Tarrant County Judge Tim O’Hare (R-Tarrant County) criticized Tarrant County Commissioner Alisa Simmons (D-Precinct 2) after she cast the only vote against accepting private donations for a proposed Alamo monument at the historic 1895 Tarrant County Courthouse.
The Commissioners Court voted 4-1 on August 4 to accept funds, labor or both from the Alamo Letter Society for the monument’s implementation expenses. The proposed display would feature Col. William Barret Travis’ famous “Victory or Death” letter and honor Tejano leaders José Antonio Navarro and Juan Seguín.
O’Hare highlighted the vote in an August 11 Facebook campaign post about Simmons, his Democratic opponent in the November 3 county judge election. He emphasized that the measure did not authorize county spending.
“Apparently honoring Texas history at zero cost to taxpayers was still too much for Alisa Simmons,” O’Hare wrote. “Last week, the Tarrant County Commissioners Court voted 4-1 to accept donations for an Alamo monument. This should have been an easy yes vote. No county funds. No taxpayer expense.”
“A privately funded monument placing Col. William Barret Travis’s historic ‘Victory or Death’ letter at the 1895 Courthouse and honoring Tejano heroes José Antonio Navarro and Juan Seguín,” O’Hare continued. “Alisa Simmons voted against it. Tarrant County residents should remember that.”
Alamo monument proposed for courthouse
Tarrant County Commissioner Matt Krause (R-Precinct 3) placed the item on the August 4 agenda. The official description authorized the county to accept donations consisting of “funds, labor or both” from the Alamo Letter Society for the project’s implementation expenses.
The Alamo Letter Society identifies itself as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and says it seeks to place a large bronze plaque bearing Travis’ letter at every Texas county courthouse. The organization says its mission is to educate Texans about the fight for independence while honoring Navarro and Seguín, two prominent Tejano figures associated with the Texas Revolution.
The vote concerned accepting private support for the monument’s implementation, not appropriating county taxpayer dollars.
Same meeting brought veteran-resolution dispute
The Alamo vote occurred during the same August 4 meeting in which Simmons objected to portions of a resolution honoring 101-year-old World War II veteran Cpl. Don Graves, who fought at Iwo Jima.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the resolution also condemned socialism and communism. Simmons called the language “partisan and divisive” and moved to replace it with text focused on Graves’ military service.
Her amendment failed 3-2. Simmons then joined the other four commissioners in unanimously approving the original resolution.
The Dallas Express contacted Simmons for comment about why she opposed accepting the Alamo monument donations but did not receive a response before publication.
Provided by Dallas Express
