The most recent meeting of Fannin County Commissioners Court was publicized as a workshop to discuss the precinct system as opposed to hiring a road engineer, but yet another public meeting descended into chaos when Fannin County Judge Newt Cunningham commanded the microphone for the first 8 minutes and 30 seconds and then refused to allow the four commissioners an opportunity to speak.
Cunningham's scheme was to speak first and then to turn the microphone over to a handpicked resident who would support him.
When the four commissioners weren't allowed an opportunity for rebuttal, they walked out en masse.
It is certainly understandable for the county judge to speak first, and no one interrupted Cunningham, but afterward when Pct. 4 Commissioner Doug Kopf tried to speak, Cunningham began yelling, "Sir! Sir!" in hopes of bullying the commissioners into silence.
There are five elected officials in commissioners court and each one of the five deserves an equal opportunity to address the county residents. When Cunningham refused to extend the professional courtesy to allow a rebuttal, it is obvious to this reporter that this was set up to be another dog-and-pony show, with Cunningham performing for an ever-shrinking audience.
The most preposterous moment came when Cunningham, who fought tooth-and-nail for two years to prevent the county from collecting $600,000 from Texas Historical Commission to help pay for the restoration of the courthouse, suggested Wednesday that the money should now be used to pay for a road engineer.
Are county taxpayers ready to shoulder another high-paying administrative salary?
Would that money be better spent acquiring right-of-way to expand narrow, out-of-date county roads?
Are our commissioners cooperating and working together?
Has Cunningham refused to put the county's interest ahead of his ego?
None of these reasonable questions can be addressed until all five members of Fannin County Commissioners Court are allowed an equal opportunity to address the residents who elected them as representatives.
That certainly didn't happen Wednesday.
