NEWS
City of Bowie budget talks open hot
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
No sooner had the City of Bowie budget proposal hit the city council table Thursday did the fireworks begin as Councilor Arlene Bishop told City Manager Bert Cunningham he was wrong to send out an email indicating employee salaries were “confidential” when they are “public records.”
The city council met for a noon called meeting Thursday with the budget leading the agenda.
Cunningham, on the job for just a few months, handed out copies of his notes on the budget telling the panel “two rookies put it together.” He noted Carrie Moore, finance director had done a wonderful job and a judgment of his work would have to come later.
“We’ve already found some things that are going to change. Please study it, and I expect a lot of changes. This is your opportunity to set the path for the city during the next year,” Cunningham said.
As the council looked at the notes, Bishop asked since when have salaries become confidential information as she held up papers and looked directly at Cunningham. She said he sent an email with the salary information and said it was confidential.
The city manager said he just didn’t want her to “disseminate it to everyone in the world,” because it is the personal information of the employees.
Read the full story in the weekend News.
Several personnel issues including the superintendent’s summative evaluation and filling the vacant intermediate principal position face the Bowie School Trustees when they meet at 5:30 p.m. on June 16.
The superintendent’s review is usually done in two parts during the year with the summative an effort to evaluate overall progress. Donna Hale’s contract also will be considered. as she marks her first year leading the district.
For the intermediate principal’s job, Jason Childress left the post last month taking the new formed director of student services, which will handle many of the tasks the assistant superintendent handled such as curriculum and test scores. That assistant position was eliminated by the board after Lee Ann Farris left the job. Childress’ resignation has been submitted.
Filling the principal’s job and consideration of a rental agreement for a portion of the bus parking lot property also are set for executive session. Any action all these topics will be considered back in open session.
On the regular agenda, the board will receive the 2025 fiscal audit for Jack County. A small portion of the district runs into that county.
The superintendent will provide operational reports and personnel updates. Childress will present the preliminary STAAR scores and the status of board goals, while Paula Peterson, finance director, gives the monthly financial report.
Numerous annual items will be up for action: Contract for cafeteria software; budget amendments; consider the ESSA application, the Montague and Jack County Tax Appraisal District budgets; library books for the elementary; ESC 9 contracts and a Texas Association of School Boards policy updates.
The board also will consider offering open enrollment for pre-kindergarten students for the next school year.
Six Montague County volunteer fire department have received grants from the Texas A&M Forest Service.
The service recently approved $29.3 million in funding for grants to through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program.
In the fourth funding round of the year, the program awarded 531 grants addressing volunteer fire department requests for personal protective equipment, slip-on units, fire and rescue equipment, water tenders, small brush trucks and training aids.
Nocona Hills Volunteer Fire Department received a $300,000 grant for a water tender vehicle. Montague and Sunset VFDs each received $45,000 for a slip-on unit, and the Nocona rural, Nocona city and Saint Jo VFDs each received $25,000 for fire and rescue equipment.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
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