NEWS
Damaged building sold, demo is still on schedule
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
Less than three days before its scheduled demolition by Montague County, the abatement of the old grocery store on the courthouse square continued to draw controversy amongst the commissioner’s court on Monday.
It began when the court found it had to amend the recent order to dispose of the debris from the demolition, followed by one commissioner questioning the need to take it down.
County Judge Rick Lewis said the previous order passed two weeks ago included a $2,500 fee to Eddie Fenoglio for the county to deposit the building debris on his property. However, after checking with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality he found if they pay a fee the landowner would have to be a permitted landowner.
The county began the abatement process back in December, when it was learned the insurance company was at an impasse on a settlement with building owner Mark Chancellor. This historic building was damaged in mid-August when a pickup drove into its front doors and caught fire killing the driver.
The building received major structural damage as the owner announced it could not be saved based on a review by his own engineer, but without any insurance settlement, Chancellor indicated he did not have the more than $60,000 estimated for the demolition. The building has sat decaying ever since as the center section continues to drop each day.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
The 2026 certified property values for Montague County were released to the 16 taxing entities for which it sets values and for Montague County the total numbers were up 3.591%.
With the arrival of these numbers, the taxing entities can begin serious work on creating their budgets and proposed tax rates. Last year the Montague County Tax Appraisal District had to create two sets of values pending the November homestead election so they were happy things were back to just one set.
Certified values are based on property sales made as of Jan. 1, 2026. Chief Appraiser Kim Haralson said the values held up well during the protest hearings, and while minerals went down some there were a lot of new properties added.
New taxable property totaled $87,505,775 for 1,208 properties. Haralson said people appear to be setting up manufactured homes on some of the two-acre tract subdivision and other subdivisions are seeing people start to build houses.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
It is going to be a tough budget season for the Bowie City Council as it works through a draft budget proposal that tries to figure out how to pay for major projects and maintain present operations for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
As per the city charter, City Manager Bert Cunningham presented the budget proposal to the council on July 14, emphasizing without the final certified property values, as well as the final health insurance rates, it truly is a draft. The city staff also await the final bid numbers for the Rock and Pillar drainage project hovering around $2 million with plans to fund it through the budget.
A budget workshop was scheduled for 6 p.m. on July 27 with a public hearing to follow on Aug. 11.
Cunningham said the certified figures may become available by the end of the week, but that is uncertain. Two months ago the city’s preliminary values were up $70,530,035 from the 2025 final values, however, usually the certified values fluctuate slightly from the preliminary numbers, which totaled $497,939,568.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
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