In the letter, Felàn explains how the meeting scheduled for Monday night does not comply with the Texas Open Meetings Act, and therefore cannot take place because the right steps have not been taken.
The letter reads as follows:
County Judge Saucedo,
The Texas Open Meetings Act states that a “governmental body shall give written notice of the date, hour, place, and subject of each meeting held by the governmental body”. The Act also requires that “notice of a meeting of a governmental body must be posted in a place readily accessible to the general public at all times for at least 72 hours before the scheduled time of the meeting” and “must also concurrently post notice of a meeting on the Internet website of the governmental body”.
This email is to inform you that Maverick County has failed to comply with notice requirements of the Texas Open Meetings Act. The agenda posted on the bulletin board and the Maverick County Courthouse is not accessible. As of Sunday, January 8, 2017, the agenda is located behind locked glass doors in a manner in which only the first page is visible. This does not allow the public sufficient notice of the other items to be discussed on the meeting scheduled for January 9, 2017.
Additionally, as of January 8, 2017, notice on the Maverick County website was not posted as required.
My main interest is on the agenda item concerning the rollback petition. I have not heard anything from Maverick County on the petition and am now concerned after seeing Facebook posts voicing opposition to the petition and asking for people to withdraw their signature from the very employees who are verifying the signatures.
Without proper notice as required by law, the meeting scheduled for January 9, 2017 should and cannot take place under penalty of law.
Ethelvina I. Felan
Maverick County Taxpayer
Felán and the Maverick County concerned tax payers began their investigation back in late September when they discovered the omission of $3 million in sales tax revenue from the tax rate calculation and have conitnued to look into the topic. The group has recently decided to petition the $8.5 million loan that the county is currently hoping to take out.
“We as Maverick County citizens have a right to know the truth,” Felan said in a previous interview.