As County Commissioner, I am asked frequently who I recommend in local elections.
I am honored when people ask. I don’t take their confidence in my opinion lightly. Until now, I have not publically endorsed any candidate running for local office. What I have experienced in my five years on Commissioners Court has convinced me to no longer sit quietly on the sidelines during this primary election for County Judge.
Many citizens in our county don’t hear much about the decisions of our court. You may not know that our court recently approved a budget (which I opposed) that reduced our general fund balance to a level of only nine days in reserve. The GFOA (Government Finance Officers Association) recommends a minimum of 60 days in reserve to mitigate current and future risks, to ensure stable tax rates and to maintain creditworthiness. Considering the current economic climate, I believe adequate reserves are imperative to the financial stability of our county.
During the Aug. 31 budget session, in a comment to the commissioners, Judge Riley said, “…as you guys know, sometimes, when there’s lots of money it’s easy, and we had some years where revenues were up and we didn’t spend hardly anytime fooling with the budget…”
In all fairness, I checked the recording of our meeting and that is what he said. I believe that, as stewards of taxpayer dollars, we have an obligation to give full consideration to the budget every year.
Making a significant real estate purchase ($915,000) without identifying a use for the property, a poor jail design ($13,316,033) that limited future expansion, and hiring a consultant to do a plant study ($2,000) on the county farm are a few more of the court’s decisions which I opposed. I do not question the court’s authority to make those decisions…I just do not think those are wise expenditures of taxpayer dollars. For more information, refer to my blog www.commish3.wordpress.com
Even though I occasionally disagree with the judge and members of the court, in no way do I question their commitment and dedication to our community. I truly believe, based on our personal and political convictions, each of us is doing what we think is right. My comments, then, are specifically directed at differences in opinion when it comes to conducting the business of Parker County, not as a personal attack on any one person. Personal attacks, in my opinion, have no place in politics.
Parker County is changing in front of our eyes. The challenges we face today are not the same as those the court faced 20 years ago. The recent transportation bond is a nice start to addressing Parker County’s traffic problems. It is not, however, part of a long range plan that should have already been in place. Planning for transportation and growth is critical to protecting the quality of life we enjoy and cherish.
Over the last year, Cary McKay and I have had extensive conversations about how Commissioner’s Court conducts its business as well as discussions about the future of our county. Inevitably, we may not agree on everything, but the openness to share ideas that lead to solutions will be beneficial to everyone. Protecting Parker County as a great place to live, work, and raise a family is a vision that we both share.
I believe that Cary McKay has what it takes to make an excellent County Judge. His dynamic team-building skills, his commitment to fiscal responsibility and his focus on planning for our future make him the type of leader who will serve Parker County well. Please join me in voting for Cary McKay.
The future you envision for Parker County is in your hands.
John Roth
Pecinct 3 Commissioner
