CROSSROADS REPORT
By Kent Brunette
From The Pages Of The November 30, 2005
Hearne Democrat Newspaper
Last week’s Crossroads Report identified the types of businesses that have considered
making the move to the Crossroads of Texas. The next couple of Crossroads Reports will
explore some of Hearne’s economic development challenges & opportunities.
It is the economic development director’s job to try to bring new industries & jobs to
Hearne & to try to keep existing companies in Hearne. Texas economic development law
emphasizes the creation & retention of “primary jobs” in distribution, manufacturing, industrial, &
related facilities. Only in very limited circumstances can a local economic development board
assist local retail businesses.
A primary economic development director responsibility is to develop a plan of action,
which, over time, will create an environment that will keep existing businesses in town & attract
new businesses, new residents, & new visitors to town.
Turning Hearne into an economic magnet is not a simple task that can be accomplished
overnight. It is also not a job that can be accomplished by one person alone.
This is why the City of Hearne, Hearne’s 4A & 4B Sales Tax Boards, Hearne Chamber of
Commerce, Better Hearne Project, Hearne ISD, relevant county officials, state & federal elected
representatives are all working together to try to remove impediments which may keep new
businesses, new residents, & new visitors from coming to the Crossroads.
Potential impediments to Hearne’s economic growth are identified below in bold italics.
Information then follows on what is being done to try to remove or diminish these impediments.
If Hearne schools are a problem, let’s improve them. Many people would agree that
Hearne schools are a major impediment to local economic growth. While Hearne schools may
have had their share of problems in the past, they appear to be steadily improving & taking steps
to provide a quality education to Hearne ISD students both now and in the years ahead.
In the most recent TEA report card, all Hearne Schools – Eastside, Blackshear, Junior
High, & High School – received academically acceptable ratings. These positive advances came
in a year when higher statewide standards resulted in 364 of the state’s 7,908 schools receiving
academically unacceptable ratings. Hearne ISD’s four campuses surpassed the new higher
standards & showed significant academic improvements well beyond acceptable minimums.
Hearne ISD voters recently approved a $13.9 million bond election to build two new
elementary schools & one new junior high school. A new high school was recently completed.
By early 2007, Hearne ISD will have the newest facilities of any school district in the county.
These structures will significantly enhance the learning environment & assure the safety &
security of Hearne ISD students, faculty, & staff for years to come.
If Hearne electricity rates are a problem, let’s reduce them. Some people believe
that high electricity rates are hampering Hearne’s economic growth.
Everyone is still smarting from this summer’s natural gas prices which resulted in higher
prices at the pump & higher commercial & residential electricity costs. Following the flawed
advice of its electrical engineering consultant, the city allowed the contract with its electricity
provider to lapse. It kept waiting for prices to drop (which never happened) so it could lock-in a
favorable rate. The city wound-up paying market electricity rates which skyrocketed due to two
major hurricanes & other economic events beyond Hearne’s control.
The city recently locked-in a more favorable rate through 2009. Both businesses &
residents alike should see significant cost drops starting with their December electricity bills. With
these new electricity rates in place, Hearne’s bills should be more in line with & more competitive
with those of other towns in central Texas. What’s more, if natural gas prices drop significantly in
the future, the city can lock-in an even lower rate.
If Hearne is trashy, let’s clean it up. Cleaning-up Hearne is a great, high visibility way
of showing folks that Hearne is changing for the better. While much more work still needs to be
done, the City of Hearne, Hearne’s 4A & 4B Sales Tax Boards, Hearne Chamber of Commerce,
& Better Hearne Project have recently made significant progress in cleaning-up long-neglected
railroad & highway rights of ways throughout town.
Since this summer, the city has engaged in an aggressive campaign to clean-up 50+
overgrown & trashy vacant lots in residential areas on the north & east sides of town. With Eagle
Disposal’s assistance, a new citizen disposal site on Vaughn Lane is now open for trash drop-off.
During a recent city-wide clean-up drive, crews have been locating trash piles & collecting debris
all over town.
City crews recently bulldozed Lost Creek from TX6/US79/US190 all the way to the new
sewage treatment plant past Riverside Cemetery.
Attention is now being devoted to tearing down & removing dilapidated & condemned
residential structures. Quite a few properties along major city streets leading to/from Hearne
Municipal Airport, Hearne Industrial Park, Camp Hearne, Hearne Depot, Blackshear School, and
the downtown commercial district will soon be history. Similar properties along Railroad Street &
the Old Franklin Highway will soon be taken care of as well.
Even though the city passed a junk vehicle ordinance about a year ago, enforcement
efforts have been lacking. It does not make sense to spend time & money tearing down
condemned properties, cleaning-up overgrown vacant lots & high visibility railroad & highway
rights of ways if junk vehicle eyesores are allowed to persist. In the coming weeks, expect to see
the city step-up code enforcement efforts to remove junk vehicles on residential & business
properties, particularly those that are visible from the major highways passing through town.
Crossroads Report appears periodically in the Hearne Democrat. Reports are archived
at www.hearnetexas.info. Click on the “Crossroads Report” link to view past reports.
Send comments or suggestions to chamber@hearnetexas.info or 304 S. Market Street.
The views expressed in this report are those of the author & do not necessarily reflect the views
of Hearne’s 4A & 4B Sales Tax Boards or the Hearne Chamber of Commerce.