Marion County Commissioners held their annual longest meeting of the year as they held the required public hearings for the 2022 Budget, 2021 Tax Rates, continuing to fund the preservation and restoration of the Records Archive Plans for the County and District Clerks, and then adopting those items.
County retirees will have a 30% cost of living adjustment beginning in January thanks to Commissioners approving the increase in the 2022 budget.
Commissioners approved a tax rate of $0.6069286 per $100,000 of valuation for 2021, which is a 3.41% increase from last year.
“It’s less than $29 a year on a $100,000 property,” said Pct. 1 Commissioner J.R. Ashley.
The adopted budget will raise more total property taxes than last year by $130,016. Almost $50,000 of that is from new property added to the tax rolls this year.
Commissioners also approved new salaries, expense and allowances of all Elected County and Precinct Officials as proposed in the budget. The raises were part of the county wide employee raises of 6% proposed in the budget.
Election Judges were appointed for a two-year term by Commissioners. They are as follows:
• Box 1, Mims VFD: Hunter Bonner (R), and LaTasha Smith (D)
• Box 2, Kellyville Senior Citizens Building: Pearl Coleman (D), and Glen Farris (R)
• Box 3, Marion County Election Building: Vivian Foster (R), and Jocelyn Jordan (D)
• Box 4, Smithland VFD: Francene Deprez (R), and Joyce Justice (D)
• Box 5, Lone Oak Baptist Church, Fellowship Hall: Vicki Ross (R), and Nancy Scheland (D)
• Early Voting Ballot Board: Pat George (R), and Maxine Flowers (D)
Commissioners also approved making the Kellyville Senior Citizens Building the official Democratic Party Polling Location. Previously the Jefferson Community Center was used, but it was eliminated as a polling location earlier this year.
Some Black Antique Shuck File Cabinets were donated to the Museum courtesy of the Commissioners. The file cabinets were built in 1888 for the County Courthouse and were not replaced by the Historical Commission after the restoration.
Five parcels of land were returned to the tax rolls on Monday as Commissioners approved the acceptance of full bids. The properties were:
• Parcel 9047 Shady Shore Hill Crest sec lots107 & 110 – received full bid from Terri J. Hunter in the amount of $539.42. This property was struck off in March, 2003.
• Parcel 9048 Shady Shore Hill Crest sec lot 108 – received full bid from Terri J. Hunter in the amount of $500.00. This property was struck off in March, 2003.
• Parcel 5335 12 ac R Maxwell abst 266 – received full bid from Donald and Heather Beene in the amount of $8,760.00. This property was struck off in February,2018.
• Parcel 3332 1 ac W.H. Gilbert abst 160 – received full bid from Jess Nichols in the amount of $4,000.00. This property was struck off in November, 2018.
• Parcel 4494 3 ac A. Johnson abst 217 – received full bid from James A Parsons in the amount of $6,357.05. This property was struck off in June, 2021.
In other routine annual business, the Court:
• approved the TAC Health Benefit Pool Plan for county employees. This includes the county reimbursing employees up to $1,000 towards the new year’s higher $3,000 deductible
• Rod Abbott presented the County with the 2020 Audited Financial Statements – no significant findings were noted
• Approved Interlocal Contract for County 9-1-1 Database Maintenance
• Declared a 2016 Dodge Charge as surplus and to sell via AuctioneerExpress.com
Approved the Auto Liability, General Liability, Auto Physical Damage policies through TAC Risk Management Pool
• Approved SAVNS Maintenance Grant Contract from Sept 1,2021-August 31, 2022. This is a reimbursement grant from the AG’s Office for Victim notification
• Approved the TxDOT Grant for Routine Airport Maintenance Program ending August 30, 2022. The grant amount was reduced to $20,000 from $100,000 for the next year.
• Approved a Pitney Bowes SendPro C series mail machine for Sheriff’s Department
• Increased the size of the Pct 1 Solid Waste Site dumpster to 40 yard capacity
• Approved all matter incident and related to the November 2, 2021, election to create the Marion County Assistance District and called for the election