The question
is whether the City or County should use your tax dollars
to pay for a Private Enterprise's Development.
Please take time to read through this information, and the links,
before taking the survey.
EMAIL THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND CITY COUNCILMEN & EXPRESS
YOUR OPINION whether the commissioner court and/or
City Council should approve any involvement with funding or
construction of these proposed ramps, frontage road and parkway
to a private development.
YOUR OPINION COUNTS!
Judge Pat Tinley - cojudge@co.kerr.tx.us
Precinct 1 - Buster Baldwin - bbaldwin@co.kerr.tx.us
Precinct 2 - Guy Overby - goverby@co.kerr.tx.us
Precinct 3 - Jonathan Letz - jletz@co.kerr.tx.us
Precinct 4 - Bruce Oehler - boehler@co.kerr.tx.us
Mayor David Wampler - David.Wampler@Kerrvilletx.gov
Councilman Bruce Motheral - Place 1 - Bruce.Motheral@Kerrvilletx.gov
Councilman Stacie Keeble - Place 2 - Stacie.Keeble@Kerrvilletx.gov
Councilman Scott T. Gross - Place 3 - Scott.Gross@Kerrvilletx.gov
Councilman Gene Allen - Place 4 - Gene.Allen@Kerrvilletx.gov
Read Councilman Stacey Keeble's thoughts on this issue - click
HERE.
The subject of this issue
is using city or county dollars for the funding of
the proposed exit ramps off of Interstate 10 between Harper Road
and the big cut (between Harper Road and State Highway 16). The
developer of TCD (Chuck Coleman) is seeking City and County
approval of the ramp idea and ultimately full or partial funding
from either or both of these entities.
It would appear that Chuck Coleman wrangled his way onto the 12/13/2010 Commissioners
Court workshop agenda as a stragetic part of his plan to "fast
track" the
funding process. In the minutes from this meeting he states, "We were
going to wait until January to roll it out and talk to people about it, and
then I found out about this meeting and decided it would be a good opportunity."
Attendees
were Judge
Pat Tinley, Commissioners Jonothan Letz & Bruce Oehler and Mayor
David Wampler, Councilman Bruce Motheral and developer Chuck Coleman. Also
attending were representatives from TxDot (Mike Coward, Mario G. Medina [SA
District Engineer]) and Mr. Beam.
In that Workshop meeting Mr. Coleman made the statements:
"....we know that the city and county has limited developable land out
there for the future growth. I'm talking even out 50 years. I think this -
if we could do this, it's going to shift the burden from residential
tax base to the commercial tax base, and it's going to hlep mitigate
the impact of the residential tax freeze." In one statement, Judge
Tinley says, "Chuck, the thing that excites me about this is the shifting of
th tax base.", meaning from residential (eliminating the problem of frozen
tax rates) to commercial.
Judge Tinley continues with, "That's (shifting of the tax base) probably the
most important thing that we've got to accomplish here from an economic development standpoint,
because the commercial industrial business end of it pays more than its fair
share, as it were, because it generates sales tax too, as well as the values on
the capital investment. But if we're ever going to get our tax base on an equitable
footing, we've -- it's absolutely essential we get more of that (commercial
tax base)."
They're (Chuck Coleman) also proposing an new 4-lane road- Town Creek Parkway
- which would run from the new ramps on I-10 south through this development
to connect with Holdsworth Drive and, according to Chuck Coleman, "could be
linked all the way on down to Highway 27 following Town Creek".
Regarding funding, Chuck Coleman stated, "Obviously, the developer is
going to have to pay his fair share.". That would indicate they expect
someone else to help fund the construction of the ramps, frontage roads and new
parkway (blue, green and pink lines respectively on the map above).
Chuck Coleman tossed out speculative figures for increased tax benefits to
the city, county, state and KISD that would glaze Donal Trumps eyes, indicating
that these figures were "very conservative".
A "pass-through" funding is discussed (funding by one entity and then
they are reinbursed by another) at this meeting. During one part Chuck Coleman
states, ". . . the pass-through funding type deal, where the bonds were
issued by city/county jointly to build it (ramps, frontage road and parkway),
and then TxDot will reimburse down the road." The likelyhood of TxDot
reimbursing anyone is slim-to-none according to information given later in
the meeting. In one statement, Mr. Beam (we're not sure what agency he represents,
but it would appear to be part of TxDot) says, ". . . I'm thinking it (funding
for ramps, frontage road and parkway) would probably be more of 100 percent
local funding."
Bruce Motheral, city councilman, states in that meeting, "I can't speak for
the whole Council, but certainly this has a lot of merit from the standpoint
of economic development, and we -- I will present it to the Council and do
my best to support whatever the commission wants, that it can do.
Mr. Coleman later states, "It (their development) helps the County, theCity,
helps the school district. It helps transportation flow. And I think on the
basis of that, at some point it will become viable, and money will be available
at some point, just because it is such a good deal." Judge Tinley: "Of course,
talking economic developmen, when you approach me on that basis, you know you
got a -- you got a real pigeon. I'm a softy when it come to those issues."
Judge Tinley: "We got to do it. It's got to happen."
When quizzed if the County and City's support would make a difference with
TxDot approving the project, Mr. Medina (TxDot District Engineer out of San
Antonio) states, "Yes, sir, it does." "It does. Usually what
we see is a resolution from both parties going ahead and supporting the project."
In essence, that is why Guy Overby brought a resolution (which was approved)
to the County Commissioners Court on 2/14/2011.
Chuck Coleman (ex-City Councilan), presented this same 21 page proposal (Dated
November 15, 2010) to the City Council at their January 11, 2011 meeting detailing
the proposed
"access ramps along both the eastbound and westbound lanes of I-10 along
Town Creek Development frontage of I-10" and how the building of these
ramps would generate millions of dollars in tax benefits to the city, county,
School District and the state. $ signs seem to be glistening in everybody's
eyes. Pages 21 - 47 of that proposal can be read HERE.
For the full proposal, click HERE.
The full City Council minutes of 1/11/2011 can be read HERE (pages
6-7 pertain to the proposed TCD project).
All the business and job additions as well as increased tax revenueis are
speculative, based on information paid for by TCD.
As far as EOG can discern, the city or county has not done any analysis themselves
to verify information presented by TCD. And, as of this date, EOG has seen
nothing stated by TCD indicating anchor businesses (such as
Target, Best Buy, Old Navy or Olive Garden for
example) have committed to this project.
Nor has anything been said indicating anchor businesses have been approached.
In addition, Kerrville and Kerr County are already spending monies attempting
to get funding from federal agencies through Lamar Smith. The City/County spent
approximately $10,000 recently sending 7 city/county delegates to Washington,
DC attempting to acquire funding for this project (and the USDA project) by
visiting with Lamar
Smith and other agencies (Keep in mind, Washington has already overspent $14
trillion (current national debt) of your money!).
Even though the City
Council,
nor County Commissioners, have approved this
project (they have issued motions of support of this project in regular meetings),
they are spending your money in
an attempt to get
funding for a private enterprise.
As stated at the beginning of this page, the real question here is whether
the City or County should use your dollars to fund a private enterprise's development.
One suggestion which was made to EOG was for the County and City to approve
this development, and then agree to reimburse the developer a stated percentage
of actual taxes generated by this development, up to a specified amount and
and time period. That would put the burden on the developer to make good on
his promises. Sounds reasonable to EOG.
These questions are for you to decide. Your opinions count.
Please complete our survey by clicking HERE.
All survey results are submitted regularly to the appropriate
governmental agency and personnel as well as the new media.
EMAIL THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS AND CITY COUNCILMEN & EXPRESS
YOUR OPINION whether the commissioner court and/or
City Council should approve any involvement with funding or
construction of these proposed ramps, frontage road and parkway
to a private development.
YOUR OPINION COUNTS!
Judge Pat Tinley - cojudge@co.kerr.tx.us
Precinct 1 - Buster Baldwin - bbaldwin@co.kerr.tx.us
Precinct 2 - Guy Overby - goverby@co.kerr.tx.us
Precinct 3 - Jonathan Letz - jletz@co.kerr.tx.us
Precinct 4 - Bruce Oehler - boehler@co.kerr.tx.us
Mayor David Wampler - David.Wampler@Kerrvilletx.gov
Councilman Bruce Motheral - Place 1 - Bruce.Motheral@Kerrvilletx.gov
Councilman Stacie Keeble - Place 2 - Stacie.Keeble@Kerrvilletx.gov
Councilman Scott T. Gross - Place 3 - Scott.Gross@Kerrvilletx.gov
Councilman Gene Allen - Place 4 - Gene.Allen@Kerrvilletx.gov
