COUNTY ASSISTANCE DISTRICT VOTERS STAY AWAY IN DROVES: COULD POTENTIALLY PROVIDE RURAL SERVICES AT NO COST

By Juan Montoya

With so much riding in a little-noticed special election, Cameron County rural voters are staying away in droves from the ballot to establish a countywide Assistance District that could bring street lighting, bus shelters, better roads, and other basic necessities at no cost to residents in the unincorporated areas.

The 2017 Special Election to create Assistance Districts that would allow the county to increase the sales tax in services and good in the areas outside cities jurisdictions from 6 cents to 8.25 cents per $1 – the same as within the cities – could potentially generate up to $950,000 annually for rural improvements.

County Administrator David Garcia and his assistant Xavier Villarreal say they are pulling out all the stops to generate interest in the voters. But so far, with three days into the 10-day early voting period before the Nov. 7 general election, the turnout has been underwhelming.

"We're reaching out to those subdivisions and colonias where the lighting has already been installed and asking them to get out the vote," Garcia said. "It's a way to provide those areas outside the cities with street lighting, more security, better roads, and do it without raising their property taxes."

So far, however, of 38,473 registered voters in the unincorporated areas, less than 100 – 89 as of Friday morning – had bothered to cast their votes.

City dwellers know that if they want public services such as street lighting, better roads, security, etc., they taxes to get them.

But with a two-cent increase in sales taxes, Cameron County commissioners think it's a way that will help rural area residents the most and hurt everyone else the least.

Instead of raising property taxes or implement a surcharge on residents, the Assistance District will be funded by an additional two cents on purchases in the businesses in the outlying areas, equaling what you already pay in the cities.

It's nothing to sneeze at.
With the district's proposed 2-cent sales tax it be the same sales-tax rate levied by most cities in the county and the maximum allowed is 8.25 percent. If you made a $10.00 purchase of products eligible for sales tax you would pay a total of $10.83, the same amount as you would pay in the cities of Brownsville, Harlingen, and most other cities in the county.

The State Comptroller’s Office estimates that the eligible sales in the proposed rural district could total as much as $47,500,000 in sales which could generate up to $950,000 annually for rural improvements.

What are among the greatest needs of the rural residents of Cameron County?
Commissioners have discovered that many subdivisions (and colonias) want street lights to be installed in their communities. In the past, each resident was assessed a surcharge to pay for the lights, causing some residents to grumble or killing the idea altogether.

Only residents living in the voting precincts in the outlying areas can vote in this one. So if you live in  those areas that are within territories of any one of the 17 cities, towns, or villages within the county you will not find that in your ballot for constitutional propositions.

Those living within the cities of Brownsville, Harlingen, San Benito, Los Fresnos, La Feria, Port Isabel, Ranch Viejo, City of South Padre Island, Laguna Vista, Bayview, Combes, Primera, Santa Rosa, Los Indios, Rio Hondo, Rangerville, Palm Valley and Indian Lake cannot vote on the measure.

A county assistance district is a governmental body created through an election by a majority vote of the registered voters within a described area. Registered voters decide on whether to implement a sales tax on eligible sales within the district to fund improvements or programs.

A district may use funds in the rural areas for (1) the provision of services that benefit the public health or welfare, including the provision of street lights, mosquito spraying, disaster response and fire prevention services; (2) the construction, maintenance, or improvement of roads; (3) the provision of law enforcement and detention services; (4) the maintenance or improvement of
libraries, museums, parks, or other recreational facilities; or (5) the promotion of economic development and tourism.

Election Day is November 7, 2017, but residents can vote early. Early voting began this Monday. A listing of polling places where they can cast their vote will be published in the Brownsville Herald and Valley Morning Star and also on the Cameron County website: http://co.cameron.tx.us/administration/elections_voter_registration/index.php

For more information contact your county commissioner or County Administrator David A. Garcia, at 1100 E. Monroe St., in Brownsville, or call 956-982-5414.