Federal, State and Local Inmates: What is OUR Responsibility?

How might this apply to Robertson County? Well, in my humble opinion, this County relies too much on “state” (“Tennessee Department of Corrections” or “TDOC”)) prisoners as well as federal prisoners to – and, I quote folks around government - “make” money or “generate revenues.” You are reading this correctly, there are folks in and around your county government who believe that “the jail” (the “Robertson County Detention Facility”) is an opportunity to increase our county revenues.

The Week of November 19, 2012

Here is a list of Robertson County Commission meetings for the Week of November 19, 2012:

Date & Committee/Board                                             Time                    Location

Monday – Nov. 19

Ceremony - honoring Meggs/Walton                           10:00 a.m.                           Courthouse

Audit Committee                                                              5:30 p.m.                             RCOB

Budget Committee                                                           6:00 p.m.                             RCOB

County Commission                                                         7:00 p.m.                             RCOB

Tuesday – Nov. 20

911 Board                                                                           9:00 a.m.                              ECC Building                      

Wednesday – Nov. 21

RTA                                                                                      10:00 a.m.                           Nashville                             

GNRC                                                                                   11:00 a.m.                           Nashville

MCHRA                                                                               12:00 p.m.                           Nashville

Thursday – Nov. 22 

COUNTY OFFICES CLOSED/HOLIDAY                                                                                                                                 

Friday – Nov. 23

COUNTY OFFICES CLOSED/HOLIDAY

The Week of June 4, 2012

MEETINGS SCHEDULED WEEK OF:
June 4, 2012-June 8, 2012

Date & Committee/Board   Time                      Location

Monday – June 4

Finance Committee               4:00 pm            Finance Office

Building and Grounds            5:00 pm            County Office Building

Tuesday – June 5

OPEN

Wednesday – June 6

OPEN

Thursday – June 7

Budget Committee                         5:00 pm                Finance Office

Planning Commission                     7:00 pm                County Office Building  

Friday – June 8

OPEN

The Week of April 30, 2012

MEETINGS SCHEDULED WEEK OF:

April 30-May, 4, 2012

Date & Committee/Board                           Time                                      Location

Monday – April 30

OPEN                                                                                                   

Tuesday – May 1

Fire Committee                                                5:00 P.M.                             County Office Bldg.

Joint Meeting: 

Law Enforcement/Workhouse Bd.                5:30 P.M.                             Sheriff’s Conference Rm.

Wednesday – May 2

OPEN

Thursday – May 3

Budget Committee                                         5:00 P.M.                             County Office Bldg.

Planning Commission                                    7:00 P.M.                             County Office Bldg.                        

Friday – May 4

OPEN

The Week of March 26, 2012

Here is your weekly update of committee and other meetings scheduled for the Robertson County Commission. As always, should I be able to answer a question or assist in any way, please get in touch with me.

MEETINGS SCHEDULED WEEK OF:

March 26-March 30

Date & Committee/Board                 Time                           Location

Monday – March 26

EMS                                                            5:00 P.M.                    EMS Building                               

Tuesday – March 27

OPEN

Wednesday – March 28

Safety Committee                                8:30am                         County Mayor’s Office

Thursday – March 29

Budget                                                      5:00pm                        RCOB        

Friday - March 30

OPEN

The Week of March 5, 2012

MEETINGS SCHEDULED WEEK OF:

March 5-March 9

Date & Committee/Board                 Time                           Location

Monday – March 5

Building & Grounds                         5:00 P.M.                    County Office Building           

Education                                          6:00 P.M                     Central Office

School Board                                    7:00 P.M,                    Central Office

Tuesday – March 6

Budget                                              5:00 P.M.                     County Office Building

Wednesday – March 7

OPEN

Thursday – March 8

OPEN

Friday - March 9

OPEN

The Week of August 22nd

MEETINGS SCHEDULED WEEK OF

August 22 - 26, 2011

Date & Committee/Board                 Time                            Location

Monday - August 22

Special Session:

            Board of Education                6:00 P.M.                    Central Office

Tuesday - August 23

Legislative                                          6:15 P.M.                    Juvenile Courtroom

Public Hearing/Budget                 7:00 P.M.                    Juvenile Courtroom

Wednesday - August 24

Open

Thursday - August 25

Highway Commission                        7:00 P.M.                    Highway Offices

Friday - August 26

Open

2011-12 Operating Budget: Heading into Monday’s Regular Meeting

Here is the most recent coverage from the Robertson County Times of the August 2, 2011 Robertson County Commission Budget Committee Meeting. The article covers some of the rates in sister counties – remember, I did the same thing back in April by looking at a good part of Middle Tennessee.

My summary can be found here.

As we head into Monday’s Regular Meeting, we will have an up-and-down vote on the 2011-12 Operating Budget.

I am still committed to not raising your property taxes. We have a long way to go, and I do not think we have adequately explored the budget in its current form.

The Week of August 15, 2011

MEETINGS SCHEDULED WEEK OF: August 15 - 19, 2011

Date & Committee/Board                           Time                                      Location

Monday - August 15

Animal Control                                                  6:00 P.M                              Juvenile Courtroom

County Commission                                        7:00 P.M.                             Juvenile Courtroom          

Tuesday - August 16

911 Board                                                            9:00 A.M.                             ECC Building

Budget                                                                 5:00 P.M.                             County Office Building

Health and Safety                                            5:30 P.M.                             County Office Building

Wednesday - August 17

RTA                                                                        10:00 A.M.                          400 Charlotte, Nashville

GNRC                                                                    11:00 A.M.                          400 Charlotte, Nashville

MCHRA                                                                Noon                                     400 Charlotte,

Thursday - August 18

Redistricting                                                       4:00 P.M.                             County Office Building

Friday - August 19

Open

MY Minutes: 2011.8.2 RCC Budget Committee Meeting

Here is a summary of last night’s Robertson County Commission (“RCC”) Budget Committee Meeting (“BC”):

There were presentations from various agencies including the Gorham-MacBane Public Library; as well as discussions regarding funding for various non-profit/not-for-profit agencies.

Following this discussion, the BC considered cuts to several departments, and even considered cutting Robertson County Animal Control. However, this was general discussion and no motion/proposal was specifically considered by the BC.

After this general discussion, the BC came to the conclusion that they did not necessarily know what direction that the RCC would want to go with the Budget. Meaning, would the RCC pursue further cuts, or would the RCC consider the “needed” $.40 property tax increase. When the discussion turned to some form of both cuts and tax increses, the BC decided to send the discussion to the RCC.

The BC voted to send the $.40 property tax increase to the RCC.

This will be considered at the next Regular Meeting later this month.

I hope to have more on this issue in the coming weeks.

Robertson County, what are your thoughts?

Proposed "Archives and Records Management Fee"

Here is a proposed resolution that seems to be gaining some momentum amongst commissioners (I have included the resolution in its entirety at the bottom of this post).

Summarily, this proposal is a resolution adopted by a sister where a fee would be assessed for archiving certain documents. If adopted, this fee would generate a significant amount of revenue – an estimated $.01 or $.02 here in Robertson County.

This fee increase is seen as an alternative to ease the apparent looming property tax increase.

Apparently, to levy a fee is easier than to levy a property tax increase.

See, in my humble opinion, whether labeled as a “fee,” or attached to sales, or levied against property – a tax is a tax is a tax.

This is attempting to generate solutions to our issues from the revenue side. Our problems are not with revenue. Our problems are with spending and borrowing.  

Here is the proposal, and below the proposal, find the suggested documents which would be assessed this fee:

MY Minutes: 2011.7.26 RCC Budget Committee Meeting

Jim Bellis of the Robertson County Times covered Tuesday, July 26, 2011 Budget Committee Meeting here.

Here are several of the keys I would like to highlight:

At the committee meeting held July 21, committee members had asked county department heads to revisit their individual budgets in search of additional areas that might be trimmed.

What resulted from the charge?

Collectively, those administrators came to the committee Tuesday night with a total of $58,944 in additional cuts, amounting to just under one-half-cent in property tax value.

Further,

Sheriff Bill Holt said that, after further examining his budget, he was optimistic about the possibility of receiving an additional $125,000 in revenue for federal inmates housed in the county’s detention center, reducing the potential property tax increase by one penny.

However, as I understand this effort by the Sheriff’s Department, this is not cutting as much as it is growing an estimate of bring more convicted federal criminals to our County.

Lastly,

Overall, approximately two cents were trimmed from the budget, bringing the potential property tax increase to 38 cents, which Ray said is still too much.

It is not enough.

You know where I stand on this issue.

The Week of August 1st

MEETINGS SCHEDULED WEEK OF

August 1, 2011 – August 5, 2011

Date & Committee/Board           Time                    Location

Monday- August 1

Building & Grounds                        5:00 P.M.             RCOB                 

Tuesday- August 2

Budget                                                5:00 P.M.                    3rd Floor Conf. Rm.

(RE:  Continuation of 7-26 meeting)

Wednesday – August 3

Foster Care Review Board            9:00 A.M.                General Sessions

Thursday- August 4

Budget                                                 5:00 P.M.             3rd Fl. Conf. Rm.

(RE:  FYE 2012 Budget)                            

Re-Districting Committee            4:00 P.M.                    3rd Floor Conf. Rm.                          

Friday-August 5

Open           

MY Minutes: 2011.7.21 Budget Committee Meeting

You may have heard discussion about it already, but prepare for the Robertson County Budget Committee meeting (of Thursday, July 21, 2011) to be talked about over the next several days….at least, not until the next meeting which is currently scheduled for Tuesday, July 26, 2011 at 5:00pm. (Recall the schedule I originally posted here.)

The Week of July 18th

July 18 - 22, 2011

Date & Committee/Board                 Time                            Location

Monday - July 18

Legislative                                                         6:00 P.M.                    Juvenile Courtroom

Finance                                                             6:30 P.M.                    Juvenile Courtroom

Nominating                                                      6:30 P.M.                    Juvenile Courtroom

County Commission                                       7:00 P.M.                    Juvenile Courtroom

Tuesday - July 19

911 Board                                                        9:00 A.M.                   ECC Building

Wednesday - July 20

Open                                            

Thursday - July 21

Budget                                                              5:00 P.M.                    Finance Office

Redistricting                                                    6:00 P.M.                    County Office Building

Friday - July 22

Open

The Week of June 27th

MEETINGS SCHEDULED WEEK OF:

June 27 - July 1, 2011

Date & Committee/Board                           Time                                      Location

Monday - June 27

Finance Committee                                        4:00 P.M.                             Finance Office

School Board                                                   7:00 P.M.                             Central Office                                   

Tuesday - June 28

Open

Wednesday - June 29

Safety Committee                                           8:30 A.M.                             County Mayor’s Office

Thursday - June 30

Budget                                                              5:00 P.M.                              Finance Office

Friday - July 1

Open

The Week of May 30th

MEETINGS   SCHEDULED WEEK OF:

May   30 - June 3, 2011

Date   & Committee/Board                   Time                              Location

Monday   - May 30

HOLIDAY - Offices   CLOSED

Tuesday   - May 31

Highway   Commission                          7:00 P.M.                      Highway Offices

Wednesday   - June 1

Foster   Care Review Bd.                      9:00 A.M.                     General Sessions

Thursday   - June 2

Budget                                                        5:00 P.M.                      Finance Office

Friday   - June 3

Open

2011-12 Operating Budget: Budget Approval Schedule

Last Thursday, May 5, 2011, the RCC Budget Committee met.

The agenda included several 2010-11 budget amendments. Further, Chariman Billy Ray introduced a “Budget Adoption Schedule” for the 2011-12 Operating Budget. Please make a note of this schedule. (Thanks to Commissioner Faye Stubblefield, member of the Budget Committee, for providing me an electronic version of this schedule // Also, if you would like this in a document form, please e-mail me).

2011-12 Operating Budget: Links & Contacts of Interest

As we enter discussions regarding the 2011-12 Operating Budget discussions, I thought each of you may find the following information beneficial.

On the Robertson County, Tennessee website, Robertson County Clerk Susan Atchley posted the 2010-11 Operating Budget. As particular items come up for discussion, I hope this link will be helpful as a point-of-reference.

Many of you have asked who is on the RCC Budget Committee. The RCC Budget Committee is comprised of Commissioners Billy Hugh Ray (2^nd District), Faye Stubblefield (8^th District), Billy Vogle (7^th District)  and James Bowens (12^th District). (Note: Commissioner Polen was also a member of this committee). Your county commissioner contact information can be found here.

As always, should you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them, or point you in the direction of someone who can.

2011.4.14 Budget Committee Meeting

Last Thursday, the RCC Budget Committee re-convened after their meeting of Thursday, April 7, 2011. The April 7, 2011 meeting was continued.

A tentative 2011 Budget was introduced at the previous meeting. The tentative budget sparked a heated discussion by those Robertson County Government Department Heads that were in attendance. This discussion was due to the proposed cuts and a deviation from the “old process.”

Now, as of this second meeting, the “old process” will be implemented. Under the “old process,” Department Heads personally meet with the Robertson County Finance Director Jody Stewart wherein they will generate their proposed budget. After doing so, their budget will be submitted to the Budget Committee for consideration. This apparently was part of what sparked the heated discussion, because this proposal was a deviation from the “old process.” Candidly, I am not a proponent of the “old process” for there is little, if any, proactive participation by the commission in the formation of respective budgets.

Regardless of the process, it is going to be a difficult year.