The Mathis News (Mathis, Tex.), Vol. 65, No. 18, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 1988 Page: 1 of 10
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Vote Saturday, May 7
THE
Dedicated To The Best Interests of Mathis
and the Lake Corpus Christi Area
Mathis
News
Volume LXV
Thursday, May 5,1988 — Mathis, Texas 78368
10 Pages — No. 18
On May 7 Ballot
Vz % Sales Tax Increase
Would Cut Local Taxes
by Charles Sullivan
In addition to choosing three Aldermen, voters in the May 7 City
election will find a proposition to increase the City sales tax by one-
half percent (%%).
Revenues from the additional sales tax can be used only for the
reduction of City property taxes, according to legislation passed dur-
ing the third called session of the 69th Legislature in 1986.
Passage of this proposed one-half percent increase in the City sales
tax could lower the property taxes in Mathis by as much as 20 percent,
according to estimates based on sales tax receipts for the past 12 mon-
ths.
A 20-percent reduction in the effective tax rate could result in a sav-
ings of roughly $55 per year for a person or family with property
evaluated at $30,000. In return, one would have to spend over $11,000
annually on taxable items to pay an additional $55 in sales taxes at the
increased tax rate.
A lower tax rate should be more advantageous to the City in their ef-
forts to attract new businesses and would also help existing businesses
that are struggling during these economically hard times.
In addition, tourists, Winter Texans and other visitors to the City
would share some of the tax burden now carried by local citizens and
merchants.
If passed, the new sales tax would go into effect Jan. 1, 1989.
However, local citizens could feel the benefits as soon as Sept. 1988,
when the City adopts its budget for the coming fiscal year and sets the
property tax rate.
According to State Comptroller Bob Bullock, 82 Texas counties and
54 cities had already adopted the one-half percent sales tax increase
by the end of March.
The voters of Mathis would be wise to follow suit by voting FOR a
one-half percent (Vz%) City sales tax increase on May 7.
Chamber OK's Name Change
During Tuesday Luncheon
Rummage Sale Set May 14
The Lake Corpus Christi Area
Chamber of Commerce approved
two changes to their articles of in-
corporation at Tuesday’s luncheon
at the Ranch Restaurant.
Chamber members voted to
change the organization’s name to
the Lake Corpus Christi Area
Chamber of Commerce and Tourist
Bureau, in order to be eligible for
more funds from the City’s collec-
tion of the Hotel-Motel Tax.
According to state law, revenue
from the hotel-motel tax can be used
only for the promotion of tourism
and/or of the City.
The members also voted to limit
the individual liability of the Board
of Directors, in cases where they are
acting in good faith for the Chamber.
In other business, plans were
finalized for a rummage sale Satur-
day, May 14, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. at
the old location of Lakeway Ford on
San Patricio Avenue. In addition to a
rummage sale, hot dogs and cold
drinks will be available.
Persons having items to donate for
the sale may contact Mike Chapa at
547-3375, or call the Chamber office
at 547-6112.
Members were also reminded of
the upcoming Chamber banquet,
Saturday, May 21, at the Ranch
Restaurant.
Mel Mountjoy of San Antonio, also
known as “The Oldtimer,” will be
the featured speaker. Tickets are $10
per person and may be acquired
from Chamber members or at the
Chamber office.
The program was presented by
Donna Shurley, director of the Brush
Country Co-Op, which is a co-
operative effort that provides ser-
vices for handicapped students to
nine area school districts, including
the Mathis I.S.D.
Subcommittee Approves
Crime Prevention Grant
The Planning Subcommittee of the
Coastal Bend Council of Govern-
ments’s Public Protection Commit-
tee approved an application by the
City of Mathis for a Crime Preven-
tion/Major Crime Officer grant at
their meeting, last month in Corpus
Christi.
Crime Prevention Officer Sylvia
Steele of the Mathis Police Depart-
ment represented the City of Mathis
at the hearing.
The Subcommittee advised ap-
plicants present that 1989 would be
the final year of the Crime Preven-
tion/Major Crime Officer Grant.
In addition, the City of Mathis was
penalized one year of the five-year
grant for failure to comply with
grant requirements.
Upon approval of the Planning'
Subcommittee, the City’s applica-
tion will now be submitted to the
Criminal Justice Department of the
Governor’s office for final approval.
CPL Kilowatt-Hour Rate
Drops 4th Straight Year
Customers of Central Power and
Light Company paid lower electrical
rates in 1987, marking the fourth
consecutive year that rates have
dropped, according to Susan Inglis,
CPL manager in Mathis.
The average price of a kilowatt-
hour of electricity dropped from 6.22
cents in 1986 to 5.90 cents in 1987. In
1983, rates for residential electricity
were 26 percent higher than in 1987.
CPL’s aggressive fuel-purchasing
policies have been one of the major
causes of the lower rates, according
to the company’s just published 1987
annual report.
The report also noted that CPL’s
total revenues were down 11 percent
from 1986 and kilowatt-hour sales
declined 10 percent. This reflects a
soft economy, a low rate of customer
growth and a reduction in sales to
other utilities. The decline in
revenues was caused by reduced
sales and lower fuel costs.
A milestone for CPL was reached
in March 1988, when Unit 1 of the
South Texas Project nuclear plant
began producing heat through the
nuclear fission process. The unit is
expected to be in commercial opera-
tion sometime this summer.
The 1987 report also discussed a
recent reorganization plan at CPL,
which is expected to result in a
reduction of 11 percent in the com-
pany’s total work force.
The reorganization featured con-
solidations affecting all major work
groups such as distribution districts,
transmission divisions, power
plants, local offices and the com-
pany’s home office.
The consolidations resulted in the
elimination of managerial and
supervisory positions, including a 26
percent reduction in senior manage-
ment jobs. The reduction in force
has been accomplished by a volun-
tary early-retirement program that
has been accepted by 236 of the 268
eligible employees, according to the
report.
Trustee, Aldermen's Races
To Be Decided Saturday
Voters will go to the polls Saturday
tb elect three City Councilmen and
two school board members in
separate elections.
Nine persons filed for three City
Council seats, including two in-
cumbents. Six persons filed for two
positions on the Board of Trustees,
although one has asked voters to ig-
nore his name on the ballot and sup-
port the incumbent.
In what was described as a heavy
absentee turnout, 342 absentee votes
were cast in person in the City elec-
tion, with 166 additional requests for
ballots by mail. The Mathis I.S.D.
reported 430 absentee ballots cast in
person and 43 requests for ballots by
mail. Voters have until election day
to return mail-in ballots.
Also included on the City ballot is a
proposition to increase the local
sales tax by one-half percent (%%).
Revenues from the increased sales
tax can only be used to lower proper-
ty taxes. Projections based on sales
tax collections for the past 12 months
indicate that the increase, should it
be approved, could lower City pro-
perty taxes by as much as 20 per-
cent.
In the City Council race, in-
cumbents Juan Jose Ganceres and
John A. Walbroehl are running for
reelection, while Richard Molina
opted not to seek another term as
Alderman.
Ganceres is opposed by Homer
Del Bosque, Joe R. Hinojosa and
Eloy Diaz for the Place 1 seat, while
Guadalupe H. DeLeon is challenging
Walbroehl for the Place 2 position.
Samuel Hernandez, Pedro Zapata
Jr. and Margarita Paiz Rivera are
vying for the Place 4 seat currently
held by Molina.
In the Trustees’ race, Place 6 in-
cumbent G.W. McCown IV is being
challenged by Rodolfo Ruiz Jr. and
Dale Day. However, Day has en-
dorsed the incumbent, asking voters
to ignore his name on the ballot.
Nancy E. Smith, Alma Villarreal
Moreno and Atanacio “Tony” Mar-
tinez Jr. are vying for the Place 7
seat. Mrs. Evelyn Eggert, the Place
7 incumbent, is not seeking reelec-
tion.
Voters in the City election will be
casting their ballots at City Hall,
while polls for the school board elec-
tion will be located at the Mathis
Junior High gym.
The polls will be open from 7 a.m.
to 7 p.m. on Saturday in both elec-
tions. Ballots will be tabulated at the
voting sites following the closing of
the polls.
Six Candidates For Council
Owe Delinquent Property Tax
Six of the nine candidates seeking
election to the Mathis City Council
are delinquent in the payment of
property taxes to the City, San
Patricio County and/or the Mathis
I.S.D., according to the tax rolls of
those entities.
Eloy Diaz, candidate for Place 1,
owes taxes totaling $2,343.10 to all
three taxing entities, including
$1,061.50 to the County, $837.73 to the
City and $443.87 to the school
district. County tax records show
Diaz is delinquent from 1977 through
1986, while City and school district
EPA Leafleft Warns
Of Lead Dangers
The City of Mathis will distribute
leaflets with this month’s water and
sewer bills, warning about the
dangers of lead in drinking water
and informing the public on how to
reduce dangers in their households.
Distribution of the leaflets is re-
quired by the Environmental Pro-
tection Agency (EPA).
The pamphlet tells of the potential
sources for lead accumulation in the
body, naming food, air and drinking
water.
Public drinking water supplies are
governed by the Safe Drinking
Water Act, under which the EPA
sets drinking water standards. Addi-
tionally, the EPA has determined
that lead is a health concern at cer-
tain levels of exposure and, curren-
ty, the standard is over .050 parts
per million. However, based on new
health information, the EPA is likely
to lower this standard significantly.
According to the EPA, too much
lead in the human body can cause
serious damage to the brain,
kidneys, nervous system and red
blood cells. The greatest risk, even
with short-term exposure, is to
young children and pregnant
women.
The most common source of lead
contamination today is in the home.
Most lead present in drinking water
enters after the water leaves the
local treatment plant.
It was a common practice through
the early 1900’s to use lead pipes for
interior plumbing. Later, after cop-
per piping had become the standard,
lead-based solder was used to join
the connections. Today, lead-free
solder and materials are required by
federal law in new household plumb-
ing and in plumbing repairs.
To find out if the plumbing in a
residence contains lead, try scrat-
ching the pipe with a key or
screwdriver. Lead is a soft metal
and is dull gray in color. If lead pipes
are present, they will scratch easily
and will be shiny when scratched.
When water stands in the pipes of
a residence for several hours
without use, there is a potential for
Weather
Report
lead to leach, or dissolve, into the
water if a lead source is present.
Several ways to minimize ex-
posure are listed in the pamphlet, in-
cluding flushing, or running, cold
water faucets until the water gets as
cold as it will get before usage and
avoiding cooking or consuming
water from the hot water tap, as
lead is dissolved much more quickly
in hot water. Water from the hot tap
should never be used in making baby
formula for this reason.
The average level of lead found in
the water delivered to homes in
Mathis is less than .02 milligrams
per liter; but tap water may contain
higher levels of lead leached from
sources in the home.
Fred Farias, Director of Public
Works, stressed that no danger was
currently present in water treated
by the City water plant, but that
citizens should be aware of the
possibilities of lead accumulation
within their residences.
For further information, contact
the City of Mathis Waterworks.
records show him delinquent from
1985 through 1987.
City and school district taxes
became delinquent Feb. 1, 1988, for
1987 taxes, while 1987 County taxes
do not become deliquent until July 1,
1988.
Guadalupe H. DeLeon, running for
the Place 2 seat, is delinquent in his
taxes to the City and Mathis I.S.D.,
in the amount of $905.82, which in-
cludes $252.77 for 1987’s City taxes
and $653.05 in school taxes for 1985
through 1987.
Samuel Hernandez, candidate for
the Council in Place 4, owes a total of
$904.49 in back taxes, including
$314.39 in County taxes (1979 through
1986) and $590.10 in school taxes
(1980 through 1987)
Joe R. Hinojosa, also a candidate
for the Place 1 position, is delinquent
to the County for 1986 in the amount
of $164.55 and also owes $261.66 for
his 1987 City taxes and $193.13 for
1987’s school taxes, for a total of
$619.34 in delinquent taxes to the
three entities.
Margarita Paiz Rivera, candidate
for Place 4, and/or her husband are
delinquent by $397.47, $250.63 of that
total to the City and $146.84 to the
Mathis I.S.D.. In both cases the
delinquent taxes are for 1987.
Homer Del Bosque, also a can-
didate for the Place 1 seat, is delin-
quent to the Mathis I.S.D. for 1986
and 1987 taxes. His delinquent
liability totals $222.11.
EMS To Sponsor
Training Class
The Mathis EMS will conduct an
ECA class at the Gregorio Martinez
Community Center on Tuesday and
Thursday evenings from 6 to 10 p.m.,
beginning May 17.
No fee will be charged for the
course. All that is requested in that
individuals give back some
volunteer time to the Mathis EMS.
For further information, call the
Mathis EMS at 547-9610.
In Ceremonies Monday
Historical Marker To Be
Unveiled At Courthouse
The eight courthouses that have
served San Patricio County since the
days of the empresarios will be com-
memorated in two historical marker
dedications scheduled for Monday,
May 9.
At 9:30 a.m. a marker will be
unveiled in Sinton on the courthouse
grounds. After this ceremony, the
San Patricio County Historical
Association will travel to San
Patricio and dedicate a duplicate
marker that will be placed in front of
the replica of the courthouse of 1872.
County Judge J.M. Edmondson
and Commissioners Joe Zapata,
Glenn Dorris, Carl Duncan and Gor-
don Porter, will be honor guests.
Representative Robert Earley and
Senator Carlos Truan have both
been invited to attend. The Commis-
sioner’s Court will convene at 9 a.m.
and adjourn to take part in both
dedication ceremonies with Judge
Edmondson issuing the welcome ad-
dress in Sinton and Mayor Lonnie
Glasscock doing the honors in San
Patricio.
During the ceremonies in Sinton,
the events leading to the removal of
the county seat from San Patricio to
Sinton will be given. In San Patricio,
the history of the six early cour-
thouses will be outlined by Keith
Guthrie, chairman of the Historical
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POSTER W.INNERS-Pictured above are the bike-a-thon poster winners from Orange Grove Elemen-
tary. Clockwise from upper left are first place winners from Mrs. Stacy's first grade class, Mrs. Kir-
choff's second grade class and Mrs. L. Hinjosa third grade class.
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Sullivan, Charles. The Mathis News (Mathis, Tex.), Vol. 65, No. 18, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 5, 1988, newspaper, May 5, 1988; Mathis, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1045871/m1/1/: accessed July 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Mathis Public Library.