Hays County to privatize medical services in jail
Hays County Commissioners on Tuesday voted to approve a $1.135 million contract with Correct Care Services (CCS) of Nashville to provide medical services for inmates and detainees housed at the Hays County Jail. The move, according to Capt. Mark Cumberland who oversees the jail, is to provide more efficient medical services. In particular, Cumberland said CCS will bring “much needed” mental health professionals to deal with the myriad of issues experienced by the jail’s residents. Both Cumberland and CCS representative Jeff Traczewski said current employees who are competent and meet the hiring requirements of the firm will be rehired. “We’re not taking jobs away,” Traczewski told the commissioners. One current jail employee, Adrienne Evans-Stark, a medic, spoke during the public forum. She cautioned that there were hidden costs in the contract and asked commissioners to hold off on voting until there was more public involvement in the discussion and more time to review the contract details. Commissioners voted to move forward with a 16-month contract.
Applications for Kyle’s community support dollars due April 30
The city of Kyle is taking applications for community support dollars to be considered as part of the City’s budget deliberations for the FY 2013-2014 fiscal year. Applications must be submitted by April 30. The City of Kyle Community Relations Committee will review the applications and submit their recommendations to the city manager for inclusion in his budget submittal to the council in June. If approved, the grants will be awarded in October 2013. Application forms can be downloaded at the CityofKyle.com. The forms are also available at the Kyle City Hall, Kyle Public Library. For more information, contact the City of Kyle Community Development Department at 512-262-3921 or [email protected].
Hays County takes gold in financial transparency
Shortly after Sunshine Week, Hays County received the Texas Comptroller Office’s Gold Leadership Circle for financial transparency.
The accolade recognizes local governments across the state that present specific financial documents online in an easy-to-access format. Gold is the highest of three designation levels and “highlights entities that are setting the bar for transparency,” according to the comptroller’s office.
“We’ve made great strides in transparency of all kinds since I first joined the Commissioners Court,” Pct. 3 Commissioner Will Conley said. “As few as nine years ago, meeting notices were posted only at the County Courthouse, and that was the end of it. We met the basic requirements of the law. Now, we ensure that all of our notices are online and the we take advantage of various means to let the public know what is happening and how we are spending our taxpayers’ money.”
Commissioners accepted the award March 26, shortly after Sunshine Week – a national initiative that celebrates and focuses on government transparency and open government – came to a close. The March 11 week marked this year’s Sunshine Week.
“Our financial information is certainly among the most important information we can share, and we’re pleased that the Comptroller’s Office has recognized our efforts,” Conley said.
The Hays County Auditor’s Office, along with Conley’s office, prepared the application for the award, which required the county to meet criteria such as creating a dedicated financial transparency web page with three years of audits and searchable annual budgets, the county’s current check register and links to tax rate data, treasurer’s report and many other finance-related documents – all within three clicks of the mouse.
“This information has always been available, but not necessarily in an easy-access format,” County Judge Bert Cobb said. “I applaud all our elected officials and staffs for recognizing the need for transparency and public access.”
