JUDGE: We must all work together for good of the county
As I take office as the Milam County Judge, I am thankful for the support we have received, and look forward to serving all of Milam County.
When my contemporaries and I decided to run for office, we recognized the task at hand both in terms of the projected growth for Milam County and the uncertainty of the times we live in. Many folks in Milam County are facing great challenges on a daily basis and while county government cannot solve all the problems that we face, it can and must do its best to provide the necessary tools and infrastructure to meet the safety and security needs of the county’s residents and businesses.
As the newly elected officials in Milam County come into office, we are at a crossroads - one foot in our rural past and one foot in a future that involves Milam County potentially becoming one of the fastest growing counties in the area. When President Kennedy described the mission to go to the moon he said, “We choose to do these things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard.” That is why the newly elected officials ran for office, because we recognized the challenges facing Milam County and felt the need to step up and serve.
We were elected on the promise of being open and transparent in everything we do, and I intend to ensure we do just that. With this in mind, I plan to use these newspaper entries as part of my Open Stewardship Plan to address and discuss the issues that are important to us all here in Milam County. Some of these issues will be pleasant to hear about and some will be difficult to discuss; however, they are all important and they all deserve to be addressed with equal transparency.
The growth and economic development coming to Milam County present new challenges like nothing we have seen. We must recognize the challenges and prepare for the growth. Whether these challenges be great or they be small, we will work hard to manage them proactively with honesty and transparency – As A Team.
When running for office, all candidates have the best of intentions in their plans for the future, and while the candidates are political adversaries, never should they be enemies, whether during the campaign or following the campaign. The late Jack Kemp once said this about elected officials, “leadership here means finding out where people want to go and figuring out a way to take them there.” Regardless of our differences, we must be open and honest, we must find common ground, we must work together for all of Milam County, and we must all do so while holding on to the values and beliefs that makes Milam County this special place we all cherish.
In closing, rarely do I use the term “I,” but I would like to thank you for your support, and I look forward to the opportunity to serve everyone in Milam County as your County Judge.