COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TAKE A STAND AGAINST UNFUNDED STATE MANDATED PROGRAMS

  

The Washington County Commissioners voiced their opposition to unfunded State mandates during their meeting today (Tuesday).

During the meeting, the Commissioners approved the support of a passage of legislation that expressly prohibits the imposition of mandatory governmental programs on Texas counties without the State providing funding for that program.

Commissioner Kirk Hanath spoke fervently in support of the legislation:

Commissioner Joy Fuchs says that unfortunately, this isn’t a new problem for the county:

The Commissioners say that the reduction of State financial support of mandated programs causes unforeseeable disruptions in the county budget, and ultimately causese Washington County to lose funding that would otherwise go to local services.

In connection with the support of the legislation, the County Commissioners approved a request for the Texas Legislature to fully fund the costs of indigent criminal defense.

The Commissioners say this is a perfect example of the State mandating a program and then not funding it properly. Since the Texas Fair Defense Act was adopted in 2001, the county expenditures for indigent criminal defense has increased over 100 percent. The State has only provided 12 percent of the indigent criminal defense costs each year for the past 10 years.

The Commissioners went on to say that the indigent criminal defense is a state responsibility, and that the overwhelming burden borne by local property tax payers of Washington County is wrong and must change.