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.

I could easily just answer "yes"; however, I've worked for years helping to prepare and support our Texas Republican Platform. Our Platform is created by the people, starting at the Precinct Convention the evening of the election. It doesn't get more grassroots than that. I have not only conducted Precinct Conventions and compiled the resolutions, but also served on the Platform Committee at the Senatorial Convention during the past 5 conventions.The Texas Republican Platform is what defines us as Republicans.

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

I have voted in the Republican Party since I started voting in 1970. I cancelled my paid membership in the Republican Party when they abandoned the Party Platform. When Party leaders support the Platform and hold elected officials to it, I will then again support the Party financially.

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

The 3 major challenges are: planning, funding and execution of those plans. 

In the 20 years that I've lived in this county we have not had a county wide mobility, flood/drainage, or growth plan, and it shows. It shows every day that we go to work or even to the store and deal with the traffic, and it shows when our houses are flooded due to poor drainage or mitigation.

In November of 2015 the voters (not me) approved a $280 MILLION dollar road bond. To this date not one dollar has been spent in East County, putting a shovel in the ground. There have been numerous engineering studies (none completed or accurate), but no progress. Working in the construction industry for years, as well as, with the government, I know it takes time, but private businesses would fail if it took them this long to progress.

I will work with the other Commissioners and the County Judge to create these plans, along with the help local municipalities and various state and federal agencies. I will then ask these agencies to help financially to ensure the plans are implemented. If however I cannot get the entire county to plan together, I will plan, seek funding, and execute those plans for East County with the assistance from the agencies mentioned.

Every new business or housing develpoment brings on a mobility and drainage issue. It's time we stopped comforting the developers and started serving the taxpayers.

I have already started forming a mobility and flood/drainage committee and we will meet the 3rd week in March, setting forth a plan to be enacted in January of 2019.

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

ABSOLUTELY!!  

As a businessman, I could never have stayed in business if I did to my customers what the government does to taxpayers. As my customer base grew, so did my expenses, however, so did my income. My profit margins stayed the same and in some cases increased as I could purchase more at a lesser cost. I did not have to raise my prices simply because I had more customers, but that's what government does.

If I had unused money that I had budgeted to spend, it was my money. If the government has unused tax dollars that were budgeted to be spent and weren't, that money is the taxpayers. This county has been grossly negligent is the management of taxpayers's money. 

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

First, I would say the salaries of the Commissioners and the County Judge are too lofty, and that goes for all of the county elected officials. When a Commissioner makes more than the Governor of this great state or a 4 Star General in our military, it's too much.

Second, I believe that the road and bridge money in the budget should be spent only on roads, bridges, and drainage. Equipment and salaries should be in  seperate line items. The road and bridge fund should not be a slush fund as it currently is. There are close to 900 miles of roads in Precinct 4. Some of those are city or state roads, but the county often partners with those agencies in funding maintenace. Currently it has been said that only 12 to 20 miles of roads are year can be cared for. There clearly is not enough money in the R&B budget, to be used as a slush fund.

Third, I believe that entities, like the convention center, the airport, and others, should be self sufficient, or at least close to it. 

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

Absolutely! 

As a department you start with no money. You have to use your previous year's data and projected workload increase in order to justify every position in your department and every expense needed to fulfill your position. The idea of just adding 3% or whatever, to the previous budget is history.

As an elected Commissioner, I couldn't justify my salary from a ZBB, or any budget formula.

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?

After reviewing Chapter 111 of  the Local Government Code I found no requirements to balance a county budget. It does require counties not to exceed their budgeted amount by department.

We shouldn't need the state to demand that we balance our budget. It should be our desire and duty. 

I'm not sure what the percentage of the budget should be to pay off debt, but just like personal debt, it should be paid off as soon as possible. It should not be extended just to assure the county budget is balanced. Robbying Peter to pay Paul. 

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?  

Absolutely!

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

Yes. There are times when items are needed that there could, or would  only be 2 sourses to provide them. 

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

The county currently has set policies to determine if a business is given a tax abatement. Abatements are used to bring new business to our county. However, we have seen business expansion taking advantage of these abatements as well. I believe we are in need of granting similar abatements to small business, as we do for larger corporations, if we do any at all. Afterall, small business is the backbone of our economy. I believe that our County Tax Collector is doing a great job monitoring the taxes due from these businesses. However, I believe with our continued growth, one of the fastest growing counties in the nation, that maybe the abatements should end.

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

No! Why would we? We have economically challenged areas all over our county, we should be supporting them.

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?

In general, I am opposed to COs. However, they are there to be used in time of an emergency and only for the purpose intended and I would speak out about any other use. 

Major projects should never be approved without the approval of the taxpayers. To go around that process creates a breach of trust between you and the taxpayer. 

If used, in most cases, they can be stopped by 5% of the registered voters signing a petition. However, if the money from the CO is used, the county is obligated to repay the debt.

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

I have never been arrested, much less convicted of a crime.

I did file for bankruptcy after my divorce, but I withdrew it.

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

Absolutely!

As an elected official you are judged and evaluated every where you go. The places you frequent, the people you are with and even the way you're dressed. Good or bad, that's a human trait. You still have a personal life, but you always represent the taxpayers that elected you.

I remember President Reagan and his desire to represent his position in the most respectful manner possible. I will try to do the same.

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.

I'm a life member of Paralyzed Veterans of America

I'm a life member of Disabled American Veterans

I'm a life member of Veterans of Foreign Wars

I'm a member of America Legion Post 305

I'm a life member of Gun Owners of America

I'm a member of Friends of NRA

I'm a member of CROW (fighting toxic well injection)

I served as an advisory board member for the MoCo Animal Shelter (3 years)

I'm a member of the Patriot Guard Riders

I'm a member of the Christian Motorcycle Association

I'm a member of Texas Honor Ride

I'm a member of Texas Eagle Forum

I'm a member of Empower Texans

I'm a member of Phoenix Charities (helping to end sextrafficking)

I'm a supporter of Heaven's Army (supporting abused and addicted women)

I'm a supporter of the Pregnancy Assistance Center North

I'm a member of Orphan Care Solutions

I'm a volunteer at the MoCo Animal Shelter

I'm a member of the MoCo Homeless Coalition

I'm a member of the MoCo Local Emergency Planning Committee

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?

I believe the good ole boy system is alive and well in our county. It's 2017, almost 2018, and its't time that our county caught up with the times. We need to elect and hire people that are qualified to do the jobs, not merely because they're someone's relative or was a good football coach. 

A manager should normally evaluate their employees and it they find the employee incapable and not trainable to perform the duties reqired, they should remove the employee from that position.

The same is true for an elected official. If that person cannot fulfill his duty, he should step down, be recalled (if possible) or voted out of office.

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

I believe that the Consent Agenda at Commissioner's Court is far from transparent. I don't believe there is any discussion on the expenditures in that agenda and if there is it could violate the Texas Open Meetings Act.

There are county agencies that are charging $1 a page for a copy to be made. No copy, even colored, costs the county that much and we should not be charging the taxpayers that.

Some of the records are not even available online, though required to be. 

What's your position on Toll Roads?

I'm opposed to Toll Roads and have lobbied against them at the State Capitol. 

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

I can't truthfully say. We have never had a comprehensive mobility plan for the County. South County, Precinct 3 Commissioner, James Noack, requested one and the other Commissioners declined to join him in creating one. He worked with local municipalities, area agencies and the state and funded a study that for his precinct alone, which required over $2 Billion to complete. I doubt that Precinct 4 would cost less.

We can't afford bonds of that magnitude. Had we planned properly prior to building the roads and bridges, we would not be playing catch-up.

As I stated before it is my goal to have a comprehensive mobility/flood/drainage plan for the entire county, and if not, at least for Precinct 4.

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

No, I'm not in favor of it; however, we need to find money to ensure our roads are safe and useable. If we stop the pass through program with the state, when they've paid us back, and require them to take the responsibility for their roads, we will be much better off.

Better budgeting practices will also help keeping the money going where it needs to go. 

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'm a founding/current member of the Montgomery County Tea Party PAC, and past President & Board member (3 years)

I'm a Board Member and Co founder of the MoCo Eagle Forum (8 years)

I'm a member of the Houston Area Pastor's Council (6 years)

I'm a founding/curent member of MoCo Right To Life (10 years)

I'm a member of the Texas Nationalist Movement (4 years)

I'm a life member of Oath Keepers (4 years)

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

Absolutely!

Your religious and moral beliefs form your foundation, and for myself, effect  my decisions. While I have to answer to the taxpayer, i also have to answer to The Lord for my actions.