Reversing its previous stance, Upshur County Commissioners Court voted 3-2 last Wednesday to accept Private Roads 1198 and 1199 into the county road system as third-class roads.

County Judge Dean Fowler, who cast the tie-breaking vote, said he had changed his mind since initially opposing admitting the roads at a prior meeting. He said he listened to a tape of a court meeting held three years ago, and determined it was “fair and right” to accept the roads although the matter “was handled poorly all the way through.”

Fowler said residents of the area were told in March 2006 that if they obtained signatures from those living on the roads, the roads would be taken into the county system. The judge said Pct. 1 Comm. James Crittenden never put the matter back on the agenda; never moved to have the roads start the 2-year waiting period to be included in the county system; and that potholes never were repaired, as Crittenden pledged.

Fowler said that meeting minutes taken before current County Clerk Peggy LaGrone took office showed the roads were taken in for the 2-year waiting period although Crittenden didn’t have it started.

“I don’t like this situation. . . .We’re accepting roads that don’t meet (county) specs.” said Fowler. But he said the court needed to be fair to the persons involved.

Crittenden, who voted to accept the roads, didn’t respond to Fowler’s accusations.

Before the judge. who has long feuded with Crittenden, made the remarks, Pct. 2 Comm. Joe (Buddy) Ferguson asked who would build a cul-de-sac for a school bus on the roads. He said that if the court accepted the roads, it may as well take county road specifications “and throw ‘em in the trash.”

Crittenden responded that a prior commissioners court accepted roads in a subdivision with no turnaround or width requirements. Pct. 4 Comm. Glenn Campbell joined him and Fowler in accepting the roads. Pct. 3 Comm. Lloyd Crabtree joined Ferguson in opposing it.