Another Possible Missouri City Council Candidate!

Hunter May Make Another Run At Council In 2008!
This just in:

Lou Hunter, who ran for the district B city council seat in 2007 and later helped support the landslide victory of Professor Cynthia Gary, may seek an at large position on Missouri City council. This information was shared via confidential sources, but appears to be a strong rumor. We should know before March, which is the filing deadline, if this is more than local chatter.

We will update this thread as the need warrants!

Stay informed and keep in touch...

From FBN: Missouri City Residents Ask For Change In Coming Spring Elections!

Rating Missouri City
Oct 12, 2007, 09 08 AM


I see that Missouri City has spent about $62,000 for a company to see why our image is so low. They have compiled a list of our pluses and no where do I see lower taxes on that list. Just recently the citizens had to inundate city hall to protest an ordinance requiring Misery City citizens to be responsible for all infrastructure to the middle of the street. (Ordinance 46-4) Its had a band-aid put over it to satisfy some of the citizens but Id bet the ordinance still requires citizens to be responsible for the streets, curbs, and gutters to the middle of the street. . . (click title link for more)

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MCC comment/editorial: Decades long control of MC council by Houston special interests will be strongly tested again this spring. Hopefully those that live in the city limits of Missouri City will turn out in droves to support challengers and end the politics of division and separation that have dominated the city through the use of intimidation and alienation. Good luck reformers as you work to take back local control, establish term limits and a REAL ethics committee that actually investigates wrongful doing!

We will track this election from the reform perspective up close and personal. Already Nick Lampson and special interest backed mayor Allen Owen have teamed up for an upcoming event. The irony being that Lampson ran against the very political machine Owen is part of to gain his CD-22 seat with promises of change. MCC endorsed Mr. Lampson in his first run, but now offically withdraws it since Lampson is accepting the the same special interest campaign financing that Owen and the network have long used to maintain control of the area. Much has changed in little over a year. So don't follow the party, follow the money and watch the incumbents voting patterns. Already Owen has opposed CAD caps, rate CAPs and supported higher taxes consistently as well as voted for thousands of additional apartments in the Sienna hwy 6 area and Colonial drive communities (is this in your best interests?). VOTE-VOTE-VOTE!

Stay tuned for more!

Fort Bend Sun Covers Missouri City Tax Increase Controversy--

Missouri City Tax Hike Draws Pointed Words--

At the Monday city council session more words were exchanged by Jerry Wyatt, Allen Owen in support of a recent 5-1 vote in favor of a 5%+ increase in city property taxes with newly elected reform council member Cynthia Gary, who voted against the increase.

Missouri City already touts the highest taxes for a city its size in Fort Bend County and has many retirees and people living on fixed incomes. This was some of the reasoning given by Professor Gary, the district B council representative for her opposition. She continued that she couldn't in good conscious vote to raise homeowners and business taxes even before the purchase of the potentially tax consuming QVCC.

The controversy came to a head at the Sept. 17th regular city council session at the only reading and vote on the property tax hike. Most city ordinances involve two readings and votes giving the public time to attend and comment. Later the city would deny that this was "rushed" through. Kevin Tunstall, rumored to be viewing one of the at large city council seats, confronted city council in a challenge to them to just "say no" to more taxes and to re-examine your spending habits first.

MCC will continue to follow-up on this as we approach the spring council races. . . -stay informed and keep in touch!

FBISD Continues To Ignore Single-Member District Representation & Pushes The November Bond (Click on the title link for this Chron piece)-

Get background at: http://www.fortbendnow.com/opinion/3086/prestage-adds-voice-in-call-for-fbisd-single-member-districts

VOTE Saturday (Take BACK LOCAL Control from the special interest -- click title link for more info)

Visit http://mcelectioninformation.blogspot.com for more on the Missouri City Elections. VOTE Saturday and take back real local control!

District C Race Heats Up (Click on title link to get the full story from the Chronicle)

Sidewalk repair stirs up District C race in Missouri City

By SESHADRI KUMAR
Chronicle Correspondent

The maintenance of sidewalks in Missouri City has become an election issue, at least in the District C open council seat, where Kevin Tunstall and Barbara Gibson are locked in a fight to succeed Councilman Bob Burton.

Sidewalk repair grabbed headlines in February.

About 60 people filled the City Council chamber on Feb. 7 to oppose a 1974 city law that requires homeowners to pay for the repairs of sidewalks in front of their properties. Residents say the city should pay. The subcommittee of City Councilmen Don Smith, Jerry Wyatt and Brett Kolaja said it would seek opinions of residents throughout the city.

At a mid-March subcommittee meeting, Wyatt, committee chair, said city staff recommendations were accepted to have the city repair sidewalks and to earmark funds in next year's budget, beginning July 1.

Now, Tunstall and Mayor Allen Owen, who is not up for election this year, each accuse the other of "misleading" people.

Owen said the city has announced its intent to take over the responsibility of maintaining the sidewalks, and residents will not be liable for any damage.

Tunstall, 42, a health-care administrator, said council has not taken formal action on the issue, and until the onerous ordinance placing liability on residents to maintain public infrastructure is removed, the issue will remain. . . (Click title link).

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Comment: On the last campaign finance reports for the Owen backed challenger (Gibson) numerous developer executives/managers were found. These same special interest developers have been found on Owens finance reports too. It has been reported that the mayor is running the Gibson campaign effort.

FB Sun Announces Hunter Run for City Council!

Comment: Some of you may remember Mr. Smith, the incumbent in district B, was one of 5 city council members who voted in up to 2700 apartments into the Sienna community, against the wishes of many homeowners here, in Feb. '05 (the first 250+ units are currently under construction on the parkway). He is now being challenged by Lou Hunter who spoke before city council March 19th about development issues and other city concerns. We wish him the best and fully endorse his run against councilmen Smith.
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Lou Hunter, who describes himself as a long-time Missouri City activist, homeowner and reformer, has announced his candidacy for City Council District B, a seat currently held by Councilman Don Smith.


Hunter said that he has spent most of his life in Missouri City and the surrounding area watching as the community has transitioned into a major Houston suburb.

He views much of the area's growth as positive, but has plans in his campaign to bring greater focus to what he terms erosion along the Texas Pkwy and FM1092 corridors.

"While growth along Highway 6 by large Houston developers is positive, much of our city is being neglected," Hunter said.
The candidate has vowed not to accept out-of-district special interest campaign funding, which he said has become the norm for many on City Council over the years. . .

-Click the title link for the full story!

Tom Hilton, DeVoge & Rojas File For Arcola City Council and more (from the Chronicle)

Click the title link above for all the city council races impacting our area of the county and support local control candidates (Griffin, Hunter, Tunstall -- Missouri City; Hilton, DeVoge, Rojas -- Arcola). Remember it is essential to Sienna residents to support independent candidates given the airport/road issues in Arcola and the developers agreement with Missouri City (and recent debt loads being approved by our unelected MUD boards here in agreement with the current MC council). Also consider supporting the Missouri City candidate Noel Pinnock for FBISD board (see this release for more: http://www.fortbendnow.com/news/2664/noel-pinnock-running-for-fort-bend-isd-board-position-7#c010745).

Stay informed and keep in touch!

From Fortbendweb.com: Council Speaker Upsets Missouri City Mayor Allen Owen Over Increased City Lien Power--click title link for more--

From fortbendweb.com:

Mo-City Mayor Angered By Council Speaker, Again?
Published on 02/20/07

During Monday nights session several speakers spoke in opposition to the infringement on property rights by the city through the enforcement of lien powers on the repair of public sidewalks and other infrastructure. One speaker in particular seemed to take on the brunt of Mr. Owens wrath.

Kevin Tunstall is a potential reform candidate for city council this spring and has been very visible on home & property owners rights with regard to the "sidewalk" ordinance. This issue has garnered much attention of the past month in local media and blogs.

Mr. Tunstall's speech is included below:

"Recently, I addressed the Sidewalk Committee regarding section 46 of the municipal code. The response received from property owners as a result, I can only interpret as emphatic support from our community to repeal the measure. As stated, the window of opportunity for THIS BODY to act in correcting the egregious assault on private property rights is limited.

I am grateful that Councilman Burton agreed to meet with me along with other concerned citizens. I hope he decides to LEAD on this issue. The eye of the public is upon you. The choices that YOU make in the next few weeks will dictate the actions of THE CITIZENS in the future.

You were hired to represent us. I am respectfully request that you fulfill your duties as OUR REPRESENTATIVES.

Section 46 of the municipal code musty be amended, replaced or repealed in order to protect the rights of property owners in our community. Otherwise THE CITIZENS may consider an alternative.

Thank You" --Tunstall



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MCC comment: If such a direct and honest speech upset Mayor Owen then maybe he needs to consider what it is he is really upset about? The mayor will have to consider his re-election is approaching again in '08 and the community is now watching! They seem so concerned about image of the city via the hiring of the out of state PR/marketing firm with taxpayer monies they may want to consider a new council instead (that would help images).

From FBN: Homeowner Foreclosures Rising (TX is #1)

Follow this growing problem as Texas is listed as the highest state with actual numbers of foreclosure filings. Click the title link above or comment below in this blog.

Get on the petition drive to stop HOA foreclosures in your state. Go to: http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?homeback

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Stay informed and keep in touch!