I want to take this opportunity to welcome all of our new County Judges and County Commissioners to a very meaningful job. It will not always be easy, but I do guarantee that in spite of the challenges, it is rewarding.
You may have your day all planned out, but before you know it unforeseen things may happen, and your day may not go as planned. Just go with the flow and do your best to achieve your objectives for the day and week.
I enjoyed meeting many of you at the Seminar for Newly Elected County Judges and Commissioners in January. You need to try and attend as many conferences as possible. You will never stop learning. Some of your best knowledge comes from the one-on-one interactions with other Judges and Commissioners.
As you probably already know, Commissioners are required to get 16 hours per year of continuing training, and Judges are required to get 30 hours the first year and then 16 hours per year after that. If you would like to review these requirements, go to https://countyprogress.com/education-requirements/.
One of the biggest jobs that the Commissioners Court has is to work on and pass a budget for the county. There are so many little things that go into preparing a budget. My advice is to start early in the process, take your time, and be sure you develop a budget calendar to go by. The budget calendar is one of the most important documents you will reference because it keeps you on track. If you do not have a budget calendar, it can become a very confusing process. Your budget calendar should outline your deadlines and press and internet releases.
Along with passing the budget, the Commissioners Court oversees various operations of the county, such as health services, law enforcement, homeland security, roads/bridges, veteran services, senior services, plus many more. The Commissioners Court is involved with personnel matters, as well.
The County Judge and County Commissioners should respond to and meet with their constituents regularly regarding their requests and concerns.
You will learn over time that it is very important to be on a first-name basis with your state representative and senator. You need to be able to pick up the phone and talk with them about issues that affect your county. Also, you need to be able to send them information that they may need to make a decision when it comes to policies, funding, or collaborating on projects.
As you can see, there are many jobs that you will be doing; however, the most rewarding job is helping people through opportunities that may arise. Be ready to assist when called upon, and always try to solve a problem or help collect information to pass along. Lead your county in a direction that is best for the majority of your citizens.