Primary election preview: Drewry challenges Frederick in Smith County commissioner race

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - Smith County Pct. 1 Commissioner Pam Frederick is facing off with challenger Christina Drewry in the March Republican primary.

“I want to make a difference for the Smith County taxpayers,” said Drewry. “I don’t need a job; I actually want this job. I want to make Smith County the most taxpayer-friendly county in the state of Texas.”

Drewry’s campaign website sells her as a regular citizen, not a politician.

“I think I’m the most citizen-first candidate,” she said. “I’ve always worked with people, and I think I can extend that into commissioners court to get the people engaged by being open and transparent and letting them know how the government is spending their money, first and foremost. And I will always put them first.”

Drewery’s experience includes serving as a member of the watchdog committee for Grassroots America: We the People, a conservative political action committee, along with being a Smith County Republican precinct chair.

“In the last three years, I’ve been working with the Republican Party to push for our Republican principles and our priorities,” she said.

Drewry is running against incumbent Pam Frederick, who was sworn into office in the fall of 2022. Frederick entered her new role with over 20 years of experience in city government as a former mayor and council member for the City of Bullard.

“There was a need on this court when I ran two years ago because, of course, there was going to be an 80 percent turnover on the court,” Frederick said. “And I knew with with 22 years of experience in local government, that I could be useful and maybe I could step in and be one of the leaders in a new court.”

Since joining the court, the retired school teacher said she’s most proud of the work she’s achieved when it comes to mental health.

“We’ve been able to do things such as get in-person psychiatric care in our jail medical contract, get a presence for our local mental health authority in the jail, get a mental health deputy. We’ve made big steps in just 12-14 short months, and we’re going to continue to work at that,” she said.

Frederick, the daughter of a policeman, said she’s also interested in continuing to focus on roads, bridges, and the construction of the new courthouse.

“I want to make sure that we’re staying on task and under budget, on budget, whatever we can do, the very best we can do. I want that. I’m excited about that downtown project. I love that we’re able to partner with Tyler City Council and we’re going to make downtown Tyler a place where people want to be,” Frederick said.

On the campaign trail, Frederick has been attacked by Drewry, who has claimed Frederick raised taxes.

“On the tax rate, we can split hairs all we want, but the bottom line is if the revenue went up, there’s only one place that they can get that money. It’s from the taxpayer’s pocket,” said Drewry.

Frederick responded to Drewry’s claims by explaining that the previous court voted to lower the maintenance and operations rate, the portion of the rate that they’re in control of. She said it was a proactive reduction knowing that voters had approved the courthouse project.

“This current budget that we were part of, we were able to protect that low M&O rate because of that I&S increase. The increase was less than what voters were told to expect because of a great credit rating and the timing of the bonds. So, the rhetoric that we raised taxes is just not accurate,” Frederick said.

Frederick also responded to the claims of her raising taxes while in Bullard.

“When you take an ag-exempt pasture and turn it into a high-end subdivision, which happened on every side of Bullard, then your taxable values grow, but it’s not more tax per resident,” she said.

Early voting is now underway through March 1. Election Day is Tuesday, March 5.

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