NEWS
Bowie City Council to stop ambulance runs outside the city limits by Oct. 1
By BARBARA GREEN
Anticipating serious budget revenue shortfalls in fiscal 2016-17, Bowie City Councilors took some dire steps Tuesday night to pare down expenses including eliminating ambulance runs outside the city limits.
It was a difficult few hours as the council debated significant expense cuts and directed the staff to return with recommendations and information within 45 days on some topics.
Before moving into specific topics, Mayor Larry Slack reviewed 11 pages of budget projections based on the first four months of fiscal 2016-17. He explained the current utility rates were established to allow a transfer of $1,830,000 from the utility fund to the general fund; however, the present budget has the transfer projected at $2.6 million by the end of the year.
Unless electric rates are raised
raised or city expenses decreased utility fund revenues will be short by $770,000 in generating the needed revenue for the general fund transfer said Slack.
Read the full story on this week’s meeting in the Saturday edition of The Bowie News. Also see the other department budget reviews approved by the council Tuesday.
City of Bowie officials were on hand to inspect the emergency electrical generators that were delivered last week.
Mayor Gaylynn Burris and City Manager Bert Cunningham inspected one of three emergency electrical generators purchased as part of an ongoing Federal Emergency Management Agency Hazard Mitigation Grant. They also talked with Jay Evans, head of the city electric department, and Jerry Sutton, director of the water treatment plant about the next step for installation of the generators.
This grant provides funding for one 150 kW and two 250 kW generators for use at the water treatment plant.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
City Manager Bert Cunningham and Mayor Gaylynn Burris talk with the electric and water department staff about the new generators. (Photo by Cindy Roller)
No action was taken on a legal issue after members of the Bowie City Council met in a called closed session at 4 p.m. on July 12.
City Secretary Sandy Page said the council met for almost one hour for “consultation with attorney – Midwest Waste Services LLC vs. City of Bowie.
This lawsuit goes back to August 2019 when Midwest sued the city for its action requiring those who receive city water outside the city limits to use the designated waste collector, which is Waste Connections. This was shortly after the city signed a new long-term contract with WC.
The suit was dismissed in June 2020 on two points in the suit, but City Manager Bert Cunningham said a third point remained in mediation.
-
NEWS2 years ago2 hurt, 1 jailed after shooting incident north of Nocona
-
NEWS8 months agoSuspect indicted, jailed in Tia Hutson murder
-
NEWS1 year agoSO investigating possible murder/suicide
-
NEWS2 years agoWreck takes the life of BHS teen, 16
-
NEWS12 months agoMurder unsolved – 1 year later Tia Hutson’s family angry, frustrated with no arrest
-
NEWS1 year ago
Sheriff’s office called out to infant’s death
-
NEWS2 years agoBowie Police face three-hour standoff after possible domestic fight
-
NEWS2 years ago
Driver stopped by a man running into the street, robbed at knifepoint