Listening to Leaders & Local Control

The GCMCA Meeting

I had a great time attending the Galveston County Mayors and Councilmembers Association (GCMCA) meeting tonight. It was a great chance to listen directly to the accomplishments and challenges facing our local leaders right here in House District 24.

While there was plenty of talk about infrastructure, drainage, and quite a few boat ramp improvement projects, one issue really caught my attention: Unfunded mandates.

These mandates are posing unnecessary budget issues for our cities. Our local Mayors and Councilmembers are being handed orders from Austin without the funding to execute them, and without a clear path to secure that funding.

Some mandates are good, some are not, but my point isn't about the justification of a specific mandate being issued. My point is about the pattern Texas has developed of issuing requirements without the funding to support them. That isn't fair to our local governments, and it isn't fair to the taxpayers who foot the bill.

On the Campaign Trail

It wasn't just policy talk; I also had the chance to meet with several fellow candidates who are stepping up to serve our region:

• Al Smith, Candidate for Galveston County Judge
• Carla Wyatt, Harris County Treasurer
• Plus strong candidates for Lieutenant Governor and State Senate

I also enjoyed meeting many engaged voters from Friendswood. Thank you for the tough questions. You help sharpen my focus on what District 24 really needs.

Brief Update: The Plato Ban

Following up on the Texas A&M/Plato situation I mentioned last time, I’ve been working from home speaking with local academic experts to get the full picture. I've gained some valuable insight into how these decisions are trickling down, and I will have more to share on this soon.