Bowie County Judge James Carlow announced Saturday that he will seek re-election in the upcoming 2018 Republican Primary.
After serving from 1987 to 2011, Judge Carlow returned to the position in 2014 with the primary goal of restoring financial stability to Bowie County.
"When I returned to the position of County Judge after a 4-year absence, the county's finances were in bad shape; the fund balance was depleted, the previous administration had just borrowed $5 million in order to pay bills, and employee pay reductions had been implemented," Judge Carlow said in a press release. "I am proud that we now have Bowie County back on track. We have repaid the $5 million loan, restored the 15% employee pay reduction and lowered the property tax rate from 47 cents to 42 cents per $100 evaluation."
Judge Carlow has also continued his efforts to advance regional transportation projects such as Interstate 69/Interstate 369, Highway 82 and the widening of Interstate 30 in Texarkana.
"We were successful in securing funds for the final route study for the segment of I-69/I-369 from Texarkana to Queen City. The study formally began Sept. 1, 2017, and is expected to take about a year. It's great to see the progress continue," Judge Carlow said.
Judge Carlow is a lifelong resident of Bowie County. He and his wife, Nancy, reside in New Boston, Texas, and have two sons, two daughters-in-law and 6 grandchildren.