By Dani Blackburn
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Montague County’s proposal for almost a nickel increase to the tax rate is one step closer to approval after the first public tax rate hearing Monday.

The proposed rate of 0.55 cents is a 6.13 percent increase over the effective rate, which is the amount needed to generate the same tax revenue as last year. The new rate will increase the 2016 rate of .5097 by .0403 cents.

However, commissioners were met with some push back during the hearing from Forestburg resident Paul Braswell, who questioned the county’s spending.

“It is amazing to me this county that has gone through this rise and fall in the oil and gas business has expenditures that keep going up,” argued Braswell. This county has about the same number of people as we had about 30 years ago. We aren’t increasing population, but in the last 10 years we’ve doubled our spending.”

Braswell continued to say money for the expenditures comes out of his pocket, the commissioner’s pockets and his neighbor’s pockets.

“I know where you’re coming from on the expenses, Paul, but you can’t buy stuff today for what you could 15 years ago,” responded Precinct Four Commissioner Bob Langford.

After some back and forth arguing on spending for part-time to full-time employees, ambulance services and repairs to the courthouse, Braswell continued to push commissioners to cut spending when he was interrupted by Precinct One Commissioner Roy Darden.

“Where are we spending it? What are we supposed to cut?” asked Darden. Braswell responded he didn’t know.

Read the full story in the mid-week News.