Shopping Map of Salado, Pages 4-5B Salado VVillageillage VVoiceoice Vol. XXXI, Number 14 Thursday, August 21, 2008 254/947-5321 fax 254/947-9479 www.saladovillagevoice.com 50¢ Taxpayer group School circulates petition grand A group of Salado resi- $100 evaluation is based dents has organized re- on the rush by the Board cently to voice opposition of Aldermen to implement opening to the proposed 17.77 cents the tax rate. per $100 evaluation prop- The group is circulat- erty tax proposed by the ing a petition to request Aug. 23 Village of Salado Board of a referendum before this Aldermen. budget goes into effect. SISD expects Dr. Ramon Carver, one The Board of Alder- of the representatives of men will conduct public more than 1,230 the newly-formed Salado hearings at 6:30 p.m. Sept. students for first Taxpayer for Responsible 4 and Sept. 18 on the bud- Government stated that get for the Village. day of school the current board of al- The Board will adopt The Salado ISD is dermen “is determined the budget and set a tax Salado High School Principal Kay Matthews leads a tour of Salado Lions through the pleased to announce the to levy the maximum tax rate at the Sept. 18 meet- New High School. Shown above with Matthews (at left) are Sindy Greenwood, Gerry grand opening of the new that the law allows with ing. Reihsen and Bobbie Reihsen and Carrol McDougal (background). A Grand Opening will Salado ISD High School. little professional input Other members of the be held on Aug. 23 and school will open for Salado students on Aug. 25. In 2006, the voters of the and without an analysis for taxpayer group include district approved the con- setting priority of needs of Danney V. McCort, who struction of the $15 mil- projects.” was an alternate on the Trustees offer three-year lion facility. Dr. Carver contends Citizens Advisory Com- The school will be that the Board of Al- mitte, R. Michael Harwell ready for students when dermen has ignored the and Gerry Reihsen. contract to Billy Wiggins school begins on Aug. 25. recommendation of a The 2008/2009 pro- Salado ISD is antici- Citizens’ Advisory Com- posed budget includes BY TIM FLEISCHER of Salado High School on item to an instructional pating more than 1,230 mittee to propose a prop- expenditures of $963,570, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Aug. 23 before officially budget line item. students to be enrolled on erty tax rate of 7 cents, an increase of $264,524 or beginning work here on School districts across four campuses on Aug. 25. after that committee met 37.8 percent. Salado I.S.D Board of Sept. 1. the state will be required Classes begin at 7:45 a.m. with aldermen and on its Aldermen will further Trustees voted quickly and The board approved the to spend 65 percent of Aug. 25 at the new high own in several workshop discuss the budget at a unanimously Aug. 18 to of- contract during a 14-min- their operating costs on school and 7:55 a.m. else- sessions this summer. 6:30 p.m. Aug. 21 meeting fer a three-year contract to ute regular session at the classroom instruction. By where. The Board of Alder- at the Municipal Building, William (Billy) Wiggins as Salado Civic Center Aug. moving the elctrical costs A grand opening of the men, Dr. Carver said, 301 N. Stagecoach Rd. Superintendent of Salado 18. Trustees will meet into instructional costs, it new high school will be “dismissed the commit- The meeting is open to schools. again at 6 p.m. Aug. 25 at brings Salado ISD closer held 10 a.m. Aug. 23. The tee’s recommendation and the public but members of Wiggins, who will sign the Salado Civic Center to to the state standard. celebration will begin with increased the budget to the public may only com- the contract today, will be- conduct a public hearing Trustees also discussed a ribbon cutting and dedi- justify a higher tax rate in ment during the Citizens gin work in Salado on Sept. on the 2008-09 school bud- but took no action on Capi- cation of the flagpoles, a the range of twenty cents Comments portion of the 1. get and proposed tax rate. tal Improvements. After gift of the Bartlett family, per $100 evaluation.” meeting at the start of the The board approved the Dr. Denton reported to Superintendent Wiggins is at the main entrance to the Aldermen on a split vote meeting. contract, which will pay trustees Aug. 18 that the in place at the district, the school. Following the rib- of 2-3 defeated a motion to At the Aug. 7 meeting, Wiggins $114,000 in his district has all slots filled board will consider what it bon cutting and dedication increase the proposed tax four individuals spoke first year in Salado, on a at this time with Andrea needs to do on the individ- of the flagpoles there will rate from 17.77 cents to 20 against the proposed prop- motion by Chris Seaton, Gonzales acting as interim ual campuses with remain- be a presentation of the cents per $100 evaluation. erty tax, while one indi- which received a second principal at Salado Inter- ing renovation funds. prestigious Dodge Lone The motion to increase the vidual spoke in favor of from Kim Bird. All six mediate School following Star Cup in the cafeteria. tax rate to the 20 cent rate the property tax. board members present Joe Palmer’s resignation About Billy Wiggins A second dedication will was made by Curt Strong, Items on the Aug. 21 voted in favor of the mo- of his position. Palmer Wiggins hold B.S. and occur at the new library. receiving a second from agenda include an update tion: Seaton, Bird, Deborah resigned when he was of- M.Ed. degrees and has 30 The library will be dedi- Michael Cooper during on the floor ordinance, Aldridge, Rodney Bell, Jeff fered an Assistant Superin- years of public education cated in the name of Dr. the Aug. 7 meeting of the consideration of the Hid- Kelley and Darrell Street. tendent position in Temple experience with 13 years Robin Battershell. Dr. Board of Aldermen. den Glenn Subdivision Board member Miriam I.S.D., where he will head as a secondary classroom Battershell served Salado A motion from Ste- and of Extra-territorial Ervi was absent, but sent the human resources de- teacher and coach, seven ISD as superintendent for phen Peters to cut an even jurisdiction petitions and a letter of support, stating partment. years of secondary ad- 10 years. $200,000 from the street discussion of these items: that I know we selected the Trustees voted to en- ministrative experience, The final event for the maintenance budget failed the 2008-09 Village bud- best person for the job.” ter into a Shared Service and 10 years of central morning will be the op- to receive a second during get, the 2008-09 tourism Street thanked Interim Agreement for interlocal office experience with portunity to tour the new the Aug. 7 meeting. budget, road evaluations, Superintendent Bob Den- procurement of electrical eight as Superintendent of school. Members of the Members of the tax- proposal for Citizens Road ton for his work during the service, which will allow Schools. Salado ISD school board payer group state that their Repair committee and budget time and opening the district to move the Wiggins is currently su- will lead the tours. opposition to the proposed Salado Business Licens- the school. costs of providing electric- perintendent of Port Aran- Incoming Superinten- tax rate of 17.77 cents per ing. Wiggins is expected to ity to classrooms from a dent Billy Wiggins will at- attend the Grand Opening non-instruction budget line SEE SUPERINTENDENT, PAGE 16A tend the Grand Opening. INSIDE Bulk Rate Final performance of U.S. Postage Paid ALENDAR OF VENTS C E 2B Permit No. 50 CLASSIFIEDS 1C annual Melodrama will be Salado, TX 76571 FORUM 2A this weekend at the Salado OFF THE RECORD 2A Subscribe Silver Spur. Turn to SHOPPING MAP 4B Today Rooted in Salado SPORTS 8A Calendar of Events on 2B Since 1979 254/947-5321 SALADO Page 2A, Village Voice, August 21, 2008 Column features Bob Gates; Pedernales Co-op; Humor from yesterday’s pols FORUMFORUM This c­olumn has been a long time c­ritic­ of President Bush for his ineptness Off the An Open Exchange of Ideas in selec­ting personnel for key assign- ments in his administration. Those Record who failed we plac­ed in the “Heckuva Job, Brownie” Club and had fun at the by Ken Clapp expense of both the President and those poor-souls tossed overboard - starting been anxiously watc­hing the fisc­al disaster, with the two fledgling members WMD that direc­tors and exec­utives of the Peder- Ambassador Joe Wilson and Mike nales Elec­tric­ Co-op, c­reated at the nation’s Brown (FEMA c­hief, dropped after his largest elec­tric­ c­o-op, through mismanage- “hec­kuva-job” during Katrina); WH ment of funds; squandering profits on huge c­ounsel Harriet Miers; Sec­Def Don salaries; and awarding exc­essive retirement, Rumsfeld; Chief of Staff Andy Card; AG health, and expense benefits - not bec­ause Alberto Gonzales; the Svengali-c­loned they were earned, but bec­ause they c­ould do advisor Karl Rove; and Sc­ott Mc­Clel- it with apparent impunity. lan, press sec­retary and “AB-novelist” That renegade group of officials used (translated: After-Bush-Tattletale).