NEWS
Bowie CM resigns to take Gladewater job
Ricky Tow
The Gladewater City Council selected Ricky Tow to be its new city manager during its Thursday night meeting and Tow submitted his resignation to Mayor Scott Davis on Friday.
According to the Gladewater Mirror, Tow, presently city manager in Bowie, was one of two finalists announced earlier in the week. The city reportedly received 28 application packets.
Gladewater is a town of 6,427 people and it lays in Gregg and Upshur Counties in far eastern Texas.
The two finalists were interviewed last week during a three-hour executive session. The other finalist was Jeff Jenkins, city manager of Broken Arrow, OK.
Tow has been city manager in Bowie since April 2013, following James Cantwell who had been city manager for about 20 years. Prior to Bowie, he was city manager in Cameron four years and city manager administrator in Alvord for 11 years.
The Bowie manager has been under fire off and on during the past two years as citizens demanded reductions in utilities, questioned budgetary and personnel issues and other city operational items.
Tow met with his department heads Friday morning and told them he had placed his resignation on the mayor’s desk. He also has sent emails to all the council.
The city manager said Friday he was waiting on the formal notification from Gladewater, but confirmed he had give his 30-day notice to the mayor. Tow said it was a good time to make a change as the fiscal year comes to a close.
“The budget is done and the audit has started, so it is a good time at the closeout of a fiscal year. It also will give this new council an opportunity for a change of direction which many people have said they would like to see,” concluded Tow.
Mayor Scott Davis said he does not anticipate a called council meeting to discuss the replacement process. The next regular meeting is Nov. 7.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
The Bowie City Council welcomed three newly-elected members Tuesday night and the panel had its annual council orientation of duties presented by the city attorney.
Brandon Walker and Laramie Truax took the oath of office for their respective seats during the meeting. Laura Sproles was sworn in prior to the meeting as she was enroute to the hospital after a fall at home where she injured her hand and wrist. All the candidates had to take the oath by Tuesday night after the votes were canvassed.
City Attorney Courtney Goodman-Morris made the presentation on council duties and obligations, as well legal requirements. Brent Shaw was elected as mayor pro tem.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Trustees of the Bowie Independent School District welcomed one new member this week following the Nov. 5 election and accepted the 2023-24 outside audit with no exceptions.
Incumbent Trustee Jacky Betts returned to place one and Angie Christmas took the place two seat. After the board officers were dissolved with the new ones taking the oath, officers were elected. Betts will continue as president, Guy Green as vice president and Kent Dosch as secretary.
Paul Fleming of Edgin, Parkman, Fleming & Fleming, PC, presented the audit telling there were no issues and the process went smoothly. He noted the biggest change was the Legislature compressing the district tax rate and additional changes in the tax law. State aid formula grants increased due to the state’s funding formula compensating for lost property tax revenue due to the law change previously mentioned.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Information was the watchword for the second hospital/emergency room community meeting Tuesday night, as the steering committee was announced along with additional financial considerations.
About 50 people attended the meeting. Melody Gillespie, who was named chairperson for the committee, said the goal is to gather information to get it out into the community. This group was formed after the Bowie emergency room was closed by Faith Rural Health System in early October just shy of one year of operating in Bowie.
Kylie Ward, one of the public relations volunteers, said, “This committee is not here to force things on you and there are assumptions already we are proposing a tax. We are not, we don’t have that ability, we are just a research team here to explore all the options.”
Other members of the committee include Tiffany Chandler and Damon Benton handling finance and grant research; Jennifer Tellef, secretary; Valerie Tomerson, grant research; Ann Smith, PR and Margin Latham and Gillespie, legislative research. It was pointed out there are other members of the sub-committees who are helping with research, but they also invite anyone interested to help with the process.
Read the full story in the weekend Bowie News.
Top photo – Jack County Judge Keith Umphress spoke at this week’s steering committee meeting. (Photo by Barbara Green)
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