Taxpayers Alliance for Good Government

Taxpayers Alliance for Good Government (TAGG)
The countywide citizen group will meet Tuesday, May 8 at 7 p.m. at the Waxahachie Civic Center to discuss – among other things – the $53 million county facilities bond package. Speakers are being lined up; at least one representative from the Friends of Ellis County PAC, the pro-bond group, has said they will be there to answer questions about the election.

TAGG
Tuesday, May 8
7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Waxahachie Civic Center
http://tagg.4t.com
469-337-0405

Invitations have also been sent to Texas Eagle Forum’s Cathie Adams and Americans For Prosperity’s Peggy Venable.

County Facilities Bond Campaign Updates
Exclusive: Waxahachie police were called to investigate the numerous vote “Yes” signs that have been disappearing from business owners’ property. The story goes, and reportedly, the Waxahachie Daily Light is about to run with something on this, that members of TAGG have been successful in getting business owners and managers to take their Yes signs down due to the “$53 million tax increase” that those signs “support.” As it turns out, permission was given for the signs to be taken down, but that didn’t stop attempts to get this practice stopped (even the Texas Ethics Commission said it was a property rights issue).

And if anyone is curious to know where the city council candidate directly affected by this bond package stands, here’s a quote you folks can use: “We can ask a bank to finance our new house, but the bank would want every shred of documentation before handing out that kinda money; why should government be any different?” Note that I don’t oppose the facilities, I really and honestly have major issues with how this is being presented to the public. Before our county asks for a cent, we should at least know what the buildings will look like, and where the location of said buildings will be constructed. “And when I am on the city council, I will fight every attempt to use eminent domain on any property owner in the area our county and city wants to construct these buildings.”

TAGG
Tuesday, May 8
7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Waxahachie Civic Center
http://tagg.4t.com
469-337-0405

Stolen Signs

Ken Chambers, a city council candidate, is missing a few yard signs. They were all on private property, the campaign said.

I know first-hand about this. Back when I was running for Midlothian school board in 2003, residents of Lake Grove spotted — I’m not making this up — a kid wearing an Easter bunny costume piling up a bunch of Joey Dauben signs into a pile near the lake. Never found the identity to the Easter bunny.

And in 2002, when Scott Kurth was running for court at law No. 2 in the GOP primary, some kids that appeared before his courtroom (Kurth is a former JP candidate and current Red Oak/DeSoto city judge) spray painted his very expensive signs.

Anyway, if anyone knows the whereabouts of Chambers’ signs, please contact him: ken-dianechambers@texasairnet.com

Ellis County History Lessons

Ellis County History Lessons
Ever wonder who our past county clerk was? Or what about the previous county commissioners before the hilarious Jerry Holland, D-Ennis? Well, now you know:

County Judge
Bruce Allen (1946)
James Mulkey (1948)
Lem Wray (49 – 54)
Milton Hartsfield (55 – 74)
Joe Grubbs (75 – 82)
Al Scoggins (83 – 84)
Connie McGuire (85 – 86)
Jas. Blakemore (1987)
Penny Redington (88 – 94)
Al Cornelius (95 – 01)
Chad Adams (02 – present)

40th District Judge
A.R. Stout (46 – 68)
Bruce Allen (69 – 74)
Milton Hartsfield (75 – 86)
Gene Knize (87 – present)

378th District Judge
Al Scoggins (95 – present)

County Court-at-Law No. 1
Joe Grubbs (83 – 84)
Al Scoggins (86 – 94)
Carol Bush (95 – 96)
Bob Carroll (97 -present)
*Greg Wilhelm (*begins unexpired term May 1)

County Court-at-Law No. 2
Gene Calvert (2002 – present)

Commissioner Precinct 1
Grover Ranton (1946)
Glynn Luther (49 – 52)
Jack Risinger (53 – 81)
David Jones (82 – 88)
James Harper (89 – 96)
Hallie Joe Robinson (97 – 2001)
Dennis Robinson (2002 – present)

Commissioner – Precinct 2
E.J. Kendall (1946)
W.T. Munn (1948)
E.J. Kendall (49 – 57)
Mrs. E.J. Kendall (58 – 60)
Johnny Evarts (61 – 66)
R.L. Christian (67 – 68)
Johnny Evarts (1969)
Alex Kasper (70 – 74)
Harry Burden (75 – 81)
Don Johnson (82 – 86)
Ron Gillespie (87 – 90)
Jerry Holland (91 – 01)
Larry Jones (2002 – 2005)
Bill Dodson (2006 – present)

Commissioner – Precinct 3
Will Jarrett (1946)
Horace McCain (48 – 49)
Charles McLaughlin (50 – 53)
C.W. Wimbish (54 – 68)
P.L. Rollins (69 – 84)
J.B. Sims (85 – 88)
Del McLane (89 – 92)
Connie Doyle (93 – 96)
Charles Waller (97 – 00)
Jackie Miller (2001 – 2003)
Heath Sims (2004 – present)

Commissioner – Precinct 4
DeWitt McDonald (1946)
Harry Forbes (1948)
DeWitt McDonald (49 – 52)
Roy Cowart (53 – 57)
Mrs. Roy Cowart (1958)
C.W. Ralston (59 – 78)
Albert Baucum (81 – 86)
Cliff Wammack (87 – 90)
Ron Brown (91 – present)

Sheriff
Jess Cariker (46 – 48)
E.B. White (49 – 56)
Wayne McCollum (57 – 76)
Barney Boyd (77 – 88)
John Gage (89 – 96)
Ray Stewart (97 – present)

County Attorney
C.C. Randle (1946)
Stuart Lumpkins (49 – 54)
Bruce Allen (55 – 68)
Ward Casey (69 – 71)
Gene Knize (72 – 86)
Mary Lou Shipley (87 – 94)
Joe Grubbs (95 – present)

Auditor
William Davis (46 -73)
Doris York (74 -76)
Allie Venable (77 – 81)
Yvonne Odom (82 – 97)
Mike Navarro (98 – present)

Treasurer
Brevard Templeton (46 – 62)
Frances Phillips (64 – 90)
Theata White (1991)
Mark Price (92 – 02)
Ron Langenheder (02-06)
Greg Wilhelm (06 – 07)
*Judy Burden (appointed to fill Wilhelm’s unexpired term)

Tax Collector
W.A. Lyon (46- 48)
Tom Craig (49 – 52)
W.C. Ralston (53 – 60)
Roger Tate (61 – 68)
Ernest Allen (69 – 70)
Joe Merritt (1971)
Bettye Meador (72 – 90)
Carol Calvert (91 – 97)
John Bridges (98 -present)

County Clerk
Louin Martin (1946)
Joe Thompson (1948)
Charles Huff (49 – 74)
Faye Washington (75 – 90)
Cindy Polley (91 – present)

District Clerk
Jake Talley (46 – 57)
Mrs. Jake Talley (59 – 66)
W.D. Price (67 – 73)
Raymond O’Daniel (74 – 82)
Gayle Simpson (83 – 86)
Billie Fuller (87 – 2005)
Melanie Price-Reed (2006 – present)

No need to thank me. These records are available at the county clerk’s office, but because I’m a local history buff, I had to compile them all in a blog format.

Now if we could just find out who Ellis County’s congressional representatives have been before Phil Gramm and Joe Barton. And no, I do not believe it would have been my distant cousin, Leslie Hackler, who ran as a Democrat for Congress in the 50s; his was mostly a Dallas County district (he was on a first-name basis with judges Barefoot Sanders, Sarah T. Hughes, the Hunt – as in oil – family, etc.) Hackler, who was originally from Ovilla actually, lost by a 60-40% margin, if my relatives are correct. (he later ran for district judge)

If anyone has any Justice of the Peace or Constable information from before World War II to now, please send that to: elliscountyobserver@hotmail.com.

Republican or Democrat?
Now if folks know what party those that have been listed were members of, that would be very interesting to know as well.

Write-In: Sam Hartson

Sam Hartson is a write-in candidate for Midlothian City Council, Place 4. As in, Hartson of the Midlothian High School boys basketball team head coach; there is a relation in there somewhere.

And from the looks of the signs around town, Hartson and council candidate Ken Chambers are running as a team.