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ESD Board hears summary
of proposed budget for 2010
(Posted: 11:20 a.m. August 30, 2010)
Although the proposed budget for the Williamson County Emergency Services District #4 is still in the development stage, Commissioners got their first look at the numbers during a special meeting August 26.
As Fire Chief Bruce Watson went through the list of proposed expenditures with the ESD Board, Commissioner Dean Andrews noted, "This is a good starting point. But, there's a lot of work to be done on this budget before we can adopt it."
EDC Board votes to save City budget
(Posted: August 30, 2010)
Over the strong objections of local businessman David Parker, the Board of Directors of the Economic Development Corp. voted August 26 to bail out the City's general operating budget for the coming fiscal year by funding part of the expenses of the police department.
With three members of the City Council serving on the EDC Board and voting in favor of the $88,507 expenditure, the motion passed on a 3-2 vote with Directors John Austin and Parker casting the no votes. Directors Charles Canady, Liz Rundzieher and Glen Gavin voted yes. George Nassour, a Captain with the Liberty Hill Police Department, abstained from voting on the issue because he said he believed it would be a conflict of interest. EDC Board President Ken Cousins was not present for the meeting.
Mother of missing teen is grateful for
support of community, law enforcement
(UPDATED: 10 p.m. August 26, 2010 | Original Post: 11 p.m. August 25, 2010)
The mother of a Liberty Hill teenager who was reported missing for several hours Wednesday evening said today that she was moved by the outpouring of support from the community and from law enforcement officials in response to the family's call for help.
A law enforcement officer found the 13-year-old girl walking along CR 200 toward her home after 10 p.m. and she was returned safely to her family. She was reported missing about 5:30 p.m.
Assisting Williamson County Sheriff's officers in the search were officers from the Liberty Hill Police Department and the Austin Police Department.
Ladies Workout Express
celebrates a makeover
(Posted: 10 a.m. August 25, 2010)
Liberty Hill ladies thinking about starting a new fitness program are taking a look at the newly remodeled Ladies Workout Express.
City passed over for TPW park grant
(Posted: 5:30 a.m. August 25, 2010)
For the second time this year, the City of Liberty Hill was passed over for a Texas Parks & Wildlife grant that would have been used to develop City Park.
Clay Cole, chairman of the City's Parks & Recreation Board, said Tuesday that the City's score was 11 points lower than the lowest-scoring community that received funding for an Outdoor Recreation Grant. The City's application was resubmitted to the agency for consideration in May after failing to garner enough points in January.
Concerns about Mayor's columns prompt
Council to ask newspapers to add disclaimer
(Posted: 9 p.m. August 24, 2010)
Although they understood that the request was unenforceable, Liberty Hill City Council members voted 4-1 Monday to issue a request to the local news media that they clearly label opinion articles written by city officials and clarify that the opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of city government.
The unusual request, which was opposed by Councilman Wendell McLeod, was brought forward by Councilman Jack Harkrider in response to a series of controversial columns written by Mayor Michele "Mike" Murphy that have appeared in local newspapers this summer under the standing column head, "Greetings from the Mayor." The articles have not appeared on Radio Free Liberty Hill.
Council adopts proposed tax rate,
finds possible source of additional revenue
(Posted: 5 p.m. August 22, 2010)
In a 4-1 vote Friday, the Liberty Hill City Council adopted a proposed tax rate of $0.35 per $100 value -- a $0.06 increase from the current fiscal year -- and may have found a revenue source to help reduce the anticipated budget shortfall.
The City Council has been struggling for weeks to find a way to avoid deep cuts in city government as a result of a significant drop in projected revenue for the 2010-2011 fiscal year that begins Oct. 1. Total appraised value of property inside the city limits is down, sales tax revenues have dropped, and fees generated from building permits fell way below the amount budgeted for 2009-2010. It's the first time in the City's 11-year history that elected officials have had to deal with a deficit budget.
The Council set the proposed tax rate in a special meeting that was opened immediately after a budget workshop Friday. Council members supporting the tax increase were Jack Harkrider, Liz Rundzieher, Wendell McLeod and Mayor Pro Tem Charles Canady. Councilman Glen Gavin voted no.
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Trustees adopt budget without raising
tax rate, call for bond election
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LHISD voters will decide Nov. 2 whether to allow the school district to issue $85.6 million in general obligation bonds to pay for a new high school complex and renovations at existing schools. Find out more about the proposal at the special bond election website. (Click image to enlarge in new window.) |
(Posted: 5 p.m. August 17, 2010)
During their regular meeting Monday, Liberty Hill school trustees did not raise the tax rate to fund a $25.4 million spending plan for 2010-2011. Instead, they chose to dip into the district's fund balance by about $1.2 million in order to cover a 5 percent budget increase.
Minutes later, trustees voted unanimously to call for an $85.6 million bond election to pay for a new high school complex and renovate existing school facilities. If voters approve the bond package on Nov. 2, the tax rate for Interest & Sinking (I&S) Fund will increase by a maximum $0.278 per $100 property value over the next four years. The increase will be applied in increments, with the first increase in 2011-2012 of $0.075 per $100 valuation.
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City eying possible purchase of
LCRA's wastewater treatment plant
(Posted: August 9, 2010)
Although the Mayor appears to be opposed to the idea of the City owning a wastewater treatment plant, the City’s attorney says it’s too early in the process to know whether or not it would be good for Liberty Hill, or even if it would be financially feasible.
City Attorney Art Rodriguez said the Lower Colorado River Authority, which owns the wastewater treatment plant near Liberty Hill, contacted the City in recent months to see if the City might be interested in acquiring the facility. He said LCRA is seeking to divest itself of wastewater plants across its service area.
“There’s only been one meeting between the City and LCRA, and we don’t even know an asking price yet,” he said.
Liberty Hill goes Back to School
(Posted: August 6, 2010)
A Message from LHISD Superintendent Dr. Rob HartAfter a summer of preparation, we are looking forward to welcoming our staff and students back. Our goal is to keep getting better in all facets of the educational program. We expect 2010-2011 to be the best year ever in the history of LHISD.
The 2010-2011 school year offers unique challenges. Last year, we grew by 140 students and all indicators point to an even greater enrollment increase this year. This growth will stretch our facilities to capacity, particularly at LH Intermediate, LH Junior High, and LH High School. In December, we added five portable buildings to help with some of the crowding. Classroom availability has also forced larger class sizes at some levels. While these conditions may require us to come up with creative solutions, the overcrowding will not keep our dedicated staff from providing the best education possible for students.
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More You Should Know:
Radio Free Liberty Hill is working with Liberty Hill school officials to make sure families have the information they need to help make the start of school an exciting time for students and a headache-free experience for parents. Everything you need to know about returning to school can be found on our
Back to School Pages.
This page changes often, so check back for the latest news and updates.
Liberty Hill Junior High earns
state's Exemplary rating
(Posted: August 3, 2010)
Liberty Hill Junior High School Principal Chad Pirtle attributes his campus' designation as an Exemplary School to the hard work of teachers who he says have set high expectations for student achievement.
"This is such a proud moment for our school," Pirtle said. "The challenge moving forward is to do it again next year and in the years after that. That would be the true determinant of whether we are in fact an exemplary school."