The Nocona News (Nocona, Tex.), Vol. 102, No. 36, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 14, 2008 Page: 9 of 14
This newspaper is part of the collection entitled: Montague County Area Newspaper Collection and was provided to The Portal to Texas History by the Friends of the Nocona Public Library.
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Thursday, February 14, 2008, The Nocona News, Page 9
Sheriff's forum Q&A
Continued from Page 3
locking our cars, and although
we know we can't get back to
that I would like to get it where
it's safe for our children to walk
in the streets without having to
worry about drugs and things
like that," he added.
Question - What are you
going to do differently than
what's being done now?
Neff - "I definitely believe
we need to work with the com-
missioners not against them.
And we need to, and when I say
we, I'm including Montague
County in it, the sheriff can't do
it by himself, regardless of who
the sheriff is.
"There are some ways to
save the money people's talking
about. In the commissioner's
court in the news all the time
you see about overtime in the
jail, there are some things that
can be done looked at that can
be corrected about that.
Personal services contracts
relating to time. We need to
look at different things as
opposed to saying this is the
way it's been and this is the way
it's going to stay. We don't need
to keep it the way it's been, and
the way it's going to stay. We
need to make it better now so
that we don't have this these run
ins with these problems with the
commissioners . . . and avoid
being controversial so to
speak."
*Robert "Bob" Blackburn
started in law
enforcement
"in 1993, the
Nocona Police
Department
was kind
enough to
sponsor me,"
he explained.
He worked
for that depart-
ment for five years before going
to the Saint Jo Police
Department where he was a ser-
geant and later chief of police.
He then worked as the Sunset
Chief of Police for almost three
years before being employed by
the Bowie Police Department
almost six years ago.
A patrol officer, he has a spe-
cial assignment as a school
resources officer. "When you
ask me how many kids I have, I
say I have 1,400 kids," he told
the audience.
"If I get elected I am going to
create partnerships with the
schools, other departments. If
you don't make partnerships,
then you'll start going down the
drain," he noted.
Question -If elected and
you receive a 'cow out' call.
How would you handle it?
Blackburn — "I had a good
friend lost a child to a cow out
call, was 16-17 at the time. All
sheriffs' cars should come with
standard equipment, fencing
tools, a roll of baling wire or
barbed wire, a 5 gallon pail full
of cubes. They'll follow you
back in the hole they came out
of. Plug the hole.
"If you drive off and leave it
there you're inviting a calami-
ty," he concluded.
Question -"Can you do any-
thing to speed up the judicial
process?"
Blackburn - "I hope I can
answer this for you by saying
m]
|Ti |
u
this. Cases are put together from
the time the call comes in. If
their cases are done correctly
and thoroughly, that is part of
the speedy process. If you're the
one's responsible for slowing
down the bus ... be responsible
for their part."
*Ronnie Reynolds has lived
in the Forestburg area almost all
of his life.
"I believe
we need a sher-
iff that works
well with peo-
ple," he said
outlining his
idea of the per-
son holding
that office.
"We need a
sheriff that has experience with
good community relations. We
need a sheriff that has a proven
record with stability.
"Our sheriff should have
extensive law enforcement
experience. Our sheriff should
have many years experience.
Our sheriff should have many
years training and developing
law enforcement employees.
"We need a sheriff who has
the experience and the right per-
sonality to successfully do the
job," he said.
He also brings almost 30
years of law enforcement expe-
rience, including 20 years in
police supervision and 12 of that
as a training coordinator for the
University of North Texas
Police Department.
"I trained officers how to be
good police officers. I have
extensive experience in good
community coordination. I've
learned working with young
adults. I've worked for UNT for
28 years. What I believe we
need is a sheriff that has experi-
ence, personality and proven
record of stability," he said.
Question - "If elected how
would you improve relations
between commissioner's court
and yourself."
Reynolds - "I think that just
comes along being level headed
and work with people. I under-
stand you have X number of
dollars.
"The way to approach some-
thing, rather than saying I need
this, we have to have that. I
would rather approach it one
step at a time.
"Use the word 'we' instead
of 'I.' This is what we need.
This is what the citizens need.
And if there's anyway we can
figure out how to do this. If the
answer is 'no,' then the answer
is no. But we have to learn to
work together. How about reor-
ganization? Move things from
here over to here. The old say-
ing you get more flies with
honey. Take the time to work
with people.
* "We bought property here
in 1985, got to move up here in
96," said Sheriff Keating. (We)
got tired of the
rat race moved
to Montague
County. Saw a
need. Ran for
the job, and I
got it.
"A lot of
you in this
room support-
ed me then, and I'm asking for
the support again. I appreciate
Early Vot ng Now
Underway for March 4th
Party Pri mares
at the Montague County
Clerk's Office
In Montague through
February 29th
every one of you whether you
supported me or not. If you call
at 3 o'clock in the morning, I'll
be there. Some you have called.
I have established a 24 hour
control I maintain that patrol. I
maintain a $1.7 million dollar
budget for this fiscal year and
have not exceeded the budget
for the three years I've been in
office.
"I have a government finance
officer association awards from
when I was in city management.
I have a master peace officer's
license. I have an instructor's
license. I can bore you to death
with my credentials. I've got the
experience. I'm giving it to you
now.
"Money constraints are
everywhere in government. I'm
not a department head, I'm an
office holder. I have two depart-
ments in my office. One is the
sheriffs operations which is the
outside deputies and two is the
jail.
"You candidates get a grip.
You're going to get law suits.
You're going to get grandmas,
moms, dads, granddads scream-
ing at you because their boy is
getting what they want.
"Tax dollars are short.
Commissioners have an awe-
some responsibility in dolling
that out. I disagree with a large
contingency. I think that's a big
rip off of the people, but that
comes from my city manager's
experience of 15 years and my
community management expe-
rience. My outside auditors said
pick a number elected body and
stick to it, not a percentage.
"We have FEMA. We have
the governor's office is disaster
strikes. We had one strike a cou-
ple of years ago in Ringgold.
Who paid for that? FEMA.
Who's, still paying for it?
FEMA the governor's office.
"Folks if it's not broke don't
fix it. Most of my supporters tell
me it's not broke," he conclud-
ed.
Question —-Who will pay for
Montague County's K9 $30-
40.000 bill?
Keating — "We don't have a
$30-40,000 bill. I don't know
where that comes from.
"We have a deputy who has
filed suit against the county, and
that has yet to be adjudicated.
Ex-deputy I might add."
Question We have heard
inmates have been seen carrying
political signs from the jail to
deputy's vehicles for distribu-
tion. Could there be any truth to
this? And if this has been done
without your knowledge what
will you do about it?
Keating - "First of all I'd like
to know whose political signs
they are.
"You know I heard Martians
landed near Forestburg. Ain't
happening. Don't think it will. If
it does we'll address it."
Question - "When I am in
Montague I often see prisoners
outside the jail without supervi-
sion. Will prisoners be continu-
ously monitored?
Keating — We have two out-
side prisoners. Those are the
only prisoners that have a range
outside without supervision.
(They) do all of the maintenance
on the jail building. They do all
the maintenance they are able to
do on the vehicles. They save
the citizens of this county a lot
of money.
"As for them leaning inside
vehicles, if that is reported that
will be stopped. I haven't per-
sonally seen it
"Those prisoners that are out
picking trash on the highways
like I promised have a guard
with them.
"If anyone here sees one of
the inmates doing something out
of the way or one of deputies
that way, call us and we'll do
something about it. If I were
aware of it, it wouldn't be hap-
pening."
Question — "The county
pays the same throughout the
different departments for
instance courthouse, precinct
barns, JP offices, sheriffs and
jails why's the turnover rate
higher in your department than
these other offices?"
Keating - "I don't know if it
is higher. There is a difference
in the offices. It's always been
high in the jail because of the
nature of the job. I believe the
people do a distinctly different
job than the other employees
and should be compensated for
it. I have made that request each
year in budget presentation and
will continue.
"My dad was a road hand he
would be the first to say its
highly different job. The pay
Please See "Forum" Page 13
2008 Political Calendar
The Following Cnadidates have authorized the Nocona News
to publicized their candidacy for public office.
CONSTABLE PC I . 1
Fred Castle
Pd.Pol. Adv. by Fred Castle, 410 9th
St., Nocona, Texas.
Scott D. Parker
Pd.Pol. Adv. by Scott D. Parker,
218 Hilcrest Dr., Nocona, Texas.
COUNTY ATTORNEY
Jeb McNew
Pd.Pol. Adv. by Jeb McNew, 407
Sherman St., Nocona, Texas.
SHERIFF
Paul Cunningham
Pd.Pol. Adv. by Kelly McNabb, treas-
urer, P.O. Box 342, Nocona, Texas.
James Glen Neff
Pd.Pol. Adv. by James Glenn Neff
for Sheriff, P.O. Box 1772, Bowie,
Texas.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
Jack McGaughey
Pd.Pol. Adv. by Jack A. McGaughey,
P.O. Box 307, Nocona, Texas..
£
Come
and celebrate
John and Fern Murphey's 50th Anniversary
Join us for food, fellowship & a rooting too tin1 good time!
Saturday, February 16,6:00 p.m.
Womack's home; 1348 SH175, Nocona
1 mile south of the Rodeo Grounds
Contact: 825-6110 for more information.
* Your presence is the only gift required.
We're goin' back 50 years in time
to the Louisiana Hay Ride
where John & Fern honeymooned
back in 1958.
If you have a guitar, a banjo,
anything with a set of strings —
bring it and we will make music 'til
the cows come home.
wmi
■
m
eMi it
u
m
m
11
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Mesler, Tracy R. & Mesler, Linda L. The Nocona News (Nocona, Tex.), Vol. 102, No. 36, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 14, 2008, newspaper, February 14, 2008; Nocona, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth439250/m1/9/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Friends of the Nocona Public Library.