Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I’m Billy Gene McGill, and I’m running for justice of the peace, Precinct 4, Calhoun County. Allow me to tell you a little about myself. I am a lifelong Texan, born in Corpus Christi in 1952. My mother’s family is from Rockport, Texas. When I was a child, my grandmother owned and operated Fleming Bait Stand, a pink bait stand located at the turning basin. I swea
r you couldn’t miss it. Even if you go down there today you’ll see it. When I was growing up I spent many summers working as a deck hand on shrimp boats and for local fishing guides. I’ve lived on the coast for most of my life and was involved with the fishing industry. Not only do I know my way around a fish, but I know what it takes to support a fishing community. I have certainly progressed since my days as a deck hand. I graduated from Richard King High School in 1970 and then attended Del Mar Jr. College. For the past 25 years I have worked for Brown and Root at Union Carbide. There, I was a software program instructor and was in charge of security access and infrastructure at the corporate offices for Union Carbide. The CEO of Union Carbide even gave me an award for my dedication and contributions to the company’s projects. I have held and still hold several other jobs as well. I taught classes on MS Office at Interplast and serve as a general manager for South Texas Auto Auction and Fishers Auto Sale in Victoria. For the last 20 years I have owned and operated B&B Computers. But, the best decision I ever made was to start a family here in this community. I married my wife Bridget in 1984. We lived in Port Lavaca for a few years before settling here in Seadrift in 1990. Our children attended Seadrift Elementary School and Fanning Jr. High School. Now, our grandchildren attend the Seadrift School and Calhoun High School. So, as you can see, I have a large investment in this community. I want it to be a safe place for my grandchildren and, someday, my great-grandchildren. That’s why I believe it’s important to become involved in the community; and, I’m a man who likes to get his hands dirty. I served as co-chairman of the Seadrift Centennial celebration. You may also know that I look to help local families raise funds to pay medical expenses and the Seadrift eighth grade class raise money for field trips. As I said, I’m invested in more ways than one in this county. Some of you may also recognize me from a few Victoria Advocate articles. Yes, I am the man who commissioned Dieter Erhard to erect a 15-foot tall abstract sculpture of a bluebonnet in my front yard. You can’t miss my house. If you ever need to find me, just look for the red and yellow pole with the bluebonnet on top. At night, we even light it up to make it easier to see. Now, why did I have the sculpture built in my front yard? Why didn’t I build a barbecue pit like I had first planned? Well, I like art; maybe not as much as a good Texas barbecue, but I like art. More importantly, I did it because I wanted to help promote the local art community. This is a technological age, and science and math are important; but so is art. It not only enriches our lives but the community as a whole. Now at least, as Erhard said, we have a sculpture on the far side of town that, even if people don’t understand it, will make them stop and say, “Ah!”
You may also know me as the peafowl guy. A while back I struck up a friendship with a soldier in Iraq who had some questions about raising birds on his Kansas farm. That’s right – not only do I know about computers and fish, but I know a thing or two about peacock breeding. Unfortunately, the weather became too hot and I couldn’t send him any peafowl. Yet, he appreciated my offer so much that he sent me and my wife an American flag that flew over Camp Korean Village in Anbar Province, Iraq. We were so proud and grateful for the flag that Bridget crocheted a six-by-eight foot flag to send to the soldier’s family. So what does all this have to do with running for justice of the peace? One, I am invested and believe in this community. I want to see it succeed. I want to see it be a safe place where both you and I can raise our children and grandchildren. Only together can we ensure that Seadrift is a place where people will want to come and raise families. Secondly, my work experience and work ethic demonstrate that I possess the competence, good judgment, and abilities to be a fair justice of the peace. I started working at a young age as a deckhand; now, I can proudly call myself an accomplished business owner. But every position that I have held, from the bottom rung to the top, has taught me one thing: how to listen. And I believe that listening is key to being a good judge. If I am elected justice of the peace, I will serve my community with pride, give equal attention to all who appear before me, and ensure that equal justice is upheld under the law. I am Bill G. McGill, and I humbly ask you to support my candidacy for justice of the peace, Precinct 4, Calhoun County, Texas.
