Commissioners Appoint Two Representatives To Hays County Citizens’ Elections Commission, Rest Remains Undecided

By Terra Rivers | Managing Editor

On Tuesday, the Hays County Commissioners Court appointed two to the County’s new Citizens Elections Commission.

Commissioners Mark Jones and Debbie Ingalsbe-Gonzales nominated the representatives for the Rural Communities and the ADA Positions on the commission.

Commissioners voted 5-0 to appoint Sandra Tenorio as the Rural Communities representative and Sam Tobar as the disabled community representative.

The commission will be comprised of a representative from all four local school districts, local municipalities including Mountain City, Uhland, City of Hays, Niederwald and Woodcreek and the local political party chairs, including Texas State University’s student parties, rural community, the disabled community and the league of women voters.

Commissioners agreed to keep the commission elected official free and will appoint two citizen representatives each.

The Hays County Elections Office has been identified as a technical advisory to the commission and will provide members with knowledge related to elections laws.

Commissioner Walt Smith, Pct. 4, suggested the commissioners wait to nominate their appointments until the municipalities had nominated their own representatives.

Smith said by waiting, the court could avoid inadvertently taking a nominee away from a municipality or school district.

“I would like to at least give them the opportunity to say you have two weeks to make your appointment,” Smith said. “We expect your appointment by Nov. 15, and we would like for the adoption of a resolution at your next meeting relative to this and give them that direction.”

Commissioner Lon Shell said he would provide his nominees to the Hays County Judge via email by Nov. 15.

Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra named the two nominees he intends to appoint, Arthur Taylor and Linda Tenorio, but no vote was taken.

Commissioners agreed the court would finalize the commission at their November 19 meeting.

The Hays County Citizen’s Election Commission is expected to meet at least twice a year in late May and in late November.

The goal of the commission is to evaluate the distribution and effectiveness of the early voting polls and vote centers and recommend changes that are needed.

Elections Administrator, Jennifer Anderson, said she thinks the 2020 election will give the county the best data they have for what locations will be utilized and what worked and what didn’t.