NEWS
Saint Jo City Council to discuss zoning change, meet business rep.
Members of the Saint Jo City Council will meet at 6 p.m. on Jan. 10 in city hall to discuss a possible zoning change related to business development and hear from a representative of that prospect.
The council has been in the process of amending the city’s zoning ordinance for a 59.01 acre tract at U.S. Highway 82 and Field Road, which is owned by the city. The proposal is to change it from agricultural district to commercial.
The land has been annexed into the city limits, but it also houses the Easy Street Shelter on a long-term lease and wastewater facilities for the city system. Shelter volunteers last month asked the city to consider deeding the land to the shelter which would allow it to pursue grants or other funding that requires the shelter own the land.
Concerns also were raised if the shelter could continue operating in the same location under the different zoning category. Councilors said last month they would explore those questions with the city’s legal counsel. Cindy Castle of the shelter board is on the agenda to discuss an update on the lease issue.
Mike Medford of Vacaro Venture has been looking into a possible location for Dollar General in Saint Jo. He is on the agenda to discuss commercial development and associated issues, platting and building inspection standards and issues.Other topics on this week’s agenda include: Request by Dena Moragues and Kelly and Jennifer Baeper on the state of Griffis Street and the driveway into the property on Boggess Street; approval of minutes from the last three sessions; discuss and act on a request from Economic 4A on refurbishing signage on U.S. Highway 82; resolution to award bid contracts for the 2021 Texas Community Development Grant program; financial statement and payment of monthly bills.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
The 2026 certified property values for Montague County were released to the 16 taxing entities for which it sets values and for Montague County the total numbers were up 3.591%.
With the arrival of these numbers, the taxing entities can begin serious work on creating their budgets and proposed tax rates. Last year the Montague County Tax Appraisal District had to create two sets of values pending the November homestead election so they were happy things were back to just one set.
Certified values are based on property sales made as of Jan. 1, 2026. Chief Appraiser Kim Haralson said the values held up well during the protest hearings, and while minerals went down some there were a lot of new properties added.
New taxable property totaled $87,505,775 for 1,208 properties. Haralson said people appear to be setting up manufactured homes on some of the two-acre tract subdivision and other subdivisions are seeing people start to build houses.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
It is going to be a tough budget season for the Bowie City Council as it works through a draft budget proposal that tries to figure out how to pay for major projects and maintain present operations for the 2026-27 fiscal year.
As per the city charter, City Manager Bert Cunningham presented the budget proposal to the council on July 14, emphasizing without the final certified property values, as well as the final health insurance rates, it truly is a draft. The city staff also await the final bid numbers for the Rock and Pillar drainage project hovering around $2 million with plans to fund it through the budget.
A budget workshop was scheduled for 6 p.m. on July 27 with a public hearing to follow on Aug. 11.
Cunningham said the certified figures may become available by the end of the week, but that is uncertain. Two months ago the city’s preliminary values were up $70,530,035 from the 2025 final values, however, usually the certified values fluctuate slightly from the preliminary numbers, which totaled $497,939,568.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
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