Wood County Commissioners Court
Tax rate up one cent to 47-cents;Medical care proposals sought
By JOHN SPARKS

Meeting Friday, August 10 in regular session, Wood County Commissioners approved a proposed tax rate for ’07-08 of 47-cents, up one penny over the 06-07 rate of 46-cents per hundred property valuation.
Public hearings on the proposed budget for ’07-’08 will be held Wednesday, August 29 and Wednesday, September 5 at 10 a.m..
 

Highlights of the proposed ’07-’08 tax rate and budget are:
 

The projected fund balance from the current fiscal year (ending September 30, 2007 is $3,983,702.
 

The 47-cent tax rate on property in Wood County is projected to raise $10,763,173 (at a 96 percent collection rate). Wood County’s total property valuation for ’07-’08 is $2,111,130,905 (adjusted for $1,289,323 tax ceiling). Revenues other than property taxes are projected at $5,046,474.
 

With projected expenditures of $16,493,291 in ’07-’08, the estimated fund balance for Wood County on September 30, 2008 is $3,375,148.
 

The ’07-’08 budget projects spending at $12,029,960 for the general fund and $3,925,364 for the Road & Bridge funds of the four precincts.
 

Health services to inmates incarcerated at the Wood County Jail are provided by contract health care professionals. Commissioners voted to consider health care as a professional service and will seek proposals of service rather than bids.
 

Dawn Goldthorn, elections administrator, presented a plan for combining polling places for the November 2007 Constitutional Amendment Election. Combined at the Carrol Green Civic Center in Quitman will be voting boxes 1-1, 3-1 and 4-1. Combined at Mineola City Hall will be voting boxes 2-2 and 2-3. Combined at Winnsboro City Auditorium will be voting boxes 4-2 and 4-3. All other voting boxes will be in the same location as the last election.
 

In other action, the Commissioners approved:
- Payment of claims in the amount of $196,669.74 plus dues payment of $500 for membership in the Texas Association of Counties.
- Payroll in the amount of $243,060.58.
- Employee/dependent health claims of $22,802.77.
- Setting a public hearing September 21 at 10 a.m. on the proposed abandonment of a portion of CR-1950, a north-south road near Lake Fork west of Yantis.
- Release and pledge securities.
- Constable activity reports for Precinct 1 (July) and Precinct 4 April through July.
- Computing service agreement with Wood County Supervision and Corrections Department.
- The centralized collection of surplus computer equipment and the development of a disposal plan by Randy Parrish, IT Director.
Personnel actions approved included:
- Linda Maddox, extend temporary employment at part-time clerk Elections Administrator, $8.50/hour.
- Gary Luke Pennington, new hire, deputy sheriff, WCSO, $15.68/hour.
- Leon Jimmy Musick, transfer temporary seasonal worker, from R&B Pct. 3 to REB Pct. 2, $9.00/hour.
- Dee Tackett, new hire, temporary clerk, Tax Assessor/Collector.
- Kacie Jo Sherrard, resignation, deputy clerk, District Clerk.
- Barbara Ann Humpreys, re-hire, part-time deputy clerk, District Clerk, $8.25/hour.
- Brett Alan Kennemer, new hire, court house custodian, $10.58/hour.
 

The next regular meeting of the Wood County Commissioners Court will be Friday, August 24 at 10 a.m. A special meeting of the court can be called with 72-hour public notice.