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Participate in your local governments
Local government is a participatory process.
That means local taxing entities, by law, take certain steps to keep the public informed; and citizens then have the duty to learn from that information, add input when they feel led to do so, and vote when the time comes.
Or at least that’s the way it is supposed to work.
Often times, citizens are so caught up in their daily busy lives that it becomes easy to not pay attention to what ordinance the city aldermen just passed or what tax rate the county commissioners want to adopt. But it really takes only a little time – just long enough to read your local newspaper, for example.
As citizens, we often don’t know what exactly is going on in Washington, DC, or even closer to home in Austin. The federal and state governments are distant; and although our representatives try to stay in touch with local folks, it’s a daunting task for a voter to keep fully informed about the latest bill before Congress or the myriad of issues that accompany the state budget ever two years.
But things are geared differently for the governments that are closest to the people. Cities, counties, schools, and other local districts are governed right here at home by people that most of you know personally; and their proceedings are required to be conducted in the public view.
For several weeks now, local boards have met to discuss budgets and taxes. The meetings were open to the public, and anyone was welcome to attend and find out what was discussed. Of course, it’s not practical for every citizen to attend every meeting, so that’s where your local paper comes in. We attend those meetings for you when we can and do our best to find out what happened at those we miss.
After much work and number crunching, your local boards propose budgets and tax rates and then, by law, they take out an ad in your local paper – sometimes pretty sizeable ads – to let you know that, “Hey, we’re going to raise your taxes,” or “Hey, we’ve got a budget here you might be interested in.”
They even announce the dates and times for additional public meetings to let you have your say about these issues.
The people are then given a few days during which they can get copies of these public documents before hearings are held. And at the hearings you have the opportunity to address these boards. You can say, “Hey, guys, this tax is too high” or “Hey, I appreciate you guys holding the line on expenses and keeping my taxes low.” Or you could even say, “Gentlemen, I really wish you’d raise my taxes just enough to fix the pothole in my street.”
Over the last 14 years, your editor has been to many public hearings. Most of them pass quietly without any hoopla. Occasionally, a citizen will get worked up about something and show up to gripe, which is their right and certainly part of the process. But for the most part, the board will call a public hearing to order, they may acknowledge that the newspaper representative is present, and then we all stare blankly at each other for a few seconds before the hearing is officially closed.
It can be kind of frustrating really. A lot of time, effort, and money go into public hearings. It is a shame that most people will never attend one.
Nevertheless, the newspaper and the governments will keep doing our parts in this process. They will keep conducting their affairs in the sunshine and giving you proper notice of important decisions, and we will be around to make sure they are doing things right and doing our best to keep you informed.
But after that, as always, it’s up to you do your part.
Get informed, attend a hearing, speak out if you want to, send a letter to the editor, and go vote when elections roll around. Give your elected leaders some kudos when they deserve them, and give them some static when they deserve that. Be involved and be cordial. But without your participation, your representatives have nothing to lead them as they make the important decisions that will be impacting your lives and your pocketbooks.
That’s the process, and it’s a good one. But it takes all of us.
Upcoming Public Hearings
August 19 – Panhandle Ground Water Conservation District, 1:30 p.m., White Deer.
August 19 – Clarendon College District, 11:30 a.m., Bairfield Activity Center VIP Room.
August 24 – City of Clarendon, 5:30 p.m., Burton Memorial Library.
August 30 – Hedley School District, 6:30 p.m., Hedley School Library.
August 31 – Clarendon School District, 7 p.m., CISD Administration & Technology Building.
September 2 – City of Hedley, 7 p.m., City Hall.
September 7 & 10 – Donley County, 9 a.m., Courthouse Commissioners’ Courtroom.
SWEPCO sets record again
SHREVEPORT, La – Extreme summer temperatures of 100 degrees and above and high humidity across Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas again last week sent usage of electricity by customers of AEP Southwestern Electric Power Company (SWEPCO) to another new all-time high level.
A new peak customer demand was established last Wednesday, August 11, 2010, with a record 4,993 megawatt (MW) load on the SWEPCO system, breaking the old mark of 4,990 MWs set just the week before on August 4, 2010, when the Shreveport temperature was 101 degrees.
The old record prior to this summer had been set on August 4, 2008, with a 4,950 MW load.
A megawatt is a million watts, or enough energy to supply power to about 750 homes.
Parade deadline draws near for Amarillo’s Tri-State Fair
AMARILLO – Entries are being enlisted for the 2010 Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Companies Tri-State Fair & Rodeo Parade to be held Saturday, September 18 at 10am in downtown Amarillo.
The parade is a great beginning to the exciting Tri-State Fair & Rodeo held annually each September.
“food, family, fun!” is the theme for the 86th Annual Parade, according to Walt Kelley, Parade Chairman. “Everyone loves a parade and we look forward each year to the joy that our parade brings the citizens of Amarillo and the surrounding areas,” said Kelley.
“This year the parade would like to honor organizations that have been in existence for 100 years. If you know of an organization or club that is celebrating their 100th anniversary encourage them contact the fair office,” said Kelley. “We will honor these groups as our Grand Marshals.”
Parade entries are due Friday, August 27, by 5 p.m. Entry information as well as an application can be found on the Tri-State Fair & Rodeo website www.tristatefair.com under entertainment-parade. However, no entry will be turned away. So get your group together and get your form sent into the fair office.
Prize money for the top three floats best representing the theme are as follows: 1st place-$400, 2nd place-$300 and 3rd place-$200. All awards will be passed out at 5 p.m. at the Coca-Cola Family Stage at the Tri-
State Fairgrounds on September 18th.
The Texas Farm Bureau Insurance Companies Tri-State Fair & Rodeo is set for September 17-25, 2010.
Clarendon Aldermen won’t raise taxes, fees
The Clarendon Board of Aldermen will hold the line on property taxes and are not planning to increase utility fees according to the city’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2011.
Aldermen are planning to keep the city’s ad valorem tax rate at the current $0.65 per $100 valuation to support this budget. Fees for city services are also unchanged. The city expects to generate $296,617 in property taxes, but due to lower property valuations, that is about $10,520 less in total expected tax revenue, Covey said.
Aldermen could have adopted an effective tax rate of $0.673 to bring in the same revenue as last year, but they have chosen not to do that.
“I think the citizens would appreciate us not raising taxes,” Alderman Larry Hicks said during last Tuesday’s regular board meeting.
The bottom line of the $1.77 million budget is not much different from the current budget, according to city officials. City Secretary Machiel Covey said aldermen have planned for a three percent salary increase for city employees.
The proposed budget has no money specified for seal coating streets, but it does maintain the current budget’s $14,000 line item for asphalt, which Covey said is used for patching streets.
A budget hearing and a tax rate hearing will be held next Tuesday, August 24, at 5:30 p.m. in Burton Memorial Library.
In other city business, aldermen discussed the process of selecting the city’s next administrator when they met August 10.
The board allowed Mayor Chris Ford to gather more information about bringing in another interim administrator since Phyllis Jeffers stepped down from that position August 6.
Several board members expressed concerns with the cost of having a temporary administrator, which amounts to $45 per hour plus travel, lodging, and meal expenses.
Alderman Ann Huey, addressing the board via speakerphone, said she believed the city needs another interim at least three days a week to take care of business until a permanent administrator is hired.
In the search for a fulltime administrator, Mayor Ford reported the city had received more than a dozen applications. He asked each alderman to review those applications at City Hall on their own time during a two week period and select their top three or four candidates. The list will then be narrowed and brought back to the board at its next meeting.
Season gets closer
Five garage sales this Saturday
Attention Garage Sale Fans: There are five sales going on in or near Clarendon this weekend with everthing from skis and clothes to furniture and toys to the ever popular “miscellaneous.” Don’t miss out on all the great bargains and be sure to tell them that you saw it on ClarendonLIVE.com!
SKELTON/SHELTON/THORNBERRY GARAGE SALE – 315 W. FIFTH STREET. Dresser, mirror, desk, file cabinet, sofa, skis & boots, men’s/ladies’ clothes, maternity clothes, space heaters, lots of household misc. Saturday, August 14, at 8 a.m.
YARD SALE – Saturday, August 14. 141 Saints Roost Drive, North of the Howardwick Entrance. Large Women’s Clothes.
WORD/THOMPSON GARAGE SALE @ 619 ALLEN ST. This Saturday August 14th at 8:00 a.m. 32” Television, toddler‘s bed, cd/dvd storage, power wheels, Cricut Scrapbooking machine, clothing for men/women/boys, Halloween costumes and other seasonal decor items, furniture, boys room decor, home décor, lots of toys, Chevy rims & auto parts, welding torch, lots of misc. items.
GARAGE SALE – Eads Furniture Building. Saturday, August 14 at 8 a.m. Lots of clothes and miscellaneous. Everything must go.
ESTATE SALE – 201 W. 4th, Clarendon. Friday, August 13; Saturday, August 14; and Sunday, August 15, from 9 a.m. to ? Please No Early Birds. Everything goes except appliances. 35-1tc
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