STAFF REPORT

As he has been signaling he would do for months, Hays CISD trustee Mark Jones this week formally jumped in the race for Hays County Pct. 2 Commissioner.

At a campaign kick off on Saturday, Jones announced his run before a crowd his campaign said numbered near 300 supporters. The event raised $5,000, Jones said.

“I am running for county commissioner to bring fiscal responsibility back to county government, make our roads safer and more efficient, and strengthen our local economy,” Jones said.

A two-term trustee and vice president of the Hays CISD School Board, Jones is responsible for leading one of Hays County’s largest employers and overseeing a budget of more than $100 million. During his tenure, the school district has opened four new schools, with two more under construction, without raising taxes.

“On the school board, I have worked hard to eliminate overcrowding, make long-term plans for the future, and improve student performance. We did all of this without raising taxes. This is the kind of foresight and fiscal discipline we need on the commissioners court,” Jones said

Jones has served on a regional water district board and as founding treasurer of Central Texas Life Care, a nonprofit anti-abortion crisis pregnancy center. Jones lives in Kyle with his wife, Kerri, and three children.

His campaign Web site is www.MarkJones2010.com.

Pct. 2 Commissioner Jeff Barton is expected to announce a run for county judge sometime after the first of the year but aspiring commissioners are already lining up for the job.

Also this week, Kyle City Council member Ray Bryant said he would run as a Democrat for commissioner. Kyle Mayor Mike Gonzalez has said he was considering running and this month appointed a campaign treasurer with the county’s Elections office, a step short of formally announcing.

RELATED IN THE MERCURY:

• Jones trounces Gonzalez in Pct. 2 county commissioner primary | March 3, 2010
• Precinct 2 politicians prepare to play musical chairs | November 18, 2009
• Kyle mayor announces run for Pct. 2 commissioner | December 5, 2009
• Bryant resigns from Kyle council to run for commissioner | November 16, 2009
• Barton announces bid for Hays County judge | January 4, 2010