Striking a rare tone of bipartisanship, both major political parties in Harris County have come out in opposition to Houston Independent School District’s proposed $4.4 billion bond appearing on the ballot this November.
The bond is the largest of its kind in state history and is expected to cost as much as $8.8 billion when interest is factored in. The district claims that it will not lead to a tax increase.
The Harris County Republican Party was the first to oppose the bond, passing a resolution authored by State Republican Executive Committeeman Rolando Garcia in early September. Garcia’s resolution focused heavily on the district’s long and storied history of “financial mismanagement and malfeasance” and a lack of community trust in the district to manage the bond program without cost overruns or other issues.
“HISD needs to go back to the drawing board, focus on essentials, and come back to voters with a pared-down request,” he wrote.
In late September, the Harris County Democratic Party proposed and passed its own resolution against the bond, calling Superintendent Mike Miles’ fiscal management “disastrous” and condemning the appointed board of trustees.
“The Harris County Democratic Party supports public education and acknowledges the need for full funding, including bonds, it opposes the HISD $4.4 billion bonds, Proposition A and B, due to Superintendent Mike Miles’ fiscal mismanagement, inadequate oversight, and the detrimental impact on students and public education since the takeover.”
The bond does have support from some in the business community, with the Greater Houston Partnership and other business groups having publicly expressed support.
The district recently announced a bond oversight committee consisting of Andy Canales, Founding Executive Director of Latinos for Education; Andy Chan, Mayor of Southside Place; Bob Eury, former President of Central Houston and the Downtown Management District; Chris Brown, former Houston City Controller and Mayor John Whitmire’s Senior Advisor for Financial Integrity; Christopher Cola, a CPA and former CFO/COO; Daria Wenas, Managing Director at Ernst & Young; Felix Chevalier, a Senior Consultant with Cornerstone Public Affairs; Lauren Fontaine, Senior Director at Pattern Energy; Marcos Rosales, a trial lawyer at Beck Redden; Mark Mallette, former COO of Freeport LNG; Michael G. Davis, founder of Brooks and Davis Real Estate; Taylor Chapman, Investment Principal at New Climate Ventures; Wendell Robbins III, President of W.A. Robbins Construction; and two alternates.
Early voting runs from October 21 to November 1. Election Day is November 5.
