More changes are in store for the Lone Star Groundwater Conservation District with the resignation of its longtime general manager, Kathy Turner Jones. The LSGCD is the government entity responsible for managing Montgomery County’s groundwater supply.

Jones served as general manager since the district’s inception in 2002. A staunch advocate of groundwater regulation, she helped craft policies restricting the usage of groundwater.

Under Jones and previous boards, the LSGCD worked closely with the San Jacinto River Authority to require people to buy surface water from the SJRA rather than use the significantly cheaper groundwater from private companies, creating a government monopoly on water.

However, her pro-regulatory stance brought her into conflict with the new board elected in November 2018, which favors looser regulations and a pro-free market approach.

Jones has accepted a general manager position with the Prairielands Groundwater Conservation District, the groundwater regulatory agency for Ellis, Johnson, Hill, and Somervell counties.

“Ms. Jones leaves the District amicably as she is pursuing a growth opportunity in her career,” stated the LSGCD board in a press release. “We sincerely thank her for her contribution and leadership during her tenure as General Manager. The Board appreciates her many years of service and the smooth transition she is enabling. We wish her the best in her new endeavor in groundwater management.”

The LSGCD board has appointed Assistant General Manager Samantha Reiter as interim general manager.

Reagan Reed

Reagan Reed is the East Texas Correspondent for Texas Scorecard. A homeschool graduate, he is nearing completion of his Bachelor’s Degree in History from Thomas Edison State College. He is a Patriot Academy Alumni, and is an Empower Texans Conservative Leader Award recipient.

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