For those that are interested, the judge has come back with a ruling today in the case contesting our mayoral term. The ruling was in favor of the defendant (Danny Leverette), stating that the Spring Hill mayoral term cannot be reduced at this time to a two year term. Unless Mayor Leverette decides to give up his seat and run again in April for the remainder of his term, it is a done deal.
Tonight the BOMA will set in motion the April election so stay tuned for a date.
Monday, December 18, 2006
Mayor term court decision...
Posted by Gorilla in the Corner at 1:54 PM
Labels: Board of Mayor and Aldermen
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IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: The information on this website is a series of personal opinions and is not meant to reflect an official position by the City of Spring Hill.
64 comments:
Will Danny give up his term and do what is right?
Knowing Danny, I think that he is scared to run again and do what is right.
Of course he will not give it up. He won on the name of our deceased former mayor.
I would recommend tne deceased Mayor not be brought up in this manner unless the blogger is willing to have Mayor Williams's closet door(s)opened.
Congrats to Danny - it was a stupid lawsuit anyway.
Well we all know that Cindy ran the city anyway. She is going to run again. Can someone else please run for mayor.
Funny how times change. I guess it all depends on what you need from who at what time. The man who spearheaded the tax relief movement who was praised as a Saint, suddenly was just another crooked politician. I hope this blog is up and running when Danny is not mayor any longer so we can compare comments.
I really do not care who the mayor is as long as they do a good job. I will be real honest with you all. If something does not change, our city is going to look like hell in 10 years. Case and Point. This is to no means talk about anyone or how they live. Forest Crossing. Bigger lots look good. Small ones like what most of Spring Hill is-look like crap. Spring Hill is going to be a ugly city in 10 years. These small little homes that are being built are going to ruin the city's looks. There needs to be more all brick homes on bigger lots. SO Danny, Ken York, Charlie Raines (oh I forgot you are building what I am talking about, small ones that is) and the planning commission wake up. The city is heading in a bad direction.
anon
"These small little homes that are being built are going to ruin the city's looks."
These small little homes you refer to are the reason that Spring Hill has most of the population that it has. By your theory where do young couples looking for their first house go when they cannot afford the all brick homes on large lots? When I bought my little house 7 years ago I could not afford a house in Franklin or Brentwood that is the only reason we moved here. Oh and by the way it is not the size of the house that makes it look good. It is the pride and hard work that the owners put into the house that determines how it looks. I go to nice large houses every day at work that look like crap because the owners do not care.
Merry Christmas and god bless all
ole fire fighter
It's not the size of the homes or lots that bothers me. It appears that the planning commission is using Campbell Parkway in Columbia as the template for the future look of Main St. It is beyond my comprehension how the development along Main St. is allowed to take place one shopping center/business at a time with no plans beyond the end of next month.
Recently, Gwyn Evans pushed for turning lanes on Main St. for traffic going into the Publix shopping center. Ken York stated that it shouldn't take place because it would "cover city placed utilities and that TDOT planned to widen Main St. to the East." When Gwyn asked when this was to take place, Mayor Leverette replied, "Not in your lifetime, Gwyn." Unbelievable!!!! Further, take a look at Main between Applebees and Taco Bell. There isn't enough room NOW to widen Main Street. Our planning commission has already allowed development to take place that ties our hands on how to handle Main St. Does Ken or Danny even see the north side of town? Do they care?
Help me a bit... Take a look, a LOT of Forrest Crossing is made up of tiny lots. Are the large lots you refer to in Forrest Crossing on a septic system and not connected to the sewage system. This would explain the half acre lots.. My subdivision here in Spring Hill is split. The large lots were when the area was unincorporated. Once it was annexed into the city (which I believe some of Forrest Crossing was just recently), the lots became smaller as the houses connected into a sewage system.
My opinion and one of the points that I am running on for Alderman is that we need planned development. We need to evaluate how many new residents our infrastructure can handle annually and only allow that many new homes to be built. Continuing at our current pace, it would not matter if Main Street got widened today along with other roads, we would outgrow it by the time the work was done. We need a comprehensive 10-20 year plan that details our scheduled improvements, capacity for our current infrastructure and growth potential, and develop within those boundaries. In regards to lot size, when I moved here, I purchased a 4/2.5 on a little over a third of an acre at a very reasonable price. Now my same house is being built by the same contractor in Meadowbrook for $6,000 more and only on 1/5 of an acre. My goal is to regulate new home construction to require no more than 3 homes per acre. This should allow homes to remain affordable, keep our population density down, and give us all a little bit of land to call our own and play on, instead of walking out of our front door right into our neighbors house. As far as commercial development, I think we need to take a close look at what our city needs and how many of a particular business type our city can support. I do not want to see our city in a similar situation as the city that I worked for in Florida, where there is a strip mall on every corner, only half of the space in each is occupied, and because of lack of income, the property owners cannot afford to maintain their property and the look of the city overall suffers. As I have said before, I have seen what developing to much to fast can do to a city, it is not pretty (kind of scary in fact), and I plan on making Spring Hill my home for the rest of my life (quite awhile for a 27 year old), so I want to insure that we do not make these same mistakes, and also insure that we can all take pride in our city and truly enjoy living here. That's my opinion and I am sticking to it. Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night.
Case in point "Not in your lifetime." What an educated response. I do not care who is mayor either. I just want us to be represented by someone who can articulate his goals and plans. The current administration is pitiful.
ole firefighter,
Man in no way did I mean to come across like you took me and I admit that I could have changed the wording. The rest of you I am very sorry. In no way would I ever insult where someone lives. I am not rich I do not live in a Sub. I am just saying that if something does not change Spring Hill is going to look terrible. You know I see all these little Strip Malls going up and many of the one that are here do not have renters. The ones that do are the 2nd oor 3rd ones. Many times I have been in on a preplan and all info has changed more than once in a year. Again I am sorry for the way I worded and no way would I insult where someone lives. It was more of a stab and the current admin
This election is going to be a good one. A teenager, a county commission candidate or his wife, a man who hasn't even been in the city a year (can you even do that????) and the planning commission chairman of the most crooked administration ever. who's next?? A man in a gorilla mask????? I'm still waiting for the candidate with the name anonymous to run because it seems like y'all have all the answers.
It would be wise for each of you to do some homework and realize that we had to be doing something right for you to want to move here. Don't worry, its not too late to fix the things that D&D - Danny & Duda, have screwed up.
Please Please Please do not couple Jonathan Duda with Leverette. Duda is about the only one on the BOMA that actually has some class. Elliot made a huge ass out of himself in the local papers. Pickard cannot decide if she is in grade school or the professional world. Does the Vice mayor even have a pulse? I cannot stomach Leverette's "I am the law in this town" attitude. We should all be thankful that Duda is willing to put himself through the nonsense that accompanies his post as Alderman. I for one would love to see a man in a Gorilla mask run. He seems to have what many on the BOMA lack, a spine.
The same old guard losers will not except the fact that they are on the outside looking in. The current administration has done more for our city in a very short period than any previous Mayor considering what he inherited! As I have said in prior posts, history will be favorable to Mayor Leverette by being one of the greatest Mayors in Spring Hill.
Actions speak louder than words and it is very apparent that Mayor Leverette lives by this motto.
Mayor, thank you for your continued efforts in making Spring Hill the best place to call home.
Thank goodness Danny's actions are louder than his words! I am glad we are the only ones who hear them.
16:23 and 5:28,
You both need to check into a place where the walls are soft. The both of you are out of your mind. Spring Hill is a great place to live, me being from here and my family being here over 150 years (in Spring Hill and there is not many of us) but I really think that the current admin Mayor and Ken need to go including a few aldermen. Just my thoughts straight to the point, no BS
I hope everyone had a nice safe Christmas with their families.
anon 12/25 2 16:23
"The same old guard losers will not except the fact that they are on the outside looking in."
Interesting comment. So you are saying that if you do not blindly aggree with the mayor and Ken York then there is no place for you to be involved with this city. Is there really no room for dissinting opinions at city hall? We could ask Jose if he were still there. General Patton said-"if everyone is thinking alike then no one is thinking." That seems to describe city hall and the boma pretty well at times. If that is what it takes to be on the inside then I will pass. How did you get the job as the propaganda minister?
ole fire fighter
ole fire fighter,
I think what anon 12/25 16:23 meant was the days of back room wheeling and dealing, 'it's all in who you know' are over, aka Good Ole Boy Politics. Can't you see that the major decisions regarding the city - even the ones that you might disagree with, are now coming to light in open meetings?
That never happened in recent administrations.
It's because of this that folks like 12/23 7:14, 12/24 23:35 and 12/26 7:01 want to see a change.
It's true, the BOMA must not be a board of Lemmings, however it is easier to paddle the canoe upstream when everyone is at least paddling in the same direction... ;^)
Cheers, and Happy New Year!
silverback
I hope the days of backroom deals are over. That is a cowards way to do buisness. I respect a person who will stand up in the open and make a decision that effects me more than someone who sneaks around. I do not expect to agree with anyone all of the time. what concerns me is that we not trade one bad system for another. I fear that there is a cult of personality growing where the mayor and Ken York walk on water and that is just as bad for this city.
ole fire fighter
Ole "disgruntled" fire fighter,
I cannot take you seriously. Everything you post, read between the lines, is a shot at Mayor Leverette for bringing an ambulance service to Spring Hill. You didn't like it then and you don't like it now.
You and others made your case on "the city only has 2.5 calls per week". Well the city had 55 calls in the month of November proving that the decision was a wise decision. Yet, you cannot bring yourself to admit it.
You started with, what appeared to be, genuine sincerity. Now it appears you just have an "ax to grind" because your beloved Williamson EMS was not chosen.
Ole fire fighter, you are the ultimate propagandist.
Silverback, thank you for trying to help "fiefighter" see something other than what he wants to see.
I'm not so sure that Ole Fire Fighter and I are too far apart on this, and I don't think his beef is with the ambulance issue. No one seems to know what happened to Jose. I for one am not sold on the koolaid we're getting from Ken York. Ultimately the responsibility of this decision rests with the Mayor. Can he honestly say that there isn't even a PT position open for Jose?
Back to my beef with Ole Fire Fighter, he's not so sure that we are in a better place then before. I see re-apportionment, a hospital, a land use plan, a thoroughfare plan that is under development, a BOMA and City Administration that is now accountable to the citizens, and a planning commission that is actually, well, planning - all things that would not have occured without Mayor Leverette and all things that put us miles ahead of where we were even just a year ago.
To Anonymous 12/24/06 @ 23:35 -
From your post... "This election is going to be a good one. A teenager, a county commission candidate or his wife, a man who hasn't even been in the city a year (can you even do that????) and the planning commission chairman of the most crooked administration ever. who's next??"
As you may have learned already by my posts, I respect everyone's opinions, but will stand up for what I believe in and let my voice be heard. I will not hide behind an "Anonymous" post, as I am willing to defend my comments. Personally, I think the only people that are justified using the "Anonymous" post are city employees that wish to comment, but may fear retribution.
Here are my responses to your comments;
1. I think this is going to be a great election. There is the potential to change the entire dynamic of the BOMA, and add Alderman to the Board that will show the ability and desire to make their own decisions, and not follow blindly behind others on the Board. If you like increased traffic, higher density population, overcrowded schools and increases in crime, then by all means, please do not vote for me, because you obviously like the direction the BOMA is currently traveling. At our current rate of construction, our city will face build out sooner than later. When that occurs, the money coming from construction will disappear, along with low/zero property tax rates. Keep in mind that we will eventually have to support everything we build/do now in the future using tax revenue. If elected, I will not follow blindly behind anyone and will ask questions to formulate my own opinion. If I agree with Mr. York, Mayor Leverette, or any other Alderman, then I will gladly vote with them. At the same time, if I do not agree, then I will vote against them, and will be more than willing to explain my decision either way, rather than voting and not explaining why I voted that way.
2. I can only assume that when you refer to the teenager running, you are referring to Mr. Tim Holm. First Mr. Holm was 20 years old when he filed for election, so he is not a teen. Second, I do not believe that we should discriminate against any candidate becuase of their age. It is ability that counts. Mr. Holm is extremely mature for his age, serves in the military and is a Deputy with the Williamson County Sheriff's Office. Not a bad resume for a 20 year old. Being a government employee, Mr. Holm like myself works/has worked on the front lines of government as has seen where mistakes are made and how they could have been prevented. Mr. Holm brings a fresh vision and a new voice that desires to be heard and make his opinions known. I am not afraid to say that when I vote this April, I will be voting for Mr. Holm.
3. I can only assume that you refer to me as the "man who hasn't even been in the city a year (can you even do that????)." I purchased my home in February, 2006, and will have been in this for a year before the election. In regards to requirements for time in the city prior to seeking office, I filed a Public Records Request with Mr. York for copies of any City Ordinance which governs elected officials of the city and elections in general. There is nothing in any of the codes I was provided with or in the Information Packet provided by the Maury County Elections Office which sets a residency requirement, so technically, someone that becomes a resident on January 17, 2007 could run for Alderman provided that they file their petition by noon on January 18th. With the growth of our city, there are more new residents in this city than old ones, all with new ideas on what they expect from a city. I think my lack of time in this city is a benefit, as I am not tainted by the past politics of this city, and bring with me new blood, a fresh vision, a voice willing to speak out when I feel something is wrong, and experience from where I have lived before which can benefit the city and keep it from making the same mistakes as many cities in my old home.
I moved here to escape the overcrowded, crime ridden, traffic filled area that is South Florida, and have a nice place to raise a family and spend the rest of my life, and know that many others have done the same. In our current direction, I will have to move again in less than 10 years to escape that which I moved here to escape. My desire as an Alderman would be to keep our city safe and scenic, free of unnecessary development, and an overall amazing city to live, work and play in. Let's stop bashing candidates for their age and time in the city, and focus on their qualifications and willingness to fully execute the duties of their elected position and ensuring that the will of the citizens of this city is fulfilled, rather than the will of a few citizens of this city.
Isn't this the same type of accusations that were thrown about when a certain nurse disagreed with the comments being made on this page. Take a lesson from those of us who watched a great nurse and a great person be baited into name calling contests, don't give the anonymous posts the time of day. Ole Fire Fighter and Ron, these people just attack anyone who disagrees with them. Don't even get into it. They obviously do not care about anyone but themselves and the site is obviously for hire. J.Gifford
Ron said:
"If you like increased traffic, higher density population, overcrowded schools and increases in crime, then by all means, please do not vote for me, because you obviously like the direction the BOMA is currently traveling."
Ron,
It's easy to point out what you would like to do. I have yet to see a plan to accomplish all the above. Obviously, you are running an emotionally based campaign without any direction other than pushing "hot buttons". Let's see a plan! I believe a candidate for State Rep. just got beat attempting the same strategy.
For your information, Spring Hill has, if not the lowest, crime rate in Tennessee. Information from the Business Journal "The Best Cities for Business".
By the way, can I borrow your magic wand?
Ron,
You said:
I filed a Public Records Request with Mr. York for copies of any City Ordinance which governs elected officials of the city and elections in general. There is nothing in any of the codes I was provided with or in the Information Packet provided by the Maury County Elections Office which sets a residency requirement, so technically, someone that becomes a resident on January 17, 2007 could run for Alderman provided that they file their petition by noon on January 18th."
Not true!
Spring Hill operates under the state Mayor-Aldermanic Charter. You need to go here:
T.C.A. 6-3-103. Residence requirements for officers.
(b) No person shall be eligible for the office of alderman unless such person has resided within the ward for at least one (1) year next preceding the election.
It's pretty clear, you have to be a resident for 1 year preceding the election, in this case April 18, 2006.
J.Gifford said:
They obviously do not care about anyone but themselves and the site is obviously for hire.
Disagree with commenters all you want, but please quit with the "the site is obviously for hire" WMC rhetoric.
I'm glad that we have a place to discuss issues that we might disagree on. Tell me, where else can you go to debate local issues?
Silverback,
Thank you for the link. I stand corrected on that matter. I will always stand up for what I believe in, but I am not afraid to admit when I am wrong.
Anonymous,
I have outlined a plan in my introduction, and the plan is simple. We need to do a more comprehensive evaluation of our city and determine the number of residents and visitors that our current infrastructure can handle. We then develop a 10 and 20 year growth plan showing scheduled improvements to this infrastructure (ie. new road construction). Based on this, we set limits on new construction on an annual basis to work within the limits set during this evaluation. When the mayor says that road construction will not occur during people's lifetime, I think we need to seriously evaluate the amount of new construction and population increases we can handle, or we may as well start a valet service on Main Street, because it will eventually become a parking lot. As far as our crime rate, I am well aware of our current crime rate, and my old city saw a similar trend in it's better days. When I moved here, a Spring Hill Police Officer advised me that a busy year for them was 2,500 calls for the year. I then advised him that my agency in Florida handled 5,000-7,000 calls for service a month (remember that my old city was only 8.5 square miles with a population of 75,000). I love our crime rate being where it is, but history will show that with added population, more businesses and new homes, the crime rate will rise, how much depends on how proactive the BOMA is in giving the Police Department the resources it needs. You accuse me of running an emotionally based campaign... You are 100% correct, this is emotionally based. There are many emotions that I have in regards to this election, but the biggest is looking at the possibility of raising a family here and spending the rest of my life here. On our current road, we are going to become just another metropolitan city, and that small town charm that draws people here and has kept people here will be gone. Then those people that once loved this great city will grow to despise it and will leave, and finally what will be left is a handful of people that truly care and a lot of people who don't. Again, you do not have to believe me, but I have already seen it. Miami moved to Ft. Lauderdale, then north to West Palm Beach, now that that area is becoming over crowded the wave continues north. Finally, I do not have a magic wand, just some common sense and I am willing to share it with anyone that needs a little.
"I am not afraid to say that when I vote this April, I will be voting for Mr. Holm." - Ron DeFransisco
Way to go... You've just alienated yourself from every single voter NOT voting for Holm. Off to a good start aren't ya? Also came out of the gate quite prematurely with some hard-core, emotionally charged rhetoric. The deadline to turn in paperwork hasn't arrived and all you've been doing for a month is feeding someone else bullets to use against you.
Yours truly,
Michael R Dinwiddie
:-)
"I am not afraid to say that when I vote this April, I will be voting for Mr. Holm." - Ron DeFransisco
Mr. DeFransisco, there could be other candidates for Ward 3 besides Mr. Holm and Alderman Cantrell. A vital part of decision making is the collection of all the facts and information.
Hello Anonymouus 23:35 from December 24,
I am the "wife" of the former County Commission candidate. I do have a name. I am Tammy Mezera. I am excited to be a candidate in ward 3 for alderman. You are right, this should be an interesting election. You have the opportunity to elect leadership with vision. I have vision to unite the charm and values of those who have made Spring Hill the safe and friendly home we enjoy and were attracted to early on, with the experience of the newcomers who have seen the good and bad qualities which rapid growth brings to a community. I want to safeguard our city with well planned growth. I think the newcomer and the life long residents of Spring Hill have a valuable stake in our city and both need to be heard. I want to serve you and represent you. I will listen and hopefully make decisions that can bring us to a middle ground where we all win.
As a mother of 8 children, I believe we should begin to make Spring Hill a more pedestrian friendly city. I would like to see all new developement include sidewalks and bike lanes. I want the children of our community to be as safe as possible and I believe we can ease a bit of the traffic if stay at home parents, like myself, retired people, and older children can easily and safely move around the city on foot or bicycle.
I would like to see the city purchase even more green space so that we don't become a concrete jungle like the cities we moved away from in California. It would be awesome to have our own cheekwood style botanical gardens. I believe a great city needs more than retail and housing. We are moving in the right direction with parks and recreation but I believe we can do better still by encouraging land gifts from developers to maintain some of the beauty of the countryside we now enjoy. Once its gone it is very difficult and nearly impossible to get it back.
I also think high density developement is bad for our city, especially with road projects underfunded as they are now. I also don't believe any developer should ever get tax breaks or impact fee reductions. They stand to make plenty of money in our valuable community and should contribute to the cost of infrastructure improvements.
Happy New Year.
Unless I'm mistaken, Tammy, it's already an ordinance for all new developments to have sidewalks. I'd hate for you to run a full blown campaign on an issue that's not an issue...
With all due respect in regards to my position on Mr. Holm, I have spoken with him on several occasions and compared our positions, and agree with his positions and goals for the city whole heartedly. Therefore, I stand behind my statements in regards to him. As far as any other comments that I have made, I stand behind them to, and if someone chooses to run against me and wants to bring up my comments, I do not fear defending them. I fully understand that as a political candidate, I will not be able to make all of the people happy all of the time, and just as our current officials have their critics, I will have mine. In the end, if my supporters outweigh my critics in April, then I will be sitting on the BOMA, and if not, then it will be obvious that the voters of this city like our current course of action and wish to continue with it and do not favor change. Whether I am elected or not, I want only the best for our city and my family, and I do not feel the the current road our city is on is the best for either. I speak to residents of this city on a regular basis who are disgusted with our current course and plan to move out of the city if things do not change. My goal is a Spring Hill that we can and always will be proud to call home.
Ron says:
"I speak to residents of this city on a regular basis who are disgusted with our current course and plan to move out of the city if things do not change."
Ron, before you keep going down this path, please take a moment or two to learn about where we were and how much work has been done to get us where we are now. If you had any understanding of this, you wouldn't choose words such as 'disgusted' when talking about the direction the city is headed.
Have you even spoken to the mayor or aldermen about your concerns?
Anonymous 11:41
I wondered about that and I am looking into that. Don't worry, you won't see me running "a full blown campaign" on sidewalks, but some of the commercial developments are lacking them in their perimeters. It isn't possible to walk down Main street even where we have retail. That is a problem. There are other missing elements I've noticed in our community which would make Spring Hill more pedestrian friendly, like crosswalks.
There are other things I'd like to see accomplished as well. I have been driving around the county and I too, worry we are becoming a strip mall town. Brentwood seems like it grew the way we are currently growing. We at least have a nice city hall. Maryland Farms is looking good but, is a long time coming for the city of Brentwood. I don't think we want to be all small shopping centers and strip malls. I like the latest article in one of the local papers about the plan Domingo Gallardo and the others on the Planning Commision have come up with and I want to get behind them for it. We have to be proactive and do all that we can to make this happen. We need a quaint downtown area. We need to find developers with a vision for investing in a plan like this.
There need to be some temporary fixes to the traffic issues. The issue of deceleration lanes needs to be revisited. We have got to keep pushing TDOT on getting Hwy. 31 widened. I know Glen Cassada is really going to bat for that. He is also trying to get the money taken from the roads fund returned so that the state can move forward with these pressing projects. We need to maintain a good relationship as a city with Glen Cassada and our new State Senator, Jack Johnson, both of whom I campaigned for because I knew they would work for the needs of Spring Hill.
We need to work with both counties to make wise choices for school locations, especially if they are going to keep making the demands for Spring Hill to pay for road extensions and whatever else they come up with. I was shocked by the amount we had to kick in as a city for the rec center while Brentwood, Franklin, and Fairview have gotten centers with much smaller conributions. Living in a two county city is tough and we need some leadership with good diplomacy skills and a firm resolve which, believe me, I have had to learn as a mother of eight.
silverback
I wanted to respond to you sooner but busy shift and class today so I could not. I do think we are better off in some ways then we were. Some of the growth I see is good, the big box retail etc. I see this city trying to find an identity the question is what will it be? I believe there are things that are not good. The lack of infastructure and the sometimes cavalier attitude from city hall. "Not in your lifetime" being an example. The closed mindedness to disenting opions, the Jose situation. The cut and paste zoning in some areas. Then there things that I believe could be good but I will have to wait and see, such as the hospital,a more active codes dept, and the thoroughfare paln and the land use plan. I am waiting for the next election to see if the re-apportionment plan was a good idea. One of the problems I have is that some give all of the credit to one person. The mayor cannot take 100% of the credit for the good anymore than he should get 100% blame for the bad. This city being what it is comes from the work of many people both in city hall and its citizens. That is why I lose respect for the government when you see someone like Jose work so hard and then be cast aside over politics.
Now for my friend at 12/26 @ 17:53
You are right about one thing. I do not like the shape that ems took here. Unlike you though I know that it is a done deal and I have moved on. You should read what is posted and stay out of between the lines. Since you brought it up I will say this. It was not 2.5 per month but 1.5 per day. IF R/M ran 55 cals in November and there are 30 days in the month, then the math would be 1.8 calls per day. So those numbers would be pretty accurate. That is not exactly breaking a sweat. Most weeks in Nov Franklin Fire ran more than 55 ems calls in just seven days. You are kind of showing a lack or knowledge about ems by using those numbers to justify anything. As for you not taking me serious, I will probably not loose much sleep over that. I would put that under the heading of things you would not say face to face. I will let my peers in the field and people who know me decide if I should be taken serious.
Ron if you are elected you will have critics and supporters. I have also found that sometimes you tell more about a person by what his critics say about him.
ole fire fighter
A Friend,
I did not choose the word disgusted, it was chosen by someone that I spoke to. I understand where this city was, and all of the work that has been done and right now we are in a good place. I have applauded our BOMA on this site before for things like the hospital proposal. At the same time, if we continue down our current path at full speed, that good place that we are in now could become nothing more than a memory of the "good old days" of Spring Hill. I am not a psychic, but I am a firm believer that history does repeat itself, and history has shown that building too much, too fast and not making sure everything is in place to support this growth first can ruin a city.
Ole Fire Fighter,
Supporters and critics combined do tell a better story, but the truth is generally more in between since bias on both sides often clouds the truth. I do not claim to be perfect or have all of the right answers, but I will stand up for what I believe in, take credit for the good that I do, accept responsibility for the bad, and will always be willing to explain my decisions either way.
Ole "disgruntled" fire fighter
Propaganda: the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person
Truth:(1)the state of being the case: FACT(2):the body of real things, events, and facts
Which of the two best describes Ole "disgruntled" fire fighter?
He continues to be hung up on "not in your lifetime". But what he dosen't share is the context in which it was stated.
Ole "disgruntled fire fighter" how many letters have you written to TDOT, your State Legislatures, or your Federal Legislatures asking for assistance with our roadways in Spring Hill? How many petitions have you started around the community to send to Capital Hill in support of anything in Spring Hill? I dare say "none".
Yes, I am a fan of Mayor Leverette because he does work hard for our community. I don't always agree with him but I know personally he meets with the State Legislatures, Federal Legislatures, and attends the Metropolitan Planning Organization meetings in an effort to improve and raise awareness surrounding our roadway needs. The effort pays off sooner than later ie: Duplex Road.
So when he says in jest "not in your lifetime" he is sharing some of his frustration with the bureaucracy involving the roadways. You share your frustration by spreading propaganda. Quite a difference in your "negative" approach and Mayor Leverette's "positive" approach. In other words, the Mayor speaks the truth: the state of being the case.
Also, rather you want to admit it or not, Mayor Leverette is the catalyst for the change "for the better" that has erupted in our community. Yes, I believe your unwillingness to admit it springs from your opposition to the Ambulance Service.
Mayor Leverette surrounds himself, yes many of them are his appointments, with individuals whom share his vision. While they might not always agree they do agree on making Spring Hill the best it can be. The Mayor is quick to thank the Spring Hill Chamber, Citizens for Spring Hill Hospital, the members of the progressive Planning Commission, Spring Hill Economic Development Commission, and the many citizens who share their concerns and ideas with him.
Again, rather you like it or not, this city has seen more planning and the Mayor has brought to the table some tough decisions for all involved to keep our city moving in a positive direction.
Ole "disgruntled fire fighter" what have you done?
Proganda or Truth!
Sounds like the mayor's wife is on here. Ron, you haven't even lived here for a year yet. How in the world can you "understand where the city was"??? Do you always talk like this or is this the way you think politicians should talk because that's they way they do it on TV?
"...then I will be sitting on the BOMA, and if not, then it will be obvious that the voters of this city like our current course of action and wish to continue with it and do not favor change."
So, YOU are the savior. The solver of all our problems. If the voters don't vote for YOU then it's because we WANT a city full of problems. What a statement. You're quite a character. Thank God someone from Florida moved here 11 months ago and has decided to get us out of the mess we're in. But, then again, you didn't exactly fix the problems in Florida either did you? Talk talk talk. Look, the reason you are going to lose this election is not because we WANT things to continue along the same course. It's because either you can't connect with the voters or your ideas are sloppy. Either way, the voters don't share any part of the blame for you not getting elected.
More name calling, come now. I know the exact context the comment was made in. As a leader I was tought that you do not vent frustration in public. The rest of the world might not know the context and perception is everything. You need to re-read my last post and find one sentence where I said anything directly negative about the mayor. If not agreeing with everything makes you disgruntled then should we call you disgruntled anonymous. After all you said that you do not agree with everything he does. Show me one thing I posted that is not a legitimate concern about the path of this city. I have talked to many people and most are concerned about infastructure, so does that make them negative also. Or does that just apply to people that you decided to single out for attack like myself. why is the fact that I opposed R/M such a problem for you that you just cannot let it go? I have. You know nothing about what I do or do not do, I choose to keep many of my activities private. I do not know why I am your target but if it makes you feel better then all I can tell you friend is have at it.
ole fire fighter
Infrastructure is a broad word. Be specific.
I understand the way that Spring Hill was by studying and talking to people. I did not live in the 1700's, but I understand how things were in the original 13 colonies... how?... by doing my homework. I have never claimed to be the savior, but I do believe that changes are necessary, and my comment about my getting or not getting elected based on the voters of the city is that if the voters do not feel that change is necessary then they will vote for the status quo and re-elect all of the members of the current BOMA, but if they want to see change, then they will vote for new blood, new voices and new visions. The problems in Florida were created long before I was in any position to prevent them from occurring, and I tried to do my part to fix some of the damage by strictly enforcing the codes of my old city and helping to develop ideas to revitalize the city. So far in this forum, I have yet to see any comments on the ideas that I have presented or other ideas to benefit our city by most of the anonymous posters. What I do see is a lot of anonymous people attacking those that do not agree with them.... That to me resembles television politics more than anything. As I have said before and will repeat again in case somebody was not listening before, I think that Spring Hill is a great city, if I did not, I would not have moved here. On the same note, I see the problems that are on the horizon and wish to prevent those problems from occurring. It is like maintaining your car... If you do not change the oil, you know the car is going to run great for a while, then problems will occur. I think that our city can remain great with simple preventative maintenance, which my experience has taught me how to help perform.
By infastructure I mean city services and the roads etc. The concern that I see in conversations is not that we are behind now but will be. Many of us have watched Franklin's boom. We saw how it went from being caught up on services to being behind. We deal with it everyday with the fire dept having to grow just to keep up but never getting ahead. Yes there is not always anything the city can do to fix the roads, except slow the pace of new developments unitl some of the roads are better.
ole fire fighter
But if we slow the growth, there will be money coming in. Then what will the city do. The great idea of no taxes. That was a great idea. My little $432 I saved by no taxes has not helped me. I would have rather given it to the city to have a better fire dept or police dept and a better retirement for the guys that work for the city.
Let's get something straight as it seems to be one candidate's only qualifications. Being a mother of eight is not a qualification for alderman. It seems so many of you on here hate the old school way of doing things, but yet the mother of eight statement seems to get your vote.
I do not like Leverette either. I think he just happens to be in the right place at the right time. If this was twenty years earlier, he would be the perfect example of the "good ole boy."
Spring Hill needs educated, refined people who are able to see the big picture. How about an business man or woman with a degree in economics, an engineer, the people whose input we will desperately need in the upcoming months and years. You are right there are a lot of emotional campaigns. To be honest the whole hospital argument was an emotional campaign. Is it wrong? Maybe. Does it work? Yes.
The bottom line is that you cannot hate the good ole boy system and promote someone for alderman just because they have eight kids. I guess someone who has had a lot of surgeries should be the new Surgeon General.
Infrastructure update:
Currently the Waste Water plant is being expanded to 5 million gallons from 3 million gallons.
No problems with the Water Treatment Plant.
The city continues to add Police and Firemen.
New fire ladder truck scheduled for delivery in January.
Currently, the Public Works department is maintaining their own.
The BOMA has not ever not provided the needed equipment for any department.
Emergency Communications 911 continues to be updated with the lastest technology. In fact, the state has been petitioned for the creation of our Spring Hill 911 district so the revenue generated by this district will flow directly into our emergency communications.
A new fire station is planned for Port Royal Rd.
A needs assessment has been identified (Wilbur Smith & Associates) and the BOMA has appropriated the needed funds for a Thouroughfare Plan. Which by the way, is needed by TDOT to get the funds for our roadways. All of which will roll into a Comprehensive Plan for Spring Hill.
Funds have been appropriated for the improvements at the intersections of Duplex & Main Street, Kedron Rd. & Main Street, Johnson Parkway & Main Street, Spring Hill Estates Circle (AutoZone) & Main Street. Studies have been conducted on the improvement of Buckner Road & Main Street. TDOT has been petitioned for a Traffic Signal at Bellshire (Lowes) & Main Street a realignment of the traffic signal at Duplex Rd/Main Street & Beechcroft. Access to Interstate 65 continues to be a major topic of discussion. However, an access point needs to be designated which will require an appropriation of funds by the BOMA.
A Land Use Plan has been adopted.
An Ambulance Service is online and fully operational with the new Spring Hill Hospital on the horizon.
The doubling of the Spring Hill Library has occurred and is open for business.
Sidewalks (required by ordinance) and Walking Trails are being installed throughout the city.
A new multi acre park on Port Royal Rd. has been designed and will again go out for bid.
The city has just completed a major wastewater line along Kedron Rd. and is currently installing another line to serve the Beechcroft area. Plans are also on the board to install another line along Rutherford Creek to serve the tremendous growth going east.
High density developments have been limited to 8,000 sq. feet per lot. Used to be as low as 5,500 sq. feet.
Traditional Neigborhood Developemnt Zone (Green Space, Pedestrian friendly Community, Recreation, etc.) is being worked on and should be in front of the PC & BOMA very soon.
Reactivation of the Spring Hill Economic Development Committee.
This list is not all inclusive of the "infrastructure & planning" that has occurred.
Now the areas requiring focus as the city moves forward.
Overhaul of the Zoning Ordinances to bring them into what the PC & BOMA is dealing with today.
A "Comprehensive Plan" that is being worked on one step at a time.
Larger Planning Department.
Larger City Hall.
Overhaul of the Spring Hill employee pay structure, bonuses, and accountability.
Again, this is not all inclusive.
As you can see by the list above many of the concerns are being addressed. Is it a perfect world, no. However, with the current leadership there has been and will continue to be great leaps forward. Unfortunately, the process dosen't move as quickly as one would expect.
Ole fire fighter, why don't you ever include this information in your posts? You do often attend the PC & BOMA meetings as I do.
Anon. @ 21:03
What a novel idea.
Across the nation, large budget gaps are forcing state governments to make important policy choices. To balance budgets, many states are turning to tax increases rather than pursuing budget cuts. That is unfortunate because higher taxes impose "budget cuts" on families for their own expenses, which they must meet in a stagnant economy with few wage gains.
But that's only part of the problem with tax increases. Higher taxes reduce economic growth over the long run, and thus impose a second loss on family incomes.
High tax rates on profits and incomes drive away businesses and highly paid workers.
I admit that I oppose all state/local tax increases. After all, total state/local spending is already at an all-time high of 15 percent of personal income. Instead, politicians should take the very generous tax allowance we provide them and make the tough spending trade-offs that they are elected to make.
I'll be happy to relieve you of the $432.00 you don't need.
Anon. @ 21:22
You don't need fancy highbrow traditions or money to really learn. You just need people with the desire to better themselves and their surroundings.
You were probably a Ford voter. He was a well educated, smooth talking politician who LOST.
I have said there are good things going on. If there were not most would not live here including myself. There are also things going on that the verdict is out on. I will wait and see on some things. When you have two 24 hour shifts in a house on different days and two young kids you do not get to attend most of what you want to.
ole fire fighter
28 December, 2006 21:56,
You freakin jerk I was being honest. I am sure you are one of these people that moved in here and live in Spring Hill Place or somewhere like that. We should have never did away with the city property taxes. IF building stops what is the city going to do. According to people who pave, every ten years roads need to be repaved. If there is no building how are we going to pave the roads in all the subs? I am listening.......... Yeah still listen.... The city has not planned ahead. Some of us work in the goverment (local goverment). Now the city is tring to do away with the retirement. $432 is a lot of money but if it means that a person who works for the city will be better taken care of then I would rather the city take it. I am sure that you would rather have the money though.
We should all just face it. Our city is being run by narrow minded people whose main focus is on themselves, not us. They hide behind the chants of prosperity and growth when they really only care about the here and now. The new Spring Hill motto is : If you have lived here over ten years, you will be reduces to tears. If you have lived here over that, we will keep your wallet nice and fat.
31 December, 2006 16:28,
I agree with everything that you said except for the last part. We (our family) have been here for a long time. TO date a long time when the pop. was about 600-700 people. That was many years ago. I have seen a lot of changes over the years and do not agree with many of them. The city just has not looked ahead. This is another thing. I can not believe the city does not have a human resources dept. The city has many employees and no one to really look to. If an issue comes up with an employee that answer is fire them. How can Ken York hire, fire and run the city the way it needs to be run. Any of you that work in HR know things change daily. How can one person keep up with that. They is no way. Ken York is the main problem in the city. I am not a Danny Lev. fan by no means. But Ken's job is to run the city. Thank ya
For all you MANY complainers out there: How about this - instead of bitching about the mayor and aldermen and Ken York and everything under the sun - why don't you try doing something about it. Did you know there is an election in a few months...step up and run for alderman and then you can help run the city.
"why don't you try doing something about it....step up and run for alderman and then you can help run the city."
Let me count the reasons...
1. 2 young kids and my family get my focus right now
2. I care about the city - but I don't think I am ready for the hatred and and abuse some of you like to dish out to those running the city
3. And finally, I doubt I could get enough of you to vote for me ;-)
Duda is a perfect example of why we should not run for BOMA member. He truly has his heart and mind in the right place, but he has to balance between dealing with Ken and Him's bullshit and doing what is right for the city. If it were not for Duda we would have no hope.
17:22,
that;s a real mature way to respond, isn't it?
"why don't you try doing something about it....step up and run for alderman and then you can help run the city."
Hard to do that when you've got a renegade Mayor and City Administrator who care more for their short term personal agendas than the long term success of the city. You've got a guy hell bent on self-glorification willing to sacrifice his integrity just to stay in office for another two years. If he's willing to do that, do you honestly think he loses a single minute of sleep worrying about what we think?
My prediction: Like the fickle leader her is, Danny is going to change his tune when he realizes that entire old guard of Alderman have been voted out and there is a new group in place who can and will over-ride any issue regardless of how he feels about it.
"why don't you try doing something about it....step up and run for alderman and then you can help run the city."
Why, that's a splendid idea. I think I might just do that.
"Let's get something straight as it seems to be one candidate's only qualifications. Being a mother of eight is not a qualification for alderman."
I'm a father of two - does that qualify me?
Pay attention ladies. It seems there are men in this area who don't recognize homemakers as intelligent people who can be managers and make important decisions.
Right. You cannot move passed the good ole boy system using the same credentials they did to get elected. How about someone that has actually shown the dedication required to get a degree?
"How about someone that has actually shown the dedication required to get a degree?"
I have a bachelors degree in business administration, and I can assure you it took no true dedication, at least not enough to qualify me as a leader of a city.
There are several well-educated people on the BOMA currently, Mr. York is clearly well-informed im just not sure what's going through his head sometimes...
Which leads me to what I think is lacking in some current holders of the position: a whole-hearted dedication to the city. I've been to several meetings where not even half the board spoke a word on any issues (is Alderman Raines even awake when he's present?). Others are perfectly willing to break down the issues for the public (not that it's their duty, but it sure is nice, and thank you alderman Mitchell for doing so on several occasions), and let us know where they stand on an issue. You can very easily tell at any given meeting which aldermen have been doing their homework (Duda's a rock star up there) and which have been sitting in the back of class drawing in the margins or passing notes (cheap shot, but I couldn't resist).
Forgive my long text but I have felt for a long time some aldermen weren't getting the credit they deserve this past year, here on the Alternate.
With questionable credibility, yours truly - ANON.
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