Bowie County considers keeping current tax rate for 2017-18

NEW BOSTON, Texas—Bowie County commissioners are looking at keeping the same property tax rate to support the county’s upcoming Fiscal Year 2017-18 budget.

Commissioners will consider proposing the same tax rate used this year for next fiscal year—a rate that currently stands at slightly more than 42 cents per $100 valuation on real property.

Bowie County Auditor William Tye said that while keeping the same tax rate won’t generate any money for county employee pay raises, it will allow the county to afford to meet most of its projected operation and maintenance expenses for next fiscal year which starts Oct. 1.

“The main thing is we aren’t raising the tax rate for next year,” he said.

Besides the tax rate proposal, the Commissioners Court also approved issuing a statement supporting the Sheriff’s Office efforts to apply for about $53,000 from the state’s recently created Rifle Resistant Body Armor Grant Fund.

If received, the money will be used to buy protective vests that can resist rifle bullets as well as handgun bullets. The state started the fund following the fatal police shootings last year in Dallas.

Commissioners also issued a statement approving efforts by New Boston to secure Texas Military Preparedness Commission grant funds to enhance the military value of the Red River Army Depot.

In other business, commissioners gave the Bowie County Clerks Office permission to add a link to its website where residents can find self-help resources—a link recently approved by the Texas State Legislature in

Senate Bill 1911.

The commissioners also approved a $5 public user fee to aid in records management and archive maintenance by the county clerks office as well as to help pay for both modernizing and updating old record systems.

Bowie County Clerk Tina Petty said that her office has currently digitized archives and records going back to 1968. She added that money generated by the fee will help her office continue to digitize old records and archives.

The court also approved District Clerk Jill Harrington’s plans to a pay for archival technology services as well as archival preservation and restoration services. The plan calls for charging a $10 public filing fee starting Jan. 1 for filing of lawsuits, counterclaims, contempt actions, motions for new trials, third-party petitions and other documents. Presently, her office has digitized, preserved and restored records from 1889 to about 1920 or 1930.

Commissioners then agreed to advertise for bids from anyone interested in selling a used excavator to the Precinct 4 Road Department.