Archives for January 2024

Voters in the Clarendon Consolidated Independent School District will most likely see a bond election this spring, but school officials have not yet determined how much money to ask for.

During a called meeting of the CCISD Board of Trustees last Tuesday, figures ranged from under $8 million to $12 million as discussion focused on needed facility improvements, security enhancements, potential new construction, expanded transportation capabilities, and other issues.

Greg Decker of Gallahger Construction presented the results of a facilities assessment performed last semester along with cost estimates for the district. Decker and other speakers repeatedly said the district has been doing a good job maintaining its buildings, which are mostly 60 or more years old.

Decker’s presentation highlighted several deficiencies related to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) through out the school’s facilities, issues with sidewalks, security issues, and roof leaks in some areas. Lighting and plumbing issues in the Bronco Gym were brought up, and the aging conditions of the agriculture building and the field house in Bronco Stadium.

Decker then moved into the estimated costs to address the facilities assessment as well as the costs for some things the district has considered, including $2.3 to 2.5 million for a new vocational ag building, $3.3 to 3.5 million for to replace the field house, $600,000 to address ADA issues and other facility deficiencies, $100,000 in accessible parking and striping, $500,000 for a new press box, and $500,000 for new visitor stands at Bronco Stadium, which would not include any sidewalks to those stands.

The district also wants to address security concerns, which were not discussed in detail at the meeting. Officials did mention the possibility of a wall along the south side of the breezeway connecting the high school and junior high buildings and some as yet undetermined work to address visitors coming into the main door of the high school so they have to check in a the office.
That amounts to about $8 million in improvements not including the security work.

School officials also mentioned the possibility of buying additional buses for the district, and there was discussion about having extra bond money approved that could be used for other purchases going in the near future.

Decker’s firm performed the facility assessment, estimated the costs for the districts, and will put together a marketing plan that will lobby voters for the passage of the bond.

John Blackburn of Live Oak Public Finance discussed the district’s bond capacity and the additional tax rate that would be needed to finance the bonds. Blackburn said that the with the school districts’ ad valorem tax rate being compressed by the State Legislature and the new $100,000 homestead tax exemptions, there will likely be a record number of school bond elections this May.

Clarendon CISD’s tax rate, according to Blackburn, has been compressed to about 83 cents per $100 valuation, which is down from $1.17 just a few years ago. That leaves less for the school to work with to address facilities but also means property owners are paying less tax. Combined with the new homestead exemption, officials believe the time is right to ask voters for a bond.

Blackburn presented options showing CCISD could finance a $9.6 million bond with 25 cents more tax, an $11.5 million bond for 30 cents, or a $13.5 million bond for 35 cents.

With the new homestead exemption, citizens with homes valued at $100,000 or less pay no school tax.

A 25-cent tax hike would increase taxes on a $150,000 by $125 per year. A 35-cent tax hike would raise taxes on that same home by $175 per year.

The CCISD Board of Trustees will meet again on Monday, February 12, to call for the bond election and will have to set an amount they want to ask the voters for at that time.

Also in last week’s meeting, the board approved a motion to selection Corgan Architects for the proposed bond projects and authorized Superintendent Jarod Bellar to select a Construction Manager Agent after running the required advertisement for the Request For Qualifications.

Donley County presented the City of Clarendon with two new proposed agreements last week after the city declined to move forward with a sales tax-funded district to support the sheriff’s department.

During a called session of the Donley County Commissioners’ Court last Friday, Judge John Howard said it could be argued that the city breached its law enforcement contract with the county after a January 11 vote of the city council reversed a December vote to put the creation of a County Assistance District before city voters this spring.

“I don’t mind if the city doesn’t want to participate in the County Assistance District,” Howard said, “but we need multi-year agreement.”

Howard said the city’s contract has historically covered about 20 percent of the sheriff’s budget, the current agreement for $140,000 in fiscal year 2024 only provides 13.4 percent of the sheriff’s budget. He also said he had made clear to the city council in December that the $140,000 contract was inextricably linked to the city putting the assistance district before the voters.

In order for a County Assistance District to be created in the city, Clarendon would have to give up five-eights of a cent of its two-cent sales tax. Howard said he understands if the city doesn’t want to give up its sales tax, but he reiterated that a multi-year agreement is needed and said the cost must reflect the expense the county incurs.

The county had wanted the city to pay $170,000 in fiscal year 2024, but as negotiations went on last spring and summer, no multi-year agreement could be reached, which led to the $140,000 deal in December.

Sheriff Butch Blackburn asked the court to pull out of the contract with the city by giving 30 days’ notice and start negotiations at $170,000. The sheriff says the city’s support is necessary to keep four deputies employed and provide 24-hour police protection. Without the agreement, Sheriff Blackburn said he would not be able to have two nighttime deputies and night calls would have to be called out to an officer not on duty.

Three commissioners – Daniel Ford, Mark White, and Dan Sawyer – agreed the county should give the city 30 days’ notice, but Commissioner Neil Koetting urged the court not to take that action but instead let the city meet again first.

“There’s no question they want to fund the police,” Koetting said. “They have to serve their voters just like we do.”

Clarendon Mayor Jacob Fangman said he didn’t think anyone on the city council did not want to pay the sheriff but that it was just a matter of how and how much.

Sheriff Blackburn said to the mayor, “Let’s get our Big Chief tablet out and figure something out.”

The court approved two agreement proposals for the city council to consider. The first would increase the city’s cost for the current fiscal year from $140,000 to $170,000, and the second would start fiscal year 2025 in October at $180,000 with a two-percent increase each year after that through fiscal year 2029.

In other business, the court voted to change the wording on its documents related to creating an assistance district in Howardwick, setting the sales tax rate at one cent instead of three-quarters of a cent.

Editor’s Note: Last week’s article about the proposed County Assistance District for Clarendon stated that Donley County had agreed to cap the revenue from that district at $165,000 per year. The county actually proposed a $165,000 cap for just three years. We regret that error and any confusion it may have caused.

Seven candidates have signed up to run for local offices in Donley County during the first week of filing.

The cities of Clarendon, Hedley, and Howardwick; the Clarendon and Hedley school districts; the Clarendon College District; and the Donley County Hospital District all have a total of 21 positions available this year.

As of Tuesday morning, the City of Howardwick was leading the candidate count with three people having filed for three positions available on the city council. Aldermen Mary Grady and Terry Barnes are seeking re-election, and Johnny Hubbard is also running.

Both incumbents at Hedley CISD have filed for re-election to the school board. Dana Bell and Carole Ward are seeking new terms in office.

In the City of Clarendon, Alderman Tommy Hill will be on the ballot for one of three positions on the city council up for election this year. Aldermen John Lockhart and Larry Jeffers currently hold the other two positions.

Mayor Trisha Chambless is seeking a full term in office in Hedley, and two other positions are available on the city council. Those seats are currently held by Aldermen Aaron Hanes and Clayton Beagle.

The Donley County Hospital District has Mark C. White running for re-election to his Place 6 spot on the board of directors, and three other positions are also up this year. The terms of Jan Farris – Place 4, Nikki Adams – Place 5, and Lori Howard – Place 7 are expiring.

No one has signed up to run for any of the four positions on the Clarendon College Board of Regents. Those seats are currently held by Tommy Waldrop, Janice Knorpp, Lon Adams, and Brittney Word.

Likewise, no one has signed up for the Clarendon ISD Trustees positions now held by Wayne Hardin and Wes Hatley.

All local boards are elected at-large, but hospital board candidates must file for a specific place on the board. Candidate applications are available from the administrative offices of each entity.

Filing continues through Friday, February 16. This spring’s elections are scheduled to be held Saturday, May 4, 2024.

Business renditions are now due and must be filed by April 15, according to the Donley Appraisal District.

If you own tangible personal property that is used to produce income, you should have received your 2024 rendition form.
You must file a rendition with the Donley Appraisal District by April 15.

A rendition is a report that lists all the taxable property you owned or controlled on January 1 of this year. Property includes inventory and equipment used by a business. Owners do not have to render exempt property, such as church property or an agriculture producer’s equipment used for farming.

The appraisal district may use the information submitted in the rendition to set property values. For most property types, renditions must be filed after January 1 and no later than April 15. A property owner may apply, in writing, for a mandatory extension to May 15. Different deadlines apply for regulated properties.

A 10-50 percent penalty may be imposed if a rendition is filed late, is incomplete or not at all. The chief appraiser may extend the deadline another 15 days for good cause shown in writing by the property owner for each type of property.

File your rendition with the appraisal district office at 304 S. Kearney or mail to PO Box 1220, Clarendon TX 79226.

For more information about rendering property, deadline extensions, penalties and rendition forms, taxpayers may contact the Donley Appraisal District by phone at 806-874-2744.

Information is also available from the comptroller’s property tax assistance division’s website at comptroller.texas.gov/taxes/property-tax/.

The Clarendon City Council reversed course on a proposed County Assistance District during their regular meeting January 11, voting to rescind its December action on the subject.
Donley County officials have proposed creating four sales tax-funded County Assistance Districts to help fund the sheriff’s department. The plan would ask voters to approve creating one district in each of the cities of Clarendon, Hedley, and Howardwick and one in the unincorporated areas of the county.

The city approved a resolution to put the matter before the voters during a December 21 meeting. Two of the five council members were absent from that meeting, and one of the members who voted for the resolution asked that it be reconsidered at the January meeting. All five aldermen were present last week.

Clarendon currently has a two-cent sales tax, the maximum allowed for a Texas city. The county has asked the city to rescind or give up five-eighths of a cent (0.625 cents), which would then be re-directed to a County Assistance District covering Clarendon.

The new district, according to statements made by county officials at the December meeting, would be governed by two city representatives, two county commissioners, and the county judge.

County officials also previously said the district would be capped to only take $165,000 per year and anything above that would be returned to the city.

Discussion at last week’s city meeting centered on doubt about how the proposed district would be governed, how the revenue cap would work, the limitations that would be put on future city councils by the creation of the district and loss of the sales tax revenue, and the benefits of the city continuing to fund the sheriff’s department by contract as it has since 1981.

Two citizens spoke about the proposed district. Roger Estlack said revenue generated by sales taxes in the city limits ought to continue to be governed by the city council as the elected representatives of the citizens of Clarendon, and he encouraged the council to continue to work with the sheriff to fund law enforcement by multi-year contracts.

Former city administrator David Dockery asked the council to consider the limitations that would be placed on his successor, Brian Barboza, and the council going forward by giving up a portion of the sales tax.

Several council members said they did not feel like they had had time to consider all the aspects of the county assistance district at the December meeting, and members also noted that this was the first time they had considered the downsides to giving up a portion of the city’s sales tax to another body.

Mayor Jacob Fangman also addressed the need to keep the city’s options open in the future. He said right now it doesn’t make sense for the city to have its own police department, but he said circumstances may be different at some future date.

Mayor Fangman also discussed pursuing a multi-year contract for law enforcement but wants to consider ending the county’s support of the city-owned Burton Memorial Library and subtracting that amount from the law enforcement contract. The county, he said, could redirect those funds to the sheriff.

The council then unanimously approved a motion to rescind its December action on the proposed district in its entirety.