State Conference Highlights

For years now, the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas (CJCAT) has been sending a consistent message to its membership: Educate your legislators on county issues. For some the task at hand has been somewhat successful, with representatives and senators taking an interest at the local level. After all, the same voters who elect our commissioners courts are the same ones who cast ballots at the state level.
Others, however, have hit the proverbial brick wall, with lawmakers turning seemingly deaf ears to county concerns. The Opening Session of the 84th Annual County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas Conference addressed this indifference and a possible solution.
Approximately 175 county officials gathered in Addison Sept. 18-21 for the conference and business meeting, where officials installed a slate of new officers, passed 19 resolutions, and attended a full array of educational classes.
The conference opened with Rep. Fred Hill, R-Richardson, and Rep. Wayne Smith, R-Baytown, who shared their concerns regarding proposed appraisal and revenue caps upon counties.
“It doesn’t matter if you call it an appraisal cap or revenue cap; whatever you do to restrict local government is going to put us in a bad situation,” Hill said. “Once we buy into this as a state, we’re stuck, and we’ll never, never get rid of it. I can’t think of anything we have done