Fate Mayor’s town hall meeting interrupted with shouts from angry residents
By J.J. Smith. Fate Mayor Bill Broderick’s “State of the City” address to an overflow crowd of about 125 people last night at The Lakes Church was interrupted briefly when two men stood up and shouted angry comments as they and half a dozen others left while the Mayor was trying to answer a question about why warrants can be issued for the arrest of city residents who violate city property codes.
Tensions were high and tempers were hot of a number of residents at the town hall meeting because of problems which have recently surfaced in Fate, including the suicide of former Mayor Rick Tolbert, the conviction and sentencing of former City Secretary Sandra Lobban for stealing at least $7,000 from City funds and accusations that the City is not being managed properly.
The Mayor had previously said the reason he decided to call the meeting was to” try to straighten out the rumors” and false charges being spread by a small group of misinformed citizens to the detriment of Fate’s residents.
“I wanted to give Fate residents the chance to know what is really going on in Fate from me, rather than reading it on the blogs,” he said. “Negative comments by some of these people on TheRockwallNews.com have really been stirring residents up and upsetting them.”
One of the angry residents who left the meeting, Chris Cauble, said outside that he was angry because he believes it was constant harassment by the City’s code enforcement officer which pushed Mayor Tolbert over the edge to commit suicide.
He said he asked the Mayor the question to try to get some answers about why arrest warrants were issued for such an ‘honorable man” as Tolbert but was very upset with Broderick’s unwillingness to answer his follow-up questions.
Only one question was to be asked per person, it was announced at the start of the meeting.
Cauble said he’s a lifelong citizen of Fate and can no longer tolerate what the Mayor and City Council are doing to harm the community.
“What’s upsetting me is that the voices of the citizens of Fate aren’t being heard. You want to voice your opinion and then they don’t want to hear it. They want to go to the next question, they cut you off in mid-sentence or they bully you into getting tossed out of the meetings.”
“Plus it’s, it’s, it’s… so many things that I don’t have enough time to get into it.”
“A lot needs to be done in this town because the citizens aren’t being served. They’re being abused and we’re tired of it.”
During his 45-minute speech and 1.5 hour, Q & A afterward, the second-term mayor addressed a wide variety of city issues, including financial problems, economic development, subdivisions, traffic and roads, city staff, Smith City Park, police and fire services, schools and trash pickup.
Key points mentioned were:
- City audits, which had once been four years behind, are now just one year behind and will be current by Sept. 30 when the new fiscal year begins
- Wealthy Chinese investors have returned and may want to build a restaurant row along I-30 in Fate
- Highway 551 will eventually go under I-30 rather than over it
- The Highway 549 & I-30 interchange will eventually be rebuilt with four corners similar to the Highway 205 and I-3o interchange in Rockwall
- Fate will continue to contract for police services with the County Sheriff’s Dept. since establishing its own police department will cost $2.5-3 million
- Mobile City has asked to merge with Fate since it can no longer afford to stay independent
- Woodcreek subdivision developers are ready to start building new sections
- Land values should increase soon with new projects under development
For those who were unable to attend, the key points of his presentation will be mailed to all Fate residents in their June water bills to be mailed soon.
The Mayor said that he was pleased and surprised to see so many people in attendance.
For more information, call the City of Fate at 972-771-4601 or visit www.cityoffate.com.
Well the bully tactics of the city have returned to the citizens, I recently went out of town the weekend of the fourth for a week and when i returned my grass was high, i recieved a letter from the idiots at the city for high grass and a refrigerater i was repairing outside my garage,also my nieghbor was also sent a letter from the dog catcher and thecode enforcement officer they are one in the same by the way.also last night there were a sherrifs car and white unmarked van outside the citys managers house for over 2 hours i wonder why?Propably back at the tactics of intimadation again well i got news for them i will never be intimidated by no Man or public official or cop or fbi or buracrat just ask that coward david ellis. but to the comment prior on the city managers behavior at the town hall meeting she was and still is a discrace to the citesens of fate. she had a rude comment after any question by a real citezen, that manager is a very angry person she probably doesnt need to have a position of management because she has proved that she cant handle the heat she disgust me yeah i said YOU DISGUST ME I DESPISE THE MARXIST THUG THAT SHE IS!!!!!!
So say it now while we still have freedom of speech!
If we were all aware of and there at the “State of Fate” address for the same reasons many would understand why there was “Ranting”. We the people have recklessly let people become unopposed and self appointed to whatever position they want. Us the city folks and Americans sit back for the ride until we see where we being driven!!! Out of 5000+ people only 190 voted???? We are lazy and uninvolved always hoping someone will do the job as they take oath to until they DON’T. In today’s world adultery and theft are only personal when it affects your household. Who really cares about a moral public figure, I mean we have shown that by allowing our Constitution to go by the wayside to allow a Muslim president -Read his book by him and his father and you will see what he truly thinks of most of us… My grandfather would roll over in his grave to know this is how his hometown is lead and what America is vastly becoming. So it is not going to get better. When a grown woman makes sneers at a 80 year old man asking for an sewer mess and stench to be cleaned up and that is the respect he gets, I AM DONE. I cannot get out fast enough. I told my dad- sell, sell out. Leave and go to where it is peaceful and life is more in tune with a happy small resourceful community. It was however, Gary Boren, one of our own that started much of this mess. The old town Fate is gone, so people face it, the wave is here and if you want small town-move. I am saddened that we have no real respect in the world say the word “Christian” today and many do not even want to talk about spirituality, you know what I mean. Shame on you who represents in a manor that gives you authority and leadership in the name of God and make a mockery of that honor. We are living a different America today-God help our children’s children
Look up “Fema” on you-tube or “Arron Russo” and just start becoming aware of what is brewing from the top on down the pike…
Dear Fate Resident, Stick it, HE WAS THE PASTOR, and is was not just one mistake with one woman
It was multiple woman over years, that is how he got busted, My qustion for Mr Erwin is when you wrote on you web site good guys win after your run for City Councel, how many woman did you cheat on your wife with just what was the number? Now befor we get the violin’s playing for KC Erwin and his family maybe KC Erwin should have though about his family and his GOD before he lit up the score board in the adultery department, It just was not one mistake as some would have you think, with KC Erwin it was choice. The fact that KC Erwin has not resigned from the councel for his family’s sake, tells me that he has no real remorse, and to show up at the seen of the crime tells us that he has no shame as well.
I don’t think its doing any good to bring up the past pastors indescretions. He made a mistake and is no longer at the church but he does have family that is still there and offered the facility to accomodate the population. You shouldn’t point fingers unless you are free from sin yourself.
Moral turpitude seems to be lacking. Whether or not,any city council should hold themselves to higher standards and not one of them can say they do. Thievery, Brutality, Adultery, what’s next? Oh yeah, what they are already doing to the citizens.
I thought is was odd that we had the meeting in the same church that the former Pastor was fired from, for having sex with woman in his church. Interesting this same former pastor is sill a sitting council menber. Looks like the Mayor and council agree with this former Pastor, they are doing to us what he did to his flock.
The noticable abcence was from Skippy, gess he decided to hide at home. Also the one that made the comments about Urban fire an obvious Broderick, and council supporter. Not to many of them in this town any more.
About 100 people there. Most of the questions were good. Answers were good, too. Group of people wearing Urban Fire Protection shirts that acted stupid. Giggling and laughing like little kids. They had some guy with them that asked some questions. Some red-headed lady was mad and ranting, and the guy next to her took the microphone. Then some blond lady asked some dumb question. That’s when most of the normal citizens left.
Not at the meeting, but were there a lot of people there that were questioning the way city council is running things? I only ask because the previous article on this stated there were only 1/2 dozen people causing the misinformation.
It was as if there had been a nice long cocktail party prior to this meeting. The Mayor is obviously of Baptist upbringing. He slurred on many names and only was clear on something when he was reading his notes and then after his remark on the assuming of Chilly-Mart’s name, as if he doesn’t know all the real foul play on Fate & it’s recent change on selling Alcohol. The city Manager was like a Jerry Springer guest mimicking the people as if she were the betrayed woman. She had such a disposition, I cannot imagine her leading a city or a healthy community. Many people asked or spoke on several topics, but only one person Chris Cauble- a lifetime resident, was cut off when he got to close to the subject no one wants to face about RICK TOLBERT BEING HEAVILY HARRASSED AND FOUND WITH THE WARRENTS IN HIS HAND!.
For many it was just a little heated, for others it is just the beginning on a line of questions that WE WILL GET ANSWERS or RESIGNATIONS! I don’t know that there isn’t special interests at work in the City of Fate. So lets stick 1500 more people into these traffic & community issues and stir it up. Just know there are seats that will open for Council~ There IS ALWAYS ANOTHER ELECTION.
Leave the midnight oil burning…
Also Worth mentioning is that Williamsburg has a new developer and should restart building within 45 days