Commissioners tackle decisions about JP office

County politics occupied much of the Donley County Commissioners’ agenda Monday during their regular session.

Judge John Howard said the commissioners’ court focused mainly on the position of the Justice of the Peace of Precincts 1 & 2, driven by the need to confirm the boundaries of those precincts and by JP Pam Mason submitting her resignation last Thursday, effective January 1, 2022.

Howard said the county had considered the possibility of consolidating its two justices of the peace positions into one, but with four people having filed for Mason’s position, the court decided it was in the county’s best interest to keep the two JP positions.

JP 1&2 offices in Clarendon on the Courthouse Square, while JP 3&4 offices in Hedley.
Maintaining the Clarendon JP office, the commissioners also then confirmed the boundaries of the JP precincts, aligning them with the commissioner precinct boundaries already which had already been set, Howard said.

When the JP position becomes vacant in January, commissioners could appoint someone to take Mason’s place, but Howard said the county does not intend to take that action until the voters can have their say in March and could even hold off until May in the case of a run-off election.

“The fair thing to do is leave it vacant and let the voters decide who they want in that position,” he said.

Precinct 3&4 JP Pat White will cover the duties of the Precinct 1&2 JP until it can be filled next year. Whoever is appointed or elected to succeed Mason will have to complete 60 hours of training within a year of taking office, the judge said.

Howard said Mason gave no reason for her decision to resign.

Commissioners also approved new precinct voting lines, eliminating voting locations in Howardwick and in Hedley and creating the option for all four precincts to have ballots cast at the Courthouse. But that decision may not last.

Howard said Tuesday that while he’s been assured that Howardwick residents are fine with voting in Clarendon, some Hedley residents would prefer not to have to drive to the county seat to vote. Also, Howard said the county acted under the incorrect information that they could establish more than one polling place per precinct, which would have allowed Hedley to be accommodated.

Commissioners will now revisit the election precinct lines during a called meeting this Friday at 4 p.m. when they will also consider bids for Courthouse repairs.

The county also approved Mon-day purchasing four Express voting machines at a cost of $16,000, which will largely be paid by grant funds.