Commissioners approve tax rate, budget
During the Sept. 8 Van Zandt County Commissioner’s meeting, the commissioners unanimously approved the budget and tax rate for fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, 2015, and ending Sept. 30, 2016.
The tax rate for the fiscal year is $0.485847, which is the same as last year’s tax rate.
Court regular Ronnie Jones spoke during the public comment section on the 2016 budget hearing.
Jones told the commissioners that there were several things that needed to be “done,” including obtaining a final outside audit and finding out where the county stood financially.
Jones also asked for transparency regarding what the court does and why it does it, specifically asking commissioners to “do what you say you will do.”
A bit of banter was heard as commissioners discussed the holiday schedule for FY 2016.
Currently, VZC employees receive a holiday on their birthday.
Under the proposed plan, employees would not get a holiday on their birthday, but rather, county offices would close at noon the day before Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve. So instead of everyone having a random day off, everyone would have two half days off.
Commissioner Virgil Melton Jr. remarked, “Well, road and bridge can’t really shut down. We work a full day. The courthouse can shut down at noon, but road and bridge can’t. I’d rather them have their birthday off myself … We have to give road and bridge something, we are the lowest paid employees in the state. I say let’s give them something.”
Judge Don Kirkpatrick reminded commissioners that the holiday schedule was a proposal and “you guys are road and bridge.”
