County Leaders Demonstrate Strength, Steadfastness in the Midst of Global Crisis
“All of our County Judges have put aside county lines, while risking their personal health, in the interest of saving lives in the entire region, all while working to balance this response with their duties within their own jurisdiction, which is no small task in itself. We hope to defeat this virus and to one day look back at it as a battle fought and won by Texans who gave of themselves for their state, their counties, and their citizens.” Jasper County Judge Mark Allen, one of six Judges in a regional response coalition.
As the Coronavirus plunged the nation into a life-changing crisis, Texas County Judges and Commissioners responded with calm but firm leadership in a quest to save lives and guide their communities through a global event already cited on a reference list of “Pandemics That Changed History.”
With details changing by the hour, Judges and Commissioners have responded to recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and President Donald Trump and executive orders from Governor Greg Abbott while declaring their own local disasters.
County Judges and Commissioners are making decisions they never thought possible. With terms like “social distancing” leading the headlines, Judges and mayors, their city counterparts in emergency response, began limiting gatherings during the third week of March. Knowing and regretting the emotional toll it would take, local leaders added funerals, worship services, and weddings to the list of restricted gatherings. As the virus spread, counties and cities began considering and adopting orders to Stay Home/Stay Safe. Initial communiques from county officials transitioned from firm-yet-friendly reminders to urgent pleas to help “flatten the curve.”
Continually Reshaping the Message
On March 17, Hardin County Judge Wayne McDaniel issued a press release addressing a nationwide run on stores and resulting shortages asking all Hardin County residents “to exercise courtesy in addition to safety and consideration for others, especially our more vulnerable population, when shopping for essential goods during the COVID-19 Coronavirus pandemic…”
On March 27, McDaniel issued Executive Order WM-04: “ORDER TO STAY HOME, WORK SAFE.”
On April 4, with 26 known cases and one fatality, McDaniel shared the following with urgency: “To Each and Every Citizen of Hardin County: I believe this is our largest one-day increase in confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in Hardin County as well as the Southeast Texas Region. It is VERY important that you follow all Orders in place by President Trump, Governor Abbott, all County Judges and Mayors…It is not too late to realize the magnitude of this disease and protect yourself and your family.”
Judges took to social media to express appreciation to those who were complying with unprecedented requests such as suspending worship services.
“I want to THANK the pastors of our community churches in Navarro County, Texas, who have already made plans NOT to congregate in their church sanctuaries the next two Sundays,” County Judge H.M. Davenport wrote early on. “I am very proud of you! Your actions will likely save the pain and suffering and possibly some of the lives of your flock that you are entrusted to care for.”
“I am amazed at the acts of caring and kindness that I see throughout our community,” Dallas County Commissioner Dr. Elba Garcia wrote in a newsletter distributed on March 30. “Restaurants that are out of business yet giving out food to those who need it. Companies converting their production lines to make protective gear for our Healthcare Heroes working on the front lines of this pandemic. Every day our office receives calls from companies and individuals asking, ‘How can I help?’ With each call we receive, I am filled with even greater confidence in the strength of our community.”
As more and more counties issued individual orders to stay at home, Judges and Commissioners continued to address the public doing their best to acknowledge both the life-and-death nature of COVID-19 and the related economic devastation as businesses closed their doors and the unemployment rate skyrocketed.
On March 30, Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez readdressed his Shelter at Home Order issued on March 26: “We, as a county, have a duty and a responsibility to keep you safe…I understand this order has had a strain on our citizens and our businesses…According to all of the country’s medical experts, the best way to stop the spread is to stay at home. So I ask you, I beg you, please stay home.”
On April 4, Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo shared a sobering report: “Today we reached a grim milestone; more than 1k residents have now tested positive and 13 people have had their lives stolen by #COVID19. It is easy to feel powerless against this, an invisible force responsible for so much hardship, but we are not.”
Officials used social media to post the latest updates with regard to restrictions, statistics, testing information, and how to access needed services. Some residents responded with frustration, anger, and despondency, citing lost wages and what they perceived as government overreach. Others offered expressions of gratitude acknowledging the gut-wrenching, unprecedented decisions facing local leaders.
- “Thanks, Mark, for taking care of our county. I know you have put in countless hours in the hot zone away from your own family. Thanks for always looking out for the citizens of Jasper County and going above and beyond. Stay safe out there.” Alice Rector-Duckworth, lifetime resident of Jasper County who worked with Judge Allen as a sheriff’s deputy, shared on Allen’s Facebook page
- “Lord, thank you for the fine leadership of Hockley County. Continue to give them strength and wisdom as they guide us through this time – Amen.” Beth Self Walbrick, nine-year resident of Hockley County, shared on the Facebook page of Hockley County Judge Sharla Baldridge
- “I’m more than proud of how my dad and all of our local leaders have been handling this scary and dangerous situation. They all work tirelessly in service to their people, and I’m sure grateful that they do. I love you, and we will always be in your corner, Judge Wayne McDaniel.” Marley McDaniel, age 22
- “According to all of the country’s medical experts, the best way to stop the spread is to stay at home. So I ask you, I beg you, please stay home.” Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez
- “Your leadership is our most valuable asset.” Jim Allison, general counsel, County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas, addressing members of Commissioners Court
- “Thank you for helping to protect my parents, grandmother, nieces, unborn nephew, and friends. Thank you for making the tough decisions that have to be made in the public’s best interest and doing it all with class and humility. Thank you for your tireless efforts, sleepless nights, and time spent away from your own precious family. Thank you! Job well done. My continued prayers are with you.” Christi Baumann Franklin, shared on the Facebook page of Hardin County Judge Wayne McDaniel
Surreal at Every Level
When County Progress spoke with Oldham County Judge Don Allred on April 7, he had already been on the phone with the health department four separate times that day. Oldham County had three confirmed cases and one death at that time.
“We’ve never seen anything like this, not even close,” shared Allred, who has served as County Judge for 30 years.
“It is surreal on every level with the personal, emotional toll and the economic devastation,” he continued. “This has affected every single person. Everyone here at the county and in the community is working hard to get us through this. And we are being asked to make decisions and do things we never thought we’d have to do.”
Allred has been fielding continual phone calls from the public while trying to process the constant flow of information from federal and state sources on how to best navigate the pandemic.
“For me, the overriding question is this: ‘What is the right thing to do to protect the public?’ ”
Oldham County is a small community, as described by Allred, and everyone knows everyone.
“You are dealing with your friends and neighbors,” he reiterated. “When someone calls and reports seeing a person out and about who is supposedly in quarantine, the caller expects me to send law enforcement out to investigate. Rumors begin to circulate. People are scared.”
Along with answering countless calls, Allred has made calls of his own to those struggling directly with the disease.
“I telephoned a lady who had tested positive, and I prayed with her, and she just cried,” he said. “I called a gentleman who lost his wife, and I prayed with him.”
Allred worked with the husband and the funeral home to help honor the wishes of the family and bury their loved one. Some expressed a desire to join at the gravesite, but they were told they could not leave their vehicles due to COVID-19 restrictions. Allred felt he had no choice but to send a sheriff’s deputy to the cemetery to ensure compliance; thankfully, everyone cooperated.
“These circumstances – having to restrict a funeral gathering and send law enforcement – I just never imagined it was something I would have to do,” Allred shared.
Along with the professional challenges, Allred, an involved father and grandfather, is missing personal contact with his children and grandchildren.
“My granddaughter is a senior,” he said. “She has already missed her prom, she may not have a graduation, and she is on the all-state basketball team.”
Allred was quick to point out that the emergency services personnel and law enforcement are also balancing the professional and personal impact of the Coronavirus, and they are working seven days a week and often late into the night.
“Everyone is doing what they can,” Allred said. “We had a long discussion in Commissioners Court about what we can do to help with the economic loss that some of our local businesses are experiencing. It is going to take everyone in our communities to recover.”
Legal Ramifications
Allred and officials across the state relied – and continue to rely – on Jim Allison, general counsel of the County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas, to help them interpret orders and make necessary adjustments. For example, on March 16, Gov. Greg Abbott suspended various provisions of the Texas Open Meetings Act, pursuant to Section 418.016 of the Government Code, including the requirements for in-person public meetings.
“Under the orders, the Commissioners Court may only close its meetings to the public if two-way telecommunications are provided for public observation and participation,” Allison detailed on the County Judges and County Commissioners listservs. As of press time, this order was still in place.
On March 20, Abbott issued a proclamation postponing runoff primary elections, originally scheduled for May 26, until July 14.
Allison provided daily updates, such as the following posted on April 8: “Commissioners Court Members: TDSHS continues to report double-digit daily increases in Texas confirmed COVID-19 cases and deaths. Consequently, there is no predicted date for the ‘peak’ or flattening of the curve. Clusters of cases are being found around earlier social gatherings, including religious services. Continue to maintain social distancing and personal sanitation. Wear face coverings when 6-foot distancing is not possible. Governor Abbott reports that hospital facilities and equipment continue to be adequate at the present time.”
While helping officials navigate the myriad of complications, Allison offered encouragement to officials telling them, “Your leadership is our most valuable asset.”
Allison addressed the pandemic in this month’s column stating, “I will always be proud of the unflinching leadership and dedication of our county leaders in this time of greatest need.”
Six-County Coalition
Jasper County Judge Mark Allen declared a local disaster on March 17, issued an emergency order limiting gatherings to 50 people or fewer on March 17, and then amended his emergency order limiting gatherings to 10 on March 19. Allen issued a Stay-at-Home order effective March 28.
“I will say that I am proud of the dedication that our County Judges have for protecting their citizens, and in dealing with a crisis that no Texas official has faced since the Spanish Flu over 100 years ago,” Allen shared.
Jasper County is one of six counties that joined together to form a regional coalition to combat the spread of the Coronavirus in Southeast Texas. Hardin, Jasper, Jefferson, Newton, Orange, and Tyler counties have pooled resources in the past to face disasters including Hurricanes Rita, Ike, and Harvey.
“Jefferson County immediately volunteered to become the spear tip in what is now the Southeast Texas Regional COVID-19 Emergency Operations Center, for which all counties have contributed personnel and resources to defend our citizens against the virus,” Allen stated.
The Emergency Operations Center was established within the Jefferson County Courthouse, and officials developed a plan for drive-thru test collection sites in the six-county region.
Within the Incident Command Structure established in this operation, one Judge, Jefferson County Judge Jeff Branick, was appointed as the Incident Commander.
“The remainder of us are assigned as Deputy Incident Commanders, allowing us to work on the operation as a whole while providing us the opportunity to ensure that we have continuity of government within our own jurisdictions,” Allen detailed. The County Judges working alongside Allen and Branick include Hardin County Judge Wayne McDaniel, Newton County Judge Kenneth Weeks, Orange County Judge John Gothia, and Tyler County Judge Jacques Blanchette.
A call center was established near the Jefferson County Courthouse. Nursing staff are triaging callers over the phone to determine whether a second in-person triage and test for COVID-19 are warranted.
“I must note that we have also received commitments from mayors, health authorities, hospitals, and private medical providers throughout the region, all of whom have always stepped up to our challenges in the past,” Allen continued. “I also am thankful for the close alliance that we have with the local school superintendents. Their willingness to protect their students, faculty, and staff by closing schools early on took courage and strength, and helped save lives.”
One of the biggest challenges Allen has experienced is convincing the public of the severity of the pandemic.
“Many private citizens fear that curfews or other restrictions are a sign of government overreach,” he explained, “and they do not realize that the goal is to separate people until the virus spread can plateau and then be driven downward.”
Allen was quick to applaud his fellow coalition Judges including Branick, “a prime example of a leader who continued to work on this operation even after being self-quarantined, all the while faced with fears for his wife’s health and his own.” Hardin County Judge Wayne McDaniel stepped in as the Incident Commander of the operation while Judge Branick and his wife self-quarantined after Mrs. Branick exhibited symptoms. Both of the Branicks tested negative for the virus.
“All of our Judges put aside county lines, while risking their personal health, in the interest of saving lives in the entire region, all while working to balance this response with their duties within their own jurisdiction, which is no small task in itself,” Allen shared.
“There are many moving parts in this,” Allen added. “I have to say that I am thankful for the healthcare workers bravely collecting patient specimens for the test kits, the county and city law enforcement officials putting their own safety at risk to monitor collection stations and act as first responders in a growing pandemic, and our emergency management coordinators who may have never faced a pandemic of this nature, but still keep a level head and follow their training and experience to obtain resources and personnel, all the while maintaining structured order in the response.”
By Julie Anderson
Editor