NEW BOSTON, Texas - Fallout caused by COVID-19 has forced Bowie County to deliver it's annual share of medical-care funds to help indigent patients at both Texarkana hospitals about three month earlier than usual this year.
Bowie County commissioners recently approved an emergency change to the county's Fiscal Year 2020 Budget. This change means that rather than delivering its funds to both CHRISTUS Saint Michael Health System and Wadley Regional Medical Center by September, the county will be delivering collectively about $1,420,000 jointly to both hospitals this month. During the last week's Commissioners Court meeting, commissioners learned that both hospitals needed the money this month to take care of indigent patients who had been displaced by the precautionary emergency call for coronavirus sufferers. The precautionary measure called for both hospitals to be prepared, in terms of patient room availability, to receive large numbers of coronavirus patients should the need arise. Apparently the need hasn't happened so far. Since the funds were already earmarked for indigent-patient medical care, commissioners agreed go ahead and approve the money.
On a related note, commissioners also agreed to allow the county to apply for Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act federal grants.
In other business, commissioners agreed to allow the Bowie Central Appraisal District to go ahead and deliver custody of tax-delinquent property to the Sheriffs Office for resale. These properties include about 4 acres of land priced at $3,000 on Private Road 13984.