Charles Shirley, Montgomery County Hospital District, Pct. 3 Director
Charles Shirley, Montgomery County Hospital District, Precinct 3 Director
Charles Shirley serves as the Director for Commissioner Precinct 3, Montgomery County Hospital District. The Montgomery County Hospital District (MCHD) provides healthcare to the indigent residents of the county, operates the county’s 911 ambulance service, manages the county’s Public Health District, and offers a variety of community and professional education programs.
Shirley was elected in November 2022, and took office on January 1, 2023. Board members serve four-year terms.
Background
Shirley is CEO of Aidan Capital of Houston, where he owns and manages a diverse real estate portfolio throughout Texas. Previously, he was a Senior Vice-President with Native American Securities, Co., Inc. in New York and was an investment advisor with Salomon Smith Barney, Inc. He has experience as an investment banker for the real estate, gaming, environmental, and oil & gas industries. He has held U.S. Federal government positions with the following agencies: the Department of Justice, Department of Interior, and Department of Energy.
He received a degree in English from the University of Kansas in 1985 and a Juris Doctor from Washburn University School of Law in 1988. He serves on the Board of Directors of Window Rock Capital Holdings, Inc., and several other public and private companies. He has also served as an advisor to two U.S. Presidential campaigns, once in 1996 and later in 2000.
Why He Ran for Office
MCHD collects property tax on county real property owners for its maintenance and operations. Shirley wanted to have input on setting that tax rate.
“My number one goal is to lower the tax rate imposed on county real property owners,” he says. “I want to, over time, lower the deficit that MCHD operates under and eventually eliminate the deficit entirely.”
Accomplishments in Office
Shirley successfully advocated for the long-term restructuring of the Montgomery County Public Health District (MCPHD). Currently, it is an independent agency that provides health education, disease prevention, emergency preparedness, and clinical services. MCHD, through a cooperative agreement with MCPHD, has managed the MCPHD. However, this arrangement created unnecessary duplication with separate governing bodies, added expense, and overly complex management.
He explains, “The Montgomery County Hospital District negotiated with Montgomery County Commissioner’s Court and at the end of a two-year transition period the MCPHD will become a division of MCHD, eliminating the unnecessary duplication and expense.”
Challenges & How to Get Involved
Shirley says that educating voters about the work of the MCHD is one of the biggest challenges faced by the MCHD.
“Most voters in the county are unaware of the excellent work of MCHD or that MCHD is one of the entities in the county that imposes a tax on their property,” he says. “Because of this, many voters do not vote all the way down the ballot on Election Day.”
Shirley encourages Montgomery County residents to attend Board of Directors meetings and learn about MCHD’s mission and work. Board meetings are held the fourth Tuesday of each month at 4 pm in the MCHD Board Room and are open to the public.
“During August of each year, MCHD holds public budget hearings where residents can learn about and express their opinions concerning MCHD’s maintenance and operations budget,” he says. “Closing that operational deficit can only occur with the assistance of citizen input.”
Contact Information
Charles Shirley, Director for Commissioner Precinct 3
Montgomery County Hospital District
Phone: (936) 523-5000
Email: charles@aidancapital.com
Website: MCHD Board of Directors
Address:
1400 South Loop 336 West
Conroe, TX 77305