Maverick County Taxpayers get wish for Election on County’s $8.5 Million Bonds granted by Commissioners Court

By: Ricardo E. Calderon, Eagle Pass Business Journal, Inc., Copyright 2017

A packed Maverick County Commissioners Courtroom attended by many concerned County taxpayers, public officials and staff, and news media witnessed the historic calling of an Election on up to $8.5 Million in Certificates of Obligation (Bonds) through a taxpayers petition as Maverick County Commissioners Court unanimously approved the special election for May 6, 2017 at a special meeting held on Friday, February 17, 2017 in Eagle Pass, Texas.

Maverick County taxpayers raised sufficient valid signatures (1,488) for the Referendum Election of the $8.5 Million Bonds previously approved by Commissioners Court on December 2016 for County infrastructure, equipment and vehicles, and software needs.

At an earlier Maverick County Commissioners Court meeting on Monday, February 13th, Maverick County Elections Administrator Roy Schmerber advised Commissioners Court that a total of 2,040 signatures had been presented, but after review only a total of 1,488 had been validated from the County’s registered voters list-enough to satisfy the minimum of 1,411 needed to validate the petition.

Consequently, Maverick County voters will get their wish and decide whether to approve or disapprove the issuance of up to $8.5 Million in Certificates of Obligation (Bonds) for County improvements and services.

During Citizens Communications, County Judge David R. Saucedo asked the public if anyone wished to make any public comments at the meeting. One citizen raised his hand and Judge Saucedo invited the citizen to please come to the podium to speak. Maverick County citizen and retired U. S. Army veteran Albert Daniel, a decorated Veteran of the Vietnam War, Iraq War, and many other missions, stood up and slowly walked to the podium with his cane due to a disability and simply asked Commissioners Court if they are going to provide a list of the projects that the $8.5 Million in Bonds would be used for as he would like to review it. Judge Saucedo replied that a list of the proposed projects had been provided before and that some of the local news media had published this information and welcomed Albert Daniel to pick up a copy of the list of projects. Later in the meeting, Judge Saucedo, however, stated that “the Gentleman (Albert Daniel) who asked the question” was somewhat “misleading” because Commissioners Court had previously distributed the list of projects. Some Maverick County citizens in the audience opined that Judge Saucedo’s treatment of and personal comments concerning Albert Daniel being “misleading” during the meeting were inappropriate and totally unnecessary.

County Commissioner Precinct 1 Jerry Morales motioned to call for the special election on the $8.5 Million in Certificates of Obligation (Bonds) for May 6, 2017 and Commissioner Cantu seconded the motion.

During discussion, Commissioner Precinct 4 Roberto Ruiz stated that he congratulated the County Taxpayers for raising sufficient signatures to call for the special election as it was the first time he had witnessed in his long history of being a public official of this happening in Maverick County. Ruiz encouraged taxpayers to look at petitioning other local governmental entities such as the City of Eagle Pass and Eagle Pass Independent School District when they have similar Bonds or tax increases. Ruiz added that he supported the $8.5 Million Bonds because County residents outside the City of Eagle Pass are hurting with needs for street paving and improvements that the monies of these Bonds would alleviate. Ruiz pleaded that all County residents needed to come together as one community to address the needs of Maverick County.

Maverick County Elections Administrator Roy Schmerber reported that both this County special election and the Eagle Pass Independent School District Tax Ratification election in May 2017 will cost approximately $70,000 each to be borne by taxpayers.

Commissioner Precinct 2 Rosy Cantu stated she lives on a County street that is unpaved and full of potholes and that she agreed with Commissioner Ruiz’s statement 100 percent in supporting the $8.5 Million Bonds.

Judge David R. Saucedo read the Taxpayers petition language calling for the special election on the $8.5 Million Bonds to point out that many persons who signed the petition are not against the Bonds and believed they were signing for more street paving and public improvements within the County. Judge Saucedo read part of the Order calling the special election and some of the projects that the $8.5 Million Bonds will be used for.

Judge Saucedo stated that the $8.5 Million Bonds would be paid within 40 years but the County was looking to paying off these Bonds within 15 years. Judge Saucedo stated that these $8.5 Million Bonds would be paid off with “monies that we (County) have already got out of the way.” However, Judge Saucedo did not explain specifically the details on how these proposed $8.5 Million Bonds are going to be paid from nor did he elaborate “the monies that we (County) have already got out of the way” to pay for these Bonds.

All of the details of the $8.5 Million Bonds and the specifics of how they are going to be paid have exclusively been discussed by Commissioners Court in Closed Session with Maverick County’s Bond Counsel William Avila of San Antonio, Texas outside the Taxpayers purview and knowledge. County taxpayers are totally in the dark on the financial terms and conditions of these $8.5 Million Bonds. Maverick County Commissioners Court certainly need to do a better job of providing full disclosure and transparency to its County Taxpayers if they are to obtain their vote to support the $8.5 Million Bonds at the May 6, 2017 special election.

After discussion, Commissioners Court unanimously approved the special election on the issuance of the $8.5 Million in Certificates of Obligation (Bonds) for May 6, 2017.

The special election will feature the clash of two political forces between taxpayers and Commissioners Court and who does a better job of communicating the details of the proposed $8.5 Million Bonds to County voters.

Pending is Maverick County Taxpayers petition for a Rollback Election on the 2016 Maverick County Tax Rate that was invalidated by Maverick County Elections Administrator Roy Schmerber as having insufficient valid signatures and ratified by Commissioners Court.  Taxpayers allege that the 2016 County Tax Rate was incorrectly calculated and approved by not including over $3 Million in 2015 Sales Taxes as they have requested intervention from state agencies such as the Office of the Attorney General, Office of the Comptroller, and Secretary of State. Taxpayers are awaiting a response from the state agencies.