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Taxpayers expect their county government to manage public funds responsibly, transparently, and within the law. A recent forensic audit shows that expectation was not met. In early 2025, Nueces County hired Carr, Riggs & Ingram Advisors to conduct a forensic audit of two critical areas: the county’s self-insured health insurance fund and the county auditor’s office. The review covered multiple fiscal years and examined financial records, internal controls, procurement practic

Voters deserve straight answers about how public money is handled. In 2018, Nueces County received approximately $750,000 in federal grant funding  to expand an observation deck at Bob Hall Pier. These funds were awarded for a public purpose, and federal rules are clear: grant-funded facilities cannot be used for private commercial gain . That rule was ignored. Instead of remaining a public observation area, the federally funded structure was leased to a private restaurant op

The Nueces County Appraisal District (NCAD) is tasked with one of the most consequential and sensitive responsibilities in local government: placing fair market values on every piece of real and business property in the county, a process that underpins property tax bills for homeowners, businesses, schools, hospitals, and city services. When that system breaks down, not just in individual valuations but in how decisions are made and how transparent those decisions are, the en

The Nueces County Medical Examiner’s Office plays a critical role in public safety, criminal justice, and public health. Families rely on it for truthful determinations of cause and manner of death. Law enforcement depends on it for credible forensic evidence. Courts depend on it for reliability and professionalism. Yet over the last five years, Nueces County has experienced extraordinary instability in this office, marked by multiple chief medical examiners, lawsuits, a cost

Padre Balli Park isn’t just another county asset. It is nearly 400 acres of public beachfront land that was gifted to Nueces County in 1949 with clear conditions meant to keep it public for generations. Yet in 2022, Nueces County found itself facing a cease-and-desist letter warning that the park could potentially be reclaimed under a reversion clause, because county actions were alleged to violate the original deed restrictions. At the center of the controversy: a deed restr

Is building Briscoe King Pavilion for more than $8MM really fiscally conservative?