KingWm #LibertyMatters

The hot topics today were of course the budget and tax rate.  The updated numbers indicate $2.1 million in new revenue & a tax rate increase of 8.4%.  The Court discussed cutting the rate & the budget, but decisions were postponed to a special meeting next week.  The majority seemed to coalesce around a one cent rate cut (approximately $600k) while the minority wanted even more cuts.  Listen to the most consequential meeting of the year so far & learn whether the Court is fiscally conservative or liberal.  You be the judge.

In these two agenda items, the Court hears presentations from Tim Krause with TCDRS concerning increasing the retirement match made by the county from 175% to 200%, and from Kim Wilder of Coregridge regarding retirement plan options.

In this final budget workshop, the proposed budget is approved.  The Court discusses tax department requests, the Chief Appraiser comments on the tax rate, department requests again, Road & Bridge salary caps, pay scales, Road & Bridge extra salaries, County Clerk extra salaries (the salary contest continues), tax rates and much more.

In this budget workshop, the Court completes most of the budget discussions and makes most its decisions.  Frustration with the process is apparent, tensions build and frustration becomes visible.  The Court discusses tax rates, the cash balances, the contingency fund, the retirement increase, department requests and more.

In this brief budget workshop, the Court discusses employee and dependent healthcare increases.

In this budget workshop, the Court discusses specific department requests, Road & Bridge salary policy (must listen), salaries, community assistance, salaries again and elected official salaries.  This is the primary and most substantive salary discussion.  It was also the longest of the workshops.

In this budget workshop, the Court discusses salaries, the nature of Road and Bridge employees, the difficulty staffing EMS, community assistance and more.

In this budget workshop, the Court discusses community assistance, lacking budgets from 12 departments, salaries, retirement, employee dependent health care increases, a salary survey and more.  It was a detailed and pleasant discussion.

This is the first significant budget workshop for the 2027 budget year (the first workshop is usually brief, covering general topics like the tax calendar).  The main topics are salaries, retirement increase and community assistance.

Today in Commissioners Court, the ownership of the Round Top Courthouse was debated as the County authorized an application to the Historical Commission for its historical preservation. Also of interest, the Elections Administrator details the election night debacle related to the malfunction of the ballot counting machine.

The Round Top Town Council went into closed session to discuss 4 potential lawsuits.  After over two hours in closed session, the Council voted on item 1 to go to arbitration, on items 2 and 3 they took no action and on item 4, the courthouse square and precinct courthouse ownership dispute, they voted to "file suit against Fayette County for claims related to the Round Top Town Square, the actions of county officials, and related matters, and that the city attorney prepare and file such litigation".  Apparently, the suit could be filed as early as today.