Logo

Commissioners approve resolutions

Write a comment
Star InactiveStar InactiveStar InactiveStar InactiveStar Inactive
 

                               JASON CHLAPEK I PCE Polk County commissioners meet Tuesday morning at the Polk County Courthouse.

By Jason Chlapek

Polk County commissioners approved a quartet of resolutions during the first commissioners court of March Tuesday morning at the Polk County Courthouse.

The resolutions pertain to the 87th Texas Legislative Session. The resolutions that commissioners approved were an opposition to prohibit county lobbying, an opposition to reduce the number of appellate courts, the support of county road grant funds and the support of increased funding for rural public transit.

“Removing appellate courts would require our residents to travel further,” Polk County Judge Sydney Murphy said. “There’s not an appellate court close to us. If someone is going through the appeals process, they would have to drive a long distance and pay for a hotel, whereas people who live close to an appellate court can just drive, do their thing and come back. The expense to rural Texas will be higher if they consolidate these appellate courts. If you look at some of the transit in larger counties such as Angelina or Nacogdoches, they have regular routes. In Polk County, it would be beneficial to our residents if we had a regular route.”

There are 14 appellate courts in Texas, and Polk County falls under the jurisdictions of the 9th Court of Appeals in Beaumont. The other Courts of Appeals are located in Houston (1st, 14th), Fort Worth (2nd), Austin (3rd), San Antonio (4th), Dallas (5th), Texarkana (6th), Amarillo (7th), El Paso (8th), Waco (10th), Eastland (11th), Tyler (12th) and Corpus Christi (13th).

Commissioners also approved an action relating to Precinct 1 Constable Scott Evans participating in the US Department of Justice Equitable Sharing Program.

“He has been participating all along in different investigations,” Murphy said. “It depends on which law enforcement agency is involved. We’ve already moved some of the offices there.”

Murphy also commented on Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s decision to open businesses to full capacity and lift the mask mandate. Those went into effect Wednesday.

“We have given all of our staff members the option of wearing a mask,” Murphy said. “We’re not asking anyone to mask, and we’re not asking anyone to unmask. We’re also asking people to be cautious and smart. Don’t go around hugging strangers. Let’s be logical about this. We have a strong vaccination program going on and we need maintain that for people who want to receive the vaccine. The majority of business owners that I’ve talked to are planning to open to full capacity. It’s at their discretion.”

Say something here...
symbols left.
You are a guest
or post as a guest
Loading comment... The comment will be refreshed after 00:00.

Be the first to comment.

Polk County Publishing Company