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)

Friday, August 7, 2009

FBN: IS The District With-holding Information Ordered Released By The Texas Attorney Generals Office Still???

Woman Wins Open-records Ruling, Says School District Still Won’t Release Science Center Info
August 7th, 2009 | by Bob Dunn, Fortbendnow

Even after a Texas Attorney General’s ruling in her favor, A New Territory woman says, Fort Bend Independent School District officials are purposely withholding public records about the proposed Global Science & Technology Center.

The school district said it has provided New Territory resident Nancy Hentschel with the documents ordered released by the AG’s office.

However, Hentschel said Friday, “I have been given nothing.”

An opponent of the district’s proposed $26.4 million science center, Hentschel said the information she is seeking could have been essential to the public before the FBISD Board of Trustees gave its approval for the project to proceed in a limited fashion.

Since the board vote on the science center came and went without the district releasing the information she requested, Hentschel said she hoped the release would come before next Monday’s board meeting, during which board members are expected to discuss the administration’s proposed 3.5-cent property tax increase.

It appears that won’t happen.

Events leading up to the current showdown between Hentschel and the district began this spring, when she made a formal request under the Texas Public Information Act for a variety of information related to the science center. Among records she requested were:

→ All documents under review by a committee the district set up to study the proposal’s feasibility;

→ All comments made about the project publicly on an FBISD web site;

→ A list of “current committed companies and the amounts they have already donated to this project;”

→ All communication between members of the feasibility committee, PBK architects, FBISD Superintendent Dr. Timothy Jenney, and former Sugar Land mayor and developer David Wallace, who headed the feasibility committee;

→ Any available financial disclosure statements since 2007 for Dr. Jenney.

After a records-release deadline expired under TPIA regulations, Hentschel said in a May 19 complaint to the attorney general’s office, FBISD outside counsel David Feldman provided her with a “PowerPoint sales pitch from Mr. Wallace” that “had nothing to do with any request that I had made…”

Get the full piece at:

http://www.fortbendnow.com/2009/08/07/39421

19 comments:

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

I wonder if the AGs office has any enforcement for continued violation of the TPIA or if it is just a paper tiger?

Patriot Missive said...

I would not miss the Tax rate increase meeting on Monday for anything! I expect that "the Board" and Jenny will try and tell people that they need the tax increase to pay for teachers and classrooms.

Hmmm, as I recall the 2001 state wide audit said that FBISD was administratively severely top heavy. We have since then only increased administrative costs, and now a Global Science Center just 1.5 miles from a Houston Museum of Natural Sciences Satellite. No, for sure this administration is not about classroom sizes, campus academies, and fiscal responsibility

Anonymous said...

Looks like the budget battles are in full swing again at FBISD. Nothing new here!

Anonymous said...
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DiA_Tribe said...

I agree Patriot 100%!

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Well contact the Communication Office that the FBISD about Nancy Hentschel with the documents ordered released by the AG’s office.
The Communication Office was not wear of this.Howener she will back with me.
I come back late and post what they said.

Anonymous said...

Did they ever get back with you anon?

fbisdwatch said...

Comments coming in from local blogs on this topic:

Boss Tramp says:
August 7th, 2009 at 10:03 am (#)

Better check to see if the shredding machines are working overtime at FBISD.

santhony says:
August 7th, 2009 at 11:15 am (#)

This is very suspicious. Why would the district claim they have turned everything over regarding the communications and fought so hard to protect these no “non-existent” documents? Sounds very fishy to me. Are they protecting the vendors, committee, Wallace or Jenney (or all of the above). Why can’t the Texas Attorney General’s office do more? Don’t we pay enough in taxes to the AG and district to have them do more than cover-up on this?

FOLLOW THE LAW AND RELEASE THE INFORMATION Jenney!

And where is the District Attorney when obvious cover-ups like this happen in our local taxing entities? Shame, shame, shame!

Joe Murphy says:
August 7th, 2009 at 11:19 am (#)

In the past, the board’s attorney just claims that there are no more records and waits for a lawsuit that is usually too expensive for small groups of concerned citizens to pursue.

This is how developers and vendors run their feudal system. But perhaps people want to pay more taxes to a school system that would prefer to serve their interests over the interests of students and teachers “in the classroom.”

Resident says:
August 7th, 2009 at 11:28 am (#)

Yes, Indeed santhony. FBISD not providing possible incriminating information should make all of us very very suspicious. We know there was a Feasibility Review and thus review documents, emails, and financial disclosures. What kind of feasibilty report do you suppose was produced, if they are afraid of showing to the public. I understand that there will be a meeting at the FBISD Offices Monday at 5pm. We all need to be there.

We deserve better.

fbisdwatch said...

More:

Sugarland watch says:
August 7th, 2009 at 11:29 am (#)

Well I just call The FBISD Communication Office about this on going AG problem,and she say I have someone call you back.
Well may be shredding the papers at time.
I come back late and post what they said.

santhony says:
August 7th, 2009 at 11:38 am (#)

I find it hard to believe the district would run around telling everyone that they had turned over everything while behind the scenes reporting to the AGs office that they needed to keep certain communications from the public/taxpayers and then claiming those documents no longer exist without possibly further law violation by their deliberate destruction. I wonder how gullible they think the public is? First they won’t pay the teachers on time and get criticized heavily by the TX legislature and now this. Aren’t they running another huge budget deficit this year under this board and superintendent? Can anyone say fiscal mismanagement?

Boss Tramp says:
August 7th, 2009 at 11:48 am (#)

The 2009-10 Budget for FBISD is $499,155,105 - that is $1,367,548 per day. Just follow the money trail and you will see why they do not want to release the full report - Its your money - see you next week at the 1 hour meeting for public comments on the budget - its a done deal regardless of the public comments.

viewpoint says:
August 7th, 2009 at 1:40 pm (#)

Will FBISD handover data to the Press Media, is ask for this information also?

Did FBISD send information by certify mail, for proof of release?

It would be best if the media be present at the time of information handover to Mrs. Hentschel.

fbisdwatch said...

More:

Sugarland watch says:
August 7th, 2009 at 11:29 am (#)

Well I just call The FBISD Communication Office about this on going AG problem,and she say I have someone call you back.
Well may be shredding the papers at time.
I come back late and post what they said.

santhony says:
August 7th, 2009 at 11:38 am (#)

I find it hard to believe the district would run around telling everyone that they had turned over everything while behind the scenes reporting to the AGs office that they needed to keep certain communications from the public/taxpayers and then claiming those documents no longer exist without possibly further law violation by their deliberate destruction. I wonder how gullible they think the public is? First they won’t pay the teachers on time and get criticized heavily by the TX legislature and now this. Aren’t they running another huge budget deficit this year under this board and superintendent? Can anyone say fiscal mismanagement?

Boss Tramp says:
August 7th, 2009 at 11:48 am (#)

The 2009-10 Budget for FBISD is $499,155,105 - that is $1,367,548 per day. Just follow the money trail and you will see why they do not want to release the full report - Its your money - see you next week at the 1 hour meeting for public comments on the budget - its a done deal regardless of the public comments.

viewpoint says:
August 7th, 2009 at 1:40 pm (#)

Will FBISD handover data to the Press Media, is ask for this information also?

Did FBISD send information by certify mail, for proof of release?

It would be best if the media be present at the time of information handover to Mrs. Hentschel.

Anonymous said...
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Anonymous said...

Well second attempt of contacting the Public Relation Office today that the FBISD.
She reply,can I have your number and someone will cal you back.
That is your FBISD for you.
The same reply that Nancy Hentschel is getting also.
Well some else try call and see what you can get?

open_government said...

I will try too!

Anonymous said...

Everyone see the lates release at:

http://blogs.chron.com/fortbend/archives/2009/08/ag_fbisd_must_d.html

Anonymous said...

Here's another one:

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/fortbend/news/6566972.html

Anonymous said...

One thing I noticed last night at the BOT meetings was how the board members consistently warned visitors not to clap for speakers they don't agree with while allowing for district vendors and employees to clap for their own on official business. I wonder when they are going to apply their own rules to themselves?

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.