88R28138 KSM-D
 
  By: Springer S.R. No. 516
 
 
 
R E S O L U T I O N
         WHEREAS, Denton County lost a trailblazing civic leader with
  the passing of former county judge Mary O. Horn on April 21, 2023,
  at the age of 77; and
         WHEREAS, The daughter of Lieutenant Commander
  Dr. O. W. Roberts and Mary Ann Roberts, the former Mary Roberts was
  born in Owatonna, Minnesota, on June 28, 1945; after studying at
  Mankato State College and earning certification from the Minnesota
  School of Business, she began working for Braniff International
  Airways in Dallas as a flight attendant; she rose to become the only
  woman among the top executives at the airline before starting her
  own business in 1982; and
         WHEREAS, On May 6, 1967, she married James Nathan "Jim" Horn,
  and they settled in Denton, where they raised two children,
  Jennifer and Jim; the couple founded the Denton County Republican
  Party at their kitchen table in 1972, and Judge Horn campaigned
  energetically for her husband in his successful campaign for a seat
  in the Texas House of Representatives; in 1993, she became the first
  woman to win election as Denton County tax assessor-collector, and
  nine years later, she became the county's first female judge;
  during an era of phenomenal growth, she worked tirelessly to
  maintain a low tax rate while improving efficiency and providing a
  high level of service to residents; she increased budget reserves,
  paving the way for a AAA bond rating, modernized the county's taxing
  systems, and made motor vehicle registration more convenient by
  creating an online system; in 2004 and 2008, voters approved two
  bond packages, and she leveraged $335 million in local funds to
  bring over $3 billion for road improvements and construction,
  expansion, or renovation of county buildings; she retired in 2018,
  following four consecutive terms, as the longest-serving county
  judge in Denton County history; and
         WHEREAS, Judge Horn shared her expertise in leadership roles
  with a host of local and state organizations, and she was vice chair
  of the Texas Workforce Development Board; she served many terms as
  president of the Denton Republican Women's Club, and she was the
  Texas Federation of Republican Women's 1988 honoree; and
         WHEREAS, Above all, Judge Horn was devoted to her family,
  which grew to include eight grandchildren, Michael, Elle, Knox,
  Francie, Houston, Olive, Morgan, and Ashton; her greatest joy was
  spending time with them, whether attending their athletic events or
  reading stories, singing songs, and making up silly games; and
         WHEREAS, Mary Horn broke down barriers and skillfully guided
  Denton County during a transformative period, and although she will
  be deeply missed, her exceptional contributions will continue to
  resonate in the years to come; now, therefore, be it
         RESOLVED, That the Senate of the 88th Texas Legislature
  hereby pay tribute to the memory of the Honorable Mary O. Horn and
  extend sincere sympathy to all who mourn her passing; and, be it
  further
         RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
  prepared for her family and that when the Texas Senate adjourns this
  day, it do so in memory of Mary Horn.