Rains County Leader (Emory, Tex.), Vol. 118, No. 14, Ed. 1 Tuesday, September 13, 2005 Page: 8 of 42
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7
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trains Count)) Leader Tuesday, September 13,2005
ESD signs contracts with three area fire departments
By CAROLYN HILL
Rams County leader staff
The Rains County Emer-
gency Service District signed
contracts for fire protection cov-
erage with three area fire depart-
ments Thursday, September 8,
during a regular meeting of the
board of commissioners.
On individual motions, the
district’s commissioners ap-
proved offering Emory, Point,
and East Tawakoni volunteer,
fire departments contracts: how-
ever. the offer to extend a con-
tract to Southwest Rains Volun-
teer Fire Department died for
lack of a motion.
The Emory VFD contract is
for $66,133 paid in 11 payments
of $5,511 and one final payment
of $5,512,
The Point VFD contract is for
$40,739 paid in 11 payments of
$3,390 and one final payment of
$3,449.
The East Tawakoni VFD con-
tract is for $28,548 in 12 equal
payments of $2,379.
All contracts start October 1,
2005 and run throqgh Septem-
ber 30, 2006. They are for a
mapped area of coverage and the
amount of the contract is based
on the size and population of the
area. The contracts were signed
and notarized at Thursday
evening’s meeting. ,
After the issue of offering a
contract to SWRVFD died for
lack of a second, president of the
board Jim Harris said that the
contracts are issued to run from
year to year unless either party
notifies the other of its intention
to cancel with a 90-day notice.
He suggested an agenda be post-
ed for a special meeting to
address a letter of notice.
The board agreed to meet
Tuesday (tonight) at 7:00 p.m. at
the courthouse annex.
In an effort to assure all the
homeowners in the area current-
ly served by SWRVFD that they
will receive fire protection, Har-
ris told the Leader that the area
will most likely be absorbed into
the Point and Emory VFD area.
Those departments covered the
area before the ESD contracted
with SWRVFD for fire protec-
tion. The area is contracted at
$18,894.96.
Before the regular meeting of
the board, a special meeting was
held to approved the FY 2005-
2006 budget and tax rate.
A budget of $355,175.37 was
approved with a tax rate of .0855
per hundred-dollar valuation ap-
proved to fund it.
Aside from the fire contracts,
the budget includes $120,(M^l,<o
Champion EMS for ambulance
service countywide, $33,873.00
to the Rains County Appraisal
District for appraisals and col-
lection of ad valorem taxes, and
an estimated $30,000 for insur-
ance on the contracted fire
departments and board mem-
bers.
Fire commissioner Raymond
Spencer reported that on Wed-
nesday, September 7, the
pumper truck at SWRVFD was
re-inspected and passed without
problems.
SWRVFD Chief Charlotte
Parkhurst discussed several
items of concern to her. Her first
request was that SWRVFD be
paged out as a first responder on
each 911 call received by
Champion EMS in the fire
department’s coverage area.
Two members of Champion
EMS responded that calls for
first responders was at the
ambulance service’s discretion
and the EMTs made that deci-
sion. They added that all four of
the district’s fire department’s
are treated with equal considera-
tion in calling for first respon-
ders.
Parkhurst next requested an
increase in the SWRVFD’s cov-«
erage area stating she would like
a five-mile area around her sta-
tion. (This agenda item was
addressed before the contract
renewals.)
Emory and county see sales tax increases
By JAXIK MORGAN
Rains Count) leader stall
The city of Emory and Rains
County both saw increases in
their sales tax rebates again this
month. Point's rebate was about
the same as last September’s,
hut East Tawakoni saw a decline
after posting two months of
increases.
State Comptroller Carole
Keeton Strayhorn announced
that the state collected $1.49 bil-
, lion in sales tax in August, up
4.4 percent comapred to a year
ago. And when the state's 2005
fiscal year ended August 31,
sales tax collections were 5.8
percent higher thanin FY 2004,
contributing to a $1.2 billion
revenue surplus for fiscal 2005.
Strayhorn sent September
sales tax allocations of $244.6
million to Texas cities, up, 10
percent compared to September
2004. Calendar year-to-date,
city sales tax rebates are running
7.8 percent higher than last year.
T&Xas counties tjcceived Septem-
ber sales tax allocations of $20.6
millioji. up 6.4 percent com-
pared to a year ago. Calendar
year-to-date, county sales tax
allocations are 8.6 percent high
er than last year.
Emory’s rebate of $56.628.19
is up 13.2 percent from last Sep-
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Cosmetic Reps:
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tember’s $50,017.52. Total
received to date of $526,060.84
is up 23 percent from 2004’s
vear-to-date total of
$427,861.44.
The city of Point’s rebate of
$3,434.87 is up less than I per-
cent from the $3,424.43
received last September. Total
received to date is $34,260.00,
down 1.2 percent from 2004’s
total to date of $34,687.91.
The city of East, Tawakoni
received $5,719.38, down 3.5
from last September’s
$5,925.42. Total received this
year of $53,747.28 is down less
than 1 percent from last year’s
total to date of $54,171.07.
The three cities received a
total of $65,782.44 this month,
up 10.8 percent over September
2004’s total of $59,367.37. This
year’s total allocations to date of
$614,068.12 is up 18.8 percent
from last year's total to date of
$516,720.42.
Rains County's $25,075.13 is
up 7.1 percent from September
2004’s rebate of $23,403.53.
The total received to date this
year is $234,558.47,, up 16.6
percent from last year’s total to
date of $201,166.50.
Neighboring counties all saw
increases in this month's alloca-
tions. Hopkins County saw the
largest increase percentagewise
w ith a rebate of $114,416.79, up
17.9 percent. Wood County's
$89,577.90 is up 12.6, and Hunt
County’s $203,854.39 is up 10
percent. Van Zandt County does
nt>t mllprl fV»r» hfllf-nerrpnt
county sales tax.
All three cities in Hopkins
County also saw increases this
month. Cumby's $8,316.60 is up
74.2 percent, Como’s $1,687.30
is up 32.4 percent, and Sulphur
Springs’ $301,191.11 is up 16
percent.
Nine of Hunt County's 11
cities showed increases this
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month. Campbell’s $2,962.47 is
up 157.5 percent. Hawk Cove’s
$51.24 is up 80.8 percent,
Caddo Mills’ $5,788.26 is up
20.8 percent. Lone Oak’s
$3,514.89 is up 11.4 percent,
Greenville’s rebate of
$411,452.40 is up 9.6 percent.
Celeste's $2,776.66 is up 5 per-
cent, West Tawakoni’s rebate of
$10,874.82 is up 4 percent,
Quinlan’s $28,586.52 is up 2.7
percent, and Commerce’s rebate
of $74,875.90 is up 2.3 percent.
Wolfe City’s $2,946.52 is down
11.4 percent, and Neylandville's
$3,322.40 is down 7 percent.
Five of the six cities in Van
Zandt County showed increases
in their allocations this month,
with one showing only a slight
decrease. Edom’s $2,571.70 is
up 57.5 percent. Wills Point’s
$41,376.19 is up 16.6 percent,
Grand Saline’s $25,606.78 is up
6.7 percent. Van’s $25,127.77 is
up A percent, and Edgewood's
$11,088.65 is up less than 1 per-
cent. Canton’s $176,454.71 is
down less than 1 percent.
Wood County’s cities were
split evently, with three showing
increases and three showing
decreases. Alba’s $13,691.32 is
up 159.7 percent, Quitman’s
rebate of $54,691.78 is up 69
percent, and Yantis’ $1,420.90 is
up 37.8 percent. Hawkins’
$13,220.44 is down 7.8 percent.
Winnsboro’s $42,147.67 is
down 5.4 percent, and Mineola’s
$100,885.00 is down 5.2 per-
cent.
September sales tax alloca-
tions represent sales that
occurred in July and were
reported to the comptroller in
August.
On September 2, after closing
the books on the last biennium,
Strayhorn asked the governor to
convene a three-day special ses-
sion of the Legislature to appro-
priate the necessary funds to
assist Texas education, security,
health care and human service
providers who are helping Hur
ricane Katrina evacuees.
“While we can count on the
federal government to do what it
can for Texas, the feds are not
going to pay for us to hire more
police, and they are not going to
pay us to bring in more teachers
to educate the thousands of new
children enrolling in our already
stretched local schools.
“The need is here. The
resources are here. We need to
act now to provide relief to our
Texas communities,” Strayhorn
said.
ESD posts special
meeting agenda
The Rams County Emer-
gency Service District No. 1
board of commissioners will
meet in special session on Tues-
day, September 13, 2005 at 7:00
p.m. at the Rains County Court-
house Annex in Emory at which
time the following items of busi-
ness will be considered and/or
acted on:
• Discuss and take any neces-
Deaton Cemetery Association
The day is soon approaching
for the annual memorial day
services at Deaton Cemetery,
which will be held on Sunday,
Sept. 18. This year the speaker is
Gary Aven.
The services will begin at
10:00 a.m. under the big oak
trees.
Feel free to bring a covered
dish or picnic lunch and fellow-
ship after the services. If for
some reason you are unable to
come and would like to make a
donation.you can make a check
payable to Deaton Cemetery
Association, and mail it to:
10935 Hwy. 19, Emory, TX
75440. Your past and present
support is appreciated.
Donations to Pilgrim Rest Cemetery
Donations have been received
for the Pilgrim Rest Cemetery
Fence Fund in memory of Ann
Elaine Melton Fulfer from Rev.
and Mrs. Donnie Melton, Mr.
and Mrs. Reil Melton, Mr. and
Mrs. Matt Medlock, Tom Rus-
sell, J. Clare Jackson, and Mr.
and Mrs. James Garrett.
Donations were given to the
Pilgrim Rest Cemetery General
Fund in memory of Mrs. Fulfer
from Mary Jo Fatheree and Joy
Roddam
A donation was received from
Joy Woodall Stoffells for the
fence fund in iiicinoiy of hef
grandmother. Ruby Spence
Prather.
All donations are greatly
appreciated.
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Lastly, she asked that the
board provide sound equipment
for taping the board meetings
and that the board set a time
limit for retaining the tapes.
Harris responded that the law
does not require the ESD board
or any other board to invest its
money in recording equipment
to tape its meetings only that
minutes be kept.
The board took no action on
any of the items addressed by
Parkhurst.
Champion EMT Mark Smith
reported that Champion EMS is
planning an ECA (first respon
der) class in Rains County most
likely at the public library in the
near future. He said complete
details will be forwarded as soon
as they arc finalized.
Harris presented an action
item on a,bill for payment from
the board’s attorney, Raymond
Johnson, of Sulphur Springs.
Harris said that the bill is for a
conference on July 22 of just
over a half hour in length with
Chief Parkhurst on miscella-
neous issues pertaining to
SWRVFD
He added that Johnson is not
SWRVFD’s attorney and Park-
hurst did not have the authority
of the board to go the the attor-
ney’s office and incur expenses
tor the district.
A motion to deduct the hilled
amount of $60 from the next
payment to SWRVFD was
approved. All other payments
were approved as presented.
In open forum. Shelly Licber-
man. requested a copy of the
hoard's by-laws and financial
statement. Harris responded that
he could bring a copy of the
ESD’s most recent audit to the
next meeting for Lieberman He
also said that the board does not
have by-laws but operates under
the law Chapter 776 of the Texas
Health and Safety Code. Chap-
ter 776 covers Emergency Ser-
vice Districts in counties of
125,000 or less and the Operat-
ing Manual for Rural Fire Pre-
vention District Board of Fire
Commissioners, Third Edition.
Judy Kelsey, who is an officer
with SWRVFD, asked several
questions regarding how the fire
departments expend taxpayers’
money. Harris responded that
should the board suspect any
wrongdoing by any contracted
fire department in the spending
of taxpayers’ money, the com-
missioners have the authority to
investigate and inspect the
department's books.
In other action, the board:
• Approved the minutes of the
August 4 regular meeting and
the August 25 contract work-
shop.
• Approved a motion to not
pursue an appointment of a
liaison/county fire marshal.
• Tabled discussion on insuring;
firefighters receiving disabili-
ty payments from state, pri-
vate or federal sources until
further information can be
presented by the district s
attorney; Raymond Johnson.
• The report of activity for the
month of August included
131 calls taken by Champion
EMS with an average
response time of ten minutes
by the ambulance stationed in
the/county.
Emory VFD reported 34 runs
including four structure fires and
eight grass fires that burned 629
acres.
Point VFD reported 37 runs
including five structure and 13
grass fires.
East Tawakoni VFD reported
three structure and five grass
fires.
Southwest Rains VFD report-
ed one structure and seven grass
fires.
Present at the meeting were
commissioners Harris, Tammy
Ross, K.W Shipp and Raymond
Spencer. Commissioner Paul
Cason was absent for business
reasons.
siuy action on presentation ot
90-day written notice of termi-
nation of contract between
Rain- County Emergency Ser-
vice District No. 1 and South-
west Rains Volunteer Fire
Department to Chief Charlotte
Parkhurst or representative of
Southwest Rains Volunteer Fire
Department.
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Hill, Earl Clyde, Jr. Rains County Leader (Emory, Tex.), Vol. 118, No. 14, Ed. 1 Tuesday, September 13, 2005, newspaper, September 13, 2005; Emory, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth767686/m1/8/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rains County Library.