The Texas Association of Counties held a Lunch and Learn about the county budget process for legislative staffers on Oct. 1 at the Texas Capitol.
More than 70 staffers took time out of their busy schedule to listen to Anderson County Judge Robert Johnston tell the county story and shed some light on the budget process. Johnston talked about the challenges counties face when preparing a budget, including uncontrollable cost drivers from unfunded mandates, increased costs for employee health care, unpredictable costs from natural disasters, state agency mandates and more.
Johnston explained the transparency and accountability that is built into the county budget process that make it arguably the most transparent budget process in the state. The lunch and learn was the first of three to take place with the final event, where Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick will be discussing disaster planning, responding and recovery, taking place on Dec. 3.
Legislative staffers interested in attending the final luncheon in the series can RSVP at www.county.org.