Counties III March 30, 2017

finances

Property taxes Property taxes are the main source of tax revenue for county government. The county tax rate is limited to $.80 per $100 of valuation. In practice, most county governments set their tax rates well below the allowed maximum. Montgomery County (ESD is Emergency Services District)

Budget expenditures Road and bridge construction and maintenance is a major budget item for all counties, but it is particularly prominent in geographically large counties. Harris County also spends millions of dollars for law enforcement, jail operation, indigent healthcare, the operation of county and district courts, flood control, and parks.

Issues

Assessment Defenders Critics The proponents of county government declare that counties are the unit of local government that is closest and most responsive to the people. Counties provide basic government services that citizens want and need. Critics charge that county government is a relic of the nineteenth century. They believe that county government is inefficient and often corrupt.

Size Matters Small-town Texas Urban Texas County governments are almost invisible governments in urban Texas despite employing thousands of persons and spending millions of dollars. Counties operate with little accountability because the media and most citizens are focused primarily on other units and levels of government. For the most part, county government functions effectively in rural and small-town Texas. In rural areas, counties are the primary units of local government. Citizens are aware of county services and know county officials well.

Long Ballot The critics of county government believe that the long ballot makes it difficult for county voters intelligently to choose qualified officeholders, at least in urban areas.

Conflict of Interest The critics of county government believe that county operations make conflict of interest inevitable. In general, county commissioners and elected department heads hire and fire employees as they see fit.

Conflict of Interest A situation in which the personal interests of a public official may clash with that official’s professional responsibilities. Explain the cartoon.

Victor Trevino Constable Victor Trevino was indicted on four counts of felony misappropriation of funds concerning a charity that he operates. County employees allege that Trevino pressured them to donate to his charity. Trevino pled guilty to public corruption in 2014 and was sentenced to 10 years probation.

Jerry Eversole Commissioner Jerry Eversole pled guilty in January 2012 for accepting $100,000 in cash and gifts, including down payment on his house, from a contractor who did millions of dollars in business with Harris County. Eversole was sentenced to three years’ probation Before pleading guilty, Eversole said it was all perfectly innocent, just friends exchanging gifts.

Jack Abercia Former Constable Jack Abercia pled guilty in 2014 to accepting money from a private company for running background checks on their personnel at public expense. He was sentenced to three years probation. Abercia in handcuffs using a walker. “I’m not a crook,” he exclaimed before pleading guilty.

Why is this a potential problem? Purchasing Another problem is the absence of centralized purchasing in most counties. Each department contracts for goods and services on its own, often without the benefit of competitive bids. Why is this a potential problem?

Contracting Because state law prohibits competitive bidding, individual commissioners decide which firms receive the contracts for work in their precincts, whereas commissioners court as a whole awards contracts for the entire county. What’s wrong with this?

Accountability Critics believe that the decentralization of county government makes it difficult for county officials to fulfill the responsibilities of their offices and impossible for voters to evaluate their performance accurately.

Quiz Which of the following is a conflict of interest? Sheriff Brown appoints his son as his chief deputy. Sheriff Brown retires and his son runs for election as sheriff. Sheriff Brown appears in a campaign commercial for his son who is running for city council. All of the above The answer is A.

What You Have Learned How are counties funded? What differences are there between urban counties and rural counties? What issues do counties face?