La Marque Times (Newspaper) - July 29, 1987, La Marque, Texas to shoppers See Page 8A return grid starters See Page IB Who gets tested for See Page 2A LM Bank U MARQUE iBBI TheT 66'\ YOUR NEWSPAPER SINCE 1947 Great Great Great Cars Warranty Prices DON'S CARS 938-1234 NO. Hi MARQUE JULY 2<), may up budget without tax hike Staff Writer La Marque schools may meet a increase in their this year without hiking taxes because of an increase in their tax less than expected cuts in state funding and a bite into everything stays lilce it and there are no major we anticipate not raising the tax Superintendent Dr. Mike Moses said If it would be the first time in at least three years La Marque schools haven't raised the property tax rate stands at per of appraised Preliminary 1987-88 tax rolls indicate a gain in property values of possibly an increase worth about in new taxes to Moses told trustees at a budget The larger tax base is mainly the result of Northern Cogeneration a new power plant with an estimated value of But million in lost value at Union Carbide and basically flat homestead evaluations this year have cut down the final impact of the new plant on the tax the added revenues should be enough to offset cuts in state funding this Moses Despite extensive budget cutting in state funds are expected to decrease only percent for each school district a to cut for The proposed 1987-88 See Page 5A Can they A trend that has got to be stopped 1%, This is the first article in a series that will explore the struggle businesses in La Marque are now the reasons for the possible solutions to the attitudes of local merchants and shoppers and the progress made by various groups working to improve the local By J AMES HARTSFIELD Since June 1986, an estimated 24 La Marque both old and have closed their doors - ah epidemic of And ' Hard times are taking their toll ever say in any shape may be long in Ttere won't be any oil boom or magic saviour that will solve the Help will come only when the city helps they and work is under way to do just But more than any single idea or plan or the biggest single thing citizens can do is to just get they the people in this city have seen hard times said La Marque Chamber of Commerce Economic Development they have bounced The main culprit is simply high Charbonneau There is no money to be can't collect their bills and people can't pay their he economic situation has been rather dire since before 1986. Things won't bounce back by themselves like they did in the old Vacant buildings and the tattered signs of defunct stores may appear more prevalent in La Marque than they do elsewhere in the but they really Charbonneau La Marque is a small so a business that closes tends to stand just can't sit back They have to become involved in their government and in their They have to make their desires it's the only real way to minimize their La Marque when you get 24 businesses that Shortfall stresses urgency of trash says The Shops at Home I First in a series | close that represents a far more significant number than possibly 100 Texas one closes in La it has a very serious Efforts to beautify the city and offer incentives for businesses to come to La Marque are steps in the Charbonneau changes will not come The economy makes it difficult to attract new stores despite these is very little venture capital Who today is going to go to the bank and borrow money to start a Right they're just not willing to take the he not going to get better in leaps and but we've got some things going that hopefully will make things start to happen in the next year or The project most critical to improving the La Marque economy is the approval of pari-mutuel wagering and the construction of a greyhound an industry projected to bring in millions of dollars and thousands of Charbonneau But a referendum must first be approved by voters both statewide and locally Nov. 3. During the past three the city and the La Marque Chamber have created a variety of programs to spur development and help local businesses make it through what is increasingly a day-to-day struggle for The city has created a Tax Reinvestment Zone to provide an incentive for development and an Industrial Corporation using can provide low-interest financing to The chamber has created an Economic Development Committee that is now See Shops Page 5 A La Marque Chamber of Commerce Economic Development Chairman Charbonneau stands in front of recently closed by La Marque Honda on Cedar a business that had been in operation for some 20 Bike hits hurting 13-year-old An Alvin youth who had spent the afternoon riding a bicycle on and off of Main Street ended up in the hospital Monday after his bike collided with a Plymouth Adam Troy 13, jumped his bike onto the 1700 block of Main near Bayou from the driveway of the Apartments and was turning in the middle of the street when he ran into a van driven by an 18-year-old La Marque Galveston County Emergency Medical Service personnel took Burd to Mainland Center where he was reported in stable condition Tuesday No charges were filed against the who had applied his brakes but could not avoid hitting police reports Police Beat Nelda assistant manager of Gulfbreeze said Burd had been riding his bike through the apartment parking lot and onto Main Street for much of the It's a common sport for area kids on bikes to jump the curb at the apartment entrance and do tricks in the she Cox said that earlier in the day she had told who was that he would get hurt if he continued riding in the Soon after 4 she was looking out the office window and saw the Burd by the office and jumped the Cox as he made his I heard the squealing and saw him Apartment manager Nellie Smith called the police while Cox went to assist She said she tried to cover him and that he was crying and screaming that head wanted to get he was So he got up and walked toward the but he seemed Cox that time the law and they got him to lie Burd had been visiting his uncle at the apartment Cox In other police Two juveniles were arrested for driving a stolen pickup truck on Crystal Beach in Galveston at 4 a.m. The two-tone brown 1984 Ford had been reported Staff Writer A budget shortfall expected this year La need to determine method of residential pickup City Manager Gary said at a City Council workshop The city's actual from municipal court fines this year is expected to fall short of budget estimates revenue from sales tax may fall short at of ' T as Jackson called may be largely city salary in the year when the city operated a police chief or city and revenue from property Jackson the city will have to tap its fund balance for to make up the The cost overrun will lower the fund balance to about which will create a problem if the expense of residential garbage collection is not cut This the city will spend about more on garbage pickup its monthly charge 0!fw,30 per Income from pickup will fill in a deficit If the system is not the city will have from the fund balance to cover the cost in: the 1987-1988 fiscal This expenditure would put the fund at 5 percent of the city's general fund half of the recommended would be dangerous if wg got into an emergency as a that created Jackson To lower the City Council ii switching to trucks or for residential as well as commercial first priority will be that service remains the same and the price is not Jackson If that condition is and savings to the city are great contract commercial rates might be he Though the city won't raise customers be paying a few cents hiore for garbage collection beginning in October because of the broadening of the X 1 state sales tax The tax passed recently in Austin includes garbage collection among taxable The 6 percent sales which is turned over to the state will add 43 The use of trucks could save the city city would only have to use the fund balance to pay for the service next Jackson trucks save money by reducing personnel and landfill The be operated by two one less truck than the city's current and can compact as much trash as two of the Contracting ior residential could but Ww much known until bids for service are At their re meeting after the the council authorized Jackson to put out bids for private contractors for garbage pick Mayor Carlton Getty said the city had to lose by searching out the Jackson said he would accept proposals for general pickup of garbage and refuse - brush cut to four feet and bundled - and for general pickup plus special Special which now the city a eovers larger items like uncut brush discarded If a contractor is the city will coordinate the service to Nothing will change as far as the public is concerned the color of the trucks and the
