Jury Panel For Monday, Sept. 19 Canceled
The jury panel called to report for duty in the 62nd Judicial District Court at 9 a.m. Monday, September 19, 2022, at the Hopkins County Courthouse has been canceled, according to District Clerk Cheryl Fulcher.
Those called for this jury service do not need to report for duty.
Sulphur Springs City Council Approves Tax Rate, Budget Amendments, Appropriations Ordinances
Eligible Property Owners Will Benefit From 20% City Homestead Tax Exemption; 9% COLA Raise, Increased Longevity Pay Approved For City Employees
The regular Sulphur Springs City Council meeting was heavily focused on the budget, tax rate and impact of the economy on city finances. Some positives noted included ability of eligible Sulphur Springs property owners to benefit from a 20% homestead exemption on city property taxes for the first time; and a 9% cost of living increase, and increases in the certificate and longevity pay for city employees.
Tax Rate
Sulphur Springs City Council on first reading earlier this month approved a tax rate of 44 cents per $100 property value. This is the same tax rate the city maintained from 2002 to 2020. The tax rate was $0.42692 in the 2021 tax year, figured using the state formula to determine a taxing entity’s compressed tax rate.
The no-new-tax rate would impose the same amount of taxes as last year if you compare properties taxed in both years. The no-new-tax rate for Sulphur Springs for the 2022 tax year is $0.38333 per $100 property value. Adopting the no-new-revenue rate would lower taxes on a $100,000 home by $56.67. Adopting the no-new-revenue rate would lower the property tax levy by $694,865.
The voter approval-tax rate, the highest tax rate a taxing unit can adopt without holding an election, with one exception — the de minimis rate. The 2022 voter approval rate is $0.43204 per $100 property value.
The one exception to the voter approval tax rate is a de minimis rate. Sulphur Springs’ di minimis rate is figured at $0.46003 per $100 property value.
City officials at this time do not anticipate recommending any additional tax increases next year, so that’d be two consecutive years the rate would remain 44 cents.
Adopting a 44-cent tax rate in combination with the new 20% homestead exemption recently approved by the City Council should lower taxes on a $100,000 home $31.33 more than the no-new-revenue rate would if there were no homestead exemption, Sulphur Springs Assistant City Manager/Finance Director Lesa Smith pointed out at the Sept. 6 Council meeting.
For every 44 cents paid in city property taxes, $0.36547 will be spent on city maintenance and operations and the remaining $0.07453 will allow the City of Sulphur Springs to keep up with payments on its $19,268,539 debt obligations. That’s $913,500 going toward debt service this year, leaving $4,481,244 for operations.
The increase this year will help support a COLA and an increase in longevity pay, as well as increased costs for materials and services in order to more adequately fund police, fire, street, parks and recreation, and maintenance departments, city officials reported during the Sept. 6, 2022 City Council meeting. The police and fire budgets alone cost $6,777, 232, covering only 66% of public safety budgets.
The total estimated property tax revenue projected for the 2022 tax year is $5,394,744. Property taxes for FY 2022-2023 are expected to raise $401,593 (8.4%) more revenue than in FY 2021-2022, including $92,174 from new property added to the tax roll this year. The net taxable value of all taxable property within Sulphur springs for the upcoming fiscal year increased by 6.6% from $1,187,758,067 to $1,266,099,512.
The City Council approved the tax rate on first reading, following a public hearing and discussion. The City Council is scheduled to hold another public hearing regarding the tax rate, the will be asked to consider for final approval on second reading Ordinance No. 2812, setting the tax rate on Sept. 20, 2022.
FY 2022-2023 Budgeting
City officials, in the initial budget draft presented for City Council consideration over the summer, had originally budgeted for a 7% COLA for city employees. Council members asked city staff to see if they could find room in the budget for a higher increase; a 9% COLA was recommended and decided on. That’s the amount factored into the proposed FY 2022-2023 budget.
Assistant City Manger/HR Director Gordon Frazier presented a proposed personnel policy change by increasing longevity pay for city employees from $4 per month to $10, with longevity to be paid annually instead of monthly. He also proposed a change in certificate pay policy. In order to get the additional pay, city employees will be required to notify them when they’ve attained additional certification, placing the responsibility on the employee, who will be paid for it as promptly as it the appropriate documentation makes it to the appropriate city office. Also, the city proposes removing one word, gap, from the city’s medical insurance policy.
The City Council approved the personnel policy changes as recommended for longevity pay, certification pay and insurance.
Sulphur Springs Police Chief Jason Ricketson proposed allocating $20,000 from the city’s asset forfeiture budget for equipment such as body cameras worn by officers, radios, radar and similar items for the police department. The City Council agreed with the proposal.
At the request of City Council men, the amount the city contributes toward upkeep of City Cemetery and Mel Haven Cemetery also will increase in the FY 2022-2023 Budget to $500.
The City Council approved the budget as presented on first reading at the Sept. 7, 2022, meeting. Another public hearing over the budget will be conducted at the 7 p.m. meeting Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2022, then, the City Council will be asked to consider approving it on second and final approval, with the 2022-2023 FY budget to begin on Oct. 1, 2022.
2021-2022 Budget Adjustments
Overall, city officials anticipate completing the 2021-2022 budget year under budget, but some areas of the budget need to be updated. The general fund balance is expected to be OK at the conclusion of the year. A few department’s budgets will be a little over budget while others finish a little better than anticipated.
Smith reported in the 2021-2022 budget, the city had to come up with $106,888 in funding to cover costs of chemicals over the past year. So a budget amendment was required for that.
The finance director/assistant city manager also reported the revenue the county and hospital district contribute toward the TIFRZ is expected to be equal to or less than the amount contributed last year. The hospital district’s tax rate dropped from 25 cents to 22 cents this year, and based on the formula used by the state is expected to be set at just over 19 cents for the coming fiscal year. The county’s tax rate too has declined.
Smith noted that the actual property tax revenues collected this year were not as high as projected as actual valued, after some protests, lowered values. When certified values are higher than the actual rates that means less revenue to be raised. An audit by the Comptroller’s Office also requires some budgetary changes, including to the airport fund which spent more on fuel but also sold more in fuel, the cost of which reflects other changes in fuel prices.
For More Information
The Proposed 2022-2023 budget can be viewed on the city website, or by clicking here.
To view additional notices and worksheets for the proposed tax rate and budget, click here.
To view the Ordinance setting the tax rate, click here.
To view the appropriations Ordinance adopting the 2022-2023 budget, click here.
To view the Ordinance amending the 2021-2022 budget, click here.
To view the Ordinance setting the master fee schedules, click here
Jeffery Found Guilty Of Murder, Aggravated Assault In 2021 Cooper Gas Station Shooting
Robert Clevon Jeffery has been found guilty of the murder of 35-year-old Damien Damon Wiley of Cooper and aggravated assault of 22-year-old Saquan Harrion Reynolds on Aug. 29, 2021, at Cooper Mart on West Dallas Street in Cooper, Texas. The jury was given the charge and began deliberating punishment for Jeffery around 10:45 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 15.
The trial of Jeffery began with jury selection in Delta County, then, the determination to move the trial to the 8th Judicial District Courtroom in Hopkins County. Assistant District Attorneys Zach Blackmon and Matt Harris are prosecuting the cases; Clay Johnson is Jeffery’s attorney.
Opening arguments began shortly after 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 13, followed immediately with testimony by the store clerk working when the shootings occurred and four videos showing activity outside and at the store during and immediately following the shootings that resulted in Damien Wiley’s death and injury to Saquan Reynolds.
Testimony continued Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 13 and 14, before both sides rested and asked the jury to determine guilt or innocence. The jury was reported to have reached their verdict after about 1 1/2 hour of deliberations. Jeffery reportedly opted to testify during the guilt innocence phase of his trial. He did not, however, testify during the punishment phase.
The state rested their case in the punishment phase of the trial, and Johnson called Jeffery’s nephew, 31-year-old Tommy Walker Jr. of Cooper, to the stand to testify around 10 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 15. Walker is also the cousin of Damien Wiley.
Walker testified that Jeffery over the past 8-9 months prior to the incident at Cooper Mart in his opinion had turned his life around, working at the same place he works. Walker said his uncle was getting his life back on track, going from nothing to having a home, two cars and had custody of his four children. Jefferies’ children, including his now 14-year-old daughter who was inside the Cooper Mart when the shooting occurred, had 8 years previously been placed in a group home in the foster care system when their mom passed away because their father was in jail, he testified during questioning Thursday.
Walker said he was aware of a conflict between his uncle, Wiley and Reynolds, but was never part of it and had nothing to do with any of it. In fact, he admitted under questioning by Johnson that he’d asked his cousin and uncle to leave his home during a wake previously because he did not want their conflict resulting in an altercation in his home.
The 31-year-old Cooper man said he and his girlfriend of 11 years, who reside in the same home with their five children, during that 8-9 months prior to he shooting tried to help single father Robert Jeffery in any way they could, helping him watch his four children, making sure they got to and from school, allowing them to stay at their home overnight if needed.
Walker took in his uncle Robert’s four children following the shooting last year, and said they will continue to raise the children and see to their wellbeing regardless of the sentence his uncle receives, just as they care for their children. He takes them to see their father for visitation weekly. He said his uncle asks his children questions about their wellbeing and activities, checking that the 14-year-old has her inhaler with her, letting her know his concern about her asthma.
Robert Jeffery’s 14-year-old has received counseling at both Northeast Texas Child Advocacy Center and at her school, and is currently “doing good, an AB Honor Roll student. Thus, Walker asked that no one in the legal community talk to the high school freshman or caller to testify, because he did not want his uncle’s daughter to have to relive the experience at the gas station in 2021. Walker said he thinks of his 14-year-old cousin as if she is his own daughter. He said he’s going to make sure she and her sibling graduate from high school and go to college, if that’s the path they take.
Both sides had rested their cases in the punishment phase of the trial and gave closing arguments around 10:30 a.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022.
In his closing argument, attorney Clay Johnson asked the jury to consider Robert Clevon Jeffery’s age and to recognize that the 48-year-old had been “provoked over and over and over,” causing him to snap on Aug. 29, 2021, in front of Cooper Mart. Johnson said he’s not sure why Mr. Jeffery was bullied, why 22-year-old Saquan Reynolds picked on him, why they picked at each other. He asked the jury to consider that his client snapped that day, committing an act of sudden passion.
A crime of passion verdict, according to the law, reduces the charge by one letter of the law. That’d reduce the murder charge from a first-degree felony to a second-degree felony offense. However, Jeffery has a prior felony conviction, which would normally enhance a charge one letter of the law. That’d enhance the minimum potential range of punishment by 10 years if the jury does not determine the murder was a crime of passion, 8th Judicial District Judge Eddie Northcutt explained Thursday when instructing the jury regarding the charges and potential punishment for the charges.
Johnson further argued in his closing statement that the defendant had not gone to the station with the intent to kill Mr. Wiley, and asked the jury to “show Mr. Jeffery a little mercy and grace.” Johnson asked the jury to consider sentencing Jeffery to murder, as a crime of passion.
In his closing argument, ADA Blackmon asked the jury not to be swayed by emotion, but to consider the whole picture. He said the defendant was just as much a bully as he was bullied. He argued shooting death of Wiley was not sudden, because Jeffery had previously attained the firearm. In order for the offense to be consider a crime of passion, Blackmon said, the law requires the defense to prove the offense to have been directly caused by the person killed. He contends the there was no evidence presented to support a sudden passion defense, that the defendant himself testified that Damien Wiley never said any words to him at the gas station, only packed his pack of cigarettes against his hand, which would not render a person of ordinary temper incapable of ordinary reaction. He even noted Jeffery’s daughter even questioned his actions on Aug. 29, 2022, pointing out that they could have just driven away.
Blackmon argued that at the end of the day the murder case boils down to Robert Jeffery shooting Damien Wiley in the face over a fist fight that happened a few months before the shooting. He asked them to consider what might happened to the next person Robert Jeffery has a problem with if given a light sentence, and how that would endanger the lives of others. The ADA asked the jury to consider sentencing Jeffery to life in prison.
The jury was still deliberating punishment during the noon hour Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022. If they determine the murder was a crime of passion, the possible range of punishment for Jeffery is 5 to 99 years or life in prison, and an optional fine not to exceed $10,000. If the murder is not ruled by the jury as a crime of passion, the minimum punishment would be enhanced (due to the prior felony conviction) to 15 years and the maximum 99 years or life in prison, with an option of a fine up to $10,000 for the murder of Damien Wiley. A life sentence is considered 60 year.
Based on current parole laws, the 48-year-old cooper man would be required to serve half of his sentence or 30 years, whichever is less, before becoming eligible to be considered for early parole, Judge Northcutt explained.
Crime of passion is not an issue for consideration on the aggravated assault conviction. The jury was given the option to sentence Jeffery to 5 to 99 years or life in prison, with an optional fine of up to $10,000.
No verdict had been reached in the punishment phase of Robert Jeffery’s trial during the lunch hour Thursday, according to court reports.
SSHS Volleyball Has Two Games Left Prior To District Season
The real test begins soon for Lady Cats volleyball.
Sulphur Springs, including Friday’s road game, plays just two more games before district play gets underway.
Coach Bailey Dorner’s team hits the road Friday, taking on Clarksville at 5:30 P.M. and has a Tuesday home-match versus PTAA before Saturday’s date in Paris.
On Tuesday Sept. 13, Lady Cat volleyball ended their three-game home-stand with a loss at the hands of Melissa.
“We got down early in set one and set two. We dug ourselves in a hole that we had to dig out of,” Coach Bailey Dorner said following the loss Tuesday.
The visiting Lady Cards featured a talented squad of athletes who took advantage of Sulphur Springs mistakes. The Lady Cats had five serving errors in set two.
The loss to Melissa was the second loss in the three-game home-stand, including a sweep at the hands of former district rival Texas High. That, and they played Mount Pleasant to begin their season, plus Greenville, and Coach Dorner knows her squad has faced a challenging non-district season.
“We have a very tough pre-season, and that’s kind of been hard for our girls to realize,” Coach Bailey Dorner said.
Even with picking up some losses, the volleyball coach knows her team is all the better for it.
“The only way you get better is by playing teams who are better than you,” Coach Dorner said.
Sulphur Springs hits the road Friday, Sept. 16 when they head to Clarksville.
That match begins on Friday at 4:30 P.M.
KSST is proud to be the official Wildcat and Lady Cat Station. We broadcast Sulphur Springs ISD games year round live on radio. When allowed, we also broadcast games via our YouTube channel.
Health Care Foundation, CHRISTUS Hospital – Sulphur Springs Offer Free Mammogram Clinic
Sulphur Springs, Texas – The Hopkins County Health Care Foundation and CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs are partnering to offer a free mammogram clinic for uninsured women in Hopkins County.
The clinic will run for two days which are Saturday, October 15, and Saturday, October 29, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Appointments will be taken on a first-come, first-served basis.
Participants must be over 40 years of age and reside in Hopkins County. Only a few appointments are left, so don’t delay.
Funding is made possible by part of the proceeds of the third annual Designer Handbag Bingo held in August, as well as a matching grant from Christus Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs. Bingo players also made donations to aid with this outreach program.
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and a good time for women to schedule their mammograms.
Eligible women wishing to be included in the free mammogram clinic should call 903-438-4325 to make an appointment.
The Hopkins County Health Care Foundation was founded in 1997 and is an IRS designated 501 (c) 3 non-profit that is governed by an independent board of directors. The Foundation exists to assist CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital – Sulphur Springs in its mission to extend the healing ministry of Jesus Christ.
Lady Cats Cross Country Places Second in Two Straight Competitions
Coach Ross Hicks’s teams had another good outing last weekend.
Saturday, Sept. 10 had both cross country teams returning to their old district course in Hallsville.
The Lady Cats finished second as a team for the second straight competition.
Haylee Schultz, fresh off winning the 4A and under division last week in Pittsburg, finished fifth at 13:44.10.
Not even 30 seconds later followed Edith Martinez, cracking the top-10 in Hallsville at ninth.
Three freshmen followed the sophomore Martinez:
- Abbey Williams, 14:56.60 (26th)
- McKenzie Buckland, 15:09.50 (29th)
- Dylan McKinney, 15:21.10 (33rd)
Cumulating just 62 points, the Lady Cats, who finished second in 4A and under, had a decent gap between them and third place Atlanta (75).
Last week Sulphur Springs took part in something of a district preview, competing at the Troy Segura Classic that just so happened to feature the top-3 teams XC will take on come district championship time.
The Lady Cats placed second, behind host Pittsburg, but did feature Schultz winning her first ever cross country competition. Martinez finished second, with Jolea Moore coming in seventh. Senior Laney Hurst finished 16th.
On the men’s side, the young cross country squad did not have the outing they had hoped for. In a crowded meet of talented competitors, Sulphur Springs as a team did not finish in the top-14.
Two freshman, Mateo Perez and Gabe Mayo, continue to have solid seasons. The Wildcats finished top-30 in yet another varsity competition.
Ivan Gonzalez, the lone returning runner from last year’s team, lead the way in 21st crossing the line at 19:35.50.
The final runner to place for Sulphur Springs, sophomore Jaydon Conner, crossing the line at 20:08.60, finished 42nd.
Next up, both cross country teams head to Longview to participate in Pine Tree’s Mike Darby Invitational.
That meet takes place Friday, Sept. 16.
KSST is proud to be the official Wildcat and Lady Cat Station. We broadcast Sulphur Springs ISD games year round live on radio. When allowed, we also broadcast games via our YouTube channel.
Looking to the Future: Water In Hopkins County
By Mario Villarino, Texas AgriLife Extension Agent for Agriculture and Natural Resources in Hopkins County, [email protected]
The importance of water cannot be overstated or overvalued. Though we often take it for granted, access to abundant, clean, safe, and affordable water affects our health, drives our economy, and adds to our quality of life.
Unfortunately, millions of people around the world live in places where water is so limited or in such poor quality that much of their day is spent finding water to meet bare necessities. Water in these regions is essential for survival, but ironically much of this water is contaminated and is a major source of sickness and disease.
Water is important to practically every aspect of our life, and in ways we often do not recognize or appreciate. Water is essential to food production, transportation, sanitation and health, energy production, recreation, and even politics. The most prosperous civilizations have always enjoyed access to fresh water, and the lack of water has been the downfall of others.
To understand the future challenges that faces Texas Water in Hopkins County, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension has scheduled the presentation series, “Looking to the Future: Water in Hopkins County.” In this series, Texas AgriLife Water experts will discuss the way urbanization and growth is affecting Texas water, and how Hopkins County can be a leader in protecting our most valuable resources. During the program, city sprawl, storms and streams, inevitable Texas drought, and citizen and community involvement topics will be discussed.
The event is scheduled for Friday September 23, 2022 at the Gray’s Building located in Pacific Park (413 Beckham St., Sulphur Springs, Texas) starting at 11 a.m. The program is planned to end at 3:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be offered. This program is free and no registration is required.
Chamber Connection – Sept. 14
By Butch Burney, Chamber of Commerce President/CEO, [email protected]
Past cooks have until Friday, Sept. 23, to register for the 53rd Annual Hopkins County Stew
Festival and retain their site from last year.
If you have cooked stew in the past or want to for the first time, now is the time to register for Stew Fest, presented by Alliance Bank. The Stew Festival is Saturday, Oct. 22, with Friday night activities, hosted by Bob Evans Foods, will be going on the night before at Buford Park.
To register for a cook site, go online to the Chamber’s website at HopkinsChamber.org/stewcooks, email i[email protected] or call 903-885-6515. The cost to enter is $100 per stew pot, with $150 coming from the sponsor to pay for ingredients. Register now to reserve your spot from last year.
This year, stew cooks can also pre-order a T-shirt with “Stew Cook” on the back for $15.
We also are taking applications for our vendor market at the stew. Cost is $75 for Chamber members, $100 for nonmembers. Go to our website at HopkinsChamber.org or call Amanda at 903-885-6515 to register.
Homecoming Parade
The Dial Study Club is bringing back the Sulphur Springs High School Homecoming Parade at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 22. The parade, sponsored by Triple Crown Roofing, will begin at Buford Park, go east down Connally Street, turn north on Davis Street and then west on Houston Street to end at the park. It will not go around the square.
Ribeye Roundup
If you’re looking for a great steak, you don’t want to miss the Cattleman’s Classic and Ribeye Roundup on Saturday, Oct. 1, on the downtown plaza.
The event features a steak cook-off which will include an expected 40-plus cook teams, educational trade show, free Bobby Irwin concert and more.
This year there will be a junior cook classification for youth ages 7-17. Go to the Facebook page to learn more.
You can also get a blue Ribeye Roundup T-shirt for just $14 at the Chamber of Commerce, 110 Main St. Come by to pick one up!
Quilt Show
The 21st Annual Quilt Show, presented by the Lone Star Heritage Quilt Guild, is set for Sept. 23-24 at First Baptist Church’s The ROC. Admission is $5 per person (under 12 are free). It will last from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Lisa Erlandson, AQS certified appraiser of Quilted Textiles and historian, will be the special speaker. There will be more than 100 quilts along with door prizes and vendors. For more information, go to SulphurSpringsTxQuilts.com.
Healthcare Night Out
Christus Health is hosting a Healthcare Night Out from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 15, at Corner Grub House. The invitation is extended to job seekers as well as current/new Christus nurses, therapists and techs.
Business of the Week
The Chamber’s Business of the Week for Sept. 14 is Money Law and Title, located at 1335 South Broadway. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook to check out our Business of the Week.
Ribbon Cutting
The Reserve at Sulphur Springs, an apartment complex on League Street, will host a ribbon cutting at noon, Wednesday, Sept. 14. Please come out to welcome them to the community.
Additional Charge Added For Man Jailed Monday For Evading Arrest
An additional charge was added Tuesday afternoon for a Sulphur Springs man jailed on an evading arrest charge Monday, according to arrest reports.
A detective advised Sulphur Springs Police Sgt. Brandon Mayes that Dequarian Terran Pitts was scheduled to be at the police department for an interview, and that a felony warrant had been issued for the 22-year-old Sulphur Springs man’s arrest.
Pitts was among three arrested Monday evening, Sept. 12, 2022, on evading arrest charges following a Calvert Street shots fire call that resulted in a pursuit that ended with Pitts and a Commerce man attempting to run from police, officers noted in arrest reports. Pitts spent the night in Hopkins County jail on the misdemeanor charge, then was released Tuesday, Sept. 13, 2022, on a $10,000 bond.
Mayes contacted Pitts while he was at the police department and took him into custody at 4:30 p.m. on the warrant for violation of probation, which he was on for a Dec. 3, 2020 felony assault of a family or household member that impeded breathing or circulation charge, Mayes noted in arrest reports.
Pitts was transported to Hopkins County jail, where he was booked in at 5:14 p.m. Sept. 13, 2022, and remained Wednesday morning, Sept. 14, 2022, on felony probation charge; his bond was set at $150,000, according to arrest and jail reports.
Jail records also show Pitts has been jailed on two other occasions on charges related to the December 2020 assault impeding breathing charge. He was jailed Feb. 10-March 18, 2021, for surety off bond on the 2020 felony assault charge; and May 4-Aug. 4, 2022, for violation of probation on the assault impeding breathing charge.
KSSTRadio.com publishes Sulphur Springs Police Department reports and news. The Police Department is located at 125 Davis St., Sulphur Springs, Texas. Non-emergency calls can be made to (903) 885-7602.
If you have an emergency dial 9-1-1.
The Sulphur Springs Police Department continues to serve its citizens with pride in its overall mission and will strive to provide the best possible police force in the 21st century.
If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
Sulphur Springs ISD Bond Election To Be Discussed At Town Hall Meeting
The Sulphur Springs ISD Bond Election will be discussed at a special Town Hall Meeting scheduled at 7 p.m. Monday, Sept. 19, 2022, in the Board Room inside SSISD Administration Building, 630 Connally St.
SSISD Superintendent Michael Lamb will lead the discussion. The community is invited to attend to learn more about and ask any questions they may have related to the $81.5 million SSISD Bond Election called for facilities improvements and construction of a new campus.
The bond proposal is the second bond proposal the school district has asked voters to consider this year. A $93 million bond proposal was voted down in May 2022 by SSISD residents.
The current proposal includes some of the same proposals outlined in the $93 million bond proposal which failed on May 7, but has notable differences as well, according to a press release distributed by SSISD Superintendent’s Office Monday afternoon, Aug. 22, 2022, after SSSID Board of Trustees called for Nov. 8 election for the $81.3 million bond proposal.
Several projects in the prior plan, according to school administrators, are being postponed due to inflation. The district, however, would take advantage of “potential improved bond capacity” if the bond passes in November.
The $81.5 million SSISD bond election called for Nov. 8 still calls for a new campus for Travis Primary, but the notice did not specify where the new campus would be located or approximate cost. In the May 7, 2022, bond election, officials and the building improvement committee proposed updates at SSES, as well as constructing a new campus to serve elementary students on the site of what currently serves as a track at the far end of the SSES campus. The spring bond proposal allocated $35 million for the new Travis Primary Campus.
The Nov. 8 bond proposal calls for 8 additional classrooms, additional cafeteria space to accommodate campus needs, as well as improved pick-up and drop-off areas at Bowie Primary. During community meetings for the prior May 7 bond election, officials reported the campus was one of the few that has room to expand out further onto the property across or near the current playground and open field often used by community leagues for sports activities. The campus was allocated $6,000 for improvement on the May bond proposal.
Under the Nov. 8 bond plan, security would be updated by reconfiguring the entrance and front office area at Sulphur Springs Elementary; the building would also get a new roof and upgrades as needed. The prior plan allocated $3 million to SSES for renovations.
On the Nov. 8, 2022 election ballot, as proposed, will be improved parking and upgrades to Barbara Bush Primary, including an improved intercom system. Previously, the district had allocated $1 million to Bush Primary for improvements.
The $81.5 million bond proposal includes upgraded security at Sulphur Springs High School, which would be achieved by creating new front office space; SSHS has also been tabbed in the Nov. 8 election for additions to fine arts spaces, a new roof, as well as painting and parking upgrades as needed. The prior May 7 bond proposal allocated $10 million in renovations at SSHS, as well as a $12 million CTE Center (to house culinary arts, auto shop, health science technology, construction trades and robotics programs) and $12.5 million for fine arts.
As proposed in the Nov. 8 election, the district would finance 10 buses over 5 years, which is half the number proposed in the spring, when costs were projected at $2 million for buses.
Also listed separately in the spring bond proposal as capital improvements across the district was $9 million for roofing and HVAC work. In the fall bond proposal which voters will determine on Nov. 8, roofing work is included in plans listed for SSES and SSHS.
Among the items proposed on the May 7 ballot that the Nov. 8 proposal does not include were $2 million in renovations at Douglass ECLC and $500,000 in renovations to Austin Academic Center/DAEP.
The bond would add 1 cent per $100 property value to SSISD taxes. That would go onto the I&S indebtedness side of the tax rate. The district on Monday, prior to calling for the Nov. 8 bond election, also approved a tax rate of $1.1651 per $100 property valuation. The tax rate is composed of two parts, the maintenance and operations tax rate or M&O tax rate, which is used for salaries and daily operations. The second part of the tax rate is the issuance and sinking or I&S which is the amount levied to pay of bonded indebtedness.
The M&O tax rate passed by the school board on Monday, Aug. 22, 2022, for tax year 2022-2023 was set at $0.85460, which is actually a 1.7 cent ($0.017) per $100 property valuation decrease in the M&O tax rate, in accordance with the state set formula. The I&S tax rate adopted Monday, Aug. 22, 2022, was $0.3105 per $100 property valuation. Should the Nov. 8 $81.5 million bond proposal pass, that 1 cent would be added to the I&S tax, increasing it to $0.3205 per $100 valuation, which would still be a $0.007 per $100 property valuation decrease in the overall tax rate, Superintendent Michael Lamb explained Monday, when presenting the scaled back bond proposal to the school board for consideration.
