County Commissioner Lindsay Wright gathers area mayors, city admins for roundtable session

Last week, Lindsay Wright, Grayson County Commissioner Precinct 3, was able to fulfill an aspiration she’s had since before taking office on Jan. 1. She held her first mayors’ roundtable at First State Bank in Whitesboro. There, mayors and city administrators across the precinct gathered together to meet each other and join in a collaborative conversation to share experiences, ideas, successes, challenges and opportunities.

“The goal was to learn from each other and work together to better serve our communities,” Wright said. “It was phenomenal to see it come together.”

The cities across the precinct run the gamut, from small towns with no city administrators to larger cities with full-time city managers.

“The problems may not be the same, but these bigger cities were small once, too,” Wright said. “We have a lot to learn from each other.”

During the open conversations, some common issues rose to the surface, like EMS services. Wright explained that even in some unincorporated parts of the county, emergency service workloads still fall to Whitesboro. EMS services are a struggle for cities and the county, and last week’s roundtable allowed leaders to brainstorm possible solutions to common problems.

Wright is considering proposing a slight 1.5% sales use tax for unincorporated parts of Grayson County that would help pay for emergency services. She bounced the idea off city mayors and got some good feedback. If the idea takes shape, it would appear on the November election ballot.

Development services was another common issue across the board. With new subdivisions coming to Western Grayson County, city leaders are charged with identifying ways to manage growth.

“We all have to be responsible in planning for what’s coming, so we have to start looking forward now,” Wright said.

Part of the challenge Wright faces at the county level is ensuring communication exists between cities and the county. From voluntary annexations to highway and roadwork maintenance, it’s important to know who is responsible for what.

That’s why Wright’s personal priorities for the roundtable meeting were to let her city mayors know that she’s here to serve. She understands that while the Sherman/Denison corridor gets a lot of attention, Western Grayson County exists, too.

“I want city leaders to know that I’m here to represent them, to carry their voice and advocate for their needs,” Wright said.

She also wants to bring greater awareness to Highway 377, which is currently not on the 10-year list for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT).

“Not only do I want to get it on that list, I want TxDOT to realize we don’t have 10 years,” Wright said, referencing growth that is working its way toward Western Grayson County. “I want to advocate on behalf of our cities. That highway is going to cross three bridges – where is the funding for that? We need to start having those conversations.”

But Wright also wants the public to know that their commissioners are about more than just roads.

“We’re also part of the bigger picture – law enforcement, jails – things that matter to them,” Wright said. “I can’t intervene in city affairs, but we can certainly work together for the best outcome.”

The response to the roundtable session was extremely positive, with nearly perfect attendance. 

“They loved it,” Wright said of the attendees. “They’re already asking about doing another one. I think the next one we have, I’ll bring in some state leadership to join us at the table.”

Whitesboro Mayor Jeff Butts felt the meeting was a great success.

“It provided each city with the opportunity to share both their recent achievements and the challenges they are currently facing, as well as to discuss future plans,” Butts said. “We all agreed to continue collaborating on strategic planning efforts that will benefit residents throughout our region. Key areas of focus will include roads, water, transportation, housing, commercial development and job creation.”

For Wright, she was excited to see the city leaders working together to tackle these concepts. Not only does this kind of collaboration benefit the roundtable participants, but it will ultimately benefit constituents.

“Not every city in Precinct 3 looks the same,” Wright said. “But there’s strength in our differences. When we come together, we grow stronger — and smarter — as a team.”