Commissioner Colby Shawn

Monday, June 8th, will be a historic day in Wise County as the Commissioners Court holds its first meeting in the newly restored courthouse.

While I'm nearing the end of my first term in office, this will actually be my first Commissioners Court meeting as an elected official in the historic courthouse. I stopped by this week to see the new courtroom, and it is absolutely beautiful.

One of the additions I'm most excited about is the upgraded technology. The new microphones should make it much easier for everyone in attendance to hear the discussion, and for the first time, our meetings will be livestreamed. A major goal of the restoration project was to preserve the courthouse's history while integrating modern technology that improves transparency and public access.

I hope you can join us in person for this special occasion. If you can't attend, you'll be able to watch the meeting live or go back and view it later at a time that works for you.

I'll share the livestream link as soon as it is made available to me. Updated link: https://wisecountytx.new.swagit.com/views/908/

It's an exciting day for Wise County, and I'm looking forward to being part of this next chapter in our courthouse's history.

I spent the last several days in Washington, D.C. for Infrastructure Week as part of my role on the National Association of Counties Transportation Steering Committee. One of the most important parts of serving in these national roles is making sure counties like Wise County have a seat at the table when federal transportation policy is being developed.

This week the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee released the BUILD America 250 Act, the House proposal for the next surface transportation reauthorization bill. There are several major wins in this proposal for counties across America, especially rural counties that maintain large amounts of road and bridge infrastructure.

The bill would significantly increase funding for locally owned bridges, increase the amount of federal dollars specifically reserved for local bridge projects, preserve important safety grant programs, and create more opportunities for counties to directly access federal infrastructure funding. If ultimately passed by Congress, these provisions would make billions of dollars in transportation funding more accessible to counties and local governments across America. Those investments can help counties address aging bridges, dangerous intersections, freight corridors, and long-term infrastructure needs without placing the full burden on local property taxpayers.

Throughout the week we had several meetings with House and Senate leadership, federal agencies, and the White House Office of Management and Budget to discuss the legislation and advocate for preserving these county priorities in the final version of the bill. County officials are the closest level of government to the infrastructure challenges people face every day, and it is critical that local governments continue to have a voice in the federal policy process.

I’m proud to represent Wise County and to continue to fight for infrastructure investment. This bill is a strong example of what can happen when counties across America work together and advocate for policies that recognize the important role local governments play in maintaining our nation’s infrastructure.

This week I had the incredible opportunity to spend the week in Washington D.C. as part of the V.G. Young Institute of County Government Leadership Academy. It was a packed week full of learning, leadership development, and discussions about the challenges and opportunities facing counties across America.

We spent time at the National Association of Counties learning about major initiatives currently being worked on at the national level and how they directly impact local governments like Wise County. We also visited the USDA and met with departments that provide programs and services available to our constituents back home.

One of the highlights of the week was spending a day on Capitol Hill. We had a very productive meeting with Senator John Cornyn and I also had the opportunity to meet with Congressman Brandon Gill and Congressman Ronny Jackson’s staff. We discussed issues affecting Wise County including transportation infrastructure, growth, and data center development. We also received a Homeland Security briefing from Congressman August Pfluger.

It was also wonderful to see Chico native Laine Longacre serving on Senator Cornyn’s staff. Seeing someone from Wise County working in our nation’s capital and doing such a great job was something special.

On Wednesday we traveled to Calvert County, Maryland where we met with county officials and discussed many of the same challenges both of our states are facing, especially surrounding rapid industrial growth and infrastructure demands. We also toured the Constellation Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant. It was fascinating to see firsthand how one of these facilities operates and the scale of infrastructure required to support growing energy demands.

Thursday was spent at the George Washington Leadership Institute at Mount Vernon where we focused on leadership principles and what it means to lead “the George Washington way.” It was truly an incredible experience and one I will not forget.

Most importantly, I was excited that Nyree’s schedule worked out so she could make the trip with me and experience our nation’s capital together. It made an already memorable week even more special.

I’m thankful for the opportunity to represent Wise County and continue learning ways we can better serve our communities back home

If you were impacted by the recent tornadoes, please take a moment to review this information. SBA disaster assistance is now available countywide for eligible residents, businesses, and nonprofits across Wise County.