Candidate profile: Guy “Bubba” Walters, Kerr County Commissioner, Precinct 4

Guy “Bubba” Walters, whose nickname appears on the ballot, is running for Precinct 4 commissioner with a focus on fiscal responsibility and strong support for public safety, drawing on his career in education and deep roots in the region.

Walters grew up in Leon Springs and has known the family of retiring commissioner Don Harris since the 1970s. When asked about his nickname, Walters explained his little sister could not say “brother” when she first spoke and called him Bubba instead. “So it just stuck. So it’s actually on the ballot,” he said.

Walters moved to the area in 1997 and worked at Ingram Tom Moore High School from 1997 to 2008, eventually serving as head football coach. He later moved to Center Point, where he served as athletic director until retiring in 2021.

He has two children: a son, Aaron, who runs a ranch on the edge of Kerr County, and a daughter who is a stockbroker for Fidelity Investments.

Walters explained his primary motivation is a desire to return to service without returning to the classroom.

“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.”

He noted the difference between coaching high schoolers and dealing with adults in politics: “You know, grown men, you’re honest, you’re straightforward. High school, there’s more to lose.”

Walters emphasized his experience managing taxpayer money as an athletic director and outlined a conservative fiscal approach. He argued against long-term debt for short-term assets.

“If we build a bridge that’s going to be 30 years, it’s not 50 years on a on a loan. Let’s make sure it’s it’s paid for,” Walters said.

He noted the cheapest option is not always the best for the county. “You don’t always have to choose the cheapest bid,” he said. “Sometimes the more expensive bid lasts longer or the the product lasts longer.”

A significant portion of Walters’ platform focuses on his strong support for law enforcement and volunteer fire departments. He praised Sheriff Larry Leitha and his team, stating, “Front line defense is our sheriff.”

Walters has a personal connection to fire safety. His father founded the Leon Springs Volunteer Fire Department in 1973 after a house fire where the response time from Bexar County was too slow.

“Volunteer fire departments are lifeblood,” Walters said. “We have to make sure we continue to give to the VFDs. It’s a long way for the city to us.”

Walters recounted getting trapped at Goat Creek during the July 4 flood and the devastation he witnessed in Precinct 4. He described recovery as a long-term project.

“It’s going to take years, and not being always politically correct to go get it,” Walters said of securing funds.

He expressed immense pride in former students who returned to help. “The most proud I’ve ever been of any of the kids I coached was during this flood, watching these kids come from out of town to search and rescue, clean up,” he said.

Walters clarified his stance on battery energy storage systems, balancing his personal dislike with property rights issues.

“I do not want it here. I do not want it here. But if it’s going to come, we’re going to text the heck out of them and make sure it’s safe,” Walters said.

He agreed with host Louis Amestoy that safety regulations are paramount because local volunteer fire departments cannot handle battery fires. “Our fire departments right now, they they don’t have a chance against it,” he said.

Walters expressed frustration with the Kerr County Republican Party’s decision to issue what amounted to endorsements in the primary, noting it unfairly excluded candidates like Tom Jones.

“I was disappointed,” Walters said. “If you’re not following politics, when you open that guide up, you look and you go, ‘Well, there’s only one one person running.'”

He argued the party’s job should be “trying to keep us together, keep us as one” rather than dividing the field before the primary concludes.