Candidates for Tarrant County judge in November 8 election
Tim O’Hare
Political party (if applicable): Republican
Age as of November 8, 2022: 53
Campaign website: www.electtimohare.com
Occupation: Attorney/Investor and Business Owner
Education: BBA in Finance, The University of Texas at Austin, 1991. Juris Doctor, Southern Methodist University, 1995.
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought):
Tarrant County Republican Party Chairman 2016-18, Farmers Branch Mayor 2008-11, City Councilman 2005-08
Please list highlights of your civic involvement:
My adult life has been marked by service to others. Highlights include: Tarrant County Sheriff’s Civil Service Commission Chair, Mayor, Councilman, Planning & Zoning Commissioner and Zoning Board for Farmers Branch, Rotary Club Past-President, Volunteers of America-Texas Board, Christian Legal Society Past-President, Chairman of Church Personnel Committee, Church Finance Committee Member, Sunday School Teacher, Children’s Ministry Volunteer, Girls’ Youth Soccer and Basketball Coach.
Who are your top three campaign contributors?
Don Woodard, Jr., Hollis Sullivan, Montgomery Bennett
What is the most important distinction between you and your opponent?
I’m a strong supporter of law enforcement, having earned endorsements from the Fort Worth Police Officers Association, Tarrant County Law Enforcement Association, Arlington Police Association, Combined Law Enforcement Agencies of Texas (CLEAT) and many other law enforcement professionals. My opponent has supported defunding the police in Fort Worth, directed people to a website to pay bail for dangerous criminals, and believes police come into her neighborhood in combat mode.
What are the three biggest issues in this race?
Leadership, Property Tax Relief, and Reducing Violent Crime. Tarrant County needs a disciplined, reliable leader as County Judge. We do not need a radical activist who calls for boycotts of our businesses and who claims half the county is racist, like my opponent. We need someone who will work with people from all walks and promote our businesses. Property Taxes are higher than ever before. With record inflation, Tarrant County needs a leader who understands the effect inflation has on families and businesses, not someone who wants to grow government and engage in wasteful spending. We need to actually reduce property taxes, and I have a plan to do it. Violent crime is rising, drugs are entering Tarrant County due to a lack of border security, and human trafficking is increasing. I’m trusted by law enforcement to help them keep our streets safe, reduce crime, and address border security issues affecting our county. My opponent claims an open border is a human right.
What should Tarrant County do to encourage business relocation or development?
There is no question we need high-quality development of our commercial and industrial tax base to ease the tax burden. Most elected officials and business leaders agree the tax base is too reliant on residential properties. I will work with cities and the business community — and I’ve already met with many of them. I will recruit quality businesses and more high-paying jobs to Tarrant County. As a Mayor and City Councilman, I recruited businesses to the community and fostered record economic development. We will also work to retain existing businesses in Tarrant County and encourage investment and expansion. As County Judge, I’ll be a strong supporter of education. The better our Tarrant County education system is, the more attractive we are for relocations and expansion. Tarrant County should be the top choice in the Metroplex for business relocations and will be with lower property taxes and safer streets.
Public health structures have been strained by the COVID pandemic and monkeypox. What is your philosophy on the county public health department? Does it need more or fewer employees? What should its priorities be?
Let’s start with what the public health department is not. It is not a decision-making body. While some counties leaned very heavily on their health departments to determine how to navigate the pandemic, it is a department meant to provide education, information and resources about general health and disease control/prevention. In times of emergency, the health department provides resources and response plans to individuals, businesses, organizations and our local leaders across the county. I’d like for one of the priorities of the health department to be partnering with local organizations to address drug treatment and prevention in Tarrant County as fentanyl becomes more and more common on our streets and in our neighborhoods. As of today, in the entire state of Texas, there have only been 2,514 confirmed cases of monkeypox. In the United States, there have been two deaths — none in Texas. While tragic, it has not “strained public health structures.”
Mental health continues to be a challenge, one that often ends up on the doorsteps of the county jail. What should the county do to provide more or better mental health services?
We need to look for more opportunities to rely on non-profit organizations and the private sector to address mental health needs, and many other needs in Tarrant County. They are already doing the work, and are often better equipped to handle certain jobs better than a government entity. For example, ACH Child and Family Services is a great non-profit resource to handle foster care, adoption, crisis intervention and family services. Another is Alliance for Children, a non-profit agency that has streamlined child abuse investigations in a way that is not only legally defensible but also limits trauma to the victim. Hope Farm is a wonderful non-profit providing literacy and mentoring programs to local impoverished youth without fathers in their homes. As County Judge, I will work with and promote organizations like these to meet challenges in our county. JPS Hospital is a valuable asset to our county, and a much-needed psychiatric emergency facility there will soon be under construction.
What is your view of the size and scope of county government overall and the office you’re seeking? If you would make budget cuts, how would you target them?
There are a number of ways we can reduce the size and scope of government to lower property taxes for homeowners and businesses. First, we eliminate wasteful spending and abuse. We do not need to automatically refill a position every time there is a vacancy. We can save significant dollars by not refilling unneeded positions lost to attrition, as well as by combining job duties when a position opens. In addition, when we have openings, we can look for ways to save money by contracting out positions instead of immediately refilling them with permanent hires. Next, we need to institute zero-based budgeting. Doing so can provide significant savings. Further, we should do a thorough review of every contract entered into by Tarrant County, then seek to reduce the costs of those contracts by 1-2% when it is time to renegotiate. Property taxes are simply too high, and we owe it to our taxpayers to watch costs closely, provide actual tax relief, and run an efficient government.
The Star-Telegram has reported consistently on the conditions at the juvenile detention center and potential defunding of the two juvenile court judges. What is your position on this issue and what do you think needs to be done to improve the criminal justice system for juveniles in the county?
There is a backlog of cases in both the juvenile justice system and the adult criminal justice system. Defunding juvenile court judges will do nothing to alleviate the backlog. It will actually have the opposite effect. Prosecutors and Judges must move cases faster, which will require cooperation from the Defense Bar. Sadly, juvenile violent crime is on the rise. We cannot allow violent offenders back on the streets, even if they are juveniles. When it is appropriate to certify a juvenile to be tried as an adult, before doing so, state law requires the judge to order a psychological evaluation. Currently, these evaluations are taking 3 months to complete. We must get these evaluations completed on a more timely basis. A focused effort to move cases more quickly is needed from all parties. More law enforcement presence in the community, better education opportunities, strong and involved fathers, and mentoring programs will all help reduce juvenile crime.
Tarrant County is growing and developing at a faster rate than it can build and improve roads. What do you think needs to be done to increase the pace and reliance of infrastructure projects across the county?
A $400 million bond was approved by voters last year to address much needed road and highway projects. The process of funding these projects has already begun. I will continue to work with municipalities and the Commissioners Court to prioritize the projects that put the greatest stress on the county. Road and bridge construction should be at the top of the list. Commissioner Gary Fickes, who has endorsed me in this race, is an expert on all things transportation. He is not planning to run for re-election in 2024. My plan is to work closely with Commissioner Fickes over the next two years so I can fill the leadership void he will leave behind on road and highway maintenance and construction when his term ends. Government, by its very nature, tends to move at a slow pace. The importance of good roads for traffic management and economic development cannot be understated. We must be intentional about bringing a more business-like approach to running an efficient, responsive government.
Deborah Peoples
Political party: Democrat
Age as of November 8, 2022: 70
Campaign website: www.deborahfortexas.com
Occupation: Retired
Education: Bachelor of Arts, Texas Woman’s University; Master of Business Administration, M.B.A., Texas Woman’s University
Have you run for elected office before? (Please list previous offices sought):
Tarrant County Democratic Party (2012); Mayor, Fort Worth (2019); Mayor, Fort Worth (2021)
Please list highlights of your civic involvement:
I won my first countywide race over a decade ago becoming Chairwoman of the Tarrant County Democratic Party. It was with the TCDP and my work in public and community service where I got to know the county’s many diverse communities very well. My service on boards like Fort Worth Sister Cities International, The American Red Cross of North Texas, and Sickle Cell Disease Association of Tarrant County allowed me to learn about, and work with, residents from all backgrounds who face common issues.
Who are your top three campaign contributors?
Cornelius Craig - $5,000; Alvin Brown - $5,000; Anne Swensen - $4,600
What is the most important distinction between you and your opponent(s)?
My commitment to work with and for ALL residents of Tarrant County. Tarrant County is a rapidly growing, extremely diverse county with 41 cities and over 2 million residents. My work in communities all over the county has prepared me to work across party lines, ethnic lines, cultural lines , and religious lines to grow our economy, manage infrastructure, bring well paying jobs and create a County welcoming and supportive to all.
What are the three biggest issues in this race?
1. My campaign slogan, ”Tarrant means business,” says it all. By creating an attractive climate, we can attract job creators and grow our economy. Being business friendly will not only bring high paying jobs to the county but will help right size our current tax structure where homeowners carry the burden. The most efficient way to do this is by bolstering our healthcare system and pushing for fully funded education options for our county.
2. We need quality infrastructure. It is critical that residents of our small cities travel to and from work safely and efficiently in order to keep our economy and communities healthy.
3. We must focus on keeping our residents safe through quality health care management and effective public safety. I will ensure this by implementing collaborative and comprehensive healthcare initiatives through management and oversight of county facilities like John Peter Smith Hospital.
What should Tarrant County do to encourage business relocation or development?
In order to grow our business development footprint, we need to cultivate an attractive environment for prospective corporations. As a Vice President of a Fortune 100 Company, I led a team of 5,000+ and evaluated communities like Tarrant on their readiness for job creation. These job creators look for well-educated candidates, sustainable infrastructure to serve their commuting employees, and a reliable healthcare system. I will focus on responsible growth as County Judge and right sizing our unbalanced tax equation.
Public health structures have been strained by the COVID pandemic and monkeypox. What is your philosophy on the county public health department? Does it need more or fewer employees? What should its priorities be?
We need to work extremely closely with our public health system, JPS, and take advantage of their highly skilled physicians to lead us into a healthier county. This includes redistributing resources to public providers that can evaluate their own needs, and the needs of their private partner networks, to identify the gaps that exist within Tarrant County’s healthcare system. The pandemic has made it abundantly clear that our county’s only public health system needs more resources, including equipment, funding, and personnel.
Mental health continues to be a challenge, one that often ends up on the doorsteps of the county jail. What should the county do to provide more or better mental health services?
The County must engage the network of mental health service providers, including our public systems, MHMR and the Tarrant County Homeless Coalition, to work with public safety officials at all levels in the county. The COVID-19 pandemic created a mental health crisis whose impact will be felt for years. Health care providers are seeing a rise in cases of depression and delayed child development caused by social isolation. There is also a perpetual cycle between our homeless population and our county’s inmates that often includes people who are mentally ill. It is key that we bring all of the players to the table to address the root cause of these pattern and create solutions that can actually make a positive difference for those suffering from mental health issues.
What is your view of the size and scope of county government overall and the office you’re seeking? If you would make budget cuts, how would you target them?
As a retired executive of a Fortune 100 company, I know the County Judge and Commissioners must understand the efficiency and effectiveness of every department. After evaluating their impact on residents, we can make adjustments to the budget and reallocate resources where they are most needed. It would be irresponsible to take a blanket slash and eliminate staff and services without understanding how and why every department functions. A great example is the recent look at the county’s solution to overcrowding in the juvenile court system. The County Judge and Commissioners found money was being wasted by absent judges — eliminating waste and holding county employees accountable is essential.
The Star-Telegram has reported consistently on the conditions at the juvenile detention center and potential defunding of the two juvenile court judges. What is your position on this issue and what do you think needs to be done to improve the criminal justice system for juveniles in the county?
We must hold employees accountable to their roles and responsibilities in order to maintain efficient and effective operations across departments. When we find waste and mismanagement, the Judge and Commissioners must be not only good stewards of the county’s revenues but the treatment of our residents. That means working with, and reviewing the work, being done at the Tarrant County Juvenile Board. There needs to be clear expectations and goals set for handling cases as well as implementing a transparent oversight review system. We cannot remedy bad performance by simply eliminating, or defunding, the position. We need to hold these employees to the same standards we hold any other county employee by removing them from their position and replacing them with employees willing to do the work.
Tarrant County is growing and developing at a faster rate than it can build and improve roads. What do you think needs to be done to increase the pace and reliance of infrastructure projects across the county?
This is where my experience in reaching across the aisle will be beneficial. We must work with County Commissioners, city officials, and public and private entities in order to create a regional transportation plan sufficient to serving the entire Tarrant County. When we all leave our silos, and the stakeholders come to the table, we can work together to deliver an effective solution in a timely manner. We also need to be forward-looking and anticipate the need for future infrastructure to serve our rapidly growing population.
