ELECTION TIME AGAIN

This is going to be one of the most important elections in history for our country.  Can you imagine another four years of the past eight?  I know I can’t, and only hope and pray for the sake of all of us that Hillary or the other guy does not win.  That being said you know who I am not going to vote for.

I will perform my civic duty and vote in the upcoming election, and if we have any chance left for this country we all need to exercise our right to vote.   Our national and state elections are very important, but so are our local elections.  There might be someone in Milam County who personally knows one of the candidates for president, but I doubt it.

However, as voters we can get to know our local candidates.  On the state and national level that is a bit harder to do.  We can only go by what we learn about them in the media.  On the local level it is a different story.  You can and should get to know your local candidates.  There will be a number of opportunities for you to meet them and learn more about their position on the office they are running for.

One of the most important things you can do about local offices is to learn what they do.  You can check online to find out what the constitutional mandates are for your local elected officials.   Knowing what the responsibilities of each office are will better allow you to select the best qualified candidate for that office.

Key words here are being the best qualified candidate.  Just because someone is an incumbent does not necessarily mean they are the best qualified.  They do have a record in that office that you can check to see if they have in fact been doing the job.  There are also candidates running this year for some offices that have never served as an elected official.

A lot of you know some of the candidates and may consider them friends.  Just because someone is a friend does not always make them the best choice for the office.  As a matter of fact sometimes the fact that they are a friend and you know them very well might be a good reason to not vote for them.

I guess what I am trying to say is that we need to look at elections as job interviews.  You wouldn’t hire someone to work for you if they didn’t meet the qualifications for the job that you were hiring them for.  Why vote for someone just because they are a friend if they can’t or haven’t been doing the job.  These folks will be working for us for the next four years in very important jobs.  These are jobs that are paid for by our tax dollars.  We need to get our monies worth.

Just because you know someone or they have held the job in the past does not mean they are the most qualified for the job.  Take time to get to know the candidates and the job they are “applying” for.  Then cast your vote for the person you believe is most qualified for the job.  An uneducated voter can be their own worst enemy. 

Voting is easier than ever in Milam County.  You can vote early or vote on election day at any of the polling places.  Do what you can to learn all you can about the candidates and their office at all levels of government.  Then most important of all be sure to cast your vote.

BIGGEST BUDGET IN HISTORY FOR 2016

Been a good while since my last blog, but it has not been because there has been nothing to blog about.  Its just that my Mother always taught us to just not say anything if you can't say something nice.

There has been a great deal going on since my last blog in July.  Since then we have adopted a budget, lost two more county officials and finalized the ballot for the March primary.

I’ll leave the officials alone because I don’t really know all the facts and issues involved.  Lots of rumors going around and some claim to know all the facts, but there are so many variations floating around it’s hard to define the truth.  Some say the Judge took them down because of past conflicts, but I truly do not believe that.  Most of what I do believe is that there was some inappropriate behavior on their part that led to their demise.

On the budget note it is easy to define the truth because it is all on paper.  However, it is hard to add it all up.  The Judge has been preaching doom and gloom again with the situation with Luminant and their pending bankruptcy and relating how broke Milam County is.  So broke in fact that more county positions in mandated offices and optional offices were cut.  You got to give him credit for being consistent with his doom and gloom theory.  That’s his story and he is sticking to it.

With these cuts savings should have been somewhere in the 200,000 dollar range.  Yet, the general fund which should have seen these savings went up right at 45,000 dollars.  In addition the 2016 budget is the highest budget in Milam County history.  You can check all this with the County Auditor’s Office.

Now the funny part to this is that there was a move, a brilliant move in my opinion I might add, made by Commissioner Donald Shuffield to not adopt the Judge’s proposed 2016 budget.  His motion if approved would have kept the 2015 budget for the 2016 budget year.  You just had to be there to see the circus that erupted after he made his motion.

Commissioner Shuffield was visually verbally chastised by the Judge for voicing his opinion.  Yet Shuffield’s motion would have made for a smaller budget, kept the Veterans Office employee and all mandated office employees in place and basically been in line with the Judge’s statements that the county is in dire fiscal shape. It just does not compute to me.

Granted the Judge is correct in assuming one scenario that Luminant pays nothing and the county will be in dire fiscal straits.  He also used the capital murder trial as an excuse to cut positions in past years.  He was advised that the case would most likely plead out and it did.  There was also the rumor of Luminant going bankrupt before it actually did which again was a reason to cut.  Three years of cutting and we have the highest budget in Milam County history.

Well at least it is a new year.  We made it through 2015.  Now we just have to hope and pray for a Happy New Year in 2016.  Heavy on the pray.

ALL IN THE NAME OF PROGRESS

Water is undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges Texas faces in the future.  One of the biggest challenges Milam County faces in the future is surviving Texas’s unquenchable thirst for water.  I know you have seen the old westerns where the cattle have been on the drive for several days without water and the cowboys try not to let them smell the water, but the cattle do and the stampede is on.  Well folks the stampede is on and looks like Milam County could get trampled.

The latest development in Texas’s water plan for the future is the Gause Off-Channel Reservoir.  The planned reservoir would cover over 4,300 acres of Milam County.  Within the planned footprint of the reservoir is Pin Oak Cemetery, the historic El Camino Real de los Tejas trail, many Native American campsites and possible burial grounds and several hundred acres of agricultural land that have been in the same family for over 100 years.

What we see happening is the few being sacrificed for the many.  Basically rural Texas is being sacrificed for the voracity of the urban areas of the state.  Of course it is all in the name of progress and great for the economic development of the state.  Not Milam County’s economic development because our water, and looks like maybe our land, will be controlled by Austin, Houston, San Antonio and other large cities across the state.

Recent reports in the local media have indicated that the reservoir might be voted down in an upcoming Brazos River Authority meeting.  While that is the hope for all of us in Milam County the reality is that the state needs water and the rural counties that have water will be sacrificed for the numbers because that is where the votes are.

I truly feel sorry for our state representatives.  Both our State Representative and Senator have their majority of voters outside the Milam County line.  I have blogged before about rural versus urban issues, and it is not necessarily about what is right but rather where the votes are.  Politics is politics and it's all about the votes and where the voters are.  With just under 15,000 registered voters in Milam County we do not stand a chance. 

There is a Texas music band The McKay Brothers that have a song out titled "The Disappearing Texas."  For those of us that have been around for the last fifty years or so the lyrics ring so true.  "There's a disappearing Texas, vanishing but not completely gone, yeah there's a disappearing, so let's leave what there is left of it alone…"  Just a matter of time and what we knew and know as Texas will vanish never to return, and all in the name of progress.

LUMINANT LOOMING

Last blog dealt with taxes and now I need to update some of the information from the last blog.  In spite of the increase in appraisals things might not be so bright.  Luminant, the county’s largest taxpayer, is protesting their value.  Word has it that they are looking for a reduction in appraised value of around 350 million.  Certainly would negate the ninety two million dollar overall increase in county values.

However, it seems the biggest taxpayer is always upset with their value.  When ALCOA was the big kid on the block they protested every year.  Now it’s Luminant’s turn to play the game, and I do mean game.  While I was Judge every year ALCOA had issues with their appraised value.  They always thought the values were way too high.  Guess what so does Luminant.

The total appraised value for both Sandow Units 4 and 5 for 2015 is 463,452,500 dollars.  2014 values were 431,542,700 dollars.  That is an increase in value of 31,909,800 dollars.  If you remember I mentioned an increase of over 92 million in total appraised value for the county in my last blog, and if you leave Luminant values at 2014 levels you still see an increase in appraised values of over 60 million dollars.

The game I am talking about is let's negotiate.  Luminant has real deep pockets, so they threaten to sue the appraisal district over the values.  They go to mediation and work out a deal.  Now as one can see the talked about reduction that Luminant is starting the game with is 350 million, and if they were to get that it means that unit four and five values would drop to a little over 113 million.  Is that reasonable?  Not at all, but they got to start somewhere and if you are going take a shot might as well shoot for the moon.

In the past the starting point for both ALCOA and Luminant has always been a lot more than the final amount agreed upon.  I guess no one really knows what the final figure will be, but you can be assured that it will not be the 350 million Luminant is shooting for.

The real issue is that we do not know what the final figures will be, and probably will not know till late this year or early next year.  That being said the Commissioners Court has to come up with a 2016 budget by mid September.  So what do they do?  Take the conservative side and figure they get the full decrease they are expecting, figure on half or base the budget on last years values?  It's a tough call and anybody's guess.  Anybody know a good fortune teller?

 

WILL IT EVER END?

Will it ever end?  I am talking about tax increases.  Right now in Austin the Legislature is attempting to figure out a way to cut taxes.  Yet as I have traveled around the state I have seen several school bond elections being conducted, and locally Cameron ISD passed one last year and Milano ISD just passed one.  Now I am not saying that maybe there was not a need for the bonds, but just how much can property owners take?

Not only will we see an increase in our school taxes we have also seen an increase in appraised values.  According to my information from the appraisal district values for Milam County increased approximately ninety two million dollars this year.  That means almost 600,000 dollars more revenue for the county if the values hold.  These were preliminary values so they could decrease some, but I doubt they will decrease that much.

With the increase in appraised values the property is worth more and all the taxing entities in the county will see an increase in appraised values.  So will we see a decrease in the tax rate to offset the increased value?  I doubt it.  After all, the entities can take the stance that they did not increase taxes.  The good side of the increased appraisals is that now the county can use some of the increase in revenue to fund our Veterans Service Office.

Again I am not saying the schools did not need what they passed the bonds for.  The new Cameron ISD football field looks great.  The baseball fields are also going to be a great addition to the community.  No doubt Milano ISD needed their bond improvements as well, but why couldn’t other ways be found to fund the improvements?  Perhaps reducing spending in other areas to help pay a portion of the cost would have been an option.

Economic development is always a big issue for the county.  Yet how do high taxes help bring businesses to our area?  They don't.  We can offer tax abatements, but the bottom line is that sooner or later abatements end and they have to face the high taxes.  Any business looking to locate takes into consideration that they will face high taxes at some point in time.

I went to a school built in the forties and we had no air conditioning.  All we had was a big oscillating fan in the front of the room with lots of windows to open and a Reznor heater for winter in the back of the room.  However, I would venture to say that we learned more then than students do today.  Yes they perhaps learn more information because more information exists today, but they can't do math without a calculator and their decision making skills are based on "Google it."  Not to mention our educators have deemed cursive writing as antiquated.  How will students be able to sign their name?

Point is our elected officials need to look at other options to fund our governmental entities.  As taxpayers we can't just raise our income when we decide we need a new car or home improvements.  We have to find ways to live within our means.  It is about time the taxing entities learned to live within their means.  It is unfortunate, but whatever tax decreases if any, come out of Austin will be eaten up by increased appraisals and "needs" of the taxing entities.   

Milam County has always been a conservative county, even when the Democrats were in control.  We have elected individuals who claim to be conservative they need to step up to the plate and identify ways to fund projects without increasing taxes.  Or at least postpone them till they can afford them, or it will never end.

 

 

 

LOTS TO BLOG ABOUT

Been February since I last blogged, but it has not been because there has been nothing to blog about.  I've been having trouble with picking a subject and getting a blog down before a new subject pops up.

The Judge's article on economic development in February made me think about economic development in Milam County.  That was one of his major election promises along with several others.  Thought I might give a report on where we are now, but then along came the Veterans issue.

Veterans and public support managed to convince a majority of the members of the Commissioners Court to vote to reinstate administrative assistance for Ken Janicek.  The vote was four to one with the Judge being the only vote against.

Then transparency came to my mind.  The Judge has done an excellent job of bringing more transparency to county government.  Unfortunately it is pretty much the same transparency we get from all levels of government.  They tell us what they want us to hear.

I wonder why the many workshops that the Judge holds are not better publicized.  Like the one on March 12th where the Veterans Service Office was again discussed, and he stated at that meeting there would be on assistant for the Veterans Office next year.

Now I have to wonder why that workshop was not better publicized.  You hear about the court meetings on the radio and about the Community Information Meetings in the media, why not the workshops?  Workshops are public meetings too.

Please do not misunderstand that I am in anyway referring that the meeting was not "POSTED" as required by law.  As stated in Section 551.002, Open Meetings Requirement; "Every regular, special, or called meeting of a governmental body shall be open to the public..." 

Section 551.049 states "A county governmental body shall post notice of each meeting on a bulletin board at a place convenient to the public in the county courthouse.  I wonder why select meetings are given great media coverage and others are posted "conveniently" in the courthouse?  Seems like a website might be a more convenient spot for posting then the courthouse...easier for most of us to get to.

Or perhaps there are things that are going to be discussed that someone might not want to bring a great deal of public attention, such as the total reversal of a court decision made several weeks before.  The comments at the workshop also brought up the issue of the dire financial straits the county is in.  My real question is who can see into the future and claim the 23,000 dollar cut will save the county from financial disaster?

The Judge has continually played the we are broke card in his public offerings, but then will turn right around and crow about the 750,000 dollar reserve the county carried over into 2015.  Not his desired level of a million, but also nowhere near broke.

Now consider the fact that 2015 appraisals are in the mail.  Got mine over the weekend and was somewhat surprised at what some folks now think property is worth in Milam County.  I got to work in the Tax Office on Monday April the 6th, in Cameron and one person commented their tax bill was going to increase tenfold over last year's based on the new appraisals.

So, on March 12th during the workshop meeting Milam County was going to be broke in 2016 according to Judge Barkemeyer, and now the appraisals are going up countywide.  Some say the coiunty could see another five to six hundred thousand in revenue from the appraisal increases.  Surely out of that money the court can find enough to help keep Milam County's Veteran Services the best in Central Texas.  Our Veterans have earned it.

Bottom line is that there is a lot to blog about in Milam County.  There is a lot that we as voters and property owners should be aware of.  Sad thing is that most folks just don't care. 

VETS DESERVE MILAM COUNTY'S BEST

I have been blessed with being employed for the last few weeks in one of my old positions with Milam County.  I have been working in the One-Stop in Rockdale for the County Tax Assessor Collector.  Don't anybody get upset...just a temporary thing while an employee recovers from surgery.

Those that have been to get registration or pay taxes in Rockdale know that the Veterans Service Officer is located just across the waiting room from the Tax Office.  The location has given me an excellent view of the comings and goings of, and the number of clients the Veterans Service Officer works with.

I mention this because there was some mention of Ken Janicek's  and another individual's presentation to the last Commissioners Court about the need to reinstate the full time assistant for that office.  After almost a month sitting across the waiting room I have to agree.

I have always been a supporter of our veterans.  My father was a vet, my uncles and many other family members served our country.  I realize that while my family members survived their service with little need for the VA in later life there are many more that need and or require those services today.

Some have said the cut to a half time position for the office was a money saving move by the Judge and Commissioners.  However, if you check the budget you will see that the full salary is still there.  The person in that position was moved to a half position in the District Attorney's Office.  At my high school two halves always made a whole.  The whole salary, benefits and all is still there so, why the changes?

In my conversation with the DA he indicated that he could continue to provide equal service to his clientele without the half time position.  I have tried to find some other logical answer for why the position was cut, but can only come up with it was what the Judge wanted.

In talking with some of the Commissioners they all seemed to support the Veteran's Service Officer and understood our need to support our veterans.  I have heard a lot of other reasons as to why the position was cut, but none really hold water.  

My time working this month has allowed me to see Ken be interrupted too many times to count by the telephone while he was interviewing and assisting clients in the office with paperwork.  At the same time three, sometimes more clients were waiting to see him.  Ken tries to make appointments and keep a schedule, but that is really hard to do when you are having to answer a phone and interview at the same time.

Back in April of 2013 I blogged about the cuts and how I did not agree with them because of my persoanl experience with assistance in obtaining benefits for my mother-in-law.  Now I have first hand personal experience of seeing the numbers of veterans served in the Rockdale office.

Ken is in Rockdale on Tuesday and Wednesday of each week.  He is in Cameron on Monday, Thursday and Friday.  His days in Rockdale result in the Cameron office being open only half the day Tuesday and Wednesday.  The other issue with half day support is that in Rockdale there is no support and in Cameron only half day support.

Now there are some out there that say we do not even need an office in Milam County.  I have noticed the majority of these folks that say that are not veterans, are veterans who do not need or utilize VA services or can afford to go to Temple or Waco, or are just the idiots that complain about everything.

Last week the Judge had a column about the legislature and unfunded mandates.  He mentioned how he will be fighting the legislature's move to regulate the Commissioners Court's  ability to raise taxes in the future and speak out against unfunded mandates.  He continues in the article to make sure that we all understand he will cut services if necessary.  The Veterans Office could well be in his sights.

I wonder if he truly realizes who has paid the price that he can go to Austin and speak out against government.  He and all the other elected officials have sworn to do their best for Milam County.  It's high time that Milam County does its best for our veterans who gave us and continue to protect the freedoms we enjoy today.