Jody Rutherford running for Bandera County Commissioner, Precinct 4

Editor’s Note: The following is an election announcement for the local candidate. The Bulletin grants local candidates on election announcement free of charge, with all following election materials charged an ad fee.

My name is Jody Rutherford and I am announcing for re-election to the office of County Commissioner, Precinct 4, Bandera County. My wife, Carolyn, and I have lived in Bandera County for the past 34 years, and I have worked in Bandera County for over 60 years.

Seven years ago I decided to seek this office because of some issues I felt needed to be addressed for residents of Bandera County. I believed that the children in 4-H deserved a contract with Bandera County so they could retain control of their Show Barn facility. We accomplished this.

I also was very concerned about the Hotel Occupancy Tax money and how it was being distributed. I requested an audit and financial accounting for these substantial amounts of funds. As a result, an outside audit was conducted and a quarterly report of expenditures is given to Commissioners Court.

I also envisioned a Bandera County Visitors’ Center to be funded with Hotel Occupancy Tax money and this is proceeding as a project at this time. I want to say that Bandera County Visitors’ Bureau with Patricia Moore, Executive Director and the Board of Directors are doing a great job of advertising and promoting Bandera County.

With personal experience in starting a recycling program for Utopia, I was able to get several thousands of dollars in grants for new large bailers to add onto our recycling barn at Mansfield Park and with a grant from Bandera Electric Co-op, was able to upgrade the electricity to the bailers. We are not recycling currently due to the Covid 19 pandemic, but hope to start recycling again once the pandemic subsides. Due to the upgrades made in recycling we now have contracts with Keep Texas Beautiful to move large trailer truck loads of product to prevent us from having to continue to pay shipping charges.

I served 17 years on Utopia ISD School Board and also served as a Board member on the first Rural Health Initiative for MRGDC. This provided indigent health care to underserved areas in southwest Texas. I have extensive background in Emergency Medical Services, having co-founded Utopia EMS and assisted in co-founding several other rural volunteer EMS programs in southwest Texas. I was also a certified EMT, later upgrading to Paramedic, and became the first certified Course Coordinator/Instructor in rural southwest Texas.

I was a volunteer firefighter for 50 years, including 35 years as Utopia Fire Chief. My wife and I researched and organized the drive for starting an Emergency Services District in the west end of Bandera County. This is the only ESD in Texas with service in four counties.

I am Bandera County Commissioners Court Liaison to EMS and have worked since elected to purchase standardized ambulance units with the same trucks, boxes, and equipment in all units. This is an over five-year plan to save Bandera County taxpayer money by being able to remount units with new trucks and old boxes one time each, which is a savings of over $150,000 per unit.

The EMS buildings being used by Bandera County EMS were no longer suitable to house ambulances and 24-hour ambulance crews. The new building, located on Highway 16, is a state of the art facility to house our EMS employees and their equipment.

Since I was elected I have worked with Commissioner Eliker, Commissioner Precinct 1 and others to secure offsite funds from TxDOT to replace the low water crossing at English Crossing with a new bridge to prevent English Crossing from being closed for several weeks at a time after flooding events. This project is scheduled to begin in the summer of 2022.

I am actively seeking funding to improve the San Julian Creek Crossing at Whartons Dock Rd.

I enjoy representing all of my constituents of Precinct 4 and all of Bandera County. I make myself available to answer all calls 24 hours a day, and respond to emails, voicemails and letters from not only Precinct 4 constituents but any person in Bandera County. I attempt to answer any questions asked of me or to refer them to the appropriate source to answer their questions satisfactorily.

I am a conservative, BUT I do not vote to withhold funding from needed projects that promote the health and safety of the people of this county. I appreciate and thank you for your support and your vote in my campaign for re-election for Precinct 4 Commissioner