Why I Can't & Won't Vote For Melton

A personal opinion

Last summer I began this journey into local politics when I found out that Jackson Farms on Bill Moss Road was being rezoned from Ag to SRPUD(read too many houses on an acre). I went door to door in the sweltering July heat to tell my neighbors. I met some great people and they still spoke to me even while I was covered in sweat. We went to that meeting and spoke in opposition to that subdivision. It was in vain. It was too late. In the coming months, I had a crash course in local politics. This was not the life path I expected, but here I was.

The Calista Farms property came up next. The planning board is where I found myself this time. They discussed this subdivision and of course recommended rezoning for this property, rounding out the already 152, 234, and 455 homes approved on Calista in half a mile. At the end of this meeting, surrounded by people I had met along the way, I spoke up. When do the people get a say in this process? A rezoning request goes through the planning commission at least twice, then gets sent to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen. The people do not get to speak at a meeting until the 2nd reading at the BOMA meeting. That means a property is voting on no fewer than three times before the people get to speak up. (this changed after we spoke up) The developers have been meeting with the city for months at that point. Here is where it gets interesting.

Paula (Eller) Melton sat on the planning board. She lectured me on how my input was needed back in 2018-2019 when they were working on the comprehensive plan. They asked the entire community for input on it. That is where we had a voice. All of this sounds nice, right? The problem is I live .1 miles outside of city limits, and when this was going on, I lived just over a mile out of city limits. The other issue is that this plan changed city limits. No one around these properties (The Parks, Concord Springs, Jackson Farms, Willow Grove, etc) would have been notified about the comprehensive plan or even asked their opinions. All of these properties were NOT in city limits back when the comprehensive plan was put in place. Back when the city was hoping to annex these properties where none of the neighbors could vote on it or have a say. Melton sat in her seat behind her microphone and spoke to me as if I were a toddler that needed this explained to her slowly and carefully. I assure you, I am an adult human female capable of being spoken to as such. After her lecture Mr. Herman, city administrator, did the same. This time I was told, and I quote, “Someone like you always comes along and gets things all stirred up. Then you will go away and someone else might take your place.” Wow Gerry. That’s really condescending. That is what your city employees, appointees think about you. Yes, you. This isn’t about me. I am simply the person they directed their statements at. This is what they think about the people that live in this community.

Fast forward to this winter and Melton has decided to run for county commission in district two. I live in district two. She discovered that I had a Facebook group for responsible growth in White House. Mind you, she has never spoken to me after a meeting or shown any interest in responsible growth in White House. She joined the private group. I am an admin, along with a friend, and my friend let her in not knowing who she was. The first thing Melton did was try to campaign. I shut that down. That group is not a place for campaigning. Other candidates are in that group and have had no issues keeping campaign speeches out. I informed her of that and also then blocked her after her statements about growth. (honestly, I didn’t keep screenshots and I should have. My apologies.) I was in the process of interviewing candidates for district two and she was still on my list. She sent me a long PM “explaining” her position on the board and what she has done.

This is what she sent to me. Then she refused to meet with me at all. I find that odd since she should be able to answer tough questions and I live in her district.

I’m going to unpack this for you. She has only been a real estate agent for two years. However, she has sat on the planning board for 14. Why would someone become an agent while on a planning board? That would be a great question to ask. Did she see the growth coming? Did she see an opportunity? I understand what the board does. Did at any point that board look at the number of approved units and say whoa…… this meets the comprehensive plan, but should we really be completing a 20 year plan in five? Just a thought.

I have been through her voting record for the last four years. For the most part, she has voted yes on pretty much everything. If there was a no vote, most of the board was also against it, but only because the developer was missing something. The curious thing is that when The Parks first came up for a vote she abstained. I did not get a chance to ask her why since she won’t meet with me. I’ve heard rumors as to why, but I can’t print rumors. Maybe someone will get a chance to ask her why.

In one of my previous articles, I wrote about the Robertson County Economic Development Board putting options on four properties behind Grace Park Church and Lowe’s. Melton’s family owns one of those properties. Curious.

Next month I will NOT be voting for Paula Melton. I do not want another real estate agent making decisions for my county. The growth is here and has not been managed well. When someone has sat on a board for 14 years where the city is exploding and the infrastructure is not there and cannot keep up, they do not deserve an elected seat in the county.