At what point does freedom of speech and freedom of petition cross over a line with elected officials? A couple of examples, my opinion below.

Example 1 Ray Reynolds and Michael Honea, without the knowledge of either the Somervell County Hospital District board, and without there being an open meeting at the Somervell County Commissioners level, apparently lobbied on behalf of getting a different taxing subdivision to loan them money to make CO bond payment. (Update: Brian Watts approached Ray Reynolds and Michael Honea regarding this) Odiously, Brian Watts, the county auditor, then apparently polled the commissioners to find out if they would approve of that specific amount, $315,000 and even told Ray Reynolds and Michael Honea what to put on an agenda for a meeting that had yet to occur for Somervell County Hospital District. That meeting notice was filed on Friday, January 29, and cancelled on Tuesday Feb 1. (Reference. Pharper's post on Somervell County Salon yesterday) 

Here's what troubles me about that. The county has a member of the government body polling the commissioners outside of a posted open meeting to get consensus from, as he said "a majority" to pay out a specific amount  to a completely different taxing entity that is not under its control. (To be clear, this would be like the county getting involved in the school board or the water district). To put a fine point on it, this wasn't just "we may have some money, let's discuss"  but a specific amount. On Friday the email from Brian Watts was sent out referencing the previous day, Thursday. No open meeting was scheduled or held at the Commissioners Court level, nor, at the Thursday night meeting of the Somervell County Hospital District, did either Ray Reynolds nor Mike Honea bringup that they had been discussing this with commissioners, thus leaving ALL board members AND the public in the dark. On Friday, Brian sent out the email, and, in that email, to Ray Reynolds and Michael Honea he showed that he was polling commissioners and that the majority of them agreed with a specific amount to be loaned to the hospital. He further told Reynolds and Honea what exactly to put on the hospital district agenda. Why was there behind-the-scenes, with no open meeting in EITHER political venue in which it appears all deliberation about whether something would or could happen, actions taken? Why did Ray Reynolds keep this from the Somervell County Hospital District board? For that matter, doesn't the taxpaying voting public have the right to see business conducted in a meeting? 

Example 2. When Mike Ford was judge, the SR2O people went around and discussed that awful grifter proposal with the commissioners. Now, granted, unlike the county auditor, above, the SR2O people were private individuals who should have the right to petition government, same as you and me. But when the proposal failed in a commissioners county vote, Mike Ford sent a letter to all the commissioners scolding them. The appearance was that the vote would have passed as a surety. 

So here's my point about these 2 examples. Here's how I think this should have happened. Glen Rose Medical Center is hurting for money. Ray Reynolds clearly did not believe that, financially, the hospital had the funds to make the bond payment (this is on that 14.4 million dollar certificate of obligation plus interest passed some years back). Instead of calling an emergency meeting for the Somervell County Hospital District board, which one would expect would certainly oversee such an issue, Reynolds and Honea went to a completely separate taxing political subdivision, the county, to find out if they could get the county to loan them the money to make the bond payment. Brian Watts apparently looked to see if they might have funds available, and then polled the commissioners to see if they would have an issue with doing this to the tune of a specific amount, $315,000. That very night, the Somervell County Hospital District board had its meeting and there was NOTHING about asking the county for a loan. Nothing. COULD the district have added an emergency item to the agenda? Yes. And recall that, despite feeling they had to ASK for this money to bail them out of their bond payment, the hospital board voted to spend over $200,000 to remodel Pecan Plantation clinic and for equipment (There's an irony here, people) . HAD the commissioners court held an open meeting of any type to discuss this probably with paying the bond money especially juxtaposed with spending In Pecan? No. The next open meeting is coming up on Monday January 8. 

The hospital board should have had a meeting in which they discussed going to the county to ask for a loan to pay the bond money. An open meeting in which a voting resolution was held to approach Brian Watts or ask for it to be put on the commissioners agenda, etc. THEN, there should have been a corresponding meeting on the Commissioners side. Instead, there is the appearance of back door deals out of the public eye. (And there is a huge issue about whether in fact the commissioners are legally allowed to, much less should, do a loan to the hospital district. In fact, the county has no responsibility for making those bond payments, except that the bond notes are in the county's name. If the district cannot function on its own without going to the county for help, which has no responsibilty for them, then why is there even a separate taxing district, period? 

More broadly, is this the way that that our government is doing deals, out of the public eye. Although my second example stretches back to when Mike Ford was the judge, I found it completely odious for him to scold the commissioners for not voting his way. The appearance was that he was using a private individual to lobby and persuade to vote for the deal. If the guy was doing it on his own, it would be one thing, but Mike Ford was annoyed that the commissioners didn't vote his way. That looks like a back door deal. 

Now, is there anything wrong with a commissioner or hospital board member or anyone in the public, period, to go talk to anyone they want? Of course not. I as a citizen can talk to any other citizen, to any elected govenrment official, including my husband. And I can express my opinion and even lobby to want to have what I wish would be done happen. Here's Ron Hankins explaining in the Jan 28, 2016 meeting that he hadn't talked to the county judge or Wes (CAD) about the Luminant lawsuit and payments. He could have. 

And here is Brett Nabors saying in a text message in reply to the concerns the Turks had about safety issues at the hospital that he was going to go talk to Ron Hankins and Karen Burroughs about it. 

Who is responsible for ensuring that there is a certain strictness about how business is conducted by government? The responsiblity lies with every public official, on the one hand, as there is a requirement that elected officials take TOMA training. And the responsiblity lies also with us, as citizens who want to go to meetings and KNOW what is happening with our money, to pay attention and be involved.