Maverick County Taxpayers denied Public Information Records on 2016 Effective Tax Rate Worksheets

By: Miguel Munoz, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2016

Concerned Maverick County taxpayer, Ethelvina I. Felan, requested in writing to Maverick County Tax-Assessor Collector Isamari S. Villarreal on Thursday, October 20, 2016 for “immediate access to all draft and final versions of the 2016 Effective Tax Rate Worksheets (including 2016 Additional Sales Tax Rate Worksheet sections) from September 7, 2016 through October 12, 2016 which are currently located in the Maverick County Tax-Assessor Collector’s Office in order to print or make copies.”

Felan and other concerned Maverick County taxpayers alerted Maverick County Commissioners Court that the 2016 Effective Tax Rate for Maverick County of $0.5850 per $100 valuation originally was incorrect because they had failed to take into consideration the sum of $3,040,860 (million)  in sales taxes collected and used for maintenance and operations in calculating the correct 2016 Tax Rate.

Subsequently, Maverick County Commissioners rescinded their previous adoption of the the 2016 Effective Tax Rate of $0.5850 at their September 29, 2016 meeting, missing the state law requirement of establishing a tax rate by no later than September 30th of each year (2016).

After two meetings in October 2016, specifically October 3rd and 11th, Maverick County Commissioners Court adopted the 2016 Tax Rate of $0.542309 per $100 valuation of property on October 11th.

Felan stated that on October 20, 2016, she spoke with Deputy Tax-Assessor Collector Eloisa Rodriguez at approximately 4:07 P.M. concerning her public records request and that Ms. Rodriguez replied that approval to produce the requested documents must be obtained from County Judge David R. Saucedo.   Later, at 4:28 P.M. Felan spoke to Maverick County Tax Assessor Collector Isamari S. Villarreal and that Villarreal told her that approval to release the public records requested needed to be approved by Maverick County General Counsel Woody Wilson.  Villarreal advised Felan that her public records request needed to be faxed to General Counsel Woody Wilson and await for his response upon reviewing the public records act request.

Later, at approximately 4:58 P.M. On October 20, 2016, County Tax-Assessor Collector Villarreal advised Felan that she was denied access to review the public records requested by Maverick General Counsel Woody Wilson and that Wilson had instructed Villarreal not to sign the public records request submitted by Felan for these public records.

Maverick County has 10 business days to either produce these records or file a letter to the Texas Attorney General requesting an opinion on whether these records may be precluded from being produced from October 20, 2016.

Felan and her concerned taxpayers group notified the Eagle Pass Business Journal that as of Thursday, November 3, 2016, she had not received the public records requested nor Maverick County’s objection to producing the public records according to the Texas Public Information Act.

Felan expressed her great concerns why Maverick County has failed and continues to fail to produce the simple public records concerning the 2016 Effective Tax Rate Worksheets utilized by Maverick County Commissioners Court in calculating the 2016 Tax Rate of $0.542309 per $100 valuation of property to its own citizens and taxpayers if they are public records entitled by the public.  Texas requires that all public governmental entities to operate under open and transparent public government so that citizens know and understand the policy decisions made by their governmental entity.  Felan does not understand why Maverick County refuses to produce these public records, creating a trust and open government issues between Maverick County and its citizens and taxpayers.

Maverick County Commissioners Court is composed of County Judge David R. Saucedo and County Commissioners Jerry Morales, Rosy Cantu, Pete Venegas, and Roberto Ruiz.