Commissioner Brian Carson is proud to showcase the architectural design of the brand-new Precinct 4 office building to be located at 20 FM236 on the southeast corner of the county. After succeeding Richard Randle, Commissioner Carson took offi ce on January 1, 2023, eager to make a difference. With two decades of experience at Guadalupe Electric Cooperative (GVEC) and more than 22 years of dedicated volunteer service as an unpaid reserve deputy in DeWitt County, Carson is passionate about serving his community.
In the first year of offi ce, the commissioner and his 7-member crew patched spots here and there in the building, propped up the roof with beams, and serviced their equipment outside because the garage bays were too low to accommodate their vehicles.
In his second year, he began drafting plans and a budget for a new building, not waiting for the next northerly to blow off the roof. He discovered that there was “government” vs “individual” pricing.
“It was the first budget that I drew up. I had a building in the budget, but I didn't budget enough. Okay, I'm not used to ‘government pricing’ as opposed to ‘individual pricing’,” he said.
A state statute requires that a licensed architect oversee the building's construction to ensure it is properly engineered.
“There are more regulations involved, which involve architects and engineers, and they all cost money,” he explained.
“The new building will be located in the same area and is roughly 2400 square feet, the same size as the original building. It will have an office, a break room, and two bathrooms,” he continued.
Pointing upward to the garage door frame, “doors will be taller to where we can get the bigger equipment in there to work on,” he said.
Pct. 4 has two maintainers, three tractors and shredders, five pickups, two dump trucks, two backhoes, and two loaders. This equipment is used to build and maintain county roads and bridges, which is one of the many responsibilities of Commissioners. When there is a pothole or trash on the road, citizens look to the Commissioners for assistance.
“Somebody dumped a computer, keyboard, printer, the boxes that they came in, and two bags of empty beer cans in a creek off Rabel Road at a low water crossing. So, if it would have rained and flooded, it would have run into somebody's pasture,” Commissioner Carson recounted.
Many people are unaware that commissioners are elected officials with several important responsibilities. They are charged with setting the county budget, determining county tax rates, and supervising the management of the county courthouse as well as other county buildings and facilities.
“(Commissioners) set policy for the county, which includes the health care, the retirement salaries, and that's done as the Commissioners Court,” he added.
“Honestly, most of them (voters) probably don't know who their commissioners are. There are roughly 3300 eligible voters, and maybe 15% will vote. There's not a big turnout most of the time,” the Commissioner said.
Meanwhile, the Pct.4 new office will be completed in the fall, and the crew will continue to build roads and maintain bridges and pick up road trash for many more years.
(Photo by Ele Chew)
(Photo by Ele Chew)
(Photo by Ele Chew)
