Highlights from V.G. Young Conference

The 80th Session of the Texas Legislature is the session, said Jim Allison, general counsel to the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas (CJCAT).
It’s the session for lawmakers to realize that the state of Texas leaves more than $1 billion in federal matching funds for health care on the table each year.
It’s the session to remind legislators that the first $78 of every traffic fine assessed in JP court goes to the state.
“It’s time to call a halt to that, turn that around, and keep those fines and fees local,” Allison told officials gathered in Austin for the V.G. Young Institute of County Government Annual Conference Feb. 12-15.
It’s the session to address the growing problem of mentally ill inmates in county jails, a situation that is detrimental to the patient as well as the county.
And, unfortunately, it is yet another session of renewed attempts to place artificial caps on counties and their ability to fund county services.
Some 465 county judges and commissioners were advised on these and a myriad of other county issues at the V.G. Young Educational Conference, which takes place in Austin during legislative years to afford officials the opportunity to visit with lawmakers.
This year, the CJCAT and the Texas Association of Counties organized a trip to the Capitol, where many county judges and commissioners visited the Capitol offices of their representatives and senators and personally invited them to a prearranged legislative reception. In many cases, county officials escorted lawmakers to the reception, a standing-room-only event that gave commissioners court members and legislators an opportunity to interact and discuss county concerns.
The conference also included an address from newly elected Comptroller Susan Combs, who told officials of her plans to develop a large-scale Web site that will provide data in a “gift-wrapped form” to help counties in areas such as economic development.
Combs commented on the looming issue of caps, telling officials she does not believe there will be an appraisal cap bill passed or a successful revenue cap bill passed, a statement that generated applause throughout the room.
Other speakers touched on issues including transportation, Internet security, county revenues, records management and civil rights. Officials who attended all conference sessions received 16 hours of continuing education credit.
Julie Anderson