For 10 months Chris Sowell has been sitting in the audience in a stackable chair during Orange County Commissioner’s Court meetings. The next time he enters the courtroom he’ll be sitting in the leather chair in front of the audience as the Commissioner of Precinct Two.
Sowell, 46, was sworn in Sunday, Jan. 1 by Orange County Judge John Gothia. “It’s been a long time coming,” he said. Sowell did the unthinkable back in March when he defeated four other candidates without a runoff.
“It’s a surreal, proud moment.” he said. “January 1 is a significant day in my family. My dad was born on January 1, 1950. He would’ve been 73 today. And on January 1, 2016 we buried my mother. I was thinking about them today. I wished they could’ve been here but I know they’re proud.”
We asked the Commissioner several questions just before he took office. He gives us the following answers.
- You’ve jumped in with both feet since winning election…what have you learned about the job that maybe you didn’t know before you ran?
Honestly there hasn’t been “just 1 thing” that has jumped out yet and been surprising. What has been encouraging though is the level at which most of our local entities are really trying to work together, from Road and Bridge, the Drainage District, even TxDot. If I’ve called and asked questions or reported an issue they’ve all been pretty much on top of it and very responsive. There seems to be a genuine desire to make a positive difference when they can. I dealt with a drainage issue in the Lowe Addition off of 105 today, I called the Drainage District when I found an obstructed culvert in one of their ditches and in less than an hour the DD and City of Orange had removed the issue and the water receded quickly.
2.What advice has the judge and other commissioners given you (if any).
Really just to be here and to be accessible to the citizens of Prec. 2.
- Since the election victory, what are the hot topics from the people in Prec. 2?
Roads and drainage continue to be the main concerns. Since August of 2017 our area has been hit with so many natural disasters like Harvey and Imelda, then more man made problems like Covid and what that did to the world wide supply chain that our resources have really been stretched. I’m optimistic that now we’re getting back to a more “normal” weather cycle and coupling that with what appears to be a very positive and forward looking group of leaders from the County and Cities, that with us all working together we can really start improving on some of our more neglected areas.
- You and your Mauriceville Heritage Association group have made a big impact on Mauriceville. What are your future plans, if any?
Just to really continue to be there when we can to make life a little better, we are all very proud of what we have been able to accomplish the last handful of years for the area. We’ve basically rebuilt the Community Center Complex, the new Pavilion is over 6000 sq ft completely new from the concrete up, through the hard work of what I consider to be as fine a group of volunteers as there is. We’ve used it for 3 Benefit Fund Raisers since the pavilion was erected and there has been over $100,000 raised for some of our neighbors.
- What goals have you set?
The only goal I’ve set is to be visible and accessible to the citizens, and try to make a positive difference anywhere in Precinct 2 that I can. There is never a wrong way to do the right thing and I will always try to do what is best for Precinct 2 and the County as a whole. I look forward to working hard to move the County forward.
Judge Gothia and Prec. 4 Commissioner Robert Viator were also sworn in for another term. They ran unopposed. The next Commissioner’s Court meeting is Tuesday, January 10 at 2pm.
Above: Kolbie Sowell, Commissioner Sowell, Mindy Nance, Kyleigh Sowell, Presley Parra, Misty Nance.
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