After a heated discussion, Upshur County Commissioners Court on Tuesday voted 2-0 with three abstentions to pay only $100 of the $431.17 tab for 1,000 business cards ordered by Pct. 1 Comm. James Crittenden.

The court had earlier rejected 3-2, with County Judge Dean Fowler casting the tie-breaking vote, paying the entire bill after Pct. 2 Comm. Joe (Buddy) Ferguson denounced the cost as “outrageous.”

Crittenden obtained the cards from Hudson Printing of Longview. When it came time to pay the county’s bills, Ferguson assailed the cost, saying “We’ve been spending $72 for a thousand cards.”

He said he wouldn’t vote to pay the $431.17.

“Why am I not surprised?” responded Crittenden, who has come under fire from Ferguson in the past.

“You’re throwing away taxpayers’ money,” Ferguson charged.

After some more discussion, Crittenden said he hadn’t had any cards printed in several years and that the cost “won’t be that expensive next time ‘cause it was a set-up fee” involved this time.

(A check with The Gilmer Mirror’s printer, Darrell Cook, showed that 1,000 cards there would have cost $37.50, with color ink adding another $10. “I usually don’t charge a set-up fee,” Cook said.)

Pct. 3 Comm. Lloyd Crabtree told Crittenden it cost only $72 for the two of them to have 1,000 cards printed a few years ago, when they took office.

Crittenden said the printing firm’s work reflects a “professional business card” and that he didn’t “believe it’s (the cost) out of line.”

Ferguson then told him “(You always say) you want to save taxpayers money.”

Crittenden then told Ferguson, “...We can talk about the tax dollars that you have spent.”

Crittenden cited the amount he himself had spent during his four years in office.

Fowler said the $417.31 cost “does seem a little excessive” for 1,000 cards and asked Crittenden why he used the Hudson printing firm instead of one in Upshur County.

Crittenden replied it was the only firm he could find that could print what he wanted when he wanted it, and that the price would have been similar in Upshur County.

He said a major portion of the cost was the “set-up” fee and that he believed the cost next time would be $175.

The vote to pay all bills, including Crittenden’s, failed on a 3-2 vote. Pct. 4 Comm. Glenn Campbell joined Crittenden in voting for the motion.

The court then voted 2-1, with Crittenden opposing and Campbell abstaining, to pay all bills except Crittenden’s. Ferguson and Crabtree approved that motion.

An angry Crittenden then asked, “You want me to carry the full load of my office supplies?”

Crabree pointed out that Campbell had bought his cards, and told Crittenden, “If you will be reasonable, we will pay for what you buy.”

Said Ferguson, “I’d be willing to pay $72 of it, or $76.”

Crabtree then moved to pay $100 of the cost. Fowler said he had paid $145 in 2003 for 1,000 cards, and Campbell said he paid $100 and some-odd dollars for his.

Ferguson and Crabtree approved the motion to pay $100, with the others abstaining.