County Drainage District No. 1 wants $190 million more to spend

Ed. note: So the Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1 wants voters to approve a new taxable bond Nov. 6 in the amount of $190 million. It’s only going to be 3 cents per $100, we are told. On a house valued at $100,000, that’s only going to be an extra $30 per year.
Question is, where did all the money go garnered from the previous two bonds approved by voters, and which consultants got how much?
Typically, according to industry sources, 10 percent to 15 percent of the cost for drainage projects usually goes toward consultants. These include engineering firms, general consultants, surveying firms, environmental consultants, construction material testing, GEO tech engineering, and civil engineering.
The remaining 85 to 90 percent is usually spent on actual drainage improvements.
Question is, with regard to Hidalgo County Drainage District No. 1, has that been the case going back to the 2006 bond and the 2012 bond?
The rumor on the street, and it may just be rumor, albeit it comes from several reliable sources, is that the standard 10- to 15-percent consultant fee is approximately double that when it comes to the drainage consulting fees handed to certain vendors.
By the way, for those who don’t know, the county commissioners double as the drainage district’s board of directors.

Read the entire story on the e-Edition of our newspaper. http://www.etypeservices.com/Advance%20News%20JournalID455/