PISD Board of Trustees.
What a great lineup! It would be hard to go wrong with any selection.
Bart Ridley vs Tammy Richards vs Robert Canright. My opinon is that Richards would be a good choice. She has a good grasp of issues with our kids' education from every exchange.
Raj Menon vs Paul P. Kaminsky vs Carrolyn Moebius. This is a tough one. I'd give the edge to Menon. He is great one on one and in communicating to larger groups.
Bret Cullers vs Nancy Humphrey. This is a tough one too. I wish they could both be on the board. I'd give the edge to Humphrey. Both are versed in our schools.
I will be watching how each one does and wish them good luck no matter how it turns out.
RISD Board of Trustees.
Karen Holburn vs. Raj Chari. Due to past experience around Chari, my recommendation for Holburn has more to do with seeing Chari not on any ISD Board more than in seeing Holburn stay. She seems nice enough.
For Kris Oliver vs. Darryl Smyers vs ______ (the write in, Elaine Johnson), I go Oliver. Less drama. I hope adding him to the Board will clean up spending at the RISD. I like Johnson, she is correct about many things in my opinion, including teaching more about personal finance to students, but you snooze, you loooooze. That's a lesson too. Write in? Come on. And, Smyers, I like him too, but I like peace too.
Place 4, not in play (Hogue suspended her campaign). Lanet Greenhaw has done fair the recent term, really great in the terms before that. One published quote says she is not taking anything for granted, but she is. She is being less responsive this time as opposed to Holburn and Oliver who are more responsive, especially Oliver. I mean no disrespect by making this comment, it is just my opinion. School administrative politics aside, she is a nice person.
I will be watching how each one does and wish them good luck no matter how it turns out.
COR Bond.
Richardson has about one quarter of its voters in Collin County and the rest in Dallas County.
This Richardson bond package has problems with it and all around it. I'm a "no" on the four props as much as I despise not saying "yes" as we need some projects performed. If clean up is performed, I would consider "yes" for the best projects at reasonable prices for when it does not involve a steep tax increase and includes appropriate information.
Snafus, ISD's floating packages this spring, possible the counties. No word from the hospital and college districts. Shortfalls are abundant. Choices are cut services and costs, raise taxes, sell bond debt.
One of the long time councilmen said on television he didn't think UTD roads should be in this bond package, and I agree. I have nothing against UTD, their inner roads are adding cost to the bond package. The 30% added on the estimates of each project have inflated it and reduced their argument that pricing and interest are lower. (The same councilman helped keep a very high dollar city portal sign out of it this time, in front of the cameras. Signs would be nice when we are able to acquire them, however it should not cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.)
There are open ended items in the bond that are recipes for trouble.
New infrasturcture, as opposed to repairing and replacing existing infrastructure, includes new maintenance costs. These are not disclosed (may not even be estimated at all by the City). Sustainability is an issue.
As with PISD and RISD Board of Trustees, I will be watching the COR and what each council member does and I wish them, and everyone, all of us, good luck.
