City Council Approves Water Bill Hike, Property Tax Cut

City Manager Cody Thompson addresses the Council at last night's meeting.

At its monthly meeting yesterday evening, the City Council approved an across-the-board increase of $8 per household in the City water/sewer/garbage fee. It also slightly lowered the tax rate for appraised property in the City. Both changes are effective October 1, when the 2016 fiscal year begins, although the water bill increase won't show up until the November bill. The Council also approved the City budget for the 2016 fiscal year.

Ordinance No. 133, passed unanimously by the Council, presents the new monthly rates for water, sewer, and garbage. All are the same as last year except for the first 3000 gallons of water, which will now cost $29.06 instead of $21.06 per household. Costs for the use of over 3000 gallons, sewer costs per bathroom, and garbage pickup per cart or dumpster will all remain unchanged.

The increase is necessary because of the increased cost of operating the new reverse-osmosis water treatment plant. Cleaning of the membranes (i.e., filters) at the plant involve the use of expensive chemicals, and new filters, which must be purchased every five or six years, cost $35,000 to $45,000 each. In addition, the electricity bill at the plant is now about $24,000 per year. The good news of course is the higher level of the quality of City water, which we all now enjoy and benefit from.

Ordinance No. 134, also passed unanimously, involves a change of the City’s property tax rate from .801180 per $100 valuation to .797715 per $100. The change reflects the amount needed to raise the required revenue for the 2016 fiscal year beginning in October. The amount will remain the same as 2015, but the drop in rate is offset by the increase in the appraisals.

Funding for the City’s Type A (Industrial  Development) and Type B (Community Development) Boards will remain the same as last year, i.e., $25,000 for the Type A Board and $50,000 total for the Type B Board. These allotted amounts are funded by City sales taxes of .05% for the B Board and .025% for the A Board with another .025% going to street expenditures. The Council also approved the addition of Kade Johnson to the B Board.

City Manager Cody Thompson also announced the hiring of a new City employee, Jeffrey Snider.

Police Chief Felix Pantoja also gave the Police Report for August. There were 102 total calls, 3 vehicle crashes, 3 cases filed, and 5 calls for public assistance. He also had 7 calls involving rattlesnakes and wants City residents to be aware that snakes are in town and on the move.

--o--

YOUNG FARM ESTATES TO HOLD OPEN HOUSES FOR NEW HOMES THIS WEEKEND

116 James Wells Drive.

Two new homes at Young Farm Estates, one at 112 Tom Dobbins and the other at 116 James Wells, are now finished and will be available for inspection at Open Houses to be held this weekend.

An Open House for school personnel, business owners, and the City Council will be on Thursday, September 15, from 4:00-6:00pm. Another for realtors will be from 11:00am-1:00pm, also on Thursday.

Open House for the general public is on Saturday, September 17, from 4:00-6:00pm.

The home on 112 Tom Dobbins Drive was built by Donahue Homes of Abilene (325-370-1105) and is for sale at $193,500. The one on 116 James Wells Drive was built by Elegancia Homes of Abilene (325-260-1385). Its sale price is $189,000.

112 James Wells Drive.

--o--

ALBANY OVERPOWERS PLOWBOYS, 48-7

The Plowboys scored first in this game when Brayden Beal hit Clemente Aguayo with a 7-yard touchdown pass midway through the first quarter. Jose Ortega kicked the extra point, and the Plowboys led 7-0. At that time, no one knew that it would be the last score Roscoe made for the rest of the evening, but it was.

Albany quickly recovered and went on to win going away. The Lions, who have played in the state finals for the past two years and are currently ranked number 3 in class 2A-II, showed why on both sides of the ball. On defense, they shut out the Plowboys the rest of the way while scoring 48 unanswered points on offense.

Albany made 24 first downs to the Plowboys’ 5 and 553 total yards to the Plowboys’ 235. They led at halftime 28-7. Here was the scoring by quarters:

Albany             7          21        14        6
Roscoe             7           0          0        0

Beal had a decent game passing, completing 12 of 19 for 192 yards and one TD, but the Lions shut down the Plowboy run game with Francisco Garcia managing only 28 yards in 18 carries. Ortega led the Plowboy receivers with 5 catches for 106 yards, while Aguayo had 4 for 64 yards and 1 TD,

The Plowboys have an open date this weekend, so they won’t be playing again until next Friday, September 23, when they face another tough foe, Anson, at Plowboy Field who is currently undefeated but faces Albany themselves this weekend.

--o--

ROSCOE FIREMEN MAKE 9-11 TRIBUTE WALK

Five Roscoe Volunteer Firemen honored the fallen in New York on 9-11 with a Tribute Walk this past weekend. They began at the Roscoe Fire Station and walked the eight miles to the Sweetwater Fire Station in full bunker gear. Firemen making the walk were Keegan Pruitt, Luis Lopez, Mike Rosas, Logan Durrett, and Jessica Stein.

--o--

COMMUNITY CENTER ANNOUNCES UPCOMING EVENTS

Friday evening's free movie at the Community Center is Zootopia.

Friday, September 16, Free Movie Night, 6:00-8:00pm.

The featured film is the Disney animated movie, Zootopia. The concession stand will be open to purchase hotdogs, popcorn, candy, Dr Pepper, and water. Fliers are going out in elementary backpacks on Wednesday. Everyone is invited. Bring your own comfy chair, beanbag, or blanket. We will have chairs already set up as well.

Saturday, September 24, Flea Market and Bake Sale, 9:00am-4:00pm.

Vendor spaces are available for only $25 for this event. There is no fee for attendees to come shop. The bake sale proceeds will go towards our renovations fund. Anyone who would like to bake something and donate it or would like to be a vendor, please contact Elisha Jowers @ 277-4113 or Misty Renolds @ 338-1005.

Friday, September 30, Pre-Game Chili Dinner. 5:00-7:00pm.

This is a fundraiser towards our renovations fund. Come eat HOMEMADE Chili and all the fixin’s, before you watch our Plowboys beat Menard!! (In next week's edition the meal’s price will be provided).

All these events will be held in the Roscoe Community Center at 100 Bois d’Arc Street. If you have any questions, call Elisha Jowers at 325-277-4113.

--o--

MIKE AND THE MOONPIES AT THE LUMBERYARD SATURDAY NIGHT

Mike and the Moonpies.

Mike and the Moonpies, a popular Texas Country band from Austin, will make their debut at the Lumberyard Saturday night. They regularly play such Austin venues as The Broken Spoke and the White Horse. On a typical evening, they will play their own songs as well as those recorded by artists such as George Strait, Willie Nelson, Gary Stewart, Bob Seger, and Doug Sahm.

Texas Music Magazine had this to say about them, “No matter where you catch Mike and the Moonpies, they make any joint feel like a good ol’ Texas honky-tonk. Just make sure you come ready to dance.”

Their debut album, The Real Country, was followed by The Hard Way, and their most recent CD is entitled Mike and the Moonpies. YouTube videos include “Never Leaving Texas,” “Mockingbird,” and “Smoke ‘Em If You Got Em.”

For reservations or more information, contact the Lumberyard at 325-766-2457.

--o--

WEATHER REPORT: SOME RAIN WITH CHANCES FOR MORE

Eden Baker took this photo of lightning during the storm last weekend.

For the chances for precipitation we were given for several days this past week, we wound up with precious little. In town we got only about a tenth of an inch, although there were some areas around Roscoe that got more while others got none at all. High temperatures ranged from 95°F on Thursday to only 80° on Saturday and lows ranged from Friday morning’s 74° to Sunday morning’s 61°. Skies ranged from completely sunny to completely overcast with most days being partly cloudy.

Meteorologists are giving us good chances for rain (from 30% to 90%) for the coming week. The 90% chances are predicted for Sunday. Highs for the entire week should be in the mid-eighties and lows in the mid to upper sixties, which is typical for the last official week of summer.

--o--

† MARY KATHERINE SMITH

Services for Mary Katherine Smith, 91, were held at 10am on Monday, September 12, at the First United Church of Fritch with burial at 2pm yesterday in Sweetwater Cemetery. She passed away on Friday, September 9.

Katherine was born November 26, 1924, in Pyron to Lois and Linn McGlothlin. She married Elmer Lowell Smith on November 23, 1945, in Arkansas City, Kansas. She was a charter member of First United Methodist Church of Fritch. She enjoyed bowling, fishing, golfing and bridge.

She is preceded in death by her parents; brother, JZ McGlothlin; sister, Aetna Taylor; niece and nephews, James Taylor, Dennis Taylor, Sonja McGlothlin and Stanley McGlothlin.

She is survived by her husband, Elmer Lowell Smith, of the home; nieces and nephews, Doug Taylor and wife Jenene, L.B. Taylor and wife Martha, all of Sweetwater, Linda Wade and husband Orin of Midland, Bruce McGlothlin of Roscoe, Lora Mae Sanger of Greenville, and Eddie McGlothlin and wife, Sherry, of Roscoe.

Her memory may be honored with a gift to the First United Methodist Church of Fritch or to a charity of choice.

--o--