|
Greg Middents |
||||
|
|
||||
Grayson County Jail This is probably the most controversial issue that has been before the commissioners court in recent years. Grayson County officials have spent several hundred thousand dollars of your money over the past few years on surveys and studies. This has been a waste of taxpayer money. The county has to abide by the rules and regulations of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards. We have to abide by the law and we cannot afford to cut corners to risk fines and penalties by the Commission. The County should have collaborated with the Jail Standards Commission from the beginning in order to ascertain what is acceptable to aid us in making sound decisions. Grayson County does not need a 1,500 or 1,000 or even an 800 bed jail. Collin county, our neighbor to the south, does not even have a jail of that size. In comparison to Grayson County, Collin County is over four times the size of our county population. There is no doubt that there are problems with the jail, and we all agree that it will cost the taxpayers money to fix the situation. However, the basic question is --- What is the best way to resolve this problem? Privatization was a problem from the beginning. The County Judge and the Commissioners saw privatization as a quick fix thinking that the taxpayers would not have to pay for a new jail. Moreover, the commissioners would not have to deal with the problems of running the jail. What the County Judge and Commissioners did not realize was that they took the peoples' rights away by denying the voice of the very people they are supposed to represent. The elected officials lost the trust of the people. This is no to say that privatization is a bad thing. We need to have public and private partnerships / ventures, but it must be an open and fair process. The jail need to be under the control of the Sheriff and the County. Here are the questions I feel we need to have answered:
There are too many unanswered questions. I refer back to the commission on Jail Standards. We need to work and collaborate with the Commission to fix the problem. They have the guidelines in place to work with us on the problems we face. Bringing in Outside Companies to Promote Grayson County: Grayson County has a valuable asset in the North Texas Regional Airport which we need to promote in order to bring new business to the area. The County would benefit by collaborating with city leaders and state agencies in an effort to develop economic development outreach for new business, employment opportunities and a broader tax base. Paid Trips and Gifts for Elected Officials from Contractors doing business with the County are not acceptable. The County Judge and Commissioners need to preserve their independence when dealing with private contractors. As County Judge, I will not accept paid trips by contractors doing business with the county. As the County Judge, it is a conflict of interest to hire your "buddies" for County work. Open Meeting Law & Open Records Law: One of the first things you learn as an elected official is that both the "Open Meeting Law" and "Open Records Law" must be followed. If they are not obeyed, county business is in jeopardy and the county could be held liable for illegal acts. As an example, the "Open Meeting Act" was violated when the current County Judge and the Commissioners Court held its weekly meeting. The Texas Tactical Police Officer's Association of Texas, representing law enforcement officers, informed the County Judge of this illegal act and threatened to sue the county. Judge Bynum then nullified this illegal action and backed down. Leadership involves following the law by not putting the county in legal jeopardy. Under my leadership the "Open Records and Meeting Act" would be obeyed.
|
||||
|
|
||||
