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Your Community Newspaper, Serving the Heart of the Rio Grande Valley VOLUME 90 NUMBER 36
Residents Voice Concerns Over Annexation South of the Border Corn Pudding
Residents from the areas being considered for annexation attended this weeks city meeting in record numbers. Photo: Cayetano Garza Jr.
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The City of La Feria City Commission held its regular meeting Tuesday, August 27th at 6:30 pm  to an even larger contingency of residents in attendance. Like the City Commission meeting held on August 13th, the specific agenda items of interest for this particular meeting included public hearings for areas designated for
possible annexation to the city of La Feria. The four areas identified for possible annexation are:
Rabb Road Annexation Approximately 272 acres of land with its north, east and south boundary on the current city limit lines. The west boundary is the drainage ditch west of Rabb Road (AN49), south of Business
La Feria Board to Seek Taxpayers Lions Approval for TRE Election Beat Vela 21-10
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FEATURE
Valley Symphony Announces 61st Concert Season
Same Tax Rate will Generate Additional $2 Million The La Feria Independent School District is proposing a tax rate of $1.299 per $100 valuation, minutely under last year’s rate. However, the School Board is required to call a Tax Ratification Election for November 5 because they are asking to change how the taxes can be spent by moving the percentages held in the Maintenance and Operations Fund M&O (monies used for salaries and day-to-day operations) and in the Debt Service Fund I&S (monies used to finance construction, equipment or both approved by voters as part of a bond package). The district will recognize an additional $2 million to spend in the operating fund if the action is approved by taxpayers. After a public hearing, the board approved a 13 cent increase to the M&O rate from $1.04 to $1.17 and on the ballot the I&S rate will state $0.26 which the board assured would be dropped to $.013 if the TRE is approved by the taxpayers. This would result in basically the same tax rate as last year. The board took this action at a special called meeting held Monday, August 26. “I am proposing a three-tiered plan that will make use of the extra funds if this measure is approved. Number one is we need to give the staff raises for better teacher retention and improvement. This is the number one issue I have identified. Secondly, there are some major repairs needed including some roofs. I would like to also see added safety with cameras on buses and improved security at campus entrances. Another issue we need to address is shoring up technology in the classroom,� commented LFISD Superintendent Rey Villarreal. A 2011 TRE Election failed in La Feria by two votes after some felt like the board at the time was split on the issue and some actually worked against the passage of the TRE. The board unanimously approved the tax rate adjustment last Monday night giving the indication they would all work to encourage residents to approve the election. Below are 2012 rates for local districts: M&O I&S TOTAL HARLINGEN C.I.S.D LA FERIA I.S.D LOS FRESNOS C.I.S.D LYFORD C.I.S.D. POINT ISABEL I.S.D RIO HONDO I.S.D SAN BENITO I.S.D SANTA MARIA I.S.D SANTA ROSA I.S.D
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Classified................ pg. 6 Cricket’s Corner...... pg. 6 Feature Story.......... pg. 8
1.040000 1.040000 1.170000 1.170000 0.981190 1.170000 1.170000 1.040000 1.170000
0.178000 0.260000 0.020000 0.160000 0.100450 0.139100 0.134900 0.240000 0.202200
value of the same residence is $48,768 with taxes around $633 per year at the $1.30 rate. The district will conduct several workshops to explain the TRE election before the November 5 election.
Board Approves $35.9 Million Budget, Health Insurance & Fuel Costs Up
It will cost the school district an additional $549,000 to provide health insurance through the South Texas Health Co-op for district employees for this coming budget year. The coverage will remain about the same, but will add prescription drug coverage. This is an increase from $265 to $346 per month for each of the district’s 565 staff members. The cost will also increase for the employees’ portion when they add their spouse and children to the plan. The board approved the $35.9 million total budget with the insurance cost adjustments, additional bus ($90,000) order and a $500 one-time stipend for employees. “There was a increase in revenues to cover additional increase in expenditures in our health insurance plans for the coming year. We are proposing a budget that is very slim and there is no room for additional expenditures,� added Finance Director Ramon Mendoza at a special meeting of the board Monday, August 26. He added that they are not building any student population growth into the budget since no growth has been seen in a few years. In the past, LFISD always added 20-100 students per year to the rolls. Out of the $27.5 million General Fund, the district receives 85 percent of funding from the State of Texas, 14 percent from local taxes and fees and one percent from the federal government. Eighty-one percent of that funding is spent on payroll. Eighty-one percent of the expenses are spent on payroll. The district currently has an enrollment of 3484 students at seven campuses.
Highway 83, ad the west boundary of Citrus Grove Subdivision, north of Business Highway 83. Kelly Drive Annexation The general boundaries of which are between the south right-of-way line of US Business Highway 83 and the south boundary of Block 6, Beakley Subdivision, from existing city limits on the west (curve in Kelly Drive), to the west ROW line of White Ranch Road. FM 506 Annexation The northern boundary of this area is the south boundary of Citrus Village Subdivision. The eastern boundary is east of FM 506 right-of-way line (current city limits). The west boundary is the west boundary of FM 506 and the south boundary is the line between Blocks 23 and 25 of the Minnesota Texas Land and Irrigation Co. Subdivision. West Business 83 Annexation The northern boundary of this area is the current city limit line. North of Business 83, the west boundary is the eastern right-of-way line of Mile 3 East and Kubiski road. The east boundary is the eastern ROW of FM 2556. South of Business â–ş CONTINUED ON PAGE 7
Betty’s Health Club Opens in La Feria
1.2180 1.3000 1.1900 1.3300 1.0816 1.3091 1.3049 1.2800 1.3722
If voters approve the election and the school board reduces the I&S tax rate by 13 cents the new chart would look like this: Betty’s Health Club held a grand opening and ribbon-cutting on Monday, August 26 at 10:30 a.m. The new fitness club is located at 121 West Commercial Ave in La Feria and Offers Zumba classes on Monday and M&O I&S TOTAL Wednesday, Aerobics on Tuesdays and Thursday and Weight Training on Fridays. Give them a call at 956La Feria ISD 1.17 0.1291 1.2991 975-5450. Shown in the photo are (standing l-r) Olga Oberwetter, Tabitha Outlaw, George Dale, Angelica The Cameron County Appraisal District only noted a Baldivia, John Ftacek, Mayor Pro-Tem Lori Weaver, owner Elisabeth Quiroga and Oscar Quiroga, John two percent increase in taxable property values which Hernandez, Victor Gonzalez, Jr., Paula Rodriguez and Florence Reichle and (kneeling) Lynda Olivarez, will amount to about $50,000 in increased revenues. Nora Reyes, Maribel DeLaCruz, Martha Torres, Marcela, Beba, Esmeraldo Garza and Imelda DeLaCruz. The average market value of a La Feria residence is Photo: MB Wright/LFN Visit our website laferianews.net for more photos $62,836, up $738 from last year. The average taxable
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