Archives for August 2004

AUSTIN – Texas Comptroller Carole Keeton Strayhorn this month said the state collected $1.27 billion in sales tax revenue in July, up 9.6 percent compared to July 2003; but local returns are mixed.

“State sales tax collections have risen for 11 consecutive months,” Strayhorn said. “After seeing sales tax revenue decline for an unprecedented two consecutive fiscal years in 2002 and 2003, I am looking forward to closing the books on fiscal year 2004 at the end of August with a solid gain in sales tax.

“Our state’s economy has finally rebounded after the sharp decline that began in the third quarter of 2001,” Strayhorn said. “My Texas Index of Leading Economic Indicators points to additional economic acceleration in the coming months. One component of the index, Consumer Confidence, jumped 52.5 percent in March and by 35.4 percent in July, compared to the prior year.”

Many local governments will see increases in their August sales tax allocations, but the cities of Clarendon and Howardwick aren’t among them.

Clarendon’s rebate was down more than 11 percent to $25,185.64; and Howardwick fell 0.68 percent to $1,052.21.

The City of Hedley’s rebate was up slightly by about two percent to $537.18.

Statewide, Strayhorn sent sales tax payments of $291.9 million to Texas cities, up 10.8 percent compared to last August.

July state sales tax revenue and August allocations to local governments represent sales taxes collected in June by businesses that report sales taxes monthly and sales taxes collected in April, May, and June by quarterly filers.

Clarendon College Regents approved a $4.22 million general and education budget for the coming fiscal year when they met in regular session last Thursday.

The board also authorized a $1.593 million auxiliary budget.

“One of the biggest issues facing the college budget this year has been the continuing shortfall in state appropriations,” said CC President Myles Shelton.

In addition to the cuts in direct appropriations which began over a year ago, Shelton said CC is having a hard time dealing with reductions in state funding for state mandated health benefits.

In fiscal year 2002, Clarendon College paid just $17,000 for its share of employee health insurance. But reductions in state funding combined with higher premiums has caused CC’s health insurance line item to skyrocket to a projected $179,000 in fiscal year 2005 – a 924 percent increase over 2002.

Of the total combined budgets of $5.813 million, only $317,000 comes from local property taxes.

In other college business, regents approved replacing the institution’s telephone system which was struck by lightning several months ago. A bid was accepted for a new ESI system from AMA•TechTel Communications with a $29,957 price tag that will be paid for by insurance.

Regents approved a proposal from Faith Fencing to install new fencing on the south and west edges of the campus for $41,000.

Board members received a report regarding the ongoing talks with Reynosa Construction and unresolved issues with the college’s new residence hall.

An update was also given on the progress of the new Dickey Library, which Shelton says is way ahead of schedule. Work is currently being held up by light fixtures which are on order. The building should be completed in October, and furniture should arrive in November. CC students will begin using the facility next semester.

The board approved hiring Judy Newton for a secretarial position and Becky Hardcastle for a single semester as a developmental studies teacher.

Donley County officials are considering slightly lowering the total county tax rate, according to the proposed 2004-2005 budget filed in the clerk’s office last week.

The proposal uses savings in health insurance expenses and increased revenue due to higher property valuations to produce a $1.77 million budget that provides for raises for employees without a higher tax rate.

Last year’s combined county tax rate was $0.50645 per $100 valuation. This year’s proposed rate is $0.4993.

“We think this is one of the better budgets we’ve had in years,” said County Judge Jack Hall. “We saved money in the health insurance line, and we’ve addressed issues of pay for elected officials and hourly workers.”

Salaries for the tax assessor/collector, clerk, treasurer, and judge would be raised and equalized at $20,388.48 under the proposed budget. The sheriff and his department would receive three percent raises, and other elected officials would receive a flat increase of $720. Most other part-time and hourly county employees would also receive raises of three percent.

County commissioners did not take a raise.

The county is showing a total decrease of more than $79,000 in budgeted expense for health insurance. Hall said that is thanks in large part to the county’s switching its coverage from Blue Cross/Blue Shield to a plan through the Texas Association of Counties.

The county switched providers in February, and the judge says this year’s budgeted amount even reflects a 10 percent anticipated increase in premiums.

Higher property valuations are projected to generate approximately $26,000 in added revenue, but Hall says much of that increase will be eaten up by unfunded state mandates.

“One-half of the revenue increase is going to indigent defense attorney fees,” the judge said. “That used to be – and should be – paid for by the state.”

The line item for indigent defense was $7,000 in fiscal year 1999. The proposed 2005 budget allocates $28,000 for that expense.

“A big part of the problem is state mandated things like that, and then the other problem is the state is taking a bigger percentage of the fines and fees we’re collecting,” Hall said. “Local taxpayers are forced to pick up the slack.”

The judge said another big expense for the county is paying to house state inmates from the time they are convicted until the state completes its paperwork and picks them up. Donley County taxpayers paid $65,361 to house state inmates in fiscal year 2004.

FORT WORTH – Wildlife, beef cows, and eco-tourists can all safely cohabit the same farm or ranch, and often to the advantage of the landowner’s wallet, said a Texas Cooperative Extension agent.

“It’s possible, for example, to set aside small cover strips for bobwhite quail in a pasture. They may lose a little in pasture production, but in the long run, they’ll be dollars ahead,” said Ken Johnson, Extension agent in Tarrant County.

Johnson is one of the speakers at an upcoming wildlife management workshop set Sept. 8-9 at the Tarrant County Extension Office, 401 E. Eighth Street, Fort Worth.

The workshop was originally designed for absentee landowners – those living in the Fort Worth-Dallas area but retreating to rural land on the weekends. But the workshops have a lot to offer full-time farmers too.

Agricultural producers are aware of the benefits of wildlife management, whether for enjoyment or to reap extra income from hunting leases or eco-tourism. It’s Johnson’s observation, however, that many don’t know where to start.

Most of the program presentations will not only show how to put existing pieces together, but also how to start a wildlife management program from scratch.

The workshop will start at 5 p.m. both days. The first evening’s program will include presentations on managing for quail, waterfowl, dove, and feral hogs. Understanding and planning for the wildlife tax valuation will also be presented.

Wildlife tax valuation is important for absentee landowners who have recently bought agricultural land but have neither the time nor the inclination to raise cattle or crops, said Dr. Billy Higginbotham, one of those giving presentations. The wildlife tax valuation allows landowners whose property is already listed as agricultural tax valuation to maintain the same tax rate, said Higginbotham, an Extension wildlife and fisheries specialist. Land appraised as agricultural land will have substantially reduced property taxes.

The second evening will include presentations on managing for large mouth bass and white-tailed deer. Other programs will go into detail on growing supplemental forage for deer and using remote sensing cameras for taking a deer census.

Those with a private pesticide applicator’s licenses will earn two continuing education units.

Pre-registration is $50 and must be received by Aug. 31. Registration after the deadline and at the door will be $75 per person. The fee includes break refreshments and a handbook.

Send registration to Jacque Hand, Conference Registration, Drawer H-1, College Station, TX 77844. Make the check to “Wildlife Management Workshop.” Include the attendee’s name, address and phone number and specify that the fee is for the “Wildlife Management Workshop for Absentee Landowners at Fort Worth.”

For more information, contact Johnson at (817) 884-1946.

ABILENE – Cotton harvest has begun in the southern parts of the state and will begin soon in other areas.

Custom harvesters move from area to area as the season progresses, and growers have to move the harvested cotton to the state’s gins for processing.

The Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation would like to remind cotton producers and custom harvesters that the commissioner of agriculture declared several areas of the state to be suppressed or functionally eradicated of the cotton boll weevil, and movement of raw cotton products and harvesting equipment into or through these zones may be regulated.

The Rolling Plains Central zone, surrounding Abilene, and the Southern Rolling Plains zone, surrounding San Angelo, are functionally eradicated. The El Paso/Tran Pecos, Permian Basin, Western High Plains, Southern High Plains Caprock, Northwest Plains, Northern High Plains, and Northern Rolling Plains zones are suppressed. These zones make up a large portion of the western and northern portions of the state’s cotton-growing areas.

Harvesting equipment moving from areas outside of either a suppressed or functionally eradicated zone cannot be brought into one of these areas until the equipment has been thoroughly cleaned.

Raw cotton cannot be moved into or through suppressed or eradicated zone unless a protection plan has been filed with the Texas Department of Agriculture

TDA has developed a protection plan template for growers who fall under these restrictions and wish to gin cotton in a suppressed or eradicated zone.

The department also has developed guidelines for ensuring harvesting equipment is properly cleaned before entering one of these zones.

Many of these restrictions are placed on the movement of raw cotton and harvesting equipment from a suppressed area to a functionally eradicated area.

Brochures that provide more specific information on the restrictions are available from TDA or from the boll weevil foundation. Contact your local TDA office, or write the foundation at Box 5089, Abilene, TX 79608 to obtain a brochure.

The Texas Boll Weevil Eradication Foundation is a nonprofit, grower-initiated and funded organization dedicated to eliminating the cotton boll weevil from the state in the most cost-effective and environmentally responsible manner possible.

Connie McKinney has good news for Clarendon Elementary students. They can still eat French fries in the school cafeteria.

But before a celebration gets out of hand, McKinney, who is the director of the CISD cafeteria, notes that kids in Kindergarten through the fifth grade can only have fries once a week and the servings must be limited to three ounces.

“That’s about five or six fries,” McKinney said.

Still, that represents an easement in a string of changes handed down earlier this year by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs in her crusade against what she has called a “childhood obesity epidemic.” Nutrition policies, which took effect August 1, require schools to eliminate all fried foods and to limit the portion sizes and fat and sugar contents of other food items.

Originally, school officials were told to get rid of their deep fryers by 2006 and that all foods that once were fried must now be baked, including French fries, corndogs, and burritos. But in a seminar last week McKinney was informed that the cafeteria could keep its fryer until 2009.

“Too many people complained about oven space,” McKinney said. “If you’re serving pigs-in-blankets, baked beans, and French fries all on one day, that would require a lot of oven space.”

McKinney says the rules allow junior high students to have French fries in three-ounce services three times a week and permits high school students to have fries every day. Junior high kids also can still have iced tea; but McKinney has to put less sugar in it, and she can only serve it in eight ounce glasses instead of ten ounce glasses.

The cafeteria also has to serve more fresh fruit and less canned fruit in order to cut back on the amount of sugar being served.

CISD officials worried earlier this year that the new regulations would spell the death of the junior high and high school a la carte lines, but McKinney says those are still safe for now.

“You’ve got to get them [the kids] to eat something,” she said.

McKinney has her own questions about the new guidelines which limits servings of fries but still permits a lot of breads in school menus.

“I’ve asked them about being able to serve ten breads [five for breakfast and five for lunch] per week, and they said there were no plans to change that,” McKinney said. “Ten breads a week. That’s a lot of carbohydrates.”

Texas schools are not in a position to ignore Combs’ mandates. If CISD doesn’t comply, the school can lose up to $1.20 at breakfast and $2.19 at lunch in federal reimbursements for each meal lost to a competitive food sale.

In full support of President George W. Bush’s recent directive to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to sustain the environmental benefits of the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Texas Farm Service Agency (FSA) has announced a General CRP Sign-up 29 to begin August 30, 2004.

Bruce Ferguson, County Executive Director for Donley County FSA explains that CRP Sign-up 29 is offered for those acres currently enrolled in CRP and set to expire September 30, 2004 or September 30, 2005.  According to Ferguson, eligible cropland never before enrolled in CRP will also be considered for enrollment under General CRP Sign-up 29.

 “As further expansion to the CRP program, President Bush has announced a couple of new initiatives including a Bobwhite quail initiative and an expanded wetland program designed to enhance wetlands and playa lake areas,” said Ferguson.  “Provisions and eligibility guidelines for these and other new CRP components will be forthcoming as USDA works through the development process.”

In light of the projected 16 million acres of CRP set to expire in 2007 and an additional six million acres to expire in 2008, President Bush addressed his vision for the future of the CRP program – the nation’s largest, voluntary conservation program offered for private lands. 

In a continued effort to “restore, enhance and protect” environmentally sensitive land, build on producer stewardship, and enhance wetland and wildlife acres, the President expressed his commitment to re-enrolling as many CRP acres as possible up to a maximum of 39.2 million acres nationwide.

 “Producers and landowners need to understand that CRP Sign-up 29 is completely separate from potential ‘re-enrollment’ of acres expiring in 2007 and 2008,” said Ferguson.  “No provisions for these acres will be made until the 120-day public comment period has ended.”

Individuals interested in making public comment pertaining to managing the large number of acres set to expire in 3-4 years, managing future CRP sign-ups, evaluating the program’s environmental effectiveness or other related topics of concern can weigh-in on FSA’s website at http://www.fsa.usda.gov.

Comments on the issues regarding this program must be received within 120 days after the date published in the Federal Register. All written comments should be mailed to Director, Conservation and Environmental Programs Division (CEPD), Farm Service Agency (FSA), Room 4714-S, Stop 0513, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W. Washington, D.C. 20250-0513.

For more information regarding CRP Sign-up 29 or public comment on the future of CRP, contact the Donley County FSA office in Clarendon at 874-3561 or visit the USDA Web sites at http://www.usda.gov.