NEWS
County offers .503631 cent tax rate for 2022
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
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.
The Montague County Commissioner’s Court will meet at 9 a.m. on Dec. 11 in the courthouse annex.
A joint election agreement with the Democratic and Republican Party Primaries will be presented for the March 2024 elections.
The memorandum of understanding with the Helen Farabee Centers and Montague County Jail for psychological evaluation of law enforcement officers will be reviewed.
The court will approve the Genesis eBonds licensing and service provider agreement with GenCore Candeo, Ltd dba The Genesis Group.
A pair of preliminary plats round out the agenda for lots 1-83 in Red Oak Hills Subdivision 322.99 acres in precinct four and tracts 2A and 2B in the Thirteen Subdivision 13.01 acres also in precinct four.
Members of the Bowie City Council will consider naming one of five applicants to fill the vacancy in precinct one-north ward when they met at 6 p.m. on Dec. 11.
The opening came last month when Laura Sproles resigned her seat due to a move into another precinct. There is one year remaining on the two-year term for the precinct one council position.
As of Friday those who have submitted their application were Tawni J. Jones, David Love, TJay McEwen, Phillip Warren and Valerie Thomerson.
Jones lists herself as an entrepreneur on the application and she has lived in the precinct 6.5 years. Love lists his occupation in sales with 22 years in the precinct. TJay McEwen is a bank manager at Wellington State Bank and has lived in the precinct eight years.
Warren is a lease operator and has lived in the precinct just over 14 years. Thomerson is retired and lived in her precinct three years. If the council makes a selection the new councilor will be sworn-in that night.
Two Bowie Public Library board members also will be appointed: Karen Milchanowski and Lua Brown, both reappointments and Jessica Burris, new member.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Government moves at a snail’s pace, but the City of Bowie has finally received its directive to proceed with a $9.7 million sewer line replacement project.
Bowie City Manager Bert Cunningham was ecstatic to receive the letter Tuesday from the Texas Water Development Board. The engineer and contractor joined in the joy and scheduled a pre-construction conference for Dec. 8.
The city has been waiting several months to receive the final go-ahead from the TWDB, which is providing a low-interest loan to Bowie for the project. BCAC Underground, Haltom City, won the bid back in August at $832,802.75, which was about $160,000 less than the estimate.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
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