NEWS

Commissioners get testy discussing assistant’s salary

Published

5 years ago

09/11/2019

Things got a bit testy Monday as the Montague County Commissioners attempted to adopt the budget as one court member debated against changing the county attorney’s administrative assistant salary back after it was reduced $3,255 at the last court workshop.
County Attorney Clay Riddle argued Commissioner Roy Darden was comparing apples to oranges, which led to every more anger as Darden alluded to past “buddy deals,” on the court which longtime Commissioner Bob Langford took personally.
At the Aug. 26 budget workshop the court voted to change the administrative assistant’s salary from $49,292 to $46,037 which is what other chief deputies make. Darden had raised the question why this staffer made $3,255 more than other similar employees. During the discussion there was a question if this assistant had any special certifications, but no one knew.
Monday, during the public hearing on the budget Riddle asked Judge Rick Lewis if he could answer those questions. He explained the staffer is the victim’s assistance coordinator working with the state victim’s fund to assist local residents, assists those merchants who bring in hot check cases, fields victim calls, file paperwork for pursuing judgement nisi, assist with civil matters along with all the other traditional office duties. This person also attends training to be a certified victim’s assistant.

Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.

NEWS

Rain runoff still helping lakes fill

Published

11 hours ago

05/08/2024

bowienews

Runoff from the ongoing spring rains are bringing great benefits for Montague County lakes as they continue to slowly rise.
Lake levels
Amon G. Carter
May 7 – 100% full,
920.86 msl
April 30 – 100% full,
920.68 msl
Lake is full at 920 msl

Lake Nocona
May 7 – 83.7% full,
824.79 msl
April 30 – 73.1% full,
822.91 msl
Lake full at 827.5 msl

NEWS

Pending litigation leads to executive session

Published

12 hours ago

05/08/2024

bowienews

Members of the Montague County Commissioner’s Court face a lengthy agenda when they meet at 9 a.m. on May 13.
An executive session is listed for deliberation on pending litigation. The court also will begin the preliminaries of budget planning with a workshop.
The court will review an engagement letter with Edgin, Parkman, Fleming and Fleming to conduct the annual outside audit.
The sheriff’s office staff will submit several items lead by a request to purchase a radio console for dispatch, along with a memo of understanding between Flock Safety and the SO and an application for participation with the Law Enforcement Support Office.
Commissioners will finally close out the Federal Emergency Management Agency project 4223 for county flood damage during the spring of 2015.

Read the full story on all the agenda topics in the mid-week Bowie News.

NEWS

Bowie BISD bond vote fails, 73% say no

Published

12 hours ago

05/08/2024

bowienews

By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
Bowie Independent School District trustees said they wanted a mandate one way or another in regard to the $65.8 million bond proposal, which was one of multiple reasons it went back on the ballot.
While voter turnout out was smaller than the Nov. 7, 2023 election, the mandate was clear as 73.28% of voters said no to the bond. Trustees had hoped a massive education campaign and a single issue election would boost voter turnout, however, that was not the case.
BISD asked voters to reconsider the same $65.8 million proposal that failed 855-1,079 last November. In that Nov. 7 election 1,934 people voted.
On May 4 there were 1,785 total voters, 149 less than in the fall. There were 477 votes supporting the bond and 1,308 saying no. The bond failed by 831 votes with only 26.72% saying yes.
Forestburg ISD asked voters to consider a pair of infrastructure centered bonds and the results were close. The most recent bond election for FISD was in 2018 and it failed 301-195.

Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.