The Fort Bend Central Appraisal District’s attempt to gain Commissioners Court approval of proposal for a new $6.4 million headquarters building, met not unexpected opposition on Tuesday.
The CAD Board of Directors sought that approval in the form of a resolution favoring the acquisition of 12 acres at Bamore and Klauke Road near Rosenberg, and construction of a new building at a total cost not to exceed $6.4 million.
But that resolution never made it to a vote. No one on Commissioners Court would make a motion to approve the resolution.
“The issue fails for lack of a motion,” County Judge Bob Hebert said. “Under the law, that will be a ‘no’ vote.”
As it does in most court sessions, the court members recessed briefly to hold a meeting of the Fort Bend County Drainage District, of which they also serve as board members. In that capacity, the county judge and commissioners also failed to approve the resolution.
The CAD Board needs approval from at least 128 of the county’s 170-plus property taxing entities before it can move forward with the building proposal.
After receiving a “no” vote from the Fort Bend Independent School District Board of Trustees earlier this month, the CAD pulled the proposal from an earlier Commissioners Court agenda. But after studying alternatives proposed by county commissioners Andy Meyers and Richard Morrison, the CAD re-submitted the same proposal it had pulled.
“The board believes that the resolution they started with is the best option out there,” chief CAD appraiser Glen Whitehead said last week. “If it fails, we will have to seek other options.”
That’s because current CAD offices, on F.M. 2218 in Rosenberg, are seriously overcrowded, Whitehead said, adding that office space meant for 60 people “and the crowds that accompany that” are now home to about 72 employees. More are needed, but there’s no space for additional desks, as even most of the building’s storage space already is being used for offices.
The CAD proposal has not been popular with many members of the public, in a recessionary year in which the CAD has nonetheless proposed property appraisals increasing on average 10.8%, but climbing much higher in some areas of the county. Those appraisals are the basis of property taxes levied by the county, cities and local school districts.
Morrison crafted a resolution earlier this month opposing the CAD plan.
“Whereas many businesses and landowners are suffering because of the economy in Fort Bend County and the nation, and whereas some appraisals have risen by as much as 2,300%, and whereas there exists overwhelming public opposition to the proposed New Facility, now therefore be it resolved that this court joins with the community in its strong opposition to the currently proposed New Facility and pledges to seek and pursue more reasonable alternatives,” Morrison’s resolution says in part. The court never acted on it because, Hebert said, it was moot in light of the lack of a vote for the CAD proposal.
Three or four people held signs outside the county’s Travis Buildingg in Richmond before Tuesday’s court session, protesting the CAD building plan.
Another fall by FBCAD resolution plan, as KATY ISD BOT also fails to take a hear or to vote during Tuesdays June 30, 2009.
Often the trick seems to be keeping our eyes on the shell. Most aren’t following this game that hides our taxes in special accounts and then we suddenly see them again in a few years but now designated as a “special” fund for a project they weren’t originally intended for. They put on a big show and their hand-picked crony politicians wave the banners and shout “this is wonderful” and then we feed another vender who backs these same few cronies. A very comfy, cozy arrangement, but it smacks of racketeering and only serves the very few. The recent hypocrisy by the school board demonstrates this very problem. The board votes like a lock step corporate board for their 20-30 million dollar project with our old bond money they’ve hidden for their vendors and then vote no to contribute to the new CAD building that is being built to accommodate the deliberate over-valuations of the average taxpayers to benefit those “select” companies getting special favors (tax breaks through zones, abatements, etc.) when they should have voted no on both “special” projects. The CAD needs serious reform and Howard and Hebert need to go! We can do better than this edc crowd and open the system up and end this monopoly.
Amen Tom. I am personally sick of playing the dumb Peasant in a feudal system of tribute (tax) waste.
Respect our First Admen by providing a vote! Amoral desision, for or against agenda.
“But that resolution never made it to a vote. No one on Commissioners Court would make a motion to approve the resolution.”
This is golden. I wonder if Hebert is finally seeing the light and growing a backbone or just playing hide-n-seek again with the electorate. Wasn’t it just last month he was quoted as stating we must keep the appraisals on property high so we can keep county budgets fat (even though they are on average 18% higher than current independent research supports). Nothing like our corporate welfare bunch on the court. Amazing what public pressure and 1-2 dissenters can do to this bunch. Calling Patterson, Prestage or Hebert conservatives is a disservice to the term.