Who’s taxpayers’ friend?

What a shocker at last Thursday’s Helotes City Council meeting. 

Pre-election we heard and read over and over how Ellis, Schoolcraft, and Whitehead scared the taxpayers of Helotes, especially the elderly, about how the incumbents would raise their taxes to pay for the financial obligation of badly needed fire and police stations.

Many informed voters knew their campaign claim was not true, but fear was used as a means to an end, and some poor folks actually believed them. Those same folks should have showed up on Thursday to watch their three lobby hard for a tax increase while J.B., Alina, and Guillerma objected to any tax increase and reminded them that everyone has a budget, including the city, and we need to live within our means and adjust our budget accordingly.

In fact, Alina, Guillerma, and J.B. have all endorsed a tax freeze for our 65-and-over homeowners and have vowed to work toward getting that implemented.

Gosh, I hope no one feels betrayed. 

Lorraine Castillo
Helotes

Helotes Parks

Committee seeks input

The Helotes Parks and Open Space Committee is actively seeking input and participation from the community on two important projects the Parks Committee is currently engaged (1) the creation of Parrigin Playground, the first public playground for Helotes children, and (2) identification and evaluation of potential sites for the Sen. Frank Madla Memorial Park, the first multi-use park for our community.

We plan to initiate preliminary land surveying and site preparation of the Parrigin Playground this fall. Final playground design is ongoing, but site preparation can be undertaken while plans are finalized. We will be working closely with Boy Scouts and community groups to perform these preliminary tasks.

Second, the Parks Committee is also seeking public input regarding potential sites for the Sen. Frank Madla Memorial Park. As you may recall, the Helotes City Council has charged the Parks Committee with identifying and evaluating potential sites for the memorial park.

The public is invited to partake and contribute to both projects to help ensure that the parks reflect their wishes. The Parks Committee meets at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of every month at City Hall. Please attend to provide your input regarding these or any other parks project. In addition, the Parks Committee is available to make a presentation on Helotes parks and these ongoing efforts. Please contact the Parks Committee through the city secretary if you have any suggestions or questions.

Ron Green, chair
Helotes Parks and Open Space Committee

Quacking not a sign of ducks

In regard to your opinion “What will Helotes’ development rules cost?” in the Sept. 27 edition of the Northwest Weekly, I must say just because someone shows a PowerPoint that quacks, doesn’t make it a duck! I noticed you quoted only the council member that loudly promotes his own propaganda. Mr. Whitehead has a history of promoting inaccuracies for his political gain. Just consider a couple of absurd statements he has made in the past during and after his election.

During his election campaign, paid for almost entirely by developers, he campaigned that we would experience a 24 percent tax hike in FY2008. Citizens I know were terrified our tax rate would increase from 33 cents to over 40 cents per $100 of value in 2008. The fact is, it didn’t go up at all for FY2008, even after it had declined in FY2007. The cost you ask? It could be argued developers may have effectively bought three seats on the Helotes City Council. You be the judge.

When promoting the “Old Town Helotes” initiative, he suggested 100 percent impervious cover was better than 30 percent impervious cover. In addition, he suggested “water quality to the Edwards Aquifer was not an issue,” and he even attempted to badger water quality experts into agreeing with him. His scare tactic was that no development would occur at a lower impervious rate. As a result, the impervious cover requirement was elevated to just below 50 percent, the tree ordinance was effectively weakened, and the Economic Development Corporation gets to make its own rules. The cost you ask? It could destroy the “Old Town Helotes” experience, our water quality, and our quality of life. I personally support the “Old Town Helotes” initiative, but I don’t believe it should place a burden on the common taxpayer.

I can cite many other examples (I have film), but it appears Mr. Whitehead’s recipe is quite simple: Add more impervious cover, add more taxes, add more developers, and give them local government handouts. The special sauce — let them go willy-nilly as they please.

“Fire fighting” is a common approach to problem solving and that’s why our town, our state, and our nation are in our current predicaments. The best remedy is “fire prevention” and that means real planning and that requires a master plan. Real leaders solve problems by thinking out-of-the box to find real solutions for today and especially for tomorrow and the decades to come.

For the most part, I believe the Northwest Weekly has brought Helotes a much needed breath of fresh air, but may I humbly suggest collecting additional facts and opinions, including those of other council persons? Here are two important facts that were left out regarding the IDO and “common ground” or maybe just common sense.

On the IDO, Mayor Schoolcraft, Councilman Whitehead, and Councilman Ellis stopped progress on the master plan for several months. In the meantime, the IDO is time-boxed, it is not in effect indefinitely, which is something Mr. Whitehead always conveniently seems to leave out. No progress is made and they cry foul!

As for “common ground,” Councilwoman Contreras, Councilwoman Matutes-Eckhardt, and Councilman Richeson made numerous attempts to phone, or meet with, the mayor when controversies arose.

He would not or could not (I can’t imagine why) speak with them even by telephone to avoid or resolve those controversies. Compromise fails and again they cry foul!

Unfortunately, damage to those that seek to protect our town without regard for personal gain may already be done, but I hope it’s not irreparable. The bottom line is that predictions about budgets, taxes, and future development are just that, predictions. Anyone good, bad, or evil with numbers can skew them in their favor.

Al Contreras
Helotes

Democracy at work in Helotes

 I want to thank council members Alina Matutes-Eckhardt and J.B. Richeson for standing up for the citizens of Helotes.

Taking the mayor to court to get him to follow the law was certainly a decision of last resort but one that had to be done for every citizen in Helotes.

It’s time to move on, hire a city administrator to help run the city, and do the city business. And kudos to our above-mentioned councilmembers and Councilwoman Guillerma Contreras for not raising taxes. 

Michael and Kathy Castillo
Helotes