05.27.10
County turns down stimulus, will cost $150,000/yr for 20 years
Via the RRL, Commissioners reject federal stimulus funds.
The Williamson County Commissioners Court voted 5-0 Tuesday to issue $35 million in debt, to finish road improvement and expansion projects already underway for U.S. Highway 183, U.S. Highway 79 and Williams Drive in Georgetown.
But – despite arguments to the contrary from County Judge Dan Gattis and County Auditor David Flores – commissioners will pay for that work without federal stimulus dollars known as Build America Bonds.
“For us to not take advantage of BABS is for us to pay a higher cost for the borrowing of dollars,” Flores told commissioners.
Flores said if Williamson County entered the BABS federal stimulus program, it could expect to be reimbursed 35 percent of the interest payment for the $35 million in debt principal it is incurring.
That reimbursement, Flores said, would work out to about $150,000 per year for the next 20 years.
Most of the commissioners objections were straight from the warmed over tea party rhetoric – in other words partisan politics over good public policy.
“This is part of the stimulus plan and this is basically Williamson County condoning the growth of federal government,” Pct. 2 Commissioner Cynthia Long of Cedar Park said. “From my perspective, its sends the message that we support the stimulus program and we support the expansion of federal government.”
Pct. 1 Commissioner Lisa Birkman of Brushy Creek agreed, stating: “Every project we’ve done with the federal government, they end up wanting to micromanage and tell us what to do.”
Pct. 3 Commissioner Valerie Covey of Georgetown acknowledged that when Williamson County accepts funding from the Texas Department of Transportation, those funds include federal dollars passed down to the state level.
But, Covey said, she had also has concerns about administrative costs that might be associated with federal stimulus funding, as well as possible restrictions on how the money can be spent.
Although Gattis, makes sense in the article, he still voted with the rest of the court.
Gattis said that while he favors issuing the debt – in order to finish the ongoing road projects – he thinks the county is being shortsighted in rejecting federal stimulus money.
“We’re making a big mistake here, leaving $100,000 per year on the table,” Gattis said. “It’s going to be interesting, as we’re getting into the budget and you’re not wanting to spend $100,000. We could fund a lot of programs with that.”
Gattis realizes that the county is giving away between $2-3 million over the next 20 years, but he still voted with the rest of them. I guess it’s not polite to dissent when the court is denying federal funds. There were no comments regarding where precinct 4 Commissioner Rom Morrison this issue.
While it’s true the federal government may have some input into these roads if federal funds are taken, most times it’s regarding environmental concerns, that’s not worth giving this money away. This looks like it was done more for partisan political reasons, then for reasons of good public policy or what’ best for Williamson County.
Common Sense said,
May 30, 2010 at 7:30 pm
Face it, this is a left leaning blog. And that is fine. This is a place where the left can make their points and opinions heard. So without being partisan, and laying this out based on facts, the Court is operating on a partisan basis based on politics. Williamson County is a conservative county. Therefore the Court will play to that leaning. It is what it is. Nothing more, nothing less.
Once again the County Auditor gives good, sound, non partisan advise, and once again the court blows Flores off. Just as they continue to do by not listening to him when it comes to adopting a reasonable tax rate.
Keep digging the county in a hole for pure political, reelection reasons.
“This is part of the stimulus plan and this is basically Williamson County condoning the growth of federal government,”
Not so much Cynthia. It’s common sense. Use federal stimulus dollars that are there for the taking saving millions. Or continue playing to the political fiddle and deplete the county reserves and gut the employee benefits programs.
Gattis gets it. But voting with the rest who are shortsighted is very disappointing. At a time when every penny is needed to cover services, it doesn’t make sense.
wcnews said,
May 31, 2010 at 1:31 pm
I agree with you that this was a partisan political decision, and not a decision made in the best interest of the residents and taxpayers of the county. While this blog is, of course, Democratic leaning and provides a point of view which does not exist in any news media in Williamson County, we’ve been making the same points about decisions made by most elected officials in Williamson County over the past 6 years. Most of what they do is in their own political self-interest or that of the GOP establishment in Williamson County.
The tea party base of the GOP is unwilling to allow any member of it’s party to propose, or come our for, an overt tax increase, no matter the situation. So they’re boxed in to a corner that all they can do is cut, cut, cut. If that’s actually what they do, those cuts will start showing up all over the county in the form of more job loss and lower economic activity because of it.
BTW your previous comment on county taxes is very good. But these people and most right wingers don’t deal in logic, and can’t be fought on logical grounds. They believe in ideology, which is like a fantasy land of the free market and Ronald Reagan is their God, so if you really want to deal with them you got to find something other than logic. In truth most of the tea party right wingers need an epiphany to change and likely never will. The only way I’ve seen it happen here is when someone has been personally effected by the horrendous actions of those in charge in this county.
It’s those that are more moderate, that can be brought over. Once they’re shown how radical the others are they will vote those currently in power out. And that’s the only way things will change.