PROGRESSIVE VIEWS
I suggest taking a look at the Kendall County website to learn more about your county government, its structure and the folks who manage Kendall County.
As one of the 254 Texas counties, Kendall County ranks 73rd with a population of 52,000. Harris County is the largest with about 5 million people, and Loving County is the smallest with less than 100 folks.
All these counties have a similar structure with four commissioners, elected from four precincts, and a county judge, elected at large, who chairs Commissioners’ Court. A strong point for Texas county government is that many functions are run by independently elected officials. There are 18 elected officials in the county. These officials answer directly to the electorate.
County commissioners have authority over their budget but have little to say about the day-to-day operations. In Kendall County we elect the sheriff, four constables, four justices of the peace, county clerk, tax assessor, treasurer, district attorney, district clerk, and district court judges.
The major responsibilities of Texas county government include: public safety and justice; elections and voter registration; managing a budget and expenditures; roads and bridges; records, vehicle registrations and deeds; emergency management; health and safety; and collecting taxes. Kendall County, like many Texas counties, is able to offer libraries, parks and other programs that add to the quality of life for residents. Our county also plays a vital role in economic development and conservation.
It is disappointing that Austin politicians continue to chip away at local controls and authority. The so-called “Death Star bill” (House Bill 2127, passed in 2023) stopped counties from creating local ordinances that go beyond state law in areas like labor, finance and environmental rules, empowering state government to preempt local policies and allowing residents to sue over alleged overreach.
While all county departments are important, two critical, and often unheralded, components of county government are the county auditor and elections administrator. These are appointed positions.
The county auditor is not appointed by Commissioners Court but rather by our district judges. The auditor must be highly qualified and, based on my observation, we have a good one.
A quote from the county auditor’s website explains the separation of duties necessary to protect our tax dollars: “The office of the county auditor is neither created by nor under the hierarchical control of the administrative body, the Commissioners Court. While Commissioners Court is the budgeting body in county government, both the county auditor and Commissioners Court are required, by law, to approve or reject claims for disbursement of county funds. The integrity of county financial administration is entrusted to a dual control system of ‘checks and balances.’” Perusing the auditor’s webpage opens a window into county finances where the entire budget of the county can be viewed along with the award-winning “Financial Transparency” section.
Kendall County received a “Transparency Star” from the Texas Comptroller’s office recognizing its commitment to financial openness.
The Kendall County Election Office webpage also has a tremendous amount of information worth checking out.
You can learn about running for office, see the calendar for all election-related activities, find election results, see how to become a poll worker, get the information on how to register vote and vote by mail, and more.
From first-hand experience, having been a poll worker and a candidate, I can attest to the professionalism and competence of our local election officials.
In addition to stifling local controls, the Texas Legislature and governor have made it harder to vote in Texas. Brennan Center research shows that restrictive voting laws in Texas made people less likely to vote.
The voters harmed by this law were more likely to be non-white, raising important issues about the long-term consequences of laws that fall more heavily on minority voters.
Elderly voters also are impacted as mail-in voting is now less user-friendly.
We need to elect politicians, whether independent, Democrat or Republican, who will shape a better future for local government and the people of Texas, not just for the rich and powerful.
Please do your part and vote.
To learn more about the Kendall County Democratic Party and our activism, visit our website: kcdems.us
Kevin Henning is a local Democrat
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