Growth That Pays for Itself

Public Safety With Accountability

Tax Relief With Proof

Hays County is growing fast. Growth is not the problem. Unmanaged growth is.

When large commercial projects arrive without a plan to cover the real cost of roads, public safety, courts, and county services, the bill quietly lands on homeowners. The FY 2026 budget makes that reality clear. Property taxes are the backbone of county operations, payroll dominates spending, and law enforcement is the single largest General Fund category. That combination demands leadership that manages, measures, and modernizes.
(Budget Book PDF p. 2, p. 3)

Simple version

We can grow without making residents pay for everything. We just have to run the county like the money matters.
(Budget Book PDF p. 2, p. 3)

The Warning Flag on Growth and Infrastructure

Hays County cannot approve high-impact growth while pretending county services are free. Roads wear down. Emergency response expands. Courts and jails absorb more pressure. Administrative costs rise. The FY 2026 budget shows property taxes make up 67.5 percent of General Fund revenue, which means residents are already carrying most of the load.
(Budget Book PDF p. 3)

If growth increases demand but does not increase contribution, homeowners become the default funding source. That is not sustainable and it is not fair.

Simple version

Big projects use county services. If they create costs, they should help pay for them. Homeowners should not be the backup plan.
(Budget Book PDF p. 3)

What the County Can and Cannot Do

Texas law matters. Good leadership uses the tools that exist and does not promise things the county cannot legally do.

We cannot create a higher county property tax rate just for businesses. Texas requires taxation to be equal and uniform.

We can lower the overall county tax rate when the commercial tax base grows, because Commissioners Court adopts the county tax rate every year.

We can require growth to participate in infrastructure costs using lawful agreements, development standards, and existing county funds.

Simple version

We cannot invent random taxes. We can grow the tax base, protect homeowners, and lower pressure the right way.

Making Growth Pay Its Share

Cost-to-Serve Review for Major Projects

For large developments like data centers and manufacturing, the county must evaluate the real cost of growth before approvals. That includes road impact, emergency response demand, court and jail pressure, and drainage or infrastructure stress.

This is not anti-business. It is honest math.

Simple version

Before saying yes, we figure out what it will cost the county and who pays for it.

Infrastructure Contribution Agreements

Major projects should participate directly in the infrastructure they rely on. This includes roads, heavy vehicle impacts, drainage, and emergency readiness when justified by demand.

The FY 2026 budget already includes an Infrastructure Improvement Fee Fund, which is a foundation for responsible growth funding.
(Budget Book PDF p. 191)

Simple version

If a project needs roads and services, it helps fund them.

No Incentives Without Resident Benefit

If the county considers tax abatements or incentives, they must be transparent, performance-based, and tied to measurable public benefit. No blank checks. No vague promises. Public hearings. Public reporting.

Simple version

If a company wants a deal, it earns it and the public can see the results.

Property Tax Relief Built on Reality

The FY 2026 budget shows property taxes account for 67.5 percent of General Fund revenue, and the total county tax rate increased from 0.3500 to 0.3999, with the tax on the average homestead rising accordingly.
(Budget Book PDF p. 2, p. 3)

Relief does not come from speeches. It comes from discipline.

My commitment is simple and lawful:

• Grow the commercial tax base responsibly

• Protect reserves

• Reduce pressure on the overall tax rate when growth allows

The budget shows $7,654,708 in one-time reserve use to balance operations and lists General Fund reserves at $70,213,300. Reserves are for emergencies, not routine budgeting.
(Budget Book PDF p. 3)

Simple version

When businesses add value, we use that growth to hold the line and work the rate down. And we stop pretending savings are income.
(Budget Book PDF p. 3)

Public Safety, Done Right

Public safety matters. Protecting residents and supporting first responders is not optional.

The FY 2026 budget shows Law Enforcement at 47.6 percent of General Fund spending, the largest single category.
(Budget Book PDF p. 3)

This plan does not target patrol deputies or jail staff. The focus is command structure, deployment decisions, fleet usage, overtime controls, and coordination across agencies.

Simple version

Front line public safety is not the problem. The system above them has to run smarter.
(Budget Book PDF p. 3)

Fairness Across Agencies

The capital section shows major Sheriff fleet and equipment investments alongside far smaller totals for constable precincts, even though constables often exceed vehicle utilization due to limited resources.
(Budget Book PDF p. 261, p. 263, p. 267)

That imbalance increases long-term cost and reduces coverage flexibility.

As County Judge, I will push for:

• Countywide deployment planning

• Fleet utilization and reassignment rules

• Equipment baselines by role, not by tradition

• Monthly reporting on overtime, vacancies, and fleet downtime

Simple version

Every badge deserves fair support. Resources go where the calls are, not where they have always gone.
(Budget Book PDF p. 261, p. 263, p. 267)

The Numbers, Up Front

The FY 2026 budget shows:

• Property taxes dominate General Fund revenue

• Salaries and benefits make up 63.2 percent of spending

• Law enforcement is the largest cost center

• Total debt payments listed at $62,652,602, including property-tax supported debt
  (Budget Book PDF p. 3, p. 195)

This is why leadership must focus on systems, not slogans.

Simple version

You should be able to see where the money comes from and where it goes without digging.

First Year Plan After Swearing In

Q1 2027: Stabilize and Map Reality

Daily budget review for major cost centers.
Public safety command-level deployment and overtime audit.
Fleet inventory and utilization analysis.
Publish a growth cost-to-serve framework.
(Budget Book PDF p. 3, p. 191)

Simple version
Find the leaks and stop the bleeding.

Q2 2027: Implement and Rebalance

Move resources before asking for more money.
Adopt overtime approval rules and public reporting.
Standardize fleet and equipment usage across agencies.
Apply infrastructure contribution agreements to new projects.

Simple version
Run it tighter and fairer, with receipts.

Q3 2027: Lock It Into the Budget

Build the next budget with performance accountability at the leadership level.
End routine reserve draws for operations.
Apply strict discipline to new debt decisions.
(Budget Book PDF p. 3, p. 195)

Simple version
Fix it once and make it stick.

Q4 2027: Prove It and Lower Pressure

Publish a county fiscal accountability report.
Set tax rate targets tied to commercial growth and service outcomes.
Standardize public safety resource allocation rules.

Simple version
Show the work, then ease the load.

The Bottom Line

Hays County can be pro-growth and pro-resident at the same time. That takes honesty, math, and leadership willing to say no when the numbers do not add up.

Growth should strengthen the community that makes it possible.
Public safety should be protected and managed.
Tax relief should be earned, measured, and real.

This is how we do all three.