Education official, resident urge caution as Germantown weighs debt-policy changes

Heather Fisher, a Germantown Municipal School District administrator and chair of the Germantown Education Commission, told the Board of Mayor and Aldermen she supports finding additional funding for the Houston High School master plan and thanked the board for reviewing the recommended debt-policy update.

"We do need additional funding to support the Houston High School master plan," Fisher said, and asked the board to "consider and look for all means to add additional funding for the school district." She emphasized the need for modern, safe, well-equipped facilities to boost student learning.

Resident Susan Burnett followed during the Citizens to Be Heard period and urged the board to slow the change, arguing the proposed revisions rely on PFM's use of Moody's assumptions and would remove some of the more conservative criteria based on S&P. Burnett said a proposed change would raise the city's direct-debt-per-capita limit "from less than or equal to $2,000 to less than or equal $2,500," a 25% increase, and warned that increasing the limit could make it easier for future boards to use debt financing.

"I fear that changes in language to the city's debt management policy will make it much easier for this and future boards to use debt financing up to a maximum debt level," Burnett said, and asked the board to consider tabling the vote, making more moderate revisions, and offering a public comment period.

The remarks were part of the public-comment record; the board did not take immediate action on those comments during the Citizens to Be Heard segment.