Ordinarily I would never read The Cross Timbers Gazette. Not that it isn’t a fine news source in Denton County, it’s just that I live in Galveston County, TX. However, a piece from the Gazette popped up in a news aggregator for my local news and what I read was the lies of a career politician bemoaning a statewide proposition to eliminate the office of Galveston County Treasurer. Methinks Ms. Brown doth protest too much, after all, had she not weighed in on this proposition that has nothing to do with her position in Denton County, most folks in Galveston County wouldn’t ever think twice about Denton County, and most voters in Denton County wouldn’t make the mental leap to question why they are paying for a career politician. Now, the fence is down and the cows are gone.
In the interest of full disclosure – I too am an elected official. I’m a city councilman here in League City. I served on City Council along with our current County Treasurer, Hank Dugie, before he ran for County Treasurer on the platform of eliminating the office in Galveston County.
We have to ask ourselves – why would the Denton County Treasurer spend her time trying to prevent the folks in Galveston County from having our own say in doing away with an elected official. After all, he campaigned on a promise to put his entire effort into eliminating his own position while ensuring a smooth transition by transferring the functionary bureaucratic duties of his office to civil servants already employed elsewhere in the county government. Why would a Denton County Treasurer be so concerned about a proposition for Galveston County that she expends effort and tells lies? And all you’re left with is – she’s self-serving. But let’s analyze the specific points which Ms. Brown has made and see if we can ascertain the true motivation.
Brown argues that elimination of the Treasurer position creates a potential for an out-of-control Commissioners Court. Here’s the rub – payroll and approval of payment is not a policy-making function. We already have whistle-blower protection for employees who report fraud, and you don’t have to be elected for those to apply. In other words, this is just fear-mongering with a myth. We also have internal and external auditors to ensure proper processes are being followed when money is disbursed. Her word salad sounds good, but the argument is based on a false premise that control of the checkbook involves making policy decisions on where the money is going.
As to why the entire state votes on a proposition for Galveston County – her answer has nothing to do with reality. The entire state votes on it because the constitution requires it, as happened when nine other Texas counties eliminated their treasurer. Frankly, what’s best for Galveston County may not be best for Denton County. But y’all don’t know what we need or why, just like we don’t know what y’all need. It took an incumbent lobbying in front of the legislature for elimination of his own position before the legislature would give the choice to voters. That doesn’t “erode our constitution” – that puts the power to the individual, from whence it is derived in the first place.
As for the saving of money – at a minimum, by eliminating the Treasurer, Galveston County eliminates at least one six-figure salary. When you consider the possibility that not all employees of the County Treasurer or the County’s other financial departments are 100% tasked, and by combining functions into fewer departments you can get by with fewer employees, increasing savings. The Galveston County budget office estimates elimination would save $453,000 annually.
As to why Galveston seeks abolition – the Denton County Treasurer makes a patently false claim. There was no dispute between the County Judge and County Treasurer. There was a career elected official that provided zero value to the citizens and an opponent who promised to eliminate the position defeated the previous Treasurer. While it is true that the Commissioners Court did support a bill in the previous legislative session, it was because they too saw an opportunity for cost savings. Her claims that our state senator and state representative are required to file a bill since the Commissioners Court passed a resolution is an outright fabrication. As to why the bill passed the legislature, the Denton County Treasurer makes further political claims that are simply not the reality – it passed because the current elected Treasurer made the case in front of the legislature that he was no longer needed. Eleven Galveston County cities all passed resolutions supporting eliminating our Treasurer as well. It passed the legislature because we showed that this is what Galveston County residents want.
And after all those points, Ms. Brown finally got to her actual motivation. She admits her concern is over the precedent that this proposition may set. She believes it sets the precedent that her position is next on the chopping block and after reading her blatant mistruths and disinformation, maybe her position should be on the chopping block. Fact is, Galveston County voters elected a candidate who promised to eliminate the office, we proved to the legislature that there was support for eliminating our Treasurer, and now we have a constitutional amendment on the ballot to eliminate our Treasurer.
As someone in Galveston County who already spoke with my vote when we elected a Treasurer who promised to eliminate his own position, let our voices determine our government and VOTE YES FOR PROPOSITION 12.
Chad Tressler
League City, TX
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