Salute to county leaders: Jim Willox

Key Takeaways

After years of participating in local politics, Jim Willox ran for the Converse County, Wyo. Board of Commissioners in 2006, and has served five terms, with a total of 10 other colleagues over the years. He has most recently spent two years as chair of NACo’s Transportation Policy Steering Committee. He is forgoing a reelection campaign for the County Commission to run for a seat in the Statehouse.

When did you know county government was your calling? 

I don’t think it was an “aha” moment, but I felt comfortable pretty quickly. When you get on the other side of the table after being a private citizen, it matters what your decisions are. They can’t be philosophical; they need to be practical. I learned that I would never be bored as a commissioner because there’s a new topic every 20 minutes. 

What is your proudest achievement in Converse County?

It’s hard to single one thing out, but we’ve been able to save money for a rainy day and also invest in much-needed infrastructure and facilities that have a 40-or-50-year lifespan. When I first came to office, we were pretty financially constrained, with a $420 million budget. Then oil and gas work started driving our economy and we were up to $4.2 billion two years ago, so as a commission, we’ve been able to balance taking care of our county with not interfering too much in the energy industry.

What did you learn from NACo that you brought home to Converse County? 

Most counties are dealing with the same things with different contexts. What’s been interesting is we’re dealing with very much similar issues, but the context is so different. Wyoming is different than urban Miami and with (former Miami-Dade County, Fla. Commissioner) Eileen Higgins, the Transportation Committee chair before me, we kind of laugh that she was a Democrat from an urban area and I’m a Republican from a rural area, but we were really focused on how to solve transportation issues for the people we serve. Mass transit is important to her, and we got wide open spaces and we need people to be able to travel 80 miles an hour on our roads. We just clicked, and sometimes I ended up advocating for some mass transit and she ended up advocating for dust control on the road.

One thing that was surprising to me was how many counties across the country have to deal with social programs. In Wyoming, they are all managed by the state. And so as a commission, we don’t really get into the social programs and that makes things a little easier for us. 

How did you change as a county leader over your tenure? 

I think I’ve tried to learn to listen more and I’ve learned more about consensus building. Sometimes when you start, you think you know all the answers and the truth is you don’t, and other people have good ideas. I’ve been able to have passionate discussions with people and see their side of it and move a little bit.You still bring to the table your values and your conventions and your experiences. But so do the other people. 

Why are you optimistic about the future of county government? 

It is the government that people see on a daily basis. They see the road grader on the road, they see the sheriff driving down the street, they see the courthouse and they drive by it regularly. I’m optimistic because we have to be, because it is the job of local government to be vested and located in the community of which they serve.

What advice do you have for your successors?

Take the work seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously. It’s important work. Understand the issues, don’t be afraid to ask questions. Make not making the decision just as impactful as making a decision. Indecision doesn’t lead to results. And sometimes you might make a wrong decision. You should acknowledge it, correct it if you can, and move on.