COUNTY LIFE
City of Saint Jo puts final touches on budget, tax rate
The Saint Jo City Council put the final touches on its 2025-2026 budget and tax rate scheduling hearings for both items on Sept. 10.
At the Aug. 14 meeting, aldermen reviewed and updated the budget proposal from the recent budget workshop. The council has created a balanced budget of $1,672,706.05.
In the budget the council added one full-time and one part-time public works staffer. An additional $72,959.44 was added to capital improvements that will be split between streets and other infrastructure needs.
Health insurance costs went up $33 per person, but the city’s property liability insurance remained the same. An executive session had been schedule for personnel matters, but the council cancelled it.
The proposed tax rate is .519223 cents per $100 in property value broken into .363740 for maintenance and operation and .155483 for debt service. The present 2024 tax rate is .513334.
Budgets from the 4A and 4B Economic Development Corporation boards also will be considered on that date.
In other topics from last week’s meeting, the council tabled discussion on the historical preservation advisory board awaiting additional information as the board is reorganized.
A request from the Saint Jo Public Library volunteers was approved confirming the ongoing financial support from the city in its budget at $3,000. The library team updated the council on its accreditation process and that financial support is a big part of it.
Grant Wills was appointed as a new member of the 4B Board.
In recognition of National Adoption Awareness Month this November, Texas Community Counseling and the Heart Gallery of Northwest Texas are partnering to bring resources to Montague County families.
The two organizations will host an adoption, foster care and kinship care resource fair on Nov. 14 at the United Presbyterian Church of Montague County Fellowship Hall, located at 300 W. Nelson St. in Bowie.
The resource fair will run from 10 a.m. to noon, bringing together local agencies and service providers to answer questions and share information about support available within the county.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
Members of the Montague County Historical Commission invite the community to join them on Nov. 14 for a Rolling Bus Tour.
This tour will cover the cemeteries in the south west corner of Montague County. You will have the opportunity to stroll through some of the cemeteries, others the bus will stop and Commission member Calvin Durham will tell the history of the cemetery.
The bus tour will meet at the Old Jail in Montague at 9 a.m. and return at approximately 3 p.m. The tour will include a sack lunch, a brochure of each cemetery visited and a book “This Soil will Grow Grapes” written by Melvin Fenoglio.
The cost of the tour is $20 for adults. There is no charge for children under 12. The commission members strive to preserve the history of the county and to share as much of it as possible with our citizens. You can RSVP by calling 940-841-2674 or 940-872-1007. Please leave a message with your name if there is no answer.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), in coordination with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), will conduct a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System at 1:20 p.m. on Nov. 17.
FEMA’s emergency alert system is a national public warning system made up of thousands of radio, TV, cable and satellite and wireline video providers. Through the EAS, the President can address the American people or share life-saving information with the public during a national emergency.
FEMA is required by law to conduct a nationwide test of the public alert and warning system at least once every three years. These tests allow FEMA to identify technical or operational issues before the system is needed during an actual emergency.
FEMA and the FCC are sharing the test date in advance because it is important the public understands what to expect on the day of the test.
At approximately 1:20 p.m. (Central time), on Nov. 17, all the electronics providers will interrupt normal programming to relay a test message.
This message will state: This is a nationwide test of the Emergency Alert System, issued by the Federal Emergency management Agency, covering the United States from 1:20 to 1:50 p.m. This is only a test. No action is required by the public.”
When the test is concluded, normal programming will resume.
FEMA and the FCC are coordinating with stakeholders, including participating communications providers as well as federal, state, tribal and territorial agencies to prepare for and conduct the test.
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