Tag: Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce

 

 

 

A BABY BORN IN PARIS TEXAS  

. . . . IS GOING TO FIND THINGS DIFFICULT.  BEING SLAPPED ON THE BUTT IS A DISGRACE, BUT (NO PUN INTENDED) FINDING YOU’RE $17,931 IN DEBT TO THE CITY ON YOUR FIRST BREATH ISN’T THE WAY YOU WANT TO ENTER LIFE. 

ITS ENOUGH TO MAKE ANYONE CRY.

Understanding THE CITY OF PARIS TEXAS BUDGET

In fiscal year, 2023-2024, the City of Paris claimed it only increased its budget by 3.5%. But it raised more revenue from property taxes than last year’s budget by $1,912,026 – a 20.31% increase.  Of that amount, only $101,001 was from new property added to the tax roll in 2022-2023.

This fiscal year, October 1, 2024 to September 30, 2025, the budget increased again.

The following, because of a lack of budget transparency, is based on the previous year’s City of Paris budget. So, the actual debt owed by a baby born in Paris Texas is more this year – and in future years:

REVENUE ($53,418,850.00)

General Fund: $ 31,051,550.00

Water and Sewer Fund: $ 20,987,300.00

Sanitation and Landfill Fund: $ 1,380,000.00

CURRENT DEBT:

The total of bonds and other debt obligations (principal and interest) outstanding is $123,445,000 of which $37,091,035 will be paid by property taxes. (But fees, permits, fines, retail sales, hotel occupancy taxes, local electric, gas, internet, phone, other taxes and/or fees are also paid by property owners, as well as by renters of property in Paris, and by those visiting Paris. Either directly or indirectly, property taxes are paid by everyone, i.e.; part of a retail item’s cost pays a portion of the property taxes owed by the retail outlet’s owner.)

An assessed property with a $100,000 taxable value owes a debt of $477.82 to the city.

ANTICIPATED Budget and Debt Costs:

City’s new Wastewater Treatment plant – an estimated base cost of $128,000,000. (Not counting interest.)

Current Budget:                                             $   53,418,850.

Current debt & Obligations:                         $ 133,861,575.

WWTP Anticipated New debt (P & I):        $  259,201,276.   

        Total Budget, Current & Future Debt Costs:            $  446,481,701.00

 

          $ 446,481,701 .00is a tidy sum, even for the Texas Lotto.

Other items of interest:

Capital purchases (one-time purchases); vehicles, certain equipment, studies, etc., are difficult to predict. An example being the recent $125,000 wasted for a local housing study so the city can have an excuse to do what it wants to do, which will not help real housing problems.

Surplus funds: Needed for dedicated annual revenue in case another assistant city manager is needed or some other man-made disaster occurs, or a big hunk of Paris is swallowed by a giant creature flying in from a far-off galaxy. When funds are not available, re-occurring or new revenue must be found.

So a healthy reserve needs to be available … as its just money a baby born in Paris, Texas, doesn’t need – nor, the taxpayers.

 

Each of Paris’ 24,900 citizens will owe $17,931 to the City of Paris, based on today’s dollars.

The promised “. . . no increases in fees . . .”

Since 2003, this is the disastrous result of what the City of Paris Texas has done regarding a needed wastewater treatment plant:

The originally estimated wastewater plant cost of $30-to-$35 million jumped to $76 million in 2017. Five years later, by 2022, the cost jumped to $100 million. Now, barely into 2024, the estimated cost has reached a staggering $128 million. (No official estimate has been released on how many gallons of wastewater per day [GPD] the plant will treat.)

What simply drives all that off the scale of common sense is that taxpayers cannot say they were not warned.

From the city’s original estimated costs, the Paris Chamber continually has stated that what Paris did (and is doing) hits a new high in stupidity.

Jiggery-pokery, however, is not unknown in politics. Consider: In 2013, facing a $47 million bond vote for water and sewer improvements, citizens were told that “no increases in water and sewer rates would be needed.”

But in 2017-18, the city added an estimated $7.60 monthly to the local sewer rates (around $100 a year MORE than we were paying) to “help pay for a new sewer treatment plant.” Then, on 4-1-2021, water and sewer rates were again increased another $7.65 a month , and “routinely increase every six months” until 4-1-2026. And again, we were told that the increases were needed to help “finance construction of a new wastewater plant.”  

No matter how some may want to spin it, that was the spirit of intent in all the statements.

So, where’s the plant? Of course, there isn’t one.

SO, IF the money generated from the increases in rates have been used for other purposes, where is accountability?  IF the income from those past rate increases isn’t in an established, ear-marked fund for a new plant, as was promised, where did the money go?

And, please, no Happy Talk of it being used to “pay down other debt.”  The “other debt” was, supposedly, being paid from the tax and utility rate increases for those purposes.

But WHY a $128 million costs?

 

A Look at independent reporting on types and costs of wastewater treatment in Texas.

The Texas Water Newsroom, produced by the Texas Water Development Board (TWDB), was created to tell the stories of Texas water—the people, places, issues, and efforts—on water and wastewater. So, let’s look at examples of just one funding source for wastewater infrastructure (and development of wetland and wildlife areas):

There were – are – billions of dollars available from public and private sources for proposed wetlands and wildlife areas; especially, those associated with reuse projects. Both such projects were the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce recommendations back in 2012 for a portion of the flood plains adjacent to Lake Crook.* We even threw in the fact that such projects would gain favor for grants and low-cost loans, thereby reducing the cost of a new wastewater plant.

IF Paris had acted, the cost for a treatment plant likely would have been less than $30 million, and be up and running by now . . .

The Paris leadership ignored the recommendation and, by doing so, are now presenting the taxpayers a bill of $128 million ($259,201,276 million w/interest) for not acting. Likely, too busy finding ways to dump more debt on a baby born in Paris, Texas; and to give more tax money away to private firms that don’t need it.

We’ve known for years that growing pressure in the U. S. to develop resilient, drought-resistant water supplies — particularly for the West — wastewater recycling for potable use was rapidly becoming more important than ever. (A recent article from Wastewater Digest explores emerging technologies for wastewater recycling, for purposes ranging from potable reuse to mineral extraction and basic agriculture.)

 

* If interested, email us (parischamber@paristexaschamberofcommerce.com) and we’ll send you a copy of the recommendation to the Paris City Council, the PEDC, and what used to be the Lamar County Chamber. Its still a viable and workable endeavor…

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      The Phone

      Local Government

      Residential Renewal or Stupidity

A Tip or two on answering the phone

You get a telephone call that looks like it could be from someone you know – as it shows the same area code as yours or a number you kinda’ think you remember.

Should you answer the call?

In either case, probably not. These may be folks fishing for your data and information, which they can use against your best interest or attempts to sell you something you may not want, nor need. And despite what the phone manufacturers and companies say, the apps on phones don’t perform as claimed. Privacy, silenced calls, blocked senders, etc., are tied to other apps that do not work properly when these apps are applied.

There’s a reason for it: The phone companies are making a profit on the calls you receive, as well as those you originate.

But if you don’t answer the phone, sometimes, you get fussed at by a friend or a business acquaintance.

There is an answer:

Only answer your phone when the incoming call is from someone in your Contacts list or it has a caller’s name associated with it.

When you receive a call from a name associated with a phone number in your Contact’s list the name and number shows on your phone. It also works this way on all of your outgoing calls when you associate your name with your telephone number. Your name
and number will display to whomever you make a phone call.

Of course, IF you’re making a lot of crank calls yourself, it may not be such a good idea. But it is something, however, that every business seeking additional customers should do.  And people who want to talk with their friends and relatives.

Business firms, medical, financial and professional offices and services spend thousands – sometimes millions – of dollars to get their names (advertising) in front of people. But they fail to take advantage of this relatively free advertising venue, which is a service to their customers and / or clients.

Why?

Or why not? Open your phone, go to Settings, then Phone. and enter your name and number.

In this age of increasing spam, phishing, ransom and malware attacks, you and your clients and customers not only want to know but need to know who is calling them.

Like a growing number of other people, IF you call and I can’t answer at the that time, and you don’t leave a message, I’m not wasting my time to call you back.

The best option for cybersecurity is just don’t cooperate with those firms that don’t want you to know who is calling.

 

Why would anyone want to talk to an unknown person at an unknown telephone number for an unknown reason?

In this digital age, the old bromide that “curiosity is a sign of intelligence” is set aside by the one reminding us that “curiosity killed the cat.”

Since voters allowed elected politicians to exchange the Private Enterprise System for State Capitalism (the partnership between Big Business and Big Government), customers, clients and taxpayers are treated as resources, instead of the firms and government being a resource for the customer or client – or the taxpayer.

 

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  dissent

Some people don’t like those who dissent from their ideas on how some things are done. They especially don’t like dissent by the Paris Texas Chamber of Commerce.

Since January 6, 2024, we’ve had two emails telling us that those in charge of “the way things are done” don’t like us.

We don’t care. We don’t trust people without a sense of humor or who cannot or are unwilling to think.

People who don’t have good ideas always throw rocks at people who do. It makes them feel better.

But there’s no growth or progress without intelligent dissent.

Dissent brings transition, changing that swirl of information within our minds, separating and streamlining and bringing clarity to that jumble of conflicting thoughts and emotions.

Without dissent there would never be a horse race or a football game. (My horse can beat your horse; my team can beat your team, etc.)

Unfortunately, the emotionally-disturbed and mentally-deranged disguise “dissent” and, like spoiled children, angrily use it to get their own way; going on a crying spree or a temper tantrum. But that’s not dissent, it’s destructive behavior, which should never be tolerated by adults.

Those eager or willing to preserve the status quo use dissent as an example of something undesired or harmful.

Ideas, however, should always be welcomed as not all ideas have the same value. Where people have a choice bad ideas eventually die – as shown by quick fads, styles, and no-taste that come and go. A good idea, one of an enduring value, however, will stand the test of time – and the challenge of dissent.

An endless variety of thieves – ranging from purse-snatchers, to those who steal from friends, private homes, businesses, banks, or even the tax from the Widow’s mite ( to give to the rich) – act on a bad idea.

Facing all this dishonesty is the great idea of dissent summed up in four little words: “You shall not steal.”

But we will have government do it for us . . .

And we have a government fighting to preserve a status quo while actively ignoring the idea that “Good fences make good neighbors.” And if you dissent from government policies, you are an extremist or domestic terrorists.

There must be dissent.

Without dissent, how do we know the value of what we’re doing? What are the yardsticks we’re using to measure the benefits of some idea?

Sooner or later, all ideas need challenging.

 

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A Good Example of Bad Government

A Public Information (BS) Officer

Trash Pick-up