More questions about budget before commissioners’ court
The Cass County Commissioners’ Court convened Tuesday for public hearing on the matters of incorporating the county clerk’s funds and expenses into the budget, and in regular session, adopting the county’s budget for fiscal year 2019-2020. Four citizens requested time before the court.
Citing a notice in the August 28 edition of the Atlanta Citizens Journal regarding salary increases and employee-related expenses, Dr. F. Jane Kennedy of Atlanta said, “I have an issue with the total compensation package not being published for the general taxpayers. These ads are really deceitful to the public. Salaries need to be completely published. We employ you and as an employer, I want to know how much your insurance costs. I want to know how much your travel expenses are, where you’re going, and what you’re doing.”
Kim Massey of Hughes Springs cited inequities in various expenses allowed to the county judge in contrast to those allowed to other elected positions, “Judges get $700 a month travel, auto allowance, but then you’re getting paid mileage every time you go over 50 miles to a conference. Why are the judges getting $100 a month for cell phones and everyone else like the clerks that are elected and investigators get $50 a month? Why don’t they have one basic plan for the county and they furnish the phones and they furnish the service because they can get a big discount?
Clo Noble of Queen City obtained salary information for the county judge and commissioners on her own prior to her address to the court. She said of the salaries, “That is what you want the taxpayers to see. The taxpayer is your employer. They pay all the bills that you make. Your employer should know exactly what their money is being used for.”
Baker Bledsoe of Linden said he was representing Cass County Farm Bureau and agreed with the previous speakers, and added, “The issues you have before you are concerning to those people. My interest is to make sure that the people in Cass County are familiar and they understand what they’re voting for. They can vote any way they want to. I just want them to vote. That’s the main thing. The more votes that we have the better our county is represented and the more these other elected officials pay attention to it.”
Of the public notice regarding salaries, Bledsoe went on to say, “Let’s be sure that our people understand what they’re voting for. That deal right there that comes out in the paper, I disagree with that for many years and I don’t know why I haven’t said something about it before. If you’re going to put facts in the paper, let’s put it all in there. Let’s come clean with our voter.”
Bledsoe spoke to the transparency of the court, “I couldn’t understand the agenda this morning. How can you have two meetings in one? For forty years I use to come up here and speak to the court any time I wanted to and invited to speak. I didn’t have to sign up, I was asked. This court today is not that way. I can’t hardly hear what you’re saying. Y’all don’t discuss anything in public. An issue that’s on the agenda, you never talk about it in the open. Looks to me like y’all have a meeting behind the scenes before you have the commissioners’ court meeting because y’all don’t talk about anything. The deception is what bothers me the most. I would appreciate it if y’all would try to be a bit more open.”
A request for comment in response to the speakers was made to the office of county judge. The office returned in a written statement, “As the functioning arm of state government, county government must follow statutes put into place by the state legislature. One such statute concerns the publication of any salaries, expenses, or allowances of elected or precinct officers that are proposed to be increased and the amount of the proposed increase. The required publication for budget year 2020 follows state statute. All other expenses such as insurance, etc. can be found in the budget on file in the county clerk’s office as well as on the county’s website, www.co.cass.tx.us.”
Regarding the comments made about mileage reimbursement, automobile allowances, and cell phone reimbursement, “Each elected official is also, by statute, required to attend and receive continuing education hours pertaining to the laws and procedures of their offices. Education conferences the commissioner’s court may attend, but are not limited to, are the North and East County Judges and Commissioners Conference, the State County Judges and Commissioners Conference, the Texas Association of Counties Risk Management Conference, the Texas Association of Counties Investment Conference, the Texas Association of Counties Mental Health Conference and the Texas Association of Counties Legislative Conference. The County Judge may attend those same conferences but must also attend judicial conferences including, but not limited to, the Texas Judicial Academy’s Fall Judicial Academy and Spring Judicial Academy and the Texas Judicial Academy’s Probate Academy. Any expended county funds for those conferences, if attended, can be provided by the Cass County Auditor’s Office”
Auto allowance is provided to constables, justices of the peace, sheriff and county judge due to the fact that those offices conduct county business throughout the county and personal vehicles are used for that purpose. When required to attend meetings or conferences outside the county, mileage, as well as per diem, is paid to any county official or employee.”
The elected officials who use their personal cell phones in the course of county business and receive cell phone allowances are commissioners and justices of the peace. Their respective allowance is $50 a month for commissioners and $55 a month for justices of the peace. Law enforcement does not use personal cell phones therefore they are on a group plan. Other employees of the county that use their personal cell phones in the course of county business and receive an allowance are maintenance, janitorial, assistant district attorneys and investigators and the administrative assistant to the county judge. The employee cell phone allowances range from $30 a month to $50 a month.
Commissioners’ Court meeting agendas are prepared and published as per the Open Meetings Statute. Agendas can consist of both a public hearing and agenda items.”
As for the public’s access to the court, “Since 1999, the Cass County Commissioners Court has operated under Rules of Procedure, Conduct and Decorum. Section IV of the rules reads, ‘the public’s participation is limited to that of observer unless a member of the public is requested to address the Commissioners’ Court on a particular issue or unless a member of the public completes a Public Participation Form and submits same to the County Clerk prior to the time the agenda item is addressed by the Court.’ This rule has been in effect since 1999.”
It continued, “Commissioners’ Court conducts regular workshops on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of each month at 8:30 a.m. unless a quorum cannot be present or, there are no items deemed necessary to be discussed.”
“These workshops are preludes to the Commissioners’ Court meetings on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month. Agendas for both workshop and court meetings are virtually the same and both are posted as required by law. The items requiring discussion are discussed at the workshop and also the court meeting, if needed.”
Regarding Bledsoe’s concern with transparency and the public’s unobstructed access to the court, the office was asked directly about how it might serve the hearing impaired such as with the installation of a sound system and was the court open to accepting one in donation, “The purchase of an amplification system is not in the 2020 budget. After researching prior minutes of the court, I do not find an agenda item regarding a donation for a sound system.”
The statement concluded with, “Through the good stewardship of department heads and elected officials, Cass County was able to lower this year’s tax rate from 0.573702 to 0.555190.The external audit gave confirmation that Cass County’s fund balance is very healthy therefore; the Commissioners’ Court was able to allow a 2% cost of living adjustment (COLA).”