Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 125, No. 16, Ed. 1 Sunday, February 25, 2007 Page: 1 of 70
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Volume 125 Number 16
The Dominant News and Advertising Source in Polk County
UPS 437-340 Price: 50 cents
Short notice sends clerk scrambling
Statewide election called
LIVINGSTON - News received
Iasi week that there will be a
statewide constitutional amendment
election on May 12 has the Polk
County clerk scrambling to hire
election officials.
Many of those who normally
work county elections have already
been signed up to work city and
school elections on that day, said
County Clerk Barbara Middleton.
She estimates the election will cost
the county over $10,(XX).
The one-issue election is the
result of passage on Wednesday of
Senate Joint Resolution 13. That,
along with passage of House Bill 2,
extend the last legislative session’s
property tax relief to elderly and
disabled homeowners, and provide
the necessary funding to Texas
public schools, according to Rep.
John Otto (R-Dayton), Polk
County's representative in the
Texas House.
Voters statewide will be asked to
vote “for” or "against” a
constitutional amendment
“authorizing the legislature to
provide for a reduction of the
limitation on the total amount of ad
valorem taxes that may be imposed
for public school purposes on the
residence homesteads of the elderly
or disabled to reflect any reduction
in the rate of those taxes for the
2006 and 2007 tax years ”
‘This is an historic moment,”
said Otto, who voted for the joint
resolution. "My fellow lawmakers
and I delivered on our promise to
provide the largest property tax cut
in state history while increasing the
state’s share of public education
spending. Over the last two years,
we have been able to shift the
responsibility of paying for public
education from the homeowners to
the state, something that is long
overdue.”
SJR 13 is a constitutional
amendment that affords elderly and
disabled homeowners the same
property tax relief that other
homeowners received during the
79th Legislative Session, Otto
-explained. Currently, the Texas
Constitution has frozen senior
citizens' property taxes in order to
protect them from future increases.
HB 2 appropriates $14 billion in
revenue to the Texas Education
Agency for school funding. This
amount will make up for the
revenue that school districts lost
from the property tax reduction, he
said
SJR 13. the tax relief proposal,
requires voter approval before it
can go into effect.
Early voting for the election is
scheduled to begin on April 30
Holiday sales slightly lower
Polk County
****4******-***o'RI.GIN MIXED ADC 773
2188 00-00-00 17OP 1013
SOUTHWEST HICR0PUBLI INC
2627 F VANDELL DR
EL PASO TX 79903-3724
Commissioners poised to issue COs
Jail expansion funds topic
LIVINGSTON - Polk Countians
may have been a bit stingier last
Christmas than the year before,
according to sales tax figures re-
leased last week by State Comp-
troller Susan Combs. February
sales tax rebates primarily represent
sales made in December.
This month, rebates were down
compared to the previous year in all
five Polk County cities that levy
sales taxes. February sales tax reve-
nue to the county, however, was up
compared to the same month in
2006.
Polk County levies a half-cent
sales tax. The cities of Livingston,
Onalaska and Corrigan levy a 1.5
percent tax and Goodrich and
Seven Oaks each levy a 1 percent
tax.
Polk County received $271,502
in February, up 60.05 percent from
the $169,628 received during the
same month last year. Through the
first two months of 2007, the
county has received $415,504, a
44.89 percent increase from the
$286,767 received through the
same date last year.
The City of Livingston’s most
recent payment of $327,305 is
down 0.35 percent from the
$328,487 received in February of
2006. Payments to date for 2007
total $584,462, a 6.83 percent in-
crease over the $547,051 received
through the same date last year.
Corrigan's February payment of
$23,298 is 0.72 percent less than
the $23,469 received in February of
2006. Payments to date are up 2.94
percent, with $35,482 received
through the first two months of this
year, compared to $34,466 through
the same month last year.
Onalaska received $37,779 this
month. 2.90 percent less than the
$38,907 received in February of
2006. Payments to date are above
last year’s levels. This month’s
payment brings the total received in
2007 to $56,789, compared to
See STATEWIDE pg. 6A
FAMILIES ENJOY THE PANCAKE SUPPER—Ryan Wakefield, left, Margie Woodworth
and Paul Woodworth, first time visitors, participate in the annual Livingston Rotary Club Pan-
cake Supper held Thursday evening at Livingston Junior High. Several thousands of tickets are
sold each year for the event which includes dine out and take out pancakes, sausage and drinks
and a chance to participate in the silent auction. Proceeds benefit the many community projects
led by the Rotary Club members.
ENTERPRISE PHOTO ItN CORDON I ill,\RRON
DEED RESEARCH ADDING UP - An increase in the number of oil and gas consultants do-
ing research in the county clerk's office has generated additional revenue for the county and
also bodes well for the general economy.
Oil, gas lease research
proving gusher for county
LIVINGSTON - The deed
records office at the Polk County
Courthouse has been gushing
revenue thanks to the regional surge
in oil and gas consultants seeking
mineral rights to drill new wells in
the county.
County Clerk Barbara Middleton
said the crowd of people waiting to
take a turn at one of the public-
access computer terminals and
make copies filled the office last
week.
Chief Deputy Schelana Walker
added that several companies are
racking up about $1,000 a month in
copy fees.
The clerk’s office has already
collected more than half the
revenue projected for the year just
five months into the budget year,
County Treasurer Nola Reneau
said.
The last two months have
generated the highest fees yet.
Reneau said.
The heavy demand stems from
the high oil prices around the
world, but in Texas researching
ownership of mineral rights can be
more complicated.
In the Lone Star state, mineral
rights can be severed from surface
ownership.
Just because property has been in
the family for generations doesn't
necessarily mean a check is in the
mail when a derrick goes up.
Some owners of legacy farms
have been disappointed to learn that
mineral rights were sold as far back
as the 1930s, according to the
Texas A&M Real Estate Center.
In the clerk's office, the recent
high demand for property records
exhausted one copier and it has
been replaced with an upgraded
model. Walker said.
Staff members also have to use
machines in an adjacent office to
keep up with demand, Walker said.
Two employees were lured away
from the clerk's office to better-
paying jobs with oil and gas
companies, she added.
Walker said when she joined the
county clerk’s office staff about
seven years ago, typically four or
five people a day would come in to
research deed records.
Now, lines form for a seat at the
computer terminal and the clerk’s
office plans to add two more public-
access stations to meet that ongoing
demand.
LIVINGSTON - Polk County
Commissioners will consider a
resolution to publish notice of their
intention to issue certificates of
obligation during their meeting at
10 a.m. Tuesday.
During a bond workshop held
after the court’s Eeb. 12 meeting.
County Judge John Thompson said
county officials will consider using
certificates of obligation to fund jail
expansion. Additional cells are
needed to alleviate the expense of
housing inmates in contract
facilities.
A change order submitted by
Armand and Fisher Architects for
renovations to the Polk County
Office Annex will also be
discussed..
The court also will consider a
request from Sheriff Kenneth
Hammack to issue county credit
cards to be used for prisoner
transport expenses.
Hammack cited an inmate
transfer that took place at I a.m.
Thursday morning as an example of
how the cards would be used.
The inmate was sent to a state
facility in Vernon, an eight- to nine-
hour trip each way, Hammack said.
The sheriff prefers his deputies
not make the full round-trip without
USD to narrow superintendent list
LIVINGSTON - In a special-
called meeting at 6 p.m. Monday,
Livingston Independent School
District trustees are scheduled to
meet with Dr. Ron McLeod of the
Texas Association of School
Boards (TASB) to discuss
applicants for the position of LISD
superintendent.
Trustees will consider two items
in open session - approval of a
security guard position and a
change in the stipend for tutorials -
prior to entering into closed session
to discuss superintendent
applicants.
The deadline for applications was
last Monday, with TASB
representatives charged with
helping the board determine the
best applicants. Initial interviews
are slated to be held at special-
called meetings scheduled for 5:30
p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and
Thursday.
At least three dozen persons have
reportedly applied for the LISD
superintendent's job.
Trustees are expected to approve
the number of applicants to be
interviewed during Monday night’s
meeting. All of this week’s
meetings will be held in the LISD
Administration Office.
The superintendent search
schedule calls for the top candidate
for the position to be named on
March 19, following a visit to the
home district of the top
applicant(s). An actual vote to hire
a new superintendent is scheduled
for April 2.
Shelly Hullihen, assistant
superintendent for Student Support
Services, has been serving as
interim superintendent until a
permanent replacement for Dr.
Carol Ann Bonds, who left at the
end of 2006 to become
superintendent for the San Angelo
ISD, is found.
stopping for rest, as a measure to
ensure employee safety.
“I prefer for them to find lodging
and make the return trip after a good
night’s rest.” Hammack said.
The deputy would be allowed to
use the card to pay for meals while
on duty and a motel room on these
longer trips, he added.
Under current fiolicy, the deputy
requests reimbursement fot these
travel expenses after they're paid
out of their own pockets, Hammack
said.
Commissioners also will consider
approving a capital purchase listing
for a reimbursement resolution.
In Precinct 2, commissioners will
consider ucquirine an easement for
a bridge landing in the Bridgeview
Subdivision for drainage purposes.
The court may also appoint two
members to the facilities study
group to fill vacancies.
Debbie Clack, who represented
the City of Livingston on the study ,
group and Debra NeAon wiili i
Livingston Specialty Merchants
Guild, are stepping down from the
group.
See COMMISSIONERS pg. 3\
Sheriff tracking several
issues before legislature
AUSTIN - Polk County Sheriff
Kenneth Hammack was among
more than 100 sheriffs that visited
the Texas Legislature Feb. 21 to
show their interest in several law
enforcement issues pending at the
eapitol.
Hammack said he's particularly
interested in a bill filed that would
streamline processing for mental
health commitments.
"It would expedite getting help
for these people much quicker than
we are now,” Hammack said.
All Polk County deputies
assigned to patrol duties are
certified in crisis intervention,
Hammack said.
Patrol deputies are called on at
times to take someone into custody
when a mental health warrant is
issued. The special training helps
the deputy take them into custody
without incident.
Typically the person is taken
directly to the hospital or MHMR
for evaluation. If testing determines
the person needs to be admitted for
further care, they are held in a
hospital setting until a bed at a
psychiatric facility is arrange for.
Hammack said those
arrangements can take from as little
as an hour to as long as 10 to 12
hours. The variance depends on
whether the person has private
insurance or is going to a state
facility, he said.
There is a long list of other bills
the Sheriffs' Association of Texas is
tracking for the group.
Wednesday’s event helps to get
county sheriffs involved in the
legislative process and shows their
support for lawmakers, a spokesman
for the group said.
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White, Barbara. Polk County Enterprise (Livingston, Tex.), Vol. 125, No. 16, Ed. 1 Sunday, February 25, 2007, newspaper, February 25, 2007; Livingston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth788270/m1/1/?q=Lamar+University: accessed July 8, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Livingston Municipal Library.