SILSBEE, Texas — Hardin County Commissioners appointed three new commissioners to serve the Silsbee area on Tuesday.
Hardin County Judge Wayne McDaniel says they've changed the way ESD commissioners are chosen.
"I think the citizens of Silsbee are going to see excellent service out of their ESD going forward," McDaniel said.
The three seats were approved for Hardin County ESD #6.
"Not that it's been terrible in the past I just think that we're going to improve things," McDaniel said.
Tommy Bartosh is one of the three new commissioners.
"Definitely have some big shoes to fill. I'm personal friends with some of the guys that were on there and I know they've done a great job. I just hope that I can do half the job that they did," he said.
Hardin County ESD #6 provides fire and EMS services to the Silsbee area.
ESD commissioners are in charge of budgeting all the operations and spending.
Bartosh tells 12News, he's prepared for this new role.
"Emergency coordinator for the city of Silsbee for almost 20 years and I served in police department for 30 years and city manger of Silsbee for 10. So, I have a lot of knowledge of budget. I have a lot of knowledge of the emergency services," he said.
Judge McDaniel says he's grateful for all the hard work the previous commissioners put in, but he says it's time to improve the ESD's transparency with the public when it comes to how they operate and spend tax money.
"We just want to make sure that the citizens are receiving the very best service that they can. We want to make sure that those who are serving those positions are being transparent and being professional and I believe that the decision that we made today will ensure that," McDaniel said.
Bartosh looks forward to helping make those improvements.
"It's extremely important to our community to be able to have quick accurate professional services and that's what we're gonna bring to the table. That's what we're gonna keep," he said.
Also on Tuesday, Hardin County Commissioners Court appointed new leadership for ESD #7, the newly-created district that serves Votaw and Thicket.