Sunday, a grand swearing-in day
Glynis Crawford Smith/The Highlander
Newly elected officials at the annual ceremonial oath of office event at the Burnet County Courthouse Sunday, Jan. 1, are Precinct 1 Constable Leslie Ray, Precinct 4 Constable Missy Bindseil, Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace Debbie Bindseil, Precinct 1 Justice of the Peace Roxanne Nelson, Burnet County Sheriff Calvin Boyd, Texas House District 20 Representative Terry Wilson, Precinct 3 Commissioner Billy Wall and Precinct 1 Commissioner Jim Luther, Jr.
By Glynis Crawford Smith
The Highlander
A standing room only crowd filled the Burnet County Courthouse Sunday, Jan. 1, for the New Year's Day ceremonial oaths of office for elected and appointed officials.
The new Texas House District 20 Representative, Terry Wilson, was on hand to congratulate the local officials. The Marble Falls resident, who won his spot to replace Marsha Farney in the Republican Primary, will be sworn in officially at the Capitol on Jan. 10.
No only elected officials were included. Almost the entire contingent of Burnet County Sheriff's Department deputies came forward to be sworn by new Sheriff Calvin Boyd.
The program opened with an invocation from retiring Sheriff W.T. Smith, who kindly invoked blessings and good wishes on his successor. For his part, Boyd had a separate ceremony for one deputy, the first mental health officer to be attached to the BCSO, Melissa Matuszak-Fosler. Each honoree received a pin commemorating the day and her father, Michael Fosler, retired from law enforcement himself, did the honors for Matuszak-Fosler.
424th District Judge Evan Stubbs administered the oath to his 33rd District counterpart, Judge Allan Garrett, 424th/33rd District Attorney Wiley “Sonny” McAfee and County Attorney Eddie Arredondo.
County Judge James Oakley presided over the event, administering most of the oaths giving official standing to those administered by others.
“This will be the best day of your life as an elected official,” Oakley said cheerfully. “Tomorrow your work begins.”
Former Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace Martin McLean took a moment before swearing in Debbie Bindseil into that same office to praise the years of service she performed as she worked along side him.
“I worked with her for years,” he said. “She is one of the finest in Burnet County.”
The Bindseil clan made up one of the largest contingents in the audience, as the day also included the oaths of her son, Ricky Bindseil as BCSO patrol captain, and his wife Millicent “Missy” Bindseil as Precinct 4 Constable.
Among those taking the oath of office for the first time in a newly elected position were were Burnet County Precinct 1 Commissioner Jim Luther Jr., Precinct 3 County Commissioner Billy Wall and Precinct 3 Constable Leslie Ray. Roxanne Nelson has been serving as Justice of the Peace for Precinct 1 under appointment, but this was her first installation by election, and it was just the second for Constable Precinct 2 Garry Adams.
Tax Assessor Collector Sheri Frazier, sworn in for a seventh term, had the most experience at the process, however Precinct 3 Constable Jimmy Ballard, installed for a fifth elected term has served all but two years in office since 1995, including appointments.
