Every so often, County Progress asks our distinguished Judges and Commissioners to allow us a glimpse into their public lives, giving us a fresh appreciation for the myriad of roles and responsibilities they shoulder every day. Our thanks to Orange County Commissioner Theresa Beauchamp for taking the time to visit with us.
HISTORY: I have served Orange County for two and a half years. I decided to run for office after several people from my entire precinct kept calling and encouraging me to take the leap into county government. I won the primary by four votes. After a recount, the result was still the same. There are eight boxes in my precinct, and I only lost two. In the general election, I won 92.7 percent of the vote. Since then, I have been working diligently for my precinct. I love doing what I do and getting to know my constituents.
Prior to being Commissioner, I was in the education field for 40 years, including 20 years as a teacher and the other 20 years as an administrator. After moving back to Orange 21 years ago, I served on the Orange City Council for 12 years (they have term limits). While on the council, I served as mayor pro-tem and on the Economic Development Committee and initiated many projects. After retirement I was very active in the community. I served as president of the Ivy League Garden Club, was on the advisory board at my church, a member of Delta Kappa Gamma, in an antique study group, and played in five bridge clubs. I was named Athena Woman of the Year, Altrusa Women of the Year, and Pioneering Woman of the Year in Southeast Texas.
My husband, Frank, and I have been married for 53 years. We have one son, Brad, who graduated from Texas A&M. He lives and works in Houston with his wife and three children.
My mother, Marcelle Adams, was the first woman Commissioner in Orange County 35 years ago. I have always been interested in serving my community due to the example both of my parents set for me. I know there are father/son Commissioners; however, I do not know of any mother/daughter Commissioners.
IS IT WHAT YOU EXPECTED? In many ways this endeavor is exactly what I expected. I learned quickly that there are so many more departments to work with than road and bridge. I also learned we need to train and retain quality employees and supply updated resources while working toward balancing the county budget.
When I first took office, I had no designated office. My office had been damaged in Hurricane Harvey and had not been repaired. The first year in office, I shared a tiny office and desk with the mechanic at the transportation office. There was no phone in the office that worked. When I used my cell phone, I had to stand on a particular tile to get reception or go outside. While at transportation, I became friends with the employees and grew to love them. We remain friends today. During the third month of my term, the newly elected Judge unexpectedly resigned. During my two and a half years, we have had six National Disaster Declarations: Harvey, Imelda, COVID-19, Laura, the ice storm, and the spring flood.
I am now in my office, which I share with the sheriff’s office. Things are looking up!
TYPICAL DAY: Days begin with incoming phone calls from constituents and residents of my precinct. Then I check voicemails. Next, I contact our road and bridge supervisor with the high priority calls I have received and go over his schedule for the day, which can change quickly. Once I finish making notes in my daily journal, I am ready to begin my day.
Some of the calls and visits are very interesting. For example, there was the call about a dead horse that had been in a neighborhood for a week. You can imagine the smell; it was unbelievable. I called Health and Code Enforcement, and it was quickly eradicated. I didn’t know when I took office that marriage counseling came with the job, but it does occasionally, just as conflict resolution with neighbors.
One morning in December, a woman called hysterical that the neighbor had shot her camel. My response was, “SHOT YOUR CAMEL?” She said, “Yes, he shot it last night!” When I finally calmed her down, she revealed it was the camel in her nativity scene. That was a better ending than I expected.
BIGGEST CHALLENGE: The biggest challenge has been our devastating weather events that have resulted in flooding and have magnified our drainage issues. People’s homes and county buildings have been destroyed or badly damaged, some multiple times. Our beautiful Art Deco courthouse had been repaired only for a short while before Hurricane Laura. It has ruined roads and played havoc with the drainage. Orange County has three major bayous that feed to the Sabine River and eventually flow to the Gulf of Mexico. It is a constant battle in our county with the frequency of these storms. These disasters also play heavily on the county budget. Government wheels turn slowly, and reimbursements are slow to reach the county. We are still working on Harvey reimbursements. We have a very competent disaster coordinator who trains employees and the Commissioners Court to follow pre-planned instructions. The jail was badly damaged during Laura last year, and we had to have our inmates housed at another facility. That came at a very high cost to the county. I am glad to report that they are all back in our much-improved facility.
FAVORITE PART OF BEING A COUNTY COMMISSIONER: I have helped many people while being out in the county. Every day, I get to meet some wonderful, down-to-earth people. We share thoughts and ideas about what their problems are. Together we work toward creating solutions. When you get calls or notes thanking you for your help solving their problems, it makes you know your hard work has rewards. I love Orange County and the people who live here. I strive to make it great! I have learned that being a good listener is probably more important than what you have to say. My motto is this: Work hard and be nice to people! After a rough beginning, we have a great Commissioners Court. We have put our hearts and heads together for the betterment of Orange County. Each person on the court has his or her own area of expertise and the background to be successful. We all have a good working relationship, even if we don’t agree. We listen to each other and make compromises.
We need all government entities to understand our unique problems of living on the coast. I am hopeful for no disasters and a brighter future for Orange County.
I am looking forward to economic growth in our area. Our area offers many resources such as rivers, an intercostal waterway, and the I-10 corridor that runs through Orange County. These are all assets that will allow for future expansion and future growth in our area.
