Visit FortBendWeb.com For More On Local News & Events...click this link for more...

Special Series On HOA Abuse Courtesy of Channel 2 Houston (The gilded cage)--click this link for more--

FOLLOW THE TITLE LINK ABOVE FOR MORE ON HOA ABUSE AND THE INDUSTRY GAMES.

UPDATE 6-18: http://www.click2houston.com/news/19779791/detail.html

http://www.click2houston.com/video/19785196/index.html

...ONE INTERESTING QUOTE BY AN INDUSTRY LOBBYIST (SANDY DENTON) CLAIMED IN THIS NEWS REPORT THAT FORECLOSURE IS "RARELY USED", BUT IN HARRIS COUNTY ALONE TENS OF THOUSANDS OF THESE CASES HAVE BEEN FILED AND THE NUMBERS ARE INCREASING AS INDUSTRY INSIDERS CONTINUE TO POSITION THEMSELVES IN THIS GROWING AND LUCRATIVE MARKET WHERE HOMEOWNERS ARE THE TARGET AS ANNUAL DUES AND FEES CONTINUE TO RISE.

GET MORE INFO HERE: http://pages.prodigy.net/hoadata/

ALSO SEE: http://www.ahrc.com/new/index.php/src/tools/sub/yp/action/display/id/1863

Chronicle: Missouri City Officials Propose Drawing Nearly $1 Million From City Surplus Funds ("Fund Balance") For FY2010--click the title link for

"In the event of an emergency or unforeseen, necessary expenditures, the approved budget also includes a $950,000 fund for reserves and contingencies, which was drawn from the city’s fund balance of $7.9 million. That will leave a fund balance of about $7.2 million, which is 22.09 percent of the city’s budgeted revenue..." Houston Chronicle

Note: This is the second year in a row that the city manager has drawn down the "fund balance" post-QVGC purchase. The only question remaining is will officials push to raise the cities tax rate again for FY 2010. According to local reports Missouri City has the highest property taxes (due to NO homeowners exemptions for under 65) for a city its size in Fort Bend County as well as having some of the highest home foreclosure rates in the area.

Chron Update: City seeks out of court settlement with former owners of QVGC (how much has the city already spent on legal costs on this issue?).

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/fortbend/news/6484363.html

http://blogs.chron.com/fortbend/archives/2009/06/post_24.html#comments

FortBendWeb: Fort Bend County Officials Pull New Tax Building Off Agenda For Now!

Chronicle update:

Fort Bend Central Appraisal District to look at options to expand space after building plan runs into opposition

FBISD voted against proposal, while city of Katy voted for it

By ZEN T.C. ZHENG, HOUSTON CHRONICLE
June, 2009,

Fort Bend Central Appraisal District officials have agreed to explore other options to more building space for their operation after numerous taxing jurisdictions stonewalled their proposal to construct a $6.4 million building.

The district’s Chief Appraiser Glen Whitehead on June 9 retracted his request for Fort Bend County Commissioners Court to approve a district board resolution that aims to construct a 33,000-square-foot building with 330 parking spaces on 12 acres at the northwest corner of Bamore and Klauke roads in Rosenberg.

Since the county thinks there are different options out there, I thought it’s in our best interest to sit down with the county to discuss those options,” said Whitehead, referring to less expensive alternatives to create more building space. . . (follow the link below for the full story)

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nb/fortbend/news/6468333.html

FBW comment: Keep an eye on your local boards councils and commissions as many of their elected officials are backed by special interests that indirectly benefit from your higher property valuation and increased taxes (several area mayors, council members, commissioner court members, the chief county judge, just to name a few). Many of these officials vote in favor of special taxing and abatement zones for companies that contribute to their campaigns, while indirectly passing the increased tax cost to the average taxpayer and homeowners in FBC. Currently, according to the U.S. Tax Foundation, FBC property taxes rank 1st in Texas and 11th nation-wide per median home value.

Missouri City Residents Urge City To Move Forward On "Other" Projects Being Neglected By Developer Backed Mayor Allen Owen...-click this title link-

Click the title link above for this full FB independent piece...

Lock Step FBISD Board Moves Forward With Duplicate GSTC Project At Near 30 Million Dollar Cost To The Taxpayers! --click this link for more--

FBN Updates GSTC BOT Vote Tonight!

"...Opponents of the proposal include FBISD Board Trustee Susan Hohnbaum, who indicated the facility would duplicate several features that will be found in the new satellite museum being built in Sugar Land’s Telfair community in a city partnership with the Houston Museum of Natural Science.

Hohnbaum said she’d rather see a like amount of money spent on equipping science labs in individual schools, so students could conduct hands-on experiments “every day right in their own classrooms” instead of making five or six trips to a district facility, which could as easily be made to the new Telfair museum.

“I just am not convinced this is the time or place” for such an undertaking, she told fellow board members, Dr. Jenney and former Sugar Land mayor (and developer) David Wallace last month..."

Get the full piece at: http://www.fortbendnow.com/2009/06/08/38386

MCC comment: Repeated TPIA requests have gone unanswered by the district and several citizens have filed complaints for violation of the Texas Public Information Act against the superintendent regarding these concerns.

FB Star Covers Update On McKeever Rd & SW Airport Issues--click here--

...At the heart of the contentious debate were the apparent adverse feelings of many Arcola residents and city administrators who felt Houston Southwest Airport owner Jamie Griffin was promoting the road changes to further his expansion of the airport.

The issue surfaced when Fort Bend County appeared to be about to purchase Griffin’s airport about 10 years ago. The projected road changes that accompanied the pre-purchase studies including closing McKeever Road to allow for the airport’s eventual expansion.

The county eventually found that purchasing the airport was not a feasible option and abandoned the idea. However, Arcola city officials and many of the town’s citizens felt the county and Griffin were still trying to push through changes that would allow for the airport’s expansion.

Griffin has, from previously published reports in the Star, wanted a “curved” design for the intersection of South Post Oak and McKeever.

However, after months of negotiations between the city and Precinct 2 Commissioner Richard Morrison the issue was worked out. The signed agreement approved by the court will include the “T” intersection preferred by Arcola officials.

During court, Commissioner Morrison said Griffin, who was called the “developer” by court members asking if he was in agreement, has the paperwork and had verbally agreed to the conditions approved by both the county and the city.

“Mr. Morrison, I want to commend you,” Hebert said after the court voted to approve the agreement. “This has taken longer than Gone with the Wind, with a cast of thousands.”

FBStar Reports On GSTC Controversy--click the title link for more--

Get the update here: http://www.fortbendstar.com/052709/n_Trustees%20hear%20pros%20cons%20on%20global%20center.html

Quite a contrast to this FB Independent article: http://fbindependent.com/default.asp?sourceid=&smenu=1&twindow=&mad=&sdetail=1569&wpage=1&skeyword=&sidate=&ccat=&ccatm=&restate=&restatus=&reoption=&retype=&repmin=&repmax=&rebed=&rebath=&subname=&pform=&sc=2531&hn=fbindependent&he=.com

You be the judge on this project. Follow the link below this for more.