The Potter County Commissioners’ Court gained two new members this year, including one who defeated an incumbent to earn his seat. However, if the first meeting of 2023 is any indication, voter expectations for change may have been misplaced.
According to minutes from the January 9 meeting of the Potter County Commissioners’ Court, 11 votes were held by members to decide issues on the board’s agenda. Of those votes, not a single member dissented. Meanwhile, for one vote, there was one abstention — Blair Schaffer, the newly-elected commissioner for Potter County’s Precinct 2 abstained when the members voted to appoint him to another board as a Potter County representative.
Both Schaffer and Warren Coble, Sr. were elected as new members to the Potter County Commission in November, with Coble winning the open Precinct 4 seat formerly held by Alphonso Vaughn. Schaffer ousted incumbent Commissioner Robert Ruiz to win his seat in a race that was marked by conversations over change in Potter County. However, Schaffer voted in lockstep with the other members of the Commission during his first meeting in office.
During the meeting, Commissioners voted to spend $29,000 on new election equipment, of which $20,000 is eligible for reimbursement. Additionally, Commissioners voted to appoint Judge Walt Weaver to the Potter County Bail Bond Board, in addition to the approval of a resolution authorizing Potter County’s investment policy.
The next meeting of the Potter County Commissioners’ Court is scheduled for Monday, January 23.