Setting the Record Straight: Response to Negative Publicity About Double Oak 50th Birthday Celebration (02/28/2024)
Double Oak Citizens, I must send this email blast. The recent negative political postcard mailer sent by one of our Town Council members who has chosen to politicize our town’s birthday celebration for her own gain needs to be addressed.
I have received many texts and phone calls regarding this misinformation, which has caused me to respond accordingly. But most importantly, this mailer misleads the town and does not accurately give essential facts regarding the planning for our 50th Birthday Celebration.
In no way is this town email intended to be political. This email is to set the record straight regarding these four special birthday events and the hard work and planning that is taking place.
Does the Texas Open Meetings Act Apply to the 50th Birthday Committee?
After consulting with our town attorney, I want to share the differences between committees that trigger the Texas Open Meetings Act (TOMA) application. The ad hoc nature of the committee doesn’t by itself trigger the application of (TOMA). The standard is whether the committee is a “a deliberative body that has rulemaking or quasi-judicial power and that is classified as a department, agency, or political subdivision of a county or municipality.” If the committee is purely advisory in nature, then the Act will not apply. In this case, the committee might have sole authority to spend public funds without further council approval, but the expenditure of funds is not rulemaking or quasi-judicial in nature. Rest assured, citizens, the committee will come to the council with multiple bids and receipts for all the monies spent.
Evolution of the 50th Birthday Committee
In a town council meeting dated August 1st, 2022, the council unanimously approved and appointed then-citizen Pat Wellen to the 50th Birthday committee, who proceeded to recruit town volunteers. The committee is made up of individuals who also volunteer for the Double Oak Women’s Club, which has always hosted amazing events for the Town of Double Oak. The 50th Birthday Committee hosted its first meeting on Sept 12th, 2022.
At a council meeting on August 7th, 2023, Mayor Pro Tem Connie Schoenrade was appointed as liaison to the newly formed 50th Birthday Committee. During the same meeting, on the consent agenda was a request to set up a fund balance so the town can accurately keep track of all spending for the event with a not-to-exceed $10,000 so they could use the funds for deposits and other upfront costs in planning the event. When Mayor Pro Tem Schoenrade resigned from the council, now Deputy Mayor Pat Wellen took over the liaison duties of the committee.
How Is This Money Being Used, and Where Will It Come From?
During the January 16th, 2024, council meeting, an agenda item was considered and discussed, and action was taken on approval of additional funding of up to $72,000, not to exceed. The requested amount was to ensure the committee could set the proper budget for the four scheduled events since they were not sure of the timing to obtain sponsorships and donations to balance the need to have funds available for deposits to purchase T-shirts and Hats, deposits for food trucks which we expect to recoup. This not-for-profit event celebrates our 50 Years of Being the Best Town Our Size in Texas.
Some items will cost the town, such as rentals for tents, tables, chairs, food, entertainment, refreshments, etc., and the Birthday committee is seeking sponsorship packages from local businesses to cover these items.
The Birthday Committee has received $4,000 in donations, and these monies have been appropriately deposited into the account set up by our town secretary. The Birthday committee is using fiscal responsibility. There has been visibility to all paid expenses, which the town secretary records. The donation money will be the first dollars to be used for expenses.
As of the date of this email, the 50th Birthday Committee has spent a total of $994.40. These expenses are cataloged for “save the dates” postcard mailers, deposits for “movie night,” the 50th Birthday logo stickers, and other mailing costs soliciting donations. The Birthday Committee is getting multiple quotes for all these fun events and costs and will bring any item exceeding $2,000 to the town council for approval.
These types of celebrations have a cost associated with them. I recently spoke to the Mayor of Bartonville for input on what they spent and how they spent their money. Our town is in line with other towns' spending, and I expect that the final tally for our event will not come close to the total amount requested by the Birthday Committee.
In the town's most recent audit for the fiscal year 2023, the town's assigned fund balances total $1,305,000. These fund balances are commitments by the council for projects such as roads, the Trip 2022 bond for King's Road, Police vehicles, technology, the 50th Birthday Committee, and other general contingencies. The town currently has another $1M in unassigned balances, all of which equal 55 to 75 percent of the funds operating expenditures, over 20% more than our state regulations require.
The town has over $2.4M in our financial accounts. In the year 2023, the interest earned on these monies totaled $170,000, which is $161,000 more than what was budgeted, so the town can afford to spend some of its earned interest money back on its citizens in the form of our 50th Birthday Celebration.
To continue to provide transparency to the town from the committee, I have requested that notes be taken at every meeting, and a consolidated recap will then be posted in the following Friday Updates. Again, per (TOMA) this committee is not required to provide such notes but has agreed for visibility by the town's citizens.
To some citizens, the glass called the 50th Birthday Celebration is half full and half empty to others. There will always be the debate on how a town's dollars are spent. As Mayor, I will fulfill my fiscal responsibility to the office and commit that no money is being frivolously spent on this town’s 50Th Birthday Celebration.
Double Oak Town Citizens, please attend town council meetings to learn more details, visit the town website for the schedule of events, or volunteer for these once-in-a-lifetime 50th Birthday events. Most importantly, plan to have fun on May 4th for auto shows and movie night and May 18th for the main birthday events and 70’s themed dance!
Sincerely,
