By Juan Montoya
For the second time, rural voters said no to a two-cent sales tax increase in businesses in unincorporated areas that could establish Assistance District that could have potentially raised nearly $1 million to provide rural residents street lighting, bus shelters, better roads, and other basic necessities without raising property taxes.
The 2017 Special Election to create Assistance Districts that would allow the county to increase the sales tax in services and good in the areas outside cities jurisdictions from 6 cents to 8.25 cents per $1 – the same as within the cities – could potentially generate up to $950,000 annually for rural improvements.The measure died by more than a 2-1 margin with 520 voters darkening the "Against" oval and only 254 voting "For."
Before the election results, County Administrator David Garcia and his assistant Xavier Villarreal said y they are pulling out all the stops to generate interest in the voters.
But the total vote of 779 out of 38,473 registered voters in the unincorporated areas indicates their efforts were to no avail.
Cameron County commissioners thought it was a way that will help rural area residents the most and hurt everyone else the least.
Instead of raising property taxes or implement a surcharge on residents, the Assistance District would have been funded by the additional two cents on purchases in the businesses in the outlying areas, equaling what county people in incorporated areas already pay.
Commissioners have discovered that many subdivisions (and colonias) want street lights to be installed in their communities. In the past, each resident was assessed a surcharge to pay for the lights, causing some residents to grumble or killing the idea altogether.
Only residents living in the voting precincts in the outlying areas could have voted in this special election.Those living within the cities of Brownsville, Harlingen, San Benito, Los Fresnos, La Feria, Port Isabel, Ranch Viejo, City of South Padre Island, Laguna Vista, Bayview, Combes, Primera, Santa Rosa, Los Indios, Rio Hondo, Rangerville, Palm Valley and Indian Lake could not vote on the measure.