A Look at The County Budgeting Process

Fayette County Commissioners started planning next year’s budget at a pair of workshop meetings last week. On Thursday, they heard from more than a dozen social service agencies that the County helps to support.

Representatives from the Schulenburg-based Fayette County Intellectual Disabilities Center were the first to address the Commissioners. The group offers housing, employment and social activities for citizens with intellectual disabilities. The organization maintains two group homes in Schulenburg that house about 20 clients. It also maintains a workshop and activity center that serves many others in the community who live with family members.

Board members Joe Cernosek and Troy Brenek spoke about the challenges they faced during the COVID pandemic shutdowns. Cernosek they were forced to close the workshop and activity center, which deprived clients of important social support.

“It really affected the clients,” Brenek said.

Cernosek said the board decided to undertake a few big maintenance projects during the shutdown. He initially asked the Commissioners for the same amount of funding the County provided last year – $14,000. County Judge Joe Weber asked Cernosek if the group could use any more. Cernosek then increased his request to $16,000.

Several organizations funded by the County include groups that support children and spouses dealing with abuse or neglect. Representatives from the Childrens Advocacy Center, the Family Crisis Center and CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) said they saw an increase in cases and challenges during the coronavirus pandemic.

Kristi Glaspar, executive director of CASA of Bastrop, Fayette and Lee Counties, said her group is currently serving 61 children in Fayette County. That’s up from 54 children at the same time last year. CASA volunteers and staff members advocate for children who have been separated from their families due to abuse or neglect. They provide a voice for the children in court cases.

“We’re seeing an increase in Fayette County and Lee County,” Glaspar said.

“Our main goal is to reunify children with their parents,” she said. “Unfortunately, that doesn’t always happen. Then we seek out family members or friends of the parents. If that’s not an option, then we look at adopting.”

Glaspar said CASA closed 24 cases that originated in Fayette County last year. Only two of those resulted in the children going back to their parents, she said.

“That lets you know the success rate of our parents is not very high,” she said. “A lot of that is due to meth use, drugs.”

Glaspar asked for the same level of funding that the commissioners provided last year, $12,000.

The County has supported Fayette County Habitat for Humanity in the past with help for certain projects, but the County has never budgeted an annual contribution. Pct. 1 Commissioner Jason McBroom said he invited the group to make a request this year.

“I asked him to come because it is a great organization,” McBroom said.

Kenny Couch, executive director of Fayette County Habitat for Humanity, requested $20,000.

“Anything you provide we will appreciate,” Couch said. “Every donation matters.”

Couch spoke about his organization’s newest project, a 10- unit rental community for senior citizens in La Grange.

“They’ll be affordable for their income level,” Couch said. “We’re hoping they’ll be around $600 a month.”

Couch said income from the project will help to diversify Habitat’s revenue portfolio.

“With your support, we can get started on this and put the hammer to the nail, not just talking about it,” he said.

Other groups that made funding requests last Thursday included Combined Community Action, Capitol Area Rural Transportation (CARTS), Navidad Valley Community Connections, Youth and Family Services, The Fayette County Historical Commission, Child Welfare Board, Fayette Soil and Water Conservation, Fayette County Tourism Association and the Fayette County Appraisal District.

Some of the groups requested increases. Pct. 3 Commissioner Harvey Berckenhoff said the requests last Thursday were $37,000 above the amount Commissioners approved last year, although $20,000 of that number was for Fayette County Habitat for Humanity, which has not received an annual contribution from the County before.

“I’m not going to support a big jump just because they want it,” Berckenhoff said. “They’re going to have to tell me why because I think we give too much already.”

“One thing to think about is that a lot of these have never asked for an increase the whole time I’ve been here,” McBroom said.

“COVID hit ‘em,” Weber said.

“Once we go up, its every year, like a raise,” Berckenhoff said. “We never go back on it.”

Weber said the County has decreased funding to a group at least once in the past.

Commissioners took no official action on any of the requests. Commissioners must finalize the budget in August.

Weber told the Record after the meeting that he does not believe the County will need to raise property taxes this year.