The City of Wylie invites you to attend a reception Tuesday, June 3, from 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm at the Birmingham House, in honor of outgoing Mayor John Mondy. Mayor Mondy served the City of Wylie for fifteen years as Councilmember and Mayor from May 1993 through May 2008. The Birmingham House is located at 301 N. Ballard Street. For more information please email citysec@wylietexas.gov or call 972-442-8126.
Dear Editor,
I have been a volunteer in the city of
For years John Mondy has been doing that taking his sleep in 2-3 hour snippets to ensure he covers all the bases for the citizens of Wylie. It’s not at all uncommon for John to be at a Boy Scout function in the early evening then on to a fundraiser that night only to get up and go to the FFA Show and Sale the next morning to buy some kid’s ag project after having lunch under his big tent that he graciously loans to the FFA or the city for shopping center ground breakings. Until election season began I have never seen his opponent at any of these many functions supporting the citizens or the cause.
In all the years I have known our mayor I have never heard him once complain about this city or his time on council. He has always faced the issues head on whether they be pleasant or not and in the spirit of what is best for the city regardless of his personal position on the issue. I can’t say the same for some of the others that I have served with on council. In one case personal preference of others on council cost a struggling congregation a much needed shot in the arm via a well concealed cell tower and in another instance a much needed hotel from a respected chain. In both cases a loss to the city of much needed ad valorum property taxes which would help with our tax rate. Your mayor instead, in both cases, tried to work a compromise that was amenable to all.
Just a year ago John’s opponent said he didn’t have time to be a council member anymore citing job duties, etc. yet now just one year later he has time to be mayor? And his campaign manager, another former council member, said following his term “I can’t wait to retire and kick the dust of Wylie off my boots”. I can assure you that the office of mayor is far more time demanding that that of a councilman and far more sensitive than to say things like that.
So in closing I have to ask why would anyone want to abandon a proven leader that has taken this city to triple the size it was when he began his service to it, oversaw the development of the finest public safety department for a city this size anywhere, has just led the charge to attract the largest new shopping center of it’s kind in the area, and has doggedly pursued bringing a college campus to Wylie for years. I passionately ask you to allow this good man and proven public servant to continue his service to our community for as long as he has the desire and energy to do so. Change for the sake of change is ridiculous when you already have a proven commodity in hand. Please join me in re-electing “our” mayor John Mondy.
Sincerely,
M.G. “Red” Byboth
Mayor Pro Tem
Citizens of Wylie:
Mayor Mondy has proven his leadership abilities both as our mayor for the last ten years and through service to our country as a retired Army Major in the Airborne Infantry. Mayor Mondy is a business owner with the responsibility of running a company. Mr. Hogue is an assistant to an assistant of a large corporation, who doesn’t have to make payroll or balance a budget.
The opposition, this election, is attempting to make the mayoral race about character because they know Mayor Mondy has them beat on experience, ability and leadership. Mr. Hogue has his campaign treasurer make accusations against Mayor Mondy that are groundless and without specifics. Let me be specific about character. Two years ago, Mr. Hogue felt the political winds were changing in Wylie so he publicly opposed Councilman Merrill Young (whom he had supported in years past) in favor of a candidate with no experience. Fortunately the citizens of Wylie didn’t put much stock in Mr. Hogue’s endorsement and Councilman Young was re-elected. Mr. Hogue then chose to not seek re-election when a strong candidate opposed him, citing job obligations made it too difficult to serve as councilman. In Eric’s own words: “A big part of my decision was based on my career at EDS. Over the past two years my job responsibilities have greatly increased. While this has been a positive benefit for me and my family, it has also impacted my free time. For example, it has become more and more difficult to get to the city council meeting by 6:00pm from my office in west Plano.” Now Mr. Hogue is stating he chose to sit out last year because he wanted to prepare to become mayor and save the city the cost of a special election. Does he think we don’t remember! The voters in Wylie are smarter than that.
John Mondy is a fine man and leader and does not play the political games that his opponent engages in. Let’s send Mr. Hogue a message that we haven’t forgotten his betrayal of Merrill Young and his reason for resigning, that he was too busy to be a councilman. Mr. Hogue do you think that being mayor is going to be less demanding of your time?
Join me in re-electing John Mondy for Mayor of Wylie.
Carl Bodine
Citizen and Voter in Wylie
City Council candidates had another filing date deadline test last Friday as the “8 Days Before Election Day Campaign Finance Report” was due. This round, all candidates filed their paperwork with the city on time.
City of Wylie Mayor John Mondy reported contributions of $7,450 and expenditures of $8,114.71. He still shows a campaign balance of almost $1,300 as of the reporting period date. The bulk of his expenses went to the USPS for postage and Woodbridge Golf Club for a golf tournament fund raiser. By looking at the 13 pages of donors chipping in $100 or more in the report, I would say that the fund raiser was a success.
Mayoral candidate Eric Hogue received $520 in contributions of $50 or less and listed expenditures of $446.50 for an ad in the Wylie News and an ad with the Wylie Rotary Club.
The other reports should contain a “May Cause Drowsiness” warning label, but that’s what you get with finance reports.
Thank you Mayor Mondy,
I have and will always support you in your leadership of Wylie. I feel that Wylie has grown in a way that is unlike several other small towns in our area. Wylie is growing in population but not in its feel of “Small Town America.”
In Wylie our kids still can play outside without parents having to fear all the evil things happening to them. Our Police Department is very proactive towards reducing crime. To explain, near Rush Creek Street my three sons asked if they could go and ride there bikes on the jump ramps. I, not knowing what they were talking about, followed them to see. When we got to the “jump ramps” it was a vacant lot near the old Rush creek, shaded by large trees, between several houses. Several boys’ ages 5-14 were riding bikes jumping and being KIDS. This was great to see! Kids will in all situations find a way to have fun wherever they are. While we were there a Wylie Police Officer drove by and saw the kids riding bikes and he waved at them. At that moment all the kids playing knew that he was there and he was watching over them.
This type of area for kids to play is great! Every man can remember those special places from childhood where they played, made plans and dreamed. I saw for myself that this little spot is great for my children to play and grow outside; I am so excited to see that my sons have found their special place in our wonderful city. I know that they are being watched by not only me but protected by my/your Police Department.
This is only one little snapshot in the big picture of Wylie but it is the future of Wylie and the only real legacy we as parents will leave behind (our children). I as a resident of Wylie would like to say thanks for giving my sons, my neighbors, and me the peace of mind and comfort of living in this great “small town.” Thanks John, I support you and appreciate all you do to keep Wylie my hometown.
Carrol Clore
Well, City Councilman David Goss called it as the above picture was being taken by Anne Hiney of Troy Aikman and I on Wednesday evening. “There’s the lead-in picture for the Wylie Today story!”
Turns out he was right. I’m sure you will see plenty of pictures of this event in the next week or so as I couldn’t count the amount of cameras on-hand. I have a few from the event that I will post below, and I might just add a gallery here in the near future. But to lead-in, yeah, that’s me and Hall of Fame quarterback, 3 time Super Bowl Champion, the greatest Fox Sports NFL analyst and former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman. I like to mix it up.
City of Wylie Mayor John Mondy was completely jubilant this evening and with good reason. The people involved have been working on this deal for over a year and tonight was another step towards $600,000 in additional sales tax revenue for the city. It was another step towards a thousand newly created jobs in the city. It was another step towards keeping the citizens of Wylie shopping in Wylie. I’m really surprised we didn’t see Mayor Mondy break out some Riverdance moves.
Major kudos go out to Wylie’s Public Information Officer, Craig Kelly. Aside from seeing him run around picking up yoga flyers someone had left on the tables, the event went on without a hitch. Hundreds of people were in attendance for the groundbreaking ceremony and Dickey’s BBQ.
On hand to speak at the event was Wylie Economic Development Corporation’s Sam Satterwhite, Texas State Representative Jodie Laubenberg, Direct Development Sr. VP Don Bouvier, City of Wylie Mayor John Mondy and Troy Aikman.
Mr. Bouvier related the event to an Oscar speech as he mentioned so many people involved from the beginning that required accolades. He spoke further about four legs of a table and if one breaks or can’t support the weight, the table fails. He spoke very highly of the City of Wylie staff and administration and said they delivered on everything they said they would do. Now it was Direct Development’s turn to deliver on their promises.
Super Target Summer of 2009!
Some other players that need mentioning are the City of Murphy and the City of Sachse. Murphy made a small plot of land available to Wylie that was required for the development at the corner of 544 and McCreary. Sachse agreed to build a road to connect the back end of the development to Hwy 78. As Mayor Mondy said, “This has truly been a community effort”.
Troy Aikman talked about the special place in his heart for Wylie. You see, his wife was born in Wylie, though she didn’t stay very long. “I’m pretty sure if there had been a Super Target here, she would have stayed a bit longer.” he mused continuing on to talk about credit card statements and things I am so completely familiar with. He went on to talk about how great Direct Development is and how proud he is to be a part of such a great team. He knows that Direct Development isn’t a build and run type of company. They plan, build and maintain. Their developments are works to be proud of and that is why he chose them.
Overall, the event was a huge success and we can expect to see bulldozers out in the fields within a few weeks as road construction begins. This thing is moving forward quickly, people. And a ton of people were involved to make it happen. This is a fantastic day for the Great City of Wylie.
Look for more images soon and the small images above are clickable, leading to a larger image.
First of all, I want to apologize. I took video of this event, but have run into technical difficulties getting the video downloaded. Old software, new computer. :/ I’m going to be away from the “machines” for the weekend, but I will get it resolved and get it uploaded for your viewing enjoyment. That is, if you are into an hour and eighteen minutes worth of talking.
As a quick recap slash opinion, here is what I liked about each candidate’s performance or values.
Rick White
City Councilman Rick White did a fantastic job communicating with the audience about his passion, drive, motivation and proven experience with success. He was cordial and concise and seemed very comfortable speaking to the group. His direct involvement with the Fire and Police Departments let me know that he is in tune with everything happening in the community.
Chris Trout
I like the fact that Chris Trout is a community friend and a dedicated parent. His daily interaction with people in the community is a great asset. From personal conversations, I believe he is quite the intelligent man.
Carter Porter
City Councilman Carter Porter also did an excellent job speaking to the group. He is available to the community whenever the need is present and has been open and honest about his first three years on City Council. He is an elected member to the NCTCOG and while I don’t know exactly how that has benefited us to this point, I’m sure it couldn’t hurt going forward.
Bennie Jones
Bennie Jones has a definite message and goal. I believe that he believes in what he is saying. He seems frank and honest , speaking from the heart about his vision. He spends time interacting with the teenagers in the City of Wylie, providing a positive adult presence.
John Mondy
Mayor Mondy has a certain swagger about him that makes me feel confident he can get anything done. While he did leave the military long ago, I’m not sure if the military ever left him. He is proud of his accomplishments and is confident in a future vision of Wylie that is larger than anyone could expect. I think he has put a lot of time and effort into city affairs over the last decade. His knowledge and experience is certainly valuable.
Eric Hogue
As I mentioned before, Eric Hogue is a natural public speaker. I believe in his ability to make and secure contacts at any level. His desire and enthusiasm to serve the community is unrivaled. His past tenure on the City Council is valuable in terms of experience and knowledge of city affairs.
Everyone did an excellent job last night and whenever you get a minute, you should let these guys know you appreciate what they are doing for us. Let them know you support them and what their families are enduring right now. Their email addresses can be found on the Wylie Today Voter Guide.
The Sage Creek HOA sponsored The Muddy Creek 5K and 1 mile fun run on April 19th. The event was sponsored by Albertsons and 24 Hour Fitness and was open to the public. The Wylie Police Department, Fire Department, National Guard and a Corvette Club were all present as well.
Doing their best baseball game vendor imitation, Mayor John Mondy and City Councilman Carter Porter were on hand providing hot dogs, chips and water for all. Also seen mingling with potential voters was City Council candidate Bennie Jones.
The HOA Social Committee led by Mandie McCurdie was responsible for organizing the event. Rob Butler (HOA President) and Tammy Onufreiczuk were the “official timers”. This was a display of scientific timing at it’s finest. As runners crossed the line, Tammy would yell out the participant’s number. Rob then entered the number into a computer with the saved time. (As far as I’ve heard, they accepted no bribes so the results/times must be correct…)
The winners can be found @ sagecreekhoa.com
The top 3 in the 5K received a medal, a prize and a picture with Mayor Mondy.
Most importantly, the fun run benefited the North Texas Food Bank.
*John Onufreiczuk contributed greatly to this story*
As you most likely know, OUR Mayor, John Mondy is up for re-election on May 10th. Over the past 10 years John Mondy has lead Wylie from a City of under 15,000 residents to where we are today - the 8th fastest growing community in the nation with the lowest crime rate in Collin County and the highest rated Fire Department and water delivery system in the Nation. He willingly accepted the task and did his best: Wylie has seen the KCS tracks removed from Hwy 78 which allowed for Hwy 78 to be redeveloped as a business corridor, the expansion of FM 544 from a two-lane blacktop road to a concrete six-lane divided roadway, the development of FM 544 as a major retail artery which currently includes Chili’s, Home Depot, Albertson’s, and Tractor Supply and will soon be the home to Super Target and NFC Sports.
This expansion came to pass through hard work and a strong leadership team that did not make decisions for the people but rather with the people. Through this, a strong foundation has been set to build for the future. Over the next three years Wylie will see the following:
30% population increase
A new 123,000 sq ft civic complex (Library, City Hall, Rec Center)
$5.4 million of improvements to Founders Park (new soccer and softball fields, - concession stand, bathrooms, hiking/biking trail and a paved parking lot)
13 miles of new or reconstructed and expanded roadways
Mayor Mondy did this all without taking a break to prepare for doing the job, he is the most qualified candidate to serve as OUR MAYOR!! John Believes that “we must continue to stand strong and united in the direction that we take. We must focus on public safety, education, transportation, healthcare services, tax rate reduction, continued strengthening of the local economy and other quality of life issues that concern us all as we raise our families.”
Please join us and VOTE JOHN MONDY ON JUNE MAY 10TH!!! [ed note: just helping out a poor Yankee 
]
John Onufreiczuk
The Barbara Bush Republican Women’s League hosted a “Meet the Candidate” forum on Monday night, April 14th. All City Council candidates as well as 5 of the 6 School Board Trustee candidates were in attendance. School Board Trustee Baron Cook was not present due to a scheduling conflict. Also on hand to witness the event were approximately 45 citizens and supporters.
Mayor John Mondy had the right idea though after being cut off during one of his answers as he told the audience, “You can read these answers on Wylie Today”. Bravo, John, bravo.
City Council candidates went first and the questions were very basic. The questions were:
Questions 2 and 3 are pretty difficult to answer because as Mr. Mondy stated, “the major planning for the next 5 years for Wylie has been completed, but there is always opportunity for refining”. So basically, all the candidates told the audience about the road construction and building construction and the bond packages. They stated what is already known by a lot of people and didn’t really delve into their unique “vision”, except for Place 6 candidate Bennie Jones.
Mr. Jones stated that his vision is to see a safer city for our youth and to be a regional leader providing “clean air, clean water, parks in all the communities, children receiving quality education without disruption from gangs and making sure everyone is taken care of.” He wants to implement progress reports for the citizens to view and to make sure they “always know what we’re working on.”
Mr. Jones continually stated that he is “approachable”, a “voice for the teenagers” and a “voice for the community”.
His opponent, incumbent Carter Porter, stated that he is past the learning curve that requires 1 or 2 years of being on City Council to understand. Mr. Porter focused on his ability to be available to the city whenever needed due to his flexible work schedule. He also discussed his election to the Executive Board of the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG). NCTCOG brings an intergovernmental relationship with the leaders of the region’s 16 counties representing over 230 member governments and is represented by 13 locally elected officials.
Easily the best performance of the night was delivered by Mayoral candidate Eric Hogue. Mr. Hogue is just made to be a public speaker. He exudes confidence, gestures in a friendly manner, speaks clearly and shows no hesitation through any of his speaking opportunities.
Mr. Hogue said, “A lot of things have to happen to make sure we stay on path” in reference to completing the 2005 Bond packages and road construction. He mentioned his numerous contacts with county, state and federal officials as a key asset to making sure no stray trails develop. He is for a more open and pro-active government when working with the citizens.
Mr. Hogue wants to move to bring in another big box retail store and professional business corridors that could bring in higher numbers for lunch traffic. This in turn would make Wylie more attractive towards sit-down restaurants like Chili’s. Mr. Hogue also wants to change the image of Wylie. He calls Wylie “the forgotten city of
Mr. Hogue believes the WEDC and the city staff has done a great job and they will need to continue to do so to fulfill the future of Wylie. In closing, Mr. Hogue mentioned that he realizes not everyone agrees with him on all the issues, but they support him because they believe he is the right man for the job.
City of
“Wylie is the 8th fastest growing city and I’m the Mayor of that city. I have been for 10 years. We created this vision and we delivered.” He stated that our Fire ISO top Rating, our low crime rate and our superior water system didn’t happen by themselves. “The people wanted this and they demand a high level of service. We’ve delivered.”
Mayor Mondy also said the key to success has been in hiring the right staff to get the job done. He hopes to provide better communication between the city and officials, though he does feel they have been pro-active in the past few years. He also stated they were re-engineering their already useful and valuable city website.
In closing, Mr. Mondy said “We have to work together to accomplish our goals because at the end of the day, we all go home here. We all live in this city. Sometimes we agree to disagree, but we still have to work together.”
In the next installment, I will recap the School Board Trustee candidates.