Smith and Becerra bicker over how to form, name groups

A lengthy discussion in the Hays County Commissioners Court led to two new rules for how members of the court form and name groups to address specific issues.

The discussion, which Precinct 4 Commissioner Walt Smith put on the agenda, focused largely on the criminal justice group that Hays County Judge Ruben Becerra formed recently.

“I do think, judge, this is a great idea to get this going again,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Lon Shell said, noting that he was heavily involved with an existing criminal justice commission that had several assessments done of the county’s criminal justice system.

“A lot of other recommendations were made,” Shell said. “Some of them were followed through, some of them not.”

“I think it’s really important,” Precinct 1 Commissioner Debbie Gonzales Ingalsbe said. “I think it’s something we’ve been talking about for a really long time.”

However, the discussion broadened to the formation of committees or commissions in general and how to distinguish groups created by individual members of the court from countywide bodies.

“If we’re going to have a committee that’s considered a committee of this commissioners court,” Precinct 2 Commissioner Mark Jones said, “we need to discuss each member that goes on there.” 

Becerra clarified that a summit on criminal justice reform that he hosted and the group he formed in recent weeks to look at the county’s criminal justice system were the work specifically of his office. 

“This is the county judge’s office’s effort,” he said. “The county judge’s office put a meeting together.”

Of the summit, Becerra said, he had a press release sent out before the meeting and one after the meeting as well.

“I’ll own it this way -- I never conveyed representation of the court,” he said. “I never said, ‘This is the court’s body.’ … I am only one of five.”

Becerra characterized the summit as a long lunch which took no taxpayer money and was voluntary. Smith said that if an official like a county judge invites someone to such an event, they likely feel like it is required.

“I think you underestimate your gravitas, judge,” Smith said, adding that he wanted to make sure that any county staff involved in an individual court member’s task forces or other groups would not end up being overtasked.

The Precinct 4 commissioner said that he had two measures in mind to help “set up a system by which if we set up these boards and commissions … we don’t have to worry about that being a concern in the future.”

Smith’s first proposal was that any committee, commission or group formed by an individual member of the commissioners court would be named as “a possessive of that individual court member” and not use the terms “commission” or “board,” which would be reserved for court-created groups.

“That gives us the ability to own each one of these things,” Smith said. 

Becerra found the move agreeable.

“We don’t care about the name. We care about the results,” he said. “... We may become the Justice League, and it’s important that we wear capes freely.”

Smith’s measure passed unanimously. 

The second measure would create better transparency about the formation of such groups. Smith made a motion that anyone creating a committee or task force addressing a countywide issue, prior to the first meeting of the group and within a reasonable amount of time, shall inform other members of the court that it exists and what it is called.

Becerra initially felt targeted by the motion, saying that “countywide” would only apply to him.

“I think you’re missing the point of the motion here,” Smith said.

“I’m genuinely missing the point completely,” Becerra said.

Smith noted that commissioners often work on countywide projects, and that if a commissioner wanted to form a group to discuss the Farm to Market Road 150 corridor, FM 150 touches numerous precincts across the county. 

“It’s not specific to you in the least,” Smith told Becerra. “... We all work on countywide issues.”

“If it’s so important that we give it a name,” Shell said of any new group formed, “I don’t know why we would hide it.”

Becerra clarified that the motion is asking the court members to notify others on the court of the creation of a group with a name that is specific to an individual office.

“That’s all the motion states,” Smith said.

The motion passed unanimously.