Chambers County Judge Jimmy Sylvia announced at the Tuesday, Oct. 27, meeting of the Commissioners Court that he is accepting a new job and will step away from the county role sooner than planned. He had previously decided not to seek another term, and his time on the bench had been expected to end in December.
Sylvia said he had been thinking about retirement and doing something different. He said the relationships he built with other county judges over the years have been the most rewarding part of the job. He said he would take early retirement from the county effective Nov. 8, and start his new role the following day. He described it as semi-retirement.
Sylvia will work for the Texas Association of Counties as a county relations officer, serving county officials across Southeast Texas, according to a TAC press release. TAC Executive Director Susan M. Redford said Sylvia knows county government from the ground up and understands the issues county officials face.