Straus Speaks Freshmen Legislators WE KNOW COUNTIES Beating Diabetes a Message to County a Brief Introduction | Pg

Jan./Feb. 2015 Vol. 27, No. 1 CountyA Publication of the Texas Association of Counties county.org/magazine

HITTING THE ROAD HIGHLIGHTS FROM A TWO-WEEK TEXAS ROAD TRIP ADVENTURE | PG. 46

Straus Speaks Freshmen Legislators WE KNOW COUNTIES Beating Diabetes A message to county A brief introduction | pg. 54 Meet TAC’s Risk Management A healthy spotlight | pg. 10 officials | pg. 16 Consultants | pg. 36

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10337_TAC.indd 2 1/15/15 1:30 PM County Magazine | ★ ContentsJan./Feb. 2015 16 40 26 54 2015 Officers & Board of Directors

PRESIDENT Don Allred Oldham County Judge PRESIDENT ELECT Joyce Hudman Brazoria County Clerk VICE PRESIDENT Larry Gallardo Highlights Hidalgo County Constable MEMBERS Lynn Cartrite 26 The History & Power of the #Hashtag Moore County Commissioner How Twitter and #politics mix Renee Couch Comal County Treasurer 34 2015 County Association Leadership and Contact Guide Edward Dion El Paso County Auditor Thank you for serving A.J. Louderback Jackson County Sheriff 36 We Know Counties Laurie English Meet the TAC Risk Management Consultants who provide training and 112th District Attorney education to counties Heather Hawthorne Chambers County Clerk 40 BiblioTech Diane Hoefling How a Texas county created the nation’s first fully digital public library Moore County District Clerk 46 Hitting the Road Jackie Miller, Jr. Ellis County Justice of the Peace Photos from a two-week journey from the state’s northwestern most point to Alma Moreno its southeastern coast. San Patricio County Commissioner 54 A Look at Who’s New in the Texas Legislature Scott Porter A brief introduction to the new faces in the Texas House and Senate Johnson County Tax Assessor-Collector Terry Simpson San Patricio County Judge Michael Truitt Denton County Constable Byron Underwood Departments Cherokee County Commissioner 4 Staff Report | 5 Website Spotlight | 6 Clipboard | 16 MESSAGE FOR YOU | 18 HISTORICAL Grover “Tiger” Worsham Trinity County Commissioner HIGHLIGHTS | 22 VOICES OF COUNTY GOVERNMENT |63 Calendar | 64 County Information EX OFFICIO MEMBERS Program | 66 Newsfeed | 67 WHO TO CALL| 68 One Last Look Mark Hamlin Brazos County District Clerk NACo Representative

County Staff Connie Hickman Gene Terry, Executive Director | Leah Mullikin, Communications Director | Maria Sprow, Editor Navarro County Justice of the Peace Liz Carmack and Joel Nihlean, Contributing Writers | Ben Chomiak, Graphic Design Immediate Past President Ron Hickman ABOUT THE NEW DESIGN Harris County Constable NACo Representative County is proud to reveal a more modern, refreshed design for 2015. We hope our readers will enjoy the updated look, created by TAC Graphic Designer David Garcia. Please let us know what you think by emailing County Editor Maria Sprow at [email protected].

Jan/FebJan/Feb 2015 2015 ★ county.org/magazine county.org/magazine 33

10337_TAC.indd 3 1/19/15 12:20 PM ★ | Staff Report | By Gene Terry, TAC Executive Director MAKING THE MOST OF déjà vu

The great Yogi Berra, while managing the New York Yankees, lost both games of a doubleheader with the Detroit Tigers. Both defeats were really ugly, and when Yogi was asked about the second game he famously replied, “It was like déjà vu all over again.” Phil Connors — the character played so well by Bill Murray in the movie “Groundhog Day” — experiences his own déjà vu when he wakes up to relive the same day, over and over. Who in their right mind could awake every morning to Sonny and Cher singing “I Got You Babe” without going completely nuts? If you recall, at first Phil is confused, then several days later, angry. He eventually settles into this bizarre routine and takes advantage of his unusual situation. He knows exactly what will happen next, and uses this rare knowledge to improve his life. For example, he learns more about Rita, played by Andie MacDowell, including what she likes and what she doesn’t. He becomes philanthropic. He helps people. (Remember when he perfectly times his day to catch the cat falling from a tree?) He even learns to play the piano. When the phenomenon finally stops, he is a different person, a better person. So what’s the point? Some repetition, or déjà vu, in life is inevitable. It’s what we make of it that counts. I was looking at TAC’s new 2015 planning calendar today. It looks a lot like Gene Terry the 2014 version, only a different color. Sure, the dates for each event are slightly different, but not by much. Each year’s schedule is pretty much like the last. Déjà Executive Director, vu all over again. As I review the Association’s obligations and responsibilities for Texas Association of Counties the coming year, I realize that we have the same opportunity Phil Connors had. We know what’s supposed to happen next. Each year about this time, we meet to discuss how last year went, right or wrong, and plan to do better in the coming year. I hope we do. One of the things I harp on around here is that we need to listen to you. You, our members and friends, are the only judges of our success or failure. Our only job is to provide the services you want and need while trying to do a better job this year than we did during the last. I hope our Groundhog Day never ends. What a great opportunity to continually improve upon how we support you and Texas counties. Some repetition, or déjà vu, Hon. Joe Straus, Speaker of the Texas House of Representatives, honors us this in life is inevitable. It’s what month with a great article. Please take the time to read it, and especially note the we make of it that counts.... last paragraph. He really understands who we are and what we do. I’ve been in and around Austin in various capacities for more than 40 years. Some of you have, too. I hope our Groundhog Day I’ve seen leaders come and go. Some departures leave gaping holes and others skid never ends. marks. But every once in a while a leader emerges who exhibits the characteristics of a true statesman. Speaker Straus is one of those leaders. We are indeed lucky to have him. Happy New Year and may God bless you and the work you do for all of us. Thank you. As always, let me know what you need. We are here to serve you. *

4 Jan/Feb 2015 ★ county.org/magazine

10337_TAC.indd 4 1/15/15 1:30 PM Helpful county and county-related websites | Website Spotlight | ★

Texas Legislature Online www.capitol.state.tx.us

tarting on the second Tuesday in SJanuary of each odd-numbered year, one of the most important websites in Texas, for a few months at least, is the Texas Legislature Online. The site puts a wealth of information about the legislative process in the hands of any Texan willing to take the time to learn the site’s ins and outs. With only a few clicks, users can track the bills they love and hate as they wind their way through the legislative process. The site offers email notifications to users when there is movement on a bill, when a hearing has been posted and when the House and Senate have adjourned for the day — especially important since public finding and tracking legislation but hearings start after adjournment. It also for searching for, viewing and is also possible to receive an email printing bill histories, bill analyses, alert when new meeting notices, fiscal notes, amendments, bill minutes or calendars are posted. summaries, committee membership, Finding bills is easy. Users can minutes, witness lists, schedules, and search for them by bill number, house and senate calendars. subject, author, sponsor, committee, A mobile version of the Legislature’s or even keywords. Once a user locates website is available, too, at www. bills of interest, they can create txlegis.com. Users can access all their own special lists of bills or view of the same legislative information commonly requested lists of bills from as the desktop site, and also view the current legislature, including bills live video streams of chamber and signed or vetoed by the governor, bills committee proceedings, access mobile passed, bills with certain effective versions of Who Represents Me? and dates, bills filed by chamber of DistrictViewer, and download full origin, and bills by author, sponsor, PDFs of Texas statutes. ★ committee or subject. The site is not only helpful for

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10337_TAC.indd 5 1/15/15 1:30 PM ★ | CLIPBOARD | News You Can Use

Counties at the Capitol Day set for Feb. 3 ounty officials should relationships in the plan to gather in legislature, that we will CAustin on Tuesday, have the greatest impact at Feb. 3, for TAC’s Counties the Capitol. The challenges at the Capitol event. The counties face this session day’s activities will prep and the number of first-time attendees on the most legislators significantly significant issues of the increases the importance 84th legislative session of establishing a direct and offer opportunities to connection with legislators connect with legislators and this year,” said TAC their staff members. Legislative Director Paul The day will kick off Sugg. with an 8 a.m. breakfast Officials can share where county officials concerns with their will hear from members legislators and staff of the Legislature about the most pressing issues being members in face-to-face meetings or lunches that considered at the Capitol, including the budget process and afternoon, which should be arranged ahead of time. appropriations. They’ll also get a chance to discuss their Officials can use the state’s Who Represents Me? website, county’s concerns and priorities. The breakfast will be held www.fyi.legis.state.tx.us/Home.aspx, or the Texas Tribune’s at the Texas Association of Counties building at the corner directory at www.texastribune.org/directory to get contact of 13th and San Antonio streets. information on their legislators. Next, members of TAC’s Legislative Department will “Ultimately, when tough decisions need to be made moderate a panel discussion of seasoned county officials during this session, TAC would like every legislator to feel and members of TAC’s Core Legislative Group, whose that their county is a trusted source of information and members are advocates on behalf of counties with the guidance, and Counties at the Capitol Day is one of the Legislature. The discussion will center on the importance ways those important relationships will be cultivated,” of being engaged in the legislative process, building Sugg said. relationships with legislators, and their lessons learned in To close out the day’s events, officials will return to the being an effective champion of county causes. TAC building for the Legislative Reception, scheduled from When the panel breaks just before lunch, county officials 5-7 p.m. “Don’t forget to invite your legislator to attend the are encouraged to make the short walk over to the Capitol TAC Legislative Reception that evening,” said Sugg. “This to meet with their legislators. is the perfect opportunity for county officials to engage with “It is our hope that by making a concentrated effort legislators and their staff members in an informal setting.” to focus on county issues on that day, and building

Mark Your Calendar: Important dates for the 84th LEGISLATURE Monday, Nov. 10, 2014 Friday, Mar. 13, 2015 Monday, Jun. 1, 2015 Prefiling of legislation for the 84th Legisla- Deadline for filing bills and joint resolutions Sine Die, the last day of the 84th Regular ture began. other than local bills, emergency appropri- Session. ations and bills that have been declared an Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2015 emergency by the governor. Sunday, June 21, 2015 84th Legislature convenes at noon. Last day governor can sign or veto bills April 1-30, 2015 passed during the regular legislative session Tuesdays, Jan. 13-May 26, 2015 County Government Month TAC’s Tuesday Morning Breakfast Series, Monday, August 31, 2015 each Tuesday at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, April 15, 2015 Date that bills without specific effective County Government Day at the Capitol dates (that could not be effective immediate- Tuesday, Feb. 3, 2015 ly) become law. Counties at the Capitol Day.

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Counties Celebrate, Raise Awareness of County Government in April The National Association of Counties (NACo) is again encouraging the nation’s counties to celebrate National County Government Month (NCGM) in April to raise public awareness and understanding about the roles and responsibilities of county government. Throughout the month, counties can TAC’s Tuesday Morning actively promote their programs and services by hosting community outreach Breakfasts Return events and activities. Ideas include AC’s Tuesday Morning Breakfasts are one meal county officials shouldn’t hosting tours of county facilities, holding skip. For more than 20 years, TAC’s Legislative Department has hosted recognition ceremonies for county Tits signature Tuesday morning breakfast meetings to provide county employees and volunteers, distributing officials with the motivation and information they need to tackle another week information about county programs and at the Capitol and resolve any legislative questions. services, sponsoring student essay and The breakfasts take place from 7:30-8:30 a.m. in the TAC Board Room, less art contests, meeting with business and than three blocks from the Capitol. Officials who come to Austin to testify in public hearings or speak with their legislators are encouraged to park community leaders, adopting resolutions, their vehicles in the TAC parking garage for the day, treat themselves to hosting student field trips and staging some breakfast tacos and hear about county-related issues and the session’s mock trials. progressions directly from TAC’s dedicated staff of legislative liaisons and In addition to county-hosted activities, invited legislators. “These meetings are truly a working meeting for any county official to attend TAC will host a County Government Day if they’re in town. As the legislative session continues and committee hearings barbeque at the Capitol on April 15. All start convening more frequently, the breakfasts will take on a grab-n-go county officials visiting the Capitol that format of the big issues facing counties that particular week. I think they’re day are invited to grab a free lunch in the an absolutely essential component to our success during the session,” said TAC Legislative Conference Room from 11:30 Legislative Director Paul Sugg. a.m.-2 p.m. Key guest speakers are often invited to discuss important county-related bills, the inner-workings of the Legislature and other topics. The free breakfasts are More information on NCGM can be found also a great opportunity to network with other elected officials, and officials can by visiting the NACo website, www.naco. make use of the free TAC parking garage while at the Capitol. org. The website offers a NCGM guide for Tuesday morning breakfasts start on Jan. 13 at the TAC building at 1210 San counties, as well as a video titled Why Antonio Street and run each Tuesday morning throughout the 84th legislative session. Counties Matter, graphics and posters.

Jan/Feb 2015 ★ county.org/magazine 7

10337_TAC.indd 7 1/15/15 1:30 PM ★ | CLIPBOARD | News You Can Use

Retiring Judges Honored at Ceremony he nearly 100 county judges who left office last year received a heartfelt Tfarewell and special recognition from their peers during a ceremony held at the Texas Judicial Academy’s Fall Judicial Education Session in Austin. Only a portion of the retiring judges were present for the ceremony but many were long- time public servants who have played key leadership roles in state associations, raising awareness on legislative issues affecting counties and improving county government services for their communities. TAC thanks them and other retiring elected officials for their service. The county judges who retired in Floyd County Judge Penny Golightly; Sappington; 2014 are: Franklin County Judge Paul Lovier; Montgomery County Judge Alan Sadler; Archer County Judge Gary Beesinger; Gaines County Judge Lance Celander; Nacogdoches County Judge Joe English; Atascosa County Judge Diana Butista; Goliad County Judge David Bowman; Newton County Judge Truman Dougharty; Austin County Judge Carolyn Bilksi; Grayson County Judge Drue Bynum; Nolan County Judge Tim Frambrough; Bastrop County Judge Jim Wither; Grimes County Judge Betty Shiflett; Orange County Judge Carl Thibodeaux; Bastrop County Judge Ronnie McDonald; Guadalupe County Judge Larry Jones; Panola County Judge David Anderson; Baylor County Judge Linda Rogers; Guadalupe County Judge Michael T. Wiggins; Polk County Judge John Thompson; Blanco County Judge Billy Guthrie; Guadalupe County Judge Charles J. Potter County Judge Arther Ware; Bosque County Judge Cole Word; Willmann; Presidio County Judge Paul Hunt; Bowie County Judge Sterling Lacy; Hamilton County Judge Randy Mills; Red River County Judge Morris Harville; Brazoria County Judge E.J. King; Hardin County Judge Billy Caraway; Refugio County Judge Rene Mascarro; Brewster County Judge Val Beard; Hopkins County Judge Chris Brown; Roberts County Judge Vernon H. Cook; Brewster County Judge Kathy Killingsworth; Houston County Judge Lonnie Hunt; Robertson County Judge Jan Roe; Brooks County Judge Raul Ramirez; Houston County Judge R.C. von Doenhoff; Rockwall County Judge Jerry Hogan; Burnet County Judge Donna Klaeger; Howard County Judge Mark Barr; San Jacinto County Judge Fritz Faulkner; Caldwell County Judge Tom Bonn; Hudspeth County Judge Rebecca Dean- Scurry County Judge Rod Waller; Carson County Judge Lewis Powers; Walker; Shelby County Judge Rick Campbell; Cass County Judge Charles McMichael; Jeff Davis County Judge George Grubb; Somervell County Judge Mike Ford; Castro County Judge William F. Sava; Jim Wells County Judge L. Saenz; Sterling County Judge Ralph Sides; Cochran County Judge Billy Carter; Karnes County Judge Richard Butler; Sutton County Judge Carla Garner; Cochran County Judge James St. Clair; Karnes County Judge Barbara Shaw; Tom Green County Judge Michael D. Brown; Coleman County Judge Joe Watson; Kimble County Judge Andrew Murr; Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe; Cooke County Judge John Roane; Kinney County Judge Woody Massingill; Upshur County Judge Jim Bowling; Cottle County Judge D.N. Gregory; Kinney County Judge Tim Ward; Val Verde County Judge Laura Allen; Dallam County Judge David Field; Liberty County Judge Craig McNair; Van Zandt County Judge Rhita Koches; Dawson County Judge Allen Wells; Llano County Judge Wayne Brascom; Victoria County Judge Donald Pozzi; Deaf Smith County Judge Tom Simons; Lynn County Judge H.G. Franklin; Waller County Judge Glenn Beckendorff; Delta County Judge Herb Brookshire; Madison County Judge Arthur Henson; Webb County Judge Daniel Valdez; Dickens County Judge Lesa Arnold; Marion County Judge Phil Parker; Willacy County Judge John Gonzales; Donley County Judge Jack Hall; Martin County Judge Charles Blocker; Wilson County Judge Marvin Quinney; Duval County Judge Abel Aragon; McLennan County Judge Jim Lewis; Winkler County Judge Bonnie Leck; and Falls County Judge Steve Sharp; Medina County Judge James Barden; Wise County Judge Glenn Hughes. Fisher County Judge Marshal Bennett; Montague County Judge Tommie

8 Jan/Feb 2015 ★ county.org/magazine

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FIGHTING FIRE Wharton County Safety Training Officer Paul Shan- non created a 30-minute classroom presentation to help teach county employees about fire behavior, what to do in the case of a fire and how to properly use the county’s portable fire extinguishers. The training included an opportunity to use an extin- guisher on a real fire, contained in a training prop Shannon built for the class. More than 100 county employees attended one of the six workshops. “I now have a bunch of new little firefighters,” said Shannon, who is himself a volunteer firefighter.

driving range skills with high-tech golf balls that instantly score your Healthy County Boot accuracy and distance. Attendees will also enjoy games, networking and a delicious dinner, too. Camp Set for February Friday morning, attendees are invited to participate in the Fun Run and Walk on the trails around the Marriott and the La Frontera shopping 12-13 center, or the indoor exercise class. In February, county wellness coordinators and sponsors participating The Boot Camp closes out with the Iris Stagner Award ceremony. The in the TAC Health and Employee Benefits Pool (TAC HEBP) Healthy award honors Iris Stagner, a wellness coordinator from Palo Pinto County program are invited to the Austin Marriott North in Round Rock County who was killed by a motorist while riding her bike outside to get the tools they need to better engage county employees in their Mineral Wells in 2012. The award recognizes the most innovative, wellness programs. enthusiastic and dedicated of the Pool’s wellness advocates. The 2015 Healthy County Boot Camp will be held Feb. 13-14. National Wellness coordinators wellness expert Paul Hain, the senior medical director for Government or sponsors nominated & National Accounts at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, will for the award are eval- deliver the opening keynote. uated based on their history of meeting the This year’s theme is , and the event will provide Driving Engagement vision of the Healthy participants with the latest best practices, helpful case studies and County program, their strategies they need to make 2015 a better, healthier year in their success in motivating counties. employees to partici- “We’re very excited about the program we’ve put together for this pate in Healthy County year’s Boot Camp. We’ve booked fantastic industry experts and speak- wellness programs, ers, and we know our attendees are going to leave empowered and the number of health-related activities planned for county employees ready to return to their county and engage employees and help them and the amount of leadership support gained for wellness programs make healthier decisions,” said Healthy County Wellness Consultant throughout the county. Carrye Chen. TAC HEBP sponsors the annual conference for Pool-member coun- The workshops and sessions in this year’s conference will focus on ties and offers a limited number of free registrations per-day on a techniques for increasing participation and sustaining engagement first-come, first-served basis to attendees representing their counties’ in county wellness programs. Participants will also leave equipped wellness programs. The Pool also reimburses most of the travel with the knowledge and know-how to effectively manage their local expenses for two employees per member county. wellness programs and tailor them to meet the unique needs of their Invited attendees should register no later than Feb. 4. Online registra- county. tion, the full agenda, and all other conference details are at county. Thursday evening, attendees will find out whatDriving Engagement org/HCBootCamp. Contact Ashley Royer at (800) 456-5974 with any is really all about at one of Austin’s newest sports entertainment ven- questions. ues, TopGolf. Everyone from beginners to aspiring pros can test their

Jan/Feb 2015 ★ county.org/magazine 9

10337_TAC.indd 9 1/15/15 1:30 PM ★ | CLIPBOARD | News You Can Use

Healthy County Spotlight: Keeping Sight of What’s Important Sutton County Maintenance Supervisor gets diabetes under control with a healthy diet and exercise

he warning signs were there. always stymied his treatment. He felt Johnny Solis ignored them — at drowsy and off balance when taking Tfirst, anyway. medication. He couldn’t climb a ladder Diabetes has run in Solis’s family at work to trim the trees around the for as long as he can remember. His courthouse; he felt unsteady just mother had it. So did his father. Both walking. his brother and his sister had also Solis backed off his medication, recently been diagnosed. The Sutton eventually quitting it altogether. He County maintenance supervisor of told himself he could watch his diet nearly 30 years was on his feet every and go it alone. He watched what day though, and he looked healthy and he ate, but admits he didn’t watch felt good, so he didn’t give it too much closely enough, and allowed himself thought. to cheat his diet too often. Meanwhile, was treated with laser surgery in the Solis loved his sweets. He drank Dr. his father’s diabetes worsened. Blood following months. He thought that Pepper by the jug while at work and vessel damage in his legs had reduced was the end of it. never passed up a free snack. blood supply and an infection rapidly It wasn’t. “People would bring donuts when spread. The complications cost him his It eventually all came to a head. they had court, and I just couldn’t legs. Solis didn’t think much of it at the resist, I had to have a donut then. Solis’s father passed away in 2009. time, but he remembers the day Sweets and cookies too, anything they In January 2013, Solis visited an perfectly. had, I had to have it,” he said. eye doctor, the same one who had “Feb. 5, it was a Wednesday. I was But Solis was losing weight. His taken care of his mother when he digging and working—pulling weeds mother encouraged him to go to the lost part of her eye. The doctor found out. I had my head down for a long doctor and get checked out. She had that blood vessels in Solis’s eyes were while. When I looked up I could see recently lost part of her eye due to bleeding. His diabetic eye disease red stripes, you know, like when you’re complications related to her diabetes. seeing stars and fixing to pass out. I He dutifully obeyed and got a figured it was just because I’d been diabetes diagnosis of his own. looking down for so long,” said During the visit, Solis’s Solis. So he tried to forget doctor that said he thought about it. the diabetes could easily Later that week, while be brought under control driving home at night, with simple medication. he experienced it again. The doctor wrote him One headlight from an a prescription for Actos oncoming car was bright and sent him on his way, and the other red. But he but the side effects made let it go. taking the small white Finally, Sunday, while tablets untenable. reading the paper, he “My body couldn’t handle realized he couldn’t let it go the medication. I didn’t feel any longer. It was serious. right, and I would just get so The paper looked streaked with hungry and so thirsty,” said Solis. red, and there was a black spot “By the time I’d come in from work, in his vision, too. He went to his anything I could grab, I’d eat it.” doctor, and was sent straight to the Solis worked with his doctor trying hospital. A blood vessel had burst different medications and dosages over and was filling his eye with blood. He the next few years, but side effects needed emergency surgery to save his

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eye, just as his mother had needed years earlier. Laying on the gurney, being Take It Personally: County prepped for surgery, Solis thought about his family, and especially about Employees Encouraged to his daughter and his new grandson. “I told myself this is it. Something Get Their Personal Health needs to give now. I promised myself I would quit drinking, quit sweets and Assessment Today go on a strict diet for real this time,” Solis recalls. Healthy County’s annual Health Assessment Incentive Campaign is underway. This voluntary The damage to Solis’s body program provided through Healthy County — the TAC Health and Employee Benefits Pool happened over years, not overnight, wellness program — gives employees a snapshot of their health risks and lifestyle choices and recovery will be the same, said and how those factors can affect them down the road. his doctor. But already, Solis is on the right track. Being able to see The health assessment is a confidential, easy-to-understand online questionnaire that takes his grandson grow up motivates only 10 to 15 minutes to complete. Once the as- him to stick to his diet and exercise sessment has been completed, employees receive regularly. He cut out almost all sweets, substituting them for fresh an individualized report that provides them with fruits and vegetables, and he traded in guidance and suggestions on the next steps to his Dr. Pepper for plain coffee in the improving their health. The answers are also used mornings and water while working to tailor the Well onTarget portal with the programs outdoors. that can help employees reach their health goals. “When I look for something to eat, I take the time and look at the label in “This year’s theme is Take It Personally,” said the store. I see how much sugar, salt Healthy County Wellness Coordinator Rosalinda DiTomasso. “We want people to think about and trans fats it has. I watch it all what drives them in their daily life, to take charge of their health and the future for the closely now,” said Solis. reasons that mean the most to them, whether that’s being healthier for family, or for the goal Solis checks his blood sugar every of looking better by this summer or just being the best they can be at their job.” morning, but he doesn’t take any medication or insulin. His blood sugar To help educate your employees about this campaign and the incentives available to em- is at a consistent 106, safely in the ployees, Healthy County has created a helpful flier that provides step-by-step instructions for normal range. Keeping his diabetes in taking the Health Assessment. It will be distributed to county wellness coordinators and can check is a feat he’s accomplished with be distributed through payroll, employee mailboxes or email. a healthy diet and regular exercise. “For Thanksgiving, I did cheat “The health assessment is really an essential first step in not only getting health costs myself, I ate some pumpkin pie, some under control, but helping keep employees healthy and happy long-term by connecting them pecan pie,” admits Solis, “but I knew with programs that help them reach their health goals,” said TAC Healthy County Wellness that I had to exercise. I live close to Consultant Carrye Chen. “For example, a great diabetes management program doesn’t do you the football field. So I walk a lot more now, and try to push myself to burn any good if you don’t identify diabetic employees and connect them with that resource. it off. It’s like the folks from Healthy All employees on the TAC HEBP health plan who complete the health assessment between County said in the meeting with our Jan. 1 and March 31 will receive a $35 gift card. Employees can also earn Life Points on the county, ‘you gotta move.’” Blue Cross and Blue Shield Blue Access for Members (BAM) website by completing activities like taking the health assessment and participating in Blue Cross’ Fitness Program. The Life Points can be redeemed for prizes like clothing, books, electronics, health and personal care items, music and sporting goods. Counties will earn rewards, too. Employer Rewards money is available to counties for each employee who takes a health assessment by March 31. The money counties earn through the Employer Rewards program can be used to help fund county wellness efforts. For more information about the health assessment campaign and Employer Rewards program, or general Healthy County questions, please call (800) 456-5974.

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TAC, TEXAS JUDICIAL ACADEMY HONOR RETIRED ROBERTS COUNTY JUDGE WITH PRESTIGIOUS GILES DALBY AWARD

Roberts County Judge Vernon Cook became the third recipient of the Giles W. Dalby Award for Judicial Leader- ship during a ceremony for retiring judges held in November. TAC and the Texas Judicial Academy established the award in 2006 to honor judges who demonstrate a lifetime of “character, integrity, and service to the judiciary, county government and community.” The first recipient of the award was Dalby himself, in 2006. The long-time former Garza County judge was a past president of TAC, heavily involved in the TAC pools and the founding chair of the County Judges Education Committee, among other leadership roles. Retired Polk County Judge John Thompson received the honor in 2009. Cook led his Panhandle community as county judge from 1991 through 2014, when he announced his retirement. He has served as president of TAC, the West Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association and TAC President and Oldham County Judge Don Allred (right) presented Roberts County Judge Vernon Cook the Panhandle Regional Planning with the Giles Dalby Award for Judicial Leadership on behalf of the Texas Association of Counties and the Commission, among other leadership Texas Judicial Academy during a ceremony held in November. The Dalby Award is given to honor officials who roles. exhibit life-long character, integrity and service to the judiciary and counties.

Register Today for County Management and Risk Conference in April County officials and managers won’t want to miss the County Manage- ment and Risk Conference, scheduled April 8-10 at the Sheraton Austin Hotel at the Capitol. TAC combined the best of its County Management Institute and Pool Symposium to create this new conference. Sessions will present resources and solutions that counties can use to reduce risk and prevent losses throughout their operations. The program will also cover the latest on Health Care Reform and how employee wellness affects the bottom line, as well as collaboration skills to improve management practices. Find out more and register today at www.county.org/cmrc. Contact Ash- ley Royer in the TAC Education Department at (800) 456-5974 with any questions.

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New Probate Academy Scheduled May 20-22 The Probate Academy, set May 20- the hotel at (806) 776-7000 and ask for 22 in Lubbock, will address issues the “Texas Association of Counties” encountered by constitutional county room block. Rooms at the $85 (single judges and clerks when hearing and and double) rate are limited. The disposing of a general jurisdiction deadline for a guaranteed reservation probate docket. is May 4. Contact Joyce Francis or The new course will feature two David Hodges at (800) 456-5974 for tracts, one for judges and one for more information. elected clerks and those responsible The Probate Academy is partially for daily operations of the probate The course will cover statutory funded by a Judicial and Court court. The tracks will clarify the role and case law instruction, docket Personnel Training Fund Grant and duties of each office in handling management, guardianship oversight administered by the Texas Court probate cases. Judges can earn 16 and suggested solutions for common of Criminal Appeals. Funding is hours of continuing education credit problem areas. Instructors will available to reimburse judges for (CEC) for attending. Clerk CECs are include law professors, experienced attending this program over and yet to be determined. probate judges and practicing beyond the $750 limit on other The Texas Judicial Academy, a attorneys. approved programs in accordance with partnership between the Texas Find more information and register grant guidelines. Funding is available Association of Counties County online at www.county.org/probate. to reimburse clerks in accordance Judges Education Committee and the Registration is $100 through May 4 with grant guidelines and number Texas Tech University School of Law, and $125 afterward. The event will of attendance per county. Please call established this new program based take place at the Overton Hotel & Michele Mund at (800) 456-5974 with on county officials’ feedback. Conference Center in Lubbock. Call questions about the reimbursement.

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NEWLY ELECTED COUNTY OFFICIALS Newly Elected WELCOMED TO PUBLIC SERVICE Officials: By the Numbers County Judges ...... 67 Commissioners ...... 144 STRONGER CONNECTIONS, County Attorneys ...... 5 District Attorneys ...... 5 Criminal District Attorneys . . 8 District Clerks ...... 37 STRONGER COUNTIES. County Clerks ...... 27 District & County Clerks . . . 11 Sheriffs ...... 2 Newly elected county officials attend a Preparing to Take Office regional workshop in Livingston on Dec. 9. Tax Assessor-Collectors . . . . 2 facebook.com/TexasCounties Treasurers ...... 49 More than 350 of the state’s 534 for residents and taxpayers and the Justices of the Peace . . . . 159 newly elected county officials attend- significance of peer-to-peer networking Constables ...... 18 ed one of TAC’s regional Preparing to and resources offered to county officials Take Office workshops, held in eight lo- from their respective professional ———————————————— twitter.com/TexasCounties cations around the state in December. statewide associations. Total ...... 534 The one-day workshops introduced the newly elected officials to TAC, its services and its operations. Workshops youtube.com/TexasCountiesVideo also covered important fundamen- tal information such as employment liability issues, the Open Meeting and Public Information Act and the ethical county.org rules of holding a county government office. Some key takeaways from the session include the importance of county officials throughout the courthouse Connect, Learn and working together to create an efficient and effective system of services Exchange with TAC Online

TAC welcomed 80 newly elected county officials Join us online and benefit from to office during the San Antonio workshop held on Dec. 16. the extensive legal and legislative resources, educational opportunities, county news and best practices, Conference of the TAC County essential data, and invaluable Investment Academy Set June 8-10 information TAC’s website and online communities offer to leaders across Mark your calendar now for the annual Conference of the TAC County Investment Academy, scheduled June 8-10 at the Omni San Antonio Hotel at the Colonnade. Save the date and check future issues of the state like you. County and the “Calendar of Events” on TAC’s website at www.county.org for more details as they become available. Contact Deanna Auert in Education Services with any questions at (800) 456-5974. county.org

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STRONGER CONNECTIONS, STRONGER COUNTIES.

facebook.com/TexasCounties

twitter.com/TexasCounties

youtube.com/TexasCountiesVideo

county.org

Connect, Learn and Exchange with TAC Online Join us online and benefit from the extensive legal and legislative resources, educational opportunities, county news and best practices, essential data, and invaluable information TAC’s website and online communities offer to leaders across the state like you.

county.org

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10337_TAC.indd 15 1/15/15 1:30 PM ★ | MESSAGE FOR YOU | County Magazine

Solutions Taking Shape in the TexaS House

hese are not great times to be in public office. Gridlock in Washington has left little confidence in elected officials at any level of government to Taddress big challenges. This inaction on pressing national issues fosters frustration and cynicism among the public. But just like many of you who lead Texas counties, we in the Texas House of Representatives believe there’s a better way to do things. We know that voters want us to build consensus around solutions that affect their everyday lives and our shared future as Texans. We also understand that rapid population growth leaves us no other choice but to address some very serious challenges. The Texas House is going to do just that in our 2015 legislative session. Members of the House have prepared diligently for the work ahead by holding dozens of hearings, studying solutions, and meeting with constituents and stakeholders over the last year. This work often occurs far from the spotlight, but it lays a foundation for the much faster pace of our 140-day session. And it will provide valuable guidance in the months ahead. For one, the House is going to focus on strengthening our workforce. Too many students come out of high school, whether they graduate or not, without Speaker Joe Straus the direction or training they need. Meanwhile, high-paying jobs in emerging fields sit unfilled. One of our priorities will be to strengthen college programs Republican Joe Straus that train students for in-demand careers. We will also offer more educational represents part of Bexar opportunities for doctors, nurses and others who are desperately needed in our County in the Texas House of Representatives, where he also fast-growing health care workforce. serves as Speaker. The House will also build on our efforts to improve transportation. A Join TAC’s Core legislative committee has been studying ways to provide additional funding for our ever-crowded roads and highways and will report its findings. But the House is also pursuing other solutions to reduce congestion and keep our Legislative Group economy moving. PRESERVE The House is committed to using all of the money in our State Highway Fund As a member on the front lines, you’ll: We know that voters want for transportation — something that hasn’t been done in decades and that will • Contact your local legislators in person, increase transportation spending by about $650 million per year without a tax us to build consensus around by phone, email, Twitter or in writing; increase. This is part of our larger effort, begun last session, to use more of LOCAL CONTROL solutions that affect their the taxes and fees that the state collects for their intended purpose. This shift • Provide testimony (written or verbal) at everyday lives and our toward transparency in our budget will directly affect and improve emergency committee hearings; shared future of Texas. ... medical care and some of the other critical services that counties provide. • Complete witness cards for or against Working together to produce Finally, the House will reform the state’s economic development programs. legislation at committee hearings; and One of our primary goals will be to increase accountability in the way the state meaningful solutions: that’s • Supply TAC with your valuable opinions uses taxpayer dollars to recruit job-creators. I’m confident that we can provide regarding legislation that could impact what happens in county that protection for taxpayers while maintaining our edge over other states. county government. courthouses every week and These are just a few of the priorities that will guide our work in the months IN YOUR ahead. We will also address issues that range from water to public safety to that’s what will continue to veterans’ mental health care. Each is grounds for a collaborative approach that happen in the Texas House. brings members together for the good of this state. Working together to produce meaningful solutions: that’s what happens in Join now. county courthouses every week and that’s what will continue to happen in the Contact Legislative Group Coordinator Texas House. Here’s hoping Washington will begin to follow the example we’ve Rhita Koches at [email protected] set. * COUNTY

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10337_TAC.indd 16 1/15/15 1:30 PM Interesting notes about Texas history, by Liz Carmack | Historical Highlights | ★

Join TAC’s Core PRESERVE Legislative Group As a member on the front lines, you’ll: • Contact your local legislators in person, LOCAL CONTROL by phone, email, Twitter or in writing; • Provide testimony (written or verbal) at committee hearings; • Complete witness cards for or against legislation at committee hearings; and • Supply TAC with your valuable opinions regarding legislation that could impact IN YOUR county government. Join now. Contact Legislative Group Coordinator COUNTY Rhita Koches at [email protected] .

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Brazos County Historical Commission Chair Henry Mayo (left) and County Judge Duane Peters sit beneath the Witnessing History Eastern red cedar that dates to the formation of the county Trees Rooted in Counties’ Past in 1841. (Liz Carmack photo.)

county for the first time and camped trio attempting to embrace past. It’s just one of about a dozen under the tree, which was part of a the centuries-old Fleming Oak trees across the state whose roots grove of oaks. A few years later, the would barely be able to clasp intertwine with those of Texas county A tree is said to have saved the young hands around its trunk. Its wide government. man, who used it to hide from a canopy stretches across the southwest marauding band of Comanches. corner of the Comanche County Comanche County Fleming Oak According to Comanche County Courthouse Square. Acorns cover the Considering its age and location at Historical Commission Chair Fain ground below, where little unpaved one of the town’s busiest intersections, McDaniel, Fleming probably also stood earth remains to absorb rainwater. the Fleming Oak is lucky to be alive, under the branches of the old oak A constant stream of semi-trailer said County Judge James Arthur. “I when he enlisted in Texas’ first cavalry trucks, laden with everything from think this is the reason,” he added, regiment during the Civil War. After milk and Lays Potato Chips to pipe pointing to a well dug in the mid-1800s the war ended, Fleming ran a butcher bound for the Permian Basin, thunders a dozen or so feet from the oak. shop across Central Avenue from the past the historic oak. The commercial While the waters tapped by the oak. traffic belches diesel fumes into the historic well may have helped the When the courthouse square was tree’s branches as it passes a dozen feet Fleming Oak survive all these years, paved in 1911, Fleming apparently from the tree’s base. much of the credit for its longevity goes saw a crew removing the live oaks in Despite its less than ideal to a Comanche County pioneer who the grove. He stepped in to save the environment, Comanche County’s championed its preservation. tree, telling the road crew that if they Fleming Oak has survived to help As the story goes, in 1854 Martin touched the oak with an axe he would illustrate a piece of the county’s V. Fleming and his father visited the use his “Number 10s” on them. It’s here

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that two versions of the story emerge. In one, Fleming is said to have been referring to his 10-gauge shotgun. In another, the “Number 10s” referenced were his size 10 boots. Either way, Fleming convinced the workers to save the tree, and the community has since embraced his cause. Nominate “A lot of people here love that tree,” Arthur said. Your County’s Now the oak presides over a varied display of Comanche County’s history. Its branches Historic Tree shelter a reconstructed Counties may nominate a historic two-room log cabin, part tree for the Famous Trees of Texas of which was the original list by completing a form on the county courthouse located Texas &M Forest Service’s website in the former county seat of Cora. Interpretive displays at famoustreesoftexas.tamu.edu. around the building recount The tree must meet four criteria to the county’s early history. Six be nominated: historical markers erected . Located at or near the site of underneath the tree reveal more. a significant state, county, or Travelers have long passed community event and must have beneath the oak’s branches. The centuries old Fleming Oak towers over Comanche County Judge James Arthur (left) and County Historical been alive at the time of the Today, Central Avenue is a conflation Commission Chair Fain McDaniel on the southwest corner of U.S. highways 377 and 67 and Texas event; of the county’s courthouse square. (Liz Carmack photo.) State Highway 36 as they run through . Is directly connected to the War Comanche. But around the time the a cabin belonging to pioneer Joseph for Texas Independence, the county was established in 1856, the Ferguson, near Ferguson Springs Republic of Texas, or another same route was used to haul supplies Crossing on the Navasota River. The of the historical topics on the to military posts on Texas’ western cabin served as the county’s first courthouse when the county’s first website; frontier such as Fort Chadbourne, McDaniel said. officers were elected and the first term . Is recognized by a Texas A plaque inset into the sidewalk at of the district court convened in the log Historical Commission marker or the base of the tree reads, “Century building. is identified in historical records, Vault Buried Treasure, July 4, 1976 to Later that same year, the county established Boonville as the county newspaper accounts, or photos; be opened 2076.” The area has changed drastically since Fleming and his seat and built a one-story, frame and father first camped under that grove courthouse. In 1854, a two-story . Is in reasonably good health of oaks in 1854. It boggles the mind to frame courthouse was constructed at the center of Boonville’s busy and is likely to remain so for the imagine what it will look like when the courthouse square. Surrounding foreseeable future. vault is opened. Perhaps the Fleming Oak will survive to see it. businesses included a hotel, a store “Anyone can fill out a form, supply and post office, a blacksmith’s shop a photo and provide supporting Brazos County Courthouse Cedar and a gristmill. Col. Harvey Mitchell — considered the “Father of Brazos documentation,” Riley said. “There An Eastern red cedar on the Brazos County” — transplanted the red cedar has to be some sort of proof the County Courthouse’s southern plaza is thought to have born witness to the to the new courthouse. The tree was tree was there when the story county’s establishment in 1841, when transplanted again to its current home happened and not planted later as a the county was named Navasota. on the present courthouse square commemorative event.” As a sapling, the tree grew outside when the county seat moved to Bryan

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and the county erected its fourth cut off. The county used the dead wood the significance of the tree,” County courthouse in 1870. to create plaques honoring long-time Judge Duane Peters said. Stories and photos appearing in the employees. Bryan-College Station Eagle during “After part of it died, we didn’t think The Hays County Log Cabin Oaks the mid-1950s reflect the community’s it would last that long,” said Ernest On Moon Street in San Marcos, a concern over the tree’s fate as the Stutts, director of Brazos County’s strip mall holding the Colloquium county prepared to demolish its 1892 Facilities Services Department. Book Store, the Jo on the Go coffee stone courthouse and replace it with But the historic tree continues shop and a hooka lounge caters to the steel, brick and marble building to survive, thanks to county crew students attending nearby Texas of Modern design that stands today. that hand-watered it during dry State University. In the strip center’s Special care was taken to protect the periods and fertilize it annually. The crumbling asphalt parking lot resides a tree during the project. According to remaining fork of the trunk is lush living remnant of Hays County history one newspaper account: “Judge Ware with vegetation; its branch, supported – a gang of four gnarled live oaks. also said that the Commissioner’s by a post, grows practically parallel Growing near the west bank of the Court would not accept any building to the ground. Its twisted shape gives San Marcos River, the trees sheltered plans which included uprooting the it the appearance of an overgrown a cabin that served as Hays County’s historic cedar tree, which has stood bonsai. first courthouse upon the county’s before three courthouses since 1841.” Concrete benches, historical markers creation in 1848. The cabin also housed A photo taken during that era shows noting Brazos County’s history and the county’s first district court. the thriving red cedar standing three the cornerstone from the county’s 1882 In the early 1860s, while Hays times a man’s height and within courthouse accompany the tree today County built a new courthouse on some 20 feet of the old courthouse’s on an unpaved patch amid the concrete the town square several blocks to the foundations. Today, the state’s recent and red brick courthouse plaza. west, the cabin and its oaks continued drought has taken its toll. In 2011, a “We’re fortunate that we’ve had folks to witness early county history. In part of its trunk died and its top was working for the county that understood 1862, soldiers from Col. Peter C.

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TCDRS ANNUAL CONFERENCE H JULY 20–22, 2015

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Wood’s regiment of the Confederate Service. The site was born from a Army camped and practiced drills book by the same name published in a block north and Capt. James G. 1970 by Texas A&M University Press. Story’s Company A made the cabin In February, the press will release his headquarters during the Civil an update to Famous Trees of Texas, War. Sam Houston delivered an early said Gretchen Riley, partnership gubernatorial campaign speech in coordinator with the Texas A&M 1857 under the historic Kissing Oak, Forest Service. two blocks to the east. “The new, updated version is The cabin burned in 1874, road commemorating the 100-year construction felled some of the trees anniversary of our agency,” Riley said. and San Marcos grew into a bustling “We’ll have 100 trees in the book.” city of 54,000. But for those who know One chapter of the new book is called where to look, the remaining Hays 254. “You can tell by its title that these County Log Cabin oaks provide a living are the trees that were associated with link the county’s simpler past. the establishment of a county or where the first district court or county court Historic County Trees Featured on Website, in Book Other noteworthy trees across the state tied to early county history include the Bell County Charter Oak, The Bosque County Oak, the Commissioners Court Oak (Crockett County), the District Court Oak (Parker County), the Kimble County Oak, the Liberty Courthouse Oak, the Live Oak County Charter Oak and the Traders Oak (Tarrant County). The stories and photos of these and dozens of other trees that witnessed early Texas history are featured on The Hays County Log Cabin Oaks in San Marcos were the Famous Trees of Texas website, part of a live oak grove that sheltered the county’s first famoustreesoftexas.tamu.edu, Famous Trees of Texas will be released in February 2015 courthouse. (Liz Carmack photo.) maintained by the Texas A&M Forest by Texas A&M University Press. JANUARY IS TIME TO NOTIFY TEXAS HISTORICAL COMMISSION ABOUT COUNTY HISTORICAL COMMISSION APPOINTMENTS January is time for commissioners courts to appoint their county commission’s historical marker committee. historical commission (CHC) members, as directed by the Texas Local The THC’s County Historical Commission Outreach Program keeps an Government Code, Chapter 318. updated database of all county historical commission members to support Each CHC must be composed of at least seven residents who broadly their local efforts and offer assistance as needed. Commissioners courts reflect the age, ethnic, and geographic diversity of the county. State law should check the THC website at www.thc.state.tx.us/submitting-chc- requires commissioners courts make these appointments each January in appointee-updates for further information and resources, including: odd-numbered years. Members serve two-year terms. - suggested appointee selection criteria; CHCs initiate and conduct programs suggested by their commissioners - sample application for appointment to the CHC; courts and the Texas Historical Commission (THC) for the preservation of - sample CHC meeting agenda (provided by Brewster County); the county’s historic cultural resources. Specific duties include establishing - template for submitting CHC contacts to the THC; and a system for the periodic review, assessment and maintenance of official - frequently asked questions about the relationship between county Texas Historical Markers within the county. government and CHCs. State law requires each commissioners court provide the THC with a Counties with questions concerning CHC appointments should contact list of the CHC members and the mailing address of each. The THC asks Amy Hammons, CHC outreach coordinator for the THC, at amy.hammons@ that each county also provide the name of the chair of the county historical thc.state.tx.us or (512) 475-2692.

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10337_TAC.indd 21 1/15/15 1:30 PM ★ | Voices of County Government | County Magazine Voices of county government

In all 254 counties, county government is a full-time job. Texas county government officials dedicate their careers and lives to public service and are the foremost experts on the challenges their neighbors face each day. County government officials are as diverse as the Texans who elect them, coming from every background imaginable. But as a group, they have one thing in common: from El Paso to Newton and from Dallam to Cameron, county officials are dedicated and committed to keeping Texas strong. Here, county officials talk about their passion for public service. (Interviews here have been edited for brevity.) *

John Brieden Washington County Judge

important thing about you being National Commander?” After a couple of seconds thought, I replied, “It is not about me being National Commander, the important thing is who I had to become to be able to run for Commander.” I was always politically and legislatively involved but never intended to run for office. I was fine supporting those who had the same philosophies as me, who were willing to listen when I had a position on an What was it that initially brought you to a life of the assigned businesses. So I became issue and voted the way I wanted public service? And what drives you to stick with one of the ones that would call on the most of the time. I always said that if it and continue to serve? business that had not been contacted I wanted 100 percent agreement then It started as just serving my to finish the campaign. I would have to run for office and that community through various service When I joined The American was not my objective. organizations and special causes. Legion, I actually showed up at the I ran for county judge after months Many people join organizations but try next meeting and volunteered the of being pushed after the long-time to limit their time to social activities. following weekend for a workday at judge announced she would not run In other words, ‘what’s in it for me?’ not the post home. Three months after again. I finally looked closely and felt ‘what can I do to make a difference?’ joining, I was elected an officer. Three that all of the various things I had but if I join I want to participate. I years later I was Post Commander done and the positons I had served want to make a difference. and in the ensuing years was elected were good preparation for office. Little For example, I started helping with District Commander, Division did I know how unprepared I was, but the United Way Campaign. Every Commander, State Commander the overriding point was and continues volunteer had a list of businesses and National Commander. Those to be that I really think I can make a to contact. The drive was a 60-day experiences changed my life. In an difference. period, but at the end of 60 days only interview as National Commander, a handful of us had contacted all of I was asked, “What is the most As we head into the 84th legislative session, what

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legislative issues are most important to you, your dedicated funds only for the purpose It comes from board members, other county and your office right now? it was obtained, but diversion for the elected officials, constituents and In any session, the most important state is common practice. For example, lobbyists. We are unpaid lobbyists, but thing is to play defense. Generally, the gas tax is diverted for a number what is more powerful than someone more than 7,000 bills are filed and of worthy purposes but as a result who is not being compensated to less than 2,000 are passed. Most are we now have a $5 billion shortfall in educate them. not passed because they are not good repairing and building roads. The for Texas. For county government, the answer is not raising the gas tax Can you talk about your experiences with TAC’s most important issue on which to play because just more of it can be diverted. Core Legislative Group and the value you see in it? defense is always unfunded mandates, The answer is in stopping the Having worked legislative issues those things that someone thinks the diversion. Then, and only then, should for more than 30 years means I state should make happen but the the gas tax be raised if the revenue is have developed relationships with state does not want to pay for it so not adequate. Speaker Joe Straus has more than just my representatives. they push the payment to the county. said this is his priority for the session. Does this mean that I carry more Counties have enough problems paying If stopping the diversions and figuring weight with them than one of their for all we need to do without having out all the funding issues is ever going constituents? No, but I have a unique to pay for the wants of others. This to be done, it needs to be when there is position to allow me to effectively sounds easy, but it can be sneaked a surplus such as Texas has right now. reinforce what the local official or into the most unassuming items so it All that is necessary is the political constituent is saying. When our paid requires eternal vigilance. will to address it head-on. That will lobbyist visits with the member and only happen when the legislators they have already heard from their What do you find are the best ways to get engaged understand it is our priority and it is local constituent and from others like in the legislative process, build relationships right for Texas. me, it really drives the point home. with legislators and ensure that they hear your Eyeball to eyeball contact is most concerns and work with you, other officials and In addition to being a county judge, you've also effective and the chance encounters other groups toward solutions? served on numerous boards and commissions, just because you were there is Former Speaker of the House Tip including being appointed by Gov. George Bush to sometime just what was needed to O’Neal said, ‘All politics are local.’ the Texas Veterans Commission and by Gov. Rick make something happen. It only works The place to start is with your own Perry to the Texas Juvenile Justice Board. How has when you show up. representatives. There is only one this broad range of posts over the years changed state representative and only one your perspective on the legislative process in When you’re not at work, what are you doing? Do state senator that knows you can Texas? you have any hobbies or something interesting you vote for (or vote against) them. Being Under the Texas Constitution, the do that may surprise your colleagues? involved in their campaign is the best executive branch is made up of state I am still a State Farm insurance relationship-builder. If you are there agencies. These agencies are funded agent and still have that business. when they need you, chances are they by the Legislature and the policies In my first campaign, my opponents will stop to recognize your opinions and programs they carry out are set said I would be a part-time judge. I on issues. There are other ways to by the Legislature. I have learned have found I cannot get to everything build a relationship, but it should be that many times, the legislators in 40 hours, so I take things home to based on what you do to help them, have misinformation or only partial do in the evening and I come in to the not ‘what’s in it for me.’ Remember information resulting in poor courthouse on some weekends. Every also that it is sometimes (particularly decisions and strained and difficult afternoon at 5 o’clock I go to the State during session) difficult to talk with relationships. The job of a board Farm office to return calls or meet the member, so you should have a member is to educate the legislators. appointments set up by that staff. The good relationship with staff. They will Also, funding is always an issue as main reason I maintain the insurance determine if your position or message total agency requests are always more business is because my office manager is relayed in a timely or favorable than the available resources (sounds has been with me for 33 years. I will manner or if there is a way to get a few like county government). Agencies not close the business and walk away minutes of the member’s time. must justify what they are doing and leave her to scramble for another with the funding they currently have position. She has been loyal and taken If you could pick one item to put at the top of the and must be able to explain why any care of me over the years, including 84th Legislature’s agenda, what would you pick increase is necessary, and in reality my being gone for a couple of years as and why? why they should fund your program National Commander of The American Dedicated funds being diverted rather than fund another’s program. Legion and running for county judge. I to other purposes make artificial Legislators do not have the staff or will take care of her until she is ready shortages. A county must use the time to research all the answers. to retire. ★

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10337_TAC.indd 23 1/15/15 1:30 PM ★ | Voices of County Government | County Magazine Voices of county government

Christopher “Chris” Kirk Brazos County Sheriff

court to design an efficient, effective and affordable jail, and finally, being successful in passing a $55 million bond election to fund the project and complete the two-year construction process.

What advice would you give your peers across the state that may face the same or similar challenges? Start your planning early and build You’re currently in your fifth term in office, so Texas sheriff and enjoy serving the for the future. what was it that initially made you run for office citizens of Brazos County as their the first time? And what drives you to stick with chief law enforcement officer. I relish What’s the most important thing you’ve learned it and run again? the challenges of the job. With each since becoming an elected official? I’ve actually been with the Sheriff’s day comes something interesting, Once being elected sheriff, I Office for 34 years. I started out as either through law enforcement, had to learn the politics of county a jail officer then served as a patrol investigations, corrections and or government and the importance deputy and an investigator before I politics. I hope and pray to continue of three votes. Since it takes three was elected sheriff in 1996. At the serving for another term. votes to pass an item through the time I was first running for the office, commissioners court, I have learned I felt that I had some leadership skills What has been the biggest challenge you’ve dealt that you have to communicate the that I could add to the sheriff’s office with as an elected official? importance of an issue, to show clear as we prepared for the challenges Lobbying for a new jail and justification for those things that of the 21st century. Since being going through the jail design and you need support for and then to be elected, I’ve strived and succeeded in construction processes were big patient. bringing innovation to our operations challenges. First, making the decision As the CEO of the sheriff’s office, I by embracing technological and to change our detention philosophy have learned to recruit and promote operational philosophy advances in from indirect supervision to direct the best people for the job at hand. I the fields of law enforcement and supervision, then working with the give them my vision and direction, corrections. architects, Texas Commission on then I stay out of their way and let I am truly proud to be serving as a Jail Standards and commissioners them do their job. We’ve got some

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really great professionals in our A significant increase in funding common issues and demonstrate organization and they do a wonderful is critical for expanding current unified support, which becomes job serving the citizens of Brazos services and necessary for the very influential when we either County. continually growing population support or oppose particular issues. of the state. Sheriffs encourage Throughout the session, we had an As we head into the 84th legislative session, what continued state funding to expand organized effort to respond to calls for legislative issues are most important to you, programs developed under the 1115 information, to visit with legislators your county and your office right now? Transformation Wavier Program. and to appear in hearings. TAC’s Core As the chair of the Sheriffs’ Sheriffs also endorse efforts for Legislative Group proved to be very Association of Texas (SAT) Legislative the standardization of the Crisis effective. Committee, I have been actively Mental Health Commitment Process; involved with the development of the developing programs on pre-arrest How do you describe your job to people who may SAT legislative platform. The platform and post-arrest diversion of mental not be familiar with the day-to-day of what you includes 10 issues: health patients from county jails; and do, the responsibilities of your office, or with the 1. Reduce the number of mental for the development of a system of way county government functions? Are there any health patients in county jails; regional crisis intervention treatment common misconceptions that you hear? 2. Secure the Texas/Mexico border; centers to facilitate jail diversion. I usually start by saying that the 3. Reduce the number of parole Finally, Texas sheriffs urge the office of sheriff is established in the violators arrested under blue implementation of the State Mental Texas Constitution and each of the warrants sitting in county jails; Health Plan approved by the H.B. 254 counties elects a sheriff to be 4. Combat methamphetamine 3793 Advisory Panel to ensure the their chief law enforcement officer and abuse, manufacturing and efficient and effective use of the conservator of the peace. Once elected, delivery; mental health resources in the state. it becomes the sheriff’s duty to provide 5. Combat prescription drug abuse the service that is mandated by and diversion; What do you find are the best ways to get engaged state statute and their responsibility 6. Vigorously oppose any effort in the legislative process, build relationships to provide the service that the to legalize medical marijuana, with legislators and ensure that they hear your constituents expect. I summarize by recreational marijuana and concerns and work with you, other officials and saying the sheriff, their deputies and synthetic marijuana; other groups towards solutions? officers respond to criminal and civil 7. Prohibit texting while driving; I believe that the best way to get complaints, breaches of the peace 8. Further restrict the sale of engaged with the legislative process and emergency situations, as well as salvage metals and stolen is to thoroughly educate yourself on enforce the law, provide protection articles; the issues so that you can provide through patrol services, follow-up on 9. Support raising the age of accurate insight to legislators. It is criminal investigations, participate juvenile jurisdiction from 17 to 18 essential that you meet with your in prosecution, operate the county years of age; and local legislators so they know you and jail, provide bail bonding, serve civil 10. Protect the constitutional office they know your interests. Also, it is process, respond to stray livestock and of Sheriff. important that you meet their staff animal control, provide courthouse and remember the roles that they play. security, enforce traffic laws, and If you could pick one item to put at the top of the When the session starts, the staff will do whatever else that is asked of 84th Legislature’s agenda, what would you pick be gathering information and filtering them that is lawful, reasonable and and why? all of the contacts for the legislator, so appropriate. Mental health tops the list. Most having a good relationship with them A common misunderstanding is counties feel the impact of inadequate is critical. that most people do not realize that funding for local MHMR centers, the an elected official only answers to Texas Department of Criminal Justice Can you talk about your experiences with TAC’s the voters. The fact is that there is no and other mental health services. Core Legislative Group and the value you see in it? general over-sight or supervision on The patients that fall through the I had the privilege of being a the job that officials do, other than cracks of current service capabilities member of the Core Legislative Group should they run afoul with the law or often times end up in the county through the 83rd Legislature. First, create a malfeasance. The accounting jails. Consequently, county jails have having the opportunity to meet with for their performance comes at the become a holding institution for many members from other elected offices ballot box. ★ patients experiencing mental crisis. and share our legislative platforms Texas sheriffs believe that the county gave us insight for all of the issues jail is not the appropriate place to hold relating to county government. a patient in mental crisis. Then, we were able to rally on those

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10337_TAC.indd 25 1/15/15 1:30 PM The History & Power of the Hashtag

How Twitter and #Politics Mix | By Joel Nihlean

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wenty years ago — or even 10 — taking Many in the tech community and even Twitter dismissed an active role in the political process the idea. meant writing a letter or an email to your Messina didn’t have to wait long for the tide to turn in his representative, picking up a pen to sign a favor. Three days after the lukewarm reception to Messina’s petition or picking up the phone to make a initial proposal, information technologist and futurist call. Nowadays, it’s just as likely to involve the Stowe Boyd wrote a blog coining the term “hashtag” and real-time chatter of Twitter, Facebook or other outlining his support of the idea. social media channels. “My sense is that tags in Twitter, as elsewhere, define TThe hashtag — or # symbol that’s also commonly known shared experience of some kind, involving all those using as a pound sign — has evolved a special significance in the tag. And the use can be either actively putting a hash this new world of instantaneous communication. Hashtags tag (like ‘#hashtag’) into a tweet, or more passively opting have become associated and even synonymous with to follow a stream of tweets related to a tagged theme,” he trends, events and topics of discussion, and even political wrote. movements and revolutions worldwide. Neither could imagine the degree to which it would But where did it all start and how does the world of Texas change the nature of public debate worldwide. politics fit in? The Jump To Politics The Wild West of the Internet Hashtags were bandied about among tech and geek The pound sign has acted as computer language circles on Twitter for the next few months, eventually shorthand to highlight the importance of the information gaining traction when journalists and concerned citizens that would follow it since at least the late 1970s, and as used #SanDiegoFire as a rallying point for information time went on tech savvy users found more and more novel about a disastrous wildfire near San Diego in late October ways to use it. 2007. In the late 1980s, communicating across the fledgling Less than a year later, and even before Twitter offered computer networks that would one day form the foundations its official support of the hashtag concept, conservative of the modern Internet was often done through a platform activists and politicians recognized their potential and known as Internet Relay Chat (IRC). These early chat started using them to create ad-hoc community discussions rooms — precursors to modern social media — used online. The newly created online conservative community hashtags to categorize images, messages and other content on Twitter would reach critical mass in midsummer 2008, into easily searchable groups of related content. It’s a spilling out across the Internet and into mainstream media, concept that still holds true today. even contributing to the birth of a new American political Computer programmers and tech-savvy Internet movement. subcultures re-appropriated the concept in new and novel It was Friday afternoon, Aug. 1 and the Democrat- ways as the Internet grew through the 1990s and early controlled U.S. House of Representatives had just voted 2000s. Finally, the IRC-style organizing concept was to adjourn for a 5-week recess without voting on or even introduced on Twitter on Aug. 23, 2007, by former Google debating a Republican “All of the Above” energy plan. Gas employee Chris Messina, who proposed using it as a way to prices still soared above $4 in late 2008. Fracking was still help organize the flurry of chatter within Twitter. It was a moving in from the fringes and few called it a boom yet. simple idea, but it would have profound effects. Many demanded offshore drilling, heralding the “drill, baby drill” call, and now none of it would be taken up before the recess. Congressmen and staffers started to file out, headed home for the summer doldrums. The press had been mostly ushered from the gallery. Lights and C-Span cameras were turned off. That normally would have been the end of session, but a few frustrated congressmen stayed put in protest. Their revolt was not televised. But it was tweeted. Tech-savvy Texas Congressman John Culberson, one Messina called his idea a “rather messy proposal” of the holdouts, logged on to Twitter. He started tweeting for “improving contextualization, content filtering and out pictures and video of himself and a fellow congressmen exploratory serendipity within Twitter” by using the pound who’d stayed behind. Online, it started being referred to or hash (#) symbol to allow people to follow and participate as the Boston Tweet Party. Don’t go, they said. Twitter in conversations on particular topics of interest. He dubbed users sent words of support and encouragement, and even them “channel tags.” promises of pizza, if they’d just stay and fight.

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like #txlege for the Texas Legislature and #economy. With Republicans in the limelight, Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia set up his own #dontgo related petition site and Rep. John Boehner leading almost daily press conferences, the conservative establishment seemed to hold the upper hand with hashtags through the early days of the financial crisis. But further to the right on the conservative continuum, the Tea Party began organizing Tax Day protests through Twitter using #TeaParty, #TCOT and #TLOT. CNBC’s Rick Santelli is credited with firing the shot that The call to action became the hashtag #DontGo, appended inspired the #TeaParty hashtag and ultimately launching to the tweets of politicians and regular Americans alike, the grassroots anti-tax movement that still plays a role and the Don’t Go Movement, as it became known, was born. in the nation’s politics to this day. Twitter users watching Conservative activists and avid Twitter users Eric Odom CNBC on the morning of Feb. 19, 2009, saw Santelli break and Allen Fuller added fuel to the Twitter fire, purchasing into a Howard Beale style rant on the floor of the Chicago www.dontgo.us and other Web addresses. They threw Mercantile Exchange during an interview on the financial together some graphics, a blog and a petition, and started show Squawk Box. tweeting out links to it. “Do we really want to subsidize the losers’ mortgages?” By 5 p.m. that afternoon, Capitol Hill security had shut he asked. “This is America! How many of you people the party down. The congressmen walked out to the tune want to pay for your neighbor’s mortgage that has an of “God Bless America,” promising to stay in Washington, extra bathroom and can’t pay their bills? Raise your D.C., through the summer break. The action online was just hands! … We’re thinking of having a Chicago tea party in getting started, and they were ready to capitalize on it. July,” Santelli hollered then, to the delight of the traders Within a few days, the duo of Odom and Fuller had around him, suggesting that capitalists would dump some created www.dontgomovement.com, a cleaned up, nicer derivative securities into Lake Michigan. looking site with tens of thousands of Internet visitors a day, write-ups on tech websites and political blogs, and even reporters from CNN and FOX News calling them up. Social media was driving the news cycle for the mainstream media. What had started with a few frustrated Congressmen on Friday afternoon by Monday included thousands of online activists and the eyes and ears of the nation. The hashtag served as a rally point, and tweets with links to blogs, news stories, videos, sites and petitions bubbled up It was an instant viral hit as he railed against the and continued, unabated, over the next several weeks. The Obama Administration’s proposal to help homeowners House recess was not a quiet one. facing foreclosure. Recordings appeared on YouTube, blogs While the House was never called out of recess, the were written and it was all quickly shared across Twitter damage was done. The congressmen who’d held out — through the now strengthening networks of conservative staying through the recess to protest — owned the news hashtags. cycle for weeks. It was the first salvo in Twitter politics, and The Nationwide Tea Party Coalition was organized by the GOP came out on top. the next day under the banner of the #TeaParty hashtag. But a faltering banking system soon put on dampener on Nashville technology consultant and originator of the the victory party. #TCOT hashtag, Michael Patrick Leahy, tweeted out the number to a conference call to discuss the rant and The Revolution Gets Televised Santelli’s call for a Tea Party. The activists who joined also The 2008 election passed, and the Wall Street meltdown included #dontgo’s Eric Odom, who had in his possession a bled into 2009. New political hashtags seemed to be born large contact list of activists gathered the previous summer. out of thin air almost every day. #TCOT (Top Conservatives on Twitter), #TLOT (Top Libertarians on Twitter) and #P2 (Progressives 2.0) galvanized like-minded political alignments for policy discussions and grassroots planning. New hashtags percolated around events and news items, like #inaug09 (for the 2009 Inauguration) and the more self-evident #WorldSeries and #swineflu. Other hashtags developed around long-standing and ongoing conversations,

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Legislators alone collectively unleashed 17,529 tweets during the 2013 regular session.

The twenty-some activists who dialed in decided to Aaron Peña, who served in the House for five terms, blogged sponsor the very first simultaneous nationwide Tea regularly and honestly about his experiences as a legislator. Party protests as soon as possible. Many on the call came He’d joined Twitter in late-2007, prior to the advent of from sizable and ranging causes — some with access to the #txlege hashtag and had seen the Capitol Twitter databases of conservative contacts they could mobilize — community’s growth and change from its inception. He but the one thing they all had in common was Twitter. describes his approach to Twitter as honest and human. Santelli’s proposed July date was too long to wait, they concluded; they wanted to move fast. Little more than a week later, on Feb. 27, Tea Party protests were held in 51 cities across the country, attracting an estimated 30,000 protesters. By April 15, Tax Day, the mainstream media outlets were involved in covering what had started on Twitter and the protests had expanded to more than a million people in 900 cities across the U.S. It was a Twitter meet-up about a viral video that still reverberates in American politics to this day. The Rise of the #txlege The vast majority of hashtags will never jumpstart a political movement, topple a government or save the world, but a few will unite the right people — thought leaders with social clout and political capital in their communities — around an idea, a topic, a cause or a conversation that they “The reason I got involved in social media then is because, can push both online and off to great effect. back home — and I lived 300 miles away — while I was As high-profile, hashtag-fueled movements swirled across up in Austin working a 10-month session, my opponent is newspaper headlines around the world at the end of the last saying ‘Hey, where’s your rep? He’s not working for you,’ decade, Twitter’s use slowly percolated around the Capitol so I started posting pictures of where I was and what I in Austin, too. A short, simple hashtag, #txlege, started as was doing, so I could prove I was working hard for them a method for journalists to categorize their tweets and grew in that 10-month session we had,” said the former state to a perpetual policy conversation and occasional tirade of representative. talking points. By the end of session, interest groups, think tanks and Twitter is now as much a part of the fabric of the general public, including future legislator Stephanie correspondence under the pink dome in Austin as email or Klick of Tarrant County, had started to chime in as well. ink and letterhead. Many rode the same Twitter wave that carried #dontgo, Over the past few sessions, the #txlege hashtag has #tcot and #teaparty to prominence. By May 2009, the become a central clearinghouse for breaking news and #txlege hashtag was often intermingled with #tcot and instant opinions from inside the brass rails of the Texas #txcot, a state-specific offshoot of the Top Conservatives on House and Senate floors. Journalists, legislators and Twitter. Capitol watchers routinely update their followers in real time on bill movements and political subtleties that alone may not warrant a full news article or blog post, but taken collectively reveal an important story. It began in fits and starts in late 2008 with The Austin American-Statesman creating the @VirtualCapitol Twitter account. As the old year came to a close and 2009 rang in, other reporters started using #txlege, too. For the early weeks of the 82nd Texas Legislature, #txlege was a stream of news links tweeted out by reporters. Twitter played a role in the 81st session, and a growing At the time, only one state legislator used Twitter. Rep. number of the Capitol crowd, conservative activists,

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reporters and regular citizens were now watching the new If the #txlege hashtag churned with activity in the 82nd #txlege hashtag, but that session was just the opening act. Legislature, it was a torrent in the 83rd. Legislators alone By the time 2011 and the 82nd Texas legislative session collectively unleashed 17,529 tweets during the regular rolled around, legislators were not just testing Twitter’s session, and the #txlege hashtag saw a total 172,394 waters, they were diving in head first. Estimates from tweets in that time, according to a white paper released The Austin American-Statesman put more than half of the by Influence Opinions, an Austin-based communications House on Twitter in 2011. Perhaps no legislator was as strategy firm. prolific as Peña, who sent more than 1,000 tweets during The report also indicates that Twitter accounted for 87 the regular session, often firing off 10 or more each day. percent of the online discussion of the Texas Legislature Peña often used Twitter to bring the larger context to in 2013. More than 80 percent of the Texas Senate and 75 news stories for his constituents and correct inaccuracies. percent of the Texas House were using Twitter during the And with the social media platform’s growth, he realized 83rd legislative session. he could not only communicate directly with constituents, With those numbers as backdrop and the increasing bypassing the filter of newspapers and giving a more three- mainstream nature of Twitter, Perry called a 30-day dimensional perspective of who he was as a person, he also special session that would in part be used to debate SB5, had a powerful bully pulpit. the contentious bill regulating standards at women’s health “I rapidly found out that the press, and all the thought facilities that performed abortions, which had failed to pass leaders around the state and country, were on Twitter and during the regular session. paying attention. So, if I said something of significance, The When then-Sen. Wendy Davis announced over Twitter New York Times might call, or my local TV crew would pay that she intended to filibuster SB5, Texas and the #txlege attention,” Peña said. hashtag were launched into the heart of a Twitter Rep. Wayne Christian was another legislator who superstorm. The eyes of the world were upon Texas employed social media to great effect during the 82nd now. After the announcement, tweets about the Texas legislative session. Christian not only tweeted links to his Legislature jumped 1,800 percent, according to Influence weekly legislative updates on YouTube, where he opined on Opinions. the inner-workings of the Legislature and interviewed other legislators and various politicos, but he also set up social media campaigns for bills he authored. Christian created the Stop Obamacare in TX Twitter account, @HJR_51, to promote a House Joint Resolution he authored that proposed a constitutional amendment relating to health care reform and how Texans choose or decline to choose to purchase health insurance coverage. He regularly sent tweets about the effects of health care reform and often retweeted himself from that account and vice versa. While Christian’s bill wallowed in committee, swept aside Within hours, #SB5, #txlege and a new hashtag by other legislative obligations, his strategy of reaching that garnered more than 610,000 mentions globally, out with social media gained traction at the Capitol. #StandWithWendy, were being used not only to By mid-session conservative Texas blogger and Capitol communicate about news related to the bill and filibuster, insider Jon McClellan had created the Twitter account but to organize protests and counter-protests, too. @1847WalkerColt and had started petitioning lawmakers Hundreds filled the Senate gallery and thousands flooded to make the Walker Colt revolver the official state gun of the Capitol building, spilling out across the rotunda. Texas. Hundreds of thousands watched the Texas Tribune’s live stream of the filibuster. At the center, Davis stood. Through all of it, Twitter users chronicled the events in tweets and images appended with a variety of hashtags in support and opposition. The hashtag #StandWithWendy trended worldwide for hours. But the social media chatter was more than just a running commentary on the 13-hour long filibuster. Regular citizens used Twitter to play an active role in the process. Twitter funneled thousands of testimonials through Davis’s website that she read on the Senate floor as part of her filibuster. Meanwhile, other Twitter users The Hashtag Filibuster started helping more directly by advising senators on the

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parliamentary rules being debated in the Texas Senate. The information was relayed to senators by staffers During a filibuster, the senator with the floor cannot monitoring Twitter that evening, and it was enough to drag speak off-topic, eat, drink, leave to use the bathroom or the debate out to the closing minutes of the special session, lean on anything for support. Senators are allowed three when an attempt to pass the bill was finally made. Sen. warnings before the Senate can vote to end the filibuster. Leticia Van De Putte then asked the Senate chair why her Davis got her first strike at 5:30 p.m., for the germaneness motion to adjourn was not recognized before the roll call (relevancy to the topic being debated) of discussing the 2011 vote on the bill began. Legislature’s funding cuts to women’s health services. Her second strike, for using a back brace, came an hour later. Around 10 p.m., the filibuster came to halt when a fellow senator raised concerns that mentioning the Texas’s mandatory ultrasound-before-abortion law that was passed during the previous session was not germane to the current topic. This was counted as the third strike. Then Twitter weighed in. Heather Parker, a lawyer in Washington, D.C., who had been following the filibuster on Twitter and watching the “At what point must a female senator raise her hand and live stream from the Senate floor, had looked up the Texas her voice to be recognized by her male colleagues?” she said. Senate’s rules on what constituted germaneness and found The crowd of hundreds of protesters in the gallery erupted Davis’s second violation, her back brace, didn’t count as a in cheers and jeers. strike against her. Crowd noise was the deciding vote. With midnight fast-approaching, the opponents of SB5 had run out of parlimentary manuevers. News spread fast over Twitter to protesters in the Senate gallery and out in the rotunda. The crowd noise rose to deafening levels and down on the floor, too, there was chaos.

At a minute past midnight, the Senate regained composure and attempted to vote as chanting protesters were led from the gallery. Confusion reigned and Tweets and retweets about the rules echoed across controversy was just beginning to brew. Twitter. Germaneness even became a hashtag. But word of the Senate’s parliamentary rules still hadn’t reached the Senate floor. That’s when a number of users started tweeting links to the rules for procedure during a filibuster directly to senators.

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“You see members monitoring, in real-time, the chatter on Twitter and in the blogosphere as theY’re getting ready to cast a vote.”

A few hours later, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst declared SB5 dead. The next day, four of Twitter’s top 10 trending topics worldwide were about the Texas Legislature, and “Texas Senate” was a trending topic nationally, with more than 7,000 mentions in less than 24 hours. Nearly all of them were negative.

“I am calling the Legislature back into session because The vote was no good. Then, with the eyes of Twitter too much important work remains undone for the people still scrutinizing the Senate’s every move, the time stamps of Texas. Through their duly elected representatives, the changed on the Texas Legislature’s website to indicate the citizens of our state have made crystal clear their priorities vote had been taken before the midnight deadline. The for our great state. Texans value life and want to protect documents went viral on Twitter. women and the unborn,” Gov. Perry announced that afternoon. “Wendy Davis won the battle, but Rick Perry won the war,” noted National Review columnist Betsy Woodruff a few weeks later. The bill easily passed both the House and the Senate in July 2013, during a second special session. New Media, New Legislature It was a monumental moment in Texas politics and the mainstream media barely played a role in it. More than 182,000 people around the world watched the drama unfold live in the Senate that night, a figure bigger than the total viewing numbers for some broadcast television shows airing at the time. Even more followed along on Twitter. Not one national news network provided live coverage.

The fact that the Texas Legislature became an

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international news story without coverage from any major He also takes issue with hashtags that segment the news network outside of Texas underscores the power of political spectrum. Peña believes that what started as a way Twitter and the massive group conversations that hashtags to organize and filter conversations can now act as a bubble facilitate. of confirmation bias where users surround themselves in a world of likeminded perspectives. The argument is that conservatives only hear from fellow conservatives, liberals from other liberals, and everyone who stays in their social media silo ends up with more hardened and extreme positions. It’s a phenomenon that wasn’t as easy to replicate when there were only three major television networks and one or two local papers. “Just like our politics has become polarized and segmented, Twitter has become that way too. That’s another part of the evolution. We don’t have editors the way Hashtags were used to organize communications about we used to anymore and we’re the filters now. Twitter can where to submit testimony, how parliamentary rules work reflect our fears, our hopes or the best parts of us, and with in the Texas Senate and when the vote on SB5 actually the hashtags, we’re the new editors, the new filters, so if you occurred. There were only about 1,500 protesters at the want to only listen to the conservative side or only listen Capitol that evening, but there were hundreds of thousands to the liberal side of the spectrum I think you’re doing a on Twitter. Those Twitter users were able to communicate disservice to yourself. I think we can learn from each other. directly with legislators and protesters in the gallery, and I may not agree all the time, but it’s good to know what they unquestionably had an effect on the course of events they’re thinking and consideration ought to be given to that night what they’re saying.” he said. It’s unlikely that the 84th legislative session will flare Even with the changes, Peña doesn’t see social media’s up in filibusters, but it will unquestionably still be under star fading at the Capitol anytime soon. the same social media microscope. Legislators are aware of “Change is a constant and this is the new world we’re the sea change in the way business is done under the pink in,” said Peña. “Just like Blogger got surpassed by Twitter dome, too. and Facebook, I have no doubt Twitter and Facebook will “One of the most interesting things to do on the House one day be surpassed by some other social medium, for now floor is walk up and down the aisles and see what people these are the media of choice, so I think politicians ought to are looking at on their computers. You get a lot of real time learn at least how they work and try to get information out shifting of opinion on the House floor as a result of incoming to the public using them, because it’s good for them and it’s tweets. You see members monitoring, in real-time, the good for the public.” chatter on Twitter and in the blogosphere as they’re getting The Texas Association of Counties has been using ready to cast a vote. It’s really changed the dynamic,” said Twitter since 2012. The Legislative Department will be former state Rep. Mark Strama, who now heads the Austin using Twitter throughout the session to communicate with office of Google Fiber, during a Texas Tribune forum on legislators, county officials, journalists and the general Demographic Change and the Digital Divide. public about issues important to county government and Peña sees a more complicated future for Twitter and the local control in Texas, and encourages county officials to do Texas Legislature, where the increasing mainstreaming the same. of the social network helps give regular Texans a new “It’s no longer a few geeks in the room doing it because voice at the legislature while the popularity of the network they like it. I think the standard has been raised and means some legislators farm out the elected officials are required, at least by responsibilities of Twitter to staff or third expectation, to communicate via social parties. media. Just like there’s an expectation that “I think it’s such an effective tool and we all have a telephone of some sort, and we needs to be paid attention to. I used to use email,” said Peña. love to respond to people by name on County officials who are ready to start Twitter, ‘Yeah, Fred, I’m looking at that, using social media, or are looking to expand have you seen this?’” said Peña, “Now, I their knowledge and ramp up existing can be sitting next to a politician, and I social media efforts, can visit TAC’s social will get one of his Tweets and I’ll say, ‘Did media resource pages at www.county. you just tweet me?’ and they’ll say, ‘no, org/socialmedia. Officials with questions that was the company they hired.’ It’s just about social media can also contact TAC some of them, not all, but that ought to be communications staff at (800) 456-5974. * an embarrassing thing.”

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10337_TAC.indd 33 1/15/15 1:30 PM ★ | County Magazine 2015 County Association North & East Texas County and District County Judges & South Texas County Judges West Texas County Organization Texas Association of Commissioners Assoication County Judges & & Commissioners Judges & Commissioners County Auditors Clerks’ Association of Texas of Texas Commissioners Association Association Association

President Katie Conner Diane Hoefling Terry A. Simpson Byron Underwood Alma Moreno Lynn Cartrite Brazos County Auditor Moore County San Patricio Cherokee County San Patricio County Moore County 200 S Texas Ave, District Clerk County Judge Commissioner Commissioner Commissioner Ste 218 715 S Dumas Ave, 400 W Sinton St., 135 S Main 119 N Atascosa St PO Box 852 Bryan, TX 77803 Rm 109 Ste 109 Rusk, TX 75785 Mathis, TX 78368 Sunray, TX 79086 (979) 361-4350 Dumas, TX 79029 Sinton, TX 78737 (903) 842-3541 (361) 547-2132 (806) 948-5431 (806) 935-4218 (361) 325-5604 [email protected] amoreno@ [email protected] terry.simpson@co. co.san-patricio.tx.us san-patricio.tx.us

Officers President-Elect First Vice President First Vice President First Vice President First Vice President First Vice President Nathan P. Cradduck Heather Hawthorne Grover “Tiger” Worsham Robert Johnston Roger C. Galvan Kim Halfmann Tom Green County Chambers County Clerk Trinity County Anderson County Judge Calhoun County Glasscock County Judge Commissioner Commissioner First Vice President Secretary Second Vice Second Vice Phyllis Martin Tammy Kneuper Second Vice President Second Vice President Montgomery County Bandera County District President Everette “Bo” Alfred President Bill McCay Clerk Susan Redford Jefferson County Juan Escobar Lubbock County Secretary Ector County Judge Commissioner Kleberg County Judge Commissioner Jeff May Treasurer Collin County Celeste Bichsel Immediate Past Secretary/Treasurer Immediate Past Immediate Past Carson County & District President Joel P. Baker President President Treasurer Clerk Patti Jones Smith County Judge Joseph Rathmell Susan Redford Susan Yeatts Lubbock County Zapata County Judge Ector County Judge Bexar County Immediate Past Immediate Past President President Immediate Past Teresa Kiel Wes Suiter President Guadalupe County Clerk Angelina County Judge David Renken Comal County

Registrar Texas State Board Diane Hoefling Judges Judges Judges Judges for Hours of Public Accountancy President Texas Association of Texas Association of Texas Association of Texas Association of CPE Division Moore County District Counties, County Judges Counties, County Judges Counties, County Judges Counties, County Judges (512) 305-7844 Clerk Education Committee Education Committee Education Committee Education Committee 715 Dumas Ave, Rm. (512) 478-8753 (512) 478-8753 (512) 478-8753 (512) 478-8753 109 Dumas, TX 79029 Commissioners Commissioners Commissioners Commissioners (806) 935-4218 Allison, Bass & Magee, Allison, Bass & Magee, Allison, Bass & Magee, Allison, Bass & Magee, LLP, County Judges LLP, County Judges LLP, County Judges LLP, County Judges & Commissioners & Commissioners & Commissioners & Commissioners Association of Texas Association of Texas Association of Texas Association of Texas (512) 482-0701 (512) 482-0701 (512) 482-0701 (512) 482-0701

Committee Education Chair Education Chair Judicial Chair Chairs Nathan P. Cradduck Sharena Gilliland Wes Suiter Tom Green County Parker County Angelina County Chair Auditor District Clerk Commissioners Legislative Chair Legislative Co-Chairs Education Chair Phyllis Martin Teresa Kiel (County) Richard Cortese Montgomery County Guadalupe County Clerk Bell County Auditor Bella A. Rubio (County) Commissioner Real County Combination Clerk Caroline Woodburn (District) Potter County District Clerk Joyce Hudman (Elections) Brazoria County Clerk Website texascountyauditors.org texasclerks.org cjcat.org

34 Jan/Feb 2015 ★ county.org/magazine

10337_TAC.indd 34 1/15/15 1:30 PM County Magazine | ★ Leadership & Contact Guide Far West Texas County Justices of the Peace and Judges & Commissioners County Treasurers’ Constables Association Sheriffs’ Association Tax Assessor-Collectors Texas District & County Association Association of Texas of Texas of Texas Association of Texas Attorneys Association

Tommy Holt Davis Betancourt Janice Sons A.J. “Andy” John R. Ames, CTA John Staley Heatly Reagan County Cameron County Treasurer Wichita County Louderback Dallas County Wilbarger County Commissioner 1100 E Monroe St Justice of the Peace Jackson County Sheriff Tax Assessor-Collector District Attorney PO Box 1009 Brownsville, TX 78520 900 7th St #113 115 W Main St #104 500 Elm St 1700 Wilbarger St, Rm 32 Big Lake, TX 76932 (956) 544-0819 Wichita Falls, TX 76301 Edna, TX 77957 Dallas, TX 75202 Vernon, TX 76384 (324) 650-5496 david.betancourt@ (940) 766-8141 (361) 782-3371 (214) 653-7630 (940) 553-3346 co.cameron.tx.us janice.sons@ a.louderback@ john.ames@ sheatly@ co.wichita.tx.us co.jackson.tx.us dallascounty.org co.wilbarger.tx.us

Vice President President-Elect President-Elect First Vice President President-Elect President-Elect Jerry Bearden Renee Couch Larry Gallardo Donald Sowell Thelma “Midget” Bernard Ammerman Mason County Judge Comal County Hidalgo County Constable Grimes County Sherman Willacy County Angelina County & District Attorney Secretary/ Treasurer First Vice President Second Vice President Second Vice President Jim O’Bryan Tim Funchess Phillip L. Montgomery Dennis Wilson Vice President - Secretary/Treasurer Reagan County Jefferson County Medina County JP Limestone County External Randall Coleman Sims Commissioner Ronnie Keister Potter County Second Vice President Secretary/Treasurer Third Vice President Lubbock County District Attorney Immediate Past Cheryl Chambers Chad Jordan Gary Maddox President Ellis County Hood County Constable Lamb County Vice President - Chairman of the Board Charlie Bradley Internal Rene M. Pena Schleicher County Judge Secretary Sargeant at Arms Sargeant-at-Arms Teri Garvey Atascosa County District Zumela Estrello Rodriguez Rick Coffman Gerald Yezak Anderson County Attorney Reeves County Williamson County Robertson County Constable Secretary-Treasurer Treasurer Immediate Past Michelle French Becky S. Burford Judge Advocate President Denton County Wood County Jackie Miller, Jr. Maxey Cerliano Ellis County JP Gregg County Past President Immediate Past Bobby Biscamp President Immediate Past President Jasper County Kelly R. White Michael Truitt Smith County Denton County Constable

Judges Alan Dierschke, Chair Justices of the Peace TCOLE - Texas Education Commitee Chair State Bar of Texas Texas Association of Glasscock County Texas Justice Court Commission on Law Hon. Ro’Vin Garrett Minimum Continuing Counties, County Judges Treasurer Training Center Enforcement Brazoria County Legal Education (MCLE) Education Committee PO Box 249 701 Brazos St, Ste 710 6330 US 290 East, Tax Assessor-Collector Department (512) 478-8753 Garden City, TX 79739 Austin, TX 78701 Ste 200 111 E Locust St PO Box 13007 (432) 354-2415 512-347-9927 Austin, TX 78723 Angleton, TX 77515-4642 Austin, TX 78711 Commissioners (512) 936-7700 (979) 864-1326 (800) 204-2222 ext. 1806 Allison, Bass & Magee, Constables roving@ LLP, County Judges TCOLE brazoria-county.com & Commissioners 6330 U.S. 290 East Association of Texas Ste 200 (512) 482-0701 Austin, TX 78723 (512) 936-7700

Education Chair JP Education Chair Legislative Chair Legislative Chairs Melinda Krause Becky Kerbow, Denton Chris Kirk Kristeen Roe, Chair Lee County County Brazos County Brazos County Shawn Walston Constables Education Becky Watson, Vice-chair Co-chair Chair Cass County Concho County Treasurer Wayne Doc Pierce Teri Garvey, Vice-chair Legislative Task Force Hunt County Anderson County Chair JP Legislative Chair Education Chairs Orlanda Sanchez David Cobos Ro’Vin Garrett, Chair Harris County Midland County Chair Brazoria County Dolores Ortega Carter, Constables Legislative Randy Riggs, Vice-chair Co-chair Chair McLennan County Travis County Carlos Lopez Travis County

ctatx.org jpca.com txsheriffs.org tacaoftx.org tdcaa.com

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10337_TAC.indd 35 1/15/15 1:30 PM WE KNOW COUNTIES MEET THE TAC RISK MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS WHO PROVIDE TRAINING AND EDUCATION TO COUNTIES

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re gaps in your county’s law county risk. population and the unique public enforcement and general “The TAC Risk Management Pool services they provide. TAC’s Risk liability coverage exposing offers coverage and resources to its Management Consultants can review your county to risk? Will members that change to meet the a county’s deductibles, past claims your property coverage be shifting risks counties face, allowing and coverage limits to determine if sufficient should a fire or for quick responses to Pool members’ they are appropriate for the county’s flood severely damage your needs,” Seiler said. “As the market specific situation and needs. “Their Acourthouse? changes, so does the TAC Risk coverage and deductibles should be The Texas Association of Counties’ Management Pool – by providing set accordingly,” Seiler said. “We can (TAC) Risk Management Consultants blanket property coverage, law offer suggestions should changes be assist county officials in answering enforcement and jail operations policy appropriate.” WE coverage-related questions. Risk assistance, a 24/7 claims hotline and Identify Risk Control Needs > TAC’s Management Consultants work risk control training and education.” Risk Management and Risk Control closely with TAC Risk Management Additional information about TAC Consultants can assess the county’s Pool (RMP) members to assess risk, RMP is available at www.county.org current risk control efforts and identify exposures and provide sound by clicking the “Pool & Risk Services” determine if they should be expanded. and effective risk management advice. tab and the “Risk Management If the county is a participant in a “County risk evolves over time and Services” link. TAC RMP program, it has exclusive that’s where the relationship with access to many risk control services your Risk Management Consultant RISK MANAGEMENT provided by Risk Control Consultants, is important,” said TAC Risk CONSULTANT SERVICES including on-site training, policy Management Services Director Tracy review and technical assistance. If L. Seiler. “TAC Risk Management Services provided by TAC Risk the county is not a TAC RMP member, Consultants understand the complex Management Consultants include: consultants can recommend alternate needs of counties and become a Assess and Review Coverage > Risk training resources to help reduce risk. trusted source to them. They are Management Consultants can review Assist in the RFP Process > Counties KNOW experienced risk professionals, skilled and assess members’ coverage writing a request for proposal (RFP) to at assisting counties in managing currently in place with TAC RMP or solicit bids for auto, property, workers’ their risk and expanding their risk with other carriers to help identify compensation and liability coverage management knowledge.” whether the county’s exposures are may have concerns about the level of Risk Management Consultants properly covered. coverage needed. A Risk Management evaluate members’ exposures and Determine Best Deductibles and Consultant can review the county’s current coverage and help members Coverage Limits > Counties face current coverage and claims history, determine if they are properly covered different levels of risk based on their make recommendations and answer for when they need it most - before exposures, geographic locations, questions. disaster strikes or a claim occurs. Consultants can evaluate coverage needs, including deductibles and coverage limitations, and provide AuctioneerExpress.com training and education for all TAC Online Auctions members, whether they are a member GOvernmentAl - municipAlity - privAte pArty COUNTIES of TAC RMP or have coverage with MEET THE TAC RISK MANAGEMENT CONSULTANTS another carrier. ★ Specialties: ★ Our goal: to get you ★ Reasonable reserve on “Risk Management Consultants Online & Live Auctions the HIGHEST RETURN items allowed, if desired for Counties-Cities- FOR YOUR EQUIPMENT & ★ develop long-term relationships with SURPLUS Also, bid on other counties’ Governmental surplus equipment on our WHO PROVIDE TRAINING AND EDUCATION TO COUNTIES our members,’’ Seiler said. “The Risk Entities ★ Sold at your location online site Management Consultant is another tool in the county official’s toolbox and www.AuctioneerExpress.com helps county officials feel comfortable 903-572-4975 handling the unique business of Texas Auctioneer Lic. # 13801

Jan/FebJan/Feb 2015 2015 ★ county.org/magazine county.org/magazine 3737

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RISK MANAGEMENT SOUTHEAST TERRITORY Safety Professional (CSP) and served LOOKING FOR EQUIPMENT TO CONSULTANTS [email protected]; on the board of directors for the Texas (800) 456-5974 Safety Association from 2002-2004. Counties that would like assistance Ruiz joined TAC in 2014. He He lives in Cedar Park. ? can contact the Risk Management DIG OR MOW began his career in 2000 as a senior Consultant for their territory. Four field claims associate managing Victor Uvalle Jr., CIC, CRM, ARM Risk Management Consultants serve complex casualty investigations, different territories within the state. settlements and negotiations. Prior BUYBOARD IS THE PLACE to joining TAC, he was a regional Todd Kisel sales director with K & K Insurance and managed accounts across six TO GO. states. Ruiz has a Master of Business Administration degree in risk management from Walden University and graduated from the University of Texas-Pan American with his Bachelor of Business Administration degree in finance. He holds the Certified Risk Manager (CRM) and Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) designations from the National Alliance for Insurance Education SOUTHWEST TERRITORY & Research. Ruiz maintains an all [email protected] lines adjuster’s license with the Texas (800) 456-5974 ext. 3627 NORTHEAST TERRITORY Department of Insurance. He lives in Uvalle joined TAC in 1996 in [email protected]; Round Rock. program administration. Prior (800) 456-5974 ext. 3625 to joining the Association, he Kisel joined TAC in 2014. Mike Strawn, CSP served seven years with the Texas Previously, he worked for USI, one Department of Insurance (TDI). While of the largest independent brokerage at TDI, he worked as an insurance firms in the nation, where he technician in the General Liability specialized in property and casualty Division and served nine months on insurance. He is a graduate of the the Governor’s Health Policy Task University of North Texas where he Force researching health insurance received his Bachelor of Business issues. Uvalle earned his Bachelor of Administration in management. Kisel Applied Arts and Sciences from Texas is a licensed general lines Property State University. He has earned the and Casualty Agent for the state of designations of Certified Insurance Texas. He lives in Round Rock. Counselor (CIC) and Certified Risk Manager (CRM) from The National Robert Ruiz, CRM, CIC Alliance for Insurance Education and Research. In addition, he earned the Associate in Risk Management (ARM) NORTHWEST TERRITORY designation from the Insurance [email protected] Institute of America. He lives in (800) 456-5974 ext. 3626 Austin. * Strawn joined TAC in 1991 as a loss control consultant. He started his career in commercial insurance in 1988, serving private and public sector clients. Strawn has worked in a variety of service and management BuyBoard® streamlines the purchasing process and positions in his tenure with TAC. He received his Bachelor of Science helps members make confident buying decisions. degree in engineering from Texas And membership is free! Tech University. Strawn is a Certified Endorsed by buyboard.com • 800.695.2919 38 Jan/Feb 2015 ★ county.org/magazine

10337_TAC.indd 38 1/15/15 1:30 PM LOOKING FOR EQUIPMENT TO DIG OR MOW? BUYBOARD IS THE PLACE TO GO.

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10337_TAC.indd 39 1/15/15 1:30 PM 10337_TAC.indd 40 1/15/15 1:30 PM County Magazine | ★

How a Texas county created the nation’s first fully digital public library | By Alicia Hays

n September 2013, the nation’s county contributed $3.8 million each The Beginning of BiblioTech first completely bookless year toward the library system. In recent years, more and more public library opened in Bexar In 2013, the city requested the American readers have begun County. Named BiblioTech after county increase its annual funding to swapping out their bookshelves the Spanish word for library $6.5 million, but county leaders felt for e-book readers. According to (“biblioteca”), the modern that spending more taxpayer money figures released in January 2014 facility is located on the county’s on the library wasn’t the right decision from the Pew Research Center’s Isouth side and serves its 1.7 million to make. Concerned about escalating Internet Project Omnibus Survey, residents. costs, tensions rose between the two approximately 50 percent of The 4,800 square-foot library space entities. Americans now own a dedicated does not contain a single hardcover A solution to the problem came handheld device such as a Kindle, or paperback book. Instead, it boasts to Judge Wolff after he read Walter iPad or tablet that they use for 26,210 eBook titles (with a plan in Isaacson’s authorized biography reading. About 28 percent of American place to increase that number by of Steve Jobs. Inspired by Jobs’ adults read an e-book in 2013, up 10,000 every year for the next five commitment to design and complete from 23 percent in 2012, while 14 years), 600 e-readers, 200 child- immersion in his projects, Wolff set percent of Americans had listened enhanced e-readers, 48 computer about enhancing the county’s library to an audiobook. About 4 percent stations, 45 iPads, 10 laptops, 4 system to better meet the unique of American readers are shunning interactive surface tables, 2 study needs of community members. paper books entirely. In 2011, Amazon rooms, and a small café. “Steve Jobs was not a technician; he reported that it was selling 105 Bexar County financed and built was more of an artist. Jobs made sure e-books for every 100 printed books. its contemporary version of the all his equipment — even the back end According to a February 2014 Forbes public library in less than 15 months. of it — was designed just right. That article, e-books now make up about 30 Envisioned by Bexar County Judge in itself was a real key part of what percent of all book sales. Nelson W. Wolff, supported by the I learned by reading his book,” Wolff Yet despite these figures, surveys county’s commissioners court and said. still show that Americans believe developed by county staff, the story The year before, in 2012, a libraries continue to remain behind BiblioTech focuses on how community survey had indicated that critical. More than three-quarters county leaders used today’s technology 18 percent of responding San Antonio of Americans participating in a to build tomorrow’s public library. households did not have a computer Pew Research Center poll said that The city’s public library system is in the home and 45 percent did not borrowing books, reference librarian funded via a collaborative effort by the have access to the Internet through a services, and free access to computers city of San Antonio, the San Antonio broadband connection. Wolff wanted and the internet were all “very Public Library Foundation and the to create a digital lifeline for those important” to them. county, along with donations from residents needing access to the wealth Previous attempts to develop fully charitable foundations, corporations of information, goods and services digital public libraries in 2002 in and individuals. In 2013 and 2014, the available via the Internet. Arizona and in California in 2011

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BiblioTech’s services via the Internet access. But even with the apparent community need, readership trends and the right location, Wolff still needed to gain support for his vision. To get the ball rolling, he first reached out to Krisellen Maloney, the dean of Libraries at the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). Maloney oversees all the libraries on the UTSA campuses; more than 75 percent of the university’s library budget in 2013 went toward technology. One of its libraries, the Applied Engineering and Technology (AET) Library, became the nation’s first bookless academic library on a university campus when it opened in 2010. The AET Library served as a model for Judge Wolff, who was impressed with Dean Maloney’s emphasis on the connection between technology and providing library services. Maloney became an integral part of BiblioTech’s implementation. She participated in the interviewing process for the librarian and branch ultimately failed when patrons circulation desk, a place where manager positions, helped choose the demanded to keep physical books. But patrons would be able to check out eBook provider and offered a wealth BiblioTech didn’t replace the public eReaders and download eBooks from of information and expertise on a library; instead, it became the county’s a “cloud library.” The state-of-the- variety of subjects. She now chairs digital alternative to the city’s art digital facility would offer their BiblioTech’s Advisory Board. traditional public library. Its foremost library services via the Internet and After conferring with Maloney, mission is to assist county residents include rooms for community activities Wolff pitched the concept to Bexar who have the most challenges and study groups. County’s top management — including accessing digital information. Wolff proposed that BiblioTech the county manager. Wolff said having “For the library model to remain be located in an existing county a county manager who oversees all relevant, it is going to have to change building located near county offices the different county departments from a ‘bricks and mortar’ model to on the south side of San Antonio in collectively helped speed up the ‘bricks and clicks,’” wrote BiblioTech a mostly Hispanic, underserved and BiblioTech timeline. Administrator Laura Cole in an economically disadvantaged area of “What is unique about Bexar internal document about the project. the county. The county estimated that County is the system of power that “Previous attempts at digital libraries as many as 75 percent of households was created by hiring a County have had one thing in common. The in the southside neighborhood do not Manager. The position only exists in model was implemented by library have a broadband Internet connection. maybe one other county in the whole systems that already had a history The building was already compliant state of Texas. This leadership allowed and legacy of paper. In no instance has with the Americans with Disabilities the library project to consolidate a library system been built from the Act (ADA) and on major bus routes. power,” Wolff said, adding that the ground up in which the library system The location helps the library meet its time saved by not having to get itself was designed for, not adapted to, goal of providing the county residents approval from multiple levels of the digital age.” least likely to have their own Internet management and by being able to Wolff envisioned a building with connection with access to the Web filter information to where it was most brightly colored “reading rooms” and technology, while residents living needed was immeasurable. resembling an Apple Store with elsewhere in the county not wanting Another decision that allowed several computer stations and a to travel to the library can still access BiblioTech to get off the ground so

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“Previous attempts at digital libraries have one thing in common. The model was implemented by library systems that already had a history and legacy of paper. In no instance has a library system been built from the ground up in which the library system was designed for, not adapted to, the digital age.”

cost estimate. The space required for key locations on a regular schedule quickly was the county’s choice to shelves, books and storage just was to teach and assist users with our make an exception to the Request not needed, dropping its costs from a services,” Cole said. “We are also for Proposal (RFP) process, which traditional library down considerably. actively serving the County internally. is a county standard. The RFP The county had start-up money from We provide library services and lead bidding process systematically savings acquired from other capital book clubs at our juvenile detention allows the county to obtain the best projects. Generous donors included center as well as at our jail to support available pricing for commodities Toyota Motor Manufacturing Texas, successful re-entry. Our annual and professional services. The county The Greehey Family Foundation, and budget covers these services as well. ensures a competitive procurement Spurs Sports & Entertainment. Full-time staff include a branch process while also encouraging BiblioTech’s annual operating manager, a librarian, an assistant small, minority and women-owned budget is just $1.2 million, with most branch manager, an outreach businesses to participate. From technology needing replaced after coordinator and network architect, advertising the proposal to awarding three to five years. as well as 15 part-time technical the selected vendor, the RFP process “BiblioTech has established a strong assistants. at a minimum takes 60 to 90 days to presence throughout Bexar County, “Our part-time staff assist in complete. The county’s decision to act particularly within our 14 school outreach, training and program as the construction manager and use districts where we have integrated development,” Cole said. “Our network internal professional staff enabled our public library in school libraries. architect is primarily responsible for them to forgo the RFP process. Staff is also on-site at our military all of our technology and is, for the hospital, retirement centers and other most part, able to manage on his own. Banking BiblioTech We do get specific support (remotely) Funding a library project from our vendors when the in today’s economy, with occasional need arises and we escalating government are always able to call on our cutbacks, is a challenge within county Information Technology itself. The Hidalgo Foundation department for additional of Bexar County — a non-profit support when we are working on organization created in 2001 to big projects.” assist with projects benefiting the county and its residents — Building BiblioTech played a key role in funding When the county decided to the $2.4 million project. act as its own contractor to help Adding additional square speed up the process of building footage to existing public BiblioTech, it was the first time library spaces is the norm in the county’s history that when it comes to public library such an undertaking had been expansion. But additional attempted. But the timeline was square footage comes with a essential because Bexar County high price tag. To compare, not only wanted to be the first in 2012, the city of McAllen, digital public library; it wanted Texas, spent $24 million the library to be operating by transforming an old Wal-Mart the start of the 2013-14 school into a 123,000 square-foot year. public library, an upgrade One of the most important from the city’s old 40,000 duties of a general contractor square-foot main library. is to direct the sequence of Bexar County’s digital construction, which if done library had a much different

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“I think with BiblioTech, there was and more on creating community unlimited potential. This was the first meeting spaces and learning centers time it had been done and the future rather than housing large book impact had yet to be determined. It collections. Today’s library patrons truly was a transformational project want interactive technology, enhanced for the community. It redefined the power connections and modern kind of service counties are willing to spaces to match their leading-edge provide to their constituents,” Bueche technology — assuming they are even said. willing to leave the house. Now more The county knew that BiblioTech’s than ever, people have round-the-clock interior design would play a major access to the Internet and e-readers role in creating the kind of experience allow owners to check out books at any it wanted to offer patrons, so it time, day or night. With the amount correctly can guarantee shorter sought out some experts and asked of mobile and digital technology timelines. Serving as its own Munoz Architects — with whom the available, it’s easy to live outside the contractor, the county was able to county already had a pre-existing confines of hours of operation. select subcontractors from The Texas relationship — to help. The space’s Technology also brings with it an Multiple Award Schedule (TXMAS), design includes clean lines and bright excitement regarding not only what a program that compiles a list of colors. is available, but what is possible — existing competitively awarded “We were able to get Munoz what has the potential to improve government contractors that cater to Architects to go in for free and develop lives. That enthusiasm can turn a the procurement needs of the state of the artistic design that we wanted. simple project into something that has Texas. We told them what we were looking the potential to go beyond anyone’s Bexar County Director of Facilities for — something that was different, expectations. and Parks Betty Bueche became the something that represented the “BiblioTech energized a lot of county’s General Contractor and led artistic design for this kind of space. county employees. It was a highly the construction teams, while Bexar They also came up with the name,” visible undertaking that lifted County Capital Projects Manager Wolff said. up our employees and gave them Dan Curry acted as the Jobsite something new and different to do, Supervisor. Though the duo had Booking into BiblioTech not the everyday stuff they’re used extensive experience and expertise With today’s technology and social to,” Wolff said. “When you give people in construction and large project media demands, the days of card the chance to do new things, many management, their expertise didn’t catalogs and bookshelves to the ceiling of them will step up and completely include having a blueprint for building are most likely behind us. Twenty- surprise you with how hard they the next-era library. first century libraries will focus more work.”

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Every new visitor to BiblioTech is the software and see how everything BiblioTech also worked to assist welcomed and offered a personal tour. works. Everyone is shown how to county residents with signing up for If the visitor is a county resident, download eBooks to their own readers coverage under the Affordable Care they are offered a library card at or smart device or onto one of readers Act (ACA). U.S. Secretary of Health the end of the tour and additional that can be checked out from the and Human Services Kathleen one-on-one time with staff until they library. The bilingual staff also offers Sebelius visited BiblioTech in become familiar with the available individualized technology assistance February to promote the program. The technology. Out-of-town visitors are to seniors and anyone with special free assistance was available through offered a guest pass so they can utilize needs. the end of March 2014, the ACA For all the library has given to its deadline for enrollment. patrons, its staff has been given some Another partnership includes unforgettable memories in return. M.A.T.C.H (Mothers And Their Cole relayed a story about a young Children), which began in 1984 to family’s recent visit, during which a give incarcerated mothers more twenty-something father revealed that opportunities to interact with their the e-readers were of no use to him, children. BiblioTech now provides because he could not read. incarcerated mothers with e-readers “One of our staff offered him a and tablets so that they can study children’s reader, which is enhanced parenting books and read to their with activities that help with learning children during visits. how to read,” Cole said. “He started Its services have also expanded with shaking, and his wife couldn’t stop the addition of Hoopla Digital, which crying. It was a really profound allows patrons to access television experience for him and the staff.” shows, movies, music and audiobooks for free with BiblioTech registration. Endless Possibilities Patrons can also choose from over Since its opening, BiblioTech has 7,000 digital comics and graphic averaged 320 on-site patrons per novels, while Mango Languages day — more than 118,000 visitors offers 64 different foreign languages in its first 14 months of operation. and 17 English courses for patrons During the same time period, 67,569 to learn, Residents can also utilize eBook titles have been checked out, Atomic Training’s 85 different tech and e-readers have been checked out tutorials to brush up their computer 6,464 times. Patrons are also allowed skills or browse more than 70 popular to check out iPads and laptops for magazine subscriptions. an hour at a time within the library BiblioTech has also already building. expanded since its introduction to the “The readers that we circulate world in September 2013. The first externally do not have Internet satellite location opened in March capability,” Cole said. “E-books must 2014 in the County Courthouse be downloaded to the device at the Central Jury Room, placing the state’s Rentals • Sales • Parts • Service library through a download software. newest library model within the PAVING • COMPACTION • AIR COMPRESSORS The patron is not able to download oldest continuously operating historic PUMPS•SOILSTABILIZERS•CRUSHING their own material. The device has courthouse in Texas. * COMPACT MILLING MACHINES • EXCAVATORS DOZERS•CRANES•BOOMTRUCKS absolutely no functional value outside the context of our library. This has Editor’s Note: Alicia Hays is the www.kirby-smith.com helped to mitigate loss.” executive assistant to the Bexar County 888.861.0219 BiblioTech’s services and reach Manager. A different version of this

Abilene Amarillo Dallas keeps expanding. article was originally published by 877.577.5729 800.283.1247 800.753.1247 BiblioTech’s programs have included the American Library Association. To Ft. Worth Kansas City Lubbock 877.851.9977 877.851.5729 866.289.6087 the mailing of 8,000 personal letters learn more about the BiblioTech model Odessa Oklahoma City St. Louis to Bexar County residents serving or to take tour of the facility, contact 877.794.1800 800.375.3339 866.279.1392 Tulsa in the Armed Forces. Each envelope Bexar County Public Information 800.375.3733 included a library card with their Officer Laura Jesse at (210) 335-0073 login information so that they can or [email protected] or visit the website

Not all makes and models availa ble at all locations. download their own eBooks. at www.bexarbibliotech.org.

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10337_TAC.indd 45 1/15/15 1:30 PM HITTING THE ROAD

AC’s County Relations Officers (CROs, or “the crows”) spend a significant amount of time on the road. Their mission is to visit every county in the state to connect county officials with the resources they need to perform their duties andT to collect valuable feedback to help TAC improve services to its members. So when CRO Lonnie Hunt came across a Texas Monthly article from March 2010 headlined “The Bucket List: 63 Things All Texans Must Do Before They Die” with taking the ultimate Texas road trip — from Dalhart to Brownsville — topping the list, Hunt thought it was a great idea. But he wanted to do it with his own twist: focus the trip on courthouses and other county treasures. He developed an intinerary to travel from the northwestern corner of Texas to the southeast- ernmost point in the state, visiting with county officials all along the way. Here are just a few of the highlights.

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DALLAM COUNTY OPPOSITE PAGE, LOWER CORNER: An abandoned homestead sitting near the northwestern most corner of the state, on Shamburger Road just north of Texline in Dallam County.

RIGHT: Hunt took this shot next to the United States General Land Office marker that sits at the point where Texas, New Mexico and Oklahoma all meet.

HARTLEY COUNTY

ABOVE: The Hartley County Courthouse, with its front archway and native sandstone base, was built in 1906 for a total cost of $10,525. The original building included five offices and a lobby on the first floor and a courtroom and two offices on the second floor. The historic county jail sits right next door.

POTTER COUNTY

ABOVE: No drive through the Panhandle is complete without driving by the grand and historic Potter County Courthouse, built in 1932 for $315,000 ($5.44 million in 2015 dollars) as the county’s fifth courthouse. The county’s first courthouse, built in 1887, cost just $191.

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LEFT: An arrow outside the Deaf Smith DEAF SMITH COUNTY County Courthouse marks the Quanah Parker Trail, which follows the path of Comanche Chief Quanah Parker and is part of the Texas Plains Trail Region. The historic courthouse, built in 1910, was the second marble courthouse built in the United States. It cost $125,000.

BELOW: Staff in the Deaf Smith Coun- ty Tax Assessor-Collector’s Office pose near the office’s festive Hal- loween display: from left to right are Denise Stockton, Tax Assessor-Col- lector Teresa Garth and Esmerelda Miranda. Hunt also got to visit with the county commissioners court, incoming County Judge D.J. Wagner, County Clerk Imelda DeLaCerda, Auditor Trish Brown, then-Treasurer Paula Price and Justice of the Peace Karen Boren. “I took Judge Wagner and (retiring Judge Tom Simons) to lunch and we had a great visit,” Hunt said about the stop, adding that ABOVE: A statue of pioneer Erasmus the trio discussed everything from “Deaf” Smith sits in the Deaf Smith Court- the county’s tax rate to the judge’s house lobby. Born in New York in 1787, caseload and the county jail. “The Smith moved to Texas in 1821. Though judge has a pretty heavy judicial he suffered a partial loss of hearing due load – 700 misdemeanor cases a to a health issue, he fought in the Texas year plus probate and juvenile cases. Revolution and led a company of Texas There’s no county court-at-law judge Rangers before his death in 1837. in the county.”

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CASTRO COUNTY

ABOVE: The Castro County Courthouse was SWISHER COUNTY built in 1939 to replace its original domed brick courthouse, which a fire destroyed BELOW: Swisher County Tax Assessor Collector Deborah Lemons in 1906. Hunt visited with County Judge displays some unique items made by constituents using old Carroll Gerber, Sheriff Sal Rivera, Tax As- license plates. Aside from the usual bird houses, there is also a sessor-Collector Pam Rickert, County and purse and a dust pan. District Attorney Shalyn Hamlin, County Auditor Pauline George and Treasurer Kristen Yorton. “They have an 18-bed jail, which includes three female beds and two single cells,” Hunt said. “Eleven or 12 is the maximum number of inmates they can keep because of inmate classification requirements.”

LEFT: A concrete obelisk in the Castro County Courthouse Square commemorates the Ozark Trail, which designated that a road was good for automobile travel. The marker has been moved from its original location.

ABOVE: The Swisher County Courthouse is a remodeling and encasement of the county’s historic 1909 courthouse, which was damaged in a fire.

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DAWSON COUNTY BELOW: Murals painted by county inmates decorate the entrances above the Dawson County Courthouse.

MARTIN COUNTY

LEFT: A collection of “homies” fills the deputy clerk’s desk in Tax As- sessor-Collector Kathy Hull’s office. Hull said the 2-inch figurines, based off of a comic strip by artist David Gonzales, keep the office’s visitors entertained.

LEFT: In the 1970s, Martin County officials made the difficult decision to tear down the county’s historic courthouse. They salvaged that courthouse’s dome and incorporated it to cover a gazebo on the grounds of the current courthouse.

RIGHT: Hunt also got to meet with newly retired Martin County Judge Corky Blocker, as well as Treasurer Cynthia O’Donnell and Justice of the Peace Jarrell Hedrick. Judge Blocker showed off the county seat’s infamous welcome sign. (More than 600 vendors and 30,000 visitors travel to the county for its tri-annual Old Sorehead Trade Days shopping events.)

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LEFT: Dispatcher Cesar Martinez greets visitors to the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, where the front counter showcases the county’s livestock marks, brands and tattoos. Sheriff John Woodward was out, but Hunt visited with Chief Deputy Ernest “Ernie” Wakefield. The two discussed the county’s 16-bed jail, located underground below the courthouse, and model jail policies.

WILSON COUNTY

BELOW: The historic Wilson County Court- STERLING COUNTY house has been vacant since 2012, when county offices moved to an empty school building. The county recieved an emergency grant from the Texas Historic Commission to help replace the building’s brick foundation, among other repairs.

ABOVE & LEFT: While stopping by the historic Sterling County Courthouse (pictured, along with an example of the courthouse’s exterior decorative carvings), Hunt managed to visit with Sterling County Judge Ralph Sides, County and District Clerk Susan Wyatt and Justice of the Peace Jim Harrell (all newly retired), as well as Tax Assessor-Collector Julie Thomason and Treasurer Rhea McGinnis. Officials there discussed everything from wellness programs and official turnover and education, to wind farms and solar power plants, as alternative energy is big business in the county.

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KARNES COUNTY LEFT and RIGHT: While visiting Karnes County, Commissioner Pete Jauer gave Hunt a tour of the county’s evacuat- ed historic courthouse, originally built in 1894 and renovated in 1936. The county is hoping to receive grant funding to finish restoring the structure.

RIGHT: Karnes County Treasurer Vi Malone shows off the office’s historic safe.

BROOKS COUNTY

WILLACY COUNTY ABOVE: Since no Texas road trip is complete without ribs, Hunt stopped in Willacy County, where he had lunch at Tucker’s Bar- becue with now-retired County Judge John Gonzalez. Hunt also met with County Clerk Terry Flores, District Clerk Gilbert Lozano and County Auditor Ida Martinez.

ABOVE: Hunt met with newly retired Brooks County Judge Raul Ramirez while in Brooks County. The Brooks County Courthouse was designed by Alfred Giles in 1914 and renovated in 2006.

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CAMERON COUNTY

Above: Hunt captured this picture of the gorgeous stained glass dome covering the Cameron County Courthouse. The dome is just one of the courthouse’s many ornate and decorative features. BELOW & RIGHT: Two weeks after beginning, Hunt finally reaches the end of the road.

TAC’s COUNTY RELATIONS OFFICERS: ROAD WARRIORS HEADING YOUR WAY

All 254 Texas counties will be getting a visit in 2015 from one of TAC’s County Relations Officers (from left to right): Lonnie Hunt, Stan Reid, Kim Joyce and Rick Avery.

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10337_TAC.indd 53 1/15/15 1:30 PM ★ | County Magazine A LOOK AT WHO’S NEW in the Texas legislature A brief introduction to the freshmen legislators in the Texas House and Senate Each legislative session, county officials face the challenge bers, two of whom have some previous legislative experi- of educating newly elected senators and representatives ence. Together, they will shape the future of Texas. Below about county government services and issues. This year, is a list of these newly elected legislators, as well as their the Texas Senate will include five new faces, though one social media contact information and exerpts from their has experience serving in the House. Meanwhile, the Texas legislative platforms, as published on campaign websites. House of Representatives has 25 incoming freshmen mem- New to the Texas Senate: BOB HALL, R VAN TAYLOR, R District 2: Fannin, Hunt, Delta, Hopkins, District 8: Collin County Rains, Rockwall, Dallas, Kaufman & Van Zandt FORMER STATE REPRESENTATIVE, District 66 OWNER OF Professional Proposal REAL ESTATE FINANCE Management, Inc vantaylor.com votebobhall.com @VoteBobHall @VanTaylorTX facebook.com/votebobhall facebook.com/VanForTexas Photo from Facebook; Info from votebobhall.com Photo from TexasTribune.org; Info from vantaylor.com “State and local government spending from ALL sources “In the Texas House, Taylor spearheaded legislation that should increase only by the sum of population growth would protect our children from online predators, make plus inflation and no more. I will fight for a state consti- it easier for our military to vote while serving overseas tutional amendment to set this limit in order to protect and revoke benefits from corrupt politicians. Addition- current and future taxpayers from excessive spending.” ally, Taylor’s Truth in Taxation rule ... forced politicians to state clearly in the first line of any bill if there is an attempt to raise taxes or fees.”

PAUL BETTENCOURT, R KONNI BURTON, R District 7: Harris County District 10: Tarrant County CEO of Bettencourt Tax Advisors, LLC WEDDING CONSULTING BUSINESS OWNER FORMER HARRIS COUNTY TAX ASSESSOR konniburton.com paulbettencourt.com @TeamBettencourt @KonniBurton facebook.com/VoteBettencourt facebook.com/KonniBurtonTX Photo and info from paulbettencourt.com Photo from Facebook; Info from konniburton.com “The bottom line is we can’t let even local government “This year, the Legislature chose to spend 26 percent grow at 10 percent a year, otherwise the cost to the Tax- more than they did during the previous biennium. This payers doubles in just seven years. That’s at least twice kind of fiscal irresponsibility threatens the foundation as fast as population and inflation rates combined, and of Texas’ success by leaving little in state bank accounts what will happen is that your can pay off your Banker’s during a time of economic turmoil.” 30 year Mortgage on your Home, but you will never pay off the Government Taxman.”

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DONALD HUFFINES, R JOHN WRAY, R District 16: Dallas County District 10: Ellis, Henderson REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER ATTORNEY, TITLE COMPANY OWNER donhuffines.com wrayfortexas.com @DonHuffines; youtube.com/user/donhuffines @wrayfortexas10 facebook.com/DonForTexas facebook.com/JohnWrayForTexas Photo from Facebook; Info from donhuffines.com Photo and info from wrayfortexas.com “Funding our roads is not a revenue issue; it is a spending “Obamacare is not just a threat to our healthcare; it prioritization issue. Despite Texas’ sufficient budget sur- is the single most damaging government program our plus, some legislators are continuously advocating for the economy faces today. John is committed to stopping expansion of toll roads and a hike in taxes to cover the cost Obamacare’s implementation in Texas and protecting of our state’s infrastructure. I absolutely oppose the expan- our small businesses from more job-killing government sion of toll roads and raising taxes to cover further costs.” regulation.” New to the Texas House: GARY VANDEAVER, R MARK KEOUGH, R District 1: Lamar, Red River, Bowie, Franklin District 15: Montgomery NEW BOSTON INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT PASTOR, RADIO HOST SUPERINTENDENT, RETIRED keough4texas.com garyvandeaver.com facebook.com/votekeough facebook.com/garyvandeavercampaign Photo from Facebook; Info from keough4texas.com press release Photo from Facebook; Info from garyvandeaver.com “In his work as a superintendent, Gary oversaw the an- “During the pre-filling period, Mr. Keough has already nual budget, daily operations, and facilities construction submitted a number of new bills that will be considered plans. When faced with funding cuts from the 82nd leg- during the session. ... HB 317 also known as the Trans- islative session, Gary made difficult choices and focused parency in Local Government Act would require counties on what matters – ensuring the cuts would have minimal of over 45,000 in population to create a searchable data- impact on our children’s educations.” base disclosing county expenditures.”

STUART SPITZER, R WILL METCALF, R District 4: Henderson, Kaufman District 16: Montgomery SURGEON BANK EXECUTIVE stuartspitzer.com willmetcalf.com @Spitzer4TXRep @willmetcalfTX facebook.com/StuartSpitzer facebook.com/WillMetcalfHD16 Photo from Twitter; Info from stuartspitzer.com Photo and info from willmetcalf.com “Illegal immigration has brought chaos to our hospitals, “We need to make sure that every community has schools, and job sites. It costs billions of dollars in direct options for their water needs, with an open dialogue for and indirect costs. I see these costs in this district as a the solutions. As a member of Leadership Montgomery physician, father and taxpayer. ... Elimination of sanc- County, I have been working with the community to im- tuary cities, bilingual education and in-state tuition for prove how we use our water through innovative solutions illegal immigrants would be a good start.” as well as educating about easy and effective ways to conserve water.”

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DADE PHELAN, R ANDREW MURR, R District 21: Jefferson, Orange District 53: Crockett, Schleicher, Menard, REAL ESTATE DEVELOPER/BROKER Sutton, Kimble, Edwards, Real, Kerr, Bandera, Medina, Mason, Llano texansfordade.com FORMER KIMBLE COUNTY ATTORNEy @DadePhelan FORMER KIMBLE COUNTY JUDGE facebook.com/TexansForDade andrewmurr.org/issues Photo from Twitter; Info from texansfordade.com facebook.com/pages/Andrew-Murr- “Texas has over 1,100 people moving here each day. for-State-Representative/170544576472462 Our transportation infrastructure, once the envy of the Photo from Facebook; Info from andrewmurr.org nation, is falling woefully behind demand. We must “Unfunded mandates handed down from both Austin and dedicate all of Fund 6 revenue to transportation without Washington are incredible burdens on our local county exception. The time is now to get serious about improv- governments and taxpayers. Andrew will support mea- ing both our highway and port systems.” sures, including a constitutional amendment, that would prevent further unfunded mandates from the Texas Legislature on counties.” WAYNE FAIRCLOTH, R MOLLY S. WHITE, R District 23: Chambers, Galveston District 55: Bell INsurance Agent FOUNDER, WOMEN FOR LIFE INTERNATIONAL votefaircloth.com texansformolly.com @WayneFaircloth @MollyWhiteTX facebook.com/VoteFaircloth facebook.com/TexansforMolly Photo and info from votefaircloth.com Photo from Facebook; Info from texansformolly.com “I have been actively involved in the Republican Party “Texas local debt per capita is the second highest in since the 1980s. I have worked as precinct chairman, elec- the nation (second to New York). The Legislature can tion judge, poll watcher, and served as a delegate at party empower citizens and local authorities with the tools to conventions. I believe that capitalism in a free market provide better transparency for taxpayers and govern- economy is the path to prosperity.” ment accountability. I support requiring transparent debt disclosure during bond elections.”

CELIA ISRAEL, D DEWAYNE BURNS, R District 50: Travis District 58: Bosque, Johnson STATE REPRESENTATIVE, ELECTED DURING PROPERTY/BUSINESS INVESTMENT MANAGER SPECIAL ELECTION ON JAN. 28, 2014; COMMUNITY AFFAIRS CONSULTANT burnsfortexas.com @BurnsForTexas celiaisrael.com facebook.com/DeWayneBurnsforStateRep @CeliaIsrael; facebook.com/CeliaIsraelTX Photo from Facebook; Info from burnsfortexas.com Photo from Facebook; Info from celiaisrael.com “The Texas House took several measures in 2013 to reject the expansion of Medicaid in Texas, but this battle “Celia is a vocal advocate for expanded public transpor- is far from over. As our next Representative, DeWayne tation options as a critical part in solving our transpor- will fight any and all healthcare directives the federal tation challenges. She also believes the time is now to government attempts to impose on Texans.” redouble our efforts in making renewable energies cost efficient.”

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MATT SHAHEEN, R DUSTIN BURROWS, R District 66: Collin District 83: Lubbock, Terry, Lynn, Gaines FORMER COLLIN COUNTY COMMISSIONER; COMMERCIAL LITIGATION ATTORNEY TECHNOLOGY & MANAGEMENT CONSULTING burrows4texas.com mattshaheen.com @MattShaheen @Burrows4TX facebook.com/mattshaheenGOP facebook.com/Burrows4TX Photo from Facebook; info from mattshaheen.com Photo from Facebook; Info from burrows4texas.com “Shaheen served on the Council of Governments Criminal “Despite the Supreme Court reaffirming that under- Justice Policy Committee and was a former Appointee of ground water is a property right of the landowner, many Governor Rick Perry to the State Board of Social Workers in the Texas Legislature still feel that underground where he chaired the board’s Professional Development water should be controlled by Austin. I am against any Committee.” attempt to treat private property as communal, and will fervently oppose all such efforts.”

CESAR BLANCO, D RAMON ROMERO JR., D District 76: El Paso District 90: Tarrant U.S. NAVY INTELLIGENCE ANALYST; CONSTRUCTION BUSINESS OWNER FORMER CHIEF OF STAFF for ramonromerojr.com @RamonRomeroJr90 u.S. REp PETE Gallego facebook.com/pages/Ramon-Romero-Jr- cesarforelpaso.com @CesarJBlanco For-State-Representative/ facebook.com/cesarforelpaso 371863612949631?ref=br_tf Photo from Facebook; info from cesarforelpaso.com Photo from Twitter; Info from ramonromerojr.com “I followed my military service by working for three Con- “The majority of incarcerated men and women do not gressmen in Washington, DC who represented El Paso. have a high school diploma, too many others are trapped ... As the son of two nurses and the brother of a teacher, in homelessness or mental illness. Without support they I’ve learned a lesson from my family that my travels have nowhere to turn but to the state for the housing of couldn’t teach me.” last resort. I’ll work to make or prisons safe and hu- mane.”

BROOKS LANDGRAF, R TONY TINDERHOLT, R District 81: Andrews, Winkler, Ector, Ward District 94: Tarrant RANCHER, OIL & GAS ATTORNEY AIR FORCE & ARMY VETERAN brookslandgraf.com SPANISH PROFESSOR @BrooksLandgraf tonytinderholt.com facebook.com/VoteLandgraf @Tony_Tinderholt Photo from Facebook; Info from brookslandgraf.com facebook.com/tonytinderholtfortexas Photo from Facebook; Info from tonytinderholt.com “I support cutting wasteful spending in state government and reinvest it in a leaner, smarter and more equitable “Despite our prosperity, our Legislature has decided to TxDOT. Importantly, I will fight to ensure that West spend much like Sacramento or Detroit, using account- Texas receives a fair return on its investment in the ing gimmicks, ignoring priorities, and exploding the state highway system. Our roads have become too dilap- budget by over 26% in the 83rd Representative, I will idated and dangerous to not continue our fight for better demand truth in budgeting, transparency, and fight for highways.” the balanced budget our Texas Constitution demands.”

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LINDA KOOP, R MATT RINALDI, R District 102: Dallas District 115: Dallas DAlLas city councilmember, COMMERCIAL LITIGATION ATTORNEY Small business owner mattrinaldi.com lindakoop.com @LindaKoopforTX @MattRinaldiTX facebook.com/pages/Linda-Koop-for-Texas/ www.facebook.com/mattrinalditx 1385294418360578 Photo from Facebook; Info from mattrinaldi.com Photo from Facebook; Info from lindakoop.com “Everyday more Texas families are losing their health “The respect and protection we afford our God-given insurance while the disastrous implementation has property rights is greater than every other civilization confirmed what we always knew-healthcare without that has come before us. ... I support further citizen the free-market hurts job creators and families. … protections against eminent domain takings and would We need real solutions and a workable approach that ensure private property owners subject to such takings puts Texas families first. … I will do everything in my are compensated for at least the full appraised value of power to stop Obamacare.” their property.”

RODNEY ANDERSON, R RICK GALINDO, R District 105: Dallas District 117: Bexar Former state REp., district 106, 2011-2013 RISK MANAGER COMMERCE TITLE COMPANY VICE PRESIDENT rickgalindo.com @GalindoForRep rodneyanderson.org @rodneyanderson facebook.com/pages/Rick-Galindo-III/ facebook.com/texansforrodneyanderson 701220939906322 Photo from Facebook; Info from rodneyanderson.org Photo from Facebook; Info from rickgalindo.com “I’ve had enough of excessive spending, enough of ex- “Rick will oppose any and all tax increases. And he will cessive taxation, and enough of the unfunded mandates go through the budget with a fine-toothed comb and put on our education system. As your Representative, I will every line item to a simple test - is this program worth work day and night for a smaller, less intrusive gov- taking money out of the pockets of taxpayers? Those that ernment, lower taxes, reduced spending and a secure benefit taxpayers and our economy should be funded. border. I am a champion for the liberties and freedoms of Those that don’t should be shut down and the money to Texans.” fund them returned to taxpayers.”

MORGAN MEYER, R DENNIS PAUL, R District 108: Dallas District 129: Harris ATTORNEY SMALL BUSINESS OWNER morganmeyerfortexas.com dennispaul.com @MorganMeyerTX facebook.com/Dennis.Paul.HD129 facebook.com/MorganMeyerForTexas Photo from Facebook; Info from dennispaul.com Photo from Facebook Info from morganmeyerfortexas.com “Morgan will work to bring that higher ethical standard “Who taxes you? These entities do: Your local city, Har- to state government by leading for ethics reform that puts ris County, your school district, Harris County Hospital our citizens first, like: requiring greater disclosure from District, Harris County Department of Education, Harris elected officials, especially as it relates to votes they make County Flood Control District, your Emergency Services regarding the industries they benefit from financially; District, a junior-college district, the Port of Houston and prohibiting lawmakers from serving as paid lobbyists Authority (for those Houston) and your Municipal Utility immediately after stepping down from the Texas House.” District. ... We also need a reduction in the appraisal cap to provide relief for families.”

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MIKE SCHOFIELD, R GILBERT PENA, R District 132: Harris District 144: Harris ADVISOR/staff TO GOVERNOR RICK PERRY RETIRED mikeschofield.com takeback144.com @RepGilbertPena facebook.com/schofieldfortexas facebook.com/pages/Gilbert-Pena/ Photo from Facebook; Info from mikeschofield.com 898242583520570 Photo from Facebook; Info from takeback144.com “Mike worked for several legislative sessions on the successful efforts to limit government’s power to take your “Residents have seen Gilbert walking his special needs property by eminent domain. Mike has also advised Gov- son, Mark, at a Wal-Mart or a grocery store, at the mall ernor Perry on Tenth Amendment issues, election law, or around the neighborhood. Residents have also talked to the Texas judicial system, and appraisal cap reduction.” Gilbert about the things that are important to the families of District 144. We have to talk about the importance of education; job training; immigration; taxes; business opportunities and limited government.”

Reserve Your Space Early for the 2015 Legislative Conference The 84th Texas Legislature is getting underway, and register and book your room at the JW Marriott. Visit the 2015 Legislative Conference, will be here before you www.county.org/legconference to register and book your know it. The conference, set for Aug. 26-28 in Austin, will room at the JW Marriott. help county officials and staff learn about the biggest Registration rates: issues the Legislature did and didn’t tackle this session. County officials and/or Staff - $230 “It’s not too early to start thinking about the 2015 Half Day - $75 Legislative Conference,” said Paul Sugg, TAC Legislative Single Day - $155 Director. “There was a lot of turn over from the last Spouse Event - $30 session and there are big issues on legislator’s plates. Golf Social $25 This conference is the best place for county officials and Room Rate: legislators find out what how it all affects county officials $179* single/double *plus applicable taxes. and county government, and of course taxpayers.” All reservations must be accompanied by a first night TAC’s 2015 Legislative Conference offers attendees a room deposit or guaranteed with a major credit card. chance to: Check the TAC website, social media feeds and emails • Connect with people representing county to get future conference updates. government in Austin, • Review ways to communicate essential information back to their county and constituents; • Learn about legislation that could affect their county and their office; • Hear about new tools to better communicate the county message; and • Exchange experiences, ideas and contacts with other attendees. TAC staff recently had a chance to tour the headquarters hotel for the 2015 conference, the JW Marriot Austin. Set to open in mid-February, the new 34-story luxury hotel features more than 112,000 square feet of event space, 42 meeting rooms and 1,012 guest rooms. Registration for the 2015 Legislative Conference The rooftop pool at the Marriot Austin, the headquarters for the 2015 is now open. Visit www.county.org/legconference to Legislative Conference.

Jan/FebJan/Feb 2015 2015 ★ county.org/magazine county.org/magazine 5959

10337_TAC.indd 59 1/15/15 1:30 PM MEMBERS CAN COUNT ON: • Toll-free Legal Hotline, (888) 275-8224 • First-rate training and continuing education programs • A strong voice representing county interests at the state and federal government levels • County news, issues and best practices online and in County magazine • Email and website hosting services Created by counties, • TAC Health and Employee Benefits Pool • TAC Risk Management Pool • TAC Unemployment Compensation Group Account Fund • Cost-effective, comprehensive risk management services and programs • Healthy County customized employee wellness programs for counties.

(800) 456-5974 county.org

2015MemberServices Ad.indd 2-3 12/12/14 12:18 PM 10337_TAC.indd 60 1/15/15 1:30 PM MEMBERS CAN COUNT ON: • Toll-free Legal Hotline, (888) 275-8224 • First-rate training and continuing education programs • A strong voice representing county interests at the state and federal government levels • County news, issues and best practices online and in County magazine • Email and website hosting services Created by counties, • TAC Health and Employee Benefits Pool • TAC Risk Management Pool • TAC Unemployment Compensation Group Account Fund • Cost-effective, comprehensive risk management services and programs • Healthy County customized employee wellness programs for counties.

(800) 456-5974 county.org

2015MemberServices Ad.indd 2-3 12/12/14 12:18 PM 10337_TAC.indd 61 1/15/15 1:30 PM County Law Enforcement & Jail Operations Policy Service Program

Reduce liability risks, lower claims exposure, prevent losses and enhance the performance of county law enforcement officers and employees.

SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE PROVIDED AT NO ADDITIONAL PROVIDED AT NO COST TO ALL PUBLIC AGENCY TRAINING COUNCIL COST TO MEMBERS OF THE TAC COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT RISK MANAGEMENT POOL LAW ENFORCEMENT LIABILITY PROGRAM

Texas-Specific Critical Task Model Policies for County Law Enforcement and Jail Operations *

Customized (Agency-Specific) Policy Services

Online and On-Site Training for Personnel

Instructional Video Library

Online “Ask an Expert” Help Services

Monthly Webinars and Online Roll Call Training

Updates Referencing Applicable Federal Court Rulings

* The model policy program is brought to you by the Texas Association of Counties Risk Management Pool (TAC RMP) in collaboration with the Public Agency Training Council (PATC), the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas and the Justices of the Peace & Constables Association of Texas.

Reduce your county’s liability exposures. Access these services today at www.county.org/PATC.

10337_TAC.indd 62 1/15/15 1:30 PM Events and education for counties | Calendar of Events | ★

County Law Enforcement & Jail Operations 15-18 — South Texas County Note: More information regarding events can be found online via the TAC Education Calendar, Judges & Commissioners Policy Service Program www.county.org/education/calendar. Conference, Beaumont. JUNE JANUARY 2015 APRIL 22-26 — 71st Annual Justices 20-23 — 2015 County and District 8-10 — 2015 County Management of the Peace and Constables Reduce liability risks, lower claims exposure, prevent losses and enhance Clerks’ Association of Texas & Risk Conference, Austin. Association Education Conference, San Marcos. Conference, South Padre Island. the performance of county law enforcement officers and employees. 20-23 — 43rd Annual County FEBRUARY Treasurers’ Continuing Education JUly Seminar, San Marcos. 2-6 — 2015 Judicial Orientation 6-9 — North & East Texas for New County Judges, Lubbock. 27- May 1 — West Texas County County Judges & Commissioners SERVICES PROVIDED BY THE PROVIDED AT NO ADDITIONAL PROVIDED AT NO COST TO ALL 12-13 — 2015 Healthy County Boot Judges & Commissioners Conference, Waco. COST TO MEMBERS OF THE TAC COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT Conference, Wichita Falls. PUBLIC AGENCY TRAINING COUNCIL Camp, Round Rock August RISK MANAGEMENT POOL LAW 17-19 — 2015 V.G. Young Institute MAY 26-28 — 2015 TAC Legislative ENFORCEMENT LIABILITY PROGRAM School for County Commissioners 6-8 — 2015 County Court Conference, Austin. Courts, Austin. Assistants Training Conference, San Marcos. September Texas-Specific Critical Task Model Policies for 17-20 — 2015 Basics of County 14-17 — 2015 County Treasurers’ County Law Enforcement and Jail Operations * Investments Course, San Marcos. 20-22 — 2015 Probate Academy, Association of Texas Conference, Lubbock. MARCH Wichita Falls. Customized (Agency-Specific) Policy Services JUNE 5 — 2015 Spring Panhandle October Judges & Commissioners 8-10 — 2015 Conference of the 5-8 — 93rd Annual County Judges Conference, Amarillo. County Investment Academy, San Online and On-Site Training for Personnel and Commissioners Association of Antonio. 25-27 — 2015 Spring Judicial Texas Conference, San Marcos. Education Session, Lubbock. 14-18 — 2015 Tax Assessor- Instructional Video Library November 26-27 — Texas College of Probate Collectors Annual Conference, 12-13 — Texas Public Funds Judges, Austin. Lubbock. Investment Conference, Houston. Online “Ask an Expert” Help Services 18-20 — Fall Judicial Education Session, Galveston. Monthly Webinars and Online Roll Call Training Need help finding savings May 2016 16-19 — 2016 North & East Updates Referencing Applicable Federal Court Rulings County Judges & Commissioners in your county's budget? Association Annual Conference & Business Meeting, Galveston. More than 650 public agencies have chosen PARS for June 2016 12-16 — 2016 Tax Assessor- retirement solutions that help save money such as: Collectors Association Annual Conference, Waco. * The model policy program is brought to you by the Texas Association of Counties Risk Management Pool (TAC RMP) in collaboration with • Texas-compliant trust to reduce OPEB liabilities; 20-22 — 2016 Conference of the the Public Agency Training Council (PATC), the Sheriffs’ Association of Texas and the Justices of the Peace & Constables Association of Texas. county retains control to reduce/eliminate retiree medical County Investment Academy, Galveston. • Social Security alternatives for temporary employees to save 79% June 2017 Contact PARS today for a complimentary analysis to see 4-8 — 2017 Tax Assessor-Collectors how much your County could save. Association Annual Conference, Houston. 800.540.6369 x 116; [email protected] Reduce your county’s liability exposures. www.pars.org ©2015 Public Agency Retirement Services (PARS). All rights reserved. Access these services today at www.county.org/PATC. Jan/Feb 2015 ★ county.org/magazine 63

10337_TAC.indd 63 1/15/15 1:30 PM Data about counties, by County Information ★ | Information Program | Project Senior Analyst Tim Brown Total Market Value Lost to Property Tax Exemptions

aving served in the United States Navy, I’m always Market Value Lost to Exemptions, 2013 Hhappy to see bills filed that would help veterans save money. For example, during each of the recent sessions, bills were filed to reduce property taxes for some veterans. The practice continues in the current session, though naturally it is not limited to just veterans – bills have been filed that would affect the property taxes of non-veterans as well. In reviewing some of these bills, I became curious about the extent to which some future property tax exemptions would affect my tax bill. Percent of Value Lost My county, Hays, adopted a total 1.8 - 20 property tax rate of $0.469 per $100 of value for tax year 2013. Using that 20.1 - 30 rate and assuming an additional 30.1 - 40 $10,000 exemption is enacted, I’m 40.1 - 50 looking at a sweet future savings of County Information Program, Texas Association of Counties 50.1-82 almost $50 a year. Of course, many exemptions already exist. In the past, I’ve had the occasion to look at individual County (1.8 percent). In all, there raises the likelihood that their high partial exemptions, but this time were 15 counties that lost less than 10 percentages of lost value were due to I wanted to look at the total value percent of market value to the various agricultural valuation of properties of all exemptions by county as a exemptions. However, Menard County (the difference between productivity percentage of the total market value reported a total market value of $1.1 value and market value). of all properties in each county. billion for 2013 and a taxable value The accompanying table indicates The accompanying map shows the of only $198 million as a result of the total value lost due to exemptions percentage of total market value exemptions removing 82 percent of the statewide for tax year 2013. It includes lost to any and every property tax value from the tax rolls; there were 13 only those exemptions applicable exemption. This includes total counties where more than 70 percent to general fund property taxes as exemptions — for example, churches of the market value was lost to those reported to the Texas Comptroller of and government buildings — as well same exemptions! Public Accounts by each county. It as partial exemptions, such as the Of the 61 counties that lost at least does not include exemptions for other value lost to the 10 percent cap on half of their value to exemptions, types of taxing entities, such as school residence homesteads and the value many were in a large swath running districts and cities. lost to agricultural valuation of parallel to and just west of I-35. While As in both of the previously properties (“exemptions”). it is beyond the scope of this article mentioned counties, the difference On a percentage basis, the least to look at the exemptions in every between productivity value and amount of value lost was in Crane county, the location of these counties market value accounted for the largest

64 Jan/Feb 2015 ★ county.org/magazine

10337_TAC.indd 64 1/15/15 1:30 PM Data about counties, by County Information ★ Project Senior Analyst Tim Brown | Information Program |

loss of value among the various County Property Tax Exemptions Lost Value, 2013 exemptions for 212 counties. In 202 counties, including Menard but not Totally exempt property. $186,044,771,878 Crane, at least 50 percent of the total State-mandated 100% disabled or unemployable veterans or their value lost was due to the difference $5,680,722,147 between productivity value and surviving spouse homestead exemptions. (Tax Code, Sec. 11.131) market value. Local optional over-65 or disabled homestead exemptions. Other interesting notes: $63,793,068,129 . Totally exempt properties Minimum $3,000. (Tax Code, Sec. 11.13(d)) accounted for the largest loss of Local optional percentage homestead exemptions. value in 29 counties relative to the $81,493,816,140 other exemptions. Minimum $5,000. (Tax Code, Sec. 11.13(n)) . The Property Redevelopment and Disabled or deceased veteran’s survivor(s) exemptions. Tax Abatement Act decreased $1,651,782,689 values more than any other (Tax Code, Sec. 11.22) exemption in nine counties. Freeport exemptions. (Tax Code, Sec. 11.251) $20,527,194,797 . Local optional percentage homestead exemptions made for Personal property in transit (goods-in-transit) exemptions. $29,854,100 the largest decrease in value in (Tax Code, Sec. 11.253) three counties. . And freeport exemptions reduced Pollution control exemptions. (Tax Code, Sec. 11.31) $10,419,827,863 values more than any other Water conservation initiative exemptions. (Tax Code, Sec. 11.32) $0 exemption in one county, Pecos. At a minimum, each of the Difference between productivity value (1-d and 1-d-1) and market exemptions listed in the accompanying value of qualified acres. (Tax Code, Chapter 23, Subchapters D $214,009,721,078 table serves a function espoused and E) by the state and, in the case of the optional exemptions, those counties Property Redevelopment and Tax Abatement Act $19,478,570,609 that have adopted them. Nothing in (Tax Code, Chapter 312) this article is meant to imply either of criticism or support for any property Partial low-income housing exemptions. Does not include totally exempt properties. Mandatory in counties under 1.8 million tax exemption, except for the ones that $11,559,767 lower my personal tax bill. * population and optional for counties of greater population. (Tax Code, 11.1825)

Local optional community land trust exemptions. $0 (Tax Code, Sec. 11.1827)

Solar and wind-powered exemptions. (Tax Code, Sec. 11.27) $51,240,854

Prorations and other required partial exemptions not reported $338,422,266 above.

Historical and other non-required exemptions. $809,491,191 Ten percent cap on residence homesteads. $7,431,288,640 Total lost value. $611,771,332,148

Jan/Feb 2015 ★ county.org/magazine 65

10337_TAC.indd 65 1/15/15 1:30 PM ★ | Newsfeed | County Magazine

Favorite postings from TAC’s Facebook NEWS FEED and interesting texas and county-related readings MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS  Readings Research, articles, publications and websites

DATELINE PURGATORY: EXAMINING THE CASE THAT SENTENCED DARLIE ROUTER TO DEATH by Kathy Cruz investigates the June 1996 murders of young Devon and Damon Routier in Dallas County. Though the childrens’ mother, Darlie, was convicted of the crime and sentenced to death, she has maintained her innocence. Cruz looks at the case’s bloodstain analysis, police investigations and other evidence in this true crime recounting. Texas Christian University Press. The National Association of Counties (NACo) teamed up with The Council of HEADS ABOVE WATER: THE INSIDE State Governments Justice Center to create a STORY OF THE EDWARDS AQUIFER national bipartisan effort to reduce the number RECOVERY IMPLEMENTATION of people with mental illnesses in jails. The PROGRAM tells centerpiece of the initiative includes providing by Robert L. Gulley counties with the technical assistance the story of how a diverse group of 39 necessary for the creation and engagement competing stakeholders finally reached Rescue Story of multijurisdictional teams focused on jail consensus on how to conserve and allocate A Chambers County Sheriff’s deputy spotted diversion; needs assessments; treatment and water from the south central Texas natural this manatee in the Chambers County waters service capacity measurements; plan creation; resource. Texas A & M University Press. of the Trinity Bay on Nov. 23. The Chambers implementation of research-based solutions; County Sheriff’s Office Marine Units joined and tracking progress of new initiatives. “With UNBRANDED by Ben Masters tells the forces with the Texas Marine Mammal growing support for addressing the mental real-life story of four friends who adopt Stranding Network, the U.S. Fish and health needs of those in the criminal justice wild mustangs from the U.S. Bureau of Land Wildlife Service, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Sea system, it’s clear that this is not a Republican Management to ride horseback across 3,000 World Rescue and other organizations to save issue or a Democrat issue,” said Texas Sen. miles of public lands from Mexico to Canada. the 12-foot mammal. John Cornyn. “It’s a public safety issue.” Texas A & M University Press. — Shared by the Chambers County Sheriff’s — Shared by the National Association of THE CINEMA OF ROBERT RODRIGUEZ Office on Nov. 25 Counties on Dec. 9, 2014 by Frederick Luis Aldama looks at the 21- year career of the most successful U.S. WHERE THE RIVER FLOWS Latino filmmaker alive today. Rodriguez The Texas Tribune posted this photo on has made 18 films, ranging from Spy Kids Facebook from day 201 of its “Disappearing 4 to Machete Kills. The book includes an Rio Grande Expedition” project, which has exclusive interview with the fimmaker reporter Colin McDonald and photojournalist and an extensive overview of his work, Erich Schlegel spending seven months including the filmmaker’s lost-cost approach traveling the 1,900 miles of the Rio Grande to filmmaking and the acceptance of Latino to focus on the challenges faced by the Rio films in mainstream American cinema. Grande due to drought, evaporation and University of Texas Press. overusage. The expedition’s daily blog is online at riogrande.texastribune.org. — Shared by The Texas Tribune on Jan. 7

66 Jan/Feb 2015 ★ county.org/magazine

10337_TAC.indd 66 1/15/15 1:30 PM 800-456-5975 512-478-8753 county.org | Who To Call | ★

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR LEGAL Member Services Representatives Gene Terry, (512) 925-3263 Legal Hotline: (888) ASK-TAC4 or Northeast: Kathie Lopez (888) 275-8224 Northwest: Justin Bedford ASSISTANT EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR Legal Fax: (512) 478-3573 Southeast: Lucia Espinoza Rex Hall General Counsel: Karen Gladney Southwest: Sabrina Eisazadeh COUNTY RELATIONS OFFICERS Associate General Counsel Underwriters Northeast & Southwest: Kelly Flores Lonnie Hunt, Kim Joyce, Stan Reid, Jenny Gilchrist, Katherine Howard, Northwest & Southeast: Teril Moncivais Rick Avery Paul Miles, Michael Pichinson Paralegals ADMINISTRATION RISK CONTROL SERVICES Kristi Shepperson, Jamie Chandler Assistant Director for Risk Control Administration Director: Chris Munson Services: Ernesto Galindo Event Center: Melissa Dota, COUNTY INFORMATION RESOURCES AGENCY Video Training Programs: Kristin Bryan Pam Cervantez, Kathleen McCann (CIRA) Online Training Programs: CIRA Fax: (512) 479-1807 LEGISLATIVE Lee Bell-Hovland CIRA Operations Manager: Customer Service Rep: Legislative Fax: (512) 478-3573 Brittany Lane Elizabeth Sutherland Legislative Director: Paul J. Sugg Risk Control Services Fax: (512) 476-6231 Deputy Legislative Director: HEALTH AND BENEFITS SERVICES Laura V. Garcia Director: Quincy Quinlan Human Resources Consultants Operations Manager: Allison Scharf Health and Benefits Services Manager: Northeast: Diana Cecil Legislative Liaisons Bill Norwood Northwest: Michele Arseneau Southeast: Mary Ann Saenz - Thompson Aurora Flores-Ortiz, Nanette Forbes, Laura Operations Manager: Rob Ressmann Southwest: Rollie Ford Nicholes, Ender Reed, Rick Thompson Financial Consultant: Brian Naiser Risk Control Consultants County Information Program Employee Benefits Specialists Northeast: Isaac Garcia Senior County Analyst: Tim Brown Northeast: Maria Castillo Northwest: Jack Coffey County G.I.S Analyst: Bruce Barr Northwest: Melissa Lopez Southern: Larry Boccaccio State Fiscal Analyst: Paul K. Emerson Southeast: Lauren Henry Southwest: Jennifer Rehme Law Enforcement Consultants Liaisons to Affiliates Northeast: Thomas Kerss COUNTY AUDITORS ASSOCIATION: Paul J. Sugg Employee Benefits Consultants Northwest: Darren Jackson DISTRICT & COUNTY ATTORNEYS ASSOCIATION: Northeast: Lisa McCaig Southern: James MacMillan Laura V. Garcia Northwest: Kimberly Wilder Southeast: Charlotte Collins COUNTY JUDGES & COMMISSIONERS ASSOCIATION: CLAIMS Rick Thompson Southwest: Ernesto Martinez Claims Manager: Evelyn Leach JUSTICES OF THE PEACE & CONSTABLES ASSOCIATION: Wellness Consultants Administrative Assistant: Rick Thompson Northeast: Carrye Chen Linda Wingo, (512) 615-8904 TAX ASSESSOR-COLLECTOR ASSOCIATION: Ender Reed Northwest: Ashley Cureton Bianca Prado-Espinoza, (512) 478-8753 COUNTY TREASURERS’ ASSOCIATION: Aurora Flores Southeast: Rosalinda DiTommaso Claims hotline: (855) 47CLAIM or (855) 472-5246 COUNTY & DISTRICT CLERKS ASSOCIATION: Southwest: Mark Zollitsch Nanette Forbes Claims Adjusters Eligibility & Billing Supervisor: SHERIFFS’ ASSOCIATION: Laura Nicholes Automobile Physical Damage: Lisa Linenberger Gloria Bryfogle, (512) 615-8960 COMMUNICATION AND EDUCATION SERVICES Eligibility Specialist: Jerome Hill General Liability: Education Programs Fax: (512) 477-1324 Billing and Financial Reporting Susann Honaker, (512) 615-8970 Director: Leah Mullikin Specialist: Stacey Jones Automobile Liability: Education Services Manager: Unemployment Claims Joe Copeland, (512) 615-8910 Michele Mund Administration: Equifax (formerly Property and Crime: Education Training Specialist: TALX Corporation), (800) 848-0287 x3248 David Overbeck, (512) 615-8967 Mark Warren Unemployment Benefits Specialist: Public Officials and Law Enforcement: Cynthia Brannen & Jennifer Rehme General Conferences & Events Debbie Bonner, (972) 567-9075 Stan Lewiecki, (512) 743-4426 Meeting Planners: RISK MANAGEMENT SERVICES Workers’ Compensation: Kevin Yandell Amy Lawson, Ashley Royer, Sherry Wagner Risk Management Services Director: JI Specialty Services, (800) 752-6301 County Investment Academy Tracy L. Seiler Project Manager: Deanna Auert Operations Manager/Property Appraisal: Jennifer Kolbasinski Judicial Education Program Risk Management Consulting: Judicial Program Manager & Judicial Michael Shannon Resource Liaison: David Hodges Judicial Education Project Manager: Risk Management Consultants Joyce Francis Northeast: Todd Kisel Judicial Meeting Planner: Michele Ewerz Northwest: Mike Strawn Southeast: Robert Ruiz Publications Southwest: Victor Uvalle County Magazine Editor: Maria Sprow TAC Website Web Services Manager: Laura Westcott

Jan/Feb 2015 ★ county.org/magazine 67

10337_TAC.indd 67 1/15/15 1:30 PM ★ | Last Look | County Magazine

Welcome to county government. ANY QUESTIONS? The answers might be just a click or a phone call away. If you have a legal issue related to your county, the legal team at the Texas Association of Counties is ready to help.

(888) ASK-TAC4 | county.org/legalhotline Online Legal Resources Call our toll-free legal hotline, County officials also have access to an online (888) ASK-TAC4 or (888) 275-8224, to get library of legal handbooks and publications assistance with legal research questions at www.county.org/legalpubs. These or for more detailed information on legal downloadable documents can help officials deadlines. Our legal specialists can help confidently navigate the often complex county officials research statutes, regulations, opinions demands of modern county government. and court cases relevant to situations in their county. Legal publications available online include: County officials and employees (and anyone You can also reach out to the legal department online at • Official Oath and Bond Requirements; PIANO MAN else in a Texas county) are encouraged to www.county.org/legalhotline and request to be contacted • The Open Meetings Act; email their high-resolution photographs for by phone or email. • Financial Disclosure for Texas County Officials; loyd Jennings, special resource counsel to the Harris County Public • Burn Ban, Regulation of Fireworks and Declaration of publication in Last Look to County Editor Defender’s Mental Health Division and a speaker at the Fall Judicial Local Disaster; FEducation Session, plays the piano following a ceremony for retiring Maria Sprow at [email protected]. Please • Short Answers to Common Questions; and judges held in November. Audience members included Chambers County Judge make sure to write about the events behind • Many more. Jimmy Sylvia, Burnet County Judge Donna Klaeger (retired) with her husband the photograph — why the picture was Robert, and Navarro County Judge H.M. Davenport, Jr. * taken, what makes the moment or memory In addition, the TAC Legal Department provides many online legal resources, including (8a 00calendar) 456-59 74of upcoming legalcounty .org deadlines and links to state and federal statutes and courts. All this and more is available at www.county.org. special, or what can’t be seen in the shot.

[The fine print] The law prevents the Texas Association of Counties legal staff from providing a county official with a legal opinion -- that’s the role of the county or district attorney or an official’s own legal counsel. But, many times, there are issues for which officials can develop their own answers. The Association’s legal team will try to help point the way.

Also, be aware that if there is a potential controversy between county officials or offices, the same research assistance provided to one official will be provided to any other official who requests it. (800) 456-5974 county.org Keep in mind that the best answer to any legal question is a fully researched opinion from an attorney who is in a formal attorney-client relationship with the county or you, because ultimately, that’s the attorney who represents the county and its officials. Information received from the TAC legal team is not legal advice to you or your county and is not confidential.

(800) 456-5974 68 Jan/Feb 2015 ★ county.org/magazine county.org

10337_TAC.indd 68 1/15/15 1:30 PM

(800) 456-5974 county.org

(800) 456-5974 county.org Welcome to county government. ANY QUESTIONS? The answers might be just a click or a phone call away. If you have a legal issue related to your county, the legal team at the Texas Association of Counties is ready to help.

In addition, the TAC Legal Department provides many online legal resources, including (8a 00calendar) 456-59 74of upcoming legalcounty .org deadlines and links to state and federal statutes and courts. All this and more is available at www.county.org.

(800) 456-5974 county.org

10337_TAC.indd 3 1/15/15 1:30 PM

(800) 456-5974 county.org

(800) 456-5974 county.org Texas Association of Counties PRSRT STD U.S. POSTAGE 1210 San Antonio Street PAID AUSTIN, TEXAS Austin, Texas 78701-1806 PERMIT NO. 1183

RESOURCES AND SOLUTIONS FOR COUNTIES TAC has combined the best of its County Management Institute and Pool Symposium to create a new conference for county officials and managers.

Don’t miss this opportunity to learn COUNTY how to reduce risk and prevent losses (800) 456-5974 county.org MANAGEMENT RISK throughout your county’s operations. & Hear the latest about Health Care Reform and how employee wellness CONFERENCE affects your bottom line. April 8-10 Sheraton Austin Hotel at the Capitol See more details and(8 register00) 456- online5974 at www.county.org/cmrc.county .org

(800) 456-5974 county.org

10337_TAC.indd 4 1/15/15 1:30 PM

(800) 456-5974 county.org