Fort Bend County Commissioner Dexter L. McCoy now stands at the intersection of the county’s past and future.
As the youngest commissioner, now in his late 30s, serving one of Texas’ most diverse counties since January 2023, McCoy brings with him a politics that is shaped by lived experience.
Raised in rural Louisiana by his grandparents, McCoy grew up in abject poverty. His mother gave birth to him at 15 and his father spent much of his life incarcerated. When his family moved to Fort Bend, the contrast was stark.
For the first time, he experienced a community rich in resources and diversity. That shift drives his political mission today: To ensure no family in Fort Bend lives as his did in Louisiana.
“I went from a resource-deficient environment to a resource-wealthy environment,” McCoy told the Defender. “There are still people in Fort Bend County who live the way that I lived in Louisiana. We’ve gotta do more to serve them…make sure that we’re opening up doors of opportunity for every child.”
Approach to governance
Before becoming commissioner, McCoy served as chief of staff to Fort Bend County Judge KP George, where he first grasped the county’s sweeping responsibilities, from flood control to emergency services.
“What I learned in that role is the critical nature of the county’s business,” McCoy said. “We are the people who keep flood waters out of people’s homes, make sure that our emergency medical services are appropriately funded and that we have ambulances that can respond.”
The experience sharpened his understanding of how disparities in local government investment perpetuate inequality. Roads riddled with potholes in his own Mission Bend neighborhood, while other areas thrived, showed him that leadership at the county level could mean the difference between neglect and responsive service.
Policies rooted in access
Since his election in 2022, McCoy has advanced initiatives that reflect his values. He championed paid parental leave for county employees, inspired by his own time at home after the birth of his two young daughters. He also launched “Fit Fort Bend” in partnership with Fit Houston, a program promoting health and wellness among residents, particularly seniors.
Another signature project is the African American Heritage Monument, which he sees as a lasting investment in representation and history. And for young people, McCoy has prioritized expanding paid internships, emphasizing that unpaid opportunities often exclude those who cannot afford to work for free.
Balancing growth and affordability
Fort Bend’s rapid population growth, projected to surpass one million residents by next year, poses challenges of affordability, infrastructure and equity. McCoy points to the county’s imbalance between residential development and commercial investment, which places a disproportionate tax burden on homeowners.
“We’ve been trying to make sure that we work with our development community…that they’re also building new homes, investing in commercial real estate, bringing jobs here,” he said.
“We are the people who keep flood waters out of people’s homes, make sure that our emergency medical services are appropriately funded and that we have ambulances that can respond.”
– Fort Bend County Commissioner Dexter McCoy
McCoy’s vision includes expanded transportation: Dedicated bus rapid transit lanes along toll roads, transit-oriented developments in commercial hubs and leveraging the county’s three major rail connectors to attract industry.
“It’s been really critical,” he said. “We have Port Freeport just south of us. We have three major rail connectors right here in my precinct and we can put things on rail and ship them all over North and Central America. Those are opportunities that our growth will help us drive.”
Navigating redistricting battles
McCoy’s tenure comes at a politically charged time. Commissioners Court has become a microcosm of Texas’ broader polarization, with debates over spending and redistricting fueling division.
While McCoy strives to build consensus, partnering with Republican colleagues on infrastructure, parks and a countywide 311 system, he acknowledges the limits of diplomacy.
“We have some recalcitrant members, for whom no amount of reason is gonna work,” he explained. “They are hell bent on exacting revenge. The county judge is trying to save himself from being sent to jail. And so he’s gonna do whatever he can to position himself for a pardon from the governor. It’s hard to reason with that.”
He argues that the redistricting battle in Fort Bend is part of a broader effort to dilute the political power of communities of color.
“We live in among the most diverse communities in the country and our leadership is starting to reflect that diversity,” McCoy said. “A lot of folks who don’t like that and are actually angry with that because it is a threat to their power. People are trying to turn back the hands of time and redistrict, change the rules of the game.”
Legacy
Describing his leadership style as collaborative and rooted in humility, McCoy says he embraces what he doesn’t know, asking questions and seeking mentors. His time in the Barack Obama administration influenced him deeply, as did guidance from the late Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner.
“I want my legacy to be that there were people who did not have access to the tools that they needed to determine their own level of success and they got it,” he said.
Ultimately, McCoy’s vision centers on access. He wants his legacy to be measured in lives transformed by opportunity: Young people who saw public service as a path because of him, juveniles who gained vocational skills instead of cycles of incarceration and families who found resources they didn’t know existed.
