NEWS
Bowie ISD approves tax rate, new budget
The small number under the chart of 3.83 percent increase is the actual increase with the E3 project expense removed.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
As the last day of the fiscal school year ticked away on Aug. 31, the Bowie Independent School District Trustees approved a tax rate of $1.22 and budgeted expenditures 3.83 percent higher than the prior year.
The district retains the $1.04 maintenance and operation rate which is the maximum allowed without a tax ratification election and .18 cents in debt service.
While this is the same rate as 2017, due to the increase in values, your tax bill will increase on average by less than $5. The average market value of a residence this year is $115,246 with the average taxable value at $79,571. At the $1.22 rate the taxes for that property will run $970.77, an increase of $4.47.
Total expenditures in the 2018-19 budget are set at $16,951,631.
Chief Financial Officer Jonathan Pastusek explained while this makes the budget increase 15.27 percent above the prior year, that is misleading because the budget includes the remaining $1.6 million worth of work in the energy retrofit project that is being funded with tax maintenance notes. The total for the project was $2.8 million, but a portion of the work was completed in 2017-18.
Pastusek said removing those expenses creates expenses which are 3.83 percent above the prior budget.
Read the full story in the mid-week News.
There was a small turnout for the Oct 29 town hall meeting to explain the new emergency transportation plan being offered to residential utility customers in the City of Bowie.
About 25 citizens attended the session at the community center where Will Winters of MASA discussed the plan that will offered to customers and paid for through a $7.75 fee collected on the city utility bill. Every meter is auto enrolled in the plan, but customers can opt out by filling out a form on the city website or at the city finance office.
Customers will have until Nov. 11 as the deadline to opt out before the fee becomes effective on Dec. 1. There also is a process in effective to opt out at a later time. Opting out in the first 90 days qualifies you for a full bill credit refund, but after 90 days, previous fees are non-refundable.
(Top image – Bowie citizens listen to MASA representative Will Winters about details of the program at the city hall MASA meeting Oct. 29.)
Read the full article in your Thursday Bowie News.
The Supertunia Tiara duo debuted in 2025 and in this brief amount of time has become the darling of the landscape. The love and admiration from gardeners across the country including my area of West Georgia and East Alabama has been nothing short of wow.
As much as gardeners treasure their Supertunia Vista Bubblegum petunias, Supertunia Pink Tiara and Blue Tiara are here to say look at me! Oh yes, and both are building a trophy case with awards.
At first, it would seem the Supertunia Tiara Petunias were designed with the artist gardener in mind. While that could be true it is most likely that these petunias are so unique and beautiful that any combination or application you try simply looks ready for canvas.
Read the full Garden Guy column in your Thursday Bowie News.
The Bowie City Council approved a $950,000 project to improve the walking path at Pelham Park on Oct. 27.
Bowie Economic Development Corporation Executive Director Janis Crawley said the upcoming project will repave 26,277 square feet of pathway in concrete, spanning about 0.6 miles in length.
The work covers the trail section northeast of the Blade, curving past the soccer fields and toward the swimming pool.
Another section goes around the pool and sport courts, then back down toward the Blade. The project will also widen the trail section to eight feet and add a new 36-foot bridge.
Read the full story in your Thursday Bowie News.
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