Final Election Results for Maverick County $8.5 Million Bond Election Reflect Voters Rejected Bond Proposal

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

The final unofficial election results of the Maverick County $8.5 Million Bond Election held on May 6, 2017 were announced at 8:30 P.M. by Election Judge or Worker Enriqueta Collett as follows: FOR: 1,682 Votes and AGAINST: 2,257 Votes.  Maverick County voters soundly rejected Maverick County Commissioners Court wish to issue up to $8.5 Million in Certificates of Obligation (Bonds) during 2017 for certain public improvements and services at the May 6th election.

The $8.5 Million Bond proposal lost by 575 votes (2,257 Against v. 1,682 For) out of a total of 3,955 votes cast in the critical May 6, 2017 County-wide election.  Concerned Maverick County Taxpayers delivered a loud and resounding message to Maverick County Commissioners Court that open and transparent government is demanded and to be adhered to according to state law.

The rejection of the $8.5 Million Bond proposal is that Maverick County will have to work with and make ends meet with the 2016-2017 Fiscal Year Budget previously approved by Commissioners Court in September of 2016.  Maverick County will not have the benefit of these proposed $8.5 Million funds during the 2016-2017 Fiscal Year.

Maverick County Commissioners Court approved on December 12, 2016 to issue up to $8.5 Million in Certificates of Obligation (Bonds) in order to address public services and projects needed by County residents.

County taxpayers expressed their opposition to Maverick County issuing $8.5 Million Bonds because the County already had a total of $40 Million in debt and these additional bonds would add to the County’s debt burden and possibly raise taxes in the future.  County taxpayers in opposition to the $8.5 Million Bonds raised a petition and signatures requesting that the County voters be allowed to vote on whether to approve or disapprove the issuance of the $8.5 Million Bonds.

At a February 13, 2017 Maverick County Commissioners Court meeting, County Election Administrator Roy Schmerber advised Commissioners that County taxpayers had raised sufficient verified signatures to require an election on the $8.5 Million Bonds.  Schmerber stated that a total of 2,040 signatures had been submitted, but only 1,488 signatures were verifiable- enough to meet the minimum number of 1,411 signatures required to call for the special election.

At a February 17, 2017 Maverick County Commissioners Court meeting, Commissioners Court approved to call for a special election on the $8.5 Million Bond proposal so that County residents could decide whether to approve or disapprove the bonds.

Pending between Maverick County Taxpayers and Maverick County Commissioners Court is a state district lawsuit filed by Taxpayer Ethelvina I. Felan and counter-claim filed by Maverick County concerning the 2016 County Tax Rate adopted or ratified by Commissioners Court in October of 2016.  If County Taxpayer Ethelvina Felan should prevail on the pending state district lawsuit, Maverick County Commissioners Court may have to adopt a corrected 2016 County Tax Rate, which may cause Maverick County to reimburse up to $1.8 Million in already collected County ad valorem property taxes to County Taxpayers, possibly leaving the County with a $1.8 Million budget deficit or greater.  The trial of this pending 2016 County Tax Rate lawsuit is in June or early this summer.
Maverick County Commissioners Court is composed of County Judge David R. Saucedo and County Commissioners Jerry Morales, Rosy Cantu, Pete Venegas, and Roberto Ruiz.