NEWS
Nocona City Council finalizing budget details for fiscal 2018-19
City of Nocona employees will receive a four percent salary increase next year under a proposed city budget reviewed by the council Tuesday night while citizens will see a slight tax reduction.
Councilors discussed a plan to adopt the effective tax rate of $0.5387 per $100 assessed property value. The 2017 rate was 0.55320.
According to Nocona City Secretary Revell Hardison, the total taxable value of properties in Nocona for the year is $116,231,648, an increase of $4,848,852 in value over last year’s values of $111,390,796, creating an effective rate of 0.5387 cents.
The effective tax rate is broken down into maintenance and operations at $0.4795 with a debt rate of $0.592. The rollback rate is $0.5760 cents.
The total amount of city debt obligations secured by property taxes totals $68,872. This debt includes an E-199 Quint ladder fire truck, 2016 Chevrolet Tahoe police vehicle, 2017 Chevrolet Tahoe police vehicle, 2004 Chevrolet Silverado public works truck and a 2007 Ford F-150 public works truck. The proposed budget does not include any new vehicles.
“We did do a salary increase for our employees, but otherwise most things are the same as before. We did budget a couple of generators in the water and sewer departments for some of the plants,” explained Hardison.
The proposed tax rate will generate revenue of $609,419 for a budget with total projected revenue at $2,181,219. Part of that revenue for Nocona is derived from water and sewer. While residents will not see a difference in their taxes, change is coming for water and sewer.
While city officials continue to work on water rates, sewer may see a rate increase of $2 from the current rate of $28 to $30.
“It will be a flat fee without any tier whatsoever on the sewer,” explained Public Works Billing Administrator Cindy McCracken.
However, the current $37 rate for 5,000 gallons will see a drop in the amount of water allowed to 1,000 gallons with a tiered increase for 1,001-5,000 gallons, 5,001 gallons and up after that. Numbers and rates are still being configured but should be set by the end of September.
“This will help my ones who want to conserve water who have the pioneer rate right now,” explained McCracken.
There are currently around 40 citizens on the pioneer rate, which they must show income tax or social security to prove they qualify for the income requirement.
“I have many older people where it’s just them or one person, and they are more than likely use only around 600 gallons a month,” explained McCracken.
Read the full story in the weekend edition of The Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
Bowie City Councilors continue to battle among themselves about a proposed water rate increase as the second reading of the ordinance failed Tuesday night only to be vetoed and further debate later in the meeting and set for action on April 22.
At the March 11 meeting the rate proposal, which has been under negotiations for several months, passed on a 7-1 vote.
The increased usage rate applies to all rate categories for the average residential customer who uses 2,000 to 3,000 gallons of water per month would see an increase of $2.50 to $7.50 a month depending on their location inside the city or outside. The base rate would not change, but the usage rate would increase.
In the previous vote Brandon Walker was the lone no vote; however, on Tuesday, Councilor Stephanie Post was absent with Laura Sproles and Laramie Truax jumping ship to vote no. Mayor Gaylynn Burris exercised the veto which allows the topic to be placed on the next agenda for consideration. The April 22 meeting had previously been canceled, but is now back on the board for the regular meeting.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News. Also in next week’s paper watch for coverage of the outside audit for the City of Bowie presented this week and a list of plat approvals recommended by the planning and zoning commission.
A West Virginia man’s internet relationship with a 16-year-old Bowie girl lead to his arrest for online solicitation of a minor.
Montague County Chief Deputy Jack Lawson said this was one of the more unusual cases they have dealt with that centered on interactions between the pair across the internet.
He explained that Dylan Ray Riffle, 24, Walkersville, WV was arrested on April 4 after he reportedly arrived at the home of the teenage girl to whom he reportedly married over the internet. The pair supposedly first came into contact through a virtual reality program.
Riffle said the girl told him she was 20 years old. Riffle has no criminal history said Lawson and the pair had never met in person.
“They supposedly got married on the internet, he even had a ring, but they skipped the license and age. He was supposed to meet her in Galveston, but then when she could not get there he went to Bridgeport and then took an Uber to the girl’s residence in the Bowie area. A neighbor contacted the girl’s father and when he came home they were outside. Riffle was arrested,” explained Lawson.
Bond for Riffle on a third degree felony, was set at $20,000.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
Last week the foundation was poured for the new 22,000 square foot gym at Nocona High School and corner stakes were placed for the career technology building next to it, moving forward with the first two phases of the $19 million bond project.
While ground was broken in mid-October for the 1,200-seat competition gym set just behind the high school, dirt work and plumbing don’t often show the scope of the project like a new foundation. Nocona Independent School District Superintendent Dr. David Water said as of April 1 the entire foundation had been poured and now they have to wait a little more than two weeks for it to cure.
The morning of April 3 the foundation looked more like a lake than a gym as heavy rainfall covered the pour, which is slightly lower on the gym side to provide space for the wooden gym floor. Waters said as soon as all the steel is on site the structure will start going up.
“We had two separate vendors providing steel and we have some it here already. You can see the stub-out of the plumbing , so you can tell where the locker rooms and concession stand are, even the center court scoring table. This year has been exciting in athletics and it’s hard to contain the excitement as everyone wants it ready tomorrow.
Top photo – The foundation for the new competition gymnasium for Nocona High School was poured last week and while parts of it look like a lake after the rainfall, the pour is curing and will soon be ready for steel to be hung for the facility. The gym is phase one of a multi-phase program funded by a $19 million bond approved in fall 2023. (News photos by Barbara Green0
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
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