Travis County Commissioners Court
Tuesday, August 9, 2011 (Agenda)
Item 1
Number 1 is a public hearing to receive comments regarding the Travis County 2012 preliminary budget.
I move the public hearing be open.
>> second.
>> all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.
>> judge, Commissioners, leroy nellis, budget director for Travis County.
with me is jessica rio.
just a few opening remarks.
we did file the preliminary budget on July 26th with the county clerk.
it also was posted and is posted on the Travis County website.
and there are copies available in the planning and budget office and the county judge's office.
on February 22nd, the Commissioners court authorized the planning budget office to bring the preliminary budget in at or near the effective tax rate, and near being defined in those guidelines you approved at plus or minus 3%.
the planning and budget office did file the preliminary budget at 2.99% above the effective tax rate.
we have subsequently received the certified tax roll from the travis central appraisal district.
in the preliminary budget, it was noted that the increase on the average homestead was reported at $45.20 a year.
that was based upon an average appraised value of all homesteads in Travis County of $272,995.
that number in the certified roll which we will be using on the fourth revenue estimate for the average homestead was 272,931, slightly less, and the proposed tax rate was slightly less than the preliminary budget at 48.55.
to give you some idea, based on the certified roll numbers, the total tax on the average homestead in Travis County for Travis County tax portion only would be $1,060.06.
now, that's a $43.42 increase per year on the average taxpayer or $3.62 per month.
as we reported earlier, geographically the del valle school district represents the eastern part of south Travis County, and their average homestead is 38% of the overall Travis County homestead, so their increase per month would be about $1.40.
manor, the northeast section, their average homestead is about 49% of the average Travis County homestead or about $1.77 per month increase based upon the certified roll.
the preliminary budget is heavily reserved.
I might say that we filed that budget when the dow jones was 1100 points higher than it was yesterday at close.
it is highly reserved.
our understanding and our belief was there could be difficulty and challenges ahead which have materialized since we filed the budget.
we did maintain all of the reserves that we had in the previous year.
we did not include any salary increases.
and I would be open to any questions you might have.
>> leroy, have we calculated the mean tax value of home in Travis County and the mean tax?
>> I do not have that number with me, but I can -- I can report that the next I can get that.
>> because it does appear with the statistics from the various school districts, it does appear that our upper end homes are skewing the average.
is that --
>> that is correct.
and the mean would be -- would be less than the average.
the reason that we've reported the average homestead is that it statutorily, but we can give the mean --
>> I would appreciate knowing what 50% of the population is paying up or down because I think it goes to the fact that we're reliant on property taxes and property taxes fall most heavily on the lower half.
so it's the lower half I'm most interested rather than the average.
>> sure.
we will get that information for you and report it publicly.
the other thing is that all of these calculations incorporate the homestead exemption, the 20% that Travis County, that y'all approved for f.y.
12.
as you know, other taxing entities in this -- in Travis County, some of them do not give the 20% homestead exemption, and Travis County does.
so that's -- reflects a 20% lower tax bill than it would be if you didn't give that exemption.
>> > and Travis County health care district also mirrored the same thing.
>> that's correct.
>> so the only others that do what Travis County is doing as far as those type of exemptions.
>> I think Commissioner Gomez had asked us the last time we presented the budge total highlight that in our executive summary which we will do.
>> and I second it, leroy.
>> budget attachments is about an inch thick, but residents who would like to see a copy can get a copy where?
>> they can get a copy either off the Travis County website or if they come by the planning and budget office, we can get you a copy.
>> and is the executive summary on the welcome back sight also?
>> yes, it is.
>> okay.
this is a public hearing and three residents have signed in to speak in following order.
gus pena, morris priest, ronnie reeferseed.
>> good morning, judge, Commissioners, gus pena, proud east Austin native, east Austin resident, proud united states marine corps veteran.
I haven't had a chance to view the preliminary proposed budget.
I usually do by now but having working on veterans issues it's taken a lot of time and just trying to keep healthy.
I know my brother leroy hopefully will remain healthy the budget.
as I have done for the last 35 years with the city, county and state level and many more years at the state level, the poverty rate has uncreased out there in our Travis County and city of Austin.
it's more prevalent, it's more prevalent in our precinct, Commissioner Gomez and Commissioner Davis.
I appreciate what you have done to meet the needs of the community, but homelessness has increased, poverty has increased.
the rate of money out there to help social service agencies is not enough to meet the status quo and needs of the community.
we're going to need some more funding for citizens for rental assistance, utilities.
one of the things that I'd like to say is this whether anybody talks about affordable housing, let's define clear cut what is affordable housing, what people can afford, low-income affordable housing.
a lot of units, rental unions us being built are more for single room occupants, not for families.
the town is not affordable.
when I ran for city council?
'96 and '97, I thought it was maybe affordable back then, it ain't no more.
we've got a lot more veterans that are becoming homeless with families and people sometimes just don't care.
anyway, those are the things I'm asking to you look into make sure we have enough funding.
summer job programs for the youth.
meet the status quo or maybe increase it.
I know there isn't funding like we had before.
I was at the capitol five days a week the last legislative session, but keep our kids active and positive initiatives and you keep them out of trouble and you keep them working and if you can, you know, more funding for summer job programs. I'm a former corrections officer.
I always have supported the sheriff's department.
we need more patrol officers out there.
criminal element is increasing out there.
it's going to get worse.
we need to keep it low and attack crime.
anyway, as soon as I get more education on the budget, I'll come back with a better education presentation.
hopefully we can increase the budget for the kids.
>> thank you, mr. Priest.
>> morris priest speaking on my own behalf.
of course, some of these issues I reported on front line Texas and many other media sources, fm and am stations.
but basically years ago when I told campo gold prices would be up over a thousand, that's when it was $600, now it's $1,600.
now when we look at more than half of the residents in Austin, Travis County renting, not owning property, when we look at this situation with not means testing for certain social services and the bar raised much higher than it should be, we see that basically all the things that many people have been informed have been telling you for years.
of course, more and more people are informed.
the latest polls pretty credible polling places said that only a few years ago only 5% of the people in the country could have an intelligent conversation about financing.
but now we've expanded that to about half of the people learning from not our government officials or mainstream media but the actual source documents of government and other places.
of course, you see this with the unions, the fights the unions have even on a local level.
but basically funding is an issue and some of the things we're going to have to look at is that with this economy pretty much with oil and other factors being involved, some of the things that we're being told by our elected officials and those in control of communications are really not how it really is.
of course, we've managed to make al gore start speaking french with his weather terrorism and we've seen even how we have that situation here on the Travis County agenda with the program for increased inspection stickers which was another
>> [indiscernible] terrorist global warming impact on our budget.
but basically we have a lot of people that are not just regurgitating information and they are actually learning and developing things done at the legislature such as the budget, house bill 1, and what we can't get done legislatively we're working to get done in appropriations.
we'll see this will continue and we'll try to curb this debt and out of control spending.
many people are logging on to
>> [indiscernible] and getting their free bumper sticker stop spending now.
stay tuned and stay informed.
thank you.
>> thank you, mr. Priest.
mr. Reeferseed.
>> thanks.
I just wanted to applaud mr. Priest's love and constructive ideas and in agreement amount gold last I checked $1,700.
but anyway, I just wanted to ask again about this comprehensive annual financial report.
and is this at all related to that, in other words, related to investments that are not related to an original budget, derivatives, real estate, stocks, bonds.
because this worldwide depression is linked directly by design to criminal fast cat derivatives, ie, paper investments that are houses of cards.
I'm told galillions of off the books taxes are in secret accounts with kickbacks, bribes and payoffs.
so I'm just another citizen hoping that I mean I really admire the work that has been done by these very capable -- you know, we should be proud here in Travis County.
but I'm just trying to throw up that flag that we know.
there's people out here who know about the budget and side budget and the secret, you know, we don't -- we're looking for details, but we're just hoping for the best.
and hoping -- or begging everybody to wake up.
>> thank you, mr. Reeferseed.
those are the three who signed in to speak.
if you did not sign in but wish to speak on item number 1, the 2012 preliminary budget, then please come forward.
dr. Kim.
>> excuse me.
you said we provided some money to those at Austin community college and Austin community college is a part of Travis County?
>> Austin community college has its own board and is not a part of Travis County government.
the Commissioners court does not have any influence, to my knowledge, over the acc.
>> but acc received the money from Travis County.
>> well, the acc interns actually receive what Travis County contributes.
the interns receive the money.
we do not send it, to my knowledge, to the acc administration.
>> do you provide any money to the individual judges or district court of Travis County?
>> of course, the county and district courts are funded by the Travis County Commissioners court and are included in the preliminary budget.
>> may I ask you how much money do you provide a year for individual judge over there?
>> well, for the district judges, the state pays their salary.
Travis County picks up benefits.
we pay probably, what, 20, $25,000?
>> 15,000 off the top of my head.
>> the state pays probably another 125,000 to the district judges.
the county judges are paid 100% by Travis County.
>> okay.
thank you.
do you provide any money to Austin independent school district?
>> we do have an interlocal with the Austin independent school district and other entities to provide the alternate school for those students that have disciplinary problems.
>> then Austin isd part of west Travis County, agent?
>> Commissioners court does not have any jurisdiction over the Austin independent school district budget.
>> even though we provided the money.
>> we have an interlocal agreement just as we have with the city of Austin on any number of things that we cooperate and jointly fund.
>> do you provide any money to individual judges for the third court district court of Austin?
>> yes, court of criminal appeals?
>> yes.
>> no, we have no funding --
>> not to my knowledge, no.
>> you don't pay any money to the third district court of appeals for Austin.
>> the Travis County probate judge is the administrative judge on various matters for the state of Texas, and we do provide -- other counties do provide salary supplement to our probate judge.
>> do we provide any money to the third court of appeals?
>> not to my knowledge.
>> how about the u.s.
-- no, Texas supreme court?
>> no.
>> so we don't provide any money to Texas supreme court?
>> not that I'm aware.
>> thank you.
>> anybody else for the hearing on the preliminary budget, number 1?
please come forward.
I move the public hearing be closed.
>> second.
>> all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.
now, so we will take final action on the preliminary budget.
what's that date again?
>> the adoption of the budget will be September 27th.
>> all right.
so you will have other opportunities to comment on the preliminary budget if you choose to do so, and if I might make a gratuitous suggestion, reading the preliminary budget, even the executive summary will give you an idea what's in there and your comments will be a lot more informed if you do that.
>> the first public hearing on the tax rate is at 9:00 a.m.
on September 20th.
that Tuesday.
and the second public hearing is on September the 23rd, Friday at 9:00 a.m.
>> okay.
thank you.
and every Tuesday citizens communication and if there are budget-related items we take public comment.
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