Sakai spent 26 years as a judge, serving as the presiding judge in the 225th District Court from 2007 to 2021. As an administrative judge, he supervised the Children’s Court, which handles cases involving abused and neglected children. Sakai grew up in McAllen and graduated from the University of Texas law school.
Hear from the candidate
What about your life and/or work experience has best prepared you to take on the job of county judge?
I am a licensed attorney with over 40 years of experience, including my 26 years as a judge here in Bexar County. Through my work as a local administrative judge of the children’s court and as a district court judge, I have led innovative programs to reform the children’s court in support of families and developed an improved systemic understanding of management of justice system, budgets and information technology. When the local Collaborative Committee on Domestic Violence started it brought leaders in government, the judiciary, law enforcement, nonprofits and health care agencies together with the goal to address the crisis of our community’s domestic violence. As a driving force in this community, I led the collaboration to expand access to support services for survivors of domestic violence to reduce the incidents and impacts of domestic violence. It is my innovative and collaborative approach, my judicial expertise and experience, and deep ties in Bexar County that have prepared me to lead and make Bexar County better as your next county judge.
What would your first 100 days in office look like? What challenges would you tackle first and why?
In my first 100 days in office, I will initiate departmental reviews of each county department, lay the foundation for county modernization efforts that will be ongoing throughout my first term, and I will meet with each county commissioner to gain a greater understanding of their priorities so we can hit the ground running in collaboration and transparency to improve customer/constituency service. As the elected county judge of the fourth largest county in Texas and the 16th largest nationally, and with more than 5,000 employees in 25 county offices or departments, I will meet with the leadership team for each department/office during my first 100 days to get to know them and hear their thoughts and ideas on efficiency, effectiveness, community accessibility, diversity, inclusivity and customer service. The most important and crucial department is that of the county manager, because it directly oversees all the other departments and is accountable to the county judge and the four county commissioners. In addition to the county manager’s office, I will focus on those offices/departments that greatly impact the people that live and work in Bexar County. My initial focus will be on the following areas: public safety, including the sheriff’s office, the jail, the district attorney’s office and the courts; resident resources and services, including economic development, small business support and health and wellness through University Hospital System and new public health entity; and property taxes, focusing on developing a comprehensive plan with the county commissioners to lower taxes by working with the Bexar County state legislative delegation, Bexar County Appraisal District and state comptroller. As our community continues to recover from the health and economic impacts of the pandemic and our recent severe weather events, I will push for county representation on the SAWS and CPS Energy boards of trustees so we can better support utility infrastructure, resilience and disaster preparedness efforts and support initiatives to address the digital divide in our community.
Judge Nelson Wolff has been the Bexar County judge for more than 20 years. How would your approach to the role look different than Judge Wolff’s?
Judge Wolff was a visionary leader who set the bar high for moving our county government forward and leading transformational capital infrastructure projects. While I am committed to completing his ongoing capital projects, such as the San Pedro Creek, my priority will be taking us back to budgetary basics and focusing on what I call the Bexar Necessities: economic development, public health, infrastructure, law enforcement and public safety, and modernized county services. For too long, our community has been defined by inequities and some of our county administrative processes are seen as outdated and reducing efficiency. I pledge to be a champion for addressing these inequities by making investments in supporting our small businesses, closing the digital divide, expanding emergency services in unincorporated Bexar County, and improving access to health care in the suburban cities and the fringes of our county that have been underserved. With my colleagues on the Commissioners Court, we will implement changes in the budget process to build our residents trust by holding budget work sessions with departments and offices to foster open and transparent government. We will also use a variety of communication tools to inform our constituency of actions taken by the Commissioners Court.
Within current state law, what changes would you like to see in the way elections are handled locally? What kind of qualifications, values or commitments would you be looking for in the next elections administrator?
Our neighbors expect and deserve excellence and integrity when it comes to elections. When Jacque Callanen decides to retire, I am committed to leading a national search to find the most qualified and capable elections administrator. Our next elections administrator should have robust experience in managing elections, a proven track record fostering public trust in the integrity of local elections, and a commitment to ensuring equity and access to the ballot box for all Bexar County neighbors.
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