Tough questions for Llano County commissioner hopefuls

Two of the three candidates for the Precinct 3 seat on the Llano County Commissioners Court took some tough questions from the audience during a Feb. 13 forum hosted by the Highland Lakes Republican Women in Kingsland. 

Candidates Karen Shaw and Brent Richards were asked about economic development, book banning, and past party affiliations. Candidate Bull Guthrie was unable to attend because of a family medical emergency, he told DailyTrib.com after the meeting. He sent DailyTrib.com a statement, which can be found at the end of this story. 

HLRW member Bonnie Wallace served as timekeeper. All questions came from audience members. 

The first question went to Shaw and questioned her allegiance to the Republican Party, asking if she was a registered Republican. Shaw pointed out that, in Texas, voters don’t register by party. 

“One of the nice things about this country is you can vote however you want to vote in the national election regardless of how you vote in the primary,” she answered. “I vote the person, not the party. For this election, I feel like the traditional Republican values are my values, and that’s what’s reflected in Kingsland. And that’s why I’m running as a traditional Republican.” 

Shaw and Richards were asked to recount how they have been involved in local politics in the past. 

Richards said he and his wife were delegates to state Republican conventions while living in Fort Worth and San Antonio. Locally, they have been delegates to county GOP conventions.

“We’ve been fairly involved with the politics in this area, all of Llano County all of the 14 years we’ve lived here,” he said. 

Shaw said she has not been actively involved in local politics. 

“It’s really a shame local elections have to have politics involved in it,” she said. “The whole purpose once you get elected is to serve every person in the county. When someone comes up to me with a problem, my first question won’t be, ‘What party are you in?’ It will be, ‘How can I help?’ We aren’t working for a party. We are working for the people.” 

Richards commented on a follow-up question about Republican values.

“I’ve always been a Republican,” he said, adding that he is against abortion and “transgenderizing” children. “With that said, as a commissioner, commissioners are kind of neutral on all those issues. They don’t go out and say, ‘We believe in non-binary and whatever you want to call yourself.’ They take care of budgets, they take care of roads, they take care of everyday things. I’m a Republican, but as a commissioner, I’m kind of neutral. I’m here to serve.” 

The first question about issues involved the Llano County Library System lawsuit, which is currently before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. Shaw and Richards were asked how they would handle the issue of banning library books that the “county commissioners are currently embroiled in.” 

Brent said he was against subjecting children to any type of pornography.  

Shaw agreed, but said the lawsuit could have been avoided if the commissioners had followed their own current set of rules and regulations. 

“They didn’t follow their own policies, and it got blown way out of proportion,” she said. “If you’ve got policies and procedures, you should follow them. If you don’t like the policies, you should change them.” 

A question about finances and supporting the Llano County Sheriff’s Office followed. 

“We have a small jail with a lot of problems,” said a member of the audience. “Our new sheriff will need all the help he can get. Where are you going to get the money for the Sheriff’s Office?” 

Currently, two people are running to replace Sheriff Bill Blackburn, who is retiring after 16 years. 

Shaw cited her 44 years with the Houston Independent School District, where she was instrumental in funding and building two new high schools. 

“One thing you learn is that there’s never going to be enough,” she said. “You have to know how to best spend the money you’ve got. As a commissioner, you have to look at all the different requests and prioritize.” 

Richards pointed to available grant money that can be used to take the pressure off of local taxpayers, specifically citing a $300,000 grant recently awarded to the Sheriff’s Office. 

“You look at all the departments and what they submit and what they want, including the Sheriff’s Office,” he said. “The county takes everyone’s requests and works with it. That grant money can be used directly for the Sheriff’s Office.” 

Candidates were also asked, “What is the biggest thing you are waiting to get a hold of if elected?”

Richards, who has a background as a civil and traffic engineer, answered with roads. 

“Roads are always something that needs taking care of,” he said. “I’m also excited to be able to serve the community. Everything I do is to serve somebody.”

Shaw said she was excited to serve the community in a different way than she has been. She volunteers for her church and at a local food pantry and serves on several boards. 

“I want to be able to see the big picture and take the things we see and see what we can accomplish,” she said. “Change is coming, and either Kingsland leads the change or we get steamrolled by it. I want to lead the change.”

In their closing statements, Shaw echoed sentiments from a previous question about serving Kingsland. 

“I’m interested in representing the Kingsland I know and love,” she said. “I appreciate how the community has helped Kingsland to grow. We have to grow the community the way we want it to grow. I believe in change, but change at our pace.” 

Richards pointed to his 29 years of experience in traffic and civil engineering and working with multi-million-dollar budgets. 

“I’m familiar with everything the commissioners work at,” he said before addressing an earlier question about whether or not Kingsland should incorporate. 

“You’re looking at two or three years before even voting to become a city,” he said. “Then, it’s two or three years before everything is in place so they can stand on their own.” 

After the forum, the third candidate in the race, Bull Guthrie, submitted the following statement to DailyTrib.com

“I am a 4th generation Texan, retired law enforcement, and Kingsland Realtor. A County commissioner has a duty to represent the interests of the residents of the precinct. Those interests include roads and potholes, but so much more as well. In today’s uncertain times, the commissioner must understand and be able to work with the new sheriff as he combats crime in Kingsland. This is paramount for the safety of the citizens of Kingsland. 

“Understanding budgeting is also very important. The people of Kingsland and Llano County can’t afford a massive tax hike to pay for golden streets and silver bridges. We must be able to balance needs, wants, and the actual budget. Having created and implemented large governmental budgets, worked as a chief of police, and worked as an appointed officer for a commissioners court sets me apart from the other candidates. I appreciate the huge support I have received from Kingsland leaders, and I hope to represent the precinct to the highest standards. 

Thank you, and I am asking for your vote.” 

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