Q&A with Justin Slawson, candidate for Erath County commissioner, precinct 3.
Q. What do you believe is the most important role of a county commissioner?
A. The most important role of a county commissioner is to represent precinct residents by casting votes in court that reflect the views of the majority in that precinct.
I will adhere to strict business and conservative principles by casting votes that align with constituent wants of Precinct 3.
Q. What do you perceive to be the biggest challenge facing Erath County’s Precinct 3 and how do you propose that challenge be addressed?
A. By far the largest hurdle to overcome in Precinct 3 is the minimal road allowance of $400,000 to keep up and maintain safe roads.
From Duffau, to Mountain Lakes, and all the way north of Morgan Mill close to Lipan the roads have been neglected and now the situation is somewhat out of hand.
My plan is to squeeze the Precinct’s 1.5-million-dollar budget and move money from less pressing items to road maintenance. It is also possible that with the growth of the county and new payers paying in, the budget can be increased while still reducing the tax burden on properties.
A third option is to ask other commissioners to agree to allow Precinct 3 funds from reserves to repair the worst of our roads.
Q. What experience do you have making or working with a large budget? Do you believe it’s a good idea for the county to have a “rainy day” or reserve fund?
A. I have owned and operated a business for 20 years now where we routinely gross between 1.2 million and 3 million dollars.
Year after year I have proven to produce quality while being exceptionally efficient.
Our company believes in high employee wages to maintain professional service and standards. I will apply the same mindset to the commissioner position.
Adequate pay is the key to producing quality, efficiency, and value from employees.
Note that the Precinct 3 budget is relative to my business budget. As mentioned earlier, the county does have reserves and that amount is currently at about $38,000,000.
Q. As the population continues to grow in Erath County, local offices are affected. How do you plan to work with other elected officials to meet the county’s growth while considering the demands of citizens?
A. I believe in small government and that government serves the public rather than leads it.
I will work hand in hand with any necessary position in a fair and applicable manner. I am quite easy to work with and look forward to accommodating the needs of different departments while maintaining service to residents.
I will say that government should affect citizens as little as possible. Government should be small but effective.
Q. What educational and career experiences in your background make you uniquely qualified to serve in this elected capacity?
I have a bachelor's degree in corrections and justice studies. I pride myself on knowledge of the Constitution and Declaration of Independence. I feel the rights of citizens are under attack from varying branches of government, and we need a commissioner who will stand by Constitutional laws.
My business background places me in position to operate Precinct 3 as an operations manager for a business serving voters as though they are customers.
I have 20+ years' experience in effectively operating a business that is required to produce quality services and generate profits to guarantee continued success.
