Wolff, Elizondo merit re-election

County Judge Nelson Wolff, who is seeking his third full term as Bexar's chief elected official, has set the pace for modernizing the county approach to leadership.

Following a trail first blazed by his predecessor, Cyndi Taylor Krier, Wolff has expanded the job beyond the traditional limits. He put the county in the thick of economic development efforts, becoming a dependable partner for city leaders.

Wolff, a former mayor of San Antonio, orchestrated the extension of the county venue tax to provide needed funding for the San Antonio River Improvements Project, a new performing arts center as well as the development of athletic facilities across the county.

The county judge faces marginal opposition in the Democratic primary and none in the general election. That's no accident. Wolff's progressive leadership rises above partisan politics.

The judge's second full term hasn't been flawless. He and his colleagues created three new county courts-at-law at a time when budget woes should have persuaded them to wait.

But Wolff's overall performance has been commendable. His capable presence and partnership with city government has been a vital stabilizing factor for the community.

Two other Democratic members of the Bexar County Commissioners Court face primary opposition.

In Precinct 2, Paul Elizondo is seeking his seventh consecutive term. He served an earlier term before making a failed attempt to become county judge.

The 74-year-old Elizondo is more of an old-fashioned politician than Wolff, but he is a dependable supporter of economic development projects and progressive change.