With a total of 8,898 bills and joint resolutions filed, the legislative session will definitely include numerous bills with significant effect on counties. Bills often undergo major changes as they progress through the committee and floor process. To receive timely updates, please monitor the Texas Association of Counties listserv. Under Section 5, Article III, Texas … [Read more...] about Significant Legislative Activity
Feature Story
Glimpse in the Life of a Texas County Commissioner
Atascosa County Commissioner Mark Gillespie
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 Atascosa County Commissioner Mark Gillespie for taking the time to visit with us. YOUR HISTORY: I stand proud to be a second-generation … [Read more...] about Glimpse in the Life of a Texas County Commissioner
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. Some 1,753 inmates in Texas county jails are awaiting transfer to state hospital beds, as reported by the Health and Human Services Commission to the Joint Committee on Access and … [Read more...] about Resolution Spotlight
Welcome to County Government
Seminar Top 40 Takeaways Demonstrate Breadth, Depth of Commissioners Court Responsibilities
Some 145 members of Commissioners Court convened in College Station for the Seminar for Newly Elected County Judges and Commissioners Jan. 14-17, sponsored by the V.G. Young Institute of County Government in cooperation with the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas and the Texas Association of Counties. Conference presenters took a two-pronged educational … [Read more...] about Welcome to County Government
96th Annual West Texas Conference
Managing jail costs, tax abatements, bonds and certificates of obligation, and the 89th Texas Legislature are among the many topics to be covered at the Annual West Texas Conference April 22-25 in Taylor County. Pending approval, Commissioners who attend every class will receive 14 continuing education hours; an additional four credit hours will be offered on Tuesday morning … [Read more...] about 96th Annual West Texas Conference