Liberty Cities on Display

"The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;"
Isaiah 61:1

Liberty Cities are a growing phenomenon in Texas, learn more below.

Art Martinez de Vara (Original mayor, Von Ormy, TX):

• Original mayor of Von Ormy, TX
• Liberty city = City founded on limited govt., preservation of individual and property rights, restrictions on debt, and taxing authority.
• Becoming more popular as larger cities encroach on unincorporated areas.
• Virtual city hall instead of brick and mortal (ie. website)
• Privatization of public services.
• Economic development by getting out of the way.
• Eliminating classes of tax payers.
• Shifting the tax burden from ad valorem to consumption taxes.
• Avoiding restrictions on personal freedoms
• Use of trained volunteers.
• Zero cost permitting
• Minimal fees for City Residents
• Elimination of taxes or withdrawal from taxing jurisdictions that provide little or no service.
• Zero-based budgeting
• Aim to be under budget each year by at least 20%.
• Whereas San Antonio has a property tax dedicated specifically to debt service, Von Ormy doesn't need it.
• Voter approval of all public debt.

Ernest Gay (Mayor, Sandy Oaks, TX):

• Began incorporation process in 2011.
• Completely within San Antonio city limits.
• 2.4 square miles without any major highways or traffic arteries.
• Successful incorporation election in May 2014.
• Single ballot item in a very small city
• Elected officeholders in August 2014.
• City of San Antonio announced a "limited purpose annexation."
• One of their big problems is a lack of business.
• Problem when the main source of revenue is the sales tax.
• First big check from local power company will come in March.
• The taxes you pay this year pays for next year's budget.
• Set you budget relative to income rather than attempting to do vice-versa.

Robert Grafe (Kingsbury Incorporation Committee):

• Started incorporation after Seguin tried to annex them.
• Attempted to model their approach after Von Ormy.
• Currently working their way through the incorporation process.

David Simpson:

• Served three terms as Mayor of his hometown in the mid-1990's.
• The whole reason we have civil government is because we haven't used freedom responsibly.
• The place of government is justice, but let's use our freedom to limit government.
• "We can incorporate and voluntarily limit our intrusiveness."
• Limit "economic development" to commonly used infrastructure instead of bribing companies.

"Home rule" (ie. >5000 residents) can engage in "involuntary annexation."