ELECTION GUIDE
GLEN ROSE REPORTER & YOURGLENROSETX.COM | Thursday, February 13, 2014 | PAGE C5
MEET THE CANDIDATES - County Judge (cont.) business operations • Owned a software development company CURRENT CAREER • Retired, occasional business operations consultant
G. Darrell Best, 61 7-year resident, residing at Chalk Mountain FAMILY • Wife of 40 years, Mary • Children, oldest daughter lives in Michigan; daughter Ann lives in Glen Rose; and son, Joe, lives in Granbury and works at Comanche Peak EDUCATION • Michigan State University College of Engineering, bachelor’s degree in engineering arts, 1980 ADMINISTRATIVE EXPERIENCE • Customer service and manufacturing management, since 1976 • Sold software platforms and solutions to global companies • Boards of directors for companies like Cross Harbor Tunnel toll fast operation in Hong Kong • Patent holder in GPS technologies for
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE • Living and working in Europe and traveling extensively in Asia and Australia, selling hightech projects PREVIOUS SERVICE • First run for public office
CURRENT MEMBERSHIPS • American Legion Post 462
The county judge is the presiding officer of the commissioners court and judge of the county court.
• Chalk Mountain Wildlife Management Association
The judge serves as the chief executive and financial officer for the county and provides the leadership and cooperation necessary to accomplish goals set by commissioners court.
• Glen Rose Neo-Relix Film Festival, director 2008-present • Friends of the Brazos River • Friends of Fossil Rim • Somervell History Foundation • Glen Rose Lions Club
PREVIOUS APPOINTMENTS
• Somervell County Republican Club
Since arriving in Somervell County:
• Attends First United Methodist Church
• Council of Governments Committee on Aging, 2012-13 • Glen Rose/Somervell Co. Chamber of Commerce, board member and chairman, 2008-11 • Glen Rose 4B board member and president 2009-11 • Somervell Co. Economic Development Council, co-chair, 2013-present
• Friends of LBJ National Park • Texas Fire Museum VOLUNTEER SERVICE • Friends of LBJ and Texas Fire Museum • Friends of the Brazos River cleanup day, every April • Christmas in Action, in March • Somervell History Foundation
Best Q&A
• Save Chalk Mountain, president, 2006-08
Q: What are the duties of county judge?
• Christmas in Action, fundraising chair, 2008-present
A: First is the health, safety and welfare of the citizens.
The judge is the spokesman, representing the county at public gatherings, in negotiations with other business and political leaders and during times of crisis or intervention. The duties include the financial well-being and stability of the county through economic development, the implementation of new or unused resources and a commitment to maintain a balanced budget. The county judge must have a wellrounded background in budget management, consensus building, vision, experience and leadership. Q: What are the most pressing challenges currently facing Somervell County? A: We have allowed ourselves to become dependent upon one taxpayer without preparing for our future. We find ourselves illprepared to balance current requirements with available resources.
We must diversify our economy to increase revenue without increasing taxes. This can be done through a carefully planned program of economic development, but the challenge is to do it in a way that does not negatively affect the environment or our way of life. Budgetary challenges will remain due to further devaluations of the nuclear plant, creating the necessity for increased efficiencies and controls. These challenges must be met with a commitment and resolve to provide essential services, such as our sheriff, fire and EMS departments and to seek better methods of providing optional services, such as the library, expo center and golf course. Q: Explain your ideas for balancing dwindling revenue while maintaining services. A: We will not be able to save our way to prosperity. There are opportunities for savings, and I will organize the county to do so. For example, the county subsidizes the expo center at almost $1 million per year. This is equivalent to buying a new ladder truck for the fire department every year. We need to change this practice. My budget recommendation would be making expenditures
with the following priorities: 1) health, safety and welfare, 2) departments mandated by the state, 3) optional services. The path forward is executing upon our economic opportunities. For nearly 20 years, prime property at the industrial park has gone undeveloped, not generating property tax revenues. I will reverse the status quo at the industrial park. My plan will increase revenue, reduce the overall tax rate and control the budget while making Somervell County an attractive place to build a business, build a home and raise a family. Q: You are faced with a need to cut expenses. What adjustments do you feel could make the greatest difference (cost savings) for the county? A: With 61 percent of the budget directly attributable to wage and benefits, they will require scrutiny. Current management practices do not make the most efficient use of employees across the roads, expo center and golf course. There are specialists in every field, but we have many generalists as well, and I will propose work rule and management changes necessary to reduce our employee cost and see BEST, C16