The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 70, No. 269, Ed. 1 Wednesday, September 9, 1992 Page: 1 of 16
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Baytown election judge promotes voting through video
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Volume 70, No. 269
Wednesday, September 9, 1992
Telephone Number: 422-8302
50 Cents Per Copy
Baytown, Texas 77520
Budget hearings
slated for public
District
cuts new
positions
i
3
ddie
By Josh Daniel
of Hie Baytown Sun
Sixteen new positions
Goose Creek school offi-
cials had hoped to create
this school year have been
eliminated because of
shrinking state funds.
Since the positions
would have been new in
1992-93, their elimination
will not cause anyone al-
ready working for the dis-
trict to lose a job.
Trustees cut the addition
of the positions — seven
nurses, one assistant prin-
cipal, four secondary
teachers, two counselors
and two in-school suspen-
sion aides — because the
district can’t afford them,
in light of a $6 million loss
in state funds this year.
The cuts are expected to
save the district about
$447,500.
Adding seven nurses
would have placed one
full-time nurse on every
campus in the district — a
change that district health
officials, administrators
and trustees generally
agree the district needs.
The budget still provides
for adding two nurses —
bringing die district total to
to help staff the dis-
triet-s-new schools. Gutting
the' seven nurses would
save $168,000 in 1992-93,
according to district
figures.
Fourteen nurses cur-
rently split their time
among the district’s 23
schools, including the Bur-
net and Kilgore special
centers.
The assistant principal
would have worked at
Gentry Junior School. That
school currently has one
assistant principal, while
some other local junior
schools have two. But
Gentry’s enrollment is
smaller than other
schools’, district officials
explained.
Four new secondary
teachers and two counselor
positions arc also included
in the cuts.
“Even though we’re not
adding those two counse-
lors, we’re still adding 10
new counselors through a
and
ssist
gies
Municipal budget, tax hike to be topics
by
deal
logy
By Jane Howard enable the city to move several capital
of The Beytown Sun improvement projects forward under a five-
year schedule, according to Assistant City
The public will have its chance to speak out Manager Norman Dykes. Finance Director
on the proposed municipal budget for 1992-93 Monte Mercer said the current low interest
at Thursday’s City Council meeting. rates makes the proposal a prudent financial
Two public hearings are set. The
scheduled to begin at 6:45 p.m„ will address The city’s current tax rate is 68.5 cents per
the proposed budget itself while the second will $100 valuation. At that rate, the owner of a
focus on the possible tax rate increase related property with a taxable value of $50,000 pays
to the budget and bonded indebtedness. $342.50 in taxes. Fbr each penny the tax rate is
During the hearing, the proposed budget will increased, that same person will pay an
be explained, then comments will be taken additional $5 in taxes,
from members of the audience.
City Manager Bobby Rountree’s recom-
mended operating budget would require a
2.45-eent increase in the property tax rate, but three years,
provides for increased ponce and fire services, The city’s current rate for water is $1.74 per
employee pay increases, support for Baytown 1,000 gallans and for sewer service, $1.51, but
Recycling Works, plus funds for some capital that amount is inadequate to cover current
expenditures. service costs, much less pay for much needed
A status quo budget that does not require a capital improvements, according to Rountree,
tax rate increase was also presented to council The second public hearing, set for 7 pjn.,
for consideration. However, in several work will focus on the tax rate. While council has not
sessions, council members expressed a desire yet set a tax rate and won’t until a final
to increase services to such a degree that would decision is made on die budget, council must
require a tax rate increase. formally establish a maximum tax rate.
Council is also considering whether to Based on a figure of 3 percent of the current
increase the tax rate another three cents to fund tax rate, the maximum tax rate for the 1992-93
the proposed issuance of $14.5 million in budget before rollback is possible is 74.5475
general obligation bonds and $1 million in per $100 valuation. The expected increase of
certificates in obligation. Selling those bonds, 2.45 cents would not exceed the maximum and
approved in the 1991 bond election, would thus not reach the rollback rate.
ring
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Rountree also proposes annual increases of 6
cents each for water service per 1,000 gallons
and sewer service per 1,000 gallons for the next
rom
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Council to consider
water system plans
of-
ol,
r
tve
for
m-
ed
ty-
en
systems, all have some short- 6:56 and 7 p.m. on the prop-
comings like undersized pipes, osed 1992-93 city budget and
said assistant city manager the city’s tax rate.
Baytown Gty Council on Norman Dykes. In its consent agenda, coun-
Thursday will consider plans The project will provide cil members will consider a
and specifications for water water service to areas where $7,548 traffic paint contract; a
system improvements in sub- no water service exists and $36,950 bid for the annual
divisions m the North High- will upgrade other existing crushed concrete contract; a
way 146 corridor. systems. The improvements $4,990 contract for purchase
Wayne Smith and Associ- will include, along with the of a Cummins Motor; a $6,104
ates engineering firm esti- water lines, 49 fire hydrants contract for purchase of corn-
mates project will cost and 332 service connections, purer hardware and software;
$967,866. Funds would come In other business, council payments to settle separate
- from 1991 water revenue will hear a proposal from a lawsuits filed by Louis Mar-
bonds. Lakewood resident involving finez and the Baytown Fire-
The dty annexed the subdi- enlarging Travis Park. The fighters Association; a
visions 1989 and 1990. They proposal would include using $1* 108 rehabilitation
include Lincoln Cedars, Cedar adjacent church property and fo 19 w ^ ^
Bend, Julie Anne Villa, Bayou converting the now unused f ... R20 fnr 1Qnn w r„,lf
Bend, Staples, Pinehurst, church building into a com-
Abbe Addition and The munity/heighborhood facility. ~®P' w0ur‘v*1 members
Landing at Cedar Bayou. Also during the Thursday consider appointments to the
While only a few of those session, city officials will con- Animal Control Advisory
subdivisions have no water duct two public hearings at Committee.
By Jane Howard
of The Beytown Sun
ite
nd
at
is-
Heather Harp, left, who was Texas Gatorfest Queen for
1991 helps to crown Heidi Crosthwait as the 1992 Texas
Gatorfest Queen. Heidi, a 16-year-old student at Barbers
Hill High School, was selected from 13 other competitors
for the title Saturday. Texas Gatorfest '92 will be held at
Fort Anahuac Park on Friday from 1 p.m. to midnight and
Saturday from 10 a.m. to midnight. For more Information
call the Gator Hotline at 409-267-4190.
contract
grant we’ve received,”
Superintendent Harry Grif-
fith noted. "That costs no-
thing to the district
200 attend TACB, Exxon permit
meeting
Some members of die audience repre- The MTBE unit will produce a gaso-
rented neighborhoods adjacent to the line blending component called
Exxon complex, neighborhoods that Ex- ygenate, which can significantly
xon is trying to buy out automobile emissions by promoting
Baytown Mayor Bobby Credille, more complete combustion in engines.
Councilman Pete Alfaro and Gty Mans- It is Exxon’s effort to comply with the
ger Bobby Rountree also attended the federal Gean Air Act Amendments of
meeting, as did several civic leaders and 1990, which begin going into effect in
business people.
A large percentage of the audience Though preliminary design
was composed of Exxon employees, an- merits of die MTBE unit indicated that it
mutants or contractors. Some of them would produce sufficient emissions to
said they had received memos “strongly require a TACB permit, recent engi-
urging” diem to attend the meeting but neering assessments concluded the
Exxon officials denied that claim. emissions would be far below the levels
The meeting was strictly informative, requiring a permit.
Any TACB decisions regarding the un- , Asked whether the TACB would mo-
its will not tie based on anything related nitor emissions from the unit to ensure
to die meetings. The TACB representa- that it complies with standards, TACB
tives simply related information regard- attorney Kevin Young said “If they (fix-
ing the two units and answered audience xon officials) fail to do so, they’ll lose
questions. jbeir exemption. Once Exxon has set
By Jane Howard
of Tho Beytown Son
their standard, they must hold to it.”
When discussion turned to the para-
xylene unit at Exxon Chemical Plant,
Permit Engineer Harry Pruett explained
that TACB originally granted a 15-year
permit in 1977 for die unit which pro-
duces a component used to make po-
lyester fiber from paraxylene, a form of
benzene.
The TACB granted additional permits
during the 1980s for expansions and
process renovations to the unit. Exxon
officials are seeking a five-year exten-
sion of the original permit plus consoli-
dation of the other permits into one.
TACB officials said decisions regard-
ing die MBTE permit exemption and
die rsrewal of the other permit would
be based on figures showing that both
units will produce emissions approxi-
mately five times less than the maxi-
mum allowed.
an ox-
reduce
More than 200 people attended a
eedng Tuesday to near representatives
of the Texas Air Control Board (TACB)
discuss the permitting process for two
Exxon production units.
The units are a new methyl tertiary
butyl ether (MTBE) manufacturing unit
now under construction at the Exxon
7-A
Around Town
Classified....
Comics......
Dimension. .
Editorial.....
Obituaries...
Police beat..
m
4-7-B
S-A
7-A
3-A
1993.
2-A
1-B
Sports...
Television
6-A
lene
K Refinery and a paraxy
ady in (mention at Baytown’s
Exxon Chemical Plant but up for permit
2-A
Weather
renewal
Exxon hosted the meeting, held at the
aytown Community Building.
TACB spokesmen assured the audi-
ence that neither of those units should
produce emissions that would cause foul
odors or would have an adverse impact
on health.
B
Sometimes a person
gets to the top of the•lad-
der of success and finds
out the ladder is leaning
against the wrong wall
—WO
MOTOR CO: •;
WE FINANCE
<Wtm*
SMART SELLERS
LOANS
For All Reasons
You kmt i frimd «...
1AYT0WN STATE BANK
COUPON PACE
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Dobbs, Gary. The Baytown Sun (Baytown, Tex.), Vol. 70, No. 269, Ed. 1 Wednesday, September 9, 1992, newspaper, September 9, 1992; Baytown, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1154273/m1/1/: accessed June 22, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Sterling Municipal Library.