County Sets Public Hearing on Budget, Tax Rate;
Considers Major Project Financing Options
August 14, 2023
Co. Comm.
By Catherine Grace
At their regular meeting Monday, Mason’s County Commissioners made the final adjustments in the proposed budget for 2024, and set the date for a public hearing on the budget and tax rate. In addition to their full agenda, commissioners also heard a presentation from the county financial advisor on financing approaches for future county projects.
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Mason’s County Commissioners voted on the 2023 tax rate and scheduled a public hearing on that issue, among many other items of business, at their regular meeting Monday.
County Judge Sheree Hardin and Commissioner Dave Underwood completed a worksheet with County Appraiser Christel Lively to determine the No New Revenue Rate, Voter Approval Rate, and De Minimis Rate.
Due to an error, only part of this story appeared in the issue. This is the complete story.
Mason County Commissioners took action on the upcoming elections and the hiring of two new employees at their meeting Monday. Subdivision regulations and progress on the courthouse rebuild were items for discussion.
Commissioners approved the order of the May 24 Primary Runoff Election.
At a special meeting March 4, Mason’s school board voted on a hiring timeline that would have a new superintendent start in August of this year.
This option calls for the position to be posted “very soon,” said Dr. Casey Callahan. Callahan is the Executive Director of Educational Service Center (ESC) Region 15 of San Angelo.
It might seem less like Mason County and more like Los Angeles- where gas prices recently reached a record level- as national and statewide trends trickle down to local folks.
L.A. County is the most populous county in the nation; as of March 6, it also boasted skyrocketing gas prices ranging from $5.51 to more than $7 in some locations, according to media reports.
It’s not quite that extreme locally, but people are feeling a bit of a pinch.
In Tuesday’s Primary Election, Mason County voters elected Sheree Hardin as their new County Judge in a race that drew many to the polls. Hardin will replace Judge Jerry Bearden, who has served in that office since 2003.
Hardin received 1106 votes, and her opponent Cindy Jones, 333.
In a statement relased to the Mason County News, Hardin said:
“Thank you, Mason County, for using your voice in this election.
At their Monday night meeting, Mason Independent School District (MISD) board members approved the hiring of the Education Service Center (ESC) Region 15 of San Angelo, to conduct the Superintendent search for the district.
Dr. Casey Callahan is Executive Director of ESC Region 15 and also a Mason native. He presented the board members with a detailed overview of how the search would be conducted.
Subdivisions and some of the problems they could create were a topic of discussion at Monday’s meeting of the County Commissioners Court.
Commissioners have been working for several months on a new set of subdivision regulations for the county, updating them from the 1997-drawn set currently in place. Impending growth and interest from developers is spurring the need for new regulations and causing concern for some residents.
It’s officially official: Work on rebuilding the historic Mason County Courthouse has begun.
The historic structure was heavily damaged by an alleged arsonist just over a year ago.
“People can see things happening now,” said Mason County Judge Jerry Bearden, on Monday. “Our general contractor, Stoddard, has a lot of workers on site.
Mason County Commissioners heard a presentation concerning American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds from Alan Bristol of the Texas Association of Counties (TAC) at Monday’s Commissioner’s Court. A standing-room-only crowd attended in response to the agenda item, and four people made public comments prior to the presentation expressing their disapproval of the county’s acceptance of these federal funds in May, 2021.
Last year Mason County accepted its allocation of $828,916, said Judge Je ...
