Firefighters vote; Arlington center; Colleyville forum; Sabol in Bedford

Firefighters vote

Arlington residents love and respect our firefighters but do not want to add civil service to our fire department.

Proposition 2 does that. I urge you to vote “no.”

Hiring decisions will be different under civil service. Today Arlington uses 10 criteria including a written exam, demonstrated physical ability and two interviews to determine the best people to hire.

Under civil service, hiring decisions will depend only on a written test and a physical exam. Aptitude for the job cannot be considered.

Texas Municipal Code Section 143, which establishes civil service, has as its purpose “permanent employment tenure” for firefighters. Wouldn’t we all like to have that?

Love our firefighters but vote “no” on Prop 2.

Arlington center

I am a senior citizen, but I am voting against Prop 1 because of the location where the proposed senior center would be built.

We definitely need a new senior center. I used to pay to the Grand Prairie center until the distance was too difficult to drive.

I live in southeast Arlington. For those of us who don’t drive or only drive short distances, driving clear across town would not be feasible.

A new center needs to be built in a central location so it would be available to everyone. It has been mentioned that a good place would be at the current Rangers ballpark, since the city already owns it. It is centrally located and has all the amenities in place.

Colleyville forum

The Colleyville Area Chamber of Commerce and the League of Women Voters sponsored a non-partisan forum to provide Colleyville residents the opportunity to have all City Council candidates answer questions from the audience.

The chamber withdrew its support on the day of the forum after receiving anonymous phone calls erroneously alleging the chamber supported specific candidates.

The League of Women Voters is a non-partisan organization considered the gold atandard for unbiased information about elections.

Candidates Kathy Wheat and George Dodson refused to participate.

The chamber, Wheat and Dodson owe the League of Women Voters and the residents of Colleyville an apology.

Perhaps Wheat and Dodson supporters will now be a no-show this election.

I applaud Jon Bullock, Chad LaPrelle and Mike Sexton for their participation in the forum.

Sabol in Bedford

Bedford is fortunate to have Amy Sabol running for a seat on City Council.

Amy has been involved in Bedford city affairs for many years and through her efforts Bedford is a better place to live and raise a family.

My wife and I have known Amy for many years as a neighbor and the go-to person for interaction with the Bedford city officials.

As secretary of our HOA, she has been a cherished asset. She has organized multiple annual events in our neighborhood that city officials continually rate among the top.

A vote for Amy is a vote for a professional who will represent all Bedford residents for a better place to live and raise a family.

This story was originally published April 24, 2017 at 5:04 PM with the headline "Firefighters vote; Arlington center; Colleyville forum; Sabol in Bedford."