RESOLUTION NO. 2025 – O28 RESOLUTION OPPOSING EFFORTS TO PROHIBIT COUNTY LEGISLATIVE COMMUNICATIONS WHEREAS, certain legislative proposals would prohibit the use of county funds to retain experts, consultants, and lobbyists to influence legislation, pay dues to associations that influence legislation, and to reimburse county officials for influencing legislation; and
WHEREAS,
any bills that would prohibit the use of county funds would effectively silence the voice of local officials and prevent effective communication and representation of their citizens and taxpayers; and
WHEREAS,
county officials require the ability to collectively develop and express their positions and information through associations; and
WHEREAS,
the inability to retain experienced representation before the federal and state legislative bodies and agencies would place our communities at a distinct disadvantage in efforts to obtain and retain federal and state projects and military bases; and
WHEREAS,
smaller counties especially need to be able to combine their resources to efficiently and effectively present their unique issues to state and federal government; and
WHEREAS,
requiring elected officials to personally expend personal resources to present the views of their citizens would impose an extreme hardship upon these public servants; and
WHEREAS,
such prohibition would stifle the basic tenets of democracy and open government; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the DeWitt County Commissioners Court does hereby express its opposition to any legislation that attempts to silence the combined voices of the county officials of this state.
THIS RESOLUTION WAS READ, CONSIDERED, AND ADOPTED BY THE COMMISSIONERS COURT OF DE WITT COUNTY DURING AN OPEN PUBLIC MEETING CONFORMING TO GOVERNMENT CODE § 551, THE TEXAS OPEN MEETINGS ACT, ON THIS 28th DAY OF July 2025. FOR THE COUNTY OF DE WITT: The Honorable Daryl L. Fowler Its: County Judge Attest: Natale Carson. County Clerk Ryan Varela Commissioner, Precinct No. 1 James B. Pilchiek, Commissioner, Precinct No. 2 James Kaiser, Commissioner, Precinct No. 3 Brian Carson, Commissioner, Precinct No. 4
