ORANGE COUNTY
Outdoors
FISHING
HUNTING & FISHING
Capt. Dickie Colburn Page 1 Section B
Capt. Chuck Uzzle Page 3 Section B
SPORTS
RELIGION & LOCAL CHURCH GUIDE
Commentary Kaz’s Korner Joe Kazmar Page 1 Section B
Page 6B
The Record TheRecordLive.com
Vol. 60 No. 10
Distributed FREE To The Citizens of Bridge City and Orangefield
Week of Wednesday, August 7, 2019
Commissioners won’t consider tax rate hike Dave Rogers
For The Record
Orange County commissioners voted a month and a half early not to raise the county tax rate. Tuesday’s vote means they can’t go above the rate of 54.2 cents per $100 value, which has been the county’s standard since 2017. And the commissioners did it while teaching a lesson about public perception. Item 9 on the agenda called for “possible action regarding the proposed tax rate,”
and County Judge John Gothia explained that preliminary rate, set before the hard work of making the numbers fit, could be anywhere under 56.519 cents per $100 without asking taxpayers to vote on it. The only catch was that the 2019 tax rate could not go higher than whatever proposed rate was set Tuesday. The prevailing opinion seemed to be to set the proposed rate between last year’s rate of 54.2 cents and the rollback rate of 56.519 cents.
Two-in-one fishing tourney goes fresh or salt for $7500 Backwater Challenge and Orange County River Festival set for Saturday Dave Rogers
For The Record
Anglers will have their pick at this weekend’s Backwater Challenge and Orange County River Festival. They can go after the freshwater bass or saltwater redfish. Sabine River or Sabine Lake. Or both. “One entry covers both divisions,” explains tournament operations manager Daniel Metreyeon. “You can go catch three bass, then go and catch your two redfish. “The only restriction is all boats must launch out of Simmons Drive and return to Simmons Drive.” And be back in time for the 3 p.m. weigh-in. Between 150 and 200 teams are expected to compete.
The fishing begins at “safe light” Saturday, Aug. 10 and ends both at the Orange Boat Ramp on Simmons Drive. But the event put on by Metreyeon and tournament director Tony Viator with the assistance of a Greater Orange Area Chamber of Commerce fishing co-chairmen David Jones and County Judge John Gothia will be surrounded by the River Festival that runs from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Friday Aug. 9 and from noon to 10 p.m. Saturday. For the fishermen, it all starts at the Captain’s Dinner at 5:30 p.m. Friday at the Shahan Center at Lamar State College Orange. The dinner marks the final chance to register for Saturday’s fishing. Both the trout and redfish
Karen Fisher, the county’s tax assessor-collector, agreed. “I would rather ya’ll propose the maximum. That’s not saying you are going to go there,” she said. “John
[Gothia] is not wanting to go over that 54.2, but at least it would give him the leeway,” she said. Gothia and Commissioners Theresa Beauchamp and Johnny Trahan all talked
about the possible need of upping the tax rate a tick or two to provide county services. “The duty of this court is to serve the citizens of Orange County. That’s giving
them roads, drainage, the protection of the sheriff’s department,” Gothia said. “Those costs go up every year. If we’re working with a COUNTY BUSINESS Page 3A
BCISD operation supervisor Scales retires Penny Leleux
For The Record
John Scales said goodbye last week to 17 years as the operations supervisor at Bridge City Independent School District. Well wishers stopped by the bus barn last Wednesday for cake and punch at his retirement reception. Scales said he doesn’t know how many came, but they did run out of cake. He and his wife, Brenda, left that afternoon for a quick trip to New Orleans to start the unwinding process, but it will take a little while to complete that task. “I’m wound a little tight,” said Scales. As operations supervisor, he was in charge of the school district’s transportation, grounds, custodial department and maintenance. He also handled construction “at the superintendents’ discretion.” Scales served under five superintendents and one interim superintendent. Scales said they all had different skill sets and strengths. With 27 years experience in construction with the family business, Scales Portable Buildings, Scales was capable of overseeing district construction projects if needed and the superintendent at that time was so inclined to have him do so. When asked “what was the most fulfilling part of your 17 years with the dis-
Margie Rose, left, and Bob Turner, both senior vice presidents for Strategic Government Resources, visit at the end of Tuesday’s closed-door meeting of the Orange City Council to seek a new city manager. RECORD PHOTO: Dave Rogers
trict,” Scales said, “As difficult as it was, recovering from Ike and Rita.” Both storms caused major structural damage to the district’s buildings. Hurricane Ike destroyed both elementary schools. They were torn down and a brand new combined elementary school was built to take their place. “The people” are what he is going to miss the most. Working in the background in the bus barn, he mostly
worked with adults and didn’t have that much interaction from the students, but when he would walk through the halls of the school at the elementary checking on things, he would frequently get hugs from students. “It would remind you why you do this,” he said. “Working at Bridge City Independent School District was a really good time in my life.” He said his retirement had nothing to do with age,
but with timing. “It was time to move on to the next chapter.” Travel and fishing are the top items on his list. Scales said he has a place at the lake but hasn’t had much chance to enjoy it or fish the last couple of years. That is about to change. “I prefer freshwater, bass and crappie, but I’ll take it all,” said Scales. First on the list for travel JOHN SCALES Page 3A
BACKWATER Page 3A
Orangefield ISD eyes bigger budget, rate decrease Dave Rogers
For The Record
Orangefield school trustees took a look Monday night at a first draft of the district’s 2019-2020 budget and liked what they saw. Thanks to the Texas Legislature, it would include $2 million more in spending than a year ago and lower the tax rate 10 cents per $100 value. Monday’s first draft numbers called for $16.6 million in spending and a tax rate of $1.1784 per $100 value, down from $1.28 per $100 value. “I hope you understand this is a forecast,” Shaun McAlpin, assistant superintendent said as he and Superintendent Stephen Patterson introduced the set of num-
Orangefield school board members listen as Superintendent Stephen Patterson, center, explains the proposed school budget Monday night. RECORD PHOTO: Dave Rogers
bers. “It’s a framework. Now we have to work on the line items.” Both explained that many of the numbers plugged into the forecast would not be final until later in the school year for the Orangefield district, which holds its first day of class Wednesday, Aug. 14. For instance, they introduced an estimate of state revenues of $10.16 million and showed an increase of $2.02 million over last year. “We don’t get our final settle-up with the state until after September,” McAlpin said. The school district will hold another meeting next week to settle on line items in the budget and finalize a notice of the proposed bud-
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get and tax rate. After that will come public hearings before the numbers are finalized for the new fiscal year, which begins Sept. 1. McAlpin said the comparisons between new and old budgets were not made against last year’s final revenues and expenses but rather the budget passed last August, before budget amendments made during the school year. The district has spent more than $8 million in building repairs and improvements since Tropical Storm Harvey in 2017. It borrowed $3 million in a shortterm loan, but is rapidly repaying that loan, McAlpin ORANGEFIELD ISD Page 3A