As the new year began for Liberty County commissioners, some of them outlined what they would like to see happen in the next 12 months.

The longest-serving commissioner, Marion Stevens, said he has been blessed to have missed only three meetings in 25 years. While county staff is working on building fees and service fees to present to commissioners in coming meetings, much to Stevens’ approval, he also wants to see another issue tackled across the county. “The biggest one is blight,” he said. “We need to clean it up. I know it’s a tough subject. But you ride by certain places, it needs to be cleaned up. We need to take a different approach to that. We also need to continue to look out for our employees.”

Stevens also encouraged the commissioners to stay ahead of development and on where infrastructure is placed.

“Industries are coming to Liberty County,” he said. “We must stay ahead of the growth as much as possible.”

Stevens, who represents District 1, also commended the county for its road paving projects and for the effort to turn the county fire department from volunteers to now mostly full-time employees.

“This is providing better quality service for citizens and those who pass through Liberty County,” he said.

He also reserved praise for newly-opened Samuel B. Harris Gym and thanked County Administrator Joey Brown and his staff and the Liberty County Recreation Department for their endeavors in renovating the gym.

“I didn’t know what it was going to look like,” he said.

Four of the seven commission seats are up for election this year, including those held by Chairman Donald Lovette’s and District 5’s Gary Gilliard. Both Lovette and Gilliard said they are running again.

“We look forward to a great year,” Lovette said. “We’re thankful for the year we had in 2023. We were blessed in 2023.”

Lovette added commissioners in other counties praise Liberty’s board for the position the county is in and for how well the commissioners work together.

“We are all working together for the citizens of Liberty County and none of us can do it by ourselves,” he said. “The county is growing by leaps and bounds. Other communities don’t have that.”

“We look out for the betterment of this county,” Gilliard said.

Gilliard also lauded the work of county staff and of the Liberty Consolidated Planning Commission in items that come before the board for approval.

“You can rest assured the hard work has been done before it comes to us,” he said. “We will never be guilty of rubber stamping it.”

Lovette also noted that meetings on the next county comprehensive plan, which must be adopted every 10 years, will be held starting in a few months.

“The plan we have for Liberty County is a great plan,” Gilliard said. “We are all Liberty County proud. This community is growing.”