The Lead Live Podcast: Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026

The Thursday, Feb. 12, 2026, episode of The Lead Live, hosted by Louis Amestoy and Leslie Jones, delivered a blend of local politics, municipal finance deep dives, and an engaging feature interview with a candidate for Justice of the Peace. The episode featured Kerrville City Manager Dalton Rice and Sylvia Foraker, a recently retired jail administrator running for Justice of the Peace, Precinct 4.Justice of the Peace Candidate: Sylvia Foraker

Sylvia Foraker, who retired after a 30-year career in law enforcement, including 19 years as the head of the Kerr County Jail, made her first appearance on the program to discuss her campaign.

Foraker spoke about her time at the jail, which Amestoy noted was jokingly called the “Kerr County B&B” for its reputation for cleanliness and safety, a “gold standard” where inmates reportedly felt safer than in overcrowded metro jails.

• Management Style: She defined her leadership as “fair but firm,” focusing on de-escalation by treating inmates as human beings having a bad day. She detailed strict accountability for staff, with the motto, “If you’re leaning, you should be cleaning,” and pointed to her rigorous auditing of restraint chair logs as key to ensuring the county never failed a state inspection.
• Campaign Focus: Running for Precinct 4, Foraker plans to leverage her professional relationships to aid the court, specifically expressing a desire to work on truancy cases to rehabilitate minors before they enter the adult justice system.
• Coroner Duty: Acknowledging the Justice of the Peace role as county coroner in Texas, she cited her experience with EMS and fatal accidents, stating she would rely on prayer and mental health resources to handle the “heavy” nature of attending death scenes.

City and County Administration: Budget Reality and Stormwater “Gong Show”

City Manager Dalton Rice joined Amestoy for a detailed discussion on local government finance, challenging campaign rhetoric about “fat” in the county budget.

• The Budget Deficit: Amestoy argued that the county’s recent deficits are necessary, driven by the need to increase salaries to keep law enforcement and road crew staff competitive with the private sector. Rice backed this up, stating that with salaries, insurance, and retirement making up the bulk of the general fund, simply using the “fund balance” to fill the gap is unsustainable without cutting vital services.
• Stormwater Discussion: The conversation recapped a recent, highly technical City Council presentation on stormwater fees that went poorly. The presentation was so confusing that the Mayor told the presenter he was “speaking a language that’s not my own.” Rice jokingly confirmed a new policy moving forward: “No engineers are allowed to speak anymore” except for the City Engineer.
• Rice’s Background: In a candid moment, Rice revealed a personal detail, sharing that he attended an alternative high school, “fought a lot” as a youth, but eventually graduated in three years and earned his master’s degree. He used this to emphasize his belief that education takes different paths for everyone.

Election and Community Updates

The hosts closed with a breakdown of campaign fundraising for contested local races and upcoming community events.

• Pct 2 Commissioner: Michael Allen leads the fundraising with $29,000 raised, followed by Wayne Uecker with $9,000, and independent Jeremy Walter at roughly $5,000.
• County Court at Law: Deborah Perry has raised approximately $7,600, slightly ahead of Guy “Bubba” Walters with $7,200.
• Upcoming Events: The hosts highlighted a Valentine’s Day “Couples Cornhole” tournament at Gibson’s Discount Center and gave a shout-out to Jeff Harris for his excitement about the upcoming Leading Ladies of Broadway performance on Feb. 22. A ticket giveaway for the Texas Guitar Quartet performance at the Cailloux Theater was also offered to viewers.