Commentary by Heath Sims
Ellis County Commissioner, Pct. 3
As the date draws closer and closer to the Ellis County bond election, several people have raised concerns to me about the Commissioners Court choosing the downtown site for the location of future facilities.
As you may know, I was originally in favor of moving the location out of the downtown area but the issue is much deeper than just simply moving offices.
As I dove into this issue I started looking not from the stand point of spite or from a perspective of “we need lots of room to grow†but more towards thinking that from a service position what would be the most efficient use of tax payer money today and tomorrow?
With those things in mind, the downtown option in my opinion won.
This was not an easy decision but when I looked at the current jail with the knowledge that we already own property in downtown, I realized that with proper planning there is more than enough room for future growth.
I also looked at the normal mindset of government, which I fear is that if given an inch to grow, government will use every last bit of it.
The larger the site is the more room there is for the county government to take advantage of and cost the taxpayers later on.
I also had to look at development costs and maintenance of grounds and landscaping that would be required by the City of Waxahachie. These amenities come at a cost.
On top of these considerations, we also have a law that states that all constitutional offices and courts must remain in the county seat. The original Ellis County seat is 62 acres around the downtown square.
The exact meaning of the law has been debated by lawyers and elected officials across the state and the Texas Attorney General has issued an opinion that states the county seat is anything within the current city limits.
However, I am not comfortable with an opinion that could change depending on who the next Attorney General is.
I had to ask myself, “Is it worth the risk to have a murder trial held at a location outside the original 62 acres and wait for an attorney to appeal the court’s decision to some liberal judge, who reads the law literally and overturns a conviction?â€
I don’t even want to imagine the snowball affect that could happen from then on.
Is downtown Waxahachie the best location?
It depends on how realistically you look.
You don’t need me to tell you that the county’s population is growing, it’s evident everywhere.
Right now the county has over 30,000 proposed homes being planned in special utility districts alone.
The North Central Texas Council of Governments predicts the county will reach a population over 445,000 in the next 25 years.
People move to this area everyday not because we are urban but because we are rural and they want a safe, country setting. I believe that a central government location downtown fits that roll.
I have lived in this area all my life and I also know that the folks in Indian Hills, River Oaks, Gingerbread or Chapman additions do not want a jail in their neighbor hood.
I know that the land along 287 is more valuable to private development than to governmental development.
As I write this, there are seven schools within one mile of the water tower location, not to mention parks and churches. The other locations that were considered had poor access and no infrastructure. Both of which would cause future problems. These locations also had schools nearby.
I also realize that the outlying cities are growing and are going to demand their own sub-offices and courts. I believe a 287 location would squash that idea and we know that industry and developers sell property because of convenient services.
Simply put, this seems to be the most viable solution for many years to come and Waxahachie did pony up $8 million dollars in assistance that can not be ignored.
With the passage of this bond we can construct a courts and administrative building that will fill the needs of the county for the next 30 years and a jail that can be expanded upon as growth demands.
Downtown property will never be as valuable as locations on major thoroughfares and the taxable value of property along with the cost of leasing space were also considerations I made while making this decision.
With the bond issuance, we can get out of the leases that the county currently has in Waxahachie and pay for something that will belong to the Ellis County taxpayer — which is how it should be.
We cannot forget about the growth in Midlothian, Ennis and Red Oak and we must understand that offices in those areas can help decrease the need for continued growth in the central facility.
We must also remember that the current jail is already in downtown and the cost associated with transporting prisoners to and from an offsite jail and courts facility is simply irresponsible to me.
By building phase one of the new jail, where the current 1929 jail is located, the county can still grow east on Jefferson for years to come.
While others on the court may not agree, I also believe the current jail can one day become a juvenile facility once the demand is there.
This will keep the county utilizing facilities to its full potential and not just building to build.
I also think it is good stewardship to start the planning process now by laying out trigger points that will assist the Commissioners Court in the future as well as keeping the public aware of potential facility expansions.
I believe this process should have started yesterday.
I wish this problem would have been solved 10 to 20 years ago but it was not and the decision has now fallen upon me and this court and I think we are offering up the best option at this point in time.
I admit it is not perfect but under the circumstances I firmly believe this will work.
Commissioner Ron Brown, Pct. 4, made the motion to approve the downtown site and I seconded the motion.
Commissioner Dennis Robinson, Pct. 1, made the motion to call for the May 12 bond election and Judge Chad Adams seconded the motion.
I personally voted for the downtown option and for the May 12 election because the factors involved showed it to be the most efficient decision for all of Ellis County not just Waxahachie.
GOD Bless and thanks for your interest and concern,
Heath Sims
