The Commissioner and the Community

Like most of the commissioners who serve the 254 counties of this state, I sought the office of county commissioner in part because I wanted to serve the community in which I lived, worked, and raised my family. Many times we hear celebrities say they want to give something back to the place they call home. To be successful as commissioners, I believe we have to hold that same attitude.
Thirteen years as a commissioner have helped develop a knowledge base of skills. I use them daily to interact with the community. The good news is that it does not take that long to learn most of them because they are common sense attitudes and values.
Know your community and your county. Take time to learn its needs and participate in local activities. For instance, each year my family and I volunteer to work in fund-raisers that benefit youth activities. Small towns depend on FFA and 4-H to interest and entertain their children. Any time you can give to those groups, your local Lions or Rotary Clubs, community activities that provide college scholarships, and other charitable or service organizations, is time invested in the future.
I attend church with my family regularly. Not only does this give me the opportunity to interact with my neighbors and friends, but it also helps me to refresh my values and reminds me what is important in this life. Church groups also do vital work in the community providing services to the elderly, food pantries, and in the most recent example, shelter to those displaced by storms and family tragedies.
While I try to always be flexible, another thing that I do is make a yearly list of goals. What do my crew and I need to accomplish to assure that the roads in my precinct are as safe as we can make them? The list needs to be realistic and achievable, but the goals also need to be high enough to be effective both for present and future needs.
Effective goal keeping means doing any job right the first time. If something does not look right, it probably is not. Inspecting the roads of the precinct regularly provides the opportunity to look for areas warranting repair, noting where a culvert needs replacement, or evaluating the need for signage.
The list of goals includes taking advantage of all education opportunities I can schedule because technology and innovation never stop growing, and no one can afford not to change with the times. Will Rogers once said, “Even if you are on the right track, you’ll still get run over if you just sit there.” If I have a problem, I try to find someone with the expertise to suggest solutions.
While the yearly goals list never seems to get shorter, I monitor progress and look for completion of specific projects in a timely manner. For instance, are we on target for the installation of a bridge or the completion of a new segment of road? If not, why not? Are we experiencing a delay because we need an equipment part or have a delay with materials?
In resolving these problems, as in working with the public, communication is vital to reaching goals. Communication with precinct staff on road projects is a daily fact because I work on the road with them. I also make myself available to vendors, other county officials, and state entities just as I do to the community I serve. When I am talking with anyone, I always try to remember that listening is a part of communication.
The community does not check its needs at the door from closing time on Friday afternoon until county offices open again on Monday morning. Like me, the people in my precinct live 24/7 lives. The commitment to serve them as commissioner has occasionally been a challenge, but I can say that I have enjoyed the opportunity to be here.
By Anderson County Commissioner Joe Chaffin