Haltom City Business Alliance Asks Texas' Attorney General to Investigate Former Fire PAC President's Public Posting of Utility Bills

    HALTOM CITY, TX, October 11, 2022 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Acting on behalf of the business alliance, Ron Sturgeon, a founder of Haltom United Business Alliance, has asked for the Texas Attorney General to investigate the posting of utility bills on Facebook by the former President of Haltom City's Firefighters' Political Action Committee.

"State law prohibits the posting of utility bills belonging to any individual," said Sturgeon. "Even though there will likely not be much of a penalty other than a rebuke or sanction the business alliance would still like an investigation of these posts because it could help prevent them in future Haltom City elections and help lower the level of rancor in local politics," said Sturgeon.

Jayson Steele, who was then serving as President of the PAC, Haltom Firefighters for Responsible Government, posted the bills belonging to a candidate. He received the bills from Haltom City as part of a public records request, though it's not clear who released them.

"Jayson likes to ask for public records, utility bills, driving records, arrest records, and so on, so that he can post the records to embarrass those that make negative comments on Facebook or those he opposes politically," said Sturgeon.

Steele removed the post a few days after it was made after numerous comments critical of him for posting the utility bills, referring to him as a bully.

Joe Palmer, Communications Director for HUBA, said, "These bullying tactics have no place in local politics. We are hopeful that since Jayson Steele is no longer an officer of the PAC, such breaches of the law will not happen again."

About Haltom City
Haltom City is a medium-sized city between Dallas and Fort Worth in Tarrant County, TX. The city is diverse and majority working class, with a growing population that is approximately 10% Asian-American and 45% Hispanic. Haltom City benefits from being only minutes from both DFW Airport and Downtown Fort Worth, with direct access to major highways including I-820 and SH-121. Small businesses that have historically provided products, services, and jobs to residents included a once thriving automotive industry. The city has seen a decline in small businesses, especially automotive businesses. The city is healthy financially, with median household income growing around 8% in the past year. Haltom City has an opportunity for continued growth through undeveloped land and many vacant buildings, especially in major corridors close to the city's center. The city has good staff and a city manager who is interested in seeing more businesses come to Haltom City, but they can only do as directed by City Council.

About Haltom United Business Alliance
Haltom United Business Alliance (HUBA) wants to give members of Haltom City's business community an advocate and to keep those businesses informed about issues that affect them. They want to make sure Haltom City is business friendly and nurtures small business growth, including automotive businesses, and bring more restaurants including breweries and a major grocery store to the city. New businesses and growth in existing businesses will create a stronger tax base which will allow the city to pay its first responders wages that are competitive with surrounding cities while improving Haltom City's facilities and infrastructure. HUBA believes that the southern and central parts of the city need a revitalization plan, to prevent further degradation in those areas, and wants that to happen before the inner-city experiences increased crime and more blight. As retail and office uses are in decline, its more critical than ever to attract new businesses. They believe that such a plan requires a strong relationship and support of the business community. Anyone who owns a business in Haltom City is eligible to join HUBA. Dues are $20 annually or $50 for a lifetime membership, and membership is 100% confidential. To join, contact Joe Palmer at (682) 310-0591 or by email at [email protected]. Visit the group's Facebook at Haltom United Business Alliance.

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