TIRZ Chair to Get Bariou Treatment?

San Angelo City Council rejected a recommendation for the Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone (TIRZ) Board to fund a project from a Northside nonprofit.  TIRZ Board Chair Jon Mark Hogg disagreed with the decision, calling the decision "unjust" and said citizens "deserve is a consistent set of rules that do not change arbitrarily depending on who is sitting on the TIRZ Board and who is sitting on City Council."

Four members of Council voted to deny the project, Tom Thompson, Harry Thomas, Larry Miller and Mayor Brenda Gunter.  Three members wished to fund the project Lucy Gonzales, Karen Hesse-Smith and Tommy Hiebert. 

City Council disagreed with proposed bylaws revisions from the Development Corporation Board and placed First Vice Chairman John Bariou on its closed session agenda for disciplinary action.  Bariou asked that the item be moved to the open agenda for the public to hear.  Council dropped the item but replaced Bariou who was eligible to serve more terms.  

The Development Corporation Board recognized Bariou's service at their recent meeting.   

Assistant City Manager Michael Dane and Bariou showed lots of smiles during the recognition.  That was in contrast to heated interactions with City Manager Daniel Valenzuela last September.

The TIRZ board meets on March 28th and the item is on the agenda.  It remains to be seen how Council responds to TIRZ Chair Hogg's published statement challenging their decision.   Will Hogg get Bariou'd?

Update 3-28-23:  The City's YouTube channel is not live streaming the TIRZ meeting which started at 2 pm.  It may be tomorrow before citizens can view the video.

Update 3-29-23:   A review of the February TIRZ meeting video revealed City Council approved streetscape maintenance that the TIRZ board denied.  Council also asked the TIRZ board to consider moving the boundary of the North TIRZ further south.  Director of Planning John James said Mayor Brenda Gunter and Councilman Tom Thompson made the request in the December 13, 2022 meeting.  TIRZ Chair Hogg shared his concerns about treatment from City Council in the February meeting.  

City staff said the March 28th TIRZ meeting video will be available for the public "this evening or sometime tomorrow."

The TIRZ board meeting was last live streamed in January.