NEWS
County offers .503631 cent tax rate for 2022
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
Montague County Commissioners put the final touches on their 2022-23 budget approving a proposed tax rate that is more than six cents lower than last year and adding a new $1,200 cost of living increase for county employees, turning away from its every other year salary considerations.
The budget debate got slightly contentious at times, but for the most part, the questions and answers lead to compromises or a no vote. The workshop opened with Commissioner Bob Langford returning to his effort to take $100,000 from the American Rescue Plan state and local fiscal recovery funds and split it up among the four road and bridge precincts.
There were questions about how it is paid out and what it can be used for. County Auditor Jennifer Essary said a line item would be created in the precinct budget where bills could be submitted, it does not have to be submitted prior to use. Essary said it only has to be a county expense.
County Judge Kevin Benton said it can’t be used for salaries and is basically directed toward infrastructure. The judge explained he and Grant Coordinator Charley Lanier have been working on a list of possible projects, which he will soon bring to the court.
Tax Assessor-Collector Kathy Phillips presented the certification of appraised values that were $2,453,023,075 in net certified valued, $13,898,040 in rolling stock for a total of $2,466,921,115.
She also gave the court the “no new revenue rate” at .467765 cents per $100 in property value and the “voter approval tax rate” of .503631 cents.
The court accepted a proposed rate of .503631 cents per $100 in value. The voter approval rate means the court can adopt up to that rate before facing any voter election to change the rate. The no new revenue rate would provide the same tax revenue as the prior year. The 2021 tax rate is .56410 cents.
Read the full story on the budget preparations and the proposed tax rate in the mid-week edition.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
While the budget was the primary topics for the Montague County Commissioners on Aug. 10, there were several other topics handled by the court.
Tax Assessor Collector Kathy Phillips presented the certification of value and rates for the 2026 taxes. The certified net values are $3,017,685,102 with rolling railroad stock at $15,954,716.
The county’s total taxable value is $3,033,639,818. Total appraised is $7,930,674,437, total assessed at $3,629,932,719 and total taxable value of new property at $93,632,505.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewssonline.com
The proposed 2026-27 budget for Montague County was finalized Monday, but not without a few fireworks between the sheriff and county judge.
Sheriff Marshall Thomas said his budget requests for two additional deputies and two jailers may not have been clearly presented to either the court or public. During the July 27 budget workshop, the increase for operational expenses of the sheriff’s office and jail were reviewed, but there was no discussion on the staff requests.
At that meeting Thomas said his staff requests had been taken out by the County Judge Kevin Benton, but afterward the judge emphasized he had met with Thomas about the requests and he knew the staff additions would not be included in the proposal.
On Aug. 10 during the budget workshop, Thomas said he had some questions from constituents and he also thought some of the commissioners were not aware of the requests.
“I asked for two more deputies and we need two jailers. The standard ratio is 2.5 to 2.7 per 1,000 people in the Nortex region, we are at .75 for 938 square miles. We have two jailers in training and two out for months on major medical. The standard is 1:48 inmates. Our comp time is through the roof because in the jail with such short staff others have to come in and cover,” Thomas told the court Monday.
Things only got more intense between the two men as Benton said he felt like he was being accused of keeping information from the court,, while Thomas said he understood the court may not have received the request and citizens have asked him why he did ask for more staff.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
The board of directors of the Upper Trinity Groundwater Conservation District met with the Montague County Commissioner’s Court Monday to present the major proposed rules changes for the district that will be considered at an Aug. 27 board meeting at 5 p.m. at the Springtown office.
Board President Tracy Mesler and Assistant General Manager Kyle Russell explained the proposals that focus on permit allocations for non-exempt wells, hydrogeologic reports for high volume permits, minimum tract size and spacing for new wells. The district addresses groundwater issues in Montague, Wise, Parker and Hood Counties. The public is invited to attend these public meetings and the full agenda is located on the district website at uppertrinitygcd.com.
Read the full story on all the proposed rule changes in Thursday’s Bowie News.
-
NEWS3 years agoSuspect indicted, jailed in Tia Hutson murder
-
NEWS4 years ago2 hurt, 1 jailed after shooting incident north of Nocona
-
NEWS3 years agoSO investigating possible murder/suicide
-
NEWS4 years agoWreck takes the life of BHS teen, 16
-
NEWS3 years agoMurder unsolved – 1 year later Tia Hutson’s family angry, frustrated with no arrest
-
Show us something good9 years agoCountry music star children perform in Bowie
-
100th Birthday4 years agoLooking back at the 1958 Centennial edition of The Bowie News
-
NEWS3 years ago
Sheriff’s office called out to infant’s death