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Kerrville to skip election for second straight year as all races go uncontested
The move marks an unprecedented period for the city, after decades of sometimes contentious, frequently competitive races. The City Council will likely approve the cancellation of the election next week.
The Lead’s stories
Candidate profile: Tom Jones, Kerr County Judge
Jones was candid about the county’s difficult financial outlook, describing the upcoming budget cycle as “rough.”
Candidate profile: Guy “Bubba” Walters, Kerr County Commissioner, Precinct 4
“I missed serving,” Walters said. “I wanted to continue serving, but I wanted to help in a different way. I didn’t want to get back into public education.”
Candidate profile: Randy Murphy, Kerr County Commissioner, Precinct 4
Murphy is running on a platform of fiscal reform, specifically advocating for “zero-based budgeting,” where expenses must be justified from scratch rather than carried over from previous years.
Candidate profile: Wayne Uecker, Kerr County Commissioner, Precinct 1
Uecker described himself as a collaborator who plans to utilize his experience as a self-employed business owner to manage county affairs.
Candidate profile: Brenda Hughes, Kerr County Commissioner, Precinct 1
Hughes cited her work on the City Council, specifically regarding the new Public Safety Complex and equipping police with better tools, as her primary qualification for the commissioner position.
Candidate profile: Devan Burns, Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4
Burns has lived in the area for nearly 18 years, residing in Mountain Home for the last decade. Her professional background includes experience as a paralegal and in human resources.
Candidate profile: Sylvia Foraker, Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4
Sylvia Foraker, a retired “Master Jailer” with 30 years of law enforcement experience, is running for Justice of the Peace in Precinct 4, bringing a management philosophy of “fair but firm” treatment grounded in the belief that inmates are “human beings” often caught on a bad day.
Candidate profile: Taylor Robertson, Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3
Robertson describes himself as a “nerd” for case law and history. He is a trained hostage negotiator and holds certifications in forensic and investigative sciences from Texas A&M.
Candidate profile: Robert “Hunter” Moose, County Court at Law Judge
Moose expressed strong support for the new mental health specialty court, saying he wants to continue its work helping people in crisis. He remains active in the community by coaching Mock Trial and Teen Court.
Candidate profile: Deborah Perry, County Court at Law Judge
Perry identified two major issues in the current court administration. First, she said cases are stalling for extended periods, creating real-world consequences for citizens.
Candidate profile: William Tatsch, County Court at Law Judge
Despite running as a Republican, Tatsch emphasized that the courtroom must be a safe, fair space for all residents regardless of political affiliation.
Candidate profile: Amber Longenbaugh, Kerr County District Court Clerk
Longenbaugh described the district clerk’s office as highly demanding, managing civil filings, adult felonies and passports under statutory deadlines.
Candidate Profile: Denise Vela, Kerr County Clerk
“When the election is completely over, it doesn’t matter to me what party affiliation you are, what religion, what race, we’re going to treat everybody with dignity and respect,” Vela said. “I guess they didn’t like that response.”
A week full of events: From River Trail cleanups to Russian mosaic concerts
The library hosts multiple events throughout the week, including “Blind Date with a Book” from Tuesday through Friday, Story Time on Wednesday at 10 a.m., and various book clubs.
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Arts and Culture
A week full of events: From River Trail cleanups to Russian mosaic concerts
The library hosts multiple events throughout the week, including “Blind Date with a Book” from Tuesday through Friday, Story Time on Wednesday at 10 a.m., and various book clubs.
Love, laughter and community spirit fill Kerr County’s Valentine’s week calendar
For couples looking for competitive fun, Gibson’s, 221 Junction Highway, hosts a Couples Cornhole Tournament at 1 p.m. Saturday. Those seeking something more mysterious can attend the Murder Mystery Dinner at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at Tailchasers Patio + Pub, 234 Earl Garrett St. Details are available at tailchaserstx.com.
Week ahead brings film screening, political meet-and-greet, theater opening
The week begins Monday with a screening of “Voices of Doyle” at 6 p.m. at the Doyle Community Center.
The Lead Live Podcast
The Lead Live Podcast: Friday, Feb. 20, 2026
The Pot O’ Hot Festival, a soup-tasting competition, is scheduled for Feb. 28 at the Trailhead Beer Garden at Schreiner University. Walther noted the event is capped at 25 soup makers and is on pace to sell out its 300 tasting tickets.
The Lead Live Podcast: Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026
Parks and Recreation Director Jay Brimhall reported that Guadalupe Park is undergoing a complete refresh, which includes fixing handrails damaged during the July flood.
The Lead Live Podcast: Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2026 episode
The episode opened with breaking news that Center Point ISD had canceled all classes that morning due to a lack of running water at the school. This unforeseen issue allowed Center Point teacher and local yoga instructor Sara Cotton to join the broadcast as a last-minute guest.
The Lead Live Podcast: Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026 episode
Leah Westra of the Hill Country Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse joined the show to discuss the “Rest and Reset” event, a free, two-hour session for 8th- through 12th-grade students on Saturday, Feb. 28, at the Kroc Center.
The Lead Live Podcast: Monday, Feb. 16, 2026 episode
Gilbert Paiz and Zach Greener of Texas Hill Country Advisors offered a market update, noting the stock market hitting the 50,000 milestone, which Paiz called largely psychological.
Photo galleries
Photo gallery: Run for Riverside 5k
The event, which serves as a primary fundraiser for the Riverside Nature Center, featured a course that wound through the scenic areas surrounding Francisco Lemos Street.
Photo gallery: Wilder Blue at Arcadia Live
Playing to a near capacity crowd, the Americana band “The Wilder Blue” rocked, rolled and serenaded the audience at the Arcadia Live on Friday night.
Photo gallery: Schreiner basketball earns a weekend split against St. Thomas, Colorado College
Schreiner University salvaged a weekend split at Stephens Family Arena, rebounding from a Friday loss to conference-leading St. Thomas with a convincing 88-68 victory over Colorado College on Sunday.
Photo gallery: Opening week of Schreiner softball
Schreiner University’s softball team struggled to find consistency in its season-opening week, finishing 2-4 after three home doubleheaders.
Photo gallery: The Someone Special Dance
The Hill Country Youth Event Center hosted the annual Someone Special Dance, an event that brings families together for a night of dancing and balloon fun. The event is organized by the Kerrville Parks and Recreation Department.
Sports
Schreiner splits doubleheader at Concordia Texas; falls in 13-inning finale
Mountaineers take the middle game, 8-2, then lose heartbreaker in extras to go 1-2 in SCAC series
Concordia sweeps Saturday doubleheader to claim series from Schreiner
The Schreiner University softball team dropped both ends of a Saturday doubleheader to Concordia University Texas, 13-4 and 6-4
Narrow loss to Texas Lutheran, dims Schreiner’s shot at SCAC tourney
Schreiner held a 41-36 rebounding advantage and committed only nine turnovers, but TLU’s superior shooting efficiency proved to be the difference in the five-point defeat before an attendance of 215 at Stephens Family Arena.
Texas Lutheran scores early, often to rout Schreiner women
The Bulldogs led 46-27 at halftime and pushed the advantage to 21 points after three quarters, holding Schreiner to 10 points in the second period.
Grand slams power Schreiner baseball to sweep of Centenary, 16-6
Rodriguez went 4-for-4 with five runs scored, launching a two-run homer in the first inning and a grand slam in the second as the Mountaineers (3-3, 3-0 Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference) built a commanding 13-0 lead through three innings.
Obituaries
Donald Mosel: May 12, 1957-Feb. 13, 2026
In his free time, he enjoyed deer hunting and spending hours watching football and basketball, simple pleasures that brought him happiness throughout the years.
Mary Pauline Weber: Oct. 4, 1937-Feb. 19, 2026
She completed basic training in San Antonio, Texas, and served at Fort Hood. During her military service, she completed specialized training as an X-ray Technician, a skill that would guide her professional path for many years.
Barbara Ochs: March 24, 1938-Feb. 12, 2026
A devout member of Notre Dame Catholic Church, Barbara was deeply involved in her faith community. She volunteered regularly at St. Vincent DePaul and was responsible for organizing the adoration schedule at her church. Her commitment to her faith was evident in her service and participation in church activities.
Jack Fields: Jan. 10, 1955-Feb. 13, 2026
Jack’s generous spirit was evident in every part of his life. He was always ready to lend a hand, offer a meal, or share a story. Known for his outgoing personality and infectious laugh, he could light up a room and make strangers feel like lifelong friends.
Peter Louis Sorci: Feb. 22, 1943-Feb. 13, 2026
In 2005, Pete found Kerrville. He loved the feel of it, the people, the river and the stillness of its beauty and would say “I have found my home”.
Community voices
The Lead’s Editorial: Political group continues to mislead the public
Don’t let activists who consistently misrepresent local government finances tell you how to vote.
The Lead’s Editorial: Vela, Longenbaugh deserve the chance to serve this county
Both candidates bring essential experience to positions that require deep institutional knowledge and operational expertise.
The Lead’s Editorial: Four years of Rich Paces’ chaos is enough
For four years, Kerr County taxpayers have funded Paces’ personal crusade against facts, expertise, and democratic accountability.
The Lead’s Editorial: Three candidates peddle false narratives about Kerr County finances
Candidates Jack Stewart, who is running for county judge, and Precinct 1 candidates Clayson Lambert and George Baroody—a persistent Kerrville City Council gadfly and former councilmember who routinely accuses the city of baseless illegality—seemed bent on depicting the county budget as wasteful and that county residents are overtaxed by the county.
The Mission of The Kerr County Lead
Covering community news in the heart of the Hill Country.
Founded in 2021, The Kerr County Lead aims to provide high-quality journalism for Kerrville, Texas and the surrounding communities of the splendid Texas Hill Country. In the coming years, Texas faces exponential growth and the challenges of managing land, resources and water. At the same time, the Hill Country offers a robust quality of life and culture. With this mission, The Lead focuses its work on the stories that matter most to the readers in Kerr County.
