Deputy Dawg posted a comment the other day that I think deserves attention.
For those of you who missed it this is what he/she wrote:
There will be an upcoming election where voters will be asked to approve moving some tax funds around. The result: ZERO change in tax but the district will end up getting millions in state revenue. Of course, the voters have to approve it. It is called a “penny swap” TRE election.
http://www.episd.org/community/tre_2015.php
Did you get that? No new taxes. Millions more in revenue.
Let me repeat for the hard of hearing or the disbelievers: NO NEW TAXES but millions in new state revenue
If the ballot item is worded correctly we will have an opportunity to increase income to EPISD without increasing our taxes. What we will be doing is increasing the tax rate for maintenance and operation of the schools (M&O) while at the same time decreasing the tax rate for debt payments (I&S) the same amount.
I hope that the district takes the opportunity to take some of the increase in state funding and use it to reduce our debt by at least the same amount that they would have at the old I&S rate.
That would be a real win for all concerned.
We deserve better
Brutus
elpasospeak 