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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Denton County lost a trailblazing civic leader with |
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the passing of former county judge Mary O. Horn on April 21, 2023, |
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at the age of 77; and |
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WHEREAS, The daughter of Lieutenant Commander |
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Dr. O. W. Roberts and Mary Ann Roberts, the former Mary Roberts was |
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born in Owatonna, Minnesota, on June 28, 1945; after studying at |
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Mankato State College and earning certification from the Minnesota |
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School of Business, she began working for Braniff International |
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Airways in Dallas as a flight attendant; she rose to become the only |
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woman among the top executives at the airline before starting her |
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own business in 1982; and |
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WHEREAS, On May 6, 1967, she married James Nathan "Jim" Horn, |
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and they settled in Denton, where they raised two children, |
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Jennifer and Jim; the couple founded the Denton County Republican |
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Party at their kitchen table in 1972, and Judge Horn campaigned |
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energetically for her husband in his successful campaign for a seat |
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in the Texas House of Representatives; in 1993, she became the first |
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woman to win election as Denton County tax assessor-collector, and |
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nine years later, she became the county's first female judge; |
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during an era of phenomenal growth, she worked tirelessly to |
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maintain a low tax rate while improving efficiency and providing a |
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high level of service to residents; she increased budget reserves, |
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paving the way for a AAA bond rating, modernized the county's taxing |
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systems, and made motor vehicle registration more convenient by |
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creating an online system; in 2004 and 2008, voters approved two |
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bond packages, and she leveraged $335 million in local funds to |
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bring over $3 billion for road improvements and construction, |
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expansion, or renovation of county buildings; she retired in 2018, |
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following four consecutive terms, as the longest-serving county |
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judge in Denton County history; and |
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WHEREAS, Judge Horn shared her expertise in leadership roles |
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with a host of local and state organizations, and she was vice chair |
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of the Texas Workforce Development Board; she served many terms as |
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president of the Denton Republican Women's Club, and she was the |
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Texas Federation of Republican Women's 1988 honoree; and |
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WHEREAS, Above all, Judge Horn was devoted to her family, |
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which grew to include eight grandchildren, Michael, Elle, Knox, |
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Francie, Houston, Olive, Morgan, and Ashton; her greatest joy was |
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spending time with them, whether attending their athletic events or |
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reading stories, singing songs, and making up silly games; and |
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WHEREAS, Mary Horn broke down barriers and skillfully guided |
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Denton County during a transformative period, and although she will |
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be deeply missed, her exceptional contributions will continue to |
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resonate in the years to come; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature |
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hereby pay tribute to the memory of the Honorable Mary O. Horn and |
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extend sincere sympathy to all who mourn her passing; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for her family and that when the Texas Senate adjourns this |
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day, it do so in memory of Mary Horn. |