Isn’t is awesome to live here in Denton County, home of two great universities and also a community college? Both our scholastic and athletic records within our public schools are enviable, and our private schools are also rated among the best in Texas.

Also, we have huge lakes, native prairies, excellent and unique shopping, a top-notch music and entertainment scene, leading health care facilities, and 18 individual municipalities right here in Precinct 4.

Our Denton County is the 9th largest county in the state, population wise, and is also among the fastest growing counties in the entire country. In fact, Denton County’s population has increased by about 30% since the last census. About 82 people a day move into Denton County, and that tremendous growth results in an increased need for government services. In fact, right now, there are more than 40 new subdivisions platted or under development just here in Precinct 4. Given the normal household averages, projections show that within the next couple of years, more than 140,000 additional residents will live right here in Precinct 4! Our challenge is to deliver necessary services to our residents while still keeping our property taxes as low as possible — in other words, being both efficient and effective in delivering our County services. Part of the required public services include law enforcement and the justice systems; we have responded to those needs by adding to the County Sheriff’s patrol staff, and by adding two new Courts to make the judicial process as speedy as possible.

In addition to the challenges posed by this hyper-growth, for the last 18 months or so, our County — along with the rest of Texas and indeed our entire country — has been attacked by the “invisible enemy”, COVID-19 virus. This once-in-a-lifetime challenge was met head-on by our County Health Department and Commissioners Court as we established the extremely successful mobile drive-through clinic held for several months at Texas Motor Speedway, right here in Precinct 4. We successfully vaccinated more than 400,000 individuals at TMS and other locations as the State Health Department designated which age groups were eligible for the vaccine. We also provided free COVID-19 testing during the height of the pandemic.

We kept in touch by weekly emails to those who had registered on our portal, letting them know which numbers were being scheduled for vaccination and continually adding more people to the wait list. Finally, in the summer of 2021, we had reached the end of the wait list and every eligible person who requested a vaccine had been “shot.”

But this virus is deadly, and among its victims were more than 600 Denton County residents, many who sickened and died prior to the vaccine being approved by the FDA late in 2020.

Now as more COVID-19 variants arise and spread throughout our state and county, our Denton County Commissioners and Health Department are ready to take on the new challenges that may emerge from this pandemic. As your Precinct 4 Commissioner, I championed setting up this vaccination portal, publicizing its existence and even showed up to help several times as the clinics were being conducted.

But this COVID challenge has not yet been conquered, and it’s important to retain competent, steady leadership in Denton County so that we can stay the course. I ask for your vote to remain as Precinct 4 County Commissioner, and I hope that I have earned it.