County Elections: Why bother?

Well, the county elections are coming up. So what?

None of the incumbents have a lot to brag about what they’ve done for you during their tenure.

Here are the achievements Vero claims:

Reforming County government, creating greater transparency and accountability
Increasing access to affordable healthcare and creating healthcare jobs at the same time
Creating partnerships with other taxing entities that save taxpayers money

Sergio Lewis’s achievements are equally vague. Here’s what I lifted from his web site:

Voted against the proposed Tax Authority
Worked to revitalize Ascarate Park
Voted against issuing new Certificates of Obligations (new taxes) without voter approval
Save taxpayers millions by proposing and passing an amendment to contract for County Coliseum

I mean, for both of them, that’s pretty thin. Four years in office and that’s what you’re going to hang your hat on? You didn’t legalize pot, or gay marriage, or cure cancer?

I don’t fault them. Their purview is limited. The County serves the people out past the city limits, I suppose. The County runs the courts and the jail and the Sheriff’s Department, and is somehow responsible for the University Medical Center, even though they’re their own taxing entity. Doctors and lawyers. The less you deal with them, the better off you are.

The County doesn’t mean a lot if you live in the city, and are healthy (or insured), and engaged in mostly legal activities. If you live in the City, the County is about budgets, not services. The only thing I want to hear from the County is that my tax rate is going down, or at least not going up.

The way I see it, a seat on Commissioner’s Court is kind of an honorary position, like Homecoming Queen. If they do a lot, they’re shy about it.

I might be completely wrong about this. Lemme know.