NEWS
Early voting for Nov. 7 ballots opens Monday
Texas voters will go to the polls on Nov. 7 to consider a variety of issues including 14 constitutional amendments, while Montague County voters will make decisions about bond issues in its two largest school districts and multiple city and school district elections across the county.
Early voting will run Oct. 23-Nov. 3 at four locations across the county including the courthouse annex community room in Montague, Nocona City Hall Council Room, Saint Jo Civic Center and Bowie Senior Citizens Center.
The centers will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday, but there will be extended hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 2 and Nov. 3 at the Montague location only.
Voters may cast their ballots at any of these locations due to countywide voting. Sample ballots are available on the county website at co.montague.tx.us.
Applications for ballot by mail should be mailed to Montague County Elections Administrator Ginger Wall, P.O. Box 158, 11339 State Highway 59N, Montague, TX 76251. These applications must be received no later Oct. 27. Those with questions may call Wall’s office at 894-2540.
To be eligible to vote by mail a voter must be 65 years or older by election day, be sick or disabled, be out of the county on election day or during the early voting period, be expected to give birth within three weeks before or after election day or be in jail but otherwise eligible. Those ballots must be received at the election office and postmarked by 7 p.m.. on Nov. 7.
In the weeks leading up to the election, The Bowie News will provide information on all the ballot issues. See the Bowie mayoral race candidate questionnaires on page 1A.
PLEASE NOTE THE EARLY VOTING CHART HAS BEEN UPDATED.
Members of the Montague County Commissioner’s Court will meet at 9 a.m. on May 11.
After the consent agenda and public comments, the court will discuss an interlocal agreement between precinct two and the Bowie Sports Association for the baseball complex.
Precinct three will ask for a line-time budget adjustment of $15,000 from operating expenses to part-time.
The court will open and consider accepting sealed bids for emulsified asphalt and prime oil, all on a 90-day contract.
The consent agenda of minutes, bills and reports also is slated.
A 44-year-old Bowie man was arrested Monday morning at the lake next to Bowie High School after he was acting suspiciously and ran from police.
At 7:28 a.m. May 4 Lt. Bob Blackburn saw a man trespassing at the school lake. Nearby there was a vehicle parked on the service road belonging to the suspect, Zane Huntley. The license plate on the vehicle had been concealed using tape.
“My immediate first thought was someone was here to hurt my kids. Covering up your plates is something criminals do,” said the officer.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
Staff of the Montague County Tax Appraisal District sent out 15,815 preliminary property value statements for the 2026 tax year.
An additional 3,500 mineral notices and 90 business personal property notices were sent out by Pritchard & Abbott.
Overall total preliminary values for the county went up 8.1% when compared to certified values from 2025 reported Chief Appraiser Kim Haralson.
Property values have undergone many changes in the last few years based on actions from the Texas Legislature, subdivision developments and energy.
Last November, Texas voters approved an increase in the homestead exemption from $100,000 to $140,000 which affected last year’s values and taxes.
Ongoing development of subdivisions throughout the county and fluctuations in the oil and gas industry also are having an impact.
Values were determined as of Jan. 1, 2026, so any activity after that date such as recent upheavals in energy due to the war in Iran have not impacted the numbers.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
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