My 30 years in emergency services as a firefighter and officer with the Johnson City VFD has given me the opportunity to work closely with local leaders as well as an insight into the needs for emergency management. I have received training in all aspects of what it takes to be a first responder. As a 62-year resident of Blanco County, I understand what is important -- water conservation, smart growth, transparency and making sure every tax dollar is spent wisely. Also, like every taxpayer, I would like to see lower taxes.
In my role as JCVFD president, I am required to work with county budgets. I am proud to say that during my six years as president of the department, we have always been under budget while still maintaining all the vital manpower, training and equipment required. Outside of the department, I am the chief engineer for a large company where we have also been able to work under budget. Through careful planning and foresight, we have saved the company money that can be used elsewhere.
I do believe that some portions of the Blanco County budget are inflated. It is my goal to work with the County Commissioners and other elected officials to reduce the budget by cutting unnecessary waste. After studying the budget, I have found areas in which I believe we can make some cuts to save taxpayer money without cutting important and vital services and projects.
My top three priorities: 1) Water conservation. We can work towards preserving our resources with carefully planned growth and water harvesting. 2) Transparency. There are several issues affecting county residents that are not being openly discussed. One of the most important is emergency services. I firmly believe the citizens need to be kept informed about what county government is doing. 3) Budget. We need to work together to save taxpayer money. One way to achieve this is by making companies financially responsible for benefits they currently receive at no cost.
I plan to address county priorities through legal and allowable channels by working with local residents. I would like to focus on the open-door policy of allowing big companies to come in and buy up land to build thousands of homes and buildings without regard to the problems this will create for our resources, specifically water. That is not to say that I am against growth. I just think it needs to be well planned and carefully thought out. I am not a politician or attorney, but I do want what is best for Blanco County.
My post-secondary education consists of BBAs in General Business and Finance (with minors in accounting and statistical analysis) and a Juris Doctorate in Law. I have been a licensed and practicing attorney in Texas for forty years and have incorporated all of my higher education in upper management roles at Texas state agencies. These roles provided significant experience in financial management which is discussed in the next question. For my service on the County Court bench, I also draw on my memberships in the State Bar College (professional society of legal scholars) and board of Legal Specialization since the 1990s.
In my early years of state agency management, I worked with budgets that were comparable to Blanco County’s. Later, when overseeing larger programs, I worked with budgets that were many many times larger than our county’s budget. To be clear, we had an entire floor of finance professionals and an office full of internal auditors who provided assistance every day and supported my management of programs. I also served on the Board of Directors and as Chairman of Capitol Credit Union. It has grown from net assets that were somewhat comparable to Blanco County to over $200,000,000.00 today.
I absolutely do not feel the Blanco County budget is inflated. We live in a county that is influenced by very large neighbors and the overall influx of new Texans every year. Our job is to keep up and make sure core services like law enforcement, vehicle titles and registration, county and district clerk services, voter registration and Justice of the Peace Courts, to name a few, continue to serve a growing population. Our Commissioners Court does an outstanding job of balancing our core responsibilities with conservation of taxpayer dollars.
Maintain adequate services for the public. Public safety is first. We also need good county roads. Citizens need vehicle registrations, marriage licenses, court filings, etc. All of the Court dockets are growing – Criminal, Civil, Probate, Guardianship, etc. My goal is to continue providing judicial services in a way that fairly and efficiently handles the load. We frequently get compliments on how Blanco County Court is conducted and I wish to maintain that status. Some county facilities need improvements and/or expansion but if I am limited to just three goals I opt for continued and innovative subdivision and land development regulation.
The first goal is true for every county. We start the budget process in April and go through many steps including requests, workshops, deliberation and ultimate vote for a balanced budget. The second goal does not encompass fiscal impact. I, along with Court staff, must re-double efforts to conduct proceedings, timely, efficiently and fairly to handle the increasing load. In Blanco County we are blessed to have four Commissioners who understand land development and can think “out of the box”. We must continue to have subdivision regulation workshops and stand strong even when threatened with litigation.
I currently serve as the Mayor of Johnson City, and prior to that, I served as a councilmember. I am the Chief Executive; responsible for creating and proposing the budget, setting the tax rate, overseeing operations citywide, running meetings, heading up Emergency Management, working closely with state agencies and other government entities; all are identical to the role of County Judge. My experience includes intergovernmental negotiations and working to effect legislation. I understand the Texas Constitution, County Government and the importance of due process. I have led with common sense, transparency and respect for the people of this County.
As the Budget Officer for the City of Johnson City, I have prepared, presented, and overseen a multimillion-dollar municipal budget line by line where I make decisions that directly affect taxpayers. My experience focuses on the meat of the budget such as personnel, public safety, infrastructure, debt service, and long-term obligations where real fiscal responsibility is exercised. The overall size of a budget matters far less than understanding its structure, controlling recurring costs, complying with Texas law, and maintaining strong fund balances. Those are the same principles required to responsibly manage the Blanco County budget.
I would not necessarily call the Blanco County budget inflated, but there are certainly line items that should be reduced. The larger issue is that the budget needs to be streamlined and updated. Many line items are outdated and should have been removed, and in some cases departmental subtotals do not clearly align with reported totals. The budget is difficult to understand without a working knowledge of government finance, and the published document does not clearly present beginning and ending fund balances. Improving accuracy, clarity, and structure would increase transparency and naturally reduce costs to taxpayers.
My top three priorities are fiscal responsibility, transparent and citizen focused governance, and protecting Blanco County’s rural character. First, I will ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely through easy-to-understand budgeting, strong oversight, long term planning, and a goal of lowering the property tax rate whenever possible. Second, I will prioritize open communication and transparent decision making that puts citizens first, not bureaucracy. Third, I will defend local control by protecting private property rights, water resources, and agriculture, while managing growth in a way that respects our ranching heritage and the people who already call Blanco County home.
The Texas Constitution establishes the County Judge as the presiding officer of Commissioners Court and of the constitutional County Court. Within that authority, I will lead with transparency, ensure the budget process is clear, lawful, and fiscally responsible, and work to control spending with the goal of lowering the property tax rate. In fulfilling the court’s judicial responsibilities, I will complete all required training and continuing education and will consult experienced attorneys and judges as appropriate to ensure decisions are legally sound, well-reasoned, and firmly grounded in Texas law.
