From today’s Lampasas Dispatch:
Notice of Public Hearing on Lampasas Central Appraisal District Budget
The Lampasas Central Appraisal District will hold a public hearing on a proposed budget for the 2020 fiscal year.
The public hearing will be held June 20th at 4:00pm at 109 East Fifth Street, Lampasas Texas. A summary of the appraisal district follows:
Total amount of proposed budget: $557,116
Total amount of increase over current budget: $19,229
Number of employees compensated under the proposed budget: 7
If approved by the appraisal district board of directors at the public hearing, this proposed budget will take effect automatically unless disapproved by the governing bodies of the county, school districts, cities and towns served by the appraisal district.
[End notice]
The new budget proposes $285,000 in salaries versus last year’s $273,000. Of course, in 2017 the salaries were $227,000 – so we see a 20% increase in 3 years (6.8% salary increase per year, on average).
The “Chief Appraiser” wants a 2020 salary of $75,177…PLUS benefits of another $13,023 ($5,262 for retirement and $7,761 for health care) – for a grand total of OVER EIGHTY-EIGHT THOUSAND DOLLARS cost to the taxpayer every single year…and it will only go up from here.
So we learn a few things here:
- These parasites want a 4.4% raise this year – despite the fact they create nothing and produce nothing.
- These parasites will ask for your opinion on the matter at 4pm on a work day…when productive citizens are at their private-sector jobs, earning the very funds the parasites want to steal.
- The City of Lampasas (I assume City council?) has the power to “disapprove” this proposed budget. Will they? [*update* – I am told they do not. Oh well…this will be approved. Taxpayer soaked again]
- Somehow, the county appraisers are able to get by on $7,761 per year in health benefits, while the average City Hall benefit is nearly twice that (anywhere from $11,000 to $14,000).
So here we have some of these parasites earning over $80,000 in a town where over 51% of residents have “low to moderate income”. How do I know that over 51% of Lampasas residents have “low to moderate income”? Because Assistant City Manager Gary Cox inadvertently told us so last week.
You see, Gary applied for a $500,000 grant with the Texas Department of Agriculture recently. The money would come from the Fire, Ambulance and Services Truck (FAST) Fund. It is money to replace a fire truck. In order to qualify for the grant, more than 51% of the city’s residents must have low to moderate income.
So, we have over half the city being described as “low to moderate income” and at the same time, these appraisal district parasites think they deserve a 4.4% raise. That sounds pretty outrageous to me. It would be nice if City Council sent a message and voted against this increase….but something tells me that won’t happen with the drunken sailors in charge.