Accomplishments
- Roads
- Public Safety
- Parks and Conservation
- Long-term Transportation
- Quality of Life
- Property Tax Relief
Roads
Making our roads safer has been one of Commissioner Conley’s top priorities. Since taking office, Commissioner Conley has widened lanes, added safety enhancements, and re-paved major and neighborhood roadways throughout San Marcos and the Wimberley Valley. In a landmark achievement for Hays County, Commissioner Conley successfully negotiated $133 million in state funding to improve roadways in Hays County. These funds are improving the safety and efficiency of Hays County’s road system for the long term. Commissioner Conley also secured a state grant to install new high-tech warning systems at dangerous low-water crossings and moved high-risk roadways out of flood prone areas. By ensuring the safety and quality of Hays County’s roadways, Commissioner Conley is keeping drivers safe and promoting our quality of life.
Public Safety
Commissioner Conley has worked hard to provide for Hays County’s public safety needs. Fighting to better fund the Hays County Sheriff’s Department, Commissioner Conley supported a much needed pay raise for deputies. He also sponsored and passed the Bulletproof Vest Partnership Program to give our law enforcement officers the safety equipment they deserve. By better supporting the sheriff’s department, Commissioner Conley has been able to increase law enforcement presence in the community. Additionally, Commissioner Conley awarded the Wimberley EMS their longest contract extension in recent history and provided a facility to support the efforts of local emergency services volunteers. He also sponsored a drug-free program in area schools and partnered with local law enforcement and school leaders to offer resource officers to school campuses. Together with his safer roads initiatives, Commissioner Conley is making Hays County one of the safest communities in the State of Texas.
Parks and Conservation
By improving Hays County’s recreational parks and conserving our natural resources, Commissioner Conley is securing Hays County’s natural beauty and livability for the future. Throughout San Marcos and the Wimberley Valley, Commissioner Conley improved the safety and amenities of recreational parks. Working with officials from the City of San Marcos and Texas State University, Commissioner Conley helped to preserve Spring Lake in the heart of San Marcos, protecting more than a hundred acres over the Edwards Aquifer Recharge Zone. Commissioner Conley also secured $2 million to develop the Blue Hole Regional Park and a grant to establish the first major hike and bike trail in the Wimberley area. Believing that Hays County’s natural beauty should be preserved for future generations, Commissioner Conley has been the leading advocate for natural resource conservation in local government. Commissioner Conley secured $3 million to create the Jacob’s Well Land Trust, a new initiative that will protect water quality, establish a new conservation learning center, and preserve a natural treasure for future generations. Commissioner Conley also obtained a $750,000 federal grant to establish the Hays County Habitat Conservation Plan and funded research efforts for the Hays Trinity Groundwater Conservation District.
Long-Term Transportation
As the I-35 corridor continues to grow, Commissioner Conley believes that Hays County must be proactive in reaching long-term transportation solutions. To avoid a future of crowded and unsafe roadways, Commissioner Conley advocates building new roads and upgrading current roads to handle an increasing number of drivers. In a landmark achievement for Hays County, Commissioner Conley negotiated $133 million in state funding to jump-start major road improvements all across the county. Commissioner Conley built new bypasses and overpasses, adapted state road plans to better meet the needs of Hays County residents, and is working to move train traffic outside of cities. As chairman of the Capitol Area Regional Transportation Planning Organization, Commissioner Conley represents our transportation interests on a regional level. Also a board member of the Austin-San Antonio Intermunicipal Commuter Rail District, Commissioner Conley is working with other Central Texas officials to link San Marcos into a new, high speed regional commuter rail system along the I-35 corridor and make Hays County a shining star in forward-thinking transportation solutions.
Quality of Life
Quality of life includes many elements: safe roads, low crime, quality parks and open spaces, and a thriving local economy. Commissioner Conley has worked hard to enhance the quality of life of Hays County residents. In addition to his safer roads and public safety initiatives, Commissioner Conley has strengthened Hays County’s local economy by attracting a major convention center to San Marcos and bringing higher paying jobs to the county. Additionally, Commissioner Conley has improved county parks and overhauled county development codes to ensure that future growth benefits our community. Commissioner Conley was instrumental in preserving Spring Lake in San Marcos and secured $2 million in funding to develop the Blue Hole Regional Park, including new recreational facilities, an outdoor theater, and walking trails. By working to improve our roads and parks, strengthen our local economy, and promote public safety, Commissioner Conley is securing Hays County’s quality of life for years to come.
Property Tax Relief
By cutting wasteful spending, local government can focus on what really matters to Hays County residents. Commissioner Conley advocates balanced budgets, opposes wasteful spending, and has never supported a tax rate increase. In fact, Commissioner Conley has fought to lower the tax rate for homeowners, doubled the homestead exemption for senior citizens on fixed incomes, and created a new homestead exemption for the disabled. A local small businessman, Commissioner Conley brings real world experience to county government. Securing millions of dollars in outside grants, Commissioner Conley’s common sense approach to county finances is providing better services for Hays County residents while providing much-needed tax relief to homeowners.