Municipal Courts Week: A Celebration of Overreach? (Part II)

From an Announcement to a 404

Just two days ago, the City of Harker Heights proudly published a webpage announcing its Municipal Court Week celebration, citing “House Resolution 1658” as its legislative foundation. The announcement detailed planned activities, emphasized free traffic safety materials, and presented the court’s role in promoting “community safety and well-being.” However, when revisiting the page the following day, the announcement had mysteriously vanished, replaced with a stark 404 error page (see screenshot).

The disappearance of this article raises questions: Was it an innocent error, or did scrutiny over the city’s misattribution to HR 1658, rather than the actual HCR 75, lead to its quiet removal?

Misattributions and Mixed Messages

The now-missing webpage incorrectly referenced HR 1658, a resolution honoring Gilbert Gonzalez as part of a cultural ceremony, rather than the actual House Concurrent Resolution 75 that established Municipal Courts Week. While this might seem like a small mistake, it underscores a troubling pattern of bureaucratic carelessness. If municipal leaders can’t properly cite or understand the laws they celebrate, how can they credibly claim to uphold them?

Celebrating Their Own Celebration

Adding another layer to this story, screenshots of the city’s Facebook posts reveal that on November 5th, Mayor Michael Blomquist and the City Council signed a proclamation declaring November 4–8 as “Municipal Court Week.” The irony here is almost comical. The Texas Legislature already codified Municipal Courts Week through HCR 75, making it an official state observance. So why the need for a local proclamation?

It seems like the city’s leadership wanted to ensure they received credit for recognizing a week they were already legally required to observe—a case of patting themselves on the back for patting themselves on the back.

Performative Governance or Genuine Accountability?

Municipal Courts Week is framed as an opportunity to honor the contributions of local courts and their staff. But in practice, it feels more like a self-congratulatory exercise. These celebrations often ignore the deeper issues plaguing municipal courts: a focus on revenue generation through fines and fees, a lack of transparency, and a disconnect between government priorities and community needs.

The removal of the webpage and the redundant local proclamation reveal a deeper truth: these observances are less about meaningful reflection and more about optics. If the city truly wanted to celebrate justice and community safety, it would prioritize correcting errors, addressing overreach, and fostering genuine accountability.

A Call for Accountability

As Texans, we should demand more from our local governments. Municipal courts play a vital role in our communities, but their impact should be measured by their fairness and effectiveness, not by how many tickets they issue or proclamations they sign. Transparency, accuracy, and meaningful engagement should be at the heart of any government celebration—not just a well-curated Facebook post.

The disappearing announcement, coupled with redundant proclamations, paints a picture of a government more interested in appearances than substance. Let’s hope Harker Heights and other municipalities take this as an opportunity to reflect, not just celebrate.