The Carroll County Road Department has searched for a used tractor to mow along county roads, but the search led to tractors with too many hours of service priced higher than the department wanted to pay. At Monday’s quorum court meeting, County Judge Sam Barr offered to sell the county a 2015 John Deere 6105D for $39,000.
Because the judge oversees the Road Department, JPs addressed the obvious perceptual problem. They noted, however, that the Road Department had found tractors in much worse condition, costing several thousand dollars more. The county’s attorney had explained that the county could proceed with the purchase because of the “unusual circumstances” faced by the Road Department.
Addressing the perceptions of buying a tractor from the county judge, JP Craig Hicks said, “People trust Judge Barr, and they have reëlected him.”
JPs had already allocated funds for the tractor and all approved the purchase.