Taylor District 1 City Council Candidate Responses
Taylor District 1 candidates respond to questions about the Taylor Housing Authority Crimes.
by Tom Mowdy
Taylor TX., March 29, 2019-- On March 25, 2019, the two candidates for Taylor City Council, District 1, were asked seven questions concerning the Taylor Housing Authority Crimes identified by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and discussed in two published articles:
"The Taylor Housing Authority Crimes"
Chapter 1: Foxes Guarding the hen house?
Chapter 2: It's all about money!
The questions were:
1. Have you read the October 2, 2014, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report which provides evidence of felony crimes involving $ millions and a continuing cash flow exceeding $700,000 that were committed against the Taylor Housing Authority in the City of Taylor? (Note: The HUD OIG report and two articles on the issue can be found at www.tommowdy.com, and are linked below.)
2. Are you aware those crimes are still in progress, that the non-profit organizations which took control of the public housing are still collecting the rents and have not filed the required IRS 990 forms since 2016?
3. Are you aware that the IRS Form 990s that have been filed show excessive salary and wage expenses for managing 104 apartments. (Details are contained in the links below, Chapter 2.)
4. Do you feel the public officials involved in the crimes described by the October 2, 2014 HUD OIG report should be investigated and held criminally accountable for those crimes?
5. Should the community be concerned about crimes committed by public officials?
6. Do you feel the Williamson County District Attorney should have investigated a report of Taylor’s loss of $ millions.
7. Do you have any comments you would like to share on the THA Crimes matter?
Mr. Herbert Brinkmeyer's answer:
"I appreciate your questions and I will attempt to provide a concise position on the THA matter. While many are trying to determine how wide the fence is that they are trying straddle, I come down firmly on one side.
The HUD OIG report pointed out that the transfer of the properties out of the control of the THA was done outside of the authority of the Executive Director, which includes not only the value of the properties but also the rents for those properties. This report detailed the fraud that had occurred and continues to occur. In the conclusion section, the OIG clearly states to the THA to “Take action to reclaim its properties valued at $2,032,266 to improve its financial position, decrease its reliance on HUD program funding, and address its comingling issues.” This does not sound like a request, but a command. I am disappointed that no one in city government or the THA Board took any immediate action to comply. There have been excuses that the THA is not under the control of the city government, but that rings hollow when the Mayor of the City of Taylor can appoint the board members and remove them. I consider this a clear reporting structure. In my opinion, for whatever reasons, there was a clear lack of concern of the fraud and a breach of trust with the citizens of Taylor, especially the most vulnerable citizens who depend on fair administration of affordable housing.
I would expect that the city council should petition the Williamson County District Attorney to investigate this ongoing fraud. If this fails, we should “climb the ladder” to the appropriate investigative/law enforcement entities that have jurisdiction until we achieve the command stated by the OIG. The responses of these entities must be openly communicated to the citizens of Taylor, especially any reasons for denial of services. After a thorough investigation, any individuals found to be a part of this ongoing fraudulent scheme, should be subject to criminal indictment and prosecuted to the full extent of the law, regardless of position, title, or social reputation."
Best regards,
Herbert Brinkmeyer
Mr. Gerald Anderson did not respond:
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"The Taylor Housing Authority Crimes"
Chapter 1: Foxes Guarding the hen house?
Chapter 2: I all about money!
"Corruption in our courts and government will not be stopped by those at the top, they benefit too much. It can only be stopped from the bottom, by each voter becoming informed and holding city and county elected officials responsible."