These questions were asked prior to the March 1st primary election. With the May 24th runoff election looming, we are revisiting the answers of the two candidates who reached the runoff: Judge Paul Lilly and Shane Britton.
1)How long have you been a part of the Brown County Community? To what extent have you been a part of local government in Brown County?
I am honored to possess over three decades of experience in public service. I have served in government leadership role, law enforcement leadership, and of course education where I taught our future government personnel and leadership. I moved to Brown County in 2011 when I was recruited to be a professor of criminal justice by Howard Payne University, a position I held until I was sworn into office as the county judge. Since Jan. 1, 2019 I have served as the elected county judge here in Brown County.
2)What is your vision for the future of Brown County: What changes would you advocate and why?
While I am not at all a believer in career politicians, i.e. those who remain in office for decades, I would like to serve a second term and then retire. We have accomplished a great many wonderful things over the past three years, and there is still work to be done. As the County Judge I am also the Director of Emergency Management which of course makes me responsible for the ultimate response to COVID. I would very much like to continue to lead this fight and to help to once and for all defeat this horrible virus.
Over the past 3 years we have been able to hold our county tax rate steady. However, that is only a very small part of the property taxes our residents must pay per year. My NUMBER ONE PRIORITY if elected to a second term, will be to work with our new state senator and our new state representative and find a way to STOP these ever-increasing property appraisal evaluations and taxes. Ultimately this is a state issue not a county one, however there are 254 counties throughout Texas and we have all come together and adopted multiple resolution for our representatives to consider… each of which if adopted at the legislative level and signed by the governor, would dramatically reduce the amount of property taxes paid throughout the entire state.
Second, I would like to continue to reinvest grant funding into our local economy. If we invest in Brown County, we can increase tourism and use our geographic location to boost other sporting and business activities to our county. The old adage “If we build it, they will come” does apply to the youth fair grounds renovation I have proposed. Can you imagine the positive effect such a state-of-the-art facility will have on our youth and the community as a whole? Not only with it enhance our local youth fair operations beyond measure, but we would also be able to rent the facility out for other events, which in turn would bring additional revenues to our local businesses, restaurants, and of course hotels and motels. It will be designed as an open-air environment facility thus reducing greatly the COVID risks. Further, it will also give the Office of Emergency Management a facility to designate as a temporary emergency shelter and staging area. Again, the monies from this project would come from the Federal Grants that the Grant Coordinator has been able to help secure. Local tax dollars would not be utilized for the project.
3)Regarding your prospective position, what do you consider your greatest strengths? Weaknesses?
I would state that my attributes for this position include having served for more than 3 decades within government, specifically within the criminal justice profession. Further, having also served in the field of higher education, I am able to offer a well-rounded combination of hands-on experience combined with the benefit of a wonderful academic education.
4)What do you consider the biggest challenge of the position you are running for? What areas need improvement and why?
Again, we must work with out state officials to find a way to curb these ever-increasing property appraisals evaluation and increased property taxes. We must find a more fair and balanced system of taxation, which I firmly believe we can do, thus reducing the appraisals taxation increases on the local residents.
5)What has been your greatest accomplishment in your career? In your personal life?
I would have to state that having been given the opportunity to wear a uniform and serve and protect both my country and my state. This combined with my service in this office for the past 3 years have been so very rewarding and I would like to have one more term to serve the citizens of Brown County.
1) How long have you been a part of the Brown County Community? To what extent have you been a part of local government in Brown County?I was married in Brownwood in 1990 and moved here full-time in 1997. For the last 25 years, I have worked for Brown County, first as an Assistant District Attorney and since 2001 as County Attorney. I have served as the chief legal advisor to all elected county officials for 21 years.2) What is your vision for the future of Brown County: What changes would you advocate and why?Great things are happening in Brown County. It is the County governments responsibility to partner with the cities to foster continued growth and to not be a hinderance. Taxation is a major concern. Controlling taxation begins with controlling spending. In the last 3 years Brown County has received over $10,000,000 in COVID relief funds from the federal government. That money should have been used to reduce the tax burdens on the citizens. Instead, the County Budget has grown. During those 3 years, the amount of money collected in property taxes has increased by over $1,000,000. How do you increase the collection of taxes at the same time you are getting a check from the government? It is the responsibility of the County Judge to create the annual budget for the County. A better way to explain the last 3 years is to imagine someone who just received a stimulus check of $2000. Instead of putting the money in the bank and paying their bills, they bought a new big-screen TV.
Additionally, we must reopen the County Court to regular judicial activities. No more passing off the work to someone else. I envision 3 full-time courts, presided over by competent, qualified attorneys.
3) Regarding your prospective position, what do you consider your greatest strengths? Weaknesses?
Experience matters. Education matters. I am the only candidate with a legal education and experience practicing in the Brown County Court. Additionally, I am Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization in Juvenile Law. The Brown County Court is the officially designated Juvenile Court for Brown County. Make no mistake about it, this is a judicial position. In addition to the judicial duties, the County Judge has administrative duties. I have 21 years’ experience advising the County Judge on his administrative duties.
4) What do you consider the biggest challenge of the position you are running for? What areas need improvement and why?
The County Judge is responsible for presiding over a court that has original jurisdiction over misdemeanor criminal offenses, felony and misdemeanor Juvenile offenses, probate matters, civil matters and appeals from JP Courts and Municipal Courts. These duties cannot be delegated to other Courts or Attorneys. The County Judge must hear these matters, or the County will be forced to create an additional court to hear them. There is now pending approximately 1,000 misdemeanors and 850 felonies. Ideally, these numbers should be closer to 600 misdemeanors and 400 felonies. A proposal has been made to split the misdemeanors evenly between the County Court and the County Court at Law so that the County Court at Law can be assigned some of the overflow of felonies pending in District Court. Unfortunately, this cannot be done if the County Judge is not qualified to hear misdemeanors. Brown County is nearing a crisis within our court system that can only be avoided by electing a County Judge who is an attorney.
5) What has been your greatest accomplishment in your career? In your personal life?
My 3 children are my greatest accomplishments in my life. Each has been successful in their own way and all 3 love the Lord. Professionally, each day that I have served Brown County I have tried to make a difference in someone’s life. I have personally handled every Child Protective Services case for the last 21 years. While I could have assigned those cases to someone else, I always felt like I owed to those children to give it my all. I was the co-founder of the Children’s Advocacy Center in Early and have served on the Board of the Center for Life Resources (formerly Central Texas MHMR) for 23 years and the Board of the Texas Council for Community Centers for 12 years. I do those things because we all have an obligation to the underprivileged, marginalized and often forgotten members of our community. “Protecting the rights of even the least individual among us is the only excuse the government has for existing.” – Ronald Reagan