Wednesday, November 6, 2013

The worm turns: Social media defers tax board election

A tale of two governments

McLennan County, TX – Both the Commissioners Court and the Robinson City Council were prepared on Tuesday to cast their ballots for the board of McLennan County Appraisal District – popularly known as McAd.

McLennan County Commissioner Kelly Snell
Both deferred until a later time when members of the public became acutely aware of the process by which the nominees are selected, how the votes are apportioned among taxing entities of cities, school districts, and the County Commissioners Court and how the biennial rubber stamping process proceeds – the way it's been done for decades upon decades.

All of them use tax appraisal to write themselves checks, checks the property owners are obliged to cash – or else face punitive tax liens and litigation.

But it came to a screeching halt on Tuesday when County Commissioner Kelly Snell put his foot down for the second time in a subsequent election cycle and demanded that people who would like to be nominated for the job be vetted – in private because it's a personnel matter.

Nevertheless, two of the taxing entities did slow the process down for at least long enough to talk it over – with a difference.

County Commissioners make a big, fine salary – somewhere in the neighborhood of a hundred grand a year.

City Councilmen are unpaid.

The unpaid city councilmen followed the salaried board's lead, and the rest is history.

Click here for the journalism of R.S. Gates, a social media activist who has compiled a Facebook rundown on how the nomination and election process is structured, and how it operates:



5 comments:

  1. Legit journalists don't run around with hidden cameras/recording devices and get their kicks from threatening receptionists over records requests...... as for "social media activist", I think you meant to say "just another butthurt blogger"

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    1. When officials wont face you themselves, the receptionist is the only way to get your message delivered. Open records are the first thing tyranny wants to abolish. Threatening and letting someone know that you know the law and your rights are two different things. We often must be, 'insistent' or we will be denied what is rightfully ours to have.

      It always seems to be the corrupt ones that find fault with what I do here. I will say it plainly. If you bad mouth me in my community, it is because you are a drug dealing cop or in league with them.

      Stephen C. Watson

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  2. Counting on doing something about it? We'll see. - The Legendary

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  3. Even though property tax can absolutely help states with income,the amount of property tax to be paid can be a determining factor in one's decision where to reside to achieve the American Dream of land or home ownership. Click For More Information

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  4. Stephen,
    This is how the sheep cope. If they can convince themselves there are no problems and snipe with anonymous posts, they avoid any responsibility. They deserve nothing but pity. A receptionist can not be threatened. They have no responsibility under the public information act. There is a very good reason there has never been a prosecution under the criminal penalty provision of the act. Of the several complaints I have filed, the District Attorneys, without exception find no fault. When it gets to the AG it is a whole different story. I hope everyone either calls Kelly Snell or sends him an e-mail thanking him for going to the matt on this one. He had NO support but made the case so well his motion garnered unanimous approval.

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