Ector County Commissioners kicked off their budget hearings Monday and they are scheduled through Wednesday.
The hearings were scheduled for 9 a.m., but didn’t start until noon Monday because the agenda wasn’t posted soon enough.
County Auditor Randy Donner said the estimated 2022-23 budget is $66 million, down about $19,000 from last year.
The budget and tax rate have to be approved by Sept. 30.
The current tax rate is .36500 per $100 valuation. Donner said if it goes up much, it will have to be approved by the voters.
Donner said this is because departments didn’t ask for as much as they have in previous years.
Donner said if they haven’t asked for more by now, they probably won’t.
The total budget request for juvenile services was $3,781,000 million; total proposed budget for building maintenance was about $4.886 million; and the parks department requested about $47,900.
Juvenile Services Director Kevin Mann asked the county to fund a “two-step slide” for salaries, five more positions and two Tahoes.
He said he would like the salaries to be raised so they can compete with other like entities.
Mann said they cut 10 positions a few years ago and would like to hire five.
Donner said that would cost $300,000 at least.
Mann said he currently has one vacancy.
Precinct 2 Commissioner Greg Simmons asked if they could hire four. Mann said they would take what they could get.
Also they need the vehicles so they can transport juveniles out of county and have more room.
He said they also have to visit the juveniles in other counties once a month. Mann said the vehicles they have are worn out.
Road maintenance, traffic, parks, Engineering, motor vehicle repairs, airport, airport capital improvements, equipment services, sales tax planning and development, sales tax motor vehicle repairs/maintenance, sales tax road maintenance and sales tax traffic operations were also on the agenda Monday.
Also, senior centers, building maintenance, the coliseum, coliseum capital improvements, tax office, 446th District Court and the cemetery.
Today (Tuesday, Aug. 2), the sheriff’s office, animal control, jail, detention center and medical services are on the agenda.
Also, courthouse security, sales tax sheriff, sales tax animal control, sales tax jail and sales tax jail medical.
The District Clerk, records management, archive funds, County Court at Law No. 2, county agent, County Court at Law, the health department and post sentence monitoring are also up for consideration.
On Wednesday, the county attorney, environmental enforcement, emergency management, sales tax environmental enforcement and medical examiner are on the agenda.
Also, human resources, insurance, self-funded liability, health benefits, wellness clinic under health benefits, other funds, purchasing, postage and reproduction, IT, library, law library, auditor and other funds.
