"People are demanding the same services as Houston but we don't have the money to offer the same services . . . "
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Reprinted from the Statesman
By Cristina Peña
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Published: 9:00 p.m. Sunday, May 1, 2011
cpena@statesman.com | 445-3851
WIMBERLEY — Property tax debates are dominating municipal elections in Wimberley, where the races for two of three council seats are contested.
Wimberley, which incorporated in 2000, levies no property taxes and relies on sales tax revenue and franchise fees from utilities such as the Pedernales Electric Cooperative. Its 2010-11 budget of about $968,322 serves 2,626 residents, according to city documents and 2010 census data.
There are no plans yet to put the matter up for a vote, but discussions are ongoing. Supporters say the money is needed to pay for infrastructure such as sidewalks and for parks and other amenities.
Talcott said that property rights are already very restricted in Wimberley and that he is running to make sure the rights of residents will be protected and to keep Wimberley a pleasant area to live. He said the city's policies restrict development and make it hard for property owners to grow their properties as they wish.
"I want to make sure the City Council is working toward protecting our rights," Talcott, 61 , said. "Wimberley has kept the quality of life and property up, and I want to keep that going."
Talcott, who opposes establishing a property tax, said the city held a citizens meeting to hear grievances about election issues, including a possible property tax. "The citizenry said they didn't want a property tax," he said. "This is not a good time in the economy to raise taxes."
Marion said residents may be against a property tax, but the city is challenged to make ends meet. "We've got to find a way to pay for the services," Marion said. "It's not about what people want. It's about what we need."
Marion, 60, said the city has to focus on finding money to keep Wimberley a good place to live. She said the current funding model is not enough to keep the lifestyle the residents want. "The city is funded by sales tax, and it's just not enough," she said in making the case for a property tax. "We're looking for new creative ways to solve the challenge of finding money."
In Place 3, which has been vacant since Bill Appleman resigned amid controversy over a proposal for the city to pave a private road, graphic designer Matt Meeks is running against rancher Scott Johnson.
Meeks, 31 , said that as a younger member of the community, he is has seen how hard the city makes it for startup businesses to find success, citing zoning restrictions as an example. Meeks is a fourth-generation resident of Wimberley, and his family owns Rio Bonito Resort, which he helps operate.
"My main concern is giving the youth a bit of a chance in the community," Meeks said.He said he has lived in the community his whole life and wants to give back. "I'm involved in the community and hear a lot of things firsthand," he said. "I see how things directly affect people on a day-to-day basis.
"On the tax question, Meeks said he does not think the residents can afford a new property tax along with existing taxes.
Johnson said one of the major issues in the city at the moment is the finite amount of water and the increasing growth. He said people are coming from cities the size of Houston and Dallas and expecting to live the same lifestyle in Wimberley.
"Some people come from tax-based cities and are used to certain amenities," Johnson, 53 , said. "We have to watch how we grow and conserve that uniqueness."
Johnson said population growth coupled with the drought could cause a 30 percent decrease in business. He cited an economic study by the Texas River Systems Institute's Cypress Creek Water Shed Project. "When people come to move here they don't bring their own water," Johnson said. "If the water dries up, the economic impact would be significant."
Johnson said he opposes new taxes without knowing fully what the needs of the community are. "What I plan on doing is finding what our needs are versus what our wants are," he said. "Wimberley has a dynamic problem of continued growth, and we need other ways to generate revenue."
John White , a 65-year-old accountant, is running unopposed for re-election to his Place 5 seat. He said his main goals will be to eliminate some city regulations and block a property tax. "Ninety percent of the people in this city don't want anything to do with it," White said. "It's just another tax on top of all the taxes we already pay."
White said he has been in Wimberley since 1951 and he wants to preserve the city's atmosphere. "People are demanding the same services as Houston but we don't have the money to offer the same services," he said.
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Published: 9:00 p.m. Sunday, May 1, 2011
cpena@statesman.com | 445-3851
WIMBERLEY — Property tax debates are dominating municipal elections in Wimberley, where the races for two of three council seats are contested.
Wimberley, which incorporated in 2000, levies no property taxes and relies on sales tax revenue and franchise fees from utilities such as the Pedernales Electric Cooperative. Its 2010-11 budget of about $968,322 serves 2,626 residents, according to city documents and 2010 census data.
There are no plans yet to put the matter up for a vote, but discussions are ongoing. Supporters say the money is needed to pay for infrastructure such as sidewalks and for parks and other amenities.
The race for Place 1 is between Cynthia Marion, who works in advertising sales, and program manager Tom Talcott. The winner will replace Council Member Marilee Wood who is not running for re-election.
Talcott said that property rights are already very restricted in Wimberley and that he is running to make sure the rights of residents will be protected and to keep Wimberley a pleasant area to live. He said the city's policies restrict development and make it hard for property owners to grow their properties as they wish.
"I want to make sure the City Council is working toward protecting our rights," Talcott, 61 , said. "Wimberley has kept the quality of life and property up, and I want to keep that going."
Talcott, who opposes establishing a property tax, said the city held a citizens meeting to hear grievances about election issues, including a possible property tax. "The citizenry said they didn't want a property tax," he said. "This is not a good time in the economy to raise taxes."
Marion said residents may be against a property tax, but the city is challenged to make ends meet. "We've got to find a way to pay for the services," Marion said. "It's not about what people want. It's about what we need."
Marion, 60, said the city has to focus on finding money to keep Wimberley a good place to live. She said the current funding model is not enough to keep the lifestyle the residents want. "The city is funded by sales tax, and it's just not enough," she said in making the case for a property tax. "We're looking for new creative ways to solve the challenge of finding money."
In Place 3, which has been vacant since Bill Appleman resigned amid controversy over a proposal for the city to pave a private road, graphic designer Matt Meeks is running against rancher Scott Johnson.
Meeks, 31 , said that as a younger member of the community, he is has seen how hard the city makes it for startup businesses to find success, citing zoning restrictions as an example. Meeks is a fourth-generation resident of Wimberley, and his family owns Rio Bonito Resort, which he helps operate.
"My main concern is giving the youth a bit of a chance in the community," Meeks said.He said he has lived in the community his whole life and wants to give back. "I'm involved in the community and hear a lot of things firsthand," he said. "I see how things directly affect people on a day-to-day basis.
"On the tax question, Meeks said he does not think the residents can afford a new property tax along with existing taxes.
Johnson said one of the major issues in the city at the moment is the finite amount of water and the increasing growth. He said people are coming from cities the size of Houston and Dallas and expecting to live the same lifestyle in Wimberley.
"Some people come from tax-based cities and are used to certain amenities," Johnson, 53 , said. "We have to watch how we grow and conserve that uniqueness."
Johnson said population growth coupled with the drought could cause a 30 percent decrease in business. He cited an economic study by the Texas River Systems Institute's Cypress Creek Water Shed Project. "When people come to move here they don't bring their own water," Johnson said. "If the water dries up, the economic impact would be significant."
Johnson said he opposes new taxes without knowing fully what the needs of the community are. "What I plan on doing is finding what our needs are versus what our wants are," he said. "Wimberley has a dynamic problem of continued growth, and we need other ways to generate revenue."
John White , a 65-year-old accountant, is running unopposed for re-election to his Place 5 seat. He said his main goals will be to eliminate some city regulations and block a property tax. "Ninety percent of the people in this city don't want anything to do with it," White said. "It's just another tax on top of all the taxes we already pay."
White said he has been in Wimberley since 1951 and he wants to preserve the city's atmosphere. "People are demanding the same services as Houston but we don't have the money to offer the same services," he said.
3 comments:
The money issues facing Wimberley are:
1) How can the restaurants and businesses on the Square get citizens to naively pay for a wastewater system - without costing the business owners much.
2) How can citizens get safety focused sidewalks put in on the south side of Blanco Hwy between Pizza Hut and the the chain sandwich shop?
3) How can citizens foster small locally owned business growth instead of more corporate chain stores - without adding taxes and more strain on our water resources.
And, finally, how can we get more members of city council elected who are NOT there to mostly use the position to further their own economic interests. Roccafort and White are a perfect examples of business hustle disquised as planning expertise.
Christina,
Your article regarding the upcoming Wimberley city council election states, “Place 3, which has been vacant since Bill Appleman resigned amid controversy over a proposal for the city to pave a private road.”
This is incorrect. The controversy is over a road that has been publicly claimed and maintained for over thirty years. The city council, in a purely political gesture, is now acting as a judicial body in declaring that it never was a public road. The city over the last ten years has spent an inordinate amount of money on maintenance of this street. Six years ago they also commissioned a $20,000+ plus survey to determine the boundaries of the public right of way of the street, in order to end the controversy of neighbor’s unsubstantiated claims of private ownership. The city, by its recent action, has opened itself up to potential litigation by essentially claiming they have been spending public funds to benefit private individuals for the last ten years. They are also implying that the county was guilty of the same thing for twenty years before incorporation. This move also calls into question the whole basis on which the city formed its whole road system. When I asked to put these items on the city council agenda, the mayor denied my request.
If you would like to find out more about the truth to this story, I would love to sit down with you and review all of the relevant material on this topic. I have attached a document containing comments that I attempted to make in city council the night I resigned which I feel will provide a good overview of a portion of the controversy.
A possible related topic to this controversy, is Scott’s Johnson’s claim that his family owns the land on both sides of “Blue Hole” to include the famous cypress tree that our youth have been swinging off of for 150 years. Apparently our city administrator is in negotiations with him on this topic as we speak.
Thank you for your consideration in reviewing the facts to this matter,
Bill Appleman
Is Appleman's reference to the Johnson family happen to be one of the Johnsons who is running for Wimberley City Council?
If so, my guess is it is the one using the water issue as a red herring to get voters to think he is out to protect the local water. In other words, he is a fake water fairy - as the righty water slurpers like to call us.
Is he only out to protect Daddy's property from the big bad city park movement?
Local royalty minds want to know.
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