She’s an organization leader, a mom of three, and now she represents Precinct 2 of Hays County.
“Everything that I’ve been in my life to this point has prepared me for this right now,” Dr. Michelle Cohen told the Daily Record.
On Tuesday, Jan. 3, Cohen joined her colleagues on the dais to preside over her first-ever Commissioners Court meeting.
Cohen, a Democrat, was elected with 60.85% of the popular vote against Republican opponent Mike Gonzalez — one of several landmark victories for the Democrats in the Nov. 8 Midterm Election. Precinct 2 represents Kyle along Interstate 35 and the east side of Buda.
According to Cohen, the experience has been a whirlwind so far.
“I haven’t had time to take a breath,” she admitted, adding, “Everyone wants to meet the new commissioner. After 12 years of Commissioner [Mark] Jones being in this seat, there’s somebody new. So I understand the curiosity and just [wanting] to understand what my priorities are.”
Cohen, a 30-year resident of Hays County, said she worked for 25 years in supply management and knew nothing about politics until deciding to run for school board in 2018.
“That was the first time I ever ran for anything,” Cohen said. “I didn’t know anything about politics, I didn’t know anything about campaigning, I just know at that time I wanted to be part of the women’s movement.”
Despite losing her school board race, Cohen jumped headfirst into the political sphere. She joined Democratic organizations, managed four campaigns, and “became very involved in learning because that’s just how I am,” Cohen said. “If I want to learn about something, I am knee-deep in it.”
On top of her already busy schedule, Cohen was also running an organization that provided COVID resources to underserved communities and communities of color — Hays Latinos United.
It was the combination of a turbulent political climate and a serendipitous moment that ultimately motivated Cohen to run for county commissioner.
“I was actually in Precinct 1. They did the redistricting, and it drew me into [Precinct 2] by like a block,” Cohen said. “And at the time I thought, [being a] commissioner would keep me close to my community, because you’re here on the ground with everyone, right? And it’s in the exact community I’ve been working with for the last three years.”
Cohen’s campaign strategy was to “continue to do what I was doing, which was putting up clinics, providing COVID tests, being engaged that way instead of the traditional forum.”
In other words, “I was focused on actually doing the work, not talking about doing the work,” she said.
Cohen said her top priority as Precinct 2 commissioner is to improve roads and infrastructure.
“My precinct is east of the corridor from Buda to Kyle,” Cohen explained. “If you spent any time in that area, one thing you’ve noticed is every road that extends east of Hays County is bad, and traffic is backed up almost every road in.”
“I’ve been here for 30 years,” she added. “The roads today do not look much different from the roads 30 years ago.”
Also, “We don’t have a library east of [Interstate 35]. We don’t have community centers east of I-35,” Cohen said.
Cohen offered a personal example.
“When I [was] trying to provide vaccinations, there was no place for me to go. I had to depend on a school, a small little venue, so for me, what I saw was the definite lack of everything,” she said.
Additionally, Cohen noted with the explosive growth in Hays County, “the roads, the water infrastructure, [they’re] not prepared for that. So for me, that’s number one.”
Also high on Cohen’s priority list is restoring transparency in government.
“I do want people to have faith in their government and be able to trust their elected officials,” she said. “I know it’s hard, considering what has happened over the last four years — not just at the county level, but the national level as well.
“I know it’s going to take time. I know it’s going to take time for the residents of this county to trust people, and I don’t blame them.”
The commissioners court consists of five members: one commissioner for each of Hays County’s four precincts, and a County Judge who presides over the Court.
Commissioners court agendas are posted the Friday prior to the Tuesday meeting.
The next commissioners court meeting will take place on Jan. 17.
For meeting agenda and minutes, visit https://hayscountytx.com/commissioners-court/court-video.
