts -- 7 it's never going to make money, but if we can minimize the 8 loss, you have to get there. And it's just -- it's -- to me, 9 it's -- we're spending -- it's wasting tax dollars if we 10 don't try to -- 11 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: But last year at the end of 12 budget time, we were close to, from what I understand, about 13 300,000 in the black. This year, we're -- we started out 14 with all -- everybody's requests, about 2.4 in the red, okay. 15 Is this the year we do that? 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Well -- 17 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: That's my only -- I mean, 18 everybody in the -- every department has really tried to hold 19 it down for the last number of years. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Right. 21 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Okay? Should we have to 22 continue to do that just to get that up and running? 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Next year we have to add to 24 your department. We have to. 25 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: I agree. 8-13-15 25 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So we're going to have a -- 2 we'll be over rollback then. We're not going to do it that 3 way. 4 COMMISSIONER REEVES: If we don't do it now -- it's 5 just like with -- 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Not going to happen. The cost 7 this year -- let me finish on this. The reason for the 8 increase is a decision the Court made three years ago to cut 9 Road and Bridge. There's 900 -- we're transferring 944,000 10 into Road and Bridge this year to get our maintenance program 11 back, and we need to do that. That's something that I'm -- 12 you know, is a priority. That's why we're at a deficit. I 13 agree, everyone has -- has contributed. I'm not at all 14 advocating reducing any more. I'm just saying if we can 15 delay a couple of positions that we need to hire, and get 16 some money, to me, it's worth it. We know next year we have 17 to add four deputies and other expenses, and the year after 18 that and the year after, we're going to -- with this, we're 19 going to have a tax increase three years in a row unless 20 something really changes. 21 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: And I can understand that. 22 But this -- the cuts that James has had to make -- and I can 23 survive the one he's made in the -- in my department, all 24 three of our budgets. James has worked real well with us 25 trying to get that worked out. But the cuts he's had to make 8-13-15 26 1 to get this in line has done more cutting on a lot of 2 departments farther below than where they even were, okay? 3 It's not just delaying -- 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I disagree with that. I think 5 everybody -- almost every department got what they wanted. 6 We cut out some merit raises. There was one page; it didn't 7 cut that much out. It cut, you know, the things that were -- 8 conferences, merit raises. I don't think we cut anything any 9 department head -- at least it wasn't on the one sheet that 10 the Judge handed out. 11 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: I just think for department 12 heads that have worked so hard, I think there's some things 13 that could be delayed, and that management contract may be 14 one that ought to be seriously considered. Because we -- 15 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Let me comment. I haven't 16 been the strongest advocate for spending all the money we 17 have at the Ag Barn. I've opposed it, but we've got it, 18 okay? We need to make the best we can out of it. And if we 19 delay it six months or a year, then that's just going to take 20 that much longer before we start realizing the extra benefits 21 that it appears that Global Spectrum can bring to it. And I 22 think their track record has shown that. So, I think we're 23 -- there are two things. Number one, we're losing revenue by 24 delaying them getting started. We talked about even delaying 25 it for a whole year. The other thing is -- is that, you 8-13-15 27 1 know, the facility -- if we don't use it properly, it's going 2 to get branded like we don't want it to be branded. We want 3 it to be branded as a facility that people are attracted to 4 and come to. So, I think it's -- I think it's probably got 5 it. We might as well face up to it and have a management 6 contract, get it started. 7 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Well, there's also -- you 8 know, and on my end, as this Court well knows, for years I've 9 asked for officers, okay. 10 JUDGE POLLARD: You have. 11 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: This hasn't been just once or 12 twice, all right? I do not know how much longer I can 13 provide adequate law enforcement to this county with the 14 number of people that I have on the street. It's -- it can't 15 be done the way it's doing any more. And -- and we just -- 16 and I've tried to work with this Court, but we've gone as far 17 as we can go with stretching these people. And, you know, I 18 mean, I think the County really needs to look at some things, 19 and -- and, you know, whether it be salaries, whether it be 20 everything else with all of our employees. But I'll give you 21 one example. And I'm getting -- I got one more term, so I'm 22 not worried about it, and I'm okay. But when this County 23 pays -- or when a D.P.S. highway patrol sergeant or a 24 Kerrville Police Chief, okay, with the small departments they 25 have, make over 30,000 a year more than you're paying the 8-13-15 28 1 Sheriff, all right, I think that's wrong. But that's one 2 example. I think we're doing that right down the line with 3 -- with all of our employees. 4 Mine's one of the top salaries, but if mine's that 5 much lower than what it should be, think of every other 6 employee we have in this county, 'cause it all falls that 7 same -- and you wonder why we have a hard time, you know, 8 really keeping our employees. I think -- I don't know what 9 to do. I understand your predicament, okay? But county 10 government wasn't put here to make money. We're put here to 11 provide a service to all the people. And going back to kind 12 of what Tom did, I agree with that Ag Barn. I -- you know, 13 went to high school here, did a lot of that stuff, okay? But 14 it serves a small portion of this county. Your law 15 enforcement and your clerk's office and your courthouse have 16 to serve everybody in this county, including, you know, 17 citizens in the city of Kerrville. And I just think we 18 seriously need to start looking at the -- 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That right there is not going 20 to make a difference on that. It's a hundred -- 200,000. 21 We'd have to add more -- we'll have to add two personnel out 22 there, and we're going to end up with -- so, yes, you save 23 half a cent. 24 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: I just would like to look at 25 where our priorities are, okay? 8-13-15 29 1 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Probably about 150,000, 2 something like that. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: About half a cent. 4 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: So, are we running a tally 5 on the things that we've cut here this afternoon? 6 MS. DOSS: Well, I'm not real clear. 7 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah. Well, we need -- 8 MS. DOSS: We need to go back and review all that. 9 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah, we really need to do 10 that. 11 JUDGE POLLARD: How much -- how much is the 12 2 percent proposed -- so-called COLA raise in terms of 13 dollars? 14 MS. DOSS: About 308,000 -- 305,000. 15 JUDGE POLLARD: One cent. 16 MS. DOSS: That's the COLA, the 2 percent. 17 JUDGE POLLARD: One cent on the tax rate. 18 MS. DOSS: And that includes the FICA and 19 retirement. 20 JUDGE POLLARD: One cent on the tax rate. All 21 right. Let me just find out. Is it -- you -- you want to do 22 -- try to suggest doing away with the 2 percent raise this 23 year, Mr. Baldwin; is that correct? 24 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Just for the four of us. 25 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. 8-13-15 30 1 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: That's all. 2 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Yeah, we all agree. 3 MS. DOSS: So that's -- y'all are agreed that's 4 going to happen? 5 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Right. 6 COMMISSIONER REEVES: I got no problem with that. 7 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Of course, y'all can all see 8 that I'm about to starve to death as it is. (Laughter.) But 9 I look for y'all to kind of pick me up, you know, between -- 10 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Pick you up? Forget that. 11 (Laughter.) 12 MS. DOSS: What was decided on the emergency 13 management coordinator? 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Nothing. 15 MS. DOSS: Okay. 16 JUDGE POLLARD: Leave it in. 17 MS. DOSS: Leave it in at the rate it was? 18 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Yeah. 19 COMMISSIONER REEVES: And I.T.? 20 COMMISSIONER MOSER: The one that -- what did you 21 have? 22 MR. ROBLES: I need to know the beginning salary, 23 'cause I had them him at a 23.5/1. 24 COMMISSIONER MOSER: That's what -- I think that's 25 what Rusty said. 8-13-15 31 1 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: 23/5. And I think you have 2 23.5/1. Okay. There -- you got that 23.5 or a 23. 3 MR. ROBLES: Well, if he's a peace officer, he has 4 to be on the .5 scale. I guess that's where the confusion 5 was. 6 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: The peace officers don't have 7 to; that's just the step and grade. That's just where y'all 8 put them. We set this as if we were going to do corporals, 9 okay, at the 23. Now, if you want to get it closer to what 10 you want in the starting, then I would back it down to a 11 22.5, which would put that salary at 50,523 before the 12 roll-ups. 13 COMMISSIONER MOSER: How much is that, Rusty? 14 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: 50,523.20 if he had the 15 master. 16 COMMISSIONER MOSER: At one time, we talked about 17 combining this with the fire marshal. We said take that out 18 'cause you had to bump it up -- 19 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Right. 20 COMMISSIONER MOSER: -- for all the -- 21 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: When we were looking at the 22 combined of both, you were looking at doing it as a Step 25. 23 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. 24 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: And we dropped it down to a 25 23. Now, if you want to -- you know, I didn't realize y'all 8-13-15 32 1 had kind of considered the .5's all law enforcement. I 2 remember that happening back when the step and grade was 3 done. So, if you want to keep that, since this is a newer 4 position, then I would put it at the 22.5, okay? 22.5 -- 5 Step 5, which would put it at -- if they had the master, 6 that's the highest certification, -- 7 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Right. 8 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: -- and that would put that 9 salary at 50,523.20. And then you'd have to put your 10 roll-ups or whatever in that. 11 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. 12 MS. DOSS: Okay. 13 COMMISSIONER MOSER: And that gives you the 14 certifications that are needed, right? 15 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Yeah. That's -- if you look 16 across the state, that's on the very lowest end of that -- 17 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. 18 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: -- position paid, but, you 19 know, it's a starting deal. It's up to the Court. If we can 20 find one that wants to work for that, that's fine. 21 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Thanks. 22 MS. DOSS: Okay. And the I.T. person? What was 23 decided on the I.T. person? 24 JUDGE POLLARD: Halftime -- part-time, I think it 25 was. Wasn't it, John? 8-13-15 33 1 MS. DOSS: Are we going to do half a year, or are 2 we going to do a whole year of part-time? 3 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Part-time for a whole year. 4 Right, John? 5 MR. TROLINGER: Yes, sir. 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: What's that amount, John? Do 7 you think it's adequate? 8 MR. ROBLES: About 13,000. 9 MR. TROLINGER: Yes. 10 MR. ROBLES: That's with the FICA. 11 MS. LANTZ: That has to have retirement in it as 12 well, 'cause that's considered part-time permanent, so you 13 need to add that in, too. 14 COMMISSIONER MOSER: We can't hear you, Dawn. 15 MS. LANTZ: Retirement has to be in on it, because 16 that's going to be considered a permanent part-time position. 17 Unless he's just going to have it for this year, which I'm 18 assuming not, so we do have to pay retirement on that. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: If it's a permanent part-time, 20 and next year it moves to a -- to a full-time employee -- 21 MS. LANTZ: You're still paying retirement; you're 22 just going to go up in salary. 23 MR. ROBLES: Even with retirement, it's 13,600. 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. 25 COMMISSIONER REEVES: So that's a savings of 8-13-15 34 1 35,000? 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: The -- what -- I don't know 3 how -- trying to figure out how to ask. How much money is 4 going to be added to the reserves out of this year's budget? 5 MS. DOSS: We don't know yet. 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I know, but you -- you put in a 7 number last week. You had -- I know you had a conservative 8 number. What's the range of that number? 9 MR. ROBLES: We're hoping anywhere between 300,000 10 and maybe 800,000. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: 300 to 800? 12 MR. ROBLES: We took the kind of middle route. I 13 think we used 400, wasn't it, for fund balance? 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: 400? 15 COMMISSIONER MOSER: That just goes into reserve. 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: But that comes into the 17 calculation. 18 MS. DOSS: We have on our sheet that we're going to 19 use 500,000. 20 MR. ROBLES: 500. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: 500? 22 MS. DOSS: Yeah, and then 150 in Road and Bridge. 23 COMMISSIONER MOSER: 150 what? 24 MS. DOSS: Of appropriated fund balance in Road and 25 Bridge. 8-13-15 35 1 COMMISSIONER LETZ: And that leaves Road and 2 Bridge, at the end of next year, at 16.8 percent, correct? 3 MS. DOSS: 16.88, yes, sir. 4 JUDGE POLLARD: So, we're at 2 and a half percent 5 tax -- two and a half cents tax raise, unless I agree -- 6 Commissioners have agreed, but unless I don't agree to a 7 2 percent -- I have to make the decision about the 2 percent 8 COLA, right? 9 MS. DOSS: Somebody has to make it. 10 JUDGE POLLARD: Is that it? 11 MS. DOSS: Yes. Unless you want to cut other -- 12 it's whatever you want to do. 13 JUDGE POLLARD: Is that correct, guys? 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah. So, basically, we have 15 cut $30,000 today, plus or minus. Maybe 40,000. 16 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. 17 MS. DOSS: And if you look at my yellow mark, 18 that's about what we need. 19 JUDGE POLLARD: But y'all, all four, agree the 20 2 percent COLA is to go? 21 MS. DOSS: We were still about -- 22 JUDGE POLLARD: I got to make that decision. 23 COMMISSIONER REEVES: 2 percent COLA for us. 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: For us. 25 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Just the four of us. 8-13-15 36 1 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Just the four of us. 2 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Is eliminated. 3 JUDGE POLLARD: Oh, just for the four of us? 4 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Yeah, just four. 5 JUDGE POLLARD: Oh. Well, I misunderstood you. 6 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Not including you. 7 JUDGE POLLARD: Well, I -- I join with that. 8 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. 9 JUDGE POLLARD: I'll join with that. 10 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. 11 JUDGE POLLARD: That's not a problem. 12 COMMISSIONER MOSER: That was Buster's 13 recommendation. 14 JUDGE POLLARD: I thought you guys were trying to 15 isolate me. 16 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: We do that almost every 17 year. 18 JUDGE POLLARD: I'll do that. 19 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: This is not a new deal. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: But we're still looking at 21 about a total of about 40,000, what we've come up with today. 22 JUDGE POLLARD: Yeah. 23 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Reduction. 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah. 25 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Jason? Mr. Davis, excuse me. 8-13-15 37 1 Do you have any positions that you haven't filled in a number 2 of years that are just sitting there on the budget, but 3 haven't ever been filled? 4 MR. DAVIS: We have a position on the probation 5 side that has not been filled in four or five years, but we 6 have not budgeted that position for four or five years, 7 either. 8 COMMISSIONER REEVES: But it's not budgeted? 9 MR. DAVIS: That's correct. 10 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Okay. So that wouldn't -- 11 MR. DAVIS: Yes, sir. And then on our facility 12 side, no, we are currently at full staff. We might have a 13 couple part-time positions. 14 COMMISSIONER REEVES: You got to keep those for -- 15 MR. DAVIS: Yes, sir. 16 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Thank you. 17 MR. DAVIS: Thank you. 18 JUDGE POLLARD: I had misunderstood; I apologize. 19 COMMISSIONER MOSER: That's okay. 20 JUDGE POLLARD: Yeah. 21 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And you don't -- 22 JUDGE POLLARD: I thought you guys were ganging up 23 on me and saying, "You're going to have to make the decision 24 whether employees get 2 percent or not." 25 COMMISSIONER MOSER: No. No. 8-13-15 38 1 MS. DOSS: I didn't -- 2 JUDGE POLLARD: I don't mind telling you, I was 3 going to give it to them, okay? 4 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Where's your gun? 5 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. 6 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Are there any other of these 7 new hire positions that we could put off for six months, or 8 have we eliminated them all? 9 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think we've eliminated them 10 all. 11 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I think we have. 12 COMMISSIONER REEVES: I guess in -- 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Leonard, in your budget, and 14 with the -- a large part of that, I mean, the materials and 15 all that, where are you on -- with the current prices of oil? 16 Are you conservative? Are you -- I mean, can you cut some 17 out of that and still make the full program? 18 MR. ODOM: I think I've put in 3 percent above. 19 And we -- and what do I have, 180,000 in petroleum? Are you 20 saying asphalt or fuel oil? 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: All petroleum-related. 22 MR. ODOM: All petroleum-related. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That are -- I mean, every 24 indication is that's going to remain stagnant for the next 12 25 months. 8-13-15 39 1 (Low-voice discussion off the record.) 2 JUDGE POLLARD: One of those predictions. 3 MR. ODOM: I'm going to guess, that's only -- I'll 4 bet you I don't even have 10,000 above, do I? 5 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I haven't -- I mean, I don't 6 know. That's why I'm asking. 7 MR. ODOM: Not much. I think I stayed within 1.8 8 to 3 percent, something like that, as far as aggregate 9 emulsion. But I anticipate it to stay below $60 a barrel. I 10 think we're probably going to 30-something here soon, and -- 11 but that won't do them any good; this is winter. Fill-wise, 12 we're in pretty good shape, so maybe there's something. 13 We'll take a look at it. I'll see if -- 14 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Yeah. 15 MR. ODOM: -- there is something. But it's not -- 16 I don't have it hedged up. 17 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Where are we -- I kind of 18 got lost in the -- in the County Attorney shuffle a couple 19 weeks ago. We went from Point A to Point B, and back to 20 Point A and around the mulberry bush a couple times. But 21 where are we in all of that? Did -- oh, Leonard's going to 22 handle this? 23 MR. ODOM: This would be interesting. 24 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Okay. 25 MR. ODOM: If you're looking at my increase and 8-13-15 40 1 decrease, I'm increased significantly, if that's what you're 2 looking at. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: No, that's for getting the road 4 program back online. 5 MR. ODOM: That's right. 6 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I'm trying to figure out if 7 there -- I'm just wondering if there's anything we can cut 8 because petroleum prices, from when you did your original 9 estimate, have become more stagnant, and the projection is 10 more stagnance for the next 12 months. 11 MR. ODOM: I think it would be. Maybe there's 12 something I can look at. 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Can you give me a number? 14 MR. ODOM: Right now? 15 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Yes. 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yes. 17 MR. ODOM: How much -- what number are we trying to 18 pull? 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: What's your -- I mean, if you 20 took off of your truly oil-related items, you know -- 21 JUDGE POLLARD: Petroleum products. 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Petroleum products. 23 MR. ROBLES: I guess he's asking, how did you come 24 up with that number? 25 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah. I don't know how you -- 8-13-15 41 1 that's why I'm asking. If I had the answer, I'd just give 2 you a number. 3 MR. ODOM: Okay. 2012, I had 226, and I had 279 4 figured, you know, so that's 50,000. 5 COMMISSIONER MOSER: What was the price of 6 oil-related products then? That's what we're looking for. 7 MR. ODOM: Well, that -- that was probably -- right 8 now we're -- 9 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Less than. 10 MR. ODOM: -- less than -- I'm 10 cents or more a 11 gallon that you figured in there, so -- at least. I used to 12 be at 269, and I think I'm right at 260 now. Asphalt. 13 Asphalt, the -- so what is that? That's -- 10 and 20 is 14 about 4 percent -- 3 and a half, 4 percent. But that's 2012. 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Right. It's hard -- yours is 16 hard, because we're increasing your program a lot. I'm just, 17 you know -- 18 COMMISSIONER MOSER: This year -- next year. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Next year. 20 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Correct. That's the thing we 21 got to be careful of, not to -- 22 MR. ODOM: What is it that we need to do? 23 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Could you -- and I know it's 24 hard to look at your crystal ball, but the 279 that -- that 25 you have this year -- 8-13-15 42 1 MR. ODOM: Right. 2 COMMISSIONER REEVES: -- requested is very similar 3 to '13-'14, and I'm sure you were basing it off of something 4 like that, pretty close. Because '13-'14 fiscal year was 5 when you had your full -- 6 MR. ODOM: That's right, and you -- you put in 7 another 20,000 for crack sealing, which we hadn't had in 8 2012. And now we got the crack-sealing machine to make the 9 program work better in maintenance. 10 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Right, and I understand that. 11 I was just wondering, like Jonathan was saying, with the 12 decline in the price of oil-related -- 13 MR. ODOM: Can I review some -- 14 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Can you reduce that 279? 15 COMMISSIONER LETZ: 5 percent? 16 MR. ODOM: Yeah. I would -- let's put it this way. 17 We could do that. It may be late July, we may be running out 18 of money, but we'll just have to stop at that point and just 19 understand. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: 5 percent of 279? 21 MR. ODOM: That's fine. 22 COMMISSIONER REEVES: 14,000. 23 MR. ODOM: That's 11,000 -- is that 14,000? My 24 Aggie brain, that's what you get. I guess you boys did all 25 right at Texas, huh? 8-13-15 43 1 COMMISSIONER REEVES: I used my Tivy High math. 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Thank you, Leonard. 3 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. Buster, what was your 5 question? 6 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I have no idea. 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: County Attorney's office, what 8 happened when we went from Point A to J to L -- 9 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: J to L. How'd you remember 10 all that? I mean, I'm not pro or con about anything. I just 11 can't remember what all we did, because she hopped around 12 there for a couple times. 13 JUDGE POLLARD: I don't remember either. 14 MR. ROBLES: I think it was regarding the merit 15 raise for one of her employees, or the one y'all might have 16 had in executive session about it. 17 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Is it in or out? Out? 18 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Merit. 19 MR. ROBLES: All merit raises have been removed. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay, they were all removed. 21 JUDGE POLLARD: So that's out. 22 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And so there's no new 23 employees requested there. You had one leaving. 24 MR. ROBLES: But I think the problem is we had 25 conflicting information. Y'all may have discussed one thing 8-13-15 44 1 in executive session, and we removed the merit raises at the 2 end. 3 JUDGE POLLARD: Yeah, but the merit raises are out. 4 MR. ROBLES: You just need to get some 5 clarification. 6 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: What about having an 7 employee -- an attorney leaving there? 8 JUDGE POLLARD: Well, they can replace him; it's 9 budgeted. 10 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Is that the plan, to replace 11 him? 12 MR. ROBLES: You'll have to talk to Heather about 13 that. 14 JUDGE POLLARD: I sure would hate to see them 15 reduce their staff any down there. I can tell you, 16 they're -- they're stretched right to the limit right now. 17 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: No, I agree. I agree with 18 that. 19 JUDGE POLLARD: They need the ones they've got. 20 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: If she was going to reduce 21 her staff, I was going to try to talk her out of it. 22 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay, thank you. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I mean, I really think -- I 24 hate the idea of a tax increase, but the -- the 944,000, 25 which is more than the tax increase, is going to Road and 8-13-15 45 1 Bridge to get us back on track in Road and Bridge, and I 2 don't -- you know, we've cut them several times in prior 3 years, and we've got to get them back up to where they were, 4 in addition to we keep on asking them to do things beyond 5 Road and Bridge, saving money on all kinds of projects. 6 JUDGE POLLARD: Well, what we've talked about, 7 about us not taking the 2 percent up here, the five of us, 8 and other savings that we've talked about today are fairly 9 minimal. Is that really going to make any difference on the 10 two and a half cents tax raise? 11 MS. DOSS: So, I have that we cut about 54,000 12 total. 13 JUDGE POLLARD: Yeah. 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Right. 15 JUDGE POLLARD: I don't think that's going to 16 change anything. 17 MS. DOSS: That's not a quarter of a cent, yes. 18 JUDGE POLLARD: The two and a half cents tax raise. 19 COMMISSIONER REEVES: A sixth of a penny. I mean, 20 that still brings it down. 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: You can go to, I mean -- 22 JUDGE POLLARD: Two and a quarter? 23 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Well, you can go to something 24 else. 25 COMMISSIONER LETZ: -- 2.4. I mean, whatever -- 8-13-15 46 1 you know. 2 COMMISSIONER MOSER: 2.3 something. 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: We don't have to go with round 4 numbers. 5 COMMISSIONER MOSER: 50,000 is about -- 6 JUDGE POLLARD: All the rest of the employees' 7 raises, 2 percent is still in; is that correct? That's the 8 way I understand it. All right. 9 MR. ODOM: And the normal ones, just for 10 clarification, of the educational and longevity is still in 11 there for the people that would come in during the year? 12 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. 2.4 cents raise on 13 the -- 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Well, we need to figure out the 15 exact amount. And, I mean, if we can figure out a cut of 16 40,000 -- 17 JUDGE POLLARD: Can we make that work, Madam 18 Auditor? 19 MS. DOSS: Yes. Do you want me to go calculate it 20 right now? 21 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Does it take long? 22 MS. DOSS: No. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Okay. Thank you. 24 JUDGE POLLARD: And this is in addition to the 25 jail, the 1.75. And I'd like -- I'd like for the record to 8-13-15 47 1 say that this is -- in my view, this tax raise is necessary 2 just to maintain the services at pretty much the rate we have 3 been furnishing them, which -- and we've been stretched to do 4 that. This is as a result of several years of tightening our 5 belt and putting off and borrowing from Peter to pay Paul. 6 It's just come to an end, and this is now mandated, I think. 7 And I'd like to -- I'd like for the public to understand 8 that; that we're not doing this just to -- to put a bunch of 9 fat in the budget. That's not what we're doing. We're doing 10 what we absolutely have to do in order to continue services 11 that are mandated by the Texas Constitution and laws. 12 Anybody disagree with that? 13 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: No, sir. There -- and there 14 will be some public that -- 15 JUDGE POLLARD: Absolutely. 16 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: -- will understand that, 17 what you're saying right now. 18 JUDGE POLLARD: Right. 19 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: But there's going to be some 20 of the public that do not understand. 21 JUDGE POLLARD: I -- I understand that. 22 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And so I think that maybe 23 you need to have a little barbecue at your house every 24 Saturday afternoon, and people -- run them through there so 25 you can explain it to them. (Laughter.) But there's going 8-13-15 48 1 to be gnashing of teeth with any kind of tax increase. 2 JUDGE POLLARD: Yes, I understand. 3 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: It doesn't matter if it's 4 mandated or not. 5 JUDGE POLLARD: Well, look, each one of us ran for 6 this office. We knew -- 7 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: That's correct. 8 JUDGE POLLARD: -- that it was going to be tough; 9 there were going to be tough decisions to have to make. 10 We're faced with one right now that's not going to be 11 popular. We have to do it. 12 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Well, I think in summary, too, 13 the 2 percent -- 2 percent COLA, there's not been any tax 14 raise in the last five years. The -- I don't care what the 15 inflation rate is; inflation has gone up -- I mean, cost of 16 goods have gone up a lot. 17 JUDGE POLLARD: Let me just say, at lunch today I 18 heard a radio conversation, a bunch of economists talking, 19 and they said if you take the petroleum-related stuff out of 20 this, the average inflation rate is -- is a little over 21 3 percent. 22 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I bet it's more than that. 23 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay? Right now. 24 COMMISSIONER MOSER: More than that. 25 JUDGE POLLARD: That shows up at the grocery store, 8-13-15 49 1 at the laundry, in your medical bills, everywhere we all go, 2 and in all things. 3 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So, we just have to be 4 realistic and recognize the employees, so that's it. So, our 5 property values, ad valorem stuff has gone up a little bit, 6 okay. Probably a little bit, but not that much. We have the 7 ag facility. It's a great facility; we need to make sure 8 it's managed properly, and hopefully that will reduce the 9 costs out there. And -- and we need an emergency management 10 coordinator. So, when you do all those things, that's where 11 we are. I don't see any other option. 12 JUDGE POLLARD: I don't either. Anybody disagree? 13 How about you, Mr. Reeves? 14 COMMISSIONER REEVES: I don't like -- I'm like all 15 of y'all. I don't like the fact that the taxes are going up. 16 JUDGE POLLARD: That's right. 17 COMMISSIONER REEVES: I feel that there's probably 18 some in here that could be cut some more, but we'll have to 19 live with that. Everybody will have to live. I mean, we 20 probably could look around, find another 50,000, just with 21 some positions and putting off some of the hiring. We can't 22 do it with emergency management. But 50,000 is what, a sixth 23 of a penny? 24 COMMISSIONER MOSER: One-sixth or seventh. 25 COMMISSIONER REEVES: So -- 8-13-15 50 1 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So I think we're going to come 2 in 2.34 cents, rather than -- something like that, when she 3 comes back. 4 COMMISSIONER REEVES: I do feel that this is going 5 to be a burden on a lot of the taxpayers in this county. And 6 I think we've looked at every place we can cut, unless we 7 start with some significant cuts, and we can't do that. 8 Services -- roads, fire, law enforcement -- we can't cut 9 anyplace else. 10 JUDGE POLLARD: Our mandate comes from the 11 Constitution of Texas and the statutes and laws, and they 12 tell us these are the services that we have to provide for 13 our citizens, and we must pass the necessary tax rate to 14 collect the taxes in order to provide those services. That's 15 what we have to do. 16 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Yeah. 17 JUDGE POLLARD: And that's the way I'm looking at 18 it. I don't like it any better than anybody else. 19 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I think the other thing you 20 have to look at as a court, for the last years we have cut 21 and re -- we've hired some people, and I think Rosa and 22 Indigent Health Care -- Rosa is paid by a grant, but Mary 23 Lou's a salary. But that saved -- while we've hired a person 24 for that, we've also realized probably $900,000 in savings a 25 year, and we've done things like that. We have increased 8-13-15 51 1 staff in certain areas, but the savings has been immense. 2 And I think that we've done a -- you know, we've cut 3 everywhere we can, and we've done -- you know. 4 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Increased reserves. 5 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Increased reserves to where it 6 needs to be, you know, to keep us safe going forward. 7 MS. BOLIN: I just have a comment, a suggestion. 8 Just kind of -- I'm going to stir the waters here. The Road 9 and Bridge has their own tax rate, and it's .0323. What is 10 the issue with raising their tax rate so they bring in more 11 of their own money, and our general money goes to everybody 12 else, instead of taking out of the general fund and putting 13 it into Road and Bridge? 14 JUDGE POLLARD: They're not here to answer that 15 because they're doing some calculations right now, but I've 16 been told by the Auditor and James that we get more bang for 17 our buck -- it comes in better doing it this way than the way 18 you're talking about. 19 MS. BOLIN: Okay. 20 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay? It's cheaper; we get more 21 out of it that way, the way we're doing it. 22 MS. BOLIN: Okay. 23 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay? 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think it's a good question. 25 I wouldn't know why it would make any difference, because it 8-13-15 52 1 adds up to the same amount. When people pay their tax bills, 2 it's the same. It's just a piece of it goes -- 3 COMMISSIONER MOSER: But I've heard the same thing 4 the Judge just said, that it's just more effective, and I 5 don't understand why. 6 JUDGE POLLARD: I'm not -- 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think it may be more 8 effective because you can't transfer funds out of Road and 9 Bridge into the general. 10 JUDGE POLLARD: That's right. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So you don't want to limit -- 12 but you can go the other way. So, once it's there, you have 13 to cut -- 14 JUDGE POLLARD: We can ask them for more details 15 when they get back, but that's what they've told me. 16 COMMISSIONER REEVES: The other -- what was the 17 last time we met? Monday? I mentioned about stipends for 18 the J.P. clerks for their records preservation. Did anybody 19 ever look to see if we could do that? Did you, Judge? 20 JUDGE FRENCH: I'm not sure, because I wasn't as 21 familiar with that as Judge Ragsdale was. They're like -- 22 they're the ones that I just had to -- 23 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Did y'all look at the 24 legality of that? 25 MS. DOSS: Okay. The total will be -- oh, I'm 8-13-15 53 1 sorry. 2 JUDGE POLLARD: Go ahead. 3 MS. DOSS: Okay. 48 and a half cents. I mean, 4 that will be the total after -- 5 COMMISSIONER MOSER: But what's the tax rate 6 increase? 7 MR. ROBLES: 2.32. 8 COMMISSIONER MOSER: 2-point something cents. 9 MR. ROBLES: 2.32. 10 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I missed it; I said 2.34. 11 MS. DOSS: And then in addition to the one and 12 three-quarters. 13 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Right. 14 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. 2.32 cents tax raise. 15 Going once? Going twice? Sold. Okay, that's what we're 16 going to do, and that's what we're going to publish. 17 COMMISSIONER REEVES: I don't know exactly how 18 we're going to do it. 19 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Not exactly. Just a question 20 Diane had when y'all were out of the room, just to clarify, 21 that we can't -- if a lot of the increase is at the Road and 22 Bridge Department, why can't we increase their tax -- their 23 portion of the tax rate and leave the general rate lower? 24 MS. DOSS: We could. 25 COMMISSIONER LETZ: But if you -- and I said the 8-13-15 54 1 reason -- and you may not be able to do that, because you 2 can't transfer from the Road and Bridge funds to the general 3 fund, but we can go from general fund to the other fund. 4 MS. DOSS: That's correct. 5 JUDGE POLLARD: James described it to me as doing 6 -- getting more bang for our buck doing it the way we're 7 doing it. Is that right? 8 MS. DOSS: Well, there's a -- because of the $3,000 9 exemption for Road and Bridge, there's a small difference. 10 It's not significant. So, for a penny of general versus a 11 penny of road -- lateral road, there is a very small 12 difference. 13 COMMISSIONER MOSER: But it's a difference in the 14 right direction? 15 MS. DOSS: If we do it in the general fund, yes. 16 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Yeah, okay. 17 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: All right. 19 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. Does that answer your 20 question, Diane? 21 MS. BOLIN: Yes. 22 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. All right. Do we have 23 anything else? 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I think we're ready to go on to 25 1.2. 8-13-15 55 1 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. 1.2; consider, discuss, 2 and take appropriate action to take a record vote on the 3 proposed 2015 Kerr County tax rate. This will be the 4 combined tax rate for Kerr County and the lateral roads. And 5 -- yes, ma'am? Go ahead. 6 MS. BOLIN: You tell me what you want the tax rate 7 to be so I can publish, please. 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: What was that number again? 9 MS. BOLIN: Total combined. 10 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Not the increase; we need to 11 know the total. 12 MS. DOSS: The total combined is 48 and a half 13 cents, .485. 14 COMMISSIONER MOSER: .485. 15 JUDGE POLLARD: On $100 of -- 16 MS. BOLIN: Per $100 valuation. 17 MS. DOSS: Yes. 18 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. And that, for the average 19 household, is going to convert to what figure, roughly? An 20 increase of? Say a $150,000 house, that would be one and a 21 half times the 48-point whatever, right? 22 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Before we were at .4443. 23 JUDGE POLLARD: I'm just talking about the 24 increase. 25 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Oh. 8-13-15 56 1 JUDGE POLLARD: Am I thinking right on that? 2 James? 3 MR. ROBLES: Yeah. I don't -- that's going to take 4 a minute to get those numbers. 5 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. I think people are 6 going to want to know what all of this mumbo-jumbo means in 7 their annual tax bill. 8 COMMISSIONER MOSER: That's an increase of 4.07 9 cents, right? And so four cents -- four cents on a $100,000 10 house is $40.70 cents. $40.70 on a $100,000 house. 11 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. 12 COMMISSIONER MOSER: And the average -- 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That seems like it's higher -- 14 that number's higher than it should be. 15 COMMISSIONER MOSER: $40? Well, that's -- 16 COMMISSIONER REEVES: $23 of that is for the 17 maintenance and operation, and $17.50 of it is for the new 18 debt service. 19 COMMISSIONER MOSER: That's correct. 20 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. 21 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Right. 22 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: So, the number's .485, 23 correct? 24 MS. DOSS: .485. That's the total. 25 JUDGE POLLARD: And that includes the jail. 8-13-15 57 1 MR. ROBLES: Yes. 2 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: And the rollback number is 3 .498 cents; is that correct? 4 MS. DOSS: .4986, yes. 5 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: So, we're safe there. Okay. 6 COMMISSIONER MOSER: $40.70 per $100,000. 7 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. It says we got to have 8 a record vote on that. 9 MS. BOLIN: Yes, you do. 10 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: I'm ready. 11 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. 12 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Precinct 1 votes aye. 13 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Precinct 2 votes aye. 14 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Aye. 15 COMMISSIONER REEVES: No. 16 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. And I vote aye. 17 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Sounds like it passed, to 18 me. 19 JUDGE POLLARD: Yes, it did, 4-to-1. It passed 20 4-to-1. 21 MS. BOLIN: Okay. 22 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. Let's go on to 1.3; 23 consider, discuss, and take appropriate action to set the 24 dates and times for two public hearings required for the 2015 25 tax rate for Kerr County and lateral roads. 8-13-15 58 1 MS. BOLIN: I gave y'all a sheet that gives the 2 dates on it. 3 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Is that this thing? 4 Planning calendar? 5 MS. BOLIN: Those are the suggested dates. If we 6 could adopt -- 7 JUDGE POLLARD: September 4th or September 10th or 8 what? 9 MS. BOLIN: September -- if we are going to adopt 10 on the 14th, which I've talked to Brenda about it, and we 11 were going to shoot for the 14th, but the budget has to be 12 filed with the County Clerk, and you can't vote on the 13 budget -- you can't adopt a budget before the 15th after the 14 month after you file it with the clerk, which would mean we 15 couldn't do anything until at least the 15th of September. 16 JUDGE POLLARD: So, when can we get this budget 17 filed with the clerk? 18 MS. DOSS: Next week. The beginning of next week, 19 hopefully. 20 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. 21 MS. BOLIN: The public hearing -- 22 JUDGE POLLARD: Next week? 23 MS. DOSS: Yes. 24 MS. BOLIN: Okay. The public hearing for the 25 budget and the adoption of the budget and tax rate have to be 8-13-15 59 1 done in a regular Commissioners Court meeting, which will put 2 it the last meeting of the month, and not the 14th. 3 JUDGE POLLARD: Which is the 24th. 4 MS. BOLIN: The 24th, yeah. We were trying not to 5 get it that late, but I think that we're not going to be able 6 to do that. 7 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. 8 MS. BOLIN: We can hit all the other timelines 9 except for the second public hearing has to be no less than 10 three -- you can't adopt any less than three days, or more 11 than 14 days, after the second public hearing. 12 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. So -- 13 COMMISSIONER REEVES: So, what dates are you 14 suggesting? The 24th -- 15 MS. BOLIN: Let's see. I've done so many of these 16 little calendars today trying to work this out. The -- the 17 28th, actually, of September is the last Commissioners Court 18 meeting in September. 19 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Back up. When's the first 20 meeting we're going to have to have on something? The 24th? 21 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Right. 22 COMMISSIONER REEVES: 'Cause you got 8/17 or 8/24 23 on your calendar that you -- 24 MS. BOLIN: Right. That's if we were going for the 25 28th date of adoption, which we can't do, because -- I'm 8-13-15 60 1 sorry, I'm looking at the wrong one. If we go for the 14th 2 date, and because of that caveat in the law about it being 3 after the 15th date, then that throws us off on the 14th. 4 And your next regular Commissioners meeting is not until the 5 28th of September. 6 COMMISSIONER REEVES: September -- well, what do we 7 have coming up in August? I'm trying to get each date down. 8 Sorry, I'm confused. 9 MS. BOLIN: Okay. That's okay. The second hearing 10 would have to be at least on the 14th. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: First hearing. 12 COMMISSIONER REEVES: When's the first hearing? 13 MS. BOLIN: First hearing I have on the calendar 14 where I'm backing up is August the 24th. 15 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Okay. 16 MS. BOLIN: That would be our first public hearing. 17 COMMISSIONER MOSER: All right. 18 JUDGE POLLARD: The second one would be when? 19 MS. BOLIN: The 14th, which is a regular 20 Commissioners Court date. 21 COMMISSIONER MOSER: And it has to be regular 22 Commissioners Court? 23 MS. BOLIN: No, the public hearings do not. They 24 can be a special. But the adoption of everything has to be 25 on a regular Commissioners Court date. 8-13-15 61 1 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So, from the time you have -- 2 from the time you have the first public hearing, which has 3 got to be on the 24th of August -- 4 MS. BOLIN: It doesn't have to be on the 24th. 5 COMMISSIONER MOSER: You said it had to be a 6 Commissioners Court -- 7 MS. BOLIN: No, the public hearings for the tax 8 rate do not have to be regular Commissioners Court. 9 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Oh. 10 MS. BOLIN: The public hearing for the budget and 11 the adoption of the budget and tax rate all have to be -- 12 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Oh, I see. 13 MS. BOLIN: -- regular Commissioners Court. 14 COMMISSIONER MOSER: So we could do the public 15 hearing on the tax rate before the 24th. 16 MS. BOLIN: Sure, next week. 17 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. I don't like waiting 18 till September the 28th to -- 19 MS. BOLIN: Well, the only thing that's tying us up 20 is that section of the law that says that it's -- you can't 21 do anything before the 15th day of the month after you file 22 with the clerk. Jody's actually got a copy of it there. 23 COMMISSIONER REEVES: What Jody just gave me says a 24 public hearing on the proposed budget must be published not 25 earlier than the 30th, or later than the 10th day before the 8-13-15 62 1 date of the hearing, and Commissioners Court shall set 2 hearing for a date after the 15th day of the month next 3 following the month in which it was prepared. 4 MS. BOLIN: So, do we consider the preparation in 5 July, since we've been working on it? 6 COMMISSIONER REEVES: No. 7 COMMISSIONER MOSER: No, she's going to prepare it 8 next week. 9 MS. BOLIN: Right. So that's what's throwing us so 10 late into September. And, granted, the last few years it has 11 not been done that way, because last year it was filed on 12 August the 8th, and we adopted on August the 28th. 13 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. We got those dates 14 down? 15 COMMISSIONER MOSER: No. 16 JUDGE POLLARD: August 24, September 14th? 17 COMMISSIONER MOSER: No. 18 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: No. Jody? 19 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Tell us what the dates are, 20 will you? 21 MS. BOLIN: Okay. For us to adopt on the 28th -- 22 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Of September. 23 MS. BOLIN: September the 28th, excuse me. The 24 second public hearing needs to be at least on the 14th, or 25 the 15th, to make it within the 14 days. We can't go any 8-13-15 63 1 later than the 14 days. 2 COMMISSIONER LETZ: 14th, then. 3 MS. BOLIN: Yeah, the 14th. Will that work for the 4 second public hearing? First public hearing we can do on the 5 24th. And we're 14 days out, so you're looking at all 6 Commissioners Court meetings for everything. 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So, the 24th of this month, the 8 14th of this month, and the 28th of September -- or, I mean, 9 28th of -- the 14th of next month and 28th. 10 MS. BOLIN: Correct. 11 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Okay. 12 MS. DOSS: And can we have budget hearings also on 13 those days? Jody? 14 MS. GRINSTEAD: Well, we really wouldn't do -- by 15 the time we -- I mean, you can do budget workshops if you 16 want. You mean to change the proposed budget? 17 MS. DOSS: No, don't you have to have hearings on 18 the proposed budget? We do them during Commissioners Court? 19 MS. GRINSTEAD: The hearing on the proposed budget 20 will be on the 28th, right before we adopt. 21 MS. DOSS: We just need one? 22 MS. BOLIN: Yes, just one. 23 MS. DOSS: Okay. 24 COMMISSIONER LETZ: So, on Item 1.3, we need to set 25 the 24th and the 14th? 8-13-15 64 1 MS. BOLIN: Yes. And you have to set your date for 2 the adopted -- the date you're going to adopt, because it -- 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: That's 1.4, separate agenda 4 item. Agenda Item 1.3 is consider, discuss, take appropriate 5 action to set dates for two public hearings. 6 MS. BOLIN: You got it. 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I make a motion we set the 8 public hearings August 24th at 10 a.m., and September 14th at 9 10 a.m. 10 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Second. 11 JUDGE POLLARD: Been moved and seconded that those 12 hearings be set for -- public hearings set on August the 24th 13 at 10 a.m. and September 14th at 10 a.m. Any further 14 discussion? There being none, those in favor, signify by 15 raising your right hand. 16 (The motion carried by unanimous vote, 4-0.) 17 JUDGE POLLARD: It's 4-0, unanimous. I don't know 18 if I have to vote on that one or not. Just to be safe, I'll 19 vote on it, yes. It's unanimous, 5-0. All right. 1.4; 20 consider, discuss, and take appropriate action to set the 21 date and time for the adoption of 2015 Kerr County and 22 lateral road tax rate. 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Make a motion to set that date 24 for September 28th at 10 a.m. 25 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Second. 8-13-15 65 1 JUDGE POLLARD: All right. Any further discussion 2 on that motion? If not, those in favor, signify by raising 3 your right hand. 4 (The motion carried by unanimous vote, 5-0.) 5 JUDGE POLLARD: It's a 5-0 vote. 6 MS. BOLIN: Okay. There are a couple of things 7 that are missing off this agenda. We really need to have 8 another meeting on Monday so that y'all can do the 9 publications of the elected officials; you have to actually 10 make a motion on that. It didn't get on here. You also have 11 to talk about the budget or something on the budget -- do you 12 remember? 13 MS. DOSS: The budget -- we have to set the -- 14 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Publish the -- 15 MS. BOLIN: And publish. 16 COMMISSIONER LETZ: We can do it under Item 1.1. 17 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. 18 MS. BOLIN: Can you do that on 1.1? 19 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Read it out. 20 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Consider, discuss, take 21 appropriate action to approve items related to budget, 22 including personnel, insurance, salary, all other expenditure 23 and revenue items. Salaries are a revenue item. 24 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. 25 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I mean -- 8-13-15 66 1 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: It's approving the increase 2 for elected officials? Is that what you're talking about? 3 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Correct. 4 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. Is there a motion? 5 MS. GRINSTEAD: Since we're kind of stretching that 6 for salaries, can you approve the step and grade with the 2 7 percent COLA? 8 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yeah. I make a motion that -- 9 we're under 1.1; correct, Judge? 10 JUDGE POLLARD: Yes. 11 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I make a motion that we approve 12 the step and grade schedule with a 2 percent cost-of-living 13 or COLA for all employees, except members of the 14 Commissioners Court, including the County Judge. 15 JUDGE POLLARD: Right. 16 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Second. 17 JUDGE POLLARD: Been moved and seconded as stated. 18 Anybody -- any further discussion? There being none, those 19 if favor, signify by raising your right hand. 20 (The motion carried by unanimous vote, 5-0.) 21 JUDGE POLLARD: It's 5-0, unanimous. Anything else 22 we need to do? 23 COMMISSIONER LETZ: The salaries? For -- well, I 24 guess we did all the elected officials. We just did that 25 one, correct? Those aren't under step and grade. 8-13-15 67 1 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: I think -- yeah, the elected 2 officials' salaries weren't in that step and grade, so I 3 think you have to actually state that -- 4 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: It is -- 5 (Multiple speakers.) 6 MR. ROBLES: One at a time. 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: I make a motion that all 8 department heads receive a 2 percent cost-of-living 9 adjustment. 10 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Second. 11 JUDGE POLLARD: It's been moved that all department 12 heads receive a 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment. 13 COMMISSIONER LETZ: They're not step and grade? 14 JUDGE POLLARD: Anything further? 15 SHERIFF HIERHOLZER: Department heads aren't. 16 JUDGE POLLARD: Any further discussion? There 17 being none, those in favor, signify by raising your right 18 hand. 19 (The motion carried by unanimous vote, 5-0.) 20 JUDGE POLLARD: It's 5-0. Does that include 21 elected officials? 22 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Well, I'll make another one. 23 I'll make a separate motion that all elected officials, 24 except members of the Commissioners Court, including the 25 County Judge, receive a 2 percent cost-of-living adjustment. 8-13-15 68 1 COMMISSIONER MOSER: Second. 2 JUDGE POLLARD: Moved and seconded as stated. Any 3 further discussion? If not, those in favor, signify by 4 raising your right hand. 5 (The motion carried by unanimous vote, 5-0.) 6 JUDGE POLLARD: It's 5-0, unanimous. 7 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Any other ones? 8 JUDGE POLLARD: Anything else? 9 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I think we got it. 10 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Is there anything else? 11 Quit mumbling. Do we need to do something else? 12 MR. BOLLIER: I was just asking -- I didn't hear 13 the date of the budget hearing. 14 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: Oh, we're not going to have 15 one this time. 16 MS. BOLIN: Jonathan, would you make a motion for 17 the budget hearing? 18 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Yes. 19 MS. BOLIN: Okay. 20 JUDGE POLLARD: 2.32 cents. 21 (Low-voice discussion off the record.) 22 COMMISSIONER BALDWIN: You're still on the record. 23 JUDGE POLLARD: Can we adjourn this meeting now? 24 COMMISSIONER REEVES: Yes, we can. 25 JUDGE POLLARD: Okay. Anybody want to move for 8-13-15 69 1 adjournment? 2 COMMISSIONER MOSER: I move we adjourn. 3 JUDGE POLLARD: Is there a second? 4 COMMISSIONER LETZ: Second. 5 JUDGE POLLARD: Second. All right. Those in 6 favor, signify by raising your right hand. 7 (The motion carried by unanimous vote, 4-0.) 8 JUDGE POLLARD: It's 4-0, unanimous. 9 (Commissioners Court adjourned at 3:48 p.m.) 10 - - - - - - - - - - 11 12 STATE OF TEXAS | 13 COUNTY OF KERR | 14 The above and foregoing is a true and complete 15 transcription of my stenotype notes taken in my capacity as 16 official reporter for the Commissioners Court of Kerr County, 17 Texas, at the time and place heretofore set forth. 18 DATED at Kerrville, Texas, this 18th day of August, 19 2015. 20 21 REBECCA BOLIN, Kerr County Clerk 22 BY: _________________________________ Kathy Banik, Deputy County Clerk 23 Certified Shorthand Reporter 24 25 8-13-15