NEWS
Property values released; await Nov. 7 election results for final tax bills
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Usually by mid-July county taxing entities have their certified property values and they have begun crunching the numbers calculating a possible tax rate.
While values using possible homestead exemptions went out to school districts this past week, Chief Appraiser Kim Haralson of the Montague County Tax Appraisal District says the figures are far from final as they have to await the outcome of the Nov. 7 Texas Constitutional amendment election, as well as send the school districts a value to submit for state funding so they can prepare their budgets and tax rates.
In the Nov. 7 constitutional amendment election a yes vote would increase the homestead exemption only for school districts from $40,000 to $100,000 and apply to the tax year beginning Jan. 1, 2023. The homestead exemption was last increased in May 2022 from $25,000 to $40,000.
Haralson said the main question for appraisal district staff was how could the MCTAD-certified values to the point school districts issue tax statements by Oct. 1, when a major component of that calculation, the homestead exemption, won’t be known until after the Nov. 7 election.
After working with state officials, the appraiser said they will go ahead and certify the tax rolls for the county’s 16 taxing entities instead of waiting another week. This action will allow them all to at least start the process of setting the tax rate which has multiple deadlines.
Read the full story in the Saturday Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Trustees of the Bowie Independent School District welcomed one new member this week following the Nov. 5 election and accepted the 2023-24 outside audit with no exceptions.
Incumbent Trustee Jacky Betts returned to place one and Angie Christmas took the place two seat. After the board officers were dissolved with the new ones taking the oath, officers were elected. Betts will continue as president, Guy Green as vice president and Kent Dosch as secretary.
Paul Fleming of Edgin, Parkman, Fleming & Fleming, PC, presented the audit telling there were no issues and the process went smoothly. He noted the biggest change was the Legislature compressing the district tax rate and additional changes in the tax law. State aid formula grants increased due to the state’s funding formula compensating for lost property tax revenue due to the law change previously mentioned.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Information was the watchword for the second hospital/emergency room community meeting Tuesday night, as the steering committee was announced along with additional financial considerations.
About 50 people attended the meeting. Melody Gillespie, who was named chairperson for the committee, said the goal is to gather information to get it out into the community. This group was formed after the Bowie emergency room was closed by Faith Rural Health System in early October just shy of one year of operating in Bowie.
Kylie Ward, one of the public relations volunteers, said, “This committee is not here to force things on you and there are assumptions already we are proposing a tax. We are not, we don’t have that ability, we are just a research team here to explore all the options.”
Other members of the committee include Tiffany Chandler and Damon Benton handling finance and grant research; Jennifer Tellef, secretary; Valerie Tomerson, grant research; Ann Smith, PR and Margin Latham and Gillespie, legislative research. It was pointed out there are other members of the sub-committees who are helping with research, but they also invite anyone interested to help with the process.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Top photo – Jack County Judge Keith Umphress spoke at this week’s steering committee meeting. (Photo by Barbara Green)
The following indictments were filed with the 97th District Clerk following the November session of the Montague County Grand Jury.
There were a total of 13 indictments with one sealed awaiting the arrest of a suspect.
A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Read the full list of indictments in your mid-week Bowie News.
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