NEWS
Bowie expects difficult budget year due to infrastructure needs
By BARBARA GREEN
Bowie city council members spent three and a half hours Tuesday night in their first budget workshop reviewing figures, data and explanations about where the city budget may be heading for the next fiscal year.
Mayor Larry Slack told the group there will certainly be some tough decisions due to some major infrastructure problems that need to be addressed.
“We will have to see if we can work it in the budget or do something else. We need to let the staff know a direction,” said the mayor.
Department heads received a memo directing them to return their department requests to the city manager by June 15 in order to prepare the budget proposal by July 15, as required by the city charter.
Slack told the council he expects a difficult budget year so he wants the council to have all the time and information it needs to make decisions.
The pressing infrastructure problems came to the forefront this week as heavy rain filled runoff drains, especially in the flow that runs from State Highway 59 near Allsup’s east to Kiwanis Park and then toward Lamb, Rock and Patterson.
Read the full story in the weekend News.
Pictured: Heavy rains continue to cause deterioration in an aging drainage system that serves a large residential area in Bowie. This portion of Lamb Street at Nelson has been closed due to collapse of the street at the culvert. (Photo by Barbara Green)
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Trustees of the Bowie Independent School District welcomed one new member this week following the Nov. 5 election and accepted the 2023-24 outside audit with no exceptions.
Incumbent Trustee Jacky Betts returned to place one and Angie Christmas took the place two seat. After the board officers were dissolved with the new ones taking the oath, officers were elected. Betts will continue as president, Guy Green as vice president and Kent Dosch as secretary.
Paul Fleming of Edgin, Parkman, Fleming & Fleming, PC, presented the audit telling there were no issues and the process went smoothly. He noted the biggest change was the Legislature compressing the district tax rate and additional changes in the tax law. State aid formula grants increased due to the state’s funding formula compensating for lost property tax revenue due to the law change previously mentioned.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Information was the watchword for the second hospital/emergency room community meeting Tuesday night, as the steering committee was announced along with additional financial considerations.
About 50 people attended the meeting. Melody Gillespie, who was named chairperson for the committee, said the goal is to gather information to get it out into the community. This group was formed after the Bowie emergency room was closed by Faith Rural Health System in early October just shy of one year of operating in Bowie.
Kylie Ward, one of the public relations volunteers, said, “This committee is not here to force things on you and there are assumptions already we are proposing a tax. We are not, we don’t have that ability, we are just a research team here to explore all the options.”
Other members of the committee include Tiffany Chandler and Damon Benton handling finance and grant research; Jennifer Tellef, secretary; Valerie Tomerson, grant research; Ann Smith, PR and Margin Latham and Gillespie, legislative research. It was pointed out there are other members of the sub-committees who are helping with research, but they also invite anyone interested to help with the process.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Top photo – Jack County Judge Keith Umphress spoke at this week’s steering committee meeting. (Photo by Barbara Green)
The following indictments were filed with the 97th District Clerk following the November session of the Montague County Grand Jury.
There were a total of 13 indictments with one sealed awaiting the arrest of a suspect.
A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Read the full list of indictments in your mid-week Bowie News.
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