Friday's Internet Edition, August 29, 2008.
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News editor - Coryell County Commissioners yesterday approved a proposed tax rate of .41207 cents per $100 valuation.
The current tax rate is .38807 cents per $100 valuation. The proposed tax rate will be the subject of a public hearing on Sept. 2 at 9 a.m., followed by one on the proposed budget.
Commissioners also approved a resolution to again apply for an indigent service grant. The county has received the grant previously, said Coryell County Judge John Hull, who added that this year, the grant is $32,000.
County Clerk Barbara Simpson asked commissioners to approve an increase in archives fee of $5. Simpson said the money would be used to restore the county’s archives, adding that the books would be washed and encapsulated. “The history of the county needs to be preserved,” she said.
Wall asked why money collected through record management couldn’t be used. Simpson said it could be, but those funds were low because of software and hardware purchases, as well as shelves for the archives.
After much discussion, commissioners approved the county clerk’s request.
However, they took no action on a request by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Those who serve on a Coryell County jury have the option of donating their jury salary to an organization on a list provided by the county.
MADD asked to be added to the list. The group has no chapter in Gatesville, and the closest office is in Harker Heights. Said Commissioner Jack Wall, “I’d like to see our money stay at home.”
Commissioners approved a change of location for two voting precincts. Box 320 was moved from a building on the Central Texas College campus to a building on Fort Hood.
Simpson said the box at CTC historically has two people vote there. Hull said he hoped the move would get more military families to vote.
They also moved box 219 from the Hollie Parsons Elementary campus to that of the Copperas Cove Junior High School. Hull said the move was needed because Hollie Parsons is hard to find.
In other business, Wall suggested those constructing homes put in driveway drains instead of having the county put in a culvert, an option that would save the county time and money.
All commissioners agreed on the idea, and Wall moved that the matter be placed on the Sept. 22 agenda to give the road administrator time to develop a permitting process.