The Canadian Record (Canadian, Tex.), Vol. 118, No. 19, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 8, 2008 Page: 3 of 32
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THE CANADIAN RECORD
THURSDAY S MAY 2□ □ B
State Capital
Highl ghts
By Ei Sterling
TEKAS PRESS ASSOWTION
AUSTIN—Secretary of State Phil Wilson said he re-
ceived in recent days many inquiries about a statewide
proposition to provide school tax relief to elderly or dis-
abled taxpayers. Voters will find no such proposition on
their May 10 ballot.
"Information being circulated across the state re-
garding a constitutional amendment election to provide
school property tax relief is inaccurate," sa id Wilson, the
state's chief elections officer. "Texans are heading to the
polls to cast votes for many important initiatives and rac-
es, but there will not be a statewide proposition on the
ballot."
Early voting for the May 10 elections began April 28
and ended May 6.
Senators hear report on YFZ
Carey Cockerell, director of the Texas Department
of Family and Protective Services, testified before a
state Senate committee about the agency's ongoing n-
vestigationof the polygamist YFZ Ranch near Eldorado.
On April 30, Cockerell told the Senate Health and Hu-
man Service Committee that state invest igators are still
checking for evidence of various forms of child abuse that
may have been committed at the 1,700-acre compound.
The focus had been on minor girls, but the agency turned
some of its attention to minor boys.
The number of ranch children in state custody and
placed in foster care ncreased to 464 when one of the
girls delivered a healthy baby boy at a hospital in San
Marcos on April 29. Custody hearings for ranch children
are to be completed in early June, Cockerell said.
.t. Gov. supports voter I.D. rul ing
Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst on April 28 made public his
support of the U.S. Supreme Court's April 27 ruling in
Crawford v. Marion County Election Board, upholding
Indiana's voter identification law. The Indiana law re-
quires citizens voting in person to present government-
issued photo identification at the poll. The main stated
purpose of the law is to detect and deter voter fraud.
The ruling, Dewhurst said, "is a victory for democ-
racy in our nation and I'm pleased that the court agreed
with the vast majority of Texans who want to protect the
sacred American principle of'one person, one vote.'
"With this legal challenge now behind us, I look for-
ward to passing a fair voter I.D. law in Texas next year
that fully protects the voting rights of all U.S. citizens
registered to vote in Texas."
State lawmaker arrested for DUI
State Rep. Mike Krusee, R-Round Rock, was
charged with drunken driving in north Austin on
April 30. Krusee, a House member since 1993, was
booked into the Williamson County jail late in the eve-
ning and released on bail the next morning.
He is chairman of the House Transportation Com-
mittee and also s a member of the House Judiciary
Committee.
The School Bond Issue, Part VI
By CISD Superintendent Frank Belcher
IN THE PAST FEW weeks I have provided information and answered questions con-
cerning the proposed $14 million bond issue for the Canadian Independent School Dis-
trict. This week I would like to conclude by reviewing the facts regarding Canadian
ISD's status as a "property wealthy" school district and how bond issues benefit our
school district and tax payers. I will also include the how the proposed bond issue will
be used and provide statistics on the past $8 million bond issue that have implications
on the proposed bond issue. I encourage everyone to vote on May 10th.
Information on the prior bond issues
The bond issues passed in 2002 and 2004 have been repaid. One half of the $8 mil-
lion bond issue passed in 2006 has been repaid with the remainder to be repaid next
year. This will leave only the proposed $14 million bond issue to be repaid moving for-
ward.
Statistics on the $8 million bond issue and implications for the proposed bond is-
sue.
94% of our tax base is oil and gas property. The top 20 taxpayers in Hemphill Coun-
ty are large oil and gas companies who do not have their headquarters in Canadian.
The remaining 6% is local taxpayers.
How will the proposed $14 million bond issue be used?
$7 million of the proposed bond issue will be used for capital projects, to replace
roofs on three campuses, and to finish current and future projects. The other $7 mil-
lion will be set aside for the possibility of city and county partnerships. If those part-
nerships do not develop the money will be invested with the interest to be used for
future capital projects.
Reviewing the facts regarding Canadian ISD's status as a "property wealthy"
school district.
•Under current law Canadian ISD has to send a percentage of it's Maintenance
and Operating tax dollars to the State to be distributed to "property poor" districts.
That percentage this year was 63%. This means that 63 cents of every dollar leaves our
community in the form of "Robin Hood" payments.
•Every tax dollar raised to repay bond issues stays here locally to benefit our stu-
dents.
•Canadian ISD will have saved over $15 million in "Robin Hood" payments from
the prior bond issues. With property values at their current level it is estimated that
Canadian ISD will save over $8 million in "Robin Hood" payments on the proposed
$14 million bond issue.
•The total tax rate will not increase as a result of the proposed bond issue.
•Taxpayers that are over 65 or disabled will not see a tax increase for residential
homestead values above the frozen levy amount as established when the over 65 or
disabled exemption was granted.
•The proposed bond issue will allow Canadian ISD to meet future needs of our
school district by lessening the effect of "Robin Hood."
FIELD NDTES...CDNTINUED
warning that they are dealing with a man
with neither ethics nor honor nor scruples—
perhaps not even a man, at all, but some lower
life form.
All of that served also to remind us that no
matter how bad things seemed, they could al-
ways be worse.
Worse is what we thought they were the
previous week when our website designer
switched domain hosts in anticipation of pub-
lishing the new site later this month. In the
transition, all incoming and outgoing e-mails
were deposited into the cyber-equivalent of a
black hole for about 48 crucial hours—hours
during which we were unpleasantly remind-
ed of our growing dependence on that means
of communication, and of how totally unpre-
pared we are for its utter failure.
All that, and then it was Wednesday, a day
which dawned—but only barely—to light-
ning, rain, hail, flickering lights, sporadic
power surges, the ncessant blare of fire si
rens, a burned-up hard drive on one comput-
er, and the foreshadowing failure of our net-
work file server. We were spared only famine
and pestilence, though I hesitate to mention
them lest the gods be reminded of their over-
sight.
So you hold in your hands a precious
thing- -if transient. We hope it pleases you.
We hope to do better next week. We hope
you'll forgive us for the following: late or un-
delivered newspapers, unanswered e-mails,
missed messages, unreported stories, short
tempers and absent minds. These are prob-
ably only a few of our sins of commission or
omission over the last three weeks—but at
least it's a start. Light a candle. Say a prayer
for lost journalists—and while you're at it, say
a prayer for unscrupulous, unethical, dishon-
orable ones. I think Earl Watt needs interces-
sion far worse than we do.
TEXAS PRESS
ASSOCIATION
Award Winner
West
Texas Press
Association
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MEMBERSHIPS
National Newspaper Association
Texas Press Association
West Texas Press Association
Panhandle Press Association
We are members of the Society of
Professional Journalists and staunch
advocates of the SPJ Code of Ethics
OUR POLICY
LETTERS TD THE EDITDR
are always welcome, and will be
published if they are signed and
cannot be considered libelous.
We will not publish anonymous
letters under any circumstance
All letters must be accompanied
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may be edited for length
Each letter should be received
at our office no later than
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that week's newspaper.
PLEASE DIRECT LETTERS TD:
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P.D. Box 898, Canadian, TX 79DI4
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or editDr@canadianrecDrd.com
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Brown, Laurie Ezzell. The Canadian Record (Canadian, Tex.), Vol. 118, No. 19, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 8, 2008, newspaper, May 8, 2008; Canadian, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth252703/m1/3/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Hemphill County Library.