Thursday, March 20, 2008

Campaign Finance - Fraud?

Billy Wickliffe, Theresa Bain, James Jistel, and Mary Evans have commingled campaign finances and enlisted City employees in publishing and mailing a campaign letter to select groups of Wilmer residents. Wickliffe was overheard implicating City Administrator Thom Lauer as the author of the "Paid Political Advertisement" campaign flyer.
Read the full color flyer online - click here.

In a blatant and bold usage of city personnel, funds and materials for personal campaigning, Billy Wickliffe et al have published a campaign flyer (in full color) imploring voters to "Stick with the familiar team and Keep the Train Rolling". It's time we the residents and citizens of Wilmer "derail" this runaway train of corrupt influence from our community.

How can these four candidates legally and ethically publish a campaign flyer under existing statutes requiring a filing of a campaign finance treasurer/manager? How can we the taxpayers of Wilmer stand for using public staff and funds for such purposes?

This group claims credit for a lower (property) tax rate while creating astronomical deficits and shortfalls in the city budget. To offset the lower property tax rate, most residents will see huge increases in property appraisal values due to the escalating commercial property values. DCAD has a policy of taxing property at it's "best and highest use" value. This means you can expect your land to be appraised at commercial property values - your taxes will increase drastically unless you have a homestead exemption and put up a fight to ensure your property is covered by the exemption. Let's not forget that the voters approved a one cent increase in sales taxes last year as well.

Among other things, this "crew" is claiming credit for bringing Dallas Water into Wilmer. While Mike Rader's Wilmer Water District provides a connection to Dallas Water Utilities via Hutchins, the general populace is not served by this supply. Sources within the City Hall indicate that only a small group of residents in the vicinity of the old high school on Millers Ferry receive Dallas water, and the city loses money on every gallon by charging insufficient funds to recover the high cost of this service. The group also claims lower rates for water and sewer but has budgeted $1.40 loss for every $1 of water revenue. Of course, Mike Rader's Sunridge Business Park benefits from the connection to Dallas Water, but no residents are served by this connection. Sources inside the Water Department indicate that the connection wasn't finalized because funds were not provided for a compensating pressure valve and the Dallas service line pressure would "blow" the much lower pressure Wilmer water lines without such a device.

The claims of our prospects for the future are equally absurd:
"New Restaurants" - Wilmer doesn't support the one full service restaurant we have in town, while the fast food businesses saturate the corner of I45 and Belt Line.
"New Grocery Stores" - the city council has stated that without more rooftops, additional retail cannot be sustained.
"New Hotel" - there is a sign on the southbound I45 access road at the Belt Line exit, but we have found no plans, proposals or financing for such development.
"More Jobs" - with all the development we are experiencing the only "new job" for Wilmer residents seems to be the rehire of Thom Lauer as City Administrator.
"More paid firefighters and police" - the council hasn't kept up with the attrition (resignations) of paid fire and police forces and has made a great deal of hoopla about our volunteer-amateur uncertified firemen and their new facilities.

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

It defies understanding of how or why this same group, i.e. Billy's people, keeps getting elected! Money disappears and is not accounted for, the in-group makes land deals for big bucks, and still the people elect them! Wake up, Wilmer! We need help and these people are here to help themselves, not you!

Anonymous said...

It is funny that thqat new (volunteer Fire truck) looks alot like the one that that the full time firefighters have worked hard to get the grant for !!! So it should be called the Fire Dept brush 461 . The flyer also says Mrs. Bains is a Firefighter well show me the proof!!!!

Anonymous said...

Theresa Bains a Firefighter haa funny ,I need proof. Second of all I believe our full time firefighters worked hard to get the grant for the 60 thousand dollar Fire Truck , which they had to fight the city to pay 5 thousand for and almost did not get it. So I do not believe this truck should be the new volunteer truck they talk about they did not do the work it took to get it!!!!

Anonymous said...

After reviewing the campaign flyer, I noted a couple of items that this council is taking credit for. Particularly the refurbished library. If they are going to take credit for this, they should take credit for the City Employees that nearly burned the building down in the first place. I do believe that insurance took care of the refurbishing. It's not like the city initiated and provided the funds for the refurbishment.

Refurbished water tower? I do believe TCEQ (the agency that monitors water quality in Texas) probably had something to do with requiring the refurbishment of the water tower. The State does require regular inspections of these towers and requires the Cities to take action to keep the water towers in good working condition. Since when was the City of Wilmer ever pro-active in initiating repairs? Wait till it's broke, then fix it!!!

Editor Publisher said...

EDITORS NOTE: WE ARE INFORMED THAT CONTRACTORS NOT CITY EMPLOYEES WERE INVOLVED IN THE LIBRARY INCIDENT.

Anonymous said...

Dear Public Citizen:
It was city employees working on the roof that day. They were repairing the roof. When the fire started they had left for lunch. You may want to ask the city for documentation as to "Who was working on the roof and why" If this is what they are telling you.

Anonymous said...

NO, IT WAS NOT A CITY EMPLOYEE. IT WAS A CONTRACTED REPAIR MAN THAT ACCIDENTALLY SET THE ROOF ON FIRE WITH A WELDING IRON. CITY EMPLOYEES DISCOVERED THE ROOF ABLAZE UPON RETURNING FROM LUNCH AND CITY EMPLOYEES THAT PUT THE FIRE OUT. MAYBE YOU SHOULD ASK FOR MORE DETAILS PERTAINING TO THIS INCIDENT :)

Anonymous said...

As a former volunteer on the fire department I know for a fact that I and another former fireman with the department are the ones that filled out and work for that grant to get the truck and that the paid guys had NOTHING to do with it. As far as the volunteers having a new facility they have to have it because the paid guys DO NOT want to work with volunteers and the paid chief Marcus Smith says that volunteers are useless. At last count Marcus was receiving some 49,000 a year to do nothing but run the volunteers off and not attend to fire department business but to run his own Stand By Mediacal Ambulance company.

Don you said that you would not let Marcus run off the volunteers but yet you let him run off all the ones that cared and willing to work non stop on the department to help the citizens and better he city. You let him change the Wilmer Volunteer Department to a joke of a department, because now the few volunteers you can't respond to help anyone unless Marcus says its ok. Bet you wish the old volunteers were back.

Anonymous said...

boy it is funny how facts get twisted in this city. All this city council has managed to do is take kick backs, split the fire department, thay have caused discord, and heart ache among the citizens. It is so bad that they were actually considering backing a know pedophile. This city needs a major overhaul in the city government. God please help us.

Captain Hamilton said...

As the Captain of the Fire Department, nobody is disputing that the original grant was filled out by the volunteers. Wilmer Fire Department contacted the Texas Forestry Services about the status of the grant and was informed the grant application was not complete and because it had incorrect and missing information it did not receive enough points to be awarded by TFS committee. The Texas Forestry Service advised that an amended application with the correct and missing information for the grant could be resubmitted which was done by the paid Fire Department at which time the city of Wilmer was awarded the grant. If anything this was a combined effort that resulted in benefiting the Citizens of Wilmer.


Captain Mark Hamilton
Wilmer Fire Department

Anonymous said...

It wasn't Hudson that ran off the volunteer fire fighters. I am a volunteer and I've sat and heard Lowe tell lies to Dean to get him upset. Lauer had a hand in it too.
EVERYBODY was working well together until Lowe got involved and tried to get Marcus fired.

Anonymous said...

THERESA BAINS IS NOT A FIREFIGHTER!!! IF SHE IS SHOW US, THE CITIZENS OF WILMER, THE PROOF!!!!!!!! AND TO THE "former volunteer on the fire department" AND "another former fireman" SHOW US, THE CITIZENS OF WILMER, THE PROOF! THAT ALL WERE THE ONES TO GET THAT GRANT FOR THE NEW BRUSH TRUCK!!!! WHERE IS ALL THE PROOF!!!!!!!!!!!! AND TO THE WILMER "City Council" OR "Billy Wickliffe" AND "Eugene Lowe" AND WORST OF ALL "City Administrator Thom Lauer" ALL I CAN SAY TO YALL IS, GOD IS NOT MOCKED MAY ALL OF YOU "ILLEGAL" SINS FIND YOU OUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

Wow these fire volunteer need to let Wilmer grow! Are they having a had time finding the door? Are they bind too? last but not least, How old are they? and do they live up to the state volunteer physical fitness standards? or are they living to their own standards (kind of like the City Administrator)? -Formal Rockwall Fire Department Volunteer.

Anonymous said...

SO... is the City Counsel trying to take Fire Equipment like the took school money from the Citizens??? WOW THIS CITY IS #$%& UP. WFD YALL ARE IN MY PRAYERS.

Anonymous said...

All I know is that the Fire Department was trying to make things better for the "City of Wilmer" with hopes of growing and meeting staff requirements , but the lovely incumbent council has done is tear it up ,and force some good firemen to to leave the city because they saw the destruction first hand. The supposed volunteers they have like assistant chief and others in the "hierarchy " of the vol. fire have not showed on a call in over 2 years . Including the one that calls herself a" firefighter" Theresa Bains! So my question is why have a volunteer fire dept. if 99% do not show up and try to help out anyway!!!????

Anonymous said...

To the person that said -"So my question is why have a volunteer fire dept. if 99% do not show up and try to help out anyway!!!????" -GOD BLESS YOU!!!!! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! AND AMEN!

Editor Publisher said...

We published the previous comment although it contained a few too many "Amens" -

Anonymous said...

To the comment that 99% of the time that the volunteers don't show or didn't show up on calls that is because once Marcus took over the department he told and now tells the volunteers that they were/are not needed and they can go.

Anonymous said...

No you are wrong there I take it you are one of these vol. that believes that hand fed crap fed to that supposedly Marcus ran ya'll off. Well by knowing some of the guys there they had always said that they welcomed the volunteers and would like to have them train with the career men. This is when it went sour with Eugene Lowe and company they supposedly never need training you guys where offered a service then turned it into hatred for the better lack of words.Those career guys just wanted to help out those vounteers because they do not want to them hurt, and by they if the vol. get hurt and the career guys where on seen they would be responsible for those guys . Now think how these guys felt when the hatred of a few of the volunteers turned it into the career guys fault.Get your facts straight Marcus Wanted to help everyone and have a unified dept. but instead feelings where hurt and the volunteers failed to keep there end of the bargain.Another question is where were all the volunteers before Marcus made chief the still where not responding? I know this for a fact!

Anonymous said...

Hello,

I have a question for the webmaster/admin here at wilmercitizen.blogspot.com.

May I use part of the information from your blog post above if I provide a link back to your website?

Thanks,
John

Editor Publisher said...

REPLY TO Anonomyous John 3/24/11

Sure you can use the material for a backlink - although I'm wondering what possible use you'd have for three year old "news".