Photo courtesy Alan Sadler

For the first time in 24 years there will be a new county judge in Montgomery County after the Nov. 4 election.

Alan Sadler, who has served as the county judge since 1990, will not seek re-election to a seventh term and will retire to spend more time with his wife and family. He said he wants to go back to the private sector in business and do things he was unable to do while serving as the county judge.

"Six terms is enough," Sadler said. "I just turned 65 and there are some things I want to do while I have my health and my energy level. I have accomplished what I have set out to accomplish."

In Sadler's time as judge the county has grown from less than 200,000 people to about 550,000, which is more than 200 percent growth, he said. Sadler said the county is in the best shape it has ever been and continues to grow, but faces challenges of finding dollars to fund transportation and mobility projects.

"The county is in excellent shape financially," Sadler said. "The biggest challenge for my successor is finding transportation dollars to accommodate the growth."

There are three Republican candidates vying for the nomination to replace Sadler as county judge in the primary election March 4. All three candidates have specific experience within Montgomery County. The candidates who have filed include Precinct 2 Commissioner Craig Doyal, Sadler's chief of staff Doris Golemon and Mark Bosma, the county's director of infrastructure.

Sadler said choosing the next county judge will be an important decision for voters, and he wants there to be some continuity.

"[Serving as county judge is] a question of good judgment; it's a question of efficiency, of keeping the tax rate down, if not lower, and keeping on top of things," Sadler said. "It's not about some macro decisions, it's about the micro decisions of doing the right thing every day."

Role of county judge

The county judge in Montgomery County acts as the CEO of a 2,000-plus employee organization, Sadler said. The county judge is responsible for running the business of the county government, which includes managing the county's money, budget and taxes.

"The term county judge is probably one of the most misconstrued terms in politics," he said. "Everyone thinks the county judge has judicial duties and authorities when, in fact, that is very limited. The only thing judicial is hearing contested liquor license hearings."

The county judge is an elected, full-time position and serves four-year terms without term limits. Sadler said the judge prepares the agenda and sets the tone and direction of the county for the commissioners court. For example, the county judge would determine if the county is a pro-growth or no-growth county and then take action to either enable or disable growth.

"This court has clearly been a pro-growth county for this 23-year period of time," he said. "One of the main things we do to promote quality growth are tax abatements. There is also a misconception about tax abatements that it's corporate welfare, when in fact, there is an immediate tax benefit."

The county judge takes the lead on major projects, such as bond initiatives and tax abatements, and brings the issues to the voters. The judge can also preside over weddings.

The candidates

Bosma has served as director of infrastructure since 2006 after working as a purchasing agent with the county for 14 years. He also worked for the city of Huntsville for seven years in a variety of capacities, including construction inspection, public works and finance. Bosma said he oversees special projects for the county, which includes building construction.

"As the county continues to grow, it is going to need new leadership to come in and bring the county to the next level," Bosma said. "I believe my experience brings that to the table."

Bosma said he has worked across county precinct boundaries for 21 years, which has helped him understand the business of the county and made him a qualified county judge candidate. Bosma said he brings a wealth of experience in finance and budgeting, as well as experience in engineering, inspections, public works and transportation. Bosma said he would streamline the budget, reduce the debt and lower taxes in the county.

"We need to stop spending what we don't have," Bosma said. "We also need to address our transportation needs and public safety."

Doyal has been Precinct 2 commissioner for 12 years and served previously as administrative assistant to former commissioner Malcolm Purvis for 15 years. Doyal said the experience he has gained and the relationships he has built will help him manage the growth of the county.

"We need to continue to increase positive growth in the county," Doyal said. "We also need to continue bringing business and job opportunities to the county."

To address the issue of finding transportation dollars, Doyal said his experience with transportation and mobility issues, along with his ability to create cross-county coalitions, would allow him to effectively bring dollars to Montgomery County. Doyal said he wants to build a broader tax base, continue to give tax abatements and maintain a low tax rate.

"I will work to find ways to meet the needs of what is a rapidly growing county, but still maintain the lowest possible tax rate so we don't burden the taxpayers," he said.

Golemon was named Sadler's chief of staff in February 2012. Before serving in that capacity, she was the executive director for the Montgomery County Food Bank for nine years, managing a $10 million annual budget. Golemon said she decided to run for the county judge seat as a result of wasteful spending and inefficiencies she said she witnessed working for the county.

"I believe I can make a positive change to reduce our tax rate and improve our quality of life," she said. "I understand how the business of a county operates. I am the only candidate that has CEO experience of running a multi-million dollar company."

Golemon said if elected she would address infrastructure, mobility, transportation and public safety needs. She said she would revitalize the budget process and bring public safety and infrastructure to the forefront of the budgeting process, as well as reduce the debt and put money aside for the future.

Golemon leans on her experience as a CEO of a large nonprofit and her limited experience working in the county as her strongest traits that set her aside from her opponents.

"I will bring a fresh insight, new eyes to the court and a whole new perspective," she said.

Additional reporting by Matt Stephens