NEWS
SB22 funding tempers budget requests for jail, sheriff
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Montague County Commissioner’s heard their first full presentation of budget requests from the sheriff’s office Monday during a budget workshop.
While the court has left the item budget workshop on the agenda for the last few months, hardly any department head or elected official has stepped to the podium.
The technology director went through her budget proposal last month, and a couple of officials said they don’t plan any changes, but it appears most may be waiting for the certified property values to arrive at the first of August when they know just how tight the budget strings might be pulled.
Sheriff Marshall Thomas went through the primary increases in his budget, however, the sheriff’s office and jail are experiencing an influx of funding through Senate Bill 22 so unlike the norm, his budget review did not center on funding for additional staff or pay hikes.
SB22 created a grant program to provide financial assistance based on population to the sheriff’s office, district attorney and county attorney to ensure professional law enforcement and legal representation of the people’s interests throughout the state. In the sheriff’s office he was able to apply for $350,000 in funds that can be used to provide a minimum salary for the sheriff, deputies and jailers, hiring of additional deputies or staff, purchase vehicles, firearms and safety equipment. Thomas laid out his wage increase proposal for each member of the staff last month.
There will be one new deputy and an animal control officer to work out of the SO funded by the grant, and the new county attorney investigator funded out of that office.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
Top photo- K9 officer Ace was retired from his service at the Montague County Sheriff’s office on Monday. His handler Deputy Chase Pelton will take Ace as he retires after six and a half years of service. (Bowie News file photo from an early arrest by the officers)
A major crash on East Wise in front of the Second Monday parking on July 11 shut down traffic for several hours in the morning and sent two people to the Bowie emergency room.
The accident occurred at 9:53 a.m. Thursday at 1616 E. Wise involving a large sign installation truck and an SUV.
Briana Rollison, Bowie, was driving a 2001 Ford Expedition east in the 1600 block of E. Wise and the large truck from Turner Signs System of Richland Hills was traveling west on East Wise driven by Joshua Thompson.
The preliminary accident report states Thompson lost control of the vehicle crossing the double yellow line striking the SUV in front of the Parker Properties and Farm Services Building. The SUV was knocked into the ditch and later made it back on the roadway.
The truck rolled on the passenger side and slid about 50-100 feet west of the incident location. Skid marks from the truck were observed to start approximately 300-350 feet east of the crash location.
See the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Bowie City Councilors this week got their first look at the 2024-25 proposed budget seeing a balanced plan with a total operational budget of $23,296,885 in expenses, which is a little more than $1.4 million above the previous year’s budget.
Mayor Gaylynn Burris said Monday night the budget looks “eerily familiar” to last year, despite adding a few equipment purchases. City Manager Bert Cunningham said he had already slashed more than $300,000 from the department requests in order to get a balanced budget.
The utility fund is balanced with expenses of $12,595,995 and revenues projected at $12,601,000. In the general fund revenues are projected at $10,705,568 with expenses at $10,700,890. Total budget expenses are $23,296,885 and overall revenue projected at $23,306,568. Cunningham said it leaves a small margin to set forth a balanced budget.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Top photo: New chip and seal was laid on Elba and Lamb this week repairing well-worn roads near the Nelson/Mill drainage project. (Photo by Barbara Green)
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Few additional details have been released in connection with the Tuesday theft arrest of 97th District Attorney Casey Hall, and in a statement to the media the DA called the allegations “unfounded.”
The Montague County Grand Jury issued an indictment for Hall following the presentation of evidence in the case Monday by Assistant Attorney General Matthew Shawhan. The indictment is the result of an investigation initiated by county officials.
The indictment is for theft of property $2,500-$30,000 in value. Sheriff Marshall Thomas served the arrest warrant Tuesday afternoon. Justice of the Peace Two Jack Pigg arraigned Hall at the jail after her arrest at 2:33 p.m. She was released on $5,000 bond, which was set by retired District Judge Jack McGaughey on Monday.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
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