“People feel very comfortable coming up and telling you their issues and concerns,” said Comal County Precinct One Commissioner Donna Eccleston.

Donna Eccleston, who lives in the Canyon Lake area, is running for re-election as Comal County Commissioner in Precinct One.

The incumbent has served on the Commissioner’s Court for seven years.

“We’re the ninth fastest growing county in the entire country. So, that brings with it a lot of challenges and opportunities,” Eccleston said.

Top of the list of issues is traffic and the difficulties it brings from growth.

Eccleston continued, “We’ve embarked on quite a few partnerships for highways. We’re very fortunate that we’re getting the highways now and we’re doing the work now instead of 20 years from now when everyone has had terrible quality of life and hasn’t been very effective.”

Another challenging topic is taxes.

“Everybody is looking at their bills. Families are conscious of all of those things, and so we work really hard to keep our rate down. We’re in the bottom five percent of all 254 counties here in Texas for our rate,” Eccleston added.

Opponent and political newcomer, Garrison Maurer wants change in the Precinct one district.

As a small business owner, he says he hears the many obstacles residents face throughout the county.

“I was a volunteer fire fighter for a number of years. So, I understand the challenges that we are up against,” said Republican candidate Garrison Maurer.

And with growth comes new demands, like the availability of running water

Maurer added, “In Comal County there is a serious concern of water. That it might not be available, the ground water supply. We’re running short, eventually with the growth that we’re having.”

He also feels county officials lack responsiveness when people attempt to voice their needs.

Maurer added, “The biggest concern is communications to respond to citizens that are emailing and making calls in to county commissioners. That the commissioners respond back to those emails and phone calls that are not being returned.”

For these reasons, both Comal County candidates believe they are the best choice for the Commissioner's Court in Precinct One.