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Hereford BRAND Volume 118 | Number 19 WHAT'S INSIDE
HEDC board still wary of new center
By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor
Hereford Food Pantry dedicates new door Page 6
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Reticence and concern over the use of funds to assist in construction of a new civic center in Hereford has members of the Hereford Economic Development Corporation (HEDC) Board of Directors wanting to apparently defer the decision to public opinion. At a regular meeting Wednesday, board members turned an agenda item for discussion of
Type A and Type B economic de- board attorney since it is subdivelopment commissions vision of the city commis(EDC) expenditures and sion. “As your attorney, I this particular board’s resee a client struggling – sponsibilities under Texas particularly on the civic law into another questioncenter.” ing of city officials over the As with August’s meeting legal use of HEDC funds for – where the board tabled a the new center. vote on approving the use “This is the first board to of $2.5 million of HEDC question and ask what its funds for the $6.5 million responsibilities are,” said proposed civic center – PERRIN Hereford city attorney Audboard members John Perrin ie Sciumbato, who is also HEDC and Sally Noyce voiced concern on
the project adhering to funding mandates set forth in Texas Local Government Code. Most specifically, the mandated connection being cited as the facility’s use as filling a need for primary job creation by tying in with Amarillo College – as well as other entities – in providing job training. As a Type A EDC, HEDC is restricted by state law to funding PLEASE SEE HEDC | 3
'Political hot potato’ has heat turned up
Whiteface netters fall in District 3-4A debut Page 8
Summer Flashback: Dad-Fest 2018
By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor
Page 10
(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the eighth in a series of stories previously published in the BRAND that address subsequent questions and concerns raised by officials and citizens over a proposed new civic center in Hereford. This entry from Aug. 4 deals with the Hereford Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors meeting in which a vote on new civic center funding was on the agenda.)
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INDEX Page 2............Obituaries Page 3......Public Record Page 4....................News Page 5....................News Page 6..........Community Page 8..................Sports Page 9...........Classifieds Page 10.Summer Flashback
© 2018 Hereford BRAND A division of Roberts Publishing Group
Armed with pom-poms instead of a racket, former Whiteface netter Jesus "Bear" Rodriguez was prowling the courts Thursday to help cheer on the Herd as they hosted rival Canyon in the District 3-4A debut for each. BRAND/John Carson
What has become a bubbling political issue for the City of Hereford is reaching a full boil after the Hereford Economic Development Corporation (HEDC) Board of Directors refrained from offering any approval or even endorsement of plans for a new civic center at a called meeting Wednesday. In fact – based on questions, concerns and comments raised by board members at the meeting – the HEDC board would prefer to be as far removed from the process as possible. “I am worried about what people will think of the HEDC board if [the civic center question] is on [November’s] ballot,” HEDC board member Sally Noyce said. “I want HEDC’s name removed from the question.” Noyce and fellow board members John Perrin and Keith Bridwell expressed a number of concerns over the proposed new center while also interrogating city officials on the matter during an agenda item where the board was to PLEASE SEE CENTER | 5
Future of county tax rate remains in murky waters By John Carson BRAND Managing Editor
Although the Deaf Smith County Commissioners Court appeared ready to raise the tax rate at its Aug. 28 meeting, the matter of a specific tax increase is not included on the agenda for the first of the court’s two regular meetings this month. According to Deaf Smith County Judge D.J. Wagner, the county tax rate will be on the
agenda for Tuesday’s meeting, the previous two years. but there will be nothing “There has been talk specific concerning disabout increasing the tax cussion or action on an rate, but we are proposincrease in county proping to keep the same erty taxes. rate,” Wagner said. “We The meeting’s agenda, have enough dollars comWagner said, will include ing in to make our budget a vote on a proposed work.” 2018-19 county budget, Due to an increase in as well as approval of a the appraised value of tax rate of 53 mils (53 some county property WAGNER cents per $100 valuation) and the addition of others that remains unchanged from to the tax rolls, the county bud-
get includes capital purchases, as well as a 3 percent acrossthe-board raise for employees, without requiring an increase in taxes to generate enough revenue. In fact, leaving the tax rate unchanged at 53 cents effectively amounted to a tax increase because less than that – the effective rate – would have been needed to generate the same PLEASE SEE COUNTY | 4