January 2010: Looking Back and Looking Forward

Happy New Year!!  As is customary in the New Year, I recently took the time to reflect on the wild ride that was 2009 and to look forward to 2010.  In January, my friend, Judge Orlinda Naranjo, swore me in as your County Commissioner.  I immediately went to work, hiring three top-notch staff, becoming acquainted with the inner-workings of Travis County, and jumping in head first at the Legislature.  It has been an interesting, challenging and rewarding year. 

Looking Back
Last year was marked by many accomplishments on a number of issues, including transportation, public safety, animal control, protecting our waters, parklands and preserves, saving taxpayer money through greater efficiency, and encouraging more responsible development.  I am proud of our successes in bringing constituents and stakeholders on both sides of an issue to the table, really listening to their concerns, and then translating those conversations into workable solutions.  In addition, we were very proactive in working with outside entities to find solutions to difficult problems that crossed jurisdictional boundaries.  This has already started to pay off as I have watched problems without an obvious solution be resolved or at least start off on the path to resolution.  One of the most frustrating things I have encountered is how slowly our governmental systems work.  The good news is that most changes are generally well vetted but the downside is that things we know we want changed are painfully slow in getting to happen.

I have also been quite busy attending meetings as your representative on a number of boards, including the Austin-San Antonio Growth Corridor Council, the Lone Star Rail District, the Balcones Canyonland Preserve Coordinating Committee, the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (CAMPO), and the Capital Area Council of Governments (CAPCOG) Executive Committee, to name a few.  These boards, and others of which I am a member, are decision-making bodies for such important issues as regional planning, natural resource preservation, and mobility systems – issues that are so critical to our quality of life and our future!

Looking Forward
More important than looking back, I am now focusing on my goals for 2010.  These goals include:

• Promoting more collaborative efforts – between Travis County and other organizations and the private sector – to achieve better regional planning and positive momentum for improving our infrastructure;
• Improving efficiency within Travis County by encouraging better collaboration among departments;
• Continuing to find opportunities for saving taxpayer money;
• Completing land acquisitions for the Balcones Canyonlands Preserve (we are getting close to our required acreage!);
• Continuing to promote responsible development by addressing County policy and working with the real estate community;
• Working towards a more consolidated, realistic and sustainable water policy for the region and the State of Texas;
• Increasing outreach to constituents through the Internet and wireless networking;
• Gearing up for the 2011 legislative session by educating and building consensus for land use authority among legislators and building a resource base of support for critical legislation.

On my website you will find my “2009 in Review”.  This includes a more detailed synopsis of our accomplishments that shaped my first year in office.  Please visit my website at: www.precinct3report.com.  I welcome any questions or feedback you may have and wish you a happy and healthy 2010!