A vacant piece Padre Island property belonging to the Flour Bluff Independent School District was at the center of a misunderstanding between the district and the Padre Island Property Owners Association.
Last August, the POA sent FBISD a bill which said the district owed the association a hundred thousand dollars.
“We researched it, looked into it and indeed we did,” said Flour Bluff ISD Public Information Officer Kim Sneed. “So we worked with them very closely to get that $100,000 paid.”
The bill was for four years worth of unpaid fees.
But why would a school district, exempt from property taxes, owe a POA money?
The answer is simpler than you’d think.
“All the properties on Padre Island are subject to a common area maintenance charge,” said John Bell, attorney for the Padre Island Property Owners Association. “It’s the charge that helps the POA maintain the bulkheads, canals, and waterways.”
According to Flour Bluff ISD officials, the district owns the land to use in case of possible expansion, however right now there are no plans to use it.
Regardless of how the land is used, FBISD is responsible for paying the POA a little more than $22,000 a year.
Both sides worked out an agreement, and the district is current with its fees.
It’s also important to note, these aren’t association dues, and it’s money the POA would collect, no matter who owns the property.
“Whether it’s a school district, the city, or the county; they all have to pay their pro-rata portion of the common area maintenance assessments,” said Bell.
