ECISD Superintendent To Ask City’s Support On South Texas ISD Property Tax Concerns

Edinburg TX — Feb 6, 2023

Edinburg CISD Superintendent Dr. Mario H. Salinas will make a presentation at tomorrow night’s City Council meeting on the school district’s work to challenge South Texas Independent School District’s property tax status. 

Presumably, Salinas will request that the City support their efforts to remove STISD’s property tax powers. The city’s agenda (see complete agenda here) lists no action on the item. It does explain that Salinas asked to make the presentation to inform the Edinburg City Council and the public on the issue.

At the first ECISD Board of Trustees meeting in January, Salinas first presented the issue to the school district Trustees and the public.

At that meeting, Salinas said, “This is not mean to disparage South Texas ISD,” as he urged the ECISD Board of Trustees to support a legislative move to change the taxing structure for South Texas ISD and reduce the tax burden for local taxpayers.

“They do excellent work. They have good administration, but our concern is the issue of inequity that exists between South Texas ISD and the other school districts in Hidalgo, Cameron and Willacy counties. It is unfair to the citizens that no other taxpayers are subject to,” Salinas said.

In that presentation, Salinas made the following points:

• Willacy, Cameron and Hidalgo County taxpayers are required to pay for two independent school districts for comprehensive middle and high schools.
• There exists an inequitable funding formula that provides STISD on average $5,343 more per WADA (weighted average daily attendance) for students who reside in the same counties, however, enroll in STISD.
• Under what authority is STISD still authorized to collect property taxes from Chapter 26 allowances as a Rehabilitation District for handicapped persons
• As STISD has expanded throughout the Region, they have developed programming to include extra-curricular activities under UIL resulting in adopting the comprehensive high school model.

STISD was organized to serve disabled students. “There was a need sixty years ago. They have abandoned that mission. STISD has abandoned the mission of serving children with disabilities. Very few children with disabilities attend STISD schools,” Salinas said. “Taxpayers are paying for services that ECISD is already providing. They are not providing any services that regular school districts are not providing.

Salinas pointed out that STISD collects approximately $6,000 in tax dollars from Edinburg property owners for every Edinburg student they serve. ECISD collects approximately $2,543 in tax dollars from Edinburg property owners for every Edinburg student they serve. 

At this week’s meeting, Salinas is expected make a similar presentation. Several members of the South Texas legislative delegation has announced plans to support legislation to make the change. South Texas ISD has already started to develop a plan to oppose the change, having hired a lobbying firm to help fight the proposed changes.

In other business, the Edinburg City Council will consider a change to the city’s ordinance governing the appointment and terms of persons appointed to various city boards. Specifically, the Council will consider limiting individuals from serving on more than one board at the same time. In a related matter, the Council will consider the appointment of a member of the Zoning Board of Adjustments.

The City Council will also consider a resolution approving an Amnesty Program to waive fines and court costs for Failure to Appear (FTA) and Violate Promise to Appear (VPTA) Violations. Maribel Velasquez, Court Administrator for the city’s municipal courts, will ask that the Amnesty Program run from February 14 through March 31, 2023. The Amnesty will include incidents going back as far as January 2004 to today in an effort to collect and dispose of cases.