(Texas Scorecard) – The Harris County Republican Party unanimously adopted a resolution at its recent executive committee meeting opposing Houston Independent School District’s proposed $4.4 billion bond.
Rolando Garcia, a member of the State Republican Executive Committee representing Senate District 15, submitted the resolution entitled “Bonds Create Bondage.”
“Bonds always constitute a tax increase and raise the already high debt burdens of local governments – and thus should only be entered into after intense scrutiny and with proper oversight safeguards in place,” the resolution read.
The resolution detailed how previous HISD bonds have been “rife with corruption, bribery, pay-to-play scheme, kickbacks from contractors to HIS decision-makers, cost overruns, and poor management.”
In fact, no recent HISD bond has been without issue.
Following the meeting, Garcia posted a message on X highlighting that the resolution was passed.
It’s the largest school bond in Texas history. Conservatives do not trust Houston ISD – with its long history of financial mismanagement and malfeasance – to administer such a massive project without cost overruns and other shenanigans.
HISD needs to go back to the drawing board, focus on essentials, and come back to the voters with a pared-down request.
The district’s bond election order shows that they anticipate the total cost of the $4.4 billion bond with interest, to be $8.8 billion after thirty years. This will be HISD’s first bond proposal since 2012 and will appear as two propositions: A and B.
