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Gladewater ISD Board members approve 12-cent tax increase
By Jim Bardwell
Mirror Publisher
With no other sources for increased revenue to fund Gladewater schools,
board members Monday night voted to approve a 12-cent tax hike for the 2010-2011
school year.
The new tax rate will go from is $1.04 per $1,000 of taxable property value
to $1.17 per $1,000.
At a public hearing held just prior to the vote, one resident questioned
the sizable 12-cent increase and wondered why the school recently reported
it would give teachers a $1,000 raise when GISD had a deficit. “I don’t
give raises if I don’t have the money,” the concerned citizen
declared. “I don’t know how we got the cart before the horse?”
Superintendent J.P. Richardson explained that the “state requires
we give pay raises,” and he said he felt Gladewater teachers – who
are paid below the average in this area – deserved the raise and it
was needed to keep good teachers in Gladewater.
With a proposed Tax Ratification Election looming in the near feature,
the Gladewater ISD school board members approved their 2010-11 budget after
a public hearing June 30.
The total expenditures in the budget amount to $17.3 million. With total
revenues covering only $16.6 million (which includes an injection of $1.12
million from the TRE) the district will still be short $706,426.
GISD Business Director Elaine Hall said the remaining deficit will be covered
by the school’s $4.5 million fund balance, but without the tax election
the total deficit will be more than $1.8 million, a far more significant
portion of the school’s reserve.
Richardson said the district has taken every step possible to curb expenses – including
not filling 20 positions through attrition. But he said the real problem is
that state funding does not go up unless GISD gains more students – which
it isn’t. He also explained that even though property may show increased
appraisals – GISD gets the same amount of money overall because the state
reduces its funding as local appraisals go up. So the only place GISD has to
go for help is from increasing its local tax rate, Richardson explained.
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Farmer's Market
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| Threatening skies didn’t keep away vendors and shoppers at the
Gladewater Farmer’s Market Saturday. The weekly event continues
to draw dozens of area residents with homegrown fruits, vegetables, salsa,
jam and other produce from local growers. Don’t miss this Saturday’s
event from 8 a.m. to noon downtown. Jim Bardwell/Mirror photo |
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Merchants hope locals can break ‘chain store habits’
Gladewater businesses push shopping locally during National Retailers Week
It pays to shop at home and support local events and fundraisers – at
least it did for Donna Blanton of White Oak who was selected as the grand
prize winner of the Freedom Raffle, sponsored by the Gladewater Antique District
Association.
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| Diane Turner of the Gladewater Antique District Association presents
White Oak resident Donna Blanton with the $2,700 in gift certificates
and coupons she won in the GADA Freedom Raffle. Local merchants are
putting special emphasis on buying locally as National Retailers Week
approaches July 18-24. Courtesy photo |
The raffle, which proclaimed “freedom to shop - freedom to
dine - freedom to be entertained - without spending a single Thomas Jefferson
nickel”, included more than $2,700 worth of gift certificates
and coupons.
Blanton purchased five tickets, which turned out to be quite a return on
a $20 investment.
“I have had an absolute BALL going around downtown Gladewater this
past week shopping for all the goodies that was in store with this raffle
winning!” said Blanton. “I can’t say "Thank-you" enough
and I appreciate every business that was a part of this precious donations."
For a complete list of donors and prizes, see page 3A.
In its continued effort to bring the local business community and
local shopper together – the GADA and Gladewater Main Street have joined
forced and are asking local residents to show your support for the local
independent retailers by shopping Gladewater first, in observance National
Independent Retailers Week – July 18-24.
In honor of the special week, Mayor Walter Derrick has issued a proclamation...
...Continued in this week's edition of The Gladewater Mirror.
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Gladewater ISD School Supplies
Click here (Adobe Reader required) |
Gladewater Police Reports
(Citations/Warnings/Arrests/Accidents/Call Activity/ Reports)
June 1-30, 2010
Citations / Warnings Total 465
Arrests 52
Calls 1,806
(Including All Officer Initiated Activity)
Accidents Worked 9
Incident Reports Written 90
Total Average Response Time 6 min.
Total Average Total Time 20 min.
(Average Time on a Call)
Total Calls Delayed Due to No Available Officers to
Respond: 1
Total Time Delayed 0.11Hr.
Calls w/no response 0
Total No. of Dispatch Calls for Service 1,373
Incoming Calls to Dispatch:
Radio 13,290
Telephone 13,064
911: 492
Grand Total 26,846
Major Crimes 32
Homicide 0
Robbery 0
Sex Offense 2
Assault 8
Burglary 4
Theft 18
Auto Theft 0
Alcohol 11
DWI 3
PI 6
Other Law Violations 1
Drug/Narcotic Cases 8
Litter Abatement 2,274 cu-ft removed.
1,700 cu-ft pending owner response; 3 lots cleared;
1 Case sent to D.A.; 14 Letters sent. |
Gladewater man draws 4 years for meth charge
By Phillip Williams
Mirror Correspondent
GILMER – 115th District Judge Lauren Parish sentenced six persons,
including a Gladewater resident, who pled guilty to felony charges June 29,
said Upshur County District Attorney Billy Byrd’s office.
James Chris Adkinson, 25, drew four years in prison for possession of a
controlled substance – methamphetamine, the office said. The Upshur
County Sheriff’s Office investigated the Oct. 28, 2009 crime, the office
said.
Assistant District Attorney Edward Choy represented the state in the case
while Gilmer attorney Tim Cone represented Adkinson, said the office.
Details of the other sentencings were as follows, Byrd’s office reported:
Josh Roger Stone, 19, of Longview, was placed on four years “deferred
adjudication” probation for evading/arrest detention with vehicle.
“Deferred adjudication” means no final conviction appears on
a defendant’s record if he/she successfully completes probation. However,
when such probation is revoked, the maximum sentence for the crime can be
imposed.
Stone admitted committing the Nov. 11, 2009 offense, which the Texas Department
of Public Safety investigated. Some of his many terms of probation include
400 hours of community service, a $750 fine, and receiving either a high
school diploma or a General Equivalency Diploma.
Choy represented the state in the case. Longview attorney Stacey Brownlee represented
Stone...
...Continued in this week's edition of The Gladewater Mirror.
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Commissioners to consider road engineer job
By Phillip Williams
Mirror Correspondent
GILMER – Faced with several citizen complaints about the performance
of the county Road and Bridge Department under administrator Bubba Pendarvis,
the Upshur County Commissioners Court on Thursday will consider approving
taking applications to employ a road engineer.
That – and discussing the department's road work – are two
of nine items (counting adjournment) on the agenda for the 9 a.m.
meeting on the county courthouse's third floor.
The court is also scheduled to "report to concerned citizens on" a
$2,395 fee recently paid the Tyler law firm of Flowers and Davis.
Pct. 4 Comm. Glenn Campbell and Pct. 1 Comm. James Crittenden raised
questions about the bill at the court's June 30 meeting because the matter
had not been brought before the court earlier. County Judge Dean
Fowler said the bill resulted from the threat of a lawsuit against the
sheriff's office, but the matter had been resolved without suit being filed.
The court voted 3-1 to pay the bill with Crittenden opposing and Campbell
supporting it.
In other business Thursday, commissioners are scheduled to consider moving
the County Auditor's office from the courthouse to the Upshur County Justice
Center; bids on property foreclosed for delinquent taxes; accepting the
Timberline subdivision plat for filing; hear public comment, if any; and
consider several routine items (such as paying bills and approving the
payroll) that are sub-grouped under one item on the agenda.
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Texas Republican women’s leader addresses Upshur group
By Phillip Williams
Mirror Correspondent
GILMER – The president of the Texas Federation of Republican Women
told a local GOP women’s group here Thursday that her organization
is putting “special emphasis” on filling the Texas House of Representatives
with Republicans in the November general election.
Rebecca Bradford of Corpus Christi told the Republican Women of Upshur
County that the House now has 76 Republicans and 74 Democrats with redistricting
at hand, a process which affects the state’s representation in Washington.
She said Democrats have committed “gerrymandering” when they
were in charge of it.
Bradford also told the local group’s monthly luncheon at the Gilmer
Church of Christ annex that she hoped the GOP will “gain a lot more
than 10” seats in the state House.
“The most essential thing you can do is to keep...Republicans in
office,” she told the 16 persons present. “Protect every single
office, local and state.”
She declared that the Obama Administration was different from any seen
in “our lifetime,” and, “as people who don’t want
socialism, we’ve got to stand together.”
But Bradford warned that the idea of throwing every single incumbent out
of office was a “huge mistake,” and also indicated opposition
to the idea of a conservative third party.
Instead, “Why can’t we make the Republican Party a better party?” asked
the head of the GOP women’s federation, which claims nearly 10,000
members.
She said it was fine if there was a third party, but to let it be one that
is “leftist.”
Meantime, Bradford, a businesswoman, alleged that “unfortunately,
the Democrats tend to say one thing and mean something else.”
For example, donations to so-called animal rights organizations don’t
help animals...
...Continued in this week's edition of The Gladewater Mirror.
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