Travis County Commissioners Court
Tuesday, September 27, 2011 (Agenda)
Item 1
For our consideration today.
number 1 is a public hearing to receive comments on fiscal year 2012 budget and tax rate for 2011 tax year
>> move that the public hearing be opened.
>> second.
>> all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.
>> leroy nellis and jessica rio, planning and budget office.
judge and Commissioners, the planning and budget office did file the proposed budget last Friday.
and that budget is structurally sound.
it does match ongoing revenue against ongoing expenses.
and one-time revenue against one-time expenses.
that -- that proposed budget, all funds totals, $756,208,217.
as represented on the recapitulation for that fiscal year 2012 budget.
that -- that budget was prepared within the general guidelines that the Commissioners court adopted on February the 22nd.
and it represents a tax rate of 48.55 cents, which represents a 2.99% increase over the effective tax rate.
the budget does maintain reserves at or above the fy '11 level in the event that economic conditions do not recover as fast as what some have -- have projected.
we believe it's a sound budget and -- and we would be willing to answer any questions.
>> court members, any questions?
>> leroy, can you tell me exactly how much of an increase will this be if you were to -- to divide out 12 into the increase as far as the taxpayer --
>> on the average taxpayer, Commissioner?
>> yes, on the average taxpayer.
what are we talking about as far as a monthly increase on their taxes?
>> the -- for fy 2012, the proposed tax rate of 48.55, on the average homestead for the entire county results in a $33.28 crept tax increase or a 2.77 cents per month increase.
as I've stated earlier, the geographic -- that geographically, the southeast average homestead is substantially lower than the average for the entire county.
of course the western homesteads are substantially larger than the average.
>> so that's -- that's the southeast and also in the -- was it manor in the del valle school district?
>> that's correct.
>> manor in the del valle school district area would be substantially less than the $2.77 increase as far as the increase in the property taxes is concerned, is that correct?
>> that's correct.
>> okie-doke.
>> court members, any other comments, questions?
this is a public hearing, so if you would like to give comments on the budget or tax rate, we'll take that testimony beginning now.
around mr. Pena.
>> good morning, judge, Commissioners, gus pena, native east Austin night, proud united states marine corps veteran served in vietnam.
and I did run for city council in '96 and '97 and I want to say this about the budget.
first and foremost, I want to thank again mr. Nellis and his p.b.o.
staff.
I think, given under the circumstances and the economic circumstances, situation, they did a darned good job.
even with a taxing rate, I am opposed to -- to exorbitant amount of tax increases for people not only here but the city of Austin and state-wide, but we need to fully fund all social service agencies.
there needs to be a better collaboration between the city of Austin and Travis County.
you read the article in the paper today, it states one in five people are in poverty.
I think that's wrong, that's erroneous erroneous are, I would say two or three in five people in the state of Texas are living in poverty.
I want to say we need to fund all social service agencies, job creation.
we're talking about job, jobs for many years, jobs that have a liveable wage, be able to pay rent, with benefits.
economic development, economic development, economic development.
I told the city council and I told the school board this also and at the legislative session.
apparently our state elected officials have not paid attention.
we are entering a double dip recession.
I'm going to tell you, we have a lot of homeless veterans out there.
singles and both with families.
we put the lives for our country.
the vietnam veterans are suffering.
the most veterans we see right now, vietnam veterans.
I don't want anyone to forget about this.
we were spat upon when we came back from overseas, even if you didn't go, we got spat upon at lax, l.a.
airport, here at love field before dfw airfield was built, mueller airport.
so I want you to remember the veterans, I want also you to remember the teenaged moms, teen pregnancy, dropout prevention funding, all of these things have an impact, negative, on the city, county, state levels.
we need to do a better job of fully funding these -- these initiatives like project recovery.
jobs for -- for individuals, veterans who have criminal background.
a lot of these people are good people.
make mistakes, we need help to get them employed, economic development.
I'll leave it at that, but, you know, we need more funding for rental assistance.
electric utility assistance, things of this nature and I just wanted to give a shootout to y'all, also, judge you have -- shootout, judge, you have a good heart.
personally I canc tell people you have a darned good heart.
we need to do better in job creation, economic development, help the poor, veterans, the children.
a society's worth is measured by its treatment of the less fortunate.
thank you, thank you for your hard work.
have a good day, I have to go.
bye.
>> thank you, mr. Pena.
>> dr. Kim?
>> thank you, good morning, all of you.
>> good morning.
>> I have a question about Travis County budget.
what -- how -- how much salary that each judge and the court ordered administrator receive from Travis County a month?
the judge -- john k.
dietz and scott jenkins and steven yalinoski.
>> they receive from the county $15,000 and then county court at law judges receive 140026.86.
>> what person is over there salary receive from here?
>> I'm sorry?
>> what person
>> [indiscernible] over their salary?
>> the 15,000?
>> a month?
>> no, 15,000 -- the district judges from the county receive 15,000.
>> they are state employees, dr. Kim.
district judges are state employee.
we just pay for the benefits.
and a few other things.
our contribution is 15,000 bucks.
they get about 125 or 130 from the state.
district judges do.
>> so what percentage, approximately, 10 percent, 20%?
>> okay, just a seconds, I'll give it to you.
>> it's approximately 10.7% comes from the county.
that's just a rough estimate.
>> the rest come from state?
>> that's correct.
>> okay.
>> the rest I will ask of state.
but Travis County, I will -- I will propose don't pay even a penny to those who administrator,
>> [indiscernible], judge john k.
dietz, scott jenkins and steven yelonowski.
they are communists and kidnappers.
I will let you know why.
the federal law, criminal procedure, part 2, seven sentences, u.s.
-- usc, section 3559.
a, in the two definition, e, kidnapping.
kidnapping means an offense that has -- that has its element an abduction and training and confining or carrying away of another person by force --
>> dr. Kim, dr. Kim.
are you going to be able to tie this to the Travis County budget and tax rate?
>> yes.
>> okay.
if you get there real soon, I would feel a whole lot better.
>> so they used sheriff and kidnapped me from the court outside so that I cannot talk to the judge.
assigned susan carington on the date.
so they used the police, that's a force, evicted me.
and they declared me as a
>> [indiscernible] litigant.
to conceal and hide.
united -- the church, american christian church is terror.
the person's name, john judson, the role -- kim, the threat, the threat to -- to endanger my life here in the united states.
taken may 15th, 2008.
>> thank you, dr. Kim.
>> they concealed it.
>> thank you, dr. Kim, thank you very much.
>> mr. Reeferseed.
>> thank you, sir, I just wanted to make a couple of comments in relation to what we previously heard and I admire dr. Kim and his devotion to his family and also mr. Gus pena.
he's a long-time activist.
I happen to disagree with him on basic concepts like that the government should pay for job creation, that's -- that's a faulty concept in my mind and we should rely on the markets.
but I do have one main question about the budget.
that is as I spoke of in the past, that, you know, Travis County is one county -- one county -- a unique county in the whole state of Texas, where we forced all taxpayers to pay for other people to kill their children or abortions, if you want to call it that.
and I'm wondering, are we still the one and only dead baby capital of the state of Texas?
or is it true, the rumor that I heard that --
>> mr. Reeferseed you need to tie this to the budget and the tax rate.
>> okay.
it was on the budget.
used to be on the budget, from what I heard, it's no on the budget.
that's what I'm asking these guys.
force taxpayers, forcing all taxpayers to pay for other people to have abortions, is that on the budget this time?
>> if in fact there were funds dedicated to that purpose, it would be within the central health district's budget.
and I am not specifically aware of the specifics inside that budget.
>> okay.
>> but to my knowledge the Travis County budget does not have -- does not have funds in it for that purpose.
I stand corrected if somebody knows contrary.
>> the health care district took that out of its budget, also.
>> okay.
>> anything related to the budget or tax rate, mr. Reeferseed?
>> that's it.
>> thank you very much then.
this is a public hearing on item no.
1, the Travis County budget and tax rate.
if you would like to give comments, please come forth at this time.
and give us your name, we would be happy to get your comments.
>> good morning, judge, Commissioners, a clarification, this is about the budget, which in essence the rate hearing is related to the budget, correct?
>> this is a public hearing regarding the Travis County budget.
and tax rates.
both.
>> okay, very well.
my name is scott johnson, I have worked on environmental matters for many years here in Travis County.
and I'm in full support of the budget item, which I understand is provisional that will provide approximately $12,500 to the capital area council of governments air quality program that will help them with their budget woes in terms of paying for a monitor, which is located in the mckinney roughs, is my understanding.
capcog's air quality program in in my opinion is by far the most important air quality program in the region.
that's not a slight against Travis County's air quality program, but this -- this program is the one that coordinates all of the data collection within the region.
not just within Travis County and their staffer, bill gail, is the one that is most directly involved with the development and implementation of our air quality plan, which is called the eight-hour ozone flex plan.
right now our region is one moderately high ozone day away from exceeding the ground level ozone standard that was proposed in 2008 but never finalized, that's 75 parts per billion.
their work is extremely important and in this last budget legislative budget their funds were slashed by 50%.
they will run very low in budget funding at the end of this next fiscal year.
in fiscal year 2012 and then in fiscal year '13 they will be needing even more assistant from the counties in the three county or five county region.
on another topic, I regularly see Travis County vehicles out and about in the community, in the parks.
I wish that I knew and I'll ask staff about this, if there was a right sizing initiative, so that vehicles that are purchased are only purchased for the size necessary to do the job that they are designed to do.
so we're getting the more -- the most fuel efficient fleet out there on the road.
as I talked to the city about many, many times, there's a serious issue with excessive idling, with trips that are not priority trips, ones that are discretionary trips and the amount of miles traveled and the amount of idling that goes on with city vehicles, possibly with county vehicles is much greater than what is necessary.
this is an enormous cost for the city, a large cost for the county.
if this court is not given a directive to the executive manager in charge of procurement and also of managing the fleet, it would be appropriate to do so.
it's -- it's a green house gas reduction measure.
it's an ozone form reduction measure.
of course it's a cost savings reduction measure.
I would be happy to answer any questions.
>> thank you.
>> thank you, mr. Johnson.
>> thank you.
>> anybody else to give comments on item no.
1, the county budget for 2012, tax rate 2011?
>> judge?
>> yes, sir.
>> a judge called me late yesterday, he's 85 years old.
and I -- I asked him to come down today if he would because this particular item that he -- that -- as far as this public hearing is, the subject matter that we discussed via telephone yesterday and he was really concerned about the increase in taxes.
of course everybody is concerned about an increase in taxes.
however, I think the way that I tried to explain the best way that I possibly could to him is the things that Travis County is doing that may not be as expensive when it come to paying your taxes as other taxing jurisdictions, I explained to him very tentatively, we talked for several minutes, that Travis County looks at this, we give a homestead exemption of 20% if you have a homestead, for those that are 65 and older we give $65,000 that's taken off your appraised value before it's taxed, before the tax rate is applied.
we also do the same thing for those that are disabled in this community.
$65,000 exemption before the tax rate is applied.
he wasn't aware of that, per se, but we also discussed in this overall discussion, the community needs to know what we have done this year, which is really tremendous.
even with law enforcement, under the sheriff, we have 66 staffing positions that we're filling.
making slots available for this particular budget year.
we also addressed the basic needs of our hhs, health and human services, who have struggled because of the cuts that we have realized that have come down from the state and also from the federal government.
we have tried to make sure that these particular avenues are -- are made available and also addressing the -- the justice system.
doing things in that arena.
so we kind of are all over the place with this particular budget and this particular budget year for 2012.
but I want to make sure that that gentlemanned.
>> what we are doing, what this is all about.
so I just wanted to maybe lay that out again under this particular format.
thank you, judge.
>> thank you.
move that the public hearing be closed.
>> second.
>> all in favor?
that passes by unanimous vote.
we will call up items 37, 36, as soon as we can.
hopefully around 10:00 this morning.
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