Travis County Commissioners Court
November 8, 2005
Item 36
36 is to consider and take appropriate action on request from district clerk for exception to fy 2006 budget rules for employee recognition. Linda, we may need hrmd a little bit on this right here. This the way I understood the request here, anybody here from district clerk's office? The way I understand the request, they want the county to pay a small sum of money or authorize the use of a small sum of money, $120, to purchase an item for a -- a retiring employee. My understanding of the policy to date is that we have employee recognition, right? We give buttons, pens, et cetera, for years of service.
>> yeah.
>> but as far as I know, for retiring employees, if we want to go out and get a watch or something like that, employees basically contribute, employees in their department make a monetary contribution in the department does its thing, through its employees, right?
>> that's correct, judge.
>> I don't -- I don't -- my concern is $120 this time, we open the gate, I don't know where you stop. That's not to say this person is -- is not deserving. But I think we ought to give -- if this employee has been there 25 years, I think we ought to make sure she or he has got there 25 year pin. If they want to get a $120 -- the employees tribute I recommend $5 apiece. I don't know the person, but I would be happy to chip in 5 to try to reach $120. I think that ought to be our policy, I think it has been the policy.
>> judge, I’m right there with you. I think especially in terms of this, you open the flood floodgate on this particular thing, how do you say one person got it, something else. Most of the independent elected officials, all of us included, have been paying office holder accounts and I think if you don't want to hit the employees up, this elected official has the option of using their office holder account, which is totally separate, not county collars, and that's where it appropriately ought to come to if they don't want to ask the employees to chip in. I think 50 ought to go toward whatever you want. Any differential needs to be made up privately.
>> barbara may well be there to tell us she questions the legality of the county.
>> giving even $50.
>> do we give 50 in cash?
>> no.
>> we give a pen, don't we?
>> the pen doesn't cost $50. I don't know where this limitation of $50 came from. But --
>> me either. [multiple voices]
>> diana, do you have any input here?
>> it's in the budget rules that says if an office or department has funds and an employ recognition line item, the recognition expense is not to exceed $50 per employee. The amount of the recognition expense should be limited to the cost of a plaque, including engraving, lapel pins, other tokens of recognition. Food, refreshments, decorations, entertainment or other expenses associated with the reception or dinner are not allowed. That's the rules.
>> is this county money that we are talking about?
>> yes. And we have an exploratory committee who has been with the county for over 20 years. Sorry, I was running over here, I’m trying to catch my breath. We wouldn't request it unless it was anyone that has been with us over 20 years. And it's a very special kind of plaque that we are doing for her. And it's $100. $108.
>> 120.
>> oh, okay.
>> recognitions -- we have always stayed within the 50, if it's under 20 we realize that. And we don't charge anything else, we don't do the reception, you know, we go to our employees to try to collect money for that.
>> well, see it was not my understanding that you could even spend $50 of county money for an employee. I did know that we bought the pins and the -- and the five years of service, 10 years of service and in this case 20 years of service a real nice pin from somewhere. [laughter] from somewhere.
>> well, we just wanted to bring it to your attention because we have had a difficult time finding -- last time we did do it for virgil who -- lemon who was with us for 26 years and we have an employee now been with us 22 careers that's going to retire -- 22 years and is going to retire. We thought that you would like to at least take a look at it. We wanted to bring it to your attention and see if we needed to take a look at it.
>> this says if an office or department has funds in an employee recognition line item,.
>> and we do.
>> okay. But who funds that line item? That's county money in the line item?
>> yes.
>> and we usually have $50 in we anticipate that we will have someone retiring. We had one last year, both in civil and criminal and we didn't use that money. So it's not -- it's not, you know, just don't do it on a routine basis.
>> I think the budget --
>> do we need legal advice on this policy?
>> yes.
>> I didn't -- I was not aware that this -- that this was a policy and sure didn't think we were doing it. I was aware that the pins that we give in court and if you have got five -- start at five or 10?
>> five.
>> after five years of service, whoever has earned that, we give them the five year pin. After 10 years, a 10 year pin. On these special recognitions, I thought the departments were like chipping in and doing it.
>> we do for the reception. We don't do for the special plaque or something they will take that says Travis County on it for serving Travis County this amount of years.
>> executive session.
>> thank you for bringing this to our attention.
>> might and the to reconsider. [laughter]
>> I stick to my $5 contribution. I will help you work the court. I think we can get more than five from the other members.
>> I appreciate that. We will pass the hat. I promise.
>> all right.
>> executive session, judge.
>> is it a good time to get legal advice on this this afternoon or do you need --
>> whenever it pleases you.
>> might pull this up in there. Thanks to the district clerk for bringing this to our attention. Do you need this back?
>> no I have a copy.
>> I think I do anyway. If I don't I will get it to p.b.o.
>> by the way, congratulate this employee for us, express our deep appreciation for the many years of service to Travis County. And invite me to the recognition party. [laughter] all right. Anything else on this item?
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Last Modified:
Tuesday, November 8, 2005 6:21 PM