The Salado volleyball program fell to the Academy Bees Friday night in five sets (20-25, 25-7, 23-25, 25-8, 17-15). The Lady Eagles played well, but too inconsistent to come away with a win. Sophomore Lainey Taylor would have a big night finishing with 11 strong kills and 2 blocks.
[Read more…]Lending a Hand
Benefit set Sept. 6 for Marion ‘Perch’ Daniel
A tall, skinny kid with almost white hair and dark skin. He was really good in track, I remember that.
That’s how I got to know Marion Daniel, covering him in district, region and state track for the newspaper.
[Read more…]Public hearings set on Village budget, tax rate
The Village of Salado will conduct a public hearing on the proposed 2019-2020 fiscal year budget at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 5 at the municipal building.
Aldermen will hold public hearings on the proposed tax rate on Sept. 5 and Sept. 12. At its regular meeting on Sept. 19, the board of aldermen will adopt the 2019-2020 fiscal year budget and tax rate.
[Read more…]Salado Museum presents film on female editorial cartoonist
Salado Museum & College Park announces a special free showing of the film, Trailblazer: The Editorial Cartoons of Etta Hulme, based on the work of the former political cartoonist for the Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, Thursday, August 22, at 11:00 a.m., in the Museum Meeting Hall, at 423 South Main in Salado.
[Read more…]Proposed budget hearings announced
by Tim Fleischer
Editor-in-Chief
Public hearings on the Budget and Proposed Tax Rate will be 6:30 p.m. Sept. 5 and Sept. 12. Aldermen will vote on the Budget and Proposed Tax Rate at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 19
Mayor Skip Blancett filed the Proposed 2019-20 Budget with Bell County on Aug. 9, The general operating budget is 20% higher than the 2018-19 budget at $1.3 million.
Aldermen will discuss the budget at their Aug. 15 meeting and set dates for Public Hearings on the Budget and Tax Rate.
The budget has a proposed tax rate of $0.6135 per $100 valuation, slightly lower than the 2018 tax rate of $0.6276. Despite the lower rate, it will generate more revenues to the Village. Total net taxable values for the Village increased to $246,6 million compared to the total net taxable values of $233.1 million, an increase of about 6 percent.
Property taxes will generate $395,238 in general operating revenues and $758,804 in debt service revenues.
Sales taxes will be budgeted at almost 25 percent higher for 2019 than 2018. The proposed budget anticipates $490,000 in sales tax revenues.
Other revenue sources include franchise fees of $226,000, up five percent from 2018, $45,320 in permits and fees, driven by building fees of $36,970, $23,150 in services and $0,500 in fines and forfeitures.
The general operating budget will have the following departmental expenditures:
• $472,708 in administrative costs, including $234,564 in personnel costs.
• Developmental services of $96,886, including $81,387 in personnel costs.
• Public Safety Department costs of $533,214 including $40,00 contract to Salado VFD and $386,928 in police personnel costs.
• Public Works Departmental costs of $47,072, $44,789 in personnel.
• Parks Department Costs of $8,670.
• Street Department Costs of $180,650, including $130,000 in capital outlay for streets, Main Street improvements and other capital outlay costs.
The Hotel Occpancy Tax budget is proposed at $227,000, principally funded by HOT taxes.
Top HOT expenses are these: Personnel, $103,4017.25; Visitor center lease, $18,204; Marketing, $70,000, and Arts, $21,000.
The Wastewater Fund Budget is proposed at $238,115.52 with expenses of $209,370, including $37,450 for utilities, $160,920 for operations contract and $11,000 for testing and sludge fees.
The debt service budget is proposed at $758,804 in property tax revenues and $182,575 in interest expenses and $495,000 in bond principal payments.
August sales tax rebate to Village 25% higher
Salado’s sales tax allocation for August was 25% more than the previous year’s payment as the Village outpaced every other city in Bell County in terms of percentage increase except Nolanville. Nolanville saw a dramatic 37% increase in its August payment.
Last week, Texas Comptroller sent sales tax allocations totaling $876.8 million for August, 4% more than in August 2018, to Texas cities, counties, transit systems and special purpose taxing districts. These allocations are based on sales made in June by businesses that report tax monthly and on sales made in April, May and June by quarterly filers.
The Village of Salado received $57,332.63 for its August rebate for the 1% local sales tax that it collects. Last August, the Village received $46,037.07.
For the year, the Village has received $366,957.58, which is 15% more than year-to-date 2-18 payments of $320,462.19.
Salado Public Library District levies a half-cent sales tax. It received $40,140.07 in August, an increase of 18% over last August’s payment of $34,039.73. For the year, the Library District is running 12% ahead, having received $271,128.11 through August compared to $242,826.72 through August 2018.
Nolanville, which levies a 1.5 cent local sales tax, received $88,614.87, while last August’s payment was $64,882. For the year, Nolanville is running 36% ahead, having received $567654.50 compared to $418,059.71 through August 2018.
Temple’s payment was the same for August at $2.1 million. For the year, Temple is running about 4% ahead with payments of $15.3 million compared to $14.7 million through August 2018.
Belton is up slightly, having received $501,761.34 in August, compared to $94,889.87. For the year, Belton is 1% ahead with $3.5 million in payments. Belton levies a 1.5 cent local sales tax.
Killeen sales tax payment is up 4% this August at $2.2 million. For the year, Killeen is up 5% at $16.6 million. Killeen levies a 1.5 cent sales tax.
Jarrell levies a 2 cent local sales tax. Payments to Jarrell are up 63% for August at $183,751.46. For the year, Jarrell has received $1.3 million in sales tax payment, 51% more than year-to-date 2018.
In addition to the local sales tax, the Village of Salado levies mixed beverage taxes. The second quarter payment to the Village was $6,125.33, which is 30% higher than last year’s payment of $4,711.36. For the year, the Village has received $10,694.61 in mixed beverage sales taxes, which is 39% more than then $7,703.73 paid through the second quarter 2018.
BoA mulls Sanctuary Phase I tonight
Salado aldermen will consider at their 6:30 p.m. Aug. 15 meeting the first construction plat from Sanctuary for 190 residential lots on Phase I of the development.
[Read more…]New teachers for 2019-20 at Thomas Arnold Elementary School
Salado students will return to class for the first day of school on Aug. 21. There will be many new faces of teachers and staff at Thomas Arnold Elementary campus to greet them.
[Read more…]M. Scott Byers to give presentation on process of creating cartoons
Salado Museum & College Park announces a presentation by M. Scott Byers, political cartoonist for the Austin American-Statesman newspaper, at 11 a.m. Aug. 10 at the museum.
[Read more…]Sanctuary Phase I will have 200+ small residential lots
By Tim Fleischer, Editor-in-Chief
Sanctuary Phase I will be purely residential and will exit the property on Royal Street across from the Salado United Methodist Church. Village administrator Don Ferguson reviewed the Construction Plans and Construction Plat with aldermen at their Aug. 1 meeting.
Phase I will have 15 lots of 0.08-0.1 acres in size, 157 lots of 0.1-0.2 acres in size and 20 lots over 0.2 acres in size. It will also have 20 acres of open space.
[Read more…]