University Park Approves Utility Bill Addition
The University Park City Council approved a 50 cent addition to residents’ utility bills Tuesday, in an effort to sustain the city’s college scholarship program.
Residents can opt out of the program by phone, mail, or email, said city spokesman Steve Mace. Mayor Dick Davis has expressed trepidation over the fee for more than a year, but eventually voted for its inclusion.
Davis suggested an opt-in program, like “bar association bills, where I opt-in to help with pro-bono work.” Councilman Bob Clark reminded Davis that when the program started three years ago, the Council attempted that.
The results? Out of the 7,700 households in University Park, five opted-in, three of which were councilmembers.
In July, the city sent a letter to resident, informing them of the fee possibility. It received close to 60 letters in return, with two-thirds of the letters expressing a desire to go forward.
The scholarship program provides small — $500 to $2,000 — scholarships to city employees’ children. Approximately 15 students are awarded funds each fall and spring semester. The city estimates that it would need to raise $5 to $6 million in one-time donations to keep the fund self-sustaining (via interest) in perpetuity, said Councilman Tommy Stewart, who oversaw a committee charged with determining a funding option.
If every household in University Park remains in the program (pulls out calculator, does quick math), the city would bank $4.6 million for the fund. As of Tuesday, 19 households had already expressed a desire to opt-out, Mace said.
Update: I’m a dolt. Just got off the phone with finance director Kent Austin, who (rightfully) questioned my math. The correct number is $46,200. I forgot to convert dollars to cents, which is why I’m working at a newspaper and not a bank. Apologies for that ridiculous over-estimation.
Outrageous.
Unreal. The City Council should be ashamed. Funding a private foundation, from which they have the appearance of benefitting, through the city’s taxing authority. Opt out? Right….
Now where’s the accountability and visibility into the UP Scholarship Committee? Is it part of the University Park Civic Foundation? Why does this seem shrouded in cloaks behind mirrors on the back of locked doors?
I just hope that 100% of that money makes it way to deserving students of hard working city employees instead of funding the ‘growth’ of someones civic aspirations. Somehow I think if that was the case, it wouldn’t have to have been crammed down on the taxpayers.
You should do a write-up on Ali Nugent (Class of 2011) becoming Miss Texas USA.
Dear City Council,
The ends do not justify the means.
Sincerely,
Your residents
Pathetic.
“The results? Out of the 7,700 households in University Park, five opted-in, three of which were council members.” Do these people have any self-awareness?
The whole reason the city council is hustling for donations is because the initial scholarship seed money was so badly managed in the first place. I have nothing against truly voluntary donations to a well-managed foundation for employee scholarships, but this program is not that.
And for those taxpayers who don’t want to participate? The council has turned them into into supplicants. The only way out is to call, write or email a city employee to tell them that I’m not interested in donating to a scholarship program for that person’s child.
When the fee begins appearing on my water bill, I will underpay by 50 cents. I encourage others to do the same. How’s that for an opt out?
One more thing: “In July, the city sent a letter to resident (sic), informing them of the fee possibility. It received close to 60 letters in return, with two-thirds of the letters expressing a desire to go forward.”
I sent a response to the city’s letter indicating that I was generally supportive of a voluntary fee, as long as the city provided an “opt-in” rather than the opt-out they eventually approved. I can’t imagine I was the only one who expressed that view. It wouldn’t surprise me if they counted my letter as one of the “fors”.
for pete’s sake,
think of all our neighbors
who are “seasoned citizens”.
they can’t or don’t read
the fine print on their
water bills.
this at least needs to be
an “opt in” program!
The scholarships are a good cause. But I’d be very surprised if this method of collection is even legal. No one’s liable to bother challenging it in court, since the personal impact is so trivial. But if I were the neighborhood newspaper, I’d be curious whether the city’s attorney prepared any sort of memorandum detailing how this procedure in no way constitutes an unlawful taking to the tune of $46K per year.
I’m surprised this is legal.
Great idea!
Keep coming up with ideas to applaud the outstanding and mostly unacknowledged work or the employees of the Park Cities! I wish the tax would have been higher.
I have never come across a more deserving group of people. I have always been impressed with the positive attitude they maintain in the face of such unusual residents as we have here. Unusual as in often nasty and entitled. And, often seen throwing money around like it was nothing. Talking down to the city employees like they are somehow less than them in status in the world.
I experienced similar treatment as someone who rented for years.
There are many gems in the Park Cities, but I found the majority of them on the staff of the City or the staff of the schools but not often among the residents of the Park Cities.
@great, I think you miss the point. Nobody is dissing the city employees (sounds like you may be one). This is about the audacity of the city council having the brass to tell residents how to spend their charitable contributions–regardless of the amount. It is particularly infuriating when they can’t seem to manage the money they did have. For the record, insulting the very people who fund the scholarships doesn’t help your cause.
PCP, how about an exploration into legality? There is no shortage of attorneysvto ask! If they are collecting public funds, what reporting obligations does the city have? How are the funds segregated/invested–if at all? Who makes scholarship decisions? I’m sure you like to keep your relationship with city contacts, but earn your reporter stripes, kids.
I don’t mind helping out those in need, but UP utility rates are already outrageous. Our bill for our 2 BR/1 1/2 BA duplex is more than our electric bill most months. Ridiculous!
NFW- A few answers for you. The funds are collected, then immediately earmarked for the scholarship fund, which sits within the University Park Civic Foundation. The scholarships are doled out by the residents who sit on the scholarship board. The board does not include any city employees.
This should be a front page story. Not a lawyer, but I agree, this could only be legal on a technicality. I am also curious what the city’s lawyer has to say about this forced charity????
So the Civic Foundation is allowed to collect contributions through my utility bill? What a novel idea! Mad for Plaid, why haven’t you grasped this idea yet? Gosh, we all benefit from that, too. What other charitable group does the city council support? Let’s include those, too! Citizens can opt out of what they don’t want and everybody is happy! I personally love it when city council members, the mighty intellectuals they have proven themselves to be, choose the charities I fund.
What a bunch of numbskulls. Let’s try a different question. Where is the precedent for this? Did anybody run this by the city attorney? I realize people can opt out, but where does this end? Any comments or discussion about that in city government?
Why don’t all you people run for city council!!
As I mentioned before, if you don’t want to pay the monthly fee just withhold it from your bill. The city won’t dare penalize you for underpaying.
Since this is considered charity, is the City of UP going to send out statements at year end so I can use it as a deduction on my Federal taxes?!
@Neal: You miss the point entirely. It’s improper by any reasonable standard to collect a “voluntary” donation involuntarily, then require an individual to affirmatively “un-volunteer” or “un-donate” those funds in order to get them back.
If someone took your wallet, or your car keys, or your sandwich, or even six measly dollars out of your pocket, and said, “all you have to do is come put your name on a list and I’ll give you your stuff back—but if you don’t, I’m gonna go ahead and just keep it,” would that be okay with you? Is that a reasonable, normal implementation of fiduciary duty?
The cause is good. No one, to my knowledge, is arguing against the cause itself. The implementation, however, stinks to high heaven, and is an embarrassment to the people of University Park.
The cause is great. The city employes are great.
But, THIS is ridiculous.
@Z: I think you need to read both my comments, not just the last one.
Let’s all buy a Chick-fil-a in protest.
And this is why I moved to Highland Park…………..