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U.S. POSTAGE PAID STAFFORD, TX PERMIT NO.10
FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2010
Robust funding needed for mobility, says Transportation Commissioner Holmes By SESHADRI KUMAR An increase in gasoline tax, higher registration fees, toll roads with private investment, and tax based on vehicle miles travelled are among the potential steps that Texas residents may face to meet the transportation needs, Texas Transportation Commissioner Ned Holmes said last week. Increasing fuel efficiency of vehicles resulted in declining gasoline taxes and consequently declining revenue for transportation. The conflict between growing counties and stable counties heightened the tension in the legislature over the allocation of meager funds. The disparity was more pronounced in high growth areas like Precinct 3 in Fort Bend County, Holmes said. Holmes was the keynote speaker at the 13th annual breakfast with Fort Ben-
25 percent of vehicle registration and 15 percent other funds. By 2030, at the current rate, TxDOT would receive $206 billion. At least $487 billion will be needed to prevent congestion and $527 billion to reduce congestion. Thus the shortfall would be about $332 billion. Compared to this need, the federal stimulus fund was $2 billion. There is not enough money to address both the maintenance and the congestion needs and the state is developing some stop-gap, debtCommissioner Andy Meyers is joined by State Sen. Joan Huff- oriented funding. man and Texas Transportation Commissioner Ned Holmes at “We need a more robust soa breakfast meeting hosted by Meyers. lution and it may take three or drCounty Pct. 3 Commis- hear Holmes speak on the fu- four sessions of the Legislasioner Andy Meyers, held at ture mobility for Texas and ture,” Holmes said. “Self-help at local level is imperative in Safari Texas Ranch on Jan. Fort Bend County. 21. Currently TxDOT revenue the current scenario,” he said. Holmes felt that the fund About 600 people attended of $155 billion a year comthe fundraising event and to prises 60 percent of fuel tax, See MOBILITY, Page 3
Area sales tax receipts plummet By BARBARA FULENWIDER The Houston area economy may have diversified a lot but it’s still not enough to keep sales tax receipts from plummeting when the energy sector slows. Sales tax receipts collected during November have been reported this month by the state comptroller of public accounts and all the major towns in Fort Bend County collected fewer dollars in sales taxes for November 2009 than they did for November 2008. The biggest losers are Stafford, Meadows Place and Sugar Land. Stafford’s sales tax collections for November 2009 were $829,773 compared to $1,142,224 for November 2008 -- a 27.35 percent decrease. Meadows Place collected $72,886 this past November and $87,543 in November 2008 for a 16.74 decrease. Sugar Land, which has more retail than any other town in the county, collected $2,806,617 this past November in sales taxes and that same month in 2008 brought in $3,160,742. The difference for Sugar Land was a decrease of 11.20 percent. Stafford’s hit is the largest Mayor Leonard Scarcella said he remembers. Even during the 1986-90 Houston area economic downturn, he said
Stafford’s monthly sales tax collections were never more than 15 percent down. When asked what a town can do to turn that around, he said, “I think we’re just going to have to hold on by our fingernails. We can’t print money like the federal government and there’s nothing that’s really getting people excited about investing.” Where the sales tax drop occurred was in manufacturing, wholesaling, warehousing and the service sector. Retail actually increased some in the month that kicks off buying gifts for the holidays. The mayor said, “There’s so little that local government can do. We can’t change tax policy or pump money into any kind of stimulus or grants. We just hope other factors catch up, such as the world economy picking up a bit or they start drilling for oil in Russia again, etc. I blame this recession on Wall Street and these derivatives and all that kind of investing. That’s what has brought us all to our knees.” Scarcella said the basic economy has “turned around but not by some huge amount. It hit bottom and is coming back but it doesn’t have any traction. So many small businesses are in trouble and they can’t get loans. So many of the local banks are having trou-
10701 Corporate Drive, #282, Stafford, TX 77477 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, TX 77487 Seshadri Kumar www.fbindependent.com Publisher & Editor 281-980-6745 Fort Bend Independent is published every Wednesday (for a subscription rate of $20 per year) by Fort Bend Independent, LLC., 10701 Corporate Dr., #282, Stafford, Texas 77477. Periodical postage application pending. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Fort Bend Independent, P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, Tx 77487.
ble. The silver lining in this is that in Texas we don’t have as many housing foreclosures as they do in other states, such as Michigan and Ohio.” Nevertheless, “the recovery will be a very slow process,” he said. In Texas, the mayor said, in the mid-l980’s, “it took five years for us to regain the economic vitality that we had in 1986. Some of the same forces were at play then. The energy industry was taking it on the chops. For us in the oil patch this recession today is almost a rewrite of that script of the ’86 downturn.” Other towns that saw a decrease in sales tax receipts for
P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
Chamber Chairman’s Ball
The Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce held its annual Chairman’s Ball on Saturday, Jan. 16 at 3 Sugar Creek Center in Sugar Land to celebrate the incoming and outgoing leaders and volunteers of the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce. Harish Jajoo, center, infrastructure divison chair of the chamber, was recognized as the volunteer of the year. Jajoo, a member of the Sugar Land Planning and Zoning Commission, is also active in the Exchange Club of Sugar Land. He is flanked by the outgoing chamber chairman Kolbe Curtice, left, and incoming chair, Bridget Yeung, at the gala. Below, Nicole Hill, left, Ann Smith, Kelli Metzenthin, Chris Breaux, Brenda Pullen and Jean Goff have a great time on the dance floor and say “Oh, what a night.”
November 2009 compared to that same month two years ago were Missouri City down 6.94 percent; Richmond down 2.55 percent, and Rosenberg down 8.50 percent. Total sales tax collections this past November for all towns in Fort Bend County were $5,333,265 compared to $6,157,950 in November 2008 for a 13.39 percent total decrease. Sales tax statistics for the four east Fort Bend County towns and Richmond and Rosenberg show that all but Missouri City have a current sales tax rate of two percent. Missouri City has a 1 percent rate.
Elliott, Roxie in GOP primary for District Judge
SPELLING BEES. Fort Bend ISD’s Sugar Mill Elementary School students Shilpa George and Jolene Chao were recently named winners of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, their school’s annual spelling competition. George earned first place, and Chao earned second place in the competition. The pronouncer of the spelling bee was Beth Graham, principal at Sugar Mill Elementary. Jimmy Thompson, Mayor of the City of Sugar Land; and Linda Marsters, former principal of Sugar Mill Elementary, served as judges. Shilpa will advance to the Fort Bend County Spelling Bee, which will be held Feb. 20 at Briscoe Junior High School in Richmond. If Shilpa cannot fulfill her responsibility, Chao will take her place in the upcoming competition. Pictured (front, from left) is: Jolene Chao (second-place winner), Shilpa George (first-place winner); and (back, from left) Linda Marsters, spelling bee judge and former principal of Sugar Mill Elementary School; Beth Graham, spelling bee pronouncer and current principal of Sugar Mill Elementary; and Jimmy Thompson, Mayor of the City of Sugar Land.
Elliott
Roxie
Incumbent Judge Brady G. Elliott of the 268th District Court of Fort Bend County, is facing Richmond attorney Roxie Roll in the March 2 Republican Primary. Elliott has served for over 20 years as judge of this Court.
Elliott has been recognized by the State Bar of Texas with a Presidential Commendation for leadership in improving justice in Texas; designated a class facilitator for the National Judicial College and
Introducing the new Back Pain Program at Memorial Hermann Sugar Land. You don’t have to live with pain
It’s time to start experiencing relief with a personalized treatment plan from our new comprehensive Back Pain program. Our skilled health team specializes in joint and back pain, offering both minimally invasive surgical techniques and non invasive treatments. To learn more, call 281.725.5225 or visit SugarLandBackPain.com.
See Judge, Page 4