Jim Allison opened his conference presentation with a focus on dedicated and diverted funds and charged county judges and commissioners with the following: Contact your legislators and ask them to release and reinstate:
- 9-1-1 emergency services funds;
- indigent defense system funds; and
- indigent health care funds.
Quotes from the Conference:
- Opening Session: “We never know the lives we influence and how we impact people.” Dr. Doug Steele, Director, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service
- Public Hearings: “Try hard to appear as the most fair and reasonable person in the room.” Charles Kimbrough, Bickerstaff Heath Delgado Acosta LLP
- Public-Private Partnerships: “Determine what will be a success in your eyes.” Mary Scott Nabers, Strategic Partnerships, Inc.
- County Judge: “Unless it happened in an open meeting and the commissioners court voted for me to sign it, then I can’t sign it.” Ector County Judge Susan Redford
- Transportation: “Texas is adding 1,000 people per day…there is no money for new roads with our current budget.” Phil Wilson, Executive Director, Texas Department of Transportation
For more photos from the V.G. Young Conference, view our full digital publication.