NEWS
SB22 funding tempers budget requests for jail, sheriff
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
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)
Members of the Bowie City Council will face a brief agenda when they meet at 6 p.m. on Oct. 13 in the council chambers.
Following routine reports and consent agenda items, the council will consider a resolution authorizing submission of the city’s 2027/2028 Texas Community Development Block Grant application to the Texas Department of Agriculture.
Then council members will consider approving Bob Blackburn for appointment as a reserve police officer with the Bowie Police Department.
Following an executive session, the council will discuss and potentially take action regarding the annual employment evaluations and duties of both the City Secretary and the Municipal Court Judge.
After nearly three months of no rain, Mother Nature brought the showers this past week.
Downtown Bowie rain reports varied from 7 to 8 inches, while the Saint Jo area reported a 10-inch total. The city water plant in Bowie reported 5.55 inches on Sept. 30 with 1.6 Oct. 1-3.
Nocona saw a total of 6.31 inches of rain across Sept. 26 to Oct. 3.
On Oct. 6, Lake Amon G. Carter saw a level of 917.39 mean sea level rising to 81.31% full. Just one week earlier the lake was 73.6% full, while one year ago it was 94.01%. The lake is full at 920msl.
Lake Nocona was 73.7% full at 823.02 on Oct 6. One week earlier it was 70.41% full and one year ago it was 92.41%. The lake is full at 827.5 msl.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
One Montague County City has joined the battle against any data centers being built in this county and there is a petition drive underway to urge the commissioner’s court to keep data centers out of Montague County.
At a Sept. 28 called meeting of the Saint Jo City Council, officials unanimously approved a resolution stating its opposition to the “siting, permitting, construction or operation of data centers and similar hyperscale computing facilities within the city limits or the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction.”
City Secretary Debbie Dennis said several citizens approached Councilor Jack Dunn about their data center concerns and he helped prepare a resolution. The council gave unanimous support.
Read the full story in your Thursday Bowie News.
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