Sheriff Candidates Come Face To Face In Public Forum Before Republican Primary Election
By: Marlisa Goldsmith
Updated: May 24, 2012
"This election process has gotten ugly. It's gotten nasty in certain areas," explains Les Bruce.
Throughout the race for Taylor County Sheriff there have been some pretty controversial issues that have surfaced, particularly that of drug testing.
Bruce continues, "It began as a challenge to a person in this community who has zero respect for me, dislikes me, and to be honest with you, I don't know why."
Earlier this year a member of the community asked all three candidates to perform a drug test, which both Ricky Bishop and Art Casarez did. The current sheriff Les Bruce did not.
"I have proven to the community I don't do drugs, a long time ago," says Bruce.
Unlike other forums, tonight Bruce and Bishop suggested that the candidates focus more on the other issues like patrol, salary, and Taylor county jail improvements.
"in my opinion the sheriff gave in to the prisoners. I have a different plan to still make that thing a workable program and to save you tax payers a bunch of money."
At the conclusion of the sheriff forum, I caught up with all three candidates to get their reactions on how they thought it went.
"There's some tension there but I think we'll be able to work through it and get some issues out there that we need to discuss," says Bishop.
"I believe that my honor and integrity speaks for itself and yes I believe the community of Taylor County deserves to be able to know and to focus more on the qualifications of the sheriff," says Bruce.
However Casarez is sticking to his guns and continuing to press issues he thinks equally important.
"That is the issue. You can have all the professionalism, all the pay, all the dedicated people, if the integrity of the department is gone, you have nothing," says Casarez.
Throughout the race for Taylor County Sheriff there have been some pretty controversial issues that have surfaced, particularly that of drug testing.
Bruce continues, "It began as a challenge to a person in this community who has zero respect for me, dislikes me, and to be honest with you, I don't know why."
Earlier this year a member of the community asked all three candidates to perform a drug test, which both Ricky Bishop and Art Casarez did. The current sheriff Les Bruce did not.
"I have proven to the community I don't do drugs, a long time ago," says Bruce.
Unlike other forums, tonight Bruce and Bishop suggested that the candidates focus more on the other issues like patrol, salary, and Taylor county jail improvements.
"in my opinion the sheriff gave in to the prisoners. I have a different plan to still make that thing a workable program and to save you tax payers a bunch of money."
At the conclusion of the sheriff forum, I caught up with all three candidates to get their reactions on how they thought it went.
"There's some tension there but I think we'll be able to work through it and get some issues out there that we need to discuss," says Bishop.
"I believe that my honor and integrity speaks for itself and yes I believe the community of Taylor County deserves to be able to know and to focus more on the qualifications of the sheriff," says Bruce.
However Casarez is sticking to his guns and continuing to press issues he thinks equally important.
"That is the issue. You can have all the professionalism, all the pay, all the dedicated people, if the integrity of the department is gone, you have nothing," says Casarez.
