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Republican candidates running for everything from
county commissioner to tax assessor-collector
presented themselves to their party Tuesday night at
Collin County Community College.
The North Collin County Republican Women’s
Organization conducted an open forum featuring
candidates running for Precinct 1 and 3
commissioner, Precinct 1, 2, and 3 constable, 380th
Judicial District judge and tax assessor-collector
in the March Republican primary. Precinct 1 Justice
of the Peace Paul Raleeh moderated the forum.
The candidates were given a full minute for their
opening and closing statements and a minute to
respond to pre-written questions posed by
Collin
County
voters. The forum was followed by a meet-and-greet
session where those in attendance could meet the
candidates and ask them questions in person.
Collin County Sheriff Terry Box could not attend the
forum due to prior commitments, Raleeh said.
Precinct 1 commissioner
Incumbent candidate Phyllis Cole said she’s
running for re-election because she wants to
continue the work she and her fellow commissioners
have been doing since they took office. She cited
the jail system and the county’s reduced tax rate
as some of their major accomplishments during her
tenure.
“I’m running on my record,” Cole said.
“I’m very proud of what we have done here in
Collin
County
.”
Her opponent, Douglas Reeves, said he’s running
because he wants to address issues that will come
with the county’s rapid growth and bring stronger
conservative leadership to the commissioners court.
“With the election of (
County
Judge
)
Keith Self, this county started in a new direction,
a conservative, Reagan-esque direction,” Reeves
said. “We need someone to back that up. We need a
more conservative commissioner on the court for
Collin
County
who calls for smaller government, cutting spending
to the bare bones and spending on the core
government functions only.”
Matt Shaheen, another Precinct 1 candidate, said his
goals if elected are to reduce the county’s
property tax rate, strength the Republican Party in
Collin
County
and provide better accountability for commissioners.
“Everybody remembers the silliness with longevity
bonuses, getting bonuses for being elected and the
70 percent pay raises,” Shaheen said. “During
the last budget, commissioners gave themselves a
raise that’s bigger than the one the Democratic
(U.S.) Congress gave themselves, so we need to put
term limits on the commissioners court.”
Precinct 3 commissioner
Incumbent
candidate Joe Jaynes said he and his fellow
commissioners realize the problems that rapid growth
will bring and the chief issues among those problems
will be transportation. Jaynes said the court has
addressed those concerns by funding projects through
a $420 billion bond program without a single
tax-rate increase.
“Transportation is going to be very important,”
Jaynes said. “We’ve got some exciting projects
coming up in the future. Next month, we’ll have
the groundbreaking on the State Highway 121 main
lanes along with SH 121/U.S. 75 interchange. SH 121
is extremely important because it means now we’ll
get funding for U.S. 75.”
His opponent, former Celina Mayor Corbett Howard,
said he feels he has the experience to decrease the
tax rate based on his performance in city government
and to provide the county’s government with a new
vision and style of leadership.
“I’m very proud that for the last five years in
Celina, we have a track record of lowering tax rates
five consecutive years by a total of 20 percent,”
Howard said. “Folks, we need change. We need a new
day on the court and we need a new direction and I
think I can bring that direction with a lifetime of
experience for you.”
380th District judge
Judge Charles Sandoval said during his tenure in
380th District Court, he has used his experience as
a former U.S. Attorney and private practice lawyer
to run an efficient court system that has saved
taxpayers money since the court first opened.
“It’s a very innovative court, and an efficient
court,” Sandoval said. “I handle matters
promptly and judiciously, and I’ve been a lifelong
Republican.”
His opponent, Suzanne Wooten, said she feels her
experience as a trial lawyer with a specialization
in family law and civil litigation makes her an
ideal candidate for the position.
“I’m really looking forward to fulfilling my
duty as a
U.S.
citizen and as a public servant,” Wooten said.
“I really like the opportunity I’m preparing
for, and I believe I can be impartial.”
Constable Precinct 1
Paul Elkins said he brings an extensive 36 years of
experience in law enforcement to the Precinct 1
seat. He also cited his work in the Precinct 1
office under current Constable Jerry Kunkle, who has
kept his department under budget and created more
funds for the taxpayers of the county.
“I’ve worked very hard and put my life on the
line and I’d like to do it for four more years,”
Elkins said.
Billy Lanier also cited his experience with the
Collin County Sheriff’s Office and the numerous
awards and recognitions he has received in service
to his county.
“I want to bring modern law enforcement to the
office with an effective budget and work with the
local agencies,” Lanier said.
Novaline Varner cited her 24 years of experience as
the chief investigator for the Collin County
District Attorney’s Office. She oversaw the
office’s cold case investigative division, which
has solved nine cases that led to 13 convictions,
and their hot check loss prevention unit, which has
recovered about $3 billion for local merchants.
Constable Precinct 2
Billy Meeks said if he is elected to the Precinct 2
post, he will use his years of law enforcement
experience to turn the office into an efficient
agency that provides excellent service and makes the
officers accountable for their work.
“What I want to bring to the office is
proficiency, accountability and efficiency,” Meeks
said. “By doing so, when we put officers in
uniform and marked squad cars and ensure they’re
out there doing the job they need to be doing.
We’ll also do monthly and daily activities reports
so we can be held accountable as law enforcement
officers to that higher standard that we are.”
Precinct 2 Constable Joe Barton did not attend the
forum due to a funeral.
Constable Precinct 3
James DeCoux said he is running for the
constable’s seat because he wants to bring his law
enforcement experience and leadership to provide a
new perspective for the department.
“What I intend to bring to the office is new
blood, new ideas, fresh ideas,” he said. “I will
be held accountable and have deputies held
accountable. I will make our neighborhoods safer and
do whatever we can to bring the office to a new
standard and get away from the old. We want to get
as involved with our communities, even more so, as
the local police departments.”
Charles “Chuck” Presley said he would bring the
experience he gained as a former deputy, captain and
lieutenant for the Collin County Sheriff’s Office,
where he oversaw inmates in the jail and the budget
for the narcotics division.
“I’m a proven supervisor and manager,” he
said. “I would like the opportunity to work for
you as your constable of Precinct 3.”
Tax assessor-collector
Kenneth Maun, the incumbent, said he has worked hard
to turn the county’s tax office into an efficient
and well-run system that not only provides excellent
service, but saves taxpayers from having to pay more
taxes.
“I work to serve,” Maun said. “The goal is
that we serve everyone in the county courteously,
diplomatically and professionally. We make that our
No. 1 priority.”
Karl Voigtsberger, his opponent, said as a
technology professional, he hopes to increase that
level of customer service.
“There’s always room for improvement, especially
in government offices,” Voigtsberger said.
“I’d like to re-engineer the tax office
operation and I’ve been proactive in supporting
tax reform and I intend to keep doing that.”
Contact Danny Gallagher at dgallagher@acnpapers.com.
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