Bowie County OKs $32.5 million budget, keeps current tax rate

Commissioners hire firm to represent county in a potential lawsuit against opioid manufacturers

NEW BOSTON, Texas—Without raising the property tax rate, Bowie County commissioners approved a $32.5 million budget on Monday—a budget which will start Oct. 1 .

While the tax rate, which stands at 42 cents per $100 valuation on real property, won’t generate enough money for county employee pay raises, it will allow the county to meet most of its projected operations and maintenance expenses through Sept. 30 of next year, according to county budget records.

The projected ad valorem property tax money generated by the tax rate alone is expected to produce more than $14.9 million.

Some of the larger budgeted offices include the District Attorney’s Office, with slightly more than the $1.5 million allotted to it, the Sheriff’s Office with $3.6 million and the county’s correctional center with more than $9.8 million.

Besides setting the property tax rate and approving the 2017-18 budget, commissioners also agreed to hire the Texarkana, Texas-based Dunn, Nutter and Morgan law firm to represent the county in a federal lawsuit the firm intends to file against both manufacturers and developers for misconduct in producing and selling opioid drugs.

During a presentation before the Commissioners Court, Attorney Winford Dunn said that Bowie County is among the top 10 counties in Texas to be adversely affected financially in money it spends annually to combat addiction in both indigent and mental health patients.

“We are asking the county to retain us because the county can get back more money by filing individually rather than in a class-action suit,” Dunn told commissioners. “Opioids have been a growing problem for the last 20 years.”

Attorney Carol Dalby, the Commissioners Court’s legal counsel, said she reviewed the law firm’s records and recommended that the court retain the firm. Following some additional discussion, commissioners agreed to hire the firm.

In other business, commissioners agreed to start holding their monthly meetings at 9 a.m. instead of 10 a.m. beginning next month. They also agreed to pay $78,000 to buy a used excavator for the Precinct 4 Road Department and appoint a committee to study two bids to repair the roof of the county’s building at 601 Main St. on the Texas side.