NEWS
Bowie City Council to receive budget proposal
Members of the Bowie City Council face a July 8 agenda filled with lots of big topics including the 2024-25 budget proposal, the drinking water quality water report, call the November election, along with updates on all the infrastructure projects.
The council will meet at 6 p.m. July 8. This will be the only meeting for July.
City Manager Bert Cunningham will present the budget proposal per the city charter. The CM has been working with department heads on their needs and requests, and the finance director examining revenue.
The council will set the public hearing on the budget and is expected to schedule a budget workshop date.
The meeting will open with a public hearing on the 2023 annual drinking water quality consumer confidence report.
In the city manager’s report there will be updates on Nelson Street drainage, electric rate, sewer line replacement, Downtown Revitalization grant project, paving, substation transformer and budget.
There are numerous items of new business on the agenda. The first reading of the ordinance calling the Nov. 5 election will be presented.
Council places on the ballot and their present officers will include Precinct One TJay McEwen, Precinct Two Kristi Bates and Precinct Three Terry Gunter.
The parks board has a trio of expenditure requests for council action: Purchase of $11,126.70 to install flags at the veteran’s park located next to the senior citizens center; $11,358.61 for resurfacing Pelham Park pickleball court and $1,400 to buy a washer and dryer for the community center.
Several personnel issues including the superintendent’s summative evaluation and filling the vacant intermediate principal position face the Bowie School Trustees when they meet at 5:30 p.m. on June 16.
The superintendent’s review is usually done in two parts during the year with the summative an effort to evaluate overall progress. Donna Hale’s contract also will be considered. as she marks her first year leading the district.
For the intermediate principal’s job, Jason Childress left the post last month taking the new formed director of student services, which will handle many of the tasks the assistant superintendent handled such as curriculum and test scores. That assistant position was eliminated by the board after Lee Ann Farris left the job. Childress’ resignation has been submitted.
Filling the principal’s job and consideration of a rental agreement for a portion of the bus parking lot property also are set for executive session. Any action all these topics will be considered back in open session.
On the regular agenda, the board will receive the 2025 fiscal audit for Jack County. A small portion of the district runs into that county.
The superintendent will provide operational reports and personnel updates. Childress will present the preliminary STAAR scores and the status of board goals, while Paula Peterson, finance director, gives the monthly financial report.
Numerous annual items will be up for action: Contract for cafeteria software; budget amendments; consider the ESSA application, the Montague and Jack County Tax Appraisal District budgets; library books for the elementary; ESC 9 contracts and a Texas Association of School Boards policy updates.
The board also will consider offering open enrollment for pre-kindergarten students for the next school year.
Six Montague County volunteer fire department have received grants from the Texas A&M Forest Service.
The service recently approved $29.3 million in funding for grants to through the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program.
In the fourth funding round of the year, the program awarded 531 grants addressing volunteer fire department requests for personal protective equipment, slip-on units, fire and rescue equipment, water tenders, small brush trucks and training aids.
Nocona Hills Volunteer Fire Department received a $300,000 grant for a water tender vehicle. Montague and Sunset VFDs each received $45,000 for a slip-on unit, and the Nocona rural, Nocona city and Saint Jo VFDs each received $25,000 for fire and rescue equipment.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
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