Dispute over countywide grant coordinator role surfaces as judge moves to hire former commissioner

Kendall County Commissioners Court spent prolonged time Tuesday discussing a budget amendment and the supervisory placement of a countywide grant coordinator position after public commenters raised ethics and process concerns about the job posting and recent hiring.

Resident Mike Lucking told the court he supported efforts to oppose battery storage facilities but opposed what he described as hiring a former elected official into a county role. "I do have a problem with holding a position open specifically for an outgoing elected official," Lucking said during public comment and asserted state ethics and revolving-door restrictions could apply. Kathy Moore, a resident and former human resources professional, urged the court to reject a transfer of supervisory jurisdiction from the County Judge to the commissioners because she contended the approved fiscal 2025 budget had placed the position under the judge and cited Texas Local Government Code section 151.004.

County leaders and staff described the history differently. Commissioners and the County Judge said the grant-coordinator line item appeared in the judge's budget earlier in the process and that the judge's office had jurisdiction for day-to-day supervision and office space. The County Judge told the court that he removed communications and creative media duties from the posted job description after discussions in executive session and that the position had since been filled.

"I 100% stick to my word in that executive session," the County Judge said, adding that the hired individual was intended to serve as a grant writer. The judge identified the hire as Christina Bergman, a former Precinct 1 commissioner, and said she would be paid at a lower rate than another part-time grant hire discussed earlier. He said the appointee brought eight years of institutional knowledge and would work with staff across departments.

Commissioner Wiesen and other commissioners expressed concern for a clear supervisory relationship and for the court to have confidence the grant coordinator would serve the entire court's interests. "Who determined where that grant writer position played?" Wiesen asked; the judge and staff said the line appeared under the judge's office in earlier budget drafts and in the adopted budget packet.

Commissioner Wiesen and others also flagged that the public posting had originally included communications and creative media duties in addition to grant-writing tasks, duties some commissioners said were neither discussed in budget hearings nor budgeted (for software, equipment or training). Wiesen said a dedicated grant writer should focus on grants rather than communications.

No formal vote on transferring the countywide grant coordinator position or on a budget amendment appears in the transcript. The judge said the job had already been filled and asked the court to give the person a chance to work; several commissioners and former colleagues publicly supported the hire. County staff said human resources had processed the position and that the budget contained the line item, and that a formal budget adjustment would be prepared where required.

The court's discussion closed without a recorded court vote on a transfer of supervisory authority; staff were directed to follow standard budget adjustment procedures for any required line-item changes and return any formal transfer for court action if necessary.