A changing attitude has come to the county
Two years ago when I first started campaigning across the county to be your County Judge, I sensed a negative attitude among many in the county. Of course, there were legitimate reasons, such as the loss of Alcoa, then Luminant and last the hospitals. That pessimistic attitude was also prevalent among many who worked for the county as they too had suffered without a pay raise or good equipment, due to a shortage in revenue. It felt like many were just waiting for the next shoe to drop!
I knew that the county could not succeed with a negative attitude and I set out to change it. We started doing things to help set the stage for success. We held economic summits to make us all aware of what we can do to bring new business to the county and keep what we have. We worked to bring all of us together by holding a countywide moot court and a Rockdale-Cameron football banquet.
We passed new countywide enforcement regulations to clean up the county and to prevent unsightly trailer parks as new people are not going to live in an unsightly place. We made it known in the county and outside the county that we welcome new business. We also began a project to give the county administrative employees a new building with better equipment. Soon we will have a nice clean, professional building in Cameron where almost all county services will be provided, instilling a heightened sense of “Milam County Pride” in all of us.
Business is improving in the county as we now have a lot of solar coming to the county and we may very well have the largest bitcoin mining operation in the world. We are working with our very own Workforce Solutions to train the young and old how to fill these new jobs. Retailers are doing better as exemplified by Brett’s BBQ which sold out of over 600 pounds of food in three hours last Sunday. San Andres Masonic Lodge had the biggest crowd ever at its annual fish fry fund raiser and the Milano VFD served 250 pounds of chili Saturday evening at it annual fundraiser.
Attitudes are definitely changing! People routinely approach me and say nice things about the work we are doing in the county. I sense a new feeling of “we can do this” in the county. The negative thoughts about county government being substandard are waning and we as county are thinking more and more positive instead of negative.
A huge step forward for all us in the county. A positive attitude is really the key to our success for all of us who live and work in Milam County, Texas. Get on board and be a part of this wonderful, refreshing new attitude!