Jerry Don Moss says anyone who thinks the Llano County Commissioners Court is trying to hide something is “a d*mn liar.” Glenn Hadeler, of Castell, says commissioners are trying to ramrod through a property swap with the city of Llano that isn’t in the county’s best interests.
The city and county have been discussing a trade for the John Kuykendall Event Center for several weeks. County property under consideration includes the land on which Badu Park on the Llano River in the city limits sits and several other properties on the part of the county.
Moss, precinct 4 commissioner, has been the county’s negotiator. The center, on Ranch Road 152 west of Llano, is in Moss’s precinct.
Hadeler told The Highlander a person was allowed to speak on the topic of the trade at the Llano Commi ssioners Court meeting Tuesday, Oct. 11, even though it wasn’t on the agenda. Hadeler called the potential deal “trading very valuable County property to the city of Llano for their Event Center (which I understand has lost money for the city since it was completed. (City officials agree that the center loses money; it’s a major reason they’re discussing the swap).
“I can’t believe this was almost slipped past the people of Llano County,” Hadeler said.
Hadeler is correct in saying the deal wasn’t listed on the agenda. The Texas Open Meetings Act
“I can’t believe this was almost slipped past the people of Llano County”.
— Glenn Hadeler Castell is not specific regarding what must be listed for discussion on an executive session agenda, as far as The Highlander’s research could determine.
A request for an opinion from the Texas Freedom of Information Foundation had not been answered at deadline.
“There was an issue with our take in executive session that we stopped there and came out and talked about it more in open session,” Moss explained. “And the (county) attorneys had advised me of how to work the agenda and changed their mind yesterday. So we didn’t, we decided not to vote, because we wanted to make sure that it was open to the public.”
Moss said the matter would be taken up again when commissioners meet next. That’s scheduled for Monday, Oct. 24 at 9 a.m. in the Justice of the Peace 4 court room, 2001 N. State Hwy. 16, unless a special session is scheduled before then.
Hadeler said he was “further outraged” because the county intends to use hotel occupancy tax (HOT) money to operate the center. Those funds are limited by law to tourism promotion.
“It appears they want to take this money and use it to operate a facility that will only benefit the city of Llano,” he said. “This robs Horseshoe Bay, Sunrise Beach, Kingsland, Buchanan Dam, Tow and other communities.”
But Moss noted that at one event alone, the Junior Livestock Show, more than 400 youth use the event center. He also cited the Crawfish Open Golf Tournament, which uses the center as headquarters.
“It does a lot that people don’t know about and it brings a lot of people to the county. And the plan is to bring a lot more,” he said. Moss agreed that HOT money was intended to operate the center for the county for the first year. After that, tax money would be reduced year by year until, the fourth year, the center is self-supporting. One point that may have been under discussion – making the Llano branch of the county library system part of the trade – is not a factor, Moss has said. Some library patrons have protested that on social media, but Moss has said, “If the library is part of the deal, it’s off the table.”
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