Remarks by Morgan Hammer
226 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 8 of 10
- Play at 3:28:18
“I have a question because yesterday when we chatted, it was $2.5 million with 40% of funding. What happened to the $500,000?”
Commissioners Court · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 3:29:03
“I will say, Court, too, if we did a 3% blanket across the board, just so y'all are aware, because that's what has happened in the past, it would be $1.8 million.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 3:29:17
“So basically what they're saying, because I didn't understand this, y'all probably did, but instead of doing a 3% across the board and them getting their step, some people may not get any increase, some people may get more than 3%, and just going from there.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 3:30:24
“But who would determine how much this one-time payment is? What is the one-time payment?”
Commissioners Court · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 3:31:10
“Yeah. But we are not, just because I'm just trying to wrap my head around it all, because we are not increasing the amount that they have to pay for insurance, correct? Correct. That was my biggest thing.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 3:31:30
“And to me, that was a really big deal because someone that's making less than $50,000, if they got a 10% increase, that would be eaten away completely by the cost of them having to increase what they pay for insurance. Rather than someone who's making $100,000, that would be the same amount as someone making $50,000, so.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 3:31:57
“No, I was just trying to make a point. So if someone saw that they weren't going to get their 3% and got 0.96%, that also their health insurance wasn't going up as well.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 3:42:37
“We were currently, for our month of reserves in the general fund, we were at what, 4 point?”
Commissioners Court · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 3:42:48
“And for good bond ratings? Four. But our goal is six. Yeah, I know, but that's like the very, very bottom for us to.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 3:45:50
“Over the next month, but I think it's a I think it's a good start Commissioner hammer Us saying no to certain things it's hard because everybody has their departments their job is to fight for their departments to fight for their staff to fight for more services and to to benefit the Common good of our citizens, but the end of the day That common good for our citizens also affects our common citizens pocket in there and what they take home, right and So it is hard. It's hard to make, you know, we have to make tough decisions every single day. So I know that I believe some of my colleagues are…”
Commissioners Court · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 4:09:26
“Yeah, I just want to say, first of all, I love what the Mental Health Court does, and I think it's important that we are invested within it. The $58,000 were for contract services, correct, to increase our spend there. THE PEOPLE THAT CAME UP AND SPOKE THIS MORNING, ARE THOSE SOME OF OUR VENDORS THAT WE PAY FOR WITH THOSE CONTRACT SERVICES?”
Commissioners Court · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 4:10:16
“Okay. They were just speaking for the better of the county?”
Commissioners Court · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 4:31:08
“Not a whole lot of questions, but you said that you got with Captain Villapondo and you said that it was $163 per day for our jail? Yes. Gotcha. Thank you.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 4:31:27
“And I know what gen pop means, but she's saying general population.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 4:35:05
“I see what you're saying. I am not necessarily for taking away autonomy within the department.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 4:35:17
“Yeah, I was like, I would rather them have their own budget than they do what they want with it. The one thing I can think of for positions, I know we have a lot of positions that have been open for six plus months. Maybe not a lot, but I'm sure there are some. I'd like to look into those and revisit, you know, hey, is there any other type of position that, you know, would make more sense? Or is it possible that you're good with how you've been operating? And just revisit those so we can give some flexibility. But my direction would be, I mean, I'm not for raising tax rates, so we're going to…”
Commissioners Court · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 4:38:26
“Or halfway through the fiscal year. Halfway through the fiscal year, April?”
Commissioners Court · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 4:40:17
“Yeah, I would just say no new grades, no new positions until put it in sometime in March, and then we'll review in April 1st.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 4:41:11
“Maybe we can have an amendment to that and say that, because that will be covered by revenue, and so we will have to work with... Me and we've already had a discussion about how we can get that one in.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 4:42:04
“At the end of the day, the goal for our budget is for revenues to equal expenditures. Right now, that's not the case. Our revenue does not cover our expenditures. That's why we're dipping into reserves.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 4:43:12
“For your definition of reasonable time, what is that? The second one you said, if they're not going to get done in a reasonable time, what's your definition of reasonable?”
Commissioners Court · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 4:44:30
“Is it possible to also add in there, like, memberships? Like, we have a membership with NACO, we have a membership with Tax Association of Counties. I'm not saying that's one to... but just to look at all of our memberships and everything that we're a part of that we spend money on every single year.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 4, 2026
- Play at 11:48
“I do think it's important to congratulate all of the retirees again, echoing my colleague. But I will say when it comes to ITU with Jeff and Mark leaving, it's going to be good luck to whoever is filling those shoes because that's going to be a little rough for a while. But Jeff has been such a humble leader. And when I say he's humble, if he even knew that he was being spoke about and he was in a public eye, he'd be like, please stop talking. Um, so I just, I don't know what it's going to be like after he leaves, but I do know that he's always a one call away, even though he hasn't even left…”
Commissioners Court · Jul 28, 2026
- Play at 19:24
“So within this proclamation, the fair administration of justice, I think that is one of the number one things that your office does, and you continue to uphold that. That's why we live in America. You're innocent until proven guilty. So I'm blessed that you guys represent those principles, and you work every single day to make sure that those things are a necessity for us in our county. Thank you.”
Commissioners Court · Jul 28, 2026
- Play at 34:24
“First of all, to do 2.4 times what you did last year up to July is incredible, and you're continuing on that path. I don't know your department to take feedback and not to pivot and to integrate that feedback and do well with that. So I just want to say thank you so much for working with everybody. Thank you for listening to the constituents and making sure that you implement those plans. You bring them to Commissioner's Court. You are very thorough. You and your department do a great job, and thank you so much for everything you do.”
Commissioners Court · Jul 28, 2026