Reprinted from Fort Worth Star Telegram Letters to the Editor - Dec. 15, 2007
Mansfield is a vibrant, growing city. The problem is that the good old boys haven’t grown with the city.
Mansfield elected a mayor to lead the city during its transition from a small 20th-century town to a 21st-century city. The challenge comes because of the City Council’s refusal to acknowledge the dynamics involved in the transformation.
The council rejected the elected mayor because he broke the “code” and isn’t a member of the good-old-boy network, resulting in a vendetta against him.
When a former council member spoke out against the mayor at the council’s open-microphone session, he was allotted extra time to do so. Has the council now done away with the five-minute limit on speakers? Or does it give special privileges to the good old boys?
The city manager says he can’t hire people because of unbudgeted legal costs. Yet the city manager can’t itemize legal costs. How can the mayor be responsible for unbudgeted legal expenses if the city manager can’t specify such?
The proposed $45 million public events center? Exposure of the consulting contract and cost estimates represented nothing illegal, said the city attorney. Where are all those who opposed the Big League Dreams project because of back-room decisions?
Barton Scott is a leader — a leader taking a 20th-century small town into the future. The future is a city in the 21st century.
Residents of Mansfield voted for new leadership. Now’s the time for residents to support that decision.
— Brent Henrich, Mansfield
Showing posts with label Mansfield. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mansfield. Show all posts
Sunday, December 23, 2007
Monday, October 22, 2007
City of Mansfield changes Debt Collectors due to questionable political campaign contribution
City Council plans to consider hiring new debt collector
By ROBERT CADWALLADER - Special to the Star-Telegram - Oct. 22, 2007
MANSFIELD -- The City Council tonight will consider hiring a Round Rock-based law firm to replace the city's fired debt collector.
The staff has recommended McCreary, Veselka, Bragg & Allen, which collects delinquent property taxes or court fees and fines for about 450 taxing jurisdictions statewide. The firm has no collection clients in Tarrant or Dallas counties.
The council terminated the city's contract with Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson of Fort Worth on Sept. 28, taking issue with a $2,000 campaign contribution the firm made to Mayor Barton Scott after his election in May. The move apparently did not violate local or state campaign finance laws, but the council called it inappropriate and also voiced concerns about investigations of Linebarger contributions in other cities.
Scott, who blamed council politics for Linebarger's firing, said he will question the recommendation for McCreary because the staff did not conduct a full selection process, including advertising for proposals.
"When we start playing political games with vendors, we are not acting in the best interests of the citizens," Scott said.
Staff officials said they didn't advertise for proposals because the process would have taken at least 90 days. The city has no one collecting back taxes.
As a corporation, McCreary is prohibited by law from making political contributions, a McCreary official said. Although individual employees are allowed to donate to local candidates, no employees will donate to Mansfield public officials, President Harvey Allen said.
That could become the law in Mansfield anyway. A council subcommittee is considering revising the city's ethics ordinance.
"I will tell you, we as a firm get virtually no solicitations for campaign contributions from anybody," Allen said. "And I think that's because we have the reputation of not doing it."
Linebarger, as a limited liability partnership, is allowed to make political contributions.
Read more in the Fort Worth Star Telegram
By ROBERT CADWALLADER - Special to the Star-Telegram - Oct. 22, 2007
MANSFIELD -- The City Council tonight will consider hiring a Round Rock-based law firm to replace the city's fired debt collector.
The staff has recommended McCreary, Veselka, Bragg & Allen, which collects delinquent property taxes or court fees and fines for about 450 taxing jurisdictions statewide. The firm has no collection clients in Tarrant or Dallas counties.
The council terminated the city's contract with Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson of Fort Worth on Sept. 28, taking issue with a $2,000 campaign contribution the firm made to Mayor Barton Scott after his election in May. The move apparently did not violate local or state campaign finance laws, but the council called it inappropriate and also voiced concerns about investigations of Linebarger contributions in other cities.
Scott, who blamed council politics for Linebarger's firing, said he will question the recommendation for McCreary because the staff did not conduct a full selection process, including advertising for proposals.
"When we start playing political games with vendors, we are not acting in the best interests of the citizens," Scott said.
Staff officials said they didn't advertise for proposals because the process would have taken at least 90 days. The city has no one collecting back taxes.
As a corporation, McCreary is prohibited by law from making political contributions, a McCreary official said. Although individual employees are allowed to donate to local candidates, no employees will donate to Mansfield public officials, President Harvey Allen said.
That could become the law in Mansfield anyway. A council subcommittee is considering revising the city's ethics ordinance.
"I will tell you, we as a firm get virtually no solicitations for campaign contributions from anybody," Allen said. "And I think that's because we have the reputation of not doing it."
Linebarger, as a limited liability partnership, is allowed to make political contributions.
Read more in the Fort Worth Star Telegram
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