Precinct 3 closure raises questions about coverage, Gardner’s election win

The fate of a Bowie County judicial precinct is being questioned after the retirement of its magistrate.

Judge Gerold Rankin, justice of the peace for Precinct 3 in DeKalb, retired after 29 years of service. His last day in office was July 31.

The office remains closed to the public.

His decision came just one day after his secretary Kathy Chadwick announced she would retire due to health reasons, Rankin said.

“She has been my right hand ever since I hired her,” Rankin said.

Chadwick has served as the secretary in the JP office for more than 10 years.

The following day, the 78-year-old magistrate said he met with Bowie County Judge Bobby Howell to apply for a new secretary because, without a trained secretary, he was not technologically savvy enough to run his office.

“After I talked to the judge, he asked me why I don’t I just retire. He said it would take about a year to train a new secretary so why don’t I just retire,” Rankin said. “So I made the decision … It’s a bittersweet retirement but I’m enjoying it.”

Howell has assigned Catie Hawkins, Justice of the Peace for Precinct 2, to take over JP duties for Precinct 3.

All magistrate duties for DeKalb are currently be-ing conducted at the Bowie County Courthouse.

“My plans are to do away with the JP office in DeKalb and combine that precinct with Precinct 2 and Judge Hawkins will simply have a larger precinct,” Howell said.

This plan, he adds, is subject to the approval of the Bowie County Commissioners Court.

The uncertainty of the precinct comes months before Dillion Gardner takes office as the newly elected constable.

Gardner won the Republican primary election against incumbent Jeff Estes in March. With no Democratic opponent, Gardner is “declared elected” and set to take office on January 1, 2025.

“He will continue to serve unless we get all this redistricting done before the election,” Howell said. “I was told that if we get all that accomplished before the election, that officer will not take office. But if it’s not done before the election, the new constable will take office in January after the November election.”

If Gardner is able to take office, Hawkins will have two constables which will report to her office, Howell added.

Gardner, who also serves as the investigator for the DeKalb Police Department, said he is ready to take office.

“There’s plenty of stuff to get done, both civilly and criminally, in Precinct 3. It’s a lot of land to cover but I’m excited to take over and get done what needs to be done,” he said.

“I campaigned – I went to many doors. I plan on putting in a lot of effort for Precinct 3 … I’m invested in the position and it’s not something I take lightly,” Gardner added.

Gardner’s hope is that the office will reopen for the residents in Precinct 3.

“I hope it can get filled definitely for the citizens over here. Nobody wants to from all the way at the county line to New Boston for either something civilly or criminally,” he said.

Rankin said his retirement was the best decision for him but the decision to close the office, even temporarily, “hurts” the precinct.

“Thank you, Bowie County Precinct 3 Place 1, for giving me the opportunity to serve you for 29 years, but I feel like it’s best for me and the county to retire,” Rankin said. “I hate that we’re not open for business right now … It really hurts DeKalb.”

It has been almost a decade since a precinct was completely closed in Bowie County.

In September 2014, precinct 7 in Hooks was closed after JP Patrick James was named in a federal indictment. Duties for precinct 7 were overseen by Judge Stephen Young, the precinct 2 JP at the time. Precinct 2 covered the New Boston area.

James was indicted on and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the government and theft in connection with Red River Army Depot.

The county later voted to redraw the precinct lines and Precinct 2 expanded into Hooks.

The commissioners court will vote on the next steps for Precinct 3 in the next meeting to be held Monday, August 12 at 9 a.m. on the second floor of the Bowie County Courthouse.