BILL FISHER: THE BEST COMMISSIONERS MONEY CAN BUY

By Juan Montoya
Why would a tax-credit, low-income housing developer from Dallas throw in $7,500 to keep two incumbents on the City of Brownsville Commission?
The last contribution and expenditure reports indicate that Bill Fisher, of Naples Investments, has thrown in an additional $2,500 to try to help District 4 commissioner John Villarreal keep his seat. This report was due eight days before the election.

Gowen, incumbent of the At-Large "B" seat  is facing challenger Erasmo Castro. Villarreal is facing retired Chief Municipal Judge Ben Neece.

On last contribution report, At-Large "B" commissioner Rose Gowen reported she received $5,000 from Fisher. In her latest report, she said she received $1,000 from Ambiotec's Carlos Marin, and $2,000 from OP 10.33's Michael Hernandez.

Fisher and his company, as we have noted in the past, have set up development companies such as Naples and its housing management firms, to entice investors (banks, etc.) to apply for dollar-for-dollar tax credits through the federal government's Low Income House Tax Credits which is included in the 1986 Tax Reform Act of the Internal Revenue Service to encourage investment in affordable low-income housing.

(In the photo above, Fisher, at right, is seen at the ribbon-cutting ceremony to a new affordable-housing development in Brownsville. The woman in the middle is District 3 commissioner Deborah Portillo, who chose not to run for reelection.)

Fisher has been successful in developing this type of housing elsewhere – in particular in Dallas – where he ran afoul of the law when he got involved with city commissioners and to whom he admitted to the FBI that he paid them thousands to "facilitate" his projects in their city. He then cut a deal and agreed to wear a "wire" resulting in some of them were indicted and convicted to taking bribes.

Lately, he has been active in creating these type of housing development here and then getting securing contracts from the Brownsville Housing Authority to manage them after they have been built. With millions in the balance, it's obvious that he would rather have the incumbents stay in power and not chance it with independent candidates that he cannot control. Apparently, Gowen and Villarreal fit the bill.

A local Realtor contacted us after we first posted this article and told us that Fisher is active in similar projects throughout the Rio Grande Valley and is not above greasing a few palms to get his way.

An interesting side note to the Villarreal-Neece race was their participation in a recent forum held by the Brownsville Police Officers Association. Villarreal criticized Neece for letting defendants make payment plans for traffic fines, and for making extensive use of community service in lieu of fines. Villarreal claimed that community service was costing Brownsville money.

Neece responded that Villarreal, who received $1,000 contribution from Linebarger Goggan Blain and Sampson, was looking out for the bottom lines of that company who receives a commission from the city to collect delinquent taxes and not for the people of the city.