By Hannah Barricks, Glen Rose Reporter
GLEN ROSE — On Dec. 1, Glen Rose Mayor Julia Douglas wrote an open letter to the Somervell County Water District Board, addressing the water board’s general manager Kevin Taylor by name.
Douglas expressed frustration at the board’s refusal to meet with her and City Administrator Michael Leamons to discuss water rate discrepancies in the city versus the county.
Douglas claimed in her letter that the SCWD told her that a meeting other than an official board meeting would violate their bylaws. The SCWD canceled their regular meeting for December because the board did not have any agenda items for the month, so Douglas placed herself on their agenda for Jan. 9 at 8 am.
The board’s facility in Wheeler Branch will host the meeting.
“The response was surprising because we have a lot of interactions like this,” said Leamons, referring to the board’s insistence on a formal meeting as irregular. Leamons stated that it is common for city officials to discuss similar matters in private conferences with only a few members present, as formal board meetings often lack the depth necessary to settle complex issues.
In her letter, Douglas claims the board expressed sympathy for the city two years ago when Leamons addressed inequitable city water rates compared to the county during a regular SCWD meeting.
Douglas continued to write that the board discussed lowering the city’s rates at that time, but they have since had a change of heart, and she was surprised to see that city water rates were increasing by 15% in the next fiscal year.
Douglas believes the city is entitled to rate reliefbecause they entered into a 20-year contract with
SCWD to qualify for millions of dollars in grant funds. She says in her letter that the city pays $30 more per 10,000 gallons of water than county residents, and Douglas inferred the county enjoys a more attractive rate because of those grant dollars.
When reached, SCWD board general manager Kevin Taylor felt disheartened by Douglas’s letter.
“It is true, the City Administrator reached out to the SCWD in late November to initiate meetings between pairs of City Council members and pairs of SCWD board members,” confirms Taylor. “The SCWD denied these requests believing they violated SCWD bylaws and the spirit of the Texas Open Meetings Act.”
Taylor says he takes these bylaws seriously because itensures that all board business remains legitimate and follows the proper chain of command. Taylor explains that the city did not respect the district’s response, instead showing up unannounced at the home of the SCWD Board President on two separate occasions in an attempt to discuss SCWD policy.
Taylor concludes his statement by saying, “The City of Glen Rose is now attempting to debate SCWD policy in the media with this open letter, which is mostly half-truths and false statements. We will not debate these matters in the media.
“SCWD has accepted the mayor’s request to address the District Board of Directors at our next board meeting on Jan. 9, 2023. We feel this is the appropriate forum to discuss both City and SCWD policy rather than in the media, committee meetings, or the homes of board members.”
