The Bowie City Council will meet at 6 p.m. July 13 and begin what is expected to be a difficult preparation of the 2020-21 city budget.
As per the city charter, City Manager Bert Cunningham will present a draft of the budget proposal based on requests from the department heads and compilations of budget and revenue projections. A public hearing will be set for the budget on Aug. 10.
In other financial action the city will consider the proposed 2021 budget for the Montague County Tax Appraisal District. The district appraises and collects taxes for Bowie.
Following the process set forth by Senate Bill 2 last year a resolution will be offered to designate Kim Haralson, chief appraiser of the MCTAD, to calculate the no-new revenue tax rate and the voter approval tax rate in accordance with the Texas Tax Code. The bill changed up the method by which the tax rates are calculated and set.
The council will call a general election for November with three places on the ballot. Filing begins July 20 for place one, Laura Hefley; place two, Chuck Malone and place three, Tami Buckmaster.
Other agenda items include the possible sale of .0444 acres in the Lake Bowie subdivision; the public hearing for water qualitt.
In the city manager’s report the following topics will be updated: Charter commission progress, refunding community center bonds, giving away land tract one; draft budget; Texas Department of Agriculture and Community Development Block Grant Zoom meeting; Traylor and Association on grant writing and airport grant.