Brinkley/Photo by Campaign
Cooke County Judge Jason Brinkley has announced his plans to request the Cooke County Commissioners’ Court order an election in November on the topic of removing a confederate monument on county property.
According to a social media post by Brinkley, since Cooke County’s population allows for a non-binding referendum to be placed on the ballot, he plans to request that County Commissioners vote to order such a referendum on the topic of whether a confederate monument located on Cooke County’s courthouse square should stay or be removed.
“My duty as County Judge and a member of Commissioners Court is to make decisions on behalf of our residents as a representative form of government,” Brinkley said in his post. “We cannot and should not put every issue that comes before Commissioners Court to a public vote. That is not the way the system is designed to work, and it is not the job I was elected to do. However, I view the issue regarding the Confederate monument more as a cultural issue impacting the entire county and less as a day-to-day function regarding the administration of government.”
Brinkley’s statement comes as the national dialogue continues regarding whether confederate monuments should stay in place or be removed nationwide.
The statement by Brinkley indicates the topic will be discussed at the next Cooke County Commissioners’ Court meeting on August 17.