At the bottom of each article - please post your comments and thoughts about the article.  Specially this latest one concerning the oil well inMt Vernon.  This could finally be a way to actually reduce our taxes that continue to rise through the roof in Mt Vernon and Franklin county while city fathers refuse to cut spending.  Instead of cutting they think we are all rich and keep creating more burdens on the citizens. 

MOUNT VERNON - City fathers have turned down the prospects of striking oil for the prospects of getting slapped with a lawsuit because of their 30-year-old no-drill statute, and could be striking out the city checkbook soon to pay litigation costs.

Seismic readings and a history of productive oil wells for land to the east of the Tom Scott Lumber Yard between Highway 37 and the town lake, according to Mike Flowers CP, Tyler, professional land and title man, indicate the land could be sitting "on several million barrels of oil."

But if thar's oil in them thar hills or flatlands, Mount Vernon's mayor told the Tribune, the town council ain't interested in lookin'!

"After hearing from our attorney, the council felt like the ordinance we've had in effect for 30 years is substantial enough to hold up in a court of law," Mayor J.D. Baumgardner said.

He was referring to an ordinance passed in 1980, which prohibits drilling or performing any mineral extraction in the city limits. "We feel like the consensus is that the city does not want the drilling. We'll take no action. They have threatened us with a lawsuit by letter."

Flowers and Bruce Faulkner, president of the Lehnertz-Faulkner, Inc. Oil and Gas Exploration/Production company, rode into town Tuesday and met up with local Petroleum Landman Richard Hamrick, who holds an interest in the property and mineral rights.

They moseyed down to city hall, but struck a dry well with local officials, who turned cold shoulders without discussing any oil drilling prospects in the city limits, and sent the bewildered oil magnates riding off into the sunset to ponder their next move.

That move, they say, could be filing litigation against the city for what is known as inverse condemnation - condemning mineral rights without any kind of compensation.

Flowers told the Tribune, "We bought a seismic line that Exxon shot in the early 80s. They drilled a well right off Highway 37 between Highway 37 and the city lake, and it had a show in it. Based on that show, we bought the seismic line and had the seismic reprocessed. The seismic line showed prospects to the north, straight up highway 37. The prospects are not large, but if the seismic was right, there could be several million barrels there. Last I checked, oil prices were right at $70 a barrel�-.and that would mean a lot of money to the city."

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