AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- Austin ISD trustees named a new interim superintendent Thursday night, as well as narrowly turned down a potential tax incentive deal for a major semiconductor company looking to expand its presence in Austin.
Trustees voted unanimously to name Matias Segura as the district's interim superintendent. Segura was one of four finalists to take over the position vacated by Dr. Anthony Mays, who is taking the top job in Alief ISD near Houston.
Segura is currently the district's chief of operations, where he oversees Construction Management, Planning and Asset Management, Facilities Maintenance, Transportation and Fleet Management, Food Service and Warehouse Operations.
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Segura will officially take over on Jan. 3, and serve through the rest of the 2022-23 school year. Trustees expect to hire a permanent superintendent - the first since the departure of Dr. Stephanie Elizalde - later this summer.
Board members also voted 5-4 to reject a Chapter 313 application from NXP Semiconductor. The company had been seeking tax breaks to help support a multi-billion dollar expansion to the company's existing campus in East Austin.
Opponents say the tax breaks corporations get are left to be paid for by residents; NXP officials said the proposal would provide AISD with more than $63 million in revenue that would not be subject to state recapture payments.
"There is little chance of NXP going forward with this project on Ed Bluestein Boulevard in East Austin if the school district doesn't take advantage of the opportunity," said Casey Dobson, vice chair of the Greater Austin Economic Development Corporation's board.
The state's Chapter 313 program is coming to an end, at least temporarily, after lawmakers failed to extend it during the last legislative session. Companies have until Dec. 31 to have their applications approved by taxing entities as well as the Texas Comptroller's office.