From the President

Some of you might be thinking that the Legislature went dormant when the fat lady finished singing. Well, she didn’t finish singing. She only cleared her throat and will sing again. So grab a seat and get ready for another special session. The fat lady is going to sing a lot louder this time, you can bet on that. So, let’s all stay aware and read up on why caps are bad for counties. You may be asked to come to Austin again. Stand by for the next episode of CAPS (County Appraisal Political Session).
Just when you think that you are in compliance with open meetings laws, you will find that there are some scary scenarios that can come along and get you. Along with the open meetings laws, there comes another situation regarding public information and e-mail records. For instance, suppose there is e-mail communication between two officials concerning decisions about an item on a planned commissioners court agenda or proposed meeting of any kind. Be careful, as this kind of e-mail could get you into trouble. This e-mail may be considered public information that may eventually be requested.
Where could all this lead? The monster that has been created by man has risen to a new height. It may be possible that e-mail information you may consider to be private or simply your opinion, or any other information stored in your computer or on someone else’s computer that you don’t want public, may be considered public information, so be careful.
On another note, we all need to be aware of the implications of House Bill 914. This legislation is codified as Chapter 176, Local Government Code, and applies to all members of commissioners court, city councils, school boards, or any other governing body of a local government entity. It requires filing a Conflicts Disclosure Statement, not a Personal Financial Statement, with the county clerk. The form has been adopted by the Ethics Commission. Legislators are exempt. Our Association is protesting this bill as unconstitutional.
I hope everyone has had a Happy New Year. May God bless each and every one of you. Remember to keep praying for all of our troops who are in harm’s way.
Gilbert Pargmann, President CJCAT