What is a County Judge?
Last week, Governor Greg Abbott (R) issued an Executive Order allowing bars to reopen at 50% capacity on October 14th, provided county judges sign off (Note: counties must also be in hospital regions with low COVID-19 hospitalizations and the county must assist in enforcing health protocols).
The question many our non-political friends had following the announcement was, “What is a County Judge?”
In short, county judges are the chief executives at the county level. They are generally analogous to a mayor, and can work in conjunction with them on matters related to executive powers like public emergencies (ex. The early days of the COVID-19 response in Texas).
Depending on the size of the county (more the case in rural areas), the county judge has a wide range of judicial and administrative duties and is the presiding officer of the commissioners court. (See, Texas Association of Counties)
Texas Counties
Texas has 254 counties, each with a county judge and commissioners court.
Like city governments, the county court sets a tax rate, adopts a budget, oversees departments which provide services to the community, improves transportation and infrastructure, and approves county land developments.
The Travis County Commissioners Court
The Travis County Commissioners Court customarily meets every Tuesday at 9:00 am. Meetings are available to live stream at the Travis County website and TCTV channel 17.
In the role of presiding officer, the county judge sets the court’s weekly voting session agenda. The judge is elected county wide to a four-year term coinciding with the term of the governor.
This summer, Travis County Judge Sam Biscoe (D) took his oath of office as interim judge to replace former Travis County Judge Sarah Eckhardt (D), who left her seat to run and win Texas Senate District 14.
Judge Biscoe served 15 years as the county judge before retiring in 2015. He will remain in this position until November’s special election to fill the duration of Eckhardt’s term, which expires in 2022.
The special election is between the candidates elected by the Travis County Republican and Democratic Party respectively. The Republican nominee is Michael Lovins, a local attorney with The Law Offices of Michael E. Lovins. The Democratic nominee is Andy Brown, a local attorney and community activist.
County Judge Sam Biscoe
Commissioner, Jeff Travillion
Precinct One
Commissioner, Brigid Shea
Precinct Two
Commissioner, Gerald Daugherty
Precinct Three
Commissioner, Margaret Gómez
Precinct Four
Court Changes
Commissioner Daugherty announced last December that he will not seek reelection. Commissioner Daugherty has served Travis County’s southwest Precinct 3 for 14 years. He was the lone Republican on the court.
Democrat Ann Howard and Republican Becky Bray are on the November ballot to fill the Travis County Precinct 3 commissioner seat. Ann Howard is the former Executive Director of the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO), and Becky Bray is a professional transportation engineer and a transportation/land planner.
For more information, please. contact us at: info@binghamgp.com