Morgan Wheatly

Several Donley County 4H and FFA members competed in the Tri State Fair in Amarillo last week and came home with awards.

Complete results are as follows: Food – Recipe Contest: 1st Place Kami Duncan, 1st Place Brooke Duncan; Fudge: 1st Place Kami Duncan; Caramels: 1st Place Izzy Craft; Corn Muffins: 3rd Place Brooke Duncan; and Sugar Cookies: 3rd Place Chardy Craft.

Textiles: Hannah Hommel 1st Machine Applique, 1st T-shirt Embroidery, 1st Sewing Skirt, 1st Sewing Blouse, 2nd Tote Bag and 1st Recycled Clothing.

Photography: Tanner Burch 2nd Place computer manipulated photos.

Pigs: Misti Scott 2nd with a Chester; Kati Adams 2nd with a Yorkshire.

Goats: Colt Stevenson 5th and Chardy Craft 7th

Steers: Tres Hommel 5th with a Hereford and 6th in Exotic; Hannah Hommel 6th with a Short Horn; Madison Smith 6th place in the American Class; Jodee Pigg 10th with a Hereford; Kati Adams 6th in Class 19 Exotic; and Koyt Tucek placed 5th with a Short Horn and 4th in the American Class.

The Junior Livestock Judging Team placed 4th. The team included: Koyt Tucek, Jodee Pigg, Madison Smith, Emeri Robinson, and Calder Havens.

A new challenge has emerged for the City of Clarendon, which is currently operating without a functioning Board of Aldermen, and this time it’s a question of taxation and whether the city will be able to ratify its tax rate in order to get bills sent out on time.

This is typically the time of year that municipalities and other local governments deliberate and set their ad valorem property tax rates for the coming year, but Clarendon has been without a Board of Aldermen since June when three of its members resigned, leaving the city board unable to get a quorum.

The Donley Appraisal District says state law prescribes that if the city does not adopt a new tax rate, the current tax rate or the effective tax rate – whichever is lower – is automatically adopted for the coming year. In Clarendon’s case, that would be the current rate of 65 cents per $100 valuation, the same rate that’s been in effect since 2008.

But DAD officials say the problem lies in the fact that the tax rate still must be ratified by the Board of Aldermen, and City Hall says it needs to have a supermajority vote (four aldermen in favor) to make that happen.

City Secretary Machiel Covey says a holdover provision in the Texas Constitution stipulates that a city councilperson who resigns or otherwise vacates their seat shall continue to serve in that capacity until their successor is elected or appointed.

Given that, the city reached out to two of the board members who resigned and called a special meeting for Monday night, September 16, with the only agenda item being the ratification of the city’s tax rate. But a few hours before the meeting, the city was informed that one of the resigned members would be unable to attend, and the meeting was canceled.

Covey says the city has already posted an agenda in hopes of having a meeting next Monday and, if necessary, will likely post agendas for meetings everyday through October 5 until a quorum can be obtained and the tax rate ratified. If this effort fails, it will be after the November 5 special election before a new Board of Aldermen will be able to ratify the rate.

DAD Chief Appraiser Paula Lowrie says the city’s delay will cause a lot of problems for her office and for the taxpayers. Combined tax notices for all local entities are usually sent out in October, but a city tax ratified in November would have to billed out separately, causing confusion for taxpayers, extra cost for the city, and the creation of two separate tax rolls for her office to keep up with for an entire year.

“It puts us in an odd position,” Lowrie said. “The whole purpose of having an appraisal district is to combine efforts and do all of this at once.”

City taxpayers would also likely miss out on the discount they receive for paying taxes in October or November.

Waiting until November to ratify the tax rate will also mean financial uncertainty for the city, which is accustomed to receiving 45 percent of its property tax revenue in October. The city has a $132,000 bond payment due February 1, and Covey says she may have to dip into the city’s reserves to pay that or risk damaging the city’s credit rating.

Clarendon College’s fall enrollment is down compared to one year ago, but college officials say they have slowed the decline and expect a rebound beginning in January.

CC reported a total enrollment of 1,215 students following the 12th class day last Wednesday, September 11. That reflects a headcount decline of 2.9 percent compared to the 1,252 students in the fall of 2012.

Numbers on the Clarendon campus improved over last year with 367 students compared to 356 a year ago, but the college was down 18 students at its Pampa Center and down 28 students in dual credit classes, which are offered through area high schools.

CC President Phil Shirley said the college is blessed to have full dormitories in Clarendon and that overall the college’s enrollment picture looks good.

“I’m very optimistic that we’ve slowed the trend,” Shirley said. “We’re also doing very well in looking at other colleges which are down in numbers generally speaking.”

All three Panhandle area community colleges were reporting lower enrollments, but Amarillo College said its numbers were down five percent, and Frank Phillips College in Borger reported losing about 3.5 percent. FPC remains the smallest college in the state, reporting 1,140 students this fall.

Clarendon has brought two workforce programs – vocational nursing and welding – back to the home campus, and CC officials are expecting great things – as many as 80 students – when its new cosmetology center opens in Amarillo in November.

Additionally, the college is working with officials at the Clements Unit in Amarillo to offer welding classes there.

“We are working on creating programs that are needed,” Shirley said, and he praised the college faculty and staff for doing a great job in recruiting and retaining students. CC has taken steps to make improvements in its dormitories in an effort to give students a more enjoyable experience.

Shirley also noted that it is difficult to grow college enrollment in times when the economy appears to be growing.

The drop in dual credit students, Shirley said, is due to area school districts having a lack of master degreed teachers qualified to teach those classes. CC is exploring ways of offering dual credit classes to area ISDs with college faculty teaching via teleconferencing.

“The changes we are making will take effect soon,” Shirley said, “but not in time to count for the fall semester. They should make an impact for the spring 2014 semester.”

CC’s enrollment total for this semester breaks down as follows: Clarendon 367, Pampa 341, Childress 49, Distance Education (Online) 83, and Dual Credit 375.