VISD taxpayers want to know why insurance won’t pay
Buildings could be covered by one or multiple insurance companies, he said.
The time it takes for a district to be fully reimbursed depends on multiple factors, including disagreements between insurance adjusters. Also, the school district could have been underinsured, he said.
As proposed, the school district's maintenance and operation tax rate would increase to
The revenue increase for the district during the one-year period would be about
The damage the district sustained from Hurricane Harvey last August is now at
The district has spent
If the higher rate is adopted, the taxes on a home valued at
At the conclusion of the 2019 tax year, the increase would fall off.
Q: Where is the insurance money? Who is the risk manager?
A: The district's risk manager is Edwards Risk Management. The amount of time it is taking for the district to receive insurance payments seems to be between the insurance company and the risk manager. Along with that, the claims process is delayed because we did not suffer total or catastrophic loss, but rather partial loss in the facilities that were damaged.
Q: Are the schools so old that insurance isn't covering the full loss?
A: The insurance company is looking at the condition of the buildings when the hurricane hit. Coverage is categorized by each building, not each campus. During the process, insurance is requesting documentation of building condition and damages, which the district has been very detailed in providing.
Q: Why can't
A:
Q: How does the district expect taxpayers who sustained their own Harvey losses to pay more in taxes?
A: We realize an increase in taxes is always a burden on the community. We don't take that lightly. This increase to the maintenance and operations portion of the tax rate will help to ensure that the district is able to provide the same quality education to our community without having to make cuts in staff or programs.
Q: Can the school district do this without a special election?
A: The tax rate will be set as part of the budget process, as it is each year, and will not be part of a special election.
Q: How long will the tax be in effect?
A: The increase to the maintenance and operation portion of the tax rate will be for one tax year, on the bill payable by
Q: Is this a way of getting around the failed bond election?
A: The bond addressed capital expenditures and new facilities and would have increased the interest and sinking portion of the tax rate. This tax increase will be for the maintenance and operations tax rate, which is used for day-to-day operations of the district.
Q: When will the next attempt at another bond election be?
A: It has not been determined when another bond package will be proposed. That process would begin with several committees and community meetings to determine what projects would be in the proposal. That process has not started at this time.
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