PETITION GAINING MOMENTUM: TRASH IN, TRASH OUT

...In a way, it is ironic, Sorola said, that the citizens of Brownsville are not only paying for the $9.4 million in new debt through their property taxes and their trash collection charges, but that some of that money will be dumped into the money pit that Charlie Atkinson's Sports Park has become.

By Juan Montoya

With less than a month for Moses Sorola and his supporters to gather 4,000 signatures to prevent the City of Brownsville Commission from issuing $9.4 million in debt without consulting the voters, the effort to gather the signatures is gaining momentum.
Already, scores of supporters are scouring the city seeking signatures from registered voters in town. We had reported before that Sorola would sue the city as he did when he successfully stopped the commissioners from continuing to receive benefits that the city charter did not authorize.
Sorola's suit came after commissioners continued to have taxpayers pay for more than $300,000 in insurance premiums since 2000 – not including medical claim payments – to cover those officials and their families. Also, commissioners accepted a $3oo monthly car allowance without any record-keeping required to prove that they had spent that amount using their personal automobiles.
Now, as he contemplates the effort required to gather the signatures, he feels confident that he and his supporters will be successful in that endeavor, too.
"It would cost between $10,000 to $20,000 if we were to go to court to stop them from issuing the certificates of obligation," he said. "But the law on certificates of obligation says that if we can gather the signatures of at least 5 percent of the registered voters in the city, we can force the commission to hold an election and consult with the taxpayers on whether they want to incur any more debt."

Unless the signatures are collected and presented by then, any taxpayer will have to foot the bill and sue the city in court before that date.

In the case of the certificates of obligation, the commissioners plan two issuances totaling $9.4 million, including $3.3 million for Charlie Atkinson's sports park, and another $6.4 million for the relocation of rail lines, landfill site improvements, library roof repairs and the purchase of right-of-ways, patrol vehicles and traffic control equipment.
The city published the notice of intent to issue the certificates June 18, will do so again June 25, and will authorize them July 20.
Under the petition provision, Sorola and his supporters need a total of 3,800 signatures – 5 percent of the city's 75,828 registered voters – to stop the issuances and force an election.
According to Sorola. the only way the city can be stopped from issuing the new debt is to file the petition before the announced issuance date. In this case that is July 20.
"That means that we have to hand in the signatures by July 19," he said. "I think it's doable."
Although the city charter mandates an election before issuing debt, the city is relying on a decision by the Texas Attorney General that states that even though the issuance is contrary to the charter, it can be issued unless the voters contest it.
The city intends to pay part of the $9.4 million using future property-tax revenues. But it also lists income from the city landfill as part of the payment sources. Why?

There is good reason it is listed as a source. The landfill – a yearly moneymaker for the city at between $5 to $6 million annually – is being purchased by the city from the Brownsville Navigation District on a 20-year contract. The port negotiated that deal after the city failed to keep up on its payments.

Now the commissioners, by including some improvements at the landfill, can use that source of revenue, even if they don't own the land outright. However, no one can say whether – if the sanitary landfill income isn't enough – trash collection rates might also increase.

In a way, it is ironic, Sorola said, that the citizens of Brownsville are not only paying for the new debt through their property taxes and their trash collection charges, but that some of that money will be dumped into the money pit that Charlie Atkinson's Sports Park has become.

"It's like trash in, trash out," he said. "Like throwing good money after bad."

And speaking of Atkinson, it was him who at one time wanted to annex the Port of Brownsville because he said the navigation district did not contribute to the finances of the city. It's ironic that now the very facility that he is trying to use to continue his pet project will be funded by the very largess that the port provided the city when it sold the landfill to the municipality for the song of a Mexican crow.

Sorola said that he is contemplating new methods of reaching Brownsville's registered voters without having to go out to stores and malls to collect their signatures.

"We are exploring other avenues to make the deadline," he said. "I'm keeping my office open on Saturdays so people can come in and sign the petition, but we think we can come up with better ideas."

If you want to support the petition , you can call 542-1050 or call for forms at the ABC office at 2355 Barnard St.