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Council splits on budget, rates during angry session (Tuesday called meeting update)

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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.

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Amon Carter Lake Board to meet

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Members of the Amon Carter Lake Water Supply Corporation will meet at 6 p.m. on May 26 in the office at 607A Lindsey for a monthly meeting.
Items on the agenda include a consent agenda and minutes and financials. Possible discussion/action may be considered on the following topics: Treasurer’s report, review of finance and current loans; president’s report as to the written agreements with contractual employees; consider current water rates and a possible increase; and review of expenses and areas that need amendment.
An executive session may be entered to discuss personnel issues.

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Saint Jo City Council hires fire marshal

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The City of Saint Jo has a new fire marshal as the city council made the appointment during its May 13 meeting.
Gary Hines, a retired professional firefighter and certified fire investigator, will take the position. City Secretary Debbie Dennis said the post is required by ordinance but has not been filled for a long period.
The council set dates for a budget workshop for 2 p.m. on June 14 and 2 p.m. on June 28 for the ordinance workshop, as the council works to update its rules.

Aldermen gave their support to a proposition by Councilman Jack Dunn who is asking the Legislature to allow Texas’ smallest cities, those with 2,500 or few in population, to receive an additional share of sales and use tax. He would like to see the funds used in these communities to repair and replace aging infrastructure without new taxes or reliance on state grants.
In letter to State Rep. David Spiller, whom Dunn will meet with on June 1, the alderman explains much of the state’s 6.25% share generated locally flows into general funds and is spent on other priorities. He would like Spiller to author this legislation. Dunn gave the letter to the council along with a powerpoint on the plan.
“A single water treatment plant upgrade or sewer rehab carries massive, fixed costs that do not shrink with population size. These communities, often with only a few hundred or a couple thousands residents, simply cannot spread those costs across enough ratepayers or a broad tax based,” the letter states.
Dunn suggests a “graduated sales tax retention policy:” 1% additional share for cities with 2,500 or fewer residents; .75% for those 2,500 and 5,000; and .50% for cities between 5,001 and 10,000. It would be dedicated to infrastructure. Dunn says the overall statewide fiscal impact would be negligible, but could help sustain small, rural cities.

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City of Nocona buys water storage tank, review dam repair

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The Nocona City Council approved a bid for a new 203,000 gallon capacity tank for potable water at the water plant and learned a slide repair to the lake dam is going to be pretty costly.
At its May 12 session the council received three bids on the tank and went with one from Tank Depot of Cleburne for $193,923. It is for a a 217,600 gallon tank usable for 203,000 gallons. The price could change slightly since it was based on estimate freight costs.

Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.

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