NEWS
Montague County Youth Fair sales tops $185,200
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
The Montague County Youth Fair wrapped up a successful four-day run with a packed house for the premium sale Saturday night where receipts topped last year by a little more than $20,000.
There were 314 students entered in the fair with 919 entries across the full spectrum of fair contests. It was the second year for Leadership Day which took place at Bowie High School on the opening day of the fair. There were 56 entries.
This also was the second year for the All Together Show that allows youngsters with special needs the opportunity to walk in the ring with an animal. A dozen young people participated assisted by fair competitors.
Fair Board Treasurer Kenton Holloway said the sale went very well, adding the buyer’s groups and their hard work have been a boost to the sale.
This year’s sale estimate is $185,200 with 126 sale slots compared to last year which was $165,100 with 135 sale slots.
Read the full story with all the results in the mid-week Bowie News.
Top photo – Maddax McCollum with her grand champion steer. She also took grand in heifers. (Courtesy photo)
NEWS
Montague County on edge of heat advisory
NEWS
2026 county certified values up 3.5%
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
The 2026 certified property values for Montague County were released to the 16 taxing entities for which it sets values and for Montague County the total numbers were up 3.591%.
With the arrival of these numbers, the taxing entities can begin serious work on creating their budgets and proposed tax rates. Last year the Montague County Tax Appraisal District had to create two sets of values pending the November homestead election so they were happy things were back to just one set.
Certified values are based on property sales made as of Jan. 1, 2026. Chief Appraiser Kim Haralson said the values held up well during the protest hearings, and while minerals went down some there were a lot of new properties added.
New taxable property totaled $87,505,775 for 1,208 properties. Haralson said people appear to be setting up manufactured homes on some of the two-acre tract subdivision and other subdivisions are seeing people start to build houses.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
NEWS
Bowie City Council sees a tight draft budget proposal
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
It is going to be a tough budget season for the Bowie City Council as it works through a draft budget proposal that tries to figure out how to pay for major projects and maintain present operations for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
As per the city charter, City Manager Bert Cunningham presented the budget proposal to the council on July 14, emphasizing without the final certified property values, as well as the final health insurance rates, it truly is a draft. The city staff also await the final bid numbers for the Rock and Pillar drainage project hovering around $2 million with plans to fund it through the budget.
A budget workshop was scheduled for 6 p.m. on July 27 with a public hearing to follow on Aug. 11.
Cunningham said the certified figures may become available by the end of the week, but that is uncertain. Two months ago the city’s preliminary values were up $70,530,035 from the 2025 final values, however, usually the certified values fluctuate slightly from the preliminary numbers, which totaled $497,939,568.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
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