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February 23, 2024
Candidates Q&A - Bandera County Constable Pct. 2
The Bandera Prophet invited the candidates for Bandera County Constable Pct. 2 to participate in a Q&A. Each candidate's response is published in alphabetical order by their last name.
The questions and answers were as follows:
1. Why are you running for Bandera County Constable Pct. 2?
James “Bubba” Popham: The Prophet did not receive a response.
Greg Spengler: I found my heart for public service when I joined the fire department in 2010 and really enjoyed helping the community in their times of need. While on some of those calls, the constable at that time showed up and I thought it would be an incredible opportunity to have a fire fighter/constable combination working both sides of the scene. So in 2013, I went to the police academy for the sole purpose of having the credentials to run for constable in my hometown, and was fortunate to take office in 2021.
2. What would you like to see changed for the county, and how do you plan to implement those changes?
Spengler: Currently, the litter abatement for the entire county is the sole responsibility of the Precinct 2 Constable. Furthermore, the county order doesn’t have teeth in it to enforce littler abatement issues. Myself and the other constables will need to get with the county attorney to have each constable responsible for litter abatement within their respective precinct and improve the wording of the order to give us more options on enforcement. As of right now, I’m working with the County Commissioner for Precinct 2 to come up with a solution for assistance with cleaning up properties for community members lacking the means to address it themselves. The current option of putting people with limited means in jail for litter issues doesn’t solve the issue. This is an ongoing conversation.
3. What do you believe is working well for the county, and how do you plan to preserve that?
Spengler: Precinct 2 has an annex that houses the Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace, Constable, Commissioner, in addition to a county tax office and a sheriff’s substation. Everyone in the office works well together to address the needs of the community and I’m proud to work with such a dedicated team every day. Being a Constable is a 24-hour a day, 7-day a week position, and I’m grateful for the support of fellow public servants and having us all together during office times ensures efficiency and camaraderie.
4. What are your biggest concerns for Precinct 2?
Spengler: Citizens tell me that they are concerned about a lack of law enforcement. At times the Sheriff’s Office is so shorthanded that only two deputies are covering the county, making for long response times for our precinct. In my role as Constable, I assist the Sheriff’s Office any time I’m called upon to improve law enforcement presence and safety. As the President and Captain of the Medina Lake Volunteer Fire Department and a member for 13 years, I know the value of teamwork, and supporting all our men and women in uniform is a value that I uphold.
5. What makes you the best candidate for Bandera County Constable Pct. 2?
Spengler: I have had the honor of serving as Bandera County Constable for Precinct 2 for the past three years. During this time, I have served 232 court papers, made 196 traffic stops, and recovered four stolen vehicles. Prior to serving as Bandera County Constable, I served as a Deputy Constable in Medina County for six years. As a licensed Texas Peace Officer, I am committed to staying current with best practices and emerging issues with a total of 1313 Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) training hours, including 80 hours of civil process training.
~ Early voting for the March 5 election began Tuesday, Feb. 20 and will continue through Friday, March 1.
Early voting locations are at the:
Ray Mauer Courthouse Annex, 403 12th Street, Bandera: Tuesday through Friday, Feb. 20-23, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 24: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 25, 1 - 7 p.m.; Monday through Friday, Feb. 26 to March 1, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Lakehills Area Library, 7200 FM 1283, Lakehills: Tuesday through Friday, Feb. 20-23, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Monday through Friday, Feb. 26 to March 1, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Medina Annex, 161 E. Parker Street, Medina: Tuesday through Friday, Feb. 20-23, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Monday through Friday, Feb. 26 to March 1, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Election Day by precinct is Tuesday, March 5, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Please see more election information at https://www.banderacounty.org/page/elections.current.elections
The questions and answers were as follows:
1. Why are you running for Bandera County Constable Pct. 2?
James “Bubba” Popham: The Prophet did not receive a response.
Greg Spengler: I found my heart for public service when I joined the fire department in 2010 and really enjoyed helping the community in their times of need. While on some of those calls, the constable at that time showed up and I thought it would be an incredible opportunity to have a fire fighter/constable combination working both sides of the scene. So in 2013, I went to the police academy for the sole purpose of having the credentials to run for constable in my hometown, and was fortunate to take office in 2021.
2. What would you like to see changed for the county, and how do you plan to implement those changes?
Spengler: Currently, the litter abatement for the entire county is the sole responsibility of the Precinct 2 Constable. Furthermore, the county order doesn’t have teeth in it to enforce littler abatement issues. Myself and the other constables will need to get with the county attorney to have each constable responsible for litter abatement within their respective precinct and improve the wording of the order to give us more options on enforcement. As of right now, I’m working with the County Commissioner for Precinct 2 to come up with a solution for assistance with cleaning up properties for community members lacking the means to address it themselves. The current option of putting people with limited means in jail for litter issues doesn’t solve the issue. This is an ongoing conversation.
3. What do you believe is working well for the county, and how do you plan to preserve that?
Spengler: Precinct 2 has an annex that houses the Precinct 2 Justice of the Peace, Constable, Commissioner, in addition to a county tax office and a sheriff’s substation. Everyone in the office works well together to address the needs of the community and I’m proud to work with such a dedicated team every day. Being a Constable is a 24-hour a day, 7-day a week position, and I’m grateful for the support of fellow public servants and having us all together during office times ensures efficiency and camaraderie.
4. What are your biggest concerns for Precinct 2?
Spengler: Citizens tell me that they are concerned about a lack of law enforcement. At times the Sheriff’s Office is so shorthanded that only two deputies are covering the county, making for long response times for our precinct. In my role as Constable, I assist the Sheriff’s Office any time I’m called upon to improve law enforcement presence and safety. As the President and Captain of the Medina Lake Volunteer Fire Department and a member for 13 years, I know the value of teamwork, and supporting all our men and women in uniform is a value that I uphold.
5. What makes you the best candidate for Bandera County Constable Pct. 2?
Spengler: I have had the honor of serving as Bandera County Constable for Precinct 2 for the past three years. During this time, I have served 232 court papers, made 196 traffic stops, and recovered four stolen vehicles. Prior to serving as Bandera County Constable, I served as a Deputy Constable in Medina County for six years. As a licensed Texas Peace Officer, I am committed to staying current with best practices and emerging issues with a total of 1313 Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) training hours, including 80 hours of civil process training.
~ Early voting for the March 5 election began Tuesday, Feb. 20 and will continue through Friday, March 1.
Early voting locations are at the:
Ray Mauer Courthouse Annex, 403 12th Street, Bandera: Tuesday through Friday, Feb. 20-23, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Saturday, Feb. 24: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Sunday, Feb. 25, 1 - 7 p.m.; Monday through Friday, Feb. 26 to March 1, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Lakehills Area Library, 7200 FM 1283, Lakehills: Tuesday through Friday, Feb. 20-23, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Monday through Friday, Feb. 26 to March 1, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Medina Annex, 161 E. Parker Street, Medina: Tuesday through Friday, Feb. 20-23, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Monday through Friday, Feb. 26 to March 1, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Election Day by precinct is Tuesday, March 5, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Please see more election information at https://www.banderacounty.org/page/elections.current.elections