We are living in a time when censorship has all but killed the First Amendment in this country and even at local levels. We have seen the right to ask questions attacked as unacceptable and ridiculed. The question of whether some comment is factual or not does not seem to be important. We have seen the results of that level of control during the past few years and now we are beginning to see the damage that has been done.
Jersey Village has been following that same process for several years and it is only getting worse. Our current City Council is made up of “one voice” council members including the mayor. The idea that every Jersey Village resident has a voice or that someone on the city council is listening to their concerns is a joke. They often brag about their “transparency”, but they only tell you what they want you to know about any issue. The five minutes of public comment time provided before city council meetings have no impact on any of their decisions and are ignored unless the comments are positive toward them.
The current makeup of the city council only represents one group of residents and they have shown their disregard for all other groups. The comments made about residents over the age of 65 during the tax-rate discussions have sent a clear message that you can keep paying higher taxes or just move out of Jersey Village and let someone younger buy your house. I have lived in JV for 46 years. My daughters were raised here and graduated from JVHS. My family represents four generations currently living here. It is my home and I have seen a lot of growth during those years that newer residents have no concept of.
Some council members have stated that our government is a democracy and those elected by the most votes have the exclusive right to make all decisions without involving the residents. All current council members were backed by the same group, and they all voted in lockstep on all issues. Many of the residents believe they have no voice and that their vote does not matter anymore. Several people have told me that they would not run for a council position because Senate Ave Brewing Company has too many under its control to ever win. It is a known fact that at least two members of the city council have a financial interest in that company and others may also have an investment there.
The City Council selected Backyard Grill as the food vendor at the golf course and Senate Ave beer is sold at the golf course and at Backyard Grill restaurant. For most of my 46 years living in JV, no beer was allowed in JV Parks and certainly not at public functions where children were involved. Residents are not allowed to take any alcohol to public events; however, Senate Ave is allowed to sell you a beer at those events. The residents should be told if any member of the city council has an interest in Senate Ave, Backyard Grill, or plans to have any interest in any business like those currently under discussions across 290.
Prior to the May 2021 election, a group of JV residents gathered names of over 900 registered voters on a petition to stop JVCC from moving city hall to what was named “Village Center” located across 290. JVCC had entered into an agreement with a group that was going to develop the land that the city owns due to a lawsuit settlement where the city bought the land. The voters were led to believe that the development would begin within a few months. The petition was rejected due to the wording and the May 2021 election was completed with at least two investors in Senate Ave as council members.
JVCC was prepared to vote on entering a contract for about $11.5 million to build a new city hall within the area called “Village Center” without the developer buying any of the land or the construction of any of the proposed buildings (both were conditions of the agreement). It was only at that point that it became public knowledge that the developer had no funding for the project and that the council members knew that for several months but withheld that from the residents. Research produced information that brought into question that many of the statements made during the Town Hall Meetings regarding the project were not truthful.
At least $450K was spent on that project that did not put a shovel in the ground. Earlier last year, JVCC entered into another agreement with KHJR for a new idea for that land. The construction of a stadium where professional baseball would be played for home games of a yet-to-be-identified team. This would also require the city to build a new city hall on that land. This stadium idea is part of a multi-city plan that would require new stadiums to be built in various cities around the country as a part of an expansion of minor league teams not connected with any level of Major League Baseball. I am not aware of any of those cities beginning construction of a stadium currently.
JVCC continues to move forward with the plans to build new buildings at the golf course that are estimated to cost at least $10.5 million with no shovel in the ground yet. The financial reporting for the golf course has not included some of the actual expenses and that distorts the picture of what it costs the taxpayers each year. The purchase cost for the golf course has been combined with other debt expenses and is not included in the cost of operations for the golf course. Other improvements made to the golf course have been paid for outside of the budget for the golf course as well.
Bobby Warren recently stated that in the first quarter of this physical year, the golf course is showing a profit. The financial report shows that the golf course had a net loss of around $450K last year. Every resident deserves to know a true picture of the entire cost of the golf course every year since the city repurchased the golf course more than twenty years back. We also should be provided with plans for generating additional income to cover the higher operating costs and for the repayment of the $10.5 million in new construction expenses. The taxpayers should be provided with a report showing what percent of those playing golf are residents of Jersey Village and the actual number of Jersey Village residents that play golf there each month.
It is my belief that large spending projects by the city should have voter approval before projects go forward. Our property tax rate should be set to cover operation expenses and already approved projects. Tax rates set in the past that provided over $20 million in excess funds that can be spent by the city council without voter approval is an example of over-taxing of Jersey Village property owners. Jersey Village residents pay some of the highest property taxes in this part of Texas and the city council refuses to provide Over-65 Exemptions like Harris County and the City of Houston. The residents deserve a voice on the City Council and not just the friends of Senate Ave Brewing Company.
By: Richard Ray
March 16, 2023