Local candidates share ideas at GOP forum

More than 50 people braved forecast winter weather to listen to seven candidates for county offices.
The Scurry County Republican Party held a candidate forum for the four candidates running for two county commission seats and three candidates running for sheriff.
The commission candidates took the stage first. Incumbents Shawn McCowen, Pct. 3, and Terry Williams, Pct. 1, were joined by challengers Dennis Poole, Pct. 3, and Bob May, Pct. 1.
During the sheriff’s portion, during which candidates drew more clear distinctions between themselves, incumbent Trey Wilson was joined on stage by challengers Jeanette Pritchard and Raymond Guzman.
County chairman Drew Bullard served as moderator.
When asked about the single quality that would help them in office, Williams said it was his love of research. 
“I was the first one in the courthouse to order a computer,” he said. “That’s where you can do an incredible amount of research.”
That was a theme he referred back to several times during the forum.
McCowen referenced his career as a farmer, and his “ability to go find the best field. You have to go out and find it.” 
He said it was the same when it comes to supporting the local community.
Poole said he is deliberate in how he approaches decisions. 
“I don’t make snap decisions when I’m spending other people’s money,” he said.
May said he had the ability to work with other people and the importance of working with taxpayers and citizens to get their input on priorities.
Bullard asked about quality of life programs and departments being placed on the chopping block recently, rather than looking at across the board spending cuts.
May said he was glad 2,500 people had voted, but disappointed another 7,000 had not. He said during the rollback process he didn’t understand why departments were targeted and felt that spending could be cut across the board.
Williams blamed the closings not on the tax rate, but on Kinder Morgan, which has withheld $1.4 million in property tax payments while it protests its valuations.
“Could you shrink every budget? Craig Merritt said he would. He tried. He looked. He couldn’t find it,” Williams said.
McCowen said he’d done the same thing, and didn’t find wasteful spending.
“When I took office, I was like Mr. Merritt,” he said. “I tried. I looked. I could it find it.”
Poole said that even though small county offices sometimes have the greatest impact, he felt that across the board cuts could have been made in the courthouse to protect quality of life programs.
When asked about creating some kind of a “lockbox” for reserves, McCowen was the only one that offered a specific plan, saying he’d require a 5-0 vote to tap into reserves during an emergency.
Poole and May said the reserves were depleted over several years and would take time to rebuild, and that it would require belt tightening.
Williams said he had researched the dwindling reserves and warned commissioners in 2016 that the reserve funds were being depleted. He said at that point he began voting against what he’s described as frivolous spending.
When it comes to unfunded mandates, McCowen and Williams said citizens need to join them and speak with legislators to reduce the number of mandates or to provide state funding to meet them. 
“The only way to deal with it is to talk to legislators,” McCowen said. 
“Other states have changed their constitutions,” to ban unfunded mandates, Williams said. “Speak to your representative. Talk to your senator.”
May and Poole said the mandates were a fact of life and would require the county to be smarter about its spending.
“Cutting where we can and being as conservative as we can be, maybe that will loosen up some money,” Poole said. 
May said the 3.5 percent rollback rate adopted by the state legislature will be difficult to overcome. 
“You have to watch your spending, tighten your belt and save for it,” he said. 
Each candidate was given the opportunity to answer questions for a candidate Q&A that will appear in this weekend’s edition of the Snyder Daily News.