The Long-Debated County Budget Finally Approved in 3-2 Vote

Fayette County Commissioners Court voted 3-2 last Thursday to approve the 2024 Fayette County Budget. County Judge Dan Mueller, Pct. 2 Commissioner Luke Sternadel and Pct. 4 Commissioner Drew Brossmann voted in favor of the budget. Pct. 1 Commissioner Jason McBroom and Pct. 3 Commissioner Harvey Berckenhoff voted against.

The County plans to spend more than it receives in revenue next year. The budget includes $30,929,544.82 in revenues and $31,328,028.49 in expenses. The County will cover the deficit by dipping into its fund balance. The budget required a 4.7 percent increase in the property tax rate. The Commissioners voted unanimously last Thursday to set the tax rate at $0.41196 per $100, which was the highest rate they could have set without triggering a tax election.

Commissioners McBroom and Berckenhoff both said they voted against the budget over disagreements about raises for County employees. McBroom also said next year’s budget does not include funds for several pressing projects, such as much-needed repairs at the Fayette County Adult Probation Office that have been put off for several years.

Commissioners Sternadel and Brossmann said they believe the County needs to increase pay for deputies and EMS in order to keep employees from leaving for higher pay elsewhere. They said COVIDrelated funding from federal and state grants in recent years has helped to purchase muchneeded equipment for the EMS and Sheriff’s Office. This year, they said, the County needs to invest in its employees.

At the start of budget discussion this summer, Commissioners had considered a five percent raise for most employees with a seven percent raise for employees of the Sheriff’s Office and EMS. The EMS department proposed a new salary schedule that included some raises above seven percent. Over the course of the summer, County leaders learned about possible funding from Senate Bill 22, a piece of state legislation aimed at boosting pay for rural law enforcement officers. The County has not received any money from SB 22 yet, but the budget for the Sheriff’s Office included salaries based on funding from SB 22. Some employees of the Sheriff’s Office will receive raises above seven percent as a result.

Here is what each of the Commissioners said about their vote after the meeting: Pct. 1 Commissioner Jason McBroom: “It all goes back to the additional raise to the Sheriff and additional raises for EMS above seven percent. I just think they should have been at seven percent. At the same time, I voted for the tax rate. The main reason is we need to start putting some money in reserves. I voted against the budget because I didn’t think the money was being expended properly. There are a lot of other projects that needed attention that were overlooked.”

Pct. 2 Commissioner Luke Sternadel:

“It’s a difficult decision every year. With the funds we got from COVID, we supported the departments in the past year with equipment. If there was a year to do it, this was it. In talking with people around the county, everyone was talking about how critical the Sheriff’s Office and EMS is to the fast growing population were seeing, especially in my precinct. I have seven active subdivisions under construction and we’re continuing to grow. Maybe some of the commissioners don’t see it like I do in the Round Top area. It’s going to require more law enforcement and EMS. That’s what we’re going to be facing in the near future. This is what we had to do to beef up those departments. I can see the difference in other areas of the county. But in my precinct, I’m overwhelmed with the growth and we need to plan for it. It’s coming whether we want it or not.”

Pct. 3 Commissioner Harvey Berckenhoff: “I voted no the first time (on the proposed budget). Nothing has changed. No one has come to us and said, ‘Let’s try to meet halfway.’ No one reached out to us. If they’re not concerned about coming down on the budget, then I’m going to hold to voting no. I’m just asking to meet us halfway. No one was willing to do that, so I couldn’t vote for it. The County needs the money, I just disagree with how we’re spending it. I was hoping we could come to an agreement. I would have been willing to move a little bit. But no one wanted to make any changes. I’m firm in my feeling that the way I voted was the right thing to do.”

Pct. 4 Commissioner Drew Brossmann:

“We have to make sure we continue to have top notch emergency services. We’re one of the fastest growing counties. If we get behind, we won’t be able to catch up. During COVID, we were able to use (American Rescue Plan) funds to upgrade our fleet, stations and equipment. You can have all the equipment in the world, but without employees, all those things are useless. With the Senate Bill 22 money (for law enforcement raises) and donation from Mr. Hillhouse, if there was ever a year to make up ground and be competitive with surrounding counties, it’s now. I think it’s a good step in the right direction to continue to serve the community with the services they deserve.”

Several members of the public spoke both during the public comments period and a public hearing on the budget that took place during the meet.

Deborah Frank of La Grange brought up the recent $500,000 donation to the County. A trust managed by Steve Hillhouse in La Grange last week announced that it will donate $250,000 to Fayette County EMS and $250,000 to the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office, along with another $250,000 donation to the La Grange Volunteer Fire Department.

“I’m wondering if this relief from an individual might sway the decision on the amount of raises these organizations get,” Frank said. “While it’s great that Mr. Hillhouse has the money to give three-quarters of a million dollars to these entities, the rest of the County is suffering and struggling to pay taxes and their bills. So to consider another tax increase, I realize its the maximum amount the County can increase our taxes without giving voters approval, I just think it’s a little unreasonable.”

Will Martin of La Grange spoke against the property tax increase.

“Judge, you opened up this meeting in prayer,” Martin said. “And we said ‘One nation under God,’ so I’m glad we trust God. It’s time we also start to obey Him. ‘Thou shalt not steal’ has no caveat for the government, like ‘It’s OK as long as you do it through legal means.’ The assumption in that command is that a man’s property is a gift from God. It doesn’t belong to you. It belongs to Him … When you tax our property you’re ultimately saying that it belongs to the state, not the individual.”

Martin said rising property taxes will hurt renters and the poor as well as homeowners.

“I beg you not to do this,” Martin said. “It’s a sin against the poor. There are people who live in Fayette County who can’t afford property so they’re renting. Those property owners, when you raise their taxes, are going to pass it directly onto the poor.”

Jeff Parker, who lives in Precinct 4, urged the the County leaders to keep their eyes on the future as they consider important fiscal decisions.

“The County has experienced huge growth,” Parker said. “And with huge growth has come increase in property value, increase in taxation, increase in need for services. For a long time I have not been involved in local politics. I’m at a stage where I consider myself a student of it … I sure don’t know it all, but I’ve seen some things. One of the things I’ve seen is it seems like we feel we’re in flush times. We feel there’s growth. We feel the money is a-coming. So what did we do? We had an uplift in property taxes, if for no other reason the increased property values. And we’ve spent it all and we’ve gone into the red. That’s how confident we feel about the future.”

Parker went on to recount the Old Testament story of Joseph, the son of Jacob, who interpreted the Pharaoh’s dream and discovered there would be seven years of abundance in Egypt followed by seven years of famine.

“What did he do?” Parker asked the Commissioners. “Did he party on during the seven years of plenty? No, he put the increase allowed into a storehouse so that during the seven years of downtime there was money. There was food for the people. One of you, I don’t remember which one of you said this and I apologize for that. But you said that you learned your horizon for looking at County business isn’t one years or two years, but it’s five years out. I believe it. I think that’s the way we need to be.

“One of the reasons I say I live in the best precinct in the County, and I’m joking a little bit of course, I think the whole County is wonderful, but it gets me as far as possible from the madness in Round Top,” Parker added. “To each his own. There are some who love the (antiques) fair and all of that. But my point here is it’s a significant driver of revenue in this County.And gentlemen, selling junk and partying is no a sustainable industry. Oil and gas, that’s sustainable. Raising cattle, that’s sustainable. Some of the other things the County is doing are sustainable. That’s a significant part of the revenue. I see economic storm clouds gathering. Say it’s 10 percent. I don’t know the numbers. Say you lose that 10 percent. You’re already a million bucks in the red and you don’t have a savings account.”

Parker asked the Commissioners to consider and discuss how they would handle such a scenario.