The Betsy Dennie Saga
INTERESTING DEVELOPMENTS FROM MAY 7 COUNCIL MEETING
The Combine Police Department is back to one full-time officer and one part-time reserve officer. Interim Chief Chuck Upton resigned effective April 30, 2007.
Discussion & Action items:
1.Final review of the City’s fiscal year 2006 books by the City auditor was unanimously approved. (Review is less in scope than a full-blown audit which is roughly twice the fee. However a full audit will be required at some point.)
2. The City is embroiled in an issue with some Combine Rd property owners who have erected a structure without proper permits or adherence to P&Z requirements and who have failed to respond to the City’s letters regarding this structure. Though it is a long process, the City can ultimately take the property through District Court action if the issue is not resolved by the property owners. The Council voted unanimously to pursue this action.
3. The Council voted unanimously to install security cameras inside and outside of City Hall. The appx $3,000 cost will be split 50/50 with the Municipal Court’s Technology Fund.
The Council voted unanimously to go forward with repairs to City Hall. The current budget already provides for painting inside and outside, and general repairs to lighting and a new toilet. The City will get some bids/prices to replace the carpeting in the entire building with different flooring.
4. Discussion only (no action:) The City has a budget surplus of appx $40,000 which is required by law to be resolved before the end of the 2007 fiscal year. There was some discussion of reallocating money to road repairs and/or City Hall repairs. Some remarks were made about maybe building a new City Hall soon.
5. And the Council convened in yet ANOTHER Executive Session to discuss Combine Police Department personnel issues.
And in the continuing Betsy Dennie saga:
During Citizen Comments, several citizens spoke about their concerns regarding the illegality of Betsy Dennie’s candidacy for the next Council term of office. Putting it simply - Ms Dennie has not owned property within Combine city limits for 20 months, and therefore should not be eligible for this office.
Sounds reasonable…except Mayor Taylor read a letter from the City Attorney in the open meeting in which the attorney stated he does not agree with that interpretation. In his opinion, as long as Ms Dennie has the “intent” to live in the City, her residency should not be challenged.
Do you think you could get away with intending to do something for 20 months? Do you think the Combine water co-op would allow you intend to pay your water bill for 20 months? Do you think the County would allow you intend to pay your tax bill for 20 months? Probably not.
So, based on the attorney’s opinion and advise, the Council does not intend to do anything about this issue. Unless the City is forced to comply by some judge or court, Betsy Dennie will be seated on the Council in June 2007 for another two year term of office.
Two more years of Betsy Dennie not paying City taxes…
but deciding how your taxes should be spent.
Is that what you want?
posted by Know Combine @ 10:41 AM
12 Comments
12 Comments:
YOU GUYS SHOULD REALLY CONTACT THE DISTRICT ATTY OR THE COUNTY JUDGE FOR THIS.
shes actually doing a better job than some of those who do live in the city & are on the council
Really??
So...if somebody from some other city -say Seagoville for instance- were serving on Combine's City Council and were doing a 'better job than some of those who do live in the city & are on the council' you wouldn't have a problem with that?!
Betsy Dennie would be the FIRST person to protest if somebody like this was serving on the Council. Except guess what - it's HER!!
The 'job' she is doing is not the issue. The issue is she is not ELIGIBLE to DO the job in the first place.
didnt say i agreed with it....quite the opposite !!!!!!!! its against every law in the country....just said she was doing a good job and working hard, thats all....wish she would just put her house in the city and continue the job she is doing.
Please excuse the misinterpretation.
Now Betsy's newest story is part of her property IS in the City. (Her story keeps changing so often it is hard to keep up.)
But that's news to the Kaufman County Tax Appraisal District, because she isn't being ASSESSED Combine City TAX for ANY amount of property.
It's Public Record. Check it out for yourself.
I noticed that there are 2 patrol officers now. did we hire one without a chief? or we got a rent a cop for now?
Yes, one full-time officer and one part-time reserve officer. No Police Chief at this time.
If i were you I would watch who you call a rent a cop. You may be in need of help one day. Then what are you going to do. when that OFFICER responds to your needs?
If anyone truly wishes to know just what is really going on in Combine, just ask me. I have tried everything that I could to make a difference, but obviously there's just only so much that one can be alowed to do. My hands are tied. Trying to disband or disolve the Department IS NOT THE ANSWER, and I think that it is not fair to the citizens of Combine or the officers that serve the city. I KNOW FOR A FACT THAT I HAVE PUT MY ALL AND THEN SOME INTO MY SERVICE AND DEDICATION TO THIS CITY, AND I WILL NOT GO QUIETLY INTO THE NIGHT JUST BECAUSE INDIVIDUALS WHO REALLY DON'T CARE ABOUT THE CITY WANT TO HIDE THE TRUTH. P.S. MR. NORMAN LIED....I KNOW THAT I HAVE WORKED AND SERVED ON THE DALLAS COUNTY SIDE OF THE CITY SINCE I'VE BEEN WITH THIS DEPARTMENT, AND I HAVE THE CASE FILES AND REPORTS TO PROVE IT.
I AGREE WITH MIKE.....HE IS NOT ONLY A GOOD OFFICER BUT A GREAT GUY...I KNOW THIS 1ST HAND AND IF ANY OF YOU THINK HE'S DOING A BAD JOB YOU JUST ARENT INFORMED ENOUGH TO KNOW WHAT HE PUTS INTO HIS JOB. HE GOES ABOVE AND BEYOND WHAT ANY OF YOU EVEN KNOW.....TO LOOSE HIM WOULD NOT ONLY BE A LOSS TO OUR CITY BUT ALSO TO ITS CITIZENS.....MIKE WOOD
What was the lie that Paul Norman told? Just curious as to what was said.
If part of Betsy Dennie's property is in the city limits, tax her on that part. Then she will be a tax paying citizen of Combine.
I am appreciative of the money distribution this council is undertaking. Money is actually going for improvements to this town, and not being shoveled over to a lawyer by the tens of thousands of dollars over a citizen's property rights. By the way, just exactly how much of Combine's treasury was paid out for legal fees in that incident? I'm certain the previous sitting council should know....
Now that the bond has passed, and we have been witness to the ludicrous acts of the so called "leaders" of our community, maybe it is time that we "took back" Combine. How can we sit back and allow the legally questionable things that happen in our community to continue? The witch and her flying monkey's have had their way for way too long now. They believe that law does not apply to them, and have tried to pressured too many people to do things their way one too many times. I'm tired of seeing them holding court at Matlocks, and seeing that smirk that says, "See, I can do whatever I want, and you can't do anything about it." Are you as sick as I am? Then say it, express it. Let's not let Combine die because of the narrow minded, power hungry idiots that try to run everything. It hurts my heart for people to take advantage of their position and use it to insure their power and ignore what's best for the community that they pretend to care so deeply for. Yeah....SAY NO TO HIGHER TAXES!!! BECAUSE WE ALREADY STRUCK A DEAL WITH TRINITY VALLEY ELECTRIC TO TAX YOU!
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