Stark, Smith open discussion on Precinct 3 post
By JIMMY GALVAN Managing Editor

The race for Jasper County Precinct 3 Commissioner opened up Thursday, Feb. 14, when incumbent Willie Stark faced off against Weldon Smith in a debate at the Jasper County District Courtroom.

Smith, who is retired from the county after 15 years of service, took the podium first.

"I have worked in all of the precincts to a certain extent and I enjoy working with the hands that work in Jasper County," said Smith, who served on the school board for Kirbyville Consolidated Independent School District.

Smith said he would utilize his 15 years of experience in road and bridge service to better the conditions of the roads in Precinct 3.

"That will be one of the first things that I will be working with," Smith said.

Smith also pledged that he would work to keep the county's workers benefits in place if elected into office.

"I believe in setting goals and that is what I am going to do," Smith said.

He said part of that includes working within the budget of the county. Smith said his experience working on the KCISD budget would help him when it comes to the county budget issues.

"I will plan each project because to know what your costs are going to be you have to do some planning," Smith said. "I know the county has a tight budget and I am willing to work with it."

Smith said he would answer any and all calls that come into his office and intends on being a commissioner that the people of Precinct 3 will have access to.

"If people call in and complain, day or night, I will respond to it," Smith said.

Incumbent Stark is seeking his third term in office as Precinct 3 Commissioner.

"Whether you voted for me or not, everybody in this precinct has got behind me and I appreciate that," Stark said.

Stark said when he assumed the office seven years ago, he put in place a 20-year goal for the precinct.

"They informed me right quick that I wasn't elected for 20 years but for four," Stark said. "I told them that either I or my predecessor would complete this plan. I wanted to start an aggressive program and a positive route and set goals for 20 years to have the majority of all the roads in the precinct hard surfaced."

Stark said that 38 miles of roads in the precinct have been completed.

"I feel that we are well on our way to accomplishing our goals," Stark said. "We have had some minor setbacks but in life it's not what happens to you in life, but how you deal with it and the way you come out of it."

Stark talked about natural disaster that have struck Jasper County but through all of them, the county overcame adversity and rose above it.

"We all worked together as precincts for the betterment of Jasper County," Stark said. "The citizens are what brought Jasper County back as quick as it did. If it wasn't for our citizens, we couldn't have done anything."

According to Stark, Jasper County was in the top two percent financially in the state of Texas prior to Hurricane Rita.

"I feel that we are right back at that mark once again," Stark said. "We are in excellent financial shape."

Stark believes the reason the county sits so sound is not so much in the leadership but in the workers for the county.

"We are like George Patton," Stark said. "George Patton didn't win World War II by himself but he put the right people in place so that the task could get accomplished.

"That is what a leader does and that is what you need is a person that knows where to place the men to get the best situation out of the men," Stark said. "We have excellent employees and we require eight hours of work for eight hours of pay. And I have found that a person doesn't mind working if they have the proper leadership and direction. We don't work harder in our precinct, we work smarter and I think it's paying off."

Stark praised the moves by the county to increase county wages by 20 percent.

"The wages had to come up because our employees were not making very much money," Stark said. "They are still not making what the private sector is making."

But Stark pointed out that insurance benefits with the county remain one of the stronger packages in the area.

"We do supply their insurance and their family's insurance," Stark said. "We are proud of that and I consider that part of their package and I will strive to keep it that way.

"Insurance is a factor of life and we all need to keep it as long as we can," Stark said.