Daugette addresses quality of life

Feb. 24—Bill Daugette is the incumbent running in the March 5 Republican Primary for Precinct 3 Commissioner. Election Day is March 5.

What are the three issues facing the Precinct?

1. Growth — we all see it and its not going to stop anytime soon. I was on the committee that updated our subdivision regulations so that our county can get the quality developments that will increase the quality of life for our residents.

2. Aging infrastructure — most of our roads and bridges are old and in need of repairs like repaving or rebuilding. Our court has increased funding each year to help us address that issue, and I have obtained millions of dollars in grants to help with the big ticket items like bridge replacements.

3. Property tax rates — property taxes are one of the primary tools provided to counties by the state to fund their operations. Our court has kept a careful eye on the tax burden of our residents and I am proud to say we have lowered our rate by 33% since I took office in 2017. The lowering of the rate has kept the actual check written to the tax folks pretty stable over that period of time.

What are your qualifications for being a Commissioner?

I have over 40 years of experience in the public works field. Over that time, I have built roads and dug ditches, repaired drainage problems, and dealt with natural disasters while at the same time managing the administrative responsibilities associated with the position of Commissioner. I have a bachelor's degree in Political Science with a minor in Finance from Sam Houston State University and I am recognized by the State of Texas as a Certified Public Manager, and as a Class "A" Water, Wastewater, and Solid Waste operator. I am one of less than a dozen people in Texas with those certifications.

Have you ever managed a budget — on a board or for your business?

The Commissioners Court compiles and adopts the budget for the county. As a Commissioner, I am also the manager of my budget for my Precinct. Each transaction, purchase, or expense is reviewed by the court prior to any funds being expended. I am also the treasurer of the SAAFE House board. We manage numerous grants and donations and are responsible for recordkeeping at the level required to satisfy audits from numerous state and federal organizations.

Have you ever served on a board?

Board of Directors of Huntsville Rotary and incoming Vice President; Treasurer on the Board of Directors of the SAAFE House; Huntsville Airport Advisory Committee; and Huntsville Emergency Food and Shelter Local Board

If a constituent came to you with an issue on their property regarding flooding, how would you address it?

First, by listening to their issue completely. Once I understood what they were experiencing I would then discuss options available to them. Sometimes, because the person bought property in a listed flood zone, I have to deliver bad news. Other times I can suggest remedies like drainage improvements on their property while also addressing any hindrances to drainage on county property that might be contributing to their problem. I have obtained temporary drainage easements several times so that I could clear a creek or other drainage way to improve the water runoff during rain events. Our new development regulations are also helping us a lot by restricting building within problem areas and requiring adequate runoff controls on new construction sites.

Contact Brenda Poe at editor@itemonline.com