THINGS TO KNOW:
→ No meetings were posted last week, so nothing to report there.
→ NEW: Washington County Buildings & Grounds is seeking bids for temporary employment agencies to provide services for the county. Here are the details for the bid posted 1/30/24. Bids are due by 4:00 PM 2/12/24. Do you know anyone or any business that might be interested in competing for this work? Please share if you do.
The county posted Bid 2024-03 for a 2024 Chevrolet Silverado Work Truck for the Sheriff’s office. See the bid here Bids due 2/8/24 by 4:00 pm
Another Bid (No. 2024-02) was posted for fifteen (15) Chevrolet Tahoes for the Sheriff’s Office. Bids due 2/8/24 by 4:00 pm
→ As of 2/2/24, there are 710 people incarcerated in the WC Detention Center. Seventy-seven (77) of those are listed as “homeless.” Here’s some of this week’s jail data in a Google Spreadsheet where you can play around and sort per column if you like.
Here’s the link to the actual jail roster: (My data and theirs will vary slightly because they update everyday and I’m writing this as of 2/2/24) https://www.washingtoncountyar.gov/government/departments-f-z/sheriff/detention-information/detainee-roster-detailed Click on each name to see more details.
Also you can review the Detainee Charge Report and get a lot of information there about charges and the number of people incarcerated for each charge.
COUNTY MEETINGS WEEK of 2/4/24. All meetings are in-person, so you must be present to speak and participate.
The Washington County Election Commission meets 2/5/24 at 1:00 pm at the Road Department Building, 2615 South Brink Drive, Fayetteville. Meeting are live streamed on the Washington County Election Commission YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpX-GrzfCvEF0PszfEr6V3Q This agenda includes with regard to the March 5, 2024 Preferential Primary, Nonpartisan Judicial General, Annual School and Special Elections:
Poll Worker Notice
Logic and Accuracy Certification
Public Test (2/7/24)
Policy for Emergency Closure
The Monthly Meeting of Washington County Quorum Court FINANCE & BUDGET COMMITTEE is Tuesday, 2/6/24 at 6:00 PM, Washington County Courthouse. Meetings are live-streamed on the County’s YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/washcoar Here’s the agenda for this week’s F&B meeting.
Note that the “Public Comment” period for committee meetings (Finance & Budget and County Services) is always at the end of the meeting after all agenda items have been discussed and handled. This twelve minute period, with a three minute limit for each individual, happens just before we adjourn. However, there will also be a twelve minute public comment time before we vote on any ordinance or resolution. So lots of opportunities to address the court, and we do need to hear from the community as much as possible.
→ Our Treasurer, Bobby Hill, does a great job of keeping us informed about the county’s finances. His reports are thorough and easy to follow. Starting on page 3 of the agenda are his financial reports for January. We had a General Fund balance on 1/1/24 of $19,383,594.58. We had revenues of $4,738,745.84 and expenditures of $4,068,949.44 which gives an ending balance of $20,053,390.98.
→ Our General Reserve Fund began with $14,459,365.16, had revenue of $56,489.91, expenditures of $985.36 and we ended January with $14,514,869.71 in that fund.
→ Starting on page 6 is a summary for all of 2023.
→ Our County General - Property Taxes Received in 2023 was up 9% over 2022, and totaled $19,113,811.4; One-Cent Sales Tax (WC’s share) in 2023 came to $10,526,998.45, up 6.42% from 2022; the quarter cent sales tax for the jail brought in revenue of $15,978,243.07 for 2023.
→ The Employee Insurance report starts on page 14 and the WC Comptroller’s report starts on page 29. Our new Comptroller is Paul Sherman, and Tuesday will be his first time to present to the court.
AGENDA ITEMS I’M HIGHLIGHTING
→ Item No. 7 is an ordinance to approve financing for a new dump truck in the amount of $204,236 with interest at 7.27% payable $34,547 per year for four years with a balloon payment of $105,225 the fifth year.
→ Item No. 11 is for $270,000 in the Crisis Stabilization Unit (CSU) Grant Fund and appropriates that amount to the Other Professional Services Line Item in the CSU Grant Budget for 2024.
→ Item No. 12 is a resolution stating our willingness to utilize federal funds for the Wheeler Road/Clabber Creek Bridge Project with a ratio of 80% federal and 20% local funding.
→ Item No. 13 is also a resolution expressing the court’s willingness to accept federal funds for the Ballard Creek Bridge (Structure No. 17307) on Little Road and the ratio on this is 90% federal funding and 10% county funding.
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WANT TO BECOME INVOLVED? Want to Know More??
ATTEND AS MANY MEETINGS OF THE QUORUM COURT AS YOU CAN. CHECK MY WEBSITE WWW.BETHCOGER.COM FOR DATES AND TIMES.
Read the 2020 Criminal Justice Assessment Study here and learn more. This tells us what we must do if we do not want to build a larger jail.
Continue to ask Judge Deakins to appoint members to the CJCC and get that group up and running! This is too important. If you haven’t called, please do so, or send email, or go by the courthouse and speak to the judge in person. His door is “always open…” that’s what he said during his campaign.
Contact your JP and set up a time to meet them for coffee or just to get together. Become a regular voice in their ear and urge them to vote for criminal justice reform and be good stewards of taxpayer dollars. I write this each week, but it really is important. That’s how I got started advocating to the court back in 2019. CAN YOU TAKE AN HOUR OR TWO AND MEET WITH YOUR JP AND SHARE YOUR CONCERNS OR COMMENTS, OR WHATEVER YOUR THOUGHTS ARE.
Share this Newsletter with your friends and neighbors!
Write letters to the editor. letters@nwadg.com
Here's link to contact your elected representatives and other county officials: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tx_nJbsWcStPPtVIzPjzZxd5CBLC06BOUaNuG09JF0c/edit?usp=sharing
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