Clay Barnett is asking voters to reelect him onto the Sherman City Council when they hit the polls this fall for the Nov. 4 elections. Barnett will face off against former City Council member Sandra Melton for his place no. 1 seat.
The Herald Democrat recently reached out to both candidates about the race and what they wanted to accomplish if elected to the city council. Below are the questions and answers. Candidates were given 150 words to answer each question, and the responses are printed verbatim with edits only for style, formatting and if the candidate went over the response length.
Here is a question-and-answer interview with Barnett about what he feels he will bring to the council.
Q: For our readers who are not familiar with you, who are you and where might they know you from within the community?
A: “I serve the people of Sherman as the current city council member for District 1. My wife, Laura, and I have two grown boys. I was a proud member of the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Corps of Cadets. I received a degree in civil engineering from Texas A&M and then earned my Professional Engineer license in 2003. I also have an MBA from UT Dallas. I worked for the city of Sherman as the city engineer beginning in 2011 and shortly thereafter, I became the director of public works and engineering where I was over engineering, street maintenance, fleet maintenance, solid waste and environmental code. After serving for five years, I was the county engineer for Grayson County for six years. In January 2023, I opened an engineering office in Sherman for Huitt-Zollars. I current serve as secretary/treasurer for the Texoma Council of Governments (TCOG) and board of director for the Sherman Chamber of Commerce.”
Q: What unique skillset do you feel you will bring to the table if elected to the city council?
A: “I have over 27 years of experience assisting cities to manage the problems and challenges they face. A vital part of city management is maintaining existing infrastructure and building what is needed for growth. I have been able to contribute to deliberations about needs and projects as a professional engineer. I shed light on what is feasible as well as what is needed. An example of this is identifying and describing why grease traps are necessary items that preserve the capacity of our sewer systems. I can talk for hours about streetlights and where we need to replace sidewalks to accommodate the safety needs of our citizens. But more importantly, I can succinctly explain these details to keep the City of Sherman on the path of improvement. As your council member, I am committed to improving the quality of life in Sherman and throughout the region.”
Q: For this election, both candidates are former city council members. What lessons did you take from your previous tenure on council and how will it help you if elected?
A: “The City Council reflects the citizenry. It needs to be responsive and relevant and nimble enough to address the needs of the community given the reality of budgetary limitations. I have learned that reaching outward and seeking advice is vital to being a good steward fiscally. City management is complex and the decisions needing to be made are often difficult. Feedback through surveys, direct communications and new tools like the Sherman Connect app are more important than ever. We need our citizens to participate and to advise and to keep our City Council focused through, dare I say it, receiving complaints. Constructive criticism continues to be a catalyst for action. I have learned to adapt and be flexible as I absorb the opinions of those I represent. I promise to continue to listen, support, and encourage the people of Sherman to become more involved in the governance of our city.”
Q: The growth from Texas Instruments and GlobalWafers offers a unique opportunity to Sherman. How do you feel the city should take advantage of this as the new facilities begin production?
A: “We need to promote our community labor force. We need to tap the resources of our education system to provide opportunities and careers for our citizens. We need to identify and highlight methods and means for these corporations to participate directly in our quality-of-life initiatives through sponsorship and funding. Sherman already has Impact Fees ordinances. These fees provide direct funding for roadways, water and wastewater infrastructure. Businesses coming to our area pay these one-time fees to assist the city in meeting the financial burden of growth. We also need to be responsive to the needs of businesses and both existing and new development. Our city services need to work with clarity and purpose to deliver and meet expectations in this rapidly changing environment. Sherman needs better customer service. This is our moment to shine regionally. The city is doing well, and we can determine ways where we can get better.”
Q: Recent forecasts have called for tight budgets in coming years with regard to public works and water production. How do you feel the city should navigate the challenge so that the burden does not fall on residents?
A: “The City of Sherman is fortunate in that we have had exceptional leadership over the past several decades – leadership that secured water rights in Lake Texoma and made investments in our water plant to treat the water and wastewater plant to treat the waste. However, these investments were considerable and until growth is sufficient to help pay the bonds for those investments, the City of Sherman must tighten its belt and focus on needs as opposed to wants. The current city council has been focused on providing for the needs of the city, including repairing more miles of roads in the past year than the previous two years combined. We also partnered with the Sherman Evening and Noon Lion’s Clubs to construct a new playground at Pecan Grove East Park at a reduced cost to the city. It is more critical than ever that the City of Sherman have strong leadership.”
Q: What do you see as the city’s biggest challenge going into 2026 and beyond and how do you intend to resolve it if elected to the city council?
A: “As I mentioned earlier, past leadership has made a considerable investment in our water and wastewater infrastructure. Until the growth is sufficient to help pay the bonds for those investments, the Sherman City Council must have strong leadership focused on providing for the needs of the city. I am proud to have been endorsed by Mayor Shawn Teamann and four of my fellow city council members. Mayor Teamann mentioned at the Mayor’s Roundtable that “a rising tide lifts all boats” and that it is important that we work cooperatively with our regional partners. I am proud that I am endorsed by all four county commissioners and commit to working with them to make the City of Sherman a great place to live, work and raise a family. If you share my vision for a successful and prosperous city, I humbly ask for your vote in the November 4th election.”
