I Trust but Verify

Time for Comment
First, I must apologize for the long pause between posts, but the Mayor and City Council have not moved anything pertinent enough for comment to improve the conditions of the city.  The meeting of April 19th is a different story. The two items that I heard that had relevance to me as a taxpayer were a presentation  to create a Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) and an issue of waiving a connection fee for the Wilmer Academy, our charter school.
First, lets explore the TIRZ and the reasons that they are created. TIRZ creation is a mean for creating development in areas that are in such an extreme and burdensome condition and/or because of geographical location that there is not any interest in the developer community to invest. That is certainly not the case for Wilmer. Wilmer is the Alpha and Omega for the logistics hub with the Union Pacific inter modal . Generally, TIRZ are created for areas commonly referred as blighted areas (slums) that have little value to a developer unless incentives are made to him.The incentive to the developer is property value is frozen and taxable only at appraised value upon creation of the TIRZ. The development of the zone increases the appraised property value; hence, increases the property tax but the taxes due for the property have been frozen at pre-development value. This difference between pre-development and post development valuation is the increment of tax that is credited to the property owner for the development.
What is wrong with allowing a developer to have incentives to make improvements in the city? Nothing, but we, as taxpayers, should be aware of what we are giving up because city leadership must not. Property values have lost 20-25% in valuation in the past 3 years; therefore, creating a TIRZ at this chronological time guarantees the developer an additional built in bonus check of this amount from the citizens when the market corrects itself. The creation of a TIRZ also mandates the appointment of a Board of Directors made up of LANDOWNERS who are not necessarily citizens, essentially creates a quasi-government with the authority and power to evoke EMINENT DOMAIN with the authority to issue bonds, such as, CERTIFICATES OF OBLIGATION. We, the citizens, are on the hook for this debt without reaping any benefits because the property values have been FROZEN and taxed at pre-development level.
Investment incentives are tools that a well managed city offers for the improvements needed in the city. The creations of jobs is a main incentive for a city to partnership with developers. Tax abatement, 380 agreements, and other tools entice developers to create value for the city. Good leadership in the city will realize that the right tool is needed for the job. A hammer is a good tool but it would not be used in a china shop. City leaders should create an ENTERPRISE zone with tax incentives which will accomplish development without the substantial risks involved with a TIRZ.

Next, the city has an issue with waiving a connection fee for the Wilmer Academy. With blatant disrespect, Pena showed his lack of knowledge about charter schools calling it a "for profit" school. Mr. John Dodd, representing the Honors Academy, explained that a charter school receives funding from the State of Texas just as every other PUBLIC school with tax dollars.
It is clearly evident that this council is doing everything within its power to damage the only school located in  Wilmer. Charging a public school commercial water and sewer rates is not customary and is evidence that Pena and the Mayor do not care or value the youth of the city. Prohibiting the children from the library after school to this latest attack on the school only affirms the lack of interest for the children. Mr. Pena and the Mayor are unmarried so that could explain the insensitivity to the children of Wilmer. Residential rates have historically been charged to the school. The investment in our community should be realized with our children as first priority not with carpetbaggers.