Subscribe Love

Lavon resident joins primary race

by | Dec 9, 2021 | Latest

A Lavon man has thrown his hat in for the upcoming primaries, where he will seek the Democratic nomination for Collin County judge.

Josh Murray said he is understanding of those with differing political views, and he is empathic to their concerns but added that he thinks Collin County can’t continue to have a government that is not representative of the county’s demographic makeup.

To continue improving and preparing for growth, says Murray, government leaders must understand what is needed, which requires listening.

Murray, 36, grew up in Garland and joined the U.S. Army at 20, where he served as a cavalry scout.

He married his high school sweetheart, with whom he has three children. After serving for nine years, including two tours in Iraq and one in Afghanistan, Murray medically retired from the military and returned to Texas.

Murray began active in county-level politics during the pandemic and began attending Collin County Commissioners Court meetings in January 2020.

When the vaccination rollout was in the works, he was concerned because he wasn’t confident in the commissioners court emergency management response.

Murray said he also knew the county needed to address issues within the jail, primarily concerning entry-level officer pay, which was only $41,000 per year. Murray didn’t think the salary was sufficient to recruit and train quality personnel for the position. He said the pay is not enough to afford a one-bedroom apartment in Collin County.

“If you look back, Sheriff Skinner, since he came into office, has had issues with staffing,” Murray said. “A contributing factor in that is compensation.”

Throughout attending commissioners court meetings, he said he continually looked for ways to help by speaking during public hearings.

He said he informed the court they didn’t have the proper resources to receive the vaccination appointments they needed with the rollout. He was also concerned that the contractor, Curative LLC, didn’t have the experience or ability to distribute the number of vaccines required effectively.

“These are the key responsibilities of our county judge,” Murray said. “We’ve been lacking in these areas with the incumbent.”

For more information on Murray’s campaign, visit accountablecollincounty.com.

By Dustin Butler•[email protected]

Subscribe Love

0 Comments

Related News

Cultivating family, growing dreams

Cultivating family, growing dreams

Colby and Ashley McClendon, along with their two daughters, live in Lavon. McClendon Farms has been in operation since 1887 and Colby is a sixth generation farmer. Ashley teaches at Wally Watkins Elementary in Wylie. Courtesy photo For two families in Collin County,...

read more
Wylie ISD students qualify for All-State Choir

Wylie ISD students qualify for All-State Choir

Wylie East All-State Choir qualifiers include, from left, Nathan Jacob, Parker Smith, Logan Drum and Isabella Cavalier.  Courtesy photo Wylie ISD choir students became eight of the hundreds of All-State Choir members after the final round of auditions on Saturday,...

read more
Legislative session underway in Austin

Legislative session underway in Austin

Dallas and Collin County lawmakers have begun work in the 89th Texas Legislature with Rep. Angie Chen Button authoring several bills, Rep. Candy Noble visiting the Lower Rio Grande Valley and Rep. Jeff Leach meeting with multiple groups, individuals and constituents...

read more
Ordinance ordering general election approved by council

Ordinance ordering general election approved by council

Officially ordering elections and a couple of housekeeping items were the main topics for this week’s Sachse City Council meeting. During their Monday, Feb. 3 regular meeting, council unanimously approved a general and special election for May 3, 2025. The general...

read more
Murder Mystery Dinner returns

Murder Mystery Dinner returns

Citizens of Sachse and its surrounding communities are being called for jury duty - for a case that happened nearly 100 years ago. Sachse Historical Society’s Murder Mystery Dinner gives couples, friends and family members a dinner and a show where they actively...

read more
Zoning ordinance notifications amended by council

Zoning ordinance notifications amended by council

Several items were discussed, including changes to zoning notifications, lighting upgrades for Salmon Park, and an upcoming street maintenance election, by city council last week. The first item up for debate during the Jan. 21 regular meeting was a proposal from the...

read more
New elementary school brings new boundaries

New elementary school brings new boundaries

National Merit Commended Scholars from Wylie High and Wylie East were recognized at the Jan. 20 board of trustees meeting. From Wylie East, two students, Magnolia Volp and Mya Mwebi, earned commendations. There were 18 Wylie High students (not pictured) who earned...

read more
Incumbents file for May council, GISD elections

Incumbents file for May council, GISD elections

Each of the incumbents for Sachse’s upcoming May 3 election have filed for reelection. Mayor Jeff Bickerstaff and councilmembers Lindsay Buhler (Place 5) and Matt Prestenberg (Place 6) have each submitted their applications for re-election. In the Garland ISD...

read more
CERT offers disaster response training

CERT offers disaster response training

CERT trainees, such as those from the February 2024 class, will learn how to respond to emergency and disaster situations and much more. Residents interested in helping make a difference in their community during emergencies and other times of need can receive basic...

read more
Subscribe Love