Work begins on 2019-20 budget

We collected right at 3.8 inches of rain during the last two episodes which brings Black Creek up to round 10.2 inches for the year. Sunday night was a whole lotta show and no product but, it sounded nice.
We passed a Resolution to proceed with issuing Certificates of Obligation to fund the Courthouse Annex and Jail expansion. This is the first time since the 1990’s that Medina County has taken this type of action. Course, this is the first time since bout the 1940’s that we have undertaken this type of construction.
Along those same lines, our Veterans Service officer gave a presentation to the Court in which the numbers of Veterans served has grown to the point that we need another part time Veterans Service Officer. Precinct 2 is finishing out construction on the second floor of their building in Castroville to allow for Drivers License office expansion and other agencies to utilize. Seems Medina County is able to handle folks faster and they don’t mind coming from Bandera, Atascosa, Bexar and other foreign countries to avoid the zoo that is San Antonio. Growth is headed our way.
Our annual Interlocal Agreement with the City of Devine was approved so as we can help each other out in areas that would benefit from cooperative participation on both our parts.
We are going to send letters to the Waste Disposal companies and residents requesting that private dumpsters be removed from County right-of-way and onto the customers premises. This problem is ongoing and many have complied with the request. After notifying the company and the residents by mail, we will pick up the dumpsters and notify the company that we have them in our yard. Then the company can take them back to the customer and place them within the customers property in the proper position.
We have begun working on the 2019-20 Budget and the numbers, initially, look great. No tax increase (AGAIN) is being considered. If you come in contact with one of our Department Heads, congratulate them on a job well done….even our Tax Assessor/Collector Melissa Lutz who smiles at you and takes your money and our Treasurer Debbie Southwell, who pays the bills with it. They all have been good stewards of the tax dollars allotted them, allowing our reserves to grow and be applied to projects like the Courthouse Annex and Jail expansion projects.
Our move to the TxDOT property is “slower’n lasses in wintertime” (Outlaw Josey Wales reference). Seems the State don’t get in no hurry and buggin them bout it just seems to prolong the process. In the meantime, we are still in the regular maintenance mode…shredding, patching and stuff. We have a few minor projects to address as well. IF MY BUDGET ALLOWS, we are looking at continuing the repaving of CR 6612 (Fish Hatchery Road) from CR 676 to FM 463 this Fall. We gotta pay for the new location and get a new tractor first…
This is the last month that we will be taking tires at the Rose Hill location and we will send the trailer back on the 30th. This effort has reduced finding these treasures on the side of the road to almost zero. Since it costs us a monthly fee to keep the trailer available, I am looking at making this a Spring event instead of an ongoing service.
Speaking of Josey Wales, everbody should watch that movie and listen to his conversation with Chief Ten Bears..their view on the Government still applies.