Why did you decide to seek this office?

I want to address Wise County growth. We need to prepare in a more focused way for the future. Look at the housing developments along 114 - without a doubt, people are moving this way. Road improvement, meeting citizen needs, improving communication, establishing a positive environment for tourism growth and presenting a positive image of ourselves - these are important issues. All of Wise County needs to work together to prioritize the work that lies ahead. I have a lot of energy and am not afraid of hard work. As my father would say - it is time to stop griping and get involved - and this means everyone!

Please identify a major issue dealing with the position you are seeking and your solutions or views about that issue. Please be as specific as possible.

I am very aware that many people think road repair is the biggest issue in Wise County. I agree that it is an area of importance, but I feel that an area that was grossly overlooked is the Wise County Animal Shelter. This unresolved problem was not only bad for animals - it cast a very bad light on our County leadership and hurt our image. I believe that a new shelter can be built on a reasonable budget and in a timely manner. I would like to see a shelter built that could be easily expanded for future growth. The shelter should be efficient and appealing so people will come in to adopt pets, instead of the alternative. I would implement a low-cost spay and neuter program to help control the pet population in this county and seek the input of pet care professionals in solving this problem in a positive way that shows leadership and that we care.

What experience qualifies you to serve in the position you seek?

I believe hard work and education qualify me. Budgeting for my business and communicating with customers over the past 15 years in automotive industry have taught me how important preventative maintenance is to saving money down the road. My military experience taught me teamwork. I am a humble person and not to proud to admit when I need more facts on a subject. I like to do research and talk to people about things I don't know; nobody knows everything. We have great resource people in Wise County , and I know we can find positive solutions to almost any question or problem that we are facing here in Wise County - but we have to seek solutions. I want to help move Wise County forward.

If elected what will be your most important goal?

I will improve communication between elected officials and the public - this is how we can accomplish our goals. Wise County taxpayers have concerns. I want to address those concerns, hear what is on their minds, and take action to address them. I enjoy going out and meeting new people; I want people to know their opinions are important to me. Not all requests are feasible due to financial concerns, but I will listen and come up with the best compromise so everybody is pleased.

Reader JP from Wise County asked the following question(s):

Being new to Wise County and a retired federal senior exective, you know I have to love the place to make it my home. My question is this: How will you interact and monitor the state maintenance roads to insure that the state keeps up and follows up on state actions? Seems to me that the Hwy. 380 project is a sad case of not meeting goals and appears to the state needs to step up and get it finished. How would you work this action with the state?

1. I will make it one of my priorities to go over to the TxDOT office and meet the people who are responsible for the state highways that impact Wise County and in particular Precinct 1. People who traverse our roads often do not know when they are on a state or county road. What they care about is traveling on a good, safe road. I care about the image that we are presenting to our citizens, visitors and future investors in our county. Working with TxDOT and having a good relationship is an important priority that I will initiate.

OK, last question, what formal training do you have in project management? Or construction management?

2. Although I don't have any formal training in project or construction management, I do have a set of guidelines that I have developed that works very well for me. In any project that has levels of difficulty and steps required for completion, I have found it extremely helpful to define the steps, set check points along the way, and to follow through on the plan of action set in place. Whether you are working on a complicated engine or building a road, bridge or a structure - careful planning and monitoring is required. I would establish a clear plan of work, work with the team to establish reasonable goals and times for accomplishing projects, monitor the progress, and keep the lines of communication open with all involved. This also includes monitoring the expenditures and assuring that we are working within budget. There will always be unexpected problems that arise that can necessitate a change in action or a delay - but keeping our eyes on our goals and doing what we say we intend to do in a timely and cost effective manner is what I intend to do if I am elected. This is how I have operated my business and handled any other projects that I have been in charge of.

Reader B.C. from Precinct 1 asked the following question(s):

What future provisions do you propose to adequately maintain current county accepted roads in driveable conditions eroded due to the heavy traffic from oil industry and continued county growth. How receptive are you to listening to without derogatory commentary issues presented by the "little old lady on the cul de sac"? What is your plan for working with existing neighborhoods that have sustained this damage? How receptive are you to working with county neighborhoods that have had their "road issues" stinted by the actions and viewpoints of past politicians?

Hello Reader B.C.,

First of all I would like to apologize for taking so long to respond to your question. Because road repair is such an important issue for taxpayers, I wanted to research some ideas that I have. In November of 2007 the city of Decatur enacted new laws that restricted road use for heavy vehicles. They also provided a way to recoup some money for road repair. I thought why doesn't Wise County do the same? Currently Texas Legislature does not allow Counties to enact laws against the oil industry to restrict access or recover funds. However Devon energy has been known to enter into "road agreements" in the past to try and be a good neighbor. Denton County Commissioner Andy Eads in May of 2007 went to Austin to back a bill that would give the Counties more authority. If elected I would propose meeting with Mr. Eads and working jointly to establish some form of legislation to recoup funds. In the meantime I would like to meet with officials not only from Devon Energy, but all energy companies, to try and establish some of these "road agreements".

To answer your second question I believe that listening/good communication skills is one of my best personality traits and assets. I have always been able to establish good working relations with not only other employees, but customers in my automotive business. I worked for Northwest ISD for 4 years in the bus garage where 75% of the drivers were women. Part of my job was to communicate with them the repair issues they might have on their bus. This was very important not only cost wise, but for the safety of the kids riding the bus. In the 2 ½ years I have operated my repair business, with me being the only employee, I advertised for the first month only. Since then I have built my business by repeat customers and word of mouth. Obviously you have to establish a good relationship with people and satisfy their needs for them to go and tell other people about you.

I look forward to working with various neighborhoods that have "road issues". Unfortunately it is going to take time to recover from actions and viewpoints of past politicians. I hope to create ways to save money in other areas, and apply those funds to get the roads up to standard. Currently I have driven about 150 miles of the 230 miles of roads in precinct #1, and there are some roads in pretty bad shape. I would like to create a priority list based on condition of the road, whether or not the road is a school bus route, and of course the number of people who travel the road. Working with the new County Engineer, the roads at the top of the list would be assessed, and then repaired right the first time.

Thank you for your time,
Cory Schwenn
Candidate for Wise County Commissioner Precinct #1

Reader B.A. from Decatur asked the following question(s):

Question: I have asked one candidate already but While looking at the bio's of all of the candidates for my precinct, I am disappointed that only one mentions the problem we are having with the Animal control situation in Wise County. I am sure that through your travels of the roads of Wise County you have witnessed the problem of animal cruelty and people dumping helpless dogs to fend for themselves. How do you think that Wise County got in the condition it is in currently and what will you do if anything to help solve this problem? How far up on your priority list is this problem?

Hello reader B.A.,

First of all let me thank you for bringing up an issue other than roads. I think we all know where everybody stands on road repair. There are many other job duties required of a County Commissioner; county budget, EMS/fire department, and long range planning just to name a few. But for now I will stick to the question at hand.

To answer the first part of your question, let me give you a timeline that leads to the condition we are currently in. In June of 2005 Ron Cornelison from the Texas Department of Health stated that the current shelter was substandard. In Oct. of 2005 commissioners gave County Judge Dick Chase verbal approval to look into a pre-engineered steel building. They were trying to lower the cost from a previous estimate of $250,000. Then in Jan. of 2006 a committee that included Walt Partin, Judge Chase, Commissioner Rankin, Dr. Margaret Sterle, Sheriff David Walker, Animal Control Officer Kathy Sides, and several other community members met for 2 meetings to come up with plans and ideas. Then the Wise County jail architect, Jeff Heffelfinger came up with a $1.1 million price tag for a new shelter. Commissioner Rankin was quoted as saying that a lower estimate of $750,000 was too much. At least 2 Commissioners were quoted as saying they believe a building in the price range of $250,000 to $300,000 is practical. This information comes from an article printed on July 13, 2006 in the Wise County Messenger. In 2007 the Commissioners authorized Sheriff David Walker to spend $25,000 to repair the current facility, of which $12,000 was spent. On the 10th of July, 2007 the Texas Department of Health came in and shut the Animal Shelter down.

Now after reading all of that, I had to ask myself, why after 2 ½ years and the thousands of animals that have been "put down" (over 1500 in 2005 alone) does Wise County still not have an Animal Control Shelter? We don't even have a design for one let alone one built. This issue is very high on my priority list. In fact it was one of many reasons I chose to run for County Commissioner after watching the EMS building debacle of 2005, and now the train wreck that is the County shelter.

Now we have a company in place to design the building, and have $700,000 set aside for the new shelter. What happened to the $250,000 to $300,000 price range? Why would you not continue to include people who are in the animal business, such as Walt Partin or local veterinarians? I would like to commend the people in this county who are trying to help with animals that are being dumped. Patti Limke and Brenda Argraves are the most recent ones I have read about. Unfortunately the problem is getting worse because they have no place to call or take these animals.

There is a chance the building could be built before the general election this fall. If I am elected, and a building has been constructed, I would place a high priority on caring for the animals taken in, and fine-tuning the adoption process. I am sure there are veterinarians out there (who are obviously animal lovers themselves) that would donate time for a low-cost spay and neuter program. Also we could have "pet adoption fairs" or other activities to match these animals with loving homes.

This situation is not good for the animals, nor is it good for our citizens. It does not speak well for Wise County that we cannot manage our affairs in a humane and professional manner. There is no excuse for what has happened except inept leadership. I hope that the citizens of Precinct 1 will give me the opportunity to put common sense to work. We can do much better than this.

Thank you very much for your concern,
Cory Schwenn