Go here.

Finished reading? OK – here are my thoughts – short and sweet….

If Realize Rowlett 2020 is part of Agenda 21 and global domination of all private property who is one the inside? One of us on Council? Someone from HOK? Or maybe someone on City Staff? SOMEBODY would have to be part of the UNs inside covert operations – how else would we have made Realize Rowlett 2020 part of this major conspiracy?

I’m no fan of the U.N. but I really don’t see any of us as being in on the conspiracy. It would be a short-lived futile experience since we are term limited and not on council long enough to really make THAT kind of change. Of course it could be someone from HOK, the consultant team or maybe our own City Manager.

But how did they worm their way into Rowlett so they could move the U.N.’s Agenda 21 forward? Only a few current members of Council were part of hiring Lynda Humble – are they part of the U.N. team? Or maybe it was the 2 Council members who are part of the Comprehensive Plan Steering Committee that chose the consultant team? Did they somehow persuade the entire committee to choose the Agenda 21 plants?

You see, the reality is no one who has anything to do with Realize Rowlett 2020 is any part of Agenda 21 or any other conspiracy plan of the United Nations. It only takes a small amount of common sense to see that – of course common sense seems to be lacking with anyone currently associated with the Rowlett Tea Party. Too bad…

The other election referred to below is for mayor to fill the seat that John Harper resigned from. Todd Gottel is running for that seat and I firmly believe he will do an awesome job so be sure and vote for him on Saturday, July 16. I’ll be sure to remind you as we get closer.

Michael Gallops
Rowlett City Council, Place 6

—————————————————————————————————————————-
From: Chris Kilgore
Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2011 05:45 PM
To: michael.gallops@michaelgallops.com
Subject: : FW: Please vote for…

Well, if nothing else John remains consistent. Facts continue to elude him, particularly inconvenient facts. His version of events, at best, are conclusory, and in many cases, suspect. It’s hard to pick a starting point.

Citizen Harper encourages everyone, anyone, to get out and run for Mayor. And if you can’t, encourage someone else to. It seems to me that running for Mayor is, or at least should be, a bit more serious business than that. However, in the context within which it’s presented, it’s clear that the thrust behind the encouragement is purely vindictive. “Help me punish them” is more likely the real theme. Anyone taking up John’s invitation risks spending a lot of money with little, if any, chance of success. (Keep in mind that despite his bluster, John worked very hard to keep Todd from running for Mayor last time. It was perfectly clear that John did not want to run against Todd – and there was a reason for that.) If your idea of citizenship and sacrifice is simply spend a lot of your own money to make Todd and his supporters spend more money, with no real end game, all I can say is go for it. (But if you do, at least keep your money in Rowlett.)

Citizen Harper expresses an interest in rescuing the city from special interests, but does not identify who those special interests are. There could be a reason for that. Neither of the two council candidates he particularly wants to see defeated have personal, business or professional interests in Rowlett other than their homes. They don’t own any commercial real estate that needs to be developed or sold and they aren’t employed by or otherwise involved in real estate or business deals with any developers or other companies. Interestingly, the family of one of the candidates John is championing owns a substantial amount of land along the PGBT extension. For the foreseeable future, there will hardly be a single economic development decision in Rowlett that does not potentially, directly or indirectly impact that land. That seems to me to be an identifiable, certified, real, and obvious special interest. I guess that an “approved” special interest.

Citizen Harper decries the “chicanery” in setting the special election, stating that it will be “very difficult” for anyone to file to run for Mayor. As always, John carefully omits a few operative (and inconvenient) facts to reach his point. To be specific, except for those currently running, the period to file is 15 days, May 4 – May 16. The required paperwork is nothing, basically name and address and appointing a treasurer, who can be yourself. I did it standing at city hall in 10 minutes. That part of it can even be notarized by city staff, so it’s one stop shopping. The only thing that takes any effort is getting 25 signatures on petitions (which, incidentally, can’t be notarized by staff.) So, its 12 days to get 25 signatures, which period includes two full weekends. If that’s a “very difficult task” for someone who believes they’re qualified to be Mayor, then they are as delusional as John.

It’s only a chore only for someone currently running. However, if you’re running and lose, running for Mayor may not be your next best option. Even if you are the type who can’t take a hint, everyone running knows the drill and should be able to easily get it all done in a day if they are thinking ahead at all. It’s called contingency planning.

Citizen Harper expresses concern about the welfare of the City. However, he didn’t think much about the welfare of the city when he stuck the city’s chin out and invited a lawsuit, all in an effort to discredit the City Manager; when he lied to the press about what he knew and when he knew it in an effort to attack the City Manager; when he called the Mayor Pro Tem and Deputy Pro Tem “idiots;” when he called a City Council member a fool; when he denigrated the educational qualifications of the City Manager; when he denigrated the occupations and/or qualifications of two City Council members; when he resigned just in time to require an additional election date at great taxpayer expense; or when he refused to turn in his keys, forcing the City to change the locks, also at taxpayer expense.

Harper continues to make allegations about attacks on his family. Although challenged on several occasions to provide some basis for that allegation, he does not. I am not aware of, nor is anyone I’ve spoken to, what he could be referring to. It’s another broad, baseless accusation with no apparent basis in fact.

Harper again tries to distance himself from the candidacy of Mays and McEntee. Perhaps the point is technical, “they have not asked me,” but the truth is very different than the implication of the statement. Harper worked very hard to find candidates to run against Doug and I. Mays was the third one he attempted to influence to run against Doug. My understanding (based on a conversation involving Mays) was that Mays was somewhat reluctant to run, but was pressured by Harper. Under the circumstances, I guess Harper’s endorsement would not have to be asked for. I have no knowledge, even hearsay, of conversations between Harper and McEntee. However, days before McEntee filed, Harper revealed that he was going to file, so whatever was going on, Harper was on the inside track. If you believe that Mays and McEntee aren’t part of Harper’s attempt to pack the council, you’ve been seriously absent lately.

Bottom line, Harper has NOT moved on. He’s still lashing out, even attempting to enlist others in his vindictiveness.

Chris Kilgore
Rowlett City Council Place 5
—————————————————————————————————————————-
From: John Harper [mailto:drjehsr@tx.rr.com]
Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2011 8:44 PM
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Subject: Please vote for…
Importance: High
My friends…I have spent the last several weeks wondering what could have been. I apologize for letting you down and resigning before the end of my elected term. The unwarranted attacks on me and my family were too much to endure along with the other family issues that Debra and I are trying to manage. I hope you understand. I love the City of Rowlett and only hope for the best for all of us. But, I remain concerned.

I am encouraged that Randy Mays and Chad McEntee are running for City Council. Although they have not asked me, I wholeheartedly endorse them both. We need to completely change the City Council this election and the next election. Kilgore and Phillips are not the solution…they are the problem. Please vote for Randy and Chad on Saturday.

Did you notice the chicanery surrounding the Special Election to replace me as Mayor? Any candidate must complete all the required paperwork to run for that office by the end of the business day on Monday. That will make it very difficult for anyone to complete the requirements in such a short period of time. I wonder if this is done on purpose to assure that Todd Gottel is your next Mayor. I hope not.

I do not endorse Todd Gottel for Mayor. He does not have the inner strength…the core values…that are necessary to lead our City to its destiny. I am asking each of you to please, please consider the sacrifice that I made and you do the same for our City. We need new leadership! Please consider running for Mayor! Remember…get your petition to the City Secretary by 5pm on Monday.

I have moved on but remain concerned and will continue to be concerned until the Special Interests in the City are no longer in charge. Please help make that change.

Please vote on Saturday. Vote for Randy and Chad. You can find your precinct by going to http://www.rowlett.com. Then, file for Mayor or encourage your neighborhood leader to file!

Best wishes…John

John E. Harper, Ed.D.
(214) 284-6972

Create our Vision

Look to the Future

Realize Rowlett 2020

Do you want to make a difference in your community? Now is your chance – don’t let this opportunity pass you by! Get involved in Realize Rowlett 2020 today and let your voice be heard. Your ideas and suggestions are important to this community’s future.

The Realize Rowlett 2020 initiative offers many ways for you to help create Rowlett’s vision and look to the future to Realize Rowlett 2020. Please choose how you want to be involved.

Community Charrette

The next major public session as part of this initiative will be a Community Charrette on Saturday, May 21, 2011. The Charrette will give you an opportunity to hear about the strategic choices facing Rowlett, to contribute to a vision of the best possible future for your community, and to create alternatives for development of key locations in the city. The Charrette will be held in Rooms A, B and C of the Rowlett Community Center, 5300 Main Street, from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Light snacks will be provided and child care may be available (if requested in advance). Register online at www.realizerowlett2020.com.

Website

To find out more information about this initiative, and to keep up with progress as Realize Rowlett 2020 continues, you can visit our website at www.realizerowlett2020.com.

Online Survey

An online survey provides the opportunity to make comments about the strategic topics Rowlett is addressing. The online survey is easy to use and just takes a few minutes of time. It also provides a choice of sharing open‐ended comments about the future of Rowlett. The survey can be taken at Http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Realize_Rowlett_2020.

Email

You can send email to the Realize Rowlett 2020 team at Rowlett2020@rowlett.com.

Facebook

You can communicate with others who are interested in Rowlett’s future on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Rowlett2020.

Twitter

You can follow this initiative on Twitter at http://twitter.com/rowlett2020.

Phone Number

To speak to someone about this project, please contact Erin Jones, Planning Manager, City of Rowlett, 972‐412‐6114 or Sallye West, Communications Manager, Strategic Community Solutions, 214‐320‐1154.

City of Rowlett Mail

You can mail letters or other information to the City of Rowlett’s Planning Division, P.O. Box 99, Rowlett, TX 75030‐0099.

Email: Rowlett2020@rowlett.com, visit our website at www.realizerowlett2020.com

I hope to see you on Saturday, May 21 at the Charrette!

Michael

The City of Rowlett invites you to help create our vision, look to the future and REALIZE ROWLETT 2020. Your ideas and suggestions are important to our future quality of life and economic vitality. Please join us at the Open House and make Rowlett the place you want to live, work and play now and in the future.

WHAT: Community Wide Kickoff Open House
WHY: So interested community members can share their opinions, ideas and concerns about the issues affecting Rowlett’s future.
WHEN: April 25, 2011 from 7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Brief presentation at 7:35 p.m. (Come whenever you like and stay as long as you choose)
WHERE: Rowlett Community Centre – Rooms B&C, 5300 Main Street, Rowlett, TX.

At the Open House, you will share your ideas about the things that make Rowlett a good community, areas for improvement and the best approaches to important strategic choices. You will tell us about the types of development and community character you think are right for the City of Rowlett. And you’ll join with your neighbors to imagine Rowlett’s future. We need your help to create this vision so please join us!

Details on the City of Rowlett project is available at www.realizerowlett2020.com For more information, please contact Erin Jones, Planning Manager, City of Rowlett, 972‐412‐6114 or Sallye West, Communications Manager, Strategic Community Solutions, 214‐320‐1154 or email Rowlett2020@rowlett.com.

A steering committee made up of City Councilmember’s, Planning and Zoning Commissioners, Park Board representatives, the Rowlett Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Rowlett Association, and the Economic Development Advisory Committee, along with the City Manager and staff throughout the City organization are working together to support this project, which is managed by the City’s Planning and Zoning Division. Please feel free to contact any of us during the course of the project. The Consultant Team is led by HOK and includes Strategic Community Solutions, Ricker‐Cunningham and Kimley‐Horn. The consultants will work with the City staff and the community to create this plan for Rowlett’s future.

Help spread the word by forwarding this email to your friends and family who live, work or play in Rowlett. If you are on Twitter please follow us at http://twitter.com/Rowlett2020 and retweet our periodic updates. And finally, “Like” our page on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Rowlett2020 and share it on your page.

I hope to see you Monday night at the Open House!

Michael Gallops
Rowlett City Council Place 6

It’s unfortunate that we have come to this point. It saddens me that one individual can so disrupt the great work that has been done by city staff and your council by spreading misinformation, stretching the truth, twisting the facts, and in some cases blatantly lying. And then add rude and hurtful name calling and attacks on council members and city staff and we begin to question the leadership, integrity and commitment of that individual. In recent weeks the mayor’s actions have proven to be detrimental to Rowlett – to our future – to our reputation. None of this is about, as the mayor claims, differences of opinions on fiscal matters. Everyone on council wants and is intent on ensuring that we have a sound, conservative fiscal agenda.

The heart of the matter is actually about one man who does not know how to “play nice,” when he doesn’t get his way. It’s about one man wanting more power than the charter and the citizens of the City of Rowlett will allow. It’s about one man who says he doesn’t know the games that we play, but yet tries to garner sympathy by taking his case to the court of public opinion through the media.

The mayor recently used the media to spread misinformation about layoffs and cuts to the employee retirement system which he had previously agreed were appropriate at the February 28th work session. He accused council members of violating open meetings laws because we offered no alternative proposals and had no additional questions; yet he had none either. When the facts were shared with the citizens of Rowlett, the mayor called on his supporters from Rockwall and then, in a public meeting, proceeded to insult and denigrate council members based on their daring to point out the truth and even made light of their career choices. Most recently, he’s accused others of the very actions he’s done and even said there have been attacks on his family. There haven’t been any attacks on him or his family – only on the inappropriate and outrageous behavior he has displayed time and time again. He claims it is unfortunate that the attention is focused on him – while he does everything he can to ensure that it is focused on nothing else but him.

The bottom line is this: the mayor’s words and actions have harmed Rowlett. He has the right to his opinion and had has ample opportunity to share it in an appropriate way. He chose not to and instead chose to be divisive, demeaning, disruptive and disingenuous in his remarks and actions. If this council had the authority to censure, I’m confident we would elect to do so in this instance. Since we cannot, we must, out of necessity, address the issue in this manner.

Mayor, you’ve threatened to resign publicly more than once and asked citizens to let you know their thoughts. We’ve heard from those very citizens – in huge numbers – and overwhelmingly they have asked you, even demanded, that you resign without delay.

Rowlett has a great future ahead of us, so as a citizen of Rowlett, I strongly encourage you to listen to your constituents, and resign. Now, not in weeks or months, not after the coming budget process – but now – before you can do further damage to the reputation and spirit of the great city of Rowlett.

First, this layoff of employees came as no surprise as alleged by the Mayor. While unfortunate, we have been discussing this for several months and there was never a discussion about a tradeoff between layoffs and benefits. It was an unfortunate part of the process that was necessary to ensure that the City has the most efficient team possible in order to work smarter without reducing services. It was not directly attributed to the overall budgeting process. In other words, the layoffs were the City Manager’s decision based on an ongoing “right-sizing” project. She has been briefing us on the potential layoffs in work sessions for several months. When we’ve questioned her about it she repeatedly assured us there would be no reduction in services. The Council readily accepted that assertion and the majority stand behind her in the decision.

As I said before the City Manager’s decision to cut staff was based on her ongoing evaluation of operations and staffing. It was not done in a vacuum nor was it done without Council and Mayor knowledge or approval. As evidence that this came as no surprise, see page 13 of the City Council packet at http://rowlett.com/archives/67/02-28-11%20Packet.pdf referencing the “planned reductions in 2012”. You may also view the Work Session video from that date (Item 2A (Part 1 of 2), at minute 28:20). Also see the January 11 Work Session video (Items 2 (Part 2 of 2) & 3, at minute 17:20). (Both videos can be found at http://rowlett.com/index.aspx?NID=397.)We have been aware of personnel cuts since as far back as last year’s 2011 – 2012 budget sessions.

Second, there was nothing modest about the Mayor’s proposed cuts to the employee retirement plan. One of the things we have learned through this process was that the benefits received by City of Rowlett employees are amongst the lowest in the area within which we compete for quality, experienced city staff. The Mayor’s proposal would have decimated our employee’s retirements and would definitely have resulted in a reduction in services and in the quality of employees we currently have. The Mayor’s plan was neither objective nor rational. In my opinion I believe it had more to do with his personal issues with the City Manager and our Police and Fire personnel.

Finally, in a Special Work Session on Feb 28th, the Mayor and Council expressed their support for the City Manager’s plan, which included a change to the COLA, reductions in several budgeted expenses and the layoff of a handful of employees. At that time the mayor stated he supported the plan and offered no alternatives (see video link above, Item 2A (Part 2 of 2), minute 13:40).

For a slightly different perspective here is an explanation from my colleague, Councilmember Chris Kilgore:

“All city employees, except the City Secretary, work for the City Manager. All employment decisions are hers and hers alone. These particular layoffs were not part of an effort to balance the budget per se, but rather the product of an ongoing analysis to right-size the city staff. She informed the Council during meetings as early as July of last year that there would likely be some staff cuts, and reminded the council of that several times over the next eight months. The Council knew it was coming, and because the timing was important to the City Manager (in order to accommodate the employees to be laid off as much as possible), Council knew when it was coming, to the day. The Mayor was present at those meetings. Because of the reasons for the cuts (not simply budget related) and the way it was to be done, the Council required no additional input, and no objections were made by the Mayor or anyone on Council. The canceled meeting was not about the layoffs, but about benefits issues which had been resolved at an earlier meeting – not to mention that it was scheduled weeks after the layoffs would be announced. The Mayor openly welcomed the cancellation at the time (video link above, February 28, 2011 Work Session, Item 2A (Part 2 of 2), minute 4:34). The Mayor’s subsequent comments are politics, pure and simple.”
As you can see, sadly, citizens are being misled. The Council is working very diligently to ensure we maintain an exceptional level of service and remain competitive as an employer all while keeping expenses to a minimum. That sometimes includes making difficult decisions. You can rest assured that your Council and Mayor are kept aware of every decision that affects this objective and that we are working hard to represent you.

Sincerely,

Michael Gallops
Rowlett City Council, Place 6

—– Original Message —–
From: John Harper
To: Undisclosed-Recipient:;
Sent: Friday, March 04, 2011 8:38 AM
Subject: Fw: Columnist says public sector pensions based on false assumptions

Yesterday the Rowlett City Manager announced the layoff of several city employees. This reduction in force will result in less municipal services to Rowlett citizens. The choice was to lay off employees or modestly reduce the Rowlett employee retirement plan. The City Manager chose to put the burden on taxpayers and those unfortunate employees who lost their jobs so that the retirement plan would continue to be a “Cadillac” plan.

I will be speaking to the Rowlett Tea Party on March 19 and will have more to say then.

Thanks…John.

John E. Harper, Ed.D.
(214) 284-6972

I found out about Drake and his fight with leukemia about a month before he died. I was also told at that time that Drake had always dreamed of being a firefighter when he grew up. It soon became obvious that Drake might not ever realize that dream.

When I heard about Drake, his struggle and his dream I immediately turned to Rowlett Fire Rescue Chief George Harris and Rowlett Firefighter Association President Chris Weinzapfel. Within a matter of days a Fire Chief ID Card was made and hand delivered to Drake at the hospital along with a Rowlett Fire Rescue ball cap. Drake was made an honorary Fire Chief that day. That fact was even mentioned in his obituary.

It doesn’t stop there though. When Drake died a few weeks later these same firefighters jumped into action again. During the viewing on Friday before Drake’s funeral Rowlett Firefighters Cole Hobbs and Jeremy Morphis stood watch. During the funeral Rowlett Firefighter Honor Guard were pallbearers and helped to carry Drake’s casket out of the service and to the gravesite where he was laid to rest. The Honor Guard members for his funeral were made up of the following fire personnel: Chris Ensley (Detail Commander), Maleah Patterson, Scott Martinez, Tim Gauthier and Chris Weinzapfel. The Rowlett Firefighters Pipes and Drums Corps also escorted Drake and the pallbearers. The Pipes and Drums Corps are made up of members Garrett Rice, Justin Reyes, Josh Brock, Daniel Pierce and Claude Causey.

The Honor Guard is reserved for fallen firefighters, retiree’s and family only and not for the everyday citizen. But in this special case Drake was, of course, no everyday citizen – at least not in the minds and hearts of our Rowlett Firefighters. He was an Honorary Fire Chief and was given his own special honor by those who do it in the event of a Line of Duty Death.

One final note because I know someone will ask. All of these firefighters volunteered their time to honor Drake. They were off duty and were not paid to do this. They honored Drake because they are the finest firefighters in the world.

I want to thank each and every one of you for your support through this entire long process. I know the emails, phone calls, fliers and miles of yard signs can seem to go on for ever but they serve their purpose. What is vitally important to know is that each and every vote really does count. One single vote can change the outcome of an election and the future of a city. Thank you for trusting me with that future.

I’ve heard many stories of who that one single vote is. The young lady who waits tables at a local restaurant who has never voted before. The sick husband who didn’t feel like voting but did. The wife who usually doesn’t vote but did this time. The man who said he was going in and voting for me after talking for 45 minutes outside the polls. Or the 19 year old who came to the polls with her mom and didn’t think her vote would make a difference but voted anyway. And the lady next door that you emailed or called and convinced her that her vote was important. The reality is that the one single vote was YOU! Your vote mattered. It matters in every election.

Please feel free to contact me any time you have a question or concern. I plan to keep the website up so you can always reach me through that. Or you can simply email me at michael@michaelgallops.com. Or call me if you prefer to do that. You can always find me on Facebook or Twitter as well! I’m not hard to reach.

It’s been an interesting process and I have learned from it. Now I’m ready to move forward and get busy doing my part to serve the city of Rowlett and most importantly, serve you.

Please stay in touch! God bless!

Michael Gallops
Rowlett City Councilman Elect

But before we do that’s let’s take a moment to reflect on what Memorial Day is all about.

History of Memorial Day

Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (May 31 in 2010). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. men and women who died while in the military service.[1]  First enacted to honor Union  soldiers of the American Civil War (it is celebrated near the day of reunification after the Civil War), it was expanded after World War I.

At the end of the Civil War, communities set aside a day to mark the end of the war or as a memorial to those who had died. Some of the places creating an early memorial day include Sharpsburg, Maryland, located near Antietam Battlefield; Charleston, South Carolina; Boalsburg, Pennsylvania; Carbondale, Illinois; Columbus, Mississippi; many communities in Vermont; and some two dozen other cities and towns. These observances coalesced around Decoration Day, honoring the Confederate dead, and the several Confederate Memorial Days.

Many of the states of the U.S. South refused to celebrate Decoration Day, due to lingering hostility towards the Union Army and also because there were relatively few veterans of the Union Army who were buried in the South. A notable exception was Columbus, Mississippi, which on April 25, 1866, at its Decoration Day commemorated both the Union and Confederate casualties buried in its cemetery.

The alternative name of “Memorial Day” was first used in 1882. It did not become more common until after World War II, and was not declared the official name by Federal law until 1967. On June 28, 1968, the United States Congress passed the Uniform Holidays Bill, which moved three holidays from their traditional dates to a specified Monday in order to create a convenient three-day weekend. The holidays included Washington’s Birthday, now celebrated as Presidents’ Day; Veterans Day and Memorial Day. The change moved Memorial Day from its traditional May 30 date to the last Monday in May. The law took effect at the federal level in 1971.

Rowlett touch-a-truck

Many of us celebrated on Saturday by participating in Rowlett’s Touch-a-Truck event on Main Street downtown. City staff, led by Jennifer Gomez, once again did an excellent and impressive job organizing the event. There were some new vehicles for visitors to see and several local businesses had rented booths. Rowlett CERT and Fire Corps provided first aid and cooling stations and helped with keeping the traffic headed in the right direction. I would estimate several hundred people came through downtown – and not just people from Rowlett. I met several new voters and had some great conversations with people who are excited about my candidacy.

Speaking of my campaign – early voting starts tomorrow. Details for when and where you can vote are below.

As always, if you have any questions please feel free to write or call. My contact information is on my website.

Regards,

Michael Gallops
http://www.michaelgallops.com

Early Voting at the Rowlett Public Library

Tuesday, June 1 through Friday, June 4
8:00am to 5:00 pm

Saturday, June 5
8:00 am to 5:00 pm

Sunday, June 6
1:00 pm to 6:00 pm

Monday, June 7 through  Tuesday, June 8
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

Election Day at Coyle Middle School

Saturday, June 12
7:00 am to 7:00 pm

On the flip side, however, we must make sure we aren’t over burdening the taxpayers. If there are fees and taxes that can be reduced, without reducing essential services, then we should take a close look at doing so. We benefit in the long run any time we can put money back in the pockets of the taxpayers – because the taxpayers then use that money to purchase goods. If we’ve encouraged the right businesses to come in, this in turn brings more revenue into the city coffers from sales taxes. Of course we have to find a way to encourage citizens to spend that extra money in Rowlett – and that is happening by partnering with the Rowlett Chamber of Commerce and local businesses to provide incentives to consumers who shop in Rowlett.

Finally, one of the best things we can do in Rowlett is to take a really hard look at finding a way to reduce our water rates.  If there us any way to do this we will find it.