Let's talk about school bond elections in East Texas...

[swaha]

16 hours ago, Slickarick said:

You can do that... but the bad part on the ballet it will say this will raise taxes... even though it wont. Stuiped state law.

The multiplier will not change for the school district. The issue is the local appraisal district. Bowie county just got hit with an increase in property appraisals. I will pay more to PGISD, even though the school multiplier did not change for the bond.

[JTFAN99]

On 4/15/2023 at 2:42 PM, trueblue82 said:

So you’re saying there are people who WANT higher taxes? Do these people actually PAY taxes? 

nobody really wants higher taxes, but there are people who will bite the bullet and pay them if they believe its beneficial. And there are many in more affluent communities who can afford to pay taxes. 

[JTFAN99]

On 4/16/2023 at 3:17 AM, Wolfman said:

City of San Augustine is about to vote for a $32 Million Bond for a new High School and Gym.  Apparently this will not raise the Tax Rate.  https://saisdbond.com/project-details

 

16 hours ago, Slickarick said:

You can do that... but the bad part on the ballet it will say this will raise taxes... even though it wont. Stuiped state law.

hmmm.  See that is where bonds get a bit tricky. There are many sites that discuss this, but bonds do cause you an increase amount of money, even if the tax rate stays the same.  Nothing in life is free. 

[JTFAN99]

17 minutes ago, swaha said:

The multiplier will not change for the school district. The issue is the local appraisal district. Bowie county just got hit with an increase in property appraisals. I will pay more to PGISD, even though the school multiplier did not change for the bond.

Bingo!

[HearEmaGrowlin]

I told our Superintendent I am voting yes for every single bond they bring forward.

I want CISD to have the best of everything and if I have to pay a little more in taxes annually for that to happen then that’s fine with me. 

[KirtFalcon]

On 4/16/2023 at 3:17 AM, Wolfman said:

City of San Augustine is about to vote for a $32 Million Bond for a new High School and Gym.  Apparently this will not raise the Tax Rate.  https://saisdbond.com/project-details

Garrison's new High School and gym construction is well underway  ....

[GoBigBlue]

On 4/13/2023 at 1:16 PM, Coach Rab said:

I said "there is a push."  This is the 3rd or 4th straight year that this has been moved through our legislature.  It won't stop until its overwhelmingly defeated.

The cost of the bond doesn't matter to me.  I am with @Mavchamp in some aspects of this, which also line up with @RETIREDFAN1's viewpoints as well.  You can throw out a $250M bond.  If it is to build 2 new elementary schools that will meet the needs of the growing population and the projected growth for the next 10-15 years, improvement to current schools, updated computer labs, new desks, better flowing hallways, needed repairs, updated plumbing etc...  I am all for it. 

You address those needs first.  I don't need a new field house and stadium seating until the educational needs are met.  Like I said above, these people are taking your money and only building to meet today's demands.  Growth for the future is is needed.  Look at Mineral Wells ISD stadiums and athletic facilities.  When they built this, it wasn't for the 400 student athletes that were in the school at the time.  They built it for the potential growth and future needs of the city and ISD.  I've had 5A coaches play playoff games here and rave about our facilities... These were built 15-20 years ago!  

We have to be smart as voters.  Especially in local elections.  Especially in state elections.  And especially in National elections.  BE SMART! 

And with all of that being said, good job Melissa ISD.  It is going to be amazing.

I recently moved to Brock and my wife teaches in Aledo.  I was shocked Brock didn't pass their bond to build a new elementary school.  They are currently over capacity already and a wave of children is coming.  But Brock has 3 bonds.  1 for new school, 2nd for multipurpose facility aka indoor practice facility and band hall, and 3rd for new turf.  It didn't pass and is coming around again in a month.  The school is a necessity.  The stadium stands need to double in my opinion.  I was shocked that their stadium was smaller than Daingerfield's.  The turf is a want in my opinion.  Seats would be a better use.

[GoBigBlue]

Bonds won't raise taxes if there is growth to pay for it.  If the growth isn't there or the tax base dwindles.  Taxes have to go up to pay.  It's a slippery slope.  That is why it is important to get facilities built while people are coming into the area.  I type this as my tax evaluation in Brock went up over 50% since last year.  Doubt their bond passes again.

[JTFAN99]

2 hours ago, HearEmaGrowlin said:

I told our Superintendent I am voting yes for every single bond they bring forward.

I want CISD to have the best of everything and if I have to pay a little more in taxes annually for that to happen then that’s fine with me. 

Carthage are doing what they have to do to keep a legendary coach in place. I give them alot of credit for that. Pretty much made it impossible to leave except for a big time college position. I understand both sides of it, but its the world we live in.

Edited April 17, 2023 by JTFAN99

[Coach Rab]

1 hour ago, GoBigBlue said:

I recently moved to Brock and my wife teaches in Aledo.  I was shocked Brock didn't pass their bond to build a new elementary school.  They are currently over capacity already and a wave of children is coming.  But Brock has 3 bonds.  1 for new school, 2nd for multipurpose facility aka indoor practice facility and band hall, and 3rd for new turf.  It didn't pass and is coming around again in a month.  The school is a necessity.  The stadium stands need to double in my opinion.  I was shocked that their stadium was smaller than Daingerfield's.  The turf is a want in my opinion.  Seats would be a better use.

Yeah, not a fan of Brock’s stadium at the moment.  I believe the home side is also on the bad side of the sun if I remember correctly.

Brock’s bond not passing would have a lot to do with where that money was allocated if I had to guess.  Those people don’t mess around with people who beat around the bush with their money

[TheGodfather]

5 hours ago, swaha said:

The multiplier will not change for the school district. The issue is the local appraisal district. Bowie county just got hit with an increase in property appraisals. I will pay more to PGISD, even though the school multiplier did not change for the bond.

This. Bowie County raised my value like $35k over last year! Not sure I could sell my house for what they say it’s worth. 
 

All that to say that the schools still end up getting their money. These appraisal districts are getting out of hand. 

Edited April 18, 2023 by TheGodfather

[VonG]

30 minutes ago, TheGodfather said:

This. Bowie County raised my value like $35k over last year! Not sure I could sell my house for what they say it’s worth. 
 

All that to say that the schools still end up getting their money. These appraisal districts are getting out of hand. 

These appraisal districts are taking advantage of the post pandemic like everyone else. There is no way most of these houses. Especially the older ones. Will sale for what they are saying they are worth. I wouldn't pay the price for these older homes. Now the new homes. That's a different story because they are being built for the current square feet that builder's are charging. Can't no one convince me to pay new home prices for houses built twenty years ago. 

Edited April 18, 2023 by VonG

[HearEmaGrowlin]

1 hour ago, VonG said:

These appraisal districts are taking advantage of the post pandemic like everyone else. There is no way most of these houses. Especially the older ones. Will sale for what they are saying they are worth. I wouldn't pay the price for these older homes. Now the new homes. That's a different story because they are being built for the current square feet that builder's are charging. Can't no one convince me to pay new home prices for houses built twenty years ago. 

Agreed, not happening. 

[Ronster23]

On 4/13/2023 at 3:32 PM, HJR7 said:

Kilgore had a bond pass a few years ago for a new High School, upgrades to Football stadium and a Soccer/Track complex. It passed with less than 1k people voting in a town of roughly 20K. I thought was terrible but the bond was much needed and glad it passed 

Just a thought...just because a town has 20K people in it, not all are voting age...there are less than 75K registered voters in the entire Gregg Co...but I'm sure it's more than 1K, so, of course, many didn't get out to vote...not sure what the population of KISD is, but the city is just under 14K. 

Edited April 18, 2023 by Ronster23

[trueblue82]

7 hours ago, JTFAN99 said:

nobody really wants higher taxes, but there are people who will bite the bullet and pay them if they believe its beneficial. And there are many in more affluent communities who can afford to pay taxes. 

I really don’t have an issue with taxes to fund education. (I sleep with a teacher). My problem with the current tax structure in Texas is that it penalizes people who work hard to acquire and own land by forcing them to bear the brunt of the economic burden for education (and whatever else a county or municipality wants to use property taxes for.) Meanwhile, people who choose to skate by in life by doing the bare minimum reap the benefits. I’m all for restructuring school finance to a system that makes sense. Problem is, neither party will come up with such a solution. 

[JTFAN99]

23 minutes ago, trueblue82 said:

I really don’t have an issue with taxes to fund education. (I sleep with a teacher). My problem with the current tax structure in Texas is that it penalizes people who work hard to acquire and own land by forcing them to bear the brunt of the economic burden for education (and whatever else a county or municipality wants to use property taxes for.) Meanwhile, people who choose to skate by in life by doing the bare minimum reap the benefits. I’m all for restructuring school finance to a system that makes sense. Problem is, neither party will come up with such a solution. 

Hey. I understand. 

[ANTI]

@Mavchamp and @Mr. P are two of the few with functioning brain cells in this thread.

[RETIREDFAN1]

9 minutes ago, ANTI said:

@Mavchamp and @Mr. P are two of the few with functioning brain cells in this thread.

Don't be so hard on yourself......

[SpaceGhost]

As someone who votes against many bond issues for sports improvements, I do so because most times it seems to be a matter of "keeping up with the Jones's". I played at a time when no one in east texas had artificial turf, everyone had normal sized scoreboards with no TV screens on them, and bench seating. I don't remember a lot of complaining about facilities until money poured into Tatum because of the local power plant and they began a building program that gave them nicer things than anyone else had in the area. This was not done on the back of normal taxpayers but on the company that owned the plant. Now everyone in east Texas wants what their neighbor has, but if you don't happen to have a large business or businesses in the area then the responsibility falls on regular taxpayers. That bucket of money is drying up.

Edited April 19, 2023 by SpaceGhost

[GoBigBlue]

Bonds won't raise taxes if there is growth to pay for it.  If the growth isn't there or the tax base dwindles.  Taxes have to go up to pay.  It's a slippery slope.  That is why it is important to get facilities built while people are coming into the area.  I type this as my tax evaluation in Brock went up over 50% since last year.  Doubt their bond passes again.

[GoBigBlue]

1 hour ago, SpaceGhost said:

As someone who votes against many bond issues for sports improvements, I do so because most times it seems to be a matter of "keeping up with the Jones's". I played at a time when no one is east texas had artificial turf, everyone had normal sized scoreboards with no TV screens on them, and bench seating. I don't remember a lot of complaining about facilities until money poured into Tatum because of the local power plant and they began a building program that gave them nicer things than anyone else had in the area. This was not done on the back of normal taxpayers but on the company that owned the plant. Now everyone in east Texas wants what their neighbor has, but if you don't happen to have a large business or businesses in the area then the responsibility falls on regular taxpayers. That bucket of money is drying up.

I'm from Daingerfield and that could have been said about Lone Star Steel as well.  It's gone and so is the tax base.  

[GoBigBlue]

13 hours ago, Coach Rab said:

Yeah, not a fan of Brock’s stadium at the moment.  I believe the home side is also on the bad side of the sun if I remember correctly.

Brock’s bond not passing would have a lot to do with where that money was allocated if I had to guess.  Those people don’t mess around with people who beat around the bush with their money

Home side is the West side so no sun issue.  Field is nice.  Just need to double or triple the seating.  Need to add a concession stand as well.  Restrooms are needed as well.  It's just not built for a 4A crowd.

[HearEmaGrowlin]

[HearEmaGrowlin]

[swaha]

8 hours ago, HearEmaGrowlin said:

What is Phase 2 of the baseball softball complex?