Brownsville propositions would create new municipal development district
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Saturday is the final chance for Brownsville voters to make their decision on two city propositions.
If approved, the city says the propositions will improve economic development and quality of life projects.
The city currently uses two corporations — the Greater Brownsville Incentives Corporation and the Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation — to fund those projects.
If passed, Proposition A would allow the city to create the Greater Brownsville Municipal Development District to combine both corporations. Proposition B would allow the city to end the corporations.
“The synergies that would be realized would bring two administrations into one administration, and the cost savings that could come from that allows for even more money to be put to use for tax payers,” Brownsville District 3 Commissioner Roy De Los Santos said.
De Los Santos said the new district would help fund infrastructure projects, develop of new businesses, and help build parks, trails, museums and other recreational projects.
Part of their funding would come from the combination of the BCIC and GBIC under Proposition B.
Under Proposition A, the funding would come from the sales tax provided by the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction.
“That allows us to tap into an additional pull of revenues, that's the sales tax that could be collected in the ETJ,” De Los Santos said.
If approved, those living in the city’s ETJ would see an increase in sales tax from 6.25% to 6.75%.
Combining the two corporations into a new development district would also mean changes for a lot of workers.
If one of these propositions fail, they both do, as they are dependent on one another's success.
Polls are open until 7 p.m. Saturday for Election Day.
Click here for more election resources.
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