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Jacksboro ISD board members approved the 2021-22 budget which comes with a slight decrease in the tax rate during a special meeting Aug. 31.

The maintenance and operation (M&O) tax rate dropped from $0.9664 to $0.9634 per $100 valuation, while the interest and sinking (I&S) tax rate remained the same at $0.46 cents. The district approved a 5% pay raise for all employees, which will add $1,046,693 to this year’s budget and a new salary schedule which could in many cases make the district more competitive when it comes to hiring new teachers.

After more than seven hours of deliberation on the Jack County tax rate and how to keep from increasing taxes on the public, commissioners approved the initial budget given to them last Monday, Aug. 23.

The budget was approved 3-2 with Precinct 1 Commissioner Gary Oliver and Precinct 4 Commissioner Terry Ward voting against. Precinct 2 Commissioner Darren Francis and Precinct 3 Commissioner Henry Birdwell both voted in favor.

“I presented the budget, I need to stand by it,” Jack County Judge Keith Umphress said when casting the deciding vote.

Graham Lions Club members are looking to partner with Jacksboro Lions to get eye screenings done in Jack County.

Retired optometrist Dr. Tom Labbe spoke to Jacksboro Lions last week about a program he started back in April called Sight 4 All. He and “some of his friends” put together a seminar where the public is tested free of charge for such tings such as glaucoma, macular degeneration, lazy eye, cataracts and others. He wants to teach volunteers from the Jacksboro Lions how to run his machines.

A petition was started recently to amend the Bryson ISD dress code after the parents of 4-year-old Hunter Strider were asked to cut his hair in order to comply with the district’s policy. The campaign is seeking to gain support before the next BISD school board meeting, set for Monday.

The petition, started by Hunter’s mother, Lori, has received over 140,000 signatures as of Tuesday afternoon and is rising.

On a morning where Jack County Judge Keith Umphress had thought commissioners might approve the fiscal year 21-22 budget, commissioners weren’t quite ready to finish the job.

In a two-hour budget discussion that reconvened after press time, commissioners continued discussing where to make changes in the $6.5 million budget.

The budget Umphress gave to commissioners had a proposed tax rate of $0.5438 cents per $100 valuation. The budget will raise an additional $391,562 in property taxes. New property added to the tax roll will be $53,164.28 from last year’s budget.

Faith Community Hospital Board members opted to keep the tax rate the same and approved the 2021-22 budget during their regular Aug. 16 board meeting.

CEO Frank Beaman said there was a “marginal” drop in property value. The hospital has had the same tax rate for many years, Beaman said.

Jacksboro City Council voted to set the proposed tax rate at $1.125 per $100 valuation during the regular Monday, Aug. 9 meeting.

City Manager Mike Smith had proposed a rate of $1.09, down $0.05 from last year’s rate. The additional funds will go toward two projects, with $15,000 going to a donation to the Gladys Ritchie Memorial Library and the rest of the funds, approximately $17,000, designated for streets exclusively.

“If we want the streets fixed, this is how we fix them,” Brandon Sisson said.

Jacksboro ISD tax payers will notice a slight drop in their tax rate after board members voted on their rate.

The rate dropped from $1.4264 per $100 valuation to $1.4234. The interest and sinking rate remained the same at $0.46, while the maintenance and operation dropped from $0.9664 cents to $0.9634 per $100 valuation.

A public hearing on both the tax rate and budget is set for 8 a.m. Tuesday, Aug. 31, at the JISD Administration Building, 750 W. Belknap in Jacksboro.

Feral hogs, a problem across the county, is being addressed by Jack County Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Agent Charlie Martin.

Martin spoke with commissioners during their Monday, Aug. 9 meeting about securing funding for a trapping system, which would involve the use of drones to do studies on where the hogs are in the county; traps, which can be used anywhere in a precinct once it’s found where they are; and an ATV and trailer to transport the traps where they need to go.

With drugs seemingly everywhere in today’s society, any help in getting rid of the problem is welcome.

Such is the case with the Jack County Sheriff’s Department which recently had its canine officer, Xena, deployed to her 100th assignment. Xena, a five-year-old English Labrador Retriever, has been busy since she signed on three years ago.