NEWS
Council splits on budget, rates during angry session (Tuesday called meeting update)
UPDATE FROM THE SEPT. 17, CALLED CITY COUNCIL MEETING
In one of the briefest Bowie City Council meetings in recent history, the panel approved all four items of business: Adoption of the rate schedules for water and wastewater, adoption of the budget for 2018-19 and first reading of the ordinance to set the tax rate. The vote margins were the same as in the prior meetings. See the full story of the meeting in the weekend News.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
Things got nasty and personal within the Bowie City Council last Friday night as the members debated proposed rate structures and the 2018-19 fiscal budget.
The called meeting for 5 p.m. Friday was necessary after the council tabled action on all those items on Sept. 10. With a Sept. 20 deadline to allow enough time to publish the ordinances, hours were ticking away for the budget that starts Oct. 1.
When the council met on Sept. 10, two members, Machelle Mills and Terry Gunter were absent and the motion was passed seeking a full council.
Before discussion even got under way the tension was obvious.
Councilor Chuck Malone moved to approve the water rates with a three percent increase. When it appeared Mayor Gaylynn Burris may move ahead with a vote, Councilor Craig Stallcup, who has been the most vocal council opponent of any rate increases, asked “are we not going to have a debate first, seriously?”
Stallcup then proceeded to tell the mayor they were not following parliamentary procedure anyway. It was a rocky start.
Stallcup opposes any rate increases, reiterating his earlier arguments. While he supports the restructuring of the rates, his intention was to see any increase offset in the electric rates.
In the end the budget was adopted, along with the two rate ordinances on split votes as two ties were broken by the mayor. Read the full story in the mid-week News.
A bubble truck began the 2025 Bowie Public Library’s summer reading program, “Color Our World,” with free programs continuing through July 22.
Summer reading is open to children ages 0-12 and these free programs will be at the Bowie Community Center at 10 a.m. every Tuesday in June and July excluding July 1. Children will be given a reading log to bring with them to each program. Each child also receives a book at the end of the series.
June will be filled with artsy projects. On June 10 there will be bubble painting and baking soda painting and June 17, noodle and pom picture frame art. On June 24 they will make beaded wind chimes.
July 1 will have movie day at the library. This is the only program not to be at the community center.
July 8 enjoy fruit loop sand art, followed by a glow in the dark paint party with Alicia Betts on July 15. The summer reading series concludes with the popular Creature Teacher bringing a variety of animals for all to enjoy on July 11.
Former 97th District Attorney Casey Hall has filed an appeal in her May 13 conviction for misuse of Montague County grant funds.
The appeal was filed with the Second Court of Appeals in Fort Worth on May 15, the day after her sentencing where the jury found her guilty of misapplication of fiduciary property and theft by a public servant. The trial had been moved on a change of venue.
On May 14 Hall’s sentence was decided by the same jury and it sentenced her to one year in state jail for the misapplication charge and six years probation for theft by a public servant.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
Following approval of the Bowie City Council this past week for construction of new pickle ball courts at Pelham Park, the countdown to a public hearing and the bid process begins.
Ward Wallace, chairman of the 4B Economic Development Corporation, made the presentation to the city council outlining the proposal to build four covered courts in an area west of the Bowie Knife and south of the soccer fields. Along with the courts there will be parking and a portion of the walking trail will be redone. All the new additions also will be handicap accessible.
The 4B board’s request was to spend up to $1.2 million of 4B sales tax funds for the entire project, however, Wallace said they did not anticipate it would be that high as the estimates are running around $880,000.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
The red outlined portion on the lower right of the map shows the future location of the pickleball courts near the Bowie Knife. (Courtesy 4B Board)
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