East Texas

By ROY MAYNARD
Staff Writer

Incumbent Smith County Commissioner Bobby Van Ness will face challenger Terry Phillips in a runoff on April 8, after Precinct 3 voters winnowed a field of four candidates.

Van Ness received 1,886 votes, or 39.2 percent of the votes cast, while Phillips won 1,330 votes, or 27.7 percent. Ken Langley received 1,191 votes, or 24.8 percent, while Toby Cross won 400 votes, or 8.3 percent, in complete but unofficial results.

Van Ness, a retired Tyler police detective, won his seat in 2004 in a runoff, he pointed out Tuesday night.

"It doesn't surprise me, with the number of candidates in the race," Van Ness said. "Last time we had a runoff, and there were just three candidates."

Phillips, a real estate developer running his first political race, says he's ready for a runoff.

"We'll get up in the morning and just keep doing what we're doing," Phillips said. "I want to continue pressing the same issues."

Van Ness says he won't change tactics for the runoff.

"I'll just continue to try to get out the message about what we've accomplished on the court," he said.

The Commissioners Court has made significant progress during his tenure, Van Ness says.

"Twice as many roads have been repaired in the last three years than in the previous four and a half," he says. "We restored the staffing levels for the county Road and Bridge Department, improving employee morale and reducing staff turnover from 32 percent in 2006 to 16 percent in 2007."

Employee turnover has been a big problem in the past for Smith County, he adds.

"Part of that has been the salary structure, and part has been the working conditions," he says. "But we're seeing a turnaround."

But part of that new salary structure - raises for commissioners and for the county judge - has drawn plenty of political heat. Van Ness abstained from the vote on the new salary plan, but his challengers say he should have opposed it.

"The court lost the confidence of the voters when they voted themselves an excessive pay increase," Phillips says. "These raises were based on personal needs and not on accomplishments. The present court had not served long enough, nor had they accomplished measurable results before voting themselves the raises. They clearly acted against the will of the people."

Phillips also says the court erred when it put a $125 million jail bond package before the voters last November. That package was defeated soundly.

The court "must realize that the citizens of Smith County want a no-frills jail at a fiscally responsible price," Phillips says.

"After walking my neighborhood, I found that voters agree with me," he says. "We need a Precinct 3 commissioner who is determined to make a difference, who will stand strong for open government, listen to the people, and use sound business principles and a common-sense approach when spending tax dollars and managing staff."

Cross says he is disappointed with Tuesday night's results. As the county's veterans services officer, he says, he has been working long hours following the closing of a benefits counseling program at the Tyler office of the U.S. Department Veterans Affairs office.

"I just haven't been able to campaign," Cross said.

"I'm a little disappointed in the numbers," added Langley, a Tyler firefighter.

Early voting in the April 8 runoff lasts from March 31 through April 4.