School has started, fall has officially arrived, rain is needed in most areas of the state, a new budget year is approaching, the federal government is still functioning, the state government is still functioning, and County Government is alive and well. I hope all of you have had a great year.
As we lead our counties, planning plays an extremely important role in our future. As we go into a new budget year, we will be putting our plans into place for the betterment of our communities and our counties. More than likely, the general public will never know what all we do as public servants. Rather, they are interested in results. How we communicate with our constituents is extremely important. Yes, they are more than aware that they have to pay taxes. But do they know what their tax money is used for? Communication is an important part of our job description, and we must continue to hone and sharpen our skills as we educate our citizens on County Government.
Speaking of communication, I recently returned from the Texas Association of Counties (TAC) Post Legislative Conference in Austin. TAC, with the leadership of Executive Director Gene Terry, did an excellent job communicating to us the information that we need. I would like to thank everyone on our legislative team, especially Jim Allison, our general counsel; you all played an important role in this legislative session as you worked with our lawmakers.
Benjamin Franklin once said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” This saying means it is much easier to do something to prevent a problem rather than deal with it after it has already happened. This is why it is so important that we as leaders in our counties continue to educate ourselves and communicate with our constituents and one another. I hope you agree!
I will close my monthly communication to you with a few quotes on leadership. I hope you take these to heart, as leadership is another area vital to an effective Commissioners Court.
A real leader faces the music, even when he doesn’t like the tune. – Anonymous
Lead me, follow me, or get out of my way. – General George Patton
The price of greatness is responsibility. – Winston Churchill
I hope to see you at our State Conference in Galveston later this month.