This video was made by the mayor, in the role of mayor, sitting in the mayor's office in city hall as part of a longer "update to the public" video that the mayor regularly makes and posts on the city web site. The video is public domain. It belongs to you.

 

But the mayor has been making copyright claims on the video wherever it appears online. The mayor doesn't seem to want you to to see this video and as he tried to answer Mr. Levy's questions about unlawfully claiming copyright ownership of a city produced and public domain video, the mayor started to verbally stumble and decided to call the police and falsely claim he was being harassed. 

4-25-2023 

Today at the Lakeway Activity Center, Christopher Levy approached the Mayor, remained 4 feet away and asked him about a public domain video of the Mayor telling congregants at the Lakeway church to kick people out of Church because they did something the mayor didn't like: file a lawsuit to challenge the validity of former city manager Julie Oakley's tenure based on her (allegedly) not primarily residing in Lakeway, as required by city code approved by voters.

There were many, many witnesses. Asking questions for less than 60 seconds and listening to Kilgore's answers without any physical contact is not harassment. At no time did Kilgore ask Levy to not ask him any questions. No voices were raised by Mr. Levy.

 

Then, very rapidly...

1. Ken Bautsch decided to make a derogatory statement about Levy.

2. Bobbi Vance (councilmember Gretchen Vance's husband) walked into the discussion and said something nasty and Levy said he was talking to the mayor and not Mr. Vance.

3. Then Mr Vance said "who are you?" (to Levy) and Mr. Levy responded with his name and 

4. Bobbi Vance went off  on Mr. Levy at about 0:75 seconds.

5. The mayor then suddenly announced (0:81 seconds) he was being accosted. Several people watching guffawed and said he wasn't being accosted. Mr. Levy had never raised his voice and no physical contact, just a few questions that flustered the mayor about the above copyright behavior and church video.

6. The mayor picked up his phone and called someone but didn't say who.

7. 30 feet away a woman mentioned that no one was being accosted and this triggered Mr. Vance rush over (0:95 seconds) and he charged up on this woman very quickly and with a threatening stance. She looked terrified by Gretchen Vance's husband doing this.

Note: up until this time, councilmember Gretchan Vance was over at her car and not a part of what was going on.

 

A few minutes later 2 police patrol cars and a supervisor car arrive. It was quickly determined that no one was accosted, the mayor was not being threatened at all and that in fact Bobbi Vance, rushed up on the woman standing nearby in a threatening manner. The police spoke to Mr. Vance at length and he eventually (correctly) walked over and apologized to the woman... at which point his wife, Gretchen, dragged him away and was overheard telling him he shouldn't apologize at all.

 

As of this post, we still do not know why the mayor thinks he has copyright over your/our public domain videos of city hall recordings posted online. But what we do know is:

- the mayor called the police after being asked uncomfortable questions for a few seconds

- the mayor and a Gretchen Vance supporter physically threatened a 5'2" lady

This above statement is factually incorrect and is hereby retracted. The Mayor was not involved it the altercation with the 5'2" bystander. I apologize for the error in reporting.

It should read a "Gretchen Vance supporter was involved in a verbal altercation with the 5'2" bystander."

- the mayor used city resources frivolously to create the perception of a problem that didn't exist.