Barton Turek is challenging Cynthia Long for Commissioners Court Precinct 2.
Barton Turek of Liberty Hill is a former law enforcement officer and Emergency Management Deputy Coordinator. He is challenging incumbent Cynthia Long for Precinct 2 Commissioners Court.
Turek works in the private sector now and says his primary motivation for office has nothing to do with politics; “I am just a cop married to a nurse and I want to help. I’m not a politician, but I watched, for years, how decisions were being made and I felt like big donors were really pulling the strings; telling our leadership how to run the business of Williamson County and that is unacceptable to me.”
When Turek changed careers, he says he and his wife were certain that his service to the County would continue, even if they didn’t know what form it would take. “I am fortunate to have worked in many capacities that have prepared me for this job and I pledge to work this full-time job with transparency and accountability.”
Turek has great depth and breadth of experience in and around our county. “I had several command positions and also worked under Robert Chody when he was a Constable. I have watched and participated in the bid and budget process for many years and it seemed as if things were okay. But since I left county employment, I have had the opportunity to step back and see just how much overreach the Court has had and I believe they have gutted too many departments and programs to the detriment of our citizens. It is not the Court’s job to tell other elected officials and department heads how to do their jobs, and it certainly shouldn’t be their job to break down valuable services.”
I am you. I live here too so You will never hear me say “that’s not my problem.” ~Barton Turek
Turek says once he began talking about the possibility, he received a lot of feedback from “we the people” who also feel like some leaders have forgotten about the people.
“I have a heart for service and I can bring my personality, existing positive relationships and a great understanding of how this county works. These qualities will benefit everyone and I will be ready for the job on Day 1.”
His priority for office is, first and foremost, to rebuild the relationships between cities (Leander, Liberty Hill and Cedar Park) with the County leadership.
“I have a history and great rapport with local leadership and they know that I will not allow high-dollar developers to pull my strings. I will sit down and make decisions that help all of us.”
Not immune to the political climate, Turek says he has prayed about the work and reaffirms that his campaign is not about personal gain. “I believe in an honest day of work for honest pay and transparency leads to accountability. I live here too so why would anyone in this position pawn a concern on another person or department when everything we do affects the people around us?”
Second, but equally importantly, he wants to address smart growth in Precinct 2 and the County at large. “We will not stop growth; it is coming. And as long as we wrap our heads around the future, start on same page with decisions and, again, rebuild the bridges between Leander and others in the County, we can stay ahead with public safety, infrastructure and roads. I don’t want to end my first term scratching my head and wondering how we got bulldozed by uncontrolled growth.”
As a former Law Enforcement officer he is also concerned about mental health issues and programs at the county and city level. “The Commissioners gutted some of our most valuable support programs. Two, in particular, responded to frequent and repeat calls from individuals with emotional instability but were not violent or criminal. These support programs freed up deputies and police to respond to actual criminal incidents. Now, our Sheriff’s and deputies have to respond to non-emergencies as well. I want to know why and also how we can fix this without raising taxes or going on a spending spree.”
Turek also wants to turn the county’s eyes back to the safety and well-being of its employees and not to the companies building our roads. “We need to make sure the people who keep us safe are also kept safe and healthy. I really want to make this better for them too.”
Visit BartTurek.com for more information. Republican primary early voting has begun and election day is March 6.