ROCKWALL, TX (Dec. 19, 2022) Christmas is on Sunday…and seven days later we here in Rockwall County will have a new Commissioners Court with three brand new members. What should we expect of this new court going forward?
The new judge, Frank New, is currently a Heath city council member and owner of his own business. He has been a member of several of the county work groups during the past several years and has expressed increased interest in the way in which new roads are scheduled and constructed in the county. During his campaign for judge, he also commented extensively on the way emergency management has been handled in the county as well as how the county communicates with its citizens.
Cliff Severe, Commissioner of Precinct 1, has been on the court for 10 years. He is a retired US Army Soldier who was previously on the city council of the City of Rockwall prior to his current position.
Dana Macalik, Commissioner of Precinct 2, was just elected to the court. Prior to this she was the manager of the local Keller Williams real estate office and was also a member of the City of Rockwall City Council.
Dennis Bailey , Commissioner of Precinct 3, has been on the court for 14 years. Prior to this he was Mayor of Heath and was employed as a lobbyist with AT&T.
John Stacy, Commissioner of Precinct 4, was just elected to the court. Previously he was on the city council of Fate and owns his own health insurance business in that city.
Clearly a new Commissioners Court that is experienced in both business and local politics and the ways of government.
They are coming into office where the county is in excellent fiscal shape. A Road Bond is approved and in place along with established processes and procedures in place for the entire county involvement in the selection and planning for new roads.
The physical plant for the county is either already in place or established plans and funding has been identified and provided for the completion of the one new facility needed; the Annex to house elements of the county work force to be built in the county complex of the new Courthouse, the Library, and then the new Annex.
The work force of the county is well established with experienced elected officials leading each department. A pay-for-performance salary system is in place to ensure the best performers are adequately rewarded. An election office responsible for the conduct of all elections in the county is outstanding and the envy of our surrounding counties.
Processes and procedures for the conduct of business, both internally within the county as well as externally, are in place and enjoy the cooperation and involvement of the cities in the county as well as the county employees.
In short, the current Commissioners Court has done a good job of managing our tax monies while providing the services we need to function.
So, what should we expect from the new guys on the block?
Number 1. We should expect to see things run as smoothly and efficiently as now.
Number 2. We should expect the advent of a Strategic Plan that is developed to take this county into the future. We are at 114,000 population now expecting to grow to 150,000 in 7 more short years. We need a plan that gets us there efficiently and meeting the requirements of why Rockwall County is what it is today.
Number 3. We need built into our Strategic Plan, an Open Space Plan. If we don’t have it, we are going to end up like Rowlett; inundated with apartment buildings everywhere.
Number 4. We need citizen involvement in the development of these two plans.
Number 5. We need the continued cooperation between the county and the cities.
Number 6. We need full time involvement of each member of the Commissioners Court. Each member of the Court now has a salary and benefit package of approximately $140,000 a year. These positions are no longer “part time” jobs of the past.
These are things the new court must do. We as citizens need to participate as much as possible and then measure the individuals on the Court on how effectively they carry out their duties and responsibilities.
It’s an all-person game. We all have a stake in what our county becomes, and the Commissioners Court is the organization we rely upon to get us where we want to be.
Submitted Letter to the Editor/Guest Column contributed by Jerry Hogan, a former Rockwall County Judge. He can be reached at jerryhogan@sbcglobal.net or 214-394-4033.
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