We sat down on Jan. 14 to chat with Sonya Hooten, one of five Republicans running for the Precinct 2 seat on the Kerr County Commissioner's Court. Hooten's professional life has centered around work for the Center Point Independent School District and the Kerr County Sheriff's Office. Hooten spent 28 years with the school district before retiring. Former Sheriff Rusty Hierholzer recruited Hooten to be the office's executive assistant. She has carried on in that role under Sheriff Larry Leitha. If elected, Hooten would be the first woman to serve on the commissioner's court, but she's told The Lead that is not her emphasis. Instead, she said she's focused on the issues of growth and development in Precinct 2.
Here are three things we learned about Sonya Hooten:
1. One of the pivots the Kerr County Commissioner's Court had to make when the coronavirus pandemic started was offering meeting live video. Hooten said that provided her an opportunity to watch the proceedings in depth.
"After watching it and learning how the process worked, I thought, you know what? I can do that. And I was talking to Rusty (Hierholzer) one day and he says, Sonia, get off of that chair and ru And so, he says, he says, go out there and run. Well, I went home and talked to my husband about it. He's going to squash this right away. And he said, I think that's a great idea."
2. When it comes to the No. 1 issue facing the Precinct, Hooten makes the point about water and the Guadalupe River.
"Of course, the No. 1 is to make sure we have enough water for everyone. Let's keep that river as beautiful it is right now. I'd like to see, to be able to pass something to where the gravel pits have to reclamation the land. We have some that do it voluntarily and I think that's wonderful."
3. With the county poised to place a general obligation bond on the ballot in November — one that could cost $30 million — Hooten said the money could go a long way in improving county services:
"Well, the bond's important to me. Nobody wants the r taxes raised, but at least I'd like to have a say in that. We've grown out of that courthouse."
There's a lot more to our interview with Hooten, and we encourage you to watch the entire segment here: https://fb.watch/aAoomidSxx/
Or listen to the podcast here: https://anchor.fm/louis-amestoy/episodes/The-Kerr-County-Lead--Jan--14--2022-e1cve36
