Cooper Review (Cooper, Tex.), Vol. 104, No. 38, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 22, 1983 Page: 1 of 10
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The Delta Courier
Each Depositor
Insured to *100,000
By F.D.I.C. at
First National Bank
Cooper, Texas
No 38
Published At Cooper, Texas, Thursday, September 22,1983
Ten Pages
B3 O’CONNA MORA
County Tax Rate Set At 69*;
1984 Budget Adopted
The Delta County Commis-
sioners Ifourtiset the 1983 tax
rate, and adopted the 1984
Revenue Sharing bud et and
1984 county budget during a
morning session of the court last
Friday.
The ndwly adopted tax rate
will be 69 cents per $100 valua-
tion. This figure is 14 cents
jving the issue of who is going to build the Big Creek water
reservoir is still no further along than it was last week, two
fore that or 22 months ago for that matter. And, if the
of the Delta County Municipal Utility District Board last
, night is any indication of what is to come, the issue will
resolved any time soon, even if they do meet every week
ire on.
is an issue that is going to take compromise and
tion. And, if the hostilities that have been shown at the first —,.......... —
tings of the MUD Board continue, you might as well say higher than 1982, but only 2.56
a dead issue, as far as a county-wide project is concerned. Per cent over the pro-
phrase was repeated several times during the Board
Monday night and that was. ‘‘We are not here to impede
per the progress of this project”. If that was the concensus
majority of the Board, then why was it necessary to keep
-g it. One person can not (or should not) speak for the
as a whole.
ther phrase used was, ‘‘This is not a political issue”. Isn’t
I, maybe it is just a “friendly fight”; the county on one side,
on the other, continuing the century old dislike of this
nity.
imazing the thinking of some people. To say that if the City
tr had more representation on the Board, Cooper could
ate its action, when they, themselves, are a part of the
" manipulators, shows a biased attitude at its best,
[v, their monopolizing the Board is alright ... “That’s
ely different”. On an issue of this magnitude, fair play
t seem to figure into it.
the stacked deck is just what the Delta County
sinners were thinking about when they appointed the
f0 say that they were not partisan is pure bunk. For a little
;ooper almost had no representation at all on the Board,
entation by population is a foreign subject to our
isioners Court.)
.from the MUD Board’s voting records thus far (6-1), they
same way. They do not want Cooper to have a say in the
The only thing they want is for Cooper to pick up the tab
lanning, engineering and related costs. The majority seem
Cooper to pay the costs of construction, too, while they
e benefits.
Creek reservoir is probably the only means by which the
can come out of its decadence at this time. If it is a
aide project, then a water supply is assured for current and
residents where ever they might live within these 276
miles, and all can share the benefits. If the smaller lake is
the City of Cooper (the City’s engineer says it is not
ically feasible at this time for Cooper to construct the
then the water supply will be limited, as will the bei efits.
lestion the Board has to consider is, “Do we want progress
iwth, or do we sit back and wait for Mother Nature to zap
inty out of existence”?
jected by the office of the Delta
County Tax Assessor - Collector
as the effective rate needed to
generate' the same taxes as-
sessed last year. The tax rate is
effected by the total taxable
value of all property within the
county'and for this year, that
figure is $69,873,945. The total
value of property Is over $83
millioh, but ag-use exemptions
and otlier exemptions are calcu-
lated near $14 million.
As figured, $475,630 will be
generated in ad valorem taxes.
Of this, $366,182 will be ear-
marked for the General Fund
and $104,448 for the four pre-
cincts. However, it should be
noted that tax collections usu-
ally total around 90 per cent, or
$428,067 for 1984. The total
projected expenses of the 1984
budget are $461,600.
The tax rate was adopted on a
motion from Commissioner
Charles Allen and seconded by
Commissioner T.C. Maddox.
The vote was unanimous.
During the hearing on Reve-
nue Sharing, it was noted of t1ie
$30,408 anticipated for 1984,
$3,000 is ’for General Admini-
stration; $1,081.60, Financial
Administration; $2,500, Public
Facilities; $1,000. Public Safety;
$500, Health and Welfare; and
$22,326.40. Road and Public
Transportation. The RS budget
was adopted on a motion from
Commissioner Ardell Allison.
The Cojyrt next considered the
proposed 1984 budget. During
the lengthy discussion that fol-
lowed, County Judge Fred Potts
noted that the 1^84 budget was
$6,469.79‘below the total 1983
budget of $855,038.02; with
$576,750.23 for the General
Fund and $280,000 Precincts.
Commissioner Allison ques-
tioned the reasons as to why the
prdcinots were allocated less ad
valorem taxes for 1984 than
1983 and why the General Fund
received the bulk of the tax
increase. Judge Potts noted that
the precinct budgets were based
on last year’s expenditures and
that commissioners had consid-
ered the proposed budget dur-
ing numerous work sessions,
and that no major objections or
questions were raised at that
time. He also noted that many of
the individual precinct expendi-
tures were based on what com-
missioners had presented to
him.
Allison also questioned why it
appeared precinct budgets were
increased approximately $1,000
each and then salary increases
added; when it appeared other
county department were given
salary increases first and then
budget projections made.
To this, Judge Potts once
again stated that the Court had
already had numerous work
session^ to question the budget
allocations. Potts also noted that
each department’s expendi-
tures, including salary in-
creases, were all considered at
the same time.
;n Thumb District Officials Meet Here
rhursday at the Delta
Civic Center, speaking
*d of approximately 85
rhumb workers repre-
seven area counties,
armers Union president
oeller, presented safety
to all Green Thumbers
job accidents in the past
ars. Those receiving
from Delta County were
Billingsley and Mrs.
workers at Fannindel
zel Trigg, Delta County
in Memorial Museum;
om Williams, Delta
Green Thumb work
i Thumb provides part-
ork in public service
agencies for low-income persons
age 55 and over. Texas Farmers
Union sponsors the program,
which operates in 108 counties
across Texas.
Also present at the awards
and district meeting were Guy
Rushin, area supervisor of
Commerce and Diane Parrish of
Waco, state director of Green
Thumb.
According to Ms. Parrish,
“Working hard is the most
important thing in many
people’s lives. Yet. what most of
us don’t think about is that we
can’t work if we are not healthy,
and to be healthy we have to
take care of ourselves."
Ms. Parrish emphasized that
it is far better to prevent a
disease than to deal with it after
it has attacked the body. And, in
a film produced by the Ameri-
can Occupational Medical Asso-
ciation, the Green Thumbers in
attendance, learned how diet,
exercise and good habits can
forestall the onset of disease.
Workers from Cooper attend-
ing the training session included
Bonnie Lane, Ina Blount, Arthur
B. Roberts, Nadell Hooten,
Hazel Trigg, Vivian Hart,
Marvin Swanson and Byron
Hollowell.
Before the budget could be
adopted, another source of con-
tention was brought before the
Court concerning the $1,200
allocation for travel in the
Judge’s office budget. The
$1,200 allocation had not pre-
viously been discussed Friday
morning, but apparently had
been brought up in several work
sessions.
Commissioner Allen said,
“People are talking. They feel
the $1,200 is strictly additional
salary. You should sign a
voucher and submit it to the
Court just like we do.”
Judge ‘Potts immediately
noted that the Court already
discussed the matter at length
and he thought the issue had
been resolved. He noted, as he
had previously stated, that he
would submit a voucher only
once a month and that the
request would only show
"travel”. It appeared, several
of the commissioners wanted
Judge Potts to itemize each trip,
showing date, amount of mile-
age and to what destination.
Potts countered that commis-
sioners' vouchers consistently
show only food and lodging ex-
penditures and not mileage.
Potts continued, "1 spend far
more on travel, food and etc.
each month than 1 submit for
repayment to this Court. 1 will
never ask tor more than $100
per month, because $100 is all 1
want. I attend many of these
meetings representing the int-
erests of Delta County and some
1 attend for the dual purpose of
representing the county and to
help me better serve as judge ...
1 do not feel it is fair to ask the
taxpayers of this county to pay
for all the meetings 1 attend.
‘‘The other departments have
travel allowances,” said Potts.
“It seems only fair that the
Judge’s office have it also. 1 do
not feel it is necessary to keep a
complete record of every trip 1
make; many of those trips are 10
miles or less. It is not salary, it
is travel expense and nothing
more.”
After much consideration,
and the rescinding of a prior
motion calling for the deletion of
the SIj200 expense, Commis-
sioner Allen made a motion cal-
ling for the adoption of the 1984
budget with one minor adjust-
ment made in the figure shown
for ad valorem taxes in the
General Fund. The motion,
seconded by Commissioner
Maddox, received one negative
vote; that from Commissioner
C.D. Goforth.
According to Commissioner
Goforth, "I am against the
budget for two reasons - The
$1,200 travel allowance provisi-
sions in the Judge’s budget and
the salary increase for county
employees. We can't keep rais-
ing taxes and raising taxes.”
(As previously noted, Commis-
sioner Goforth voted for the tax
rate increase.)
The meeting adjourned after
consideration of several person-
nel matters and a discussion of
county purchase vouchers.
-4 IN
FIRST 1983 BALES - T.E. and Scotty Stegall delivered the first cotton harvested in Delta County to
the Cooper Co-op Gin last Wednesday. Stripped from the Louis Austin farm east of Cooper, the gin
processed the 12 bales Friday. Shown with the Stegalls is gin manager Chock Talley (center).
Municipal Utility District Board
Rejects Two Cooper Resolutions
The Delta County Municipal
Utility District Board met Tues-
day evening in the District
Courtroom in their official
meeting after organizing last
week.
On September 13, in a meet-
ing also held in the district
courtroom, Delta County Judge
Fred Potts gave the oath of
office to Dale Stockton, Alfred
Conley, Wesley Wallace, O.R.
Freeman, Roy Lee Jackson, Foy
Bums and Morris, the seven
men appointed by the Delta
County Commissioners Court.
After being seated, the Board
organized itself with Dale
Stockton being named president
Alfred Conley, vice-president;
CHS Homecoming Friday
A parade will be held tomor-
row (Friday) at 2 p.m. in ob-
servance of 1983 Cooper High
School Homecoming activities.
The parade, featuring a float
carrying the four nominees for
1983 Homecoming Queen, will
form at the school campus. A
pep rally will held on the square
in Cooper.
Nominees for queen this year
are Kim Beeler, senior; Wendy
Holmes, junior; Leah Robert-
son, sophomore; and Ramona
Preas, freshman.
Pre-game coronation activi-
ties are scheduled to begin at
7:10 Friday night at Bulldog
Stadium. Superintendent Fred
G. Wilkerson and 1982 Home-
coming Queen Anja Preas will
crown the 1983 queen at that
time.
Other activities during half-
time of the Cooper-Leonard
football game will include the
honoring of the Cooper High
School graduating classes of
1964 and 1969.
Tickets for the game may be
purchased in the school office
and Wesley Wallace, secretary
treasurer.
Prior to the swearing in cere-
mony, Bob Hayter reviewed the
act creating the District by the
State Legislature in 1971, and
article of the State Constitution
stating the qualifications and
disqualifications of Board
members, quoting Art. 16, Sec.
40, “A person cannot hold two
public offices for which he can
receive compensation”. Conley,
an alderman at Pecan Gap,
demanded that he be sworn in,
stating that he had contacted his
lawyer - ”1 can serve on both
because l do not receive a
salary”.
After taking their seats, the
Board members drew for terms:
Stockton, Partain, Burns and
Jackson to serve until April 30,
1984; Wallace, Conley and
Freeman to April 30, 1985.
Although the Board members
had received, by mail, the
agenda for the DCMUD organ-
izational meeting and an agenda
listing resolutions to be pre-
sented by the City of Cooper for
the Board's consideration, the
majority of the Board voted to
postpone Cooper’s agenda until
pui\.iia>xv.u in n«v ------ —--1---- c*
until 4 p.m. Friday for $2.50 for September 19, at the suggestion
adults and $1.50 for students. of Conley.
Police Officers Get 45 Calls In One Week
from
■
4T>
Within a seven-day period.
September 12 through
September 19, the Cooper
Police Department officers have
answered 45 calls within the
city, ranging from burglary and
assault with bodily injury to an
elderly man at his residence in
southwest Cooper, to the arrest
of a juvenile under the influence
of drugs.
On September 12, Cooper
Police officers investigated an
automobile accident at 10:45
p.m. in which the driver of the
vehicle ran off the street dam-
aging the auto and private
property.
Just after midnight on Sep-
tember 13, the Police Depart
ent received a report of suspi-
saulted. At 7:30 that evening, a
suspicious person attempted to
get into the vehicle of a resident
at the corner of S.W. 7th and
West Dallas Avenue; and two
reports of prowlers were receiv-
ed, one in the 700 block of S.W.
7th; the other in the 600 block of
West Waco.
Police officers on September
15 investigated suspicious
activity in the 900 block of West
Wilson; theft from an auto-
mobile in the 900 block of West
Dallas Avenue; theft of auto
accessories from a vehicle in the
100 block of West Dallas Ave.;
an armed suspicious person in
the 900 block of West Dallas;
theft from a residence, 400 block
of West Bonham; theft of a
E*« SAFETY AWARDS - During •
■CSSl-SS^
ment receivcu <$ ivpun w --------
cious persons near a business in bicycle from yard in 500 block of
,he 1100 block of West Dallas West Dallas Ave.; and a prowler
Avenue. That afternoon, offi-
cers investigated a theft from a
residence in the 500 block of
N.W. 1st Street, and theft from
a yard in the 200 block of East
San Antonio.
On September 14. at 7:20
a m. officers were called to a
residence on West Kaufman
and S.W. 13th where an elderly
man had been robbed and as-
in 1100 block of S.E. 2nd.
On September 16, officers
investigated a burglar alarm at a
business on the south side of the
square; recovered stolen prop-
erty; arrested juvenile under
influence of drugs.
On September 17, officers
received two prowler calls; one
in the 300 block of West Dallas
Ave. and one in the 300 block
East Waco. Also, a drunk driver
was reported on West Dallas
Avenue; a suspicious auto in the
900 block of West Wilson; ar-
rested one man for threatening
family with a gun; and answered
a family disturbance call.
Suspicious activity was re-
ported in the 500 block of N.W.
2nd on September 18; investi-
gated two incidents of theft of
gasoline from a business in the
900 block of West Dallas Ave.;
also arrested juvenile for shop-
lifting at same address.
And, on September 19, suspi-
cious persons were reported in
the 200 block of S.W. 1st and in
200 block East Dallas, during
the early hours of the morning;
another prowler call that night
in 300 block of West Waco. Also
investigated attempted burglary
of business in 600 block of West
Bonham; domestic quarrel; and
criminal trespassing in 700
block E. Ft. Worth Avenue.
The Police Department, in
addition, made three separate
attempts of contact for emer-
gency messages, report of un-
supervised burning of trash and
three security watch requests
from residents.
All tickets purchased at the gate
will be $3.00.
DAVE YOUNG RECEPTION
A reception to honor longtime
Cooper Independent School
District employee Dave Young
will be held from 5:00 to 6:30
p.m. Friday, September 23, at
the Delta County Civic Center.
Everyone is invited to attend.
Also, a scrapbook is being
compiled of letters from former
students, teachers and co-work-
ers. Anyone interested in plac-
ing a letter in the book, should
contact the office of the Super-
intendent.
Monday night, September 19,
the DCMUD Board met again in
the District Courtroom to con-
sider the resolutions presented
by the City of Cooper to the
group on September 13.
In his opening remarks,
Board president Dale Stockton
said, “This Board represents
Delta County. We are here not
to tell anyone what they can do
or not do, we are here to
expedite the Big Creek project -
not to hinder.”
Stockton continued with the
reading of the resolutions,
separately. The first resolution
dealt with adopting the sub-
Cooper Sales Tax Rebate Only *1653
The City of Cooper’s sales tax -------s—---- r------
rebate check from State Comp-
troller Bob Bullock's office
brings the year-to-date total to
$24,188.13, two per cent below
last year’s total. The current
check in the amount of
$1,653.11 was also below last
September's check of $1,942.38.
The City of Pecan Gap did not
receive a check this month from
the Comptroller’s office. Checks
in prior months total $3,414.17,
a 43.66 per cent increase over
last year's total of $2,376.59.
The checks sent in September
were for taxes collected on sales
made in July and reported to the
Comptroller by the end of
August.
In neighboring Hopkins
County. Sulphur Springs’ Sep-
tember check totalled
$51,165.68, for a year-to-date
total of $590,378.45. for a 10.38
per cent increase. Como and
Cumby did not receive checks
this month. However, their
year-to-date totals were listed as
$3,060.44 and $3,403.84. re-
spectively.
In Hunt County, Caddo Mills
received a check for $2,612.80
for year-to-date total of
$17,289.72; Campbell, no check,
1983 total of $17,289.72;
Celeste, no check, 1983 total -
$1,633.86; Commerce,
$20,977.68 for a total of
$236,880.15 Greenville.
$67,828.64 for a total of
$932,729.69; Lone Oak.
$1,248.56, total of $7,530.27;
Quinlan, $4,856.95, total of
$42,678.64; West Tawakoni,
$4,112.89, total of $39,087.74;
and Wolfe City. $1,005.94 for a
total of $37,653.49.
Hor.ey Grove's 1 September
See “Sales Tax” Page 3
mitted agenda and declaring an
emergency, and was approved
unanimously.
Resolution number two re-
quested that the Board ask the
Commissioners Court to expand
the Board to nine members, the
two additional members to be
residents of the City of Cooper.
Morris Partain, the only resi-
dent of Cooper on the Board,
presented a motion to adopt, but
did not receive a second at that
time.
Partain argued that to be a
taxing body of equal represen-
tation, according to population,
the Board needed to be increas-
ed giving Cooper fairer repre-
sentation.
Alfred Conley of Pecan Gap
countered that he was against
adding additional members
from Cooper saying, "Any three
members can call a meeting,
and if others could not be pre-
sent, they would have quorum
... if it was county-wide-at-large
it would be different.”
Stockton interjected that at
the time the district was formu-
lated. the county was consider-
ed as a whole ... “We don’t
need to manipulate this Board,
we are getting into politics there
... we don't need a tug of war.”
Stockton reiterated that,
“This Board is not here to
impede the project, and 1 don’t
believe the Commissioners were
partisan when they appointed
this Board.”
To bring the resolution to a
vote, Foy Burns voiced a second
to Partain’s motion. Partain
voted for the resolution; Bums,
Conley, Stockton, O.R. Free-
man, Wesley Wallace and Roy
Lee Jackson voted against.
Resolution number three re-
quested the creation of a five-
person Advisory Board,
members of which would be
named by the City of Cooper, to
bring about “the closest liaison
and cooperation with the citi-
zens and the city government of
the City of Cooper”. Bums pre-
sented the motion to adopt this
resolution, Partain seconded. In
the discussion, Stockton said the
Advisory Board would make the
situation unwiclding, and would
be a dual procedure... “We will
invite the City of Cooper offi-
cials to meet with this Board”.
Although in prior resolution
discussion, comments were
limited to Board members only,
Cooper Alderman Marion Miller
was allowed to explain that the
Advisory Board as planned by
the city, would include at least
two members of the City Council
and other residents of the city,
saying that this would expedite
matters and would allow ‘‘first-
hand knowledge".
In the vote on the resolution.
Bums and Partain were for the
issue; Stockton, Wallace, Free-
See “District” Page 3
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Mora, O'Conna. Cooper Review (Cooper, Tex.), Vol. 104, No. 38, Ed. 1 Thursday, September 22, 1983, newspaper, September 22, 1983; Cooper, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth979907/m1/1/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Delta County Public Library.