P.1 Public hearing regarding the tax rate for Tax Year 2026 based on rates presented by the Tax Assessor /Collector.(Part 1 of 2)

[3.1 Discussion, consideration, and action to adopt a tax rate for Tax Year 2026 based on rates presented by the Tax Assessor/Collector. - Tax Assessor - Collector Richard Rozier(Part 1 of 2)]

ASSESSOR COLLECTOR, WE'RE GOING TO GO AHEAD AND JUST HAVE A BRIEF INTRODUCTORY FEW WORDS FROM ERIC TEST RELATIVE TO ITEM THREE ONE. AND THEN WE'LL MOVE INTO THE PUBLIC HEARING. OKAY, ERIC. JUDGE COMMISSIONERS, I JUST WANT TO GO OVER REAL QUICK THE KIND OF THREE COMPONENTS OF WHAT WE CURRENTLY HAVE AS THE PROPOSED RATE. SO IT'S A 0.245147 ON THE M AND O, WHICH AT 99% COLLECTION IS $100,992,163. THE SECOND COMPONENT IS 0.010631, WHICH WOULD BE REVENUES OF $4,379,608, AND THEN THE FM SIDE IS 0.018214, WITH REVENUES OF

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$7,475,156. AND JUST TO BE KIND OF CLEAR, SO WE GOT DIRECTION LAST COURT ON TAKING THE TAN NOTE OUT OF THE BUDGET, WHICH WAS DONE IN THE SENSE OF WE REMOVED IT FROM THE THE BUDGET SIDE OF WHAT YOU SAW. BUT THE PROPOSED RATE YOU GUYS HAD HAD THAT INS INCLUDED. SO THAT'S KIND OF WHERE YOU STAND TODAY. AND AGAIN, IF Y'ALL WANT TO REMOVE THAT, THEN THAT INS WOULD, WOULD, COULD, COULD DROP A LITTLE BIT. OKAY. VERY GOOD. AND THE PROPOSED BUDGET OR THE BUDGET THAT WAS PASSED ANTICIPATED THE RATE WOULD STAY THE SAME AT THE 0.273992. RIGHT.

YES, SIR. BUT OF COURSE WE HAVEN'T ADOPTED THE RATE. WE'LL DO THAT TODAY. BUT. THIS IF THE RATE WERE TO STAY THE SAME, IT IS BELOW THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE CALCULATED BY MR. ROZIER.

IS THAT RIGHT? IT IS. YEAH. OKAY. OKAY. OKAY. WELL, COMMISSIONERS, UNLESS YOU HAVE

[P.1 Public hearing regarding the tax rate for Tax Year 2026 based on rates presented by the Tax Assessor /Collector.(Part 2 of 2)]

ANY COMMENTS AT THIS POINT, I WOULD SAY WE GO AHEAD AND MOVE INTO THE TO THE PUBLIC HEARING.

WITH THAT, I'D LIKE TO TAKE A MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO MOVED. SECOND, WE HAVE A MOTION TO OPEN THE PUBLIC HEARING FROM COMMISSIONER PONDER AND A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER BUTLER. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY I, I IS ANYONE OPPOSED HEARING? NO OPPOSITION. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW OPEN. OKAY. WE DO HAVE THREE PEOPLE THAT HAVE SIGNED UP TO SPEAK. MISS HEALY, WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME UP FIRST, MISS HEALY, IF YOU WOULD JUST STATE YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS AND THEN PLEASE SHARE WITH US YOUR COMMENTS. GOOD AFTERNOON. LISA HEALY, 418 MILLIGAN DRIVE, MIDLOTHIAN, TEXAS. I'M A LITTLE CONFUSED.

ESPECIALLY BECAUSE USUALLY YOU'VE KIND OF DECOUPLED THE BUDGET AND THE RATE. AND TYPICALLY THEY GO HAND IN HAND. AND YOU DID MAKE CHANGES ON THE BUDGET BY REDUCING THE THE INS SIDE. SO WHY ARE WE NOT SEEING THAT REMOVED IN THIS RATE? THE OTHER POINT IS, IN YOUR PRESENTATION AT THE LAST COURT REGARDING THE BUDGET, YOU WERE .03 PERCENT LESS. SPEND THAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR. SO I'M THINKING WE SHOULD BE AT NO NEW REVENUE OR LESS. SO I'M JUST CONFUSED AT THE MATH. I ALSO AM REALLY CONFUSED BECAUSE THE RATES WERE NOT PRESENTED VERY WELL. THIS ENTIRE PROCESS. YOU ALSO GAVE THE IMPRESSION THAT. YOU WOULD. THIS WAS THE MAX WE WOULD BE CHARGED IN TERMS OF A TAX RATE. AND YOU MADE COMMENTS DURING THE MEETING THAT THAT MEAN YOU WOULD GO BACK TO THE DRAWING TABLE AND TRY TO REDUCE IT FOR US, JUST BECAUSE YOU ADOPTED THAT RIDICULOUS BUDGET, YOU DID STATE IT WAS LESS SPEND THAN THE PREVIOUS YEAR. SO I'M NOT UNDERSTANDING WHY WE'RE STILL SEEING THIS RATE. AND THIS IS THE RATE THAT YOU'RE VOTING ON. I WAS HOPING THAT WE WOULD GET HERE TODAY, AND THAT WOULD LOOK LIKE A VERY DIFFERENT NUMBER FOR US. SO I JUST WOULD LOVE TO UNDERSTAND WHY WE'RE HERE TODAY. IT'S ALMOST LIKE WE DON'T MATTER. DOESN'T MATTER. YOU'RE JUST GOING TO DO WHAT YOU WANT TO DO AND THEN THAT'S IT. SO I REALLY HOPE YOU TAKE SOME TIME AND REVISIT THAT NUMBER, BECAUSE I THINK YOU'RE COLLECTING MORE MONEY THAN YOU NEED TO. AND THAT'S, I THINK THE INS WAS $4 MILLION, I THINK WAS THE NUMBER WE HEARD. BUT YOU'RE NOT TAKING OUT ANY DEBT. SO I DON'T KNOW WHY WE'RE HAVING TO PAY FOR IT. SO AT LEAST A PENNY AND CHANGE SHOULD BE REDUCED. THANK YOU, MISS HEALY. THANK YOU. MISS. I SAY ONE THING. YES, I KNOW Y'ALL ARE FRUSTRATED. YES. AND BY STATUTE IT DOESN'T MAKE A LOT OF SENSE. SOMETIMES THE WAY WE HAVE TO PROCEED WITH THE PROCESS. BUT IF YOU HANG TIGHT JUST A LITTLE WHILE, IT ALL MAKES. OKAY, OKAY. ONLY BECAUSE THERE WERE COMMENTS MADE THAT YOU WERE GOING TO LEAVE THAT MEETING FROM TWO, TWO TIMES AGO, NOT LAST NIGHT WITH THE BUDGET HERE IN JUST A MINUTE. OKAY. AND AND I APOLOGIZE, IT IS KIND

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OF DIFFICULT TO MAKE A PUBLIC COMMENT WHEN YOU GUYS HAVE INFORMATION YOU HAVEN'T SHARED WITH US. AND, AND MAYBE WE CAN MAKE A MORE INTELLIGENT PUBLIC COMMENT IF THAT INFORMATION IS DISCLOSED INSTEAD OF HAVING A, A COUNTY EMPLOYEE PRESENT. EXACTLY WHAT WE WERE JUST WE WERE JUST TOLD THAT'S WHAT YOU'RE VOTING ON. WE'RE JUST GOING BY PROCESS BECAUSE THAT WAS WHAT WE WERE VOTING ON, RIGHT? THAT'S WHAT THAT'S WHAT YOU PROPOSED TO TALK ABOUT IT HERE IN A MINUTE. OKAY. MAYBE NEXT TIME. I DON'T KNOW ABOUT ANYONE ELSE. I WOULD HAVE LOVED TO HAVE HAD THAT CONVERSATION AND THEN MADE MY PUBLIC COMMENT. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, MISS HEALY. WE WILL NEXT NEXT LIKE TO CALL UP BARBARA USHKOWITZ. I HOPE I PRONOUNCED YOUR. YEAH.

VERY GOOD. WELL, MISS MISCOVICH, IF YOU WOULD JUST PLEASE GIVE US YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS AND THEN SHARE YOUR COMMENTS. THANK YOU. YES. MY NAME IS BARBARA USHKOWITZ. I LIVE AT 3202 BENT CREEK COURT IN MIDLOTHIAN. AND I'M KIND OF THINKING THAT MY SPEECH IS A LITTLE BIT LATE. GOOD AFTERNOON, JUDGE AND COMMISSIONERS. I'M FAIRLY NEW TO ACTUALLY LIVING IN ELLIS COUNTY, BUT MY FAMILY ON THE PATERNAL AND MATERNAL SIDE HAVE BEEN HERE AND CONTINUE TO LIVE HERE SINCE THE 1930S. I'VE BEEN COMING HERE FOR THE HOLIDAYS AND SUMMERS AND REUNIONS MY WHOLE LIFE, AND THAT'S WHY WE MOVED HERE FROM LIVING IN DALLAS STARTING IN 1988. I MENTIONED THIS SO THAT NO ONE THINKS I'M JUST A RANDOM SPEAKER. I ATTENDED THE AUGUST 15TH AND 18TH AND SEPTEMBER 1ST AND NOW TODAY MEETINGS. KNOWING HOW BLESSED I AM PERSONALLY AND ALL THAT GOD HAS PROVIDED FOR ME, I FEEL COMPELLED TO FINALLY SPEAK. I'M A PRECINCT CHAIR IN ELLIS COUNTY AND A KNOWN DOOR KNOCKER BLOCK WALKER. MY AREA IS VERY DIVERSE.

SOCIOECONOMICALLY, THE MAJORITY OF ELLIS COUNTY CANNOT BEAR A TAX INCREASE. THESE ARE UNSETTLING TIMES. A TAX INCREASE RIGHT NOW IS NOT IN THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE YOU REPRESENT. A FEW FACTS. EVERYONE SUPPORTS LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE JUDICIAL SYSTEM. MONEY IS STILL MISSING, WHETHER IT'S $100 OR 20 MILLION OR SOMETHING IN BETWEEN, THE NUMBERS ARE STILL NOT CLEAR. EVERYONE WANTS THE DELAY OF THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR AND BUDGET OFFICE UNTIL THE ELECTED JUDGE TAKES OFFICE FIVE, TWO, EIGHT, FIVE NINE VERSUS 0.273992 IS AN INCREASE. I GOT THESE NUMBERS FROM A PAPER THAT WAS PASSED OUT ON THE AUGUST 15TH MEETING ON SEPTEMBER 4TH. FIRST, THE LAWYER FOR THIS COURT READ A STATEMENT IN WHICH ALL OF YOU HAD TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT IF YOU VOTED YES, IT WAS A TAX INCREASE. THE MONEY SAVINGS THAT WAS MENTIONED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR, MR. MORRIS, IS BECAUSE POSITIONS HAVE YET TO BE FILLED. SO ONCE THEY ARE FILLED, THERE IS NO SAVINGS.

THE SPEAKERS AND YOUR CONSTITUENTS WANT THE N AND R NO NEW REVENUE RATE EXCEPT ONE SPEAKER WHO EVIDENTLY WORKS FOR LEWIS. YOU'VE HAD NUMEROUS SPEAKERS AND SIGNATURES LETTING YOU KNOW WHAT THE PEOPLE WANT. I PERSONALLY AND MY LIMITED TIME HAVE COLLECTED MORE THAN 125 SIGNATURES AND WILL CONTINUE TO COLLECT THEM WHEN I BEGIN MY OFFICIAL BLOCK WALKING.

ALSO, AFTER EACH OF THESE MEETINGS, I TYPE UP A SHORT BREAKDOWN OF THE MEETINGS AND TAPED THE NOTE TO EVERY DOOR IN MY IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOOD. WHAT'S FUNNY IS EARLY ONE MORNING WHEN I WENT ON MY EXERCISE WALK, I PASSED FOUR PEOPLE, TWO OF WHICH WERE MY NEIGHBORS, AND THEY REMARKED THAT THEY HAD JUST BEEN TALKING ABOUT ME AND ALL THE INFORMATION I'VE BEEN SHARING. THEY WERE WALKING AND TALKING WITH THEIR PASTOR AND HIS WIFE.

JUST BECAUSE PEOPLE CANNOT ATTEND THESE MEETINGS DO NOT DISCOUNT HOW MANY PEOPLE KNOW AND ARE WATCHING AND THE FACTS THAT ARE BEING SHARED WITH MANY. IF THERE ARE PEOPLE WANTING ANY OF THIS, PLEASE SHARE THEIR NAMES AND WHETHER OR NOT THEY ARE EMPLOYEES OF THE COUNTY.

THOSE OPPOSED ARE KNOWN TO YOU. JUDGE RAY, YOU'VE BEEN IN OFFICE FOR A BIT NOW AND ONLY HAVE A FEW MONTHS LEFT, SO IT'S UNCLEAR WHY YOU NEED A NEW POSITION CREATED FOR THESE LAST FEW MONTHS. I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE URGENCY AND DOES AND DOES NOT HAVE A CLEAR JOB DESCRIPTION. IT'S VERY CONFUSING AND CONCERNING. THEREFORE, I REQUEST PATIENCE UNTIL THE NEW ELECTED JUDGE IN THIS PLACE, WHICH WILL BE IN A SHORT TIME AND ALL THE CANDIDATE NEEDS IS ONE VOTE TO BE ELECTED. I ASK YOU, JUDGE RAY, THAT YOUR LEGACY BE TO ALLOW THE NEW JUDGE TO MAKE THE DECISION. IF THERE IS A COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BUDGET OFFICE WHICH ARE MONETARILY COSTLY AND PERMANENT POSITIONS, IF THEY ARE TRULY NEEDED. WHEN THE PEOPLE VOTE FOR THE NEW JUDGE, LET HIM ANSWER TO HIS CONSTITUENTS ABOUT MONETARY INCREASES AND THE BUDGET. I WOULD BE. IT WOULD BE COMMENDABLE OF YOU IF YOU ALLOWED THIS DECISION TO BE MADE BY THE NEW JUDGE. MAYBE BY THEN THE NUMBERS WILL BE CLEAR THROUGH THE AUDIT AND MUCH RESPECT TO YOU FOR THAT DECISION. I DO UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR JOB IS NOT EASY, AND I REALLY FELT FOR YOU ON AUGUST 18TH, WHEN YOU NOTIFIED THE PUBLIC OF THE LARGE AMOUNT OF MONEY UNACCOUNTED FOR, $20 MILLION, THAT WAS THE NUMBER THAT HAD BEEN SHARED. AND NO OTHER COMMISSIONERS THAT DAY DEBUNKED THE AMOUNT. REALLY HARD TO DO IN THE PUBLIC EYE. SINCERELY. SINCE MOVING HERE, I'VE BEEN INVOLVED WITH MY

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NEIGHBORS AND COMMUNITY. ALONG THE COURSE, I'VE HAD INTERACTIONS WITH MR. ZEKE GREEN, WITH MANY OTHERS AT THE WOMEN'S BUILDING, AND RECENTLY, MR. BUTLER, AS THE ELECTIONS NEAR. BOTH OF YOU HAVE BEEN FRIENDLY AND RESPECTFUL, BUT I'VE NEVER HAD AN. BUT IF I HAD NEVER HAD INTERACTIONS WITH THEM, I'D BE ABLE TO INTERPRET THEIR CHARACTER BY WHAT I'VE OBSERVED IN THESE MEETINGS. THEY ARE SIDING WITH THEIR CONSTITUENTS, WITH THE PEOPLE VIA THEIR VOTE. AS ALL OF YOU CONSIDER YOUR NEXT VOTE, PLEASE HUMBLE YOURSELVES AS ELECTED LEADERS TO FULLY RECOGNIZE AT LEAST 80%, PROBABLY MORE OF THE PEOPLE. YOUR NEIGHBORS CANNOT AT THIS TIME AFFORD A TAX INCREASE. AS THE WORLD IS WIDENING THE GAP BETWEEN OURSELVES AND GOD BECAUSE OF BEHAVIOR. WHAT A WONDERFUL GESTURE TO REDUCE THE GAP BY THINKING OF YOUR CONSTITUENTS AS A NEIGHBOR THAT NEEDS WATCHING OUT FOR AND NOT AS A POLITICIAN. BY THINKING OF YOUR NEIGHBOR'S FINANCIAL SITUATIONS, IT WOULD BE A HUGE COURTESY TO VOTE THEIR CONCERNS AND WISHES. PLEASE VOTE NO TO A COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR OR NEW BUDGET OFFICE AND VOTE FOR THE NNR. PLEASE VOTE WITH YOUR HEART. THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, MISS SISCOVICK. THANK YOU. THANK YOU FOR THE KIND WORDS, I APPRECIATE THAT. OKAY, WE WILL NOW HEAR FROM KATHY OLSON. ALL RIGHT. GOOD AFTERNOON. KATHY OLSON, 611 NORTH GRAND AVENUE, WAXAHACHIE, 75165. THIS MAY BE COMING LATE, BUT BETTER LATE THAN NEVER. LAST WEEK, THIS COURT ADOPTED A 2027 BUDGET. TODAY IS A HARDER QUESTION. HOW DO WE PAY FOR IT? TODAY WE'LL HEAR THAT PROPOSED TAX RATE AND THE DECISION ABOUT WHAT TO DO WITH THAT TAX RATE BELONGS TO THIS COURT. I DON'T LIKE HIGHER PROPERTY TAXES. WHO DOES? AND IF ELLIS COUNTY CAN MEET ITS OBLIGATIONS WITH A LOWER TAX RATE, WE WANT TO HEAR IT. SO COUNTY THIS IS WHAT WE NEED YOUR IDEAS AND YOUR SOLUTIONS. WE THE TAXPAYERS ABSOLUTELY HAVE THE RIGHT TO QUESTION EVERY DOLLAR THIS COUNTY SPENDS. BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE RESPONSIBILITY TO BRING NEW IDEAS, IDENTIFY WASTE AND QUESTION THIS COURT. I DID, I WENT THROUGH THE 166 PAGE BUDGET AND HOW WE'RE SUPPOSED TO PAY FOR IT. HAVE YOU DONE THAT? I HAD QUESTIONS, I TOOK THOSE QUESTIONS TO JUDGE RAY AND A COMMISSIONER, AND I LEARNED THAT MANY OF OUR EXPENSES AREN'T SIMPLY SIMPLY DISCRETIONARY CHOICES BY THIS COURT. THEY ARE RESPONSIBILITIES AND SERVICES MANDATED BY THE STATE OF TEXAS. AND THE STATE DOESN'T FULLY FUND THOSE MANDATES. WE STILL HAVE TO FIGURE OUT HOW TO PAY FOR THEM. HOW DO WE FIGHT THAT? WELL, IT'S NOT HERE. IT'S IN AUSTIN. AND I'M WELCOMING, WELCOMING ANYONE TO JOIN ME AND SEVERAL OTHERS THAT WILL BE DOWN THERE NEXT SPRING. THE 90TH TEXAS LEGISLATURE TO FIGHT PROPERTY TAXES. BUT TODAY, IF WE BELIEVE ELLIS COUNTY CAN RESPONSIBLY ADOPT A LOWER TAX RATE, LET'S ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS. WHAT DO YOU WANT TO CUT? WHERE'S THE WASTE? WHERE CAN WE SAVE? DO YOU HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE? I'LL GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. WE'RE REQUIRED TO FEED AND PROVIDE HEALTH CARE TO OUR INMATES. OUR VENDORS QUIT. REPLACEMENT VENDORS CAME IN AT A DRAMATICALLY HIGHER COST. NOW IN THE MILLIONS, IF YOU KNOW A VENDOR THAT CAN PROVIDE THESE SERVICES FOR LESS, BRING IT. YOU HAVE ANOTHER SOLUTION ON HOW WE PROVIDE THESE SERVICES.

BRING THAT. THIS IS THE CONVERSATION WE SHOULD BE HAVING. INSTEAD OF RANTING AND RAVING ON SOCIAL MEDIA, CUT THE BUDGET. NO MORE TAXES, OKAY? SHOW US HOW FACEBOOK SOLVES NOTHING. BRIAN HARRISON, OUR STATE REPRESENTATIVE, A FRIEND. I VOTED FOR HIM, I SUPPORTED HIM, I HELPED RAISE MONEY FOR BRIAN. DUELING PIANOS. THAT WAS AWESOME. I ACTUALLY HAD HIS BILLBOARD IN MY FRONT YARD. I RESPECT YOUR COMMITMENT, BRIAN, TO ELIMINATING PROPERTY TAXES.

YOU MAY VERY WELL BE THE PERSON TO DO IT. YOU HAVE A DEGREE IN ECONOMICS. YOU DON'T KNOW THAT.

YEAH. HE'S ALSO OUR NO NEW REVENUE TAX RATE EXPERT, ELLIS COUNTY. WE ARE VERY FORTUNATE TO HAVE BRIAN AS OUR REPRESENTATIVE WITH THAT BACKGROUND. SO BRIAN, WE NEED YOU TO BRING THAT EXPERTISE TO THE TABLE. IF YOU BELIEVE ELLIS COUNTY CAN OPERATE AT A LOWER RATE, WE NEED TO HEAR IT. WE NEED TO HEAR IT NOW. WE NEED TO HEAR IT A FEW MONTHS AGO. I KNOW YOU PUT THE NUMBERS IN THE SPREADSHEET JUST LIKE ME. AND WITH YOUR FINDINGS. HOW DO WE FIX IT? YOU GOT TO SHOW US. HAVE YOU SAT DOWN WITH JUDGE RAY AND THESE COMMISSIONERS? HEY, GUYS, THIS IS NOT GOING TO WORK FOR MY PEOPLE, BUT I'M AN EXPERT. LET ME HELP. FROM WHAT I UNDERSTAND, YOU HAVE NOT. BRIAN. YOU AND JOHN MAY HAVE BEEN OPPONENTS SOME YEARS AGO, BUT YOU'RE NO LONGER OPPONENTS. YOU'RE ON THE SAME TEAM. WE ARE TEAM ELLIS COUNTY. WE NEED YOU TO WORK TOGETHER, NOT JUST TELL US HOW BAD IT IS, BUT TELL US HOW TO DO IT. CAMERON RAYBURN, YOUR INCOMING COUNTY JUDGE. YOU SERVED AS A CITY COMMISSIONER FOR, WHAT, TWO YEARS, MAYOR, FOR TWO YEARS, YOU CAMPAIGNED ON ELIMINATING WASTEFUL SPENDING, SCRUTINIZING BUDGETS AND PROTECTING TAXPAYERS. JANUARY 1ST, YOU'RE GOING TO INHERIT THIS. AND EVERY CHALLENGE THAT COMES WITH IT, INCLUDING HELPING UNDERSTAND WHAT HAPPENED THAT WAS DISCOVERED LAST MAY 2025 WHEN JUDGE RAY TOOK OVER. HAVE YOU SAT DOWN WITH JUDGE RAY, THESE COMMISSIONERS AND AUDITOR, ANYBODY RESPONSIBLE TO SEE HOW YOU CAN IDENTIFY INEFFICIENCIES, HOW WE CAN REDUCE ELLIS COUNTY, WHAT ELLIS COUNTY TAXPAYERS HAVE TO FUND. IF YOU DO HAVE IDEAS, WHICH I KNOW YOU DO, BECAUSE THAT'S JUST HOW YOUR BRAIN WORKS. I'M ASKING YOU TO BRING THEM NOW, YOU KNOW, HOW DO YOU HOW DO YOU OPERATE MORE EFFICIENTLY WITHOUT

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COMPROMISING WHAT LAW ENFORCEMENT OR ROADS AND ESSENTIAL AND COUNTY SERVICES.

AND I PROMISE, I PROMISE, I PROMISE JUDGE RAY WILL HAPPILY GIVE YOU EVERY BIT OF CREDIT YOU EVER DESERVE FOR ANYTHING YOU IDENTIFY. NOW THAT CAN HELP ELLIS TAXPAYER ELLIS COUNTY TAXPAYERS SAVE SOME MONEY. ALL RIGHT, SO EVERYBODY CAN COME FROM THIS PODIUM TODAY. SAME THING. BRING AN IDEA. BRING AN ALTERNATIVE, BRING A SOLUTION, GET OFF OF FACEBOOK, GET OFF THE SOCIAL MEDIA RANT AND RAVE. I'M GOING TO GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE. AS YOU'RE AWARE, A CITY OF WAXAHACHIE IS LOOKING AT BRINGING IN AMBULANCE SERVICES UNDER CITY MANAGEMENT RATHER THAN AN OUTSIDE PROVIDER. I COULD GO TO CITY COUNCIL AND COMPLAIN ABOUT THE COSTS.

BETTER YET, I COULD GO ON FACEBOOK AND ALL CAPITAL LETTERS, RANT ABOUT GOVERNMENT SPENDING. WHAT WILL THAT ACCOMPLISH? NOTHING. HOWEVER, MY PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND IS PATIENT CARE, PATIENT SAFETY AND EMERGENCY SERVICES. I'VE REACHED OUT TO OUR CITY MANAGER, OUR CITY MAYOR AND THE QUESTION WAS SIMPLE GUYS, THIS IS MY EXPERIENCE, IS MY EXPERTISE.

HOW CAN I HELP? AND I LOOK FORWARD TO GOING TO THE TABLE WITH THEM WHENEVER THAT HAPPENS TO REVIEWING THIS PROCESS. THAT'S WHAT I'M ASKING OF ALL OF US. WHETHER YOU'RE A STATE REPRESENTATIVE, INCOMING COUNTY JUDGE, A CITIZEN OF ELLIS COUNTY, GET OFF THE SOCIAL MEDIA RANT AND COME TO THE TABLE. BRING YOUR KNOWLEDGE, BRING YOUR EXPERTISE, YOUR IDEAS, AND LET'S WORK TOGETHER, NOT AGAINST EACH OTHER. ELLIS COUNTY BELONGS TO ALL OF US.

SHE IS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING COUNTIES IN THE USA AND WE NEED TO TAKE BETTER CARE OF HER. I APPRECIATE YOUR TIME. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, MR. OLSON. THANK YOU. AND MR. ROGERS, YOU'RE NEXT. IF YOU WOULD PLEASE SHARE WITH US YOUR NAME AND YOUR ADDRESS AND THEN YOUR COMMENTS. MIKE ROGERS, 107 NORTH FIFTH STREET, MIDLOTHIAN, TEXAS. THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE TODAY, JUDGE RAY AND COMMISSIONERS, I'D LIKE TO TALK ABOUT TAXES AND TAX RATE TODAY IN A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT FASHION. AND I WOULD LIKEN THEM A LITTLE BIT TO A LOT OF THE EXPERIENCES THAT I'VE HAD. AND THAT HAS BEEN IN SMALL BUSINESS. PERHAPS THERE'S SOME OF YOU THAT HAVE OWNED SMALL BUSINESSES HERE, AND IT'S THE DECISIONS AND THE THOUGHT PROCESSES THAT I GO THROUGH WITHIN OWNING THESE BUSINESSES. ON HOW I NEED TO THINK OF A PORTION OF MY BUDGET IN ORDER TO GIVE BACK. AND THE REASON FOR THAT IS, IS I KNOW THAT I HAVE EMPLOYEES AND THAT EVEN COMES TO CUSTOMERS TO A CERTAIN POINT, BUT ESPECIALLY WITH THOSE WHO ARE REPORTING THE BACK BREAKING WORK INTO MAKING IT POSSIBLE FOR ME TO BE SUCCESSFUL, I HAVE TO FIND A PLACE AND A WAY TO GIVE BACK TO THEM. IF I CONTINUE TO NOT GIVE BACK, AND IT'S NOT REALLY ABOUT THE VOLUME, ABOUT WHAT I'M GOING TO GIVE BACK, IT'S THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS. IF I CONTINUE TO NEVER GET BACK AND I ONLY TAKE, I WILL NOT BE SUCCESSFUL. AND SO THAT LEADS ME INTO WHAT I WANT TO KIND OF DISCUSS TODAY ABOUT HOW WE CAN GIVE BACK. I DO UNDERSTAND THE BURDEN IN WHICH YOU'RE UNDER, LOOKING AT $200 MILLION OF MONEY FLOWING THROUGH OR MORE. I'VE SEEN BUDGETS LIKE THOSE MYSELF UNDER UNDERSTAND THE OVERBURDENING PROCESS. I CAN ONLY ALSO TELL YOU THAT EVEN WITHIN BUSINESS, I CAN FIGURE OUT A WAY TO CONSUME AND A GOOD REASON TO CONSUME EVERY DOLLAR I MAKE AND NEVER GIVE BACK. BUT IN ORDER FOR ME TO RETAIN QUALITY INDIVIDUALS AND TO RETAIN THE ABILITY TO KEEP FOLKS SATISFIED AND PLEASED TO BE A PART OF MY SYSTEM, I HAVE TO GIVE BACK. I WOULD ONLY ENCOURAGE THE COURT TO CONSIDER THAT THE TAXPAYERS ARE THE ONLY REASON WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE A COURT THERE, THE ONLY REASON WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE SERVICE. WE MIGHT HAVE AN OPINION THAT, WELL, WE ARE GIVING BACK. THEY GET SERVICES, BUT AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL, WHICH I COMMONLY REFER TO AS A REPRESENTATIVE, THEY'RE NOT REALLY AN OFFICIAL. THEY'RE REPRESENTATIVE OF THE PEOPLE. I'VE NEVER SEEN A INDIVIDUAL RUN FOR OFFICE YET, TELLING FOLKS HOW THEY'RE GOING TO TAKE THEIR MONEY AND SPEND ALL OF IT. THEY'RE ALWAYS MAKING PROMISES ON HOW THEY'RE GOING TO CUT THEIR TAXES OR PROVIDE THEM A BETTER SERVICE AS A CHEAPER, CHEAPER FEE. SO I WOULD ONLY ENCOURAGE THAT. I'VE ALSO HEARD CONVERSATION OF HOW WELL THAT PENNY IS ONLY GOING TO GIVE THEM $50 OR THAT PENNY $75. WHAT'S THAT MATTER? I'M NOT SO SURE IT MATTERS AS MUCH WITH THE VOLUME OF WHAT YOU DO VERSUS THE THOUGHT. I THINK FOLKS JUST WANT TO SEE THAT THERE'S A START. I DON'T SEE FOLKS. I DON'T BELIEVE FOLKS WANT TO SEE THAT. WE GO TO THE VOTER APPROVAL RATE, AND WE TRY TO OPERATE UNDER THAT A LITTLE BIT. AND AS LONG AS THEY CAN SEE THAT WITHIN REASON, WE ARE CONSTANTLY BURDENING OURSELVES AS REPRESENTATIVES TO TRY TO GIVE BACK IN SOME FORM OF SOMETHING THAT HITS THEIR POCKET ABOVE AND BEYOND A

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SERVICE. I THINK THAT'S A BENEFICIAL WAY TO VIEW IT. THANK YOU FOR LISTENING AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME. THANK YOU. THANK YOU, MR. ROGERS. OKAY. WE DON'T HAVE ANYONE ELSE WHO HAS INDICATED A DESIRE TO SPEAK IN THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO BASED UPON THAT, I WOULD LIKE TO TAKE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING. SO MOVE A MOTION TO CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING FROM COMMISSIONER PONDER. IS THERE A SECOND? SECOND. WE HAVE A SECOND FROM COMMISSIONER BUTLER. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR, PLEASE SAY I, I IS ANYONE OPPOSED HEARING? NO

[3.1 Discussion, consideration, and action to adopt a tax rate for Tax Year 2026 based on rates presented by the Tax Assessor/Collector. - Tax Assessor - Collector Richard Rozier(Part 2 of 2)]

OPPOSITION. THE PUBLIC HEARING IS NOW CLOSED. OKAY. WE'LL NOW MOVE BACK TO ITEM 3.1, WHICH IS DISCUSSION, CONSIDERATION AND ACTION TO ADOPT A TAX RATE FOR TAX YEAR 2026 BASED ON RATES PRESENTED BY THE TAX ASSESSOR COLLECTOR I DID. I HAD A COUPLE OF QUICK THOUGHTS. ONE IS THAT IT'S MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE ARE REQUIRED TO ADOPT THE BUDGET THAN THE RATE THAT IS A BIT BACKWARDS. I KNOW THAT FEELS BACKWARDS, BUT AGAIN, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT THE STATE TELLS US WE HAVE TO DO. I KNOW IT WOULD MAKE MORE SENSE TO DO IT THE OTHER WAY, BUT WE CAN'T CONTROL THAT. SECONDARILY, WE ARE SPENDING LESS UNDER THE CURRENT BUDGET THAN WE SPENT UNDER LAST YEAR'S. BUT WE'RE. THE PROPOSAL WOULD BE TO USE TO TO REBUILD OUR BALANCE, OUR FUND BALANCE, WHICH HAS BEEN DEPLETED OVER THE PAST COUPLE OF YEARS. SO THAT'S PART OF WHY THAT'S PART OF THE THOUGHT PROCESS TO THAT AS WELL. BUT THOSE ARE MY COMMENTS. BUT THIS WAS JUST A PROPOSAL. THE 27.399 $0.02 PER 100 EVALUATION. AND COMMISSIONERS, PLEASE WEIGH IN.

WELL, I SAID LAST TIME WE WOULD FOR US VOTING IN THE THE .273992. IF IF WE WE BROUGHT THE TEAM IN AND TRIED TO GET IT TO SHAVE IT DOWN AS MUCH AS WE POSSIBLY CAN. AND THERE IS SOME, SOME DIFFERENT NUMBERS THAT WE THAT THEY HAD COME TO US WITH. I DID WANT BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER, DO WE HAVE THAT CHART? YOU HAVE THAT CHART THAT YOU COULD PUT UP THERE JUST TO KIND OF SHOW WHERE, WHERE WE'VE WHERE WE'VE COME OVER THE LAST 12 YEARS FROM, FROM. AND I DON'T KNOW IF ANYBODY CAN SEE THAT OR NOT. WELL, I THINK COMMISSIONER BUTLER, ARE YOU REFERRING TO THE FACT THAT I GUESS IT ABOUT TEN YEARS AGO THE RATE WAS 41.5 CENTS, 41, NEARLY $0.42. AND THEN NOW WHEN WE COME IN AND NOW WE'RE DOWN TO 0.27. SO, MIKE, TO YOUR ANSWER TO QUESTION, YOU KNOW, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, WE HAVE WE HAVE GIVE BACK AND GIVE BACK AND GIVE BACK AND TRIED TO BE AS AS TIGHT AS CONSERVATIVE GROUP UP HERE AS WE CAN TO, TO SERVICE THE PEOPLE TO GIVE THEM THE BEST SERVICE IN THE COUNTY. THAT'S POSSIBLE WITH NOT GETTING IN THEIR POCKETBOOK. WHAT WHAT THIS CHART IS, IT SHOWS OTHER ENTITIES, GOVERNMENT ENTITIES AND ISDS IN HERE ON A TAX RATE FROM WHERE THEY ARE ON THE TAXES VERSUS WHERE THE COUNTY IS. AND I'M NOT TRYING TO CHUNK ANYBODY UNDER THE BUS. BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE AT OUR RATE VERSUS THE VERY NEXT, WHAT IS IT? CITY OF CITY OF WAXAHACHIE, $0.61 I CAN'T SEE. YEAH, YEAH. I MEAN, IT'S IT'S MORE THAN DOUBLE YOU KNOW WHAT I'M SAYING VERSUS THE COUNTY. AND WE HAVE HUNDREDS OF PEOPLE GATHER IN THE COUNTY AND CHEW OUR TAILS OUT, WHICH THAT'S GOOD. WE NEED IT EVERY NOW AND THEN. BUT I'M JUST MY QUESTION IS, DO Y'ALL DO Y'ALL GO TO THE CITIES AND THE ISDS AND DO THE SAME THING? OKAY. BECAUSE I'M, I'M JUST CURIOUS BECAUSE I DON'T EVER HEAR ABOUT THEM SAYING, HEY, I GOT MY CHEWED OUT, BUT I JUST DID. I WANT TO SHOW A LITTLE, A LITTLE COMPARISON THERE OF WHERE WE, WHERE WE ACTUALLY ARE AND WHAT WE'VE DONE OVER THE LAST 12 YEARS. AND WITH THAT BEING SAID, I MEAN, YOU, YOU CAN TAKE IT DOWN IF EVERYBODY SEEN IT, BUT. I THINK WE CAN SHAVE A LITTLE BIT. I DON'T I DON'T REALLY THINK WE COULD GET TO THE NO NEW REVENUE RATE. I MEAN, EVERY TIME WE WOULD LOVE TO GET THERE, BUT WITH THE WITH THE GROWTH OF THE COUNTY AND, AND THE NUMBER OF THE TAX RATE WHERE WE'RE ALREADY AT SUCH A LOW RATE ALREADY, I THINK WE CAN SHAVE THAT DOWN A LITTLE. WE'VE WE'VE DEALT WITH THE TEAM. THEY'VE GIVEN US SOME NUMBERS. AND, AND WE CAN HEAR FROM THE REST OF THE COURT BEFORE WE START THROWING NUMBERS OUT THERE. BUT Y'ALL WEIGH IN WHAT YOU THINK YOU KNOW, I MEAN, TO KIND OF PIGGYBACK OFF OF WHAT I THINK ERIC ALLUDED TO EARLIER, HOW DOES THE NOT TAKING THE TAN NOTE? HOW IS THAT GOING TO AFFECT OUR RATE? WELL, IT'LL LOWER IT ABOUT A 10TH OF IT'LL LOWER FROM 0.01 TO 0.009. OKAY. OKAY. ONE MORE THING. THE.