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Heads up, Texas taxpayers: we’ve reviewed the upcoming FLORENCE ISD agenda and found 4 items that deserve your attention before the gavel falls.
| ALERT (LEVEL 8) |
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District to Approve ‘Effective’ Property Tax Hike
The Board will vote on a new tax rate under Item IX.C. While the rate itself is unchanged, the district’s own agenda admits this is an ‘effective 2.04 percent increase’ that ‘will raise more taxes’ due to a 6.8% growth in property values. This means higher property tax bills for homeowners, even without a change in the rate.
Response
DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Contact the Florence ISD Board of Trustees (see the Official Agenda link for contact info). Ask them: ‘Regarding Item IX.C, I urge you to adopt the no-new-revenue rate to protect homeowners from rising appraisals. Vote NO on any budget that increases the tax burden on families.’
💰 Impact: Higher Property Taxes
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| WARNING (LEVEL 7) |
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Board to Approve Official Lobbying Wish List for Austin
Under Item IX.G, the board will vote to approve its legislative priorities for lobbying the state government. The platform asks state lawmakers for more taxpayer money through increased allotments and a switch to enrollment-based funding, which pays the district for students even when they are absent. This is a formal effort to use district resources to lobby for policies that increase state and local tax burdens.
Response
DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY: Contact the Florence ISD Board of Trustees. Ask them: ‘Regarding Item IX.G, the board should focus on managing its local budget, not lobbying Austin for more money. Please vote NO on adopting these legislative priorities.’
💰 Impact: Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying
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| WARNING (LEVEL 7) |
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District to Pay $54K for Study, Give Up Student Data Rights
The board is set to approve a $54,200 contract with Population and Survey Analysts (PASA) for a demographic study (Item IX.E). The fine print of the contract states that the consultant, PASA, retains ownership of all data developed—including student information—and ‘may be used for other purposes.’ This contract spends taxpayer money while handing over control of sensitive student data to a third-party vendor.
Response
PROTECT STUDENT DATA: Contact the Florence ISD Board of Trustees. State: ‘Regarding Item IX.E, the district must not sign a contract that surrenders ownership of student data. Please amend the PASA contract to ensure the district owns all data, or vote NO.’
💰 Impact: $54,200 + Loss of Data Control
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| WARNING (LEVEL 6) |
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Board to Vote on Slowing Public Records Access
Under Item IX.I, the board will vote to designate 10 specific days as ‘non-business days’ for the purposes of the Texas Public Information Act (TPIA). While permitted by a new law, this action directly reduces transparency by giving the district more time to respond to records requests from parents and taxpayers. It makes holding the government accountable slower and more difficult.
Response
DEFEND TRANSPARENCY: Contact the Florence ISD Board of Trustees. Tell them: ‘Regarding Item IX.I, please vote NO on designating extra non-business days for TPIA requests. The district should be making it easier, not harder, for the public to access information.’
💰 Impact: Reduced Public Access
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