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Heads up, taxpayers and parents: We’ve audited the upcoming MARFA ISD agenda. There are 4 items targeting parental consent and taxpayer funds that need your immediate attention before the gavel falls.
| 🚨 Alert (LEVEL 9) |
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Tax Rate Vote: Public Hearing is Final Chance to Speak
The board is holding a public hearing and then immediately voting to set the 2026-2027 property tax rate. This is the final opportunity for taxpayers to demand the board adopt the ‘no-new-revenue rate,’ which would prevent property tax bills from increasing due to rising property values.
Response
PACK THE ROOM: This is your last chance. Sign up for the public hearing on Item IV.E. and demand the board adopt the no-new-revenue tax rate. Tell them to vote NO on any rate that increases the total tax levy on Marfa homeowners. Contact information for the board can be found on the district’s official website.
💰 Impact: Potential property tax levy increase.
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| ⚠️ Warning (LEVEL 7) |
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Hiding Budget Changes in a Bundled Vote
The board has placed ‘Budget Amendments’ on the consent agenda (Item III.A). This bundles potentially significant spending changes into a single vote with no discussion, preventing public scrutiny of how tax dollars are being reallocated.
Response
DEMAND A RECORDED VOTE: Contact the Marfa ISD board before the meeting. Insist that Item III.A, ‘Budget Amendments,’ be pulled from the consent agenda for a separate discussion and a roll-call vote. Taxpayers deserve to know exactly where their money is going.
💰 Impact: Undisclosed spending shifts.
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| 🚩Watchlist (LEVEL 6) |
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Board to Vote on Complex Debt Restructuring
Under Item IV.D, the board is authorizing the ‘Defeasance and Redemption’ of existing district debt. This is a complex financial maneuver to pay off old debt, often by taking on new debt. These deals can contain hidden fees and may not be in the best interest of taxpayers, and they happen without direct voter approval.
Response
DEMAND THE DETAILS: Contact the Marfa ISD board and ask for a plain-English explanation of the debt defeasance in Item IV.D. What are the total fees? What is the net savings to taxpayers? The board should not vote until this information is made public.
💰 Impact: Potential for hidden fees or unfavorable terms in debt refinancing.
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| 🚩Watchlist (LEVEL 5) |
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Board May Give Up Hiring Power to Superintendent
Item IV.C proposes to delegate hiring authority for teachers to the Superintendent. This reduces the oversight role of the elected board, centralizes power in an unelected administrator, and makes it harder for the public to hold anyone accountable for hiring decisions.
Response
KEEP THE BOARD ACCOUNTABLE: Contact the Marfa ISD board. Ask them why they are voting to give away their authority on hiring. The elected board, not an administrator, should have the final say on who teaches Marfa’s children.
💰 Impact: Reduced accountability from elected officials.
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