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Precinct One Reports

Voices of County Government Article (click here to read the article)
-Article featured in the July/August 2013 issue of County Magazine



Notes & Reports

Tuesday, November 12, 2013:

    Because of Veteran's Day the regular November meeting of the Jeff Davis County Commisioners' Court was held on Tuesday.  Two topics of special interest were discussed.
    First the Court approved the grant administration and engineering for the acquisition of a generator to operate our water system on an emergency basis.  The Rock House Fire proved how vulnerable our water supply is to a power outage and with luck we may have a generator by the 2014 fire season.
    We also discussed a new contract between JDC and the Fort Davis Chamber of Commerce. The Chamber is funded through hotel/motel tax (HOT) funds, not the general fund. Jeff Davis County, by provision the the Tax Code, sets aside 50% of our HOT funds for historic preservation and 50% of our funds to promote tourism, which we do through contract with the Chamber, less a 7% administration fee, net 43%. (Do we really want the Commissioners' Court as the main entity promoting tourism?) It was through HOT funds that we were able to restore the old VFW building for use as the County and District Cler'ks Office. 
    We generally approve contracts on an annual basis and no contract may be open ended in reference to costs.  Thus we have always established a dollar cap above what the Chamber normally receives.  This is to stay within policy and to provide an incentive for the Chamber to work to increase tourism.  Citing issues of no bearing on this matter the County Judge opposed a cap incentive, in order, it appears, to use HOT funds for other purposes.  Section 352.1031(b) of the Tax Code specifically prohibits the use of HOT funds "for the general revenue purposes or general governmental operations of a county."   With tourism, as with ranching, the primary economic drivers of Jeff Davis County, it would seen that we should be assisting the Chamber and not trying to hinder then.  A contract, albeit, with a minimal cap, was passed.

The opinions expressed herein are mine and do not reflect the thoughts or opinions of any other member of the JDC Commissioners' Court.



    On December 9, the JDC Commissioners' Court held its regular meeting.  Much of the business was routine, with the exception of an issue I brought before the Court - the failure to use our countywide Emergency Notification System (Reverse 911) during the ice storm and power outage.  After the Rock House Fire the issue of most concern to the community was the lack of communication.  Knowing the importance of this issue, I proposed a Reverse 911 system, wrote a Request for Proposal and bid the work with the permission of the Court.  While numerous people have signed up we do not use the system.  Our current county judge deems it "labor intensive" and thinks that because he does not use a computer and did not go through the on-line training that we do not have the capability to operate the system.  Several members of the Volunteer Fire Department and our Fire Marshall were trained and do know how to operate the system, which only requires one person at a computer in the Fire Department and one person composing the message.  I asked the Court to allow me to delve into the issue and attempt to reorganize in order that it become viable.  Since it has not been used, it seems to be almost a do-over for which we need your help.  Tell your county officials that as citizens of JDC we want this sytem and we want it used.  Sign up!  Once this is figured out we will begin a regular testing program as suggested by our vendor Blackboard Connect.  One can sign up by going to the Jeff Davis Volunteer Fire Department website. One may sign up vis cell phone, landline or internt, or all three. Once I have more information we will place this information in the newspaper after the first of the year.
    In the meantime the race for a new county judge is set.  While we have several good candidates I would invite your consideration for the following:  more than anything we need someone with true experience in financial management and budgets.  Also because we are not in complete compliance with state requirements that we have most of our county business on-line we need someone with greater than average organizational and computer skills.  This is an issue of transparency in government that all of us as taxpayers should favor.  The job of county judge is no longer a position that anyone with merely the desire to run can fulfill, it is a position that requires management and budgetary skills and expertise if it is to be done right.  Please consider your options carefully and objectively.

The opinions expressed herein are mine and do not reflact the thoughts or opinions of any other member of the JDC Commissioners' Court.