Smooth start for new man

Derrick Miller
The Duncan Banner

DUNCAN January 06, 2009 11:13 am

— Monday’s regular meeting of the Board of Stephens County Commissioners was relatively uneventful. It was the perfect conditions to introduce a new commissioner.
Todd Churchman officially took office for District 2 and served in his first meeting. How the meetings operate wasn’t a complete surprise because Churchman had been attending the meetings for a while.
“It went great,” he said.
“I’ve been coming for the last couple of months.
He said he was glad to see a light agenda because it provided a way for him to get his feet wet without having to become fully submerged in the duties of the job.
“You’re not just overwhelmed and bombarded,” Churchman said.
Although attending meetings might have helped get him ready for the position, he also received a lot of help from the former District 2 commissioner, Frank Kelly. Kelly had his last meeting on Dec. 29 after retiring as a commissioner.
Churchman said Kelly helped keep him aware of what was going on with the district and the board.
“Frank was very helpful in the transition,” Churchman said.
“He kept me informed of upcoming projects.”
Knowing what’s going on provides a better opportunity to do the job. He said doing the job is about watching out for the interests of District 2 residents.
“Mainly just doing all I can for people in my district,” he said.
One of Churchman’s first duties was helping select a board chairman. This agenda item is part of the annual reorganization of the board of commissioners.
When it came to it, District 1 Commissioner Darrell Sparks was chosen as chairman for the second consecutive year.
Sparks said it is somewhat a tradition for commissioners to serve as chairman for a few years. He has been overseeing Stephens County District 1 for six years, having just begun his seventh year in office.
“It feels like it did last year,” Sparks said. “It’s all right. It’s an interesting job.”
He said he has learned a lot from the years he has served on the board. A big part of the job is paying attention and being aware of county needs.
When he first joined the board, he was the custodian of country property, a position he held for a few years. During Monday’s meeting, District 3 Commissioner Dee Bowen took on this responsibility.
It’s these kinds of duties that give commissioners more exposure to the needs of the county.
“You just have to listen to what’s going on,” Sparks said.
“You try to do the best you can.”