Posted on 02/04/2003 10:23:16 AM PST by PetroniDE
The defeat of a Fort Bend school district bond issue was so unforeseen that even the measure's main opponent expressed surprise Monday.
The proposal was one of three bond issues Saturday for Houston suburban voters. Residents in Mont Belvieu rejected a water and sewer measure while those in Friendswood approved bonds for street and park improvements.
The largest proposal was a $399.4 million measure to build new schools and do renovations for the Fort Bend school district.
The measure had strong support from civic leaders. And since no school bond had been defeated since 1969, there were few clues this one would turn out differently.
"I was very surprised it was defeated," acknowledged school board member Naomi Lam, who opposed the measure.
Voter apathy and Lam's opposition to the measure were cited as reasons the proposal lost 3,028 to 2,707.
"We were all just stunned and shocked," said school board president Steve Smelley.
Lam urged residents to defeat the issue, saying it was too large and that it would saddle the district with long-term debt.
Lam said she would support a bond issue of $250 million to $300 million.
Fort Bend Chamber of Commerce President Louis Garvin described voter turnout as "dismal."
"I think the majority of the people were for the passage. I don't think they were motivated to get out and vote," he said Monday.
Smelley said it would probably be at least nine months to a year before a new proposal could be placed on the ballot.
In the meantime, Smelley said the district must find ways to handle student population growth without building schools.
"I know we don't have any money to put up temporary buildings on the campuses that are extremely overcrowded," he said.
The district expects the student body to increase from 58,400 to 67,399 by 2006. To cope with the growth, officials wanted to use bonds to build seven schools.
With those plans suddenly being put on hold, school district spokeswoman Mary Ann Simpson said officials will consider other ways to cope with the expanding student population.
Simpson said the district may have to rezone schools in order to move students from crowded schools to facilities that might have vacancies.
Smelley said he could not speculate on the amount of the next bond issue.
Meanwhile, for a second time, a $24 million bond package in Mont Belvieu in Chambers County was defeated in what opponents called a financial gold mine for developers at taxpayers' expense.
Mont Belvieu Mayor Lonnie Follis said the money was needed for improvements to his town's water and sewer system. The system has not seen significant improvements in 20 years.
But a key opponent, Angel Coon, said a large chunk of the proposal would be used to buy land and build a large sewer line along Eagle Drive to provide sewer service for four proposed subdivisions on land "where there are only cows now."
"It is insane for a town this size to be spending that kind of money on a water and sewer system," said Coon.
More than twice as many voters came to the polls Saturday to defeat the bond issue for a second time by a vote of 276 to 225. The first time it was rejected by a six-vote margin, authorities said.
If the bond proposal had passed, the city's tax rate was projected to increase by 37 percent, or 14 cents, by 2006. The current rate is 37 cents per $100 valuation.
"The council will meet and see what we should do now," Follis said. "Maybe do something on a smaller scale."
In Friendswood, voters approved bond propositions totaling $20.1 million that included money for major work at a city park and street and drainage renovations.
SMALLER SCALE ????? Why didn't you think of that in the first place ????
Fort Bend is a conservative county; still this was a big surprise. Even some of the teachers were against it.
The idiot property owners rubber stamp every increase like it is averting the end of the world.
The Fort Bend story is a case where it failed. I wonder how they did it, or was it just luck?
Congratulations to Fort Bend district voters.
How many times can one Curmudgeon vote??
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