By the time you read this, I will have been on the campaign trail for a year seeking the position of Matagorda County Commissioner Pct 2.
This will likely not be the last of these informative articles as it is not all-inclusive of the concerns I have heard from you, the public, on what issues are important to you.
One of the things I love about Matagorda County is it’s beautiful 55 miles of coastline. All of this lies within Precinct 2 and there are many challenges that go along with it.
My goal is to make it a nice destination for locals as well as visitors. As beautiful as it is, there are certain amenities that need to be addressed.
I have heard from constituents about the need for a pavilion, adequate parking, and bathrooms near the beach entrances. This is lacking in both Matagorda and Sargent.
There are many grants available for that and I intend to take advantage of those to work to get this done.
I plan on addressing the problematic Matagorda Beach entrance at to make it more accessible.
I have also heard from you that a different model for beach patrol and security is necessary for visitors’ safety.
I have spoken to local law enforcement agencies and visited with other counties and there are options we can explore and put into practice. I want to move forward with what works best for Matagorda County.
Many in the Sargent community and I agree that the community center needs to be a priority.
This has been in the works for a while and regardless of what the status is by the time I would take office; I will see it through post haste.
Having attended several economic development meetings in the last year, I am comforted that Matagorda County is in great shape with its current leadership at Matagorda County Economic Development Corporation (MCEDC) and the Bay City Community Development Corporation (BCCDC).
Those two entities have many projects that would positively impact all of Matagorda County. I will work with them, keeping the lines of communication open on all projects.
I have an open mind and a heart dedicated to keeping Matagorda County a great place to live, work, and play.
Matagorda County has a serious housing shortage. Roughly half of our largest employer’s employees live outside the county.
We need to work together to bring quality housing to our county so that these employees will come back and spend their hard-earned dollar locally.
We all pay enough property taxes and we need more rooftops to help share the burden of financing county operations.
I want to be part of a team that moves this vision forward.
Our economic development teams have at least three housing developments in Bay City and one in Palacios in process. Their efforts will bring employees back to the county as well as provide motivation for new businesses looking to locate here.
They’re using every tool in their tool chest to accomplish this – between tax increment reinvestment zones (TIRZ) remodeling and Public Improvement District (PID) developments, they’re forging a new frontier in housing; right here in Matagorda County!
Other counties have taken notice as well, and it’s catching on.
Rural county roads are the lifeline of our important agriculture economy. They must carry supplies in and crops out.
These roads must work, even in inclement weather. I will work on the roadside drainage and with other county government entities to move the water so they can hold up and keep working.
My extensive experience with draining water will also be useful in moving water off residential and commercial properties by use of the road ditches and cleaning culverts.
I know there is always more issues and more to do and I look forward to visiting with you about these or any other issues you have.
Bottom line is, Matagorda County is my home.
I have lived here all my life and am a fourth-generation resident.
My wife, Jessica and I raised our kids here and our grandchildren are being raised right here in Precinct 2. I will work for what is best for all of Matagorda County.
I can be reached at voteebaum@gmail.com, I look forward to hearing from you and hope I earn your vote.
Paid for by the Mike Estlinbaum for Commissioner Campaign, Mike Estlinbaum, Treasurer, PO Box 190, Bay City TX 77404
To access content, please login or purchase a subscription.