Have you ever heard the comment of brow beaten or bullied? Maybe that is how the citizens that live outside of the city limits feel. We pay our share of taxes and it seems that we are forgotten about when it comes to schools, water, better roads, or even a park.
I think a fire department is probably out of the question too.
West Odessa has needed a high school for a long time. We finally got some elementary schools and I looked at 1 of them to see what the attendance was and Murry Fly has 957 PK-K5 and I feel that the other 3 has about the same attendance. ECISD noted that in the area that the bond election is the growth was around 5500. West Odessa has almost that many in elementary schools. West Odessa’s population has tripled in the last few years to a figure of 66,000 plus. I don’t have this in writing but I was told that if we don’t react now it will be 2035 before we would have a chance of getting a high school. Middle schools are never mentioned. I don’t know so I am guessing that students are on the bus starting around 7:00 a.m. and maybe not getting home until 6:00 p.m. That seems worse than over crowded hallways.
Now for water problems, that started back in the 1960’s when Ocotillo Park on west 16th.street had a subdivision with extremely nice homes. Their well water table dropped to almost nothing. They tried to get the city to furnish water to their area. Does this sound familiar? Well of course the city was not in favor so people started moving out of the area. The city started water restrictions and the water well business went crazy. I don’t begrudge people in the city for drilling water wells to save their landscapes but there again west Odessa couldn’t get city water and had to rely on their dwelling water wells.
We mentioned schools, city water, now roads. Oh, I would like to mention that back in the 60’s natural gas was installed in west Odessa so why not water. Our roads have had pot holes filled so many times that you could have paved a mile.
Pay attention because this paragraph is serious. If all of the citizens don’t get out and vote we are going to stay in this stale mate condition. Don’t be afraid to vote. If you are not sure how, well there is help available. West Odessa has the lowest number of votes so let change that where our community can change. Talk to your family, neighbors, and friends. Let’s pull together and Make A Change. Thanks for letting me vent.
S.J. Kelley
