Water District Raises Salaries
The Glasscock Groundwater Conservation District’s Board of Directors (Rick Harston and Mike Hughes absent) voted Aug. 15 to give a three percent cost of living salary increase to its two employees, Harston and Tisha Burnett. Harston’s new salary will be $40,000, and Burnett’s will be $20,300.
The board also voted to set the new tax rate at .020834 per $100 valuation, three percent above the effective rate of .021459. Last year’s rate was .024734. The new rate is expected to raise $145,387, and after deducting two percent for unpaid taxes, provide actual tax revenue of $142,479. Other income will push the district’s total to just below $150,000.
The proposed budget of almost $150,000 is up $10,000 from last year’s, with the largest line item increases being in chemical analysis, travel, insurance, pickup expense and salaries.
The board also passed a resolution designating Harston to be the district’s voting member in the West Texas Regional Groundwater Regulatory Management Alliance; voted to pay the county’s portion of legislative lobbyist Bob Turner’s annual fee in one $1185 payment, and discussed possibly moving the office to another location if rent increases when the contract ends in December.
Employee Insurance Rates Increase
At their July 18 meeting, the board (Harston, Hughes and John Phillips absent) voted to accept rate increases on employees’ medical and life insurance (employees pay for their own dental insurance). The increases will cost the district a total of $16 monthly.
Harston had earlier reported the July 1 Palmer Drought Severity Index placed the district in “extreme drought,” and had notified the Garden City Water Supply System as required.