First public hearing for tax increases
The Falls County Commissioners Court held their first public hearing to discuss tax increases for the 2017 tax rates per $100.00 valuation for Falls County’s fiscal year 2017-2018.
The proposed 2017 tax rates for maintenance and operations will be $0.78600. Interest and sinking fund obligations on debt will now be $0.03918, farm to market lateral roads is proposed to be $0.14700. While the total proposed tax rates should equal around $0.97218.
They will have there second public hearing on Monday, September 18 at 9:00 a.m. which is when they will also be having there public hearing for the budget for the upcoming fiscal year of 2017/2018.
The vote to adopt the proposed tax rate is set for Monday, September 25 at 9:00 a.m. in the county courthouse.
The county is also considering entering into an interlocal agreement with the city of Marlin for dispatcher services between the city and the county jail.
The contract that was presented to the court will be taken back for further revision, once revised the court will then wait for the city to review the contract before taking any further action.
According to the documents that the court reviewed this week the county would be obligated to provide the city with 24 hour per day and seven days a week service by answering, processing and dispatching any calls for service at the same level, quality and promptness as the county does with its own calls.
They will also provide computer aided dispatch to the city and will also provide the city with access to any crime information both Texas and national.
The city will be obligated to provide a service fee of up to $130,000.00 if they agree to the price per fiscal year from October 1 to September 30, that will be payable in 12 payments of up to $10,833.33.
Officers and first responders must become familiar with the protocols; the city will also provide the needed equipment for the service. In addition the city will provide the county three employees to help out with the dispatch services.
Once again nothing has been agreed upon just yet, but both parties do agree that this is a service that will benefit both the city and county mutually.
The court also discussed and agreed to the list for election judges and their alternates. The judges and their alternate’s terms was set to begin for a one year term on August 1, 2017.
The list of judges includes Trudie Asbury, Rose Denena, Phillip Muese, Linda Lockridge, Curtis Smith, Tonya Taplin, Joyce English, Linda Vickers, Joe Hellmueller, Deborah Goffney, Marcia Giesler, Claire Hoelscher, Doyle Parks and Roger Craig.
The alternates include Fred Ormsby, Carolyn Kintscher, Martha Welch, Richard Janeke, Cara Sue Albright, Marilyn Martin, Beverly Weaver, Delilah LcGowan, Ruth Doskocil, Carol Sampson, Leo Green, Florene Jackson, Lou Ella Carter and Betty Elder.