The Misleading Claim: Recent campaign materials have created confusion by incorrectly asserting that my administration proposed an 11.2% tax increase.

The Documented Facts: This claim is confusing Total Tax Revenue (which increases when new buildings are built) with the Tax Rate (what property owners actually pay). The "11.2%" figure is a manipulation of the data, not a reflection of your tax bill.

Gillespie County Property Tax Rate History - see full history here: https://gillespiecad.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Historical-Tax-Rates-2025.pdf

• The year before I took office - Tax Year 2022: The total tax rate was set at $0.3326 per $100 of valuation.

• My 1st year in office - Tax Year 2023: The total tax rate was set at $0.2796 per $100 of valuation

• My 2nd year in office - Tax Year 2024: The total tax rate was set at $0.2685 per $100 of valuation

• My 3rd year in office - Tax Year 2025: The total tax rate was set at $0.2685 per $100 of valuation

• The "Revenue" vs. "Rate" Trick: That 11.2 proposed percentage did not refer to a tax rate increase on your home. It referred to an increase in Total Tax Revenue.

• Where the Money Comes From: That tax revenue increase is driven by New Property—new homes, businesses, and developments that were added to the tax roll for the first time this year. The County collects more total tax revenue because there are more people and buildings in Gillespie County paying taxes, not because we hiked the tax rate on existing homeowners by 11.2%. We utilize that new property growth to fund necessary services without burdening existing taxpayers.

• The 3.5% Legal Cap: Under Texas law, counties are capped at a 3.5% revenue increase on existing property. If a county wants to raise the tax rate higher than that 3.5%, they must hold an election and get permission from the voters.

The Misleading Claim: Opponents are suggesting that county leadership has ignored financial oversight or that county funds are being mismanaged.

The Documented Facts: The County Treasurer —an independently elected official—had fallen approximately 24 months behind on reconciling bank deposits. As County Judge, I have no legal authority to hire, fire, or manage the daily operations of the County Treasurer, nor can I legally "take over" their statutory duties to reconcile accounts. By statute, the duty to reconcile County accounts belongs exclusively to the County Treasurer you elect to hold that office.

However, once this backlog was identified, the Commissioners Court did not ignore it. We took immediate, documented action to support the County Treasurer, providing funding for professional outside resources to the Treasurer's office to help that office move forward with the reconciliation of these accounts.

The following timeline outlines the actions taken regarding the Gillespie County Treasurer’s Office and the bank reconciliation backlog:

2023

• November 9: Vicki Schmidt takes office as the Gillespie County Treasurer. Upon taking the oath of office, she inherits an office with no written policies and little institutional knowledge in place.

• Shortly After: Judge Jones personally contacts the Texas Association of Counties seeking guidance, mentorship, and support for the Treasurer's Office.

• 4th Quarter: The County incurs penalty for IRS payroll tax submissions that are made one to four days late.

2024

• 1st Quarter: The County incurs a second penalty for IRS payroll tax submissions made one to four days late.

• March 15: The County Auditor recommends that the Commissioners Court engage an external CPA firm to assist the County Treasurer’s office.

• May 13: The Commissioners Court approves an agreement with Eide Bailly, an outside CPA firm, to assist the Treasurer with the reconciliation process.

• Throughout 2024: The County Auditor’s Office performs ongoing reviews of monthly deposits and expenditures against bank data to ensure no evidence of fraud or missing funds exists during the backlog.

2025

• February 28: Recognizing that the process requires more "hands-on" internal help, the Commissioners Court approves an independent contractor agreement with a CPA to work on-site within the Treasurer’s Office.

  Current Status:

  • The Treasurer’s Office has completed bank reconciliations through April 2024.

  • The County Auditor has found no evidence of fraud, misappropriation, or missing public funds related to the delayed reconciliations.

  • The County remains up-to-date on all payroll tax submissions.

The Misleading Claim: Opponents are suggesting that county finances have not had any financial audit in over 2 years.

The Documented Facts: Gillespie County is not "Unaudited". The County Auditor (an independent internal auditor not under the oversight of the Commissioners Court) audits the County’s financial activity continuously to maintain the integrity of financial administration of the County. Due to the presence of the independent County Auditor, external audits are not mandatory for Gillespie County.

However, Gillespie County obtains external audits for grant reporting purposes. There have been 2 external audits delayed due to the County Treasurer’s delayed reconciliations. An audit cannot be performed on books that have not been reconciled. The delay is not caused by a lack of funding or oversight, but because the County Treasurer has not yet produced the necessary records.

The Misleading Claim: Claims are circulating that the county has “made a deal” with out-of-town energy companies or is otherwise allowing out-of-town energy companies to bypass local environmental and safety regulations.

The Documented Facts: The Gillespie County Commissioners Court enforces all local ordinances to protect our citizens, our economy, and our natural resources. There are no special deals or incentives being extended to any proposed BESS project in GIllespie County.

Starting in February of 2025, the Gillespie County Commissioners Court has taken the following action regarding the Rogers Draw (Harper) and Marshall Springs Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) projects.

Public access to many documents demonstrating the actions below can be found at https://www.gillespiecounty.gov/1372/Gillespie-County-BESS-Information

2025

• February 24: Gillespie County Commissioners approved a Resolution opposing the development of all Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) in the County.

• February 24: Gillespie County Commissioners approved a Resolution Requiring Harper BESS Documentation Requirements for the NFPA (Fire Code) specifically for the Rogers Draw project.

• August 20: The County retained an Outside Engineer firm with special expertise in combustion, fire dynamics, battery systems, explosions and risk.

• October 24: The County issued a Compliance Letter regarding the Harper project.

• October 31: The County retained Outside Legal Counsel regarding the Rogers Draw (Harper) and Marshall Springs Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) projects.

• November 3: The County approved a Resolution Requiring Marshall Springs Solar Complex and BESS Documentation Requirements, extending flood plain and fire code oversight to the second major proposed project.

• November 12: The County issued the First Amendment to the Resolution Requiring Harper BESS Documentation Requirements.

• November 25: * Legal Action: Gillespie County officially filed a Petition to Intervene in a lawsuit opposing the Harper BESS facility to protect local resources and citizens.

• December 1: The County sent a Notice Letter to AMPYR Energy regarding the applicability of the Gillespie County Flood Damage Prevention Ordinance to the Marshall Springs project.

• December 5: The County issued a Notice of Stop Work Order to Peregrine Energy Solutions, LLC for the Rogers Draw BESS project.

• December 10: The County issued a Second Notice of Stop Work Order to Peregrine Energy Solutions, LLC for the Rogers Draw BESS project.

2026

• January 14: An agreement was reached regarding a Temporary Injunction to temporarily stop any further construction for the Rogers Draw BESS project pending a final trial in the matter.

General/Ongoing Actions

• Opposition Resolution: The Gillespie County Commissioners signed a formal resolution opposing the development of BESS within the county.

• Legislative Support: The County formally supported legislation introduced by State Representatives aimed at giving local governments more regulatory power over siting of battery energy storage facilities.

• Monitoring: The County established an Online BESS Reporting Form for citizens to report safety violations, environmental concerns, or contractor misconduct.

• 391 Commission: The County is a member of three county commission to ensure the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Kendall, Kerr, and Gillespie Counties as a result of concerns raised regarding potentially hazardous battery storage system facilities being planned for installation in our counties.

The Misleading Claim: The County has been sued by a multi-million dollar energy company, putting taxpayers at risk.

The Documented Facts: The County voluntarily intervened in a BESS related lawsuit to protect the public safety . The BESS developer filed a counterclaim against the County for Declaratory and Injunctive Relief. This means they are asking the judge for a "declaration" that they have the legal right to proceed with the construction of the Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) facility without complying with certain County regulations (commonly referred to as being “grandfathered”) and that Gillespie County lacks the authority to stop or interfere with the project. The counterclaim does not seek traditional monetary damages such as lost profits or business value.

https://www.gillespiecounty.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2193/Defendant-Rogers-Draw-Plea-to-the-Jurisdiction-General-Denial-Counterclaims-and-Request-for-Temporary-and-Permanent-Injunctive-Relief-PDF?bidId=

Gillespie County has formally answered these counterclaims, asserting governmental immunity and arguing that its intervention is a lawful exercise of its police power to protect the public safety.

https://www.gillespiecounty.gov/DocumentCenter/View/2194/Gillespie-Countys-Answer-to-Rogers-Draw-Energy-Storage-LLCs-Counterclaims-PDF?bidId=

Below is a message from Gillespie County resident Cullen Eckert concerning allegations made in political ads.

Mr. Eckert’s contact information is cullen.eckert@gmail.com.

“Friends and Family, information being circulated about the County Judge election by a political ad paid for by Bruce and Brenda Nichols is filled with half‑truths, and libelous, purposefully misleading, statements. If someone has to mislead the public to get Esther Quisenberry Schneider from Las Vegas elected as the county Judge, that alone should raise concerns.

I'm reaching out to voice my support to re-elect Daniel Jones for County Judge. There have been steps forward in fighting the BESS facilities and I believe Jones is our best bet to legally fight and stop these developments.

I'd be happy to discuss the falsities in the claims that are being made, especially against Melissa (our County Engineer), since the facts of her involvement are being purposefully twisted for political gain. My best understanding of the truth behind these claims are below. You can stay updated with factual information by visiting https://www.judgejones.org.

Please share this message and my contact info with your friends and family so we can bring integrity back into this election. Early voting starts Feb 17 and Election Day is March 3.”