Jen is a native Texan, raised on a multi-generational family farm in South Texas. She attended Texas Lutheran University, where she met her husband, Mike, and later completed her degree in Business and Communications. After returning to New Braunfels in 2006, Jen was later elected County Commissioner in 2014 and is now in her third term. She is a past president of state and regional county associations and currently serves as Vice President of the Texas Association of Counties. Mike and Jen have two grown sons, and live near Canyon Lake and they enjoy concerts, riding horses, and playing tennis.
Q&A Responses
1. Infrastructure and economic competitiveness
Q: How will you prioritize road, bridge, and infrastructure investments so businesses can move goods, serve customers, and grow without delays or added costs?
A: Maintenance of County Roads is one of the most fundamental responsibilities of County Government. We have an excellent Road Department, and work hard with a very talented team of employees to have the best County Roads in the State to serve our citizens and businesses. In addition to that, I work very hard to have a great working relationship with TXDOT, the Alamo Area MPO, our municipalities and our Chambers to collaborate and advocate for much needed improvements in our fast-growing County.
2. Fiscal policy and predictability
Q: How will you balance responsible budgeting and tax rates with the need to invest in services and infrastructure that support a strong business environment?
A: Comal County strives to provide quality services for our citizens in the most budget-conscience manner possible. We live here, too, and we feel the strain of taxes on our budgets as well. I work hard to be a good steward of taxpayer money, to question budget requests, and stretch those dollars as far as possible by looking for new efficiencies in offices and economies of scale. The County needs to remain steadfast in this, and never ask our citizens for more than we need to keep County offices running, and serving, while also knowing that growth is real, and has a real effect on those services. Using grants and smart fiscal policies allow us to introduce leveraging opportunities which facilitate efforts to grow smart and have successful outcomes.
3. Growth management and development certainty
Q: How will you support sustainable growth while providing clear, consistent policies so businesses and developers can plan and invest with confidence?
A: County Government is governed by State Statute, and has no zoning authority. While our growth is inevitable, we need to be able to have a seat at the table in the discussion for sustainable and thoughtful growth. These concerns include the effects on our water supply, and land preservation, etc. Counties have very little authority to limit these things, which is why I have taken such an active role with our County Judge & Commissioners Associations to advocate for the needs of our County at the State Level. Much of our economy is driven by tourism and our beautiful water resources, in addition to many other thriving industries. We need to be able to affect change at the State level for a paradigm shift from strictly availability to sustainability in our growth, so that all areas of our economy can not just survive, but to coexist and thrive. That being said, I have been active with the Chamber on these topics, and also have worked hard with my county peers across the state to educate our lawmakers in Austin on the implications of their bills on Counties, and the need for their help with sustainable growth.