Re-Post: ‘King Chad’ Editorial

I misplaced the “King Chad” editorial that Roy Callendar Sr. wrote a year or so ago before the sheriff’s race got into full swing, so for our readers who really took to the streets with this one in the form of inflammatory rhetoric and opinions – I’m re-posting this.

[[[Click Here to View the Ellis County Message Forum Post on 'King Chad']]]

King Chad, County Judge

As campaigning begins for the upcoming primary elections, I wonder what role King Chad Adams will take in the election? King Chad, if he stays true to his past, no doubt will attempt to control the election or impose his will on the voters. I have noticed that during his time as the ruler of Ellis County, King Chad Adams has no regard for the voters of Ellis County and the people they chose to elect. King Chad’s politics borders on that of a dictator, even though the peasants are going to be allowed to vote for commissioners and a sheriff. I can’t help but think that our votes once again won’t matter.

When King Chad appointed Sharon McKinney to the Homeland Security director position over a more qualified applicant, I questioned his decision but decided that he had more information than did I and that possibly he was making the best decision for the citizens of Ellis County. Then came the appointment to the constable’s office in Midlothian. King Chad took it upon himself to actively campaign for Sharon McKinney’s husband, Steve, to be appointed to that position, and bent the commissioners court to his will.

Steve McKinney was appointed shortly after Bubba Curry’s departure. Again I questioned King Chad’s decision but figured that the King must have owed or made promises to the McKinney family and was staying true to his word. Not what I felt was in the best interest of the county, but Steve McKinney was a good state trooper and maybe King Chad had more information about this appointment than did I. The king’s master plan is unfolding right before our eyes as Constable McKinney is no longer content being constable, and has decided to run for sheriff. I’m sure King had this in mind when he appointed McKinney to the constable’s office.

During his time as ruler, King Chad has shown that he and his court jesters will conspire to accept appointments and resign elected positions so that the county judge can retain major control of the elected officials through his arraignments, specifically the former county court at law Judge Bob Carroll, who resigned his position in June shortly after re-election.

King Chad and Bob Carroll understood that the treasurer’s office, headed by then-Ron Langenheder, had fallen from grace with the Ellis County voters and that Bob Carroll had the county court judge position wrapped up. So with that information they targeted the treasurer’s election by running Wilhelm for that office. Wilhelm, who is an attorney, was informed that once Carroll was re-elected and Wilhelm was elected to the treasurer’s office, Carroll would resign leaving King Chad the opportunity to appoint Carroll’s replacement. Conveniently, the county judge/king had an attorney in the treasurer’s office that could fill that spot.

This political maneuvering angered me not because I would not have voted for the person that King Chad appointed, but because King Chad, Carroll and Greg Wilhelm took it upon themselves to decide for me who my elected officials were going to be and what duties they would perform. The way I understand politics in a free society, the voters decide who is going to be in office, but that’s not the ase in the land of King Chad.

Now I believe the political maneuvering has come full circle for King Chad and his loyal court jesters. Chad has numerous department heads in the county that are not there because of the voters, but because King Chad put them there. And he is not done yet! King Chad has approached officials who gained their position under the old method of actually being elected, and asked them to step down prior to their term expiring, allowing King Chad to make yet another appointment. King Chad was told “no” by this particular elected official. I guess that is the difference between being elected and being appointed, if you’re elected you can tell the county judge/king “no,” and if you’re appointed, you are expected to follow like loyal sheep.

I believe that King Chad thinks that he knows what this county needs and that the voters are not smart enough to make the proper decisions (deemed proper by the king anyway) so he will make them for us. Chad Adams, Bob Carroll, Greg Wilhelm, Sharon McKinney and Steve McKinney all have participated in making decisions for the voters. I for one am done being told who my county officials are going to be and I want my vote in this government to mean something.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely and I think King Chad is on the verge of corrupting this county’s government. King Chad needs to understand that his political maneuvering has not gone unnoticed and that the voters have a choice in this county. We do not live in a communist society where the leaders get to decide who are elected officials will be.

We lost money on the Super Collider and the money from the settlement of the justice center. But ironically, we didn’t lose the $10,000 that Chad gave himself and the other elected officials last year.

It is time for a change in the county judge’s office, be it a change in attitude or a change in personnel, but a change none the less.

-Roy Callendar, Sr.
Bristol, Texas