Quite possibly, the one thing the 75 or so people that crowded into the Lake Fannin Lodge Tuesday night had in common was that they loved living in Ivanhoe.
While the discussion was quite raucous at times, in the end cooler heads prevailed and an enlightening debate ensued on how to not only preserve the way of life cherished by these residents of northern Fannin County, but also whether or not it might be possible to expand community services by incorporating and therefore becoming eligible for more tax dollars and grants.
Another agreement among most in attendance was that some of the points of contention could have been eliminated if the most pertinent facts had been more widely disseminated.
As it was, much of the early discussion centered around whether incorporation was the first step towards voting wet, a possibility that most in attendance were vehemently against. The election on May 10 is strictly to determine whether or not the 129 registered voters that live within the boundary specified in the petition choose to incorporate.
While residents of any incorporated town or city may present a petition to call for a wet/dry election, that is a distinctively separate issue.
Charlie Avila moderated the meeting and Fannin County Clerk Tammy Rich was asked to describe the requirements for an election to incorporate.
"We (county officials) were presented a petition to incorporate," Rich explained. "I personally, along with Fannin County Judge Butch Henderson, verified the names on the petition were registered voters."
Once the petition was officially presented to Fannin County Commissioners at their regular meeting March 24, the next step was simply a formality. Commissioners are required to order an election when presented with a proper petition.
Casie Dawn Whitfield, an assistant to the Fannin County Clerk handed out lists of the 129 registered voters that reside within the proposed boundary and that will therefore be eligible to vote.
Registered voters can also call 903-583-7488 to determine if they will be eligible to vote on the incorporation of Ivanhoe and Rich suggested that legal questions pertaining to the election be directed to attorneys at the Secretary of State's Office by calling 1-800-252-8683. After dialing the number, hit "0" for assistance and ask to speak with an election attorney.
Early voting starts Monday, April 28 between the hours of 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. at the Fannin County Courthouse. On election day, May 10, all voting for this issue with be held at First Baptist Church of Ivanhoe between the hours of 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
"This is not a liquor election," Rich repeated. "This is to determine if the voters in Ivanhoe want to be incorporated. If the voters of Ivanhoe wish to incorporate, it will take each and every one of you to make Ivanhoe the star of the county."
"First of all, I applaud you for coming out to join this discussion," said Texoma Council of Governments Executive Director Frances Pelley once it was her turn to address the crowd. "Obviously, you are very passionate about this subject."
Pelley was on hand to explain that TCOG serves as a conduit to bring tax dollars back to the region. While there are certain grants that only incorporated cities and towns are entitled to, Pelley made it clear that TCOG takes very seriously its responsibility to all residents in their area of jurisdiction.
"The constituency we serve is you, the taxpayer," Pelley said in closing.
Democrat Steve Edwards and Republican Gary Whitlock will be vying for Fannin County Precinct 1 Commissioner in the November election and both answered questions about the rules that normally dictate how the county and incorporated towns work together on projects. In most instances, the city will be responsible for supplies such as rock and tinhorns and the county will help with equipment and labor.
Richard Danner and Roger Sadler have signed up for the city commission and both answered questions about how Ivanhoe would benefit from incorporation. Danner and Sadler indicated it was their hope residents of Ivanhoe would benefit by services that could be improved through additional funding incorporation would allow.
Gabe Parker, the candidate hoping to become the first mayor of Ivanhoe, addressed most of the budget concerns.
Parker believes that if voters choose to incorporate, a slight increase in sales tax and the new town's share of franchise tax would be the primary sources of revenue initially.
Sales tax in Ivanhoe is currently 6.75% and it could be increased to 8.25%. Parker said Ravenna, an incorporated town about the same size as Ivanhoe receives approximately $12,000 annually via the franchise tax. Ivanhoe's share is currently either being divided up by neighboring towns or is returned to the large corporations where these funds originated.
"This is money you are leaving on the table," Parker said, adding that it could help pay for either a constable or for a contractual agreement with the Fannin County Sheriff's Office to provide a safer community.
