Natalie Nichols Resigns as Bowie County Clerk

Natalie Nichols has resigned from her office as Bowie County Clerk.  Many say she was forced out, but either way, I doubt this will end all of the controversy surrounding the Bowie County Commissioners Court, and I feel in my bones that the problems in Bowie County politics are still in place. 

Nichols resigned at Tuesdays Commissioners Court meeting.  The Commissioners Court agreed to pay her $40,000 legal bills, in exchange for the resignation.

According to the Texarkana Gazette, Nichols had this to say after Tuesdays meeting,

I think the people are seeing that this is how politics works, as long as you let it. Peoples’ eyes have been opened. … They know that in small-town politics, if you don’t play, they will find a way to ruin you and make sure that you know you had no place there in the first place.

Nichols went on to say,

I accomplished every goal I set out to accomplish when I was a candidate in one year, so truthfully there’s no reason for the people to keep paying me for three years of just maintaining what I already did.

County Judge Sterling Lacy and the Court will appoint someone to take over Ms. Nichol's position until the next election in 2012.

When I did a blog post discussing all of this a few weeks ago "The Big Brawl In Bowie County" we did a poll to see who the public agreed with.  Of all of the people who cast a vote of their opinion, 92% sided with Nichols, and only 8% with Sterling Lacy.

So, here is a poll for you to share your opinion on, and let's see if the results are any different...

(Wow! I know a lot of people expected this to go the other way, and even more people that want Natalie Nichols to run for County Judge... she could win. I know that a few of the Commissioners sitting on the court have their doubts about the future too, announcing that they will not seek re-election, etc... I expect changes.)

(By the way... I want to know how that investigation into Lacy holding that fatal court hearing in the basement of the courthouse is going... just curious.)