El Campo Leader-News (El Campo, Tex.), Vol. 98, No. 70, Ed. 1 Wednesday, November 24, 1982 Page: 1 of 43
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Christmas
Gold Rush
Pages 6-7 A
Opera House Gets New Face
- Page 1-D
Hoopsters Tip Off — Page 1-B
Let's Talk
Turkey
— Page I-D
W,
Leader-News
SVOBODA 1885
CITIZEN 1900
VOLUME 98 NUMBER 70
77437
El Campo, Texas, Wednesday, November 24, 1982
25 CENTS
6 SECTIONS 56 FACES
Boats Now Included
In Qty, County Taxes
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Tax Rolls Claim Boats
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Tax statements which were just mailed by the various taxing entities in-
cluded boats, travel trailers and motor homes. This is the first time the
City of El Campo and Wharton County have had to tax such recreational
items. Boats over five years old were not taxed by the El Campo ISD, un-
til now. Andy Swoboda, owner of Marine Supply, points out that boats are
now on the tax roil of every taxing entity in Wharton County.
By CHRIS BARBEE
Wharton County property
owners recently received tax
statements in the mail from their
respective school districts, cities
and the county.
Most taxpayers expected in-
creases in the tax on their homes
and land, but many were not
aware that their boats, travel
trailers and motor homes would
be added to the property list this
year.
According to the Texas Parks
and Wildlife Dept. boat
registration division in Austin,
2,000 boats were registered in
Wharton County as of Sept. 30.
Some of these have been taxed in
the past, others have not been.
Board members of the El
Campo Independent School
District and the City of El Campo
were not too concerned about
boats being added to the tax roll
which was prepared last summer
by the Wharton County Central
Appraisal District, but Wharton
County officials were upset by the
addition.
Wharton County Judge Dan
Sklar led the charge by the County
to have boats dropped from the
roll after learning of many cases
of inflated values. Wharton
County Commissioners Court
expressed publicly a desire to
have boats eliminated from the
tax roll, but had County Attorney
John Roades seek a legal opinion
on the matter before pursuing it
Roades learned that the County
could not legally drop boats from
its roll. His interpretation was
included in the tax statements
mailed last week by Frank
Konvicka, tax assessor-collector.
Roades addressed two
questions asked by the County and
by boat owners (1) If non
commercial boats are on the
County tax roll, must the County
tax them? Answer—The County
must apply its tax rate to all
property on its tax roll. (2) Must
the Central Appraisal District
include non-commercial boats on
the County tax roll? Answer—The
CAD must include boats on the tax
roll it prepares for the County
because boats are not excluded by
the statute.
The bottom line, according to
the opinion Roades obtained from
James P. Allison, assistant at-
torney genera], is that boats must
be taxed by all taxing entities.
Andy Swoboda, owner of
Marine Supply, said he questions
the value placed on boats,
especially outboards. He said that
without a personal inspection of
records on both the boat and
motor, it would be difficult to
value an outboard boat.
He said the problem lies in
cases where the boat and motor
are not the same age. He said it
isn’t right to tax someone for a
new boat and motor, when the
owner may have had a used motor
put on a new boat, or a new motor
put on an old boat. He said in
board-outboards would not be
difficult to value.
Vernon Warren, Wharton
County Central Appraisal District
chief appraiser, did not wish to
discuss any matter concerning his
office
According to Edwin Dornak,
tax assessor-collector for the
Louise Independent School
District, the action will not affect
his district. “We tax them everv
(See BOATS. Page 2)
Agricultural Slump Takes Toll On Other Industries
(Editor’s Note: This is the final
article in a four-part series ex-
amining the depressed
agricultural economy and its af-
fects on farmers and others.)
By GERARD PYM
Local farmers are conserving
their investment dollars because
of a bleak market forecast due to
low prices and stagnant exports,
and farm supply companies are
feeling the effects.
Equipment company sales have
been heavily affected by the
current agricultural slowdown.
Billy Rioux, owner of Rioux Farm
Equipment, has noticed
significant drops in the purchase
of new machinery.
“It's almost brought it to a
screeching halt as far as sales and
the approaching winter months
look real bleak. We don’t look for
a pickup until at least next fall,”
he said
Because farmers are expecting
low market prices, they are not
investing dollars into new
equipment. Rioux believes that
farmers will have to meet loan
demand carryovers before they
can even consider purchasing new
machinery.
“Rice crop farming equipment
has almost come to a stop,” he
said. Although the dealership has
had respectable sales in hay
equipment, Rioux doesn't predict
a turnaround until the fall of 1964.
Farmers are repairing their
equipment instead of making new
purchases in an attempt to curtail
spending. Sales of machine parts
have increased at some com-
panies because of the emphasis on
repair rather than purchase.
According to Randy Hall,
comptroller with Case Farm
Equipment, equipment sales have
not increased. “It has boosted our
parts sales. With no investment
money the trend has been towards
more repairs You can’t squeeze
blood from a turnip.
“Our equipment sales have
mostly dropped. We’ve been
selling some tractors at below
invoice costs, sometimes $5,000-
$6,000 below costs."
Hall said the few farmers who
are purchasing new equipment
“are in the position that they
know they’re going to be farming
next year.”
Although sales have been
isolated, the repair shop business
has fluctuated. The comptroller
said that farmers are doing all
minor equipment repairs ranging
from tractor tuneups to the in-
stallation of water pumps. Major
work such as transmission
overhauls are conducted at the
shop
Richard Vasek, salesman with
El Campo Equipment Co., has
also experienced a slowdown in
sales. “I guess it’s (agriculture
economy) making it tough for
farmers to purchase new
equipment which definitely af-
fects us.’’
The salesman believes thnt the
(See FARM. Page2)
Council Denies Street Light Request
In Brief Meeting Monday Evening
El Campo City Council denied a
street light request, approved
another one, met in executive
session, held a work session and
still adjourned in less than half an
hour Monday evening
A request by S.S Patel of the
Czech l>odge for two street lights
on the northside of West Jackson
was denied with a promise to
El Campo Catches
iSpirit Of ’
El Campon n* are truly getting in the “Spirit of Christmas,’' reports
Christmas Parade Chairman Willis Vickery, as the Dec 4 parade
draws near.
Vickery said the response has been greater this year, with 10-12
floats already signed up Mast of these are lacs! merchants and
organizations, he added.
Thi parade theme is "Spirit of Christmas” and all types of floats and
units will be featured including clowns, area bands, the WCJC Starlet
tea, El Campo High School Derby Dolls and the possible appearance of
the Houston Shnner*
Vickery and co-woken Bill McFarland and Don Davis encourage
everyone to get Involved with the perade If possible, parade entries
should be In before Dec 1, but late entries will be sccepted
A ribbon will be awarded to the “boat of the perade ’’ First second
and third place prises will he given in the three categories marching
units float* and chiktrrn
The parade rente will be similar to Last year but will begin at the
new Larks Stare on Highway 71 North
study the area further.
i he lights were requested
between Floral Gardens and Ritz
Food City Manager Robert
Lundy told Council that lights are
placed on every corner on
alternate sides of the street from
While LoMi Motel <>n East
Jackson to the Coca Cola plant on
West Jackson, with additional
ones at major intersections in the
downtown area
“If we put these two up I think
we have to consider putting them
on all the corners.” Lundy said
A street light at the comer of
Heights and Ave C did pass
muster on recommendation of the
city manager who said the area is
very dark
Councilman King Sharp
reported on the recent meeting of
the Houston Galveston Area
Council of Governments (H
GACi Sharp was elected as an
alternate delegate to the board of
directors hacking up Sandra
Pickett of Liberty who moved up
from an alternate
It was also announced that the
annual Christmas party for Ctty
employees will tv held on lie< 6
at the ( (immunity < roler
Than ksgiring Preparations
I s I1M k, I ».«. M..W..
students is all El Campo scnoola are looking forward to Thanksgiving
tomorrow, and many are doing things In their classrooms to provide the
appropriate holiday atmosphere. Working on pine rone tnrkevs at
Methodist Child ( are ( enter are fonr-year-olds <l-r> Derlk latndy, son of
Mr and Mrs I) K lamdy; Hand! ftrnhar, daughter of Mr and Mrs An
drew Nrohnr: and Mrstl Alders an. son of Mr. and Mrs Mike AUiersoo
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Barbee, Chris. El Campo Leader-News (El Campo, Tex.), Vol. 98, No. 70, Ed. 1 Wednesday, November 24, 1982, newspaper, November 24, 1982; El Campo, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1007054/m1/1/?q=Lamar+University: accessed June 6, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Wharton County Library.