Burnet County commissioners postpone judge appointment after tie vote
Burnet County commissioners deadlocked in their vote to appoint a new county judge on Feb. 11, postponing the decision. Staff photo by Elizabeth De Los Santos
The Burnet County judge seat remains vacant and the next step to appoint one is undecided after commissioners deadlocked 2-to-2 in their vote for one of three applicants Feb. 11.
Burnet County commissioners interviewed the applicants—Gil Jones, Alan Trevino, and Bryan Wilson—during Tuesday’s regular court meeting as part of the appointment process established in early January. After extensive questioning, commissioners entered executive session before proceeding with the vote.
When the commissioners emerged from their closed session, they were split on their choices: Chad Collier and Damon Beierle voted for Trevino, while Joe Don Dockery and Jim Luther picked Jones.
With no majority, the commissioners returned to executive session for legal consultation on modifying the voting process. However, no motion was made to change the process when commissioners reconvened.
Ultimately, the Commissioners Court adjourned without a decision, leaving the appointment process unresolved. Those interested can view the full meeting and interviews on Burnet County’s YouTube channel.
WHAT’S NEXT?
According to Commissioner Beierle, there is no guarantee an appointment will be made during the next regularly scheduled court meeting on Feb. 25 unless a commissioner requests to place a vote on the agenda by noon Feb. 20.
“At this moment, no expectation should be implied,” Beierle told DailyTrib.com. “Any commissioner has until Thursday (Feb. 20) at noon to place it back on the next agenda.
APPLICANT INTERVIEWS
During their interviews Tuesday, each applicant was asked about their approach to budgeting, handling the county’s fund balance, long-term planning, and whether they would focus on administrative duties over judicial responsibilities. Candidates also faced questions about their vision for the role and whether they planned to run in the November 2026 election.
County judge is an elected position. The seat was left open following the resignation of James Oakley in December 2024. The appointed judge would serve out the remaining current term, which ends in December 2026.
Gil Jones
Jones, a former district judge and Certified Public Accountant, emphasized transparency, integrity, and strategic long-term planning during his interview Tuesday. He advocated for zero-based budgeting and a more detailed public budget review process, including reinstating budget workshops.
“The biggest problem to be solved is the perception of a lack of integrity, civility, and transparency in county government,” he said.
Jones stressed the need for improved wildfire mitigation and ensuring county policies are properly followed, particularly in employee compensation and road development.
He said he does not plan to run in the 2026 election.
Alan Trevino
Trevino, chief deputy of the Burnet County Sheriff’s Office, focused on budget and highlighted law enforcement funding, road maintenance, and water planning as critical county issues.
“The sheriff’s department will be treated fairly, but not specially,” said Trevino, advocating for a more structured budget review process that ensures funding is balanced across all county departments.
He proposed an early budget planning meeting with elected officials and department heads followed by public budget workshops to improve transparency.
Trevino confirmed his candidacy for the 2026 election.
Bryan Wilson
Wilson, a former state official with extensive experience in county government, promoted performance-based budgeting to ensure tax dollars are spent efficiently.
“Citizens deserve to know that when their money is spent and if it’s actually accomplishing what it was intended for,” Wilson said.
He also emphasized the importance of public safety planning, stating he would conduct a countywide review with emergency services districts and law enforcement to improve disaster preparedness.
Wilson declined to commit to running in 2026, saying he would evaluate more before making a decision.
7 thoughts on “Burnet County commissioners postpone judge appointment after tie vote”
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They should use ranked choice voting where the one person no one wants wins!
How about you let the voters decide?
Is there a statute that allows the commissioners to call a special election? If there is no statute providing for a County Judge special electio, how would you suggest they proceed?
They are not allowed to call a special election but they can decide on the process to make an appointment.
There’s not a vote until 2026, in the meantime they need to appoint somebody to fill the role. This is all laid out in law.
The voters can decide but not until the next scheduled election for the position. Right now it is solely on the commissioners to make the choice.
Seeing as they were split on the vote maybe they should try a luck of the draw method for the two choices. Put 4 slips of paper for each candidate in a hat. Each commissioner gets a draw. If the vote is still a split put the slips back in the hat and try again. When you get at least a 3 to 1 pull for which ever candidate that is the winner.