City Council to vote on police officers' request for bargaining representation
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OTHER ITEMS ON AGENDA
The city council will adopt the 2011-12 budget and property tax rate on Tuesday. Council has come to a 6-1 consensus, with Hagan opposing, a 64.5-cent tax rate per $100 of assessed valuation. Taxes on a home valued at ...
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OTHER ITEMS ON AGENDA
The city council will adopt the 2011-12 budget and property tax rate on Tuesday. Council has come to a 6-1 consensus, with Hagan opposing, a 64.5-cent tax rate per $100 of assessed valuation. Taxes on a home valued at $100,000 would be $645 before exemptions.
The 64.5-cent rate is lower than the initially proposed and current 65-cent tax rate. However, anything above the effective tax rate of 63.5 cents per $100 of assessed valuation is considered a tax increase by the Texas comptroller's office.
PKF Consulting USA will present its report to the council on Tuesday on a proposed hotel and convention center. Mayor Will Armstrong said he planned to study the presentation during the weekend. He doubted any action would be taken on the matter Tuesday.
IF YOU GO
What: Victoria City Council meeting
When: 5 p.m. Tuesday
Where: 107 W. Juan Linn St.
The adoption of next year's tax rate and budget may get overshadowed by another pressing issue - Victoria police officers' desire for bargaining representation.
The Victoria City Council on Tuesday will vote on whether to recognize the Victoria Police Officers Association as the bargaining agent for all the department's officers.
Of the department's 116 officers, 104 signed a petition requesting their association be their bargaining agent. An officer wouldn't be able to opt out of having the association be his representative.
Many of the local association's members are affiliated with the Texas Municipal Police Association. The statewide association counseled the local association's president, officer Jonathan Allen, in crafting the petition.
If the council rejects resolution authorizing the association as the bargaining agent, then the matter will go before voters in May. Four city council members will also be up for re-election that month: David Hagan, Paul Polasek, Gabriel Soliz and Denise Rangel.
Mayor Will Armstrong, Mayor Pro Tem Paul Polasek, and council members Joe Truman and Tom Halepaska have come out against the measure. Rangel and Soliz are undecided, saying they need more information.
Only Hagan has come out in support of the measure.
Polasek said that recognizing a bargaining agent could set up a subversion in the department's chain of command. He also said it would increase administrative costs.
However, Hagan has noted that under the "meet and confer" agreement the officers association is pushing for, the city wouldn't be required to agree to anything. He said the measure would allow the council to get around the filter of city management in hearing the officers' concerns.
"I think it's amazing for people that are worried about taxes going up, are voting for a tax increase," said Hagan, referring to other council members support of a tax rate above the effective rate.
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Need more info on what the officers issues are. Unlike some others on here I won't assume it's about money only.
September 6, 2011 at 3:51 a.m.I'm all for saving the tax payer money. Now we need the facts rather than speculation. What do the officers want? What does their pay, working conditions, staffing, and benefits currently look like compared to similar cities, cost of living in Victoria, and any other conditions which may factor into their request? What needs to be fixed, and how can they accomplish this without the city government gouging us for more, more, more. I'm all for taking care of the people that protect us, however we need to know the facts.
September 5, 2011 at 6:05 p.m.It's about starting a union, then taxes go up to pay for there wants!
September 5, 2011 at 5:44 p.m.lawdawger you are wasing your time. The ViCad is great at initial reporting from one side and not both, and even better at not follow up reporting,even when guided where to look.
September 5, 2011 at 4:48 p.m.Let's see if I have got this right ....
1. Hagen is in favor of this, so Halepaska is automatically opposed, no matter what the merits (per his statement on the tax rate vote) They canel each other out.
2. That leaves 5 council members, 3 of which are against the police proposal and 2 who need more time to decide (Rangel always needs more time to decide)
3. The VPOA, in their blog "The Truth Behind Our Actions", state that, "This petition is not a result of our disatisfaction with the City or Police administration." This must mean that they ARE satisfied? If they are, why the petition?
4. The City Attorney says that individual police officers can not 'opt out' of this agreement. Officer Allen says the officers voluntarily participate. Which is right? Is this in conflict with Texas right-to-work laws?
5. The city council does not want to do anything that will increase cost to the taxpayer, but 6 of the 7 voted in favor of a tax increase.
6. The police are satisfied with the way things are, but they want to change.
Somebody is speaking with a 'forked tongue'!
The one bright spot to this article is ... "Four city councilmen will be up for re-election that month: David Hagen, Paul Polasek, Gabriel Soliz and Denise Rangel."
September 5, 2011 at 10:44 a.m.Folks ... Next May is only 9 months away. Qualified canidates, start making your plans. Voters, keep this issue and others issues planted in your memory. It is time to clean house.
If these policemen have their way, get ready to pay higher taxes.
September 5, 2011 at 10:15 a.m.Taxpayers and POA's have opposing interests - this is about money.
So let's see, Will and the boys vote for a higher tax rate, citing the 'executive session' as a reason for it. Seems the executive session was regarding this issue. So Will wants a higher tax rate, yet will vote against the very thing that he wants the higher rate for.
I guess that's one way to rake in some extra tax money. Good try Will!
September 5, 2011 at 8:10 a.m.