Orange County’s Town Hall meeting appeared to be a success Tuesday night. Citizens filled the Commissioners Courtroom for an opportunity to question, vent, or just talk to the elected leaders of county government. Over a dozen citizens commented to the Commissioners Court during the two-hour Town Hall gathering.
One of the first to speak was Bill Bradley of Pinehurst. He has lived in Orange County since 1955. Bradley started by asking what is wrong with Orange County that it cannot seem to get the businesses, industry, or infrastructure improvements that neighboring counties like Jefferson County get. In conclusion Bradley had a suggestion for the Court, “I think we have three choices. Either let Jefferson County take us in, Louisiana take us in, or you guys get on the stick and get something done.”
In addition to several comments about economic development in the county other topics touched on were the Loop 299 project around Vidor, the cutting of employee benefits at the courthouse, and the perceived divisions in the county. Among those speaking were Vidor Mayor Robert Viator and Johnny Trahan who will become the Commissioner in Precinct One in January.
At the end of the meeting County Judge Brint Carlton said he was pleased with the turnout and the input from the citizens. The judge suggested holding night sessions for Commissioners Court possibly once a month. Alternate venues were mentioned for future night court sessions such as the Expo Center or in Vidor. Carlton indicated, “Maybe we’ll have a Town Hall out in Vidor one of these months.”
During the Commissioners Court meeting before the Town Hall meeting the Court approved spending about $560 for a new nativity scene to go on the courthouse lawn. It will replace a more than 20-year old nativity scene that had several broken parts.
The Commissioners approved Rene Bates Auctioneers to handle the county’s on-line auction of surplus items. The auction will be held from October 31 to November 10.
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