Dear Hidalgo County Commissioners,

The Texas Legislature passed House Bill 914 to discontinue a portion of a prize fee tax on charities conducting bingo.  They did this so charities could keep more of the money they generate via their charitable bingo operations.  House Bill 914 passed with overwhelming support state wide, and in the Rio Grande Valley, in a vote of 137 yeas to 8 nays.

To effect this change and give this money back to the local charities who earn it, the cities and counties must agree to waive their portion of this tax by not voting to continue it.

Please do not hold a vote to tax Hidalgo County charities.

In Hidalgo County this adds to about $366,177 annually.  Not much money when you consider the overall Hidalgo County budget, but in means the world to these local charities who work very hard to earn it.

The law says if Hidalgo County wants to impose this tax, then the commissioners court must vote by November 1. But, if the county does nothing and lets the deadline pass, then that money goes to charities in Hidalgo County that rely on bingo for revenue. If you do nothing, here’s who will have a little more money to serve our community:

American Legion Post 37
Bishop Enrique San Pedro Ozanam Center Inc
Blue Sunday Child Abuse Prevention Initiative
Borderfest Assoc
Boys and Girls Club of Mission Inc
Boys Club of Pharr Inc
Catholic Daughters of The Americas 2368
Challenged Sportsmen of America Inc
Children’s Advocacy Center of Hidalgo
Citizens Against Lawsuit Abuse
Elks Lodge 1402
Elks Lodge 2057 Weslaco
Frontera Audubon Society Inc
Hidalgo Chamber of Commerce Inc
Hidalgo Lions Club
IDEA Public Schools
Kiwanis Club of McAllen Inc
Kiwanis Club of Pharr Sunrise
Knights of Columbus 4554
La Joya ISD Campus Crime Stoppers Inc
La Joya Lions Club
Lower Rio Grande Valley Nature Center
Make A Wish Foundation
Post 3895 Veterans of Foreign Wars
McAllen Crime Stoppers Inc
Mission Crime Stoppers Inc
Mission Heroes Inc
Mission Lions Club Inc
Mission Volunteer Fire Department Club
Palm Valley Animal Center
Palmer Drug Abuse Program McAllen
Palmview Crime Stoppers
Pharr Literacy Project Inc
Red Men Council 13 Nacoma
Red Men Council 14 Cheyenne
Red Men Tribe 16 Black Crow
Red Men Tribe 25 Omaha
Red Men Tribe 27 Cochise
Red Men Tribe 39 Coushatta
Rio Grande Habitat for Humanity Inc
Rio Grande Valley Chamber of Commerce Inc
Rio Grande Valley Diabetes Association
RGV Families & Friends of Murdered Children
Rio Grande Valley Partnership Foundation
Rio Grande Valley Sports Hall of Fame
San Juan Nursing Home Inc
Sgt Benito Alaniz, VFW Post 7473
TG 302 Inc
TG105 Inc
Vannie E Cook Jr Cancer Foundation Inc
VFW Post 2410
Women Together Foundation Inc

PLEASE SUPPORT LOCAL CHARITIES AND LET THEM KEEP THE MONEY THEY EARN BY CONDUCTING CHARITABLE BINGO!