NEWS
County approves budget, tax rate; bans Tik Tok
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
The 2023 tax rate and 2023-24 budget for Montague County were both adopted on Monday.
Commissioners gave unanimous approval to the financial items with Commissioner Roy Darden absent due to illness.
The general fund budget which includes the majority of county offices is budgeted at $11,457,991, while the four road and bridge precincts total $4,695,052 and the rest of the budget encompasses restricted funds.
There were no major purchases in the budget other than two new vehicles for the transport officers in the sheriff’s department. The elections administrator will move her part-time worker to full-time and the jail added a second transportation officer.
In overall expenses there is a pay raise of $5,000 per employee (not the 5% stated in Saturday’s story) and a 5.5% health insurance rate hike. The other increases were inflationary primarily for operations and supplies.
The 2023 tax rate is .5017 cents per $100 in property value, compared to .50360 cents in 2022.
Tik Tok banned
Montague County made adjustments to its employee handbook and policies to ban Tik Tok and related social media use on county-owned devices, as well as personal devices used by county employees. The prohibition makes the county in compliance with Senate Bill 1893.
Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.
The jury was seated on Monday and the opening day of testimony Tuesday only lasted four hours, before the panel went into deliberations about 2 p.m.
Two hours later the jury returned a guilty verdict on both charges. Wednesday morning the jury was set to begin discussion on Hall’s punishment at 8:30 a.m. with both sides offering evidence and testimony. Hall faces up to 10 years in prison.
The trial was moved to Denton County on a change of venue requested by Hall in March. After 16th District Judge Sherry Shipman read the verdict, it was reported Hall hung her head in disappointment and was later seen crying and emotional as she left the courtroom.
Members of the Bowie City Council will meet in regular session at 6 p.m. on May 13 in council chambers.
The meeting opens with a proclamation for Emergency Medical Services Week.
City Manager Bert Cunningham will report on recent rainfall problems, Smythe Street sidewalk project and the substation work.
There is only one item of new business an ordinance related to speed limits on specific streets. Public comments and approval of minutes wrap up the agenda.
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