By LINDSAY LORENZ, Register Staff Writer
Gainesville Daily Register
Cooke County —
After a few changes and countless remarks of opposition from Precinct 2 Commissioner Steve Key, the Cooke County Commissioners’ Court voted 4-1 Monday to approve a roughly $30 million county budget for the 2010-11 fiscal year.
Compared to the present budget, County Judge John Roane said the budget reflects more than half a million dollars in cuts, some of which were achieved by reducing personnel.
The newly approved budget will remove one part-time employee from the county clerk’s office, the tax assessor-collector’s office and the compliance office, and one full-time employee from the county attorney’s office, the county court at law office, the 911 mapping office and the agri-life extension office, in addition to five employees who will be removed from the county jail.
“These recommendations are necessary so we don’t unduly burden citizens,” Roane said of the budget, adding that the county is currently financially secure, and will continue to be under the newly approved budget.
However, Key said he couldn’t, in good conscience, approve any budget put forward by the county.
“It’s not the amount of the budget,” Key said. “It’s the methodology and not having a consistent plan.”
“I’m not complaining about people, I’m complaining about process and how we go about this every year,” he said. “We need to make sure it’s based on the right thing, and based on the conscience and maybe forgoing the way we’ve always done it.”
Key said he feels the county’s budgeting process consists of “bean-counting,” and that it doesn’t adequately reflect the needs of citizens, nor where population growth is concentrated throughout the county. He noted two-thirds of the county lives in Gainesville or in Precinct 2 – something the court must take into consideration when budgeting in the future.
But perhaps Key spoke most strongly when it came to staff cuts and reduced budgets for the criminal system and public safety.
“If the loss of a secretary causes one case not to get its full attention, we’ve failed,” Key said.
He said that he could ramble off a list of 200 names of people in his precinct that should be in jail.
“No one seems to have the resources to prosecute,” he said, explaining a lack of resources in the criminal justice division and district attorney’s office make it difficult to put alleged criminals behind bars, which contributes to what he calls “frequent flyers,” or repeat offenders that are often in and out of prison.
Around the same time Key was on the subject, Precinct 1 Commissioner Gary Hollowell announced that a note from Sheriff Mike Compton had come in.
Compton, who commissioners assumed was at a prison conference, said he had been promised enough people to fill the county’s jail.
During budget hearings, Compton told commissioners that reducing staff could be dangerous, even though the jail was not operating at full capacity. He said prisoners intake is often unpredictable.
Key said he did not support staff reductions at the county jail or in the county court at law. He argued more money should be put toward additional deputies to ward off repeat offenders.
Key also said he had hoped budget changes would reflect more funding for the county’s 11 volunteer fire departments.
Along with Richard Hicks of the North Shore Fire Department, he noted that calls have doubled over the years and will continue to with the addition of new equipment.
“I’ve listened to our volunteer firemen and my heart has bled,” Key said.
He said firefighters are providing the county services at their own expense, and that because of their existence, homeowner insurance rates have decreased.
To make up for inadequate funding, Key said he’d be willing to take money from his precinct’s road and bridge fund to provide more resources. Key said he was willing to sacrifice the money even though some of his precinct’s gravel roads lack visibility and his eight-man work crew is already overwhelmed.
“I know I’m asking a lot,” Key said, “But my convictions are heartfelt when it comes to public safety.”
In the end, Key made four individual motions, none of which were met with support.
He motioned not to cut staff at the county attorney’s office, the county court at law, motioned to add two patrol deputies, and a motion to add $3,000 to each of the volunteer fire departments. Key admittedly said he didn’t expect his fellow commissioners to add their approval, but that he wanted his views to be on the record.
“We still lack a strategic plan to move the county forward,” he said, referring to the current budget process as a “fool’s game.”
“It’s not a lack of effort, I think it’s a lack of will on our part,” he said.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Al Smith chimed in after the motions failed.
“It’s painful to sit here and not make seconds to a motion that you’ve made,” he told Key.
Smith said that the while the court does have a responsibility to tax payers, “On the same token, we don’t have many taxpayers coming to us and asking us to raise taxes.”
Precinct 4 Commissioner Leon Klement chimed in, explaining how difficult it can be to set a budget.
“If anyone thinks this is easy, they are greatly mistaken,” Klement said. “I don’t want you all left with the opinion we just haphazardly pick numbers.”
Although Key’s motions failed, commissioners did vote unanimously to not change the EMC and library budgets.
Hollowell suggested funding stay the same for two line items in the EMC budget which would provide increased training for employees.
In addition, a proposal to cut Saturday services at the Cooke County Public Library was reversed.
Library Director Jennifer Johnson-Spence told commissioners that since the suggestion was made she’s received calls from county residents who aren’t able to visit the library during its regular weekday hours.
She said patrons come from across the county, and getting there on weeknights before the library closes at 6 p.m. is not possible for those who leave work at 5:30. It’s also a problem for households with one car.
“I didn’t expect to have the comments I did,” Johnson-Spence said.
Hollowell noted that although Saturday services will continue, the library’s budget has still been significantly decreased.
Commissioners will hold a public hearing regarding the county budget Aug. 16 at 10 a.m.
The meeting will also include a public hearing regarding the tax rate.
At Monday’s meeting, commissioners announced that next year’s tax rate will remain the same as the effective rate of .4624. The rate is not expected to bring more revenue to the county.
Commissioners are not required to hold a meeting since the rate is not changing, but decided it would be a good opportunity to inform citizens.
Hollowell supported the decision, however noted having the meeting requires advertising, which costs $580.
Commissioners were also asked to vote on the 2011 Cooke County Appraisal District Budget during Monday’s meeting. Smith told the court that the only significant change to this year’s budget was a three-percent salary raise that he described as “controversial,” noting that raises have not been approved for any county employees.
Smith said the raises will be merit-based and will be funded through district money saved from last year. Since the raises are based on merit, there’s a possibility all of the money won’t be spent.
Hollowell told the court he could not support a three percent raise when no one else in the county was given one. Key chimed in and said he would like an explanation about how they’re operated, but noted he’s not opposed to giving raises. The item failed 3-2.
Klement gave an update on courthouse construction, stating that crews are still in the demolition process.
“All’s proceeding according to plan there,” he said.
In other business:
• Commissioners accepted a Texas State Soil and Water Conservation Board Grant for assistance with the with repairs to a flood control dam north of Muenster. With the funding, repairs will cost the county about $1,600 to $1,700.
• Commissioners set a hearing for the closing of a portion of Reason Jones Road for Aug. 23.
• Commissioners approved: an agreement with Ingersoll Rand to install a camera security system at the Cooke County Courthouse, a contract with EOG Resources for a water transfer line and a contract with the Texas Attorney General’s Office for state case registry and local customer services.
• Commissioners accepted $719.31 worth of auction proceeds after selling computer, lawn and office equipment.
