By BARBARA GREEN
[email protected]
The Bowie City Council took no action Monday on a pair of proposed water rate increase plans asking for additional figures before making a decision.
City Manager Bert Cunningham reviewed two rate plans for water which he said are needed to “ensure the financial stability of the city.” The manager said no one wants increases, but rates must be raised periodically to progress and make improvements.
In the presentation the CM said just like citizen’s costs have increased the city’s cost also have gone up especially this past year, pointing to costs in some supplies going up 30 to 40%.
“The cost of operations, treating water and requirements of our state regulatory agency, TCEQ, have made it so that on average we are losing money in our water fund. We cannot continue to let this happen,” he explained.
In 2018 the water rates were inadequate to rising costs so they were increased by 4% to pay for inflated costs of treating water, maintenance of the water plant and replacing old lines throughout the city.
An infrastructure fund was established and can only be used for water and sewer line projects with council approval. Cunningham said since then, the city has self-financed several water and sewer lines in all parts of the city replacing more than 5,000 feet of line.
In the last three years due to increasing costs, new funds have not been added to the infrastructure fund. It has gone from about $1.2 million to $426,000 in July of this year.

Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.

Click on the link below to read the full three-year water rate study and rate proposals.

https://bowienewsonline.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/THREE-YEAR-WATER-RATE-STUDY.pdf

It took Montague County Commissioners less than 15 minutes to take care of its brief agenda on Monday morning.
Several of the items related to traffic signage were tabled to allow more research into the requirements. Commissioner Roy Darden of precinct one asked to add a 30 mph speed limit on Rosston Road, a 35 mph speed limit on Pleasant Hill Road and stops signs on Roth Road at Denver Road and Huddleston Road also at Denver Road.
While fellow commissioners indicated they had no qualms with the changes, Bob Langford and Mark Murphey both said the state has process for both signs, but they were not exactly sure what it is.
Langford said he recalls it can be 30 mph in a subdivision and 40 on a road. Someone also added the highway code sets the speed limits, which is 60 on a regular road unless posted otherwise. Sheriff Marshall Thomas added from what he read the process is rather vague.
Commissioner Darden said the problem on Rosston is he has no bar ditches and people going too fast is a hazard he wants to address. Murphey agreed a change may help and he thought a stop sign required a public hearing, but they want to make sure and do things right so it is enforceable. Langford added he has a few speed limits he would like to change also, so they can research the steps and go it right. Darden’s motion to table to allow for research was approved.
Members of the Montague County Historical Commission were approved for new two-year terms. The panel includes Beckey Scott, chairperson and Tommie Sappington, cemetery chairman and members Gale Cochran-Smith, Calvin Durham, Marjorie Hess, Robert Howington, Linda Mesler, Sheree Roberts, Robert Terry, Dan Watson, Wayne Wood, Margaret Woodyard and Larry Veale.
Payment was approved for Texas New Mexico Power for $10,113,63 from American Rescue Act Funds for a new power line to the wastewater treatment plant. County Judge Administrative Asssistant Angelia Richardson was named to serve as Nortex Regional Planning Commission Proxy.
And Sheriff Marshall Thomas presented his office’s annual Chapter 59 asset forfeiture report.

Members of the Saint Jo City Council face a brief agenda of business when they meet at 6 p.m. on Dec. 11 in city hall.
Items on the agenda include discussion on the purchase and financing of a new police unit. A date also will be considered for an ordinance workshop meeting. Minutes, reports and paying bills wrap up the agenda.