Why did commissioners abdicate responsibility?

Posted: Monday, February 2, 2015 10:08 pm

From the Conroe Courier

To the editor:

For those who may not know, commissioners courts in Texas act as both legislative and executive branches of government for the county. Besides emergency management and facilitating the commissioners court meetings, county commissioners and the county judge are equal in terms of authority. The five – one judge and four commissioner – must act as a body to make decisions on any countywide restructuring plan, which is budgetary in nature; all five, I repeat, all five, should act as a single body.

Yet, in the last meeting of the Montgomery County Commissioner Court, three commissioners – Mike Meador, Charlie Riley and Jim Clark – voted to give up that authority to one man, the county judge. This vote clearly amounts to Congress giving up its authority to President Obama. This vote erodes the very foundation of the checks and balances needed in or government today.

Now I understand that the county needs to be more effective and efficient; I understand that goal and I am very supportive of such actions. However, this county restructuring plan should be up to the five-member body as a whole, not just one man. These are significant budgetary issues that deserve to be debated in open court – not left to the political whims of one man. Further, for three commissioners to abdicate their given responsibility to one man amounts to tyranny and disenfranchisement of each citizen in their perspective precincts.

I truly believed when I left office two years ago and moved here to Montgomery County that I moved to a county that also embraced government as it should properly function. I now have reason to question that.

As a former two-term county commissioner, and an author, I want to say to my Commissioner, Riley, whom I have unsuccessfully tried to reach by phone: Don’t willingly offer up your authority or responsibilities to the county judge. Place the issue back on the agenda and rescind that vote. Don’t disenfranchise the voters of Precinct 2 during this county restructuring. If you are willing to give up our vote on this issue, what else are you willing to abdicate?

Gregory Parker, PhD (ABD), MPA

Gregory Parker is a former Comal County commissioner. He holds a Masters of Public Administration, open coursework from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Energy Economics, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration, ABD. He is also the author of the book “Global Warming … Really?” which was chosen “book of the week” by the Conservative Monitor.