Travis County Commssioners Court
December 23, 2002
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Item 17
17, my suggestion is we look at [inaudible]. Those times indicate a draft bill that I got from judge herman yesterday. By the way, 17 is consider county actions necessary to complete draft legislation on hospital district, request for funding and related matters, and take appropriate action. The first little tab on page 8, I understand the city of Austin has approved this. It authorizes the creation of a oversight committee. This was to [inaudible] objections raised. The oversight committee will consist of two members of the commissioners court and two members of the Austin city council and [inaudible]. They would have the authority to [inaudible] any tax rate set by the board. But also have the authority to call an election for the dissolution of the health care district, hospital district, it says here. And also have the authority to take any action on that -- that the statute requires for commissioners court approval. That has to be done by two-thirds vote. And with [inaudible]. So two-thirds would really be tantamount to four members of the court.
>> judge, are we calling it health care district? I had seen that somewhere.
>> that was from [inaudible], I think one of his e-mails. [audio difficulties] I think we would have to get with the committee. I understand that the recommendations are intended to be to address some of the objections raised. The other thing is on page 22 and 23, if the advisory committee recommends dissolution -- another way to do that would be get 5% of registered voters in the district. To submit a petition. But the petition has to contain directions on the distribution of the district's assets in the event of dissolution. And I guess that's resulting from the [inaudible] that the district was created [inaudible] facilities, the transfer to the district so if you eliminate it or desired it, what do you do with those assets? We can discuss this today, but I just recommend we take action next week. I don't think much will happen between now and then in view of the holidays.
>> this didn't get delivered to our office this morning. I'm famous for being a speed reader. I'm not that much of a speed reader. Is this an electronic version? Because I think that would be extraordinarily helpful to have a multiple eyes taking a look at this and it's very easy to forward on to somebody if you've got it in electronic version as opposed to more trees being felled.
>> the answer is I don't know. I got this delivered to me by judge herman late Friday afternoon.
>> I didn't get it nm this morning.
>> could I also ask, do we have any idea what the dollar amount for request of funding is going to be? And is there any sort of accounting -- I would like to see a line item budget as to what the funding request is. Do you have any --
>> you are talking about for the actual district?
>> I think, commissioner Sonleitner, that the question here requests for planning and related matters.
>> that I haven't seen.
>> I think they are going to be asking us something -- [multiple voices]
>> to have those figures to know what that is. Does anybody else --
>> I have anticipated hearing a number, but I haven't.
>> but what I have seen really is a lot more [inaudible] than that and it contains a lot of things that Travis County historically has not paid for, which is why I was hoping to get together and refine it. But they are asking the city of Austin and Travis County to come up with $40,000 each, and the big question is how will the money be used. The e-mail that i've seen really goes for a few hundred thousand dollars when it doesn't really say the county's money would be used for this. There is a list of things, some of those Travis County is directly [inaudible] public money approval.
>> well, I mean, I think we would need that before we could even talk next week. I would like to look at it.
>> I agree.
>> to the other question, it's the a serious one in terms of how is funding for all of this pulling together. Quite frankly, the numbers change every single week and I am not at all comfortable in terms of how they are changing, in terms of how much money the city spends, how much they allege we spend. They are not one and the same. In terms of huge differences of opinion about what should be in this district and what should not. So I would be less than honest if I do not say that I do not have any level of comfort related to our discussions.
>> for those reasons, I don't think we ought to take action today. It will be back on next week. We'll just keep it rolling.
>> thank you, judge.
Last Modified: Wednesday, April 2, 2003 10:25 AM