This podcast was recorded Wednesday, May 26, at the Courthouse Annex.

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Pct. 3 Commissioner Chuck McHam was the special guest for this week's County Report podcast. Commissioner McHam is from Chandler and is in the first year of his second term as a commissioner. He received an Ag Education degree from Texas A&M University and taught Ag at both Martin's Mill and Brownsboro.

Topics covered in this podcast include:

I. On Becoming Commissioner (2:11)

"I always knew when I retired I wanted to do something with the community," Commissioner McHam said. "This kind of fell into place. So I decided to run for commissioner of Pct. 3."

II. Spending Tax Dollars (4:39)

"People want to make sure their tax dollars are being spent wisely and we try and do that," he said. "I wanted that whenever I was in the public. I think that's our big challenge, to make sure we spend the taxpayers' money wisely."

III. County Budget Cycle (7:10)

"It's a long process," he said, "and I never thought about that when I was running for commissioner. But between the first of July and the first of September, the commissioners will spend a great deal of their time here at the courthouse and not on the roads."

IV. Working With Commissioners Court (9:55)

"Ever since I've been on Commissioners Court, we've had a great relationship," he said. "We get along well together. There are things we disagree on, but we're able to sit down during court and figure out a way to make it work."

V. Roads (12:20)

Commissioner McHam said that the hot mix (asphalt) for a mile of road costs about $85,000.

"That's just in material," he said. "That's if you don't have to base work and you don't have to replace any culverts. That's just the two-inch layer of asphalt is $85,000 a mile."

VI. Weather (16:30)

Commissioner McHam discusses the impact of the February ice storm and recent rains on the roads.

VII. Bridges (18:00)

Pct. 3 is unique in Henderson County because of its bridges.

"The other precincts have anywhere from two to four bridges in their entire precinct," he said. "I have 22."

VIII. Communications Committee (20:57)

Commissioner McHam is on the Communications Committee which is working to bring the new digital system online.

"We've spent a lot of time on it. I think it is going to be an asset for the county," he said.

IX. Growth of the County (26:02)

"People want to move to Henderson County," Commissioner McHam said. "We can see that with the prices of property."

X. Conclusion (27:41)

"I want to tell the people of Henderson County that I appreciate the responsibility they bestowed on us," he said. "I hope that they see and recognize the things that we're doing. We're trying to make Henderson County better."

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