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Commissioner urges Uvalde County to restore unit road system and stop relying on expensive outside contractors
Summary
Commissioner Diana Vela Karun told the court the county appears to be operating like a precinct road system rather than a unit road system, urged hiring a qualified road administrator, and said the county has spent nearly $1 million on outside contracting in five years.
Commissioner Diana Vela Karun addressed the court about road administration and contracting costs, arguing Uvalde County has drifted away from the unit road system voters approved in 1982 and reverted toward a precinct-based model without returning the matter to voters.
Karun said a unit system requires appointing a road administrator capable of preparing specifications and overseeing projects and that the county's current practice of contracting for oversight has cost nearly $1 million over five years. "You need to hire somebody that is very close to having all of those skills without the degree," Karun said, urging the court to consider a permanent in-house administrator rather than continued reliance on outside consultants.
She urged transparency and fiscal discipline, noting the county has increased payments for outside oversight and questioned whether the current model is appropriate given available revenues and contracting costs. Commissioners did not adopt a new policy at the meeting but the comments punctuated broader road and procurement discussions already on the agenda.
