Bell County Jail

[Stu]

17 January 2009

If you didn’t attend today’s open house at the new jail annex on Loop 121 then you missed an opportunity to see what right looks like. The construction process was well supervised and completed on time, to standard, and within budget and the facility plan sets conditions for future expansion. Kudos to Bell County leaders for a job well done.

Its unfortunate we can’t reference posts in this forum about the Bell County Jail that were made from June 2006 to July 2007. (They were removed when Be Logical was upgraded.) If we could, then we’d see at least two lessons that Lampasas, Coryell, McLennan and other central Texas counties should learn in order to avoid the gyrations Bell County went through to construct this jail. Once more, with feeling.

#1. County leaders must identify state mandates, understand financing options, ensure facility plans “look deep”, and secure financing and construction contracts in a timely manner. Oh wait; the Jail Task Force and Bell Country leaders did most of that. The delay from 2003 to 2007 was caused mainly by the Three Amigos and uninformed voters and resulted in financing, construction, and prisoner outsourcing costs that increased the total jail cost by $12 million. That’s right; 12 big ones.

#2. County leaders must seek resource efficiencies. Oh wait; the Jail Task Force and Bell County leaders did that too. The facility was designed to meet jail needs out to 2025 and the common areas were intentionally constructed to handle 1200 inmates; not just the 600 spaces that were built in phase 1. The cost to add beds will be minimal since that is the least expensive portion of a jail expansion. Smart move.

Jail operations will move from downtown Belton to the new facility in February 2009. The old facility will then be renovated to serve as both overflow space for the Bell County jail and leased space for other counties. Another smart move.

A comment in my 24 February 2007 post in the Lampasas County jail thread bears repeating.

“Two years from now we will not look back and fret about a COLA increase [for county employees]. We will however regret that misinformation and manipulation were able to leverage citizen apathy and thwart the good intentions of commissioners. The new complex location may be inconvenient for Mr. Galligan but that pales in comparison to the financial burden foisted on Bell County citizens and municipalities by the construction delay. That remains the story, not a 3% “pay raise”.

Too bad our local media didn’t pick up on it.

Bell County’s new jail was the right decision in 2003; one that could have been operational in 2007 and for $12 million less than what it eventually cost. A vocal and caustic few and the uninformed voters who listened to them bear most of the responsibility for the delay and the increased tax burden on Bell County residents.

We are wired to respond to either reason or pain. Lets hope we prefer reason in the future.

Stu McLennan
Harker heights

[Stu]

18 January 2009

This forum hosted a “debate” between March 2006 and February 2007 about the construction of a new Bell County jail annex. My focus then turned to a similar initiative in Lampasas County. That thread is also listed under the topic General Interest.

The outcome of the volley-fire was predictably one sided. The Three Amigos were inane and opted mostly for ad hominem. No loss there. The facts however remain clear and are provided below in reverse order.

May we not forget.

Stu McLennan
Harker Heights

[Stu]

24 February 2007

As construction begins on Loop 121, the Three Amigos are probably hoping that people have forgotten their volley fire with me in this Blog last year. But the negative impact on this county and its citizens and taxpayers of delaying construction is too compelling to let it pass silently into the night. We endured a tsunami of “voters this and voters that” and demands to “move on” but the facts remain and should be drummed into our brain housing groups until some of us learn not to be duped so easily.

A précis is in order. TLGC and the Texas Jail Commission mandate that counties provide jail space to certain standards. There is a predictable correlation between population growth and incarceration rates. Commissioners meant well but an election was not required to leverage the appropriate funding mechanisms. 20% of the bond election petition signatures were bogus. 7,893 and then 6,833 Bell County voters were uninformed and misled and 90% of registered voters didn’t vote in two “elections” that delayed the project by over three years. Bell County has spent $175,000 so far renting space in other county jails with another 18 months ahead. The jail is now projected to cost $10 to $12 million more by the time its done than if it had been started in 2003.

I closed my post on August 30th 2006 with these words; “Two years from now we will not look back and fret about a COLA increase. We will however regret that misinformation and manipulation were able to leverage citizen apathy and thwart the good intentions of commissioners. The new complex location may be inconvenient for Mr. Galligan but that pales in comparison to the financial burden foisted on Bell county citizens and municipalities by the construction delay. That remains the story, not a 3% “pay raise”.”

$12 million dollars. That’s almost serious money, money out of taxpayer pockets that could have been spent on quality of life initiatives and infrastructure improvements. Those who swallowed the spin on the jail and courts complex should remember that the next time they’re throwing rocks at government for not subsidizing projects or providing services. They should instead look in the mirror and repeat the saying “Fool me once….” And if they don't, then others must challenge them.

This also applies to those being misled on a number of issues: the Patriot Act, the Terrorist Surveillance Program, and global warming to name a few. It takes informed and involved citizens to cut through the spin and discern the agendas. We would all do well to remember this as our nation continues to conduct the war on terrorism and prepares for Election 2008.

Stu McLennan
Harker Heights

[Stu]

21 December 2006

Mr. Trevino,

I’ll try one more time.

Those who reside outside Bell County probably don’t care about the courts complex. I persist because while it took only four hours for you to rise to Mr. Galligan’s defense (again) both of you have yet to respond to the relevant questions I asked on September 2d.

Logic is supposed to dominate this forum, not inane volley fire. Suggest you look up “ad hominem” and “discourse” in the dictionary and then re-read my posts on the subject and your replies. In the future, you might also want to run a spell-check and check for syntax.

Before you hit "Submit" ask yourself; How have I benefited the reader's education? In this case, what does it prove when a misinformed 5% of Bell county voters, who proved the majority, agree with Mr. Galligan’s spin. That they drank the Kool-Aid twice is even more revealing; and embarrassing. Constituents of a certain Louisiana congressman come to mind.

I can’t run for public office since I’m a Department of the Army civilian at Fort Hood. Best I can do for now is serve in an appointed position on the Harker Heights Planning and Zoning Commission. Helping chart the Bright Star’s strategic growth in concert with federal, state and county agencies is a challenge. Does that count?

Stu McLennan
Harker Heights

[Stu]

21 October 2006

Joe,

I’ll continue to ignore the ad hominem and focus instead on trying to debate facts. As difficult as that may be......

I addressed the prioritized construction of the district court, county court and county jail in my September 8th post. The county court was able to use a renovated building in downtown Belton therefore the Jail Task Force agreed new construction should be postponed. It was simply cost prohibitive to bring the old district court up to code therefore the Jail TF recommended a new facility be constructed first; in large part to avoid fines levied by the Texas Jail Commission. That made a new county jail the second priority especially since inmates could be outsourced over the short term. Fast-forward two years. Jail Commission sanctions to include decertification now loom due to jail overcrowding. Remedies will remain day-to-day until the new jail is completed in 18 months. Until then, county taxpayers will foot the costs incurred by the delayed construction.

It is entirely logical to assert that uninformed voters are harmful. Our representative republic operates best when people are informed before they get involved and vote.

One can’t compare a 5% margin of victory with a 5% voter turnout. Apples and oranges.

How did you determine that Certificates of Obligation are a tax scam? That’s not what bond specialists tell me.

Still waiting for you and John to answer the questions I asked on September 4th.

Stu McLennan
Harker Heights

[Stu]

4 October 2006

Joe,

Glad you reengaged. Perhaps you could encourage the good Colonel to follow your lead. Still waiting for y’all to respond to the questions I asked on September 4th.

I agree; politicians respond to the stimuli you call “political reasons”. For some it’s maintaining status and power. For others it’s polls and being popular. There are also those who do the right thing consistently, often regardless of political consequence. Raising the water level of informed and involved citizens helps us minimize the slugs, separate political wheat from chaff, and overcome the inertia created by spin.

Facts do not support the contention that most politicians ignore their constituents. However, the mismanagement you cite should be cause to move offenders towards the door. Care to share specifics?

It’s a no-brainer; apathy impacts elections. In Sep 2003, 5.3% of Bell County voters voted to approve the courts/jail bond while 5.8% disapproved. In May 04, those numbers fell to 3.8% and 4.9%. I addressed many of the facts that should have been used by an informed electorate but how many have been articulated in public by either side of the issue? Citizens must have the discipline to dig; not wait to be spoon-fed. In this case, those who voted “No” were either uninformed or had an agenda. But regardless of which way the vote went, to have 5% of voters form the majority is hardly a result worth trumpeting.

The iceberg issue is that 90% of registered Bell County voters chose not to be involved. This is but another example of the apathy that causes state and national politicians to bypass this area. Pols go to and listen where people vote; informed or not. Can you blame them given resource constraints?

FYI. A Certificate of Obligation is not a loop hole. It is an appropriate financial vehicle.

Taxation buddies? Come on. I don’t know you and you don’t know me so lets stick to a factual debate of the issues.

Stu McLennan
Harker Heights

[Stu]

25 September 2006

Sam Oliver makes some valid points about the impact of taxes but errs by using them to justify Mr. Galligan’s assault on Bell county commissioners. (Letters, Killeen Daily Herald, 24 Sep) Over the past weeks I have addressed the facts concerning the Bell County courts and jail complex in a series of posts in Be Logical. Instead of finally debating the issue in a public forum, Mr. Galligan took a personal shot at me and vanished. Yet he surfaced again last week to spew allegations and take another pot shot at Judge Burrows in the Temple Daily Telegram. Readers can draw their own conclusions.

As for taxes, the Constitution established a system consisting of direct taxes on consumption and indirect taxes on land valuations. We’ve since drifted a long way from that standard. It may be uncomfortable for some, but instead of blaming the government for our tax woes, we should first look in the mirror. If we peel that onion past symptoms like jails and taxes we see causal factors including expectations, behavior and apathy.

We expect government to provide services. Legitimate expectations at the federal level include defense, commerce, foreign policy and even social security (as originally envisioned). At the state and local level the list includes a transportation infrastructure, education system and emergency services. We are loath to take an appetite suppressant on the rest yet we’re surprised when the bloated tax system required to pay for it all is onerous and plagued by fraud, waste and excess. We need the Fair Tax (HR25/SR25).

Deviant behavior compounds the problem by forcing taxing entities to expand incarceration facilities and programs. Its prudent to link jail space and criminal projections especially when state law mandates facility standards. This is not taxation “abuse” but rather a cause-and-effect reflection of society that we all bear.

The taxation conundrum is further exacerbated by apathy, especially in voting. This malaise has received needed visibility lately thanks to several community leaders. Its simple; politicians respond when constituents are informed and involved. We all need to grasp that.

Stu McLennan
Harker Heights

[Stu]

15 September 2006

Lynn,

It's difficult to debate the facts when detractors chose instead to lob invectives and then go missing. Mr. Galligan and his supporters Mr. Trevino and Mr. Ellis have had ample opportunity to respond directly to the facts yet they remain silent. Hopefully your readers took note.

We all benefit when important issues like this are debated in public forums instead of using drive-by editorials refereed by journalists. I'll remain on the net should Mr. Galligan et al decide to emerge from hiding to address the facts.

I did find two items in my 8 September post that need to be corrected. A by-precinct analysis reveals that the $46 million bond issue passed in all cities except Temple. Perhaps a mitigating factor was that it shared the blast zone of a contentious Temple ISD bond issue. I also meant 600 jail beds, not pods.

Stu McLennan
Harker Heights

[Stu]

8 September 2006

And then there were three! One more to go. I await responses from Mr. Galligan and Mr. Trevino but will oblige Mr. Ellis’ request for another dose of reality in the meantime.

Before I do, I need to admit two mistakes and correct the record. The county will initially build 600 jail pods, not 438. The bond tax rate is also 4.1%, not 4.0%. A tax rate of 41.10 cents per $100 valuation is required to fund the $42 million jail project. This is a 3.5% increase over the current 37.6 cents valuation and equates to a bond rate of .3815 with an additional .0295 added for debt service.

Where were we?

1. In Texas, counties are an extension of the state and its statutes dictate county operations. Commissioners originally opted to fund the courts and jail project using a Certificate of Obligation per Texas Local Government Code, Title 8, Chapter 271.041. After the second bond election defeat, commissioners acknowledged that a CO was an inappropriate mechanism given that it must be put to an election while the facilities at issue didn’t require the same. Commissioners then coordinated with the Texas Attorney General to change the bond to an Anticipation Note (aka Limited Tax Note) per Government Code, Title 9, Chapter 1431. This instrument has a 7-year maturity, no election requirement and was the best financial instrument once the initial low bond interest rate gate was missed.

2. 20% of the bond election petition signatures were bogus. Mr.Galligan championed the effort to submit the required 6693 signatures by 20 June 2003. The petition ostensibly secured 8872 but the County Clerk determined the actual number to be 6870. The delta was subsequently verified by an independent CPA to be invalid registrations or multiple signers. (If anyone wants to accuse Vada Sutton of cooking the books then go for it.) Unfortunately the shortage was discovered too late to remove the initial bond from the September 2003 ballot. Commissioners formed the Jail Task Force after the first election defeat. The TF recommended that the new county (civic) court be deleted, the district (criminal) court and jail be built (albeit the latter scaled down) and the issue and revised bond placed again on the May 2004 ballot. In retrospect, commissioners were well intentioned but should have built the complex, bypassed the election process and accepted the political consequences.

3. It is nothing new but voter apathy exacerbates the impact of misinformation and fringe spin. This cuts both ways. In the Constitutional Amendment and Bond election of September 2003, Bell County had 135,390 registered voters yet only 7,237 voted for and 7,893 voted against the $61.1 million bond proposal. 89% didn’t vote. In the Bell County Bond Election of May 2004, Bell County had 139,475 registered voters yet only 5,274 voted for and 6,833 voted against the $46 million bond proposal. 91% didn’t vote. The impact on turn-out of other ballot initiatives must also be considered, like the Temple ISD bond initiative that was grouped with the county courts/jail project. Interestingly, an analysis by precinct reveals that the initiatives passed in the cities but not the rural areas.

4. Commissioners opened themselves to criticism by adding items totaling about $4 million to the May 2004 bond that were not directly related to the court and jail project. The Bell County Expo parking lot and Killeen Annex renovations may have been needed but it was probably not such a good idea to add them to an already emotional bond issue.

5. Commissioners bought an old building in downtown Belton to house the county court until a new facility could be built. The building cost $7K and was intended to serve as a temporary location for 5 years or less. The Central Texas Council of Governments loaned Bell County $800K for renovations with the agreement that the county would retain ownership and CTCOG would assume occupancy. This didn’t happen so Bell County had to reimburse CTCOG the remaining amount of $750K from General Revenues. This amount is another added cost to delaying the courts and jail complex construction.

6. Judge Burrows defeated Mr. Galligan in the Republican Primary held on 7 March 2006. Mr. Galligan received 3234 votes or 35%. Judge Burrows 5950 votes or 65%. A mandate to govern comes more from primary and general elections than it does from bond initiatives therefore these results should be compared to the numbers in paragraph 3. But in football lexicon, a hit of this magnitude is called a de-cleater.

7. Bell County transferred courts operations from the downtown Belton location to the new complex on Loop 121 effective 1 June 2006. It would be instructive to know if Mr. Galligan knew that the complex would be built before he started construction of his new office in downtown Belton. Perhaps he will finally answer that question in open forum.

8. This week, commissioners -- with Judge Burrows recused -- selected Skanska Construction to build the county jail. Before shrieks of “Collusion!” drown out reason it should be noted that the selection was based on a history of quality construction in central Texas, a bid that was $500K under the next highest bid, and an agreement to function as Construction Managers at Risk. Those who are still concerned should observe how commissioners handle any cost overruns.

9. Milam and Limestone counties charge Bell County $45 and $42 respectively per prisoner per day for out-sourced inmate housing. Transportation and medical costs raise those totals to $51 and $53. Fort Hood currently pays $49.37 and the new contract raises that to $52.

10. Hurricane Katrina is largely to blame for recent increases in construction material costs as high demand leads to short supply. As with gasoline, it’s called “market forces”. With 20-20 hindsight these cost increases could have also been avoided if construction of the courts and jail complex had not been delayed.

There are the facts; fair, balanced and lucid.

Stu McLennan
Harker Heights

[Stu]

2 September 2006

Mr. Trevino and Mr. Galligan,

I answered the personal questions and responded to the insinuations contained in your posts on August 31st. Enough chaff; can we please get back on task. This is a Blog after all, not a courtroom.

I await your reply to my September 1st post and add the following as the answers are also germane to our discussion about the 3% COLA and the county courts/jail complex.

Mr. Trevino.

1. Please explain what you mean by the statement “$100’s of millions delegated to construction companies”. Is there collusion we should know about?

2. How did Judge Garth’s public release program alleviate jail overcrowding yet sustain public safety? That was before my time.

3. What 2002 pay table did you use to extrapolate the 2006 salaries of our county officials? How did you compute the $2,250 and $3,000 figures? How do these salaries compare to neighboring counties and local municipalities?

Mr. Galligan.

1. You said “[T]he conduct of the Commissioners Court effectively devalued the meaning of one’s vote in Bell County”. How exactly did commissioners negate the value of a citizen’s vote vis-à-vis the jail?

2. You said “[T]heir actions were politically motivated”. How so and to what end? The answer will help voters better understand Bell County politics.

3. Please give specific examples of how commissioners take their office for granted.

4. You said the 3% COLA was “[M]ore money in the pockets of a select group of politicians.” How much exactly and to whom? Which county employees will not receive the COLA?

Oh, and just so we’re crystal clear. I did not provide financial contribution, public endorsement, material support or my time to assist Judge Burrow in his election victory. I did vote for him but we have neither met nor talked. So much for me being a political insider.

Stu McLennan
Harker Heights

[Stu]

1 September 2006

Lynn asked that we stick to issues. It is in that spirit that my response to the points made by Mr. Trevino and Mr. Galligan will contain facts and more nouns than adjectives. I also concede the ad hominem low ground.

A beautiful thing about facts is that fairness isn’t a mitigating factor and opinions don’t change them. Relevance and context are certainly important, since if you torture numbers long enough they’ll confess to anything, therefore my research was gleaned from the Texas Jail Commission report, information provided the Jail Task Force, the Texas Local Government Code (TLGC), input from community leaders and citizens and discussions with three county commissioners and the county sheriff. I probably risk being labeled a shill for talking to them but officials did not get to approve this message.

We can certainly debate the efficacy of new district and county courts facilities but the following facts are clear.

1. Commissioners are required by law to provide jail space that meets standards set by the Jail Commission report and TLGC Chapter 351 (County Jails). These standards are more expensive to meet than regular commercial construction and the specs for county jails cost more than for municipal jails. The impact of the bond interest increase was minimal but market forces are increasing the cost of construction materials by an estimated 30% a year. Transportation costs include vehicles and gas to transport prisoners as well as lost time and coverage for county employees. Missed opportunity costs are where Bell County could have been the renter instead of the rentee.

2. Given these legal mandates, jail construction did not need to be placed before voters were it not for the type of bond that was initially proposed. That was corrected but commissioners still responded to citizen input and the petition effort by adding the issue to the ballot. The petition didn’t garner the required number of signatures but by then it was too late to remove it. No argument; subsequent public relations could have been handled better. Nonetheless, putting it to a vote in the first place was a foot shot.

3. Commissioners proposed a plan that is forward looking, phased and meets jail requirements through 2025. The new 120,000 square foot facility will augment the existing jail and be built in stages. The plan is based on the county’s projected population growth and a historical 2.41% incarceration rate that equates to a need for 30 additional cells per year. The first two “pods” of 438 cells will be followed by six remaining pods until the 1,200 cell goal is achieved.

4. The cost for a 3% COLA increase for all county employees -- and not just elected officials -- is about $750K…. in current dollars of course…. or a 1 cent tax increase. It’s understood that all citizens are impacted by changes made by the various taxing entities but it is misleading to blame the cumulative affect on county officials. Individual salaries are available should people wish to compare them with other counties and cities.

5. If elected officials are accused of approving exorbitant salary increases then it is not “hyper-technical” to make the distinction between salary components. Again, relevant facts in context.

6. Public release is not the answer to alleviate overcrowding. The impact on public safety is unacceptable when criminals, violent or not, are released or remain free because there is no place to put them.

7. No one has offered proof that jail numbers were manipulated to justify jail construction.

8. It would be most illuminating to name the four residents from Morgan’s Point who attended the meeting.

9. I have served on active duty and in civil service for 28 years now and counting. I waited 23 years to have a first name again and once I retired started using it instead of leading with my terminal rank. My status as an “fat cat” can be verified via the Defense Finance and Accounting Service Web site using LTC over 23 and now GS-13. Property values are also open-source at TexasTax.com for whatever all this proves.

10. I did not contribute financially to any state, local or county election campaigns. Not sure why that too is an issue but there it is for inquiring minds that must know. I have also never been to the courts building: new or old. Perhaps I should mention that I see Sheriff Smith at Rotary and attend church with Commissioner Fischer. Other than that I’m not on a first name basis with any county officials.

I cut a section from the Letter to the Editor I submitted due to space constraints but it bears mention here. We tend to focus on political negatives and often fail to notice common examples of integrity by our elected officials. Commissioners are currently renegotiating the contract that allows Fort Hood to send military prisoner to the county jail. They could have raised rates to recoup a portion of the outsourcing costs but as good neighbors they intentionally left the daily rate at $43 and change. As we celebrate Labor Day, it would be refreshing for readers to share similar observations.

Stu McLennan
Harker Heights

[Stu]

30 August 2006

There he goes again. (Letters, Killeen Daily Herald, 27 August) Mr. Galligan should know that a pay raise normally consists of an increase to a base salary and/or a cost of living allowance (COLA). Last week, commissioners eschewed a salary increase and instead approved a 3% across the board COLA increase for county employees. Given a 2005 rate of inflation of 3.19% this hardly constitutes a “hefty” or even a “generous” pay raise.

Speaking of budgets, the COLA increase will cost far less than the delayed construction of the jail, county and district courts complex. (Excess inmates carry high cost, Killeen Daily Herald, 27 August.) Mr.Galligan’s antics fueled this delay and forced the county to out-source some inmate housing; thus generating a requirement for $250K and $500K in the budget this year and next. The cost to house inmates elsewhere until the jail is completed in the fall of 2008 is now projected to reach $1.5 million and the total cost vastly more than that once increases in construction material, interest, transportation and medical costs and missed revenue opportunities are compiled. (Estimates range from $10 to $20 million.) The contrast however is simple and stark. In 2003, we could have had three facilities for a 2.25 cent increase. By waiting until 2006, we’ll now get two facilities for a 4.0 cent increase.

Two years from now we will not look back and fret about a COLA increase. We will however regret that misinformation and manipulation were able to leverage citizen apathy and thwart the good intentions of commissioners. The new complex location may be inconvenient for Mr.Galligan but that pales in comparison to the financial burden foisted on Bell county citizens and municipalities by the construction delay. That remains the story, not a 3% “pay raise”.

Stu McLennan
Harker Heights

[Stu]

14 March 2006

It is normally infeasible for counties and cities to renovate “abandoned buildings” to serve as jails. (Commissioners should turn old store into jail, KDH, 11 March). This is due to the cost of meeting statute law facility requirements, not a lack of “new ideas” or an inability to “think out of the box” by either commissioners or the 45-member Bell County Jail Task Force. Without rehashing the whole jail thing , there are a few salient points that also should be made.

County Commissioners are required by law to provide jail space that meets standards set by the Texas Jail Commission and in Chapter 351 (County Jails) of the Texas Local Government Code. These standards are much more expensive to meet than regular commercial construction and the specs for county jails cost even more than for municipal jails. In fact, the new Bell County jail did not need to be placed before voters were it not for the type of bond that was proposed to fund the construction. Their intent was good but it was still a foot shot. Hopefully it was also a lesson learned.

The Harker Heights city staff uses a strategically focused Comprehensive Plan to coordinate the reuse of vacant commercial structures with owners and developers. Most potential uses for the old Winn Dixie would actually have cost more in renovations to meet current code than to just build new, especially a jail.

County Commissioners have proposed a plan that is forward looking, phased and meets jail requirements through 2025. The new 120,000 square foot facility will augment the existing jail and be built in stages. The plan is based on the county’s projected population growth and a historical 2.41% incarceration rate that equates to a need for 30 additional cells per year. The first two “pods” of 438 cells would be followed by six remaining pods until the 1,200 cell goal is achieved. The sooner it is built, the less it will cost taxpayers to construct it and to pay for alternate jail space. There is also the impact on public safety when criminals remain free because there is no place to put them.

In this case, spin by a few resulted in an emotional response by many. Sound familiar? Commissioners should absorb the hit, do the right thing and build the jail. The rest of us should work on being better informed.

Stu McLennan
Harker Heights

[lwoolley]

about this Tea Party business at Confederate Park in Belton this week? Also, I was having trouble posting a reply to Stuey McLennan. If you would be so kind as to chunk this in his section on your website.

Attention Stu:
Help spread the word that all living Joe Trevino’s need to check their ‘homestead exemption’ status on their tax statements. Last year, the tax appraisal gods killed me dead. After reviewing our tax statement, we noticed they removed my homestead exemption. After inquiring about this, we’re told that they have a peon who scans newspaper obituaries and when a person dies, they remove their exemption along with the countless others who have the same name as the deceased. Then, they allege letters are sent out to the dead person. If the deceased doesn’t respond within a ‘certain’ time frame…Voilà! BTW, they couldn’t prove that a letter was actually sent to us. After my wife assured them I was indeed alive, the gods resurrected me and sent a $140 check. Does the word “huckster” mean anything?

Work habits (like above) used to grab more tax, especially in this economy and housing market, make as much sense as Burrows and his merry-men stimulating each other with funding out of other peoples’ pockets to repair shoddy work on the Taj Mahal - Penal Colony (i.e. roof, sewer, parking lot, junky conveyor, etc) with the perpetrator, a personal pal of Burrows.

It’s a great sin when this type of business-as-usual vastly serves the echelon and criminal minds alike while decent, law abiding, working people and elderly/senior citizens struggle to keep up (PRO 11:1).

And since they’re currently expanding Stu Burrows Taj Mahal facility, might as well provide space for the tax office. Preferably behind bars in the Penal Colony Suite section.

Joe Trevino, Jr.
Belton TX

[Stu]

March 26, 2012

It apparently took six years and 20/20 hindsight for reason to prevail and the tone to soften at the KDH. Either that or someone is chumming the water. (Sheriff; Opening jail costly, March 26).

In the first half of the article, Sheriff Smith succinctly highlighted funding challenges and a potential win-win vis-à-vis use of the renovated downtown jail and housing federal prisoners respectively. The renovation remains a smart move as does planning for prisoner population growth and outsourcing.

It’s unfortunate that neighboring county leaders reinvented much of this wheel, in succession.

The second half recounts some of the history captured in previous posts in this forum. It was especially appropriate to highlight the vision of, and long-term planning by, elected Bell County leaders as well as Texas Jail Commission standards and penalties for non-compliance.

Even better was the absence of any mention of the Three Amigos – the trio so often erroneously cited by the media as authoritative sources. If the KDH’s positive report rousts them then more vapid non-sequiturs will likely soon follow. Given their track record however, that would be so 27 seconds ago.

Stu McLennan
Harker Heights