Two-thirds Of Controversial Montrose Management District Board Have Ties To Houston Mayor Annise Parker

The Montrose Management District is led by a board of 15 appointees, two-thirds of whom have financial or domestic ties to Houston Mayor Annise Parker, records show. Together with employees of the district they’ve given her nearly $50,000 in political donations since 2007.

“When you vote someone into political office, the power isn’t just in the money they earn,” said Andrew Leva, who is part of an effort to repeal the district calling itself Stop the District. “They get to exert influence. No one who is opposed to this tax will ever be elected to that board.”

Asked for comment, Parker issued an e-mailed statement: “I have been active in the Montrose business community dating back to before I was an elected official. In addition, these are my neighbors with whom I have had relationships for decades. It is not surprising they would be on my donor list. However, I have nothing to do with their appointment to this organization as all board members were appointed by the state.”

The board in turn elects subsequent directors as terms expire. The mayor and the city council have the power to approve new members, although they have not exercised it in recent years, according to City Council minutes.

Still, the donations point to a board that has great fealty to the mayor.

Montrose district-Parker ties

Here are the players and their donations to Parker totaling $47,150.

Her bill allowed the creation of a West Montrose Management District, which quickly merged with the established East Montrose Management District, as had been planned for years.

Records show that a group calling itself Montrose Management District paid two lobbyists from Vinson & Elkins, which also handles legal matters for the district, to work for it last session. The two were paid under $10,000, one of the broad ranges used in reporting lobbying activity.

Hubbard was a main figure in the original district, nominating Nagar and Ellis in 2006, and motioning to put Grover on the board.

Under the bill creating the West Montrose district in 2009, 10 board members were named, unlike the 2005 legislation creating its east-side counterpart. Eight of the 10 are now on the consolidated management district board.

The 2009 bill also provided a method for directors to avoid abstaining from voting on issues that might favorably affect their own interests.

Under the provisions of the bill, a director files an affidavit acknowledging the conflict of interest. The member may then participate in the vote provided “the majority of directors have a similar interest in the same entity” and “all other similar businesses … in the district will receive a similar pecuniary benefit.”

After meeting jointly for over a year, the districts merged by approval of the two separate boards in February, becoming the Montrose Management District. The vote was unanimous, and there were no public comments.

Lord, the lawyer with Vinson & Elkins, was there to ensure the consolidation went in accordance with the law. Five directors were announced at that meeting, but between then and the March meeting, the number of directors grew to its present 15.

The folks at Stop the District have made plenty of noise about their effort in recent weeks, gathering the signatures of business owners and presenting them to the head of the district. The law requires a petition signed by the owners of at least 75 percent of the assessed property.

The district board has decided to fight the opposition, despite the fact that a significant portion of business owners wants out from under the district tax of 12.5 cents per $100 valuation.

After presenting a petition they say had been signed by 78 percent of the commercial property owners, the group was told that it would have to do better. The district says the 75 percent threshold applies to all property owners, including the residential properties not subject to the tax.

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Photo of Houston City Hall by flickr user J Jackson Photography, used via a Creative Commons license.