JUDGE LOUIS H. BRUNI
Judge Louis H. Bruni was born in 1949 to a family with long and distinguished ties to the Laredo community. Judge Bruni's parents instilled in him the value of hard work and the importance of community service. He attended J.W. Nixon High School, Laredo Community College and the University of Texas at Austin. He is the proud father of Frederick Martin, 29, and Allison Anne, 24.
Successful businessman
In 1980, Judge Bruni began a successful career in the oil business. Specializing in oilfield construction, Judge Bruni established Las Minas, Inc.; Southern Oilfield Security, Inc.; and Bruni Energy Inc.
Council Member Louis H. Bruni
In 1994, Judge Bruni was elected to represent District II in the Laredo City Council. In 1998 he was re-elected to a second term. During his tenure on the Laredo City Council, Judge Bruni focused his efforts on improving the lives of his constituents. For many years, the Heights section in Laredo was plagued with flooding during intense storms. Under Judge Bruni's leadership, over $2 million in funding was secured to improve storm water management in the Heights. As Council Member, Judge Bruni also recognized that the youth in Laredo were in dire need of recreational facilities. A favorite area for youth is the city swimming pool. Judge Bruni secured capital to ensure the continued operation of the four city pools. Although the city swimming pools were in need of repair, some buildings in Laredo were in dire need of replacement. The city's library and police station, built in a time when Laredo was a smaller, less dynamic city, no longer could fulfill their respective missions. Judge Bruni took the lead in appropriation of funds necessary to build both a new library and a police station. During his tenure on Laredo's City Council, Judge Bruni had a 100% attendance record.
As chair of the City Council's Jet Service Committee, Judge Bruni played an important role in the city's successful effort to bring full-time jet service to Laredo. Judge Bruni was instrumental in this effort -- a convenience now enjoyed by all area travelers -- thereby improving business opportunities to our area which had been lost to the municipalities of Houston and Dallas in the past.
Webb County Judge Louis H. Bruni
In March 2002, Judge Bruni was elected to be the 21st Webb County Judge. Upon assuming office, Judge Bruni inherited a county budget in deficit; a county government marked by runaway growth and unrestrained spending; county roads in a general state of neglect and disrepair; a county indigent health care program over one million dollars in the red; and, costs of county services on the rise which threatened the curtailment of services or the need to raise taxes or both. With the challenge thus set before him, Judge Bruni wasted no time in meeting that challenge and making necessary changes for the better: he stopped the uncontrolled growth in county government, imposed strict spending limits on the court, and balanced the budget. Judge Bruni placed county departments on tight allowances and refused to grant additional personnel and operational increases unless dictated by the inevitable growth that the County of Webb experienced over the course of his tenure. Judge Bruni also implemented the first, comprehensive, county-wide program for the improvement of county roads; he put the County's Indigent Health Care program back on budget, and re-vamped the entire health care system to better serve the public. In addition, Judge Bruni continued in his efforts in the vital quest for a secondary water source, and succeeded in those efforts when he successfully tapped into the Carrizo-Wilcox Aquifer by placing a sizeable water well on Webb County School lands. Capable of producing over 600 gallons a minute, the well on Webb County School lands is, presently, Laredo's only alternative water source to the Rio Grande. Truly an accomplishment of Historic magnitude.
The issue of Laredo's continued water supply always held a special place in Judge Bruni's heart. As a young man, he experienced first hand the ravages of drought in Webb County while managing his family ranches. As a councilmember, Judge Bruni pioneered rain seeding efforts in the Laredo area with his heavy involvement with the Southwest Texas Rain Enhancement Association (SWTREA). Comprised of five counties in south Texas, the SWTREA continues in its cloud seeding program of which Laredo and Webb County are active members. Upon taking office as County Judge, Webb County was at the peak of a ten year drought. The mighty Rio Grande, Laredo's only water source, was then on the endangered rivers list. Rather than ignore the problem or concede no-remedy, Bruni found motivation to express his passion for a continued source of water, and spear-headed the quest for a secondary water source -- a quest undertaken by the City of Laredo years before only to be met with failure and the loss of considerable sums. Bruni succeeded however in finally achieving that historic goal when a successful water well was established on Webb County School lands.
Uppermost on Judge Bruni's county agenda was health care. Upon taking office, the County's Indigent Health care program was grossly over budget and headed for financial ruin. After implementing new policies and procedures designed to maintain budget allowances, Judge Bruni brought the Indigent Health Care Program under control. In addition, Judge Bruni assembled a county-wide coalition consisting of area health care providers and the County of Webb. Together they created the Webb County Hospital District, with its own taxing authority. Designed to capture much needed federal funding for assistance of health care providers for the indigent or underinsured, the program included an "Upper Payment Limit" designed to raise in the foreseeable future, over $14 million in additional health care funds for indigent health care in Webb County.
During his tenure, Judge Bruni focused much needed attention on taxes, crime, transportation infrastructure, and health care. When Judge Bruni took office, Webb County was beset with financial problems. Despite huge state deficits and a sluggish economy, Judge Bruni submitted the first of four consecutive budgets that were both balanced and allowed for increases in county spending only where necessary as dictated by the County's inevitable growth. Because of Judge Bruni's fiscal discipline, Standard & Poor's increased Webb County's credit rating to A+ which helped to alleviate the tax burden on the citizens of Laredo. During his four years in office, there were no tax increases in Webb County due to Judge Bruni efforts.
Law enforcement issues were not ignored during Judge Bruni's tenure. Recognizing that young people in trouble with the law often graduate to more serious crimes, Judge Bruni supported the Juvenile Justice Alternate Education Program, and fought against efforts to cut state funding for the program.
In order for Webb County to continue growing, it must have an adequate transportation infrastructure. To that end, Judge Bruni supported projects like the Cuatro Vientos Road, the U.S. 83/Loop 20 interchange, the Webb County International Rail Bridge at Colombia and the prudent removal of rail crossings inside the City of Laredo. In addition, Bruni successfully implemented the first county-wide program for the improvement and maintenance of county roads.
Public Servant
As a public servant, Judge Bruni has consistently demonstrated considerable concern for our environment and the preservation of our natural resources. To tackle these issues, he has worked hard with Texas' congressional leaders, and with the Federal Aviation Administration, in order to abate the noise pollution problems plaguing District II. He was successful in bringing this important matter to the attention of federal officials, and in assisting them in trying to secure funding for noise insulation.
Judge Bruni's work as a public servant has extended to all Laredoans and citizens of Webb County. With his keen insight and appreciation of the City's most precious resources, Judge Bruni chaired several environmentally conscious committees including the City of Laredo Water Issues Committee, the City of Laredo Oil and Gas Permit Committee, the Waste Management Committee, and the South Texas Development Council-Regional Water Conservation Task Force.
Judge Bruni was also appointed by Governor Rick Perry to serve in Austin with the Small Business Coalition Commission.
Judge Bruni will officially announce his candidacy for Texas State Senate District 21 on July 16, 2007. As a Texas State Senator, Judge Bruni will bring the same passion, competency, dedication, and vision to his constituents on the state level that served the people of Laredo and Webb County so well on the local level.
