Nathan E. White, Jr., William J. Roberts, Ron Harris, and Keith A. Self
WHAT: Discussing 37 Years of Collin County Leadership
WHEN: Friday, Dec. 14, 2012 at 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
WHERE: 4th Floor Commissioners Courtroom, Admin Bldg.
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| click to enlarge |
EVEN NATIVE TEXANS SIT BACK IN AWE
when they look over the incredible amount of growth and
development in Collin County over the past 37 years. From a scattering
of farm communities, dominated by McKinney, the county seat, and the
upstart suburban model of Plano in 1975, Collin County’s population has
grown 6-½ times since. Despite
some slowing of the pace in the last few years, the county is
still projected to hit 1 million residents sometime between 2016 and
2018.
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| County Clerk Stacy Kemp |
With
all that change in mind, we thought now would be a great opportunity to
reflect on the county’s progress, and bring together a group of men who
had a direct role in
helping shape what has become one of the best spots to live, work and
play in Texas -- and the Nation.
as reported by J. B. Blocker
Nathan E. White, Jr. 1975-1982
He's home grown. He is a Plano graduate who married his high school sweetheart, joined the Navy, got his law degree at SMU, and became a civic leader. He sits comfortably in his panel seat with the three Collin County judges that have followed him. It was White who signed off on the logo that has become recognizable on a global scale.
" When I was elected in '74, I was the 1st Republican to be elected. In fact, the Texas Rangers showed up the next day to investigate the ballots. It was that shocking that a Republican could have won that election."
He still serves as the Senior Judge for the 366th District Court. He mentions his wife of 48 years. He speaks highly of his secretary Melva Kemp while her daughter Collin County County Clerk Stacy Kemp sat in the audience. There were 77,000 residents of Collin County in 1974. When he took office, the records where unauditable. There was basically no management infrastructure for a county that was about to explode! He saw the problem and proceeded to organize a county.
Nathan E. WHITE, Jr.
is
currently a senior State District Judge who presided over the 366th
Judicial District Court in Collin County from its inception in 1989
until September 2006, some 17 years. Judge
White served as County Judge for two full terms, and served as County
Treasurer from 1983-1985. A 1960 graduate of Plano High School, he
earned a BBA in Accounting from
Southern Methodist University in 1964, and passed the CPA exam later that year. He also
attended George Washington University
Law School in Washington, D.C., from 1969-1971, while serving in the
U.S. Navy, and received his law degree from SMU Law School in 1972.
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At
the time he took office as County Judge, the county population came to
about 105,000 (less than current-day McKinney’s population) – and
practically
doubled in his eight-year tenure.
·
Countywide,
the total property valuation for 1975 came to a little over $239
million, the amount by which budget revenues would be set. For Fiscal
Year 2013, that amount is $20 million LESS than the county’s combined
budget.
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In FY1978, the oldest complete budget book we have on hand, there were 209 employees working for Collin County government.
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FY1976 Operating Budget: $4,817,952;
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FY1983 Operating Budget: $11,920,252;
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FY1983 countywide valuation $7.18 billion
William J. Roberts 1983-1990
The George Bush was being negotiated. It took the cooperation of 7
cities and 3 counties, but it got done and it is an important artery of
Collin County. The future of the I.T. Department for organized
purchasing and records was developed under his leadership. The population was about 250,000 and setting growth records between Loop 121, the North Dallas Tollway, and I-75!
Collin County Community College now serves over 46,000 students. It was
a glint in the eye of Judge Bill Roberts and many other visionaries who
got the ball rolling.
" I am grateful to Judge White for cleaning up the Swamp that was county management before I took office. While he was so occupied trying to organize the county, I could look more into the manageable
future. I am especially proud of the growth and success of Collin
County Community College and the 200 acres that is the foundation for
county growth. The county jail, administrative building, and court house now occupy this property with plenty of room to expand."
William J. ROBERTS
is a partner in the Plano law firm of Gay, McCall, Isaacks, Gordon
& Roberts.
He served as County Judge for two full terms. He was also Plano City
Attorney from 1970-1978. He earned a Bachelor in Business Administration
in Finance from the
University of Texas at Austin in 1966, and received his law degree from
Baylor University School of Law in 1968. He also took post-graduate Legal Studies in 1977 from
Southern Methodist University’s Underwood School of Law, and attended the
National Judicial College, Special Session, in 1985.
·
The
County population grew by more than 45% during his eight-year tenure,
with a 1990 population coming in 264,000 – slightly more than the
current
population of Plano today.
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Property values, however, doubled during the same time frame to more than $14 billion.
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The County employee workforce almost doubled, from 394 in 1983 to 651 in 1990.
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FY1984 Operating Budget: $14,517,471; FY1991 Operating Budget: $42,479,628.
Ron Harris 1991-2006
Legacy
was no-mans land. Frisco had about 5,000 residents. For the next 16
years, Ron Harris would help lead the way to manage the eminent growth
and infrastructure needs. The new state-of -the-art jail was a mile
stone.
"I worked with a great group with 4 county commissioners, but I always
had to remember that I only had one vote. And it takes THREE. To get
things accomplished, nearly everything is compromise. I wouldn't be
married today if it wasn't for compromise!"
With that management style, the former Staff Sgt. who attended Texas Tech, Baylor, University of Texas, and SMU law saw the development of Hi-way 121, and the expansion of 78 from Garland which led to the explosion in Wylie. One of his favorite programs is the installation of a Merit Pay reward system.
Ron HARRIS
is
a business consultant who lives in McKinney. He served as County judge
for 16 years and, before that, another five years as a Plano City
Councilman. He has a Bachelor of Business
Administration degree in Management and Accounting from Texas Tech University, and attended
Baylor University and the University of Texas at Dallas.
After college, he graduated from the National Guard Non-Commissioned
Officer Academy and served in Airborne Infantry, Mechanized Infantry and
Communications units. He was honorably discharged
with a rank of staff sergeant in 1975.
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In his 16-year tenure, county growth exploded by 162%, with more than 200,000 new residents arriving between 2000-2006 alone.
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The county tax base saw explosive growth by 250%, as did the operating budget for county government;
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FY1991 Operating Budget: $42,479,628; FY2007 Operating Budget: $168,700,000
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County government’s workforce grew from 719 to 1,621 workers during his tenure,
Keith A. Self 2007-Current Day
Now, Collin County is the SIXTH most populated county in Texas. Keith
Self was elected for his conservative convictions. The $176 million
dollar budget needed to be directed toward an exploding
population. Roads to be built for a county that could very well become it's own
metropolis in the next 10 years with room to welcome a million more
people. We rely on the commissioners court to manage the infrastructure
with an eye to the future.
"Realistically, we have to be looking at least 20 years ahead and beyond when we make decisions. With all the highway development we are managing our eye is on the growth. I'm really proud of the expansion of the court house and other facilities to this property. When I took this office, I knew that the previous leadership had done such a good job in paving the way, that just like the jockey who rode Secretariat, I just need to not fall off."
The West Point graduate and career officer retired only to be called back into service. He is very accessible and a highly visible presence around the county. While the county is now running smoothly throughout the system, all this growth requires dealing with more and more regulated operations involving millions of dollars. The tax base is stable but with growth comes huge future responsibilities.
Keith A. SELF has presided over the Commissioner’s Court since January 2007. He is a 5th-generation
Texan who brought 25 years of experience as a U.S. Army officer to his current position. A 1975 graduate of the
United States Military Academy at West Point, Judge Self holds a Master’s Degree in International Relations from the
University of Southern California, and is a graduate of the U.S. Army Command and General Staff College
at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. Judge Self retired from active military
duty in 1999 as a Lieutenant Colonel. He was recalled to active duty for
a 14-month tour in Afghanistan and Qatar, serving with the U.S. Central
Command. He and his wife, Tracy, have been married for 35 years and
live in McKinney.
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While
the county’s population growth slowed from 2007-2012, Judge Self’s
tenure so far has seen an 11% growth rate, with a 2012 population of
804,000-plus.
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In
addition, while the operating budget has grown about 3% in this
time frame, the property tax base climbed by 20%, to $74.6 Billion.
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The county workforce comes to 1,789 authorized positions in FY2013, with an Operating Budget of $173.6 Million
- J.B. Blocker is a media consultant based in Collin County in North Texas. Advertise with J.B. by calling 469-334-9962.
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