Democratic candidate David Azad is running for the Collin County commissioner Precinct 3 seat.

He will run against Darrell Hale in the Nov. 6 election.

Community Impact Newspaper sent Azad a series of questions on his candidacy. His written responses, edited for publication style, are below.

Q: What is your current occupation?

A: I am currently a practicing attorney and the founder and managing partner of Azad & Barlow PLLC. My firm represents clients in criminal, immigration, family and personal injury matters.

Q: Why are you running for Precinct 3 commissioner?

A: I am running to make a difference in the lives of everyday Collin County residents. Our county is anticipated to double in population by 2028, and I believe the Commissioners Court needs to do more to prepare for this
challenge. I am running to build the infrastructure needed to support the residents of the county we will become and to fulfill the vital roles of county government: law enforcement, jail, criminal justice, mental health services and indigent health care.

Q: Why are you qualified for this position?

A: I am a lawyer, an entrepreneur and a small-business owner. I know how to maximize and create growth within a budget. As a lawyer I understand the value of listening. I critically analyze complex issues on a daily basis and help people through some of the most important decisions they will ever make in their lives. I value relationships and I strive to be an individual with whom people enjoy working.

Q: What issues do you feel the county will face over the next five years?

A: The major issues facing Collin County all share a common theme: lack of preparation for projected growth.

The standard operating procedure of the current Commissioners Court regime has been to wait until a problem becomes an emergency before they begin to address it—all while touting fiscal conservatism. But this is not fiscal responsibility. Such procrastination actually has put us in a very difficult financial situation. We do not have the roads and highways needed to service the 3.1 million citizens who will live and drive in Collin County. We are anticipated to spend more hours per year in traffic than a Los Angeles resident. We send our indigent citizens to Parkland Hospital in Dallas County for medical treatment and refuse to fulfill our constitutional duty to pay the bill. Our top provider of mental health services is the county jail, where it is three times more expensive to treat mental health patients than treating them early and when their need arises. We are facing a growing homeless and housing insecurity problem, with our school districts reporting thousands of students with unstable housing.

I am running to change the way we address these important problems.

Q: If elected, how will you address those issues?

A: The answer is to invest early and prudently.

We are in a fortunate position as a county in that we are able to invest in our future without raising the county tax rate. This is due to the growth of the tax base and the influx of new businesses. I believe we can supplement this revenue by eliminating government inefficiencies, [for example], providing mental health services before incarceration [and] seeking collaborative solutions with local partners rather than resorting to legal action.

Moreover, I believe failing to invest in these areas is a recipe for financial disaster. If we miss this opportunity now, later we will be wishing we had invested in an ounce of prevention for a pound of cure.

More information about Azad and his campaign can be found at www.davidazad.com.