So, unless you found the link on the very bottom of the City’s website and clicked subscribe to the police email alerts, you would never have heard about this.
This is called breadcrumb navigation. It shows the steps, the clicks it takes, to get to the end. This is the steps needed to find this on the City’s website.
Everyday, as I walk door to door, I learn more and more issues affecting the residents of Bellaire. One issue that I have heard is about property taxes and at the last council meeting Lynn McBee spoke about how difficult it was on a fixed income having to worry about paying these higher property taxes. I had one resident tell me that she now pays more in property taxes then she did for her house when she originally bought it, including principal and interest. That is when it really hit me. I also had another resident tell me that as soon as she retires they are moving to the Hill Country because they wont be able to afford the taxes. I feel that the City of Bellaire really needs to investigate this and find ways to help those over 65 that deserve a tax freeze or higher exemptions.
Any change in an exemption must be adopted and provided to Harris County Appraisal District by July 1st of each year.
The more I campaign for City Council, the more I learn about Bellaire. All candidates were invited to three days of tours of all the City’s facilities, including parks, pools, lift stations, public works, the recreation center, City Hall, the Fire station, and the Police station. One thing that is now a Top Priority once elected is to bring the City of Bellaire into the 21st century technology wise. I want better communication between all departments to the public. I will embrace all the modern sources to disseminate information in a real-time basis in a way that resident scan find with minimal searching. Facebook, Twitter, and Periscope as well as a City app and Instagram and Pinterest to show off new designs or to get feedback on Park ideas or projects.
I created a City of Bellaire smartphone app as a proof of concept to illustrate how easy it is to set up. Below are screenshots and I will have a tablet for live use at the Candidates forum on Thursday. This is just a proof of concept and the real thing would be 100 times better, so keep that in mind. There would be no ads on the real version. We would be able to send out alerts in real-time about traffic accidents on the freeway, construction zones or road closures and post any and all public information that is now easy to find. If anyone has used the City’s website, you can agree the search function is not very accurate.
This is a 2nd app I created to show a better looking interface. The design choices are limitless.
I want to make sure that any technology in the upcoming Municipal Facilities is forward thinking to be modern and up to date even when the construction of those buildings are completed. I am actually worried that the technology in these buildings will be purchased on start date and then when the construction is completed the tech will be outdated. Touring all facilities the only department showing anything near High Tech was the Fire department, although I did not physically use anything there while on the tour.
Public Works has a computer controlled emergency system to monitor all the pumps and lift station except nothing is networked together and the lift station still uses 1950’s tech of a flashing red light on top to alert to issues. The red light just shines and it is up to residents, driving by police or luck that Public Works is notified about the problem. To me, that is unacceptable! We are the 6th richest zip code in Texas, yet we use a red light hoping someone sees it and calls the police to report it. That is a huge issue to me. We need to make the Technology of the City a TOP priority.
As a candidate for City Council we have been going on tours of all Bellaire facilities and buildings. This is a picture of me and Susan Downs during our tour of a Public works building. Yes, we were required to wear safety vests and hardhats.
Please DO NOT forget to go vote on November 3rd, 2015
Having the right to vote is something I feel most people take for granted. Most people will not go vote, do not care about the election, and overall do not feel it is something they should spend their time on. If the people who gave their life fighting for getting EVERYONE the right to vote could see how low voter turn out is they would probably have given up the fight.
Going to Fondren Middle School in 1984 I remember we did a project on the Presidential election. I saved it all these years and it was kept at my parents house in my old closest. It was in an orange 2 pocket folder, the ones with brads. This was also the time when they taught us to climb under the desk in case of a nuclear attack. Being a 12-year-old in the 84 the election was a big deal. In class we learn about the Electoral College and how our vote really does not elect the President and we come to believe our vote does not matter. In this ELECTION on November 3rd, every vote matters and with voter turn out painfully low I am guessing that not more 1000 people will show at the polls to vote. I try to learn from every adventure I go on, I try to look at every event in my life and learn from it. This election is no different.
I reached out to the Principal of Bellaire High School (mmcdonou@houstonisd.org) and the Dean of Students at Episcopal High School (mnewton@ehshouston.org) asking if they had a government class that was discussing the election. I felt this election would be the PERFECT example of how your vote does count and to see democracy in action. I was amazed that I did not even get a reply. I thought that having a candidate for Bellaire City Council want to come in and make the class apart of his campaign would be accepted with open arms, I was wrong. I guess this is part of the larger problem that no one really cares about anything unless they have to.
Thankfully I care about Bellaire and I want to be on the City Council. I want to make a difference. Contact me if you want to make a difference and together we can do it. kevin@politician.com