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Collin County Commissioner bows from politics after 16 years in office
By Kelley Chambers, kchambers@starlocalnews.com, @KelleyChambers7 on Twitter
After sixteen years as Collin County Precinct 3 Commissioner, and Joe Jaynes says he has come full circle as a politician - at least for now.
Despite the fact that his time as a political figure will be coming to an end as of Dec. 31, the history teacher said he is comfortable "fading into the woodwork" while maintaining relationships he has made throughout the county's most rural sector.
During a conversation about his political career, Jaynes pulled a packet of Forget-Me-Not seeds from his coat pocket dating from 2004 and set them on the table, a symbol of one of his early campaigns. The clever keepsake is perhaps also a modern sign of how those who have worked with him will remember his work for the county.
"I lost about 15 pounds doing it," Jaynes said. "My first campaign cost me something like $10,000, now they cost more like $100,000. Those were sort of the fun days. "
Throughout his time as commissioner, the married father of two has developed a reputation as a being no-nonsense politician who isn't afraid to "give it to them straight."
The outgoing county commissioner is a history teacher and Mesquite native who moved to McKinney in 1986, when the city's population was only about 18,000 people. Eldorado Parkway did not exist and Brookshire's was the only grocery store, he said.
Jaynes, whose political interest stems back to childhood, said he ran for county commissioner at a time when the position seemed to hold a lot of potential.
"Precinct 3 back then was 75 percent of the geography of the county and so much of it was undeveloped," Jaynes said. "I knew Collin County was growing and if it was going to be growing, it'd be growing in Precinct 3."
Aside from never voting for a tax increase, Jaynes said he is most proud of supporting $2 billion worth of road projects in Collin County. Another source of fulfillment for Jaynes has been the county's decision to set aside 700 acres for parks and open space.
"You're going to have to build roads and courthouses in a fast-growing county, but once that open space is gone it's gone forever," he said. "I wish we could have done more of that."
Jaynes' precinct is unique in the fact that it consists of more than just one or two cities. The northernmost zone encompasses McKinney and Allen, but also covers smaller municipalities like Anna, Melissa, Blue Ridge and Farmersville, as well unincorporated areas.
From Bill Smith's in McKinney to the Dairy Queen in Farmersville, Jaynes said he committed himself to understanding the vast terrain and knows the best places to go in order to connect with the heart of his precinct.
"These folks - especially the ones who live out in the county - don't call their city councilman because they don't have one," Jaynes said. "I got calls for everything from pot holes to barking dogs. It was really fun to hear their issues and work it out for them. "
Jaynes accepted a job as a government relations officer for Waste Management, a move he said will fit perfectly with his experience as both a commissioner and as a teacher.
"It's about providing customer service. I know what it's like to be on the other side of the table, and so I think I can relate to them," Jaynes said. "I find myself going from politics to trash, and I think it's a step up. It won't be much different than being a county commissioner, except I don't have to run every four years.
Allen realtor Mike Williams became friends with Jaynes shortly after the county commissioner was first elected, and said he feels Allen has been very satisfied with their representation. To him, Jaynes is known for being the type of commissioner anyone could call with a problem, knowing it would be addressed no matter how small.
"He has always been Johnny-On-The-Spot and is always ready to meet with people," Williams said. "He knew where to go to get the answer. That's like a grassroots politician. A lot of politicians will tell you what you want to hear, regardless. Joe never did that. He'd always come back to you if couldn't do it. He was a follow through guy."
While there are aspects of the job Jaynes said he will miss, there are others he said he'll be happy to leave behind. It's a bittersweet time as he helps his successor, Chris Hill, adjust, and Jaynes said he hopes he's doing everything he can to help the transition be a smooth one.
Most of all, Jaynes said he is happy to be going out on a high note.
"I think [Hill] has the attitude and desire to do what's best for the citizens of Collin County, and that's huge," he said. "And he's asking me for advice, so that's always sort of flattering."
Jaynes' advice to his replacement consisted of an emphasis on getting to know his constituents, reaching over party lines, returning calls and emails before 5 p.m. the same day and above all, "shooting straight from the hip."
"What I've found is even if you're telling them what they don't want to hear, they will respect the fact that you're shooting straight with them," he said. "If you're in an elected office and you show respect to them, they're just grateful you took the time to listen to their issues and tried to work on it. This has taught me to be a better listener. Teachers are not good listeners."
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