08/19/2026
My comments from last night. Probably a little different than what I said because I couldn’t get through them very well.
I hate social media, what it does to us, the incentives it lays out for us, and the path it takes us down.
If you weren’t here during our work session, we did some preferencing for our upcoming boards and commissions appointments and we changed a policy for some of these appointments. I’ve advocated for this change for 5 years and I’m excited about it. If my nominee for the Economic Development Board gets approved, by my estimation, it will be the first time someone from District 1 gets put on this board. And that is a good thing. But this weekend someone sent me some comments from a group on social media that was talking about how this policy change was something it wasn’t. The commentors had put together an entire narrative of what this means, who benefits, who is pushing it, and all sorts of other absolutes. As I read the comments that were sent to me, all I could think about it, is how none of this was true. I’ve also received other social media comments this past week that were telling me that I deserved to be recalled because I voted to advance the airport and approve the amphitheater. Two items I pretty adamantly opposed. George is here, he can attest to that. I don’t say that to try to say I am right or someone else is wrong. But it didn’t seem like many of them had listened to our debates. No one had reached out to me to discuss my positions. No one had taken any time before they’ve drawn a conclusion and pushed a narrative.
I constantly hear about how we want this community that is tight knit and the McKinney community does a really good job of this. It is one of the things that draws people here. It still feels like a small town. It reminds us of the nostalgia of our youth. We want to know and be known.
That is also part of the draw of social media too. Sometimes those things can be easier in that online space. You can find groups of like-minded people, ways to support causes you care about, or stay connected to long distance relationships. But you also have to know that social media companies profit the longer you stay on their site. And they know that to do that, they have to bring you something more, something sensationalized. Some viral story. Or the easiest thing is something that will make you angry or fearful. We’re more likely to share it, to dig deeper. And the algorithm recognizes our responses, and it shows us more, and probably a little more extreme or more edgy.
On the other side of that, they’ve created an incentive. The social media companies need this content that keeps people on their site. It raises their profits. So if there is someone who wants that attention, the incentive is there. And there is a playbook. Anger, outrage, and fear are the best because we can’t all be funny. We see these want-to-be influencers or maybe even a politician, distort our lived realities for their personal gain. And it is repeated until it actually becomes the reality for some. We build our bubbles and perception becomes reality. That playbook walked in these doors two weeks ago. It has lied about me for weeks. Social media makes it so easy to throw stones against the opposing side when what we need is to build bridges that connect us to each other.
Building the community you want takes work. It takes showing up over and over again. It takes being the change you want to see. It is slow, laborious work. When I came to McKinney I was lucky enough to walk into the office of Robbie Clark. Someone who had learned from his father what it meant to build and support this community. Who has taught his daughters and grandchildren how to do it. And he taught me. I think of Betty Petkovsek who spoke tonight who is following the legacy of her father, George Webb. I get excited every time I see her at church because I see all the grandchildren, the future leaders in that legacy. Building community is generational work. I think of Beth Bentley carrying on the legacy of Mrs. Shirley Mack and the Mack family. I think of Gilda Garcia Garza and Andrea Nichols. Leonard and Ralph Evans. The Gonzalezes, the McGowans, the Escamillas. Cris Trevino was here tonight representing his family. Wattleys. Joplins. Usserys. Jarrahs. Franklins. I’m missing so many more. And I never met your father, Bill, but I’m sure Carey Cox is proud of you and the generational work that you’ve carried on. For so many of us, that is the goal. We want to follow the example that is set for us and set that example for future generations. I’m so happy my kids are able to see this.
I hate social media but for a lot of people that may be the only way you hear from me. I hope you know that I won’t sensationalize things to get attention. I won’t lie to you to get you on my side. And I’ve put in the work for this community since I got here. I’ll continue to work for those characteristics to be a big part of the identity of community and not the self-serving sensationalizing that we’re seeing. I do that because that is what has been shown to me. I hope you will join me in that.
-Be a good neighbor to others. Know your neighbors!
-Slow down on our roadways.
-Serve your community.
-Be gentle with each other.
-We can only make this place a better place to live by treating others the way we want to be treated.
I’ll end by saying this to Mr. Grimes. I’m sorry you got pulled into this but I’m glad people got to see what you wrote to your staff. That was one of the best examples of leadership communicated from an employer to employees that I’ve ever seen and we are lucky to have you here. Your staff has done a fantastic job through tough times, just like we’ve gotten to see them do every day.
