North Texas: English now official language of Oak Point

[Harold Schiffman]

English now official language of N Texas town

04:27 PM CDT on Tuesday, June 19, 2007

By PEGGY HEINKEL-WOLFE / Denton Record-Chronicle

OAK POINT – English is now the official language of Oak Point, after
the City Council narrowly passed a resolution Monday that it wouldn't
even consider last month. The council of the Denton County town
approved the measure in a 3-2 vote despite the objections of most of
the three dozen people who packed the chambers, as well as the
majority of people who e-mailed council members. The difference this
time was additional support from new council member Mark Rakestraw.

"I've heard from quite a few neighbors from the positive side,"
Rakestraw said. "They don't want another dime of their tax money spent
on" translating government documents into Spanish, he said. He and
council members Jim Almond and Leslie Maynard voted in favor of the
resolution.

Also online

Oak Point proposes language barrier

City of Oak Point
The few residents who came in support of making English the city's
official language said they agreed with Almond, who has championed the
cause. "People who come here should be learning English," resident
Mary Armstrong said. The resolution is similar to an official-language
policy adopted by Farmers Branch, City Manager Richard Martin said. As
a resolution, it affects only the city's operating policies and does
not regulate individuals or businesses, as an ordinance would.

"Functionally, not a lot would change," Martin said. A bilingual sign
on the City Hall front door warning visitors not to bring firearms
inside the building would remain, for example.
But many who came to protest the measure felt that it would adversely
affect the city, including Mary Bell, a member of the Oak Point
economic development corporate board. She said media attention about
the measure had cast the city in a negative light. "You, as a council,
have to consider whether economic development would be impacted," she
said.

Former Mayor Duane Olsen echoed that, saying he has gotten the same
questions from people wherever he goes. "They ask, 'What are you guys
trying to do?' " Olsen said. "I don't have an answer for them."
Another former mayor, Dave Klewicki, disagreed with the estimate that
the measure wouldn't cost the city any money, pointing to Farmers
Branch and the legal costs it has incurred over its
anti-illegal-immigration ordinance.
"People with the best intentions may be considering this, but it
always attracts people who don't have the best intentions," Klewicki
said.

http://www.khou.com/news/state/stories/khou070619_jj_englishonly.1c5fb74b.html#
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