Candidate profile: Taylor Robertson, Justice of the Peace, Precinct 3

Taylor Robertson, a corporal with the Kerrville Police Department, is running for Justice of the Peace in Precinct 3, promoting a mediation-focused approach to resolving neighborhood disputes while criticizing the local Republican Party’s candidate ranking system.

Robertson has nearly 11 years of law enforcement experience and holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from McMurry University and a master’s degree from Wayland Baptist University. He serves as an adjunct professor of criminal justice at both Schreiner University and McMurry University’s online program.

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.

“I started when I was 21 and I really just wanted to drive fast and carry a gun and chase bad guys,” Robertson said. “As I got older, I really developed a passion for the law. I love case law because I’m also kind of a history nut.”

Although he officially moved to Kerrville 10 years ago, his family roots are local, and he spent every holiday and summer in the area growing up.

Robertson provided a detailed explanation of the justice of the peace role, describing it as a “lower level court for all the courts” that handles small claims lawsuits under $20,000, landlord-tenant disputes, evictions and Class C misdemeanors, primarily traffic violations.

During the July 4 flood, Robertson noted he teamed up with local justices of the peace to create a “makeshift morgue,” working for days identifying bodies and notifying family members. He emphasized the job is fundamentally about managing people in crisis.

Robertson’s judicial philosophy centers on mediation, particularly for neighborhood disputes involving issues like loud music or barking dogs.

“If we can mediate things let’s mediate them,” Robertson said. “It’s crazy if you just get people to a table and get them to agree to talk it out, we can solve a lot of problems.”

The interview became politically charged when discussing the local Republican Party’s decision to issue “rankings” for candidates. While Robertson was “certified,” his opponent was ranked No. 1, creating what Robertson called a visual disparity in the voter guide.

“I got the unbolded lowercase print on my name, and he got the bolded capital letters,” Robertson said.

He criticized the process as “favoritism” based on “who’s your buddy” rather than qualifications or conservative values. Because there are no Democrats running, Robertson argued the Republican primary is the election, and the party’s rankings undermine the fairness of the democratic process.

“It’s not enough for the voting process to be fair and secure,” Robertson said. “People need to believe it’s fair and secure. This sure doesn’t look fair and it has to look fair to the voters for them to participate.”

Robertson is known as “Big Rob,” a nickname that started with inmates when he worked in the jail and has since been adopted by friends and family.