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December 16, 2019
Bandera Economic Development Corporation holds special meeting, responds to council comments
By Jessica Goode
The Bandera Prophet
The Bandera Economic Development Corporation scheduled a special meeting on Thursday to discuss incentive program updates and infrastructure grants for local businesses. Members also responded to recent discussions had by City Council members.
During the special Bandera City Council meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 10, council members placed a 60-day moratorium on future BEDC expenditures, excluding promotional funding and previous commitments, due to concerns of transparency and full financial and procedural disclosure.
"I am here, hopefully to do some damage control," Council Member and Mayor Pro Tem Rebeca Gibson said during the BEDC's Dec. 12 special meeting. "We had a special meeting to review the financial status of the EDC. This was a recommendation by our attorney as a prerequisite to the workshop with BEDC. This is all related to examining benefits and possibly transitioning from an EDC to an MDD...While some of the EDC's funding projects were discussed, the focus tethered to a lack of cooperation or a lack of compliance."
Gibson said she had the BEDC budget, audit and other financial information that council members did not have during their meeting, which she said was helpful to clear up some confusion. She said the goal is to address the BEDC incentive program, overall budget, policies and procedures, and bylaws - which are meant to aid any possible transition to an MDD (Municipal Development District).
"The council wishes that the EDC and the council work together in moving forward to review these specific topics to get a bigger picture of where we are and where we're going moving forward and to look at the possibility of an MDD," Gibson said.
In response, BEDC President Toni Kunz denied any perceived lack of transparency or cooperation.
Kunz said she was optimistic about the flexibility and benefits of an MDD economic development plan versus an EDC, which would include sales tax from the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction.
"In theory, if you have an MDD that includes your ETJ to increase your tax base, then you get a little more tax base and a little more money," Kunz said. "I support the MDD, I think in the long term it's really good for us. But I was taken aback."
Kunz said she received an email on Friday, Dec. 6, asking for financials in an accusatory manner that the BEDC was not transparent. She said the BEDC had passed an audit and holds meetings with quorums and invites the public to attend. She said she did not know about the email or the special called council meeting until Saturday while she was in a conference.
"To me, you don't ask for something on Friday and expect it on Monday for a meeting on Tuesday, when your board has not even been asked to attend," Kunz said, adding it was inappropriate for City Council members to ask the BEDC board secretary to send information last minute that was not reviewed and approved by the board. "I was called resistant, hostile and a roadblock. I wasn't resisting information. They already had it. I was not hostile. I was not a roadblock. They have our files here in the city office. They get emails from us. They have my phone number. I don't know what I've done for my integrity to be questioned, and in public like that."
A recording of the full meeting is available on this page.
The BEDC will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 6:30 p.m. Bandera City Council will hold their regular meeting, followed by a BEDC workshop, on Thursday, Dec. 19, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
To see the full agendas, go to www.cityofbandera.org/
During the special Bandera City Council meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 10, council members placed a 60-day moratorium on future BEDC expenditures, excluding promotional funding and previous commitments, due to concerns of transparency and full financial and procedural disclosure.
"I am here, hopefully to do some damage control," Council Member and Mayor Pro Tem Rebeca Gibson said during the BEDC's Dec. 12 special meeting. "We had a special meeting to review the financial status of the EDC. This was a recommendation by our attorney as a prerequisite to the workshop with BEDC. This is all related to examining benefits and possibly transitioning from an EDC to an MDD...While some of the EDC's funding projects were discussed, the focus tethered to a lack of cooperation or a lack of compliance."
Gibson said she had the BEDC budget, audit and other financial information that council members did not have during their meeting, which she said was helpful to clear up some confusion. She said the goal is to address the BEDC incentive program, overall budget, policies and procedures, and bylaws - which are meant to aid any possible transition to an MDD (Municipal Development District).
"The council wishes that the EDC and the council work together in moving forward to review these specific topics to get a bigger picture of where we are and where we're going moving forward and to look at the possibility of an MDD," Gibson said.
In response, BEDC President Toni Kunz denied any perceived lack of transparency or cooperation.
Kunz said she was optimistic about the flexibility and benefits of an MDD economic development plan versus an EDC, which would include sales tax from the city's extraterritorial jurisdiction.
"In theory, if you have an MDD that includes your ETJ to increase your tax base, then you get a little more tax base and a little more money," Kunz said. "I support the MDD, I think in the long term it's really good for us. But I was taken aback."
Kunz said she received an email on Friday, Dec. 6, asking for financials in an accusatory manner that the BEDC was not transparent. She said the BEDC had passed an audit and holds meetings with quorums and invites the public to attend. She said she did not know about the email or the special called council meeting until Saturday while she was in a conference.
"To me, you don't ask for something on Friday and expect it on Monday for a meeting on Tuesday, when your board has not even been asked to attend," Kunz said, adding it was inappropriate for City Council members to ask the BEDC board secretary to send information last minute that was not reviewed and approved by the board. "I was called resistant, hostile and a roadblock. I wasn't resisting information. They already had it. I was not hostile. I was not a roadblock. They have our files here in the city office. They get emails from us. They have my phone number. I don't know what I've done for my integrity to be questioned, and in public like that."
A recording of the full meeting is available on this page.
The BEDC will hold a special meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 17, at 6:30 p.m. Bandera City Council will hold their regular meeting, followed by a BEDC workshop, on Thursday, Dec. 19, beginning at 5:30 p.m.
To see the full agendas, go to www.cityofbandera.org/