Downtown district vote hits snag

HARLINGEN — Renewal of the city’s public improvement district, and an additional 50 cents per $100 valuation tax assessment for downtown property owners, has hit a snag as a Sept. 30 deadline approaches.

A petition presented by downtown property owners seeking renewal of the special district was validated by city commissioners Wednesday, but they did not accept it.

Mayor Chris Boswell said he would put the issue on the agenda for the next City Commission meeting scheduled for Sept. 15.

Several members of the community passionately shared their opinions — for and against —
the district renewal at a City Commission meeting Wednesday night.

Some audience members spoke out of turn and the mayor brought down his gavel to return order to the meeting.

Bill DeBrooke, owner of several downtown properties, said, “Sometimes it’s embarrassing” to
live in Harlingen, as he stood at the public podium during the meeting.

“Perhaps the way we’ve funded downtown has run its course. But if that’s true, we’re at thewire of determining what to do going forward and the City Commission has not been forthcoming with a new plan … It’s frustrating,” DeBrooke said at Wednesday’s meeting.

Harlingen has had a public improvement district since the 1980s. Last year, commissioners reduced the downtown assessment from 50 cents for each $100 in appraised property value to 1 cent.

Kori Marra, District 3 city commissioner, said that as a downtown business owner, no one should be allowed to tell her “how to run” her business.

“We should be allowed to self-tax ourselves,” Marra said.

District 2 Commissioner Robert Leftwich objected to an assessment, saying it might burden property owners.

“I don’t have any hesitation on renewal … If we didn’t have an assessment, owners could take their own money and reinvest in a leveraging way and in what they think would benefit their business,” he said.

June Ramirez, downtown property owner and resident, echoed DeBrooke’s and Marra’s sentiments in an interview after the meeting.

“The majority, I thought, always ruled and we have a majority of property owners that want the (downtown improvement district),” Ramirez said, referring to property owners whose holdings represent more than half the value of all downtown district real estate.

Cheryl LaBerge, Harlingen Downtown manager, said 89 percent of the downtown property values were reflected by the owners who signed the petition. She said that with that rate on the petition, renewing the district was “kind of a no-brainer.”

Only 50 percent of property value is required by law to validate a petition under the applicable Texas Local Government Code, she said.

“I understand that some people see this as an added tax,” LaBerge said. “From that perspective I guess they think it’s a burden. But, we also see people contact us and talk to us and tell us that they have been really appreciative of the help we have provided.”

While the downtown improvement district remains in limbo, LaBerge said, it’s difficult to
encourage business in such a climate.

“We’re usually planning our Christmas promotions by this time,” she said.