Long-time Odessa resident Larry Robinson has thrown his hat in the ring for Ector County Precinct 1 Commissioner. Robinson hopes to highlight rural Ector County and Odessa’s potential and bring attention to the area for its hard-working residents and precious resources. “I don’t run around with politicians. The people I associate with are hard-working people, our workforce,” he said. When requested for a candidate interview by Odessa Headlines, Robinson was eager to share details about his determination to “give back” to the West Texas community.
Robinson decided to run for commissioner when news broke of criminal charges being filed against the incumbent which could result in a possible resignation in the future should the charges result in a conviction. He said he waited until the last day to see if anyone would apply and when no one did, he showed up and filed. In the last hour, two other candidates also filed for the office. “Lack of wanting an appointment into the position or a midterm vote” is why he applied. “I’m all in it to stay,” he said.
From archeology and paleontology to simply being an expert in all things natural, the Precinct 1 candidate is undoubtedly passionate about the land. Robinson spends much of his free time exploring West Texas and doing so with the company of his family. Aside from his accumulated knowledge of natural resources, Robinson has an extensive background in business that spans over the last 53 years.
He stated that he’s efficiently handled businesses involving millions of dollars and is comfortable analyzing numbers and building financial plans. “I’m very astute in looking at the big numbers. They don’t bother me,” he said.
Robinson also currently serves on the board of The Odessa Development Corporation (ODC). Three years ago he was appointed to the ODC by the Odessa Mayor. Robinson is currently the only appointee who lives in the county, not the city. He says having his foot in both the county and the city gives him the advantage of “looking at both interests” and that as a committee, they have looked over “a hundred million dollars in potential tax base for buildings, property, personal property, and machinery.” He’s also been present in City Council and Commissioners’ Court meetings where he said he “argues for the people.” Robinson went on to explain that with affiliations and people to work with within the Commissioners’ Court, a Commissioner has the potential to bring positive change to the entire county, not just the single precinct.
Odessa Headlines asked Robinson what he believes is the most important role of a County Commissioner. He responded, “Number one is safety in all aspects. Safety comes before anything. Liability is second. And then you could say profitability, but the county doesn’t make a profit, but the redemption of tax dollars in benefits for the good of the community in its best way.” Understanding the source of tax programs, analyzing what they’re intended to deliver, and discussing necessary abatements are skills Robinson insisted are pertinent to the position. He added, “I don’t believe in creating tax burdens through debt obligations, which are obligations, bond issues that are taken care of without the vote of the people, no referendum, just by committee. And they say, well, we’ll spend $25 million or we’ll spend 40. And I think the voters ought to have a say in everything.”
In addition to tax dollar conservation and stewardship, Robinson says Odessa also needs to address road improvements, safety, infrastructure, and the workforce. From a big-picture standpoint, he emphasized that Ector County’s hardworking residents and available resources do not get the credit or return they deserve. He said, “We have oil and we have people. And both of us, the oil gets abused, the land and the people get abused. And the money doesn’t stay here anymore,” and continued, “You go to greater cities, San Antonio, Houston, Fort Worth, and you see monuments or parks and they’re all built with people from Odessa and Midland paid for them, but they’re there and we have nothing like that.”
The reason why he claims Odessa roads are in terrible condition is because of thousands of heavy trucks that travel through the city to other counties to reach the oil fields. The roads are not built with this heavy use in mind and require significant repair. He also cited that there isn’t proper lighting at night which may be related to the high rate of pedestrian deaths. Robinson said the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) undertook a survey of trucks on the highways and came to the conclusion that Odessa deserved more money in the budget.
While there’s more money available from TxDOT, he added that the city is tied to the Permian Basin MPO for grant seeking which limits their intake to around $100,000. Robinson aims to go directly through TxDOT for road maintenance and newly available funding. He said, “The roads are so bad, they’re a safety problem,” and attributed part of the causation as stemming from the PBMPO being set up for urban developments, not suburban. In addition to dangerous roads, he said vast amounts of litter and debris are also concerning. Key points regarding emergency services were also mentioned. He said a new medical district needs to be formed and potentially an emergency service ambulance dedicated to West Odessa which comprises a majority of District 1. Right now, the drive from Odessa is a significant distance to get emergency medical attention.
Robinson also spoke about the recent tax district established by the county. He said, “Before, they [the county] got no sales tax. The city gets 1.25% inside the city limits. This is a big difference. And so, they brought themselves up into capturing that extra revenue when voters agreed to create the tax district. But it locked the city’s expansion potential into the current county line. And the city wishes to expand. Now they have to say who gets the money, the county or the city. So, the city doesn’t want to put infrastructure like water and sewer that businesses like grocery stores or hardware stores will require. So we worked on an agreement where there is a possibility of a 50-50 split. Just to be clear, the split would only apply to newly annexed areas and not the whole county. The monies the county receives now they would continue to receive and the city would not receive any money from current county areas. And I want to firm that up better because it’s on a case-by-case basis, which I don’t agree with. It needs to be cut and dried. So when these companies want to come in here and build something, they know exactly what they’re getting. And the city will know what they’re getting. And like I say, I work in the city, but I live in the county. I’ve got one foot in each. I think I’ve got a better position to speak than a lot of people.”
Robinson also said he feels commissioners have been “caught off guard” when looking over budget approvals, according to videos he’s previewed of the county meetings. He said, “When it’s a big budget, I think it’s around $85 million, but, I mean, it was like, what’s in here,” and continued to say the budget is sometimes voted on without looking into details. “I don’t see things that way. I believe the budgets need to be worked through over the whole year, not just on the day it comes up to vote and you see what’s in the package.”
When asked what his thoughts are on the 19% budget increase during the last cycle, he said the tax rate did not increase and that though he didn’t attend the meeting, he noticed that the judge “chastised” commissioners for not closely examining the budget beforehand despite the amount of work that was done. Robinson stated that it’s also vital the county reflect on past projects and budgets and evaluate whether they were beneficial or if resources were disbursed for too little money.
The Precinct 1 candidate told Odessa Headlines that he did not have to run for commissioner, but it appears that Robinson believes he can confidently and passionately get West Odessa the recognition it deserves. He said, “I’ve been here. I’ve seen it all.” After being loyal to the area through its successes and failures, Robinson said he will not be backing down in his running for EC Precinct 1 County Commissioner.
He believes in getting back to basics and that sitting down to have a real conversation with a person or business can be more productive at times than taking a bill through legislation. He plans on speaking with companies and reaching agreements that will help the Odessa workforce retain what they’ve worked for. “It’s a whole different thing in my book, communication with the people you have lived with for 70 years or more,” he said.