Ector County Commissioners will meet at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the County Annex to discuss, among other items, a new agricultural extension agent, the coming year’s holiday and meeting schedule and the proposed county tax rate.
Ector County Judge Dustin Fawcett said the proposed tax rate is $.35, which is the same as last year’s rate and slightly above the no new revenue rate. A hearing on the tax rate is also scheduled during the meeting.
He said the county will bring in more in property tax revenue and that will help set the county up for long term success. “The health of our county government is important,” Fawcett said Monday.
He added that the court has put together “a heck of a budget” and that it includes some items that will actually help the financial health of Ector County.
Pay raises of 20 percent for the jailers at the Ector County Detention Center and raises for the district attorney’s office are strategic and much warranted, he said.
Currently the jail has to send some inmates out of county due to being short-staffed. That is an expensive proposition for the county and the ability to both hire and retain jailers will mean less money spent on shipping inmates to other places, he said.
County-wide most employees will see a 2 percent increase under the proposed rate, he added. He said law enforcement is getting between 5 and 12 percent for sheriff deputies. “It depends on the years of experience and our main goal with this budget in strategic raises to get law enforcement up to a correct amount.”
He said some health department employees will get strategic raises as well so the county does not have to use temp agencies, which, like sending inmates out of county, are more costly.
The district attorney’s office will also see strategic raises to address vacancies. Fawcett said recent state legislation will help Ector County with both the law enforcement and DA raises.
“A bill passed that will reimburse counties $500,000 for sheriff staff and $250,000 for DA staff and that money becomes available Jan. 1 and we will apply for that guaranteed funding,” Fawcett added saying the funding is for rural counties under 300,000 people.
Fawcett said a few more “boxes” need to be checked before the vote on the rate and the budget and the tax rate won’t be officially approved until the court’s next meeting in two weeks on Sept. 5.
“This is the proposed rate and that doesn’t mean after Tuesday’s vote that it will be the tax rate but the no new revenue rate would not have set the county up for success. “There are things that we need to do as a county,” Fawcett said pointing out the need for a new library as well as county-wide staffing issues and the courthouse issues.
He said the county also is saving some funds, $2 million on the repairs on West 42nd Street after discussions wit the CRMWD.
“We saved that just by talking with the CRMWD about the construction,” he added.
He said the new budget, if passed, will also fund a grant writing position to help the county seek grant funding for various projects.
“We are hoping for grant writer with legal experience to go get some money and the position will pay for itself.”
During the Tuesday meeting, the county will also:
>>Discuss a $500 donation from T-Mobile for the Ector County Health Department; this donation was given for the purchase of school supplies and backpacks during the back to school clinics.
>>Discuss the Commissioners’ Court Schedule for the 2023-2024 term.
>>Discuss the Ector County Holiday Schedule for the 2023-2024 term.
>>Hold a tax rate public hearing.
>>Discuss the 2023-2024 Budget Public Hearing at 10 a.m. Sept. 5.
>>Hold a public hearing a public hearing and consider, discuss, and take any necessary action regarding an application by Swift Air Solar, LLC for a proposed designation as a Reinvestment Zone and application for tax abatement under Chapter 312 of the Texas Tax Code, for use as solar power facilities by Swift Air Solar, LLC located southeast of the City of Penwell in Ector County, Texas; and to take any necessary action regarding approval of adoptions of resolutions and the tax abatement agreement with Swift Air Solar.
>>Discuss architectural services agreement with JSA Architects to provide Site Master Plan options for Kellus Turner Park in an amount not to exceed $12,000.
>>Discuss a change order #1 for the 42nd Street Project.Colorado River Municipal Water District (CRMWD) has confirmed that the concrete pad in the contract is no longer required and some items on the contract will be done in-house by the Public Works Department; the adjustments in this change order will reduce the total contract by $2,256,965.00.
>>Discuss the Hudspeth County Interlocal Agreement to approve the Inmate Housing Interlocal Agreement between Ector County and Hudspeth County, including increases in the per diem rate per inmate.
>>Discuss the Hillmont Estates Streetlights agreement specifications with developer Ron Chesnut about streetlights, and authorize the County Judge to sign all documents associated with this agenda item.
