The Truth about Coppell and Taxes
The citizens of Coppell have been put in a hard dilemma. Some present and past city leaders had to be tough and show Lucy Billingsley and the Billingsley Corporation who was “boss” over the controversial Cypress Waters development at Northlake. In the end, the citizens of Coppell get to pay $26 million in land debt, only the first of more debt for the Northlake development. This is after the city and school district spent well over $2 million in legal fees. And in the end, Lucy Billingsley gets to build her dream, Cypress Waters, with even less dollars than originally projected. The citizens of Coppell are just now realizing the total story.
I had the privilege to meet privately with Lucy Billingsley two times during the negotiations of Northlake between Billingsley Corporation and Coppell. Both times were lengthy and pleasant meetings. The first meeting was at the beginning of the controversy of Northlake and Ms. Billingsley repeated several times in her willingness to work with Coppell, her desire to be a good neighbor, grant land for Coppell schools, etc. The second meeting was months later. By that point she had long realized that Coppell did not want to work together and while the City of Coppell and the Coppell ISD had spent over $2 million in legal fees attempting to block her development, she knew in the end that she would prevail. She had the favor of the City of Dallas, the Texas courts and Texas law on her side. Coppell’s actions between these two meetings had been disappointing at best. A former city leader told two African-American Dallas City Councilmen that the city did not need to negotiate with Dallas since these two councilmen would soon be in jail anyway over alleged crimes. Rarely did the minority members of the Dallas City Council vote with the then Mayor Laura Miller. But Coppell’s attitude prompted a Dallas City Council unanimous vote in favor of Billingsley and against Coppell. The local Coppell newspapers rarely, if at all, reported such incidents. Stories such as this could be found in The Dallas Observer and the Dallas Morning News.
So Lucy Billingsley decided to wait it out, knowing that in the end she would prevail. But the final outcome could not have been sweeter for Billingsley. Coppell paid millions for land and a lake that they do not need and will eventually remove a power plant – all on land that is in the City of Dallas, and all at the expense of the Coppell taxpayers. Lucy, well, she gets to build her 10,000 unit development complete with all Dallas city services and Coppell schools at Coppell taxpayer cost.
The saddest part of this commentary is that the vast majority of citizens never had the opportunity to view the original or current proposal of Cypress Waters. Lucy Billingsley came two times to my company and met with my agents and shared her vision and dream. Most of the agents were impressed. I think most of Coppell could have been as well before the need to spend over $26 million for a land purchase that we may never use.
Now, the City Council wants to raise taxes five cents to pay for the first of several bonds for Northlake. And they are seeking this increase with no fiscal cuts, no staff decrease (even if through attrition) and a huge overage in the city’s fund balance. Today, Coppell has a bloated city government with 2.5 times more employees at 40,000 population than we had at 25,000 population in the mid 1990s.
Something is terribly wrong with this picture. That is why the citizens of Coppell are finally saying, “No New Taxes".
Mark Wolfe
Next Coppell Public Hearing
Tuesday, September 1st, 6:00 pm
Coppell City Hall
Posts
Well said - thanks for your candid insights. You may want to add the city cemetary and it's untold costs to the equation as well. While I choose to NOT water my grass (yes, it's not as green as the neighbor's but alive nonetheless) I see city boulevards watered daily($), resulting in the need for cutting regularly ($), and fertilizer etc. It would be nice if al of our business endeavors could rely on such lax oversight without fear of any resultant issues.
ReplyDeleteNothing like a good dose of reality to open yours eyes. IF it is as you describe, and I have no reason to believe you are motivated otherwise, then we have to go much deeper than no new taxes. I believe you are saying that Lucy Billingsley was totally forthright in her dealings with Coppell? Why not give this a read: http://www.dallasarena.com/r060415.htm
ReplyDeleteIf you have difficulty with the link then just go to Sharon Boyd's blog and read the April 15, 2006 entry. She has a little different perspective doesn't she? IF you are correct Mr. Wolfe, then we have to do something about the arrogance factor that has apparently permeated Coppell government for a very long time. I've been here since 1985 (I know you've been here longer) and have lived through the anxiety that typically comes with growth. We have a very fine community and (I believe) community leaders that want the best for Coppell. The problem is they think they know best....period. How were we ever going to get a good deal on North Lake with Dallas city leaders, TXU and the Crow-Billingsley clan conspiring to push this through under the table? Would you ever trust a convicted felon? Lucy is a very smart cookie. Smart enough to make sure her convicted felon husband Henry took the lead on the dirty business. She is a good salesperson, isn't she? Clearly our city leaders need to be better salespeople too. But not before a little dose of humility.
Ok, City Council - how the heck does Plano do it then when currently their tax rates are LOWER than ours?! Why doesn't someone call them up and find that out. And, why don't you spend the $$ WE gave you getting Robin Hood repealed - THAT'S where our money now, and in the future, is going. Mr. Mahalik - you said if we want a higher standard of living, we have to pay for it - We HAVE paid for it, now use the money you ALREADY have for once. I have never been able to time things where I could insure I voted for the Coppell City Council - this time I did, and I'm SO sorry I voted for you if you aren't listening to the PEOPLE.
ReplyDeleteI own and operate a commercial real estate firm and have been in business 27 years and lived in Coppell for 15 years. When Jim Witt was City Manager I set up a meeting with him about the time the City of Irving shut down Northlake. I met and told Mr. Witt that the City of Coppell should buy the Northlake property to protect our school district. Jim told me that that was a bad idea and I was wasting my time. I did follow-up with him several times but he assured me that it did not make sense for the city to spend funds on "speculation". When Karen Hunt was running for City Council, I called her and told her this story and that we need sensible people running a city that has some citizens that may know more than the City Council. Karen confirmed my meeting and discussions with Mr. Witt. Just ask her, it is a sad but true story. This City Council is out of control and has the tax increase already ear marked for a pet project so they can once again place their names on a brass plaque for their self serving needs…maybe Old Coppell, which makes absolutely no sense. I’ll be at the meeting.
ReplyDeleteLem Miller
I won't mention names but you will figure it out...I recently had some communication with a well known Dallas watchdog blogger who for many years has publically revealed and reported on corrupt activity in the business and political sectors. The (blogger's) comment to me regarding the development of high-dollar, high-density apartments is that without exception, within ten years, they all decline and become a significant haven of crime. The comment was also made that a certain developer's spouse is the one who really controls the person and the business and has his name on many of these projects that litter the city today. Just ask Irving who also fought the North Lake issue but more importantly, IS fighting today these high-density, high-crime apartment complexes. The apartments have also greatly contributed to the degradation of their schools. The only hope remaining is that the current and future council will fight the developer(s) and any other surrounding city who supports the developer(s) to control what gets built on land adjacent to Coppell. As for the current council wanting to make its mark on another project like Old Coppell, I totally agree which is probably why the council isn't communicating their rationale. Does the city manager also have an agenda? Curious minds want to know...
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