Supporters of creating a new community college in Brazos County funded by property taxes continue to collect petition signatures for a future election.
The Brazos Talent Initiative committee of the Research Valley Partnership (RVP) economic development agency has not released a specific number of how many signatures collected on Election Day have been counted.
A news release issued Friday by the committee states petitions continue to be turned in, and they have “garnered thousands of signatures”.
A minimum of ten percent of Brazos County’s 106,824 registered voters need to be certified to hold an election.
In addition to asking for the election, the committee plans to present them at January’s meeting of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
The committee wants more workforce training options based in Brazos County.
Committee co-chairman Andrew Nelson says proposals from other institutions, including Blinn College, “do not meet the comprehensive needs of Brazos County.”
Committee secretary Bobby Gutierrez added “Ultimately, it’s about allowing the citizens of Brazos County to govern themselves.”
At the request of WTAW News, Blinn College responded to the RVP release.
The response stated in part that in a meeting earlier this week, “RVP representatives provided no information regarding how Blinn could expand or improve its programs.”
The Blinn statement also pointed out its partnerships with the Texas A&M System’s new RELLIS campus and Baylor Scott & White medical center in College Station for a new surgical technology program as examples that Blinn “continues to meet local workforce demands and partner with local businesses to meet Brazos County’s educational needs, all at no expense to local taxpayers.”
News release from the Research Valley Partnership:
Registered voters in Brazos County can still add their signatures to a petition calling for an election to form a new community college district.
The petition is sponsored by the Brazos Talent Initiative, a committee formed through the Research Valley Partnership, to allow Brazos County residents a voice in their self-governance and determination of education financial resources. This drive comes as the county develops proactive and comprehensive solutions to workforce development for Brazos County.
Registered voters can go to any BB&T or the Bank & Trust branch locations, House of Tires, and Kesco Restaurant Supply during normal business hours and ask to sign the petition.
Also, Texas A&M Young Republicans will be circulating petitions at Saturday’s football game between the Aggies and University of Texas-San Antonio, the Thanksgiving Day game against Louisiana State University as well as on campus until the Christmas Holiday.
The committee began gathering signatures at voting sites during the Nov. 8 general election, an effort that garnered them “thousands of signatures” that are still being counted as circulating petitions come in.
Once the signatures are verified, the committee will present the completed petition to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) at its January 2017 meeting to formally notify the board of its intent to create the new district.
Committee co-chair Andrew Nelson said the petition places the governance of tax dollars in the hands of Brazos County voters.
“The taxpaying citizens of Brazos County should be allowed a vote to decide if they want to buy Blinn College’s Bryan Campus, retain the excess revenues generated from this campus for reinvestment locally, and govern themselves when it comes to allocating funds for education and workforce development,” said Nelson.
Nelson also emphasized that the committee is still open to exploring a feasible partnership with Blinn College.
“Early on in this process, we asked other institutions, including Blinn, to provide the committee with program proposals that would close the opportunity gap between education and the workforce that employers in Brazos County are demanding,” said Nelson. “As of today, these proposals and information gathered in subsequent discussions do not meet the comprehensive needs of Brazos County.”
Committee Secretary Bobby Gutierrez said it’s important that the county be proactive in meeting workforce development needs, instead of scrambling to create new programs while employers are trying to fill critical positions.
“We believe creating paths toward the high paying, high quality scientific, technical and trade occupations, undergirded by strong math and communications basics to meet current and future job growth is essential to a holistic and proactive approach to education and technical training in Brazos County,” Gutierrez said. “This college district could allow for either a partnership with other technical workforce providers, creation of a new college, or a change in governance or control of existing Blinn College operations in Brazos County. “Ultimately, it’s about allowing the citizens of Brazos County to govern themselves.”
Additional information and Frequently Asked Questions about the petition can be found on the Steering Committee’s website, www.BrazosTalentInitiative.org.
Statement from Blinn College to WTAW News in response to the RVP news release:
With its partnership at the RELLIS Campus and the introduction of exciting new high-skill, high-wage training programs such as Surgical Technology, Blinn College continues to meet local workforce demands and partner with local businesses to meet Brazos County’s educational needs, all at no expense to local taxpayers.
In today’s press release from the Research Valley Partnership (RVP), Andrew Nelson says the petition places the governance of tax dollars in the hands of Brazos County voters. In reality, the RVP’s proposal for a new community college district would introduce a new tax upon Brazos County citizens who enjoy Blinn College’s quality workforce training and academic transfer programs without burdensome and unnecessary taxation.
The RFP Blinn provided to the Research Valley Partnership described the College’s plans to offer workforce training programs that meet 97% of Workforce Solutions Brazos Valley’s Targeted Occupations by the end of the academic year. In a meeting earlier this week, RVP representatives provided no information regarding how Blinn could expand or improve its programs.