After months of dissension, a lease agreement was reached Thursday by the Upshur County Commissioners Court for 17,000-plus acres of school land owned by Upshur in Baylor and Throckmorton Counties in West Texas.

Commissioners approved leasing the land to Calthan Cattle Co. LLC of Seymour, providing both sides can agree to contract modifications drawn up by commissioners at the meeting.

Glenn Leach, who has been a long-time critic of present leaseholder Spade Ranch, had spoken against proposals before the action was taken. He criticized commissioners for not being specific in the request for proposals, with different bidders proposing variations in the contract requirements.

“This court did not do a proper bid process,” he said.

At one point, Pct. 4 Comm. Mike Spencer told Leach “you are assuming something you have no facts on.”

Spencer alluded to financial problems Leach allegedly had, and Leach responded “you want to make this a personal attack.”

“I’m not making a personal attack,” Spencer said.

After the commissioners and Judge Dean Fowler went through the proposed contract and penciled in approved changes or modifications, Fowler said he would draw up the final document, and have all the commissioners and Calthan’s representative read it before the final signing.

Spencer made the motion to proceed with the contract, with Pct. 3 Comm. Lloyd Crabtree seconding it.

It passed 3-1, with Pct. 1 Comm. James Crittenden, a critic of past contracts on the school land, claiming Spade did not live up to its contract over the last 10 years, casting the lone negative vote. He did not say why he voted against Calthan.