Harv Kitchens

The cost of democracy has increased since the rough-and-tumble election that put local innkeeper Harv Kitchens in Cross Roads’ mayoral seat in 2002.

No one opposed his two previous bids for re-election. This spring, longtime Denton County resident Burr Will­cox challenged Kitchens’ application for a fourth term.

Since he didn’t know Willcox before, Kitchens said he was surprised, but not uncomfortable, about the challenge.

However, not everyone in this town of 670 has been gracious about the prospect of an election, Willcox said.

“Someone said I cost the city $5,000,” Willcox said.

After the U.S. Congress passed the Help America Vote Act in 2002, election officials around the country had to make changes to voting machines. Now, no matter how small the election in Denton County, the government body must make the ballot accessible to people with disabilities.

Nearly all of them opt to contract with Denton County Elections Administration for its electronic voting machines.

Cross Roads’ contract with the administration for four voting machines comes to $2,250, according to Elections Admini­strator Don Alexander.

The amount includes a pro-rated share for the machines’ maintenance and the cost borne by his office to program, deliver and get them ready to run, he said.

The contract does not include hiring election judges and poll workers, which has traditionally been the city’s responsibility.

Burr Wilcox

Cross Roads operates on a tight budget with few staff members. It is one of just a few dozen cities statewide with no city property tax. Water and sewer services are provided by Mustang Special Utility District. The city has just 14 miles of road to maintain. Two new subdivisions added four miles of paved roads, but upkeep responsibilities belong to the respective homeowners associations. Trash collection, fire services and police patrols are all outsourced.

Even if one home is built on every acre, as city zoning allows, Kitchens said he shares the vision of the current city council: Cross Roads can sustain itself on sales tax for the long haul.

“Our major roads, U.S. High­way 380, FM424 and U.S. High­way 377, are state and federal highways,” Kitchens said. “Not many cities have that luxury.”

City leaders have promoted that vision successfully for six years, he said.

“Retail is coming down U.S. 380 and to Cross Roads because of our location,” Kitchens said. Construction is slated to begin on a Wal-Mart Supercenter in June, with the store set to open in April 2009. Sales tax revenue from such projects should sustain the city government, since surrounding residential development won’t become dense, he said.

Willcox said he has his own vision for Cross Roads, one that looks more to the future than simply managing a pot of sales tax revenue.

He’d like to see the city promote green living far beyond what was offered in last year’s Parade of Homes, which were “green built.”

For example, the city could offer discounted permits for new construction projects that are environmentally friendly. The city could model itself after cities like Cambridge, Mass., and encourage more green projects he said.

“I’d like to be, at a micro-level, somebody who’s implementing those green programs,” Willcox said.

He also questioned the city’s commitment to sewer expansion in the area. “That’s green living, too,” he said.

Although residents in Cross Roads pay no city property taxes, they do pay taxes to the county and the Aubrey school district. Willcox’s 2006 and 2007 property taxes on his Cross Roads address, totaling $9,428.98, to those two entities are overdue. The county filed suit to collect on Feb. 27. This is the third time the county has named Willcox in a tax suit in order to collect. Denton school district has twice named Willcox in tax suits — once in 1996 and again in 1999.

“I’m always delinquent — I hate that — but I always pay,” Willcox said. “Lots of people are having trouble these days. But I own the property clear, and getting that paid is a priority on my list.”

PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE can be reached at 940-566-6881. Her e-mail address is pheinkel-wolfe@dentonrc.com .