Remarks by Sergio Coronado
130 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 5 of 6
- Play at 4:56:28
“I'm with you, Commissioner. My issue is ordinarily I wouldn't want to do those increases out of fund balance, but because last year, actually last year, we went without giving our employees a raise in order to increase our fund balance. And I think it's very healthy now, and I think it's probably prudent to do that. The problem I still see with it is that next year, we're going to need... probably higher on the maintenance and operations side because of all the other projects that we've approved that we're building right now that's really going to provide a big jump you know to our…”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 4:58:37
“We reduced it by twice that much, by 3%.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 4:59:45
“Yeah, that says barely a little over 1% each year since we gave them a raise.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 5:00:36
“THANK YOU. NOT JUST THOSE EMPLOYEES COVERED BY THE COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT BUT EXCLUDES THE CONSTITUENTS BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT TECHNICALLY UNDER COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT, RIGHT?”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 5:11:24
“And are y'all recommending we do it also from fund balance?”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 5:18:57
“Judge? I disagree. Do we have the figure on what the savings are without the policy?”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 5:20:32
“Give me a rough estimate. What are we saving per year with the policy? in dollar amounts, not percentages?”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 5:21:01
“So, Carmen, if you take the- Historically, average it out over the last three, four years?”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 5:22:26
“My opinion is we either need these people or we don't. Either we need them or we don't. Let's just save money and let's cut everybody's salary every year a certain percentage every other year by a certain amount. That's what we're doing, each department.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 5:23:11
“I get it, but we're already exhibiting some savings without that policy. And now what we're doing is we're hand-stringing people in some departments from filling those positions that they need. Do we need them or we don't need them?”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 5:24:42
“That would be for the eight weeks minimum. I don't want to go any further above that. I really think where our priorities are. When we decide whether these positions that we have, whether we need them or we don't, then if we decide we need them, then we need them, period. We need to find the savings somewhere else. Sorry, but we either need them or we don't need them.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 5:25:33
“and the smaller the department is, the more they hurt. So what we're doing is hurting the smaller departments and the ones that are really critical, like for example, you know, all the judges courts. Those are obviously necessary, right? But commissioner's court in the past actually kept the hiring freeze on court reporter and we got sued. And we lost. I'm just saying.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 5:33:53
“Yes. And, you know, and it's not just departments like Norma's. It's departments like even smaller. It's the county clerks. It's, for example, the offices of all the JPs. They're smaller departments. So when somebody... vacates that position, it really stresses that organization there, that department. It is, you know.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 5:34:41
“And it wasn't this court who did that, by the way. It was many years ago.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 5:34:54
“I think you all know I've been here practicing for about the same time.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 5:35:41
“We'd like to be, but I'll second it. I wish we could just get rid of it and whatever savings we get from the vacancies, as long as it takes, I think that's what we should do.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 5:39:34
“They've accused us of lining our pockets.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 5:42:05
“Yeah, neither you or I would have benefited from that decision. And I think, I really think that going forward, treating everybody similarly situated, I mean, those are the lofty goals of any organization. And yet we are disregarding those things with regard to equity and treating everybody the same.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 5:46:37
“Let me just say one thing on that item, Judge. Sometimes some of our constables are asked to, and it's not something from their own choosing, but sometimes they're asked by other departments, including the feds, to assist in certain situations, including EPPD, Sheriff's Office, all, you know, and if they are able to, sometimes, I've talked to some of them, sometimes because they don't have that extra overtime, sometimes they say no. This allows them at least some discretion to be able to help out those other organizations, those other law enforcement departments when they're asked. So I just…”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 5:48:41
“I do, but it doesn't seem to be. I don't know why it didn't keep going. Okay.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 6:03:26
“You know, we've made a decision that we wanted to look forward to make sure that we have a little more input and regulatory authority over these issues that have come up, including these fires we're having out there, these outdoor businesses, all this. If we don't allot money to it, we're not going to be able to decide one way or another. We've already decided that we want to do that. How we do it is a different issue, but I mean, I agree with Commissioner Butler. Even if we don't dedicate that full amount, but we need to take some money so we can start talking about these issues. Otherwise,…”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 6:08:42
“Judge? Since we're on other requests, I do have a request. And I don't know how we should do this, Betsy, but I would like to see if we can dedicate $100,000 to the Economic Impact Fund, dedicate it to both school or scholarships for the Promise Program. That is developing forward. It'll help us with some issues related to either books or some people that don't have the full funding after they apply for financial aid. They have a little gap left. that we provide that extra funding for some of our Promise Program participants. I don't think it's a lot, but I think that the program is growing.…”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 6:10:55
“No, no, just that it'd be dedicated out of the fund.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 6:11:01
“I've got other ideas that we're gonna be able to get some more money to. without any impact to our budget.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026
- Play at 6:15:01
“Yes. Last week we discussed the issue related to the Darrington amount that was, I didn't see that.”
Commissioners Court · Aug 17, 2026