He is one of Bexar County’s most popular and recognizable elected officials, having been at the forefront of nearly every major issue inSan Antonio during the past 15 years. But if you ask him, Bexar County Commissioner Lyle Larson will tell you, “I really don’t like politics.”
What Larson likes is making public policy – “changing the course of things,” as he puts it – to make the city and county he’s spent his whole life in a better place. If that sounds a little hard to believe, there’s a lot about Lyle Larson that doesn’t fit the mold of a politician.
First elected in 1991, this small business owner served four years as a San Antonio City Councilman and the past 12 as Bexar County Commissioner. You’ll oftenfind him speaking to a group of constituents in a sharp suit and tie with a pair of scuffed cowboy bootson his feet, a nod tohis South Texas roots and his down–home charm.
Unlike most politicians, he doesn’t allow someone else to craft his speeches or prepare poll–tested comments for him to use in media interviews. He speaks off-the–cuff, regardless of the audience, revealing a deep knowledge of the issues and a bit of the independent streak that has earned him the respect of his colleagues and constituents.
Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff calls Larson “one of the hardest working politicians I know,” adding that “his leadership and experience are invaluable to this community.”
Larson grew up the son of a large–animal veterinarian. He spent his youth on a farm, where he learned an early lesson in conservatism. When it came time to feed the pigs, he’d find himself pulling the more aggressive pigs away from the trough so that others could feed. “You pull two away and four more rush in,” he laughs. “But you have to remember that you’re the one holding the bag.” In other words, it was his responsibility to conserve what was in that bag to make sure there was enough to go around.
It’s a perfect analogy for the next big challenge in his life: dealing with the pork in Washington. Larson announced this year that he is running for the Republican nomination of the U.S. Congress’ 23rd District, which stretches from north Bexar County south and west to El Paso County. Frustrated by Congress’ inability to control spending and constant partisan bickering, Larson is determined to bring fiscal responsibility to the feeding frenzy that is our federal government.
He believes his experience in local government has prepared him well for the next level. He has chaired some of the region’s most important policy–making bodies. For example, as chairman of the Greater San Antonio Crime Commission, he led the effort to dramatically decrease gang violence in the mid–90s. As chairman of the Metropolitan Planning Organization, he helped shape the transportation policiesof the entire region. In 2005, he chaired the Military Transformation Task Force during the latest round of Base Realignment and Closure (BRAC), turning a potential loss of 1,000 jobs into a gain of nearly 11,000 jobs and establishing San Antonio as the home of all military medical training in the United States.
All of these experiences have taught Larson that even the most complex problems can be solved with common sense, courage and leadership – traits that he believes are largely lacking in Congress.
“There’s a lot of frustration across the 23rd District and across this country with what’s going on in Washington right now. There's a lot of bickering, a lot of fighting. A lot of folks are dissatisfied with what’s going on up there,” said Larson. “It’s not about the Democrats winning. It’s not about the Republicans winning. It’s about America winning. That’s what I’m going to focus on.”
Larson says he’ll also focus on restoring fiscal conservatism inWashington. As the only Republican on the five-member County Commission, Larson led the effort to reduce the Bexar County tax rate seven times in the past 12 years. He pushed to have a tax freeze enacted for homeowners 65 and over. And he’s put his money where his mouth is by voting against and refusing to accept all pay raises during his 12 years in office. He’s turned down $300,000 worth of salary and currently earns half what the other county commissioners make.
“I can’t think of a better example of public service,” says State Senator Jeff Wentworth. “How many people would turn down that kind of money?”
Larson says simply that “the job hasn’t changed. If you don’t like the pay, you shouldn’t run for the office.”
Throughout all his years in office, Larson has kept his day job: CEO of a successful industrial imaging company called American Consortium, a company that also employs his mother. He says owning a business for the past 22 years, with all the pressures and fluctuations of the marketplace, has taught him the importance of being efficient with his resources.
Of course, if Larson plans to “change the course of things” in Washington, he’ll have to tolerate just enough politics to get it done.
