Proposed county budget addressed

Got Feedback?
Send a letter to the editor.

Subscribe now: RSS news feed, plus free headlines for your site

You are here: Home :: News & Features :: Proposed county budget addressed

Proposed county budget addressed

Posted Monday, September 8, 2008

E-mail this page Printer-friendly page

John Corder was the only citizen who spoke during the Sept. 2 public hearing held by Brazoria County Commissioners Court concerning a proposed county tax increase of a little less than 2 cents per $100 valuation.

Corder asked the court members to examine the budget and trim all non-essential items to ease the burden on county taxpayers.

Among the items he felt should be given particular attention were:

* Fuel costs, which he said could be reduced by limiting the number of vehicles taken home by county employees.
* Delay of non-essential studies such as that on the fairgrounds work.
* Reduction of non-essential employees, including assistants to the county commissioners.
* Support of the economic growth organization.
* Limiting interlocal agreements with other governmental entities.

* Requiring county landowners to contain growth along fence lines, eliminating the need for county slope mower operation and also improving driver safety at intersections.
* Eliminate donations and funds for "worthy or noble causes."
* Reduce costs of indigent care to the minimum required by law.
* Reduce continuing education costs by use of Internet and other means rather than attending conferences.
* Returning tax appraisal duties to the tax collector
* Seriously consider the need before calling bond elections, which he said "are not going over with people, cost too much money, and are not needed.

At the conclusion of Corder's presentation, County Judge Joe King asked if other citizens wanted to speak, but no one responded and the hearing was closed.

During its regular meeting on Sept. 9, commissioners court is scheduled to adopt both the tax rate and the new county budget it will support.

The proposed 2 cent tax rate hike would increase the county's revenues by $12.3 million, County Auditor Connie Garner said.

This would provide a total of $80.7 million to operate county government during FY 2009. Other revenue increases would come from the proposed tax hike, taxes on property placed on the tax rolls in the past year, funding required for debt services, revenue from the county airport and from sales taxes, various fees and miscellaneous sources.

The proposed total county tax rate of 39 cents would finance a proposed budget of $128,327,691 for FY 2009, Garner said.

Of this amount, 25.576 cents would cover general fund costs, 9.55 cents would go to operate the road and bridge department, 0.855 cents would be earmarked for mosquito control, and 3.02 cents would be dedicated to repayment of the county's mobility bonds and other debt.

The largest expenditures in the proposed budget are $28.4 million for public transportation; $19.9 million for corrections; $16.8 million for judicial and legal purposes; and $15.8 million for public safety.

Other expenditures listed in the proposal are $9.6 million for financial administration; $8.4 million for culture and recreation; $6.7 million for debt service; $6.1 million for general administration; $4.7 million for enterprise (airport); $4.4 million for health and welfare; $4.0 million for public facilities; $450,000 for conservation; $296,000 for public assistance; and $273,000 for law library.

Commissioners have held workshops on the proposed county budget for several weeks, and have commented that escalating costs have been sorely felt by county government, as they have by individuals.

During the past year rapidly rising oil prices have affected not only the cost of fuel for operating county vehicles, but many of the products and services involved, particularly in the road and bridge department.

A 3.4 percent across the board cost of living adjustment proposed for county employees along with some personnel re-grades and raises will amount to an overall increase of $3.0 million for the county's salary costs, with another $1.2 million proposed for new hires.

Jim McCoy, human services director for the county, said he felt this to be both a reasonable amount for the county and a help to the employees.

Other changes in expenditures listed by Garner include $2.7 million for enterprise (airport); $701,600 for health insurance and other employee benefit increases; $512,000 for court-appointed attorneys; $646,500 for health and prisoner medical expense; $50,000 for food in the jail; $618,00 for gasoline expense; $24,000 for emergency management funding; $90,000 for tax software; $1,100 for capital expense; $90,000 for juror expense; $140,000 for contract services; $95,000 for janitorial costs; $151,000 for utilities; $300,000 for road maintenance materials; and $567,000 for debt service.

Overall capital expenditures proposed for FY 2009 include 45 vehicles, 25 of which are earmarked for use by various divisions of the sheriff's department and 10 for various types of trucks in the road and bridge department.

Other capital expense items listed in the proposed general fund budget include $102,000 for roof improvements at three county buildings; $24,900 to purchase three digital scanner/microfilm reader printers for the library; $96,100 to install an elevator for the county's historical museum; $100,000 for fairgrounds improvements; and $59,750 to replace food service carts at the detention center.

Capital expenditures proposed for the road and bridge department include $1.2 million for other equipment ranging from an asphalt paver to a crane, a backhoe loader to a single smooth drum compactor, and a milling machine to a pair of traffic control signals.

Proposed road and bridge projects, which total $4.36 million, include $1.4 million for a bridge on CR 94; $623,240 for a 640 ft., four-lane road on CR 59; and $300,000 for CR 106A (McHard Road).