A Texas House Legislative Subcommittee Monday approved Cameron County's legislative agenda item to tack on an additional $10 to the existing $20 optional "local fee" county residents pay.
The additional $10 would go to fund the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority.
That would allow the Cameron County Tax Assessor-Collector to add an additional $30 to a vehicle's registration fee and make the "local fee" the highest in the state.
Currently, $10 of the $20 local fee goes toward the Cameron County Road and Bridge Fund which pays for road crews, equipment, and associated materials and right-of-way costs. The other $10 goes toward funding the CCRMA. The proposed increase (up to $10) would go to the CCRMA.
It would make Cameron County's "local fee' the highest in the state depending on how high the commissioners court decides it wants to raise it.
But, bless their heart, the approval is hinged on the condition that the voters approve the hike through a referendum.
High-paid assistant county administrator David Garcia ($186,000 a year) and his assistant Arnold Flores helped to put together the county's legislative agenda.
Tucked into that agenda was the proposal (Bill HB 3126) to allow Cameron County to raise its current $20 fees on vehicle registrations an additional $10 for the Cameron County Regional Mobility Authority. The bill is being carried by Eddie Lucio III and was assigned to the House Committee on Transportation.
If it passes, the increased optional fees will be added to the registration costs on Sept. 1, 2013.
When Garcia found out that the House Committee on Transportation would only approve it with the caveat that the voters in the county vote on it in a referendum, he suggested to sponsor Lucio III that they drop it altogether. Then he suggested to Lucio that they accept that condition but that the eventual bill be presented to the full house without the referendum provision. In other words, to pull a fast one. Lucio III and County Judge Carlos Cascos put an end to that little stratagem.
According to an analysis on the information provided by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, "it is assumed that Cameron County would begin charging the additional Optional County Fee at the new
maximum rate of $20...which would apply to vehicle registration transactions processed on or after that date in fiscal year (FY) 2014."
Based on the applicability criteria,currently the provision would apply to Cameron County. A county with a population of more than 300,000 that borders the United Mexican States and has a municipality with a population of less than 300,000 could impose an additional fee not to exceed $20 (cap). Based on the applicability criteria, the provision would apply only to Cameron County. The new fee could be collected in addition to the existing optional county road and bridge fee authorized by Transportation Code, Section 502.401.
Cameron County would have approximately 290,314 registered vehicles in FY 2014 for an estimated revenue gain of $1.9 million increasing to 310,564 registered vehicles in FY 2018 for an estimated revenue gain of $3.0 million; with total revenues of $13.6 million in FY 2014–18."
During hearings on the bill, Larry Phillips, chairman of the House Committee on Transportation, voiced displeasure on the doubling of the optional RMA fee for Cameron County and county Judge Carlos Cascos suggested that perhaps the bill could be approved for legislative consideration if it was left up to the voters to decide whether to tax themselves $10 more per car fpr the RMA in addition to the existing $20 local fee plus their registration.
Will the voters of Cameron County vote to pay the top optional fee in the state for the bloated salaries of Garcia and his boss Pete Sepulveda ($200,000-plus)? Or will they wait until the double-dipping stops before they hand over more millions of tax dollars to that crew?
15 comments:
This is an attempt to pay for the proposed second causeway. Our money will go straight to HNTB Engineering.
Let me see...tax myself so we can pay a do nothing 186 thousand! Hell no! Fire that man, he has been at the tit for too long!
Little Eddie Sucio the Turd!!
Will he now spawn more little Sucio thieves!
OMG!!! How many generations must we be subjected to?
So what? You communists always bitch about paying, but you're good at taking. Get a job, Juan.
juanito, it's been $20 since January.
check out: http://ftp.txdmv.gov/pub/txdot-info/vtr/fees/fee_chart_1c.pdf
Highest vehicle (tuition) rates in one of the poorest counties in the state. We already said no to tuition fees and we will also vote no of vehicle rate increase. County could do better in job creation by hiring new personnel inatead of all the double-dipping going on. I don't see how those individuals can be in all those bridges at the same time along with all their other duties.
Come on county judge, wake up and smell the coffee and flowers.
To Anony @ 3:01, it is going to increase to $30, plus registration
Story never says that. Juan never uses the $30 figure.
Sorry, local fee is currently $20.00, $10 Road and Bridge + $10 RMA, the new bill increases one of the $10 fees to $20. The new local fee will be $30 if it is approved.
puro chile yikes sa no to david el manitas and pistol pete no no no no no no no no no. Juan you might want to ask pistol pete sepulveda why he ran away from the city of pharr where he was city manager,? answer? eh he lost the pharr international bridge, city had defaulted on the note and it was going to be taken away, thats why he left in a big hurry. puro trampa and fitted in well in cameron county el putz. and now he makes over $200k a year de mamon en cameron county, pleple dont really know he is a trampoline, snake in the grass, time to get rid of that dude. good riddance y apesta.
THIS IS COMPLETE BULLSHIT ON THE PART OF THE SUCIO III, LITTLE PETER AND MANITAS...COME ON VOTERS ITS TIME TO CHANGE THESE F--KS...
This is how Eddie III looks out for the people of Cameron County?
All I can say is that the idiot voters deserve what they are getting. Eddie Jr. proved over and over he is only in it for what he can get. Is it any surprise number III follows in his footsteps?
VOTE HELL NO!
juan ask pistol pete about his fiasco at the city of pharr witht he lost of the bridge, note was called in.
juan have you ask the professional manager of the county about his invovlement in the pharr internaional bridge deal gone sour yet? I beleive Cameron County taxpayers should really known who this pistol pete sepuveda clown really really really is and what desmadres he did in Pharr Texas, hey dont beleive me just call mayor Palacios and he will tell you.
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