Update: Commissioners pass Jacob's Well, Nicholson Ranch, Harrison Park

Toward involvement, anyone wanting to get together and do some serious budget analysis with me, I'm looking for some help . . . I'd like to submit a citizens budget to the County, and generate some public conversation about it

Note: Just a quick one to say the RoundUp has a generally favorable view of the county's long range habitat conservation plan. If bonafide wildlife habitat is identified and not purchased at inflated prices, it could have a double good effect: Preserving land for endangered songbird species and taking land out of the market that if otherwise developed in the conventional method could wind up costing taxpayers a whole lot more to support – higher appraisals, roads and schools.

Send your comments and news tips to roundup.editor@gmail.com, to Mr. Brannon at sam_brannon@hotmail.com or click on the "comments" button at the bottom of the story

By Sam Brannon
Special Report

This was a big week at the Hays County Commissioners Court meeting. There was lots of spending on the agenda. In a lame-duck session two days before Thanksgiving, that spells trouble.

For those of us with "less taxes and less spending" on our minds, Tuesday was a pretty rough day. And a long one, too, twelve hours gavel-to-gavel, ending at 9pm.

I and others spoke against the $5,000,000 Nicholson Ranch contract that was signed last week. We asked that the County allow the deal to die quietly and forfeit the $100,000 earnest money contract, and pocket a $4.9 MM savings. I have continued to speak against Nicholson because it's a really bad use of taxpayer dollars.

Unfortunately, the deal may have closed even before the Thanksgiving holiday officially began. I don't like it for many reasons, including the price, the lack of necessity and the fact that it serves no real purpose for the People of Hays County. It's classified under conservation, but the real conservation value is suspect as far as I can tell. It allows the bulldozing of endangered species habitat in one area if you buy "credits" from land that's already being conserved by conservation landholders. Conceptually, I file that under "maybe kinda works," if you do it just right. In real life that "just right" rarely happens in the hands of government.

A few years ago, counties began implementing the habitat mitigation banking programs, similar to the "cap and trade" model. The 1,000-acre Nicholson Ranch purchase is Hays County's first step into the habitat purchase plan outlined in the Hays County Habitat Conservation Plan (HCHCP), which has yet to receive final approval from U.S. Fish and Wildlife. To put this in perspective, let's say that Hays County has 200,000 people. $5,000,000 is a $25 tax requirement for every man, woman and child in this county, plus interest on the bond. And that's just the first 1,000 acres.

The goal is 32,000 acres (50 square miles), or 7.4% of Hays County. They will be limited or no public access to these areas, so they are "parks" that you can't play in. All that for over $800 dollars in tax from every man, woman and child, or $3,200 for a family of four.

My biggest objection to the County-run habitat mitigation plan (and to the Nicholson Ranch deal) is that this is not essential County business. Roads, law enforcement and elections are County business. Not land purchases with taxpayer dollars. There are many other ways that local governments can participate in and guide the process, but using taxpayer dollars will substantially hurt most Hays County residents. According the the HCHCP, Hays County can expect "moderate adverse financial effects" by implementing the plan that is proposed.

I love the outdoors, appreciate a good hike, and am more than a little disappointed that I couldn't make my hike today at Purgatory with a very good guide - I love that place. There are obvious reasons to take conservation of habitat and water seriously, but we'd be well-served to be very conscious about it, rather than to jump behind anything labeled "green" or "sustainable." The price for not paying attention is too high.

The next few years promise to be difficult years financially for the County, and for the people who call Hays County home. There's enough fluff in the budget to meet all of our obligations, and still find room for some nice tax cuts for 2012. Most of the people I know want less taxes from their cities and school districts, too. Whether or not we get this tax relief is not up to President Obama, or even our County Commissioners. It will be up to us.

The Jacob's Well project passed with a 4-1 vote. Jacob's Well is a treasure, and needs to be preserved, no doubt. But the fact that this item was discussed for 7-plus hours Tuesday should tell you there was some complexity and resistance to the deal, and I feel that resistance was warranted. In the end the momentum on the court won and the deal was approved, but there were some very concerning questions left unanswered. One attendee suggested to the commissioners that "you're stepping into water, and you don't know how deep it is."

The Harrison Ranch Park (City of Dripping Springs, sponsored by Pct. 4 Commissioner Karen Ford) passed 5-0, the only new project to get funding that day. The rest of the Parks Bond money has already begun to be negotiated.

There will be a public meeting on changes to the On-Site Sewage Facilities (OSSF) regulations on December 21. If you're a landowner with an interest in septic systems, you won't want to miss it.

The real bright light for me was that about 120 people attended the meeting, and it was SRO. Not bad for two days before Thanksgiving. That number included a lot of folks in support of their favored parks projects, naturally, but all in all, I was pleased with the participation from folks who want our County government to start saying "No" from time to time. I thank everyone who came out, regardless of their objective. The more involved we become in the process of government, the more likely we are to be satisfied with the results.

Toward involvement, anybody wanting to get together and do some serious budget analysis with me, I'm looking for some help. I need some folks that enjoy the detail aspects of it to help bucket up some numbers, and others with either interest or experience in County government operations and budgeting. I'd like to submit a citizens budget to the County, and generate some public conversation about it. Let me know if you can help.