NEWS
Forestburg ISD to offer two bond proposals
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
It has been 30 years since there were any major additions or improvements made at Forestburg School, and despite three past bond election failures, the district will ask voters to consider a pair of separate bond proposals in a May 4 election.
Community information meetings are scheduled for April 2 at 6:30 p.m. and April 13 at 9 a.m., both at the Forestburg Community Center. Information also can be viewed at forestburgisd.net/634587_3.
The most recent bond election for FISD was in 2018 when it failed 301-195 as the district asked for $1,790,000 for several vehicles including four busses and numerous infrastructure improvements including lighting, cafeteria, flooring, fire alarm system, school safety door entry, a new server and asphalt for the parking lots.
The last major construction occurred 29 years ago when fire destroyed the 1937 building in 1995 and it was rebuilt. There have been some minor improvements and additions, such as the tennis courts and football field, but much of the field was done with private donations.
Back in January and February the board approved calling for a bond election following extensive work since last October by a long-range facility committee. Its members include staff, students, business owners, newer residents and longer term community members and a few board members.
Superintendent Jason Briles said the group worked hard to determine the needs and what would fit best to fill those needs.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
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.
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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