My Blog

As I said earlier this year, water, sewer rates and taxes are going up.

I know I am longwinded on these post but I did study goverment for seven years at my university and seven or eight years with the city of springtown, I should know something about local goverment so i know i tend to explain alot, i just want the citizens to know everything. I will try to learn to summerize. 

I want to invite all the taxpaying homeowners of Springtown to attend our next council meeting and tell the whole council how they feel about raising taxes on homeowners in springtown. I am not for raising taxes at all , on the other hand if we don't we have to cut services to our citizens and not only our citizens everybody who uses Springtown . the citizens of springtown need to let the council know now before the meeting what they want us to do for them , remember we work for the Springtown citizen. . If you dont make your opinion known the council will do what they think is best . Always remember, government is run by those who show up. Every council member can be reached through the city website under city government you will find a link to all council members email address. if you don't tell us how are we suppose to know.? And yes I as well as the whole council did support drastically needed infrastructure improvements throughout springtown because that is what the majority of citizens said they wanted wanted , better roads and more ways to get around springtown as not to be stuck at Hwy199 and FM 51 near as much. This council made these improvements possible and the quality of life in springtown has greatly improve because of these improvements. Services cost money and without sales tax revenue the homeowner must pay more of the bill or have fewer services, simple government economics.

#1  

   I am a longtime Springtown resident I grew up within ten miles of Springtown, left when I was 16 saw a lot of the world and different walks of life and different ways of doing things, served overseas and discharged honorably from the military, worked and traveled around America and came home 21 years later in that time, and in part, I owned and ran my own successful office supply company, found Jesus looking after me and became a parent.  I earned a Bachelors Degree in Political Science- University of Nevada. Attended the University Of Nevada College Of Business earning a Masters Degree in Public Administration and Urban Planning with an emphasis on administrative law, policy and budgetary creation and implementation. I am your current three term Springtown City Councilman-reelected in 2008 & 2010. I served as your Mayor Pro Tem City of Springtown 2007-2008 I was Appointed City of Springtown Planning and Zoning Commission / City of Springtown Impact Fee Advisory Board 2003-2006. I was Appointed Mayor Sign Committee for City of Springtown 2004 I served as a Board Member Springtown Farmers Market 2003-2005I served as the Secretary/Treasurer Springtown Farmers Market 2003-2005.I am experienced in Economic Development. I am Current on governmental issues facing Springtown and Parker County ;Current on Texas Statutes; Texas Government Code, Texas Local Government Code I was appointed by Mayor Hughes to the Mayors' Task Force on Communications serving the City of Springtown (New Verizon DSL Service) 2006-present.I was appointed by Mayor Hughes to the Mayors' Task Force on Transportation serving  the City of Springtown and Mayors Springtown Transportation Board 2006-present - (New Lake Street Road and Bridge Project giving a new North-South artery through Springtown, Springtown East and West Loop Projects, over six miles of new and asphalt rehabbed roadway in Springtown. Two new East-West arteries in Springtown, 5th and 9th streets. Currently serving as a Board Member North Central Texas Council of Governments Regional Transportation Stakeholders Roundtable working to solve transportation issues for the future of North Central Texas including Parker County And Springtown. Served by request on the Texas Municipal League Legislative Council- 2009-2010- deciding which state legislation pertaining to cities to support, which to fight, and which to author.

#2 As you City Councilman for place five for the last three terms I have always worked very hard with the City Council and our partners the Springtown ISD and the Springtown Chamber of Commerce as a team player, including everyone and inviting all opinions and gone far above the call of duty to serve and represent all Springtown citizens equally and fairly with years of voluntary service to the City of Springtown. And, if elected as your new Mayor, I enthusiastically look forward to continue working with all our special interest like the Springtown ISD and the Springtown Chamber of Commerce in planning for the future of Springtown. I recognize,  as you might , at this particular point and time in our Springtown history, with all the improvements that we have made to the City and surrounding area since I was first elected to the Springtown City Council years ago and the momentum we have built up for progress since first elected to the City Council, I realize that the City is in dire need and the time is right now to continue the progressive move forward  with a new Mayor with that progressive vision for the future that’s brought us this far and if elected I will  be that full time Mayor devoting my city councils’ focus and energy on securing the future prosperity, financial security  and positive controlled growth plan that will ensure that Springtown will thrive and prosper in the near and distant future while retaining that small town atmosphere we all moved here for. Like many of you, I wasn’t born here or attended elementary school here. I chose to live in Springtown. Springtown is my home and I care for Springtown just as much as someone who has lived here all their lives. This should be obvious to everyone who knows me by my years of volunteerism for the City, always a smile and always willing to help with a “can-do enthusiastic” attitude. Like you, I chose to build here, invested my money in my home and property inside the City just like you and sent my son to graduate from Springtown schools just like you did. After living in my home for a period of years I do expect my property values to go up and to get a nice return on my investment if I chose to and in that respect, I’m am just like you too. But, these things are only going to happen if the City elects a new Mayor with an enlightened, team oriented, forward thinking vision for unifying Springtown, who is not afraid to act to do the right thing, even if he is the only one. Elect someone who will fight for you. Our work on the City Council proves I am not afraid to speak up and do what has to be done even when it is not popular always acting it is in the best interest of all Springtown citizens. I’m on your side. My work on the City Council is not near finished, my job title just needs to change in order to be able to do the best job possible for the citizens of Springtown and the best way to do that and continue brining progress to Springtown is to be your Mayor. If elected, this decision will remove many roadblocks to progress the City has had to endure since I began serving as your City Councilman trying to move the City forward and improve and enhance our quality of life. And any elected official who wants to be reelected must be able to run on not only a vision for the future but, a record of accomplishments for the City.  Acknowledging all the improvements to the Springtown area that I have either initiated on my own or played a role in getting accomplished around Springtown in the last five years (Verizon DSL, New Walnut Creek Road and Bridge Project, new additional ambulance service from the Hospital District, East and West loops around Springtown) I know, if you let me, I can do so much more for you and the City as your Mayor.  I’m running on a proven vision for the future and an established record of accomplishments for the citizens of Springtown since being elected years ago and I am confident that if elected I can and will do more for the citizens of Springtown as your new Mayor.  For years I have worked very hard as your councilman this fact is undeniable by anyone, now let me work just as hard for you and Springtown as your new Mayor.  Fact. The City of Springtown has seen some significant growth in the last 10 years and I believe that the next 10 years will surely be just as significant. In 1990 the census counted 1746 citizens in Springtown; in 2000 the count was 2062 citizens in Springtown. In 2010 the census counted more than 3000 citizens living in Springtown that is about a 1000 person increase in about ten years and over 1300 in 20 years that have moved to Springtown. The majority of growth has come in the last 10 years. These numbers verify that significant growth has already arrived here and more predicted coming in our near future.  I have witnessed, recognized and worked to prepare for this fact since I have lived here. My job, if elected as your mayor, is not to try to stop the coming growth to our small town, but to welcome and embrace it, you can’t stop folks from moving here as much as you may want to and a city can’t be as close to a major metropolitan area as Springtown is to Dallas-Fort Worth and not grow, we must prepare ahead of time by controlling the coming growth with my vision for the future serving as your mayor of Springtown. That includes, in part, a well prepared and thought-out 20 year economic development and master plan using innovation, creativity and sound planning technics for designed and controlled residential and commercial growth throughout our city, continuance and enhancement of the city’s infrastructure maintenance program the city council started when i was first elected to the city council as I promised when I ran for election at that time. Continued improvement and planning for long term future water and sewer needs of Springtown citizens, continued new road construction throughout the city and the extra territorial jurisdiction, as I promised when I was first elected,  making it even easier to navigate through Springtown and the surrounding area. With the coming growth we are going to need these new arteries throughout our area. These things cannot be accomplished by sitting on your tail and being afraid to do anything, or ignoring the facts of our situation hoping they will go away or taking a wait and see attitude, by then we will be far behind on capital improvements and commercial development in Springtown. All the problems of Springtowns’ future will not have a black and white solution this is why Springtown needs a new Mayor who understands difficult governmental issues and will be open minded to and encourage new ideas using ingenuity and creativity to solve problems and raise funds for the city. We must prepare now. These are serious times in need for a serious person in the Mayors’ office. Springtown deserves to have a politically active, motivated and determined mayor with a persistent but cautious and positive can-do attitude and personality. Most of you who already know and have worked with me know that I have just described Springtown City Councilman Tom Clayton. My plan, if elected is to be a Mayor who is capable of being a full time accessible Mayor who already has years of experience serving the citizens of Springtown, with a proven ability to work as a team player and to solve difficult problems and get the job done thinking outside the box, an undeniable desire to see Springtown thrive and continue moving forward, an extensive education in government (Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Urban Planning- University of Nevada) many years serving the City of Springtown, and working in the private sector and owning my own sales business. Combined, this is twenty seven years of real world, formal, and practical hands-on experience giving me the tools and skills the City will need to solve serious problems at an executive level along with the people skills and sales ability to know how to bring to the City the types of business and entertainment that would complement and be acceptable to our Springtown culture. Businesses and entertainment that Springtown folks want to have here. To make the quality of life around Springtown even better, there is always room to improve. These things a city must plan for ahead of time or if ignored and we don’t follow this plan you get what you get and you may not like what moves here. The City can’t discriminate we have to make room for everybody. I remember why I moved to Springtown and as your new Mayor and I will do everything I can to keep the small town atmosphere we all love while trying to provide more...

I understand your disgust with your water rates. I am a water customer too. The cause of most of all this is what I have discussed through this web site and why I am running. And that is the lack of commercial business in Springtown. All Towns and cities raise funds in the same ways. The city gets money from your property taxes, your water, sewer, trash bill. The city gets funds from fees and fines and grants when available. The one thing that keeps all the other things I just mentioned low or at least reasonable is sales tax revenue from commercial and industrial business. I’m not talking about a few restaurants around town and one grocery store. Obviously that is not enough business in Springtown to level the playing field between residential customers and commercial business customers.  When you have a situation like this, lack of sales tax revenue, the greater burden of paying for services (water, sewer, trash p/u, police, roads, libraries and other amenities we don’t have) in Springtown falls onto the residential costumer. Springtown MUST follow the plan that I have laid out or the city will have no choice but to raise property taxes and water rates just to keep up and pay for the level of service that you have now. Services cost money and the user of that service must pay. Just what you pay depends on how many and what kind of customers a city has. Residential, commercial, or industrial customers all have different rates. Commercial and industrial are higher rates because they use more and put more of a burden on the system leading one to conclude that the more commercial and industrial business a city has the less the residents have to pay just to live in Springtown. Historically, most of leaders of previous administrations in Springtown have run off every real commercial or industrial company because they didn’t want anyone else moving here.  I am not of that mindset. I and this council have inherited problem within Springtown with our water plant, sewer plant unmaintained roads and other things that should have been handled by previous administrations. I’m not complaining I’m just trying to address the problems. Some of these problems took many years of a lack of maintenance and neglect of the cities infrastructure.  Since I have been on the council we have invested 1.2 million upgrading the water plant and another 900,000 upgrading the wastewater treatment plane and about to invest another 3 to 5 million into the wastewater treatment planet. It cost so must because of the precious years of neglect and lack of regular maintenance.  Your water is safe to drink out of the facet. I drink it every day. But, I understand why you feel the way you do. The issue we had with the water plant where the city was mandated by the TCEQ to send you notices has been fixed. But, by TCEQ rules the city must continue to send notices out to all water customers for one year after the TCEQ has approved the cities water supply, and they did.  I also understand the many times that we had to reverse call you and tell you to boil your water because of a water break. We are mandated by the state to notify you to boil your water when we have a water break and anything gets into the lines. This gets back to old water lines and lack of maintenance and replacement where needed and over time. Today we are playing catch up and it going to take some time and a fair amount of money. This is where the commercial business comes back into play. Where we can get more sales tax revenue to pay for these things the less we have to take from you. Your property taxes for the city of Springtown are .060 per one hundred dollar value. In Lake Worth they pay, the last time I looked, .038 per one hundred dollar valuation. It’s all because of the large amount of commercial business. Lake Worth can afford to keep taxes and water bills low. But they also have a higher crime rate than we do but the businesses are paying for the extra police and security, there’s always a tradeoff.  If elected your new mayor on May 14 I will do everything I can to keep the service rates and fees for residential customers in Springtown from increasing by using the Mayors’ office to bring the needed commercial and industrial business to Springtown. I hope I have addressed your question to you satisfaction If not let me know and I would be glad to sit down with you and go over anything you want about the city in more detail at your convenience. And would be glad to hear any suggestion that you have on how the city could improve how we do business.   Tom Clayton

  Are people who don’t live inside the city and can't vote in the upcoming Mayoral election trying to influence this years election? Absolutely. If they had the best interest of the citizens of Springtown in mind that might be acceptable. But, some don't and couldn’t care less how much of a financial burden they put on the tax paying citizens of Springtown as long as they get their way. After all they don't half to worry about the city raising their water bill or their taxes just to make ends meet. Support the candidate who has a sound economic plan for the future of Springtown to bring city revenues up and keep taxes flat or lower if possible. There is only one candidate who has given you that plan that has worked in cities everywhere. That candidate is Tom W. Clayton. Check the candidates’ records out for yourself. For the last five years or longer the gossip around Springtown is that if you want to get something done call Tom Clayton. The current mayor even knew who to appoint to handle transportation and commutations issue in Springtown, Tom Clayton. ie.Verizon High Speed DSL service , Walnut Creek road and bridge project..  5th and 9th street projects decided by a majority of the city council.   On May 14, 2011 elect Tom W. Clayton the new Mayor of Springtown -Leadership you can Trust

I read the Mayors campaign ad in the Epigraph today 3/16/2011. I feel very embarrassed for the mayor. As I have mentioned previously the mayor cannot honestly lay claim as to initiating any of the projects mentioned in the ad.  It reads as though he read my web site to come up with what to put into his ad. He has been mayor for four years and not achieved anything on his own as mayor and could have. In four years he has not used the mayors office to bring even one bussiness to Springtown or encourage economic development. In four years he has not made even one dollar cheaper for builders to build in Springtown. Why? If elected, I will work with the city council to to change these things. The mayor’s office must be used to benefit the citizens. Most office holders don’t know how or want to use their elected office for the benefit of the people. They are just glad to be in power and be there. What i am referring to in the ad is #1 the claim of the water and wastewater plant renovations since he has been mayor. These two projects were started in 2006 my first year on the council and Wayne LA Cava as mayor. One year before Doug Hughes even became mayor. #2 the tow yard- the tow yard was brought up by me in about 2006 or so to the then Chief of police Mark Krey. What the mayor didn’t tell you is the ordnance that came with the tow yard that says that if you get stopped in Springtown without liability insurance on your vehicle, you could get towed. The mayor mentioned not raising taxes - the record shows that in 2007 when he became mayor the tax rate was about .057 today it is .060. This is not his fault. It is what we had to do to keep up the level of services to a particular level that the citizens expect. Services cost money. The mayor also talks about keeping taxes low but doesn’t tell you how he is going to do it.   I do. Check out my "why I'm running" on this website. Please run on your own record. also, he says that the relationship between the ISD and the City is better. I admit it is better but i think that it is because of our new city administrator and a majority of the voting members of the city council wanting to work with the ISD in harmony and good will. After all it was'nt me or most of the other councilmembers who got crossways with the ISD administration. If you'll remember, It was the mayor and mayor pro-tem pushing the city administrator at that time. The next election got rid of that mayor and under pressure to do so, the city council fired/quit the city administrator. So it should seem to any reasonable person that the citizens of Springtown and a majority of the voting members of the city council are what convinced everybody to have a good relationship. The mayor did'nt have that much to say or to do with it other than be different than the last mayor. Now, everybodys' happy and I intend to work with the others to keep it that way.

Elect Tom W. Clayton Mayor of Springtown  May 14, 2011  Early Vote May 2 - May 10 2011 @ Springtown City Hall

Vote to Elect Tom W. Clayton Mayor of Springtown May 14, 2001 @ Springtown City Hall.  Vote Early May 2 thru May 10 @ Springtown City Hall

The following is what I wrote before the paper edited my letter. 

These are all my words and the message I want to relay to the citizens. Please, don’t edit my letter, to the editor,  except grammatically, you could change my meaning and intent. If you want to use this as a guest column like before that's OK but don't change my words

 Edwin

 I think the article gave everybody an even shake in your recent FM 51 article dated Feb 9, 2011. even though you didn't tell it all and in you attempt to be fair to everyone the slant to the story will leave some citizens not familiar with how the city works an inaccurate view of the state of the city and how things actually get accomplished or not . I know that there was limited space for the FM 51 article I don't begrudge the Springtown Epigraph for not having enough room, but I believe the citizens need to know these very important details about this very important project and how we are spending their money and trying to provide good services. Now the rest of the story. The Article did not quote city administrator Mark Krey, or address Phil Kings work on FM 51 or Craig Estes' work and letters to TxDot supporting the work on 51 now rather than later not to mention the figure of 600 K was discussed in several city council meetings when this issue came up last year I told the paper when they asked the figure was about 600 K. this is not Tom Claytons’ figure, this is the engineers figure of at least a year ago, and it is a high figure. Bid high, that's how they do it. Also, the article read that "I said I was working with TxDot” like it might not be true.  The fact of the matter is that Mayor  Hughes appointed me the  Springtown Transportation Board 4 years ago to work on Springtown transportation issues specifically FM 51,  because he said "I Know that Tom will get the job done" and acknowledging  the fact that I was already working on these projects long before he became mayor. Further, the fact is that over the last several years WE, the city have been in numerous meetings with TX Dot, Phil King and Craig Estes' people working out the details of the FM 51 project. In the last five years we have had two promises from TxDot to come and do the project we even had it in writing with the first promise then they backed out at the last minute. The second promise came to me last year with a promise from TxDot to go out for bids in June 2011 and start work in late august 2011. Also, the only expenditure to the city is the expense of having to move our utilities out or their road way. That was worked out too. If possible, we were going to use the same contractor that TX Dot used for the project so all the work could be done at the same time. as far as not having the funds available I say Hogwash. Other that a very healthy reserve fund thanks to some very good investing of our city funds by city administrator Mark Krey and finance direct Kim Mathis  we also have the ability to borrow the funds directly from TxDot. TxDot makes these funds available when they have a project like FM 51 and they mandate that the city move there utilities. But what if the city is strapped for funds. That is one reason that TxDot set up this fund to help cities who need it.  Also, according to city administrator Mark Krey all along he reported to the council that it wouldn't be a problem we had several ways we could pay for moving our utilities. The problem is not with Springtown in anyway, the problem as I see it from the inside is getting the state to come through on their promises.  Also the article reported that our sales tax revenue was down 17%. Does anyone remember that the majority of last year that our sales tax revenue was 60 to 70 percent higher than the year before? That was reported by the Springtown Epigraph numerous times but not mentioned in the article. Every year we have highs and lows without sales tax revenue through the year . There is not a more physical conservative member of the city council than myself. I will not spend monies that we don't have on frivolous projects we don't need. You can’t judge the financial state of a city by looking at one month of sales tax receipts that are low and get an honest picture of the financial state of the city, we are doing well. the most recent information on the FM 51 project that I am aware of is that the cities engineers are working a storm water drainage plan for FM 51 that TxDot will accept, also according to the TxDot engineer in weatherfod responsible for this project the engineered plans are more that 65% complete that they were on hold waiting on our engineers Freese and Nichols. Also, as late as 2/09/2011 I spoke with Representative Phil Kings’ office as they told me that the funds were still there for this project, TxDot tried to move the funds to another project in Southern Parker County. Keep this in mind, Springtown has to compete for the same money that Weatherford and every other city in Parker County wants for their road projects. It's not enough that we get the funds for a project, we must fight to hang on to those funds for they surely could be used for a different project somewhere else in the county. It has happened before. We must protect or interest.This is why we should not and cannot stop the momentum the city has built up with our progress in Springtown. We must continue to move forward because with the limited amount of funds TxDot has for these projects and the fact the our district out of Fort Worth has nine counties and about 500 cities that all want something from them when the state tells a city they are ready to go to work the city must be ready also or do without until they come around again sometime in the distant future. After this where we are at now is anybody's guess it’s too early to tell. Maybe if enough citizens who want their highway fixed complain to TxDot and the city council at our council meeting or any other way, maybe we will finally get our road fixed. 

Tom Clayton

Springtown City Council

Place 5