*** Click here for the audio version.*** Budget time is upon us. If you ask most county officials what they look forward to each year, “budget season” probably doesn’t top the list, unless of course you consider spreadsheets and line items your ideas of a good time. And while we may joke about the “fun” of budgeting, the truth is, it remains one of the most important … [Read more...] about The County Budget and the Responsibility of Leadership
CJCAT
Interim Legislative Hearings
*** Click here for the audio version.*** With the completion of the primary elections, the legislature begins its interim studies. Senate and House committees will conduct hearings on subjects assigned by the lieutenant governor and speaker. These committees will file reports in November and recommend draft legislation on their assigned topics. Many of the 8,000 bills … [Read more...] about Interim Legislative Hearings
Resolution Spotlight: Municipal Utility Districts
*** Click here for the audio version.*** A municipal utility district (MUD) is a state governmental entity that provides utility services to designated areas. A MUD may be created by the Texas Legislature or by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) following a petition and consent process described in the Texas Water Code. MUDs are usually created … [Read more...] about Resolution Spotlight: Municipal Utility Districts
Resolution Spotlight: Mentally Incompetent Inmates
In many Texas counties, the county jail has become a de facto mental institution housing mentally ill inmates awaiting due process without their medications and/or life-sustaining therapies. Texas Health and Human Services (HHS) operates nine state hospitals and one residential youth center, all located across the state, for people with mental health issues. If a judge … [Read more...] about Resolution Spotlight: Mentally Incompetent Inmates
Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness
As we celebrate the 190th anniversary of the Texas Declaration of Independence and approach the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence, it is appropriate to reflect on the principles that were embodied in both of these documents and the efforts required to attain and sustain these principles. The significant role of county government in the … [Read more...] about Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness