Community Strengths and Weaknesses

The Texoma community, especially in Grayson and Fannin counties, is already aware of the mental health needs the area faces. The Texoma Health Foundation has begun a drive to understand and address the mental health issues, with widespread support from education, government, social help agencies and the medical community. Several agencies, such as TCOG, school districts, and industry have adopted the “Okay to Say” program, making it acceptable for people to talk more openly about mental health issues. However, there are not enough mental health care facilities in the region to meet the needs.

Several cities in the region, along with economic development corporations, are addressing the housing issue, with infill lot programs, zoning, efforts to attract builders, and incentives to build more safe and affordable housing. Although progress is being made, builders in the region are often slowed by the lack of construction workers, and building specialists such as bricklayers.

Utility assistance remains an issue, with TCOG providing the major assistance, region wide, for this need. However, funding is limited and not all needs can be met. This is one area that requires much more attention region-wide.

Transportation became a regional and county issue when the major para-transit provider in the region, TAPS, went to only a fraction of their previous capacity. They are re-building, but transportation remains a need for many residents of the region. The Sherman-Denison Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO) is addressing many of these needs in their plans, and TCOG will be addressing these needs in the implementation of the Regionally Coordinated Transportation Plan. Cities and towns are researching traffic flows and looking at becoming more sustainable and “green.”

A heartening change from the previous assessment was the reduction in need for food access. Several agencies and food banks have made a concerted effort in this area. Earlier this spring, TCOG was able to use CSBG funds to purchase two freight truckloads of FEMA surplus food for two food banks in Fannin County. The continued need is illustrated by the fact that the FEMA food is nearly gone, after only five months. This clearly remains an issue, as does the problem of food deserts in each county. Especially discouraging is childhood hunger, as evidenced by high free and reduced lunch programs in schools throughout the three counties. The problem is exacerbated in the summer, when many of these programs do not exist, and there are not enough replacement programs to fill the gap.

Organizational Strengths, Assets, and Challenges

Texoma Council of Governments is celebrating its 50th year of serving the citizens, municipalities and businesses of Cooke, Fannin, and Grayson counties.

The organization has the following strengths:

• Trained, professional, competent staff, from front line to executive director, who are dedicated to improving the lives of the residents of Texoma.
• A mixture of human social service programs, as well as programs addressing the needs of regional municipalities and constituents, with a focus on strengthening communities.
• The willingness to take on new programs.
• Federal and state funded contracts that help address family and community needs.

TCOG has the following Assets:

• A reputation as the “go-to” agency for problems that are region-wide.
• A strong website, along a robust social media presence.
• A welcoming, non-judgmental, organizational culture that values the worth of each individual
• Assets and personnel to perform high quality planning, research, and analysis, and to engage in continuous improvement.

TCOG has the following Challenges:

• A lack of sustainable funding outside of the Federal and State revenue streams, which would allow the CSBG programs to better address the issues of housing, homelessness, and food insecurity.
• A degree of political resistance to social service programs exists in the region.
• The needs and challenges of rural Cooke and Fannin counties relative to the more urban Grayson county, as well as the assets to address those challenges in these two counties.
• Not having a nationally certified ROMA implementer.