BEXAR COUNTY, Texas \u2013 The previous San Antonio mayor is running for Bexar County judge against a man who says he\u2019s running to block him.<\/p>\n
Ron Nirenberg resoundingly<\/a> beat sitting Bexar County Judge Peter Sakai in the Democratic primary. Now, he\u2019s facing Patrick Von Dohlen, the only Republican to enter the race, in the Nov. 3 election.<\/p>\n Forced out by term limits in 2025 after eight years<\/a> at the head of city government, Nirenberg said there\u2019s \u201cwork needed here in Bexar County.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cObviously we live in a difficult environment with respect to the politics of the state and the federal level. Hopefully those things will change but there is no substitute for strong local leadership,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Von Dohlen, a financial advisor and conservative activist, ran unsuccessfully three times for the District 9 seat on the San Antonio City Council. But he says Nireberg was at the heart of his decision to run for county judge. <\/p>\n \u201cBecause of what he has done in the City of San Antonio, somebody had to stop him\u201d Von Dohlen said. \u201cI\u2019m the right guy for the job.\u201d<\/p>\n Pointing to growth of the city\u2019s budget and debt under Nirenberg, Von Dohlen says higher utility rates and the current council\u2019s passage of a tax increase<\/a> are \u201ca result of those policies.\u201d He also claimed Nirenberg\u2019s track record \u201cled to negative results for everyone living in San Antonio.\u201d<\/p>\n Responding through his campaign to some of Von Dohlen\u2019s specific comments about his record, Nirenberg said the statements \u201care just not true.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe reason Patrick has been rejected by voters every time he\u2019s appeared on a ballot is because he can\u2019t tell the truth, and people see right through it. Nothing has changed,\u201d Nirenberg said.<\/p>\n Bexar County is facing its own budget crunch<\/a>. Though it didn\u2019t raise taxes like the City of San Antonio, the county did dip into its reserves to pass its latest spending plan.<\/p>\n Von Dohlen said the primary objective is \u201cgetting back to basics.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe just have to make sure that we are paying core services, and doing it efficiently, and making sure we\u2019re taking care of emergency services, the deputies, and fixing the jail crisis,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n Nirenberg said wasted money on duplicate services between the county and cities, like animal care services and public health, need to be addressed.<\/p>\n In a similar vein, he thinks some issues should be handled \u201cupstream,\u201d suggesting a diversion center for the jail could cut into the costs of sending inmates to be housed in other counties<\/a> because of space issues. <\/p>\n \u201cSo, you know, dealing with issues and providing the right services when they\u2019re needed can help us avoid wasting the resources unnecessarily,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Both candidates are leaning on their own resumes for how they\u2019d approach the job.<\/p>\n \u201cIt requires proactive leadership, articulating a vision and working together to build coalitions not just within the court \u2014 commissioners court \u2014 and within the county organization but across this community,\u201d Nirenberg said. \u201cThat is the work I enjoyed and did for eight years as mayor, and that\u2019s the work that\u2019s required of the county judge.\u201d<\/p>\n Von Dohlen, meanwhile, said he\u2019d approach the job from a financial perspective. <\/p>\n \u201cSo as I mentioned to you before, 28 years as a fiduciary financial advisor and taking care of clients, putting their interests, their goals and objectives first based on what\u2019s important to them,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd now my customers become Bexar County residents and taxpayers to make sure that those core services are delivered to them timely and efficiently.\u201d<\/p>\n Early voting runs from Monday, Oct. 19 to Oct. 30. <\/p>\n Election day is Nov. 3.<\/p>\n