We are sharing this blog post by Carol Spencer, a respected Republican in Bastrop County. We don't always agree on things, but LIV started appreciating Carol's efforts in the 2023 regular legislative session to move a bill (HB 3398 -- scroll down) sponsored by Rep. Stan Gerdes. The bill would give counties more control over development. It went nowhere, but the call for more local control is mounting. The next session starts in January 2025.
We highly recommend you check out Carol's very recent blog, "Power and Control." about what is happening in Bastrop City government. Here's an excerpt:
"That voting majority is trying its hardest to keep that power, to be able to decide issues away from the public view, to run government in private. This is completely opposite of government 'of the people, for the people and by the people'."
LIV's own Linda Curtis attended the most recent Bastrop City Council meeting with a pointed message to the three of five city council members who collected signatures to push a divisive recall election costing $137.070 taxpayer dollars on Bastrop Mayor Lyle Nelson. Linda confronted them with,
"The right to petition in Texas was never meant for you -- politicians sitting at the dais. It was meant for citizens to get after you when you get out of control."
As conflicts of interest abound in the Bastrop politician's recall sham, Mayor Lyle Nelson is holding his own information meeting on Tuesday, August 20, at 6:30 pm at the Hampton Inn.
Lyle Nelson has asked that folks sign in to make sure seating is available at:
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LIV is a big supporter of the rights of all Texans, regardless of party affiliation, to petition for a public vote on issues. Texan's rights to petition for a public vote on issues (including recalls) is limited. Those rights are only for municipal elections in home rule cities, cities with at least 5,000 population and a city charter. These rights were enshrined in the Texas Constitution in 1912 as part of the Texas Home Rule Amendment. See more at our website here on "I&R" and here -- LIV's homegrown petitions. Let's not to allow politicians to harm our petition rights by abusing them for their narrow political purposes.
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