Anderson Andrews Angelina Leon Archer Atascosa Austin Bailey Bandera Bastrop Baylor Bee Bell Blanco Borden Bosque Bowie Brazoria Brazos Brewster Briscoe Brooks Brown Burleson Kinney Burnet Caldwell Calhoun Callahan Cameron Carson Cass Castro Chambers Cherokee Childress Clay Cochran Coke Coleman Collin Collingsworth Colorado Comal Comanche Concho Cooke Coryell Cottle Crane Crockett Crosby Culberson Dallam Dallas Dawson Jim Wells Deaf Smith Delta Denton DeWitt Dickens Dimmit Donley Duval Eastland Edwards El Paso Erath Falls Fannin Fayette Foard Fort Bend Franklin Freestone Gaines Galveston Garza Gillespie Glasscock Goliad Gonzales Gray Grayson Gregg Grimes Guadalupe Hale Hamilton Hansford Hardeman Hardin Harris Hunt Bexar Harrison Hartley Haskell Hays Hemphill Henderson Hidalgo Hockley Hood Hopkins Houston Howard Hudspeth Hutchinson Irion Upton Fisher Floyd Aransas Jefferson Camp Jim Hogg Armstrong Wilson Johnson Jones Karnes Kaufman Kendall Kenedy Kent Kerr Kimble King Ector Frio Kleberg Knox La Salle Lamar Lamb Lee Loving Lipscomb Llano Lubbock Lynn Titus Madison Ellis Hill Marion Martin Mason Matagorda Maverick McCulloch McLennan McMullen Medina Live Oak Menard Midland Milam Mills Mitchell Montague Montgomery Morris Hall Motley Nacogdoches Navarro Newton Nolan Nueces Moore Orange Palo Pinto Panola Parker Parmer Ochiltree Oldham Pecos Polk Potter Presidio Rains Randall Reagan Real Red River Reeves Refugio Roberts Robertson Rockwall Runnels Rusk Sabine San Augustine San Jacinto San Patricio San Saba Schleicher Scurry Shackelford Shelby Sherman Smith Somervell Starr Stephens Sterling Stonewall Sutton Swisher Tarrant Taylor Terrell Terry Throckmorton Tom Green Travis Trinity Tyler Upshur Uvalde Val Verde Van Zandt Victoria Walker Waller Liberty Ward Wharton Wheeler Wichita Wilbarger Willacy Williamson Jackson Jasper Washington Jeff Davis Winkler Wise Lampasas Wood Yoakum Limestone Webb Jack Lavaca Young Zapata Zavala

Texas County Government: Delivering Value, Facing Challenges

Talking points to help you share the county government story.

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Anderson Andrews Angelina Leon Archer Atascosa Austin Bailey Bandera Bastrop Baylor Bee Bell Blanco Borden Bosque Bowie Brazoria Brazos Brewster Briscoe Brooks Brown Burleson Kinney Burnet Caldwell Calhoun Callahan Cameron Carson Cass Castro Chambers Cherokee Childress Clay Cochran Coke Coleman Collin Collingsworth Colorado Comal Comanche Concho Cooke Coryell Cottle Crane Crockett Crosby Culberson Dallam Dallas Dawson Jim Wells Deaf Smith Delta Denton DeWitt Dickens Dimmit Donley Duval Eastland Edwards El Paso Erath Falls Fannin Fayette Foard Fort Bend Franklin Freestone Gaines Galveston Garza Gillespie Glasscock Goliad Gonzales Gray Grayson Gregg Grimes Guadalupe Hale Hamilton Hansford Hardeman Hardin Harris Hunt Bexar Harrison Hartley Haskell Hays Hemphill Henderson Hidalgo Hockley Hood Hopkins Houston Howard Hudspeth Hutchinson Irion Upton Fisher Floyd Aransas Jefferson Camp Jim Hogg Armstrong Wilson Johnson Jones Karnes Kaufman Kendall Kenedy Kent Kerr Kimble King Ector Frio Kleberg Knox La Salle Lamar Lamb Lee Loving Lipscomb Llano Lubbock Lynn Titus Madison Ellis Hill Marion Martin Mason Matagorda Maverick McCulloch McLennan McMullen Medina Live Oak Menard Midland Milam Mills Mitchell Montague Montgomery Morris Hall Motley Nacogdoches Navarro Newton Nolan Nueces Moore Orange Palo Pinto Panola Parker Parmer Ochiltree Oldham Pecos Polk Potter Presidio Rains Randall Reagan Real Red River Reeves Refugio Roberts Robertson Rockwall Runnels Rusk Sabine San Augustine San Jacinto San Patricio San Saba Schleicher Scurry Shackelford Shelby Sherman Smith Somervell Starr Stephens Sterling Stonewall Sutton Swisher Tarrant Taylor Terrell Terry Throckmorton Tom Green Travis Trinity Tyler Upshur Uvalde Val Verde Van Zandt Victoria Walker Waller Liberty Ward Wharton Wheeler Wichita Wilbarger Willacy Williamson Jackson Jasper Washington Jeff Davis Winkler Wise Lampasas Wood Yoakum Limestone Webb Jack Lavaca Young Zapata Zavala

Texas County Government: Delivering Value, Facing ChallengesTalking Points to help you share the county government story.

Texas counties deliver effective, efficient, local solutions to county residents despite facing numerous challenges every day.

Your constituents and legislators may not be aware of or fully understand the tremendous value your county provides — or the many challenges it faces. It’s important to share those stories.

To assist you, TAC has put together this overview. But remember, when explaining these issues and others that are particular to your county, be sure to draw from your personal experience, your perspective, and hard facts and figures — all the better for telling your county’s story.

Let’s work together to improve understanding about and trust in county government. Let’s spread the word — Texas Counties Deliver.

Delivering ValueCounty government is the best bargain for our tax dollars. — On average, only 17 percent of a Texan’s property tax bill goes to support their county government — that’s less than many people pay for a year of cable TV. Yet, their county delivers essential services needed in our communities, including: building and maintaining roads, providing jails and a judicial system, recording public records such as property deeds and marriage licenses, registering voters, enforcing the law, conducting elections, providing health and social services,

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Anderson Andrews Angelina Leon Archer Atascosa Austin Bailey Bandera Bastrop Baylor Bee Bell Blanco Borden Bosque Bowie Brazoria Brazos Brewster Briscoe Brooks Brown Burleson Kinney Burnet Caldwell Calhoun Callahan Cameron Carson Cass Castro Chambers Cherokee Childress Clay Cochran Coke Coleman Collin Collingsworth Colorado Comal Comanche Concho Cooke Coryell Cottle Crane Crockett Crosby Culberson Dallam Dallas Dawson Jim Wells Deaf Smith Delta Denton DeWitt Dickens Dimmit Donley Duval Eastland Edwards El Paso Erath Falls Fannin Fayette Foard Fort Bend Franklin Freestone Gaines Galveston Garza Gillespie Glasscock Goliad Gonzales Gray Grayson Gregg Grimes Guadalupe Hale Hamilton Hansford Hardeman Hardin Harris Hunt Bexar Harrison Hartley Haskell Hays Hemphill Henderson Hidalgo Hockley Hood Hopkins Houston Howard Hudspeth Hutchinson Irion Upton Fisher Floyd Aransas Jefferson Camp Jim Hogg Armstrong Wilson Johnson Jones Karnes Kaufman Kendall Kenedy Kent Kerr Kimble King Ector Frio Kleberg Knox La Salle Lamar Lamb Lee Loving Lipscomb Llano Lubbock Lynn Titus Madison Ellis Hill Marion Martin Mason Matagorda Maverick McCulloch McLennan McMullen Medina Live Oak Menard Midland Milam Mills Mitchell Montague Montgomery Morris Hall Motley Nacogdoches Navarro Newton Nolan Nueces Moore Orange Palo Pinto Panola Parker Parmer Ochiltree Oldham Pecos Polk Potter Presidio Rains Randall Reagan Real Red River Reeves Refugio Roberts Robertson Rockwall Runnels Rusk Sabine San Augustine San Jacinto San Patricio San Saba Schleicher Scurry Shackelford Shelby Sherman Smith Somervell Starr Stephens Sterling Stonewall Sutton Swisher Tarrant Taylor Terrell Terry Throckmorton Tom Green Travis Trinity Tyler Upshur Uvalde Val Verde Van Zandt Victoria Walker Waller Liberty Ward Wharton Wheeler Wichita Wilbarger Willacy Williamson Jackson Jasper Washington Jeff Davis Winkler Wise Lampasas Wood Yoakum Limestone Webb Jack Lavaca Young Zapata Zavala

encouraging economic development and more. If a county government ever had to shut its doors, the county’s citizens would feel the effects immediately. County government plays an integral part in our daily lives.

County government is responsive and accountable. — As the level of government closest to the people, county officials provide a measure of local decision-making over important matters that affect our families and our communities. County government is local governance — Texans electing their neighbors and deciding locally what’s best for local situations and resources. County officials live and work within the communities that elected them, and perform jobs that provide essential services residents need. It’s truly government of the people.

Transparency is built into county government. — County governments are inherently transparent. They must abide by the state’s open meetings and public information laws. They also abide by strict transparency procedures set by statute when adopting budgets and setting tax rates, including requirements that they hold certain hearings, use specific language and draft and post particular notices. County governments are committed to transparency and providing the public with access to government decisions, and deliberations, with some going beyond state requirements for transparency based on community needs.

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Anderson Andrews Angelina Leon Archer Atascosa Austin Bailey Bandera Bastrop Baylor Bee Bell Blanco Borden Bosque Bowie Brazoria Brazos Brewster Briscoe Brooks Brown Burleson Kinney Burnet Caldwell Calhoun Callahan Cameron Carson Cass Castro Chambers Cherokee Childress Clay Cochran Coke Coleman Collin Collingsworth Colorado Comal Comanche Concho Cooke Coryell Cottle Crane Crockett Crosby Culberson Dallam Dallas Dawson Jim Wells Deaf Smith Delta Denton DeWitt Dickens Dimmit Donley Duval Eastland Edwards El Paso Erath Falls Fannin Fayette Foard Fort Bend Franklin Freestone Gaines Galveston Garza Gillespie Glasscock Goliad Gonzales Gray Grayson Gregg Grimes Guadalupe Hale Hamilton Hansford Hardeman Hardin Harris Hunt Bexar Harrison Hartley Haskell Hays Hemphill Henderson Hidalgo Hockley Hood Hopkins Houston Howard Hudspeth Hutchinson Irion Upton Fisher Floyd Aransas Jefferson Camp Jim Hogg Armstrong Wilson Johnson Jones Karnes Kaufman Kendall Kenedy Kent Kerr Kimble King Ector Frio Kleberg Knox La Salle Lamar Lamb Lee Loving Lipscomb Llano Lubbock Lynn Titus Madison Ellis Hill Marion Martin Mason Matagorda Maverick McCulloch McLennan McMullen Medina Live Oak Menard Midland Milam Mills Mitchell Montague Montgomery Morris Hall Motley Nacogdoches Navarro Newton Nolan Nueces Moore Orange Palo Pinto Panola Parker Parmer Ochiltree Oldham Pecos Polk Potter Presidio Rains Randall Reagan Real Red River Reeves Refugio Roberts Robertson Rockwall Runnels Rusk Sabine San Augustine San Jacinto San Patricio San Saba Schleicher Scurry Shackelford Shelby Sherman Smith Somervell Starr Stephens Sterling Stonewall Sutton Swisher Tarrant Taylor Terrell Terry Throckmorton Tom Green Travis Trinity Tyler Upshur Uvalde Val Verde Van Zandt Victoria Walker Waller Liberty Ward Wharton Wheeler Wichita Wilbarger Willacy Williamson Jackson Jasper Washington Jeff Davis Winkler Wise Lampasas Wood Yoakum Limestone Webb Jack Lavaca Young Zapata Zavala

Counties are efficient and effective political subdivisions. — Even with the state’s high growth rate, county-issued bond debt is only 7 percent of the overall local debt in Texas, and many have no debt at all, whereas Texas cities and school districts account for 66 percent of local debt. If a county’s debt increases, it’s often to meet the needs of a growing population. Many counties issue debt to pay part of the cost for state highway projects in their communities.

Facing ChallengesTransportation costs — Counties maintain nearly half of all Texas roads (47 percent), but of the $2.48 billion available for roads from the gas tax collected in fiscal year 2014, less than one-third of one percent ($7.3 million divided among 254 counties) of state gas tax goes toward paying for their maintenance. Counties must rely on property tax collection as their main source of revenue to maintain these roads, and to build new ones. Maintenance is a never-ending job. Many counties with oil and gas exploration have trouble keeping up repairs on roads damaged by heavy equipment used by that industry.

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Anderson Andrews Angelina Leon Archer Atascosa Austin Bailey Bandera Bastrop Baylor Bee Bell Blanco Borden Bosque Bowie Brazoria Brazos Brewster Briscoe Brooks Brown Burleson Kinney Burnet Caldwell Calhoun Callahan Cameron Carson Cass Castro Chambers Cherokee Childress Clay Cochran Coke Coleman Collin Collingsworth Colorado Comal Comanche Concho Cooke Coryell Cottle Crane Crockett Crosby Culberson Dallam Dallas Dawson Jim Wells Deaf Smith Delta Denton DeWitt Dickens Dimmit Donley Duval Eastland Edwards El Paso Erath Falls Fannin Fayette Foard Fort Bend Franklin Freestone Gaines Galveston Garza Gillespie Glasscock Goliad Gonzales Gray Grayson Gregg Grimes Guadalupe Hale Hamilton Hansford Hardeman Hardin Harris Hunt Bexar Harrison Hartley Haskell Hays Hemphill Henderson Hidalgo Hockley Hood Hopkins Houston Howard Hudspeth Hutchinson Irion Upton Fisher Floyd Aransas Jefferson Camp Jim Hogg Armstrong Wilson Johnson Jones Karnes Kaufman Kendall Kenedy Kent Kerr Kimble King Ector Frio Kleberg Knox La Salle Lamar Lamb Lee Loving Lipscomb Llano Lubbock Lynn Titus Madison Ellis Hill Marion Martin Mason Matagorda Maverick McCulloch McLennan McMullen Medina Live Oak Menard Midland Milam Mills Mitchell Montague Montgomery Morris Hall Motley Nacogdoches Navarro Newton Nolan Nueces Moore Orange Palo Pinto Panola Parker Parmer Ochiltree Oldham Pecos Polk Potter Presidio Rains Randall Reagan Real Red River Reeves Refugio Roberts Robertson Rockwall Runnels Rusk Sabine San Augustine San Jacinto San Patricio San Saba Schleicher Scurry Shackelford Shelby Sherman Smith Somervell Starr Stephens Sterling Stonewall Sutton Swisher Tarrant Taylor Terrell Terry Throckmorton Tom Green Travis Trinity Tyler Upshur Uvalde Val Verde Van Zandt Victoria Walker Waller Liberty Ward Wharton Wheeler Wichita Wilbarger Willacy Williamson Jackson Jasper Washington Jeff Davis Winkler Wise Lampasas Wood Yoakum Limestone Webb Jack Lavaca Young Zapata Zavala

Mental health and the criminal justice system — The criminal justice system is among the largest cost drivers in the county budget. Counties are mandated to provide certain constitutional minimum levels of care, including mental health care, while a person is incarcerated in a county jail. Jails are not mental hospitals, but in many counties, jails have become the de facto mental health facility. Once in jail, people with mental illness stay two to three times longer than other inmates. They cost more to incarcerate than other inmates, and they are more likely to be re-arrested after release.

Court appointed counsel (indigent defense) — Counties must cover the costs of providing court appointed counsel for indigent defendants. These costs are significant and remain a major uncontrollable expense in county budgets. In FY 2014, counties paid more than 80 percent of these costs in criminal cases.

Unfunded mandates — Unfunded mandates are laws passed by the Texas Legislature (or Congress at the federal level) or regulations issued by agencies that direct counties to undertake specified governmental actions without the funding to support such mandates. These mandates can force a county to raise taxes to comply.

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Anderson Andrews Angelina Leon Archer Atascosa Austin Bailey Bandera Bastrop Baylor Bee Bell Blanco Borden Bosque Bowie Brazoria Brazos Brewster Briscoe Brooks Brown Burleson Kinney Burnet Caldwell Calhoun Callahan Cameron Carson Cass Castro Chambers Cherokee Childress Clay Cochran Coke Coleman Collin Collingsworth Colorado Comal Comanche Concho Cooke Coryell Cottle Crane Crockett Crosby Culberson Dallam Dallas Dawson Jim Wells Deaf Smith Delta Denton DeWitt Dickens Dimmit Donley Duval Eastland Edwards El Paso Erath Falls Fannin Fayette Foard Fort Bend Franklin Freestone Gaines Galveston Garza Gillespie Glasscock Goliad Gonzales Gray Grayson Gregg Grimes Guadalupe Hale Hamilton Hansford Hardeman Hardin Harris Hunt Bexar Harrison Hartley Haskell Hays Hemphill Henderson Hidalgo Hockley Hood Hopkins Houston Howard Hudspeth Hutchinson Irion Upton Fisher Floyd Aransas Jefferson Camp Jim Hogg Armstrong Wilson Johnson Jones Karnes Kaufman Kendall Kenedy Kent Kerr Kimble King Ector Frio Kleberg Knox La Salle Lamar Lamb Lee Loving Lipscomb Llano Lubbock Lynn Titus Madison Ellis Hill Marion Martin Mason Matagorda Maverick McCulloch McLennan McMullen Medina Live Oak Menard Midland Milam Mills Mitchell Montague Montgomery Morris Hall Motley Nacogdoches Navarro Newton Nolan Nueces Moore Orange Palo Pinto Panola Parker Parmer Ochiltree Oldham Pecos Polk Potter Presidio Rains Randall Reagan Real Red River Reeves Refugio Roberts Robertson Rockwall Runnels Rusk Sabine San Augustine San Jacinto San Patricio San Saba Schleicher Scurry Shackelford Shelby Sherman Smith Somervell Starr Stephens Sterling Stonewall Sutton Swisher Tarrant Taylor Terrell Terry Throckmorton Tom Green Travis Trinity Tyler Upshur Uvalde Val Verde Van Zandt Victoria Walker Waller Liberty Ward Wharton Wheeler Wichita Wilbarger Willacy Williamson Jackson Jasper Washington Jeff Davis Winkler Wise Lampasas Wood Yoakum Limestone Webb Jack Lavaca Young Zapata Zavala

Need in-depth details about particular county challenges? Find them in the issue briefs provided at www.county.org/legislative or send TAC a specific request to txcountiesdeliver@county.org.

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Anderson Andrews Angelina Leon Archer Atascosa Austin Bailey Bandera Bastrop Baylor Bee Bell Blanco Borden Bosque Bowie Brazoria Brazos Brewster Briscoe Brooks Brown Burleson Kinney Burnet Caldwell Calhoun Callahan Cameron Carson Cass Castro Chambers Cherokee Childress Clay Cochran Coke Coleman Collin Collingsworth Colorado Comal Comanche Concho Cooke Coryell Cottle Crane Crockett Crosby Culberson Dallam Dallas Dawson Jim Wells Deaf Smith Delta Denton DeWitt Dickens Dimmit Donley Duval Eastland Edwards El Paso Erath Falls Fannin Fayette Foard Fort Bend Franklin Freestone Gaines Galveston Garza Gillespie Glasscock Goliad Gonzales Gray Grayson Gregg Grimes Guadalupe Hale Hamilton Hansford Hardeman Hardin Harris Hunt Bexar Harrison Hartley Haskell Hays Hemphill Henderson Hidalgo Hockley Hood Hopkins Houston Howard Hudspeth Hutchinson Irion Upton Fisher Floyd Aransas Jefferson Camp Jim Hogg Armstrong Wilson Johnson Jones Karnes Kaufman Kendall Kenedy Kent Kerr Kimble King Ector Frio Kleberg Knox La Salle Lamar Lamb Lee Loving Lipscomb Llano Lubbock Lynn Titus Madison Ellis Hill Marion Martin Mason Matagorda Maverick McCulloch McLennan McMullen Medina Live Oak Menard Midland Milam Mills Mitchell Montague Montgomery Morris Hall Motley Nacogdoches Navarro Newton Nolan Nueces Moore Orange Palo Pinto Panola Parker Parmer Ochiltree Oldham Pecos Polk Potter Presidio Rains Randall Reagan Real Red River Reeves Refugio Roberts Robertson Rockwall Runnels Rusk Sabine San Augustine San Jacinto San Patricio San Saba Schleicher Scurry Shackelford Shelby Sherman Smith Somervell Starr Stephens Sterling Stonewall Sutton Swisher Tarrant Taylor Terrell Terry Throckmorton Tom Green Travis Trinity Tyler Upshur Uvalde Val Verde Van Zandt Victoria Walker Waller Liberty Ward Wharton Wheeler Wichita Wilbarger Willacy Williamson Jackson Jasper Washington Jeff Davis Winkler Wise Lampasas Wood Yoakum Limestone Webb Jack Lavaca Young Zapata Zavala

P.O. Box 2131 • Austin, Texas 78768(512) 478-8753 • (800) 456-5974 • county.org