As utility-savings efforts are intensified by the administration and trustees of the Brownsville Independent School District, they are strongly hinting that they may have to warn the City of Brownsville that the continued artificial rates hiked to pay for the Tenaska may lead to legal action.
The members of the Brownsville Public Utility Board cannot raise rates or incur debt on their own. The pproval must come from a majority of the city commission.
Although BISD sources say that no formal discussions have been held between the district trustees, it is obvious that even impressive reductions in electric and water usage by the district have been neutralized - and negated - by the hikes instituted by the BPUB from 2012 through 2016, and which have remained at those levels since.
As a result, even though the BISD lowered its electric consumption from 84,437,519 kilowatt hours in 2012 to 80,437,519 kilowatt hours in 2018 - a 3,503,411 reduction, or about five percent - it still paid $1,189,535 more to the city utility in 2018 than it did in 2012.
And even though its water consumption has dropped from 407,024 gallons in 2012 to 209,461 gallons in 2018 - a huge 193,563 gallon drop, or more than 51 percent - it saved only $67,658 in payments when one compares its 2012 payments ($818,118) to the 2018 costs of $750,046 for its water.
Te BISD and other public entities like Texas Southmost College and others have consistently been among the PUB's top 10 customers. As such, they have bore the brunt of the increases, as have all other rate payers, commercial and residential. (See graphic. Click on to enlarge.)
The $500 million Tenaska natural-gas fired electric-generated plant was to have come online in 2016. That completion date has been pushed back again now to 2020, a date that no one believes is credible. Tenaska says it cannot find customers to buy its share of the 800 MWs the plant will produce because of a glut of electricity on the market and other plants coming online across the Rio Grande Valley.
A clause in a Memorandum of Understanding that has been kept from the public by the PUB and Tenaska attorneys allegedly gives the private utility company the right to protest its release.
"Those increased costs have hampered the district's operations, staff salaries, and facility construction," said an administrator. "We had to close three schools in the neighborhoods and are looking for property to replace them with a new school. But these costs are tying the district's hands."
Sources associated with the district's concerns say that the incoming new mayor (Trey Mendez) and city commissioners (John Cowen and Nurith Galonsky) have been told that unless relief is provided to the BISD, the city might be the recipient of demand letters to force their hand.
"It's getting closer and closer," he said. "The plant is nowhere near to vetting built but the district and Brownsville residents have been paying higher rates since 2012 and they haven't come down. Something's gotta give."
Te BISD and other public entities like Texas Southmost College and others have consistently been among the PUB's top 10 customers. As such, they have bore the brunt of the increases, as have all other rate payers, commercial and residential. (See graphic. Click on to enlarge.)
A clause in a Memorandum of Understanding that has been kept from the public by the PUB and Tenaska attorneys allegedly gives the private utility company the right to protest its release.
"Those increased costs have hampered the district's operations, staff salaries, and facility construction," said an administrator. "We had to close three schools in the neighborhoods and are looking for property to replace them with a new school. But these costs are tying the district's hands."
Sources associated with the district's concerns say that the incoming new mayor (Trey Mendez) and city commissioners (John Cowen and Nurith Galonsky) have been told that unless relief is provided to the BISD, the city might be the recipient of demand letters to force their hand.
"It's getting closer and closer," he said. "The plant is nowhere near to vetting built but the district and Brownsville residents have been paying higher rates since 2012 and they haven't come down. Something's gotta give."
18 comments:
Of course, they are loosing a bunch of students to the private sector but they're not going to say that, blame somebody else that's their motto, turn all the lights off for three months and that should solve some of the problems
this Sounds like puro sausage, Chorizo San Manuel, grab your ankles baby. Lawsuit time baby, call 444-4444 dale gas
BISD need to sue COB for charging Tanaska fees when there is no Tanaska. PUB needs to roll back their fees for all of Brownsville. Put the new gang at COB feet to the fire. Let’s see how good they are at taking on responsibility. Let us see what you are made of.
Have all rate payers connected to BISD TAX wise to sign a petition for a for a class action lawsuit!!
Looking to blame COB for fiscal irresponsibility.
Looks like P.U.B. led the public astray with the Tenaska fiasco (the new Titan Tire) and it all took place during the "reign" of Tony Martinez and initiated by Eduardo Campriano and his cohorts. The public, and BISD, have been paying artificial rates to pay Tenaska "up front" for a plant that may never become reality. Thanks again Tony Martinez.....the mayor who has cost this city millions of tax dollars "por nada".
Trump launched a Twitter tirade on Sunday that urged the four lawmakers to “go back” to countries “they originally came from.” As many have pointed out, three of his targets ― Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York, Rashida Tlaib of Michigan and Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts ― were born in the U.S.
On Monday, CNN’s Jake Tapper noted an interesting comparison in relation to the fourth congresswoman, Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota, who immigrated to America as a child from Somalia and became a U.S. citizen as a teenager.
“Longer than the first lady,” Tapper noted.
Omar became a citizen in 2000 at the age of 17, while Melania Trump became a citizen six years later at the age of 36, a year after she married the future president.
Golonsky was the PUB chair for years she know and has chosen to ignore the problem; screwed along the with the BPub administration the ratepayer and the administration have gotten pay raises which she voted for ( Brusiak gets pid over 300k) and now it turns out she is for us? Are we really that stupid - Oh wait Jim Barton is the only adult.
Charlie Cabler is the one to blame!
Where do I sign? PUB needs to answer.
Filed it against the cob and against the ex mayor in a professional and personnal capacity.
The question is "why are you complaining", you picked these idiots. We live in a state that allows indicted district attorneys, lawyers, doctors, judges, and police officers to run for public services. This
is what we have ripped. You picked rotten fruit you produce rotten results.
COB, BISD, PUB and those idiots at the port need to be taken to court but will the new mayor coco do that???
7,44 pm, you are right about ed campriano, el champurrado, he used to be a city manager or asst city manager years ago so he knows how this sauage machinery works, btw now that the port of brownsville generated $24 million in profits are they going to stop taxing us to death? just wondering
Does anyone know why Brownsville residents can’t choose another energy provider? Is there a specific reason we are stuck with PUB as the sole energy provider for the area?
Good idea at 7:17 but what elected official is going to do that? They are ALL related to the same two families that run this city and have a gigantic "interest" in keeping PUB connected to the city. MONEY TALKS
July 17, 7:17PM I have a better answer for you. The citizens have a chance to get control over its PUB. How much control do you think you will have over a private company?
BISD you have crappy lawyers. They publicly stated they were building a plant nobody else needed and the PUB #2 man announced to his employees how they dodged bullet on a project that would have bankrupted PUB. Even sleepy Rene' should be able to bust open this can of worms!
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