VOL 3 No. 35
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FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2010
P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
School board member’s Facebook irks FBISD By SESHADRI KUMAR One of the newly-elected Fort Bend ISD Trustees, Jim Babb, has announced that he may resign due to health reasons. In his Facebook page, Babb last week reported that he faced a major health issue that could affect his performance as a school trustee. In an abridged version of his previous post on Facebook, Babb said: I am currently experiencing several serious medical issues that had caused me to consider the possibility of having to step down from the BOT. However, I believe it is important to have as much community representation on this board as possible, not to suggest that there is none at this time. As I said in the previous post, there are some good, honest and decent people on this B.O.T and I will stand by the side of any board member I feel is truly there to represent the interests and concerns of the community. Hence, as long as I am able, I will remain on the BOT. The same day, Babb wrote elsewhere on the page thus : Unfortunately, the superintendent and board president have forced me to consider involving the media as well as the legal system for issues that should be simple and routine request. I now understand the concerns of those I once thought to be slightly paranoid and conspiratorially minded. Even in the absence of any wrongdoing, the way some in this administration conduct business, simply invites suspicion.
Babb Asked to comment on Babb’s above cited comment, Superintendent Tim Jenney said, “It is not my practice to comment about personal statements made by individual board members.” Babb was elected in May and he has been in office for about three months. He created a new trend by keeping his Facebook page active even after his election. Babb’s perception of open communication with his constituents appears to be in conflict with the FBISD’s policy of keeping a tight rein on communication from the school district. Only the board president and the superintendent are authorized to speak to the media. This policy, however, does not prevent any board member from speaking his or her own mind, but such an approach is neither encouraged nor appreciated by the establishment. Any trustee who tries to
communicate directly with the people would be in peril and Babb’s case seems to be the same. On Aug. 20, Babb had the following post on his page: Read between the lines on this one. The comments and/ or postings on this website are the views and opinion of the poster and do not reflect the views and opinions of FBISD. FBISD does not endorse any of the comments posted on this website. In his original discussion, Babb had made some serious statements reflecting poorly on the board. “My greatest concern about resigning my position is the following. Should the May election add another community voice to the board, rather than a hand-picked successor, he or she will be in the same circumstance as I now find myself. Much more could be accomplished with an additional community voice.” “Having witnessed the attitude and behavior of this superintendent, as well as some FBISD board members, in closed session as well as other instances, I realize now more than ever the imminent need for more community representation on the FBISD board,” he wrote. “Let me make it clear that I am not in any way alleging nefarious behavior or illegal activity. I believe that most of the current board members are good, honest and decent people. However, I believe the community perspective is currently under-represented.” Attempts to reach Babb were unsuccessful at press time.
HYATT PLACE SUGAR LAND’S GENERAL MANAGER. Woodbine Development Corporation and Hyatt Place Sugar Land recently hosted a Meet and Greet event at Post Oak Grill in Lake Pointe Town Center to introduce new General Manager Michael Gleeson to the Sugar Land community. The hotel is scheduled to open this November. Pictured left to right are City of Sugar Land Council Member Don Smithers, City of Sugar Land Mayor Pro Tem Thomas Abraham, City of Sugar Land Council Member Don Olson, Hyatt Place Sugar Land General Manager Michael Gleeson, Sugar Land City Council Member Russell Jones, Sugar Land Mayor James Thompson, Sugar Land City Council Member Jacqueline Baly-Chaumette, Hyatt Place Sugar Land Director of Sales Linda Cahue, Woodbine Development Corporation’s Director of Hyatt Place Development King Scovell and City of Sugar Land Manager Allen Bogard.
Local Tea Party joins “Restoring Honor” rally
Conference on “Innovative infrastructure”
About 300 people attended the Regional Infrastructure Conference titled “Innovative Infrastructure” and hosted by the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce held at the Safari Texas Ranch Ballroom on Aug. 27. Dr. Stephen Kleinberg of Rice University’s Institute for Urban Research, captivated the audience with the ever changing demographics of this region and what to expect from the latest census. “Houston is at the center of the most fundamental change the country has faced in the 21st century,” Klineberg said alluding to the Hispanic population replacing Anglos as the majority race in the region.
The Fort Bend County Tea Party met in front of Sugar Land city hall on 8/28 in support of the “Restoring Honor” rally at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. This event paid tribute to America’s service personnel and other outstanding citizens who embody the nation’s founding principles of integrity, truth and honor. Many members of Fort Bend County Tea Party flew to Washington, D.C. to attend the event which raised more than $5-million dollars for the Special Operations Warrior Foundation.
SMSD plans to cut tax rate Ned Holmes, left, Texas Transportation Commissioner and keynote speaker at the Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce’s Regional Infrastructure Conference, Bridget Yeung, chairman of the FBCC and Harish Jajoo, vice-chair of the Infrastructure Planning Division and conference chair.
New Homes Summer Special !! Hurry !! … Call Chinese Cowboy - Paul
By BARBARA FULENWIDER This year the $28-million budget and expected revenues of the Stafford Municipal School District budget are about the same as last year’s but there’s a big plum coming for taxpayers -- a proposed rate, to be approved later this month, that is 10 percent lower than last year’s. More students are enrolling in SMSD, which means the state has to pay the district more money to educate them, and because local revenues won’t be as much as last year’s, the district doesn’t have to send as much Robin Hood money to Austin to help fund Texas’ poorer school districts. “Our increased enrollment means we get to keep more of
our locally collected taxes,” SMSD Superintendent H.D. Chambers said. Chambers also explained that legislation passed in 2009 afforded SMSD the Chapter 41 midsize adjustment. “Because we are a Robin Hood (Chapter 41) school district, we weren’t receiving an adjustment in the funding formula that all the other districts were getting. Once we got that, it increased our revenues but it took legislative action to get it.” All of this bodes well for taxpayers who may be struggling in a depressed economy. The 2011 $28-million budget for Stafford Municipal School District (SMSD) was unanimously approved by trustees and city council at a joint meet-
10701 Corporate Drive, #282, Stafford, TX 77477 Mailing Address: P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, TX 77487 Seshadri Kumar Publisher & Editor
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Fort Bend Independent, (USPS 025-572) is published every Wednesday (for a subscription rate of $20 per year) by Fort Bend Independent, LLC., 10701 Corporate Dr., #282, Stafford, Texas 77477. Periodicals Postage Paid at Stafford, Texas. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Fort Bend Independent, P.O. Box 623, Sugar Land, Tx 77487.
ing on Aug. 26. The proposed tax rate will be voted on in late September or early October. It will be lower by 12 cents per $100 valuation -- $1.11 compared to last year’s tax rate of $1.23 per $100 valuation. In 2005 SMSD’s total tax rate was $1.686 per $100 valuation. A year later the tax rate dropped to $1.548 per $100 valuation, then to $1.25 for 2007 and $1.23 per $100 valuation in 2008 and 2009. Even with the lower tax rate, the 2010-11 budget includes a raise for all employees, full funding for continuing all academic and extra-curricular programs, funding for the district’s new Pharmacy Technician Certification program at Stafford High School and new dual language classes at Stafford Primary School. It also includes a surplus to be dedicated to increasing the district’s fund balance. SMSD’s taxable values went from $2,077 billion last year to $1,920 billion this year for a decrease of 7.59 percent. Local revenues are estimated to be $25,387,500 compared to $26 million last year. This year’s SMSD Robin Hood payment is estimated at $2,220,000 rather than last year’s $3,030,523.