Corbett talks transparency, funding

Dale Corbett took the oath of office Jan. 1, 2017, to become Van Zandt County’s new sheriff. Sheriff Corbett answered a few pressing questions as a way of providing transparency as he travels down the path of his first few weeks into office.
Sheriff Corbett said that “being a sheriff is a big task. But we will make it. Sheriff Ray’s tenure is water under the bridge. It is time for a new start.”
A new start is what prompted citizens to vote for Corbett, along with his knowledge and experience in the law enforcement system to help lead the county.
Sheriff Corbett tackled pressing questions such as the lack of adequate funding, the backlog of the criminal court system and changes that county citizens should expect to see within his first 90 days into office.
Sheriff Corbett said that the lack of funding is not uncommon throughout the state.
“Today, our commissioners have to make difficult decisions when preparing and prioritizing budgets for Van Zandt County.  However, this issue is not unique to Van Zandt County. During my law enforcement career, I have had the opportunity to visit other local county Sheriff’s Offices across Texas and a majority of those that I’ve visited currently experience similar issues.   Our office is often faced with unforeseen overhead expenses such as inmate health, mechanical failures of the facilities and/or vehicles, complex investigations, and natural disasters which require significant expenses and manpower.

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