Comal County Commissioner Jay Millikin will not seek re-election in 2010.
The veteran public official said Tuesday he would forgo a possible run for county judge and “mosey on the down the road” to retirement when his term as county commissioner expires in December of next year.
“It was an agonizing decision,” said the longtime Precinct 2 commissioner. “It pains me to leave a job that I enjoy so thoroughly, but it’s one of those decisions you make from the heart.”
Millikin, 69, was first elected as commissioner in 1998, after serving as mayor of Garden Ridge for five years.
During his three terms on the Commissioners Court, Millikin has represented the county on various state and regional boards, and been an outspoken advocate for environmental causes.
“It’s going to be very difficult to fill those shoes,” said Precinct 4 Commissioner Jan Kennady. “I don’t know anybody with more dedication and integrity. The county is going to miss him severely.”
Millikin said he debated running to replace outgoing County Judge Danny Scheel in 2010, but did not want to compromise his duties as county commissioner by campaigning.
“I didn’t want to resign to run,” he said. “I’ve still got a job to do as a Comal County Commissioner.”
Aside from his duties as commissioner, Millikin also is the Chairman of the Board of the Alamo Area Council of Governments, and has served for years on several AACOG committees dealing with everything from finance to air quality issues.
Among many other regional and statewide organizations, Millikin has served on the board of directors of the Guadalupe Blanco River Authority, is participating in the Edwards Aquifer Authority Recovery Implementation Program and is a member of the South Central Texas Regional Water Planning Group.
“You don’t see many elected officials, particularly Republicans, get involved in environmental issues,” he said. “But those are some of the most important things for residents, not only in this region, but everywhere.”
Through AACOG, he helped secure the area’s first early action compact ever struck with the Environmental Protection Agency — the deal allowed the San Antonio area to take preventive measures to avoid rigid EPA sanctions for poor air quality.
As a county commissioner, he said he is most proud of helping pass legislation in 2001 to give counties authority to enforce some development regulations, as well as working with his fellow commissioners and staff to keep Comal’s tax rate lower than the majority of counties in the state.
Scheel said he was “shocked” to hear that Millikin would not seek re-election.
“I’m very surprised,” he said. “He’s been a dedicated public servant for a number of years.”
