The six GOP hopefuls seeking the Precinct 2 Kendall County justice of the peace and Precinct 2 county commissioner positions in the March 1 primary participated in the first of two candidate forums sponsored by The Boerne Star at Kronkosky Place on Wednesday night to give their thoughts to the community and discuss issues like transportation, growth and public safety.
Each candidate – three for each office – started with a one-minute introduction. Precinct 2 commissioner candidate Leon Brimhall mentioned his love for Boerne and for the county during his 58 years of living here. Fellow candidate Garry Manitzas identified his experience as Fair Oaks Ranch mayor for five years. The third candidate, Andra Wisian, mentioned her service under Gov. Greg Abbott on the Guadalupe-Blanco River Authority.
For Precinct 2 justice of the peace, William Faery similarly cited his experience in elected positions but also outlined his 23-year military experience as a veteran of three combat campaigns in the U.S. Army. One of his opponents, Jim Kohler, said that his preparation for the seat comes from 10 years as Boerne’s police chief. And Dave Neighbor, the third Precinct 2 JP candidate, cited 36 years of government service including as a U.S. Marine, CIA officer and consultant for federal agencies.
When asked about the detailed responsibilities of the justice of the peace, Neighbor outlined a demanding schedule to cover handling bail, small court claims, warrants and emergencies.
Faery agreed with these responsibilities but added that Kendall County does not have a coroner, so the elected justice will need to be ready to undertake death investigations and be on-call 24/7. Faery also highlighted the importance of community outreach and said that “The main thing is to know your people. Inform them so they can stay out of the court.”
Kohler agreed with the “24/7” capacity of the justice of the peace and said his career in law enforcement gave him the dedication to handle such duties. He also added that the JP “needs to be a team player as well.”
When asked about the detailed responsibilities of Precinct 2 commissioner, Wisian described the job as “all-encompassing,” serving the community in a variety of ways by keeping the courts functioning, working with department heads and setting tax rates by working with the appraisal district. She also introduced the two main topics of the night, safety and transportation, by identifying the commissioners’ role in enabling law enforcement and regulating county roads and bridges.
In the role, Manitzas described that the first step to identifying issues should be talking to constituents. He said that in previous positions he established connections with the community to understand their concerns.
A shared value among the candidates was the importance of teamwork between both positions, commissioner and justice of the peace, and other officials, departments and the community.
Neighbor put it that “We’re stronger as a collective than we are in parts.”
When asked how rapid growth should be mitigated in the county, Brimhall identified Precinct 2 as the fastest-growing precinct in the county. He suggested that, with the construction of a new subdivision off of Highway 46 east of Boerne, the highway should be improved and made into a four-lane road.
Manitzas agreed that growth needs to be regulated and added that it should be done in a way that preserves the natural environment.
Wisian said that overall l “We’ve got to do a better job of communicating and strategically planning growth.” To make this happen, she underlined collaborating with landowners and with state legislators.
When asked about the preservation of quality of life for residents in Kendall County, the commissioner candidates circled back to the issues of rapid growth and public safety.
Wisian said that “people have moved here for the beauty of the Hill Country and we have to protect that,” and the other candidates agreed that natural preservation is important.
Brimhall stated that the responsibilities of the county government overall should be to promote the “health, safety, and welfare of the citizens,” supporting quality of life across the county.
Manitzas agreed that the first priority is always providing public safety.
Brimhall talked about his experience with previous government budgets in response to being asked how best to distribute the county’s financial resources, if elected. Manitzas said that the most beneficial step in a budgeting process is to create a long-term plan of priorities. Wisian agreed that, at the county level, the budget process for the following fiscal year starts in June, but urged that it needs to start much earlier than that.
For the JP office, candidates were asked about determining their role in the process following suspicious deaths in the county. All responded that expert advice is always valuable.
Kohler said that in relation to his experience with crime scenes as a former police chief, he would “rather be safe than sorry.” He urged that, in the example given of a recent tragic incident in the county, “somebody needed to order (an) autopsy.”
In closing, the candidates rounded up their best qualities for the office and asked the community for their consideration in the upcoming elections.
The election is March 1. Monday, February 14, was the first day of early voting.
The Star is scheduled to publish its candidate previews for the four contested Kendall County GOP March 1 primary races in Friday’s issue.
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