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COMANCHE -- The viability of the Energy
Volunteer Fire Department, predator control, honoring former county
employees and a proposed County property tax rate increase were among
the more significant topics of discussion and action at the Monday,
August 28, meeting of the County Commissioners Court.
Proposed Tax Rate Increase
After briefly discussing the proposed
County general fund budget for the fiscal year that begins on October
1, the Commissioners voted unanimously to increase property tax
revenues by 6%.
Because total taxable property values
have risen by approximately 4.4%, the amount of the proposed revenue
increase that will be reflected in the tax rate will be an approximate
1.6% increase. The Commissioners voted to propose an increase in the
County property tax rate from 57.38 cents per $100 taxable valuation
to 58.33 cents.
Two separate budget and proposed tax rate
hearings will be required before the Commissioners will be able to
finally set the tax rate for 2006. Public hearings will be conducted
at the County Courthouse on the successive Mondays, September 11 and
September 18, both beginning at 9:00 a.m.
Another budget and tax related meeting
will be held on Friday, September 29, when the final tax rate is
expected to be set.
County Auditor Joey Boswell read from a
notice to be published that indicated the county was increasing
maintenance and operations expenditures by 9.02%, that debt service
was decreasing by 3.98% and that total expenditures were increasing by
7.86%.
Boswell also had a budget summary
schedule that showed General Fund revenues totaling $4,103,858 and
total expenditures of $4,187,878, leaving a budgeted deficit of
$84,020.
Boswell stated that he was comfortable
with the budgeted deficit because the county had been accumulating a
growing surplus in the past two years from better than projected jail
operations. He indicated that the county might well expect another
surplus in the coming year, despite the budgeted deficit.
Energy Volunteer Fire Department
In other business, the Commissioners met
with representatives from the Energy community regarding whether the
Energy Volunteer Fire Department was still in operation.
Commissioner Garry Steele noted that he
was aware of the department being paged to a recent brush fire in the
area and that the department had failed to respond. Steele noted that
he had made an attempt to get in touch with members of the fire
department and had thus far failed to find out whether the department
remained in operation. Steele stated that if the department was no
longer operating that the County did not need to budget funding
support for it.
Steele asked the representatives from the
fire department present at the meeting how many fire calls they had
answered this year. Ronnie Calcote responded and said that the number
was around ten. He said that the members of the fire department had
been unable to get either of their fire trucks started on the day of
the recent fire, but that both trucks were now operable. The trucks
are being maintained at the Energy Community Center.
Calcote said the Energy VFD was hoping to
acquire an additional fire truck and to locate more volunteers.
Commissioner Steele acknowledged that
there was visible evidence from the department members present at the
meeting that there was community support for the department. He added,
however, if the department was not going to be an active fire
department then it did not merit continued support with public tax
funds.
Calcote promised to work on improving the
situation within a month, and if that could not be accomplished, he
would inform the Commissioners Court and not seek any further County
funding.
Steele responded that he thought that was
a fair plan and expressed his hope that they would be successful in
keeping the department in operation.
It was pointed out that the distance
involved between Energy and Gustine and the radio tower in Comanche
was far enough that radio and fire pager communications was difficult
and sometimes impossible. A request was made for a radio repeater to
be placed on an existing tower somewhere closer to the southeastern
portion of the county to improve the situation.
Commissioner Steele agreed that the radio
communications situation was not good in that part of the county and
that he had personally experienced it. "Let's see what we can do,"
Steele added.
Commissioner Bobby Schuman noted that the
county needed an active Energy fire department and offered his help in
anyway he could in getting it going. He added that the county needed
to look into getting a radio repeater in service in that part of the
county.
Sheriff Jeff Lambert added that a radio
repeater would be helpful for his department as well.
Predator Control Program
Glynn Riley, district supervisor with the
U.S. Department of Agriculture's Wildlife Service, gave a report to
the Commissioners on efforts to control livestock predators in
Comanche County.
Riley introduced Kevin Graves, a wildlife
damage management technician with the Texas Cooperative Extension
Service who has been active in Comanche County since February.
Riley noted that his office had been
working through the Comanche County Predator Control Association for a
number of years and cited the leadership of Bill and Steve Clemons in
the Association, adding that both men were not currently able to be
active in the effort.
Riley asked about the county's level of
support for the program and County Treasurer Billy Ruth Rust responded
that it was $950 a month. County Auditor Joey Boswell stated that it
was budgeted to increase to $14,000 in the coming fiscal year.
Riley stated that there were
approximately 100 members in the Predator Control Association and that
the number was growing. He noted that the during the current fiscal
year, which began last October, a total of 211 coyotes, 70 hogs and
some foxes, bobcats and beavers had been eliminated. He added that
beavers had been a problem at Proctor Lake in the prior year, that
Corps of Engineers had made a financial contribution to the
association and that 45-50 beavers had been removed.
Riley said their business was primarily
associated with the sheep and goat business and mostly in the southern
part of the county, but not exclusively. He noted that the Angora goat
business had practically disappeared and that sheep raising had
declined, but that the meat goat business had grown significantly. He
added that interest was also growing for the protection of deer and
exotic wildlife, and cited fawn survival statistics that showed the
success of predator management.
Bobby Schuman offered his opinion that
the workings of the county Predator Control Association should be
better publicized so that more can join in the effort and better
overall results be achieved.
Garry Steele said that he certainly
supported the predator control program and cited the feral hog
situation and coyotes as the main reasons. He added, "Those are
probably our major problems and without some type of suppression, it
would be a lot worse than it is."
Riley agreed that the feral hog problem
was growing by "leaps and bounds" and said that they had replaced
coyotes as the number one problem they are asked to deal with.
Commissioner Chris Biggs commented on the
damage that feral hogs can bring to fences, as well as agricultural
property.
Riley said that his service had been
using a helicopter for predator control in the county as well as other
areas in his 14 county district. He said the cost charged to
cooperating counties was around $300 per hour, about what it cost to
operate the helicopter. “There's always a long list of people wanting
that thing.” The helicopter is based in Brownwood.
Riley noted that they had used the
helicopter very successfully in some areas, citing an instance in San
Saba County where around 700 hogs had been killed in a short time.
Judge James Arthur asked if the hog meat
could be used to help feed the needy around the world.
Riley responded with an example of
volunteers in another area who had done that very thing, but
emphasized the expense involved, particularly in the high per minute
cost of operating a helicopter.
After pleasantries and expressions of
appreciation were exchanged, Riley and Graves left the meeting with
assurances of continued support. It was noted that one man covering a
county was a bit tightly stretched. Future programs and informational
opportunities were discussed in conjunction with dinners put on for
hunters.
For those who wish to learn more about
joining the Comanche County Predator Control Association, call Kevin
Graves at 325-356-3040. The cost of membership varies by the acreage
involved.
Honors
Judge James Arthur presented two plaques
for exceptional service to Comanche County. The first was to Becky
Caffey, who recently resigned as Chief Deputy in the County Jail. The
second was to Shirley Brinson, widow of former Commissioner Clyde
Brinson. The Commissioners all made expressions of regret and
gratitude.
Other Business
The Commissioners agreed to allow the
placement of advertising literature for prepaid legal services to be
dispensed with payroll checks after a presentation made by Robert
Compton of Pre-Paid Legal Services. County Judge Arthur cut off
Compton's presentation when it reached the allocated time limit.
County Treasurer Billy Ruth Rust expressed her opinion that the
service was not needed.
The Commissioners agreed to the sale of
two lots in Promontory RV Resort Subdivision to Gene and Nancy Hicks
and to Joseph Nelson and Shirley Smith for amounts bid in a public
sale resulting from unpaid taxes.
The Commissioners acknowledged order from
District Court 220 regarding the reappointment of Don McDonald as the
official court reporter and setting the budget for the office of the
County Auditor.
Sheriff Jeff Lambert met with the Court
and noted that he had received the grant documentation regarding the
Environmental Deputy. He acknowledged an error in the preparation of
the grant request, in which the 60% cost of a vehicle to be paid out
of the grant had been underestimated, resulting in the need to
purchase a used vehicle rather than a new one.
Lambert circulated a quote for a used
Ford F-150 heavy half ton 4WD pickup which seemed to be well received
by the Commissioners, two of which spoke in its favor.
Lambert also reported the resignation of
Deputy Mitchell Best and the pending reassignment of Deputy Rhonda
Alderman from Lake Deputy to Environmental Deputy. |
