Nueces County’s contracted lobbyists and county staff told the Commissioners Court on Jan. 8 they will press a local legislative package as the 2025 Texas Legislature convenes, with a focus on property valuation fixes, water and drainage funding, and items that could affect county authorities.

Patricia Shipton and Joel Romo, representing the county in Austin, summarized the split between the Senate and House and the priorities they expect to pursue. Shipton said the Texas Senate — under the lieutenant governor — shows clarity on priorities including school vouchers, property-tax reductions and border security. The House, she said, remains unsettled because candidates were still lining up for speaker and caucuses are “divided.”

Joel Romo said the county’s draft legislative agenda compiles local input and departmental priorities and that staff would keep the court updated as bills appear; he asked commissioners to flag items they want the lobby team to convert from “monitor” to “support” or “oppose.” Romo and Shipton also said they are tracking roughly 93 bills tied to county interests, with property-tax proposals among the most voluminous.

Commissioners asked lobbyists to press state agencies for funding opportunities — the court singled out the Texas Water Development Board and the General Land Office as useful partners for drainage, colonia and coastal resilience projects. Commissioner Mattis said he wanted the lobbyists to “mine the state agencies a little bit deeper” for grant or appropriation opportunities and to help the county prepare applications and resolutions when omnibus funding bills appear.

Why this matters
- Property valuation and state funding for drainage and colonia infrastructure can bring large capital infusions to local projects and affect county budgets and permitting authority.

What’s next
- The lobbyists will distribute bill tracking to the court and coordinate meetings with the county’s delegation. Commissioners asked for a running list of filed bills that threaten county authority so they can weigh in quickly.

Provenance: Lobbyists’ briefing starts mid-meeting and continues through the legislative Q&A; transcript comments and bill-count remarks anchor the account.