Budget Friction Continues

Local political activist William Bernsen was kicked out of the Fayette County Commissioners Court meeting last Thursday after Pct. 4 Commissioner Drew Brossmann rebuked him over criticism of the County’s budget plans for next year.

Frictions came to a head at the end of a meeting laden mostly with routine business. The last item on the agenda was a budget workshop to finalize a few miscellaneous items in the proposed budget for next year. County Judge Dan Mueller was about to bring the discussion to a close when Brossmann asked to speak.

Brossmann began by defending the proposed raises for emergency services personnel.

The current proposed budget includes a five percent raise for most county employees with higher raises, some more than 10 percent, going to EMS and law enforcement personnel.

At the Aug. 10 meeting, Bernsen stated that he supported a seven percent raise for the Sheriff’s Office. However, Bernsen questioned the proposed raise of more than 30 percent for Fayette County Sheriff Keith Korenek.

“This is the way I justify it in my head,” Brossmann said. “If I lose employees in the road and bridge department, and I have great employees, if I lose some employees because I’m not paying them enough, how would it affect the County citizens? The way I see it is we wouldn’t be able to do as many roads in one year. We wouldn’t be able to do as much shredding. Your pothole might be on your road a little longer. Let’s switch over to the Sheriff’s department. If the Sheriff’s department cannot get enough money to fill all their positions, how would it affect the citizens? Say somebody in Pct. 3 is getting robbed in the middle of the night and they call 911. Because they don’t have enough officers to fill all their positions, they only have one deputy on call, and he’s on the north end of the County. It takes that deputy 45 minutes to try and get there and help that family. The family is murdered by the time he gets there.

“In EMS, let’s say someone in Pct. 1 has a heart attack, and we don’t have enough people to fill all the trucks,” he added. “They have to wait for a truck to come out of Schulenburg or Flatonia or wherever, and it takes them an extra 30 or 35 minutes. That person dies. That’s the difference with emergency services.”

Brossmann then took aim at Pct 1 Commissioner Jason McBroom. At a previous meeting, McBroom suggested that the County could manage budget constraints in the EMS department by delaying plans to open a new ambulance station in Round Top.

“Out of everyone on the court, I would think Jason, being on the hospital (board), would understand how much of a strain the hospital closing has put on EMS,” Brossmann said. “You said if we can’t fill all the positions then maybe we should pull that truck from Round Top. Commissioner Sternadel was all for the 10 percent (raise) for EMS. So instead of pulling it from Round Top, pull it from La Grange. That way when your constituents starts having lower response time and stuff starts happening to them, they can come to you. That’s the way I feel.”

“I fully support the Sheriff’s Office, EMS and first responders in this County,” Brossmann said. “I fully support the raises for these individuals because they deserve it. At the last meeting, William Bernsen stands up and pretty well demonizes the court for the way we ran the budget. That’s the way I took it.”

At the previous meeting on Aug. 10, Bernsen critiqued the low fund balance in the General Fund. The general fund in the proposed budget, which stands at $22,780,323, shows an ending fund balance of just $144,776.81. Every year, the County’s independent auditor recommends maintaining a fund balance equal to at least three months of expenses. For next year’s budget, that would amount to $5.7 million. The fund balance in the proposed budget for next year amounts to less than 10 percent of one month’s expenses. The County’s overall fund balance, which includes the general fund plus the four road and bridge departments and several special funds, is projected to end the year in a little healthier position with almost $4.3 million in the black. That represents a little more than a month and a half of total expenses but still less than the recommended three months.

“Everybody is entitled to their opinion,” Brossmann added. “You have your opinion and I dang sure have mine. You try to say you’re the voice of the people. Sir, I hate to tell you but the voice of the people is up here on Commissioners Court. We’re the ones who got voted.”

Bernsen, who had not spoken about the budget at Thursday’s meeting, tried to respond.

“You’re addressing me without allowing me to respond,” Bernsen said.

Judge Mueller struck his gavel and told Bernsen to allow Brossmann to finish.

“What I’m trying to say is we’re the ones elected by the citizens of this County,” Brossmann said. “They entrusted us to make decisions. We always give you time to talk and give you respect. I don’t know how many times you have disrespected the court. We sit here and take it, and I’m done taking it.”

Brossmann called out Bernsen for presenting incorrect data to the Commissioners. When the budget discussions began in July, Bernsen distributed a spending analysis that he prepared using some incorrect figures. At a following meeting, Bernsen informed the Commissioners about his mistake. Last Thursday, Brossmann contrasted Bernsen’s data with salary surveys and other data presented by the Sheriff’s Office and EMS.

“They present us facts, and we try to make decisions,” Brossmann said.

“It’s not my job,” Bernsen said. “I’m an activist. I spend a few hours overseeing what y’all do. Y’all are professionals. Y’all are in here all the time doing these things. I shouldn’t have to bring up the extremely low fund balances to y’all.” Mueller again struck his gavel.

“Mr. Bernsen, I want you to allow Mr. Brossmann to finish his talk,” Mueller said. “Don’t ask me to ask you to do that again.”

Brossmann continued: “You try to demonize and villainize the Commissioners Court. We have some of the most conservative people who try to do the right thing in Fayette County. It’s like you’re trying to get a news article to flash and put yourself out there. I don’t know if it’s for political games. I don’t know what it’s for. But I feel that this Commissioners Court, along with the past ones, do the best we can do with the information we have and the money we’re allowed to work with. I can stand by the decisions I make. That’s how I feel. That’s all I have to say.

Mueller agreed with Brossmann.

“I echo your comments Mr. Brossmann,” Mueller said. Mueller went on to criticize Bernsen for comments that were made by others on a post Bernsen made to Facebook. Someone commenting on Bernsen’s post incorrectly stated that Fayette County has one of the highest property tax rates in the state.

“I don’t look at Facebook, but somebody has to be pretty idiotic to say Fayette County has one of the highest tax rates in the state,” Mueller said.

Bernsen interrupted to say those were not his comments.

“Mr. Bernsen, I’m not going to tell you again to quit talking when we’re talking up here,” Mueller said.

“You’re taking the court’s time to misalign me,” Bernsen said. “I’m a member of the public. This is my courtroom. You work for me. You don’t get to sit there and lecture me as part of an agenda item. I get to speak. You sat there and argued against me all that time without letting me speak in my defense.”

“Escort him out,” Mueller said. Pct. 1 Constable Billy Roensch, who was working courthouse security that day, walked Bernsen out of the room.