February 25, 2025

Grassroots America Calls for Public Accounting
of Smith County Road Bond Projects

Tyler, Texas – Grassroots America, a statewide conservative public policy and citizen action group based in Smith County, Texas, today called for a full public accounting of Smith County Road Bond Projects, saying “After receiving numerous complaints from Smith County citizens, we conducted an audit of Smith County Road Bond project documents. Our audit revealed that the Smith County Road Plan promised to the taxpayers is dramatically behind schedule and over budget. There appear to be examples of “completed” road surfaces that differ from the improvements promised. Some completed projects are already showing signs of deterioration. The lack of financial and operational transparency in scheduling these road bond projects and reporting to taxpayers is just flat out unacceptable. Smith County taxpayers deserve better. We call on the Smith County Commissioners Court to adopt a “business urgency” approach, work with the County Engineer to assemble all the facts and hold a public meeting in the very near future to inform citizens.”

Have Smith County taxpayers received their money’s worth?

Grassroots America conducted a review of both Phase 1 and Phase 2 Road Bond Project documents that were publicly available on the Smith County web site and other documents we received in response to a Public Information Act Request.

The analysis posed troubling findings in both the miles of roads repaired and the cost of repairs when compared to published approved project lists.

• The Phase 1 Road Bond Program provided $39.5 million and proposed 376.5 miles of major reconstruction and widening, HMAC (Hot Mix Asphalt Concrete) overlay and reconstruction and miscellaneous improvements. According to the Phase 1 Bond summary, the county spent all $39.5 million to improve 204.5 miles of roadways, leaving a balance of 172 miles.
• The Phase 2 Road Bond Program provided another $45.0 million to be spent in FY23, FY24 and FY25. Approved projects specified another 282.2 miles of road improvements. The county is now nearly half-way through the project calendar. The status report dated January 6, 2025, documents that just a third of the promised miles – 99.1 miles – have been completed. Only seventeen (17) additional miles are under contract and a mere seventeen (17) other miles are even planned to date!
• To summarize, $98 million in financial commitments have improved 478.8 miles of the 658.7 promised miles of improvements (a shortfall of 179.9 miles). Just nineteen (19) months of the six-year road bond plan remains. Unfortunately, the County has not been transparent and forthcoming regarding either the performance shortfall or potential financial risk.

In addition to apparent slippage in the schedule and cost overruns, a non-scientific review of
the quality of improvements completed to date generate additional concerns. Segments of
completed roadways are already showing deterioration. In addition, improvements in other segments do not appear adequate to handle the volume and type of traffic experienced. Both issues indicate potential problems and financial exposure in the near future.

Grassroots America is publicly reporting our findings and concerns in response to the citizen
complaints we received. Our aim is to call attention to these increasingly serious issues, and to encourage a public accounting of the situation with a full discussion of solutions.

Much has changed since the project plans and bonds were approved. The County Engineer has been redirected to help oversee the courthouse construction project. Inflationary pressures have impacted both material and labor costs. Population and industrial growth have increased faster than projected. While these factors directly impact cost management, these factors in no way excuse the lack of disclosure to the taxpayers. Smith County received $44.5 million from the Biden Administration’s American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). Reasonable questions arise regarding the use of this funding as well as the priorities the Smith County Commissioners Court placed on projects other than county roads.

Recommendations
Smith County citizens deserve and rightfully demand quality road infrastructure that provides safe and convenient transportation around the county. Today, Grassroots America petitions the Smith County Commissioners Court to:

• Provide the current status of funded road improvements, assess known concerns, summarize bond fund balances, specify any needed supplemental financing, and report a revised timeline to completion.
• Convene a public workshop that includes County Judge Neal Franklin, all four County Commissioners, the County Engineer, any required Road and Bridge staff, and the County Auditor to:
  • Vet and agree upon the County’s current ability to complete Phase 2 projects on time and on budget.
  • Prepare an updated project plan with dates and road segments through FY26.
  • Communicate the revised plans, dates to completion, and road standards to Smith County citizens the same way the road bond plan was “sold” to the voters – in community town hall meetings held around the county.
• Assign responsibility to revise the county’s long-range Transportation Infrastructure Plan, which was instituted under former County Judge Nathaniel Moran. The multi-year plan should ensure that the County’s road infrastructure meets the scope, quality, and financing necessary to adequately address the projected needs of the taxpayers. The updated long-range plan must contain specific road construction, surface maintenance, and drainage standards to accommodate East Texas soils, weather conditions, and population density.
• Utilize the road facts collected to set budget priorities for the next fiscal year and to construct a Business Plan for the Smith County Commissioners Court. This will set measurable performance expectations for the County’s governing body as well as demonstrate the Commissioners Court’s willingness to “lead by example.”

Finally, the dedicated Smith County Road and Bridge Engineer and his employees deserve the right tools, training, and consistent management from the Smith County Commissioners Court. We are deeply concerned that Mr. Davis’s attention has been redirected from his job – the Smith County Road and Bridge Department – to the courthouse construction project.

It is time to right this ship, which is badly “off course.” Smith County citizens need to see competence and caring from the Smith County Judge and Commissioners.

Thomas Fabry, Board Member
Chairman, Government Watchdog Committee

2024 Local Gov’t Budget Recommendations | Right-size Gov’t 

Local gov’ts have started devising budgets for the upcoming fiscal year, which starts in the fall. Can you afford their plans?

Inflation:
Grocery Store, Gas Pump, Insurance, Utilities…

Does Your Local Gov’t Tighten Its Belt the Way You Must Do in Your Home and Business?
 Ask Them!

FACT:  We have more government than we can afford.

FACT:  When government grows, liberty shrinks.

Texans laboring under inflation desperately need local elected officials to “right-size” government.

To that end, Grassroots America has asked the Smith County Commissioners Court to take a new approach to their budget process. First, our Board of Directors discussed our request with Smith County Judge Neal Franklin in person. On May 20, we put it in writing to the entire Commissioners Court.

You can do the same! Why?

Citizens cannot afford local officials who blithely ignore bureaucratic bloat, spending gluttony, and who use the “we’ve always done it this way” excuse.

Citizens cannot afford elected officials whose personal preferences, personal conveniences, and sheer laziness overrides sensible practices, prudent spending, strategic planning, and the oath of office!

Grassroots America believes that it is a moral imperative that every tax dollar be stretched, every possible penny saved, and every service standard be raised.

As a self-term-limited county commissioner and a close observer of local governments of all kinds for the last 32 years, I can assure you that ample opportunity exists to reduce the operational cost of local governments – all of them!

Local government officials should examine fiscal management, efficiency, and utilization of resources in every area where tax dollars are spent.

Local government officials should determine the relationship between the amount of tax dollars spent and the outcomes achieved.

In an effort to encourage and educate our fellow Texans, we share with you the following reasonable, strong recommendations that can be adapted to any taxing entity.

Questions? Please send them to tcfabry@yahoo.com.  Tom and I will make every effort to answer your questions.

For Liberty – as our Founders intended,

JoAnn Fleming 

May 2024

Honorable Members of the Smith County Commissioners Court:

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics,¹ the Consumer Price Index has increased 18.4% since January 2021, putting extreme stress on family budgets.   At the same time, the FY2024 tax burden for all local taxing entities in Smith County has now reached over $1,000,000,000 ($1 Billion).  The FY2025 budget process in which you are now engaging must be viewed in context of these realities.

Smith County Departments and elected officials have now submitted their FY2025 budget requests, providing you a first look at budget implications.  It is imperative that the Smith County Commissioners Court takes all possible common-sense measures to assure taxpayers that the proposed budgets from each department head and elected official reflect the financial realities of its citizens.  The resulting aggregate county budget and tax rate should first prioritize Smith County families and business-owners hit from every side by inflation.

Grassroots America therefore strongly recommends the incorporation of the following actions to define the county budget process. Our objective is to help you provide maximum transparency to taxpayers:

1. Base Line Budget. Typically, the budget process starts with prior year ending values as the baseline for subsequent year projections.  However, the County has benefited from a number of one-time revenue bonanzas that inflate historical results.  Among these non-recurring revenues are Covid-19 subsidies, ARPA funds, and other Federal and State Grants.  The base-line revenue – and the expense line items funded by those one-time revenues – should be factored out, leaving an accurate operational baseline.  These baselines should be published with all FY2025 projections compared to them.

2. Reserve Funds. Unencumbered reserve funds should be featured prominently and compared to generally accepted standards.  Cash reserves greater than those required by the Court’s adopted written policy reflect over-taxation by Smith County government and should be returned to the taxpayers by a reduction in the tax levy.

3. Taxpayer Funded Lobbying. Budgets should be scrutinized for any lobbying activity funded by taxpayers and zeroed out.  Membership dues in associations that employ or contract with lobbyists should be reduced proportionally.  Expenses for elected officials to represent the county at state or other approved functions should be reviewed and maintained only if consistent with the county’s mission.

4. No New Revenue Tax Rate. The NNR tax rate should be the maximum allowable tax rate, period.  Taxpayers should not be taxed on “paper increases” in their existing home values.  Moreover, according to the 2024 SCAD (Smith County Appraisal District) Preliminary Report, new construction will increase taxable valuation by more than $815 million, generating an increase of $2.8 million in property tax revenues over 2023.

5. Zero Based Budget. One of the most effective ways of managing the growth of government spending is through zero-based budgeting. This approach to public finance is based on the idea that no costs or activities should be automatically carried over from one budget to the next.  Instead, every departmental and office budget should be built from the ground up, requiring every single expense to be justified. When used, zero-based budgeting will build taxpayer confidence in Smith County’s financial integrity and help produce the highest quality services delivered at the very best price.

For FY2025, your strategic plan should begin this practice with a finite number of departments engaging in this disciplined budget review, starting with all departments under the direct administrative authority of the Smith County Commissioners Court. Zero-based budgets should match “money with mission,” aligning each department’s functions to its core mission and statutory requirements.  From there, costs and volumes are mapped to line up with those core functions. Results of this process should be benchmarked against peer groups.

6. Plan Operational Peak Performance and Cost Containment. Begin developing a 2025 long-range plan and timeline to improve operational performance while removing operational waste and process variations. To begin, deploy Lean Six Sigma Management training conducted by County Judge Neal Franklin (experienced in same); research the historical record of Texas Association of Counties (TAC) “Best Practices Awards” and National Association of Counties (NACo) “Cost Saving Solutions.”

Respectfully,

Tom Fabry

Authorized Spokesman, Board Member, Local Government Watchdog Chairman

1. https://data.bls.gov/timeseries/CUUR0000SA0L1E?output_view=pct_12mths

Thank you to all the volunteers who attended the October 18^th library board meeting – the last one of this year!  There were about 50 people in attendance and as usual we were the overwhelming majority.

Sadly, we now know the library board has gone from bad to worse. They unanimously made the horrible decision to KEEP the book called “People Kill People” in the 14+ section. In case you’ve forgotten, here is the link to excerpts from it  Dirty Book #5 People Kill People.

Anyone who would like to send a professionally-worded email to the city manager about this book is welcome to do so by emailing Ed Broussard at ebroussard@tylertexas.com.

The next board meeting will likely be in mid- to late-January.  We will keep up the pressure by submitting book reconsiderations until we get more results.   Stay tuned for more information.

THANKS SO MUCH for your ‘Never Say Die’ persistence!

Citizens Speak Out in Letters to the Editor

If you are a subscriber to the Tyler Morning Telegraph, you should have noticed articles and letters to the editor about the Tyler Library controversy. Informed citizens sent in great letters that countered misinformation about “book banning,” which is an intellectually lazy buzzword coined by the Left and used by officials who should know better.  Moving books OUT of a section of the library used by minor-aged children is NOT book banning!

How many times must we repeat this fact:  Under the law, children cannot give consent to sexual activity! Sexual activity with a minor-aged child is rape.   It therefore follows that minor children cannot give consent to having their minds and emotions raped by sexually explicit, pervasively vulgar books. What about this concept is too hard for Tyler City officials to grasp?

Inspired? Send your own letter

(limited to 250 words) to the editor:

santana@mrobertsmedia.com and to
opinion@tylerpaper.com

NOW, GOOD STUFF YOU NEED TO KNOW

 We have compiled and posted resources for you!

So far, our elected officials have managed to evade direct contact with actual constituents – the voters and taxpayers who have every interest and right to speak out about library standards.  This is especially true when it comes to sexually explicit, pervasively vulgar books that are accessible to minor children.

We are hearing from Tyler residents that city council members are turning down the opportunity to attend coffees and meetings in neighborhoods if the subject matter is going to be “the library.”  We find that appalling.  Don’t you?

Isn’t it interesting how friendly these people are when they are campaigning and looking for endorsements?  EVASION is NOT a good look for an elected official!

The mayor and council members have refused to even put this topic on a City Council Agenda to discuss!  That means they have NEVER legally discussed the issue; therefore, the matter remains unresolved!

Let’s give them another chance!  Interested in inviting your Mayor and Tyler City Council member to an informal meeting in your district?

Click here to see how to organize your own informal “meet and greet” with your city councilman and/or the mayor.

Click here to see which Tyler City Council district you live in! Learn if your council member is up for re-election!

Click here to read WHY we keep saying that our requests are reasonable. Hint:  Texas law backs us up!

Click here for our library project talking points and objectives! All concerned citizens can use these in letters to the editor, in posts to social media, in conversations with neighbors, family and friends, and at a neighborhood coffee with your city council member and/or the mayor.  Share them!

At the end of this exercise, we will either learn that our elected officials are interested in hearing what we have to say, interested in managing city business lawfully, OR we’ll learn that they are still hiding from their responsibilities and ducking their oath of office!

Let’s have an honest conversation about this!

Your Library Project Team Leaders:

Dee Chambless

Christine Bentley

Tom Fabry

Toni Fabry

Ever wonder what a real election audit would reveal?

We did, so our local government watchdog committee got to work to organize and execute a thorough audit of the 2020 Smith County General Election.

“To summarize, there were serious problems with records management and chain of custody controls on virtually every aspect of the 2020 General Election processes:  provisional ballots, military/overseas ballots, limited ballots.  Logs were missing, yielding incomplete and inaccurate records management.  The record boxes were an embarrassment.  Smith County’s slogan is ‘Striving for Excellence.’  This was NOT excellent!

“The team focused on Absentee voters because there were paper records to audit.  The same problems existed with In-Person voters, but the machine records were not available or auditable.  Who knows the magnitude of those problems?” JoAnn Fleming, Executive Director

Read Mrs. Fleming’s entire statement to the Smith County Commissioners Court.

Election Audit Chair, Tom Fabry’s Audit Summary.

View the Public Forum Presentation Materials that were presented at the GAWTP meeting on February 13, 2023.

Watch the Channel 7 KLTV News story on the audit.

The next phase of this project will include the creation of an exportable Audit Template that can be used in any Texas county to conduct a similar audit.

If you are interested in working with our team as a Beta tester in your county please contact Tom Fabry at tcfabry@yahoo.com. Serious inquires only please – as this is a time and labor intensive process!