Remarks by Walt Smith
279 remarks on the record, newest first · Page 2 of 12
- Play at 3:09:12
“Actually, Judge, this is a little bit different because it's already been adopted into the budget. You're going to have to do an amendment to strip it or to move it to a certain place.”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:09:30
“You're going to have to tell us what you're going to do with it.”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:10:15
“Yes. With a friendly amendment, I would just ask that before consideration come back, THAT OUR SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT DO A REVIEW OF WHAT OUR CURRENT POLICY IS TO MAKE SURE IT'S UPDATED WITH CURRENT STATE LAW, AND THEN BRING BACK A SUGGESTION AS FAR AS WHAT THE PROCUREMENT PROCESS SHOULD LOOK LIKE AFTER WORKING WITH PROCUREMENT.”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:10:54
“The rest would be they have to look at the Texas statute of criminal procedure where the state has set forth their body-worn camera policies, ensure that ours has been updated to that standard, which I'm 99% sure it has, over time because this is a long-standing statute. But given that there is new features and those kind of things, I just want to make sure that we're adhering to that. and then have them work with procurement to come back with a process for procurement, whether it's Axon or any other technology, to meet the standards that they want in their software.”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:12:06
“No. And just for clarification. Now, again, it is still in here. The motion was to move it from where it currently is. If someone wants to strip it, it's already been adopted into the budget.”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:12:24
“Can you clarify what you are going to do with those funds? We have to move them or eliminate them from the budget?”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:15:39
“Well, can we ask, is there an adjustment that has to be made with that? Can you tell us specifically where we're at at this point?”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:15:57
“Given that those aren't a dollar-for-dollar exchange, we're with that $6,000 or whatever it's at, where is our overall tax rate at this point?”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:16:17
“At this point, I think they were removed from consideration, so they're no longer part of the tax rate. Okay. Please tell me if anybody disagrees. I love that idea.”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:16:42
“because it'll have an impact on what that $333,537.01 would be as well. So the two numbers that I'm looking up for are total overall tax rate right now and what the remainder would be to that 126.”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:17:48
“That can't be correct because we just took civilian bilingual payout and we took New World ERP out.”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:18:58
“Okay, so the only thing left to consider is they... Do we want to use up to that 1.26 that we voted on, the remainder of that, to be put in reserves? Or do we want to just say, no, we're done, we're going to cut what our adopted rate is up to now, the 1.26, down to what it would be without any potential reserve allocations?”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:26:24
“Can I address some of those, Commissioner? Absolutely. Okay. What I would say on the SROs, again, those were positions that the Sheriff's Department requested three. They were willing to take two to give up things in order to get other priorities taken care of. You have a school district that has already funded it within their budget the matching funds of over 70 79 percent for each of them for all three of them and so I would want to maintain that as well as the Again, the the auto theft officer that those CEOs are paying for it And so I anything related to the Sheriff's Department. I would…”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:28:40
“Well, yes. But I don't want to certify that these are the three that are getting it. Because we had other JPs and we had other... I want real data to look at to say, look, the volume of caseload, the actual cases that are being heard, a JP clerk one... IF ALL OF THE OFFICES ARE RUNNING FOR ONE OF THOSE CLERKS 800 CASES OR 600 CASES, THEN IS THIS OFFICE ASKING FOR ONE AND THEY'RE ONLY HAVING 300 CASES? I WANT THAT DATA. SO I WOULD PREFER NOT TO PUT IT INTO AN INDIVIDUAL OFFICE. JUST SAY THEY'RE THERE. Once the data comes back and shows us what we need to do, there's the availability for those…”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:29:33
“Correct. Whenever we said this, we said every year the constables come back and ask for a deputy and a car or a bailiff. Let's look at what that entails. And let's figure out a system where next year they know before they come in, here's the data that we're going to look at. Here's what will justify or not justify a position. And that was the conversation we had, if you remember.”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:31:16
“All right. So if we look at this list, let's try to knock these out real quick. So all the way from the very first line one, all the way down to... What page are you referencing, Commissioner?”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:31:45
“the salary for our portion of three SROs.”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:32:42
“So I would, to your point, ma'am, that associate judge, the one, it was 3-2 in opposition. If that's the case, again, whenever we went through this the first time, we added the new attorney three for mental health and juvenile probation or juvenile programs specifically for that court. That would be a position that would have to be eliminated or would need to be.”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:33:11
“Correct. So I would move for the removal of that position from the current budget.”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:35:58
“So my question is, we did vote as a block on all of the changes and regrades for the DA's office, and that passed on a 3-2 vote.”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:36:50
“All right, here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to offer an amendment. Or pardon me, I'm going to offer a motion. A motion. to keep one new attorney three mental health and juvenile programs, one new regrade two legal assistant to paralegal, regrade one administrative assistant two to financial specialist one, an additional regrade attorney seven to division leaders, and additional operational funds for continued education as one motion to remain in the budget for the DA's office.”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:37:46
“It would be countywide in salary adjustments. Correct, with the exception of continuing education, which they may need prior to that. That is correct, Commissioner.”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:38:37
“The next one is overall salary increases, which we already voted on earlier today. Next.”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:38:48
“The next one is the juvenile diversion coordinator?”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026
- Play at 3:42:47
“I WOULD SAY CAN WE RUN THE NUMBERS ON THE FOUR-YEAR OPTION AT 650 FOR YEAR ONE? I AGREE WITH COMMISSIONER HAMMER ON THE SUSTAINABILITY IF WE HAVE TO DO IT IN THREE YEARS, BUT IF THERE'S A FOUR-YEAR OPTION, IT MAKES SENSE AND I'M OKAY WITH THAT.”
Commissioners Court · Sep 15, 2026