McDaniel tapped to lead Texas' economic development, tourism efforts

The governor has appointed longtime business and tourism leader Tracye McDaniel as executive director of his Economic Development and Tourism Division.

McDaniel will be a driving force in addressing policy issues and operational matters as the division continues to position Texas as a prime location for business recruitment, retention and expansion.

McDaniel, who replaces Jeff Moseley, joined the Texas Department of Commerce in 1991 and has more than 15 years senior management experience in tourism and economic development, convention sales, national and international trade development, destination marketing and public relations. She was named Tourism Director in 1996.

As part of her new duties, McDaniel will market Texas to corporations worldwide under the auspices of the Texas Enterprise Fund, TexasOne and the newly created Texas Emerging Technology Fund, as well as economic development and tourism activities.

State budget prompts agencies to trim payrolls, layoffs uncertain

Budget cuts and a looming deadline to eliminate jobs by September 1 are forcing many state agencies to think about attrition. Some agencies have not ruled out the possibility of layoffs, but most experts agree that payrolls can be trimmed without such a drastic measure.

The mandated cutbacks stem from a provision in the recently approved state budget, which requires all agencies with more than 300 workers - except the governor's office, comptroller's office and attorney general's office - to cut their work forces by 2 percent. In addition to that mandate many state agencies are struggling with having their budget cut by as much as 5 percent during the regular session.

One factor that bodes well, in regard to the possibility of layoffs, is that state agencies generally have a 4 percent vacancy rate at any given time, which will allow agencies to cut jobs without laying people off.

Still, the possibility of layoffs looms at some agencies. The Health and Human Services Commission, for example, is expected to eliminate about 3,000 jobs as it replaces some state-run benefits offices with privately run call centers. The Texas Workers' Compensation Commission is also bracing for layoffs as it is consolidated into the Department of Insurance later this year.

San Antonio names city manager

J. Rolando Bono is San Antonio's new city manager - at least for the next seven months. The city council recently appointed the 27-year veteran to the post he's held on an interim basis since October, when predecessor Terry Brechtel resigned. But Bono will hold the city's top administrative position - overseeing the city's 12,000 employees and its $1.5 billion budget - only until Jan. 31. He plans to retire at that time so council members have already begun to think about candidates to replace Bono.

Governor appointments criminal justice council

Gov. Rick Perry appointed nine people recently to the Governors Criminal Justice Advisory Council he created to advise him on how the state can improve its criminal justice system.

The bipartisan panel includes representation from across Texas. Perry said the group will make recommendations on changes in legal procedures that might be needed to keep pace with advances in forensic science and major legal developments.

Pat Campbell, vice chancellor and general counsel for the Texas Tech University System, will chair the council. Also named to the council are state Sen. Rodney Ellis, D-Houston; state Rep. Dan Gattis, R-Georgetown; Texas Court of Criminal Appeals Judge Barbara P. Hervey of San Antonio; state District Judge Wayne F. Salvant of Arlington; state district Judge Cynthia Stevens Kent of Tyler; Wichita Falls District Attorney Barry L. Macha; criminal defense attorney Robert J. Lerma of Brownsville; victim advocate Patricia A. "Patsy" Day of Dallas.

South Texas groups spending $25K a month to fight BRAC

Task forces in South Texas dedicated to saving Coastal Bend military bases from closure or realignment report spending more than $25,000 a month for consulting fees. In the past three years, the South Texas Military Facilities Task Force, North Bay Military Task Force, Naval Air Station Kingsville Task Force and city of Ingleside have raised more than $900,000 in public and private monies.

They are using that money now to lobby for Naval Station Ingleside, Naval Air Station Corpus Christi and a distribution center for the Corpus Christi Army Depot - all of which are slated for closure or significant realignment by the Pentagon's Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) Commission. If those plans are realized, the area stands to lose about 7,015 jobs. Area task forces, hired consultants and Texas politicians are lobbying on behalf of the bases here and in Washington, D.C.

Former Clinton adviser named LBJ School dean

The vice president and director of the Foreign Policy Studies program at the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C. is moving to Austin to lead the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas.

James Steinberg, who has been at the Brookings Institution since 2001, will take over as dean of the LBJ School in January. He will replace Edwin Dorn, who resigned last year to return to teaching. Bobby Inman, who has been working as interim dean since Jan. 1, will continue in that position until the end of the year.

Prior to working with the Brookings Institution, Steinberg served as deputy national security advisor to President Bill Clinton from December 1996 to August 2000.

San Antonio hires CIO

City Manager J. Rolando Bono has hired Michael Armstrong to be San Antonio's first Chief Information Officer (CIO). Armstrong, who will also serve as an Assistant City Manager, will begin heading the city's information technology systems structure on July 18.

Armstrong's responsibilities will include the oversight of the Information Technology Services Department, as well as provide support and direction to city staff on improved technology systems management, which includes the supervision of the city's Enterprise Resource Management (ERM) project.

Most recently, he served as an Assistant City Manager/CIO for the City of Des Moines, where Armstrong established the Information Technology Department and implemented several enterprise-wide projects similar to San Antonio's ERM system.

UT fires up new policy center on energy & environment

Dr. Charles G. Groat, director of the United States Geological Survey since 1998, is getting settled this month as the founding director of a new public policy center at The University of Texas at Austin focusing on energy and the environment.

The Center for International Energy and Environmental Policy will support research informing governments and corporations worldwide on the formulation of policies and strategies on energy and the environment. Three schools at the university will sponsor the center and co-hire its researchers: the Jackson School of Geosciences, the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the College of Engineering.

One of Groat's first tasks will be to recruit six outstanding new professors with skills in public affairs, engineering and geosciences who can lay the foundation for what UT hopes will become one of the academic world's major centers on energy and environmental studies.

ACCD expected to bring another $450M bond proposal to voters

Bexar County voters rejected a $450 bond proposal in February from the Alamo Community College District (ACCD), but a citizens panel set up to tweak the proposal believes it can succeed a second time.

Voters in and near San Antonio rejected the last bond issue amid controversy over a proposal to move nursing and allied health programs from St. Philip's and San Antonio College, both in the inner city, to a new $100 million facility on the Northwest fringe of town. ACCD's citizen panel now proposes to simply expand existing locations in the heart of the city. The bond proposal, as it stands now, would still seek $450 million for various uses, but district officials believe it has a better chance of passing if the contentious move is taken out of the equation. The issue could show up on the November ballot.

Federal officials to bolster Texas' border enforcement

The U.S. Customs and Border Protection Border Patrol is launching a recruiting campaign to prepare for newly funded positions in fiscal 2006. Emergency Supplemental Legislation and President Bush's FY06 Budget calls for hiring an additional 710 agents next year. The number of border patrol agents to be added to Texas has not yet been determined. There are currently about 11,000 border patrol agents stationed along the U.S-Mexico border.

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Austin more 'wired' than any other US city

Austin is the most wired city in the country, according to a new ranking by Forrester Research Inc. The index measured personal computer ownership and also factored in the proportion of residents who go online, including for shopping or banking, and who use broadband connections at home. Based on those factors, Austin sets the standard and was used as the benchmark for the rankings. The top 10 list includes mostly other established tech cities, such as San Jose, Calif., San Diego and Seattle but no other Texas cities made the list.

Frisco library: Your ad here

To raise money for library facilities and equipment, the Frisco Public Library Foundation is asking the city council for permission to sell the naming rights of the library. Council members in the North Dallas suburb are expected to OK the idea at its first meeting in August.

VoIP adoption on the rise

The growing popularity of Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) and Internet Protocol (IP) telephony is expected to fully replace traditional telephone networks within state governments over the next decade, according to a recent report by the National Association of State Chief Information Officers.

Public Hearings/Meetings

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Upcoming House Committee Meetings

Event Links

Western States Land Commissioners Association Summer Conference- 7/24/2005-7/28/2005

8th Annual Texas Transportation Summit - 8/9/05 - 8/12/05

Texas Association of Counties 2005 Post Legislative Session Conference - 8/10/05 - 8/12/05

Texas Municipal League Legislative Roundup - 8/11/05

Annual Meeting of Retired State Employees Association - 8/19/05

4th Annual San Antonio Transportation Leadership Forum - 9/7/05 - 9/8/05

Texas Municipal League Technology Summit - 9/15/05-9/16/05

International City/County Management Association's 91st Annual Conference - 9/25/05-9/28/05

Recent ABJ articles by Mary Scott Nabers

Federal officials release $1.3 billion to help fight bioterrorism - 6/10/2005

Opportunities flying for contracts at airports across Texas - 5/30/2005

State's renewed emphasis on education offers possibilities - 5/16/2005

Texas Government Insider Archives

Last Issue - 6/30/05

Volume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3 Archives - 11/7/03 - 6/30/05

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Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC) meeting

The BRAC regional hearing for Texas and Arkansas will be in San Antonio on July 11. It is an open meeting and will be held in the Ballroom of the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center from 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. The address of the Center is 200 East Market Street.

Post legislative conference for counties

Elected and appointed county officials are invited to attend the Texas Association of Counties' Annual Conference. The event, to be held at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Austin Aug. 10-12, is designed to help county officials evaluate the impact of new state laws and provide explanations by peers, legislators and other professionals. There are general sessions on issues of common interest and smaller meetings to review changes specific to each county office.