Odessa Headlines

10/29/2024

Facts About the Ector County Hospital District Tax Hike Ballot Referendum

FACT #1:
One of the items on the Ector County ballot is a proposal from the Medical Center Hospital (MCH)/Ector County Hospital District (ECHD):
“The imposition of annual taxes by the district for hospital purposes at a rate not to exceed 75 cents on the $100 valuation of all taxable property in the district.”

FACT #2:
The proposed maximum rate of 75 cents is five times the current MCH tax cap of 15 cents, set by the Texas Legislature.

Everything else surrounding this proposal amounts to, at this time, a mix of promises and problems.

PROBLEM #1:
To enact this massive increase in MCH’s property tax cap, not only must voters approve it, but the Texas Legislature will also need to pass supporting legislation.

PROBLEM #2:
If the Legislature removes the cap, MCH can continue raising taxes up to the new 75-cent maximum. Currently, no safeguards exist to prevent the board from opting out of taking over Fire/EMS services, despite present assurances. We all know the value of a politician's promise.

PROBLEM #3:
Even if voters approve the MCH proposition and the Legislature raises the cap, Ector County voters would still need to approve MCH’s first significant tax increase since it would exceed the 8% voter-approval rate. In reality, MCH would need to nearly double its tax rate to make this proposal viable.

PROBLEM #4:
No requirement currently exists for the City to reduce its tax rate as MCH’s rate rises. This isn’t just a problem—it’s a fact.

PROBLEM #5:
This proposal would only apply to Ector County residents, leaving out the growing population of Odessans in Midland County. When asked how Midland County Odessans will be charged, the answer has been, “we’re not sure, but we’ll figure it out.” This could simply swap the current issue of limited reimbursement for West Odessa Fire/EMS runs with a potentially larger problem of no reimbursement for Midland County/Odessa services.

OPINION:
Voters should reject this half-baked plan, which would undoubtedly raise taxes and shift financial control of Odessa Fire Rescue from the City to the Hospital Board. That’s a fact.

10/12/2024

FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE! FREE!
Trump flags and signs and Ted Cruz signs are available while supplies last. Local residents are encouraged to stop by either The Design Gallery or Crow Insurance Agency to claim theirs at any of the locations below.

The Crow Insurance Agency
3908 Tanglewood
Odessa
8:30-5:30 Monday-Friday

The Design Gallery by Paul Evans
301 North Grant Ave
Odessa
9-5 Monday-Friday
9-2 Saturday

The Design Gallery by Paul Evans
4425 West Wadley #250
Midland
9-5 Monday-Friday
9-2 Saturday

10/10/2024

City coffers are currently stuffed with over $500,000,000 in taxpayer dollars yet our city leaders continue to claim they don't have the money to fix Odessa's failing infrastructure and continue to increase taxpayer's property tax and utility bills.

Following a series of public hearings and an Odessa Headlines investigation which involved filing a number of public information requests (PIR) we’ve come

10/01/2024

Local Merchants Unite to Provide Free Trump Flags and Cruz Yard Signs to Community Residents

In a show of support for the upcoming 2024 presidential election, The Design Gallery by Paul Evans and The Crow Insurance Agency have teamed up to offer local residents free 3’ x 5’ Trump flags and Ted Cruz yard signs. These items are available for pickup at The Design Gallery locations in Odessa and Midland, as well as the Crow Insurance Agency in Odessa.

“This is one of the most important elections we’ve seen in our lifetimes,” said Tisha Crow of The Crow Insurance Agency. “We wanted to take action and encourage people to support President Trump and Senator Ted Cruz and make their voices heard. By providing free flags and yard signs, we’re helping people show their pride and enthusiasm. We’ve purchased 1,000 flags and we have 500 yard signs, and they’re all ready to be given away—completely free. We absolutely must get these two men back into office for the good of our country!”

Jeff Russell, owner of The Design Gallery, echoed this sentiment, saying, “With the financial strain many are facing due to the Harris/Biden economy, we knew that offering something as simple as a flag or sign could help. It’s our way of giving back to the community. Anyone can stop by one of our locations, sign our guest register, and walk out with a flag and sign to proudly display at their home or business. It’s about uniting behind a common goal and showing support for making America great again.”

The Trump flags and signs are available while supplies last. Local residents are encouraged to stop by either The Design Gallery or Crow Insurance Agency to claim theirs at any of the locations below.
The Crow Insurance Agency
3908 Tanglewood
Odessa
8:30-5:30 Monday-Friday

The Design Gallery by Paul Evans
301 North Grant Ave
Odessa
9-5 Monday-Friday
9-2 Saturday

The Design Gallery by Paul Evans
4425 West Wadley #250
Midland
9-5 Monday-Friday
9-2 Saturday

09/23/2024

The upcoming Commissioners' Court meeting, set for Tuesday at 10:00 AM at the Courthouse Annex (1010 East 8th Street), includes an agenda item to "consider and take action on a resolution approving and authorizing publication and posting of notice of intention to issue certificates of obligation." This signals their intent to issue up to $325 million in debt to support both major construction projects....

The upcoming Commissioners' Court meeting, set for Tuesday at 10:00 AM at the Courthouse Annex (1010 East 8th Street), includes an agenda item to

09/21/2024

More details are emerging about Odessa City Manager John Beckmeyer's political entanglements and conflicts.

A recent Odessa American article criticizes Odessa City Manager John Beckmeyer for allegedly engaging in political activities despite claiming to be apolitical. It details his connections with the Texas Government Accountability Association (TGAA), controversial political consultant Matt Armstrong, and raises concerns about the transparency of a contract between Odessa and TGAA. The article highlights Beckmeyer's ties to political figures and campaigns and questions the integrity of his role and the terms of the TGAA contract which could leave Odessa taxpayers on the hook for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

The Texas Government Accountability Association’s (TGAA) rules for its members sound great. Every city must conduct an outside audit every three years to look for fraud, find ways to save money and identify revenue possibilities, and they must post the audit for citizens to read. Every city vendor...

09/11/2024

Another City Council Meeting, more tax increases as the Odessa City Council votes 6-1 to increase water, sewer, and tax rates. Most Odessans will also pay a bigger property tax bill.

Despite a passionate plea from Councilman Chris Hanie to consider the plight of local taxpayers, the Odessa City Council voted Tuesday to raise water,

09/05/2024

Is Odessa’s City Manager crossing the line by using taxpayer resources and city platforms to push a political agenda? Dive into the behind-the-scenes meetings to uncover who seems to be pulling the strings in the Odessa City Council races.

Odessa City Manager John Beckmeyer and his wife, Teresa, are at the center of a growing controversy with questions arising as to if they are using city

09/04/2024

ECUD Candidates Jesus Sanchez, John Kelley, and Darrell Pando will be holding a press conference Thursday, September 5, at 10:30 am. The location will be at the ECUD Knox Water Tower near 1400 S Knox St, Odessa, TX. 79763. The public is invited to attend.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 9/4/24For More Information Contact: Virgie Martin [email protected] 432-349-3564 Three passionate community members have

08/28/2024

Odessa Water and Sewer Rates on the Rise Again

Odessa residents will see their water and sewer rates increase by nearly 18% compared to 2020 levels.

For the fourth consecutive year, the current Odessa City Council has approved rate hikes for water, sewer, and solid waste services in the upcoming 2024-25 budget. Specifically, water and sewer rates will increase by 3%, and solid waste (trash) services will go up by 3.5%.

This increase comes despite the citywide reduction in trash services from twice-weekly pickups to just once a week over the past year. The result has been overflowing dumpsters and trash littering alleys and streets, creating an eyesore and a public health concern.

Even with these reduced services, City Manager John Beckmeyer and the Odessa City Council decided that no reduction in rates was warranted. While improvements in trash collection were promised by January 2024, many areas are still experiencing inconsistent service, with dumpsters frequently overflowing.

The photo accompanying this post was taken this morning, August 28, 2024, and is typical of many dumpsters in this area. Odessa Headlines continues to receive numerous reports and photos from residents highlighting these ongoing issues. If you’re experiencing similar problems, please share your photo in the comments, along with the approximate location (e.g., 2100 Block of Laurel).

05/18/2024

Following last week’s city wide water outage Mayor Joven appeared before the ODC requesting financial assistance to address critical aged infrastructure.

During Thursday’s Odessa Development Corporation (ODC) meeting Odessa Mayor Javier Joven made an urgent plea to the ODC Board to consider ways ODC can use

04/15/2024

After Thursday’s ODC meeting it appears highly likely that Odessa taxpayers have lost an almost $2 million dollar grant to the floundering Nacero natural gas to fuel plant.

In October of 2022, the Odessa Development Corporation (ODC) board approved a nearly two million dollar payout of taxpayer money to Nacero despite Nacero

03/14/2024

Texas Ethics Commission takes jurisdiction over campaign ethics complaints against Ronnie Lewis and Tommy Ervin. Lewis and Ervin have ten business days to respond to allegations that they operated an unregistered political action committee during the recent March primary election.

The Texas Ethics Commission has accepted jurisdiction over the previously reported ethics complaints lodged against Ronnie Lewis and Tommy Ervin over

03/04/2024

The Texas Ethics Commission is investigating Ronnie Lewis and Tommy Ervin for running an unregistered political action committee (PAC). Lewis and Ervin appear to have expended money supporting a slate of national, state, and local candidates without filing the required paperwork with the Texas Ethics Commission which could subject them to serious fines and possible criminal prosecution.

Recent mailers and newspaper ads listing Ronnie Lewis and Tommy Ervin as their sponsors appear to be clear violations of Texas Ethics Commission rules and

03/04/2024

Dick Saulsbury adds his endorsement for Tisha Crow to an already impressive list of endorsements which includes Gun Owners of American (GOA) and Texas Republican Party Chair Matt Rinaldi.

Dick Saulsbury, who is widely considered to be the patriarch of Ector County Republican Party politics, issued a strong endorsement for current Ector

03/02/2024

Odessa Headlines is live at The Design Gallery by Paul Evans for the third annual reading of the Texas Declaration of Independence hosted by the Nehemiah School of Government.

03/02/2024

Despite statements to the contrary and his $102,539 taxpayer funded salary, Commissioner Don Stringer continues to be delinquent on his home's property taxes.

Despite drawing a taxpayer funded salary of $102,539 per year including benefits and reimbursements, just days before the March 5th primary election

03/01/2024

From conservative national powerhouses like Gun Owners of America (GOA) to Texas Republican Party Chair Matt Rinaldi to influential local leaders Dr. Richard Bartlett and Jamie Berryhill, current Ector County Republican Party Chair Tisha Crow has earned a host of endorsements in her re-election race.

It's often said that a person is known by the company they keep and if that's true current Ector County GOP Chair Tisha Crow's conservative credentials

02/28/2024

This afternoon Carmen Wilhite, who filed assault charges against Donna Kelm after an incident that occurred at the Ector County Courthouse on February 22, posted a short video on her page describing what happened.

Yesterday, the Odessa Police Department upgraded the assault charges to a Class A Misdemeanor and referred the case to the Ector County District Attorney for further investigation and potential prosecution.

Odessa Headlines will continue to provide updates to this story as they become available.

Here is the video that Wilhite posted.

02/28/2024

County Commissioner Precinct One candidate Larry Robinson expresses concern that two of his rival candidates have not been as open with voters as should be required during an important election.

Dear Ector County Precinct One Voters, I, Larry Robinson as a Candidate for Ector County Commissioner Precinct One, do firmly resolve to work for all of

02/27/2024

Misleading reports from the Odessa American seem designed to mislead residents that Donna Kelm has been cleared of wrongdoing in last week’s reported assault of Carmen Wilhite.

In an apparent effort to limit the damage caused by the reported assault of Carmen Wilhite by Donna Kelm, the Odessa American this afternoon published a

02/23/2024

After yesterday's reported assault of a campaign worker by candidate Donna Kelm, a joint press conference was held by Ector County Judge Dustin Fawcett, Sheriff Griffis, and Brooks Landgraf.

Odessa Headlines was there and brings you this update as leaders called for the return of civility to our electoral process.

After yesterday's reported assault of a campaign worker by Donna Kelm, a joint press conference was held this morning at the Ector County Courthouse

02/23/2024

UPDATE: The campaign worker who reported being assaulted by candidate Donna Kelm yesterday spoke with Odessa Headlines this morning after she was contacted by an OPD officer. The campaign worker said that she was told that a complaint had been filed against her by Kelm supporter Richard Pierce alleging that he had overheard her attempting to bribe a voter.

Carmen Wilhite, who yesterday called 911 after being grabbed and pulled by Kelm, said the incident apparently involves a conversation she had with a local voter after he commented that he liked the MAGA hat worn by a fellow campaign worker. Ms. Wilhite said she told him that she could get him a hat because we [the Republican Party] sold them across the street [at Republican Party headquarters].

This isn't the first time that Richard Pierce has made accusations against current Republican officeholders.

When contacted about the allegation, Ector County Republican Party Chair Tisha Crow mirrored the comments made by Judge Dustin Fawcett, Sheriff Griffis, and Brooks Landgraf at this morning's press conference by calling for a return to civility and an end to the aggressive cancel culture tactics being used.

UPDATE: 1:57 PM 2/23/24
Richard Pierce has stated on social media that he did not file a complaint. Odessa Headlines will continue to update this story as additional details become available.

UPDATE 2/24/24
Odessa Headlines has received a copy of the complaint filed and the complainant was listed as Charles Pierce, not Richard Pierce as previously reported. Charles and Richard are brothers and both are running as candidates in the current election.

02/23/2024

BREAKING NEWS: Bass Pro Shops announced this morning that their new store will be located in Odessa. The massive hunting, fishing, boating, and outdoor living store will be located on land owned by ICA Properties just east of Cinergy Theaters.

While the City of Midland had previously announced that Bass Pro Shops was coming to Midland it appears that the popular outdoor hunting, fishing, and

02/23/2024

Following today's assault on a campaign worker at the Ector County Courthouse Annex, the Ector County Republican Party issues a strong call for a return to civil discourse.

In quick response to today's assault of a campaign worker at the Ector County Courthouse annex, the Ector County Republican Party has issued a strong