Missouri City Out Of Compliance With State Law!

This just in to MCC:

Tunstall Uncovers Statutory Shortcomings

MISSOURI CITY, TEXAS Kevin Tunstall, candidate for City Council District C of Missouri City, has uncovered a shortcoming of City Officials regarding statutory reporting requirements for Tax Increment Reinvestment Zones.

State law requires City Councils to file a notification of the establishment of a TIRZ and further requires annual financial reports to be filed with Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (Tax Code, Chapter 311 § 311.016 (b)).

As of April 16, 2007, Patricia Bailey with the Comptrollers office has verified that Missouri City officials have neither notified their office, nor filed any of the required reports mandated under Chapter 311 of the Texas Tax Code. Depending on when the zones were created, both TIRZs 1 & 2 may have been operating outside of oversight capabilities of the state government.

A government bureaucracy derelict in its responsibilities casts a negative perception on our city, Tunstall said. Perhaps the City Council should spend less time and money on PR Firms and Lobbyists and spend more time on performing their duties as elected officials.

This statutory requirement has been in effect since 1999. Currently, the only Fort Bend County TIRZ being reported is Sugar Land TIRZ #1.

Ethical, open and fiscally responsible government should be the goal of our community,Tunstall stated. When government is not held accountable, we all lose both our dignity and our rights. I think we can do better.

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Ms. Bailey with the Comptrollers office may be reached at 800-252-9121 x 34416


Comment: Last night, during the open session, Kevin Tunstall confronted the Missouri City Council over improper reporting (or the lack of reporting) on several tax reinvestment zones in our city. Could this impact one of these zones being formed for Sienna Plantation near the town center?