From the President

County government lost a true friend and a strong advocate with the passing of Sam Seale. The long-time executive director of the Texas Association of Counties will be greatly missed not only for his knowledge of and experience in county government, but for his steady hand at the Texas Association of Counties. Sam was known and respected in Texas and around the country. Judge Seale was a former Jackson County Judge and past president of the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas (CJCAT). Most people wonder what, if anything, will be their legacy. Sam did not have to ponder that question; he left a legacy: the Texas Association of Counties.
The Legislature is in session, and the officers of the CJCAT and our general counsel have been active at the Capitol, voicing the Association’s position on the critical issues we face including appraisal caps, revenue caps and unfunded mandates. But as everyone knows, all sessions of the Texas Legislature are difficult for county government, and this one is no exception.
If county government needed a classic example of an unfunded mandate, it was certainly provided early in this session of the Legislature. SJR13 setting a May 12 Constitutional Amendment Election fits the bill to a T; the May 12 election will propose a constitutional amendment in consideration of elderly and disabled property owners who might not otherwise be impacted by the proposed reduction in school district property taxes. While we support the action in principle, the legislation as passed contains no funding to counties to cover the cost of the election. This is a particularly hard unfunded mandate to swallow as it will occur during the current fiscal year. Counties do not even have the opportunity to budget for the mandate. Hopefully, the Legislature will see this legislation for what it is