Banning the mayor and council from speaking to the media, firing the police chief, nepotism, death threats against a council member — it's not a soap opera. It's politics in Texas.
Officials of Rhome, a Wise County town just northwest of Fort Worth, are dragging many of their city's controversies together into one meeting of candidates at 3 p.m. Saturday. Also up for discussion: the violation of open meeting laws by council members, the City Council's seizure of a resident's property and taxation of certain residents at a higher rate. News of the meeting is criss-crossing the Internet, including making the Wise County blog Liberally Lean From The Land Of Dairy Queen and D magazine's FrontBurner blog.On its Web site, the Wise County Messenger says two council members came up with the proposal to prohibit the mayor and council from speaking to the media -- mainly because they felt the Wise County newspaper portrays Mayor Mark Lorance too positively. The agenda can be found at the city's Web site: cityofrhome.comMATT FRAZIER, 817-390-7957
