"My Christmas Present from the City of McKinney, Texas" copyright 2012, John J. Rigo, Texas' Commentator

This afternoon I went by our office, now closed in McKinney, Texas.  It was an insurance agency of twenty-eight years in McKinney, Texas.  We have a small commercial building on McDonald Street (Highway Five) in McKinney (it is for sale).  We have Security Alarm Monitoring on our building.

What laid under our door was a Bill from the McKinney Police Department.  It was for the privilege of having Police Alarm Monitoring on our business property for $100 in the coming year.  Monitoring means in the event there is a break-in, our security company in turn notifies the police, who in turn would dispatch police officers to our location to investigate. 

Truly such a fee on each and every business in McKinney that has a monitored Alarm system and being required to pay such a fee to the city, is totally ridiculous.  Such a fee is a total rip-off the business owners of McKinney.  The reason for this fee many years ago was because of the huge number of “false alarms” in the city (according to the cities propaganda machine) and the supposed excess cost of responding to such alarms, whether monitored or not. 

McKinney, Texas has one of the highest tax rate basis in the state of Texas.  One cannot drive ten blocks in this city without passing five patrol cars or motorcycle cops in hiding waiting to write speeding tickets within the city limits.  In a period of six months in a high-profile part of McKinney called Eldorado there were over three dozen break-ins during that period.  One of the break-ins actually involved the killing of the homeowner by the burglars.  I have lived in this community for eleven years.  It is indeed a rare event that I observe a patrol car driving thru our community. 

Now for the fun part of this info posting.  The Alarm Monitoring fee for Homeowners in McKinney is Fifty Dollars up-front per year.  In the event the police come to an alarm that does not have this permit, they are subject to a Five Hundred Fine….no less! 

I am a little of an expert on alarm systems.  In my youth I sold such systems for a living.  Currently I have three locations that have monitored security alarm systems, including cellular back-up on all three.  Almost ten years ago when I set up these systems, cellular back-up was unheard of.  I was blessed in finding an individual (who still takes care of me today) that did such systems for banks, but I was able to install the same systems in my homes and business. 

It was several years ago that after three days of work and research on my part, I submitted to now the ex-chief of the McKinney Police Department a proposal that would have decreased false alarms by 90%, thereby enabling the Alarm Monitoring fees by the city of McKinney to both to business and homes be abolished.  Upon my follow-up to said ex-chief, I got some bull story about state laws somehow preventing such a program to be put into place. 

It is my belief that both the homeowners and business owners of McKinney, Texas need to take a hard look at their city council members as well as officials in high positions in City government for the city of McKinney and ask this question, “Are the citizens of McKinney getting the representation they deserve by their elected officials?”  From my own personal experiences of living in this community for over forty-two years….they are not!

If you are a tax-paying resident of McKinney, Texas, have a monitored security alarm system in either your home, business or both and feel these year fees are unfair; contact the city of McKinney with your complaint via contact-citycouncil@mckinneytexas.org  This e-mail address will sent your complaint to each member of the city council including the Mayor.

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