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Home » 2018-03-06 Republican primary » Precinct 4 » County Commissioner » Jim Clark

Jim Clark

Party	Republican
Website	https://www.facebook.com/VoteJimClark/
Born	May 1961
Education	Conroe (HS) - U of H (Some)
Occupation	MoCo Pct. 4 Commissioner
Religion	Christian
Marital	Married
Children	1

Jim Clark

declared

Montgomery County Commissioner Pct. 4

Commissioner Jim Clark is dedicated to his family and community service. Commissioner Clark is a life-long resident of Montgomery County and specifically Precinct 4. He was raised in the Grangerland community by his Grandparents while working in the oilfield and with his family’s cattle operation. He currently still lives in the home of his grandparents with his wife, Kelly & their dogs, Mollie & Buddy. Commissioner Clark has one daughter, Taylor, and three beautiful & rambunctious Grandchildren. He has enjoyed hunting and fishing his entire life and is a staunch supporter of the NRA & the 2nd Amendment. The Commissioner strongly believes both his roots and his future are firmly tied to Montgomery County.

Commissioner Clark has a strong dedication to community service that is reflected in the projects he has led and participated in. He has and continues to support the Senior Citizens & Youth Organizations that work tirelessly to improve the quality of life for our residents. He believes in & supports our law enforcement & first responders so that they can protect and serve to the best of their abilities to ensure we all have a safe community to live in.

With Montgomery County being the 13th fastest growing county in the US and 11th largest in population in the State of Texas a focus on exploding growth is paramount when it comes to planning and infrastructure. Precinct 4 currently has 900+ miles of road and mobility is on the forefront of Commissioner Jim Clark’s vision and is his number one priority. Commissioner Clark firmly believes that his precinct is the fastest growing & has the most growth potential, currently and well into the future. Precinct 4, Montgomery County includes the southern and eastern portions of the county and borders San Jacinto, Liberty, and Harris Counties; it has 8 incorporated cities within its boundaries which include Woodloch, Cut and Shoot, Splendora, Wood Branch Village, and Roman Forest, with portions of Shenandoah, Conroe, and City of Houston. Commissioner Clark has a dedicated team of men & women that keep the precinct moving forward with a positive vision that he has instilled in his operation. He considers them to be his second family and makes sure that they know how valuable their service is.

With Commissioner Jim Clark’s dedication to his Community and his Positive Attitude; the future is bright for Montgomery County and especially Precinct 4.

MCTP PAC Rating of: 69 Source

Submitted by john wertz on 2018-03-15 03:04:48

Pros

Experienced as a commissioner
Now wants a county-wide & Pct. 4 mobility plan
Wants to freeze (rather than reduce) current salaries
Have commissioners workshops open to public
Get oversite and managent back into commissioners hands not just Judge Doyal's
Knowledgeable on Pct 4 needs
currently working with HGAC on projects for Pct.4.
Claimed in last court that he voted "No" on 242 Flyover Toll road but Com. Noack set the record straigt reminding Co. Clark he'd voted for it when he first came into office.
Wants removal of tolls on Hwy 242

Cons

Endicted in TOMA trial, before turning states-evidence
Difficulties early on, including the county animal shelter.
Still working to resolve tax-lien issues
Though responsive, was somewhat slow to react initially to flooded area in his precinct.
Has let drainage problems on River Oaks Dr. and Allendale... More

Campaign Finance Reports Source

Submitted by kenneth vaughn on 2018-03-03 05:43:09

2017 2018

Jan - Jun Jul - Dec 30 Day Report 8 Day Report

Video Interview Source

Submitted by john wertz on 2018-02-17 11:23:43

Questionnaire

▾General

This is a Republican primary race. Do you promise, if elected, to abide by the RPT platform? And if not, please enumerate what problems you have.

YES

What political party registrations have you held in the last 20 years?

REPUBLICAN - GOP

What are the 3 largest challenges currently facing this position/office and your road map to address them?

(1) Wasteful spending in the County's administration,

(2) the unwillingness of the County Judge to return the oversight and management to the entire Commissioners Court

(3) the need for workshops before Commissioners Court meetings so there can be a full and transparent discussion.

▾Budget

Will you vote to limit budget increases to a factor based on population growth and inflation? Explain.

YES

What are the top 3 areas where the budget for this office needs to be adjusted?

The three top areas are:

(1) the Commissioner salary should be frozen for several years so it becomes closer to parity with other counties,

(2) we need to set up a permanent road and bridge fund so that we don't need to bond every time we need capital road improvements, but can instead pay as we go.

(3) law enforcement is still currently underfunded.

Do you support using zero-based budget practices for every governmental entity, elected and appointed?

YES.

What are the balanced budget “rules” for Texas counties in general and for Montgomery County in particular & how/when would you balance the Montgomery County budget & pay off debt?

There are no balanced budget rules in the sense you're asking that I am aware of. I'd like to pay off current debt and begin to build a road and bridge and capital fund.

▾Spending

Do you oppose the use of public funds, other than for needed infrastructure, to subsidize the cost of private facilities such as stadiums, arenas, hotels and other such entities?

YES, I oppose that.

Will you vote to award any contract with less than three qualified bidders?

I'd prefer that we go out for bidding on all contracts if the County Attorney will approve that process.

▾Taxes

What are your criteria for granting tax abatements and under what, if any, conditions should the county offer incentives for corporations? Why?

I'm comfortable with the current tax abatement criteria, which ensures that the taxpayer is bringing jobs to the area. I would like to make the criteria a little stronger to ensure that higher quality jobs are part of the mix.

Do you support the granting of public tax dollars for economic development in areas that are not economically disadvantaged? Why?

I don't think it's government's job to provide economic development. Rather, it's government's job to make economic development feasible by providing appropriate infrastructure.

▾Debt

Will you vote for or against Certificate of Obligation Bonds? When is a Cert. of Obligation warranted? Though statutory(created by legislature), would you publicly condemn it's use for anything other than a true emergency for which it's intended?

Against, except in the case of a true emergency.

▾Ethics

Is there anything in your background of an embarrassing nature that should be explained before your election? Arrests/Convictions? Bankruptcys?

IRS Dispute

Do you believe the private conduct of a public official is relevant to that official’s suitability for office?

YES

What special interest groups have you belonged to or attended meetings of? Include business, social, civic, educational, environmental or any other cause for which you have advocated or supported with time or money.

NRA

Local Chamber of Commerce

Rotary Club

100 Club

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

Montgomery County Fair Association

East Montgomery County Fair Association

East Montgomery County Republican Women

Liberty Bell Republican Women

& realtor associations

How much of a problem is county hiring based on the "good old boy" / "loyalty to leadership" instead of one's ability to efficiently and ethically perform their tasks and functions? and what can realistically be done about it?

It's a major problem. I believe merit hiring is the only appropriate method. I just hired a lady to take the job of Precinct 4 Administrator. We used a merit-based process with careful control and supervision from the County HR Department.

How will you improve the transparency and access to financial and other records for the public?

I'd like to see the County's check register online like some other counties do. I believe the Commissioners Court should pass a general policy that there is a presumption of openness for all employees, records, and deliberations.

I am currently working on a real-time, web-based financial platform that will be 100% transparent.

▾Transportation

What's your position on Toll Roads?

Against - I oppose toll roads.

What amount of road bonds are needed for Montgomery county and why is that the appropriate amount?

We should move towards 0 and build a road and bridge capital fund so that we can pay as we go.

Will you vote for increasing the public debt of Montgomery County to fund road construction/maintenance?

Probably not at this point.

▾Other

Are you active with any Tea Party or conservative grassroots organization? If so, list which, how long and what capacity? If not, what's your opinion of Tea Party groups here as to their effectiveness?

I attend meetings of the Texas Tea Party Patriots PAC.

Do religious and moral views have any role in the county governance process? Why or why not?

Moral views, yes. Judeo-Christian values are certainly appropriate in the County governance process.