Today’s meeting was very routine.  The Court approved all budget and tax rate matters without public comments or discussion in 4-1 votes (except the debt rate, which was approved unanimously).  All discussion and decisions were made previously.  In other news, the Court declares Constitution Week in Fayette County, they discuss moving JP#1 Hartmann’s office and repairs to the AC at the jail.

After a brief and somewhat spirited discussion, the Court approved the proposed budget as presented.  Taxes will increase by 6% this year, with a 5.3% ($1.9 million) increase in spending, for a total spending increase of 32% over the last four years.  Commissioner McBroom was the one dissenter throughout this year’s budget process.

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.