An incumbent Hays County commissioner announced he is forgoing a second reelection bid when his term expires in 2018.
Ray Whisenant, a Dripping Springs native who was first elected as the Pct. 4 commissioner in 2010 and was reelected in 2014, said Tuesday he does not intend to run again.
His announcement paves the way for Republican candidate Walt Smith, who so far is the only person who’s filed to run for the Pct. 4 seat.
Smith, a Dripping Springs resident who has served as CEO for the National Association of Agriculture and Food Policy, has been endorsed by Whisenant, according to a press release.
Smith has served on a variety of community leadership positions including the Dripping Springs Education Foundation Board of Directors and Leadership Dripping Springs Steering Committee.
He also has served as convention delegate for the Hays County Republican Party.
“I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and fight for our county’s future. My focus will be on low property taxes, conservative budgets, safer roads and highways, top quality public safety, and a vibrant local economy,” said Smith in a statement.
Meanwhile, a longtime county official and a political newcomer have already tossed their hats into the ring for the Pct. 3 commissioner’s seat.
Colin McFerrin, a U.S. Air Force veteran and Texas A&M graduate from Wimberley, has filed to run as a Republican candidate for the Pct. 3 seat against acting commissioner Lon Shell.
McFerrin, who announced his candidacy Nov. 6, chose to run due to the county’s skyrocketing debt and high taxes, according to a press release.
McFerrin, who attended the Wesleyan School of Law after discharging from the Air Force, said he plans to oppose Shell on the county’s debt ceiling and its high tax rate.
“I offer my candidacy as a conservative choice for voters to end the tricks our county has been playing with effective tax rates,” McFerrin said.
McFerrin is the first candidate to file against Shell, who was appointed to the Pct. 3 seat after former commissioner Will Conley filed to run for County Judge.
Shell, also a Republican, graduated from San Marcos High and went on to Texas A&M, where he received his degree in Mechanical Engineering.
He currently serves as the president of the San Marcos Hays County EMS board of directors and is on the steering committee for the Greater San Marcos Partnership’s Vision 2020 plan.
The deadline to file for the 2018 election is Dec. 11. Primaries for the Nov. 2018 election will be held in March.
