Citing a long list of what he said are accomplishments and a record of conservative leadership, Washington County Judge John Brieden has officially announced that he will seek re-election.
"Serving the people of Washington County has been an honor and it's a job I take seriously," said Brieden. "My goal as a servant leader has always been to be a steady voice who is always listening and watching over every single taxpayer dollar. Our county has faced some tough challenges in the seven years since I took office and I intend to keep to working on solutions for our future challenges in the next four years."
Brieden said that when he took office in January 2011, he saw some areas for improvement.
For example, the county had antiquated software programs and only a part-time contract for someone to perform IT jobs. Brieden led an effort to update county technology so that all software is connected, saving employee time and saving taxpayer dollars.
"We improved our technology and IT department and built a fiber network with a complete back-up of software and data offsite. That means that if we have a catastrophic failure of the county's network, our employees can now continue to operate with no loss of data and the county constituents continue to be served," he said.
Brieden said even more new software systems are in the process of being implemented in 2018. Since taking office, Brieden said by switching all county offices to digital Voice over IP telephones, it will save taxpayer dollars.
"A good leader listens to all sides," Brieden said. "As a former Army Ranger, we used a strategic planning process with multiple public hearings to receive input. That way everyone works together to set priorities and a plan for the future. The bottom line is that decisions made in isolation or with the input of only one group in our county will never give you the big picture."
Brieden said that as an example, when he took office in 2011, he found that the county's relationship with the city of Brenham was strained and becoming unworkable.
"Whenever we have working relationships with the city of Brenham, it prevents duplication of services and facilities saving the taxpayer money," Brieden said.
After more than a year of effort by county and city leaders, Brieden said that positive new agreements were forged by reaching out to all sides.
"I am proud to be a fiscal conservative who is always slow to spend taxpayer dollars," he said. "While the city and county do not always agree, our constituents expect us to always share a mutual respect and the desire to make things work efficiently."
As a young man serving as a cadet in the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets, Brieden said he learned early to lead by example.
"County government is a team effort, we have hundreds of square miles and different communities and my goal has always been to see that we work together to spend every dollar wisely," he said. "We can all say we are fiscal conservatives but actions speak louder than words."
Before taking office, Brieden said he pledged to cut his salary by 5 percent as his first act when elected to set an example. He learned when he was sworn in that the current budget had already been passed so he could not adjust the salary schedule.
Instead he learned that the state allows elected officials to gift back a portion of their salary. To keep his promise, Brieden gifted back 5 percent of his salary in 2011, and every year since he has asked to maintain his salary at that original lowered 2011 level even when salary increases were part of the budget for everyone else on the county payroll.
"When you are listening, you are learning," Brieden said. "I am always seeking to improve our county and the job I do for our county."
Since taking office, Brieden has completed the Commissioners' Court Advance Curriculum sponsored and taught by The Lyndon B Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin; The Texas Association of Counties; the V.G Young Institute of County Government, Texas A&M University and the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas, receiving the designation of Certified County Commissioners' Court Member.
As judge, he was also inducted as a Fellow of the Texas Judicial Academy for significant judicial education, which is above that required by state law.
As a former Army Ranger, Brieden has worked for years as a veteran's advocate and has served as National Commander of the American Legion. He has served as the American Legion state legislative chairman for seven years and the national legislative chairman for three years, as well as many other volunteer roles at local, state and national levels over almost 40 years.
"Whether it is in our armed forces or in our law enforcement community, I know firsthand what it means to put on the uniform and serve to protect our freedoms and safety," Brieden said. "I am always balancing the needs of our men and women in uniform with the budget situation that always faces our taxpayers."
As county judge, Brieden said he also draws on decades of involvement in state government. He said he has gained valuable experience by serving two terms as a commissioner on the Texas Veterans Commission, including more than two years as chair; a director of the Brazos River Authority, and board member of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department.
A father and grandfather who has called Washington County home for much of his life, Brieden said he is also proud of his time as a civic leader and volunteer in many organizations, including the Washington County Chamber of Commerce, Blue Blazers, the American Cancer Society, Brenham Noon Lions, Brenham Elks Lodge 979, the United Way, and the Washington-on-the-Brazos Association.
Brieden is also a church leader at Christ Lutheran Church. He has served as the president of the board of the Christ Lutheran Foundation and on the church council. He's also been active in local youth activities, including the Washington County Soccer Referee Association and Boy's State.
An active and longtime member of the Republican Party, he's been a delegate or alternate to 11 state Republican conventions and has attended three national Republican conventions as the American Legion's representative to the platform committee.
He served as political director for Lois Kolkhorst's campaign for state representative in 2000, was Washington County chairman of Rick Perry's 1992 campaign for agriculture commissioner,as well as Perry's 1998 campaign for lieutenant governor and Perry's 2002 and 2006 campaigns for governor.
Brieden worked as the 2000 national vice chair of Veterans for Bush, as well as other campaigns for major Republican leaders including Jerry Patterson, Kay Bailey Hutchison, John Cornyn and John McCain.
"I look forward to the campaign because it is a chance to listen and learn directly from the people I serve as county judge. I will always work hard to earn your vote and support," he said.
