Q&A: Commissioner’s Court Precinct 2 candidates

Q&A: Commissioner’s Court Precinct 2 candidates Q&A: Commissioner’s Court Precinct 2 candidates Rylee Valva, News Contributor October 14, 2026 Categories: Elections Features News The Hays County Commissioner’s Court Precinct 2 seat is part of the county’s policy-making body, overseeing the budget, tax rate and county services. Michelle Cohen is the current commissioner of Precinct 2 but is running for another position. Early voting begins Oct. 19 to Oct. 30, ahead of the Nov. 3 election. Abby Gibson and Johnny Flores will appear on the ballot in Hays County on Nov. 3 Candidate answers may have been minimally edited or cut for style and clarity. Photo Courtesy of Abby Gibson Abby Gibson (REP) Why did you decide to run for commissioner in this election? “I decided to run for commissioner this election because I live in Precinct 2 and am raising my family here, and I think this race matters. We need someone that will fight for taxpayers, and we need someone that will get the roads and infrastructure completed … We have not had a conservative commissioner in several years, and we have not seen these projects and these taxes going in a great way for Precinct 2, so that’s why I’m running.” What would be your top priority if you were elected? 
 “My number one [priority] is being a fiscal conservative, measuring every single decision against the benefit of the taxpayer. … A fiscal conservative, that means that anytime funding is needed, I will measure it against the question of how does this benefit the taxpayer and is that investment worth it. So roads and infrastructure, addressing aging or neglected areas that create safety risks for first responders, any projects that were stalled due to, you know, coordination or oversight, and what I will do differently about that is, enforce timelines and accountability.” How do you plan to maximize the use of tax dollars in the county budget? “I would rather be like a tax minimalist. I think that if you watched Commissioners Court, the tax rate was recently approved to be increased. So hand over fist, tax rates have gone up over and over and over again in Hays County, and that might come with growth. However, it’s very hard to saddle taxpayers over and over.” Photo Courtesy of Johnny Flores Johnny Flores (DEM) Why did you decide to run for commissioner in this election? “I’m a former Hays CISD school board trustee, so I saw a lot of the barriers that a lot of the kids in my community faced and families, including, you know, the lack of roads and infrastructure, food insecurity, and as well as just the threats we have from the lack of an adequate water supply, the threat of data centers, and that’s really what fueled my calling to serve.” What would be your top priority if elected? “Roads and infrastructure in Precinct 2. It’s not only really like a public safety issue. It’s a matter of affordability. Folks are sitting in traffic congestion, burning expensive gas, it’s really a priority of mine to ease the burden on working families. Roads and infrastructure are certainly at the top of that list. So it really connects to, again, not only safety but affordability for me.” How do you plan to maximize the use of tax dollars in the county budget? “I believe we’ve got to plan for long term growth. We have short term issues, but when it comes to long-term growth, we’re growing at a rapid rate. I mean, we’ve exceeded 300,000 residents, and we have to prepare for what is coming. As a former school board trustee, I saw the many campuses that were going to build, not only in Precinct 2, but across Hays county. So we have to prepare for that now because otherwise it’s going to be more expensive later, not only to build, but just really causing more traffic congestion and headaches in the future.” 0 Like This Story Share on Facebook Share on X Email this Story Print this Story More to Discover More in Elections Q&A: Hays County Commissioners Court Precinct 4 candidates Q&A: Hays County criminal district attorney candidates Thousands of local voters placed on suspense list New districts set for Texas voters ahead of midterms Cohen advances to general election for County Judge Live 2026 primary run-off election updates More in Features Texas State community holds demonstration to stand with Jane Doe Austin City Limits Music Festival TXST couple retires after roughly decade of supporting student success Take your concerns to the ballot box Locking down the thrash metal scene: Local band releases first EP 'Cats look to get first conference win vs Colorado State More in News UPD investigates burglary, indecent assault at Cypress Breast cancer awareness is key to survival UPD searching for man accused of indecent exposure at the Meadows Center Scooter safety concerns arise at Texas State Rio Vista fencing, entry fees led to a cleaner park Housing enforces new security policy at Castro Hall