In a statement dated Dec. 28, County Judge Sam Barr announced that he will resign at the end of January.
In an interview Tuesday morning, Barr said he still enjoys the job, but the job requires spending as much time in the office as possible. He has tried to remain accessible to the citizens of the county, but the sedentary nature of the office continues to take a toll on his health. He has had Covid twice, and close contact is almost unavoidable. He had expected to finish out his current term, but the quorum court will now appoint someone to finish his term. “It’s time to go home and get away from so much public contact,” he said.
Whoever serves as interim county judge will be ineligible to run in the November election. During the interview, Barr suggested Administrative Assistant Ronda Griffin as the ideal person to serve as county judge for the rest of the year. “She’s been in the office for nine years, and she ran the office when I was out for heart surgery,” Barr said. “She’s the most qualified person to finish out my term.”
The county will run an ad to seek candidates before holding a special meeting to appoint someone. A similar procedure was used in declaring a vacancy and seeking a successor for the late Kay Phillips-Brown, who died in office as Tax Collector.
Barr defeated incumbent Richard Williams in November 2008 and had been in office for three weeks when an ice storm devastated the county. With no power in the courthouse, Barr picked up a chainsaw and worked with road crews to clear fallen trees. That demonstrates the commitment he has brought to the job since then, Barr said.
“It’s such an honor and a blessing to be able to serve these people all these years,” he said. Barr summed up his years of service, noting, “We brought peace to county offices. I tried to do my job and let everyone else do theirs. That must have pleased the public, or we wouldn’t still be here.”