A Shameful Vote: When Ego Overtook Integrity in Camp Branch Acres

 

This ballot vote will be remembered—not for transparency or community building—but as the moment when ego overtook common sense, and a handful of individuals chose control over fairness, and manipulation over process. What’s happening right now in Camp Branch Acres is not just wrong—it’s shameful. Here are twelve serious concerns that highlight why this vote is illegitimate, unethical, and an insult to the values of our neighborhood.

  1. Voting Access Denied to Non-Local Property Owners  The current vote only allows ballots returned by mail—no proxy voting, no email voting, no electronic alternatives. Residents who can’t physically travel to Trinity to retrieve or return a ballot are being denied their right to vote. This is voter suppression, not procedural efficiency.
  2. Ballots Withheld from Owners Who Never Received One  Several property owners have stated they never received a ballot. Rather than issuing replacements, the Chairperson Kelle Rahm has claimed her responsibility ended with sending them. But Texas Property Code is clear—every property owner is entitled to a vote, not just a mailed envelope. If a ballot isn’t received, a replacement should be provided with enough time for it to be counted. Anything less is a denial of voting rights.
  3. Prejudicial Ballot Language  The wording of the ballot is highly biased, containing accusations against individual board members—without giving them a chance to respond. This is not how a fair community vote is conducted. This is how personal vendettas are settled.
  4. False Narrative on Incorporation and Tax Status  The ballot falsely suggests that we must incorporate to avoid personal liability, and that we aren’t a “real” nonprofit because we’re not tax-exempt. Let’s set the record straight: We are, and have always been, an unincorporated nonprofit association, governed by Chapter 252 of the Texas Business Organizations Code. We are not tax-exempt simply because we’ve never needed to file for it—our income and expenses are too low to require it. The Trio claims we’re not a legitimate nonprofit because we aren't tax exempt, yet the corporation they secretly formed wasn’t tax-exempt either. They only filed for Texas Franchise Tax Exemption (which we wouldn't have been subject to anyways) and Texas Sales Tax Exemption (which doesn’t apply to us). They never filed for federal tax-exempt status. Not all nonprofits are tax-exempt—including the one they created Search the IRS Tax Exempt Organization Database Here 
  5. Ballots in the Hands of Someone with a History of Mishandling Them  The only person said to have access to the ballots before counting is Kelly Harrell—the same individual who lost ballots in a previous election and then allowed their mishandling  of them that violated voter privacy.  She  is also currently a named defendant in a civil lawsuit for her role in the unauthorized and secret corporate formation—the very subject of Ballot #3. She should not be anywhere near the ballot box.
  6. Certified Ballots To Be Rejected—Despite Following Instructions  The ballot instructions simply state to return ballots by USPS. But in a follow-up email, the Chairperson Kelle Rahm announced that certified or registered mail would not be picked up. Let’s be clear: Certified and registered mail are USPS services. Anyone returning their ballot this way followed the instructions exactly. To reject those ballots after the fact is arbitrary and unfair—possibly even unlawful.
  7. Recall Voting Rules Changed Midstream  When Jerry and Charlene were elected, the vote included live voting, absentee ballots, email ballots, and proxies. This vote includes none of those options. The principle is simple : you remove someone using the same process by which they were elected. Changing the rules just to suit the current leadership's agenda is a violation of trust.
  8. Invalid Return Address  The address property owners are being instructed to mail ballots to is not a legally recognized address by the USPS. That’s not just careless—it’s another roadblock in an already deeply flawed process.
  9. The Myth of a “Secret Ballot”  The Chairperson has claimed this is a “secret ballot,” yet:
    • The return envelope requires your name and address.
    • The ballot itself identifies the voter.
    That is not a secret ballot. It’s a way to track and potentially discard “unwanted” votes before the counting ever begins. In a community with a history of ballot mishandling, this is not just inappropriate—it’s dangerous.
  10. No Independent Observers Allowed  The Chairperson has also stated that no observers will be permitted during the ballot counting. That means no transparency, no accountability, and no confidence in the outcome.
  11. Ballot #3 Presents a False Legal Choice  Ballot #3 asks property owners whether we want to "remain" a nonprofit corporation. Our position is that we, as an association, were never a corporation, since it was formed without property owner authorization or knowledge. The corporation created by Kelly and Kelle was never authorized by property owners, never properly formed under our bylaws, and is not legally connected to our deeds. It has no authority over us. Claiming otherwise is not just misleading—it’s false. Even more outrageous, the ballot materials claim the corporation was somehow closed by nefarious means. So they know it's closed, but they still want you to vote on whether we should “remain” something they say doesn’t exist?  Hello trio, words matter - and so does integrity.
  12. Convenient Closure, Convenient Confusion   By suddenly claiming the corporation was closed—due to alleged forgery—the Trio is attempting to evade the legal procedures that apply to corporate director removal and corporate election processes in general. When Jerry and Charlene were elected, it was through live voting, absentee ballots, email, and proxies. They should be removed (if at all) by the same process. Allowing individuals to be elected by a variety of methods, then only allowing them to defend a recall vote through one ballot method (and the most unreliable) is neither fair nor judicious.