Commissioners' Court
The Commissioners' Court consists of the County Judge and four Commissioners. The Commissioners' Court is the "policy making body" of the county as well as having final approval power over all of the County departmental budgets which include the setting of salaries, benefits, staffing levels, contracts, etc. They are responsible for providing and maintaining facilities, equipment, and public services to the people of the County. The Commissioners' Court develops the annual county budget and sets the county property tax each year. The Commissioners and County Judge are elected by the voters to a term of four years. The County Judge, Commissioner of Precinct 2, and Commissioner of Precinct 4 are elected each gubernatorial election year. The Commissioner of Precinct 1 and Commissioner of Precinct 3 are elected each presidental election year.
Each member of Commissioners' Court is responsible for and involved in all aspects of county operations. The County Judge fills the roles of the Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operational Office, Chief Budget Officer, and Director of Emergency Management. Additionally, to increase efficiency and maximize productivity, each Commissioner is voluntarily assigned as a primary point of contact (POC) for one of four main areas of concentration. The Commissioners rotate amongst these four areas at the beginning of each calendar year.
The assignments for 2019 are:
Commissioner of Precinct 1, Johnny Trahan is the Employee and Retiree Relations POC which includes pay, benefits, employee policy, morale, history, and staffing levels. Call Trahan at (409) 746-2593.
Commissioner of Precinct 2, Theresa Beauchamp is the Economic Development and Infrastructure POC which includes buildings and grounds, technology, and board membership on the Orange County Economic Development Corporation. Call Theresa at (409) 745-2223.
Commissioner of Precinct 3, Kirk Roccaforte is the Finance and Operations POC which includes budget, taxes, health and code, veteran service office, and transportation. Call Roccaforte at (409) 882-5308.
Commissioner of Precinct 4, Robert Viator is the Legal POC which includes contracts, lawsuits, legislation, and open records. Call Viator at (409) 769-6724.
County Judge: John Gothia - (409) 882-7070