By a split vote the Brownsville Independent School District Board of Trustees has renewed the district’s delinquent tax collection contract with Linebarger, Goggan, Blair and Sampson LLP, BISD’s longtime tax-collection law firm.
The 4-2-1 vote came at a special-called board meeting Tuesday afternoon after the firm and competitor Perdue, Brandon, Fielder and Mott, LLP made presentations to the board, answered a set of seven pre-selected questions about their services and were scored based on the answers.
Voting to award the contract to Linebarger were board President Eddie Garcia and Trustees Daniella Lopez Valdez, Prisci Roca Tipton and Jessica Gonzalez. Opposed were Trustees Drue Brown and Denise Garza. Trustee Minerva M. Pena abstained.
During the presentation, project manager Hiram Gutierrez of Perdue Brandon contended that because Linebarger did not file taxable value audits between 2011 and 2014, BISD lost out on $2.4 million in state aid, according to the state comptroller’s office. After Perdue Brandon alerted BISD to the situation, Linebarger filed the audits, resulting $1.54 million in additional state aid to BISD, Gutierrez said.
Gutierrez also said his firm would be willing to renegotiate the fee it charges taxpayers against whom it files delinquent-tax lawsuits. John Guevara, manager of Linebarger’s Brownsville office, said his firm would not renegotiate the 15% fee it charges delinquent taxpayers.
Gutierrez said Perdue Brandon would open an office with seven employees in Brownsville. Guevara said Linebarger’s office in Brownsville has 25 employees who are active members of the community. He said his firm offers proven results, consistent collections and value-added services, things both men said their firms offered.
