NEWS
Bowie council to receive 2021 budget draft on Monday
The Bowie City Council will meet at 6 p.m. July 13 and begin what is expected to be a difficult preparation of the 2020-21 city budget.
As per the city charter, City Manager Bert Cunningham will present a draft of the budget proposal based on requests from the department heads and compilations of budget and revenue projections. A public hearing will be set for the budget on Aug. 10.
In other financial action the city will consider the proposed 2021 budget for the Montague County Tax Appraisal District. The district appraises and collects taxes for Bowie.
Following the process set forth by Senate Bill 2 last year a resolution will be offered to designate Kim Haralson, chief appraiser of the MCTAD, to calculate the no-new revenue tax rate and the voter approval tax rate in accordance with the Texas Tax Code. The bill changed up the method by which the tax rates are calculated and set.
The council will call a general election for November with three places on the ballot. Filing begins July 20 for place one, Laura Hefley; place two, Chuck Malone and place three, Tami Buckmaster.
Other agenda items include the possible sale of .0444 acres in the Lake Bowie subdivision; the public hearing for water qualitt.
In the city manager’s report the following topics will be updated: Charter commission progress, refunding community center bonds, giving away land tract one; draft budget; Texas Department of Agriculture and Community Development Block Grant Zoom meeting; Traylor and Association on grant writing and airport grant.
The Bowie News office will be closed Dec. 24-25 for the Christmas holiday, and Dec. 30 and Jan. 1.
There is an early deadline of 4 p.m. on Dec. 27 for the Jan. 1 Bowie News for all news and ad items.
Your Jan. 1 edition will be delivered to the mail and racks one day earlier due to the New Year’s holiday. We hope you have a great Christmas week.
Your Bowie News staff wishes you the blessings of a wonderful Christmas as you enjoy time with family and friends. Our offices will be closed Dec. 24-25 for the holiday.
Montague County Commissioners wrapped up a few items before the end of the year as they met on Dec. 23.
Grant Coordinator Charley Lanier asked the court to go ahead and obligate $276,961.84 from the American Rescue Funds to complete the new wastewater treatment plant that will serve the courthouse complex.
He explained Dec. 30 is the last date where grant funds can be obligated, and he did not expect any issues since this project had already been approved in court using ARPA funds, he called it a “safety net,” to avoid any problem and possible return of the funds to the federal government.
Montague County has about $276,961.84 in grant funds which has not been allocated.
The court gave approval on the request.
Lanier also asked the court to apply for a grant for a tire cutter. Funded through the Nortex Regional Planning Commission and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, the application will ask for $26,865 to purchase a larger gas-powered cutter on a trailer, which can be moved around for use. It would cut the larger tires into four pieces, which would be allowed into a landfill. Lanier said if the cutter comes through the county would need to obtain a permit for its use from TCEQ, which he added should not be an issue.
Commissioner Mark Murphey said he picks up more tires abandoned on the county roads than he disposes of at his own yard, adding he probably has 500 at his yard. The court gave approval to apply for this competitive grant.
The remainder of Monday’s brief meeting were year-end items. Bonds for the justice of the peace one, county clerk, county attorney, district attorney, sheriff, commissioner three and constable two were accepted.
A cooperative agreement with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the county was approved, along with a license and services agreement with Local Government Solutions to provide software for both justice of the peace officers. The county attorney’s Chapter 59 Asset Forfeiture report was presented with no new seizures or forfeiture.
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