State Conference Highlights – Lubbock

Rep. Pete Laney answers to 16 counties – that’s 16 county judges and 64 county commissioners.
“I get a lot of your e-mails. I get a lot of your phone calls,” said Laney, D-Hale Center. “I get a lot of your visits, which are very important to the (legislative) process.”
Laney joined Secretary of State Roger Williams and Sen. Robert Duncan, R-Lubbock, at the Opening General Session of the 83rd Annual County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas Conference Oct. 3-6 in Lubbock, where some 265 officials gathered along with vendors, sponsors, spouses, support organizations and speakers.
“I would like to remind you how important it is to hear from you about the issues that affect you,” Laney said at the first conference session.
Williams, also an opening speaker, discussed a key issue facing Texas counties – the implementation of the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), saying the state will continue to “walk the walk” until HAVA is implemented.
Duncan followed Williams, expressing optimism at the rollout of HAVA. He also reminded officials that state lawmakers actually live in their districts and try to be responsive to constituents and county officials. The senator recognized that counties, as partners of the state, “don’t always get to share in the profits.”
Duncan labeled the “big issue of the day” as appraisal and revenue caps, describing them as “an artificial cap on the economic growth of an area.”
At the Closing General Session several days later, the Association recognized one of the key legislators who played a critical role in defeating caps during the 79th Legislative Session, Rep. Fred Hill, R-Richardson.
Hill was given the CJCAT Legislator of the Year award for studying the issue of caps and leading the charge against their imposition. The Association also passed a resolution thanking Hill, Rep. Carter Casteel, R-New Braunfels, and Rep. Mike Villarreal, D-San Antonio, “for their leadership on this important issue”.
“We’ve been lucky to have some strong legislators come up and fight the fight for us,” said Jim Allison, CJCAT general counsel, as he presented Hill with his award.
Hill told officials that it’s “time the Legislature recognizes that if we want cities and counties to keep doing as good a job as they have been doing, then we have to quit putting artificial restraints on you.”
Rep. Warren Chisum, R-Pampa, joined Hill at the closing session, expressing optimism at the exposure of the unfunded mandates issue and the detrimental effects of these mandates on counties.
At its business meeting, the Association passed a resolution opposing unfunded mandates, along with appraisal caps and revenue caps.
Also at the business meeting the Association approved the name change and logo for the Curriculum 2000 program, which has been updated and renamed as Commissioners Court Advanced Curriculum.
“We think this is a very positive step in making sure that we stay relevant with your education,” said Rick Avery, director of Texas Cooperative Extension’s V.G. Young Institute of County Government. Avery announced the re-launching of the program and presented the name change and new logo at the opening session.
The conference continued with educational sessions designed to address the ongoing and new issues facing Texas counties including efficient jail administration, grant seeking, mapping of county roads, indigent health care and road construction safety issues.
Conference highlights included Vendor Appreciation Night at the National Ranching Heritage Center, featuring an authentic chuck wagon dinner; Host Court Night where attendees enjoyed a Taste of Texas buffet followed by music and dancing; and finally, the Installation Banquet at a renowned Lubbock steak house.
The banquet included several special presentations, with seven officials named as County Progress Awards Program recipients (see December issue for full details). Thirty-nine officials fulfilled the requirements of the Curriculum 2000 program, and those attending the banquet were presented with their Completion Certificates. In addition, Immediate Past President Bobby Smith, Polk County commissioner, introduced Corry Don Jones, recipient of the AIG VALIC Past President’s Scholarship of $5,000. Smith also honored CJCAT general counsel Jim Allison with a special gift, thanking Allison for his dedicated service to the Association.
Also at the closing banquet, the Association gave special recognition to 2004-2005 CJCAT President Van York, Borden County judge, expressing gratitude for his leadership and service. York, now immediate past president, was installed as a 2005-2006 officer along with President Gilbert Pargmann, DeWitt County commissioner; First Vice President Mark Evans, Trinity County judge; and Second Vice President J.D. Johnson, Tarrant County commissioner.
Julie Anderson, Editor