Editorial: The right choice for Kerrville City Council is Herring, Hughes and McKinney

In the Kerrville City Council race, there is a clear choice between steady and conservative against the idea of chaos — absolute chaos. The Lead endorses the steady and conservative focus of Joe Herring Jr. for mayor, and Brenda Hughes and Kent McKinney for City Council places. 

Voters should reject the narrative concocted with venom by those aligned with groups focused only on complaining without providing steadfast solutions on managing growth, water, quality of life and providing essential city services. 

Under the steady leadership of Judy Eychner, Kerrville accomplished remarkable things in her two years, including significant economic development successes. The long-term successes of Eychner’s work will result in a Kerrville that’s better prepared for the challenges of growth in the years to come. 

Some argue that Kerrville shouldn’t grow, but the truth is that the city will grow steadily. The real threat to the city’s long-term development comes from the Texas Legislature, which continues to soften local government power. Eychner’s tenure provided a more precise roadmap to help weather the legislature’s pro-growth mandates to nullify local control. 

To succeed, Eychner would be Herring, a native and chronicler of the pioneers, dreamers and workers who made this city what it is today — welcoming and positive. Herring struggled with the second Lennar deal and wasn’t entirely convinced by the Megaacrete deal, but he showed trust in the city staff to support both initiatives. Herring doesn’t make decisions easily, and he’s demonstrated a firmness with city staff and others to offer more straightforward presentations. It’s not uncommon to hear Herring say: “Why are you here?” 

If elected, Herring would be in the unusual situation of serving as mayor 30 years apart. Herring was the youngest mayor in Kerrville’s history, but now we get a veteran of local business, from his countless hours serving on nonprofit boards to his years of work writing about Kerr County. Unlike his opponent, Herring is not an ideologue and is considerate of city staff. 

Brenda Hughes’s years of service to the community is well documented, but sometimes we need a gentle reminder that she will drop what she’s doing to help others — sometimes, they’re furry. Recently, Hughes climbed into an attic to retrieve kittens trapped there. She’s a small business owner, pet lover and committed public servant who is determined to end her final term by seeing the opening of the new public safety building. 

When Hughes won election in 2020, she ran as a slate with David Barker and Roman Garcia, and she was under the impression that Kerrville was failing. Former Mayor Bonnie White formed that opinion for Hughes. Then reality set in for Hughes, who quickly discovered that city staff was competent and Kerrville was in better shape than advertised. Hughes is battling that White-inspired mentality that paints a picture of a city running amok. That’s not true, and the voters will find Hughes is reliably conservative but who provides the compassion so needed in today’s public discourse. 

Finally, retired banker Kent McKinney gives the City Council another fiscally conservative voice. Compared to his opponent, McKinney’s experience in the banking industry provides an essential check on city staff. In our conversation last week, McKinney clearly understood the facts about growth and development — one of the city’s most critical issues. He also expressed confidence in the long-term benefits of the Megaacrete concrete materials plant, which could provide significant sales tax revenue to the city. 

For many readers of The Lead, this endorsement comes as no surprise. However, we did not endorse the Kerr County Commissioners’ Court races because we believed six candidates were worthy of election. In this race, the opponents of our endorsement have repeatedly shown difficulty with the truth, unfairly attacked city staff and have never demonstrated a plan for actual governance. Those candidates possess an ideology that wants to deconstruct the strength of our local government with an insincere suggestion of improved transparency. Don’t fall for that. 

Instead, we recommend the thoughtful stewardship offered by Herring, Hughes and McKinney.