Following a public hearing in which no one chose to speak, the Van Zandt County Commissioners Court unanimously approved their fiscal year 2022 budget during its regular meeting Aug. 17.

The highlights of the new budget were shared by VZC Judge Don Kirkpatrick at the start of the public hearing.

According to Kirkpatrick, the fiscal year 2022 proposed tax rate is $0.44269380, which represents a reduction of 15.43 percent compared to the fiscal year 2021 proposed tax rate of $0.52347174.

“VZC is reducing the tax rate considerably due to an approximate 24 percent rise in Total Market Value,” said Kirkpatrick.

The Total Market Value for 2022 is $9,199,370,610 compared to the Total Market Value for 2021 which was $7,398,165,457.

“While VZC has reduced the property tax rate, the amount of property taxes collected will increase $871,482,” pointed out Kirkpatrick. “A total of $678,088 of that amount is due to New Property Taxable Value in the amount of $153,173,118 and the remainder amount of $193,394 is due to a rise in the value of the property, which is determined by the VZC Appraisal District.”

New election equipment is also included in the new proposed budget, according to the VZC judge.

“VZC has the option of lowering the fund balance and purchasing the equipment, set up scheduled payments or, if American Rescue Plan funds are available, use those funds as an eligible expense,” said Kirkpatrick.

According to Kirkpatrick, the salary adjustments for VZC employees were budgeted as follows: Elected officials and employees, $3,000 per year; Dispatchers, $4,000 per year; all law enforcement, including the VZC sheriff, and correctional officers: $5,000 per year.

“This increase is necessary to address a statewide issue of low applications and to become more competitive in salary with surrounding counties,” emphasized Kirkpatrick.

New positions were also addressed by Kirkpatrick in the fiscal year 2022 budget. “We are adding a septic inspector due to the high number of subdivisions being created,” said the VZC judge. “We are also moving a part-time district clerk employee to full-time.”

Kirkpatrick informed those in attendance Aug. 17 that medical insurance for all VZC employees increased by 6.5 percent from $723.30 per month per employee to $770.30 per month per employee.

“The increase was offset by the TCDRS county matching being reduced from 8.18 percent to 7.48 percent,” said Kirkpatrick.

Increases in travel (17 percent), postage (eight percent) and electricity were also addressed by Kirkpatrick in the new budget.

“This is a good budget,” pointed out Kirkpatrick. “We currently have a $9 million reserve fund. VZC is financially sound. I would like to thank the commissioners for all of their hard work on this budget.”

VZC Pct. 3 Commissioner Keith Pearson said, “It was a lot of hard work, and a lot of time was put in on this budget. This is not something that flies by real fast. There is a lot of thought that goes into this.”

Following the 10-minute public hearing, VZC Pct. 2 Commissioner Virgil Melton Jr. made the motion to accept the fiscal year 2022 budget as presented with VZC Pct. 4 Commissioner Tim West seconding the motion.

In a recorded vote, VZC Pct. 1 Commissioner Chad LaPrade, Melton, Pearson, and West all agreed to accept the new budget in a unanimous vote.

All four commissioners also voted to approve the setting of the salaries for the VZC elected officials under the fiscal year 2022 budget.

Following the vote, Kirkpatrick announced that all elected officials were scheduled to be notified by the VZC Auditor’s Office of their salary increases by the end of the day Aug. 17.

If any elected official wants their case to be heard before the VZC Salary Grievance Committee, they had until 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 22 to request a hearing before the committee, according to Kirkpatrick.

In other business during the Aug. 17 regular meeting, VZC Judge-Elect Andy Reese shared with the commissioners’ court a recent announcement made by Canton Mayor Lou Ann Everett during the Aug. 16 Canton City Council meeting.

Reese said that Everett was recently notified by State Senator Bob Hall’s office that the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) has agreed to a meeting with the city regarding the potential installation of a red light at Walmart on State Highway 243. The meeting date was not announced.

No action was taken by the commissioners’ court regarding the west boundary line survey to be completed involving the VZC Sheriff’s Office.

Following a request by LaPrade, the commissioners’ court agreed to pay for lodging for LaPrade and two VZC employees to attend the 2022 L3 Harris Wireless Users Group Conference in Oklahoma City.

American Rescue Plan funds will be used to pay for the lodging, according to the commissioners’

The annual financial report from VZC Emergency Services District (ESD) #2 for the year ending Sept. 30, 2021, was approved by the commissioners’ court.

A check from the City of Edgewood in the amount of $3,347.08 for payment of work done on W.S. Front Street in VZC Pct. 1 was approved by the commissioners’ court following a recommendation by LaPrade.

In a separate motion, LaPrade shared a correction in a recent donation by the City of Fruitvale in the amount of $12,279.12 that was approved by the commissioners’ court in their Aug. 3 meeting.

LaPrade said that the donation check was actually for work done on VZCR 1918, VZCR 1129, and for patch material on city streets.

A separate donation check in the amount of $17,419.26 from the City of Fruitvale for work done on VZCR 1901 was approved by the commissioners’ court following a recommendation

by Melton, a re-plat for Midpoint Ranchette Estates located on VZCR 2624 in VZC Pct. 2 was approved by the commissioners’

Plat approval for Eastview Hills located on VZCR 2410 in VZC Pct. 2 was approved by the commissioners’ court following a separate recommendation

A series of fiscal year 2022 budget amendments were approved by the commissioners’ court.

Monthly reports submitted by various offices and departments of VZC government were approved and entered into the minutes of the commissioners’ court as a matter of record.

Flowers Davis PLLC of Tyler was approved by the commissioners’ court to present VZC in the following litigation:

currently pending in VZC District Court.

No action was taken by the commissioners’ court following their closed executive session at the end of their Aug. 17 regular meeting.

The minutes of the July 15, Aug. 3, and Aug. 9 meetings were approved by the commissioners’ court as well as the payment of the VZC bills as submitted.

The next regular meeting of the VZC Commissioners Court is scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, Aug. 31, in the VZC Courthouse.