A former Johnson County commissioner is returning to the court.
Troy Thompson, who served as Precinct 4 commissioner from 1993-2006, was appointed by County Judge Roger Harmon on Tuesday to fill the Precinct 2 position vacated when John Matthews, who resigned last month in the midst of controversy after an audit found questionable purchases on a county credit card.
Thompson, a businessman and owner of Alvarado Pawn Shop, was sworn in by Harmon and will serve until the next general election in 2012. He said he is unsure if he will run.
Harmon said he used certain criteria to make the appointment, which included integrity and moral character, a strong desire to be a public servant, a strong background and experience with budgets and business, experience in city or county government and a conservative approach to budgets and taxing.
“We’re fixing to go into a difficult budget year for the county and I felt like it was extremely important that we have someone fill the position that had the background, and I feel like Troy Thompson certainly meets that criteria,” said Harmon, who added that he vetted or gave cursory consideration to 16 others. “We’ve had our differences. I think that everybody that sits on this court will always have differences sometimes.
“He has a strong background in business. He knows what it’s like to have to make payroll and to make sure that you have enough money coming in to make that payroll. He’s always had a conservative approach to county government.”
Thompson, who has lived in Precinct 2 for seven months (state law requires six months’ residency), knows that there is a tough budget year ahead.
“There were a lot of protests on the tax rolls and I’m not sure were the revenue falls, but I’m looking forward to representing Precinct 2 to the best of my ability and working with the entire commissioners court,” Thompson said.
“I want to focus on the positive things in Precinct 2 and try to be a good conservative voice for the constituents in Precinct 2.”
Thompson has a wife, Lisa, and two children, Todd and Addison.
Thompson takes over for Matthews, who resigned on June 27 after a county audit discovered that a county credit card was used for unauthorized purchases of toilet paper, laundry detergent, pool supplies and other items from a Burleson Home Depot.
A report submitted to the Johnson County Commissioners Court by County Auditor Kirk Kirkpatrick last month stated that a county credit card was used to purchase products, including paper cups, paper towels, laundry detergent, toilet paper, air filters and yard equipment between Oct. 1 and May 31 that were not used in the office Precinct 2, which includes most of Burleson and all of Joshua.
The report also stated that the purchases were made by an unauthorized employee and receipts turned in to the precinct office were unsigned.
Matthews told the Times-Review before his resignation that the purchases, about $1,300 to $1,500, also included small tools and supplies for the construction maintenance facility.
Matthews also said that the products were used at the Burleson sub-courthouse and for the construction maintenance facility.
The report also stated that paper and cleaning supplies were purchased 10 times between October and May, and that pool chemicals were also purchased seven times during that period.
An investigation conducted by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and the Texas Rangers is ongoing.
“I’m really not interested in doing any cleanup,” Thompson said. “There’s a path that all of that is going to take.”
Local News
Related Photos
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Newly appointed Johnson County Precinct 2 Commissioner Troy Thompson is sworn in by Judge Roger Harmon at the Johnson County Courthouse in Cleburne on Tuesday. Steve Knight/Times-Review
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Former county commissioner returning to the court
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