Information is currency for democracy.
- Thomas Jefferson
A day without sunshine is like, you know,
night. -
Steve Martin
Education is unique among consumer products;
when it fails to work as advertised, it's the customer that gets labeled as
defective. - Kevin
Killion
Please
download for best results in using
this website.
Courage is the most important of all
the virtues, because without courage you can't practice any other
virtues consistently. You can't be consistently kind or fair or
humane or generous, not without courage, because if you don't have
it, sooner or later you will stop and say, "The threat is too much.
The difficulty is ...too high. The challenge is too great. ~ Maya
Angelou
My name is Susan Bushart. I am
a taxpayer in Eanes.
We often hear claims that education
funding is in a state of crisis.
Budget shortfalls are addressed on a
regular basis in these board
meetings. We are cutting teachers
and programs.
Property taxes fund schools. A close
inspection of Nola Wellman’s
property tax contributions to our
school district is troubling.
Dr. Wellman owns property in Eanes
ISD at
809 Knollwood Drive.
For the purposes of tax revenue,
Travis County Appraisal District
values her property at $790,000 and
indicates about 3600 sq. ft.
However,
recent real estate listing marketing
her home states that Wellman’s
property has almost 5700 sq. ft. and
an asking price of almost $1.8
million dollars, boasting a recent
remodel down to the studs.
Almost
one million dollars and 2200 square
feet more than she is paying taxes
on.
Further, while some Eanes ISD
residents acknowledge a 35% increase
in their home values this year, Nola
Wellman’s home value decreased by
$15,000!
Why the enormous discrepancy? Why
doesn't our superintendent’s
property tax assessment reflect a
2,000 square foot addition and a
"down to the studs" remodel? If Dr.
Wellman didn’t add the extra 2000
square feet, then she paid taxes
since 2005 based on a grossly
inaccurate appraisal If she did
indeed remodel and/or construct the
2000 square foot addition, where are
the permits, and why wasn’t the
house reappraised to reflect those
changes?
Eanes taxpayers must draw simple and
troubling conclusion: While our
school tax dollars fund Nola
Wellman’s six figure salary, she may
not be contributing her equitable
portion of property taxes. I
represent many in our community who
want to know why.
Doesn't Dr. Wellman review her
property tax bill? Why didn't she
correct this discrepancy? After
all, she is responsible for ensuring
that her school district is bringing
in every available dollar. If she's
not watching her own dollars, how
can we know she's watching ours?
The superintendent of schools also
has a particular responsibility for
ethical, honest citizenship.
Allowing her home to be undervalued
at tax time is a questionable moral
practice for a public official.
Last week at the State Capitol, a
public hearing by a select committee
on Property Tax Relief and Appraisal
Reform was held. In light of this
effort, I think that it is vital to
share the discrepancies found in tax
appraisals. They impact our revenue,
and our school budget. What makes
this particular case so disturbing,
is that it involves our
superintendent; a public official
who frequently goes on record with
news media and legislative
committees complaining about the
lack of education funding. She in
fact may be knowingly contributing
to this district’s financial woes.
I stand before you this evening,
with serious questions about the
integrity of the superintendent you
have chosen to set an example for
quality leadership in the education
of our children. As members of the
Eanes ISD Board of Trustees, it is
my hope and expectation, that you
will investigate these concerns and
report your findings to our
taxpaying community in the near
future.
