NEWS
Property values released; await Nov. 7 election results for final tax bills
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
Usually by mid-July county taxing entities have their certified property values and they have begun crunching the numbers calculating a possible tax rate.
While values using possible homestead exemptions went out to school districts this past week, Chief Appraiser Kim Haralson of the Montague County Tax Appraisal District says the figures are far from final as they have to await the outcome of the Nov. 7 Texas Constitutional amendment election, as well as send the school districts a value to submit for state funding so they can prepare their budgets and tax rates.
In the Nov. 7 constitutional amendment election a yes vote would increase the homestead exemption only for school districts from $40,000 to $100,000 and apply to the tax year beginning Jan. 1, 2023. The homestead exemption was last increased in May 2022 from $25,000 to $40,000.
Haralson said the main question for appraisal district staff was how could the MCTAD-certified values to the point school districts issue tax statements by Oct. 1, when a major component of that calculation, the homestead exemption, won’t be known until after the Nov. 7 election.
After working with state officials, the appraiser said they will go ahead and certify the tax rolls for the county’s 16 taxing entities instead of waiting another week. This action will allow them all to at least start the process of setting the tax rate which has multiple deadlines.
Read the full story in the Saturday Bowie News.
Members of the Bowie City Council will face a brief agenda when they meet at 6 p.m. on Oct. 13 in the council chambers.
Following routine reports and consent agenda items, the council will consider a resolution authorizing submission of the city’s 2027/2028 Texas Community Development Block Grant application to the Texas Department of Agriculture.
Then council members will consider approving Bob Blackburn for appointment as a reserve police officer with the Bowie Police Department.
Following an executive session, the council will discuss and potentially take action regarding the annual employment evaluations and duties of both the City Secretary and the Municipal Court Judge.
After nearly three months of no rain, Mother Nature brought the showers this past week.
Downtown Bowie rain reports varied from 7 to 8 inches, while the Saint Jo area reported a 10-inch total. The city water plant in Bowie reported 5.55 inches on Sept. 30 with 1.6 Oct. 1-3.
Nocona saw a total of 6.31 inches of rain across Sept. 26 to Oct. 3.
On Oct. 6, Lake Amon G. Carter saw a level of 917.39 mean sea level rising to 81.31% full. Just one week earlier the lake was 73.6% full, while one year ago it was 94.01%. The lake is full at 920msl.
Lake Nocona was 73.7% full at 823.02 on Oct 6. One week earlier it was 70.41% full and one year ago it was 92.41%. The lake is full at 827.5 msl.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
One Montague County City has joined the battle against any data centers being built in this county and there is a petition drive underway to urge the commissioner’s court to keep data centers out of Montague County.
At a Sept. 28 called meeting of the Saint Jo City Council, officials unanimously approved a resolution stating its opposition to the “siting, permitting, construction or operation of data centers and similar hyperscale computing facilities within the city limits or the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction.”
City Secretary Debbie Dennis said several citizens approached Councilor Jack Dunn about their data center concerns and he helped prepare a resolution. The council gave unanimous support.
Read the full story in your Thursday Bowie News.
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