Fritz Hager

Editor’s Note: This is part of a series of stories on the contested county races in the March 2022 primaries.

After Pct. 1 Smith County Commissioner Neal Franklin announced he would run for Smith County judge, two candidates will vie for his unexpired term.

Bullard Mayor Pam Frederick and former Tyler ISD board President Fritz Hager have filed as Republicans in the March primary. There is no Democratic challenger.

Pct. 1 covers southwest Smith County.

Pam Frederick

“I know what I can bring to the table in the way of experience is what my county needs to continue moving forward in a positive way,” Frederick said.

Frederick has served as Bullard mayor for 12 years, was on the Bullard City Council for eight years and taught in East Texas schools for 29 years. She added that her governmental experience and relationships built through her service would be instrumental to the court.

“My resume rests in leadership of one of the fastest growing cities in the region,” she said.

Through her government experience, Frederick said she has an understanding of budgeting and has helped to keep Bullard fiscally sound through the years. Having this expertise is important for a commissioner, she added.

Frederick said if elected, there are many issues within the county she would address, including public safety, mental health and roads and bridges.

She said during her leadership as Bullard mayor, she prioritized police protection and resources needed for officers to do their jobs safely.

Law enforcement is important to her and her leadership, Frederick said.

“The best way to stop crime is to prevent it from getting started,” she said.

Frederick also wants to continue seeking solutions for mental health issues and making the road and bridge department self-sufficient with adequate funding to maintain roads.

Smith County needs “an experienced, dedicated, full-time commissioner,” she said.

If elected, Frederick said she would be all of these things and be a leader who sees changes as “an opportunity to build on the foundation of solid leadership with an excitement for the future.”

Fritz Hager

“I’ve led in different environments, which gives me the ability to relate to people, to listen well and to lead well regardless of what comes at us,” Hager said.

Hager is the executive pastor of Bethel Bible Church and is former Tyler ISD school board president. He also is a Desert Storm combat veteran and has run companies with large budgets, he said.

The county is at a critical point with a lot of growth, Hager said. Downtown Tyler is growing, a new medical school is on the horizon and a new courthouse is planned.

With the growth of Smith County, it is important to have “someone with experience in running a governmental budget,” Hager said.

“I’ve led and dealt with financial issues for the entirety of my career and want to bring that experience and leadership to the commissioners court,” he said.

Hager said if elected, he looks forward to bringing his strong, conservative business decisions to the court and being a good teammate for the other commissioners and the county judge.

The budget plays not only a large role in making the most of investments on roads and bridges, but it also plays a part in public safety, he said. Areas such as the sheriff’s office, the jail, the district attorney and courts all are a part of the county budget, Hager added.

“Making sure that we’re efficiently using those funds to get the most efficient justice system possible is what I want to do, which keeps everybody’s tax rates in control or lower and keeps us safer,” he said.

Along with making sure money is used wisely, Hager said he will make sure the county does a good job serving veterans in the area.

“I like solving problems, and I really want the court, as it has under Judge (Nathaniel) Moran’s leadership, to stay focused on solving our problems,” Hager said.

Early voting for the March 1 primary begins Feb. 14.