GRASSROOTS AND LIVE OAKS
A daily walk with Mary Ruth in Brazoria County

Hello, I'm Mary Ruth Rhodenbaugh of Wild Peach, Texas. My grandfather and father were both county commsissioners in Brazoria County. I want to follow in their footsteps and represent the people of precinct 4 on Commissioners Court. Join me here for my daily campaign observations, announcements and ramblings. Let's make our county as good for everyone, every day, as it was for me growing up here in the place where Texas began...

Monday, May 29, 2006

remarks at CO workshop

I want to thank the court for holding this workshop today.
Your forum will provide the taxpayers of Brazoria County with
a better understanding of the proposal to issue $13 million in certificates of obligation.

Without going into the merits of the requested spending, I wish to point out for the record that if the proposal goes forward, this court will have imposed $24 million of debt on the taxpayers, without their approval, in the last three years.

And, we are all aware that the State of Texas is requesting that Brazoria County provide roughly $150 million in funding for the Highway 36 widening project. On top of this we will have to pay on the $50 million bond debt which was approved for road mobility last year. There are also other outstanding bonds that must be paid down.

Now, these debt obligations are based on the premise that the rate of population increases we have experienced in the last few years will continue
and that annual property valuations will continue to skyrocket.

If the projected growth is not realized, due to adverse economic conditions or
a more restrictive cap on valuation increases is approved by the legislature next year,
we could find ourselves in the very uncomfortable position of being forced to raise the tax rate on already overburdened taxpayers…in order to pay these bond liabilities.

I only ask that you exercise caution in your deliberations on whether it is prudent to impose this additional debt on the taxpayers without their approval.
I personally do not think it is wise or fair to do so.

Again, I thank each of you for holding this workshop today.