Local Election Briefs

Ovilla
George Mulholland wants his city’s alleged “leave-your-brains-at-the-door” mentality over public meetings to end. “The inordinate, bordering on tyrannical, control of public information at the [Planning & Zoning Commission] seems destined to continue,” Mulholland reported Tuesday, citing city officials’ refusal to distribute details over Ovilla’s controversial Master Plan.

Ennis
City Commissioner Stephen Durbin, who was reportedly caught on tape admitting to recording his Ennis dental office employees changing clothes, plead guilty Monday for those accusations and will serve no jail time, but get a five-year deferred adjudicated sentence (probation) instead. Though required to attend sex offender courses, he won’t have to register as a sex offender. Terms of the plea bargain, according to news reports, will allow Durbin to request a court order barring agencies and individuals from ever knowing he had a warrant issued for the alleged crimes. Victims, according to defense attorney Clay Jenkins, said they were pleased with the agreement.

Palmer
A four-page newsletter, the Palmer Post, was distributed around town Monday, causing city officials to issue statements refuting certain allegations, such as City Administrator Doug Young’s alleged stranglehold on city affairs. Despite rumors to the contrary, The Ellis County Press and Palmer Post are two separate (completely) publications. As of press time, no one claimed responsibility for the controversial paper.

Commissioners Court

The Ellis County Commissioners Court in 2000, in a unanimous vote, enacted sweeping nuisance regulations, paving the way for what some recent candidates for public office to call “countywide zoning laws.” Court Order No. 20162, available via open records at the courthouse, was signed May 22 by then-County Judge Al Cornelius and commissioners Hallie Joe Robinson (Pct. 1), Jerry Holland (Pct. 2), Charles Waller (Pct. 3) and Ron Brown (Pct. 4).

Robinson and Holland were the last two Democrats to sit on the court; Waller and Cornelius were later censured by the local Republican Party, and Brown still serves on the five-member court. Commissioners cited health and safety statutes for provisions allowing for the entrance of council officials on non-complying landowners.

Republic of Texas
Separatists unite! The “Constitutional republic of Texas Nation” will be holding their convention in Washington-on-the-Brazos Sat., April 12, according to an official notice from the Republic of Texas’ e-newsletter. ROT, which opposes toll roads, labor taxes, vaccinations and the State of Texas, is looking for “Congressmen, district and county judges and county clerks” for their parallel government. For more information, contact Ed Brannum at trep777@dctexas.net.

Constitution Party
                The Constitution Party of Texas and Ellis County are looking for petition gatherers to get their slate of local candidates on the ballot in November. Contact Bryan Malatesta at info@cptexas.org for more information.