Reprint from the Progress Times - June 15, 2007
©Progress Times 2007 - All Rights Reserved

MISSION CITY COUNCIL
Committee To Study Rising Tax Appraisals In Mission

By Kath Olivarez

"Property values just cannot continue to go up in the older sections of Mission," said Mayor Beto Salinas in the Monday, June 12, meeting of the Mission City Council. "Some residents who live in older areas of the city who are on limited incomes cannot afford to pay their property taxes. Some have seen property values go up as much as 40 percent without any improvements to their properties. These people need to have money to pay their bills, not just property taxes."

The mayor told the council he is forming a citizen’s committee to address the sharp increases in appraised property values being assessed by the Hidalgo County Appraisal District.

"I know the appraisal district has to meet the guidelines for raising taxes put out by the state. Governor Rick Perry has been working to see that a three-percent limit is put on increases in one year. Some rates have risen far beyond that amount in Hidalgo County. Something needs to be done to curtail the amount of property taxes the county can charge."

The mayor went on to say that when he was a county commissioner the county had a budget of $8 million. Today the county has a budget of $25 million. He will be seeking a committee of interested citizens to look into the appraisals.

In other action, the council approved resolution 1179, which will allow Mission Redevelopment Authority (MRA) to issue up to $30 million in bonds. Geoff Hall of the MRA told the council there were $8.9 million in outstanding bonds that were issued by Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ).

Another $14 million would be needed to construct the new highway leading from the Anzalduas Bridge to Bryan Road including an overpass over FM 1016 and the railroad tracks. Other projects planned would bring the total to $30 million. Hall said the cost of the projects would be reimbursed through the increased ad valorem taxes from properties that develop in the area where the improvements are made.

The council approved a third ORCA-TCDP-Colonia EDAP Grant in the amount of $342,000 bringing the total of the three grants to $1.342 million. The purpose of the grants is to provide funding to extend sewer lines, extension of yard services, connection to the discharge line and remediation of existing septic tanks in the 22 subdivisions included in the grant.

Subdivisions included are Evie Subdivision, Perlas de Naranja, James Allen, Tangerine Estates, Monica Acres, Mercado and Victory Streets, Jessan, Diamond "L", Moreno, North Country Estates, Grovewood Estates and Turista Street. The subdivisions have a total of 222 residences.

Under police business, permission was granted to the Mission Police Department to negotiate the purchase of P-25 Police and Fire Radio Migration Systems. Police Chief Leo Longoria said the police and fire departments need to upgrade their radio system because the government wants them to have radios that will allow them to talk to other government officials in case of an emergency. For example, the Mission police cannot talk to police in McAllen or to officials in the sheriff’s department. As part of Homeland Security the government is trying to get police and fire departments to upgrade their equipment so they can communicate.

The council accepted a State Homeland Security Grant for $56,356. This grant will be used for a license plate identifier for the police department, and $4,000 for confined space and $15,000 for a light trailer and generator for the fire department.

The Mission Fire Department was authorized to accept a grant from Emergency Management Performances in the amount of $18,918. It will be used to pay a portion of the salaries of the city’s emergency management staff.

Chief Longoria also presented the new centennial police badges, which showed the outline of La Lomita Mission behind the State of Texas seal. Mission will be 100 years old in 2008.

In a related action the council approved the committee to plan the Centennial Celebration.

Aida Lerma will serve as chairman and Cuquis Cerda will be co-chairman. Honorary Chairman is Yvonne Salinas.

A plan to enter into an interlocal agreement with the county to work in partnership to provide a road for a La Joya Independent School District elementary site was approved. M. L. Rhodes will convey a tract of land to face the extension of Military Parkway on the northeast corner of Bates Road to LJISD for construction of a new elementary school. The city will pave 1.43 miles of the road while the county will provide the flexbase.

Under zoning matters a public hearing to amend the sign code to permit projecting signs within the central business district was approved. The code says that projecting signs will be permitted; such signs are built over public sidewalks. They may not be over 24 square feet in size.

Preliminary plat approval was granted to Pine Ridge Subdivision, to be located on 12.68 acres of lot 264, John H. Shary Subdivision. The site is 2,000 feet north of Griffin Parkway on the west side of a commercial reserve that abuts Shary Road. A total of 57 single-family residential lots are planned.

Preliminary Plat approval was granted to Yessica Pedraza Subdivision located on 2.33 acres of land from lot 25-11, West Addition to Sharyland.

Plans call for using a strip of canal right-of-way to create a public street for access to the subdivision. Residents along Orange Street have protested using the right-of-way to allow this subdivision to access their street. This matter is yet to be resolved.

Final plat approval was granted to Valencia Subdivision at Hunt Valley Development 76-lot subdivision be located on 32 acres of lots 82, 83, 92 and 93 of John H. Shary Subdivision.

In other action, the council adopted a fee not to exceed $5 per case to establish the Juvenile Case Manager Fund, which will be used to employ a juvenile case manager to assist the court in administering the court’s juvenile docket and in supervising its court orders. The fee is anticipated to generate about $32,000 per year.

Henry Rodriguez was appointed to fill the vacancy on the Planning and Zoning Commission created when Norie Garza was elected to serve on the council.

Councilman Leo Olivarez was elected Mayor Pro-Tem for the City of Mission for the coming year.

Olivarez will serve as the city’s representative on the Amigos Del Valle board of directors. Aida Lerma will serve as alternate.

The council approved Resolution 1178 authorizing the South Texas Aggregation Project, Inc. to negotiate an electricity supply agreement to be effective January 1, 2008. The city has used their services in the past and saved over $1.3 million in electricity costs.

All bids for the La Lomita Restoration Project were rejected. One bidder lacked experience on historical projects while another could not get a bond and a third bid was too high.

Mission Fire Department was awarded three Automatic External Defibrillators (AEDs) from Doctors Hospital at Renaissance. They will replace units that are 10 years old.

A change order for the Wastewater Treatment Plant Expansion North Mission EDAP Project, which will reduce the total contract price by $31,060 was approved. The cost of the project now stands at $14,353,359 and should be completed by June 18.

Under financial matters Finance Director Janie Flores told the council total revenues for April amounted to $4,532,828 while expenditures amounted to $4,506,131, a difference of $311,104.

Tax collections for April amounted to $11,807,914.81. The total adjusted tax levy is $13,238,278.56 and is 89.20 percent collected.

The tax collection contract with Hidalgo County for the coming year was approved at a fee of $66,150.

The bid for tennis courts, basketball courts, shuffleboard courts and picnic shelters at the new Bentsen Municipal Park was awarded to Teni Trak, Inc in the amount of $366,600.

The bid for fencing at the new park was awarded to Excellent Fence in the amount of $196,000.