Every so often, County Progress asks our distinguished Judges and Commissioners to allow us a glimpse into their public lives, giving us a fresh appreciation for the myriad of roles and responsibilities they shoulder every day. Our thanks to Williamson County Commissioner Valerie Covey for taking the time to visit with us.
HISTORY
I am a native Texan who was born and raised south of San Antonio in the small town of Pleasanton. My parents, Bryan and Francine Boyd, had three children, of which I am the oldest. My mother grew up in Pleasanton, and my father is from Three Rivers, Texas. My dad was a pharmacist, a huge sports fan, and an avid outdoorsman; I learned a great deal from him, as I share these interests.
After graduating salutatorian from Pleasanton High School, I went to Schreiner Jr. College in Kerrville, Texas, on a basketball and academic scholarship. I graduated from Schreiner with an 
Associate of Arts in 1981 and moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas and work towards a Bachelor of Business Administration. I graduated with honors from UT in May 1983 and sat for and passed the Certified Public Accountant Exam. I have maintained my CPA license for more than 36 years.
In the midst of graduating and beginning my career, I was blessed to meet and marry Mark Covey. I took a position with Ernst & Young in their Austin office and worked my way up to Audit Manager. After six years with the company, I took a career hiatus to focus on my growing family. Over the next seven years, Mark and I were blessed with three sons. Our oldest son, Matthew, is now a physician practicing internal medicine. Matt’s wife is also a physician, and they are expecting our first grandbaby in October. Zac, our middle son, is a salesman for a medical supply company in San Antonio, and our youngest son, Josh, is in a Masters/Ph.D. program at the University of Florida. We moved to Georgetown, Texas, in 1994.
Once our youngest son began elementary school, I started working with the S. Thomas McDaniel, CPA firm in Georgetown. Tom decided to run for Williamson County Commissioner, and I served as his campaign manager and prepared tax returns. Tom was successful in his 2004 election and faithfully served the citizens of Williamson County Precinct 3 until his death in February 2006. A week later, I lost my primary bid for Williamson County District Clerk, but quickly realized God always has a plan. After Tom died, I ran for Precinct 3 Commissioner and was elected by the county precinct chairs to serve as the Republican candidate in a special November election. I won the election and was sworn into office in November 2006. I am thankful and honored that the voters of Williamson County Precinct 3continue to trust me as their representative on the Commissioners Court.
IS IT WHAT YOU EXPECTED?
There is no way you can adequately prepare for life as County Commissioner in a growing urban county. I expected the learning curve to be steep, and it was. After being sworn into office, I hit the ground running. One of my first projects was overseeing the restoration of our historic courthouse. Through that experience I learned that my pace was not always the pace of the State of Texas or its commissions, but we were able to open the newly restored courthouse to the public in December of 2007.
Shortly thereafter, I learned that TxDOT roadway projects do not always have TxDOT funding. I learned that partnerships are invaluable and that entities must work together rather than against each other to properly serve the public. In 2008, TxDOT stated that they no longer had funds to cover the construction of a very important arterial road, so the county took over their plans and funded the project with voter-approved road bonds. I had my first experience encouraging and negotiating with the city of Georgetown to partner with the county to widen this heavily trafficked roadway. Thankfully, it was a success. Every day is different, but that is what I have come to expect from and enjoy about this job.
TYPICAL DAY
As previously mentioned, there is not a typical day in Williamson County. Some days I am working with U.S. Fish & Wildlife on what I like to call the “bug, birds, & salamanders” of the county regarding the Endangered Species Act; other days, I am working on mental health issues with our local taskforce or as part of the governor-appointed Texas Indigent Defense Commission. I also serve as the president of the Regional Animal Shelter Board; a member of the Investment Committee; and the treasurer of the Board for Meals on Wheels.
Since Williamson County is growing at a rapid pace, I am constantly meeting with engineers and property owners to discuss, plan, and implement Williamson County’s Long-Range Transportation Plan. Since March 2020, I have worked with our judicial system to ensure that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the operations can continue, and justice is still meted out in Williamson County.
The one constant for me, is that every August is filled with budget discussions, analyses, and meetings. As a CPA, I evaluate the line-item budget to ensure that we have properly planned for the coming fiscal year so that we can serve the citizens of Williamson County effectively while keeping taxes as low as possible. Every day as a County Commissioner brings something new, and that is again why I love this job.
BIGGEST CHALLENGE
Serving as a County Commissioner during a county’s transformation from a mostly rural county with a population of 250,000 in 2000 to a mostly urban county of over 600,000 in 2020 is a challenge. It’s a constant struggle to balance the ever-growing need for resources with the desire to balance the budget and keep the tax rate low. Primarily due to the large transportation needs, Williamson County has added a significant amount of debt, mostly voter approved. My goal has always been to pay off debt early thus saving interest, and we have included that as an annual budget policy. The Commissioners Court has saved the taxpayers approximately $175 million in interest over the last 20 years by refinancing and debt defeasance.
Along with the growth, combined with the effects of COVID-19, we have seen a significant increase in mental health issues both in adults and juveniles. With limited resources provided by the State, we have had to be resourceful and “think outside the box” to fill gaps in our health care continuum. I serve as the Commissioners Court’s liaison on our mental health taskforce. By partnering with our local mental health authority, Bluebonnet Trails Community Services, we have focused on both diversion from our jail and adding local resources like an adult respite center, mental health specialty courts, and additional mental health beds in the two psychiatric hospitals in Williamson County. I am currently overseeing additional projects including adding a 16-bed juvenile respite facility, a 23-hour hold drop-off center to assist law enforcement, and additional juvenile residential treatment beds.
Areas that were once considered “in the county,” far from the city limits, are now surrounded by cities. Pocket neighborhoods that are in the extraterritorial jurisdictions (ETJ) are now impacted by city council decisions, but those residents do not have representation on the council. Fortunately, I have a good relationship with city leaders and can work with residents to help them address these issues. Another challenge now that homes are being built farther away from the city center is that they are closer to industries that you may not typically find near other large cities. For example, quarries and homes are significantly closer to each other, and finding solutions to help industry and residents live in harmony is a challenge to say the least.
FAVORITE PART OF BEING A COUNTY COMMISSIONER
My favorite part of serving as County Commissioner is meeting people and listening and learning from them. I have enjoyed being introduced to a variety of different topics and diving in to learn as much as I can. I also enjoy planning for the future and implementing those plans to help keep Williamson County the thriving county that it is. The decisions that are made today will have a lasting impact on the county; this is very sobering, and I put a lot of prayer and thought into my decisions. The responsibility to ensure that I leave the county in a better place than I found it is not lost on me. I enjoy problem solving and working with community partners to address challenges whether they be transportation needs, sustainable budget practices, ushering in special programs like the conservation foundation and the mental health taskforce, or a host of other issues to benefit Williamson County.