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The more things change, the more they stay the same. The Stephenville City Council is planning to meet yet again in executive session. This time to consider the purchase of land which may become the site of a new multipurpose center or some other city facility.
Of course, there’s nothing illegal with either making a land purchase or discussing it in secret. To do so is permitted under the law, and makes good business sense as well.
Nor is there any reason why the public can’t participate in the decision making. Indeed, many comments on Facebook’s Erath County Rants and Raves and Breaking News sites indicate both a strong desire and a great need to give the public its say on this matter.
But how can the public participate in a decision the city council plans to discuss—legally—in secret? When I served on the council, when it planned to hold an executive session it normally first met in open session in the city council chamber where the Mayor would publicly call the meeting to order. One of the council’s critics is urging the public to come to the meeting on Tuesday, arguing that a large turnout in the council chamber will show the council the public’s concern about a potentially big purchase (I have no information on how much money is at stake, but land doesn’t come cheap).
But then the Mayor would announce that the council would recess and reconvene in the staff training room to conduct its executive session, and then reconvene in the council chamber at the conclusion of the session to formally vote on issues discussed in executive session. While the council can discuss issues in executive session, it normally cannot make decisions there. Rather, it must usually make legally binding votes in public.
It is therefore important for the interested members of the public to simply wait in the council chamber until the executive session concludes and the council returns, however long that may take. At this point the public may have the opportunity for input which might influence the vote.
And what should the citizens say, if they have the opportunity? Anything they want, of course. But those who want to contribute to deciding whether or not the land should be purchased should take into account the following facts, as should, of course, the city council members themselves:
First, the public has already decided, with its votes for city council members, that the property tax rates must not exceed $49 cents per assessed $100.00 valuation. After all, most of us who wanted a higher rate to meet rising costs lost our election bids.
Second, the public has already decided, with Prop 1, to increase spending on yet-to-be-determined economic development projects.
Third, the economy is simply not growing rapidly enough to supply the additional revenue for economic development; hence the need to cut departmental current operating budgets to free up economic development funds.
Fourth, if the economy remains sluggish, future cuts in operating budgets may have to be made to keep financing economic development projects under Prop 1.
So with these conditions in mind, the city council and the public must determine how much (if any) is to be spent, where will the money come from, and what additional cuts in current programs may have to be made to supply the money.
A case can be made that a new multipurpose facility, or rodeo arena, or whatever other facility may be built on the land in question, may attract more business to Stephenville, so perhaps the funds set aside by Prop 1 for economic development can be spent on the land purchase , if any, as well as ensuing facility construction costs. But as I’ve written before, the most democratic course of action is to raise the necessary money through bonds to be approved by the voters, and to abide by their decision, whatever it may be. Economic development is important, but the maintenance of democracy is more so.
Malcolm L. Cross has lived in Stephenville and taught politics and government at Tarleton since 1987. His political and civic activities include service on the Stephenville City Council (2000-2014) and on the Erath County Republican Executive Committee (1990 to the present). He was Mayor Pro Tem of Stephenville from 2008 to 2014. He is a member of St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and the Stephenville Rotary Club, and does volunteer work for the Boy Scouts of America. Views expressed in this column are his and do not reflect those of The Flash as a whole.
It can be any worst then Splashville decision. Still waiting for that thing to make or bring in money.