NEWS
Bowie City Council declines action on water rate proposals
By BARBARA GREEN
editor@bowienewsonline.com
Proposed water rate hikes in the City of Bowie died from a lack of council action as there were questions on the need for such large hikes.
There was lengthy debate at last week’s city council session as City Manager Bert Cunningham once more presented two sets of rate hike proposals which he said are needed to help make the water department self-sustaining and to plan for the mandated purchase of a new raw water pump.
The rate proposals were first offered to the council back in early December, but they returned for consideration at the Jan. 27 meeting. Cunningham explained just like citizen’s costs have increased in the past year, the city’s costs have risen substantially causing the water department to consistently lose money. Back in 2018 the water rates were inadequate to rising costs so the city increased them by 4% to pay for inflated costs of treating water, maintenance of the plant and replacing old lines throughout the city.
In addition to those costs, no new funds have been added to the infrastructure fund, which is used to help fund larger projects in the city. In his presentation back in December the manager said in fiscal 2021-22 the average revenue was $179,769.04 and expenses were $115,107.29 resulting in an average profit of $64,661.75.
In 2022-23 revenue dropped to $173,977.46 with expenses at $150,370.78. Average profit came in at $23,606.68. And in 2023-24 revenue is at $165,176.61 with expenses at $174,391.75 giving up an average loss of $1,307.94 a month, losing money in each of the last five months. In a new update Cunningham told the council in the first two months of this year the water department has lost $102,000.
Read the full story in the Thursday Bowie News.
The Bowie City Council will meet at 6 p.m. on June 23.
The agenda includes both old and new business items.
City Manager Bert Cunningham will make his report on the 2026-27 budget process, bid opening for the Glenn Hills lift station on July 16 and the bid for Rock and Pillar repairs.
In new business a pair of planning and zoning committee recommendations for replats at 107 E. Nelson and 412 Green will be reviewed. An ordinance adopting an office of emergency management amending a present ordinance will be offered.
Old business will see the second reading of the pickleball court reservation fee ordinance and the ordinance prohibiting drilling and mining or the reopening of an abandoned well or mine in any public park in the city limits.
A HEAT ADVISORY will be in effect from noon until 9 p.m. today (Thursday). Please plan accordingly.
Hear Audio Alert:https://hrpow.us/oeFZANN
Montague County Sheriff Marshall Thomas has confirmed human skeletal remains were recovered on June 13 in the Sunset area, and they could possibly be those of a flight attendant believed to have been murdered almost a year ago in the Fort Worth.
The murder suspect, Dennis William Day, 66, admitted in June 2025 to strangling Rana Soluri, 47, an Envoy flight attendant who lived with Day during that last year. She was reported missing by a co-worker on June 11 and had not been seen or heard from since March 2025.
Day initially denied any involvement, but later admitted to the murder and indicated he dumped her body somewhere in the Montague County area. Lawmen have scoured the areas in questions in both Montague and Wise County, but found nothing.
Sheriff Thomas said on June 13 the SO received a call of possible skeletal remains in the Brushy Creek area north of Poss Dyer Lane on Farm-to-Market 1749. A deputy went to the scene and confirmed it was human remains.
Investigators responded and kept the scene secure overnight until staff from the University of North Texas Forensic Anthropology Center could arrive and made the recovery on June 14. A Texas Ranger and staff from the Fort Worth Police Department also were on scene.
“There is no determination made yet on how long it has been there,” said Thomas. “The anthropologist was pleased to recover most of the skeleton in these conditions. Heavy rains previously made the past searches difficult. We are working jointly with Fort Worth to make an identification and if it is the victim in their homicide.”
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