CANDIDATE Q&A
Get to know the candidates running in the election
Incumbent
COMPILED BY JISHNU NAIR
Montgomery County judge, Republican primary
SARAH COUNTRYMAN
MARK KEOUGH
BILLY GRAFF
Occupation: IT sales executive Relevant experience: mayor of the city of Montgomery 346-298-3664 www.countryman4countyjudge.com
Occupation: Montgomery County judge, senior pastor of The Woodlands Bible Church Relevant experience: 27 years in private business, four years as state representative, three years as county judge 832-729-3314 | https://keough4texas.com
Occupation: President of IConnect Outreach Inc. Relevant experience: budget manage- ment, team builder/coach, Montgomery County Republican Party committee chair 409-626-0294 www.billy4texas.com
The county needs the infrastructure to sustain the devel- opment here ... [and] to provide the resources to improve mobility and reduce ooding. [It] also needs accountability and transparency by coordinating departments so they act as a cohesive unit. What would your top priorities be if elected?
Utilize the recently approved countywide mobility plan to develop a list of infrastructure projects that need immediate attention, ... continue to keep our property taxes at or below the no-new-revenue rate, ... steer the county away from obstacles brought up during this pandemic, and keep the county open.
Implement zero-based budgeting, minimize expenditures out- side the budget, identify and reduce unnecessary spending and debt, ... [have an] active ethics commission and standardized pay scales, ... eliminate favoritism at all levels, ... [hold a] county- wide mobility study with annual updates, strategic planning.
What do you see as the biggest transportation and mobility needs in Montgomery County, and how should the county fund them?
Montgomery County has a lot of new subdivisions. ... [These] will change local tra c patterns and create the need for county road maintenance. ... I will work to fund county opera- tional expenses from the budget and reduce expenses so the commissioners can devote funds to county roads and drainage.
The need for infrastructure to accommodate that [population] growth is imminent. I would [work] with [the Texas Department of Transportation] to increase focus on our highway ... network so our county dollars go toward larger thoroughfares. All proj- ects ... would be looked at ... with county dollars as a last resort.
Higher lane counts and alternative routing in areas of high-den- sity travel. ... Countywide tra c light synchronization. Develop multiple safe alternative and e cient transportation options. Funding is the primary challenge; work with [other resources] to be successful without overtaxing the citizens.
Answers may have been edited for length, style and clarity. Read full Q&A’s at communityimpact.com .
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