Cooper Review (Cooper, Tex.), Vol. 104, No. 41, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 13, 1983 Page: 1 of 8
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ie Delta Bank
jntinuous Service
Since 1900”
Member F.D.I.C.
ho<l No
7M
• • •
TW (Mfcr Review
IISKDIMO
tMtrtUcmi caf*r» m ckaage*
tl UdrtM noikf» should be
•Mil I* P.O. Bo» 430, Cooper,
Texas, 75432.
• • •
Combined With
The De'ta Courier
Each Depositor
Insured to *100,000
By F.D.I.C. at
First National Bank
Cooper, Texas
Published At Cooper, Texas. Thursday, October 13,1983
Eight Pages
City Council Disallows Tax Increase
B3 O’CONNA MORA
irneth F. Graeber, executive director of the State Property
pjoard (SPTB), noted in the agency's annual report released
by that property taxes totaling nearly $6.6 billion were levied
feias during 1982 by approximately 3,200 local taxing units,
he property tax was the primary revenue source for school
cities, counties and special districts such as junior
utility districts, etc.," Graeber said.
5 levied in 1982 were used to fund local government
#jons for the 1982-83 fiscal year,
trail, the statewide property tax levy rose by more than $828
i from the $5.75 billion in property taxes levied in 1981. The
• of increase from 1981 to 1982 was 14.4 per cent, compared to
| If.3 per cent increase in levy noted from 1980 to 1981.
^During 1982", Graeber said, "50.0 per cent of all property
lin the state were levied by school districts, while the city
jot the levy was 21.0 per cent. Counties levied 17.7 per cent of
in 1982, while special districts accounted for 11.3 per
He noted that in fiscal year 1982, the reported property tax levy
|capita in Texas was $376.61, compared to $335.99 in 1981.
Ler, when adjusted to a base year of 1970 for changes in the
mcr price index, the real per capita levy for 1982 fell to
JjD compared to $143.45 in 1981 and $129.71 in 1970.
[ta W82 the property tax accounted for 38.06 per cent of the total
(and local tax burden in Texas, compared to 37.07 per cent in
Iting levy information reported by school districts, the State
rty Tax Board calculated the distribution of the 198? school
I among the various classes of taxable property.
: figures indicated that business taxpayers including mineral
blue rs paid just over 54 per cent of the school taxes in 1982,
(owners of single family residences paid slightly more than 28
|cer t I rm properties, including rural acreage, were allocated
innately 8 per cent of the school tax burden, while other
is of property together paid about 9 per cent of the levy,
feeber noted that complete reappraisals were implemented in
(county appraisal districts during 1982.
e purpose of reappraisal was to ensure that the appraisal roll
the constitutional requirement that values be equal and
m. and that all property be valued in accordance with market
lthe Cooper Independent School District, the share of taxes
Jb\ businesses and homeowners is reversed from the over-all
figures. Here, real property has an assessed value of
395,457 with a tax levy of $230,521; while businesses are
I at $6,013,180 with a tax levy of $30,065. Personal property
M value of $2,445,910. while according to the Tax Appraisal
let. ag-use exemptions total some $55,239,330.
[fajpercentage of which taxing entity levied the most taxes, the
i got 50 per cent of all taxes paid and C1SD approximately 27
■cent.
Ithough the values on property are "equal and uniform ,
f property owners do not feel the assessments are equal, nor
l\ understand whv an increase in the tax rate was stated to be
kthree per cent, yet is eight or fourteen per cent more than last
|We don't understand it, but the way it was explained to us, was
Ik luesn’t matter what the tax rate was last year. The taxing
' take the current total tax roll (values of all properties in
(district) and Figure a tax rate that would give them the same
•nt of tax revenues as last year. Or, if they chose to add a little
t sear's total, such as three per cent, then a tax rate would be
Id to generate this amount of money. For Cooper ISD, the
se in the 1983 tax rate over the 1982 rate was 7.5 cents. Delta
y's increase is .2175 cents; and the City of Cooper, 5 cents,
||100 valuation.
br some property owners, their county taxes almost doubled
(ear; school taxes up a quarter; and city taxes up by a dollar or
^However, other property owners saw their taxes go down, due
emptions, and such. (Some exemptions are justified, others
I not).
The Coopet City Council
meeting Monday night at City
Hall voted to delete a proposed
three percent elective tax rate
increase and set the tax rate at
.7469 cents per $100 valuation.
Prior to the budget hearing
and the setting of the effective
tax rate, the Council on an
unanimous vote, approved dis-
tribution of anticipated Revenue
Sharing Funds. As projected,
$1000 of Revenue Sharing
monies will go to the Fire
Department; $1500 to the Police
Department; $6500 to the Gar-
bage Fund; and $23,500 to the
Street Department.
Mayor Gary Robinson opened
the Budget hearing with a re-
view of estimated empenditures
for 1983-84. In the General
Fund, $48,242 was allocated fof
general and administrative ex-
penses; $58,736 for Police De-
partment; $24,225 for Fire De-
partment; and $250 - Parks and
Recreation, for a total of
$131,453. Net funds required
from taxes for the General Fund
were $126,453.
In the Street and Bridge
Fund, total operating expenses
were estimated at $262,314 (in-
cluding $150,000 the city pro-
poses to borrow for construction
of new streets, $23,500 from
Revenue Sharing, and $70,000
from sale of materials, franchise
taxes, etc.) Net funds required
from taxes were estimated at
$35,614.
To fund the General and S&B
funds, a total tax revenue re-
quired would be $162,067. Dur-
ing the discussion of the budget,
it was pointed out that the city’s
assessed taxable value was
some five percent less this year
than 1982 due to the loss of
certain bank assessments, also,
the total tax revenues required
for the 1983-84 budget were
some $3,000 less than the 1982
total tax levy.
To generate the same tax
revenues as in 1982-83 fiscal
year, the city’s tax assessor set
an effective tax rate at .7497
cents per $100 valuation based
on a total assessed taxable value
of $22,177,872. City Auditor Jim
Ainsworth in figuring estimated
tax revenues, including a three
percent increase in the effective
rate, a tax of 77 cents per $100
valuation would generate
$170,597. Of the 77 cents, 60
cents would have been delegat-
ed to the General Fund
($133,067 total) and 17 cents
($37,702) to the Street Fund.
The elimination of the three
percent tax increase cut the
police department by $2431 and
the street fund by like amount.
Following a lengthy discuss-
ion, the Council voted to elimi-
nate the three percent increase
which would have given the city
an additional $4862.
At the .77 cents tax rate,
Ainsworth projected a deficit in
the General Fund at the end of
the fiscal year, and the Street
Fund to have a balance of some
$200.
Mayor Robinson pointed out
to the Council that with antici-
pated tax collections between 85
percent and 95 percent, the tax
rate as set would not fund the
budget. To this Alderman Day-
mon Cunningham replied that if
the city "came up short near the
end of the fiscal year, the city
could borrow money to make up
the deficit.”
During the regular monthly
Council meeting, approval was
given for continuation of the
audit service by Ainsworth and
Lambert, CPAs. The Council
also approved the deletion of
certain delinquent personal pro-
perty taxes from the city’s tax
roll, as suggested by delinquent
tax attorney.
Morris Partain, local residen-
tial developer, appeared before
the Council and presented a
letter outlining a formal com-
plaint against Group W Cable
Company of Commerce for their
failure to run a cable line to
WestTown Addition, a violation
of a city ordinance that states
that the cable company must
provide service to all sections of
Cooper. It was noted that the
contract between the cable com-
pany and the city stipulates that
the cable company must provide
service to an individual or area
within 30 days following a for-
mal request. Partain informed
the Council that he made his
request in May and agreed to
pay a portion of the cost of
running the cable to his new
addition. On a motion by Aider-
man Marion Miller, the Council
expressed their agreement with
Partain’s request, and instruct-
ed City Attorney James Allison
to contact Group W. Cable on
this matter.
Bob Hayter, city engineer,
introduced to the Council finan-
cial advisors George Cooper and
Ed Moore of Schneider, Barnet
and Hickman, Inc., who discus-
sed financing of the sewer im-
provement project, and the pro-
posed Big Creek reservoir and
treatment plant.
Cooper informed the Council
that he had been in contact with
the Texas Water Development
Board, requesting a lower inter-
est rate on the city’s $400,000
sewer bonds. He continued that
the request was favorably re-
ceived, the TWDB considering
setting the interest rate 8.1
percent annually instead of 8.9
percent, a savings of some
$3200 in interest each year of
the 20-year loan.
Cooper also said that the
city’s application for a loan to
finance the water supply project
would be presented to the
TWDB at its meeting on Thurs-
tuple Builds Own Home With Families’ Help
by Suzanne Gantt
keted first by a picture of
[kouse's exterior in "The
tssive Farmer", Mark and
i Millard ordered plans for
inspection. The plans fit
! bousing needs, so con-
Pon was begun. "We built
Duse in the middle of what
wheat field," explained
Cecilia Millard when asked
about the building site. Painted
gray, with trees at one corner,
the house does not appear out of
place.
Father-in-law, Leo Millard,
modified the plans to include
double walls and floors, assur-
ing a solid-built house. Working
from 6 a m. to 6 p m. every day,
Millard did as much of the
actual construction ss possible.
He was not alone though, build-
ing the house became a family
project.
Johnny Burns, Mrs. Millard's
father, whose expertise is elec-
tricity and plumbing, installed
all the electrical wiring and
plumbing. Justa Calvin, her
mother did the papering with
mother-in-law, Dorothy Millard,
doing the painting.
day "which will save 30 days".
Hayter interjected that the city’s
water permit hearing is sched-
uled for November 10, and “we
have to get the application for
funds on file before the permit
hearing...we’ve been working
on this for twelve months and if
we don’t get it in November it
will take another twelve months
to get back to this point.”
Moore discussed the Big
Creek lake project which he said
total cost (lake and treatment
plant) would be $3.8 million,
with the net amount to be
funded locally $2,550,000. The
money, Moore said, would be
requested in two phases, first,
$700,000 in March 1984 covered
by tax revenues, the remaining
$1,850,000 in April 1985, repay-
able with 30 percent taxes, 70
percent water revenues...‘‘this
is called prudent financing.”
Moore further said "we are
trying to keep the debt service
payments as low as possible for
the first three to five years." He
also said "we are requesting a
25-year payback and a $100,000
reserve fund, to be put into an
interest bearing account, where-
by after ten years, you can
possibly call in some bonds.”
Moore asked for and received
approval from the Council a
motion authorizing Mayor Rob-
inson to sign all documents
presented by the financial ad-
visors.
The discussion continued on
the anticipated bond election,
Cunningham asking what hap-
pens if the voters do not approve
the issue. Cooper answered,
"We are stopped dead." "Tax
and revenue bonds need the
approval of the citizenry, certif-
icates of obligations can be
issued without voter approval,”
Cooper continued.
The meeting continued with a
discussion of the sewer project.
Allison informed the Council
that the condemnation suits to
obtain easements for the sewer
mains and lift stations, would be
heard next week by a three-
person Commission appointed
to rule on the suits.
In an emergency meeting fol-
lowing the close of the regular
session, the Council nominated
Curtis Pardue, Bobby Irvin,
Norman Messick, Ted Carring-
ton and Douglas Blagburn for
positions on the Tax Appraisal
Board.
The Council questioned the
mayor as to why L. C. Talley
was no longer an employee of
the Police Department, Mayor
Robinson directing the Council
to a copy of Talley's resignation
included with the minutes’
packet.
The letter from Talley read:
"As of Friday, September six-
teenth at 11:55 p.m. I am
officially terminating my posi-
tion as City Police Officer, be-
cause of the ‘misuse’ of the
radio procedure.”
The Council as a whole ex-
pressed their desire that Tally
be rehired, possibly as night
watchman, Miller stating, “Tal-
ley is highly thought of by the
citizens of Cooper and we
should find a way to get him
back.”
Miller also proposed that the
City Council adopt a resolution
expressing their appreciation to
Talley for the work he did for the
city.” The proposal was un-
animously adopted by the
Council.
For Children Under Twelve
Fingerprint Project Slated
This Weekend In Cooper
Delta County Sheriff Mike
Holbert is initiating a program
to develop a file of fingerprints
and photos of all children in
Delta County, as is being done
in other counties.
The purpose of the program is
to provide a means of identifi-
cation should the child be kid-
napped or disappear. As oper-
ated in other areas, the child’s
fingerprints and photos can be
entered into a nationwide
program of computers and
organizations designed to help
locate missing or kidnapped
children.
This coming Saturday and
Sunday, October 15-16, parents
may take their children to the
Sheriffs office on the second
floor of the courthouse where
they will be fingerprinted and a
photo taken. One set of finger-
prints and the photo will be
retained in the files at the
Sheriff's office; a second set of
fingerprints will be given to the
parents.
This services is for children
between the ages of 8 months
and 12 years. For infants under
eight months, footprints will be
taken.
Parents unable to take their
children to be fingerprinted this
weekend, may do so on Satur-
day, October 22.
Commissioners Divide Payment, Table Issue
Members of the Delta County
Commissioners Court met
Tuesday morning for their reg-
ular monthly session. All
members of the Court were pre-
sent.
After the reading of the
minutes and the approval of
bills as signed, the Court dis-
cussed their selections for the
election of directors to the Delta
County Tax Appraisal Board for
the coming two-year term. As
prescribed by law, each taxing
entity in the county is allowed to
nominate five residents to be
considered for election to the
board. Commissioners agreed to
table any action on the selection
until Friday, October 14.
The payment in lieu of taxes
was received from the federal
government on land in the pro-
posed Cooper Dam and Reser-
voir project, south of town. The
check, in the amount of $13,382
was divided into $584.70 for
each precinct and $11,043.16 to
the General Fund.
Monthly departmental re-
ports were reviewed by Judge
Fred Potts with the office of
Justice of the Peace - $3,194;
Tax Assessor-Collector
$20,538.42; and Civic Center -
$125. The August 31, 1983,
monthly audit was also discuss-
ed. It was noted that no de-
partment had overspent their
budgets at this time.
County Sheriff Mike Holbert
appeared before the Court to
discuss the purchase of two
radar units for the Sheriff s
patrol cars. Holbert noted that
at the request of Judge Potts he
had contacted several radar
companies for price quotations
on new and used units. In his
report to the Court, Holbert
stated two units had been lo-
cated at a cost of $945 each and
both were used. After further
discussion, the matter was tabl-
ed until a later date.
In other matters, Judge Potts
discussed with the Court recent
acts of theft, burglary and van-
dalism in the Courthouse; and
Commissioners agreed to level
the lot on West Bonham that is
the site for the proposed county
jail.
Yeager Farm To Be Honored
The Texas Family Land Heri-
tage Program will honor one
farm in Delta County this for
maintaining continuous agricul-
tural production for a century or
more. The Delta County
honorees are Mr. and Mrs.
Garth Ballard Yeager of Pecan
Gap, owners of the Yeager
Farm.
Agriculture Commissioner
Jim Hightower will invite the
current owners of the 171 prop-
erties to be honored this year, to
an awards ceremony in the State
Capitol on November 10.
Instituted in 1974, the FLHP
has now registered 1,729 farms
and ranches. Seven from Delta
County have been honored so
far.
"A short history and pictures
of the farms and ranches to be
honored this year will be pub-
lished in the "1983 Family Land
Heritage Registry’’,’’ High-
tower said. "The annual regi-
stry is proving to be an inval-
uable source for Texas genealo-
gists and historians."
State legislators, county
judges and county historical
commission chairpersons have
been very helpful in finding and
registering family properties,
Hightower said.
Persons interested in apply-
ing for recognition next year
may write to Family Land Heri-
tage Program, Texas Depart-
ment of Agriculture, P.O. Box
12847, Austin, Texas, 78711.
Constitutional Amendments On Nov, Ballots
Texas voters will have an
opportunity in the general elec-
tion on November 8, 1983, to
vote for or against 11 proposed
amendments to the Texas Con-
stitution. The following is a
summary of four amendments.
Proposition No. 3
Senate Joint Resolution 1
TP&L To Offer Billing Plan
Mrs. Millard worked along
side the two families; painting,
sanding and cleaning up after-
wards. Mr. Millard, when not at
work, was working on the
house. He said, "When you
build your own house, you know
where everything is”.
The Millards, looking at 1,600
square feet of living space,
wanted to cut heating and cool-
ing costs. Double walls and
floors serve a dual purpose not
only for a stronger built house,
but also for added protection
against the elements. The walls,
floors and ceilings were insu-
lated. Taping and bedding of
the walls were contracted out.
later to be paneled, painted or
papered. For added measure,
insulated windows were instal-
led around the house.
The Millards find that a
Colony Hearth wood stove heats
the house in the winter and the
summer heat is beat with a
window air conditioner. Both
strongly feel they have greatly
reduced their energy costs and
stay just as comfortable without
nvrnr.
Beginning November 1,
Texas Power and Light Comp-
any will offer an Average Billing
Plan in order to give its custom-
ers a built-in device to budget
for monthly electrical service.
Harry Bomar, TP&L manager
said the Average Billing Plan
will smooth the monthly swings
from high-use months of
summer to the lower-use winter
period.
"We have done extensive re-
search on ways to help our
customers cope with managing
their energy dollars. The
answers always point toward
sound energy management in
the home and good budgetmgf’*'
Bomar said. "The Average Bil-
ling Plan accomodates both
these items,” he said.
He said a customer who part-
icipates in the Average Billing
Plan will be charged a monthly
average of the past 12 months of
service. The average will be
updated whh each new bill.
Bomar said the Average Bil-
ling Plan also takes care of un-
usual events in a customer's
electrical usage. "If you add a
room to your home, your bill will
increase in increments until a
12-month average shows that
the new level of electrical use
has become part of your pattern
of life," he said.
The customer’s monthly bill
will specify the amount of elec-
tricity actually used each month,
he said.
Customers who have lived at
their present address for fewer
than 12 months still can partici-
pate in the Average Billing
Plan.
He said that all TP&L resi-
dential customers are eligible
for the Average Billing Plan,
which is offered without cost.
Customers who would like to
participate in Average Billing
Plan should contact the local
TP&L office.
Friends Of Library
To Meet Monday
Friends of the Delta County
Public Library will meet next
Monday, October 17, at 7 p.m.
at the Library on Southwest
First Street in Cooper. Anyone
interested is invited to attend.
Also, work continues on re-
furbishing the structure in pre-
paration for a grand opening in
November. Anyone interested
in helping with any phase of
the project is encouraged to
contact Mrs. Ellene Oliver or
attend any of the weekly Thurs-
day night work sessions.
proposes a constitutional
amendment that authorizes the
Legislature to enact legislation
that permits representative as-
sociations of agricultural pro-
ducers to collect refundable
assessments on their product
sales to be used solely to finance
programs of marketing promo-
tion, research and education
relating to those products.
It provides, further, that
adoption of the proposed consti-
tutional amendment will bring
into effect Senate Bill 607, Acts
of the 68th Legislature, Regular
Session, 1983. with rejection of
the amendment resulting in
Senate Bill 607 having no effect.
The proposed constitutional
amendment will appear on the
ballot as follows: "The consti-
tutional amendment providing
for the advancement of food and
amendment authorizing use of
the permanent school fund to
guarantee bonds issued by
school districts”.
Proposition No. 11
Senate Joint Resolution 13
proposes a constitutional
amendment that would change
the Board of Pardons and
Paroles from a constitutional
agency to a statutory agency
and would eliminate tht Gover-
nor's power to revoke paroles.
The Legislature would be auth-
orized to establish the Board of
Pardons and Paroles and to
require it to maintain records of
its actions and the reasons for
its actions.
The amendment would em-
power the Legislature to enact
parole laws. Constitutional
language specifying the quali-
fications and terms of office for
fiber production and marketing memt,ers 0f (f,e Board of
in this state through research, par(jons an£| paro|es is elimi-
education and promotion financ- nate(j constitutional lang-
ed by the producers of agricul- uagC g0vernjng tj,e composition
tural products".
Proposition No. 5
Senate Joint Resolution 12
proposes a constitutional
amendment that authorizes the
Legislature to enact legislation
providing for the use of the
permanent school fund and
income from the permanent
school fund to guarantee bonds
issued by school districts.
The amendment provides,
further, that the Legislature
may appropriate part of the
available school fund for admin-
istration of the permanent
school fund or of a bond guar-
antee program established pur-
suant to the amendment.
The constitutional amend-
ment will appear on the ballot as
follows: "The constitutional
of the Board of Pardons and
Paroles and the manner of fil-
ling vacancies on the Board is
eliminated.
The proposed amendment
will appear on the ballot as
follows: "The constitutional
amendment to change the Board
of Pardons and Paroles from a
constitutional agency to a statu-
tory agency and to give the
board power to revoke paroles".
Lions Club Meeting Friday
Members of the Cooper Lions
Club will meet Friday at noon at
the Delta Country Club for their
regular bi-monthly meeting.
The program chairman is Rev.
Richard Tatum.
All members are urged to
attend and invite guests.
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Mora, O'Conna. Cooper Review (Cooper, Tex.), Vol. 104, No. 41, Ed. 1 Thursday, October 13, 1983, newspaper, October 13, 1983; Cooper, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth979980/m1/1/?q=music: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Delta County Public Library.