NO NEW MAYOR FOR BURTON AFTER CANDIDATE REMOVES NAME FROM CONSIDERATION
The City of Burton will not have a new mayor, at least not yet.
The Burton City Council was set to appoint businessman and Burton beautification committee member Pete Horn as mayor on Wednesday, after former mayor David Zajicek stepped down earlier this month.
However, the council was informed upon taking up the item that Horn had removed his name from consideration, so the council was forced to remove the item from the agenda.
Update @ 10:10 a.m.: In a statement to KWHI, Horn explained that he was asked by Zajicek to take the position because of his 45-year career in designing and building energy plants and infrastructure, as well as his “get-it-done reputation.” He said after reviewing the city’s infrastructure and financial condition, he proposed stabilizing the city financially and using that to bring the infrastructure to a reliable, expansion-capable state.
Horn said in trying to resolve several items that needed immediate attention, he realized his approach “did not fit with the existing perspective or methodology.” He said that, along with the availability of personal and business opportunities, contributed to his feeling that there were better uses of his time and that the city “would continue in its own way.” He maintained that he is still willing to help the city in any way it needs, other than public office.
Nathan Kalkhake will continue to serve as mayor pro tem while the city determines its next steps.
The council did move to rehire Angela Harrington as city secretary at a wage of $20 an hour. Harrington held the role before the previous city secretary, Adrian Cepeda.
Councilmembers also approved a mobile home variance for Berneake Gantt to move her mobile home onto property she owns on South Brazos Street. The council received presentations from Gantt and family members, other citizens and the Burton Bridge Ministry, a majority of which were in favor of granting the variance.
When it came time for a vote, Councilmember Tommie Gilmon voiced her support for allowing mobile homes, saying not everyone is able to afford building regular homes. Councilmember Paul McLaughlin said the citizens he has talked to have all indicated their disapproval of mobile homes. The council voted 2-1, with McLaughlin voting against.
The council also chose to remove an item from the agenda that would have removed Monday from city hall’s schedule. City hall will keep its current hours of 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
In other business, the council:
- Tabled action on conveying undeveloped property at the end of East Branch Street and the road formerly known as South Colorado Street to American Kinetics, Inc. (AMKIN).
- Approved the hiring of a part-time clerical assistant.
- Approved a certification of unopposed candidates and the cancellation of the May 7th
- Set a budget hearing for the 2022-23 city budgets for April 12that 5:30 p.m.
- Tabled action on appointing a committee member from Burton for the Washington County Appraisal District Budget Committee for 2022-23.
- Authorized the city to enter into an agreement with the state to close a segment of the state highway system in downtown Burton for the annual Cotton Gin Festival set for April 23rd.
- Agreed to open a new bank savings account to be named the Coronavirus Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (CLFRF) Account.
I understand that there are some residents in Burton who do not want manufactured homes. But I believe the City of Burton might one day face a Title VI claim. Disparate impact refers to practices in employment, housing, and other areas that adversely affect one group of people of a protected characteristic more than another. Some of the protected classes that seem to be affected by Burton’s current housing ordinance include race, age, gender, and physical or mental disability.
City council never could make any decisions….I totally agree with Mr Horn let them sink on there own .
Burton should never have granted this variance. The voters are taking names and will voice their disapproval come election time. We want this town to grow and prosper, not become and unsightly eyesore with diminishing property values.
I am sorry that you feel all mobile homes should be disapproved in the town of Burton but I agree with Tommie that built homes costs so much nowadays. I live in a mobile home, do you think I forever want to live in a mobile home, No but it suffices for now. You could be crushing someone’s person by telling them they cannot live in a mobile home if that is how they choose to live or can afford. What is sad about mobile homes is exactly your point! People turn their nose when they hear “mobile home”!!!!
How you seen mobile homes recently? Some look so much like a building I bet if it was set up like a real home you would not know the difference.
We are Burton. We are a beautiful city. We are growing.
Thank you God for my home!
All about the money Charles
Mobile homes are expensive as well, most can’t afford them either and they depreciate in value unlike a permanent structure. They will depreciate the value of homes around them.
Everything is expensive.
Stick or brick is 4 or 5 times as much money.
There is a difference between a mobile home (cheaper in cost and construction), and manufactured/modular home( that is built in a factory with the same materials as a “real house”).
There are many manufactured/modular homes that are built better than the current new homes going up in Brenham. There is NOTHING WRONG WITH THEM! It all goes back to the upkeep and owner of the property, what the codes are inside the city limits, and if they are enforced.
As of right now, over the bridge in Burton, in the poorer part of town, there are many places that look terrible, and it seems that the city doesn’t care about.
How could allowing a more affordable, newer looking home, mobile or manufactured, matter at all?
This will not diminish anyone’s property values. Property values in Burton and surrounding areas have drastically increased in recent years because so many of our rural homes and properties have been purchased at large city suburb prices driving appraised values up. So much so that local hard working people have difficulties affording places to live and raise families. Charles, if you had any real knowledge of the property mentioned in this article, you would know it is near the end of a dead end street and the only residences beyond this property receiving the variance on Brazos Street are also manufactured/mobile homes that are obviously grandfathered in prior to ordinance. I’m sure that the neighbors will be welcoming! There are numerous exclusive subdivisions with HOAs nearby that may be more suitable for Charles. Perhaps a retirement village or gated community nearer to Houston would be a better fit. Next time, please have courage enough to comment using your actual name instead of alias, or better yet, show up at the city council meeting in person to voice your concerns.