Protecting Rockwall COunty

Protecting what is BEST about Rockwall County

For Judge Frank New, this issue is at the very heart of his decision to run for Rockwall County Judge in the first place, and is best explained under two main headings:

1. CONTROLLED GROWTH.

   Many would say that because growth is inevitable, there is little that can be done about it. We are suffering through a period of unchecked growth and development. Our traffic is a nuisance, and our infrastructure is not up to the task. This is what happens when the developers are in control of the pace and scale of our growth. So, what can the county do about it? The short answer is: A LOT.

   Since he took office in January of 2023, Judge New has instigated a massive shift in the county’s approach to development. Now, instead of letting developers play one against the other, Rockwall County is joining forces with municipal governments to form a unified front when negotiating developments that impact Rockwall County residents. Now, instead of waiting for developers to drop entire cities on us from above, Rockwall County has adopted its own strategic plan to create a road map for the future that preserves the quality of life that drew us all here in the first place. Now, instead of granting variances that allow developers to break the rules that exist to protect our quality of life, Rockwall County is standing strong and denying plats for development that don’t comply with our subdivision regulations and strengthening those regulations to provide the maximum amount of protection for the future of our home.

   Much has been accomplished, but the fight for the soul of this county is just beginning. To quote the Rockwall County Strategic Plan 2050, we must “develop smart solutions that will shape the future of Rockwall County. We must act strategically and purposefully, identify opportunities and challenges, and create an integrated plan for success. By doing so, we can shape and influence the quality of life, economic vitality, purposeful design, and civic richness for all Rockwall County residents, businesses, and visitors for the next 25 years.”

 

2. PUBLIC SAFETY. Rockwall County is a community that supports our protectors be they police, fire, or medical. For Judge New, this issue is a very personal one as well. His wife’s long-time position as a prosecutor of violent crime meant she worked shoulder to shoulder with law enforcement from every corner of Rockwall County. But you don’t have to be on the inside to see that the world gets more and more dangerous every day: for our families and even for the ones we call on to protect us. Rockwall County needs a leader who is actively seeking ways to improve conditions for our first responders and listening with an open mind for solutions that improve not only the quality of their response, but their safety and quality of life as well. Judge New is exactly that kind of leader. When Rockwall County Sheriff Terry Garrett approached him about a plan to solve the recruitment and retention problem in our Sheriff’s Office, Judge New studied the data, did research of his own, and ultimately agreed that this was an investment in the safety of our community that needed to be made. Two years later, the Rockwall County Sheriff’s Office is recruiting and retaining the best and the brightest in law enforcement personnel. According to Judge New, it is the duty and responsibility of county leadership, to support those who risk their lives to keep our community safe by making sure they have the tools, the training, and the funding they need to do the job well and to do it safely.