The deadlock is over.
Unanimously, during the March 11 meeting, the Burnet County Commissioners voted for former state official Bryan Wilson as the interim county judge.
Pct. 1 Commissioner Jim Luther Jr., Pct. 2 Commissioner Damon Beierle, Pct. 3 Commissioner Chad Collier and Pct. 4 Commissioner Joe Dockery each picked Wilson to succeed former county judge James Oakley, who resigned Jan. 2.
Wilson will be bonded and sworn in as county judge March 12.
The former Texas Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority director will serve as interim judge to fill the unexpired term of Oakley through the end of 2026, county officials said.
“I am happy,” Wilson told The Highlander. “I am excited to start right away.”
The vote ended weeks of jousting for the county judge seat between Wilson, retired 33rd Judicial District judge Guilford “Gil” Jones and Burnet County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Alan Trevino.
During recent weeks, the commissioners conducted special meetings and hurled several questions at Wilson, Jones and Trevino, to probe their qualifications for county judge and ambitions related to the position.
The Feb. 11 regular meeting offered no definite outcome. Then, Beierle and Collier voted for Trevino and Dockery and Luther voted for Jones to succeed Oakley.
Just before the commissioners decided during a roll-call vote March 11, Beierle (who had supervised court proceedings since the resignation of Oakley) offered his rationale for the decision to choose Wilson.
“If we do not take action, my biggest fear is this courtroom will not serve the way it is supposed to serve,” Beierle told meeting attendees.
