West Texas Association Welcomes New Director

I appreciate the opportunity to serve as a director of the West Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association and to work with the members to address the needs of West Texas.
I have been the county judge of Swisher County since 1995. Prior to pursuing public office, I was a partner and general manager of a family owned meat business for 20 years.
I am a past president of the Panhandle County Judges and Commissioners Association and had previously served six years on the Tulia ISD school board. I am currently serving on the board of directors of the Panhandle Regional Planning Commission, our local council of governments, and I serve on other committees and boards within the area.
Swisher County has a prominently agriculture-based economy without any mineral production. Wind energy may become the economic boost our county needs to expand the tax base which would allow us to enhance services for our residents and employees. We currently have developers working on a couple of wind farms at the present time, and I look forward to working with them to complete those projects.
As we look forward to the next legislative cycle, we need to inform our lawmakers that one shoe does not fit every county in Texas. Continued pressure from unfunded mandates, more local money going to Austin, and increased costs continue to burden county budgets. Mental health and substance abuse issues need to be evaluated, as our communities are seeing increases in these areas that are impacting people from young to old. Our law enforcement spends a considerable amount of time dealing with this issue, and our jails are being used to house these individuals at a significant cost to our taxpayers.
County government is in constant change. As more and more is pushed down from the State, we must still remain flexible to meet the needs of our constituents. I feel that county officials do a great job of resolving issues that impact the daily lives of our residents.
Information is the key to having a successful West Texas Association Board, and I would appreciate your input. Again, thank you for the opportunity to serve as a director, and if I can be of assistance, please contact me.
Swisher County Judge Harold Keeter