Deadlocked lawmakers seek educators' input on new education bill

In the latest attempt to pick up the pieces of a crumbling special legislative session, state senators met behind closed doors Thursday to decide what action to take on their own school finance bill. After seven hours of deliberating, Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst went from trying to get the necessary 21 votes to bring SB 2 to the Senate floor to starting over with a new bill. That means it is back to the drawing board for Sen. Florence Shapiro (pictured) of Plano, who is shepherding the school bill through the Senate.

"What I'm trying to do is to craft a bill that can get the most support from the education community and the Senate, and to me that means going back to basics," Shapiro said.

Shapiro is urging educators to comment on the new bill, which is scheduled to be filed today, during a series of upcoming public hearings. With about 20 days left in this special session, legislators are hopeful that they can agree on a new school finance reform bill to replace the one that died in the House on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, the House rejected its own school funding bill and a companion tax bill, which raised questions about whether the Senate would take action at all. Lawmakers are in their second 30-day special session of the year trying to revamp the way Texas pays for public schools. Despite the gridlock at the capitol, school districts in Texas will start the school year in the coming weeks.

Only the House can create a replacement for HB 3 to cut local property taxes. As of Thursday night, Speaker Tom Craddick said that was unlikely to happen. Lawmakers from both Chambers said they won't take one bill without the other. The Senate will begin public hearings on its new bill at 10 a.m. on Monday. Both Chambers have adjourned until Monday afternoon.

Livingston named executive director of TDCJ

The Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) has a new executive director. Brad Livingston, the agency's chief financial officer, was appointed to the top position by the Texas Board of Criminal Justice on Thursday. Livingston has served as TDCJ's interim executive director since November 1, 2004, and will formally begin his new duties immediately. TDCJ is headquartered in Huntsville and has jurisdiction over state correctional facilities, parole and probation. The agency has approximately 38,000 employees statewide.

"Mr. Livingston has done a remarkable job of guiding the agency and, in doing so, has confirmed our confidence in his leadership skills," said Christina Melton Crain, who chairs the criminal justice board. "The staff highly respects him and his ability to make tough decisions."

Livingston, 43, joined TDCJ in October 1997 as the deputy director of the Financial Services Division. He was appointed CFO in June 2001 and assumed broad responsibility for the agency's day-to-day business, fiscal, and administrative operations. Before joining TDCJ, Livingston served in Governor Bush's administration as a group director in the Governor's Office of Budget and Planning. In this capacity, he played a key role in developing, as well as presenting, the Governor's budget proposal to the Legislature.

ACCD seeks public's input before setting $450M bond election

Bexar County voters in February rejected a $450 million bond proposal from the Alamo Community College District (ACCD), so this time trustees will shop the proposal around to residents before putting it on the November ballot.

ACCD will hold public hearings at 5 p.m. Monday and Tuesday on the San Antonio College campus. Voters in and near San Antonio rejected the proposal in February amid controversy over a proposal to move nursing and allied health programs from St. Philip's and San Antonio College, both in the inner city, to a new $100 million facility on the Northwest fringe of town. ACCD's citizen panel now proposes to simply expand existing locations in the heart of the city.

Texas cities may soon use new incentives to entice retailers

With the passage of Senate Bill 1199, state legislators created a law that allows all cities in Texas to offer retailers sales tax breaks in special investment zones. Previously only property taxes could be abated in such zones.

SB 1199, proposed by Sen. Rodney Ellis (pictured) of Houston and passed during the regular legislative session, is designed to help blighted areas attract new development. It takes effect September 1.

Big cities such as Dallas, Houston, Fort Worth and Austin are expected to seriously consider taking advantage of the new economic development tool, but San Antonio isn't too keen on offering the perk to prospective retailers, according to Ramiro Cavazos, the city's economic development director. He said publicly recently that retail development will occur with or without the incentives.

Austin lays out annual plan for bond spending

Austin plans to sell $41.7 million in bonds this year, according to a plan approved Thursday by city council members. The money will pay for several projects, including:

• The design of the Turner-Roberts Recreation Center;
• An expansion of the Spicewood Springs library; and
• The purchase and renovation of a former Motorola warehouse and office building for city workers.

TEA hires new chief information officer

John Cox recently resigned his position as director of information resources for the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to accept the position of chief information officer with the Texas Education Agency (TEA). As CIO for TEA, Cox will oversee the organizations responsible for statewide access to education information, business-to-business software systems, and the agency information technology infrastructure.

Cox has more than 35 years of experience in a variety of information technology management, administrative management, and leadership positions, both in the public and private sectors. His state experience includes positions at the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, Midwestern State University, and Stephen F. Austin State University. As a senior consultant with Applied Information Sciences Inc. he managed systems development projects for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's Criminal Justice Assistance Division and the Texas Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse.

South San Antonio ISD set to sell new round of bonds

South San Antonio Independent School District will sell $40.5 million in school building bonds on August 2. The school district will use the proceeds to pay for new roofs, a new heating ventilation and air conditioning system, and new science labs and technology upgrades.

VIA eyes $2.7 million in funding

VIA Metropolitan Transit in San Antonio is earmarked to receive $2.7 million in federal transportation funding to replace older buses with newer environmentally friendly buses.

U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison of Texas included the funding in the Fiscal Year 2006 Transportation and Treasury Appropriations bill. VIA has been working to retire its entire fleet with cleaner-burning buses that are also Americans with Disabilities Act compliant.

"San Antonio is a known example of efficient transportation that spans a large metropolitan area. This funding will help them maintain their bus operations and improve services as the fleet grows," Hutchison said. "The bus upgrades will help the city meet clean air standards and help provide public service transportation for those with special needs."

Austin city officials look to restore cuts, jobs

After four years of painful budget cuts, Austin City Manager Toby Futrell wants to restore many of the municipal programs and jobs eliminated or scaled back in recent years.

Her proposal was made public Thursday when city council members and the public got the first glimpse at Austin's proposed budget for 2006. Restored library hours and staffing, replenished social service contracts and employee raises were all included in the proposed budget.

The proposed $479.7 million general fund budget, which pays for basic services such as parks and public safety, includes 160 new positions. About 700 jobs were eliminated during the economic downturn. Another new program would invest $1.3 million in improving neighborhoods, and talks continue about how to consolidate several law enforcement-related departments into a proposed Department of Safety and Security.

Corpus Christi ISD studies $120M bond issue

Officials at the Corpus Christi Independent School District said they will spend the next several weeks evaluating the possibility of a $120 million bond issue. Superintendent Jesus Chavez (pictured) said district officials are reviewing lists of facility needs. Residents rejected a $230 million bond package in 2004.

Austin Housing Authority snags $3.1M

The Housing Authority of the City of Austin has received almost $3.1 million for improvements such as playground upgrades and housing renovation. The grant, issued by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, will also go toward parking, enhancing security and making properties compliant with the American with Disabilities Act.

Medical City Children's names hospital administrator

Medical City Children's hospital in Dallas has selected John Patrick O'Neill as its new hospital administrator. He most recently was chief administrative officer at the University of Chicago's Children's Hospital, where he led the development and construction of a $190 million children's hospital project.

Medical City Children's plans to open a new critical care tower and pediatric emergency room on its campus in 2006, at which time the hospital will begin construction on its own children's tower.

San Antonio proposes financing for special crime district

San Antonio's City Council has proposed creating a Crime Control and Prevention District, and has appointed members to a temporary board, chaired by former City Councilman Robert Marbut, Jr. Marbut, who briefed the Public Affairs Steering Committee, said the mission of the proposed district is to enhance the capability of the city's public safety resources and to support new or existing community-based crime prevention initiatives through the use of sales tax revenues, which must first receive voter approval. On November 8, voters will be asked to create the City of San Antonio Crime Control Prevention District (CCPD) and to adopt a local sales and use tax at a rate of one-eighth of one percent to provide funding for the district.

Houston medical institutions receive research grants

Three Houston medical research institutions have been awarded $2.4 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Baylor College of Medicine is receiving $1.8 million from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research and the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston will receive $335,684 from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, and the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center has been awarded $286,875 from the National Cancer Institute.

Lottery Commission names search committee for new director

The Texas Lottery Commission has formed a 10-member search committee to help find a new executive director. Earlier this month, Reagan Greer resigned as executive director of the Austin-based commission amid a controversy over inflated jackpot numbers. Gary Grief (pictured), the commission's deputy director, is acting executive director. Committee members, who will advise the three-member commission on identifying candidates for the executive director's post, include:

• Francisco Hernandez, a member of the Texas Ethics Commission;
• C. Tom Clowe Jr., chairman of the Lottery Commission;
• John Edwards, executive director of the State Bar of Texas;
• Anthony Sadberry, a former member of the commission; and
• Elizabeth Whitaker, a former member of the commission.

Drop-out prevention program receives $297,600 grant

Communities in Schools of San Antonio has been selected to receive a $297,600 federal grant through the Fund for Improvement in Education (FIE) Earmark Grant program, which is funded directly by Congress through the U.S. Department of Education budget U.S. Rep. Henry Cuellar of Laredo requested the earmark for the program earlier this year. The non-profit organization was established in 1985 to help connect schools with community resources in an effort to help young people stay in school and prepare for life. In Bexar County, one in every three freshmen do not graduate from high school.

Contracting opportunities on the horizon - Homeland Security

By Mary Scott Nabers, CEO of Strategic Partnerships

Money for homeland security continues to make its way to Texas, but many contractors are still in the dark about how to find the individuals who are making purchasing decisions about products and services. Companies with homeland security solutions, in fact, have suffered a great deal of frustration because of the lack of information.

The difficulty for firms trying to break through to decision makers is that it is hard to understand the process. Perhaps this quick overview will be somewhat helpful.

Homeland security funds flow into state and local organizations scattered throughout the state. About 50 percent of the federal funding passes through the Governor's Office. The remainder goes directly to dozens of private sector grantees and local governments. Funding also flows to state agencies, ports, airports, etc. Some statewide purchasing activities pass through Council of Governments and some through federal agencies. A good source of information is the Texas Association of Regional Councils.

Of the funding that goes through the Governor's Office, the State is allowed by federal statute to keep up to 20 percent for statewide projects if it so chooses. In the past, most of the Texas funds have been funneled to the local level, mostly to the 24 regional councils of government in Texas. However, there are indications that in the foreseeable future the Governor's Office will keep more of the funding for statewide solutions in areas such as prevention, networking, and alert systems.

Here's a bit of information for companies interested in homeland security opportunities:

• Earlier this month, the Governor's Office committed $5 million to improve law enforcement communication and coordination in Texas border communities. The money is flowing to the South Texas Development Council;
• Dallas Area Rapid Transit (DART) is spending at least $500,000 this year to install surveillance equipment at rail stations and on selected vehicles;
• Next year, the Houston Airport System will spend $9.2 million to install explosive detection systems at Hobby Airport;
• The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston will invest $80.9 million in the next few years to develop the National Biocontainment Laboratory, which will focus on pathogens used by bioterrorists.

Vendors offering security-related products and services should build relationships with local community leaders. Procurement opportunities will be in abundance at port authorities, regional councils of government, and densely populated cities and counties.

Study: Texas kids' health still lacking

The national 2005 Kids Count survey by the Annie E. Casey Foundation ranked Texas 37th, in regard to child-health issues among the 50 states. Texas fared well in several categories, but was dragged down by rising rates in teen births and infant deaths.

Texas economy growing

The Texas labor market maintained its positive momentum in June. Texas payrolls rose by 8,900 jobs in June--a 1.1 percent annualized increase--according to new data released by the Texas Workforce Commission and seasonally adjusted by the Dallas Fed.

Do you have what it takes to be part of our stellar team?

Strategic Partnerships, Inc. (SPI), a research and consulting firm offering business development and public affairs services, is seeking an enthusiastic, detail-oriented and self-starting Consulting/Research Coordinator to provide support to multiple internal account teams. To view a more detailed job/company description along with qualifications and contact information, please click here.

Recent Austin Business Journal articles by Mary Scott Nabers

Government bond packages present a 'grab bag' of contract opportunities - 7/8/2005

Communication needs mean big spending for government - 6/27/2005

Federal officials release $1.3 billion to help fight bioterrorism - 6/10/2005

Event Links

8th Annual Texas Transportation Summit - 8/9/05 - 8/12/05

Texas Association of Counties 2005 Post Legislative Session Conference - 8/10/05 - 8/12/05

Texas Municipal League Legislative Roundup - 8/11/05

Annual Meeting of Retired State Employees Association - 8/19/05

4th Annual San Antonio Transportation Leadership Forum - 9/7/05 - 9/8/05

Texas Municipal League Technology Summit - 9/15/05-9/16/05

International City/County Management Association's 91st Annual Conference - 9/25/05-9/28/05

Texas Government Insider Archives

Last Issue - 7/22/05

Volume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3 Archives - 11/7/03 - 7/22/05

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Who Represents Me? Texas Districts By Address

Diagram of Texas' Biennial Budget Cycle

Texas Fact Book 2004

Strategic Partnerships, Inc. (SPI) is a research and consulting firm offering business development and public affairs services. Founded in Texas in 1994 by former government executives and public sector experts, SPI has developed a national reputation as the premier marketing partner dedicated to helping companies secure contracts in the $1.5 trillion state and local government marketplace. To learn more about SPI services click here or contact our sales department at 512-531-3900.

Best of Texas Technology 2005

Government Technology Conference (GTC) will host the Best of Texas 2005 conference in Austin on October 19. The event looks back on IT's fifty-year-history in state government, and attempts to extract lessons that can serve public sector IT during the next 50 years

SBA loan seminars heading to Texas

The U.S. Small Business Administration will host a series of free "loan fairs" throughout the state in August for companies interested in learning more about SBA loans. SBA will be in Austin on Aug. 5 and Aug. 9, and in New Braunfels on Aug. 10. For more information call (210) 403-5929 or send an email to mary.blanco@sba.gov