2026 General Election Information

Election Day is Tuesday
November 3, 2026

Commissioners Court
Precinct 2 race

October 12, 2026 – Kerr County GOP Demands County Judge Act on Independent Candidate Who Voted in Republican Primary Runoff  – Read the Press Release…

Vote Rich Paces mailer

– Supporting documentation:

Paces – The Receipts

1. Held the line on property taxes / Fought for No New Revenue Rate
On September 14, 2026, the Kerr County Commissioners’ Court unanimously adopted the FY 2026–2027 budget and a property tax rate of $0.4081 per $100 valuation, equal to the No New Revenue Rate. Commissioner Rich Paces voted Aye.

A No New Revenue Rate produces the same total revenue from existing properties as the prior year; any increase in total levy comes from new property added to the roll.

Kerr County official notice of budget and tax-rate adoption: https://kerrcountytx.gov/
Hill Country Community Journal, “County holds line on tax rate again as flood bills loom” (Aug. 27, 2026): https://www.hccommunityjournal.com/article_03d3d6ae-eb70-4bd6-8234-fab1863bfc79.html

2. Declined every pay raise / Turned it down — two years running
Local reporting documents that Paces opposed or declined salary increases for elected officials and supported smaller employee adjustments than the rest of the Court in multiple budget cycles (including 2024 and 2025). He has stated publicly that he has turned down salary increases since taking office.

Kerr County Daily Times, “Commissioners Court approves salary increase for county officials” (Aug. 5, 2025)
San Antonio Express-News / Hill Country, “Kerr County OKs 4% pay hike for county employees, elected officials” (Aug. 2, 2024): https://www.expressnews.com/hill-country/article/kerr-county-wage-increase-19615628.php
Hill Country Community Journal, “Commissioners approve staff pay increases” (Aug. 2, 2024)

3. July 4, 2025 Flood — Center Point VFD station flooded; knocking doors; no lives lost in Center Point
The Center Point Volunteer Fire Department station was flooded with approximately seven feet of water. Paces, a volunteer firefighter with the department, stated that crews were notified early, knocked on doors, and evacuated residents before the water reached the community. Department leadership and subsequent recognition stated that no lives were lost in the Center Point area of responsibility.

Hill Country Community Journal, “CPVFD station completely flooded, damaged” (July 12, 2025): https://www.hccommunityjournal.com/article_f33dda0f-7d7d-4ade-bf41-7446f669681d.html
Kerrville Daily Times, “Center Point VFD chief receives national MOWW award” (Sept. 29, 2026)

4. July 2026 Flood — Station flooded a second time; he was with them
The Center Point VFD station flooded again in mid-July 2026 (higher water inside the building than in 2025). Reporting confirms the station was submerged a second consecutive year.

KENS 5, “Center Point firefighters rebuild again after floods damage station for second straight year” (July 20, 2026)
Spectrum News, “Center Point Volunteer Fire Department building floods, again” (July 23, 2026)

5. Leading the Chapter 391 commission of Kerr, Kendall, and Gillespie against BESS
Kerr County formed a Chapter 391 Sub-Regional Planning Commission with Kendall County (later joined by Gillespie) to oppose lithium battery energy storage systems. Paces has served as president/chairman of the Hill Country Energy Sub-Regional Planning Commission and has publicly described its purpose as forcing state agencies to coordinate on BESS permits.

Kerr County Daily Times, “391 commission on county agenda again” and related coverage (Feb. 2025)
Kerr County Daily Times, “Regional commission will take its battery fight to the PUC” (Sept. 5, 2025)
Public statements by Commissioner Paces regarding formation of the Hill Country Energy Sub-Regional Planning Commission

6. Self-funded. No donor list.
This claim is operator-sourced. Public campaign-finance filings should be checked at the Kerr County Elections office or through the Texas Ethics Commission before relying on it in a contested setting.

Walther – The Record

7. Owns Trailhead Beer Garden (at the end of the Kerrville River Trail) and Pint & Plow
Multiple local reports and Walther’s own campaign materials identify him as the owner/founder of Pint & Plow Brewing Company (Clay Street) and Trailhead Beer Garden (Schreiner University campus at the River Trail trailhead).

Kerrville Daily Times, “Making a case for the Kerrville Urban Trails System” (Oct. 2, 2019)
Kerrville Daily Times / Hill Country Culture, “Trailhead Beer Garden Grand Opening” coverage
Walther campaign site: https://gokerrcounty.org/about.html

8. Wants the county to spend taxpayer money on the River Trail corridor
Walther’s published five priorities include a “Guadalupe River Corridor (10-Year Vision)” describing an 8-mile corridor from Kerrville to Center Point that combines flood mitigation, recreational trails, conservation easements, and emergency access, with funding sources that include grants and strategic economic-development funds.

Jeremy Walther campaign, Five Priorities: https://gokerrcounty.org/five-priorities.html

9. His plan starts with a hotel tax
Walther’s published platform lists “Hotel Occupancy Tax support: Tourists paying fair share for infrastructure instead of local taxpayers (estimated hundreds of thousands annually, requires legislative approval).”

Jeremy Walther campaign, Five Priorities: https://gokerrcounty.org/five-priorities.html

10. Painted decorative crosswalks on public streets; TxDOT ordered them removed
Walther founded the Kerrville Urban Trail System (KUTS) and led the volunteer effort that painted river-themed decorative crosswalks in Kerrville. In October 2025, TxDOT ordered the city to remove the non-standard markings to comply with state guidance; the city confirmed it would comply.

Local coverage of KUTS and the decorative crosswalks (Kerrville Daily Times and related reporting, 2021–2025)
TxDOT directive to the City of Kerrville (October 2025) regarding non-standard roadway markings

The City of Kerrville (via its Public Works resources/budget) paid for and carried out the restoration/restriping of the crosswalks to standard markings.​
Dailytimes +1
Background
In 2023, the Kerrville Urban Trail System (KUTS) installed artistic, Guadalupe River-themed crosswalks (blue/teal designs) at intersections including Water & Clay, Jefferson & Clay, and Jefferson & Hays. These were privately funded through donations and grants (not city/taxpayer money). The city allowed the work and helped with street closures but did not fund the art itself.​
Dailytimes +1

TxDOT/Abbott Directive
In October 2025, following Gov. Greg Abbott’s order and TxDOT guidance (tied to federal SAFE ROADS efforts and the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices / TMUTCD), Kerrville was required to remove the decorative/non-standard markings. The city confirmed it would comply to avoid risking state/federal transportation funding, with Assistant City Manager Michael Hornes noting the river-themed designs did not qualify for exceptions.​
Kerrcountylead +1

Restoration
By early January 2026, the City of Kerrville was actively “refreshing” the crosswalks (e.g., on Water Street between TX-16 and Quinlan) to standard compliant markings. Official city notices and local reporting explicitly attribute this work to the City of Kerrville for TMUTCD compliance. No reports indicate KUTS, private donors, or another party covered the restriping costs—consistent with other Texas cities (e.g., Amarillo) that handled similar removals from their operating budgets.​
Dailytimes +1

In short: private funding created the original art; city funds (taxpayers) covered the required return to standard striping after the TxDOT mandate.

11. Platform never mentions the lithium batteries
Walther’s published five priorities (fiscal responsibility, emergency preparedness, water security, infrastructure, and river corridor) do not reference battery energy storage systems or lithium battery facilities.

Jeremy Walther campaign, Five Priorities: https://gokerrcounty.org/five-priorities.html

12. Says he always voted Republican / Voting record
Walther has stated he has always voted Republican. The GOP Data Center voter file shows:

2026 TX Primary Runoff Election (May 26, 2026) — early vote, Republican ballot
2022 TX Runoff Election (May 24, 2022) — in-person vote, Republican ballot
General election participation in 2018, 2020, 2022, and 2024
No March primary participation recorded in the file

Texas has no party registration. Primary and runoff participation is the relevant public record. The 2026 runoff vote is the one that triggers the eligibility issue under Texas Election Code § 162.015 and the Secretary of State’s 2026 guidance.

13. Voted in the Republican Primary Runoff (2026)
Kerr County’s official Republican early-voting roster shows Jeremy Walther voted in the May 22, 2026 Republican Primary Runoff. The Kerr County GOP and Commissioner Paces have asked County Judge Rob Kelly to declare him ineligible under Texas Election Code § 145.003(g).

Kerr County GOP press release / letter to Judge Rob Kelly (Oct. 12, 2026): https://kerrcountygop.com/kerr-county-gop-demands-county-judge-act-on-independent-candidate-who-voted-in-republican-primary-runoff/The Kerr County Lead, “GOP threatens to sue to block Walther from taking Pct. 2 seat” (Oct. 12, 2026): https://kerrcountylead.com/gop-threatens-to-sue-to-block-walther-from-taking-pct-2-seat/
Kerr County Republican early-voting rosters (daily PDFs): https://legacy.co.kerr.tx.us/elections/docs/2026-05-26/Rep-EV-Voters/

14. Voted in the Republican Runoff (2022)
GOP Data Center voter file for Jeremy Walther shows participation in the 2022 TX Runoff Election (May 24, 2022) on a Republican ballot (in-person).

Operator-provided GOP Data Center voter file (screenshot dated context of this review)

15. State law says that makes him ineligible to run as an Independent
Texas Election Code § 162.015(a) provides that a person who voted at a primary election is ineligible for a place on the ballot for the succeeding general election as an independent candidate for an office for which a candidate was nominated in the primary. The Texas Secretary of State’s 2026 independent-candidate guidance states that candidates may have their name placed on the general-election ballot as an independent only if they did not vote in the primary or runoff primary election of either party (citing §§ 142.008, 162.003, 162.015).

Texas Election Code § 162.015: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/EL/htm/EL.162.htm#162.015
Texas Secretary of State, “Running as an Independent Candidate in 2026”: https://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/candidates/guide/2026/ind2026.shtml