SEMINAR FOR NEWLY ELECTED COUNTY JUDGES AND COMMISSIONERS Commissioners Court Advanced Curriculum

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1 SEMINAR FOR NEWLY ELECTED COUNTY JUDGES AND COMMISSIONERS Commissioners Court Advanced Curriculum GOVERNING TEXAS COUNTIES Sponsored by Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin in cooperation with the Texas Association of Counties and the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas T UESDAY, JANUARY 10, :00 noon Check- in 1:00-2:00 p.m. OPENING GENERAL SESSION Amphitheater 204 Presiding: Susan M. Redford, Judicial Program Manager, Texas Association of Counties Welcome/Introductory Remarks Hon. Woodrow W. Gossom, Jr., Judge, Wichita County and President, County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas Constitutional Basis of County Government James P. Allison, Partner, Allison, Bass & Magee, L.L.P. and General Counsel, County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas 2:00-2:50 p.m. Powers, Duties, Responsibilities of the County Judge & County Commissioner - Functions of the county judge and county commissioner and required duties - The relationship of the Commissioners Court with other county officials and employees - Limitations on the authority of the judge and commissioners - The importance of transparency in county government - Common missteps by newly elected judges and commissioners - Legal requirements and sources for continuing education for judges and commissioners Moderator: Dr. Rick Avery, County Relations Officer, Texas Association of Counties Hon. Woodrow W. Gossom, Jr., Judge, Wichita County Hon. Bill McCay, Commissioner, Lubbock County Dr. Peter McGuill, Director, V.G. Young Institute of County Government 2:50-3:10 p.m. Break Tejas Room 3:10-4:30 p.m. Budgeting in County Government Amphitheater The significance of the county budget as a planning document - Understanding county budget and tax rate statutes including Local Govt. Code Chapter 151 and Tax Code Ch Key steps in the budget and tax rate adoption process - The roles of the County Judge, Commissioners Court, and other county officials in the budgeting process - Proper oversight of budgeted expenditures throughout the year - The importance of maintaining adequate reserve funds - The importance of transparency Hon. Patti Jones, Commissioner, Lubbock County Hon. Woodrow W. Gossom, Jr., Judge, Wichita County

2 4:30-5:30 p.m. Sources of Revenue and Types of Expenditures - The major sources of county revenue, including property taxes, sales taxes, fines and fees, and grant funds. - The relationship between property tax and the county sales tax - Review of common special restricted funds and their sources of revenue - Common sources and uses of grant revenue and guidelines for using grant money effectively Nathan Cradduck, Auditor, Tom Green County 5:30 p.m. Adjourn 6:00 p.m. Board Shuttles to TAC Reception - Continuous looping shuttles will board in front of the AT&T Executive Education and Conference Center (1900 University Avenue) to transport guests to the offices of the Texas Association of Counties. The buses will run on a loop with the last bus returning to the hotel at 9:00 p.m. 6:30 p.m. Reception Sponsored by Texas Association of Counties Offices of Texas Association of Counties (1210 San Antonio Street, Austin, Texas 78701) W EDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, :00 a.m. Continental Breakfast Tejas Room Presiding: Susan M. Redford, Judicial Program Manager, Texas Association of Counties 8:30-9:00 a.m. Guide to Texas Ethics and Disclosure Law Amphitheater 204 Jenny Gilchrist, Associate General Counsel, Texas Association of Counties 9:00-9:50 a.m. 9:50-10:10 a.m. Health and Human Services Issues - The county s responsibility to provide for indigent health care: what s mandatory and what s optional - The role of the County Health Authority and the process of appointing the CHA - How to access financial support and other resources from the state and federal governments Rita Kelley, Director, Bell County Indigent Health Services Department Break 10:10-10:40 a.m. County Litigation & Legal Representation - The role of the County Attorney (or District Attorney) as legal advisor - When to seek outside legal representation - Steps to reduce the risk of lawsuits - First steps to take if a suit is filed against the county, or if you even think a suit may be filed Hon. Scott Brumley, County Attorney, Potter County 10:40-11:30 a.m. Personnel Issues - Policies the Commissioners Court controls vs. policies which come under control of individual elected officials and the importance of agreeing on uniform personnel policies - The concepts of at will employment and protected classes of employees - Common personnel issues, including overtime, compensatory time, FMLA, etc. - Steps to take when discipline or termination is necessary Rollie Ford, Human Resources Consultant, Texas Association of Counties 11:30 a.m.- Working Luncheon Salon C 12:45 p.m.

3 1:00-1:50 p.m. Property Tax Issues Amphitheater The role of the Central Appraisal District in assessing property values - Understand what the effective tax rate is and how it is calculated - Legal requirements for adopting the tax rate, and the role of county officials including the Commissioners Court and Tax Assessor- Collector in the process Hon. Tammy J. McRae, Tax Assessor- Collector, Montgomery County Hon. Bruce Stidham, Tax Assessor- Collector, Grayson County 1:50-2:40 p.m. County Roads - Different types of road systems available to counties and how they function - What makes a road a county road - The legal process of establishing a new county road - The legal process of closing an existing county road Robert T. Bass, Partner, Allison, Bass & Magee, L.L.P. 2:40-3:00 p.m. Break Tejas Room 3:00-3:30 p.m. 3:30-4:20 p.m. 4:20-5:10 p.m. Election Issues - Differences between primary elections, general elections and special elections - The role of the Chief Election Officer - The position of Election Administrator - Responsibilities of the County Judge and Commissioners Court in the election process Paul Miles, Associate General Counsel, Texas Association of Counties Subdivision Regulations - Understand the importance of subdivision regulations - What counties can and cannot control - Review of model subdivision regulations Eric Magee, Partner, Allison, Bass & Magee, L.L.P. Solid Waste and Nuisance Authority - Statutory authority of Commissioners Court concerning landfills, solid waste pickup, and public nuisances Eric Magee, Partner, Allison, Bass & Magee, L.L.P. 5:10 p.m. Adjourn, Dinner on your own 6:30-8:30 p.m. ***OPTIONAL SESSION*** Amphitheater 204 Viewing of the Office of the Attorney General s video training on Open Meetings Act and Public Information Act The Texas Government Code requires elected and appointed public officials to receive training in Texas open government laws. The Office of the Attorney General provides free video training courses to assist public officials in complying with this requirement. These videos are available at no cost on- line and may be used as part of any training course or independent study on open government. The Office of the Attorney General s training video includes information on each of these elements and satisfies the requirements imposed by Government Code sections and Upon completion of the training course, a public official may obtain a course completion certificate. The certificate must be maintained by the official s governmental body and made available for public inspection upon request. As a courtesy, we will host an optional group viewing. This is NOT a requirement of the seminar and does not count towards your continuing education hours for the Commissioners Court Advanced Curriculum.

4 T HURSDAY, JANUARY 12, :00 a.m. Continental Breakfast Tejas Room Presiding: Barry Bales, Assistant Dean for Professional Development, The LBJ School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin 8:30-9:30 a.m. Conducting a Public Meeting Amphitheater What constitutes a public meeting and a quorum - Legal requirements for calling the meeting, preparing and posting the agenda - Rules of procedure and the role of the presiding officer James P. Allison, Partner, Allison, Bass & Magee, L.L.P. and General Counsel, County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas 9:30-9:50 a.m. 9:50-10:40 a.m. Break Emergency Management Issues - Overview of county judge s responsibility and authority for emergency management, including a review of Texas Govt. Code Section Overview of Incident Command System, what training is required, and sources for training - Understanding your local emergency plan - First steps to take when an emergency occurs - Resources available to assist you in an emergency from federal, state and regional agencies, non- profit organizations and volunteers - The importance of effectively communicating with the public and media in an emergency Hon. Rex Fields, Judge, Eastland County Ginny Lewis, Executive Director, Texas Association of Regional Councils W. Nim Kidd, Chief, Texas Division of Emergency Management 10:40-11:30 a.m. County Purchasing - An understanding of the basic requirements of state laws regarding purchasing, including the competitive bid process, when the bid process is required, and when it is not - The role of the Commissioners Court, budget director, county auditor and other county officials in the purchasing process for counties that do not have a purchasing director - The role of the Commissioners Court, budget director, county auditor and other county officials in the purchasing process for counties that have a purchasing director - Differences in laws and procedures for counties that do not have an auditor - Effective use of purchasing cooperatives such as the Buy Board Hon. Kim Halfmann, Judge, Glasscock County Beth Fleming, Director of Purchasing, Denton County Ellen Friar, County Auditor, Ward County 11:30 a.m.- Luncheon - County and Judicial Issues in the Legislature Salon C 12:45 p.m. 1:00-1:50 p.m. Working Effectively with the Legislature/State Government Amphitheater 204 Moderator: James P. Allison, Partner, Allison Bass & Magee, L.L.P. and General Counsel, County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas Paul Sugg, Director, Legislative Department, Texas Association of Counties Rick Thompson, Legislative Liaison, Texas Association of Counties

5 1:50-2:40 p.m. Law Enforcement & Jail Issues - What you need to know about the Sheriff s office and the operation of the county jail - Role of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards and enforcement of laws and regulations - Common safety and liability issues with Texas county jails Moderator: Hon. Dennis Wilson, Sheriff, Limestone County Hon. Bill K. Stoudt, Judge, Gregg County Brandon Wood, Executive Director, Texas Commission on Jail Standards 2:40-3:00 p.m. Break Tejas Room 3:00-3:50 p.m. 4:00-5:00 p.m. Open Records & Records Management - Understand the provisions of the Public Information Act - What constitutes public information - Proper way to respond to a public information request - Legal requirements pertaining to the retention of public records Katherine Howard, Associate General Counsel, Texas Association of Counties Open Forum 1) Small Counties: <15,000 population Amphitheater 204 Facilitator: James P. Allison, Partner, Allison, Bass & Magee, L.L.P. and General Counsel, County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas Hon. Kim Halfmann, Judge, Glasscock County Hon. Grover Worsham, Commissioner, Trinity County 5:00 p.m. Adjourn 2) Medium Counties: 15,000 to 50,000 population Room 301 Facilitator: Robert T. Bass, Partner, Allison, Bass & Magee, LLP Ginny Lewis, Executive Director, Texas Association of Regional Councils Hon. Rex Fields, Judge, Eastland County Hon. Joe Don Dockery, Commissioner, Burnet County 3) Medium/Large Counties: >50,000 population Salons D & E Facilitator: Susan M. Redford, Judicial Program Manager, Texas Association of Counties Hon. Patti Jones, Commissioner, Lubbock County Hon. Wes Suiter, Judge, Angelina County Hon. Byron Underwood, Commissioner, Cherokee County

6 F RIDAY, JANUARY 13, :00 a.m. Continental Breakfast Tejas Room Presiding: Susan M. Redford, Judicial Program Manager, Texas Association of Counties 8:30-9:00 a.m. Texas County and District Retirement System Amphitheater 204 Amy Bishop, Executive Director, Texas County and District Retirement System 9:00-10:15 a.m. Effective Operation of Commissioners Court Moderator: Susan M. Redford, Judicial Program Manager, Texas Association of Counties Hon. Everette Bo Alfred, Commissioner, Jefferson County Hon. Kim Halfmann, Judge, Glasscock County Hon. Alma Moreno, Commissioner, San Patricio County 10:15-10:30 a.m. Break 10:30-11:30 a.m. Leadership in Public Service Dr. Barry Bales, Assistant Dean for Professional Development, The LBJ School of Public Affairs, The University of Texas at Austin 11:30 a.m. CONCLUDING REMARKS Susan M. Redford, Judicial Program Manager, Texas Association of Counties 11:45 a.m. Adjourn