Candidate profile: Wayne Uecker, Kerr County Commissioner, Precinct 1

Wayne Uecker is running for the Precinct 1 commissioner seat, describing his decision as providential following the sale of his business and the immediate aftermath of the July 4 flood.

Uecker previously owned a cabinet shop and ran Texas Railings. He signed the papers to sell his business on July 2, and the major flood occurred just two days later on July 4.

“I’m out there walking and talking to God and saying, ‘Okay, I see a connection here,'” Uecker said. “You had you brought this on on the fourth. Where do I need to be? What do I need to do?”

Uecker has a connection to outgoing commissioner Tom Jones, serving on his church security detail. Jones initially asked Uecker to run for judge, which Uecker declined, but he later accepted the suggestion to run for commissioner once Jones decided to seek the judgeship.

Uecker described himself as a collaborator who plans to utilize his experience as a self-employed business owner to manage county affairs.

“It’s overseeing the county much much like you do as a business owner,” Uecker said. “There’s no county manager that runs everything.”

On his leadership style, he stated: “I’m a collaborator. I’m going to work together so that we can get a common good. Even though I believe something different than you believe something, we’re going to find a measure so that we can walk together.”

Uecker identified the recovery of local businesses as the biggest challenge facing the county, noting tourism has not yet bounced back and businesses are experiencing a “second COVID” in terms of economic climate.

He offered a pragmatic view of the county budget, describing it as “tight” and warning against unrealistic tax cut promises that would gut essential services.

“If we figured out how to cut it by 500, that’s $20 million. Our sheriff’s budget is 9 million. So, what do you want to cut?” Uecker said.

While he has not landed on a definitive stance regarding battery energy storage systems, Uecker emphasized safety and questioned the implementation of a fire marshal to regulate them.

“They’re going to be put in in some way or shape. What we need to ensure is that they’re put in safely,” he said.

He expressed concern that hiring a fire marshal to regulate batteries might negatively impact existing small businesses.

Uecker is focusing his campaign on educating voters about the actual role of a county commissioner, utilizing daily Facebook posts with 30- to 60-second snippets of the duties. He lamented historically low engagement in the race, noting that when Jones previously won, only 1,800 of 10,000 registered voters participated.

Uecker has been married for 35 years. He has two sons, Colin and Braden, and one granddaughter. He has been a member of the Rotary Club since the early 2000s.