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Jack Griesenbeck, Bastrop County political leader, dead at age 93

Tuesday, December 21st, 2010

Bastrop, Tx–Jack Griesenbeck, a dynamic leader in Bastrop and Bastrop County public affairs during three decades, died Dec. 21 following a brief illness. He was 93.

Funeral plans were not immediately announced.

A Bastrop native, Griesenbeck and his wife Ruby opened an appliance sales and repair shop on Main Street following his service during World War II. He rose to political prominence following his election to the city council in 1963. That was followed (1964-66) by a term in the mayor’s chair before he won election as county judge, a post he held from 1967 to 1982 and again in 1984-86.

The Griesenbeck years were marked by conservative fiscal policies and innovative programs aimed to promote growth and development, often aided by federal programs and initiatives. As mayor and county judge Griesenbeck was active in creation of the Bastrop Housing Authority, Bastrop Hospital Authority, Smithville Airport, Aqua Water Supply Corp. and Combined Community Action, a local agency that administers a variety of federal programs in the area.

He was also active in the formation of the Capital Area Council of Governments, serving as its first executive board chairman, as well as a related spin-off organization, the Capital Area Housing Finance Corp. As county judge Griesenbeck also expended significant political capital, in the face of some popular opposition, to bring a federal prison to Bastrop on a site formerly part of the World War II Army training camp at Camp Swift.

Veteran political observers say his achievements include building a formidable coalition of supporters and allies extending from Washington, DC to Austin, to local bankers, other business owners and power brokers while including a web of support which extended to every part of Bastrop County and across racial and ethnic lines.

In his later years the retired judge was especially proud of his role in launching Aqua Water which extended retail water service to rural areas of Bastrop County and paved the way for significant population and business growth in the decades since. “Aqua opened up the county to development,” said former Bastrop mayor David Lock, who noted that water supply was a significant growth restraint especially in western and southern parts of Bastrop County for many years.

Griesenbeck is survived by his wife, Ruby; two children, William Griesenbeck and Jo Ann Cantrell; and a number of grandchildren.

Posted in Bastrop City, Bastrop County, Local Politics | No Comments »

Bastrop County incumbents hammered by GOP surge

Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010

Bastrop, Tx–Bastrop County Republicans knocked open a few more Courthouse doors in Tuesday’s local elections, shoving aside Democratic incumbents seeking re-election as county treasurer, district court clerk and justice of the peace for Pct. 1.

Two other incumbents, both veteran Courthouse Democrats, turned aside GOP challengers at the same time, however.

Sarah Loucks, in her second run for the office, edged incumbent Cathy Smith out of the district court clerk’s office by a vote of 9,923 to 8,482. Laurie Ingram also unseated incumbent county treasurer Kathie Schroeder by 9,788 to 8,850.

First term Democratic Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace Bill Weddle was ousted by Republican challenger Donna Van Gilder by a 3,087 to 2,639 vote.

At the same time veteran County Clerk Rose Pietsch survived a challenge by Republican Jason Ledlie. The vote was 9,898 to 8,418.

And in Elgin, Pct. 4 Commissioner Lee Dildy, a Democrat, was re-elected to a sixth four-year term over challenger David “Rocky” Palmquist by a vote of 2,274 to 1,712. As recently as last week, Dildy got an unusual boost from a published endorsement from Pct. 2 Commissioner Clara Beckett, a Republican.

In another closely watched election contest Tuesday, voters in the Elgin school district agreed to join the Austin Community College tax district, while voters in the Bastrop school district said no to the same issue. McDade school district voters also turned down the ACC opening.

Posted in Bastrop County, Local Politics | No Comments »

Bastrop charter review panel hears public input

Monday, May 17th, 2010

Bastrop, Tx–A May 13 hearing on possible changes to the city’s home rule charter drew a full house to City Hall, and the assembly voiced distinct views on what they’d like to see go before voters, possibly in November.

In recent weeks, Council Member Kenneth Kesselus has been leading a panel of former officials and other residents in a detailed review of the 2002 city charter with a view to suggesting possible amendments to the city council. Only the council can put particular changes before voters in a future referendum, said Kesselus.

The crowd at the hearing liked some of the committee’s tentative suggestions–retaining the current limit of six years continuous service on the council and the mayor’s office, for one. Another topic also struck a responsive chord–extending council terms to three years instead of the present two years.

Other possible changes which drew comments included adding a sixth council member to the present five and a provision allowing the mayor to vote on all issues coming before the council. Presently the mayor can only vote to break a tie.

The sharpest division of opinion arose over whether to call for council members to be elected from single-member geographic districts. Presently all five council members and the mayor are elected from the city at large. A number of those attending the hearing vigorously called for single-member districts. Members of the charter review committee were reluctant to endorse such a move, citing both technical difficulties and other considerations, especially before results of the 2010 US Census are released.

One line of argument suggested that it might be difficult to draw districts of roughly equal population which would not also diminish the potential for Hispanic and African-American residents to be elected to council seats, as required by the US Voting Rights Act and related court decisions. For more than two decades under the at-large election system the city council has included almost continuously both at least one African-American and one Hispanic representative.

Single-member district proponents noted that every member of the present city council lives in an area bounded on the west by the Colorado River and on the north and east by the Union Pacific Railroad. Areas including Tahitian Village, Riverside Grove and Hunters Crossing are not represented on the present council.

Kesselus said the study committee will draft its recommendations in time for the council to review their work and call for a November referendum.

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Insurgents take over Tahitian water, road board

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

Bastrop, Tx–A unified slate of candidates seized control of the Tahitian Village water and road district board May 8 in Bastrop, winning election to three of five seats.

The winning candidates include former Bastrop city councilman John Creamer, Bastrop Planning and Zoning Commission member Christy Kossser and veteran political activist Vic Gonzalez.

The Bastrop County Water Control and Improvement District No. 2, which covers the 7,000-lot Tahitian Village subdivision from the southeast sector of Bastrop into adjoining parts of Bastrop County to the Colorado River, oversees water, sewer and road improvement services in the area.

The insurgent campaign raised questions about recent administrative oversight of the district’s affairs as well as road and street improvement plans and execution.

Holdover board members include Bastrop surveyor Dale Olson and businessman Stan Wellso.

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Bastrop school district incumbents squeak back in

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

Bastrop, Tx–By narrow margins two Bastrop school trustees were returned to office in elections May 8. An open seat was overwhelmingly carried by a newcomer to local politics.

Linda Apostalo won 1,195 votes to swamp Gary Jefferson’s 413 votes for the Place 6 school board seat formerly held by Sophia Williams, who did not seek re-election this year.

In Place 5, however, incumbent Glenn Peterson narrowly won re-election with 837 votes, nine ballots ahead of challenger Carol Armstrong, a Bastrop accountant.

A three-way race for the Place 7 seat was almost as close. Incumbent trustee Jim Mills won 653 votes, just over 38 percent of the total, to lead challengers Kelly Bender (503 votes) and Jim Clark (547 votes).

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Bastrop council incumbent sails to victory

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

Bastrop, Tx–City voters were in no mood for change when they went to the polls May 8 to decide a disputed seat on the city council.

Incumbent Joe Beal was handily re-elected to a second two-year term with 436 votes, almost 62 percent of the total turnout. Challenger Bob Parmelee had made a name for himself over the past year as an activist in the so-called tea party movement. His campaign appealed to voters who felt “over-taxed and under-represented” in city affairs.
Parmelee, who lives in the Tahitian Village subdivision on Bastrop’s southeast side, also noted in campaign materials that currently the mayor and all five sitting council members live in the city’s historic central core on the east bank of the Colorado River.

Mayor Terry Orr and Council Member Julie Hart were also elected to second terms in office May 8. Neither had opponents this year.

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7 seek 3 Bastrop school trustee seats

Friday, March 12th, 2010

Bastrop, Tx–Voters in the Bastrop school district will select three school trustees May 8 from seven candidates.

Two incumbents will be on the ballot, but one current board member is not seeking another term in office.

For the Place 5 seat, Trustee Glenn Peterson is standing for re-election. He is being challenged by Carol Armstrong.

In Place 6, veteran Board Member Sophia Willisams declined running for another term. Gary Jefferson and Linda Apostalo both want the post.

For the Place 7 seat, incumbent Jim Mills is facing two contenders, Kelly Bender and Jim Clark who has sought election twice in the past.

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Bastrop city council contest launched

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

Bastrop, Tx–Almost at the last minute March 8, Bastrop City Council Member Joe Beal drew an opponent for re-election to a second two-year term.

The filing deadline was 5 p.m. yesterday, and after 4 p.m. Tahitian Village resident Bob Parmelee appeared at City Hall on Main Street to file for a place on the May council ballot.

Previously only Beal, Mayor Terry Orr and Council Member Julie Hart had filed for places on the ballot. All three were first elected to office in 2008.

Over the past year Parmelee has emerged as an outspoken participant in various so-called Tea Party politicanl events in Bastrop and Travis County. Last fall he was ejected from Kerr Community Center in Bastrop for being disruptive during a gathering which featured US Congressman Lloyd Doggett, a Democrat.

Beal is a former general manager of the Lower Colorado River Authority. Previously he served on Bastrop’s Planning and Zoning Commission.

Posted in Bastrop City Council, Local Politics | 1 Comment »

Local Republicans flood polls to pick candidates

Tuesday, March 2nd, 2010

Bastrop, Tx–GOP voters swamped polling places in Bastrop County today in party primary elections to select nominees for local, state and federal offices, delaying the final tally to name winners, losers and runoff hopefuls.

Democratic ballots were fully counted and winners determined by about 10:30 p.m., with party voters favoring the two incumbents who had primary opponents.

Republican poll watchers were still waiting for the final ballots to be counted at 11 p.m. Some GOP polling places ran out of printed ballots and voters were forced to fill out makeshift ballots which were then transferred to a form which could be counted by an optical scanner, officials said.

Incumbent GOP County Commissioner Clara Beckett in Pct. 2 seemed headed to an easy renomination over challenger Adam Meuth. With some votes still out, Beckett held a 1047 to 431 vote lead.

The race was much closer between Republican Pct. 4 Commissioner candidates seeking to challenge Democrat Lee Dildy in the November general election. David “Rocky” Palmquist held a narrow 342 to 321 lead over rival Ron Jay, with results from one voting box still to be reported. The winner will face the veteran Democrat in November.

Dildy overcame a challenge from Michael Flowers for the Democratic nomination, 502 to 444, with all ballots counted.

In the contest which has drawn the most candidate interest this year–for Pct. 1 justice of the Peace–Democratic incumbent Bill Weddle turned back challenger Dickie Henderson, 503 to 325.

On the Republican side in Pct. 1, Justice of the Peace hopeful Donna VanGilder apparently won a four-way race without a runoff. With one voting box still to be reported, Van Gilder had 708 votes (54.7 percent) with a large lead over other GOP candidates including Vann Pressley with 279, J.W. Snell with 221 and Sue Fruge with 84.

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Evidence tampering trial begins in Bastrop

Monday, March 1st, 2010

Bastrop, Tx–A jury was seated today to consider a three-year-old felony evidence tampering charge. Testimony is expected to begin March 3 before 335th District Judge Reva Towslee Corbett.

Corbett said she will not hold court during party primary elections in Texas on March 2, which is also Texas Independence Day.

Daniel Lee Holmes is accused of altering or destroying a quantity of methamphetamine to prevent its use as evidence in a drug possession investigation. The alleged offense took place March 16, 2007.

Holmes is being defended by Bastrop lawyer Van Presley, who is also a candidate in Tuesday’s GOP party primary. Presley is seeking the party’s nomination for the Pct. 1 Justice of the Peace slot. He has three primary opponents. Two other candidates are seeking the Democratic nomination for the post.

The Holmes trial is expected to conclude later this week.

Posted in Crime, Local Politics | No Comments »

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