I’d like to comment on Councilman Bryan Webb’s recent letter. When I wrote that the Flower Mound Town Council investigation will cost at least $35,000 it was based on the fact that when this foolish endeavor began it was supposed to cost no more than $15,000.
Faster than you can say “spend more taxpayer money,” it was raised to its current expenditure level. Incidentally, there would be no cost to taxpayers if this probe had been handled internally. What’s the point of paying all those salaries if we must seek outside firms every time we have a question about a rule being broken?
As for the disparity between an infraction and “taking ownership of my actions,” there seems to be a very small margin of difference, and I don’t think mincing words is very helpful. Mr. Webb’s support of his friend is truly admirable and I fully agree that Mr. Pearson had a right to a public hearing regarding his removal from P & Z.
Councilman Webb is an honorable man who was doing what he felt was right for his friend. We should all have that level of affection and loyalty from our buddies.
We can argue about the definition of “personal gain or benefit or for the private interest of others,” but, if disclosing info obtained from Executive Session is meaningless, why have the rule? Still, if we’re going to have such a rule, I doubt the violation of it would warrant more than the proverbial “slap on the wrist.”
Nevertheless, the point of my column was that this expanded investigation is an embarrassment to our town and appears to be nothing less than a personal rift between old and new members of council. Does anyone believe that this would be happening if these men liked and respected each other?
Let’s be honest; the results of the election in May was the voters’ way of saying they weren’t happy with the direction of the town. It doesn’t matter if you or I agree with that assessment or not. What matters is that the enough people took the time to go to the polls and state their objections. After the long and bitter battle and the repudiation of recent policies there was bound to be some bad vibes when the new “majority” took their seats.
We can critique the methods used by some of the new town reps, but, most of their missteps can probably be attributed to inexperience, and/or over exuberance with their new job. Perhaps, what we need is a short training program for the newly elected in order to prevent future gaffes.
Meanwhile, I continue to wonder what’s to be gained by this in-depth pursuit of past peccadilloes. Don’t we deal with this enough during the heated campaigns leading up to Election Day? Is this going to become SOP all year long in our town? Mr. Webb says the sooner the probe is completed, the sooner we can heal. Well, with all due respect, I never heard of curing a wound by rubbing salt into it.
Furthermore, I seriously doubt that residents would feel insulted if this quixotic exercise ended quickly. The real insult is that it began in the first place.
Bob Weir is a long-time Flower Mound resident and former local newspaper editor.
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