Meet the candidates seeking two Bastrop County Commissioners Court seats on Election Day

Andy Sevilla, Austin American-Statesman
·6 min read

Four candidates are vying for two Bastrop County Commissioners Court seats in the November general election, with one incumbent drawing a challenger and two others seeking an open seat.

Precinct 2 Commissioner Clara Beckett, a Republican who has served in the office since being elected in 2002, is being challenged by Democrat Willy Culberson.

For the Precinct 4 office, which is being vacated by Donna Snowden, who decided against seeking reelection, Democrat Cheryl Reese will face off against Republican David Glass.

The Commissioners Court, which is chaired by the county judge, is the county’s governing body.

Beckett, 56, the longest-serving member currently on the court, said that the Precinct 2 office needs strong leadership and that she’s a proven leader. She is the court’s liaison to development services; is a representative with the Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization, the regional transportation planning group; and serves on numerous committees tasked with updating the county’s flood plain orders, subdivision regulations, capital improvement projects, and road and bridge improvements.

“With solid education and experience, I believe I am the best candidate,” Beckett said.

Early votingHere's what you need to cast your ballot in Central Texas.

Culberson, 72, said he’s seeking the Precinct 2 office because he wants to work toward smarter growth, including maintaining and improving roads, land and bridges; bringing broadband high-speed internet services to the county; and actively listening to residents' needs to find solutions.

“I grew up in the rural area of the county, and I understand the importance of maintaining the infrastructure of the county as a whole,” Culberson said. “I also understand that growth is coming to Bastrop County, and we must plan for the growth but at the same time protect the rural areas, farm and ranch lands while preserving our precious groundwater, rivers and streams. I will work with our citizens and developers to ensure all interests are considered and protected.”

For Beckett, the biggest challenge the county is facing is local and regional transportation.

“We must be clearly focused on ensuring we are preparing for the future in terms of solid transportation planning efforts that allow us to require right-of-way dedication from developers, requiring traffic impact analysis and other tools to ensure we are preparing for future transportation needs,” she said.

She said the county’s development services department is continuously updating processes and procedures to ensure growth is managed properly.

“Counties have limited authority in Texas, but there are tools in the toolbox that we need to utilize to ensure growth does not bring burden to the current taxpayers,” Beckett said.

The county also is pursuing all available grants, particularly federal money earmarked for fire and flood disasters and mitigation efforts, she said, adding that over the past 12 years, the county has brought in about $100 million in federal funding to make the area more resilient to disasters.

“We don’t need to put things back the way they were; we need to put things back that are more resilient to future events,” Beckett said. “This is a passion of mine.”

Culberson said he wants to improve roads by coating them with surfaces that reduce dust but do not create health hazards, and establish pathways for traffic relief, particularly during disasters and other emergencies.

He wants to attract smart growth by having high-speed broadband internet available in the county to address communication and social connectivity and upgrade educational resources.

He said he also wants to listen and respond to residents’ needs and encourage, create and keep an open and active dialogue as a community.

“My priorities will be accomplished by my proven ability to organize and implement projects,” Culberson said. “I am a board member on many organizations, which will keep me apprised of new updates and developments within Bastrop County. I will wisely utilize the tax monies and pursue available grants as well as develop relationships with organizations to accomplish these goals.”

What's on the ballot?Ultimate election guide to 2022 Austin-area races

Precinct 4 race

Reese, 59, a former Bastrop County Democratic Party chair who ran unsuccessfully for the Precinct 4 office in 2020, said, if elected, she will be a full-time commissioner who will address residents’ concerns, will look out for the community’s best interest, is a visionary who will help plan and manage growth, and is a champion for infrastructure improvements, business recruitment and health care accessibility.

“I care about the community because I am part of the community,” she said. “The community’s concerns are my concerns. I have been working in the community all my life to help bring about change. I have seen many pressing problems go unaddressed, everything from educational needs in our schools to unsafe county roads and health care. I will listen to the residents, and I will use my skills and experience to find solutions rather than make excuses.”

Glass did not respond to questions submitted to him.

Reese said she wants the county to be prepared for and adapt well to population growth. She said she will advocate for a five-year plan to expand infrastructure and services throughout the county, including plans for safe county roads, expanded emergency medical services, more health care services for children and seniors, and expanded business growth and development.

“We should be actively encouraging new businesses that bring jobs and add to our tax base to move here,” she said. “We must make it a priority to provide adequate internet services throughout the county. I would also like to study the possibility of a Metro rail service from Smithville, McDade, Elgin, Cedar Creek and downtown Bastrop to Austin. Lastly, I would like to see transparency in our processes for how we involve the community and spend tax dollars.”

Early voting in the general election will run through Nov. 4. Election Day is Nov. 8.

About the candidates

Clara Beckett

  • Education: Bachelor's degree in construction engineering, Texas Tech University.

  • Professional experience: Precinct 2 county commissioner.

  • Civic engagement: Serves on government boards.

Willy Culberson

  • Education: Bachelor's degree in psychology, University of Houston.

  • Professional experience: Military officer CW4; commercial pilot airplane: rotorcraft helicopter; certified flight instructor; certified night vision goggle instructor.

  • Civic engagement: Serves on board of directors for Smithville Food Pantry, Smithville Community Clinic, Smithville Chamber of Commerce, Smithville Work Force Training Center, Bastrop Accountable Communities & Health Initiative, Smithville Veterans Memorial Park.

Cheryl Reese

  • Education: Bachelor's degree in computer science, Huston-Tillotson University; funeral director certification, San Antonio College.

  • Professional experience: Certified process trainer, Motorola; business analyst, Motorola; certified elections registration administrator, Travis County; voter registration outreach coordinator, Travis County; volunteer deputy registrar program, Travis County; grief ministry, St James Missionary Church.

  • Civic engagement: Chair of Anderson Community Development; Bastrop County Democratic Party chair; COVAC core member for bringing COVID-19 vaccine to Bastrop and surrounding counties; communication director for COVAC; volunteer for COVID-19 hotlines; clothes drive for homeless; volunteer deputy registrar conducting voter registration drives; community volunteer and organizer.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas elections: 4 seek two Bastrop County Commissioners Court seats