EPISD election deadline nearing

February 13, 2019

Dan Wever sent this in:

They like to make it a way before the election hoping nobody will run against the people now in office.  It works most of the time.

About the Board / May 4, 2019 Board of Trustees Election

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Candidates have until Friday, February 15 to file for election.  The election will be held Saturday, May 9, 2019.

It would be nice is people would step forward and run.

We deserve better

Brutus

6 Comments | El Paso Independent School District | Permalink
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Andress not getting what we voted for

February 1, 2019

Do you remember what EPISD told us they were going to do to Andress high school with the bond money they were asking us for?

They told us that they were going to do “major renovations” to the school.

This slide shows it more clearly:

This snippet came out of their December 2018 monthly report:

What happened to the renovations?

We deserve better

Brutus

 

5 Comments | El Paso Independent School District | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

New schools, new names

January 31, 2019

The November 2018 bond newsletter from EPISD can be read here.

Up until now I was unaware of the fact that as the district consolidates  schools they are renaming them.

Bradley and Fannin are being consolidated with the new name Dr. Joseph Torres elementary.

Dowell, Schuster, and Crosby will become Arcadio Duran, Jr. elementary.

Henderson and Clardy become Dr. Josefina Villamil Tinajero

Lincoln, Bond, and Roberts will become Donald Lee Haskins

Morehead and Johnson are to be named Charles Q. Murphree

Ross and Hughey become Wally Hartley

Terrace Hills and Collins become Tyrone “Bobby Joe” Hill

The newsletter has a short biography of each of the people the schools are to be named after.

We deserve better

Brutus

4 Comments | El Paso Independent School District | Permalink
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EPISD sells bonds and doesn’t need voter approval

January 23, 2019

A loyal reader sent this to our attention:

EPISD previously created a public facility corporation under Texas law.

They did this to pay for the new central office facilities.

The way it works is that the public facility corporation can authorize and sell bonds without voter approval.  They simply place notices in the local newspaper (how many people subscribe to the newspaper, and of those who do how many ever even look at the classifieds?).  If a voter petition that objects to the issuance does not get filed within 60 days they can issue the bonds.  The petition must bear the signature of 5 percent of the registered voters in the district.

After all you didn’t complain did you?

From there the public facility corporation builds the building and leases it to the school district.

Nifty huh?

We deserve better

Brutus

5 Comments | El Paso Independent School District, State Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Property tax cap

January 18, 2019
This came in the other day:
Brutus.
     [P]  Here is another website you might consider adding to your list — since in this ongoing Texas Legislative Session — legislators will be looking at reducing the property roll back cap trigger down from it’s current trigger level of 8-percent — to a 2-percent trigger cap.  See — https://www.gregabbott.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/PropertyTaxReform.pdf
     [P]  Our local legislative delegation members will fight against lowering the cap — and Sunday night on the KVIA TV News Extra program — Senator Rodriguez indicated he is against it.  As he goes, the other members of the delegation will follow.  In addition, the city, county, UMC and school districthired lobbyists — will also raise objections and fight against any lowering of the cap.  The reality is — individual voters’ and property taxpayers — do not have hired lobbyists and others fighting for their interests.  Bottom line — that’s where your blog can create an impact!
     [P]  The 2-percent level is most likely too low — so that cap trigger level may possibly be only a negotiating point — so legislators can compromise at a 4 or 5-percent trigger cap.
     [P]  Since many of your faithful blog followers’ and creatively blunt posters — are pissed about always rising local property taxes, plus associated stupid spending — here’s a chance for them to get their ‘oars in the water’ — and let those state legislators outside El Paso who are pushing this issue — know there are El Paso voters’ and property taxpayers — who approve, plus appreciate and support their efforts.
————————————  Old Fart.
POST SCRIPT:  Since you keep your blog updated each day — with a fresh topic for public thought and discussion — it is certainly better than the stale blogs of David K, Max Powers, Zorro and some of the others.  Therefore, it certainly seems you have a daily opportunity — to make your blog an action site — by posting interactive web links as you have just started to do.
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He is of course right.
We need to speak up and let the legislators know how we feel.
We deserve better
Brutus

8 Comments | City government, County Government, El Paso Independent School District, State Government | Permalink
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