Escalating sign shenanigans are the latest hassle for a group campaigning against Granbury Independent School District’s May 4 bond election.
Organizers of the campaign branded “If You Know, You No” have been targeted for weeks by local officials for opposing Granbury ISD’s $161 million school bond, which will cost district property taxpayers $315 million with interest.
While sheriff’s deputies tracked down and arrested the driver of the group’s “No Bond Bus Tour” over alleged invalid vehicle tags, city officials confiscated their campaign signs—twice.
After the city returned the signs the second time, some were stolen by a bond supporter.
Campaign organizer Eva Royer told Texas Scorecard their signs started going up on April 4 at sites around the district, which is located in Hood County southwest of the DFW metroplex.
City code enforcement officers immediately began taking down their large signs at the direction of Granbury City Manager Chris Coffman, who claimed the signs had to be removed “for safety reasons” because they violated a city ordinance and state transportation code.
Royer and co-organizer Tim Bolton met with Coffman, devised a plan to bring the signs into compliance by covering up the word “caution,” and got Coffman’s approval of the modified signs before reinstalling them.
They also placed tracking devices inside the signs.
On Monday, April 22, the city began picking up the signs again. Residents reported the signs were taken from private property without the owners’ permission.
Coffman told Royer he had ordered the removal of all the signs within the city and was holding them as “evidence.”
He never responded to Texas Scorecard’s request for comment.
The next day, Hood County Constable John Shirley scolded the city in a social media post:
I’d like to take a minute and remind everyone, especially those in positions of power that POLITICAL SPEECH is the MOST protected speech under the US Constitution.
Attempting to limit someone’s political speech on their own private property (and taking another’s property without warrant) while using a broadly worded municipal ordinance as the justification is almost certainly unconstitutional, as well as a potential criminal charge for the agent of the government.
I would STRONGLY suggest anyone using government power in Hood County to limit the free speech rights of citizens to CEASE & DESIST immediately.
Steve Biggers—the bus driver arrested by three-time school bond booster Sheriff Roger Deeds—agreed with Constable Shirley. He contacted attorney Warren Norred for help.
On Wednesday, the 24th, Norred sent a cease and desist letter to the city.
By Thursday, the signs were returned. Biggers told Texas Scorecard that when he picked up the signs, the city issued tickets to him and Granbury Mayor Jim Jarratt, who publicly opposed the school bond.
Residents began reinstalling the signs for a second time.
Yet on Friday the 26th, more signs disappeared.
It turned out the signs were stolen by a bond supporter.
“You’ll be glad to know our thief confessed. We have video evidence, and we are pressing charges for trespassing, theft, and destruction of property,” the no-bond campaign organizers posted.
Constable Shirley confirmed that “Class B Theft charges are pending in this case.”
The thief was identified as Jim Lilly, who works at a local bank with pro-bond Granbury ISD Trustee Mike Moore and recorded a bond-boosting video posted by the Granbury Chamber of Commerce. In March, Lilly lost a race for GOP precinct chair to bond opponent Bolton.
“Regardless of which side you are on…please DO NOT STEAL signs!!!! It’s a bad look when you want/need to silence your opponents by illegal means,” the no-bond group added.
Through all the hassles, the Granbury school bond opponents have continued their campaign to caution voters and even inspired a taxpayer advocate opposing a Big Spring ISD bond to copy their “If You Know, You No” slogan.
This week, the Granbury group updated its slogan to remind voters to go to the polls: “If You Know, You Go Vote No.”
A total of 6,522 voters cast ballots during early voting in the special school bond election.
Election Day is Saturday, May 4.
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