The Debate That Never Was
The NRH City Council Incumbents refused to debate the issues.  Instead they pursued a campaign of lies and venom in an attempt to destroy the credibility and reputations of the challengers.  The issues remain open.  Maybe as citizens, we can ask the council members to address these issues.
Issues for NRH City Council Race - May 2005
Comments Invited from Challengers and Incumbents
Challenger Positions		Incumbent Positions
Challengers are for Lower taxes for all by controlling runaway spending!		Ever Higher Taxes on Everyone – stated in goals 2010 and other city publications.  – Their plans anticipate your property taxes going up every year by holding the rate with increasing valuations.
Challengers support responsible city growth with out ANY cuts in services or city employee compensation or numbers.		Incumbents talk about cutting fire, police and utility services whenever faced with discussions about lowering taxes.
Challengers will be involved in the Budget Process to eliminate pork barrel spending and hidden slush funds.		Incumbents rubber stamp the Budget without full review and without real hearings.  They approved a $4.8 Million Slush Fund which represents 20.9% of total property tax revenues for the year without comment or discussion.
Challengers supported effort to pass the Tax Freeze for Seniors and Disabled Citizens.		All incumbents opposed the tax freeze for Seniors & Disabled.
Challengers support totally Open Government – Candidates to be public servants, not aristocratic public masters		Incumbents support closed government, hiding & destroying records & "walking quorums".
No Challenger Has Any Ties or Relationships with entities or people who serve local governments.  All are for much stronger ethics code for city.		Incumbents support unethical benefit from positions on Council and by contract with the city– Trevino, Staples & Welch directly or indirectly benefit from their positions.
Challengers Support Real Hearings  – The challengers will hold real hearings for real input from the citizens of our city.  No more fake hearings to only full fill the letter of the law		Incumbents only hold hearings after all decisions are made to fulfill the letter of the law.  Citizens are basically ignored.  They support taking your property without pay and they  recently took ownership of the front 9 ½  feet of your property.
Challengers have stated full support for all Private Property Rights.		Incumbents support taking your property without pay –They recently took ownership of the front 9 ½ feet of your property.  They also support micro-management of business property.
Challengers are pledged to revise illegal ordinances and to submit all new ordinances and ordinance changes to the citizens before Council consideration for enactment.		Incumbents support illegal ordinances – The current city sign ordinance is in violation of  State Law but is being enforced by city personnel with the knowledge and blessing of the incumbents despite documentation and requests for change.  New ordinances and changes to existing ordinances are hidden from the public until passed.
Challengers Will Respect Citizens – regardless of their opinion or position.  All will be treated courteously and with fairness.  They pledge that they will truly listen to all citizens.  Council rules would be studied to make them more citizen friendly.		Incumbents show disrespect of the Citizens – The Mayor and council basically ignore all input from citizens.  The Mayor has been quoted as effectively saying “don’t listen to the little people”.  Citizen input is limited to 2 minutes or 3 minutes then they take all the time they desire to berate citizens that appear before them.
Challengers Are Strong Supporters of Private Property Rights -  All are opposed to the use of eminent domain for private acquisitions.		Incumbents have announced plans to "implement" both the 820 and South Grapevine Highway "studies".  Both studies will suggest the use of eminent domain to  gain control of private property for higher tax revenue sources from other private enterprises.
Challengers will seek to open all transactions of existing TIF’s for public scrutiny.		Incumbents support skimming tax money to their private control – TIF#2 tax money is controlled by a closed board comprised of the Mayor and incumbent council.  They can spend this money without voter input or approval
Challengers Believe We Have A Great City  – They will not ignore laws or run over the rights of our citizens in pursuit of their own definition of “beauty”  “revitalization” or “economic development”.		Incumbents support beautification at any cost – Ignore laws and citizens – beauty is justification for any actions of this council.  They act as if  NRH is "third class city" that needs complete "revitalization".
Challengers will respect all laws and will not do illegal electioneering in support or opposition to any issue		Incumbents support illegal electioneering – This group uses the city newsletter and city cable to promote their programs and issues.  We believe this to be illegal electioneering using taxpayer funds.
Challengers pledge to provide truthful and complete information to all citizens.  – They will not permit the use of City funds for any illegal electioneering.		Incumbents support publication of falsehood -  The city newsletter published misinformation to discourage votes for the Tax Freeze.  They also published false information on TIF#2.
Challengers have stated opposition to issuing Certificates of Obligation unless there is some real emergency.  Non-emergency debt issues would be submitted to the voters.		Incumbents indicated in the recent goals meeting that they intend to use Certificates of Obligation whenever it suits their needs.  These are bonds without voter approval.  The sitting council has issued over $21 Million of these C/O's without voter approval.