The Ellis County Press: Countys 4% pay raise upsets residents

Countys 4% pay raise upsets residents
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Editor on 09/18/2008 10:20:00


JOEY DAUBEN
and MEGAN GRAY
MILFORD - _The Ellis County Press_ has a way of provoking public thought on
policy issues, and that was evident Sunday, Sept. 14 in the southern town of
Milford.
Part of the paper's investigative news team traveled to Milford and voting
Precinct 130 (in 2006, 26 percent of residents gave their vote to Kinky Friedman
in the gubernatorial race) to hand out copies of the paper's Sept. 4 issue that
had county commissioners' 4 percent pay raise story plastered on the front page.
Milford residents were steamed (Heath Sims, one of the three commissioners who
voted for this raise, is seeking a second term against Democrat Jim Schico in
the fall), as were residents in Garrett and Bardwell, whom we visited two weeks
ago.
In an effort to not only increase our readership, this paper is canvassing towns
in each of the four commissioner precincts in hopes of sparking interest in
local government issues.
Forget Obama vs. McCain. The presidential race doesn't have near the effect on
someone's pocketbook like a city council, school board or county commissioner
does.
What neighborhoods should the paper canvass next?
Drop us a line: press@elliscountypress.com.