City of Mt. Vernon harrasses local business owners

[Leo Ashcraft]

UPDATE - JUNE 2009 - CITY OF MT VERNON BARS CHILDREN FROM PLAYING SOCCER IN LITTLE CREEK PARK AND CONSIDERS PERMANENT ORDINANCE TO MAKE THIS PERMANENT!

We have also spoken with a woman who was JAILED for two days for not paying court costs, even though she WON the case!!! We spoke to a local minority leader who the city tried to force out of the downtown area. Many other businesses have tried and failed in Mt Vernon, not because of the economy, rather the tactics of the local city government. If you feel you have been pushed out of the city - let us know here - we intend to do something about it.

[Leo Ashcraft]

Mount Vernon, Texas residents and business owners, Is this the kind of government you wantfor Mt Vernon? Is it time for a clean sweep? Let your opinions be heard - post in our forum and listen to KYZQ for more news.

ICANDI PHOTO AND COMPUTECHIES ARE CLOSED CURRENTLY DUE TO ISSUES WITH THE CITY OF MOUNT VERNON. APPARENTLY YOU MUST JOIN THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND PAY OFF SOMEONE IN ORDER TO HAVE SIGNS IN MOUNT VERNON. SINCE I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO ATTRACT BUSINESS WITHOUT A SIGN WE HAVE TEMPORARILY CLOSED. WE ARE STILL OCCUPYING THE LOCATION AND INSTEAD WILL OPERATE A FULL POWER COMMERCIAL FM RADIO STATION. ONE OF OUR PRIMARY GOALS WILL BE TO EXPOSE THIS SITUATION AND OTHERS LIKE IT. TUNE TO 99.7 FM IN MOUNT VERNON PARIS AND SULPHUR SPRINGS. IN MOUNT PLEASANT, DAINGERFIELD AND PITTSBURG WE WILL BE ON 100.9 FM. LISTEN FOR DETAILS OF THIS SITUATION ON OUR NEW TALK RADIO STATION BEGINNING SOMETIME IN JULY.
Ahhh, but the transmitters staying right here for Mt Vernon residents to learn about how the city of Mt Vernon pushes new businesses out. Indeed we were not isolated and have found SEVERAL other businesses pushed out of the city for not bending over and taking it.
Contact us if you have been harassed by the city in ANY way. This is far from over. One recent example of this harassment has been the disconnection of our water at home. Yet we’ve received no bills and paid $75 on each account for our home and our business. In May they only cashed one of those checks and cut off our water at our home. We went on vacation for two weeks to come back to two missing water bills, yet one disconnect warning for the house. Well I already anticipated this and had once again sent two checks for $75 each. Fortunately they cashed both of these this time. So since April we have received no water bills, just two cut off notices and one complete cut off. Yet I have emailed the city manager several times regarding this, even spoke with the Mayor. I have yet to receive a response to ANY of my emails. They Mayor responded to say only that our signs were in violation. Apparently could care less about the missing water bills and cut off we experienced.
There’s more to the story and background coming on the radio and our website. Once we get re-situated in Sculpture Springs we release more details and how we plan to proceed, as I said, this is NOT over.
What did we want? Just respect as a law abiding citizen, not disrespect and abuse. We lost over $30,000 at this location thinking we were helping the community. And not so much as an apology from the Mayor or City Manager – instead they seem to support this policy of disrespect and abuse towards the business owners.
Could it be the city is only interested in receiving the money from the Texas Historical Commission rather than from actual businesses sales tax? Could it be that the city makes more money with these buildings empty as a result? Is this the right tactic for such a tough economic period in the U.S.? Is the city acting in your best interest by doing this? You decide as you watch businesses come and go downtown.
More information to be posted on the computechies.com website and at kyzqradio.com .. Look to those sites for a community forum where you can express your views on this situation and report any similar tactics you have experienced. The forum is operating at http://www.kyzqradio.com -- Please post your comments there so that we can make a change for the better in Mt Vernon.

[Leo Ashcraft]

I heard today from a local busines person that the Mayor told him we are running an illegal puppy mill! I have one cat and three birds - zero dogs.

What kind of government acts this way and why is he going around town bad mouthing us? All we wanted was peace and our water bills!

[Lake Owl]

Leo Ashcraft wrote:

Mount Vernon, Texas residents and business owners, Is this the kind of government you wantfor Mt Vernon? Is it time for a clean sweep? Let your opinions be heard - post in our forum and listen to KYZQ for more news.
ICANDI PHOTO AND COMPUTECHIES ARE CLOSED CURRENTLY DUE TO ISSUES WITH THE CITY OF MOUNT VERNON. APPARENTLY YOU MUST JOIN THE CHAMBER OF COMMERCE AND PAY OFF SOMEONE IN ORDER TO HAVE SIGNS IN MOUNT VERNON. SINCE I DO NOT KNOW HOW TO ATTRACT BUSINESS WITHOUT A SIGN WE HAVE TEMPORARILY CLOSED. WE ARE STILL OCCUPYING THE LOCATION AND INSTEAD WILL OPERATE A FULL POWER COMMERCIAL FM RADIO STATION. ONE OF OUR PRIMARY GOALS WILL BE TO EXPOSE THIS SITUATION AND OTHERS LIKE IT. TUNE TO 99.7 FM IN MOUNT VERNON PARIS AND SULPHUR SPRINGS. IN MOUNT PLEASANT, DAINGERFIELD AND PITTSBURG WE WILL BE ON 100.9 FM. LISTEN FOR DETAILS OF THIS SITUATION ON OUR NEW TALK RADIO STATION BEGINNING SOMETIME IN JULY.
Ahhh, but the transmitters staying right here for Mt Vernon residents to learn about how the city of Mt Vernon pushes new businesses out. Indeed we were not isolated and have found SEVERAL other businesses pushed out of the city for not bending over and taking it.
Contact us if you have been harassed by the city in ANY way. This is far from over. One recent example of this harassment has been the disconnection of our water at home. Yet we’ve received no bills and paid $75 on each account for our home and our business. In May they only cashed one of those checks and cut off our water at our home. We went on vacation for two weeks to come back to two missing water bills, yet one disconnect warning for the house. Well I already anticipated this and had once again sent two checks for $75 each. Fortunately they cashed both of these this time. So since April we have received no water bills, just two cut off notices and one complete cut off. Yet I have emailed the city manager several times regarding this, even spoke with the Mayor. I have yet to receive a response to ANY of my emails. They Mayor responded to say only that our signs were in violation. Apparently could care less about the missing water bills and cut off we experienced.
There’s more to the story and background coming on the radio and our website. Once we get re-situated in Sculpture Springs we release more details and how we plan to proceed, as I said, this is NOT over.
What did we want? Just respect as a law abiding citizen, not disrespect and abuse. We lost over $30,000 at this location thinking we were helping the community. And not so much as an apology from the Mayor or City Manager – instead they seem to support this policy of disrespect and abuse towards the business owners.
Could it be the city is only interested in receiving the money from the Texas Historical Commission rather than from actual businesses sales tax? Could it be that the city makes more money with these buildings empty as a result? Is this the right tactic for such a tough economic period in the U.S.? Is the city acting in your best interest by doing this? You decide as you watch businesses come and go downtown.
More information to be posted on the computechies.com website and at kyzqradio.com .. Look to those sites for a community forum where you can express your views on this situation and report any similar tactics you have experienced. The forum is operating at http://www.kyzqradio.com -- Please post your comments there so that we can make a change for the better in Mt Vernon.

So what are your thoughts on the new sheriff and rest of the town officals?

[Leo Ashcraft]

We have no issues with anyone other than the city manager and the city inspector. The Mayor has been working with us to resolve this - however the city manager continues to be only interested in playing games. We have moved our residence and place of business outside the city limits of Mount Vernon as a result of all of this. Once the Mayor realized that the info being fed to him by the City Manager was not entirely correct, he has been very helpful and has attempted to resolve this several times. Its time for the city council to stand up and do something about this rogue individual. He is working without the city's best interest and should be removed from office.

The Radio station will be working closely with the Chamber of Commerce - this is no way an attack on the city - rather a call for change and a wake up call to the City Council. So far - no one from the city council has contacted us about this situation other than the Mayor.

[Paul Overstreet]

Love the station! Sorry for the Aholes there in the city.. Keep going - you'll eventually bring this to the attention of enough of the citizens who will demand a change!