Candidates for Wichita County judge found more to agree on than disagree on in a televised forum Tuesday.
Mark Dora, Dawn Ferrell and Rick Hatcher are running for the Republican nomination for the chief administrator in county government. Because no Democrat filed, the winner of the March 3 party primary is likely to take the office.
Early voting is underway and will continue through Feb. 27. General Election Day is Nov. 3.
All three touted their devotion to public service and business acumen in the hour-long forum on KAUZ News Channel 6, which was heavily sprinkled with paid political advertisements by Dora and Hatcher.
Dora, a businessman, rancher and former firefighter, billed himself as a Christian conservative and the only candidate with professional experience in both public service and business.
Ferrell, a retired major general in the Air Force and Texas Air National Guard, said she has been responsible for leading thousands of men and women and managing large budgets.
She stressed her experience in emergency management.
Hatcher, a businessman and former Wichita Falls city councilor, said he was the only candidate with more than 40 years of local business experience, public service to the community and prior elected service.
On homeless people in the county
Asked about the problem of homeless people in Wichita County, Dora said he would get with county commissioners and others in the community to find solutions.
“I’m a firm believer in teaching people how to fish not giving them fish,” he said.
Ferrell said there are no simple solutions to addressing the homeless population.
“It becomes very important that we work with our city, leadership partners and with our nonprofits and community agencies to fight the battle,” she said.
Hatcher said the county is responsible for indigent care and needs to be compassionate in taking care of people.
“A lot of people are homeless because they want to be homeless, and a lot of people are homeless because they need, you know, the hand up,” he said.
Data centers and solar farms
On the boom in construction of data centers and solar arrays, Ferrell said they can bring opportunity to the county.
“I think that they can be very beneficial if you’ve negotiated, if the plan to come is negotiated properly,” Ferrell said. “I think we have to make sure that we have the resources available for whatever those data centers need and when we negotiate with them coming into the communities.”
Hatcher said an explosion of growth that hit Texas evaded Wichita County.
“I said way back it’s going to come. So data centers, apparently, is how it’s going to come,” he said.
Dora said data centers and solar arrays are a great opportunity.
“We do need a seat at the table,” he said. “This is an opportunity to reduce that tax burden on homeowners and let some of the industry bear that burden.”
Sheppard Air Force Base
Near the end of the forum, Ferrell said, “I am the best and only candidate who can work to make sure Sheppard Air Force Base stays here, maintains its mission capability and maybe even grows.”
Hatcher said, countering, “I did contract work at Sheppard Air Force Base for over 18 years, and I was part of the 2005 BRAC (Base Realignment and Closure), so I know a little bit about that.”
Spending in the race
Campaign finance reports due on Feb. 3 showed Ferrell had spent $47,096 on her campaign, Dora $43,979 on his and Hatcher $11,423 on his campaign.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Wichita County judge candidates debate data centers, homelessness, SAFB
Reporting by Lynn Walker, Wichita Falls Times Record News / Wichita Falls Times Record News
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