Newly elected and re-elected Burnet County officials were sworn into office on New Year’s Day during a 9 a.m. ceremony at the Burnet County Courthouse. The event marks the beginning of their terms.
NEW OFFICIALS: 2025-28
Perry Thomas
District Attorney for the 33rd/424th Judicial Districts
Outgoing: Wiley “Sonny” McAfee
Perry Thomas took office as district attorney on the morning of Wednesday, Jan. 1. The 33rd and 424th judicial districts include Burnet, Blanco, Llano, and San Saba counties. Thomas succeeds Wiley “Sonny” McAfee, who did not run for re-election.
“I’m not stepping into it blindly,” Thomas told DailyTrib.com. “I know just about everyone involved in the justice system already, so I can hit the ground running.”
A seasoned prosecutor with 24 years of experience in Jefferson County, Thomas also served as the first assistant DA under McAfee for four years. He opened his own practice as a defense attorney, The Law Office of Perry Thomas, nearly five years ago. With his new position, Thomas will give up his private practice to focus on prosecuting felony cases.
“I’m really excited to get started,” he said. “I look forward to working for the people of this district.”
Thomas plans to enhance coordination between law enforcement agencies across county lines, emphasizing the importance of collaborative efforts to address issues like drug-related crimes.
“The sheriffs and law enforcement agencies here already have a great working relationship, and I’ll work to coordinate efforts across all four counties to tackle key issues,” he noted.
Thomas secured his new office after winning the Republican primary in March 2024 against opponent Marie Primm. There was no Democratic challenger in the Nov. 5 general election.
Deanne Fisher
County Tax Assessor-Collector
Outgoing: Sheri Frazier
Deanne Fisher’s family stood by her side as she was sworn in courthouse Wednesday morning. Fisher replaces Sheri Frazier, who retired after 32 years in the position.
“Burnet County has been my home for 43 years,” Fisher told DailyTrib.com. ”It’s where my husband and I grew up, went to school, and raised our three sons. I am honored to serve the citizens of this county and look forward to making meaningful improvements in the (Burnet County) Tax Office.”
Before her election, Fisher served as Burnet County chief deputy treasurer for 13 years under Treasurer Karrie Crownover, who swore her in on Wednesday.
Fisher has outlined initiatives she plans to introduce to improve accessibility and convenience for county residents now that she is in office:
Extended hours—Beginning March 2025, both the north and south offices will remain open until 5:30 p.m. one day a week to better serve working families.
Boat and watercraft registration—Starting in 2026, the tax office will begin registering boats and personal watercraft in partnership with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.
Fisher’s election was competitive, ultimately culminating in a victory over Susan Allen, who had served in the Burnet County tax office under the outgoing Frazier. Fisher had no Democratic challenger in the Nov. 5 general election.
Chad Collier
County Commissioner for Precinct 3
Outgoing: Billy Wall
A lifelong resident of Burnet County, Chad Collier was sworn in as the Burnet County Precinct 3 commissioner on Wednesday. Collier brings decades of experience in business management and infrastructure projects.
“It feels good to finally finish the race,” Collier told DailyTrib.com. “After a long year, I’m excited to take on this role and work for the community.”
Collier plans to focus on improving roads and bridges and upgrade surfaces, signage, and visibility. Transparency and open communication will be a cornerstone of his administration, he said.
“The public wants transparency in road and bridge work and county business, and I think we’re heading in the right direction,” Collier said.
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Burnet residents can kick off the new year by getting rid of unwanted household junk during the city’s monthly disposal event on Saturday, Jan. 4, from 8 a.m. to noon at the northeast facility, 3675 FM 963.
Chunk Your Junk is for Burnet utility customers only and requires a utility bill or driver’s license for verification or residency.
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The Herman Brown Free Library in Burnet has applied for a Tocker Foundation grant to digitize its newspaper archives and make Burnet County more accessible. The library hopes to convert its microfilm archive of local publications—some going back to 1874—into digital files that can be viewed through the online Portal to Texas History.
Some of the newspapers in the library’s archive are no longer in print, including the Marble Falls Messenger and the Bertram Enterprise. Those are slated for digitization along with the Burnet Bulletin. All are currently available on microfilm, a preservation method that reduces documents to miniature images on rolls of plastic film.
“Microfilm is durable, but over time it can be scratched or damaged, leading to the loss of information,” explained Florence Reeves, director of the Herman Brown Free Library, 100 E. Washington St. in Burnet. “Digitizing ensures we don’t lose anything and makes our history much more accessible.”
“You can’t really know where we’re going unless you know where we’ve been,” Reeves said. “Part of understanding who we are as a community is knowing our roots and foundations and appreciating those who came before us.”
The University of North Texas will handle the technical aspects of the project, including digitization and shipping. The Tocker Foundation grant covers associated costs. Libraries simply provide their microfilm.
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Wildlife and native wildflowers have a safe haven in Granite Shoals after a recent overhaul of the city’s property maintenance ordinance. The updated rules allow “sanctuary” properties that serve as wildlife habitat as well mowing regulation accommodations so native wildflowers can go to seed.
After months of work and tweaks, the Granite Shoals City Council approved the ordinance on Dec. 10. The document lists the do’s and don’ts of maintaining residential property in the city and property code violations.
“We took out subjectiveness, aesthetics, or anything that would be personal,” Place 6 Councilor Catherine Bell told DailyTrib.com following the rule changes. “What I may consider clean and neat may not be what you consider clean and neat.”
Bell served on the property maintenance working group that was tasked with overhauling the ordinance for council approval. The group met weekly starting in June, mulled over every line of the document, listened to the concerns of city staff and residents, and toured the city looking at problem areas and points of interest before presenting the proposed changes to the council in November.
The updated ordinance bounced back and forth between the group, council, and City Attorney Josh Katz before finally being approved Dec. 10.
Changes include removing subjective descriptors, making language clearer, and allowing more wiggle room in communication between violators and code enforcement officers.
The group also defined “sanctuary lots” to accommodate wildlife habitat and amended the “weeds and grasses” height regulations to allow native wildflower growth until mid-summer so the plants can go to seed and return the following year.
Residents whose property fits the definition of a sanctuary lot or who are intentionally encouraging wildflower growth now have protection against code violations under the updated ordinance.
Sec. 8-132 of the document defines a sanctuary property as:
“An unimproved property allowed to grow and flourish in a natural state as a safe area for native plants and wildlife. The presence of construction materials, rubbish, litter, and junk as described herein shall be prohibited on Sanctuary Property.”
“You can leave cedars and brush and everything natural for wildlife to live in, but if you have trash or dead trees on there, then get it off,” Bell explained. “We kind of like the idea of Granite Shoals looking a little like wilderness.”
According to Bell, the working group also heard concerns from residents about having to mow their properties to meet the 12-inch height requirement put forth in the “weeds and grasses” portion of the ordinance, which would prevent many native flowers from going to seed.
The group included an exemption that would allow vegetation to exceed the 12-inch requirement until July 31, which is typically enough time for native plants to complete their lifecycle and drop seeds. Sanctuary properties are also exempt from the height requirement.
The new regulation, Sec. 8-135 Exterior grounds (g), reads:
“To promote the growth and survival of the native wildflowers on improved property, for any native wildflower in active growth, flowering, or bearing seed, the height and mowing requirements as set forth in this ordinance shall be suspended no later than July 31st of each year, and only in the area that the native wildflowers are actively growing and within a 3-foot perimeter around the wildflower(s) growing area.”
The updated property maintenance ordinance includes several species of wildflowers that are considered protected: bluebonnets, paintbrush, castilleja, Indian blanket, Drummond phlox, verbena, pink evening primrose, Texas bluebell, brown-eyed Susan, Mexican hat, winecup, spotted beebalm, gayfeather, blackfoot daisy, blue-eyed grass, white prickly poppy, basketflower, common sunflower, eryngo, beach morning glory, rain lily, and Texas thistle.
According to Bell, the recent updates are not set in stone and the ordinance is a living document that can be changed if needed.
“(The working group) said, ‘Let’s give code enforcement through the spring to see how the document is working,’” she said. “If they see something that isn’t working, then we will go back and look at that.”
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Granite Shoals might have to welcome 2025 without a bang if the Burnet County burn ban holds. The city usually allows residents to set off fireworks on New Year’s Eve and July 4, but dangerously dry conditions might snuff out Dec. 31 celebrations.
“A burn ban is currently in effect, which prohibits open fires and the use of fireworks within the city at all times,” reads a statement from the Granite Shoals Police Department on Thursday, Dec. 26. “Please be aware that our officers are authorized to issue citations to individuals who violate this ban.”
Burnet County has been under a burn ban since Dec. 19. It prohibits outdoor burning in unincorporated areas. Granite Shoals is the only city in the county that allows fireworks within its limits.
While the county’s burn ban does not totally prohibit fireworks, the Burnet County Commissioners Court on Dec. 10 issued a partial fireworks ban, making it illegal to set off “skyrockets with sticks” and “missiles with fins” in unincorporated areas until after Jan. 2, 2025.
According to Chapter 18- Article 5 of the Granite Shoals Code of Ordinances, it is only legal to set off fireworks in the city on “December 31st beginning at 1:00 p.m. until 1:00 a.m. on January 1st of the next calendar year” and “July 4th beginning at 1:00 p m. until 11:00 p.m. of the same day.”
The city’s fireworks exceptions are overridden if a burn ban is in place during those holidays.
If the county’s burn ban is lifted, the city could allow firework celebrations on Dec. 31 for New Year’s Eve.
The National Weather Service calls for rain Thursday night but clear skies on the last days of 2024.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story stated that fireworks were prohibited on private property in the unincorporated areas of Burnet and Llano counties during burn bans, but that is not true. Fireworks are, for the most part, legal to set off on private property in the unincorporated areas of Texas counties, even during a burn ban, but commissioners courts can make exceptions to this rule in some cases, such as Burnet County imposing a partial ban on Dec. 10. DailyTrib.com apologizes for the error.
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Construction on the new Burnet City Hall at 301 E. Jackson St. is moving along. It is expected to open by the summer 2025, marking the end of a 20-year effort to expand workspace for a growing city staff, consolidate departments, and save on rental costs. The city of Burnet recently shared an update with photos to show progress on electrical and sheetrock installation. The $8 million, 18,000-square-foot facility replaces the current, flood-damaged City Hall at 1001 Buchanan Drive. City of Burnet photos
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Highland Lakes nonprofits and first responders can apply for community grants of up to $50,000 from the Lower Colorado River Authority in January. Eligible projects include improvements to fire stations, community centers, sports fields, libraries, and other community facilities as well as the purchase of updated gear and equipment for emergency responders.
The LCRA awards Community Development Partnership Program grants twice a year to nonprofit organizations, including volunteer fire departments, emergency responders, local governments, schools, libraries, civic groups, and museums. The grants are not available to individuals, for-profit entities, professional associations, social service projects, or limited-use facilities.
Applications for the next round of grants will be online starting Jan. 1, 2025, and must be submitted by midnight Jan. 31. Most grants are for $25,000 or less, but several grants of up to $50,000 are awarded each grant cycle.
Applicants requesting more than $5,000 in grant funding must supply matching funds of at least 20 percent of the total project cost. The projects must benefit or be available to an entire community and improve the value of a capital asset through building, renovating, or purchasing equipment.
Organizations in Blanco, Burnet, Lampasas, and Llano counties, along with a list of other counties in the LCRA service area, are eligible to apply for the Community Development Partnership Program grants.
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Reno Lamb was officially sworn in as the Precinct 3 director for the Central Texas Groundwater Conservation District Board of Directors on Friday, Dec. 20.
The board’s five members are elected by Burnet County voters to four-year, staggered terms in each of the four precincts as well as an at-large position. Elections are held in November of even-numbered years.
Lamb ran unopposed for Precinct 3 and took over for previous Director Homer Will.
“I’m honored to be on this board,” he told DailyTrib.com. “It’s been a positive experience working with the other directors and consultants. I hope to contribute my share.”
Lamb lives near Oatmeal, just outside of Bertram, and brings a combination of hands-on experience and a lifelong interest in water systems to the role.
His journey to the board began when he started attending meetings as a curious observer. When Will chose not to seek re-election, Lamb stepped forward.
“I started going to (GCD) meetings just because I found it fascinating,” he said. “About a year ago, Homer mentioned he might step down, and I thought it would be a good use of my time as a retired gentleman rancher to contribute.”
With a background that includes managing water drainage systems at a previous home in France and years of personal observation of Texas aquifers, Lamb’s deep appreciation for groundwater began out west.
“When I was a young man, I developed a spring on raw acreage in rural Northern California,” he said. “I was just fascinated with the concept of water coming out of the ground.”
Lamb’s focus during his term will be on community engagement. Before his appointment, he hosted neighborhood meetings in Oatmeal to discuss water issues and plans to continue these efforts.
“I’ve held two meetings at our local community center, and I plan to do more,” he said.
As Burnet County grows, Lamb believes water conservation will become increasingly important.
“Water isn’t politics—yet,” he said. “But with growth and pressure on our supply, management and conservation will become even more important.”
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Horseshoe Bay residents want more entertainment, public spaces, a downtown district, and better shopping—all while maintaining the city’s identity as a lakeside resort community. That’s according to the results of a recent city survey, which were presented to the Horseshoe Bay City Council on Dec. 10.
Residents also expressed concerns about water scarcity, the conflict between Horseshoe Bay Resort and the Horseshoe Bay Property Owners Association, and the resort’s influence on city affairs.
The Land Use Development Advisory Committee conducted the survey this fall to determine what Horseshoe Bay residents wanted out of the city’s undeveloped land and extraterritorial jurisdiction. The committee was formed in March and is made up of appointed residents and city officials.
The committee interviewed over 50 stakeholders and received more than 1,000 responses to a 13-question survey as well as 300 public comments while conducting research for its final report, which was delivered on Dec. 4 and presented to the City Council on Dec. 10.
“From our work and research, it was determined that Horseshoe Bay is a unique and special place that draws people here because of what it is today—and has been developed as a life-style resort community on a lake,” reads the committee’s final report. “From our interviews and research, it was determined that managed and controlled development is needed to preserve the Horseshoe Bay lifestyle.”
According to survey results, respondents overwhelmingly ranked the categories of “restaurants/entertainment venues,” “public parks/green spaces/recreational facilities,” and “major retail/major grocery stores and the like,” as the most desirable development in the city’s near and distant future.
Respondents also expressed a desire for more single-family homes and ranchettes rather than multi-family housing and apartments.
The survey showed strong support, 83 percent, for a “city center district” on FM 2147 that would serve as a community gathering place with room for farmers’ markets, retail, food, and entertainment.
Survey respondents were largely full-time residents, at 85 percent, and represented a diverse cross-section of the population with a fairly even split between residents who had lived in the city for 15 or more years, six to 15 years, and one to five years.
The 1,000-plus respondents represent roughly 20 percent of the city’s population, which was estimated to be about 5,000 in 2023.
Several survey comments were made regarding an ongoing conflict between Horseshoe Bay Resort and the Horseshoe Bay Property Owners Association. At least 31 of the 300 written comments mentioned the desire for a resolution or concerns about the resort’s influence on city business.
“Lots of people love what the resort lifestyle looks like, but they don’t like to pay for it,” reads comment No. 148 in the committee’s final report. “The HSB POA Board is destroying this peace and community feel of the area. They need to be stopped (immediately).”
Another comment, No. 155, reads:
“The HSB resort has too much power, which is suspect. We pay a POA fee, yet we DO not have access to any of the pools, tennis/pickle ball, or golf course features. This has caused an environment that has become toxic, and as a resident, it needs to change.”
Respondents also ranked water as the city’s most critical issue, followed by overpopulation, the loss of control over land use, and traffic congestion.
To see the report in its entirety, view other comments, and understand the methodologies used by the committee, click on this link.
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