First month of 2025 is dang near gone already. When this paper hits the racks, there may be a little rain in our area…finally. Just make sure that you pay the rent on the homes that you own so that our local governments can function. Even if you don’t have kids or grandkids in school, pay the school taxes that encompass the bulk of our tax bills and hope that the funds are spent wisely.
On February 1, the interest and penalties will start to accrue and there aint no exceptions. Talked to our Tax Assessor Collector the other day and she neglected to pay on time once….she paid the late fee (penalty). She don’t mess around or play favorites either.
If you would like a little discount around this time of year, call your local Board Member of ESD #2 and ESD #4 and ask them to support Homestead Exemptions for folks living within their boundaries. Won’t be but 50-100 dollars but, its something. During our last ESD meeting, the effect on the Budget (-$61,000) was given as a reason to delay a decisive vote on this. Good idea. I found $51,000 that we could trim from the Budget (without digging into the line items) before the meeting was over. Trimming our Budget would make the Board a little more conservative with our tax money. Or you could show up at the next meeting on February 12th round 6:30.
Then we get to get ready to pay our Federal Government for the blessing of living and working in the USA. Hopefully, the government will do away with tax on Social Security like our President said that he would do. Lotta positive things happening in Washington DC nowdays.
Heard from one lady that as a result of the passage of the new Social Security law, her SS check went up $400. Sandy’s went up $1.80 so, don’t know when it will kick in. Aint got mine yet…
Category: Commissioner’s Comments by Jerry Beck
Things & Stuff
Happy deuce and a quarter. Seems we started the New Year on the positive side when we got 9 tenths of an inch of rain on the 10th day of 2025, Hallylewya!! We ended 2024 with 20.3 inches of measurable rain out in the Black Creek metroplex.
Hope everybody what celebrated too much on New Year’s Eve woke up with a grand hangover and the promise of “never again”…. Last year we got to see our Dallas Cowboys live up to expectations, UT had hopes of a National Championship and the Houston Texans are moving into the role of Texas’ Team. They have been a favorite of mine until they fired Bum Phillips and moved to somewhere up north.
We get to start the New Year with a Commander in Chief with a spine and a genuine love of America. Don’t have to go through all the failures and falsehoods that riddled the last 4 years…they are all in the news. I believe that we are making a U-turn.
The Homestead Exemption motion for ESD 4 failed for lack of a second and I am sure that this periodical will cover the meeting in depth so, I won’t expound on the subject.
This is short because I am late in my submission to the paper. Continue to pray for rain. Promise to have more next time.
Things & Stuff
Gonna be here in a week! Christmas is finally here and instead of concentrating and focusing on givin and gettin, remember why we celebrate the greatest gift ever given to mankind.
See where the Senate is set to vote on the SS Bill this week so, if you aint contacted Sen. Cruz or Sen. Cornyn, time to do so. So far, according to the ever so accurate internet, there are 62 Bipartisan supporters in favor of sending this to a final vote that only requires 60. Believe it or don’t, even Chuck Schumer is in favor of it. Don’t use this as a reason not to call the Senators and show support of this Legislation. (202-224-3121)
Took my child bride to Charlie’s Daughter for breakfast Saturday mornin and sat next to the Big Table. If you ever get a chance to sit down and listen to the likes of Bo and Cullen and Stroud and Charlie and Weisinger and Aubrey, don’t take none of it as anywhere near factual or truthful. You will hear a lot of useless information and mind numbing chatter. You may even leave the restaurant a little dumber than you were when you came in. I sit at one of these on Wednesday and Friday mornings and I usually recover before I get home.
Won’t go into the particulars of our ESD 4 meeting last Wednesday cause I am sure that the paper will cover it in depth. Gonna meet with ESD 1 (Castroville) on Thursday and get the lowdown on how to pass a Homestead Exemption for everyone in ESD 4 as well as an additional Exemption for those 65 and over. Heard that ESD 2 (Devine Fire) is also looking at this type of taxpayer relief.
When you see Martha Wall and Co., congratulate them on a very well presented and organized Wreaths Across America event this past Saturday.
Have a Merry Christmas and enjoy family while we are still together. Won’t be writing until next year so, have a safe and Happy New Year too.
Things & Stuff
Only rained 2.3 inches out Black Creek way since July 28th…got a little fog one day a couple weeks ago but, even though I had to use the windshield wipers, that don’t count.
Finally harvested the last of our orange crop (total of 3) and like Cousin Eddie says, theyre goooood. The lime crop was a lot bigger and just as good. Sandy made two Key Lime pies outta that bunch.
The political commercials are finally over and now, the commercials for special types of medicine have taken over. They cure all kinds of recently discovered or made up diseases but….they all have side effects from spatulized coflagulation to arboreal branchitis to occular fecitis to blood clots and even death. If you didn’t know you were sick, wait a while and they will come up with a medicine that will suit you just in case you get a rash or cough due to cold.
Congressman Gonzales called the other day in response to my question about HR 82. This bill would allow public servants (peace officers and firefighters) and teachers to qualify for SS benefits for time served (simple explanation). Tony said that he was “all in” on it and voted for it, HR 82 passed the House and was sent to the Senate. I encourage the voting public to contact Sen. Cruz and Sen. Cornyn’s office and voice support for this bill. Everybody knows a retired public servant or school teacher. (Got Kari Davis and Lewis Stroud on it) For more information on it, look it up your ownself on the computer and take the time to contact our two Texas Senators.
Talked to Commissioner Lawler the other day and he is still taking old tires at the yard from 8 AM till 4 PM Monday through Thursday. This will end when New Years Eve arrives so, if you got one, get it down there.
Things & Stuff
In the last 68 days, Black Creek has been kinda dry, specially around the CasaVerde location. Only been able to catch 1.2 inches of rain during that period and that come on September 3rd.
Did some checking and found out that (as of last Monday) Medina County has 38,293 registered voters. Would be great to see a 50% showing in the final numbers of the November Election but, my guess is that it will be closer to 12-15 percent.
There will be an ESD #4 meeting on Wednesday evening at the EMS barn on Dixon St. If you are able, show up and learn about where your taxes are being spent. There is also a meeting of the Republican Party of Medina County on September 14th at the Medina County Annex across from Tractor Supply and I believe that they both start at 6:30 PM.
Gonna be a long road for the victims of hurricane Helene to recover. Sheriff Brown and a host of others are gonna travel to Yancey County in North Carolina and drag several enclosed trailers loaded with necessities to aid in the recovery effort and provide law enforcement support in the area. I don’t beleive that the $750 provided to the folks up there by the government will be worth anything,,,,but, don;t fret. Billions are being sent overseas to help in protecting the borders of a foreign country and assist the citizens there in their recovery.
Things & Stuff
Looks like we have entered the second half of Summer (the mild part) and will have to wait for the possibility of rain for a little bit longer. Got a couple more holidays to get through before we can put up the blinky, colored lights.
Found out the other day that I was appointed to the ESD #4 (EMS) Board. Hopefully, information will be more available and the public will be better informed when we really look into the possibility of creating our own service. Don’t think that we are ready for that just yet but, if the Board decides to go in that direction, the public will be involved.
Went to the ESD #2 (Fire) meeting the other night and found it to be more open and easier to understand. The Board is going to seriously look into offering a Homestead Exemption for residents 65 years of age or older. The State allows Special Service Districts (such as our ESD’s) to enact a Homestead Exemption of “no less than $3,000…… (I’d be OK with $10,000 or $20,000). If this was raised periodically, the outrageous increase in our Appraisals would not affect us as much.
Things & Stuff
On Friday, we got rain…sprinkled for about 45 seconds but, it sounded good and smelled good…hit the concrete driveway and evaporated. Evidently, there is a few more praying for rain but, not enough.
I went to the EMS meeting on the 20th, along with about 18 or 15 others and was witness to an unorganized, sham of a meeting that had several folks wondering if it was even legal. I’m gonna leave this alone because the newspaper was there and will expound on it in depth. According to one of the posted notices on the window of the meeting room was the phrase “the people of MCESD #4 have spoken”. I don’t think that this is an accurate statement.
Also went to the Commissioners Court meeting on Monday and attempted to address my concerns with the increase in the Tax Rate using my own math calculations. Using numbers from Tax Central (told Melissa Lutz that I wouldn’t use her name) I came up with a $79,055 net gain for Medina County using the new rate of 0.4511 per $100 valuation instead of the current rate of $.4356. My thoughts were leave it the same. Don’t know if they will or not but, I went and spoke up.
Things & Stuff
Well, Fall is almost here. Don’t need to mention the heat and the temporary dry spell we in right now. Lord is gonna make it rain soon….next time for sure.
I apologized for my actions in Sunday School that caused us to miss a rain event. Ten or twelve days ago, there was lightning and thunder to the north of us towards Biry and you could feel the cool wind and smell the rain…soon as I went outside and rolled up the windows on my truck, it dissipated. Sorry.
On August 20th at 6:30 PM, there will be a Public Hearing at the Devine EMS building on Dixon St. The public is encouraged to attend and discuss the 57% tax increase “needed” to fund their own ambulance service. I gotta lotta questions.
Things & Stuff
Been a little warm lately but, there is a chance for some rain so, keep prayin. We missed the hurricane remnants cause we were in Florida watching it on TV. The eye passed over Jason and Nickie’s house in Magnolia, Texas and they got another foot of rain.
Everybody has seen the assassination attempt on Trump so I ain’t gonna dwell on it except to say that as a Sniper for the SAPD SWAT team for 4 years, I have lotsa questions and I’ll leave it at that….and so far, even after news reports and Congressional Hearings, they ain’t been answered.
By the time this comes out, we would have already had our MCRP meeting and discussed the upcoming elections and our role in them. Noticed that at the National Convention, unity and strength were highlighted. This starts at the local level.
Things & Stuff
Aint rained since June 20th and we got a chance of some this week so, pray for just enough to fill Medina Lake and make the creeks run. Ten or eleven inches oughta do it.