15 December, 2005
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Don Loucks has filed for a place on the March 7, 2006 Republican Party primary ballot to serve as Bastrop County Judge. “A
lifetime of service to our
nation, state and community, plus the four years serving the court as
commissioner
have prepared me with the skills and knowledge to be an effective judge
and
lead the county in the right direction. I
have the leadership and experience to do the best job,”
Don states.
During his term on the commissioners court, Don had many major accomplishments to his credit. Among those were: Solving serious right-of-way problems that would have delayed the Pearce Lane/FM 535 TxDOT project; changed the design of the new courthouse annex by removing the old commissioners court building and expanding the footprint of the annex thereby adding over ten thousand square feet of critical office space at exceptional economy, and kept the tax rate lower than it was in 1998.
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In 2001, Don was appointed by the
court to represent the county on the Combined Community Action Board of
Directors. CCA provided adult day care, meals on wheels, weatherization
assistance and other services for those in need over a large area of
central
Texas. The CCA board elected him Chairman in 2002. The court also appointed Don to represent the county at the Capital Area Regional Transportation Planning Organization. In this critical function, Don worked with delegations from several other capital area counties to develop a unified voice for presenting transportation plans to the TxDOT commissioners and the Texas Legislature. The completion of the Hwy 290 grade separation project and the Hwy 71 overpass project though Bastrop as non-toll freeways are a direct result of Don’s ability to articulate the county’s needs. The County’s 2002 budget contained a tax rate increase which Don opposed. He voted against the increase, and then refused to accept the salary increase for himself that was part of that budget. To help senior citizens with their tax burden, Don introduced and passed an increase in the senior citizens homestead exemption from $5,000 to $25,000 so seniors would pay less county property tax. And later he supported and passed the senior citizen tax freeze so seniors’ county property taxes would never go up. |
Fit at 57, Don is a volunteer
firefighter for Bluebonnet VFD and recently completed the strenuous
Texas
Interagency Wildfire/Incident Management Academy basic courses.
Don is a Texas veteran who began his Air Force flying career at Webb AFB, Big Spring, Texas in 1970. After earning his wings, he flew the F-111 fighter jet at bases all over the world including RAF Lakenheath where Don was the chief instructor test pilot for the 48th Fighter Wing. After retiring from the air force, done served on Ron Paul’s congressional staff. Don and his wife Sarah of 18 years have four children and two grandchildren Don earned both Bachelor and Master of Arts degrees and graduated from Squadron Officers School, Air Command and Staff College, Marine Corps Staff College and Air War College, all of which emphasize leadership and management. He continues to serve as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Texas State Guard and was mobilized with his unit to provide hurricane relief where he commanded the shelter for special needs evacuees in Waco. Don is looking forward to serving the people of Bastrop County again. Please contact Don at 308-1801 or visit his website at www.donloucks.org for more information. |
OPERATION KATRINA 9 Sept, 2005
Kelly USA, San Antonio, Texas
