The Five Priorities

1. Fiscal Responsibility and Revenue Strategy

Business discipline applied to county finances

Fiscal responsibility means transparency about spending AND creativity about revenue. Maximize non-tax sources before asking property taxpayers for more.

Four Strategic Elements:

• Budget transparency dashboard: Real-time online access, quarterly reports in plain language, clear performance metrics, public input on major expenditures
• Hotel Occupancy Tax support: Tourists paying fair share for infrastructure instead of local taxpayers (est. $350K annually, pending legislative approval)
• Cost recovery for county services: Fair cost-recovery contracts when county provides services to municipalities. Taxpayers shouldn't subsidize city services
• Optimize county assets: Cell tower leases, facility rentals, strategic procurement. Make existing assets work harder

Why It Matters: Budget transparency brings business discipline to county government. Track spending, measure results, report to stakeholders. Dashboard setup costs $15K-25K one-time - minimal investment for maximum accountability.

Funding: Dashboard: One-time investment ($15K-25K), minimal maintenance. Revenue initiatives use existing authorities, not new spending.

2. Emergency Preparedness & Flood Warning System

Learn from tragedy. Build systems that protect lives.

Following the July 4th tragedy that killed 119 Kerr County residents, comprehensive emergency preparedness is essential. Effective emergency preparedness requires both immediate warning systems and long-term watershed resilience through strategic land management.

Five Components:

• Strategic watershed management supporting landowners: Applying rangeland ecology expertise to reduce flood intensity through brush management, riparian restoration, and soil conservation
• Comprehensive flood warning system: Stream gauges, weather-resistant outdoor sirens, enhanced CodeRED alerts, real-time monitoring dashboard
• Emergency Services Master Plan: Clear chain of command, pre-authorized alert protocols, coordinated response procedures, regular training
• Infrastructure hardening: Critical facilities: Emergency Operations Center, 911 Dispatch, Sheriff's Office, fire stations, emergency access routes
• Community preparedness: Regular drills, public education programs, neighborhood coordinator networks

Funding: Federal disaster mitigation grants, state emergency management funds, coordinated with NRCS programs and regional partnerships. Minimal county investment leveraged through aggressive grant pursuit.

3. Water Security & Sustainable Growth

Protect property values through strategic water coordination

Kerr County's 2011-2015 drought proved groundwater isn't infinite - springs failed, wells went dry, property values dropped as buyers feared water uncertainty. Strategic coordination protects the resource that makes Kerr County valuable.

Five Components (County Commissioner as Bridge-Builder):

• Facilitate partnerships among City of Kerrville, Headwaters Groundwater Conservation District, Upper Guadalupe River Authority, and county government: Quarterly coordination meetings, aligned drought messaging, systematic partnership
• Strengthen implementation of county's existing 2022 subdivision regulations: Rigorous water availability review, cumulative impact assessment, enhanced coordination between subdivision and road access permitting
• Comprehensive planning developed with all stakeholders: City's innovative ASR and reuse systems as models, sustainable yield analysis, growth management framework, regional coordination protocols
• Voluntary landowner partnerships for recharge zone protection (not regulations - incentives): Conservation easements with tax benefits, technical assistance, cost-share for brush management in priority watersheds
• Strategic monitoring and public education: Multi-aquifer monitoring coordinated with City and Headwaters GCD, water availability maps, conservation programs

Funding: Coordination role requires minimal cost. Texas Water Development Board grants for planning studies. Landowner partnerships leverage regional programs and NRCS funding.

4. Infrastructure Investment Plan (20-Year)

Preventive maintenance protects taxpayer investments

The Challenge: Kerr County maintains 550+ miles of roads and 30+ bridges through reactive systems responding to failures rather than preventing them. Industry research proves preventive maintenance saves 4-6 times over emergency repairs.

The Solution: 20-year Infrastructure Investment Plan providing Engineering Department and Road & Bridge crews systematic framework: comprehensive asset inventory, condition-based prioritization, preventive maintenance schedules, strategic grant pursuit, transparent public reporting.

Four Components:

• Comprehensive Asset Inventory & Assessment: Roads, bridges, facilities, equipment with condition ratings and lifecycle analysis
• Prioritized Investment Schedule: Tier 1 (safety-critical), Tier 2 (high-impact), Tier 3 (strategic), Tier 4 (long-range)
• Preventive Maintenance Program: Systematic crack sealing, chip seal, microsurfacing on 5-7 year cycles extending infrastructure life
• Strategic Funding Coordination: Federal highway grants, FEMA mitigation funds, TxDOT programs, regional partnerships

Funding: Minimal county investment for assessment ($200K-$300K) enables $8M-$15M savings over 20 years through prevention. Aggressive grant pursuit targets $38M-$68M external funding.

5. Guadalupe River Corridor (10-Year Vision)

Protect property, create opportunity, build strategically

An 8-mile corridor along the Guadalupe River from Kerrville to Center Point combining flood mitigation, recreational trails, conservation easements, and emergency access. The July 4th tragedy creates unprecedented access to federal disaster mitigation funding.

Four Integrated Components:

• Recreational Trail Infrastructure: 8 miles of multi-use trails, 3-4 trailheads with parking, 8-10 river access points, connecting to existing Kerrville River Trail
• Conservation Easements & "Blue Corridor": Work with 15 landowners to establish permanent protection through voluntary conservation easements with tax benefits
• Flood Mitigation Infrastructure: Riverbank stabilization, emergency vehicle access points, drainage improvements, flood monitoring equipment integration (qualifies for FEMA BRIC grants)
• Habitat Restoration: Native riparian vegetation, invasive species removal, erosion control through bioengineering, fish habitat improvements

Funding: Primarily federal disaster mitigation grants (FEMA BRIC 70%), Texas Parks & Wildlife grants, private partnerships, strategic county 4B funds. Grant-dependent phased implementation.