NEWS
County to adopt budget, tax rate Monday
Montague County Commissioners will wrap up their budget and tax rate when they meet for a pair of public hearings on both at 8:30 a.m. on Aug. 28.
The proposed budget hearing is at 8:30 a.m., followed by the proposed tax rate hearing at 8:45 a.m. and the regular agenda where both will face action at 9 a.m.
A copy of the proposed budget for 2023-24 is available on the county website at co.montague.tx.us.
The proposed tax rate is .5017 cents per $100 in property value, which is slightly lower than the present rate of .50360 cents.
That rate is broken out into .3596 for general fund, .1217 for road and bridge precincts, .0004 for Farm-to-Market right-of-way, and .0200 for indigent health.
The general fund budget has proposed expenses of $11,457,991, which includes all the primary offices and departments. The road and bridge precincts are budgeted at $1,368,457 in precinct one; $1,058,649 in precinct two; $1,143,457 in precinct three and $1,124,489 in precinct four. The remainder of the budget is primarily restricted funds.
Overall budget increases include a five percent pay raise and a 5.5% health insurance hike. The elections administrator will move her part-time staffer to full-time and the jail will had a second transportation officer and buy two new vehicles for those positions.
The remainder of the increases are operational expenses and supplies.
Cody Busby will present the 2024-25 adult probation department budget and set an open meeting date for its consideration.
Sheriff and constable fees for the new year will be reviewed along with imposing optional motor vehicle fees through the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.
The order calling the Nov. 7 constitutional amendment and joint elections in the county also will be considered.
Other topics on the Monday agenda include: Updates to the county employee handbook, adoption of prohibited technologies security policy; cybersecurity training certification and compliance report, transfer of a sheriff’s department truck to county maintenance, stockpiling chip rock on the Margie McCandless property on Redbird Lane in precinct two and precinct three will seek authorization to enter a the Tim Hall and Bill Leeming properties located on Boren Road to clear drainage.
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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