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Updated Monday, February 08, 2010 9:32 PM
Grayson commissioners seek qualifications for bond counsel
BY JERRIE WHITELEY
HERALD DEMOCRAT
SHERMAN -- Grayson County commissioners decided Monday to request qualifications for bond counsel and financial services experts to help the county sell $20 million in bonds needed to renovate the county's jail.
Last week, commissioners called for a bond election to be held in May.
Commissioners made the decision after a lengthy discussion in which several county leaders suggested going with the same professionals who have helped the county do bond work in the past.
Trent Bass addressed commissioners and asked them to go public in their search for bond counsel, and commissioners agreed to do so. Grayson County Purchasing Agent Jeff Schneider told commissioners it will take approximately three weeks for those requests for qualifications to result in a selection of professionals the commissioners can use to pick bond counsel.
Grayson County Judge Drue Bynum wondered if that would leave enough time to go ahead and get the bond election underway in time to hold it in May. Bass reminded him that the county has until mid March to complete the steps to go forward with the bond election, and Bynum said he guessed that would leave enough time.
However, he noted, the worst thing that could happen is the county has to put the bond election off until the fall.
Some in the audience seemed to like that idea. Dr. Stanley Knuckles urged commissioners to put together a citizen's group to help pull together the information that local residents will need to make an informed decision about the jail bond. He said that is the way bond elections have been won in the past.
Knuckles also urged commissioners to drop their plans to have the bond election in the spring and move it back to the fall. He said doing so will give people more time to make an informed decision and it will save the county money. He also urged county to look at pretrial release programs to reduce the number of people in the county jail.
In addition, commissioners also:
- declared culverts as surplus for sale at auction;
- declared holiday lights displays as surplus for trade;
- set equipment rates for 2010;
- accepted county ownership and maintenance of right-of-way of Well Road and Chiles Lane in Precinct 4.
 Comments ... 6 found!
Hate : 2/12/2010
No, I hate no one. Do not mistake holding politicians feet to the fire for hate. Now days if you disagree with government you are a hater? I guess some would think our founding fathers were haters. By the way yes I was used by the democrats, and some republicans, not all republicians. Some are dear friends. Angry, yes some what, our apathy stinks, lieing politicians are destroying our country. We all should be angry. Pray, then go vote. And yes I am still writing P. T. Bird in for County Judge as a protest vote for none of the above category in the County Judge race. CJH thanks for mentioning how I was used but call me and I can explain why I am not a hater.
MARK WASHBURN
enough is enough : 2/9/2010
Mr. Washburn has been used and abused by the republican party. They used him for a few elections playing off his disablity. Who would attack a disabled person? The republicans eventually show themselves and turn on people... there is along list of candidates who they disguarded and dumped.
Mr. Washburn is full of hate and anger, that is what the republicans wanted. I hope the republicans are happy with what they created, you gave him crediabilty and a platform.
CJH
no crediability : 2/9/2010
The County Judge has no crediability on this issue. He has mislead and lied so much that I cannot trust anything he says.
The Court does need to sell the "buy in" to the citizens but each member of the current court is so corrupt and unethical that the people have no trust in them.
tea party vote in 2010
jail bond : 2/9/2010
We do not need to raise taxes to build or fix the jail, We could have gotten it done without a tax hike.
The pre-trial release is not up to the commissioners court. The District Judges, Adult Probation, District Attorney and Sheriff make those decisions. The steps are in place if we have someone who qualifies. Most of the people who qualify can bond out, so it is really not a problem. Get the election over with, the sooner the better. Vote no to a tax hike.
je
Turn them loose. : 2/9/2010
Dr. Knuckles is a liberal progressive requesting us to turn loose criminals to save money. It would cost more money to keep up with the pre-trail criminal than to lock them up. Like when a child sex offender and a drug dealer is arrested, turn him/her loose and they are innocent until convicted, yeah sure, first offense is acctually first time caught. Oh just write a pot smoker a ticket and let him/her drive off stoned until they run over and kill someone.
Solution, Arizona Maracopia County. Tents not luxury pods with work out equipment. Treat the prisoners like our soldiers in a war zone. Make them wear pink. Only TV they see is religious TV channels. Bible study replaces gym work out time. Feed them k-rations.
Back to Dr. Knuckles, he told me in 1982 that if the USA done away with nuke weapons Russia and China would do away with their nuke weapons and cave into public opinion of a no nuke world. Yeah sure like East Germany and Timinon Square. Communism failed in Europe, and will fail in China and Cuba when we stand up to them and stop supporting them.
Stop crime by standing up to the criminals, by punishing criminals not pandering to criminals.
As for the jail bond issue, wait and see, Bynum's Boondoggle goes on. I am still writing in P. T. Bird election time.
MARK WASHBURN
jail bond : 2/9/2010
LETS GET IT OVER WITH THE MAY ELECTION IS FINE. THE PRE-TRIAL RELEASE EVERYONE KEEPS TALKING ABOUT IS NOT UP THE COMMISSIONERS, THOSE PROGRAMS ARE IN PLACE. THE DISTRICT JUDGES HAVE TO MAKE THE DECISION TO RELEASE SOMEONE ON PRE-TRIAL RELEASE. IF THEY QUALIFY FOR THAT PROGRAM THEY CAN BOND OUT. ANY TAX RATE HIKE IS TO HIGH, VOTE NO TO RAISING TAXES.
JE
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