Voters in all three municipalities in Donley County will vote on creating County Assistance District this May after resolutions were approved by the Clarendon, Hedley, and Howardwick city councils before Christmas.
County commissioners voted December 11 to pursue creation of the sales tax-funded districts as a mechanism to provide money to the Donley County Sheriff’s Office. The plan would be to create four county assistance districts – one each in the cities of Clarendon, Hedley, and Howardwick and one in the unincorporated areas of the county.
The City of Howardwick met December 12, and that city council unanimously approved a resolution to put a one-cent sales tax on the ballot to support a district for that city.
Howardwick City Secretary Sandy Lynn Childress said a good discussion was held at the meeting with County Judge John Howard and Sheriff Butch Blackburn fielding questions. She said county officials told them the commissioners court would govern the district but that they were not opposed to having local representation on the board for the Howardwick district.
The Hedley City Council met December 14 with Judge Howard and Commissioner Neil Koetting in attendance. Clarendon Mayor Jacob Fangman and Childress were also present. Childress, who was taking minutes for the City of Hedley in the absence of a city secretary there, said county officials there fielded several comments about the constable’s position and concerns about the sheriff’s coverage of that community. The Hedley council also approved a resolution calling for a one-cent sales tax to be on the May ballot for a County Assistance District in that city.
Clarendon’s city meeting scheduled for December 14 was moved to December 21 with the city council facing a very different question from Howardwick and Hedley. Where the other two cities only have a one-cent sales tax, Clarendon’s sales tax is two cents, the maximum allowed by the state. In order for a county assistance district to be created for the City of Clarendon, voters would have to approve taking money away from the city and then approve giving it to the County Assistance District.
Judge Howard and Sheriff Blackburn participated in the discussion, and Hedley Mayor Trisha Chambless and Howardwick Alderman Johnny Floyd also attended the meeting along with Clarendon Municipal Judge Richard Green.
Two Clarendon council members were absent from the December 21 meeting – Terri Floyd and John Lockhart, and Mayor Jacob Fangman expressed his view that the council should wait for a full council to be present before voting on the county’s request that the city give up 5/8 of a cent to fund a County Assistance District. The three council members present – Larry Jeffers, Eulaine McIntosh, and Tommy Hill – ultimately approved a motion to put the question of giving up 5/8 of a cent on the May ballot. Clarendon citizens will face two questions – the city giving up collecting a portion of its sales tax and the creation of a district to collect that same amount.
City Secretary Machiel Covey said the city received assurances that the amount collected for the sheriff’s office would be capped at $165,000 per year and said county officials agreed that the Clarendon district would be governed by a board consisting of two city representatives, two county commissioners, and the county judge.
The Clarendon City Council also on December 21 gave final approval to a contract with the county for law enforcement services for $140,000 for fiscal year 2024. City Administrator Brian Barboza said the county later approved the same contract in a called meeting.
Residents in the unincorporated areas of Donley County will also be asked on a May ballot to approve a County Assistance District that will be funded by a two-cent sales tax.
If the measures are approved by voters, they would take effect this fall.
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