-
EDWARDS
Although Sherman Edwards has never held a public office, he is running for Erath County Commissioner Precinct 3 in the Republican primary because he wants to bring valuable experience to the position. This experience includes 27 years working for the Highway Department/ Texas Department of Transportation, retiring as a Maintenance Inspector. That role is responsible for dealing with contractors on a daily basis and making sure the work is quality.
“I think I have the right skills to get things done the right way,” he said. “[That work] gives me a lot of insight people may not have.”
This includes knowing the right kind of equipment and materials to use as well as repairing roads in a way that is both fiscally responsible to the taxpayer and will weather the increased traffic that is coming into Erath County.
“The population growth in Erath County is mind boggling,” Edwards said. “Money’s on the way with all these subdivisions but in turn, traffi c is on the way. We need to be proactive instead of reactive.”
As a lifelong resident of Stephenville, Edwards has seen the increase in residents over time. He and his wife, Thetis, raised their two daughters, Markeisha and Ashley, in Stephenville. Edwards is grateful for the foundation the city and school district in preparing them for their lives and work as a special education teacher/counselor and principal respectively. Edwards has always had a steward’s heart, serving on the board for New Bethel CME, the church he’s attended for his entire life.
After retiring from TxDOT 2.5 years ago, Edwards went to work for on the roads of Precinct 3 for the county so he sees how the county handles its roadway assets.
Edwards said the way the county manages road maintenance/ repair is not necessarily bad, but he has knowledge of better and more economical practices through his work with TxDOT.
“What I was doing two years ago is still relevant,” he said.
One area for improvement is in grading the condition of roads and using “hot mix overlays” to build up roads that are in better condition rather than scraping the roadway completely down and laying a completely new road. Edwards estimates 80 percent of Erath’s roads could be repaired with with a process which can be completed the same day rather than taking more than a week.
“I want to give all roads a letter grade from A-F [if elected],” he said. “We could start with the Fs and move up. If you fix the F roads and make them A then you don’t have to put as much time into them in the future.”
“What puts us behind is having to go back and rework [the same areas] every year,” Edward said. “We need to do a real repair.”
He also said he would use as much common sense as he can as a commissioner. “You can’t fix the whole world overnight,” he admitted. “We need to fix what we can.”
Edwards know that roads aren’t the only decisions before commissioners.
“The other responsibility is looking into the other county agencies’ budget in our purview,” he reported. “Commissioners are held accountable to the taxpayers of the county and need to make sure tax dollars are spent in the right place. We have to rely on the department heads [for recommendations and accurate information], but ultimately it comes down to the commissioners to make decisions.”
Edwards oversaw million dollar projects for TxDOT as well as projects up to a couple of hundred thousand dollars for his private dairy business, which did everything from welding to installing complete electrical systems.
When he decided to retire from that business after 14 years due to his busy schedule, he still retained some customers who wanted him to handle projects for their dairies.
“When you’re a dairy service guy, you have to solve it right there within the hour,” Edwards said. “A service company is only as good as its service.”
“There’s a Western adage: ‘An honest man can’t make anything but an honest mistake,’” Edwards said. “Everything I do will be above board honest.”