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Commissioner Dockery new CAMPO representative for Burnet County

Joe Don Dockery

Precinct 4 Commissioner Joe Don Dockery was appointed to the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization board as the Burnet County representative on Jan. 14. Staff photo by Elizabeth De Los Santos

The Burnet County Commissioners Court on Jan. 14 appointed Precinct 4 Commissioner Joe Don Dockery as the county’s representative on the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization board. Dockery’s appointment comes after former Burnet County Judge James Oakley resigned from his position, leaving the CAMPO board seat vacant.

Urbanized regions with populations of 50,000 or greater, like the Austin area, are required by the Federal Transit Administration to create metropolitan planning organizations to ensure cohesive development of transportation infrastructure. The Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization covers Bastrop, Burnet, Caldwell, Hays, Travis, and Williamson counties. It is governed by a 21-member Transportation Policy Board, which includes 19 elected officials from its coverage area, a representative from the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), and one from Capital Metro.

“CAMPO uses your federal gas tax dollars as they come back and are readministered through the state,” Dockery told DailyTrib.com. “It’s one of the best funding sources we have for transportation projects in our arsenal, and it’s important to make sure we’re involved and advocating for TxDOT projects.”

Dockery, who has previously served on the CAMPO board, brings experience and familiarity with the organization’s mission.

“I served in between when Judge (Donna) Klaeger was going out and Judge Oakley was coming in, and then I also served in 2023 when Judge Oakley was on suspension for five and a half months,” Dockery said.

CAMPO’s responsibilities include the creation of a 20-plus-year Regional Transportation Plan and a four-year Transportation Improvement Program. The RTP, updated every five years, outlines the long-term goals for the region’s transportation infrastructure, incorporating roads, highways, transit, biking, and walking. The TIP focuses on projects with secured funding that are ready for construction within a four-year window.

elizabeth@thepicayune.com