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VOL 12 No.
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FORT BEND FAIR. BALANCED. INFORMATIVE. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2019
P. O.BOX 623, SUGAR LAND, TX 77487-0623
Official newspaper of Fort Bend County & Missouri City
Court appoints guardian for County’s $390 million budget offers a 0.4 cent cut in tax rate the Sugar Land #95
By SESHADRI KUMAR The fate of the 95 bodies unearthed from an unmarked cemetery in a Fort Bend ISD school property in Sugar Land is back under litigation. A day after the school district sought to withdraw the pending lawsuit in the court of Fort Bend County District Judge Jim Shoemake on July 25, the judge appointed a noted attorney, Scott West, as the “guardian ad litem” for the 95 bodies. West is expected to move for a temporary injunction on Tuesday, Aug. 6, preventing the school district from reburying the bodies without the court’s approval. West told this paper the school district got the court’s permission to remove the bodies and the district has to obtain the court’s permission to re-bury them. West said his obligation is to ensure that the bodies are reburied properly and the process should be done in a very open and transparent manner, with the knowledge of not only those having an interest in the remains, but that of the general public as well. The supposed agreement between the school district and Fort Bend County should also be approved by the court, according to West. A spokesperson for the
FBISD filed a Supplemental Mandamus proceeding in the Court of Appeals seeking to stop Scott West from representing the interests of the Sugar Land 95. “The Court of Appeals issued a Stay (Hold Order) on my appointment, so I cannot file or present the TRO. I will be filing a Response in the Court of Appeals within five days,” West told Fort Bend Independent Monday might. school district last week promised cash payment of $1 clarified that “the District filed a million to the county, Tuesday non-suit with the District court, in a closed session. With the which essentially dismissed appointment of the Guardian the lawsuit, last Thursday, July ad litem, the county has to deal 25. While we do not yet know with the court before it reaches the implication of the court’s any agreement with the school appointment of the ad litem, district. our negotiations with the county In the matter of “Abandoned continue. Fort Bend ISD is and Unverified Historical moving forward with plans to Cemetery Located on that reinter as the negotiations with Certain Parcel of Land Owned the county continue.” by the Fort Bend Independent Fort Bend County School District,” the school Commissioners Court is district filed the Notice of Non- By SESHADRI KUMAR scheduled to consider the latest Suit because petitioner Fort Bend Fort Bend County Commisoffer of the school district, Independent School District sioners Court on Thursday See CEMETERY, Page 3 made an about turn, abandoned which excludes the originally the much-discussed Facilities Bond, and chose to call for a bare bones flood mitigation bond election for about $75 million. The bond amount will help cover the local match required to leverage $233 million in flood mitigation projects primarily funded from Federal grants. These projects were established to fix the damages incurred during the 2015 floods, the 2016 floods, and Hurricane Harvey in 2017, as well as some ongoing projects of repair and maintenance by the drainage district. What made the commissioners change their mind to drop the facilities and mobilities projects from the initially projected $260 million bond Tour Choirboys James Yen and Braden Abdulla. election? Photo by Terri Cannon Public opinion and community perception that If the young boy in your life from 6:30 p.m. – 7:15 p.m., flood mitigation is its only is not yet eight years of age, beginning October 8 and ending and top priority caused the Fort Bend Boys Choir also December 3 at the First United Commissioner Vincent Morales holds Music Magic classes for Methodist Church Missouri and Commissioner Ken R. six and seven year old boys. City. DeMerchant who were working This enrichment program On Saturday, December 7, on the bond proposal to brings music alive through Music Magic will sing with all recommend an exclusive flood movement, musical games, the treble choirs at their annual mitigation bond, dropping all singing and other activities. Christmas Musicale! facilities, parks and mobility Boys learn about rhythm Call the Fort Bend Boys projects for a future date. awareness and pitch matching Choir office at (281) 240-3800 Commissioner Andy Meyers in addition to developing large for more details and to schedule gave credit to the hard work done muscle coordination, better a date and time for an audition by these two commissioners and musicianship and increased or to sign up for Music Magic. County Judge KP George for focus. The best part is that there You can also visit their website recognizing the community’s are NO auditions for this class! at www.fbbctx.org as well as priority. In its 23rd season, Music Magic their Facebook page, YouTube “Commissioner Grady will meet on Tuesday evenings channel or Twitter. Prestage was unable to join
Know a Boy Who Loves to Sing?
Do you have a young boy in your life who loves music and singing? Is he always singing around the house, in the car or accompanying radio tunes? These are all big signs that you need to contact the Fort Bend Boys Choir of Texas and make an audition appointment! Open auditions for the Fort Bend Boys Choir’s 38th concert season are ongoing by special appointment. Auditions for entry into one of their treble choirs (for unchanged voices) are free and held at the First United Methodist Church-Missouri City, 3900 Lexington Blvd., Missouri City. Boys should be eight years old or going into the third grade for the 2019-2020 school year. Scholarships and payment plans are available in addition to carpool assistance. Weekly rehearsals are on Thursday evenings and the new season kicks off August 22 from 6:30 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. Life change happens when you participate in music and young boys in the Fort Bend Boys Choir can attest to that. They become leaders and develop time management skills, self-confidence, selfesteem and citizenship. Each boy plays an integral role in the organization’s success. There are no benchwarmers or substitutes in choir!
By SESHADRI KUMAR Fort Bend County’s property tax rate has not increased in 19 years, and decreased 3.58 cents in the past six years. The 2020 budget to be presented this week will keep up the tradition of a tax rate cut, however small it may be. Budget Director Pamela Gubbels is expected to recommend to Commissioner Court this week a budget of $281.57 million, with a proposed total tax rate of 46 cents per $100 valuation. The current total tax rate is 46.40 cents, marking a fourtenths of a cent tax rate cut. A one cent tax brings about $7 million in revenue to the county. The 0.4 cent tax cut means the county will forego about $2.8 million in tax revenue. Fort Bend County’s net assessed value is $71.1 billion and the estimated tax revenue is $321.7 million. The tax cut does not mean the taxpayers will pay less this year in taxes because the increase in
The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States & Canada recently awarded Fort Bend County with the “Distinguished Budget Presentation Award” for its 2019 budget. The County’s Director of Finance and Investments, Pamela Gubbels, shared the honor with Commissioner Vincent Morales, County Judge KP George and Commissioner Andy Meyers. property valuation will wipe out including the General Fund, the Debt Service Fund, the the proposed tax reduction. In 1992, the tax rate was Road and Bridge Fund and the 66 cents per $100 of property Drainage District, has either been reduced, or held steady. or valuation. For the last 21 years, 14 of those years, the rate has See BUDGET, Page 3 since 1998, the total tax rate,
County abandons facilities bond; sticks to flood mitigation projects us in person today due to a family matter out of state, but he contributed to the meeting via FaceTime and made several suggestions that we will work to incorporate to the bond package in its final form,” said Meyers. Commissioner Meyers was the first and the only commissioner who expressed concern over the facilities bond proposal because in his precincts flood mitigation and mobility projects were needed. Meyers immediately held a couple of public meetings and conducted an online survey. Precinct 3 constituents overwhelmingly supported flood mitigation projects, followed by mobility projects. His views were reinforced during public meetings and surveys. Commissioner DeMerchant also cited the meetings he had with some of the city mayors who preferred flood mitigation projects over facilities. When discussions began, initially Meyers did not have any facility projects and other commissioners did not have any mobility projects or flood mitigation projects Early on, after the first workshop on the facility bonds, Commissioner Morales withdrew a $23 million mutlipurpose center at the county fairgrounds, though a feasibility study had been conducted previously. He felt the timing for the project was not appropriate when the county needed other priority projects. Some of the high value projects included in the nowdefunct facilities bond were
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a $23 million Emergency Management Center, which was scaled down to $17 million. County Judge George was keen on having this type of facility, while Commissioners Morales and DeMerchant recommended a littler smaller building at a cost of $12 million. George did not want to compromise on this project. The biggest ticket item was the juvenile detention center for $30 million for a projected increase in juvenile detainees from 75 to 100. DeMerchant had proposed a new office building for $6.5 million and another $2.8 million for the proposed memorial/ exhibition park at the Sugar Land 95 cemetery. PCt. 2 Commissioner Grady Prestage proposed the FBC Youth Sports Activity Center for $12 million, Parks South Post Oak Football Complex$3 million, Missouri City Gym $2.5 million, Kitty Hollow Expansion/Upgrades $2 million, Mission Bend Passive Park $1 million and Blue Ridge Park Renovation $1 million. And for repairs & upgrades to parks countywide, another $8 million. Subsequently, mobility projects worth $36 million, with the caveat that the county will go for another mobility bond next year. All these were put on the backburner after the commissioners realized the political reality that a facilities bond may not pass muster with the public and wisely chose to call for a flood mitigation bond.