NEWS
Commissioner challenges district attorney on what is going on in her office
By BARBARA GREEN
County budget hearings often get heated, but Monday the debate got heated as questioning became a bit personal as one commissioner challenged the district attorney what is being done in her office.
This was the second budget workshop for Montague County Commissioners as they begin hearing from elected officials and department heads on their 2018-19 budget requests. Discussions included an expensive proposal to begin digitizing county clerk and district clerk records, pay increases in the DA and county clerk’s offices and retaining an attorney to update county subdivision rules.
District Attorney Casey Polhemus opened by telling the court there were no “big” changes in her budget, but she would like to supplement the staff salaries with funds that were budgeted for the assistant DA two position, which was not filled last October when Ron Poole retired.
She proposed reassessing that funding to supplement the staff for the additional workload taking $10,000 of that $17,000 allotted for the ADA2 into AD Clay Riddle, then $3,650 to the DA investigator and then $2,000 each to the two administrative staff members. She also discussed how the forfeiture funds were being used.
Commissioner Roy Darden asked Polhemus how many cases she had tried since taking office. She said two last year and two this year. Darden then proceeded to challenge the DA telling her people are “looking at your office and what to know when you are going to try cases,” and why you are giving things away.
The DA appeared surprised at the questioning and exclaimed she is “not giving anything away,” and had been working very hard.
Read the full story in the mid-week News.
The Department of Public Safety has provided information on an auto vs. motorcycle accident that reportedly occurred on July 4.
James Lee Hilton, Nocona, was driving a 2019 Harley-Davidson motorcycle and Daniel Parra, Chico, was driving a 2018 Ford Fiesta. Both vehicles were north on State Highway 101 outside Sunset with the motorcycle behind the car.
Parra was attempting to turn left on Farm-to-Market Road 2265 when the motorcyclist attempted to unsafely pass to the left states the report. The bike struck the left side of the Fiesta. Both vehicles came to rest off the roadway on the northwest corner of SH 101 and FM 2265.
Hilton was transported to Denton Medical City with
A major crash on East Wise in front of the Second Monday parking on July 11 shut down traffic for several hours in the morning and sent two people to the Bowie emergency room.
The accident occurred at 9:53 a.m. Thursday at 1616 E. Wise involving a large sign installation truck and an SUV.
Briana Rollison, Bowie, was driving a 2001 Ford Expedition east in the 1600 block of E. Wise and the large truck from Turner Signs System of Richland Hills was traveling west on East Wise driven by Joshua Thompson.
The preliminary accident report states Thompson lost control of the vehicle crossing the double yellow line striking the SUV in front of the Parker Properties and Farm Services Building. The SUV was knocked into the ditch and later made it back on the roadway.
The truck rolled on the passenger side and slid about 50-100 feet west of the incident location. Skid marks from the truck were observed to start approximately 300-350 feet east of the crash location.
See the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Bowie City Councilors this week got their first look at the 2024-25 proposed budget seeing a balanced plan with a total operational budget of $23,296,885 in expenses, which is a little more than $1.4 million above the previous year’s budget.
Mayor Gaylynn Burris said Monday night the budget looks “eerily familiar” to last year, despite adding a few equipment purchases. City Manager Bert Cunningham said he had already slashed more than $300,000 from the department requests in order to get a balanced budget.
The utility fund is balanced with expenses of $12,595,995 and revenues projected at $12,601,000. In the general fund revenues are projected at $10,705,568 with expenses at $10,700,890. Total budget expenses are $23,296,885 and overall revenue projected at $23,306,568. Cunningham said it leaves a small margin to set forth a balanced budget.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Top photo: New chip and seal was laid on Elba and Lamb this week repairing well-worn roads near the Nelson/Mill drainage project. (Photo by Barbara Green)
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