Last night Erika and I attended the last Johnson County elected officials dinner for 2010. It was hosted by the city of Keene who also hosted the December meeting in 2009. As usual it was a fun evening with good food and company. Unfortunately our lucky streak on door prizes ran out and we came home empty handed.
Last night's program was presented by Pastor Phil Robertson who did a marvelous job of presenting the Spirit of Christmas. His warm and deliberate manner of communicating a couple stories of Christmas spirit manifested through those with Christ in their heart was delightful and moving. It was food for the soul and Erika and I both felt afterward that those few minutes had ushered in the Christmas season for us this week. Pastor Robertson's gift to us last night was greater than any door prize luck kept from our hands.
Merry Christmas!
A.J.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Joshua City Council Meeting - December 2010
This will be one of my shorter posts since last week's council meeting largely conflicted with my son's elementary school Christmas program. I was able to attend some of the council's work session, run to the Christmas show and then get back to city hall in time for the executive session agenda. The regular agenda was rather light this month anyway and was dominated by numerous items related to the city adopting a newer standard of building codes which the council did pass.
The work session item I was able to be there for was the design of the new fire station. The architect reviewed three proposals for the council. An official vote was not required on this, the city staff was just looking for a consensus on which plan to proceed with. The two major contenders were very different. Both had the same basic floor plan and footprint, but with different exterior aesthetics and roof lines. I'm happy my choice for the version with a gabled roof won out over the sweeping rounded roof line of the other version. Both were very nice, but my reason for the more traditional version is that it more closely fits with the style of our city hall building and animal shelter. I think it would be a mistake to construct city buildings that do not compliment each other architecturally, especially with our efforts to brand the city and really attract development. The new fire station will be a beautiful building we can all be proud of.
A.J.
The work session item I was able to be there for was the design of the new fire station. The architect reviewed three proposals for the council. An official vote was not required on this, the city staff was just looking for a consensus on which plan to proceed with. The two major contenders were very different. Both had the same basic floor plan and footprint, but with different exterior aesthetics and roof lines. I'm happy my choice for the version with a gabled roof won out over the sweeping rounded roof line of the other version. Both were very nice, but my reason for the more traditional version is that it more closely fits with the style of our city hall building and animal shelter. I think it would be a mistake to construct city buildings that do not compliment each other architecturally, especially with our efforts to brand the city and really attract development. The new fire station will be a beautiful building we can all be proud of.
A.J.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Merry Christmas JFD
I just returned from the Joshua Fire Department Christmas party. Several firefighters are jokingly awaiting this post so I thought I'd punch it out for them maybe while they're still there. I didn't expect to be shown so many iPhones by which my words are so quickly accessible. I'm flattered, guys, thanks.
Today's festivities were great. Good food, friends, laughs and some well-deserved recognition for jobs well done. It's not unusual for camaraderie around like-minded individuals and work related Christmas parties are a staple of the season too, but anytime I'm around the Joshua fire fighters the reality of them being volunteers always strikes me. These dedicated men and women are really special.
Two groups stood out to me today though and they get even less recognition than the fire fighters. The Ladies Auxiliary and the Explorer Program. The dedicated ladies who support the department are truly remarkable and though I'm not a member of the department I thank them for their service. The Explorer Program is really...cool! These young men and women are the future of our department and so their interest and dedication is also very special.
Merry Christmas and God Bless the Joshua Fire Department and all those associated.
A.J.
Today's festivities were great. Good food, friends, laughs and some well-deserved recognition for jobs well done. It's not unusual for camaraderie around like-minded individuals and work related Christmas parties are a staple of the season too, but anytime I'm around the Joshua fire fighters the reality of them being volunteers always strikes me. These dedicated men and women are really special.
Two groups stood out to me today though and they get even less recognition than the fire fighters. The Ladies Auxiliary and the Explorer Program. The dedicated ladies who support the department are truly remarkable and though I'm not a member of the department I thank them for their service. The Explorer Program is really...cool! These young men and women are the future of our department and so their interest and dedication is also very special.
Merry Christmas and God Bless the Joshua Fire Department and all those associated.
A.J.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Pots and Kettles
1. Poor revenue projections
2. Tax increase
3. Questionable election ethics
These are the points that a Mr. Keith Kelly brought against the Burleson Independent School District over the last few months. Serious issues. Mr. Kelly's letter to the editor in last week's Burleson Star outlined most of those points well and his conclusion is spot on for any government entity:
"As Burleson Residents, we must raise our level of vigilance regarding financial information provided by the BISD board and administration. Burleson residents deserve a satisfactory explanation regarding the miraculous discovery of the $5.1 million and assurance that the people responsible for these inaccuracies are appropriately dealt with and that processes are in place and staff are fully qualified to ensure that taxpayer dollars are managed effectively and information is communicated accurately."
The only thing that doesn't make sense to me is how in the world Mr. Kelly can come to these conclusions and remain on the Johnson County Emergency Services board where he was appointed to serve by Precinct 3 Commissioner, Jerry Stringer.
Not more than 6 months ago when the City of Joshua was talking to the ESD about increased funding we were told that the ESD might be facing a budget deficit for FY2010-2011. That seemed preposterous to us at the time since the ESD was sitting on a couple million dollars in reserve. How was it that they were so far off on their revenue projections?
In May of this year the ESD got the voters to approve a tax increase and in September the ESD board voted to adopt a 100% tax increase on the residents of the district. Because they thought they'd have a deficit if they didn't? No, that was cleared up before the certified tax rolls came out in July. I guess someone must have hit a wrong button on the calculator to have thought they wouldn't have enough money. I'm still having trouble understanding how Mr. Kelly can sit on the board of directors of a local TEA (Taxed Enough Already?) Party and rail against the BISD on a tax increase while having fully supported a tax increase for his organization earlier this year.
As far as having financial information available I think the ESD could take some cues from the BISD. Anyone can go to the BISD website and access several years of budgets and audits. You won't find any financial information like that on the ESD website. They're six months behind on even posting meeting minutes and they have trouble even getting audits done let alone making them available for the tax payers to view easily. That's subject to change since they've been known to get things changed once I write about it.
Finally to election ethics. Mr. Kelly filed a formal complaint with the state accusing the BISD of using taxpayer funds to promote passage of the Tax Recall Election that recently failed. See if you think the letter from the soon to be previous director of the ESD advocates passage of the tax cap election from last May. I wouldn't be surprised if it disappears from their web site very soon after this is published so you can also read it here. You can bet the ESD website is paid for with tax dollars. A request from the ESD director to the county fire chiefs to get fire fighters to put out signs advocating passage is also questionable.
So as an ESD board member and treasurer should Mr. Kelly be held accountable for the problems with his organization as he suggests should happen within the BISD? I previously wrote about an even more alarming reason that Mr. Kelly should be removed from his position. What can we do about that? Vote him out? I'm afraid not since he was appointed to his position and not elected. What accountability does he have to the tax payers of the ESD? None, and his appointing advocate, Commissioner Jerry Stringer, thinks Mr. Kelly is doing a fine job. In fact he said he'll re-appoint him again when his term ends on December 31st. Anyone that thinks Keith Kelly should go will have to vote out Jerry Stringer first. You can do that in 2012.
A.J.
2. Tax increase
3. Questionable election ethics
These are the points that a Mr. Keith Kelly brought against the Burleson Independent School District over the last few months. Serious issues. Mr. Kelly's letter to the editor in last week's Burleson Star outlined most of those points well and his conclusion is spot on for any government entity:
"As Burleson Residents, we must raise our level of vigilance regarding financial information provided by the BISD board and administration. Burleson residents deserve a satisfactory explanation regarding the miraculous discovery of the $5.1 million and assurance that the people responsible for these inaccuracies are appropriately dealt with and that processes are in place and staff are fully qualified to ensure that taxpayer dollars are managed effectively and information is communicated accurately."
The only thing that doesn't make sense to me is how in the world Mr. Kelly can come to these conclusions and remain on the Johnson County Emergency Services board where he was appointed to serve by Precinct 3 Commissioner, Jerry Stringer.
Not more than 6 months ago when the City of Joshua was talking to the ESD about increased funding we were told that the ESD might be facing a budget deficit for FY2010-2011. That seemed preposterous to us at the time since the ESD was sitting on a couple million dollars in reserve. How was it that they were so far off on their revenue projections?
In May of this year the ESD got the voters to approve a tax increase and in September the ESD board voted to adopt a 100% tax increase on the residents of the district. Because they thought they'd have a deficit if they didn't? No, that was cleared up before the certified tax rolls came out in July. I guess someone must have hit a wrong button on the calculator to have thought they wouldn't have enough money. I'm still having trouble understanding how Mr. Kelly can sit on the board of directors of a local TEA (Taxed Enough Already?) Party and rail against the BISD on a tax increase while having fully supported a tax increase for his organization earlier this year.
As far as having financial information available I think the ESD could take some cues from the BISD. Anyone can go to the BISD website and access several years of budgets and audits. You won't find any financial information like that on the ESD website. They're six months behind on even posting meeting minutes and they have trouble even getting audits done let alone making them available for the tax payers to view easily. That's subject to change since they've been known to get things changed once I write about it.
Finally to election ethics. Mr. Kelly filed a formal complaint with the state accusing the BISD of using taxpayer funds to promote passage of the Tax Recall Election that recently failed. See if you think the letter from the soon to be previous director of the ESD advocates passage of the tax cap election from last May. I wouldn't be surprised if it disappears from their web site very soon after this is published so you can also read it here. You can bet the ESD website is paid for with tax dollars. A request from the ESD director to the county fire chiefs to get fire fighters to put out signs advocating passage is also questionable.
So as an ESD board member and treasurer should Mr. Kelly be held accountable for the problems with his organization as he suggests should happen within the BISD? I previously wrote about an even more alarming reason that Mr. Kelly should be removed from his position. What can we do about that? Vote him out? I'm afraid not since he was appointed to his position and not elected. What accountability does he have to the tax payers of the ESD? None, and his appointing advocate, Commissioner Jerry Stringer, thinks Mr. Kelly is doing a fine job. In fact he said he'll re-appoint him again when his term ends on December 31st. Anyone that thinks Keith Kelly should go will have to vote out Jerry Stringer first. You can do that in 2012.
A.J.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
A great city asset
Several weeks ago as Joshua's first city park neared completion people were already enjoying its amenities. The walking trail, playground and basketball court are big draws as will be the ball fields next spring and the sprayground in the summer. It's a wonderful place for community and that was obvious last night at the conclusion of the Christmas parade. I don't think any of us involved could have imagined the number of visitors we'd have on hand to enjoy the festivities. It will be an annual event that will get better each year and help define the Mayor's question of "What makes Joshua unique?".
Unfortunately we've already had a couple instances of vandalism in the park and that's very disheartening. It's taken decades of dreams and years of hard work to make the park a reality so to have it tarnished by a few is unacceptable. It belongs to the citizens of Joshua, but to damage it goes beyond any one's rights. This should be a source of pride for everyone, a place we all want to take care of. Parents need to instill in their children a sense of pride in ownership, pride in hard work, pride in responsibility. Your tax dollars built it and your tax dollars will have to be spent to repair it. Lets work together to take care of it and show our children what great things we can accomplish as a city.
A.J.
Unfortunately we've already had a couple instances of vandalism in the park and that's very disheartening. It's taken decades of dreams and years of hard work to make the park a reality so to have it tarnished by a few is unacceptable. It belongs to the citizens of Joshua, but to damage it goes beyond any one's rights. This should be a source of pride for everyone, a place we all want to take care of. Parents need to instill in their children a sense of pride in ownership, pride in hard work, pride in responsibility. Your tax dollars built it and your tax dollars will have to be spent to repair it. Lets work together to take care of it and show our children what great things we can accomplish as a city.
A.J.
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