No promises ... just answers

"I can't make promises, but I can find answers." Those are the words of 32-year-old Midland County Precinct 3 Commissioner Luis D. Sánchez. One of his major goals as county commissioner is "to empower the citizens of the underprivileged neighborhoods which he serves." Sánchez states, "Even though the citizens of Midland County Precinct 3 are mostly low-income, we live and breathe just like everyone else. We work, play and go to school in our community. We are community participants."

Through grassroots efforts, Sánchez is assisting South Midlanders to become involved within the community. He visits his constituents "door-to-door" and "person-to-person" in order to ascertain their concerns. Sánchez says that he keeps a log of every incoming phone call, email and visitor. He makes a point to return calls and answer questions.

Sánchez is currently the youngest Midland county commissioner and the only Hispanic male ever to serve as commissioner. After being defeated by Julius Brooks for the Precinct 3 commissioner spot in 2004, he ran again in 2008 and won. In January 2009, Sánchez assumed the office held at other times by various Midland Hispanic leaders such as Louisa Valencia and Josie Ramirez.

According to 2000 census data, the demographics of Midland County Precinct 3 are 57 percent Hispanic, 24 percent Anglo and 18 percent Black. "These are working class people raising families," explains Sánchez. "A lot of them don't have time to attend school board meetings, city council meetings and Commissioner's Court meetings. I can do that for them." In partnership with Midland County Councilwoman Vicky Hailey, Sánchez then holds neighborhood pachangas where citizens obtain information about their community.

Another initiative that Sánchez is overseeing deals with the public health concerns due to the lack of wastewater infrastructure and potable water in Midland County colonias. The development of Texas colonias dates back to the 1950s when land developers created unincorporated subdivisions using agriculturally worthless land that lay in floodplains or other rural properties. The land was divided into small lots with little or no infrastructure and then sold to low-income individuals seeking affordable housing.

The growth in the population of Midland County has challenged county officials to seek ways to provide basic water and sewer services within the county's colonias. Under Sánchez' leadership, Midland County has applied for a $500,000 Community Development Block Grant for construction of an onsite sewage system and another $100,000 grant for future planning.

Sánchez says that the hardest thing about wanting to make an improvement in areas such as the colonias is the amount of time it takes to affect change. "I'm learning to be patient," he says. "Government doesn't always run as fast as I'd like."

Sánchez definitely likes to get things done. The son of Mexican immigrants, he was the first in his family to attend college. Sánchez graduated from Midland College (MC) in 2000 and then transferred to Texas Tech University (TTU), where he obtained bachelors' degrees in political science and Spanish. Even as a college student, Sánchez showed an inclination for government leadership. His former MC government professor, Dr. Terry Gilmour, says, "Luis was interested in every aspect of how government worked. It never surprised me that he would return to Midland and run for office, and it was no surprise that he won and has represented his district so well."

After graduating from TTU in 2002, Sánchez moved to Austin and worked for a year in the Office of the Secretary of State as editor for the Texas Register. He says, "Austin was fun, but I love Midland." So, Sánchez returned to his hometown, enrolled in classes at The University of Texas of the Permian Basin to earn his secondary teaching credential and then taught Spanish classes at Midland Freshman School. Sánchez says, "MISD gave me the choice of teaching at one of several campuses. I chose Midland Freshman because it is in the neighborhood where I grew up."

Now Sánchez volunteers his time to inform Midland citizens about college and the opportunities a college education provides. He is a member of the Midland College Cogdell Learning Center Advisory Committee and advises MC staff on how to recruit and retain first-generation-to-college students. Sánchez says, "When I graduated from Midland High School in 1996, I was one of a very few kids in my neighborhood going to college. I didn't know the first thing about college. And I didn't know anyone who could 'show me the ropes.' I remember someone telling me that there was an office at MC where I could tell them that I wanted to go to school and needed money for tuition. So, that's what I did. I later found out that the office was the Financial Aid Office, but I was such a novice, I didn't even know the term 'financial aid.' I had a federal Pell Grant the first semester, and after I paid my tuition, I tried to give the remaining money back. I didn't know I could use the money to buy books and supplies! All I knew was that I needed to go to college to make something of myself."

Sánchez also participates in the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute and has had the opportunity to meet national Hispanic leaders such as Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor and U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis. The first time he was in Washington, D.C., he also visited with U.S. Representative Mike Conaway. "It was an impromptu visit, and Mr. Conaway was extremely busy that day," says Sánchez. "But, he was very gracious. We had a great conversation. It doesn't matter that he is a Republican and I'm a Democrat--we both are working to affect a positive change for Midlanders."

As for the future, Sánchez says, "I will definitely run for a second term. There's still a lot of work to be done. I want to finish the job that I walked in here to do."