I would like the Hays Young Democrats endorsement because I value their input and support.

I have both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from Texas State University. Accounting is considered the “language of business”, so I believe that my education will be invaluable as a county commissioner as we review financial information and budgets. The master’s degree in particular gives additional exposure to critical thinking and analytical skills, as well as ethical decision making, all necessary to transacting the business of the commissioner’s court.

Professionally, I have more than 40 years of experience in the fields of banking, real estate, and higher education. All my professional and civic positions have instilled in me a sense of duty to do the right thing, even when it is hard. I’ve had the opportunity to work with people from so many different backgrounds and have learned important lessons from each of them. I try to listen more than I speak and carefully consider all the ethical options before making decisions, gathering more data when I need to, and being a collaborative co-worker even when I don’t agree with someone’s viewpoint.

I’ve held a number of leadership roles since I joined the faculty at Texas State in 2013 —graduate advisor, assistant department chair, faculty advisor, and Chair of the Undergraduate Scholarship Committee for the accounting department. I have advised students on their curriculum, been on the administrative team where I handled class scheduling for all accounting faculty, and prepared reports for course assessments. I particularly enjoyed coaching honors students in governance and service competitions and collaborating with both students and other faculty to produce excellent outcomes for both the students and the department.

#1 Manage sustainable growth to ensure adequate water supplies – I will use our county development regulations and work with our two groundwater conservation districts, to ensure water will be available for both current and future residents and businesses. I understand that our aquifers are already under stress and believe we should limit further growth via new subdivisions relying solely on groundwater. Further, I believe the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District should have additional Chapter 36 authorities that must be granted by the state legislature, so I will get involved and support those efforts at the state capital. Bottomline, the current drought, water availability, and climate change should inform our growth patterns and future water supplies.

#2 Improve traffic congestion and road safety –I will focus on transportation planning and will work collaboratively with municipal, regional and state transportation agencies to address traffic congestion and roadway safety. I will explore and support the use of Public Private Partnerships (P3’s) and Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones (TIRZ’s) where it makes sense and will save the county money.

#3 Improve accountability and transparency of commissioner’s court –

As a member of the Commissioner’s Court, my most important responsibility is to transact the business of Hays County in a way that is both fair and transparent to all the residents of the county.

I was disappointed that a recent voter-approved road bond in Hays County was overturned by a neighboring county district court due to lack of transparency and violations of open-meetings rules in Hays. I believe the public’s business should be conducted in public and that large county expenditures, like road bonds or parks and open space bonds, should include citizen input and engagement.

I plan to have an open-door policy with my constituents, having “office hours” and regular town hall meetings in locations across Precinct 4. I want the residents to know that I am available and want to listen to their concerns.

Brave by Sara Bareilles

It speaks to being brave enough to step out there and speak up!

I emphatically do not support the actions, methods and current use of ICE in the United States! I do not support masked agents wreaking fear and havoc on American citizens, or law-abiding immigrants. Clearly this group of agents does not have proper training for law enforcement. I understand the Hays County Sheriff’s office has the right to make its own decision regarding the 287(g) agreement, but I would stand strong to ensure their actions follow the rule of law and due process within our County. When ICE was in Hays County on January 15, 2026, I posted to multiple Facebook groups that ICE was in Buda/Kyle, along with information about individual rights.

I support the use of ALPR’s in very limited circumstances. License plate identification has proven to be helpful in kidnapping and child abduction cases. So, it would be used to assist police to find someone who has been abducted against their will, or in a case of committing a crime. AI technology is already being used in law enforcement, and I believe it can save time and money in some cases, like report transcription and data analysis. However, I do not believe AI technology should be used for surveillance or profiling due to privacy and ethical concerns. I will continue to study and become informed on the use of AI technology in law enforcement in Hays County as I believe there are definite pros and cons.

I support responsible growth in Hays County, and we have to be certain that both water and electricity are available to support data centers or other water/energy intensive industries in Hays County. I would support requirements for the best water and energy conserving technologies available for new data centers. I would also support some type of development agreement to ensure current residents’ electric and water rates would not be impacted. Further, I do NOT support the county providing financial incentives or tax abatements for data centers. I have addressed these issues in various forum questionnaires that are published.

I believe that both Israel and Hamas are engaging in war atrocities. Israel should be charged with war crimes, and Hamas is already known as a terrorist organization. I would support a County resolution calling for a ceasefire.