The commissioners are having a special called meeting Thursday at 6 p.m. to ponder taking money from the county reserves for the "emergency" repairs of county roads.
A million dollars.
There's no place on the agenda for public comments, but you still may want to attend, just to give them the stink eye. Maybe you can buttonhole a commissioner or two before the meeting.
Yes, we had a horrible spring, and there was a lot of erosion and washouts. But if the matter is as serious as some commissioners claim, a million dollars won't make much of a dent.
Fact is, Mike Fields has been a commissioner forever, and he's kind of set in his ways, and he wants more money for repairs precinct. But in the real world, especially with the crapped-up Third World Economy we're living under thanks to the Obama-Clinton administration, money is a disappearing commodity.
Our elected officials need to be thinking of original and innovative ways to save money, rather than coming up with excuses to spend it. Implementing a single, efficient public works department for the county, instead of having four far-flung and independent public work outfits, would be that kind of smart idea.
Instead, Fields want to make a budget amendment in the last few months of the current fiscal year, which ends in the fall, and pull a million dollars from the county's reserves for these "emergency" road repairs - scattering $250,000 to each precinct.
We've seen this kind of thinking all too often in the past - it's called throwing money at a problem. It doesn't work.
The county will be starting deliberations on its next budget for Fiscal Year 2016-2017 in a few weeks. We think it's a better idea to try to address these public works concerns in the upcoming budget rather than as the current budget plays out.
Also, commissioners need to get incoming Precinct 3 Commissioner Dana Applewhite's input. Phillip Hinton is a lame duck, and while there's nothing illegal about making a decision on the expenditures a few months before he leaves office, we all know there's a big difference between what's legal and what's right.
Finally, under Texas law the kind of transfer that's being proposed has to be for an immediate emergency that involves public health and safety - things such as when a water well fails, or a bridge collapses. Yes, we have a lot of potholes, but this kind of messing with the budget is not to be done lightly. The State of Texas knows that, and the law is written to keep small town commissioners from raiding general funds to pay for everything on their wish list. There's a big difference between a legal and lawful emergency and something your wife or mother-in-law might call an emergency.
We suggest the commissioners not take this action, and if you agree, trying calling them and telling them what you think. Their phone numbers are:
Brian Lee, County Judge – 903-466-6666
Al Riddle, Pct. 1 – 903-717-1462
Mike Fields, Pct. 2 – 903-563-9292
Phillip Hinton, Pct. 3 – 903-563-9153
Jimmy Parker, Pct. 4 – 903-573-6202
If you are able to go Thursday night, being there might also impress them with the greater sentiment at large. One of the unfortunate and ongoing problems in a small town is that officials only hear from their friends and family, and they often lose sight of what the general public, the taxpaying citizens, expect and want from government.
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