Texas County Progress

The Official Publication of the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas

County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas 2016 Resolutions

by

The following resolutions were passed by the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas representing 254 counties in the State of Texas on October 13, 2016, during the Association’s Annual Conference.

 

1. Thanks to the Host Court

            WHEREAS, the Annual Conference of the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas was conducted in Galveston County, Texas, on October 10-13, 2016; and

            WHEREAS, the Honorable Commissioners Court of Galveston County has hosted the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas in the most entertaining and excellent manner;

            NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas expresses its wholehearted thanks and deep appreciation to the Honorable Court of Galveston County, sponsors, contributors and exhibitors for their courteous and warm hospitality extended to each of us.

 

  1. Thanks to State and Local Associations and Friends of County Government

            WHEREAS, the Annual Conference of the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas was conducted in Galveston County, Texas, on October 10-13, 2016; and

            WHEREAS, the members of the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas wish to acknowledge the expertise of and thank the staff of: James Allison of Allison, Bass & Magee, LLP; the Texas Association of Counties and Executive Director Gene Terry; the Texas Association of Regional Councils and Executive Director Ginny Lewis; the V.G. Young Institute of County Government, a part of Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service; the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service agents’ professional associations; County Progress Magazine and editor Julie Anderson; and the many other state and local associations and people who have all been so helpful to county government;

            NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that this Association thanks all of these individuals and their staffs for their past, present and future help on behalf of county government.

 

  1. Memorial to Deceased Officials and Special Friends

            WHEREAS, the following highly regarded members and friends of the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas are deceased; and

            WHEREAS, the Association desires to pay appropriate respect to these members and friends; and

            WHEREAS, since our last conference, the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas has mourned the passing of:

 

            West Texas

Former Wheeler County Commissioner Billie Vaughn “Bill” Atherton

Former Foard County Judge Charlie Bell

Former Lipscomb County Commissioner Marvin Born

Former Lubbock County Commissioner Alton Brazell

Former Sutton County Commissioner Osbauldo R. Castenada Sr.

Former Midland County Judge Barbara Culver Clack

Former Gaines County Commissioner Ray Garrett

Former Stonewall County Judge Bobby F. McGough

Former Ward County Commissioner Bobby Joe Meek

Former Brown County Commissioner Joe Bob Morgan

Former Potter County Judge Edward B. Nobles

Lampasas County Commissioner Ronnie L. Vincent

 

            North and East Texas

Former Harrison County Commissioner Emma Bennett

Former Fannin County Judge Mildred Eileen Cox

Former McLennan County Commissioner Wendall Crunk Sr.

Former Lamar County Judge Lester Crutchfield

Former Harris County Judge William Marshall Elliott

Former Hill County Commissioner John Erwin

Former Henderson County Commissioner Walter Jackson

Former Camp County Judge Earl Julian

Former Limestone County Commissioner John Barnett (J.B.) Lown

Former Freestone County Commissioner W.R. McSwane

Former Anderson County Commissioner Tom Milliken

Former Dallas County Commissioner Roy Orr

Bosque County Judge Dewey Ratliff

Former Tyler County Commissioner Maxie Riley     

Former Leon County Judge Teddy Ray Rodell

Former Grayson County Commissioner Carol Shea

Former Grayson County Commissioner Gene Short

Former Bosque County Commissioner Carl Smith Jr.          

Former Coryell County Judge Douglas Smith

Former Morris County Commissioner William Smith

Former Upshur County Commissioner Tommy Stanley

Former Brazos County Commissioner William S. Thornton Sr.

 

            South Texas

Former Comal County Commissioner Jan Kennady

Harris County Commissioner El Franco Lee

Williamson County Commissioner Ron Morrison

Former DeWitt County Commissioner P.G. “Pete” Shaffner

Kendall County Commissioner Royce Steubing

 

Special Friends

Melanie Allred

 

            NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that following the passage of this resolution, the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas members pause for a moment of silence and meditation to honor the memory of these respected individuals.

                                                                                    

  1. Opposition to Unfunded Mandates

            WHEREAS, Texas counties are responsible for the operation and management of many and various governmental programs as required or authorized by state law; and

            WHEREAS, some county government programs are fully or partially supported with funds disbursed by the State of Texas pursuant to the state appropriations process;

            WHEREAS, the State of Texas, acting through the Texas Legislature or through a state agency or executive order, may enact laws or promulgate rules that have the effect of imposing mandatory financial obligations upon Texas counties; and

            WHEREAS, the State of Texas, through the Texas Legislature or through a state agency or executive order, mandates that counties implement certain governmental programs or perform certain duties and obligations including financial commitments by a county to expend county funds in connection therewith; and

            WHEREAS, during each regular session of the Texas Legislature, all state funds that support county programs are reviewed through the state appropriation process and by other state budgetary review systems; and

            WHEREAS, the aforementioned review process may result in a reduction, or cessation, of state financial support of county government programs causing an unforeseeable disruption and reduction of the county budget and operations; and

            WHEREAS, Texas counties cannot achieve reliable financial planning and the necessary bond ratings sufficient to support county-related obligations when the state mandates a new program that is not fully funded or under conditions where the state reduces or fully withdraws prior funding and disbursement for county government programs;

            NOW, THEREFORE, the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas and its 254 current member counties do hereby resolve that for the foregoing reasons, it is in the best interests of Texas counties and their taxpayers to support and favor the passage of legislation in the form of an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Texas that would expressly prohibit the imposition of a mandatory governmental program on Texas counties, whether by an act of the Texas Legislature or a state agency or by executive order, unless the State of Texas has fully funded and disbursed all necessary funds to enable Texas counties to operate said governmental program.

 

  1. Opposition to Appraisal Caps and Revenue Caps

            WHEREAS, the Texas Legislature has previously considered and rejected proposals for additional revenue caps and additional appraisal caps on counties; and

            WHEREAS, 60 percent of the average taxpayer’s property tax burden is due to school taxes while only 14 percent is due to county taxes; and

            WHEREAS, appraisal caps or revenue caps would diminish local control and tie the hands of county officials and limit their ability to provide essential services to address the needs and emergencies of their citizens; and

WHEREAS, county government is already struggling to meet the demands of under-funded and unfunded state mandates such as indigent health care and indigent defense and federal mandates such as the Help America Vote Act and the Clean Air Act; and

            WHEREAS, the demands on county budgets continue to increase including health care, motor fuel, road materials, and all other products and services purchased by counties; and

            WHEREAS, artificial appraisal caps or revenue caps will result in a shift of taxes from rapidly appreciating properties to those remaining relatively stable in value and to all non-residential properties; and

            WHEREAS, appraisal caps or revenue caps will not necessarily result in a reduction of property taxes but will result in a severe impact on county services; and

            WHEREAS, undermining a property tax system based upon fair market value is questionable public policy and will result in a distorted, inequitable taxation scheme under which identical homes could be taxed at vastly different amounts; and

            WHEREAS, it would be inequitable for the Texas Legislature to impose additional revenue caps on local governments without imposing similar caps on state government and repealing and prohibiting state unfunded mandates;

            NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas does hereby express its opposition to efforts to limit local control and does hereby oppose any attempts to impose revenue caps or appraisal caps upon Texas counties, and the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas expresses its deep appreciation to all legislators who oppose these unsound measures.

 

  1. County Local Option Revenue Sources

            WHEREAS, county revenue sources are extremely limited; and

WHEREAS, under current statutes, counties are forced to rely upon property taxes to fund necessary services; and

WHEREAS, county taxpayers should have the option to adopt a local sales tax, a local severance tax, a local motor fuel tax, an increase in local vehicle registration fees, and other revenue sources to reduce property taxes;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas requests that the Legislature amend the tax statutes to allow the adoption of a county local option sales tax, a local option severance tax, a local option motor fuel tax, an increase in local vehicle registration fees, and other revenue sources for the reduction of property taxes without imposing any additional revenue caps.

 

  1. Indigent Health Care

            WHEREAS, revisions have been proposed regarding the Texas system of indigent health care; and

WHEREAS, some revisions propose an assessment upon counties to support a regional indigent health care system; and

WHEREAS, such assessment would constitute an unfunded mandate, requiring property tax increases in those counties; and

WHEREAS, such regional systems would not be efficient or responsive to local taxpayers; and

WHEREAS, the present Section 1115 Waiver provides voluntary opportunities to participate in health care innovation projects;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas opposes any attempt to impose a mandatory assessment upon Texas counties to fund a regional or statewide health care system and instead supports the extension and renewal of the voluntary Section 1115 grants.

 

  1. State Funds for Indigent Criminal Defense

            WHEREAS, the right to assistance by legal counsel is guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution; and

            WHEREAS, the State of Texas is required to implement this right and provide legal counsel to indigent criminal defendants; and

            WHEREAS, the Texas Fair Defense Act, adopted by the Texas Legislature in 2001, implements this right and requires certain procedures and attorney appointments; and

            WHEREAS, the Texas Legislature has failed to provide sufficient funding to offset the costs of the Fair Defense Act and has shifted this cost to county taxpayers; and

            WHEREAS, county expenditures for indigent criminal defense have increased over 100 percent since the adoption of the Fair Defense Act; and

            WHEREAS, the state funding is totally inadequate, providing approximately 12 percent of the indigent defense costs; and

            WHEREAS, indigent criminal defense is a state responsibility that should be adequately funded on a statewide basis, not a burden overwhelmingly borne by local property taxpayers;

            NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas does hereby request that the Texas Legislature fully fund the costs of indigent criminal defense.

 

  1. Juvenile Probation Funding

            WHEREAS, the supervision of juvenile offenders is a responsibility of the State of Texas; and

            WHEREAS, the Texas Legislature has consistently failed to appropriate sufficient funding to meet this responsibility; and

            WHEREAS, Texas counties have increasingly met this burden by funding juvenile probation services and facilities; and

            WHEREAS, Texas counties and their local taxpayers are now providing over 65 percent of the costs of juvenile probation; and

            WHEREAS, current state funding formulas will continue to shift additional costs to county taxpayers unless addressed by the State of Texas;

            NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas does hereby request that the Texas Legislature fully fund the costs of supervision of juvenile offenders, including the costs for juvenile probation services.

 

  1. Mental Health Patients

            WHEREAS, Texas counties have been forced to hold mentally incompetent prisoners for up to six months while awaiting court-ordered transfer to a state mental facility for treatment; and

            WHEREAS, each of these pre-trial inmates costs the local taxpayer approximately $9,000 during this period of incarceration; and

            WHEREAS, the county jail is not an appropriate facility for the mentally ill, and these prisoners pose a high risk of injury to themselves, the jail staff and other prisoners; and

            WHEREAS, a State District Court in Travis County ordered the Department of Health Services to receive these prisoners within 21 days of a judge’s order; and

            WHEREAS, instead of accepting its responsibility, the State has appealed this order; and

            WHEREAS, this delay by the State is increasing the cost to our taxpayers and continuing this improper practice;

            NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas hereby requests that the State of Texas implement additional funding for mental health services and implement the state mental health plan approved in H.B. 3793 to ensure the efficient and effective use of these resources.

 

  1. Opposition to Diversion of Dedicated Funds

            WHEREAS, the Legislature has committed certain funds for dedicated purposes; and

            WHEREAS, unfortunately these funds have been improperly withheld from these needed functions and used to balance the general state budget; and

            WHEREAS, the state leadership has proposed to end this diversion of funds;

            NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas expresses its opposition to any state diversion of dedicated funds and supports the state leadership’s commitment to end this practice.

 

  1. Emergency Services Program

         WHEREAS, citizens of rural Texas desire access to 9-1-1 emergency services in an efficient manner, as evidenced by approval of the monthly fee on business and residential phone bills; and

         WHEREAS, the 9-1-1 emergency services dispatch and response depends on equipment which must function reliably on a continuous basis; and

        WHEREAS, older equipment reaches a point of being high maintenance and becomes unreliable; and

        WHEREAS, technology continues to improve, necessitating upgrading hardware and software for reverse 9-1-1 services and other needs;

        NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas urges our state legislators to provide full funding to the Emergency 9-1-1 Services Program for maintenance and improvement; and

       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that funds generated by the 9-1-1 surcharge will not be used by the Legislature as money set aside to balance the state budget; and

       BE IT ALSO RESOLVED that any such funds set aside that currently exist be fully appropriated for the Emergency 9-1-1 Services Program.

 

  1. Opposition to Granting Powers to Municipal Utility Districts and Special Utility Districts

WHEREAS, Texas is one of the fastest-growing states in the Union; and

WHEREAS, city government and county government should have appropriate authority to regulate growth in their respective counties and cities; and

WHEREAS, special water districts and private water corporations have the means to furnish water and provide for growth in rural areas of the counties; and

WHEREAS, municipal utility districts and special utility districts have been improperly used by certain developers to avoid compliance with county and city infrastructure plans;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas opposes the granting of additional powers to municipal utility districts and special utility districts and requests that the approval of the county be required before any further districts are created.

 

  1. Support for County Road Grant Fund

            WHEREAS,  constitutional amendments have been approved by the voters to increase dedicated funding for public roadways; and

            WHEREAS, these constitutional amendments will provide additional funding to be used only for constructing, maintaining, and acquiring right of way for public roadways other than toll roads; and

            WHEREAS, these constitutional amendments provide needed support for public highways without increasing taxes; and

            WHEREAS, the county road system is eligible for assistance from this funding;

            NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas does hereby request that additional funding be appropriated to support the county road grant program.

 

  1. Commissioners Court Budgetary Responsibility

            WHEREAS, the Texas Constitution was carefully drafted to divide governmental powers between the legislative, executive and judicial branches; and

WHEREAS, the Commissioners Court is constitutionally and statutorily charged with the responsibility to determine the county budget and the funding necessary for county departments; and

WHEREAS, Texas statutes, including the Texas Local Government Code and the Texas Government Code, provide an orderly process for the creation and compensation of county employees, including judicial department positions; and

WHEREAS, Senate Bill 1913 (codified as Section 75.401, Government Code) maintains the proper constitutional separation of powers, securing necessary staff for the judiciary while preserving the authority of the Commissioners Court to determine the creation and compensation of county positions through the budget; and

WHEREAS, the Commissioners Court of Galveston County has properly implemented the provisions of S.B. 1913 in the county budget; and

WHEREAS, certain members of the judiciary have refused to acknowledge the constitutional responsibility of the Commissioners Court and continue to litigate this matter;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas does hereby urge that all parties recognize the proper budgetary responsibility of the Commissioners Court to determine the creation and compensation of county positions and implement the provisions of S.B. 1913 without further delay or litigation; and

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas does hereby authorize a joint amicus brief in any court proceedings to affirm the proper budgetary responsibility of the Commissioners Court.

 

  1. Uranium Mining Regulation

            WHEREAS, uranium mining creates a special hazard for local groundwater; and

WHEREAS, uranium mining places a high demand upon local groundwater resources; and

WHEREAS, groundwater pollution by uranium mining cannot be recovered or rehabilitated and creates a permanent loss of groundwater; and

WHEREAS, county and groundwater conservation districts have very limited power to regulate uranium mining under current law;

 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas requests that state law be amended to require a due process permit proceeding and approval by the local Commissioners Court and groundwater conservation district before any permit is granted for uranium mining.

 

  1. Sludge Waste Disposal

            WHEREAS, human waste and other toxic materials are contained in municipal, domestic and commercial sludge; and

            WHEREAS, this sludge waste contains harmful bacteria, viruses and chemicals that may contaminate local water supplies; and

            WHEREAS, the current rules of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality are inadequate to protect the water supply and adjacent landowners from the improper disposal of sludge waste; and

            WHEREAS, disposal of these materials should be a matter of local regulation;

            NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas hereby requests that no permits be issued for the disposal of sludge waste without the approval of the Commissioners Court and that the Texas Legislature clearly authorize local control of all sludge waste permits.

 

  1. Fireworks Regulations

            WHEREAS, counties currently have limited authority to regulate fireworks; and

            WHEREAS, due to the continued danger of drought and the concern for public safety, such regulations are necessary to protect life and property;

            NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas is opposed to any legislative action that would remove current county authority to regulate fireworks.

 

  1. EPA Definition of “Waters of the United States”

            WHEREAS, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the United States Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) have published and adopted a new rule to define “Waters of the United States” that will vastly expand the jurisdictional authority of the federal Clean Water Act (CWA), entitled Definition of “Waters of the United States” Under the Clean Water Act; and

            WHEREAS, USEPA and USACE have chosen to selectively interpret various Supreme Court Decisions related to the jurisdictional authority of the Clean Water Act (CWA) in order to develop a new Guidance which expands their own jurisdictional authority under the CWA to include waters of the state(s) and other waters previously not regulated under either the CWA or judicial proclamation, including some ditches, farm ponds, dry water ways and isolated wetlands; and

            WHEREAS, the rule will infringe upon the sovereignty of state(s) to appropriately regulate waters of the state(s); and

            WHEREAS, the rule may require counties and special districts to obtain costly and burdensome Section 404 Permits from the USACE for the construction of small bridges and culverts, and routine maintenance of some ditches, canals, and other such water conveyances; and

            WHEREAS, the rule will infringe on private property rights, impairing land management activities such as urban development and agriculture production; and

            WHEREAS, legislation to expand the jurisdictional authority of the CWA as described in the rule has failed in the U.S. Senate; and

            WHEREAS, the U.S. House of Representatives has approved legislation to nullify the rule;

            NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas strongly opposes the new rule to define “waters of the United States” in that it increases the need for burdensome and costly permitting requirements, infringes on private property rights, and circumvents the legislative process, thus, the will of the people.

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that Congress, not federal agencies, should make the laws, and therefore any such change in jurisdictional power of the federal government should only occur as a result of the passage of federal legislation.

 

  1. Oil and Gas Waste Disposal Facilities

            WHEREAS, the Texas oil and gas industry is a vital part of our economy; and

            WHEREAS, this industry requires the use of disposal facilities, such as waste injection wells, to operate in an efficient manner; and

            WHEREAS, the operation of these disposal facilities can pose a substantial risk to the groundwater supply; and

            WHEREAS, protection of the groundwater is also essential to the economy and health and safety of Texas citizens; and

            WHEREAS, adequate information should be provided to Texas counties and their citizens to ensure the safe operation of oil and gas waste facilities and protection of the groundwater;

            NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas does hereby request that the Texas Legislature and the Texas Railroad Commission require that Texas counties, their citizens and groundwater conservation districts be provided all available information concerning proposed oil and gas waste facilities in their area and a full opportunity to participate in the evaluation of any application for additional facilities; and

            BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Texas Railroad Commission be required to evaluate and consider the full local infrastructure impact and effect on local communities before voting on any such permit.

 

  1. Rural Public Transit

            WHEREAS, 37 Rural Transit Districts serve all the counties throughout Texas; and

            WHEREAS, Rural Transit Districts provide access to needed goods and services, jobs and medical services throughout the rural counties of Texas; and

            WHEREAS, Rural Transit Districts traveled 31,381,803 miles and provided 6,336,451 one-way trips to the citizens of rural Texas in 2014; and

            WHEREAS, Rural Transit Districts have not received an increase in state funding since the year 2000; and

            WHEREAS, on average bus fleets for Rural Transit Districts are at 130 percent of their established lifecycle; and

            WHEREAS, funding opportunities for large federal and state grants have historically left qualified rural and small urban projects underfunded; and

            WHEREAS, without increased funding, in order to meet increasing service demands and costs in rural and small urban areas, services to those most in need in rural Texas will suffer;

            NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas expresses its support for a meaningful increase in funding to Rural & Small Urban Transit Districts.

 

  1. Opposition to Rules Adopted by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles That Decrease County Revenues, Increase County Costs, and Reduce Local Control and Local Services

WHEREAS, the county tax assessor-collector is charged with collecting vehicle registration fees which provide for certain legislative authorized revenues to offset costs associated with collecting and dispersing these fees for the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles; and

WHEREAS, the 83rd State Legislature passed H.B. 2202 which created the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles Fund, authorized the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to establish certain fees by board rule, authorized the board to direct certain fees to the fund, and allowed for county revenues to be set by board rule: and

            WHEREAS, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles has adopted rules setting title transfer and registration processing and handling fees for its own funding and has further adopted fees and changes for the county tax assessor-collectors and the various deputy classification types; and

            WHEREAS, the county tax assessor-collector may deputize full-service title companies to provide titling and registration services and limited service companies to provide registration services, which increases access and locations for these services by citizens; and

WHEREAS, the rules adopted by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles will decrease county revenues, increase county cost, and reduce local control and local services;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas opposes the rules as adopted by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles amending Title 43 of the Texas Administrative Code Chapter 217.

 

  1. Full Funding of DPS Labs

WHEREAS, the State of Texas through the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) provides for the testing of controlled and illegal substances for criminal cases; and

WHEREAS, while the service is valuable to the prosecutorial process, it is not timely as most tests are 6-9 months before results are rendered; and

WHEREAS, many alleged and formerly convicted violators must be released after 90 days with the high probability that they will reoffend and further endanger the public and further burden law enforcement;

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas requests full funding, staffing and equipping of the labs to return results in the required legal time to serve justice.

 

County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas 2016 Resolutions Committee

 Chairman – Roger Galvan, Calhoun County Commissioner

Jeron Barnett, Waller County Commissioner

John Galo, Webb County Commissioner

Kim Halfmann, Glasscock County Judge

Roger Harmon, Johnson County Judge

Patti Jones, Lubbock County Commissioner

Kelly Traylor, Cherokee County Commissioner

In addition to the above-adopted resolutions, the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas Resolutions Committee requests that the following items be recommended for future study and consideration. 

  1. County responsibility for cost of transport, autopsy and disposition of dead bodies.
  2. State responsibility for drug-resistant tuberculosis cases and HIV medications.
  3. Recovery of cost of reproduction of clerk’s digitized records and e-filing.
  1. Tax valuation of refineries and new oil and gas production facilities, and new oil and gas interests.
  2. Full funding for school vaccination program.
  3. State assume full responsibility for transport cost of jail inmates to TDCJ.
  4. Require vehicles to reduce speed and/or yield a traffic lane to county road and bridge vehicles and equipment.
  5. Require Commissioners Court representation on Regional Water Planning Groups.
  6. Request legislation to require state reimbursement for court-appointed attorneys in child protective services cases.
  7. Restore full funding for the Texas Historic Courthouse Preservation Grant Program.
  8. Support county authority to prohibit the disposal of human waste and liquid septage in the unincorporated area.
  9. State funding for all state special elections.
  10. Additional funding for sales tax support on fireworks dedicated for local use.
  11. More local authority on the regulation of fireworks.
  12. Vehicle inspection and licensing problems.
  13. Local retention of asset forfeiture funds.
  14. Abuse of the Public Information Act.
  15. Abolish the excessive driver’s license fees assessed under the Driver Responsibility Act.
  16. Support and restore county authority to regulate all county buildings and property.
  17. Support an exemption from state motor fuel taxes for county equipment and vehicles.
  18. Affirm county control of weapons in county courthouses.
  19. Support full state funding for lost revenue from disabled veterans and surviving spouses exemption.