The Fate of Fate, Texas (S4E19)

The fate of the city of Fate is in the hands of Mayor David Billings. And he’s not leaving it up to fate. Listen as he explains how he helps to plan and manage the growth of this expanding city near Dallas. It’s actually fate that he wound up in the mayor’s office.

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Transcription

David Martin: This is the good government show.

David Billings: What we try to do is find the balance between managing the growth, respecting property rights and the rights of, of the community to develop the city that, that they want.

As we’re trying to understand what is the cost of a new development on the city’s cost structure.

Decision making is critical in creating a good place to live, work, pray, and learn. Right. And where we try a pride of being open and honest.

If you have a good idea, the council will jump all over it. Honestly. And we’re real people. Change ordinance, change the law because of one person. Come up and talking to us. And she tell me that politics and governing is about stewardship, and it’s about not taking advantage of people and being a true servant to the community.

David Martin: welcome to the Good Government Show. I’m your host, Dave Martin. On this episode, we’re going to learn the fate of Fate Texas with the mayor of fate, David Billings. So first, the name fate. And this is a city you can have some fun with. And we do. You’ll listen. The mayor will explain how the city got its name.

But fate seems to be in good hands. Like a lot of Texas, fate is experiencing rapid growth. And we talk about how the mayor is handling smart growth and what he says was once an actual one horse town. And we talk about food on a Navy submarine, and we talk about new businesses that are moving into fate. We talk taxes, never a popular topic for a city leader, but Mayor Billings talks about how it’s helping make fate’s fate improve.

We talk about how the city’s police help make fate one of the safest cities in Texas. And as the mayor will say, clearly government is not corrupt. And he says the best part of the job is taking questions not from journalists, but from kids, third and fourth graders. You’ll listen. So coming up, my questions for Mayor David Billings of Fe, Texas, and I’m no fourth grader.

So you’ll have to bear with me. That’s coming up next.

The Good Government Show is sponsored by our Co. That means our community, our Co has found a way to make government more effective. Our Co provides the o u r platform. And this is an app that blends in-person and digital interactions to connect people with their government, their county, their town, their state. The our Co app transforms meaningful conversations into reliable data.

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After you get done with this episode, hear more good government stories with our friends at How to Really Run a City. Former mayors Kasim Reed of Atlanta and Michael Nutter, a Philadelphia, and their co-host, journalist and author Larry Platt talk with guests and other mayors about how to really get stuff done in cities around the nation. Check them out where you’re listening now or through their nonprofit news site, The Philadelphia Citizen.

Dot org slash podcasts.

Welcome to the Good Government show. I have asked my guest today, David Billings, all the way from Faith, Texas. Faith, Texas, a Dallas suburb, I understand.

David Billings: Yes, it is.

David Martin: Is there a great story behind fate?

David Billings: They they start behind fate is we don’t have it get defined or confirm how, how fate was name. We do believe it was two, gentlemen. They say the nickname was fate.

David Martin: Okay.

David Billings: And so that law kind of stuck. And then when they corporate in 1860, they named the city fates.

David Martin: I’m guessing this goes back to a couple of guys just ride the trail and ride the.

David Billings: Trail in a town or like, like a post office, a dirt road and, you know, just couple houses there.

David Martin: So that was it.

David Billings: That was.

David Martin: It. And now it’s, it’s not just, crossroads or a couple houses anymore.

David Billings: Is now is 30,000 people and growing.

David Martin: I know, because I talked to, Mayor Mattie Parker of Fort Worth. Craig, this whole area is exploding.

David Billings: Texas is exploding, right.

David Martin: How do you manage that?

David Billings: What we try to do is find the balance between managing the growth, respecting property rights and the rights of, of the community to develop the city that, that they want. And the in Texas, that’s a balance between the two. In fact, what we’ve done is engage the rip, rip, rip residents and our planning. We have a lot of town hall meetings with, I mea with anybody in person who wants to meet, I mean, groups of one, 2 or 3.

Okay. I make way groups, the Lions Club or the Rotary Club around in Rockwall County. And so it’s we find the balance and we’re doing now and the state is we’re trying to transition from what they call one time permit revenue to sales tax. So as our growth slows down the next two years, we have to be more sales tax and keep our tax rates low.

David Martin: Now this has got to be upsetting to a lot of people.

David Billings: It is upsetting a lot of people. Correct?

David Martin: Right. If it was taxes, George Bush said no new taxes. He did not get reelected.

David Billings: Correct.

David Martin: How is this going over?

David Billings: it is going over. We have more, people that want to keep they smaller. but there’s also a reconditioned. You can’t do that. Right. So nobody can. And we’re trying to find the balance between the two. I’m growing really smartly. I’m getting small. Business owners are owned by eight hit the living state. Regional change like, Wingstop or some other regional chains.

And we’re trying to plan a downtown that’s unique to fate versus I-30. quarter development is straight up, you know, McDonald’s, Starbucks, talk about things like that. So a lot we feel like along we keep engaging the people. I explain the plan to them, make way better. I think we’ll get where we where we need to get or.

Yeah, that we need to get.

David Martin: So does fate have an old downtown? Old west?

David Billings: like, should we do so in 2013.

David Martin: With swinging doors?

David Billings: there. Wasn’t that so? So I moved to say in 2013, I went downtown. There was one stop stop sign. Yeah, I store a gas station that was in it, and I texted on Facebook, like, this is a one horse town in Texas. It literally was. They had 7000 people in 2030. Now we have 30,000. So that was driven by two really large housing developments.

We had.

David Martin: Okay.

David Billings: That that has built down in the last ten years or so.

David Martin: And how long have you been there?

David Billings: I’ve been here about five years.

David Martin: What got you into this?

David Billings: when I moved here. My family has a long tradition of of service to the, you know, to our place that we live. And I moved to faith. it had Air Force relocation. I’m like your job. You move. I ended up in fate on on accident, basically because the house I wanted was just having it be fate.

So.

David Martin: So its fate that you out of it.

David Billings: Exactly, exactly.

David Martin: I was told that joke before.

David Billings: We have. Okay. So many times. That’s okay. Sorry, sorry. I got to city council and became mayor pro tem on city council, and our mayor got second office and councilor. Okay. He took about several, almost six months off, and then he resigned and passed away about six months later after that. So, I became mayor and then I ran another post twice as mayor.

David Martin: You’ve run unopposed.

David Billings: Unopposed twice.

David Martin: Are you all the other mayors here jealous?

David Billings: No, because that’s not going to happen again. I don’t think so. I think fate has decided that we need a contested election going forward, which is absolutely true. Sure. I think it makes us better. I think, sharpens our PR and makes it just more accountable.

David Martin: Well, I think, you know, certainly anytime there’s one party rule, right? It’s not good. Correct. Because you get you get, you get a better government because, look, without having a too deep a political discussion and debate here, you know, there are merits to both sides, correct? Right, right. And you need a little bit of balance to say, oh no, no.

David Billings: No, no, no. Right.

David Martin: You know, we need to help other people. No, we need to.

David Billings: Right.

David Martin: Gun control. And on the other hand, you need people to say, wait a minute. You know, let’s step back from this.

David Billings: And also, I think what was the last election we were told clearly to communicate better be clear on what you’re doing, solve the problems, be open and transparent, allow by law, and make sure that we solve problems and just say, look, we have problem, we have a problem, and here’s a plan to fix it. That’s what we’ve learned the last year and a half is we have to get better at this year, going to next year.

David Martin: So so let’s talk a little bit about growth because that was that. I know that is a big issue in your in your community, as you said and in and in Texas as well. how do you smartly manage that both for now? for the future and for, the residents who are coming in. What are the factors you have to look at?

David Martin: Because it’s all about good government. And good government means smart.

David Billings: Growth, right? Exactly. it’s all fate is unique in this way. If we have two large man owners with occupy 656 acres of eight, and they’re commercial developers along I-30, we have two very large, housing developments and comes in about 7500 homes that were before 2010, in 2008. So this is a lot of ways our fate was cast for us already, because we have so significant land owners that want to, develop their property.

They just chose 2023, 2020 for the Person land 1995. They just chose the last two years to do that. Okay, because the growth. Right. so you seen the build out of that. So what we’re doing is we’re trying to understand what is the cost of a new development on the city’s cost structure. Like, like like, you know, how do we maintain it?

The roads, water, sewer place, fire, and we try to understand it. Then we forecast that, and then we try to make sure that each of the development we understand the return on investment. on that development. So we don’t sink city resources in the wrong places, or do we create a long term debt that the kids cannot pay for?

Right. So it’s a very new concept in Texas, but it’s be raised more and more by owners to be financially aware.

David Martin: The money you have is a new concept in Texas.

David Billings: Now we do not. We do not. So we have, you know, bring that up. We have the fourth lowest tax rate in North Texas, okay. We have the fourth safest city in Texas. we have grown 400 number three.

David Martin: Come on man.

David Billings: Right. Number three. Yeah we’re working on that. we have growing 38 new businesses in two years. Our sales tax had gone to 400%.

David Martin: What kind of.

David Billings: Businesses? So we have, ice cream shop. We got a brewery.

David Martin: Ice cream?

David Billings: Yep. Pizza. All right. we have checks, for checks, bakery glasses. We have fresh buy Brooks service, which is our new concept store. Okay, we got some regional chains that came in. Of course, we have Taco Bell, Starbucks and McDonald’s. Yes. And people love those, too. So, yeah. And we have a cool coffee shop downtown, Faye.

Now that’s really cool. And so it’s a mix of local businesses, regional and then national chains. It’s how we’re doing that.

David Martin: So so you’re encouraging all that we.

David Billings: Absolutely. All right. Especially the small business growth.

David Martin: Has there been an influx of local entrepreneurs, owners who have started up, you know, their fresh business there?

David Billings: Yes. In downtown fate, all all the downtown business are all owned by people who live in say, okay. And we encourage that. We help them, we help them get started. we provide an environment that they can be successful and with appropriate manner, regularly stations that they need, but not too much.

David Martin: So again, I go back to my my conversation with the mayor of Fort Worth. They sort of say, this is where the West begins. yeah. Is fate. do you take a similar approach? You don’t have a cattle drive?

David Billings: No, we don’t have a cattle drive. We, we know we’re of the last city in the Dallas metroplex. Okay, so we have that mix. northern fed. It is farm still.

David Martin: Okay?

David Billings: the middle of Salem that interstate is is growing. And we have two housing developments, but we still have pygmy goats and cattle and goats and cows and all that kind of good stuff. So. All right.

David Martin: Have you have you worked, with the cattle yourself?

David Billings: I have not, okay, I have not.

David Martin: But do you look at horseback? Come out of Texas?

David Billings: I’m bad. Okay? I’m bad at horseback.

David Martin: I, I might get.

David Billings: In trouble for that comment, too.

David Martin: No, no. All right. But I don’t see any boots out. Yes.

David Billings: No. Not today.

David Martin: Are you are you born and raised in Texas?

David Billings: I was born in Texas, yes. Yeah.

David Martin: What part?

David Billings: yeah. Blaine, Texas.

David Martin: Where’s that?

David Billings: That’s, just panhandle, area. My dad was in the Air Force.

David Martin: Okay.

David Billings: so the military family. And then we moved around. Then I’m in the Navy for 11 years.

David Martin: Oh, my.

David Billings: And then I spent 3 to 18. So I’ve lived in probably ten, 12, 11.

David Martin: Years in the Navy. So you you wanted nothing to do with. Glad you said I. I’m getting some.

David Billings: Rain force, actually. Really? Yeah.

David Martin: 11 years. Yeah. On a submarine. Yeah. How’s the food.

David Billings: Back?

David Martin: Oh, I see now. I heard that the Navy had some of the best for the military.

David Billings: They do? and then the submarine. So we had two weeks of fresh food. Yes. Then it’s powdered eggs. Oh, no. powdered coffee. All right. Bug juice. Oh. All right. Kool aid.

David Martin: Really bad for you. You stayed so good with that.

David Billings: Well, I, I taught and I was on shore duty for a while, and, I made two different patrols, so. Okay.

David Martin: All right. That’s that’s that’s something. Yeah. what else is going on and say.

David Billings: we’re trying to really grow into our parks. we have a new development going in right now that guarantees us 33 acres of open space. We’re trying to leave the county and open space development and keeping at bay, I think.

David Martin: Stoney, is it Rockwall County?

David Billings: Okay, so was, Texas. really values open space, and we’re trying to maintain that. We’re trying to develop a trail between two cities so people can use the trails. And I really focus on neighborhood parks so people can walk from their house or park or take their kids a lot from the Grand Hill or Grand Morgan, you know, well, their grandkids there.

And we’re really doing our regional neighborhood tie ball development and parks and recreation, and that’s what we’re trying to expand going for. we’re also trying to finish downtown, in a way that’s, unique, state.

David Martin: Okay.

David Billings: And, and promote small business owners, which we have done well, successfully.

David Martin: So what, what are your big accomplishments so far as mayor?

David Billings: the biggest thing I think my comments are the very low tax rate I maintain.

David Martin: You know, you want, but you want to increase.

David Billings: Taxes. We do not. And actually.

David Martin: You you said you were you talked about, increasing the what is it, sales tax.

David Billings: Yeah. Exactly. So we’re trying to do it draw more small business honor into there so we can collect more sell stocks right are 2% that keeps property taxes lower okay. So that’s one accomplishment. The second commission we have is public safety or save the city and North Texas. Our tax rate is a big dale.

David Martin: Who’s who’s number three.

David Billings: I do not know that it’s not us. Well we’re and we could achieve laughs about that. But we’re we’re proud of a chief of doing that. and that’s our. And then I think building out downtown in a way that empowers the local residents to own a business, open a business. And that’s the kind that I’m most proud of.

Yeah.

David Martin: certainly every big city had a crime spike over the last few years. Nationally, those trends seem to be going down. Did that affect you and say no?

David Billings: In fact, our crime has decreased over the last three years. Oh, so we had ten potentially, beefed up the patrols. Okay. We added more officers. we do proactive policing. In fact, I-30 is a conduit for, for drugs. we do proactive policing on I-30, and we have a lot of drug arrests and a lot of charred, chocolate that we that we prohibit.

so we have not experienced, I think, because our chief is great, the officers are great, but you also council funded the police officers and departments in a way so they could have less crime.

David Martin: So how close attention are you paying to sustainable renewable energy and your growth process?

David Billings: We actually do not. And they do that. So we we meaning sustainable energy meaning went like windmills, solar farms, things like. Yeah. So we actually it’s on homes. We have surpassed solar. So what we do is this we have something called the power switch program. So you know, Texas has big regulated the power industry right? Yeah. So we allow residents to buy power wholesale and do that way.

Okay. We also partner with our a company that allows to do solar panels through a financing through a company. So so so they can do solar panels. So yes, we from my solar power respect, we actually do do that. Okay. But we don’t have windmills and we have solar farms, things like that. So yeah, we don’t have that.

So yeah, this is Texas I know, I.

David Martin: Know, I know, but you look, you know, the oil and gas economy, right? It’s a thing of the past.

David Billings: The all cows come I think Texas is going to have Texas right now. Is is dependent one nine $9 billion of their budget right now is dependent on gas. And Abbott is really trying to protect that part of the budget. But it’s not the revenue streams. Right? I think long term we have to deal with those issues. yeah.

David Martin: Yeah. Okay. Are you starting to think about this?

David Billings: In fact, we do not because I’m very focused locally on my city states. I stay out of to a point.

David Martin: There’s no oil wells.

David Billings: There’s no wells in phase. Exactly. Yeah.

David Martin: All right. We’re going to talk more about government after we take a little break. Okay.

After you get done with this episode, hear more good government stories with our friends at How to Really Run a City. Former mayors Kasim Reed of Atlanta and Michael Nutter of Seattle. Delphia and their co-host, journalist and author Larry Platt talk with guests and other mayors about how to really get stuff done in cities around the nation. Check them out where you’re listening now or through their nonprofit news site, The Philadelphia Citizen.

Dot org slash podcasts.

So now we’re going to get to the heart of your true philosophy on government. Are you prepared?

David Billings: Are you I am ready okay, good. I even wrote it down already.

David Martin: Oh, no. You’re prepared.

David Billings: I am so prepared.

David Martin: So prepare. We will. We will find out. Okay. Define good government.

David Billings: They me I think in Texas is local government. this is citizen making is critical in creating a good place to live, work, pray and learn. Right. And fate where we try to be open and honest, transparent as much as we’re allowed to by law. Right. Beats underworld about by law. Okay, we respect each other’s opinions, so we don’t always agree, and we really try to respect people’s opinions.

we really try to create a clear vision for the city going forward. Like I said before, I meet with anybody, anytime, anywhere. If you call me up at seven in the morning, I’ll meet you at nine at Starbucks or downtown or apart if you want to. and that is that’s important to get the one on one, one on three interactions with people because going on Facebook is probably the worst waste of, to communicate, communicate.

And having a conversation about some important city dinner person doing that. And either one is finding common ground for for even the listen phase. So I work very hard at that. That’s my form of good government. And I think and this engages the people that live there. So.

David Martin: So other than, you know, you’ve been reelected twice, without opposition. You are stepping down after the next or the next. I’m sorry. Are you being challenged in the next election?

David Billings: I am not deciding if I’m going to run around.

David Martin: All right, all right. Well, but.

David Billings: But I would be I’m more sure I’m going to be challenge.

David Martin: Yes. Either way. Yeah. elections are every four years. In the meantime, how do you judge your success, you know, on a weekly basis.

David Billings: On a weekly basis? I think one is engagement really engaging? Did people tell me you I talked to, I published my calendar every Friday. Like, what do I do this week? Okay, well, yes, on Good Day Fridays that I publish every Friday.

David Martin: Okay.

David Billings: Just loud citizen guys like here huge of the city did this again. They Fridays.

David Martin: Fade Fridays.

David Billings: You know fate. And so you gotta get it from how many.

David Martin: Things are there. You can play with the word say a lot.

David Billings: you’d be surprised how.

David Martin: You slipped it in several times. I have. Course.

David Billings: A mayor fails. All right.

David Martin: And then anyway, you’re right.

David Billings: It’s actually not that one. Exactly. Well, but. But what I’m trying to do is engage daily. Weekly? to make sure people feel welcome to speak at council, which is hard sometimes, but that that’s that’s on my mission said. And then on a monthly basis at the crime rates, we watch the number of patrols on, on DPS to make sure we’re staffing correct like that.

So we have weekly data that, that we look at to make sure that plan that we put in place is being executed against. And, and the citizens can see the results. Money is really important. Is you can tell them it doesn’t matter. Right? Right. But what matters to them is do you see it? So when they say, I see more police officers now, I see more patrols in our neighborhood.

I see officers getting out of their car and saying hi to kids, you know, things like that.

David Martin: So, for example, you can tell people inflation’s down.

David Billings: But no.

David Martin: That doesn’t matter. If they don’t.

David Billings: It doesn’t matter because they go grocery store. They pay more like eight eight. So not $0.99. Another 199. Right? Right. Milk is not 199. It’s 250 something. Yeah. So people worried about affordability or the cost of living and fade. And we are and the council does think about that a lot actually.

David Martin: So so if people don’t like what they see and they’re reasonable in other words they’re what they’re disappointed with is based on fact. What should they do.

David Billings: Can’t they can do lots of things. One can come.

David Martin: Town on Facebook.

David Billings: No talk on Facebook, right. Call us.

David Martin: Okay.

David Billings: come to city council on speak. Yeah. email the city city manager and address so you can get an idea across. If you have a good idea, the council will jump all over it. Honestly? Yeah. We’re real people change ordinances, change the law because of one person up and talking to us.

David Martin: Good ideas. Welcome and say.

David Billings: Absolutely. All right.

David Martin: Test your faith. See? Yeah.

David Billings: There you go. You mean you’re doing great. That fantastic.

David Martin: Try to try, two terms as mayor on your third term right now. I do have it right. I’m sorry.

David Billings: Yeah. So we are term limit and say 2 or 3 year terms.

David Martin: Okay. Oh, so a three year term.

David Billings: Yeah, but I fucked up the previous mayor’s terms. I have two of my own. All right, so I’m on term two right now myself.

David Martin: So several years as mayor, I’ll say it’s, what would you like people to know about government from the inside?

David Billings: we’re not corrupt, okay? We don’t take bribes from the from developers, right? from the inside. We are tough on developers.

David Martin: It’s an issue. Do people think you are?

David Billings: Well, I think in Texas, getting about the Texas historical structure. Right. So Texas state raps get unlimited campaign. Gotcha. Someone developers and a lot of people. There’s no.

David Martin: Okay.

David Billings: Law people. My my opinion people have taken that and say, oh, the mayor must be doing this. Our mayor, the city council must be doing that. That doesn’t happen in Texas, by the way. The local government does not do that. Okay. and I want them to understand that we fight for them on a daily basis, and we try to do the best thing for all of them on a daily basis.

We don’t show that well, and we have to get better at that. Okay. but it is acquisition or I mean, with developers, we fight for the what’s best for all of us and now what’s best for them.

David Martin: So all right, what’s the best part of the job?

David Billings: Meaning the people and range of the kids ratings.

David Martin: The kids? Yep.

David Billings: Yeah, I do that a lot. I try to, so we get invited, to read the fourth graders and third graders. That’s great. they ask tougher question than you do, by the way.

David Martin: You’re the second person who said that.

David Billings: I’m okay with that, by the way. but they’re great.

David Martin: They ask, what are the questions I see now?

David Billings: I see you watch the Cowboys one. So important. What’s, Can you at one of question asked me was, have you changed your mind during the meeting on on on topic. Has somebody convince you to change your vote from yes and no? No, no. Yes. that was an interesting question. I with that answer, that was yes. Somebody has talked me into another vote.

Okay. Based on facts. Right, right. asked what do you like by the job? Do you like doing the job? Just things like that. And so. All right, that that’s the best part.

David Martin: They probably ask, I don’t want to say inappropriate, but like, you know, it’s kind of silly, inappropriate questions.

David Billings: Then now the teachers do a good job of that. Yeah. They’ll the teachers in this side and they’ll and they’ll ask certain people questions and they’ll, they’ll cut them off. It’s all the wrong way.

David Martin: Gotcha. Okay. So you have there’s a little bit of it. Editor.

David Billings: Absolutely.

David Martin: what’s the hardest part of the job?

David Billings: some of the votes, trying to find that balance between, hey, I don’t want state to grow anymore. And there’s a decent amount of, you know, the resident who doesn’t want to go out, respecting property rights and finding that balance between the two. Second thing, we’ve had some really tough decisions over who can live in the city, who cannot live in the city, and sexual predators.

That kind of moves. And we caught them there and we had expelled from the city. Okay. And if we had that one, we’re asking to move and, and the council had a vote on that. And those are extraordinary emotional topics. Sure. Very hard on council. like I saw that seven pastors that week. Wow. Because I take it that’s, very, very seriously.

And I think the other part is, is getting the public to understand outside Facebook, social media that, you know, we.

David Martin: You really are not a fan of Facebook. I am not that good.

David Billings: And I have I have lived on my, I’m on Facebook, but I pick and choose when I respond. Not going for smart. Yeah. I think I think that’s the hard part. Now, the hard part is, as my biggest fear is Officer-Involved shooting happen. That’s I, I fear that and I share a tornado in our in a big turnout hitting fate and then just recovery process and I that’s what I’m really worry about, honestly.

David Martin: So, have you had one.

David Billings: Now that has not had one and I’ll forever or far because we know we’ve had three, three people killed in three and 12 years, something like that. Okay. All right. So, yeah.

David Martin: you make news, but where do you get your news from?

David Billings: I get my news from various places such as, Texas Tribune. I watch it for both sides. The aisles, some of the the liberal ones, Fox News, things like that. so I try to get that balanced view because we’re about 6040 and fact. Okay. So we’re not 16.

David Martin: 40.

David Billings: Republican.

David Martin: Republicans, a Democrat, a.

David Billings: Democrat. but I get news sources for from a lot of different places.

David Martin: Okay. Who was your political hero? Who inspired you to run for office or who inspired John McCain? This John McCain?

David Billings: John McCain. Really?

David Martin: Brady.

David Billings: Well, a Navy guy, you know, I, I really respect politicians are elected officials who who walk the walk.

David Martin: Okay.

David Billings: I mean, I agree with you, but I can never respect you if you tell me the truth and how you stand. I mean, I agree with that person. I respect Don, I think Ronald Reagan had a lot of ability to create a vision for the country and where we where we need to go. So so I think that is great.

And it’s something that I aspire to.

David Martin: Do, not Jimmy Carter, Naval Academy, come on.

David Billings: and my mom,

David Martin: Was your mom in politics?

David Billings: No. My mom loved, giving back, and she was Native American. so we were deeply involved. She was.

David Martin: A Native.

David Billings: American. Yeah. So how she was dropping off the reservation, and, And she taught us environmental stuff to take care of the community, take care of the land, take care of your family. And that translates into politics, right? If you do it right, you’re. It’s a true service to her. And she taught me that politics and governing is about stewardship, and it’s about not taking advantage of people and being a true servant to to the communities.

It’s,

David Martin: Well, I certainly good advice. did you think about running for office? Did you think about being an elected official as you were growing up with your class president?

David Billings: I was acting a lot. Yeah. in the Republican Party, I was not class president even.

David Martin: As a kid.

David Billings: He wasn’t a kid, all right? I got involved in politics in Pennsylvania when I lived in Pennsylvania for 18 to when basically, we caught the city not being truthful over an incident. And, I was asked to run after I’ve spoken publicly about what happened that night. and then that just happened. And that was, I like the city council in Pennsylvania.

Okay. And then moved hearing I’d like the city council and say.

David Martin: Wow. So once again, fate intervened. Me how am I doing?

David Billings: You’re doing great. Okay, good. Yeah. I can write those down now. Hey there. Timmy Reynolds owns that place. Yeah, well, so.

David Martin: Texas. It’s, I was in Texas last year. I had excellent brisket every night. I’m coming to say, what do we have in what we’re going?

David Billings: Brisket. Absolutely. Brisket. Small town.

David Martin: All right.

David Billings: Yep.

David Martin: That’s the place we do. Yeah. What’s it called?

David Billings: Smoke town barbecue.

David Martin: Smoke town barbecue is in shape. Oh, yeah.

David Billings: Okay, I food truck right now. They’re going to move to bigger space, but they’re band tastic.

David Martin: Oh, it’s a food truck.

David Billings: This food truck right now.

David Martin: What is their pit there?

David Billings: on the side, actually, they have the truck here on. On the left hand side. They have the pit. Yeah. And they have a smoker on the side. And they’re. It’s really great. So.

David Martin: So you stop in, regularly and pick up. yeah. Chicken sandwich.

David Billings: Brisket or. No, they have brisket burgers. It’s it’s really good. Really? Really. They’re fantastic. And they’re fattening, by the way. So. Yeah. Well, yeah, it is what it is for good barbecue.

David Martin: Absolutely. Yeah. So there you go. This is the good government show. We always bring it back to good government. Tell me about a good government project you’re excited about. And or even one that you’re planning on, on, complete.

David Billings: I think the next one for us is, is the website is we have to redefine, redo our website to communicate better and use an eye to do it. I think we have to get better at PR to communicate the vision of the city that we want, right? And we that’s next year going to one of my goals is to do that.

We have to get that done that way. Okay.

David Martin: Well that sounds like good government and it’s good to hear that there’s that. the the, the gods have left things up to fate and things are going well.

David Billings: Yes, I.

David Martin: Tried I don’t know how you tried that. What?

David Billings: I don’t know, I don’t know about that one.

David Martin: Well, I was like that.

David Billings: That wasn’t.

David Martin: Well, we’ll leave it up to state to decide if this is good.

David Billings: Right.

David Martin: David Billings of, the mayor of Faith, Texas, it was great to meet you. Great to have you on. Thank you for joining us.

David Billings: And thank you so much. Thank you. I appreciate it.

David Martin: Where do you get your news from? Where do you get your state and local government news from? Because that’s getting harder and harder. And it’s essential to stay updated with your community and it’s becoming increasingly important to know what’s going on in other cities and states, because they’re likely facing challenges that you’re grappling with, too, are you’re going to face eventually.

That’s why we’d like to welcome our new partner, route 50, to the show. Route 50 is a leading online publication covering state and local governments across the country. They’ve written about states protecting themselves against the rise in cyber attacks, counties using AI to better support citizens services, local responses to crumbling infrastructure, and extreme weather, and much, much more.

There’s a lot there. It’s a one stop shop for issues affecting state and local governments and their residents. That’s you. That’s all of us. Do yourself a favor and go to route 50.com to see the topics and solutions they cover, and learn what other people in government are doing. They also deliver a daily newsletter called route 50 today.

I see it in my inbox every morning. I check it out and you should too. Thanks again. Route 50. We’re excited to have you on board and being a partner here at the Good Government Show.

What is it the county government does? That’s the question county commissioners get asked the most. And the simple answer is everything on the Good Government show. We’re so lucky to have talked with so many county commissioners and other county officials that have shown us how effective county government is. County government dates back to get this 1634, making it one of the oldest forms of government in the United States.

Think about it. Roads. Highways. Hospitals. Schools. Recycling. Law enforcement. Water. Sewers, and most of the county. Those services are maintained by the county that’s county government. The National Association of Counties represents all 3069 counties across the USA. Naco helps county government work better together through things like sharing best practices. When county government works well, well, that’s just good government.

Well, the first thing that caught my attention was fate has some excellent smoked brisket at Smoked Town Barbecue. Look it up if you’re headed to your fate. And by the way, it’s spelled smoke, smoke town. Anyway. Growth and managing growth a challenge for any city. And okay, one last pun. It’s something you can’t live up to say. All right, I’m done with the fat jokes.

But it is a serious issue and the mayor is paying close attention. That’s my conversation with fat Texas Mayor David Billings. Thanks for listening. If you like what you heard and want to hear more about what’s going on in Saint, listen to a new podcast. As fate would have it, David talks about improving communication, and this is an excellent way for the mayor to get his message out.

Listen, we are listening now. That’s as fate would have it. Well, that’s our show. Thanks for listening. Please like us and share this with your friends and viewers right here where you’re listening, and check out our website good Government show.com for extras. Help us keep telling stories of good government and action everywhere. Join us again for another episode right here.

We’re listening. I’m Dave Martin and this is the good government show.

The Good Government show is a Valley Park production. Jim Ludlow, Dave Martin, that’s me and David Snyder are the executive producers. Our show is edited and produced by Jason Stershic. Please subscribe, then share and like us and review us. That’s the best way to make sure we’re able to keep telling these stories of our government working for all of us.

Then listen to the next episode of The Good Government Show.

**This transcription was created using digital tools and has not been edited by a live person. We apologize for any discrepancies or errors.