Voters residing within a 177acre area of northern Kendall County, currently home to the Patriot Academy, will cast ballots in November on incorporating as Constitution City, Texas.
Kendall County Commissioners Court heard from Patriot Academy founder and President Rick Green at its Aug. 12 meeting before voting on what County Judge Shane Stolarczyk called “an administrative function ... (that) normally would just be done by the county judge.”
Green said the Patriot Academy has been active for 25 years, the past 2½ years in Kendall County on U.S. Highway 87 in the far northwestern corner of the county.
Only voters in this 177-acre territory are permitted to vote in this election, Stolarczyk said. The properties associated with this territory are 1776, 1845 and 1893 Patriot Way. Green verified that 10 of 11 registered voters in the zone signed a petition for incorporation.
“What we do is teach people about civics and the Constitution,” Green told the county commissioners. “We want to be a blessing and good neighbors to the people in this community, and we believe this incorporation will allow us to do that.” The action before the court was simply to acknowledge that the petition for incorporation of the city, as Constitution City, met the requirements for a successful petition and the validation of signatures has occurred, meeting the minimum number of signatures required in order to be placed on the November ballot.
“This is not about whether you’re for it or against it,” Precinct 3 Commissioner Richard Chapman said. “This meets all of the requirements of the law, and I don’t see that we have any other choice but to approve it, because it meets the letter of the law.”
Kendall County Sheriff Al Auxier, who said he “was in full support of Patriot Academy and the incorporation of Constitution City,” spoke to the court.
Auxier said the Patriot Academy is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization operating under the Torch Of Freedom Foundation and is recognized as a legitimate tax-exempt educational and civic organization.
“Their mission is simple and powerful: to equip citizens, from teenagers to seasoned leaders, with a deep understanding of the U.S. and Texas constitutions, the principles of liberty and the responsibility that comes with those freedoms,” Auxier said. “They train people to be informed, engaged leaders who can serve their communities with honor and integrity.”
Green said he sought to lead the court through the dissemination of misinformation being circulated about the Patriot Academy, its teachings and its purpose.
Critics of the Patriot Academy venture, and the Torch Of Freedom Foundation, have called it a “right-wing training academy” based on Christian Nationalist fundamentals and teaching.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Jennifer McCall summarized the court’s duty that day: “It looks like all the requirements have been met and so we are then obligated to put it on the ballot.”
Precinct 4 Commissioner Chad Carpenter pointed out the Academy is 11.1 miles north of Comfort. Rumors on social media indirectly linked Comfort, which is unincorporated, with the effort to form Constitution City.
“Constitutionally speaking, if you’re on the right side, a Republican, you probably more align with this,” Carpenter said. “If you’re not, you’re probably against it.”
But Chapman reiterated his earlier point: “This isn’t about whether you want it or you don’t want it. It meets the letter of the law.”
County commissioners voted 5-0 to allow the petition for incorporation to proceed in order to place it on the Nov. 4 ballot for the dozen voters in that district.
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