2009 FBISD Tax Hearing (On YouTube)

CLICK HERE FOR THE 2009 FBISD CONTROVERSIAL TAX HEARING (YES THEY ARE RAISING THEM AGAIN--see petition of over 500 district taxpayers asking for board accountability) --In case anyone missed it they raised the property tax rate again (4th time) in 2010 and more than likely will do so again in 2011 facing another projected 15-20 million dollar budget deficit, according to some media reports. ***NEW*** ..Petition TO STOP THE GSTC (Global Science Museum being planned at the district central office--near $30 million dollar project that superintendent Jenney is pushing): http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/stopthegcst/ (see update below on this apparently ending this project after 2 years)

Thursday, February 12, 2009

Chron: Local Elections Are Approaching Again!

Chron: Local Elections Are Approaching Again!

After such information over-load, during the recent national elections, many of us are sitting back unaware that some of the most influential local campaigns are approaching again. Our school boards and municipal council races are upon us this Spring. Filing has already begun and runs through early March 9th with the elections in early May.

These elections often have more of an impact than most realize, given the direct involvement of ‘out of area’ special interest corporations and their efforts to seek out tax exemptions or abatements, which commonly, but indirectly, shift the property tax burden back on the local homeowners and small businesses living and working in our community. As a matter of fact a recent Tax Foundation study listed our county property taxes per median home value as #1 in our state and 11th nation-wide. Our local elected officials on our boards, councils and commissions make the appointments for the county appraisal board which has been hearing record numbers of appeals over the last few years. Not only that, some of our larger cities and the county have been hiring lobbyist to go to Austin and oppose property tax rate and appraisal cap reforms, while misrepresenting another viewpoint to the public (done to fatten the local entities budgets at our expense).

When you review many of our local elected officials campaign finance reports, which are available often free of charge to the taxpayers and voters of the county (or for a nominal fee for copying), you find many large none local companies seeking tax breaks or abatements. If we elect the wrong individuals to office we end up with what we have and that is some of the highest property taxes in the U.S. and the highly undesirable #1 spot for our county in Texas.

Please do your homework this election cycle, make sure you are registered and get to the polls for early voting April 27th through May 5th or election day May 9th.

Can we afford more politics as usual with tough economic times upon us? If you want help doing your homework, then please contact us at fbisdwatch@yahoo.com . We are not a highly financed or powerful PAC, but your neighbors and local taxpayers like you.

Source:

http://www.fortbendweb.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1104&Itemid=94&mosmsg=Thanks+for+your+vote%21&mosmsg=Thanks+for+your+vote%21&mosmsg=Thanks+for+your+vote%21