Opposition to the Conroe Independent School District’s $677 million bond and tax hike continues to grow, with the influential tea party group Texas Patriots PAC, urging voters to oppose the proposal.
In a statement opposing the bond, TPP criticized CISD’s lack of transparency :
“On the ballot now is another massive CISD bond and only minimal explanation for where the money goes. ‘Just trust us, it’s for the kids.'”
While TPP said they would be open to supporting a smaller bond in the future that only includes necessary new construction and other major expenditures, the current bond contains too much “padding.”
“Too much of this bond is padding for expenses that ought to come from our yearly taxes,” TPP explains. “HB3, the school finance reform bill, will limit the growth of school district budgets starting in 2020, and so CISD is reaching out for as much money as possible right now.”
TPP also points out CISD is the ninth most indebted school district in the state of Texas. If the bond were to pass, CISD would be $2.984 billion in debt, a number larger than the GDP of several small nations.
TPP believes CISD should be funding maintenance from their budget rather than through bond debt.
“There is a better way to fund those needs and it’s not through bonds with interest payments. It’s by building an adequate maintenance fund for big upcoming expenses, the way it’s done in the private sector, and by conservatives in their personal lives. Let’s stop putting maintenance on the credit card.”
TPP is the oldest of two tea party organizations in Montgomery County. The other, Montgomery County Tea Party, is also opposing the bond.
Early voting continues through November 1. Election Day is November 5.
