Bowie County passes $42M budget over objections

• Budget unfair to my residents, Precinct 2’s Whitten says • ‘I think we try to do the best we can,’ Precinct 4’s Carter says • Commissioners also approve raise for county staff

The Bowie County Courthouse in New Boston, Texas, is shown in this undated photo. (Photo courtesy Bowie County)
The Bowie County Courthouse in New Boston, Texas, is shown in this undated photo. (Photo courtesy Bowie County)

NEW BOSTON, Texas -- In a somewhat contentious 3-2 vote, Bowie County Commissioners approved a $42 million budget for next fiscal year following a public hearing on the measure Monday.

County Judge Bobby Howell, Precinct 3 Commissioner James Strain and Precinct 4 Commissioner Mike Carter voted to approve the $42,110,508 Fiscal Year 2022-2023 Budget. Precinct 1 Commissioner Sammy Stone and Precinct 2 Commissioner Tom Whitten voted against the measure.

"Today is a sad day for the citizens of Precinct 2 here in Bowie County," Whitten said. "They have been abandoned by this budget in its current form. These same citizens have paid 43% of the county's ad valorem taxes, but in this budget, we only receive 16% of the road and bridge funds."

Whitten said the other precincts are set to receive a collective increase of $243,633 for their roads, while Precinct 2 took a $68,073 cut. The precinct's overall road and bridge budget alottment, including income from the county's annual car tag collection payments, amounts to $851,899, Whitten said.

Whitten said while his precinct may not have the same number of road miles that the other precincts have, his repair costs are higher, since the precinct requires paved not gravel roads. Precinct 2 includes high-traffic retail areas north of the interstate in Texarkana.

"Last Thursday, we initiated a reconstruction project consisting of just one block of residential roadway, and that cost $67,500," he said. "When you calculate that, along with housing growth and road damage associated with that, our current roadways will be in decline."

Whitten suggested that in the future, the Commissioners Court participate in budget workshops prior to having the first proposed budget completed.

"This may alleviate the problem and bring more transparency to the process moving foward," he said. "In the past, I've always voted in support of the county's budget, even though I never totally agreed with the final verison. However, this budget is over the limit for the citizens I represent."

Stone said he also couldn't support the budget because his precinct's road allocation is less than the $600,000 he needs.

Strain defended the the budget decision.

"I have worked short-handed with finance before, for many years, but we do the best we can," he said.

Carter said he has 378 miles of road in his precinct and has run out of road material because of funding shortages, but has managed pull through.

"I think we try to do the best we can with what we have and we will continue to do this," he said.

In other business, commissioners approved a 2% salary increase for county employees.

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