There are still a few weeks left for prospective candidates to turn in the required petition with 25 signatures from city residents. The deadline is noon Jan. 15 to the Maury County Election Commission...
From The Tennessean
UPDATE: From The Columbia Daily Herald
Spring Hill has two candidates in the race for mayor in the April 9 city elections, but neither is incumbent Mayor Danny Leverette.
Alderman Michael Dinwiddie recently qualified to run in the mayoral race, and Spring Hill Chamber President Cindy Jobe qualified in October. Leverette said he expects to be making a decision this week.
"I give it thought every day," Leverette said. "Yeah, there have been a few bumps in the road. But we have made tremendous strides in the last three and a half years."
Leverette has been at the helm during some key moments in recent city history: He led the charge to eliminate the last 19 cents on the city's property tax rate in August 2005 and was still at the helm in June, when the board reinstated the property tax rate after discovering a nearly $3 million revenue shortfall.
Dinwiddie could not be reached for comment. He is two years into his term in Ward 1. Previously, he ran against Leverette, then an alderman, in 2005 for mayor after Mayor Ray Williams' death.
There are still a few weeks left for prospective candidates to turn in the required petition with 25 signatures from city residents. The deadline is noon Jan. 15 to the Maury County Election Commission, which conducts Spring Hill elections because City Hall is on the Maury County side of the city.
In addition to the mayoral race, one alderman seat will be open in each of the city's four wards. Ward 2 Alderman Jonathan Duda has qualified to run for re-election, and newcomer Brady Knight Jr. has qualified to run in Ward 3.
Three seated aldermen have decided against seeking re-election. Vice Mayor Miles Johnson and Aldermen Domingo Gallardo and Charles Raines are giving up seats in wards 1, 3 and 4, respectively.
Duda said he realizes that it may be difficult to defend his seat, particularly because he is the board's representative on the city Planning Commission, where controversial decisions are made.
"I feel that we've taken great strides. I call it kind of an adolescent phase for the city, going from 7,000 people to 25,000 in such a short time," Duda said. "There's still a lot of work to be done, and I'd be honored to continue serving the city."
All of the Spring Hill seats are four-year terms. Those interested in running for office must be a registered voter and must have lived in the city for at least a year. Candidates in the alderman races must live in the ward they wish to represent. For more information, call the Maury County Election Commission at 931-381-4691.
Monday, December 22, 2008
Spring Hill Mayoral Race Intensifies
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Investigative Audit Report
This has been hidden from our community for at least 7 years. Without the cooperation of the Mayor, current city staff, current BOMA...this problem might well be ongoing.
The City of Spring Hill has now posted the audit report.
Spring Hill Audit Report
There are a few things VERY clear.
1. Ken York was allowed to stay at the helm far too long! If I have one major complaint with Mayor Leverette about this situation, this would have to top the list. Ken York and the prior administration were secretly setting this house of cards up, and I wish that City Hall would have been cleaned much sooner. Mr. York's opinion was considered gospel by far too many at City Hall (especially the majority on the previous BOMA) and this is the biggest reason that we now find ourselves in the hole we are in today.
2. This has been hidden from our community for at least 7 years. Without the cooperation of the Mayor, current city staff, current BOMA, and investigation by Mr. Duda and Mr. Underwood, this problem might well be ongoing.
3. Some in this city need to re-read the investigation report with open eyes because they obviously have no idea what is going on in the real world.
Take a look at the link above...
I have a clift notes version coming out very soon.
Enjoy!
Friday, June 27, 2008
Worth coming out of hiding for...The return of Ceja Kingsley
Cindy Williams (CPA12345) says:
During the administration of Mayor Williams the city lived within its means [in deficits that nobody knew about].....Mr. Schoenbrodt, I congratulate you for having the courage to tell [your version of the] truth about Spring Hill....our city leaders could easily carry out the promise of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights by holding a city wide voting referendum in Nov [breaking state law, just like they did when they tried to change the Mayor term from 4 years to 2 years. Because under Mayor Williams, that's how we rolled.].
From the Tennessean 'Your Voices' segment on Readers share their ideas to trim government budgets:
CPA12345 wrote:
Simply put......government should provide for citizens only what they cannot provide for themselves(streets, water, sewer, police protection). Anything else provided today by governments is purely wants(not needs) of elected leaders over the years when city or county revenues exceeded expectations. Governments must live within their means and instead of spending hours and hours at meetings discussing the raising of our tax rates, elected officials must cut out "all" of the services that citizens can and should provide for themselves. Our continually "growing" of government is not only bad business for government, but also harms private sector businesses who provide the same services.
Cindy WilliamsSpring Hill[Brentwood], Tn
Sounds pretty good. What else has Cindy Williams (aka CPA12345, aka Ceja Kingsley) said on the Tennessean website about Spring Hill??
See below to see her tee off on:
Mayor Leverette (of course), The current board, Citizens for Spring Hill Hospital, Jill Wiersma, Alderman Duda and...Vice Mayor Johnson
At the same time, she praises:
Mayor Williams, Charlie Schoenbrodt and Susan Zemek
I guess it is still pretty easy to keep tabs on Spring Hill politics from that Brentwood address. Some people in this city will just never run out of venom.
I have a question for Ms. Williams/Colette/Kingsley/CPA12345, or anybody else (feel free to chime in Charlie) who can answer:
Who's signature is that on the FORGED budget ORDINANCE and who doctored the agendas and meeting minutes to make it look like the board passed the FORGED budget ORDINANCE when the deficits REALLY began?
On 5/29/2008, she wrote:
CPA12345 wrote:
After reading the article written by Jill Wiersma I feel compelled to ask the sources of the monetary amounts listed. At one point Ms. Wiersma states according to Alderman Duda, however no certified reliable source is listed as a provider of the financial data. It is my understanding that yearly city audit financial data by local licensed CPAs, state audit financial data, Alderman Duda data and city manager Ken York financial data all contain substantially different general fund amounts. Which data is represented in this article (average of the above, data that favors present administration, toss of a coin to pick data, etc.?) and why isn't a data source listed?
On 6/11/2008, she wrote:
CPA12345 wrote:
Replying to Lucywhahappened:
What delusion is this guy living in? There was never a much of a surplus after the investigations into the accounting at city hall. Ray Williams made tax cuts that started the problems in the first place.
Lucy .......where have you been for the past ten years? Ray Williams put Spring Hill on the map by lowering city taxes a only couple of cents per year which strengthened and empowered the economics of Spring Hill. Everytime a government raises taxes, even by one cent, they hurt the economics of the area they govern.....do your research and you will be able to confirm. During the administration of Mayor Williams the city lived within its means.....you know.....what most of us folks have to do to in order to survive. Mr. Schoenbrodt, I congratulate you for having the courage to tell the truth about the Spring Hill.
On 6/12/2008, she wrote:
CPA12345 wrote:
Yes,, Lucy...... it is a shame that our city leaders decided to spend, spend and spend in the past three years. City employees have noted in the past few years that no elected officials ever looked or inquired into the city finances; yet continued to spend without any knowledge of city revenues available. Maybe each elected official should be required to take a course from Dave Ramsey (Financial Peace) to learn the basics of money management.
On 6/12/2008, she wrote:
CPA12345 wrote:
Susan Zemek is right! The signs/banners representing HCA reflect a private for-profit hospital....what is the difference in Ms. Zemek's signs/banners endorsing a private for-profit bi-annual consignment sale which donates profits to charities. When the city attorney states he will look into the matter.....it means lets stall for time until we can find some opinion somewhere that will get the city out of playing favorites. Continue your fight, Susan!!!
On 6/17/2008, she wrote:
CPA12345 wrote:
Spring Hill just threw away their claim to fame last night. The Taxpayer Bill of Rights made nationwide history, was a resolution that promised to the citizens of Spring Hill that taxes would not be raised without a public referendum. For the mayor to state it was illegal is irresponsible and incorrect. The resolution was unenforceable per law, however the resolution was much like a bible for governments to adhere to and live by. It is a sad day in Spring Hill!!!!
and also....
As a Spring Hill citizen I find it ironic that the Mayor has deemed two resolutions "illegal" that were approved by a prior board. First the two year mayoral term was declared "illegal" by the Mayor after city tax dollars were spent to get an "opinion" to state such and now another "opinion" declares the taxpayer bill of rights "illegal".....how convenient!!!
Does this mean that all the resolutions passed by our city board can be so easily tossed out just by getting an "opinion". The Taxpayer Bill of Rights was a promise to the citizens of Spring Hill that their taxes would not be raised unless approved by "citizens' approving a city-wide referendum. Can't help but wonder why our city leaders didn't do the right thing and put the city property rate increase up for vote in November? Were they afraid that the majority of Spring Hill citizens would vote "no"?
The citizens of Spring Hill need to demand that city leaders stick to their promise and hold a city-wide voting referendum to allow the citizens to determine if we need a property tax increase!!!!
On 6/19/2008, she wrote:
CPA12345 wrote:
Why aren't our city leaders doing the right thing and keeping their promise made when the Tax Payer Bill of Rights was approved by city officials Danny Leverette and Miles Johnson five years ago? Instead city leaders have opted to refer to an "opinion" by MTAS (club for city governments) stating the promise of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights is "illegal" or unenforceable. Simply put, our city leaders could easily carry out the promise of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights by holding a city wide voting referendum in Nov. (during the presidential election....no extra cost to citizens) and allow the citizens to determine if a tax increase is really needed or not. Citizens, demand that your city leaders do the right thing......YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!
Wow! I am glad I am not on her bad side. Oh wait, maybe I am. I have a feeling that her distain for me will only increase as the months move along.
I am by no means in favor of higher taxes...in fact, it appalls me that financial shortfalls have been hidden and covered up for the last 8 years. I am furious that "good 'ol boys" from the previous regime continue to throw mud at those trying to shed light on our city's past indescressions. I am furious that previous elected officials LIED and twisted facts in order to mislead the public. The very reason that we are now having to RE-ISTITUTE this property tax at an increased rate is to pay back the money that previous city officials were hiding.
Let's start talking politics again. There is more deception flying around right now than at any time since I have lived in this city. I am sick of it!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
At least it isn't Anonymous
All that I can say about this is...at least it is not anonymous. Some people just can't get over themselves. You would think a person with this much experience with attorneys (especially those in the family) would understand the legal system a little bit better than this. You would also think that Mr. Schoenbrodt and Mr. Dinwiddie, and all of the Shannon Glenn residents would understand the LEGAL implications to the actions taken by removing this item as a PUD and filing a lawsuit against the city. I would think that it is now VERY clear that the city CANNOT take a stand specifically against "The Shoppes at Belshire" even if they wanted to. You want to see lawsuits...then you would see lawsuits.
You have tied the city's hands on this one!
Do you want to see how hatred and dissension are fueled? Read through this email and then ask me how much credibility the Informer and it's main author have...
.So, we are stuck with the scoundrel till we get a Mayor with a majority of aldermen who have the backbone to take such action.
---
Subject: Re: Monday Night Government
Kathy,
Although I am not a blood member of the Irish Clan, I feel like I am an adopted child. I am going to pitch my opinion as an answer to your questions.
Megan, Susan, Patrick and Jerrold did an excellent job of stirring the pot tonight (last night now) at the two meetings at City Hall. Rob kept his mouth shut, well not really. It was obvious from the expression on his face several times, what he was thinking. As for what you can do to let people know about the lack of representation by our elected officials, talk to anyone you know from another subdivision.
Talk to people in Franklin, Columbia, Brentwood, Nashville and anywhere else, about what is going on in Spring Hill. The word will filter back. You can also write letters to the editor of the Williamson AM, Columbia Daily Herald, The Advertiser, The Williamson Herald, and the INFORMER. Get other residents of Spring Hill to sign them with you. There is power in numbers. Even if just the INFORMER publishes them (I am sure that Melissa will), it will get out. My articles are responded to often, but some people probably believe that you can't trust what it in the newspaper. They are more likely to believe what a resident takes the time to write and send in. The pen IS mightier than the sword. When you write, use the names of the Mayor and Aldermen. Elected officials can not sue anyone for what they say about them. My son is an attorney and said that is one of the first things they teach in Law School. Besides, what you say will be the truth anyway.
One of the sad things about our City's Charter, is that there is no provision for recall. Ray Williams and I talked about that on several occasions and, had I been elected mayor in 2005, would have pressed for a change to the charter to include such a procedure. So, we are stuck with the scoundrel till we get a Mayor with a majority of aldermen who have the backbone to take such action. This group would never enact such legislation. They know what would happen. Megan told them tonight what is going to happen. In 2009 we have to have honest, devoted, conscientious candidates from all four wards and someone to start to overcome the destruction of our current mayor. We can't wait till 2009 to start preparing for that. Within the next few weeks, there will be a new website in Spring Hill that does not allow postings by that powerful creature, "anonymous" or people who use cutesy names like "lovespringhill" or "gorillaintheicebox."; sp; They will have to take responsibility for what they say. It will have information about how to register to vote, when and where to vote, voting records of the mayor and aldermen, names and addresses of elected officials from the President to our aldermen. We are going to need a lot of help with this project, but will be careful about who we let get any control of it.
The most important thing is to NOT GIVE UP. Stay angry about this and keep looking for and finding ways to fight back. Complacency is our worst enemy. When Danny and the other incompitents went into office, there was about $6 million in the Spring Hill coffers. Now we are not sure how much is left, but it is certainly no more than about $2.5 million. There is only $1,049.890 left in CDs. Last month's financial report did not disclose how
much was left in the checking accounts and savings accounts. The end of December, it was only $1,994,750. Income was down in January and February and I do not think expenses was down any. We still had to pay the staff, pay the electric bill, and put gasoline in the police cars and other City vehicles.
Tonight, the new City Administrator, Mr. Ken Weaver said that the State Comptroller's audit will be completed in about two weeks. Spring Hill may start being managed by the State after that.
I know I sound like Chicken Little screaming "The sky is falling, the sky is falling." But just remember paranoia is not really paranoia unless what you believe is NOT true.
Keep it stirred,
Charlie Schoenbrodt
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Shannon Glen
To all Shannon Glen residents:
I am more on your side than you think, but with your unwillingness to negotiate, you are about to get exactly what you do not want. Here is what is going to happen now:
Your item was pulled off the table because it will not show up again as you see it now. It will never come before the BOMA again, because it will never be a PUD again. The city has the MOST room to negotiate during the PUD process and if it comes before you as a straight zoning (which it will next) it will only come before the Planning Commission. At that level, it meets the zoning requirements and the developer has been known to provide whatever is needed (which is a very good thing for you all) to enhance the project thus getting it approved.
From now on, as long as it meets the zoning requirement, it will be approved. Whatever advice you were given is just plain wrong and in the end it will be to your detriment (if you are against a road and development next to your property). I would be more than happy to fill you in on any of the procedural process from here on out, but unless you get on the stick pretty fast, your moment to negotiate is ending VERY quickly.
Call me a pawn, or a plant, or bought off, or whatever else you like. If you know me at all you know that is just flat incorrect. I was (and still am) after you getting the ability to find a "happy medium" with this development, but your tactics have made that impossible.
Feel free to let me know if I can help, but if I were you I would drop the "all or nothing" approach because you are going to get stuck with nothing.
Be thankful that in the end it is Mr. Gordon's group that is developing this property, because if it were a handful of others you would all be very unhappy in a few months.
Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Special Meeting Called for Budget Issues
Of
Special Call Meeting
There will be a Special Call Meeting of the Spring Hill Board of Mayor and Aldermen on Tuesday, September 25, 2007, at 7:00 P.M. in the Courtroom at City Hall. The purpose of this meeting is to discuss Ordinance 07-37, the amended budget, actual revenues and expenditures for fiscal year 2006-2007. Ordinance 07-23, Fiscal Year 2007-2008 will also be discussed. The public is invited to attend.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
"Impact" fees?
What is the correct action by the City of Spring Hill right now, considering the caliber of decisions being made for us in Columbia?
E
veryone keeps asking about this Maury County school site, so let's look at it a little bit more. I feel like we are beating the dead horse again, but it is very important, so let's look at solutions to the problem instead of continuing to show how bad a decision it is by the county (because really, when was the last time those governmental bodies down south made a good decision?) So, here is the million dollar question...
What is the correct action by the City of Spring Hill right now, considering the caliber of decisions being made for us in Columbia?
First lets take a look at a recent article about the subject.
Board Tables Middle School Decision
By DAN COPP
Staff Writer
In the latest chapter of the ongoing saga of a proposed middle school in Spring Hill, the Board of Mayor and Aldermen deferred a resolution authorizing the waiver of about $300,000 in building and permit fees for a site on Cleburne Road.
Several aldermen felt it prudent to hold off any building fee deductions until the Maury County Commission voted to fund the School Board's preferred site for a middle school on Cleburne Road.
However, several aldermen have objected to the Cleburn site. On Aug. 8, city officials voted to knock off more than $300,000 in fees associated with property on Jim Warren Road. In a political tug-of-war, the Maury County School Board voted to support Cleburn Road as the target location for a new middle school, fearing the Jim Warren site could cost $400,000 more.
Although he didn't agree with the School Board's decision, Vice Mayor Miles Johnson said the city should support the new middle school for the children's sake.
“There are road problems with this facility,” Johnson said. “We're not in any shape to build roads, and nobody has stepped up to build them. But the School Board has chosen (Celburn Road). Since the city has supported all the schools in the past regardless of where they were, we should support it. No one on this board likes that spot, but if we're going to support one school, we need to support all schools. The children deserve a school here in Spring Hill.”
Ward 2 Alderman Eliot Mitchell echoed Johnson's sentiments but recommended the board defer their vote to deduct any building fees until the Maury County Commission took a stance on the issue.
“I want to point out eight years ago that this board was predominately made up of Maury County citizens, and Williamson County Schools snubbed this board and built a school predominately for Spring Hill children in Thompson's Station as opposed to using property in Spring Hill,” Mitchell noted. “The city spent six figures of tax dollars installing a stop light in front of that school and agreed to run a sewer line to that school even though it was outside of city limits.
“They could have shown Williamson County the stupidity of their decision, but instead looked above and beyond the arrogance by saying it was all about providing a school for the kids, regardless of where it's at,” he continued. “I believe, since the Maury County Commission hasn't voted to fund the school yet, we would be wise to hold off our vote until they had their vote.” Mitchell said city leaders shouldn't squabble with the school board because children could end up paying the price.
“We need to continue as a board to maintain the relationship we've had with these school boards and be a partner to them instead of getting into this tit-for-tat contest to show who's got the most authority or arrogance,” the alderman said before making a motion to defer the item. “I'm telling you right now, if we charge that school board $300,000 to build that school (on Cleburn Road), that $300,000 will come out of the school's budget and will ultimately take away the kids' baseball fields, football fields and more. It's all about building schools for the community, and we should be glad we're arguing where to put the school instead of arguing to put a school in.”
County Road Superintendent Van Boshers estimated it would cost more than $3.5 million to make improvements to roads surrounding the Cleburne site.
Ward 3 Alderman Rick Graham, who voted in favor of deferring the resolution Monday, said on numerous occasions he would deny any building fee waivers for a school on Cleburn Road, which he considers unsuitable for such a facility.
“I'm not going to neglect my duties because of the School Board's poor choices and political influences,” Graham said.
Maury County Mayor Jim Bailey said the Spring Hill middle school issue could surface on the September agenda.
Commissioners brought to light another potential school site at the Honey Farm south of Neapolois, which would cost about $2 million, according Ward 4 Alderman Charles Raines, who owns the property. The Jim Warren site costs about $1.2 million, and the Cleburn property was donated to the Maury County School Board by Chapter 2 Investments in March.
Ward 4 Alderman Bruce Hull feared that any delays to support the proposed middle school could jeopardize its very existence.
“If this school doesn't happen, I personally don't think we'll have a middle school at all,” Hull said. “I don't support deferring this issue because I don't think the county commission isn't going to fund this project. Several commissioners have stated their position on it. Unless we get behind this project, they're definitely not going to fund it. We need to waive these fees and make a show of support of it and let the county commission know if they fund it, we'll do what we can to meet our responsibilities.”
After being seconded by Ward 1 Alderman Michael Dinwiddie, Mitchell's motion to defer the issue passed by a 7-2 with Hull and Raines dissenting.
“A lot of people are carrying their kids many miles to go to school,” Raines said. “I don't think there's a parent who lives on the Maury County side of Spring Hill that wouldn't want a school somewhere in the city.”
Staff Writer Dan Copp can be reached at dcopp@c-dh.net.
Now, here are some points to consider before deciding your course of action.
* The Cleburn Rd. Site is "technically" inside the city of Spring Hill, although it is on a county owned road, and is harder to reach from most points in Spring Hill than ANY of the other choices INCLUDING the Honey Farm in Neapolis (which is that Columbia site that everyone keeps holding over our heads).
* The road is not being improved by the developer or the County to ANY degree. That cost will be entirely laid at the city's feet to protect those traveling to the site (which would be all children in Maury County). The city will have to improve the road sooner rather than later.
* That road improvement cost will be approx. $3.5 Million. (and it will be placed ahead of other more pressing road improvements in Spring Hill.
* Utilities are on site, but not connected. Connection would involve all of that land from GM that Ken York was trying to condemn. Considerable cost and time still left to finish that project.
* The Jim Warren site is least expensive (especially when the Spring Hill Education Foundation weighs in), more centrally located to the population AND the growth in Maury County, will have all new roads provided at the cost of the developer, could be located near additional recreational facilities (like a future YMCA), and would fit into the Comprehensive Plan that has been laid out by the city and planning commission.
* Have any of you driven from Depot all the way south down Cleburn Rd and Petty Lane to I-31? Go drive it.
Now, what would you do?
Here are the options that have been presented so far:
1.) Decline outright the waiving of impact fees in order to persuade the school board to reconsider, as well as help pay for less than 10% of the impact.
2.) Stay the course. Let the county do what they are going to do. Waive the fees for the school. Gripe about it every time we drive down that road and wonder why we created another Duplex Rd.
3.) Do everything possible to get the school "inside our city limit" and take the road over. Spend the $3.5 million plus to fix the road when we need to and then charge the developers that come into the area to repay our "road consruction shortfall".
4.) Place your idea here...
If you have good ideas (or even bad ones, but good attempts) I will edit this post and add them in. So, for now I will leave this door open to see what you all have to say.
Oh...and one more thing. College football starts TODAY!!!
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
What would you do???
Consider this a nice cool splash of water to wake you up a bit.
Okay...now that my life has slowed down a little bit, and I have given the new aldermen time to settle in, it is time to get this thing churning again. There is a lot going on in this city again, and it would be an absolute shame if we did not all still stay involved and do our part. That last statement includes me, so let's take control of our community now that we can.
So far, I have mixed reviews on the new aldermen. Despite any criticism that you hear from me today or in the future, we are in a much better place today than this time last year. Even so, one alderman in particular could use a little slap on the hand.
So...here we go again!
Before we talk about some issues with our newly elected body, lets cover 2 topics really quickly.
1.) Ken York's resignation
Ken is a very nice man personally, and an incredible ally IF he is on your side, but his time has finally come. If you read this Mr. York, I have enjoyed all that I have learned from you and enjoy your retirement.
I find it funny how the "Good 'ol Boys" were LIVID about having him in power and out to have his head on a stake a few months ago and NOW they are depressed to see him go. I guess you never can tell who's side he is on. Very well played (on all sides) for a long time Mr. York. You are truly amazing (I am not sure if that is good or not quite frankly).
2.) Maury County School Board
First off let me say that as a whole, this board is an absolute WASTE. I have been to a couple of meetings in the past, and other than maybe one member on any given night, you could fit their common sense in a thimble. It continues to amaze me how a group of people this influenced by "conflict of interests" can even keep a straight face as they berate members of our community, spread lies, and completely disregard facts while making up their own. I will cover their LIES at length tomorrow, but for now here is a question.
If you were a sitting alderman, would you cave to their pressure and give them relief from impact fees on the most IMPACTFUL development in the city (which will cost the city MILLIONS to make right)?
OR
If you were a sitting alderman, would you stand firm and risk having a school be placed outside of our city limits (Neapolis)?
I know what I would do!
Now, for the slap on the wrist...
Michael Dinwiddie - I like you. You make a nice gumbo. You are a good guy to sit down and have a drink with (or lunch). You seem to be a good father. I assume you are a good pilot considering some of the clients that you have. I TRULY believe that your heart is in the right place, and in time you could be a very good alderman. Having said all of that...
You overplay your hand more than any human being that I have EVER met! You have been on two sides of more issues in the first few months than I ever could have imagined. You need to learn (and I thought you had) that gossip flies around this city in all directions and MOST of the time it is better to bite your tongue than say something that will be spread. Count to 5 before you speak and take a deep breath while you think about the consequences of your statement before you make it. And please don't discuss city business with those DOING business with the city. It is one thing to bring a topic to the floor for a citizen, it is another thing to jeopardize the city and cost us cash by promising things and "overplaying your hand" with that citizen or developer.
I will site example if you like, but consider this a nice cool splash of water to wake you up a bit.
Talk to you tomorrow. The Gorilla is back and not very happy.
Bombshell...
York’s 30-day notice would put his retirement date at Sept. 14, but with his accrued vacation time, his last day will actually be Aug. 31, Leverette said.
Spring Hill City Administrator Announces Retirement
By JILL CECIL WIERSMA
The Tennessean, Staff Writer
SPRING HILL - City Administrator Ken York gave notice Monday that he is retiring, Mayor Danny Leverette announced at the end of last night’s work session.
"It kind of comes as a surprise," Leverette said.
York’s 30-day notice would put his retirement date at Sept. 14, but with his accrued vacation time, his last day will actually be Aug. 31, Leverette said.
To make it official, the board will vote Monday to accept his retirement.
"We won’t make him draft his own resolution, I’ll be glad to draft it myself," said City Attorney Tim Underwood.
Leverette asked board members how they would feel about giving York three months of his salary, roughly $20,000, in appreciation of his work for the city in the last eight and a half years. He said the position will be advertised immediately and that he hopes to fill it by the end of this year or early next year. If that’s the case, Leverette said the three month’s salary won’t affect the budget.
"I hate to even think about voting on a resolution to get rid of him," Vice Mayor Miles Johnson said. "That’s the least I think we can do to show our appreciation. We hate to lose him."
I'll have more time to comment later...
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Spring Break
Even though there have not been posts for the last month, I have still been paying attention. Thanks for hanging around.
Howdy everyone. For those that do not know, I have personally had a fairly involved last month or two with a new baby and some hospital issues, but this site will be back up and humming in the next day or two. Even though there have not been posts for the last month, I have still been paying attention. Thanks for hanging around.
This little "spring break" has allowed the newly elected aldermen to get their feet wet without much negative discussion. I am sure that will probably change in a few hours because there are a few things happening that leave me scratching my head. Much more to come this afternoon.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Know Your Facts If You Threaten!
So, there are now threats being lobbed around by multiple people since this election. One in particular was made by Mr. Raines at the meeting on Monday night, and it is laughable, so pay attention. With a little bit of basic math, we can all learn what the true numbers are in relation to the Cleburne Road site and its impact on our city.
Now, to catch you all up a little bit, at the meeting Monday night Charles Raines made the statement that he did not understand why the city would be turning down a 6 Million dollar income stream on Harvest Point(impact fees, etc.) for fear of a 2 million dollar road improvement. Well, let's look at the impact fees that the city would collect on 1,200 units at Harvest Point (real numbers), and figure our what exactly they are used to do.
Here we go...
First off, developers are required to pay a variety of fees (which are later passed on to the home buyer). Impact fees are collected to help the city pay for the impact that would be made by that particular development (ie roads, increased police and fire protection, city services, etc.) Our impact fee is collected on a lot by lot basis at $500 + $.50 per square foot. So, let's plug in the numbers.
Let's take an average home size of around 2,000 square feet.
$500 + $1,000 = an average of $1,500 per lot in impact fees.
Now, there were a few over 1,200 lots proposed...so $1,500 x 1,200 = $1,800,000.00
Huh, I wonder where that other $4.2 million of revenue is going to come from? I think if you asked Mr. Raines, he would say water tap fees, sewer tap fees and building permit fees. That will create quite a bit of extra cash, but sadly that cash goes directly to something (like inspectors, equipment, etc) and is not able to be spent on road upgrades.
Now let's look at how this would REALLY impact the city, because a $2 million dollar road improvement is just the start. I guess maybe I am a little confused, because I cannot figure out how exactly $1.8 million over the next 15 to 20 years going to pay for a road in excess of $2 million AND an increased police and fire force (paid on a yearly basis)? That is a $300,000 shortfall in roads and who knows how much in additional city staff and equipment.
The facts just do not add up on this, so please spare me the threat Mr. Raines. Business will not be conducted as usual in this city from this week forward, so please cease with the intimidation and misinformation. We are all (including you) in this for the good of the city, and frankly the only one that was really doing the honorable thing was Mr. Crutcher. I believe he truly wants to do his part to get a school in this city, I just don't believe we are quite ready to put it there. The time to build a school west of the railroad tracks is still a few years away.
For those of you that were not there, two very interesting things happened. First of all, Mr. Crutcher presented the school board with the DEED to the proposed school site. No conditions, just the land, and THAT should be commended. With or without this development, the land is there for the school to use if they so choose. And speaking of that, our school board member Tommy Dudley, and the school board chairman Shaw Daniels both assured the BOMA that they had no problem placing the school on that site with or without a single road improvement.
I am not sure if you heard that correctly so I will repeat it. Mr. Daniels and Mr. Dudley expressed NO concern over that site as it is right now.
So what does that mean? It means that the Maury County School Board needs to stop with the threats about taking a school out of Spring Hill. They now have FIVE school sites located in Spring Hill (or Neopolis) and also have the deed to the site on Cleburne Road that they preferred from the beginning.
No more threats! I am sick of hearing it from Mr. Raines, and I am sick of hearing it from the Maury County School Board.
Put up or shut up!
...as for the other threats, I will get to those later!
Mark your calendar!
I know we have a little bit of time until this date, but I wanted everyone to mark their calendar now! We have a nice opportunity to learn about a variety of issues affecting us at the state level...including traffic concerns. Please plan to attend and show our state reps that we really need a solution to a variety of problems.
I will have more later today on the Monday night meeting, but here is the very short version:
1. Historic Commission passes second reading.
2. Traditional Neighborhood Development passed.
3. Cleburne Road subdivision fails on second reading. The developer did a fantastic thing and gave the deed for the school site to the school system to have regardless of the subdivision approval. More to come later.
Again, more later when I have a free second.
Monday, April 16, 2007
A new day in Spring Hill...TONIGHT!
For those of you that have been looking forward to this day for a long time, enjoy it! Tonight is the start of a new day in Spring Hill. If you get a chance, stop by City Hall this evening to show your support for the outgoing Aldermen, and those that are new to the position. It is what makes our country great, and everyone that takes part in the system should be applauded.
Now, speaking of this evening...
Expect the Historic Commission to pass with relative ease, and expect the next argument to begin over this proposed subdivision on Cleburne Road.
For those that have not been paying too much attention, there is a new development being proposed on Cleburne Road that includes over 1,200 lots (making it the largest subdivision in our city so far). The developer and Maury County are both unwilling to make all of the necessary road improvements, so this will place an extreme burden on the city to make the improvements ourselves, in excess of $2,000,000.
Now, in the middle of this subdivision is one of five proposed schools sites for the area, which will make it a pretty "hot button" issue. Many in Maury County have been trying to place Spring Hill over the barrel on this for quite some time, and make no mistake, the threats are rolling from the school board members. Some in this city (and Maury County) are playing on the fears of parents in order to get some pressure on our BOMA to pass this subdivision, even though it places our children and community in greater danger than other school sites. Now, I will get to some of the motivations behind this decision, but for now, let's take a look at an email from our Maury County School Board Representative. (I will add comments as they are needed to clear up some things)Hello to all of you.
My name is Tommy Dudley and I am the School Board representative for the 11th district of Maury County. The 11th district consist of a very large area which covers the northern parts of the county from Carters Creek Pike around to Bear Creek Pike on its eastern end. Spring Hill is in my district, but I want to represent the entire district equally and fairly.
As most of you are aware, Maury County does not have a middle school located in the northern end of the county. Middle School students from the northern end of the county are required to attend Cox Middle School in Columbia. This requires the students to endure lengthy trips and creates hardships for the parents of the students.
The School Board has for sometime now, been trying to obtain a middle school site in the northern end of the County. Only two sites were offered as a donation to the School Board until recently. The first site was off Port Royal Road. This site was not suitable for a middle school due to it contains wetlands, TVA easements and development of the site would be very expensive due to requirements established by the property owners. After development of the site the usable land would not be sufficient for a middle school.
Now let's be honest here, the Port Royal site does in fact contain some flood plain. Of the 60 acres available, flood plain takes up around 10% making over 50 acres usable for building, and the other 6 acres or so available for use in ball fields etc. I would consider 6 acres extensive, but I live on about 1/4 acre. In a 60 acre development, 6 is not too bad, especially considering 54 usable acres is better than 33 just about anywhere.
Now let's talk about the "development of the site would be very expensive due to requirements established by the property owners." Since our city has gone to a gravity system for sewer in that area, there is no longer a need to pay for the pumps, etc that were required. It just doesn't make sense to me why this decision is so tough, something fishy must be going on.
...back to Mr. Dudley.The second site is a 33 acre tract off Cleburne Rd. This site is not perfect but it is a better site than the first site. The property is on the western side of Spring Hill just past the railroad tracks off Beechcroft Road behind the GM Assembly Plant. Buses will have to cross the railroad tracks if coming from the east, but we have buses going over railroad tracks not only in Maury County but also in Williamson County daily. Buses going all the way to Bear Creek Pike in Columbia create just as much concern for me as the railroad crossing on Beechcroft Rd. The Cleburne Rd. site has more usable land and will carry less development cost with it. Utilities are already available at or near the site. If we can keep the development cost low we can use the savings to build a nicer school or even be able to better equip the school.
Over $2,000,000 in road development on Cleburne Road is not free. Placing a development of over 1,200 hundred lots is not currently appropriate in that area, much less adding to the congestion a middle school. I have no idea how a 33 acre site in the midst of an area with little of no development is more appropriate than a 60 acre site in the midst of our current growth. Especially when you consider the road network that is being installed in the Port Royal area, I cannot understand why we would voluntarily take on additional dangerous roads to have the city fix RIGHT NOW with our own money. Remember, we still have a nice handful of roads to fix, so why are we volunteering to fix another? I forget for a second that we are also voluntarily placing our CHILDREN in danger on Cleburne Road and around those railroad crossings.
Anyway...An additional site has since been offered in the Spring Hill area next to I 65 off of Jim Warren Road, but the developer and the City of Spring Hill have yet to establish that the roads are any safer, that the site development will be any less expensive or that the infrastructure will be there to support a school when completed. As a member of the School Board, I certainly appreciate the offer of this additional site, but a final decision needs to made now.
If you were present at the last planning commission meeting, you saw exactly what roads are planned for this area. You would have also seen that they are going to be paid for by the developer, not the city or county.
Now, Mr. Dudley is correct in saying that the decision needs to be made now, but for very different reasons (both to them, and for our city). Most of you may not know, but Shaw Daniels, chairman of the school board, works for SSOE. If you did not know, SSOE is the architect and builder that is currently on contract with the county for school building. SSOE's contract expires pretty soon, like in July. I wonder if the reason Mr. Daniels is so "hot to trot" on this particular site has something to do with that contract? After this contract is up, it will be put back out to bid, and SSOE may or may not be awarded the contract.
Here is another reason that time is of the essence, but in this case for a very different site. On June 1st, the offer for the 60 ACRES on Port Royal Road expires. There has yet to be a contract offered on the Cleburne Road site, so why are we not taking the larger site (Port Royal Road) that is in the middle of our city's growth, and is larger to place one or more of our schools, and getting the Cleburne Road site in contract for to exercise at some point in the future when our city is ready to have development in that area? I guess "common sense" is not so common when we are dealing with politics and $$$.Other sites may be available in the City limits of Columbia also, but do you want your middle school students to have to attend school that far away?
The Cleburne Rd site offers the best opportunity for a middle school site in the northern end of the county. The School Board is ready to act upon the building of a middle school, but if we continue to have delays, other school projects could be placed ahead of it. If this were to occur, it could be years before another opportunity for a middle school in the northern end of the county comes around again. The Cox Middle School could be expanded or an additional middle school could be built in Columbia.
So this is the new threat! If we do not accept the site now, for NORTHERN MAURY COUNTY I might add, then we could choose to just expand Cox Middle School. I was at a school board meeting a couple of weeks ago when the Mr. Hickman stated in from of an audience that this school was being built SPECIFICALLY for Spring Hill. He went on to elaborate that the VAST majority (something like 85%, I will check my notes) of development is going on in Spring Hill as compared to the rest of the county. He then continued to say that this school is specifically for our students here in the city. Now, IF that is the case, why the threat Mr. Dudley?
Why would the county not take EVERY SINGLE PIECE of free land being offered? Build on the Cleburne Road site when it is feasible for all of the players? If the city and county are in partnership here, why is this such a hot issue and why all the threats? Again, Eddie Hickman himself said that this school needed to be in Spring Hill, and there were several available properties for that to take place. Why is he now not returning phone calls about those wanting to extend offers?Some of the members of the Spring Hill Board of Mayor and Aldermen have stated that they do not want a school on the Cleburne Rd site and have even suggested that they would prefer the school to be built in Columbia. I ask you to contact them, and let them know that you want a middle school built here. They are scheduled to vote on the approval of the developers plans which include the school site on Cleburne Rd. on Monday April 16, 2007 at 7 PM. Please call the members prior to the meeting or plan on attending the meeting at Spring Hill City Hall. Kathie Johnson has given you the phone numbers of all of the members of the Mayor and Aldermen.
The other sites offered may be used in the future for additional schools. The School Board is not turning down their offers. With the expected growth of Maury County over the next few years, we will need many more school sites.
If you have any questions, call me.
Thank you.
Tommy Dudley
931-486-2982
Well, I do hope that you all call Mr. Dudley's hand on this one. While you are at it, call the aldermen as well! I have a feeling you will hear a very different story from each.
Here are some quick points to remember about all of this:
1. In 2004, the developer of Royalton Woods offered and signed a 3 year option contract with Maury County Schools for 60 acres off of Port Royal and Kedron Roads. This option expires June 1, 2007. Why would we not take 60 acres of free land now while we can? Why haven't we taken it already...it is in prime location considering our growth both now and in the future.
2. The developer of a proposed 1,200 lot subdivision (the largest subdivision in Spring Hill to date), has made a VERBAL offer of 33 acres to Maury County Schools as part of a proposed subdivision off of Cleburne Rd. Put it in writing and let's build out there when we are ready to handle it as a city.
3. Some have continually said that the Cleburne Rd site is 'free' and has no costs associated with it. That is absolutely incorrect! The city will have to spend in excess of 2 MILLION dollars to repair the roads to even think about placing our children on them.
4. In March, the Spring Hill BOMA deferred voting on the proposed Cleburne Road 1,200 unit subdivision because costs had not been determined on the road improvements that would be required on Cleburne Road (specifically, the at times 12 foot wide road with railroad crossing and 2 single lane bridges between Petty Lane and Carters Creek Station Road).
5. After the BOMA vote to defer in March, Maury County Commission voted to not fund any road improvements to Cleburne Road.
6. Since the BOMA meeting in March, 3 other sites have been offered in Spring Hill / Neapolis for schools; 2 off of Derryberry Lane and Jim Warren Road (just down from Wright Elementary School), and at least 1 in Neapolis. This brings the total number of proposed sites to 5.
7. In April, the City of Spring Hill identified the cost of improvements on Cleburne Road to be in excess of $2,000,000.
8. Schools should be built where the growth is located. With over 7,000 lots approved on the east side of the city, and only 600 lots approved on the west side of the city, how can this be considered proper planning? Isn't that what we are trying to do here...plan for our growth. Why make the same old mistakes now?!
The City of Spring Hill has made proper planning a priority. Building a middle school on the west side of the city where the growth does not currently exist is not proper planning. Additionally, approving the largest subdivision in Spring Hill on Cleburne Road is not proper planning. What exactly is going on here?
Tonight, our NEW Board of Mayor and Aldermen are ultimately deciding whether to approve a 1,200 unit subdivision on Cleburne Road. The do not have the luxury of approving schools, just subdivisions.
So I guess in the end my question is simple. Would we even consider a 1,200 unit subdivision (with insufficient road improvements) on Cleburne Road if a school wasn't involved?
Personally, I hope that we have learned something from our past!
Sunday, April 15, 2007
What a week!
Well, for those of you out there that like to correct grammar, and give quotes to all of our fellow readers, I am sure that they appreciate it...which brings me to a few of MY personal favorites.
First of all, regarding achievement (and some other things):
All mankind is divided into three classes: those that are immovable, those that are movable, and those that move.
-Benjamin Franklin
I think in our city this is very much the case. Ms. Pickard, Mrs. Cantrell and Mr. McCulloch are very fine people. I would love for them to lead Sunday school or participate in their local PTO. Their failure was in not moving when the ground beneath them moved, and not listening to the CITIZENS when they did in fact speak. Instead of "moving" and rethinking a position, they chose to dig in and isolate themselves amongst those that thought like themselves. They chose to fight battles and anger citizens with actions and decisions that a VAST majority in our city do not support. Those decisions do not make them bad people, but it does speak to their credibility as elected officials.
What you will find out if you read this site for very long, or pay attention to this "movement" in our city that was brought to light for everyone on Thursday, is that our young city is starting to get involved in our collective future. WE are not afraid to try new ideas, we are not afraid to work for change, and we are not afraid to unseat very "nice" people if they refuse to listen to us (and by us I mean the community, not the gorillas). WE are about finding solutions to the problems that face the city right now. The aldermen that were unseated were not capable of seeing beyond their own fog of influence to find the answers that this city needs to find to succeed.
As an example, I love my mother-in-law. She raised my wife, who is an exceptional young woman (who also did a little singing in New York City I might add) and has an incredible family, such that would make most families jealous of their knowledge, accomplishments, and generosity. Having said all of that about my fantastic mother-in-law, I would probably never vote for her to hold ANY elected position in ours or any other city. Being nice, being accomplished and being a good solid christian family woman does not mean that she should be handling city issues. That is exactly the case with those that have been unseated. In this election, you are welcome think what you want, but in EVERY race, the candidate that deserved to win did in fact win. Michael Dinwiddie, Eliot Mitchell, Rick Graham, and Bruce Hull all outworked each and every one of their competition and were much more "in tune" with their city than any of the incumbents that lost. This opinion is not mean or degrading, but an absolute FACT.
So, here is a mask for you! I think that you will see quite a few "gorillas" up at the mic on Monday evening. Thankfully, you now may also see quite a few behind the bench! And, here is a quote (if you give me the author by Monday night, I will give you a cookie.)
The extent to which you are able to transform your "self-concern" into "other concern" will determine your effectiveness in getting others to follow along.
See you all Monday night! Come see you city at work, and your new board installed.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
And the Winners Are...
Unofficial results of the City of Spring Hill 2007 Election
Ward 1:Michael Dinwiddie
Ward 2:Eliot Mitchell
Ward 3:Rick Graham
Ward 4:Bruce Hull
Voting Results
Ward 1
Ron Defrancisco - 103
Michael Dinwiddie - 613
Brandon McCulloch - 457
Ward 2
Jim Gabriel - 466
Eliot Mitchell - 669
Ward 3
Sharron Cantrell - 300
Tommy Duncan - 263
Rick Graham - 435
Tim Holm - 75
Tamra Mezera - 132
Ward 4
Bruce Hull - 738
Viola Pickard - 409
Day of Change is HERE!
Dear Spring Hill Resident:
It is election time in Spring Hill and your vote is critical in the upcoming City elections. An informed voter is an effective voter. Before you decide “who” you want as your local Alderman, I believe it is important that you know “what” some of these candidates stand for and “where” their interests lie.
In our recent past, the Board of Mayor and Alderman voted to re-apportion the voting districts within the city so that representation on the board would be proportional to the citizenry each Alderman represents. This allows for a more fair and balanced local government, where one particular segment of the population does not dictate policy and local law for the rest of the population.
The road to getting reapportionment passed was a long one. I was very involved in getting petitions signed in support of reapportionment and am relieved that it passed. But I am not quite sure we are getting what we asked for yet. The only way we get the representation that we need is to go exercise our right to vote. That time is now to vote for candidates that reflect YOUR needs and values!
In our upcoming election, there are 12 candidates running for four Ward seats. All the candidates are from varied backgrounds and have certain strengths that they bring to the table. Of particular importance to me as a voter is:
(1) how do I begin to determine how these candidates measure up and
(2) are there fundamental differences that set them apart from one another?
In order to make an informed decision on who I will vote for on April 12, I started to do some digging.
As I have been reading articles on these candidates and researching past voting records of incumbents, it has become clear to me that some of the candidates are falling into one “distinct” category based on their personal motives and self–interests. Ironically, it appears the very individuals that did not support reapportionment or more equitable representation, fall into the same category. That category is panning out to be developer-driven with a focus on getting “their guys in office” to continue to promote their personal agendas. Which leads me to the “Coalition.”
I recently learned that there have been several meetings taking place between 4 candidates in particular and they are Sharron Cantrell, Viola Pickard, Brandon McCulloch and Jim Gabriel. It seems that in their meetings, as well as in Sharron Cantrell’s and Jim Gabriel’s own campaign financial documents, these 4 people specifically represent a few special interest groups within the city and ignore many citizens’ concerns in regard to many issues.
The time has come now to go to the polls this Thursday. All of our work for re-apportionment has done one thing very well and that is give us viable choices for elected officials in every area of our city. Now is the time to do our part and get out and vote. We need to take our city back from the few special interest groups, and make this our family oriented community.
I am not here to tell you who to vote for, but I am here to tell you in depth information about each candidate to make the decision for yourself. If you are interested in learning about the candidates, please visit www.UniteSpringHill.com.
Most importantly, GET OUT AND VOTE, and have a fantastic day!
City of Spring Hill Election – Thursday, April 12th from 8:00AM to 7:00PM
Maury County Residents – Spring Hill Community Building on Maury Hill Street Next to Evans Park
Williamson County Residents – Campbell Station Fire Station, 4000 Campbell Station Parkway
Sincerely,
the Gorilla
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Talk is Cheap
What an interesting find, campaign literature from the Sharron Cantrell camp. Well, let's look into each of her issues one by one and read between the lines a little bit.
Here we go...
1.) Managed growth for the available infrastructure.
What exactly does this mean? Does this mean voting AGAINST the development and funding of a city plan? Does this mean voting AGAINST improved road improvements at key intersections around our city being paid for entirely on the front end of developments? Does this mean being in favor of adding schools and developments on roads and in areas of the city that will not be prepared for increased traffic for quite some time? Does this mean placing NEW road projects ahead in the pecking order of Duplex, Buckner, Buckner, Beechcroft, etc.? If that is what managing growth means, then absolutely she has managed it...to a slow and painful death!
2.) Pro Rec-Center
If I recall correctly, everyone on the BOMA voted in favor of the Rec. Center. I wonder if she is equally as accepting of other parks and recreation projects (excluding the senior citizens projects). Has she offered one idea in regard to increased city parks or recreational fields in the past 8 years? Good luck finding something there.
3.) Voted against the 800% pay raise for the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.
One minor exception, she voted against the budget (which included the BOMA pay increase). I was at that meeting, and the work session, and she did not voice too much displeasure about the pay increase at the work session. In fact, she still does not voice too much displeasure, she has cashed every penny. That is not true for one alderman in particular in this city (Eliot Mitchell). The extra $$$ is entirely optional, so why exactly would you accept the cash if you as so against it, and choose to use it as a campaign talking point?
4.) Pro Hospital
You are correct here, in print at least. Every member of the BOMA is in favor of the hospital and every candidate running for the BOMA is in favor of a hospital. Sharron was so much in favor of the hospital that she attended two (of 5) town hall meetings and even served breakfast for one of them. She was ALWAYS there for the photo ops, but rarely if ever there for the nuts and bolts planning that went into the citizen campaign to help actually GET the hospital approved. Again a lot of talk (which is good) but not a lot of action.
5.) Represents all of the citizens of Spring Hill without regard to wards.
Is that why she was so active in opposing Re-apportionment? You know, come to think of it, I have called and emailed her numerous times (before I had a website AND after) and I have yet to receive a call or email back from her. I have yet to hear a person say, "boy I emailed all of the aldermen, and that Sharron Cantrell responded very quickly." In fact what you generally hear is, "I emailed all the aldermen, and the only 3 to respond were Mr. Duda, Mr. Mitchell, and Mr. Gallardo." Sometimes you will hear Mr. McCulloch or Mr. Johnson thrown in there as well. Either way, Sharron is VERY responsive to those that she wants to hear from, others...well good luck!
Monday, April 09, 2007
Commitments Indeed!
In thursday's Williamson Herald, Ward 3 and 4 candidates are profiled. Below is a direct quote from Sharron Cantrell's provided response:
Main campaign message: Politicians are elected to represent the will of the people who voted them into office and not special interest groups.
Below is a list of contributions taken directly from Sharron Cantrell's Campaign Financial Disclosure Statement:
Don Cameron (Developer) - $500
Monica Raines (Realtor) - $200
Carol Raines (Spouse of Developer Charles Raines) - $200
Boyce Magli (Realtor/Developer) - $100
Cheryl Magli (Spouse of Realtor/Developer Boyce Magli) - $100
Mary Crutcher (Spouse of Realtor/Developer Pete Crutcher) - $500
Ashley Pratt (Spouse of Developer Trey Pratt, Donnie Cameron's Partner) - $200
Carolyn Pratt (Spouse of Developer Sam Pratt, Donnie Cameron's Parnter) - $200
UPDATE
Below is a list of contributions taken directly from Jim Gabriel's Campaign Financial Disclosure Statement:
Don Cameron (Developer) - $500
Monica Raines (Realtor) - $200
Charles Raines - $200
Ben Gary (Auctioneer/Realtor) - $200
Mary Crutcher (Spouse of Realtor/Developer Pete Crutcher) - $500
Ashley Pratt (Spouse of Developer Trey Pratt, Donnie Cameron's Partner) - $200
Carolyn Pratt (Spouse of Developer Sam Pratt, Donnie Cameron's Parnter) - $200
Folks, that's $2,000 of donations from SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS donating to both Sharron Cantrell AND Jim Gabriel. The same group that we exposed meeting in secret last month with four sitting aldermen.
Is there any wonder why Sharron Cantrell feels that a school on Cleburne Road is a good idea? I can give you about 500 reasons from Pete Crutcher, the developer of this project.
Is there any question why Sharron Cantrell and Jim Gabriel would choose to go to a secret meeting thrown by the very developers who are financing her campaign instead of going to a concerned citizens meeting on Denning Lane held at the same time?
I'm beginning to understand more of what those 'commitments' are that Charlie Schoenbrodt refered to in his recent article in the informer (see the post At IT Again!):
From my experience, candidates work together when they have similar interests and commitments.
Commitments indeed!
It only gets more tangled from here. Stay tuned!
I just can't stop shaking my head.
Campaign Finances
On April 5th, candidates who have spent over $1,000 on their campaign were required to file a Campaign Financial Disclosure Statement with the Maury County Election Commission for contibutions and expenditures through April 2nd. Candidates who did not file have either spent less then $1,000 or are in violation of state campaign disclosure laws.
Candidates are required to list Itemized Contributions, In-Kind Contributions, Expenditures, Loans and Obligations over $100. Interesting stuff to say the least. I'll be commenting on some of this once I have had a chance to go over them in detail. Until then, enjoy...
Ward 1 Candidates
Ron Defrancisco - Spent: $1,793.16
Michael Dinwiddie - Spent: $929.80
Ward 2 Candidates
Eliot Mitchell - Spent: $2,599.67
Jim Gabriel - Spent: $1,131.97 Updated 4/9/2007 @ 1:45 PM
Ward 3 Candidates
Sharron Cantrell - Spent: $2,474.22
Tommy Duncan - Spent: $4,149.18
Rick Graham - Spent: $5,073.51
Tim Holm - Spent: $4,868.31
Ward 4 Candidates
Bruce Hull - Spent: $1,057.76
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Deserves Repeating
Longtime commenter and sometime supporter DRM has started a topic over at the forums at Do!SpringHill.com that asked the following question regarding the election:
Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 11:41 am
Post subject: Anyone else voting to clean house?
Author: DRM
---------------------
I willing to give new and unproven faces a shot this election cycle in Spring Hill in an effort to get the old guard out of office and some change in...
Anyone else feel the same way?
Well...you all know how I feel about that question. Ward 2 Alderman and Candidate Eliot Mitchell responded with a comment that I feel deserves repeating:
Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2007 7:57 pm
Post subject: Don't throw out the baby with the bath water
Author: Eliot
---------------------
I would like to make the point that I ran for office 4 years ago as a candidate fighting the status quo. I ran a campaign that complained about the lack of roads, parks and the general direction the city was taking. I made a point to identify the self serving attitude the BOMA had. The status quo was NOT happy when I won.
I have fought for new roads and pedestrian infrastructure. I have demanded integrity, transparency and honesty from our city government. I have pointed out in public the unethical and potentially unlawful activities taking place at city hall. And when I did that, I stood my ground as I was told to be quite and resign. So as you consider cleaning house of incumbents hoping for a new direction, I think you should take into consideration that my opponent is the alderman whose seat I won four years ago. He is running as a partner of the other three incumbents. My three incumbent colleagues are NOT endorsing me, they are endorsing my opponent. So IMHO, replacing me actually gets you the exact opposite of what you are looking for. Thanks for your time, energy and opinions. I am glad there are citizens like you passionate enough to participate and even initiate dialogue. Eliot Mitchell Sr.
Anyway, I have turned off comments to this post (to give credit where credit is due) and provided a link directly to the forums at Do!SpringHill.com if you want to chime in. It takes just a moment to sign up for a username as long as you provide an email address.
