The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 119, No. 17, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 29, 1994 Page: 1 of 24
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Albany News
"Oldest Journalistic Venture West of the Brazos"'
THURSDAY/SEPTEMBER 29, 1994, ALBANY, TEXAS 76430
12 PAGES IN 1 SECTION
VOLUME NUMBER, 119 ' NUMBER 17 PRICE 50CPER COPY
School board holds tax rate at
By Donnie A. Lucas
The Albany school board stuck
.with thr decision to back away from '
a proposed six percent increase in
local property taxes by adopting
last y6ar^s rate during a special
meeting held Monday, September
26.
The board also heard brief pro-
posals from two more architectural
firms interested in helping the
district determine if the Nancy
Smith Elementary School can be
renovated or if it would be more
cost effective to consider building a
new grade school.
Tax Kate Set
The board unanimously ap-
proved a motion byJeffJonesto set
the 1994 tax rate at $1.1509 per
$100 of property value — which is
the same rate the district set in
1993 .
However, due to a slight increase
in the tax base, the adopted rate
will generate more tax revenue for
the school district than it did last
year.
The effective tax rate was cal-
culated at $1.1336 per $100 of
Value The effective rate is the rate
needed to generate the same total
tax lew based on the same property
2 more architectural proposals
as the previous year.
By adopting the $1.15 rate the
board technically increased taxes
by about 1.5 percent even though
the actual tax rate wjll remain the
same..
The board had proposed a tax
rate of$ 1.20 at an August meeting,
but opted to reduce the rate after
the first of two required public
meetings held September 19
The board had proposed the in
crease in order to earmark funds
for building improvements. It'was
hoped that the proposed increase
would bematched by state funding,
but Superintendent Ronnie Km
caid found that, matchii
were not available
The board decided nut o
the tax rate, even though Hv mj
jority of the increas< v ow;
str'i'cted for building ir i. <
since there is also dis>u-vsi< i
possible bond.election iii ,t>
future to fund eithi.r iY, • i. ,
vation at the elenit ir-, rho'r i .
constructing a new building.
Architectural Proposals
The board heard presentations
by two area, architectural firms
hoping to be selected as the com-
pany to aid thedistrict in evaluat ing
its present buildings and making
recommendations
The board had. already heard
from Huckabee and Association of
Stephenville at. the September 19
meeting concerning the grade
school
. Representatives of the' firm
conducted a brief Inspection of the
grade sch'iol campus, including a
true' . raj engineering study, at
i he <i ; riv' request, and reported
... |.i) (i,(.
-i* ■ ■ ■ •" . ■ .■ ''
.'1 ■ ek abee and Associates*
would not be eeo-
!'■ i He 'to repair the
• '> )'H 1 '• I.
) ' •. i: a
►"r;aje :
^reiimuu: y plans for a gvmna
f. <it- ir> pfesentVid to the
rlv
The group asked Kincaid to have
ft hei firms make representations
<> that the bofird could select an
:i 'hitecturalcompany todoa more
,!i depth study.
Partners yv It h Tit tie. Lut her and
' itjrpaivy, c)f' Abilene,- and Gary
Ouualdson of San Angefo both
ie cussed their qutjhfL:11-ions with
i I'inbers of the board.
. \tl< r he.1 rn boii. !lot.'h firms,
ti e board asked Kincaid to re-
(fuest apreljminary study similar
t . the one prepared by Huckabee
' ml Associates be presented by both
;I -:.-s};-v-
It was noted that any proposals
. neern ing actual construction
v':u'ia only be preliminary and used,
t > j n,ei p the board select an architect.
Any actual plans for an e]
ernetr'ary qr gymnasium would
r quit • inori detailed input from
the distri I s st aff, board members
and the public.
The board did agree that, ext.cn,
> vesoil • i >t ingat t he grade school
should be conducted before any
furt he-r plan.- a re made. There ha ve
been questions raised about the
sin and the possible use of fill dirt
■ win n'the present 1950s-era build-
ings were constructed, which has
resulted in large cracks in tne
fou h dat i on and wal Is of so me of the
buildings • "
ft was noted that the main high
: school building,, which, was built in
i960, has'not suffered the same
. type damage:
Board n.i.etjibt rRob-L'ond'< rholrn
asked if the district is "definitely
looking at floating a.bond issue."
Board president Don Fitzgib-
bons responded (hat he did not feel
that the district has been commit-
ted to budding a ra. w grade school
yet, "but 1 hope '.hat is: the direction
we are headed
Kincaid satu 'hat he is .not try-
ing to force the construction of a
new »lementary on the board or
the district, if oSQi is not needed.
"Thai I- why n< •< ;d,the help of an
architect to determine what we can
and can't do "
Jones agreed that something
would need to be done "sooner or
later" about the grade school "Some
people would wait, until it is con-
demned before they would agree to
anew school, but 1 don't feel that is
the most responsible course "
There wks also discussion on
the need for another gymna: ium.
The district is current iy'operat-
ing with One gym for volleyball and
boys and girls basketball at both
the junior high and high school
levels.
Kincaid asked the board for their
"gift" feelings about how a bond .
issue would fare that included a
new grade school and a practice
gyrti,
Board member Betsy Parsons
.quickly stated That, she wc-Jd .
opposed to presenting the two
projects together unless they were !
listed ; as separate items on the
ballot, and could be voted for -epa
; rately
' "We are obligated to educate our
Students both physically and aca
demically," said Prissy IJarvick
"Our current facility .gy m, is riot
: adequate for all of the programs we '
are offering —weare. out of space."
preview
The membership preview and
buffet supper for the Old 'Jail Art
Center's new exhibit, paintings by
Kent Matricardi, is set for .this.
Saturday evening, October Is
start ing with a lecture bv the art ist
ftt 5:30 p.m.
The buffet and entertainment
will follow
According to OJ AC director
Joeliene Magoto. Matricardi's
paintings are created primarily on
i rregolarL shaped wood "can
vases,'".although several are tra
(lit ional red angles.
I ne colorful exhibit will remain
on d play through November 26.
Mat rieardi's lecture inthe Jones
I'avilion will Cover not only the
themes and ideas that inspire his
work, bu' will also include infor
mat inn' about his life as an artist
and traveler
After receiving his Master of
Fine Arts from Texas Christian
University in 1987, the artist has
traveled across the United State,
and has exhibited his work na
ti oh wide, as well as in Barcelona,
Spain and Frankfurt, Germany
He has related th at hi s a rtbegi n s
with images that appear to him its
''still lifes" in-various form-, in
eluding dreams, thought's, and
■ (Sec Old Jail, 12)
Get. 17 dead I i ne set for requests
OJAC director Joeliene Magoto (I) and Clint Hamilton lift one of Kent Matricardi's three-dimensional
looking pieces into place as they prepare for the exhibition opening this Saturday evening.
Directors of the Albany Chest
have set a deadline of Monday,
October 17 for accepting funding
requests from local organizations,
for the 199-1 campaign
The annual Albanyt'best fund
raising drive w ill begin m October
A total of $ I l,,r>,r)0 was given to
M area groups last year
< )rganizat ions wish ing to receive
funding are asked to send written
requests for specific amounts.
Support information such as a
current financial statement and
plan lor using funds awarded by
t In' < 'he I -.h'ould also be included
in requests
"I t i ■ very import ant t hat the.
requests be submitted in writing,"
aid publicity chairman Donnie
I ,iica "Tbey Can begiven to Lorene
Me< 'oinas at the bank, given to any
<>(liei director, sent through the
mail or brought to the meet ing, but
we would really like to.have writ
ten requests "
The board will meet again on
I hedeadlineda'y, Monday, October
17 at f> 30 p m in the board room f
Jones Company, Ltd At that tie e
they will consider ail fundiiif re
quest-sand set the goal tor tie 19!i 1
drive
All requests can.be sent to the,
Albany Chest, in care of Donnie
Anderson, P () Box 1201. Albany',
Texas 76430, or. dropped off at
Anderson Mufller and Aut o SuppL
on the Abilene high was
Another item.of bus mess during
(Se'e Chest,, pg, 1 2)
County tax rate set at 61.24 cents
By Melinda L, Lucas
The Shackelford County com-
missioners approved a 61.24 cent
tax rate to fund the 1995 budget of
$1,329,636, which was also okayed
during Monday morning's regular
session.
A portion of the meeting was
held in the courthouse parking lot
in order to include the critical vote
■of precinct three commissioner
Jimmy Brooks, who was injured in
an accident two weeks ago and is
temporarily unable to climb the
stairs to the second floor meeting
room.
Since the death of Fred Coulter
earlier in the year, the county of-
ficials have counted Judge Marie
Smith's vote in order to make
needed decisions, and in the case of
the budget and tax rate, all four
voting officials were required to be
present.
The commissioners held the
scheduled budget hearing on Sep-
tember 12, the day after Brooks'
injury, but delayed the budget and
rate votes until he could be present.
The 1995 budget represents a
slight decrease, less than a thou-
sand dollars, from the $1,330,265
budgeted during the present year.
More than two-thirds of the
budget is allocated to the general
fund -- $897,559—while$432,077
has been designated as road and
bridge funding.
This year's effective tax rate of
59.46 cents per $ 100 valuation was
figured to bringin the same amount
as last year's actual tax rate of
59.17 cents, or a total of$ 1,083,763.
When added to federal road and
bridge monies, and other revenue
such as fee collections, the tax levy
from the effective rate would
"barely balance the budget," ac-
cording to commissioners.
The court opted instead to add
three percent, which is the maxi-
mum allowed without holding
public hearings, and arrived at the
61.24 cent rate.
The approved tax rate will gen-
erate $1,103,781, more than
$20,000 above the amount needed
to balance the budget.
Commissioner R.P. Mitchell ex-
plained that the county officials
are attempting to accumulate
enough monies to match a grant
for restoration of the courthouse,
as well as simply cover anticipated
maintenance expenses connected
with the 111-year-old building.
The budget was unanimously
approved on a motion by Brooks,
but W.O. McKeeverabstained from
the vote on the tax rate, for which
Mitchell voiced the motion.
Other Business
• County Attorney ProTem Gary
Brown, for whom a salary increase
has already been approved in the
199^ budget, requested and rt
ceived extra compensation for the
remainder ofthe year, based on his
services the past nine months and
with the understanding that he
will spend two to three days a week
in Shackelford County;
• Brown also provided informa-
tion concerning the complaints^of
several local citizens in regard to a
bridge and low water crossing in
northern Shackelford County that
is presently inaccessible to fisher-
men. Brown stated that the lease
holder had agreed to install a gate
beside the bridge. He maintained,
however, that the matter of de-
claring a low water crossing as a
public crossing could lie determined
by the state when' officials begin
condemnation procedures for a new
bridge there after the first of.the
year.
• Incoming. county treasurer
Sherry Enloe asked the 'commis-
sioners to have an audit conducted
in the treasurer's officer before she
takes office in January, statingthat
the audit would protect both her
a n d t h e pre sen t treasurer J oy G run.
• The commissioners approved
the number of clerks for election
judges for the general election
November 8.
• The court set fees for the
sheriffs office, an annual require-
ment by the state
• A report was read from the
259th Corrections Department,
which included thefinancial report,
1995 program information and
budget summary, as well as an
agreement to continue collecting
fees for the county.
Keeping an eye on Dad.
Aaron Faith, son of head football coach Denney Faith, keeps
a watchful eye on his dad's activities on the sidelines during
Friday night's name. (Staff Photo)
/$>■» ■
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Lucas, Donnie A. The Albany News (Albany, Tex.), Vol. 119, No. 17, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 29, 1994, newspaper, September 29, 1994; Albany, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth414145/m1/1/: accessed July 3, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting The Old Jail Art Center.