From the President

By the time you read this article, I will be the past president of the
County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas. Judge Van York of Borden
County will be filling my shoes, and I can assure you he will do an excellent
job. This has been a really great year for me, and I appreciate the help and
support that I have received from each and every one of you.
Our conference will be over in Houston, and I hope it
has been a memorable one for all. A lot of folks have dedicated countless hours
in getting this event in order. A special thanks goes out to all of my fellow
officers and their wives for your support. Without the help of Leah Magnus,
Marcia Cook, Candy Kasserman, Modelle Brudner and Becky Frost,
this event would have been impossible. Thanks also go out to Judge Robert Eckels
of Harris County and Judge John Thompson of Polk County for providing me with
the assistance from these ladies to prepare for this conference. Sam Seale
and the TAC staff are certainly a valuable group to have on your side and have
been very helpful with the planning, and let us not forget Stacy and Rick with
V.G. Young who are also a vital part of our group.
I must also thank the County Progress crew; it
is a full-time job keeping them out of trouble, but what a great
job they are doing for your Association. Jim Allison and his staff, Mary and
Stephanie, play a very valuable role for the Association.
Without the support of our vendors and sponsors, our
conference would not be complete; thanks to them for their continued support.
In retrospect, it has been a very eventful year with
the special sessions and counties fighting for their lives. It has been great
working together with Jim Allison, Don Lee and the TAC staff through this entire
legislative process along with the presidents of the various affiliate organizations.
Together we have seen many accomplishments, and hopefully we can continue to
work together so we can provide a stronger voice.
As I close, I hope that I did not forget anyone; if I
did, thank you for your help and support.
Oops, I did overlook some very important people, and
they are all of my friends who helped cook at the President’s Party – they helped
save us many dollars, and I truly appreciate their help. Also, thanks to my
secretary, Risa, for typing and proofing these articles.
Again, it has been an honor to serve as your president,
and I hope you enjoyed your stay in Houston.Bobby Smith – Association President