Jeff Primrose has announced his intent to run for County Commissioner for Precinct 3.  Jeff has
been a resident of Brown County since 1991 when he transferred to Howard Payne University
from Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, La.  As a full-time student at HPU, he worked for the
Maintenance department and as an accounting tutor for the School of Business.  Additionally, he
managed a small farming and cow/calf operation for the Speich family, and occasionally worked
for the late local farmer and rancher, George Hullum. Jeff graduated from HPU in May 1994 on
the Dean’s List with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration.

Two days after graduation, he began his career of 26 years at Texas Department of
Transportation in District Operations, which covers nine counties and over 5000 lane miles.
During his tenure at TxDOT, Jeff was involved in working on and inspecting sealcoat operations,
pavement markings, and signage. He also worked on bridges – specifically addressing decks,
expansion joints, and bridge approaches on state and US highways. Additionally, he worked on
ADA contracts, winterizing highways, and assisted in natural disaster relief.  Furthermore, he
created and managed contracts and budgets, as well as conducted audits before his retirement
in 2020.

Aside from his career at TxDOT, in 1991, Jeff met his wife, Jana, who has been a teacher in
Brown County schools for over 25 years. In 2016, she was appointed as a member to the
Zephyr ISD Board of Trustees where she currently serves. From January through August 2021,
she developed a curriculum focused on the U.S. Constitution and Biblical founding of America.
She taught this curriculum to Juniors and Seniors at Brookesmith High School during the
2021-2022 and 2022-2023 school years, as well as for an adult class last spring. They married
in November 1992, and raised three daughters, Brittany, Haley, and Emily.  Jeff taught his
daughters important life skills in the areas of competing in livestock shows, rodeo, caring for
their livestock, the importance of their relationship with the Lord, and serving others.

Since moving to Brown County, Jeff has spent most of his life serving his community. In the
early 1990’s, Jeff helped John and Joan Speich with their food pantry, in which much needed
food, prayer, and encouragement was given to struggling families. For the past 25 years, he has
helped his kids along with other kids with raising and fitting their livestock projects for the Brown
County Youth Fair, local chapter shows, and major livestock shows, rodeo events, along with
various activities at High Mesa Cowboy Church, and supporting his grandkids in their activities.
Jeff is quick to give a word of encouragement and a helping hand where he sees a need.

Upon retiring, Jeff has divided his time among working on his ranch in Zephyr, serving at his
church at High Mesa CC, helping out at Heart of Texas Baptist Encampment, all while still
helping kids where needed. He has also helped Chip Barker of Chipster’s Grill in feeding and
supporting volunteer fire departments on the front lines during wildfire outbreaks.
In a statement offered by Jeff Primrose, “Since my retirement from TxDOT, I’ve looked for ways
to serve my community, and I believe my experience and talents would best be utilized for
everyone in this capacity. It would be an honor to serve the people in Precinct 3 as
Commissioner, and would greatly appreciate their vote in the upcoming election.”

[email protected]

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BrownwoodNews.com sent five questions via email to all of the candidates running for office in Brown County during the March 2024 Republican Primary. The following are the answers submitted by Jeff Primrose:

How long have you been a part of the Brown County community? – To what extent have you been a part of local government?

Jeff Primrose has been a resident of Brown County for 33 years. He has been involved in local government via exercising his right to vote, establishing a positive rapport with local elected officials, and encouraging other members of the community to do likewise.

What is your vision for the future of Brown County? – What changes would you advocate for and why?

Primrose believes that his vision for the county is to keep people safe, secure, and confident as they carry out their daily plans and activities. “As concerns deepen with the open border situation, I see a great need to advocate for competitive salaries for the Sheriff’s office in order to keep and recruit seasoned law enforcement,” said Primrose.

Regarding your prospective position, what do you consider your greatest strengths and weaknesses?

Primrose says that his strengths stem from his work experience with the TxDOT for 26 years. While working there he gathered skills in creating and managing multi-million-dollar budgets and contracts, conducting audits, managing logistics of organizing jobs spanning over 5,000 lane miles throughout nine different counties. In contrast, Primrose believes his weakness is having a hard time saying “no” when it comes to helping others.

What do you consider the biggest challenge of the position you are running for? – What areas need improvement and why?

The most challenging area and the greatest need is maintaining and improving the structural integrity of the county’s infrastructure, according to Primrose. He concludes that the reason for such improvement is due to the ever-changing weather conditions combined with wear and tear of the constant flow of traffic which leads to deterioration. “For these reasons, one must be proactive in budgeting for future repairs and maintenance needs,” said Primrose. An additional area that Primrose believes could use attention is the communication between county officials and the public. He believes the public ought to be informed as much as legal matters allow.

What has been your greatest accomplishment in your career? – In your personal life?

Primrose contends to say that his greatest career accomplishments have been problem solving in areas involving the public, contractors, and governmental agencies “with the best interest of the taxpayer in mind, and to the satisfaction of all stakeholders.” Regarding his personal life, Primrose’s greatest accomplishment has been his relationship with Jesus “who is the Anchor that holds everything in place.”