Travis County Commissioners Court
July 6, 2004
Item 18
18? Consider and take appropriate action on budget schedules for public hearings and elected officials salaries.
>> Commissioner's court, I think all of you should have christian's memo to you dated June 29th in which pbo is asking for some guidance on public ads on public discussions scheduled with Commissioner's court. The first one being the piering topic that is currently scheduled for July 14th on county services. Traditionally we have run a 6-inch by 8-inch ad in the Austin american statesman at a cost of approximately $3,400. It is an optional hearing. The options before you would be to go ahead and spend the $3,400 as we have in the past, or you could take alternate advertising that you have done on some of the other items that previously we had advertised in the statesman, either advertising in the chronicle or you could in some cases we've advertised hearings on channel 17 and obviously on Commissioner's court agendas to give the public notice of the hearing, or since it's optional you could decide not to have the hearing, but we are asking for guidance.
>> question, leroy. Is there an ad related to the setting of whatever salary schedule for elected officials, is that also not an ad? Last year my memory is we put in it the Austin chronicle because we saved a boat load of money.
>> it's my recollection is there is an ad and we did use the chronicle for the elected officials salaries. I can double check that. That is separate. These are really hearings that have traditionally been advertised and held normally at 6:00 on like the county services on July 14th, preliminary budget hearing on August the 11th scheduled in the budget manual for this year. Notice on hearing on the tax rate, on schedule for September the 14th to vote on a hearing on the 22nd, that is optional if the tax rate is below 3% of the effective. We have every intention of bringing the preliminary budget in at or very close to the effective mno plus debt rate.
>> which one of these did we do last year?
>> it's my recollection that we did all of these last year and that we advertised all of them in the Austin american state statesman.
>> I don't believe that is correct, leroy.
>> okay.
>> I do not believe that is correct. We went chronicle. We pretty much dumped out of th Austin american statesman other than the gigantic consolidated statement which is pretty much the only way you can do it. My memory is we didn't do any of the ads last year.
>> i'll double check that for you.
>> okay. It's mandatory.
>> right. It would be good to do the notice of hearing on tax rate as an optional one and then the one that is required, the last one, that's two. Now, the other thing is that I think the committee has done a pretty good job of covering budget-related news anyway. I guess if we're doing this and think that we're not getting enough attention, we can always add later on, can't we?
>> we can -- we can modify the schedule as to what you would like to hold the hearings. We would like to get enough advance notice if in fact your canceling a hearing obviously to get the word out.
>> I was sort of dealing with the ads an my recommendation is we do the ad on September 14th and then September 28th. In terms of a public hearing, we don't have dates for public hearings, do we?
>> we currently have scheduled the county services hearings for July 14th.
>> mr. Gomez and I are out in california on a conference.
>> okay. 21?
>> 21st is good.
>> let's do that.
>> after hearing on the 21 of county services in the form of a notification of that hearing...
>> it will be on 17th and whatever news we can generate.
>> okay.
>> thank you.
>> and then the preliminary budget hearing. Currently scheduled for August the 11th.
>> I would say the 18th.
>> okay.
>> and in addition there I think we ought to make a note to encourage the board of managers of the hospital district, if they can get us something by then it would help to include that in the public hearing. We're not required to by slaw what john tells me, but even if we can get something real, real general, it would be good to include that if we can.
>> okay. Make that note. Form of advertising?
>> any and all advertising we do come out of the Austin chronicle. It's cheaper and we'll get placement within city state. People will actually see it. Nobody sees our statesman ad and they're buried. And they're expensive. Sorry, cate, you're not here to...
>> we just do public hearings, though, talking about county services July 21st.
>> correct.
>> on the preliminary budget including hospital district August 18th?
>> right.
>> any other public hearings we need?
>> and you've already indicated the following three that you intend to have those hearings with the advertising -- I think the question on the preliminary budget, whether you're going to be doing channel 17 or the --
>> I was going to do the public hearings and we vote on those dates.
>> okay. Then go back and pick up the ads. Isn't it easier that way?
>> yes.
>> so on public hearings we have July 21, August 18.
>> right.
>> 21st, depending on what time on the 21st.
>> 6:00.
>> they were scheduled for 6:00.
>> well, I won't be able to attend that one on July 21st. I have a scheduled event. Just let you know ahead of time. It's at 6:00.
>> you could always move it up if you desire.
>> yeah, I guess we can decide a time later. Dwoan have a whole lot of people come for those anyway.
>> yeah, because I have something scheduled right after that. So we have not had a public hearing on tax rate before, right? Or do we?
>> well, the hearing is -- the vote would be on September 14th for a hearing on the tax rate on September 22nd. All right, let's do those in terms of public hearings. That is a public hearing?
>> right.
>> okay. That's three. More than that? Or is that it for the public hearings?
>> that is it.
>> move approval of those three.
>> second.
>> discussion? All in favor?
>> and that deals with the time being bumped up on the 21st? Have the public hearing on the 21st but we'll associate a time with it later.
>> that's my -- that's my intention.
>> all right. Thanks.
>> passes by unanimous vote. Now, in terms of ads...
>> judge, I would move that on the notice on the hearing of the tack rate that we take out an ad for that and we take out the required ad on budget and that we use the Austin chronicle.
>> second? And any other free like channel 17 our own.
>> klbj radio, all of our good friends.
>> probably be able to talk to the city of Austin, they run our ads, we run theirs.
>> that's a good idea.
>> all in favor? That passes by unanimous vote.
>> we have the chronicle on the notice of the hearing on the tax rate and also on the mandatory, is that correct?
>> yes.
>> and the notice of vote on the tax rate, channel 17?
>> and any other free coverage we can get.
>> any other coverage.
>> yes, sir.
>> okay. I think we have what we need on that. The other part of christian's memo dealt with elected official salaries in which barbara wilson has indicated that the last day -- very last date that the court could decide upon elected official salaries is August 24th. Christian has suggested that -- that we move that date up a couple of weeks and has actually recommended that you address that on August the 10th. We will be filing -- intend to file a preliminary budget on July 28th with budget hearings starting on August the 11th.
>> judge, a question for you. If somebody is going to have some recommendations in terms of a salary level to be brought forward related to the judiciary, what would be the best avenue to bring that forward? Would you want it the day that we're doing all the rest or is that an idea you would like floated in a more formal fashion before then? Just trying to get some guidance here as to what is the best way to bring forward an idea related to the judiciary, and that includes our justices of the peace.
>> I guess I would have to be [inaudible]
>> I want to get plenty of time but I'm hoping for peace in the valley and...
>> yeah.
>> for the jp's as well as other elected officials.
>> yes, sir.
>> I have been put on notice that one elected official plans to contest whatever salary we set. So the question is whether this schedule would allow enough time for the elected official salary grievance committee to meet, make a recommendation to us, and us act on that in time to...
>> complete the grievance process. And I think that's what barbara wilson's attached memorandum to christian dated June 4th indicated, that in order to complete the entire process, including a potential grievance process, that you could actually push it all the way to August the 24th. Our recommendation is that we not wait until that point, that we move it perhaps for discussion by the court on August the 10th, and I don't have my calendar with me to see what -- I assume that is on a Tuesday.
>> it is on a Tuesday.
>> okay.
>> let's plan on doing that, then.
>> all righty.
>> then you said August 11th, the hearings -- the budget hearings again?
>> that's correct.
>> and so we should schedule how many days? Need to get this on my schedule.
>> yeah, we all need...
>> so we can say beginning August 11th I need to schedule how many days?
>> the budget hearings are currently in the budget manual for the schedule indicated August 11th which is a Monday through...
>> no, August eleventh is a Wednesday.
>> well, looks like we have a misprint in the budget manual. August eleventh through August 23rd, hearings to be 1 to 5 on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays and from 9 to noon on Friday. Okay?
>> okay. You get us a copy of that also?
>> yes.
>> all the updates, modifications. Anything else today regarding budget schedule? Take care of what you need.
>> thank you.
>> thank you, leroy.
>> thanks.
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Last Modified: Friday, October 28, 2005 12:51 PM