From: Alan Roberts
RE: Hearings on a south Texas university
A note on upcoming meeting with UTBrownsville locals.Dr. Juliet Garcia and Chancellor Cigarroa and others are asking you to support a merger between UTBrownsville & UTPanamerican. We don't feel the timing of this vote is appropriate.
First, Dr. Juliet Garcia of UTBrownsville is currently asking the legislature for $151.6MM bond to "build a new UTBrownsville 21st Century Campus" (as written & commented by Dr. Garcia), in case you don't support the merger. This request occurs nearly at the same time that she is supporting changing the structure that dissolves UTBrownsville via merger.
Second, as you know a positive merger vote would subject disbursements from the Texas PUF fund. Such funds could be used to purchase such buildings. However, the combined transfers of PUF money plus the $151.6MM would cause what we believe is an unnecessary burden on Texas.Please consider the impact to the local economy which will cause more debt to be burdened by taxpayers.
Third, if a positive merger vote occurs and the $151.6MM request is approved, the funds will be available but not for the originally intended institution -- UTBrownsville. Your vote may not result in a transparent fiduciary outcome; an outcome that you may not have intended. The ethical optics may not be look very favorably.
Specifically, we ask that you postpone the vote until the outcome of the $151.6MM is dediced-upon. Many taxpayers already support a community college (Texas Southmost College) plus UTBrownsville. Voters are anxious to the upcoming separation of both due to perceived mis-executions of the Agreement — and its accompanying double local taxation.
As a past Texas Governor background once said, "Let us not get married to the new spouse until we get a divorce from the current one."
Thank you for your consideration. I welcome any comments or questions you may have, individually or in-confidence.
Respectfully,
Alan Roberts
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