County Budget Stressed by Overcrowded Jail and Liabilities
The budget for next year faces strain from 97 inmates housed outside the county and a jail count of 670, above the 667 capacity. Sheriff Mark Donaldson cites noncompliance with Texas Jail Standards over mental health reporting, while the county seeks fixes such as a bail bond program. Commissioners also wrestle with $8.7 million debt issuance and looming retirement health liabilities of about $27 million, projected to rise to $71 million. Budget cuts loom as officials discuss higher co pays, Medicare supplements, and benefit reductions for new hires.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Sheriff's Office
Mark Donaldson
Texas Commission On Jail Standards
Donaldson
Redford
Commissioners’ Court
Simmons
Community National Bank
Odessa
Texas Tribune
Precinct 3
Dale Childers
Budget dates lay out county budgeting process and salaries
The schedule lists deadlines from June 9 to Sept 14 for budget requests, department meetings, hearings, and tax rate actions. Simmons mentions a proposed option to add 4 million yearly to reduce liability, arguing the change is needed due to rising health insurance costs to preserve the plan for the future.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Simmons
Clinton urges release of State Dept emails in campaign push
Hillary Clinton urged the State Department to speed the release of about 55,000 pages from her tenure as secretary of state. She spoke in Cedar Falls Iowa and said she wants those emails out. A federal judge rejected a January release plan and ordered a rolling production instead.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Clinton
State Dept
Cedar Falls
Iowa
Hillary Rodham Clinton
State Department
Takata air bag recall doubles to 33.8 million vehicles
U S safety regulators press Takata to declare 33.8 million air bags defective, doubling the recall in the largest U S auto safety action. The inflators can explode sending shrapnel into the cabin, linked to six deaths and over 100 injuries worldwide. The nationwide expansion adds 18.1 million bags across passenger and driver sides. Mark Rosekind cites it as the most complex U S recall.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Washington
U.S
Takata Corp
Gulf Coast
Mark Rosekind
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
Amtrak urged to add second crew on Northeast Corridor trains
National union for locomotive engineers pressed Amtrak on Tuesday to require a second crew member in locomotive cabs on Northeast Corridor services after the Train 188 derailment near Philadelphia killed eight and injured over 200. The derailment occurred May 12 a short time after departure from Philadelphia to New York.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Union
Amtrak
Locomotive Engineers
Northeast Corridor
Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers
Brandon Bostian
Philadelphia
New York
Congress
Also Mentioned on This Page
Hillary Clinton
Takata
Vance Lane
Rogers Ford
Midland
Andrews
Texas
America
April Jones
Mrs
Pete Garcia
4Th St
ROU
Disney
Orlando
Fla
Disney World
Orlando Sentinel
Thunder Mountain
Magic Kingdom
Thunder Mountain Railroad
KFC
Sanders
Colonel Sanders
Saturday Night Live
Darrell Hammond
Harland Sanders
Rica
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