NRH - Business Unfriendly

by Ron West

FLASH:  10/11/05  NRH City Council denies use of existing Burger King Pole sign to new Burger King owners!  Location at corner of Rufe Snow and Mid Cities Blvd. not suited to tombstone sign is forced to conform to sign ordinance that does not conform to state law!  Variance granted to North Hills Hospital for their new sign.  Councilwoman JoAnn Johnson was quoted as saying "Monument signs are not for beautification of aesthetics, it's to keep the city from dying." Since the actions of the Council are killing business in NRH, perhaps she meant that the tombstone signs are to help mark the passing of business from NRH!

        The bond underwriters for NRH may not like this article but things could be changed to make it better for everyone.

         The clip art above says - STOP or WAIT - before you choose to locate your new business in North Richland Hills, Texas.  Why?

        Starting a new business or relocating an existing business can be traumatic under the very best of circumstances.  Trying to do so while relocating into an area that is visibly and openly business unfriendly can be downright dangerous.  Some cities recognize this and try to help new businesses establish themselves in their cities.  No so in NRH where all new business is seen as servants to heavy handed oppressive bureaucratic local government.

        Prior to locating here or relocating here check out the following:

            How will your business be seen?  The current NRH sign ordinance is not in compliance with state law and even existing pole signs on any property you are considering cannot be used in our city.  Only tombstone signs are allowed with an expensive permit fee.  (By the way, don't pay for any appeal because the required sign board doesn't exist in our city.)  Click Here for Sign Actions

            How about your certificate of occupancy?  In NRH denial of the CO is routinely used to enforce undocumented bureaucratic requirements for your business.  By withholding the CO, the city effectively blackmails businesses into doing whatever the bureaucrat wants.  (This is not based on written city ordinances.)

            How will you beautify your business to meet the unreasonable demands of the City Council?  When you submit your plans to Planning and Zoning (with the payment of healthy fees) that is just a first step.  The local city council wants to micro manage your site plan including decorative screening, the number of trees you need to plant, your watering plans, restrictive access to roadways and anything else at their whim such as crooked sidewalks.  Cost is no object as long as it is out of your pocket.

            Thinking of locating where you will be a contributing partner to the city?  Forget that in NRH.  Outside or opposing opinions are unwanted by the city council.  We have closed government because they want it that way and they sure don't need your help.  They think they know what is best for your business.

            Wouldn't it be nice to know the laws that govern your business or home wherever you locate?   In NRH you can find most existing laws (that are erratically enforced)  but our city council hides any new laws or changes in existing laws prior to voting to make such new laws or changes.  They do not want and do not solicit input from either business or citizens on changes in laws.  This means that you as a resident or a business are subject to the whims of the city bureaucrats without even an opportunity to input or protest.

            If you think that the taxes you contribute will help the citizens of the city - think again.  Sales taxes are considered a windfall by local politicians and there has been no tax relief for property owners in our city for the last 13 years.  The local politicians plan to continue to raise property taxes for the next 10 years to fund their runaway spending on monuments and other important things.  Other cities consider all income before setting spending and often lower property taxes when sales tax revenue increases significantly.  Such consideration is just not present in NRH.  (P.S.:  Don't forget to render your business personal property like the Mayor did.  The city needs your money!)

            What about taxes?  NRH is among the highest cost tax areas in Tarrant County and would have been at the top if local politicos had succeeded in passing the recent BISD bond issue.  While everyone supports a good environment and educational opportunity for our kids, BISD is more concerned with destruction of anything old and using school tax dollars to encourage "revitalization".  If you decide to locate here, be sure to forecast steadily increasing taxes, fees and bureaucratic interference with your company.  The BISD bond issue is not dead and will probably come back next year to take us to the highest rate in the county in the near future.  (The local city government avoids voter approval on a lot of borrowing by issuing Certificates of Obligation for any spending they want to do.  This automatically forces an upward revision in the property taxes used to support debt service.)

            If you think you will have property rights in NRH, think again.  Our city council thinks that it owns all property in our city including the right of way easements of homeowners.  If you have a really big company or are a friendly real estate agent or developer, the city will mow your ("their") right of way for free (using tax dollars.)  If you are just a small business or a home owner, the city will fine you if you don't keep your ("their" ) right of way mowed.  This is justified of course by the requirement to beautify our city.  What you put on your property is also under strict city control.  You can't even sell a car you own on your own business parking lot without a citation from the city.

            If you are wondering about how a city like NRH can ignore the laws designed to protect its citizenry and its own charter, NRH can answer the question.  Simply hire a friendly city attorney that won't even say who is responsible for enforcing the charter and get his advice on how to bend the law to serve the whims of the council.  Careful strategies that fulfill the "letter" of the law without even getting close to the intent are crafted and utilized in NRH.  Four of our sitting city council members willfully and knowingly violated their own sign ordinance on election day in 2005.  Apparently in NRH the laws apply only to businesses and citizens but not to city employees or elected officials.

            Finally NRH does encourage citizens to shop in NRH.  Don't get the wrong idea.  This is not to help your new business, rather it is to increase the taxes you pay to the city.  Local officials have lots of spending plans and if they can figure out how to extract more taxes and fees from you or anyone else, they will happily do so.           

            Just for the record, most of our elected officials would like to model NRH after Southlake or Colleyville.  Since they like those environments better, you might want to check them out too.

            I guess the final question to answer is whether or not this is the environment you want to operate your new business in or the place you want to raise your kids.  Is it possible that North Richland Hills will get better?  Maybe - but only if the citizens and voters of the city wake up and decide to participate in local government by voting and voicing their opinions.  Most citizens here are hard working, honest good people.  They are not stupid as is often implied by our currently elected officials.  Unfortunately for the majority of the citizens, a small group of power hungry, egotistical and self-serving people have gained control of the local government.  They are abusive to opponents and utilize their positions for self gain and self glorification.  Lost from sight is any effort to make NRH either citizen or business friendly.

            Check out this information for yourself.  Maybe discuss it with one of our elected officials or bureaucrats.  See for yourself - before you make your own decisions.

            And - by the way - Good Luck with your new business or home wherever you locate.

(To see suggestions for correcting this and other problems:  click here.)

Another Related Article:  Welcome to NRH - A Satirical Letter to New Business from the Mayor