Dear Editor:

Recently, I received a copy of a paid political advertisement from Michael L. Maurer, Sr. regarding home rule for the city of Bulverde. Mr. Maurer is a resident of Bulverde’s extraterritorial jurisdiction. The ad focuses on his assertion that there will be higher taxes and increased spending if home rule becomes a reality. While I do not doubt the sincerity of Mr. Maurer’s words, it appears that he has not done enough research regarding the issues he mentions in his flyer.

In several places in his flyer, Mr. Maurer asserts that higher city taxes will result if home rule passes. The fact is that under Texas statutes, Title 1 Property Tax Code, Chapter 26 Tax Revenue, tax rollback applies in exactly the same way to all types of municipalities, whether the municipality is a general law type A, as Bulverde is currently, or a home-rule city. The implication that taxes will increase if home rule passes is simply not true. Under tax rollback, a home-rule city has no more authority to increase taxes than it currently has.

In the cause and effect section of his flier, Mr. Maurer says that “Bulverde plans to annex areas where only a few houses exist.”

He also states, “Bulverde plans on first forcibly annexing commercial frontage along Texas Highway 46 and U.S Highway 281, and maintaining those two highways will not come cheap when work has to be done on them.”

Because the Bulverde Home-Rule Charter Commis-sion is still working on what will be in the charter, it is difficult to comment on Mr. Maurer’s statement, other than to say the city has no annexation plans because the city does not have the authority to annex.

Further, Mr. Maurer cites as his sources for the above statements Councilwoman Urban-ovsky (no longer in office) and Mayor Stevick made at the April 10, 2007, Bulverde City Council meeting. I have reviewed the minutes of this meeting, and can find no reference to the quotes he cites.

Additionally, if the charter the citizens of Bulverde are now writing will include annexation provisions, and if the voters approve home rule, and if the City Council were to vote on annexing areas along Hwy. 46 or Hwy. 281, the responsibility for maintaining those highways remains the responsibility of the State of Texas.

Even if we take into consideration all of the “ifs” noted above, it also seems unlikely to me that the City Council would vote to approve annexation of an area that would not generate revenue equivalent to the services the city would be required to provide.

In the future, perhaps Mr. Maurer would provide sources for his statements so the Home Rule Commission could research those areas in the charter which seem to generate conflict. The commission is made up of citizens of Bulverde and certainly does not want to move forward on issues which imply disadvantages to the voting citizens of Bulverde without verifying their accuracy.

The commission wants to make informed decisions based upon what is best for the voting citizens of Bulverde. When the previous commission drafted the charter, no public comment was made at any of the sessions.

The current Bulverde Home Rule Charter Commis-sion solicits public comments at our meetings which occur on the second and fourth Thursday of each month at 7 p.m. in the City Hall chambers.

Ted Wilcox

Chairperson, Bulverde Home Rule Charter Commission