JUDGE: Our Milam County employees make the difference
Every week there are a myriad of things going on with your Milam County Government. This week I thought I might share with you some of the items that have a direct and an indirect affect on us here in Milam County. While the items we see outright make a difference, there are plenty more that the public doesn’t always see.
Here at the courthouse, we have our fair share of court action this week. Upstairs there’s a jury trial involving work from the District Court staff and the District Clerk’s Staff. Tuesday was a full day of County Court in the downstairs courtroom. Wednesday there is a full day of Attorney General’s Court in the downstairs courtroom. Wednesday is also Probate Court which we hold in the annex. We have found it easier to do Probate Court in the conference room at the annex to allow for a less formal setting, which is helpful since probate court tends to be an emotional setting.
The road and bridge crews have been hard at work clearing roads and repairing the damage caused by the foul weather we incurred over the last few weeks. Our road and bridge crews have a tough job that often goes underappreciated. Having between 750 to 800 miles of unpaved roads here in Milam County, these folks are often out there working in conditions that most of us wouldn’t even consider working in. I live about five miles off the paved road and sometimes following bad weather those roads can get pretty rough, but the road and bridge crews get out there and work through it all to keep us all moving.
The 2024 budget included software changes and in the next few months various departments will be switching to the new software. This week the County Clerk’s office is going through the changeover including training to learn the new system. Software changes can be difficult and as a result many government agencies continue to use older software due to familiarity and continuity; however, there comes a time when technology dictates changes be made. After using the same software for most of the last two decades, a software change was necessary to provide the county with a more efficient and cost-effective platform. So, over the next few weeks there might be a few office closures as offices get their upgrades and training. Please bear with us while we make this upgrade.
Monday night the Rockdale Knights of Columbus had their annual appreciation night for Milam County Law Enforcement and First Responders. Representatives from all over Milam County attended and it was a nice night of fellowship and a wonderful chili dinner provided by our hosts. As you would expect, some of the attendees were called out during the event; I believe there were three accidents between Rockdale and Minerva just in the time we were there. But overall, most of Milam County’s First Responders were represented and it was good to see so many of them. These folks work hard day in and day out for us all and we should take the time to let them know how much we appreciate them.
Now while I have mentioned quite a bit, I fear I don’t have the column inches to talk about all the hard work done by others in the Health Department, WIC, AgriLife, Veterans’ Services, Jail Staff, Probation, the Auditor’s office, the Senior Centers, the Planning and Development Office, Emergency Management, and all of the others. Needless to say, there are a lot of moving parts in County Government. We don’t always see them all, but they are always out there working for us. I just wanted to give them a little recognition. Many times, the elected officials or department heads get the attention, but it’s the people who work for the county (who work for you) that make the real difference.
In my job prior to taking office, I have worked with many county employees from many counties and have always felt they are at many times underappreciated. Since taking office I have had the time to see up-close how hard so many of our county employees work and how blessed we are to live here in Milam County. While my short list here is only a small representation of what all happens in County Government, rest assured each week is a busy week in County Government. A big Thank You to all of our County Employees.