NEWS
Saint Jo City Council hires fire marshal
The City of Saint Jo has a new fire marshal as the city council made the appointment during its May 13 meeting.
Gary Hines, a retired professional firefighter and certified fire investigator, will take the position. City Secretary Debbie Dennis said the post is required by ordinance but has not been filled for a long period.
The council set dates for a budget workshop for 2 p.m. on June 14 and 2 p.m. on June 28 for the ordinance workshop, as the council works to update its rules.
Aldermen gave their support to a proposition by Councilman Jack Dunn who is asking the Legislature to allow Texas’ smallest cities, those with 2,500 or few in population, to receive an additional share of sales and use tax. He would like to see the funds used in these communities to repair and replace aging infrastructure without new taxes or reliance on state grants.
In letter to State Rep. David Spiller, whom Dunn will meet with on June 1, the alderman explains much of the state’s 6.25% share generated locally flows into general funds and is spent on other priorities. He would like Spiller to author this legislation. Dunn gave the letter to the council along with a powerpoint on the plan.
“A single water treatment plant upgrade or sewer rehab carries massive, fixed costs that do not shrink with population size. These communities, often with only a few hundred or a couple thousands residents, simply cannot spread those costs across enough ratepayers or a broad tax based,” the letter states.
Dunn suggests a “graduated sales tax retention policy:” 1% additional share for cities with 2,500 or fewer residents; .75% for those 2,500 and 5,000; and .50% for cities between 5,001 and 10,000. It would be dedicated to infrastructure. Dunn says the overall statewide fiscal impact would be negligible, but could help sustain small, rural cities.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
The City of Nocona has been nominated as a rural Opportunity Zone by Texas Governor Greg Abbott and Mayor Christopher Nunneley said they will begin “pitching” this federal tax angle to potential businesses.”
At a Tuesday afternoon press conference Nunneley, Donna Culpepper, executive director for the Nocona Economic Development Corporation and Michelle Page of the Nocona Chamber of Commerce announced the nomination and offered a brief overview of the federal tax incentives that can become available.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
Remember Sept. 11 2001, 25 years later
While history will remember Sept. 11, 2001 among the darkest days in America’s history, it also is a day marked not only by tremendous heroism and bravery by first responders, but also every day Americans from all walks of life who showed the world our country would not be intimidated by terrorism.
There were 2,996 people killed during the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 including 343 firefighters and paramedics, 23 New York city police officers and 37 Port Authority police officers. Tens of thousands more suffered in the aftermath due to exposure to chemicals and industrial debris.
The Bowie News editor asked some local lawmen, firefighters, a pilot and two retired FBI agents their memories of this tragic day and how their jobs were impacted by the events. We thank them for sharing their reflections.
Read the full feature in your Thursday Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
Looking toward the future, the Bowie City Council Tuesday night voted to add an assistant city manager position promoting Public Works Director Stony Lowrance to the job.
The agenda listed an executive session to discuss evaluation of the city manager. Councilors went to closed session at 6:30 p.m. and 15 minutes later asked City Manager Bert Cunningham and Lowrance to come in. After 15 minutes they left the session and a few minutes later the full council came back to open session.
Councilor Brent Shaw, in making the motion for the assistant city manager, pointed to expanded duties the manager has undertaken. Councilor Boyd Hulstine made the second as the vote received unanimous approval.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
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