According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, 196 of Texas’ 254 counties are considered rural. In our new section, Rural County Corner, we’ll focus on specific issues, problems and solutions affecting rural counties across the Lone Star State. This month we’ll take a look at one association dedicated solely to rural issues.
The Association of Rural Communities in Texas (ARCIT) is comprised of counties with a population of 200,000 and under and cities 50,000 and under, along with economic development corporations and utility districts in qualifying cities and counties.
Some 280 entities make up the membership, including 70-plus counties, said Donna Chatham, ARCIT executive director.
Created in January 2001, ARCIT’s mission is “to be a strong voice and resource to the Texas State Legislature, Texas state agencies and the federal government to promote the best practices of rural policies and programs,” www.arcit.org.
As reported by Chatham, ARCIT’s top priorities for the 84th Texas Legislature include:
- Maintain the integrity of the 4A and 4B Sales Tax
- Water, Water, Water – work with Texas Rural Water Association
- Education/Workforce
- Infrastructure – Roads, Roads, Roads
- Monitor bills affecting state agencies that administer rural programs
- Restore the Physician Education Loan Repayment Program
Burleson County Judge Mike Sutherland and Chambers County Judge Jimmy Sylvia are current ARCIT board members.
Sutherland joined the ARCIT board in 2008 “so that rural county issues would have a voice on the board along with rural cities and rural economic development corporations.”
ARCIT is a lobbying and education-driven organization specific to rural issues, Sutherland explained.
“Many times these issues may be economic development but have a dramatic impact on how rural cities and counties develop policies or vice versa,” he continued. “ARCIT is the only organization in Texas that represents and actively lobbies in Austin for rural communities, only.”
The organization is especially valuable to rural county judges who “not only wear many hats, but must be able to effectively function in each area,” Sutherland maintained. Larger counties have many departments with managers and staff. Rural counties have the county judge, and they may have one assistant.
Sylvia became a board member in 2014 after a recommendation by a retiring judge.
“I’ve always done everything I could to promote counties,” Sylvia declared. “I see ARCIT as being a large voice for a multitude of small voices.”
While rural counties share common issues with larger counties, such as unfunded mandates, revenue/income ceilings and jails, rural County Judges face unique challenges, Sutherland and Sylvia concurred.
In a rural county the Judge wears a multitude of hats, with time management being a key issue, Sylvia said, whether it be working on the budget or “plunging the toilet when necessary.”
“Unique to rural is that we face these issues with much smaller budgets and staff,” Sutherland emphasized. “A mile of road base is a mile of road base whether it is in a large county or rural one. Its costs are essentially the same for both, and the amount of manpower and equipment to spread the base is similar in costs. One cent of property tax in a rural county may raise $100,000, while in the largest counties may raise $10,000,000. We have to learn to do more with much less.”
“No matter the activity I ask, ‘How can I make things better?’ ” Sutherland offered. “That is why it is important to be active in organizations like ARCIT, TAC, and your regional council of governments.
“A large part of my leadership philosophy is building and maintaining partnerships with the city officials, school district officials, chamber of commerce officers, and our economic development corporation,” Sutherland continued. “Because we are all small, it is impossible to deliver good local government if we are in our own little silos.”