Remarks by Carolyn Vaughn
55 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 2 of 3
- Play at 4:25:20
“Anybody have any questions? Councilman Pond. So when we started out this, I remember you saying we were 1.9 million short at the beginning. So you found that.”
City Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 4:25:33
“Yeah. Okay, so, and our budget has not gone up since last year with what you've done. It was 1.4 then, it's 1.4 now, so we've not raised it.”
City Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 4:25:42
“So what you're telling us, and we have to approve the budget today. We can't leave here without approving the budget. We have to do that.”
City Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 4:25:50
“And I hate it when we wait until the last minute, but hey, we've had workshops, we've done it, we all knew what it was going to be.”
City Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 4:25:56
“So if they don't, If we don't approve the budget, or if we approve it, and we don't go with an assumed tax rate, we're going to have to reduce the things that we requested, like the abatements, the homelessness. So I think everybody has to understand that. If we're going to do those things, there's a price to it. And I'm just glad we're not going up above the 1.4.”
City Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 4:26:24
“Yeah, yeah, so... I don't know. I just think everybody needs to think about that. And I know it's political season, and you don't want to have anything on your thing saying you voted for an increase, you voted for that, you voted for this, you voted for the budget. That is not the way you run things. You're up here to make hard decisions, whether we like them or not. So can we make a motion to reconsider the budget, to go ahead and make a motion to approve the budget? To approve. I'm going to make that motion.”
City Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 5:02:01
“I would just say, because of the challenges that we had this year, homestead exemption was part of it, $10 million, I think you said. And I'm glad they did the homestead exemption, but I wish they had done it gradual and not so much at one time. Because, I mean, I benefited from it. But I think for the future, for the next term, the ones that are here, I think we need to start working on what we're going to do. Because we give out a lot of money to TURs. That's going to be something everybody's going to say, leave the TURs alone. but if the city does not have money, we need to reevaluate some…”
City Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 5:05:34
“Yeah. In order for us to be able to do the budget, it needs to be yes on this next vote in order to do the budget, to fulfill the budget. Just saying.”
City Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 5:05:48
“Not trying to influence anybody. I'm just saying. Right.”
City Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 5:05:52
“Okay, so you are able to... Brent Chesney.”
City Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 5:06:48
“I move it. Well, put your light on. I move that the property tax rate be increased by the adoption of a tax rate of $0.599774 per $100 evaluation, which is effectively a 0.50% increase in the tax rate. Second. Second.”
City Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 5:08:09
“So in order for the other one, us to be able to do that other one, then can we just take some stuff off of the other one and then we can pay for it?”
City Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 5:09:02
“Things have consequences. They do. And by us not doing that, the things that we added, we cannot do.”
City Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 5:27:17
“You always look at me. Because you're next to me. Here's my point. Can I talk to you?”
City Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 5:27:29
“going to say this. I don't like ever, you know, I sit and I look at these employees that make $13 an hour. I don't know how they're living off of that. I just don't know how they're living off of that. And I do think their pay needs to go up. And the insurance, it is a really good plan because I was in the private sector. I know what the public pays. I don't know if the employees realize how good a plan that is and the cost. It really is. My premiums right now, ours are ridiculous. So I have a hard time with that. I wish we could just Adopt the, we got the budget going, so we just need the…”
City Council · Sep 8, 2026
- Play at 1:10:02
“Well, this is disappointing to me. It looks to me like we have targeted the residents instead of some other things that we could probably do. What are you charging right now for the vacant building fees?”
City Council · Aug 27, 2026
- Play at 1:11:47
“Okay. I know this bothers some of you, but this does not bother me greatly on that one because I think until we get some kind of incentive for people to sell or take care of them, nothing's going to change with all the buildings. The others, Unity Enrichment, I'm so against both of those, the rest of that page. I think our residents pay enough right now, and they shouldn't be charged anything else. I don't think you should reduce on 44. The only one on there that I see, is that recycling program. I don't have a problem with that because I don't think bukus of people use it. I think we're…”
City Council · Aug 27, 2026
- Play at 1:12:25
“Yeah, so it's foolish to continue a program where you're losing money. It's just stupid.”
City Council · Aug 27, 2026
- Play at 1:12:36
“And eliminate the litter critter? No way. Our city's dirty enough as it is, and we need to clean it up. And to do that, you may find more garbage in the yard. I think that's craziness. The one-time funding, I was okay with that, to clean up the structures, because I think we have to do that. We've got to put that as a priority, is cleaning up our city. I think we do. But I think we should partner with the county on that and try and get a program where we're working together. Because we may clean up the inside, but when you come into the city of Corpus Christi, you know, you see tires,…”
City Council · Aug 27, 2026
- Play at 1:13:52
“Peter, I get that, but right now if we're in a budget cut, those are not priorities is all I'm saying. I know that's not popular. Alan will probably shoot me for that, but that's okay. That is something that doesn't have to be done right now if we're this short on funds. I'm not saying don't do it, but do it next year. If I may? The following.”
City Council · Aug 27, 2026
- Play at 1:14:35
“Okay. And adjust transfer to street maintenance? Yes.”
City Council · Aug 27, 2026
- Play at 1:15:01
“I just don't think that we need to add residence fees to any more resident fees. We've got to look somewhere else. I think that's a bad move.”
City Council · Aug 27, 2026
- Play at 1:15:58
“But what about the senior citizen, you're going to reduce one?”
City Council · Aug 27, 2026
- Play at 1:16:34
“Okay. And you did a good job. I know you're trying to find everything you can, but I just don't want to increase the fees for any citizen.”
City Council · Aug 27, 2026
- Play at 1:38:19
“I think they were talking about your house, Mark.”
City Council · Aug 27, 2026