Smith County Judge Franklin and Commissioners, this is unacceptable!
Grassroots America filed a Public Information Request on November 6 to inspect existing Road Bond documents — records the public is legally entitled to review. What followed has been a masterclass in delay.
Timeline of Stalling:
- Nov 6: We submit PIR
- Nov 14: County sends initial response
- Nov 25: County requests clarifications/we send them
- Dec 5: Attorney (ADA) for the Commissioners Court confirms documents are being compiled; tells us to coordinate with the Purchasing Director and County Engineer
- Dec 14: Purchasing Director makes road bond bid and contract records available
- Dec 18: Grassroots America team reviews road bond purchasing records for hours
And then… nothing. Not one word from the County Engineer — the person responsible for coordinating our inspection of the road bond projects’ engineering and construction records. Zero communication. Zero transparency. Zero accountability.
- Jan 23: Our Executive Director notifies the DA (in writing) of the County’s failure to comply with the law
- Jan 28: Legal Counsel to the Commissioners Court sends apologetic email, saying he has spoken to the County Engineer and “he will be reaching out to coordinate a time for review shortly.”
These road bond documents have NO legal exemption. They should have been available weeks ago. This isn’t just slow — it’s obstructive.
The public deserves answers, not stonewalling. The law requires access, not excuses. And we’re done waiting. Tick tock.