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Recently, the Eanes school board voted unanimously to join a lawsuit against the state challenging the constitutionality of the Texas school finance system, one of four such lawsuits. A school finance system should accomplish several goals, including the goal to produce equivalent revenue for all school districts regardless of property wealth, assuming the same level of tax effort.
In a process called equalization, the Texas school finance system compensates for discrepancies in property wealth by supplementing local property tax revenue with state funds in inverse proportion to the districts’ wealth; the poorer the district, the greater the state aid. However, the state doesn’t and cannot afford to “equalize” revenue to match the very wealthiest district in the state. Instead it equalizes to a lower specified level of wealth. Then, the districts above that level (234 districts this year, including Eanes) give back monies from their school property tax revenue to the state in direct proportion to wealth; the richer the district, the greater the amount of recaptured revenue.
I agree that equalization, which began in Texas in 1949, and recapture, which started in 1993, are necessary tools to help achieve equity in school finance. However, I strongly object to the current amount of revenue after equalization and recapture afforded to all districts in the state. In the view of many, it is simply not enough funding to provide for an adequate education of our children, as required by the Texas Constitution and defined in statute. This is one basis of the lawsuit that Eanes has joined.
When the state changed the school finance system in 2006, it lowered the maintenance and operation school property tax cap from $1.50 per $100 of valuation to eventually $1.04 per $100 (without an election). The Legislature also included a hold-harmless provision that stated each district would still receive the same revenue per weighted student as it did in 2006, which amounted to a permanent freeze on revenue streams. This freeze placed significant burdens on school districts as costs increased while revenue was static. Districts were allowed to seek voter approval for an M&O rate as high as $1.17/$100, and about a quarter of the state’s school districts have done so. Even at this rate, school districts are suffering.
Then, during the past Legislative session, the state essentially reneged on its hold harmless provision and dealt with a state revenue shortage by assigning reductions in funding totaling over $5 billion to school districts across the state. Eanes lost $3.7 million in revenue for the 2011-12 year. The administration did a superb job of coping with the loss, but unquestionably all the measures taken were educationally undesirable (e.g., increasing teaching loads, freezing all salaries, increasing class size, and cutting counselors and teacher aides). Next year will be more challenging as Eanes faces close to a $5 million bill from the state. This state funding reduction comes at a time when Texas is increasing accountability standards, via the new STAAR tests, further straining the economic resources of all districts.
In addition to the claim the state school finance system does not provide for a constitutionally required adequate education, the lawsuit also maintains the current system violates the Constitution’s prohibition against a state property tax. The plaintiffs in the lawsuit (and, in fact, all four lawsuits) claim that, since so many school districts are at the maximum M&O cap, the system is a de facto state property tax, arguing justifiably that school districts have no meaningful local discretion to set their own school property tax rate to meet the needs of their students. The state finance system was found unconstitutional in 2005 for the same reason when the M&O cap was $1.50 per $100 of valuation.
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit are confident the courts will rule in their favor. (See more information atcrcstx.org.)
But court decisions take a long time, and in the meantime, students all over the state suffer. Eanes and other school districts should be able to focus all their attention on educating students, rather than pursuing lawsuits against the state. Regrettably, history has shown that in Texas, litigation is the only way to affect change in school finance.
And change is critically necessary.

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The U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 20 stAttorney General Greg Abbott on Jan. 23 filed a lawsuit in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals to push the U.S. Department of Justice to approve the voter I.D. law enacted by the Texas Legislature last spring.
The law has not been given the required preclearance by the Department of Justice. Abbott said his intent is to spur a ruling that would allow the new law to take effect. The lawsuit dovetails with the state’s efforts in the U.S. Supreme Court and the D.C. Court to have the Texas Legislature’s contested House, Senate and U.S. congressional redistricting maps pre-cleared under Section 5 of the U.S. Voting Rights Act in time to meet deadlines for the April 3 party primaries.
On Jan. 20, the Supreme Court said the U.S. District Court Western District of Texas in San Antonio erred in its remedial redistricting plans created last year and ordered the three-judge panel of the San Antonio court to revise the plans. The San Antonio court on Jan. 27 asked opponents in the redistricting cases to work together and present them with agreed-upon solutions in hopes of speeding the process.
Texas is among several states and other jurisdictions subject to Section 5 because of a history of discriminatory election practices.
Texans, if the law takes effect, would have to show a government-issued photo I.D. along with their valid voter registration card in order to cast a ballot, and those who do not have a driver’s license, passport, military I.D. card or other approved form of identification can get a state-issued voter I.D. free of charge from the Texas Department of Public Safety. And anyone who is disabled or 65 or older can vote by mail, a method that does not require photo identification.
Supporters of the voter I.D. law said during the legislative process that it would help stop election fraud. Opponents said the legislation, if passed, would discriminate against minorities, the disabled and citizens who live in rural areas of the state.
Abbott last week said the law is not discriminatory and to support his position quoted a U.S. Supreme Court ruling: “The inconvenience of making a trip to the (Bureau of Motor Vehicles), gathering the required documents and posing for a photograph surely does not qualify as a substantial burden on the right to vote, or even represent a significant increase over the usual burdens of voting.”
Several other states passed voter I.D. laws last year, but more than 30 states do not have voter I.D. laws.

Comptroller unveils info site
Texas Comptroller Susan Combs on Jan. 25 announced the launch of TheTexasEconomy.org, a website featuring state revenue and spending data, and more than a dozen economic indicators.
Combs said the site uses info-graphics, video interviews, tables and snapshots of key data to present information on an array of topics, such as Texas industries and jobs, the effects of drought on the economy and the impact of obesity on businesses and taxpayers.

Grain indemnity fund is goal
Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples on Jan. 26 said a discussion on grain warehouse failures and what can be done to avoid them was the focus of the first meeting of the agency’s newly appointed Texas Grain Producer Indemnity Board.
Bryan Black, a spokesman with the Texas Department of Agriculture, said that the word “failures” in this context means bankruptcies caused by grain market volatility. The board is looking at ways to set up a grain indemnity fund that would help cover loses for producers caught up in a warehouse bankruptcy, he said.
A grain warehouse operator who is unable to cover the open contracts he or she has purchased can get caught in margin calls.
“With the amount of grain some of these warehouses trade, one or two big margin calls can sink them pretty fast,” Black said.

More reward money is offered
Gov. Rick Perry on Jan. 25 announced his decision to increase rewards for the Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders program to $2,000, with some rewards reaching up to $5,000.
Managed by Texas Crime Stoppers and the Texas Department of Public Safety, the rewards are meant to encourage citizens who have information to bring it to the attention of law enforcement.
Previously, any person who provided information that led to the arrest of one of the listed sex offenders received $1,000 cash. According to the DPS, since the Texas 10 Most Wanted Sex Offenders program began in July 2010, 12 arrests have been made, with seven arrests coming from tips, and the governor’s office has paid out a total of $13,300 in rewards.

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By Greg Morrison
Special to the Picayune

Community is defined as a “group of people with common interests living in a particular area.”  No doubt, the neighborhoods of West Lake Hills and Rollingwood qualify as particular areas.  But do these resdents have common interests – I mean, besides pulling for Chaparral victories and bemoaning the need for Bee Cave Road to be widened?
In an age of instantaneous communication and immediate gratification, maybe it may not be uniquely so. But doesn’t the idea of a real local community, a real sharing of our lives with those in our own neighborhood, sound both nostalgic and great? How do we begin to develop more common interests? National Night Out might be one way. Attending the community Fourth of July parades sponsored by the two neighborhoods might be another.
What if I told you there was an event designed for the entire community and you were invited to attend? An event where outstanding individuals within the community, benevolent businesses (large and small) in the Greater Westlake area, educators with the Eanes school district who go above and beyond the call of duty and business leaders who gave their all would be acknowledged and given awards. Would you be more likely to smell what I am cooking if I told you there was also going to be a live band, a dance floor and casino-type games at this event?  There is such an event. It is the Westlake Chamber of Commerce’s annual gala.  This year, it will be Saturday from 6:30-10 p.m. at the Austin Country Club, emceed by local television personality Ron Oliveira. Tickets are available at westlakechamber.com through tomorrow only.  Enjoy the fun. But, more importantly, celebrate and be a proud part of your local community.
The gala takes the place of the regular monthly luncheon.
We added a new sponsorship that is above the diamond members. It’s called the Headline Sponsor. So far we have Sharon Schweitzer JD of Protocol & Etiquette Worldwide. Our new and returning members include:
Alberto C. Cohen CPA, Austin Holistic Health , Austin Surgical Hospital, Avail Assistants, Bank of America, Biz Coach Austin,  Bloomery Designs & Embroidery, Breazeale Chiropractic Center, Chick-fil-A, City of West Lake Hills, Commerce National Bank, Consignment Seekers Furniture Store, Daniels-Head Insurance Agency, Five Star Jewelry Brokers & Gemologists, Edward Jones Investments, Graner Realty, Infinity Wellness Center, Kim Rees, Las Palomas Restaurant & Bar, Matt’s El Rancho, Mostue Insurance Agency, New York Life, Quality Roofing and The Finish Line Car Wash.
Thank you to the Westlake Chamber of Commerce headline, diamond and gold members for all of their special support throughout the year.
The headline member is Sharon Schweitzer JD of Protocol & Etiquette Worldwide.
Diamond members are: Merry Maids, American Bank, Morrison Law Firm, New England Financial, Regions Bank, Treaty Oak Bank, Westlake Market H-E-B, Westlake Fire Department and St. Gabriel’s Catholic School.
Gold members are:  The Reincke Group, Edward Jones Investments, Fast-teks Onsite Computer Services, Protocol & Etiquette Academy, Prosperity Bank, Relationship Repair Shop, Texas Country Bank Mortgage, Westlake Hills Vision Center, Independence Title Company, AmCheck, Infinity Wellness Center, The Mangold Group and Fastframe & The Westlake Gallery.
Visit www.westlakechamber.com to find out more about the chamber.

We express our appreciation of our diamond- and gold-level members for their support.
Diamond members are:
• American Bank;
• Morrison Law Firm;
• New England Financial;
• Regions Bank;
• Treaty Oak Bank;
• Westlake Market H-E-B;
• Westlake Fire Department; and
• St. Gabriel’s Catholic School.
Gold members are:
• Edward Jones Investments;
• Fast-teks Onsite Computer Services;
• Protocol & Etiquette Academy;
• Prosperity Bank;
• Relationship Repair Shop;
• Texas Country Bank Mortgage;
• Westlake Hills Vision Center;
• Independence Title Company;
•AmCheck;
• Infinity Wellness Center;
• The Mangold Group and
• Fastframe & The Westlake Gallery.
Visit www.westlakechamber.com to find out more about the chamber of commerce.

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I flipped to the sports section for a quick study session on the Chaps. It didn’t take long to become engrossed in the farewell column by Jeff Mudd, who fulsomely managed the Picayune’s sports pages for six years before my arrival. He ended his final column with a plaintiff goodbye that reflected the bittersweetness of departure.

You keep winning, and I’ll keep writing. Deal?

Almost a dozen years later, I’ve finally learned what Mudd and every other sports writer in the 35 years of the Picayune understood: No one can keep that deal, because at Westlake, the winning never stops.

Like all my predecessors, I’ll no longer have a sideline view to the endless string of victories.

Winning has bound together the Westlake community since it cobbled out a high school from the sage and cedar hills more than four decades ago. Glance at the history of Westlake’s football team; the Chaps have four losing seasons in 43 years of football. And that’s not an anomaly for an athletic program that has won state championships in 10 different sports. Chaps win, regardless of the season.

But the rewards of covering Westlake never came from the wins. Rather, compensation came from watching the effort that went into victory. Chaps don’t shirk or shrug away hard work. Watch a practice or a meaningless midseason contest, and the determination will look the same as in a playoff game.

Such commitment from the players and coaches – each and every day – made it easy to forget that I got paid to cover Westlake’s games. Yet, that commitment proved more imperious than any editor: I felt an obligation to create coverage that matched the achievements of the Chaps. If you’re covering the best, try to be the best.

But I won’t cover the Chaps anymore in my new role as the Austin Community Newspapers assistant editor. Instead, incoming sports editor Habeab Kurdi will get to have all the fun from the press box, the scorer’s table and the sidelines. Yet, I still offer a proposal for each Chap fan, coach and player:

You keep winning, and I’ll keep watching. Deal?

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Few people familiar with the lengthy efforts to get a continuous center turn lane completed along the final two miles of Bee Cave Road are optimistic about the prospects any time in the near future because Murphy’s Law applies to the project.

It seems that only a short time ago the Texas Department of Transportation allocated funds left over from the Bee Cave Road project to West Lake Hills for the purpose of improving the Redbud Trail intersection and other problematic bottlenecks. Unfortunately, TxDOT’s agreement with the city failed to materialize approximately 18 months ago when the agency faced significant budget woes. It was surprising that any funds were still available, since the original $14 million project was approved in 1995 by the Austin Transportation Study (now Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization).

Bee Cave Road is becoming more dangerous each year along the segment without a center turn lane. The volume of traffic continues to increase, with little hope for any more significant relief. TxDOT officials are not entirely to blame for the lack of funding allocated for improvements today. West Lake Hills and Rollingwood failed to secure the right of way necessary for the project when funding was available, and funding was contingent upon right-of-way acquisition by both cities.

Fortunately, officials in both West Lake Hills and Rollingwood say they are negotiating right-of-way agreements and that there appears to be a light at the end of the tunnel that could lead to more improvements.

Officials in cities throughout Central Texas likely make good arguments for why their roadways warrant the available improvements, but the fact is that TxDOT has limited funding to build essential roads, and cities that obtain right of way have the inside track to winning the funding race.

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The U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 20 struck down the interim redistricting plans for the state of Texas authored by a three-judge panel of the San Antonio-based U.S. District Court, Western District of Texas.

Last year, the panel was tasked with drawing state House, Senate and congressional district boundaries after the 82nd Texas Legislature’s enacted redistricting plans failed to be pre-cleared by D.C. Circuit Court. Texas’ maps must earn preclearance as required under Section 5 of the U.S. Voting Rights Act, a law meant to cure a list of states and other jurisdictions from their historical record of discriminatory practices in election processes. Texas gained four congressional seats largely due to a huge increase in the Hispanic population, as tabulated in the 2010 U.S. Census.

On Jan. 20, the U.S. Supreme Court directed the U.S. District Court in San Antonio to follow the Texas Legislature’s intent but did not elaborate on a methodology to use moving forward.

Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott reacted, saying, “The (U.S. Supreme) Court made clear in a strongly worded opinion that the district court must give deference to elected leaders of this state, and it’s clear by the Supreme Court ruling that the district court abandoned these guiding principles.”

In any case, a new set of redistricting plans, once drawn, must be submitted for preclearance. Meanwhile, the San Antonio District Court, in response to the U.S. Supreme Court striking down the court-drawn interim redistricting maps, set a scheduling order calling for a hearing on Feb. 1.

But Abbott’s office filed a motion to reconsider because, Abbott said, the court’s schedule appears to delay when Texas primary elections could take place. The primaries are currently set for April 3. Abbott’s office said it wants all legal matters settled in time for new maps to be issued by the end of this month.

Perry ends presidential bid

Gov. Rick Perry on Jan. 19 publicly announced the decision he made to end his presidential campaign.

Perry, who was polling in single digits in South Carolina two days before that state’s Jan. 21 Republican primary, immediately endorsed rival Newt Gingrich, an author, political consultant and former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives (January 1995-January 1999).

With Perry’s departure, the GOP field of presidential aspirants is reduced to four: Gingrich, U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney and former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania.

While Perry outperformed the field on fundraising, his performance in live, televised debates proved to be his weak suit. The Paint Creek native is in the second year of his third four-year term as governor. So far, he has served more than 11 years as Texas’ chief executive.

Jobless rate drops in December

The Texas Workforce Commission on Jan. 20 reported Texas’ seasonally adjusted unemployment rate fell to 7.8 percent in December, down from 8.1 percent in November and down from 8.3 percent in December 2010.

Also in its monthly report, the agency stated the civilian labor force grew by more than 17,000 in December, and now stands at more than 12.3 million Texans.

According to statistics published by the U.S. Department of Labor, the national unemployment rate is 8.5 percent.

Patterson at front of opposition

Earlier this month, the state’s General Land Office announced Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson is leading an effort to unite 23 western states to oppose the federal government’s process for adding “birds, bugs, lizards and other critters to the list of protected endangered species.”

According to a Land Office news release, the Western States Land Commissioners Association, whose members manage about half a billion acres of public land and mineral rights for public education, passed a resolution urging Congress to alter the Endangered Species Act at its annual winter conference in Austin.

Flu vaccinations still urged

The Texas Department of State Health Services recently reminded citizens to get vaccinated against flu and said the flu season is near its typical peak.

“We usually see a significant increase in influenza in Texas in January and February, so this is the time to protect yourself,” State Health Commissioner Dr. David Lakey said.

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The City Council approved the district’s request for a new video board (Jumbotron) after district officials agreed to lower the volume for the public address system at Chaparral Stadium (see story on page A1). It was a simple give-and-take agreement, which has not been the case in the not-too-distant history between the school district and West Lake Hills. In fact, finding common ground on issues such as signage has been difficult for the two entities in the past.

The key to peaceful coexistence on the latest issues was good leadership who demonstrated a willingness to discuss matters with mutual respect. Residents living more than a mile from the stadium have complained about the public address system to city officials in the past, but district officials indicated they had not heard of such complaints.

In any potential conflict, it’s always better for the two top leaders to talk in a civil manner without even hinting at lawyering up. Both the city and district can continue to resolve future issues and conflicts only if this kind of agreement can repeatedly be made without serious violations on either side.

Fortunately, the city has a mayor in Dave Claunch, and the district has a president in Kal Kallison who both understand the pitfalls of living in the past and holding grudges. It all starts at the top, and if more leaders would do likewise, we would see far less conflicts escalate into all-out war.

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For years, residents of the Hull Circle area of northern West Lake Hills have wondered about the fate of their aging septic systems. Many of the homes in this part of town have septic systems that are approaching the end of their functional lifespan. Several are on the verge of failing and may need costly repairs or total replacement in the coming years. It’s an expensive process made even more so by the current regulatory realities.

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality establishes the standards for septic systems across the state, and cities such as West Lake Hills are tasked with enforcing those standards. TCEQ standards have been tightened in recent years in order to improve groundwater quality and public health and safety.

The problem is that many of the homes in the Hull Circle area are on lots that may be too small to accommodate a new septic system. The current TCEQ regulations require septic drain fields that are much larger than what many of these homes currently have. In some cases, the lot size and topography may make it impossible to install a regulation-sized drain field without cutting down trees or removing patios, sidewalks or driveways. In a few extreme cases, the lot might not be big enough to accommodate the larger drain field without tearing down the house. This is the exact same situation that led the city to work with the Lower Colorado River Authority to build a wastewater system in the first place.

For the past few years, the city has been looking at ways to help the Hull Circle residents by installing a centralized wastewater line to serve the area, a project we have been referring to as “Phase 3” of our wastewater system. The initial plan was to build a wastewater line to run south from Hull Circle along Westlake Drive to connect into the existing line at Redbud Trail, but that option was prohibitively expensive. After months of lobbying efforts, Austin officials agreed last year to let us run the line to the north along Westlake Drive to an Austin line near the High Road. This option is less expensive and will also allow residents along the northern end of Westlake Drive to connect to the system.

For the past 18 months, we delayed action on the Hull Circle wastewater line while the city fought the LCRA’s efforts to sell our wastewater system and 29 others to the highest bidder. We successfully blocked that sale and remain locked into our contract with the LCRA – for now. With the dust settling from that adventure, we now have the bandwidth to explore the possibilities for Hull Circle.

Preliminary conversations with the area’s residents in 2010 and 2011 revealed that many of them are quite interested in connecting to the wastewater system, but they wanted more details on the costs to do so. The City Council has made it clear that any new additions to the city’s wastewater system should not place an additional financial burden on the existing wastewater customers – their bills are already high enough. So for Phase 3 to proceed, all of the costs of the new line must be borne by the customers in that area. It won’t be inexpensive, but it will likely cost far less than a new septic system. In some cases, it may be the only viable option.

The Wastewater Commission is working on a financial model for Phase 3 that may allow those new customers to spread the initial cost over many years. As you can imagine, the model depends heavily on how many residents sign up to connect. The more who participate, the lower the cost will be for each individual customer.

In the next few weeks, the city will begin contacting the property owners in the area to share the cost estimate and determine if the project has enough participation to make it economically feasible. Residents in the area should consider the age of their septic system, the cost and likelihood of being able to replace that system when it fails and the benefits of being on a centralized wastewater system. Ultimately, it will likely be an economic decision for each property owner. But regardless, now is the time for us to explore the options and find out if it makes sense to pursue. It will only get more expensive to connect in the future and if there is not enough interest to make the project feasible at this time, the opportunity may be lost.

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The U.S. Supreme Court on Jan. 9 heard arguments on the merits of the state House, Senate and congressional redistricting plans enacted by the Texas Legislature last spring and the remedial plans drawn up by a panel of three San Antonio federal district court judges.

A transcript of the hearing shows the attorneys for appellants Rick Perry, governor of Texas et al. and appellees Shannon Perez et. al and Wendy Davis et al. sticking to their guns as they were peppered with questions by justices. Appelles’ allegations of discrimination against minorities under the Voting Rights Act were at the heart of the cases before the court.

Early in the proceedings, Justice Sonia Sotomayor pointed out that a denial of preclearance is an injunction that stops the maps from taking effect, and beyond that, the court has no duty to produce a roadmap to show the state how it should accomplish the task of redistricting.

Along the same lines, Texas Solicitor General Paul Clement said the denial does not operate like a line-item veto in which the appellate court instructs the regional court in San Antonio on exactly which boundaries to fix.

Concerns about the potential effects of court actions might have on the current election calendar emerged. Justice Antonin Scalia brought up the what-if-the-clock-runs-out idea. Scalia, in effect asked, suppose all deadlines pass for a legally enforceable set of maps to be used. What then?

Principal Deputy U.S. Solicitor General Sri Srinivasan responded by acknowledging Scalia’s implied suggestion that the Legislature’s enacted maps could be used, but “only if there is no time for the San Antonio district court to adopt a different plan.”

Justices explored both sides’ reasoning in how boundaries should be drawn and spent time on particulars related to a contested district in El Paso but also touched on contested districts in Dallas and Houston.

Attorney Jose Garza, arguing on behalf of the appellees, was pressed by justices over the deadline for conducting presidential primaries. He answered that June 26 would be the practical deadline.

Feb. 1 is the due date for final review of the case by the high court. Meanwhile, the three-judge Court of Appeals, the trial court for redistricting litigation, is scheduled to hear opening arguments on Jan. 17 and render a ruling by Feb. 3. In its ruling, the court is expected to determine whether the Texas Legislature’s redistricting plans are in violation of the Voting Rights Act, and if so, remand the task of redrawing lines back to the San Antonio court. If no violation is found, the maps enacted by the Texas Legislature may be ruled legal and enforceable.

Sonogram law to be enforced

The U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Jan. 13 ruled that Texas may enforce a law enacted by the Texas Legislature last spring that requires pregnant women who wish to abort to undergo a sonogram 24 hours before the procedure.

The ruling reverses an Austin trial court decision that had prevented the law from taking effect.

Under the law, a physician or a certified sonographer is required to provide the sonogram and heartbeat to the pregnant woman, and the physician then provides a description of the sonogram image. The law also requires a physician to provide a geographically indexed list of agencies offering ultrasounds at no cost to the pregnant woman.

The Texas Department of State Health Services reportedly can start enforcing the law in less than a month.

Senate candidates take stage

Five candidates vying to become the Republican nominee to succeed retiring U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison participated in a debate at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Austin on Jan. 12.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, former Texas Solicitor General Ted Cruz, former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert, sports analyst Craig James and funeral home director Glenn Addison of Magnolia fielded questions on such topics as budget cutting, tax reform, immigration policy and foreign policy.

Candidates spoke of their work experience and conservative bona fides, and generally agreed on most topics. They will meet again in debates scheduled for early February and early March.

Sales tax revenues up, up, up

Texas Comptroller Susan Combs on Jan. 11 announced state sales tax revenue in December was $1.98 billion, up 9.5 percent compared to December 2010.

Her chart shows collections up 8.3 percent for cities, 15.3 percent for counties, 6.9 percent for transit systems and 25.1 percent for special purpose taxing districts.

The sales tax figures represent sales that occurred in November.Combs said.