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Perry's budget execution order could be discussed mid-September
Gov. Perry`s budget execution order, which includes $295 million for school textbooks and teacher pay hikes, is expected by many to be considered by the Legislative Budget Board on September 14. Several other priorities are included in the governor`s proposed budget execution order, which was issued on August 22 after legislators ended the second special session without a new funding plan for public schools. Perry has called for $200 million in state funding to increase rates paid to nursing homes, over $76 million in additional state funding for trauma centers, and $48.5 million to fund operations at the Irma Rangel Pharmacy School in Kingsville and the Texas Tech Medical School in El Paso. Texas wins, loses military assets after BRAC voteBRAC, the commission considering military base closures, has voted to shut down the Lone Star Army Ammunition Plant in Texarkana and Naval Station Ingleside in South Texas, but spared the Red River Army Depot in North Texas. The Base Closure and Realignment Commission's votes came on the first day of deliberations on a broad Pentagon plan to close or realign 62 large bases and hundreds of smaller ones to modernize U.S. forces and save money. The commission's recommendations will go to President Bush for approval by Sept. 8. 
During the meeting, the commission also approved the Pentagon's proposal to move a 4th Infantry Division combat brigade and headquarters team from Fort Hood to Colorado. Commissioners also voted to move the air defense artillery units at Fort Bliss in El Paso to Fort Sill, Okla., and to relocate the 1st Armored Division and other units from Germany and Korea to Fort Bliss. During another round of voting on Thursday, military bases in San Antonio fared quite well. BRAC opted to close the Air Force portion of the Brooks City-Base in San Antonio, moving 2,648 positions to Fort Sam Houston, Lackland, Randolph, and other nearby bases. Fort Sam Houston gained approval for a regional medical center, and is expected to gain 9,364 jobs as a result of BRAC action. Before voting started on Wednesday the commission's chairman, Anthony Principi (pictured), said taking action on the Pentagon's proposal to close or alter hundreds of bases set a daunting and unprecedented challenge for commissioners. "The commission went to extraordinary lengths to ensure the soundness, correctness and integrity of the base realignment and closure process and to fulfill our commitment to transparency, honesty and fairness for all," he said. "At the same time, we know that the decisions we reach will have a profound impact on the communities hosting our military installations, and more importantly, on the people who bring those communities to life." While the Gulf Coast especially is still reeling from BRAC's decision, many pundits say that Texas, as a whole, about broke even in terms of jobs. Dallas voters to decide mayor's powers in November
The Dallas City Council has ordered a special charter election for Nov. 8 to give voters their second chance in a year to increase mayoral power. Dallas residents turned down a proposal in May that would have significantly increased the mayor's power. The proposal to be considered in November is a toned-down version that would, among other things, allow the mayor to hire and fire the city manager, police and fire chiefs. The mayor's salary would also double to $120,000 - an amendment to which current Mayor Laura Miller (pictured) objects. $11M funneled to Texas firefightersThe U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the past two weeks has awarded Texas fire departments more than $11 million through its Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program. In all, 92 Texas fire departments are receiving funds. Unlike most DHS grants this money goes directly to the fire departments and is not disbursed by the state. The money can be used for a variety of purposes, from funding training to buying equipment and vehicles. More information, including a breakdown of the recipients, is available online. 
Willet appointed to state Supreme CourtGov. Rick Perry has appointed Austin lawyer Don Willett to the Texas Supreme Court. Willet, 39, replaces Priscilla Owen, whom President Bush appointed to the federal bench. Willet has served as general counsel to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott since 2003, and was a deputy assistant U.S. attorney general before that. Willet said he will recuse himself from the upcoming school finance case because he helped defend the state in an earlier bout that ended with a declaration that the Texas education funding system is unconstitutional. 
Head of Brooks Development Authority resignsTom Rumora, director of the Brooks Development Authority in San Antonio, has resigned to take a job in the private sector. Rumora's departure comes at a crucial time. The Base Closure and Realignment Commission voted on Thursday to move military assets out of the city-run Brooks City-Base. The Brooks Development Authority has spent the past four years planning for that, and has a plan to reinvent the base as a technology and research park. Alex Briseno, who is serving as interim director of the San Antonio Technology Accelerator Initiative, or SATAI, will take over as Brooks' interim executive director. US 290 in Austin set for $355M tolled extensionThe construction of a $355 million, tolled segment of US Highway 290 East is on the fast track. The Texas Transportation Commission approved the fast-tracking proposal from the Central Texas Regional Mobility Authority. Consequently, the road will open by 2009 -- about six years ahead of schedule. The 5.6-mile segment runs east of US Highway 183 and will provide a link between Central Austin and State Highway 130. Lake Travis ISD eyes $127M bond proposalVoters in the Lake Travis Independent School District, a fast-growing area west of Austin, will be asked on September 10 to approve a $127 million bond package that would pay for new schools, land and facilities. It's the district's largest-ever bond referendum. 
Addison launches citywide Wi-FiAddison, a Dallas suburb, has launched a citywide wireless network that offers Internet access to anyone in the city. Weary of waiting for private companies to provide the service, Addison is part of a growing number of municipalities taking steps to ensure residents have access to broadband. Addison Mayor Joe Chow (pictured) said his city is the first in Texas to offer wi-fi citywide. Several others Texas towns and cities have similar plans in the works. Texas AG office secures $1.4M grant for local law enforcement helpThe Office of the Attorney General has $1,476,848 in new funds to assist local law enforcement agencies. The grant was awarded under the federal Byrne Grant Program and distributed by the Governor's Criminal Justice Division (CJD). The Attorney General's Office will aid local law enforcement agencies with investigations of cyber crimes, child pornography, organized crime, fugitives, criminal consumer fraud, public corruption and other criminal activities through this grant. Travis County approves $120 million bond packageA split Travis County Commissioners Court has decided to put $120.9 million worth of projects to voters in November. The project will be offered as four propositions: $56.6 million for roads and drainage; $40 million for parks and open space; $23.5 million for jail improvements; and $775,000 to buy rights of way for state roads. Galveston redeveloping downtown waterfrontGalveston City Council members will soon conduct public hearings to look into traffic concerns and develop construction documents that will be used to rebuild several blocks of Shoreline Boulevard north of I-37. The $11.6 million project was approved by voters last year. No date has been set to begin construction. Waldrop appointed justice of third court of appealsAlan Waldrop has been appointed by Gov. Rick Perry to be justice of the state's Third Court of Appeals. Waldrop, a former law professor at the University of Texas, currently works for an Austin law firm. He will serve a term until the next general election when he may opt to run for a full term. Governor orders schools to keep more money in classesTexas schools will have to spend much more on classroom instruction and detail that spending to the public under mandates announced by Gov. Rick Perry Monday. Using an executive order, Perry directed Texas Education Commissioner Shirley Neeley to implement a requirement that school districts spend at least 65 percent of education revenue in classrooms and come up with a system for schools to report their financial efficiency. Many educators said they like the idea of putting more money in classes, but some said the move could result in drastic budget cuts and staff reductions. Perry's executive order requires school districts to ratchet up classroom spending during the next several years to meet the 65 percent mandate. Those that don't are subject to investigations and sanctions. $397,551 in grants awarded to crime victims assistance programsThe Governor's Criminal Justice Division (CJD) has awarded $397,551 in grants to seven programs that provide assistance to crime victims. The grants are awarded under the federal Victims of Crime Act fund. The awards include:
State rejects sale of Big Bend parklandTexas Parks and Wildlife commissioners on Thursday unanimously rejected an offer to sell 46,000 acres of Big Bend Ranch State Park to a Houston businessman. John Poindexter, who owns land adjacent to the largest state park, had offered about $2 million to buy an odd-shaped parcel that juts up from the park's boundary. The Parks and Wildlife Department had seen the proposal as a way to square off the park's boundary and to provide money for buying tracts inside the park that are privately owned, but the proposal drew harsh criticism from conversationalists and others, despite Poindexter's intention to preserve the tract. |
Local governmental agencies - a new target for some government contractors
By Mary Scott Nabers, CEO of Strategic Partnerships, Inc. In the past, large government contractors tended to focus the majority of their sales efforts on federal and state agencies. That business practice is changing! Many savvy government contractors are either in the process of or have already revamped sales organizations and business development efforts to target local governments. Click here to read the rest of the article. [Editors note: Mary Scott Nabers' government contracting columns run regularly in the Austin Business Journal, San Antonio Business Journal and the Houston Business Journal] Corpus Christi OKs $6M wi-fi planA plan to spend $6 million on a citywide wireless Internet network, and partner with a yet-to-be identified private firm, won approval by the Corpus Christi City Council this week. City officials said the network is intended to improve city services, like reading water meters remotely, but there is a possibility that the network could be made available to the public. State awards $73,130 to Medina, Wood countiesThe Governor's Criminal Justice Division (CJD) is awarding $38,815 to Wood County and $34,315 to Medina County to provide the sheriffs' departments with electronic fingerprint systems. The systems will allow law enforcement officers to capture fingerprints electronically and rapidly submit them to the Texas Department of Public Safety and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Governor requests SBA assistance for Haskell CountyGov. Rick Perry this week asked the Small Business Administration (SBA) to declare Haskell County a disaster as a result of severe rainstorms and flash flooding that occurred Aug. 9 - Aug. 15. The governor said the storms have created an economic emergency for residents. If the SBA declaration request is granted, individuals and businesses in Haskell County would be eligible to apply for low-interest SBA disaster loans. UTSA to build garage, energy plantThe University of Texas System approved spending $25.9 million in new construction in order to build a new parking facility and thermal energy plant at the University of Texas at San Antonio. UTSA will build a 179,933-square-foot parking garage on the southern tip of the campus and an adjoining 17,755-square-foot thermal energy plant. The facility will be paid for through tuition revenues and parking fees. Report: Charter schools get lessTexas charter schools receive an average of $1,155 less per student than traditional school districts, according to a new report by the pro-charter Thomas B. Fordham Foundation. The study, which suggests that the funding disparity sets charter schools up for failure, took into account all school revenues, including taxes and donations. Texas State opens Round Rock campusTexas State University's Round Rock campus just north of Austin opened earlier this week. Projected fall enrollment is 3,200 students. The campus, which provides relief to Texas State's San Marcos campus, is expected to double enrollment over the next five years. The ABCs of Texas' ETFSPI has published a comprehensive, easy-to-understand overview of Texas' new $200 million Emerging Technology Fund (ETF). Current SPI clients can click here to view the report, which explains in detail what the ETF is, and how it will work. Procurement articles onlineClick here to view recent articles on government procurement authored by Mary Scott Nabers, president and CEO of Strategic Partnerships Inc., and published in the Austin Business Journal. Event Links4th Annual San Antonio Transportation Leadership Forum - 9/7/05 - 9/8/05 Texas Assoc. of School Boards' Balancing Education and Juvenile Justice Conference - 9/8/05-9/9/05 Conference on Intellectual Property in the Global Marketplace - 9/12/05-9/13/05 Texas Municipal League Technology Summit - 9/15/05-9/16/05 2005 National Summit on Your City’s Families - 9/25/05-9/28/05 International City/County Management Association's 91st Annual Conference - 9/25/05-9/28/05 NCTCOG/ULI Development Excellence Education Day - 9/29/05 Homeland Security Conference: Mexico/Texas Border - 10/6/05 West Texas Regional Gang Investigators' Course - 10/18/05-10/20/05 Texas Municipal League Annual Conference - 10/26/05-10/28/05 OAG's 2005 Open Government Conference - 12/12/05-12/14/05 Texas Government Insider ArchivesVolume 1, Volume 2 and Volume 3 Archives - 11/7/03 - 8/19/05 ResourcesDiagram of Legislative Process State Contract Management Guide Who Represents Me? Texas Districts By Address Diagram of Texas' Biennial Budget Cycle
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. |
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Municipal Technology SummitThe Texas Municipal League, in cooperation with the Texas Association of Governmental Information Technology Managers, invites elected and appointed city officials to the Municipal Technology Summit September 15-16 in Horseshoe Bay. Click here for more information. NCTCOG/ULI Development Excellence Education DayMark your calendars for Thursday, September 29, 2005 and plan to join the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) and the Urban Land Institute (ULI) for Development Excellence Education Day. This region-wide educational event will be a great opportunity to learn more about the crucial development issues facing the North Texas area. Please contact Kym Cross at kcross@tigusa.com for information about registration. |
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