Many of you, our wise and learned County Judges and County Commissioners, will be retiring at the end of 2022. For years, and in some cases decades, you have found ways to lend a helping hand. You have mentored new officials, shared valuable lessons during educational conferences, and served as subject matter experts for us here at County Progress. We thank you for your time and your friendship. Before you go, we would like to call on you one last time to share your Words of Wisdom.
Eastland County | Judge Rex Fields
Took office Jan. 1, 2007
As “they” say, hindsight is 20/20. As you look back on your years of service, what are some of the most valuable lessons you learned?
- Figure out a way to work with the other elected and appointed county officials. You may not get along so well on a personal level, but the public expects you to do your job, which will certainly require you to work on a professional level with all of the officials and their staff. Just do it!
- Develop a network of subject matter experts that you can rely upon to give advice. This process may be using the listserv to gain direction for an issue facing your county, or it could be meeting other officials at conferences where they teach a certain subject. Examples: Emergency Management: Get to know the TDEM personnel for your district and the director of the TDEM. Probate Matters: Contact the presenters at judicial conferences for in-depth explanations of the Estates Code as it applies to a particular set of facts.
- Learn the jobs and duties of the other elected officials. This will take some time and require some visiting with your officials to learn what each person does. This process is particularly important for the budget process. You need to know what each office does so you can assist in developing the appropriate budget.
What is the best way for members of Commissioners Court to connect with other officials in the courthouse?
Old school: Visit with the other officials by going to their office occasionally to see how they are doing. This should not be a “gotcha” visit to find trouble, but a friendly stop to develop professional relations between offices. In years past, one of my Commissioners would visit the offices every couple of weeks. He was one of the best-liked people in the courthouse. People appreciated him because they knew that he cared. You do not want to see the other officials only at budget workshop time.
How do you connect with your constituents?
I send press releases via email to a variety of media outlets to help keep the public informed. These outlets include newspapers, radio, internet bloggers, television, etc. I also use email to send information to our Emergency Management Partners Group. This group consists of first responders from fire, law, and EMS, and leaders of the hospital, independent school districts, colleges, faith-based groups, state agencies, cities, etc. Eastland County has a website that gives an abundance of information to the public. We do not have a Facebook page or use other social media platforms for the county. I do not use a personal social media platform.
What is the biggest challenge you have faced so far as County Judge, and how did you navigate that challenge?
COVID-19 in 2020. The virus affected just about all aspects of being the County Judge: emergency management and trying to keep people safe, adhering to the laws created by the numerous executive orders from the governor, budget concerns due to a near stop of criminal court proceedings, following the guidelines from the Office of Court Administration, taking fire from people with their own agendas, and keeping the courthouse and offices sanitary and free of the disease. We got through it, but only by divine intervention!
In closing, what has been your most rewarding experience thus far?
I can’t limit this response to one situation.
- Working through several budget years to get better road and bridge equipment so Eastland County can have better functioning all-weather roadways.
- Using several budget years to finish replacing the water supply lines, installing new windows, and adding central HVAC throughout the courthouse and annex.
- Applying for and receiving grants for the Eastland County Water Supply District to strengthen the Lake Leon dam, adding an additional spillway at that location, and seeing several improvements to the water treatment plant and distribution system. These are all basic infrastructure projects that people may not think much about until they fail. It’s rewarding to me to know that these improvements have been completed and should keep functioning well into the future.
- The modification of Interstate 20 at Ranger Hill in Eastland County. This was an $80 million dollar federal and state project to reduce the dangerous conditions on a section of I-20. Many motor vehicles crashed, and several lives were lost before the roadway elevation was decreased, the curve was lessened, and access roads were built. I, along with other citizens testified before the TxDOT Commission about the necessity of changes to this roadway, and it eventually happened.