Travis County Commssioners Court
February 24, 2004
The Closed Caption log for this Commissioners Court agenda item is provided by Travis County Internet Services. Since this file is derived from the Closed Captions created during live cablecasts, there are occasional spelling and grammatical errors. This Closed Caption log is not an official record the Commissioners Court Meeting and cannot be relied on for official purposes. For official records please contact the County Clerk at (512) 854-4722.
Item 32
Are we going to do 32?
>> 32 is consider and take appropriate action on request from the Texas association of counties to implement a public awareness program regarding unfunded mandates imposed on counties. I think that you have two memos, one from christian smith, the other one from [indiscernible] and what I did was to divide these comments into two categories. One was clearly a state mandate which counties are provided no or little funding. Category number 2 would be what I consider to be state actions that shift to counties a funding responsibility. So there's a little difference. But if we follow that strategy, then in my view on christian's memo, number 1 would be in the category 1. 2 would be category 2. 3 would be category 2. 4 would be catery 2. 5, category 2. 6, category 1. 7, category 1. 8, category 2. And on tremble's letter, memo, in terms of being unduplicated, I have see then category -- c then category 1, and 2-a and b being category 2. In my view, the importance of those are this. There was a draft press statement that the Texas association of counties sent to us, and my recommendation is that we look at that draft press release, basically tailor it to meet our needs and attach to it an attachment that basically sets forth the category 1 examples, then the category 2 examples, and sort of explains them in the language that's used in these memos. So what I'm suggesting is unless there are other ideas or objections, what I will do is come up with a document that does that for us to act on next week.
>> okay.
>> so I'm trying to pull the examples that we were provided and promising to look at the pressment that the Texas -- press statement that the Texas association of counties sent us. Ly try to get it circulated to the court by, say, Thursday so court members can make whatever changes you deem necessary. Maybe come up with one we can all agree on next Tuesday. That will give us an opportunity to kind of move on this one.
>> sounds very logical n terms of the public awareness program, I have a copy for each member of the court. An article that appeared last week in the houston chronicle. The way that the harris county tkpheurs were able to get -- Commissioners were able to get this public education commission out there is they got their state capitol reporter to write a very extensive article about how the cuts at the state level have impacted the harris county budget related to mhmr, the psychiatric center, the hospital district, probably the most compelling paragraph in here is despite state politicians both slashing spending without raising taxes, local officials increasingly contend -- local property taxpayers. I know Margaret and I both voted yesterday and there is at least on the democratic primary ballot a proposition that basically talks about the unfunded mandate idea that this Commissioners court passed and said we're against any more unfunded state mandates. So I'm just wondering if something specifically is being sent over to either kate alexander with who covers us here at the county, but also the editorial board because there is actually something on those of us who will be voting in the democratic primary, there is a specific proposition that unless you know about it, you may be caught unaware of it. That's another way to get out some information about all this.
>> okay. Thank you.
>>
>> [one moment, please, for change in captioners]
>>
>> any more discussion? Any other ideas that we have, let's have those next week and vote on it. All in favor? That passes by unanimous vote. You'll have that back on next week.
Last Modified: Wednesday, February 25, 2004 6:44 AM