EPISD debt service

October 23, 2018

This is the ballot language relating to the EPISD issue:

“APPROVING THE AD VALOREM TAX RATE OF $1.41 PER $100 VALUATION IN THE EL PASO ISD FOR THE CURRENT YEAR, A RATE
THAT IS $0.0647 HIGHER PER $100 VALUATION THAN THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ROLLBACK TAX RATE, FOR THE PURPOSE OF
GENERATING ADDITIONAL STATE FUNDING TO SUPPORT THE DISTRICT’S COMPENSATION PLAN AS ADOPTED ANNUALLY
INCLUDING THE ONE-TIME EMPLOYEE STIPEND IN 2018-2019, TO EXPAND ACADEMIC PROGRAMMING, AND TO SUPPLEMENT
FUND BALANCE. IN ORDER TO MAINTAIN THE CURRENT TAX RATE, IF VOTERS APPROVE THE $1.41 TAX RATE, THE BOARD OF
TRUSTEES WILL REDUCE THE INTEREST AND SINKING RATE BY $.10, TO REDUCE THE TOTAL TAX RATE TO $1.31, WHICH IS
EQUAL TO THE TAX RATE FROM 2017-2018.”

The problem

Their 2018-19 Official Budget report shows:

Their existing interest and sinking rate (before the election) is $.24.  From that they estimate raising $37,913,980.  If they lower the rate by ten cents they will raise about $22.1 million.

That leaves them with just enough money to pay the interest on the bonds but none of the principal.

Also according to state law they can raise the interest and sinking fund rate next year without fear of triggering a roll back election.

We deserve better

Brutus

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

Early voting

October 22, 2018

Early voting starts today.

Please go vote.

We deserve better

Brutus

3 Comments | Uncategorized | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Unfortunate answer

October 21, 2018

I think our local candidate for the United States senate could do with some better advisers.

When he was recently asked about his nickname he told the audience that in our community if you are named Robert or Albert or Gilbert or Umberto the community calls you Beto.

His statement is not true.

If he had told us that he uses the nickname because his mother, father, other relative, childhood buddies or someone else called him that I don’t think that most of us would give it a second thought.

Instead he misrepresented our community.

We deserve better

Brutus

38 Comments | Federal Government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Automatic pay raises for city council

October 20, 2018

One of the ballot items on the upcoming election asks if we want to change our city charter.

From the ordinance that puts the issue on the ballot:

Prior to September 1, 2019, the annual base salary of the District Representatives shall be set at twenty-nine
thousand dollars, and the annual base salary of the Mayor shall be set at forty-five thousand dollars.

Commencing on September 1, 2019, the annual base salary of the District Representatives shall be set at
the amount equal to the 2017 El Paso County area median household income as established by the United
States Department of Housing and Urban Development or successor agency ($45,300), and the annual
base salary of the Mayor shall be set at one and one-half this amount ($67,950). Thereafter, on September
1, the base salaries will be revised annually and be set according to the above formula based on the prior
fiscal year median income for El Paso County.

Ballot language

What the voter will see on the ballot is:

Should Section 3.2 of the City Charter, relating to the salaries of the Mayor and District Representatives,
be amended to provide that beginning September 1, 2019, the annual salary of the District
Representatives shall be set each year at the amount equal to the El Paso County area median household
income as established by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development or successor
agency for the prior fiscal year, and the annual salary of the Mayor shall be set each year at one and onehalf
that amount?
YES ( )
NO ( )

Too much trouble

They evidently think it is too much trouble to ask the voters for a pay raise when they want one.

A 56% pay raise would be nice for you, wouldn’t it?

We deserve better

Brutus

9 Comments | City government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

Out of our control

October 19, 2018

We have a city council election coming up in a couple of weeks.

City council representatives are elected to four year terms.  The can serve a maximum of ten years during their lifetime which effectively limits them to two elected terms.

One problem with this is that the current incumbents know that this is their last election.  They have no need to do what the public wants during their second term if we give them one.  They cannot be re-elected.  Recalling them is very difficult and has not been successfully in modern times.

Voting for an incumbent is something you should think about.

We deserve better

Brutus

7 Comments | City government | Permalink
Posted by Brutus

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