BLINN BOARD AUTHORIZES PURCHASE OF 100-ACRE SITE IN WALLER-HARRIS COUNTY FOR SIXTH CAMPUS
Nearly a year after opening a new location in Waller, Blinn College is looking to expand its reach in the area.
The Blinn Board of Trustees unanimously agreed today (Tuesday) to authorize College administrators to negotiate the final terms and close on the purchase of a 100-acre site in Waller-Harris County on Binford Road, near Highway 290.
Blinn plans to establish a comprehensive commuter campus at the site, offering academic and workforce training programs. The location will be Blinn’s sixth, joining its Brenham, Bryan, RELLIS, Schulenburg and Sealy campuses.
The board’s approval includes performing negotiations for annexation and development agreements with the City of Waller.
Blinn Chancellor Dr. Mary Hensley said the acquisition “marks an exciting and significant milestone in our commitment to serving the growing needs of our community.” She said the new campus will provide students in the rapidly-growing eastern portion of the College’s service area with convenient access to Blinn’s programs.
The College’s next step in the development process is to create a programming and facilities plan to ensure the campus meets the needs of students and the community.
Last October, Blinn began offering evening courses at Waller ISD’s W.C. Schultz Junior High School. The courses will remain available as the College develops its new campus site.
Action on the item came after an executive session, and there was little discussion by the board once regular session reconvened. The board’s approval authorizes the negotiation of the purchase, with a purchase amount to be revealed at a later time.
Blinn Communications Director Richard Bray said the purchase and development of the Waller-Harris County property will be paid for with unrestricted reserve funds. The College will not use Washington County tax revenue, which is required by state law to be used for the maintenance and operations of campuses in Washington County.
The citizens may not be on the hook for the purchase of this land, but they are on the hook for the ungodly salary Dr. Hensley and some of her top minions are paid. At last check, her salary was well over $400,000, but no one has mentioned what her new contract brought her. It seems that is something Blinn would rather not tell the taxpayers. During the Board meeting, she was doted on for “giving” up her raise so others could get one. How about give up her salary for a year? That would be something worth talking about. How do the taxpayers feel about this? Remember, you are only told what they think you want to know, not what you need to know, which is the truth.
In response to the two previous comments, Washington County tax funds will not be used for the purchase or development of the new property in Waller-Harris County. By state law, Blinn property taxes collected from the taxpayers of Washington County can only be spent on maintenance and operations in Washington County.
Blinn collects a portion of the property tax in Washington County. Are our tax dollars being used to fund a new facility in another county? With Blinn’s apparent success, is it time to explore relieving the Washington County taxpayers of some or all of this burden?
Since no one officially connected to Blinn ever responded to the last week’s comments on taxation falling primarily on Washington County residents for all of these satellite campuses, I guess we shouldn’t expect anything from them in regards to how much this is going to cost Washington County taxpayers now.