Highlights from
Killeen
“About 3 percent of the people get things done, and you are part of that 3 percent,” Houston Astros owner Drayton McLane told county officials gathered in Killeen.
Some 125 judges and commissioners were challenged to “define the future” and “take people to places they otherwise would not go” during McLane’s keynote presentation on leadership, a part of the Opening General Session of the North & East Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association 2010 Annual Conference conducted May 16-19 in Bell County.
Leaders also embrace change when needed, set long-term and daily goals, and allow for accountability.
“We’re trapped by our routines,” McLane explained. “They are easy, and they don’t take a lot of imagination.” For example, those in county government may be used to a certain technological level. However, technology has been developing by leaps and bounds.
“Are we grasping that technology when it comes to our government?” McLane asked.
When it came to the concept of accountability – or allowing for self-measurement – McLane drew on his experience with the Astros.
“The single hardest thing to do in sports is hit a baseball,” he maintained. The batter is standing 60 feet from the pitcher and facing a ball thrown in excess of 90 miles per hour that could turn left or right at the last second. The pitch and swing are replayed on television in slow motion allowing for a thorough critique of the batter and his recent stats.
The batter fails seven out of 10 times, McLane said. His performance – both successes and failures – are measured by some 40,000 people at the ballpark, not to mention some 2 million viewers on television.
What carries this batter through to the next swing is his positive mental attitude and his willingness to continually adjust, McLane continued. He changes his approach and his stance, and he must change yet again when he meets another opposing pitcher.
“He moves forward,” McLane reiterated. Regardless of his teammates, he strives for his personal best and pushes on.
“A great player can do great and move right through a bad team,” McLane stressed. In the same token, when it comes to serving in our communities, “do we hide behind a negative group, or do we move on through?”
McLane concluded his thoughts with a reminder to remove self-imposed barriers and allow for a change of mindset.
Dare to dream, he said. “After all, it’s free.” Also, “remember to operate out of imagination, not memory.”
Immediately following McLane’s presentation, officials were encouraged yet again to be effective leaders, this time by channeling their collective influence at the state level.
“The relationship between county officials and state representatives is terribly, terribly important,” said Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock, R-Killeen.
Aycock joined Sen. Troy Frasier, R-Horseshoe Bay; Rep. Ralph Sheffield, R-Temple; and CJCAT General Counsel Jim Allison, for a panel discussion on working with the Texas Legislature.
“As we get to the session, you need to go online and watch the bills going through,” Aycock advised. The language may indicate no financial impact to the state, but there could be a financial hit on the counties.
Frasier likened the upcoming session to a “full-contact sport” thanks to redistricting.
“That sucking sound you hear will be the sucking of rural seats into the urban areas,” Frasier quipped.
The second overwhelming issue will be the predicted budget shortfall, “and our challenge will be not to abuse county or city government,” he continued.
Allison reminded his fellow panel members and the audience that transportation is also a critical issue, saying “the county road system is largely funded by the property tax…and the property tax can’t carry any more weight.” Sheffield assured Allison and officials that he would “continue to lobby TxDOT for your needs.”
The panel urged officials to diligently call and e-mail lawmakers regarding county issues and be willing to travel to Austin to testify on behalf of counties, as well.
“There’s nothing like having someone come from home,” Allison emphasized.
The four-day conference continued with general and breakout sessions, including an off-site tour of the Bell County Justice Complex, complemented by special activities organized by Bell County. Host Court Night offered a view of Lake Belton, while another evening out featured the Mayborn Planetarium and Space Theater (See Bell County Pride, page ?).
The conference closed with the Installation Banquet, where officials thanked 2009-10 President Jon Burrows for his years of service to the Association and welcomed the incoming slate of officers:
v President – Nacogdoches County Commissioner Reggie Cotton
v Secretary/Treasurer – Hood County Judge Andy Rash
v First Vice President – Trinity County Commissioner Grover “Tiger” Worsham
v Second Vice President – Houston County Judge Lonnie Hunt
v Immediate Past President – Bell County Judge Jon Burrows
The North & East Texas County Judges and Commissioners Association 2011 Annual Conference will take place May 15-18, 2011, at the Fredonia Hotel in Nacogdoches.
By Julie Anderson