October 2011
Lake Travis
Economic Impact Report

Your PEC Vote is Important to You!

Individuals seek appointments or run for boards and commissions for one of three reasons:  (1) political aspiration (2) professional visibility and business development (3) specific passions or concerns for the particular mission of the organization.  As your county commissioner, I regularly make appointments to boards and commissions such as your emergency service districts, Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority, Travis County Housing Authority, the Health Care District, etc. 

Local issues and activities important to us in our everyday lives are rarely partisan-based.  Having good schools and safe neighborhoods and roads, growing responsibly and having the water and electricity we need for our quality of life are not political-party dependent.  When I make an appointment or cast my vote, I look for the most qualified individual for that particular position.  I assess the board’s/commission’s balance as to talent needed – like financial expertise, business acumen, specialized professional skills, etc.  I try to make the choice that is best for the position -- skills, professionalism, and sincerity of intent to serve are my criteria, not party affiliation.  For those organizations that have a direct affect on our everyday lives I believe it is critical that we appoint/elect those whose interests are for the right reasons.   Ascertaining this is not always easy.

The current Pedernales Electric Cooperative (PEC) Board elections are of particular concern to me.  I was part of the effort from the very beginning for the reforms and transparency sought for the PEC.  One of the goals was to open up the Board selection process to the membership.  I believe the first elections held after the changes were instigated yielded quality candidates and excellent new board members.  I have greater concerns for this current election.

When I look at the field of PEC candidates, I see some who are well qualified, some who have been closely following and are knowledgeable about the changes made and who have identified additional areas that need improvement, and some who bring needed professional expertise.  Unfortunately, though, I also see some, whom I suspect, are running for purely personal professional enhancement and even worse, some who are running for purely partisan purposes.  The politically motivated candidates are not looking to improve PEC but rather see this as an opportunity to gain visibility and use the position as a stepping-stone to another elected office.  When partisan politics gets involved, campaign stakes rise and money thrown into the races escalates.  Those with the most financial resources have the decided advantage – whether or not they are truly qualified.

PEC is at a very vulnerable point in its transition to a well-managed, fiscally responsible service provider.  Great strides have been made, but there is still more to do.  It is critically important to our everyday electric service that we vote for candidates with the right skills, experience and, most importantly, have PEC members’ best interest at heart.

PEC board candidates run to represent a specific geographic district but are elected at-large by the entire membership of the PEC – more than 200,000 members.  That makes it truly a challenge to know for whom to vote.  In making your decision, the following evaluations are offered for your consideration.

My choices do not necessarily mean these are the only qualified candidates, but I am concerned about the qualified candidates splitting the vote, enabling a less qualified candidate to prevail.  I encourage you to read about each of the candidates in the information provided with your ballot or go to the PEC website (www.pec.coop), review the candidates and their videos, then Google their names to ascertain other information about them that may not be included in the biographies that they submitted.  PEC does significant business with independent contractors and consultants.  This should also be a consideration.  Certain types of engineers bring expertise that may be needed on the PEC Board – like wholesale purchasing and “rate” making.  Others may be looking for professional or political positioning.  It is critically important that our electricity provider has the right leadership on its Board and that this race does not become a political race.  So PLEASE, PLEASE find time to research the candidates and cast your vote for suitable choices.

I will be placing my own votes for these individuals whom I believe will bring the most in commitment and expertise to the PEC board: 

• Chris Perry, District 4
• Ross Fischer, District 5

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