Ellinger Leaders Begin Forming New City Government

Ellinger residents voted to incorporate their small town in the Nov. 3 election by a vote of 76-44. The community will be incorporated as a Class C municipality under Texas law, governed by a mayor and two city commissioners.

Voters also selected their new leaders in that election: Mayor Matt Mikulenka and City Commissioners Joe Lamer and Kenneth Stojanik. All three ran unopposed.

“Our number one focus is water and sewer at a reasonable rate:” Mikulenka said.

Ellinger residents pay some of the highest rates for water and sewer compared to other communities in the area. Water bills of $100 a month or more are not uncommon.

“Our rates are very high right now because there’s not that many people in the community,” Stojanik said.

The community needs some major water and sewer infrastructure improvements. The town has been long-hampered by water supply and quality issues. A new water well is being drilled right now. The town’s water system will also need an expensive filtration system.

“Even though a business might be able to absorb that cost, an individual can’t really absorb that higher rate,” Mikulenka said. “That’s what we have to look at”

Mikulenka said the recent trend of city-dwellers moving to the countryside due to concerns about COVID-19 could place even greater burdens on Ellinger’s sewer and water system.

The new leaders said they plan to propose a one cent sales tax. They said they will not propose a property tax.

“We’re not going to charge any other tax but a sales tax,” Lamer said.

Lamer said they plan to apply for grants to assist Ellinger Sewer and Water Supply Corporation, the town’s water and sewer utility, with much needed infrastructure improvements. He said sales tax revenue would be used for matching funds that are required by many grants.

“You know how grants are — you might have to pay 10 percent (of the grant amount),” Lamer said.

Opponents of the incorporation effort raised a number of concerns about forming a new city. Some critics worried that the new city leaders may impose building regulations, zoning and ordinances banning livestock. Mikulenka, Lamer and Stojanik said they would oppose any effort to bring those kinds of regulations to Ellinger.

“I belonged to an home owner association (HOA) one time in Kingwood, and I’ll tell you right now, as long as I’m in office, there won’t be any dab-gum HOA come to Ellinger,” Lamer said. “I don’t want anyone telling me how to cut my grass.”

“We want a city with a country atmosphere,” Mikulenka said.

“Where you’re not harassed if you want to raise some chickens in your backyard,” Lamer added.

The three men said they do not want any building regulations besides the ones already required by the State of Texas and Fayette County.

“We’re going to go with whatever the County requires,” Lamer said. “If the County says you can’t burn outside, then no burning in Ellinger. We’re not going to add on to anything that the County has in place.”

Critics also worried that the new town might impose a property tax. Mikulenka, Lamer and Stojanik all said they will not propose a property tax.

“If someone petitions for a property tax, the people would have to vote on it,” Stojanik said. “So if they don’t want a property tax, we won’t have one.”

Mikulenka said the town’s first order of business will be to set policies such as meeting dates and times. Mikulenka and the two commissioners will stand for election again in May 2021.