NEWS
Bowie, Forestburg bond issues up on the May 4 ballot
As the final days for early voting were ticking away Montague County Elections Administrator Ginger Wall said there had been a strong turnout with 12% of registered voters casting ballots for the May 4 Bowie and Forestburg Independent School District Bond elections.
The final day for early voting ended at 5 p.m. on Tuesday. Going into the final day there were a total of 1,088 early voters for the bond elections.
On election day May 4 polls will be open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at three locations: Bowie Senior Citizens Center, Forestburg ISD Library and Sunset City Hall. Voters can cast ballots at any of the three locations and remember your photo identification.
Bowie ISD is asking voters to reconsider a $65.8 million bond issue, they defeated last November 1,079 to 855. Board members indicated they felt all the needs were still there and they needed to get more information out to the voters.
In the plans there would be a new intermediate school built, and the present intermediate would be renovated to accommodate junior high students that would be moved from their present building.
A weight room would be added at the high school, which did not include one when it was built and a restroom at the baseball/softball fields. Parking would be expanded at the front of the elementary school and a new bus route flow established around the building to alleviate traffic issues.
Forestburg ISD is asking voters to consider a pair of propositions. Proposition A is $4.1 million and centers on a new classroom addition to the high school adding rooms and restrooms, storm shelter and a new roof.
Proposition B at $2.1 million would be for a new eight-lane track, bleacher system and press box with full handicap accessibility and new field with 24/7 public access.
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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