Of all the concerns expressed to me by the citizens of Helotes, one of the most repeated topics involves the circumstances surrounding the recent firing of Helotes Police Chief Mort Ault.

Ault was fired by the Helotes City Council, lead by current Mayor Tom Schoolcraft, without a clear charge of some specific misconduct or illegality.  It has been 6 months, and still Ault has been charged with nothing; no charge, no indictment, NOTHING.  Now the City Council has decided to replace Ault with Rob Hunley, who served under him as his Assistant Chief.

These decisions made by the Helotes City Council have had an unbelievably negative and damaging impact on Ault’s life, but how can he defend himself when he has not been charged with anything?  Charging him with some illegal act would, of course, allow him an opportunity to answer his accusers.  This, clearly, has not happened.

You have to ask yourself, how must Chief Hunley and the officers who served under Ault feel when they see a man not being given his basic rights, rights they are required to afford people they encounter on a daily basis.  Surely, they must feel that what has happened to Ault could also easily happen to them.

It is my opinion, and the opinion of many I have talked to here in Helotes, that this is un-American, because, in America, we all believe that an individual is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.  Many Helotians feel that there was a better way to handle this situation, some way to avoid ruining a man’s reputation, at least until he had been found guilty of SOMETHING.

No matter how you slice it, Mort Ault was declared guilty behind the closed doors of the Helotes City Council, away from the eyes and ears of  Helotes taxpayers, and now we’re all wondering why.

Many Helotians have expressed to me that, to them, this appears to be an abuse of power, not on ex-Chief Ault’s part, but on the part of the Mayor and his City Council.  I think they owe us some answers.

First of all, this is public property, and, unless this government entity (NISD) with voter approval OK’d the placement of these signs, it is a blatant violation of our trust. I cannot imagine the NISD approving this political promotional signage when, at the same time, they are asking us to trust them with the money to be generated with yet another school bond.

In the past, the Helotes City Council has been such a stickler about the size and placement of signs for businesses and for political signs, but it appears that during this election they are turning their collective head in the opposite direction.

He then showed up at my door with another City employee, a young man who appeared to me to be his bodyguard, and told me that I did not own the fence.  It belonged to the new CVS store, and I should talk to them.

Then the young man accompanying Mr. Encina pointed out to me that they would have to cite me for the (anti-Obama) political sign on my front porch if I did not remove it.  I responded by telling them to “get with it.  I would love to go to court on this issue.”

Then it suddenly dawned on me that possibly (by being made to remove my gate) I was being harassed for my political position.  I mentioned to them that my sign had been up for less than 2 weeks, and they were threatening to issue me a citation, but my next door neighbor has had a pro-Obama political sign on her front fence for over a year, and the City had not bothered her.  They indicated that they would have her sign removed.

After I removed the gate as requested, Mr. Encina showed up at my door again indicating that the Mayor was making a personal request for me to remove my sign, which he thought was in bad taste (it contained a word the public in general might find offensive-ed.).  I consented to remove it if they would have my neighbor remove hers.  Mr. Encina again assured me that he would have her sign removed, so in good faith, I went on and removed mine anticipating the removal of hers.

It has now been 3 weeks, and her Obama sign is still there, and I am seriously considering putting my sign back up.

What do you think?  Am I being harassed for my political stance?  Is my right to free speech being challenged by the City?  Is this an issue the City should even be involved in?

The same goes for traffic going toward Bandera Road from FM 1560.  If the light at Circle A Trail and Bandera Road turns red and one single 18-wheeler or three cars get in that line (that is all that fits there while waiting for the green light), the entire traffic flow is stopped all the way to the Helotes Creek signal light.  Helotes Police should stop giving tickets and hindering the traffic flow by not allowing a car to pass on the right while a car is parked awaiting the green light.  Common sense is not present for those who are there to serve the community and its visitors.

We finally got a light at Antonio and FM 1560.  That has made a very big impact on those of us that had to exit the area coming onto FM 1560.  Now that is common sense and has prevented accidents.  Life is more important than a yield sign giving city politicians their way.

It is my view and opinion.  Thanks.

Helotes Concerned Citizen

Fence Involved in Dispute with the City

An article in the current Echo (dated July 1, 2009) states that the Helotes City Council “took” my fence in Old Helotes because I would not agree to their vague encroachment document.

It further states that I have refused to sign an encroachment agreement with the City.  I do not sign agreements when the administration refuses to meet face-to-face with me and my attorney and won’t specify what I am agreeing to.  Smokescreens do not earn my signature on any document with anyone.

I purchased that property to protect it.  I will not risk its use to what I consider to be subversive, harrassing maneuvers.