Wednesday, August 27, 1997
Area news roundup
Brown County constables seek City Council help
Brown County constables approached the City Council on Tuesday
about a rift between several area law enforcement agencies.
Precinct 1 Commissioner Jim Bitter asked for the council's
help in repairing a sour relationship between the constables and
the West Central Texas Interlocal Task Force.
"Because the city of Brownwood is one of the funding cities
(of the task force), and because the constables have jurisdiction
within the city limits, and because the city has a successful
track record in mediating disputes," explained Councilman
Dave Fair, "Constable Bitter wants to address the situation
with us."
Bitter said he and his deputies have been working for the past
seven months trying to get drugs off the streets of Brownwood.
"We have run into numerous obstacles, one of which started
with the sheriff's department," he said.
Bitter said the task force forced the sheriff's department
to choose between working with the constables or the task force.
"Sheriff (Glen) Smith said he had no other choice than
to pull out of (an) investigation, and not cooperate with us in
drug-related activities," Bitter said.
The 17-year law enforcement veteran said nine search warrants
have resulted in 16 arrests on drug charges in the past seven
months. He and his deputies have recovered more than $13,000 in
narcotics and more than $8,000 in cash during that time.
But he said they have gone without the help of the task force's
drug dog, which has been requested and refused several times.
Frank Cleveland, commander of the task force, and Smith were
unavailable for comment.
The council instructed City Manager Gary Butts to send a letter
to the task force asking for a meeting within the next 30 days
to discuss the problem.
Brownwood City Council approves budget
The Brownwood City Council approved next year's budget Tuesday,
making way for a three-cent increase in the ad valorem tax rate.
But council members didn't do it without taking heat from a
number of residents opposed to the hike at a public hearing.
"You're asking for too much money," said Dr. James
Gandy, a 35-year resident of Brownwood. "You've got too many
programs, and you're giving us more service than we need."
Gandy and several other residents complained mostly about the
increase in their property valuation, which Mayor Bert Massey
said was out of the city's control.
The four-percent increase in the tax rate, which at .7715 cents
per $100 in property value remains four cents below the rollback
rate, would have been even larger if the city's tax base had not
increased, said City Manager Gary Butts.
"Out of the average increase of $32 per year in property
taxes, only $9.99 can be attributed to the increased rate,"
Butts said. "The rest comes from the new appraised values."
The $18.3 million budget is an increase of 3.2 percent over
last year, which Finance Director Ricky Jorgenson said is barely
above the inflation rate.
Forty-five percent of the $340,000 increase in the ad valorem
tax revenue will be used for debt service which was approved by
voters in a 1996 street bond election.
Forty-nine percent is earmarked for expansion at the police
department; the remaining six percent will be used to increase
activity in the code enforcement department.
In addition, the city council also approved a 2.6 percent increase
in higher city utility payments to offset inflation.
The budget and the tax rate must be approved on second and
third readings, which will take place at the next city council
meeting.
Federal officer arrested at prison
BIG SPRING -- A federal corrections officer has been arrested
for aggravated sexual abuse of an inmate at the all-male Federal
Corrections Institution in Big Spring.
Darron Humphries of Big Spring was arrested while on the job
at 11:30 a.m. Aug. 21, said Mike Morris, public information officer
at the prison.
Morris said Humphries had been placed on "home duty"
status, still receiving pay, pending any disciplinary action.
Because the offense occurred on federal property, Humphries
was taken into custody by representatives of the Inspector General,
Department of Justice and internal affairs investigators of the
Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Humphries appeared before U.S. Magistrate J.Q. Warnick on Friday
in Lubbock, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanya Pierce.
"The charge, which was by complaint, was explained, as
were his rights, and he was released on his own recognizance,"
Pierce said.
Nature of the alleged sexual abuse was not explained immediately.
Council proposes new tax rate
COLORADO CITY -- The City Council tentatively approved the
1998 tax rate at 68.4724 cents per $100 valuation Monday night.
Last year's rate was 65.45 cents.
Mayor Jim Baum said the increase would add about $8.04 to the
average homeowner's property taxes.
The council will meet Sept. 3 at 5:30 p.m. at City Hall for
a public hearing on the tax rate.
In other business, the council approved 850 feet of paving
and water and sewer for the new Hillcrest addition, and officially
changed the name of the street in that area from McKinney Street
to Mattie Woods Lane to honor a longtime resident.
midnight Monday in a one-car accident three miles west of Dublin
on Highway 6.
Yolanda Ramirez Fuentes, a certified nurses aide with Zenith
Health Clinic and Columbia Home Health Agency, was apparently
on her way home at the time of the accident. Investigators believe
she went to sleep at the wheel, causing the car to run off the
road and overturn. She was not wearing a seat belt.
Fuentes was pronounced dead at the scene at 11:55 p.m. by Justice
of the Peace Bill Zachary.
Rosary will be at 7 tonight and services at 10 a.m. Thursday
in Harrell Memorial Chapel here. Burial will be in Dublin Liveoak
Cemetery.
Mitchell County adopts new budget
COLORADO CITY -- Mitchell County commissioners adopted a $3.647
million budget for 1998 Monday, representing a nearly $194,000
increase.
Commissioners also preliminarily agreed to a tax rate of 55.75
cents per $100 valuation, a decrease from 55.95 cents last year.
The additional revenues result from increased property values.
Commissioners are set to approve officially the new rate at
9 a.m. Friday.
In other business, commissioners turned down a bid on a used
motor grader and gave county librarian Nancy Mayo permission to
hire an employee to fill a vacancy.
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Abilene Reporter-News / Texnews / E.W. Scripps Publications
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