As the two-term county commissioner from Northeast Tarrant County, Republican Gary Fickes offers the sort of big-picture thinking and leadership required in an office serving nearly a half-million people.
Fickes, 62, of Southlake, has taken on the worst challenge of all in Northeast Tarrant -- traffic -- and has helped bring in three of the state's largest road projects.With freight traffic expected to grow twice as fast as passenger traffic in the next 25 years, Tarrant County will continue to thrive along with the traffic moving freely on Interstate 35W, the North Tarrant Express and the DFW Connector.That's no small accomplishment in a time of tight budgets in Austin.To go with better roads, Fickes wants to promote private partnerships for rail or high-speed bus rapid transit service. He also wants to connect Northeast Tarrant County to a proposed statewide high-speed rail line.At a time when county government's role in charity healthcare might change depending on decisions being made in Washington and Austin, Fickes takes pride in improved service at JPS Health Network, where the Board of Managers is led by a chairman and vice chairman he suggested from Northeast Tarrant County.His challenger, Democrat Norm Lyons, 68, of Southlake, is a retired Texas Rangers baseball team community spokesman, former Fort Worth insurance agent and former Texas Ethics Commission board member who has lived in Northeast Tarrant County since 1979.Lyons said he wants county government to work more closely with school districts, both to save money by sharing resources and also to make sure employers find workers with the right skills.The Star-Telegram Editorial Board recommends Gary Fickes for Tarrant County Commissioner, Precinct 3.Have more to add? News tip? Tell us
