GILMER — Upshur County Commissioners on Monday authorized County Judge Dean Fowler to sign a memorandum of lease on the county’s West Texas school land.

In a 3-1 vote, the commissioners agreed to allow Fowler to sign the document which will be filed in the county clerk’s offices in Baylor and Throckmorton counties. Fowler said the memorandum of lease is a three-page shortened version of the county’s 30-page lease. The document contains the parties and terms of the lease.

Pct. 1 Commissioner James Crittenden cast the lone dissenting vote because he believed all members of the court who signed the original lease should sign the memorandum.

“I don't think that the court should be giving up its duly-elected right for one member to sign off on a document,” Crittenden said. “If what you said is correct, that this reflects the exact same contract we signed a couple of months ago. ... I think this document should have the same number of signatures.”

Crittenden motioned to reject the memorandum of lease until it contained a place for all members to sign. The motion failed for lack of a second. Fowler noted that Crittenden opposed the first lease, and did not sign it.

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