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BISD Trustees want feedback: Why did people vote no on bond?

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By BARBARA GREEN

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The Bowie Independent District School Board of Trustees this week elected officers and considered how to proceed after the Nov. 7 bond election failed. BISD had no contested races, but welcomed newly elected incumbents Jacky Betts, Lee Hughes and Guy Green back to the panel. Betts was re-elected president and Green, vice president with Kent Dosch elected secretary. Voters said no to a $65.8 million bond issue to build a new intermediate school, renovate the present intermediate to accommodate junior high students and several other renovations on the other two campuses. The bond failed by 224 votes, 1,079 to 855 votes.Superintendent Blake Enlow said there were 79 propositions that passed across the state and 65 that failed. Of those that passed he added some went through by as little as three votes. There were $15,073,130,933 in bonds approved in Texas. Bok Financial Securities reports approximately 84.9% of the proposed $43.2 billion of Texas public school district bonds were approved by voters in 2023. the average historical approval rate since 2018 is 79.2% by dollar amount and 64.5% by number of propositions. Enlow asked the board if they wanted to proceed with a new bond whether it be to plan a spring election, update the plan for a new vote or something else?

Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.

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NEWS

Council vacancy draws 5 prospects

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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.

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TWDB finally gives go-ahead on sewer project

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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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Texas Broadband seeks public input on its plan

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The Texas Broadband Development Office, operated by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, is soliciting input from the public on the new Texas Digital Opportunity Plan.
The plan outlines how these entities will connect the Lone Star State for a brighter future by making it easier for all Texans to access and use the internet. From today through Jan. 5, 2024, Texans can give their opinions on the Texas Digital Opportunity Plan by visiting broadbandfortexas.com/tdop.
Almost 2.8 million households and 7 million people in our state lack access to broadband, or high-speed internet, according to U.S. Census Bureau data.
The Digital Opportunity Plan will provide these Texans with the technology and knowledge they need to fully participate in an increasingly digital world.

Read the full story in the weekend edition.

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