More evidence has filtered in that casts doubt on whether Fort Worth City Council candidate Marshall Hobbs was living in District 8 long enough to qualify to seek office.
As this week’s Metropolis explains, Hobbs needed to live in District 8 no later than August 2011 to qualify under the city’s residency rules for candidates.
Hobbs is a pastor at Passion Community Ministries, a bodybuilder, and teacher. He said he has lived at 1820 Oakland Blvd. since July and went before a state district judge to prove it. He testified and presented rent receipts. Based on the evidence, the judge determined Hobbs had lived at the address long enough to qualify as a candidate.
City records, however, indicate water service wasn’t hooked up under Hobbs’ name until January 2. Hobbs insists he was living there despite what the records show.
Water service was connected at the house under the name of Artemio Rangel during much of the time that Hobbs said he was living there. I left a phone message with Rangel while researching the Metro story, but didn’t hear back from him before press time.
Last night I got a call from Rangel’s wife, Tina. She said her family lived at the house from March to September 2011.
“There were some other people [not the Hobbses] living there for about two months after us and then it was sitting by itself [vacant] for about two months,” she said.
She said she has kept up with the comings and goings at the Oakland Boulevard house because her family still lives in the neighborhood, she still drives past the house, and she knows a neighbor.
I told her that Hobbs insists he was living there from July onward. But Rangel said that’s not possible — her family was living there.
“I still have all my documents and everything,” Rangel said.
She asked why I was so curious about who was living at the house. I explained that Hobbs’ eligibility to seek public office required that he live in District 8. She doesn’t know Hobbs and wasn’t aware of the special election on May 12, but she said his faulty claims about living at her old house allowed her to quickly reach a conclusion.
“I ain’t going to vote for that guy,” she said.
After reading all that has been published I thought that I would do a of Public Records search of my own and found the posting below. What is this about? Too funny! a flier was in the mail today mentioning his (Hobbs’) and the top of the list are the F.W. Professional Firefighters Assoc and the Fort Worth Police Officers Assoc. FWPOA, REALLY? What ever happened to this arrest? Has it been before a court yet?
http://www.bustedmugshots.com/texas/fort-worth/marshall-shannon-jr-hobbs/45375351
After reading all that has been published I thought that I would do a Public Records search of my own and found the posting below. What is this about? Too funny! a flier was in the mail today mentioning his (Hobbs’) endorsers and at the top of the list are the F.W. Professional Firefighters Assoc and the Fort Worth Police Officers Assoc. FWPOA, REALLY? What ever happened to this arrest? Has it been before a court yet? I think the FWPOA should pick a new candidate to support.
http://www.bustedmugshots.com/texas/fort-worth/marshall-shannon-jr-hobbs/45375351
Does District 8 REALLY want a liar and a person who uses drugs to be a council member? Sad, truly sad that our city leadership did not step up to the plate and investigate this guy thoroughly when this controversy came up.
During our original interview, I asked Hobbs about the online info that says he was arrested in 2010 for marijuana possession. He said he has never been arrested. I’ve been trying to get a copy of the arrest report from the city for two weeks but the city is moving slowly.
Regardless, it’s important to note that Hobbs has no criminal convictions.
Your posts leave out important facts. Hobbs presented gas bills that show gas service was connected by Hobbs’ wife at his Meadowbrook address in June 2011 and was paid monthly through 2012. This was considered by the judge. Surely your readers should have at least been informed of this evidence but weren’t.
By omitting this piece of evidence from your posts, it makes one question either you didn’t know all the facts or you knew these facts and for some reason did not include them.
Hobbs was forthcoming.
The evidence supported the judge’s decision. Your blootch doesn’t accurately or fairly recount the facts.