The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 126, No. 12, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 16, 2001 Page: 1 of 10
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A step ahead
Albany High School band members,
along with students in other activities,"are
already in the process of getting ready for
the new school year.
See story; pg. 3
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Out in the heat
With summer workouts almost over, local
athletes are looking toward the 2001 fall
competition. Volleyball season is underway,
with the fiist, football scrimmage set Aug. 31.
See storv no 7
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Thursday, August 16,. 2001, Albany, Texas 76430
10 Pages in I Section
Volume Number 126 Number 12 Prkt 75<£
School board proposes $1.2773 tax rate
By Melinda L. Lucas
Albany school board members
voted unanimously to propose a
tax rate of $ 1 $773 during a rela-
tively" short special session on
Monday, August IIS.
The tax rate proposal was I he
only item on the agenda, but. in
the process of deciding the is-
sue, the trustees also discussed
the 2Q01-2002 budget and the
soaring costs of utilities and in-
surance, as well as the person-
nel replacement ratio for the
upcoming school year.
Proposed Hate
Although the proposed rate of
$1.2773 is about 2-1/2 cents
lower than last year's $1.3023
rate, it is six percent above the
rate calculated to generate the
same amount of revenue as the
previous year, t he maximum al-
lowed by law without acquiring
voter approval i n a rollback elec-
tion. The figure includes
$1.16319 for maintenance and
operations (M&O) and 1141
cents for bond indebtedness
The estimated tax levy using
the $1.2773 proposed rate is ap-
proximnfely $1,1554,000, com-
pared to about $1,430,000 col-
lected last year.
Shackelford County Chief Ap-
praiser Bruce Bailey explained
to' the board that what is com-
monly referred to as the "eff'ec
tive tax rate" is lower this year
because of increased local prop
erty values, primarily in the oil
and gas indust ry.
Taxable values within the dis-
trict'jumped by almost $21 mil-
lion in 2001, climbing from
$111,198,341 assessed last year
to a current figure of
$T32,147,394. This is as high as
property v^tjes have been since
the mid-1980s, when mineral
values began an erratic decline.
New calculation methods for
school districts this year don't
show an actual "effective tax
rate" on the official notice pub-
lished elsewhere in this; paper;
but Bailey stated, that the pro-
nosed M&O rate of $1.16319 is
.sod on a calculated rate of
$1,10119, with six percent
added. The portion of the rate
set aside for bond indebtedness,
11.41 cents, is prescribed by law-
Albany superintendent Dr.
Jcri Pfeifer has based the tenta-
tive budget on the six percent
increase, which is also the
amount required to maximize
state funding. The budget cur-
rently totals about $4.1 rqilliort,
with the final version to be
adopted by August 31 ,
Total revenue, including lo-
cal tax levies and state funding,
is projected to be almost exactly
the same amount.
Dr. Pfeifer reported that
health insurance for district
employees will be $82,000 higher
this coming year, and she is also
estimating a $50,000 increase
in the cost of electricity and gas,
requiring a minimum of
$132,000 more in the budget.
"It's not a pretty picture," com-
mented board president Betsy
Parsons, "but what we need to
do is paint a realistic picture for
the public. We need to under-
stand and be able to explain to
them all the different thi ngs that
factor into this decision, not the
least of which is that the state is
a year behind in calculating the
amount Of funding that they send
us each year.
"We're-looking at lower min-
eral values next year, but the
state will base its funding on
this year's values. The way that
and other things fall may cause
us to be looking at a $200,000
. shortfall in state aid next year,
even if we adopt the highest rate
allowed both this year and next."
Parsons added that the board
may have to look at cutting per
sonnel and programs next year.
"No one wants to do that, but it
may come to.that point."
Tommie Brown made, t he
motion to propose a' tax ratio!
$1.1631:9 for M&O and $.1141
for bond indebtedness for a total
of$l'.2773. Pam Davis seconded
the motion
Other board members present
we're Bobbie Cauble. Robert
Montgomery, Bruce- Wh'-elcr .
and Robert Wilton
Classes to begin next Tuesday
Although formal registration
for local students is over, school
officials expect to be giving out
schedules and information until
the time classes'begin at 8:00
a.m. next Tuesday, August 21.
Late registration at both lo-
cal school campuses is continu-
ing this week, With a special
orientation for junior high stu-
dents and their parents set for
Monday night, August 20.
When classes'begin the next
day, there will be an opening
assembly at the secondary level,
to which parents are also in
vit.ed.
Still Trickling In
At press time, there were still
quite a few returning students
at all levels who had not yet
shown up
"We had a number of parents
who called, last week and told us
they were going to be on vaca-
tion this week or for other rea
sons couldn't be here for regis
tratiomsowe know most of those
DoNNH 1 I i< AS / Al MANY Nl ws
Local parents enroll their children for the 2001 -2002 school
year during I lie elementary registration earlier this week.
we have cards for will be here
eventually," said Nancy Smith
Elementary School principal
Doyleen Terrell. "We would re
ally appreciate it if those par-
ents could comc the office and
enroll their students before next
Tuesday '
Tommy Terrell, interim prin-
cipal at Albany High School/Al-
bany -Junior High School, ech-
oed that, sentiment. "We always
have kids who don't make it in
here during the registration
schedule, but it really makes
things go easier if students will
show up sometime before classes
. start."
Enrollment Appraisals
Even though preliminary fig-
ures were not yet available and
there are a number of enroll-
ments still pending, local ad-
• ministr'itors are optimistic
about the fall attendance esti
mates.
"One of my concerns was that
we graduated a large seniorclass
and we have a small seventh
grade class coming into the sec-
ondary -campus, but overall, it
looks like We're holding steady,"
commented Albany superinten-
dent Dr Jeri Pfeifer.
"We started school last year
with 609 and we're right about
there, although the numbers
fluctuate every day."
She added that there seem to
be quite a few new students at
both campuses.
Any parents who h ave not yet
registered their children are
.asked to go by the appropriate
school office as soon as possible,
or call AHS/AJUS at 762-3974
or NSES at 762-3.384 for more
information.
Junior Hjgh Meeting
Albany seventh' ar;d eighth
graders and their parents are
urged to attend a special meet-
ing Monday evening in the AHS
auditorium in order to learn
some of the procedures in effect
at the junior high level, as well
as meet thei r teachers, find lock-
ers and finalize schedules, if
necessary. The session will be-
gin* at 6:30 p.m.
Tommy Terrell will present
general information during the
meeting, covering such topics as
expectations for the year, dress
code, discipline, etc.
Teachers will be introduced,
including three new junior high
instructors, and the students will
receive locker assignments,
handbooks, and other informa-
tion.
The principal asked that at
least one parent make an at-
tempt to be present.
First Day Assembly •
Mr. Terrell reported that a
(See School, pg. 10)
WM
Dnwii I t.n as / Ai hany Niw..
im, Tommy,and I)oyleen
Albany husband and wife principal k
Terrell, look over some paperwork as preparations conti'niu
for the start of classes next week.
The prospect of an electrical power plant being
constructed in Shackelford County is making local
residents sit up and take notice, and a number of
community leaders are contributing to a feasibil-
ity study that may ultimately point to a suitable
site within the county boundaries.
Two Texas energy companies, Falcon Gas Stor-
age and Capstone Global Energy, have joined
forces to find a location for an electrical generating
facility somewhere in a three or four-county area
of the Big Country. Representatives of the compa-
nies report that they hope to make a decision
within the next few months and have the plant on
line as early as the summer of 2003.
The location of the plant will be determined by
several key elements, not the least of which is
availability of water. However, there are three
other major considerations, said Linda Whelan,
Capstone Vice President of Origination.
Falcon currently owns two existing gas storage
facilities in this area, one in southwest Jack County
and the other a,few miles past Mo ran n^ar Cisco.
The new plan* will need to be placed somewhere
near at least one of'the two.
But the factor that really puts Shackelford
County in the picture it) that the generating facil-
ity will need access to the large electrical trans-
mission line that spans Shackelford County diago-,
nally from, the southwest corner to the nbrtheast
corner.
"There are so many issues to consider and we
have to findjust the right balance," related Whelan.
"Like any project of this magnitude, we need lots^
of local input in order to determine the feasibility
of locating in this area."
Whelan, along with Karl Richter of Falcon's
Business Development and Land Acquisitions de-
partment, has been spending
quite a bit of time in Albany
during the past few weeks, talk1
i ng with local officials and busi-
ness people.
Albany city councilman and
Economic Development coor-
dinator Ed Tackett is hopeful
that a positive outcome will
result from the "negotiations."
"Right now, they're simply
doing a feasibility study," stated Tackett. "They
will look at all the possibilities and make a deci-
sion based on how all the factors work together.
"Naturally, we think Shackelford County would
be a great location for the plant," he continued.
"The only real problem is water, but wetire in close
proximity to Hubbard Creek Lake and there are
possible options with regard to Possum Kingdom
Representatives of the com-
panies report that they hope
to make a decision within
the next few months and
have the plant on line as
early as the su mmer of 2003.
Lake."
Although there is a possibility of a.more com
plex facility, what Falcon and Capstone will more
than likely build is known as a "peaking unit,"
which could possibly require as much water annu-
' ally as the community of Albany currently uses in
one year. The other type of unit would use even
mqre water.
"It's definitely an obstacle, but it's not impos-
sible to jump over it," said
Tackett.
Types of Plants
Richter explained that a
peaking unit operates only dur-
ing peak periods of demand
and is typically started re-
motely as needed. There is usu-
ally no full-time staff' for this
type of operation.
Construction time, depend-
ing on the type of equipment installed, could range
fiom six months to oik; year, with a construction
crew of 100 to 150 workers.
The more elaborate "combined cycle unit," how-
ever, would require as many as 20-25 employees at
the Site on a full-time basis after completion. This
type of facility would be in operation much ,nore
than a peaking unit, but is naturally much more
power plant
expensive to build, requiring closer to 250 con-
struction workers and an additional year to com-
plete.
Whelan indicated that company officials art-
leaning toward construction of a peaking facility,
which could be converted al a later date to a
combined cycle unit.
Benefits to County
Although a peaking unit would not be "labor
intensive" and wouldn't boost the local job market
to any great degree, there would definitely be
other advantages to having a power plant in the
neighborhood.
The most obvious benefit would be the increase
in the county's, tax base and the subsequent effect
on several local taxing entities.
However, finding a solution to the water needs
might end up having a more significant impact on
the community. In order to process enough water-
to supply the generating facility, the city's water
plant would need to be upgraded and expanded
considerably. These improvements would benefit
the entire population, although the financial means
to do so would probably have to be negotiated.
In addition, the city's water sales would virtu-
ally double, providing an substantial in-
(See Power plant, pg. 10)
m
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Lucas, Melinda L. The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 126, No. 12, Ed. 1 Thursday, August 16, 2001, newspaper, August 16, 2001; Albany, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth413731/m1/1/?rotate=90: accessed June 30, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The Old Jail Art Center.