Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 75, No. 26, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 19, 1980 Page: 1 of 8
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SERVICE COSTS TO RISE
City tax
increase
planned
By The Sea
The City M By The Sea
iiriafpos JL Beacon
VOLUME 75 NUMBER 26
PALACIOS, TEXAS, THURSDAY, JUNE If, 19M
EIGHT PAGES
A policy of the current
Palacios City administra-
tion is to keep the citizens
of Palacios informed as
much as possible on regular
business presented at City
Council meetings and long
range planning aspects.
In accordance with this
policy, the mayor and the
finance committee of the
City Council have prepared
the following report to
acquaint Palacios residents
with the steps planned to
overcome problems facing
the City and how it will
affect everyone financially.
The four major problems
facing the City are streets
and drainage, 'ubbish and
land fiii site, water supply,
and sewerage piping and
treatment.
All these have been
allowed to deteriorate over
the years and have now
reached the critical state
city officials say.
Further, there has been
no tax increase since the
late 60’s and such increases
that have been made in
water and sewer charges,
have not been adequate for
the needs, officials say.
Increased funds to keep
pace with inflation, pur-
chase and repair equipment
and meet personnel needs,
are planned.
Statistics on increase in-
clude the source of funds
from new tax revenue of
$56,000.
Current average resident
tax 1979-80 is $100 and the
proposed percent increase
is 34 percent.
Average resident month-
ly increase will be $2.83,
while the average resident
yearly increase is $34.
To meet the require-
ments of state law, the city
must have a new land fill
site and new equipment (a
compactor with dozer
blade, two loader compact-
or trucks, and a building at
the new land fill site).
In addition, the land fill
site must be prepared and
roads built to it.
Source of funds for this
Statement
on Hu-Mar
explained
Champ Mehrens of
Port Machine in . Palacios
said this week a story in the
June 12 issue of the Beacon
did not give an accurate
picture of his statements
about Hu-Mar Chemical
Company.
The story quoted Leon-
ard Lamar. Chamber of
Commerce president, as
saying that Mehrens had
told him Port Machine
would curtail its operations
in Palacios if the city failed
to give support to Hu-Mar.
"That is not true," Meh-
rens said. “I do support
i!u-Mar, but thestorymade
it sound like I was threaten-
ing the city, and I didn't
want to give that impress-
ion at all "
Mehrens said he simply
felt it was time for the city
to “quit sitting on the
fence" and make a state-
ment one way or another
about Hu-Mar.
"I think we need to
create an atmosphere in
Palacios that will encourage
industry to locate here,"
Mehrens said, "But whate-
ever the city feels about
Hu-Mar or any other indus-
try, it should say so.”
Port Machine does plan
to move part of its opera-
tion to El Campo, but this
has nothing to do with the
Hu-Mat situation, Mehrens
said.
The move will mean a
considerable reduction in
local spending by Port
Machine.
The present payroll of
one million dollars per
year, for example, will
probably be cui in half,
Mehrens said.
will come from an FHA
40-year loan at 5 percent
interest, totaling $681,086.
Annual cost to City (prin-
cipal and interest) will be
$39,693.69 and the monthly
current cost to residents in
a 79-80 is $5, a 50 percent
increase.
Average monthly in-
crease to resident will be
$2.50, while the average
annual increase to resident
is $30.
To meet the future needs
and provide a backup well
of adequate capacity, a new
well, water tower and im-
proved distribution system
are required.
Funds will come from an
FHA 40-year loan at 5
percent, the total loan to
city amounting to $1,474,-
310.
Annual cost to City (prin-
cipal and interest) will be
$85,922.79.
Average monthly current
cost to residents 1979-80
water and sewer, is $10 and
residents' percent increase
will be 47.
Average monthly in-
crease to resident is $4.70,
the average annual in-
crease totaling $56.40.
The sewerage system in
Palacios is in serious condi-
tion, officials say, with
heavy water inflow during
rains and many sections of
pipe partially collapsed.
The treatment plant is
inadequate for the future.
Source of 75 percent of
funds will come from a
federal grant.
Source of Paiacios fund-
ing of 25 pe.rcent wjll come
from $500,600 frorh Reve-
nue Sharing, currently on
hand with $543,000 from a
30-year bond issue at 81/!
percent tentatively.
Estimated average an-
nual cost to City for bonds,
principal and interest, is
$50,526, with the monthly
average cost to resident
79-80 $10.
Percent increase is 27.7,
making the estimated
average monthly increase
to resident $2.80 and the
estimated average annual
increase to resident $33.60.
All the information on
loans and grants is based
on the latest data available
from various government
agencies.
Little League
to name ail-stars
First place winners
and the Little League All-
Stars will be announced
Saturday, June 21, at 7
p.m.
Following the awards,
moms and dads will have
their night of ball playing.
Everyone is invited to
come out and watch the
games and see who will
make the All-Star team and
play in playoff game in New
Gulf on July 21.
A NEW LOCATION for Phil’s Shell Shop was recently
remodelled on Main Street, and merchandise was moved
there during the past week.
REV. J.R. GW1N, Pastor of the Trinity Baptist Church, la
shown talking to Alvin Koenlng, Post Quartermaster on
left and Alton Queen, Post Commander on right. Rev.
Gwln delivered the principal address at Memorial services
for Gold Star parents last week In Palacios.
Hospital pay,
room cost up
/k
1.-^
■
*
The Matagorda County
Hospital Board of Directors
Thursday night approved a
pay raise for nurses and
technicians and an increase
in hospital room rates, at all
three county-funded health
institutions.
Band,
choir »
are tops
Members of the Pala-
cios High School Band and
Choir returned with three
"F.xcel!ent” (Division II)
Solo Medals and one "Ex-
cellent” Award in choral
ensemble competition.
Those rated Excellent in
solos were Raymond Allen,
vocal solo, Jenta Gwin,
twirling solo, Randy Sa-
mora, snare drum solo, also
rated Excellent was the
25-voice experimental en-
semble choir.
Competition was held
June 4th in Austin at the
University of Texas.
The approved increase
for nurses is approximately
$1.27 an hour and for those
in the technical category
the increase is approxi-
mately 90 cents an hour.
To compensate for the
pay raise, room rates at the
three county institutions
will be increased. The cost
of a room at Matagorda
Genera! Hospital will be
increased $10 a day, while
those' at Wagni’r General flfr
will be raised $8. *
The daily cost of a room
at Matagorda House nurs-
ing home will be increased
$3.50 per day.
C.A. “DOODLE" EVANS, WW I overseas veteran In
wheel chair, Is receiving a poppy from Winfred Johnson,
Post Adjutant right and a pin and Certificate of Military
Service Contributions from Alton Queen, Post Command-
er on left. Behind Evans Is Sterling Arnold, Post Junior
Holst says unit plan
is double taxation
I
June
June
June
June
June
June
June
It ’s hot!
Weather
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12
13
14
15
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Murder
suspects
indicted
A Grand Jury last
Monday indicted four men
for two murders that occur-
red in this area in April and
May.
James David Galvan,
Macky Joe Galvan and
Teodoro Arellano were in-
dicted for allegedly mur-
dering Mary Ann Deas of
Blessing, whose body was
discovered May 13 under
the Carancahua Bridge on
FM 616.
The 31-year-old woman
was reported missing May
11 by her brother Raymond
Barfuss.
Jesus Sagastegui, who
used several alias, includ-
ing Juan Longoria Chavez,
was indicted for the April
30 shooting death of Man-
uela Ponce, a Mexican
National waitress whose
bullet-riddled body was
found in back of a counter
in a hill top lounge west of
Paiacinc nn Hiohu/av V
The Matagorda County
Taxpayers Association met
in the District Court Room
of the Matagorda County
Courthouse, June 10 and
voted 28 to 7 to circulate a
petition calling for an
election to vote in a
"County Unit System of
Equalization of School
Taxes".
George Holst, superin-
tendent of the Palacios
Independent School Dist-
rict, submitted the follow-
ing letter to inform the
taxpaying citizens of Mata-
gorda County how they
would be subject to
“Donnie School Taxation”.
To: Taxpaying Citizens of
Matagorda County
This letter is being sent
to each commissioner,
director or trustee of all
Matagorda County taxing
entities and to civic organi-
zations such as chambers of
commerce and clubs.
The purpose of this letter
is to make you aware of a
possible movement that
would make every home
and other piece of property
in Matagorda County sub-
ject to "Double School
Taxation.”
During the past several
months some of the
members of the Board of
Trustees of the Bay City
Independent School District
have spent considerable
time investigating a
"County Unit System of
Equalization of School
Taxes."
If such a system were
voted +r.to existence, two
taxes or “Double School
Taxation" would be placed
on each and every piece of
property in Matagorda
County.
After researching Chap-
ter 18 (School Tax Equaliza-
tion System) of the Texas
Education Code, I have
conferred with several
school attorneys concerning
the subject. You should he
aware a second school tax
of up to $1.00 on each
$100,00 property valuation
could be levied on every
home and other piece of
property in Matagorda
County.
Tax money collected
would be distributed on the
basis of student average
daily attendance which
doesn't look at need, but
operates on the same basis
as our “federal give away
program.'
I have found through
investigation that in count-
ies with several indepen-
dent school districts where
“Double School Taxation”
elections have been held
only a few were successful.
In these counties regard-
less of passage or failure of
the elctions, many hard
feelings between school
districts, cities and citizens
have existed for long
periods of time.
Very little or no tax relief
actually occurred and over
a period of time taxes
actually increased because
there is always a place to
spend more money.
I would like to bring to
your attention some of the
possible consequences of
"Double .School Taxation”
if it would be attempted or
if it were successfully voted
into existence.
I. "Double School Taxa-
tion" would financially
Trustees see field
house, study tests
Trustees of the Pala-
cios Independent School
District went to work at its
regular meeting June 9,
with a walk-through in-
spection of the new
Secondary Schools Field
House, a public presenta-
tion of the Palacios I.S.D.’s
Texas Assessment of Basic
Skills Test Results and
Regular P.I.S.D. Test Re-
sults.
The Texas Assessment of
Basic Skills test scores for
the Palacios l.S.D. was
presented by Assistant
Superintendent of Pro-
grams W.J. Arrington and
counselors Travis Washing-
ton and Shirley Murray.
The statewide test was
given to more than 500,000
fifth and ninth graders, to
assess students mastery of
specific learning objectives
in reading, mathematics
and writing.
For the ninth grade test,
the results were designed
to show the percentage of
students who passed the
reading, writing and math-
ematics portions, as well as
the percentages who
mastered each test ob-
jective.
In Palacios, 69 percent
achieved a passing grade
on mathematics, 67 percent
on reading and 59 percent
on writing.
The fifth grade tests
were scored in a different
way by the State. The fifth
grade rest includes a “pre-
dicted norm reference test
percentile,
of how many students
passed the mathematics
and reading category on
national standardized tests.
There is no predicted
percentile for the writing
portion.
Based on samples of
students who took a
national achievement test
and the TABS tests, the
predicted percentile shows
where they would have
scored with a national
average of fifth graders.
Palacios fifth graders
scored at the 57th per-
centile on mathematics and
53rd percentile on reading.
The writing test scored
96 percent with acceptable
handwriting.
Superintendent of
Schools George Holst said
the tests pointed out some
of the strengths of the
district’s instructional pro-
Vlce Commander and N.E. Balch, Minister of the Church
of Christ. Seated are Mrs. Ruth Evans and Gold Star
Mothers Mrs. Hannah Jackson and Mrs. Anna Baltar, at
Gold Star parents services In Palacios last week.
penalize all homeowners,
small land owners, and
small business owners in
Matagorda County outside
Bay City l.S.D. little or no
tax relief.
2. "Double School Taxa-
tion" would give a great
deal of financial benefit to
the large land owners,
large business owners and
large industry owners in
the Bav Citv l.S.D.
See page 6
gram, but warned there
were also areas showing
weaknesses.
“Tests should always be
used as indicators to point
us in the right direction, not
as a strict rule that is
always correct because too
many other factors come
into play,” he explained.
“We arc comfortable
with the results, but know
that our work is cut out for
us,” Holst said.
In other business, the
trustees:
* Approved the May bills
for the Work Experience
Program, Consolidated Ap-
plication and regular Pala-
cios l.S.D. program.
* Accepted the resigna-
tions of one teacher and one
instructional aide.
* Approved 10 teacher
See page 6
CA to hear Holst
on new tax plan
George Holst, superin-
tendent of Paiacios Inde-
pendent School District,
will be guest speaker at the
Citizens Awareness meet-
ing Thursday night, June
19th.
The meeting will be held
at the Eagles Hall and
begin at 7:30 p.m.
Holst will discuss
"Double School Taxation”,
as a measure Members of the Mata-
gorda County Taxpayers
Association met last Tues-
day night at the courthouse
in Bay City and voted 27 to
8 to actively support the
establishment of a county-
wide school district.
The proposed district
would impose a countywide
property tax that would be
distributed among the five
districts on the basis of
average daily student
attendance.
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Dismukes, Mary V. Palacios Beacon (Palacios, Tex.), Vol. 75, No. 26, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 19, 1980, newspaper, June 19, 1980; Palacios, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth726120/m1/1/: accessed July 3, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Palacios Library.