Budget discussions are strongly underway for Freestone County, with some expenses be more contested than other’s.
The Commissioner’s Court is keeping the tax rate set the same as 2020’s tax rate, .409.
One heavily discussed item has been a proposal for a new position for an Election Administrator. Freestone County Clerk – Linda Jarvis stated, “I feel one person needs to be doing these elections because you work so close together and they all tie in together.”
Currently the Freestone County Clerk’s office is handling elections for seven different entities in the November elections, and the runoff elections.
Other functions that a Election Administrator would handle are currently sent to the Tax Assessor-Collector Office.
Jarvis continues by pointing out the conflict of interest for County Officials who are on the ballot be responsible for holding the elections.
“The voters deserve an Election Administrator,” a gentleman, currently unnamed, avidly stated to the room during citizen remarks.
The Director of Fairfield EMS, Billy Perez, approached the Commissioners with a request to increase their funding to $150k, which is an increase of $50k.
Perez reminded everyone that, “I am not asking for excess amounts of money, I am asking for enough to provide services for this County.”
He points out that this year has been especially difficult because of the pandemic and the extra Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) necessary for their workers right now.
Many invoices that are sent out, are never paid in full. After being sent to a collection agency, they see about 1% payment from these individuals.
Jason Bosley addressed the Commissioners’ Court during the Public hearing to ask them, “Who wants to get broke down on the way to the hospital,” and further states,”I think it is a valuable thing that EMS, all of our EMS, are fully funded.”
Another heavily discussed item was the denial of a pay raise for Justice of the Peace Pct. 1, Theresa Farris and Pct 3, Cinnamon Archibald.
Although recommended by the Salary Grievance committee, the County Commissioners allowed the motion, made by Pct. 3 Commissioner Michael Daniels, to die for lack of a second.
Commissioner Pct. 1 Andy Bonner said, “I don’t think we can single out two people and give them a raise. I think if we’re gonna give them a raise we need to give them to every employee in the County.”
The budget does reflect very few pay raises, excluding longevity pay, with an interesting exception mentioned by Tony Adkins.
Adkins points out, “Were those financial hardships considered back in May of this year when he [Bonner] unilaterally decided to give a road & bridge employee with only 13 months on the job a $3,000 raise from $36,720 up to $39,600 without submitting to the budget process or accountability from his constituents and the residents of this county?”
As the budget is being worked on and decided, the Commissioner’s Court have more meetings and public hearings before the 2021 proposed budget is finalized into the 2021 adopted budget.
co.freestone.tx.us/page/freestone.PublicNotices has a calendar with all meetings for Freestone County, including the one that happens right before papers go to the Newsstands, and more Wednesday morning as papers are being delivered in the mail.
