http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/story.hts/metropolitan/665056 Sept. 13, 2000, 12:11AM Mayor plays hardball to fight tax cut -- Projects may be halted if vote passes, administration says to some districts By MATT SCHWARTZ -- Copyright 2000 Houston Chronicle In a dramatic display of mayoral orchestration Tuesday, nearly 30 citizens, pastors and community leaders came before City Council to plead with it not to cut the city's property tax rate. With several of them reading or quoting from notes supplied by the Brown administration, the citizens complained that the proposed 3 percent tax rate cut would cause the city to cut back on services important to them. "What is the value of this rollback," asked the Rev. Ed Buford. "Is this rollback going to be sufficient to me to see children without some of those services?" The staged appeals did not appear likely to sway any of the eight council members -- a slim majority of the 15-member council -- who support the proposed tax rate cut. Political hardball by Mayor Lee Brown, however, could make a greater impression. Administration officials were in overdrive throughout the day, trying to pressure district council members to support the mayor in opposing the rate cut. They apparently did not hesitate to threaten blocking capital projects within certain districts. Councilman Bert Keller said an administration official told him at the council table that a drainage project under way in his westside district would be halted if he voted for the tax rate cut. "If my vote ends up causing my district to lose projects, they have not even seen my bad side," Keller said afterward. Barring a last-minute push for a delay, the council is set to consider the proposed tax rate cut today, a week after Councilman Mark Ellis introduced it at the council table. Ellis is proposing the council lower the city's property tax rate from 66.5 cents to 64.5 cents per $100 assessed valuation. The 2-cent rate cut would save the owner of a $100,000 home about $16 a year, but would force the city to cut nearly $17 million in spending from the current budget, which is the aim of the tax-cut proponents. Ellis and his supporters argued that the rate cut is the only way to force the city to curb its spending. The budget approved by council last June projected that the city will take in $573 million in property tax revenue this fiscal year, compared with $545 million the previous year. Ellis said that even with the tax rate cut, the city still would take in $556 million, about 2 percent more than it did last year, because of soaring property values. He also contended that the city will take in about $18 million more in revenues than the administration anticipated, including additional property tax monies, cable television franchise fees and electrical franchise fees. In addition to Ellis, Councilmen Chris Bell, Mark Goldberg, Keller, Carroll Robinson, Orlando Sanchez, Bruce Tatro and Rob Todd have said that they supported such a rate cut. For the last two days, Goldberg has been the focus of intense lobbying by the administration to persuade him to switch sides. Council members Jew Don Boney, John Castillo, Carol Mims Galloway, Annise Parker and Gordon Quan oppose the proposed rate cut. As of Tuesday night, Councilman Gabriel Vasquez said he still had not made up his mind. The Brown administration pulled out all the stops in trying to convince council to reject the proposal, including inviting community leaders to come speak to the council and sending them copies of the mayor's so-called talking points against the rate cut. Most of those who spoke before the council reiterated the mayor's contention that cutting the tax rate would result in a corresponding loss of services. "My concern is that if we do this tax reduction, a lot of city programs will not take place," said the Rev. Reginald Devaughn. "My question is, if the budget was approved in June, why is this tax cut needed today?" Several said the amount of tax relief that would be provided by the cut was so small that it would not be worth jeopardizing services. "Why tell a man you're going to feed him, then throw him a crumb?" said the Rev. Cleothus Montgomery. "Why cut anything if it's not going to help anybody?" Similar remarks prompted Robinson to tell the audience that, after the tax rate rollback passes, anyone who wanted could write a check for $16 and send it to the city. The administration also staged an "impromptu" news conference -- announced in advance by the mayor's press secretary -- by Police Chief C.O. Bradford and Fire Chief Lester Tyra, who said the proposed rate reduction would endanger public safety. Bradford said the police department budget of $462 million would be cut by $5 million, resulting in 58 fewer police officers on the street. The department already is operating on a "hold-the-line" budget and cannot withstand more cuts, Bradford said. Brown said the mere discussion of a tax rate cut had been met with dismay by bond rating agencies who visited Houston two weeks ago, following a year in which the city's revenues fell $38 million short of the administration's expectations. The proposal, he said, has prompted the city to delay a $205 million sale of general obligation bonds that was to take place next week to refinance some previously issued debt. "Direct discussions with the rating agencies advising of the postponement led to comments from them that they viewed this tax cut proposal as a negative factor," Michael Bartolotta, one of the city's financial advisers wrote to administration officials last week. Ellis disputed that, saying the proposed rate cut would have no effect on the city's bond ratings. Chronicle reporter Rachel Graves contributed to this story. ------------------ Stay Cool...
Lee Brown deffinitely needs some help with politics. Half the time he can't make up his mind, and the rest of the time he's "playing hardball" (being silly). Threatening city projects in specific districts? I don't think that's even legal. Then throws the Police and Fire department around to threaten the public. Something's wrong here. Also, have you ever noticed that when he wants to make a point, he doesn't gather experts or political allies -- he gathers preachers. It makes you wonder how long the preachers are ailling to be used as pawns. How long until mayoral elections again? ------------------ Stay Cool...
