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Bob:
Do you know if the other eligible entities will include Community Networks? I'm not a big fan of Community Networks, but I had 20 laptops funded by one that the school district applied for and I would like to know if there may be TIF funds available for CNs.
Thanks,
Eric
From: Bob Gaines <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: TIF: A ray of hope! Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2003 10:27:46 -0600
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On Monday evening the House Appropriations Committee approved an FY04-FY05 appropriation for the $460M in TIF funds ($224M in frozen FY03 funds and $236M to be collected by FY05):
$204M to TIF for grants ($102M for K-12, $98M for libraries and other "eligible entities", about $1.2M for administration, and $3M for other)
$240M in a direct legislative appropriation to TEA (in the Senate Finance Committee hearing on TEA's request, the Commissioner said that $240M from TIF would replace equivalent General Revenue funds for the "technology allotment" which is made to districts)
$14M in direct appropriations to other agencies (presumably including TSLAC, as Rep. Pitts told Susan Mann that they had "taken care of libraries," and last Friday the Appropriations Committee approved TSLAC's request for a direct appropriation of $12M from TIF for TexShare)
Monday's markup by the House Appropriations Committee still leaves at least 5 more major hurdles (next come the Appropriations and Finance Committees' appropriation bills, probably in April; then the conference bill, who knows when; the Governor's line item veto; and there's the anticipated FY03 emergency appropriations bill, which could grab all the TIF money to pay this year's bills).
However, that just means we need to redouble efforts to get library supporters to contact legislators and the Governor.
And your letters and contacts are working! One Appropriations Committee member said that he has heard more requests from his constituents not to cut TIF than any other program, and the chair added "that's what my librarian says also!" At least 2 other members also mentioned libraries and TexShare.
(If you'd like to hear the March 10 hearing from 3 to 5:15 pm, go to http://www.house.state.tx.us/committees/audio78/030.htm; the TIF portion starts at 1 hour and 49 minutes.)
By appropriating the entire $460M, the Committee apparently assumes that there will be no FY03 grants, only FY04 grants. However, as noted above, there are several more hurdles before August 31, so we still need to tell legislators that FY03 grants are needed for TexShare, a Gates grant match, and libraries that haven't yet benefited.
Bob Gaines
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