News

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

Depending on the value of their property, Marble Falls Independent School District taxpayers may see their individual taxes increase for the 2016-2017 school year, but they will be paying the same tax rate they have for the past several years.

MFISD trustees voted 5-0 on Monday, Aug. 29, to set a maintenance and operations tax rate of $1.0533 per $100 valuation and an interest and sinking tax rate of 22.67 cents per $100 valuation for a total tax rate of $1.28. It is the fifth year in a row the district has set its tax rate at $1.28 per $100 valuation.

School board members also approved an additional $1,123,595 in revenue and expenditures for the fiscal 2017 budget after learning that property values for the district had come in higher than expected.

By Lew K. Cohn

Managing Editor

The Highlander

Scott & White Health Plan (SWHP) will pull out of the federal health care marketplace in 2017, the health insurer announced Wednesday, Aug. 17, and by today, Aug. 30, letters about options should be in the hands of those insured.

The Temple-based company announced it would continue to offer selected bronze off-marketplace HMO individual and family plans, and that the Insurance Company of Scott and White (ICSW) will offer selected bronze off-marketplace PPO plans.

However, neither SWHP or ICSW will offer gold, silver and selected bronze benefit marketplace plans in what is commonly referred to as “Obamacare.”

Alexandria Randolph
Highland Lakes Newspapers
Burnet County Commissioners Court officially decreased the ad valorem tax rate for the second fiscal year in a row.
Commissioners Court met on Tuesday, Aug. 23 and approved an effective tax rate for the 2017 fiscal year that is a 1.4 percent reduction compared to last year’s rate.
Burnet County Judge James Oakley said the new rate, which is .3969 per $100 valuation, will amount to a $369.90 tax per year for a property valued at $100,000.
For those residents whose property values didn’t rise this year, the new tax will represent a 1.4 percent reduction in their county taxes.
The lower effective rate is the “culmination of rising property values in the county,” Oakley said.
“It would have been a lot lower this year, but we had a lot more seniors qualify for the tax freeze.”

by Alexandria Randolph

Highland Lakes Newspapers

A Marble Falls man has been arrested a on charge of indecency with a child as police continue to investigate the outcry of a juvenile.

Marble Falls Police Sgt. Tom Dillard said that Larry Dean Watson, 35, was taken into custody Monday, Aug. 15, on charge of indecency with a child by sexual contact, a second-degree felony.

“I arrested him as soon as I had probable cause,” Dillard said. “We had to get some protective orders in place.”

Dillard said a juvenile female made an outcry to police regarding ongoing sexual abuse.

“The subsequent investigation provided collaboration of this claim,” Dillard said, adding that the abuse may have been taking place over a long period of time.

There are potentially other victims, but police haven't had time to investigate this further, Dillard said.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

The Granite Shoals City Council last week voted final approval for the ordinance that place a bond issue on the November ballot and reached an accord on budget concessions that will likely result in a tax rate lower than the maximum considered.

On Monday night, Aug. 22, the bond election ordinance specified Nov. 8 ballot language allowing voters to choose “for” or “against” the issuance of $3 million in tax bonds for improvements to Phillips Ranch Road, Prairie Creek Road And Valley View Lane.

The bonds amount would represent about 45 percent of the proposed improvement costs. The city is seeking U.S. Department of Agriculture grant support for the balance of the project. It was not only the prospect of grant support for more than half the cost that convinced the council that the time was right for the project.

The Back to School Blast is done. New Teachers have been welcomed by the Marble Falls/Lake LBJ Chamber of Commerce. And, this week Marble Falls ISD students returned to the classrooms.

Many children will be walking or riding their bicycles to and from school – many of them during the busiest time of the day when motorists are traveling to work or home.

Marble Falls Fire Rescue is sharing the following safety tips for the community:
Dropping off students
Schools often have very specific drop-off procedures for the school year. Make sure you know them for the safety of all kids. More children are hit by cars near schools than at any other location. The following apply to all school zones:

Parking for Marble Falls High School (MFHS) Mustang football and Lady ‘Stangs volleyball has two overflow options and fans can depend on the Mustang Express Shuttle to get to the games, even on the most crowded nights.

For the best parking for Friday game nights this fall, the following parking tips from the Marble Falls Independent School District (MFISD) will be helpful to gain the most convenient access to events:

• Volleyball fans should arrive early to park in the “Home” parking off Mustang Drive for access to the Max Copeland Gym.

• Handicap parking for football is available off Mustang Drive behind the MFHS band hall. Handicap parking for Volleyball is available adjacent to the Max Copeland Gym.

BY ALEXANDRIA RANDOLPH

While concrete plant officials share their plans for pending facilities, Burnet County residents have begun to question whether the county is prepared for increased industrialization.

After a concrete company applied for an air quality permit with the Texas Commission of Environmental Quality on June 15, Burnet County residents have turned to local officials to voice concerns about increased industrialization.

Dave Holmes, resident of Stone Mountain in the Tobyville area, said the issue is bigger than this plant.

“What's happening is the Texas legislature is favoring the aggregate industry big time,” he said. “The legislature does not consider the county when they approve gravel digs.”

In August, Burnet County Judge James Oakley said the county had no say over the permit besides acknowledging receipt of it.

BY ALEXANDRIA RANDOLPH

Editor's note:

This story first appeared in the Wednesday, Aug. 24 edition of the Burnet Bulletin, and the Friday, Aug. 26 edition of The Highlander, in which it was reported that two individuals, Terry Wayne Perkins and Travis Carl Kerr, were each charged with evasion with a vehicle and unauthorized use of a vehicle. This was incorrect. Kerr was only charged with parole violation, and Burnet Police said on Friday, Aug. 26 that other charges are pending. His charges of evasion and unauthorized use of a vehicle listed in the story were from a previous incident in January, for which he served his jail time. We apologize for the inaccuracy.

Two men were arrested on Monday morning after one allegedly led police on a cross-county car chase overnight.

By Glynis Crawford Smith

The Highlander

Ridgemont Village, a retirement community at 92 Gateway North, has been named recipient of the first annual Marble Falls Community Pride Award.

The award was first on the agenda of the Marble Falls City Council in a meeting Tuesday, Aug. 16, that included also the first public hearing on a budget and tax rate and an encouraging report on the city's relationship with Baylor Scott & White.

“I want to thank Ridgmont Village for taking part in this effort to enhance the appearanceof our community,” said Mayor John Packer in welcome to Scott and Gail Matthews, owners of the gated, hilltop development, and their manager Kelly Crane.

Crane introduced Adrian and Dee Guinn, saying “Dee was the one who read about the award in the newspaper and nominated us. The Guinns are representative of our residents who care about the place where they live.”