Some facts to clear the distortions from one Mr Portnoy

Sometimes things get very personal. Take the personal grudge (hate fest?) that Sim Portnoy has with me. His hate of me consumes him, driving him to find every way to torture facts to fit his desired perception and outcome, it simply drives him crazy. And it all goes back to when, I, as the new guy on the council, just sworn in, would not cave to his demand that the city not approve the contract to rebuild church drive. His desire was to maintain church as a very dangerous narrow crumbling road (perhaps road is an overstatement, more like a backwoods trail). The city council had approved the plan to reconstruct church drive (as it is today) prior to my even running for office, let alone being elected. This was just the vote to award the construction contract to get the job done, and it was a unanimous vote. But sim does love to hate on me. I actually find it amusing that a person could be so ill informed.

To add insult to injury (this being yet another thing that drives Sim to distraction), I also voted to approve the contract for the reconstruction of Lake Sharon, a road that most people in town really enjoy being able to use. Another dangerous narrow crumbling road, that the city reconstructed into a safe and convenient 4 lane thoroughfare. All with funds approved for that use two years before I even ran for the council. The road itself had been approved (appropriated) by a previous council.

Now to his present distortions - he's hoping you are uncurious and easily confused by our taxes. In 2009, my first year in office, I voted to keep the tax rate the same as in 2008, the net result being a 104,000 DECREASE in taxes collected on existing properties. In 2010, I voted for tax rate whose net result was a 16,178 increase (0.2% of the over 6 million dollars collected); 2011, 47,724 increase (0.8%), and finally in 2012, a 10,190 increase (0.16%). All these numbers are right out of the adopted budgets for 2009, 10, 11, and 12. You can find the adopted budgets at the city of Corinth website (www.cityofcorinth.com)

-104000
+ 16178
+ 47724
+ 10190
========
  -29908         
So property taxes on existing properties were almost 30000 dollars less at the end of my four years on the council than when I started. So, yes, I stand by my statements that I kept taxes flat. And if my statement is wrong, then how come when I said the same thing in 2011 I beat Sim handily in the election for city council? Answer, it wasn't wrong then, and isn't now.

What of the last two years (2013, and 2014), years that I have been off the council? It's a very different story: 2013 - a 160,349 INCREASE on existing property (2.4% ! ), and oh by the way, the council kept the tax rate the same as 2012. 2014 should be great, right? the council reduced our tax rate by one cent, to 0.59489. Huzzah! Wait a minute, our taxes went up 454,000 (that's right, UP almost a half a MILLION dollars) - a whopping 6.9% in one year. Talk about a beating. (And yes, these numbers are directly from the Corinth adopted budgets for 2013 and 2014 - right on the title page as required by State law).

So, you can see that Mr sim's math is at best confused and misleading, and at worst just a plain lie. I think we should do it my way, and focus on the TAX AMOUNT and not the tax rate.

And don't forget, that while keeping our taxes down, I voted to add two police officers to our police force in 2012 - but of course by Sim's logic in his distorted word view, I don't support our public safety personnel. 

The same "tax rate" doesn't necessarily mean the same "taxes"

It's been a mainstay of local politicians forever: "I will keep the tax rate flat" we're told. Great; too bad our property valuations went up 7%. So if the tax rate remains "flat", then our taxes go up 7%. That's just what happened this year. So, hey, they cut us a break - a one cent reduction in property tax rate (about 1.7% reduction), so we only had our taxes increase by a little less than 6% this year. Yay. By the way, our taxes went up last year too, nearly 2%. You know, when they told us (wonderfully) that the tax rate would remain the same.

Ok, so when I was on the council, in 2009, we LOWERED taxes by leaving the tax rate the same. Each of the next three years the tax rate was raised, but the same taxes came in. Instead of a one cent tax rate reduction, we should have received a four cent tax rate reduction - Our taxes would have remained the same. Keep in mind, I am talking about existing property. When new property comes on to the tax rolls, the city get's more tax money, but without raising the taxes on existing property owners.

That happened in 2012, when I voted to spend 160,000 on two additional police officers to enhance our public safety. That additional money came from the 32 million dollars in development that happened that year, not from already existing tax payers.

What's going to happen in the future - a strategic plan that has a goal of maintaining a flat tax rate... so as our property increases in value due to strong demand in North Texas, and because people want to live in Corinth, 4%, 5%, 10% increases in value could be the norm. So that "goal" of a flat tax rate guarantees tax increases ad nauseum. My goal is to keep the actual taxes paid by a homeowner flat, or at least below inflation. That means when property values go up tax rates by default should be coming down. And not just by a penny. By the way, inflation is on pace this year to, well, deflate. Last year it was 1.4%; so why a 6% increase in the taxes?

Help me put a stop to this!

Filling Station SUP on Monday April 13 P&Z Meeting

There is a public hearing for public input on the Specific use permit application for the 7-Eleven. The application for a specific use permit is in this case, fairly routine. The 7-Eleven wants to have gas pumps (that is, operate as a gas station) at the proposed store on the south west corner of 2181 and 2499. The lot in question is already zoned C-2, commercial 2. Commercial 2 parcels allow the gas station use with a specific use permit. A commercial 3 or industrial zoning allows a gas station use by right.

There are some additional differences between the C-2 and C-3 zoning classifications. The building setbacks are larger for the side yard on a C-3 lot. The minimum lot area, width, and depth dimensions are also larger for the C-3 Zone. Generally, the idea here is that more intense usage needs more space and a larger setback from other uses.

The gasoline station component of the uses is the most intense: flammable liquids are stored and dispensed on the premises. The rest of the store's usage is essentially as a grocery. Groceries are permitted in any commercial zone, so there is nothing out of the ordinary in locating such a store in a C-2 zone. The requirement for a specific use permit for the gasoline filling station is about the hazards of that use. The C-3 dimensions and sizes help alleviate those hazards somewhat, though certainly not entirely. Rather than allowing a filling station by right in the C-2 zone, having a specific use permit process allows the P&Z commission and the city council to review each such request in light of the surrounding zones and uses, ultimately providing greater flexibility to land owners, developers, and the city, while ensuring the health, safety, and well being of the city's residents.

Individuals at the public hearing could bring up issues with having a gas station here - that's the reason for the hearing. Absent those currently unknown issues, there doesn't seem to be any particular reason to not allow the SUP - the lot is ideally situated for such a use, and is well away from any residential uses.

The applicant is asking for some regulation changes, specifically that they have an ice machine and the storage for portable propane tanks outside the building on the west side. It seems to be reasonable to keep the propane tanks on the outside of the building for fire safety - any leaks are much less dangerous outside. Having the ice machine outside, away from the two major roads isn't unreasonable, and would allow customers to load the ice they've bought more easily. The main reason for not allowing out side storage is to avoid the clutter that can easily attend a convenience store/filling station. This follows the vision of our comprehensive plan, keeping the city and its businesses aesthetically pleasant and clean. However, safety trumps aesthetics for the propane storage, at least in my opinion. An ice machine is a classic outdoor appliance at this type of store, and hidden from easy view on the west side of the store, it doesn't violate the spirit of the comprehensive plan and the UDC.

I am, of course, very interested in anyone's thoughts on this subject. Anyone interested in this development and the requested SUP should come to the meeting tonight and consider speaking during the public hearing.

STOP THE PRESSES - liberals hate republicans

Yes, that paragon of unbiased journalism, NBC has noted that a poll from that other paragon of unbiased journalism, ABC, points out that 70% of the people polled disapprove of the way republicans are handling the budget (and 61% disapprove of the democrats). And, oh yes, 38 percent blame republicans for the "shutdown" (as if the federal government is actually shut down).

Here's some news: Obama was reelected in 2012 - so go figure that a significant number of people polled across the nation would blame republicans for the problems. For those who just don't seem to be able to grasp fundamental election processes, Congressional Representatives are not elected in national polls. Each representative from each state has a geographically defined area where they are elected. If you really want to understand peoples' sentiments on any subject dealing with House members, you need to take the poll in that member's district.

Next, be aware of what the numbers really mean. Let's look at Texas 26, the district for Michael Burgess. Sixty eight percent of the people that voted, chose Mr Burgess, sending him back to the house for another 2 years. That means 32% voted against him, so, would it be a huge surprise if 38% of people blamed a republican for the shutdown? Let me help you: no it would not be a surprise.

Now consider that 33% of the district didn't even bother to vote. I would suggest that it is highly unlikely that 70% of actual voters in district 26 would disapprove of the republicans handling of the budget. I would not be surprised at 30% or even at a stretch 40%, but 70% - not likely. I believe this would be true in each and every district represented by a republican. Of course, in each democratic district, I would certainly expect people to disapprove of the republicans quite handily - they did after all elect a democrat to their district.

So, no matter what the talking heads at NBC, CBS, etc, say, the republicans are doing what their constituents elected them to do - opposing the tax and spend policies of a runaway federal government. So take these polls for what they are really worth - a little bit of entertainment, and an attempt by the liberal mouthpiece media to persuade you and your republican representative to believe that they are wrong for serving their constituents.

It was an NBC national article, plus data from the Denton county elections administration site, and the Texas Secretary of State site.

Understanding the Effective Tax Rate

The Effective Tax Rate is an important concept in both property taxes in general, and in the Texas Truth in Taxation act. The truth in taxation act basically requires that a taxing jurisdiction (any one levying property taxes) publish an effective rate each year, so that people have a way to tell if the entity is raising property taxes or not.

How Ad Valorem Taxes Work

Ad Valorem taxes are what people commonly know as property taxes. Property taxes in Corinth represent about half of the City's total revenues in any given fiscal year. You can see that knowing how ad valorem taxes work is important.

The actual tax levied on any single property is based on the appraised value of that property and the tax rate. If the tax rate stays the same from one year to the next, the actual tax levied goes up only if the property value goes up. Likewise if the property value goes down, the actual tax levied also goes down.

Garbage and Recycling service in Corinth

The City of Corinth provides garbage and recyclables collection services for its residents. The City currently contracts for this service with Waste Management, a company that provides waste collection services to many communities in Texas. The current contract with Waste Management expires at the end 2012. The City has contracted with Waste Management since about 1996 for this service.

Several months ago, the City issued a request for proposals to provide solid waste and recyclables collection for the City of Corinth. As of the deadline for submittal of the proposals, the City received three proposals. The staff is currently evaluating the proposals, and preparing them for presentation to the Council. With only two regular sessions and one workshop left for the year, it seems very likely that the proposals will be agenda items very soon. The remaining regular sessions are on December 6 and 20, 2012, and the workshop date is December 13, 2012. Unless there is a special called session, the latest date to select and approve a proposal is December 20, 2012.

To date, I have not received any significant complaints about the garbage collection service provided by Waste Management. In general, they seem to be doing a good job. Of course in the last 16 years much has changed with waste collection and disposal, the most obvious of which is the increased emphasis on recycling. It is important to evaluate the service we will request for the next 10 to 15 years based on possible and probable changes in the future as well as on the service we have received in the past. Certainly, the cost of the service is also very important.

Some items specifically mentioned in the request for proposals included larger recycle bins, large and bulky item removal, emergency cleanup (after major storms for example), and hazardous materials collection.

If you have concerns, questions, or suggestions about garbage collection for the future in Corinth or comments about the current garbage collection process, please let me know by commenting here, or contacting me directly at bhanson@cityofcorinth.com.

Final Lake Cities Proposed Contract

The City Manager brought the terms for the final proposal for the Lake Cities Fire Services Contract to the council July 31, 2012. These are the terms that the City Councils for Lake Dallas and Hickory Creek expressed agreement to in votes the prior week. At this point, the cities of Lake Dallas and Hickory Creek have not signed the Fire Services Contract, although their vote would seem to be an indication that they are willing to do so on these terms.

So what are the terms that have been negotiated? The changes from the original proposal the City of Corinth sent the other towns are primarily revolving around the costs each city is willing to pay. There were also some other minor changes.

AV Property values

Property valuations are very slightly up compared to last year's certified property valuation for the City of Corinth. The certified property valuation reports were published at the end of July. The total property valuation for the city is used to determine the property tax rate necessary for the next fiscal year budget (starts in October 2012).

State law ties the effective tax rate to the comparison of this year's net property valuation in the city with the certified appraised value from last year. Essentially the effective rate is defined to set a rate that would generate the same property taxes overall for the city on existing properties as last year's actual property tax rate generated on last year's certified appraisal value. Of course the law is not actually that simple - it is a convoluted and tortuous path from the two appraisal values to the effective rate for this upcoming year.

June 7 2012 council session.

There were five items on the regular agenda for the corinth city council last night. The resolution denying Atmos Energy their rate request was approved. Atmos energy supported the resolution as they were making progress with the rate regions member cities negotiating a reduced rate increase.

We still need to conserve water this summer

Stage 2 of the City of Corinth drought contingency plan has ended: City of Corinth water utility customers are no longer under a mandatory requirement to water no more than twice a week on specific days. At the May 17, 2012 council session City Manager Jim Berzina announced that the City would moving off of stage 2 water restrictions citing, among other reasons, that the City of Dallas had made changes in their water conservation plans, and that the reservoirs are currently at normal, or 'full', level.

Has Election Fatigue Set In Yet?

It is sure to - the Texas Primary election early voting started yesterday (May 14). This is the primary for the Republican and Democratic parties. Primary Election Day is May 29. There are many candidates for many positions, including Texas house district 64. Go to Denton County elections for a list of times and locations for early voting. Voting on election day is done at the assigned location for your precinct. Precincts have changed for this cycle - check your voter's registration card. I received my card last Saturday; most people should have received their cards by now.

Get out and Vote! make sure your voice is heard!

Setting The Record Straight

Joe Harrison is running for reelection to the Corinth City Council, place 4 during municipal elections 2012. Sim Portnoy is challenging him again (he ran against Joe and lost in 2010). Recently Sim Portnoy impugned Joe Harrison's voting record and, by association, my voting record, in a desperate attempt to distract voters from his vacuous and outrageous statements. Now, he's directly attacking my voting record, and that is not going to work.

Be sure to get out and Vote

Early voting for local elections began on April 30, 2012. Early voting for the City of Corinth continues today (May 5) through 5 PM, and resumes Monday May 7 and goes through Tuesday May 8th. Voting Monday and Tuesday will be conducted from 7 AM to 7 PM. Election Day is May 12, 2012, with the polls open from 7 AM until 7 PM.

How WILL they fund the I 35 E widening project?

That is the big question these days. Just how will they fund it? where will the money come from? Tolls and toll roads. Especially toll lanes on the reconstructed I35E. A public-private partnership: a private operator builds the highway/tollway, and then gets to keep the revenues from the tolls in exchange. At least that is the way it was sold. The state kicks in some money, the county (Denton county that is) puts in funding, and the private firm pays the rest, and gets to operate the toll lanes included in the reconstructed highway. So, you've got your eye on the ball under the cup right?