FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - county



FOR RELEASE CONTACT: Cary Roberts

DATE 8/31/18 Media Relations Officer

512-478-8753 | caryr@

Legislators Meet with County Officials to Discuss Hot Topics Ahead of Legislative Session

__________________ and other state lawmakers recently met with hundreds of county officials attending the Texas Association of Counties (TAC) Legislative Conference in Austin to discuss the issues important to local taxpayers and the coming 86th session of the Texas Legislature.

The three-day TAC Legislative Conference is an opportunity for county officials from across the state to gather together to discuss common concerns shared by Texas local governments, learn about the biggest issues facing counties and local taxpayers, and discover the resources available to those who wish to advocate the needs of their local communities to legislators.

“We want to thank all of the legislators who attended, set up private meetings and spoke in sessions. We appreciate them taking time to join with county officials to discuss important topics affecting county governments and local taxpayers,” said TAC President Larry Gallardo, who serves as a Hidalgo County constable. “Any time we can come together to bridge the knowledge gap between counties and lawmakers and discuss solutions to our common challenges, we are working to improve this state for Texans, and I’m proud of that.”

Several legislative topics affecting counties were discussed during the conference, including emergency response and disaster recovery planning, the rising costs to property taxpayers from the state’s unfunded and underfunded mandates, property tax and appraisal system reform, transportation funding, and the intersection of criminal justice and mental health.

Representatives Nicole Collier (D-Fort Worth) and Trent Ashby (R-Lufkin) met with the county officials from their districts in private lunch meetings to discuss pressing local issues.

Notable speakers included Rep. DeWayne Burns (R-Cleburne), Rep. Garnet Coleman (D-Houston), Rep. Geanie Morrison (R-Victoria), and Rep. Hugh Shine (R-Temple) who spoke on session panels and answered county officials’ questions about a variety of legislative topics.

Several county officials, department heads, and state agency staff also led discussions and helped educate their colleagues on a number of topics. Those included Harris County Chief Appraiser Roland Altinger, Refugio County Judge Robert Blaschke, Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick, Executive Director of the Texas Indigent Defense Commission Geoffrey Burkhart, Lubbock County Justice of the Peace Ann-Marie Carruth, Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody, Tom Green County Auditor Nathan Cradduck, Harris County Judge Ed Emmett, Travis County Constable Chief Deputy Bobby Gutierrez, Glasscock County Judge Kim Halfmann, Stat District Court Judge Julie H. Kocerek, Executive Director of the Texas Association of Regional Councils Ginny Lewis, Kaufman County Assistant District Attorney Rebecca Lundberg, Burnet County Justice of the Peace Roxanne Nelson, Senior Deputy Director of Community Development and Revitalization at the General Land Office Pete Phillips, Brazos County Tax Assessor-Collector Kristeen Roe, Washington County Clerk Beth Rothermel, Mental Health and Jail Diversion Bureau Watch Commander for the Crisis Intervention Response Team (CIRT) and Homeless Outreach Team (HOT) with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Tommy Shelton, Webb County Judge Tano Tijerina, and Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley.

TAC works to unite Texas counties together in search of solutions for challenges faced by all counties and to provide services to support county officials in the vital work they do for their local communities.

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