Flower Mound voters delivered an unambiguous mandate to Town Hall on May 8 by deposing three-term Mayor Jody Smith and electing the “NFL” slate of candidates who campaigned on a platform demanding best practices from natural gas drillers operating in our town.
The election was a referendum on urban drilling, and the landslide results sent an emphatic message to the gas producers: The era of lax oversight and rubber-stamp permitting is over. Flower Mound’s SMARTGrowth Master Plan will once again guide the future of our town, rather than the drilling master plan of Oklahoma-based Williams Production and its ilk.
Indeed, a crucial battle was won last month. But the war rages on. And make no mistake, we are engaged in a war with outside interests intent on plundering our resources as quickly and profitably as they possibly can – Flower Mound’s quality of life be damned.
Williams, Keystone, Titan, Cherokee Horn and other drillers have joined forces with a small, but resolute, group of mineral rights owners who have calculated that the prospect of huge windfall profits is worth the risk of contaminated air and water, an inevitable decline in property values and quality of life, and even the possibility of a catastrophic drilling accident.
During the election, Flower Mound voters mobilized in unprecedented numbers to demand accountability from their elected officials and the companies that seek to do business here. In the process, the town has become a beacon for others across Texas and around the nation to emulate.
We proved that ordinary citizens need not be intimidated by powerful, deep-pocketed forces that put profits ahead of the public’s health, safety and quality of life. We prevailed in electing strong, ethical, accountable leaders who have pledged to listen to all their constituents.
But the drillers and their supporters haven’t yet gotten the message that we will not compromise when it comes to demanding best practices and strict adherence to our ordinances.
The next front in our battle requires reinforcements. The core group of citizen-activists that has led the charge for the past several months – and longer – needs your support. Please visit www.flowermoundcares.com to learn how you can join the fight for the future of Flower Mound.
Because Flower Mound is worth fighting for.
Ladd Biro
Flower Mound, TX
