[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6250054,"mediaKeyId","3204361-754032029a07ce91a5460fc7e6cf62d5","parentId",3204361,"title","Nueces County commissioners unanimously oppose House Bill 19, authorize judge to sign joint opposition letter","audioSeconds",3127,"startMs",408000,"endMs",3535000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3204361-754032029a07ce91a5460fc7e6cf62d5&start=408&end=3535","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3204361-754032029a07ce91a5460fc7e6cf62d5/thumbnail_408000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6250054/Nueces-County/Texas/Nueces-County-commissioners-unanimously-oppose-House-Bill-19-authorize-judge-to-sign-joint-opposition-letter","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6250054-6afd29b90740454645a0a7ffd33bc448/orig.mp4?Expires=1777156439&Signature=KwT9YeGU5o9ziV13TjN6jTGAL57Ix35DSF18ECey7pQEvsznygQszliUQaSGMkZm1HJM5g~njE3xLktAv512BIpm7ZE0OnHvJgqzstRRk29asBq4hQWEV6pD5BD-OEz10bxIma~BltMjmb5KEhJjheQHGRg5ygqmrHVnp69ztR097BvadVmiiI1zyzdQyjXv-kwCUTR21cuf8mDnDXjVBv4F9J6Wp2bfAoE4F5phLC6Zs34WEHTisNoE8-qMO9ue-wgd3MwYDwuWw~tc7YrgAcHjPd2M4Yh3LoF63s8cfeqVrDpdpGYXMHZnkPRm-vRCE5IvFFUQ2kZcJiTdBb9lzA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Nueces County, TX","date","2025-05-06T02:41:36Z","article","The Nueces County Commissioners Court voted unanimously May 5 to oppose Texas House Bill 19 and authorized the county judge to sign a joint letter with the City of Corpus Christi opposing the bill.

County officials and outside advisors told the court the bill could curtail local borrowing and narrow options used for emergency and infrastructure financing. During public comment, Ernest Garza, a local CPA, urged the court to oppose the bill, saying, \"I'm here to support you again for this opposition house bill 19\" and warning that \"This bill will limit your payments to 20% over the average tax collections of the past 3 years.\" Garza said the cap would compound pressure on maintenance-and-operations budgets already constrained by the 3.5% property-tax rate limit on the operations portion of the tax.

Court-appointed advisers and outside counsel described several technical provisions that concerned local officials. James Hernandez, a bond counsel attorney who identified himself on the record, said the measure's \"debt limit provision ... is overly onerous and restrictive\" and warned it would limit issuance of certificates of obligation (COs), tax anticipation notes and other non-voted debt tools many local governments use for cash flow and emergency needs. The court heard an example that one provision would cap new tax-note issuance at 5% of an entity's outstanding debt, a limit several speakers said could be constraining after a major weather or infrastructure event.

State Representative Noe Hinojosa (on the phone) told the court he had discussed the bill in Austin and that the bill's debt-cap and non-voted-debt provisions were the court's primary concerns; he said timing and other bills in the session could carry similar language and that local officials should watch possible senate vehicles for HB 19 language.

Commissioners discussed both a county-drafted joint letter with Corpus Christi and a broader motion to oppose the bill in its present form. Commissioner Chesney moved and Commissioner Mattis seconded the motion to authorize the county judge to sign the joint letter and to oppose passage of House Bill 19; the court voted to approve the action unanimously by voice vote.

The court also voted to authorize the county judge, after conferring with at least one other commissioner, to sign additional letters or take similar, time-sensitive steps during the remaining weeks of the legislative session and to bring those actions back to the court for ratification at the next meeting.

The court and its outside lobbyists said they were coordinating with regional and statewide groups — including the Conference of Urban Counties, Texas Association of Counties and municipal and school associations — to seek amendments or carve-outs such as exclusions for disaster-response bonds. James Hernandez and other advisers said they had prepared proposed amendments and would circulate them to the county and its partners.

No formal legislative language was adopted by the court beyond the vote opposing HB 19 and authorizing the judge to sign the joint letter. Several commissioners said they supported ongoing, rapid updates from county lobbyists in the final weeks of session.

Ending

County officials said they will continue to monitor HB 19 and related bills, coordinate with regional partners and return any post-signing actions to the commissioners court for ratification.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","5/5/2025 Nueces County Commissioner’s Court","oneSentenceSummary","The Nueces County Commissioners Court voted unanimously May 5 to oppose Texas House Bill 19 and authorized the county judge to sign a joint letter with the City of Corpus Christi opposing the bill.","taxTitle","Nueces County, Texas","taxId",2715,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6250044,"Commissioners receive legislative updates; court instructed lobbyists to keep court informed and may authorize judge to act on urgent items",1280,2316000,3596000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3204361-754032029a07ce91a5460fc7e6cf62d5&start=2316&end=3596","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3204361-754032029a07ce91a5460fc7e6cf62d5/thumbnail_2316000.jpg","/articles/6250044/Nueces-County/Texas/Commissioners-receive-legislative-updates-court-instructed-lobbyists-to-keep-court-informed-and-may-authorize-judge-to-act-on-urgent-items","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6250044-7a0dc63351d9c269b094e2fb3c4e4799/orig.mp4?Expires=1777156439&Signature=DCIWiXtqLvVjRYDq8Lu3oB8c~j2iO-yc4g2SjsJ9~zyTl0E~1EaGclF295JCy6KP2YtXZ~e0~DAPEeBmbXp3NWNA7isJ2W1UWSMxCe1pbPl2SJ2tQDdX7T-HaePowTB7OGU3uCKcX29igELgrlPCsMWpPVU8IAo3eZZNgnF8ALdDnjmo1v3txJn3FhbEjc-JwlrxSoyWr1NVDtJ6CuCqZzLneBHDdVUfHQj3P63ECtwtcZr1KcOQYORGuKnzs~3Zju5bqRBzhrFeNNcqB6hrdaB18pSmJtmReVlct9VaiH3DBjKZK69R5-U91UUKwzuEVtodbAJ6ZBmGcyvrZpbKtw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County lobbyists Joel and Patricia briefed the Nueces County Commissioners Court May 5 on multiple pieces of legislation and recommended continued, coordinated advocacy in the session's final weeks.

Joel told the court the appraisal bill the county has prioritized, House Bill 3093, had passed the House (April 17), been reported out of Senate Local Government (May 1) and was on the Senate local noncontested calendar; lobbyists asked the court to consider sending a letter to the governor asking him to sign the bill if the Senate passes it. On water and financing, Joel and Patricia reported that Senate Bill 7 and a related joint resolution had passed the Senate and were under consideration in the House, and they highlighted Senate Bill 1967 (by Senator Hinojosa), a bill expanding eligibility for the Flood Infrastructure Fund to include multipurpose flood mitigation and, as amended in the House, loans for projects supplying water/wastewater in economically distressed areas.

Lobbyists said they were tracking multiple bills that could carry elements of HB 19 or otherwise affect local financing tools, including Senate Bill 1024 (a tax-anticipation/CO-related bill) and other vehicles. They also described a broadly drafted port clean-up bill by a senator that had been narrowed by amendment to apply only to the Port of Houston; the lobbyists said they will register opposition where proposals would broadly expand port powers in ways that might affect the Port of Corpus Christi. House Bill 2120, relating to the composition of the Port of Corpus Christi board, was scheduled for a hearing in House Transportation.

Lobbyists told the court they would register a position in support of a bill that would expand eligibility for a rural sheriff's salary assistance program by increasing the population cap to 400,000, which would make Nueces County eligible. They also briefed the court on bail-reform proposals pending in the House, noting the Lieutenant Governor had indicated the issue could be part of negotiations and a potential special session if not resolved.

The court discussed a request from the chairman of the Texas Moving Image Industry initiative (a film/production incentive) for a county resolution in support; a draft resolution was prepared but the judge withdrew the motion at the meeting after staff said the backup materials had arrived only that morning. Commissioners agreed lobbyists Joel and Patricia should provide quick updates to the court in the session's closing days and that the county judge may sign time-sensitive items after consulting with another commissioner; the court then voted to ratify that process.

Ending

Court members said they will receive regular updates from county lobbyists and expect any time‑sensitive legislative actions taken by the judge under the newly authorized process to be returned to the court for ratification.","Nueces County lobbyists updated the commissioners court on several bills of local interest — including appraisal changes (HB 3093), water and flood-infrastructure language, port-related bills, bail reform, and a proposed motion-picture incentive — and the court agreed to a process for rapid responses during the final weeks of session.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6250049,"Children's Advocacy Center of the Coastal Bend removed from designated service area; local center says children will continue to be served",160,560000,720000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3204361-754032029a07ce91a5460fc7e6cf62d5&start=560&end=720","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3204361-754032029a07ce91a5460fc7e6cf62d5/thumbnail_560000.jpg","/articles/6250049/Nueces-County/Texas/Childrens-Advocacy-Center-of-the-Coastal-Bend-removed-from-designated-service-area-local-center-says-children-will-continue-to-be-served","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6250049-8ccc4a31b36a94f6310a0c875d7fa422/orig.mp4?Expires=1777156439&Signature=lM5ARZ78kBYKlabtHTYMCdHyNvKlWEHTN6FexVh5KbmO8qyGFuh8lV-nRZ77VEhDNfG-WIch3t0esMQohuUqfztdZLLtgMjpHGLLCAr0s1QKsFnQboU8T-14zmtkRaSilJPHaT1tGw7V~1tbN80LF5DEw3~3m6eNiHZdTRYusS~qigQSklJL6DPIocDJCYTwTH0sCVCqFX3r9Pv9EzIE1H7XvXg3QSK80MQzVkHuWxOsTNC4DGFJX2VyBikxVj44oEgiK8DWrnm-DRcJurf8lEGojCkVEIKaocm2vXuoc3QdceRHLwhm2nBgwMjdLvmtZyXjBkAM0u7jgSr3QsR5XQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The board president of the Children's Advocacy Center of the Coastal Bend told the Nueces County Commissioners Court on May 5 that the center had been removed from its designated service area by the statewide association and that local coordination is under way to maintain services for affected children.

Dr. Christina Nelson, who identified herself as board president for the CACCB, said the center \"was notified by the Children's Advocacy Centers of Texas that Nueces County has been removed from CACCB's designated service area effective April 22.\" She read a prepared statement saying leadership at CACCB had investigated concerns about a matter handled by the center and had implemented corrective actions.

The CACCB statement, read by Nelson and citing executive director Clarissa Mora, said the Nueces County District Attorney's Office had sent a letter indicating that, once corrective measures are in place, the office will accept files involving CACCB interviews. The statement added that \"Children who were previously receiving support from CACCB will continue to be able to do so\" and that the CACCB was communicating with other children's advocacy centers to ensure new children and families are served.

Nelson told the court that in 2024 CACCB \"provided services to over a thousand children across 10 counties, including 525 children from Nueces County, the majority of whom reside in Corpus Christi.\" She said the matter was still under review and that the CACCB would issue an updated statement after the review was completed.

Ending

Court members received the statement as public comment; no formal action was taken at the meeting. Court staff and the DA's office were described in the statement as parties in ongoing coordination to restore the county's designated service relationship if and when corrective steps are accepted.","The Children's Advocacy Center of the Coastal Bend (CACCB) notified the court that the center was removed from its designated service area effective April 22; CACCB said it is coordinating with other centers and the District Attorney's Office to maintain services for children.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Nueces County commissioners unanimously oppose House Bill 19, authorize judge to sign joint opposition letter

Commissioners receive legislative updates; court instructed lobbyists to keep court informed and may authorize judge to act on urgent items

Children's Advocacy Center of the Coastal Bend removed from designated service area; local center says children will continue to be served