By Juan Montoya
This item, thrown into the consent agenda at Tuesday's meeting of the Cameron County Commissioners Court, was about to sail through when questions arose about whether the lucrative contract had gone out for bids or for Requests For Proposals (RFPs).
The delinquent tax contract for many entities (schools, community colleges, navigation, drainage, irrigation, etc.) is a highly lucrative one. Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson is one of the biggest firms (if not the biggest) who stays in business buying elected officials to lobby the property-taxing entities in their districts through retainer or through generous campaign contributions during their reelection.
Numerous elected officials locally receive this contributions during election time and so far the firm has been successful in retaining their contracts with the different entities. County Judge Eddie Treviño has been the beneficiary of their largess and State Rep. Rene Oliveira not only gets money from them, but also is on retainer to lobby for them.
In fact, local blogger Jim Barton wrote that: "Oliveira's real employer, Linebarger, Goggan, Blair and Sampson, LLP, assessed him as a drunken little pawn that could generate more income for the statewide tax recovery law firm. Oliveira, in a brief moment of sobriety, orchestrated a single bill through the Texas House of Representatives, increasing Linebarger's take on the collection of delinquent taxes by 2.5 percent."
This Tuesday, when the consent item to give Linebarger, Goggan, Blair & Sampson a three-year extension on their existing contract was questioned by Pct. 2 commissioner Alex Dominguez, the question arose on whether the item was an option for renewal or whether it was for a new contract.
When Purchasing Agent Michael Forbes could not give Dominguez a straight answer, court counsel Dylbia Jeffereies Vega asked the court to await their research. Later, Dominguez learned that the item was for a new three-year contract with options to renew.
"We were told by purchasing that the contract for delinquent taxes had not been sent out for bids or RFPs since 2011," Dominguez said. "If we go out for bids we might even get a better deal for the county."
The item was tabled and it could be sent out for bids (or RFPs) to get a better deal for the county.
8 comments:
Hooray.
Finally.
Who needs them.
Delinquent tax lawyers are leaches.
Did you know real estate taxes are permanently attached to property and don't need a to collect them?
Just sell your house and you'll have to settle up any back taxes due upon closing.
Now personal property taxes are another matter.
If the Cameron County Appraisal District could work on proper assessments and the delinquent tax collection agencies would concentrate on collecting these taxes then that might make a collection contract worth while.
Personal property taxes are limited to a statue of limitations.
If the county doesnt colkect them in five years they are written off.
So the Cameron County Appraisal District could consider reassessing the personal property taxes on doctos offices, businesses imventory and then have the new assessments collected by the delinquent tax agency.
If this eas done properly we wouldnt need a 11 per cent increase in the BISD taxes.
Its a job for county to address properly.
I am glad to see they are starting to investigate all angles of this item.
Isn't that the same firm that has a contract with the city of San Benito ? Isn't that the same firm that has contributed campaign funds to some of their elected officials when they seek re-election ? Things that make you go HMMM.
The county and BISD use the "old" collections firm because they, as was said here, provide lots of campaign contributions to candidates for office, especially incumbents. Time to drain the swamp!
Tony Yzaguirre is involved with this firm corruption and Tomas Yarrington.
Tony Yzaguirre is involved with this firm corruption and involved with Tomas
Yarrington.
I hear they invite politicians that have approved contracts with them to hunting trips and sports games, even to gambling casinos. You figure it out.
Who do you think pays for my cocaine and booze you morons, stated the Black Mamba Rene Oliviera, as he stares into his empty glass. Stick with me as I am untouchable, no Fajita for me, i only take cash. now give the tax contract to my people, then go and put your X by SCUMBAG. The Black Mamba.
tony the tiger gets donations from these tax collecting firms ever year he runs, plus they buy all kinds of tickets for his fundraisers all the time. So who is bought and sold for the last 30 plus years? tonythe tiger plus many other elected officials like rene ojete,sucio lucio, gilberto hinojosa, magallanes etc etc etc, juan check it out.
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