NEWS
Bowie charter revisions go before voters
By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
For the first time in 37 years, City of Bowie voters are being asked to consider a total of 15 amendments to its home rule charter.
In a May 1984 election, voters overwhelmingly approved the city charter proposal which had been prepared by a panel of 17 people appointed by the mayor. They included business owners, bankers, realtors and many other interested citizens.
The goal was to prepare a local self-governance document that provided the citizens more local control of their government, unlike the general law city that operated under the state code. With a charter in place, citizens could decide what size of government they wanted, method of election, process to create ordinances and many other aspects of how their city functioned.
On Nov. 2 voters will decide on a series of 15 charter amendment proposals. Many of them bring the charter up to date with changes in state law and eliminate items still in place connected with the original presentation of the charter such as how it was to be filed and an interim government.
In the Oct. 20 Bowie News, the first eight amendments were examined. In this edition, The News looks at the remaining charter propositions. Due to space limitations, the proposition on Richwood Park will be examined in the mid-week News. We apologize for the delay in getting this information out.
Sample ballots for the city election are available on the county website at:co.montague.tx.us.
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)
The following indictments were filed with the 97th District Clerk following the November session of the Montague County Grand Jury.
There were a total of 13 indictments with one sealed awaiting the arrest of a suspect.
A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Read the full list of indictments in your mid-week Bowie News.
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