County Magazine | July 23, 2024
From budgeting to disasters, TAC is here to support counties
Executive Director's Report
The dog days of summer are upon us; so is county budgeting season. County officials work tirelessly to produce fiscally responsible budgets that meet the needs of their constituents. We at the Texas Association of Counties are committed to supporting you in this endeavor. If you have not seen our County Budget and Tax Rate Planning Calendar, please check it out. It’s a helpful resource during budgeting season.
This year has been marked by an unusual number of weather-driven disasters. To assist you as you navigate the complicated process of declaring a disaster, applying for federal assistance and managing cleanup efforts, we have created a series of Disaster Resource publications. In response to your requests, we also have added a TAC Disaster Recovery Resources page to county.org. We welcome your input on additional valuable information for this page. Please share your feedback by emailing ….
Wildfire mitigation and disaster recovery will be topics of interest during next year’s legislative session. Our Legislative Services team, led by its newly appointed director, Caroline Love, is preparing diligently for the session. This fall, TAC’s Legislative staff will travel the state, as they did in the spring, attending Legislative Exchanges to meet with you and gather more information on the issues that most concern you. Details on these meetings will be available soon on the Legislative Services page of our website.
As we prepare for the legislative session, please plan to attend our annual Legislative Conference in Austin on Aug. 28-30. The conference is an excellent opportunity for those new to county government to learn more about the issues that are important to county government and how to engage in decision-making processes, all while connecting with peers and lawmakers. The theme this year is “Stronger Together,” emphasizing the importance of collaboration among counties of all sizes to preserve local decision-making.
It is important that we continue to tell the county story and help our constituents and lawmakers understand the value of county government. To support these efforts, we have revamped our Texas Counties Deliver website, adding more videos and educational materials. The latest video, “Meet Your County Judge,” explains the role and responsibilities of a county judge. Our coloring pages have become popular among Texas teachers. And for fun, you can challenge your knowledge of county government with quizzes as well. I encourage everyone to use these resources as often as possible.
Your team at TAC is ready to assist you in any way possible. We are always looking to improve our services. Feel free to reach out with suggestions.
Thank you for the important work you do. We are Stronger Together.
