County commissioners wrap up year with last meeting
Stephens County Commissioners handled several end-of-the-year routine matters in what would be the last meeting for three members of the court on Wednesday morning, Dec. 26.
County Judge Gary Fuller, Precinct 2 Commissioner D.C. “Button” Sikes, and Precinct 4 Commissioner Rickie Carr are all set to retire at the end of December. Fuller has served as county judge for 24 years, Sikes as Precinct 2 commissioner for 40 years, and Carr as Precinct 4 commissioner 16 years.
Beginning in January, those positions will be filled by current Justice of the Peace Michael Roach, incoming county judge; Mark McCullough, incoming commissioner precinct 2; and, Eric O’Dell, incoming commissioner precinct 4.
During the meeting, commissioners voted to leave the county-wide burn ban off, set the county’s holiday schedule for 2019, approved several surety bonds for elected officials, and designated which days commissioners court will convene their regular meetings each month in 2019. They also heard from Stephens County Treasurer Sharon Trigg who provided a Treasurer’s Report for October 2018 and an update on Treasurer’s amendments for October 2018.
Meeting days
Commissioners designated the second and fourth Monday of each month in 2019 as their regular meeting day with meetings starting at 9 a.m.
However, commissioners voted to move their regular meeting scheduled for Monday, Jan. 14, to Monday, Jan. 7, because the newly elected county officials will be attending school for training from Jan. 14 to Jan. 17.
2019 County Holiday Schedule
Commissioners approved 12 holidays for county employees in 2019. The holidays are: New Year’s Day, Jan. 1; Presidents’ Day, Feb. 18; Easter (Good Friday), April 19; Memorial Day, May 27; Independence Day, July 4; Labor Day, Sept. 9; Columbus Day, Oct. 14: Veterans Day, Nov. 11; Thanksgiving, Nov. 28 and 29; Christmas, Dec. 25 and 26.
Surety Bonds
Commissioners approved a surety bond for Adam Babilon, constable for Stephens County; two surety bonds for Mark Alan McCullough, commissioner precinct 2, two surety bonds for Eric Eugene O’Dell, commissioner precinct 4; and a surety bond for Michael Roach, County Judge for Stephens County.
Burn Ban
Following the recommendation of Breckenridge Fire Chief Calvin Chaney, commissioners voted to keep the ban off at this time. Chaney said because of the weather the area has had recently he recommended just leaving it off.
He said they had not had any wildfires and had had two house fires in the county in the past few days, both of which were minor.
Current and outgoing commissioners pose for a group shot following Wednesday’s meeting. Pictured are: front row, from left, Ed Russell, Precinct 1 Commissioner; Gary Fuller, outgoing County Judge; Rickie Carr, outgoing Precinct 4 Commissioner; back row, outgoing Precinct 2 Commissioner D.C. “Button” Sikes and Precinct 3 Commissioner Will Warren. (Photo by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan)
Story by Tony Pilkington/Breckenridge Texan
Cutline, top photo: County commissioners take a vote during their last meeting for 2018. There will be a new county judge and two new county commissioners on the court beginning in January following the retirement of County Judge Gary Fuller and County Commissioners D.C. “Button” Sikes and Rickie Carr. (Photo by Tony Pilkington)
Help support the Breckenridge Texan’s local news coverage mission
The Breckenridge Texan, a non-profit news outlet serving Breckenridge and Stephens County, Texas, has launched its annual NewsMatch fundraising campaign, running through Dec. 31, 2024.
As a non-profit news outlet, the Breckenridge Texan depends on donations, in addition to ad sales, to fund daily operations, including website costs, freelance writers, and basic office expenses. The organization aims to raise $4,000, which could be tripled to $12,000 through various matching programs, including the NewsMatch program and the Rural Partner Fund, which is supported by several major foundations.
Founded in 2017 by journalists Tony Pilkington and Carla McKeown, the Breckenridge Texan provides daily local news coverage, weekly newsletters, photo galleries, a community calendar, and obituaries. The outlet serves both local residents and people outside the community seeking information about Breckenridge and Stephens County, including potential new residents and businesses. They chose the non-profit structure to maintain local control of news coverage while minimizing the financial burden on the community.
In addition to regular news coverage, the Breckenridge Texan also offers:
A weekly newsletter that delivers a roundup of recent stories via email every Monday
Photo galleries from local events
A Calendar of Events, which lists upcoming community activities
Local obituaries
And more
Donations can be made through the Breckenridge Texan website’s donate page, the NewsMatch campaign page, or by mail to Breckenridge Texan, P.O. Box 1228, Breckenridge, Texas 76424. The organization operates under the fiscal sponsorship of the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN), which is the name that will appear on donation billing statements.
If you believe local news is important and love the work we’re doing, please contribute today!
Click here to make a donation.
Thank for your support.
Make a donation
