You can't make this up.

Richland Hills wants to ban cameras in City Hall.  WHO paid for City Hall?

Who's taking bets this will speed up the process of Richland Hills becoming part of North Richland Hills?

Read about it in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.  Go down to Richland Hills City Council tomorrow and see it in person.

"Basically what it is, we've had folks come in and do video on the city secretary," Mayor David Ragan said. "That kind of made her nervous."

Gerrit Spieker, treasurer of Consolidate Now, believes that he, Michael Logan and David White inspired the city to consider the proposal. In January, they delivered a petition to City Secretary Linda Cantu requesting that a proposition to consolidate Richland Hills with North Richland Hills be placed on the May 12 ballot.

"We were in the lobby and videotaped delivering the petition to the city secretary," Spieker said. "I think [the proposed recording ban] is trumped-up paranoia."

If the proposal is approved, violators will not only be fined up to $2,000 but also be deemed trespassers and subject to immediate removal.

Officials in North Richland Hills, Haltom City, Hurst, Euless, Bedford and Colleyville said those cities have no similar ordinances.

"Nor have we contemplated one," Euless City Manager Gary McKamie said.

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"On the other hand, sometimes well-intentioned, government-initiated projects do not go as planned."

 The Fort Worth Star-Telegram got a tip from THE PEOPLE - one at City Hall, about the $50,000 the city is spending to add showers so workers can bike to work.  The tipster is bothered with the cutting of employees and  forced furlough days while adding showers for the few that ride. 

WHAT is the "funding source"? WHAT "designation" is the city seeking?

"I have nothing against riding a bike to work," the tipster wrote. "What I do take issue with is the city, in such dire straits, on a dead run to spend money to build showers so that folks can ride bicycles to work at City Hall.

Funding source: "The scheduled replacement of an air-conditioning system at the Animal Care and Control Center will be deferred until next fiscal year to allow this shower facility to be constructed now," a spokesman said.

Did the city do a survey on need?
No. Mayor Betsy Price, an avid cyclist, told The Watchdog: "Then we would have had to spend money on surveys. ..".

Downtown bike racks are mostly empty, and the lanes are not filled with bicyclists.

City officials say they hope to attain the designation Bicycle Friendly Community through the League of American Bicyclists.

On the other hand, sometimes well-intentioned, government-initiated projects do not go as planned.

Example: North Richland Hills used part of a $2 million federal grant awarded in 1999 to develop its Walker's Creek Park trail. That included money to install lockers under a large canopy near the water park for bicycle commuters to stow their belongings.

In 2009, the lockers were removed because officials feared they could be vandalized or someone could get locked inside. Those lockers remain in storage today.

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WHO to the rescue?

A letter to the editor in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram tells you how things are run in Tarrant County.  Don't be mistaken, it ain't just Richland Hills.

If a Texes hero shows up, they are going to be busy. 

Rescue Richland Hills

Richland Hills has ceased to function as a city, and there's no Superman to rescue us. We have a city charter that is old and outdated but is the current, legal policy voted in by our citizens. It is the law.

Or is it? Various members of the City Council are routinely violating the city charter but there's no way to hold them accountable since they abolished the city's Ethics Review Board. The city manager, who has won numerous awards for management of the city, is under siege by the council. Each week more City Council actions are being hidden in "executive session." Residents loyal to certain councilmen are allowed to misbehave during council and board meetings and are creating a hostile workplace for volunteers and city employees. Councilmen are ordering the replacement of opposing board members without following due process.

Richland Hills has become a Wild West town run by thugs and bullies. We need an intervention! I have contacted various elected officials within Tarrant County and my state representative but so far no one seems able or willing to step in, call this obviously unethical behavior into question and save Richland Hills.

-- Ralph Smith, Richland Hills

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Did YOU vote yet?

YOU better.  Otherwise, same ol...you know.

DO something, otherwise, keep your mouth shut. 

WHO are we voting for?  You can see our pics here.

Early voting ends today at 7.  Election day is Saturday!

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