Ingrid Cuero
To recognize a few of the newly elected officials in Huntsville Texas, the Walker County Republican Women (WCRW) hosted an event to provide the community updates on County business. Numerous citizens braved the heat to learn about county goings-on, and it was nice to be able to catch up with community leaders after working the session in Austin.
We were able to catch up with County-Court-At-Law Judge Tracy Sorensen…
…and WCRW President Renee Lunsford…
WCRW served a fantastic dinner, perfect for summer! Dinner consisted of hot dogs, burgers, and, of course, all the fixings. Morgan and I were eager to jump in and help serve dinner so that the current volunteers could indulge in the yummy dinner as well.
President Renee Lunsford then introduced the four elected officials who would be providing updates: County Commissioner Precinct 4 Brandon Decker; County Judge Colt Christian; Justice of the Peace Precinct 3 Randy Jeffcoat; and District Clerk Leslie Woolley.
Brandon Decker, County Commissioner for Precinct 4, began by mentioning how a Transportation Report is in the works so that County officials may learn how to best accommodate Walker County’s growth. His focus is to work alongside the Mayor to make Walker County and the City of Huntsville better places for its residents.
Colt Christian, County Judge, noted how everything in his new role is a new experience for him. For the 100th day of being in office, Judge Christian held a county employee lunch appreciation. Judge Christian said many wonderful things about his staff and the dedicated employees of the County. He also hosts coffee hour every morning in his office so that county residents may come to him and discuss what they wish to see or address concerns. For non-coffee drinkers, Judge Christian also hosts ice-cream hour at 3! He would like to add more community involvement in the County. Judge Christian also spoke on one of the larger aspects of his job: the budget. “There are about 9 million dollars’ worth of wants in the County, but only about 2 million to do it with.”
Randy Jeffcoat, Justice of the Peace, discussed the number of civil and criminal cases in Walker County, and how the courts have to keep up with the pace of proceedings.
Leslie Woolley, District Clerk, said that her first six months in the office has gone smoothly. She implemented new jury software (purchased by prior District Clerk), which allows potential jurors to answer a few questions ahead of time to save time on jury days. On the first grand jury in January, District Clerk Woolley worked closely with the DA and district judges to make proper decisions in the court room. She also worked with Rep. Kacal’s office to provide “goodies” for jury appreciation.
SHSU also graciously donated 6 tablets to the county. District Clerk Woolley made clear how grateful she and her colleagues were for receiving these tablets. She also made it clear that she is actively seeking new ways the County may partner with SHSU for the improvement of both entities.
After the official updates concluded, Morgan and I were able to mingle with our community members and even meet new friendly faces!
Jeanette Riley is Representative Kyle Kacal’s, District Liaison and spent some time speaking with us and District Clerk Woolley on her experiences.
I was able to introduce Morgan to my boss, Jeff Murski, who is the district representative for Congressman Pete Sessions. Mr. Murski has taught me much about the federal government in my internship with Congressman Sessions.
On behalf of the LEAP Ambassadors, we would like to thank the WCRW for allowing us to volunteer and be part of this event!
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 