County to approve 2020 budget
On Tuesday morning, Hays County is set to adopt a budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
After holding a public hearing, the Hays County Commissioners Court will discuss and take possible action to set salaries and allowances for elected officials in the county, which would include a 5% increase for elected officials, excluding the Commissioners Court. Additionally, the court may make any final changes before they vote to adopt the FY2020 budget. Lastly, the court will vote to ratify the property tax increase reflected in next year’s budget. The proposed budget will increase property taxes by $4,698,033, or 5.90% from last year’s budget.
In other business, commissioners will vote to adopt a proclamation declaring Sept. 15-Oct. 15 as Hispanic Heritage Month.
Likewise, the court will vote on a proclamation declaring Sept. 16 as Díez y Seis Day in Hays County.
Commissioners will hear a presentation from Texas State University in relation to the 2020 census, and will hold a discussion related to the census and a County Complete Count Committee.
The discussion follows a presentation to the court on Aug. 27 by Richard Castanon, U.S. Census Bureau partnership specialist. Castanon said that a Complete Count Committee’s purpose is to develop a public awareness campaign for the upcoming census.
“The Complete Count Committee is the way that we are organizing our cities,” Castanon said in his presentation to the court. “And we are focusing on certain areas in particularly around the country, and those are areas that we have identified as having a potential low response.”
In relation to the census, the court will authorize the submission of a grant application to the Hogg Foundation, an initiative for complete count efforts during the 2020 census in Texas. The purpose of the foundation’s grants is to “reach traditionally hard-to-count (HTC) populations.”
Commissioners will vote to authorize $750 for Chief (Ret.) Brendan Cox, Director of policing strategies with the LEAD® National Support Bureau to present to the General Criminal Justice Commission on Sept. 30. According to the agenda item, the cost will cover Cox’s travel, lodging and meals.
Commissioners will also approve and confirm Bill Hudleston as deputy reserve in the Hays County Constable Precinct 1 office.
The Hays County Commissioners Court meets Tuesdays on the third floor of the Hays County Historic Courthouse at 9 a.m.
