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Happy Texas Independence Day

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Texas Independence Day is the celebration of the declaration of the Texas independence from Mexico on March 2, 1836. After the adoption of the Texas Declaration of Independence, settlers in Mexican Texas officially broke from Mexico, creating the Republic of Texas. In the State of Texas, Texas Independence Day is an official holiday.

In 1836, a group of delegates gathered in the town of Washington to make Texans’ separation from Mexico official. The delegates assigned a committee of five members to draft a declaration of independence. George Childress, Edward Conrad, James Gaines, Bailey Hardeman, and Collin McKinney were part of this committee. The declaration was approved with out any debate.

The hand-written document was signed by the members of the convention, declaring the creation of the short-lived Republic of Texas. Nine years later in 1845, Texas became the 28th state of United States.  The original document is kept safe in Austin, the state capitol.

The Texas document claimed that the Mexico had “ceased to protect the lives, liberty, and property of the people” and even started “arbitrary acts of oppression and tyranny.” The following are the other reasons for separation mentioned in the declaration.

  • The 1824 Constitution of Mexico establishing a federal republic had changed into a centralist military dictatorship by Gen.
  • The Mexican government had invited settlers to Texas promising them constitutional liberty and republican government.  But then reneged on these promises.
  • Texas was in union with the Mexican state of Coahuila as Coahuila y Tejas, with the capital in distant Saltillo.  The affairs of Texas were decided in the Spanish language at a great distance from the province.
  • The denial of the right to keep and bear arms and the right to trial by jury.
  • There was no system of public education.
  • The denial of freedom of religion to the settlers.

Take a moment today to remember this pioneering frontier people who fought, sacrificed and died to create what would become the State of Texas.

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Amon Carter Lake Board to meet

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Members of the Amon Carter Lake Water Supply Corporation will meet at 6 p.m. on May 26 in the office at 607A Lindsey for a monthly meeting.
Items on the agenda include a consent agenda and minutes and financials. Possible discussion/action may be considered on the following topics: Treasurer’s report, review of finance and current loans; president’s report as to the written agreements with contractual employees; consider current water rates and a possible increase; and review of expenses and areas that need amendment.
An executive session may be entered to discuss personnel issues.

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Saint Jo City Council hires fire marshal

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The City of Saint Jo has a new fire marshal as the city council made the appointment during its May 13 meeting.
Gary Hines, a retired professional firefighter and certified fire investigator, will take the position. City Secretary Debbie Dennis said the post is required by ordinance but has not been filled for a long period.
The council set dates for a budget workshop for 2 p.m. on June 14 and 2 p.m. on June 28 for the ordinance workshop, as the council works to update its rules.

Aldermen gave their support to a proposition by Councilman Jack Dunn who is asking the Legislature to allow Texas’ smallest cities, those with 2,500 or few in population, to receive an additional share of sales and use tax. He would like to see the funds used in these communities to repair and replace aging infrastructure without new taxes or reliance on state grants.
In letter to State Rep. David Spiller, whom Dunn will meet with on June 1, the alderman explains much of the state’s 6.25% share generated locally flows into general funds and is spent on other priorities. He would like Spiller to author this legislation. Dunn gave the letter to the council along with a powerpoint on the plan.
“A single water treatment plant upgrade or sewer rehab carries massive, fixed costs that do not shrink with population size. These communities, often with only a few hundred or a couple thousands residents, simply cannot spread those costs across enough ratepayers or a broad tax based,” the letter states.
Dunn suggests a “graduated sales tax retention policy:” 1% additional share for cities with 2,500 or fewer residents; .75% for those 2,500 and 5,000; and .50% for cities between 5,001 and 10,000. It would be dedicated to infrastructure. Dunn says the overall statewide fiscal impact would be negligible, but could help sustain small, rural cities.

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City of Nocona buys water storage tank, review dam repair

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The Nocona City Council approved a bid for a new 203,000 gallon capacity tank for potable water at the water plant and learned a slide repair to the lake dam is going to be pretty costly.
At its May 12 session the council received three bids on the tank and went with one from Tank Depot of Cleburne for $193,923. It is for a a 217,600 gallon tank usable for 203,000 gallons. The price could change slightly since it was based on estimate freight costs.

Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.

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