Aug 18, 2025 Commissioners Court Regular

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OKAY. CAN YOU LIVE FROM EL PASO COUNTY, TEXAS? THE VETERANS CAPITAL OF THE USA FROM INSIDE

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INDIVISIBLE. THANK YOU. YOU LOOK AMAZINGLY. THAT ORANGE COLOR LOOKS REALLY GOOD ON ALL OF YOU.

THANK YOU. FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL, COMMISSIONER. IS IT THEIR FIRST DAY? OKAY, WELL, HAVE A WONDERFUL DAY. APPRECIATE YOU BEING HERE WITH US. THANK YOU. THANK YOU ALL. THANK YOU. GREAT SMILES, BY THE WAY. AND NOW WE WILL RECEIVE AN INVOCATION BY PASTOR SARAH GARCIA WITH GRACE

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GIVE US TODAY THE FOOD WE NEED AND FORGIVE US OUR SINS, AS WE FORGIVE THOSE WHO SIN AGAINST US. AND DON'T LET US YIELD TO TEMPTATION, BUT RESCUE US FROM THE EVIL ONE. FOR YOURS AND YOURS ALONE IS THE POWER AND THE HONOR AND THE GLORY FOREVER. AMEN. GOD, I COME BEFORE HERE, AND I THANK YOU FOR EVERY SINGLE PERSON THAT'S HERE REPRESENTING OUR CITY LORD. AND I JUST PRAY FOR WISDOM OVER THEM. YOUR HEAVENLY WISDOM THAT BRINGS PEACE AND ORDER THAT DOESN'T BRING CHAOS OR CONFUSION. I PRAY THAT YOU GIVE THEM CLARITY OF MIND TO MAKE EVERY DECISION THAT THEY NEED TO MAKE TODAY. LORD, AND I JUST WANT TO BLESS THEIR LIVES AND ALSO THEIR PERSONAL LIVES, THEIR FAMILIES, THEIR FINANCES, EVERYTHING THAT THEY DO, GOD THAT YOU WOULD BE WITH THEM, THAT YOUR WILL WOULD BE DONE HERE AS IT IS IN HEAVEN. IN THE NAME OF JESUS, AMEN. THANK YOU SO MUCH, FOR YOU'RE ALWAYS WELCOME HERE AS WELL. OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU.

JUDGE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO MAKE SOME OPENING COMMENTS BEFORE WE BEGIN WITH THE AGENDA? JUST WANT TO WELCOME ALL OF YOU. ON BEHALF OF MYSELF AND OUR COMMISSIONERS, WE WELCOME YOU TO OUR COMMISSIONERS COURT AND WE THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. I'D LIKE TO START OFF JUST WANT TO READ SOMETHING ON BEHALF OF JOSE SIERRA SENIOR, WHO IS A CACIQUE FOR PUEBLO AND JUST JUST AN INCREDIBLE PERSON. AND I'D LIKE TO READ THIS AND THEN JUST HAVE A MINUTE OF SILENCE FOR THEM, PLEASE. IN AUGUST 2017, JOSE SIERRA WAS APPOINTED AS CACIQUE OR THE TRIBE CHIEF. HE WAS ACTIVELY INVOLVED IN PROGRAMS DESIGNATED TO EDUCATE THE YOUTH ABOUT THEIR HISTORY. HE FREQUENTLY REPRESENTED THE TRIBE IN THEIR INTERACTIONS WITH LOCAL AND GOVERNMENTAL BODIES.

PREVIOUSLY, SIERRA SERVED AS A PUEBLO'S GOVERNOR, TRIBAL SHERIFF, TRIBAL JUDGE, AND MAYORDOMO. HE ALSO LED A DELEGATION TO THE NETHERLANDS, WHICH RESULTED IN THE REPATRIATION OF CULTURAL PATRIMONY, ITEMS THAT HAD BEEN TAKEN BY AN ANTHROPOLOGIST IN THE EARLY 1900S. FOLLOWING A 30 YEAR CAREER, HE RETIRED FROM THE EL PASO CONVENTION AND VISITORS BUREAU, NOW KNOWN AS DESTINATION DESTINATION EL PASO. CACIQUE SIERRA HAS ALSO WAS ALSO A PHOTOGRAPHER AND WORKED AS A FILM LOCATION SCOUT FOR SEVERAL MOVIES FILMED IN EL PASO.

CACIQUE SIERRA WAS RECOGNIZED FOR HIS CULINARY TALENTS, INCLUDING HIS EXPERTISE IN PREPARING TRADITIONAL BREAD BAKED IN. SO THIS IS A MAN WHO WILL BE VERY MISSED, WHO HAD A LOT TO DO WITH KEEPING OUR CULTURE AND MAKING SURE THAT WE DIDN'T FORGET OUR HISTORY. SO IF YOU DON'T MIND, WE'D LIKE TO HAVE A MOMENT OF SILENCE, PLEASE.

THANK YOU. AND PLEASE KEEP HIM AND HIS FAMILY AND ALL HIS FRIENDS IN YOUR PRAYERS. THANK YOU. AND NOW I'LL GO TO COMMISSIONER BUTLER. SHE'LL LET US KNOW ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED ON SATURDAY. AND THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO ON THAT, COMMISSIONER BUTLER. THANK YOU.

JUDGE. I JUST WANTED TO THANK THE COURT ONCE AGAIN FOR SUPPORTING THE COUNTY'S INITIATIVES RELATED TO THE GUN BUYBACK EVENTS. WE HAD A REALLY SUCCESSFUL SATURDAY, WHICH WAS OUR WHICH IS OUR FOURTH AND FINAL GUN BUYBACK EVENT. AS WE KNOW, UNFORTUNATELY, THE STATE OF TEXAS HAS BANNED LOCAL GOVERNMENTS FROM BEING ABLE TO HOST THESE TYPES OF EVENTS MOVING FORWARD. BUT WE HAD A LITTLE BIT OF GIFT CARDS LEFT OVER FROM WHAT WE INITIALLY ALLOCATED A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO. AND SO WE WANTED TO, TO BE ABLE TO, TO OFFER THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THE COMMUNITY ONE LAST TIME. THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE MORNING, WHICH, YOU KNOW, WE WEREN'T SURE WHAT TO EXPECT AND WHAT KIND OF TURNOUT WE WERE GOING TO GET, BUT WE HAD PEOPLE LINED UP VERY EARLY IN THE MORNING TO TURN IN THEIR UNWANTED GUNS VOLUNTARILY, I SHOULD ADD. AND THANKS TO THE COOPERATION AND THE, YOU KNOW, THE WONDERFUL PLANNING FROM OUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND OUR COUNTY ATTORNEYS AND OUR COUNTY AUDITORS, WE HAD A SUPER STREAMLINED AND SUCCESSFUL EVENT. WE RAN OUT OF GIFT CARDS IN LESS THAN AN HOUR, AND WITHIN THAT TIME FRAME COLLECTED 125 GUNS. AMONG THOSE, WE HAD 76 HANDGUNS, 39 SHOTGUNS, RIFLES.

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THE VOTING IS OPEN. I VOTE, I THANK YOU. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM FIVE. RESOLUTIONS FIVE A APPROVE AND ADOPT A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING AND HONORING TRI STATE AUTO AUTO TITLE, INC FOR 32 YEARS OF DEDICATED SERVICE TO THE CITIZENS OF EL PASO COUNTY IN ADMINISTRATING MOTOR VEHICLE TITLE AND REGISTRATION SERVICES. AND I BELIEVE FOR THIS ITEM, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND DELETE. CORRECT. DELETE. OKAY. ONE SECOND.

WE HAVE A MOTION TO DELETE BY JUDGE SAMANIEGO. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER OLGUIN. THE VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES ITEM FIVE. B APPROVE AND ADOPT RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING THE 2025 JOB CORPS GRADUATING CLASS IN EL PASO COUNTY, TEXAS. COMMISSIONER BUTLER. YES, THANK YOU VERY MUCH, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS, FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT TODAY'S RESOLUTION. I WOULD LIKE TO INVITE OUR SPEAKER, MR. AGUILAR, FROM JOB CORPS, TO JOIN US AT THE PODIUM. AND I'M JUST GOING TO SAY A FEW WORDS. I KNOW WE ALSO MAY HAVE MR. CARRASCO CALLING IN TO GIVE A FEW WORDS AFTER I READ THE RESOLUTION. BEFORE I DO THAT, I JUST WANTED TO MAKE A PERSONAL COMMENT. AND WE KNOW THAT JOB CORPS IS CURRENTLY FACING SOME UNCERTAINTY AS TO ITS FUTURE, WHICH IS REALLY. DISHEARTENING AND, AND SAD FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAVE BEEN CHAMPIONS OF JOB CORPS HERE IN EL PASO. BUT TODAY, I THINK WHAT WHAT WHAT'S HEARTENING IS THAT WE'RE ABLE TO

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ON A PERSONAL NOTE, MY MOM WAS A SOCIAL WORKER, AND SHE WORKED AT JOB CORPS FOR FIVE YEARS AS A COUNSELOR WHEN I WAS GOING THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL. SO I GOT TO GO TO JOB CORPS AND SEE HER COUNSEL. STUDENTS, A LOT OF WHOM WERE MY AGE. AND IT JUST I THINK IT HELPED MAKE ME WHO I AM AND OBVIOUSLY SAYS A LOT ABOUT THE KIND OF WORK THAT MY MOM WAS PASSIONATE ABOUT DOING. MORE THAN ANYTHING, I WITNESSED HOW JOB CORPS CREATES SECOND SECOND CHANCES AND LASTING HOPE FOR GENERATIONS. SO TODAY WE'RE WE'RE CELEBRATING THE GRADUATES AND THE WORK THAT THEY'RE DOING, WHICH IS WORTH DEFENDING. SO I'LL GO AHEAD AND READ THE RESOLUTION AND THEN WE'LL WELCOME COMMENTS. WHEREAS OUR NATION'S YOUTH IS ONE OF OUR MOST VALUABLE ASSETS DRIVING OUR FUTURE PROGRESS. AND WHEREAS THE DAVID CARRASCO JOB CORPS CENTER IN EL PASO PROVIDES VALUABLE TRAININGS AND EDUCATION AT NO COST TO STUDENTS WHO GO ON TO SUPPORT AND GROW THE LOCAL ECONOMY. AND WHEREAS, JOB CORPS STUDENTS ARE PROVIDED THE OPPORTUNITY TO EARN A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA OR EQUIVALENT ADVANCED CAREER TRAINING AND DEVELOP CAREER SUCCESS STANDARDS. AND WHEREAS, THE DAVID CARRASCO JOB CORPS CENTER, AN OUTSTANDING VOCATIONAL AND ACADEMIC EDUCATION TRAINING PROGRAM FOR THE YOUTH OF EL PASO AND ITS SURROUNDING AREAS, HAS BEEN SERVING OUR COMMUNITY FOR 55 YEARS. AND WHEREAS DURING THESE 55 YEARS, THE DAVID CARRASCO JOB CORPS CENTER HAS PROVIDED MUCH NEEDED ASSISTANCE AND ATTENTION TO STUDENTS BY PROVIDING THEM WITH THE TOOLS AND RESOURCES TO BECOME RESPONSIBLE, EMPLOYABLE AND PRODUCTIVE CITIZENS. AND WHEREAS, THE DAVID CARRASCO JOB CORPS CENTER CONTINUES TO SUPPORT GRADUATES WITH JOB SEARCH ASSISTANCE, CAREER COUNSELING, AND FURTHER TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES AFTER THEIR GRADUATION. AND WHEREAS, THE 2025 GRADUATE GRADUATING CLASS OF DAVID CARRASCO JOB CORPS CENTER IS MADE UP OF 225 FUTURE PROFESSIONALS. AND WHEREAS, THE COUNTY OF EL PASO COMMENDS THE 2025 GRADUATING CLASS OF DAVID EL CARRASCO JOB CORPS CENTER AS THEY CELEBRATE THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENTS THROUGH GRADUATION CEREMONY. AND NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, THAT THE EL PASO COUNTY JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS COURT HEREBY RECOGNIZE AUGUST 20TH AS DAVID CARRASCO, JOB CORPS GRADUATION DAY SIGNED THIS 18TH DAY OF AUGUST 2025. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE BY COMMISSIONER BUTLER, SECOND BY JUDGE SAMANIEGO. THE VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES. WELCOME, WELCOME. GOOD MORNING, COUNTY JUDGE. GOOD MORNING COMMISSIONERS. GOOD MORNING STAFF. GOOD MORNING AUDIENCE. MY NAME IS ARTURO AGUILAR. I AM THE COMMUNITY LIAISON FOR THE DAVID CARRASCO JOB CORPS CENTER. THANK YOU FOR THE RESOLUTION. THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU GUYS HAVE DONE FOR OUR INSTITUTION, WHO WE ARE GOING TO BE CELEBRATING OUR 54TH GRADUATION OUT OF THOSE, LIKE YOU MENTIONED, MISS BUTLER TO 25, 178 OF THEM ARE FROM THE EL PASO COUNTY. OKAY. SO WE HAVE ABOUT 50 THAT ARE OUTSIDE OF THE EL PASO AREA. AND WHO I HAVE WITH ME TODAY IS THESE FIVE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN. OKAY. IF I'M NOT SURE IF YOU GUYS WOULD WANT TO HEAR FROM THEM, THIS IS MY AND PART OF MY STAFF, MISS, MISS EVA MARISCAL AND MISS CHRISTY VALLE. HERE WE HAVE I'M GOING TO HAVE THEM INTRODUCE THEMSELVES, IF THAT'S OKAY WITH YOU ALL. ABSOLUTELY, ABSOLUTELY. SO GOOD MORNING, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS. GOOD MORNING TO EVERYONE. MY NAME IS JOE ZUNIGA MUNOZ, THE SGA STUDENT BODY PRESIDENT FOR THE DAVID EL CARRASCO JOB CORPS I AM HERE. I WAS BORN HERE IN EL PASO, TEXAS, AND RIGHT NOW I AM PART OF THE 2025 GRADUATING CLASS. AFTER THE GRADUATION, I WILL BE HEADED TOWARDS UTAH CLEARFIELD IN ORDER TO TAKE THE JOB CORPS ADVANCED TRAINING PROGRAM FOR WELDING. I HOPE TO GET INTO THE AEROSPACE WELDING PROGRAM. THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. HELLO. MY NAME IS ALLISON DELGADO. MY TRADE WAS ORIGINALLY WELDING AND THEN I JUMPED OVER TO MY SECOND TRADE, WHICH IS AUTOMOTIVE. ONCE I FINISH, I THINK I'LL PROBABLY JOIN THE MILITARY AND HEAD BACK TO CALIFORNIA WITH MY FATHER. THANK YOU. HELLO, MARIA. MY TRADE IS AUTO AND I AM THE SECRETARY FOR SGA. I AM BORN IN BRENHAM, BRENHAM, TEXAS, AND YEAH. THANK YOU. HELLO, MY NAME IS ISAAC

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CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU ALL VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE. AND CONGRATULATIONS ON THOSE OF YOU GRADUATING. AND I HOPE THAT I SINCERELY HOPE THAT JOB CORPS WILL CONTINUE TO BE FUNDED SO YOU CAN CONTINUE TO PURSUE YOUR YOUR TRADES AND CAREERS. AND I HOPE EVEN EVEN THOSE OF YOU WHO ARE GOING OFF TO DO OTHER THINGS IN, IN OTHER PARTS OF THE COUNTRY, THAT YOU'LL EVENTUALLY COME BACK TO EL PASO AND IT WILL ALWAYS BE HOME FOR YOU. I THINK WE HAVE MR. CARRASCO ON THE ON THE LINE. DID HE? I DON'T KNOW IF DAVID CARRASCO IS DOCTOR. CARRASCO IS ON THE LINE. JUST A LITTLE COMMENT. DAVID CARRASCO, DOCTOR CARRASCO SCHOOL OF DIVINITY IN HARVARD, IS THE SON OF MR. CARRASCO AND SO HE ALWAYS HONORS US. HE REALLY LOVES EL PASO. HE HELPED US TREMENDOUSLY DURING THE HEALING GARDEN, AND I JUST THINK HE'S A GREAT PERSON. AND WHAT A WHAT A WAY. I'M HOPING THAT WE COULD GET HIM ON THE LINE. HE'S HE'S NOT ON THE LINE. OH HE'S ON THERE. WELL HE'S NOT HE'S NOT HE'S NOT ON THE LINE. NOT ON THE LINE OKAY. HE'S NOT. WELL I THINK HE WAS GIVEN THE LINK, BUT MAYBE HE'S UNAVAILABLE. OKAY. WELL WE'LL THANK YOU. I MEAN, IT'S ALSO VERY SPECIAL TO ME. I HAPPEN TO BE A JUVENILE PROBATION OFFICER IN THE TIMES. AND SO I HAD A LOT OF OPPORTUNITIES TO GO VISIT. STILL REMEMBER? I MEAN, I REMEMBER ALL THE OTHER THINGS, BUT THE CULINARY ARTS, I MEAN, THAT WAS PRETTY AMAZING AND PROBABLY STILL IS, BUT IT WAS JUST REALLY GOOD TO HAVE THAT KIND OF FEELING THAT IT WAS A PLACE THAT JUST HELPED PEOPLE JUST BE SUCCESSFUL AND FIND WHO THEY ARE AND MOVE FORWARD AND BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITY. AND ONCE AGAIN, CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU. WE'RE VERY PROUD OF YOU. AND I KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE SOME VERY SUCCESS STORIES. AND AS I ALWAYS SAY, EVERY TIME SOMETHING GOOD LIKE THIS HAPPENS, YOU BECOME GREAT AMBASSADORS FOR EL PASO AND FOR OUR COUNTY. SO THANK YOU BACK TO YOU. WELL, IF YOU WANT TO JOIN US AT THE AT THE FRONT, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND TAKE A PICTURE TOGETHER. CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN. THANK YOU.

ITEM FIVE C APPROVE AND ADOPT A RESOLUTION RECOGNIZING EL PASO ASSOCIATION OF CONTRACTORS FOR THEIR COMMITMENT TO EXCELLENCE AND SAFETY. AND I BELIEVE WE WILL BE POSTPONING THIS ITEM FOR ONE WEEK. CORRECT? YES. THANK YOU. ONE SECOND PLEASE. CAN WE HAVE A MOTION TO POSTPONE BY COMMISSIONER CORONADO? SECOND, BY JUDGE SAMANIEGO. THE VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM SIX IS PUBLIC COMMENT. WE DO HAVE SPEAKERS SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. DO WE HAVE MISS

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THANK YOU. WELCOME, ELIZABETH. GOOD MORNING. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. IN SPEAKING OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, GOD'S HOLY WORD PROMISES, FOR HE MUST REIGN UNTIL HE HAS PUT ALL HIS ENEMIES UNDER HIS FEET. THE LAST ENEMY THAT WILL BE ABOLISHED IS DEATH. IT'S BEEN HORRIFYING TO HEAR OF THE RECENT KILLINGS AND ESCALATING VIOLENCE AND HORROR STORIES FROM JUAREZ. THE DECAPITATED BODY AND HEAD FOUND JUST ACROSS THE BRIDGE. THE BODIES HUNG ON THE BRIDGE, THE MURDERS BY THE DRUG CARTELS. I WAS JUST IN JUAREZ THIS PAST WEEK, AND I THINK WHAT IMPRESSED ME MOST IS THAT EVERY SINGLE FAMILY I'VE MET HAVE BEEN DEEPLY AFFECTED, IN ONE WAY OR ANOTHER, BY THE DRUG CARTEL ACTIVITY. AS WE KNOW, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN JUST CAME OUT WITH A TRAGIC SONG ABOUT JUAREZ AND THE SONG OF A FATHER LOSING A DAUGHTER COMING NORTH TO THE MAQUILADORAS AND LIVING IN THE COLONIAS, AND THEN ENDING UP LOSING HIS DAUGHTER. BUT THERE'S SO MUCH SENSELESS MURDER GOING ON RIGHT ACROSS THE BORDER. BUT WHAT ABOUT THE SENSELESS MURDER ALSO GOING ON JUST ACROSS OUR STATE BORDER, LAS CRUCES IS RAMPING UP FOR ITS MULTIMILLION DOLLAR ABORTION EXPANSION IN THE VERY NEAR FUTURE. THE GROUNDBREAKING FOR IT IN LAS CRUCES. AS WE KNOW, MANY CLIENTS IN NEW MEXICO ARE FROM EL PASO. I'D LIKE TO READ SOME QUOTES OF ABORTIONISTS REGARDING THE HORROR OF ABORTION. I'LL START WITH THE QUOTE FROM BEVERLY MCMILLAN.

SHE'S A OB GYN. I GOT TO MEET HER WHEN I WAS IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, A FORMER ABORTIONIST, AND SHE HAD FOUNDED AN ABORTION MILL IN JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, AND LATER CAME TO REGRET AND COME OUT OF THE MOVEMENT AND SWITCHED TO PRO-LIFE. HER QUOTE, I GOT TO WHERE I COULDN'T STAND TO LOOK AT THE LITTLE BODIES ANYMORE. FORMER ABORTIONISTS. I'D LIKE TO READ A NUMBER OF OTHER QUOTES FROM FORMER ABORTIONISTS AND ABORTIONISTS WHO ARE STILL PRACTICING. QUOTE, EVEN NOW. I FEEL A LITTLE PECULIAR ABOUT IT BECAUSE AS A PHYSICIAN, I WAS TRAINED TO CONSERVE LIFE, AND HERE I AM DESTROYING IT. ANOTHER QUOTE TELLING THOSE WOMEN THEIR FETUSES FEEL PAIN IS HEAPING TORMENT UPON TORMENT, CREATING ANOTHER BARRIER FOR THEM TO GET THE MEDICAL CARE THEY NEED IS REALLY UNFAIR. THAT'S WHAT A CURRENT ABORTIONIST SAID.

ANOTHER ABORTIONIST. THAT IS WHY I HATE OVERUSE OF FORCEPS. THINGS TEAR. THERE ARE ONLY TWO KINDS OF DOCTORS WHO NEVER PERFORATED A UTERUS THOSE THAT LIE AND THOSE THAT DON'T DO ABORTIONS. DEATH IS AN ENEMY. IT'S SOMETHING THAT RIGHTLY MAKES US RECOIL. IT IS SICK THAT AS A CULTURE, WE ARE BEGINNING TO EMBRACE DEATH AS IF IT WERE A REFUGE OF FRIENDS. BUT IT'S NOT BETWEEN ABORTION, BETWEEN VIOLENCE AND OUR CULTURE, BETWEEN SO-CALLED MERCY KILLINGS, EUTHANASIA, THE SANTA MUERTE CULT, AND ON AND ON. DEATH IS NOT A FRIEND. IT IS AN ENEMY. CHRIST IS THE FRIEND. HE AND HE ALONE CONQUERED DEATH FURTHER DOWN IN FIRST CORINTHIANS 15 IT'S WRITTEN, O DEATH, WHERE IS THY STING? O GRAVE, WHERE IS THY VICTORY? THE STING OF DEATH IS SIN, AND THE STRENGTH OF SIN IS THE LAW. BUT THANKS BE TO GOD, WHO GIVES US THE VICTORY THROUGH OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST. THANK YOU AND HOPE YOU HAVE A VERY GOOD DAY. THANK YOU. AND THAT COMPLETES ALL THE SPEAKERS. SIGN UP FOR REGULAR PUBLIC COMMENT. ITEM NUMBER SEVEN PUBLIC HEARING SEVEN A CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING TO RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENT. BOTH PROPONENTS AND OPPONENTS ON THE PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX RATE FOR THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 TO 2026 FOR THE EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT. CAN WE HAVE A MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING? WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER CORONADO, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER BUTLER. THE VOTING IS OPEN.

JUDGE YOUR VOTE AND COMMISSIONER CORONADO AS WELL. THANK YOU. MOTION CARRIES. GO AHEAD.

COMMISSIONER. MY NAME IS MICHAEL. WELCOME, MICHAEL. EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT DISTRICT CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER. BEFORE WE COMMENCE INTO THE PUBLIC HEARING, I DO HAVE A BRIEF PRESENTATION REGARDING THE EL PASO COUNTY HOSPITAL DISTRICT FISCAL 2026 BUDGET. AS WE TALK

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SO WHEN WE ACTUALLY DID GO TO THE BOND MARKET IN JUNE AND THEN DID RECEIVE THE PROCEEDS IN JULY OF 2025. BECAUSE BECAUSE THERE ARE OVER 20 PROJECTS THAT ARE GOING TO TAKE ABOUT 5 TO 6 YEARS TO COMPLETE, THERE ARE IRS RULES AND REGULATIONS, SINCE THESE ARE TAX EXEMPT BONDS, THAT MOST OF THE BOND PROCEEDS NEED TO BE SPENT WITHIN THREE YEARS. AS A RESULT, WE BROKE OUT THE 397 MILLION INTO TWO TRANCHES. THIS YEAR WE WENT FOR 275 MILLION, AND IN ABOUT 2 OR 3 YEARS, WE WILL GO OUT FOR THE REMAINING $122 MILLION. AND WITH THAT, BACK IN NOVEMBER 2024, THAT'S WHEN THE VOTERS DID APPROVE BY ABOUT A 65% APPROVAL RATE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF THIS OF THE 2025 BOND ISSUE TO COVER IN TERMS OF HOW THE TAXPAYER IS AFFECTED. NOW, HERE IS GOES BACK TO THE LAST 4 OR 5 YEARS REGARDING UMC TAX RATE. AND IT IS INDICATED IN THE IN THE RED BOX. SO FOR THE LAST FIVE YEARS, THE HOSPITAL DISTRICT HAS ADOPTED, IN ESSENCE, THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF 2024 WHEN WE DID APPROVE THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE. BUT YOU'LL SEE THAT HISTORICALLY, THE HOSPITAL DISTRICTS, THE TAX RATE IS ABOUT 8% OF THE OF THE COUNTY TAX BILL. WE WERE AT 26.8 CENTS FOR EVERY $100 OF ASSESSED VALUATION BACK IN 2021. THAT RATE HAS DROPPED CURRENTLY. RIGHT NOW, WE'RE AT $0.22. NOW GOING FORWARD IN TERMS OF WHAT WE DO PLAN AND IS INCLUDED IN OUR 2026 BUDGET, YOU'LL SEE HERE THAT THE FINAL CERTIFIED VALUES FOR 2025 IS APPROXIMATELY $70.3 BILLION. NOW, CURRENTLY, RIGHT NOW, WITH THE RELEASE FROM THE CENTRAL APPRAISAL DISTRICT IN LATE JULY, THE CURRENT PROPERTY VALUES ARE ABOUT 74.1 BILLION. THERE'S ABOUT A 4.4% INCREASE FROM 2025 TO THE 2026 VALUATIONS. IF YOU LOOK AT THE 2025 FINAL CERTIFIED VALUES COLUMN, OUR CURRENT TAX RATE IS ABOUT 21.9 CENTS, WHICH IS BROKEN OUT BETWEEN MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS OF ABOUT 18.5 CENTS PER $100 ASSESSED VALUE, AND OUR INTEREST

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MR. NUNEZ, JUST REAL QUICK. IS IT SAFE TO SAY THEN THAT THE THAT THE INCREASE IN IN UMMC'S TAX RATE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT APPROVING IS FULLY DUE TO THE BOND? YES, SIR. THAT IS CORRECT.

THE TAX RATE INCREASE FROM 2025 TO 2026 IS ALL DUE TO THE VOTER APPROVED BOND ISSUE BACK IN NOVEMBER 2024. OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU COMMISSIONER, WE DO HAVE ONE SPEAKER SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT. OKAY. MR. RODRIGUEZ, JUST AS A REMINDER, THERE IS A FIVE MINUTE TIME LIMIT. GO AHEAD. WELCOME, MR. RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU, THANK YOU EVERYBODY. WELL, MY NAME IS MARIO RODRIGUEZ. AND THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I'M GOING TO BE IN THIS BECAUSE I USED TO WORK, BUT NOW I'M RETIRED, THANK GOD. AND I NEVER HAD A CHANCE TO SHOW UP TO THESE MEETINGS. AND I SEE THAT. I DON'T SEE TOO MANY PEOPLE GOING TO THESE MEETINGS. I MEAN, THAT'S DEPRESSING TO ME.

TO ME. SO THE ISSUE ON THESE TAXES, PROPERTY TAXES. OKAY. FIRST COMMENT I HAVE I NEVER RECEIVE ANY NOTIFICATION OF INCREASE OF TAX INCREASES. MY SISTER TOLD ME THE OTHER DAY, SAY, LOOK AT THE NOTICE ABOUT THIS, THAT SHE RECEIVED THIS PAPER. LITTLE PAPER. THERE IS A INCREASE. WELL, I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT IT. SO IS THERE A WAY WE SHOULD RECEIVE A MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THESE ISSUES? I MEAN, IT'S AMAZING. WE ARE IN THE AGE OF INFORMATION HERE ON THESE COMPUTERS, AND I. I DIDN'T KNOW ABOUT TAX INCREASE. I THINK THAT'S WRONG. OKAY. SO OUR NEXT QUESTION IS WHY. THE INCREASE? WELL I'M READING THIS. UNFORTUNATELY THIS LITTLE PAPER DISCLOSED, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION. AND THE ONLY THING I CAN SEE HERE IS THE. INDIGENT HEALTHCARE COMPENSATION EXPENDITURES INCREASED BY TWO MILLIONS OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. SO IT IS, IS THAT IT IS JUST THE, THE REASON THE TAXES ARE BEING INCREASED IN INDIGENT DEFENSE COMPENSATION. I DON'T UNDERSTAND OKAY. SO. THE OTHER QUESTION IS

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SO WHAT WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN TO THESE PEOPLE? I MEAN, IT'S THEY CAN'T AFFORD. TIME PAY.

PARDON ME? YOUR TIME. YOUR TIME IS UP. BUT YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND FINISH REAL QUICK BECAUSE EVERYBODY GETS FIVE MINUTES. SO YOU SEE THAT? MY POINT IS I DON'T THINK YOU'RE TAKING INTO ACCOUNT, YOU KNOW, THE INCREASES IN IN IN IN PROPERTY VALUES ON TOP OF THE INCREASE IN THE PERCENTAGE OF YOU'RE GOING TO CHARGE ME FOR THAT. AND IT'S A RAISE. YOU KNOW, THE PEOPLE THE SOCIAL SECURITY DOESN'T INCREASE THAT MUCH EVERY YEAR. SO IF I INCREASE THE RENT. PEOPLE YOU KNOW IS GOING TO SUFFER. WELL, THANK YOU FOR COMING. AND WE ALWAYS TAKE EVERYTHING IN PUBLIC COMMENT. WE CONSIDER IT. AND, YOU KNOW, WE'LL TAKE YOUR INFORMATION. OKAY. THANK YOU, MR. RODRIGUEZ. THANK YOU VERY MUCH. JUST SO YOU KNOW, MR. RODRIGUEZ, USUALLY DURING PUBLIC COMMENT, WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO ANSWER QUESTIONS OR ENGAGE WITH WITH THE PUBLIC. IT'S JUST AN OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO COME UP AND SHARE YOUR OPINIONS WITH US. I'M HAPPY TO SPEAK WITH YOU. YOU MAY BE MY CONSTITUENT. I REPRESENT PRECINCT TWO. YOU SAID YOUR PROPERTIES ARE IN CENTRAL, SO I'M PROBABLY AT LEAST THE PROPERTIES THAT YOU RENT. I REPRESENT THAT AREA AND I'M HAPPY TO TALK TO YOU OR HAVE MY STAFF TALK TO YOU ABOUT ABOUT THIS SO WE CAN MAKE, MAKE SURE THINGS THAT ARE CLEAR. BUT I JUST WANT TO MAKE, MAKE CLEAR TO THE PUBLIC IN GENERAL THAT WE DID WE DID REDUCE THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATION, PART OF THE TAX RATE AND THE TAX RATE INCREASE THAT YOU WERE SEEING FOR UMMC'S TAX RATE IS DUE TO THE VOTERS DECISION IN NOVEMBER TO GIVE THEM PERMISSION TO GO OUT TO ALMOST $400 MILLION TO BORROW MONEY FOR A NEW CANCER CENTER, FOR A BURN CENTER, FOR A NEW HEALTH CARE CLINIC THAT'S IN CENTRAL. AND SO THE INCREASE THAT WE ARE SEEING ON UMMC'S TAX RATE IS SOLELY DUE TO THE VOTERS APPROVAL OF THE BONDS. WE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO BE LOOKING AT VOTING TO REDUCE THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS SIDE BY A LITTLE

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BECAUSE OVERALL, IF WE HAVE A HEALTHIER COMMUNITY, THAT REDUCES THE BURDEN ON OUR HOSPITAL DISTRICT AND ON OUR ON OUR HEALTH CARE SYSTEM AS A COMMUNITY, WHEN WE'RE BEING PROACTIVE ABOUT ADDRESSING HEALTH CARE ISSUES. AND SO I THINK OUR RESPONSIBILITY IN, IN OVERSEEING UMC IS, IS ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT RESPONSIBILITIES WE HAVE ON COMMISSIONERS COURT.

AND I'D ENCOURAGE ANYBODY WHO HAS QUESTIONS ABOUT THEIR BUDGET AND WHAT THEY'RE DOING. AND SOME OF THE DISCUSSIONS WE'VE HAD PUBLICLY TO GO BACK AND WATCH THAT PUBLIC HEARING THAT WE HAD A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO. BUT FOR NOW, I'LL THANK UMC, THE STAFF, MICHAEL, FOR YOUR DILIGENCE AND ANSWERING ALL OF OUR QUESTIONS. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER. I BELIEVE THAT IS ALL THE PUBLIC COMMENT WE HAVE. COULD WE GO AHEAD AND HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THIS PUBLIC HEARING? SO MOVED.

THANK YOU. MOTION BY JUDGE SAMANIEGO, SECOND BY COMMISSIONER OLGUIN. THE VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES. ITEM EIGHT. THANK YOU. MICHAEL, FROM THE REGULAR AGENDA EIGHT A RECEIVE A PRESENTATION. DISCUSS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION ON THE FISCAL YEAR 2025 THROUGH 2026. BUDGET AND PROPERTY TAX RATE FOR EMERGENCY SERVICE DISTRICTS. NUMBER ONE.

GOOD MORNING. JUDGE. COMMISSIONERS MELISSA CARRILLO WITH COUNTY OPERATIONS THIS MORNING. WE ARE GOING TO NOW SHIFT FOCUS TO OUR ISDS. WE ARE GOING TO START WITH ESD NUMBER ONE, WHO'S GOING TO PRESENT ON THEIR BUDGET AS WELL AS THEIR TAX RATE. AND SO I'LL TURN IT OVER TO THE TEAM AT THIS TIME. AS A REMINDER, EACH YEAR WE TALK ABOUT ENSURING THAT THEY HAVE BROUGHT THEIR BUDGET AND THEIR TAX RATES BEFORE THE BOARD, BEFORE COMING BEFORE THIS BODY.

AND I WANT TO LET YOU KNOW THAT THAT HAS ALREADY BEEN DONE. SO TODAY YOU'RE HEARING A BUDGET AND A TAX RATE AS APPROVED BY THEIR BOARD. SO WITH THAT I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO THE ESD ONE TEAM. WELCOME, CHIEF. THANK YOU FOR BEING HERE. THANK YOU FOR HAVING US. CHRIS MENENDEZ, FIRE CHIEF FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES, DISTRICT NUMBER ONE, TO MY RIGHT, ADMINISTRATOR, MRS. CATHERINE AMES. SO THIS MORNING WE WILL BE PRESENTING THE ESD BUDGET NUMBER ONE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2526. AND AS MELISSA HAD MENTIONED, OUR BOARD, OUR LOCAL BOARD DID APPROVE IT ON THURSDAY THE 14TH OF AUGUST WITHOUT ANY AMENDMENTS. I WOULD LIKE TO START WITH OUR MISSION STATEMENT. THIS IS BASICALLY THIS IS WHAT OUR BUDGET IS BASED UPON. AND THE ESD'S MISSION IS

[00:55:01]

THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY THE EFFECTIVE USE OF ITS OF ITS VOLUNTEERS AND CAREER PERSONNEL IN COOPERATION WITH OTHER PUBLIC AGENCIES, UTILIZING STATE OF THE ART EQUIPMENT, INNOVATIVE TECHNIQUES AND TECHNOLOGY. AND SO SOME OF THE ESD HIGHLIGHTS. WE RECENTLY ADOPTED NFPA 1583.

THIS WAS DESIGNED TO PROMOTE FIREFIGHTER WELLNESS, SAFETY AND OPERATIONAL READINESS. AND SO THIS IS GOING TO HELP US IDENTIFY POSSIBLE CANCERS. POSSIBLE IDENTIFY ALSO ANY TYPE OF RED FLAGS THAT THE FIREFIGHTERS MAY HAVE PRIOR TO SOMETHING AFFECTING THEM.

CRITICALLY. WE ALSO HAVE OUR STAFFING CERTIFICATIONS. WE ARE THE ONLY DEPARTMENT IN THIS REGION THAT IS ALL PARAMEDIC FOR THE PAID STAFF MEMBERS. WE CURRENTLY HAVE 12 THAT ARE ALREADY CERTIFIED, SEVEN THAT START IN SEPTEMBER, AND THEN SIX THAT ARE CURRENTLY COMPLETING THEIR PARAMEDIC AND WILL BE CERTIFIED TO THE DISHES LEVEL. WE ALSO JUST TO, YOU KNOW, GIVE EVERYBODY A FAMILIAR WITH OUR DEPARTMENT. WE HAVE CURRENTLY 30 FULL TIME EMPLOYEES AND WITHIN OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR WE ARE REQUESTING SIX MORE FULL TIME EMPLOYEES AND WE HAVE 46 VOLUNTEERS. SO I AM VERY PROUD TO SAY WITH OUR VOLUNTEERS THAT OUR RETENTION IS EXCELLENT. WE RECENTLY INTERVIEWED 35 PROSPECTIVE VOLUNTEERS THAT WANTED TO JOIN OUR DEPARTMENT, AND WE ALLOWED 29 TO MOVE ON TO THE NEXT PHASE. AND SO THAT IS NOT NORMAL. SO MOST DEPARTMENTS ARE STRUGGLING WITH VOLUNTEERS. AND I AM VERY PROUD TO SAY THAT WE ARE NOT. SOME OF THE CHALLENGES AND CRITICAL NEEDS. BUDGET. WE DID A REVENUE STUDY. THE STRATEGIC PLANNING COMMITTEE MET AND CREATED A DOCUMENTS. ONE OF OUR COMMISSIONERS DID AN EXCELLENT JOB ON ENABLING THE DOCUMENT TO INPUT THE DATA TO REFLECT THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE FISCALLY SOUND FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. AND SO HOW IS THAT DONE? SO THAT WAS DONE THROUGH PRUDENT BUDGETING, EFFICIENT RESOURCE ALLOCATION AND SUSTAINABLE REVENUE. SUSTAINABLE REVENUE. WE'LL TALK ABOUT HERE TIFMAS.

AND I'LL MAKE MENTION THAT HERE IN THE NEXT SLIDE. ANOTHER CHALLENGE OR NEED THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING IS A SUCCESSION PLAN IN LEADERSHIP. AND SO WE INVESTED IN OUR STAFF THROUGH LEADERSHIP TRAINING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES. WE ALWAYS HAVE THAT OPEN COMMUNICATION. AND SO THAT HAS HELPED US RETAIN OUR CURRENT MEMBERS. AND LASTLY, A TRAINING ACADEMY, WE ARE LOOKING AT. HAVING OUR OWN TRAINING ACADEMY BASED UPON THE BUDGET THAT IS BEING PROPOSED IN THE NEXT COUPLE OF YEARS. AND THE IDEA BEHIND THAT IS TO ALLOW US TO TRAIN OUR OWN PEOPLE IN-HOUSE SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO GO OUT OF THE DEPARTMENT, OR FOR THAT MATTER, GO OUT OF EL PASO COUNTY TO GET THEM CERTIFIED IN OTHER AREAS OF TEXAS. OUR FIRE MARSHAL DIVISION WILL BE INITIATING A INVESTIGATION DIVISION EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1ST. AND THAT IS ALSO PART OF THIS YEAR'S BUDGET TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO 148MI■!S, WHICH IS WHAT ESD ONE ENCOMPASSES. AND SO THIS IS GOING TO ALLOW US TO HAVE TIMELY FIRE INVESTIGATIONS, BECAUSE CURRENTLY WE UTILIZE EL PASO FIRE AND THERE ARE DELAYS IN HAVING THEM COME OUT JUST LIKE THIS MORNING, YOU KNOW, AT 2:00 IN THE MORNING, HAVING THE ON DUTY INVESTIGATOR COME OUT AVERAGES ABOUT AN HOUR TO TWO PRIOR TO THEM GETTING ONTO THE SCENE. AND SO THIS PROGRAM WILL ALLOW US TO REDUCE RELIANCE ON OUTSIDE ENTITIES AND OTHER AGENCIES. AND SO HOW THIS IS GOING TO BE DONE, IT WILL BE BY UTILIZING OUR FOUR PEACE OFFICERS AND FIVE CAUSE AND ORIGIN INVESTIGATORS. AND SO WE'LL ALSO TALK ABOUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE BOTTOM RIGHT HAND CORNER ON THE BAR GRAPH, OPERATIONAL PERMITS. IF YOU SEE IN 2022 WE WERE AT A HIGH OF 1289. THIS YEAR, WE'RE CURRENTLY AT 420, AND WE EXPECT TO HIT 778. OUR AVERAGE OVER THE LAST PAST SIX YEARS HAS BEEN ABOUT 7 TO 800. SO WE ARE SUSTAINING THAT THAT NUMBER. AND SO IT JUST GOES TO REFLECT THAT OUR COMMUNITY IS STILL GROWING, OUR AREA IS STILL GROWING. OUR FIRES ALSO GOT TO MAKE HAVE TO MAKE MENTION TO OUR FIRE MARSHAL'S OFFICE IN REGARDS TO FIRES. LAST YEAR WE WERE AT 249, THIS YEAR IT WENT DOWN TO 145. AND SO THAT IS PRETTY SIGNIFICANT, SHOWING THAT OUR FIRE MARSHALS ARE DOING A GREAT JOB WITH WHAT THEY HAVE TO DO. SOME OF OUR DEPARTMENT COMMUNITY GROWTH, ONE OF OUR GOALS THIS THIS PAST SEVERAL YEARS AND THIS YEAR WAS COMMUNITY OUTREACH. WE MADE CONTACT WITH 17,149 PEOPLE, WHETHER IT BE FOR COMMUNITY EVENTS, FLAG DISPLAYS, FIRE SAFETY PRESENTATIONS, STATION VISITS OR SCHOOL PRESENTATIONS.

WE HAVE GONE OUT AND PHYSICALLY TALKED TO OR SHOOK HANDS WITH THAT MANY PEOPLE, WHICH IS

[01:00:05]

CURRENTLY, TO DATE, WE HAVE HAD SEVEN DEPLOYMENTS. WE WERE PART OF THE HORRIFIC FLOODING IN CENTRAL TEXAS. WE HAD CREWS DOWN THERE FOR FOUR MONTHS ASSISTING WITH THAT. AND SO WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THEM AND THEIR DEDICATION FOR THAT NEW TEAM THAT WE'RE STARTING THIS YEAR IS AN ALL HAZARDS TEAM, SHORT FOR HART. WE PARTNER WITH CHIEF SAMANIEGO, WITH SHERIFF SAMANIEGO, I SHOULD SAY, AND WE ARE GOING TO BE JOINING THEIR SWAT TEAM. WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TACTICAL MEDICS. AN MOU HAS BEEN ALREADY SIGNED AND IS IN PLACE. TRYOUTS WILL BE HAPPENING SEPTEMBER OF THIS COMING YEAR. WE WILL HAVE EIGHT MEMBERS IN THE MEDICAL SUPPORT IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THE OFFICERS, THE SWAT TEAM, OR EVEN MORE SO, OUR CONSTITUENTS THAT ARE OUT THERE. AND SO THAT'S A NEW PROGRAM THAT WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO START AND SUSTAIN CALL VOLUME. THIS YEAR, WE'RE EXPECTED TO HIT 5533 WITH TWO STATIONS. EACH STATION HAS FOUR PERSONNEL ON STAFF. WE WORK AT 4896 RUNNING THESE THESE CALLS IN COMPARISON TO LAST YEAR, WE DID SEE AN INCREASE OF 11.2%. I WANT TO MAKE MENTION TO THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN AN EMT BASIC AND A PARAMEDIC. THE BASIC IS A BASIC LEVEL MEDICAL CERTIFICATION, AND ALL OF OUR STAFF ARE PARAMEDIC LEVEL, OR THEY'RE GOING TO BE PARAMEDIC LEVEL. THEY HAVE THREE YEARS TO OBTAIN THAT CERTIFICATION. AND THAT ALLOWS THEM TO START IVS, ADVANCED CARDIAC LIFE SUPPORT AND A LOT OF ADVANCED CARE THAT IS DONE AT THE PARAMEDIC LEVEL THAT YOU CANNOT DO AT THE BASIC LEVEL. A LITTLE PIE GRAPH SHOWING THE 145 CALLS OUR STRUCTURE FIRES NUMBERED NUMBER ONE AT 38% OR 55.1, AND THEN SECOND, A CLOSE SECOND WAS RUBBISH FIRES AT 36% OR 52.2. WE TALK ABOUT OUR 20 YEAR TREND. AND SO IN TEN YEARS WE'RE LOOKING AT GOING FROM CURRENTLY NOW WHAT WE'RE EXPECTING TO BE AT 5533 TO IN 2030, AND I SHOULD SAY FIVE YEARS, I'M SORRY TO BE AT 6253 CALLS FOR THE YEAR. AND SO WITHIN THIS BUDGET, HOW ARE WE GOING TO SUSTAIN THAT? WE'RE ASKING FOR AN ADDITIONAL DISPATCHER OR HIRING OR ASKING TO HIRE FOUR ADDITIONAL FIREFIGHTERS. WE'RE LOOKING AT HIRING A MECHANIC, SMALL ENGINE STAFF MEMBER, AND WE'RE IN THE PROCESS OF FINISHING OUR FLEET SERVICES BUILDING THAT IS AT OUR HEADQUARTERS. ALSO. THIS WILL BE A MEANS FOR THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE TO HAVE A SATELLITE OFFICE WITHIN OUR HEADQUARTERS THERE.

SO THEY WILL HAVE FACILITIES AND OFFICE THERE TO DO THEIR COMPUTER WORK, TO HAVE A PLACE TO HAVE LUNCH OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, AND BE ABLE TO RESPOND WITHIN THAT REGION THERE. SO WE'RE VERY EXCITED TO PARTNER WITH THEM FOR THAT. AND SO LASTLY, THE LAST SLIDE BEFORE I GO INTO A VIDEO IS OUR RESPONSE TIME HAS DECREASED BY 20S. AND SO THAT IS VERY GOOD.

AND HOW HAVE WE DONE THAT. WE'VE DONE THAT BY RECRUITING THE VOLUNTEERS AND STAFFING ADDITIONAL TRUCK. SO NOT ONLY DO WE HAVE TWO TRUCKS RESPONDING ON A 24 HOUR PERIOD, BUT ON PEAK TIMES WE HAVE THAT THIRD TRUCK THAT ASSIST US WITH OVERLAPPING CALLS. AN OVERLAPPING CALL COULD BE TWO CALLS, THREE CALLS THAT HAPPEN AT ONCE. AND SO AS THOSE CALLS COME IN, THOSE TRUCKS START RESPONDING AND ARE ABLE TO MITIGATE THE INCIDENT AND RESPOND WITHOUT DELAY TO OUR CONSTITUENTS. SO IN THIS VIDEO, IT'S GOING TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT OUR TESTAMENT TO THE DEDICATION, SKILL AND HEART OF OUR FIREFIGHTERS. FROM LIFE SAVING RESCUES TO COMMUNITY OUTREACH, EACH MOMENT REFLECTS OUR UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO PROTECTING THOSE WE SERVE. WE HAVE FACED CHALLENGES HEAD ON, EMBRACED INNOVATIVE AND STRENGTHENED INNOVATION, AND STRENGTHEN OUR BOND WITH THE COMMUNITY. WE'LL START THE VIDEO.

[01:06:37]

NOW I HAVE OUR ADMINISTRATOR, MISS CATHERINE, AIMS TO PRESENT THE REMAINDER OF THE BUDGET.

GREAT, AMAZING VIDEO. THANK YOU. GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING. SO BEFORE THAT I START, I WANTED TO TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT SOME OF THE TRAININGS THAT CHIEF MENENDEZ HAD MENTIONED. SO OUR BOARD AND STAFF ATTENDED THE SAFETY CONFERENCE THIS FEBRUARY, AND THE CHIEF AND I WERE VERY HONORED TO BE SELECTED TO PRESENT ON BUDGETING. SO THANK YOU FOR ALL THE EXPERIENCE THAT YOU'VE PROVIDED US OVER THE YEARS FOR OUR PRESENTATION. BUT SOME OF THE THINGS THAT WE LEARNED WAS STRATEGIC PLANNING. SPECIFICALLY, OUR BOARD BROUGHT BACK MANY FORMS AND MANY IDEAS ON HOW TO RE LOOK AT STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR OUR DEPARTMENT. AND SO WE STARTED A SEVEN PERSON COMMITTEE, INCLUDING TWO COMMISSIONERS AND FIVE STAFF MEMBERS. AND WE MET EVERY 2 TO 3 WEEKS. THEY GAVE US LOTS OF HOMEWORK. WE LOOKED AT OUR ENTIRE DEPARTMENT BETWEEN BUILDINGS AND VEHICLES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS. WE HAD THE TOWN OF HORIZON EDC COME AND PRESENT TO OUR COMMITTEE TO INFORM US OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF GROWTH CHALLENGES THAT WE WOULD SEE IN THE FUTURE. WE ALSO INCORPORATED SBA, WHO'S OUR ACCOUNTING FIRM, TO HELP US CALCULATE FUTURE REVENUE FOR THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. AND SO OUR COMMITTEE WORKED REALLY HARD TO PREPARE FOR THIS BUDGET AND TO IDENTIFY WHAT OUR FINANCIAL CHALLENGES WOULD BE AND WHAT OUR WHAT WE WHAT WE WOULD NEED TO DO TO SET OURSELVES UP FOR FINANCIAL STABILITY IN THE NEXT FIVE YEARS. AS CHIEF HAD MENTIONED, THE OTHER SESSION THAT WE WENT TO, WHICH WAS GFOA, THE GOVERNMENT FINANCE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION, ONE COMMISSIONER, THREE STAFF MEMBERS, AND WE ATTENDED A WONDERFUL FIRE TRAINING BY PEOPLE IN THE IN THE UNITED STATES WHO HAVE GONE TO PRESENT ALL ABOUT STAFFING NUMBERS AND ALL OF THAT. SO WE FOUND THAT TO BE VERY HELPFUL IN US DETERMINING WHAT WE CALL OUR RELIEF FACTOR, IN OTHER WORDS, DETERMINING HOW MANY FIREFIGHTERS WE NEED TO STAFF IN ORDER TO HAVE SOMEONE IN THE SEAT 24 OVER SEVEN, 360 FOR THE ENTIRE YEAR. SO WE'RE VERY PLEASED THAT WE WERE ABLE TO ATTEND THOSE TRAININGS. AND THAT INFORMATION HAS GONE FORTH IN OUR BUDGET. AND SO THAT'S WHERE YOU'LL SEE A LOT OF THIS INFORMATION AND HAS COME FROM. SO OUR BOARD DID HAVE A BUDGET RETREAT MEETING ON JULY THE 30TH TO REVIEW EACH INDIVIDUAL ACCOUNT AND THE PERSONNEL, THE PERSONNEL MANNING TABLE. AND WE DID INVITE THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC TO ATTEND. WE DID NOT HAVE ANYONE WHO ATTENDED, BUT IT WAS ABOUT A FIVE HOUR MEETING. WE DON'T WE FEED THEM, DON'T WORRY, BUT WE DON'T RELEASE THEM

[01:10:02]

HEY, I'D LIKE TO SEE A LITTLE MORE OF THIS OR SUCH. SO AFTER THAT REVIEW, THE STAFF COMPLETED THE FINAL REVIEW, INCORPORATED ALL OF THE COMMISSIONERS COMMENTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS TO COME TO THESE FINAL NUMBERS THAT WE ARE PRESENTING TO YOU TODAY. SO OUR BUDGET IS A.

$17,867,140.15. IT'S COMPRISED OF PAYROLLS AND SALARIES, WHICH IS 34% OF THE BUDGET, OR 5.9 ALSO OPERATIONS, WHICH IS 5.5 MILLION AT 31%, OUR CAPITAL CONSTRUCTION AT 3,282,018%. AND THEN OUR LIABILITY AND INTEREST, WHICH IS 3 MILLION AT 17%. SO TO TALK ABOUT A LITTLE MORE FINANCIAL THINGS THAT IMPACT OUR BUDGET, WE DID INCREASE, AS THE CHIEF HAD MENTIONED, WE'RE SEEING AN INCREASE IN POPULATIONS. AND THESE ARE CHALLENGES TO PROVIDING ESD SERVICES. BUT WE ARE LUCKY THAT WE HAVE SEEN A REVENUE INCREASE THAT WILL HELP FUND THAT POPULATION. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, OUR ROOFTOPS IDENTIFIED BY CAD HAS INCREASED BY 1500 IN THIS FISCAL YEAR. AND WE HAVE SEEN AN INCREASE IN HOMES, BUSINESSES AND VISITORS TO THE DISTRICT.

WHAT WILL HELP FUND THIS INCREASED POPULATION AND PEOPLE TO OUR COMMUNITY IS OUR PROJECTED SALES TAX INCREASE OF 1.8 MILLION, AND OUR PROJECTED PROPERTY TAX INCREASE OF 941,000. SO WHAT WE EQUATE TO IS THE BOARD HAS APPROVED A TEN CENT TAX RATE. AND SO JUST TO GIVE YOU A PERSPECTIVE, A TEN CENT TAX RATE FOR THE AVERAGE HOMEOWNER WOULD JUST BE $4.58 PER WEEK TO ACCESS EMERGENCY SERVICES WITHIN OUR 148MI■!S. SO WE FIND THAT THIS IS A VERY REASONABLE COST FOR QUALITY EMERGENCY SERVICES. AND AS FIRST RESPONDERS, WE SEE FIRSTHAND HOW VITAL IT IS FOR THE BUDGET TO KEEP PACE WITH OUR OUR COMMUNITY'S GROWTH. WITH MORE HOMES, EXPANDING BUSINESSES AND STEADY RISE IN VISITORS TO OUR DISTRICT, THE DEMAND FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES CONTINUES TO INCREASE. OUR BUDGET THIS YEAR HELPS ENSURE THAT WE HAVE THE PERSONNEL, THE EQUIPMENT AND THE RESOURCES NECESSARY TO RESPOND QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY, KEEPING OUR RESIDENTS, BUSINESSES AND VISITORS SAFE EVERY DAY IN OUR COMMUNITY. SO LET'S TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE BUDGET BREAKDOWN. SO AS CHIEF MENDEZ HAD MENTIONED, IS ON AUGUST THE 14TH, OUR BOARD DID APPROVE THE $17,867,000 BUDGET, WHICH IS A DECREASE OVER LAST YEAR OF $333,906, OR 1.83%. NOW, THIS IS MOSTLY DUE IN PART TO OUR HEADQUARTERS PROJECT THAT WE HAD MENTIONED LAST FISCAL YEAR. OUR HEADQUARTERS WERE PROUD TO SAY WILL BE COMPLETED ON SEPTEMBER 11TH. QUITE IRONIC, BUT WE THINK IT'S A GREAT THING. AND SO WE HAD A LOT OF ONE TIME CAPITAL PURCHASES, A LOT OF THOSE TYPES OF ARCHITECT FEES, ALL OF THOSE TYPES OF THINGS. SO THAT WAS ROLLED INTO THE BUDGET. SO THAT'S WHERE WE ARE SEEING THE DECREASE THIS YEAR. OUR SECOND AREA IS THE LIABILITY AND INTEREST. AND WE DID PAY OFF A LOAN THIS YEAR. SO OUR LIABILITY AND INTEREST BUDGET HAS SEEN A REDUCTION OF $153,929, OR 4.76% DECREASE. AND SO FOR OUR SALARIES, WE DID HAVE AN INCREASE OF $1.1 MILLION OR 23.71%. AND THIS IS DUE TO THE PAYROLL AND IS ATTRIBUTED TO THE EXPANSION OF OUR ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATIONAL STAFFING THAT CHIEF MENENDEZ HAD MENTIONED. IT'S THE PROVISION OF EMPLOYEE PAY INCREASES AND THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A TRAINING INCENTIVE PROGRAM FOR OUR VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS.

CURRENTLY, THEY VOLUNTEER DURING THEIR ONCE A WEEK REQUIRED TRAINING. AND SO IN ORDER TO CONTINUE TO PROMOTE OUR TRAINING PROGRAM, WE'RE OFFERING AN ADDITIONAL INCENTIVE FOR THEM.

OUR OPERATIONS BUDGET INCREASED BY 1,243,000, REPRESENTING 29.16% RISE, AND THIS IS PRIMARILY DUE TO THE COMMISSIONING OF THE HEADQUARTERS. SO NOW THAT WE'LL BE BRINGING IT ON BOARD, THERE'S ALL OF THOSE EXPENSES THAT GO ALONG WITH THAT. SO BASICALLY, WE MOVED THE EXPENSES FROM CAPITAL INTO OUR OPERATING BUDGET FOR THAT BUILDING. WE ARE SEEING AN INCREASED PERSONNEL SUPPLY COSTS AS WE HAVE MORE VOLUNTEERS AND FIREFIGHTERS ON STAFF AND THE SUPPLY CHAIN ESCALATIONS, AND ALSO THE REPLACEMENT OF FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT. FIREFIGHTING EQUIPMENT DOES HAVE AN EXPIRATION DATE ON A LOT OF THINGS THAT WE HAVE. AND SO WE'RE ALWAYS MAKING SURE THAT WE KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE AND WE'RE PLANNING IN ADVANCE, SO THAT WE HAVE EQUIPMENT THAT MEETS THE NFPA REGULATIONS AND IS SAFE FOR

[01:15:04]

GIVING US THAT TOTAL BUDGET OF. $17,867,140.16, AGAIN A DECREASE OF 1.83% OVER LAST FISCAL YEAR.

I WANTED TO MENTION OUR ENCUMBERED RESERVE BALANCE IS DIVIDED. AS SUCH, OUR CAPITAL PROJECT RESERVES, WHICH I HAD MENTIONED IS FOR THOSE FUTURE PROJECTS, $1,041,589.15. AND OUR EMERGENCY RESERVE IS $4,727,703.44, WHICH AGAIN IS 150 DAYS OF OPERATION RESERVE.

SO OUR TOTAL ENCUMBERED RESERVE BALANCE WOULD BE. $5,769,292.59. I ALSO WANT TO MENTION A FEW OTHER FACTS, IS, IS THAT OUR AVERAGE HOME VALUE THIS YEAR IN OUR IN OUR DISTRICT HAS ONLY INCREASED BY $5,409 OR 2.29%. SO OUR AVERAGE HOME WILL ONLY PAY $5.41 MORE CENTS PER YEAR, OR 2.3% OVER THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE GOING TO THE TEN CENT RATE. SO WE STILL FIND THAT $5 INCREASE IN TAXES OVER THE NEW NEW NO NEW REVENUE RATE IS STILL REALLY A BARGAIN FOR EMERGENCY SERVICES WITHIN OUR DISTRICT. THAT IS THE END OF MY PRESENTATION, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU ALL MAY HAVE. QUESTIONS? YES, COMMISSIONER BUTLER. YOU WANT TO GO FIRST? I JUST HAD A COMMENT. I JUST WANTED TO THANK YOU, CHIEF, FOR MAKING SPACE AVAILABLE FOR OUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE AND THE NEW FACILITY. IT'S GOING TO BE A BEAUTIFUL FACILITY, AND WE ALL KNOW HOW QUICKLY THAT PART OF THE COUNTY IS GROWING. AND I KNOW THAT THE SHERIFF'S OFFICERS WILL CERTAINLY HAVE WILL APPRECIATE HAVING SPACE WHERE THEY CAN STOP AND THEY CAN WORK, AND THEY THEY CAN TAKE A LITTLE BREAK. RIGHT NOW, ALL OF THE OFFICERS SERVING THAT AREA ARE EITHER COMING FROM THE SUBSTATION OR THE SUBSTATION, WHICH ARE PRETTY GOOD DISTANCES AWAY FROM THAT AREA. SO THANK YOU FOR MAKING THAT SPACE AVAILABLE TO THEM.

THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER BUTLER, YES, I HAVE JUST A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION. AND I, I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE THE WORK THAT YOU DO AT ESD ONE AND. FIREFIGHTING IS EXPENSIVE. IT'S INCREDIBLY EXPENSIVE. AND THE RESIDENTS OF ESD ONE ARE LUCKY TO HAVE SUCH A DILIGENT AND RESPONSIVE DEPARTMENT WITH YOU ALL. I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT STAFFING BECAUSE I KNOW THERE WAS A WAS THERE A PLAN TO TRANSITION ALL OF THE VOLUNTEER TO TRANSITION ESD ONE INTO AN ALL PAID STAFF FIREFIGHTING STAFF? SO YES, IT'S A COMBINATION DEPARTMENT. WE ALWAYS WANT TO MAINTAIN THAT

[01:20:02]

[01:25:03]

SO BUT AGAIN, WE STARTED THIS MANY YEARS AGO, AND WE'RE STILL CONTINUING TO BUILD ON IT. AND THE INFRASTRUCTURE THAT OUR PREVIOUS BOARDS AND US AS STAFF HAVE BUILT OVER THE YEARS, I THINK IS REALLY SHOWING THE HOW WE'RE ABLE TO SERVE OUR COMMUNITY. AND I MIGHT ADD THAT WITH THE ADOPTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL FIRE CODE 2021, THERE WAS A PIECE IN THERE THAT ALLOWED US TO RAISE THE FEES FOR THE PERMITTING, BUT WE HAVE NOT, AND WE HAVE NOT, BECAUSE WE UNDERSTAND THAT OUR CONSTITUENTS, YOU KNOW, ARE TRYING TO BUILD AND TRYING TO DO SOMETHING FOR THEMSELVES IN REGARDS TO BUSINESS OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE. AND SO AS SUCH, WE'VE KIND OF WE'VE HELD EVERYTHING AS STATUS QUO FOR THE PAST SEVERAL YEARS. OKAY. THANK YOU, THANK YOU. WELL, THE GROWTH IS IMPRESSIVE. AND IT LOOKS LIKE YOU'RE TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO KEEP UP WITH THAT GROWTH. AND THAT'S PRETTY ALSO VERY IMPRESSIVE. SO YES SIR. ANY OTHER QUESTIONS. ANY COMMENTS. JUST ONE LAST COMMENT CATHERINE. I JUST WANT TO THANK YOU FOR ALWAYS BEING SO HELPFUL AND FOR HOSTING OUR NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS THERE AT THE FIRE STATION IN HORIZON. WE REALLY, REALLY APPRECIATE IT. THANK YOU. IT'S OUR PLEASURE. THANK YOU.

COMMISSIONER. WE HAVE A MOTION BY JUDGE SAMANIEGO TO APPROVE THE ESD ONE BUDGET. SECOND, BY COMMISSIONER CORONADO. THE VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES. THANK YOU. THANK YOU BOTH. THANK YOU. ITEM EIGHT B RECEIVE A PRESENTATION. DISCUSS AND TAKE APPROPRIATE ACTION ON THE FISCAL

[01:30:03]

GOOD MORNING. GOOD MORNING JUDGE. GOOD MORNING, COMMISSIONER BUTLER. CHIEF.

SCOUT, COMMISSIONER AND COMMISSIONER CORONADO, THANK YOU FOR HAVING US THIS MORNING. LET ME START OFF WITH A COUPLE OF HIGHLIGHTS IN OUR BUDGET PRESENTATION. DURING THIS LAST YEAR, WE WE'VE UPDATED OUR WEST SIDE FIRE STATION, NEW TRAINING FACILITY, THE TRAINING ROOM. WE DID A REMODEL AT OUR MONTANA VISTA FIRE STATION. WE CERTIFIED 44 OF OUR VOLUNTEERS TO FULLY CERTIFIED. OH, SORRY. WE CERTIFIED TWO OF OUR PAID STAFF INTO PARAMEDICS. WE ARE WAITING FOR ANOTHER FIVE FROM OUR VOLUNTEER SIDE THAT ARE ALSO. WE ARE ALLOWING EVERYBODY TO TAKE THE PARAMEDIC COURSE AS WE MOVE FORWARD. ADDED A SECOND PAID NIGHT SHIFT TO THE SOCORRO FIRE STATION. WE ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON ADDING ANOTHER NIGHT SHIFT TO THE CLINTON FABENS, ALSO WORKING ON THE ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN FOR THE SECOND SOCORRO FIRE STATION AND FOR FOUR OF OUR STAFF WILL BE ATTENDING THE EL PASO COUNTY SHERIFF'S ACADEMY. ACTUALLY, WE'RE ALSO GOING TO BE ACTIVATING THE FIRST ESD FIRE AMBULANCE IN THE COUNTY, WHICH WE OWNED ALREADY FOR THE LAST TEN YEARS. AS YOU CAN SEE, THERE IS ALREADY EQUIPMENT BEING ORDERED. THIS IS IN PREPARATION BECAUSE WE SEE THAT WE ARE HAVING A LACK OF RESPONSE WITH THE COUNTY AMBULANCE. SO IN SOME INSTANCES WE'VE SEEN 30 TO 40 MINUTE RESPONSE TIMES. SO WE'RE WE'RE PREPPING. OVERALL 911 CALL OVERVIEW. AS YOU CAN SEE FROM 2020 9621 WE'RE AT 10,530. THIS IS AN ACCURATE DEPICTION OF OUR CALLS SINCE WE MERGED EVERYBODY INTO ONE REPORTING SYSTEM. ANY QUESTIONS ON THAT, COMMISSIONERS. OUR AVERAGE RESPONSE TIMES HAS GOTTEN BETTER. 2022 WE HAD AN EIGHT MINUTE RESPONSE TIME. 2025 RIGHT NOW WE HAVE A 751. IT'S A LOT AVERAGE TIME. WE SHOULD BE ABOUT SEVEN MINUTES. SO WE HAVE A PRETTY PRETTY CLOSE AND ACCURATE RESPONSE TIME. FIRE BREAKDOWN. WE HAVE 195 BRUSH FIRES, SIX OVER PRESSURE FIRES RUBBISH FIRES. WE HAVE 151 STRUCTURE FIRES. WE HAD 138 AND VEHICLE FIRES. WE HAD 6 IN 2025. AND THAT'S THE SIX YEAR COMPARISON OF FIRES. MEDICAL BREAKDOWN. ALSO, WE HAD A 2025, 8726 CALLS COMPARED TO 6312 IN 2020. AND THEN WE GO DOWN THE LINE OF GOOD INTENT CALLS, SERVICE CALLS, FALSE ALARMS, CALLS, HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS, SPECIAL TYPE OF INCIDENTS. THE BREAKDOWN CONTINUES. FIRE MARSHALS. WE HAVE SIX FIRE MARSHALS, TWO DEPUTIES THAT ARE PEACE OFFICERS ISSUED THREE CITATIONS THIS YEAR, CONDUCTED 138 INVESTIGATIONS. AND THEN WE HAVE CONFIRMED TWO ARRESTS FOR ONE FOR THE FABENS OLD SCHOOL THAT WE HAD IN FABENS AND ONE FOR A RESIDENCE IN. CONSTRUCTION PERMITS 2020. WE HAD 240 PERMITS. AND AS YOU CAN SEE, IN 2025 WERE 333. BUT WE HAD THE MOST IN 2024. SO OUR GROWTH IS STARTING TO GO FROM WHAT IS THE ONE SAID EARLIER, OUR GROWTH IS BARELY STARTING NOW IN THE SOCORRO AREA AND MOVING DOWN THE COUNTY LINE. OF COURSE, THESE ARE THE GROWTH THAT WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW THROUGHOUT THE DISTRICT. THE HOME TWO SUITES, SOCORRO LOGISTICS, JACK IN THE BOX, URGENT CARE, DUNKIN DONUTS, MANY CONCRETE. SO ON. WE'RE SEEING THE GROWTH SOUTH OF THE I-10. NOW I'M GOING TO PASS THIS OVER TO MARIANA NAVARRETE. THANK YOU CHIEF. GOOD MORNING JUDGE. GOOD MORNING. COMMISSIONERS.

MARIANA NAVARRETE, DISTRICT ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE EL PASO COUNTY EMERGENCY SERVICES, DISTRICT NUMBER TWO. HERE YOU WILL SEE OUR BUDGET BREAKDOWN. OUR BOARD DID APPROVE AND ADOPT OUR BUDGET AND OUR TAX RATE ON AUGUST 12TH, 2025. THE TOTAL BUDGET IS 22.5 MILLION. JUST

[01:35:05]

[01:40:03]

COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER BUTLER, I HAVE A LOT OF QUESTIONS. SO I JUST I JUST HAVE ONE. I JUST HAD ONE. SO LOOKING AT THE PRESENTATION, I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED BECAUSE I SEE AN INCREASE OF 58% IN YOUR BUDGET. BUT MOST I MEAN MOST YOUR BUDGETS PROBABLY PERSONNEL, BUT YOU ONLY HAVE LIKE A 600,000 INCREASE IN PERSONNEL AND THEN LIKE ANOTHER 600,000 INCREASE IN YOUR DEBT SERVICE. SO WHERE IS THE REST OF THAT 8 MILLION OR $7 MILLION? THAT'S ACTUALLY OUR BEGINNING FUND BALANCE. SO WHEN WE WENT OUT FOR THE LOAN FOR THE SOCORRO FIRE STATION, WE RECEIVED IT THIS FISCAL YEAR. IT'S JUST A ROLLOVER FOR NEXT YEAR. YES. SORRY, I SHOULD HAVE.

THANK YOU. YES, COMMISSIONER HOLGUIN. CHIEF, YOU WERE TELLING US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE NEW AMBULANCE SERVICE. CAN YOU GIVE US MORE OF A BREAKDOWN ON WHAT THE COST FOR THAT SPECIFIC INITIATIVE, WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT, WHAT YOU'RE PLANNING FOR. SO RIGHT NOW, OUR INITIAL COST IS ROUGHLY $220,000 THAT WE JUST SPENT ON EQUIPMENT. ALL THE REST OF THE EQUIPMENT WE ALREADY HAVE THE TRUCK, WHICH IS THE MOST IMPORTANT PART WE OWN ALREADY. SO IT ONLY MADE SENSE FOR US TO BEGIN THE PROCESS TO ACTIVATE IT AS A TRANSPORT UNIT. ORIGINALLY OUR MY IDEA IS TO HAVE IT RESPOND TO ALL STRUCTURE FIRES TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OUR FIREFIGHTERS ARE COVERED, BECAUSE WHEN WE PULL A AMBULANCE TO A STRUCTURE FIRE, IT TAKES AWAY FROM THAT COMMUNITY. SO I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT TRUCK IS READILY AVAILABLE FOR THE REST OF THE COMMUNITY.

RIGHT. WELL, WE'RE IN A STRUCTURE FIRE OR ANY TYPE OF INCIDENT. SO WE WILL COVER OURSELVES TO MAKE SURE NOT TO SAY THAT IF THERE IS A SOMEBODY FROM THE PUBLIC THAT NEEDS ASSISTANCE THERE AND WE'RE THERE, WE WILL TRANSPORT THEM AS WELL. OKAY. AND ARE ANY OF THE DO YOU FORESEE PERSONNEL INCREASES BECAUSE OF THAT NEW INITIATIVE? WE WILL BE LOOKING AT PERSONNEL INCREASES. THAT'S WHY WE'RE ALLOWING PARAMEDICS NOW IN OUR DEPARTMENT. AND WE ARE ACTUALLY AS SOON AS WE GET ALL THE EQUIPMENT, OUR MEDICAL DIRECTOR IS GOING TO APPROVE SOME NEW PROTOCOLS FOR US TO USE. AND WE WILL BE LOOK, WE'RE ACTUALLY LOOKING AT MORE AMBULANCES AT THIS TIME. AND THOSE COSTS ARE ALREADY INCLUDED IN THE PROPOSED BUDGET. IT'S PART OF OUR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT ON THE ON THE FLEET FUTURE. OKAY. GREAT. THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER BUTLER. YES. THANK YOU. OKAY, I WELL, WELL, ONE I WANT TO SAY THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION AND JUST JUST FOR THE BENEFIT OF THOSE WHO WHO AREN'T FAMILIAR WITH THE COMPOSITION OF ESD TWO, I THINK IT'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT TO FRAME IT, YOU KNOW, WITH, WITH THE VISUAL OF THE COUNTY MAP. SO HOPEFULLY, YOU KNOW, IN FUTURE PRESENTATIONS YOU CAN SHOW WHAT YOU COVER. BECAUSE I DON'T THINK I DON'T IT'S NOT OBVIOUS TO PEOPLE WHO HEAR ESD NUMBER TWO THAT IT RANGES FROM THE FAR WEST SIDE IN VINTON, ANTHONY CANUTILLO TO MONTANA VISTA AND FABENS AND WACO TANKS. AND THEN YOU HAVE ALL OF THE, YOU KNOW, MOST OF THE LOWER VALLEY SOUTH

[01:45:01]

YOU HAVEN'T BEEN HAVING TO RESPOND TO INCIDENTS ALONG THE BORDER WALL AS MUCH. NO. OKAY.

CAN YOU REMIND US HOW MUCH A NEW FIRE TRUCK COSTS? SO HITTING ON THAT TOPIC A LITTLE BIT RIGHT NOW, THIS MORNING, ONE OF OUR FIRE TRUCKS WAS INVOLVED IN AN ACCIDENT. IT MIGHT BE TOTALED.

AND THAT TRUCK IN 2016 COST US $580,000. IF I HAVE TO REPLACE IT RIGHT NOW, IT'S GOING TO COST A MILLION AND ABOVE. SO RIGHT NOW WE ARE LOOKING AT A MATTER OF FACT, THIS MORNING I WAS ALREADY MAKING PHONE CALLS TO SEE WHAT IT'S GOING TO TAKE TO REPAIR IT OR MAYBE PURCHASE A NEW ONE. SO THAT'S JUST THE TRUCK BY ITSELF. THE TWO TRUCKS WE JUST RECEIVED ONE POINT ON THE TWO TRUCKS WE JUST RECEIVED LAST WEEK WERE PURCHASED AT 1.4 MILLION FOR THOSE TWO TRUCKS WITH NO EQUIPMENT. THIS IS NOT INCLUDING EQUIPMENT. THIS IS JUST THE TRUCK. SO THE COST INCREASE IN THE LAST FIVE YEARS HAS MAYBE GONE UP 35% OR MORE. WELL. SO YES, RIGHT NOW WE'RE LOOKING AT A TRUCK. WHEN YOU WERE ONE OF OUR BOARD MEMBERS WAS COSTING ABOUT 580. RIGHT NOW WE'RE A MILLION PLUS AND IT'S TAKEN ABOUT A YEAR OR TWO IF WE WANT TO CUSTOM BUILD IT, MAYBE THREE YEARS. SO WE'RE BUYING WHATEVER IS COMING OFF THE LINE THAT'S AVAILABLE. THANK YOU. HOW QUICKLY DO YOU THINK THE NEW FIRE STATION WILL BE COMPLETED? SO WE'RE IN THE I GUESS THE MIDDLE OF THE DESIGN PHASE ON IT. AND WE'RE THINKING THAT WE SHOULD GROUNDBREAK PROBABLY AT THE END OF THE YEAR. SO MAYBE NEXT YEAR. DOES YOUR BUDGET INCLUDE INCREASED STAFFING FOR THAT FACILITY? THAT IS PART OF THE STAFFING THAT WE'RE ADDING RIGHT NOW? IT IS IT IS BUDGETING OKAY OKAY. THANK YOU. THANK YOU JUDGE. I DID WANT TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION FOR I KNOW YOU ASKED ESD ONE, BUT OUR STARTING PAY HOURLY PAY FOR FIREFIGHTER FOR THEIR FIRST YEAR IS AT A 1696 AN HOUR, WHICH IS ABOUT 52 56,000 A YEAR FOR WITH BENEFITS. WITH BENEFITS. CHIEF, HOW DOES THAT COMPARE TO EL PASO FIRE DEPARTMENT, FOR EXAMPLE? WELL WE WERE IT'S COMPARABLE AND ESD ONE

[01:50:04]

COMMISSIONERS. THIS WAS A REQUEST LAST WEEK. WE BRING BACK THIS ITEM. YOU ASKED THAT FOR INFORMATION ON BUDGETS THAT ARE NOT STATUTORILY REQUIRED OR STATE MANDATED. AND SO WHILE THEY CAN BE REDUCED, HAVING GONE THROUGH A SIMILAR EXERCISE, THE COUNTY WENT THROUGH A SIMILAR EXERCISE SEVERAL YEARS AGO. I PREFER TO LOOK AT THESE BUDGETS AS COVERING EXPENSES FOR OPERATIONS THE COURT HAS IDENTIFIED AS STRATEGIC OR NECESSARY, OR FOR EFFICIENCY.

AND WE'LL EXPLAIN THIS FURTHER IN THE PRESENTATION. BUT I HOPE IT WILL BE HELPFUL TO ALL OF US AS WE DISCUSS A TAX RATE AND LOOK AT POTENTIAL TO REDUCE ANY EXPENSES IN OUR BUDGET. SO THIS IS A SHORT SUMMARY OF WHAT WE'LL DISCUSS TODAY. THE PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW, WHY THESE FUNCTIONS

[01:55:03]

[02:00:01]

JUST ANOTHER ONE I WAS GOING TO CALL OUT. I MEAN, THERE'S SOME REALLY IMPACTFUL ONES. OUR DIGITAL LIBRARY, $637,000 THAT BROUGHT LIBRARY SERVICES OUT TO OUR REMOTE AREAS, AND IT BROUGHT WI-FI PACKS TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS TO USE TO DOWNLOAD MATERIALS AND GET INFORMATION. AND I REALLY DON'T I REALLY THINK IT'S IMMEASURABLE WHAT YOU CAN DO BY GIVING ACCESS TO LITERACY AND THAT KIND OF INFORMATION. BUT THOSE ARE THE TYPES OF THINGS WE WOULD NEED TO ASSESS. OUR PROGRAM IS $4 MILLION IS AN EXAMPLE OF ANOTHER ONE ON HERE. THERE ARE CERTAIN THINGS WITHIN PUBLIC WORKS THAT ARE NOT STATUTORY THAT ARE FUNDED THROUGH GENERAL FUND. OUR GENERAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM, ALL OF COURSE, ALL OF OUR PARKS AND GOLF COURSE ARE NOT MANDATED, BUT THEY MAKE A HUGE IMPACT ON WELLNESS, MENTAL HEALTH, AND MANY ASPECTS OF OUR COMMUNITY'S SOCIAL FABRIC. SO I CONTINUE PORT OF ENTRY IS REALLY LOW RIGHT NOW. IT SHOWS $14,000, BUT THAT'S BASICALLY SO WE HAVE UTILITIES OUT THERE SO THAT WHEN WE DO NEED THE FACILITY OR WHEN WE AND WE HAVE USED IT AND USED AND LEASED IT FOR DIFFERENT PURPOSES, IT'S BASIC MAINTAINING OF THAT BUILDING UNTIL ITS FUTURE USE. LET'S SEE. YOU'LL SEE ON HERE SHERIFF'S OFFICE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION UNIT. YOU CAN IMAGINE THE IMPACT OF THAT TO OUR COMMUNITY. PUBLIC SAFETY IS ALWAYS CONSIDERED THE COMMUNITY'S NUMBER ONE PRIORITY. STRATEGIC CAPITAL MANAGEMENT HELPS US MANAGE AND MAKE SURE WE'RE SPENDING DOWN OUR DEBT IN A RESPONSIBLE AND TIMELY MANNER.

AND THEN VETERANS ASSISTANCE, NOT ALL OF THIS. THERE IS A PORTION THAT IS STATE MANDATED.

WE ARE REQUIRED TO HAVE A VETERAN SERVICE OFFICER, BUT WE HAVE CHOSEN TO MAKE A BIGGER IMPACT ON THAT PORTION OF OUR COMMUNITY TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE EXTENDING RESOURCES. WE DO HELP THEM WITH THEIR CLAIMS. WE ALSO HAVE A GRANT WHERE WE HELP KEEP THEM IN THEIR HOMES. THOSE THOSE DIFFERENT PROGRAMS ARE VITAL AND TO HELPING US AVOID OTHER COSTS AND OTHER IMPACTS.

SO THOSE THIS IS AN EXAMPLE. AGAIN, I THINK THERE'S OVER 59 ITEMS LISTED ON HERE AT LEAST.

BETSY. SO SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS, WELL DO ALL OF THESE PROGRAM BUDGETS INCLUDE THE STAFFING COSTS AS WELL OR OR NOT. BECAUSE LIKE FOR EXAMPLE, THE CJC 4 MILLION, I IMAGINE THAT DOES INCLUDE A LOT OF STAFFING COSTS. BUT THEN I'M LOOKING AT THE OFFICE OF NEW AMERICANS, 32,000. THAT DOESN'T LOOK LIKE THAT INCLUDES STAFFING COSTS. IT'S NOT THE FULL COST.

FULL COST. I'M TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHY WE HAVE THAT LOW DOLLAR AMOUNT, WHETHER THERE WAS EITHER SOME OFFSET GRANT FUNDING OR SOMETHING THAT HELPED SUPPLEMENT THAT. WE WOULD. THAT'S AGAIN WHY WE REALLY NEED MORE TIME TO DIVE INTO THESE, TO SEE WHY IS THERE ONLY A PORTION IN THIS AREA, THE GENERAL FUND? WHERE ELSE IS IT BEING COVERED? OR PERHAPS THE STAFFING COSTS ARE WITHIN THE LARGER COMMUNITY SERVICES? POSSIBLY THAT IS THAT IS POSSIBLY THE CASE. YES. AND SO AND THEN THE OTHER THING THAT THIS DOESN'T INCLUDE, AS I WAS MENTIONING BEFORE, THERE ARE OTHER MIXED BUDGETS. SEVERAL OTHER DEPARTMENTS HAVE BOTH STATUTORILY REQUIRED OPERATIONS AND NON STATUTORILY REQUIRED OPERATIONS. THESE THESE WOULD NEED MORE ANALYSIS. WE WOULD NEED TO IDENTIFY THESE AND THE ASSOCIATED BUDGET. WE'D NEED MORE TIME TO ENSURE THIS CAPTURES ALL NON STATUTORILY REQUIRED AND ALL BUDGETS ASSOCIATED WITH THEM. AND IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT BECAUSE THE PROGRAM THAT MIGHT BE EMBEDDED IN A MANDATED PROGRAM MAY NOT BE AS BIG OF AN IMPACT TO OUR OVERALL PICTURE AS SAY FOR EXAMPLE OFFICE OF NEW AMERICANS.

[02:05:05]

AND I AM GOING TO NAME PROGRAMS AND DEPARTMENTS, BUT I DON'T WANT ANYBODY TO GET ALARMED.

THIS IS ME GOING THROUGH THE PROCESS AND KIND OF DOING THAT OUT LOUD FOR THE PURPOSE OF, OF, OF KIND OF DEMONSTRATING THE THOUGHT PROCESS THAT I'M TRYING TO GO THROUGH. SO, SO BASED ON THE LIST THAT YOU GAVE US, BETSY, ON NON-MANDATED FUNCTIONS, YOU, YOU, YOU KNOW, I WAS TRYING TO APPLY A FILTER TO THE BUDGET TO SAY, OKAY, WHAT IS STATUTORILY REQUIRED THAT WE HAVE TO FUND NO MATTER WHAT. SO YOU HELPED US KIND OF DO THAT FIRST, THAT FIRST FILTER, THEN YOU HAVE LIKE LIKE COMMISSIONER WAS SAYING YOU HAVE THE SUPPORT FUNCTIONS. SO THE OPERATIONS OF THOSE THAT AREN'T MANDATED, BUT OBVIOUSLY WE HAVE TO FUND IN ORDER TO DO THE STATE MANDATED SERVICES. AND THEN THE THIRD FILTER THAT I APPLIED WAS, DOES IT ADVANCE OUR STRATEGIC PRIORITIES THAT WE'VE SET UP AS A COURT, NOT ONLY BECAUSE WE'VE ALL GONE THROUGH A VERY RIGOROUS PROCESS OF DECIDING WHAT WE WANT THE COUNTY TO BE ABLE TO PROVIDE TO OUR, OUR CONSTITUENTS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, BUT ALSO BECAUSE THOSE THINGS HAVE BEEN INVESTED IN ALREADY. SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YEARS OF INVESTMENT IN THINGS LIKE JUSTICE REFORM AND INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMMUNITY SERVICES THAT IF WE SAID WE WANT TO CUT FUNDING FOR THAT OFF ALTOGETHER, WE'D BE BASICALLY. DESTROYING YEARS OF INVESTMENT AND WORK TO GET US TO A CERTAIN POINT. SO FOR ME, THERE'S A HIGHER BAR FOR THOSE THINGS THAT ARE THAT ARE IN THAT BUCKET THROUGH THAT FILTER. AND THEN THE LAST FILTER THAT I APPLIED WAS IF WE ELIMINATED THIS SERVICE, WOULD IT RISKS OUR RESIDENTS SAFETY OR ESSENTIAL SERVICES. AND SO IF THAT WAS A YES, IT WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW, NOT, YOU KNOW, NOT AN OPTION. BUT AFTER I DID ALL OF THAT FILTERING, THERE WERE A FEW THINGS THAT ROSE TO THE TOP. AGAIN, I'M NOT TRYING TO LIKE PROPOSE CUTS TO ANYTHING. I'M JUST LETTING YOU KNOW WHAT IN MY IN MY MIND, LOOKING AT THIS OBJECTIVELY ROSE TO THE TOP AFTER AFTER GOING THROUGH THAT PROCESS. THOSE INCLUDED, LET ME

[02:10:04]

THOSE TWO ALONE. YOU KNOW, WE COULD ELIMINATE AND SAVE $2 MILLION. THE SPORTS PARK AND THE GOLF COURSE, THE SWIMMING POOLS WE SUBSIDIZE AT A RATE OF ABOUT $660,000 IN THE DIGITAL LIBRARY, IS COMPLETELY SUBSIDIZED AT AT $637,000. THESE ARE THE THINGS, IN MY OPINION, THAT WE COULD ELIMINATE AND WOULDN'T SEVERELY IMPACT OUR RESIDENTS. OBVIOUSLY, WE HAVE USERS OF THE SPORTS PARK AND THE GOLF COURSE WHO WOULD BE REALLY UPSET, AS WELL AS THE SWIMMING POOLS AND THE DIGITAL LIBRARY. BUT THAT TO ME WAS LIKE THE LOWEST HANGING FRUIT OF ALL OF THIS. STILL, IF WE GOT RID OF ALL OF THAT, IT WOULD ONLY AMOUNT TO ABOUT $3 MILLION OF SAVINGS. 39 MORE. WE WOULD WE AT THE CURRENT NO NEW REVENUE RATE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT, WE'RE WE'RE LOOKING AT I DON'T WANT TO SAY DEFICIT, BUT WE HAVE ABOUT $22 MILLION THAT WE'D HAVE TO MAKE UP. SO IF WE IF WE ELIMINATED THESE RECREATIONAL AND QUALITY OF LIFE PROGRAMS THAT, THAT WE SUBSIDIZE, WE WOULD BE SAVING. WE WOULD BE SAVING ABOUT $3 MILLION, WHICH IS ABOUT 15% OF THAT, 22 MILLION THAT WE'RE LOOKING TO FILL. THIS WAS THE EXERCISE THAT I WAS GOING THROUGH. AND THAT'S WHY I ASKED FOR THIS FROM YOU, BETSY, BECAUSE I WANT TO BE ABLE TO. TO WEIGH RIGHT, LIKE THOSE THINGS THAT THE COUNTY DOES EXTRA RIGHT FOR OUR RESIDENTS. HOW MUCH IS IT ACTUALLY COSTING US, AND WHAT IS THAT IMPACT TO THE BUDGET? SO I SAW THROUGH THIS PROCESS AND YOU KNOW, I'M SURE EVERYBODY ELSE HAS A DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE. BUT FROM MY PERSPECTIVE. I DON'T SEE THE MAIN DRIVERS OF OUR BUDGET BEING IN THIS PIE CHART THAT YOU JUST SHARED WITH US. THIS IS A SMALL PORTION OF THE COUNTY'S BUDGET, AND I WOULD ARGUE IT'S THE SERVICES THAT PEOPLE APPRECIATE THE MOST. OUR FUNCTIONS, OUR STATE MANDATED FUNCTIONS, THE SHERIFF, THE JAIL, THE DA, THE COURTS, THE INDIGENT DEFENSE, ALL OF THAT'S ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY. AND PEOPLE HAVE TO DEAL WITH THAT ON THEIR WORST DAYS. USUALLY ON THEIR BEST DAYS, THEY GET TO GO TO THE PARK

[02:15:05]

SO THAT'S MY ANALYSIS OF WHAT YOU PROVIDED TO US. THAT'S THAT'S GOING TO HELP. THAT HAS HELPED ME HAVE INFORM ABOUT WHAT WHAT WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO IN THIS BUDGET. SO I APPRECIATE IT. THE, IF I MAY, THE ANALYSIS YOU DID, COMMISSIONER, IS VERY SIMILAR TO IF YOU EVER REQUEST ANYTHING HERE IN THE BUDGET, IF YOU'RE A DEPARTMENT AND YOU REQUEST SOMETHING IN THE BUDGET, YOU HAVE TO FILL OUT THESE MULTI THIS LENGTHY FORM AND IT ASKS THE QUESTIONS HOW DOES THIS LINK TO THE COUNTY STRATEGY. HOW DOES IT HOW DOES IT IMPACT THAT. DOES THIS GENERATE REVENUE. HOW DOES THIS MAKE US MORE EFFECTIVE OR EFFICIENT. LIKE THOSE ARE THE THAT'S THE PROCESS TO EVEN HAVE GOTTEN INTO THE BUDGET. AND SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE DISSECTING BACK WHAT WE DID TO GET THESE ITEMS IN. AND WHEN THE COURT SAYS WE'RE INTERESTED IN DOING THIS, THESE PROGRAMS OR PROJECTS, EVEN THEN, DEPARTMENTS HAVE TO GO IN AND SHOW THAT SHOW. HOW IS IT GOING TO MAKE THAT IMPACT, COMMISSIONER? COMMISSIONER, THE? COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU. JUDGE. THANK YOU. SO THE EXERCISE THAT I ENGAGED IN WAS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN COMMISSIONER BUTLER'S. I DIDN'T LOOK AT IT FROM A STANDPOINT OF JUST FLAT OUT ELIMINATING NON-MANDATED SERVICES, BECAUSE CLEARLY, EVERY SINGLE SERVICE THAT THE COUNTY PROVIDES IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT, WHETHER IT'S MANDATED OR NOT. I DON'T THINK THIS COURT OR ANY PRIOR COURT HAVE CREATED PROGRAMS THAT AREN'T GOING TO BE BENEFICIAL TO OUR RESIDENTS. SO I DIDN'T LOOK AT IT FROM THE STANDPOINT OF CHOOSING PROGRAMS TO ELIMINATE, BECAUSE EVERY SINGLE PROGRAM THAT WE FUND IS IMPORTANT. BUT I DO LIKE YOUR IDEA, BETSY, OF DURING STRATEGIC PLANNING, TAKING A MUCH DEEPER DIVE INTO THE REASON THAT SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS WERE CREATED IN THE FIRST PLACE, AND TRYING TO FIGURE OUT, DO THOSE REASONS STILL EXIST? IS IT, IN FACT, MAKING US MORE EFFICIENT AND EFFECTIVE? OR MAYBE CERTAIN PROGRAMS AREN'T NEEDED THE WAY THEY WERE WHEN THEY WERE ORIGINALLY ESTABLISHED? SO I DO LIKE THAT IDEA. WHAT I THE LENS THAT I WAS LOOKING AT THIS THROUGH IS WE JUST TALK ABOUT TALKED ABOUT ABOUT 30% OF OUR BUDGET IS FOR NON-MANDATED SERVICES, VERY IMPORTANT SERVICES, BUT NON-MANDATED SERVICES, SO ROUGHLY OUR BUDGET IS AT LEAST ABOUT 600 MILLION A YEAR. TURNS OUT RIGHT, THE TOTAL BUDGET A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN THAT USUALLY. BUT 30% OF THAT IS ABOUT 180 MILLION. WE KNOW WE DON'T NEED 180 MILLION. SO IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT CUTTING EVERY SINGLE NON-MANDATED SERVICE. IF WE WERE TO JUST REDUCE WHILE WE DO SOME OF THESE EVALUATIONS. AND WHILE WE PREPARE FOR STRATEGIC PLANNING FOR NEXT YEAR, IF WE

[02:20:05]

I UNDERSTAND THAT, BUT I THINK THAT DEPARTMENTS ARE IN THE BEST PLACE TO CONSIDER WHERE THOSE CUTS COULD BE MADE. COMMISSIONER STOPPED. YEAH, I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE AND ALSO, I MEAN I HEAR. BOTH OF THE, YOU KNOW, THE PROPOSALS OR THE LENSES THROUGH WHICH WE NEED TO BE LOOKING THINGS. I THINK ALSO JUST TO, YOU KNOW, TRY NOT TO. I MEAN, WE NEED TO LOOK AT WHAT WHAT CAUSES THE MOST. I MEAN, YOU LOOK AT YOUR BUDGET AND WHAT COSTS YOU THE MOST. AND I THINK THAT'S I MEAN, I LOOK AT BOTH OF THOSE PROPOSALS AND, AND I, YOU KNOW, SIMILAR IN, IN THE WAY I THINK ABOUT LOOKING LOOKING AT THINGS I THINK TO COMMISSIONER BUTLER'S PROPOSAL. BUT BUT I ALSO THINK WE NEED TO LOOK AT MAKE SURE WE, WE CONCENTRATE ON WHAT'S, WHAT'S CAUSING THE, THE MOST BECAUSE WE CAN SPEND A LOT OF TIME GOING THROUGH SMALLER BUDGETS AND KIND OF, I DON'T WANT TO SAY NITPICKING, BUT JUST LIKE, YOU KNOW, TRYING TO COME UP WITH THE SUM BY BY CUTTING SMALLER BUDGETS. BUT WHAT WHAT IS IT THAT COSTS US THE MOST? AND THEN I ALSO JUST WANT TO I ALSO JUST WANT TO REITERATE TOO, THAT, YOU KNOW. WE DON'T WE DON'T WANT TO CONTINUE TO RAISE TAXES ON OUR ON OUR TAXPAYERS. BUT AND WE SAY IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, THE MAIN REASON WHY WE'RE IN THE POSITION THAT WE'RE IN RIGHT NOW HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH OUR DECISIONS AND ALL TO DO WITH THE STATE DECISIONS, RIGHT? I MEAN, WE CAN MAKE DECISIONS TO CUT THINGS THAT ARE THAT ARE THAT ARE NON-MANDATED. BUT THE REASON WHY WE ARE WHERE WE ARE NOW IS BECAUSE OF UNFUNDED MANDATES THAT THE STATE HAS SADDLED US WITH, ESPECIALLY IN IN RECENT YEARS, TO THE TUNE OF LIKE $60 MILLION OVER THE LAST OVER THE LAST FOUR YEARS, IN ADDITIONAL COSTS THAT WE HAVE TO THAT WE HAVE TO BEAR THE BURDEN OF PAYING FOR. AND SO I, YOU KNOW, I WANT THE PUBLIC AND WE NEED TO CONTINUOUSLY TALK ABOUT THAT. AND THAT NEEDS TO BE, YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO DIFFUSE THAT INFORMATION BECAUSE IF WE DIDN'T HAVE TO PAY THAT $60 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL COSTS OR MORE, I MEAN, OPERATION LONE STAR IN ITSELF, I THINK, WAS ABOUT A 40, $40 MILLION BURDEN, JUST THAT

[02:25:06]

WHERE WE HAVE MORE EXPENDITURES THAN WE DO THAN WE DO MONEY IN THE BANK BASICALLY, OR MONEY THAT'S COMING IN. BUT WE HAVE A DANGEROUSLY LOW FUND BALANCE. AND THAT'S AND THAT'S WHY WE NEED TO, TO MAKE UP THAT $22 MILLION TO GET TO A 10% FUND BALANCE. AND THAT'S THE THAT'S THE $20 MILLION IN ADDITIONAL UNFUNDED MANDATES THAT WE'RE BEING SADDLED WITH. AFTER THIS PAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION. SO WHEN WE SAY IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE TO NOT CONTINUE RAISING TAXES, I AGREE WE NEED TO WORK AS HARD AS WE CAN, BUT IT REALLY MAKES IT HARD FOR US TO MAKE THAT PROMISE AND TO DO THAT WHEN THE STATE CONTINUES. AND, AND THERE'S OTHER, YOU KNOW, ECONOMIC FACTORS THAT PLAY INTO IT. RIGHT? I MEAN, WE HAVE INFLATION AND CONSTRUCTION COSTS GO UP EVERY YEAR, SOMETIMES 30% THAT WE'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, IN THE INCREASE IN CONSTRUCTION COSTS, COSTS, LABOR COSTS. AND SO THAT, I MEAN, THAT HAS TO BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT AS WELL. SO IT'S NOT IT'S NOT AS EASY TO JUST SAY, YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE. WE HAVE TO EXPLAIN WHY. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER. COMMISSIONER CORONADO THANK YOU JUDGE. JUST CALL IT WHAT IT IS.

YOU KNOW, HAD WE NOT HAD THIS IMPACT FROM THE STATE ON OUR BUDGET, WE WOULDN'T BE TALKING ABOUT THIS PERIOD BECAUSE WE'VE MAINTAINED A VERY FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE BUDGET OVER THE YEARS PERIOD. AND IF WE HADN'T HAD THIS, YOU KNOW, AND WHY, I WOULD I SUPPORT LAW ENFORCEMENT ALONG THE BORDER. IF PEOPLE ARE BREAKING THE LAWS BY GOD, YOU KNOW, BUT THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS A RESPONSIBILITY OF THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT TO DO. THE STATE DECIDED TO GET INVOLVED PRIOR TO THEM. BUT THEN, YOU KNOW, I DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THEM ENFORCING THE LAWS, BUT ALL THEY PAID FOR WAS THE ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAWS ALONG THE BORDER AND THE ARREST. THEY DIDN'T PAY US FOR JAILING THEM, FOR PROVIDING THEM A LAWYER, FOR PROVIDING THEM MEDICAL TREATMENT, FOR PROVIDING THEM PROSECUTION TIME, COURT TIME, PROCESSING TIME. ALL THAT TIME PERIOD, NO PROBLEM WITH WHAT THEY WERE DOING. AND NOW THEY'RE ASKING FOR THAT $11 BILLION THAT THE STATE SPENT ALONG THE BORDER FOR THAT FOR REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, WHICH SHOULD HAVE BEEN, YOU KNOW, ACTUALLY, AND WE TRIED TO GET THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DURING THAT TIME TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY PROSECUTED THOSE CASES INSTEAD OF US. AND THEN THAT WAY WE WOULDN'T HAVE HAD THAT PROBLEM. AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT DIDN'T. AND PART OF THE PROBLEM WAS, IS THAT THE STATE WASN'T WASN'T PRESENTING THOSE CASES, MAINLY DPS WASN'T PRESENTING THOSE CASES TO THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, PERIOD. CALL IT WHAT IT IS. AND SO WE'RE LEFT HOLDING THE BAG. THE STATE IS NOW ASKING FOR THAT 11 BILLION REIMBURSEMENT FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT. AND, YOU KNOW, SENATOR CORNYN AND SENATOR CRUZ HAVE SIGNED ON TO THAT BILL IN THE SENATE. AND WE'RE ASKING THAT THEY PASS ALONG THAT 11 BILLION. THEY'RE ASKING FOR REIMBURSEMENT, THAT THEY PASS IT ALONG TO THE BORDER COMMUNITIES THAT WERE IMPACTED BY THIS ENFORCEMENT OF THE LAW. NOTHING AGAINST IT. BUT MAKE SURE THAT THEY THAT THAT THAT MONEY IS PASSED THROUGH TO US SO THAT WE CAN FIX THE PROBLEM THAT IT IMPACTED IN OUR BUDGET. I HAD NO PROBLEM WITH THEM DOING IT. PAY US FOR THE CONSEQUENCES. AND SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S REALLY WHY WE'RE LOOKING AT THE PROBLEM. AND I APPRECIATE THAT WE'RE TRYING TO CUT. AND YEAH, AT AT ANY POINT IN TIME WE SHOULD BE LOOKING AT EFFICIENCIES AND HOW WE CAN DO THAT. WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL THOUGH WHAT WE CUT, BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE THINGS THAT WE CUT MAY LEAD TO OTHER CONSEQUENCES AND MORE EXPENSES FOR US, YOU KNOW. SO WE NEED TO BE VERY, VERY DECISIVE, VERY

[02:30:04]

WE SHOULD ALWAYS TRY TO DO THAT. OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WE'VE CUT SIGNIFICANTLY SOME OF THOSE, YOU KNOW, CAN WE TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE AND CUT SOME MORE. ABSOLUTELY. BUT I THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY, VERY CAREFUL AND DECISIVE WHAT IT IS WE'RE CUTTING AND WHAT THE CONSEQUENCES OF THOSE CUTS COULD BE. YOU KNOW, MOVING FORWARD, I THINK WE STILL NEED TO LOOK AT ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF REVENUE FOR THE COUNTY. WE HAVEN'T REALLY MADE THAT A STRATEGIC PLAN AT ALL. AND I THINK WE NEED TO DO THAT. AND THERE'S SOMETHING COMING UP HERE, HOPEFULLY CURRENTLY IN SEPTEMBER THAT MIGHT HELP US DO SOME OF THAT. NOW, IN TERMS OF EFFICIENCY, I AGREE WITH, YOU KNOW, BETSY, THIS IS SOMETHING WE REALLY NEED TO TAKE A CLOSE LOOK AT. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN'T DO THAT AND JUST DO A KNEE JERK REACTION TO THAT. WE HAVE TO TAKE OUR TIME TO DO THAT. WE'VE MADE IT A POINT THAT WE WANT TO ATTRACT BUSINESSES AND HELP OUR MICRO BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITY. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT HAS BEEN, YOU KNOW, A MAJOR FOCUS OF OUR COURT IN OUR IN OUR ORGANIZATION. YOU KNOW, WE ARE IN ORDER TO, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S CONCERNED ABOUT TAXES ON THE RESIDENTIAL HOMEOWNER IS EXACTLY TIED TO US NOT HAVING MORE BUSINESSES IN OUR COMMUNITY AND MORE. YOU KNOW, THE BUSINESS SECTOR HERE TO PAY MORE OF THAT. OTHER COMMUNITIES HAVE DONE IT, BUT IT TOOK THEM TIME TO DO. WE'VE ONLY RECENTLY STARTED TO DO THAT AND FOCUSED ON IT WITHIN THE LAST MAYBE TEN YEARS. IN THIS COMMUNITY, WE ARE SEVERELY, YOU KNOW, IN THE BACK SEAT WHEN IT COMES TO THAT KIND OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OVER THE LAST 40, 50 YEARS. NOT NOT SOMETHING THAT WE CAN CHANGE OVERNIGHT. IT TAKES INVESTMENT AND IT TAKES FOCUSING ON THAT. AND I THINK IN THE LONG RUN, WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL WHAT WE CUT, BECAUSE THAT TRAJECTORY OF WHAT THESE IDEAS, WHAT THESE STRATEGIC PLANS ARE FOR THIS COMMUNITY TO CHANGE THE BURDEN ON THE, YOU KNOW, RESIDENTIAL HOMEOWNER AND RATHER ONTO THE COMMERCIAL SIDE, SOME OF THESE THINGS THAT WE CUT CAN HAVE AN IMPACT ON THAT. AND WE'RE GOING TO BE BACK TO SQUARE ONE. SO I JUST THINK WE NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL. WE NEED TO BE, YOU KNOW, LOOK AT THINGS AND BE VERY DECISIVE. COMMISSIONER, YOU MENTIONED ABOUT CUTTING THE NON-MANDATED SERVICES. WELL, PATROLS, PUBLIC SAFETY IS NOT MANDATED. SO YOU'RE YOU'RE YOU'RE ASKING THAT WE CUT 20% FROM PUBLIC SAFETY AND PATROLS. I THINK UNFORTUNATELY, THOSE ARE THE DECISIONS THAT WE HAVE TO MAKE. NOW, PATROL TO ME ACTUALLY IS VERY DIFFERENT. I UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S NOT SPECIFICALLY MANDATED SERVICE LIKE THE JAIL. IT'S NOT MANDATED AT ALL. BUT

[02:35:04]

THAT OUT WE WELL, NO, I MEAN, I THINK WE HAVE TO LOOK AT THIS MUCH MORE CAREFULLY TO SEE REALLY WHAT THE SERVICES ARE THAT WE ARE, AS A COUNTY, OBLIGATED TO PROVIDE, WHICH IN MY VIEW DOES INCLUDE PUBLIC SAFETY. BUT I DID WANT TO ASK A QUESTION, ACTUALLY, SOMETHING THAT YOU HAD MENTIONED LAST WEEK, COMMISSIONER, THAT I'M NOT SURE IF WE PROVIDED ANY GUIDANCE ON. BUT YOU ASKED ABOUT GRANT FUNDED POSITIONS WHERE THE GRANT WAS ENDING. I'M NOT SURE IF YOU RECEIVED THOSE NUMBERS OR BECAUSE I KNOW YOU ASKED THAT QUESTION. WE HAVE NOT, BUT I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THAT BECAUSE WE DID I KNOW WE DID DO SOME OF THAT AND PUT THEM INTO THE GENERAL FUND. AND I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE A LOOK AT THOSE POSITIONS. BUT I THINK AGAIN, BEFORE WE DO, WE NEED TO MAKE SURE BECAUSE SOME OF THOSE ARE ACTUALLY IN PUBLIC SAFETY. I THINK RECENTLY IT'S BEEN TWO POSITIONS THAT HAVE BEEN ROLLED INTO THE GENERAL FUND THAT THAT ARE, THAT ARE GRANT THAT ARE, THAT ARE GRANT FUNDED. BUT BUT THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'VE TALKED ABOUT A LOT OVER THE YEARS, IS MAKING SURE THAT WE PAY ATTENTION TO THAT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, ONCE ONCE THOSE GRANTS RUN OUT, TRADITIONALLY IN THE PAST, WE HAVE ROLLED THEM INTO THE GENERAL FUND. AND I DON'T REMEMBER THE LAST TIME WE ACTUALLY DID NOT DO THAT. AND.

BUT JUST ALONG THOSE LINES, I MEAN, I THINK, I THINK WE HAVE TRIED TO PRIORITIZE. AND IT'S IN OUR STRATEGIC PLAN TO TRY TO CREATE MORE REVENUE. GRANTS IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE BULKED UP A LOT OVER THE LAST NUMBER OF YEARS. YOU KNOW, WE'VE HIRED MORE MORE GRANT, GRANT, GRANT WRITERS AND KIND OF CONCENTRATED THAT. BUT WE CAN DO MORE. WE I MEAN, BUT THAT'S THE THING, THOSE ARE INVESTMENTS THAT YOU HAVE TO MAKE TO BE ABLE TO BRING THAT MONEY DOWN. RIGHT? I MEAN, AND GRANTS ACTUALLY CAN'T BE USED TO SUPPLEMENT WHAT'S ALREADY IN YOUR BUDGET. EXACTLY.

SO WHEN YOU ADD GRANTS, YOU ADD A GRANT MATCH. ONE OF OUR LARGE GROWTH AREAS IS THE GRANT MATCH.

BECAUSE YOU PUT IT IN, YOU MATCH THE GRANT, BUT THEN YOU HAVE TO REPLENISH THAT FUND FOR NEXT YEAR'S GRANTS. AND SO IT'S A ONGOING. BUT BUT YOU NEED TO DO A COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS ON THOSE. DO THEY ARE WE GETTING I GO BACK TO WHEN WE FIRST STARTED LOOKING CLOSELY AT GRANTS, WE WERE GETTING GRANTS FOR SOME THINGS THAT WERE NOT CHANGING OUTCOMES IN ANY WAY. AND IT'S LIKE, WHY ARE WE GETTING THESE GRANTS? OR ARE WE FIND A GRANT THAT DIDN'T REALLY ALIGN WITH OUR STRATEGY, BUT BECAUSE IT WAS AN EASY GRANT TO GET, WE'D GET IT. AND SO THAT'S NOT NECESSARILY THE BEST METHOD OF MANAGING GRANTS. SO THAT IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING TO CHANGE HOW WE TAKE CARE OF THOSE. AND THEN EVEN TODAY WE HAD A COUPLE ITEMS WHERE THEY REQUIRE SOME KIND OF MATCH. AND WHEN I SAY A MATCH, IT'S USUALLY US GOING TO THAT GRANT MATCH ACCOUNT OR SAYING WE HAVE SOME MONEY OVER HERE IN SALARIES THAT WE'LL USE THIS YEAR, BUT IN THE FUTURE WE MAY NOT HAVE THAT, THAT SAVINGS THEN THAT AREA. AND IT'S GOING TO GO TO THAT GRANT MATCH WHICH HAS TO BE REPLENISHED. AND SO I THINK THAT THAT'S A CONVERSATION THAT WE SHOULD HAVE ABOUT THE TYPE LIKE, TO YOUR POINT, THE TYPES OF GRANTS THAT WE'RE APPLYING FOR, MAYBE WE DON'T WANT TO PRIORITIZE GRANTS THAT ARE GOING TO CREATE NEW PROGRAMS THAT ARE EVENTUALLY GOING TO BE FUNDED BY THE GENERAL FUND WHEN THE GRANT RUNS OUT. AND MAYBE WE WANT TO FOCUS ON INFRASTRUCTURE GRANTS THAT WILL HELP US BUILD INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WE KNOW THAT WE NEED, BUT THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE A ONE TIME EXPENSE THAT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE MAINTAINED BY THE GENERAL FUND IN THE FUTURE. COMMISSIONER. COLONEL, DID YOU YOU KNOW, I JUST I JUST SAY WE NEED WE NEED TO BE VERY, VERY THOUGHTFUL AND WE NEED TO, YOU KNOW, BE VERY INCISIVE OF HOW WE GO ABOUT DOING MAKING THESE CUTS. WE'RE NOT LIKE OTHER TAXING ENTITIES, GOVERNMENT TAXING ENTITIES. WE ARE REQUIRED TO DO A LOT, 70% OF OUR BUDGET. WE'RE REQUIRED TO DO. PERIOD. SO WHERE DO WE CUT OUT OF THAT 30%? AND A LOT OF THAT IS PUBLIC SAFETY. THE BIGGEST BUDGET IN OUR COUNTY IS PUBLIC SAFETY. YEAH. TO YOUR SORRY, JUST TO ADD A LITTLE BIT TO THAT PERSPECTIVE, COMMISSIONER, I AND TO YOUR COMMENTS, COMMISSIONER, AGAIN, I VALUE PATROL HEAVILY BECAUSE I KNOW THAT IN THE AREA WHERE I LIVE IN, IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS OF THE COUNTY, OUR RESIDENTS RELY ON, ON OUR SHERIFF'S OFFICE PATROL AND IT'S GROWING. IT'S THAT IS ONE AREA WHERE THE COUNTY IS UNDENIABLY GROWING AND THE NEED IS GROWING. AND SO I SEE THAT AS, AS A REQUIREMENT THAT WE FUND. SO IF WE LOOK AT IF WE LOOK AT IT THROUGH THAT LENS.

RIGHT. SO WE HAVE THE MANDATED FUNCTIONS AND THE NON MANDATED FUNCTIONS I INCLUDE LAW

[02:40:02]

RIGHT, THAT, THAT WE COULD DO. BUT AGAIN, WHAT IS THE IMPACT TO ELIMINATING OR CUTTING, EVEN REDUCING THE THINGS THAT WE DO IN THOSE OUR GENERAL GOVERNMENT IS ABOUT 15% OF OUR GENERAL FUND. THAT DOES INCLUDE MANDATED FUNCTIONS LIKE ELECTIONS OR TAX OFFICE OR TAX COLLECTION OR RECORD KEEPING. A LOT OF IT IS WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE TODAY, WHICH WE COULD SCALE BACK, RIGHT. WE COULD ALL CUT OUR SALARIES AND CUT OUR STAFFING AND CUT THE INTERNSHIP PROGRAMS AND SAVE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS. BUT AGAIN, THAT REDUCES OUR ABILITY TO DO OUR JOBS AND IMPACT OUR CONSTITUENTS IN A POSITIVE WAY. IF YOU LOOK AT ALL OF THAT RIGHT AS THEN THE DISCRETIONARY THAT'S PART OF THIS PIE CHART THAT YOU SHARED WITH US REALLY IS, I THINK ABOUT 10% OF OUR BUDGET IS COULD BE DESCRIBED AS NON STATE MANDATED AND DISCRETIONARY. IF YOU REMOVE ALL OF ALL OF THE OTHER THINGS AND OUR BUDGET IS PUBLICLY AVAILABLE, I ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO GO LOOK AT IT. YOU WILL SEE THE DRIVERS OF COST ARE NOT IN THOSE DISCRETIONARY PROGRAMS. THEY JUST AREN'T. THE REASON THAT OUR COSTS ARE GOING UP ARE BECAUSE OF THE STATE MANDATES, BECAUSE OUR OUR UNINCORPORATED AREAS ARE GROWING. SO THAT MAKES US HAVE TO SPEND MORE ON LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PERSONNEL. AND, AND BECAUSE OF INFLATION AND OTHER THINGS THAT RAISE COSTS, IT'S NOT THESE DISCRETIONARY PROGRAMS. I ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO GO THROUGH THE BUDGET AND LOOK AT THAT. AND IF I'M WRONG, COME AND TELL ME. BUT I HAVE COMBED THROUGH IT TIRELESSLY. I'VE LOOKED AT EVERY SINGLE LINE ITEM. I'VE TRIED TO MAKE SENSE OF IT. NOW, I DO THINK THAT THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE COULD DO TO MAKE MORE MONEY, RIGHT? WE'RE SUBSIDIZING A LOT OF OUR SPORTS PARK, WHICH IS HEAVILY USED. I THINK THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE THAT ACTUALLY A REVENUE GENERATOR VERSUS SOMETHING THAT WE'RE LOSING MONEY ON. THE SAME THING FOR OUR GOLF COURSE. I THINK THE SAME THING FOR OUR ANIMAL SERVICES AND CLINIC. I KNOW WE PROVIDE A LOT OF SERVICES AT NO COST TO OUR RESIDENTS, WHICH THEY REALLY APPRECIATE AND ENJOY. BUT EVEN IF WE HAD A NOMINAL FEE, WE COULD PROBABLY MAKE UP SOME OF THAT SUBSIDY THAT WE HAVE AND STILL BE BELOW WHAT PEOPLE HAVE TO PAY AT A VET. AND SO THERE ARE THINGS, I THINK, THAT WE COULD OPTIMIZE, WAYS THAT WE COULD INCREASE REVENUE. ONE OF THE THINGS, BETSY, THAT I WANTED TO ASK ABOUT WAS THE AMBULANCE SERVICE ESD. ONE DIDN'T MENTION IT TODAY, BUT I KNOW THEY'RE ALSO LOOKING AT THEIR OWN AMBULANCE SERVICE. ESD TWO OBVIOUSLY IS LOOKING AT THAT. THAT IS A LINE ITEM OF ABOUT $400,000 THAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE FOR THAT CONTRACT. I THINK THAT IN FUTURE YEARS, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RECKON WITH ONE WAY OR ANOTHER SO THAT WE'RE NOT DOUBLE DIPPING. AND THEN THE OTHER THING, JUST JUST TO MAKE A COMMENT ON YOUR ON YOUR COMMENTS, COMMISSIONER CORONADO, ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. RIGHT. WE SPEND A LOT OF MONEY ON ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WHICH I AGREE, I, I THINK IT'S ESSENTIAL. IT'S WE HAVE TO PRIORITIZE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT BECAUSE IF WE DON'T, WE'RE NEVER GOING TO BE ABLE TO REDUCE THE TAX BURDEN ON OUR ON OUR ON OUR HOMES HERE. BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE WE'RE DOING IT RIGHT. RIGHT. WE CAN'T JUST THROW MONEY AT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THINK THAT THE THERE'S IT'S GOING TO FIX ITSELF. WE HAVE TO BE STRATEGIC. WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE INVESTING IN THE RIGHT THINGS. I THINK IF THAT IF WE GIVE INCENTIVES TO COMPANIES, LONG TERM INCENTIVES THAT WE HAVE TO WE HAVE TO DO OUR VALIDATION TO SAY, DOES THAT INDUSTRY OR COMPANY OR THOSE DO THOSE JOBS HAVE LONG TERM GROWTH PROJECTIONS TOO? RIGHT. SO WE'RE NOT ONLY INVESTING LONG TERM IN A COMPANY, BUT WE'RE INVESTING LONG TERM IN WAGES AND MAKING SURE THAT PEOPLE ARE ACTUALLY GOING TO GROW OVER TIME AND THAT OUR IMPACT WILL NOT JUST BE STAGNANT FOR THOSE KINDS OF INCENTIVES. SO THOSE ARE JUST SOME OF THE THOUGHTS. I KNOW THAT THAT THAT WE'RE NOT GOING

[02:45:04]

IMAGINE THAT THE STATE, AGAIN COMES UP BECAUSE WE DON'T HAVE A LOT OF REGULATORY AUTHORITY, BUT WE CONTINUE TO BUILD ROADS. WE CONTINUE TO PUT IN WATER INFRASTRUCTURE AND WASTEWATER INFRASTRUCTURE, AND WE CONTINUE TO HAVE TRANSIT OUT THERE. AND WE CONTINUE TO FUND, YOU KNOW, FIRE AND AMBULANCE SERVICES. AND WE CONTINUE TO FUND AT A AT A HIGHER LEVEL, THINGS LIKE SHERIFF PATROL. BUT AGAIN, I MEAN, THAT'S WHAT I BROUGHT THIS UP DURING STRATEGIC PLANNING.

AND THE COURT DIDN'T WANT TO GO DOWN DO THIS, BUT I'M GOING TO BRING IT UP EVERY YEAR DURING STRATEGIC PLANNING THAT WE NEED TO DO AN ANALYSIS OF VERY SERIOUS ANALYSIS OF WHAT, YOU KNOW, WHAT ARE WE GETTING OURSELVES INTO BY MAKING DECISIONS. AND I'VE MADE THEM MYSELF TOO. I'VE TALKED ABOUT IT A LOT, BUT I TYPICALLY WILL VOTE IN FAVOR OF FUNDING THESE THINGS. BUT BUT YOU KNOW WHAT? BUT WE NEED TO WE NEED TO LOOK AT THAT SERIOUSLY, BECAUSE THAT'S ALSO A HUGE DRIVER OF COUNTY COSTS AND, AND WHY SOME THINGS ARE COSTING MORE. AND I ALSO WANTED I ALSO WANT TO SUGGEST THAT AS WE GO THROUGH NEXT YEAR, WE HAVE MORE PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING STRATEGY. AND WE CAN I MEAN, WE I THINK LOOKING AT KIND OF WHAT THE, THE BOND AND WHAT PEOPLE PRIORITIZE FOR THE BOND, I KIND OF LOOK AT THAT AS A, AS A, AS A BELLWETHER FOR ME TO, TO, TO UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY PRIORITIZE AND WHAT THEY PRIORITIZE PARKS AND, AND QUALITY OF LIFE INITIATIVES. RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT THEY VOTED ON. THAT'S WHAT THEY THAT'S WHAT THEY SUPPORTED WHEN THEY VOTED. AND THEN ISSUES RELATED TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, ANIMAL PUBLIC HEALTH AND MEDICAL EXAMINER. ABSOLUTELY. PUBLIC HEALTH. YOU SAW IT WITH THE HOSPITAL ANIMAL ANIMAL CONTROL, ANIMAL WELFARE. THAT'S PUBLIC HEALTH. SO I MEAN, I THINK I THINK WE NEED TO TAKE THOSE THOSE THINGS INTO ACCOUNT WHEN WE'RE WHEN WE'RE MAKING THESE DECISIONS AS WELL. AND IN, IN, IN THE FUTURE HAVE MUCH MORE ROBUST PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING SO THAT WE CAN ENGAGE THE COMMUNITY IN THAT DECISION MAKING PROCESS. BECAUSE IF WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO CUT THINGS, WE NEED TO HAVE AS MANY PEOPLE IN THE PUBLIC LETTING US KNOW WHAT THEY WANT US TO CUT. YEAH. AND I AND I THINK WE ALL AGREE AND UNDERSTAND THAT WE'RE IN THE POSITION THAT WE ARE BECAUSE OF THE STATE MANDATES. THEY MANDATE US TO DO THINGS, AND THEY DON'T PROVIDE THE FUNDING NECESSARY FOR US TO DO IT. SO IT IS COMPLETELY A RESULT OF WHAT THE STATE MANDATES. BUT THE PROBLEM IS THAT WE ARE IN THE POSITION THAT WE ARE IN, RIGHT. THERE ISN'T ANYTHING THAT WE CAN DO ABOUT THAT OTHER THAN SIT HERE AND RAIL AGAINST IT AND COMPLAIN ABOUT WHAT THE STATE DOES TO US. EVERY LEGISLATIVE SESSION. BUT I JUST, I, I DON'T FEEL LIKE WE CAN JUST RESIGN OURSELVES AND SAY, WELL, THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO ABOUT IT. WE HAVE TO INCREASE TAXES. I THINK OUR RESIDENTS EXPECT MUCH MORE FROM US THAN TO JUST KIND OF THROWING UP OUR HANDS AND SAY, THE STATE PUT US IN THIS POSITION. AND SO I'M SORRY. OH, WELL, WE HAVE TO RAISE TAXES. THEN THEY WILL SEE A REDUCTION IN SERVICES. UNFORTUNATELY, THAT IS CORRECT BECAUSE YOU CAN'T HAVE BOTH. YOU CAN'T HAVE BOTH. THAT'S THE TRADE OFF. YOU EITHER PAY FOR IT OR YOU SEE A REDUCTION IN YOUR SERVICES FROM THE COUNTY. EXACTLY. YOU KNOW, IT'S UNFORTUNATE. I MEAN, I JUST THINK THE STATE DOESN'T GET RID OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS COURTS BECAUSE THEY WANT TO HAVE SOMEBODY TO BLAME. RIGHT? AND THEY HAVE TO HAVE SOMEBODY TO TAKE THE HEAT FOR, FOR THE DECISIONS THAT THEY'RE MAKING. BUT YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

AND. AND THOSE ARE DIFFICULT DISCUSSIONS WE'RE GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE WITH OUR COMMUNITY. BUT I THINK YOU'RE RIGHT. THAT'S WHY WE DO NEED MORE PARTICIPATORY BUDGETING, BECAUSE WE NEED TO HEAR FROM OUR COMMUNITY. SO, COMMISSIONER CORONADO, YEAH, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE COMMUNITY HAS ALREADY VOTED ON SOME OF THESE THINGS. THEY'VE TOLD US, YOU KNOW, WE'RE ALL

[02:50:02]

THEY'RE ALL ABOUT ANIMAL WELFARE. AND OF COURSE, THE MEDICAL EXAMINER'S OFFICE. AND THAT'S GOING TO INCREASE OUR COSTS. THAT'S SOMETHING WE HAVEN'T EVEN GOTTEN TO YET IN THE COUPLE OF YEARS. COMING UP HERE, ARE WE GOING TO CUT THAT WHEN COMMUNITIES ALREADY VOTED FOR IT AND IT'S GOING TO INCREASE OUR MAINTENANCE? WE DO HAVE A DISCUSSION WHEN WE GET TO THE ITEM ON TAX RATES TOO, ABOUT WHAT ARE EXPENSES THAT YOU ARE PROLONGING AND WHICH ARE IMPACTS THAT YOU HAVE FACING YOU RIGHT NOW, WHICH ONES YOU CAN PROLONG AND WHAT THOSE LOOK LIKE. YEAH.

AND I THINK THAT'S PROBABLY ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS IS FIRST OF ALL, PUBLICLY, I HOPE EVERYONE REALIZES AS YOU HEAR THE COMMISSIONERS, THE COMPASSION, THE REALLY WANTING TO MAKE THE RIGHT DECISIONS, REALLY GETTING INTO THE BUDGET. I THINK WE'VE LEARNED THAT, YOU KNOW, WE DO GO TO STRATEGIC PLAN WITH A LOT OF PASSION. BUT I THINK FROM HERE ON OUT, BECAUSE OF OUR SITUATION, I THINK THERE'S GOING TO BE SUCH A MUCH CLOSER TIE IN TO THE BUDGET AND STRATEGIC PLANNING AND BEING ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT. BUT WHAT I DO APPRECIATE FROM, FROM THIS COURT ALSO, IS THAT IT'S A LOT EASIER FOR US TO JUST PUSH IT OUT AND PUSH IT OUT, AND THEN SOMEONE IS GOING TO HAVE TO HAVE A, YOU KNOW, A 15% INCREASE IN TAXES BECAUSE WE MADE IT EASY FOR OURSELVES AND DIFFICULT FOR OTHERS. AND SO I'M VERY CONCERNED ABOUT THAT, THAT WE ARE IN A SITUATION THAT WE CAN EITHER SAY IT'D BE REALLY NICE. EVERYBODY'S GOING TO BE HAPPY.

NO TAX INCREASE. AND THEN NEXT YEAR WHAT HAPPENS? AND THEN THE FOLLOWING YEAR WHAT HAPPENS.

WE'RE GOING TO FIND OURSELVES IN A VERY DIFFICULT SITUATION. SO I THINK WE HAVE TO BE HONEST AS TO WHAT PROPORTION OF THE TAX WE HAVE TO INCREASE VERSUS WE'RE NOT GOING TO INCREASE. AND THEN THAT'S IT. BUT BUT THAT'S NOT LOGICAL. WE'RE JUST PASSING ON TO MORE GENERATIONS. AND WE HAVE TO UNDERSTAND FOR EXAMPLE, WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, WE ALWAYS TALK ABOUT CHANGING THE PERCENTAGE OF 7030, BUT ALSO THE JOB CREATION AND SOMETHING THAT I KNOW COMMISSIONER STOUT AND OTHERS HAVE PUSHED REALLY HARD, THAT IF PEOPLE WERE MAKING MORE MONEY, THEN THE BURDEN DOESN'T SEEM AS MUCH. SO FOR SOMEONE TO HAVE AN INCREASE OF $54 AND YOU'RE MAKING $70,000 A YEAR VERSUS THE PEOPLE THAT DON'T. AND SO IT'S, IT'S AND I HOPE THEY UNDERSTAND ONE OF OUR BIGGEST THINGS THAT WE HAVE HERE, BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOWER, YOU KNOW, INCOMES IN OUR COMMUNITY, OUR COMMUNITY DEPENDS A LOT ON US TO PROVIDE QUALITY. IT WOULD BE REAL NICE IF THEY SAID, WELL, WE DON'T HAVE IT HERE. WE COULD JUST, YOU KNOW, DRIVE TO GO TO CALIFORNIA, GO TO DISNEYLAND, GO TO, YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW, ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY BECAUSE WE'RE NOT GETTING IT HERE. BUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE. EVERY TIME WE CUT BACK, THE HUGE BURDEN IS ON THE INDIVIDUALS THAT THAT HAVE TO SACRIFICE AND THAT. AND I FEEL REALLY BAD FOR THAT AMOUNT OF PEOPLE THAT SAY WE'LL CUT BACK ON SERVICES. WELL, IT ONLY AFFECTS THE PEOPLE THAT ARE IN POVERTY BECAUSE THOSE PEOPLE THAT DO HAVE THE MONEY, THEY DON'T SEE IT FROM THAT. IF YOU CUT SERVICES, THEY FIGURE OTHER WAYS OF FIGURING THAT OUT. THEY HAVE OTHER ALTERNATIVES. THEY HAVE OTHER WAYS AND OTHER MEANS. THEY HAVE SAVINGS, THEY HAVE ALL THESE OTHER THINGS. AND SO JUST WANT THE PUBLIC TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE DECISIONS BEING MADE HERE ARE VERY DIFFICULT ONES. BUT I DON'T THINK ANYONE IS JUST HOPING THAT WE JUST RAISE TAXES. BUT IF THAT'S THE POINT, IF AT THAT POINT WE SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO PUT A LITTLE BIT OF, YOU KNOW, RAISE TAXES A LITTLE BIT SO THAT WE DON'T RAISE THEM THREE TIMES MORE THE FOLLOWING YEAR OR FIVE TIMES MORE THE NEXT YEAR. IT'S VERY EASY TO JUST SAY, WE'RE NOT GOING TO DO IT, BUT IT'S NOT EASY KNOWING WHO'S GOING TO, WHO'S GOING TO PAY FOR IT LATER ON. AND YOU AND I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS, BETSY, THAT WE TRY OUR BEST TO DO THE ONE TIME THINGS, BUT THEN NOW WE GOT TO PAY FOR THOSE ONE TIME THINGS AND WE WE'RE ACCUMULATING THIS, THIS SORT OF SNOWBALL EFFECT OF PUSHING IT INTO INTO THE FUTURE. AND I FEEL VERY RESPONSIBLE WHETHER I'M HERE OR NOT. I, WE ALL LOVE OUR COMMUNITY. AND I'M NOT GOING TO BE OKAY THAT I DO WHAT I THINK IS GOING TO FEEL GOOD FOR ME OR THEY'RE GOING TO GET ME ELECTED OR NOT ELECTED. AND THEN LATER ON, SOMEBODY'S GOING TO BE PAYING 3 OR 4 TIMES THE AMOUNT ON TAXES, BECAUSE WE DIDN'T TAKE OUR SHARE OF THE RESPONSIBILITY AND OUR SHARE OF THE HIT. YOU KNOW, IT'S NOT AN EASY THING TO DO AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL. AS SOON AS YOU SAY RAISE TAXES, IT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, YOU'RE A GONER KIND OF

[02:55:02]

20, 23, WE RAISED TAXES, THE TAX RATE. WAS IT 2023, I BELIEVE, TO GO TO THE 2024 TAX YEAR. RIGHT.

AND THEN WE WENT DOWN AND THEN WE WENT DOWN LAST YEAR CURRENT BUDGET YEAR. WE WENT DOWN. IF WE HADN'T INCREASED THE TAX RATE DURING 2023, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO MEET OUR OBLIGATIONS TO PUBLIC SAFETY, OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT INCREASES IN THE BUDGET. THERE'S NO WAY WE COULD HAVE DONE IT, PERIOD. AND WE ALL VOTED FOR IT. I MEAN, EXCEPT YOU, COMMISSIONER BUTLER, YOU WEREN'T HERE. BUT COMMISSIONER LEON VOTED FOR IT. WE ALL DID. AND WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO. IF WE HADN'T DONE THAT, WE WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO COMPLETE OR PAY OUR OBLIGATION TO PUBLIC SAFETY IF WE HADN'T DONE THAT. SIMPLE AS THAT. AND IT'S A LOT OF THAT. AND SOME OF THAT PART IS THE NON-MANDATED SERVICE. WE WOULD NOT BEEN ABLE TO DO IT. WE HAVE A CONTRACT WITH THEM FOR A LOT OF THE FOR THE PERSONNEL COST FOR THAT. IF WE HADN'T DONE THAT THAT YEAR, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO MEET THAT OBLIGATION. I JUST WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE THAT THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG THINGS THAT, YOU KNOW, THAT WE ALL VOTED FOR, THAT WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE WE KEPT UP WITH BECAUSE WE WANT TO TAKE CARE OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT. BUT WE HADN'T DONE THAT. WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO KEEP UP OUR OBLIGATION. WOULD WE ABLE TO DO THAT THESE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS? WITHOUT THAT, BETSY, I'D HAVE TO GO BACK AND LOOK, COMMISSIONER, NOT WITHOUT SOME OTHER KIND OF OFFSETS. I MEAN, THIS THAT'S BUDGETING, RIGHT? WE LOOKING AND WHAT AS A REMINDER AND YOU ALL KNOW THIS EVEN IN STRATEGIC PLANNING WE DO GO OVER OUR BUDGET AND OUR FINANCES. BUT WE'VE JUST HAD SOME OCCURRENCES HAPPEN, AS YOU ALL HAVE DISCUSSED, NOT TO REHASH

[03:00:04]

SO I DID NOT VOTE FOR THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE IN 2024 WHEN WE APPROVED THAT. BUT WHEN WE WERE HAVING THOSE DISCUSSIONS, THE RATIONALE FROM THE COURT AS TO WHY IT WAS NECESSARY TO APPROVE THAT HIGHEST RATE POSSIBLE WAS BECAUSE WE DIDN'T WANT TO FIND OURSELVES IN A BAD FINANCIAL POSITION IN THE FUTURE, THAT THAT'S WHY WE HAD TO APPROVE THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE. BUT WE'RE IN A BAD FINANCIAL POSITION ANYWAY. SO WHAT THAT TELLS ME IS THAT WE'RE NOT DOING SOMETHING CORRECTLY WITH OUR BUDGETING BECAUSE WE, THE COURT, VOTED TO RAISE TAXES TWO YEARS AGO SO THAT WE WOULDN'T FIND OURSELVES HAVING TO PAY FOR THINGS IN THE FUTURE AND PASSING THE BUCK.

JUDGE, LIKE YOU SAID. BUT THAT'S HAPPENING ANYWAY. SO I THINK THAT REALLY TO ME STRESSES THE IMPORTANCE, IMPORTANCE OF LOOKING AT HOW WE ARE DOING OUR BUDGETING BECAUSE WE'RE CLEARLY NOT DOING SOMETHING RIGHT OR WE WOULDN'T FIND OURSELVES IN THIS POSITION. WELL, I DISAGREE WITH THAT. I DISAGREE PARTLY WITH THAT, THOUGH, IF I MAY, IF I CAN IF I CAN CLARIFY, IT'S NOT NECESSARILY BUDGETING, BUT IT'S EVERY ITEM THAT COMES BEFORE YOU ALL. IT'S WHEN YOU ALL MAKE DECISIONS ON ITEMS BEFORE YOU AND THERE. THOSE AREN'T EASY DECISIONS EITHER. THEY ARE THINGS THAT IMPACT LIVELIHOODS. THEY'RE THINGS THAT WE KNOW ARE CRITICAL FOR INFRASTRUCTURE, BUT THEY COME WITH A COST IMPACT. AND SO WE JUST HAVE TO REALLY PROVIDE INFORMATION FOR YOU ALL TO BE ABLE TO MAKE DECISIONS, TO KNOW WHETHER OR NOT OUR, OUR PROPERTY VALUE GROWTH IS GOING TO BE ENOUGH TO COVER THAT. YOU MAY RECALL WE SHOW YOU ALL THE BUDGET REGISTER PERIODICALLY.

WE'RE SHOWING YOU A REGISTER. AND WE ADDED TO THAT. WHAT TAX RATE DOES IT COST TO COVER THESE THINGS YOU'RE VOTING FOR BECAUSE YOU CANNOT ADD WE CAN'T OUR OUR CURRENT OBLIGATIONS. PROPERTY GROWTH IS NOT COVERING THE VALUE THAT MAYBE WE HAVE TO SEE THAT REGISTER MORE OFTEN THAN WE'RE SEEING IT NOW, SO THAT WE CAN TRULY UNDERSTAND THE IMPACT OF, LIKE YOU SAID, THE DECISIONS THAT WE'RE MAKING. YES, MA'AM. AND NEW THINGS HAPPENED. SO LOOKING AT THE BUDGET BEING THE PROBLEM IS NOT COMPLETELY FAIR BECAUSE NEW THINGS HAPPEN. AND THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT BECAUSE WE HAD AN INCREASE, IT DIDN'T HELP. IT JUST MEANT THAT MORE THINGS THAT WE DIDN'T EXPECT HAPPENED. AND THAT'S WHERE WE WERE. IT'S DIFFICULT. AND WE GOT ALL THESE CUTS AND WE DON'T WE CAN'T I MEAN, THE STATE'S NOT HELPING AND WE'RE TRYING TO DO OUR BEST. THEY'RE NOT HELPING.

BUT THEN WE HAVE NEW SITUATIONS. SO IT'S HARD TO SAY THAT THAT BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE IT DIDN'T HELP. WHAT DIDN'T HELP WAS THE NEW THINGS THAT CAME UP THAT WE HAD NO CLUE AND NO IDEA THAT THAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. THAT'S CORRECT. THE BIGGEST DRIVER HAS BEEN LOSS OF FEDERAL REVENUE, BECAUSE PEOPLE WHO PREVIOUSLY WOULD HAVE BEEN MOST LIKELY BROUGHT INTO THE JAIL BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT WERE BROUGHT IN BY THE STATE GOVERNMENT. AND THEN THERE WAS ALSO TWO SETS OF LEGISLATION, LEGISLATION THAT HAS PASSED THAT IS REQUIRED THE JUDICIARY REQUIRED BASICALLY INDIVIDUALS TO REMAIN IN THE JAIL LONGER. THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO BAIL OR BOND OUT. AND THOSE WE KNOW THAT THE JAIL OPERATION IS ONE OF OUR LARGEST, MOST

[03:05:02]

AND I UNDERSTAND THAT PROPERTY VALUES HAVE GONE UP, ESPECIALLY IN THE LAST THREE YEARS. RIGHT? SINCE SINCE COVID 3 OR 4 YEARS SINCE COVID. BUT, YOU KNOW, WE REDUCED OUR TAX RATE LAST YEAR ALSO TO BE ABLE TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE BONDS. THAT'S BEING FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE. WE SET OURSELVES UP TO BE ABLE TO PASS $350 MILLION WORTH OF BONDS WITHOUT AFFECTING THE TAX RATE. THAT'S SUPER IN MY OPINION. SO I MEAN, I DON'T WANT I DON'T WANT TO SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, WE NEED WE NEED TO WE NEED TO I FEEL LIKE AGAIN, NOBODY'S PERFECT. WE CAN ALWAYS WORK ON THINGS. BUT THIS WE ARE IN THIS SITUATION RIGHT NOW BECAUSE OF THE STATE. THE PROBLEM IS THAT IT'S GOING TO KEEP HAPPENING, AND WE HAVE TO FIND A WAY TO DEAL WITH THAT. THIS IS NOT THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT THEY'RE GOING TO IMPOSE MORE UNMANDATED, OF COURSE, NOT ACTIVITIES ON US. SO WE HAVE TO FIND SOME WAY TO DEAL WITH THAT. WE CAN'T JUST KEEP SAYING, OH, WELL, I'M SORRY, THE STATE'S MAKING US DO THIS. WE HAVE TO INCREASE TAXES. THAT'S MY POINT. AND I DIDN'T MEAN TO SAY THAT WE'RE DOING THE BUDGET WRONG. I FEEL LIKE WE NEED TO LOOK AT HOW WE ARE DOING THE BUDGET SO THAT WE CAN PREPARE AND BE IN A BETTER SITUATION. WHEN THE STATE DOES WHAT WE KNOW THE STATE IS GOING TO DO. BECAUSE THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT THE LAST LEGISLATIVE SESSION THAT THESE THINGS, THESE TYPES OF THINGS ARE GOING TO PASS. IT'S NOT. SO WE HAVE TO PROACTIVELY PREPARE FOR THOSE THINGS BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THEY'RE COMING. WE KNOW THAT THEY ARE. AND THAT'S WHY I SUGGESTED DURING STRATEGIC PLANNING THAT WE DO A BIT OF A COST BENEFIT ANALYSIS OF THE UNFETTERED GROWTH THAT'S OCCURRING IN YOUR IN YOUR DISTRICT, BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT'S GOING TO BE DRIVING OUR COUNTY SERVICES IN THE FUTURE, AND WE NEED TO HAVE OUR EYES WIDE OPEN.

AND THAT DID NOT RISE TO THE TOP IN STRATEGIC PLANNING. SO I'M SAYING IT AGAIN, THAT IS SOMETHING THAT THAT IS A PROACTIVE WAY THAT YOU'RE THAT YOU'RE SUGGESTING TO DO THAT AND WE CAN DO THAT. BUT WE COME UP WITH WE ALSO HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT WE'RE LIMITED IN WHAT WE CAN DO TO STOP THAT GROWTH. RIGHT. SO YES, YOU MAY BE CORRECT THAT A LOT OF INCREASES IN SERVICES ARE BECAUSE OF THAT GROWTH, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S NOT LIKE WE'RE JUST TURNING A BLIND EYE TO IT. WE'RE VERY, VERY LIMITED IN HOW WE CAN STOP THAT GROWTH FROM HAPPENING. SO THEN WE HAVE TO FIND CREATIVE WAYS TO LURE GROWTH BACK INTO THE CITY. AND WE DO HAVE INFILL. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE THE INFILL POLICY. SO WE NEED TO LOOK FOR MORE OF THOSE TYPES OF SOLUTIONS. SO YES, WE CAN CERTAINLY LOOK AT THE GROWTH IN THE UNINCORPORATED AREAS. BUT IN THE END, IT'S NOT LIKE WE COULD DO ANYTHING TO STOP IT OTHER THAN THESE OTHER POLICIES THAT WE'RE ALREADY WORKING ON AND WE NEED TO KEEP WORKING ON AND WE NEED TO GET BETTER ABOUT I MEAN, THERE ARE WE CAN WE ABSOLUTELY CAN DO THINGS TO SLOW IT DOWN OR HELP STOP IT. AND THAT, THAT THAT'S CUTTING THE SERVICES THAT ARE PROVIDED OUT THERE. RIGHT. WE DON'T WE DON'T HAVE TO BUILD THE ROADS INTO THESE NEW DEVELOPMENTS. WE DON'T HAVE TO PUT IN THE WATER. WE DON'T HAVE TO PUT IN THE, YOU KNOW, PARKS. WE DON'T HAVE TO PAY FOR THE PARKS OUT THERE. I MEAN, THAT'S WE'RE, WE'RE, WE'RE THAT'S NOT MANDATED. RIGHT. AND I DON'T THINK THIS COURT AT LEAST THAT I CAN REMEMBER, HAS VOTED TO BUILD ROADS FOR DEVELOPERS. DEVELOPERS BUILD THE ROADS, AND THEN THEY TURN IT OVER TO OUR SYSTEM FOR MAINTENANCE. BUT I'VE HAD DEVELOPERS COME TO MY OFFICE WANTING THE COUNTY TO BUILD A ROAD FOR THEM SO THAT THEY COULD BUILD A SUBDIVISION, AND I'VE TOLD THEM, NO, THE COURT WILL NEVER AGREE TO THAT AND THE COUNTY SHOULD NOT BE BUILDING ROADS. SO I DISAGREE WITH THAT. I DON'T THINK THE COUNTY IS OUT BUILDING ROADS FOR THESE. THOSE ARE COMMUNITIES THAT ARE ALREADY THERE, THESE COMMUNITIES. WE'RE NOT BUILDING THE ROAD IN ORDER FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT TO COME IN. WE'RE TRYING TO DEAL WITH THE

[03:10:04]

AND TO CLARIFY, BECAUSE I KNOW I'M THE PERSON THAT THAT SAYS THAT IT'S LIKE WHEN YOU SUPPORT WHEN SOMEONE COMES INTO OUR COUNTRY, YOU HAVE TO TREAT THEM WITH DIGNITY. YOU HAVE TO BE GOOD TO THEM, YOU HAVE TO TREAT THEM. AND THAT'S WHAT I MEAN WHEN SOMEONE'S ALREADY LIVING THERE, WE HAVE TO PROVIDE THE THINGS THAT ANYBODY ELSE WOULD BECAUSE THEY'RE IN OUR COUNTRY.

SO IT'S NOT IT'S NOT AN INCENTIVE. IT'S MORE OF WHAT WE'VE ALWAYS AGREED ON ONCE THEY'RE IN OUR COUNTY, ONCE THEY'RE IN OUR COUNTRY, YOU TREAT THEM WITH THE UTMOST RESPECT. AND YOU CAN'T DO THAT. IF THEY DON'T HAVE WATER, THEY DON'T HAVE INFRASTRUCTURE. THEY DON'T HAVE. I MEAN, IT'S AT THAT POINT YOU TREAT THEM WITH DIGNITY. SO I'M SORRY, BUT YEAH, COLONIALS. I'VE ALWAYS SAID I'VE ALWAYS DISTINGUISHED. RIGHT. MY ARGUMENT IS, IS MORE BASED TOWARDS LIKE THE DEVELOPMENT THAT'S DEVELOPER DRIVEN. THAT'S THAT'S HAPPENING RIGHT NOW. I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT NOT PROVIDING SERVICES TO COLONIAL AREAS. RIGHT. AND I KNOW IT'S DIFFERENT. IT'S DIFFICULT BECAUSE THEY'RE VERY CLOSE TO EACH OTHER. AND THEY ALSO USE THE ROADS THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT. COMMISSIONER, COMMISSIONER STOUT, I TOSS IT BACK TO YOU AND I CAN TALK ABOUT THIS INDEFINITELY. AND I, I THINK WHAT I, WHAT I REALLY APPRECIATE IS THAT WE CAN DEBATE AND DISAGREE ON SOME THINGS, BUT I THINK ULTIMATELY, I KNOW THAT THE INTENT OF EVERY SINGLE PERSON HERE ON THIS DAIS IS, IS POSITIVE AND HOW TO HELP THE PEOPLE IN OUR COMMUNITY. AND I'M GLAD I NEVER HAVE TO QUESTION THAT AT ALL. IT MAKES WORKING HERE VERY, VERY, A VERY GOOD EXPERIENCE. I, I LOOK AT THE BUDGET AND I THINK WE ALL DO.

WELL, THE WAY I SEE IT IS, IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A VALUES DOCUMENT. RIGHT. SO WE COULD SAY, YOU KNOW, WE KNOW THAT BETWEEN 10 AND 30% OF OUR BUDGET IS DRIVEN BY NON-STATUTORY PROGRAMS. AND WE CAN SAY WE KNOW IN THE FUTURE, WE KNOW TODAY THAT IN THE NEXT 3 TO 5 YEARS, WE'RE GOING TO FEEL THE BRUNT OF CUTS IN FEDERAL FUNDING ACROSS THE BOARD AND THAT ARE GOING TO IMPACT OUR CONSTITUENTS MORE THAN ANYBODY ELSE, BECAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER RESOURCE OR ANY OTHER SAFETY NET OR ANY OTHER GOVERNMENT TO SUPPORT THEM. WE CAN SEE THAT NOW FOR A FACT THAT WE'RE NOT GOING TO FEEL THE IMPACT OF THIS TRUMP ADMINISTRATION, FOR THE FULL IMPACT FOR ANOTHER 3 TO 5 YEARS. RIGHT. AND SO WE CAN SAY NOW WE SHOULD START WINDING DOWN SOME OF THOSE PROGRAMS THAT ARE GRANT FUNDED, OR WE CAN SAY NOW'S THE TIME TO DOUBLE DOWN, BECAUSE IF WE DON'T, WE'RE JUST GOING TO LOSE THOSE SERVICES, RIGHT? SO WHEN I'M LOOKING AT THE BUDGET, I THINK OUR CHOICE TODAY IS, IS BETWEEN COSTS THAT WE DON'T HAVE CONTROL OVER, THAT ARE STATE MANDATED, THAT ARE DRIVEN PRIMARILY BY THE STATE AND SERVICES THAT WE KNOW MAKE AN

[03:15:07]

THEY'RE INTENTIONAL. AND UNLESS WE CAN FIND LINE ITEMS THAT WE SAY, ABSOLUTELY, WE'RE WASTING MONEY, LET'S GET RID OF IT. I THINK THAT WE HAVE TO SET OURSELVES UP FOR THIS BUDGET FOR FUTURE YEARS, WHERE IT'S JUST GOING TO GET HARDER AND HARDER AND HARDER TO FUND THE THINGS THAT OUR RESIDENTS. AND I CAN TALK SPECIFICALLY ABOUT. THE RESIDENTS IN MY COMMUNITY RELY ON THE MOST AND HAVE NO OTHER RESOURCE TO GET. BITSY. THANK YOU ALL FOR THE FEEDBACK ON THIS ITEM. THIS IS VERY HELPFUL FOR US. I HOPE IT WAS HELPFUL FOR YOU. WE HAVE MORE HOMEWORK TO DO, AND WE'LL CONTINUE TO WORK THROUGH THE ANALYSIS AND BRINGING BACK MORE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE COURT ON THESE ITEMS. IF WE TAKE A BREAK NOW, WE CREATING ANY ISSUES FOR YOU OR WE DO HAVE A THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE TAX RATE, WHICH I THINK IS POSTED. IT WAS POSTED FOR THIS MORNING. SO I DON'T KNOW IF THE COURT WANTS TO TAKE A VERY SHORT BREAK AND COME BACK AND DO THAT. OR WHAT WOULD YOU PREFER? JUDGE WHATEVER IT WAS POSTED FOR THIS MORNING FOR US TO HAVE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THE TAX RATE. SO YOU MAY WANT TO DO THAT BEFORE YOU BREAK. I'M GOOD WITH THAT. MAY AS WELL JUST DO IT. WE MAY DO IT WITHOUT WITHOUT BREAKING. YEAH OKAY. DO IT NOW.

PROCEED. YES. OKAY. THANK YOU. YES. IF YOU'LL READ THE NEXT ITEM. YES. ITEM NINE B CONDUCT A PUBLIC HEARING TO RECEIVE PUBLIC COMMENT. BOTH PROPONENTS AND OPPONENTS ON THE PROPOSED PROPERTY TAX RATE FOR FISCAL YEAR 2025 TO 2026 FOR EL PASO COUNTY. COULD WE PLEASE HAVE A MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING? I'LL BE READING THIS, JESSICA. YES, WE'LL JUST GO AHEAD AND OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FIRST. SO WE HAVE A MOTION BY COMMISSIONER BUTLER.

SECOND, BY COMMISSIONER ONLY THE VOTING IS OPEN. COMMISSIONER BUTLER OH, SORRY. THANK YOU.

MOTION CARRIES. GOOD AFTERNOON. JUDGE. COMMISSIONERS, I BELIEVE WE HAVE A PRESENTATION UP. THANK YOU. TEAM. SO I'LL BE READING THIS AND THEN. YES PLEASE. AND THEN I'LL PROCEED. THE COUNTY MAY NOT ADOPT ADOPT A TAX RATE THAT EXCEEDS THE LOWER OF THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE OR THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE, CALCULATED AS PROVIDED BY TEXAS PROPERTY TAX CODE, CHAPTER 26, UNTIL IT HAS HELD A PUBLIC HEARING ON THE PROPOSED TAX INCREASE, THE TAX RATE PROPOSED FOR EL PASO COUNTY ON AUGUST 18TH, 2024 IS GREATER THAN THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE. ALL PERSONS, BOTH PROPONENTS AND OPPONENTS OF THE TAX INCREASE, WILL BE AFFORDED ADEQUATE OPPORTUNITY TO PRESENT THEIR VIEWS. MELISSA. THANK YOU JUDGE. GOOD MORNING JUDGE. GOOD AFTERNOON, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS MELISSA CARRILLO WITH COUNTY OPERATIONS. THANK YOU TO THE MEMBERS OF THE PUBLIC, COUNTY EMPLOYEES AND MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA WHO ARE TUNED IN TODAY AS WE DISCUSS TAX RATE OPTIONS FOR THE COURT'S CONSIDERATION. THIS MORNING, WE WILL BE REVIEWING OUR TAX RATE OVERVIEW, OUR HISTORICAL TAX RATE ADOPTIONS, AND WILL THEN FOCUS ON A FEW OPTIONS FOR THE COURT'S CONSIDERATION AS WE WORK TO ADOPT THE TAX RATE FOR FY 2026. THIS SLIDE PROVIDES AN OVERVIEW OF SOME OF THE VARIOUS TAX RATE CALCULATIONS FOR THE COURT'S CONSIDERATION THIS YEAR.

THE FIRST LINE HIGHLIGHTS THE CURRENT TAX RATE AT 0.426323, WHICH WAS ADOPTED A YEAR AGO AND IS IN PLACE TODAY. EVERY YEAR, THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE IS CALCULATED WITH THE INTENTION OF GENERATING THE SAME REVENUE THAT WAS GENERATED IN THE PRIOR YEAR. THAT RATE IS 0.409349 DUE TO THE VOTER APPROVED DEBT, WHICH PASSED IN NOVEMBER LAST YEAR. THIS NEXT RATE IS CALCULATED TO OFFSET THE DECREASE IN THE NO PORTION OF THE TAX RATE DUE TO THE INCREASE IN THE INS PORTION.

THIS RATE IS CALLED THE NO NEW REVENUE, NO TAX RATE, AND IS CALCULATED AT 0.422742. THE FY

[03:20:03]

THE LAST THREE LINES ON THIS CHART HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE OPTIONS WE DISCUSSED ON PREVIOUS SLIDE. THIS IS A WORKSHEET SLIDE, AND IT PROVIDES THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE CERTIFIED VALUES AND THE TAX RATES. OUR 2025 TAX YEAR CERTIFIED VALUES INCREASED BY JUST OVER $4.6 BILLION, OR 6.8%, OVER THE CURRENT 2024 TAX YEAR. PROPERTY VALUES OF SIGNIFICANCE SINCE LAST YEAR, HOME VALUES IN THE COUNTY HAVE RISEN FROM. 200,956 TO 216,726, OR AN INCREASE OF 7.8%. AVERAGE HOME VALUE AS PRESENTED EARLIER, THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE IS 0.409349. THIS IS THE RATE THAT WILL GENERATE THE SAME REVENUE AS LAST YEAR, OTHER THAN NEW CONSTRUCTION ADDED TO OUR ROLLS, THE SECTION IN THE BLUE BOX, THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE IS HIGHLIGHTED AT 0.422742, AND WAS CALCULATED DUE TO THE VOTER APPROVED DEBT WHICH IMPACTED THE INSIDE OF THE TAX RATE CALCULATION. AS YOU KNOW, WHEN THE INS RATES GO UP, THE NO PORTION WILL COME DOWN TO ALLOW FOR THAT. NO NEW REVENUE RATE CALCULATION. THIS RATE DIFFERS FROM YOUR NO NEW REVENUE RATE WE JUST DESCRIBED SOLELY TO PRESERVE THAT LOSS. AND NO, DUE TO THAT VOTER APPROVED DEBT. AND FINALLY, ON THIS SLIDE, YOU WILL SEE THE VOTER APPROVED RATE AT 0.487797. THIS RATE WOULD GENERATE AN ADDITIONAL 56 MILLION OVER THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE. THE NEXT FOUR SLIDES WILL LOOK SIMILAR TO THIS ONE, BUT WE'LL FOCUS ON A DIFFERENT TAX RATE OPTION FOR THE COURT'S CONSIDERATION AND THEIR IMPACTS TO THE HOMEOWNER. THIS FIRST SLIDE SHOWS THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE OPTION AT 0.409349. THE NO PORTION WOULD GENERATE 9.6 MILLION LESS THAN THE REVENUE SEEN IN FY 25. THE INS PORTION WILL BE THE SAME FOR ALL FOUR SLIDES, AND DUE TO VOTER APPROVED DEBT LAST YEAR, THIS RATE HAS INCREASED TO 0.063597, WHICH WILL GENERATE AN ADDITIONAL 11.9 MILLION IN REVENUE TO PAY DOWN DEBT VERSUS FY 25. EACH OF THE COLUMNS HIGHLIGHT WHAT WHAT THE 2026 HOMEOWNER PAYMENT IS PROJECTED TO BE BASED ON THE AVERAGE HOME VALUE OF $216,726, AGAIN AN INCREASE FROM $200,000 956 JUST A YEAR AGO. THIS SLIDE ALSO BREAKS DOWN THE ANNUAL AND THE MONTHLY DIFFERENCES TO THE HOMEOWNER. IN TOTAL, WHILE THIS RATE ON SCREEN WILL NOT GENERATE ANY NEW REVENUE FOR THE COUNTY, THIS RATE WOULD STILL CREATE AN IMPACT TO THE HOMEOWNER OF $2.54 PER MONTH. THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE OPTION AT 0.422742. THE PORTION WOULD REVIVE THE 9.6 MILLION THAT IS LOST IN REVENUE, WITH THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE OPTION SEEN IN THE PREVIOUS SLIDE BEING THE SAME FOR ALL FOUR SLIDES. YOUR INS PORTION IS 0.063597, WHICH GENERATES THAT ADDITIONAL 11.9 MILLION IN REVENUE AGAIN, TO PAY DOWN DEBT VERSUS FY 25. IN TOTAL. THIS RATE DOES NOT

[03:25:02]

IT'S THE OPTION THAT THE COURT APPROVED FOR 2024 THAT WE TALKED ABOUT EARLIER ON. THIS IS THE ONE THAT WE'RE JUST SHOWING YOU ALL WHAT YOUR TAX RATE WAS TWO YEARS AGO WHEN YOU DROPPED IT BEFORE WE BEFORE WE DROPPED IT BECAUSE OF THE BONDS, BECAUSE OF THE BOND. AND THIS IS ONE THAT GIVES YOU A RATE BETWEEN NO NEW REVENUE AND VOTER APPROVED. BUT THIS RATE WAS THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE IN 2024 WHEN IT WAS ADOPTED, CORRECT? YES. THIS WAS THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE IN 24 OR THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE IN 24. IT WAS THE FAR RATE. OKAY. SO THIS SLIDE WOULD GENERATE AN ADDITIONAL $35.7 MILLION OVER THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE. AND YOU'LL SEE YOUR SAME INS IN TOTAL. THIS RATE CREATES AN IMPACT TO THE HOMEOWNER OF $11.48 PER MONTH. AND FINALLY, THIS SLIDE SHOWS THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE AT 0.487797. THE NO PORTION FOR THIS RATE WOULD INCREASE REVENUE OVER THE NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE BY $56.5 MILLION, AGAIN BEING THE SAME FOR ALL FOUR SLIDES. YOUR INS IS REFLECTED THERE. IN TOTAL. THIS RATE ON SCREEN, YOUR VOTER APPROVAL RATE CREATES AN IMPACT TO THE HOMEOWNER AT $16.71 PER MONTH. AND SO FOR THE REMAINING PORTION OF THE PRESENTATION, I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO YOUR CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR TO HIGHLIGHT SOME OF THE POSSIBLE IMPACTS AND OPPORTUNITIES GIVEN EACH OF THESE RATES. THANK YOU MELISSA.

SO NOW WE WANT TO GO THROUGH WHAT EACH OF THESE RATES MEAN TO YOUR BUDGET. AND I ALSO WANT TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHEN EVERY YEAR WHEN WE PREPARE THE BUDGET BOOK, WE DON'T HAVE THESE RATES FROM THE FROM CAD YET. SO OUR AUDITOR PREPARES THE REVENUE FOR THE BOOK THAT WE ALL RECEIVE BASED ON THE CURRENT TAX RATE AND A 2% PROPERTY TAX VALUE GROWTH. SO THE I'M INCLUDING IN THESE SLIDES, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN REVENUE FROM WHAT'S IN THE BOOK AND WHAT WHAT THESE RATES MEAN? I ALSO HAVE THE DIFFERENCE IN RATE FROM FY 25 THAT MELISSA REFERENCED ON HER SLIDE TOTAL FOR THAT RATE. SO THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE IS $9.6 MILLION LESS IN REVENUE FROM FY 25. ON THE NO SIDE, IT IS A DIFFERENCE IN REVENUE FROM THE BOOK OF $7.2 MILLION LESS THAN WHAT BARBARA PROJECTED WHEN SHE PREPARED THE PROJECTIONS AT THAT TIME, BECAUSE, AGAIN, WE DID NOT HAVE THESE NUMBERS. SO IF WE WERE TO ADOPT THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE, THIS THIS DECREASE IS NOT IN OUR BUDGET. WE WOULD HAVE TO GO AND WE WOULD NEED TO CUT AN ADDITIONAL 7.2 MILLION.

YOUR FUND BALANCE WOULD BE LESS THAN 4%. AND YOU ARE PROLONGING SEVERAL IMPACTS FROM ONE TIME ACTIONS AND OPERATIONAL NEEDS TO NEXT FISCAL YEAR. THE NO NEW REVENUE IS THE ONE THAT KEEPS OUR NO. AT A FLAT RATE. IT'S A DIFFERENCE OF 9.6 MILLION OVER THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE. THE ANNUAL IMPACT. AND I DO THINK IT'S VERY IMPORTANT WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THE ANNUAL IMPACT TO THE HOMEOWNERS ON EACH OF THESE SLIDES AS WELL. SO THE ANNUAL IMPACT TO THE HOMEOWNER. NOW, WE'VE HAD A CONVERSATIONS ABOUT THIS BECAUSE IT'S 5947, BUT THIS ALSO INCLUDES NEW GROWTH. SO IT'S NOT IT'S NOT A CLEAN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT THAT MEANS. BUT THAT IS THE AVERAGE IMPACT. SO THERE WOULD BE NO CHANGES TO THE RECOMMENDED BUDGET. IT WOULD INCREASE THE FUND BALANCE BY ABOUT HALF A PERCENT. SO WE'D BE SOMEWHERE CLOSER TO 4 OR 4.5 SOMEWHERE IN THERE, PROLONGING SEVERAL IMPACTS FROM ONE TIME ACTIONS AND OPERATIONAL NEEDS TO NEXT FISCAL YEAR. WHEN YOU SAY THAT, THAT'S REPLENISHING THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT. NO. RIGHT, RIGHT WE ARE. AND YOU'RE GOING TO SEE ON THESE UPCOMING SLIDES WHAT WE'RE PROLONGING. YES, SIR. SO THE 2024 TAX RATE. AND AGAIN WE CHOSE THAT TAX RATE BECAUSE IT IS WHERE WE WERE WHEN WE REDUCED

[03:30:04]

IF THE COURT HAD VOTED TO DO THAT, WE WOULD TAKE ONE OF THESE OTHER AREAS THAT WE WERE RESTORING, LOWER IT BY THE $1.32 MILLION TO ALLOW FOR THAT OPTIONAL INCLUSION. AND AGAIN, EVERYTHING WITH AN ASTERISK AT THE TOP IS NOT FUNDED BACK TO ITS FULL, FULL AMOUNT. THE NEXT RATE IS THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, WHICH IS A $200 PER YEAR IMPACT TO THE HOMEOWNER. DIFFERENCE IN REVENUE FROM NO NEW REVENUE IS 56,000,056.4 MILLION. THE DIFFERENCE IN REVENUE FROM THE BOOK IS ABOUT 49.1 MILLION, AND YOU WOULD ELIMINATE YOUR HIRING WAITING PERIOD. YOU WOULD RESTORE YOUR FUND BALANCE AT 8%, RECOVER FROM THE ONE TIME GENERAL FUND REIMBURSEMENTS. THE ENTIRE TEN 10.7 MILLION. THE RISK POOL 4 MILLION. YOU AGAIN WOULD RESTORE A PORTION OF YOUR CIP, BUT NOT ALL OF IT. AT 6.5 MILLION, YOU WOULD CREATE A STRATEGIC RESERVE. THIS IS NOT IDENTIFIED. FOR WHAT PURPOSE YET, BUT YOU ALL HAVE IDENTIFIED SEVERAL PENDING ISSUES THAT WE NEED TO DISCUSS FURTHER BEFORE WE COMMIT TO THIS WOULD BE PUT IN YOUR CONTINGENCY FUNDS. THEY WOULD NOT BE DISTRIBUTED OUT TO DEPARTMENTS, BUT IT WOULD BE SOMETHING THE COURT WOULD LOOK AT DURING THE YEAR. YOUR PERSONNEL CONTINGENCIES WOULD BE RESTORED AT 400,000, RESTORE YOUR ECONOMIC IMPACT FUND BY $1 MILLION. AGAIN, THESE ARE NOT COMPLETE. AND THEN YOU WOULD RESTORE SMALL EQUIPMENT, NOT COMPLETELY, BUT ABOUT TWO THIRDS TO DEPARTMENTS FOR THEIR DEPARTMENTAL SMALL EQUIPMENT OPERATING, WHICH ARE THE THINGS THAT ARE LESS THAN $5,000 THAT DEPARTMENTS NEED JUST AS AN ONGOING BASIS TO REPLACE. THAT IS A TOTAL OF THE 49.1 MILLION.

AND AGAIN, WE GIVE THE OPTION IF THERE'S SOMETHING THE COURT WANTED TO TRADE OUT TO BE ABLE TO DO THAT OTHER ITEM, YOU MAY RECALL THAT YOU ALREADY DID VOTE TO GIVE EMPLOYEES THE ADDITIONAL TIME OFF TO OFFSET NOT BEING ABLE TO GIVE A WAGE INCREASE. SO THESE ARE SOME OF THE OPTIONS THAT WE HAVE PRESENTED. WE'RE OPEN FOR ANY ITEMS OR DISCUSSIONS. THERE ARE MOTIONS THAT WE WILL NEED TO SET A TAX RATE, BUT WE KNOW THAT THE COURT WILL MOST LIKELY WANT TO HAVE MORE DISCUSSIONS ABOUT THESE OPTIONS. BETSY, WHAT IS WHAT IS THE LAW SAY IF WE IF WE. I'M NOT PROPOSING THIS, I'M JUST ASKING. BUT IF WE IF WE PROPOSE A TAX RATE THAT WAS ABOVE THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE AND IT TRIGGERED AN ELECTION, IF WE ASKED THE PUBLIC, YOU KNOW, TO AND IT DIDN'T PASS TO SUPPORT IT AND IT DIDN'T PASS WHAT I BELIEVE YOUR CURRENT RATE GOES INTO EFFECT, THE CURRENT RATE. SO CAN YOU CHECK ME ON THAT? WE WILL CHECK THAT. COMMISSIONER. THANK YOU. I

[03:35:05]

AND IT MAY BE INTERESTING TO SEE IF THE VOTERS WOULD WOULD APPROVE SUPPORTING THAT INCREASE. WE DO HAVE THREE SPEAKERS SIGNED UP FOR PUBLIC COMMENT BEFORE WE HEAR FROM THE SPEAKERS. BETSY, JUST REALLY QUICKLY, THE LAST TWO SLIDES HAVE THE THIRD BULLET POINT. THE THIRD BULLET POINT RECOVER FROM THE ONE TIME GENERAL FUND FUND REIMBURSEMENTS. CAN YOU GIVE ME SOME EXAMPLES? I'M TRYING TO REMEMBER WHAT THOSE WERE. YES, MA'AM. THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON NOW TO BALANCE THE BUDGET. SO IN ORDER TO BALANCE THE BUDGET IN THE BOOK, THE OR WHAT YOU NOT JUST THE BOOK, WHAT WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON IS TRYING TO. WE'VE BEEN SHIFTING FUNDING THAT WAS USED IN ARPA TO DEBT PROCEEDS TO FREE UP THE ARPA FUNDING SO THAT WE CAN REIMBURSE OURSELVES FOR SALARIES. AND THAT WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT REDUCTION TO WHAT WAS PREVIOUSLY TAKEN FROM GENERAL FUND. BUT AGAIN, YOU ONLY HAVE THIS TO DO IT THIS TIME ONE MORE YEAR. YES. HAVE WE HAVE HAS A NUMBER. CAN WE GO TO THE CHART THAT HAS ALL OF THE DIFFERENT. OPTIONS. YES. WHAT WHAT A RATE THAT KIND OF FILLS THAT $22 MILLION GAP LOOK LIKE.

BECAUSE IT LOOKS LIKE THE 2024 RATE IS ABOVE THAT SUBSTANTIALLY. BUT WHAT DO YOU HAVE. YOU HAVE YOU PROJECTED WHAT THAT WOULD. SO A RATE IT WOULD ACTUALLY HAVE TO BE ABOVE THE NO NEW REVENUE. NO. SO IF YOU LOOK AT THE NO NEW REVENUE, NO, THAT'S NOT EXACTLY WHAT YOUR BOOK WAS BASED ON. IT'S A LITTLE SHORT. IF I LET ME GO BACK UP HERE REALLY QUICK JUST TO. 42.

OKAY. THAT ONE ACTUALLY GENERATES 2.3. SO WE WOULD NEED 20 MILLION MORE. EVERY PENNY GENERATES JESSICA 7,000,007 MILLION. SO YOU WOULD NEED ABOUT THREE MORE CENTS. ABOUT 2.8 CENTS OR 2.9 CENTS ABOVE THIS RATE. SO IT'D BE ABOUT 46 PENNIES. WELL, TWO NINE WOULD BE ABOUT 45 ONE, BUT THE. OKAY. ALL RIGHT. SO IT WOULD BE LOWER THAN THE 2024 TAX RATE. YES. AND SO THAT REMIND ME THAT $22 MILLION COMMISSIONER BUTLER IS TALKING ABOUT. THAT'S WHAT WE THAT'S WHAT WE WOULD WANT TO BE ABLE TO GET OUR FUND BALANCE UP TO 8%. RIGHT? OKAY. YES. AND COMMISSIONER, I DO HAVE AN ANSWER FOR YOU WHENEVER YOU ARE READY. SO PER TEXAS TAX CODE 26.07 E, IN THE EVENT THAT THE PROPOSITION FAILS, THEN THAT RATE WOULD BECOME THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE. IT WOULD JUST AUTOMATICALLY BECOME THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE. THE PROPOSED RATE THAT THE COMMISSIONERS COURT HAD APPROVED THAT WAS ABOVE THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE WOULD NOT BE ADOPTED. OKAY, SO IT REVERTS TO THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE? YES, MA'AM. TO THE BAR. THAT IS INTERESTING. SO SORRY. NO, THE CURRENT TAX YEAR. I'M SORRY, I THOUGHT SO. CURRENT TAX RATE.

OKAY. YOU KNOW, I JUST YOU KNOW I DON'T THINK MY INTENTION AND I UNDERSTAND THAT WE'VE BEEN IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS KIND OF DOING THESE LIKE YOU KNOW ONE TIME CUTS THAT EVENTUALLY WILL CATCH UP TO THE COUNTY. SO IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE AND IT'S NOT FISCALLY RESPONSIBLE TO KEEP DOING THAT EITHER. AND AS IS JUST CONTINUING TO REDUCE OUR, OUR. WHAT IS THE FUND THE FUND BALANCE. THE FUND BALANCE. RIGHT. SO BUT KNOWING THAT WE HAVE THAT $22 MILLION GAP IN THE BUDGET THE WAY IT IS NOW, I THINK MY OPINION IS THAT THAT'S, THAT WOULD GET US TO A TO A

[03:40:01]

BETSY, COMMISSIONER, WHAT WOULD GET US THE IF YOU GO THROUGH THE SECOND TO THE LAST SLIDE, YOU DID. THAT RATE. THAT'S THE BOOK VALUE THAT ADDS 28 MILLION FROM THE CURRENT. IS THAT WHAT I'M SEEING FROM THE BOOK, FROM THE CURRENT, FROM THE NO NEW REVENUE. IT ADDS 35.6 MILLION.

THAT'S THE NO NEW REVENUE, THE LOWEST NO NEW REVENUE. OKAY. SO WITHOUT THE BONDS FROM WHAT'S IN THE BOOK, THIS WOULD GENERATE 28.3 MILLION. WHERE WOULD THAT GET US TO OUR RESERVES. WHAT PERCENTAGE? WELL, YOU ALL I HAVE AREAS ON THE SLIDE OF WAYS. WE WOULD ASK THAT YOU CONSIDER DISPERSING IT, BUT YOU ALL COULD CHOOSE TO INSTEAD USE THE ENTIRE 28.3 MILLION TO GET TO AN 8% FUND BALANCE. AND THAT WOULD LEAVE YOU WITH A LITTLE BIT MORE TO WORK WITH. YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO DO SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS, BUT NOT AS MUCH AS WHAT'S OUTLINED ON THE SLIDE. SO YOU NEED 22 MILLION TO GET TO 8%, A LITTLE OVER 22 MILLION. YOU NEED 22.2 MILLION TO GET TO 8% FUND BALANCE. SO IF YOU TOOK THIS AND 22.2, THAT WOULD LEAVE YOU 6.1 TO DISPERSE AMONG YOUR PRIORITIES ON THE OTHER AREAS. AND THE ONE THE REASON I DO, I, I RECOMMEND YOU CONSIDER DOING THE RECOVERY IS BECAUSE THOSE ARE TRUE COST. YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO RECOVER NEXT YEAR. AND WHAT ARE THOSE COSTS TOTAL AND WHAT ARE THOSE RECOVERY COSTS TOTAL. THOSE RECOVERY COSTS TOTAL OVER 14 MILLION BETWEEN THE RISK POOL 4 MILLION AND THE 10 MILLION THAT WE'RE BORROWING, WE'RE BASICALLY OFFSETTING SALARIES THIS YEAR WITH MONEY THAT WE HAVE ONE TIME. SO THAT'S 14 MILLION. AND SO THEN WHAT WOULD IT TAKE ABOVE THE 14 MILLION TO GET US TO THE 8%? YOU WOULD NEED 14 PLUS 22 SIX. 36 A LITTLE OVER 36 MILLION. FOR EXAMPLE. ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I THINK THAT, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF WE WERE TO GO. YOU KNOW, ABOVE THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE, IF WE WERE ABLE TO BRING OUR FUND BALANCE UP TO 8%, I THINK WE SHOULD HOLD ON TO THINGS LIKE THE HIRING FREEZE, BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE MAIN COST DRIVERS FOR US IS PERSONNEL. SO I WOULD, I WOULD I THINK THERE ARE THINGS THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE TO HAVE TO ADDRESS. AND THERE ARE OTHER THINGS THAT I THINK THAT WE SHOULD EVALUATE MORE THOROUGHLY BEFORE WE JUST SAY THIS. YOU KNOW, THESE FUNDS WILL GO TOWARDS BRINGING US BACK TO THE STATUS QUO BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, LIKE THE DISCUSSION WE WERE HAVING PREVIOUSLY, WE THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT WE CAN DO. WE CAN COURSE CORRECT IN SOME PLACES. AND MAYBE HAVING THAT HIRING FREEZE WILL GIVE US SOME BREATHING ROOM TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS. EVEN IF WE HAVE THE FUNDING AVAILABLE TO DO IT, DOESN'T MEAN WE SHOULD JUST DO IT. BUT THE OTHER THING WE'RE WE'RE COMING UP ON THE HORIZON FOR THIS YEAR IN ORDER FOR OUR RESERVES, WHAT DO WE HAVE IN THE HORIZON THAT THE STATE JUST PUT TO US THAT WE'RE NOT EVEN TAKING INTO ACCOUNT ON THIS? WHAT IS IT WE HAVE SB NINE, SB NINE, WE HAVE THE ITEMS ON THE BALLOT IN NOVEMBER THAT COULD HAVE ADDITIONAL IMPACTS. AND THEN WE DO KNOW, LIKE LOOKING FORWARD. I MEAN, WE DO HAVE SOME OTHER EXPENSES. THIS YEAR WE SAW A HUGE INCREASE IN OUR COST OF ANIMAL EMPOWERMENT FEES. AND THAT'S AS AN EXAMPLE. WE'VE INCORPORATED THAT INTO THE BUDGET, BUT EVENTUALLY WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO FOREGO THOSE. BUT WE'RE GOING TO HAVE OUR OWN OPERATIONAL EXPENSE OF AN ANIMAL WELFARE OPERATION. SO WE WILL HAVE SOME NOW. AND I DO YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANT TO BE LIKE DOOMSDAY, LIKE, THIS IS THE ONLY TIME WE'LL EVER HAVE ONE TIME RECOVERIES. SO LIKE THIS 10 MILLION. THAT IS THAT IS REMARKABLE. UNUSUAL. WE DON'T USUALLY HAVE THAT MUCH OF AN OPPORTUNITY, BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS IN THE COMING YEAR WHERE WE WILL BE ABLE TO GET SOME SMALL ONE TIME RECOVERIES TO HELP FUND THINGS, BUT NOT AT THIS LEVEL. SO, FOR EXAMPLE, AT SOME POINT WHEN WE MOVE OUT OF OUR MEDICAL EXAMINER FACILITY, WE CAN SELL THAT FACILITY AND THAT WILL GIVE US SOME ONE TIME

[03:45:05]

[03:50:04]

THIS TIME, WE WOULDN'T HAVE A SOURCE OF REVENUE TO PUT INTO OUTREACH RELATED TO THE STATE ELECTION. AND I GUESS IT'S A QUESTION OF HOW MUCH WE THINK WHAT THE COST BENEFIT WOULD BE, RIGHT? FINDING THOSE FUNDS, HOW MUCH IT WOULD COST, DEPENDING ON THE OUTREACH THAT WE WANT TO DO AS COMPARED, WE KNOW WHAT THE COST IS GOING TO BE TO US, THE 4 MILLION. SO COMPARING THOSE TWO FIGURES. OKAY, I THINK YOU HAVE PUBLIC COMMENT. DO YOU WANT TO TAKE THAT NOW? I'D LIKE TO TAKE THAT FIRST AND THEN YES, JESSICA, I BELIEVE OUR FIRST SPEAKER, WE HAVE MR. JOHN SHEETS. STANDBY ON JOHN SHEETS AND MR. MICHAEL CLARK. ARE YOU THERE, SIR? YES. I'M HERE. GO

[03:55:08]

AND WE KNOW THE FROM THE PROJECTIONS THAT THE COUNTY IS FACING, I DON'T KNOW IF I HEARD $36 MILLION SHORTFALL MAYBE GOING INTO NEXT YEAR. THAT'S A SERIOUS CHALLENGE. BUT THE SOLUTION CANNOT ALWAYS BE TO RAISE THE RATE AND TURN BACKS ON TAXPAYERS. INSTEAD, WE NEED TO SEE MORE CREATIVITY, RESPONSIBILITY ON HOW WE'RE GOING TO APPROACH THE REVENUE FOR BRINGING IN NEW REVENUE. THAT MEANS PRIORITIZING EFFICIENCY, REDUCING WASTE.

UNFORTUNATELY, WE HAVE TO REDUCE WASTE. I GET IT, WE WANT TO KEEP PROGRAMS IN EFFECT, BUT WE HAVE TO MAKE SOME TOUGH DECISIONS HERE. AND EXPLORING ALTERNATIVE INCOME SOURCES BEYOND PROPERTY TAXES. TAXPAYERS DESERVE TO KNOW WHAT EVERY DOLLAR IS BEING STRETCHED FOR BEFORE THEY'RE BEING ASKED TO CONTRIBUTE MORE. SO IN MY POSITION ON THE ITEM, NINE B IS SIMPLE DO NOT INCREASE THE PROPERTY TAX RATE. LET'S WORK TOGETHER. ENSURE THE COUNTY MEETS ITS OBLIGATIONS WITHOUT PUTTING MORE OF THE BURDEN ON THE FAMILIES AND HOMEOWNERS WHO ARE ALREADY OVERPAYING. LET'S INCLUDE THE BUSINESSES. I DON'T KNOW HOW WE INCORPORATE MORE BUSINESSES, HOW WE BRING IN MORE REVENUE. YOU KNOW, I MEAN, THAT'S YOU GUYS JOB TO FIGURE THAT PIECE OUT. BUT, YOU KNOW, SOMETHING HAS TO GIVE AT THIS POINT BECAUSE AT I CAN'T AFFORD IT, A LOT OF OTHER PEOPLE CAN'T AFFORD IT. AND THAT'S ON TOP OF PAYING CITY TAXES. SO I APPRECIATE THE TIME TO SPEAK.

THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MICHAEL, FOR YOUR TIME. APPRECIATE IT. DO WE HAVE MR. SHEETS BACK ON THE LINE? HE IS NOT ON THE LINE ANYMORE. OKAY, I BELIEVE THAT. IS ANYBODY ELSE HERE TO SPEAK ON FOR PUBLIC COMMENT? NO, I BELIEVE THAT WAS ALL THE SPEAKERS. WE HAVE NO ONE. OKAY.

AT THIS TIME. WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? YES, PLEASE.

CAN WE HAVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING? SO MOVED. THANK YOU. JUDGE. COMMISSIONER.

I'M SORRY. WHO WAS THE SECOND? OH, THAT'S FINE. YOU CAN LEAVE IT LIKE THAT. OKAY. SECOND, BY COMMISSIONER CORONADO, THE VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES. JUDGE, AT THIS TIME, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND RECESS FOR AFTERNOON? YES, AND I APOLOGIZE, GENTLEMEN. WE'LL YOU'LL YOU'LL YOU'LL VOTE ON THE TAX RATE AFTER LUNCH BREAK. OR DO YOU WANT TO DO IT NOW? CAN WE DO IT? I DON'T KNOW, HOW DO WE. I'M FINE WITH EITHER, BUT I DO NEED, LIKE, THREE MINUTES. I THINK WE SHOULD TAKE A BREAK IF YOU WANT TO TAKE IT SHORTER. IS THAT OKAY? OR I JUST NEED TO RUN FOR ME TOO. I NEED TO GO TO RESTROOM. OKAY, SO FIVE MINUTE RECESS. I'M SORRY. AND WE'RE ALSO REVIEWING THE ANSWER WE GAVE EARLIER. WITH REGARD TO 26.07. IT LOOKS LIKE PROCEDURALLY, THERE'S ANOTHER ELEMENT TO IT LOGISTICALLY. SO YOU WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME TO REVIEW THAT ANSWER IF IT CHANGES HOW YOU ALL ARE GOING TO TAKE A VOTE THIS AFTERNOON, A FIVE MINUTE RECESS. YEAH. OKAY. COMMISSIONERS COURT WILL RECESS FOR FIVE MINUTES. IT IS 1:29 P.M.

[04:09:20]

[04:09:27]

[04:10:10]

IS THAT RIGHT, BETSY? CORRECT. IF WE WANTED TO DO THAT, WE'D HAVE TO GO TO THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE. CORRECT. AND THAT WOULD NOT RESTORE EVERYTHING. AND THAT WOULDN'T EVEN BE TOWARDS EVERYTHING. I REALLY THINK THE ONLY CHOICES WE HAVE IS EITHER THE 2024 OR THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE. AND I UNDERSTAND PEOPLE RIGHT NOW, THEY'RE GETTING EVERYBODY'S GETTING HIT, EVERYBODY'S GETTING HIT. YOU KNOW, WE NEED TO FIND WAYS OF HOW TO DEAL WITH THESE ISSUES.

AND I THINK I THINK WHAT WE NEED TO DO IS, AT MINIMUM, WE NEED TO GO TO THE 2024 TAX RATE THAT DOESN'T INCREASE TAXES FROM WHERE WE WERE TWO YEARS AGO OR, YEAH, TWO YEARS AGO. RIGHT. THAT WOULD BE THE RATE YOU WERE AT TWO YEARS AGO. AND YOU WOULD BE AND THAT WOULD INCLUDE THE PORTION OF INS THAT VOTERS APPROVED, INCLUDING THAT. BUT BECAUSE OF THE INCREASE IN VALUATIONS, IT WOULD RAISE TAXES. RIGHT. THAT'S THE CHART THAT WE THAT MELISSA WENT THROUGH. RIGHT. SO THE RATE MAY BE WHAT IT WAS TWO YEARS AGO. BUT VALUATIONS HAVE INCREASED SINCE THEN. SO TAXES WOULD BE INCREASED. YES. BUT THE FACT IS THAT WE NEED BOTTOM LINE. WE

[04:15:04]

AND SO THERE'S A BALANCE. WE REDUCE THAT AND WE PAY THE PRICE BECAUSE COMPANIES ARE VERY, VERY THEY'RE ALMOST LOOKING FOR US NOT TO BE THE SAFEST CITY, YOU KNOW. AND SO THEY NEED A LOT OF.

CONFIDENCE IN DOING BUSINESS HERE IN EL PASO. ANY FURTHER COMMENTS? DID YOU WANT TO.

YOU READY IN ACCORDANCE WITH SECTION 26.05 TEXAS TECH TAX CODE, THE ADOPTION OF A TAX RATE FOR NON UNIT GOVERNMENT MUST BE VOTED ON IN TWO PARTS, ONE FOR THE TAX RATE FOR THE MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS OF THE GOVERNMENTAL UNIT, AND THE SECOND FOR THE TAX RATE FOR THE PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL AND DEBTS OF THE GOVERNMENT UNIT. AS SUCH, I WILL READ TWO MOTIONS INTO THE RECORD, EACH OF WHICH WILL REQUIRE A VOTE MOTION NUMBER ONE. I MOVE THAT FOR THE 2025 TAX YEAR, EL PASO COUNTY PROPERTY TAX RATE INCREASED BY ADOPTION OF A TAX RATE OF 0.458889, WHICH IS EFFECTIVELY A 12% 12% INCREASE IN THE TAX RATE. THIS TAX RATE WILL RAISE MORE TAXES FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS THAN LAST YEAR'S TAX RATE. THE TAX RATE WILL EFFECTIVELY BE RAISED BY 14% AND WILL RAISE TAXES FOR MAINTENANCE AND OPERATIONS ON A 100,000 HOME BY APPROXIMATELY $49.55, AND FURTHER APPROVE AND AUTHORIZE THE COUNTY JUDGE TO EXECUTE AN ORDER REFLECTING SAME. THAT WAS A THAT WAS A MOTION BY JUDGE SAMANIEGO. DID YOU WANT A SECOND, COMMISSIONER CORONADO? YES. I'LL SECOND THAT. THANK YOU. THE VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES WITH COMMISSIONER VOTING NO. SECOND MOTION THAT THE EL PASO COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ADOPT A 2024 TAX RATE FOR THE 2025 TAX YEAR, THE 2024 TAX RATE FOR EL PASO COUNTY IS A PROPERTY TAX RATE OF 0.45889 PER 100 ASSESSED VALUE THAT CONSISTS OF A RATE OF 0.063597 PER 100 ASSESSED VALUE FOR THE PAYMENT OF PRINCIPAL AND INTEREST OF THE DEBTS OF EL PASO COUNTY. IF I JUDGE, IF I MAY,

[04:20:09]

MOTION BY THE JUDGE. ONE MOMENT. I BELIEVE WE NEED TO JUST CORRECT THE FIRST PART OF THE MOTION FOR THE TAX RATE FOR THE 2025 TAX YEAR, CORRECT. HE DID SAY THAT. HE DID SAY ADOPT THE AND HE REFERENCED THAT IT'S THE RATE THAT WE HAD IN 2024. BUT FOR THE TAX YEAR FOR THE 2025 TAX YEAR. THANK YOU BETSY OKAY. MOTION WAS MADE BY JUDGE SAMANIEGO. JUST ONE MOMENT. AND THE SECOND. OH.

WE'RE HAVING SOME PROBLEMS WITH THE. WITH THE SYSTEM HERE. DO WE HAVE A SECOND? THEY VOTED ON IT ALREADY WHEN IT WAS UP I THINK. NO THAT WAS THE PREVIOUS MOTION. OH, GOTCHA. I'LL SECOND. THANK YOU. COMMISSIONER BUTLER. COMMISSIONER BUTLER I COMMISSIONER STOUT, I COMMISSIONER OLGUIN. NO. COMMISSIONER CORONADO I JUDGE SAMANIEGO. AYE. MOTION CARRIES.

THANK YOU ALL. WE KNOW THAT'S A REALLY DIFFICULT PROCESS, AND WE REALLY APPRECIATE YOU ALL MAKING THOSE TOUGH DECISIONS. WE WILL USE THIS INFORMATION TO BRING BACK A PROPOSED A BUDGET FOR ADOPTION SEPTEMBER 15TH. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU FOR YOUR WORK AND FOR YOUR STAFF'S WORK. THANK YOU. OKAY, SO, JUDGE, WOULD YOU LIKE TO GO AHEAD AND RECESS AT THIS TIME? WE COULD HAVE JUST HALF AN HOUR. HALF AN HOUR? YES, SIR. OKAY. COMMISSIONERS COURT WILL RECESS FOR 30 MINUTES. IT IS 1:53 P.M. YEAH.

[04:28:31]

YEAH, THE TROUT WILL PUT THE HOOK IN THEIR MOUTH AND WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO WHEN THEY PULL ON IT, LIKE THEY PULLED BEFORE. THEN YOU YANK ON THE LINE AND GET THE HOOK SET IN THEIR MOUTH, AND YOU GOT TO TROUT. IT IS KIND OF HARD FISHING FOR TROUT. LIKE THAT.

YEAH. THERE HE GOES. WELL, THE LARGE ONE, THE LARGEST ONE I CAUGHT

[04:30:12]

I HAD A HARD TIME BELIEVING THAT CARS WERE JUST ZOOMING AROUND THIS PLACE. WE TOOK THEM OUT TO A PARK. WE POKED HIS BRAIN A LITTLE BIT AND THIS IS WHAT HE HAD TO SAY. CHECK IT OUT. WE'RE STANDING ROUGHLY, PROBABLY RIGHT OFF OF TURNS ONE AND TWO FOR EVANS OVAL. IT WAS THE FIRST REALLY MODERN RACETRACK BUILT HERE IN EL PASO. BACK IN 1939, WALTER GOULD DECIDED THAT HE'D HAD ENOUGH OF THE CITY. HE'S RACING OVER IT AT THE RODEO FIELD, WHICH IS NOW THE COUNTY COLISEUM. EVERYBODY WAS COMPLAINING. IT'S TOO LOUD, IT'S TOO DUSTY, HE SAYS. YOU KNOW WHAT? FORGET YOU GUYS. I'M GOING TO GO OUT AND BUILD A NEW SPEEDWAY. AND THIS IS WHERE HE BUILT IT. IF WE'RE STANDING WHERE I THINK WE'RE STAYING, WE'RE RIGHT ABOUT TURN NUMBER ONE. SO TURN ONE AND TURN TWO WOULD COME AROUND HERE. THE BACKSTRETCH IS PROBABLY RIGHT ABOUT WHERE THAT PALM TREE IS. AND THEN WHAT WOULD BE THE PITS WOULD BE RIGHT ABOUT WHERE OUR GOLF CARTS ARE. AND THEN THE REST OF THE GRANDSTANDS AND EVERYTHING WILL BE RIGHT HERE.

AND BIG SCOREBOARD OVER HERE ON THE NORTH SIDE, WHERE PEOPLE WOULD POKE THEIR HEADS THROUGH AND WATCH THE RACE. WE WERE THE CENTER OF RACING. WE HAD PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER TO COME HERE.

IT'S SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF. WE HAVE A RICH RACING HISTORY, WHETHER IT'S QUARTER MILE DRAGSTERS, DRAG BOATS, GRAND PRIX, THERE WERE SO MANY WEEKENDS, SO MANY PEOPLE OUT HERE, NOT JUST THE DRIVERS, BUT THE FAMILIES AND EVERYBODY THAT CAME OUT. IT WAS A VERY VITAL PART OF THE CITY. EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU HAVE A SPEEDWAY THAT DEVELOPS ON THE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF A OF A CITY, EVENTUALLY THE CITY IS GOING TO CATCH UP WITH IT. AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.

THEY CAME OUT HERE ANOTHER GOOD 20 YEARS, AND THEN THE CITY CAUGHT UP WITH THEM AND THEY HAD TO MOVE AGAIN. I THINK IT WAS A VERY, VERY VITAL PART BECAUSE IT BROUGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER AND THEY SAW THIS SPACE THAT COULD BE USED FOR MORE THAN JUST, YOU KNOW, PAVING IT OVER. THEY MADE A PARK, YOU KNOW, AS SAD AS I AM TO SEE THE SPEEDWAY GO, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL GOLF COURSE NOW, BUT IT IS PART OF THE HISTORY. AND YOU NEED TO HAVE PEOPLE REMINDED ABOUT THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU SEE THAT GOLF COURSE OR YOU SEE THAT EMPTY LOT AND IT WAS SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. IT'S STUFF LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST TAKE A STEP BACK AND LOOK AT IT AND YOU'LL SAY, OH YEAH, THIS IS PRETTY COOL.

[04:36:26]

YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT THIS HAS BEEN I CAN ACTUALLY EAT THIS? YES. IT SHOULD BE VERY BUTTERY.

IT IS ACTUALLY IT'S REALLY GOOD. PERFECT FOR LIKE OMELETS OR FOR LIKE SALADS, SMOOTHIES. YOU DON'T PUT ANY PESTICIDES ON THIS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. NO SPRAYING. WE USUALLY TRY TO TELL THE COMMUNITY THAT SHOULD BE USED AS A LAST RESORT, BECAUSE THERE'S OTHER PRACTICES THAT YOU CAN APPLY IN YOUR GARDEN TO PREVENT PESTS FROM COMING IN. I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO START GETTING FAMILIAR WITH THE PLANTS THAT THEY CAN GROW HERE IN THE COMMUNITY. EL PASO CAN OFFER YOU A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY IN TERMS OF GROWING CONDITIONS. HELLO EVERYONE. SAM GUZMAN, HERE WE ARE LIVE AT ASCOT AT THE PARK FOR ANOTHER EPISODE OF SMALL TOWN SPOTLIGHT. A SCOUT AT THE PARK IS HOME TO MANY THINGS. ONE OF THOSE THINGS IS ITS GOLF COURSE. WHETHER YOU ARE A SEASONED PRO OR SOMEONE WHO JUST WANTS TO APPRECIATE WHAT THE OUTDOORS HAS TO OFFER HERE AT ASCOT AT THE PARK, THE ASCOT AT THE GOLF COURSE MIGHT BE THE PLACE TO BE. CHECK IT OUT. I SCOUTED THE GOLF COURSE IS SPECIAL FOR MANY REASONS. I THINK THE NUMBER ONE THING THAT MAKES US SPECIAL. LOTS OF FAMILIES TELL ME. OH YEAH, MY GRANDPA USED TO PLAY HERE. THAT'S HOW I GOT INTRODUCED TO GOLF. IT'S JUST BEEN AROUND FOR SO LONG AND GENERATIONAL. AND THEY'RE LOYAL TO THE GOLF COURSE. GENTLEMEN, HOW ARE WE PLAYING TODAY? GOOD. YOU'RE GOING THE WRONG WAY. HOLES THAT WAY. ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT HAS GOT TO DATE THAT WE HAVE TO OFFER IS THE DELTA NINE. THAT'S A SHORTER GOLF COURSE, EXECUTIVE TYPE GOLF COURSE, NINE HOLES. THE PAR FOUR IS A LITTLE SHORTER, BUT IT HAS A PAR THREE AND A PAR FIVE. THAT'S A GREAT THING TO LEARN ON. AND THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT THAT IS LET'S SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BOOKED ON TEE TIMES. WE HATE TO TELL SOMEBODY WALKS IN THE DOOR.

WE DON'T WANT THEM TO GO HOME WITHOUT PLAYING. WE WANT TO FIND THEM A SPOT, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE VERY ACCOMMODATING GOLF COURSE IN THAT RESPECT. THAT'S A NO NO IN MY BOOK. YOU KNOW I DO NOT WANT THAT GUY DRIVE DOWN HERE AND THEN BE TOLD, OH, WE DON'T HAVE A SPOT FOR YOU. SO WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THAT. THAT GIVES US 27 HOLES. SO WHEN WE HAVE A TOURNAMENT GOING ON THE MAIN, WE CAN SEND THEM OVER TO THE DELTA NINE, START THEM OFF, AND THEN THEY CAN JUMP OVER HERE ON THE MAIN WHEN THE TOURNAMENT'S DONE, WE GOT LIGHTED DRIVING RANGE YOU KNOW, AND WE STAY OPEN TILL 9:00 IN THE SUMMER AND 10:00 ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS. WE DID ADD SOME BLACK TEES TEN, 12 YEARS AGO ON THIS GOLF COURSE. THAT MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. THE GOLF COURSE BEFORE WAS A LITTLE BIT SHORTER FOR CHAMPIONSHIP TYPE PLAYERS, AND ONCE WE DID THAT, WE LENGTHENED IT UP. AND

[04:40:05]

ANYONE CAN PLAY. 002 THERE ARE PLENTY OF PLACES TO PLAY. IT'S FREE ONCE YOU BUY ALL THE EQUIPMENT, AND THERE'S PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO'LL TEACH YOU HOW TO DO IT. FOUR. THREE. ONE. IT'S USUALLY STARTS OUT RECREATIONALLY FOR MOST PEOPLE, AND THEN IT TURNS INTO AN ADDICTION.

[04:50:09]

[04:50:16]

YEAH, THE TROUT WILL PUT THE HOOK IN THEIR MOUTH AND WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO WHEN THEY PULL ON IT, LIKE THEY PULLED BEFORE. THEN YOU YANK ON THE LINE AND GET THE HOOK SET IN THEIR MOUTH, AND YOU GOT TO TROUT. IT IS KIND OF HARD FISHING FOR TROUT. LIKE THAT.

YEAH. THERE HE GOES. WELL, THE LARGE ONE, THE LARGEST ONE I CAUGHT HERE WAS A 15 POUNDER. YEAH, YOU CAN EAT THEM. I DON'T, BECAUSE I LIKE TO CATCH AND RELEASE. I WOULD IF I WAS GOING TO EAT FISH I'D EAT THE FISH. AND I'VE BEEN FISHING HERE FOR 60 YEARS. AND YOU LIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY.

I HAD A HARD TIME BELIEVING THAT CARS WERE JUST ZOOMING AROUND THIS PLACE. WE TOOK THEM OUT TO A PARK. WE POKED HIS BRAIN A LITTLE BIT AND THIS IS WHAT HE HAD TO SAY. CHECK IT OUT. WE'RE STANDING ROUGHLY, PROBABLY RIGHT OFF OF TURNS ONE AND TWO FOR EVANS OVAL. IT WAS THE FIRST REALLY MODERN RACETRACK BUILT HERE IN EL PASO. BACK IN 1939, WALTER GOULD DECIDED THAT HE'D HAD ENOUGH OF THE CITY. HE'S RACING OVER IT AT THE RODEO FIELD, WHICH IS NOW THE COUNTY COLISEUM. EVERYBODY WAS COMPLAINING. IT'S TOO LOUD, IT'S TOO DUSTY, HE SAYS. YOU KNOW WHAT? FORGET YOU GUYS. I'M GOING TO GO OUT AND BUILD A NEW SPEEDWAY. AND THIS IS WHERE HE BUILT IT. IF WE'RE STANDING WHERE I THINK WE'RE STAYING, WE'RE RIGHT ABOUT TURN NUMBER ONE. SO TURN ONE AND TURN TWO WOULD COME AROUND HERE. THE BACKSTRETCH IS PROBABLY RIGHT ABOUT WHERE THAT PALM TREE IS. AND THEN WHAT WOULD BE THE PITS WOULD BE RIGHT ABOUT WHERE OUR GOLF CARTS ARE. AND THEN THE REST OF THE GRANDSTANDS AND EVERYTHING WILL BE RIGHT HERE.

AND BIG SCOREBOARD OVER HERE ON THE NORTH SIDE, WHERE PEOPLE WOULD POKE THEIR HEADS THROUGH

[04:55:02]

IT'S SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF. WE HAVE A RICH RACING HISTORY, WHETHER IT'S QUARTER MILE DRAGSTERS, DRAG BOATS, GRAND PRIX, THERE WERE SO MANY WEEKENDS, SO MANY PEOPLE OUT HERE, NOT JUST THE DRIVERS, BUT THE FAMILIES AND EVERYBODY THAT CAME OUT. IT WAS A VERY VITAL PART OF THE CITY. EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU HAVE A SPEEDWAY THAT DEVELOPS ON THE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF A OF A CITY, EVENTUALLY THE CITY IS GOING TO CATCH UP WITH IT. AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.

THEY CAME OUT HERE ANOTHER GOOD 20 YEARS, AND THEN THE CITY CAUGHT UP WITH THEM AND THEY HAD TO MOVE AGAIN. I THINK IT WAS A VERY, VERY VITAL PART BECAUSE IT BROUGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER AND THEY SAW THIS SPACE THAT COULD BE USED FOR MORE THAN JUST, YOU KNOW, PAVING IT OVER. THEY MADE A PARK, YOU KNOW, AS SAD AS I AM TO SEE THE SPEEDWAY GO, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL GOLF COURSE NOW, BUT IT IS PART OF THE HISTORY. AND YOU NEED TO HAVE PEOPLE REMINDED ABOUT THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU SEE THAT GOLF COURSE OR YOU SEE THAT EMPTY LOT AND IT WAS SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. IT'S STUFF LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST TAKE A STEP BACK AND LOOK AT IT AND YOU'LL SAY, OH YEAH, THIS IS PRETTY COOL.

WELL, ONCE YOU'RE IN A PARK, YOU'LL NOTICE THAT THERE'S A LITTLE COMMUNITY GARDEN RIGHT HERE. THIS IS WHAT IT IS. IT'S A TEACHING AND DEMONSTRATION GARDEN. WE'RE ACTUALLY ABOUT TO MEET SOMEONE WHO IS KIND OF IN CHARGE OF THIS PLACE, AND IS GOING TO WALK US THROUGH ON HOW YOU CAN ACTUALLY PARTICIPATE. COME ON, LET'S GO MEET HIM. HI. EDUARDO RASCON IS HERE WITH US TODAY. EDUARDO, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE WITH US. OF COURSE. TALK TO US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THIS GARDEN. WHAT IS THIS? SO THIS IS BASICALLY TO TEACH THE COMMUNITY HOW THEY CAN ACTUALLY HAVE THEIR OWN BACKYARD GARDEN AND HOW THEY CAN GROW THEIR OWN PRODUCE. SO, EDUARDO, THIS THESE ARE BRUSSELS SPROUTS. YOU JUST. WOW. THESE ARE SO TINY, SO BEAUTIFUL. NOW YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT THIS COMMUNITY GARDEN IS NONPROFIT, CORRECT? YES. AS A NONPROFIT, SINCE WE'RE NOT MAKING ANY MONEY OUT OF THIS ASSOCIATION OR FUNDRAISING, MOST OF THE MONEY THAT WE DO THROUGH FUNDRAISING OR SALES IS TO ACTUALLY HAVE FUNDS AND BUDGET TO REPLACE THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING AT THE GARDEN. EDUARDO. SO THIS IS REALLY UNIQUE PART OF YOUR GARDEN.

YOU'RE TELLING ME THAT THIS IS SPINACH? I CAN ACTUALLY EAT THIS. YES. IT SHOULD BE VERY BUTTERY. IT IS ACTUALLY IT'S REALLY GOOD. PERFECT FOR LIKE, OMELETS OR FOR LIKE SALADS, SMOOTHIES. YOU DON'T PUT ANY PESTICIDES ON THIS OR ANYTHING LIKE THAT. NO SPRAYING. WE USUALLY TRY TO TELL THE COMMUNITY THAT SHOULD BE USED AS A LAST RESORT, BECAUSE THERE'S OTHER PRACTICES THAT YOU CAN APPLY IN YOUR GARDEN TO PREVENT PESTS FROM COMING IN. I WOULD LIKE TO ENCOURAGE EVERYBODY TO START GETTING FAMILIAR WITH THE PLANTS THAT THEY CAN GROW HERE IN THE COMMUNITY. EL PASO CAN OFFER YOU A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY IN TERMS OF GROWING CONDITIONS.

HELLO EVERYONE. SAM GUZMAN, HERE WE ARE LIVE AT EPCOT AT THE PARK FOR ANOTHER EPISODE OF SMALL TOWN SPOTLIGHT. I SCOUTED THE PARK IS HOME TO MANY THINGS. ONE OF THOSE THINGS IS ITS GOLF COURSE. WHETHER YOU ARE A SEASONED PRO OR SOMEONE WHO JUST WANTS TO APPRECIATE WHAT THE OUTDOORS HAS TO OFFER. HERE AT ASCOT AT THE PARK, THE ASCOT AT THE GOLF COURSE MIGHT BE THE

[05:00:02]

WE DON'T WANT THEM TO GO HOME WITHOUT PLAYING. WE WANT TO FIND THEM A SPOT, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE VERY ACCOMMODATING GOLF COURSE IN THAT RESPECT. THAT'S A NO NO IN MY BOOK. YOU KNOW I DO NOT WANT THAT GUY DRIVE DOWN HERE AND THEN BE TOLD, OH, WE DON'T HAVE A SPOT FOR YOU. SO WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THAT. THAT GIVES US 27 HOLES. SO WHEN WE HAVE A TOURNAMENT GOING ON IN THE MAIN, WE CAN SEND THEM OVER TO THE DELTA NINE, START THEM OFF, AND THEN THEY CAN JUMP OVER HERE ON THE MAIN WHEN THE TOURNAMENT'S DONE. WE GOT LIGHTED DRIVING RANGE, YOU KNOW, AND WE STAY OPEN TILL 9:00 IN THE SUMMER AND 10:00 ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS. WE DID ADD SOME BLACK TEES TEN, 12 YEARS AGO ON THIS GOLF COURSE. THAT MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. THE GOLF COURSE BEFORE WAS A LITTLE BIT SHORTER FOR CHAMPIONSHIP TYPE PLAYERS, AND ONCE WE DID THAT, WE LENGTHENED IT UP. AND YOU KNOW, WITH THE TECHNOLOGY, THAT WAS GREAT. WHEN I GET TO TALK TO PEOPLE, THAT'S RIGHT UP MY ALLEY. I LOVE THAT, YOU KNOW, I GET TO TALK ABOUT GOLF, I GET TO SIT DOWN AND YOU LEARN SO MANY THINGS. YOU KNOW, YOU GET TO KNOW THE PEOPLE ON A PERSONAL LEVEL. BEAUTIFUL. I HOPE TO COME OUT HERE ONE DAY AND GET AROUND. IT WON'T BE A GOOD ROUND, BUT IT'LL DEFINITELY BE AN EXPERIENCE. NOW, ANOTHER SPORT AT THE PARK IS HOME TO IS A SPORT THAT IS QUICKLY BECOMING ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR SPORTS IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PICKLEBALL. SCOTT AT THE PARK IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR PLACES TO PLAY HERE IN THE SUN CITY. IT'S GOT FOUR HARD OUTDOOR COURTS AND AGAIN, IT'S A SPORT THAT IS QUICKLY GAINING MANY, MUCH ATTENTION AND THE PARK IS THE PLACE TO BE IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO PLAY PICKLEBALL. IT STARTED OUT AS A CASUAL WAY TO GET EXERCISE, AND THEN IT JUST KIND OF SPIRALED INTO AN ADDICTION. OVER THE LAST TWO YEARS, JOHN WOODEN HAS BECOME QUITE THE PICKLEBALL ATHLETE, ALL THANKS TO THESE COURTS HERE AT ASCARATE PARK. THREE ZERO. MY NEXT DOOR NEIGHBOR AND I MET SOMEBODY ELSE THAT PLAYED HERE ON A REGULAR BASIS. AND THEN WE WENT ONE DAY AND THEN IT WAS TWO, AND THEN IT WAS FOUR, AND THEN IT TURNED INTO LIKE 5 OR 6 TIMES A WEEK, BECAUSE THERE'S JUST JOHN CALLS THESE COURTS THE HUB FOR PICKLEBALL IN THE SUN CITY.

YEAH. YOU KNOW, IT'S ONLY A COUPLE MILES FROM MY HOUSE, SO IT MAKES THE ADDICTION WORSE BECAUSE I KNOW I CAN GET HERE QUICK. AND SO THIS PART OF TOWN IS PRETTY CENTRAL. PICKLEBALL SUCCESS DOES COME WITH A DOWNSIDE. ACCORDING TO JOHN, THE RELATIVELY NEW COURTS AT ASCARATE ALREADY SHOW SOME WEAR AND TEAR. OVER TIME. IT'S CAUSED THE SURFACE TO CRACK, EVEN THOUGH IT'S FAIRLY NEW. AND SO NOW THEY'RE GOING TO REDO IT BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A POPULAR THING RIGHT NOW. AND JOHN SAYS THE BEST PART OF PICKLEBALL ANYONE CAN PLAY. 002 THERE ARE PLENTY OF PLACES TO PLAY. IT'S FREE ONCE YOU BUY ALL THE EQUIPMENT, AND THERE'S PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO'LL TEACH YOU HOW TO DO IT. FOUR. THREE. ONE. IT'S USUALLY STARTS OUT RECREATIONALLY FOR MOST PEOPLE, AND THEN IT TURNS INTO AN ADDICTION.

[05:07:28]

I BELIEVE BEFORE WE GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION, YOU WANTED TO HEAR SOME PUBLIC COMMENT OR YOU WANTED TO HEAR A COMMENT FROM THE PARTIES, PLEASE, WE'LL HEAR THE COMMENTS. WE'LL GO INTO EXECUTIVE COME OUT JUST FOR THAT ITEM AND THEN COME BACK. OKAY. SO IF YOU ALL WOULD LIKE TO MAKE ANY COMMENTS TO THE COURT NOW BEFORE THEY GO INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION ABOUT YOUR REQUEST, THAT WOULD BE APPROPRIATE. THANK YOU. HELLO. WELCOME. MY NAME IS PATRICK HAMMETT AND I LIVE IN THE AREA THAT WE WOULD LIKE TO INCORPORATE. SO THE ISSUE IS, IS THAT OUR NEIGHBOR I'M SORRY I'M NERVOUS. OUR NEIGHBORHOOD IS BEING SURROUNDED BY GROWTH. AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT GROWTH IS INEVITABLE, BUT THERE'S NO PROTECTION FOR THE PEOPLE IN THE AREA FROM THE COUNTY AND STATE, FROM SOCORRO. SO I HAD MET WITH MRS. HOLGUIN AT ONE POINT TO DISCUSS SOME OF THAT AND WAS TOLD THAT THEY THEY CAN BUILD WHATEVER THEY WANT AS LONG AS THERE'S PROPER DRAINAGE. SO OUR NEIGHBORHOOD HAS 700 ACRES OF INDUSTRIAL PARK BEING BUILT ABOVE IT. THERE'S 2000 HOUSES TO THE EAST AND ARTERIAL ONE IN THE SOCORRO AREA TO THE WEST. AND ABOUT EIGHT MONTHS AGO, WE FOUND OUT THAT THE PECAN ORCHARD JUST TO THE SOUTH OF OUR NEIGHBORHOOD WAS GOING TO BE DEVELOPED, POSSIBLY INTO ANOTHER INDUSTRIAL PARK. THERE'S ALSO COMMUNITIES ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE PECAN TREES, A LOT OF NEW HOMES, PECAN VALLEY JUST TO THE SOUTH EAST OF IT. AND NONE OF THESE PEOPLE

[05:10:08]

AS LONG AS WE GET OUT OF SOCORRO ETJ, WE KNOW THAT WE NEED 50% OF THE REGISTERED VOTERS IN THE AREA TO GET OUT OF SOCORRO. ETJ WE FEEL VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE'VE DONE THAT. THERE WAS SOME ISSUES WITH THE LOTS AND BLOCKS, NUMBERS WHICH WE'VE RESUBMITTED ALL THE PAPERWORK. LIKE I SAID, WE KNOW THAT THE GROWTH IS INEVITABLE, BUT THE FACT THAT SOMEBODY CAN COME IN AND BUILD IN THE MIDDLE OF RESIDENTIAL AREAS, WHATEVER THEY WANT, AND NOBODY CAN STOP IT, IT SEEMS. I DON'T EVEN KNOW. IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE GOVERNMENT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE FOR THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE. AND THERE'S AND IN THIS CASE, IT'S NOT. SO WE'RE JUST ASKING THAT YOU GUYS GIVE THE PEOPLE THE POWER TO VOTE ON INCORPORATING THE AREA SO THAT THEY CAN STOP THE THINGS THAT THEY DON'T WANT IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. IT'S GOING TO AFFECT THEIR LIVES. IT'S GOING TO AFFECT THEIR KIDS, THEIR KIDS. FUTURE. FARM TO MARKET ROAD NORTH LOOP IS TWO LANES, 45 MILES AN HOUR. WE ALREADY HAVE A PROBLEM WITH TRAFFIC. AS IT IS, THEY WANT TO BUILD 148 ACRE INDUSTRIAL PARK. I ASKED THE DEVELOPERS, YOU GUYS REALIZE YOU'RE BUILDING THIS ON A TWO LANE FARM TO MARKET ROAD? I WAS LIKE, WE RARELY GET STUCK BEHIND A SEMI AT THIS POINT. HOW DO YOU THINK THAT'S GOING TO AFFECT US? THE DEVELOPER SAID, WELL, THERE'S PLANS TO WIDEN NORTH LOOP. WHEN HE REFERRED ME TO THE ENGINEER, THE ENGINEER SAID, WELL, THERE'S NOT REALLY PLANS.

THERE'S BEEN TALK ABOUT IT, BUT THERE'S NO PLANS ONLINE. THERE'S NOTHING ON PAPER AND THERE IS NO START DATE. SO THERE IS NO THERE IS NO PLANS TO WIDEN NORTH LOOP. THERE'S AREAS OF NORTH LOOP THAT'S GOING TO BE AN ISSUE AS IT IS TO WIDEN. SO THE GROWTH IS DEFINITELY MOVING MUCH QUICKER THAN EVERYTHING ELSE. YOU KNOW, THE OTHER ISSUE IS, IS THAT MY ROAD IS YOUNG JOHN ROAD. AND IT TIES DIRECTLY IN TO THE PECAN ORCHARD. AND I ASKED HIM, I SAID, WHY DID YOU GUYS TIE A ROAD DIRECTLY INTO YOUR INDUSTRIAL PARK? AND HE SAID, THE COUNTY MADE US DO THAT. I SAID, WELL, YOU GUYS DON'T SEE AN ISSUE WITH THIS. AND HE SAYS, NOT REALLY. AND I SAID, WELL, THEY'RE DEVELOPING ON THE EAST SIDE OF US. IT'S 2000 HOUSES, A FOUR LANE ROAD CALLED EAST WIND.

I SAID, WHEN THEY'RE GOING TO TIE OUR DEAD END ROADS INTO THE DEVELOPMENT TO THE EAST OF THE WITH THE 2000 HOUSES, I SAID, DO YOU THINK THAT WHEN THE TRAFFIC GETS BAD THAT THE SEMI TRUCKS THAT ARE COMING FROM THE 700 ACRE INDUSTRIAL PARK ABOVE US, WHEN THE TRAFFIC BACKS UP, YOU DON'T THINK THEY'RE GOING TO COME THROUGH OUR LITTLE ROADS AND GO OVER THE BRIDGE? IT'S ONLY RATED FOR 28,000 POUNDS. AND HE SAID, WELL, THERE'S THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO STOP THAT. AND I SAID, WELL, WHAT ARE THOSE THINGS? AND HE SAID, WELL, WE CAN PUT UP SOME SIGNS. AND I SAID, I DON'T THINK SIGNS ARE GOING TO STOP THEM FROM GOING DIRECTLY INTO YOUR INDUSTRIAL PARK THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD. SO WE TRY TO DO IT DIPLOMATICALLY. WE MET WITH THE LANDOWNER, MET WITH THE DEVELOPER. IT DIDN'T GO ANYWHERE, YOU KNOW, AND I UNDERSTAND THE I UNDERSTAND THE LANDOWNERS POINT. HE'S GOING TO MAKE A LOT OF MONEY AND I'M OKAY WITH THAT. I JUST WISH THAT WE HAD THERE WAS EVEN THERE WAS NO NOTICE. NOBODY KNEW ABOUT THIS, YOU KNOW, IT WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE THINGS WHERE ONE DAY YOU'RE DRIVING HOME, YOU'RE LIKE, HEY, WHY ARE THEY TAKING THOSE TREES OUT? AND THEN THE NEXT DAY THERE'S A GIGANTIC BUILDING THERE. SO I JUST WE WOULD LIKE THE POWER TO STOP THAT. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T LIKE I SAID, WE WE'RE HAPPY TO HAVE THE GROWTH. WE JUST DON'T WANT INDUSTRIAL PARKS. YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT INDUSTRIAL MANUFACTURING. WE DON'T WANT INDUSTRIAL PARKS. I MEAN, WE DON'T WE DON'T WANT PEOPLE DUMPING STUFF IN AREAS OF THE NEIGHBORHOOD BECAUSE THEY CAN, YOU KNOW, SO THAT'S I. IT'S VERY HARD FOR ME BECAUSE I'M ALREADY MAKING PLANS TO MOVE BECAUSE I HAVE I HAVE A FEELING THAT THIS IS WE HAVE A DEADLINE AND THE DEADLINE IS, IS TO GET ON THE BALLOT. IF WE DON'T DO THAT, THEY'RE GOING TO PULL THE TREES OUT SOMETIME THIS WINTER. AND THE DEVELOPERS ARE ALREADY TALKING ABOUT HAVING THESE BUILDING DONE, MAYBE LIKE

[05:15:03]

AND, BUT PEOPLE JUST AREN'T HAPPY. SO I ASKED YOU GUYS TO REALLY, REALLY CONSIDER THIS, YOU KNOW, KIND OF TRY TO PUT YOURSELF IN MY SHOES, YOU KNOW, AND THE PEOPLE, THE PEOPLE IN THE AREA TO, YOU KNOW, THANK YOU. THANK YOU GUYS. THANK YOU. WELCOME AND GOOD AFTERNOON. I'M JAMES LUNDBERG I'M A RESIDENT OF THIS AREA AND HELPED DEVELOP THIS THIS PLAN. AND YOU KNOW, THE WAY THAT THIS ALL CAME ABOUT WAS THE ARTERIAL ONE PROJECT. AND I KNEW THAT WITH THE 2000 HOUSES TO THE EAST AND THIS ROAD AND THESE WAREHOUSES, EVERYTHING COMING AND THERE'S NO CONTROL, AND THAT'S THE PART THAT IS DISTURBING IS THE LACK OF CONTROLS. WHEN A COUNTY COMMISSIONER TELLS US THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT, IT'S COUNTY. BUT IF WE THINK ABOUT IT LONG TERM, LOOK AT LOOK AT IN, IN MONTANA VISTA, THE, THE FRACKING, THE FRACKING, THE FRACKING OIL THAT'S BEING CLEANED UP, THEY'RE JUST CLOSE TO RESIDENTIAL. AND THEN ALL THE BOOM AND THE GROWTH UP IN THE MONTANA VISTA AREA. I KNOW THIS BECAUSE I RIDE DIRT BIKES. I GO ACROSS THE DESERT AND SUDDENLY THERE'S HOUSES AND CONSTRUCTION IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE. WE HAVE WE DON'T CONTROL WHERE WE'RE GROWING THIS CITY THERE'S THE MIDDLE OF TOWN IS BEING EMPTIED. THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS ARE ARE BEING DECIMATED. BUT YET WE'RE ENCOURAGING WE'RE ENCOURAGING GROWTH IN THE UNINCORPORATED SPOTS. AND IT'S JUST LIKE THESE DATA CENTERS.

SOCORRO PUSH FOR A DATA CENTER. I KNOW WE HAVE ONE IN THE NORTHEAST NOW IN EL PASO. THEY PUSHED THE GLORIES OF IT. BUT IMAGINE IF WE GET FIVE, FIVE DATA CENTERS IN UNINCORPORATED PARTS OF THE CITY. THEY CONSUME A LOT OF WATER AND A LOT OF ELECTRICITY. AND WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PLAN FOR THAT. AND AS AS A COUNTY, WE NEED SOME KIND OF REGULATIONS. WE NEED SOMETHING BECAUSE WE CAN'T JUST KEEP LETTING THIS DEVELOPMENT KEEP GROWING OUT INTO THESE, INTO THESE UNINCORPORATED SPOTS, LIKE IN, LIKE IN MONTANA VISTA, WHERE YOU'RE GOING TO HIT THE WACO'S AND THEN YOU'RE STOPPED. THEY'RE ALREADY DEVELOPING NORTH OF HORIZON INTO THE WACO'S. A LOT OF A LOT OF HOUSING. BUT IN MY NEIGHBORHOOD, I KNOW WE HAVE A CHANCE TO STOP IT. AND IF A BUNCH OF YAHOOS LIKE US COULD INCORPORATE OR GET OUT OF SOMEBODY'S ETJ, IMAGINE WHAT OTHER PEOPLE WILL THINK. PEOPLE IN IN SAY, MONTANA VISTA AREA SAID, HEY, WE'LL START THE TOWN OF MONTANA VISTA. HEY, WE'LL START THESE DIFFERENT TOWNS EVERYWHERE, AND THEN WE LOSE THE WE GET THIS CRAZINESS. TRUST ME, I HAVE MY OWN BUSINESS. I DON'T WANT TO START A TOWN, BUT IF THIS IS WHAT WE HAVE TO DO IN ORDER TO COMBAT THIS GROWTH, THIS UNCONTROLLED GROWTH, I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WAS GOING TO TALK ABOUT WHEN I GOT UP HERE, BUT IN THINKING ABOUT THIS MORE, IT'S THE UNCONTROLLED GROWTH, THE TRASH, EVERYBODY JUST THROWING TRASH AND WITHOUT CONSIDERING THE WATER DISTRICTS AND EL PASO ELECTRIC, WHICH EL PASO ELECTRIC'S HAPPY, IF YOU BUILD A WAREHOUSE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT. HEY, YOU YOU PAY US, WE'LL WE'LL PUT POWER TO IT.

AND THEN WHAT HAPPENS NEXT? THERE'S POWER TO IT. THEN NEXT THING YOU KNOW, YOU GOT A LITTLE COLONIA OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT THAT SUDDENLY REQUIRES ESD NUMBER TWO OR NUMBER ONE TO GO OUT THERE AND PROVIDE SERVICE. THE SHERIFFS NEED MORE CARS, AND THE SHERIFFS ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GO OUT IN THE MIDDLE OF THE DESERT. BUT IT ALL HAS A TRICKLE DOWN EFFECT. IF WE DON'T GET CONTROL OF OUR GROWTH, BE IT THE WEST SIDE, NORTHEAST MONTANA VISTA, OR THE EAST SIDE WHERE I'M PARTICULARLY PASSIONATE ABOUT, WE'RE NOT GOING TO WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE ABLE TO SAVE THIS BECAUSE LIKE, AGAIN, GOING BACK TO THE DATA CENTERS, THEY ARE LIKE GIANT TICKS. THEY JUST SUCK ENERGY AND WATER OUT OF OUR AREAS. THAT'S WHY THEY WANT TO BUY THESE FARMS. THAT'S WHY THEY'RE TEARING OUT THESE FARMS, BECAUSE THEY KNOW THEY GOT THE WATER RIGHTS AFTER THAT. BUT IF WE CAN'T SAY NOTHING IF THE PEOPLE THINK, GUESS WHAT? EL PASO WATER IS GOING TO HAVE TO USE THE WELLS THAT THEY HAVE IN IN DEL CITY, THE WELLS THAT THEY HAVE IN HUDSPETH COUNTY, EL

[05:20:03]

ALL RIGHT. ANNA SCHUMACHER, ASSISTANT COUNTY ATTORNEY. IF THERE'S NO OTHER COMMENT FOR NOW, WE WOULD REQUEST TO MOVE ITEM 15 A INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE SECTION 55 1.071, TO DISCUSS THE COUNTY'S LEGAL RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES PERTAINING TO THE VILLAGE OF PECAN VALLEY. PETITION TO INCORPORATE. WE HAVE A MOTION TO APPROVE BY COMMISSIONER BUTLER. SECOND BY COMMISSIONER CORONADO. THE VOTING IS OPEN. MOTION CARRIES. COMMISSIONERS COURT WILL NOW RECESS INTO EXECUTIVE SESSION TO DISCUSS ITEM 15 A PURSUANT TO TEXAS GOVERNMENT CODE, SECTION 55 1.071, AND COMMISSIONERS COURT WILL RECONVENE TO TAKE OFFICIAL ACTION. IT IS 2:52 P.M.

[05:27:42]

YEAH, THE TROUT WILL PUT THE HOOK IN THEIR MOUTH AND WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO WHEN THEY PULL ON IT LIKE THEY PULLED BEFORE. THEN YOU YANK ON THE LINE AND GET THE HOOK SET IN THEIR MOUTH, BUT YOU GOTTA TROUT. IT IS KIND OF HARD FISHING FOR TROUT. LIKE THAT.

YEAH. THERE HE GOES. WELL, THE LARGE ONE, THE LARGEST ONE I CAUGHT HERE WAS A 15 POUNDER. YEAH, YOU CAN EAT THEM. I DON'T, BECAUSE I LIKE TO CATCH AND RELEASE. I WOULD IF I WAS GOING TO EAT FISH I'D EAT THE FISH. AND I'VE BEEN FISHING HERE FOR 60 YEARS. AND YOU LIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY.

[05:31:29]

AND THEN THE REST OF THE GRANDSTANDS AND EVERYTHING WILL BE RIGHT HERE. AND BIG SCOREBOARD OVER HERE ON THE NORTH SIDE, WHERE PEOPLE WOULD POKE THEIR HEADS THROUGH AND WATCH THE RACE. WE WERE THE CENTER OF RACING. WE HAD PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER TO COME HERE. IT'S SOMETHING TO BE PROUD OF. WE HAVE A RICH RACING HISTORY, WHETHER IT'S QUARTER MILE DRAGSTERS, DRAG BOATS, GRAND PRIX, THERE WERE SO MANY WEEKENDS, SO MANY PEOPLE OUT HERE, NOT JUST THE DRIVERS, BUT THE FAMILIES AND EVERYBODY THAT CAME OUT. IT WAS A VERY VITAL PART OF THE CITY. EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU HAVE A SPEEDWAY THAT DEVELOPS ON THE ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF A CITY, EVENTUALLY THE CITY IS GOING TO CATCH UP WITH IT. AND THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED. THEY CAME OUT HERE ANOTHER GOOD 20 YEARS, AND THEN THE CITY CAUGHT UP WITH THEM AND THEY HAD TO MOVE AGAIN. I THINK IT WAS A VERY, VERY VITAL PART BECAUSE IT BROUGHT PEOPLE TOGETHER AND THEY SAW THIS SPACE THAT COULD BE USED FOR MORE THAN JUST, YOU KNOW, PAVING IT OVER. THEY MADE A PARK, YOU KNOW, AS SAD AS I AM TO SEE THE SPEEDWAY GO, IT'S A BEAUTIFUL GOLF COURSE NOW, BUT IT IS PART OF THE HISTORY. AND YOU NEED TO HAVE PEOPLE REMINDED ABOUT THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES YOU SEE THAT GOLF COURSE OR YOU SEE THAT EMPTY LOT AND IT WAS SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. IT'S STUFF LIKE THAT, YOU KNOW, JUST TAKE A STEP BACK AND LOOK AT IT AND YOU'LL SAY, OH YEAH, THIS IS PRETTY COOL.

[05:35:37]

THAT'S HOW I GOT INTRODUCED TO GOLF. IT'S JUST BEEN AROUND FOR SO LONG AND GENERATIONAL AND THEY'RE LOYAL TO THE GOLF COURSE. GENTLEMAN. HOW ARE WE PLAYING TODAY? GOOD. YOU GOING THE WRONG WAY. HOLES THAT WAY. ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT HAS GOT TO DATE THAT WE HAVE TO OFFER IS THE DELTA NINE. THAT'S A SHORTER GOLF COURSE, EXECUTIVE TYPE GOLF COURSE, NINE HOLES.

THE PAR FOUR IS A LITTLE SHORTER, BUT IT HAS A PAR THREE AND A PAR FIVE. THAT'S A GREAT THING TO LEARN ON. AND THE WONDERFUL THING ABOUT THAT IS LET'S SAY, YOU KNOW, WE'RE BOOKED ON TEE TIMES. WE HATE TO TELL SOMEBODY THAT WALKS IN THE DOOR. WE DON'T WANT THEM TO GO HOME WITHOUT PLAYING. WE WANT TO FIND THEM A SPOT, YOU KNOW, AND WE'RE VERY ACCOMMODATING GOLF COURSE IN THAT RESPECT. THAT'S A NO NO IN MY BOOK. YOU KNOW, I DO NOT WANT THAT GUY DRIVE DOWN HERE AND THEN BE TOLD, OH, WE DON'T HAVE A SPOT FOR YOU. SO WE CAN ACCOMMODATE THAT. THAT GIVES US 27 HOLES. SO WHEN WE HAVE A TOURNAMENT GOING ON THE MAIN, WE CAN SEND THEM OVER TO THE DELTA NINE, START THEM OFF, AND THEN THEY CAN JUMP OVER HERE ON THE MAIN WHEN THE TOURNAMENT'S DONE.

WE GOT LIGHTED DRIVING RANGE YOU KNOW, AND WE STAY OPEN TILL 9:00 IN THE SUMMER AND 10:00 ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY NIGHTS. WE DID ADD SOME BLACK TEES TEN, 12 YEARS AGO ON THIS GOLF COURSE.

THAT MADE A HUGE DIFFERENCE. THE GOLF COURSE BEFORE WAS A LITTLE BIT SHORTER FOR CHAMPIONSHIP TYPE PLAYERS, AND ONCE WE DID THAT, WE LENGTHENED IT UP. AND YOU KNOW, WITH THE TECHNOLOGY, THAT WAS GREAT. WHEN I GET TO TALK TO PEOPLE, THAT'S RIGHT UP MY ALLEY. I LOVE THAT, YOU KNOW, I GET TO TALK ABOUT GOLF, I GET TO SIT DOWN AND YOU LEARN SO MANY THINGS. YOU KNOW, YOU GET TO KNOW THE PEOPLE ON A PERSONAL LEVEL. BEAUTIFUL. I HOPE TO COME OUT HERE ONE DAY AND GET AROUND.

IT WON'T BE A GOOD ROUND, BUT IT'LL DEFINITELY BE AN EXPERIENCE. NOW. ANOTHER SPORT AT THE PARK IS HOME TO IS A SPORT THAT IS QUICKLY BECOMING ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR SPORTS IN THE ENTIRE WORLD. WE'RE TALKING ABOUT PICKLEBALL. SCOTT AT THE PARK IS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR PLACES TO PLAY HERE IN THE SUN CITY. IT'S GOT FOUR HARD OUTDOOR COURTS, AND AGAIN, IT'S A SPORT THAT IS QUICKLY GAINING MANY, MUCH ATTENTION AND THE PARK IS THE PLACE TO BE IF

[05:40:03]

PICKLEBALL SUCCESS DOES COME WITH A DOWNSIDE, ACCORDING TO JOHN, THE RELATIVELY NEW COURTS AT ASCARATE ALREADY SHOW SOME WEAR AND TEAR. OVER TIME. IT'S CAUSED THE SURFACE TO CRACK, EVEN THOUGH IT'S FAIRLY NEW. AND SO NOW THEY'RE GOING TO REDO IT BECAUSE IT'S SUCH A POPULAR THING RIGHT NOW. AND JOHN SAYS THE BEST PART? OF PICKLEBALL ANYONE CAN PLAY? 002 THERE ARE PLENTY OF PLACES TO PLAY. IT'S FREE ONCE YOU BUY ALL THE EQUIPMENT, AND THERE'S PLENTY OF PEOPLE WHO WILL TEACH YOU HOW TO DO IT. 431 IT'S USUALLY STARTS OUT RECREATIONALLY FOR MOST PEOPLE, AND THEN IT TURNS INTO AN ADDICTION.

[05:49:21]

[05:50:04]

YEAH, THE TROUT WILL PUT THE HOOK IN THEIR MOUTH AND WHAT YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO DO WHEN THEY PULL ON IT, LIKE THEY PULLED BEFORE. THEN YOU YANK ON THE LINE, GET THE HOOK SET IN THEIR MOUTH, BUT YOU GOTTA TROUT. IT IS KIND OF HARD FISHING FOR TROUT. LIKE THAT. YEAH.

THERE HE GOES. WELL, THE LARGE ONE, THE LARGEST ONE I CAUGHT HERE WAS A 15 POUNDER. YEAH, YOU CAN EAT

* This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.