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Tri-Canyon’s Only Weekly Newspaper!
Current Weekly News for Leakey, Camp Wood, Sabinal, Utopia and Surrounding Areas Vol. 6 No. 36
www.hillcountryherald.net
September 7, 2016
editor@hillcountryherald.net
REAL COUNTY PROPOSED BUDGET SALARIES
INSIDE
Endangered and Threatened Animals of Texas
At last Friday’s Real County Commissioner’s Court meeting, Commissioners reviewed incoming salaries for the newly elected Commissioner Ramon Ybarra and Constable Nathan Johnson. Commissioner’s voted 3-1 to set the Constable salary at $30,000 annually, with Real County Judge Garry Merritt opposing the motion, stating he favored a salary of $35k per year. Commissioner Gene Buckner was not present. Commissioners set the incoming Commissioner Pct. 3 salary at $12,500. Throughout this process citizens have requested information regarding all elected officials salaries in Real County. Here are the numbers from the 2017
Proposed Budget: Real County Judge - $47,334.41 plus State Supplement $25,200 plus County Judge Juvenile Board $3,600 for a total of $76,134.41 Real County Attorney - $35,303.22 plus State Supplement $23,333.00 for a total of $58,636.22 District and County Clerk - $38,509.76 Real County Treasurer - $33,500.00 Real County Tax Assessor/Collector $43,920.20 Real County Sheriff - $45,088.25 JP Pct. 1&2 - $11.980.39 JP Pct. 3&4 - $11,669.90 Real County Commissioners total budgeted salaries - $64,664.09. This
amount is divided between the four of them. Their salaries range from $13,194.74 - $18,395. While many questions were raised during the budget process this year, solutions were found. Real County Sheriff, Bruce Carr offered to forego several items in his budget to accommodate the increase in other County areas. Law Enforcement was first on many citizens list as the most important issue facing Real County in the upcoming year. The total budget for 2017 is $3,263,088.00. The current tax levy of $1,984,670.00, Delinquent taxes of $100,000.00 and other receipts of $1,178,418.00 total the budgeted
Old Three Hundred and DRT Members ............................ Page 5
Leakey ISD is Growing! ............................ Page 4
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IS OUR ENVIRONMENT
SKEWING EVOLUTION?
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Two members of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas, Caddel-Smith Chapter recently attended the Annual “Old Three Hundred” meeting held in Bay City, Texas. Billie Nast and Kay Anderson are members of both organizations. Some other members of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas also are members of the “Old Three Hundred.” The name “Old Three Hundred” refers to the settlers who received land grants in Stephen F. Austin’s first colony in Mexico. Although not originally enthusiastic about the project, Austin continued the colonization activities after the death of his father, Moses Austin. Stephen Austin had to get permission from the Spanish governor to be his father’s successor in order for the colonization to proceed. Austin agreed to be responsible for all administrative tasks after he arranged for settlers to come to Texas. He was to receive 12 1⁄2 cents an acre
in compensation. By the end of the summer of 1824, most of the Old Three Hundred were settled in Texas. The mission of the organization, the Descendants of Austin’s Old Three Hundred, is to keep alive for this and succeeding generations the memories of the spirit, courage and character of the men and women belonging to Stephen Fuller Austin’s first colony. We encourage and foster research, leading to preservation and publication of the history and records of this group of Texians. We also assist in the preservation and protection of historic places and artifacts, including old cemeteries and other sites where Old Three Hundred colonist are buried. Each year we meet in June, on the last Saturday of the month and again in October or November. If you are interested in learning how to qualify to become a member of the “Old Three Hundred”, please contact Billie Nast at
by Julie Becker
amount. Merritt says Real County utilizes a baseline budgeting process in which county departments begin the process with last year’s budget and must justify changes in those budgets. Commissioners Court will hold their regular meeting on September 12th at 9:00 a.m. at the Real County Courthouse. This is the first year we have witnessed such citizens input in the budget process for Real County. Taxpayers are encouraged to remind their elected officials they work for the taxpayers and the money in the County coffers belongs to the taxpayers of Real County.
by Billie Nast
830-966-3787 or brnast@swtexas.net. If you are interested in becoming a member of the Daughters of the
Republic of Texas, please contact Roberta Himebrook at 830-796-3495 or HimebrookRL@totacc.com.
Dominique Lamontagne Harmon Named Photographer of the Year Uvalde native and Lubbock Photographer, Dominique Lamontagne Harmon, daughter of Leo & Barbara Lamontagne of Leakey, Texas and owner of Captivated Images in Lubbock,Texas was named a international platinum medalist photographer of the year during Professional Photographers of America’s 2016 International Photographic Competition. Harmon’s work will be on display at the Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center in San Antonio, Texas Jan 8-10, 2017. This International Photographic Exhibit is held in conjunction with Imaging USA, an annual convention and expo for professional photographers and several
photographic associations. A panel of 46 eminent jurors from across the United States selected the top photographs from nearly 5,700 total submitted entries at Gwinnett Technical College in Georgia. Judged against a standard of excellence, just over 2,428 images were selected for the General Collection and 1,007 were selected for the esteemed “Loan Collection” book and over 200 selected General Collection images will be published in the “Showcase” book by Marathon Press. The level of the award is determined by how many of those four images receive the highest possible honor: acceptance into the PPA Loan Collection, which is displayed at
photographic exhibitions, conventions and other photography events. Harmon was named a Platinum Medalist, meaning that 3 of her Merited images entered the PPA Loan Collection. In 2016 she was one of only 61 Platinum Photographers of the Year. About PPA: Professional Photographers of America (PPA) is the largest international nonprofit association created by professional photographers, for professional photographers. Almost as long-lived as photography itself, PPA’s roots date back to 1869. It assists more than 28,000 members through protection, education and resources for their continued success. See how
PPA helps photographers be more at PPA.com.
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PART Three … UNDERSTANDING ANNEXATION ............................ Page 9
INDEX Legals/Jail Register .... Page 3-4 Community News ......... Page 5-7 Feature Story ............... Page 8-9 Obituaries ...................... Page 10 Classifieds ..................... Page 14
Today’s Weather
High: 90° Low: 70°
Annexation, by definition simply means to attach, append, or add, especially to something larger or to combine territory into the area of a city, country, or state. There are several reasons for annexation, perhaps the businesses that remain outside the City Limits could contribute to the wealth and well-being of the City by increasing funding if they were inside City Limits. (by way of a city tax); or perhaps the population outside the City Limits would enjoy City amenities and services. It is usually always a two way street when dealing with annexation. Sometimes annexation is good and benefits everyone and in some cases that is not true. The results of annexation must be weighed by those will be impacted both within and without the current City Limits. I have not lived here for very long although I have been associated with this community for the twenty years my parents have lived here… I have learned however, that Stripes asked to be annexed into the City Limits when they originally opened and the City Government refused. Now, the City Government says they do not have funds to repave the streets when this construction is finished… they will patch it only! If they had the several hundred thousand dollars they have lost through their refusal to annex Stripes… most likely funds for paving the streets would not be a financial issue for the City of Leakey. I truly do not
by Elaine Carnegie
mean to step on anyone’s toes, but facts are facts! As Mr. Raegor told us in the first Economic Development meeting… and as anyone, who is even a tiny part of this community must recognize… “Change is coming”… It is already here and to preserve our way of life, our river, our homes and country in the manner we want it preserved… “We must act!” There will come a day when it is too late to make the changes we should have foreseen. Much like the paving of the roads. So, that is how annexation can make a difference and basically what annexation means: Expanding the City Limits… Adding property and business so that they reside within the City Limits. The City benefits from this in tax funds and the people/businesses benefit from City Services. Of course, nothing is quite that simple… Well, let me say Annexation itself IS as simple as that! However, the process of annexation under State Law is a little more difficult… You can read the Texas State Statutes regarding Annexation at http://www.sta tutes.legis.state.tx.us/Docs/LG/htm/LG.43.htm; which addresses what the City may and may not do in the newly annexed area and what the Voters of the area may do if they desire annexation. Basically Subchapter A says that if at the time of annexation the property was being used in a legal
manner then the City cannot prohibit that business… which protects businesses and landowners in legitimate business and protects them from interference from the annexing City. However, failure to plan for unwanted business such as garbage collectors or porn shops or bright purple polka dot painted buildings on Main Street CANNOT be prevented under Texas Law… after the fact! So again, the time to act is now! As in all forms of Governmental action, there are checks and balances in place for the Annexation process. A state report on Texas Annexation says, “Texas cities are some of the fastest growing in the United States. Evidence of the importance of unilateral annexation exists in other states where cities do not have that power. The broad power of Texas home rule cities to annex has permitted cities in Texas to share the benefits of growth in the surrounding areas. According to many national authorities, this annexation power is the primary difference between the flourishing cities of Texas and the declining urban areas in other parts of the nation. If San Antonio, for example, had the same boundaries it had in 1945, it would contain more poverty and unemployment that Newark, New Jersey. With a vote requirement, Texas cities might languish economically as do northern cities with no annexation power at all.”