SHERIFF GREG HAMILTON ENDORSES NELDA WELLS SPEARS
County’s Top Law Enforcement Official Says Her Quiet Leadership Sets the Standard For Public Service
(AUSTIN) — Sheriff Greg Hamilton today announced his enthusiastic endorsement of Travis County Tax Collector Nelda Wells Spears in her race for an unprecedented fifth full term at the helm of the office that has earned praise as the best county tax operation of any urban county in Texas.
“When it comes to doing her job, you don’t lecture Nelda — you take notes,” Sheriff Hamilton said. “She has steadily but surely built the state’s most effective local tax office, bringing in the revenues we need to fund law enforcement and other our vital services to keep our communities safe.”
Sheriff Hamilton also praised Ms. Spears record in registering nearly 95 percent of eligible voters in the county and maintaining the integrity of their data on the voter rolls.
“Nelda is serious about protecting our right to participate in the democratic system, and it shows,” Sheriff Hamilton said.
The Travis County Tax Office manages more than 130 employees who process 1.3 million tax and fee payments each year, collect more than $2 billion in local taxes and fees, and actively register and protect the data of more than half-a-million voters. Certified by the State Board of Tax Professional Examiners, she recently received the prestigious Best Practices Award for Exceptional Delivery of Services by her peers in the Texas Association of Counties Leadership Foundation. She also received the 2007 ComputerWorld Honors Laureate for the Application of the latest technology to improve access for taxpayers and small businesses.
The Democratic primary will be held on March 4, 2008. The general election is November 4, 2008.
