Voters Vote to Keep Richland Hills Richland Hills

Voters in Richland Hills voted overwhelmingly Saturday against a proposal that would have approved a merger with the city of North Richland Hills.

With 100 percent of precincts reporting, voters voted against the proposal by a margin of 82 percent to 18 percent.

The push for consolidation was led by Gerrit Spieker and a few other citizens who said they believed city management in North Richland Hills was better than in their own burb.

"If we don't succeed, the council has a wake-up call," said Gerrit Spieker, who started the drive to get Prop 1 on the ballot. "They have lost political legitimacy if 15, 20, 25 percent of the electorate has no confidence in them."

Richland Hills Mayor David Ragan, who did not run for reelection Saturday, said he opposed Proposition 1 and supports the City Council and that consolidation would ruin the atmosphere of Richland Hills.

"The council that was elected -- I think they have moved forward in a lot of things," he said. "We have a laid-back city, and I think the citizens appreciate that," he said.

Even if it would have passed, the merger would still need to be approved by voters in North Richland Hills.