Stoudt talks on GC budget, improvements and more

Gregg County Judge Bill Stoudt discusses some of the issues facing the county with members of the Kilgore Oilpatch Kiwanis Club. Stoudt covered a number of topics including county finances, state mandates and airport. (News Herald Photo by Brenda Allums) County Judge Bill Stoudt, who says he enjoys talking about Gregg County, did just that Friday morning at the Kilgore Oilpatch Breakfast Kiwanis Club.

Stoudt discussed a number of topics including the county's finances, budget, needed capital improvements, state mandates, county jail facilities and airport.

"We have to have the budget in place by October 1," he said. "Right now we're conducting needs assessments and meeting with all department heads to see if all the personnel are needed and where cuts can be made."

Stoudt said "trying to meet the needs of the citizens" is hard work.

"Before I was elected, I didn't know or appreciate all that's involved in county government, but you find out it's not an easy process once you're inside the belly of the beast," Stoudt said.

He pointed out that county is one of the top five counties in Texas with a sound financial position.

"We'll be out of debt in the 2007 fiscal year, have $17 million in reserves and have the fifth lowest tax rate in Texas," he said.

Stoudt said the county is looking a capital improvements in it's information technology department, which hasn't been totally upgraded in 15 years.

"We're also looking at establishing a department for the collection of overdue court and jail fees."

Stoudt said this is an unfunded mandates from the state.

"We've been told the state has $2 million in uncollected fines

and fees gong back to the 70s," he said. "The plan calls for use to start three years back and move forward. Tracking the people is the problem."

Stoudt said at one time the creation of the collections department was estimated to cost $200,000.

"But I think we can do it for a lot less by using existing resources and maybe added one or two people," he said. "Only

35 of the 254 Texas counties have collection departments, but we all will have to have one established by 2007."

Stoudt said a number of economic development projects are going on at East Texas Regional AIrport.

J.W. Operating moved into the old Texas International Building and completed a $5 million expansion and renovation on the building.

"The building has been standing empty for years," Stoudt said. "The company then built a new manufacturing across the highway and added 30 jobs."

Stoudt said this project added $7 million to the tax rolls.

Another firm, ARMS, an athletic flooring manufacturer, is building a $3 million plant at ETRA. "The firm furnishes floors for

teams in the Big 12, professional stadiums, gyms and synthetic lawns," Stoudt said. "The airport is an ideal place for them because they import all their materials and have a lot of corporate jet traffic."

Stoudt said the airport being a Free Trade Zone is an incentive for businesses to locate in the airpark.