19788 TAOC PRGRM 1 11_17_2016 NOV./DEC. 2016 Vol. 28, No. 6 CountyA Publication of the Texas Association of Counties county.org/magazine THE STATE OF TAXES THE FINAL ARTICLE IN A SERIES EXAMINING THE TEXAS PROPERTY TAX SYSTEM THAT DRIVES TAX INCREASES | PG. 28 Touring Randall County Counties at the Capitol Day Meet TAC’s Legislative Coverage of the 2016 Visiting the heart of the Event set for Department Legislative Conference Texas Panhandle | pg. 8 Jan. 24, 2017 | pg. 12 Gearing up for the Revisiting this year’s 85th legislative session | pg. 20 annual conference | pg. 32 19788 TAOC PRGRM 2 11_17_2016 Our Incode® and New World™ integrated software for law enforcement improves communication enhances situational awareness and connects jurisdictions digitally so officers like Kim C. spend less time chasing data and more time protecting the public. Texas Association of Counties Mission Statement Put our The mission of the Texas Association of Counties is to unite counties to achieve better solutions. County, a bimonthly magazine, is distributed to every elected county official and county public safety auditor in Texas’ 254 counties. Other readers include purchasing agents, budget and planning software to work administrators, appointed department heads, state legislators and state agency personnel. for you. Reproduction of this magazine in whole or in part, is permissible only upon express written authorization from the publisher and when proper credit, including copyright acknowledgment, is given to Texas Association of Counties’ County Magazine. ©2016, Texas Association of Counties. Published by the Texas Association of Counties, P.O. Box 2131, Austin, Texas 78768-2131. Telephone: (512) 478-8753, Facsimile: (512) 478-0519. www.county.org. Articles in County magazine that refer to issues that could be considered by the Texas Legislature may be interpreted to be “legislative advertising” according to Texas Gov’t. Code Ann §305.027. Disclosure of the name and address of the person who contracts with the printer to publish the legislative advertising in County magazine is required by that law: Gene Terry, 1210 San Antonio, Austin, Texas 78701. www.tylertech.com/publicsafety 7087 TAC County Magazine Nov/Dec '16 Ad.indd 1 10/14/16 1:55 PM 19788 TAOC PRGRM 3 11_17_2016 Contact Us! We’re here to help. Staff Directory: county.org/whotocontact Main number: (800) 456-5974 TAC Helpline: (888) ASK-TAC4 Our Incode® and New World™ integrated software for law enforcement improves communication 2016 Who To Contact Ad .indd 3 9/22/16 9:20 AM enhances situational awareness and connects jurisdictions digitally so officers like Kim C. spend less time chasing data and more time protecting the public. Texas Association of Counties Mission Statement Put our The mission of the Texas Association of Counties is to unite counties to achieve better solutions. County, a bimonthly magazine, is distributed to every elected county official and county public safety auditor in Texas’ 254 counties. Other readers include purchasing agents, budget and planning software to work administrators, appointed department heads, state legislators and state agency personnel. for you. Reproduction of this magazine in whole or in part, is permissible only upon express written authorization from the publisher and when proper credit, including copyright acknowledgment, is given to Texas Association of Counties’ County Magazine. ©2016, Texas Association of Counties. Published by the Texas Association of Counties, P.O. Box 2131, Austin, Texas 78768-2131. Telephone: (512) 478-8753, Facsimile: (512) 478-0519. www.county.org. Articles in County magazine that refer to issues that could be considered by the Texas Legislature may be interpreted to be “legislative advertising” according to Texas Gov’t. Code Ann §305.027. Disclosure of the name and address of the person who contracts with the printer to publish the legislative advertising in County magazine is required by that law: Gene Terry, 1210 San Antonio, Austin, Texas 78701. www.tylertech.com/publicsafety 7087 TAC County Magazine Nov/Dec '16 Ad.indd 1 10/14/16 1:55 PM 19788 TAOC PRGRM 4 11_17_2016 Measuring purchasing cooperatives? You may need a longer ruler. BuyBoard® offers a wide range of commodities, contracts, and vendors, and we respond to members’ needs. BuyBoard—a trusted, transparent, and experienced source of cooperative purchasing. buyboard.com 800.695.2919 Endorsed by 19788 TAOC PRGRM 5 11_17_2016 County Magazine | ★ Measuring purchasing NOV./DEC. 2016 cooperatives? You may need a longer ruler. Contents BuyBoard® offers a wide range of commodities, contracts, and vendors, 8 17 20 32 2016 Officers and we respond to members’ needs. & Board of Directors BuyBoard—a trusted, transparent, PRESIDENT Joyce G. Hudman and experienced source of Brazoria County Clerk PRESIDENT ELECT cooperative purchasing. Larry Gallardo Hidalgo County Constable VICE PRESIDENT Highlights Renee Couch Comal County Treasurer buyboard.com 8 Touring Randall County MEMBERS Randall County sits in the heart of the Texas Panhandle and offers attractions Celeste Bichsel 800.695.2919 for everyone from history buffs to nature lovers. Carson County District/County Clerk Cindy Yeatts Brown 12 Counties at the Capitol Day Denton County Treasurer At the event — set for Jan. 24, 2017 — attendees will get up to speed on all Nathan Cradduck the issues counties will face during the 85th legislative session. Tom Green County Auditor Laurie K. English 17 Healthy County Spotlight 112th District Attorney Hutchinson County Judge Cindy Irwin led her staff on a healthy bonding Roger C. Galvan adventure. Calhoun County Commissioner Woodrow W. Gossom, Jr. 20 Meet TAC’s Legislative Department Wichita County Judge TAC’s Legislative Department is ready for the 85th legislative session, Kim Halfmann working to make sure Texas counties’ voices are heard. Glasscock County Judge Heather H. Hawthorne 28 The State of Taxes Chambers County Clerk The final article in a series over the past year examining the Texas property Robert D. Johnston tax system that drives tax increases. Anderson County Judge Jackie Miller, Jr. 32 Coverage of the 2016 Legislative Conference Ellis County Justice of the Peace Revisiting the general sessions during this year’s annual conference, which Scott Porter focused on telling counties’ stories. Johnson County Tax Assessor Collector Donald G. Sowell Grimes County Sheriff Michael Truitt Departments Denton County Constable Grover “Tiger” Worsham 4 Staff Report | 6 Voices of County Government | 12 Clipboard Trinity County Commissioner 40 County Information Program | 43 Calendar | 46 Newsfeed | 48 One Last Look EX OFFICIO MEMBERS Don Allred Oldham County Judge Immediate Past President County Staff Connie Hickman Gene Terry, Executive Director | Leah Mangus, Communication and Education Services Director | Anna Navarro County Justice of the Peace McGarity, Managing Editor | Liz Carmack, Cassandra Sanchez-Barrera and Joel Nihlean, Contributing NACo Representative Writers | Ben Chomiak, Graphic Design Ron Hickman On The Cover Harris County Sheriff NACo Representative The Texas State Capitol stands tall ahead of the 85th legislative session. Endorsed by NOV./DEC.Jan/Feb 2016 2015 ★ county.org/magazine county.org/magazine 33 19788 TAOC PRGRM 6 11_17_2016 ★ | Staff Report | By Gene Terry, TAC Executive Director STAFF Report Sharing the Best Kept Secret in Texas: County Government! y now, you’ve heard about TAC’s Texas Counties Deliver public education initiative. During the past year, we’ve produced lots of excellent print and Bdigital resources to help you participate. Most recently, we rolled out a new educational website, www.TexasCounties Deliver.org. It explains what counties and county officials do for the good of Texans. We’re also working with Chet Garner of PBS television’s “The Daytripper” to produce several informative, entertaining videos about county government. If you attended our Legislative Conference in August, you received the first of these three videos on a thumb drive. Find links to them, the new website, a customizable PowerPoint presentation and all our other Texas Counties Deliver resources at www.county.org/texascountiesdeliver. Gene Terry What’s next? We all need to share this information with everybody. The efficiency and performance of county government is the best kept secret in Texas. Nobody Executive Director, studies it in school — not middle school, high school, college or even law school. The Texas Association of Counties website and videos are perfect for teachers, and you can also use them when giving presentations, or speaking with constituents and legislators. You know best about the good work going on in your courthouse; share your insights. Years ago, on a planet far, far away, I was a county judge. We had a request for a tax abatement. It was supported by the economic development folks, including the local bank. I wasn’t opposed to attracting new business to our county, I just had doubts that others in the community knew the real cost of the requested tax relief. So one I’ll bet you know someone in day, I went to the bank to visit with the president. I began by telling him all that we did with our tax dollars. He agreed to come to the courthouse for a tour and to see for your community who needs himself. Long story short, he was impressed by how we did so much with so little. He to hear our story. Go tell still supported the tax abatement and we gave it, but I learned a valuable lesson. He them. Show them why you supported us because of what he knew firsthand, not because of what he had heard on the street. He was a better informed constituent and voter. He had a real appreciation are proud of what counties for what we were trying to do. And he told others. He spread the word. It was powerful. do every day. Bring them into I’ll bet you know someone in your community who needs to hear our story. Go tell the light, for goodness sake.