More money for EPISD

August 26, 2015

The “penny swap” initiative proposed by the EPISD went to the voters and was approved.

Taxpayers will not pay more money because of this but the state will contribute about $9 million more to the district each year.

That means we will be paying down our bond debt by about $4 million less each year.  According to a recent article in the Times:

The district is expected to pay off its debt on time despite the changes, EPISD interim Chief Financial Officer Art Martin told the El Paso Times this week.

If the voters had rejected the initiative their tax bills would have gone down.  Instead they voted to keep their bills the same and take $9 million more a year from the state.

The district took a gamble when they unilaterally lowered the interest and sinking fund tax rate by the same amount that they wanted to raise the maintenance and operations rate.  Now they are telling us that they will find a way to fund bringing debt payments back to their former rate.

We’ll see.

We deserve better

Brutus

 

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

Penny swap

August 7, 2015

The El Paso Independent School District is currently holding an election seeking to gain voter approval to lower their tax rate for debt service by 3 cents and to increase their rate for maintenance and operation by 3 cents.  Early voting has already started.

According to the district this would increase state funding to EPISD by $9 million each year.  Our former city chief financial officer is no longer in the district’s picture so I have hope that the number is accurate.

The net effect is an increase in the amount of money that the district receives while not taking any more money from us in property taxes.

The district has published a list of funding priorities that they plan to use the extra money for:

  • Instruction and enrichment
    • Summer enrichment programs
    • Replacing worn out fine arts equipment
    • Spending on athletic programs with a focus on middle-schools
    • Expansion of science labs and career and technical education
  • Pay raises
    • 2.5% for teachers
    • 3.5% for hourly staff
  • School Buses
    • One third of their buses are over 20 years old
  • Academic technology
    • Incorporating technology and electronic devices into daily instruction
    • Expansion of library digital media

I would hope that the district would use part of the money to continue making debt payments as though the tax rates had not changed.

If you live in the district please vote.

We deserve better

Brutus

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

Challenge to the Times

July 29, 2015

The Times seems to have difficulty understanding reality.

They suggest that employers should pay higher wages.

Okay fine.  Go right ahead Times.

Please raise your wages so that you can attract experienced talent that knows how to, has the time to, and is allowed to write pieces that expose the waste fraud and abuse that permeate our local governments.

The Times might argue that they cannot do that because they are in an industry that is declining.  They don’t have enough money they might say.

Would they understand this reality that many of us live with or would they somehow excuse themselves since they seem to think that they are so special?

Would the Times dare to publish their existing wage scale and then bravely increase it in an act of economic leadership that would help our community?

We deserve better

Brutus

2 Comments | City government, County Government, El Paso Independent School District, El Paso Times, State Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Doggone right

July 22, 2015

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

Leave a Comment » | El Paso Independent School District, State Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Performance cancelled

July 21, 2015

It appears that the city has decided that it is not competent to handle the administrative process relating to the Metropolitan Planning Organization (MPO).

Their solution is to hire two firms from out of town to help the city get it’s act together.

This must really be complex if it requires two out of town firms to make recommendations.

The real issue is that the city does not want anyone local to get to see the mess that city engineering is in.

The MPO is supposed to follow published rules.  The city needs to comply.

Any mid-level manager worth his/her salt could handle this.

We have a chief performance officer.  Isn’t this a matter of performance?

We deserve better

Brutus

7 Comments | City government, Federal Government, State Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

« Previous Entries
Next Entries »