The Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 38, No. 50, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 11, 1984 Page: 1 of 10
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Community
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Page 3
THE RIO GRANDE HERALD
Serving Starr County For Five Decades
Valley Mart
Bargains
page 10
VOL XXXVIII
Published In Rio Grande City, Texas, Every Thursday, By The Rio Grande Publishing Co
No. 50
October 11,1984
FIFTEEN CENTS
19
Hoy
Y
Manana
H.E.B. Getting
Ready For
Halloween
The H.E.B. store in Rio Grande
^ity and its employees are getting
ready for the second annual
Halloween contest for children
under 10 years of age.
First and second prizes will be
awarded for the best original
Halloween costume from 6 to 8
p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 31 at the
H.E.B. parking lot.
There will be a break-dancing
contest for children from ages six
%> 10. First and second prizes will
be awarded for the best dancers.
Music will be supplied by La
Mirada and Los Artista of Rio
Grande City.
Roma Gets Sales
Tax Payments
% State Comptroller Bob Bullock
sent checks on Thursday totaling
$58.2 million in local tax payments
to the 990 cities that levy the one
percent sales tax.
In Starr County, Bullock sent a
check of $7284 21 to the city of
Roma, which is much higher than
the $4475.49 Roma received for
October 1983. At this time, Roma
has received payments of
$85,130.56, which is 11.47 percent
greater than the $76,370.65 the city
y.ad received through October 1983.
"So far this year, these payments
are running better than 16 percent
ahead of last year, and most Texas
cities can expect even bigger
checks for the rest of 1984,"
Bullock said. The Comptroller
explained next month's checks will
reflect payments from sales tax
permit holders who report
quarterly and the December
% hecks will reflect the first in-
creases from new goods and
services taxed for the first time
beginning Oct. 2.
October checks represent taxes
collected on sales made in August
and reported to the Comptroller by
September 20.
I * ;'
The city cemetery has been the focus of controversy
lately as to who will pay the bill for water supplied to the
cemetery. In their Tuesday meeting, Starr County
Commissioner discussed the issue. (See story on Page 2
for details.)
Roma ISD
Increases Taxes
By BETTO RAMIREZ
Koma Correspondent
Roma Independent School Dis-
trict's proposed tax increase -
from 40 to 69 cents per $100
valuation -- if passed will assure
the district $1.05 million more in
state equalization aid yearly.
"That is the figure we have to
pass in order to qualify for 100
percent equalization aid under
House Bill 72," said Superintendent
Eleuterio Garza at a public hearing
Thursday night.
School buara President ^.csar
Salinas explained that with Roma's
existing low tax base and the
present pressing economic situa-
tion. "it is both imminent and
imperative that we pass this
increase in order to recupe funds
that would otherwise be lost."
To receive the funds, the state is
requiring that the RISD tax an
additional $472,558.67 over the 1983
tax assessment. The additional
levy plus the $1.05 million from the
state will result in over $1.5 million
for the district.
School Board Trustee Israel
Rodriguez endorsed the increase
reminding the sparse audience that
"the bosrd ><** very con
servative about tax increases in the
past." Roma's tax base is one of
(See TAXES, Page 5)
Airport Gets
% Head Start
Elects Officers
El Nogal Head Start has elected
new officers for the year 1984 1985.
The P P C Representative is
Lydia Duran, and the alternate is
Alicia Aguirre The President is
Mario Soto; Vice President,
Guadalupe Guajardo; Secretary-
%1'reasurer, Oralia Cruz; Reporter,
Rita Aguilar; Teacher, Noelia
Rocha. and Teacher-Aide, Nora
Morales.
Parents wish to thank the follow-
ing businesses for making dona-
tions: LFD, Rio Grande Depart-
ment Store. Valley Mart, Triple L,
Ed?lstein. Chaparral Family
Center, Socorro's Flower Shop.
Fort Ringgold Trading Post,
Ramirez Firestone, Twin Palms,
Rio Pharmacy, Garza's Grocery,
^•and Fabric Fair
B> KENNETH ROBERTS
The Texas Aeronautical Com-
mission announced Thursday that
the Starr County airport will
receive an $84,000 grant for repair
of the runway.
James Van Nest, chairman of the
Airport Board, said once the work
is completed, "We'll have
practically a brand new airport
It's looking real report." He said
that the TAC has promised to
furnish funds within five years so
the runways can be extended and
widened, upgrading the Starr
County facility to a utility airport,
or an airport that large com-
mercial, commuter, and freight-
handling planes can use on a
regular basis.
Most of the work will consist of
pouring a two-inch hot mix asphalt
overlay on the runway. Also,
yellow runway taxi stripes will be
painted as well as magnetic
numbers at both ends of the
runway, mostly to simplify land-
ings. Van Nest added that a new
runway center stripe will be
painted, making night flying much
safer.
Serious hazards were starting to
develop, said Van Nest, due to the
fact that the "runway was almost
completely dried up" This has
caused propellers to be damaged
by loose pebbles, and when planes
have landed, the nose wheel hits
the elevated patches, often causing
the plane to ascend back into the
air.
Van Nest said that jet travel has
virtually ceased due to the fact that
pebbles would be sucked up into
the air induction system, increas-
ing dangers of a crash and causing
damage to the engine. The Airport
Board President said, "We have a
responsibility to the users that this
airport will be as safe as possible."
(See AIRPORT, Page 8)
Sheriff's
Report
Local law enforcement officers
arrested seven persons this past
weekend for various violations
% The Sheriff's Department re-
corded two arrests Facundo Garza
was arrested for public intoxication
and Eugene Trumen Brown was
charged with lacking a motor
vehicle inspection sticker, having
defective equipment, and violation
of a promise to appear
Local Department of Public
Safety troopers made five arrests.
Jose Iban Gonzalez was arrested
for DWI, lacking liability insur-
^ance, and disregard of a no-passing
'zone Hector J Gonzalez was
arrested for DWI, and failure to
drive in a single lane, and
Fernando Banda Escoto was
charged with public intoxication
Fernando Benavides Gonzalez
was charged with unauthorized use
of a motor vehicle, and displaying
fictitious license plates Javier
Trevino Reyna was charged with
DWI. lacking a driver's license,
^and failure to drive in a single
lane
New Taxicab
Ordinance Okayed
Bv BETTO RAMIREZ
Roma Correspondent
The City Commission for the City
of Roma replaced an existing
outdated city ordinance concerning
permits for taxicabs with a new
ordinance that went into effect
immediately after the com-
mission's regular meeting on
Thursday.
Ordinance Number 131 had the
following amendment on the 28
year-old Ordinance Number 23;
"Amending Section 5 of Ordinance
Number 23, approved on July 31,
1956 as it pertains to bodily injury
and property damage as required
by Article I, Section I of the Texas
Vehicle Laws, setting a permit fee
of $100 and prescribing a penalty of
a fine of no less than $25 nor more
than $100 "
"The importance of City Ordi
nance number 131 is that we will be
enforcing it, not like City Ordi-
nance Number 23," said City
Commissioner Lino Perez, III
"No one had been paying much
attention to the existing ordi-
nance."
The Commissioners said that at
present there probably arestaxicab
drivers not complying with the
ordinance, in reference to either a
permit from the city or insurance
coverage. Fines will be assessed if
non-compliance continues
"It's an extremely dangerous
situation to have taxicab drivers
running around with no permit
from the city and with no insurance
to protect themselves with," said
Perez, III
City Commissioner Jose Roberto
Garcia said the action came about
after a local individual came
before the commission and
expressed a desire to open up taxi
service with a fleet of taxicabs
"The details we have state that it
will be a franchise owned by one
individual," related Garcia "He
will own one or several taxicabs."
(See TAXICAB, Page 8)
Budget Approved In
Lively Meeting
By KENNETH ROBERTS
Managing Editor
The Starr County Commissioners
approved the 1985 budget, which
cut allocations to their offices by
over $28,000, in a lively regular
term meeting Tuesday.
The 1985 budget projects total
expenditures of $3,939,578, with a
surplus of $10,926 99, entirely from
the General Fund. The county
projects revenue for the General
Fund at $2,223,350, with total
expenses of $2,212,423. In the Road
and Bridge Fund, revenue and
expenses are both projected at
$1,727,155.
At the end of the fiscal year on
Dec. 31, the Road and Bridge Fund
is projected to have a deficit of
$12,302, with revenue of $1,732,374
and expenses of $1,744,676.
County Judge Bias Chapa noted
that each commissioner's budget
had been slashed by over $28,000 to
$300,000 each. Of the few increases,
he said that the biggest one was in
the area of insurance, with payroll
taxes increasing to a lesser extent.
Chapa said that each commis-
sioner would receive substantial
funding from revenue sharing,
$28,000 to make up their losses,
plus $38,000 more for a total of
$66,000. He said that some posts
deleted under the budget could be
funded by revenue sharing.
The budget would grant the
Sheriff's Department an increase
of about $10,000 to $515,226.23.
Sheriff "Gene" Falcon said that
three new patrol cars were badly
needed at a minimum. Chapa said
that some $16,000 was available in
Capital Outlays to buy new
vehicles, but the sheriff said that
would rule out the possibility of
purchasing any equipment.
Anti-tax activist Margil Sanchez
sharply questioned the commis-
sioners, "Do you spend that money
to benefit the people or for
politics?" Specifically, he com-
plained that Commissioner
"Moreno" Alaniz would have an
$80,000 surplus at the end of 1984,
while the other commissioners
would exhaust all funding. Alaniz
said he was saving the funds to buy
trucks and a backhoe, which could
exhaust the funding quickly.
Sanchez complained, "I don't see
any work being done in the
Courthouse. Commissioner
"Chema" ALvarez suggested that
Sanchez might like to do various
jobs in the courthouse to get
first-hand knowledge of the situa-
tion.
Later, Chapa said that the budget
did not anticipate any revenue
from the International Bridge and
the Starr County Gas System He
said the budget could be amended
if these entities realize enough
revenue to benefit the county
The issue of whether the county
should contribute $100,000 to aid the
Industrial Foundation's campaign
to get an industrial park started to
attract a California yarn
manufacturing plant to locate here
in Starr County came up. Judge
Chapa told Foundation Pre. dent
Sam Vale that there was no money
allocated in the budget for this,
only $21,000 for operating expenses.
But Chapa said, "It (contributing
the $100,000) can be done." He and
Commissioner "Chema" Alvarez
said that funds could be freed for
this purpose by selling certificates
of obligation to pay money owed
for equipment.
Vale told the court that the
president of Western Yarns have
submitted a written request to his
board of directors to locate in Starr
(See BUDGET, Page 5)
County Budget
Breakdown
einogai Grant For R unway
The Starr County Commissioners
approved the budget for 1985 at
their regular term meeting Mon-
day, and it is broken down below as
follows:
In the General Fund, $490,803.90
is budgeted for Judicial Approp-
riations, down from $499,504.72. The
Precinct One Justice of the Peace
will receive $29,550, compared to
$28,902.88 in 1984; Precinct Two
J.P., $22,604 in 1985 to $21,375.04 in
1984; Precinct Three, $12,894 to
$12,707.76; Precinct Four, $27,341 to
$26,225.12; Precinct Five, $13,244 to
$12,808; and Precinct Six, $22,606 to
$21,385
The District Court is allocated
$78,221 in 1985 compared to $75,696
in 1984 The District Clerk's office
was cut from $60,244.28 to $55,832.
The District Attorney's office was
increased from $115,864 to $131,419,
the Juvenile Office from $15,633 to
$19,851, the Adult Probation Office
from $12,521 to $14,118, and the
County Attorney's office from
$61,684 to $63,123
In the General Fund, $438,862.08
is budgeted for Financial Ad-
ministration, down from $441,878.80
in 1984. The County Auditor's office
received an increase from
$72,797 24 to $77,973.08, the Tax
Assessor-Collector was cut from
$158,066.60 to $153,863, the County
Treasurer's office was increased
from $48,645.16 to $49,025, the
County Clerk was cut from
$124,948 28 to $119,848 and the
Federal Program Coordinator was
increased to $38,153 from $37,421.52
In the General Fund, $96,152 is
budgeted for Building and Mainte-
nance, compared to $95,722.72, and
Law Enforcement was increased
from $616,352.52 to $626,508.23. In
that category, the Sheriff's De-
partment was increased from
$505,997.40 to $515,226 23, and Con-
stables were increased from
$110,355.12 to $111,282.
Each of the six constables draws
an annual salary of $11,880, with
the Precinct One Deputy Constable
receiving $10,104 and the Precinct
Two Deputy will receive $9979.
Public Health and Welfare will
be increased from $23,425 to
$27,938, the County Extension
Service will gain from $29,170 to
$29,507, the Countywide General
Fund will gain from $326,372.12 to
$333,859.80, the Airport will be cut
from $44,910 to $44,159, Garbage
and Landfill will increase from
$54,751.28 to $55,073, and the Fire
Department will be cut from
$73,687 84 to $71,560
In Road and Bridge, approp-
riations for the County Judge's
Office will be $67,004 In 1984,
$66,492.64 was allocated to the
Judge's office, and was divided
evenly between the General and
Road and Bridge Funds.
Each of the four Commissioners'
budgets was slashed from $328,763
to $300,763. The Right of Way
budget item was eliminated com-
pletely after being allocated
$385,270 in 1984. but Miscellaneous
County Wide is allocated $457,099
after no money was budgeted there
in 1984 The Right of Way Office
loses its own budget line item and
is being switched to Miscellaneous
County Wide In actuality. M;scel-
laneous County Wide increases
from $397,590 to $457,099.
The County Road Superintendent
is being eliminated after being
allocated $12,320 in 1984, but that
post could be budgeted under
revenue sharing
In the General Fund, the budget
anticipates collecting $1,527,950 in
current taxes, and $50,000 in
delinquent taxes, as compared to
$1,343,395 and $60,000 in 1984,
respectively. The budget predicts
that $9000 will be collected through
beer and liquor licenses, down
from $10,000. and $17,400 is pre-
dicted to be raised through inter-
government revenue, as compared
to $26,880 in 1984
The budget predicts that $554,500
will be raised through Statutory
Fees of Office, as compared to
$600,000 in 1984 Miscellaneous
Revenue tofals 564,500, as com-
pared to $165,500.
In Road and Bridge, it is
predicted that $1,161,155 will be
collected in current taxes as
compared to $1,144,374 in 1984 The
figures for Delinquent taxes are
$42,000 in 1985 to $44,000 in 1984,
and fines and forfeits are expected
to total $160,000, down from $140,000
in 1984.
In Inter Government Revenue,
$350,000 is predicted for Motor
Vehicle Licenses, the same as in
1984, and $34,000 is predicted for
Lateral Road Credit, again staying
the same.
r rr r r.
r
■ - 'JjtS*
The renovation of the County Courthouse, financed mostly by a $284,000
grant from the Economic Development Administration, will begin in
the very near future.
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Roberts, Kenneth. The Rio Grande Herald (Rio Grande City, Tex.), Vol. 38, No. 50, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 11, 1984, newspaper, October 11, 1984; Edinburg, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth194945/m1/1/: accessed July 12, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rio Grande City Public Library.