Harris County - good news

[joe817]

So they can't just go out and hire more people(except via temps, which isn't a permanent solution). Because they are under budgetary constraints. If they didn't put them in the budget, they are hindered by law not to hire them. They simply can't(as I understand it).

The problem with that logic, is that, with more applications, they are getting MUCH MORE $$$.
I read somewhere that they've already hit 35,000 applications this year.
Even if EVERY SINGLE ONE of them was Half-Off Vereran price ($70), thats 2.45 Million Dollars. 5 million at full price.
They have the money to hire the people. Budgets can be modified, money can be shuffled. I work with Government agencies every day, if they want it to happen, it can happen.

Got you covered there. The DPS does not/cannot keep all that money. They keep enough to cover their budgetary expenses...what they put in the budget. The excess? It goes into the general fund to help pay for all the other things that the other department heads all over the state under budgeted for. That's how I understand the process.

I'd love to be wrong in that, and someone please correct me if I stated incorrectly.

[Chip]

I was talking to one of the DPS folks in Austin yesterday about my application - she told me that they have something planned to address the issue in Harris County, and she sounded pretty happy about it. I suspect it has something to do with the change in September. I don't know that there's anything they can do to address the problem between now and then unless they shift a few officers off what they are currently doing to help cut down the backlog.

[quoheleth]

IMHO, anything they do to help the backlog in Harris (and Galveston and Brazoria) counties is a good thing.

Could it not be - putting the best construction on this - that they hired 30 staffers to fill in spots where DPS troopers currently are working, to allow the troopers to move to the background check dept? That way they are still within the current law, yet hiring staff and moving troopers to fill the need.

Since we're playing our hoping (and waiting!) game, I'll join in.

Q

[Dexdahex]

I wonder what would austin said if we owe them money and just blamed it on we are running behind...

[boomerang]

Based on the background checks for us, I can only imagine the strict background checks for people doing our background checks.

[boomerang]

Got you covered there. The DPS does not/cannot keep all that money. They keep enough to cover their budgetary expenses...what they put in the budget. The excess? It goes into the general fund to help pay for all the other things that the other department heads all over the state under budgeted for. That's how I understand the process.

Maybe for new licenses but that sounds illegal for renewals.

GC 5411.185. RENEWAL.
(b) The director by rule shall adopt a renewal application form
requiring an update of the information on the original completed application.
The director by rule shall set the renewal fee in an amount that
is sufficient to cover the actual cost to the department to renew a
license.

[joe817]

Got you covered there. The DPS does not/cannot keep all that money. They keep enough to cover their budgetary expenses...what they put in the budget. The excess? It goes into the general fund to help pay for all the other things that the other department heads all over the state under budgeted for. That's how I understand the process.

Maybe for new licenses but that sounds illegal for renewals.

GC 5411.185. RENEWAL.
(b) The director by rule shall adopt a renewal application form
requiring an update of the information on the original completed application.
The director by rule shall set the renewal fee in an amount that
is sufficient to cover the actual cost to the department to renew a
license.

I agree boomerang. But we are only referring to new applications:

"I read somewhere that they've already hit 35,000 applications this year.
Even if EVERY SINGLE ONE of them was Half-Off Vereran price ($70), thats 2.45 Million Dollars. 5 million at full price.

They have the money to hire the people. Budgets can be modified, money can be shuffled. I work with Government agencies every day, if they want it to happen, it can happen."

I don't know it for a fact, but I would think renewals get put in the same humongous pile with the new applications. Do they have a separate and independent section devoted specifically for renewals? Can someone shed some light on that?